INDONESIA TO USE ELECTRONIC ID CARDS by Fardah

      Jakarta, June 27, 2011 (ANTARA) - As of 2011, the Indonesian government will start issuing electronic identification (e-ID) cards or locally called E-KTP for around 67 million people living in 187 districts/cities, out of a total of 178 eligible million throughout the country.
      "The remaining 105 million in 300 districts/cities (will have e-ID cards) in 2012," Dr Hammam Riza, head of the communications and information technology center of the Technology Application and Study Agency (BPPT), said here recently.

RI VOICES NAM'S CONCERN ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS THREAT By Fardah

      Jakarta, June 25, 2011 (ANTARA) - As the Coordinator of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)`s Working Group on Disarmament, Indonesia has been very active in voicing the grouping`s concern about the threat of nuclear weapon to humanity.
      At the General Debate of the 2008 United Nations Disarmament Commission New York, in April 2008, Dr. Marty M. Natalegawa, who was at that time Indonesia`s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on behalf of NAM, stressed that progress in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in all its aspects is essential to the strengthening of international peace and security.

TKI DISPATCH MORATORIUM HAILED, GOVT TO FORM TASK FORCE by Fardah

      Jakarta, June 23, 2011 (ANTARA) - The government`s decision to halt the sending of Indonesian migrant workers to Saudi Arabia was hailed by various parties, and more than that a special task force is set up to help troubled TKIs overseas.
      Former vice president Jusuf Kalla, noted international law Hikmahanto Juwana, and House Speaker Marzuki Alie have supported and appreciated the government for the moratorium which comes into effect on August 1, 2011.

GOVT FINALLY STOPS MIGRANT WORKERS DISPATCH TO S ARABIA by Fardah

       Jakarta, June 22, 2011 (ANTARA) - The government has finally decided to impose a moratorium on the dispatch of migrant workers (TKI) to Saudi Arabia after being pressured by various parties following tragic ordeals suffered by several TKIs in the Middle Eastern kingdom.
      "After considering and studying the impact of total tightening for the past three months the Indonesian government decided to declare a moratorium on the dispatch of workers to Saudi Arabia," Manpower Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said here on Wednesday.

RI REACTS STRONGLY TO SAUDIS BEHEADING MIGRANT WORKER by Fardah

      Jakarta, June 20, 2011 (ANTARA) - The beheading of Ruyati binti Satubi, an Indonesian female migrant worker, in Saudi Arabia has prompted the government to protest the action by recalling its ambassador to the Middle Eastern kingdom.
       "We will recall Ambassador Gatot Abudullah Mansyur from Riyadh, and keep the ambassadorial post in Saudi Arabia vacant until the issue has been cleared up, and the conditions of TKIs placed there are improved. Ambassador Gatot is expected to return home today," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said at a hearing with the House of Representatives` Commission I at the Parliament Building here Monday.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE TO WELCOME FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD ACTOR By Fardah

      Jakarta, June 19, 2011 (ANTARA) - Famous Hollywood actor Richard Gere will visit Borobudur and Prambanan temples on June 25-27, 2011, and expected to help promote Indonesian tourism internationally.
       "Gere has a lot of fans in Asia, the United States and Europe, so his visit hopefully will help promote Borobudur and Prambanan temples world-wide," Sapta Nirwandar, tourism and culture ministry`s director general of marketing, said at a press conference here last weekend.

INDONESIA'S FUTURE LIES IN OCEANS by Fardah

       Jakarta, June 18, 2011 (ANTARA) - Indonesia, one of the world`s largest maritime countries with about 5.8 million square kilometers of marine territory, recently observed World Oceans Day by reminding the people of the important role of oceans for the nation`s future.
       The world`s oceans which account for about 70 percent of the Earth`s surface are essential to food security and the health and survival of all life, power the climate and are a critical part of the biosphere.

ASEAN UNITES IN BATTLE AGAINST DENGUE by Fardah

        Jakarta, June 16, 2011 (ANTARA) - The first ASEAN Dengue Day was observed on June 15 at Jakarta`s National Museum on June 15, where a call was made to intensify regional cooperation to tackle the disease.
       "This is the inaugural launch, and later it will be observed by every ASEAN member country annually," Indonesian Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said after dedicating ASEAN Dengue Day.

SECURITY TIGHTENED PRIOR TO BA'ASYIR'S SENTENCING by Fardah

      Jakarta, June 15, 2011 (ANTARA) - Threats of multiple bombing attacks and those against the judges handling the case of Abu Bakar Ba`asyir have prompted police to tighten security prior to the passing of the court`s verdict on the Muslim cleric accused of terrorism. 

      Police would provide security for the judges who had received short text messages (SMS) containing threats from unidentified persons, Jakarta Metropolitan Police chief Inspector General Sutarman said here on Wednesday (June 14).

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP OFFERS SOLUTION TO FOOD SECURITY, MALNUTRITION by Fardah

       Jakarta, June 13, 2011 (ANTARA) - At least two projects involving the public-private sector partnership have been highlighted at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia taking place in Jakarta, June 12-13, 2011.
       The projects are WEF Partnership on Indonesian Sustainable Agriculture (WEFPISA) aimed at promoting food security and economic growth through sustainable agriculture; and Project Laser Beam (PLB), a US$50-million project to eradicate child malnutrition, with an initial focus on Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Forest Eleven Countries Acknowledge Communities` Role In Conservation by Fardah

     Jakarta , June 11, 2011 (ANTARA News) - Forest Eleven (F-11) member countries possessing tropical forests have reaffirmed the importance of the communities` role in forest conservation.
      "Communities have proven to be able to manage forest sustainably" although they use different models and approaches, representatives of the F-11 member countries stated in the last day of their three-day meeting at Senggigi tourist resort, West Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Friday (June 10, 2011).

TRADE EXPO TO SHOW TRUE THAILAND by Fardah

     Jakarta, June 11, 2011 (ANTARA) - The Thai government is to familiarize the Indonesian public with various Thai products ranging from fashion, flowers to cuisine at a trade exhibition dubbed Thailand Trade Show 2011.

       "In the exhibition, the Indonesian public will have an opportunity to see or savor things that are really Thai" Thai Ambassador to Indonesia Thanatip Upatising promised the press here recently.

RI INTENSIFYING EFFORTS TO EVACUATE CITIZENS FROM YEMEN by Fardah

        Jakarta, June 8, 2011 (ANTARA) - With the situation in strife-torn Yemen worsening by the day, the Indonesian government is intensifying efforts to evacuate its citizens from the Middle Eastern country.
       Yemen has been wracked by violent clashes since early February as demonstrators want President Abdullah Saleh to quit.

RI LEADS DRIVE FOR NUKE-FREE WORLD By Fardah

     Jakarta, June 7, 2011 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has been actively pushing for a world free of nuclear weapons at various regional and international fora such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and ASEAN.
       The most high-profile initiative taken by Indonesia so far was Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa`s announcement that his country intended to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). He did this at the opening of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York on May 3, 2010.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY FOCUSES ON FORESTS by Fardah

  Jakarta, June 6, 2011 (ANTARA) - The government organized an  Indonesian Environment Week expo in Jakarta June 1-5 to mark World Environment Day (WED) 2011 which was observed globally on June 5.        

     The Indonesian Environment Week 2011 had 180 stands displaying among other things recycled goods and environmentally friendly products.