Aussie Troops to Withdraw From East Timor
Australia will withdraw 200 troops deployed to East Timor following February’s attacks on the troubled country’s president and prime minister, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says. Mr. Rudd said the Australian and East Timorese Governments had assessed the security situation as stable following the return home of East Timor’s President Jose Ramos Horta and the lifting of a state of emergency. The decision means a rifle company group will not be replaced when it completes its tour of duty tomorrow. After the February 11 attacks, the Timorese Government requested the immediate deployment of additional defense and police personnel. Mr. Rudd said the force had successfully achieved its job of helping stabilize security in the country. After the removal of the extra troops, the Australian commitment will return to the pre-February level of approximately 750 personnel. Mr. Rudd said Australia remains strongly committed to supporting the Timorese Government and will continue to work with authorities and the United Nations to help it handle security and other challenges. (April 26th 2008, AAP)
Former Catholic Priest Facing Extradition to South Australia over Sex Charges
An Indonesian court has ordered the extradition of an alleged child sex offender back to South Australia. A panel of judges agreed to the prosecutors’ demand that the 66-year-old former Catholic priest should be returned to Australia to face charges.The man was arrested during a raid on his home in the Jakarta satellite city of Depok on February 20 at Australia’s request.The Australian Federal Government is seeking to prosecute him over alleged sexual offences he committed against a number of children aged between 12 and 17 from 1977 to 1994.The man has lived in Indonesia for 12 years, where he has taught English and owned a garment business. (April 24th 2008, AFP)
Air Bali Chopper in Emergency Landing - Gianyar
Four tourists escaped unhurt on Wednesday (23/4) after their helicopter pilot was forced to make an emergency landing when its engine died on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, police said. Witnesses were said to have seen part of the aircraft’s tail break before it landed in a dry rice field, according to police.
“A Bell helicopter with five people onboard had an emergency landing, but the pilot and four passengers on board were safe and unharmed,” Bali police Chief Antonius Samuel Reniban told AFP. Reniban said “according to several witnesses, including the passengers, the engine suddenly died and the pilot attempted an emergency landing. Witnesses also said that they saw the tail part of the helicopter break before (it) landed.”
He added that an investigation was being carried out to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred at Lebih beach, Gianyar subdistrict, some 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) northeast of Denpasar, Bali’s main city.
A staff member at Air Bali, who identified herself only as Dessy, told AFP that the helicopter was used to conduct tours around the island.
The helicopter left Denpasar airport at about 10:00am (0200 GMT) and made an emergency landing at around noon as it was heading back to Denpasar.
The aircraft had heavy damage to the tail end according to an AFP reporter. (April 24th 2008, Radar Bali).
Health Department Warns of Chikungunya Virus
Although already entering the dry season, people in Central Java were told to watch out for chikungunya disease, of which the symptoms are quite similar to those of dengue fever and malaria, Head of the Central Java Health Agency Dr. Hartanto said in Semarang on Tuesday (28/8).
Hartanto said, some people in several regions of the province, including Demak, Salatiga, Sragen, Karanganyar, Wonosobo and Temanggung, became target of chikungunya virus carrying mosquitoes.
Hartanto explained that the symptoms of the disease include fever, flu, and pain in almost all joints, so that walking has become rather difficult and painful.
He said that the healthcare authorities in the affected areas have started fogging operations to kill the mosquitoes carrying the virus. He also called on residents in the affected areas to kill the mosquitoes by cleaning clogged gutters, and avoid hanging clothes or towels behind doors, especially in dark places far from sunlight.(April 28th 2008, Antara News)
Foreign Tourists to Indonesia up 30 Percent
Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik predicted that the number of foreign tourists to Indonesia in the next couple of months could increase by up to 30 percent on last year’s figures.
He expressed optimism that the projected seven million foreign tourists for 2008 could be reached, at a ceremony dedicating a huge billboard on Visit Indonesia Year 2008 at the Ngurah Rai airport in Bali on Sunday (27/4).
In Bali, in the January-March 2008 period, the increase in the number of tourists to the island resort reached 25-27 percent compared to 2007. (April 28th 2008, Antara News)
Government Advised to Raise Fuel Prices
in June 2008
The government must make a decision on fuel price hike as early as June 2008 in reaction to the surging global oil prices, an economist said. “Whether we like it or not there must be a government decision on fuel price hike next June.” Aviliani of the Indef economic research institute said in a joint press conference with Director General of Oil and Gas Lulu Sumiarso at the Information and Communications Ministry here on Friday (25/4).
Although the decision was not popular, it would have a positive impact on the sustainable growth of the Indonesian economy, he said. If fuel prices were not raised, fuel subsidy would put a heavy burden on the government and would in turn impede the growth of the development sector, he said.
“There will be no activities in the infrastructure sector. There will be no adequate fund to implement a poverty alleviation program,” he said.
In addition, investors who had bought or would buy state bonds (SUN) and state retail bonds (ORI) might lose confidence in the government’s capability to repay maturing SUN and ORI, he said.
“If the investors dispose of (SUN and ORI), we may face a liquidity crisis,” he said.
Should the government raise fuel prices, the increase might range from 20 percent to 30 percent, he said.
“The range of 20 percent to 30 percent is the maximum level,” he said.
While admitting that the increase in fuel prices would face public resistance, the government should go ahead with the move to make the public to have a sense of crisis, he said.
He said the government could only save Rp6 trillion in fuel subsidy from its “smart card” program but the figure was not significant to address the present fuel oil problem.
Oil observer Kurtubi shared Aviliani`s views saying he agreed to any plan to raise fuel prices to reduce oil subsidy.
If the fuel prices were not raised, the amount of oil subsidy would be too large to contain due to the surging global crude prices, he said. (April 26th 2008, Antara News)
Bali Art Festival June 14 to July 12
Bali will hold the 30th Bali Art Festival from June 14 to July 12, 2008, according to a local official.
The festival would be highlighted with a number of national and international events, Head of the Bali provincial tourism service Nyoman Nikanaya said here on Friday.
The international events would include a world `wayang` (puppet shadow) festival, an ASEAN ethnic music festival, a congress of Balinese culture and an arts performance show to be participated in by 12 teams from eight countries, he said.
At least 20 provinces from Indonesia would also join the festival by presenting their cultural arts and handicrafts, he said. (April 18th 2008, Antara News)
Twelve New Springs Appear around Buyan Lake, Bali
At least 12 new springs have appeared suddenly around Buyan Lake, Buleleng District, which is located around 55 km north of Denpasar. Local farmers are now using water from the new springs for irrigation, Bali provincial forestry service head Made Sulendra said here on Saturday.
Some 4.93 sq km wide Buyan Lake is one of four lakes on Bali Island which have become tourist attractions.
Sulendra said it was believed the new springs had formed thanks to the massive regreening programs launched by the Bali provincial administration last year. Bali planted at least seven million trees last year, including in areas surrounding Buyan Lake. (April 18th 2008, Antara News)
Renewed Drive to Eliminate Malaria
Indonesia, where close to 100 million people live in areas susceptible to malaria, has embarked on a drive to eliminate the disease by 2030.
Last year, 1.75 million Indonesians were clinically diagnosed with malaria and more than 300,000 people tested positive for the disease. A clinical diagnosis involves only the observation of symptoms while positive cases are confirmed through microscopy slides or rapid diagnostic tests.
The fatality rate in Indonesia is estimated at about 1 percent, but it is believed that many deaths are not recorded due to a lack of access to health services among people in remote villages, the health ministry said.
Five provinces in eastern Indonesia have been categorized as high-endemic regions and while the islands of Java, Borneo and Sulawesi are considered low-endemic, in several areas malaria cases remain high, the ministry said.
Under a program launched by the health ministry on 23 April 2008, Indonesia aims to halve by 2010 the number of villages where more than five in 1,000 people are infected with malaria and eliminate the disease by 2030.
The program aims to improve the quality of treatment through the administration of Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) drugs and increasing detection through microscopy slides and rapid diagnostic tests.
The government will set up malaria alert posts in villages to improve surveillance and establish more laboratories, according to health ministry officials. (April 25th 2008, Reuters).
Bali Runs Massive Bird Flu Drill
Hundreds of Indonesian villagers and health workers took part in a massive drill in West Bali on Friday (25/4) to prepare for a potentially devastating outbreak of human-to-human bird flu.The largest bird flu drill ever held in Indonesia, the country worst hit by the virus, involved the simulated outbreak of a pandemic which experts say could rapidly spread across the globe killing millions of people. “This is the biggest drill in Indonesia. The objective is to test the preparedness of bird flu officials to manage an outbreak in case it happens,” health ministry disease control chief I Nyoman Kandun told reporters. The three-day drill began at Tukaddaya village outside Jembrana, 80 kilometers (48 miles) west of Denpasar on the resort island of Bali, with a man presenting himself to a clinic with the symptoms of deadly avian influenza.
