Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Waisak Festival at Borobudur
On the evening of the May full moon, Indonesians celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. This festival is held in Borobodur, built in the 9th century AD and the largest Buddhist monument in existence - a Wonder of the World which took 100 years and three generations of men to build.
The five-mile pilgrimage from Mendut to the serene sitting Buddha on the top of Borobodur is walked by hundreds of monks in saffron robes carrying offerings of flowers and candles. As the moon rises over the horizon, throwing white light onto the smooth stone exterior of the ancient temple, candles are lit and the monks begin praying, meditating and chanting well into the evening, a vision guaranteed to remain with you forever.
Borobudur is a representation of the Buddhist cosmos. Ascend to the top of the temple and you take a symbolic walk through life. On the lowest level, the vast majority of us mortals are depicted in intricate stone carvings. Our bestiality on display, we are shown to be the pawns of suffering and fate, enslaved to carnal desire and imprisoned by our egos.
Winding gently upwards, the path circles round the monument, presenting stone carvings of those who have followed the Buddha's teachings and have been rewarded by reincarnations into higher forms of life. The lives of warriors and kings, priests, dancers, processions of elephants and voyages over the seas in ships are all carved in stone. Finally, the winding path leads you to a bricks-and-mortar version of Nirvana, wherein is found the absence of suffering and the Buddhist idea of heaven.
Borobodur is an amazing place at any time of year, but the holiness of the site is particularly apparent during this May-time religious festival.
Taken from ISIC.org
The five-mile pilgrimage from Mendut to the serene sitting Buddha on the top of Borobodur is walked by hundreds of monks in saffron robes carrying offerings of flowers and candles. As the moon rises over the horizon, throwing white light onto the smooth stone exterior of the ancient temple, candles are lit and the monks begin praying, meditating and chanting well into the evening, a vision guaranteed to remain with you forever.
Borobudur is a representation of the Buddhist cosmos. Ascend to the top of the temple and you take a symbolic walk through life. On the lowest level, the vast majority of us mortals are depicted in intricate stone carvings. Our bestiality on display, we are shown to be the pawns of suffering and fate, enslaved to carnal desire and imprisoned by our egos.
Winding gently upwards, the path circles round the monument, presenting stone carvings of those who have followed the Buddha's teachings and have been rewarded by reincarnations into higher forms of life. The lives of warriors and kings, priests, dancers, processions of elephants and voyages over the seas in ships are all carved in stone. Finally, the winding path leads you to a bricks-and-mortar version of Nirvana, wherein is found the absence of suffering and the Buddhist idea of heaven.
Borobodur is an amazing place at any time of year, but the holiness of the site is particularly apparent during this May-time religious festival.
Taken from ISIC.org
Friday, May 12, 2006
Taiwan president makes surprise visits to Libya, Indonesia
TAIPEI (AP): Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian has made surprise stops in Libya and Indonesia, scoring a rare diplomatic coup against rival China, which tries to block Chen from visiting countries that have formal relations with Beijing.
China reacted angrily to news of Chen's stop in Libya, calling on the North African country to cut all official ties with Taipei.
"This is a serious violation of Libya's long-term commitment to the one-China policy and will have a negative impact on bilateral relations between China and Libya," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
Beijing had no immediate reaction to Chen's stop in Indonesia, which began Thursday afternoon, about 11 hours after he left Tripoli.
Neither Libya nor Indonesia has formal diplomatic ties with the island.
Chen was returning from a four-day trip to Costa Rica and Paraguay.
Taiwan's China Times newspaper quoted Foreign Minister James Huang as saying the Libya visit was aimed at fostering economic ties between Taiwan and the oil-rich country.
Huang said Libyan authorities had resisted pressure from Beijing to bar Chen's visit, the newspaper said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Michel Lu said Chen arrived in Indonesia's Batan Island Thursday afternoon and was scheduled to visit several factories Friday morning before returning home.
The visit was aimed at helping Taiwanese businesses to invest in Indonesia, Lu said.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949. Beijing still considers the self-governing island to be Chinese territory, and opposes anything that gives it the trappings of sovereignty - such as letting its leaders travel the globe freely.
On May 4, Chen declined Washington's offer of a transit stop in relatively isolated Alaska, after the U.S. refused his request for stops in San Francisco and New York. Chen turned down the Alaska stop, considering it a slight to Taiwan's dignity.
In five previous Latin American trips since taking office in 2000, Chen stopped in major U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles and Houston - all with U.S. authorities' permission.
Chen used the stops to meet with U.S. politicians and raise the island's profile in the American media - part of his efforts to counter Beijing's efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically. (**)
Taken from The Jakarta Post
All I can say is, well, at least some countries accepted President Chen (or he accepted visiting them on their grounds)! I'm unsure how this will affect Indonesia's relation with China, but Indonesia ought to be careful just in case China totally cuts Indonesia off or something bad like that. :-/
China reacted angrily to news of Chen's stop in Libya, calling on the North African country to cut all official ties with Taipei.
"This is a serious violation of Libya's long-term commitment to the one-China policy and will have a negative impact on bilateral relations between China and Libya," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said.
Beijing had no immediate reaction to Chen's stop in Indonesia, which began Thursday afternoon, about 11 hours after he left Tripoli.
Neither Libya nor Indonesia has formal diplomatic ties with the island.
Chen was returning from a four-day trip to Costa Rica and Paraguay.
Taiwan's China Times newspaper quoted Foreign Minister James Huang as saying the Libya visit was aimed at fostering economic ties between Taiwan and the oil-rich country.
Huang said Libyan authorities had resisted pressure from Beijing to bar Chen's visit, the newspaper said.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Michel Lu said Chen arrived in Indonesia's Batan Island Thursday afternoon and was scheduled to visit several factories Friday morning before returning home.
The visit was aimed at helping Taiwanese businesses to invest in Indonesia, Lu said.
China and Taiwan split amid civil war in 1949. Beijing still considers the self-governing island to be Chinese territory, and opposes anything that gives it the trappings of sovereignty - such as letting its leaders travel the globe freely.
On May 4, Chen declined Washington's offer of a transit stop in relatively isolated Alaska, after the U.S. refused his request for stops in San Francisco and New York. Chen turned down the Alaska stop, considering it a slight to Taiwan's dignity.
In five previous Latin American trips since taking office in 2000, Chen stopped in major U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles and Houston - all with U.S. authorities' permission.
Chen used the stops to meet with U.S. politicians and raise the island's profile in the American media - part of his efforts to counter Beijing's efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically. (**)
Taken from The Jakarta Post
All I can say is, well, at least some countries accepted President Chen (or he accepted visiting them on their grounds)! I'm unsure how this will affect Indonesia's relation with China, but Indonesia ought to be careful just in case China totally cuts Indonesia off or something bad like that. :-/
Kalla calls for evacuation of Merapi residents
MAGELANG, Central Java (Antara): Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on local administrations to immediately evacuate residents living near the slopes of Mt. Merapi.
"I am calling for the immediate evacuation of at least 50 percent of residents from danger areas," Kalla said after a closed-door meeting with officials from local administrations around Mt. Merapi. The meeting was held in the Central Java town of Magelang.
Some 30,000 residents would have to be evacuated from Mt. Merapi if the volcano erupts.
The Vice President warned residents it was impossible to predict exactly when Merapi would erupt. "It is only a matter of time. It (the explosion) can be within one day, two days, threedays, one week or one month," said Kalla, who was accompanied by a number of ministers.
Merapi has a history of being unpredictable, and many of the nearby villagers are distrustful of modern science.
The 2,956-meter high Merapi is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia -- part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" - a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
It last erupted in 1994, sending out a searing cloud of gas that killed 60 people. About 1,300 people were killed when it erupted in 1930.
Thousands of residents have left their homes for safer areas since late last month. But many of them have returned home. Many villagers are ignoring warnings about the pending danger, citing traditional beliefs about the volcano, as well as the need tocontinue working.
Smoke and lava have been spewing from the volcano and sensors within the crater have detected a rise in seismic activity in recent weeks, leading scientists to warn a major eruption is imminent. (**)
Taken from The Jakarta Post
"I am calling for the immediate evacuation of at least 50 percent of residents from danger areas," Kalla said after a closed-door meeting with officials from local administrations around Mt. Merapi. The meeting was held in the Central Java town of Magelang.
Some 30,000 residents would have to be evacuated from Mt. Merapi if the volcano erupts.
The Vice President warned residents it was impossible to predict exactly when Merapi would erupt. "It is only a matter of time. It (the explosion) can be within one day, two days, threedays, one week or one month," said Kalla, who was accompanied by a number of ministers.
Merapi has a history of being unpredictable, and many of the nearby villagers are distrustful of modern science.
The 2,956-meter high Merapi is one of at least 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia -- part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" - a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
It last erupted in 1994, sending out a searing cloud of gas that killed 60 people. About 1,300 people were killed when it erupted in 1930.
Thousands of residents have left their homes for safer areas since late last month. But many of them have returned home. Many villagers are ignoring warnings about the pending danger, citing traditional beliefs about the volcano, as well as the need tocontinue working.
Smoke and lava have been spewing from the volcano and sensors within the crater have detected a rise in seismic activity in recent weeks, leading scientists to warn a major eruption is imminent. (**)
Taken from The Jakarta Post
Thursday, May 11, 2006
On Indonesia’s Nias Island, UNICEF helps rebuild the lives of quake-affected children
By Anna Stechert
GUNUNGSITOLI, Indonesia, 10 May 2006 – Well over a year since a violent earthquake shook the island of Nias in Indonesia, killing 800 people and destroying 90 per cent of the infrastructure, UNICEF continues to offer vital protection for children.
Located northwest of Sumatra, Nias was only minimally affected by the December 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean – but an earthquake that struck the island on 28 March 2005 measured 8.7 on the Richter scale.
UNICEF was in place to coordinate the emergency relief efforts immediately after the quake. Now the organization is focusing on long-term projects.
Child centres provide security
“Many children are separated from their families for economic or educational reasons,” says UNICEF Assistant Child Protection Officer Patrick Halton. “Institutionalization is common as a means to alleviate financial burden. UNICEF is also aware that children are frequently taken out of Nias by non-relatives, and they may lose contact with their families and be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.”
To help protect vulnerable children, UNICEF is working with Indonesian legislators to strengthen current child-protection laws, as well as running three child centres in Nias. The centres provide education, recreational activities and psycho-social support in a safe environment for about 800 children.
“After the earthquake, I was sleeping in the children’s centre tent in Gunung Sitoli with some other street children,” says Basra, a 12-year-old quake survivor. “Then I met a man who was working for the centre and he invited me to join the activities. I like everything about the children’s centre! They helped me to go to school. Now I go every day. I feel relaxed with all the staff. I hope the children’s centre can help me find a solution for my future.”
Along with singing, dancing, football and other organized fun, volunteers at the centres also help children with their schoolwork and emotional problems.
“The children are very sensitive. If we have to postpone any activity, the children think we are angry with them. We have to build their confidence,” says volunteer Astriyana Telaumbanua, who works in the Pusaka at Tabitha camp for families who lost their homes in the earthquake.
Construction of permanent schools
The centres are just one example of UNICEF’s post-earthquake work in Nias. Other activities have included:
* A polio immunization campaign that reached more than 91 per cent of children
* Provision of 26,500 bednets to prevent malaria, with more than 20,000 still to be distributed
* Key support for safe water and sanitation programmes.
In addition, a comprehensive nutrition campaign is about to begin. It will include the treatment of severe malnutrition, de-worming of schoolchildren and children under the age of five, and training on the feeding of infants and young children.
Mr. Halton says UNICEF is now exploring ways to introduce a sustainable livelihoods program in South Nias with the aim of reducing child labour and creating an environment where children can enjoy their right to education and play.
One of the priorities for the remainder of this year will be the construction of 45 new permanent, child-friendly and earthquake-resistant schools. The process of site surveying and design of the first schools is already under way.
“This progressive step is an example of UNICEF’s determination, not only to help communities back on their feet but also to ‘build back better’ in terms of services for children,” explains Mr. Halton.
Taken from UNICEF
PS-I added this article because people seem to have forgotten about helping out with the earthquakes. Come on people, it's going to take yrs for areas affected by natural disasters to get up on their feet again, let's help them!
GUNUNGSITOLI, Indonesia, 10 May 2006 – Well over a year since a violent earthquake shook the island of Nias in Indonesia, killing 800 people and destroying 90 per cent of the infrastructure, UNICEF continues to offer vital protection for children.
Located northwest of Sumatra, Nias was only minimally affected by the December 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean – but an earthquake that struck the island on 28 March 2005 measured 8.7 on the Richter scale.
UNICEF was in place to coordinate the emergency relief efforts immediately after the quake. Now the organization is focusing on long-term projects.
Child centres provide security
“Many children are separated from their families for economic or educational reasons,” says UNICEF Assistant Child Protection Officer Patrick Halton. “Institutionalization is common as a means to alleviate financial burden. UNICEF is also aware that children are frequently taken out of Nias by non-relatives, and they may lose contact with their families and be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.”
To help protect vulnerable children, UNICEF is working with Indonesian legislators to strengthen current child-protection laws, as well as running three child centres in Nias. The centres provide education, recreational activities and psycho-social support in a safe environment for about 800 children.
“After the earthquake, I was sleeping in the children’s centre tent in Gunung Sitoli with some other street children,” says Basra, a 12-year-old quake survivor. “Then I met a man who was working for the centre and he invited me to join the activities. I like everything about the children’s centre! They helped me to go to school. Now I go every day. I feel relaxed with all the staff. I hope the children’s centre can help me find a solution for my future.”
Along with singing, dancing, football and other organized fun, volunteers at the centres also help children with their schoolwork and emotional problems.
“The children are very sensitive. If we have to postpone any activity, the children think we are angry with them. We have to build their confidence,” says volunteer Astriyana Telaumbanua, who works in the Pusaka at Tabitha camp for families who lost their homes in the earthquake.
Construction of permanent schools
The centres are just one example of UNICEF’s post-earthquake work in Nias. Other activities have included:
* A polio immunization campaign that reached more than 91 per cent of children
* Provision of 26,500 bednets to prevent malaria, with more than 20,000 still to be distributed
* Key support for safe water and sanitation programmes.
In addition, a comprehensive nutrition campaign is about to begin. It will include the treatment of severe malnutrition, de-worming of schoolchildren and children under the age of five, and training on the feeding of infants and young children.
Mr. Halton says UNICEF is now exploring ways to introduce a sustainable livelihoods program in South Nias with the aim of reducing child labour and creating an environment where children can enjoy their right to education and play.
One of the priorities for the remainder of this year will be the construction of 45 new permanent, child-friendly and earthquake-resistant schools. The process of site surveying and design of the first schools is already under way.
“This progressive step is an example of UNICEF’s determination, not only to help communities back on their feet but also to ‘build back better’ in terms of services for children,” explains Mr. Halton.
Taken from UNICEF
PS-I added this article because people seem to have forgotten about helping out with the earthquakes. Come on people, it's going to take yrs for areas affected by natural disasters to get up on their feet again, let's help them!
President Ahmadinejad pays tribute to Indonesia's national heroes
Visiting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid tribute to Indonesia's national heroes here Thursday morning.
The president, who arrived in Jakarta Wednesday morning heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, has held talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
On Friday afternoon he is scheduled to fly to the Indonesian island of Bali to attend the fifth summit of the D-8 (Group of 8 developing Muslim countries) set to begin on Saturday.
He and his accompanying delegation early Thursday attended a ceremony to honor Indonesia's national heroes at their burial site in Jakarta, where he laid a wreath of flowers on their tombs and signed a memorial book.
Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, proclaimed independence in 1945 after almost 350 years under colonial rule.
It won independence as a result of the intervention of the British and United Nations Security Council and was granted complete and unconditional sovereignty on December 27, 1949.
The visiting Iranian president is scheduled to visit an Indonesian university later on Thursday and talk with academics and Islamic leaders. He is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the university.
Indonesia, with a population of over 900 million, is the world's most populous Muslim state. It has good relations with Iran and both are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
During talks Wednesday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed support for Tehran's legitimate right to access nuclear technology and offered Jakarta's help as a mediator in Tehran's current standoff with the West.
President Ahmadinejad is accompanied by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Soleymani and head of the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thoughts (WAPIST) Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri.
The D-8 groups the Islamic Republic of Iran, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
Taken from Islamic Republic News Agency
The president, who arrived in Jakarta Wednesday morning heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, has held talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
On Friday afternoon he is scheduled to fly to the Indonesian island of Bali to attend the fifth summit of the D-8 (Group of 8 developing Muslim countries) set to begin on Saturday.
He and his accompanying delegation early Thursday attended a ceremony to honor Indonesia's national heroes at their burial site in Jakarta, where he laid a wreath of flowers on their tombs and signed a memorial book.
Indonesia, a former Dutch colony, proclaimed independence in 1945 after almost 350 years under colonial rule.
It won independence as a result of the intervention of the British and United Nations Security Council and was granted complete and unconditional sovereignty on December 27, 1949.
The visiting Iranian president is scheduled to visit an Indonesian university later on Thursday and talk with academics and Islamic leaders. He is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the university.
Indonesia, with a population of over 900 million, is the world's most populous Muslim state. It has good relations with Iran and both are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
During talks Wednesday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed support for Tehran's legitimate right to access nuclear technology and offered Jakarta's help as a mediator in Tehran's current standoff with the West.
President Ahmadinejad is accompanied by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Soleymani and head of the World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thoughts (WAPIST) Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri.
The D-8 groups the Islamic Republic of Iran, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
Taken from Islamic Republic News Agency
Official tells how much he got for keys; Gunawan eludes police
A prison official disclosed Wednesday how much he received to help murder convict Gunawan Santosa escape jail last week, police said Wednesday.
Wahyudin was paid no more than Rp 2.5 million (US$278) to slip Gunawan copies of the keys to his cell and the block in Cipinang Penitentiary, East Jakarta, where he was accommodated.
He was reportedly expecting to be paid a lot more after the escape.
Gunawan also promised Wahyudin he would build him a telecommunications kiosk and a pool hall if his escape attempt was successful.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga said inmates were not allowed to keep cash in their cells.
"But each penitentiary has its own rules ... It is possible that prisoners have money and televisions in their cells at the Cipinang prison," he said.
Police said Wahyudin could face a maximum punishment of five years' jail for bribery or four years for assisting in the escape of a prisoner, under the Criminal Code.
However, the head of the penitentiary supervision and control department at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Sahbudin, said prisoners were not permitted to have valuables in their cells.
"It's impossible for detainees to keep money. Someone must have given it to him -- either his visitors or a prison guard, that's what the police must find out," he said, adding that prisoners could not have TVs in their cells.
Police are trying to ascertain who copied the keys. Wahyudin said they were made in a stall located near the prison.
Ketut said if the key maker knew about the jailbreak, he too would face prosecution.
Police have no further leads on Gunawan's present location. His mother's house in Taman Sari, West Jakarta, has been rented to four people who work at nearby malls.
They said their landlady was wealthy and rarely came to collect rent.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
Wahyudin was paid no more than Rp 2.5 million (US$278) to slip Gunawan copies of the keys to his cell and the block in Cipinang Penitentiary, East Jakarta, where he was accommodated.
He was reportedly expecting to be paid a lot more after the escape.
Gunawan also promised Wahyudin he would build him a telecommunications kiosk and a pool hall if his escape attempt was successful.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga said inmates were not allowed to keep cash in their cells.
"But each penitentiary has its own rules ... It is possible that prisoners have money and televisions in their cells at the Cipinang prison," he said.
Police said Wahyudin could face a maximum punishment of five years' jail for bribery or four years for assisting in the escape of a prisoner, under the Criminal Code.
However, the head of the penitentiary supervision and control department at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Sahbudin, said prisoners were not permitted to have valuables in their cells.
"It's impossible for detainees to keep money. Someone must have given it to him -- either his visitors or a prison guard, that's what the police must find out," he said, adding that prisoners could not have TVs in their cells.
Police are trying to ascertain who copied the keys. Wahyudin said they were made in a stall located near the prison.
Ketut said if the key maker knew about the jailbreak, he too would face prosecution.
Police have no further leads on Gunawan's present location. His mother's house in Taman Sari, West Jakarta, has been rented to four people who work at nearby malls.
They said their landlady was wealthy and rarely came to collect rent.
Taken from The Jakarta Post
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)