Village poll
Village poll
spurs protests
KUDUS, Central Java: Dissatisfied with the election of their
new village chief, dozens of youths ran berserk, attacking
neighbors, stoning cars, vandalizing houses and setting fire to a
sugar storehouse this past week.
Scared residents have fled their homes since hostilities began
on April 28. Villagers are afraid to report the case to the
police for fear of reprisals.
"They terrorized the whole village and many of our neighbors
have fled for safety," said villager Hardiyanto. "These guys
really wage a terror campaign."
The election was won by Kusdi Utomo who obtained 2,077 votes.
His rivals, Suharyono and Markin, got 2,053 and 1,187 votes
respectively. (wah/pan)
Workers strike
for more pay
DEMAK, Central Java: Hundreds at a cashew nut processing
factory, PT Jawa Muna Agro Demak, went on strike on Friday to
demand higher wages.
The workers demanded that management increase their daily wage
from Rp 1,300 (US$ 60 cents) a day to the minimum wage of Rp
2,700, which is required by law.
They also demanded that the firm stop canceling the meal
allowance of workers who turn up late three times or more a week.
Spokesman for the company, Ekohadi, promised the laborers
would get a higher wage next month. "We are still looking into
the other demands," he said.
Dozens of police officers closely watched the peaceful
protest.
"We will take to the street next time if the management fails
to meet our demands," a female worker said. (wah/pan)
Doddy's library
opened
BANDUNG, West Java: The Prof. Doddy A. Tisna Amidjaja Library,
named after the late scientist, was opened here on Thursday at
his home on Jl. Matumanikam.
Doddy was former rector of the Bandung Institute of Technology
(ITB) and was Indonesia's ambassador to France when he died last
year.
The library, which is open to the general public, was a
lifelong dream, according to his relatives. He had begun the idea
of opening a library in 1993, the Antara news agency reported.
It consists of 10,000 books in science and general knowledge,
including contributions from various foundations, publishers, ITB
and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). (01)
Soeharto makes
brief stopover
KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: President Soeharto made a brief
stopover here on Friday on his way from Jakarta to Merauke, Irian
Jaya.
Soeharto, first lady Mrs. Tien Soeharto and several ministers
took a one-hour break at the El Tari airport in Kupang before
resuming their flight to Irian Jaya, the Antara news agency
reported.
The President is scheduled to witness the first grand harvest
at the Semangga Tanah Miring transmigration camp today and launch
a number of development projects in the province. (01)
ITB moves
against `jockeys'
BANDUNG, West Java: The Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB)
says it will expel students who entered the prestigious college
by paying others to take their entrance exams.
ITB has launched an investigation into allegations that a
number of its first year students qualified by getting someone
else take the exams, people popularly known as "jockeys".
Some of these jockeys were apparently senior ITB students who
did it in return for hefty fees, according to preliminary
investigations, the Antara news agency reported.
The college has launched an internal investigation and will
hand over the case to the police, who may bring criminal charges.
(01)