Mega told to stop women smuggling

Mega told to stop women smuggling

NUNUKAN, East Kalimantan: President Megawati Soekarnoputri as Indonesia's first female president should take the lead in efforts to combat the smuggling of Indonesian women to Malaysia, a House legislator said here Wednesday.

AM Fatwa, a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, said Megawati should give more serious attention to the issue of women's trafficking by instructing the National Police chief to investigate the case and capture the masterminds.

The legislator arrived at Nunukan from a visit to the Malaysian state of Sabah.

He brought with him an Indonesian female worker who had been smuggled into Sabah, where she was forced into prostitution, along with 13 other Indonesian women. The women had sought refuge at the local Indonesian consulate.

Fatwa said behind the people smuggling was a well-organized syndicate operating in Java and Sulawesi, but the police were sometimes afraid to deal with the crime. -- Antara

;; ANPAa..r.. Scene-RI-film-festival Melbourne to host RI film festival 2

Melbourne to host RI film festival

JAKARTA: The Indonesian cinematic society plans to hold the 2002 Indonesian Film Festival (IFFEST) in Melbourne, Australia, from Oct. 1 through Oct.6, the event's organizing committee said here Wednesday.

It is for the first time the Indonesian Film Festival is convened in Australia, Maulana Ishadi, said.

During the six-day festival, themed "scenes from new generation beyond tradition", 11 films would be shown, including Ca Bau Kan, Beth, Ada Apa dengan Cinta (What's the Matter with Love), and Bendera (Flag).

Other feature movies, like Pasir Berbisik (Whispering Sands), Jelangkung (Voodoo doll), Petualangan Sherina (Sherina's Adventure), and Tato (Tattoo), would also be shown at the festival, he said.

The festival will be held in Sidneymyers Theater, Chinatown Cinema, Federation Hall, Kalaide Theatre, Erwinrado Theatre, and Velour Bar. -- Antara