Japan, Indonesia Agree to Cooperate Ahead of Bali Climate
Talks
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura and his Indonesian
counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, agreed Friday (10/9) to work
together on climate change, bearing in mind a key international
meeting Bali will host in December, Japanese Foreign Ministry
officials said. Meeting a day after the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum ministerial talks wrapped up Thursday, Machimura
explained Japan’s continued efforts with other countries
to denuclearize North Korea, and Wirajuda expressed hope for
progress on the nuclear talks as well as the issue of North
Korea’s abduction of Japanese nationals, the officials
told Kyodo. On climate change, Wirajuda welcomed Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s initiative as an important
proposal toward COP13 in Bali, the officials said. COP13 refers
to the 13th session of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate
Change Conference of the Parties, a U.N. framework tasked
to curb global warming. (Sept. 10th 2007, Antara News)
Indonesian `Mud Volcano` Stirs Again:
Sludge spewing from a devastating “mud volcano”
on Indonesia’s Java has increased again and may be related
to a quake that struck nearby this week, a scientist said
Friday (14/9). On Monday a 4.9-magnitude quake hit near the
East Java town of Situbondo, about 150 kilometres (93 miles)
southeast of the mud volcano, sparking panic and damaging
scores of houses.Soffian Hadi Djojopranoto, a geologist and
deputy head of the government team managing the East Java
mud volcano, said the volume of sludge gushing out has jumped
from about 70,000 cubic meters a day last week to 100,000.
“From a few days before the Situbondo earthquake until
now, we have monitored an increase in the mud volume,”
he told AFP.The mudflow peaked at about 200,000 cubic meters
a day last December. (Sept. 14th 2007, Antara News)
Australia Builds Six Secondary Schools in Bali
Australia has built six junior secondary schools in Bali under
a partnership scheme with Indonesia to raise the standard
of basic education across the country. AusAID assistant director
general Alistair Sherwin and Australian Consul General in
Bali Bruce Cowled along with national and local government
officials joined a ceremony in Kintamani, Bali, on Friday
(14/9) to celebrate the opening of the three new schools.
The three newly inaugurated state junior secondary schools
are SMPN 7 Sukawarna in Kintamani, SMPN 7 Singaraja and SMPN
4 Bebandem. Shewin said the new schools were part of a Rp.2.5
trillion Australian government program for the building and
expansion of 2,000 schools in 20 provinces in Indonesla in
the 2006-2009 period. Education ministry and the religious
affairs ministry , aims to build more than 30,000 junior secondary
schools (SMP) in mid-2009 especially for children of poor
families and those living in remote areas.(Sept. 15th 2007,
Antara News)
Toddler Drowns in Well
A 4 year old boy has drowned after falling into an unguarded
well on Friday (14/9). Gede Dwika from Batubulan, Sukawati
fell into the well while playing at 8.45 am. The well was
surrounded by a wall only 50cm high. A man who witnessed the
fall could not reach the boy at the bottom of the 28 meter
deep water-hole for at least 15 minutes after the accident.
The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced
dead on arrival. (Sept. 15th 2007, Denpost)
UN to Send Special Reporter on Torture to Indonesia
The United Nations will send Manfred Nowak, a special reporter
on torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
to Indonesia to observe related cases in the country, a UN
press statement said here on Friday (14/9). It said Nowak,
who would be in Indonesia from November 10-25, was invited
by the Indonesian government but it remained unclear what
kind of cases he would observe. He was also scheduled to visit
a number of prisons in Indonesia, and the outcome of his observation
would be reported to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council
in Switzerland. Nowak was appointed UN special reporter by
the UN Human Rights Council on December 1, 2004, and in carrying
out his job, he is not dependent on the government of any
country but on his own personal capacity. He is a professor
of law, legislation and human rights at Vienna University
and director of Ludwig Blotzmann Institute of Human Rights.
(Sept.15th 2007, Antara News)
Doctor Infected with HIV after Assisting Mother to
Give Birth - Karangasem
A doctor working at the Karangasem Public Hospital may have
been infected with the HIV virus after a needle-stick injury
while assisting a mother to give birth at the hospital on
Friday (14/9). The woman concerned did not tell the doctor
that she was HIV positive until after the incident. The woman’s
husband had died several days earlier of the disease. The
doctor has been treated in Denpasar with anti-viral therapy,
but it remains to be seen whether or not the man will develop
HIV/AIDS. (Sept. 15th 2007, Bali Post)
Government to Distribute Maps on
Disaster-Prone Regions
The government will soon distribute maps on natural disaster-prone
locations in the country nation-wide to facilitate the implementation
of mitigation and rehabilitation programs in those places,
Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah said on Saturday
(15/9). “The government will also issue various regulations
on comprehensive disaster management. The National Coordination
Agency for Surveys and Mapping (Bakorsurtanal) will make the
maps,” he said. He also said school students should
be taught what to do in an emergency like an earthquake or
fire. The government should launch public training programs
on natural disasters so that people would become more aware
of them and how to manage their impact, he said. (Sept. 16th
2007, Antara News)
Lawyers says Bali Bombers Ready to Die
A lawyer for the three Bali bombers on death row in Indonesia
said Sunday they were ready to die after signing a last statement
reportedly vowing their deaths would lead to “hell for
infidels.” The three were convicted over the nightclub
bombings on the resort isle in 2002 that killed 202 people.
The attacks were blamed on the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant
network linked to Al-Qaeda. Indonesia’s Supreme Court
last month rejected an appeal from the men - Amrozi, Imam
Samudra and Ali Gufron and their lawyer Achmad Michdan said
they were now ready to die. “They are all ready should
their executions have to be carried out. They said they are
even looking forward to their executions,” he said.
“If we are executed, then the jets and drops of our
blood will God willing, become a ray of light for Muslims
and become hell for infidels and hypocrites,” they said,
according to a local paper. It also said that they would continue
to engage in jihad for Islam if they were pardoned and released
from prison. Indonesian courts have issued three death sentences,
two life sentences and more than 30 other long jail terms
for people involved in the Bali attacks or for helping hide
the key players when they went on the run.(Sept. 16th 2007,
Jawa Pos)
Davenport Nails Bali Open
Lindsay Davenport capped an improbable return to tennis just
three months after giving birth with a win at the Bali International
on Sunday (16/9), defeating Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 3-6,
6-2. The 31-year-old Californian, a former world number one
and three-time Grand Slam winner, retired a year ago saying
she wanted to devote herself to her family. In June, she gave
birth to son Jagger. But she showed she still has what it
takes to compete on the WTA tour, dispatching the second seed
Hantuchova in just under two hours. “This is just unbelievable,”
said Davenport. “I’m so happy and surprised. I
never thought I could go this far so soon. It’s so great
to play here, I’ve enjoyed all week. “I’m
glad I could make such a comeback and win here.” Davenport
- traveling with her new son, her mother, a nanny and a hitting
partner - will further test the waters this week at the China
Open in Beijing before deciding whether to return to the tour
full-time. “Lindsay is an inspiration to mums all over
the world,” said Hantuchova. “I have to congratulate
her. She’s back on top of her game and I’m glad
to see her back.” (Sept. 16th 2007, AFP)
4.6 Quake Rocks Bali
A tectonic earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale rocked
Southeastern area of Sanur, in Bali at about 23:50 hrs on
Saturday evening (15/9). The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency
(BMG) through its geophysics station in Kotabumi, Lampung
& maritime meteorology station in Panjang, Bandarlampung,
on Sunday said the epicenter of the quake was located in 8.75
degree southern latitude and 115,44 degrees eastern longitude
in a depth of 46km, around 21km southeast Sanur. Scientists
have not determined whether the quake was related to the recent
occurrence of a quake in Sumatra. (Sept. 16th 2007, Antara
News)
Indonesia Promotes Bali in Japan`s International
Tourism Expo
Indonesia again promoted Bali as the most famous tourist destination
with good security in an international tourism expo organized
by the Japan Association Travel Agency (JATA) in Tokyo, Japan.
‘To attract more foreign tourists to visit Indonesia,
we really want to promote Bali as a secure tourist destination”.
Director General for Marketing Affairs of the Culture and
Tourism Ministry Thamrin Bachri said on Sunday (16/9). Japan
itself was one of the main indicators of the international
tourism industry, he said. “With a big number of Japanese
tourists flowing to Bali, it will hopefully place Bali high
on the list in international tourism,” he said. (Sept.
16th 2007, Antara News)
Indonesian Quake Spurred Greater
Volcanic Activity
A massive earthquake that shook Indonesia’s Sumatra
Island last week triggered more activity in three volcanoes
in the area, but all have since calmed down, the head of the
country’s volcanological survey said on Monday (17/9).
The 8.4 magnitude quake that struck off the coast of western
Sumatra on Wednesday and a series of aftershocks spurred fresh
magma movement in the volcanoes, which lie close to the quake’s
epicenter, Saut Simatupang told Reuters. “It is true
that the shocks have spurred an increased number of tremors
in surrounding volcanoes. The number of tremors indicate the
movement of magma,” Simatupang said. “If you ask
me whether any of the volcanoes will erupt because of the
shocks, my definite answer is no. There is nothing to worry
about.” Mount Talang - which lies just 30 km (19 miles)
from Padang, the city nearest to the epicenter of one of the
quakes - recorded almost 40 times the usual number of volcanic
tremors a day after the quake, Simatupang said. Two other
volcanoes, Mount Dempo and Kaba in the worst-hit province
of Bengkulu, have also calmed down after the aftershocks began
to ease. (Sept. 17th 2007, Reuters)
Bali Nine Smuggler Marks 21st in Jail
Matthew Norman was 18 when he decided to become a heroin smuggler.
He turned 21, locked up on death row in Bali, aware that this
birthday could be his last. There was nothing resembling a
celebration for the youngest member of the Bali Nine heroin
ring. Norman’s twin sister Cheryl is in Bali to support
him. But because Kerobokan jail does not allow visitors on
Mondays, he spent the day alone. Friends say Norman will get
to see his sister and mother Robyn Davies tomorrow when they
will go to the jail for a small celebration, marking the third
birthday he has spent behind bars. Matthew has appealed the
death sentence but if the Supreme Court rejects the application,
Norman’s last hope of escaping the firing squad will
be an unprecedented pardon from Indonesia’s president
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has never granted clemency to
a drug offender. (Sept. 17th 2007, AFP)
