[mediacare] Istri Atase Pendidikan KBRI Sempat Ditahan Rela Malaysia
08/10/07 15:04 Istri Atase Pendidikan KBRI Sempat Ditahan Rela Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News) - Muslianah Nurdin, istri atase pendidikan KBRI Kuala Lumpur, Sabtu (6/10), sempat ditahan oleh kelompok Rela Malaysia (Rela) yang melakukan operasi di Masjid Jamiek, Kuala Lumpur, walaupun ia menunjukkan identitas diri berupa kartu diplomatik.Istri saya sudah menunjukkan kartu identitas sebagai keluarga diplomat. Kartu itu dikeluarkan oleh Imigrasi Malaysia tapi anggota Rela tidak percaya dan mengatakan kartu itu palsu, kata Atase Pendidikan KBRI Imran Hanafi di Kuala Lumpur, Senin.Istri Imran Hanafi Sabtu sore itu sedang berbelanja di kawasan Masjid Jamiek, Kuala Lumpur. Tiba-tiba ia didatangi anggota Rela yang menanyakan identitas dirinya.Rela adalah kelompok relawan rakyat di Malaysia yang sering merazia warga negara asing di negara tersebut. Istri saya terus terang panik dan cemas karena kartu pengenal diplomat yang dimilikinya tidak diakui lalu apalagi yang bisa dipercayai, kata Imran Hanafi.Muslinah kemudian menelpon keluarga di rumah untuk membawakan paspor diplomatnya. Setelah itu, Rela mengijinkannya pulang.Pada saat itu, saya sedang berada di Sabah, kata Imran.Kuasa Usaha Ad-Interim KBRI Kuala Lumpur AM Fachir sangat menyesalkan kejadian ini. Kejadian seperti ini selalu terulang dan kali ini yang kena adalah keluarga dari staf KBRI, katanya.AM Fachir mengatakan, akan mengirim surat protes kepada Kementerian Luar Negeri Malaysia dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri Malaysia atas insiden ini. Kami mengimbau warga Indonesia yang akan berkunjung ke Malaysia agar hati-hati, katanya.(*) http://www.antara.co.id/arc/2007/10/8/istri-atase-pendidikan-kbri-sempat-ditahan-rela-malaysia/ _ Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the word scramble challenge with star power. http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct
[mediacare] Menguak Keberhasilan Strategi Lippo Jualan Lahan Makam
08/10/07 11:05 Menguak Keberhasilan Strategi Lippo Jualan Lahan Makam Oleh Yuri Alfrin Aladdin Jakarta (ANTARA News)- Majalah keuangan internasional berbasis di London, Inggris, Euromoney, awal pekan ini mengumumkan bahwa PT Lippo Karawaci, Tbk., kembali memenangi Euromoney Liquid Real Estate Award 2007 sebagai pengembang berprestasi terbaik Indonesia. Salah satu pertimbangannya adalah keunikan strategi dan kreativitas bisnis Lippo Karawaci (LK), seperti terlihat pada produk terbarunya yang ditawarkan sejak Januari 2007, yakni penjualan lahan makam. Deputy Publisher Euromoney, Michael Dragoyevich, menjelaskan bahwa kompetisi kali ini berlangsung sangat ketat dan cukup alot dalam hal penentuan pengembang yang berprestasi terbaik di setiap negara. Menurut Dragoyevich, Euromoney menilai keunggulan LK terutama disebabkan oleh keunikan dalam strategi bisnis, pengembangan produknya, serta penuh kreativitas, antara lain dengan meluncurkan produk properti terbaru, SanDiego Hills Memorial Park (SDH), sebuah taman pemakaman modern seluas 500 hektare yang dikombinasikan dengan fasilitas rekreasi untuk keluarga di Karawang Barat, Jawa Barat. Mungkin bagi banyak kalangan masyarakat agak terheran-heran, bagaimana mungkin sebuah perusahaan properti ternama seperti Lippo Karawaci -- salah satu anggota kelompok usaha Lippo yang didirikan Mochtar Riyadi -- terjun ke bisnis properti lahan makam. Saya pun awalnya sering ditertawakan rekan-rekan, masa jualan lahan kuburan? Tetapi, dengan tekad keras kami bisa membuktikan bahwa produk kami ini sangat bermanfaat bagi pembeli, sebagai persiapan saat mereka nanti dipanggil Yang Maha Kuasa. Bahkan properti lahan makam dapat dianggap sebagai suatu investasi menarik. Ini terbukti dari hasil penjualan kami, kata Presdir SDH Memorial Park and Funeral Homes, Rudy Nanggulangi. Data LK menunjukkan, sejak diluncurkan Januari 2007 hingga awal Oktober 2007 telah sukses terjual 15.000 lahan makam atau 80 persen dari total lahan makam yang ditawarkan pada tahap I seluas 25 hektare. Data penjualan ini menunjukkan telah terjadi perubahan paradigma masyarakat Indonesia dari 'at need' atau membeli lahan makam saat anggota keluarga meninggal dunia, menjadi 'pre-need' atau membeli lahan makam untuk digunakan pada saat yang akan datang, kata Rudy. Menarik untuk dikaji, bagaimana peluang bisnis lahan makam serta strategi LK dalam menjaring calon pembeli. Ide Mochtar Riady Rudy Nanggulangi mengatakan bahwa proyek pemakaman eksklusif itu bermula dari ide pendiri Lippo Group Mochtar Riady yang prihatin melihat belum adanya tempat pemakaman umum di Indonesia yang nyaman, rapih, memberikan kedamaian dan hiburan bagi para pengunjungnya. Disebutkan bahwa SDH Memorial Park di Karawang Barat memiliki kontur asli berbukit dan berlembah serta dirancang jauh dari kesan tempat pemakaman umum biasa, karena didesain sebagai kawasan yang penuh dengan berbagai fasilitas modern melebihi kebutuhan sebuah taman pemakaman. Dia bahkan mengklaim bahwa memorial park tersebut tidak hanya yang pertama di Indonesia dan bahkan dapat dikatakan sebagai pertama sedunia yang memiliki family center (tempat hiburan keluarga) dengan fasilitas paling lengkap, antara lain bangunan multifungsi bergaya Mediterania, restoran kelas bintang lima, danau seluas delapan hektare, serta kolam renang. Pembangunan proyek tersebut telah dimulai sejak pertengahan 2006 dan diperkirakan selesai dan terjual seluruhnya pada tahun 2013, dengan perkiraan mampu menyediakan sebanyak 1,2 juta lubang makam. Pihak Lippo menargetkan pangsa pasarnya pada masyarakat sekitar Bandung dan Jabodetabek yang diyakini memiliki pangsa besar. Sebagai contoh, di Jakarta saja, tingkat kematian warganya paling sedikit 110 orang per hari. Pembelian lahan untuk makam merupakan salah satu investasi terbaik, apalagi dengan lahan pemakaman yang makin menciut di Bandung dan Jabodetabek, sehingga makin lama makin sulit menemukan lahan untuk tempat pemakaman, kata Rudy. Sementara itu, Associate Director SDH Memorial Park, Suziany Japardy, mengatakan bahwa harga lahan pemakaman yang ditawarkan adalah mulai dari yang termurah Rp3,2 juta per lubang makam (bukan per meter persegi) dengan syarat dan lokasi tertentu, hingga termahal Rp32 juta per meter persegi di lokasi tertentu yang dianggap terbaik. Jadi, meskipun berbeda dari tempat pemakaman umum tradisional, SDH sebetulnya tidak terlalu mahal karena menyediakan juga lahan makam dengan harga murah Rp3,2 juta per lubang makam, dengan jumlah terbatas serta dengan kondisi tertentu. Bandingkan dengan harga lahan pemakaman tradisional di Jakarta yang rata-rata Rp4,5 juta per lubang makam, kata Suziany Japardy. Dari total lahan seluas 500 hektare, pihaknya dapat menyediakan total 1,2 juta lubang makam. Menurut Suziany, SDH Memorial Park menawarkan beberapa keuntungan pada pembelinya, antara lain tempat
[mediacare] Indonesia woos Qatari tourists
***Travel warning dari AS, Aussie dan UE, telah mendorong kita fokus pada Travel Mart for Middle East. ***Selamat datang ke Indonesia, asal bawa turis dollar, si bule, si Arab...sama saja. ***Kasihan industri pariwisata Bali. Terima turis dari Timteng atau tidak ? Kalau mau terima, siapkan satu daerah menjadi 'little Dubai', undang FPI menjadi promoter. Kalau tidak mau, siapkan satu daerah menjadi 'casino royale'. Indonesia woos Qatari tourists Web posted at: 10/6/2007 3:26:43Source ::: The Peninsula DOHA • The Republic of Indonesia has drawn up a road map to woo visitors from Qatar to its tourist destinations. The idea is to organise a Travel Mart for Middle East with an extra focus on Qatar. The discussion on the proposal is progressing with Qatar Airways, revealed Andang Pramana Sosodro , Charge d' Affaires of Indonesian Embassy. Talking to The Peninsula, Sosodro said Indonesia is already working on a mega tourism package to coincide with the 100th anniversary of their country's Independence movement early next year. The campaign will be launched on January 1, 2008 with a grand opening gala night and a tourism exhibition at Jakarta. More than 100 further events and festivals on numerous islands of the archipelago, including sports, cultural, lifestyle are in the pipeline, he said. Indonesia has been registering a growing rate of tourist inflow from the Middle East over the last few years. However, the flow is not matching to that of some of our neighbouring countries. It is against this backdrop we decided to go in for an aggressive marketing. Visit Indonesia Year 2008 will be a good start in selling Indonesia's niche tourism brands, he said. Sosodro said that nearly 5 m foreign tourist had visited Indonesia during the year 2006. Of this, an estimated 56,000 tourists were from the Middle East. This is against 38,337 visitors during 2004. Indonesia targets a minimum of 6m visitors from across the globe in 2007. In the first seven months of 2007, Indonesia attracted a little more than 2.5m guests from the world over, which marked a distinct increase of around 13 per cent. The year 2008 is to add another 20 per cent. And the booming Qatar is certainly our target, he said. Comprising more than 17, 500 islands, Indonesia is among the most beautiful multi-faceted and fascinating holiday destinations in the world. It offers beautiful beaches for swimming, trekking tours through spectacular volcanic landscapes, one of the most beautiful golf courts and diving in unique underwater worlds. Now, we have decided to aggressively market this. Sosodro added: Qatar's booming economy is already having it bearing on Indonesia when our exports touched $69.8m in 2006. This was against the $35.49m registered in 2004. Indonesia's workforce has registered a 20 per cent increase in Qatar in 2006, compared to previous year. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_Newsmonth=October2007file=Local_News2007100632643.xml _ Peek-a-boo FREE Tricks Treats for You! http://www.reallivemoms.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHMloc=us
[mediacare] The road to Myanmar passes through Beijing
Thursday, Oct. 4, 2007 The road to Myanmar passes through Beijing By JAMIE F. METZL NEW YORK — Three hard facts set the boundaries for the talks that United Nations negotiator Ibrahim Gambari is undertaking as he shuttles between Myanmar's ruling generals and the detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. First, despite the heroic leadership of the Buddhist clergy and the prodemocracy community, almost 50 years of military misrule and terror tactics have worn down Myanmar's people, who will likely find it hard to maintain their defiance unless there are obvious splits among the ruling generals or widespread desertions among ordinary soldiers. Second, Myanmar's generals know that they face a stark choice: Either maintain power or risk imprisonment, exile, and possible death. In their eyes, this leaves them with virtually no choice but to hold on to power at all costs. Finally, as long as China provides political, financial and military support for Myanmar's rulers, it will be all but impossible for any meaningful change to occur. Until China decides that it has more to gain from a more legitimate government in Myanmar than it does from the current incompetent military regime, little can happen. China's decision to block the U.N. Security Council from condemning the Myanmar regime's assault on the Buddhist monks and other peaceful protesters last week underscores its long-standing political support for the junta. Last January, China, alongside Russia, vetoed a Security Council resolution that condemned Myanmar's human rights record and called on the government to stop attacks on ethnic minorities, release political prisoners and begin a transition toward national reconciliation and democracy. For years, China has also blocked meaningful sanctions against Myanmar. China's economic ties to Myanmar's rulers are strategically important for both sides. Annual bilateral trade, estimated at $1.1 billion — a huge figure, given Myanmar's total GDP of $9.6 billion — provides an economic lifeline for the Myanmar government. China is also Myanmar's largest military supplier. At the same time, the $2 billion oil pipeline that China is seeking to build from Myanmar's southern coast to China's Yunnan province will allow China to get Middle East oil to its southern provinces more easily and securely. When completed, the pipeline will make China much less susceptible to foreign military pressure in the event of international conflict. So the stakes in Myanmar are high for China, as are Chinese fears of how any future national reconciliation government might react to China's record of complicity with corrupt military rulers. It should be remembered that America and its allies, faced with strategic fears of a similar type during the Cold War, also supported repugnant and oppressive regimes in places like Zaire, Chile and Indonesia. But America and the West did, at key turning points, realize that times had changed so much that these dictators had outlived their usefulness. Thus, despots like Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines and Chun Doo Hwan in South Korea were jettisoned, because the price of supporting their despicable regimes became greater than the benefits. In today's Internet age, the costs of China's support for Myanmar's generals are rising fast. Just as in Darfur, where China's perceived support for the Sudanese government translated into harsh criticism and threats to brand the 2008 Olympics the Genocide Games, China's backing of the Myanmar generals, particularly if the death toll rises, could cause similar problems. Indeed, an Olympic boycott will become more likely if scenes of murdered or brutalized Buddhist monks are flashed around the world. Moreover, Myanmar's public health woes and drug and human trafficking are increasingly being exported to southern China. Although China has expressed some vague concerns over the crisis to the Myanmar government, it has not taken any action that could meaningfully affect the regime's calculations, despite its singularly unique leverage. To encourage China to take the lead in fostering national reconciliation in Myanmar, the international community must convince China that pushing for reform and change can be a win-win proposition. The international community must make clear that China's interests would be protected during a transition to a more open society in Myanmar, and that some version of the oil pipeline project will be supported by any new regime. Because China has been competing with India for access to Myanmar's natural resources, India also needs to be actively included in efforts to pressure the Myanmar regime, a process that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) might effectively coordinate. In a statement issued Sept. 27, ASEAN foreign ministers expressed a surprising degree of condemnation of the crackdown in Myanmar. They
[mediacare] Dalai Lama's real intention behind the dharma assemblies
Dalai Lama's real intention behind the dharma assemblies By Shi Shan (China Daily)Updated: 2007-10-04 08:51 After more than 40 years of exile abroad, the 14th Dalai Lama has posed as a Buddhist spiritual leader and made hundreds of trips around the world. He claims there are two missions for these visits: one is to elevate human values, and the other is to promote harmony among different religions. Is that so? When the Dalai Lama controlled the regional regime in Tibet, the region was a society of feudal serfdom under the despotic religio-political rule of lamas and nobles. Such a system, which ignored human rights and impeded local development, had turned Tibet into a paradise for feudal lords but a hell on earth for serfs and poor monks. The Dalai Lama, as one of the leaders of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism) who was also head of the regional government in Tibet, was the general representative of this theocratic system. After the new China was founded, the whole country carried out reform campaigns to overthrow the feudal system. But the central government adopted a lenient policy for Tibet on account of the ground realities there. According to the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, in matters related to various reforms in Tibet, there will be no compulsion on the part of the central authorities. The local government of Tibet should carry out reforms of its own accord, and when the people raise demands for reform, they shall be settled by means of consultation with the leading personnel of Tibet. The central authorities also will not alter the established status, functions and powers of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Erdeni. The religious beliefs, customs and habits of the Tibetan people shall be respected, and lama monasteries shall be protected. Late Chairman Mao Zedong also used the example of the Buddha, who advocated that all living beings are equal, gave up a royal life and the throne that awaited him, and went to the mountains to take up difficult ascetic practices in order to enlighten the upper echelons of society to conform to historical trends and not to alienate themselves from the people. But the feudal lords and the upper, reactionary classes saw the central government's leniency and tolerance as weakness. To retain the feudal system and their privileges, they openly advocated Tibet's independence and started an uprising with the backing of anti-China forces. They used the Tibetan people's devout religious feelings and asked the people to sacrifice themselves under the banner of defending Buddhism. They had turned the grounds of Buddhist reverence into a sinful place to train armed rebels. The three monasteries for dharma activities were thus turned into rebel hubs. Those rebels burned, killed, stole and plundered. Their atrocities around Tibet exposed their hypocritical faces of defending Buddhism and defending the nationality. Betraying his country, deceiving or even forcing the masses to join his rebellion, the Dalai Lama has totally deviated from the basic creed of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism advocates altruism as well as emancipation of all living beings. To develop Bodhi Citta and relieve others are the axis of Mahayana. Master Tsongkhapa holds Bodhi Citta as the essence of Mahayana and source of all lofty behaviors. Dharma activities without Bodhi Citta are like crops without fertilizer. But the Dalai Lama has been using the banner of dharma and turning pujas into political gatherings to spread bias and sow discord. Let's take a look at his speech at the Kalachakra Puja in 1995. There was not much about religion in his speech and even the little he mentioned about religion was just recitation from religious scriptures with no further explanation. What he concentrated on was political preaching about the Tibet issue. He said Tibet absolutely does not belong to China, the homes of Tibetan people suffered unprecedented calamities in the past decades and the religion and culture of Tibet had been wiped out. He further said the root of all troubles lies in the people of Han nationality; Tibetan people should not have any expectations from the Hans and should strive for their great cause. As shown by his words and deeds in the past dharma assemblies, isn't his political intention behind the dharma assemblies all too clear? http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-10/04/content_6152646.htm _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
[mediacare] Rasa Sayang VS subsidised fuel in Indonesia
Thursday October 4, 4:58 PM Malaysia's Petronas in bid to sell subsidised fuel in Indonesia Malaysia's state-owned oil firm Petronas is among four companies seeking regulatory approval to sell subsidised fuel products in Indonesia next year, an Indonesian official said Thursday. State-owned Pertamina is currently the sole distributor of subsidised fuels. Tubagus Haryono, chairman of Indonesia's downstream oil and gas regulator BPH-Migas, said that Petronas along with local companies Aneka Kimia Raya, Elnusa and Sigma Rancang Bangun Persada, were seeking approval. Haryono said Petronas and other foreign companies including Royal Dutch Shell unit Shell Indonesia were now licensed to distribute only non-subsidised, high-grade fuel products in Indonesia because they are not widely used. Subsidised fuel prices are controlled by the government. The last hike was in October 2005 when prices were raised by an average of 126 percent, triggering a spike in inflation and interest rates. Haryono said his office was awaiting the responses of Shell, BP Plc and Total about whether they too wish to participate in the distribution of subsidised fuel in Indonesia before it starts the process of determining whether licenses will be granted. http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/071004/1/4bn1a.html _ Help yourself to FREE treats served up daily at the Messenger Café. Stop by today. http://www.cafemessenger.com/info/info_sweetstuff2.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_OctWLtagline
[mediacare] China Rejects Attempt to Link Developments in Burma to Beijing Olympics
***When protesters ignored their warnings, he said, government forces had to take action to restore the situation. Normalcy has now returned to Myanmar. ***Deng Xiaoping tidak segera bersihkan gerombolan2 di Tian An Men square, satu pengalaman mahal. Bila Than Shwe tidak segera bersihkan biksu2 bayaran di Shwedagon Pagoda Yangon, Myanmar sudah pecah perang saudara, ASEAN akan pecah belah, keamanan dan kestabilan di Indo China akan rusak. Proses modernisasi Tiongkok kena ganggu. Semuanya itu sesuai kehendak AS dkk. ***UE yang mula2 mengancam ASEAN pembatalan FTA bila tidak ikut menggulingkan rezim Than Shwe, segera ganti muka setelah tentara Myanmar berhasil kuasai situasi. ***On Tuesday, British member of the European Parliament Glyn Ford said in Singapore that the crackdown in Myanmar had made it impossible for the EU to sign any free trade agreement that included military-run Myanmar. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/303495/1/.html ***EU says ASEAN free-trade talks not threatened by Myanmar crackdown. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/303495/1/.html ***Di Indonesia, aparat keamanan harus cepat menindak gerombolan anarki, sebelum keamanan dan kestabilan dalam negeri terancam. Di zaman OrBa, ABB kabur, pentolan GAM kabur. Bila dwifungsi TNI hidup kembali, mana ada FPI ? ***Myanmar junta releases 80 detained monks The remaining 16 of 96 arrested during a raid on the monastery - among hundreds arrested in similar raids on at least 15 Yangon monasteries - were expected to be freed soon, said one freed monk, adding that they were subjected to verbal abuse. » http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20071003-28295.html NEWS | OPINIONS | SPORTS | ARTS LIVING | Discussions | Photos Video | City Guide | CLASSIFIEDS | JOBS | CARS | REAL ESTATE  China Rejects Attempt to Link Developments in Burma to Beijing Olympics By Glenn KesslerWashington Post Staff WriterTuesday, October 2, 2007; A10 A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy said yesterday that his government is working hard to stem the violence in Burma and argued against efforts by activists to link participation in the Beijing-based 2008 Summer Olympics to China's handling of Burma. Linking the two is totally irresponsible, Wang Baodong, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy, said at a hastily called news conference. He said that the Olympic movement is based on non-politicalization, and that China's consistent stance is that irrelevant issues should not be linked to the Beijing Olympic games. China proved sensitive to an earlier attempt by activists in the fight against genocide in Sudan's Darfur region to organize a campaign to boycott the Olympics. It responded by appointing a special envoy on Darfur and became more actively involved in seeking a settlement between the government and rebels. China's sensitivity about similar calls to link developments in Burma to the Olympics was reflected by the embassy's decision to hold the news conference on a Chinese national holiday. Beijing has deep trade and business ties with the military junta that controls Burma, also known as Myanmar, and earlier this year joined Russia in vetoing a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have pushed Burma to ease repression and release political prisoners. China, when it vetoed the U.N. resolution, pointed to the generally neutral stance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Burma is a member. But the association has turned against Burma, declaring last week its revulsion over the bloody government crackdown on demonstrators. Wang said China helped to get a special U.N. envoy into Burma, and he described meetings on the crisis involving Chinese officials last week. He insisted that in the last couple of days, the situation there appears to have some signs of relaxation. In response to a question about whether China wanted Burma to reach out to detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Wang said: We encourage the national reconciliation among the various parties of the country through peaceful means, and, of course, dialogue included. In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly yesterday, Burmese Foreign Minister Nyan Win said his government is the victim of an international neocolonial effort to derail Burma's goal of establishing a disciplined democracy. When protesters ignored their warnings, he said, government forces had to take action to restore the situation. Normalcy has now returned to Myanmar. Staff writer Colum Lynch at the United Nations contributed to this report. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR2007100101712_pf.html Post a Comment View all comments that have been posted about this article.
[mediacare] Myanmar junta should be offered shared rule--Indonesia FM
***Indonesia could also play a significant role by sharing its experience in the transition from military government to full fledged democracy, he said. ***Masalahnya apakah di Myanmar ada jalan cendana untuk jenderal Than Shwe ? Myanmar junta should be offered shared rule--Indonesia FM By Mira ObermanAgence France-Presse Last updated 01:14pm (Mla time) 10/03/2007 CHICAGO--Myanmar's military junta should be allowed to temporarily share power with a civilian government in order to facilitate the transition to democracy, Indonesia's foreign minister told AFP Tuesday. We have to be more sensitive as to what the crux of the problem is, Hassan Wirajuda said in an interview. To me it's the question of insecurity on the part of the military regime and what will happen to them in the new, democratic Myanmar. Wirajuda's suggestion came as UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari drafted a keenly-awaited report on his talks with Myanmar's ruling generals and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Gambari flew into Singapore late Tuesday after ending a four-day mission to Myanmar in the wake of the junta's bloody crackdown on anti-government street protests. The United Nations Human Rights Council passed a motion Tuesday condemning the crackdown in which it called for the immediate release of political prisoners and urged the government to desist from further violence against peaceful protestors. But sanctions and condemnations from the West have so far done nothing to sway Myanmar's region, Wirajuda said following a speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Meanwhile, the constructive engagement favored by Indonesia and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has also failed to produce the desired results, he said. That's why perhaps a transition in which there would be sharing of power between the military and civilian leaders might be better, he said. In other words, we should not demand [an immediate] transfer of power from the military to the civilians. The world should have a balanced approach. The transitional period could last five years, Wirajuda said, in order to create confidence on the part of the military in the transition process. Both ASEAN and China need to play an active role in helping Myanmar develop a roadmap to democratization and the freeing of political prisoners, he said. Despite China's insistence that it will not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, Wirajuda expressed confidence that China could be brought to the table. China played a role and has been playing a role despite the notion of non-interference, he said. Behind the scenes, China is working, including last week because China in a way put pressure on the regime in Myanmar to facilitate the visit of Gambari. Indonesia could also play a significant role by sharing its experience in the transition from military government to full fledged democracy, he said. At least 13 people were killed and at least 1,000 detained in Myanmar as the security forces reasserted control last week following the biggest challenge to the regime in nearly 20 years. Foreign diplomats, rights groups and aid agencies say the real figures could be much higher. ASEAN foreign ministers, using unusually sharp language, last week voiced revulsion at the crackdown. The junta has defended its tactics, with Foreign Minister Nyan Win blaming the turmoil on political opportunists backed by powerful countries. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view_article.php?article_id=92228 _ Peek-a-boo FREE Tricks Treats for You! http://www.reallivemoms.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHMloc=us
[mediacare] Your song or mine?
***Ternyata 'rasa sayang' tidak penuh dengan sayang2an. ***Cara gampang saja, survey radio/tv di Malaysia dan Indonesia, lagu2 Indonesia atau Malaysia lebih banyak/populer. ***Malaysia menjadi berani karena banyak TKI + TKW bekerjada di sana. Jadi pikirnya mau tidak mau, Indonesia harus ngalah. ***Sebetulnya, tanpa TKI + TKW, Malaysia juga sengsara. Indonesia tidak usah ragu2, buktikan saja lagu 'rasa sayang' adalah lagu asli Indonesia ***Rindu Bung Karno ? Kenapa tidak ? Ganyang Malaysia babak II ? Hidup 'rasa sayang'. Your song or mine? Associated Press JAKARTA, Oct. 3: A catchy song in a Malaysian overseas tourism promotion campaign has hit the wrong note with neighbour Indonesia. The Indonesians have accused the Malaysians of stealing the song ~ Rasa Sayang, or Feeling of Love ~ from them and are now considering suing. Indonesian tourism and cultural minister Mr Jero Wacik said today he was investigating whether Indonesia could claim copyright and had scheduled a meeting with legislators, one of whom has called for legal action against Kuala Lumpur. “Our two nations come from the same stock, so our songs are sung in Malaysia and the other way around, but for commercial use, ethically there should be a legal notice,” Mr Wacik told reporters. “In this case there was none because they (the Malaysians) said they have sung it for ages.” The two countries share Islam as their main religion and have close cultural links with similar national languages. But they also have a history of testy relations that are regularly fanned by nationalist politicians in Indonesia, often for domestic political reasons. Indonesian House of Representatives member Mr Hakam Naja said Jakarta should consider action against Malaysia for using Rasa Sayang in a campaign to mark the country’s 50th anniversary currently running on radio, television and online. “We want a proportional response,” said Mr Hakam today. “We ask the ministry to sue Malaysia, but only after checking the origin of the song. We should not let other countries misuse any of our national heritage.” However, Malaysian tourism minister Mr Adnan Mansor was quoted by The Star and New Straits Times today saying that the song had its origin in both countries. “Indonesia cannot claim that the song is theirs,” Mr Adnan said. “As far as I know, we have been singing the song for ages,” he said. Mr Adnan could not be immediately reached for comment. A Malaysia tourism ministry spokesman, who declined to be named citing protocol, confirmed Mr Adnan’s comments but couldn't give further details. Mr Hakam has also accused Malaysia of claiming ownership of traditional Indonesian heritage such as batik art using dye fabrics and the shadow puppet theater, the report added. Malaysian culture, arts and heritage minister Mr Rais Yatim has rejected Mr Hakam’s allegations and warned Indonesia that a law suit could hurt bilateral ties, the national Bernama News Agency said. “Indonesia or other parties will not be able to prove who was the composer of the song,” he said in the report. “If Indonesia wants to pursue the matter, it will face a dead end and will also affect Malaysia-Indonesia relations.” http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=8theme=usrsess=1id=172335 _ Boo! Scare away worms, viruses and so much more! Try Windows Live OneCare! http://onecare.live.com/standard/en-us/purchase/trial.aspx?s_cid=wl_hotmailnews
[mediacare] Papuan independence groups seek talks with Indonesia
***Finland was willing to mediate between predominantly Christian Papua and the
government of the world's most populous Muslim country.
***Negara Barat selalu merasa bangga di pemisahan agama dari urusan negara.
Kenapa Finlandia harus bawa2 Christian Papua dan Muslim Republik Indonesia
? Papua adalah Papua, tidak perlu dimumbui menjadi Christian Papua.
***Indonesia perlu pelajari cara Tiongkok meladeni tingkahlaku negara2 Barat,
misalnya protes munculnya Dalai Lama di Jerman, AS, stop over Chen Suibian di
AS, Batam dsb-nya. Indonesia harus protes atas penggunaan Christian dan
Muslim ketika mengomentari NKRI.
***Omong2 kenapa grup pemberontak bukan minta PBB menjadi facilitator, dan
kenapa Finlandia begitu 'getol' , begitu 'baik hati' mau ikut2an ?
Papuan independence groups seek talks with Indonesia By Sara WebbREUTERS
6:00 a.m. October 1, 2007
JAKARTA – A group of pro-independence Papuans said it has asked Indonesia's
government to meet to discuss greater democracy and self-determination as well
as the withdrawal of troops from the troubled, resource-rich region.
A resolution of the decades-long conflict in Papua, one of Indonesia's most
backward regions, could pave the way for Papuans to form political parties and
have greater say over resources that include vast forests and huge copper and
gold deposits.
The West Papua Coalition for National Liberation (WPCNL), an umbrella
organisation which includes the Free Papua Movement (OPM), said on Monday it
had written to Indonesia's president, and asked for negotiations with the
government to be supervised by an internationally recognised mediator.
'The pro-independence groups demand a peace dialogue with Indonesia with
third-party mediators, as that will guarantee transparency,' Paula Makabori, a
member of the group, told Reuters.
She said that Finland, which helped broker a peace agreement between
Indonesia's government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh in 2005, was
willing to mediate between predominantly Christian Papua and the government of
the world's most populous Muslim country.
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has promised to end decades of
conflict in Papua and speed up development but critics say little has been
achieved under the 2001 special autonomy agreement for Papua.
Since former President Suharto's resignation in 1998, Indonesia has been
transformed from a dictatorship to a vibrant democracy and has settled two of
its three main conflicts, agreeing to East Timor's independence and Aceh's
greater autonomy.
But its role in Papua, which has a population of just over 2 million people,
continues to attract widespread international criticism, with human rights
groups reporting abuses by the military.
'A deal means Indonesia would have to pull out the military, allow genuine
democracy, international human rights monitors, an economic redistribution, and
the creation of political parties,' said Damien Kingsbury, an associate
professor at Australia's Deakin University, who advised on the Aceh peace
talks.
'Papua would be looking at creating a more democratic political environment in
keeping with Indonesia's own democratisation. That could contribute to a more
secure investment climate for Papua with the support of local Papuans.'
A peace agreement and increased autonomy could change how investors such as
Freeport-McMoran Copper Gold Inc. FCX.N{QR}- whose Grasberg mine in Papua is
one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world – negotiate deals in
future, Kingsbury said.
Freeport paid a total of $1.6 billion in royalties, tax and dividends in 2006
to the Indonesian government, and is the single biggest foreign taxpayer in the
country.
Papua, which occupies the western half of New Guinea island, was under Dutch
colonial rule until 1963 when Indonesia took over. Jakarta formalised its rule
in 1969 in a vote by community leaders which was widely criticised.
'There were reports of extrajudicial executions, torture and ill-treatment,
excessive use of force during demonstrations and harassment of human rights
defenders' in Papua, Amnesty International said in its 2007 report.
In February, Human Rights Watch said 'a low-level armed separatist insurgency
in the province has resulted in a large military presence and a climate of
mutual suspicion and fear'.
Reader commentsComments containing threats, ethnic slurs, foul language or
thinly disguised foul language will be deleted. Posters who harass others or
joke about personal tragedies will be banned permanently from this service.
Keep it civil, stay on topic and your posts will remain online. Terms of UseLog
in to add a comment. (cookies required)
Click here to hide all reader comments (cookies required)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20071001-0600-indonesia-papua-.html
[mediacare] RE: [t-net] Ruhut Sitompul: Nyawa Marinir Terancam
***Dari mulanya pimpinan marinir melakukan kesalahan besar. Kenapa harus tahan mereka di ruang isolasi khusus Polisi Militer AL Surabaya, kasih Komnas HAM amunisi merugikan marinir. ***Pak Djoko bukan politikus, tidak becus menghadapi Komnas HAM dan wartawan2 yang ber pengalaman. Setelah merusak posisi sendiri, meralat ini itu, malah lebih merusak. ***Morale marinir pada umumnya menjadi down, sayang sekali. ***Pak Djoko lebih baik ajukan surat meletakkan jabatan, biar penggantinya selesaikan isu itu. From: Yap Hong Gie [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Post Hankam [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post IndoUsaMil [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post KIAD [EMAIL PROTECTED], Post Marinir TNI-AL [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post Mediacare mediacare@yahoogroups.com CC: Post Nasional [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post PPIIndia [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post T-net [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post Wahana-News [EMAIL PROTECTED],Post X-PPI-Eropa77-87 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [t-net] Ruhut Sitompul: Nyawa Marinir Terancam Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 15:59:31 +0700 http://batampos.co.id/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=22718Itemid=97 Ruhut Sitompul: Nyawa Marinir Terancam Senin, 04 Juni 2007 DPR Siap Cecar Panglima TNI JAKARTA (BP) - Ruhut Sitompul, pengacara 13 marinir tersangka penembakan di Grati, Pasuruan menyesalkan pernyataan Komnas HAM dan anggota DPR. Bagi pengacara yang juga kolektor mobil Ferarri itu, berbagai komentar itu tidak didasarkan fakta riil yang terjadi di lapangan. ''Sangat disesalkan, begitu banyak ucapan yang ngawur dan malah memprovokasi suasana, ujarnya saat dihubungi kemarin. Ruhut masih bolak-balik Jakarta-Surabaya untuk mendampingi kliennya yang sekarang ditahan di ruang isolasi khusus Polisi Militer AL Surabaya. Alumni Fakultas Hukum Universitas Padjajaran itu telah mendengar keterangan 13 marinir di bawah sumpah. Itu pure defense, murni bertahan, tembakan dilepas karena nyawa mereka sudah benar-benar terancam, katanya. Buktinya, marinir juga mengalami luka-luka bacokan akibat serangan clurit. ''Saya sangat kecewa dengan Garuda Nusantara (Ketua Komnas HAM, red), dia sudah saya pertemukan langsung dengan klien saya dan melihat sendiri luka-lukanya tapi malah menyampaikan komentar yang memutar balikkan fakta, kata Ruhut. Pengacara yang rambutnya dikuncir itu menilai pernyataan ada pelanggaran HAM serius dalam kasus di Pasuruan itu terlalu dini. ''Kami khawatir ada upaya yang sistematis dari pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggung jawab dan tidak suka dengan komitmen panglima TNI untuk mengusut kasus ini dalam koridor hukum dan bukan dalam ranah politis, kata pengacara kelahiran Medan, 24 Maret 1954 itu. Bukti lain ada penunggang gelap (free rider) dalam kasus itu adalah pemblokiran jalan Surabaya - Banyuwangi yang diduga diprovokasi oleh kelompok kepentingan tertentu. Sebaiknya hormati asas praduga tak bersalah, tempatkan kasus ini dalam kacamata hukum, katanya. Lantas bagaimana sebenarnya versi Marinir ? Menurut Ruhut, berdasar keterangan kliennya, mereka tidak berniat untuk menyerang warga. Mereka patroli biasa saja, tapi dihadang oleh massa bersenjata tajam, ujarnya. Pimpinan tim patroli sempat bernegosiasi dengan warga, namun dibalas dengan lemparan batu. Ada beberapa orang yang menggunakan bahasa dialek etnis tertentu memprovokasi warga untuk menyerang, katanya. Menurut Ruhut, saat itu kentongan dan peluit dibunyikan sebagai tanda untuk menyerang patroli marinir. Orang-orang itu diduga adalah warga baru yang datang ke desa Alas Tlogo, Grati, Pasuruan. Mereka pelarian dari konflik etnis di Kalimantan, katanya. Warga yang sudah lama menetap di tempat itu sebenarnya tidak ada masalah dengan marinir. Mereka dikipas-kipasi, katanya. Mantan Ferrari's Owner Club Indonesia itu menjelaskan, setelah ada komando sistematis dari warga untuk menyerang, marinir mundur ke belakang. Ada satu orang klien kami yang faham dengan bahasa etnis itu, dia mengingatkan teman-temannya bahwa warga mengancam membunuh dan menjelek-jelekkan marinir, ujarnya. Kesaksian Ruhut itu jelas berbeda 180 derajat dengan apa yang disampaikan warga. Versi penduduk, marinir melakukan penembakan membabi buta kepada rakyat yang akan pergi ke ladang singkong. Lantas mana yang benar? Pakar Kriminologi Universitas Indonesia Erlangga Masdiana mengusulkan agar dilakukan tes kebohongan dengan perangkat lie detector yang dimiliki oleh Mabes TNI dan Polri. Nanti akan terungkap siapa yang sebenarnya memainkan suasana, katanya. Erlangga menambahkan, Polisi Militer TNI AL juga bisa melacak melalui serangkaian tes dan wawancara psikologis. Harus dipastikan apakah ada indikasi marinir yang jadi tersangka itu berada dalam kondisi stress sebelum kejadian atau shock setelah kejadian itu terjadi, ujarnya. Hasilnya bisa menjadi salah satu indikator untuk menentukan apakah marinir benar-benar terpaksa mengeluarkan tembakan. Rumitnya penyelidikan kasus penembakan di Pasuruan juga menyangkut lembaga
[mediacare] Re: CAN CAPITALISM BE GREEN? Utk Pak Koentyo dan Indonesian Greeners lainnya
From: Sunny [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [nasional-list] CAN CAPITALISM BE GREEN? Utk Pak Koentyo dan Indonesian Greeners lainnya Date: Sun, 13 May 2007 10:12:11 +0200 Capitalism is color blind. It goes everywhere when there is posibility to make profit. ***Anda salah. Kapitalisme adalah systim mengenal color of money. ***Sosialisme bikin masyarakarat equally poor; kapitalisme bikin masyarakat unequally rich. ***Profit adalah rangsangan orang puter otak, kerja smart. Kemiskinan adalah produk orang tidak puter otak, tidak kerja. Yang kerja keras tanpa pakai otak, sorry saja, tidak bisa kaya. ***Deng Xiaoping jalankan sistim kapitalisme, Tiongkok menjadi kaya raya.
[mediacare] Pencurian Kayu di TNKS Terus Berlangsung
10/05/07 11:27 Pencurian Kayu di TNKS Terus Berlangsung Jambi (ANTARA News) - Pencurian kayu di Taman Nasional Kerinci Seblat (TNKS) masih terus berlangsung, terbukti aparat dari Polres Marangin, Jambi, masih memergoki dua truk yang membawa kayu ilegal hasil penebangan liar dari kawasan cagar alam itu. Kendati operasi pemberantasan illegal logging terutama dalam kawasan taman nasional dan hutan lindung terus dilakukan, namun aksi itu masih terus berlangsung, tegas Kabid Humas Polda Jambi, AKBP Yatim Suyatmo, Kamis. Dua truk kayu dengan Nopol BH 4686 FB dan 4636 FB bermuatan kayu yang diduga hasil tebangan liar dari dalam kawasan TNKS itu, ditangkap Polres Merangin di Desa Muaro Panco, Kabupaten Merangin, Rabu (9/5). Ketika ditangkap pengemudi truk, yakni Hafiz (32) dan Aan (30) tidak bisa menujukkan dokumen Surat Keterangan Sahnya Hasil Hutan (SKSHH), sehingga keduanya beserta barang bukti diamankan di Mapolres Merangin guna pengusutan lebih lanjut. Polisi setempat diperintahkan untuk terus memburu pemilik dan cukong yang memberikan modal serta mendalangi aksi penebangan liar hutan dalam kawasan taman nasioanal itu. Polres Merangin dan Kerinci sudah sering mengungkap kasus pencurian dalam kawasan TNKS melalui operasi bersama, karena terkadang warga Kabupaten Kerinci mencuri dalam wilayah Kabupaten Merangin atau sebaliknya. Operasi bersama itu dilakukan agar dalam proses pengusutannya dapat berjalan lancar sesuai lokasi atau wilayah mereka melakukan penebangan liar. Kalau pelaku warga Kabupaten Merangin mencuri kayu dalam kawasan TNKS masuk dalam wilayah Kabupaten Kerinci, maka akan diamankan dan diproses di Mapolres Kerinci dan sebaliknya.(*) http://www.antara.co.id/arc/2007/5/10/pencurian-kayu-di-tnks-terus-berlangsung/
[mediacare] Re: [HKSIS] Re: [inti-net] Re: [nasional-list] Chinese investor to set up biodiesel firms in West Kalimantan
Bung Bismo, Saya di Indonesia lebih rasakan apa yang anda rasakan dari reports, foto2 dan film2 saja. Semulanya saya kira anda lebih mahir menyanyikan lagu patriotik seperti Dari Kalimantan Utara, e tau2nya anda seorang pensiunan sentimentil dan dramatik. Bye bye love oleh Everley Brothers, Bye bye Indonesian Rain Forest oleh bung Bismo yb. Palm oil is like green gold now, Sukanto Tanoto said. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/5/8/business/17658718sec=business Anda dan saya beda pandangan karena anda senang nostalgia, sedangkan saya senang maju tak gentar. Saya selalu hormati anda dan bung JJ. Lama tdk baca tulisan JJ, mungkin sedang di Palangka Raya ? Salam panas dari bumi gundul / Holy Uncle. From: BDG KUSUMO [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [HKSIS] Re: [inti-net] Re: [nasional-list] Chinese investor to set up biodiesel firms in West Kalimantan Date: Tue, 8 May 2007 12:02:43 +0200 Terimakasih sekali untuk Om Sunny yang telah membela saya, tanpa imbalan, alias gratis. Dan saya minta ampun telah membuat marah Pak HU. Soalnya mengikuti reports sekait global warming segala itu, juga foto2 dan film2 yg saya lihat bagaimana pembakaran hutan Kalimantan sejak Orba, saya jadi ingat lagu yg sangat populer thn 1957 doeloe ketika saya masih di SMAC Djl Batu, Bye Bye Love oleh the Everley Brothers, yg dikatakan batu loncatan kearah gaya the Beatles. Baris pertama liriknya sbb, Bye bye love. Bye bye happiness. Hello loneliness. I think I'm gonna die ... Bila global warming menggebu, pulau2 kita yg disebut Zamrud Khatulistiwa itu akan sebagian tenggelam dan sebagian mulai gundul, orang nanti akan betul2 bilang hello loneliness dipadang pasir atau savannah Indonesia. Semoga karena itu semua tidak akan muncul lagi hobbits seperti yang pernah hidup di Flores. Para pembisnis CPO dan lain-lain bidang yang sangat galak terhadap ekologi sudah akan lama lari dan safe and sound dengan dananya, bukan di Singapura yang mungkin akan tenggelam juga, ttp misalnya di Vancouver sana. Keserakahan bisnis sayangnya, namun logis, dilindungi oleh politisi spt Bush, juga presiden Ceko V. Klaus, yg di Eropa menjadi tertawaan. Btw., saya dengar banyak LSM dan pihak resmi di Eropa yang mulai membatasi impor kayu mulia dari kawasan tropik. Saya hanya sadar bhw gerakan hijau di Indonesia masih sangat lemah, hingga siapa saja bebas saja merusak lingkungan, dengan tebang hutan atau menyemburkan lumpur. Tampaknya transformasi PKB menjadi sebuah Green Party akan berjalan lama. Dr. Sonny Karaf dari PDI-P yg pernah menjadi Menteri bidang environment di Kabinet Megawati juga saya kurang dengar sepak terjangnya. Saya pernah dengar dulu di Tanah Arab kalau tentara mau perang panglimanya bersabda agar pasukan jangan sampai merusak satu pohon pun. Maaf, namun saya lihat ummat di Indonesia juga tenang adem ayem saja terhadap perusakan lingkungan, misalnya di Freeport perjuangan sdr-sdr kita disana sangat kurang didukung oleh yang provinsi-provinsi lain. Mungkin kita memang sangat tenang, senang mendengarkan burung perkutut sambil minum teh nasgitel (panas legi/manis kenthel) saja. Sbg seorang retiree saya sponsor gurem pada Green Peace, yg karena menjaga independensi mereka menolak sponsoring dari negara, pemerintah atau kalangan bisnis, hanya menerima dari perorangan saja. C'mon join us, dear Holy Uncle! Salam, Bismo DG PS: Hari ini Ceko punya Hari Raya berakhirnya Perang Dunia II _ PC Magazines 2007 editors choice for best Web mailaward-winning Windows Live Hotmail. http://imagine-windowslive.com/hotmail/?locale=en-usocid=TXT_TAGHM_migration_HM_mini_pcmag_0507 Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] The director of Berbagi Suami
Sunday January 7, 2007 The director of Berbagi Suami By DAPHNE LEE BERBAGI Suami, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April 2006, won the best film award at the Hawaii International Film Festival in October. It¡¯s the latest feather in Nia Dinata¡¯s cap as one of the most exciting directors to emerge in Indonesia over the last 10 years ... and she¡¯s only just 36! Although her first feature film, Ca Bau Kan (The Courtesan) was released in 2001, Nia has been honing her craft since the mid-1990s. In 1995, following a degree in mass communications from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, and a course in film production at New York University, in the United States, the Jakarta native returned to Indonesia to work in television. In 1998, Nia won the best drama award at the Indonesian Film for TV Festival for a telemovie called Mencari Pelangi (In Search of the Rainbow). Since then she has won several other honours, including the most promising new director and best art director awards at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Seoul, South Korea, in 2002, for Ca Bau Kan; and the best film and best editing awards at the 2004 Indonesian Film Festival, for Arisan (The Gathering), a film which portrays Jakarta¡¯s gay community. Her willingness to tackle such controversial issues has won her warm praise and respect in the industry. And Berbagi Suami caused a few ripples in the West where polygamy is even more of a taboo topic than it is in the East. ¡°In Tribeca, Cannes and Hawaii, the comments were very positive, but there was surprise and amazement at how polygamy could be so common and casual. Polygamy is illegal in the West and so the subject is quite exciting and daring over there.¡± In Indonesia, Nia has received varied feedback, depending on where the film is screened. ¡°There is a big difference depending on where in the country you live in terms of the gap between the rich and the poor, the educated and uneducated,¡± says Nia. ¡°In Jakarta, people are more open-minded. The mature audience expects to see something different. Outside Jakarta, audiences are more conservative. When I was doing radio publicity in Jakarta, the callers were both men and women. Outside Jakarta it was mostly men, who were very defensive. They were angry that I had chosen polygamy as a subject, yet most had not even seen the movie!¡± http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/7/movies/16475637sec=movies _ The MSN Entertainment Guide to Golden Globes is here. Get all the scoop. http://tv.msn.com/tv/globes2007/?icid=nctagline2 Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Polygamy is everywhere!
Saturday January 6, 2007 Polygamy is everywhere! By JO TEH Face to Face: Nia dinata PETALING JAYA: Most of those who are involved in polygamous relationships are often in denial, says Indonesian film director Nia Dinata. Nia, a 36-year-old New York University graduate, is behind one of the most promising movies ever made by an Indonesian director, Berbagi Suami, which is about polygamous marriages. She was in town to attend the charity premiere of her film at Cineleisure in Mutiara Damansara here in aid of Sisters In Islam on Thursday night. Says Nia: ¡°Polygamy is everywhere. People do it but refuse to admit it. ¡°Polygamy has been a part of Indonesian culture since the Hindu empire ruled the area. ¡°When Islam became the majority religion, polygamy started to grow. As a moderate Muslim Indonesian woman, I have witnessed the practice of polygamy among family and friends. ¡°I believe that by representing the experiences of these women, using film as a medium, I can enable more men and women to understand the underlying issues. ¡°The women in my film possess different feelings but one thing remains: the sadness and denial behind their smiles. ¡°Besides, I thought it was an interesting topic to highlight to the public, so I decided to make a film on it. ¡°I wanted to educate people about polygamy and show them the effects of polygamy on marriages and families,¡± she says. A true believer of monogamous relationships, Nia said 40% of the people she knew were involved in polygamous marriages and almost all ended in divorce and sadness. ¡°Polygamy happens everywhere, but people do not talk about it. No doubt there are those who find it unique to be able to share their romantic feelings with a number of other people but I want people to realise the dangers of being involved in a polygamous relationship,¡± she said in explaining why she chose to make a movie on the subject. Nia has spent most of her life in America studying and involving herself in film and television projects. She has won many accolades such as Most Promising New Director and Best Art Director at the Asia Pacific Film Festival in Seoul Korea in 2002, and more recently Best Director in the 2004 MTV Indonesian Movie Awards. Nia adds that she and her team faced no obstacles at all when producing the film, despite the fact that they were dealing with a thorny subject. ¡°The Indonesian government did not know about it until they saw it. Yet, we did not receive any objections, they did not ban the film, so I guess the film is all right,¡± she said, adding that none of the activist groups in Indonesia had objected to the film or its theme either. ¡°It was a smooth production.¡± http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/1/6/nation/16490568sec=nation _ Communicate instantly! Use your Hotmail address to sign into Windows Live Messenger now. http://get.live.com/messenger/overview Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] From a woman��s perspective
From a woman¡¯s perspective An award-winning Indonesian director gamely tackles the thorny issue of polygamy in her latest movie, writes DAPHNE LEE.. FOR most women being part of a polygamous household is something they would contemplate with dread and sadness. The very idea of one¡¯s husband announcing that he is in love with another is heartbreaking. Imagine being told of his intention to take a second wife, or a mistress. Yet, polygamy is allowed by certain religions, and practised openly by some cultures and communities. A Muslim man, for example, is allowed up to four legal wives, on the condition that he can treat them and provide for them equally. He must also obtain the consent of his existing wife/wives. While, in theory, this safeguards the rights of Muslim women, the actual practice of polygamy continues to cause much emotional upheaval in Muslim households. And thus the issue continues to be of deep concern to society. Putting the issue under the spotlight lately is Berbagi Suami, an Indonesian film that looks at three polygamous households and the women who are caught in the predicament of having to literally ¡°divide¡± their men (as the Indonesian title suggests). The movie¡¯s English title, Love for Share, spells things out more clearly: for some women the love of their husband is not exclusive but has to be shared with other women, be it other wives, prostitutes, girlfriends or mistresses. Says the writer and director of the film, Nia Dinata: ¡°Polygamy is a subject that intrigues me. The act has a huge impact on the lives of women. Women who choose to be part of it have to be prepared to face conflicts and other problems.¡± She estimates that about 10% of families in Indonesia ¨C the world¡¯s most populous Muslim nation ¨C are affected by polygamy. ¡°The true number of people practising polygamy is impossible to pinpoint because many men do not legally marry their subsequent wives. This leads to a lot of abuse of the women and also the children who are born of these unions because without official papers supporting a marriage, they have no rights.¡± Lee Mee Fung of Red Films, which is distributing the movie in Malaysia, says: ¡°When I first saw Berbagi Suami I thought, ¡®We have to do this! We have to bring this film to Malaysia!¡¯ I think it will resonate with many people, women especially, because most of us have been touched directly or indirectly by the subject matter: Polygamy is non-selective of age, race and social class.¡± Nia presents this fact quite effectively in Berbagi Suami by interweaving the separate stories of three very different women. In the first, Salma, played by critically-acclaimed actress Jajang C. Noer, is a highly-educated Indonesian woman who personally questions the practice of polygamy, but is outwardly supportive of her polygamist politician husband. The second story sees pop star Shanty make her major film debut as Siti, an innocent Javanese village girl who comes to Jakarta with hopes for a better life, but is tricked into becoming the third wife of her own uncle. Siti finds comfort when she falls in love with her fellow wife and, when her husband shows up with a fourth spouse on his arm, she is driven to make an important decision about her life. Finally, top Indonesian model Dominique is Ming, a stunningly beautiful waitress in a busy roast duck stall. Her boss, a married man who is also the stall¡¯s cook and owner, lusts after her and is driven wild with jealousy when his sexy employee flirts with his patrons. Ming eventually agrees to be his mistress, but soon has to examine the consequences of her decision. The third story touches on polygamy in its most basic form, not sanctioned by religion or law, nor intellectualised by sociologists and anthropologists, but simply a statement of a man¡¯s desire to have his cake and eat it. ¡°Well, obviously, it is not only Muslim women who have to share their men,¡± says Nia. ¡°No one believes that. Polygamy has its roots in many cultures. Concubines are a feature in the royal and noble households in practically all the great Eastern empires, but it happened and is still happening in all strata of society, whether openly or not.¡± What does she think of the opinion that polygamy has an evolutionary basis? ¡°I think that is bulls***,¡± she says flatly. ¡°To me it¡¯s very simple: When men and women make a commitment, they should stick to it. Women seldom expect that there will be another woman or that they will be the other women. Women should say no. It¡¯s not easy, especially for the first wife who has had a long history with her husband and usually has children. ¡°It is easier for the second or third wives who have only themselves to think of and could, if they wanted to, make a life for themselves with a man who is unattached.¡± Nia says that she noticed a common thread amongst the polygamy cases that she researched for the film: ¡°At the
[mediacare] Burger King To Enter Indonesian Market
To Enter Indonesian Market 01/04/2007 08:03:12 AM EST Business Wire Restaurant Writers/Business Editors MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 2007--Burger King Holdings Inc. (NYSE:BKC) announced today that its subsidiary, BK AsiaPac Pte Ltd., awarded development rights for Indonesia to PT Sari Burger Indonesia, principally owned by PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk (MAP). The first BURGER KING(R) restaurant in Indonesia is scheduled to open in Jakarta by June. The BURGER KING(R) brand currently enjoys a strong consumer following throughout the Asia Pacific region, and we are pleased to announce this expansion. We look forward to the brand's successful entry into Indonesia, said Peter Tan, president, Burger King Asia Pacific. MAP represents an ideal partner for us as they are Indonesia's largest and most successful retailers of international brands, with a significant food and beverage focus, said Tan. With their strong marketing and operational background, we believe MAP is well suited to successfully grow the BURGER KING(R) brand in Indonesia. We are excited by this opportunity to bring Burger King to Indonesia, Ratih Gianda, group head of Investor Relations for MAP. We know our customers well and are confident that they will truly enjoy the taste of a flame-grilled WHOPPER(R) sandwich and other BURGER KING(R) menu offerings. About Burger King Corporation The BURGER KING(R) system operates more than 11,100 restaurants in all 50 U.S. states and in 65 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING(R) restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To learn more about Burger King Corporation, please visit the company's Web site at www.bk.com About PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk (MAP) Currently, MAP operates more than 500 stores with a total selling space of more than 250,000 square meters in 22 territories of Indonesia. It is a vendor of footwear, apparel, accessories, equipment, edibles and even books. The company has carved a niche for itself in the nation through its exclusive department stores and branded concepts. Aside from an exclusive tie-up with the SOGO, its fashion and sports arms include Swatch, Tumi, Massimo Dutti, Zara, Marks Spencer, Topman, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Planet Sports, The Athlete's Foot, Reebok and Nine West, among others. It is also the exclusive license holder of Starbucks Coffee. CONTACT: Burger King, Miami Edna Johnson, 305-378-7516 [EMAIL PROTECTED] or Edelman, Singapore Julia Wei, 65 6733 1110 [EMAIL PROTECTED] or Edelman, Singapore Amanda Goh, 65 6733 1110 [EMAIL PROTECTED] or MAP contact: Ratih D. Gianda (Jakarta), 021 574 5808, 570 2791 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web site: www.map-indonesia.com KEYWORD: FLORIDA INDONESIA SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL ASIA PACIFIC INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RETAIL RESTAURANTS SOURCE: Burger King http://www.hoovers.com/free/co/news/detail.xhtml?ID=54531ArticleID=20070104290.2_1b19000977cece6esource_type%5B%5D=pr _ The MSN Entertainment Guide to Golden Globes is here. Get all the scoop. http://tv.msn.com/tv/globes2007/?icid=nctagline2
[mediacare] Indonesia: Landmark ruling for freedom of expression
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Public Statement AI Index: ASA 21/024/2006 (Public) News Service No: 318 8 December 2006 Indonesia: Landmark ruling for freedom of expression Amnesty International welcomes the decision of the Indonesian Constitutional Court to decriminalise the act of insulting the President or the Vice-President, as a significant step towards a comprehensive safeguard of the right to freedom of expression in the country. On 6 December 2006 the Constitutional Court voted to scrap Articles 134, 136 and 137 of the countrys Criminal Code (Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Pidana, KUHP) which punished insulting the President or Vice-President with up to six years imprisonment. Amnesty International considered these articles to be in violation of the right to freedom of expression and of Indonesias obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and has long campaigned for them to be repealed. The Constitutional Court voted with a 5-4 majority to repeal the laws, ruling that they hampered the right to freedom of expression as it is guaranteed under the 1945 Constitution. These articles, as well as the Hate-sowing Articles (154, 155 and 156 of KUHP) which criminalize public expressions of hatred towards the state, had been widely used under the regime of former president Suharto to silence and imprison political opponents, critics and human rights defenders. Following Suhartos resignation in 1998, over 230 prisoners of conscience and political prisoners were released in a series of presidential amnesties. The repressive legislation which limited freedom of expression under which many of them had been imprisoned fell out of use for a brief period of time. However, when Megawati Sukarnoputri came to power in 2001, the use of repressive legislation resumed against critics, including labour and political activists, journalists and independence activists in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) and Papua provinces. Since then, at least 22 people have been charged or imprisoned for insulting the President or the Vice-President. On 25 September 2006, political activist Pandapotan Lubis and lawyer Eggi Sudjana had filed a request to the Constitutional Court to review the three articles. Both men had been charged with insulting the President: Pandapotan Lubis had been arrested during a peaceful demonstration at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta in May 2006, while Eggi Sudjana had been charged with defaming President Yudhoyono in January 2006 when he reported the President and his staff to the countrys Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly receiving a car as a gift from an entrepreneur. The Constitutional Court stated that the three articles will no longer have binding legal power and ordered the decision to be published in the State Gazette. Former member of Indonesian parliament and also former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience Sri Bintang Pamungkas, who had agreed to testify at Pandapotan Lubiss trial in September, said the decision was a victory for all activists, as dozens had been arrested in the past because of those articles. Pamungkas himself was sentenced to two years and 10 months imprisonment in 1996 for insulting President Suharto. He had allegedly referred to Suharto as a dictator during a seminar at a university in Germany on 9 April 1995 (see AI Index: ASA 21/027/1996, 8 May 1996). In light of Wednesdays decision in the Constitutional Court the government must urgently review the cases of those people who have been charged or sentenced under articles 134, 136 and 137 of KUHP and release them immediately. Amnesty International further calls on the government of Indonesia, to support this important development by repealing all other articles in the KUHP which impinge on the right to freedom of expression, including the Hate-sowing Articles (154, 155 and 156 of KUHP), and any other articles which restrict the rights to opinion, belief and association, and to immediately release any persons imprisoned for the peaceful exercise of those rights. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGASA210242006 _ WIN up to $10,000 in cash or prizes enter the Microsoft Office Live Sweepstakes http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/aub0050001581mrt/direct/01/ Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from
[mediacare] Sekolah golf BCIOG dibuka di Bogor
***Lapindo bukan urusan pemain golf. Yang sedih di sana, yang gembira di sini, siapa peduli. Kamis, 07/12/2006 16:49WIB Sekolah golf BCIOG dibuka di Bogor Oleh Nurudin Abdullah BOGOR: Bank Commonwealth bekerja sama dengan Jagorawi Golf and Country Club (JGCC) dan Titleist membuka sekolah golf berstandar internasional pertama di Indonesia bernama Bank Commonwealth Institute of Golf (BCIOG) di Bogor, Jabar. Sekolah golf untuk umum itu memiliki sistem pendidikan dan perlengkapan modern yang didukung teknologi canggih serta staf pengajar yang berkualitas sehingga mampu mencetak pemain berbakat Indonesia untuk menjadi pegolf profesional yang tampil di turnamen internasional. Presdir Bank Commonwealth Symon Brewis-Weston mengatakan pembentukan BCIOG didasari atas kesungguhan pengelola padang golf JGCC dalam upayanya mengembangkan olah raga golf di Indonesia yang terbukti memiliki nilai sangat positif bagi kesehatan fisik dan mental pemainnya. Olah raga golf tidak hanya bermanfaat bagi kesehatan fisik dan metal pemainnya tetapi juga dapat membanggakan Indonesia melalui keikut sertaan pegolfnya yang ikut bermain di berbagai turnamen berstandar internasional. Kami yakin bahwa Indonesia dapat lebih berkiprah di ajang internasionel karena Indonesia memiliki begitu banyak potensi yaitu para pemain muda yang berbakat, katanya pada peresmian sekolah golf BCIOG di lapangan golf Jagorawi Gofl and Country Club Gunung Putri, Cibinong, Bogor kemarin. (tw) http://www.bisnis.com/servlet/page?_pageid=196_dad=portal30_schema=PORTAL30p_topik=W22p_prev=491328 _ MSN Shopping has everything on your holiday list. Get expert picks by style, age, and price. Try it! http://shopping.msn.com/content/shp/?ctId=8000,ptnrid=176,ptnrdata=200601tcode=wlmtagline
[mediacare] Child sex abuse growing problem in Bali
***Kasihan orang Bali, harus menderita demi turis $. Yang lebih menyedihkan adalah orang Bali diam2 saja, masih mengundang turis gadungan kunjungi Bali... ***Barangkali hanya syariah yang bisa membantu Bali bersih dari problem paedofil... Tuesday, 5th December 2006 Latest News Mon 4 Dec 2006 Child sex abuse growing problem in Bali JAKARTA (Reuters) - Sexual exploitation and trafficking of children are growing problems in the Indonesian resort island of Bali, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday. Monitoring the exact extent of the problem is tricky, but authorities had enough information to point to a major problem, Anna-Karin Jatfors, a UNICEF expert on sexual exploitation and trafficking of children in Indonesia, said in a statement. In Bali's tourist areas, many young sex workers could be found in the streets, clubs and hotels, she said. Adolescent children who drop out of school are the most vulnerable, Jatfors was quoted as saying in the statement, at the start of a UNICEF-sponsored workshop on child sexual exploitation and trafficking. They are trapped by poor education with little or no work opportunities. As such, they are easy prey for traffickers, she added. Jatfors said while sex tourism and paedophilia were real and growing problems involving criminal syndicates operating throughout Asia, they still made up only a small part of the sexual exploitation of Indonesian children. Several child traffickers and child sex offenders have been prosecuted in Indonesia but eradicating the crime was an uphill battle, she said. Child protection groups say Lombok island and nearby Bali have been the bases for Australian paedophile rings operating in Indonesia. http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1799222006 _ WIN up to $10,000 in cash or prizes enter the Microsoft Office Live Sweepstakes http://clk..atdmt.com/MRT/go/aub0050001581mrt/direct/01/ Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Funky fare for Muslim fashionistas at Jakarta show
***Dasar otak pedagang tidak pernah mandek. Asal menguntungkan, tidak melanggar limit, funky is OK. ***Semua perempuan mau berpakaian funky trendy fashion. Jadikan Indonesia pusat Islamic fashion shows, otomatis tidak ada yang mau pakai long black scary attire. ***Sumbang keuntungan dari shows untuk yayasan2 dan MUI...Semuanya pasti beres. Funky fare for Muslim fashionistas at Jakarta show By Mita Valina Liem JAKARTA (Reuters) - Mention the words Islamic and fashion and most people think of big black burqas or shapeless chadors. But a fashion show of Islamic clothing in Indonesia on Tuesday shattered the stereotype, as dozens of models sashayed down the catwalk in outfits that complied with Muslim tradition but also oozed funk and flounce. Muslim fashion should not be identified with long black scary attire, but Muslim women can appear in nice, trendy, up-to-date fashion, said Musa Widyatmojo, supervisor of the Indonesian fashion designers' association. Indonesia is a trendsetter for Muslim fashion followed by Malaysia. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country where most people follow a moderate form of Sunni Islam. Some women wear headscarves, but often with the trendy Western-style clothing favoured by most women. In Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam which practices an austere version of the faith, women must wear the abaya, a black robe that covers them from head to toe. Many Muslim women around the world have adopted the abaya as the proper Islamic attire, and in some cases, such as Afghanistan, modified it to cover the face as well. MODESTY AND STYLE On the Jakarta catwalk, the outfits were long and loose and the models wore headscarves, but they were anything but dull. Models paraded a host of Indonesian batik outfits, ranging from beaded silk blouses with long flowing chiffon skirts and long-sleeved flowery tunics embellished with feathers to embroidered silk traditional dresses and silk trousers. Beads, lace and bright colours abounded. I want Muslim women to wear Muslim fashion every day. It does not have to be Lebaran or any special occasions to wear Muslim fashion, said Jeny Tjahyawati, one of the eight designers who participated in the show, referring to the Muslim feast that marks the end of the fasting month. There are more and more women wearing Muslim fashion to parties. It can provide comfort since it is loose and it can also protect women from perverted men if they walk alone at night. Some designers and models said modest Muslim clothing was appropriate to prevent crimes against women such as rape, touting an argument often used by clerics to convince women to cover up. To cover our head with a veil is a must. The veil must cover the forbidden parts. Women are priceless things, the more priceless she is, the more protection is given, said Samira Mochammad Bafagih, a 25-year-old fashion journalist. Men are not likely to seduce women in veils. Thus I feel more comfortable if I walk alone at night. I agree that women without veils are more likely to be seduced. There are quite many rape cases, aren't there? http://news.scotsman.com/latest_entertainment.cfm?id=1771152006 _ Get the latest Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta version. Join now. http://ideas.live.com Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Friendship between a premier and a Nobel laureate
UPDATED: 10:51, November 25, 2006 Friendship between a premier and a Nobel laureate One was a top politician in the world's most populous country. The other was a world-renowned physicist. For the past 18 years, a remarkable friendship has bound Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Nobel laureate Dr. Lee Tsung-dao. On his 80th birthday, Dr. Lee flew to China for a high-profile science symposium to mark the Shanghai-born physicist's 60 years of scientific research. Premier Wen Jiabao attended the symposium and delivered a congratulatory letter read to the 700 Chinese and foreign scientists and experts attending the event. In a rare gesture of respect and lasting friendship, Wen walked into the lecture hall hand in hand with Dr. Lee. As a friend, I am very proud of Dr. Lee. His remarkable achievements and his contribution to the world is a source of pride for all Chinese people, Wen told the audience. The two great men met in Beijing on October 24, 1988, when Wen accompanied the late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to a state physics laboratory to which Dr. Lee had contributed. By that time, Lee was already a famous scientist. He won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1957 jointly with Chen Ning Yang for their penetrating analysis of the law of parity conservation, an analysis that led to a series of significant discoveries in particle physics. Dr. Lee later exchanged correspondence with Wen, who took on responsibility for overseeing the country's scientific development in the early 1990s. Wen always expressed respect and praise for Dr. Lee's contributions to science and his willingness to aid China's scientific development, said sources close to the leadership. For all these years, we have tried to meet at least once a year if we can, said Dr. Lee, noting that he and Premier Wen would talk about physics, philosophy, history, arts and especially the development of China's science and scientific education. Premier Wen listened closely to my advice on things like developing energy physics, improving the system of post-doctoral institutions, investment in science and scientific education for the young, Dr. Lee said. Their friendship extends from work to life. Wen and Lee are said to have exchanged greeting cards at every Chinese New Year for the last decade. Wen saved each and everyone of these cards on which Dr. Lee had drawn by hand the Animal of the Year. When two people treat each other with sincerity as genuine friends, status and titles are not that important, Dr. Lee told Xinhua. He said he was especially moved when he received Wen Jiabao's heartfelt condolences on his wife's death a decade ago. Dr. Lee later sent his late wife's poems and paintings to Wen. In 1998, Lee set up an educational foundation in his and his wife's name to fund physics education for Chinese mainland students. At Friday's symposium, Premier Wen displayed a photocopy he received from Dr. Lee to the audience. The photocopy shows two of Dr. Lee's science manuscripts dated 1956 and 2006. The 1956 script was published in the 1957-edition of Physics Today in the United States. Wen said he cherished the manuscripts very much since receiving them from Dr. Lee this June. They embody Dr. Lee's continuous explorations in science for so many years, Wen told the symposium audience. Source: Xinhua http://english.people.com.cn/200611/25/eng20061125_324992.html _ Share your latest news with your friends with the Windows Live Spaces friends module. http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp007001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=createwx_url=/friends.aspxmk
[mediacare] How not to study religion-related violence
How not to study religion-related violence By attempting to precisely classify and label incidents of collective violence, researchers often become part of the diversionary tactics of the producers of violence to displace blame from themselves to others Friday, November 24, 2006 by Vishal Arora | Tags: india, religious violence It is ironical that religion-related violence, which is endemic to certain parts of India, is studied in such a way that it actually helps in the production and reproduction of violence, perpetrated mainly on religious minorities by Hindu nationalist forces, rather than prevent it. By attempting to precisely classify and label incidents of collective violence, researchers often become part of the diversionary tactics of the producers of violence to displace blame from themselves to others, says Paul R. Brass, Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. In an essay titled, On the Study of Riots, Pogroms, and Genocide, part of his new book, Forms of Collective Violence: Riots, Pogroms, and Genocide in Modern India (published by Three Essays Collective, September 2006, Rs.250 in India, $10 elsewhere), Brass exposes a lacuna in the study of collective violence saying that social scientists study the phenomena of violence to display their theoretical skills rather than expose the dynamic processes that produce those phenomena. Our work then becomes entangled - even through the very theories we articulate - in the diversionary tactics that are essential to the production and reproduction of violence, says the acclaimed political scientist, whose research in India spans more than 45 years. To make his point, Brass explains that the violence that is often misnamed as a riot and is mainly perpetrated on members of the Muslim and Christian minorities in India is produced in three phases: preparation or rehearsal, activation or enactment and explanation or interpretation. In the sites where rioting is endemic, producers of violence continuously work to create an atmosphere of religious animosity as part of their preparation and rehearsal process, he says. About the activation or enactment of a large-scale riot, he says it takes place under particular circumstances, often in a context of intense political mobilization or electoral competition in which riots are precipitated as a device to consolidate the support of ethnic, religious, or other culturally marked groups, by emphasizing the need for solidarity in face of the rival communal group. It is criminals and the poorest elements in society who are recruited and rewarded for enacting the violence, he adds. The third phase - of explanation and interpretation - follows the violence in a broader struggle to control the explanation or interpretation of the causes of the violence. In the third phase, says Brass, even journalists, politicians, social scientists, and public opinion generally also become involved. He says the third phase is marked by a process of blame displacement, in which social scientists themselves become implicated, a process that fails to isolate effectively those most responsible for the production of violence, and instead diffuses blame widely, blurring responsibility, and thereby contributing to the perpetuation of violent productions in future, as well as the order that sustains them. According to Brass, the principal beneficiaries of this process of blame displacement are the government and its political leaders, under whose watch such violence occurs. He says politicians and the vernacular media, during the violence, and in its aftermath, draw attention away from the perpetrators of the violence by attributing it to the actions of an inflamed mass public. Ignorant of the diversionary tactics, researchers think they must know what they are studying or label an incident of violence before they can make the necessary generalizations. But, the producers of violence are themselves engaged in the same process and they continually outpace and outwit us, producing new and varied forms of collective violence that lead us into the game itself rather than providing us a site for a distant gaze, he observes. The producers of pogroms insist that the violence that has just occurred is nothing more than a riot. They label genocidal acts as merely spontaneous revenge and retaliation by justly and excusably outraged members of a group, acting spontaneously against an 'other' group whose members have misbehaved. He says his research has shown that what are labeled Hindu-Muslim riots have, more often than not, been turned into pogroms and massacres of Muslims, in which few Hindus are killed. In fact, in sites of endemic rioting, there exists what I have called 'institutionalized riot systems', in which the organizations of militant Hindu nationalism are deeply implicated. In the following essays, he
[mediacare] Never intervene in a Muslim country
Never intervene in a Muslim country Problems in Muslim countries cannot be fixed by outside intervention, howsoever dire the crisis or noble the intervention might be. We should have learned this lesson from the Somalia experience. Wednesday, November 22, 2006 Alamgir Hussain PhD When the UN-led forces drove the Taliban out of Afghanistan, I was indignant at the United States, like the overwhelming majority of Muslims worldwide. However, it was not long afterwards that my perception totally changed. During their five-year rule, the Taliban robbed the dignity and future of the entire women of Afghanistan. All sorts of human rights violations, along with the introduction of cruel and often barbaric Sharia laws, caused immense sufferings for the people of Afghanistan. Desperate economic conditions and hardship drove as many as 25 percent of the entire population to refugee camps in neighbouring countries, notably in Pakistan. Had the Taliban continued to rule the country, nobody knows how many people would today have been left inside Afghanistan. With the removal of the Taliban, women got universal rights to education, jobs and other kinds of human rights. Foreign aid poured in and reconstruction of the war-ravaged country resumed, and Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries started returning home in great numbers. In the 1970s and early 80s, Afghanistan was one of the most liberal Muslim nation in the world. There was a hope in my mind that the Afghans were on their way back to the good old days and would emerge as a prosperous, democratic and peaceful nation. But when the United States decided to ouster Saddam Hussein, my enthusiasm was rather lukewarm. Saddam Hussein was no less a harmful ruler for the Iraqis and the neighbours. But the US should probably have settled things in Afghanistan before intervening in Iraq. Now I see the intervention in Iraq was a mistake not on the moral, but the practical, ground. All indications say that Afghanistan intervention was also a mistake on the same ground. There are too many tragic problems in Muslim countries that need to be fixed by the international community - unfortunately, they are just not fixable. The UN and the US were naïve in not learning from the failed intervention in Somalia in 1993. Somalia was a huge disaster and the US disappointed many people by withdrawing after suffering around 50 casualties at the hands of the al-Qaeda fighters. I thought the United States should not have given in to the brutality of the terrorists so easily. Perseverance would have eventually made the US victorious and Somalis would have been benefited. Subsequently, violent terrorist activities by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda and numerous other Islamist groups, increased dramatically. The withdrawal of the United States from Somalia was blamed for emboldening al-Qaeda and other Islamist terrorist groups. That said, looking back we realize that President Clinton was right in pulling out of Somalia. It is my belief that the problems in Muslim countries cannot be fixed by outside intervention, howsoever dire the crisis or noble the intervention might be. We should have learned this lesson from the Somalia experience. Withdrawal from Somalia should have acted as benchmark for future actions. The Russian experience in Afghanistan was also another lesson, but instead we blamed the US for abandoning the Afghans after the Russians withdrawal. The country spiralled into a disastrous civil war. The US should have fixed the problem before leaving. But today, I realize that the US did the right thing by leaving. Had the US stayed on in Afghanistan after the Russian withdrawal, the terrorists would have immediately targeted their weapons at the Americans. Jihadists from across the world would have continued to poor in to drive the American infidels out. The Americans departed leaving the Afghans to take care of their homes without interference. Even then, the US could not avert the wrath of the Islamists. The US went to Somalia for the noble cause of bringing law and order to the civil-war stricken country, but instead got terribly pounded by Osama's al-Qaeda, whom the United States' had never harmed but only helped. The United States suffered multiple other attacks by al-Qaeda in Africa and elsewhere before the worst nightmare of 9/11 (2001) descended within her own. Striking the world's greatest power - that holds the capacity to destroy the entire planet scores of times - so violently within her boundary was a blow to the pride of the US, and difficult to digest. Americans, including Clinton, lost their sanity and failed to rationally reflect on the Somalia experience that had occurred a mere eight years earlier. Arrogant desire to squash Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda and their Taliban ally overwhelmed the Americans. Probably, there was that humane desire to help the devastated people of
[mediacare] Fear and anger in China's far west
Fear and anger in China's far west By Jehangir S. Pocha The Boston Globe On a recent Friday, the holy day of Islam, crowds swelled inside the antique Jaman Mosque, the largest in this ancient town in the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, home to the nation's small but restive Muslim minority. The turbaned and bearded clerics who preached to the gathered faithful had all been vetted for their political beliefs by local Chinese authorities, who determine what sermons they can give, what version of the Koran they may use, and where and how religious gatherings can be held. The Chinese government forces all Muslims in China to adhere to a state- controlled version of their religion, and banners placed around town warn locals not to stray from the official faith. The imams are not even allowed to issue the call to prayer using a public address system. The Chinese government has tightened its constraints on the Uighur ethnic minority in western China as officials fear a rise in militant Islam. It is also acutely aware of the growing strategic importance of Xinjiang in Central Asia and the large oil and natural gas reserves under its soil. In turn, resentment among the Uighurs toward perceived repression by the Chinese has intensified. And increasingly, the Uighurs are speaking out and demanding autonomy, thanks in part to the emergence of articulate Uighur voices at home and in exile. Though Xinjiang is ostensibly an autonomous region of China, Wang Lequan, the local Communist Party secretary, has publicly called for Uighurs to learn more Mandarin and adopt more Chinese customs. To dissuade Uighur youths from inheriting their traditional Islamic culture, the government has banned children from entering mosques, studying Islam or celebrating Islamic holidays. The fear and state control under which Uighurs live in Xinjiang was apparent when some foreign journalists, who are generally not allowed into the region, were taken on a tour by Chinese officials last month. The journalists were carefully monitored, but when they did manage to go out alone, most Uighurs were too scared to talk about any antipathy they might feel toward the government. A man who identified himself only as Abdel rubbed his clean-shaven chin anxiously as his friends finished their dinner of goat soup and noodles. The government doesn't allow young people here to grow beards, he said as the sun set. If you do, they will send you to the forced-labor camps. Resentment against Beijing has been building here since 1949, when Mao Zedong annexed the independent nation of East Turkestan and began to assimilate it into mainland China. To do this, Beijing imposed strictures on Islam and sought to dilute the culture of the local Uighurs, a Central Asian people with a Turkic-Persian culture. Abdel said the biggest problem Uighurs face is that of social and economic exclusion. The truth is, where you see money there will be Han, where there is poverty you will see us Uighurs, Abdel said, refering to the China's ethnic-Han majority. Some Chinese officials say they are baffled by the criticism that China receives for its policies in Xinjiang. On the one hand the world complains that Pakistan doesn't do enough to control its madrasas, and on the other they complain when China does not allow them, said one official who asked not to be identified, referring to Muslim religious schools. Though Uighurs have traditionally followed a moderate blend of Sunni Islam and Sufi mysticism strongly influenced by local folklore and rural traditions, a rising Islamic mood is palpable in Xinjiang. More and more women are wearing veils, residents say, and mosques are packed on Fridays. Mostly this is due to a rising interest in religion that is common across much of China, where people are reacting to the intense atheism of the Mao era. But in Xinjiang, rising Islamic sentiment has also taken on a political hue. Some separatists have conducted armed attacks against Chinese targets, and Chinese officials say they are also behind most of the public protests that have rocked Xinjiang in recent years. After the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Chinese authorities have used the global war on terrorism to crack down on suspected separatists. Plainclothes policemen routinely roam the rustic mosques and bustling markets of Uighur towns. Human rights groups and local residents say that anyone thought to be acting suspiciously is hustled away and often punished without a fair trial. The situation in this remote western area has received much less global attention than that of neighboring Tibet Autonomous Region, where Buddhist culture has been systematically undermined by Beijing. But that is changing. Rebiya Kadeer, an Uighur exile living in Washington, who had been considered a leading candidate for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, says the world is taking notice of the Uighurs' suffering from what they
[mediacare] Timor Leste, NKRI, komunitas Tionghoa di Dili + Kupang
***Sudah lama saya laporkan keinginan rakyat Timor Leste kembali ke pangkuan NKRI. TNI perlu longgarkan penjagaan di perbatasan, memudahkan rakyat Timor Leste masuk Kupang. Kasih mereka beras dan makanan gratis. bawa balik ke Dili. ***Komunitas Tionghoa di Dili dan di Kupang ada hubungan dagang. Saya desak saudara2 kita membantu misi agung kita : Pengembalian Timor Leste ke pangkuan NKRI. ***Selamat berkerja saudara2 kita di Kupang dan di Dili. Masyarakat Timor Leste Mulai Sesali Perpisahan Dengan NKRI Mataram (ANTARA News) - Sebagian besar masyarakat Timor Leste yang memisahkan diri dengan Negara Kesatuan Repubkil Indonesia (NKRI) melalui referendum mulai menyesali perpisahan tersebut. Yang menikmati kemerdekaan Timor Leste hanyalah kelompok tertentu saja, sementara kehidupan mayoritas masyarakat Timor Leste yang tersebar di berbagai pelosok desa kian menderita, ketidakstabilan keamanan terjadi hingga saat ini, kata Ny. Domingos kepada wartawan di Mataram, Jumat. Ny. Domingos yang kebetulan datang berkunjung ke Mataram guna menjenguk saudaranya menuturkan kehidupan masyarakat Timor Leste setelah merdeka dibandingkan saat menjadi bagian integral dengan NKRI, sangatlah memprihatinkan. Sebagian besar penduduk pedesaaan Timor Leste yang hidup di masa integrasi dengan NKRI merasa menyesal, mereka berkeinginan untuk kembali merasakan hidup bebas seperti dulu. Masyarakat Timor Leste dalam dua tahun terakhir merasakan hidup tidak aman di negaranya sendiri, karena pertikaian antara kelompok, khususnya masyarakat Timor Leste bagian Timur dengan masyarakat Timor Leste bagian Barat hingga saat ini belum reda. Hampir setiap hari terjadi pertikaian kelompok yang menyebabkan tewasnya sejumlah warga Timor Leste. Suasana itu telah menyebabkan banyak pengusaha dari Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya, Kupang dan Atambua) yang terpaksa meninggalkan kota Dili. Di samping itu, biaya hidup di negara Timor Leste yang baru merdeka tersebut cukup tinggi, harga BBM jenis premium maupun minyak tanah harganya lebih dua kali lipat dari harga yang ada di Indonesia. Harga eceran premium bisa mencapai 2,5 dolar US atau setara dengan Rp15.000 per liter, demikian juga harga minyak tanah bisa mencapai hampir Rp10.000/liter, sehingga minyak tanah banyak yang didapat dari daerah perbatasan melalui para pelintas batas. Kondisi kehidupan mereka yang kian sulit itu menyebabkan sebagian dari mereka sering mengungkapkan rasa penyesalan berpisah dengan NKRI, karena di masa integrasi masyarakat Timor Leste memiliki kehidupan yang lebih baik, padahal tujuan mereka merdeka sebelumnya agar mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih dibanding sebelumnya, katanya. Menjawab pertanyaan, Ny. Domingos mengemukakan hingga kini belum ada perubahan pembangunan yang dilakukan pemerintahan Presiden Xanana Gusmao, karena bangunan-bangunan yang terbakar di masa jajak pendapat tahun 1999, tidak satupun yang diperbaiki. Bangunan peninggalan orang-orang Indonesia tersebut hingga kini masih tampak jelas, tidak ada upaya rehabilitasi, sehingga sekarang situasinya semakin kacau karena di saat terjadi konflik hingga lengsernya Perdana Menteri Mari Al-Katiri beberapa bulan lalu, banyak bangunan yang dibakar sehingga suasana kota Dili kian mencekam. Kondisi itu banyak mengakibatkan pengusaha yang datang dari Indonesia terpaksa meninggalkan kota-kota di Timor Leste, karena sudah tidak tahan. Menurut cerita Ny. Domingos, selain mereka terpaksa mengalami kerugian besar karena tempat usahanya banyak yang dijarah pada saat kerusuhan, merekapun tidak tahan menghadapi ganasnya pertikaian antar kelompok yang hingga kini belum bisa diatasi aparat keamanan yang dibantu tentara asing. Konflik perang saudara sekarang lebih sadis dibanding saat jajak pendapat dulu, membunuh sesama warga Timor Leste yang berbeda kelompok kerap terjadi, bahkan wanita hamilpun tidak segan-segan dibunuh, katanya. Fasilitas kesehatan minim Mengenai fasilitas kesehatan, Ny. Domingos menyatakan rumah sakit peninggalan Pemerintah Indonesia di Bidau itu tidak optimal, karena tenaga dokternya sangat minim dan tidak jarang mereka lari berobat ke Kupang (NTT). Bagi keluarga yang kurang mampu, tentunya bisa dibayangkan ke mana mereka akan pergi berobat, sedang yang datang berobat ke Kupang itu adalah keluarga yang punya banyak uang. Sedangkan rumah sakit milik TNI dulu, kini diperuntukkan bagi warga asing yang bertugas di Timor Leste, jadi fasilitas kesehatan masyarakat sangat minim. Suasana keamanan yang kurang kondusif tersebut diperkirakan kian memanas, sehubungan akan dilangsungkannya Pemilihan Umum tahun 2007. Banyak warga Timor Leste yang ingin keluar, tetapi terbatas oleh penjagaan yang kian ketat di daerah perbatasan, demikian juga pengusaha dari Atambua ke Dili kian jarang karena mereka takut, katanya. (*) http://www.antara.co.id/seenws/?id=47121 _ Get free, personalized
[mediacare] Origins of veil
Origins of veil BY KAREN ARMSTRONG 17 November 2006 I SPENT seven years of my girlhood heavily veiled not in a Muslim niqab but in a nuns habit. We wore voluminous black robes, large rosaries and crucifixes, and an elaborate headdress: you could see a small slice of my face from the front, but from the side I was entirely shielded from view. We must have looked very odd indeed, walking dourly through the colourful carnival of London during the swinging 60s, but nobody ever asked us to exchange our habits for more conventional attire. When my order was founded in the 1840s, not long after Catholic emancipation, people were so enraged to see nuns brazenly wearing their habits in the streets that they pelted them with rotten fruit and horse dung. Nuns had been banned from Britain since the Reformation; their return seemed to herald the resurgence of barbarism. Two hundred and fifty years after the gunpowder plot, Catholicism was still feared as unassimilable, irredeemably alien to the British ethos, fanatically opposed to democracy and freedom, and a fifth column allied to dangerous enemies abroad. Today the veiled Muslim woman appears to symbolise the perceived Islamic threat, as nuns once epitomised the evils of popery. She seems a barbaric affront to hard-won values that are essential to our cultural identity: gender equality, freedom, transparency and openness. But in the Muslim world the veil has also acquired a new symbolism. If government ministers really want to debate the issue fruitfully, they must become familiar with the bitterly ironic history of veiling during the last hundred years. Until the late 19th century, veiling was neither a central nor a universal practice in the Islamic world. The Quran does not command all women to cover their heads; the full hijab was traditionally worn only by aristocratic women, as a mark of status. In Egypt, under Muhammad Alis leadership (1805-48), the lot of women improved dramatically, and many were abandoning the veil and moving more freely in society. But after the British occupied Egypt in 1882, the consul general, Lord Cromer, ignored this development. He argued that veiling was the fatal obstacle that prevented Egyptians from participating fully in western civilisation. Until it was abolished, Egypt would need the benevolent supervision of the colonialists. But Cromer had cynically exploited feminist ideas to advance the colonial project. Egyptian women lost many of their new educational and professional opportunities under the British, and Cromer was co-founder in London of the Anti-Womens Suffrage League. When Egyptian pundits sycophantically supported Cromer, veiling became a hot issue. In 1899 Qassim Amin published Tahrir al-Mara The Liberation of Women which obsequiously praised the nobility of European culture, arguing that the veil symbolised everything that was wrong with Islam and Egypt. It was no feminist tract: Egyptian women, according to Amin, were dirty, ignorant and hopelessly inadequate parents. The book created a furore, and the ensuing debate made the veil a symbol of resistance to colonialism. The problem was compounded in other parts of the Muslim world by reformers who wanted their countries to look modern, even though most of the population had no real understanding of secular institutions. When Ataturk secularised Turkey, men and women were forced into European costumes that felt like fancy dress. In Iran, the shahs soldiers used to march through the streets with their bayonets at the ready, tearing off the womens veils and ripping them to pieces. In 1935, Shah Reza Pahlavi ordered the army to shoot at unarmed demonstrators who were protesting against obligatory western dress. Hundreds of Iranians died that day. Many women, whose mothers had happily discarded the veil, adopted the hijab in order to dissociate themselves from aggressively secular regimes. This happened in Egypt under President Anwar Sadat and it continues under Hosni Mubarak. When the shah banned the chador, during the Iranian revolution, women wore it as a matter of principle even those who usually wore western clothes. Today in the US, more and more Muslim women are wearing the hijab to distance themselves from the foreign policy of the Bush administration; something similar may well be happening in Britain. In the patriarchal society of Victorian Britain, nuns offended by tacitly proclaiming that they had no need of men. I found my habit liberating: for seven years I never had to give a thought to my clothes, makeup and hair all the rubbish that clutters the minds of the most liberated women. In the same way, Muslim women feel that the veil frees them from the constraints of some uncongenial aspects of western modernity. They argue that you do not have to look western to be modern. The veiled woman defies the sexual mores of the west, with its strange compulsion to reveal all.
[mediacare] War against dogmas
War against dogmas Desmond Tutu, André Azoulay and Ali Alatas November 15, 2006 When asked about the current relations between Muslim and Western societies, most people are likely to think about the cartoon crisis, the controversial remarks of Pope Benedict regarding the Prophet Mohammad, or the debates raging in many European countries over the wearing of the veil by some Muslim women. In addition, most would recognise that terrorist attacks on the one hand and military interventions in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan on the other, have increased the climate of suspicion that seems to be spreading across the world. Staggering economic inequalities and the ever-widening gap between the haves and the have-nots are also creating new fault lines, dividing peoples and nations. These tensions help fuel the damaging yet powerful myth of a clash of civilisations an ideological boon for all those who share an interest in shoring up hostility between Muslims and the West. A year ago, the UN Secretary General created the Alliance of Civilisations High Level Group to help challenge this myth and recommend concrete measures to build bridges among communities worldwide. Our groups report, which we are presenting to Kofi Annan this week, debunks a number of misconceptions while confronting some uncomfortable realities. First, there is no basis, in our opinion, for the claim that civilisations are set on an inevitable collision course. Civilisations are not solid, monolithic blocs; rather, they are the result of complex mutual exchanges and constant cross-fertilisation among cultural groups. The growing polarisation between the West and the Muslim world is undeniable. But it is not unavoidable. Such fatalism denies individual freedom and mistakenly portrays human beings, communities and nations as mere pawns of history. Second, the history of relations between Muslim and Western societies is not primarily one of conflict. Despite periods of war, Islam, Christianity and Judaism have all benefited from each other through trade and intellectual exchanges. Historically, under Muslim rule, Jews and Christians have largely been free to practise their faiths and many rose to high political positions in Islamic empires. Similarly, in recent centuries, political, scientific, cultural and technological developments in the West have helped influence the Muslim world in many positive ways. Third, we firmly reject the claim that the roots of the widening rift between Muslim and Western societies lie in religion or culture. Rather, they are to be found in politics. In our view, there are two key factors feeding the current climate of suspicion and fear that mars relations across communities. In the first instance, the Israeli-Palestinian issue has become a key symbol of the rift between Western and Muslim societies and remains one of the biggest threats to international stability. We passionately believe that the international community should turn its attention to this festering conflict with a renewed sense of urgency. In addition, military operations in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan are contributing to a growing climate of fear and animosity. The spiralling death toll and violence in both those countries are helping swell the ranks of terrorist groups. The other factor is the oppression of non-violent political actors in the Muslim world, which strengthens the hand of extremists. Denying peaceful opposition movements the freedom to express their views and jailing their supporters generate anger and resentment, encouraging some, especially among the young, to join violent groups. And when Western governments lend their support tacitly or overtly to authoritarian regimes, they become part of the problem, stoking the fire of extremism. These issues are compounded by resistance to reform and limitations placed on intellectual inquiry which deprive many Muslim countries of the impetus and energy needed to achieve social progress. To help address the West Asian conflict, we propose the development of a White Paper analysing the Israeli-Palestinian landscape dispassionately and objectively, giving voice to the competing narratives on both sides, and establishing clearly the conditions that must be met to find a way out of this crisis. Among the issues feeding tensions between Muslim and Western societies is the potentially destructive impact of inflammatory language sometimes used by political and religious leaders and the effect such language can have when disseminated by the media. We urge leaders and shapers of public opinion to behave responsibly and do everything in their power to promote mutual respect for religious beliefs and traditions. We also request the UN Secretary General to appoint a High Representative to assist in defusing cross-cultural tensions, build bridges of understanding and create pathways toward reconciliation,
[mediacare] Tommy Winata bangun pusat studi padi hibrida
Tommy Winata bangun pusat studi padi hibrida JAKARTA: Bos Grup Artha Graha Tommy Winata makin serius menggarap bisnis benih padi hibrida. PT Sumber Alam Sutera (SAS), anak perusahaan kelompok usaha itu, awal pekan ini menggandeng perusahaan China, Guo Hao Seed Industry Co Ltd. Perusahaan tersebut akan menanamkan US$5 juta untuk membangun Pusat Studi Padi Hibrida (Hybrid Rice Research Center) di Indonesia yang ditargetkan beroperasi April 2007, bekerja sama dengan Badan Penelitian Padi (Balitpa) Departemen Pertanian. Meski tidak memberi komentar, Tommy Winata menghadiri penandatanganan nota kesepahaman terkait kerja sama antara PT SAS, Guo Hao, dan Balitpa, pada Senin malam. Nota kesepahaman tersebut diteken oleh Presdir Sichuan Guo Hao Seed Industry Co Ltd Jing Fusong, Presdir SAS Babay Chalimi, dan Kepala Balitpa Achmad Suryana, yang juga disaksikan Mentan Anton Apriyantono. Sampai sekarang belum ada pusat penelitian padi hibrida di dalam negeri. Sedangkan China itu sudah sangat berpengalaman di bidang ini. Kami akan bangun Hybrid Rice Research Center joint dengan China dengan dana investasi awal US$5 juta, kata Babay. Pembangunan pusat studi padi hibrida ini ditargetkan selesai dalam enam bulan ke depan sehingga dapat digunakan untuk mengembangkan sejumlah varietas padi hibrida asal China yang diharapkan bisa meningkatkan produktivitas padi menjadi 8 ton-12 ton per hektare. ([EMAIL PROTECTED] co.id) Oleh Aprika R. Hernanda Bisnis Indonesia http://www.bisnis.com/servlet/page?_pageid=127_dad=portal30_schema=PORTAL30vnw_lang_id=2ptopik=A01cdate=15-NOV-2006inw_id=485432 _ Stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones with Windows Live Spaces http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp007001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=createwx_url=/friends.aspxmkt=en-us
[mediacare] Can Bali Bounce Back?
Can Bali Bounce Back? How terror took the top end off a tourist paradise. By Jonathan Kent Newsweek International Nov. 6, 2006 issue - Transport, sir? Wayan Oka, 28, spends much of his day hanging out with his friends on Monkey Forest Road in the town of Ubud. Indeed, walk down the streets of Bali's cultural capital, and in 10 minutes you'll be accosted by a dozen or more young men like Oka, sitting beside the road and hawking their services as unofficial taxi drivers. You're my first job today, Oka says. It's past 9 p.m. and Ubud's streets are dark and almost deserted. The restaurants have long since emptied, and the bars are quiet Oka is 28 and an economics graduate, but with business this bad, there's no demand for economists. My girlfriend and I want to get married, but I don't have enough money, he says. Before Oct. 12, 2002, international tourists thronged to Bali, a Hindu jewel set in a necklace of predominantly Muslim islands strung through warm equatorial seas. Then came the awful day when bombs went off in the Sari Club and Paddy's Bar in the tourist center of Kuta, killing 202 people and injuring many more. The first major terrorist attack since 9/11 raised fears that the war on terror was opening a new Asian front, one that would choke off Bali's economic lifeline: tourism. Remarkably, after plummeting for two years, the number of visitors to Bali rebounded to new, record highs by September 2005. But a month later suicide bombers struck again in Kuta, and at two seafood restaurants in Jimbaran Bay. I heard an explosion at the Menaga Café a few meters down the beach, says Wayan Wirasa, owner of the Nyoman Café at Jimbaran, who was working that night. Then I saw a man walk up to the Australians and there was another explosion. They found his head 50 meters over that way, he says, pointing down the beach. The bombers killed themselves and 20 other people, including five tourists. They also crippled Bali's tourism sector yet again. This time, however, the fallout has taken a different form. There wasn't the same rush to the airport as in 2002, says Michael Burchett, chairman of the Bali Hotels Association. But new bookings just didn't come in. Prices had already been so heavily discounted after the 2002 attack that agents advised hotels it wouldn't help to cut further. So they started tossing in extras, like free room upgrades and spa treatments. Yet bookings remained depressed for months, 20 percent off the norm, and there was a sharp shift in clientele. Jet-setting Japanese and free-spending Australians are staying away, replaced by penny-counting Chinese and Taiwanese. Burchett calls these the shorter-stay, lesser-spend markets. He blames in part official Australian travel advisories that put Bali near the same class of risk as war-torn Lebanon, a comparison he calls ridiculous. Kuta guesthouse owner Made Supatra Karang looks forlornly over what's left of his modest business empire. Before the bomb blasts, business was quite good in Bali, remembers Pak Made (Uncle Made), as he's known. I had a couple of businesses. I had a garment shop, I had a money changer's, I had a restaurant. After the bomb blasts this one, the guesthouse, is the only one I have left. The other ones didn't go well. Few places are so dependent on tourism as Bali. Conservative estimates trace a quarter of the jobs and a third of GDP to the trade. With the number of Australian tourists down more than 55 percent since the last attack, and the number of Japanese down 30 percent, Bali is being forced to turn to a budget market it would rather not entertain. Tourism affects 80 percent of the community in Bali either directly or indirectly, so these issues have had a severe effect on the economy as a whole, says Burchett. SPECIAL OFFER Subscribe to NEWSWEEK, and you could win a dream vacation. (No purchase necessary.) Pak Made, meanwhile, is doing his bit to encourage more people to join them. He's chairman of the Kuta carnival, started after the 2002 bombings. This year 1,600 people joined in a festival of kites at the carnival. Trying out his kite left Made misty-eyed. Look at my kite, look at my kite, he yelled as it pulled a huge carnival banner aloft. We would like to live like this, peaceful on the sky. Do you think? Hoteliers now report a noticeable uptick in reservations going forward, says Burchett. Perhaps Bali can rebound from terror, one more time. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15462011/site/newsweek/ _ Find a local pizza place, music store, museum and more then map the best route! http://local.live.com?FORM=MGA001 Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to:
[mediacare] MALAYSIA: Debate over tycoon's newspaper monopoly
MALAYSIA: Debate over tycoon's newspaper monopoly Chinese groups say press freedom will suffer after Tiong Hiew King's latest acquisition of two more major Chinese dailies Straits Times Saturday, October 21, 2006 By Leslie Lau Kuala Lumpur --- The sale of Nanyang Press Holdings to timber tycoon Tiong Hiew King has sparked concerns among the Chinese community here over his near monopoly of the Chinese newspaper market. Tan Sri Tiong, from Sarawak, this week added the publisher of Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press to his stable of Chinese newspapers worldwide. Critics of the purchase are concerned that Tan Sri Tiong, 70, who also owns the top-selling Sin Chew Daily and Guangming Daily, now controls Malaysia's four major Chinese dailies. His close association with the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), from which he bought Nanyang, has also raised concerns about the independence of the Chinese newspapers. That all top four Chinese dailies are now concentrated in the hands of a party-business alliance is detrimental to press freedom and democratic space in Malaysia, a group of 45 Chinese associations said in a joint statement issued after the acquisition was announced late on Tuesday. This calls for reforms in media laws and the introduction of anti-monopoly clauses. Signatories include influential Chinese associations such as the Civil Rights Committee of the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall and the education movement Dong Zhong. A spokesman for the group told The Straits Times: The Chinese media has always been more independent than the English and Malay press. Now there will be no avenue for stories which are critical of the government. Nanyang Siang Pau, considered an icon of Chinese Malaysian culture and language, was bought by the MCA in 2001 in a move which sparked similar protests over a political party controlling the newspaper. This led to a serious split in the party, which was resolved only when party president Ling Liong Sik, who supported the purchase, and his rival, deputy president Lim Ah Lek, who opposed it, stepped down in 2003. Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, who took over as MCA president, is said to have close ties with Tan Sri Tiong. The sale of the paper had been expected by many here. Why sell it to Tiong? The Chinese knew it would happen in 2001. Time has revealed all, former MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng said. And Federation of Chinese Associations in Malaysia president Lim Gait Tong said: For the past few years, Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press were considered to be MCA party papers. This acquisition may be a good thing but the community is worried about a monopoly. Tan Sri Tiong is listed by Forbes Magazine as the 20th richest man in South-east Asia, with assets last year estimated to be worth US$1.1 billion (S$1.7 billion). He has timber concessions in Papua New Guinea, central Africa, Brazil, New Zealand and Malaysia and owns one of the world's biggest salmon producers, the New Zealand King Salmon Company. He also controls the Hong Kong Ming Pao and Chinese news magazine Yazhou Zhoukan. Observers say his interests in Chinese newspapers around the world reflect his ambition to build a global Chinese publishing empire. And in a statement issued this week following his purchase of Nanyang, Tan Sri Tiong appeared to confirm this. Chinese-language media companies need strong group power to compete. We hope to continue expanding the Chinese media industry, he said. http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=55943 _ Find a local pizza place, music store, museum and more then map the best route! http://local.live.com?FORM=MGA001 Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] An eye for an eye in Indonesia?
Oct. 16, 2006, 2:54AM RELIGIOUS TENSIONS INFLAMED After the government executed three Christians, many in divided nation wonder if Muslims convicted in Bali bombings will meet same fate An eye for an eye in Indonesia? By JOHN M. GLIONNA Los Angeles Times DENPASAR, INDONESIA - Maringan Simanjuntak wipes his brow in Bali's equatorial heat and talks in measured words about the fear and frustration of being Christian in the world's most populous Muslim nation. Last month, Indonesia executed three Christians for inciting a mob that killed scores of Muslims six years ago in central Sulawesi province. The executions led to widespread Christian violence across the area, where religious tensions have simmered for years. Now Simanjuntak and the rest of the nation anxiously await another execution. This time, three Islamic militants face death by firing squad for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombing that killed 202 people here in a crowded Denpasar tourist bar. The 46-year-old tour guide wants an eye for an eye. But he doesn't expect to see the Bali bombers die: The Muslim-led government, he insists, takes care of its own. This country is a Muslim majority, and Christians are not offered the same protections under the laws, Simanjuntak said resignedly. The executions have fueled new accusations of religious intolerance in this sprawling archipelago nation. Many believe judges at the Christians' trial bowed to pressure from hard-line Muslims to send the three farm laborers to their deaths. They were not just scapegoats; they were the 'offering,' said a lawyer for the three, who goes by the single name Brodus. This is discrimination. Despite government denials, many believe the timing of the Christian executions is linked to the fate of the three Bali bombers, who sit on Indonesia's death row. I miss my father. But what can we do? said Robert Tibo, whose 60-year-old father, Fabianus, was one of those executed in Sulawesi. We cannot fight the government. But it seemed officials were trying to pave the way for the Bali bombers' execution. They wanted to make it even between my father and the other Christians and the Muslims. Ill will still lingers in Sulawesi in the wake of Muslim-Christian violence that swept the province between 1998 and 2002. Bombings, beheadings and machete attacks killed more than 1,000 people from both religious communities before the violence was brought to an end by an uneasy peace accord. For many Christians, there is a question of balance, Sidney Jones, senior project director for International Crisis Group, a private think tank, said of the government's prosecutions. Muslims charged in Sulawesi were given at most 15-year prison sentences, she added. The result, Jones said, is that there is this strong sense among non-Muslim minorities that they may not have a place in Indonesia. Even in Bali, described by Travel Leisure magazine as the world's best island, Indonesia's religious violence has left its lethal mark. October usually means tourism, but the palm-shaded beachside bars and hotels stand mostly empty. Bali's two terror attacks the 2002 bombing and suicide blasts last year that killed 20 people each took place in October. Law enforcement officials here now refer to the month as trouble season and warn that another attack by Islamic extremists could incite violence with Bali's 3 million Hindus, who outnumber Christians and Muslims here. At Kuta Beach, a granite-relief monument stands at the site of the 2002 bombing, a place known to residents here as Bali's ground zero. The memorial bears the names of all 220 victims. Many Indonesians say that the fear of sectarian violence has only come in recent years. For three decades, former dictator Suharto kept the nation's simmering religious and ethnic rivalries at bay. But after his fall in 1998, distrust boiled over. http://article.wn.com/link/WNAT0d387ed89f94e278d41bf29a981a3805?source=upgetemplate=indonesiapost/headlines.txt Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] United by faith and piety
Published: 10/14/2006 12:00 AM (UAE) United by faith and piety bbas Al Lawati, Zoi Constantine and Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporters The UAE sits at the centre of the Islamic world, with Asia to its east, Africa to its west and Europe to its north, serving as a meeting point for Muslims from all over the world with diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. During significant religious periods such as Ramadan, the UAE and its Muslim residents celebrate their unity in faith and their diversity of backgrounds. With citizens of more than 200 nations residing in the country, it is not only a place for global interaction, but also one for Muslims from around the world to meet. UAE-based Muslims from throughout the world spoke to reporters Abbas Al Lawati, Zoi Constantine and Emmanuelle Landais about how the month is observed in their countries, and what is unique about Ramadan in their culture. Turkey Munir Tokdemir, 36 Greeting: Hayerleh Ramadan las In Turkey, one week before Ramadan begins, we welcome the month by going shopping to get prepared. During the month, rich people build tents where the poor can go to eat iftar. It is a month for giving. Over Ramadan, people are more open and respectful with each other. You are not allowed to shout or swear at each other. During Ramadan, we have special traditions such as puppet shows which tell special stories and tell jokes. Also each city has a ball which they throw into the sea to mark the beginning of iftar. It is a special handmade ball which symbolises the beginning of the period when you can start eating and be with your family. Also every night we have singers and drummers who go through the streets at 3am to wake everyone to start preparing their food and also to pray. We have special foods for Ramadan, particularly sweets such as tolomba, which is like a biscuit, and of course baklawa. The family atmosphere in Ramadan is much closer and it is really nice to see many people praying together, rich and poor. Everyone is the same during Ramadan. Azerbaijan Valida Gazibayova, 24 Greeting: Ramazan bayraminiz mubare'k Because Azerbaijan is still recovering from the Soviet times people dont have that kind of religious awareness and not as many people fast there, but that is slowly changing. The younger people fast more now that there is more religious freedom. The working day does change there but its not as regulated as it is here. People have the option to leave early if they want. In Azerbaijan, women cook at home and skilfully prepare their dishes without even tasting them in Ramadan. I share an apartment in Dubai with a Tunisian and an Algerian so I learn from them. Colleagues from work have also taught me about Islam and Ramadan. China Mohammad, 26 Greeting: Zhai Yue Kuai Le China is obviously not an Islamic country, but most of the Muslims live in the north-western region and you can certainly get a festival feeling during Ramadan. The whole community takes part and gets together, so we feel closer. The main difference would obviously be that we dont get shorter working days there, unlike here in the UAE. We get time off during Eid though. Like here, we tend to break our fast with dates and water. This is our tradition. Then for our iftar meal we have the food that comes from our region. It depends where you are living in China, but where I come from we have soup, followed by something like kebabs, breads and salads. You can still see the Arabic influence even in the food. In China, it is quite free and we can practice our religion without any interference. Particularly during Ramadan we feel far closer as a community. Lebanon Ahmad Dahhan, 24 Greeting: Ramadan Kareem Because Lebanon is religiously diverse you dont feel Ramadan everywhere you go, but the Muslim neighbourhoods are usually active during the month. People tend to stay up late in Lebanon during Ramadan. Ramadan tents are very popular and because they are open till late people often have suhoor there before going home. Most families like to wake up before dawn to have their suhoor meal, but younger people sometimes choose to eat before going to bed, especially if they go to bed late. At suhoor time, before dawn, a man walks around the neighbourhood hitting a drum and calling for the sleepy to wake up. This is usually voluntary, and most people like it. At Eid time, the man knocks on our doors to wish us Eid Mubarak, and were expected to give him Eidiyya money. What I find different here is that people have big iftar feasts inviting many friends and relatives during Ramadan. In Lebanon we usually have iftar with our families. In Muslim areas of Lebanon, work hours are shorter. I feel the Ramadan atmosphere in the UAE more because more people observe the month and the fast here. Jordan Ebrahim Al Zubi, 32 Greeting: Ramadan Kareem In Jordan, Ramadan is a really family-orientated time of the year with relatives
[mediacare] The chosen ones
Saturday September 9, 2006 The chosen ones One of the most fascinating attractions in east Bali is Tenganan, one of two remaining villages of the Bali Aga people, the original Balinese before Hinduism arrived on the island between the 8th and 16th centuries. Tall, slender and aristocratic, the Aga people have light-coloured skins and refined manners. They are known as Gods chosen community. Men generally keep their hair long. And their peculiar marriage restrictions dont allow anyone to marry outsiders. The Tenganans 700-year-old walled village houses some 15 families today. Unfortunately, tourism has found its way in. Just outside the village, many shops sell Tenganan handicrafts, mostly intricately woven basketry. However, do not let it deter you from exploring the village. It remains the only place in Indonesia where the double-ikat cloth called Geringsing is woven on handlooms. Its also called Flame Cloth due to its striking colours. Legend has it that the bright colours were dyed with human blood. Geringsing, which means no sickness, is believed to possess magical powers, thus the cloth offers protection from evil spirits if hung at the homes entrance. The cloths are said to have been inspired by Batara Indra, the Creator. While sitting in tree and contemplating the heavens, he decided to teach the women of Tenganan the art of ikat patterning. A well-made Geringsing often costs a fortune, as the Aga people keep the weaving process a fiercely guarded secret even today. Tenganan is also famous for its Selunding music, played on a small gamelan of various instruments. Once a year, the virgins of the village gather to dance accompanied by the gamelan selunding, an ancient orchestra. The old men of the village would rhythmically strike large iron plates with oversized wooden hammers. Even time is regarded differently by the Aga people. Here, each new day begins with 21 deep, throbbing drumbeats and lasts until the same pulsating tones are struck the next morning. A month in Tenganan lasts exactly 30 days. Modifications to the calendar are needed to adjust to the lunar-solar year; altogether 15 days are added every three years. The village plan itself is laid out in a large rectangle, 500m x 250m, encircled by a stonewall. Corridors run between the rows of houses resembling palm-leaf longhouses. Unlike other Balinese villages, Tenganan traces its origins to a written source a holy book known as the Usana Bali (a chronicle of Bali). The text has it that Batara Indra chose the Tengananese to honour his royal descendants through communal offerings and sacrifices. Descendants of the original villagers have been chosen to manage the surrounding lands, a consecrated place of devotion and ritual. The concept of purity and integrity plays an important role in village culture. It is reflected in many important rituals (purifications and exorcisms), and also in the idea that only a person who is healthy, physically as well as mentally, may take part in rituals. The 50m long communal hall is used for numerous religious rites. During such rites, members of the village committee krama desa, meet, dressed in elaborate ritual clothing, sit down for meals with unseen invited guests of their deities and ancestors and present songs and dances. It appears strange, as seats are left for these guests. But these practices are found in many other cultures, for instance, the yearly Hungry Ghost Festival where the Chinese offer and leave food for departed souls and hold Chinese opera performances to entertain them! Among the religious duties of the villagers is the festive reception of gods and ancestors, who from time to time descend to their thrones. This happens during the fifth month of the Tenganan year, Sasih Sambah, where solemn rites take place. By CHIN MUI YOON Information source: BaliNetwork http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/9/9/lifetravel/15085032sec=lifetravel Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Indonesia: No Justice Two Years After Munir�s Death
Indonesia: No Justice Two Years After Munirs Death Investigation Stalled, Killers of Leading Rights Activist Remain Free (London, September 4, 2006) Two years after the murder of Indonesias leading human rights activist, the architects of Munir Said Thalibs killing remain free, Human Rights Watch said today. Despite the conviction of an airline pilot involved in the killing, the police and Attorney Generals office continue to ignore the evidence and recommendations of a Presidential Fact-Finding Team that has implicated senior intelligence officers and airline officials in Munirs murder. Best known as a founder and director of the highly effective Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Munir was the director of the Jakarta-based human rights group Imparsial before his murder. The 38-year-old lawyer was one of Indonesias most prominent human rights activists. Human Rights Watch called on Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to become personally involved in ensuring that those responsible for Munirs murder are held accountable, no matter where the evidence leads. Yudhoyono should establish why key recommendations and findings of the Presidential Fact-Finding Team appear to have been ignored. In addition, Human Rights Watch called on Indonesias State Intelligence Body (Badan Intelijen Negara, or BIN) to extend full cooperation to the police and any subsequent independent investigation body. Identifying and punishing the masterminds behind Munirs murder is a test for Yudhoyonos commitment to human rights and the rule of law, said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Yudhoyono is widely seen as a reformer, but if he cant ensure that justice is done for the murder of the countrys most prominent human rights activist, there will be serious doubts about his commitment to reform. Munir was found dead on September 7, 2004, on a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam. Autopsy results conducted by the Dutch Forensic Institute, released in November 2004, showed that Munir had died as a result of a fatal dose of arsenic poison. In December 2005, a Garuda pilot traveling as a passenger on the same flight, Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, was convicted of premeditated conspiracy to murder and sentenced to 14 years in prison. The verdict was upheld on appeal last April. The judges decision, however, noted that evidence during the trial indicated that Pollycarpus had not acted alone. The judge urged the police to conduct a further investigation to uncover those ultimately responsible for the death of Munir. In a welcome move, President Yudhoyono instructed the police, prosecutors and intelligence officers to follow up the investigation after the Pollycarpus verdict. But nearly 10 months after the judgment, the police and the prosecutor have done little to follow up the case. Its clear that Pollycarpus followed someones orders to murder Munir, said Adams. Civil society in Indonesia cannot operate with freedom and security so long as the masterminds of this killing remain free. Two years after Munirs murder, Human Rights Watch calls on the Indonesian government to: Make public and publish the final report and recommendations of the Presidential Fact-Finding Team established to investigate the murder of Munir; Establish an independent body to audit the police investigation and Attorney Generals response to Munirs murder; Establish another independent fact-finding team with a clear and strong mandate to continue investigations into the possible role of the security forces in Munirs death, and ensure the full cooperation of all state agencies with the police and any independent body investigating Munirs murder, especially BIN, as well as that of any senior airline officials who may have facilitated Pollycarpuss actions on the plane; and Extend invitations to the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders the U.N. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to visit Indonesia in connection with Munirs case. Human Rights Watch also urged the prosecuting authorities to dismiss all criminal defamation charges filed by General Hendropriyono against Usman Hamid and Rachland Nashidik, members of the original Independent Fact-Finding Team. Criminal defamation violates the international right to freedom of expression and has a chilling effect on free speech. Background Munir, best known as a founder and director of the highly effective Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), was the director of the Jakarta-based human rights group Imparsial. Munirs legal aid career began in Surabaya in 1989 and included stints as director of the Semarang Legal Aid office and as chief of field operations for the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in Jakarta. He represented many human
[mediacare] Does Bilingualism Discriminate?
Hankooki.com The Korea Times Opinion Does Bilingualism Discriminate? By Domenico Macer A letter to the Fresno Bee, a Central California newspaper, complained about employment ads that required applicants to be bilingual. The letter writer thought that requiring bilingual skills is discriminatory because you cant demand a person to be a certain race for a job. The letter writer was confusing bilingual skills with Hispanic. Although its true that many Latinos in the U.S. speak Spanish, not all do. Of the 41 million Latinos in the U.S., about 10 million speak English at home and probably know little or no Spanish. The 31 million who speak Spanish at home may or may not know English well enough to fill jobs requiring skills in two languages. Thus you cannot assume that being Latino necessarily means Spanish/English fluency. Speaking Spanish is a skill that one can acquire like any other. Some people learn it at home from their parents; others learn it in school as I did. And I am not the only one. Spanish is by far the most popular foreign language in American schools, colleges, and universities. But regardless of how one becomes fluent in two languages, its sad that the word bilingual in the U.S. has been monopolized by some people to mean Spanish language and by extension Hispanic immigrants. In the minds of many Americans it means poor people and often illegal immigrants. So every time voters have an opportunity to eliminate bilingual education through a referendum, they always do so overwhelmingly. It happened in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. By voting against bilingual education, people are voting for English, which they see as being in danger because of bilingualism. So when a company requires bilingual skills to serve their Spanish-speaking clientele, people interpret it as jobs for Hispanics. Its easy to understand therefore, that governments ads for bilingual employees cause even more negative feelings. Not only do many people believe services should be provided only in English, but spending money to create jobs for Spanish speakers to serve other Spanish speakers is just too much and may cause anger. This anger probably explains why every time voters are asked to make English the official language, they do so readily, believing it will reduce services in languages other than English. English has been declared the official language in twenty-seven American states. This kind of legislation has been to a large extent an attempt to counteract the perceived growth of bilingualism and immigration, particularly Hispanic immigration. Its sad that the word bilingual has been distorted and has acquired negative nuances. In other countries the opposite is true. Being bilingual is viewed in positive terms. Knowing two languages is a definite plus in a world, which continues to shrink. In business, government, travel etc., bilingualism has become a virtual necessity. American companies appreciate the value of bilingual skills. Corporations hire bilingual employees because they see them as being able to produce more for the bottom line. To provide services and sell more products, companies will try to meet their customers as best as they can. Language is one of the many tools used. Thats why corporations advertise in the Spanish language media to capture more business. The U.S. government has figured out what business has known for a long time about the value of languages. Thats why many services are provided in Spanish and other languages, which have significant numbers of speakers. The most obvious example of the value of linguistic skills became visible recently when the U.S. government raised the bilingual stipends to attract people with language skills. The raise in pay for military personnel proficient in certain foreign languages will go up from $300 to $1,000 a month for active military members and to $6,000 a year for reserve and National Guard members. The idea is to increase the capability in languages of strategic importance to the U.S. Government. Bilingual skills are good for business but they will also help keep us secure. Domenico Maceri, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, teaches foreign languages at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, CA. His articles have appeared in many newspapers and some have won awards from the National Association of Hispanic Publications. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 08-31-2006 18:57 http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/opinion/200608/kt2006083118570554060.htm Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
[mediacare] Indonesia seeks to lure back tourists
August 22, 2006 Tuesday Rajab 26, 1427 Indonesia seeks to lure back tourists By Sugita Katyal JAKARTA: It has all the ingredients of a tourist paradise: stunning beaches, a countryside with lush paddy fields, grand heritage buildings and a deeply mystical culture. But tourism in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of some 17,000 islands, has been shaken to the core by a string of disasters from bomb attacks on the resort island of Bali to deadly tsunamis and bird flu outbreaks. Indonesia has been hit by so many misfortunes, and there doesnt seem to be an end to it, said Meity Robot, vice-chair of the Indonesian Tourism Council. Its not easy for us to convince people to come back, she told Reuters. Indonesias tourism industry was only just recovering from the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s when it suffered a devastating blow in 2002 with Islamic militants bombing nightclubs on Bali, killing 202 people, most of them foreigners. Since then, a string of disasters have kept tourists away. The industry took a big hit from the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of Dec 2004 as well as a tsunami this year that struck a popular beach resort in Java and a massive earthquake in May in Yogyakarta, a popular Java tourist destination. A bird flu outbreak, which has killed more than 40 people in Indonesia, has also kept visitors away. We have to tell visitors these are natural disasters, not man-made, said Yanti Sukamdani, head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association. Were trying to get the government to educate people on tsunamis and get an early warning system in place. But if a warning system is not set up in Bali, business could be hit, she added. The drop in tourism since the 2004 tsunami continued this year with foreign tourist arrivals dropping 7.5 per cent to 1.89 million in the first half of 2006, the statistics bureau said. Four million tourists visited Indonesia last year. Indonesian tourism officials are trying to turn the tide by promoting other parts of the country that have been spared by natural disasters. Besides Bali and Java that have always been main tourist destinations, we have areas like Lombok, Sumatra, Kalimantan and eastern Indonesia for marine tourism, said Sambujo Parikesit, a senior tourism ministry official. Nature reserves in Kalimantan and stone-age villages in Papua are enticing to adventure travellers. High-end tourists can take their pick of secluded luxury resorts where prices are dropping due to low occupancy rates. The slowdown in tourism, which accounts for around five Per cent of Indonesias GDP and raked in about $4.4 billion last year, is compounding a cooling of the economy. With fewer tourists, shopkeepers in deserted souvenir shops on once-packed streets in Balis popular Kuta area are desperate. Some wear T-shirts emblazoned with abusive messages against militants. The bombs have really affected our business, said a sarong-clad woman at an art shop. But despite the potential dangers, some tourists say they are not deterred from enjoying Indonesias sun-kissed beaches. I am not afraid of being in Bali. A quake and tsunami could happen anywhere. Bali is beautiful, the waves are great, said Mick, a 24-year-old Australian surfer, as he waded out of the water at Kuta. Reuters http://www.dawn.com/2006/08/22/int18.htm Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Sir Tom puts up �400,000 to buy church for Buddhists
Fri 18 Aug 2006 Sir Tom puts up £400,000 to buy church for Buddhists JOANNA VALLELY ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) SIR TOM FARMER is funding a bid to buy a derelict city church and turn it into a home for Tibetan Buddhist monks and Mother Teresa nuns. The Kwik-Fit millionaire is thought to have offered more than £400,000 to secure the United Presbyterian Church on Blackfriars Street for an inter-faith residence and cultural centre. An offer was put in earlier this year to buy the disused church from the Italian Consulate on behalf of the monks, but the backer remained a mystery until now. Sir Tom said today: A group of us who are quite involved with the Edinburgh Interfaith Association thought it would make an ideal centre to bring together people of different faiths from around the city. We made an offer to purchase it. If I can play a role in making it a reality then I'm delighted. The Tibetans hope to form a new community in Edinburgh and make space available for exhibitions, talks and religious outreach events. They will share the space with the Sisters of Charity nuns, who are looking for new premises in the city from which to co-ordinate their work for the homeless. The Italian Consulate bought the church in 1992 but despite plans to turn it into an Italian Cultural Institute, the property has remained empty and fallen into disrepair. The Victorian church finally went on the market late last year. General secretary of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association Victor Spence and hairdresser Charlie Miller have also lent their support to the plan. The pair accompanied Sir Tom on a trip to Asia in 2004, where they met the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa's successor Sister Nirmala. Mr Spence said they were very grateful for Sir Tom's help in trying to secure Blackfriars Church for the religious communities. He said: The trip to India was a lasting experience for all of us and I believe Tom was positively influenced by his experience. We let Tom know of our aspirations for the church and, having a real interest in inter-faith relations in the city, he chose to support the project. Mr Spence, who co-ordinated the Dalai Lama's visit to the Capital last year, added that the mix of several religions in the same building would enrich the cultural life of the city. For the Sisters of Charity and the Buddhists to be considering sharing the building is great news. They both provide charitable services to the community which are most welcome. Malcolm Fraser architects has offered to look at rehabilitating the building to accommodate both groups. City centre trader Thom McCarthy, who runs meditation classes in premises opposite the church, originally suggested the site's potential as an inter-faith centre. He said they were looking at turning the ground floor into a Buddhist Temple. The first floor would contain two four-bedroom flats and the second floor would be left as a large open plan space to be culturally neutral and used as an auditorium or exhibition space. A kitchen and service area would be located in the basement under provisional plans, he said. Sir Tom Farmer's vision has enabled the project to get to this stage. Thanks to his assistance we have been able to make real progress, he added. Blackfriars Street United Presbyterian Church, which has a Gothic frontage, was built by Robert Morham in 1871. A C-listed building, it has been on the Buildings at Risk register since 2001, where its condition is listed as poor and the threat to its future is rated as high. The Italian Cultural Institute bought the church in 1992 intending to turn it into a cultural centre. But the project never got off the ground and gradually the building has fallen into disrepair. Edinburgh arts impresario Richard Demarco ran the church as an arts centre until he sold it to the Italians, blaming a lack of support from the council and the Scottish Arts Council. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/edinburgh.cfm?id=1210832006 Last updated: 18-Aug-06 13:50 BST Comments Add your comment1. jackie / 12:18pm 18 Aug 2006 This is absolutely marvellous news and shows the generous spirit of the human race which is an uplifting thought amidst all the bitter hatred of war. om mani padme hum Report as unsuitable 2. chas, east calder / 1:45pm 18 Aug 2006 if tom farmer is in such a generous mood he should donate his large fortune to help clean up the enviroment that he has destroyed after all he did amass his fortune by exploiting the very air we breathe Report as unsuitable 3. Alex / 1:57pm 18 Aug 2006 Get some money into hibs.. Report as unsuitable 4. Richard, Edinburgh / 1:57pm 18 Aug 2006 Oh my word! so its Tom Famers fault that there is global warming and polution? pull yourself together man ! Report as unsuitable 5. helen / 2:30pm 18 Aug 2006 people of tom farmers like are not intrested in the enviroment , all that matters is MONEY Report as unsuitable 6.
[mediacare] Hassan Nasrallah takes on mighty Israel and is winning
Thursday, August 10, 2006 New Arab hero JERUSALEM (AFP) Hassan Nasrallah takes on mighty Israel and is winning The Arab and Islamic world has a new hero. In countries from Morocco to Indonesia, Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is being feted as the man who took on mighty Israel and is winning. Even in London, some marchers demanding a ceasefire in the Lebanon conflict on Saturday carried placards emblazoned with portraits of the charismatic chief of the Lebanese resistance group that captured two Israeli soldiers on July 12 in a bid to force an exchange of prisoners with the Jewish state. Nasrallah may not have predicted the ferocity of the response to his groups actions, but in the month since Prime Minister Ehud Olmert unleashed his air force against Lebanon Hizbollah has continued to rain rocket fire across the border into Israel. Some of the young London marchers chanted slogans urging Nasrallah to target Tel Aviv with his missiles, a wish echoed at demonstrations across the Muslim world. In Morocco, they shouted Well-loved Nasrallah, destroy Tel Aviv! in Casablanca on Sunday, as well as We are all Hizbollah, we are all Nasrallah! and Allah, give victory to Hizbollah!. In Spain, where the countrys half million Muslims are regarded as moderate and well-integrated into the population of 44 million, support for Nasrallah is strong within their community. Nasrallah fights to liberate his country according to Riay Tatary of the Union of Muslim Communities in Spain, expressing his support for the resistance. Protestors in the capital of Austria, which is home to about 400,000 Muslims, chanted Nasrallah, please, bombard Tel Aviv! at a 130-strong rally on Saturday. In Jordan, which has a peace treaty with neighbouring Israel, protesters brandish huge portraits of the Hizbollah chief and chant for a Hizbollah victory. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shias thronged Baghdad on Friday chanting Death to Israel! and Resistance! in a massive demonstration of support for Hizbollah. It was the largest foreign show of support for the Lebanese guerrillas since Israel launched its offensive. In Pakistan, Nasrallah may not yet be as popular a figure as Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, but large portraits of the bearded and bespectacled leader, wearing the black turban reserved for Shia scholars, feature at increasingly frequent anti-Israel demonstrations, especially by the minority Shia community. He has also attracted the support of some of Pakistans majority Sunni community for resisting Israeli attacks. Afghanistans population is also predominantly Sunni, but there too support for Hizbollah is growing. This is a country where the Lebanon conflict has a special resonance and where Western troops have been blamed for scores of civilian deaths since a coalition led by Israels ally the US toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. Given the omnipresence of foreign forces in the capital Kabul, however, portraits of Nasrallah are generally not on open display. I can foresee the day they will be the heroes of the Islamic world, Kabul university lecturer Mohammed Zubair said. Hizbollah is a terrorist group, but by the ignorant and unfair attacks of Israel on innocent people and sovereign countries, such terrorist organisations become legitimate in peoples minds. In Indonesia, the Muslim worlds most populous nation, Nasrallahs status is rising amid increased anti-Israel protests. Bangladesh even named a bridge after Hizbollah, and it was opened by the countrys junior communications minister. I named the bridge Hizbollah because of our love for the Lebanese resistance group, Salahuddin Ahmed said. Hizbollah is the only group which is fighting Israel, and the bridge is named after the group as a mark of honour, he said. Support for Hizbollah is also as strong within some parts of Israel itself as it is in Lebanon, the groups base since its formation in 1982 in response to Israels invasion of the country. Among the narrow streets and alleyways of Arab East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967, cassettes and CDs of songs praising Hizbollah and Nasrallah are on sale. Nasrallah, 45, is a skilled orator with a sense of humour unusual among fundamentalist movements in the Middle East. He was elected Hizbollah secretary-general in 1992 after Israel killed his predecessor Abbas Al Musawi, his wife and three-year-old daughter in a air strike. Jerusalem Arab traders bereft of the usual tourist custom huddle to discuss the latest devlopments in Lebanon and Israel. Im happy to see Israeli soldiers drop like flies, said Jabra Nazmi, 25, owner of a store that sells cloth. Killed Hizbollah fighters? They go to paradise as martyrs. Khaled Tamimi, a 42-year-old boutique proprietor, said people admire Nasrallah as they admired (former Iraqi president) Saddam Hussein. Hes someone who has stood up to Israel that has occupied us for
[mediacare] Thousands join �fasting campaign� in China against arrest of Christians
Thousands join fasting campaign in China against arrest of Christians Web posted at: 8/5/2006 2:36:28 Source ::: AFP BEIJING Thousands of people in east China have joined a fasting campaign to protest the arrest of more than 50 underground Christians after the demolition of a local church, a church leader said yesterday. Several thousand Christians have joined a call for fasting and prayers, said a Beijing-based underground church leader who has visited those detained in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province after they clashed with police last Saturday. Police arrested five leaders of the Dangshan church, in Xiaoshan district, pushing the number of people arrested in the aftermath of the protest to 53, according to the Christian who declined to be named. Authorities are afraid that they would threaten its rule, he said, adding that three Christians were still missing. Up to 500 Chinese police on last Saturday clashed with around 3,000 Christians protesting at the razing of their church in Xiaoshan, after they tried to stop the demolition, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy. According to a statement from parishioners in Xiaoshan, which has a 100,000-strong Christian population, some of the arrested protesters were badly injured and their families feared for their lives. We call on all our brothers and sisters to fast and pray for the lives of these people and urge the government to release them soon, the statement said. The local congregation was trying to rebuild the underground church, which was not registered with the authorities, after a typhoon last year destroyed it, according to Fan Yafeng, a Beijing-based legal scholar. Fan said he will represent local Christians who plan to sue the government in the next few days. A police official said this week that the church was an illegal structure and had to be destroyed because it did not have the approval of the religious affairs bureau or the government. China maintains strict control over religious affairs and requires all faith communities to register and carry out religious activities in accordance with prescribed norms. Those wishing to worship outside of state control, in what are regarded as underground churches, are often arrested and beaten by local authorities. According to the US-based religious watchdog the China Aid Association, Chinese authorities arrested 1,958 underground church pastors between May 2005 and May 2006. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_Newssubsection=Rest+of+the+Worldmonth=August2006file=World_News2006080523628.xml Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Indon maids come cheaper
Friday August 4, 2006 Indon maids come cheaper By V.P. SUJATA [EMAIL PROTECTED] PUTRAJAYA: Employers now only need pay a maximum of RM3,700 to maid agencies to recruit Indonesian maids. The amount includes the fees for both local and Indonesian agents, processing fees and airfare. Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the figure was finalised during the final round of discussions with his Indonesian counterpart in Kota Kinabalu last week. Previously, the agents fee stood at RM5,500 which was due to market forces, he said. Now the sum to be paid by employers has been reduced by RM1,900. Employers need not pay more than RM3,700, he said. (It is learnt that of the amount, RM1,000 is the fee paid to the local agent and RM1,700 to the Indonesian agent, RM500 as processing fee, and another RM500 as transportation cost.) Radzi added that the sum was only applicable to Indonesian maids and may differ for maids from other countries, depending on the distance to the maids country of origin. The agreement was made following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia in Bali earlier this year, he said. The terms and conditions of the MoU took effect on June 13, he said, adding that the implementation of the new ruling was now being finalised. With the fees havingt been finalised, employers can go ahead to fix the salary with their maids, sign a contract, and open a bank account, he told reporters after visiting the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang yesterday. Radzi added that Malaysians could also bring in Indonesian maids without the involvement of maid agencies, provided they met all the requirements by Indonesia and Malaysia. Foreign Maid Agents Association vice-president Jeffrey Foo said it was fantastic if the fees paid to the Indonesian agent was only RM1,700 for each maid. If this is the case, I wish to say thank you to the negotiation team. I also hope our Indonesian counterparts will abide by the ruling, Foo said, adding that Indonesian agents previously charged up to RM3,400 per maid. Meanwhile, on claims of delay in the issuance of visas for skilled workers, Radzi said it occured at the approval stages at the various ministries. On his visit to the LCCT, Radzi said they would improve facilities for passengers on transit and also check on entry visa and transit visa problems. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/4/nation/15047730sec=nation Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] Being a minority helps Lim understand sensitive issues
Thursday July 27, 2006 Being a minority helps Lim understand sensitive issues BRUNEIS Foreign and Trade Minister II Pehin Datuk Lim Jock Seng says that being a minority helps him understand the sensitivities of certain issues. Appointed by the Sultan of Brunei on May 24 last year, Lim is the first ethnic Chinese to be appointed to the post in the oil-rich sultanate. The Chinese Diaspora that made its way to the region in the 11th century makes up 15% of the kingdoms 350,000-strong population. Asked if he was the first Chinese minister in Brunei, the 62-year-old former civil servant said: It looks like it. I guess coming from a minority group, helps me understand the sensitivities of certain issues, what makes a person tolerant and the need to understand matters. Lim, who would be the first to quash any attempt to fuss over his ethnic heritage, is married to Datin Tan Bee Yong and have two daughters and son. I have been with the Foreign Ministry since 1981, so my experience in international affairs is not new, he said in an interview on the sidelines of the Asean+3 meeting here yesterday. Nevertheless, its a big responsibility and Im thankful that I have been given the post.. Lim, who enjoys golfing, jogging and swimming, graduated with a B.Sc in Economics from Wales in 1969 and later obtained an M. Phil in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1981. Lim, who is also a member of the Brunei Legislative Council and the Privy Council, said that in some ways he could identify with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who is also the first black woman to be appointed to her post. Well, shes a woman and Im a man, but I have met her and I think shes very smart, he said, adding that he was glad to hear that Rice was coming for the Asean Regional Forum. As US state secretary, she will always have an impact on our meetings, Lim said. We hope we can continue to contribute to Aseans role in maintaining peace and security, he said, adding that he would continue to work towards promoting the very close relations that Brunei already enjoyed with Malaysia. http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/27/nation/14960566sec=nation Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] India: Terrorism Vs the Muslims
India - Terrorism Vs the Muslims Thursday, 27 July 2006, 3:22 pm Opinion: Tanveer Jafri India: Terrorism Vs the Muslims By Tanveer Jafri Mumbai, the commercial capital of India with the population of 18 millions peace loving people was once again a target of dreaded terrorism on the eleventh ultimo. The ultraists did serial powerful blasts at seven different places in Mumbai local trains that are always full to their capacity thus ruthlessly killed 185 innocent persons. In this inhuman tragedy, more than 800 persons were wounded, who were admitted in 30 different hospitals for treatment. Although the terrorists couldnt succeed in their nefarious designs to spoil the communal harmony in India yet these handful of so said Islamic Jehadies have, once again brought the Indian Muslims in a chancy suspicious circle, by their beastly action. At present not only India but Middle East, South Asia Indonesia etc. are also facing the difficult circumstances created by the extremists. It may be the severest attack in the world on September 11 on the World Trade Centre or bomb explosions in London, Madrid Bali, it may be an unsuccessful attempt to attack Indian Parliament or life taking attacks on holy religious places such as Jammu, Varanasi Ahmedabad, all the persons found taking part in the extremist activities at all these places or found associated in these conspiracies, unfortunately mostly happened to be members of the Muslim community. Although these few insane misguided Muslims claim that their Islamic Jehad is True Islam, yet these misguided persons are proving a great problem not only for Islam religion but for the Muslims of the Muslim world also. The Indians have not forgotten yet, the fire accident in Sabarmati Express on February 27, 2002 in Gujarat State in which 58 persons died because of fire burns. After this incident some Hindu activists, misusing this train accident, played havoc against the Muslims. Even today, thousands of the Muslims tremble on remembering the bad aftermath of the Gujarat riots when they feel the loss of lives property, they had suffered. ADVERTISEMENT The roots of communal harmony secularism are very deep in India. It may be the bloody political division of India in 1947 or communal riots that occurred off on or the incidents that happened in Gujarat or the injustice, cruelty, attack on religious beliefs that the Hindu minority is facing in Kashmir or happenings of December 6 or the present bomb accidents in Mumbai, all these occurrences may hurt the communal harmony for some moments but soon all the wounds are healed the train of communal harmony is again on its track. On July 11, the wicked persons who made target to innocent citizens of the economic capital of India undoubtedly did this action in Mumbai, just keeping in mind their motive of spoiling the communal harmony. They thought that these incidents will help in communal polarization in India anti-social elements will take some benefit out of it. In this fire that was lit by Jehadi powers, one leader of the so called Hindu Organisation, also tried to add fuel tried to provoke peace loving Hindus tried to spoil communal harmony. This so called religionist leader went to the extent of saying that they would make the whole India a Gujarat. He said that terrorists are slaughtering we believe in giving a shock as was done in Gujarat. Overall, this leader vomited poison tried to threaten all the Muslims of India just in retaliation to the bad action of some timid insane Muslims. It is not wrong to say that after the death of thousands of Muslims after the train accident of Godhra in 2002, the Muslim community has started feeling insecure. Any so called Jehadi incident of terrorism in the country puts the Muslim community in a worry that this terrorism incident may not be retaliated by the so called Hindu Organisations that may create enmity between the Hindus the Muslims. Both the powers that are full of communal thoughts felt somewhat different when the mourning assembly organized for the martyrs of Mumbai Bomb Blasts was lead by Indian President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. All the country stood with him mourned in the remembrance of innocent martyrs at the same time such act of terrorism was highly condemned there. Undoubtedly communal powers are trying to spoil communal harmony, by acts such as Mumbai Bomb Blasts. That may be bomb blasts by extremists (Jehadies) or after that some bad unparliamentary statements stated against the Muslims by some so called the Hinduism leaders, all this was done in order to injure communal harmony. But the mournful silent homage paid under the leadership of President Kalam is the first of its kind rare living example of communal unity in the country. Two minutes silence standing along with the entire country, Bharat Rattan his majesty President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam has shown to the world
[mediacare] Konghuchu
***Pemulihan status Konghuchu sebagai agama resmi, telah dijadikan satu obyek diskusi di milis2 Indonesia, mengkritik pemerintah dan SBY. ***Pahami dulu apa Konghuchu itu satu agama atau hanya satu filosofi, kemudian renungkan apakah Konghuchu diakui sebagai agama resmi akan menyatukan suku Tionghoa dalam memperjuangkan status suku Tionghoa di Indonesia. Atau, dengan mengurangnya jumlah penganut ajaran Konghuchu, suku Tionghoa lebih baik bersatu, misalnya, dibawah kekuatan agama Kristen ? ***Keluarkan isi hati kalian. Laskar Jihad tidak malu2 membanggakan kekuatannya, kenapa Laskar Kristus masih malu2 kucing ? Agama Khonghucu Dari Wikipedia Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas berbahasa Indonesia. (Dialihkan dari Konghucu) Langsung ke: panduan arah, cari Agama Khonghucu adalah istilah yang muncul sebagai akibat dari keadaan politik di Indonesia. Agama Khonghucu lazim dikaburkan makna dan hakikatnya dengan Konfusianisme sebagai filsafat. Daftar isi [sembunyikan] 1 Sejarah 1.1 Konfusianisme sebagai agama dan filsafat 1.2 Agama Khonghucu di zaman Orde Baru 1.3 Agama Khonghucu di zaman Orde Reformasi 2 Perbedaan definisi agama Khonghucu di Indonesia dan luar negeri 3 Ajaran Konfusius 4 Intisari ajaran Khong Hu Cu 5 Lihat pula [sunting] Sejarah [sunting] Konfusianisme sebagai agama dan filsafat Konfusianisme muncul dalam bentuk agama di beberapa negara seperti Korea, Jepang, Taiwan, Hong Kong dan RRT. Dalam bahasa Tionghoa, agama Khonghucu seringkali disebut sebagai Kongjiao (E³) atau Rujiao (ò³). Namun, secara hakikat sebenarnya isi agama Khonghucu berbeda dengan Kongjiao atau Rujiao di negara-negara tersebut. Agama Khonghucu di Indonesia merujuk kepada pemeluk kepercayaan tradisional Tionghoa yang sebenarnya bukan merupakan suatu agama. Namun karena sebenarnya pemeluk kepercayaan tradisional Tionghoa tidak dapat digolongkan ke salah satu agama yang diakui di Indonesia, maka muncullah agama Khonghucu sebagai penaung pemeluk kepercayaan tadi. [sunting] Agama Khonghucu di zaman Orde Baru Di zaman Orde Baru, pemerintahan Soeharto melarang segala bentuk aktivitas berbau kebudayaaan dan tradisi Tionghoa di Indonesia. Ini menyebabkan banyak pemeluk kepercayaan tradisional Tionghoa menjadi tidak berstatus sebagai pemeluk salah satu dari 5 agama yang diakui. Untuk menghindari permasalahan politis (dituduh sebagai atheis dan komunis), pemeluk kepercayaan tadi kemudian diharuskan untuk memeluk salah satu agama yang diakui, mayoritas menjadi pemeluk agama Kristen atau Buddha. Klenteng yang merupakan tempat ibadah kepercayaan tradisional Tionghoa juga terpaksa merubah nama dan menaungkan diri menjadi vihara yang merupakan tempat ibadah agama Buddha. [sunting] Agama Khonghucu di zaman Orde Reformasi Seusai Orde Baru, pemeluk kepercayaan tradisional Tionghoa mulai mencari kembali pengakuan atas identitas mereka. Untuk memenuhi syarat sebagai agama yang diakui menurut hukum Indonesia, maka beberapa lokalisasi dilancarkan menimbulkan perbedaan pengertian agama Khonghucu di Indonesia dengan Konfusianisme di luar negeri. [sunting] Perbedaan definisi agama Khonghucu di Indonesia dan luar negeri Agama Khonghucu di Indonesia: Mengangkat Konfusius sebagai salah satu nabi (æm) Menetapkan Litang (Gerbang Kebajikan) sebagai tempat ibadah resmi, namun dikarenakan tidak banyak akses ke litang, masyarakat umumnya menganggap klenteng sebagai tempat ibadah umat Khonghucu. Menetapkan Sishu Wujing (lÜãS) sebagai kitab suci resmi Menetapkan tahun baru Imlek sebagai hari raya keagamaan resmi Konfusianisme di luar negeri: Konfusius hanya sebagai orang bijak (¹l) Kelenteng sebagai tempat ibadah pemeluk kepercayaan tradisional Tionghoa, tempat ibadah Konfusianis adalah litang (âX°) Jumlah kitab mengulas tentang Konfusianisme tak terhitung banyaknya, tidak ada yang khusus disucikan Tahun baru Imlek tidak ada hubungannya dengan Konfusius, hari lahir Konfusius jatuh pada tanggal 28 September setiap tahunnya dan diperingati sebagai hari raya penganut Konfusianisme [sunting] Ajaran Konfusius Ajaran Konfusianisme atau Kong Hu Cu (juga: Kong Fu Tze atau Konfusius) dalam bahasa Tionghoa, istilah aslinya adalah Rujiao (ò³) yang berarti agama dari orang-orang yang lembut hati, terpelajar dan berbudi luhur. Khonghucu memang bukanlah pencipta agama ini melainkan beliau hanya menyempurnakan agama yang sudah ada jauh sebelum kelahirannya seperti apa yang beliau sabdakan: Aku bukanlah pencipta melainkan Aku suka akan ajaran-ajaran kuno tersebut. Meskipun orang kadang mengira bahwa Khonghucu adalah merupakan suatu pengajaran filsafat untuk meningkatkan moral dan menjaga etika manusia. Sebenarnya kalau orang mau memahami secara benar dan utuh tentang Ru Jiao atau Agama Khonghucu, maka orang akan tahu bahwa dalam agama Khonghucu (Ru Jiao) juga terdapat Ritual yang harus dilakukan oleh para penganutnya. Agama Khonghucu juga mengajarkan tentang bagaimana hubungan antar sesama manusia atau
[mediacare] Asia to be king in five years
Asia to be king in five years 25/6/2006 Domestic demand from Asia will have a bigger influence on global growth than the United States in just five years, according to DBS. The bank pointed out Asia had grown immensely in the past five years with trade between China and the rest of Asia multiplying rapidly and evolving into a cohesive economic force that was fast catching up with the US. Describing the transformation as a passing of the baton, DBS analyst David Carbon said, Domestic demand growth in Asia is already very large compared to domestic demand growth in the US. Next year, Asia will generate 85 per cent as much fresh demand as the US. The current outlook for Asia also remained healthy with help from Chinas 9 per cent growth proving to be big boon for the region. Asias growth depends significantly more on China than on the US, said the Singapore-based bank while suggesting Asia start focusing more on the monetary policy of the Peoples Bank of China than the Fed. The continued slowing of the US economy would also act in Asias favour with DBS noting the economic giant was likely to experience stagflation in the coming quarter with Asian currencies likely to muscle up on a softening greenback. Commenting on market volatility in the region, DBS said the situation was likely to remain for the next couple of months but assured its reality check on the region made it more positive towards the Asian markets. Markets have corrected sharply but Asias strong growth fundamentals remain, it said. The bank was Overweight on Singapore and Indonesia, Neutral on Hong Kong and China and carried an Underweight stance on Thailand and Malaysia. http://www.moneynewsasia.com/articleExpanded.asp?r_articleID=658 Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Something is new at Yahoo! Groups. Check out the enhanced email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/SISQkA/gOaOAA/yQLSAA/IRislB/TM ~- Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[mediacare] The Clash of Civilization is Already Here
The Clash of Civilization is Already Here WorldNews.com,Fri 23 Jun 2006 WorldNews Guest Writer Ehsan Ahrari. Reading Andrew Kohuts latest poll results that were issued on June 13, 2006, entitled, Americas Image Slips, But Allies Share U.S. Concerns Over Iran, Hamas, one gets a powerful feeling that the clash of civilizationsthat Samuel Huntington wrongly described of being around in the early 1990sis finally very much amidst us. Even though the Kohut poll has a wider scope than is reflected in his title, it is issued at a time when three conflicts involving the world of Islam are capturing the attention of the international community. First is the conflict is the sustained U.S. presence in Iraq, which has attracted the insurgents of all leanings: Islamists, Baathists, Arab nationalists, pan-Arabists, and global Jihadists. The second issue of global attention is the U.S.-Iran conflict involving Irans uranium enrichment program. The government of that country depicts its uranium enrichment as part of its fundamental rights to conduct peaceful nuclear research, and insists that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons. The United States, on the contrary, is equally adamant that Iran aspires to do just that. Third, the election of Hamas in the occupied territories has triggered an intense conflict, not only between the West and the Palestinian nation, but also within the Palestinian nation itself. The United States and the EU insisted that they would suspend their financial assistance to the Palestinians until Hamas renounces violence, recognizes, and then negotiates with Israel. The EU has relented and agreed to send money to President Abu Abbas of Fatah for distribution to the Palestinian people, thereby continuing its insistence of not dealing with Hamas. Israel has also withheld all Palestinian funds that it collects in the occupied territories on their behalf. Given the high visibility of these three issues, Andrew Kohuts poll has presented some very interesting results. U.S. Image The U.S. invasion of Iraq, since it was carried out without the sanction of the world body, has remained highly unpopular worldwide. However, its unpopularity is considerably more intense in Muslim countries than it has been in the West. It is apparent that, even though the positive image of the United States in selected Western countries has gone down between 1999 and 2006, those numbers are significantly higher in Muslim countries during the same period. Irans Potential Acquisition of Nuclear Weapons Even though there is a global opposition to Irans potential development of nuclear weapons, Muslim and Western countries have entirely different perception of the threat stemming from such a possibility. Germany, France, U.K. Japan as well as the United States unanimously oppose Irans potential development of nuclear weapons. However, in a number of Muslim countries opposition to that issue is considerably lower than in the West. In Turkey, 61 percent oppose while 23 percent favor Irans acquisition of nuclear weapons. In Indonesia, these number are 59 and 30; in Pakistan 15 and 52; in Egypt 42 and 44; and in Jordan 42 and 45. Hamas Victory The electoral victory of Hamas has surprised the whole world. If democracy was such a good idea, one wonders why there is such a strong opposition to the result of that phenomenon in the occupied territories. The general belief in the Muslim world is that there is a profound evidence of Western hypocrisy on this development. A general Muslim position is that if the West wanted democracy to take roots in the occupied territories (and elsewhere in the Middle East), then it should accept its results, no matter how different they happen to be from their collective expectations. Why, they ask, the Palestinians are being punished for exercising their democratic rights? In the United States only 20 percent of the people feel that the election of Hamas was a good development, while 50 percent labeled it as bad. In the U.K. the same numbers are 32 and 34; Spain 28 and 47; France 24 and 69; Germany 11 and 71. Compare the same numbers in some Muslim countries: Pakistan percent 87 good 4 percent bad; Egypt 76 and 13; Jordan 68 and 16; Indonesia 61 and 23; Turkey 44 and 23. Which Country is More dangerous to World Peace? In the unipolar post-Cold War and post-9/11 global order, worlds attention is more focused on what the U.S. does than during the Cold War years, when the former Soviet Union shared the limelight with that superpower. According to Kohut, Majorities in 10 of 14 foreign countries surveyed say that the war in Iraq has made the world a more dangerous place. That number is very high even in Great Britain, Americas strongest ally, where 61% say the war has made the world more dangerous, while just half that number (30%) feel it has made the world safer. Finally, another important finding
[mediacare] Jakarta takes steps to check Indonesians� abuse abroad
Jakarta takes steps to check Indonesians abuse abroad Web posted at: 6/18/2006 5:0:39 Source ::: The Peninsula by staff reporter Jakarta The Indonesian government views ill-treatment of nationals employed as domestic helpers in the Middle East and other parts of the world very seriously, and Jakarta is taking all possible preventive measures, Imron Caton, Secretary General at Indonesia's Department of Foreign Affairs, said. Speaking to The Peninsula, Caton said, delegations of officials from his ministry, Ministry of Manpower and Employment and representatives of UN mandated labour organisations were now visiting various countries where Indonesian manpower was deployed in large numbers, to check for any violations. In addition, the foreign ministry has established a special directorate that will embark on various projects aimed at improving the overall welfare of Indonesian citizens working abroad, including conducting training sessions to upgrade their skills. Caton said, these efforts gained momentum after a December 2005 visit to Malaysia by the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. An Indonesian woman who was initially recruited as a domestic servant but forced to work as a prostitute, managed to narrate her plight to Yudhoyono, as he attended a public function. The president and accompanying Malaysian officials, aghast at what occurred, launched a crackdown that netted human traffickers in the two countries, he added. QRC distributes QR8.2m in assistance doha The Qatar Red Crescent disbursed aid worth QR 1.6m inside Qatar and QR 6.6m as donations and assistance outside the country last year. The assistance inside Qatar included monthly coupons for food given to needy families, house rents for 1255 families including 660 Qatari families. Other countries benefited were Niger, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Iraq and Pakistan, among others, said the annual report of the charity, presented in its annual general meeting recently. In a speech read out by on behalf of the chairperson Sheikha Eisha bint Khalifa Al Thani, Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, vice chairperson of the charity said that it had done a lot but the humanitarian relief work needs more perseverance and cooperation. Mohammed Mujahid, from planning and follow up section of the charity gave a detailed presentation on its programmes and activities, which includes donation to Palestinian people worth over QR 1.8m, Somalia (QR 51,684), Sudan (QR 212,127), Lebanon (QR 36,500) and Iran (QR 200,750). At the end of the meeting, the budget for 2006 was presented and approved unanimously. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_Newssubsection=Rest+of+the+Worldmonth=June2006file=World_News200606185039.xml Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- What does your credit report say about you? Find out on the Beehive. http://us.click.yahoo.com/XrNZRC/HPaOAA/cosFAA/IRislB/TM ~- Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
