M'sians nabbed for illegal logging

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
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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 flock together
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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
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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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Hambali's network
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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