Indonesian Political, Business & Finance News

Archive: 11 November 1999

51 articles found

Unocal discovers oil and gas

Unocal discovers oil and gas EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (Dow Jones): Unocal Corp. discovered oil and gas in the Bangka and Aton prospects in deepwater properties offshore Indonesia. In a press release Tuesday, Unocal said the Bangka No.

Government plans campaign for overseas workers

Government plans campaign for overseas workers JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Manpower will launch a nationwide campaign to inform Indonesians wanting to work abroad of their rights and duties, as well as the correct procedures right from the time they leave their villages.

Ethics must guide freedom of the press, minister says

Ethics must guide freedom of the press, minister says JAKARTA (JP): While freedom of the press is necessary in a democracy, in Indonesia the press must still be guided by ethics and subject to some form of social control, Minister of Law and Legislation Yusril Izha Mahendra said on Wednesday.

Setting history straight

Setting history straight Many Indonesians may think it a waste of time and energy, especially during the economic and social crisis, for the nation to dwell on a controversy which has been considered settled for more than three decades.

Where to go in Bali:

Where to go in Bali: Exhibitions * Painting Exhibition: See and Visualise by Syarief Hidayat, Katharina Popp, Andrew Storey, at Bali Cliff Resort, Ungasan (Phone: 0361 771992), Nov. 12 - 30. * Painting Exhibition: Magic and Modernism, at Museum Puri Lukisan, Jl.

Dialog with people of Riau

Dialog with people of Riau From Suara Karya According to media reports, President Abdurrahman Wahid has said that he will have people calling for a free Riau arrested and that these people calling for a free Riau come from Jakarta.

E. Timor backs project, demands treaty review

E. Timor backs project, demands treaty review DARWIN (Reuters): East Timorese leaders have backed the A$1.4 billion (US$896 million) Bayu-Undan gas project, an important part of the broken territory's economic reconstruction, but warned on Wednesday key treaty areas must be renegotiated.

Stock Exchange

Stock Exchange Stock prices on the Jakarta Stock Exchange (in rupiah) on Nov. 10, 1999: Shares Close Change Trading Volume ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ades Alfindo 875 225 4,625,500 AHAP Insurance 550 0 0 Alakasa Industrindo 450 0 17,500 Alter Abadi 400 0...

'Detak' apologizes for report: Wismoyo

'Detak' apologizes for report: Wismoyo JAKARTA (JP): National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar announced on Wednesday representatives of Detak tabloid met with him to apologize for its report alleging his involvement in the Bank Bali scandal.

Police indifferent to fighting drugs

Police indifferent to fighting drugs YOGYAKARTA: The provincial legislature blamed on Tuesday the intensifying drug trade in the town on local police, whom they accused of lacking initiatives to crack down on the dealers.

Call for regulations to protect tribespeople and their land

Call for regulations to protect tribespeople and their land JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction in the House of representatives has called on the government to issue a regulation which recognizes tribal land ownership rights.

Nokia markets new cell phone

Nokia markets new cell phone JAKARTA (JP): Nokia Mobile Phones Indonesia launched on Wednesday a new mobile phone amid growing competition in the country's cellular phone market. The company's general manager, Alexander Lambeek, said the Nokia 7110, one of several mobile phone series the company...

Child painter wins Japanese art prize

Child painter wins Japanese art prize By Tarko Sudiarno YOGYAKARTA (JP): Famed as a child painter and stamp designer, 12-year-old Intan Sari Dewi Saputro is now also known as the illustrator of an Illustrated Diary, or Enikki in Japanese.

Navy's role requires modernization

Navy's role requires modernization By Bantarto Bandoro JAKARTA (JP): Several days after Abdurrahman Wahid was elected Indonesia's new President, he indicated that the sea has played an important role in the country's history.

Twisted justice

Twisted justice The probe into the Bank Bali scandal has reached a stage where it is beginning to look like the earlier case in which Teten Masduki of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) was pitted against then attorney general Andi M. Ghalib.

VP agrees on capital's costly subway project

VP agrees on capital's costly subway project JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri has given her approval to the city's US$1.5 billion Fatmawati-Kota subway project, a city official said on Wednesday.

Human rights group demands military personnel face trial

Human rights group demands military personnel face trial JAKARTA (JP): A leading human rights group demanded on Wednesday that military personnel allegedly involved in atrocities in Aceh be tried in a human rights tribunal.

Irianese planning mass independence rally, prayer

Irianese planning mass independence rally, prayer JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya (JP): Hundreds of Irianese people have poured into Jayapura from all parts of the province to attend a mass prayer scheduled for Friday in Sentani, some 45 kilometers south of here.

Newlyweds killed in traffic accident

Newlyweds killed in traffic accident SURAKARTA, Central Java: A newlywed couple died as their motorbike collided head-on with a truck on the main road on Tuesday afternoon. The two fatalities were identified as Sugiyanto, 28, and Ninik Sulastri, 24. Both were residents of the Sidodadi subdistrict.

DPR members lack dynamism

DPR members lack dynamism Now that the people have elected a new president and a vice president and the new Cabinet has been sworn in, all political activities should shift from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to the House of Representatives (DPR), if democracy is to function properly and...

Rudi sick, Bank Bali trial delayed

Rudi sick, Bank Bali trial delayed JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the South Jakarta district court adjourned on Wednesday the initial hearing of the high profile Bank Bali scandal until Nov. 17 after the bank's former president Rudy Ramli, the man at the center of the Rp 546 billion (US$78 million)...

Attorney General's office appeal Tommy's decision

Attorney General's office appeal Tommy's decision JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's office has filed an appeal to the Supreme Court against the acquittal of former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra from corruption charges in a land exchange deal.

Student protest on Heroes Day

Student protest on Heroes Day SEMARANG (JP): Students marked National Heroes Day, which fell on Wednesday, by staging rallies. They picked various themes, ranging from calls for a thorough inquiry into alleged military atrocities to demands for independence.

Korean businesspeople positive about investment opportunities

Korean businesspeople positive about investment opportunities JAKARTA (JP): A delegation of business executives from South Korea's largest province of Kyongbuk said they were optimistic about investment opportunities in Indonesia.

Observers slam rape case panel proposal

Observers slam rape case panel proposal JAKARTA (JP): A lawyer and a judge lashed out at a government plan to issue a regulation that requires at least one judge on a three-member panel trying rape cases to be a woman. They said on Sunday the scheme may breach a fair and honest trial.

Gus Dur to visit Aceh after meeting Clinton

Gus Dur to visit Aceh after meeting Clinton JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid defied calls on Wednesday to promptly visit Aceh. Instead he is dispatching his Cabinet ministers to meet with public figures in the restive province this weekend.

Pressures mount on NU to shun politics ahead of congress

Pressures mount on NU to shun politics ahead of congress YOGYAKARTA (JP): Pressure is mounting on the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to reaffirm its distance from politics when it holds its five-yearly congress in Kediri, East Java, later this month.

Analysts predict oil firm till year-end

Analysts predict oil firm till year-end SINGAPORE (Reuters): Crude oil prices, already double levels seen a year ago, are set to remain firm for the rest of the year, analysts said on Wednesday. They said OPEC's commitment to agreed production cuts, shrinking global oil stocks, and peak northern...

Wynne to face Carlsson in Wismilak 2nd round

Wynne to face Carlsson in Wismilak 2nd round KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): With top seeded players tumbling in the first round of the US$180,000 Wismilak International '99 tennis event here, Indonesian Wynne Prakusya reached the second round after eliminating Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-3, 7-5.

Bali, a home to hidden archeological treasures

Bali, a home to hidden archeological treasures By I Wayan Juniarta DENPASAR, Bali (JP): I Made Suardana could hardly catch his breath when he dug up a stone box in front of his house in Gianyar, 15 kilometers south of Denpasar.

Balinese yuppies eagerly hunt for their past glory

Balinese yuppies eagerly hunt for their past glory By Degung Santikarma DENPASAR, Bali (JP): In an exclusive neighborhood in Denpasar, a team of workmen shake their heads in confusion. They've been hired to work on a multibillion rupiah project: the renovation of a house that, in their eyes,...

House asks President to clarify closed ministries

House asks President to clarify closed ministries JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives passed a motion on Wednesday to summon President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday Nov. 15 to explain his decision to close down the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Social Services.

Police seize 1.5 tons of Aceh ganja after a tip-off

Police seize 1.5 tons of Aceh ganja after a tip-off JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives seized nearly 1.5 tons of Aceh marijuana worth about Rp 3 billion (US$428,571) hidden in 12 sealed oil drums in a single raid early Wednesday morning. City Police chief of detectives Col.

Economy on track toward recovery: Bank Indonesia

Economy on track toward recovery: Bank Indonesia JAKARTA (JP): Domestic business activity continued to improve during the third quarter of this year, confirming that the country's crisis-hit economy is on track toward recovery, according to the latest survey on domestic business conditions...

Expert warns against rice import duty

Expert warns against rice import duty JAKARTA (JP): The government's plan to reimpose an import duty on rice would only pamper local farmers, not solve the country's rice supply problem, an agricultural expert Bungaran Saragih said here on Wednesday.

Forex reserves rise to $16.40b

Forex reserves rise to $16.40b JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's net foreign exchange reserves rose by US$123.80 million to $16.40 billion in the week ending Nov. 5. Bank Indonesia said in its latest weekly report that the rise was partly due to an increase in oil and gas export revenues and the...

Foreign woman loses hand in vicious robbery

Foreign woman loses hand in vicious robbery JAKARTA (JP): People tend to believe what is reported on television, but nobody could probably regret it more than 46-year-old Taiwanese national Yu Lai Ho. Yu, who had postponed plans to visit to Jakarta since 1997 because of political instability within...

Red-light district to be shut down

Red-light district to be shut down JAKARTA (JP): The city's oldest red-light district, Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta, will be closed on Dec. 8, the day before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan begins, an official said on Wednesday.

PSSI sanction complies with rules: Official

PSSI sanction complies with rules: Official JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) is awaiting PSIS Semarang's appeal of the penalty it imposed on the club after a melee on the opening day of the new Indonesian Soccer League (Ligina) season at Jatidiri stadium in Semarang on...

Grave moving draws mixed views

Grave moving draws mixed views BOGOR (JP): A plan to shift the grave of first president Sukarno from Blitar, East Java to Batutulis Palace in Bogor has drawn mixed feelings from locals living around the historical mansion.

Free alarms for Jakartans

Free alarms for Jakartans JAKARTA (JP): United States-based home security company Protection One is offering free security systems for 1,000 selected Jakartans, a company executive said on Wednesday. "1,000 units of our latest alarm system, Central 2000, will be given to residents of selected...

Y2K won't affect Palapa-C2 satellite, operator hopes

Y2K won't affect Palapa-C2 satellite, operator hopes KUTA, Bali (JP): Private telecoms operator and satellite transponder lessor PT Satellite Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) avouched on Wednesday that its Palapa-C2 satellite would unlikely be affected by Y2K problems.

3 nations face Y2K capital flight

3 nations face Y2K capital flight SINGAPORE (DPA): Fear of the "millennium bug" will cause damaging capital flights from China, Indonesia and Thailand, where investors will worry the computer problem could wipe out their funds, analysts said in a report Wednesday.

Conversion Rates

Conversion Rates Bank Indonesia's conversion rates on Nov. 10, 1999: Bank notes rates Buying Selling Rp Rp U.S. dollar 1 6,842.00 6,910.00 Australian dollar 1 4,372.04 4,418.95 Austrian schilling 1 517.27 522.61 Belgian franc 1 176.44 178.27 Brunei dollar 1 4,086.97 4,130.06 Canadian dollar 1 4,641.

Students protest C. Java PON bid

Students protest C. Java PON bid SEMARANG (JP): About 50 students staged on Wednesday a protest against a provincial administration plan to host the 2004 National Games (PON). "People in Central Java are poor and about 11 million children suffer from malnutrition.

YLKI strongly protests planned power tariff hike

YLKI strongly protests planned power tariff hike JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Consumers Association (YLKI) challenged on Wednesday state-owned electric company PLN's plan to increase its rates. "The public has never been made aware of the reasons for raising electricity rates," YLKI chairwoman...

Japan threatens RI on debt

Japan threatens RI on debt TOKYO (AFP): Japan will avoid extending fresh financial aid to Indonesia if the country seeks relief from its sovereign debt, according to a report Wednesday by Kyodo News agency.

Citicorp names RI agent

Citicorp names RI agent JAKARTA (JP): Citicorp announced on Wednesday the appointment of Bank Ekonomi as the selling agent for its Citicorp VISA TravelMoney. The vice president of Citicorp Travel Payment Services, Ian Nott, said in a statement that Bank Ekonomi would sell Citicorp VISA TravelMoney...

Bus terminals to undergo repairs soon

Bus terminals to undergo repairs soon JAKARTA (JP): The city administration has allocated a Rp 2 billion (US$294,117) fund to renovate six city bus terminals in anticipation of the peak travel periods at Christmas and Idul Fitri, an official said on Tuesday.

Takahashi to join mission

Takahashi to join mission UNITED NATIONS (Agencies): A Japanese diplomat was named on Tuesday as the deputy special representative for the UN mission in East Timor that will run the territory until independence, the United Nations announced.

Church thief gets five months

Church thief gets five months BOGOR (JP): Bogor District Court sentenced Saih bin Naih, 48, to five months in prison on Tuesday for stealing an electronic keyboard and a set of amplifiers from the Sidang Jemaat Allah church on Jl. Semboja last August.