Stories about Indonesia from August, 2005
Indonesia: Dutch scholarship
A. Fatih Syuhud highlights StuNed (Studeren in Nederland), a scholarship programme that aims to contribute to the development of Indonesia through the strengthening of human resources in Indonesian organisations. Some 200 full scholarships are offered for professionals to follow master programmes, short courses or tailor made training, all conducted in...
Indonesia: Gus Dur for Christians
Former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid (aka Gus Dur), an influential Muslim cleric, has made a stand against the anti-Christian activities of violent Muslim group Front Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders’ Front).
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) is being pressed to convict masterminds of last year’s murder of acclaimed human rights campaigner Munir, who was killed by arsenic poisoning while on a September 6-7 Garuda flight from Jakarta to Singapore to Amsterdam. Though the suspects , Garuda Indonesia pilot and alleged intelligence...
Indonesia: New blog
Former politics and economics website Laksamana.Net has reincarnated into an English blog named Paras Indonesia, though it retains the former URL. Editorially backed by six columnists, it attempts to present straight news that explains the dynamics and intricacies of Indonesia, like this one – Pressure on President as rupiah hits...
Indonesia: Narcissus
Blogger Avianto stays on in Berlin, jobless, after finishing his Master of Science in Digital Media degree at ISNM in Lübeck, Germany. Re-reading “Understanding Media” by Marshall McLuhan which briefly touched on Narcissus, he blogs: “Human beings are so simple, we always have extensions when we communicate with the world…...
Indonesia: Abortion
Blogger Ahmad SS Ramadhana estimates that some 2 million Indonesian female undergo abortion every year. Of the number, some 900 of them go through unsafe abortion procedure conducted by untrained personnel. Free sex is said to be one of the main causes of unwanted conception that led to abortion.
Indonesia: Flash memory
“Don't ever trust things you buy IN China…” that seems ot be the conclusion of three Indonesian bloggers (Waryaman Wardana blogs in both English and Indonesian) and two online resource sites. They each paid 100 yuan, excluding taxes, for a 4GB SONY flash memory card which turned out to be...
Indonesia: Google Talk
Google talk was picked up fast by bloggers from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Brunei: Royal wedding bells
The Brunei-born Australian who blogs Macam-Macam (meaning all kinds) from Indonesia was watching Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, former World's Richest Man, divorcing his second wife and taking a new bride. “Unsurprisingly, no mention of the Sultan's marriage in the country's compliant national English daily, the Borneo Bulletin. Wouldn't want to let...
Indonesia: 6oth National day
Indonesia celebrates its 60th National day today. Agam, a Thailand-based blogger who hails from the little town of Tapaktuan in Indonesia, wishes all the best to Indonesians in building a truly democratic nation, and to the people of Aceh, who have suffered in the decades-long conflict and the recent tsunami...
Indonesia: Mr Underground Movement
Indonesian blogger Budi Rahardjo runs a blog called “Underground Movement”, or Gerakan Bawah Tanah in the Indonesian language, hence his nick Mr. GBT. He is actually the R&D director at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) near Jakarta, a Canadian-trained network security expert and an administrator of IdCERT. He was featured in...
Indonesia: Farewell to Arms
FAREWELL TO ARMS. August 15 marks the day of signing of the final Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Indonesia government and Aceh Freedom Movement (GAM, Gerakan Aceh Merdeka), in which the separatists agree to disarm and accept amnesty, money and farmland. Ironically, peace finally dawned to replace the decades-old...
Indonesia: Background on West Papua
Jakartass lays out the background and context for current events in the Indonesian province of West Papua.
Indonesia: Troops withdrawing from Aceh, but going where?
Jakartass is worried that the troops that are being withdrawn from Aceh will be redeployed to West Papua.
Images from Indonesia: Flag Seller
“Seller in a Market That Should Be a Lot Smaller by Now” by Shreyans A street vendor sells Indonesian flags for in Jakarta in preparation for the upcoming Indonesian National Day on August 17th.
Flickr Pick from Indonesia
Photograph by Aart Nicolai
Indonesia: Alternatives to Extremism: An Indonesian Travelogue
Ideant visits Indonesia and examines how Indonesians practice Islam compared to the Middle East.
Indonesia: A Space of One's Own
Jakartass on the need for the space of one's own, or, how do westerners deal with the extended in-law family?