Indonesia’s Neighbors to Help in Air ‘Emergency’
Indonesia’s neighbors would take over control of its
air traffic if the sprawling archipelago’s aircraft
tracking system fails, officials said. The plan for Indonesia’s
air traffic control system was developed following a slew
of recent plane disasters that have claimed more than 100
lives, they said. Two centers would assume control of air
traffic in Indonesia under the plan, in an effort to streamline
the system, said senior mechanical faults close down both
centers-in the capital Jakarta and Makassar in south Sulawesi
- then Singapore, Malaysia and other neighbors would step
in until the problems were resolved, he said. Full details,
including technical arrangements between the countries and
when it would take effect, have not yet been finalized. The
air traffic initiative is one of several by the embattled
transport ministry to try to improve Indonesia’s woeful
air safety record. (April 24th 2007, AFP)
Indonesia Minister Calls for New-Car Ban
Indonesia’s environment minister, Rachmat Witoelar defended
yesterday his proposal to ban sales of new cars in a bid to
slash pollution levels, amid concern from local automakers.
He said the plan could be introduced if new anti-pollution
measures did not improve air quality in smog-filled cities.
“We need to stop the sale of new cars, at least we need
to have a pause of new car production, unless they (carmakers)
produce friendly new cars that use gas, bio-fuels or electricity,”
he said. The minister said he would seek support from government
colleagues for the proposal if the new measures proved unsuccessful.
The moves include publicly grading cities from the dirtiest
to the cleanest. Indonesia had already introduced new emission
standards based on international guidelines, he added. The
capital Jakarta and some other cities suffer chronic smog
levels and traffic congestion is a major problem. The auto
industry warned the move would impact heavily on production
and jobs, and said the minister seemed unaware the industry
was already complying with international environmental standards.
(April 20th 2007, AFP)
Japanese Tourist Commits Suicide by Hanging
Japanese tourist Hiyama Fumitaka (35) was found dead in his
room at the Ramayana Hotel in Kuta on Sunday (22/4). Mr. Fumitaka
had checked in just one day prior to taking his own life by
hanging. According to room boy Wayan Artana, the hotel staff
had become suspicious when the man did not present at the
lobby to check out at 12 midday. Juts before 2pm engineering
staff forced entry into the room only to find Mr. Hiyama hanging
by a noose. (April 23rd 2007, Denpost)
Two Villas Burn to the Ground - Basangkasa
Two villas burned to the ground in Jalan Sari Dewi, Seminyak
on Monday (23/4). According to the gardener, Wayan Sugama,
flames were seen coming from Villa 1 at the Bali Riski Villa
at about 11am on Monday (23/4). Mr. Sugama called for assistance
from the neighboring villagers, but they could not contain
the fire before it engulfed Villa II in the complex. The buildings
both had alang-alang (grass) roofs, which made it difficult
to tackle the blaze. No one was injured in the fire that caused
hundreds of millions of rupiah worth of damage. (April 24th
2007, Bali Post)
Norwegian Woman Raped in Kuta
A 21 year old Norwegian student was raped as she was returning
to her hotel in Jln Laksamana, Basang Kasa, Kuta on Sunday
(22/4). The incident happened at approximately 5am when the
young woman was dragged into paddies at knife-point, where
she was stripped and raped by the stranger. Not only did the
man sexually assault the woman, but then he repeatedly took
photos of her while she lay naked and helpless on the ground.
After the man left, the victim dressed herself and returned
to her hotel where she was assisted by staff to report the
incident to the Denpasar police, who now have a good description
of the offender. (April 25th 2007, Denpost)
Emaar to Build ‘New Bali’
Emaar plans to build a major residential and resort on the
Indonesian island of Lombok, the Financial Times reported.
The project is a joint venture with the Indonesian government.
A deal is expected to be signed next month. Chairman Mohammad
Alabbar said Emaar would than concentrate on expanding in
markets it had already entered, with the US a priority. (April
24th 2007, UAE)
200 Babies Die During Childbirth Every Year-Bali
Current statistics show that at least 200 babies die during
childbirth in Bali every year. According to National Health
Authorities 89,770 babies die each year during childbirth
throughout Indonesia, which is equivalent to one baby every
10 minutes. The main causes for this were low birth weight
due to poor maternal condition, birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen),
and neonatal infection such as tetanus. According to the Head
of the Department of Perinatology in Bali, Dr. Wayan Retayasa,
local doctors, midwives and birthing units were taking an
initiative to improve these statistics by implementing neonatal
resuscitation courses, such as the workshop run at the Prima
Medika Hospital Maternity Wing this week. (22nd April 2007,
Radar Bali)
Balibo Five Blood ‘Smeared Across Flag’ - East
Timor
The blood of one of the Balibo Five was smeared across a painting
of the Australian flag after Indonesian military commanders
ordered the journalists killed, an inquest has heard. A former
East Timorese citizen revealed the chilling details on Tuesday
(2/5) as the inquest into the death of Brian Peters, one of
the five Australian-based newsmen killed at Balibo in East
Timor in 1975, resumed after a two-month break. The five were
shot at Balibo on October 16, 1975, during the invasion of
the former Portuguese territory by Indonesian forces. Official
government reports have said the five newsmen were killed
in crossfire between Indonesian forces and Fretilin troops.
But several East Timorese eyewitnesses have told the inquest
the men were executed and their bodies burnt. Mr. Sarmento
said according to the journalist who told him about the killings,
Indonesian soldiers stripped the newsmen’s bodies of
their clothes and dressed them in Fretilin camouflage uniforms.
Their bodies were then placed on top of machine guns “to
make out they had been killed while fighting” and photographed.
They were then placed in the house the men had been staying
in and set alight, Mr. Sarmento said. The inquest resumes
on Wednesday. (May 2nd 2007, AAP)
Timor Leste President Elected Head of New Party
Timor Leste’s President Xanana Gusmao was elected the
chairman of a controversial new political party on Monday
(30/4). Gusmao was the sole candidate for the chairmanship
of the new organization, the National Congress of Reconstruction
of Timor (CNRT), which has already drawn criticism from a
rival party. “With this result, the president and the
secretary general for the 2007-2012 period are Kay Rala Xanana
Gusmao and Dioniso Babo,” party spokesman Virgilio Smith
said. Gusmao, a charismatic onetime guerrilla leader, made
no immediate comment. He is not seeking re-election in the
former Portuguese colony’s ongoing presidential poll,
which is to be decided by a runoff vote on May 9. But he has
said he wants to become prime minister, a more powerful job
in Timor Leste than the largely ceremonial role of president,
providing the new party does well enough in a parliamentary
election due in June. The May 9 presidential runoff pits Prime
Minister Jose Ramos-Horta against Fretilin’s candidate
Francisco Guterres. (May 1st 2007, AFP)
International Seminar on River and Development 2007 held in
Bali
International Seminar on River and Development 2007 is being
held in Bali, from April 25 to 27, 2007. The seminar will
enable local and regional participants to have a better understanding
of rivers and their environment, and share good practices
and innovations on environmentally sound river development,
a press statement of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said
here on Wednesday. The International Seminar on River and
Development is hosted by Indonesian Association of Hydraulic
Engineers (HATHI) in cooperation with Directorate General
of Water Resources, Indonesia’s Ministry of Public Works.
The seminar’s participants were expected to be adequately
informed and be able to exchange experience, knowledge and
technology dealing with Environmentally Sound River Development.
There will also be an exhibition held in conjunction with
the Seminar. Indonesia, an archipelagic country with over
17.000 islands stretching along equatorial line, has over
5590 rivers. Rivers contribute to people’s lives in
many ways. They support economic productivity, serve as a
vital in the formation of customs and culture, and provide
valuable habitats for biological diversity. Civilizations
have developed and thrived on the banks of rivers for thousands
of years, and they continue to thrive to this day. (April
25th 2007, Antara News)
Local Students Expected to Sit National Exams in Hospital
Local students who are currently sitting end of school year
national school exams (UN) are having to sit exams even when
they are desperately ill. Three high school students from
the Banguwangi Junior High School were forced to complete
their examination papers despite the fact that two were hospitalized
suffering from dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), and one other
girl was suffering from head injuries following a motor bike
accident. High school students in Indonesia are under enormous
pressure to perform well at end of year exams, as failing
just one subject, means that they fail the entire year. (April
27th 2007, Denpost)
116th IPU Assembly Opens in Bali, Indonesia
The 116th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly opened
Sunday evening on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali,
and more than 1,300 delegates from 126 countries are attending
the six-day meeting. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
officially opened the meeting by beating a gong. The IPU meeting
would discuss issues such as climate change, the Middle East
situation and the strengthening of democracy. Chairman of
the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Board of the House of
Representatives, Abdillah Thoha, said earlier that the Middle
East issue is expected to get priority because the impact
of the problem is enormous. “If the United States attacks
Iran, the price of oil could reach 100 U.S. dollars per barrel.
And this would create a great problem,” he said. The
IPU assembly meeting will also discuss political, economic
and social situations in the world; poverty and unemployment;
the importance of interfaith harmony in the globalization
era; human rights as well as women’s representation
and violence against children. A Chinese delegation led by
Lui Congmin, vice chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee
of the Chinese National People’s Congress and member
of IPU executive committee, also attended the meeting. Established
in 1889 and headquartered in Geneva, the IPU, the oldest multilateral
political organization, currently has 148 affiliated national
parliaments and seven associated regional assemblies. The
world organization of parliaments also has an office in New
York, which acts as its permanent observer to the United Nations.
(April 29th 2007, Xinhua)
