Indonesians in Focus: Tan Soe Ie

November 20th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

“If I was still a young man I would definitely be rebelling at the conditions farmers are now having to endure I am deeply hurt when I hear of the continued suffering of farmers,” said an angry Catholic priest Father Tan Soe Ie SJ, 79, while wringing his hands. His vision was blurred and it seemed tears were welling behind the thick glass of his spectacles. The tone of his voice was dark and the words strong as he recounted the seemingly endless woes farmers suffer.

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More Weather Sensors Needed: East Java

November 13th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

With only four Automatic Weather Systems (AWS) on hand, East Java is in urgent need of more weather detection equipment. Such equipment is crucial in providing authorities with early warnings about possible weather-related disasters, the head of Malang’s Karangploso Climate Station, Antoyo Setiadipratikto, said.

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Anak Krakatoa Erupts: West Java

November 9th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Sending a boom across the bay, the offspring of the fabled Krakatoa volcano unleashes another mighty eruption, blasting smoke and red-hot rocks hundreds of feet into the sky. Even on its quiet side, the black sand on the now-forbidden island is so hot that a visitor can only briefly set foot on it. This week’s display by Anak Krakatoa — or “Child of Krakatoa” — is impressive, yet it is a mere sneeze when compared to the blast in August 1883 that obliterated its “father” in the most powerful explosion in recorded history. That blast was heard as far away as 2,500 miles and choked the atmosphere with ash and dust, altering weather patterns for years. Some 36,000 people were killed in the eruptions and ensuing tsunamis.

Sangiran Museum: Sragen, Central Java

November 9th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

A student group entered Sangiran Museum in Sragen, Central Java, and enthusiastically looked at the various fossils on display, which date back from hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago. All of the fossils are kept in 15 vitrines at the museum, which is also called the Conservation Center of Early Man Site.

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Blitar – A Range of Attractions: East Java

November 9th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

There are many tourist attractions in Blitar, a city located right at the foot of Mount Kelud, and 167 kilometers from the East Java capital of Surabaya city, so it would be a pity if you miss it. Apart from the grave of Indonesia’s first president Soekarno, visitors can see a tourism village that sells jimbe drums, a product of Blitar’s home industries that are successfully breaking into export markets. It is better if you cancel any planned tour to Mount Kelud, located on the border between Kediri and Blitar regencies. This is because the volcano’s status is on high alert; the famous green lake in the caldera, a major attraction, has been closed to tourists.

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Purbalingga Reptile and Insect Park: Kutasari, Central Java

November 5th, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Thousands of dried beetles and butterflies are arranged neatly in glass cases. There are also various kinds of dried grasshoppers and scorpions that have been placed artistically on shelves. Information about the insects is provided but visitors who want to know more can always ask the guides who will be only too happy to help.

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Mangrove Park: Bali

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

As a small island, Bali is prone to erosion, but protection of its vast beaches and mangrove forests, have helped save much land. The mangrove forests along Jalan Bypass Ngurai Rai to Benoa Peninsula in Nusa Dua, for example, are known as a greater forest park, said Sudrajat Wirapraja, head of the program section of the Denpasar Mangrove Forest Management Agency. The park initially had a coverage of about 1,700 hectares, but the road works and other public facilities have reduced this to 1,100 hectares.

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Endangered Species in Indonesia

November 2nd, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

The government has said it is having difficulties identifying the number of native species in danger of extinction. Director for biological diversity affairs at the Forestry Ministry, Toni Suhartono, said much of the existing information on the number of endangered species was based on predictions made before 2000.

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Thousands at Risk from Volcano Lahar: Mount Guntur, West Java

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Thousands of people could face risk from volcanic lahar on Indonesia’s Java island as dams built to collect the material on the slopes could possibly begin to overflow, officials warned. The amount of lahar, a mix of mud and lava, from Mount Guntur in West Java has swelled after heavy rains and as locals continued to mine sand and stones, said Saut Simatupang, an official with Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation in the nearby town of Bandung an Antara News article explains.

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Indigenous Languages in Danger of Disappearing

November 1st, 2007 | By Barrie | No Comments »

Indonesia is known not only for its multiethnic richness, but also for its linguistically diversified provinces and regions. Recent documented records by the National Education Ministry indicate there are 746 indigenous languages in the country, 10 of which have died out.

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