Govt carries out psychological recovery program for Merapi evacuees

Antara News, Sunday, October 31, 2010

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - The Ministry of Woman Empowerment and Child Protection will carry out psychological recovery programs for evacuees of the Mt Merapi eruption.

"The program will be implemented because the evacuees, especially women and children, may have been suffering trauma too much," State Minister of Woman Empowerment and Child Protection Linda Amalia Sari said in Sleman, a district close to volcano in Yogyakarta, Sunday.

The ministry has currently been conducting a study on psychological disorders facing the evacuees, especially women and children, at the Central Command Post for Mount Merapi Disaster Mitigation. "When the emergency relief operations are over, we will start with the program," she added.

The minister said that the program is being prepared on the basis of experience gained from past disasters in Aceh and Padang in Sumatra, and in and Wasior, West Papua. Under the program, women were given motivations to be patient and steadfast and children being kept cheerful and continue with their study.

She appreciated the Sleman regional administration for having provided separate barracks for women and children, which are important because they need special attention and sleeping quarters.

The minister asked the evacuees to heed the instructions given by the relevant authorities for their own good, including to stay in the centers for evacuees until it is safe to return home.

Mt Merapi, one of the world`s most active volcanoes, erupted twice this week (October 26 and 30), spewing hot clouds and ashes up and down the slopes of hundreds of villages. At least 35 people had perished and some 50,000 had to move to safer places.

Related Article:

Indonesian red cross sends hygiene kits to Merapi victims

Merapi`s volcanic ash is health hazard : Official

Antara News, Sunday, October 31, 2010 01:28 WIB

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Volcanic ash from Mount Merapi, if inhaled in a large quantity, could stick to the inner walls of one`s lungs and lessen their elasticity, a local public health official said.

"If the volcanic ash is inhaled in a large quantity, it could stick to the inner linings of a person`s lungs and reduce their elasticity. It is a real health hazard because it can cause infection of the respiratory system and the person could asphyxiate," Bondan Agus Suryanto, the head of Yogyakarta`s Health Office, said here Saturday.

People with a respiratory system allergic to foreign substances or suffering from asthma are advised to avoid the volcanic ash as inhaling it could trigger an attack of the ailments, he said.

The volcanic ash could stick to the respiratory tract and it could only be neutralized in the blood stream if it was small in quantity, he said.

Volcanic ash was also harmful to the eyes because it would obstruct the production of tears that serve as a cleaning and lubricating agent for the eyeballs, and thus cause irritation and inflammation of the optical tissues, he said.

Bondan advised people living near Mount Merapi not to do unnecessary outdoor activities. But if they had to go outdoors, it was best for them to wear protective masks to avoid inhaling sulfuric acid volcanic ash.

His office would distribute more masks to the people, he said.

Government prepares disaster insurance

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 10/29/2010 11:35 AM

Indonesia is preparing a disaster insurance scheme to cover financial losses and provide for emergency needs as the country constantly faces strings of natural disasters causing heavy social burdens.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said Thursday the insurance was important as natural disasters have caused increasing financial losses and emergency needs to handle the aftermath of such disasters.

The most recent natural disasters of an earthquake-triggered tsunami in Mentawai, West Sumatra, and the eruption Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta, have rallied people to show stronger support for the establishment of disaster insurance.

“I have asked the Indonesia Capital Market and Financial Institution Supervisory Agency chairman to conduct a study on the establishment of disaster insurance,” Agus told reporters at the Finance Ministry.

He added disaster insurance was a very common initiative for developed countries but not developing countries, including Indonesia.

Agus said the government would soon reveal the study results in a meeting with stakeholders at the ministry.

“In principle, we have reached an agreement on the need to establish disaster insurance,” he said. “The insurance may be similar to other forms of life insurance,” he added without elaborating.

He only said the premium would be taken from the state budget although he was not sure whether it would be included in the 2011 State Budget.

Agus said the initiative needed careful arrangement including the insurance form, risk calculation and disbursement process.

“We will carefully study an appropriate insurance design to prevent any difficulties in its claiming process,” he said.

“The proposed disaster insurance will be reinsured with world-class reinsurance companies. I haven’t seen any Indonesian companies that are ready to carry out the reinsurance program.”

Agus also said the government had proposed an additional disaster fund of Rp 150 billion (US$16.8 million) to the budget body of the House of Representatives.

Previously, the government allocated a disaster fund of Rp 50 billion. Agus said the fund was separated from the budgetary allocation for the rehabilitation program. “The disaster fund will be managed by the National Disaster Management Agency [BNPB],” he said.

The post-disaster rehabilitation program would have a separate budgetary allocation of more than Rp 3.5 trillion.

The government allocates a total of about Rp 4 trillion for disaster management activities, higher than the Rp 3.79 trillion in the Revised 2010 State Budget.

Ahsanul Qosasih, a member of the House Commission XI overseeing finance and banking, deplored the government for being unresponsive to strong public demand on the establishment of disaster insurance to minimize disaster risks.

“It’s time for the government to establish disaster insurance,” he was quoted as saying by detik.com on Wednesday.

“Disaster insurance is very urgent to support the disaster fund allocated within the state budget.”

He said that his Commission had asked the Finance Ministry and the BNPB to officially propose and design a long-term disaster insurance scheme.

“We have a very limited budgetary allocation for disaster management,” he said, adding that the insurance would be needed to cover any losses caused by natural disasters. (ebf)

Heartache for Survivors in Tsunami-Hit Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Supri Lindra | October 28, 2010

Muntei Baru Baru, Indonesia. Exhausted, confused and hungry, 20-year-old Indonesian housewife Chandra trudged barefoot through her tsunami-wrecked village in a desperate search for her missing baby.

Villagers wrapping bodies in plastic in the
tsunami-hit village of Muntei Baru Baru village
on the Mentawai Islands. (Reuters Photo)

“I sifted through rubble, looked in collapsed houses and in the temporary shelters but there’s no sign of him,” she said, tears welling up. “I know he’s dead but I keep praying he’s still alive. I’m so tired. I’ve not eaten for two days ... I have no appetite.”

Chandra was one of the survivors after a huge wave triggered by a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake Monday ravaged the remote Mentawai islands off the west coast of Sumatra, killing 343 people and leaving 338 missing.

Disaster response officials said bodies were being found on beaches and coastal areas in the Mentawai island chain, which took the full force as the tsunami washed away entire villages.

Chandra said she was separated from her husband and six-month-old son as they were trying to flee the tsunami when it hit their coastal village in North Pagai island, one of the two worst-hit in the Mentawai group.

“I survived because a coconut tree fell and kept me from being swept away. My survival was a miracle from God,” she said.

Her husband’s body was found by locals and buried along with dozens of other villagers in a mass grave on Wednesday.

The tsunami had flattened their village of Muntei Baru Baru, destroying more than 70 mostly wooden houses, a school and a church. Left behind were skeletons of houses, fallen trees and a fetid mud pool.

Survivors said they had almost no warning that the three-meter wall of water was bearing down on them, raising questions about whether an early alert system laid down after the 2004 Asian tsunami had failed.

An AFP photographer who came to North Pagai aboard an aid ship saw hundreds of villagers being treated at a medical clinic, many requiring stitches to open cuts suffered as they were tossed around in the roiling sea.

Like Chandra, dozens of villagers are still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

Many scrabbled through rubble to look for missing relatives while others, dazed by the disaster, sat under coconut trees awaiting news from rescuers.

Chandra said she did not know what the future holds.

“I’ve no intention to rebuild my house. I now live alone, I don’t know what to do,” she said.

“Whatever happens, I’m not going to leave this village. This place is the burial place for my husband and baby.”

Agence France-Presse

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Army deploys two battalions to Mentawai

Foreign parties offer assistance for Mentawai emergency response

Antara News, Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Padang, West Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Several foreign parties have offered assistance for emergency response efforts in tsunami-hit Mentawai, West Sumatra.

The foreign parties were the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Australia`s disaster management body.

But a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sucipto, said here on Tuesday night Indonesia did not as yet need foreign assistance to deal with the aftermath of Tuesday`s tsunami in Mentawai, West Sumatra, which happened moments after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake.

Speaking to the press in the presence of West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno, Sucipto said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had stated the West Sumatra provincial and Mentawai district governments were able to conduct an emergency response without foreign aid.

Sucipto said joint rescue teams, made up of police and military personnel, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), and volunteers from West Sumatra would immediately be deployed to Mentawai to evacuate the dead victims as well as survivors.

On Tuesday night, the death toll of the earthquake and tsunami in the Mentawai Islands was recorded at 112.

At least 502 people were reported missing and thousands of others had fled to safer grounds following the disasters, according to the results of a coordination meeting led by West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno and attended by Mentawai district head Edison on Tuesday night.

Efforts to send relief aid to the affected area were hampered by bad weather in Mentawai waters.

By Tuesday night, only one ship carrying relief aid, volunteers and medical workers had headed to Mentawai.

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PMI sends personnel, ambulances to Mentawai

Antara News, Tuesday, October 26, 2010 16:50 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has mobilized tens of personnel and sent four ambulances to Mentawai for early assessment following a powerful earthquake which hit the area on Monday evening (Oct 25).

"PMI West Sumatra office has sent four ambulances and tens of personnel. For the moment, we are still waiting for complete report from the local PMI office on the situation in Mentawai," Achmad Djaelani of the Jakarta-based PMI Headquarters, said in a statement here Tuesday.

An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale rocked Mentawai islands at 21.42 last Monday with its epicenter located 78 km west of Pagai Selatan subdistrict, Mentawai district, at a depth of 10 km below sea level.

Aftershocks continued to happen in Mentawai, West Sumatra, following the magnitude-7.2 quake . A quake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale followed at 10 pm at a depth of 22 kilometers, 89 kilometers southwest of Pagai Selatan.

Another quake was also recorded at 5.0 on the Richter Scale at 10.31 pm at a depth of 34 kilometers, 51 kilometers southwest of Pagai Selatan.

Meanwhile, a two-meter high tsunami struck Mentawai island following a 7.2 earthquake last Monday (Oct 25) at 21.42.

"The information about an impending tsunami was obtained from Australian volunteers who are stationed there. According to their report, they found some fishermen`s boat stranded in land," an expert of the Padang-based University of Andalas, Dr Badrul Mustapa Kemal, said here on Tuesday.

The quake was also felt by people in Padang, Kerinci, Jambi, and even up to Singapore.

On September 30, 2009, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale devastated Padang city, the provincial capital of West Sumatra, killing at least 1,117 people.

Mt Merapi emergency : Children, elderly being evacuated

Antara News, Monday, October 25, 2010 18:21 WIB

Magelang, C Java (ANTARA News) - Hundreds of children and elderly people from four villages near Mount Merapi`s danger zones in Magelang district, Central Java, began to be evacuated on Monday.

The evacuation process was started following the raising of Mount Merapi`s status from "alert" to "prepared" on Monday at 07.00 am local time, head of Srumbung sub-district, Agus Purgunanto, said.

The evacuees were from four hamlets in Kaliurang village, Srumbung sub-district, namely Cempagan, Kaliurang Selatan, Kaliurang Utara, and Sumberejo, he said.

The residents of Jrakah hamlet had yet to be evacuated to safer places while the evacuees were centered at Kaliurang village`s hall before being transported to shelters in Tanjung, Muntilan area.

The residents of two hamlets in Kemiren village were also evacuated to save them from the Mount Merapi`s danger zones, he said.

According to the Head of Kaliurang village, Keptiyah, senior citizens, children and pregnant women were the main targets of Monday`s evacuation process.

Kaliurang village`s total population was 2,464 people. They consisted of 285 aging people, 65 babies, 146 toddlers, and 17 pregnant women, he said.

All evacuees were transported to shelters by vehicles that the Magelang district`s government had prepared or cars belonging to locals, he said.

About 60 cars were used to evacuate the residents of Kaliurang and Kemiren villages, he said.

The Volcanology Technology Development and Study (BPPTK) Agency in Yogyakarta has sent official notification letters about the rise from alert to watch-out status to a number of districts near Merapi.

In response to this official notification, the evacuation process was also conducted by the Sleman district`s authorities for people, living in Mt Merapi`s danger zones.

Head of Sleman district, Sri Purnomo, warned the authorities of not creating panic to the evacuees.

"All related authorities need to be aware of the importance of avoiding our people from being panic during the evacuation process," she said.

Along with a number of local government officials, Sri Purnomo visited Kaliadem hamlet in Kepuharjo village, Cangkringan sub-district, to see the impacts of Mount Merapi`s unstable situation.

She said the evacuation process should be carried out in accordance with the existing procedures. In this context, rescue workers had to prioritize pregnant women, toddlers, and aging people.

The closures of Kaliurang and Boyong in Pakem sub-district, three spots in Cangkringan sub-district and five spots in Turi sub-district should also be completed with "prohibition notice boards", she said.

Sri Purnomo said the local authorities had set up seven refugee camps to meet the needs of more than a thousand of displaced people.

The shelters were set up in Glagaharjo, Kepuharjo, and Umbulharjo areas (Cangkringan sub-district), Hargobinangun and Purwobinangun (Pakem sub-district), and Girikerto and Wonokerto (Turi sub-district).

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Drug companies pay 17,000 U.S. doctors, report finds

Reuters, WASHINGTON | Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:09pm EDT

(Reuters) - More than 17,000 doctors and other healthcare providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors about their products, a joint investigation by news organizations and non-profit groups found.

More than 380 of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals took in more than $100,000 in 2009 and 2010, according to the investigation released on Tuesday. The report said far more doctors are likely to have taken such payments, but it documented these based on information from seven drugmakers.

The payments are not illegal and usually not even considered improper. But the investigation by journalism group ProPublica, Consumer Reports magazine, NPR radio and several publications showed doctors were sometimes urged to recommend "off-label" prescriptions of drugs, meaning using them for conditions they are not approved for.

And the report points to several studies showing that even small gifts and payments to doctors can affect their attitudes, and many companies have stopped giving out once-common gifts such as pens, cups and other objects carrying drug brand names.

"Tens of thousands of U.S. physicians are paid to spread the word about pharma's favored pills and to advise the companies about research and marketing," the group says in its report, available here

The groups used information from seven drugmakers -- AstraZeneca, Cephalon, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Merck and Pfizer.

"Some of the companies were forced to disclose this information as a result of legal settlements; others released it voluntarily," Consumer Reports said.

It said more than 70 other pharmaceutical companies have not disclosed payments made to doctors, although the healthcare reform law passed in March will require them to do so by 2013.

"This investigation begins to pull back the shroud on these activities," Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, said in a statement.

"The amount of money involved is astounding, and the ProPublica report's account of the background of some of the physicians is disturbing."

Drug companies often say they pay expert physicians to educate their peers about drugs and conditions. These sessions are often seminars held alongside major medical meetings but sometimes they involve briefings at vacation resorts.

ProPublica said a review of state medical board disciplinary records found more than 250 of the doctors paid to speak had been sanctioned for activities such as inappropriately prescribing drugs or having sex with patients.

It said 40 others had been warned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for research misconduct, had lost hospital privileges or were convicted of crimes.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Eric Beech)

Malaria threatens Bengkulu residents

Antara News, Monday, October 18, 2010 22:25 WIB

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - A total of 7,654 residents of Bengkulu province`s capital of Bengkulu had suffered from Malaria, a disease caused by anopheles mosquitoes, this year, a health worker said.

Head of Bengkulu city`s health office, drg.Mixon Sahbuddin, said here Monday that 4,088 of them were infected by this disease within the past three months.

In halting the spread of malaria, the health authorities, community members and other related stakeholders need to work together to create a healthy life condition in the city, he said.

Sahbuddin said the healthy life style was the best option for locals because fogging was so costly but not enough effective in crushing mosquitoes.

"The fund needed for fogging the entire areas of Bengkulu city a year is Rp15 billion. Adopting a healthy life style and keeping our neighborhood clean are the best options," he said.

Therefore, locals were urged to take care of their neighborhood areas and destroy anopheles mosquito breedings by getting rid of stagnant water, especially during the rainy season, he said.

In connection to Indonesia`s vulnerability to malaria attacks, Secretary of the Indonesian Medical Doctors Association (IDI)-West Kalimantan Provincial Chapter Nursyah Ibrahim recently said that it was related to its people`s unhealthy life style.

This condition had even made Indonesia become one of the world`s malaria-vulnerable nations, he said.

According to the Global Fund`s research findings, about seventy percent of Indonesian people were vulnerable to the malaria disease, he said.

In 2009, Indonesia had almost two million malaria cases but there were more cases that were not revealed, he said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria in Indonesia mainly occurs in Papua, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Sumatra islands.

"It occurs with low frequency or is non-existent in Java and Bali where approximately 70 percent of the population live. All strains of human malaria are to be found in Indonesia," WHO said.

In the past, the eastern parts of Indonesia were home to P. malariae and P.ovale, but the two strains had also been found in Lampung Province and Nias Island, North Sumatra, in recent years.

Indonesia had set itself to become malaria-free by a long shot in 2030.

Sixty-nine people in Subang die of HIV/AIDS

Antara News, Monday, October 18, 2010 19:38 WIB

Subang, W Java (ANTARA News) - HIV/AIDS has become a serious threat to public health in Subang district, West Java, because at least 69 HIV/AIDS patients have died over the past nine months.

"We consider HIV/AIDS in the Subang region a serious problem because the death toll has already reached 69," Suwata, a local health worker, said here Monday.

Suwata, coordinator of the HIV/AIDS eradication unit of Subang district`s health office, said the deaths of the HIV/AIDS-infected people had also been caused by other ailments they were suffering from.

Most of the HIV/AIDS deaths had happened in Subang district`s northern coastal areas, he said.

"We have declared those areas as `red` or high-risk spots in terms of the HIV/AIDS disease," he said.

It had been established that most of the HIV/AIDS sufferers in those areas were commerical sex wokers, he said.

Over the past nine months in 2010 alone, a total of 352 HIV/AIDS cases were detected in 13 spots across Subang district, Suwata said.

Among the red areas in Subang district were Patokbeusi, Blanakan, Ciasem, Pamanukan and Cipunagara, he said.

Beside adults, three toddlers were also among the HIV/AIDS sufferers. The infants had been infected by their mothers,

In their efforst to halt the spread of the deadly disease, the district`s health workers conducted such activities as regular blood tests on people in the high-risk groups, he said.

HIV/AIDS has become a serious threat to young Indonesians in many parts of the country.

In Lebak, Banten Province, for instance, there are at least 1,700 HIV/AIDS patients. Eighty-six of them had died, according to Arief Mulyawan, chairman of Banten`s HIV/AIDS Eradication Commission.

"The total number of HIV/AIDS patients in Banten increased from 1,684 to at least 1,700 this year," he said.

The majority of the HIV/AIDS-infected residents was women. However, the final figure would only be known in October, he said.

In addition to sex with multiple partners, the high number of HIV/AIDS patients in Banten was also related with the use of non-sterile syringes among drug users, he said.

Arrest of Foreigners in Bali Up 25% So Far This Year

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana | October 17, 2010

Australian boxing trainer Michael Sacatides sits next to the 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine he is alleged to have attempted to smuggle into Bali. Bali Police say they have arrested 41 foreign nationals so far this year, compared with 31 for the same period last year. (AFP Photo)

Jakarta. The number of foreigners arrested for committing crimes in Bali has risen 25 percent this year, most of it drug-related, and the numbers are climbing.

Police said on Sunday that from January through September, 43 foreign nationals had been arrested, mainly for drug offenses, compared with 31 for the same period last year.

“Narcotics-related crime dominates and it seems to be a continuing trend,” Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko said.

The latest tourist to be arrested was Michael Sacatides, 43, an Australian national accused of attempting to smuggle 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine into the country on Oct. 1.

Sacatides is just the latest in a string of foreigners connected to the drug trade.

The case of Australian Schapelle Leigh Corby has generated endless attention. She was caught smuggling 4.2 kg of marijuana in 2005 that she claimed was planted in her luggage.

Corby has filed a request for clemency to the president, pleading to have her 20 years sentence reduced on the grounds she is suffering from mental illness.

But a justice official has said she shows no signs of mental illness.

Another high-profile narcotics case involves the so-called Bali Nine group. Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran and Scott Anthony Rush from Australia have been sentenced to death for their role in smuggling 8.2 kg of heroin into the country. The results of a review of their case is still pending.

Police said a rise in theft cases included that of ancient sacred Hindu statues called pratima . A French national has been put on the police’s wanted list after authorities found 16 pratimas in a warehouse. He fled after the raid.

The operation followed the arrest of Italian Roberto Gamba, whom police say was caught with 144 of the statues.

“It is important that the police, immigration and tourism authorities be more vigilant,” Hadiatmoko said.

He urged Balinese to be careful about what foreigners they rented their properties to and ascertain what their intentions were.

Experts admit swine flu jab 'may cause' deadly nerve disease

Daily Mail, By JO MACFARLANE, 16th October 2010

Health chiefs have for the first time acknowledged that the swine flu jab may be linked to an increased risk of developing a deadly nerve condition.

Experts are examining a pos sible association between the controversial jab and Guillain-Barre Syndrome, according to a report from official watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Previously, the Government has always stressed there is no evidence to link the paralysing condition to the H1N1 vaccine.

Fears: GBS victim Hilary Wilkinson wants
more research on the vaccine

After The Mail on Sunday revealed in August 2009 that doctors were being asked to monitor cases of GBS during the swine flu pandemic, a letter from the Health Protection Agency’s chief executive Justin McCracken stated: ‘There is no evidence to suggest an increased risk of GBS from the vaccines being developed to fight the current pandemic.’

Now the MHRA’s newly published report suggests the Government’s position has changed.

It says: ‘Given the uncer tainties in the available information and as with seasonal flu vaccines, a slightly elevated risk of GBS following H1N1 vaccines cannot be ruled out. Epidemiological studies are ongoing to further assess this possible association.’

It is not known precisely what causes GBS but the condition attacks the lining of the nerves, leaving them unable to transmit signals to muscles effectively.

It can cause partial paralysis and mostly affects the hands and feet – but it can be fatal.

The MoS report last year

Mother-of-two Hilary Wilkinson, 58, from Maryport, Cumbria, developed GBS following a chest infection and spent three months in hospital learning to walk and talk again.

She said: ‘It’s a frightening illness and I think more research needs to be done on the effect of the swine flu vaccine.’

A vaccine used to combat a different form of swine flu in the US in 1976 led to 25 deaths from the condition, compared with just one death from swine flu itself.

Amid fears there could be a repeat, neurologists were asked to record cases of GBS in the UK swine flu outbreak. Millions of people this year will be exposed to the swine flu vaccine as it has been included within the seasonal flu jab.

Government experts say there is no evidence of an increase in risk similar to 1976, but the MHRA report reveals they are calculating if there might be a smaller raised risk.

The MHRA had 15 suspected GBS cases after vaccination – and six million doses of the swine flu jab Pandemrix were given. It is not known if swine flu or the vaccine could have caused the suspected cases.

A spokeswoman for the MHRA said the risk with the vaccine had not changed and that the report ‘simply expands’ on ongoing GBS analysis.

Indonesian Prison Sex Documentary Too Hot for Justice Ministry

Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia | October 15, 2010

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar meeting with Indonesian inmates. The minister has reportedly refused to be interviewed for a potentially explosive documentary titled 'The Sex Business Behind Prison Bars.' The documentary's screening on private TV station SCTV has been delayed due to pressure from the ministry. (Antara Photo)    

Jakarta. Media watchdogs have condemned the Justice and Human Rights Ministry for reportedly ordering private TV station SCTV to drop a sensitive broadcast, and have vowed to investigate.

The program, a documentary titled “The Sex Business Behind Prison Bars,” was scheduled to air at 11 p.m. last Wednesday, but was pulled at the last minute by the SCTV management.

Don Bosco Selamun, the SCTV newsroom chief, said the ministry had tried repeatedly to thwart the documentary’s production.

“Our crew were turned away when they tried to interview [Minister] Patrialis [Akbar] for confirmation, and we had requests from the ministry demanding to see the program before it went on air,” he said on Friday. “In all my years as a broadcaster, this is the first time I’ve experienced this.”

He said the SCTV news crew working on the documentary had been subjected to “continuous intimidation” for two days, while the station management also received a phone call from the ministry demanding that the program be scrapped.

Ezky Suyanto, from the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), said the group would meet with SCTV to discuss the issue.

“We’ll do it jointly with the Press Council since this pertains to a journalistic product,” she said. She added that neither the commission nor the council had decided whether to seek clarification from Patrialis.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) called the cancellation of the program “regrettable.”

The group said it condemned the ministry’s actions, calling them a violation of the 1999 Press Law, which prohibits censorship.

Patrialis, however, has denied having anything to do with the cancellation.

Ministry spokesman Martua Batubara, meanwhile, said his office had sent a letter to the broadcaster, but not to demand the program’s cancellation.

“We only requested a copy of the program after its broadcast, for our documentation,” he said.

“It is normal procedure in our media monitoring program to document any news reports regarding the ministry,” he said. “The minister understands press freedoms, and there’s no way he would interfere.”

The AJI said the SCTV team had worked hard to produce the documentary, including getting footage with hidden cameras as proof of the prostitution business in prisons.

Batu police probing violent death of Dutchman, presumed wife

Antara News, Friday, October 15, 2010 20:40 WIB

Batu, East Java (ANTARA News) - Police are still investigating the case of Dutch consulate employee Dirk Pieter van Antwerpen and his presumed Indonesian wife whose injured dead bodies were found in their home on Thursday (Oct 14).

Batu Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Gatot Sugeng Susanto said here Friday the police had not yet succeeded in determining the motive behind what appeared to be the murder of the Dutchman and his assumed wife.

"We need more time to investigate this case and establish the motive of these murders," he said.

Police were still examining things at the crime scene and trying to find witnesses among their close friends to obtain a clearer picture of what happened and why they were killed.

Meanwhile, a man named Samuel, a neighbor who had found the dead bodies, said, at first he had picked up the smell of something rotten that came from the Dutchman`s house at 16.30 pm. He thought it was the smell of a dead chicken, but when he took a closer look at the house, he saw a body lying on the ground inside the house.

"I thought it was the smell of a dead chicken but it turned out it came from a dead human," Samuel said.

Samuel then reported what he found to the local neighborhood chief and later to the police. Afterward, people found the bodies of Dirk Pieter and Suyatmi, an Indonesian woman believed to be his wife, with their hands tied.

Dirk`s body lay in a hallway linking the house`s front terrace and the backyard, and Suyatmi`s body in the backyard. Both bodies showed signs they had been assaulted with a sharp weapon, Samuel said.

Rabies Claims 100th Fatality in Bali

Jakarta Globe, October 15, 2010

Bali, Indonesia. A rabies outbreak on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali has now killed 100 people.

A street dog near Kuta Beach in Bali. The death of a
man in Bali overnight Thursday has taken the death toll
from the rabies outbreak on the resort island to 100.
(EPA Photo)

Ken Wirasandhi, a doctor monitoring the epidemic, said Friday that a 40-year-old villager died overnight after being hospitalized with rabies symptoms.

Bali, an island of 3 million people and one of Asia’s top tourist destinations, has been grappling with the outbreak for nearly two years.

Several countries have issued advisories, telling travelers they should get shots and stay clear of dogs roaming the white-sand beaches.

In a widely criticized move, local officials responded by killing 200,000 stray dogs, saying they couldn’t afford to vaccinate the animals against rabies. That has changed in recent weeks with the help of international funds.

Associated Press

Central Java, Taiwan universities to cooperate in herbal medicine research

Antara News, Thursday, October 14, 2010 17:24 WIB

Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Soegijapranata Catholic University (Unika Soegijapranata) in Semarang, Central Java, and Providence University in Taiwan have agreed to cooperate in herbal medicine research.

"A team from our university currently visiting Providence University in Taiwan reached the cooperation agreement with the hosts," Unika Soegijapranata spokesman Antonius Juang Saksono said here on Thursday.

Antonius said Unika Soegijapranata Rector Prof Budi Widiaarko who led the team to Taiwan had reported that the two universities had reached an agreement to cooperate in various fields of research including herbal medicine.

He said both parties would carry out a research on the prospects of herbal medicine industry to go international and to make every effort to protect Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan.

"One of the researches which had been agreed on is about the prospects of herbal medicine in Indonesia and its development in the future," Antonius said.

Besides, Gajah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta also has a cooperation with several colleges in Taiwan.

Therefore on Wednesday a "Taiwan Higher Education Fair 2010" was held at Gajah Mada University and participated in by the representatives of 34 colleges and institutes in Taiwan.

The participants from Taiwan provided the visitors with various information about the study and scholarships such as Taiwan Scholarship, MOE Scholarship, Southern Sunshine Scholarship (SSS), and University Scholarship in the country.

UGM Rector Sudjarwadi, when speaking at the fair`s opening, said the event was of great advantage for Indonesian students who would like to study in Taiwan.

He said Indonesian students who got the scholarships to study in Taiwan were expected to be reliable generation in the field of research and culture because many important problems such as global warming needed reliable scholars and thinkers.

Indofood Insists Noodles Safe After Taiwan Ban

Jakarta Globe, Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Dessy Sagita & Susilo Wardhani | October 12, 2010

Jakarta. Senior executives from Indofood, the world’s biggest maker of instant noodles, on Monday speculated that unfair trade practices or illegal imports were to blame for their products being pulled off shelves in Taiwan on Friday, as two chains in Hong Kong followed suit on Monday.

Meanwhile, Indonesian health officials moved to reassure the public the noodles were safe.

Fransiscus Welirang, director of Indofood Sukses Makmur, questioned the Taiwan Health Department’s motives for banning Indomie brand instant noodles, which are produced by Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur, a spinoff company.

“Taiwan wants to protect its market from Indomie, which is cheaper than any other noodles,” Fransiscus said.

He also suggested that the Indomie noodles in Taiwan might have been intended for other markets and illegally imported to the island nation, which has higher food-safety standards than other countries.

Indofood CBP makes the Indomie noodles with different ingredients for different markets.

On Friday, Taiwanese authorities banned the brand on the grounds that it contained excessive levels of the preservative benzoic acid.

On Monday, the Hong Kong newspaper The Standard reported that two of the city’s biggest supermarkets, Park’n’Shop and Wellcome, had also taken Indomie noodles off their shelves because of the Taiwan ban.

Kustantinah, head of Indonesia’s National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), on Monday said the noodles were safe.

“There’s no need to panic. All instant noodles that have been registered [with us] are safe,” she said.

Kustantinah said she would ask the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) to try to find out more about Indofood products being pulled.

“We have no diplomatic relationship with Taiwan, so we can’t just ask its food and drugs agency to clarify the situation, but perhaps people from the Trade Ministry can ask why,” she said.

Fransiscus said all Indofood CBP’s products were in full compliance with the guidelines set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food-standards body. However, he acknowledged that Taiwan had independent guidelines.

“The preservative content in Indomie is still within normal levels,” he said.

Fransiscus said Indofood CBP was still weighing its response to the ban.

Shares of Indofood CBP tumbled 4.3 percent on Monday, while shares of Indofood Sukses Makmur fell 4.4 percent. The stocks’ outlook was also downgraded for unrelated reasons by JP Morgan.

Muhammad Al Fatih, an analyst from Samuel Sekuritas, said the declines would be temporary, and the issue was likely to pass quickly.

But he added that investors would need some time while the facts were clarified.

Related Articles:

All instant noodles from Indonesia inspected in Taiwan

Critics Blast Indonesian Government’s Defense of Indomie

Taiwan Bans Sales of Indomie Instant Noodle