PUTTING OUT FOREST FIRES CRUCIAL TO SAVING LIVES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct 10 , 2015(Antara) - At least 307,360 people in six Indonesian provinces, from June 29 to October 5, 2015, sought medical treatment for respiratory problems and other diseases caused by smoke or haze from forest fires coming from Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan Islands. 
    "The number of patients visiting health facilities has increased by 15-20 percent over the last three weeks. The condition will be very worrying if the smoke does not stop," Health Minister Nila Djuwita Moeloek told the press on Oct 6.

        Those people living in regions covered by haze have mostly suffered from acute respiratory infections, eye and skin irritations, pneumonia, asthma and diarrhea.

INDONESIA ACCEPTS FOREIGN ASSISTANCE TO EXTINGUISH FOREST FIRES By Fardah

   Jakarta, Oct 8, 2015 (Antara)- The inhabitants of Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as the citizens of Malaysia and Singapore, who have been choked by the haze emanating from Indonesian forest and plantation fires, will hopefully get some respite soon as Indonesia has accepted offers by some countries to help put out the prolonged fires.

        The forest fires have resulted in millions of people, including those from Malaysia and Singapore, to become victims of the haze.  
   Besides Malaysia and Singapore, the Thai holiday resort island of Phuket has also been shrouded in the haze coming from Sumatra. As a result, Thailand's Foreign Minister invited Indonesia's ambassador for a meeting on Thursday to discuss the forest fires, the Bangkok Post reported.

        Thousands of personnel, including from the Indonesian military, have been deployed to extinguish the fires, but the efforts were not successful because the fires in peat land areas particularly, keep flaring up repeatedly.

INDONESIA OPTIMISTIC VISA-FREE POLICY WILL BOOST TOURISM by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 5, 2015 (Antara) - The Indonesian tourism ministry has observed that until October 2015, the government's visa-free policy has significantly boosted foreign tourist arrivals from 30 out of the total 47 countries being offered the facility.

         The number of tourist arrivals has increased by 16 percent since August, compared to only 2.9 percent during the January-July 2015 period.

        The most significant surge was observed from China, with an increase of 24 percent in August, in comparison with the same period last year, I Gde Pitana, the deputy in charge of international tourism marketing development of the tourism ministry, stated recently.   
   The government is offering visa-free facility to the citizens of 47 countries from October 2015 as the policy was earlier only applicable to 45 countries.

       The new policy is intended to boost the number of foreign tourist arrivals, which is expected to reach 20 million by 2019.

DIVING TOURISM TO BECOME PRIMA DONNA OF INDONESIA'S TOURISM by Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct 4, 2015 (Antara)- Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, has a large potential for diving tourism, with excellent diving spots spreading from Weh Island in the country's western most province of Aceh to Raja Ampat isles located in the country's eastern most province of West Papua.

        Between these two tourist destinations, there are other exotic diving sites located in Banda Island (Maluku), Bunaken (North Sulawesi), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), Lembeh Strait (North Sulawesi), Alor Isle (East Nusa Tenggara), Togean (Central Sulawesi), Gili Air (West Nusa Tenggara), Komodo Island (East Nusa Tenggara), and Cendrawasih Bay (Papua Province).

         Among the world's best diving spots to be found in Indonesia are those in Raja Ampat, Komodo Isle, Derawan (East Kalimantan), Togean, Wakatobi, Gilir Air and Bunaken (North Sulawesi).

        Indonesia has been promoting its world-class diving spots internationally in order to attract more tourists and meets its target of receiving some 10 million foreign tourists in 2015.    

INDONESIA WELCOMES RAISING OF PALESTINIAN FLAG AT UN by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 4, 2015 (Antara) - Many countries, including Indonesia, welcome the raising of the Palestinian flag for the first time in the Rose Garden of the United Nations (UN) in New York, Sept. 30, 2015.        The flag hoisting took place following the UN General Assembly's approval of a resolution to raise the flag with an overwhelming majority voting in favor of it on September 10, Al Jazeera reported.        The motion was passed with 119 votes in favor, while 45 countries abstained and eight voted against, among them Israel, the US, Australia and Canada.  Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi and the country's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Desra Percaya were present in the historic flag hoisting ceremony.       Minister Marsudi told detikcom. on Oct 1, 2015 that Indonesia is very pleased and sees the raising of the Palestinian flag as an initial step toward a full UN membership.          "Indonesia is and will always be with Palestinian people in their fight for Palestine's independence and full UN membership," she stated.

HARDWORKING KHOFIFAH PARAWANSA BELIEVES IN WOMEN'S ROLE AS PEACE PROMOTERS by Fardah

  Jakarta, Oct 1, 2015 (Antara) - Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Indonesia's hardworking minister, is almost always present and caring for the people whenever any calamity strikes, whether natural or made-made, in the country.

         At a time when most Muslims were enjoying the Idul Adha (Sacrifice) holiday on Sept. 24, 2015, she decided to join the victims of sectarian violence and performed Idul Adha prayers with them in Karubaga sub-district, Tolikara District, Papua Province.

         Attended by some 600 people, the prayers went off smoothly and peacefully at the Khairul Ummah mosque at a military complex in Karubaga.

         Imam Syekh Ali Jaber led the prayers while Ustad Fadlan Garamatan delivered the sermon.