INDONESIA'S 2009 POLLS, A GAMBLE FOR CANDIDATES, VOTERS ALIKE by Fardah

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Effective Coordinated Patrols of Malacca Strait To Broaden Membership by Fardah Assegaf

    Jakarta, March 7, 2009 (ANTARA) - Previously holder of a dubious title as the number one piracy hot spot, the Malacca Strait is currently being looked at as an example of a success story on how to protect security in the world's busiest sea lane.
     Late last year,  Efthimios Mitropoulos, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) expressed his optimism  that  his organization could take lessons from the reduced piracy and robbery in the Malacca Strait  to  the Gulf of Aden which lies between Somalia and Yemen and has witnessed increasing  number of piracies in the recent year.

Feature - DESPERATE WILD SUMATRAN ANIMALS KILL PEOPLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES by Fardah Assegaf

    Jakarta, Mar 5, 2009 (ANTARA) - In desperate need of living space, endangered Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) and Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris Sumatrae) again killed several people in inhabited parts of Sumatra Island's interior lately.
     The latest attack happened at Balai Makam village, Bengkalis District, Riau Province, on Wednesday (Mar 4) at dawn when wild Sumatran  elephants killed Jalinus (83), a local villager, in a horrifying way.

ROHINGYA REFUGEES' PLIGHT NOW IN INT'L SPOTLIGHT

By Fardah Assegaf
     Jakarta, Feb. 9, 2009 (ANTARA) - Weakened , starved and emaciated by their ordeals at sea,  Rohingya refugees in Indonesia's western most province of Aceh and in Thailand might never have imagined that their plight would  come into the international spotlight. Now their unfortunate fate has attracted the attention of  among others Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda and famous Hollywood actress Angeline Jolie.
     Over the past one month, Aceh Province has received nearly 400 Rohingya refugees. Some 193 Rohingya boat people got stranded in Sabang, Aceh on January 7, 2008, and another 198 Rohingyas reached the coast of Aceh after 21 days at sea, with some of them in a critical condition on February 3, 2008.

CATATAN AKHIR TAHUN: RI - PALESTINA MENUJU KERJASAMA NYATA Oleh Fardah

Jakarta, 31/12  (ANTARA) - Tahun 2008 berakhir, dan tidak ada tanda-tanda sedikit pun bahwa Palestina merdeka akan terwujud seperti yang dinjanjikan di Konperensi Annapolis yang disponsori AS, November 2007.
     Bahkan bukan janji tersebut yang dipenuhi, malahan bom-bom mematikan Israel yang dikirim ke Jalur Gaza, Palestina, sehingga menewaskan sekitar 375 orang and melukai lebih dari 1.700 rakyat Palestina, sejak serangan yang dimulai pada 27 Desember 2008.

Year-Ender: RI, PALESTINE MOVE TOWARD CONCRETE COOPERATION by Fardah

     Jakarta, Dec. 30, 2008  (ANTARA) - The year 2008 is about to end, and there is not even a slightest hint that a Palestine state will  enjoy full independence as promised in the US-sponsored Annapolis Conference held in November 2007.
     Instead of delivering the promise, Israel has sent bombs which killed more than 300 Palestinians and injured over 1,000 others since December 27, 2008, when  Christians were still celebrating   Christmas and Muslims Islamic New Year 1430 Hegira.