Brunei says death penalty moratorium to cover sharia laws

Yahoo – AFP, May 5, 2019

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's remarks on capital punishment appeared aimed at
assuaging worldwide criticism (AFP Photo/Andrea VERDELLI)

Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) (AFP) - Brunei's sultan said Sunday a moratorium on capital punishment will also extend to sharia laws that include stoning to death for gay sex and adultery, after a furious backlash against the punishments.

It was the first time Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah had commented publicly on the new penal code since it fully entered force last month, and his remarks appeared aimed at assuaging worldwide criticism.

The laws, which also include amputation of hands and feet for thieves in the tiny sultanate on Borneo island, sparked fury from celebrities, including actor George Clooney, the United Nations and rights groups.

In a televised speech ahead of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the sultan said: "I am aware that there are many questions and misperceptions with regard to the implementation of the (sharia penal code)."

"There should not be any concern on the sharia law as it is full of Allah's mercy and blessings," he said, according to an official translation of his address.

"As evident for more than two decades, we have practised a de facto moratorium on the execution of death penalty for cases under the common law.

"This will also be applied to cases under the (sharia penal code), which provides a wider scope for remission."

He also vowed Brunei would ratify the United Nations convention against torture which it signed several years ago.

Muslim-majority Brunei operates a dual-track legal system with civil courts operating alongside sharia courts that handle issues such as marital and inheritance cases.

Some crimes were already punishable with death by hanging under the civil code but Brunei has not executed anyone for decades, and the sultan's comments suggest this will not change with the introduction of the new sharia laws.

Rape and robbery are also punishable by death under the sharia code and many of the new laws, such as capital punishment for insulting the Prophet Mohammed, apply to non-Muslims as well as Muslims.

The sultan -- one of the world's wealthiest men -- announced plans for the sharia penal code in 2013.

The first section was introduced in 2014 and included less stringent penalties, such as fines or jail terms for offences including indecent behaviour or skipping Friday prayers.

But the introduction of the harsher punishments in the former British protectorate of about 400,000 people was repeatedly delayed after they sparked criticism.

#UPDATE Brunei's sultan has announced that a punishment of death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced in the sultanate after a global backlash, but critics Monday called for harsh sharia laws to be abandoned entirely. https://t.co/Pz1DSJiNjr

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 6 mei 2019

Sharia law plunges Brunei gay community into fear

Yahoo – AFP, April 4, 2019

Brunei, ruled by the all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, has fully implemented
tough new Islamic laws after years of delays (AFP Photo)

Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei) (AFP) - Transgender woman Zoella Zayce fled her native Brunei last year as the country shifted towards hardline Islam, and thinks more of the LGBT community will follow after the death penalty for gay sex was introduced.

The absolute monarchy on tropical Borneo island, ruled by a sultan who has been on the throne five decades, implemented tough new Islamic laws on Wednesday, including death by stoning for sex between men, and adultery.

The new sharia penal code has sparked a global outcry with governments around the world condemning the measures, and celebrities -- led by actor George Clooney -- calling for Brunei-owned hotels to be boycotted.

The country's tiny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, who already had to be discreet about their sexual identities in the highly conservative Muslim country, have been left terrified.

"What Brunei is adopting is a violation of basic human rights," a 33-year-old gay man in the country, who spoke anonymously, told AFP.

"All the condemnation and boycott calls internationally speak volumes -- Brunei should just abandon these laws and continue to stick to moderate Islam."

Zayce fled Brunei last year due to the increasingly conservative climate and is now seeking asylum in Canada.

Plans to implement sharia law were announced in 2013 and the first phase, with less stringent punishments, came into effect the following year, before the entire penal code was implemented this week.

Zayce said that gay people in Brunei, who were leading "secretive lives" even before death by stoning came into force, were now even more scared.

"Some worry a lot and would like to escape the country before they are found out not to be heterosexual," the 19-year-old said.

Khairul, a gay man in Brunei who gave only one name, described the laws as "daunting", adding: "When I'm ready, I'll be on my way to a safer community."

Before the sharia punishments came into effect, sex between men was already punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

It is now a capital offence, while lesbian sex is punishable by up to 40 strokes of the cane and a decade in prison.

No govt engagement, no NGOs

Observers say it is hard to know the size of the LGBT community in the country of about 400,000 people.

That is because there is nowhere members feel safe to gather openly -- such as gay clubs or bars -- and there is not thought to be any accurate data available on them.

"The LGBT community tends to keep a low profile and LGBT (people) are generally much less open than in some of Brunei's neighbours, such as Thailand," Matthew Woolfe, founder of rights group The Brunei Project, told AFP.

"The government does not engage with the LGBT community and no NGOs are working with them."

Woolfe organised Brunei's first ever LGBT event -- a 2016 gathering at a hotel in the sultanate to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia -- and was subsequently barred from visiting the country.

However sharia law appears to enjoy substantial support in Brunei and some are doubtful the harshest penalties -- such as death by stoning, and severing of limbs for theft -- will be imposed.

Analysts say the new code may be largely symbolic as Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah seeks to burnish his Islamic credentials with conservatives, and note that although Brunei has long had the death penalty, the last known execution was in 1957.

In addition, the burden of proof for stoning to death to be imposed is high. An accused person must either confess, or there must be four witnesses who can testify the offence was committed.

Some members of the LGBT community believe the changes may in reality make little difference in a country where most gay people were already secretive about their sexualities.

A 23-year-old transgender woman in Brunei, who declined to be named, said the new laws had caused concern but added: "I think just as long as we remain discreet, it will be fine."

Christmas fireworks in Jakarta

Christmas fireworks in Jakarta pic.twitter.com/O0r5kMb6Pb

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) December 25, 2015

Related Article: 

Brunei's sultan bans Christmas in hardline shift

Brunei's sultan bans Christmas in hardline shift

Yahoo – AFP, December 23, 2015

The Dorchester hotel in London, owned by the Sultan of Brunei, is decked out
 with Christmas decorations, in contrast to Brunei where Christmas celebrations
are banned (AFP Photo/Ben Stansall)

Christmas is just around the corner, but there are no tinsel-laden trees or Santa hats in the oil-rich sultanate of Brunei, where celebrations have been banned under a shift towards hardline Islamic law.

The all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men, announced last year he would push ahead with the introduction of sharia law, eventually including tough penalties such as death by stoning or severed limbs.

Religious leaders in the oil-rich sultanate warned this month that a ban on Christmas would be strictly enforced, for fear that Muslims could be led astray.

"Using religious symbols like crosses, lighting candles, putting up Christmas trees, singing religious songs, sending Christmas greetings... are against Islamic faith," imams said in sermons published in the local press.

Punishment for violating the ban is a five-year jail sentence, and the government warned last year that Muslims would be committing an offence if they so much as wore "hats or clothes that resemble Santa Claus".

Although Christians are free to celebrate, they have been told not to do so "excessively and openly", in a directive that has had a chilling effect on the Southeast Asian nation, which sits on a corner of Borneo island.

Businesses have been warned to take decorations down and authorities have stepped up spot checks across the capital. Hotels popular among Western tourists that once boasted dazzling lights and giant Christmas trees are now barren of festive decor.

"This will be the saddest Christmas ever for me," a Malaysian expatriate resident told AFP, requesting not to be named for fear of reprisals from authorities.

"The best part of Christmas day is waking up and having that feeling that it is Christmas, but there's just none of that here and you just feel deprived."

"All this is just because of what the Sultan wants. In 2013, I saw many Muslims together with Christians having a good time at their house parties. Everything was normal and good," he said.

The all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the world's richest men, 

announced last year he would push ahead with the introduction of sharia law, 

eventually including tough penalties such as death by stoning or severed 

limbs (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)

#MyTreedom

Most people are too scared to speak up about the ban, and while some privately gripe about the rule they know there is little to be done.

"I will be working on Christmas after church. We just have to cope," a Filipino waitress -- one of Brunei's many guest workers -- told AFP.

Some people dared to post pictures on social media depicting Christmas cheer using the hashtag #MyTreedom, part of a global campaign to highlight oppression against Christians.

At least one church in the capital sported decorations that were visible from the street, a rare glimpse of holiday cheer in the otherwise decoration-free city.

"The ban is ridiculous. It projects this image that Islam does not respect the rights of other religions to celebrate their faith," said a Muslim mother in the capital, also too scared to provide her name.

"Islam teaches us to respect one another and I believe it starts with respecting other religions even if what is being banned are ornamental displays."

Others were more tempered, and urged the prohibition to be respected.

"It is an Islamic country and so with respect to the law, churches need to keep decorations indoors," said a Christian Bruneian, unfazed by the strict rules.

"The meaning of Christmas for us isn't all about Christmas decorations."

Controversy at home

The Christmas prohibition does not 

extend to the business interests of the

sultan, who owns the Dorchester Hotel

in London (AFP Photo/Ben Stansall)

However, the prohibition does not extend to the business interests of the sultan, whose estimated $20 billion fortune includes the historic Beverly Hills Hotel -- part of his Dorchester Collection with branches in London, Paris, Milan and Rome.

It is Christmas as usual this year in the upscale Le Richemond hotel in Geneva where guests are greeted by lavish displays in the hotel lobby, include bowls overflowing with pine branches, ornaments and candles aplenty.

The Le Meurice hotel in Paris advertises a Christmas eve seven-course gourmet menu for 650 euros -- before drinks -- while the Beverly Hills Hotel is decked out for the holidays too.

Before unveiling the hardline law, the sultan had warned of pernicious foreign influences such as the Internet and indicated he intended to place more emphasis on Islam in the conservative Muslim country.

Strict rules against homosexuality in the sharia law, punishable with death by stoning, sparked a backlash among A-listers including Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres and business tycoon Richard Branson, who called for the hotels to be boycotted.

Beverly Hills demands Brunei sultan sell hotel

Yahoo – AFP, 7 May 2014

A protest across from the Beverly Hills Hotel, owned by the Sultan of Brunei, 

on May 5, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California (AFP Photo/Frederic J. Brown)

Los Angeles (AFP) - Beverly Hills said Wednesday it passed a resolution demanding the Sultan of Brunei sell his hotel in the posh US city, after he introduced a penal code incorporating Islamic sharia law.

Brunei's all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced last week that he would push ahead with implementing sharia, despite criticism both at home and internationally.

An initial phase officially came into effect Thursday, with a second phase including more stringent penalties, including the severing of limbs for theft and robbery, to begin later in the year.

Late next year, punishments such as death by stoning for offenses including sodomy and adultery will be introduced.

The seal of the 'City of Beverly Hills'
 shown as city council members meet
in Beverly Hills, California, on May 26,
2004 (AFP Photo/Giulio Marcocchi)

"The Beverly Hills City Council yesterday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the government of Brunei for a series of laws that impose extremely harsh penalties, including death by stoning for homosexuality and adultery," said a statement sent to AFP.

Bolkiah owns the historic Beverly Hills Hotel as well as the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles through his company Dorchester Collection, which also has branches in London, Paris, Milan and Rome.

The seal of the 'City of Beverly Hills' shown as city council members meet in Beverly Hills, …

The city council said they will send the resolution to the State Department asking Washington to "take appropriate action to condemn the Brunei government's policies."

The United States has "relayed our concerns privately to the government of Brunei," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday, but it will not follow a growing boycott of the Sultan's luxury hotel chain.

Beverly Hills' Mayor Lili Bosse called the new laws "shocking, inhumane."

"They must be met with a strong statement of support for human rights of the people of Brunei," she said.

The Dorchester Collection is reportedly owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, a sovereign wealth fund under the oil-rich sultanate's Ministry of Finance.

The sultan's support for sharia law has sparked rare domestic criticism of the fabulously wealthy ruler on the Muslim-majority country's active social media, and international condemnation including from the UN's human rights office.

But the sultan has defended the implementation of the law, meant to shore up Islam and guard the Southeast Asian country against outside influences.

Related Articles:

Celebrities boycott Brunei-owned hotels over sharia law
Brunei sharia penal code to take effect

Aceh Rape Victim to Be Caned, Shariah Official Insists

A masked and hooded person canes a woman in Aceh for selling food during
 Ramadan. A woman who was gang raped last week faces the indignity of a
public caning for having extramarital sex. (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

Celebrities boycott Brunei-owned hotels over sharia law

Yahoo – AFP, 5 Amy 2014

File photo of the facade of the Dorchester hotel in London, which celebrities,

 including Virgin group founder Richard Branson, have vowed to boycott due

to Brunei's introduction of a controversial Islamic penal code (AFP Photo)

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Celebrities including Virgin group founder Richard Branson have vowed to boycott a hotel chain linked to Brunei's sultan after he introduced a controversial Islamic penal code in his country.

Brunei's all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced last Wednesday that he would push ahead with the sharia law that will eventually include tough penalties such as death by stoning.

Branson said on the weekend that Virgin employees would not stay at the Dorchester Collection luxury hotel chain, which includes The Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

"No employee, nor our family, will stay at Dorchester Hotels until the Sultan abides by basic human rights," the British billionaire posted on Twitter.

Others who have called for a boycott include comedian Stephen Fry, TV host Sharon Osbourne and comedian Ellen DeGeneres.

The US group Feminist Majority Foundation said it had also pulled its annual Global Women's Rights Awards, co-chaired by Jay and Mavis Leno, from the Beverly Hills Hotel in protest.

The Dorchester Collection is reportedly owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, a sovereign wealth fund under the oil-rich sultanate's Ministry of Finance.

Virgin group founder Richard Branson says Virgin employees would not

 stay at the Dorchester Collection luxury hotel chain, which includes The

 Dorchester in London and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles (AFP

Photo/Mandel Ngan)

Brunei government officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. The Dorchester Collection also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The sultan's move has sparked rare domestic criticism of the fabulously wealthy ruler on the Muslim-majority country's active social media, and international condemnation including from the UN's human rights office.

But the sultan has defended the implementation of the law, meant to shore up Islam and guard the Southeast Asian country against outside influences.

"We have never thought ill of others. We have never relied on them to accept us or agree with is but it is enough if they respect us the way we respect them," he said last week when announcing the law's implementation.

The initial phase introduces fines or jail terms for offences including indecent behaviour, failure to attend Friday prayers and out-of-wedlock pregnancies.

A second phase covering crimes such as theft and robbery is to start later this year, involving more stringent penalties such as severing of limbs and flogging.

Late next year, punishments such as death by stoning for offences including sodomy and adultery will be introduced.

Related Article:

Brunei sharia penal code to take effect

RI, Japan see Asia move closer to democracy

Ary Hermawan, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali | Thu, 12/10/2009 2:54 PM

Round table conference : President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) joins guests, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama (second left), Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao (third left) and the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, Hassanal Bolkiah, (right) at a luncheon in Nusa Dua, Bali, Thursday. Yudhoyono is in Bali hosting the second Bali Democracy Forum. Courtesy Of Presidential Office/Cahyo

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama expressed Thursday their optimism that Asia, the world's most dynamic region, is becoming more democratic.

Hatoyama told representatives of 36 Asian countries attending Indonesia's Bali Democracy Forum II on the resort island that Asia had charted a unique course in making its transition to democracy.

"China," he said, "has been undergoing an economic and social transformation to open itself to Asia and the wider world."

"There is great expectation that China will continue to make progress, as a responsible power, on the issues of democracy and human rights, along with other issues."

Hatoyama said he also saw "positive developments" in Myanmar, with the US taking a new approach by engaging rather than confronting the junta government there.

The only contentious issue was North Korea, according to the prime minister. "It is regrettable that there stills remain deep-seated distrust and confrontation in Northeast Asia."

He called on Pyonyang to follow the democratic trend "underway elsewhere in Asia and throughout the world."

China and Myanmar sent their delegation to the two-day meeting, which Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in his opening remarks would maintain its inclusiveness.

Yudhoyono said the growing interests from Asian countries in the second Bali meeting as reflected by the rising number of participating countries, from 32 last year to 36, was encouraging.

"This is all a good sign for the future of democracy in Asia," the president said.

Related Articles:

Indonesia, Malaysia establish brotherhood alliance

Bali forum plans more activities to enhance democracy

Leaders to fly in for second Bali gathering

President : democracy, development must go together

How Wealthy Are The People Who Speak Malay?

BruDirect.com, by Mabola, Sunday, 22 November 2009 09:28

In response to the poster 'Good Grief' on 'Malay Is Decomposing And English Gaining', if you notice, the Brunei government has done a lot trying to promote Malay, either language or culture, such examples are like in the school textbooks, in its travel website & tourism, or in sending representatives to international events or expedition, Brunei is careful to choose Malay representatives in contrast with Malaysia and Singapore who promote using different races of people. So why Malay is still 'decomposing' as you stated?

First, as claimed by many, is economy. Overall the total Malay economy is $746 billion. This take into account Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia together total 250+ million people. However, we need to be reminded that Indonesia is not really Malay. I spoke to my Indonesian friends and they said they are Javanese not Malay. Many people mixed them up. Malay constitutes only 3.4% in Indonesia while the Javanese 42% and the Sundanese 15%, though they are language and cultural cousin.

Despite that though, only slightly more than half of the Indonesians speak Malay. They have over 300 ethnic groups and the rural ones have their own languages. Now, we also need to stress that a $746 billion economy is not actually big, for instance, the Netherlands, a country with 16.5 million people, has an economy of $877 billion. Internationally, the Dutch economy is $885 billion. In other word, with everything being equal, people will find it more economically favorable to learn Dutch than Malay. Someone last mentioned that Japanese and German are spoken in so small parts in the world yet people queuing to learn them. Indeed, because the total Japanese economy is $4,910 billion and the total German economy is $3,673 billion. These figures are huge. The global Chinese economy is $5,142 billion, while the Hispanic (Spanish world) economy is $4,300 billion not taking into account 10% of people in US speak Spanish, and the Francophone (French world) economy is $3,094 billion, the Arabic economy is $1,798 billion. And the English global economy? $21,264 billion.

The next factor we have to consider is the wealth. How wealthy are the people who speak Malay? Switzerland and UAE, though small, attract people to learn about their languages and way of life. Why is that? Because there are a lot of rich people there. These people invested around the world and certainly there are a lot of other people and businesses wanting their money. To have more chance of getting their investment, these people would tend to adapt to their culture and languages.

According to the German news website Spiegel.de and the report from British bank Barclays Financial, Singapore is no.1 in millionaires per capita - with 8.5% of Singaporeans are millionaires. This is followed by Switzerland 6.6%. Hong Kong is 5.3%, Kuwait 5.1% and the United Arab Emirates 4.5%, while US millionaires per capita is only 3.5%, they invest around the world and certainly a number of people would like to adapt to their culture and language for their money.

In the Malay world, even Bruneians aren't that rich, maybe the VIPs but not the ordinary people like you and me. Moreover, the rich here aren't that rich like over $100mln, $500mln or $1bln like others stated above. For Malaysia and Indonesia, a huge bunch are low income people. By that, can you really expect people to look up to the language or culture?

If we want to prop up something like language, we must show achievements. Otherwise I don't think we are capable to challenge the social and economic forces, especially the youth.

Related Article:

Malay Is Decomposing And English Gaining

Asean e-Culture Exchange workshop to guide youths, preserve heritage digitally

Borneo Bulletin, Brunei, P. Marilyn,

The guest of honour in a group picture with participants from Asean
countries in their respective traditional costumes. - PHOTOS: P MARILYN

The first Asean e-Culture Exchange workshop for youths officially began yesterday at the Seameo Voctech Regional Centre in Gadong, marking another significant milestone for the region in guiding youths as potential leaders of the future.

It also aims to provide youths with the necessary knowledge and skills to maintain their respective national heritage using advanced technologies.

Organised by the Authority for Info-Communications Technology Industry (AITI), the programme was officially launched by AITI's Chief Executive, Pg Hj Md Zain Pg Hj Abd Razak.

Its objective was partly to create awareness among Asean youths on e-Culture. To be held until March 27, the event sees the participation of some 30 Asean youths from local and foreign institutions.

In his speech, Pg Hj Md Zain highlighted the importance of preserving the Asean heritage digitally for youths, as they are the leaders of the future and hence it is crucial to provide them with the right opportunities, as well as to give them some guidance.

Heritage, he stated, is our national identity and preserving it is vital to allow future generations to learn and understand the extent of what we have become today.

By fully utilising the latest advancements of technology, we can make our life so much better and easier in many aspects every day, said Pg Hj Md Zain.

Her added that the workshop will not only attempt to produce a standard framework for digitising Asean cultural contents, but will also guide the participants to carry out preservations of culture and heritage in a professional and systematic way, thereby leading to a better conservation of the future.

"I hope that this programme will not only promote awareness and appreciation of ICT, but I also hope that it will create a ripple effect as the first major step in maintaining the Asean cultural contents," he told participants.

This, he said, is in line with the Asean charter - to promote Asean identity in fostering greater awareness on the region's diverse culture and heritage. Continuous commitment and support from all Asean member countries will ensure the success of meeting the event's main objectives.

"This workshop will remain as one of the significant platforms through which mutual respect, friendship, solidarity and the cohesive spirit among participating countries can be cultivated and further enhanced," he added.

Throughout the duration of the course, participants will be taught the basic skills and methods of capturing, recording, as well as storing several cultural activities and items, in a more professional and systematic way.

Topics to be covered during the three-day programme include an overview of e-Culture or e-Heritage, as well as the need for digitisation, archiving and sharing information through the enhancements of ICT.

The e-Culture initiatives and possibilities through ICT will also be focused on. This includes digitisation techniques, such as video archiving and the use of Web technology to map, store and edit its contents.

Visits to several Brunei museums are also among the event's agendas, to allow participants to practise a "hands-on" approach with their newly acquired skills and knowledge.

At the end of the programme, participants are also expected to develop a small cultural project that will be presented during the group presentations.

A roundtable discussion will also be held, led by the local project coordinator, expert facilitators and representatives from relevant agencies in Brunei to discuss the way forward for the sustainability of e-Culture and e-Heritage.

To maintain the momentum, a second workshop will also be tentatively held in a few months' time. The current event's participants will be asked to create their own small cultural projects from their respective home countries that will later be developed into e-Culture profiles.

The first workshop is funded partially by the Asean ICT Fund and facilitated by a local project consultant as well as its expert facilitators.

Catch the eclipse on Monday

Agnes Winarti, The Jakarta Post | Sun, 01/25/2009 1:49 PM  

Indonesians will have the rare opportunity to view a solar eclipse Monday afternoon, as the archipelago is the only land mass on earth from which the annual cosmic occurrence will be visible. 

In a solar eclipse, the moon and the sun appear to merge and a ring, or annulus, of bright sunlight beams from behind the moon. This is caused when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, blocking the majority of light but leaving the exterior glow.

Those with sunlight filters will be able to stare at the sky Monday afternoon, although only several parts of the archipelago will enjoy the annulus in its most identifiable form.  

Its path will pass through the southern part of Sumatra including Tanjung Karang in Lampung and Tanjung Pandan in Belitung, the western part of Java including Cilegon, Serang and Anyer and the central part of Kalimantan including Puruk Cahu and Samarinda in the east.  

”Jakarta will also be able to observe the eclipse, though not likely in its fullest form,” B. Adi Nugroho, founder of the astronomy hobbyist community IndoSkyGazer said. 

At 03:24 p.m., Jakartans will be able to observe the moon aligning with the middle of the sun, then at 04:45 p.m. about 92 percent of the sun’s rays will be covered by the moon’s mass. The resulting ring surrounding the moon will last for around six minutes.

By 5:50 p.m. the eclipse will be complete.   

It is extremely harmful to view a solar eclipse directly with unprotected eyes or common sunglasses.   

The Science Exhibition Center (PP Iptek) at the Indonesian Miniature Park TMII in East Jakarta have prepared six telescopes especially designed for solar eclipse observation, promotion  manager Putu Lia Sur-yaningsih said. 

Related Articles:

Partial eclipse set for Jan 26

Indonesians among the few to witness solar eclipse 

The Jakarta Post, Zakki Hakim, The Associated Press, Anyer, Banten | Mon, 01/26/2009 7:00 PM 

Indonesians were among the few worldwide to witness an eclipse of the sun Monday, but even there the view was hampered in most places by cloudy skies. 

Dozens gathered in the western coastal town of Anyer as the moon passed across the sun's path at 4:40 p.m., covering 92 percent of the sun's diameter and leaving a white, flaming ring of fire that lasted about four minutes. 

"I'm old, but I still think this is magical," said Roanna Makmur, 66, who drove several hours with eight friends to witness the sight, known as an annular eclipse, because it does not completely black out the sun.

 

Clouded eclipse: The moon cast a shadow at the sun blocking it partially in a partial solar eclipse as it sets on Monday in Jakarta. JP/Arief Suhardiman
 

"I can't help but feel the greatness of God," she said, as other onlookers cheered. "Anyone who passed up this opportunity, really missed out." 

Annular eclipses, which are considered far less important to astronomers than total eclipses of the sun, occur about 66 times a century and can only be viewed by people in the narrow band along its path. 

A relatively small number of people were in the best places to view Monday's eclipse, said Jay Pasachoff, professor of astronomy at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and chair of the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Eclipses. 

Aside from several regions in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, only villagers on a tiny South Pacific island group known as the Cocos, administered by Australia, were to have been able to see the ring-shaped corona, he wrote in a statement. 

A partial eclipse - with coverage ranging from 1 percent to 84 percent of the sun's diameter - was to be visible in the southern third of Africa, in southeastern India, and southeast Asia, as well as the western part of Australia. 

The last total eclipse of the sun was Aug. 1, 2008, and was visible in Canada, across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China. 

The next total eclipse will be July 22, 2009, and will be visible in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China and some Japanese islands.

RI hosting Southeast Asia Poetry Festival

The Jakarta Post, Antara, Jakarta | Sat, 04/26/2008 4:28 PM

The Southeast Asia Poetry Festival is now underway at the Ismail Marzuki Park, Jakarta.

The festival, jointly held by the Panggung Melayu Foundation and the Tanjungpinang Administration, is running from Friday through Tuesday.

Participants are from Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, the head of the organizing committee Asrizal Nur said Friday night. 

The festival, with the theme "With Poetry We Uphold the Nation`s Dignity", is not merely a cultural event but also a historical gathering, he said. 

Many activities would be held during the festival, including a poetry exhibition, a workshop on making fast poetry, a photo exhibition of Tanjugpinang City, cultural performances from

Pontianak, Samarinda, and poetry and songs from Brunei Darussalamong of Jakarta.

Cooperate, not compete in tourism, says Taib

The Star Online

KUCHING: Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines – which form the BIMP-EAGA (East Asean Growth Area) region – should cooperate rather than compete with each other to develop their tourism industries.

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said joint efforts to promote tourism would be beneficial to the BIMP-EAGA member countries.

“If we can undertake joint promotions, such as packages combining different destinations in the region, we will be in a strong position to attract more visitors. “The Sarawak Government will always be prepared to work together in the regional context to promote tourism,” he said when opening the 3rd BIMP-EAGA Travel Exchange here Friday.

Taib said the four countries should also work together to bring more low-cost airlines to the region.

“Perhaps a dialogue between low-cost airlines and industry players can be held to chart out tourism promotion efforts in the region,” he said.

He also pointed out that the four countries shared a similar cultural and natural heritage.

The four-day travel exchange at the Permata Exhibition Centre here is organised by the Sarawak Tourism Federation and the Urban Development and Tourism Ministry.

It features 80 exhibitors from the four BIMP-EAGA countries as well as from the East Asia Tourism Forum comprising China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.