Congratulations to Mike for winning Indonesian Idol 2!
I couldn't find much in English about Indonesian Idol, but I did find out that apparently Joy quit because management would be taking a slice of her earnings for 15 years. She is going to have her first single performance in Singapore for some reason.
Delon quit his job in a Japanese import-export company to follow his dreams to be in Indonesian Idol. His other singing dream is to sing The Prayer with Charlotte Church.
I found all this info at http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t23463.html, which has much more information. :)
Monday, September 26, 2005
My first week in Yogya....
I thought this piece about ACICIS was fairly amusing
By Zahra Matthews
University of Sydney
Well, here I am again in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and it's absolutely wonderful! To answer the question most of you seemed to be asking- yes, I have found a place to live, and no, it's not exactly what you'd call 'good'! But it's quite luxurious by Indonesian standards. Although I had read all the pre-departure info we were given, I don't think I was quite prepared for the standard of accommodation available. I am staying in a 'kos' (boarding house) in a rather luxurious suburb called Pogung Baru, about 30 mins walk from Uni. Before I came here I had a list of criteria for my kos room - it had to have a western toilet, own bathroom, Air Con, fridge inside room, desk, plenty of cupboard space… ha! What a joke! As I cruised around kos-hunting they sort of went down the drain and in the end I got none of those things (except my own bathroom)! But I do admit it's not that bad, once you get used to it. I have a bed with a mattress that is too big for the frame, a very small cupboard, and a desk. That's it. My bathroom is similarly sparse, with a non-Western toilet (am still trying to work it out) and a tap (Yes, that's it!!!!). No sink, just a drain in the ground, and no shower head! It's okay, though, because I do have a makeshift 'bak' (bath) - a plastic container filled with water, and a small plastic bucket to throw (cold) water over myself. It's quite refreshing after the first throw!
The atmosphere of my kos makes up for the room, though. There are about 12 or 13 girls staying in it, and most go to UGM (Universitas Gadjah Mada) too. They're all from different parts of Indonesia, and all have different religions, but they get along so well, and are very friendly (and talk extremely fast). Just don't ask me all their names, I don't have a clue! Just outside my room there's an open area with a TV where we all hang out and watch Indonesian Idol and MTV Indonesia. It's actually a very noisy kos, because if MTV is not blaring at some ungodly hour, one of the girls will be singing at the top of her lungs in the shower (very popular here in Indonesia).
After a lot of confusion as to enrolling (get different pieces of paper stamped and signed and returned to different places in different faculties), I started going to classes on Tuesday. We're actually allowed to enrol in normal units of study from Arts, Politics, Economics etc, so I've chosen a few subjects pretty unrelated to what I've been studying at home. The first is called 'Community Health', which is a basic overview of the Indonesian health system and its strengths and weaknesses. The lecturer was really good, spoke very slowly and tried to explain case studies to me in English. It felt strange though, because only 4 people turned up to the lecture (because apparently it is very unusual for lecturers to turn up during the 1st week). It's also a bit strange because the lecturer insists on calling me 'Matthews' eg "As Matthews here just said…." and "Matthews, what is it like in Australia?"
My second lecture was well,….completely different. "Social Change in Indonesia", Room 01- or so I thought. Because I wanted to check the room number, I had to enter via the front door, something I had no particular desire to do, but thinking I'd look like an idiot if I walked to the back again, I bravely entered. Picture this: 200 first year students suddenly erupting into loud cheers and clapping madly as I walked between the aisles to the back of the room and slid into my seat. I don't think I need to explain how embarrassing that was. Now picture 200 students falling over chairs (literally) to introduce themselves and ask where I'm from. I was then obliged to shake hands with all of them, and answer questions about myself and Australia and the Bali Bomb and what Australia's like and whether I could help them practice their English. Then the class clown at the front stood at the lectern and said that it was unfair that they couldn't hear what I was saying at the front, and would Miss Australia please come down to the microphone and give a speech! How could I refuse 200 chanting people??? If public speaking is bad at the best of times, I can't describe to you what it was like in front of 200 crazy students, in Indonesian. My 'speech' went something like this:
Me: My name is Zahra
Everyone: (cheers)
Me: I am from Australia
Everyone: (silence)
Me: I am studying in the faculty of Arts
Everyone: (more cheers and clapping and shouting)
Me: In Australia-
Everyone: (shouting questions)
Me: In Australia-
Everyone: Shhhh!
Me: In Australia I study Economics, Politics, and Indonesian
Class clown: How old are you?
Me: 19
Everyone: (foot stomping)
Me: Ok, that's enough, bye!
The lecturer never turned up, so it was only later, as I sat at a food stall for lunch, that one of the girls in the lecture approached me, and said that they thought that I was the lecturer! How bizarre! Furthermore, the subject was not 'Social Change', but 'Introduction to Law 1A', so I went through all of that in the wrong class!
The other subject I'm taking is Australian Politics. None of you Science students have anything to complain about any more- this subject is at 7am, and lasts 2.5 hours! It's not too bad, but the lecturer talks really fast. Sort of reminded me home though - we told him how much we wanted the assessment to be worth! I have my first assignment- a few paragraphs on the ideology of the Labor Party (should have brought all my books with me!). At least it gives me a chance to work on my language.
Ok, I think I better end this… I have to go shopping for things for my kos (eg a mirror- haven't looked in a mirror for almost 5 days!). Luckily I have a very helpful 'buddy' who is 100% fluent in English and willing to carry parcels on his motorbike!
Taken from ACICIS Website
By Zahra Matthews
University of Sydney
Well, here I am again in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and it's absolutely wonderful! To answer the question most of you seemed to be asking- yes, I have found a place to live, and no, it's not exactly what you'd call 'good'! But it's quite luxurious by Indonesian standards. Although I had read all the pre-departure info we were given, I don't think I was quite prepared for the standard of accommodation available. I am staying in a 'kos' (boarding house) in a rather luxurious suburb called Pogung Baru, about 30 mins walk from Uni. Before I came here I had a list of criteria for my kos room - it had to have a western toilet, own bathroom, Air Con, fridge inside room, desk, plenty of cupboard space… ha! What a joke! As I cruised around kos-hunting they sort of went down the drain and in the end I got none of those things (except my own bathroom)! But I do admit it's not that bad, once you get used to it. I have a bed with a mattress that is too big for the frame, a very small cupboard, and a desk. That's it. My bathroom is similarly sparse, with a non-Western toilet (am still trying to work it out) and a tap (Yes, that's it!!!!). No sink, just a drain in the ground, and no shower head! It's okay, though, because I do have a makeshift 'bak' (bath) - a plastic container filled with water, and a small plastic bucket to throw (cold) water over myself. It's quite refreshing after the first throw!
The atmosphere of my kos makes up for the room, though. There are about 12 or 13 girls staying in it, and most go to UGM (Universitas Gadjah Mada) too. They're all from different parts of Indonesia, and all have different religions, but they get along so well, and are very friendly (and talk extremely fast). Just don't ask me all their names, I don't have a clue! Just outside my room there's an open area with a TV where we all hang out and watch Indonesian Idol and MTV Indonesia. It's actually a very noisy kos, because if MTV is not blaring at some ungodly hour, one of the girls will be singing at the top of her lungs in the shower (very popular here in Indonesia).
After a lot of confusion as to enrolling (get different pieces of paper stamped and signed and returned to different places in different faculties), I started going to classes on Tuesday. We're actually allowed to enrol in normal units of study from Arts, Politics, Economics etc, so I've chosen a few subjects pretty unrelated to what I've been studying at home. The first is called 'Community Health', which is a basic overview of the Indonesian health system and its strengths and weaknesses. The lecturer was really good, spoke very slowly and tried to explain case studies to me in English. It felt strange though, because only 4 people turned up to the lecture (because apparently it is very unusual for lecturers to turn up during the 1st week). It's also a bit strange because the lecturer insists on calling me 'Matthews' eg "As Matthews here just said…." and "Matthews, what is it like in Australia?"
My second lecture was well,….completely different. "Social Change in Indonesia", Room 01- or so I thought. Because I wanted to check the room number, I had to enter via the front door, something I had no particular desire to do, but thinking I'd look like an idiot if I walked to the back again, I bravely entered. Picture this: 200 first year students suddenly erupting into loud cheers and clapping madly as I walked between the aisles to the back of the room and slid into my seat. I don't think I need to explain how embarrassing that was. Now picture 200 students falling over chairs (literally) to introduce themselves and ask where I'm from. I was then obliged to shake hands with all of them, and answer questions about myself and Australia and the Bali Bomb and what Australia's like and whether I could help them practice their English. Then the class clown at the front stood at the lectern and said that it was unfair that they couldn't hear what I was saying at the front, and would Miss Australia please come down to the microphone and give a speech! How could I refuse 200 chanting people??? If public speaking is bad at the best of times, I can't describe to you what it was like in front of 200 crazy students, in Indonesian. My 'speech' went something like this:
Me: My name is Zahra
Everyone: (cheers)
Me: I am from Australia
Everyone: (silence)
Me: I am studying in the faculty of Arts
Everyone: (more cheers and clapping and shouting)
Me: In Australia-
Everyone: (shouting questions)
Me: In Australia-
Everyone: Shhhh!
Me: In Australia I study Economics, Politics, and Indonesian
Class clown: How old are you?
Me: 19
Everyone: (foot stomping)
Me: Ok, that's enough, bye!
The lecturer never turned up, so it was only later, as I sat at a food stall for lunch, that one of the girls in the lecture approached me, and said that they thought that I was the lecturer! How bizarre! Furthermore, the subject was not 'Social Change', but 'Introduction to Law 1A', so I went through all of that in the wrong class!
The other subject I'm taking is Australian Politics. None of you Science students have anything to complain about any more- this subject is at 7am, and lasts 2.5 hours! It's not too bad, but the lecturer talks really fast. Sort of reminded me home though - we told him how much we wanted the assessment to be worth! I have my first assignment- a few paragraphs on the ideology of the Labor Party (should have brought all my books with me!). At least it gives me a chance to work on my language.
Ok, I think I better end this… I have to go shopping for things for my kos (eg a mirror- haven't looked in a mirror for almost 5 days!). Luckily I have a very helpful 'buddy' who is 100% fluent in English and willing to carry parcels on his motorbike!
Taken from ACICIS Website
Indonesian Idol
Bu Indra said it would be nice if I found some articles about Indonesian Idol. So here they are:
It's Joy to the world as she becomes first Indonesian Idol
Features - September 05, 2004
Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After 34,358 hopefuls sang their hearts out in the pitch battle to be the first Indonesian Idol, Joy Destiny Tiurma Tobing was the last singer standing on Saturday night.
To thunderous applause before the full house of 7,000 at Istora Indoor Stadium, Joy was announced to have won the majority of the four million votes over rival Delon after a weeklong voting frenzy by SMS and premium calls.
Looking elegant in a blue dress by Adjie Notonegoro, she literally lived up to her name by crying for joy.
"Thank you all," was all the student of the Christian University of Indonesia's School of English Literature in Jakarta could say after the announcement.
Besides the millions watching at home, those in the audience included House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and many celebrities. President Megawati Soekarnoputri, despite reports she would attend, was a no-show.
Joy finished the show by singing Glenn Fredly's Karena Cinta (Because of Love) through tears. Her parents, taxi driver-turned record producer Jamarudut ML Tobing, and mother Roma Sibuea were in the audience.
Joy, a seasoned performer who had won RCTI's Cipta Pesona Bintang contest and the Grand Championship Laser Karaoke Pioneer in Asia in Shanghai, China, and Japan, was the heavy favorite to win after last week's final performances.
However, some had feared Stanislaus Alexander Liauw Delon Thamrin, better known to all his fans as Delon, would win by a sympathy vote due to the often harsh criticism meted out to him by the celebrity jury.
The latter, who gained heart-throb status, was gracious in defeat, hugging and kissing the winner.
"Whatever happens, I am sure it's for the best," he said before the announcement.
Delon is also expected to get a record deal and take part in a tour of major cities in the country with the other finalists from the show.
"Your career as a singer starts tomorrow, I hope you become a professional singer," said musician Indra Lesmana, one of Joy's strongest supporters among the four-member jury, told her.
As the winner of the show -- jointly produced by Freemantle Media Productions Asia and RCTI -- Joy won a record deal, a Toyota Vios and the right to represent Indonesia at the World Idol later this year.
Private TV station RCTI began auditions for the show on April 9 this year, visiting five cities -- Bandung, Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. RCTI reportedly will start the second Indonesian Idol in December this year.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
It's Joy to the world as she becomes first Indonesian Idol
Features - September 05, 2004
Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After 34,358 hopefuls sang their hearts out in the pitch battle to be the first Indonesian Idol, Joy Destiny Tiurma Tobing was the last singer standing on Saturday night.
To thunderous applause before the full house of 7,000 at Istora Indoor Stadium, Joy was announced to have won the majority of the four million votes over rival Delon after a weeklong voting frenzy by SMS and premium calls.
Looking elegant in a blue dress by Adjie Notonegoro, she literally lived up to her name by crying for joy.
"Thank you all," was all the student of the Christian University of Indonesia's School of English Literature in Jakarta could say after the announcement.
Besides the millions watching at home, those in the audience included House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and many celebrities. President Megawati Soekarnoputri, despite reports she would attend, was a no-show.
Joy finished the show by singing Glenn Fredly's Karena Cinta (Because of Love) through tears. Her parents, taxi driver-turned record producer Jamarudut ML Tobing, and mother Roma Sibuea were in the audience.
Joy, a seasoned performer who had won RCTI's Cipta Pesona Bintang contest and the Grand Championship Laser Karaoke Pioneer in Asia in Shanghai, China, and Japan, was the heavy favorite to win after last week's final performances.
However, some had feared Stanislaus Alexander Liauw Delon Thamrin, better known to all his fans as Delon, would win by a sympathy vote due to the often harsh criticism meted out to him by the celebrity jury.
The latter, who gained heart-throb status, was gracious in defeat, hugging and kissing the winner.
"Whatever happens, I am sure it's for the best," he said before the announcement.
Delon is also expected to get a record deal and take part in a tour of major cities in the country with the other finalists from the show.
"Your career as a singer starts tomorrow, I hope you become a professional singer," said musician Indra Lesmana, one of Joy's strongest supporters among the four-member jury, told her.
As the winner of the show -- jointly produced by Freemantle Media Productions Asia and RCTI -- Joy won a record deal, a Toyota Vios and the right to represent Indonesia at the World Idol later this year.
Private TV station RCTI began auditions for the show on April 9 this year, visiting five cities -- Bandung, Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. RCTI reportedly will start the second Indonesian Idol in December this year.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
Indonesia bird flu toll increases
Another two people are confirmed to have died from bird flu in Indonesia, bringing the death toll there to six.
Test results show that both a young girl who died last week and a 27-year-old woman who died on Monday had been exposed to the H5N1 virus.
Several other recent fatalities are being investigated, and about 20 people are in hospital with bird flu symptoms.
The deadly disease has already killed dozens of people across Asia, and led to millions of birds being culled.
There is so far no evidence of human-to-human transmission, but health officials fear that if the virus combines with the human influenza virus, it could become highly infectious and lead to a global flu pandemic.
Laboratory tests
The latest victim - a 27-year-old woman who died on Monday morning - had been hospitalised with bird flu symptoms last week.
Health ministry officials confirmed on Monday that she had died of the disease.
Officials also announced that a five-year-old girl who died last week had succumbed to bird flu.
There was initial confusion as to whether she had in fact died of the disease - she was found to be positive for the virus in one test but negative in another - and at one stage officials said that meant she could not be classified as having had bird flu.
But according to the BBC correspondent in Jakarta, Rachel Harvey, they now appear to have changed their minds.
It also seems that a second child, a two-year-old, was buried before samples could be taken for testing to see if she too had bird flu.
'Extraordinary' measures
The first case of human infection in Indonesia was announced in July.
Last week Health Minister Siti Fadila Supari warned that Indonesia could be facing an epidemic, remarks which were later played down by other officials.
But the government is evidently worried. The authorities have already instituted tough new "extraordinary" measures, including the power to force people suspected of having bird flu into hospital.
The WHO has urged countries with infected poultry to use widespread mass culling as the best method of stopping the spread of the disease.
But the government has only carried out limited culling, preferring to vaccinate poultry because of the expense of compensating farmers.
The recent outbreak in Jakarta is causing particular concern because of the close proximity between birds and humans.
Most Indonesian households keep chickens for food or caged birds for pets.
Finding the source of an outbreak is therefore extremely difficult, our correspondent says, and the chances of the virus spreading in a teeming city of more than 15 million people are high.
The government says it expects delivery of 40,000 more doses of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu by the end of this week, with a further 40,000 provided by Australia sometime soon.
Taken from BBC News
Test results show that both a young girl who died last week and a 27-year-old woman who died on Monday had been exposed to the H5N1 virus.
Several other recent fatalities are being investigated, and about 20 people are in hospital with bird flu symptoms.
The deadly disease has already killed dozens of people across Asia, and led to millions of birds being culled.
There is so far no evidence of human-to-human transmission, but health officials fear that if the virus combines with the human influenza virus, it could become highly infectious and lead to a global flu pandemic.
Laboratory tests
The latest victim - a 27-year-old woman who died on Monday morning - had been hospitalised with bird flu symptoms last week.
Health ministry officials confirmed on Monday that she had died of the disease.
Officials also announced that a five-year-old girl who died last week had succumbed to bird flu.
There was initial confusion as to whether she had in fact died of the disease - she was found to be positive for the virus in one test but negative in another - and at one stage officials said that meant she could not be classified as having had bird flu.
But according to the BBC correspondent in Jakarta, Rachel Harvey, they now appear to have changed their minds.
It also seems that a second child, a two-year-old, was buried before samples could be taken for testing to see if she too had bird flu.
'Extraordinary' measures
The first case of human infection in Indonesia was announced in July.
Last week Health Minister Siti Fadila Supari warned that Indonesia could be facing an epidemic, remarks which were later played down by other officials.
But the government is evidently worried. The authorities have already instituted tough new "extraordinary" measures, including the power to force people suspected of having bird flu into hospital.
The WHO has urged countries with infected poultry to use widespread mass culling as the best method of stopping the spread of the disease.
But the government has only carried out limited culling, preferring to vaccinate poultry because of the expense of compensating farmers.
The recent outbreak in Jakarta is causing particular concern because of the close proximity between birds and humans.
Most Indonesian households keep chickens for food or caged birds for pets.
Finding the source of an outbreak is therefore extremely difficult, our correspondent says, and the chances of the virus spreading in a teeming city of more than 15 million people are high.
The government says it expects delivery of 40,000 more doses of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu by the end of this week, with a further 40,000 provided by Australia sometime soon.
Taken from BBC News
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Bird flu outbreak may become epidemic
The government warned on Wednesday that the current outbreak of bird flu could become an epidemic as two more children died after showing symptoms of the disease.
"It's not an epidemic yet, but sporadic cases in parts of Jakarta. If things worsen it could become an epidemic," Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said.
She was speaking to reporters after announcing that an initial local test on a five-year-old girl, who died on Wednesday after suffering from bird flu symptoms, was negative for the virus. She said more local testing needed to be done, while blood samples would also be sent to a laboratory in Hong Kong for confirmation.
In another possible case a two-year-old girl died at Jakarta's Christian PGI Hospital after a high fever and respiratory problems.
Four Indonesians are confirmed to have died since July from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu. Nine others are now being treated at Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in Jakarta. The authorities are still waiting for the test results.
Siti said that more victims could emerge as the authorities had not been able to determine the sources of the virus that has infected the victims.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono said that the government would launch a mass cull of chickens in "highly infected areas," but acknowledged that as of Wednesday no area had been declared highly infected.
"We will allocate (funds for the mass culling) whatever it takes, if it has become a necessity," he told The Jakarta Post.
The minister fired on Wednesday the ministry's director of animal health control Tri Satya Putri Naipospos for allegedly failing to monitor the spread of the deadly virus.
The current bird flu outbreak in Indonesia has raised international concern over possible further outbreaks of the disease, which has killed 64 people in four Asian countries since late 2003 and has been found in birds in Russia and Europe.
Georg Petersen, the WHO's representative in Jakarta, said many foreign experts were now helping Indonesia, including a high-level delegation from the United States.
"Definitely the whole international community is very much present," Petersen told Reuters.
The WHO is also working with the government to source new stocks of the antiviral drug Tamiflu -- which can help against infection -- from India to bolster local stocks, he said.
"It's not very much, it's rather puny. They definitely need some more," Petersen said, adding that stocks being rushed from India were less than 1,000 doses.
Indonesia only has a supply of 10,000 Tamiflu tablets.
The U.N. World Health Organization last week warned bird flu was moving toward a form that could be passed between humans and the world had no time to waste to prevent a pandemic.
The government on Monday put the bird flu outbreak under extraordinary status to focus attention on the outbreak in the world's fourth most populous nation.
Besides Indonesia, bird flu has killed 44 people in Vietnam, 12 people in Thailand and four in Cambodia.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
"It's not an epidemic yet, but sporadic cases in parts of Jakarta. If things worsen it could become an epidemic," Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said.
She was speaking to reporters after announcing that an initial local test on a five-year-old girl, who died on Wednesday after suffering from bird flu symptoms, was negative for the virus. She said more local testing needed to be done, while blood samples would also be sent to a laboratory in Hong Kong for confirmation.
In another possible case a two-year-old girl died at Jakarta's Christian PGI Hospital after a high fever and respiratory problems.
Four Indonesians are confirmed to have died since July from the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu. Nine others are now being treated at Sulianti Saroso Infectious Diseases Hospital in Jakarta. The authorities are still waiting for the test results.
Siti said that more victims could emerge as the authorities had not been able to determine the sources of the virus that has infected the victims.
Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono said that the government would launch a mass cull of chickens in "highly infected areas," but acknowledged that as of Wednesday no area had been declared highly infected.
"We will allocate (funds for the mass culling) whatever it takes, if it has become a necessity," he told The Jakarta Post.
The minister fired on Wednesday the ministry's director of animal health control Tri Satya Putri Naipospos for allegedly failing to monitor the spread of the deadly virus.
The current bird flu outbreak in Indonesia has raised international concern over possible further outbreaks of the disease, which has killed 64 people in four Asian countries since late 2003 and has been found in birds in Russia and Europe.
Georg Petersen, the WHO's representative in Jakarta, said many foreign experts were now helping Indonesia, including a high-level delegation from the United States.
"Definitely the whole international community is very much present," Petersen told Reuters.
The WHO is also working with the government to source new stocks of the antiviral drug Tamiflu -- which can help against infection -- from India to bolster local stocks, he said.
"It's not very much, it's rather puny. They definitely need some more," Petersen said, adding that stocks being rushed from India were less than 1,000 doses.
Indonesia only has a supply of 10,000 Tamiflu tablets.
The U.N. World Health Organization last week warned bird flu was moving toward a form that could be passed between humans and the world had no time to waste to prevent a pandemic.
The government on Monday put the bird flu outbreak under extraordinary status to focus attention on the outbreak in the world's fourth most populous nation.
Besides Indonesia, bird flu has killed 44 people in Vietnam, 12 people in Thailand and four in Cambodia.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Indonesia's moderate Islamic image under threat
By Dean Yates Tue Sep 20, 8:52 AM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Joining a group of young Indonesian intellectuals who hold liberal Islamic views was once just a ticket to controversy. Now, it could be life-threatening.
Since Indonesia's top Muslim council issued religious edicts in late July that banned liberal interpretations of the faith, death threats against members of the 4-year-old Islamic Liberal Network, known as JIL, have poured in.
The fatwas that JIL says triggered the hate campaign coincide with the closure of numerous unauthorized Christian churches by hardline Muslim groups and the jailing this month of three Christian women for inviting Muslim children to church events.
The developments have hurt Indonesia's image as a moderate Muslim nation and reflect a backlash against liberal opinion as well as a push by Muslim conservatives to reassert themselves after the failure of political Islam to gain traction during last year's elections, experts say.
"The fatwas have had a snowball effect," said Nong Darol Mahmada, a co-founder of the Islamic Liberal Network who has received dozens of death threats via e-mail and text messages.
"People believe that JIL is banned and that it is now legally permitted (under Islamic law) to murder us."
Police guard the Jakarta office that houses JIL after one militant organization threatened to attack the group, which has never shied from controversy since its inception in 2001.
It has been quick to poke holes in the arguments of militant clerics and take the lead in debates about issues from marriage to the role of religion in politics, often using radio to reach a broad audience across the world's most populous Muslim nation.
IN THE CROSSHAIRS
To some analysts, JIL was a key target when the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) issued its non-binding fatwas on July 29.
Apart from attacking liberalism, the council forbade pluralism and inter-religious marriage.
"We are seeing a conservative high tide which is a reaction to several things, but a common view that Muslim liberals have taken things too far," said Greg Fealy, an expert on Indonesian Islam at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Fealy said he did not believe such a backlash meant the end of progressive Islamic thought in Indonesia, where Muslims have embraced democracy and have more freedom to express their views than in just about any country in the Islamic world.
While it was clear Indonesians increasingly identified with Islam, last year's elections showed voters did not care for Islamist parties that support strict Islamic Sharia law.
Those parties won 23 percent of parliamentary seats last year, up from 19 percent in 1999.
"People are more self-consciously Islamic but it doesn't mean anyone is saying ... we should make Indonesia an Islamic state," Fealy said.
Many Indonesian Muslims, especially on the main island of Java, infuse the practice of Islam with local tradition influenced by Hinduism and mysticism.
Indonesia is also officially secular and recognizes Christianity and several other religions in addition to Islam.
That has not stopped Islamic militants in the past two years from closing down some 25 unlicensed churches that operate from homes and shops.
Christians say the growth of such churches underscores the difficulty of getting a permit, which requires approval from local communities where they are usually a minority. Police have said they cannot act because the churches are illegal.
In another religious case, a court in West Java this month jailed three Christian women for three years each for inviting Muslim children to church events without parental consent.
UNFINISHED STORY
JIL was not actually banned in the MUI fatwas, but the message was clear, said Mahmada, 31, an articulate graduate of Islamic studies from Indonesia's most prestigious Islamic university, as she sipped a bottle of iced tea.
"I am pretty pessimistic about Islam in Indonesia," she added.
Down the road at the Al-Muslimun mosque, Imam Pambudi, 41, a local Islamic community leader, said JIL had to leave the area.
"At first we had no problems but after the MUI fatwa, the people here were shocked that something considered haram (forbidden) by the MUI was among us," said Pambudi.
Despite what appears to be a series of blows to Indonesia's Muslim liberals and the country's image in general, analysts like Fealy and Merle Ricklefs, another prominent Australian expert on Islam in Indonesia, remain generally optimistic.
"This is a story without an ending, but there are grounds for thinking that the progressive liberalism of Indonesia has withstood the attack," Ricklefs wrote in the Australian Financial Review on September 2.
"With its reactionary fatwas, MUI may indeed have sidelined itself within a rapidly changing society."
Taken from Yahoo! News
JAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Joining a group of young Indonesian intellectuals who hold liberal Islamic views was once just a ticket to controversy. Now, it could be life-threatening.
Since Indonesia's top Muslim council issued religious edicts in late July that banned liberal interpretations of the faith, death threats against members of the 4-year-old Islamic Liberal Network, known as JIL, have poured in.
The fatwas that JIL says triggered the hate campaign coincide with the closure of numerous unauthorized Christian churches by hardline Muslim groups and the jailing this month of three Christian women for inviting Muslim children to church events.
The developments have hurt Indonesia's image as a moderate Muslim nation and reflect a backlash against liberal opinion as well as a push by Muslim conservatives to reassert themselves after the failure of political Islam to gain traction during last year's elections, experts say.
"The fatwas have had a snowball effect," said Nong Darol Mahmada, a co-founder of the Islamic Liberal Network who has received dozens of death threats via e-mail and text messages.
"People believe that JIL is banned and that it is now legally permitted (under Islamic law) to murder us."
Police guard the Jakarta office that houses JIL after one militant organization threatened to attack the group, which has never shied from controversy since its inception in 2001.
It has been quick to poke holes in the arguments of militant clerics and take the lead in debates about issues from marriage to the role of religion in politics, often using radio to reach a broad audience across the world's most populous Muslim nation.
IN THE CROSSHAIRS
To some analysts, JIL was a key target when the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) issued its non-binding fatwas on July 29.
Apart from attacking liberalism, the council forbade pluralism and inter-religious marriage.
"We are seeing a conservative high tide which is a reaction to several things, but a common view that Muslim liberals have taken things too far," said Greg Fealy, an expert on Indonesian Islam at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Fealy said he did not believe such a backlash meant the end of progressive Islamic thought in Indonesia, where Muslims have embraced democracy and have more freedom to express their views than in just about any country in the Islamic world.
While it was clear Indonesians increasingly identified with Islam, last year's elections showed voters did not care for Islamist parties that support strict Islamic Sharia law.
Those parties won 23 percent of parliamentary seats last year, up from 19 percent in 1999.
"People are more self-consciously Islamic but it doesn't mean anyone is saying ... we should make Indonesia an Islamic state," Fealy said.
Many Indonesian Muslims, especially on the main island of Java, infuse the practice of Islam with local tradition influenced by Hinduism and mysticism.
Indonesia is also officially secular and recognizes Christianity and several other religions in addition to Islam.
That has not stopped Islamic militants in the past two years from closing down some 25 unlicensed churches that operate from homes and shops.
Christians say the growth of such churches underscores the difficulty of getting a permit, which requires approval from local communities where they are usually a minority. Police have said they cannot act because the churches are illegal.
In another religious case, a court in West Java this month jailed three Christian women for three years each for inviting Muslim children to church events without parental consent.
UNFINISHED STORY
JIL was not actually banned in the MUI fatwas, but the message was clear, said Mahmada, 31, an articulate graduate of Islamic studies from Indonesia's most prestigious Islamic university, as she sipped a bottle of iced tea.
"I am pretty pessimistic about Islam in Indonesia," she added.
Down the road at the Al-Muslimun mosque, Imam Pambudi, 41, a local Islamic community leader, said JIL had to leave the area.
"At first we had no problems but after the MUI fatwa, the people here were shocked that something considered haram (forbidden) by the MUI was among us," said Pambudi.
Despite what appears to be a series of blows to Indonesia's Muslim liberals and the country's image in general, analysts like Fealy and Merle Ricklefs, another prominent Australian expert on Islam in Indonesia, remain generally optimistic.
"This is a story without an ending, but there are grounds for thinking that the progressive liberalism of Indonesia has withstood the attack," Ricklefs wrote in the Australian Financial Review on September 2.
"With its reactionary fatwas, MUI may indeed have sidelined itself within a rapidly changing society."
Taken from Yahoo! News
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Topics of Conversation
The schemas and functions of speech vary between cultures. Indonesia is no exception. Two of the greatest social changes that have occured since the Asian Crisis and the fall of Soeharto is Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. Indonesians are open in expressing their opinions about many controverssial topics, but as a guest in Indonesia one should avoid controversial topics and criticisms.
Acceptable topics of conversation
§ Weather
§ Family
§ Travel/Tourism
§ Sports
§ Food and praising the local cuisine
§ Future plans of the group or organization
§ The success of the group or organization
§ Anecdotes about your attempts to learn Bahasa Indonesia
§ Current events in general
Topics to Avoid
§ Indonesia's human rights record
§ Bureaucracy
§ Corruption
§ Military influence
§ Criticism of Indonesian ways
§ Commenting on Indonesian customs that you find peculiar
§ Religion
§ Personal success
Prambanan Temple Compound
Prambanan temple is a great building based on Hindu religion familiarly with Bandung Bondowoso story, located in border of Special District of Yogyakarta, and Central Java Province. The temple constructed in 856 A.D., known as monument of Siva the most beautiful and biggest temple in Indonesia, built in the era of Rakai Pikatan in 846-855 A.D.
Mr. C.A. Lons was interested in that temple. In 1733 the condition of the temple was covered by land and plant. Effort of cleaning on the large scale was done in 1855 and in 1919 started to be conserved. In 1953 Siva temple finished to be restored, while Prambanan complex finished in 1993.
The biggest complex of Prambanan temple has three main yards, first yard is 110 x 110 m with three main temples namely Siva temple in central, Brahma in the south, and Vishnu in the North. These three main temples symbolized three gods of Hindu religion in the concept of Trimurti. In front of those three main temples there is three temples called Wahana, God transportation that Eagle for Brahma, Buffalo for Siva, and Swan for Vishnu. Beside Wahana temple there is Kelir temple placed in every gate and two temples and Sudut temple. At the second yard there is Perwara temple; accompanying temple arranged in four rows surrounded the first yard in amount 224 pieces. First row is 68 constructions, second is 60 constructions, third 52 and fourth 44 constructions. From that number only a few number can be reconstructed. The third yard could not be found any building of temple.
The Siva temple had five statues, located in the center chamber is Siva statue, in the north chamber standing Dewi Durga Mahisasuramardhini statue, in the west chamber standing Ganesya statue, and the south chamber standing statue of Agastya. In this temple have found relief Ramayana story in the panel of wall building. Inside of Brahma temple there is Brahma statue, and in the Vishnu temple there is Vishnu statue. In the Vishnu temple is carved the story of Kresnayana, and Brahma temple is continuos story of Ramayana.
Prambanan Temple (also known as Loro Jonggrang) is actually a huge Hindu temple complex about 15km north east of Yogyakarta. It was built in the 9th century and designed as three concentric squares. The inner square contains 16 temples, the most significant being the 47m high central Siva temple flanked to the north by the Brahma temple and to the south by the Vishnu temple. The middle square contains 224 lesser temples arranged in four rows.
Legend has it that the princess Loro Jonggrang had unwillingly consented to marry Bandung Bondowoso (a terrible prince with magical powers) on the condition that he build her a huge temple complex, containing 1000 statues, in a single night. She believed he would never manage this impossible task and so the marriage could be avoided. However, as dawn approached on the night of the task, it looked as though the prince was going to complete the challenge. He was just about to start the final statue when he heard the sound of rice being pounded by the local villagers, the traditional sign for the start of a new day. The prince believed he had failed and never completed the final statue. Only later did he discover that Loro Jonggrang had asked the villagers to begin pounding the rice early, so as to trick the prince and escape the marriage. He was so angry that he turned the princess into a statue of Durga, which can still be seen inside the central Siva temple.
Information taken from Indonesian Culture
Mr. C.A. Lons was interested in that temple. In 1733 the condition of the temple was covered by land and plant. Effort of cleaning on the large scale was done in 1855 and in 1919 started to be conserved. In 1953 Siva temple finished to be restored, while Prambanan complex finished in 1993.
The biggest complex of Prambanan temple has three main yards, first yard is 110 x 110 m with three main temples namely Siva temple in central, Brahma in the south, and Vishnu in the North. These three main temples symbolized three gods of Hindu religion in the concept of Trimurti. In front of those three main temples there is three temples called Wahana, God transportation that Eagle for Brahma, Buffalo for Siva, and Swan for Vishnu. Beside Wahana temple there is Kelir temple placed in every gate and two temples and Sudut temple. At the second yard there is Perwara temple; accompanying temple arranged in four rows surrounded the first yard in amount 224 pieces. First row is 68 constructions, second is 60 constructions, third 52 and fourth 44 constructions. From that number only a few number can be reconstructed. The third yard could not be found any building of temple.
The Siva temple had five statues, located in the center chamber is Siva statue, in the north chamber standing Dewi Durga Mahisasuramardhini statue, in the west chamber standing Ganesya statue, and the south chamber standing statue of Agastya. In this temple have found relief Ramayana story in the panel of wall building. Inside of Brahma temple there is Brahma statue, and in the Vishnu temple there is Vishnu statue. In the Vishnu temple is carved the story of Kresnayana, and Brahma temple is continuos story of Ramayana.
Prambanan Temple (also known as Loro Jonggrang) is actually a huge Hindu temple complex about 15km north east of Yogyakarta. It was built in the 9th century and designed as three concentric squares. The inner square contains 16 temples, the most significant being the 47m high central Siva temple flanked to the north by the Brahma temple and to the south by the Vishnu temple. The middle square contains 224 lesser temples arranged in four rows.
Legend has it that the princess Loro Jonggrang had unwillingly consented to marry Bandung Bondowoso (a terrible prince with magical powers) on the condition that he build her a huge temple complex, containing 1000 statues, in a single night. She believed he would never manage this impossible task and so the marriage could be avoided. However, as dawn approached on the night of the task, it looked as though the prince was going to complete the challenge. He was just about to start the final statue when he heard the sound of rice being pounded by the local villagers, the traditional sign for the start of a new day. The prince believed he had failed and never completed the final statue. Only later did he discover that Loro Jonggrang had asked the villagers to begin pounding the rice early, so as to trick the prince and escape the marriage. He was so angry that he turned the princess into a statue of Durga, which can still be seen inside the central Siva temple.
Information taken from Indonesian Culture
Borobodur Temple
Borobodur is the largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia. It was built in the 7th century during the Dynasty of Syailendra and was made in 10 phases. The first phase was started in 780AD. The temple has the form of a terrace with a stupa on top. Every terrace has a specific meaning as it describes the life and teachings of Buddha. According to Margaret who went to ACICIS some time ago, some of it is blocked off... apparently these are the parts of Buddha's life where he was with the women or something.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
As soon as you arrive at the Ngurah Rai International Airport, a number of staff of the Bali Intercontinental Resort are ready to greet you warmly, take care of your luggage and immigration papers and escort you to a cool, luxury airport lounge while waiting.
Within a minute a Jaguar or luxury couch is waiting for you. If you are in a hurry, a helicopter is ready to transfer you directly from the airport to the resort in the Jimbaran area.
Welcome to Club InterContinental Bali.
"These are our prime services to our privileged guests of Club InterContinental, a hotel within a hotel aimed at affluent clientele who need privacy and who enjoy royal treatment and luxury, said Amadeo Zarzosa, general manager of Bali Intercontinental Resort.
Club InterContinental, the premier accommodation facilities located within the private wing of the Bali Intercontinental Resort, has 425 air-conditioned rooms, including 84 Club InterContinental rooms, 55 two-story loft rooms, 10 executive suites, 10 junior suites and two presidential suites.
"The resort has received a very positive response from the domestic and international market since it opened last year," he said. Currently, the resort's occupancy rates are at between 90 percent and 100 percent.
"Club InterContinental and the airport arrival lounge are our new innovations and we continue creating more innovations to provide our guests with the ultimate experience," he added.
In the club, guests are provided with a 24-hour butler service throughout the duration of their stay to ensure that every possible need is taken care of.
Guests have exclusive access to the stylish Club Lounge for all-day refreshments, sunset cocktails and late night supper. An number of special privileges such as complimentary high speed Internet access, daily international publications and superior room amenities gives a new definition of the term luxury. The resort will open the newest facility on Monday, Sept 19, intended for Young Customers.
"We will open Club J Turtles (Kids' and Teen's Club) with the theme turtles, where children and teenagers can learn all about turtles and turtle preservation in their leisure time," he said. The Club J will allow parents to leave their children fully assisted by the Club J staff and professional child-care staff while they are traveling across Bali.
The hotel industry in Bali almost came to a standstill following the deadly bomb attack which hit the island in October, 2002. The industry has been struggling since then to regain travellers' confidence with various kinds of sales promotion programs. The impact is quite positive, as reflected by the increase in the number of foreign visitors during the past several months.
"Since the last three months, July, August and September, our business has been flourishing. A similar trend is also taking place in other hotels on the island," he said.
If this positive trend continues, by the end of 2006 or early 2007, the hotel industry in Bali would rebound to levels prior to the October 2002 bomb attacks, Zarzosa said.
Maria Sitanggang, the director of sales of Bali Hyatt, shared similar optimism. "Compared to last year, business is much better. We are now heading to occupancy levels similar to the era prior to the bomb attack," she said.
International confidence had also gradually improved. Many European countries such as Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and Italy have lifted their travel advisories that warned against travel to Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia. A similar action has also been taken by the British government.
"Europe has been our major market with around 62 percent, followed by Japan (32 percent) and the rest is made up of Australia, Korea and the domestic market," she said.
At present, Bali Hyatt, located in Sanur area, enjoys more than 90 percent occupancy as compared to only 70 percent in the same period last year.
Similarly, Wiwien Ong, the director of sales and marketing of Bali Padma in Kuta, said that this was the turning point of the hotel industry in Bali. "July, August, September have always been our high season. Our occupancy rate has almost reached 100 percent," Wiwien said.
Even after the tsunami last December, guests still flocked to Bali. Between February and April 2005, the hotel's occupancy rate had already reached 60 percent, not too high but almost double the average of 30 percent recorded in the previous year.
A similar business trend was seen at the Hard Rock Hotel Bali, which caters to Australian and domestic tourists.
Dewi Karmawan, the hotel's marketing and communication manager, said that the Hard Rock hotel, which is located in the heart of Kuta, was fully booked on weekends.
In November, and December during the Idul Fitri and Christmas and New Year holidays, occupancy is also expected to reach 100 percent, she said.
Despite the promising outlook, Bali must be alert over possible disturbances including natural disasters, terrorist activities and the spread of diseases such as avian influenza.
Bali was shaken by a bomb hoax at Kuta Paradiso Hotel on Aug. 31. But, the authorities successfully dealt with the issue and have promised to tighten security.
Entire properties including hotels and resorts and other tourist facilities have also strengthened their security systems. Local hotels and tour operators, however, did not report any cancellations or a sudden exodus of guests following the bomb hoax.
Robert Kelsall, chairman of the Bali Hotel Association, an organization comprising general managers of star-rated hotels in Bali as well as professionals in the industry said the business was on the right track
"Most hotels in Bali are currently enjoying extremely high occupancy rates," he said, adding that the prospect for the remainder of the September is quite positive. "Hopefully, the positive trend will continue," Kelsall said.
By Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Jimbaran
ps-i think i want to stay at that hotel if i go to bali...
Within a minute a Jaguar or luxury couch is waiting for you. If you are in a hurry, a helicopter is ready to transfer you directly from the airport to the resort in the Jimbaran area.
Welcome to Club InterContinental Bali.
"These are our prime services to our privileged guests of Club InterContinental, a hotel within a hotel aimed at affluent clientele who need privacy and who enjoy royal treatment and luxury, said Amadeo Zarzosa, general manager of Bali Intercontinental Resort.
Club InterContinental, the premier accommodation facilities located within the private wing of the Bali Intercontinental Resort, has 425 air-conditioned rooms, including 84 Club InterContinental rooms, 55 two-story loft rooms, 10 executive suites, 10 junior suites and two presidential suites.
"The resort has received a very positive response from the domestic and international market since it opened last year," he said. Currently, the resort's occupancy rates are at between 90 percent and 100 percent.
"Club InterContinental and the airport arrival lounge are our new innovations and we continue creating more innovations to provide our guests with the ultimate experience," he added.
In the club, guests are provided with a 24-hour butler service throughout the duration of their stay to ensure that every possible need is taken care of.
Guests have exclusive access to the stylish Club Lounge for all-day refreshments, sunset cocktails and late night supper. An number of special privileges such as complimentary high speed Internet access, daily international publications and superior room amenities gives a new definition of the term luxury. The resort will open the newest facility on Monday, Sept 19, intended for Young Customers.
"We will open Club J Turtles (Kids' and Teen's Club) with the theme turtles, where children and teenagers can learn all about turtles and turtle preservation in their leisure time," he said. The Club J will allow parents to leave their children fully assisted by the Club J staff and professional child-care staff while they are traveling across Bali.
The hotel industry in Bali almost came to a standstill following the deadly bomb attack which hit the island in October, 2002. The industry has been struggling since then to regain travellers' confidence with various kinds of sales promotion programs. The impact is quite positive, as reflected by the increase in the number of foreign visitors during the past several months.
"Since the last three months, July, August and September, our business has been flourishing. A similar trend is also taking place in other hotels on the island," he said.
If this positive trend continues, by the end of 2006 or early 2007, the hotel industry in Bali would rebound to levels prior to the October 2002 bomb attacks, Zarzosa said.
Maria Sitanggang, the director of sales of Bali Hyatt, shared similar optimism. "Compared to last year, business is much better. We are now heading to occupancy levels similar to the era prior to the bomb attack," she said.
International confidence had also gradually improved. Many European countries such as Germany, France, Belgium, Austria and Italy have lifted their travel advisories that warned against travel to Southeast Asian countries including Indonesia. A similar action has also been taken by the British government.
"Europe has been our major market with around 62 percent, followed by Japan (32 percent) and the rest is made up of Australia, Korea and the domestic market," she said.
At present, Bali Hyatt, located in Sanur area, enjoys more than 90 percent occupancy as compared to only 70 percent in the same period last year.
Similarly, Wiwien Ong, the director of sales and marketing of Bali Padma in Kuta, said that this was the turning point of the hotel industry in Bali. "July, August, September have always been our high season. Our occupancy rate has almost reached 100 percent," Wiwien said.
Even after the tsunami last December, guests still flocked to Bali. Between February and April 2005, the hotel's occupancy rate had already reached 60 percent, not too high but almost double the average of 30 percent recorded in the previous year.
A similar business trend was seen at the Hard Rock Hotel Bali, which caters to Australian and domestic tourists.
Dewi Karmawan, the hotel's marketing and communication manager, said that the Hard Rock hotel, which is located in the heart of Kuta, was fully booked on weekends.
In November, and December during the Idul Fitri and Christmas and New Year holidays, occupancy is also expected to reach 100 percent, she said.
Despite the promising outlook, Bali must be alert over possible disturbances including natural disasters, terrorist activities and the spread of diseases such as avian influenza.
Bali was shaken by a bomb hoax at Kuta Paradiso Hotel on Aug. 31. But, the authorities successfully dealt with the issue and have promised to tighten security.
Entire properties including hotels and resorts and other tourist facilities have also strengthened their security systems. Local hotels and tour operators, however, did not report any cancellations or a sudden exodus of guests following the bomb hoax.
Robert Kelsall, chairman of the Bali Hotel Association, an organization comprising general managers of star-rated hotels in Bali as well as professionals in the industry said the business was on the right track
"Most hotels in Bali are currently enjoying extremely high occupancy rates," he said, adding that the prospect for the remainder of the September is quite positive. "Hopefully, the positive trend will continue," Kelsall said.
By Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Jimbaran
ps-i think i want to stay at that hotel if i go to bali...
Friday, September 16, 2005
Aussie model may face multiple charges
Friday September 16, 05:58 PM
Bali police have asked prosecutors to lay multiple drug charges against Australian model Michelle Leslie who could be jailed for up to 15 years if convicted for possessing ecstasy.
Bali police spokesman Colonel AS Reniban said police have given prosecutors a file of evidence.
Police recommended multiple charges under section 60 and section 59 of tough Indonesian psychotropic drug laws.
Leslie, 24, was arrested in August during a routine drug sweep before entering the "Vertigo Goes To Bali" dance party in the hills near Kuta.
Police say they found the two ecstasy pills wrapped in tissue paper in her handbag.
The Adelaide-born face of Antz Pantz underwear told police she was carrying the drugs for a friend.
"The recommended charges against her carry a minimum penalty of four years and a maximum of 15 years, but it will depend on the prosecutor," Reniban told AAP.
He said the prosecutor would now assess the brief and decide within the next two weeks whether more information was needed to proceed to trial.
Reniban said Leslie had apparently decided to dump a suggested defence that she was addicted to ecstasy and was receiving medical treatment in Australia.
"There has been no letter from her doctor and we are not waiting for it," he said.
The claim was made in a signed police interview statement, but was later rejected by the family and resulted in the sacking of their Bali lawyer.
A spokesman for the Leslie family said the suggested charges against Leslie came as no surprise to the defence team.
"It is now for the assigned prosecutor to consider the evidence and determine how they will proceed with the prosecution of this case in the court," he said.
Leslie, who has adopted Muslim garb since her arrest, is being held at Denpasar police headquarters.
Bali police have asked prosecutors to lay multiple drug charges against Australian model Michelle Leslie who could be jailed for up to 15 years if convicted for possessing ecstasy.
Bali police spokesman Colonel AS Reniban said police have given prosecutors a file of evidence.
Police recommended multiple charges under section 60 and section 59 of tough Indonesian psychotropic drug laws.
Leslie, 24, was arrested in August during a routine drug sweep before entering the "Vertigo Goes To Bali" dance party in the hills near Kuta.
Police say they found the two ecstasy pills wrapped in tissue paper in her handbag.
The Adelaide-born face of Antz Pantz underwear told police she was carrying the drugs for a friend.
"The recommended charges against her carry a minimum penalty of four years and a maximum of 15 years, but it will depend on the prosecutor," Reniban told AAP.
He said the prosecutor would now assess the brief and decide within the next two weeks whether more information was needed to proceed to trial.
Reniban said Leslie had apparently decided to dump a suggested defence that she was addicted to ecstasy and was receiving medical treatment in Australia.
"There has been no letter from her doctor and we are not waiting for it," he said.
The claim was made in a signed police interview statement, but was later rejected by the family and resulted in the sacking of their Bali lawyer.
A spokesman for the Leslie family said the suggested charges against Leslie came as no surprise to the defence team.
"It is now for the assigned prosecutor to consider the evidence and determine how they will proceed with the prosecution of this case in the court," he said.
Leslie, who has adopted Muslim garb since her arrest, is being held at Denpasar police headquarters.
Indonesia reports bird flu death
An Indonesian woman who died last week had the H5N1 bird flu virus and was the fourth Indonesian to die of the disease, the health ministry has said.
It was not clear how the 37-year-old woman, who lived in south Jakarta, caught the virus, the ministry said.
More than 60 people have died in four Asian countries since late 2003, and millions of birds have been culled to try to stop the virus spreading.
Scientists fear it could combine with human flu to trigger a global pandemic.
A health ministry spokesman said one of the woman's neighbours was also under surveillance for the disease.
Indonesia reported its first bird flu deaths in July, when a father and his two daughters died after coming into contact with infected chicken droppings, the government said.
The virus is believed to be widespread in poultry farms in several Indonesian provinces, and the government has resisted calls for a mass cull.
So far nearly all the human cases have been linked to infected birds.
But the real fear is that the virus might develop into a form which can be transmitted directly from person to person.
Taken from BBC News
It was not clear how the 37-year-old woman, who lived in south Jakarta, caught the virus, the ministry said.
More than 60 people have died in four Asian countries since late 2003, and millions of birds have been culled to try to stop the virus spreading.
Scientists fear it could combine with human flu to trigger a global pandemic.
A health ministry spokesman said one of the woman's neighbours was also under surveillance for the disease.
Indonesia reported its first bird flu deaths in July, when a father and his two daughters died after coming into contact with infected chicken droppings, the government said.
The virus is believed to be widespread in poultry farms in several Indonesian provinces, and the government has resisted calls for a mass cull.
So far nearly all the human cases have been linked to infected birds.
But the real fear is that the virus might develop into a form which can be transmitted directly from person to person.
Taken from BBC News
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Jakarta bomb builder faces death
An Indonesian court has sentenced to death a second man for the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta.
Ahmad Hasan was found guilty of helping build the bomb and plotting with the attack's alleged mastermind, Malaysian fugitive Azahari Husin.
The attack, which killed 11 people including a suicide bomber, has been blamed on regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
Hasan was the fifth person to be convicted so far.
On Tuesday a separate court sentenced Iwan Darmawan, also known as Rois, to death for buying the van used in the attack and recruiting its driver. The others have been sentenced to between 42 months and seven years in jail.
Motorbike getaway
The judge, Sobari, said Hasan had sheltered the men believed to have masterminded the attack - Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top - and helped build the bomb.
The judge also said Hasan surveyed the embassy before the attack and gave Azahari Husin a lift from the scene of the bombing on a motorbike.
"The defendant has shown no remorse at all for his action," Sobari said.
"The defendant has discredited Islam maintaining that his actions were in the name of Islam, despite the fact that most of the victims were Muslims," he said.
Hasan said he did not accept the verdict, which he said was the result of US or Australian pressure.
"I'm not afraid of death because this is jihad," he said, according to the AFP news agency.
Police continue to hunt for Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top.
Both men are believed to belong to the militant Muslim group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), and Azahari Husin has been accused of masterminding the 2003 Bali bombings.
JI, which has often been linked to al-Qaeda, is believed to control a network stretching across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Its principal goals are the establishment of Islamic governments across the region, followed by the formation of a unified South East Asian Islamic state.
Ahmad Hasan was found guilty of helping build the bomb and plotting with the attack's alleged mastermind, Malaysian fugitive Azahari Husin.
The attack, which killed 11 people including a suicide bomber, has been blamed on regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
Hasan was the fifth person to be convicted so far.
On Tuesday a separate court sentenced Iwan Darmawan, also known as Rois, to death for buying the van used in the attack and recruiting its driver. The others have been sentenced to between 42 months and seven years in jail.
Motorbike getaway
The judge, Sobari, said Hasan had sheltered the men believed to have masterminded the attack - Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top - and helped build the bomb.
The judge also said Hasan surveyed the embassy before the attack and gave Azahari Husin a lift from the scene of the bombing on a motorbike.
"The defendant has shown no remorse at all for his action," Sobari said.
"The defendant has discredited Islam maintaining that his actions were in the name of Islam, despite the fact that most of the victims were Muslims," he said.
Hasan said he did not accept the verdict, which he said was the result of US or Australian pressure.
"I'm not afraid of death because this is jihad," he said, according to the AFP news agency.
Police continue to hunt for Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top.
Both men are believed to belong to the militant Muslim group Jemaah Islamiah (JI), and Azahari Husin has been accused of masterminding the 2003 Bali bombings.
JI, which has often been linked to al-Qaeda, is believed to control a network stretching across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Its principal goals are the establishment of Islamic governments across the region, followed by the formation of a unified South East Asian Islamic state.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Durians!
I have to admit that I don't have an obsession with durians, as I much prefer rambutans and mangosteens, but my mother does. My parents are going back home for two weeks, so I thought I'd take my reminder about durians and make it useful.
Did you know that there is a World Durian Festival held? This year it was held in Thailand.
Did you also know that there are 27 durian species but only 7 are considered to be edible? All edible durian species can be found in Borneo island (dubbed "the centre of durians"), which is an island where Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Brunei and Indonesia (Kalimantan) is.
There are 3 types of rare durians - that are only found in Borneo. They are:
Durio oxleyanus: small green beautiful fruits with very long sharp spines, smooth creamy flesh with an excellent unique durian flavor that includes undertones of banana and grape, delightful
Durio graveolens: small yellowish-rind fruits with sharp spines, flesh ranges from yellow to bright red (!); pudding-like flesh has a very distinctive, different, alien but enjoyable flavor resembling burnt almonds blended with carrot juice!
small fruits with yellow rind and soft flexible small spines, flesh is bright orange, dry and almost chewy, with a complex agreeable flavor like a combination of orange, celery, and basil, with a hint of garlic
Photos & info taken from Rare Durians of Borneo
Cartoons about durians by a famous Malaysian cartoonist called Lat can be found here
Did you know that there is a World Durian Festival held? This year it was held in Thailand.
Did you also know that there are 27 durian species but only 7 are considered to be edible? All edible durian species can be found in Borneo island (dubbed "the centre of durians"), which is an island where Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Brunei and Indonesia (Kalimantan) is.
There are 3 types of rare durians - that are only found in Borneo. They are:
Durio oxleyanus: small green beautiful fruits with very long sharp spines, smooth creamy flesh with an excellent unique durian flavor that includes undertones of banana and grape, delightful
Durio graveolens: small yellowish-rind fruits with sharp spines, flesh ranges from yellow to bright red (!); pudding-like flesh has a very distinctive, different, alien but enjoyable flavor resembling burnt almonds blended with carrot juice!
small fruits with yellow rind and soft flexible small spines, flesh is bright orange, dry and almost chewy, with a complex agreeable flavor like a combination of orange, celery, and basil, with a hint of garlic
Photos & info taken from Rare Durians of Borneo
Cartoons about durians by a famous Malaysian cartoonist called Lat can be found here
Jakarta bomber sentenced to death
An Indonesian court has sentenced to death a key suspect in the 2004 bombing of the Australian embassy in Jakarta.
Iwan Darmawan, also known as Rois, was found guilty of buying the van and other materials used in the attack, as well as recruiting its driver.
Rois, who denied the charges, called the judgement "stupid".
The attack, which killed 11 people including a suicide bomber, has been blamed on regional militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
JI is alleged to have links to al-Qaeda, which the prosecution said had supplied funds for the attack.
Rois stood and waved his fist after the verdict was announced.
"I am thankful for being sentenced to death. I am happy because I will die a martyr," he told reporters.
'Revenge attack'
The chief judge, Rocky Panjaitan, said Rois had been found "legally and convincingly guilty" of terrorism and hiding the perpetrators of terrorism.
The judge said Rois had visited the Australian embassy three times before the bombing.
The judge quoted police statements that the funding for the attack came from Osama bin Laden and was carried out to "avenge the slaughter of Muslims by America and its allies in Iraq".
Rois said he would appeal against the verdict, the first death penalty to be handed down in connection with the case.
Three other men have so far been jailed for their roles in the embassy bombing, for terms of between seven years and 42 months.
Two men suspected of masterminding the attack - Malaysians Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammed Top - remain at large.
Taken from BBC News
Indonesia fuel payout for poorest
Indonesia is to give cash to millions of its poorest people to help them cope with imminent fuel price rises.
Some 60 million Indonesians, living in 15.5 million households, will receive a 300,000 rupiah ($30; £16) subsidy over three months, the government said.
The payment comes as Indonesia prepares to cut fuel subsidies in response to the soaring cost of oil.
Ministers are keen to cushion the blow for the poor, after previous cuts helped topple the government in 1998.
"Before oil prices are raised, we want to make sure the most vulnerable groups in society will be protected," said Indonesia's information minister Sofyan Djalil.
He added that the government had not set a date for a fuel price increase, although previous comments from ministers suggested that rises could be in place by early October.
Politically sensitive
Fuel subsidies currently account for a quarter of Indonesia's budget, and many of the country's poorest people use kerosene for cooking.
However, the country has been forced to sell its rupiah currency to buy dollars in order to pay for increasingly expensive oil imports - raising fears that the budget deficit might spiral out of control.
Mr Djalil said the direct cash payments would be made through state postal company Pos Indonesia and state-owned bank Rakyat Indonesia.
"The first payment will likely go to the cities, towns on Java and Sumatra islands," he said. "Big cities are easier because the postal and banking systems are better. If this can be achieved by the end of the month, that will be great."
Many of the families targeted by the government's 300,000 rupiah payout scheme are estimated to have an income of less than 175,000 rupiah a month.
While Indonesians enjoy some of the cheapest fuel costs in Asia, tampering with the price is a politically sensitive move for any government.
Price hikes introduced by President Suharto in 1998, combined with soaring inflation and food shortages, eventually led to riots in the capital Jakarta and the toppling of his long-standing government.
Taken from BBC News
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Investigators hunt for jet crash clues
15:32 AEST Tue Sep 6 2005
Investigators hunted for clues Tuesday as to why an Indonesian jetliner crashed seconds after takeoff, sifting through body parts and bits of flesh as they worked, as weeping families looked for loved ones among dozens of charred bodies laying outside a morgue.
At least 147 people were killed when the Boeing 737-200 crashed Monday in Indonesia's third largest city of Medan, 47 of them on the ground. But 16 passengers survived, including an 18-month-old boy who was shielded in his mother's arms.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was due to tour the crash site and visit survivors and relatives of victims later Tuesday.
Transport Minister Hatta Rajasa said it would be several weeks before the cause of the crash was known, but that investigators would be looking at why the Mandala Airlines plane failed to take off properly. The flight data recorder has been found, officials said.
Survivors said the jetliner started shaking violently when it reached an altitude of about 100 metres, veering sharply to the left and smashing onto a busy road. But some described a loud bang while the plane was still in flight, followed by a ball of fire.
Soon after dawn Tuesday, transportation experts arrived at the scene and began sifting through the charred wreckage, which was sprawled across the ash-covered street and a row of houses.
"We found the leg of a child and lots of burnt flesh," said air force Lt. Andri, who goes by a single name.
Rajasa asked families of the victims to come to the morgue to help identify the dead, saying forensic experts were having trouble because the bodies were so badly burnt.
"The families know what to look for," he told el-Shinta radio.
Outside the Adam Malik Hospital morgue, around 90 blackened bodies were laid out on yellow sheets under a tent. Sobbing relatives went from corpse to corpse looking for parents, sons and daughters. Others enlisted the help of people who claimed to have paranormal powers.
"I found my son-in-law because I remembered the trousers he was wearing," said Asiyah, 50. "But I cannot find my daughter. I will stay here until I do."
One the victims was a 3-year-old Japanese girl, family members said. The girl, Miyo Watanabe, lived in Jakarta with her Indonesian father and Japanese mother.
Thousands of people gathered to watch Monday, some standing on rooftops and buses, as firefighters struggled in a light drizzle to put out the blaze, which sent thick black smoke high into the air. Several houses and dozens of cars and motorcycles also were engulfed in flames.
"It happened very fast," survivor Rohadi Kamsah Sitepu, 35, told The Associated Press from his hospital bed. "There was an explosion outside the plane followed by huge flames inside the cabin. Then we crashed."
"I struggled to take off my seat belt and then ran through a hole in the fuselage, jumping over charred bodies scattered all over the road," said Sitepu, who escaped with minor bruises to his legs. "It's a miracle I survived. I can't believe it."
The plane was carrying 116 passengers and crew, airline officials said.
Sixteen survived, including an 18-month-old boy and his 32-year-old mother, Fritina, said Mandala spokeswoman Nining, who only goes by one name.
She's not talking much," said Fritina's father, Haji Muhammad Ersani, 62, after visiting the pair in hospital late Monday. "She's in shock. She only remembers that when the plane went down and split apart, she immediately got out and watched as her eldest son was on fire." The boy later died.
From Ninemsn News
Investigators hunted for clues Tuesday as to why an Indonesian jetliner crashed seconds after takeoff, sifting through body parts and bits of flesh as they worked, as weeping families looked for loved ones among dozens of charred bodies laying outside a morgue.
At least 147 people were killed when the Boeing 737-200 crashed Monday in Indonesia's third largest city of Medan, 47 of them on the ground. But 16 passengers survived, including an 18-month-old boy who was shielded in his mother's arms.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was due to tour the crash site and visit survivors and relatives of victims later Tuesday.
Transport Minister Hatta Rajasa said it would be several weeks before the cause of the crash was known, but that investigators would be looking at why the Mandala Airlines plane failed to take off properly. The flight data recorder has been found, officials said.
Survivors said the jetliner started shaking violently when it reached an altitude of about 100 metres, veering sharply to the left and smashing onto a busy road. But some described a loud bang while the plane was still in flight, followed by a ball of fire.
Soon after dawn Tuesday, transportation experts arrived at the scene and began sifting through the charred wreckage, which was sprawled across the ash-covered street and a row of houses.
"We found the leg of a child and lots of burnt flesh," said air force Lt. Andri, who goes by a single name.
Rajasa asked families of the victims to come to the morgue to help identify the dead, saying forensic experts were having trouble because the bodies were so badly burnt.
"The families know what to look for," he told el-Shinta radio.
Outside the Adam Malik Hospital morgue, around 90 blackened bodies were laid out on yellow sheets under a tent. Sobbing relatives went from corpse to corpse looking for parents, sons and daughters. Others enlisted the help of people who claimed to have paranormal powers.
"I found my son-in-law because I remembered the trousers he was wearing," said Asiyah, 50. "But I cannot find my daughter. I will stay here until I do."
One the victims was a 3-year-old Japanese girl, family members said. The girl, Miyo Watanabe, lived in Jakarta with her Indonesian father and Japanese mother.
Thousands of people gathered to watch Monday, some standing on rooftops and buses, as firefighters struggled in a light drizzle to put out the blaze, which sent thick black smoke high into the air. Several houses and dozens of cars and motorcycles also were engulfed in flames.
"It happened very fast," survivor Rohadi Kamsah Sitepu, 35, told The Associated Press from his hospital bed. "There was an explosion outside the plane followed by huge flames inside the cabin. Then we crashed."
"I struggled to take off my seat belt and then ran through a hole in the fuselage, jumping over charred bodies scattered all over the road," said Sitepu, who escaped with minor bruises to his legs. "It's a miracle I survived. I can't believe it."
The plane was carrying 116 passengers and crew, airline officials said.
Sixteen survived, including an 18-month-old boy and his 32-year-old mother, Fritina, said Mandala spokeswoman Nining, who only goes by one name.
She's not talking much," said Fritina's father, Haji Muhammad Ersani, 62, after visiting the pair in hospital late Monday. "She's in shock. She only remembers that when the plane went down and split apart, she immediately got out and watched as her eldest son was on fire." The boy later died.
From Ninemsn News
Monday, September 05, 2005
Indonesia jet crashes on take-off
An Indonesian passenger plane has crashed into a residential area shortly after take-off from the northern city of Medan on Sumatra island.
The aircraft, operated by the low-cost airline Mandala, is said to have been carrying at least 109 passengers.
Witnesses say the plane burst into flames after crashing.
A doctor at the scene who was overseeing the removal of bodies said at least 60 had died. Firefighters are trying to put out the fire.
The Boeing 737 was heading to the Indonesian capital Jakarta when it crashed.
"We're having a hard time getting to the bodies because of the heat," the doctor, Syahrial Anas, told AP.
The exact number of passengers has been put at 109 by Transport Minister Hatta Rajasa, while Metro TV said around 190 were on the jet.
Television images showed firefighters trying to extinguish the fire, and several destroyed vehicles and houses could be seen.
Taken from BBC News
Pretty saddening... lots of plane crashes this yr. More than usual!!! >.<
The aircraft, operated by the low-cost airline Mandala, is said to have been carrying at least 109 passengers.
Witnesses say the plane burst into flames after crashing.
A doctor at the scene who was overseeing the removal of bodies said at least 60 had died. Firefighters are trying to put out the fire.
The Boeing 737 was heading to the Indonesian capital Jakarta when it crashed.
"We're having a hard time getting to the bodies because of the heat," the doctor, Syahrial Anas, told AP.
The exact number of passengers has been put at 109 by Transport Minister Hatta Rajasa, while Metro TV said around 190 were on the jet.
Television images showed firefighters trying to extinguish the fire, and several destroyed vehicles and houses could be seen.
Taken from BBC News
Pretty saddening... lots of plane crashes this yr. More than usual!!! >.<
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Yudhoyono warns of terror attacks
August 29, 2005
Indonesia's president warned that terrorists could launch an attack in the mostly Muslim nation in the next two months, and ordered security forces to step up surveillance.
"We know the terrorists cells are still active, they are still hiding, recruiting, networking, trying to find new funding and even planning ... for another strike," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at a seminar in Jakarta.
Indonesia has been hit by three deadly bombings in the last three years, the former general noted, and has been "fortunate so far not to experience a major terrorist attack" in 2005.
But he warned of possible attacks in September or October, calling them "special months for terrorism."
Yudhoyono did not elaborate, but the al-Qaeda linked Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiah has been blamed for the 2002 bombings on Bali island, the 2003 J W Marriott hotel attack and the 2004 Australian embassy blast that together killed 225.
All occurred between August and October.
While police have arrested scores of militants suspected in the bombings, several alleged leaders - including Malaysians Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top - remain at large, Yudhoyono said.
"We are still actively looking for dangerous bomb-makers," the president said, adding that he had instructed the security minister, the head of the intelligence agency and the police chief to step up anti-terror activities.
Despite the threat, Yudhoyono sought to allay concerns that Indonesia, a traditionally moderate Islamic nation with a secular government, was becoming more hardline.
In recent weeks, the country's highest Muslim body has issued a series of religious edicts banning mixed marriages, religious pluralism, and interfaith prayers - unless a Muslim is leading the service.
The fatwa, and a series of attacks on Christian churches, has raised concern about rising fundamentalism.
"You may read from time to time the voice of small radical groups," Yudhoyono said.
"But this voice will not change the fact that mainstream Indonesia will continue to be moderate, tolerant and democratic."
Yudhoyono was elected president of the nation of 220 million last year after vowing to crackdown on terrorism.
Taken from The Sydney Morning Herald
Indonesia's president warned that terrorists could launch an attack in the mostly Muslim nation in the next two months, and ordered security forces to step up surveillance.
"We know the terrorists cells are still active, they are still hiding, recruiting, networking, trying to find new funding and even planning ... for another strike," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at a seminar in Jakarta.
Indonesia has been hit by three deadly bombings in the last three years, the former general noted, and has been "fortunate so far not to experience a major terrorist attack" in 2005.
But he warned of possible attacks in September or October, calling them "special months for terrorism."
Yudhoyono did not elaborate, but the al-Qaeda linked Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiah has been blamed for the 2002 bombings on Bali island, the 2003 J W Marriott hotel attack and the 2004 Australian embassy blast that together killed 225.
All occurred between August and October.
While police have arrested scores of militants suspected in the bombings, several alleged leaders - including Malaysians Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohamed Top - remain at large, Yudhoyono said.
"We are still actively looking for dangerous bomb-makers," the president said, adding that he had instructed the security minister, the head of the intelligence agency and the police chief to step up anti-terror activities.
Despite the threat, Yudhoyono sought to allay concerns that Indonesia, a traditionally moderate Islamic nation with a secular government, was becoming more hardline.
In recent weeks, the country's highest Muslim body has issued a series of religious edicts banning mixed marriages, religious pluralism, and interfaith prayers - unless a Muslim is leading the service.
The fatwa, and a series of attacks on Christian churches, has raised concern about rising fundamentalism.
"You may read from time to time the voice of small radical groups," Yudhoyono said.
"But this voice will not change the fact that mainstream Indonesia will continue to be moderate, tolerant and democratic."
Yudhoyono was elected president of the nation of 220 million last year after vowing to crackdown on terrorism.
Taken from The Sydney Morning Herald
Although the environmental opinion by Robert Kelly isn't big news, I totally agree with planting more greenery - particularly trees - into all cities. I think big cities usually skip planting lots of trees in favour of spending money elsewhere. This is a real shame! More money should be spent on greening up cities.
Not only does it look good and breaks up the colour in a Concrete Jungle, it's better for not only our environment but for our own health!
Not only does it look good and breaks up the colour in a Concrete Jungle, it's better for not only our environment but for our own health!
Clash threatens Aceh peace
By Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh
The first confirmed cross-fire involving Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas broke out on Sunday, putting a peace deal in the province to a serious test.
No injuries or casualties were reported during the brief gunfight, which occurred in hills near a village in Indrapuri district, Aceh Besar.
The incident come a few days before hundreds of GAM prisoners are set to return home after receiving an amnesty from prosecution.
Later on Sunday, a team comprising representatives from the military, the police and the Initial Monitoring Presence -- a precursor to the international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) which is to begin operating on Sept. 15 -- went to the site of the incident to investigate.
The team reportedly found a number of bullet shells and three huts up in the hill. It has yet to file a report on the matter.
Both sides immediately accused each other of violating the peace accord signed on Aug. 15 in Helsinki.
Iskandar Muda Military Commander overseeing Aceh Maj. Gen. Supiadin alleged GAM members had breached the peace agreement by carrying weapons in public and firing at government soldiers.
Supiadin said the incident happened when a group of 16 soldiers from the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) were ambushed by the guerrillas while patrolling near Muereu village at around 8:30 a.m.
A military source said the rebels started to open fire from their hideout on the hill.
"We had no option but to retaliate. It took about 10 minutes for our soldiers to regain control. The rebels stopped shooting at us and moved away," the commander of the military's strike force overseeing Aceh Besar, Lt. Col. Irlan Suryadi, said.
Meureu is located about 25 kilometers from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and is known as a GAM stronghold.
GAM spokesman overseeing Aceh Besar, Tgk. Muchsalmina, confirmed the incident had occurred. However, he accused the TNI of ambushing the soldiers and violating an item in the peace deal that bans patrols beyond a radius of 750 meters from a military post.
Under the peace pact, guerrillas are banned from traveling outside their bases carrying weapons, while troops are to patrol no further than 750 meters from their posts.
"They (the soldiers) violated the clause. They ambushed us and we had no choice but to open fire at them," Muchsalmina said.
He called on the AMM to investigate the case fairly.
AMM chairman Pieter Feith urged TNI and GAM leaders to order their troops to comply with the peace agreement and said commanders from both sides must take the necessary measures to prevent their troops from attacking the other.
The Acehnese Civil Society Task Force (ACSTF) said both parties should also refrain from making statements that could hamper the peace process.
"The peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the GAM is still in its infancy and it requires all of our efforts to hold to it," said Imam Suja, a House of Representatives lawmaker.
"We should learn a lesson from the previous Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) that collapsed within months after both parties committed violations in the field."
That peace agreement signed in December 2002 lasted only five months before the government imposed martial law in Aceh.
Under the Helsinki peace pact, GAM has agreed to surrender 840 firearms between Sept. 15 and the end of the year, while during the same period the military is required to pull out troops in proportion to the surrendered weapons.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
The first confirmed cross-fire involving Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas broke out on Sunday, putting a peace deal in the province to a serious test.
No injuries or casualties were reported during the brief gunfight, which occurred in hills near a village in Indrapuri district, Aceh Besar.
The incident come a few days before hundreds of GAM prisoners are set to return home after receiving an amnesty from prosecution.
Later on Sunday, a team comprising representatives from the military, the police and the Initial Monitoring Presence -- a precursor to the international Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) which is to begin operating on Sept. 15 -- went to the site of the incident to investigate.
The team reportedly found a number of bullet shells and three huts up in the hill. It has yet to file a report on the matter.
Both sides immediately accused each other of violating the peace accord signed on Aug. 15 in Helsinki.
Iskandar Muda Military Commander overseeing Aceh Maj. Gen. Supiadin alleged GAM members had breached the peace agreement by carrying weapons in public and firing at government soldiers.
Supiadin said the incident happened when a group of 16 soldiers from the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) were ambushed by the guerrillas while patrolling near Muereu village at around 8:30 a.m.
A military source said the rebels started to open fire from their hideout on the hill.
"We had no option but to retaliate. It took about 10 minutes for our soldiers to regain control. The rebels stopped shooting at us and moved away," the commander of the military's strike force overseeing Aceh Besar, Lt. Col. Irlan Suryadi, said.
Meureu is located about 25 kilometers from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and is known as a GAM stronghold.
GAM spokesman overseeing Aceh Besar, Tgk. Muchsalmina, confirmed the incident had occurred. However, he accused the TNI of ambushing the soldiers and violating an item in the peace deal that bans patrols beyond a radius of 750 meters from a military post.
Under the peace pact, guerrillas are banned from traveling outside their bases carrying weapons, while troops are to patrol no further than 750 meters from their posts.
"They (the soldiers) violated the clause. They ambushed us and we had no choice but to open fire at them," Muchsalmina said.
He called on the AMM to investigate the case fairly.
AMM chairman Pieter Feith urged TNI and GAM leaders to order their troops to comply with the peace agreement and said commanders from both sides must take the necessary measures to prevent their troops from attacking the other.
The Acehnese Civil Society Task Force (ACSTF) said both parties should also refrain from making statements that could hamper the peace process.
"The peace agreement between the Indonesian government and the GAM is still in its infancy and it requires all of our efforts to hold to it," said Imam Suja, a House of Representatives lawmaker.
"We should learn a lesson from the previous Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) that collapsed within months after both parties committed violations in the field."
That peace agreement signed in December 2002 lasted only five months before the government imposed martial law in Aceh.
Under the Helsinki peace pact, GAM has agreed to surrender 840 firearms between Sept. 15 and the end of the year, while during the same period the military is required to pull out troops in proportion to the surrendered weapons.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
Regreening the city desert
Believe it or not, Jakarta used to be a green city. Surrounded by lush jungle during its early colonial history, even as late as the 1950s large swathes of the suburbs consisted of farmland.
No longer, of course. Since independence, the twin forces of economic development and population growth have literally bulldozed their way through the city's greenery. For every area that has managed to retain some of its old charm -- Pasar Rebo, Cilincing or Kuningan, for example -- there are far more that have become urban deserts.
And that is becoming a serious problem. Trees are natural air purifiers: A healthy tree can filter out as many as seven thousand dust and smoke particles per liter of air, ridding the atmosphere of substances directly linked to respiratory disease. Trees can reduce storm-water flows by intercepting rainfall and absorbing moisture from the ground.
And, as Seoul discovered when it planted 15 million trees in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup, trees can noticeably cool the urban environment, by providing shade and by evaporating water from leaves. Suitably situated trees can lower a building's air conditioning requirements by up to 70 percent each year -- of clear value to a government currently grappling with an energy crisis.
In short, trees simultaneously address three of Jakarta's principal problems: Air pollution, flooding and energy consumption. So why are they fast becoming an endangered species in the capital?
Government initiatives to stem the tide have proved largely ineffective. It's difficult to see how Jakarta's "cleanliness, beauty and coolness" have improved since the Regional Development Planning Board chose to highlight them in 1981. President Soeharto's "Year Of The Environment" in 1993 and President Megawati Soekarnoputri's "Green Jakarta" program ten years later do not appear to have had long-lasting effects. Green areas now account for barely 10 percent of Jakarta's surface area: compare that with the 38 percent coverage boasted by Beijing, a city not unfamiliar with rapid development.
By some measures, Jakarta is now the third most polluted city in the world, after Bangkok and Mexico City. The city is constantly bathed in a visible haze of harmful pollutants: Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and smoke. According to the City Environmental Management Agency (BPLDH), Jakarta experienced just 26 days of "good" air quality in 2003.
Flooding is also worsening, exacerbated by the city's natural "sponges" -- swamps, woodland, lakes -- being progressively built over by impermeable concrete. In a city where just 3 percent of the population is directly connected to a sewer system, overflowing rivers and roadside trenches represent a real public health hazard.
Addressing Jakarta's environmental problems is clearly a major task, requiring the coordinated efforts of national and provincial government. The pressures are daunting. Jakarta can expect continued population growth in the years to come, and vehicle emissions, responsible for three-quarters of the city's air pollution, are growing by 5 percent each year.
But there are positive signs. Lapangan Merdeka and Senayan sports complex represent notable oases in Jakarta's urban desert. Further out, Ancol recreation area, Ragunan Zoo, Cibubur camping area and Taman Mini all provide valuable opportunities for Jakarta's residents to relax in green surroundings.
And solutions do exist to Jakarta's environmental problems. For example, the Clean Air Program, part of the city's Five Year Regional Development Plan, envisages more stringent vehicle emission controls. Pilot studies have shown that proper testing of buses and taxis can reduce their emissions by up to 90 percent.
But the most effective environmental tool at the government's disposal may also be one of the most straightforward to implement: Simply plant more trees.
Beijing, facing many of the same problems as Jakarta, has turned to a massive tree-planting program to help clean up its environment in time for the 2008 Olympics. All large roads and boulevards in Beijing have now been planted with rows of at least two tree species, and seven vast areas of vegetation -- with a combined area of 175 square kilometers -- are being established between the city center and the suburbs. The intention is to dedicate 43 percent of the city's total land area to trees and vegetation by 2008: That's more than Washington, DC, which has long prided itself on being one of America's greenest cities.
Jakarta would have much to gain by following Beijing's example. By launching a concerted program of tree-planting along roadsides, river banks and in other public spaces, and by offering subsidized trees to firms and private households for planting in office complexes and gardens, Jakarta could return to its historical roots and, once again, become a truly green city.
By Robert Kelly, Jakarta. Taken from The Jakarta Post.
No longer, of course. Since independence, the twin forces of economic development and population growth have literally bulldozed their way through the city's greenery. For every area that has managed to retain some of its old charm -- Pasar Rebo, Cilincing or Kuningan, for example -- there are far more that have become urban deserts.
And that is becoming a serious problem. Trees are natural air purifiers: A healthy tree can filter out as many as seven thousand dust and smoke particles per liter of air, ridding the atmosphere of substances directly linked to respiratory disease. Trees can reduce storm-water flows by intercepting rainfall and absorbing moisture from the ground.
And, as Seoul discovered when it planted 15 million trees in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup, trees can noticeably cool the urban environment, by providing shade and by evaporating water from leaves. Suitably situated trees can lower a building's air conditioning requirements by up to 70 percent each year -- of clear value to a government currently grappling with an energy crisis.
In short, trees simultaneously address three of Jakarta's principal problems: Air pollution, flooding and energy consumption. So why are they fast becoming an endangered species in the capital?
Government initiatives to stem the tide have proved largely ineffective. It's difficult to see how Jakarta's "cleanliness, beauty and coolness" have improved since the Regional Development Planning Board chose to highlight them in 1981. President Soeharto's "Year Of The Environment" in 1993 and President Megawati Soekarnoputri's "Green Jakarta" program ten years later do not appear to have had long-lasting effects. Green areas now account for barely 10 percent of Jakarta's surface area: compare that with the 38 percent coverage boasted by Beijing, a city not unfamiliar with rapid development.
By some measures, Jakarta is now the third most polluted city in the world, after Bangkok and Mexico City. The city is constantly bathed in a visible haze of harmful pollutants: Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and smoke. According to the City Environmental Management Agency (BPLDH), Jakarta experienced just 26 days of "good" air quality in 2003.
Flooding is also worsening, exacerbated by the city's natural "sponges" -- swamps, woodland, lakes -- being progressively built over by impermeable concrete. In a city where just 3 percent of the population is directly connected to a sewer system, overflowing rivers and roadside trenches represent a real public health hazard.
Addressing Jakarta's environmental problems is clearly a major task, requiring the coordinated efforts of national and provincial government. The pressures are daunting. Jakarta can expect continued population growth in the years to come, and vehicle emissions, responsible for three-quarters of the city's air pollution, are growing by 5 percent each year.
But there are positive signs. Lapangan Merdeka and Senayan sports complex represent notable oases in Jakarta's urban desert. Further out, Ancol recreation area, Ragunan Zoo, Cibubur camping area and Taman Mini all provide valuable opportunities for Jakarta's residents to relax in green surroundings.
And solutions do exist to Jakarta's environmental problems. For example, the Clean Air Program, part of the city's Five Year Regional Development Plan, envisages more stringent vehicle emission controls. Pilot studies have shown that proper testing of buses and taxis can reduce their emissions by up to 90 percent.
But the most effective environmental tool at the government's disposal may also be one of the most straightforward to implement: Simply plant more trees.
Beijing, facing many of the same problems as Jakarta, has turned to a massive tree-planting program to help clean up its environment in time for the 2008 Olympics. All large roads and boulevards in Beijing have now been planted with rows of at least two tree species, and seven vast areas of vegetation -- with a combined area of 175 square kilometers -- are being established between the city center and the suburbs. The intention is to dedicate 43 percent of the city's total land area to trees and vegetation by 2008: That's more than Washington, DC, which has long prided itself on being one of America's greenest cities.
Jakarta would have much to gain by following Beijing's example. By launching a concerted program of tree-planting along roadsides, river banks and in other public spaces, and by offering subsidized trees to firms and private households for planting in office complexes and gardens, Jakarta could return to its historical roots and, once again, become a truly green city.
By Robert Kelly, Jakarta. Taken from The Jakarta Post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)