Rupiah strengthens to 10,300 level

The rupiah has strengthened to the level of Rp 10,300 against the US dollar in Jakarta inter-bank market on Monday morning, after weakening to Rp 10,400 level last week.

The rupiah was traded at Rp 10.385 against the greenback on Monday morning, compared to last week's close of Rp 10.445

Money market analyst Edwin Sinaga told Antara news agency that the strengthening of the rupiah was driven by a statement by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati that year-on-year inflation in May would not reach 5 percent, below the government's target of 6 percent.

In addition, the market was also buoyed by the news that Indonesia's economy grew by 4.4. percent in the first quarter of this year, making the country one of a few Asian economies that posted positive growth in the first semester.

Such positive news, Edwin said, would continue to boost the rupiah.

"We are optimistic that the rupiah eventually will reach Rp 10,000 level per dollar," Edwin said.

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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.

http://www.thejakartapost.com

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Gates offers free software to Indonesian students

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said on Thursday he would help Indonesian students obtain free software and inexpensive personal computers to gain greater access to the Internet.

During a meeting here with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Gates, one of the world's richest men, expressed his commitment to supporting the government's efforts to improve education quality by providing Internet-based national education.

"He (Gates) told the President that Microsoft will continue to train teachers and students throughout Indonesia in software, computer and information and communication technology," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie told a press briefing after the meeting.

Yudhoyono told Gates that Indonesia and Microsoft should continue to work together as the cooperation would mutually benefit both parties.

The government is seeking to obtain software from Microsoft for a million computers for educational purposes in an effort to cut the ratio of computers to students from the current 1:1000 to 1:20, Aburizal said.

Gates said he was ready to help Indonesia get high-quality personal computers for a price of less than US$200 per unit, plus free software if Indonesia could make a deal with Intel chairman Craig Barrett, who will meet Yudhoyono in Jakarta next week.

"We will make a deal with Barrett to acquire cheap or even free processors for the computers to be distributed to the students. As a result, we will get a much lower price than $200," minister of communication and information Muhammad Nuh said.

He expressed optimism that Indonesia could strike a deal with Barrett, who is known as a leading advocate for education improvement in the United States and around the world, and a vocal spokesman for the value of technology.

Gates also praised Indonesia's progress in fighting software piracy, pointing to fact the country had moved out from a priority ranking on a world piracy watch list.

"Gates' visit shows that he trusts we are making progress in fighting piracy. We are now checking government offices and big businesses to make sure they don't use pirated software. We want to get out from the watch list as soon as possible," Nuh said.

Indonesia ranks as the fourth-worst offender of software piracy in the Asia Pacific after Vietnam, Pakistan and China.

Gates also expressed commitment to expanding the Microsoft Innovation Center program, which now runs at the University of Indonesia, the Bandung Institute of Technology, Gadjah Mada University and the Surabaya Institute of Technology. The center helps students conduct research in the information technology field.

Gates is in Indonesia as a key speaker at the presidential lecture to be held as part of Microsoft's annual Government Leadership Forum, which started Thursday. He will address about 1,500 government officials and business representatives and 1,000 students on Friday.

http://www.thejakartapost.com

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Newmont Pays Off Arbitration Fine To Indonesia

Energy and Minerals minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro confirmed the payment. He says the government will negotiate the price of Newmont's stocks during the 180 day period to divest the company's shares. Yusgiantoro adds that he will still consult Newmont to appraise the value of its stocks. The government and Newmont went to international arbitration following a dispute over the terms to divest the company's shares in a West Nusa Tenggara mining operation in 2008. http://www2.metrotvnews.com/indonesiathismorning/berita.asp?id=1242

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MEGAWATI THREATENS TO BOYCOTT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

PDI-P secretary general Pramono Anung says the parties will give the KPU until May 9th to sort out its problems with the vote count. They requested the government and KPU to account for missent ballots, and speed up the vote count. Anung also deplored the National Police for dismissing the BAWASLU monitoring agency's report on election violations. President Yudhoyono dismissed the threat to boycott the presidential race. He encouraged the discontented parties to run in the elections.

http://www2.metrotvnews.com/indonesiathismorning/berita.asp?id=1239

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