Wed, 15 Oct 2003

Kopassus commander to stand trial

JAKARTA: The Ad Hoc Human Rights Court has decided an Oct. 23 date for Maj. Gen. Sriyanto Muntrasan, the commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), to stand trial for his alleged role in the 1984 Tanjung Priok incident.

Judge Andi Samsan Nganro, the spokesman for the Central Jakarta District Court, which oversees the rights tribunal, said the court had set up a panel of five judges to hear Sriyanto's case.

"He is charged with crimes against humanity," he told reporters on Tuesday.

Ad hoc prosecutor Dharmono is responsible for the indictment, Andi added.

The court had earlier indicted 13 other defendants, all of whom were charged with crimes against of humanity, which carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison under Law No. 26/2000 on human rights tribunal.

They defendants are believed to be involved in the shooting of demonstrators on Sept. 12, 1984, killing at least 14 people.

Sriyanto along with Maj. Gen. (ret) Rudolph Butar-butar and Maj. Gen. (ret) Pranowo is one of the most senior officers implicated in the bloodshed. -- JP

;JP;AMD; ANPAa..r.. Scene-osteoporosis-women Osteoporosis affects 33 % of RI women JP/4/SCENE

Osteoporosis affects 33% of RI women

JAKARTA: One of three Indonesian women aged 45 years old or above are prone to osteoporosis due to insufficient intake of calcium during their childhood, Minister of Health Ahmad Sujudi said.

Quoting the ministry's Nutrition Research and Development Center data in 2002, Sujudi said Indonesian women consumed 244 grams of calcium per day on average, well beyond the minimum intake of 1,000 grams.

Indonesian men are also susceptible to brittle bones as they consume only 300 grams of calcium per day on average.

The center also disclosed 19.7 percent of the country's population of 215 million would be susceptible to osteoporosis. They mostly live in South Sumatra, Central Java, Yogyakarta, North Sumatra and East Java.

Sujudi called on parents to provide food that was rich in calcium, such as tofu, tempeh or fermented soybean cake, egg, fish, vegetables and fruits.

"Osteoporosis is difficult to treat and it is very costly. Surgery is the only option in case of fractures," he said.

The government has named Oct. 20 National Osteoporosis Day. -- Antara

;JP:IWA: ANPAa..r.. Scene-anticorruption NU, Muhammadiyah to fight graft JP/4/Scene15

NU, Muhammadiyah to fight graft

JAKARTA: The country's two largest Muslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, agreed on Tuesday to work together with an organization the Partnership in combating corruption, which will start from their own organizations.

NU deputy secretary-general Syaiful Bahri Anshori said one of the anticorruption programs was the introduction of modern financial management in the 40 million-strong organization in a bid to minimize irregularities.

Muhammadiyah foreign secretary Rizal Sukma added that the modernist organization would do the same and would publish a handbook on an Islamic interpretation of corruption.

Rizal said his organization would set up an anticorruption watch in its branches across the country to monitor possible corruption at the local level.

"We expect this anticorruption movement will not proceed alone as a sectarian action. It should involve others," he said.

The Partnership is a cooperative arrangement between the government, civil society organizations, the private sector and international partners with the aim of facilitating and supporting clean governance in Indonesia.

NU, Muhammadiyah and the Partnership will sign a memorandum of understanding on good governance on Wednesday. --JP