Indonesian television broadcast the photo of a fugitive convicted
of embezzling millions of dollars in state funds as part of
a new campaign against corruption. The broadcast Tuesday was
the first instalment of a weekly TV program exposing people
convicted of corruption, which remains endemic at all levels
of government. Two TV stations plan to screen the images of
14 people convicted of graft or white-collar crime in coming
weeks to boost the campaign, said spokesman I Wayan Pasek
Suartha of the Attorney General’s office. “We
hope that people can tell us whatever they know about where
these convicted corruptors are hiding out,” Suartha
said. Tuesday’s program focused on Sudjiono Timan, who
was sentenced to 15 years in jail for embezzling $140 million
after his bank received emergency funds meant to bail out
banks crippled during Indonesia’s 1998 financial crisis,
said Suartha. Timan, who was not imprisoned during his trial,
is believed to have fled overseas before the verdict. He remains
at large. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won elections
in 2004 after vowing to crack down on corruption. His campaign
has netted several high-profile suspects, but most analysts
say it has so far been only a partial success. (October 18th
2006, AP)
Three Year Old Boy Found Dead in Septic Tank - Alpha Supermarket
Three year old I Kadek Yadnya Wiguna was found dead in the
septic tank at the Alpha Supermarket on Imam Bonjol on Monday
(30/10). Kadek, originally from Banjar Kaja, Sesetan had been
playing in the amusement area while his mother had gone shopping.
Two trucks arrived to pump the septic tank, and the operators
who opened the septics left the 50cm x 50cm hole unguarded
while they left to wash their hands. When the men tried to
pump the tank they noticed what they thought was a rag-doll
at the bottom of the 2.5 meter deep tank. Meanwhile the mother
of the child had reported the boy missing to the stores security
officer who overheard the septic tank operators discussing
what they assumed to be a doll in the tank. The security guard
shone his flashlight into the hole and realising that the
boy was at the bottom of the tank, lowered himself down into
the hole in an attempt to rescue the child. The boy, who was
still breathing at the time, was rushed to the Sanglah Hospital
emergency room, but was pronounced dead on arrival. (October
31st 2006, Nusa Bali)
WA Hospitality Industry Looks to Bali over Staff Shortage
The Australia Indonesia Business Council says it already has
big restaurants on board with its new plan to employ skilled
Balinese hospitality workers in Western Australia.The council’s
vice president, Ross Taylor, says he is working on getting
skilled workers who cannot get jobs in Bali to work in Perth
and the South West. He says the plan is to bring unemployed
Balinese chefs, waiters and bar staff to Western Australia
and help ease the shortage of staff in the hospitality industry.
“Many restaurants, bars and hotels simply cannot get
staff and at the same time in Bali, due to the very tragic
events surrounding the bombings, we have many young Balinese
people who now have no work,” he said. (October 30th
2006, AEDT)
Indonesia to Ban Backyard Poultry
Indonesia, the country with the highest number of bird flu
deaths in the world, intends to bar city residents from keeping
chickens and other poultry in their backyards, ministers said
on Friday. Indonesia has become a frontline in the battle
against the virus that has killed 55 people in the sprawling
country, where millions of chickens roam freely in urban residential
areas. Despite the rising human death toll, the government
has resisted mass culling of birds, citing the expense and
impracticality in the developing country of 220 million people,
where the bird flu threat is not seen as a high priority by
many. ‘There are laws banning poultry in cities in Thailand
and Hong Kong. We will also carry that out soon,’ Indonesian
Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters without
giving a timeline. ‘Principally, I think human beings
and poultry need to be separated,’ he added. Agriculture
Minister Anton Apriyantono said a set of legal guidelines
were being worked out. ‘We need law enforcement. We
have issued ministerial edicts regulating that poultry in
urban areas need to be in cages,’ he told reporters.
Bird flu has now killed 151 people in nine countries since
2003, according to figures from the World Health Organisation
(WHO). Scientists fear the virus could mutate into a form
that can be passed easily between people, leading to a possible
human pandemic which could kill millions. However, Indonesia’s
chief welfare minister Abrizal Bakrie said there were no indications
this would happen soon. ‘There is no indication leading
to a pandemic. There has been no mutation and the spread is
still from poultry to humans,’ he said after ministers
met to discuss bird flu developments. (October 24th 2006,
Reuters)
Dutch Tourist Dies While Riding Push-Bike along Sanur Beach
A Dutch tourist Joahn Van Wijk (60) has died on the Sanur
Beach walk in front of the Bali Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday (17/10).
According to eye witnesses the man had been taking a leisurely
ride along the beach front when he stopped to rest complaining
that he felt tired. The man then fell to the ground, and appeared
to be unconscious. He was rushed to the Sanglah Hospital emergency
room but was pronounced dead on arrival. The attending physician
said it appeared that the man had probably had a heart attack.
(October 19th 2006, Denpost)
Indonesia Reaffirms its Support for Religious Pluralism
Indonesia has reaffirmed that it supports religious pluralism,
and that radical Islamists are a small minority in the world’s
most populous Muslim nation. The Presidential spokesman Andi
Mallarangeng made the statement to foreign correspondents
and diplomats in Jakarta. They were attending a briefing about
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s first two years
in office. Mr. Mallarangeng says the government is doing all
it can to go after violent Islamists by destroying their cells
and prosecuting them through the courts. In recent years Indonesia
has suffered from a series of deadly attacks on Western targets
blamed on Islamic militants. Mr. Mallarangeng says Indonesian
Islam is not extreme and election trends as well as recent
polls suggest support for political parties who want to make
Indonesia an Islamic state is dropping. (October 19th 2006,
ABC)
Balinese Fear Dead Snakes at Sacred Temple Could be an Omen
Two pythons have been found dead with their necks broken at
the sacred Bat Cave Temple (Pura Goa Lawah) just outside of
Klungking on Bali’s East coast. The two snakes were
found by one of the temple keepers Jro Mangku Tirtawan at
about 8am on Thursday (26/10). According to Jro Mangku there
was a similar incident last week ((22/10) when a temple python
fell from a ledge at the cave, also breaking its neck. According
to Mangku previous incidents such as these have heralded disastrous
events , such as the Bali Bombing of 2002, and the Jogja earthquake
when sacred temple snakes where also found dead with their
necks broken. Jero also says that on July 22nd of this year
that snakes where also found, just before the quake at Buleleng.
(October 27th 2006, Denpost)
Airport Luggage Thieves Exposed - Porters and Security Staff
Arrested
A group of 15 airport baggage handlers and security officers
at Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai airport have been arrested
for breaking into luggage and stealing valuables such as electronic
equipment, cameras and cash. Police originally became suspicious
when an airport worker (porter Mr. Ngaken N.) tried to sell
a stolen camera to a police officer. After extensive questioning
and interrogation Mr. Ngaken admitted that many other airport
staff were also involved in stealing from passenger’s
luggage. The staff managed to break open locks on the bags
by using pencils, pens and other utensils. Other airport workers
arrested were porters Wayan AR, Ketut AT, A.S., A.G., S.B.,and
Nyoman BG; Security officers A.T., and G.T.; Gapura staff
S.P., Ketut AW, Gede WR, S.P., Ketut DR and Nengah DG. (October
30th 2006, Radar Bali)
Cuban Tourist Apprehended for Bringing USD $150,000 Cash into
Bali
Cuban tourist Valbes Mirenda (27) was apprehended at the Ngurah
Rai International Airport on Wednesday (18/10) for attempting
to smuggle USD $150,000 cash into Bali. Valbes arrived on
flight NZ8490 from Dili, Timor Leste, and his luggage was
searched by customs officers who found the large amount of
cash neatly packed in his suitcase. The man has been held
for questioning as it is illegal to bring cash amounts of
over USD $ 10,000 into the country without first declaring
it to authorities.(October 19th 2006, Denpost)
Giant Kuta TV to be Disassembled - No Permit
The giant TV screen which has been erected on the Kuta beach
esplanade approximately one month ago is to be disassembled
on Thursday (2/11) as the structure was not approved the Badung
regency authorities. The TV screen was originally erected
as an information facility for tourists to promote Balinese
culture and events, however the screen has been used for western
style music and rock concerts. The owner of the screen venture
(Handoko) claimed that the screens would not be used for advertising
/ promotional purposes, and that the operational costs would
come solely from his own finances. Handoko apparently had
plans to erect two screens, one on Kuta beach, and one on
Double Six beach. (November 1st 2006, Denpost)
