More US military incursions

More US military incursions

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Navy spotted a convoy of seven foreign
warships in the Natuna Sea, Riau, the Navy said in a media
release on Thursday.

"The convoy was spotted by the KRI Teuku Umar of the Western
Indonesian Fleet at about 6 a.m. on Wednesday and tried to
establish communication with the convoy," commander of the
Western Indonesian Fleet, Rear Adm. Mualimin Santoso MZ said in
the release.

"The convoy, however, did not respond."

Maj. Abdul Rasyid, who commands the KRI Teuku Umar, decided to
monitor and track the convoy until about 8:15 a.m. at a distance
of 2 miles before the convoy sailed away from Indonesian waters.

Observations revealed that the convoy was conducting a joint
training session in international waters after analyzing its
formation and maneuvers. The convoy consisted of five Singaporean
and two U.S. warships.

The Singaporean ships were corvettes RSS Valiant and RSS
Vigour and fast attack craft RSS Sea Wolf. Two other ships were
not identified.

KRI Teuku Umar could only identify one US Navy ship, cruiser
USS Vincennes with another ship unidentified.

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Halal-scene
Ministers defend new ruling on `halal' labeling
JP/4SCENE18

Ministers defend 'halal' ruling

JAKARTA: Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Yusuf
Kalla and Minister for Religious Affairs Said Agil Munawar
defended on Thursday a much-criticized new ruling on halal
certification.

The ministers agreed however, that the halal labeling for each
product should not be mandatory. "Producers are free not to put
the halal label, but they would be put at risk of making (Muslim)
consumers suspicious as they could not guarantee that food or
beverages were not prohibited by Islamic teaching," Minister
Kalla said.

If a food or beverage is halal, this means that it may be
consumed by Muslims.

Producers have earlier lambasted the new ruling saying it was
designed solely for the purpose of extorting money from
businesspeople, and thus consumers, rather than protecting
Muslims from consuming forbidden food and beverages.

The draft revision of the ruling has been submitted to the
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights for further review. After
this stage, it will be submitted to the President for
endorsement. --JP

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Scene-consumers-tapwater
Tap water consumers union founded
JP/4/SCENE

Tap water consumers union founded

MAGELANG, Central Java: A new group calling itself The
Association of Indonesian Tap Water Consumers (AFPAMI) was
announced here on Thursday, with an aim to help customers secure
their rights against tap water companies.

The declaration was read out by chairman of the Magelang Forum
of Tap Water Consumers, Suyono Nurwahadi, who said that 30 forums
across the country supported the association.

He said the association was sparked by the forums' desire for
better management of tap water, which is facing an increase in
demand.

Executives of the tap water customers unions met in Magelang
amid complaints about tap water rates, which are not affordable
for some people. -- Antara

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JP/4/scen18

DPA not invited to MPR meeting

JAKARTA: The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) decided not
to invite the Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) to give its report
at the Annual Session from Aug. 1 through 10 as the Council had
legally been disbanded last year.

Assembly speaker Amien Rais suggested on Thursday that
President Megawati Soekarnoputri issue a decree to formally
disband the council.

Lawmakers disbanded the 30-strong DPA last year when they
completed the amendment of the constitution, but the institution
continues to exist until today.

Constitutional law expert Jimly Ashidiqqie said earlier that
the presence of the DPA had ended as soon as the constitutional
amendment process ended.

DPA was reportedly used by former president Soeharto to
accommodate retired military and state officials. --JP

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Scene-ICW-corruption
House blamed for being half hearted to combat corruption
JP/4/ICW

House blamed in corruption drive

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) said on
Thursday that House of Representative legislators should be
blamed for the delay in the establishment of the powerful anti-
corruption commission as mandated by law No. 30/2002 on anti-
corruption.

ICW said legislators had failed to press President Megawati
Soekarnoputri to fight against corruption.

Law No. 30/2002 stipulates that an anti-corruption commission
be established within one year after the law comes into effect.
The law was endorsed in December 2002, but seven months after its
enactment, the government has made little attempt to set up the
commission.

"With only five months left, the President has yet to even set
up a team in charge of selecting commission members. We are
afraid that she may fail to meet the deadline," ICW said on
Thursday.

"Lawmakers, on the other hand, were supposed to be proactive
in preparing the establishment of the commission because they
have endorsed the law," the watchdog added.

According to the anticorruption law, the commission, which
will have five members, will have the full authority to
investigate all cases of corruption involving state officials and
prosecute them in court.

The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights has proposed 13
people who will select commission members, but Megawati rejected
them all and gave no reason or suggested any new ones.

The ministry's proposal included noted anti-corruption
campaigner Teten Masduki, as well as prominent lawyers Todung
Mulya Lubis and Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, and scholar
Harkristuti Harkrisnowo. --JP

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Scene-botanical-garden
JP/ /

'Science tourism' for botanical garden

BEDUGUL, Bali: The Botanical Garden, locally known as Kebun
Raya, is changing its concept from a conservation, research,
education and recreation center to a scientific tourism site, a
senior official says.

Mustaid Siregar, head of Plant Conservation at Eka Karya
Botanical Garden, Bali, said on Thursday that the new concept
would allow people to admire the flora as well as learn and study
about the many plants available.

"We are currently developing and will continue to develop the
concept..." he said.

Mustaid said this scientific tourism concept would give people
knowledge about the plants in the country that are located in the
botanical garden.

According to him, the concept would also benefit local youths
who want to learn more about nature from a scientific
perspective. -- Antara