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Enron Mail |
DATE: 29 October 2001
TO: US-Indonesia Business Committee Members FROM: Walter Lohman Director, Indonesia Affairs US-ASEAN Business Council Tel: (202) 416-6711 Fax: (202) 289-0519 E-Mail: wlohman@usasean.org David Hutagalung Representative, Jakarta, US-Indonesia Business Committee Tel: [6221] 573-0407 Fax: [6221] 574-4981 E-Mail: dhutagalung@usasean.org RE: Indonesia News Clippings ************************************************************************ ************************************************* Attached are the news clippings from 24-26 October 2001. The headlines are listed below. The attached link will connect you to the articles' source website where you can access original copies of the articles themselves. The US-Indonesia Business Committee is regularly distributing news clippings from the widest array of sources practical in an effort to create a fuller picture of developments in Indonesia. We hope you find them useful. Headlines for Wednesday, October 24: * The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said a public awareness campaign promoting the importance of selling state assets was crucial to speeding up Indonesia's privatization process amid frequent opposition from various groups. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The National Institute of Sciences (LIPI) advised the government on Tuesday to respond wisely to mounting demands by radical groups to sever diplomatic ties with the United States so as to avoid great losses to the country. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Indonesia's highest constitutional body, will convene next week to consider amending the country's 1945 Constitution to reduce its power to impeach the president. (Japan Economic Newswire) http://home.kyodo.co.jp/ * The new U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Ralph L. Boyce, presented his credentials on Wednesday to President Megawati Soekarnoputri. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * Who will command the Indonesian military? The next person to fill the post of military chief has become the latest topic of discussion among senior officers as incumbent Adm. Widodo AS prepares to retire in November. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * Efforts to eliminate widespread corruption entered a significant phase on Tuesday after the House of Representatives approved an anti-corruption bill, which is expected to strongly arm legal authorities. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The East Kalimantan administration demanded on Tuesday that the South Jakarta District Court order coal mining giant PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) and its shareholders to pay $776 million in compensation and annul the company's contract of works for breaching an agreement to divest shares. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com Headlines for Thursday, October 25: * President Megawati will have a series of state functions next month, which includes her attendance at the Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Brunei Darussalam, a report said. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * President Megawati will be in power for 100 days next week, and the National Assembly chairman Amien Rais says she has not delivered. (Channel NewsAsia) www.channelnewsasia.com * The new U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Ralph Boyce, said on Thursday that Washington fully understood the position which President Megawati had taken with regard to the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The IMF warns that time is running out for Indonesia to sell assets. (The Straits Times) www.straitstimes.com.sg * The government is to meet with the Paris Club of creditor nations on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 to seek the rescheduling of some Rp 27 trill ion (US$2.7 billion) in sovereign debt, both principal and interest, to help ease the burden of the 2002 state budget. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * For the first time, the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) may link its loan programs with efforts to fight corruption. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The Attorney General's Office will send a summons to House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung for questioning immediately after receiving President Megawati Sukarnoputri's written approval, an official said on Thursday. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung met on Tuesday night with Taufik Kiemas, president Megawati Sukarnoputri's husband, to seek support to block a move aimed at establishing a House special committee to investigate a graft case allegedly involving him. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com Headlines for Friday, October 26: * People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais officially launched on Wednesday a website, www.mpr.go.id, designed to provide the public with information about the lawmakers' activities. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The Attorney General's O ff ice on Friday issued summonses for House of Representatives' Speaker Akbar Tandjung and former military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto to appear at the office on Wednesday for questioning in relation to a graft investigation. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * While presidential consent was given on Thursday for state prosecutors to question House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung in connection with a graft investigation, a faction inside the Golkar Party urged him to resign from his posts in the party and the House. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * The Fall of Tanjung and Folly of Mega? (Laksamana.Net) www.laksamana.net * Vice President Hamzah Haz called on Islamic countries grouped in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) on Friday to press the United States and its allies to stop the military offensive against Afghanistan before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan. (Jakarta Post) www.thejakartapost.com * Anthrax scares plus U.S. demands for action against Asian militants linked to Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda group are bringing America's battle against terrorism closer to mainstream Asia. It could inflame the region's passions. (Asiaweek) www.asiaweek.com * The United States believes associates of Osama bin Laden have been raising money for the wanted Saudi millionaire from the thriving marijuana trade in Indonesia's troubled Aceh province. (Far Eastern Economic Review) www.feer.com * Indonesia' s regencies demanded yesterday that the central government postpone its plan to revise the current autonomy laws pending a comprehensive evaluation involving both the central government and local administrations. (Indonesian Observer) www.indonesian-observer.com * Plans for a mega hydro-power plant on the Mamberamo river in Irian Jaya's Jayapura regency will not come to fruition without foreign investment as neither the Indonesian government not local investors have expressed interest in taking up the project. (Asia Pulse) www.asiapulse.com ************************************************************************ ************************************************* If you need assistance in the region, in addtion to David, please contact: US-ASEAN Business Council, Singapore Stephen Pattillo Tel: [65] 339-8885 Fax: [65] 339-1982 E-Mail: srpasean@pacific.net.sg US-ASEAN Business Council, Philippines Philip Gielczyk Tel: [632] 895-4333 Fax: [632] 895-3007 E-Mail: pgielczyk@pacific.net.ph
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