An interesting article on making batik
http://www.uq.net.au/~zzkmunr1/indonesian/crafts/batik.htm
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Two earthquakes strike Indonesia
13:42 AEST Tue Apr 26 2005 (taken from National Nine News)
AP - Two moderate earthquakes have rocked opposite ends of the Indonesian archipelago, but there were no reports of damage or causalities, seismologists said.
A 5.4 magnitude quake shook parts of Sulawasi Island in eastern Indonesia at 0100 local time (0400 AEST), Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency said.
The temblor was centred under the Maluku sea around 150 kilometres east of the city of Manado.
Around two-and-a-half hours later, a 5.5 temblor struck off the coast of Sumatra Island, about 370 kilometres west-northwest of the city of Padang, the Hong Kong Observatory said. Sumatra is in the far west of the archipelago.
The quakes were felt by some residents on both islands, but there were no reports of damage or casualties as a result of either, the Indonesian agency reported.
Indonesia has had countless earthquakes since a massive tsunami-producing tremor off its coast on December 26. The disaster killed more than 128,000 in Indonesia's Aceh province and more than 50,000 in 11 other countries across the Indian Ocean. Three months later, an earthquake caused extensive damage on Nias island, leaving more than 900 dead.
AP - Two moderate earthquakes have rocked opposite ends of the Indonesian archipelago, but there were no reports of damage or causalities, seismologists said.
A 5.4 magnitude quake shook parts of Sulawasi Island in eastern Indonesia at 0100 local time (0400 AEST), Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics agency said.
The temblor was centred under the Maluku sea around 150 kilometres east of the city of Manado.
Around two-and-a-half hours later, a 5.5 temblor struck off the coast of Sumatra Island, about 370 kilometres west-northwest of the city of Padang, the Hong Kong Observatory said. Sumatra is in the far west of the archipelago.
The quakes were felt by some residents on both islands, but there were no reports of damage or casualties as a result of either, the Indonesian agency reported.
Indonesia has had countless earthquakes since a massive tsunami-producing tremor off its coast on December 26. The disaster killed more than 128,000 in Indonesia's Aceh province and more than 50,000 in 11 other countries across the Indian Ocean. Three months later, an earthquake caused extensive damage on Nias island, leaving more than 900 dead.
Friday, April 22, 2005
My life is over, says Corby
By Matthew Moore, Rob Taylor. Denpasar April 22, 2005. Taken from The Age Newspaper Online.
Schapelle Corby hears a prosecutor's demand that she be jailed for life.
Prosecutors dismiss Schapelle Corby's claims of innocence, saying she is guilty of bringing marijuana into Bali.
A distraught Schapelle Corby turned to her Balinese interpreter and whispered, "My life is over," as a prosecutor yesterday urged a panel of judges to jail her for the rest of her life.
Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu asked the Denpasar District Court to find Corby, 27, "legally and convincingly guilty" of attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilograms of marijuana into Bali last year in her bodyboard bag.
"The defendant's actions can ruin the image of Bali as a tourist destination," he told the three judges who will determine her fate. "The defendant's actions can make Bali look like a drug haven and affect young people's lives."
Mr Wiswantanu said he had not asked for the death penalty, partly because the former beauty student had been polite during her trial and had no record of drug offences.
But he maintained that the prosecution team had proven Corby's guilt despite her repeated pleas of innocence and claims that she had been the unwitting victim of a drug ring operating at Australian airports.
He also asked the court to impose a 100 million rupiah ($13,500) fine.
The prosecutor's final submission in the Corby trial came as Indonesian police revealed new details of their case against the nine young Australians arrested on Sunday over an alleged heroin smuggling conspiracy.
Two of the accused Australians have told police that Andrew Chan - the 21-year-old Sydney man alleged by Indonesian authorities to be the "godfather" of the operation - had threatened to kill the families of the smugglers in Australia if they did not follow his orders.
"They said they are very scared of Chan," said Bambang Sugiarto, head of Bali's drug squad.
In Australia, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Government would plead for clemency if any of the Bali nine were sentenced to death - a vow he has also given in the Corby case.
Mr Downer expressed relief after hearing that the Corby prosecutors had not sought the death penalty. "We had made contact with the Indonesian Government and made it clear to them that we didn't want to see any Australians sentenced to death if they were to be found guilty," he said.
Before proceedings began yesterday in the Corby case, her lawyer, Lily Lubis, and adviser Vasu Rasiah talked to her in the holding cell.
"I told her to be strong, to be ready for whatever happened, and that this is not the end," Ms Lubis said before the hearing began.
Having collapsed with stress and illness during her last two court appearances, Corby was given a sedative before arriving at the court in a prison bus yesterday. For most of the two hours she stayed composed in the heavy tropical heat, biting her lip and brushing away the waves of tears that came as the final words from the prosecutor got closer.
"We state that the defendant, Schapelle Corby, is legally and convincingly guilty for having committed crimes... importing narcotics," Mr Wiswantanu said.
As they took turns reading the summary of the case, three prosecutors rejected all the key evidence Corby's lawyers produced in their attempt to show that someone placed the bag of marijuana in her bodyboard bag while she was on her way to Bali in October.
The testimony of Victorian prisoner John Patrick Ford - that a convicted drug dealer was the owner of the marijuana - was flatly rejected. "Looking at his background as a prisoner, the reason for him to testify before an Indonesian court is to taste freedom," the prosecutors said.
The evidence from Bond University professor of criminology Paul Wilson, that he could tell from meeting Corby that she did not know the drugs were in her luggage, was also dismissed. "His opinion is not based on accurate research on the defendant and her background."
Prosecutors also criticised evidence from three of Corby's travelling companions, who testified there was no marijuana in Corby's luggage when she checked in her bag at Brisbane airport.
Mr Wiswantanu said he took into account the fact "the defendant is polite and has never been convicted".
But he said: "The 4.2 kilograms of marijuana is a great danger for the nation and this is categorised as a transnational crime and the defendant has not confessed to her actions."
Ms Lubis cried during the hearing and said afterwards the prosecutors had ignored good evidence that the defence had produced.
Corby will produce her defence statement next week, with a verdict likely at the end of May .
Although the judges have the power to find Corby not guilty, or to impose a death penalty, Indonesian legal observers have said both options are unlikely and Corby appears likely to get a long sentence.
As the hearing ended, Corby went straight to the public gallery, grabbed her sister Mercedes and said as they hugged, "It's not fair," before being led away by guards.
As she waited in her cell for the prison van, Corby cried and her cousin Melissa Younger was allowed to stroke her face through the bars and offer words of comfort. "I told her to be strong and that I love her," Ms Younger said.
Corby's Australian lawyer, Robin Tampoe, said the defence team had expected the prosecution's demand and now had a week to respond. "I told her to keep her chin up," he said.
Mr Downer later held out the prospect of Corby transferring to an Australian jail, saying, "We are talking to the Indonesians now about a prisoner exchange agreement." But he said it could take "a couple of years".
Schapelle Corby hears a prosecutor's demand that she be jailed for life.
Prosecutors dismiss Schapelle Corby's claims of innocence, saying she is guilty of bringing marijuana into Bali.
A distraught Schapelle Corby turned to her Balinese interpreter and whispered, "My life is over," as a prosecutor yesterday urged a panel of judges to jail her for the rest of her life.
Prosecutor Ida Bagus Wiswantanu asked the Denpasar District Court to find Corby, 27, "legally and convincingly guilty" of attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilograms of marijuana into Bali last year in her bodyboard bag.
"The defendant's actions can ruin the image of Bali as a tourist destination," he told the three judges who will determine her fate. "The defendant's actions can make Bali look like a drug haven and affect young people's lives."
Mr Wiswantanu said he had not asked for the death penalty, partly because the former beauty student had been polite during her trial and had no record of drug offences.
But he maintained that the prosecution team had proven Corby's guilt despite her repeated pleas of innocence and claims that she had been the unwitting victim of a drug ring operating at Australian airports.
He also asked the court to impose a 100 million rupiah ($13,500) fine.
The prosecutor's final submission in the Corby trial came as Indonesian police revealed new details of their case against the nine young Australians arrested on Sunday over an alleged heroin smuggling conspiracy.
Two of the accused Australians have told police that Andrew Chan - the 21-year-old Sydney man alleged by Indonesian authorities to be the "godfather" of the operation - had threatened to kill the families of the smugglers in Australia if they did not follow his orders.
"They said they are very scared of Chan," said Bambang Sugiarto, head of Bali's drug squad.
In Australia, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the Government would plead for clemency if any of the Bali nine were sentenced to death - a vow he has also given in the Corby case.
Mr Downer expressed relief after hearing that the Corby prosecutors had not sought the death penalty. "We had made contact with the Indonesian Government and made it clear to them that we didn't want to see any Australians sentenced to death if they were to be found guilty," he said.
Before proceedings began yesterday in the Corby case, her lawyer, Lily Lubis, and adviser Vasu Rasiah talked to her in the holding cell.
"I told her to be strong, to be ready for whatever happened, and that this is not the end," Ms Lubis said before the hearing began.
Having collapsed with stress and illness during her last two court appearances, Corby was given a sedative before arriving at the court in a prison bus yesterday. For most of the two hours she stayed composed in the heavy tropical heat, biting her lip and brushing away the waves of tears that came as the final words from the prosecutor got closer.
"We state that the defendant, Schapelle Corby, is legally and convincingly guilty for having committed crimes... importing narcotics," Mr Wiswantanu said.
As they took turns reading the summary of the case, three prosecutors rejected all the key evidence Corby's lawyers produced in their attempt to show that someone placed the bag of marijuana in her bodyboard bag while she was on her way to Bali in October.
The testimony of Victorian prisoner John Patrick Ford - that a convicted drug dealer was the owner of the marijuana - was flatly rejected. "Looking at his background as a prisoner, the reason for him to testify before an Indonesian court is to taste freedom," the prosecutors said.
The evidence from Bond University professor of criminology Paul Wilson, that he could tell from meeting Corby that she did not know the drugs were in her luggage, was also dismissed. "His opinion is not based on accurate research on the defendant and her background."
Prosecutors also criticised evidence from three of Corby's travelling companions, who testified there was no marijuana in Corby's luggage when she checked in her bag at Brisbane airport.
Mr Wiswantanu said he took into account the fact "the defendant is polite and has never been convicted".
But he said: "The 4.2 kilograms of marijuana is a great danger for the nation and this is categorised as a transnational crime and the defendant has not confessed to her actions."
Ms Lubis cried during the hearing and said afterwards the prosecutors had ignored good evidence that the defence had produced.
Corby will produce her defence statement next week, with a verdict likely at the end of May .
Although the judges have the power to find Corby not guilty, or to impose a death penalty, Indonesian legal observers have said both options are unlikely and Corby appears likely to get a long sentence.
As the hearing ended, Corby went straight to the public gallery, grabbed her sister Mercedes and said as they hugged, "It's not fair," before being led away by guards.
As she waited in her cell for the prison van, Corby cried and her cousin Melissa Younger was allowed to stroke her face through the bars and offer words of comfort. "I told her to be strong and that I love her," Ms Younger said.
Corby's Australian lawyer, Robin Tampoe, said the defence team had expected the prosecution's demand and now had a week to respond. "I told her to keep her chin up," he said.
Mr Downer later held out the prospect of Corby transferring to an Australian jail, saying, "We are talking to the Indonesians now about a prisoner exchange agreement." But he said it could take "a couple of years".
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Asia-Africa summit puts modern relevance of non-aligned nations to the test
27 minutes ago Asia - AFP (from Yahoo! News)
JAKARTA, (AFP) - Fifty years ago, 29 African and Asian heads of state met in Indonesia to proudly declare a solidarity they saw as a counterbalance to the divided world of the Cold War, free from the imperialism and dominance of the West.
But as leaders from both continents prepare to meet half a century on from the first Asia-Africa conference, which gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement, (NAM) they face a struggle to revive lofty ideals that many participants have cast aside as they strive for a footing in a vastly different world.
Some 46 heads of state are due to gather this weekend in Jakarta and Bandung, the Java island city where Indonesia's founding president Sukarno convened the first Asia-Africa summit.
Ahead of the meeting, joint hosts Indonesia and South Africa have pushed the message that the summit will see a revival of the "Bandung spirit" as the two continents rebuild old bridges with new trade and friendship pacts.
It will be a tall order to recapture the non-aligned zeitgeist of 1955, when it seemed feasible to create an ideological blend of Asian and African nationalism acceptable to theocrats of the Middle East, capitalists from Japan and communists of China.
This is even more unlikely when considering side-issues that will dominate the 2005 meeting, such as a spat between Tokyo and Beijing, ostensibly over Japan's World War II aggression, but indicative of tensions over the race for a permanent UN Security Council seat.
Myriad other regional power struggles have been further complicated by a US-led war on terrorism that has targeted and involved several participants.
"The 50th anniversary of the Asia-Africa conference calls for deep introspection. We still need to weigh whether our destinies are really being decided at home or in Geneva or Washington," said Delhi-based political analyst Praful Bidawi.
Some observers are scornful of a gathering they see as little more than an exercise in well-meaning handshakes and empty promises that will fail to address real issues such as the spread of HIV-AIDS in both continents.
"This is a meeting looking for a mission," said John Stremlau, director of the Johannesburg-based Centre for Africa's International Relations. "There are no strategic issues."
But others see strong forces at play beneath the hot air, with the summit likely to be showcase if not for inter-continental harmony, then for emerging economic powerhouses wanting to throw their weight and make new strategic pals.
"These big developing country talk-shops don't deliver that much in terms of concrete changes to global regulations," said Peter Draper, a research fellow on African-Asian relations at the South African Institute for International Affairs.
"But I would think that this will be a good opportunity for China and India to flex their muscle, although they don't really need forums like this to do it."
Both India and China, two of the world's most populous nations, are rising as economic, military and political players on the world stage, undoubtedly emboldened by a new strategic partnership between Beijing and New Delhi.
Their status also represents how economically dynamic Asia has somewhat begun to overshadow Africa, its one-time ally in poverty and post-colonial disarray.
Nevertheless, oil-rich countries such as Nigeria, Angola and Algeria still have influence to peddle in a world market increasingly in thrall to the ebb and flow of crude, while Britain's pro-Africa plan for the Group of Eight club of the world's richest countries could help boost the continent's standing.
The past few years have seen huge increases in trade between Asia and Africa, with resource-hungry China particularly keen to draw on the oil and other raw material supplies.
Imports and exports between China and Africa reached 29.5 billion dollars in 2004, almost 60 percent up from the year before. From 1991 to 2004 trade between India and Africa rose from 890 million dollars to 2.4 billion.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's intention to brief the summit on plans to reform the United Nations and open up a permanent seat of the Security Council, will open up a new avenue of influence for participants.
"The Asia-Africa solidarity is also critical in the reform of the UN Security Council," says He Wenping, a political analyst at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"China and other developing countries want to coordinate their views and stance. If Asia and Africa, even better if Latin America is included, become stronger, this will keep unilateralism in check," she said.
To the displeasure of China, Japan has made securing a permanent seat on the Security Council a major priority and is in a joint bid with Brazil, Germany and India. Only Japan, however, has the explicit backing of the United States.
Fifty years of similar rows and occasional conflicts have helped to erode the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, equality and peaceful coexistence on which non-alignment was based.
Says Hong Kong-based social analyst Josef Purnama Widyatmadja, though the world has changed since 1955, pushing the non-aligned movement off its chosen path, many of the problems it once promised to eradicate persist.
"Dictatorships still flourish in Asia and Africa, and human rights violations are a daily practice. People are still threatened by a 'war on terror', pre-emptive wars, with weapons of mass destruction, poverty, human rights abuses and HIV/AIDS," he said.
Unless this week's summit can strike a consensus on how to tackle these, says Widyatmadja, the so-called non-aligned nations could entirely undermine the world in which they stand a chance of being recognised.
"The role of Asia-Africa in promoting a just international order will depend largely in its inner strength, unity and cohesion."
JAKARTA, (AFP) - Fifty years ago, 29 African and Asian heads of state met in Indonesia to proudly declare a solidarity they saw as a counterbalance to the divided world of the Cold War, free from the imperialism and dominance of the West.
But as leaders from both continents prepare to meet half a century on from the first Asia-Africa conference, which gave birth to the Non-Aligned Movement, (NAM) they face a struggle to revive lofty ideals that many participants have cast aside as they strive for a footing in a vastly different world.
Some 46 heads of state are due to gather this weekend in Jakarta and Bandung, the Java island city where Indonesia's founding president Sukarno convened the first Asia-Africa summit.
Ahead of the meeting, joint hosts Indonesia and South Africa have pushed the message that the summit will see a revival of the "Bandung spirit" as the two continents rebuild old bridges with new trade and friendship pacts.
It will be a tall order to recapture the non-aligned zeitgeist of 1955, when it seemed feasible to create an ideological blend of Asian and African nationalism acceptable to theocrats of the Middle East, capitalists from Japan and communists of China.
This is even more unlikely when considering side-issues that will dominate the 2005 meeting, such as a spat between Tokyo and Beijing, ostensibly over Japan's World War II aggression, but indicative of tensions over the race for a permanent UN Security Council seat.
Myriad other regional power struggles have been further complicated by a US-led war on terrorism that has targeted and involved several participants.
"The 50th anniversary of the Asia-Africa conference calls for deep introspection. We still need to weigh whether our destinies are really being decided at home or in Geneva or Washington," said Delhi-based political analyst Praful Bidawi.
Some observers are scornful of a gathering they see as little more than an exercise in well-meaning handshakes and empty promises that will fail to address real issues such as the spread of HIV-AIDS in both continents.
"This is a meeting looking for a mission," said John Stremlau, director of the Johannesburg-based Centre for Africa's International Relations. "There are no strategic issues."
But others see strong forces at play beneath the hot air, with the summit likely to be showcase if not for inter-continental harmony, then for emerging economic powerhouses wanting to throw their weight and make new strategic pals.
"These big developing country talk-shops don't deliver that much in terms of concrete changes to global regulations," said Peter Draper, a research fellow on African-Asian relations at the South African Institute for International Affairs.
"But I would think that this will be a good opportunity for China and India to flex their muscle, although they don't really need forums like this to do it."
Both India and China, two of the world's most populous nations, are rising as economic, military and political players on the world stage, undoubtedly emboldened by a new strategic partnership between Beijing and New Delhi.
Their status also represents how economically dynamic Asia has somewhat begun to overshadow Africa, its one-time ally in poverty and post-colonial disarray.
Nevertheless, oil-rich countries such as Nigeria, Angola and Algeria still have influence to peddle in a world market increasingly in thrall to the ebb and flow of crude, while Britain's pro-Africa plan for the Group of Eight club of the world's richest countries could help boost the continent's standing.
The past few years have seen huge increases in trade between Asia and Africa, with resource-hungry China particularly keen to draw on the oil and other raw material supplies.
Imports and exports between China and Africa reached 29.5 billion dollars in 2004, almost 60 percent up from the year before. From 1991 to 2004 trade between India and Africa rose from 890 million dollars to 2.4 billion.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's intention to brief the summit on plans to reform the United Nations and open up a permanent seat of the Security Council, will open up a new avenue of influence for participants.
"The Asia-Africa solidarity is also critical in the reform of the UN Security Council," says He Wenping, a political analyst at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
"China and other developing countries want to coordinate their views and stance. If Asia and Africa, even better if Latin America is included, become stronger, this will keep unilateralism in check," she said.
To the displeasure of China, Japan has made securing a permanent seat on the Security Council a major priority and is in a joint bid with Brazil, Germany and India. Only Japan, however, has the explicit backing of the United States.
Fifty years of similar rows and occasional conflicts have helped to erode the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, non-aggression, equality and peaceful coexistence on which non-alignment was based.
Says Hong Kong-based social analyst Josef Purnama Widyatmadja, though the world has changed since 1955, pushing the non-aligned movement off its chosen path, many of the problems it once promised to eradicate persist.
"Dictatorships still flourish in Asia and Africa, and human rights violations are a daily practice. People are still threatened by a 'war on terror', pre-emptive wars, with weapons of mass destruction, poverty, human rights abuses and HIV/AIDS," he said.
Unless this week's summit can strike a consensus on how to tackle these, says Widyatmadja, the so-called non-aligned nations could entirely undermine the world in which they stand a chance of being recognised.
"The role of Asia-Africa in promoting a just international order will depend largely in its inner strength, unity and cohesion."
Police in heroin arrest raids
12:35 AEST Tue Apr 19 2005 (from NineMSN News)
Australian police have raided homes in NSW and Queensland in the hunt for evidence against nine Australians accused of trying to smuggle more than 11kg of heroin out of Indonesia.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) agents exercised search warrants on the homes on Monday after the arrests of eight men and one woman in Bali during an airport and hotel drug swoop.
AFP border and international network national manager Mike Phelan said police seized documents during the raids and they were now examining the material.
Mr Phelan told the Nine Network it was difficult to say if the raids would lead to more arrests.
"But what we will certainly be doing is we will continue to work with Indonesian authorities, we'll look and see what holdings we've got, particularly out of the warrants yesterday, look and see what information they've solicited over the last fortnight and put that together and see where that leads us."
Mr Phelan said Australian agents had been gathering information about the alleged group of drug smugglers for about 10 weeks, and had handed it to Indonesian police two weeks ago.
The nine Australians, three from Queensland and six from NSW, could face a firing squad if convicted of drug smuggling under Indonesian law. As yet no charges have been be laid.
Four people detained in Denpasar airport's departure lounge waiting for a flight to Sydney were allegedly found with 2kg heroin packs taped to their bodies, a total of 10.9kg.
A fifth person also was detained after being removed from a Sydney bound flight but was not carrying drugs. Four others were taken into custody during a raid of the Melasti Hotel where 350g of heroin were allegedly found.
The Australian newspaper named the alleged mastermind of the group as Andrew Chan, 21, of Enfield in Sydney.
"Whatever happened to Schapelle Corby happened to me. They are convicting me of something I didn't do," he told reporters in Bali.
The newspaper also named the four who allegedly had heroin strapped to their bodies as Michael William Czugaj and Scott Anthony Rush, both 19 from Brisbane, Martin Eric Stephen, 29, from Towradgi near Wollongong, south of Sydney, and Renae Lawrence, 27, from Wallsend in Newcastle.
The Australian named the four arrested in the hotel raid as Tach Duc Thanh Nguyen, 27, from Brisbane, Myuran Sukumaran, 24, from Auburn in Sydney, Si Yi Chen, 20, from Doonside in Sydney, and Matthew James Norman, 18, from Quakers Hill in Sydney.
Stephen Czugaj, the father of Michael Czugaj, from Oxley, in Brisbane's west, said he was unsure if he would be going to Bali to support his son.
"I've no idea what I'm doing at the moment but it seems like the only thing to do," Mr Czugaj said.
The family of Wellington Point man Thanh Nguyen said Mr Nguyen was not a drug dealer or drug taker.
Ms Lawrence's stepfather, identified only as Steve, said he had spoken briefly to Renae by phone, but was cut off.
"I am still actually struggling to even absorb what has happened," he told ABC radio.
"There's nothing that we know as yet."
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was shocked by the arrests.
He said the AFP could not allow the group to return to Australia before arresting them because the alleged offences were committed in Indonesia, and the Indonesian police had to be involved.
"A sillier thing for people to do, I just cannot imagine," he told the Nine Network.
"People have to know though that trafficking in heroin and trafficking in drugs brings the death penalty in many countries, particularly in Asia."
Chief of Bali's anti-narcotics squad Colonel Bambang Sugiarto said the drugs had come from the notorious "Golden Triangle" area in northern Thailand and Burma, and was being couriered through Bali to Australia by the nine.
He said the gang had been acting "mysteriously and suspiciously" all week, staying in their hotel rooms and instructing hotel staff not to reveal their identities to anyone.
He said the drugs were still testing the drugs for strength.
Indonesia has increasingly become not only a transit route, but also a market for drug traffickers and courts across the country have passed a dozen death sentences on foreigners found guilty of serious drug offences in recent years.
Australian police have raided homes in NSW and Queensland in the hunt for evidence against nine Australians accused of trying to smuggle more than 11kg of heroin out of Indonesia.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) agents exercised search warrants on the homes on Monday after the arrests of eight men and one woman in Bali during an airport and hotel drug swoop.
AFP border and international network national manager Mike Phelan said police seized documents during the raids and they were now examining the material.
Mr Phelan told the Nine Network it was difficult to say if the raids would lead to more arrests.
"But what we will certainly be doing is we will continue to work with Indonesian authorities, we'll look and see what holdings we've got, particularly out of the warrants yesterday, look and see what information they've solicited over the last fortnight and put that together and see where that leads us."
Mr Phelan said Australian agents had been gathering information about the alleged group of drug smugglers for about 10 weeks, and had handed it to Indonesian police two weeks ago.
The nine Australians, three from Queensland and six from NSW, could face a firing squad if convicted of drug smuggling under Indonesian law. As yet no charges have been be laid.
Four people detained in Denpasar airport's departure lounge waiting for a flight to Sydney were allegedly found with 2kg heroin packs taped to their bodies, a total of 10.9kg.
A fifth person also was detained after being removed from a Sydney bound flight but was not carrying drugs. Four others were taken into custody during a raid of the Melasti Hotel where 350g of heroin were allegedly found.
The Australian newspaper named the alleged mastermind of the group as Andrew Chan, 21, of Enfield in Sydney.
"Whatever happened to Schapelle Corby happened to me. They are convicting me of something I didn't do," he told reporters in Bali.
The newspaper also named the four who allegedly had heroin strapped to their bodies as Michael William Czugaj and Scott Anthony Rush, both 19 from Brisbane, Martin Eric Stephen, 29, from Towradgi near Wollongong, south of Sydney, and Renae Lawrence, 27, from Wallsend in Newcastle.
The Australian named the four arrested in the hotel raid as Tach Duc Thanh Nguyen, 27, from Brisbane, Myuran Sukumaran, 24, from Auburn in Sydney, Si Yi Chen, 20, from Doonside in Sydney, and Matthew James Norman, 18, from Quakers Hill in Sydney.
Stephen Czugaj, the father of Michael Czugaj, from Oxley, in Brisbane's west, said he was unsure if he would be going to Bali to support his son.
"I've no idea what I'm doing at the moment but it seems like the only thing to do," Mr Czugaj said.
The family of Wellington Point man Thanh Nguyen said Mr Nguyen was not a drug dealer or drug taker.
Ms Lawrence's stepfather, identified only as Steve, said he had spoken briefly to Renae by phone, but was cut off.
"I am still actually struggling to even absorb what has happened," he told ABC radio.
"There's nothing that we know as yet."
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said he was shocked by the arrests.
He said the AFP could not allow the group to return to Australia before arresting them because the alleged offences were committed in Indonesia, and the Indonesian police had to be involved.
"A sillier thing for people to do, I just cannot imagine," he told the Nine Network.
"People have to know though that trafficking in heroin and trafficking in drugs brings the death penalty in many countries, particularly in Asia."
Chief of Bali's anti-narcotics squad Colonel Bambang Sugiarto said the drugs had come from the notorious "Golden Triangle" area in northern Thailand and Burma, and was being couriered through Bali to Australia by the nine.
He said the gang had been acting "mysteriously and suspiciously" all week, staying in their hotel rooms and instructing hotel staff not to reveal their identities to anyone.
He said the drugs were still testing the drugs for strength.
Indonesia has increasingly become not only a transit route, but also a market for drug traffickers and courts across the country have passed a dozen death sentences on foreigners found guilty of serious drug offences in recent years.
PM backs Indonesian heroin bust
PM backs Indonesian heroin bust
07:47 AEST Tue Apr 19 2005 (from NineMSN News)
Prime Minister John Howard has backed a joint Australian-Indonesian police operation that led to capture of nine Australians on heroin charges and which could see them face the death penalty.
The eight men and one woman were nabbed by Indonesian authorities following an Australian Federal Police investigation dating back to February.
Indonesian authorities seized 11.25kg of heroin and have warned the Australians could face a firing squad if convicted.
Five were arrested at Bali airport while waiting for a flight to Sydney and the other four were held at the departure lounge allegedly with bags of heroin strapped to their bodies, Indonesian police said.
Mr Howard praised the Australian and Indonesian police, but said he had no prior knowledge of the operation.
"I didn't know anything about it, and nor should I, until the people were arrested," he said.
"It is normal for the Australian Federal Police to cooperate with the Indonesian police if they have reason to believe that people have broken the law.
"I would always encourage the Australian Federal Police to cooperate with their counterparts in neighbouring countries in the apprehension of suspected drug offenders."
Mr Howard said the only details he knew of the case were that nine people had been arrested and that they were entitled to a presumption of innocence.
"I hope they will be dealt with fairly and justly by the process," he said.
"The charges are very serious ... this is a matter though for the courts and the Indonesian authorities.
"I endorse very strongly indeed cooperation between Australian Federal Police and the Indonesian authorities in trying to track down people who are trafficking in drugs."
Mr Howard would not answer when questioned if the Australian police work could see the nine face the death penalty in Indonesia.
"I'm not going to make comments that will in anyway bear upon this case. That would be inappropriate," he said.
07:47 AEST Tue Apr 19 2005 (from NineMSN News)
Prime Minister John Howard has backed a joint Australian-Indonesian police operation that led to capture of nine Australians on heroin charges and which could see them face the death penalty.
The eight men and one woman were nabbed by Indonesian authorities following an Australian Federal Police investigation dating back to February.
Indonesian authorities seized 11.25kg of heroin and have warned the Australians could face a firing squad if convicted.
Five were arrested at Bali airport while waiting for a flight to Sydney and the other four were held at the departure lounge allegedly with bags of heroin strapped to their bodies, Indonesian police said.
Mr Howard praised the Australian and Indonesian police, but said he had no prior knowledge of the operation.
"I didn't know anything about it, and nor should I, until the people were arrested," he said.
"It is normal for the Australian Federal Police to cooperate with the Indonesian police if they have reason to believe that people have broken the law.
"I would always encourage the Australian Federal Police to cooperate with their counterparts in neighbouring countries in the apprehension of suspected drug offenders."
Mr Howard said the only details he knew of the case were that nine people had been arrested and that they were entitled to a presumption of innocence.
"I hope they will be dealt with fairly and justly by the process," he said.
"The charges are very serious ... this is a matter though for the courts and the Indonesian authorities.
"I endorse very strongly indeed cooperation between Australian Federal Police and the Indonesian authorities in trying to track down people who are trafficking in drugs."
Mr Howard would not answer when questioned if the Australian police work could see the nine face the death penalty in Indonesia.
"I'm not going to make comments that will in anyway bear upon this case. That would be inappropriate," he said.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Nasi Goreng Lengkap (Festive Yellow Rice)
Ingredients (Serves 8-10)
1kg (2lb) long grain rice
4 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, finely sliced
3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cups coconut milk
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
3 duan salam or 6 curry leaves
2 strips pandanus leaf (optional)
Banana leaves or bamboo leaves (for serving)
Garnish:
6 marbled eggs
2 green cucumbers
3 fresh red chillies
3 fresh green chillies
If rice needs washing, wash well beforehand and allow it to drain for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a large saucepan with a well fitting lid. Fry onions and garlic until onions are soft and golden, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add rice and fry for a minute or two, then add coconut milk, salt, turmeric and leaves for flavouring. Bring to the boil, stirring with a long spoon. As soon as the liquid comes to the boil, turn heat very low, cover tightly with lid and allow to steam for 20 minutes.
Uncover, quickly stir in with a fork any coconut milk that remains unabsorbedaround edge of pan, replace lid and leave on same low heat for a further 3 minutes. Turn off heat, uncover and allow steam to escape and rice to cool slightly.
Remove leaves used for flavouring and gently fork rice onto a large platter or a tray lined with well washed banana or bamboo leaves. Shape rice into a cone, pressing firmly. Use pieces of greased banana leaf or foil to do this. Surround with any accompaniments (which should be made beforehand) and garnish.
Garnish: Take the six marbled eggs (made by standing shelled hard boiled eggs in water and food colouring for 2 hours) and cut each in halves lengthways.
Score the skin of the cucumbers with a fork and cut in very thin slices.
Make a flower with one of the red chillies, and cut the others into thin diagonal slices. Flip out seeds with the point of a small knife.
To make a chilli flower, cut off the stem end and slit several times with opint of a sharp knife from about 2.5cm (1inch) above the tip to the cut end of the stem. Drop into iced water to make the strips curl.
Put the flower on top of the cone, scatter the sliced chillies around the side of the cone, and put the sliced cucumbers and marbled egss around the base.
Taken from: Betty's Kitchen
1kg (2lb) long grain rice
4 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, finely sliced
3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
8 cups coconut milk
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
3 duan salam or 6 curry leaves
2 strips pandanus leaf (optional)
Banana leaves or bamboo leaves (for serving)
Garnish:
6 marbled eggs
2 green cucumbers
3 fresh red chillies
3 fresh green chillies
If rice needs washing, wash well beforehand and allow it to drain for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a large saucepan with a well fitting lid. Fry onions and garlic until onions are soft and golden, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add rice and fry for a minute or two, then add coconut milk, salt, turmeric and leaves for flavouring. Bring to the boil, stirring with a long spoon. As soon as the liquid comes to the boil, turn heat very low, cover tightly with lid and allow to steam for 20 minutes.
Uncover, quickly stir in with a fork any coconut milk that remains unabsorbedaround edge of pan, replace lid and leave on same low heat for a further 3 minutes. Turn off heat, uncover and allow steam to escape and rice to cool slightly.
Remove leaves used for flavouring and gently fork rice onto a large platter or a tray lined with well washed banana or bamboo leaves. Shape rice into a cone, pressing firmly. Use pieces of greased banana leaf or foil to do this. Surround with any accompaniments (which should be made beforehand) and garnish.
Garnish: Take the six marbled eggs (made by standing shelled hard boiled eggs in water and food colouring for 2 hours) and cut each in halves lengthways.
Score the skin of the cucumbers with a fork and cut in very thin slices.
Make a flower with one of the red chillies, and cut the others into thin diagonal slices. Flip out seeds with the point of a small knife.
To make a chilli flower, cut off the stem end and slit several times with opint of a sharp knife from about 2.5cm (1inch) above the tip to the cut end of the stem. Drop into iced water to make the strips curl.
Put the flower on top of the cone, scatter the sliced chillies around the side of the cone, and put the sliced cucumbers and marbled egss around the base.
Taken from: Betty's Kitchen
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Indonesian president visits Australia
Sunday, April 3 2005
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has arrived in Australia for a three-day visit, a day after nine Australian troops were killed helping his country recover from a second devastating earthquake.
President Yudhoyono's visit was delayed for four days by the fatal Sumatran earthquake and is only the third visit by an Indonesian leader to Australia in the past 30 years.
He was greeted at Fairbairn RAAF base in Canberra by Prime Minister John Howard and Governor-General Michael Jeffery, along with a military honour guard.
President Yudhoyono has promised Indonesia's military and air force chiefs would supervise the recovery of the nine bodies following Saturday night's chopper crash during a mercy mission on Indonesia's quake ravaged island of Nias.
The nine Australian personnel died when their Sea King chopper plunged to the ground as they tried to help victims of Monday's quake.
Indonesia's Armed Forces Chief Endriartono Sutarto had been due to travel with Yudhoyono to Australia but he said he would instead go with air force chief Djoko Sujanto to the site of the crash near the village of Aman Draya on Nias, off Sumatra's west coast.
As he boarded his plane for Australia, President Yudhoyono telephoned Mr Howard to brief him of the steps taken following the crash.
"He said that he had instructed the Indonesian military to provide all necessary assistance in relation to those who have been killed and I know that he shares the sense of loss and grief at this very tragic incident and I thanked him for his expression of condolence on behalf of the Indonesian people," Mr Howard told reporters.
About 100 noisy protesters lined the road to Fairburn RAAF base but the president did not see them because he was whisked away in a car across the tarmac to another road.
President Yudhoyono and Madam Yudhoyono attended a state dinner at Government House where he was joined by Major General Jeffery, his wife Marlena, Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley and Defence force chief Peter Cosgrove.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Indonesia's ambassador to Australia Imron Cotan also attended the dinner.
Maj-Gen Jeffery spoke of the tragedy Indonesia had suffered since the Boxing Day tsunami and Australia's own recent loss.
"Major General Jeffery referred to the terrible loss and pain Indonesia had suffered through recent natural disasters and said for many Australians this heightened the sense of tragedy over the loss of Australian lives in the navy helicopter crash," a spokesman for Maj-Gen Jeffery said.
President Yudhoyono will meet with Mr Howard and cabinet ministers, and later Mr Beazley, at Parliament House on Monday before attending the Australian War Memorial where he will lay a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier.
He will leave Canberra for Sydney on Monday night.
Taken from National Nine News
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has arrived in Australia for a three-day visit, a day after nine Australian troops were killed helping his country recover from a second devastating earthquake.
President Yudhoyono's visit was delayed for four days by the fatal Sumatran earthquake and is only the third visit by an Indonesian leader to Australia in the past 30 years.
He was greeted at Fairbairn RAAF base in Canberra by Prime Minister John Howard and Governor-General Michael Jeffery, along with a military honour guard.
President Yudhoyono has promised Indonesia's military and air force chiefs would supervise the recovery of the nine bodies following Saturday night's chopper crash during a mercy mission on Indonesia's quake ravaged island of Nias.
The nine Australian personnel died when their Sea King chopper plunged to the ground as they tried to help victims of Monday's quake.
Indonesia's Armed Forces Chief Endriartono Sutarto had been due to travel with Yudhoyono to Australia but he said he would instead go with air force chief Djoko Sujanto to the site of the crash near the village of Aman Draya on Nias, off Sumatra's west coast.
As he boarded his plane for Australia, President Yudhoyono telephoned Mr Howard to brief him of the steps taken following the crash.
"He said that he had instructed the Indonesian military to provide all necessary assistance in relation to those who have been killed and I know that he shares the sense of loss and grief at this very tragic incident and I thanked him for his expression of condolence on behalf of the Indonesian people," Mr Howard told reporters.
About 100 noisy protesters lined the road to Fairburn RAAF base but the president did not see them because he was whisked away in a car across the tarmac to another road.
President Yudhoyono and Madam Yudhoyono attended a state dinner at Government House where he was joined by Major General Jeffery, his wife Marlena, Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Opposition Leader Kim Beazley and Defence force chief Peter Cosgrove.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Indonesia's ambassador to Australia Imron Cotan also attended the dinner.
Maj-Gen Jeffery spoke of the tragedy Indonesia had suffered since the Boxing Day tsunami and Australia's own recent loss.
"Major General Jeffery referred to the terrible loss and pain Indonesia had suffered through recent natural disasters and said for many Australians this heightened the sense of tragedy over the loss of Australian lives in the navy helicopter crash," a spokesman for Maj-Gen Jeffery said.
President Yudhoyono will meet with Mr Howard and cabinet ministers, and later Mr Beazley, at Parliament House on Monday before attending the Australian War Memorial where he will lay a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier.
He will leave Canberra for Sydney on Monday night.
Taken from National Nine News
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Socceroos Cruise Past Indonesia
Wednesday, March 30 2005
Australia's foray into Asian football met with success last night as it extended its unbeaten international run to 11 matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Indonesia in the tsunami benefit match at Perth's Subiaco Oval.
Despite leaving several top European stars on the sidelines, it was the Australia-based players who delivered for the Socceroos, with striker Ante Milicic netting the first two and substitute David Zdrilic the third.
Coach Frank Farina said he was happy with the performance and confident about his team's chances of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
"In all areas of the park we did have depth tonight," he said. "It (qualifying for the Cup) depends on us keeping free of injury - that's the only thing that will really hamper us if you like.
"In terms of defensively, midfield and attack I'm pretty happy with what we've got at the moment."
The Socceroos had made eight changes to the line-up which struggled to beat Iraq 2-1 in a friendly in Sydney on Saturday.
Their big name players, including Everton's Tim Cahill and Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer, were left out of the starting line-up, along with Parma's Marco Bresciano.
Australia, who have lost only once in 12 previous full international encounters with Indonesia, started slowly and almost conceded a goal in the opening seconds of the fundraising match for Indonesian victims of December's tsunami.
A through-ball from Indonesia's Firman Utina after just 90 seconds found striker Iham Jaya Kesuma who ran clear with only the goalkeeper to beat, but his angled shot was easily blocked by the lanky Zelko Kalac diving to his left.
But from then on such attacks on the Australian goal proved extremely rare, and as the hosts began to take control so too did their wingers Brett Emerton and Stan Lazaridis.
Lazaridis in particular began to cut a swathe through the Indonesian defence and it was his magic which set up the opening goal as he jinked down the left to cross onto the head of the rising Milicic who guided the ball into the top corner in the 25th minute.
Australia extended its lead in the 57th minute when Crystal Palace defender Tony Popovic headed a corner down to Milicic who appeared to slot it home, although replays showed it came off the luckless Indonesian defender Hamka Hamzah.
Milicic later conceded that he had not touched the ball, although it was awarded to him by Japanese referee Hirofumi Yamanishi.
The pressure continued to mount on Indonesia, although they did show a flicker of life early in the second half when Kurniawan D Yulianto tried to latch onto a cross from the left only to fire over the bar.
By midway through the half the Australians were pushing forward in greater numbers and the icing on the cake came for the home team in the 85th minute when Zdrilic was given an extraordinary amount of time to control the ball in the six-yard box and fire past goalkeeper Hendro Kartiko.
The match was preceded by a minute's silence in tribute to the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami as well as the latest victims of Monday's earthquake off Sumatra.
Players donated their match fees to the fund-raiser.
Taken from ABC Sport
Australia's foray into Asian football met with success last night as it extended its unbeaten international run to 11 matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Indonesia in the tsunami benefit match at Perth's Subiaco Oval.
Despite leaving several top European stars on the sidelines, it was the Australia-based players who delivered for the Socceroos, with striker Ante Milicic netting the first two and substitute David Zdrilic the third.
Coach Frank Farina said he was happy with the performance and confident about his team's chances of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
"In all areas of the park we did have depth tonight," he said. "It (qualifying for the Cup) depends on us keeping free of injury - that's the only thing that will really hamper us if you like.
"In terms of defensively, midfield and attack I'm pretty happy with what we've got at the moment."
The Socceroos had made eight changes to the line-up which struggled to beat Iraq 2-1 in a friendly in Sydney on Saturday.
Their big name players, including Everton's Tim Cahill and Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer, were left out of the starting line-up, along with Parma's Marco Bresciano.
Australia, who have lost only once in 12 previous full international encounters with Indonesia, started slowly and almost conceded a goal in the opening seconds of the fundraising match for Indonesian victims of December's tsunami.
A through-ball from Indonesia's Firman Utina after just 90 seconds found striker Iham Jaya Kesuma who ran clear with only the goalkeeper to beat, but his angled shot was easily blocked by the lanky Zelko Kalac diving to his left.
But from then on such attacks on the Australian goal proved extremely rare, and as the hosts began to take control so too did their wingers Brett Emerton and Stan Lazaridis.
Lazaridis in particular began to cut a swathe through the Indonesian defence and it was his magic which set up the opening goal as he jinked down the left to cross onto the head of the rising Milicic who guided the ball into the top corner in the 25th minute.
Australia extended its lead in the 57th minute when Crystal Palace defender Tony Popovic headed a corner down to Milicic who appeared to slot it home, although replays showed it came off the luckless Indonesian defender Hamka Hamzah.
Milicic later conceded that he had not touched the ball, although it was awarded to him by Japanese referee Hirofumi Yamanishi.
The pressure continued to mount on Indonesia, although they did show a flicker of life early in the second half when Kurniawan D Yulianto tried to latch onto a cross from the left only to fire over the bar.
By midway through the half the Australians were pushing forward in greater numbers and the icing on the cake came for the home team in the 85th minute when Zdrilic was given an extraordinary amount of time to control the ball in the six-yard box and fire past goalkeeper Hendro Kartiko.
The match was preceded by a minute's silence in tribute to the victims of the Boxing Day tsunami as well as the latest victims of Monday's earthquake off Sumatra.
Players donated their match fees to the fund-raiser.
Taken from ABC Sport
Soccer match to benefit victims
Monday, March 28, 2005
By Dawn Gibson
As a resident of Aceh, soccer player Ismed Sofyan did not have to be asked twice when invited to compete in an Australia versus Indonesia match at Subiaco Oval to raise money for tsunami victims.
If it was not for soccer, the 25-year-old could easily have become a victim himself.
The Indonesian national and league club player was in Jakarta preparing for the Tiger Cup, a South-East Asican tournament, when the giant wave hit.
His immediate family escaped with their lives, but nine members of his wider family circle are still on the missing persons list.
Indonesia's assistant coach Fachri Husani, also from Aceh, had a similar story. Though his aunt, uncle and cousin have not been found, he considered himself lucky that his parents and siblings survived.
The close tie between Indonesia and Australia forged in the wake of the disaster will come under friendly pressure tonight when the Indonesian soccer team face the Qantas Socceroos at Subiaco Oval. The State Government has kicked off donations by providing $250,000 to stage the match and hopes its example will encourage West Australians to get behind the game.
Tickets are available through http://www.ticketmaster7.com.au or 1300 135 915. Prices start at $25 or $50 for a family of four.
(Taken from The West Australian, Monday March 29, 2005)
By Dawn Gibson
As a resident of Aceh, soccer player Ismed Sofyan did not have to be asked twice when invited to compete in an Australia versus Indonesia match at Subiaco Oval to raise money for tsunami victims.
If it was not for soccer, the 25-year-old could easily have become a victim himself.
The Indonesian national and league club player was in Jakarta preparing for the Tiger Cup, a South-East Asican tournament, when the giant wave hit.
His immediate family escaped with their lives, but nine members of his wider family circle are still on the missing persons list.
Indonesia's assistant coach Fachri Husani, also from Aceh, had a similar story. Though his aunt, uncle and cousin have not been found, he considered himself lucky that his parents and siblings survived.
The close tie between Indonesia and Australia forged in the wake of the disaster will come under friendly pressure tonight when the Indonesian soccer team face the Qantas Socceroos at Subiaco Oval. The State Government has kicked off donations by providing $250,000 to stage the match and hopes its example will encourage West Australians to get behind the game.
Tickets are available through http://www.ticketmaster7.com.au or 1300 135 915. Prices start at $25 or $50 for a family of four.
(Taken from The West Australian, Monday March 29, 2005)
Indonesia Wants Nuke Power, Aware of Terrorist Threat
March 22 2005
"Indonesia is preparing to operate (an) NPP (nuclear power plant) most likely in the next decade," Indonesia's ambassador to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Thomas Aquino Sriwidjaja, told a conference on the future of nuclear power.
"The introduction of a nuclear power programme by the Indonesian government would not only serve as a solution to the rising demand for electricity, but is also expected to help save and prolong fossil energy for other purposes, as well as a part of global efforts to reduce global warming effects," he said.
Nuclear energy produces almost no greenhouse gases, in contrast to fuel fuels.
Sriwidjaja called on the more developed countries of the world to help Indonesia develop its nuclear energy programme.
He also said Indonesia -- which has signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the IAEA's Additional Protocol permitting more intrusive, short-notice inspections -- was aware of the threat posed by terrorists aiming to acquire nuclear materials to use in weapons or to attack atomic facilities.
"Indonesia has taken the necessary measures to minimise any possible threat to its own nuclear facilities (and) has also improved and strengthened the physical protection of the existing nuclear facilities in accordance with international standard requirements," Sriwidjaja said.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Moslem country, has suffered the most bomb attacks of any state in Southeast Asia, including the 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that killed 12 people, and nightclub bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202, mostly foreign tourists.
Taken from Planet Ark. Story also seen in The West Australian.
"Indonesia is preparing to operate (an) NPP (nuclear power plant) most likely in the next decade," Indonesia's ambassador to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Thomas Aquino Sriwidjaja, told a conference on the future of nuclear power.
"The introduction of a nuclear power programme by the Indonesian government would not only serve as a solution to the rising demand for electricity, but is also expected to help save and prolong fossil energy for other purposes, as well as a part of global efforts to reduce global warming effects," he said.
Nuclear energy produces almost no greenhouse gases, in contrast to fuel fuels.
Sriwidjaja called on the more developed countries of the world to help Indonesia develop its nuclear energy programme.
He also said Indonesia -- which has signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the IAEA's Additional Protocol permitting more intrusive, short-notice inspections -- was aware of the threat posed by terrorists aiming to acquire nuclear materials to use in weapons or to attack atomic facilities.
"Indonesia has taken the necessary measures to minimise any possible threat to its own nuclear facilities (and) has also improved and strengthened the physical protection of the existing nuclear facilities in accordance with international standard requirements," Sriwidjaja said.
Indonesia, the world's most populous Moslem country, has suffered the most bomb attacks of any state in Southeast Asia, including the 2003 bombing of the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta that killed 12 people, and nightclub bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202, mostly foreign tourists.
Taken from Planet Ark. Story also seen in The West Australian.
Competition swallowing up tsunami aid money in Aceh
By Matthew Moore
Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
March 10 2005
The huge international aid effort promised for Aceh is in jeopardy, the Indonesian minister responsible for it has warned, because the operation lacks co-ordination and there is no agreed plan on how to spend the funds.
The chairman of the National Planning Agency, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has called on donor countries such as Australia to put more of their aid money through the Indonesian budget instead of insisting their donations and programs be kept separate.
Australians have donated more than $200 million to tsunami aid and the Government has pledged $1 billion to a new body it plans to run jointly with the Indonesian Government. Like other big donors, including Japan and the US, it has insisted the money be kept outside the Indonesian budget.
Diplomatic and donor organisation sources have told the Herald that there is huge competition between those trying to fill the more prestigious projects in Aceh, such as building schools and roads. Aid groups are competing to recruit staff from the small pool of Acehnese with the skills needed for the rebuilding.
This inflates their salaries enormously. Many of these skilled workers are being poached from jobs with the Indonesian Government, draining its expertise.
In a speech delivered on her behalf to donors in Paris, the former executive director of the International Monetary Fund admitted she was "frankly" worried that the desire of so many donors - including governments and aid groups - to plan their own programs quickly was overwhelming her government.
"It is too hard for my own staff - let alone the local governments in Aceh that have been so devastated by this crisis - to have to deal with the additional challenge of different standards and rules for so many different donors," Dr Indrawati said.
Her speech reflects the frustrations of many aid workers on the ground in Aceh who complain that while billions of dollars have been pledged, it is often impossible to get money for simple projects because of restrictions each organisation has on how its money can be spent.
While Dr Indrawati expressed "deep gratitude" for the outpouring of generosity from foreign countries and donor groups, she outlined a series of changes she believes are vital to ensure the co-ordination of all the different aid plans from various countries.
"First, if we are serious about harmonisation, then donors should channel a higher share of their funds through the Government budget, and the Government must demonstrate that it is worthy of this trust," she said.
Dr Indrawati said she respected the choice of some donors to put their funds outside the budget, but argued the money would be better used if it went through the budget and became part of a single plan. That would see it tracked, audited and evaluated to ensure it was well spent.
"Let's be realistic," she said. "Co-ordination does not happen by bringing donors together for weekly co-ordination meetings. It happens by bringing donor funds into the budget under a well-formulated recovery and reconstruction strategy."
Dr Indrawati acknowledged that many donors want to keep control of their own money because of Indonesia's notorious corruption, but said they should instead take part in monitoring it by joining a new oversight board.
"We understand that we will need to put in place a strong and independent governance framework to ensure accountability, transparency, participation, fairness, effectiveness and integrity. This week we will be announcing governance arrangements for the reconstruction that are unprecedented in the history of Indonesia."
As well as trying to co-ordinate donations from foreign governments, Dr Indrawati said well over $US1 billion ($1.25 billion) raised by scores of charities and other aid groups could not be well spent unless it became part of the Government's overall plan.
"Given the size and scope of these non-official funds, the success of our recovery and reconstruction strategy will depend on how well these funds are integrated into a broader framework."
She said Indonesia does not even know how much money has been raised overseas for help in Aceh and called on all embassies to track funds raised in their countries as a first step in co-ordinating how they are spent.
Even if donors ignored her plea to put funds through the government budget, Dr Indrawati said they should all agree on "a common plan ... and monitoring of funds, and common standards of behaviour", especially in areas like procurement, auditing, reporting and local pay standards.
Dr Indrawati feared the world would judge the reconstruction efforts harshly.
"I wonder how history will judge us a year or five years from now. Will the newspaper stories be full of how money was wasted as donors competed against each other for the best projects, and the Government failed to co-ordinate or lead the effort?
"Or will they record how together we introduced a new way of doing business, in which we work in harmony?"
A spokesman for the Australian Foreign Minister said Alexander Downer did not intend to alter the existing plans for a new commission to oversee a joint Australia-Indonesia body.
The body will decide where money pledged by the Government will be spent.
Given the size of Australia's aid contribution, the Government believed it was entitled to have a special arrangement with Jakarta.
The Australian commission will be discussed when a ministerial delegation from Indonesia visits the country next week.
More than $US6.3 billion has been pledged for tsunami reconstruction in Asia, half of which is expected to be spent in Aceh.
Taken from the Sydney Morning Herald. News story also seen in The West Australian.
Herald Correspondent in Jakarta
March 10 2005
The huge international aid effort promised for Aceh is in jeopardy, the Indonesian minister responsible for it has warned, because the operation lacks co-ordination and there is no agreed plan on how to spend the funds.
The chairman of the National Planning Agency, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, has called on donor countries such as Australia to put more of their aid money through the Indonesian budget instead of insisting their donations and programs be kept separate.
Australians have donated more than $200 million to tsunami aid and the Government has pledged $1 billion to a new body it plans to run jointly with the Indonesian Government. Like other big donors, including Japan and the US, it has insisted the money be kept outside the Indonesian budget.
Diplomatic and donor organisation sources have told the Herald that there is huge competition between those trying to fill the more prestigious projects in Aceh, such as building schools and roads. Aid groups are competing to recruit staff from the small pool of Acehnese with the skills needed for the rebuilding.
This inflates their salaries enormously. Many of these skilled workers are being poached from jobs with the Indonesian Government, draining its expertise.
In a speech delivered on her behalf to donors in Paris, the former executive director of the International Monetary Fund admitted she was "frankly" worried that the desire of so many donors - including governments and aid groups - to plan their own programs quickly was overwhelming her government.
"It is too hard for my own staff - let alone the local governments in Aceh that have been so devastated by this crisis - to have to deal with the additional challenge of different standards and rules for so many different donors," Dr Indrawati said.
Her speech reflects the frustrations of many aid workers on the ground in Aceh who complain that while billions of dollars have been pledged, it is often impossible to get money for simple projects because of restrictions each organisation has on how its money can be spent.
While Dr Indrawati expressed "deep gratitude" for the outpouring of generosity from foreign countries and donor groups, she outlined a series of changes she believes are vital to ensure the co-ordination of all the different aid plans from various countries.
"First, if we are serious about harmonisation, then donors should channel a higher share of their funds through the Government budget, and the Government must demonstrate that it is worthy of this trust," she said.
Dr Indrawati said she respected the choice of some donors to put their funds outside the budget, but argued the money would be better used if it went through the budget and became part of a single plan. That would see it tracked, audited and evaluated to ensure it was well spent.
"Let's be realistic," she said. "Co-ordination does not happen by bringing donors together for weekly co-ordination meetings. It happens by bringing donor funds into the budget under a well-formulated recovery and reconstruction strategy."
Dr Indrawati acknowledged that many donors want to keep control of their own money because of Indonesia's notorious corruption, but said they should instead take part in monitoring it by joining a new oversight board.
"We understand that we will need to put in place a strong and independent governance framework to ensure accountability, transparency, participation, fairness, effectiveness and integrity. This week we will be announcing governance arrangements for the reconstruction that are unprecedented in the history of Indonesia."
As well as trying to co-ordinate donations from foreign governments, Dr Indrawati said well over $US1 billion ($1.25 billion) raised by scores of charities and other aid groups could not be well spent unless it became part of the Government's overall plan.
"Given the size and scope of these non-official funds, the success of our recovery and reconstruction strategy will depend on how well these funds are integrated into a broader framework."
She said Indonesia does not even know how much money has been raised overseas for help in Aceh and called on all embassies to track funds raised in their countries as a first step in co-ordinating how they are spent.
Even if donors ignored her plea to put funds through the government budget, Dr Indrawati said they should all agree on "a common plan ... and monitoring of funds, and common standards of behaviour", especially in areas like procurement, auditing, reporting and local pay standards.
Dr Indrawati feared the world would judge the reconstruction efforts harshly.
"I wonder how history will judge us a year or five years from now. Will the newspaper stories be full of how money was wasted as donors competed against each other for the best projects, and the Government failed to co-ordinate or lead the effort?
"Or will they record how together we introduced a new way of doing business, in which we work in harmony?"
A spokesman for the Australian Foreign Minister said Alexander Downer did not intend to alter the existing plans for a new commission to oversee a joint Australia-Indonesia body.
The body will decide where money pledged by the Government will be spent.
Given the size of Australia's aid contribution, the Government believed it was entitled to have a special arrangement with Jakarta.
The Australian commission will be discussed when a ministerial delegation from Indonesia visits the country next week.
More than $US6.3 billion has been pledged for tsunami reconstruction in Asia, half of which is expected to be spent in Aceh.
Taken from the Sydney Morning Herald. News story also seen in The West Australian.
Indonesian News
This is the section where I shall put all the Indonesian News for the journal.
This is a sub-section off my Indonesian blog, which can be found at http://learningindonesian.blogspot.com
This is a sub-section off my Indonesian blog, which can be found at http://learningindonesian.blogspot.com
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