NAM DEMANDS RELEASE OF PALESTINIAN POLITICAL DETAINEES IN ISRAEL by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 28, 2011 (ANTARA) - The deep concern expressed by Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa about Palestinian political prisoners including children in Israeli jails, perhaps could be better represented by what Lord Alf Dubs said in the British Parliament on May 4, 2011:
        "In the (Israeli) court we visited we saw a 14 year-old and a 15-year-old (Palestinian children), one of them in tears, both looking absolutely bewildered. What shocked me as much as anything was to see that these young persons-children-had chains or shackles around their ankles while sitting in court. They were also handcuffed as they went into court. Although the handcuffs were taken off while they were in court, they were put on again as they left the court."

SAIL WAKATOBI BELITUNG SET FOR KICK-OFF JUNE 7 by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 27, 2011 (ANTARA) - The government finally has set June 7 as the date for the launching of Sail Wakatobi Belitung (SWB), also called Sail Indonesia 2011, which will be held in Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi Province, and Belitung in Bangka Belitung (Babel) Province.
      "The SWB 2011 will be launched on June 7, 2011 in Jakarta to mark the beginning of the marine event," Marine Affairs and Fishery Minister Fadel Muhammad said after chairing a meeting on the preparations for the implementation of SWB 2011 here Wednesday (May 25).

NAM Meeting In Bali Momentum To Garner Support For Palestine by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 27, 2011  (ANTARA News) - Palestine has always been a topic in Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meetings, and this is also the case at the ongoing 16th NAM Ministerial Meeting in Bali which reaffirms support  for an independent state of Palestine.
       The NAM meeting which also marks with the 50th anniversary of the Movement, on Wednesday (May 25) adopted  a "Bali Commemorative Declaration" including on Palestine.   

RI ESTABLISHES PARKS TO MARK BIODIVERSITY DAY by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 24, 2011 (ANTARA) - Environmental Affairs Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta has inaugurated several biodiversity parks to mark International Biological Diversity Day (IDB) 2011.
      The establishment of biodiversity parks was aimed at preserving biodiversity in regions which have biodiversity with unique characteristics, Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said when commemorating the IDB at Cibodas Botanical Garden, Pangrango, Bogor, West Java, Monday (May 22).

CORAL REEFS RECOVER BUT STILL NEED PROTECTION By Fardah

     Jakarta, May 23, 2011 (ANTARA) - Coral reefs have been in the international spotlight lately following a marine survey by Conservation International (CI) on Bali Island, Indonesia.
     The two-week marine survey conducted by CI scientists and local partners led to the discovery of eight potential new fish and coral species in the waters surrounding Bali island.

LONG-AWAITED DECREE ON DEFORESTATION MORATORIUM DRAWS MIXED RESPONSES FROM NGOs by Fardah

       Jakarta, May 20, 2011 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono finally signed the long-awaited Presidential Instruction on deforestation moratorium to help curb the climate change impacts and preserve the remaining tropical forests and biodiversity in it.

      The news on the two-year moratorium decree was revealed to the press by Agus Purnomo , a presidential aide for climate change affairs, here Thursday (May 19).

"MYSTERIOUS" SUMATRAN ELEPHANT DEATHS REMAIN UNSOLVED by Fardah

    Jakarta, May 14 , 2011(ANTARA) - Conflicts between Sumatran elephants(Elephas maximus sumatranus) and humans have increased over the past few years claiming lives among both humans and elephants but mostly among the giant animals.

       At least 14 elephants were found dead during the period of 2004-2011, but who had caused their deaths has remained "not known".

RI IN NO HURRY TO BUILD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT by Fardah

       Jakarta, May 12, 2011 (ANTARA) - The leaking of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following the powerful earthquake in Japan last March 2011 has obviously caused many parties in Indonesia to do some rethinking about building a nuclear power plant.

       Since the 1980s, Indonesia has in fact been making preparations to build a few nuclear power plants. The country has even formalized the plan in Law No. 17/2007 that mandates the use of nuclear energy in the country by 2015-2019, meaning that a nuclear power plant is to be built by 2019 at the latest.

TOWARDS ESTABLISHMENT OF ASEAN INSTITUTE FOR PEACE AND RECONCILIATION by Fardah

       Jakarta, May 9, 2011 (ANTARA) - Eight years after the adoption of the ASEAN Security Community concept, the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have finally agreed to set up an Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.

      The agreement was formulated by the ASEAN leaders in a Joint Statement on the Establishment of An ASEAN Institute For Peace and Reconciliation which was issued at the end of the 18th ASEAN Summit held in Jakarta, on May 7-8, 2011.

ASEAN SEEKING FOOD SECURITY AMID SURGE IN GLOBAL PRICES by Fardah

     Jakarta, May 7, 2011 (ANTARA) - The current global food and energy price hikes have concerned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as this year`s ASEAN Chair, calling for clear and concrete cooperation among ASEAN member countries to secure food supplies for their peoples.
      "Food security will become a great challenge for ASEAN," the Indonesian head of state said in his opening speech at the 18th ASEAN Summit being held in Jakarta, May 7-8, 2011.

ASEAN TO SHARE EXPERIENCES IN DEALING WITH PIRACY by Fardah

     Jakarta, May 5, 2011 (ANTARA) - Three out of ASEAN`s member countries have become victims of Somali pirates so far, therefore it is considered important to discuss the piracy issue in the upcoming 18th ASEAN Summit.
     Moreover, the three states - Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore - also are knowledgeable about piracy because it used to be rampant in their own backyard - the Malacca Strait.

TRUST BUILDING NEEDED TO SOLVE THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER DISPUTE by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 4, 2011 (ANTARA) - The border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia has escalated over the last couple of months and no concrete solution is in sight so far despite mediation efforts by Indonesia as the current ASEAN Chair.
       The last time Cambodia and Thailand sit together with Indonesia as the facilitator was in the Joint Border Committee(JBC) Meeting in Bogor, West Java, on April 7-8, 2011, but, the meeting did not yield any significant result.
      The matter was so complexed that it could not be solved in just one meeting, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said in Bogor, following the meeting on April 8.

OSAMA'S KILLING PROMPTS SECURITY ALERT IN INDONESIA by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 3, 2011 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has decided to step up security measures following the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US commandos as it feared retaliation by extremists.
       Upon hearing the news of Osama`s death, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reaffirmed Indonesia`s commitment to fighting terrorism jointly with the rest of the world.

MEDIA, SECURITY PERSONNEL, HOSPITAL READY FOR ASEAN SUMMIT by Fardah

      Jakarta, May 2, 2011 (ANTARA) - The organizing committee of the upcoming 18th ASEAN Summit and its preliminary meetings which will take place in Jakarta May 4-8 has made sure that security personnel, hospital and other supporting facilities are ready for the ASEAN delegates.
      "All personnel, venues and locations for the Summit and meetings have reached the final preparations and are confirmed ready for the Summit of the Southeast Asian nations," Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, as the person in charge of the 18th ASEAN Summit organizing committee said at his office here Monday (May 2) after chairing a meeting on the preparations of the 18th ASEAN Summit.

WORKERS OBSERVE MAY DAY PEACEFULLY, CALL FOR WELFARE IMPROVEMENT by Fardah

       Jakarta, May 1, 2011 (ANTARA) - Thousands of workers celebrated Labor Day or May Day on May 1 in a number of cities peacefully, Sunday, and chanted calls for their welfare improvement, revocation of outsourcing contract system, and social insurance for laborers.
      May Day stems from ancient customs associated with the celebration of spring. It is also a national holiday for workers in many countries around the world.