ID Daily English Version

Old comic strips enjoy a creative revival

2009-03-04T23:20:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , SURABAYA | Thu, 03/05/2009 11:44 AM | Arts & Design

Another look: The comics at Cergambore have attracted a lot of attention, and comics lovers are seeing something of a revival. (JP/ID Nugroho)

There’s no need to seek out Japanese manga such as Naruto, Crayon Shincan, Dragon Ball, Neon Genesis Evangelion or Pokemon.

And don’t bother looking for American comics such as Superman, the Fantastic Four, Green Lantern, or even Spider Man.

Indonesia has its own comic-book heroes.

They can be found at Cergambore in the French Culture Center (CCCL) in Surabaya, East Java. Cergambore, the Festival of Comics and Surabaya Urban Art, is showing that the local comic fans’ movement is back.

At this event, 19 comics producers and urban artists from across Indonesia exhibited their works. Among them were Beng Rahardian, Azizah Noer, Tita Larasati, the Comic Gangster Group, the Suicide Group, the Sungsang Imaji Group, the National Child Work Group and the False Comic Group.

Other groups who took part were Nasi Putih, Neo Paradigm Neo Group, the Outline Reborn Group, the Syndicate Group, the Virgin is Suck Group, the Wind Ryder Group and the Wipe Group. The most interesting participants were two French comic-book artists, Silvain Moizie and Alfi Zackyelle.

Looking at the Indonesian comics on display at Cergambore is like going back in time to the 1970s and 1980s when Indonesian comics were king in this country. Just mention Ko Ping Ho, Gundala Putra Petir and Jaka Sembung to people from that era. Of course, there is a striking difference in the visual quality of the modern comics, and the print quality of modern comics is better.

Now Indonesian comics have spawned their own souvenir industry that includes pictures of their comic-book heroes. These range from bags and key rings to necklaces. Beng Rahardian, one of the Indonesian comics artists, said that in many cases, Indonesian local comics had only recently started to advance.

(JP/ID Nugroho)

This advance isn’t just in the artwork, but also in the packaging. Another positive development is the courage being shown in expressing ideals.

“It can be seen again that national comics show the most courage in increasing freedom in expressing individual style, and it’s not just the comics that are booming,” Beng Rahardian told The Jakarta Post.

Beng observed that the situation was quite different some time ago. Moreover, he pointed out, in the era before Japanese manga entered Indonesia, Indonesian local comics tended to be in a manga-like style. These came from Surabaya and two industry leaders in particular, Calista Takarai and Anzu Hazawa.

But slowly things started to change, as originality in the national comics scene began to return. Beng saw that things were starting to move in Yogyakarta, with the comic lovers’ community, called Daging Tumbuh, becoming a pioneer of originality.

More recently, when the comic strip Benny and Mice was published, receiving a great response from the market, it seemed that originality was back and getting noticed.

The presence of Benny and Mice, a leading comic strip in Kompas newspaper, provides a reminder that, as well as displaying originality, the strip must be easy to understand.

“Comics can become famous when they keep faith with the original idea,” said Beng Rahardian.

In Surabaya last year, a number of original comics were signed up to the Romance Surabaya Comic group, a group comprising members of the film community, the Indie music crowd and, of course, that community of comics aficionados.

“We were surprised by the extraordinary response to Romance Surabaya,” Broky, a Surabaya comics lover who is also a member of the comics community Outline Reborn, told The Jakarta Post.

That’s why this year they will present the second edition of Romance Surabaya to be launched on Nov. 10 to coincide with Heroes’ Day.

The comics lovers’ community in Jember, around 190 kilometers east of Surabaya, also has a history of creating original local comics. A group called Nasi Putih periodically publishes comics and a bulletin that bears the same name.

The community, which consists of young people from various educational backgrounds, actively initiates art events in the city, which is known as Suar Suir City after a local snack, made from a kind of sweet cake with slightly fermented rice.

“We want to provide space for the spirit to develop without having to consider other issues apart from work,” Gunawan, one of the Nasi Putih activists, told The Jakarta Post.

It doesn’t stop with Outline and Nasi Putih; the 19 artists and comics lovers who took part in Cergambore have almost all worked on Indie comics.

“Indie comics were the original strength of Indonesian comics, but, at the same time this has become a weakness,” said Beng Rahardian.

Comics galore: A visitor looks at some of the comics on display at Cergambore at the French Cultural Center in Surabaya, East Java. (JP/ID Nugroho)

This weakness lies in the fact that messages delivered through the Indie line can transform society in a very limited way only.

“So it’s better if comics producers don’t stop with developing their works in the Indie area only, but also move to the industry area,” said Beng Rahardian, who has initiated a comics class at the Samali Academy.

Kathleen Azali, a friendly woman known as Kat, is an observer of the Surabaya comic scene and has a different perception. The owner of a library, cinema and the Café H2O believes Indie line local comics should survive as a proper place for creative people to express their ideals.

Kathleen’s advice to comics artists is to continue with the old comic culture while maintaining Indie comics on the side. “While the comics on the side are really a breath of fresh air in the industry … the money from the industry comics that make a profit can finance Indie comics, which are idealistic,” she said.

She gave as an example the Wind Ryder Studio, which has a comic titled Wind Ryder. But Wind Ryder also publishes an Indie work called Komikugrafi, which is printed in black and white.
Work by the Neo Paradigm group, which publishes full-color comics, includes the title Aquanus, Benua ke Tujuh (The seventh continent). The same community publishes black and white comics under the title Defragment.

“Black and white comics are made with minimum cost and reprinting can be done with a photocopier,” said Kathleen.

Whatever the design, Kathleen said, Indonesian local comics had to remain original if they were going to be appreciated. Apart from needing to support many people, these types of comics needed space to survive, which might mean holding a special comics exhibition.

“It’s my belief that one day local comics known as Indie will be accepted like Indie bands,” she said. “We’ll just have to wait for that time.”

Majelis: Guardian of the singing stones

2009-02-27T18:49:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , THE JAKARTA POST , BONDOWOSO, EAST JAVA | Fri, 02/27/2009 2:33 PM | People

(JP/ID Nugroho)

Night had already long fallen when Majelis, from the Trowulan Archaeological Office in Wringin, East Java, was helping guard a site near Glingseran village.

The father of four was accompanied by three of his colleagues. They wanted to foil any attempts by robbers to steal ancient artifacts in his region. At the time, there was a crime wave underway.

Suddenly, a number of people armed with clurit (sharp weapons often favored by the Madurese) appeared. The two groups confronted each other face-to-face. It seemed that a tragedy was about to unfold right in front of their eyes.

"If they'd attacked at that moment we would certainly have been defeated. But before that happened, I explained to them the punishment for stealing ancient artifacts. It was fortunate that they left straight away," Majelis told The Jakarta Post.

Majelis still clearly remembers the incident, which occurred one night in 1982, two years after he was appointed as a permanent staff member at Bondowose Archaeological Office.

"After that incident, I realized that the ancient artifacts had to be guarded because they had been seen by the thieves," said the now 47-year-old man.

Majelis and the ancient monuments in the region of Bondowoso and Situbondo are actually inseparable. This man is the most senior guard among 42 other guards who carry out their duties in the regency that is located about 200 kilometers from Surabaya.

Since 1978, the man has been delegated to guard the sites of monuments in Glingseran village, Wringin subdistrict. In Glingseran, there are 67 stone sites dating back to the megalithic period.

"In 1978, Abdussomad, a staff member of the culture and education section in Bondowoso offered me the job and I took it," he said.

The elementary school graduate has known of the stone sites since he was young.

When he was little, Majelis played in the rice fields looking for crickets, flying kites or just spending time with his friends. He often played around the sarcophagi that were located one kilometer from his house.

"The village people here knew about the stone sites, the sarcophagi and the kendang *house pillar* stones because every night, especially on legi *Friday night in the Javanese calendar* the stones emitted sounds," he said. "It was like a gamelan."

Due to the mystical factor, the local community respected the existence of the stone sites and considered them to be part of their ancestors' inheritance. During the planting season and at harvest time, the residents always presented offerings at the stone sites.

Majelis's job was, among others, to sweep away the rubbish, pull out the grass and brush off the moss from the surrounding stone sites. For that job, he was getting Rp 5,000 (45 US cent) fee per month.

"It was lucky that I wasn't married at that time," he laughed.

In 1980, Majelis was promoted to permanent staff, receiving a salary of Rp 17,500 a month.

Majelis said his salary was not much, but he also had a plantation and a rice field to support his life and family.

"I never get bored with my job in guarding the site. It seems that this is my fate. Even though I have to work at night, I do my job," Majelis said.

His professional attitude has rubbed off on his eldest child, Hariyadi Susanto, who has also become a site guard at nearby Jatisari village, Bondowoso.

Majelis said explaining to his children about his job as an archaeological site guard was difficult.

"It's been difficult to explain my jobs to my children because it's probably a job that's not done by many people," he said. "But I keep telling them that I'm the guard of ancient artifacts, our inheritance from our ancestors."

His simple explanation has helped his children understood their father's job. "They're proud. The proof is there because one has already chosen to become a stone site guard."

During the 31 years on the job, Majelis has felt the ups and downs from the attitude of different governments toward allocating funds for the maintenance and repair of the monuments.

When he was working during the presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid, the government gave Rp 7,000 per month to pay the land taxes. But that fund was closed down when a monetary crisis occurred during the presidency of Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"Up until now, I and three friends on the staff of the archaeological office have had to contribute our own private money to pay the costs," Majelis said.

However, he hopes that one day the situation will return to normal so the government will pay for the maintenance of the monuments from the megalithic period.

He has heard about plans to develop a field museum in Bondowoso.

"If that plan goes ahead maybe the fate of the stone sites will not be so uncertain."

Monumental indifference to the care of megaliths

2009-02-27T01:25:00.000-08:00

Iman D. Nugroho , THE JAKARTA POST , SITUBONDO, EAST JAVA | Fri, 02/27/2009 2:31 PM | Java Brew

Extraordinary: A staff from archeological office shows a dolmen preserved by residents in Wringin district.

At first glance, the plantations in Bondowoso regency, East Java, do not look that special. They just seem to be farms against mountain slopes. But the existence of many big stones spread across the region makes the area unique.

"Those stones aren't just any old stones. These stones date back to the megalithic period, and they can still be seen," said Majelis from the Trowulan Archaeological Office in Glingseran village, Wringin, in Bondowoso.

Bondowoso is well known for its tape (a sweet cake made from slightly fermented rice or tubers). It is also famous as a region of megaliths.

According to records at the Trowulan Archaeological Office, there are thousands of monuments in Bondowoso, which is located 192 kilometers from Surabaya, dating back to the megalithic period.

In the Grujugan subdistrict, for example, more than 400 monuments of various types have been discovered. Meanwhile, in Maesan and Pujer subdistricts, there are 140 large stones.

There are also similar stones in Wringin, Tlogosari and Wonosari subdistricts where so far 60 more megaliths have been discovered.

The archaeological site with the biggest monument is found in Wringin subdistrict. This is in the form of a six-meter-high menhir stone. It is estimated that the real number is far bigger because not all stones have been reported to the archaeological office.

The megalithic age occurred about 4,000 years before the present (BP). Historians have divided the period into old and the young megalithic ages.

The people who lived in the old megalithic age focused their activities on farming and hunting. These people learned how to fulfill their daily needs as the number of animals being hunted slowly decreased. The young megalithic age was noted for its culture of carving stones and making metal.

Dihin Ikhtiardi, a history graduate who is also a teacher at a senior high school, said the sites in Bondowoso and Situbondo showed the characteristics of the young megalithic period.

Geographically, Dihin said, Bondowoso was exactly the right place to live during the megalithic period.

The geography of this regency is framed by several mountain ranges, including Mount Ijen, Mount Argopuro, Mount Raung, Mount Krincing, Mount Keong, Mount Saeng, Mount Gugur, Mount Rampe, Mount Suket, Mount Kalisat, Mount Lebang and Mount Malung.

"This is a fertile region with all the various necessities for supporting life," Dihin told The Jakarta Post.

His analysis has been reinforced with the discovery of various functional objects in Bondowoso and part of Situbondo. These include kenong, gravestones, dolmen, menhir and sarcophagi (stone coffins).

The kenong stones lay at the base of the poles used to build houses, while dolmen and menhir functioned as places of worship.

Sarcophagi and gravestones are all signs of a burial place.

"All the signs here *in Bondowoso and Situbondo* show that this was a region where the people from the megalithic period lived," he said.

What a pity then, that although the sites of these monuments from the megalithic period are very important many are in a rather sad condition. For example, the stones in Wringin subdistrict, Bondowoso. From the 60 or so megalithic monuments seen in this area, located just 15 kilometers from Bondowoso city, only 20 stone sites are well maintained.

This is the basic situation. The sites with kendang stones, sarcophagi and dolmen were covered in moss. They were located in the middle of a plantation and the sites were filled with leaves from the nearby surroundings.

The site located in Grujugan subdistrict, five kilometers from Bondowoso, was in a similar condition. Although in a better physical condition than the sites in Wringin subdistrict, it was not very well maintained.

Three sarcophagi located in the middle of the rice fields have been shattered. A gravestone, which stands beside a resident's house, has succumbed to an attack by moss and age. It has been broken.

Past relics: Students look at stones from Megalith period found inside Selasih Indah timber factory in Grujugan district, Bondowoso regency in East Java.

A collection of stones inside a timber factory face a similar fate. It is as though these things are not useful, so this collection of historical monuments has been left in a jumble behind the factory. Majelis said preservation of the stone sites in Bondowoso and Situbondo did not receive enough funding from the government.

The man, who has been working since 1978, said that in all this time, the government only allocated funds to pay the land tax for the location where the monuments lie. In Wringin subdistrict, for example, from the 60 stone sites there, the land tax provides only enough money for 20 stone sites at the rate of Rp 7,000 (60 US cent) per stone site.

"That funding stopped when Indonesia was hit by the monetary crisis during Megawati Soekarnoputri's presidency. All this time, we *the staff members of the Trowulan Archaeological Office* have personally paid the tax," Majelis said.

The situation has been aggravated by the activities of robbers who have been active at the monument sites. Usually it is the statue-shaped monuments that are the usual targets.

"Megalith thieves were really active in the 1980s. At that time the staff members had to keep watch and stay awake all night to prevent thieving," Majelis said.

At that time, rumors had it that the monuments contained gold. That is why the local community smashed the stones to try and extract the gold.

The number of stone sites damaged by the activity is hard to imagine.

Meanwhile, the number of archaeological office staff members based in Bondowoso and Situbondo is low. In Bondowoso, there are only 35 staff members who have to look after 1,000 or more stone sites spread across almost all of the regency.

Meanwhile in Situbondo, there are only eight staff members to guard 50 or more stone sites.

"On one night, four staff members had to fight 14 robbers. It was lucky that we were all safe," Majelis said.

Cultural observer Ayu Sutarto has seen the deterioration of monument sites in Bondowoso and Situbondo, saying it was a classical case of no funding.

"The regency government can't do much to save these stone sites because it has no funds and on top of that it is not aware that these monumental sites are something important," Ayu said.

She said the only thing that could be done was to establish Bondowoso as an open museum with the support of the government and a significant amount of money.

She said the government had to buy land surrounding the stone sites and build the appropriate infrastructure, such as being done in Mojokerto at the Majapahit kingdom site in Trowulan region.

The government should also maximize the use of the field museum by introducing classroom teachings about the sites to students.

"This is how the government can make the best of the historical remains there," she said.

- Photos by ID Nugroho

Workers demand respect for their right to associate

2009-02-27T01:22:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , THE JAKARTA POST , SURABAYA | Thu, 02/26/2009 1:58 PM | The Archipelago

Hundreds of workers grouped under a number of different organizations staged a rally Wednesday to demand the East Java High Court respect their right to form workers' associations.

The demand was made over fears that the court would turn down a sentence handed down by Bangil District court in December last year to the general manager of PT King Jim Indonesia (KJI) for banning workers from establishing a workers' association at the company. The KJI case was sparked after general manager Fatoni Prawata barred KJI workers from establishing an association in the company. Fatoni, who received an 18-month sentence, appealed to the East Java High court.

"This is the first time that the workers' right to associate has been legally protected. We must therefore guard it," said Anwar Sastro Ma'ruf from the Alliance of Workers in Protest (ABM).

With university students also taking part, Wednesday's rally began at the Industrial Relations Settlement (PHI) office and proceeded to the provincial prosecutors' office and the court.

In their speeches, the workers said that although they still faced gloomy conditions, that did not mean they had no right to associate.

Jamalluddin, coordinator of ABM's East Java branch, said Fatoni's appeal was well within his rights. However, he added, the uncertainty in Indonesian law had made workers worried that the court would annul the sentence.

"That is why we need to take to the streets, stage a rally to demand the high court not play with workers' fate," he said.

In a closed-door meeting with workers' representatives, the court confirmed they had already reached a verdict for Fatoni's appeal on Monday.

But they insisted they could not give a copy to the demonstrators for fear of violating Article 10 of the Criminal Code, which stipulates only prosecutors and defendants deserve a copy of the verdict.

"It's now in the rephrasing process and will be sent to the prosecutors and the defendant," said court chief M. Arief.

He added any party not satisfied with the verdict was welcome to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Responding to the statement, Jamalluddin said he respected the high court's decision not to give out a copy of the verdict, but warned that if it was not to the workers' liking, workers across East Java would return to the streets in a much bigger rally.

"We will camp in front of the high court building if it really disappoints us," he said, adding that courts in East Java had a "bad track record" when it came to trying cases related to workers.

Stop abusing Ponari, Children’s rights activists urge

2009-02-27T01:21:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra , The Jakarta Post , SURABAYA | Sat, 02/21/2009 11:33 AM | The Archipelago

The emergence of child “healer” Ponari in Balongsari village, Megaluh, Jombang, has given rise to heated public debate.

The healing practice has claimed four lives, and is now fuelling allegations of rights abuses, with activists calling for the so-called “magical” health activity to end.

Leading child protection advocate Seto Mulyadi and National Commission for Child Protection secretary-general, Arist Merdeka Sirait, said in separate visits earlier this week to Ponari’s home village that the government should take measures to stop villagers abusing the 9-year-old boy.

They said that despite the poverty in the village, security and education authorities should prevent local villagers from exploiting Ponari for commercial gain – with thousands of would-be supplicants visiting the village daily to have their illnesses cured – and allow him his basic rights as a child.

“The law guarantees Ponari’s human rights. Like his peers, the child has the right to go to school, to get a better education; and he also has the right to play games and, unlike this, live in a healthy environment,” Seto said.

Ariest also denounced the local police’s slow moves in stopping Ponari’s “health” practice from devolving into a three-ring circus, despite the rising number of dead and injured victims flocking to see the boy.

“Ponari wants to go school, but he can’t because many sides have abused him for commercial
interests; even his father was severely assaulted when tried to prevent his own son from being abused,” he said.

Ponari, a third-grader at a state elementary school in neighboring Kedungsari village, has not been in class since mid-January. The school has repeatedly asked his father, Kasim, to bring his son to school; but each time he tried, Kasim met
with strong resistance from villagers and visitors.

Villagers are lapping up the attention and milking the hype by setting up food and beverage stalls and parking lots for visitors, with daily turnover in the neighborhood reportedly reaching Rp 1 billion (US$84,745).

Balongsari village head Nila Cahyani denied the rights abuse allegations, but said her village had profited from Ponari’s visitors, the food trade and parking fees.

Villages in Megaluh district became a local focus of attention after rumors spread rapidly from mouth to mouth in the past month that Ponari could heal all diseases with a miraculous stone he once found near his house.

The provincial chapter of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has delivered an official letter
asking East Java Governor Soekarwo to act quickly to stop the practice in an attempt to prevent more deaths.

“The ‘health’ practice must be stopped, because it has claimed four human lives and is raising an increasing public polemic,” East Java MUI chairman Abdusomad Bukhori said Wednesday.

He added the Ponari phenomenon went against Islamic teaching because it centered on a “miraculous” stone that could cure all sorts of ailments.

Some sick visitors said they felt better after visiting Ponari several times, while others, mostly suffering from degenerative diseases, said they had seen no progress.

Sociologist Bagong Suyanto has called on the government to give low-income people wider access to healthcare services, saying the Ponari hype was the reflection of a sick, impoverished society that had been denied access to the current expensive healthcare services.

East Java’s healing French connection

2009-02-27T01:12:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , THE JAKARTA POST , KEDIRI, EAST JAVA | Fri, 02/20/2009 11:32 AM | Java Brew

Times of trouble: Life-sized statues are used at each Station of the Cross in the Puhsarang Church complex. The Stations of the Cross tell the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. JP/ID Nugroho

The rain had just stopped when Yakobus lit his offertory candle in Goa Maria Lourdes.
Carefully, the Surabaya native placed the candle at the highest point, where it sat precisely below the 3.5-meter statue of Mother Mary.

“I only want to offer a prayer, which I can ask of Mother Mary,” Yakobus told The Jakarta Post. “Some nights ago I had a dream where I was called by her.”

Yakobus, who lives in Bandung, West Java, came to Goa Maria Lourdes especially to pray because of a great conflict in his life. “I hope that after praying here my way will become easier,” he said. To show his seriousness Yakobus plans to stay several nights to wait for his next “guidance”.

Goa Maria Lourdes is part of the 13.5-hectare Catholic church complex at Puhsarang in Kediri, East Java. Rather than just a place to pray, the complex, on the slopes of Mount Wilis in Kediri, has a range of functions: tourist attraction, cemetery, camping ground, columbarium, seminary and meeting hall.

The Puhsarang Church was built in 1936, at the request of Pastor H. Wolters CM, by a Dutch architect, Father Hendricus Maclaine Port, who also built the Trowulan Museum in Mojokerto, East Java.

At first glance, the main building resembles a ship stuck on a small hill – the architect wanted to provide a reminder of the story of Noah’s Ark.

The main building has a baptismal font, sacristy and confessional box, all of which are under the dome, decorated by the symbols of the writers of the Gospels.

Matthew is drawn as a winged man, Mark as a winged lion, John as an eagle and Luke as an ox. The altar has been carved in such a way that it looks like a deer drinking. On the altar is a relief made from bricks and cemented with palm sugar.

The unique character of the design extends to the exterior, which was made from the river rocks common to Puhsarang village. The arched gateway, called St. Joseph, is built like a giant bell. At the top of the church, hanging in the Hendricus Tower, is a church bell, rung every hour to sound the time.

During its history the Puhsarang Church has been renovated four times, each time to strengthen the building without changing its original design. The most substantial renovations were carried out in 1999 when Father Emilio Rossi was the priest. That project, designed by engineers Harry Widyanto, Rusly and Djoko, changed the basic building materials used from wood to steel.

Other facilities added at the time were the multipurpose hall Emaus, the Hidangan Kana Park and the camping ground. The renovations also enlarged the prayer facilities by building Goa Maria Lourdes, the Pieta Columbarium, The Way of The Cross and the Rosario Cottage.

Mother Mary comes to me: A statue of the Virgin Mary towers over Goa Maria Lourdes in the Puhsarang Church complex in Kediri, East Java. The grotto is modeled on the one at Lourdes in the south of France. JP/ID Nugroho

Of these, Goa Maria Lourdes – a replica of the cave of Maria at Lourdes in the Pyrenees in Southern France – is at the heart of the Puhsarang Church.

The original cave in the Pyrenees is where a girl named Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1858. It is still a much-visited sacred place for the Christian community.

But as Floreanus Josep (F.J.) Lasijo, one of the employees, explained, making the replica required special permission from the Pope in Vatican City.

The site of the replica has its own church, a cave, a source of holy water, the Way of the Cross, a huge parking area and a market, all close to a running river.

“Not all places have facilities like these,” Lasijo said. “In Indonesia, only Puhsarang has all these facilities, and that has been confirmed by the Vatican.”

The cave, made from cement and stone, is 18 meters high and 17 meters wide. On the right side is the towering statue of Mother Mary and in the middle is a big altar used by priests when they lead Mass.

Twelve sources of holy water flow down the left side and under the cave. Many people believe this water has special therapeutic properties, and visitors often take some away as an alternative treatment.

The Way of the Cross comprises 15 Stations of the Cross. They start with Jesus Christ being sentenced to death, and trace the events of the Christian story of his death and resurrection: carrying the cross, falling down, meeting his mother Mary, the Crucifixion, burial and the empty tomb, because Jesus Christ is believed to have ascended to heaven. There are 100 life-size statues used in the Way of the Cross.

Many events are held at Puhsarang Church, the peak of which is the ritual of the Legi Friday night prayers (Legi is the first day of the Javanese five-day week).

In this ceremony, around 3,000 Christians from various parts of Java, Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia gather to pray in the garden outside the Maria Lourdes Cave. This unique ceremony takes place during a night Mass.

“Even though Catholic prayers are used, there are many people from outside the Catholic church who follow this ceremony. They do this just to feel the silence, to get closer to God, or enjoy the East Java gamelan music that is used,” said Lasijo.

The thousands of people only have one intention: To ask for blessings from Mother Mary of the Goa Maria Lourdes.

Ponari's practice should be stopped: MUI

2009-02-27T01:10:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra , THE JAKARTA POST , SURABAYA | Fri, 02/20/2009 2:54 PM | The Archipelago

The East Java branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has urged the provincial administration to stop the practice of 9-year-old child "healer" Ponari, after four people were killed outside his home.

"The practice could claim more victims, it must be ended," East Java MUI chairman Abdusomad Bukhori said Wednesday.

He added the MUI had sent a letter to newly inaugurated Governor Soekarwo to urge him to take action to prevent more deaths.

Four people died of asphyxiation after being caught up for hours in huge crowds of thousands of people who had flocked to the child's home in Jombang to seek cures for various ailments.

Abdusomad said that based on the MUI's observations, the so-called practice of healing patients through the use of gutter water and mud, or rainwater dripping from Ponari's roof was an exaggeration. "If people believe Ponari's stone can cure diseases, then that's dangerous and could damage the principle belief of Islam," he said, urging Muslim not to believe the hype.

East Java Deputy Governor Syaifullah Yusuf said Ponari's "ability" to heal illness depended on people's personal beliefs, but stopped short of calling for the practice to be stopped.

"As I see it, the people are taking a shortcut. The only certain thing is that Ponari's emergence has claimed four human lives," Syaifullah said last week.

Ponari become a phenomenon for his alleged ability to heal various illnesses through the use of a "miraculous" stone. The child reportedly got the stone during a heavy rain marked by lightning, during which he threw the stone away three times but it returned to him each time.

More than 5,000 patients from Jombang and further afield flock to his home each day. Although police closed the practice at one point, they failed to keep it shut. Thousands of would-be patients still descend on the house, with some allegedly cured of their illnesses afterward.

The child's father, Kamsen, and his mother, Mukaromah, recently attempted to halt the practice, but were prevented from doing so by the practice's self-appointed "committee", made up of their neighbors. Kamsen was at one point assaulted by them when he tried to take his son home to put him back in school.

"I just wanted to pick up my son, but I got beaten up," said Kansen, currently being treated at a nearby hospital.

The neighborhood has devolved into a three-ring circus, with residents lapping up the attention by setting up food stalls, parking lots and even lodgings for the patients and their families. Daily turnover in the neighborhood reportedly reaches Rp 1 billion (US$84,745). For daily parking fees, car owners are charged Rp 50,000 each, and motorcyclists Rp 10,000. The price of food and beverages in the area has also increased sharply.

Sultan wins support for presidency

2009-02-27T01:08:00.002-08:00

Agnes, ID Nugroho and Luthfiana M , THE JAKARTA POST , SURABAYA, JEMBER | Fri, 02/13/2009 3:59 PM | East Java

Up to 6,000 people from 38 regencies and municipalities in the province poured into an informal gathering in the city Wednesday to express support for Yogyakarta governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and his candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

Besides making a declaration on the political supports, participants also expressed their determination to stand behind the Yogyakarta sultan and his promise to return power to the people.

Hamengkubuwono, who was accompanied by his wife Kanjeng Ratu Hemas, stressed that changes in the country were determined by the people.

He said the people's choice in the presidential election scheduled for July, would determine the way the development program would be carried out in the upcoming five years.

The sultan who announced his decision to contend the presidential race on Oct. 28, 2008, warned the people of the administrative requirements to have them registered as eligible voters and use their voting rights in the race.

He reiterated that his decision to contend the presidency was based on the increasing demand and request from numerous groups, from Sabang in the country's western-most tip to Merauke in the eastern most one, for his readiness to be nominated in the race.

Like other president nominees, Hamengkubuwono put on his shoulder the motto of restoration with which he was determined to revise all policies deemed not to take the people's side.

He said nation building should be based on the cultural pluralism for humanity's independence

Meanwhile, Fitrajaya Purnama, a youth activist and chairman of the gathering's organizing committee, said the province's population should become an integral part of the Indonesian people, who were apparently making repairs for the sake of the nation.

Referring to the Japanese Meiji Dynasty's restoration, he said that with the sultan's concept on restoration, Indonesia would be better in the future.

"The people in the province should make consolidation and to continue the past consolidation to make Indonesia better in the future," he shouted.

The presence of the sultan as a president nominee raised numerous questions and speculations during the gathering, because no political parties had nominated him as their presidential candidate despite his membership in Golkar Party.

The 2008 presidential and vice presidential election law states that only political parties with 20 percent of seats in the House of Representatives have their rights to nominate their candidates.

The sultan said he was still waiting to see what parties won the April 9 legislative election.

"Of course I did not go for political parties, but I am still waiting the results of the ongoing political process, " he said, adding that he would also join the Golkar's incoming convention to select presidential and vice presidential candidates if he won political support from Golkar's provincial chapters to do so.

After giving a lecture at Jember University on Thursday, Hamengkubuwono said he would step down if no political parties nominated him in the presidential race.

"Yet, I am still have large hopes, several chapters of the Golkar Party will support my nomination at the upcoming convention," he said.

Besides giving a lecture, the sultan also attended a meeting with hundreds of farmers and a prayer gathering with local Muslims at a pesantren (boarding house) in Kencong district in the regency.

Khofifah supporters protest poll violations

2009-02-27T01:08:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho , THE JAKARTA POST , SURABAYA | Wed, 02/11/2009 4:53 PM | East Java

Hundreds of people supporting defeated governor hopeful Khofifah Indar Parawansa, staged a rally in the city on Monday.

The rally-goers submitted their protest to the provincial police and the provincial polling body asking for an immediate investigation into alleged poll violations during the vote recount in Pamekasan and the revote in Sampang and Bangkalan, which they said contributed to Khofifah's slim loss in the gubernatorial race.

"Putting the results aside, we demand a free and fair election to build true democracy in the province. The police and the provincial elections supervisory committee must investigate the alleged massive and systemic election violations," said Taufik, the rally coordinator.

Protesters staged a free speech forum after they were denied access to the provincial polling body compound, which had been fenced with wire barriers and was guarded by riot police.

Holding posters and banners dubbing the polling body "fictitious", protesters slammed the polling body and the provincial elections supervisory committee as two toothless institutions that did not have the political will to investigate the poll violations.

Doni Adi Negara, a field coordinator of the rally and a member of the Patriotic Party, said Khofifah's campaign team had adequate evidence of irregularities, which included vote rigging and vote buying, during the vote recount and rerun, but that all sides, including the police, had turned a blind eye to them.

The rally dispersed after five protesters were allowed to file their election violations complaint to a staff member of the polling body.

On Monday, the elections supervisory committee reported a series of administrative violations during the vote recount and rerun to the provincial police for further investigation. Previously, the Constitutional Court had declined to accept them as they were deemed only administrative issues that could not annull the election's final results.

Meanwhile, the United Development Party (PPP) faction at the provincial legislative council protested at the schedule isued by the provincial legislature for the new governor's inauguration, because it was not based on an approval from the legislature's steering commitee.

Jamal Abdullah Alkatiri filed the protest at the provincial legislature's internal meeting to discuss the competence of structural positions in the provincial bureaucracy.

"Our faction agree with the inauguration of a new governor, but it should be done in accordance with the council's internal ruling," he said, adding most councillors did not know anything about the inauguration's schedule, set by the chief councillor for Feb. 12, 2009.

Rally staged to protest violations in E. Java poll

2009-02-27T01:05:00.000-08:00

Rally staged to protest violations in E. Java poll

ID Nugroho , THE JAKARTA POST , SURABAYA | Wed, 02/11/2009 12:23 PM | The Archipelago

Hundreds of people supporting defeated East Java governor hopeful Khofifah Indar Parawansa staged a rally in the city on Monday ahead of the inauguration of Soekarwo as governor.

Soekarwo and running mate Saifullah Yusuf are set to be installed as governor and vice governor scheduled for Thursday.

Protesters staged a free speech forum after they were denied access to the provincial polling body compound, which had been fenced with wire barriers and was guarded by riot police.

He threatened they would stage bigger rallies in the days to come unless the violations were investigated.

The rally dispersed after five protesters were allowed to file their election violations complaint to a staff member of the polling body.

Meanwhile, the United Development Party (PPP) faction at the provincial legislative council protested at the schedule issued by the provincial legislature for the new governor's inauguration, because it was not based on an approval from the legislature's steering commitee.

Jamal Abdullah Alkatiri filed the protest at the provincial legislature's internal meeting to discuss the competence of structural positions in the provincial bureaucracy.

M. Siroj, a member of the council's Commission A for administration and legal affairs, said the schedule was established by the commission with the legislature leadership before the date was proposed to the President through the Home Ministry.

Council Speaker Fathorrosyid defended the fixed date of the inauguration and said invitations had been delivered to all sides to attend the inauguration ceremony during a plenary session of the provincial legislature on Thursday.

Dozens arrested for inspection payoffs

2009-02-27T01:02:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 02/06/2009 8:54 AM | The Archipelago

The East Java Police have detained a former Surabaya city official, six civil servants and 40 brokers who were allegedly involved in systematic payoffs at the city's vehicle roadworthiness inspection unit.

The provincial police spokesperson, Sr. Comr. Pudji Astuti, said detectives were also investigating the involvement of Surabaya Transportation Agency head Bunari Mushofa, still considered a witness in the case.

"Following a recent raid of his residence in Sidoarjo, Bunari is expected to be detained as a principal suspect," she told a conference Thursday.

Pudji, who was accompanied by the lead detective for corruption investigations Adj. Sr. Comr. Anton Sasono, said a former head of that transportation agency, Mas Bambang Supriyadi, and another employee at the roadworthy testing (PKB) unit had been declared suspects in the case Thursday.

The two were named after police had interrogated some suspects and carried out a search and seizure Wednesday at Mas' home where the police confiscated Rp 15 million (US$1,286), a TV set and a bicycle.

Police also rounded up six civil servants - identified as PP, ED, AR, MS, AZ and RR - and 40 brokers after raiding the PKB unit in Surabaya's Wiyung district sometime mid-January. The police confiscated a stash of cash and documents in that raid.

Earlier, the police had also detained four employees caught red-handed imposing illegal levies on truck drivers and expediters needing export and import documents at the seaport of Tanjung Perak.

Separately, the Surabaya City Council has asked the police not to focus only on illegal levies at public transportation services but also to crack down on illegal fees at all public service points to eradicate corruption in the city administration.

Council member Yulyani, who sits on Commission B for budgets and economic affairs, said law enforcers should process corruptors and those paying bribes in an effort to eradicate widespread corrupt practices.

"The city should at the same time revamp the transportation agency with the hope that other units might follow suit."

Yulyani said regular vehicle roadworthiness tests were no longer needed since the city has been enforcing its 2008 air pollution bylaw requiring authorities to revoke the registrations of polluting vehicles.

In contradiction, the city is still applying bylaw 6/2002 which requires all vehicles, including new ones, to undergo a roadworthiness test at the Wiyung facility. That inspection was designed to be so complicated that vehicle owners or drivers would come up with payoffs to speed vehicle certification.

Police investigations reveal that between Rp 20 million and Rp 30 million from the inflated fees were paid to the Wiyung facility head and the city transportation agency head.

In a related development, Transparency International Indonesia (TII) announced a recent survey has found Surabaya to be the most corrupt city in East Java as compared to other cities including Malang, Jember and Kediri.

The findings were based on questionnaires TII conducted with businesspeople, informal leaders and public officials to put together the NGO's Corruption Perception Index (IPK) for 2008. (sal)

Soekarwo wins in E. Java for 2nd time, Khofifah still defiant

2009-02-27T00:43:00.000-08:00

Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 01/31/2009 1:17 PM | Headlines

Despite allegations of numerous violations, the results of the gubernatorial vote recount and revote on Madura Island, East Java, have given a slim victory to Soekarwo and his running mate Saifullah Yusuf to lead the province over the next five years.

Total vote tallies from the three Madura regencies of Pamekasan, Bangkalan and Sampang gave Soekarwo 50.11 percent of all votes in the province, or 7,660,861 votes, while two-time loser Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her running mate Mudjiono took 7,626,757 votes, or 49.89 percent.

The tallies were conducted Friday by the East Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) and witnessed by representatives from the two rival candidates.

Khofifah's camp raised interruptions and objections, including over the lists of eligible voters in all regencies and municipalities during the second round and the vote rerun, and the issuance of a duplicate decision on the vote recount in Pamekasan regency, and finally declined to sign off on the results of the summing up.

KPUD chairman Wahyudi Purnomo said the polling body would submit the results to the East Java Legislative Council, the President and the home minister.

Scores of Bangkalan residents staged a peaceful rally outside the recount venue, where 500 police officers had been deployed to beef up security during the tallying.

Muhammad Mirdasy, Khofifah's campaign team secretary, said his camp had prepared all the evidence to support its rejection of the results, with witnesses already briefed to testify at the Constitutional Court.

"Before and during the revote, we found numerous violations that we have compiled in support of our complaints to the General Elections Commission *KPU* and the Constitutional Court," he said.

Team lawyer Mochammad Rachmatullah said he was preparing to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court within the next three days.

Both candidates have been given three days, until Monday, in which to accept or reject the final outcome of the protracted election.

Let the Potehi puppets perform

2009-02-27T00:32:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 01/23/2009 2:40 PM | Java Brew

His Excellency Lie Sie Bin, the king of the Tai Tong Tiauw, was worried: One of his kingdoms, the of So Pak, had decided to extend its area by building a new city.

Lie Sie Bin, feeling threatened, decided to attack the renegade kingdom, resulting in a major war led by Commander Cu Pi Lun.

An extract of this old story from the period of the Chinese kings was performed recently in the Potehi Puppet Show at the Hong Tek Hian Temple, also known as the Dukuh Temple, in East Surabaya.

Praise to the puppet masters: Members of the Dukuh Temple community make offerings and prayers to mark the ascension of Buddha and gods and goddesses into Nirvana. (JP/ID Nugroho)

The production, along with prayers, took place on the eve of Imlek 2009 (Chinese New Year 2560), performed in combination with celebrations marking the ascension of Buddha and gods and goddesses to Nirvana

The Potehi Puppets, also known as Poo Tay Hie, are a special feature of the Dukuh Temple, where puppet shows are staged three times a day. The name comes from the words poo (cloth), tay (pocket) and hie (puppet).

"The shows start at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and at 6 p.m. so all members of the temple community can enjoy the stories told by the puppets," said Edy Sutrisno, one of the Potehi puppeteers.

History leaves no certain record of the origins of the Potehi Puppets. Some say the art began 3,000 years ago during the Tiu Ong dynasty. At that time, the story goes, four prisoners were facing the death penalty played music using various secondhand instruments. On hearing the music, the emperor Tiu Ong felt consoled and set the prisoners free.

Others believe the Potehi Puppets appeared for the first time during the Jin Dynasty in the third to fifth centuries AD. They developed in the Song Dynasty in the 10th to 13th centuries.

Potehi puppets remain popular, with a history that straddles cultures and ages. (JP/ID Nugroho)

The Potehi Puppets became well known around three centuries later, when Chinese people first came to Indonesia. Since that time, performances using solid puppets such as the West Java Golek (wooden) puppets have been staged in temples across Indonesia. Productions range from the classical stories of the Chinese Dynasties, through to popular - though meaningful - stories such as the Kera Sakti (the Sacred Monkey).

The instruments used are Chinese musical instruments such as the gembreng (a flat gong), the rebab (a two-stringed instrument), the gwik gim (guitar), the suling (flute) and the simbal (cymbal). Whereas originally the Hokkian language was used, Indonesian is now used here.

The sad part of the story is that, despite popular interest in the Potehi Puppets, they were banned when the colonial Dutch administration prohibited Chinese arts in Indonesia. This happened again when the Soeharto government banned Chinese art.

These bans ended when former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid reopened opportunities for Chinese art. The Potehi Puppets returned to reclaim their popularity.

Mujiono, 48, puppeteer and narrator for the Dukuh Temple Potehi Puppets, started working with the Potehi puppets at the invitation of his uncle when he was in junior high school

"There was a woman who was originally from Hokkian and who was on the staff of the Dukuh Temple. She became my teacher," Mujiono said.

To strengthen the puppet characters, Mujiono diligently reads the temple's books about Chinese history. Now, after dozens of years with the puppets, he knows Chinese history by heart.

"But the fact remains that many Chinese leaders are difficult to play, such as Gia Ko Bin, whose character is not old, not young, not bad, but also not good," he said.

The world of the Potehi Puppets is an enjoyable one for him, especially when he and the five members of his troupe can entertain people of Chinese descent with a keen interest in the art.

"I've been to other cities to perform shows with the Potehi puppets an uncountable number of times," said Mujiono, who charges Rp 5 million (US$450) for a performance. "I feel happy seeing people enjoy my show."

Madurese services a century-old tradition

2009-01-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jember, East Java, Fri, 01/02/2009 10:30 AM, Java Brew

Adhu Yesus Alla kasokan se toron, Rabu e alam dunya karsa merokon, Enggi e antarana reng-oreng se odhi, Jugan kaula neka ampon e tembeli.

(Jesus came to earth, Earth and nature received peace, This was felt by all humankind, Who have been forgiven their sins.)

The theme of this hymn is the birth of Jesus Christ. Madurese congregants sang it during Christmas Eve services this year at the East Java Christian Church (GKJW) Sumberpakem in the town of Jember.

Dozens of people who attended the service joined in the singing to express their thankfulness to God.

"Ampon kaula ngartetresna panjenengan, paneka sengatore ajunan sampiyan (I've felt love from Jesus, and all this happened because of the will of God)." Pastor Sapto Wardoyo spoke these words in Madurese during the service.

The GKJW Sumberpakem church in Sumber Jambe subdistrict, 35 kilometers from the city of Jember, is different from other churches in Indonesia because services are held in three languages: Indonesian, Javanese and Madurese.

Even the Bible they use, called Alketab, is a special Madurese edition.

"We use this Bible to be sure everyone understands its teachings," Sapto said.

Madurese has been used in the church continuously for more than 120 years.

J.D. Wollterbeek wrote in his Babad Zending Ing Tanah Djawa (Spreading the Bible in the land of Java) that the arrival of the Christian missionary Dr. Esser to Sumberpakem was what started it all.

Esser already spoke Madurese and Javanese fluently because he had studied both in Surakarta (Solo) in Central Java.

The Dutch pastor successfully joined forces with a Madurese man named Ebing who became a faithful follower. Ebing was the first Jember resident to be baptized a Christian on July 23, 1882.

Esser and Ebing conducted services in that area for more than seven years, but during that time neither had any success in Christianizing even one person.

"Esser got frustrated and moved his church to Bondowoso, about 35 kilometers from Sumberpakem," Sapto said.

Though Esser continued his missionary work, he later wrote he thought he had failed to make any headway in Bondowoso as well. Esser went back to Holland in 1889 and a second pastor, H. Van Der Spiegel, came to replace him.

The situation did not change, and several pastors arrived in rapid succession. Van Der Spiegel was replaced by P. A. Otto Lander in 1890. H. Dekker arrived in 1891, then H. Hendrik filled the post between 1897 and 1908.

"Pastor Hendrik lasted the longest and was the most successful," Sapto said.

Though he successfully converted some in the community, Handrik's presence in Sumberpakem led to unrest. One day a mob burned down his house and the church which had been erected in Slateng under his guidance.

Since then, no more Dutch missionaries have come to Jember or the surrounding area. After 1908 the mission entrusted its responsibilities to Ebing and his son Sulaiman.

Ebing continued the work and found his more familiar preaching style helped make the Christian religion more acceptable to the community. Ebing continued to preach in Madurese to be sure his messages were easy to understand by the Maduranese who had settled there.

"The efforts of Ebing and his son Sulaiman helped Christian teaching in Sumberpakem and Slateng to increase sharply," Sapto said.

The sharpest increase in followers came about from external circumstances. After the Sep. 30, 1965 coup attempt in the capital which led to Sukarno's ouster, violence erupted in other areas of the country, particularly in Central Java. In the area around Jember, Communist supporters and non-Communists traded violent attacks in the days following the coup.

At the time, Jember was a base for groups hostile to Communism. Frightened members of the Communist party (PKI) became Christians on the spot and joined the church congregation.

"Later, when the situation returned to normal, Christian adherents in Sumberpakem numbered no more than a hundred people," Sapto said.

Back to his minority status after the upheaval, the Maduranese church continued to serve its community.

Another Indonesian pastor, Alphius, took up the baton from Ebing and Sulaiman in 1972. The current pastor Sapto Wardoyo, who graduated from the Protestant Theology Institute in Malang, East Java, took over from Kukuh Supitono in 2002.

Sapto said he considered his coming to Sumberpakem to be a challenge from God to further Dr. Esser's missionary efforts that had begun in the 1880s.

Spreading Christianity in the middle of Jember, where the majority of residents are Muslims, was a daunting challenge, but working in Madurese helped Sapto.

"I had to learn the Madurese language to be able to run my mission here," Sapto recalled.

Studying Madurese culture was Sapto's first task, which was not easy for the father of two who was born in Yogyakarta.

Things changed when he moved to Situbondo, 70 km from Jember, a focal point for Maduranese culture.

"The culture in Situbondo is special because it has a very high tolerance level," he said.

That tolerance made it possible for him to get to know Muslim teachers and leaders of Islamic boarding schools in the area.

His study of the language and culture took many years; while he studied, he appointed Madurese advisers to supervise him whenever he gave sermons in that language.

He asked the two advisors, both from Sumberpakem, to correct his pronunciation and delivery.

"This was crucial. Even though a person can speak Madurese, the language used in the church has to be rendered softly," Sapto said.

His careful efforts eventually bore fruit. After six years, Sapto is fluent in Madurese.

Developing a local way to convey Christian teachings has its lighter side. Sapto relies on special local Christmas trees.

"The Christmas tree sends a message of joy and stands for the strength of the Christian faith. These ideas can be represented by any kind of tree, even these coconut palms and banana trees."

Johan Budhie Sava: Taking books across the county

2009-01-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Fri, 01/02/2009 10:30 AM, People

After opening 17 bookstores across Java and Bali, Johan Budhie Sava was at a loss for words when asked about his next plan.

After a brief silence but with a determined look, he said he wants books to be spread out evenly throughout the country, from Aceh to Papua.

"Maybe this will not be easy, but I'll try," said the 44-year-old man.

Eighteen years ago, when Johan opened his first Togamas bookshop in Malang, East Java, he never thought his business would grow this large.

It was not his intention to open stores across the island when he opened his first in his wife's parents' house back in 1990. It was a desperate measure to continue to make a living.

Swandayani's parents also loaned him the capital of 35 million (US$3,200).

"At that time, the only thing in my mind was how to sell books for food," he remembered.

Besides looking after his own bookshop, Johan did not forget "to glance to the left and the right" at his Malang competitors.

That was simple. He only needed to check out how many vehicles were parked in front of his competitors' bookshops.

"If there were large numbers of motorcycles and cars parked there, it meant that I had to think hard to look for new and creative ways to attract customers," laughed the father of two children, Bayu Dharma Saputra Sava and Aditya Dharma Putra.

Good fortune was on his side.

Eight years later, in 1998, he won a car from a lottery at a private bank. He sold the station wagon, using the money for a down payment on a building not far from his original shop.

Unfortunately, when the buying and selling contracts were signed, the Rp 70 million from the car was not enough.

"I was confused. Fortunately I had a relative who lent me money," he said.

Soon, another bookshop opened.

As he was close to lecturers and university students, his inventory focused on books used by university students, especially those from the schools of economics, technology, politics and medicine.

He also met with the lecturers to determine what sorts of books they needed most.

The winds of luck kept blowing.

His relationship with motivator Tung Dasem Waringin and the Indonesian University lecturer Amir Abadi provided a breakthrough when he opened a Togamas branch in Yogyakarta in 1999.

Over the next few years, Johan opened more stores. These were in Semarang, Central Java, in 2001; the East Java town of Jember in 2002 and its capital city Surabaya in 2004; the West Java capital city Bandung and Bali capital city Denpasar -- both in 2007.

This year, he opened up a Togamas in Jakarta, Surabaya saw its second store, and another opened in Kediri, East Java.

Next year, he plans to set up shop in the East Java towns of Probolinggo, Mojokerto, Blitar and Banyuwangi.

This means 17 bookshops will have been come into existence in the past 18 years.

With such a busy business, is running bookshops profitable? Not really, he said.

Although he calculates that there is still a market of 93 percent of the country's population that hasn't touched books, the loss in this business is big.

In Yogyakarta alone, Johan and his colleagues recently suffered losses of up to Rp 600 million.

Meanwhile in Surabaya, the man who graduated from Surabaya Narotama University's agriculture and management faculties, lost Rp 3 billion in only eight months.

"Profit and loss come and go in the book business. The important thing is to keep running and to show positive progress."

His convictions have also driven Johan to widen his range to Timika, Papua, as he is thinking hard about opening one in Papua.

The idea came after he found out the province is still using a 1978 curriculum.

"It (the curriculum) is so different (from the one) in Java or Bali. It's difficult to get books in Papua because the book distribution system doesn't extend there. Consequently, the education system in Papua has been left far behind."

Additionally, Johan also supports the government's efforts to give free books through the Electronic School Book program, or BSE.

For some, the program can be seen as indirectly killing the book printing and publishing business. But not for Johan.

"Don't forget, books correlate to an increase in intellectual efforts. The more the intellectual ability of Indonesian citizens is improved through the program, the larger the book markets become, so the program has to be supported."

The program is a necessity. Indonesians should be forced to follow existing global developments or the country will be left far behind other countries, he said.

"At present, the development of advanced countries such as the United States can be noticed ...."

Johan is practicing this philosophy with his family. His two children who are now in junior high school and elementary school, and are well used to reading books and looking for information on the Internet.

What they discover intellectually has later on been used to broaden his children's ways of thinking.

"When one of my in-laws was sick, my children searched the Internet and discovered the disease's worst symptoms which my in-law was suffering," he said, as an example.

Johan realizes that his convictions might be too idealistic for some but he insisted that those in the book business need to be idealistic -- a big profit is hard to come by.

After being in the business for 18 years, Johan still lives in his house in Malang.

"If there are businesspeople who want to join me but ask for a big profit, it's better that I reject their offers because the book business is actually not like that," he said.

LBH slams govt, Lapindo for sloppy response

2009-01-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Fri, 01/02/2009 10:28 AM, East Java

Surabaya Legal Aid Institute (LBH) has urged the Indonesian public to pressure the government and PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. energy company to seek an immediate resolution to unresolved Sidoarjo mudflow issues.

On Wednesday in an evaluation of the 2008 law and human rights issues, LBH Surabaya land and environment division head Faiq Assidiqi said both the government and Lapindo (owned by the Bakrie family) had failed to show strong political commitment to resolving the social aspects of the disaster, which had affected the livelihoods of thousands of Porong residents and had caused massive environmental damage.

The mudflow, caused by Lapindo's mining activities in May, 2006, had displaced dozens of families whose assets were destroyed and had also destroyed their sources of income. It had done irreparable damage to the environment and had destroyed dozens of factories where local residents were once employed.

Despite these impacts, however, the government and Lapindo had acted less than satisfactorily and had yet to provide comprehensive solutions to the issue, he said.

"It is apparently not enough for mudflow victims to stage protests at the disaster site, but the entire society should join forces to make the government and the energy company provide legal advocacy for the victims."

Faiq insisted that the mudflow victims had lost not only their assets but also their cultural environment and their ability to earn a living. Their children had been denied access to education and a healthy environment, he said.

LBH, which has provided legal advocacy for Lapindo victims since the time of the disaster, was disappointed with the government's handling of the issue and Lapindo's failure to provide compensation to victims, he said.

Faiq cited Presidential Instruction No. 14/2007 requiring Lapindo pay compensation to residents of four villages in the area, and a new instruction requiring the government pay compensation from the 2008 state budget to victims outside the disaster area, claiming both were unapplicable.

Minarak Lapindo Jaya, a subsidiary of Lapindo, has paid 20 percent of the agreed compensation amount to a large proportion of the victims, while a smaller group do not have required documentation of their damaged assets and have yet to receive anything.

"The deadline for the payment of the remaining 80 percent compensation passed last August -- it was suspended because of the global crisis," Faiq said.

Since the disaster, hundreds of victims have been living in temporary shelters in the Porong market building, stranded, and dozens of others have erected tents at the gateway to the Nirwana village housing compound (earmarked for the victims), but most had yet to receive housing as construction had been suspended because of the economic downturn, he said.

Previously, the National Human Rights Commission recommended the government relocate affected villagers by providing each with 500 square meters of land plus Rp 10 million in cash.

Faiq questioned police investigations into the mudflow disaster, saying that so far two Lapindo executives had been named suspect, but police had yet to report any progress in the case.

Faiq also questioned the resolution of the Alas Tlogo incident which claimed four human lives in Pasuruan in 2007, saying that so far only marines involved in the shooting had been brought to justice, but no compensation had been paid.

Chinese deputy PM visits bridge project

2008-12-22T02:14:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Mon, 12/22/2008 11:05 AM, Headlines

Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Li Keqiang inspected a bridge project in East Java on Sunday to consider a further loan of US$68.93 million for the bridge, which connects Java and Madura.

"The visit is part of a planned disbursement of the second stage of the loan by the Chinese government," head of Suramadu bridge development Atyanto Busono said in Surabaya.

Atyanto said the Chinese government, through Bank Exim of China, had earlier provided the first-stage loan of US$160.2 million for the national project.

He said the disbursement of the second-stage loan was originally scheduled for October but had been postponed because of the global financial crisis.

"Moreover, Bank Exim of China requires a new progress report on the project," Atyanto said.

He said the loan would be used to finance the completion of the main span, which is now having box girders installed, and to purchase stayed cables.

The province-owned Bank Jatim earlier provided a bridging loan of Rp 50 billion (US$4.5 million) to continue the development of the 5.4-kilometer bridge while waiting for the payment from China, he said.

The bridge is being developed in three parts; the Surabaya causeway (1.4 kilometers), the Madura causeway (1.8 kilometers) and the main span (2.1 kilometers).

Atyanto said the Surabaya causeway was 99.80 percent complete and the Madura causeway 99.23 percent complete.

"So far, the development of the middle part or main span of the bridge has reached 81.74 percent," Atyanto said, adding that overall, the bridge was 88.46 percent complete and access roads on either side of the bridge were 90 percent complete.

The total cost of the project, which is due for completion next year, is Rp 5.4 trillion.

Once completed, the bridge, whose construction was inaugurated by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2003, will be the longest in the country.

Weighing the social content of CSR

2008-12-19T19:17:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Thu, 12/18/2008 11:15 AM, Supplement

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are often seen as magical cures for people's difficulties. However, a company may not fully comprehend the real needs of the concerned community and consequently all the good intentions may end up being for naught.

In the beginning of June, residents of Tuban, East Java, found themselves in the news. The people, who lived close to a well-known cement factory, rejected the company's CSR efforts there. They said the CSR program had been created by a number of NGOs in Tuban to make a profit from the company by "selling" the sufferings of the people of Tuban.

Their action, which was reported by several East Java newspapers and a website, fortunately did not make news nationwide. It also did not affect or halt the cement factory's production. However, it did demonstrate that CSR programs could be abused, and that it could happen anywhere.

CSR is nothing new. Initially, a number of companies ran community development programs in their efforts to help local administrations develop communities living close to their operation sites. However, as the issues addressed are more varied, the companies conduct community development activities under a CSR scheme.

In Indonesia, CSR became more intense after Law no. 40/2007 was enacted, making it compulsory for companies to conduct them. Article 74 of the law states that companies involved in natural resources are obliged to be environmentally and socially responsible and bear the costs.

State-owned companies, likewise, have to implement CSR programs based on Law No. 19/2003 pertaining to state-owned companies. CSR here is place in a respectable positioned as there are clear budgets and guidance for their execution through the state minister of state enterprises. All this is interpreted as the Environment Preservation and Partnership Program (PKBL) to be conducted by all state-owned companies.

What was implemented by PT Semen Gresik in mid-August can be considered an achievement in the history of state-owned companies' CSR activities. The Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) awarded the company as the initiator of certifying 1,000 masons.

"Today is a historic day for Semen Gresik. In its 51 years it has succeeded in producing 1,000 Friends in Developing the Nation from various cities in Java and Bali," said Semen Gresik president director Dwi Soetjipto.

The program of 1,000 masons as the Friends in Developing the Nation is a continuing program to create communities of highly skilled masons in every regency in the country. The masons are no ordinary masons. They have to be aged between 30 and 56 with work experience of at least 10 years and domiciled in the related regency. Their certificates are nationally recognized and are issued by the Skills Certification Agency as well as accredited by the Construction Development Agency (LPJK) in East Java.

To date, Semen Gresik's certification of highly skilled masons has covered 28 regencies in three provinces, namely East and Central Java and Bali. "All these masons are recognized as highly skilled professionals. They are available for employment at any time, while their value is quite high," said Dwi Soetjipto.

Under its CRS program, state electricity company PT PLN donated a Suzuki APV Home Care vehicle valued at Rp 136.8 million to the Palliative and Pain Center at Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya. The company also provided a soft loan of Rp 100 million via its partnership program to the Seloliman-Mojokerto Micro Hydroelectric Power Generator.

Besides donating to the health sector, PT PLN has stated its concern about education, local culture, preservation of the environment and global warming. To date it has donated school books, tables, chairs and book shelves to the Pacitan Smart House Library, gamelan instruments, drums and six motorcycles as well as planted one million trees.

In the world of telecommunications, PT Telkom has made major strides. In May, the company provided aid amounting to Rp 416 million to the Food Resilience Program in East Java, which was earmarked for Surabaya and Madura island.

For its CSR programs, PT Telkom has allocated Rp 26.9 billion, which is a significant increase from the 2007 budget of Rp 20 billion. Out of this amount, Rp 8.9 billion is for environmental preservation covering related education, training, disaster relief, public facilities, health centers and places of worship.

From aforementioned examples it is clear that laws covering CSR have been effective. Today, almost every major company has CSR or community development (CD) programs. However, in the absence of standard procedures in implementation, CSR and CD programs have become nothing more than mere charity. What's worse, they very often become a company's image building program.

In one study on CSR, social policy analyst and CSR consultant Edi Suharto noted that many companies were implementing programs on a copy-and-paste basis and merely spending the allocated budget. As most of the communities' aspirations and needs are neglected, many CSR programs of various companies become similar and often overlap. As a result, a program does not empower communities but turns into three ills: dependency, as the communities become highly dependent on the aid; blackmail, as members of communities often force their will upon a company; and poison, which simply damages both the company and the public.

However, Edi Suharto said, a number of CSR programs are varied based on a needs assessment. The variety of programs can be seen from the following examples: development of education and health facilities, providing loans to small and medium enterprises, social forestry, breeding of butterflies, scholarships, information on HIV/AIDS, enhancing knowledge, development of society protection conducted by members of communities and many others. So CSR is no longer only a matter of "do good and look good", but also "create and make good" in the sense of improving the communities' welfare.

"The question is whether cooperation between a major company and small enterprises is economically beneficial for both sides or merely exploitation of the small entity by the giant corporation? Can this then be categorized as positive CSR?" wrote Edi in the study. This cutting question has indeed restated or redefined CSR, which remains varied. "In my opinion, the definition of CSR is the company's concern in allocating part of its profit for the good of the people and the environment in a sustainable way and based on accurate and professional procedures," wrote Edi further.

The director of the East Java Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Bambang Catur Nusantara, has a different opinion. The director said that in reality CSR only maintains a company's capital and other resources, while actually CSR means a company's responsibility in respecting the communities' rights from the very start of the company's establishment through to the production process and final production.

Bambang Sunarto: A taste of Java in New York City

2008-12-17T06:16:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , New York | Tue, 12/16/2008 11:04 AM | People

The cold teased the group of people in the garden, and some occasionally shivered. "If you can't stand the cold you can come into the house, but don't forget to enjoy a special meal of Indonesian food," Bambang Sunarto told The Jakarta Post.

That Sunday morning, Bambang and dozens of members of Cakra, a Javanese community group in New York, were holding their monthly meeting -- in this case, their first after the Idul Fitri holiday on Oct. 1 and 2.

"It used to be a monthly meeting, but this time it's more special because we are holding the Halal Bihalal (a gathering especially to ask for forgiveness that follows Idul Fitri)," Bambang said.

Cakra was formed at the wish of young Javanese, although it is not exclusively Javanese. There are several other Indonesian community groups in the United States based on race, religion, address or the region where they live.

These include the Indonesian Youth Union Society New York, the Indonesian Downtown Youth (PDI) NY, the Maesa Family Group NY, the Maluku Community Family Association, the Aceh Community Union Society and the Minang Mangimbau Family Union Society.

The name Cakra is an amalgam created from the words cipta (to create), karsa (a wish or intention) and rasa (taste, sensation, feeling, sense). In other words, people who join Cakra must want to create something that is noble because their feelings come from the heart.

"But Cakra also has another meaning. It is a deadly weapon that is endowed with magical power to use in the fight against evil," said Mucharor Zuhri, one of the founders and a former leader of Cakra.

"This means that through Cakra the community members will be released from all sorts of evil temptations that may attract them during their time in America."

When Zuhri decided to move to Houston, Texas, a year ago, Bambang, originally from Wonogiri in Central Java, was chosen as head of the second generation of Cakra, a position with special responsibility, because "we carry the name of Java and Indonesia".

There are now about 1,000 Javanese in New York, which is quite a different situation to when Bambang first came to America in 1973, at the age of 24. "There were only a few Indonesians in America so there was no wish to demonstrate their existence here," he said.

That's hardly surprising: At that time, Bambang was a cook in a restaurant belonging to the Indonesian oil and gas firm PT Pertamina.

Bambang's two children -- Wenny Kartika and Yudha Wirawan, who were both born in the United States -- spend most of their time with their American friends rather than with friends from Indonesia. "Luckily my wife (Enny) and I keep introducing Indonesia to our two children so they haven't forgotten their roots."

Over time, more and more Indonesians migrated to the United States. According to data from the Indonesian Consulate in New York, there are 15,000 legal Indonesian immigrants registered across 15 states. There are also Indonesians who have not registered with the consulate or who may be illegal immigrants.

Bambang and other immigrants who have been in the country for a long time realized there was a good reason to give in to the wishes of the young Javanese who wanted to set up their own community group.

"Pak Zuhri and I, along with other friends, agreed to form Cakra," he said. Bambang's family fully support his involvement in Cakra, and all four always attend meetings together.

Bambang, who is now a member of the committee of Overseas Electors (PPLN) for the 2009 general elections, said people often had the wrong idea about Cakra and kejawaan (being Javanese), which is associated with the organization.

There are those who believe that Cakra is separatist and exclusively for Javanese, a belief, Bambang says, "that is totally not right". Actually, although they use the name of Java, the members of Cakra come from various backgrounds, and include not only ethnic Javanese, but also people from other ethnic groups across Indonesia. Some members are not even Indonesian.

"This usually happens because they married a Javanese person and followed them to join Cakra," Bambang said. Such people are welcome: The diversity brings color to Cakra and makes it more interesting.

The establishment of Cakra has started to create a spirit of togetherness among Indonesian immigrants; the group now has in its membership 63 families with a total of 252 people. "Actually when compared with the number of immigrants in America this is nothing, but didn't we all start from small beginnings?" Bambang said.

Every month, he holds a Cakra meeting, usually in the yard of a religious place or at the house of a Cakra community member. Although the group tries not to be too Javanese, Bambang and the other Cakra leaders do try to insert Indonesian culture (including Javanese) into Cakra activities.

The simplest way to do this is to serve Indonesian food at every meeting: ote-ote (prawn fritters), sate ayam, (chicken satay) urap-urap (vegetables and coconut), bakso (meat balls) and traditional market snacks.

"The food that we serve at the functions can't always be obtained in America, so this says a lot about the longing Indonesian people have for their food," Bambang said. Another way of keeping close to Indonesia is through Media Cakra, an Indonesian-language monthly publication that focuses on Indonesia.

"In Media Cakra, we discuss many things that breathe Indonesia, such as Ken Arok (the 13th century East Javanese leader of the Singosari kingdom), how to understand the Javanese alphabet, the Negara-kertagama (a Majapahit era document), through to recipes and how to make dishes that are specialties in Indonesia."

Even though these things are simple, Cakra manages to leaves a trace of Indonesia in the heart of young Indonesians living in America. "I still feel that I am an Indonesian," said 16-year-old Chita Boedidharma. For Chita, Chakra meetings are worth waiting for. "It's not only a place to hang out, it's also to remind us that we are Indonesians."

Key points in Jakarta Declaration

2008-12-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

Wed, 12/17/2008 11:11 AM World

With more than 1,400 journalists and media workers killed around the world in the line of duty between 1996 and 2008, the International News Safety Institute (INSI) unveiled a Jakarta Declaration at the end of its two-day conference on Tuesday in which it called on governments and media organizations for greater work safety.

*Governments are responsible for the safety of all of their citizens, including news media. They must end the culture of impunity in which journalists are murdered.

*News organizations are responsible for providing appropriate safety and trauma training, equipment and insurance for death or disability when their employees cover dangerous stories. Such provisions must cover all staff and freelancers.

*Journalists and media owners should discuss and agree on appropriate operational procedures governing safety and trauma.

*Journalists and other news media staff and freelancers must help and assist one another in hostile environments.

***

Reporters told to watch their own backs

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Tue, 12/16/2008 11:06 AM The Archipelago

A regional conference on journalist safety concluded that the government, media organizations, professional organizations and journalists themselves should ensure the safety of reporters in the field.

It said all aforementioned parties should be informed of a journalist's whereabouts as a safety precaution.

Such suggestions were heard during the two-day Regional Conference on Creating a Culture of Safety in the Media in Asia Pacific, which began Monday.

The 60 journalists from 11 countries gathered at the forum said that safety conditions for reporters were improving, but agreed further precautions, including awareness of safety measures, were crucial.

ABC Australia's Peter Cave said journalists were now more cautious.

"There is a rising trend in the awareness over journalists' safety now, compared to when I started covering news. This is very important," he said.

However, Maria Ressa of the Philippines voiced the need for special regulations for journalists to increase safety conditions.

"There should be a protocol implemented in a particular area on that matter (journalist safety), such as what to do in a certain condition," said Ressa from ABS-SBN television station in the Philippines.

She said the protocol should not only be disseminated among journalists but also other parties, such as governments and the public, to increase understanding and coordination in an emergency situation.

Insany, a Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI) reporter in Ambon, Maluku, cited the dangers faced by journalists reporting on sectarian violence in Ambon.

"Journalists were absolutely subject to danger during the conflict. The people and military had placed journalists in a position in which they could become victims at any moment," he said.

"The military should have protected them, but instead placed their lives in jeopardy."

Alwyn Alburo, from the Philippines' GMA 7 News, said journalists were not protected in the Philippines.

"We just want to hear a statement to stop violence against journalists from the president of the Philippines," he said.

Based on a report released by the International News Safety Institute (INSI), 13 journalists have been killed in Indonesia so far, giving the country the 19th highest death toll out of countries in which journalists have died in the field.

The Philippines is ranked five on the list with 54 deaths, while Iraq tops the death list with 106.

INSI director Rodney Pinder said reporters should be provided with training and "safety devises".

"INSI is aware that it's costly, but their safety is paramount," Rodney said.

***

Myanmar journalists face intimidation, pressure from junta

ID Nugroho and Lilian Budianto , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Wed, 12/17/2008 11:14 AM World

Journalists working in military-ruled Myanmar continue to face intimidation, torture and arrests in reporting on the country's corrupt and brutal regime, despite international calls for more press freedom, a conference on media safety heard Tuesday.

A Myanmar journalist, who asked not to be identified, told the conference that contrary to government claims, journalists in the country were treated as "dangerous enemies".

"There is no freedom for Burmese journalists to write about political and social conflicts," he said while asking that pictures of him and his colleague not be taken, out of safety concerns.

The Regional Conference on Creating a Culture of Safety in the Media in Asia-Pacific was organized by the International News Safety Institute (INSI) from Dec. 15-16, and brought together participants from 11 countries.

Mon Mon Myat, of the Burmese Journalist Protection Committee, said the junta had set up rules under a 2006 law on electronic media and 1996 law on film and computers that restricted how journalists could work.

Under the laws, journalists are not allowed to take pictures that might "pose a threat" to the government, with offenders facing up to 59 years in prison. Internet users are also under strict surveillance by the government, which requires service providers to check every five minutes websites visited by users and to immediately report suspicious or dangerous activities.

In 2008, 12 journalists and bloggers were arrested in Myanmar, the protection committee says. Several popular websites, including yahoo.com and hotmail.com, have also been blocked as the junta further isolates its people from the outside world.

"Eighty percent of Internet sites are banned by the government," said Ronald Aung Naing of the Burmese Journalist Protection Committee.

He added the government also monitored people regularly at checkpoints for cameras or video cameras with "dangerous" content.

Eko Maryadi, of the Indonesian Alliance of Independent Journalists, told the forum that although media freedom in Indonesia had improved since the fall in 1998 of former president Soeharto's 32-year regime, journalists still faced intimidation, harassment and lawsuits in reporting on certain issues.

"We have also seen more business groups filing complaints against journalists, claiming the reports harmed their reputation or business. This was rare in the past," he said.

The latest such case is the complaint filed by the Bakrie Group against Tempo daily over its reports on the financial problems of the group's top subsidiary, PT Bumi Resources.

The alliance recorded 43 cases of violence against journalists in 2005, with 53 in 2006, 75 in 2007 and 52 cases as of September this year.

The conference closed with a declaration calling on all governments in the region to take responsibility for the safety of all journalists working in their countries and to lift impunity for groups that had endangered the lives of journalists.

Madura proposes special economic zone

2008-12-13T17:03:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 12/13/2008 11:14 AM | East Java

Ahead of the anticipated completion of the multibillion rupiah Suramadu bridge project, the Madurese are proposing the island be developed into a special economic zone under the authority of the Mudurese to allow it to catch up with the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya.

In a meeting with acting governor Setia Purwaka earlier this month, the Madura Development Board representing the island's regional administrations, religious leaders, politicians and informal leaders, hailed the bridge megaproject worth Rp 3 trillion (US$272.7 million) as a chance for the islanders to make changes -- especially economically -- while simultaneously maintaining their traditional, religious culture.

"The government should give the locals incentives to advance in the economic, education, political and environmental fields in order to counter modernization following the bridge's operation," said board spokesman Ahmad Zaini.

"The incentives will become the main capital for the least-developed island."

Asked about the details of the proposed special economic zone, Ahmad said the Madurese did not want special autonomy such as what Aceh had, but had wanted a decentralized government approach so that the island had the authority to make economic decisions which would benefit its inhabitants.

So far, Madura has depended on Surabaya in numerous sectors, including its public infrastructures, power and clean water, he said.

There are four regencies on the island: Bangkalan, Pamekasan, Sampang and Sumenep.

The bridge project, which began in 2000 but was suspended several times due to financial reasons, is expected to be completed in March and to begin operating in April.

The idea for the bridge was suggested by construction expert Sedyatmo in 1960.

The interisland bridge connects Surabaya's Ujung Pier with Ujung Kamal in Bangkalan, Madura, hence the name Suramadu which comes from Surabaya and Madura.

It is expected to facilitate transportation to and from Madura, encourage a rush of urbanization, speed up industrial development and attract more investors to the island.

Salamah Cholil, a board member and religious leader in Bangkalan, expressed fear that modernization would damage the Madurese culture and this was why the Madurese clerics had opposed the project in the past.

With modernization, the Madure people might no longer send their children to the mushrooming pesantren or Islamic boarding schools on the island which have been seen as the only answer to the island's poor education system, he said.

Ahmad said the board would continue to campaign for the bridge and its benefits for the island.

Setia appreciated the board's support for the project which he said would make major changes on the island.

The four regencies should put their weight behind the provincial government's plan to revise the province's spatial zoning which will support the island's economic development, he said.

European students give back with big hearts for RI schools

2008-12-13T17:02:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Sidoarjo | Sat, 12/13/2008 11:14 AM | East Java

Maidina Salsa Billa's hand, holding a crayon, stopped moving the moment Anton Mikolasch came into her classroom at a state-run elementary school in Wonokalang, Wonoayu, Sidoarjo regency. Her eyes watched the Austrian student cross the room; he stopped right in front of her.

They looked at each other, Anton flashed a broad smile and Billa, aged eight, responded with a frank smile, before hunching over to resume drawing.

"The drawing books and crayons are part of our gift, we want the students to express themselves freely," Anton, a member of the aid group "Education for Indonesia", told The Jakarta Post.

As part of their goal to better education in the country, seven European students spent two days helping teachers and locals restore the school building, which was in poor condition.

This was the second mission organized by Education for Indonesia, a non-profit organization set up by alumni of the Indonesia-Europe Student Exchange Program in Bali -- the first took place in 2006.

Before Sidoarjo, the European students conducted similar activities in Bali. "We don't want to interfere in Indonesia's internal affairs on education, but this way we can give thanks to Indonesian society, which has allowed us to stay here and learn," said Anton.

Unlike other institutions, Education for Indonesia has no special funds to cover its activities and, therefore, the European students carefully selected the schools they wanted to visit and help. "Prior to conducting our activities, we survey the school we want to help and assess whether our visit can be effective or not."

The students brought educational materials worth Rp 10 million ($US950) and received a charming welcome from a total of 109 students and their teachers. "We do not see the assistance's value but we appreciate highly their goodwill," school principal Hadi Mulyo said.

He said the European students not only brought funds but took the initiative to help repair leaks in the school's roof along with teaching staff and local people. Their cooperation means classrooms will no longer leak when it rains.

Hadi said the financial assistance was used to repair the teachers' rooms by employing local workers.

Anton and his group were apparently proud of their work and contribution to the elementary school. "We want students to feel secure in their classes to allow them to study well," he said. The young students seemed happy with the European students and their interactions became more lively during games played on the second day.

Billa was one of the students who was made happy by the visit of foreign students, she was lucky enough to receive a drawing book and crayons from them. "I feel happy to get a gift from the bule," she said, using the colloquial term for foreigner.

Madura Island gears up for vote reruns

2008-12-13T17:01:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Bangkalan, Madura | Tue, 12/09/2008 7:39 AM | Headlines

The political climate in Bangkalan and Sampang is set to boil over as the two regencies on Madura Island gear up for vote reruns next month.

The planned reruns have become a hot topic among natives in coffee kiosks, traditional markets and workplaces. The campaign teams of governor hopeful Soekarwo and his rival Khofifah Indar Parawansa are intensifying last-minute efforts to win voters.

The campaign teams from the United Development Party (PPP) and the Patriotic Party, which nominate Khofifah and her running mate Mudjiono, have chosen Islamic boarding schools and the Nadhlatul Ulama-affiliated Fattayat women’s organization as the foci for their campaign efforts.

The Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN), which support Soekarwo and his running mate Saifullah Yusuf, are concentrating their attention on winning over local elite groups.

Soekarwo, a former secretary of the provincial government, has won political support from the bureaucracy and local officials, many of whom have had their positions threatened by the issuance of Government Regulation No. 41 stipulating a reorganization of regional administrations.

Salimah Cholil, an executive of the Fattayat women’s organization in Bangkalan, said the Khofifah-Mudjiono pair had replaced their campaign team and witnesses with new faces. The pair has also picked her son, Imam Buchori Cholil, to lobby clerics and Islamic boarding schools in the two regencies.

She said four of the 12 Islamic boarding schools in Bangkalan supported Khofifah and the majority of eligible voters outside the boarding schools had voted for her in the run-off.

“But the vote counting in many polling stations was rigged to help Karsa win,” she said, referring to the pair of Sukarwo and Saifullah.

The Constitutional Court recently ordered a vote rerun in the two regencies and a vote recount in Pamekasan after finding massive and systematic violations had benefited Soekarwo and Saifullah during the run-off.

The provincial elections commission (KPUD) has planned to stage the recount between Dec. 13 and 16 and the vote reruns on Jan. 21, 2009.

Both camps said they were aware that the rerun would be decisive.

Based on the KPUD’s initial count, Soekarwo won the election, securing 291,781 votes to Khofifah’s 151,666 in Bangkalan. In Sampang, Soekarwo secured 240,552 votes compared to Khofifah’s 181,698 votes.

A local figure has called on the poll supervision committee, witnesses, monitoring agencies and the police to pay more attention during the recount in Bangkalan, which he said would be prone to rigging.

“Tanah Merah and Blega are the two districts where the most incidences of vote rigging occurred in the run-off. In Tanah Merah, witnesses for Khofifah were intimidated, and in Karang Gayam village, Blega, chairman of the local polling station, Supriyadi, said he was asked to punch 200 ballot papers to secure victory for a certain candidate,” he said.

Abdul Wasik, an executive of the Patriotic Party in Sampang, asked the public to stay vigilant to signs of vote rigging during the rerun. He said violations were rampant in the districts of Srenyak, Sukodono, Omben and Camplong.

“Yet, Bangkalan is apparently more crucial than Sampang,” he said.

Poll workers protest court’s call for rerun

2008-12-13T17:00:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra , The Jakarta Post , Bangkalan | Tue, 12/09/2008 10:37 AM | The Archipelago

Numerous technical and logistical problems are expected to hamper a planned vote rerun in Sampang and Bangkalan regencies in Madura, including a shortage of personnel and social unrest, the local polling body says.

In Bangkalan, the 9,759 temporary election workers posted at the regency’s polling booths for the first vote have expressed reluctance to help in the rerun, saying they were disappointed by the Constitutional Court’s recent verdict ordering a recount in Pamekasan and a rerun in Sampang and Bangkalan within 60 days.

They said they were concerned mounting political tension in the region could lead to conflicts.

“Most of the non-permanent staff are disappointed by the court’s decision and are reluctant to conduct the vote rerun, but election committees in districts are still lobbying them all,” chairman of the polling body in Bangkalan, M. Zazuli, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Mohammad Fauzan, a member of the polling body in Bangkalan, said Monday that more than 9,000 temporary election workers who manned polling booths in the regency for the initial election had decided not to work again in the rerun in protest of the court’s verdict.

He said he and his fellow workers would only agree to take part in a rerun if it were restricted to the six polling booths that had reported errors in the initial vote. He added the polling body would need at least another month to replace the workers.

“If the polling body is forced to rerun the vote, it will open an opportunity for the candidates defeated in the rerun to file complaints with the court,” he said.

The polling body will have to set up 1,445 polling stations under 843 district election committees for the rerun.

“The court’s decision indirectly gives the impression the voting went beyond the rules of the game in all polling stations during the second round,” Zazuli said, adding that his side was awaiting guidelines from the KPU on how to stage the rerun.

In Sampang, the local polling body had yet to coordinate with district electoral committees to hold the rerun.

“We do not know yet who will handle the vote logistics, including the printing of ballots and how their distribution will be conducted,” chairman of the local polling body M. Dofier said, adding that his side was learning about developments of the rerun from local media.

In Sampang, the polling body must prepare 90 electoral committees in 18 districts, 558 subcommittees in subdistricts and 9,759 subcommittees in 1,445 polling stations.

In Bangkalan, the local polling body must set up 70 electoral committees in 14 districts, 558 subcommittees in subdistricts and 9,282 subcommittees in 1,326 polling stations.

FIGHTING PIRACY

2008-12-13T16:56:00.000-08:00

Business Software Alliance (BSA) representative Donny A. Sheyoputra holds up Tuesday a pirated and an authentic CD to journalists to show them how to identify the difference. BSA has teamed up with the police to fight software piracy in Indonesia, where 84 percent of software products sold last year were pirated versions. BSA estimated those losses at US$411 million.

photo by iman d. nugroho

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Situbondo chicken?

2008-11-27T23:14:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Situbondo Fri, 11/28/2008 10:57 AM Java Brew

Ahmad Junaedi's hand stroked the body of Kancil, his pet chicken, from its head to the tip of its tail.

Occasionally his fingers would massage the brisket of the white-winged chicken. He stretched the bird like a gymnastics trainer going through a warm-up routine with his beloved athlete.

On this particular Sunday, Kancil was racing in the final competition of ayam sap-sap (chicken ceremony).

"This is the final. That's why Kancil has to be truly fit," Junaedi said.

Ayam sap-sap is a traditional competition held by the Pasir Putih coastal community of Situbondo Regency, East Java, around 180 kilometers from Surabaya.

This one is different from other chicken events that are carried out in other regions around the country.

Ayam sap-sap is unique, in that it requires a chicken to fly from a boat out at sea toward the mainland.

Can chickens fly?

That's the contest's unique property. The ayam sap-sap forces its contestants to fly as far as possible toward the mainland -- the one that flies the farthest is declared the winner.

"There is a way to choose chickens so that they can fly far, and that is one of the tricks that has to be mastered to win," Junaedi said.

It is not clear who was the first to introduce this to Situbondo. There are some who say it was adopted from a similar competition held by the community of Kangean Island, not far from Madura Island.

It is also said that the basic idea comes from the traditional culture of sedekah bumi (a thanksgiving ceremony for the earth). Thanksgiving ceremonies performed by farmers -- involving food, plants and livestock, and which are carried out in the middle of the sea -- may have provided the idea for the ayam sap-sap.

The competition was previously held on religious days and national days, such as Indonesian Independence Day, celebrated on Aug. 17.

The Tourist Department in Situbondo then adopted it as an entertainment feature of Situbondo.

"Up to now ayam sap-sap has only been held on the beach of Pasir Putih Situbondo," said Soenarmadji, head of the regional Tours, Destinations and Attractions Division of the East Java Tourist Department.

Because of its unique feature, it's always a highly anticipated event by the local community. Thousands of people from Situbondo and from cities in East Java sit on the beach of Pasir Putih to watch the race.

The chickens always receive a lot of attention from the audience. Before the event, they receive special treatment from their handlers -- they are stroked, massaged and given energy-rich foods, including corn and energy drinks.

The participants must be hens, at least one year old and must be in good physical condition.

The bird's feathers have to be dense, soft and clean. Its wings must be long and dangle down and it must have a long tail. When the most suitable bird has been found it needs to be trained to fly.

In ayam sap-sap, a chicken is thrown into the air -- it then flies toward the mainland. Some of them can fly 300 meters or more.

As the competition date approaches, training becomes more intense, with birds working out almost every day.

Before the race, all birds are examined beforehand by a team of vets provided by the committee.

From the 200 chickens nominated for that Sunday, only 15 made it into the final competition -- including Kancil.

The contestants were taken several hundred meters off the shore by a boat.

Flapping their wings and sailing across the sea to the beach, they could be seen frantically flying toward the shore where onlookers applauded and cheered them on.

Most of the chickens landed safely on the beach; some of them crash-landed in the water.

Junaedi's primed athlete, Kancil, was outdone by a firm competitor called Lorek, who belonged to Rinto from Pasir Putih Situbondo.

"I'm also surprised that Lorek could fly so far," Rinto said.

A day for disabled kids to shine

2008-11-27T23:11:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Fri, 11/28/2008 10:57 AM | Sports

Yusak Immanuel waved his hands in the air, a broad grin on his sand-smeared face, as he celebrated his feat: a personal best in the long jump.

"I am happy. I want to be the champion," Yusak told The Jakarta Post after he completed his victory lap at Surabaya's National Sports Council field on Wednesday.

For Yusak, a student of Siswa Budi, a school for children with disabilities in Surabaya, East Java, this was an exciting day. Yusak was one of 230 athletes with mental and physical disabilities who competed in a sports carnival for children with disabilities, organized by the Surabaya chapter of the Sports for People with Disabilities Agency (BPOC).

At least 45 schools across the city sent students to compete in the carnival, which featured nine different events including chess, tennis, 50-meter and 100-meter sprints, hammer throw, discus throw and javelin throw.

"We take their disabilities into consideration in this competition. People with certain physical disabilities could not compete in certain events," Surabaya BPOC chairman Kasmin told the Post.

In some competitions, trainers or teachers helped out their students with instructions on how to compete in their events.

"Come on ... Please jump with both legs. Don't walk," one coach said to a long-jump athlete.

Nunik Malinda, a sports coach at Siswa Budi, said trainers needed to know the tricks when coaching students with disabilities.

"As children, they always want to play so we need to make them see sport as part of their games," Nunik said.

"Of course, we have to be patient and keep repeating the instructions during the training to ensure that they understand what to do."

A trainer at Sasanti Wijaya school, Biva Syaria Juned, said it was unfortunate that many students with disabilities could not do sports because of the lack of sports facilities at their schools.

"We have to keep introducing sports to the students. But it will be limited to sports that do not need certain facilities," Biva said.

Not all went smoothly on the day. One enthusiastic young athlete kept running even after he crossed the finishing line, and a blind athlete threw a javelin into the watching crowd.

Getting a taste from home in the Big Apple

2008-11-27T23:09:00.001-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , New York | Fri, 11/14/2008 11:07 AM | Potpourri

Nani Tanzil greeted her customers personally. "Hi, how are you?" You look thin now, what's happening? I guess that's because you don't eat here as regularly as before."

She is the owner of Indonesian restaurant Minang Asli in the district of Queens, New York. Minang Asli is just one of tens of restaurants in the United States offering an Indonesian menu.

Nani said running a restaurant in the United States was not as easy as many people would think.

It takes hard work to turn a dream into reality, she said, not to mention fierce competition with other restaurants and the fact that many Americans were not accustomed to the taste of Indonesian food.

"But that doesn't mean there aren't any opportunities. I can do it," Nani told The Jakarta Post.

She has been in the food business since 2004. At the time, Nani, who came to the U.S. as an illegal immigrant, sold food from her house in the Sunny Side district of Queens Boulevard, New York.

Relying on word-of-mouth promotion, the business flourished -- the restaurant in her house became well-known among the Indonesian community and, slowly but surely, among westerners.

Exceeding Nani's expectations, the westerners also loved her food and soon her house could not accommodate all of the eager customers.

"I then decided it was time to open a restaurant."

Her idea was welcomed by one of her friends, who was ready to become a partner. But financial problems became an obstacle.

They then decided to borrow some US$100,000 from a bank to rent a place, obtain permits and others.

In no time, the Padang restaurant opened in Queens.

The struggle continues. In Queens, where Minang Asli is located, there are several other Indonesian restaurants.

"What can we do? They are competitors. I also have to compete with Chinese, Thai, Indian and other restaurants, so things aren't that easy," she said.

In spite of these problems Nani stays optimistic. "Nobody can cook like me," she said.

Indonesian restaurants in the United States have helped Indonesian people living there ease their craving for home cooking.

Tommy Wong, who has been living in the U.S. and working for an electronics company for four years, said he loved to eat in Indonesian restaurants.

"Of course I don't go to Indonesian restaurants every day. But I certainly go there every month to taste food from home," he told the Post when he visited Minang Asli.

Apart from Minang Asli, there are two other popular Indonesian restaurants -- the Bali Nusa Indah and the Kuta Satay House -- in the heart of New York City.

Unlike Minang Asli, they target high-class customers, meaning higher prices with a more luxurious ambience and comfortable furnishings.

"We are actually located in the heart of New York city," said Tjong, the waiters' coordinator at the Bali Indah, which first opened in 1995.

The restaurant, which belongs to Mellyana Alatief, does not only boast Indonesian food as its specialty, but also brings the country's atmosphere to the United States.

Batik from Yogyakarta was chosen to cover the tables and there are various wall decorations brought from home, such as Javanese puppets and Barong Bali masks through to classic photos of the KNIL (the Dutch colonial army) soldiers posing in front of their headquarters in Betawi (now Jakarta).

The restaurant boasts Indonesian popular cuisine, from gado-gado Betawi (mixed vegetables served with peanut sauce), soto Madura (clear chicken soup from Madura), sop buntut Blora (Blora oxtail soup) and udang balado (fried shrimp in chili sauce) to martabak (fried crepe filled with meat, onion and spices).

The restaurant serves es cendol (a beverage made with rice flour droplets), Jakarta es sarikayo (sweetsop fruit) and es teler (iced fruit-cocktail with a topping of condensed milk).

"All these drinks can be found here," Tjong said.

Bali Nusa Indah even brings in special chefs from Indonesia. One of them is Lukman Zubair, a chef from the East Java town of Gresik who has lived for 20 years in the U.S.

"In this restaurant, chefs like me have to cook many different menus since the people coming here have heard about many Indonesian food and want to give them a try," said Lukman, who is a former chef from an American cruise ship.

For this man, living in the U.S. is actually not the final point in his career.

"I actually want to go back to Indonesia and open a similar restaurant in Jakarta," said the father of five.

Despite the promising business, both Minang Asli and the Bali Nusa Indah face similar problems -- such as expensive prices of raw materials and rare cooking ingredients, although some ingredients can be obtained in the U.S.

For example, rendang (beef cooked in spices and coconut milk) is impossible to make without coconut cream, onions, red chili, ginger, galangal and turmeric. Not all these raw and fresh materials are available at U.S. supermarkets.

"The ingredients come from Asia and are actually expensive," Nani said. "I usually get them from a Thai shop."

With stiff competition from other restaurants -- such as Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants -- it is not easy for Indonesian restaurants to stay in business.

Several Indonesian restaurants have reportedly collapsed. Two of them, the Indo House and Padang Raya, were only open for six months.

"But that does not mean there's no opportunity. If you want to sell Indonesian food here, try Javanese food," said Nani, adding she planned to open another restaurant.

Surabaya facing major sanitation problem, experts warn

2008-11-27T23:06:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 11/21/2008 11:13 AM | East Java

Surabaya faces a major threat from inadequate drainage systems and poor waste management that could trigger a serious sanitation problem in the future, two experts warn.

Mas Agus Mardiyanto, dean of Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology's school of environmental engineering, said the poor state of drainage, coupled with shoddy garbage management, posed a chronic environmental problem to residents and hinder any attempts to develop Surabaya into a metropolitan city.

"Annual flooding is a chronic problem city authorities have not solved yet due to the poor condition of drainage. This has been worsened by the increasing production of garbage that is not managed in the Benowo landfill," he told The Jakarta Post after presenting his paper at a seminar on sustainable environmental sanitation for tropical regions here Tuesday.

Mardiyanto said Surabaya produced 900 tons of rubbish every day and its direct disposal at the 37-hectare landfill also posed a health problem to residents in Benowo subdistrict because of the lack of recycling and waste management.

"The landfill faces strong opposition from residents, not only because it poses health problems, but also because its waste water is polluting the groundwater and shrimp and fish ponds," he said.

He added experts from Japan had frequently offered to conduct joint environmental research to seek a comprehensive solution to the environmental sanitation issue.

Mardiyanto also criticized the absence of an integrated water resource management, which is complicating the current water shortage in the city, home to 2.9 million people and thousands of factories.

"As a result, everyone's passing the blame for the polluted rivers and groundwater, with no sides offering a comprehensive solution to the problem," he said.

He added the municipal administration must begin making necessary regulations, and urged water companies to rehabilitate their waste management processes. He also called on NGOs to closely monitor environmental management, and on the police to punish polluting companies.

Tokyo University environmental expert Kensuke Fukushi said the provincial government should devolve the management of water to allow local communities to identify and seek comprehensive solutions to the problems affecting water management.

He added local communities should be trusted to promote the proper management of groundwater, saying skilled engineers were not necessary to help maintain water management facilities.

"Local communities should be given responsibility in managing water resources, and the water distribution should be entrusted to local wisdom," he said.

Overseas voting bodies face snags

2008-11-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , New York | Tue, 11/04/2008 10:34 AM | National

Overseas voting bodies assisting the Indonesian 2009 general election are facing difficulties sending ballots via the post, informing voters about candidates and determining the total number of eligible voters.

These problems have left Indonesians living overseas, especially in the United States, pessimistic about the smooth running of the election.

"Will Indonesia change after the elections? The election procedures are still disorganized. I would prefer to be golput," said Tony Herman, an Indonesian migrant worker in New York. Golput refers to golongan putih: People who prefer not to cast their vote.

He said other Indonesian migrant workers in New York would also not be voting.

"We have received no information about the candidates or new political parties. We only know the old faces. We lack the passion to vote," said Tony, who has lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years.

Sidin Putih Sembiring, head of election procedures in New York, called on the General Elections Commission (KPU) to start informing overseas voters about the parties' and candidates running in this election.

"Because candidates cannot make it to campaign in New York, it would be great if they could promote their programs through the Internet," he said.

However, Sidin was worried that information made available through the Internet would not reach all Indonesians, especially migrant workers.

"Such workers are difficult to reach," he said, adding that many workers might not register with Indonesian embassies or consulates to become eligible voters.

Around 11 million Indonesians are expected to cast their votes in the April 2009 legislative elections in 117 polling stations outside Indonesia. The number of eligible voters in New York is about 7,500.

In total, the KPU has listed the total number of voters at around 170 million. Their votes will decide the 560 lawmakers for the House of Representatives.

A total of 11,225 legislative candidates from 38 parties are running for election.

Bambang Antarikso, Indonesian Consul General in New York, said there was a possibility that the number of unregistered voters could outnumber registered ones.

To update data on eligible voters, the consul general called on Indonesians living in New York to download the registration form from www.indonesianewyork.org.

"Updating the data is important because the ballots will be sent through postal services. Without the update, the ballots may not reach the voters," he said.

Overseas voting bodies face snags

2008-11-03T21:15:00.000-08:00

Poet Moe'inah: The struggle for justice continues

2008-09-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Blitar, East Java | Tue, 09/30/2008 10:17 AM | People

POET MOE'INAH: (JP/ID Nugroho)

More than 40 years since the widespread killings that followed the September 30 Movement in 1965, the tragedy remains an open wound for the victims.

Poet Moe'inah, now 80, lost her husband and sister during the killings, and her freedom of expression for several years afterward when she was imprisoned.

"The time has come for this nation to change and become better," Poet told The Jakarta Post recently.

In the community of Pakisrejo village in Blitar regency, Poet is a legend. Bu Put, as she is known there, knows every elderly resident who has a shadowy political history.

"Many people still come to my house to discuss things, including the future of Indonesia as a country," she said.

Bu Put, who now lives alone, was a witness to a dark chapter in Indonesia's history. At that time, Bu Put was the head of section II of the Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani) in Blitar regency.

Gerwani was the women's organization linked to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), which was held responsible for the 1965 attempted coup.

"From my perspective it wasn't like that, because I knew at that time that Gerwani didn't do all the things we were accused of doing," Bu Put said.

Bu Put's involvement in politics began with her father, Haji Mansyur, the leader of the political organization Sarekat Islam (SI; the Islamic League, an early nationalist organization active in the 1910s and 1920s), which struggled against the Dutch and Japanese.

She did not meet her father until she was six years old, because he had been imprisoned by the Dutch for his political activities around the time of her birth.

"My father's activities were to struggle for society," she said, adding that his political enthusiasm rubbed off on her.

In later years, the Japanese arrested her father and confiscated all family property. Young Poet, at that time a teenager, was unable to continue her education.

"My father wasn't alone. Almost every man in this village was arrested by the Japanese soldiers," she recalled.

In 1946, Bu Put joined the Indonesian Socialist Youth (Pesindo) party, where she held a position in the information department for Blitar regency.

Not long after taking the position, she met Subandi Hadisumarto, a member of the Indonesian National Forces (TNI) from Mojokerto, which at the time was training as a unit with Pesindo.

The two were married in 1947, and Bu Put joined the Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwis), the pioneer organization of Gerwani.

Bu Put held a high position in Gerwani. Her husband resigned from the TNI and joined the PKI, where he became head of the Blitar branch.

Their political life ended after the events of 1965. News of the killings of six generals triggered the campaign to arrest members of the PKI and their supporters, forcing Bu Put and her husband to flee. They were separated in the confusion.

Bu Put ran away to Malang, then to Yogyakarta and Jakarta, while Subandi built up the troops in South Blitar.

"I left my six children with my sister in her house. I was pregnant and on the run," said the mother of seven.

In Yogyakarta, Bu Put was arrested and held for three months. After her release, she fled to Jakarta, where she gave birth to her last child.

Three years later, she returned to South Blitar.

"When TNI troops came by I hid in the caves," she said.

Bu Put's fugitive life ended when, together with others on the run, she was attacked by TNI troops in Gayas Cave, one of the caves in South Blitar.

"I refused to run, I was too tired ... A TNI soldier entered the cave and guided me out. I was arrested."

She was then imprisoned for 10 years, without being charged or taken to court; she was released in 1978. In prison Bu Put maintained her political activities, holding discussions with other prisoners.

"Luckily, the prison wardens knew me and treated me well," she said.

Her release from prison did not mean freedom for the former tapol (political prisoner). Even today, she still experiences discrimination.

A similar fate befell her seven children: They were prohibited from going to school.

The most difficult thing to come to terms with, she said, was not knowing the fate of her husband and her sister. There was a great possibility that the two had been killed.

"My house was always watched by people I didn't know ... Every time we held a party there was always a guest who came without being invited," she recalled.

Things began to change, she said, when Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, became president and allowed tapol who had managed to flee overseas to returned to the country.

The ex-tapol set up the Research Institute for Victims of the 1965 Incident (LPKP), which went on to produce books and publish Gema magazine.

"LPKP is like an institution for the victims from all over Indonesia, including Blitar," Bu Put said.

She added there were around 100 victims in South Blitar who survived the tragedy of 1965. These survivors continue to hold discussions and are involved in activities of the Reconciliation and Truth Commission, which was formed to discuss the issues faced by the victims and survivors.

"Once again, this hasn't been an easy thing. Many of us were taunted by those in society who accepted the New Order government's (anti-PKI) propaganda," Bu Put said.

"For me, even though I lost my husband, my relatives and my friends in the same struggle, I praise my seven children for being good citizens and for living properly."

Hasan Ali: Guardian of Using culture

2008-09-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

I.D. Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , East Java | Fri, 09/26/2008 10:58 AM | People

HASAN ALI: (JP/ID Nugroho)

Hasan Ali believes that the unique arts of the Using people truly show the beauty of the culture of Banyuwangi society.

That's why Hasan, 75, thought it desirable to make an effort to promote Using art by teaching it to children in school.

"If not, I would worry that Banyuwangi art would be lost, eroded by modern culture," Hasan told The Jakarta Post recently.

The afflictions of old age has seen Hasan, who was born in Banyuwangi in 1933, confined most days to the sofa in the lounge of his house.

But his spirit can still be felt through his direct gaze, and the tone of his voice which is firm and loud, especially when he talks about the gandrung dance and the Using language, his two pet topics.

"I've experienced three periods of history -- the Dutch, the Japanese and the Indonesian Republic. But all that time the gandrung dance and the Using language have kept me in love," he said from his home in Mangir village, Rogojampi subdistrict, in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java.

Hasan, who is the father of famous singer Emilia Contessa and the grandfather of singer Denada Tambunan, learned about Using arts, which are remnants of the culture of the Blambangan Kingdom, since he was a teenager.

"Since I was a teenager I liked Using art," he said. His hobby gained him more status when he joined an art group associated with the Indonesian National Party (PNI).

"Because of the art group, I was finally trusted by the PNI to become a member of the Banyuwangi Parliament where I served until 1966," Hasan said.

Ironically the political conflicts of that period also made Hasan's position dangerous.

This was particularly so when Muhammad Arif, the composer of the Genjer-Genjer song (a song associated with Communism), together with hundreds of members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), went missing after the 1965 incident known as the 30 September Movement.

That incident (an alleged coup d'etat in Jakarta) also suddenly linked and identified Banyuwangi art with the PKI.

But as Hasan recalls, what actually happened was quite different. The PKI wanted to eliminate Banyuwangi art, which it considered an art form that damaged the morality of society.

"It was really true that the PKI used Genjer-Genjer as a song of struggle, but apart from that the PKI forbade performances of the Banyuwangi gandrung dance, because it was considered that it would affect society's morals," he said.

Arif, said Hasan, composed the Genjer-Genjer song, during the Japanese period to lift the spirits of the community, which at the time was suffering from poverty.

The Banyuwangi Gandrung dance was nothing more than a social dance; there was no other purpose. The songs that were sung by gandrung dancers were like the local traditional poetry, which expressed wisdom and values.

The impression of immorality associated with the dance appeared because there were certain people who treated it improperly by performing the dance in Banyuwangi's districts frequented by prostitutes.

"Slowly the gandrung dance came to be identified as an immoral dance," he said.

The situation changed after 1965. At the time Hasan had a job as an official in the regional government of Banyuwangi. He was then approached by the former regent, Joko Supaat Slamet, to save the gandrung dance.

"My friends and I agreed to recreate the gandrung dance as a teenagers' social dance performed politely and correctly," he said. Dozens of local artists were invited to participate.

Soon after the performance, the gandrung dance was back in favor. There was even an invitation for the dance to be performed in the State Palace when former President Soeharto was in power. The gandrung dance then became a symbol of Banyuwangi Regency.

Hasan was also interested in another Banyuwangi jewel that had almost become extinct: the Using language that belonged to the Banyuwangi Using tribe.

The Using language had slowly started disappearing from society and nobody in the Banyuwangi community, including many Using people, used it.

"I don't know why, suddenly they felt too ashamed to use their regional language," said Hasan.

Hasan invited Banyuwangi artists to hold a small seminar titled "How to defend the Using language?". The most important recommendation that came from the seminar, which was held in the 1980s, was to introduce the Using language in elementary schools.

"But that wasn't an easy thing to do. It wasn't like the Javanese language where the history has been recorded well. At that time there was no reference book on the Using language," he said.

Therefore, he said, the first item on the agenda was to produce a Using language textbook.

Hasan collected all the data about the Using people that he could access, including 28,000 words of the Using language that were still in use. Ten years later, Hasan had published three books that covered the grammar and spelling of the Using language and a dictionary.

In the process of compilation, the former Banyuwangi Arts Council head had to use the Indonesian, Javanese and Balinese languages as comparative languages.

"I assumed that the Using language has some connection with the Balinese language because it can be seen that some words have the same meaning," said Hasan.

Till now the Using language continues to be taught in the local elementary schools. There are some who commend its beauty, and there are also those who strongly dislike the language.

Many say that it is a credit to Hasan the Using language is still being used.

"Even those Banyuwangi people who have left the region are still using the Using language when they communicate with other Banyuwangi people," he said.

Muslims make pilgrimage to Sunan Ampel

2008-09-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 09/26/2008 11:01 AM | East Java

Thousands of Muslim pilgrims of different ethnicities and backgrounds have crowded the city's Ampel Grand Mosque and its one-hectare shrine to Sunan Ampel.

While kneeling, Muslim families, many of them from the city and its outskirts, prayed and recited Koranic verses until dawn of the first night of the "1,000 months", so-called because prayers made at night during the last ten days of Ramadan are said to bring blessings equal to a 1,000 months of praying.

The Letter of Al-Qodar first declared the final nights of the fasting month auspicious in this way, and for this reason they are also known as the Lailatul Qodar nights.

"Because of that belief, the province's holy sites, including the grand mosque and the Ampel grave compound, will be filled by thousands of pilgrims during the last ten days of the fasting month, just as in past years," A. Nasir, a senior cleric at the grand mosque, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday night.

Over the past few days, the mosque and grave compound has seen an increase in the number of visiting pilgrims, many of them small-scale vendors offering religious relics, Muslim food and attire such as sarongs, prayer rugs and caps.

Visitors can also be seen purchasing dates and perfume before heading home.

For many, the pilgrimage began Friday evening with the Isya prayer, followed at 9 p.m. with the Tarawih. At dawn on Saturday, the faithful then worshiped, reading the Koran, both inside the mosque or by the shrine, some of them dozing slightly while waiting for the 2 a.m. Tahajud prayer to begin, followed by the Sahur meal just before sunrise, and then a morning prayer with the sun's first rays to begin the fasting day.

Firman Basuki, along with 14 fellow villagers from Mojosantren village in Sidoarjo, said he had been making a Ramadan pilgrimage to the compound for the past few years.

"We come here to receive the merits of the 1,000-night prayer," he said.

Mohammad Yatim, gatekeeper of the Ampel shrine, said some pilgrims came from as far as Jakarta, Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan and Pontianak in West Kalimantan.

"All Muslims are allowed to come inside the grave compound to pray," he told the Post on Tuesday. Hundreds of thousands of the faithful from numerous provinces have visited the grave over the past four days, he said.

Sunan Ampel, after whom the mosque is named, was one of the nine spiritual leaders who first spread Islam across Java in the 15th Century, for which he is revered, particularly regarding his religious work in the province.

Born in 1401 into the family of Ibrahim Asmarakandi, in Champa, Cambodia, Raden Rachmat -- as he was called at birth -- moved to Java at the age of 20, when Surabaya was ruled by the Majapahit kingdom, on whose throne sat king Brawijaya. The king lent him a 12-hectare plot of land on Ampel Denta, on which the mosque was constructed using Javanese and Arabic architectural styles.

About the old mosque on Jl. KH. Mas Mansyur legends abound, including one about Mbah (grandfather) Sholeh's grave.

According to the story, Ampel buried Sholeh in nine separate graves inside the mosque because the former longed for more friends and students. During his lifetime, Ampel prayed to God to resurrect Sholeh. "He was revived nine times and nine times he came to the aid of Ampel," Nasir quoted the tale.

Another legend concerns Mbah Bolong, known for pinpointing from the mosque the exact direction of the Ka'bah in Mecca by making a hole in the wall through which an imam was able to peer out.

Water from the mosque's seven ground wells, dug by Ampel himself, are believed to heal the sick.

"However, most Muslims come here not to cure their illness, but to practice their faith and pray to God," Nasir said.

Banyuwangi residents view gold mines with dread

2008-09-19T13:35:00.003-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Banyuwangi, East Java | Fri, 09/19/2008 11:47 AM | The Archipelago

Bejo, his wife and four children watched the sun tilt westward as they wrapped up their business at a fish auction on Puger Beach, Banyuwangi, in East Java before setting out to sea again. The 60-year-old man looked off from time to time toward Mount Tumpang Pitu and the Merah Islands, located some 5 kilometers to the east. "Perhaps this will be the last time I see the mountain before it vanishes from all the gold mining," Bejo said.

Bejo and some 4,500 other residents of Pancer hamlet are the locals most concerned about PT Indo Multi Niaga (IMN) and its gold mining activities on Tumpang Pitu and Merah Islands in Banyuwangi, as they could have adverse impacts on the local fishing, their livelihood. "People say the sea will get polluted, making the fish go away. Then what would become of us?" asked Bejo, whose first wife was killed in a tsunami that struck Pancer beach in 1994.

Based on a report by the East Java chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), gold prospecting in Banyuwangi has commenced based on a plan three companies devised back in 1995 -- Hakman Group (HG), PT Hakman Platina Metalindo (HPM) and Banyuwangi Mineral (BM) -- to establish a Jember-Banyuwangi gold belt. Business owner Yusuf Merukh has several stakes in the project. He owns BM, IMN, PT Indo Multi Cipta (IMC) and a 20 percent share in the gold mining enterprise PT Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR).

The threesome shifted their mining plans from Mount Baban Silosanen in Jember to Banyuwangi when they ran into mounting resistance from environmental activists at the first site. Startlingly, the Banyuwangi regency accepted the request despite the fact they never issued written approval, and on Feb. 13, 2007, gold exploration on Mount Tumpang Pitu and Merah Island got underway.

Is gold mining there a threat to the environment or safe? PT Jember Mineral (JM) and PT Banyuwangi Mineral said they planned to apply the submarine tailings disposal (STD) system to manage mining waste. IMN also has described plans to build such a facility in its environmental impact analysis. That plan details installing an offshore tailings block near Merah Island.

The option of an underground mining method by utilizing a landfill waste management system also cannot assure waste would not flow to the sea, given the location of mine in a block adjacent to the sea. Dumping the mining waste on land would pose hazards to residential and farming areas keeping in mind the landfill was slated to be set up on a 250-hectare plot on the mainland.

Mining observer and member of the Nature Lover Communication Forum Stevanus Bordonski said gold mining in Banyuwangi would likely lead to disaster because of the ensuing effects of mining. "Feasibility studies are important to determine the ecological and social conditions of an area before, during and at the cessation of mining, and this has often been neglected," Stevanus told the Post.

Exploitation by means of open pit mining exploitation would remove soil layers without mineral contents, called over border, resulting in millions of metric tons of excess soil. Soil with mineral contents would then be processed by using modern machinery. Stevanus said in the process of isolating the gold ore, various toxic substances, such as arsenic, hydrocyanic acid and mercury are used, but, most importantly, side effects of mining and processing can produce other toxic gases and elements. "Pollution and environmental destruction are imminent and fatal," Stevanus said.

The Meru Betiri National Park has also raised its concerns over the gold mining activities on Mount Tumpang Pitu and Merah Island. Park official Sumarsono said any mining in Banyuwangi should fall under the jurisdiction of the local Perhutani state forestry company because of their location. He said the adverse impact of mining could effect ecosystems in the park area. "Mining is under Perhutani's authority but we would feel the harmful impact," Sumarsono told the Post.

The Banyuwangi gold mines are only 15 km from three vital beaches within the park -- Rajekwesi, Teluk Hijau and Sukamade -- which have been kept pristine so far. Sukamade is especially important as a turtle breeding site. Walhi estimated ecological damage in the area would be dramatic. The NGO also projected the abundant ground water below Pesanggrahan and Sumber Agung villages, both included in the mining area, could be affected, potentially triggering a water and food crisis there. These villages are one of the rice production surplus centers in East Java, exporting some 10 percent of total production.

Surabaya launches teen awareness drive on HIV/AIDS

2008-09-19T13:35:00.002-07:00

I.D Nugroho , youthspeak - The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 08/23/2008 12:27 PM | Education

Hundreds of teenagers from junior and senior high schools attended an event to vote for student ambassadors to represent Surabaya Stop AIDS at their schools.

JAKARTA-BASED soap opera stars and Close-Up ambassadors Christian Sugiono and Rianti Cartwright energized the event, which was organized by the Surabaya municipal administration, the Unilever Peduli (cares) Foundation and the Spektra provincial nongovernmental organization. Officiating the event was Arif Affandi, the Deputy Mayor of Surabaya and the chairman of the AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA). The teen audience was particularly enthusiastic whenever Christian and Rianti came on stage.

HIV is a virus that attacks the human immune system. This virus can infect other humans through direct exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood through shared needles among drug users, reproductive fluids (sperm and vaginal fluids) through sexual intercourse and breast milk through breastfeeding by an infected woman.

AIDS is a disease that is caused by HIV infection and is characterized by a severe loss of immunity and resistance to infection. AIDS develops within five to 10 years after initial infection by HIV. At present, no cure exists for either HIV or AIDS. In his speech, Arif Affandi said the East Java capital has 1,247 active Stop AIDS ambassadors representing several different schools.

The student ambassadors are tasked with explaining the HIV/AIDS issue to their peers and other teens at their respective schools, and are critical in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS in a school environment. Data provided by the City Health Office show that 2,350 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Surabaya. Nearly 49 percent of these are aged between 20 and 29 years old. “That is why Stop AIDS (student) ambassadors are crucial in the awareness effort,” said Arif.

At the event, Karina Putri Andriyani from SMPN 22 and Fikri Audy Hamzani from SMPN 38 were voted in as junior high student ambassadors. Meanwhile, Widianti Pratidiana from SMAN 10 and Ayu Novi Sari from SMAN 21 were voted in as senior high student ambassadors. Surabaya Stop AIDS generally organizes a series of activities under their KIE (campaign, information and education) program. School Volunteer Teams carry out these activities in health education classes for each grade level.

The KIE awareness programs are also conducted as a National Scouts project or as part of graduation events for both junior and senior high schools. Such occasions provide a platform for reaching out to parents with teenaged children as well. The group also holds formal and informal discussions featuring Stop AIDS ambassadors. Many other events are held to improve teens’ awareness of HIV/AIDS, including poetry readings, posters, cartoons and T-shirts, stickers and pins, as well as drama performances with HIV/AIDS themes.

Government to look into violation of internship program

2008-09-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 09/19/2008 11:48 AM | National

Authorities in the East Java capital of Surabaya expressed shock over allegations that hotels and fast-food restaurants in the city were employing interns and contract-based workers as permanent employees. Ahmad Syafei, head of the municipal manpower agency, insisted his office had never received any report on the matter. "We will send officers to check and conduct a field inspection. It is a serious violation and a form of labor exploitation if the case is true," Ahmad told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Both the vocational schools supplying the interns and the companies employing them, he said, should be held responsible for such violations. A number of vocational high school students have complained about their employment in fast-food restaurants, including KFC and McDonalds, claiming they did the same jobs with the same working hours as permanent workers, but received only pocket money instead of monthly salaries.

Others said they were employed on a contract basis, only to have the management terminate their employment after a few renewals, with no compensation. A few of the interns, however, said they hoped to improve their competence through these jobs, and said the pocket money would help cover their tuition fees. Most of the interns are below the age of 17.

Labor activists have condemned the practice, calling it a trick used by employers to reduce their overhead. They claim the practice violates the 2003 child labor law, the 2004 child protection law and the 2004 national education law. Ahmad said the municipal education and culture agency should also look into the issue to see if the apprenticeship program was being implemented according to prevailing regulations.

"(The agency) should enhance supervision of apprenticeship programs that are implemented jointly by the vocational schools and companies through a memorandum of understanding," he said. Widjil Septadi, head of the provincial education agency's vocational education division, concurred, saying apprenticeship programs were an effective way of improving students' competence.

"The program is legal. It is endorsed by the government to improve the students' competence in particular fields of work so they will be ready for employment after their graduation," he said, adding the program was being practiced nationwide in all vocational schools. However, he said, such a program should only be held for three months and not six months, much less a year. Its implementation can vary, depending on the respective companies and vocational schools.

"If employers are happy with the interns' performance, they can recruit them following their graduation," he said, adding students usually joined the internship program during their final year of study.

Hotels, restaurants hire interns to cut costs

2008-09-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

JP/ID Nugroho
Fri, 09/12/2008 10:51 AM | East Java

Like many workers in general, Murni (not her real name), a vocational high school (SMK) apprentice in a renowned department store and shopping center in Surabaya, has worked as a full-time cashier for almost a year.

Working five hours on shift, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., six days a week, she gets spending money that is only slightly less than the provincial minimum wage.

"What makes me different is I usually wear my school uniform, and I did not apply to work here," she told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old student admitted she was proud of working in the prestigious mall with the salary she uses to pay school fees.

Andi, another apprentice in a similar program in a hotel in the city, expressed similar sentiments, saying he and his colleagues were treated as casual laborers and employed only when the hotel needed them to serve guests during peak seasons and weekends.

He admitted getting Rp 500,000 each month in pocket money.

Most of these apprentices are under the age of 18, yet perform their tasks with a responsibility similar to that shouldered by permanent or outsourced workers.

Wawan (not his real name), a contract-based worker in a fast-food restaurant in Central Surabaya, has been employed for almost two years, and he and his colleagues have extended their work contracts twice.

"Several were told to stop working before their contracts expired, and our employers are looking for high school graduates to replace us," he said.

"I will celebrate this upcoming Idul Fitri because I am seeking a new job elsewhere as my contract expires."

Wawan added he received the minimum wage plus daily meals.

"There are no allowances or social security programs, and our pay is cut if we are absent without a letter from a hospital or physician," he said.

He added all employees there had contracts, with the employer imposing sanctions for any violation of the contracts.

He questioned the operation of the U.S.-based fast-food restaurant and its commitment to employees, saying: "We're aware of the restaurant's wrongful labor policy, but we have no alternatives and there are no other companies offering better working conditions and pay."

All these apprentices concurred that restaurants, malls and hotels were implementing apprenticeship programs and contract-based employment as ways of reducing labor costs, and thus paying workers poorly.

The Surabaya Legal Aid Institution (LBH) condemned the manipulation of the apprenticeship program and contract-based system, which it said had long been in use by local and international corporations working with local education institutions to cut down on labor costs.

"The apprenticeship program has been manipulated. It is exploitation, and encourages child labor, which are against labor, education and child protection laws," said Ridjal Alifi Ramadhan, head of LBH's labor division.

He said the education law stipulated apprentices were not workers, but students conducting a labor-oriented study without the need to do work as employees.

"It is quite strange and goes beyond the law when certain vocational schools sign an MOU with certain businesses before carrying out the program," he said.

"What is really behind these agreements?"

He called on parents to file complaints against vocational schools that he said "have indirectly employed their students in the international brand corporations because the practice is against the national law and international labor conventions and human rights".

Employers told to pay bonus on time

2008-09-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 09/12/2008 10:51 AM | East Java

Authorities in East Java have ordered employers in the formal and informal sectors pay mandatory Idul Fitri allowances to allow workers and their families to celebrate the annual religious event.

Acting Governor Setia Purwoko on Monday said the annual allowance was mandatory. Employers should pay for it to maintain harmonious relations with their workers and avoid unrest.

East Java, especially Surabaya and its outskirts, is home to thousands of big corporations and labor-intensive companies employing millions of low-income workers, he said.

"We have disseminated circulars calling employers to comply with the 1994 ministerial decree that requires them to pay the allowance two weeks before the celebration," he said.

This year's Idul Fitri falls on October 1, 2008.

Provincial manpower and transmigration agency head Bahrudin expressed optimism that big corporations would pay the special bonus.

"We will check on small and medium-scale companies to ensure they comply with the decree."

The decree, he said, stipulates that workers who have been employed for at least a year deserve a bonus as high as their gross monthly salary.

Exception is given to companies having financial difficulties. They are allowed to skip paying the bonus, but only after submitting a request to the agency and after being audited by public accountants, Bahrudin said.

"Companies or employers violating the decree are subjects to a maximum three-month jail sentence or a Rp 50 million (US$5,250) fine according to the 2003 Labor Law," he added.

Separately, labor unions urged the provincial and regental administrations to open posts for decree violation complaints.

Confederation of Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (KSBSI) chairman Rekson Silaban asked the provincial government to remain tough on enforcing the decree because many employers usually used various tricks to avoid paying the allowance.

Among the tricks, he said, include entirely skipping the payment, suspending it after Idul Fitri or granting seasonal gifts.

"The government should make sure the allowance is paid two weeks before Idul Fitri and is as high as the workers' gross monthly salaries," he said.

Charging Workers Alliance (ABM) chairman Jamaluddin similarly expressed pessimism that employers would comply with the decree especially due to the poor global economic conditions thanks to soaring world fuel prices and their impact on the price of raw-materials and basic commodities.

The annual bonus, he said, has been a chronic problem year to year in the province, with 3,181 companies in industrial estates reportedly infringed last year.

The Surabaya Legal Aids Institute (LBH) and United Indonesian Labor Action (Kasbi) has opened a special post for complaints from workers regarding the special allowance this year. Received complaints will be sent to the local manpower and transmigration agency and then brought to the labor court.

HM Sampoerna public relations manager Yudi Rizard said the cigarette company, which employs more than 25,000 workers, has allocated in its annual budget a post for the special bonus. He ensured the bonus would be paid in time.

Maspion PR manager Soeharto concurred, saying that the escalating prices of fuel and raw materials were not a valid reason for his company to postpone the allowance payment.

Apart from the bonus, he said, his company had even prepared buses to transport its 23,000 workers to their home villages to celebrate Idul Fitri with their extended families.

"This is an expression of the corporation's care for the workers," he said.

ExxonMobil vows oil, gas will help empower Bojonegoro people

2008-09-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ridwan Max Sijabat and ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Bojonegoro | Mon, 09/08/2008 10:58 AM | East Java

Local communities and administrations are questioning the social benefit of oil and gas exploration on the border between East and Central Java, three years after ExxonMobil Ltd began operations in the region.

Villagers at each of the four exploration sites in Banyu Urip, Ngasem, and Bojonegoro have taken to the streets in protest at employment policies adopted by the Oil and Gas Implementing Agency (BP Migas).

They accuse BP Migas of underemploying local workers in local infrastructure development projects. Supporting the protests, local regency administrations have asked both BP Migas and ExxonMobil to give priority to local workers, in accordance with their skills.

ExxonMobil spokeswoman Deva Rahman asked the public to consider the joint operating agreement carefully. Saying she was shocked by the protests, Deva argued Pertamina and BP Migas were responsible for handling infrastructure development projects in the contract area.

"Physical development is the domain of BP Migas. We handle oil and gas exploration," she told The Jakarta Post recently, adding ExxonMobil was strongly committed to its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, including employing locals and empowering local partners and furthering investment in oil and gas exploration.

"Just as we do in other developing countries worldwide, ExxonMobil will help improve health, education and economic growth in and around our contract areas in the two provinces," she added.

The U.S.-based energy holding company signed a joint operating agreement (JOA) with state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina for the Cepu contract area back in September 2005.

According to the JOA, Pertamina and ExxonMobil each hold a 50-percent interest in the Block Cepu contract, with an eventual 10-percent holding by a regional entity representing the two provinces' administrations.

Two ExxonMobil subsidiaries, Mobil Cepu Ltd. and Ampolex Cepu Ltd. (MCL), are currently exploring the 1.670-square-kilometer oil and gas fields in Banyu Urip, Sukowati, Jambaran and Alas Tua.

Discovered in March 2001, Banyu Urip is believed to contain more than 250 million barrels of oil, with the field expected to produce up to 165,000 barrels of oil per day, at peak production.

MCL spokesman Primantoko said his company's corporate social responsibility program looks to improve health, education and economic growth in Bojonegoro regency.

His company is in the midst of studying proposed development programs to help empower local communities in all regencies covered by MCL's core operations, he added.

"The community development program has to be designed jointly with recipients, to make it useful for the public at large. We began it long before the oil and gas fields started production," Primantoko said.

As examples, Primantoko cited MLC's construction of a public clinic in Gayam village and public polyclinics in Ngringinrejo and Sumber Tlaseh villages, the latter requested by locals.

MLC also assists farmers in pumping water from the Bengawan Solo river to irrigate farmlands, in addition to helping them start a traditional market to spur growth in the regency's agriculture sector.

With respect to education, starting this November, MCL will pay for 500 one-year subscriptions to The Jakarta Post and Newspaper in Education (NIE), as part of its contribution to six junior high and high schools in the regency, he added.

MCL's acting public affairs manager Rexy H. Mawardijaya said the CSR program was based on environmental impact studies (Amdal) related to oil and gas exploration that were conducted jointly with the government and an independent institution.

Separately, a local environmentalist criticized the government and ExxonMobil for promoting the minor benefits of oil exploration to locals while hiding its negative impacts on the environment.

"Apart from polluting the air, oil and gas exploration is believed to exacerbate drought because it will require ground and river water to drive pumps in the oil fields," chairman of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment's (Walhi) East Java Branch Bambang Catur Nusantara said.

He urged the government and ExxonMobil's subsidiaries to make all necessary preparations for handling environmental problems caused by exploration.

Bojonegoro Regent Suyoto said his government has prepared for all positive and negative impacts of exploration on the local community, the government's economic programs and the environment.

"We have implemented several regulations on employment, education, health and economic contributions to maximize the benefits and avoid negative impacts from mining," he added, when asked recently to comment on the potential impacts of oil exploration in the regency.

Resource-rich Bojonegoro relies on non-oil commodities

2008-09-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ridwan Max Sijabat and ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Bojonegoro | Fri, 09/05/2008 11:30 AM | East Java

Pasiran, a resident of Banyu Urip village in Ngasem subdistrict, some 110 kilometers from the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya, is deeply disappointed with the central government.

The 40-year-old strongly regrets the government's decision not to employ him in a local infrastructure development project led by Cepu Mobil Ltd, a unit of the US-based mining giant ExxonMobil Ltd.

Expecting employment from recent exploration activities in the area, Pasiran said he and his sons -- like many other villagers -- had been refused a part in the project, forcing him to migrate to the city amid the province's prolonged drought.

"I know I'm uneducated and unskilled, but I can contribute something to the infrastructure development project," Pasiran told The Jakarta Post recently.

Ngasem is one of the least-developed subdistricts in the regency, with a majority of its inhabitants living in poverty.

The subdistrict has a four-hectare oil and gas field in Banyu Urip, where the Oil and Gas Implementing Body (BP Migas) is still putting infrastructure in place, including a road.

The oil field is part of the Block Cepu fields, a contract for which has been won by ExxonMobil.

Villagers have several times taken to the streets in protest over employment practices related to the project, closing the road leading to the project site. They blame BP Migas for failing to uphold its social responsibility to empower locals.

BP Migas employed several local senior high school graduates and undergraduates as security guards for the project, but it was done merely to meet minimum ethical requirements and not to empower residents, Pasiran said.

Bojonegoro Regent Suyoto, who supports the protests, said BP Migas and Cepu Mobil have agreed to pave the road in Ngasem and other subdistricts to help accelerate development in the regency.

He warned his constituents, however, not to assume planned exploration of the large oil and natural gas fields in the region would improve their standards of living, as the fields belong to the central government and foreign company.

Speaking to the Post recently at his office, Suyoto said vast teakwood forests and oil fields were not necessarily something to be proud of.

Neither will make the regency more economically prosperous, because the regency will receive only a relatively small share of the profits, he added.

"The teakwood forest belongs to state forest concession PT Perhutani, whose profits go directly to the state while the oil fields belong to the central government," Suyoto said.

Once Cepu Mobil Ltd. starts operation, with a capacity of 400,000 barrels of oil a day -- according to Suyoto -- Bojonegoro will receive 1.5 percent of the profits or about Rp 2 trillion (US$217 million) a year.

"This will not make this regency, with 1.3 million inhabitants, rich," said Suyoto, who is entering his second year in office.

The regent would not elaborate, though the additional funds are certain to boost Bojonegoro regency's current Rp 812 billion budget.

He added his administration is concentrating on repairing the regency's poor roads and on developing irrigation ditches along the Bengawan Solo river, to revitalize the agricultural sector.

Bojonegoro is the second poorest regency in the province, after Trenggalek, Suyoto said. Half of Bojonegoro's budget went to public works projects, including for infrastructure development, particularly an irrigation system and roads.

"A better irrigation system and road networks are two key factors in solving our many social problems including poverty, unemployment and an unhealthy environment," he added.

To assist the poor, the administration has been trying to maximize the central government's health and education programs, Suyoto said.

More than 48 percent of the poor (572,000 individuals) have enjoyed the benefits of the public health program (Jamkesmas), received cash assistance and taken part in the national anti-unemployment program, he added.

"Our main goal is to provide clean water, irrigation facilities and paved roads within three years. Then we will move toward intensifying our education program," said Suyoto, a former lecturer at the August 17, 1945, University in Surabaya.

He admits to an obsession with improving the regency's human development index (HDI) by doubling farmers' per capita income and by improving their health conditions and education.

"We will continue introducing new varieties of rice, melon, soybean, corn and other plants to improve farmers' productivity," he added.

To help realize the regency's goal of raising 400,000 cows a year, he has encouraged his constituents to use harvested rice stems as feed, he said.

"We have also invited a number of state and private banks to provide soft loans to farmers to support the regency's program to promote non-oil commodities," Suyoto added.

AGO investigates airport project

2008-09-05T06:16:00.003-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Banyuwangi | Fri, 09/05/2008 11:31 AM | East Java

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has named a number of former Banyuwangi administration officials as suspects in alleged corruption worth Rp 40 billion during the construction of Blimbing Sari Airport from 2003 to 2005.

The AGO investigation team leader Muhammad Anwar said his team had named seven former officials as suspects but three had not been detained.

He said the team planned to continue questioning Regent Ratna Ani Lestari over her alleged involvement in the case but was still waiting for a permit from the President.

"All suspects will be announced to the public immediately. They will be summoned to undergo a marathon investigation at the Banyuwangi attorney's office," he said after revealing the case in Banyuwangi on Wednesday.

The seven suspects include former regent Samsul Hadi, now serving a jail sentence for another corruption case, property broker H. Effendy, secretary of the regency administration Sudjiharto, former chief of the local development planning board Soeharno and former chief of the local agricultural agency Nawolo Prasetyo.

He said the seven suspects would be indicted for allegedly marking up the price of the 38 hectares of land earmarked for the airport in 2003 and 2005, causing Rp 40 billion in losses to the state.

Nawolo, now chief of the agrarian office in Sangata, East Kalimantan, and Sudhiharto have been detained in Banyuwangi. They and the other suspects they will undergo further interrogation.

"Sudjiharto is accused of disbursing funds for the land procurement and the regent is being held responsible for the mark-up case because he approved the land procurement," he said.

Separately, chairman of the local chapter of Nadhlatul Ulama Masykur Ali called on Ratna to step down from her position because of her alleged involvement in the case.

"It is better for the regent to step down for a fair investigation into the case because she has been held as a suspect," he said Tuesday while at a farewell party for former chief prosecutor Surana.

Ratna, who was accompanied by her husband I Gede Winasa, the regent of Jembrana in Bali, said she would not be pressured by the increasing demands for her resignation because she was not involved in the case.

"I don't know if I am a suspect. This is a consequence that I must take in my position as a public official. I didn't steal the people's money. Whatever happens, the administration must go on running," she said.

She said the new chief prosecutor should work professionally in carrying out a thorough investigation into the case.

The small airport construction has been completed but has yet to be opened. Another one in Jember began operating last month.

The two airports will serve the state-owned Merpati Nusantara Airlines and Tri GM to help improve public services and stimulate economic development in the province's eastern regions, including Banyuwangi and Jember.

The provincial legislative council praised the new airport although former and current Banyuwangi officials were allegedly involved in corruption surrounding its construction.

"The Banyuwangi people and the media should not stop with the corruption case but look at the regency's long-term development program," councilor Wahyudi of the East Java legislature council said.

Prices increase despite fasting

2008-09-05T06:16:00.001-07:00

Fri, 09/05/2008 2:19 PM | East Java

SURABAYA: The prices of foodstuffs in East Java rose between five percent and ten percent during the first week of the fasting month.

The basic commodities price hikes occurred at the Pabean and Keputran traditional markets in Surabaya as well as in Malang and Kediri.

However, increased prices for cooking oil, rice, vegetables, flour and meat have not led to panic at the local markets because demand has remained relatively constant.

The price of eggs rose by Rp 2,000 (21 US cents) to Rp 15,000 per kilogram from the previous Rp 13,000 per kg, and the coconut price rose to Rp 4,500 from Rp 3,000. Meanwhile, vegetables prices generally slumped in Sidoarjo and Gresik.

The beef price rose slightly to Rp 58,000 per kg from Rp 48,000, chicken jumped dramatically from 14,000 per kg to Rp 40,000 per kg, and cooking oil was down to Rp 7,250 from Rp 8,250 per liter in Jember, Banyuwangi and Situbondo.

The provincial industry and trade office was still coordinating with producers and distributors to control the both hikes and speculators, ensuring supply of basic commodities.

"The demand for basic commodities is not increasing because a majority of people are fasting. The rising prices have something to do with the market psychology on the eve of the Idul Fitri celebrations," said a senior official at the industry and trade office Wednesday. -JP

Sanitation problems continue to plague Surabaya

2008-09-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Fri, 09/05/2008 11:29 AM | The Archipelago

Communities in and around Surabaya remain subject to chronic sanitation problems due to lack of public awareness and a comprehensive sanitation system, a conservationist says.

"Although Surabaya is the second largest city -- after Jakarta -- sanitation problems prevail. Many areas have inadequate sanitation facilities. Residents still resort to dumping garbage into rivers," environmental lecturer and researcher at Surabaya's 10 November Institute of Technology (ITS) Ipung Fitri Purwanti told The Jakarta Post in Surabaya recently.

She cited Keputih village in East Surabaya's Sukolilo district as one such community lacking access to proper sanitation facilities, including public bathrooms, potable water and green areas.

"It's regrettable because the village is a stone's throw from the ITS campus, but residents still lack environmental awareness," she said.

One of the stumbling blocks to improving the area's sanitation is negligence and lack of effective city-run programs. The municipality appears less concerned about the problem, while residents remain neglectful.

"The government, residents and intellectuals are to be blamed for not making it a crucial issue, and have only exacerbated the problem instead," Ipung said.

Syaiful Munir, the leader of Kampoeng Sawoeng Community, an NGO focused on village empowerment, was of the same opinion, saying all 33 areas that fall under the organization's purview face similar problems.

"All of them are deprived of proper sanitation," Munir told the Post, citing Kampung Gresikan -- one of the most densely populated villages in East Surabaya -- as continuing to function without adequate sanitation infrastructure.

The village's drainage system is often clogged while green areas are nonexistent.

"Residents still think there's no need to restore the condition of their kampung, saying it's the government's responsibility," he said.

Surabaya faces three principal sanitation problems -- waste management, water management and inadequate public bathrooms, he added.

The city is confronted with particular waste management problems, such as not being able to sort dry from wet garbage for recycling as well as entrenched public attitudes that frustrate efforts at water management, Munir said. For example, people continue dumping household waste into rivers.

"People have neglected these issues because the benefits are not instantaneous and because of a lack of information, not to mention the problem of population density," Munir said.

Tambaksari, Wonosari and Wonokusumo are among the poorest villages supported by Kampoeng Sawoeng.

"They are densely populated areas with little initiative because the majority of people there are poorly educated, making them less aware of the situation," he added.

In dealing with the villages, Kampoeng Sawoeng had to alter its original strategy, Munir added.

In the past, the organization worked to transform young people's mindsets by working with schools and by organizing Saturday workshops on planting and drawing as part of students' extra-curricular activities.

"Three years have passed and a number of schools still see the need for the programs," Munir said.

Between 2006 and 2007, Kampoeng Sawoeng also widened its scope by enhancing awareness through public discussions and direct community participation, such as waste management and regreening drives. The program began with 15 villages and has grown to include 33.

"We're concentrating on a sanitation improvement program this year, with the main focus being water management," Munir added.

The organization will encourage residents to drill holes -- called bio-pores -- around their homes to contain water seepage to be bound by the soil.

"Less water will flow directly into drains and will enter the ground through the bio-pores instead, thus replenishing ground water," he said.

The seemingly simple scheme is challenging, especially with respect to drilling methods, with assistance from the government and funding agencies required to realize the program.

"This is more difficult than regreening efforts because, as I've said earlier, benefits from ground water cannot be felt instantly," Munir added.

Park works hard to safeguard turtle population

2008-09-01T22:35:00.001-07:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, East Java, Tue, 09/02/2008 10:24 AM, Environment

"A turtle is laying eggs! A turtle is laying eggs," a national park officer shouted, breaking the silence of the night.

Visitors staying at the guard post of the Meru Betiri National Park in Banyuwangi, East Java, rushed to Sukamande beach, about a kilometer away. Some of them carried torches, while others relied on the moonlight to guide the way. "Please, don't get too close to the turtle, this will disturb the egg-laying process," said Slamet, one of the national park officers.

When a turtle is about to lay eggs, he explained, she becomes very sensitive. A little light can make her stressed and give up. The turtle that laid eggs that night was quite big, about one meter long with 60-centimeter fins on its sides. The head, measuring the size of an adult's two fists, continually moved to the left and right, as if scanning its surroundings.

After laying the eggs, the turtle moved to the left and made another hole to fool predators and then moved slowly towards the sea to disappear into the rolling waves. Sukamande beach remains a site where sea turtles lay their eggs. Four species of turtle -- the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), olive ridley turtle (Lephidochelys olivacea), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata) and leatherback turtle (Dhermochelys coriacea) -- lay their eggs along the three-kilometer-long coast, which covers about 250 hectares.

But only green turtles and olive ridley turtles regularly lay their eggs in the area. The presence of turtles on Sukamande beach is important not only for the national park, but also for the people of East Java. "Their presence is proof that the beach is still natural and should be conserved," Heri Subagiyadi, head of the national park, told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said the park's management team was working hard to conserve the beach. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Sukamade beach is the biggest's nesting place for turtles in Java. Every month, around 20 turtles land on the beach to lay their eggs, with one turtle laying between 100 and 150 eggs on average. The turtle seen that night on the beach laid 118 eggs.

At least 2,500 eggs can be seen on the beach every month -- but only one in 1,000 eggs will mature to become an adult turtle. Heri said predators like dogs, eagles, snakes and even leopards are the biggest threat to the turtle population. "But people are the cruelest predators. It is people who often take the eggs to sell them," Heri said.

Turtle eggs fetch a good price -- about Rp.1,500 to 2,000 (16 US cents to 22 cents) each; a higher price than chicken eggs. In many places, he added, people also hunt adult turtles. This especially happens in Bali, as turtles are a part of local religious ceremonies.

"But that is only an excuse. Our investigation shows that turtles are hunted all the time, not only prior to religious ceremonies. Some sell turtle fat to be used in cosmetics," Heri said. The Meru Betiri National Park management, therefore, has deemed it necessary to monitor turtles and their egg-hatching activities.

The process is quite simple: The eggs planted by the turtle mothers are brought to the park post area where they are reburied. In their new location, the turtle eggs are registered and within a week the eggs begin to hatch. The baby turtles are then released into their natural habitat; the sea.

Until July, the park had released 13,510 baby turtles. In a year, an average of 20,000 eggs hatched under the park's monitoring system are released. Yet, despite tight monitoring of the eggs, many are still stolen. The park's management has estimated that 30 percent of the eggs are stolen every year.

"In 2008 alone, we have reported four theft cases to the police, but until today there has not been any follow up," Heri said. Heri said he and his team were determined to make Sukamande beach a turtle conservation area through a turtle conservation management unit, which will concentrate on research, habitat development and turtle egg-hatching activities, as well as public empowerment.

"I have presented this matter before the Directorate of Environmental Service and Ecotourism. I don't know what the results are yet," he said. The park's management is hoping to receive funding to finance the purchase of a turtle-tagging tool. Carrying a price tag of Rp 24 million, the tool will allow tags to be attached to the turtles, which will then be tracked through signals sent via satellite.

The national park currently spends Rp 15 million per month to pay its six employees -- three forest guards, one forest ecosystem controller and two non-structural officers -- and cover the cost of fuel for a a power generator and a motorcycle. The six employees are tasked with monitoring the 11-hectare park, which consists of a beach and a forest. "Under such conditions, we do our best," said Heri.

Tobacco farmers urge MUI to reject anti-smoking edict

2008-09-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post Surabaya, Mon, 09/01/2008 11:03 AM, The Archipelago

The East Java branch of the APTI urged the provincial chapter of the MUI on Friday to reject a proposed edict that would forbid smoking. "It would be more human if the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) switched to a regulation supporting smoking," Abdum Hafidz Azis said at a meeting with the council's executives in Surabaya on Friday. Abdul is secretary of the Association of Indonesian Tobacco Farmers (APTI) East Java branch.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post after the meeting, Abdul said none of the verses in the Holy Koran and hadith (deeds of the Prophet Muhammad) banned smoking as proposed to MUI by a small society of Muslims grouped under the Islamic Propagation Council (DDI).

"Even Muslims still have internal debates regarding Islamic legal principles, such as what is allowed; mubah (neither forbidden nor required); makruh (the avoidance of which yields merit but the performance of which is not sinful); and haram (forbidden)," said Abdul, who is also a cleric of Miftahul Ulul al Anwar Islamic boarding school in Tlogosari, Madura.

Adbul said Muslims were not allowed to create laws of their own, especially if they then forced others to follow. In terms of smoking, in particular, an edict forbidding Muslims from smoking would surely have grave implications for farmers, he said. "This cannot just be ignored."

The commodity is planted in 20 regencies and municipalities in East Java which contributes 53 percent of the national tobacco production and Rp 682 billion (US$7.4 million) in annual income taxes to the provincial treasury, he said.

Abdul added that the agricultural sector absorbed 27 million workers while the province's 1,367 cigarette factories contributed 78 percent of the national excise revenue. Last year, the government received Rp 41.3 trillion in tobacco excise revenue.

Responding to the demand, MUI East Java chairman Abdussomad Bukhari said the council had yet to forbid smoking, suggesting that tobacco farmers keep planting as usual. National MUI deputy chairman Amidhan had previously announced it was considering issuing an edict forbidding Muslims from smoking.

Earlier, several organizations including the National Commission for Child Protection and the Association of Health Experts, asked MUI to issue an edict banning smoking due to their concerns at the increasing number of child smokers.

In a separate development, a number of people grouped under Jangan Merokok, a community care network for smoke-free areas, staged a rally on Friday on Jl Gubernur Suryo and Jl Pemuda, Surabaya. They demanded the provincial legislative council and Surabaya municipal administration approve and apply the planned bylaw for smoke-free areas.

"It is the most advanced smoking regulation Indonesia has, and therefore deserves support," the network's spokesperson Yanti said. Yanti said the regulation would protect passive smokers including pregnant mothers, children and other vulnerable groups from active smokers. "For this reason, we urge municipal legislative council leaders to push its special committee to complete the deliberation of the bylaw."

Slamet: Caring for Karno a grave task

2008-08-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 08/22/2008 10:20 AM | Lifestyle

Leaning on a long cupboard in the Blitar graveyard's administration office, Slamet jots down data of visitors to the grave of Indonesia's first president, Soekarno.

"I've been a caretaker for the grave of Bung Karno (brother Soekarno) for the past 29 years," he told The Jakarta Post.

Slamet became the official caretaker of Soekarno's grave on July 18, 1979 -- nine years after Bung Karno was buried in Blitar.

"At the time I had only finished elementary school and I needed a job. All the people working here turned down this opportunity. Instead, I accepted it," Slamet recalled.

The grave of Bung Karno, as he was -- and still is -- affectionately known, is located in the Bendongerit sub-district of Sananwetan Regency, in Blitar City, East Java.

Blitar, which is located 170 kilometers south of Surabaya, is the final resting place of Bung Karno, who was buried there on June 21, 1970.

Blitar is known as "Soekarno City" because it is the location of the Palace Gate, the place where Soekarno's father, mother and sister lived.

Every June, Blitar honors Bung Karno and celebrates the birthday of Pancasila (the five basic principles of the Republic).

Yet not every resident in Blitar cares for the late president, especially since his political career was colored with unexplained events surrounding the alleged 1965 attempted coup by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Slamet, himself a Blitar-born resident, initially didn't care that Bung Karno was head of the state.

"At that time I only knew Soekarno as the proklamator of the Republic," he said.

At the beginning, working as a caretaker wasn't something to be proud of, he added. The job only entailed cleaning the late president's grave and maintaining some of the monuments and buildings at the graveyard.

For his efforts, Slamet received a starting salary of Rp 12,000 per month (US$1.20 today, although about US$6 back then).

"I could only be patient and accept the wages by understanding that this was the situation for someone who had only finished elementary school."

His patience was rewarded. Six years and seven months later, on March 31, 1986, Slamet's fate improved when he was appointed a member of the government staff under the Tourist Department of Blitar City.

"Since then, my fate has gradually changed; my wages have risen to Rp 1.8 million per month (US$200)," the father of three said.

Yet, after 29 years of taking care of Soekarno's grave, Slamet confessed he did not know much about Soekarno's philosophy nor his political stance.

"I only know that Soekarno was the first president of liberated Indonesia."

"I do remember Bung Karno's statement: 'I entrust this nation to you'," said Slamet, referring to Soekarno's speech to the new nation's youth.

Slamet said many people still visit Bung Karno's grave. On an average day, the number of visitors is between 700 and 1,000. During the holiday season, the number increases to up to 6,000 a day.

And the visitors aren't just Indonesians, Slamet said. They also come from abroad.

"Most foreign visitors are from Holland and France."

He said some people came to visit the grave for research, while others came to pray.

"Many visitors come and want to stay for a long time. But according to a government decree, this is not allowed. If a visitor comes at night, they are only allowed to pray for 15 minutes."

As a grave caretaker, Slamet often sleeps near Bung Karno's grave, which he believes is surrounded by strong, mystical elements. One example, said Slamet, was a dream he had after sleeping at the sight for seven consecutive Friday nights.

"When I slept I dreamt I heard a person's voice who gave me a white kerosene lamp, and within ten days I was appointed as a government employee, praise God."

According to Slamet the mystical elements and Bung Karno's charisma have encouraged many important people to visit his grave. They include President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, former president Abdurahman Wahid, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, Agum Gumelar, Wiranto and Sutrisno Bachir.

Other visitors have been candidates seeking election seats as regional heads.

"The late President Soeharto visited the grave only once when it was built in 1979.

"My children are proud because I was the person this grave was entrusted to. But not one of my children wishes to follow in my footsteps," Slamet said with a chuckle.

Expensive fuel, high tides batter Banyuwangi fishermen

2008-08-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Banyuwangi | Wed, 08/13/2008 11:05 AM | The Archipelago

High fuel prices and high tides have fishermen in Muncar in Banyuwangi, East Java, reluctant to set out to sea, leading to a shortage of fish in the market and higher prices.

The market has had a shortage of fresh fish for the past two weeks. The availability of several local fish varieties, such as lemuru, tongkol and layang, the main stocks of fishermen in Muncar, has gradually depleted in local markets, with prices skyrocketing where the fish are available.

"Fish stocks have been diminishing over the past two weeks. Many fishermen prefer not to sail out to sea," a fish trader in Muncar, Syaiful Johan, told The Jakarta Post recently.

A lack of fish is fishmongers' greatest nightmare. One fish seller at the Muncar fish market, Jumaiyah, said business was slow because of the high fish prices.

"Tongkol usually sells for Rp 6,000 (65 US cents) per kilogram but currently costs Rp 9,000 per kg. Not many people will buy fish at a price like that," she said.

Banyuwangi is 239 kilometers east of the provincial capital Surabaya. It is home to the Ketapang port, where the ferry crosses to Bali.

Fishing is a major source of income for many of those living along the coast. The Muncar fish landing facility, in Muncar district, is one of the biggest fishing harbors in East Java.

Muncar is also home to dozens of fish-processing businesses. Fish stocks are canned or processed into burgers or nuggets.

Most of the products are exported to Hong Kong and Singapore and even as far as the Netherlands. Other by-products include fish oil, which residents sell or further process.

The government's decision to increase fuel prices earlier this year has adversely impacted fishermen in Muncar. Most of the time, their catch does not cover the cost of their diesel fuel.

"Usually, proceeds from the catch are just enough to cover the cost of fuel," said fisherman Subairi, saying the high fuel price was one of the reasons fishermen were not fishing. Some are even selling their boats and moving to other activities.

"I've sold my fishing boat and now I've set up a small grocery stall," Subairi said.

Residents in Muncar who continue to earn a living by fishing are selective about when they fish. If they think the waves will be too strong, they choose to stay on land.

The Surabaya weather station of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) warned of huge waves in the Indian Ocean last week. According to the BMG, the waves in waters off West Nusa Tenggara reached 2 to 5 meters with wind velocities of up to 60 km per hour, dangerous conditions for fishermen. The BMG advised fishermen not to go to work.

Muncar fishermen apparently do not heed the BMG's advice, having their own set of guidelines.

"Usually, many fishermen refrain from fishing in the middle of the month, from the 12th to the 17th, when waves are high," said Subairi.

They prefer to use that time to repair their boats and inspect their nets on land.

"Muncar fishermen are not afraid of the high tides. ... We simply drive through them. But lately, following the increase in fuel prices, we tend to think twice because we won't profit much but still put our lives at risk," said Subairi, adding they used to venture into the waters off West Nusa Tenggara, and even as far as the Indian Ocean, bordering Australia.

Another strategy to offset the fuel price rise is selecting only fish varieties with a high market value, such as shark, which has a relatively stable price.

Fish trader Syaiful said the price of a shark with its fins intact was around Rp 20,000 per kilogram, if it was around 1.5 meters long, with 30 to 40 centimeters of fins and a weight of around 100 kg.

"Fishermen usually sell their shark catch even though there's not much of it," Syaiful said.

Shark fins can fetch a high price on the market. Fins from a black or white shark, for instance, can fetch Rp 1.2 million per kg.

"However, there are not many of them because fishermen seldom set out to sea nowadays," said Syaiful.

Turning plastic trash into valuable products

2008-08-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Tue, 08/05/2008 10:26 AM | Lifestyle

Instant noodle wrappers usually end up as landfill, but in the hands of a group of housewives in Wonokromo, Surabaya, they can be transformed into valuable products.

The products generate cash and also help clean up the neighborhood and reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season.

The group's recycling project was initiated by Liestin "Lies" Irsan, whose village was one of the dirtiest areas in Wonokromo.

During a recent visit to her home, Lies' living room was covered in trash, mainly plastic waste.

"The trash is brought to my house by housewives who are members of the neighborhood environment cadre," she told The Jakarta Post.

"It is then sorted and grouped."

The plastic waste, ranging from instant noodle wrappers, to plastic fabric softener containers and straws, is transformed into valuable products including handbags, table cloths and photo frames.

"Many things here, including the sheet on which we're sitting, are made from instant noodle wrappers," Lies said.

The recycling program began in 2005 after 42 Wonokromo residents took part in a workshop organized by the Surabaya administration and ESP-USAID. At the time, the residents were appointed as environment cadres.

"The cadres' main task is to raise awareness about reducing the amount of neighborhood trash," Lies said.

With the village located near Surabaya River, Wonokromo residents were previously blamed for dumping their trash, and other domestic waste, into the river. This gave added impetus to the green program's importance in protecting the area's environment as well as preventing floods and the spread of waterborne diseases.

In practice, each environment cadre is responsible for managing trash from 10 families. Dried trash can be recycled while wet, and toxic waste is taken to a landfill site.

Instant noodle wrappings, straws and used plastic wrappings from fabric softener are the most sought-after items, with the remaining plastic waste sold to garbage collectors.

"The wrappings and others are then washed, dried and recycled," Lies said.

The recycling process is not easy. An instant noodle wrapping is cut into two and then folded to hide its brand. The last step is to shave and turn it into a plaited sheet.

"Each wrapping can be turned into a two-centimeter-wide sheet," she said.

The sheets are then joined together to form one long plastic mat. The sheet is then cut up to make patterns for handbags and table cloths.

A one-meter by 20-centimeter table cloth takes 2,000 noodle wrappers and two months to make. A handbag requires between 1,200 and 1,500 wrappers.

"The most difficult process is to make the sheet from instant noodle. It has to be done carefully or it will fall apart during the making process," Lies said.

The easiest items to work with are the fabric softener containers, because they come in a bigger size and are more easily formed into wide sheets.

Drinking straws undergo much simpler process. They are cut into small pieces and threaded together. A small handbag requires at least 1,000 straws.

Through their work, the housewives have inspired many people, and draw representatives from cities as far away as Banda Aceh and Jakarta to visit Wonokromo to learn the craft.

A handbag made out of used instant noodle wrapping retails for about Rp 60,000.

Despite the relatively high price, the group sometimes fails to meet demand because of a shortage of raw materials.

"Before, it was easy to get the trash. But now it's harder because other residents have started to do the same," Lies said.

In addition to bringing in extra income, the activity has helped free the neighborhood from garbage, foul smells and floods.

"Previously, whenever it rained, our homes would be flooded instantly. But, not anymore," Lies said.

She added apart from handling trash, Wonokromo environment cadres had built a "garbage house" -- a place to gather dry trash before turning it into valuable products.

The 15-square-meter shack was built by residents with the money they saved from selling unused dry trash to garbage collectors.

"The garbage house is now standing, but since we do not have sufficient savings, it still has no roof," Lies said.

Abstention is 'public punishment' of officials

2008-07-25T02:06:00.000-07:00

Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Fri, 07/25/2008 1:49 PM | The Archipelago

A high voter abstention rate has thrown the legitimacy of East Java's gubernatorial election into doubt.

Political analysts and sociologists said the low turnout was "punishment" inflicted by a public "frustrated" with the behavior of local political figures.

The outcome marks a shift in the public's view of political advocates responsible for voter turnout, particularly clerics, bureaucrats and other leaders, sociologist Ayu Sutarto said.

Politically involved community leaders have gone against the aspirations of most people in the province, he added.

"When such figures begin advocating on behalf of politicians, the result can be resistance from the public," Ayu told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The election results confirm earlier perceptions that public trust for ulema, bureaucrats and politicians is eroding, he added.

"The situation has gotten worse due to the malfunction of existing political machinery.

"What got candidates elected was stirred-up resentment toward certain groups on the part of others -- such as the call for voters to choose only female candidates -- rather than candidates' words or program proposals," Ayu said.

Counts conducted by three separate pollsters showed a nearly 40 percent abstention rate during Wednesday's election.

The election will be rescheduled as, according to the pollsters, none of the five pairs of candidates managed to secure more than 30 percent of the vote.

The top two pairs, Soekarwo-Saefullah Yusuf and Khofifah Indar Parawansa-Mudjiono, have qualified to run in the new election.

Airlangga University political scientist Erlangga Pribadi concurred the high abstention rate was "punishment" for candidates who lacked a clear mission or vision for leading the province.

"The public abstained because they didn't find any of the candidates suitable," he said.

Ali Khaidar from Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation's largest Muslim organization, said candidate advocates, particularly ulema and community leaders, have lost influence among the public because of their involvement in politics.

"Aside from East Java, many other regions have seen candidates endorsed by religious leaders lose in direct regional elections," he added.

Political parties and election candidates continue using clerics as advocates because it is cheaper than spending campaign funds on media advertisements, Ali said.

"The public can see through it: Many religious and community leaders speak out during local elections as if they were fighting for the interests of the public, but in reality they aren't," he added.

He said the same thing happened during the 2004 presidential election, when NU leader Hasyim Muzadi, running mate to Megawati Soekarnoputri, lost to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the race.

In his own electoral district of Malang, East Java, Hasyim received fewer votes than Yudhoyono, Ali added.

Indonesian Survey Institute researcher Adam Kamil attributed the low turnout to the East Java election commission's failure to disseminate working programs outlined by each of the five pairs of candidates.

"It proves the commission does not make an effort to promote candidates and their programs."

Soekarwo-Saefullah look favorites

2008-07-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

Soekarwo-Saefullah look favorites

Indra Harsaputra, ID Nugroho and Wahyoe Boediwardhana , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Tue, 07/22/2008 10:14 AM | The Archipelago

Soekarwo and Saefullah Yusuf remain the most popular candidates three days before East Java's gubernatorial election, according to a survey released here Friday.

The pair's strongest competition -- former state minister for women's empowerment Khofifah Indar Parawansa and running mate Mudjiono -- saw a significant increase in public support after the 14-day election campaign, the survey added.

The survey was conducted by the Public Survey Institute (ISP) from July 10 to 16, 2008, involving some 1,000 respondents in 38 regencies and municipalities across East Java.

With the close of the campaign last Saturday, support for Khofifah rose 8.6 percent points to 16.6 percent, while that for Soekarwo increased 2.7 percent, to 25.7 percent.

Khofifah and Mudjiono are running with support from the United Development Party (PPP) and several other parties, while Soekarwo and Saefullah have the backing of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party (PD).

According to the survey, public support for the Golkar Party's candidates, Soenarjo and Ali Maschan Moesa, decreased after the campaign period to 10.9 percent, from 14.8 percent.

Support for Sutjipto and Ridwan Hisjam, nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), increased minimally to 10.2 percent, from 10 percent, it added.

Running mates Achmady and Suhartono, backed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) loyal to former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, had the least public support, at 3.7. percent, up from 3.2 percent before the campaign.

ISP director Isra Ramli, a researcher with the Indonesian Survey Institute, said the increase in Khofifah's and Soekarwo's popularity showed the candidates managed to employ their "campaign strategies effectively".

"The two candidates have been successful in their efforts to reduce the number of undecided voters," he added.

The survey estimated the proportion of undecided voters at 33 percent, down from 41 percent before the start of the campaign period.

Soekarwo's and Khofifah's efforts during the campaign to distribute free food and gifts -- in the form of motorcycles and minor haj (pilgrimages) to Mecca, Saudi Arabia -- partly contributed to the increases in their popularity, Isra added.

East Java, the stronghold of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization, will hold its first direct gubernatorial election Wednesday, featuring the five pairs of candidates.

Three of the candidates -- Khofifah, Saefullah and Ali Maschan -- are activists and/or former executives of NU.

Khofifah is favored to win by NU members across the province, as she has political support from leaders of the organization's central board.

She is also backed by Muslimat NU, the women's wing of NU, which she led.

A number of senior ulema from NU issued tausiyah (an advisory) in support of the Soekarwo-Saefullah ticket.

"We support one pair of candidates, based on our personal assessment, not on behalf of NU because NU is not allowed to get involved in politics," said Mas Subadar, spokesman for the senior ulema.

Signatories to the advisory included Idris Marzuki (from Kediri), Abdullah Faqih (from Langitan) and Sofya (from Situbondo). The latter two and Subadar were among the co-founders of the Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU), which is led by Chairul Anam.

However, Anam has pledged his support to Khofifah.

Five gubernatorial candidate pairs contest East Java

2008-07-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Tue, 07/22/2008 10:14 AM | The Archipelago

The pairing of Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Mudjiono (KAJI)
Number: 1
Wealth: Rp 3.6 billion (Khofifah); Rp 4.1 billion (Mudjiono)
Party support: The United Development Party and 11 other minority parties

Born in Surabaya on May 19, 1965, Khofifah is the only female candidate in East Java's first direct gubernatorial election. She was women's empowerment minister during the Abdurrahman Wahid administration from 1999 to 2001 and is now a lawmaker with the National Awakening Party (PKB), representing the electoral district of Sidoarjo.

She is well-connected with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization, and led its women's wing, Muslimat NU, between 2000 and 2001.

Her running mate Mudjiono is a retired Army colonel, former chief-of-staff of East Java's Brawijaya military command and graduated from the Military Academy in 1975. He was born in Yogyakarta on April 10, 1951.

Khofifah and Mudjiono, known as KAJI, consider modern technology as their main platform for the potential development of East Java, if they win the election. Through technological development, the people of East Java, mostly farmers, would be able to maximize their efforts to improve their livlihoods and well-being.

They have also promised to streamline bureaucracy to prepare the way for investment into the province, which has more than 32 million people.

KAJI says a strong leader is needed to guide the country's second most populated province and strengthen the economy, including the rebuilding of infrastructure and improvement of public services.

They support developing professional schools up to international standards to improve the quality of human resources in East Java.

The pairing of Sutjipto and Ridwan Hisjam (SR)
Number: 2
Wealth: Rp 7.99 billion (Sutjipto); Rp 15.1 billion (Ridwan)
Party support: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)

Soetjipto, born in Trenggalek, East Java, on Aug. 13, 1945, is a former secretary-general of PDI-P and a senior lawmaker with the party, led by former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

His running mate Ridwan is a businessman and politician from the Golkar Party. Born on May 26, 1958, he is the richest candidate and deputy chairman of East Java's Golkar Party.

This pair, calling themselves SR (Sutjipto and Ridwan), created a popular slogan -- "for a healthy, just and prosperous East Java", during the 14-day election campaign that ended Saturday.

Sutjipto is blaming the high rates of poverty and illiteracy, as well as slow economic growth, on the mismanagement of the East Java administration.

Low-cost education for local people is part of the program offered by Sutjipto. After prioritizing improvement in human resources quality, a further step will be to improve health services for the poor by providing free medication through mobile community health centers.

The next focus for the Sutjipto-Ridwan pair is to change the working culture of the East Java administration to ensure fast, low-cost, easily accessible and good quality public services. Their aim in achieving this goal is to improve welfare for the people.

The pairing of Soenarjo and Ali Maschan Moesa (SALAM)
Number: 3
Wealth: Rp 10.98 billion (Soenarjo); Rp 5.6 billion (Ali)
Party support: Golkar Party

Soenarjo, who was born in Blitar on Jan. 19, 1945, recently resigned as East Java deputy governor to run in the gubernatorial election. He leads Golkar at the provincial level.

A prominent puppeteer in East Java, Soenarjo has familiarized his planned programs as candidate through live performances on local TV. He is the second richest candidate after Ridwan Hisjam.

His running mate Ali Maschan Moesa is a lecturer at the Sunan Ampel Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) in Surabaya. He was dismissed as leader of East Java's Nahdlatul Ulama for breaching standing orders that ban executives from involvement in practical politics.

The pair of Soenarjo and Ali, known by their acronym as SALAM, is campaigning for a just and professional society in line with the special character of the people of East Java.

The candidates want to start their development programs by reforming the provincial administration and bureaucracy. Synergy and good communications between the government and the people are their key to successful development programs.

The pairing of Achmady and Soehartono (ACHSAN)
Number: 4
Wealth: Rp 4.2 billion (Ahmady); Rp 1.6 billion (Soehartono)
Party support: The National Awakening Party (PKB)

Achmady resigned recently as Mojokerto regent to contest the East Java election with the backing of the National Awakening Party (PKB), led by former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

Born in Mojokerto on Nov. 8, 1950, Achmady is a senior activist with Nahdlatul Ulama and a graduate from the Sunan Ampel Institute of Islamic Studies in Surabaya and the Public Administration Academy.

He had one of the least prominent public profiles during the election campaign. His running mate Soehartono is a retired Army officer who graduated from the Military Academy in 1975. Born in Kertosono regency, he was once chief-of-staff of East Java's Brawijaya district military command.

With his wealth amounting to only Rp 1.6 billion Soehartono is the poorest among the candidates.

The pair, calling themselves ACHSAN, has a vision to make East Java a prosperous province by eliminating unemployment and poverty, and ensuring food security.

This ideal could be attained with the creation of more job opportunities for local people. They also want people living in forest areas involved in programs to improve their welfare.

With regard to health issues, the Achmady-Suhartono pair suggests that the East Java administration should insure poor people for medical services and upgrade the status of community health centers into small hospitals.

The pairing of Soekarwo and Saefullah Yusuf (KARSA)
Number: 5
Wealth: Rp 9.20 billion (Soekarwo); Rp 6.01 billion (Saefullah)
Party support: The National Mandate Party and the Democratic Party

Before declaring his bid for the gubernatorial election, Soekarwo was secretary of the East Java administration. His pairing with Saefullah, who leads Anshor, youth wing of the NU, contributed to his popularity ahead of the election. Born in Madiun regency on June 16, 1950, Soekarwo holds a doctoral degree from the law school at Diponegoro University in Semarang, Central Java.

He has popularized his nickname as Pakde (grandfather) Karwo and has promoted his charismatic image through soccer. No wonder he remains the most popular candidate based on the latest survey issued Sunday, thanks partly to his proposal to distribute free basic food commodities to the public.

Saefullah, born in Pasuruan regency on Aug. 28, 1964, is a young Nahdlatul Ulama politician with talented lobbying skills and a graduate from the social and political science department of National University, Jakarta. He joined the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle before switching to the National Awakening Party (PKB) as secretary-general. He later quit the PKB to join the United Development Party.

His highest political position was as state minister for disadvantaged regions from 2004 to 2007 during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration. Saefullah left his ministerial post when he was replaced by Lukman Edy from the PKB as part of the latest Cabinet shake-up.

If elected in the gubernatorial race the pair of Soekarwo and Saefullah, as KARSA, promise to reform the bureaucracy and work with the private sector.

For them, a pro-people budget would show a real commitment to protecting the interests of poor people. They said the budget should support small and medium enterprises and rebuild rural roads to give local people better access to economic resources and markets.

The pair plan to establish modern, advanced and professional Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). According to Saefullah, who is close to senior NU clerics, some 1.2 million pesantren students in East Java need local administration support.

Discourse: East Java clerics powerless in face of money politics

2008-07-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Wed, 07/23/2008 10:52 AM | Headlines

East Java to hold its first direct gubernatorial election Wednesday. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization, is very involved in local politics in the province, its traditional stronghold. The fractured National Awakening Party (PKB), which NU founded in 1999, has apparently played a smaller role in the election. The Jakarta Post's Muhammad Nafik and ID Nugroho discussed this issue Monday with prominent political scientist Kacung Maridjan at Surabaya's Airlangga University.

KACUNG MARIDJAN: (JP/ID Nugroho) KACUNG MARIDJAN: (JP/ID Nugroho)

Question: There are four candidates from NU contesting the East Java election. How is NU politically involved in this election?

Answer: According to its principles, NU leaves political affairs to its followers, through political parties. Historically, when NU has gotten involved in politics, many of its socio-religious affairs have been neglected. Therefore, since 1984, NU has ceased its direct and indirect political activities. But in reality, NU cannot be separated from political matters because the organization has been involved in the dynamic political situation following the reform era.

When NU facilitated the establishment of PKB (the National Awakening Party) in 1999, it was almost trapped by direct involvement in politics. Since then, and until now, NU is still politically involved, even though it is not a political party.

Q:Then what does NU's khittah (its decision, made in 1984, to quit politics) mean for the organization?

A: The khittah only regulates religious affairs. It does not require NU to avoid politics. Regarding the issue of statehood, NU still plays a role.

The definition of statehood politics is very broad. Between 1988 and 1999, for example, NU was politically involved by establishing and facilitating the creation of PKB and determining the list of its legislative candidates.

Directly or indirectly, NU's political decisions have influenced its followers. In its actual political involvement, NU may not give direct support to candidates, but its decision can still influence its members' choices.

Q:In the East Java race, NU's political involvement is more prevalent than in other regional elections. Why?

A: Because the PKB is in turmoil and East Java is the country's NU stronghold. If NU was not involved in this gubernatorial election, it would appear unwise. The situation has prompted some NU leaders to try to involve the organization directly in the East Java election. When NU held a conference to elect a new local leader last November, there was an institutional agreement or contract that banned the elected chairman from becoming directly or indirectly involved in politics. Such a contract is unrealistic because it is impossible for NU not to be involved in politics, especially indirectly, given such dynamic political events. "Indirect" political involvement is very widely interpreted.

Q: NU embraces principles exhibited by noble political figures, but in fact we have seen its leaders and clerics involved in many cases of money politics during the election. Why?

A: It is actually worrisome. Two weeks ago, a discussion on contemporary Islamic jurisprudence was held in Malang (East Java), to focus on money politics during elections. The discussion concluded money politics is haram (forbidden under Islamic law).

The question is whether every person making a donation should be considered guilty of money politics. Just as with donations to pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), it is considered normal. It is impossible to ask donors to give a donation, as it is considered impolite.

I think it is urgent for NU to address this issue because, over the last two years, money politics has been prevalent in regional elections. Data from campaign teams show they spent much more on local elections in 2007 and 2008 than in 2005 and 2006. The reason is the increase in the number of people voting for candidates based on monetary gifts.

Q: So, ulema have not been able to stop money politics?

A: I think so. They have even become part of the practice. It's sad -- especially since the recent discussion in Malang forbade money politics as haram. Maybe the results of the discussion have not yet been made public to other Muslim clerics. It should have been an issue in the media. I don't see any media outlet that has publicized this issue.

As a result, our public figures are powerless to face the reality of money politics. They don't make efforts to curb it, and are often seen involved in it. It is extremely worrisome because the future of our democracy will be very costly, and very sordid.

Q: Could you cite the most obvious cases of money politics during the East Java election?

A: As I said the recent donation, from the gubernatorial candidate Khofifah Indar Parawansyah, of Rp 1 billion for NU's East Java office is just one, small example.

Q: NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi is backing Khofifah in the election. Do you have a comment?

A: Initially, Pak Hasyim supported the nomination of Ali Maschan Moesa for governor. But he dropped his support after Pak Ali refused to step down as East Java's NU chairman. Then, he switched his support to Khofifah, which was not the case before.

Q: Why Khofifah?

A: Because Hasyim and other NU figures wanted to find an alternative candidate. She is relatively clean and has a widespread network, down to NU's village branches, because she is now the chairperson of Muslimat NU, the organization's youth wing.

In a further development, support for Khofifah has suddenly increased. This cannot be separated from the extraordinary amount of money she has spent to make her bid successful.

Soekarwo may face Khofifah in second round of East Java poll

2008-07-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

Muhammad Nafik, ID Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Thu, 07/24/2008 10:40 AM | Headlines

The tight East Java gubernatorial race looks set to go to the second round after none of the five pairs of candidates managed to secure more than 30 percent of the vote, the threshold required by the 2008 regional administration law.

The quick count results indicate the pair of Soekarwo and Saefullah Yusuf will face their strongest opponents Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Mudjiono in the second round of the election.

Soekarwo won the first round with 26.58 percent of the vote and Khofifah came second with 24.85 percent, according to a quick count conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle.

A similar quick count undertaken by the Indonesian Survey Institute also put Soekarwo-Saefullah in first place with 26.95 percent of the vote, with Khofifah as runner up with 25.40 percent.

A quick count by the research and development department of daily newspaper, Kompas, had less of a gap between the two teams, giving Soekarwo 25.51 percent of the vote, and the pair of Khofifah and Mudjiono 25.36 percent.

In third and fourth places were Sutjipto and Ridwan Hisjam with around 25 percent and Soenarjo and Ali Maschan Moesa with around 19 percent.

The least popular candidates were Achmady and Soehartono, who won less than 8 percent of the vote.

Under the law, a second round must be held 60 days after the first round if none of the candidates gets 30 percent of the vote or more.

The official results of the tally will be made public on Aug. 3.

The quick count results also showed about 60 percent of the more than 29 million eligible voters turned out to vote.

The three pollsters each said they counted the votes from samples taken from about 400 of the 62,015 polling booths across East Java.

East Java is the stronghold of both the fractured National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The distribution of the vote showed that parties and leaders were not a key issue in the local direct election, political analysts said.

They added the split in the PKB and the lack of solid support from Nahdlatul Ulama, the nation's biggest Muslim organization, benefited both Soekarwo and his strongest rival Khofifah in the race.

Indonesian Survey Circle research director Eka Kusmayadi said the two rival candidates managed to capitalize on the internal conflict in the PKB.

"Aside from that, Khofifah also benefited from the gender issue that meant most women voted for her," he told The Jakarta Post.

But Eka said the election outcome could change in the revote as Khofifah and Soekarwo were "not dominant figures" in East Java.

Adam Kamil of the Indonesian Survey Institute said an election runoff between Soekarwo and Khofifah had something to do with the funds the two contenders spent on their campaigns.

Khofifah won the most votes in north coastal part of the province, which is among the PDI-P's strongholds, Adam said.

Overall, the gubernatorial election ran smoothly and peacefully around the province despite minor election violations, East Java election supervisory committee chairman Sri Sugeng said.

He said the violations included the vote counting being held in several polling booths in Madura before the scheduled time of 1 p.m.

East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Herman S. Sumawiredja said the election took place without any "extraordinary incidents".

In some electoral districts considered to be prone to security disturbances, such as Madura, Malang and Lumajang, the election was also peaceful, he added.

Residents of those three districts also voted for new regional heads on the same day as the gubernatorial election.

Saekan: Piping a way to green progress

2008-07-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Madiun, East Java | Tue, 07/22/2008 10:15 AM | People

Saekan made a simple decision 36 years ago that has since changed the lives of the people in his village -- he decided to plant pucung trees around the Sanggar spring.

Now, thanks to that simple move, several springs that usually dry up during the dry season continue to produce water, and the millions of liters of water needed by the village community are now available.

Back in 1972, Padas village in Dangangan subdistrict, Madiun Regency, East Java, was a dry community with little water.

"There wasn't enough water, not even for drinking. When I first came here to live (after marrying), just getting water for a bath was difficult," Saekan told The Jakarta Post.

Not having a bath for five days was the norm back in those days, the 60-year-old said.

For many years the community met its water needs by taking water from a spring located 1 kilometer away, at the base of a ravine.

But Saekan refused to accept they had to live like that.

"I thought, 'How can people live in conditions like this? What would be the future of their children?'" he said.

Motivated by these concerns, Saekan planted pucung trees and aren (sugar palms) around the Sanggar spring -- the nearest natural spring that the community depended upon at the time.

The pucung tree, which produces kluwek (a black spice used in rawon, or beef stew) appears to have been a good choice. Apart from being a fast grower, the pucung tree's many roots are long and absorb large quantities of water, and the tree is safe from predators.

"The leaves of this tree won't be eaten by livestock because animals don't want them," Saekan said.

While waiting for the trees to grow, Saekan decided to move back to Ngrengat village, around 2 kilometers from Padas. Ten years later, in 1982, Saekan brought his family -- wife Tarmi and first son Hartono -- back to live in Padas.

Saekan saw there had been a change in the characteristics of the spring.

"There was much more water," he said.

Using his own money, Saekan made a temporary well where he could collect and hold water around the spring. He also used bamboo piping to make a channel to run the 1 kilometer from the spring to his home.

"I split the bamboo into two, and I supported it using tree branches to channel the water to my house," he said.

But although the bamboo was cheap and strong, Saekan felt it was too complicated a system to maintain. Leaves falling in the forest often blocked the bamboo channel, stopping the water from flowing. So he purchased lengths of plastic pipe.

"A long time ago, one 10-meter roll cost Rp 10,000 (US$1). I could only afford to buy 10 rolls to replace some of the bamboo channels," he said.

The quantity of water collected increased significantly, meaning Saekan's neighbors could also use the water he channeled to his home.

Although it was a simple system, it helped the residents of the village, who previously had to seek water far away.

But Saekan did not stop there.

He established a group called the Agromulyo Farmers' Group. By collecting contributions of Rp 1,000 (10 US cents) from each member, the group developed a village bank system, which later helped them buy some livestock.

The Agromulyo Farmers' Group also worked to recover the Bendo spring, located 4 kilometers from Saekan's house.

Together with the Agromulyo Farmers' Group, Saekan built a catchment to collect and hold the water at the Bendo spring. The group also planted trees around the spring with the aim of multiplying the amount of water.

Now the Padas village community depends on the two springs. The Sanggar spring, which initially could meet the needs of only three families, was developed to become a source of clean water for 13 families. After the Bendo spring was developed, it was able to supply seven families, and later 50 families.

"According to some residents, the water supply to their homes never runs out, even in the dry season," Saekan said.

Saekan's efforts in planting the area with trees to help increase the amount of water at the springs had personal rewards for him as well -- he was presented with a Kalpataru Award by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Saekan and the Argomulyo Farmers' Group were seen as rescuers of the environment, and were judged as successful in rescuing the soil and water in Padas and its surroundings.

Saekan said the Kalpataru award had made no difference to the conditions in Padas.

"There are still many facilities that need to be built, it's not just a matter of having water."

Padas has only two elementary schools. The nearest junior high school, which is in Segulung village, is 2 kilometers from the village and the nearest high school is even further away.

"There is a high school in Dagangan subdistrict, which is around 10 kilometers away. Because of this, many of our young people don't continue their education," he said.

Indonesian Military says can't rely on local arms

2008-07-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 07/12/2008 11:41 AM | National

The national defense industry remains unable to meet the demand of the Indonesian Military (TNI) for quality weaponry at competitive prices and quick delivery times.

During a quarterly forum on military weaponry here Friday, the TNI said the national defense industry needed to improve its products to meet military standards.

"We must improve ourselves and not be easily tempted by offers from the West. We only need their technology," the assistant to the TNI chief for planning, Rear Adm. Amirullah Amin, said.

With 20 percent of TNI weaponry having been operational for 30 years or longer, the country's defense system is feared to lack capability to keep territorial integrity intact.

A series of accidents involving old war machines since December last year prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order the TNI to withdraw all aging military equipment.

Also attending the trimonthly forum were Defense Ministry secretary-general Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin, logistics officials from the Navy, Air Force and Army, directors from state defense companies PT Pindad, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI), PT PAL and PT Dahana, and representatives from the Finance Ministry, State Ministry for State Enterprises and the National Development Planning Board.

During the meeting, the Air Force said state aircraft manufacturer PT DI was unable to produce aircraft that met its demanded specifications; the Navy complained said PT PAL was unable to produce much-needed submarines; and the Army questioned why PT Pindad remained unable to produce cannons.

State enterprises ministry secretary Muhammad Said Didu attributed the inability of the state enterprises to meet the TNI's demands to the "unhealthy" condition of the companies.

He suggested the government set up a holding company focused on the military industry.

According to data from the National Development Planning Board, the government plans to inject US$200 million in fresh investment into PT Pindad and PT DI for weaponry production projects, such as tanks and military aircraft.

The government will also allocate up to $3 billion for arms purchases through 2010.

"The government will provide domestic lending to the armed forces to modernize its weaponry. A regulation on this will be signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono soon," said Eril Herliyanto, an official with the Directorate General for Defense Planning at the Defense Ministry.

He said the government had emphasized the domestic production of arms to end the country's dependency on foreign arms suppliers.

Violations mar first day of campaigning

2008-07-06T23:55:00.001-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Mon, 07/07/2008 10:31 AM | The Archipelago

Campaigning for the East Java gubernatorial election kicked off on Sunday, and has been marred by numerous campaign violations, including lack of transparency, overlapping campaign zones and undisclosed donations.

Sri Sugeng Prijatmoko, head of the provincial General Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), blamed the violations on the regional General Elections Commission (KPUD).

He said the KPUD had botched up campaign regulations such that certain mandates of the general election regulations could not be fully implemented.

One example, he said, was the overlap in campaigning in Zone A in Tulungagung by rival candidates Kofifah Indar Parawansa, backed by the United Development Party, and Soenarjo, backed by the Golkar Party.

Soenarjo and his running mate Ali Maschan Moesa were scheduled to campaign in Zone B in Tuban on Sunday, but ended up campaigning in Zone A, which had been allocated to Kofifah and his running mate Mudjiono.

The three other candidates, however, managed to hold their campaign activities in their respective areas. The National Awakening Party's Achmady and his running mate Soehartono met with mudflow victims in Zone E in Sidoarjo.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's Sutjipto and his running mate Ridwan Hisjam campaigned in Zone C in Banyuwangi, while the National Mandate Party's Sukarwo and his running mate Syaifullah Yusuf campaigned in Zone D in Pamekasan, Madura.

Sri Sugeng said Soenarjo violated existing regulations, which bound candidates to their respective zones to prevent clashes among rival supporters.

"Soenarjo and Ali Maschan were clearly outside their allocated zone," Sri Sugeng said.

In addition to this overlap, Panwaslu also questioned the absence of disclosure of vision and mission at a plenary session at the provincial legislature.

"This is one of the mandates of the general elections regulations and government regulations, but even the KPUD flaunts it. Why?" he said.

He added the third violation was the lack of disclosure by the candidates on their campaign donations, which they were supposed to submit two days before campaigning began.

"It's to allow us to track where campaign funds come from, to prevent any irregularities," he said.

On the overlapping campaigns, KPUD chairman Arief Budiman said his commission tolerated any activities which did not involve large number of supporters. He said gatherings with limited attendance were permissible.

With regard to the absence of the disclosure of vision and mission, he explained it was because the legislature did not normally meet on Sundays.

"We respect the councilors. The disclosure will be made on Monday," he said.

However, he refused to comment on the issue of campaign donations.

Keeping traditions alive with 'Pranatacara'

2008-07-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Trenggalek, East Java | Fri, 07/04/2008 11:08 AM | Java Brew

There are many ways to keeps traditions. One way is to learn about pranatacara, master of ceremony in Javanese culture.

Across Java, however, there is only one school, SMA 2 Trenggalek senior high school, which has gone the extra mile to include it as an extracurricular activities.

The move has helped make the students proud of using Javanese language.

"Suwah rep data pitana hananging pundita sasana rinengga engkang dinten menika kagirangaken minangka papan mugih arjosuta."

The strange sentence came from Nuraini, a student at the school. This sentence was commonly said by Javanese master ceremonies to welcome people attending an event, wishing them for prosperity.

Unlike other Javanese words, Nuraini's words are not common. "We call it kromo inggil, the highest level of Javanese language," he explained.

Such a high level of Javanese language is usually used by the highest level within Javanese society, such the nobility or members of Yogyakarta palace.

Then why do young people like Nuraini, who do not belong to a nobility, use it?

Nuraini uses the language because he loves it, he said.

"I have learned about it from my school's extracurricular program, called pranatacara. I found it to be as an interesting language," he said.

Pranatacara is the Javanese term for master of ceremony activities. It is common for Javanese to use pranatacara service during Javanese-themed events, such as wedding ceremonies.

Unfortunately, not many Javanese understand pranatacara because many Javanese now opt for more modern, simple wedding ceremonies.

Slowly, pranatacara, which is also part of Javanese culture, started to diminish.

In a hope to bring the profession back to life, the school's principal Sugeng Winarno, came up with the idea to include pranatacara among the school's extracurricular activities.

He said that he has even invited the Indonesian Brotherhood of Culture People (Permadani) from Yogyakarta to come and teach their students about pranatacara.

Starting in September last year, pranatacara was taught every Sunday to 80 students and 10 teachers.

They were taught about renggeping wicoro (how to speaks), kapranacaran (how to manage a ceremony), toto kromo (a set of Javanese rules usually applying to nobles), siker setanan, padhuwungan (knowledge of Javanese language), ngadat toto coro Jowo (learning about Javanese cultures) and many more.

"Actually, pranatacara is not a new thing for us, only that we almost never use it anymore. That's why we often laugh when Permadani teaches us for a first time," Sugeng said .

Learning to speak kromo inggil and Javanese literature are the most difficult things about pranatacara. Students must memorize these and practice in front of their class.

Nuraini is the best pranatacara student, getting the highest score on the pranatacara test.

"Well, I don't know why, but maybe because I'm so very interested in the subject that it's easy for me," Nuraini said.

Javanese language is not new things for him as he uses it regularly in daily conversation.

"I'm not an expert but I usually use it at home, especially with my family," he said.

Sadly, being the best at pranatacara has put him in an awkward situation. His friends often used Javanese for a joke.

Many of Nuraini's friends are more interested in modern Indonesian and slang.

"Not like me, my friends prefer to use Jakartans ways of talking and make a joke of kromo inggil. But honestly, I don't care about it," he said.

Another student, Febri Yogawati, said learning pranatacara helped her appreciate Javanese as a deep and meaningful language.

"When I was learning about Javanese literature, I found many meaningful philosophies inside," said Febri, who plans to learn more about Javanese literature in college after graduating from senior high school.

She said it's important for students to learn more about local culture as it helps them gain a greater understanding of local wisdom.

"It's very useful. It helps us to get deeper understanding of life."

Governor candidates address mudflow

2008-07-01T00:34:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Mon, 06/23/2008 10:36 AM | The Archipelago

Candidates contending the East Java gubernatorial race are at loggerheads over the mudflow disaster, which has affected 14 villages in the East Java regency of Sidoarjo and has left thousands of victims uncertain of their future.

Two gubernatorial candidates, Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Soekarwo, and vice governor hopeful Ali Maschan Moesa showed support for a presidential regulation requiring PT Lapindo Brantas Inc. to only pay compensation to residents of the four villages already buried by the mudflow. Sutjipto, a candidate nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), blamed the mining company, owned by Abdurizal Bakrie's family, for the mudflow, saying the company should take responsibility for the mudflow and affected residents.

Khofifah, paired with Mudjiono and nominated by a coalition of 12 small parties, said Saturday both the government and Lapindo should address the mudflow victims by implementing the presidential regulation and by conducting a review of the map of affected villages.

"If I win the election, my government will focus on handling the situation according to the presidential regulation, updating the data on the victims and reconstructing damaged infrastructure," she said, adding all affected villages should receive equal treatment.

She declined to comment on the result of a new study that said Lapindo was the main culprit of the disaster. She said her government would devote greater attention to education for the victims, especially those living in the Porong market building.

Some 600 families from the affected village of Renokenongo have occupied the market building for almost two years and have rejected the compensation scheme offered to them, which they say puts no sanctions on Lapindo if it failed to pay out the compensation.

Ali Maschan called on the government to focus on the relocation of the victims to safe areas, instead of paying cash in compensation for the victims. "It is better for the government to resettle all the victims to new safe areas because the presidential regulation does not guarantee Lapindo will pay compensation to the victims."

Lapindo and the government should also widen the Porong road connecting Surabaya and Malang to settle the daily traffic jam problem, which costs the people Rp 400 billion per month, he said.

Soekarwo, nominated by the National mandate Party (PAN) and the Democratic Party (PD), called on the government and Lapindo to construct strong giant dikes to prevent the mudflow from overflowing and sweeping through surrounding villages.

He also said the provincial government should complete the reconstruction of power, liquid gas and water pipelines in 2009.

"It is the government's task to fund the reconstruction work and to provide compensation for the victims," he said.

Sutjipto, paired with Ridwan Hisjam, said the government should bring the Bakrie family to justice and pay for all the negative social impacts of the mud leakage.

"The gas leakage was caused by the company's negligence, for which the Bakrie family should take responsibility," he said.

The Nation Awakening Party's Ahmady, paired with Suhartono, declined to comment on the mudflow problem, which he said should be settled by the government and Lapindo.

Mudflow victims said they would likely not use their voting rights in the gubernatorial elections if the candidates did not pay attention to the prolonged issue.

Besuki resident Abdul Rohim, whose village was one of the ten affected by the mudflow, said "All legislators paying no attention to their constituents should be replaced."

Planting the seeds of change

2008-07-01T00:33:00.001-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Bondowoso, East Java | Tue, 07/01/2008 10:25 AM | People

It was curiosity that motivated Jadjit Bustomi to take his students from SD Sucolor I Maesan Bondowoso elementary school to Paseban hill for a study tour back in 1977.

The excursion almost turned into tragedy when a student slipped on a stone and fell over, rolling down the hill.

"At that time, I realized how dangerous a barren hill is. Rocks from a landslide could fall on people living down below," Jadjit recalled.

After the incident he began thinking about regreening the 118-hectare barren hill not far from his home in Maesan, Bondowoso regency, East Java, but he was not sure where to start.

The former fiber company worker from the East Java town of Kediri decided to move to Sucolor in 1977 to try his luck as a teacher.

He was switching to a job that reflected his training as a graduate of the government-run Teachers Education School in Kediri.

He made the decision to move after learning that many teachers frequently asked to be transferred out of Sucolor, located some 12 kilometers from Bondowoso's city center.

Their reasons were not clear, but Jadjit suspected it was because the area's infertile and barren land made it uncomfortable to live in.

When he first set foot in Sucolor, he was stunned. Apart from the barren hill, the entire area was dried out.

"I don't know why, but at the time I was thinking about how I could change the situation," Jadjit said.

The answer appeared right before his eyes, when he saw his students suffering in the scorching heat as they walked home after school.

Already a hobby gardener, Jadjit came up with the idea of encouraging his students to plant trees along the road heading to the village.

"I just didn't want students to suffer from the scorching heat while they were walking home from school," Jadjit said.

Now several years later, the trees have grown and serve as "umbrellas" along the road toward the school.

Jadjit came up with more ideas, this time working on rice fields and farms belonging to his neighbors that were used to grow vegetables and other secondary crops.

However, the father of two adopted children found out the vegetables and other secondary crops planted around the rice fields and farms brought in little revenue for the villagers.

He introduced three plant varieties -- pete tree, which produces beans with a pungent odor, mango and durian.

In the beginning, no one welcomed his ideas.

"Maybe because they were not used to it. So I tried planting them first in my own field. Finally the villagers realized that pete, mango and durian are more profitable to grow."

Within a year, a single pete tree can produce 6,000 pods of pete. In a city, each pod can fetch Rp 2,000.

Villagers were soon asking Jadjit to teach them how to plant it and pete became the new farming treasure of Sucolor.

In order to meet demand for pete seed, Jadjit and the villagers produced at least 100,000 seeds for further farming.

"Those seeds aren't for sale. The residents only replace the Rp 200 (20 US cents) cost per seed for production and the money is used to produce more seeds," Jadjit said.

Pete trees, as well as durian and mango, turned the once-barren hill a lavish green, while Jadjit became known as the resident seed expert.

Far from satisfied, he continued searching for plants that were both suitable for Sucolor's soil and would be profitable for the villagers.

Jadjit only gained recognition for his efforts when he won a competition to plant a million trees back in 2004, but has since won several awards, including the Kalpataru Award on June 5 this year for World Environment Day.

The award was presented by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Jadjit, who went on to be a principal of SD Sucolor from 1987 until this year, for his dedication to environment preservation beyond his official duties.

But despite the accolades and the cash prize of Rp 10 million -- which falls far short of the time and money Jadjit has dedicated to environmental restoration and community building -- he remains a humble man.

"Actually, I don't like the idea of being awarded, but that's up to others," he said.

Disappearing traces of the 'Son of Dawn'

2008-06-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho
The Jakarta Post, Tulungagung, Fri, 06/06/2008 9:47 AM

The great name of the late Sukarno, one of the two people who proclaimed Indonesia's independence, is inseparable from East Java.

This province -- where Sukarno was born, first became acquainted with political circles and was eventually buried -- holds fond memories of the former first president.

The Jakarta Post visited the province to trace a number of locations where Sukarno, dubbed the "Son of Dawn", spent his days.

At a glance, there is nothing special about the house located on Jl. Pandean IV No. 48, in Surabaya. The sitting room directly faces a four-meter-wide alley. The front wall is dull with the paint peeling off in several parts; water stains on the ceiling from a leaking roof are visible; and the color of the wooden door frames fails to match that of the window frames.

However, it is believed that this is the house in which Sukarno was born on June 6, 1901.

At least two leading biographies about Sukarno, namely Cindy Adams' Soekarno the Spokesperson of the People and Shohirin's The Son of Dawn, refer to Surabaya as the birthplace of Sukarno, who was born Koesno.

"The books were published when Sukarno was still alive and Sukarno did not deny (what was written). So, perhaps, what the books say is true," said Budi Kastowo, the caretaker of the Soekarno Museum and Library in Blitar.

Locals are rather uncertain about where exactly Sukarno was born, because he did not stay long in Surabaya. At the age of two, Koesno moved to Mojokerto with his parents.

Again, there is no exact information about Sukarno's second home. It is often said, however, that it was frequently hit by flashfloods from the Brantas River, which flows past Mojokerto.

It is very likely that the house was located on a low-lying plot of land near the river.

Koesno was often sick as a child and was left in the care of his grandfather, Raden Hardjodikromo, who lived in Tulungagung.

In his grandfather's house and third place of residence (located on Jl. Mayjend Suprapto), Koesno was given traditional Javanese medication. While Koesno was regaining his health, his grandfather was said to have received divine inspiration and soon after changed his grandson's name from Koesno to Karno, and later Soekarno.

Today, the house is not occupied. Locals around the house refer to it as the house of Eyang Hardjo. "That is the house of Eyang (Hardjo), Bung Karno's grandfather," said Joko, a local residents, adding the house had been vacant for quite some time.

"People say Eyang's family is no longer there."

Sukarno went to the Inlander School until he was 11, after which time he continued his studies at the Europe Lagere School in Mojokerto. Four years later, or in 1915, Soekarno joined the Hoogere Burger School (HBS) in Surabaya.

It was when he was in Surabaya that he became acquainted with Haji Oemar Said (HOS) Tjokroaminoto, a boarding house landlord and also the chairman of Syarikat Islam. Tjokroaminoto introduced Sukarno to discourses on nationalism and the spirit of resistance against the Dutch colonial powers.

Sukarno continued his studies at the Technische Hoogeschool, which is now the Bandung Institute of Technology, where he graduated in 1926 and began his activities in politics.

"He was an ordinary boy. Few people know he was born in Surabaya. If I'm not mistaken, he was born in Blitar, right?" said Ashari, 75, a resident of Jl. Pandean, Surabaya.

Ashari told the Post he had once heard a story about Sukarno from his late mother.

"As far as I can remember, my mother once told me a story about Bung Karno. He used to stay in Jl. Pandean along with Ibu Inggit (Sukarno's second wife)," he said.

When Sukarno stayed at the house on Jl. Pandean, Ashari said, the house in front of it was used as the secretariat of Kepanduan Bangsa Indonesia, a youth organization under the Indonesian National Party (PNI), a party that Sukarno founded. Various political activities were said to have been carried out there.

The house now belongs to Jamila, the fourth owner of the house, who lives there together with his wife and elder sister.

HOS Tjokroaminoto's boarding house, where Sukarno stayed when he went to HBS, can still be found on Jl. Peneleh, alley VII, in Surabaya. This simple house, built in the uniquely East Javanese architectural style, is now taken care of by the Surabaya municipality administration and is one of the province's heritage sites.

Budi Kastowo, caretaker of the Soekarno Museum in Blitar, said traces of Sukarno are still very obvious in East Java because the East Javanese have a strong sense of belonging. Although the homes and other places where Sukarno frequented may no longer physically exist, the spirit of Sukarno is still felt, he said.

One example is the Gebang Palace in Blitar. Historically, Sukarno stayed in this home for only a brief period.

"Indeed, Sukarno's parents, Raden Soekemi Sosrodihardjo and Ida Ayu Nyoman Rai, lived there -- but not Sukarno," Budi said. This house, later occupied by Soekarmimi, Sukarno's elder sister, has always been associated with Bung Karno. Every June, Blitar commemorates Sukarno's birthday and Gebang Palace is the center of activities.

It is in Gebang Palace that Sukarno memorabilia is kept, such as the picture of Sukarno and his parents and elder sisters, photographs of a young Sukarno, statues and even a room containing household items originally belonging to Sukarno.

Sukarno, who was known to have nine wives, began his political activities in Surabaya and Bandung, where he made extensive networks. He established the PNI on July 4, 1927, formulated Pancasila on June 1, 1945, and along with Bung Hatta proclaimed the independence of Indonesia on August 17, 1945. He died on June 21, 1970 and was buried in Blitar.

Surabaya gears up to overtake Jakarta

2008-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Surabaya, the capital of East Java province, is one city that has seen rapid growth over the last decade. Economic growth in Surabaya, the second largest Indonesian city after Jakarta, has led to the emergence of discerning families that embrace a cosmopolitan lifestyle and who appreciate a comfortable life. This may explain the thriving malls, luxury houses, apartments and hospitality businesses such as hotels, cafes, discotheques and restaurants in Surabaya. To coincide with Surabaya's 715th anniversary, The Jakarta Post Surabaya correspondent I.D. Nugroho has prepared some feature stories on this City of Heroes for our Supplement section. The articles will give you a taste of the city's business potential, its people's unique traits, places of interest and the city's nightlife. ,

ID Nugroho | Sat, 05/31/2008 12:08 PM | Supplement

Surabaya, East Java

Surabaya has been dubbed the second metropolis after Jakarta and the city has made efficient use of this to expand and develop its role as a major business center. Growth in the 715-year-old city is fast speeding up. Despite criticism, apartments, malls and hotels are springing up everywhere. Is this an effort to get ahead of Jakarta?

It looks like Jakarta will have to watch out. The capital city will soon be rivaled by Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia. How could it be otherwise as in Surabaya, a city of more than 2.7 million people, there seems to be a race in construction projects. New malls, apartment buildings and elite housing estates are springing up everywhere.

The business world is the main yardstick. As the population increases, Surabaya, which has declared itself a city of trade, is honing its business development strategy by setting up Central Business Districts (CBDs). There are seven CBDs spread throughout a number of areas, from Kembang Jepun, which is the oldest trade center in Surabaya, to Ngagel, an industrial area.

"The regulation cannot be rejected as the city is moving ahead toward becoming a more modern city," said deputy mayor of Surabaya, Arief Affandi, to The Jakarta Post. In a CBD, there are various centers for business activities, such as shopping centers, markets, banks and modern offices. In addition, the CBDs also collaborate with a number of independently managed markets, such as Atum, Turi, Keputran, Paben and Genteng markets.

Malls and shopping centers have also become city landmarks, such as Surabaya Plaza, Mal Galaxy, Mal Surabaya, Tunjungan Plaza, Maspion Square, Jembatan Merah Plaza and Plaza Marina. There are also Pakuwon Supermall, Trade Center Pakuwon, Sungkono Trade Center, Royal Plaza and City of Tomorrow. "The construction of other business centers is now waiting. I hope the public can take advantage of them," Arife Affandi said.

The hotel industry is also experiencing a boom. Dubbed the city of heroes, Surabaya boasts 7,261 rooms in 136 hotels of various classes, ranging from the three-star or "jasmine" class to the five-star international hotels, namely Hotel Majapahit, Hyatt Regency Surabaya, Patra Surabaya Hilton, Shangri-La, Garden Palace, Sheraton Surabaya and J.W. Marriott.

Four-star hotels are represented by Surabaya Plaza Hotel, Novotel, Somerset and Hotel Ibis. Hotel Mercure Grand Mirama also entered the scene in February 2007. Managed by Acor, this hotel is located in the former Hotel Mirama. Mercure General Manager Neil Gow said the decision to build a hotel in Surabaya was prompted by the fact that demand always exceeds the number of hotel rooms.

"This means that it is still possible for the hotel business in Surabaya to develop fast," Neil told the Post. In just over a year of operation, Hotel Mercure Grand Mirama reports over 80 percent occupancy, in fact it claims to enjoy a higher occupancy rate than other hotels of the same class.

"As far as we know, we are still leading compared with the other four-star hotels," he noted.

Although there are many star-rated hotels in Surabaya, most are still located in Central Surabaya. However, hotels continue to offer employment opportunities. The Central Bureau of Statistics of Surabaya Municipality reports that in 2006 the hotel sector in Surabaya provided work for 8,130 people.

Aside from the property business, the housing and apartment business is also enjoying an upward trend in Surabaya. A number of elite housing estates in Surabaya are seeing an increase in sales. Take, for example, Wisata Bukit, Araya Bumi Mega, Taman Dayu and Perumahan Pakuwon. Each of these housing estates have experienced a 30 percent increase in sales. The apartment business is also experiencing a similar trend.

The apartment business is flourishing, especially since there is limited land available for construction and many people still find it important to live in urban areas. "Because of these two factors, Pakuwon Group has built apartment buildings in Surabaya," Sugema Nagasakti, Promotion Manager of Pakuwon Group, told the Post. Pakuwon Group has two apartment buildings, namely Grande Water Palace and East Coast Residence.

Most of 200 apartment units in the six towers of Grande Water Palace have been sold although the price is quite steep, at about Rp 400 million, Sugema said. "About 90 percent of all the units have been sold and will be handed over to the buyers in September 2008," he added.

In view of the flourishing property market in Surabaya, leading property agency Century 21 Indonesia has opened 12 branch offices in Surabaya. Information obtained by the Jakarta Post shows that property sales in Surabaya are of the same value as sales in Greater Jakarta. It is very likely that the value of these sales will soon exceed sales in Greater Jakarta.

The lifestyle of the urbanites in Surabaya has allowed the entertainment business and international fashion brands in Surabaya to flourish. Take, for example, cafes, karaoke centers and discotheques. There is a choice of 10 upmarket cafes and they are all located in downtown Surabaya. Likewise, there are also 13 discotheques.

There is no doubt about it, Surabaya is moving fast ahead. With its vision of "Development that is Smart and Cares", Surabaya is striving to accelerate growth in the flow of goods and services at the regional and international level. This is being done by connecting the urban area of Surabaya with an integrated spatial layout system supported by adequate infrastructure, transportation and information technology. It is no wonder then that Surabaya is looking even more attractive to the business world.

Surabaya marks its 715th anniversary

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Sat, 05/31/2008 12:08 PM | Supplement

The history of Surabaya began when Raden Wijaya, the first king of the Majapahit Kingdom, won a battle against Chinese troops in 1293. In those days, the area was noted for its water defense base with Kali Mas as its military base. In every period, Surabaya has been a strategic area to be reckoned with.

During the colonial times, for example, Dutch, British and Japanese troops all attempted to subjugate Surabaya. That is why, perhaps, Surabaya has as its symbol the fight between Suro (a shark) and Boyo (a crocodile). Philosophically, the fight represents the indefatigable spirit of its people.

It is in Surabaya that people of various ethnic and social groups live together in harmony. The city has no history of conflict based on ethnicity, religion or race. Adhering to the blokosuto (open) culture, Surabaya residents are noted for their tolerance although,they can also be firm. It is this high level of tolerance and brotherhood that have made it difficult for the colonial powers to subjugate Surabaya.

In addition to all this, Surabaya people are known for their talent for trading. Since the 18th century, Surabaya has been home to various manufacturing enterprises. The commercial network that was built reached China, Britain, the Netherlands and Portugal. In 1870, this city was an industrial center on a par with other international port cities like Shanghai, Calcutta, Singapore and Hong Kong.

This demand from the trading world also prompted the construction of the first railway linking Surabaya and the neighboring regions of Sidoarjo, Gresik, Jombang, Kediri and Madiun. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city developed into a service center for the estate economy.

Against the backdrop of this historical legacy, the municipal administration has decided to continue developing the city. Under the city mayor, Bambang DH, and his deputy, Arief Affandi, Surabaya aspires to be a "smart city that cares". It is this tagline that constitutes the city's spirit today.

Between 2006 - 2020, Surabaya aims to restore its former glory as a city of traders by responding to global opportunities and demand. Public support for the city administration is essential. That is why it is necessary to establish a democratic administration based on justice, transparency and accountability with the support of an integrated, competent, efficient and professional bureaucratic structure.

Accountability, which is a manifestation of responsibility toward the public, will result in a clean bureaucracy that will command respect. If this is realized, Surabaya citizens will enjoy efficient and orderly services and at the same time they will also abide by the regulations of the local administration.

In this respect, the development of cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises (UMKM) and cooperation between small and medium-sized businesses and large businesses supported by a business climate conducive to business development, is essential. People's welfare, particularly with respect to the poor through the provision of facilities to meet their basic needs, the organization of sidewalk vendors as well as informal businesses, cannot be ignored. In addition the city environment needs to be managed so that it is clean, green and comfortable.

Improving the quality of affordable health services along with educating the public about the importance of a healthy environment are also goals on the agenda. These efforts will be coupled with the strengthening of the local culture to develop a harmonious community life based on tolerance and high ideals. If all runs well, this ancient city will really become a new Surabaya,...

Following the tourist trail around the city

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Sat, 05/31/2008 12:08 PM | Supplement

Although Surabaya is not considered a tourist city, it is not difficult for people to find a change of scenery. Inside and outside the city, tourist spots, ranging from nature to religious sites, are just waiting to be visited. For those wanting to spend time out of the city, the beauty of Mount Bromo awaits.

Like residents in other major cities, the people of Surabaya view day trips as an activity that cannot be neglected. Fatigue brought about by daily routines may be relieved by surrounding oneself in natural beauty.

The problem is that Surabaya is better known as a city of trade rather than a city of tourism. But how true is this?

In Surabaya, which is known as the City of Heroes, there are many tourist spots that have distinctive characteristics. There are a variety of destinations for tourists, such as nature areas, ocean spot, religious sites and, of course, shopping centers. The terrific thing is, is that all these destinations spots are located within the city and so it is not necessary to spend much time getting to each place.

The Surabaya Zoo is one of Surabaya's top tourist sites and is one of the few zoos in Indonesia that is located downtown. Everyone who has visited Surabaya surely knows where the zoo is located. It is situated at the gateway to the city, not far from Wonokromo bus terminal. Boasting 2,806 animals of 351 species, the zoo was once ranked the most complete zoo in Southeast Asia.

Not far from the zoo, in the eastern part of the city, is Ria Kenjeran Beach. Here one can witness the early morning sun rise with Madura island as a backdrop. It is at this beach that you can witness the daily routines of the fishermen in Kenjeran. These fishermen produce traditional dishes of the local coastal people, such as grilled fish and salted fish. They also make handicrafts from sea products.

Today, efforts are being made to develop tourism related to the history of Surabaya because the city is home to a great number of old historical buildings dating back to the Dutch era, such as the Internatio Building, the Grahadi Building, Hotel Mojopahit, Bapai Pemuda and Balai Kota. Some of these buildings are still being used today.

"These buildings have been existence since I was a child, although some have been damaged. Many are still in good repair, though," said Kadaruslan, a cultural worker of Surabaya city.

Hotel Majapahit has high historical value. It was in one of the hotel's towers that the blue part of the red, white and blue Dutch flag was torn off so that the flag became the red-and-white flag of Indonesia. This incident served as a symbol of resistance of Surabaya freedom fighters, better known as Arek Suroboyo.

Artifacts kept at Mpu Tantular Museum and the Joko Dolok statue from the Singosari kingdom are also worth seeing.

Another place of interest is Ampel Mosque, which was built in the 15th century by Sunan Ampel or Raden Rahmad. Still in its original form, the mosque is still in use. The supporting wooden beams were made by Sunan Ampel and his disciples. At the rear of the mosque there is a graveyard where Sunan Ampel and his family are buried. Arabic and old European buildings surround the mosque.

St Mary the Virgin Catholic Church, Jagad Karana Hindu Tempel in Kenjeran, Hong Tiek Hian Buddhist Temple and Cheng Hoo Mosque are other popular tourist spots. Tourists find the original and unique shapes of these buildings of particular interest.

There are also various tourist spots outside the city of Surabaya. Mount Bromo in Pasuruan regency, about 100 km to the east of Surabaya, is one of the primary tourist spots. A trip to Mount Bromo takes about two hours from Surabaya, passing the Sidoarjo mudflow area.

Mount Bromo is one of the most well-known active volcanoes in Indonesia. At 2,392 meters above sea level, this mountain has cold weather and visitors are advised to take along warm clothing. Its valleys, crater and 10 sq m expanse of sand are easy to reach and therefore attract many visitors.

Climbing the stairway leading to the Bromo crater, a visitor can freely enjoy the sight of the crater with a diameter of 600-800 meters.

Sunrise is a popular draw at Mount Bromo. The sun looks beautiful as it rises, with a background of an expanse of sand, mist and the tops of Mount Bromo, Mount Batok and Mount Semeru. The life of the Tengger people of Bromo, who still use horses as their means of transportation, reflects the uniqueness of the local culture, something that is slowly disappearing in Indonesia.

The night comes alive with a roar

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya, East Java | Sat, 05/31/2008 12:07 PM | Supplement

As the sun disappears, the heartbeat of the nightlife in Surabaya begins. The bright lights lend greater festivity to the nightlife in this city. This is the time when dozens of cafes, nightclubs, karaoke centers and discotheques of various themes start to pulsate and the night comes alive with a roar.

Surabaya is always alive. Even nightfall cannot make the city, with a population of 2.7 million, stop pulsating. The heartbeat of the nightlife continues, although it is concentrated at a number of places only. The night's heartbeat is naturally the loudest at cafes, nightclubs and discotheques. And at karaoke centers, where people get together not only to sing but also to talk. In fact, karaoke centers are found in almost every entertainment area in this city.

Spending a few hours at a cafe, nightclub, discotheque or other nightspot has become part of the lifestyle of Surabaya residents. Almost every night, these places are full of activities among the bright lights, the booming sound of music and laughter. Most visitors are youths and young executives. Of Surabaya's 2.7 million people, more than 50 percent or 1.5 million people are teenagers and youths.

Adi Basko is one such person to frequent nightspots. A young executive in the publishing business, he said he has liked clubbing since he was a university student. "Every night my friends and I go clubbing," Adi Basko told The Jakarta Post.

It is not hard to find a place to "hear the night roar" in Surabaya. Almost every star-rated hotel has a cafe, nightclub or discotheque. Take, for example, the Tavern at Hotel Hyatt, Hugos at Hotel Sheraton or Vertical 6 (V6) at Hotel JW Marriott. There are also independent cafes and restaurants, such as Van Java in Taman Apsari, Colors Pub and Resto on Jl. Sumatra, Blow Fish in the Mex Building, Red Box at Pakuwon Trade Center, House of Sampoerna Caf* and Coyote at Plaza Tunjungan 6. "Every place has its loyal patrons, depending on market segmentation," Adi said.

Tavern and V-Six, for example, are where expatriates and affluent young executives hang out. The music, the dishes and the beverages served suit their tastes. Other places, such as Van Java, Colors Pub and Resto, Blow Fish, Red Box and Coyote in Plaza Tunjungan 6 are more popular among younger people. At these places, the music is louder, manifesting the dynamic life of younger people.

Tisa Nirmala, a single female executive in the communication business, frequents V6, Colors Pub and Resto. She chooses these two spots because they suit her tastes. "When there is a special event, for example taking people out, I usually choose V 6 but to relax, I prefer Colors Pub," she told the Post.

Tisa's colleagues also like going to these to clubbing spots for a night out and to wind down after a full day's work. "Our purpose is to have a night out and chill out after a hard day's work," she said. Tisa does not have a set budget for this purpose. However, when partying, Tisa, who loves Top 40 songs, may spend up to Rp 500,000 a night.

Kiki Andriani, the marketing manager of Blow Fish, said the nightlife business in Surabaya was promising. This is evident from the fact that nightspots are crowded almost every night.

"That's indeed the situation. Blow Fish and some other nightspots in Surabaya are always crowded. Each of these places has its own market segmentation," she said.

Blow Fish is mostly frequented by the upper class. Every night, hundreds of people enjoy the music played at the club and lounge. The establishment serves food and drinks. "The demand for foods and drinks, particularly alcohol, always rises. We have run out of stock several times," she said.

Victim of Flood Still Suffering

2008-05-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Iman D Nugroho
Situbondo, East Java

Victims of Situbondo’s flood, have rejected governments plan to relocated them to a new and safer places. Besides the new location is outlaying place, they though that plan is just a trick from “bad government officers” to corrupt a funds. That’s why Situbondo’s flood victims still living in suffer until now.

A small, old and faded blue tent was the only hopes for Suryotomo’s, 59, to avoid him from extreme daylight this Tuesday (04/03/08). Under that 4x4 meter tent, man who’s retired from Indonesia National Bank (BNI) a view year ago, was sit on broke closet and watched his worker toke his family’s stuff from his damaged house.

Suryotomo is one of Situbondo’s flood victims. His home in Merpati Street of Situbondo has gone when million cubic waters from Sampeyan River hit it, February 8. At that time, nine sub districts of Situbondo regency flooded with water. At least 15 people die on that tragic moment. “My home is gone, like u can see, nothing leftover in a surface,” he said to The Post.

Situbondo sub district was the worst flooded place. About 112 houses have gone with water and 703 houses got hard damages and impossible for the family to stay there permanently. Meanwhile 3248 houses sink. On other location, Panji sub district at least 62 houses have permanently gone. And hundred damages hardly. Thousands people became a refuges on main street or temporary stayed in a safety zone.

After water is gone, flood victims like Suryotomo back to their home wondered find their old stuff. Even that, tragedy which happens two months ago became scar and traumatic nightmare for Situbondo’s people. That scar getting deeper when the victims facing a new problems. “Government has plans to build a wider river and relocate us (flood victims) to a safety zone in a country,” Suryotomo said.

A new area located on Sliwung village, Panji sub district near border of Bondowoso regency about 10 Km from flooded area. “Can u imagine, we have to life there, 10 Km from here, of course we reject that silly idea,” said Tolak, one of flood victims. In their perception, move to Sliwung similar with killing them slowly. “Mostly, we are worked in town, so how can we working if we were life in Sliwung village?” Tolak said.

Nuryati, another victim said that they have told their aspiration about rejected of relocated plan. They also give another option to pay flood victims some money. “We never mention the number, it’s all up to government, but we wish we can use that money to buy or build our new home,” Nuryati said.

Woman who life with youngest her son in a small tent near the Merak street wondering that flood victims can organize their money by them self. Actually, Nuryati already build a new home near Patek beach. “My oldest daughter also life there, that’s why I build my new home near Patek beach,” she said.

Unfortunately, government still pushed their plan to relocate flood victims. Otherwise, government has started to build house foundation on that area. Their also fix road to a new villages. “Don’t blame us, if we “smell something” from it, the government see us like we are an object, not human being which suffered by flood,” Suryotomo said. “I can smell corruption on it.”

Head of People Protection Desk (Linmas) of Situbondo regency, Yamin Muazin saw flood victims rejected as a wrong decisions. Actually, government plan always base on flood victim’s necessity. “Its dangerous to stay near the river, better for them to accept governments plan,” Yamin said to The Post.

He also said, it’s not easy for government to build a new village and to decide which house design that will build in Sliwung. In fact, government has send team to Jember regency, which has build new village for flood victim which happened on 2006. “We hope that flood victims will change their decision after see new village of Jember,” he said.***

Possible tension ahead of E. Java elections

2008-04-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho and Wahyoe Boediwardhana
The Jakarta Post , Lumajang, Malang
Thu, 04/24/2008 12:35 AM | The Archipelago

Poll officials are concerned about potential friction ahead of the gubernatorial election in East Java, especially at the grassroots level, due to the synchronous schedule with regency elections, an internal rift within the National Awakening Party (PKB) and shifting political party coalitions.

The East Java gubernatorial election, scheduled for July 23, is likely to be heated given the political climate.

In addition, four regencies in East Java -- Malang, Bondowoso, Jombang and Lumajang -- are scheduled to hold regency elections simultaneously.

The East Java chapter of the General Elections Commission (KPUD) sees the gubernatorial and regency elections as a potential problem due to shifts in political alliances on the provincial and regency levels.

East Java KPUD member Didik Prasetyono told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday the commission was anticipating possible problems.

The party coalitions nominating the East Java governor hopefuls are unset.

Currently, the Democratic Party (PD) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) alliance is backing Soekarwo and Syaifullah Yusuf as its candidates. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has nominated Soetjipto and Ridwan Hisyam, the Golkar Party has named Soenaryo and Ali Maschan Moesa, and the PKB, affiliated with Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has proposed Ahmadi.

In Lumajang regency, the party coalition map is less clear. Golkar Party and PAN are poised to join forces and nominate Indah Pakarti as regent candidate. The PDI-P is banking on Umar Basar in the race.

The Democratic Party and the Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB) alliance has yet to name its candidate, while the PKB, with the most seats in the Lumajang legislature with 15, is still waiting for the rift between Gus Dur and Muhaimin Iskandar to settle.

Lumajang KPUD head Munir also senses potential threats given party coalition differences. He said his office was doing what it could to prevent conflicts during the governor and regency elections.

"We view the problems to be the same, thus we will prevent any possible tension," Munir told the Post.

Despite the "relaxed" atmosphere ahead of the elections, Bondowoso KPUD head Muhammad Muniri expressed similar concern due to the close proximity between Lumajang and Bondowoso.

"So far, the PKB is the only party to nominate four of its candidates," said Muniri.

Strangely enough, the PKB's Bondowoso chapter has not been influenced by the rift between Gus Dur and Muhaimin at the party's central executive board.

The East Java KPUD decided in a meeting to take several anticipatory steps, such as prohibiting outdoor campaign rallies in the four cities where regency elections will be held, but giving candidates the opportunity to campaign in nearby cities.

In Lumajang, the campaign schedule for candidates contesting the gubernatorial election will be moved to Jember, while campaigning scheduled for Bondowoso will be moved to Situbondo.

"We will also rotate the schedules so candidates will not meet in the same city," said Didik Parsetyono.

In Malang, the political climate is getting hotter ahead of the mayoral election slated for July. An unidentified group on Sunday reportedly pelted rocks at the house of a campaign team leader for one of the mayoral candidates nominated by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

The PKS has nominated party member Ahmad Subchan, currently a member of the East Java legislature, in the mayoral election.

Posters and signboards for Subchan were torn down several times during the past week.

Windmill brings water to E. Java residents

ID Nugroho
The Jakarta Post
Nganjuk | Wed, 04/23/2008 10:37 AM | The Archipelago

WATER AT HAND: Two women in Joho village in Nganjuk, East Java, carry containers of water from a nearby wind-powered water pump. Thanks to this new water source, they no longer face long walks to fetch water. (JP/I.D. Nugroho)WATER AT HAND: Two women in Joho village in Nganjuk, East Java, carry containers of water from a nearby wind-powered water pump. Thanks to this new water source, they no longer face long walks to fetch water. (JP/I.D. Nugroho)

The muscles of the right arm of Painem, 70, were stretched taut as the old woman lifted a jerrican of water, hoisting it first up to her shoulders and then onto her back.

"It's heavy, but it is much better now thanks to the operation of this windmill. Before this I was forced to fetch water down in the ravine," said Painem, pointing to steep ravine at the far edge of the village.

Residents of Joho village in Pace district, Ngajuk regency, East Java, now use a windmill to get water for their daily needs, making a long walk to a spring at the floor of the ravine a thing of the past. Instead, they now simply walk to the windmill and open a valve to release a steady gush of water.

Most homes are within one kilometer of the windmill.

The construction of the windmill was sponsored by the East Java provincial administration to meet water needs in the arid area. Joho was chosen for the project as the availability of water is very limited here, and villagers, who have lacked the financial means for other water systems, provided a 25-square-meter plot of land for its construction.

"Joho villagers need clean water. But as most of them are poor, it's impossible for them to buy water pumps," said Nugroho, head of the clean water infrastructure and equipment provision division of Nganjuk.

Villagers hailed the installation of the Australian-made windmill, which can pump 21,000 liters of water per day.

"I've dreamed of getting water as easily as this," said Mairin, another Joho villager.

His hope was made reality when the construction of the windmill was completed recently. Water can be pumped up from a depth of 80 meters.

Nganjuk's windy conditions make it ideal for the operation of windmills, said Geoffrey J. Moore, managing director of the West Australia company that built the windmill, W.D. Moore & Co.

"The windmill can still operate even in a soft breeze," Moore said.

Moore was in Nganjuk recently to oversee the installation of the windmill. He said the type of windmill was common in Australia.

"The Australians have used it for at least 146 years," he said.

Geographical conditions in this part of Indonesia, Geoffrey said, were nearly the same as in Australia.

The windmill, whose spare parts are produced by local company PT Steel Pipe Industry, cost some Rp 130 million (US$14,400).

Police arrest two alleged JI members

2008-04-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Surabaya

Two alleged members of the Jamaah Islamiyah regional terrorist network have been arrested in Malaysia and handed over to Indonesian authorities for questioning.

The National Police's chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, told The Associated Press that Agus Idrus, alias Agus Purwantoro, and Abdurrahim, alias Abu Husna, were in police custody.

Agus is believed to be the leader of JI, which is reported to have links with al-Qaeda, in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

The two were handed over by Malaysian police over the weekend after their arrest in January.

Bambang said both men had been involved in religious violence in Poso between 2000 and 2001 that claimed more than 2,000 lives and displaced 100,000 others.

The two men are reportedly being held at the detention center of the police's elite Mobile Brigade in Kelapa Dua, Depok, about 25 kilometers south of Jakarta.

Agus graduated from Airlangga University's School of Medicine in Surabaya, East Java, in 1997.

He is reported to have served as a doctor for fugitive terrorist Noordin M. Top.

Noordin is one of the chief JI members in Central Java and is allegedly responsible for a string of bombings in the country. He has escaped arrest on several occasions.

Agus is also known to have been a student of the late terrorist Dr. Azahari, who was killed by the police's counter-terrorism unit during a raid in Malang, East Java, on Nov. 9, 2005.

Malaysian authorities arrested Agus and Husna in January for forging the passport of an executive at an Indonesian tobacco company, Deddy Achmadi Machdan.

A home belonging to Agus' mother, Sukarti Thamrin, on Jl. Petemon in Surabaya was deserted Monday. A neighbor said Sukarti had not been seen since news first broke of her son's alleged ties to terrorism.

Another neighbor, Satuman, recalled Agus as a quiet person who spent a lot of time in the mosque.

"He never caused trouble and was a devout Muslim, regularly praying at the mosque," Satuman said.

He said residents of the housing complex were more familiar with Agus' father, the late Muhammad Thamrin, and mother.

Satuman said Sukarti was actively involved in a local housewives group.

Agus married a woman from the neighboring town of Mojokerto in 2000. The couple later left Surabaya for Kalimantan.

Missing passport misused by terrorist
Tuesday, April 15, 2008

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Beware if important documents like your passports are missing. Who knows, they may fall into the hands of a terrorist group to be later misused for illicit activities. This was experienced by Deddy Achmadi Machdan, an international communications executive of major cigarette producer PT HM Sampoerna.

Deddy was questioned by a member of the National Police's Anti-terror Detachment 88 because his missing passport was utilized by a member of a terrorist group.

The story starts back in 2003 when Deddy lost his passport in London. At the time Deddy was not aware that his backpack was open. His passport and a number of other important documents went missing.

"I only realized when I got back to my boarding house. I did not think anything more of it. What I knew was that my passport and other documents were lost," he said in Pasuruan, East Java, earlier this month.

Deddy immediately went to the Indonesian Embassy in London to inform them about the missing documents and to ask for a replacement passport.

Time passed and Deddy forgot about the missing passport.

Suddenly there was phone call from Jakarta Police Headquarters. During the conversation, police officers questioned Deddy about his missing passport.

"As I didn't know anything else, I just told them how I lost my passport in 2003," Deddy said.

The police officers later explained the case involving Deddy's passport. According to them, the passport had been misused by someone believed to be a member of a major terrorist network.

The man who misused Deddy's passport and his accomplice, who is also believed to be a member of the terrorist network, have now been detained in a Malaysian penitentiary for questioning.

Deddy was startled to find out that two Indonesians had lost their passports in London on the same day, September 19, 2003.

"I never thought about someone intentionally stealing Indonesian passports," he said.

"The man, who misused my passport, later claiming to be Achmadi Machdan', and confessed to hail from Malang, East Java," Deddy said.

As the police officers did not believe Deddy's explanation, they requested to further investigate Deddy at his house. As Deddy believed he was not guilty, he agreed to the request.

On the second-floor verandah of his house in Jakarta, the police officers showed Deddy a photocopy of his missing passport, which had since been falsified. He told the police the name was his, but the address and photo were not.

The police officers also asked Deddy to show his replacement passport. He showed his passport along with remarks about his missing passport.

According to Deddy, the police officers freed him of any further investigation. If he was unable to produce a replacement passport, the case would have become longer.

The officers later asked Deddy if he was willing to testify as a witness if needed.

Roy Marten gets 3 years in jail
Saturday, April 12, 2008

Roy Marten, one of the country's most popular movie stars in the early 1980s, was sentenced by a Surabaya court on Friday to three years in jail and a fine of Rp 3 million (about US$325) for using illegal drugs.

Berlin Damanik, the judge who presided over the trial, said the sentence was lighter than the 3.5 years demanded by prosecutors as the defendant was found guilty only of using and not selling the drugs.

Speaking to reporters following the reading of the verdict, Berlin said the court found no evidences that Roy, who was previously jailed for nine months on a similar charge, was involved in the distribution of the drugs.

"The defendant knew nothing about the distribution of the drugs as charged by prosecutors," he said.

Roy, one of many movie stars appointed by the National Narcotics Agency to promote an anti-drug campaign, was apprehended together with four accomplices in a hotel in Surabaya in November while taking crystal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu shabu.

He had reportedly been in Surabaya to witness the signing of an anti-drugs cooperation agreement between the agency and the Surabaya-based newspaper Jawa Post.

"The three-year sentence is too long. I am not a dealer," Roy told The Jakarta Post following the reading of the court's verdict. "Today's court session was only a formality. The verdict had been fixed before."

Four other defendants were earlier sentenced by the same court to between one and five years in jail. Windasari received one year, Fredy Matatullah 3.5 years and Hong Ko Hong aka Hartanto dan Didit Kesit five years.

The above picture shows Roy answering reporters' questions following the issuance of his verdict. (JP/ID Nugroho)

Displaced mudflow victims block highway

2008-03-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Malang

Protesters from nine villages affected by the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, blocked the Porong highway and railway tracks for over eight hours Monday to demand inclusion in the central government's compensation program. They plan to meet the governor today to put forward their demands.

The protest began at 8:30 a.m. when around 1,000 villagers, from Mindi, Siring Barat, Jatirejo Barat, Ketapang, Gempol Sari, Glagah Arum, Primbon, Kali Tengah and Gedang converged at four points along the highway, blocking traffic at the Porong turnpike, the Kuning Siring Monument, the intersection at the Brimob Training Center and the Porong Bridge.

Anti-riot and Brimob police units in full gear prevented onlookers from joining the protesters. The Brimob unit stopped those in Mindi from venturing out of their village. Police officers were pushed back to the end of the road from where they had to address the crowd.

At the intersection near the Brimob Training Center, demonstrators were forced by police to retreat. Some yelled obscenities at the police while others cried.

The protesters blocked traffic on the Porong highway and six train services were canceled.

The massive rally prompted Sidoarjo Vice Regent Syaiful Ilah to speak to the crowd. He urged the demonstrators to end their protest. They initially refused and asked Syaiful to provide a solution to resolve the problem.

"We finally agreed to meet Governor Imam Utomo on Tuesday to find a solution and try and meet people's demands," said Syaiful, who was optimistic tomorrow's meeting would be fruitful.

Team coordinator of the nine villages Bambang Koeswanto said residents had agreed to meet the governor and added they would take to the streets again and block the road if tomorrow's meeting failed.

In Malang, spokesman for state railway company PT KAI's Surabaya Operation Division Sudarsono said the road and railway blockades in Porong and Tanggulangin districts Monday had paralyzed the railway line between Malang and Blitar to Surabaya.

"If residents continue blocking the railway line until nighttime, PT KAI could incur a loss of around Rp 200 million (US$22,200) in revenue," said Sudarsono.

Sudarsono said, however, only six trains were affected.

"The disruption started at 8:30 a.m. and some train drivers returned to their departure stations because they couldn't continue their journey," said Sudarsono.

He urged the authorities to negotiate with the demonstrators so they could remove the blockade at Mindi village.

"Please, do protest, but not at the expense of other people's interests," he said.

Sudarsono added train passengers who bought tickets but were unable to travel could collect refunds at the place of issuance.

"We will fully reimburse the tickets and will provide new tickets for those who wish to reschedule their trip," he said.

Science for Kids: A practical approach to math, science

2008-03-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

I.D. Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sun, 03/23/2008 3:05 PM | Discover

Math and science majors do not always scare elementary school students. This was proven by the 90 primary school students who enthusiastically took part in the Science for Kids program, held March 11 at the 10 November Institute of Technology Surabaya (ITS).

In Science for Kids, the ITS students presented math and science to elementary school students as real-life applications.

For example, the university students showed their juniors several magic tricks and explained them from a scientific angle. One such trick was pulling a tablecloth off a table without spilling the plates and cups atop it.

"Wow, it's like magic," said Ahmad Zulkarnain of Mabadiul Ulum elementary school, after watching an interactive video presentation on the application of Newton's Law.

The young students' enthusiastic responses did not dim throughout the video presentation on resonance, expanding objects and electricity, which included a story on fluorescent bulbs.

"These (fluorscent) bulbs can light up because they are filled with the gas krypton, but they are brighter than neon bulbs," said Nailul Hasan, a Physics major who explained the application of this science to daily life.

While the majority of elementary school students admitted that science and mathematics were not their favorite subjects, they still listened keenly to the explanations on statistics. This science of calculation, which is reputed to be difficult and complex, was made easier to understand through games and quizzes.

"Statistics is a close friend of numbers and a cousin of mathematics," explained Statistics major Novita.

Providing a simple, introductory approach to math and science to elementary-level students is the primary objective of Science for Kids, and its target, the grade-5 students who sat in neat rows in a room at the ITS rector's building.

These young students hailed from Raden Patah Islamic elementary school as well as the Menur Prumpungan, Mabadiul Ulum, Yapita and Klampis Ngasem I elementary schools.

"We're really excited about introducing mathematics and the natural sciences as basic science for elementary kids," related third-year ITS math and science student Bandung Arisanjoyo, who began the session with math, then went on to cover biology, physics, chemistry and statistics.

In general, math and science subjects are considered "monsters" among school students. According to Bandung, however, elementary school students are able to grasp the concepts if they are delivered in a simple, understandable manner.

"This is an opportunity to make kids like math and science," added Bandung, who explained to the young students the importance of the subjects to their futures.

"You cannot ignore the role of mathematics and the sciences in the development of science and technology," he said, urging the children to study math and science diligently, and not give up.

Parties recruit NU figures as vote getters in East Java

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Mon, 03/24/2008 11:47 AM | The Archipelago

Political parties in East Java have recruited members from a dominant local Muslim organization in an apparent strategy to win the province's first-ever gubernatorial election in July.

The Golkar Party, which holds 15 of the 100 seats in the provincial legislature, has nominated chairman of the Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) provincial chapter, Ali Maschan Moesa, as running mate of incumbent vice governor Soenaryo.

The coalition of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Democratic Party (PD) nominated chairman of the NU-affiliated youth organization, Ansor Syaifullah Yusuf, as running mate of the secretary of the provincial government, Soekarwo.

The NU-affiliated National Awakening Party (PKB), which formed a coalition with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), has decided to nominate influential NU figure Achmady as a candidate for governor and is seeking a suitable figure to run alongside him. PKB holds 31 seats in the provincial legislature.

Minority parties have approached female NU member Khofifah Inda Parawansa to be running mate of their governor hopeful Djoko Subroto, former chief of the Brawijaya Military Command overseeing security in the province.

Political scientist Kacung Marijan of Airlangga University said it was a clever political strategy but it would not guarantee victory in the July 23 election.

"The race will ultimately show which of the NU figures wins the hearts of the people," he said.

Kacung warned political parties not to misinterpret the changing political culture in the province, saying since NU returned to its 1926 nonpolitical khittah (principle) in 1984, NU members have not heeded their leaders in political matters.

"Nahdliyin (NU members) have become politically literate since this large Muslim organization pulled out of politics, because they have been able to separate religious matters from political ones. They know who they will vote for," he said.

According to Machmud Djujono, chairman of the Soenaryo-Ali campaign team, Ali will pick up votes in the governor race because he has a good track record in the province's politics, in addition to his influence among NU members.

Machmud said the pair made a suitable combination of nationalist-religious ideologies representing laymen and clerics.

Golkar hopes Ali will win a majority of votes from both party supporters and NU members, he said.

According to data from the local NU office, 40 percent of the province's 33 million residents are NU members.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which holds 25 seats in the provincial legislature, has not adopted this strategy. PDI-P has decided to nominate influential PDI-P figure Sutjipto, with Ridwan Hisyam, a local Golkar figure, as his running mate.

Sutjipto, who is a member of the home affairs commission at the House of Representatives and a senior figure loyal to PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, is favorite to win the governor race. If so, the victory is expected to pave the way for the party to have Megawati win the 2009 presidential election.

Major political parties have been in fierce competition to win local elections in Java, home to almost 63 percent of the national population.

Photo exhibition explores lives of Java's Samin tribes

2008-03-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 03/08/2008 6:18 PM | Arts & Design

Identity cards display more than just your name, date of birth and address. They also reveal your job, your marital status and your religion.

If you take a close look at the ID card of a Central Javanese Samin tribesperson, you will notice the religion section is left blank.

"It's because our religion is not one of the five religions recognized by the government," said Gun Retno, a Samin from Surabaya.

Little is known about the Samin tribe and, unfortunately, they are often stereotyped as lazy and anti-development.

This stereotype is derived from Samin Surantiko, a public figure who lived in the Samin community at the border of East Java and Central Java. Samin led his people through the struggles of Dutch colonialism and was known to refuse to do anything ordered by the Dutch.

His resistance inspired people in Pati, Blora, Kudus and Bojonegoro to respond to the Dutch in the same way. Their resistance to the Dutch, however, created the Samin stereotype, known as sedulur sirep.

Peter Dwiyanto, a photographer from Surabaya and alumni of Petra Christian University, has long felt troubled by the stereotype. He felt motivated to research the tribe for his final major work as a student. He lived for a month with the Samin tribes in Pati, Kudus and Blora to learn more about them.

He learned the people, who wear black clothes and batik headscarves, value honesty, reflected in a list of the tribes' 20 taboos.

The taboos include being jealous, envious, frugal and easily upset. Stealing, pilfering, touting, lying and being ungrateful are also taboo.

"Essentially the Samin people are honest in their activities and attitudes," Peter said.

Following this philosophy allowed Peter to enjoy unforgettable experiences during his stay in the communities.

"Someone left some money in a Samin community in the 80s and it is still being well-kept," he said.

Gun said the Samin maintained honesty in everything they say and do. They do what they say and say what they do. If they think they will not be able to do it, they will not say they can. Because of this tradition, the Samin are often regarded as strange.

Gun, who has four children, is reluctant to speak Indonesian because he thinks he is not proficient in the language.

"I prefer to speak Javanese because this is the language I know and understand best. When I speak Indonesian, I feel afraid I will make mistakes," he said in Javanese.

The farmer in black said that his choice to speak Javanese did not mean that the Samin rejected anything new introduced to them, including technology.

"We also have TVs, tractors to harvest the rice fields and other modern items in our village. But we only use them when necessary, not excessively," he said.

When it comes to education, the Samin prefer to teach their children about life based on their own experiences. The sons learn how to farm from their fathers while the girls learn cooking from their mothers.

"We don't teach them reading and writing, but if they want to, they can learn from their friends," he said.

As a result, most of the Samin do not have the same type of education as other Indonesians. After graduating from elementary school, they work on the land.

The Samin refuse to pretend they belong to one of six recognized faiths -- Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.

"If we say we are Muslim or Christian, we have to live a way of life in accordance with the religion. But we are not Muslim and we are not Christian and we don't have any religion recognized by the government," he said.

The Samin have their own religion they call Adam so they prefer to keep the religion section on their ID cards blank.

"It seems we can't do that anymore because we have to fill in that part," he said.

A two-week photo exhibition featuring the life of the Samin people is being held at the French Cultural Center in Surabaya until March 11.

East Java town of Pacitan celebrates ancestors, 632rd anniversary

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Pacitan | Fri, 02/29/2008 11:56 AM | Java Brew

Ki Bonokeling, Ki Setroketipo and Kanjeng Jimat probably never imagined their lives in Pacitan would continue to be remembered by their descendants until today.

But it was at their graves that Pacitan residents recently held a series of celebrations to mark the East Java town's 623rd anniversary.

Unlike most cemeteries, the graveyard complex of Giri Sampoerno in Tanjung Asri village of Pacitan subdistrict is located on the top of a hill.

The graves there cover most parts of the hill, which is located one kilometer away from the heart of the town where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono grew up.

The grave of Joyoniman, also known as Kanjeng Jimat, the 12th Pacitan regent who is remembered as the great leader who developed the town, can be found there.

He was also considered a holy man because it was through him that Islam began to spread through Pacitan.

"After Kanjeng Jimat gained power, Pacitan grew to become an advanced region," Imam Koesno, a senior citizen who is also the juru kunci (caretaker) of Kanjeng Jimat's grave, told The Jakarta Post.

Pacitan is known as the place where Javanese kings went to meditate and the place where the great Sudirman, a national hero, chose to hide when he was being pursued by the Dutch.

"I heard there's one cave where kings meditated and which was also used by the late former president Soeharto," Fathoni, head of the Pacitan Tourism Office, told the Post.

The history of Pacitan started with the arrival of Ki Bonokeling -- one of the messengers of King Brawijaya who was sent to the area bordering East Java and Central Java in the 12th century. Ki Bonokeling's descendants remained as significant figures for four generations.

When Islam arrived, the fourth Ki Bonokeling, the area's ruler, objected when Kyai Ageng Petung, who was also spreading Islam in Java, brought his religion to Pacitan. The two clashed and waged war.

It was believed the fourth Ki Bonokeling held divine powers which rendered him immortal.

However, Kyai Ageng Petung killed him by cutting his body into three; each body part was then buried in a different location and separated by a river. From then on, Islam began to grow in Pacitan.

The name Pacitan itself is believed to come from the word pace -- the fruit of the small bengkudu tree; the roots of which are used to produce dyes.

King Mangkubumi, who recovered from paralysis by drinking the juice of the fruit, was believed to be the first to mention the name. Setroetipo, a fifth-generation descendant of Bonokeling and who was a Muslim, was the person who gave the juice to Mangubumi.

"The story continued until Pacitan was controlled by Joyoniman or Kanjeng Jimat, the descendant of the tenth Bonokeling who held authority from 1840," said Koesno quoting the Babad Pacitan (the story told in Javanese and the languages of Sunda, Bali and Madura, which recounts the history of Pacitan).

Kanjeng Jimat himself was a simple man and a dutiful follower of Islam. One of his ambitions was to turn Pacitan into an Islamic city, so when he passed away, his wish was to be buried on top of a hill facing Pacitan city.

From his grave, a visitor can view Pacitan city and its surrounds all the way to Teleng Ria beach in the south.

The grave itself is simple and has no special monuments, but has become a magnet drawing Pacitan residents who believe some graves are sacred and hold special powers.

"There are three graves in Pacitan which are often visited and where people pray -- the graves of Kanjeng Jimat, Setroketipo and Buonokeling," said Koesno.

The simplicity and sanctity of Kanjeng Jimat is the inspiration for the celebration of Pacitan's anniversary in 2008.

Popular performances from the regency's 12 subdistricts, such as the traditional kirab parade and puppet shows, were organized for residents.

"Our philosophy is to use the celebration of Pacitan's birthday to improve the city and religious observance," Fathoni said.

Bojonegoro regency struggles for flood recovery

2008-02-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Bojonegoro

Kanor village in Bojonegoro, East Java, located along the Bengawan Solo River, was hit by floods more than a month ago, but recovery work has yet to restore conditions.

Many dams and bridges in the village were damaged in the floods, along with homes, schools, graveyards and thousands of hectares of ready-to-harvest rice fields.

Thousands were forced from their homes, but there were no reports of casualties in the flooding that devastated 15 districts in the regency.

Local residents referred to the destruction as a minor doomsday, pointing to broken embankments and bridges. Limestone earth and clay, used to plug broken embankments, resembled mud traps.

Motorcycles traveled on heavily damaged roads that looked like off-road trails where riders frequently fall.

A number of passing public minivans also found themselves trapped in the mud. Pedestrians often walked barefoot, trudging through knee-deep mud in places.

"Conditions could worsen if it rains now. The public works office should be held responsible," said resident Eko Prayitno.

A number of the broken bridges had been temporarily fixed with bamboo, with vehicles taking turns to cross over them.

When it rains now, residents said they watched the water level of the Bengawan Solo River passing along the western part of the village.

Last Thursday the water level rose and the river overflowed onto roadways.

"My family and I were fearful the river would burst its banks," said Tukul, a villager whose house is located near the river.

Tukul's house was engulfed in chest-high water last month during the floods that destroyed all his belongings.

Residents were aware they lived in a flood-prone area, especially since it is located in the upper reaches of the longest river in Java.

They believed the latest flood was triggered by water released from the Gajah Mungkur reservoir in Central Java.

"If the reservoir releases its water, the level of the Bengawan Solo River rises and floods are inevitable. So what else can we do?" said another resident, Munir.

Many residents were pessimistic over a proposal to restore broken dikes in Bojonegoro.

Building permanent dikes, they said, would not make much of a difference when the Bengawan Solo started overflowing.

"They (broken embankments) could create more adverse impacts when they break. We fear the rapid rush of water could claim peoples' lives," said Munir.

Kwan Sing Bio: Tuban's crab shrine
Friday, February 08, 2008

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Tuban, East Java

Some two centuries ago, a boat owned by a Chinese explorer became stranded near Tuban on the north coast of Java, which was then a marshy area teeming with crabs.

In the face of this misfortune, so the story goes, the traveler pulled out his jiamsi sticks bearing verses that could foretell one's fortune.

He pleaded for the God of Wisdom, Kwan Sing Tie Koen, to give him guidance and strength to face his predicament.

"Would you like me to remain here?" he asked before shaking the sticks.

After asking the same question three times, an answer came forth: Yes.

"Finally, the adventurer decided to stay there and live on Tuban's coast and build a temple called Kwan Sing Bio, or the Shrine of the God of Wisdom," Hendra Susanto, Kwan Sing Bio's spiritual leader, told The Jakarta Post.

Tuban, located 90 kilometers west of the East Java capital of Surabaya, has long been an important city due to its strategic location and role as a main port since the pre-Islamic period of the Majapahit Kingdom.

As the Islamic era was ushered in, Tuban became a vital place in history after Sunan Bonang, or Maulana Makdum Ibrahim -- one of the nine Islamic propagators in Java, known as the Wali Songo -- was buried behind Jami' Mosque in the town square.

The legendary temple itself is located west of Tuban. It is a place of worship for Tri Dharma followers -- Confucianists, Taoists and Buddhists.

Hendra said the temple, also known as the crab shrine, was not easy to construct due to the swampy land it was built on.

After clearing and leveling the area, the shrine was erected with the crab as its signature feature.

"Tri Dharma teachings believe crabs are chosen by gods to protect people living in Tuban," Hendra said.

On the five-hectare plot, the temple is divided into several areas, with the front and oldest section serving as the place of worship and prayer.

A room for Mandarin language lessons, jiamsi fortune telling and a secretariat office is located at the side, while a hall has been set up in the center, adjacent to a garden that has adopted Chinese architecture, complete with a small lake and bridge.

The rear area, which is currently under construction, will serve as a multipurpose area and will include lodgings.

Reverence for sea creatures, like crabs, is evident in the fact that Tri Dharma followers avoid using crabs as offerings.

Hendra said another unique sign of the crab could also be seen in the geography of Tuban area itself, which resembles a crab with two pincers.

"The first pincer is situated in Tjoe Ling Kiong or the Sea Goddess Shrine in the town square and the second pincer in Kwan Sing Bio shrine."

Surabaya Police searching for 780 possible trafficking victims
Friday, February 08, 2008

I.D. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

The Surabaya Police are searching for at least 780 people, including children, believed to have been the victims of human trafficking.

The search was begun following the police's failure to make an arrest in a raid on two buildings believed to have been used to house the victims here Wednesday.

The police investigated the buildings after receiving a report from of a victim who managed to escape Monday night after reportedly being held with other victims in the buildings for many days.

The victim, identified as Tutik, 30, reported the human trafficking activities to the police office near the buildings. She was handed over to the East Java social affairs office before being returned to her home town of Yogyakarta.

"Tutik said ... she and hundreds of other victims, including underage women, were held in the two buildings on Jl. Tidar in the city," said a staff member of the social affairs office who asked for anonymity.

The two buildings belong to two private companies identified as PT JKS and PT GS, which have permits to send migrant workers abroad.

"So far, some of the victims are still at large while those found in the buildings are going to be sent back to their home villages," said the staff member.

He said the raid had been leaked before it was conducted, so some of the victims escaped.

His office and the police will summon the two companies' owners for investigation, he said.

House knocks back new mudflow report
Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sidoarjo

The House of Representatives unanimously dismissed Tuesday a report from its own special team concluding that the devastating mudflow in East Java was a natural phenomenon.

The report apparently sided with Lapindo Brantas Inc., widely blamed for the disaster that began on May 29, 2006, lawmakers told a plenary meeting on the mudflow.

"The report seems to have been written by Lapindo's public affairs division," legislator Permadi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said.

He said the report clearly defended Lapindo, linked to the family of chief welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie, since it failed to cite the role of Lapindo in causing the mudflow in Sidoarjo regency.

The plenary session created confusion over whether it had also decided to continue with the House's plan to question senior officials, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, about the government's commitment to victims of the disaster.

House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno, who presided over the session, confirmed the plan.

However, some members of the special team held a press conference shortly after the plenary session to say the meeting concluded that the team had to continue its investigation.

"We have already clarified this with Mbah Tardjo (Soetardjo) and what he decided was to prolong this team's work," said Priyo Budi Santoso, a Golkar Party legislator with the team.

Permadi said if the special team failed to complete its task to the satisfaction of the House, it would be followed with a plan to summons the government.

"The team must be disbanded and the House will continue with the interpellation plan," Permadi added.

Last September a number of lawmakers proposed the House use its right to summon President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to explain the matter.

But the House could not reach an agreement on the issue and instead decided to establish a special team to examine the government's effort to handle the mudflow and its impacts.

Team member Tjahjo Kumulo, who read out the report during Tuesday's plenary meeting, said the House had no authority to determine whether the mudflow was natural or man-made.

"That is the expert's authority," said Tjahjo, who is also from the PDI-P faction.

Despite this statement however, the report repeatedly cited information supporting the theory that the mudflow was an "uncontrollable natural disaster".

It quoted geologists as saying the mudflow was caused by an underground mud volcano that had nothing to do with human activities.

The report also cited the South Jakarta District Court's verdict that ruled the mudflow was a purely natural phenomenon.

Dradjad Wibowo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said such a report might have budget implications for the state.

"If the disaster is perceived as a natural phenomenon, PT Lapindo may use that to sue the government to return all Rp 1.3 trillion they have disbursed for the victims," he said.

In Sidoarjo, some 3,000 victims of the mudflow were angered by the team's conclusion and took to the streets to protest.

They barricaded the Porong highway and railway tracks next to the mud volcano site, triggering heavy traffic.

The protesters, from five badly affected hamlets, demanded that Lapindo Brantas pay them compensation as soon as possible. (alf)

ID Nugroho contributed to this story from Sidoarjo

House reversal on mudflow questioning
Thursday, February 21, 2008

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sidoarjo

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerdjogoeritno was criticized Wednesday by fellow lawmakers for reversing a decision to question the government on the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java.

During a plenary session of the House on Tuesday, presided over by Soetardjo, lawmakers decided to knock back a report from a House special team, which concluded the mudflow was a natural phenomenon, not man-made.

During the session, lawmakers criticized the report, which they said sided with Lapindo Brantas Inc., the company widely blamed for the disaster.

Soetardjo then offered the session two options -- to continue the team's work or to move forward with plans to question the government about its response to the mudflow and its treatment of victims.

The majority of lawmakers chose to question the government, at which point Soetardjo ended the session, with a decision to summon the government over the disaster.

To the surprise of lawmakers who attended Tuesday's session, Soetardjo, 74, said Wednesday the House's special mudflow team would continue its work on its report.

"What I decided was to prolong the mudflow special team's work and, if we want to", we can question the government later, said the House deputy speaker, who also heads the mudflow team.

Soetardjo's about-face was slammed by fellow legislators who want to question the government about the disaster.

"What was decided in the plenary session cannot be changed just by a statement outside the meeting," said Djoko Susilo of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

He said the plenary session clearly agreed to reject the team's report and question the government over the disaster.

"We can listen to recordings of the plenary session as evidence," he said.

Djoko said a plenary session was the highest forum in the House and that decisions made during the sessions could only be changed through another plenary meeting.

He said the PAN faction would discuss the issue Friday.

Ida Fauziah, a legislator with the National Awakening Party (PKB), said she did not understand what Soetardjo meant when he said they could "prolong the team's work" and question the government later.

She said a plenary session that discussed the issue of Lapindo last year decided the House would formally question the government if its special mudflow team failed to complete its report to the satisfaction of lawmakers.

"We should refer to that decision," said Ida.

Commenting on the report, volcanologist Surono said the Sidoarjo mudflow would not have occurred without a "trigger".

"Sidoarjo is indeed a mud volcano source. But if it was not fiddled around with, it would not have been a disaster like this," he said during a seminar at the Surabaya Institute of Technology in East Java.

Surono, who has conducted research on a mud volcano at Surabaya's Juanda Airport, said there was only a small-scale mud volcano in Sidoarjo.

He said that based on its natural characteristics, the mud volcano would have remained small without some sort of trigger.

Meanwhile, some 300 victims of the mudflow from five affected villages in Sidoarjo, continued their protest Wednesday.

The protesters demanded Lapindo complete its compensation payments to those affected by the disaster, and urged the government to include several more villages in the map of affected areas.

Protester Luthfi Abdillah said representatives of affected villages were in Jakarta to meet ministers and make sure their demands were heard. (alf).

ID Nugroho contributed to this story from Sidoarjo

Jamsostek honors 100 companies in East Java
Thursday, February 21, 2008

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

State-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek has honored 100 companies from different sectors in East Java for compliance with the 1992 law on social security requiring employers to register their workers with social security programs.

The Jamsostek awards were presented by East Java Governor Imam Utomo in a ceremony here Wednesday.

He said the awards were expected to encourage more companies to register their workers with Jamsostek.

"Honoring these companies is part of the government's persuasive approach. If the approach proves ineffective, the government will likely deploy the repressive approach because the social security programs are compulsory for all companies employing 10 workers or more," he said in his address to the ceremony.

One hundred companies were recognized for their good track records in administrative affairs, producing payrolls and accurate reports of labor data, including worker numbers and gross monthly salaries, he said.

He called on regents and mayors in the province to deploy labor inspectors to investigate suspected companies of violating the law because the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry no longer had the authority to carry out the inspections.

"Regional heads have a political obligation to enforce the law and help provide protection for workers, many of who are still not paid in accordance with regional minimum wages," he said.

Private and state companies receiving the Jamsostek award included PT Garuda Food, PT Yamaha Musical Product Indonesia, PT HM Sampoerna, PT Tjiwi Kimia TBK, PDAM Kediri city, PDAM Blitar regency and PDAM Sumber Pocong in Bangkalan, Madura.

East Java, home to industrial zones in Sidoarjo, Pasuruan and Rungkut, has 10,386 companies employing more than 940,000 workers, of which only 30 percent are registered with Jamsostek.

Cipto Rahardi, head of Jamsostek Region VI, which covers East Java, Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara, said Jamsostek would continue deploying the persuasive approach until all workers in the region were registered.

"Jamsostek has no authority to enforce the law and to investigate companies violating the law. We have enhanced cooperation and coordination with labor unions who register their own members with Jamsostek because they are the main stakeholders obliged to protect their employees with the social security programs," he said.

Director Adji Pamunkas of PT Terminal Petikemas, in Surabaya, said he was happy to receive the award. "We have participated in Jamsostek not for the award, but because of our awareness of labor protection by healthcare, death benefits, occupational accident benefits and pension benefits programs."

He said Jamsostek not only benefitted workers but also employers, who did not have to pay workers affected by occupational accidents or who reached retirement age.

Experts, public figures seek end to Sidoarjo mudflow
Friday, February 22, 2008

Erwida Maulia and ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sidoarjo

A group on Thursday declared a movement to stop the mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, while questioning the government's political will to end the disaster.

The group of experts and public figures is led by Nahdlatul Ulama senior leader Solahuddin Wahid, the younger brother of former president Abdurrahman Wahid, and includes former Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif and mud volcano experts from several state universities.

Solahuddin accused the government and the House of Representatives of lacking seriousness to stop the mudflow that began in May 2006.

"There's been something of an effort not to let the public know the mudflow is stoppable," he said at a ceremony to announce the group's intentions at the House building in Jakarta.

Rudi Rubiandini, a drilling expert of the Bandung Institute of Technology, refuted claims the mudflow was a natural phenomenon, which has been widely asserted since the beginning of the disaster.

He and former Pertamina deputy director Mustiko Saleh, both part of the group, also rejected the theory the mudflow was triggered by the 2006 earthquake that rattled Yogyakarta a few days before the mudflow began.

The group said it would use relief well technology to stop the mudflow, and conduct fund-raising activities to finance the movement.

Rudi said that by drilling a relief well to get to the source of the mudflow, which lies at a depth of 2,000 to 3,000 meters, they would be able to plug the source.

He said the source could be destroyed by injecting mud with higher specific gravity and channeling the hot salty water, which produces mud after mixing with clay, to the earth's surface via the relief well.

Another possible solution is to explode layers around the source to close the crack from which the water flows, he added.

"Such a method requires six months of preparations, but will effectively destroy the mudflow source within three hours," said Rudi, who is also the former head of the independent team investigating the mudflow.

He said the effort would cost between US$50 million and $70 million.

"Using concrete balls or constructing cover dams won't work because they don't kill the mudflow at its source, but only at its surface.

"Those methods would only result in the flowing of mud through other places," Rudi said.

The relief well technology had been used to stop the Sidoarjo mudflow once previously, according to retired operation head for drilling activities at state-owned oil company PT Pertamina, Kersam Sumanta.

But it failed to work, as mining firm Lapindo Brantas Inc. had not been serious in using the technology, he said.

Lapindo, which is connected to the family of Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare, Aburizal Bakrie, was widely blamed for the disaster that cost it some Rp 3.2 trillion (US$335 million) in compensation to victims.

Rudi said since its eruption almost two years ago, the mudflow had inundated 700 hectares in Sidoarjo and displaced thousands of families.

The declaration ceremony also saw the launch of a book, Kill Lapindo Mudflow: Saving the Nation, People's lives and State Money, which was co-written by movement members including Solahuddin, Rudi, Kersam, Syafii Maarif and Mustiko Saleh.

Separately, Andy Darussalam, vice president of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, a subsidiary of Lapindo Brantas, said in Sidoarjo that whatever the status of the mudflow, be it man-made or a natural disaster, the company would continue payment of the remaining 80 percent of its compensation to victims.

But he said Minarak would not be responsible for victims living in areas outside the boundaries of the Lapindo mudflow, which were specified in a 2007 presidential regulation on the Sidoarjo mudflow.

East Java town of Pacitan celebrates ancestors, 632rd anniversary
Friday, February 29, 2008

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Pacitan

Ki Bonokeling, Ki Setroketipo and Kanjeng Jimat probably never imagined their lives in Pacitan would continue to be remembered by their descendants until today.

But it was at their graves that Pacitan residents recently held a series of celebrations to mark the East Java town's 623rd anniversary.

Unlike most cemeteries, the graveyard complex of Giri Sampoerno in Tanjung Asri village of Pacitan subdistrict is located on the top of a hill.

The graves there cover most parts of the hill, which is located one kilometer away from the heart of the town where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono grew up.

The grave of Joyoniman, also known as Kanjeng Jimat, the 12th Pacitan regent who is remembered as the great leader who developed the town, can be found there.

He was also considered a holy man because it was through him that Islam began to spread through Pacitan.

"After Kanjeng Jimat gained power, Pacitan grew to become an advanced region," Imam Koesno, a senior citizen who is also the juru kunci (caretaker) of Kanjeng Jimat's grave, told The Jakarta Post.

Pacitan is known as the place where Javanese kings went to meditate and the place where the great Sudirman, a national hero, chose to hide when he was being pursued by the Dutch.

"I heard there's one cave where kings meditated and which was also used by the late former president Soeharto," Fathoni, head of the Pacitan Tourism Office, told the Post.

The history of Pacitan started with the arrival of Ki Bonokeling -- one of the messengers of King Brawijaya who was sent to the area bordering East Java and Central Java in the 12th century. Ki Bonokeling's descendants remained as significant figures for four generations.

When Islam arrived, the fourth Ki Bonokeling, the area's ruler, objected when Kyai Ageng Petung, who was also spreading Islam in Java, brought his religion to Pacitan. The two clashed and waged war.

It was believed the fourth Ki Bonokeling held divine powers which rendered him immortal.

However, Kyai Ageng Petung killed him by cutting his body into three; each body part was then buried in a different location and separated by a river. From then on, Islam began to grow in Pacitan.

The name Pacitan itself is believed to come from the word pace -- the fruit of the small bengkudu tree; the roots of which are used to produce dyes.

King Mangkubumi, who recovered from paralysis by drinking the juice of the fruit, was believed to be the first to mention the name. Setroetipo, a fifth-generation descendant of Bonokeling and who was a Muslim, was the person who gave the juice to Mangubumi.

"The story continued until Pacitan was controlled by Joyoniman or Kanjeng Jimat, the descendant of the tenth Bonokeling who held authority from 1840," said Koesno quoting the Babad Pacitan (the story told in Javanese and the languages of Sunda, Bali and Madura, which recounts the history of Pacitan).

Kanjeng Jimat himself was a simple man and a dutiful follower of Islam. One of his ambitions was to turn Pacitan into an Islamic city, so when he passed away, his wish was to be buried on top of a hill facing Pacitan city.

From his grave, a visitor can view Pacitan city and its surrounds all the way to Teleng Ria beach in the south.

The grave itself is simple and has no special monuments, but has become a magnet drawing Pacitan residents who believe some graves are sacred and hold special powers.

"There are three graves in Pacitan which are often visited and where people pray -- the graves of Kanjeng Jimat, Setroketipo and Buonokeling," said Koesno.

The simplicity and sanctity of Kanjeng Jimat is the inspiration for the celebration of Pacitan's anniversary in 2008.

Popular performances from the regency's 12 subdistricts, such as the traditional kirab parade and puppet shows, were organized for residents.

"Our philosophy is to use the celebration of Pacitan's birthday to improve the city and religious observance," Fathoni said.

Ponorogo holds Reog Festival to preserve its indigenous culture

2008-02-07T04:49:00.000-08:00

The Jakarta Post, Friday, January 11, 2008

Ponorogo, East Java

Not long after Malaysia agreed Indonesia's traditional mask dance Reog was not Malay in origin, the National Reog Festival XIV was held in Poprogo regency, East Java.

The four-day festival, which opened Saturday, was part of the Islamic New Year celebration known as Grebeg Suro.

The event was well attended despite floods being reported throughout the regency.

Forty-two groups took part in the festival, while last year there were only 31. A group from Wonogiri, Central Java, which was declared the best Reog group three years running -- from 2004-2007 -- was prevented from participating this year.

"The Wonogiri group may be absent, but the other groups are better prepared than in previous years," said Luhur Karsanto, the secretary of Ponorogo regency.

The participants came from various places like Probolinggo, Gresik, Surabaya, Jember, Batu, Kediri, Jakarta and other areas outside Java such as South Sumatera, Riau, Lampung and East Kalimantan.

In November, some 2,000 Reog dancers from Ponorogo, Wonogiri and Greater Jakarta held a rally in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, slamming Kuala Lumpur for promoting Reog, which originally comes from Ponorogo, in its tourism campaign.

The Malaysian ambassador responded by acknowledging the dance had been brought to Malaysia by Javanese people about 150 years ago.

Opening the Reog festival at Ponorogo Square, Regent Muhadi Suyono said the event was being held both to preserve the Reog culture and to support the national government initiative Visit Indonesia Year.

"Visit Indonesia Year consists of 100 national events, one of which is the National Reog Festival," Muhadi said.

The regency administration has been criticized for holding the festival amid the suffering caused by the flood.

Karsanto said he was surprised by such "facile" criticism.

He said the regency administration had been sheltering flood victims at its office compound where it had also established a public kitchen. "And we will continue to hold the Grebeg Suro celebration because it is important for the preservation of our culture."

At the opening of the festival, a number of Reog groups from outside Ponorogo handed over donations for the flood victims.

"It is important to remember that the festival is being held amid concerns (for the victims), thank you for your support," Muhadi said.

The Banyak islands in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
The Jakarta Post, Sunday, January 20, 2008

Banyak Island, Aceh

The small islands in Indonesia have started to become news again. Clandestinely, several islands in outer Indonesia have been offered to foreigners for private ownership. The buyers are interested because of the beauty of those islands. An example is the multitude of Island in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam called Banyak.

The islands are located at the Aceh Singkil regency. People can use small boats to reach the islands in two hours. "Banyak" means plenty. Before the tsunami, there were 99 islands. Now there are 63 islands left and the rest are inundated with water.

The biggest island is Tuanku Island, which is located in the middle of all the islands. The second biggest is called Bangkaru Island, which is also the farthest of them all. The other islands are Balai, Ujung Batu, Sawangla. Most of the people live on the Balai Island. The total population is 7,000 people, scattered among seven villages.

Banyak islands are a microcosm of Indonesia. Here the past has merged with the present. The majority of the people are fishermen. Fish, coconuts and coral reefs are the products that people normally trade. "Those who were born on Banyak Islands are destined to become fishermen," says Dahrusyid, a local.

Sadly, the people there have to use coral reefs as the element for construction. "What else can we do? There are no proper construction material. Only coral reefs here," says Nasrante from the Bale Island.

Despite living far away from urban areas, many houses in Banyak Islands have a satellite dish to watch both regional and national broadcasts. Without the dish, the screens on the television would only show scrambled dots. Therefore, people there also know the latest fashions or celebrity gossip from Jakarta.

Local cartoonists strike back with creative ideas
The Jakarta Post, Friday, January 25, 2008

Surabaya, East Java

Araya walked straight past the activists who had gathered outside the magazine office and were throwing stones at its windows.

They had accused the magazine of running "obscene" articles and the editor had asked Araya, a "deviant", to help settle the case.

Two members of the editorial team welcomed Araya warmly and one of the protesters stepped forward.

"You asked me to settle the case. What you need to do is to sort out my payment and leave the rest to me," Araya said, the tone of her voice rising.

All of a sudden, an object that looked like an octopus' tentacles appeared from her hand, twisting the three men's legs, lifting them up and forcing them to reconcile.

The editor agreed to change the content of the magazine and the men dispersed.

That is an episode from the comic book Deviant Execution by Marico, a newcomer to the world of comics. It was his first comic, printed in 2007.

His lack of experience, however, is not evident in the comic, which has a unique storyline.

Deviant is a profession that is a product of graphic designer Marico's imagination. A profession that will exist in the 28th century, according to Marico, a skinny guy who has a penchant for hats.

"Graphic designers are hired to solve their clients' problems, and so are deviants. The difference is, a deviant does not only solve visual puzzles, she has to solve all sorts of problems," he said.

Deviants exist in a country called Donisia (taken from Indonesia) with conflicts similar to those of Indonesia.

The problem facing Araya, for example, is much like what happened to Playboy Indonesia, which was attacked by the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) in Jakarta. But the settlement of the problem is, of course, different.

Marico's comics have clever storylines and are nicely presented.

The first edition of Deviant was printed on thick butcher's paper with a hard cover. The pictures were in black and white.

"I wanted this comic to be totally different," Marico said.

What is more, Marico bravely established his own publishing company for the comics. It is not an independent company, nor is it a major company. "(But) with my own company, I can express myself fully in my comics," he said.

Three thousand copies of each issue of Deviant are printed. "Because financially, that's all I can afford," he said.

Marico is not worried about book piracy.

"The more copies that are in circulation the better, because that means my comics are popular," he said.

Since the 1970s the country has had its own band of superheroes like Gundala, the Son of Thunder and Panji Tengkorak. In the 1980s, European comics like Tintin and Asterix entered the country, followed by American comics dominated by Marvel like Captain Amerika, Spiderman and Superman.

Comics from Hong Kong like Tapak Sakti (Mighty Steps) and Tiger Wong were later popular in the country. But it is the Japanese comics, Manga, that have really ruled the world of comics here, along with animation.

"Doraemon, Dragon Ball etcetera are popular because they are on television," said Is Yuniarto from Wind Rider Production.

Where were the Indonesian comics when the foreign cartoons were flooding the country? After disappearing for years, Indonesian comics entered the market again in the 1990s.

Unfortunately they were not really Indonesian because they featured European-style superheroes who fought like Americans and were presented like Japanese animation.

"Maybe they were like Wind Rider comics," Yuniarto said.

In his second comic, Knight of Apocalypse, which was printed in 2007, he tried to create a new genre in animation by combining Manga with an American style. "The market is at stake. But it seems that the market will accept any style, as long as the pictures are good," he said.

Cartoonist Beng Rahadian successfully commented on conditions in Yogyakarta in Selamat Pagi Urbaz (Good Morning Urbaz). "It is comical, but if you see it more deeply, (you will find that) like it or not, Yogjakarta has changed," he said.

Another cartoonist, Julian, the coordinator of the illustrators grouped under Megindo Production, made a breakthrough when he chose to present local values in European-style comics. His comics are presented in two languages.

"This allows (readers) to enjoy the pictures and learn English, while the values remain Indonesian," he said.

What a smart idea.

Sriwijaya, PSMS through to semifinals

The Jakarta Post, Sunday, January 27, 2008

I.D Nugroho and Indra Harsaputra

Sriwijaya FC of Palembang and PSMS of Medan cruised into the Djarum Indonesian Premier League semifinals Saturday with results that placed them at the top of the Group A standings.

Last year's Copa Dji Sam Soe champions Sriwijaya drew with Persiwa of Wamena 0-0 at Tambaksari Stadium in Surabaya, East Java.

However, the result was enough for Sriwijaya to retain its place at the top of the Group A standings.

Sriwijaya's head coach Rahmad Darmawan said he would focus on preparing his team to face Persija in the semifinal round next month at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Persija is expected to benefit from the support of its home fans.

"Last time we played Persija at Senayan (in a 2007 Copa Dji Sam Soe match) we lost 2-1," Rahmad said.

"I will have to keep the morale and fighting spirit of my players high so as we can win the match," he said.

Rahmad said he would train his strikers to improve their performances in attack.

In another Group A match at the Delta Putra Stadium in Sidoarjo, East Java, PSMS lost to 2005 and 2006 Copa Dji Sam Soe champions Arema of Malang 1-0 on Saturday. Despite the result, earlier wins still meant they finished second on the Group A table.

PSMS coach Freddy Muli offered few clues about how his team would prepare for its semifinal match against Persipura of Jayapura. Persipura was league champion in 2004.

"I prioritize letting my players recuperate after matches. I want them to regain their fitness ahead of other tough matches," he said.

After Saturday's results, Sriwijaya was at the top of the Group A standings with five points, followed by PSMS with four points. Despite also finishing with four points, Arema kicked less goals than PSMS and finished in third place. Persiwa finished in last place with two points.

The league winner this year will receive a trophy and Rp 1.5 billion (US$160,500) in prize money, while the runner-up will be awarded Rp 750 million.

The league will hold the grand final on Feb. 9, also at the Bung Karno Stadium.