Singapore (ANTARA News) - Indonesia's government sees no further interest rate cuts this year as it watches inflation trends, Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said on Sunday.
Indonesia's central bank left its key interest rate steady earlier this month at 8.25 percent for the fourth month in a row, wary about the inflationary threat posed by rising oil prices, after slashing them by 4.5 percentage points since mid-2006.
Some analysts expect the central bank to cut rates in December to boost economic growth in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
"Not for the time being. We are keeping a close eye on inflation," Pangestu was quoted by Reuters as telling reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Singapore.
October consumer prices in Indonesia rose 6.88 percent from a year earlier, faster than a 6.80 percent rise forecast by analysts. However, the central bank expects inflation in November to be more subdued than the previous month due to an easing in food price pressure.
Pangestu said economic growth was as projected.
Indonesia's state budget is forecasting growth at 6.3 percent this year, which would be its fastest pace in 11 years, and its 2008 budget sets a growth target of 6.8 percent.
"O7 growth is as projected at 6.8 percent," Pangestu said.
She said the Indonesian government will increase spending on infrastructure projects, and diversify the Indonesian economy to offset possible weakness in exports.
"We will take steps to offset some of the downside risks that we are perceiving in the world markets," Pangestu said.
The head of the Asian Development Bank said on Saturday that turmoil in world financial markets and inflation from high oil and commodities prices were the biggest threats to strong Asian economic growth. (*)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Seeking new ways to protect Indonesia's cultural heritage
The recent controversy over the Indonesian traditional song Rasa Sayange, which Malaysia claims is its own, is just one of several signs of the poor protection of our traditional heritage.
The protection of Indonesian traditional heritage is dictated by Article 10 of the 2002 Copyright Protection Law. According to the article, the copyright over traditional heritage is held by the Government of Indonesia. The law requires that publication or announcement by foreign parties requires a prior permit from the Government of Indonesia. Unfortunately the government has not yet issued a government regulation as a legal basis for its implementation.
Several basic concerns on the copyright protection of our traditional heritage may arise, such as the work mechanism of the government as the proprietor of copyright over traditional heritage. Another problem is on how to prevent our traditional heritage from being pirated by other parties.
It is also very important to define what would be the basis or criteria in determining which art is part of our traditional heritage. People also want to know about the benefits of art protection for the country.
Another question is the expiration date for the protection of traditional heritage.
In order to provide maximum protection for our traditional heritage (in this case traditional art), we need to know and surely must observe the position of art with the Indonesian people and how our people value our own traditional art.
In Indonesia the position of (traditional) art has a unique value. It contains elements of belief, knowledge, education and norms. The art is part of our life; it can not be separated from other aspects of life, such as the close relationship between the art and religious activities.
As an example let us look at the Rejang Dewa dance, which is performed during sacred ceremonies in Bali, or the Arfak tribe in Papua, which has a communal dance called Ares Komer, where young people use the dance to find their life mates. Java batik is also interesting to note, because it contains rich philosophical values.
As a culture element, art itself is the expression of creativity in a society. The tradition in Indonesia has been handed down from generation to generation. The society that supports its cultural traditions will continue to preserve them and give opportunities to the society to learn the traditions. The traditional community is more concerned with whether the product of art has succeeded in fulfilling or expressing their cultural values, as expected by the society, rather than the acknowledgementa of society and its aesthetic value.
As an example, batik art in Javanese society is an integral and inseparable part of their world. There are at least four fundamental Javanese values expressed in batik art: Patience (sabar), tolerance (tepo seliro), self-reliance (pasrah), and serenity (sumarah). Javanese people believe that by sewing batik, one may find patience and serenity in itself.
In addition to that, batik motif also have symbolic meanings which express the expectations of Javanese society in tackling daily life. The Sido Mukti design symbolizes happiness and prosperity whilst Sido Asih represents the passion of love and care. We mostly find these motifs in a bride and bridegroom's wardrobe.
Batik art constitutes an inseparable and integral part of Javanese life. The close relationship between a society and its art can also be found elsewhere in other parts of Indonesia. It is fair to conclude that the life traditions of our people depends very much on the existence of (traditional) art and vice versa.
It shows us that the protection of our traditional heritage is actually not merely about the monetary aspect (royalties) but more importantly, how to preserve it.
Just imagine if the Balinese people could not perform the Rejang Dewa dance in their ritual ceremony because the dance was already "owned" by another (foreign) party. A catastrophe in Balinese rituals would soon follow.
Therefore, the approach in setting up the effective legal framework for protecting our traditional heritage shall be taken very seriously and comprehensively; it must take into account, at least, the legal, culture, and social aspects.
Thus, the protection of our traditional heritage is a conditio sine qua non. The following recommendations need to be considered in protecting traditional heritages:
First, the government needs to identify and collect data regarding our traditional heritage from all around Indonesia.
Second, the government needs to map the position of traditional art in the traditional community.
Third, categorize the traditional art, at least, into two categories: the art-ritual ceremony (karya seni ritual), and the art-performing ceremony (karya seni tradisional). The above categorization is derived from the value of the relevant traditional community against its traditional art. To a certain extent, the government may prohibit any performance related to the art-ritual ceremony. This is aimed to preserve and safeguard the traditional arts.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Moderate quake strikes Indonesia's Sumatra island
A moderate undersea earthquake struck Indonesia's island of Sumatra early Saturday, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.
No damage or casualties were reported after the 5.3-magnitude earthquake at 4:23 a.m. Saturday (2123 GMT), the agency said.
The quake was centered 10 kilometers (6 miles) underground, about 212 kilometers (132 miles) northwest of Sinabang, a main town on Simeuleu island in Aceh province, the agency said.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake's preliminary magnitude at 5.1 and said the epicenter was about 1,665 kilometers (1,040 miles) northwest of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheavals due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
Source: IHT-AP
Indonesia to boost airline safety
JAKARTA, Nov. 17 -- Indonesia has pledged to improve aviation security and services following a series of air accidents this year, in an effort to get the European Union (EU) to lift its ban on Indonesian air carriers, local press reported Saturday.
Regulators and airliners have met and vowed to make the improvement, the leading English-language Jakarta Post reported.
Indonesian airlines were banned by the EU on July 6 for their alleged poor service and failure to ensure flight safety and operational security following rampant air accidents.
"We need to work hard to prove we can meet international standards, and that starts with this declaration," said Chappy Hakim, head of the National Team for Transportation Safety and Security Evaluation, which is tasked with evaluating the performance of the domestic aviation.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is expected to review Indonesia's progress at the end of 2008.
EU is to hold a meeting in Brussels on Monday, one of the agenda is to discuss lifting the ban on Indonesian airlines.
The Indonesian government is expected to deliver a presentation describing its efforts to tackle problems in the aviation industry.
EU has banned 51 Indonesian airlines in the huge archipelago country.
Indonesia has suffered from a series of airline accidents for the last 10 years, claiming thousands of lives.
Earlier this year, Adam Air carrier plane with more than 100 people on board lost contact and disappeared in the waters of central Indonesia. In March, a Garuda Indonesia plane-200 with 140people on board overshot the runway in Yogyakarta province and burst into flames, killing 21 people.
Source: Xinhua
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Indonesia to launch first-ever national condom campaign
JAKARTA (AFP) — Indonesia is to launch its first-ever national campaign to promote condom use to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, officials said Tuesday.
National Condom Week will coincide with World AIDS Day on December 1, said Sugiri Syarief, head of the National Family Planning Board who is overseeing the event.
The groundbreaking campaign will involve condom distribution, education on the benefits of using condoms as well as following safe sex practices, and other events aimed at helping lift the stigma attached to using condoms here.
The event "is aimed at popularising condoms as a tool to prevent unwanted pregnancy and a way to prevent sexually-transmitted diseases, especially HIV" in the world's most populous Muslim nation, Syarief said.
Government efforts to promote condom use have so far focused on family planning and not generated much enthusiasm, he said, noting that condoms account for less than one percent of all contraception used in Indonesia.
An unsupportive social environment, ignorance as well as a low awareness of the importance of safe sex have conspired against condom use in the world's fourth most populous nation, he added.
The head of the Indonesian Council of Mosques, Tarmidzi Taher, said the campaign was partly aimed not at getting Muslim leaders to endorse the use of condoms but to allow them to "understand the medical arguments for them."
Nafsiah Mboi, secretary of the National AIDS Mitigation Commission, said that safe sex education would also help efforts to curb the spread of HIV.
The World Health Organisation warned in February that Indonesia had one of the fastest-growing HIV populations in Asia.
Latest official figures showed that more than 16,200 Indonesians have been infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS since 1987, Mboi said.
"But unregistered infection cases are much more numerous, with estimates that in 2006 some 176,000 to 247,000 people have been infected by HIV" since it became prevalent, she said.
Indonesia Oct consumer confidence index rises to 100.2 points from 96.7 in Sept
AFX News
Indonesia's consumer confidence index in October showed more respondents were optimistic about the economy than those who are pessimistic, a Bank Indonesia survey showed.
This was the first time since December 2006 that the optimistic level was again reached.
The index rose to 100.2 points in October from 96.7 points in the preceding month.
The index last stood above 100 points in November 2006.
An index level below 100 indicates pessimism about the the outlook for the economy, while a number above 100 suggests optimism.
The survey showed that both components of the consumer index -- the present conditions index and the consumer expectations index -- rose in October.
The present conditions index, which indicates consumer confidence about current economic conditions compared to six months before, increased to 88.3 points from 85.3 in September.
Meanwhile, the consumer expectations index, which indicates confidence in the economic outlook for the subsequent six months, rose to 112.2 points from 108.1 points.
Aussie avoids death penalty drug charge
PROSECUTORS have called for a five month jail sentence for a former Australian airline executive facing drug charges in Bali.
Prosecutors today urged Bali's Denpasar District Court to find Barry Wilfred Hess, 50, guilty of being a drug addict who failed to report to police, instead of alternative charges including drug trafficking, which carries the death penalty.
Mr Hess is on trial after police allegedly discovered 14.4g of hashish and 2.7g of marijuana in his Kuta home in August.
Prosecutors last month upgraded their charges against the former Ansett manager and Air Paradise general manager to include trafficking, which carries the death penalty.
But prosecutor Ni Gusti Ayu Sasmita said after last week's court hearing that there was no evidence Hess was distributing drugs.
Mr Hess, formerly of Melbourne but a Bali resident for the past 14 years, had also been charged with three other articles including drug possession, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, drug use and being a drug addict who failed to report to police.
Prosecutor Ni Gusti Ayu Sasmita told the court there was not enough evidence to prove the trafficking or possession charges.
She asked that Hess be sentenced to five months' jail for addiction - a month less than the maximum penalty for the charge.
"The factors that require a harsh punishment are that the accused's conduct could harm himself, his actions bring danger to the young generation and negatively affect Bali as a tourist destination, and contribute to drug dealing, especially in Kuta where he lives," she told the court.
"The factors that call for leniency are that he feels guilty and regrets what he did.
"He has never been convicted of a crime and he is undergoing rehabilitation as a drug addict."
But Mr Hess's lawyer Daniar Trisasongko said five months' behind bars was more than his client deserved.
"Five months is a long sentence for an addict," he said.
"I hope the judges will give him less than that and order him to rehabilitate."
He said the prosecutor did not clarify whether Mr Hess, a long-term resident of Bali, would be deported from Indonesia if found guilty.
The defence waived its right to object to the prosecution's sentence request.
The court will hand down its verdict next week.
Balibo Five case closed, Indonesia says
INDONESIA insists the Balibo Five case is closed, despite fresh reports that a telegram sent by an Australian Government minister revealed the five journalists were murdered in East Timor.
A widow of one of the five, Shirley Shackleton said she received the telegram from Whitlam-era foreign minister Don Willesee days after her husband Greg and four other journalists were reported missing in East Timor in 1975.
In his dying days in 2003, Willesee told his daughter that the Australian Government covered up the affair, The Australian newspaper reported today.
A Sydney inquest into the death of one of the Balibo Five is due to report its findings next week.
Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry spokesman Yohanes Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo said Indonesia's position on the case had not changed.
"Basically, for the Indonesian Government, it is a closed case, as simple as that," he said.
"I don't want to comment further.
"Whether they want to have such interpretations, it does not change our view and position.
"We have conveyed our position on the coroner's court as well – that they don't have jurisdiction here and I want to stress once again that it is a closed case."
The inquest sparked controversy in Indonesia in May, after a senior Jakarta politician who had been visiting Sydney flew home in anger after being asked to testify at the inquest.
Former Jakarta governor and now potential presidential candidate, Sutiyoso, was allegedly a member of a special Indonesian military unit that attacked Balibo in 1975.
Brian Peters, Greg Shackleton, Gary Cunningham, Malcolm Rennie and Tony Stewart were gunned down in the East Timorese border town of Balibo.
During the inquest, counsel assisting Mark Tedeschi QC, asked the coroner to recommend war crimes charges against those responsible.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Landslide at Freeport Indonesia's mine injures 13
JAKARTA - A landslide injured 13 workers at U.S. firm Freeport's gold and copper mine in Indonesia's Papua province on Saturday, the company said.
The landslide outside the Grasberg mine did not affect company operations, Mindo Pangaribuan, a Freeport Indonesia spokesman, said.
"It's a natural incident. The victims sustained light injuries," he said, adding that the injured, all Indonesian workers of the mine, had been taken to the company-run hospital.
The mine -- believed to have the world's third-largest copper reserves and one of the biggest gold deposits -- has been a frequent source of controversy over its environmental impact and the share of revenue going to Papuans.
(Reuters)Indonesia Volcano Erupts (Mount Kelud), Villagers Flee
MOUNT KELUD, Indonesia (AP) — One of Indonesia's deadliest volcanos began erupting Saturday, according to seismic readings, but there was no visual confirmation because the peak was cloaked in fog, a senior government volcanologist said.
Panicked residents fled the mountain's slopes in police trucks and volcano monitors abandoned their posts Saturday, witnesses said.
Although no lava or ash could be seen, seismic readings showed Mount Kelud, in the heart of densely populated Java island, was erupting, said Saut Simatupang, a leading scientist with Indonesia's Volcanology Center.
Hundreds of underground tremors have shaken the area and the temperature of its crater lake has reached the highest level since the mountain was put on high alert several weeks ago.
In 1990, Mount Kelud killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that could be heard hundreds of miles away destroyed dozens of villages and killed at least 5,160.
Scientists fear a buildup of magma under the crater lake could trigger a violent blast, sending a torrent of mud, ash and rock careering down the side of the 5,679-foot mountain.
On Thursday, police went door-to-door and used megaphones to order villagers to flee to tent camps.
More than 100,000 people living in areas considered to be at risk were ordered from their homes, but most never left or had returned, officials say.
Some who stayed behind were asked to sign a statement saying they would not seek compensation if they were injured or lost family members due to an eruption, said local community leader chief Susiadi, who also goes by a single name.
Indonesia has about 100 active volcanos, more than any nation.
The country is spread across 17,500 islands and is prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes because of its location on the so-called "Ring of Fire" — a series of fault lines stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Five injured as Mandala Airlines 737 overshoots runway in Malang, Indonesia
A Mandala Airlines Boeing 737-200 has overshot the runway at Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport, East Java, Indonesia after a domestic flight from Jakarta. Five passengers were injured in the incident, none seriously.
The aircraft's nose landing gear is understood to have seperated in the incident, in which the aircraft skidded 260 feet from the end of the runway. Five of the 89 passengers and seven crew on board received cuts and bruises during the emergency evacuation that followed. It was raining heavily at the time, although it is not known if this is considered to have played a factor.
Airport official Suradi described the scene to Reuters via telephone: "The plane now lies abandoned on the runway ... Its head is slightly tilted down because the front wheel broke off.,"
The accident is currently under investigation. One potential cause being looked at is the fact that the forward landing gear axle is beleived to have snapped upon landing, setting off the chain of events.
The Indonesian aviation industry has been the subject of much criticism this year over safety concerns, sparked by a string of accidents including Adam Air 574, which crashed into the ocean, killing 102, Adam Air Flight 172, a nonfatal accident where a plane snapped in half, and Garuda Indonesia Flight 200, which overshot a runway at extreme speed, killing 21. All Indonesian airlines are on the list of air carriers banned in the EU, and the United States Federal Aviation Administration has downgraded Indonesia to it's lowest safety rating.
Mandala's only fatal accident was the crash of Mandala Airlines Flight 091 in 2005, which killed 112 people.
Plane Skids Off Runway in Indonesia
MALANG, Indonesia (AP) — A jetliner carrying 97 passengers and crew skidded off a rain-soaked runway at an airport on Indonesia's Java island Thursday, forcing an emergency evacuation in which five people received minor injuries, officials said.
The Boeing 737-200's front axle snapped during the landing in a downpour at Malang airport. The Mandala Airlines aircraft skidded and overshot the runway by 260 feet, air force spokesman Capt. Wahyudi said.
Five people suffered scrapes and bruises while exiting the plane, said Wahyudi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Officials at Mandala Airlines said the cause of the accident was being investigated.
A series of airline accidents in Indonesia killed more than 100 people early this year, prompting the European Union to blacklist all its airlines. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also downgraded the nation's rating to its lowest category.
High alert at Indonesia volcano
More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from the slopes of one of
Some of those who refused to move out were asked to sign a statement saying they would not seek compensation funds if they were injured or lost family members due to an eruption.
A senior government vulcanologist said the 1,731-metre volcano became active on Thursday, its crater lake bubbling and becoming the hottest since last month's high alert.
Umar Rosadi, part of a team of 16 scientists monitoring the peak, said the intensity and frequency of the Kelud's tremors had already exceeded those before the previous eruption in 1990.
"The activity of volcanic tremor is increasing," he said, adding that magma was 700 metres below the crater and could shoot out if it had enough energy.
Scientists fear that if the magma hits the water inside the crater lake, a giant explosion could occur, sending water, mud and ash careering down the side of the mountain.
Indonesia, which has around 100 active volcanoes spread across 17,500 islands, sits on a seismic belt known as the 'Pacific Rim of Fire' – a series of fault lines stretching from the western hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
Indonesian officials were also closely monitoring three other volcanoes for increased activity.
The second-highest alert has been issued for Mount Anak Krakatau, which sits in the
Saut Simatupang, of
Simatupang also warned that thousands were at risk in West Java from volcanic lahar on Mount Guntur as dams built to collect the material on the slopes start to overflow following heavy rains.
Lahar is a mixture of mud and volcanic lava.
"The volcano is active but there's no increased intensity. What we are concerned [with] is a possible flow of lahar from the dams," he said. "We already issued a recommendation for evacuation two weeks ago."
The 2,249-metre volcano, which lies 200km southeast of
Alerts have also been issued for
Source:Aljazeera.net
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Mt. Krakatau activity increases
Three volcanos in Indonesia are under close watch following heightened activity.
Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised the alert on Mt Anak Krakatau to the second-highest level on Saturday after showers of ash.
The volcano is about 130km west of Jakarta. It formed gradually after Krakatau erupted in 1883. Officials are also monitoring Mt Kelud in East Java and Mt Soputan in North Sulawesi.
Mount Krakatau volcanic activity has increased over the past three days, prompting authorities to raise its status.
The volcano had produced 20 tremors and released 80-meter to 200-meter-long white-grey smoke plumes every hour from Oct. 24 to Oct. 26, Sigin, a monitoring officer , said Friday.
Normally, the volcano produced only five tremors per hour but since last Wednesday the frequency of tremors had increased, he said. Consequently, tourists and fishermen had been warned not to come near the volcano.Indonesian court rules death penalty for drugs offenses is legal
A top Indonesian court ruled Tuesday that sentencing drug offenders to death does not violate the constitution, dismissing a case lodged by three Australians awaiting execution for smuggling heroin.
The ruling is blow to the death row inmates, among nine young Australians arrested by Indonesian police in 2005 over a foiled plot to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin into Australia from the resort island of Bali.
Three others are also facing the death penalty, but were not included in the suit before the Constitutional Court. Two members of the group, dubbed the "Bali Nine" by Australian media, got life in prison and the third got 20 years.
In rejecting the petition, a nine-judge panel found that the constitution's clause on the right to life does not override the criminal code's stipulation that serious crimes can be punished with death.
The case was filed by lawyers for the three Australians, but the court did not have the power to directly overturn their convictions. Lawyers for the three had intended to use a favorable ruling to appeal.
At the end of 2006, 134 people were on death row in Indonesia, including 37 foreigners and 97 Indonesians, most of them for drug-related crimes. At least four are Islamic extremists awaiting death for their roles in a series of bombings.
Indonesian government officials, police officers and judges have said they support capital punishment for drug crimes.
The country has executed at least eight people since 2000.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Leader of Al Qidayah sect surrenders to police
The leader of the controversial Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah sect, Ahmad Mushaddeq, and six of his followers have turned themselves in to Jakarta Police.
Mushaddeq and his followers are being questioned at the Jakarta Police's criminal investigation directorate, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Adang Firman said Tuesday.
"He and his men came to the Metro Jaya Police Headquarters last night at around 7:30 p.m. to surrender themselves," Adang Firman said.
Firman said police had not yet named them suspects in any criminal cases, but were still gathering evidence.
Police have gathered several pieces of evidence, including four books written by Mushaddeq, recordings and pictures.
Mushaddeq gave himself up after learning through the media that Muslims had strongly reacted against the sect, the Jakarta Police chief said.
Al Qiyadah was founded by Haji Salam, later known as Ahmad Moshaddeq, several years ago in Bogor, West Java.
Moshaddeq declared himself a prophet, which is against Islamic teachings, which says Muhammad is the last prophet.
Al Qiyadah teaches members, among other things, that they do not have to pray five times a day, fast during Ramadhan or go on the haj, which are all compulsory in Islam.
Source: The Jakarta Post
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Indonesia Monitors 3 Active Volcanos;Raises Alerts
Three volcanos in Indonesia, including the one known as the "Child of Krakatau", are now under close watch following heightened activity, a senior volcano official said on Saturday.
Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised the alert on Mount Anak Krakatau to the second-highest level on Friday after it threw up showers of ash.
The volcano, which lies in the Sunda strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, is about 130 km west of the capital Jakarta. It gradually formed after the famous Krakatau volcano blew up in a massive eruption in 1883, triggering tsunamis and killing thousands of people.
Saut Simatupang, a senior official at the centre, said that volcanic tremors at Anak Krakatau, which is a popular tourist attraction, had increased in the past two days.
Officials are also monitoring two other volcanos. Mount Kelud volcano in East Java has been on the highest state of alert for several days as it appears to be very close to erupting.
The volcano, which has a lake in its crater, is about 90 km southwest of Surabaya, Indonesia's second-biggest city.
Mount Soputan, in North Sulawesi, erupted last week spewing columns of ash 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) into the air, but its activity has since decreased, Simatupang said.
Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes in any country, sitting on a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire".
Indonesia's 'Child of Krakatau' volcano spews ash, smoke
The Indonesian volcano known as the "Child of Krakatau" spewed ash and smoke, prompting authorities to warn of a possible eruption, a government volcanologist said Saturday.
The mountain in the Sunda Strait, 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Jakarta, formed after the giant Krakatau eruption of 1883 that killed tens of thousands of people and was the largest explosion in recorded history.
"Activity at Anak Krakatau increased yesterday and there were several small eruptions," said Surono, a leading government volcanologist who, like many Indonesians, uses one name. "We have upgraded the alert level to the second highest."
Anak Krakatau, which means "Child of Krakatau," is the third volcano to become active in recent weeks in Indonesia, a sprawling nation of more than 17,000 islands. The country has about 150 volcanos along an arc of fault lines called the Pacific "Ring of Fire."
Krakatau's massive 1883 blast, heard more than 3,000 kilometers (nearly 2,000 miles) away in Australia, sent pyroclastic surges of gas and burning ash which, combined with a tsunami, wiped out 165 villages and killed at least 36,417 people. It destroyed two thirds of the island of Krakatau between Java and Sumatra.
Source : International Herald Tribune-AP
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
