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Susilo, House to meet on Aceh issue
JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is slated to hold a consultative meeting with the House of Representatives on Monday, to discuss various issues of the ongoing relief operation in Aceh.
In a letter sent to the House on Thursday from the state secretariat, the meeting will be at the House compound and the President will be accompanied by portfolio Cabinet ministers.
"The consultation will be conducted after lunch, and mostly will discuss the Aceh relief program," a staff member of the state secretariat told The Jakarta Post.
The staff member also said that the President was preparing a letter to the House on the replacement of the National Police chief, Army chief of staff, Air Force chief of staff and Navy chief of staff.
"It (the replacement) will happen in the near future," the staffer said.--JP
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Team aims to speed up Munir's case
JAKARTA: The fact-finding team formed to assist the police investigation into the death of rights activist Munir had its first coordinating meeting with the police at the National Police Headquarters on Thursday.
The team, chaired by Brig. Gen. Marsudi Hanafi, consisted of 13 members of various backgrounds ranging from non-governmental organizations to government officials.
Munarman of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) said that the team and the police investigators would draft a work plan for the investigation.
"The police will also share the results of their investigation into Munir's death with us today in the meeting. Hopefully, we'll be able to solve the case real soon," Munarman said before he stepped into the meeting room.
Munir, the founder of both Imparsial and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), died of arsenic poisoning aboard a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam on Sept. 7. -- JP
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Russian govt gives scholarship
JAKARTA: The government of the Russian Federation announced on Thursday it was providing scholarships for Indonesian students to study in Russia.
In a press release, the Russian Embassy said that 20 scholarships would be provided for students planning to take bachelor and master degrees, and another five scholarships for a doctorate.
It said that applications will close on April 18, and for the bachelor degree the applicant should be no older than 25 years of age, while for the masters degree no older than 30 years.
All Indonesian students accepted in the scholarship program will be given a one-year preparatory course, as all courses will be given in Russian.
"The Russian government deems the scholarship program for Indonesian students as a concrete step to develop bilateral relations between the two countries," the press release signed by the Russian Embassy first secretary Alexander L. Vaulin said.--JP
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Total to build 400 houses in Aceh
JAKARTA: The local unit of French-based oil and gas firm Total Oil Indonesia will provide a total of 400 low-cost houses in Banda Aceh for the homeless survivors of the Dec. 26 tsunami.
The company will purchase the houses from state-owned housing developer Perumnas. The two signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, witnessed by Minister of Public Housing Jusuf Ansyari Thayib.
Perumnas Herry A. Jasa Slawat said that the government had sufficient land to build up to 1,370 housing units in various areas in Aceh, which bore the brunt of the tsunami disaster. -- Antara
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Aid workers told not to proselytize
JAKARTA: The South Korean government has warned its citizens volunteering in tsunami-wrecked Aceh to avoid religious activities that could make them targets of violence.
South Korean Embassy's press and cultural attache Kim Sang- sool said on Wednesday that South Korea's National Intelligence had posted a travel warning for aid workers already in the disaster area to "refrain from carrying out religious activities that could trigger hostilities from natives".
He said that the 150 South Korean aid workers in the predominantly Muslim Aceh region were there for the humanitarian relief operation not to spread the gospel.
Many South Korean volunteer groups have set up relief efforts in Aceh. Among them are three Christian non-government organizations: Global Care, Good Neighbors, and Korea Food for the Hungry International, whose motto is "Bread and Gospel for hungry people the world over".
According to the Korean World Mission Association, there are 12,000 South Korean evangelists around the world, second only to the number from the U.S. Out of this number 15 percent are based in Southeast Asia. -- JP