M'sians nabbed for illegal logging

JAKARTA: National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on Wednesday the police have arrested 15 Malaysians for their alleged involvement in illegal logging in Papua.

"Illegal logging has been discovered in Papua and we have arrested 15 Malaysians allegedly involved in the activity," Da'i told a hearing with the House of Representatives.

Police, he said, had caught red-handed the foreigners felling trees in a restricted area.

He added the police had carried out operations to curb rampant illegal logging in Kalimantan over the past year.

Despite his explanation, some members of House Commission II for home and legal affairs reprimanded the police for lacking the commitment to eradicate illegal logging.

They said illegal logging was widespread across the country because perpetrators received protection from police officers. -- Antara

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Govt says university tuition Rp 18m

SURABAYA: The tuition fee for state university students should be set at Rp 18 million (US$2,143) per year per student, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Director General of Higher Education Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro said the amount of money would be sufficient to pay laboratory fees, lecturers' salaries and maintenance of other facilities.

"I am talking about the ideal amount, which is unlikely for the time being. But the government cannot afford to subsidize all students," Satryo said after attending the inauguration as professors of couple Djanali Supeno and Handayani Tjandrasa at the Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS).

He said the government suggested that students from well-off families pay the full tuition fees, while the subsidy be given to those from lower-income families.

"My directorate general received only Rp 5 trillion of Rp 14 trillion demanded. Therefore if some universities increase their tuition fees, it's because they've been forced to," he said.

Djanali, who is also the director of academic and student development at the Ministry of National Education, said most of the government subsidy for state universities went to training and education programs carried out by ministries and military institutions, including the Public Administration Institute (STPDN). -- Antara

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Tutut, Amien to attend mass prayer

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Former president Soeharto's daughter Siti "Tutut" Hardijanti Rukmana and People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais are expected to attend a ritual for casting out evil in the South Sulawesi regency, Gowa, on March 5.

The two prominent figures will be among 5,000 people from the province's 28 regencies/mayoralties to gather in the mass prayer, known as National Songkabala.

Governor Amin Syam has agreed to open the event, which will take place in Balla Lampoa Gowa Palace square and last until midnight.

Chairwoman of the event's organizing committee Dewi Yasin Limpo said both Amien and Tutut had expressed an interest in attending the mass prayer.

"We cannot exclude someone who is keen to participate in the event. Their participation shows their concern at the tribulations our country is facing," Dewi, the wife of deputy governor Yasin Limpo, said.

During the prayer, attendants will seek divine help to keep the nation from disintegration and natural disasters, Dewi said. The event will involve a traditional ritual, in which a giant rice cone will be paraded. -- Antara

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Bureaucracy reform meeting in March

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to open the national administrative reform meeting, which will take place on March 3 through March 5.

Coordinating ministers for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudoyono will all speak at the national meeting, South Sulawesi Governor Amin Syam said on Wednesday.

A total of 900 government employees from various administrative levels will take part in the annual meeting, which will be used to evaluate public services provided by the bureaucracy and formulate steps to improve the bureaucracy's performance. -- Antara

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BIN identifies Hambali's network

JAKARTA: The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) has obtained from the United States reliable data describing Riduan Isamuddin alias Hambali's terrorist network, an intelligence officer says.

BIN chief Hendropriyono said here on Wednesday that his office had received the data after sending questions to the U.S., where Hambali has been held since his arrest last August in Thailand.

Hambali, believed to be the top man of Southeast Asia's Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist network, has been accused of plotting the Bali bombings on Oct. 12, 2002, in which at least 202 people were killed and over 300 others injured.

Hendropriyono said although police had not been given direct access to Hambali, BIN had obtained enough details of JI's activities in Southeast Asia.

"We have obtained a description of how big the network is and how far its targets (stretch). Some of the descriptions are categorized as information and others as intelligence data," he said.

Hendropriyono also stressed the importance of direct access to Hambali, as stipulated by Indonesia's legal system. --JP