Govt gets tough against tax evaders Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights have signed a joint decree allowing tax evaders to be temporarily detained without trial, a move expected to boost compliance with tax laws.

Car-train collisions When I picked up The Jakarta Post of June 17, I saw a news article on the front page titled 15 people killed in Central Java bus-train collision. Again another publication (a weekly or monthly) reported more road accidents. The question is: Who is to blame? As far as I am concerned, in the case of a car-train collision the fault is almost always on the part of the driver.

Banners spoil Jakarta's beauty From Warta Kota Banners and posters in Jakarta are now haphazardly put up in various places, even on electricity/telephone poles, trees and road fences. Such displays, by private business organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and political parties, can also be found on main streets and railway stations between Jakarta and Bogor.

Toll roads: The killing fields At least 15 people have been killed in toll road accidents this month. The most recent fatal accidents took place in Cibubur on Tuesday and Cikupa, Tangerang, and claimed three lives. Latest records indicate that a total of 34 people have been killed in toll road accidents since April this year, with the most deadly accident killing 12 people on the Jakarta-Cikampek turnpike on April 21.

American journalist declared a suspect Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh Aceh Police declared on Wednesday that American journalist William Nessen had violated visa regulations, an offense which may lead to his deportation. The status of Nessen was announced following 24 hours of questioning, during which the freelancer was placed under police detention. Aceh Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr.

Administration to install security cameras Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The Jakarta administration plans to install additional security cameras in high-risk crime areas in an effort to tighten security in the capital, an official said on Wednesday. The head of the City Public Order Agency, Soebagio, said that apart from security, the cameras also would monitor traffic, floods, fires and other emergencies.

Legislature rejects car buying plan MALANG, East Java: Councillors in Malang regency have rejected a plan to buy new cars for 33 district chiefs. A councillor from the Golkar faction, Rendra Kresna, said on Wednesday that Regent Sujud Pribadi had proposed allocating Rp 4.9 billion (US$597,500) from the revision of the 2003 regional budget to purchase cars to help the subdistrict chiefs make the 2004 election a success. Each subdistrict chief drives a 1996 Isuzu Panther minivan.

Two die in car crash in Banyumas Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java Sokarayee Salae, 32, a Thai citizen who was pursuing a university degree in Yogyakarta, and his Indonesian friend Rizal, a resident of Jl. Cokrodirjan, Yogyakarta, died in a car accident on Tuesday night, Police said on Wednesday. Banyumas Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. LOM Marpaung said the accident occurred when Sokarayee, who was driving a Suzuki Carry minivan, was speeding along Jl.

Inaugural flight brings Aussies back to Bali Dewi Anggraeni, Contributor, Melbourne, Australia What comes first, the availability of frequent flights to a holiday destination, or the large numbers of passengers who want to go there? Since we live in an era where market research is conducted for any project worth its commercial salt, that is no longer a chicken-and-egg question. If the potential market is visible on the horizon, the product will be made available.

Ground water quality worsens Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Each individual eliminates approximately 0.15 kilograms in bodily waste or excrement every day. With its 8.3 million population, Jakarta produces 1.245 tons of human waste daily, or 454.4 tons annually. That's really a big issue as Jakarta, which covers a 650,000- square kilometer area, does not have an integrated sewerage system to manage the waste of its residents.

Govt to restrict foreign activists in war-torn Aceh Tiarma Siboro The Jakarta Post Jakarta The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is drafting tough regulations to limit the presence of foreign non-governmental organization (NGO) activists in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, further closing the province to independent scrutiny.

Six countries join Bali billiard meet JAKARTA: Billiard participants from six Asian countries are taking part in the A Mild Billiard Bali Open Tournament 2003, which began in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday, according to a report. Malaysia, India, Singapore and Vietnam have three players each while L. Corteza is the sole Philippines' contender in the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU)-sanctioned tournament, which will run until Saturday at the Paradiso Billiard.

Corrupt district court is rotten to the core Zakki Hakim, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta "We chose to go to court because we didn't want to bribe the traffic police officer. But it turned out that people here ask for more money than the police do," a 66-year-old man, who was accompanying his son, said angrily in front of the East Jakarta District Court.

Asian firms facing audit crunch Tom Wright, Dow Jones, Jakarta Tighter regulations over accounting practices post-Enron are making it increasingly difficult for Asian companies listed in the U.S. to find American-registered accountants to review their books. After the scandal over now-disgraced Enron Corp. forced auditors to draw a clearer line between accounting and advisory work, the Big Four accounting firms are increasingly refusing to take on jobs that might smack of conflict of interest.

Tangerang to plant 189,000 trees TANGERANG: The Tangerang regency environmental agency plans to plant 189,000 trees on 300 hectares of land along the Cisadane river catchment area in November and December. "Today, our team begins conducting a survey to study what kind of trees the people living along the river want, because they will be involved in managing the green areas," Agency deputy chief Admat Kosim told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Komnas HAM and nationalists From Koran Tempo The Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has published a report about a mass grave in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, one that reportedly could have been dug during the present military emergency period in the territory. Various groups in society have reacted strongly to this report owing to its controversial and, what some say, one-sided nature.

Illnesses swamp refugees in Aceh Nani Farida and A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Lhokseumawe/Banda Aceh Thousands of Acehnese across the province have been treated for various illnesses since they fled to refugee camps following the imposition of martial law in the province on May 19.

'Schools sucking us dry with demands' Everyone knows that a good education is the best guarantee for a successful and happy life, but many parents here in Jakarta are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to finance their children's education and send them into the future armed with a degree. Both private and state schools, from kindergarten on up to university, impose fees on students, which they call "donations", leaving parents scrambling to raise the needed cash.

1. Sukhoi -- 2 cols, 4 lines, 60pts MB, 32 counts Sukhoigate may mar Mega's 2004 bid 2. Refugee -- 5 cols, 1 line, 45pts MB, 35 counts Illnesses swamp refugees in Aceh 3. Tax -- 4 cols, 1 line, 36pts MB, 35 counts Govt gets tough against tax evaders

VICO Indonesia clarifies We are writing in response to your article published in The Jakarta Post on June 16, 2003, titled Extension of Japanese LNG contract vital: Total. In this article you referred to our company, VICO Indonesia, as "VICO -- a subsidiary of Anglo-American firm BP PLC". This is incorrect. Virginia Indonesia Co, LLC (VICO Indonesia) is the operating company for the Sanga Sanga Production Sharing Contract area in East Kalimantan.

IRI Forum: Taking advantage of new investment opportunity The Indonesia Regional Investment Forum (IIRIF) 2003 will be held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) from July 2 to July 4 to discuss opportunities and challenges in investing in the country's economically more independent provinces.

1. INSIGHT: 1 x 50 Tyranny by the majority: Current decision-making 2. NESSEN: 1 x 40 American journalist declared a suspect 3. PUTEH: 1 x 36 Aceh governor pleads for more aid 4. BOYCOTT: 1 x 33 Press protest TNI bias for 'SCTV' 5. MILF: 1 x 31 Philippines, Muslim rebels end talks with success in Malaysia 6. TERROR: 1 x 44 'Int'l community has terrorists on the run'

'3m Indonesians are drug users' JAKARTA: Police estimate that Indonesia has around three million drug users among a population of 212 million, an officer said on Wednesday. Adj. Sr. Comr. Sigit Sudarmanto, police chief for Sleman district in Central Java, said the figure comes from the latest police report on drug abuse. Sudarmanto, quoted by Antara, said 1.3 million of the total residents of Jakarta and its immediate surroundings were drug users. --AFP

House urged to immediately amend money-laundering law Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The House of Representatives is being urged to pick up the pace in deliberating an amended money laundering law, so that it can be endorsed by September as required by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

SBI rate down to 9.53% JAKARTA: The interest rate of one-month Bank Indonesia SBI promissory notes fell to a six-year low of 9.53 percent during the weekly Wednesday auction, from 9.71 percent the previous week. The central bank has been guiding its benchmark rate down in the hope of encouraging banks to lower their lending rates and help the corporate sector obtain cheaper loans for working capital.

1. Water - 1x 28 Ground water quality worsens 2. Mabok - 1x 20 Seized drugs burned 3. corrupt- 2x 25 Corrupt district court is rotten to the core 4. Camera - 2x 20 Jakarta to install more security cameras 5. Speak - 2x 20 'Schools sucking us dry with demands'

Small parties may field presidential candidates Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The debate on which political parties can field candidates in the 2004 presidential election may soon come to an end as most factions in the House have suggested that parties winning three percent of the seats in the House should be able to join the race.

I Made Sujata Contributor Tihingan, Bali For centuries, the people of Tihingan, Klungkung regency, managed to sustain the ancestral legacy of gong-making at their small village, some 40 kilometers northeast of Denpasar. Unfortunately, the combined threat of decreasing demand and lack of skilled workers has placed the future of its gong industry in grave danger. The gong, the generic term for traditional Balinese musical instruments, was a permanent feature in Balinese cultural life.

Aceh military operation What have we achieved from the one-month-old integrated operation in Aceh? Evaluating the operation, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said last Thursday that as regards the quantitative achievements, the body count and the occupation of (former) strongholds of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) could be used as the indicators of success or failure. Let's go back to the Vietnam war in 1975 when more than 5 million Vietnamese, many guerrillas, were killed.

Current rupiah level neutral for RI economy: Dorodjatun James Simms, Dow Jones, Tokyo The current level of the Indonesian rupiah is "neutral" for the economy, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti said, adding that the currency's stability had contributed to the drop in inflation and falls in interest rates. The rupiah is trading at over a two-year high due to political stability, which has helped lure back some capital this year.