Govt vacillates on Aceh split proposal Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf has cautiously endorsed a proposal to split Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam into two provinces but stressed that this could only take place based on the recent peace agreement. He made the statement while receiving members of the Committee for the Establishment of Aceh Leuser Antara Province at his office in Jakarta on Friday.

Trend of Investment Realization Domestic Investment Projects Value (In billion Rp) 1990 253 2,398.6 1991 265 3,666.1 1992 225 5,067.4 1993 304 8,286.0 1994 582 12,786.9 1995 375 11,312.5 1996 450 18,609.7 1997 345 18,628.8 1998 296 16,512.5 1999 248 16,286.7 2000 300 22,038.0 2001 158 9,880.8 2002 103 12,029.3 2003 111 11,544.8 2004 126 15,228.7 2005 137 9,691.0* Foreign Investment Projects Value (In million US$) 1990 100 706.0 1991 149 1,059.7 1992 155 1,940.9 1993 183 5,653.1 1994 392 3,771.2...

CHECKED Developers asked to provide spaces for SMEs To accelerate the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the government is urging the developers of industrial estates to provide spaces for small businesses in their properties. State Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Suryadharma Ali said SMEs made a vital contributions to manufacturing and should be given spaces at industrial estates. "SMEs play a vital role in supporting large manufacturing businesses.

Govt optimistic over polio vaccination drive Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The government expressed optimism on Friday that it would be able to curb the country's first polio outbreak in a decade, which has infected 226 children nationwide. Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said that after an intensive antipolio campaign that involved two world organizations and local ones, the government had scheduled the second round of the two-day immunization drive for Aug. 30 and Sept.

Susilo's economic policy President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's lack of resolute macroeconomic policy is a recipe for economic disaster on a magnitude similar to the hyperinflation of 1998. With Indonesia importing oil at inflated prices and selling at much lower price, we are practically importing inflation. Furthermore, this condition is aggravated by the government's inaction, which causes investors uncertainty and thereby further weakening the rupiah against the U.S. dollar.

Jalan Jaksa Fair less spirited than usual JP/R. Berto Wedhatama The popular annual festival held around Jl. Jaksa, a favorite place for budget tourists, brightened up the area for only a few hours on Friday. Owing to the obvious lack of preparation and promotion by the organizer, the Jakarta Tourism Agency, the one-day celebration was the least lively so far. Though, named the Jl. Jaksa Festival, the giant stage was placed at the T-junction of Jl. Jaksa and Jl.

Socio-cultural approaches in combating terrorism Aleksius Jemadu Bandung We have heard a lot about the futility of using military approaches in the fight against terrorism. Moreover, people are increasingly convinced that suicide bomb attacks would not stop even if the United States and the United Kingdom withdrew from Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a growing awareness that both Muslims and Christians can play an important role in moderating radical views within their respective communities.

OPEC Shipments to Fall 0.7 Percent in Four Weeks to Sept. 10 Saijel Kishan, Bloomberg/London The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is set to ship 0.7 percent less oil in the four weeks ending Sept. 10 than in the previous four weeks, the consulting company Oil Movements said, after crude prices reached a record US$68 a barrel this week.

"Not fully recovered but much better now" The Indonesian Industrial Estate Association (HKI) has expressed concern over the slow growth of the country's industrial estates due to infrastructure and regulatory problems. The Jakarta Post's Tubagus Arie Rukmantara talked to HKI chairman Johannes Archiadi about the latest developments in the country's industrial estates. Question: How do you perceive the recent developments in industrial estates?

Burden of commuting According to Law No. 38/2004 on roads, evaluation and adjustment of road tolls is made once every two years based on the rate of inflation. This means that the increase in road tolls is legal as the words 'evaluation' and 'adjustment' in paragraph three of the law is meant to accommodate such increases. Even as the tolls get higher road users still have to endure poor service daily.

Umar Patek's death not confirmed: Police Eva C. Komandjaja The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The National Police have denied a report that Indonesian terrorist suspect Umar Patek was killed last week by the Philippine army during a raid in the southern part of the country. National Police spokesman Insp. Gen.

Boosting education with taxes From Suara Karya The new tax reform bill stipulates that contributions for scholarships, research and other expenses for educational facilities are all tax deductible. As a student, I welcome this provision because it will increase the interest from companies in providing scholarships for students with high achievements or disadvantaged children.

International mechanism on protection of the right to freedom of religion Uli Parulian Sihombing Jakarta This newspaper reported on Thursday Aug. 25, 2005 that 23 churches in Bandung, West Java were forced to close by hard-line Muslim groups. The Ahmadiyah worship facilities were destroyed in Parung Bogor and other cities also. On the other hand, the law enforcement officers failed to stop the closure or bring the violators to court.

Schooled for a house of Islam Noor Huda Ismail, Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, Jakarta The word that describes the goal of Islam -- creating a house of Islam -- is also the name of an Indonesian organization whose aim has been to turn the country into a house ruled by Allah's law, sharia. As a student in one of Indonesia's famous Islamic schools, I had a close encounter with the group, Darul Islam, and their philosophy.

PGN clarifies PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (Persero) tbk (PGN) wishes to clarify the comments made by the General Manager of the Strategic Business Unit II, East Java Region, appearing in the article on Aug. 9 entitled PLN to share its nature gas allocation: Minister.

Deserted historical site of past glories Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Mojokerto, East Java Archeologists dream of turning Indonesia's biggest excavation site in Trowulan, East Java, into an education center and tourist destination as interesting as Borobudur and Prambanan.

Displaced Maluku families stuck in refugee camps Page 5 Timy, Devota take second win in beach volleyball c'ship Page 10 Do-it-yourself tourism at Trowulan historical site Page 18

Dependence on maids The story about the Indonesian maid who struck and shook a six-month-old girl in her care emphasizes the need to educate caregivers not only about the danger of shaking young children, but about ways to cope with crying and frustration. Shaking can injure children as old as 5 years of age. Even if the injuries are not life threatening, they can result in learning disabilities and other subtle forms of disability that are not immediately detected.

RP looking to Australian 'Coast Watch' model Agence France-Presse, Manila Australia's "Coast Watch" system could serve as the Philippines' model for boosting maritime security, both countries said on Friday at the close of two-day defense cooperation talks. Officials cited the need to boost maritime security in the region, particularly to restrict travel by militants from other parts of Southeast Asia.

Five years sought for order officer JAKARTA: The prosecution urged the South Jakarta District Court on Thursday to sentence a public order officer to five years in jail for shooting Abdego Kaseh alias Jhon Albert, who later died in hospital. Defendant Chrisman Siregar stands accused of abuse of power involving the shooting of Abdego, who is a brother of prominent gang leader Hercules. The incident occurred when public order officers attempted on Feb.

Govt sees solution to Croatian ship dispute The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The government expects to be able to quickly resolve an ongoing diplomatic spat over the detention of a Croatian ship for allegedly transporting illegally-logged timber. Minister of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Friday that foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda had been in intensive talks with Croatian Ambassador to Indonesia Aleksandar Broz to seek ways to resolve the case.

West Bengal chief minister seeks Indonesian investment The chief minister of West Bengal in India, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, visited Jakarta from Aug. 24 to Aug. 26 to promote his province in Indonesia and to seek Indonesian investments. Bhattacharjee spoke to The Jakarta Post's Veeramalla Anjaiah on many issues relating to West Bengal, which has 80 million people and is ruled by a communist government. The following are excerpts from the interview.

Incremental tax reform JP/6/ED29 Incremental tax reform The new package of tax reforms the government will propose to the House of Representatives next month addresses many of the deeply rooted concerns of taxpayers over the uncertainty of tax law enforcement and their demand for equality with tax officials before the law.

'Fight fuel smuggling and hoarding' The steady increase in fuel prices has prompted some experts to call for the scrapping of the fuel subsidy. The Jakarta Post interviewed a number of residents to obtain their views on the debate over the merits of the subsidy. Tiara Aryanto, 28, is an IT consultant at a bank. She lives in Central Jakarta: I agree with cutting the fuel subsidy because citizens should be able to be self-supporting.

Greek emigre Filipos: A sculptor of souls Noreen M. Flores, Contributor/Jakarta It has been said: "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet." But they do. They have, for instance, met in the person and in the art of Filippos, and lived there in perfect harmony. Filippos is a sculptor born, raised and educated in Greece, who has chosen to live his life and pursue his art in Bali.

Lawyer for drugs charges model quits DENPASAR, Bali: The Indonesian lawyer representing an Australian model held on drugs charges on the resort island of Bali said on Friday he quit the case because he could not meet her expectations. Muhammad Rifan said Michelle Leslie and her family had made demands which were impossible to meet under Indonesia's legal system. "I resigned because I am unable to meet the target set by my client and her family.

Number of thugs down, number of bad cops up This is the fourth article on thuggery, which the Jakarta administration, police and military have vowed to eradicate in the city. Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta The intensive crackdown on thuggery and lawlessness over the past month has apparently brought back the feeling of security to some residents, particularly those living in crime-prone areas.

Govt's decentralization could affect ratings: S and P Indonesia's move to quickly decentralize government could affect its sovereign ratings as few incentives for fiscal prudence exist at provincial and local levels, ratings agency Standard and Poor's said on Friday. Due to a lack of stringent controls on provincial access to debt financing, imprudent borrowing and the accumulation of debt by provinces could emerge as risks, the agency said in a statement.

Acehnese woman finds solace through sewing Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Meulaboh Kartini rocks her daughter, Rafi Karanda (4 months old), to sleep in a miniature cloth hammock hanging from the door. After she is sure that Rafi is asleep, she begins sewing. "I sew in this studio in order to temporarily get away from the tent. Sewing in the studio helps ease my trauma," she said. The 30-year-old mother has good reasons for being traumatized.

Asia-Pacific states told cooperate on int'l labor migration Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post/Bangkok Participants at a regional seminar on international migration called on Friday for improved regional cooperation and the mainstreaming of international migration in national policy development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rupiah dealth another blow at week's end Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta It was definitely not a "Thank God, it's Friday" week's end for Indonesia as the rupiah suffered another blow with the market seeing the currency close at Rp 10,400 against the U.S. dollar, the lowest since January 2002.