In Libanon: The Sole Saviour

Indonesian military equipment leaves for UN Lebanon force
By The Associated Press

Military equipment left Indonesia aboard a United States-flagged ship Saturday ahead of a dispatch of Indonesian troops to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, American officials said.

About 200 pieces of equipment are bound for Lebanon aboard the SS Wilson, an American-owned ship hired for the mission by the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, a statement from the U.S. Embassy said.

The equipment included armored personnel carriers, trucks and ambulances, all emblazoned with bright-white UN markings.

Later this month, 850 members of Indonesia's Garuda XXIIIA Troop unit will fly to Lebanon to join peacekeepers from some 20 countries in the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, the statement said.

"We've been working with the Indonesian military for several weeks to coordinate the arrival of equipment at the port as well as to develop a plan to load it aboard the vessel," the statement quoted Lt. Col. Colice Powell, commander of the U.S. Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, as saying.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, was quick to offer troops to the mission to enforce a cease-fire between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah, months after the two sides fought a month-long war in Lebanon.

New Planned Indonesian Stealth Submarine Will Rule The Oceans

A Prestigious University located in Surabaya,
Institut Tekhnologi 10 November Surabaya (ITS) will develop several stealth crafts for Indonesian Navy (TNI AL).

The programs include anti-stealth radars, UAV, fighter jet, ships and submarines with the latest stealth technology.

Next....

Stolen Generation: Tragic History From A Tragic Country

Between 1910 and 1970 up to 100,000 Aboriginal children, in a so called democratic and civilised country of Australia, were taken forcibly or under duress from their families by police or welfare officers .

Most were under 5 years old. There was rarely any judicial process. To be Aboriginal was enough. They are known as the ‘Stolen Generations’.
what happened to them?what happened to them?

* Most were raised in Church or state institutions. Some were fostered or adopted by white parents.
* Many suffered physical and sexual abuse. Food and living conditions were poor.
* They received little education, and were expected to go into low grade domestic and farming work.

why where they taken?why were they taken?

They were taken because it was Federal and State Government policy that Aboriginal children - especially those of mixed Aboriginal and European descent - should be removed from their parents.

Between 10 and 30% of all Aboriginal children were removed, and in some places these policies continued into the 1970s.

* The main motive was to ‘assimilate’ Aboriginal children into European society over one or two generations by denying and destroying their Aboriginality.
* Speaking their languages and practising their ceremonies was forbidden
* They were taken miles from their country, some overseas
* Parents were not told where their children were and could not trace them
* Children were told that they were orphans
* Family visits were discouraged or forbidden; letters were destroyed.

what where the resultswhat were the results
The physical and emotional damage to those taken away was profound and lasting:

* Most grew up in a hostile environment without family ties or cultural identity.
* As adults, many suffered insecurity, lack of self esteem, feelings of worthlessness, depression, suicide, violence, delinquency, abuse of alcohol and drugs and inability to trust.
* Lacking a parental model, many had difficulty bringing up their own children.
* The scale of separation also had profound consequences for the whole Aboriginal community - anger, powerlessness and lack of purpose as well as an abiding distrust of Government, police and officials.

Source: Aborigin

Now On, Indonesia Is A Nuclear Country

Indonesia To Push Ahead With Nuclear Plans

Jakarta (AFP) Feb 03, 2007

Indonesia will pursue its plans to develop nuclear power as part of efforts to find alternative energy sources to address its growing needs, Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said. Jakarta shelved atomic energy plans in 1997 in the face of mounting public opposition and the discovery and exploitation of the large Natuna gas field. But the plans were floated again in 2005 amid increasing power shortages.

"We will continue to discuss how to utilise nuclear energy, but this does not mean that we will develop it right now," the state Antara news agency Saturday quoted Witoelar as saying.

Indonesia's nuclear plans are part of its policy to develop and diversify energy resources in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

"But for us, this has not become a priority as the government is conducting a series of endeavours to develop various other alternative sources," he said.

Witoelar said Indonesia was also developing other energy sources such as bio-fuels and wind and geothermal power to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which are blamed for global warming.

Indonesia had previously said it planned to build its first nuclear power plant on densely-populated Java island by 2015. The government, however, has yet to secure investors.

The province of Gorontalo, on Sulawesi island, is considering developing a floating nuclear power plant using Russian expertise.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has backed Indonesia's plans to build nuclear plants despite opposition from environmentalists.

Greenpeace says the plan poses a danger to quake-prone Indonesia and its neighbours.

Indonesia is Southeast Asia's only member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), but its oil output has fallen in recent years to about one million barrels per day amid flagging investment.

Did RMS Men Infiltrate Into Indonesian Officials??

BIN Rejects Statement by TNI Commander over RMS Flag Waving Incident
Monday, 02 July, 2007 | 14:12 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The State Intelligence Agency (BIN) has denied the statements of Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Marshall Djoko Suyanto and National Police (Polri) Chief Gen. Sutanto, which considered this code studying agency was careless regarding the incident of South Maluku Republic (RMS) flag waving, Friday (29/6).


“We’ve been issuing warnings about it earlier. We’re not careless,” said a special staff member of BIN’s Head, Janzi Sofyan, yesterday (1/7).

The incident took place suddenly after Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu finished reading an opening speech for the 14th National Family Day event at Independence Field, Ambon.

Without being noticed, 28 bare-chested dancers entered the ceremony area.

The intruders danced before finally attempted to wave RMS flags.

Eventually they were stopped by security officers.

According to Janzi, BIN Head Syamsir Siregar said he regretted the statement regarding this case that had placed his institution in a corner.

“I was ordered by him to clarify TNI Commander’s statement,” said Janzi.

According to him, a week prior to the national celebration was held, the BIN Head for Maluku Region Post had already conveyed three findings that had to be anticipated.

“These included: RMS flag waving action; rally of ethnic conflict refugees and environment activists’ action,” said Janzi.

Unfortunately, he said, BIN’s warning was not heeded.

“BIN isn’t the executor. We only convey information,” said Janzi.

TNI Commander Marshall Djoko Suyanto denied Janzi’s statement and acknowledged there was information from BIN before the show.

“But BIN only said there would be a rally, not RMS flag waving,” he told Tempo.

On Saturday, Djoko acknowledged that the security officers were reckless as regards the incident.


Separately, Maluku Regional Police Chief Brig. Gen. Guntur Gatot Setiawan said he was ready to resign, yesterday.

Up until yesterday, according to a Tempo source at Maluku Regional Police, the police already declared 37 people as suspects of the incident.

Indonesia’s Newly Wealthy Included in Top Four

Indonesia’s Newly Wealthy Included in Top Four
Friday, 29 June, 2007 | 12:22 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Paris: The number of billionaires jumped drastically by 8.3 percent in 2006. According to the survey carried out by the financial firm, Capgemini SA and the United States investment bank, Merrill Lynch & Co., Indonesia is at the position of top four countries with the most newly wealthy.

The survey’s report says now there are 9.5 million people whose wealth is more than US$1 million (more than Rp1 billion). This hike, according to the explanation quoted by AFP, “is due to the world’s fast economic growth and profit in the exchange market.”

With this hike, the network of billionaires joined in the exclusive club High Net Worth Individuals also expands.

The research shows that Indonesia along with Singapore, India and Russia contributed the most newly wealthy to the world. They have US$1 million in wealth at the minimum.

The wealth, according to Capgemini SA and Merrill Lynch & Co.’s report, “is assets in the form of cash, security bonds and savings. These are not yet including houses or several precious art collections.”

The same research also focuses on the billionaires’ investment money flow. The result is half of the rich buy private jets, yachts, finance sports team or bet on horse races. The remaining is for buying antiques, wine and jewelry.

Annual research that was held for the 11th time in 71 countries recorded the great number of the newly rich from Asia. The World’s Wealth Survey says the increasing number of rich in Asia reached 8.6 percent in the last seven years.

Although the number is still low compared to that of the United Sates and Canada which is around 9.2 percent, it is still more than Europe’s which is only 6.4 percent. This number, according to the two New York-based firms, will increase in 2011. Capgemini SA and Merrill Lynch & Co. estimate the growth will reach 6.7 percent with the wealth totaling US$51.6 trillion. Compared to last year, the total was around US$37.3 trillion.