Study Finds Indonesia `Mud Volcano` Collapsing
An Indonesian “mud volcano” that has oozed sludge for two years is collapsing under its own weight, worsening an environmental disaster that has displaced thousands, a study said Wednesday.
Sudden collapses of up to three meters (9.8 feet) have been recorded at the centre of the volcano in East Java, a study by Durham University and the Bandung Institute of Technology found.
“Such sudden collapses could be the beginning of a caldera -- a large basin-shaped volcanic depression,” the institute was quoted by AFP as saying in a statement, adding that the caldera could be as much as 146 meters deep. The volcano in Sidoarjo district has been spewing around 60 Olympic swimming pools of mud a day since erupting to life in May 2006 from a gas drilling hole, owned by oil and gas company Lapindo Brantas. Drilling by Lapindo, owned by the family of billionaire welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie, has been blamed for causing the mud flow, but the company claims an earthquake in the city of Yogyakarta was to blame.
Twelve villages have been affected by the spreading mud and at least 36,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.
The mud volcano, known as “Lusi”, has already been an environmental and economic disaster for local people, and study authors say things will get worse as the mud continues to flow and the centre collapses. “Sidoarjo is a populated region and is collapsing as a result of the birth and growth of Lusi. This could continue to have a significant environmental impact on the surrounding area for years to come,” study co-author Richard Davies said. (May 28th 2008, Antara News)
Tidal Wave Inundates Jakarta
A 2.2m tidal wave has inundated parts of Jakarta as the city’s government and citizens tried to hold the water back with emergency embankments. The height of the water was far greater than earlier predictions, and the World Bank, which has been monitoring flooding and tidal waves in Jakarta, warned last week of a 1.2m tidal surge in parts of the city. Authorities in the capital, home to more than 10 million people, had been bracing for high tides with sand bags and wire netting filled with stones. The tidal wave swamped areas near the coast for a few hours overnight, leaving hundreds of people stranded in their homes, but the main highway leading to the airport was not affected. Jakarta is often flooded in the rainy season and it can also be inundated by high tides in areas near the coast and in low-lying districts. The city public works agency is raising the height of seven embankments to help reduce the flooding, while toll road company PT Jasa Marga is building barriers to prevent further flooding. (June 4th 2008, Reuters)
HIV/AIDS Education Program in Bali Hampered
By Low Participation
A school-based HIV/AIDS education program in Bali, Indonesia, is being hampered by low participation from schools on the island, Oka Negara, an organizer for the program, said Monday, the Jakarta Post reports. “Most schools are hampered by financial problems,” Negara said, adding, “They can’t finance the program.” The program was launched in 2006 and combines school-based education sessions on HIV/AIDS with extracurricular activities organized by the Students Care Group for HIV/AIDS and Drugs, or KSPAN. According to Negara, Bali’s governor in 2007 issued a decree to establish KSPAN in every junior high and senior high school on the island, but not all schools have made it a priority. Of the 200 schools that have implemented the program and established their own KSPAN, about 50% regularly participate in activities organized by the Bali chapter of Indonesia’s National AIDS Commission, according to the Post. Elyas Pawelloi, a program coordinator for the National AIDS Commission, said that the commission “used to have HIV/AIDS prevention programs that [it] delivered through seminars or workshops, and the results were disappointing because there were only several students who attended the events and the information did not last long.” Pawelloi added that the commission “decided to integrate the HIV/AIDS education program with the related curriculum, like biology or sociology.” According to Negara, “Bali is quite lucky because [the] program is supported by the regional administrations.” He added, “Now, we have to strengthen and expand this program.” Negara noted that “people should realize that students are the spearhead of the HIV/AIDS prevention efforts, because they belong to one of the most vulnerable groups to HIV/AIDS.” (June 6th 2008, Jakarta Post).
Indonesian Author Showers Cash from Plane
An Indonesian author has tossed 100 million rupiah ($11,200) from a plane to promote his new book, prompting a scramble for cash among poor residents below. Tung Desem Waringin showered the cash from the plane over Serang, 75 kilometres west of the capital Jakarta. Around 500 people scooped up the money, organizers said. Millions of Indonesians live on less than $2 a day. Waringin promoted his first book, a bestseller, in 2005 by riding a horse along Jakarta’s main streets dressed as one of the country’s most celebrated war heroes. His second book is on marketing. He carried out his latest stunt after being denied permission to shower cash over Jakarta. (June 6th 2008, Reuters)
Balinese Arts Troupe to Visit Morocco, Italy, Japan
A group of 17 accomplished Balinese artists affiliated to the Tri Pusaka Sakti Foundation will visit Morocco and Italy June 7 to 16, 2008 to participate in the 14th World Sacred Music Festival and the International Theater Festival. The Sacred Music Festival will be held in Fez, Morocco, and the International Theater Festival in Bergoma, Italy, he said. The 14th Annual World Sacred Music Festival will take place from June 3 to 17 in the holy city of Fez - Morocco, Northern Africa. World-class musicians will share sacred music from the spiritual traditions of both East and West. The festival’s theme will be “Creative Pathways”. Last March 7 - 19, 2008, three Balinese artists visited Ecuador and Colombia to take part in an international arts festival called “Mujeres en La Danca”. A 13-member Balinese arts troupe is also slated to leave for Japan on Sept 3 for a three-week long mission. “They will conduct a series of art performances in a number of Japanese cities from Sept 3 to 20,” I Nyoman Budi Artha, chief of the Pusaka Sakti Batuan dance gallery in Gianyar, said on Monday (2/6). The participation of Balinese artists in various international arts events was aimed among other things at promoting Indonesian tourism. (June 4th 2008, Antara News)
World’s Rarest Rhinos Make First Appearance
on Video in Indonesia
The world’s rarest rhinoceros has been captured on videotape by specially designed video cameras in the jungles of Indonesia’s Java, an international environmental group said Thursday. The female rhino, which was accompanied by a calf, promptly charged the camera, sending it flying in Ujung Kulon National Park in western tip of Java, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) was quoted by DPA as saying in a statement. Agus Priambudi, head of Ujung Kulon National Park, welcomed the latest finding and said it could reveal detailed information about the world’s rarest rhinos. Javan rhinos are found only in two locations in the world: the Ujung Kulon National Park in western Java, and one area in Vietnam.
Scientists estimate that about 60 of the rhinos are in Indonesia, or about 90 per cent of the entire population. (May 30th 2008 Antara News)
Drilling to Blame for Indonesia’s Mud Volcano, Not Earthquake -- New Study
Scientists on Monday (9/6) delivered a rebuttal to claims that an earthquake, and not drilling for gas, unleashed a “mud volcano” that has been spewing sludge in Indonesia for the past two years. “We are more certain than ever that the Lusi mud volcano is an unnatural disaster and was triggered by drilling the Banjar-Panji-1 well,” said British professor Richard Davies. The volcano in Sidoarjo district of East Java has been spewing the equivalent volume of scores of Olympic-sized swimming pools of mud a day since erupting to life on May 29, 2006. The drilling was carried out by oil and gas company Lapindo Brantas, owned by the family of wealthy welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie.Twelve villages have been affected by the spreading mud and at least 36,000 people have been forced to flee their homes. (June 9th 2008, AFP)
Indonesian Government Restricts Local Media from Displaying Foreign Ads
The Indonesian government has issued a decree restricting local media from displaying foreign advertisements to protect local advertising firms, a major daily reported Monday (2/6). The joint ministerial decree was signed on May 30 by Communication and Information Minister Muhammad Nuh and Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik. “The joint decree is aimed at giving more opportunities to domestic production houses, and the employment of one foreign expert must be accompanied by three domestic workers,” Nuh was quoted by English-language newspaper The Jakarta Post as saying. The joint decree made some exceptions for advertisements on tourism promotion of foreign countries, properties located outside Indonesia; international games, competition and education, and brand global or brand image with same actors all over the world. The ministerial decree stipulates that the role of local human resources -- models, directors, cameramen, editors, animators and music directors, should be home grown, while materials including settings, buildings, languages and music should represent local values. The government expects locals should be able to take over any position held by a foreign worker in 2009. Foreign workers in advertisement production are also expected to register with associations related to their profession. (June 2nd 2008, )
Garuda Indonesia Achieves “IOSA Registration”
Garuda has successfully completed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and has been added to the IOSA Registry. The IOSA program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess airlines’ operational management and control systems. IOSA uses internationally recognized quality audit principles, where audits are conducted in a standardized and consistent manner. The program is designed to maximize quality, integrity and safety, so that mutually interested airlines and regulators can all benefit from using IOSA audit reports. As a result, the industry is in a position to achieve the benefits of cost-efficiency and improved safety through a significant reduction of redundant audits. At present, 202 airlines worldwide have been registered as an IOSA operator considering that from June 2006, IOSA became a condition for IATA membership; over 90% of all international scheduled passenger traffic is conducted on IOSA Registered airlines. IATA members must maintain their IOSA Registered in order to achieve or retain IATA Membership. This demonstrates the commitment of IATA Members to safety and makes IATA membership a mark of quality. (June 6th 2008, Antara News)
Indonesia to Stop Formally Announcing Bird Flu Deaths
A 15-year-old girl died of bird flu last month, becoming Indonesia’s 109th victim, but the government decided to keep the news quiet. It is part of a new policy aimed at improving the image of the nation hardest hit by the disease. “How does it help us to announce these deaths?” Heath Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said Thursday (5/6), after confirming that the girl from southern Jakarta tested positive on May 13 and died one day later. “We want to focus now on positive steps and achievements made by the government in fighting bird flu.” Indonesia’s decision could aggravate the World Health Organization, which waits to update its official tally of Indonesia’s bird flu deaths until after they are formally announced by the government. The toll on its website stood at 108 on Thursday — accounting for nearly half the 241 recorded fatalities worldwide. (June 8th 2008, AP)
Law Minister Agrees to Execute Bali
Bombing Convicts in C. Java
Law and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata said he had approved a request from the head of the Bali High Public Prosecutor’s Office not to execute Bali bombing convicts Ammrozi et al in Bali but in Central Java. Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron who were sentenced to death by the Denpasar District Court for their role in the Bali terror bombing in 2002 are currently being held in a jail in Nuskambangan, Central Java. Under existing regulations, the execution of a death sentence must be carried out in the region where the defendant was tried. A deviation from the rule can only be made with explicit permission from the law and human rights minister. Asked when the execution of Amrozi and his two associates would be carried out, Mattalata said it was the public prosecutor’s office that had the authority to set the time for the purpose. (June 6th 2008, Antara News)
