PDI-P may name VP in April

PDI-P may name VP in April

JAKARTA: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) will hold a party leaders' meeting on Apr. 1 here to
decide on a shortlist of names as possible vice presidential
candidates for Megawati Soekarnoputri's running mate in the 2004
presidential election.

The three-day meeting will also choose the political parties
that PDI Perjuangan would like to forge coalitions with in the
upcoming elections.

"During the meeting we will also discuss the party's stance on
the ongoing deliberation of the presidential election bill," PDI
Perjuangan deputy chairman Roy B.B. Janis said Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after the party's weekly meeting led by
Megawati, Roy said that the meeting would deal with many items
related to the elections next year.

A party source, however, said Tuesday that it was unlikely
that Megawati would choose her running mate during the
meeting.--JP.

;AP;
ANPA ..r..
sCENE-Singapore-maid-death
RI maid dies after fall from window
JP/

RI maid dies after fall from window

SINGAPORE: A 21-year-old Indonesian maid has died after
falling 16 stories from a window in her employer's high-rise
apartment, police said Tuesday.

The woman fell from the kitchen window Monday morning and was
found lying inside a manhole with her skull fractured, Singapore
police spokesman Chua Chee Wai said.

The Straits Times newspaper reported Tuesday that the woman
was believed to have been hanging out laundry when she fell.

Police cannot identify the woman until her next of kin have
been notified, Chua said, adding that police were investigating
the incident.

Hundreds of thousands of women from across Asia flock to
wealthy Singapore to escape poverty through maid work. Critics
charge that the government does not do enough to provide safety
training for the women, many of whom are unaccustomed to city
life.

Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has said that between 1999
and 2001, 36 maids in the city state fell to their deaths. Ten of
those incidents were labeled suicides. Some of the others fell
while washing windows in high-rise apartments.

The ministry could not be immediately reached for comment
Tuesday. --AP

;JP;AAH
ANPAa..r..
Scene-UNHCR-IOM-ETimor
IOM, UNHCR help refugees' return
JP/4/4SCENE

IOM, UNHCR help refugees' return

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: The International Organization for
Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) are working together to assist East Timorese
wanting to return to East Timor.

Olandina Caeiro from the Advocate and Reconciliation
Commission said on Tuesday that IOM and UNHCR would provide
transportation for all East Timorese wishing to return.

He called on East Timorese in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to
start registering with a local refugee task force if they wanted
to go back to East Timor.

IOM and UNHCR would also cooperate with the governments of
Indonesia and East Timor to ensure the safety of refugees on
their way back home.

At least 250,000 East Timorese were forced into West Timor in
1999 after violence erupted when they voted overwhelmingly for
independence. Dozens of military and police officers have been
formally charged in Jakarta and Dili as perpetrators in the
violence and forced expulsion.

Some 30,000 East Timorese are believed to be still in West
Timor. Their refugee status ended on Dec. 31, 2002. --Antara

;JP;ANTARA;
Scene-lawsuit-udin
Police sued over journalist's murder
JP/4/Scene

Police sued over journalist's murder

JAKARTA: The Independent Journalist Alliance (AJI) has sued
the government, police and the Indonesian military (TNI) for not
prosecuting Second Adj. Insp. Edy Wuryanto, the alleged murderer
of former Bernas journalist Muhammad "Udin" Syafiudin.

AJI and the South East Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) submitted
the case on Tuesday to the South Jakarta District Court, seeking
Rp 1 billion (US$112,000) in financial compensation.

Udin, a journalist from Bernas daily was killed on Aug. 16,
1996 after writing about alleged corruption by government
officials.

A civilian, Dwi Sumadji (Iwik) had previously reported that he
witnessed Edy Wiryanto beating Udin.

However the police instead arrested Iwik, as a suspect in the
murder. Iwik was later released due to a lack of evidence.

The South Jakarta Court judges had urged AJI and the police to
negotiate a settlement over the matter, but AJI stood firm with
its desire to see justice carried out. -- Antara

;JP;KHS;
ANPA..r..
Scene-students-PDIP-brutality
Students report brutality by PDI-P
JP4/scen26

Students report brutality by PDI-P

JAKARTA: Student activists from East Java visited the National
Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Tuesday to report
violence allegedly committed by a civilian security unit, which
is part of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan).

The students charged that PDI Perjuangan's youth security wing
Banteng Muda Indonesia (BMI) had physically assaulted the
students who were protesting against Megawati in Surabaya, East
Java recently.

Megianto, a student from Malang, East Java, said he hoped the
commission would urge police to quickly probe the violence.

Five students were injured in the attack. They were Mubin,
Zakki, Ayip, Ikhsan and Wahid. Mubin is still being treated at
the Syaiful Anwar hospital in Malang for his extensive injuries.

Solahuddin Wahid, a Komans HAM member, said that such violence
by the ruling party should be brought to trial.

According to Megianto, police officers on the scene did
nothing to prevent the brutality. - Antara