JP/4/scen15

JP/4/scen15

Women's activist to enter politics

CIREBON, West Java: After actress Nurul Arifin joined up with
the Golkar Party, activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana followed
suit but said she had yet to decide which party she would join.

Nursyahbani, chairwoman of the Indonesian Women's Coalition
(KPI), disclosed that many small political parties, and three
larger parties -- Golkar, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and
the National Awakening Party (PKB) -- have invited her to join
them.

Nursyahbani said she would likely sign on with PAN because she
had pioneered women's empowerment in the party.

She said she would make a decision by December when the
General Election Commission announced which parties were eligible
for the elections.

Nursyahbani said she would encourage other activists to enter
politics so that high quality women could fill the quota of 30
percent of seats in the House of Representatives. -- Antara

Embassy cancels National Day party

JAKARTA: The Singaporean Embassy in Jakarta has decided to
cancel a reception to observe its National Day at the Shangri-La
Hotel on Aug. 19 out of respect for the victims of the Aug. 5 JW
Marriot Hotel blast.

The Embassy had already printed invitations for the reception
and distributed them to government officials and other figures
and diplomats several days before the tragedy.

In a special letter dated Aug. 13, however, Ambassador Edward
Lee said that the embassy canceled the reception.

At least were 12 people killed and more than 140 others
injured in the incident. --JP

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KUHP contradicts press law

JAMBI CITY, Jambi: Law No. 40/1999 on the press can not be
implemented smoothly if legal enforcers instead use the Criminal
Code (KUHP) in dealing with violations within and against the
mass media.

Vice Chairman of the Press Council RH Siregar said on Thursday
that legal enforcers were accustomed to charging journalists for
violations in their stories.

"Legal charges are based on article 55 of the KUHP which
contradicts the press law. The press law requires the police and
other law enforcers to charge publishing companies for the
violation," he said.

Siregar said there would not be real press freedom if the
press law was not fully implemented.

He called on the press community and the police to seek ways
to amend either the KUHP or the press law so that there was
better uniformity. --Antara