The picture of the 3rd place Indonesian Player at Asian Youth Games

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Police intensify investigations of man bearing likeness to Noordin

The police's anti-terror unit, Densus 88, is currently questioning a 50-year-old man arrested in Makassar, South Sulawesi, recently, resembling Indonesia’s most-wanted terror suspect, Noordin M. Top.

"We have intensified our investigations with Densus 88. We arrested [the suspect] because he bears a likeness to Noordin M. Top," South Sulawesi Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Herry Subiansauri said on Sunday.

Police suspect Noordin was behind the recent bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta.

The new suspect carried five identity cards and two passports bearing different names, Herry said. He allegedly claimed to have used the different ID to commit several criminal acts, including stealing around Rp 100 million [US$9,900] from four banks via their internet banking services.

"We won’t just believe what he said. We will cross-check this information with the four banks and will trace the flow of his money," Herry said.

The suspect was arrested at his rented house on Jl. Pengayoman in Makassar early on Saturday morning. Police confiscated his five ID cards (all with the same picture), two passports, four debit cards, nine credit cards and a number of cell phone chips.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/26/police-intensify-investigations-man-bearing-likeness-noordin.html

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Chris John heads to LA for rematch against Juarez

WBA world featherweight champion Chris John will depart to Los Angeles on Wednesday for his June 27 rematch against Rocky Juarez.

The first match in Houston on Feb. 28 ended in a controversial draw, with Chris, who dominated his opponent, retaining his title.

The Indonesian camp is looking for a KO win this time.

"I predict there will be a 10th-round KO for Chris," said Chris's coach and manager, Craig Christian of Australia.

Chris expressed relief the rematch would not be in Houston.

"I'm glad to finally have the rematch in LA. It was almost another Houston bout again," Chris said during a media conference Tuesday at the sports ministry office.

"We'll fight more strongly. There's always a chance to KO the opponent. However, I don't want to be burdened by the target. I'll just play to my best," he said.

Chris will have a month to adapt to the local conditions before the rematch planned for the Staples Center in LA on June 27. RCTI will broadcast the bout live for Indonesian viewers.

A day before the match, the World Boxing Association will confer the Super Champion title belt on Chris for his 10 successful defenses of his belt. He becomes the first Asian featherweight boxing champ to have attained this feat.

The ceremony will be held at the Indonesian Consulate General.

Oscar de la Hoya from Golden Boy Promotions agreed to move the rematch from Houston to LA by requiring Chris's camp to purchase 5,000 tickets for the match, each worth US$25 to $50.

"Greater Indonesian audience support in LA will definitely fuel my fighting spirit," Chris said, pointing out there were less than 100 Indonesians at his Houston match.

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Character building: The missing link in Indonesia’s public school curriculum

Pria Saptono, a math teacher at Sevilla School in Pulomas, East Jakarta, thought he could squeeze in some character building lessons for his students by having them compete in an international math competition.

“The Gauss contest puts more emphasis on student’s abilities in figuring out logical solutions to mathematical problems, since children are free to use their own methods,” Pria said, referring to the 2009 Gauss test — a Canadian mathematics competition held at Sevilla School on Saturday.

This was one of Pria’s attempts to develop his student’s willingness to learn by making mathematics fun, as opposed to information-cramming to get students through the national exams.

“The national exams focus so much on solving problems using formulas, teachers are pressed to cram as much as they can into students’ minds, which I think causes students to forget the essence of learning.

“As a teacher, I would be doing a disservice to my students and their parents if I didn’t teach them the more fun aspects of problem solving.”

Many of the city’s teachers have questioned Indonesia’s education system since apparently it can produce International Science Olympics gold-medalists, and yet the country still ranks high among the most corrupt in the world.

In response to this perceived shortfall, many have begun investing in character education programs, social work and friendly competitions to develop students’ characters.

There is the aptly named Character School on Jl. Raya Bogor, Depok, which focuses completely on character training. Here teachers encourage students to find their main interests and focus on them.

The studies slip into cognitive learning, but focus on making sure children end up wanting to learn.

Then there’s Cikal School in Cilandak, which works to involve children’s parents in their schooling, with community work and psychological techniques to enable children’s characters to develop.

Teachers like Pria who do not teach at such schools, can only do their best to make sure children leave the classroom not just smarter, but also more responsible.

“I don’t think children from my school will grow up without morals,” said Betsy Eliana, a kindergarten teacher at the Al-Azhar mosque in Rawamangun.

“Morals are an important part of our lessons, which we impart using examples of how the Prophet acted.”

Sri Sungging Sumunan, also a kindergarten teacher at Al-Azhar, said children did not get enough character education.

“Especially students at public schools. I think private school teachers have more time to impart important moral lessons,” Sri said.

Character School executive director Rahma Dewi criticized public schools’ moral education (PPKn) programs under the national curriculum.

“Just compare the amount of time given to moral education, and even art lessons, to math and science classes. It’s astounding how much the government is ignoring this important facet of children’s development,” she added.

Earlier this month, the Sampoerna Foundation funded a training workshop for teachers, led by Thomas J. Martinek, an education professor from the Kinesiology department of the University of North Carolina.

Martinek said Indonesian students shared similar problems to students in the United States, with teachers in Indonesia unable to figure out ways to develop students’ characters.

Thomas urged the government to support character education in through the curriculum, instead of just slipping moral lessons into schools without correct implementation.

“The Obama administration has poured a lot of money into character education and I do think it is a growing trend. In fact, it should be the logical trend because it is certainly the most important aspect of educating children.”

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Dutch documentary immortalizes Indonesian heroine

The pen is sharper than a blade. This was an adagium used by social observer and woman activist Debra H. Yatim to describe the struggle of the Javanese lady aristocrat Kartini in breaking the old customs that barred women from access to education and the right to self-determination.
She was the moderator of a film discussion on the national heroine’s life story held at Erasmus House on April 18.

The event started with a film screening Just Call Me Kartini.

The original title was in Dutch Noem Mij Maar Kartini, a documentary written and directed by Hans Hulscher.

The documentary is about Raden Adjeng Kartini’s life based on her letters written in Dutch to her friends, black and white archive film and photos of Kartini and her Java traditions from the 19th century.

The films opens with Javanese gamelan music; continued by a narrator speaking in Dutch who read Kartini’s letters to her friends in the Netherlands.

Kartini’s letters reflect her rebellion against the old customs in Central Java, revealing her deep thoughts on women’s emancipation, education, the fight against polygamy, and finally her understanding

of her social environment. Kartini’s big dream, which was to fight for her freedom and women’s rights was not realized in her own lifetime.

She had to marry the regent of Rembang who already had three wives and seven children, in a show of loyalty to her father.

Dutch ambassador Nicholas van Dam said in his speech after the movie that the whole event was held to commemorate Kartini Day on April 21.

In her speech, State Minister of Women’s Affairs Meutia Hatta highlighted that despite modernization, a lot of women were still thinking in a backward way, far from Kartini’s forward thinking. She hoped there would be more modern Kartinis in these present days.

“Kartini, who lived 130 years ago, used letters to communicate and share her thoughts. Nowadays with the rise of technology, women could communicate their concerns much more easily, such as by Facebook, which is known by most city people, as a great tool for communication,” said Debra, starting off the discussion.

Irma Alansyah, on the specialist staff from a state ministry, drew attention to the spirit of communication, better education, humanism, and the changes in the mindset of women moving from domestic to public life, as making relevant Kartini’s message for modern times.

“In Kartini’s era, there was a need of emancipation. But, nowadays men and women have the same rights. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of problems including poverty, domestic violence, polygamy, human trafficking, low job opportunities, and low involvement of women in government policy,” added Yuda Irlang from the Institute of Women’s Voice Development Movement (Yayasan Gerakan Pemberdayaan Swara Perempuan).

Reza Dyan Perdani, a medical student at the University of National Development “Veteran” (UPN) Jakarta, said Kartini had changed the nation into what it is today.

“I’m proud of Kartini … she deserves the title of Indonesian heroine. I feel blessed that I can have a proper education, freedom to express myself, and freedom to choose from my own free will, unlike in Kartini’s era.”

Barbara Brouwer, the event organizer, said: “The public responded very much. Maybe some people miss the spirit of the women’s movement. Years before, Kartini Day commemorations were always a little stiff; people just used kebaya and traditional clothing [to remember her contribution]. Now, by discussing and working out the solutions on women’s issues , we can make a real contribution on Kartini Day.”



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Students articulate traditions in competition

Thirty-three students from across the archipelago competed in a creative writing and arts contest Saturday, wowing the audience and judges alike with their performances.

The competition, now in its second year, is held by the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF) and the United States Embassy and aims to help voice the ideas of Indonesian youth. The theme of the latest event was, "how do my traditions matter in a changing world."

The participants of the National Creative Writing and Arts Performance Competition, or W.O.R.D.S, conveyed the message in their own way through poems, essays, songs, speeches and other performances.

Adelheid Bethanny Nughrahaning Sudibyo, a ninth grader from YPJ Tembagapura in Papua, performed a traditional dance from the region, relating it to the social context of her village.

"I'm not a Papuan, but I learned how to dance the traditional Papuan women's dance as I realize the dance tells about the strength of women during hard times," she said.

"They have danced because they believe they can keep each other strong, they have danced to raise the spirits of the sick and to alleviate their pain," she said.

After dancing, she explained to the audience she and her communities were struggling to combat AIDS, an epidemic that has been tearing apart communities in her region.

"I've prepared this since January, discussing with my parents and teachers. I found it much easier when I had a native teacher helping with some of my work, editing my short essay," Betha said.

Betha won the prize for best overall performance, and will return to Papua with a Rp 1.5 million (US$130) scholarship.

As a participant in the Fullbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) program, her teacher, Rohan Mulgaonkar has been living and teaching English in Papua for eight months.

The prize for the most creative performance went to Yolanda Surya Wijaya from Madiun, East Java, who read an essay titled "The Greatest Miracle." The prize for best English went to Thorifa Yumma from Papua, who read a poem and story titled "The Indonesian tradition of helping others."

The final award, for the best use of theme, was snapped up by Shinta D. Manurung from Manado, North Sulawesi, who presented an essay titled, "When Mapulus Tradition Matters in a Changing World."

"It was the hardest time for us judges to decide the winners because all of you have performed wonderfully," judge Michele Cenzer said. The AMINEF was established in 1992 by the government of the United States and Indonesia and is a bi-national non-profit foundation for the administration of the Fulbright and other scholarship programs in Indonesia.

As a AMINEF Fulbright program, the ETA aims to assist individuals in English-hungry environments starved for native teachers.

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Kids learn business in fun ways

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 03/12/2009 1:35 PM | City

Relax Mom: A 1st grader massages a parent as part of a business fair at the High/Scope school, South Jakarta on Friday. The 15-minute massage cost Rp 15,000 (US$1.2). (Courtesy of High/Scope)

What can we expect when children from kindergarten to middle school have a business fair? Students from High/Scope school in South Jakarta recently and it was full of sweet treats, face paint, loud karaoke and an iguana!

Children from Kindergarten to Grade 5 turned their classrooms into shops in a two-day business fair last week.

In one, the children transformed their classroom into a beauty parlor, a vision in pink, just like a little girl's room, with small booths for manicures, makeup and hairstyling.

The "shop" was titled (in pink): Beautiful Fairies. The d*cor was cute, girly, and pink. Looks like the boys gave in to the girls here.

Inside the classroom, mothers took turns to have a manicure or have a custom-made bracelet or necklace crafted by the children and ready within a few minutes.

In a corner, a parent sat on a reclining chair with little boys and girls massaging his arms and feet. The man looked amused, while the children were dutifully performing their tasks. "It is Rp 15,000 for a 15-minute massage," said Desy, the class teacher.

"Unlike their bigger brothers and sisters who did market research surveys for their businesses, the younger children came up with their business plans through brainstorming," she said.

She said her students had set a goal of going to Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta, using the profit from their one-day business. There had been a lot of different suggestions, though. Earlier they had planned to go to a movie together.

In another classroom-turned-shop, the 2nd and 3rd Grade students magically turned the place into a night zoo. It was titled Night Safari. In one corner, children took turns to get photographed with a large iguana or a small alligator. The iguana's owner, Prana - a 3rd Grade student - said it was the whole class' idea to have a zoo in the classroom.

"To get a picture with the alligator or the iguana, you have to pay Rp 25,000," said Sabrina, the cashier of the safari shop.

"A visit to the mini zoo will cost you Rp 20,000 and for games, Rp 10,000," the little cashier said.

Sabrina, along with other girls, Lilu, Mika and Gaby, performed in themed plays, one called "Camping in the Jungle" and the other entitled "A Trip to the Amazonian Rainforest." The plays lasted for about 15 minutes and visitors had to pay Rp 25,000.

The girls merrily said they now knew how to do business. They said they wanted to use the profit to go to Kidzania, a children's recreational center.

"Or we can use it to have a party in the classroom!" said Sabrina.

Other classes had themes such as the Night Carnival or Pasar Malam Tjilandak where culinary delights were sold and the Pet Shop where people could buy rabbits clothed in colorful costumes.

Bullish business: Middle schoolers prepare sweet treats for their guests at the High/Scope school, South Jakarta, on Thursday last week. (Courtesy of High/Scope)

On the previous day, six classes - the 6th and 7th Grade students - had taken their turn opening a one-day business - mostly selling food - with real customers, actually their parents, friends and teachers.

The school's basketball court was divided into six large areas, filled with small tables and booths for games, face painting and karaoke. Children ran around with scary, big-haired, full-head masks and black capes, holding cups of ice-cream or Korean japchae noodles.

"Would you like to try these?" A 6th Grade boy offered sticks of marshmallow dripping in chocolate. His face was painted to look like a smiling cat, drawn by his friends from the face painting booth that was decorated with Halloween pumpkins cut from paperboard.

Ivan was his name. "Our capital from the investors was Rp 3 million," he said proudly. The investors were their parents. "We have to return the loan of course, but we haven't counted the revenue yet. It seems that we have covered all our costs."

The face painting booth had many customers. The booth was located in the same space as the stall selling chocolate and marshmallows. It was titled Go Scream. The color theme of the business was black. All the officers on duty wore black.

Etika Hia, the school's assistant principal, said each class received a Rp 700,000 loan from the school as starting capital, and they had had to present their business plans in front of potential investors few days earlier.

It was not only a day for them to try to make a profit, but also a time to have hands-on experience of good teamwork and to see whether their business selection had been the right choice.

"I am one of the production team, we have 24 students each class, and everybody has their own duties," Ivan said. "The choice of what to sell in our business came from the answers we received through our market research survey."

They created a written survey that they then distributed to teachers, parents, older and younger students and all school staff including the security officers.

On another stall, a 6th Grade student, Citta, was carefully counting the cash, dividing it into neat piles. She was the cashier of a shop called Redlines, where girls were busy frying cirengs - a pita-bread-like dough - filled with chicken, cheese, spaghetti sauce or smoked beef, and selling them for Rp 5,000 (40 US cent) per piece.

Iin Pramono, Citta's mother said, "My daughter was always been selected as the cashier by her friends." She said Citta's attitude toward money was prudent.

"She would compare the price of books she wanted to buy in different bookstores first. Perhaps that comes from her duties at school events," she laughed.

Interestingly, the open-air stall also offered instant noodles which received a warm welcome, with children queuing up to get their orders. They happily waited for the MSG-laden noodles to be prepared.

Iin said, "It might be because they are not allowed these instant noodles at home, that they have them for sale here."

In front of Redlines was an all-blue stall, named Schwasz Creamery. It offered banana splits, poffertjes, waffles and other cold treats. The rest of the stalls also offered many kinds of sweet treats and games.

Another stall was titled Carcique. This was where all the loud noise came from. A cafe with karaoke, the booth was full of 7th Grade students taking turns to sing their favorite songs.

Young children were having a wonderful time on the first day of the business fair. Little girls and boys walked hand in hand led by their teacher to visit the "shops".

They looked at the colorful stands in awe, watching their big brothers and sisters cooking fries or squeezing whipped cream on top of bowls of ice-cream. (iwp)

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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RI and Singapore

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 03/10/2009 6:12 PM | National 

Inked in black: RI and Singaporean Foreign Ministers Hassan Wirajuda (right) and George Yeo exchange agreement documents signed at Pancasila Building, Deplu Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday. The Indonesian and Singaporean governments agreed on Nipah and Tuas islands of the Singapore Straits as the most western maritime border of the two countries after four years of tough negotiations (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

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Rhino life

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 03/05/2009 5:40 PM | Sci-Tech

In this image made from undated video released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), mud bathing Javan Rhinos are captured by a camera trap in Ujung Kulon Wildlife Park, Java island, Indonesia. The numbers the world's rarest rhino in Indonesia over the past 50 years have been decimated by rampant poaching for horns used in traditional Chinese medicines and destruction of forests. (AP/WWF)

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Tsunami Memorial and Museum in Aceh

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 02/03/2009 10:55 AM | National

Acehnese sit down side by side inside the tsunami memorial and museum built to commemorate the 2004 Asian Tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Monday. AP/Binsar Bakkara

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198 more Myanmar boat people found off Indonesia

By NINIEK KARMINI The Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia's navy picked up 198 starving, dehydrated boat people from Myanmar who said they drifted for three weeks after authorities in Thailand forced them to sea in a boat without an engine, an official said Tuesday.

Twenty-two others died on the small wooden vessel during the crossing, the survivors told Indonesian officials.

It was the latest in a string of accusations that Thai authorities have been habitually abusing boat people fleeing the military dictatorship in Myanmar by abandoning them to die at sea. Thailand has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Indonesian fishermen discovered the 40-foot (12-meter) boat off Aceh's coast in northern Sumatra and towed it to shore Monday, navy officer Tedi Sutardi told The Associated Press. The passengers had run out of food and water.

"They were standing on the boat for 21 days because there was no space to sit," Sutardi said. "It is a miracle they survived."

At least 91 were admitted to the Idirayeuk General Hospital in weak condition due to "lack of fluid and malnutrition," hospital director Edie Gunawan said. A 13-year-old boy was among those with severe dehydration, said emergency nurse Muji, who goes by one name like many Indonesians.

The drifting boat was the second load of Rohingyas, a stateless Muslim group facing decades of persecution in Myanmar, to arrive in Indonesia in a month. Other boatloads have been found near India's Andaman Islands.

The boat people in Indonesia recounted being beaten and set adrift by Thai authorities, Sutardi said.

One survivor told investigators the group was among 1,000 Rohingyas working in Thailand as migrant laborers, Sutardi said. They spoke of being forced to leave Thailand on nine motorless boats in December after being detained as illegal workers.

Some of them were beaten and "we could see they had black and blue marks on their backs," Sutardi said.

Neither a Thai military spokesman nor Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat were aware of the latest allegations. But Tharit said Thailand has no policy of forcing illegal migrants back to sea.

The Rohingyas, an ethnic minority not recognized by Myanmar's military regime, number about 800,000 in that country. Hundreds of thousands have fled to Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Middle East.

Source : www.syracuse.com

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Indonesia confirms two human bird flu cases: WHO

GENEVA (Reuters) – Indonesia has confirmed two new cases of human bird flu, the first officially reported since September in the country which remains the hardest-hit by the deadly virus, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

A nine-year-old girl in Riau province developed symptoms on November 7 after poultry apparently died at her home, the WHO said in a statement. She was hospitalized five days later and discharged on November 22 after recovering.

A two-year-old girl from East Jakarta died on November 29 after developing symptoms on November 18, it said. "Investigations into the source of her infection suggest exposure at a live bird market."

The two latest cases took Indonesia's known number of bird flu infections to 139, including 113 deaths, since 2003, according to the United Nations health agency.

It was not immediately clear why the WHO toll does not include a 15-year-old Indonesian girl in central Java whose doctor said she had died in early November. Presence of the virus had been confirmed in a health ministry lab, according to Agus Suryanto, head of the medical team treating the girl.

Worldwide, there have been 389 cases including 246 fatalities since 2003, WHO says. Vietnam has the second highest number of cases (106) among 15 countries with known human cases.

Although bird flu remains an animal disease, experts fear that the H5N1 virus might mutate into a form easily passed from human to human, sparking a pandemic which could kill millions.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Source : news.yahoo.com

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German students offer hope to local orphanage

Hyginus Hardoyo , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Tue, 12/02/2008 10:44 AM | Bali

WORLD GAME: German students and orphans play football at Fajar Dua Orphanage in Klungkung regency. The hosts warmly received their foreign visitors and joined them for a game using the ball the guests gave them. (JP/Hyginus Hardoyo)

Muhammad Ridwan, an elementary student living at Fajar Dua Orphanage in Klungkung regency, enthusiastically raised his hand in response to an invitation by one of five German students visiting the orphanage to play football.

"Yes I will," exclaimed Ridwan after the students, three male and two female, gave the orphanage a foot ball. He immediately ran out of the room to a small field at the back area of the orphanage.

Together with the three men, the orphans played football happily. So friendly was the situation, there seemed to be no gap between the children and their foreign guests, they got along like old friends.

"Football is my hobby. I'm really... really glad that we have been given a ball," Ridwan, smiling in satisfaction, said after the game was over.

It's only a ball, maybe, but it gives happiness and contentment to the dozens of kids living at the Muslim orphanage.

The foot ball was just one thing donated by the German students. Items -- including rice, noodles, sugar, salt, cooking oil, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, schoolbooks, pens and card games -- totaling about Rp 1.66 million (about US$125) were given to the orphanage.

"What we bring is not much, but we hope that it will mean something to you," said Puji Handayani Prijanto, who is half German and half Javanese, speaking on behalf of the visitors.

The students, who work for the German charity organization "Education for Indonesia", are currently studying at the University of Udayana in Denpasar as part of a one semester program.

The organization, which was set up in 2007 with the aim of enabling the education of children from the poorest regions of Indonesia, is managed by 20 students from all over Germany.

Fajar Dua was one of four orphanages visited by the students on Monday. The three others were Baith-El Christian Orphanage in Klungkung, Yassika Muslim Orphanage in Amplapura, Karangasem, and Widya Asih VI Christian Orphanage in Bangli.

"We hope we can bring a smile to the faces of the children of the Panti Asuhan (orphanage)," Sam Moosariparambil, one of the students, said.

At Yassika in Amlapura the students gave 125 kilograms of rice, estimated to be enough to supply three meals a day to the 35 students for the next 10 days. Everybody at the orphanage was happy with the gifts.

Syahrul, a teacher and caretaker at the orphanage, warmly welcomed the German visitors. Everything he said, from his welcome to explaining the daily activities at the orphanage and the condition of the boarding houses, was in English.

He even asked one of his female students to say thank you for the donation in English. She did it, shy as she was.

The biggest donation, worth Rp 2.15 million, reflected the size of the Baith-El orphanage in Klungkung, which accommodates 194 students from kindergarten to senior high age groups.

The unique thing is that, even though it is a Christian orphanage, it also accommodates children of other religions, including Hindus and Muslims.

"About 72 students accommodated here are Catholic, with the rest being Protestant Christians, Hindus or Muslims," Edi Mansyur, one of the orphanage caretakers, said.

The German students gave 30 pairs of shoes along with 30 pairs of socks and 30 belts to students who usually go to school barefoot. The 30 children were selected in line with a list of children supplied by the orphanage.

Upon receiving the donations the situation became a bit noisy, as the children became ecstatic trying on their new, precious belongings for the first time. Most of the shoes fit their new owners, but a few had to exchange with each other to get the right size. One child, a kindergartner, found himself with shoes much larger than his feet, but he did not make comment or complain. He tried them on seriously, observed the situation carefully and wrapped his new belongings again in a plastic bag -- he'll surely grow in to them soon enough.

Meanwhile, far at the back, a group of children became involved in a quarrel over candies brought by their guests. A caretaker soon intervened, taking over distribution of the goodies.

"Me maam, I haven't got any," a girl said, jeering at a boy who refused to give her any when he was in possession of the goodies.

This was nothing compared to the gloom felt at the Widya Asih Orphanage in Bangli, where their supply of rice had run out. Until the German's arrived, little more than one kilogram, aside of the rice being cooked for dinner that day, remained.

"This is our normal condition. We live in constant shortage. Aside from the church, our lives depend on donors and those who happen who have struck fortune and want to share the luck with us," Rev. Gusti Suarjana, the orphanage's caretaker, said.

"We are very, very happy to receive the donation, otherwise we would have been forced to buy rice on credit from our suppliers at the market and pay them when we get a donation," he said.

"The suppliers have already trusted us; when we were unable to pay for the goods for about year, they did not force us to," Suarjana said.

Due to the hardship in managing the orphanage, Suarjana questioned the local administration's commitment to raising the welfare of its people. "We do not get a single cent in funding from the administration at the moment," he said, adding that his orphanage used to get assistance from the local social welfare office, but that ceased suddenly several years ago, without an explanation.

"What we do is actually helping the administration educate and raise neglected children," Suarjana said, explaining that the children accepted at his orphanage have various religious backgrounds - not only Christians, but also Muslims and Hindus.

To express their gratitude and to entertain the guests, the children sang several songs accompanied by the sounds of guitars, drums and an electronic music organ at the orphanage's church.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Mumbai attacks despicable and inhumane: RI

Tony Hotland and Dian Kuswandini , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 11/28/2008 7:19 AM | Headlines 

Indonesia condemned the terrorism attacks in Mumbai as despicable and inhumane, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

The government expressed condolences to the government of India and to the victims and their families, saying it hoped those responsible would be swiftly captured and brought to justice.

“The attacks are evidence that the threat of terrorism remains real and that it requires constant vigilance and multilateral cooperation in dealing with it,” the statement said.

It added that Indonesia was a staunch supporter of all cooperation in combating terrorism.

Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the Indonesian Embassy in India had made certain none of the 130 Indonesian nationals living in Mumbai was among the victims. 

He said the government had no plans to issue a travel warning advising Indonesian nationals against visiting India.

Indonesia has experienced terrorism attacks, most notably the bombings perpetrated by Jamaah Islamiyah in Bali and Jakarta between 2002 and 2005. Dozens of people were arrested and convicted for the blasts, three of whom were executed early this month.

National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, however, said it was “too early” to link the mastermind behind the Mumbai attacks with JI.

“However, we will keep an eye on any possibility ... and be alert for any terrorism threats,” Susno said. 

The Associated Press reported earlier Thursday that U.S. President George Bush expressed condolences to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a phone call at his Camp David, Maryland, mountaintop retreat. 

“The president offered support and assistance to the government of India as it works to restore order, provide safety to its people and comfort to the victims and their families and investigate these despicable acts,” Press Secretary Dana Perino said in a statement. 

The Justice Department said the FBI was monitoring the situation closely and was prepared to offer assistance if Indian authorities asked for it. 

From Pakistan the AP quoted Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was visiting India as part of a slow-moving South Asian peace process, saying he was “shocked and horrified” by Wednesday’s attacks in Mumbai. 

While India’s PM Singh blamed “external forces” in neighboring countries for the terrorist strikes, Qureshi said “a better understanding” was needed of the incident. 

“Let us not go in for knee-jerk reactions,” he said, pledging full cooperation of his young government to counter terrorism in the region, according to The Press Trust of India, India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, and India has frequently blamed Pakistan for past terrorist attacks in its territory.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Strong earthquake strikes off western Indonesia

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A strong earthquake struck off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra late Saturday. There were no immediate reports of injury and structural damage, seismologists said. 

The quake, measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale, jolted Sumatra's Bengkulu province at 11:01 pm (1601 GMT). Its epicentre lay about 142 kilometres south-west and about 23 kilometres beneath the seabed in the Indian Ocean, the National Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) was quoted by DPA as saying.

The US Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 6.8 on the Richter scale. 

Officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage following the quake, which was followed by a 6.3-magnitude aftershock about 10 minutes later. 

It was the latest of series of earthquakes to jolt Indonesia in recent days. 

On Monday, a powerful 7.7-magnitude undersea earthquake struck off Indonesia's North Sulawesi province, killing at least seven people, injuring more than 150 others and damaging hundreds of homes. 

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific's so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. 

A major earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck in December 2004, leaving more than 170,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia's Aceh province and around 500,000 homeless.(*)

Source : www.antara.co.id

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Shoe producers take a beating as demand slows

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 11/22/2008 9:37 PM | Business

The East Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Saturday that shoe factories in the province were already suffering from the impact of the global economic slow down.

Chairman Erlangga Satriagung said that demand for products from the U.S. and Europe had already decreased by 40 percent compared to the same period last year.

“Moreover, prices of imported raw materials have also risen, due to stronger dollar,” Erlangga said as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the shoe industry in East Java employed some 35,000 workers and that their livelihood were threatened if the government failed to come up with measures to curb pressure from the sloping demand.

So far, he argued, the government and the central bank had yet to come out with meaningful measures to cushion the burden carried by employers.

“Nobody is happy to close his own business and fire all his workers, unless he is force to do so,” he said. (and)

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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Demand for RI workers remains high in Singapore

Apriadi Gunawan , The Jakarta Post , Singapore | Mon, 11/24/2008 11:36 AM | Potpourri


JP/SuherdjokoJP/Suherdjoko

Ade Makage can't wait for every Sunday to roll around, as it is the day where she can meet fellow Indonesian migrant workers at Pasir Ris area in Singapore.

On Sundays, Ade, a female migrant worker (Tenaga Kerja Wanita, or TKW) from Mandao, gets to meet with her friends from an Indonesian fellowship club and enjoy leisure activities together.

One of the routine activities that members of the group enjoy is praying together at one of the biggest churches in Pasir Ris. Afterwards, the TKW stroll along the beach together while sharing stories.

The TKW, who are mostly maids, tell each share the ups and downs of working away from home.

Ade said she planned to stop working as a maid because she wanted to look for a new working experience.

"It's possible that in the near future I will quit working as a maid because I know of an opening in another place as a waitress," Ade told her friends on one of their recent Sunday walks.

Ade said she was excited about the new work opportunity because the salary was higher: While working as a maid she was paid S$240 (Rp 1.9 million) per month. Meanwhile, the new position offered a salary of S$6 (Rp 47,000) per hour.

Suharti, a TKW from Solo, told her friends she was pleased to be working as a maid in Singapore because she received a bigger salary than that which she previously earned in Malaysia and Indonesia.

The mother of three said she could send money home every three months to cover her children's school fees.

"Working here (in Singapore) I can collect money for my children's education back home in our village," said Suharti, who previously worked as a maid in both Malaysia and Indonesia.

"It's enough when compared with the salary I received when I worked in Malaysia and Indonesia, and I couldn't save anything," she said.

Suharti said her current salary as a maid in Singapore was S$340 (Rp 2.7 million) per month. She added that she had not thought about returning to Indonesia just yet, because she wanted to continue working in Singapore to support her family.

Sundays are enjoyed by the members of other Indonesian fellowship clubs in Singapore.

Botol Panjaitan, one of the many Indonesian migrant workers employed by the industrial sector in Singapore, said there were many clubs for Indonesian people who worked in Singapore.

The 32-year-old said the Indonesian fellowship club in Singapore that had the largest number of members was IndoSing.

"IndoSing membership has now reached more than 1,000 people. The IndoSing members gather every Sunday and often communicate via chatting on the Internet," Panjaitan said.

Panjaitan, who has been working in Singapore for less than one year, said he had seen that the activities carried out by clubs for Indonesians who work in Singapore was positive, especially in improving relationships.

"The friendship of Indonesian workers in Singapore is so strong because they often communicate through the Internet and gather together in various places," said Panjaitan.

Singapore's senior minister of state for foreign affairs, Zainul Abidin Rasheed, said the number of Indonesians working in Singapore had reached around 60,000. Most worked as maids, with the number of Indonesian citizens working as professionals in the country was still low.

"Singapore still needs workers from Indonesia. We hope that these will be professional people; this is important so they are able to compete with workers from other countries and Singapore citizens," Rasheed told The Jakarta Post recently.

Rasheed added that apart from being professional it was hoped that Indonesian workers would develop knowledge of the customs and daily lives of Singaporeans.

When asked about the number of Indonesian workers needed by Singapore, Rasheed said the quantity was unlimited because there were still many sectors, such as the industry sector, that needed professional workers.

Rasheed said that to protect foreign workers in Singapore, including those from Indonesia, his role was to ensure the application of the laws that guaranteed worker safety.

"In recent months we have found some cases of violence towards foreign workers here, but all cases have been processed according to the legislation.

"We never tolerate situations where Singaporean citizens act roughly toward foreign workers," Rasheed said.

Source : www.thejakartapost.com

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