Free medical service for NTB's aged

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: At least 310,000 elderly people in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) will receive free medical treatment to meet their needs for proper health service.

NTB Governor Harun Al Rasyid told a meeting of the provincial committee for aging people's institutional service in Mataram on Tuesday that the measure reflected the government's commitment to improve its care for local citizens.

"Community members, in their advanced age, have equal rights and lots of them are still carrying out productive activities, making themselves potential human resources," he said.

The day-long meeting, attended by local health officials, legislators and activists of non-governmental organizations, was held to find ways of assisting the province's large number of elderly citizens, and of promoting their productive efforts. -- Antara

Non-lethal weapons discussed in Surabaya

SURABAYA: U.S. Marine Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Wallace Gregson attended an Asia-Pacific seminar which discussed the use of non- lethal weapons during riots on Tuesday in Surabaya.

The two-day seminar, opened by Indonesian Marine Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Harry Triono, has around 80 officers in attendance from the U.S., Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, in addition to the host country.

Gregson said the seminar and the training had nothing to do with politics, but were a pure form of cooperation between both nations' marine corps.

"The U.S. marine corps is highly skilled in using non-lethal weapons to handle rioters, while Indonesian marines need to learn from their U.S. counterparts to help the police overcome mass protests or riots," added Harry. -- Antara

RI worker dead, serious questions remain

CIANJUR, West Java: After having lost contact with her family for about a year, Ida Royani, 25, a migrant worker from Cimuti village in Cianjur, was reported to have died mysteriously in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

"We had no knowledge of her salary and hope that the labor recruitment agency will pay the insurance for her children. We leave every thing to God," Ida's father Ece Atori, 58, said on Tuesday.

He said Ida was sent by a Jakarta-based labor recruitment agency, PT AMK, to work in the Middle East and that in the year 2000 she once wrote to her family telling them that she had been working for man by the name of Muhamad Salim, in Dubai.

Ece said he had received no information since Ida sent her last letter in mid 2001. However, he said his family was shocked when the company just told them that their daughter had died in mid-December.

Ece admitted his family received Rp 2 million from the company and appealed to the relevant parties to help clarify the cause of Ida's mysterious death.--Antara