PBB hopes to finish among top three

PBB hopes to finish among top three

JAKARTA: The Crescent Star Party (PBB) has set its aims on
finishing among the top three in the 2004 legislative election,
its chairman said.

PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra expressed on Monday his
optimism that his party would meet its target, considering its
preparations, which he said were "much better" than in 1999.

The Muslim party, a proponent of implementing sharia, or
Islamic Law, in Indonesia, won 14 seats at the House of
Representatives to finish sixth in the last election, placing it
among parties that beat the 2 percent electoral threshold.

Yusril was speaking at the opening of the party's national
working congress at a haj dormitory in Bekasi, West Java.

The congress is to discuss, among other issues, the party's
strategy to improve its standing in the 2004 polls and to
evaluate its performance in the past year.

Around 500 party executives representing the central board and
regional chapters are attending the congress, which will run
through Wednesday.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla and
Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi are expected to address
the participants on the final day of the congress on their vision
of Indonesia's future. -- Antara

;JP;AMD;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-military-civilian
Military, students train together
JP/4/SCENE

Military, students train together

MANADO, North Sulawesi: Over 1,500 military cadets and
students, including those from the Jatinangor, West Java-based
Public Administration Institute (STPDN), are gathering in an
joint training program here.

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief of general affairs Lt. Gen.
Djamari Chaniago said the unprecedented joint training was
expected to help future military and civilian leaders reach
common understanding and cooperation in tackling various national
issues.

Participants of the training program come from the Army, Navy,
Air Force, National Police, military academy and STPDN.

Previously, the training involved only military and police
cadets.

Djamari called on participants to share their experiences and
ideas on how to promote nationalism, a culture of cooperation and
pluralism.

North Sulawesi governor AJ Sondakh, Wirabuana Military
Commander overseeing Sulawesi Maj. Gen Suprapto and North
Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen John Lalo were all present at the
opening ceremony at Sparta Tikala square, Manado. -- Antara

;JP;AMD;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-health-reproduction
Govt to improve reproductive health
JP/4/SCENE

Govt to improve reproductive health

JAKARTA: The government is setting up a national commission on
birth control in a move to reduce the number of abortion cases
and maternal mortality rates in the country, which remain high
among Southeast Asian countries.

Minister of Health Achmad Suyudi said at a workshop on
reproductive health here on Monday that the commission was needed
to coordinate policy-making and measures to curb the abortion
rate. The commission will fall under the responsibility of the
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla.

The commission will focus on young women in order to provide
them with knowledge on reproductive health. Achmad said the pilot
program was expected to protect youths from abortion, early
marriage, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.

Achmad said that in the long run, the commission would also
draft policies for the national family planning program, which is
being run by the National Family Planning Board (BKKBN).

Abortion cases now reach 2 million annually, while the
maternal mortality rate stands at 390 per 100,000 births.
Malnutrition as a result of poverty has been blamed for the
country's poor reproductive health record. -- Antara

;JP;AMD;
ANPAa..r..
Scene-piracy-destroy
Govt destroys 19,000 pirated VCDs
JP/4/SCENE

Govt destroys 19,000 pirated VCDs

JAKARTA: The Directorate General of Intellectual and Property
Rights (HAKI) destroyed on Monday 19,000 pirated VCDs, CDs and
DVDs at its office on Jl. Daan Mogot, Tangerang in Banten as part
of the implementation of the new law on intellectual property
rights.

The HAKI director general, Abdul Bari Azed, said that the
pirated goods had been confiscated during raids in Menteng DVD in
Central Jakarta and Ratu Plaza and ITC Fatmawati, both in South
Jakarta.

Bari said that there were currently 50 factories with 200
machines illegally producing four million copies of pirate VCDs,
CDs and DVDs per day within Indonesia.

He said pirated VCDs, CDs and DVDs of films and music alone
caused US$250 million in state losses per year.

"We will continue the raids and target businessmen who posses
advanced technology in producing pirated VCDs, CDs and DVDs since
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has given 1,000 percent support
to us," he said.

Meanwhile HAKI director Emawati Junus said she had sent
warning letters to shopping malls and plazas in Tangerang and
Bogor asking them not to sell illegal VCDs, CDs and DVDs. -- JP