INDONESIA DETERMINED TO BECOME POLIO, MEASLES-FREE NATION by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 19, 2011 (ANTARA) - In addition to the routine immunization program using five vaccines to prevent tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles and hepatitis B, the government is currently conducting a mass immunization campaign against polio and measles in its efforts to free the nation from polio and measles.
       The expanded mass immunization drive against polio and measles began simultaneously on Tuesday (Oct 18) and lasted until November 18, 2011 in 17 provinces.

FREEPORT STRIKE DRAGS ON by Fardah

        Jakarta, Oct 19, 2011 (ANTARA) - A strike by a number of PT Freeport Indonesia workers in Timika, Papua, has been going for more than one month without signs that a peaceful solution to their dispute with the company`s management can be found soon while the situation in Freeport`s concession area is getting more complicated.
      A clash between gun-toting police and rock-throwing strikers in Timika, on October 10, 2011, killed one demonstrator and one police officer, as well as injured several people.

SUMATRAN TIGERS NEED TO BE PROTECTED by Fardah

       Jakarta, Oct 17, 2011 (ANTARA) - It`s tragic that amid a "Save Tigers` Home" tour in Sumatra by an NGO, a Sumatran tiger (Panthera Tigris Sumatrae) was shot dead at Korong Sikuliek, Nagari Sungai Buluh, Batang Anai sub district, Padangpariaman District, West Sumatra, last October 15, 2011.
       Batang Anai Sub-district Head Syofriyon said the tiger had been found inside a wild boar trap located around four kilometers from a human settlement.

TEAM TO SAVE MIGRANT WORKERS' LIVES IN SAUDI ARABIA by Fardah

      Jakarta, Oct 15, 2011 (ANTARA) - The government is racing against time to save the lives of seven migrant workers on death row in Saudi Arabia, where over 900,000 Indonesians work at present, making it the second biggest user of Indonesian manpower after Malaysia.
       A team led by Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni, the head of the Task Force on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, will leave for Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2011, to lobby certain parties in the Middle Eastern country in order to obtain legal relief for the seven workers.

GOVT TO INCREASE PEARL PRODUCTION TO SEVEN MLN TONS ANNUALLY by Fardah

      Jakarta, Oct 14, 2011 (ANTARA) - Having the potential to produce up to 20 million tons of south sea pearl (SSP) a year, Indonesia intends to increase its pearl production to seven million in 2011 from 5.7 million tons in 2010.
      The country has so far used only around 28.5 percent of its pearl cultivation potentials in eastern Indonesian waters such as in West Nusa Tenggara, Maluku Islands, and Papua.

BALI GEARS UP FOR ASEAN, ASEAN+3, EAST ASIA SUMMITS by Fardah

     Jakarta, Oct 12, 2011 (ANTARA) - Bali which hosted the first ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit in February 1976, will be the venue of another ASEAN Summit on November 17, 2011.
       The upcoming 19th ASEAN Summit will be the second ASEAN summit organized by Indonesia, the current Chair of ASEAN, this year after the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, May 2011.