Unicef to send medical aid to Papua

Unicef to send medical aid to Papua

JAYAPURA, Papua: The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef)
will provide medical equipment for health clinics and public
health centers in Papua, as well as organizing health seminars
for locals.

The aid comes after studies found that the health of mothers
and children in the province is the worst in the country.

The head of Unicef's country representative office, Steven
Allen, said over the weekend that every year at least 5,000 of
about 60,000 newborns in Papua died before they reached the age
of one, and 7,000 before the age of five.

According to Allen, most children in Papua, the country's
easternmost province, died of malaria and respiratory diseases.

Allen based his statements on his office's studies in
Jayapura, Biak Numfor, Sorong and Manokwawri regencies.

He did not reveal the total value of the assistance to be
given to Papua health clinics and public health centers, or when
his office would begin organizing health seminars for the locals.
--Antara

;JP;KAN;
ANPAa..r..
SCENE

JP/4/SCENE

NSK to review fellowship program

JAKARTA: The Japanese Newspapers and Publishers Association
(NSK) is planning to review its fellowship program for foreign
journalists, including journalists from the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), an NSK spokesman said.

NSK international manager Ryuta Araki told a gathering here on
Saturday that Japan was still in the grip of economic crisis.

Responding to Araki's statement, Indonesian Journalists
Association chairman Tarman Azam said the fellowship program
should not only be maintained for the benefit of both parties,
but should be upgraded by inviting senior editors to take part.

The NSK fellowship program has run for the past 25 years.
Every year, foreign journalists are invited to Japan to study
that country's culture and are accommodated through a homestay
system.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
--Antara

;AFP;
ANPAi..r..
Scene-fire-chemical
Fire in chemical plant continues
JP/4/SCENE

Fire in chemical plant continues

JAKARTA: Firefighters continued to struggle on Sunday to
contain a fire raging in a chemical storage plant in the
industrial town of Serang, Banten, western Java, officials said.

One man has been severely injured in the fire, which erupted
when a tanker was being filled on Saturday at the PT Santafe
plant.

"We are still working around the clock to extinguish the fire
at the Santafe chemical storage plant," a member of the Serang
fire brigade said.

He said six fire engines were at the site of the blaze, which
broke out at about 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The fire quickly spread to 10 storage tanks, while firemen
succeeded in isolating three other tanks that contain
butilacetate, a raw material used in the production of plastic
pellets.

Santafe is a joint Indonesian-Japanese company. --AFP

Firefighters demand basics

BANDUNG, West Java: An official with the Fire Department in
Tumpal Sirait revealed on Saturday that his department was in
urgent need of at least nine command posts and hydrants to
improve performance.

He said the hydrants would help firefighters deal with
emergencies following an increase in the number of buildings in
the city.

Tumpal added that his office had proposed the construction of
command posts and hydrants in nine places in the city, including
the Asia Afrika-Ahmad Yani crossroads, Jalan Rajawali, Jalan
Sukajadi, Ujungberung, Tegallega, Soekarno Hatta, Kiaracondong,
the city square and Caringin.

He said that the command posts would cost Rp 4 billion
(US$430,000) each including land acquisition, construction and
trucks. - Antara

WB to build 16 schools in Maluku

TUAL, Maluku: Southeast Maluku is to get 16 elementary school
buildings to help school children in that area receive a basic
education.

Education office head Ali Rahayaan said the school
construction program was important as many school buildings were
falling down.

Construction will be funded by the World Bank through its
basic education improvement project.

Ali said that his office planned to build school facilities in
eight districts.

Since last year, the WB has been prioritizing the development
of 11 school buildings in Southeast Maluku and West Southeast
Maluku. The project will cost Rp 2.63 billion (US$215,000). -
Antara

Amusement centers to close for Ramadhan

SURABAYA, East Java: Provincial Police chief Insp. Gen.
Sutanto expressed his readiness to uphold restrictions on
amusement centers during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

The restriction was issued by the local administration and has
been disseminated to the public.

The police vowed to take stern action against those violating
the local decree, saying that the administration would have the
authority to revoke licenses.

Earlier, the Surabaya chapter of the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim
organization had demanded that the city administration force
amusement centers to close during the fasting month. - Antara

Severe deforestation in Mataram

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Local councillors on Saturday
expressed worries about severe deforestation in the area, which
is mainly caused by residents taking an increasing volume of logs
for firewood.

"If this issue continues to be ignored, the forest in Central
Lombok will disappear," said councillor Taqiuddin Mansur. Local
people take the wood not only for cooking, but also for the
limestone industry.

Taqiuddin urged the local administration to take preventative
action. "Limestone baking takes place in the villages of Mangkung
and Bonder, which produce approximately 20 tons per day," he
added.

Governor Harun Al Rasyid disclosed that local people usually
cut down 500 trees per day for cooking. - Antara

Free rice in dry season

GORONTALO: The Gorontalo provincial administration has
prepared 61 tons of rice for distribution to needy families in
anticipation of a severe drought.

The administration's secretary, David Bobihoe, said on
Saturday that the rice would be distributed to villages in both
coastal and mountain areas.

He added that the administration had distributed 15 tons of
rice and the remaining 46 tons would be distributed to 231
villages just before the Islamic fasting month of Ramadhan.

"Twenty families from each village will receive 10 kilograms
each," David added.

He said that the village chiefs would help with the
distribution so that the aid supplied under the Food-for-the-Poor
program would go to needy families. - Antara

Batam police find marijuana

BATAM, Riau: Security personnel in Barelang on Saturday found
three kilograms of marijuana in Sekupang Port but failed to
identify the owner.

Police officials confirmed that the marijuana was wrapped in
newspaper and plastic and speculated that the marijuana was owned
by a passenger on a ship which plies the Dumai-Batam route.

The owner apparently discarded the bag after realizing that
security personnel were screening luggage with X-Ray devices.

Local police are continuing their investigation. Within the
last year the Batam police have confiscated 500 kilograms of
cannabis, mostly from Aceh. - Antara