15 killed in two accidents in S. Sumatra
PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: At least 15 people died and several others were injured in two traffic accidents that occurred on South Sumatra highways over the weekend, police and residents reported on Tuesday.
An Isuzu Panther van was seriously damaged when it collided with a Lorena bus plying the Jakarta-Padang route in Terawas village, Musi Rawas regency, on Sunday, killing all five people aboard the van. None of the bus passengers were seriously injured.
In another incident, 10 died when two trucks collided head-on on Monday in Kurup village on the Baturaja highway, Lubuk Batang subdistrict, as the first truck, which was carrying a party of workers, smashed into the second truck, which was carrying coffee beans, after the first truck tried to overtake a car.
The dead and injured were rushed to the nearest hospital, while the driver of the coffee truck gave himself up to police.
About three weeks ago, a Suzuki Katana and a truck collided on the road between Palembang and Indralaya in Ogan Komering Ilir regency. Five young physicians traveling in the Katana died instantly in this collision. --Antara
;JP; ANPAa..r.. Across-rights-Papua Team to select Papua's rights delegates JP/5/acros17
Team to select Papua's rights delegates
JAYAPURA, Papua: The Papuan provincial legislature will soon form a team to select members of the Papua branch of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), councillors said on Tuesday.
Paskalis Kossay, the secretary of the provincial council's human rights committee, said the selection team would comprise councillors, members of non-governmental organizations and journalists.
The selected commission members would comprise Papuan community figures, religious leaders, women's activists, intellectuals and journalists.
"The team will give priority to those having clean records and independent attitudes in dealing with and settling cases of human rights violations in this easternmost province," Kossay said. --Antara
;JP; ANPAa..r.. Across-budget-NSulawesi Payday for top N. Sulawesi officials JP/5/acros17
Payday for top N. Sulawesi officials
MANADO, North Sulawesi: The North Sulawesi provincial administration has allocated at least 2.59 percent of its 2003 budget on what are termed "tactical funds" for the governor, deputy governor and council speaker.
As detailed in Governor A.J. Sondakh's decision on budget allocations, this year's provincial budget amounts to more than Rp 350 billion (US$41.17 million), of which over Rp 9 billion will be devoted to the tactical funds.
The budget will be financed by local taxes, levies, profits from local government enterprises, and general allocation fund (DAU) and special allocation fund (DAK) transfers.
Out of the tactical funds, the governor will get Rp 4,569,844,000 in various allowances and travel expenses, the deputy governor Rp 3,895,095,000 and the council speaker Rp 600,000,000, or around Rp 380 million, Rp 324 million and Rp 50 million per month respectively.
The huge funds earmarked for the three are in sharp contrast to the allocation of Rp 165,064,218,100 for public expenditure on the province's population of about two million people -- about Rp 82,502 per person per year.
However, some councillors appeared unfazed by the tactical fund allocations for the three top officials, claiming they were perfectly reasonable.
Sondakh claimed that the greater part of the funds would be allocated to local community groups, and public and professional organizations.
"We have to make a sufficient allocation. Any unspent funds will be returned to the provincial treasury," he said. --JP