Kopassus ends Papua duty
Kopassus ends Papua duty
JAYAPURA, Papua: Some 250 soldiers of the Army's Special
Forces (Kopassus) left Papua on Monday after around 12 months of
duty in the troubled province.
A farewell ceremony was led by Trikora regional military chief
Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon at the Porasko seaport in the
provincial capital of Jayapura.
Mahidin said no replacement troops would be sent to the
province as security had greatly improved.
He denied speculation that the withdrawal of Kopassus troops
in the area was due to resistance by locals.
"It is nothing to do with opposition from local people, but is
based merely on the consideration that security is conducive
now," he added.
Seven Kopassus members are currently standing trial for
killing Papua proindependence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay in November
2001. -- JP
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Scene-Diarrhea-NusaTenggara
Diarrhea kills 18 in E. Nusa Tenggara
JP/5/Across
Diarrhea kills 18 in E. Nusa Tenggara
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Diarrhea outbreaks in two
regencies in West Nusa Tenggara have claimed at least 18 lives
over the past month.
Another 110 people are being treated for the condition.
South Timor Tengah Regent Wellen Nope told The Jakarta Post on
Monday that he had visited the villages of Loab and Fatukopa,
where 11 people had died of the disease.
Previously, seven people died in Kupang regency.
The head of a local community health center, Jan Djehari,
blamed the diarrhea outbreak on the low awareness of local people
about basic healthy precautions, such as boiling water before
drinking it.
He added that animals and people relieved themselves in the
rivers.
Meanwhile, head of Kupang health agency Herman Man stressed
that the incidence of death was high as patients did not seek
immediate medical treatment. -- JP
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Scene-Probe-Governor
Probe into governor demanded
JP/5/Across
Probe into governor demanded
KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Activists from 12 non-
governmental organizations urged on Monday the Southeast Sulawesi
Prosecutor's Office to continue investigating alleged vote-buying
by the elected governor, Ali Mazi.
They also demanded a probe into councillors who reportedly
accepted money from Ali Mazi and Yusran Silondae to win their
candidacy as governor and deputy governor for the 2003-2008 term.
Police have cleared the elected governor and deputy governor
of accusations of bribery.
The prosecutor's office should also investigate legislators
involved in the case, the activists added.
Meanwhile an official at the prosecutor's office, Salahuddin
Manahawu, said his office needed more evidence before it could go
ahead with the investigation into the alleged vote-buying.
La Upe Rasyid, a provincial councillor who was killed in a
recent traffic accident, had admitted to receiving money prior to
the gubernatorial election. -- Antara
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Scene-Terrorism-Bali
Dossiers of 8 suspects completed
JP/4/scene
Dossiers of 8 suspects completed
DENPASAR, Bali: Bali Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Herman
Hidayat handed over the dossiers of eight suspects in the Bali
bombings to the prosecutor's office on Monday.
The dossiers are on Hernianto, Budi Wibowo, M. Nadjib Nawawi,
Herlambang, Makmuri, Musyafak aka Abdul Hamid, Bambang Setiono
aka Syaiful Suroso and Masykur Abdul Kadir.
Most of them have been charged with willfully helping,
assisting and protecting terrorist and withholding information on
terrorism. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in
prison.
So far, the police have handed over dossiers on 15 suspects,
including that of Amrozi and Imam Samudra, to the prosecutor's
office.
"Hopefully, we will be able to hand over the dossiers of two
other main suspects, Ali Imron and Mubarok, next week," Edy
Kusumawijaya said
Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz, alias Imam Samudra, said on Monday that
he would retract his confession on the involvement of the alleged
spiritual leader of Jamaah Islamiyah, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir's, in
the attacks.
"Imam Samudra is very concerned that the confession might
endanger the life of an innocent man, in this case Ustadz Abu
Bakar Ba'asyir. Imam had specifically told me that he would
retract his confession," Samudra's main lawyer, Qadhar Faisal,
said here on Monday. --JP
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Scene-Justices-Selection
House examines justice candidates
JP/4/scen-25
House examines justice candidates
JAKARTA: House of Representatives Commission II for legal and
home affairs began on Monday an eight-day examination of 63
justice candidates for the Supreme Court.
Each candidate presented their papers to the commission and
answered questions from the legislators about law enforcement and
the eradication of corruption.
Tjetje Hidayat Padmadinata, a commission member, said the
commission was not enthusiastic about the process because there
were no signs of improvement in law enforcement since they
selected new Supreme Court justices last year.
"Most candidates only give theoretical answers. It does not
stimulate queries," Tjetje said.
Fellow commission member Firman Jaya Daeli said five
candidates failed the examination last year, but that the
commission was giving them another chance. -- JP
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Scene-KPU-Election
KPU told to work harder
JP/4/SCENE
KPU told to work harder
JAKARTA: The Crescent Star Party (PBB) called on the General
Elections Commission (KPU) on Monday to work harder in preparing
for the 2004 general election, in order to ensure no delay in the
election of the president and vice president.
PBB secretary-general MS Ka'ban said he was optimistic the
country would be able to elect a new president by Oct. 2004, when
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's term ends.
"We must finish the election of legislators at the local and
national levels in June, so that in July or August we can elect a
new president and vice president and finish the election process
in September," he said.
Should the KPU be unable to meet the election timetable, there
would be a vacuum of power in the government.
Under the amended 1945 Constitution, there is no possibility
of extending the terms of the president and vice president.
--Antara