'Sesame Street' courts Indonesia

2007/5/23, The China Post

By Adhityani Arga JAKARTA, Reuters

Tantan the orangutan and Jabrik the Javan rhino are among four new characters due to appear in an Indonesian version of the TV show "Sesame Street" -- part of U.S. funded efforts to win hearts and minds in the Muslim nation.

The local version of the children's show, called "Jalan Sesama", which translates directly as Everyone's Street, is beginning production in Jakarta and expected to air later this year after contracts with Indonesian stations are secured.

The U.S. Agency for International Development had earlier set aside US$8.5 million for 156 episodes, part of US$157 million pledged in 2003 by the Bush administration for education in Indonesia, which Washington regards as a key voice of moderation and democracy in the Muslim world.

"The show will help in laying the foundations of elementary education that would benefit in later stages of education," William Frej of USAID said on Tuesday after the unveiling of the four new characters at a television studio in the capital.

Tantan, a smart orangutan with long shaggy orange hair who plays a motherly figure, and Jabrik, a baby rhino with a purple Mohawk, both represent endangered Indonesian species and are very different from the original cast of the Muppets.

But the other two new characters -- Momon, a 5-year-old boy who likes math and drawing, and Putri, a 3-1/2-year-old girl with a healthy dose of curiosity -- bear a closer resemblance to Elmo and Ernie from the original show.

To help draw in Indonesian viewers, the screenplay plans to adopt many familiar elements of local culture, featuring singing in local dialects and the use of traditional musical instruments.

A miniature of a typical Indonesian neighborhood of clay-tiled houses, along with a motorcycle taxi stop and a snack vendor's cart, has been built in the studio in south Jakarta.

Indonesia is a key regional ally in the U.S.-led "war on terror" and looks to America for trade and investment.

But many of President George W. Bush's policies, especially in the Middle East, are unpopular in the world's most populous Muslim country.

About 85 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are Muslims. Most are moderates although there is an increasingly vocal radical fringe.

The six-year U.S. education program also includes spending on upgrading 3,000 schools across Indonesia, a country with huge health and poverty challenges.

Decades old Herbarium moves to new building

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is slated to open the new building of the Herbarium Bogoriensi center in the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) complex in Cibinong, Bogor, on Wednesday.

The 4,000 square meter building holds over two million species of florae, all dried or preserved in alcohol (see photo). Some specimens are 190 years old, having been preserved right after the establishment of Bogor Botanical Park in 1817.

The construction of the building and research facilities was funded by the Japanese government, channeled through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The herbarium center's old building in Jl. Juanda, downtown Bogor, was no longer suitable for the whole collection, according to head of LIPI's biology research center, Dedi Darnaedi.

"Moreover, LIPI intends to develop its Cibinong complex as a center of biodiversity studies," he said Tuesday.

Besides the herbarium, LIPI already has a zoology center and its Ecopark in the complex.

The herbarium's opening ceremony will be in conjunction with the 300th anniversary of the birth of Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy.

HOSPITALITY SECTOR

Dusit unveils ambitious 5-year plan

The Nation, Thailand

Dusit Thani plans to double its domestic and international properties and become a global hotel-management company within five years.

The Dusit group is among the country's oldest hotel operators and chief executive and managing director Chanin Donavanik said the plan involved increasing its rooms from the current 5,000 to 10,000.

The company will employ an additional 7,000 staff within the same time frame, he said.

Through Dusit Thani International, it will open hotels and resorts in Beijing and Shanghai in China, Bali in Indonesia, as well as in Vietnam, India and the Middle East.

They may be joint ventures or management-only deals, but the company will manage them all, Chanin said.

"The group has not yet finalised total investment. Negotiations are continuing with many parties," he added.

The group will open project-development offices in China, India and Bangkok. They will seek expansion opportunities. The company already has a Dubai office.

"Dusit is eyeing these markets for their hotel potential," Chanin said. The expansion comes after several years of quiet on the part of Dusit overseas.

The 55-year-old hotel group has 18 properties in Thailand, Burma, the Philippines and Dubai. The company uses three brands - Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts, and D2 Hotel.

The group recently announced plans for six-star hotels in the Middle East.

"Coupled with the existing 300-plus-room Dusit Dubai, the latest projects will make Dusit's presence in the region much stronger," Chanin said.

The Dusit Palm Island will comprise two hotels - the six-star, 114-room-and-suite Dusit Devarana Dubai and the Dusit Thani Dubai - plus the Dusit Residence.

Spending and completion dates have not been announced.

A joint venture with India's Bird Hospitality Services - a wholly owned subsidiary of aviation, travel and information company Bird Group - will see five- and six-star hotels and resorts built in New Delhi, Goa, Rishikesh, Pune, Amritsar and Jaipur. Dusit will manage or franchise the hotels.

Dusit retreated from Germany, Indonesia and the United States some years ago.

It is now returning to Indonesia and will spend more in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, several D2 hotels at Pattaya and Samui will open.

Royal Princess Hotels and Resorts will manage its first resort at Koh Chang's Bai Lan Bay. The 96-room property opens in August.

Chanin said the overseas expansion would see the group "launch a new corporate identity soon".

"We decided to move ahead to compete with international hotel chains with Thai hospitality. To meet this challenge we must prepare not only the hardware and network, but professionals too," he said.

Suchat Sritama

Govt promotes animation industry

Andi Haswidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Acknowledging a growing demand for Indonesian talent in the U.S. animation industry, an Indonesian trade mission led by Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu is currently in Los Angeles, California, to promote the industry.

"Indonesian people have exported their talent in animation to globally-known animation companies such as Walt Disney. We are committed to supporting this," Mari said in Los Angeles in a statement released Saturday.

Mari said her ministry, together with the Industry Ministry and the State Ministry for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises, had been preparing a road map under the Indonesian Design Power initiative in order to promote and develop the country's creative industry.

Analysts have said the country's animation industry, which to some extent has benefited from the growing illegal trade in film and animation software, began to form an outsourcing animation network with the U.S. and Europe from the late 1990s.

Animation industries in other countries have also sought the expertise of Indonesian artists. Jakarta-based Castle Production has received animation project orders from countries including Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Thailand and England.

Aside from promoting talent in the animation industry, Mari is also investigating the possibility of U.S.-based movie firms using Indonesia as part of their production base.

"California is the center of the creative world because it is home to the Hollywood film industry.

"We are exploring the possibility of the Hollywood film industry exploiting Indonesia's beautiful and unique landscape and also working with local companies, the number of which has grown quite significantly," she said.

"Los Angeles is one of the most important cities for business. And apart from expanding export potential and attracting investors, California is also an ideal place for promoting Indonesian tourism," she said.

During her visit to L.A., Mari led a business forum that was attended by approximately 150 businesspeople from California and several Indonesian businesspeople.

According to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), in the first quarter of 2007 there were 12 investment projects taking place in Indonesia involving U.S. investors, with a total estimated value of $106 million.

During the forum, the minister also held several meetings with potential investors while several members of the Indonesian delegation, most of whom were from private firms, held meetings with U.S. business players.

Japanese still dominate tourist flow to Bali

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Japanese still dominated the foreign tourist flow to Bali in the first three months of this year, a local tourism official said.

"Some 24 percent of a total of 346,942 foreign tourists who came to Bali in January-March this year were from Japan," head of the promotion section of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI) I B Ngurah Kumbayana said on Saturday.

He said Australians who accounted for 10.3 percent of the foreign tourist flow were second on the list followed by Taiwanese (9.3 percent).

Bali is home to the Bali tiger which is almost extinct; Bali cattle, graceful animals not like other cows; bats living in caves like the Bat Cave near Kusamba; sea turtles of Nusa Dua; the Jalak Bali or Bali Sterling (Leucopsar rothschildi) which has inspired countless painters and artists.

Bogor Botanical Garden Center to hold int'l workshop

JAKARTA (Antara): The Bogor Botanical Garden Plant Conservation Center will hold a workshop which will carry a theme on the Implementation of Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC)'s Target VIII, a report has said.

The workshop which would be held jointly by the center and the Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI) would take place on May 21-24 in Bogor, some 60 km south of here, the National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said in the report made available on Sunday.

The workshop, it said, would focus on development and management of botanical gardens in Indonesia.

Horticultural scientist Doctor Reni Lestari who was concurrently workshop coordinator said botanical garden development program in Indonesia undoubtedly endorse GSPC's target VIII.

Sixty percent of endangered plants in Indonesia was collected by the botanical gardens through ex-situ programs, and ten percent from restoration program.

GSPC was established in 2002 by the Conference of Parties (COP) which set a target of reaching 16 goals by 2010.

Traditional whaling at Lamalera village

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post

Lamalera village in Lambata island, East Nusa Tenggara, is reportedly the only place in the country that is home to traditional whalers, known locally as Lamafa.

Using wooden sailing boats on the Sawu sea, a lamafa jumps from the boat and stabs the whale with a bamboo harpoon that has a sharp steel tip. The whaler spears the mammal several times.

The whaling tradition was established hundreds of years ago even before Catholic missionaries entered the province in the 1500s.

To mark the beginning of the whaling season, which runs from May through August, the villagers hold traditional rituals to commemorate their ancestors and bless their lamafa.

Religion came and changed the rituals into two mass prayers: an evening requiem for the ancestors and lamafa who have died during whaling in the Sawu sea, and a morning mass to bless the whalers.

A rule in the village says that lamafa are forbidden from killing blue whales since they are considered friendly to humans.

"There was a legend that a blue whale once helped our ancestors from drowning in the sea," said Abel O Beding, a tribal village leader.

According to a recent survey carried out by the World Wide Fund for Nature (Indonesia), among 27 species of whale in the world, 11 are found in the Sawu sea, including blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) and sperm whales (Physeter macrochepalus).

Much unrealized ecotourism potential

Duncan Graham, The Jakarta Post

The forests of Kalimantan may be overexploited, but ecotourism is massively underdeveloped according to research by Lorna Dowson-Collins.

Malaysia now gets 10 per cent of its tourism revenue from folk in floppy hats and non-designer baggy shorts -- Indonesia around five per cent. Sabah alone attracts 1.7 million visitors a year.

Those who reckon slapping on mosquito repellant is a great way to pass time are generally members of the so-called "Silent Generation"', couples whose kids have long flown the nest.

In the West,professionals from this 55-plus age group are usually well-heeled, want to stay active and have no interest in hedonism and shopping malls.

Then there's the Baby Boomers, a generation younger and equally keen to get their feet wet. They also have purpose in pleasure,bringing the kids along because travel is educational.

It's a market that has yet to get serious attention from Indonesian tourism authorities.

-- Duncan Graham

Ecotourism in 'Lord Jim' country

The Jakarta Post

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan

There's a lot of curiosity and much activity among the mud and mangroves at a Kahayan River inlet in Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan.

Six carpenters are building cabins atop a stripped-down, 20-meter former cargo boat bought by two foreigners with a dream. They want to introduce serious ecotourism to the huge but almost empty province -- and by doing so save the forests and the Dayak who depend on them.

The inlet, with two primitive hand-cranked steel cable winches, is a local bush version of a dry dock though heavy rains have flooded the site.

That hasn't deterred the workers who are racing to get the craft looking presentable for the May 23 celebrations of Central Kalimantan's 50th anniversary (see sidebar).

When the cheering has faded and the bunting been pulled down the engine will be installed, heaved in by muscle power, for this open-air boatyard has few facilities. Then the fittings will be finessed to ensure they're of a standard to meet the needs of international clients.

The Dayak Hope will be a floating boutique hotel with five double cabins. It will be capable of sailing into the upper reaches of the province (known locally as Kalteng), giving ecotourists the chance to see distant Dayak villages, wild (not rehabilitated) orangutans scrambling through the treetops and tropical flora and fauna.

For businesswomen Lorna Dowson-Collins and Gaye Thavisin this is a major undertaking. They plan to put the Indonesian part of Borneo on the world map of discerning tourists looking for experiences they can't get in Amsterdam or Adelaide.

The couple have already sunk more than US$60,000 (Rp 550 million) of their own money into the plan, which includes development of a river port in Palangkaraya, more floating hotels and extensive marketing overseas.

"Gaye and I have gone beyond just ooh-ing and aah-ing and thinking how great it would be to open up the Kalimantan environment to others," Lorna said.

"We're now up to our necks in a venture that's driven by our vision to protect Kalteng's unique forests and create new sources of income for the local jungle-dwelling communities."

Up to their necks? An outside observer might think this a defective metaphor. Add the crocodiles of business envy, the leaches of bureaucratic interference, the everyday hazards of remote-area life made doubly difficult in the tropics, and the fickleness of the tourist industry -- and you can see that on the Richter risk scale this show is quaking.

Lose one visitor into the swirling brown crocodilian waters or have a hard encounter with a hornbill and the word will move at warp-speed through the Internet.

Fun in frontierland? Sure -- but only if it comes with air-conditioning and cell phone access.

Boat-based tourism

This is "Lord Jim" country, the land made famous in Joseph Conrad's classic. In the story, a disgraced young seaman shrinks from society to live with the Dayak. He helps better their lives but is killed after making a second error of judgment. (Read the book if you want to know the first.)

Fortunately, neither Lorna nor Gaye are dewy-eyed business maidens. Both have sweated long enough in Indonesia to know that foreigners giving birth to a new idea won't have an easy labor, whatever soothing sounds are made by politicians who say overseas money's welcome, but won't ease the traumas of investment.

Lorna grew up in Jakarta where her father was a doctor at the British Embassy until he was kicked out of the country. Before that happened the family went sailing most weekends through the Thousand Islands just offshore from the capital -- an experience that helped develop Lorna's love of adventure.

Dad was expelled allegedly for treating Indonesians and referring patients to Singapore surgeons rather than the locals. Whatever the reason it gave young Lorna insights into the way things are sometimes done in the Republic.

She went on to study anthropology and work in the UK on international development programs, but was soon back in the archipelago.

In Indonesia she's been a consultant with the Australian aid agency AusAID in Aceh, and with a non-government organization (NGO) in Kalimantan on training projects and developing business enterprises.

Gaye is an Australian who formerly managed the Kalimantan Meeting Center (KMC), a three-star hotel and restaurant at Rungun Sari, about 36 kilometers northwest of Palangkaraya. She now runs a foreign investment company, PT Kalimantan Tourism Development.

Both are members of the Subud community, a spiritual movement started in Java early last century. They live at Rungun Sari where a magnificent meeting hall has been built and is available to all faiths.

"My river journeys whilst working for the NGO took me to the heart of the local people's lives and their rapidly depleting forests," Lorna said.

"Rivers are still the main transport system linking remote villages, a fascinating but uncomfortable affair. This led me to think: What could be better than a boat hotel with comfortable cabins and a restaurant viewing deck to enjoy the passing, peaceful days of village and jungle life?"

Indeed. Great idea but nothing stands in isolation. The current investment buzzword is "infrastructure" meaning roads, ports, airports, hotels and other public facilities have to be fixed first.

Sustainability

There aren't too many roads in Kalteng -- the biggest province in Borneo at 154,000 square kilometers. However, by Indonesian standards the main links are in reasonable condition.

Borneo isn't jam-packed Java: There are only 10 million in the whole Indonesian section of the island, with maybe less than 250,000 in Palangkaraya.

The locust swarms of Hondas and Yamahas have yet to plague the highways and the air is breathable outside the smoke season when farmers set fire to the forests in defiance of edicts from Jakarta.

There's no international airport so connections -- frequently late -- have to be made through Jakarta or Surabaya. Foreigners remain a rarity -- only 2,000 visited last year -- and not all Palangkaraya hotels are either comfortable or welcoming to outsiders.

The plan is to run Dayak Hope from the river close to the KMC hotel while port facilities in Palangkaraya are upgraded. Then, if all goes well, boats two and three will be built. These will probably be custom-built rather than converted.

The original budget of Rp 280 million for the boat alone has already doubled. Other investors have come to the rescue so the project is still afloat and heading for commercial operation in September -- with a plan to break even by the second year.

Mike Johnson, a marine environmental anthropologist from East Java, has been hired to advise on the work, though the design came from a French marine architect.

Johnson reckons the cost of building a floating hotel from the keel up will be little more than buying and reshaping an old boat -- and a lot easier.

The proposed tariff is Rp 4.3 million per person for a three-day, all-found river trip. The partners reckon this will attract a market between backpackers who'll rough it anywhere, and the top-end tourists who want five star toilets.

Lorna put together a business plan entered it in an international competition and won a useful Rp 74 million for her proposal. Through this she met Dutch travel agents interested in supplying management skills, clients and maybe investment.

"Our first planned tours will be along the Katingan River into the newly established Sebangau National Park, one of the last surviving peat swamp forests in Kalimantan and home to the largest known remaining orangutan populations in the world," she said.

"Unfortunately, illegal logging and forest fires continue to threaten the survival of the park.

"Our overall aim is to promote ecotourism in Kalteng as a viable way of protecting the forest and promoting the welfare of local communities through creating an effective strategy for economic growth.

"We'll provide 25 per cent of our boat tour profits to finance village ecotourism and conservation programs using microfinance loans to establish home-stays and train guides.

"The communities depend on the natural resources for their livelihoods. When use is sustainable the balance in the ecosystem is maintained. But where income is low the local people are forced to exploit.

"Poverty is a large threat to biodiversity. To conserve nature it's important to deal with poverty alleviation.

"We believe that our boat will be the vehicle to develop a social enterprise that can make a real difference."

Bali wants to step up cooperation with Malaysia in trade, culture

nstonline.com

Mohd Nasir Yusof, BERNAMA

DENPASAR (Bali), SAT.: Bali Governor Dewa Beratha hosted a banquet last night in honour of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, who are on a four-day state visit to Indonesia.

The banquest was held at the governor’s official residence, Jaya Sabha, a building with unique Bali architecture which was constructed in the 1870s.

Their majesties were entertained to a cultural performance by more than 100 dancers and a dance drama, Sekar Jaga, which is well-known on the island.

Dewa Beratha, in his speech, said Bali hoped to further enhance relations and cooperation with Malaysia in various fields like tourism, culture, trade and education for mutual benefit.

This popular resort island of 3.2 million people is also home to 150 Malaysian students furthering their studies in medicine, pharmacy and dentistry here.

Meanwhile, a specific and unique Balinese chess board is a special souvenir presented to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and his consort Raja Permaisuri Queen Nur Zahirah to commemorate their visit to Bali.

The royal couple were attracted to a medium-size chess board when they were visiting the Ida Bagus Marka gallery in Mas Ubud village, Gianyar, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported Friday.

The 48-member royal party included Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datok Zaenal Abidin Zain, embassy first secretary Mohd Pilus Ismail, official of the Malaysian royal household Tengku Farok Hussin, and honorary Malaysian consul in Bali Faisol H Hashim.

The royal couple has long been looking at the unique chess board and also looked at other handicraft articles. While they had the intention of buying the specific Balinese chess board, the host Ida Bagus Marka had already prepared it as a souvenir for the royal couple.

In their two-day visit to Bali within the framework of their four-day stay in Indonesia, King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and entourage also visited the Bali Convention Center (BBC), after which they returned to their hotel in Nusa Dua.

In the evening, they attended the dinner hosted by Governor Dewa Beratha and chairman of the Bali representatives council (DPRD) Ida Bagus Putu Wesnawa, in the company of their wives.

Poll finds policy, values hurt U.S. in Muslim world

There's been a "17 percent decline in visitors from overseas. In one year we lost $43 billion," he said. "Forty-three billion dollars, that's a lot jobs.

By Tamika Petty

(AXcess News) Washington - The extent to which Muslims in four countries dislike American foreign policy and the U.S. as a whole is disheartening, officials said after a briefing about a new poll of Muslims abroad.

During a hearing Thursday on declining approval for American foreign policy in Muslim countries, Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, discussed the poll results.

"We did indeed find negative views toward the U.S. government, even though the governments surveyed ... have a positive relationship with the U.S.," Kull said.

Suspicions about the reasons for invading Iraq and U.S. policy toward Islam, Kull said many Muslims abroad have concluded "the U.S. does not live up to its values."

Out of the four countries PIPA polled - Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Indonesia - Egyptians have the worst view of the United States' goals.

Read More ....

Yogya to host Affandi event

The Jakarta Post

YOGYAKARTA: Centennial celebrations for celebrated painter Affandi will be held Saturday and Sunday in Yogyakarta and will include the grand opening of Affandi street and a shadow puppet performance at Sanata Dharma University.

Similar commemorations will be held throughout the year in Bali, Jakarta and Singapore.

"These commemorations celebrate the love of the big family at Affandi Museum for the arts, which belong to the entire nation and the world," said Helfi Dirix, the president of the event organizing committee.

Local and international artists will participate in the commemorations, which will include fine art exhibitions, dance, music and theater performances, traditional shows, workshops, seminars, public lectures and competitions.

Affandi was born in Cirebon, West Java, in May 1907 and passed away in Yogyakarta in May 1990. He is buried in the Affandi Museum complex in Yogyakarta.

Presidents' daughters to hit the catwalk

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Daughters of three former presidents are expected to hit the catwalk soon for a fashion show to promote the country's traditional attire.

Former president Soeharto's daughter Siti Hedijati "Titiek" Soeharto; the daughter of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, Puan Maharani; and former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's daughter Zannuba "Yenny" Arifah Chafsoh Rahman have all agreed to take part in a fashion show that will showcase Indonesia's traditional batik, songket and Javanese kebaya.

Event organizer Maya Suharnoko was quoted by Antara newswire as saying the fashion show, scheduled for June 5, would also feature other well-known personalities.

These include the deputy governor of the Bank of Indonesia, Miranda Goeltom; the wife of Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso, Rini Sutiyoso and her daughter Reny; the wife of former Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tanjung, Nina Tanjung; and actresses Jajang C. Noer and Rima Melati.

The novice catwalk models are expected to wear the clothes of some of the country's most celebrated designers, including Chossy Latu, Ghea Panggabean, Oscar Lawalatta and Samuel Wattimena.

Organizers and models of the fashion show have met with First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, who gave her endorsement for the program.

In the meeting, Ani encouraged the spouses of state officials to wear the country's traditional attire on official occasions, as part of a national campaign to promote Indonesian culture.

Ani also called on designers to work closely with government agencies to promote traditional Indonesian attire.

Those agencies include the Industry Ministry, Trade Ministry, the State Ministry for Culture and Tourism and the State Ministry for Cooperatives and Small and Medium State Enterprises.

Bogor Botanical Gardens will commemorate its 190th anniversary

The Jakarta Post

BOGOR, West Java (Antara): Historical Bogor Botanical Gardens Friday will commemorate their 190th anniversary by organizing a number of events including flora exhibition, photographic competitions, and seminars.

Flora exhibitions in the gardens would have taken place from May 17 to 27. "Some 70 participants take parts in the event," Gardens spokesperson Sugiarti was quoted by Antara news agency as saying Thursday.

In trying to attract as many people as possible, she added, one ticket for the gardens could be used for two visitors, but the special offer is not valid on Saturday and Sunday.

Those who take part in the exhibition include non-governmental organizations, individual environment lovers, researchers, and private companies.

The gardens are located 60 kilometers south of Jakarta. It is situated in the city center of Bogor and adjoin the Istana Bogor (Presidential Palace). The gardens cover more than 80 hectares and contain more than 15,000 species of trees and plants located among streams and lotus ponds.

The gardens established by Sir Stamford Raffles officially opened in 1817 and were used to research and develop plants and seeds from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago for cultivation during the 19th century.

RI to host 2nd ASEAN wildlife law enforcement network conference

The Jakarta Post

JAKARTA (Antara): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold its 2nd Wildlife Law Enforcement Network (WEN) conference at the Safari Park in Bogor, West Java, on May 21-24, the Forestry Ministry said.

Officials from ASEAN's 10 member countries as well as 100 participants outside the group will attend the forum, the Indonesian Forestry Ministry said in a release issued Wednesday.

ASEAN groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The observers would come from Australia, China, Japan, Nepal, and the United States among others as well as international agencies including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

ASEAN WEN was set up in Bangkok in 2005 to uphold laws on endangered flora and fauna. Police, customs and excise offices, attorney general's offices, forestry offices and conservation agencies in the 10 ASEAN member countries are members of the network.

Men share responsibility for improving women's lives: Govt

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has announced it aims to reduce the nation's maternal mortality rate and make inroads into domestic violence in order to improve the quality of life for the country's women.

"Ensuring a woman's life quality, during pregnancy or not, is a form of mutual responsibility, which involves the husband," Pinky Saptandari, from the State Ministry for Women's Empowerment, told The Jakarta Post here Monday.

Efforts to curb the nation's maternal mortality rate would also depend on a shift in attitudes among policy makers and the community, she said.

"Reducing the maternal death rate cannot be done from merely a medical approach. It also has much to do with local culture and the people's mindset," Pinky said, citing the fact that many pregnant wives were subject to belated prenatal medical care because their husbands forbade them from seeking medical attention.

Indonesia has slashed its maternal mortality rate over the last decade, but has not yet met the Millennium Development Goals target of 102 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015.

In 1994, Indonesia's maternal mortality rate was 390 per 100,000 live births. By 2004 it had decreased to 307 per 100,000. However, the figure remains the highest among Southeast Asian countries.

The government introduced the "Care for Mothers Movement" 10 years ago to reduce Indonesia's maternal mortality rate.

As part of the movement, the women's empowerment ministry encouraged husbands to play an active role through the "Husbands on Guard Program", which teaches men to be ready to accompany their wife during prenatal checkups and their child's delivery.

Pinky, who is also a psychologist, highlighted another cause of maternal deaths: Early marriage.

"Early marriages are still regarded as a way to get out of poverty in many areas."

State Minister for Women's Empowerment Meutia Hatta told reporters earlier that the Care for Mothers Movement is seen as a feasible avenue to improve the quality of life for women spanning the rest of her term in Cabinet.

"We only need to revitalize the movement, which actually has been running as of 10 years ago. It is familiar to most Indonesians, however it has yet to be prioritized," she said.

Meutia highlighted the importance of revising the 1974 Marriage Law, especially the minimum age requirement for a woman to marry.

The law states in Article 7 that a girl of 16 years of age is considered ready to marry. According to the 2002 Child Protection Law, however, those under 18 years of age are still categorized as children.

The state ministry is also pushing a strategy to encourage the review of all state laws, bylaws and programs that discriminate against women and children. Meutia said there are at least 29 laws nationwide that exhibit gender bias, such as the marriage law.

Activist Siti Musdah Mulia had previously said that 56 new bylaws enacted between 1999 and 2006 in areas such as Aceh and Gorontalo marginalized women.

These local ordinances are said to be regulating and defending women's behavior in the name of morality, when in fact they are repressing women's rights.

Meutia said that every woman and child should live free from any form of violence, discrimination and exploitation.

"The increasing number of women who reported domestic violence should be regarded in a positive way, as this means women are beginning to realize their rights," Meutia said.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women disclosed in a report in March this year that the number of cases of violence against women in 2006 reached 22,512, up from the 20,391 in 2005 and 14,020 in 2004. In 2003, only 7,787 cases were reported.

Suriname to discuss further cooperation with Indonesia

By Ivan Cairo, May 14, 2007

Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Delegations from Suriname and Indonesia will meet in Paramaribo to discuss cooperation in several fields. To expand the relationship between the two countries, the two governments established a Joint Commission to explore and discuss fields of interest. The third meeting of the Joint Commission is scheduled from Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 May, 2007.

According to a press release by the Indonesian embassy in Suriname, the delegates will evaluate the implementation of the result of the first and the second Joint Commission meetings held in 2001 and 2003, respectively in Paramaribo and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Several of the items have not been implemented such as army training and scholarship programs.

The parties will discuss, among other things, investment, technical assistance in handicrafts, wood carving, agriculture fisheries, textile processing cooperation in trade, air transport, tourism, energy, education and crime prevention. These topics will be discussed by Working Groups.

At the end of the meeting the results will be compiled in the Agreed Minutes, which is planned to be signed by the Heads of Delegation.

The Surinamese delegations is led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Frederik Boekstaaf, while the Director General of American and European Affairs, Eddi Hariyadhi will lead the Indonesian delegation.

Suriname and Indonesia have for over 50 years diplomatic and cultural relations. According to the Indonesian embassy, “The position of Suriname is very special, important and unique because part of the Surinamese community came from Indonesia.”

Surinamese from Indonesian descent are the third largest ethnic group in the country and the largest in South-America and the Caribbean.

Cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and culture are good. In politics, Suriname always supports Indonesia’s position and Indonesia’s candidacies in many international fora, said the embassy in its press release.

Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com

Indonesia to host Asian Beach Games in 2008

Denpasar (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is scheduled to host the Asian Beach Games (ABG) in popular island resort of Bali on 18-26 October next year, a spokesperson has said.

"Bali has a very representative beach that can be used as a venue for the international sport event," Bali Asian Beach Games Organizing Committee (BABGOC) executive director Indra Kartasasmita said in Sanur, Bali, on Saturday.

Sailing, surfing, paragliding are among beach sports that will be held during the nine-day ABG in 2008.

Indra said the sport branches might be held in different places in Bali. He said sailing could be held in Sanur beach, surfing in Kuta beach, and paragliding in Kutuh beach.

He, however, said the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) had the right to decide what place that was suitable for every sport branch.

Indra, who concurrently Indonesian Sports Committee (KONI) official, said OCA technical team would arrive in Bali next September to evaluate and decide location for the holding of the international sport event.

Meanwhile, Haiyang City mayor Zou Changqing welcomed the holding of the ABG.

The Chinese government would monitor the preparation for and the holding of the international event in Bali as the country would also host the similar event in 2012, said Zou who was here for an observation of the preparation for the international sport event.

Indonesia offers visa on arrival for Middle East tourists

Vinod Nair

Saturday, May 12, 2007 12:31:52 AM Oman Time

MUSCAT — The tourism industry in Indonesia is witnessing a boom as the nation celebrates the highest number of foreign arrivals since 2001. In 2007, a total of six million tourists are expected.

Thamrin Bachri, director-general of tourism at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Indonesia, said that the government is focusing on visitors from the Middle East.

Around 60,000 tourists from the region visited in 2006 and about 100,000 visitors are being projected for this year and 150,000 for 2008.

The 80 per cent of tourists came from Saudi Arabia and followed by 18,000 to 20,000 tourists from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

To facilitate easy travel, the government has introduced a visa-on-arrival scheme for tourists from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The cost of visa is $25 for one month.

Thamrin said with 90 per cent of the Indonesians being Muslims, visitors from the Arab world can feel at home with nearly all hotels in Java are equipped with special rooms for prayer and food which are of the safe standards.

While no direct flights are available from Muscat, airlines from the neighbouring countries with more Indonesian expatriates operate directly to Jakarata with some even connecting to the tourist attraction of Bali. All international airports in Indonesia have Arabic signboards.

Thamrin admitted that travel from Oman is on the costlier side in the absence of direct links but he said things would change in the coming years with more airlines operating to Oman, which is also a major tourist destination.

Travellers to Indonesia, especially soccer fans, can witness AFC to be co-hosted by four nations-Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar will represent the Arab world.

Games will take place in Gelora Bungkarno Stadium in Jakarta from July 7 to 29. The stadium has a good pitch and has undergone renovations to invite visitors from many Asian countries.

There is a meeting of the travel industry in Bali from September 25 to 28 for PATA Travel Mart with delegates from all over the world attending the event.

The year 2008 is seen as ‘Visit Indonesia Year’ with the government targeting seven million arrivals to mark the anniversary of the nation’s Awakening Day, which will be celebrated with huge number of events and concerts.

Government to radically reduce National Park funding

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Malang

The government will make eight of the 50 national parks in the country autonomous by 2009 in a bid to save Rp 32 billion (US$3.5 million) in state spending, said a forestry official in Malang, East Java.

The move means the parks will no longer receive operational funds of up to Rp 4 billion each year, said director of the forest conservation at the Directorate General of Nature Conservation and Forest Protection (PHKA), Banjar Yulianto Laban.

On the surface, the changes do not seem to favor the parks or their overall management and upkeep, however, Banjar said it was a positive move.

"Other than saving state funds, (this move means) the operators of (newly-autonomous) national parks will eventually be able (to manage their funds independently)," he said.

"They (will be able to grow) their (own) earnings and gain profits of up to three-fold."

The eight national parks to undergo said management change include Komodo (East Nusa Tenggara), Bunaken (North Sulawesi), Bromo Tengger Semeru (East Java), Gede Pangrango (West Java), Mount Leuser (North Sumatra), West Bali (Bali), Meru Betiri (East Java) and Wasur (Papua).

Today, 60 percent of Rp 4 billion is used for security purposes for these national parks, while 40 percent is used to maintain infrastructure and facilities.

"If they manage their own finances, I estimate they will be able to increase profits three (fold) -- and this will amount to around Rp 12 billion annually," said Banjar.

In a bid to realize the plan and as part of the restructure process, 21 of the 50 national parks in the country will become model national parks.

Autonomous national park operators will maintain existing procedures, including public accountability, self-financing and sustainable forest management.

They will independently handle government non-tax revenue and every legitimate income stream so the parks can be managed in a sustainable, effective and efficient manner.

"I'm assured activities that could harm the ecosystem inside the national parks will not become practice.

"Because, under autonomous management, the only losing party will the be management teams when they eventually suffer declining profits," said Banjar.

It's essential park staff work together to ensure the parks are managed professionally, Banjar said.

Funds the government will accumulate as a result of these changes may later be used to upgrade park accessibility, he said.

A study conducted by Hendra Gunawan from the Nature Conservation and Forest Protection Research Center indicates only 32 percent of the 50 national parks in the country have vehicle access up to their offices or gateways.

Hendra said visitors were less eager to visit national parks due to limited access and the long journey required to each park.

"It's a 10-hour round-trip from the provincial capital or nearest airport to get to most of the national parks in Indonesia," he said.

"Those located outside Java can only be reached by air or water, proceeded by hours and hours overland."

Banjar said it was a considerable disadvantage for foreign tourists eager to spend their time in tropical forests -- of which Indonesia boasts the most worldwide.

"It would not cost a great deal should the government want to build facilities, including airports, near the Komodo National Park, which could accommodate flights directly from Australia or Jakarta," he said.

"And tourists can fly directly to Sulawesi from there.

"At the moment visitors who wish to visit the Komodo National Park have to go through Bali and resume their journey by sea to the location.

Those who want to go to Sulawesi have to return to Surabaya or Jakarta first, which I think will be too taxing."

Semarang to revive former glory

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Semarang

Once upon a time, when Indonesia was still ruled by the Dutch, Semarang, the capital of Central Java, was host to an event of international standards.

In 1914 and long before the country gained independence, the city showcased artworks from all over the globe, comprising carvings, silverware, bronze statues, gold jewelry and handicrafts.

More than 200 large and small buildings sitting on 17.7-hectares of picture-perfect rolling hills and eye-catching lowlands were used to exhibit some of these never-before-seen pieces of art.

So Mayor Sukawi Sutarip, Semarang's current mayor, is today looking forward to reviving the grand international fair as he prepares his city to celebrate its 460th birthday -- along with the start of a new tourism program that should see the city restored to its former glory.

The entire municipality is making efforts to transform Sumarang's Kota Lama (Old City) into a clean, beautiful and peaceful area representative of a Dutch colonial town of yesteryear.

"Other cities -- like Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya and Yogyakarta, refurbished themselves years ago -- so Semarang must not be left behind," said Sukawi last week during the launch the city's 460th anniversary, The Beauty of Asia tourism program and a celebrationary art exhibition.

"Let's turn Semarang into a beautiful, peaceful and clean city to attract visitors from all around the region.

"Let them feel at home by presenting them with arts and culture and business opportunities."

Sukawi said the peak of the program would take place from August 10 to 12, when organizers would hold a number of events, including Asian arts and cultural performances, sports competitions, tourism exhibitions and international seminars.

Organizers will build a giant stage measuring 50x60 meters and equipped with a modern lighting system, at the Pancasila Square, in the Simpang Lima area in the heart of the city.

The stage will host various performances involving 10 ASEAN member countries as well as China, Japan, Korea, India and Saudi Arabia.

The spectacular event, called Breaking Through Cultural Limits, will include hundreds of dancers and musicians.

The municipality will set aside a large budget for the event and it is expected it will become an annual tradition.

A city official reported the city needed around Rp 21 billion (US$2.3 million) and supporting funds of Rp 3 billion.

A number of venues in Semarang will stage live performances, including the Simpanglima Square, the Tugu Muda monument, the historical Lawang Sewu building, the PRPP Development Promotion Fairgrounds, the Central Java Grand Mosque and the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Gedung Batu.

"We have procured a 15-hectare plot of land to focus activities for the Semarang Beauty of Asia exhibition in 2008," Sukawi said.

"We will build a grand building to house arts performances there ... and the site is located in Gunungpati, a hilly area with a cool climate, southwest of Semarang,"

So while the city administration counts its rupiah in the lead-up to the inaugural event, trash bins are being attractively painted with animals, plants and shadow-play characters and the streets are being fastidiously cleaned.

The municipality was also more than anxious to evict squatters who occupied old buildings in the slum area in Kota Lama (Old City) three months ago.

And the area adjacent to the Tawang railway station, notorious for its red-light district, will soon be rid of its lower class sex workers.

Sukawi said President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono will kick off the event and it will be attended by foreign ministers from 11 Asian countries as well as foreign ambassadors and mayors from across the country.

The idea of staging the Semarang Beauty of Asia event came up during an official tour with the President to the China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China, at the end of 2006, said Sukawi.

The next step was to foster public participation before gathering subdistrict heads in Semarang and urging them to familiarize the public on the event.

Suakwi then floated the idea of homestays -- so that foreign visitors could stay in residents' homes and experience the lives of the local people.

Residents in Central Semarang district are considering the idea -- but even if this doesn't work, there are 35 star-rated, modest hotels in the district employing 698 of the city's workforce.

The Kauman area and its surroundings will be prioritized for visitors from Muslim countries, including Malaysia, Brunei and Middle-Eastern countries, while Semarang's Chinatown area for visitors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.

Architectural treasures fading at Pasar Baru

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Kibout, 59, spent the afternoon sitting in front of the old Chinese shop in Pasar Baru market, Central Jakarta.

The exterior of the dilapidated two-story shop, dominated by faded red and decorated with oriental ornaments, bore the sign "Toko Kompak".

"This house was built by Mayor Tio almost 200 years ago. This was the first building in the market," said Kibout, who grew up in the local neighborhood.

Mayor Tio was one of the five mayors appointed to lead the Chinese ethnic community during the Dutch colonial period two centuries ago.

"This was originally a house but later it was turned into a furniture shop," said Kibout, who has been worked at the market for a number of years.

Despite its rundown appearance, the building's interior, with its faded doors, damaged window frames and ornaments, still evokes a sense of grandeur and authority. .

"I have no intention of refurbishing this shop," said the building owner, who preferred to remain anonymous.

The current owner inherited Toko Kompak from his father, who bought the building from a descendent of Mayor Tio in the 1930s.

"Since the building was declared a cultural heritage site, I haven't received any help with preserving it," he said.

The government declared Toko Kompak a cultural heritage building in 1993, along with four other shop buildings in the Pasar Baru Market area. However, only Toko Kompak has preserved its original appearance. The other buildings have already been renovated, maintaining only their original second floor exteriors.

With its remarkable structure belonging to an older time, Toko Kompak now stands alone as a reminder of the past.

Like other Chinese architecture from the same period, the second floor of Toko Kompak features a void in the center, surrounded by a delicately carved handrail.

At the back of the shop is a wide yard intended as a family gathering space, another typical characteristic of ancient Chinese houses.

"This building has remained the same since it was first built two centuries ago," said the owner.

The owner said he had never thought of turning his shop into a museum, in spite of its historical value as the oldest building in the market area.

Turning such old buildings into museums can actually help preserve them. This has been the case with the National Archive Museum in Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta, the former residence of a high ranking Dutch official. This museum is now one of the best-maintained old buildings in Jakarta.

But Toko Kompak's owner has refused to follow suit, presumably worried about the maintenance costs and the administrative duties conversion to a museum might bring.

Most shop houses at this market have had new and modern facelifts, or been rebuilt entirely, leaving only a few old shops like Toko Kompak hunkered down amidst the towering new developments.

Such ancient shop houses are a sign of the golden period once experienced by the merchants of this busy commercial area, Jakarta's first elite shopping center.

Pasar Baru Market was initially built to serve the growing upper class Dutch community who lived along Jalan Veteran in Central Jakarta, which was then called Rijswijk.

Until the 1970s, this market still served as a luxury shopping center, selling both local and imported products. But its popularity faded with the emergence of new modern plazas and malls.

The only signs that anyone remembers Pasar Baru's history as a successful trading center are the two towering oriental gateways at either entrance, which were built by the government five years ago to boost this market's image as a culture tourism destination.

Besides these gateways, only Toko Kompak's unique architecture hints at the potential this old market has as a tourist site.

"Many tourists, both domestic and foreign, have come here to enjoy this ancient architecture," said Kibout.

Yet with the trend toward renovation and the building of more modern structures to lure today's shoppers to Pasar Baru and other traditional markets, Toko Kompak may find its days are numbered.

Sawahlunto promotes tourism from scratch

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post, Padang

For more than a century, Sawahlunto, in West Sumatra, has been a booming coal mining city.

Originally a small town, coal was discovered in the area in 1867 by Dutch geologist William Hendrik De Greve and by 1891 a flourishing coal industry had grown.

After 110 years, only half of the 200 million tons of high-quality coal, thought to be the best in Asia, originally believed to exist in the ground is left.

Around six years ago, the city stopped relying on coal as its main source of revenue. State-owned coal mining company PT Tambang Batubara Buki Asam's Ombilin Mining Unit, which has been working in the area since 2000, had noticed a gradual reducing in income and the declining price of coal on the global market was seriously threatening the company's future.

As a result, the municipality went looking for other resources and now tourism, which was not previously exploited, is set to become the city's main cash cow. Old Sawahlunto city, built during the Dutch colonial era, is expected to become a major heritage tourist attraction that will bring in overseas visitors.

Old Sawahlunto spans 250 hectares, including the coal mine, coal railway line and station as well as more than 100 ancient buildings dating back more than a century.

The municipality opened the Railway Museum and the Gudang Ransum Museum last year. The gudang ransum, or rations warehouse, was where thousands of orang rantai (chained people), or convicts from various prisons who were forced to become miners, took their meals, during the Dutch colonial era.

The municipality has also begun construction of sites appealing to domestic tourists, including a water theme park and the Kandih Sijantang Lake resort, which covers 400 ha. A race course, motor bike track and safari park are also in the works.

While there are no star-rated hotels yet, the hotels in the area can accommodate up to 500 guests.

"We are promoting Sawahlunto as a tourism city starting from scratch because the city has never been known as such a city. We have to work hard and try to make interesting things to boost tourism, and the efforts have started to show some results," said Sawahlunto Mayor Amran Nur.

Foreign tourist groups have started to visit Old Sawahlunto. And numbers of visitors from neighboring Riau and Jambi have drastically risen with the presence of the water theme and safari parks.

The Waterboom theme park, opened in January, brings in Rp 120 million (US$13,500) monthly. Amran says he believe that with the new revenue, the city will be able to reach its annual income target of Rp 1.8 billion, or 15 percent of the regional initiated income in 2007 of Rp 17 billion, despite the fact that it did not earn a single rupiah from tourism last year.

"We will start promoting tourism this year by distributing booklets and erecting billboards along provincial roads from Pekanbaru to West Sumatra. We will attract visitors from Pekanbaru heading to Bukittinggi thus far. We will also carry out a promotion campaign at Minangkabau International Airport to woo tourists," said Amran.

The municipality will also focus on health, education and agriculture.

Amran said patients from surrounding areas had sought medical treatment in the city after the administration refurbished the Sawahlunto General Hospital a few years ago. It was the other way round previously, when patients from Sawahlunto sought treatment in Solok. Now, Solok residents prefer to treated in Sawahlunto.

In the agricultural sector, the administration provided 1.2 million cacao seedlings and 300,000 rubber tree seedlings along with fertilizer to farmers for free three years ago.

It has also provided soft loans to farmers to buy a total of 3,000 head of cattle and helped in goat and cricket farming.

"We will back those who wish to do anything or whatever they are doing. This is an advantage of regional autonomy. We can create programs according to people's needs, which is different before that, when the programs came from the central government and most of them were not effective," said Amran.

The biggest challenge faced by the city of 52,562 people and spans 270,000 hectares, according to Amran is limited human resource development and the unwillingness of residents to work hard.