Everything Indonesia

Of politics and sausage

2009-05-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

As they say, making legislation is like making sausage. There's a final product, but you surely don't want to see the ugly process of it being made.

I'm reminded of that old adage thanks to the political horse-trading that's going on, now that the election numbers are in and the presidential wannabes are all jostling for position. Kalla and Wiranto, SBY and take your pick of Boediono, Megawati, Prabowo, or even the Sultan of Yogyakarta.

It's all a bit unseemly, much like New York Governor David Paterson's recent botched selection of a senator to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In fact the governor was so damaged by the affair that his career may never recover.

Food for thought, that such political negotiations should always be delicate and behind closed doors, never conducted as a virtual wrestling match. The public may know that politicians are craven and grasping creatures, but we'd rather not witness it in action.

Today's Top Stories

Megawati graft scandal?

Talk about bad timing

This week in irony news ...

Anticorruption chief up on murder charges

It's alive!

The rupiah, back from the dead

A car company that's not going out of business?!

VW plans new Indonesia plant

Lombok, getting on my nerves

2009-05-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Someone please stab me in the eye.

Look, I love Lombok as much as the next guy. But the western media's obsession with 'The Next Bali' story is starting to rub me the wrong way. To wit, here's the latest version from Forbes. The trope goes thusly: Bali and its execrable Kuta Beach are overrun with hammered (usually Australian) tourists, therefore it's time to look to other undiscovered islands in the archipelago ... and hey, there's Lombok right next door. Write it up!

If I see one more article like this I'm going to go postal. First of all, Lombok is not as 'undiscovered' as clueless feature editors would have you believe. Second, this story is about 20 years old. Third, there are 14,000 other islands that could use a bit of the spotlight (and accompanying tourist dollars), not just Lombok.

So editors of the world, take note. Of course print journalism is dying a quick death anyways, so this message may get to you a little too late.

Today's Top Stories

Asian Development Bank meets in Bali

World crisis slamming poor

Indo tourism numbers up

Impressive showing during economic catastrophe

Three jailed on terror charges

Botched cafe bombing snares Osama wannabes

Parties ganging up on SBY

Golkar, PDI-P, PPP, others form big coalition

Election 2009: Lessons Learned

2009-04-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Now that we've had some time to digest the numbers - 'quantitative analysis,' they call it in the investment world - we can draw some conclusions from the recent Indonesian elections. And perhaps the biggest surprise of all was that there was no real surprise.

President SBY's party came out on top, an event predicted by most polls in the runup. What wasn't quite as foreseen was the significant slump borne by the main opposition parties, like Golkar and Megawati's PDI-P. Late in election seasons most populations shift back to the status quo instead of the great unknown, and this time was no different. But the sub-20% showings were particularly crippling.

No wonder it looks like Megawati is reaching out to former Gen. Prabowo Subianto as a running mate, desperate to glean any possible support. But unless a political earthquake arrives in short order, SBY looks to cruise to victory.

Today's Top Stories

Watch out for swine

Indonesia on alert for flu pandemic

Someone's got gas

Indo is region's worst greenhouse-gas emitter, says ADB

Islamic parties stumble in elections

Global caliphate will have to wait

SBY-Kalla relations frosty

Presidential challenge leads to rift

Election 2009: It's he-ere!

2009-04-06T07:30:00.001-07:00

It seems like the buildup has been forever- although not quite as long as the interminable American version - but the elections are finally imminent. Glory glory hallelujah.

Consensus is that the party of the generally inoffensive SBY will prevail, although polls have been fairly close in recent weeks. The 'Intelligence Unit' of the venerable Economist magazine predicts as much here, although noting that he'll be under rising pressure in coming months thanks to a global economy that's been brought to its knees.

The electoral process will likely be a messy event, given the huge population and the thousands of far-flung islands we're talking about. But let's have a glass-half-full moment, and appreciate the fact that Indonesia has evolved from a longtime dictatorship to a thriving democracy within a few short years. Not many countries in the world can pull off such a jarring transition - witness Russia, which has backslid to the times of yore - but Indonesia has. In that spirit, hats off to the victors, whoever that turns out to be.

Today's Top Stories

Military plane crash in West Java

24 perish in fireball

Campaigning wraps up

SBY crosses his fingers

Interest rates cut to 7.5%

Indonesia trying to stay ahead of global slowdown

Police shoot Papuan protesters

Tensions simmering in eastern province

And the winner is ... Megawati's party?!

2009-04-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Heed well the old children's fable of the tortoise and the hare. Because with just a week to go before the general elections, a new poll bombshell has Megawati's party pulling ahead.

For months President SBY and his Democratic party have been mopping the floor with rivals in most polls. But this survey by the Strategic Centre for Development and Policy Review has the party of Sukarno's daughter - noted for her particular fondness for cooking and gardening, not so much for her policy brilliance - ahead by a half-point, with SBY's cohorts second and Golkar a close third.

All of them, crucially, fall short of the 20% barrier to nominate a presidential candidate on their own. So may the horse-trading begin in the nation's political backrooms, because it looks like we're in for some delicious chaos. That's democracy, in all its beautiful messiness.

Today's Top Stories

12th-century stone Ganesh recovered in Indonesia

Don't mess with the God of Good Luck

Dangdut concert, anyone?

Elections more about music than smart policy

The rupiah continues its slide

Suitable for lining birdcages

Sumatran elephants shot dead

Poachers win; only 3,000 left in wild

Favorite Place on Earth

2009-03-30T05:34:00.001-07:00

If there's anyone who knows something about travel, it's Arthur Frommer. The creator of the Frommer's travel-guide series has been to just about every nook and cranny in the world. His favorite of them all, though? None other than Bali.

We find this out courtesy of a new book from National Geographic, "My Favorite Place on Earth," where assorted celebrities let us in on their secret haunts. Other favored spots: The Simpsons creator Matt Groening likes Kauai, Hawaii, while Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler prefers Nepal - and designer Isaac Mizrahi singles out good old Brooklyn. (Big ups!)

As for myself, I'd have to say Cambodia's Angkor Wat, Martinique in the Caribbean, and India's Varanasi. And, of course, my hometown of Vancouver, Canada and my host village of Kota Intan in Indonesia's Riau province.

So, how about you?

Today's Top Stories

Indonesian and proud of it

No to changing nationalities

Climate change summit to host RI

Environment minister headed to DC

Dam death toll rises to 98

Overseer offers to resign

Indonesia hacked by China?!

Secret spy network hit 103 countries

Food riots as global phenomenon?

2009-03-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

The global economic crisis has made "pessimism porn" something of a favorite pastime these days. More and more publications are talking up apocalyptic scenarios like food and water shortages, devalued currencies, and huge spikes in crime rates as old orders break down. (Great piece in the New Yorker recently that should be required reading.)

Poorer countries have some familiarity with phenomena like food riots, since when you're living close to the poverty line, even slight changes in commodity prices can be the difference between eating and not eating. Hence situations like Haiti, where elements of the government fell when food prices got out of hand.

Indonesia too has seen some isolated food rioting in recent years, and there could be more to come depending on how deep this crisis goes. But when you hear experts talking about such possibilities in America, it's time to rethink your assumptions about the world. Here's forecaster Gerald Celente on the possibility of social breakdown in the US itself, not just the so-called Third World.

Even level-headed writers like Peggy Noonan are being told by expert buddies to start growing their own food and stockpile gold coins. Rewind to 2007, and who would've thought any of this craziness would come to pass?

Today's Top Stories

Colonial dam bursts in Jakarta

52 killed, search for missing underway

Global currency gets traction

Indonesia likes Chinese idea

Growth forecast cut, again

Second time in just a month

Separate or not?

Rebel leader in Papua raises passions

Of slow blogging, and the reasons for it

2009-03-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for a while. In this economy-from-hell, I had to go and make some money while I still could!

But by way of an excuse, here's an interesting Slow Blogging Manifesto that I came across, and that nicely justifies my absence. Should blogging be about multiple daily posts, or should it be about more occasional worthy insights? Should bloggers work with a mindset of ever-passing deadlines, or with a goal of deeper breakthroughs?

The author's position is obvious ... here's a sample: "Slow Blogging is a rejection of immediacy. It is an affirmation that not all things worth reading are written quickly, and that many thoughts are best served after being fully baked and worded in an even temperament."

When time passes and we're all six feet under, is an ephemeral blog any kind of legacy to leave? Perhaps we should all return to the writerly habits of yore, and write personal letters in longhand. At least it would be something tangible to hold on to ...

Today's Top Stories

Papua simmers on rebel's return

Leader Nicolas Jouwe offers mixed messages

When Komodo dragons attack!

Poor fruit picker on the receiving end

More Islamic bonds on the way

Hey, anything's better than stocks

Islam the election's wild card

Won't get a prez candidate, but will shape results

Whither Papua?

2009-03-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

Word that a key leader of the Free Papua movement is finally warming up to the idea of Indonesia.

Somewhat of a mystery, for beliefs that have been decades in the making for Nicolas Jouwe. A feint to wrest more powers from the government, and prevent much-needed funds from leaking back to Jakarta? An admission that a tiny country, alone, might not reach the promised land via independence alone (viz: East Timor)? Or a personal power grab, since he apparently would like to advise SBY on Papuan affairs?

Perhaps a combination of the three. Or, even, a touch of well-timed propaganda from the government - he was meeting with Minister Bakrie, after all, who might not be the most trustworthy mouthpiece in the world.

Currency's new world order

2009-03-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

And you thought the rupiah had problems?

It almost went unnoticed, but this week we saw the first hints of a major global shift in finance and geopolitics. The Chinese are wringing their hands about their massive (read: trillion-dollar) investment in US Treasury bonds, say their leaders. Huge government spending in response to the financial meltdown, leading to the full-speed printing of money, leading to the eventual devaluation of American currency, is what's causing the nervousness. Seems rational to me.

Presumably this Chinese trial balloon will lead to a shift in how they invest their money, i.e. not US Treasuries as the default investment of choice. That, in turn, will put major pressure on American currency in years to come, and a significantly ramped-up inflation level. Not Zimbabwe, hopefully, but something to which Americans haven't been accustomed since the early 1980s when inflation reached double-digits.

Perhaps the only thing saving the US dollar right now is that a major alternative, the Euro, is also a major basket case, as they figure out how to prop up horrendous Eastern European economies. Long-term, though, remember this week as an early sign of the end of America's currency hegemony.

Today's Top Stories

World Cup: The bid is in
Indonesia wants football's greatest event

Obama says, Apa kabar?
Talks to SBY on the phone

iPhone 3G on the way to Indonesia
Get ready for the addiction

SBY figuring out new coalitions
What to do after Golkar defection?

Forbes: Indonesia's top billionaires

2009-03-13T06:46:00.001-07:00

I thought we were all broke by now. But apparently there are still a few billionaires left in the world, according to Forbes magazine's new list.

Five Indonesians among them, in fact, close on the nerdy heels of Microsoft's Bill Gates. (Sorry, Warren Buffett, you can apply for social assistance now.) The winners: The Hartono brothers, Michael and Budi, whose love goes into every clove cigarette you suck down. The result: $1.7 billion. I haven't done the conversion, but that's a whole lot of rupiah.

Others with enough money to pay their mortgage include Sukanto Tanoto, of paper-construction-and-palm-oil fame; Martua Sitorus, another palm-oil magnate; Peter Sondakh, a telecommunications-and-hotels king (what's with the strange combinations?). If palm oil is such a sure path to enormous wealth, no wonder they're cutting down forests with abandon. Sorry, orangutans ...

Today's Top Stories

We're second best!

Indonesia runner-up for Asia's top travel destination

SBY falls ill from 'stomach ache'

Whispers of stroke in advance of elections

Ouch: Horse bites off man's balls

Bad day in Gorontalo province

Indonesia among cheapest stocks in world

No wonder after Jakarta Index falls straight into toilet

In breaking Buddha news ...

2009-03-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Pop quiz: How long would it take for a bar featuring a huge Muhammad statue, overlooking all the tasty drinks and appetizers, to be burned down? My guess is between five and seven seconds.

Even normally laid-back Buddhists, though, have got their backs up over Jakarta's Buddha Bar. Hence the new ruling that the trendy spot be shuttered, as offensive to the religion's followers. Fair enough, I suppose, since a massive Christ looming over one's mai-tai would probably be considered offensive too.

But note well that this Buddha Bar chain has a New York City outpost, which has gobbled up tourists' money for years now, with nary a peep from the local community. I suppose with ultimate enlightenment on their minds, true Buddhists have greater things to think about than who's misusing their religious iconography ...

Today's Top Stories

Stocks can go up? Hallelujah
US financials show signs of life

Aussies freed from Indo jail
Silly Papuan trip sparked international crisis

SBY kicks off Defense University
Praises warfare of all kinds

Not the way to woo EU
MD-90s keep crashing

Help Nila Tanzil!

2009-03-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

When I wrote about Tourism Queensland's brilliant marketing campaign a while back, promoting the Best Job in the World, I had no idea that someone familiar might actually get it.

It's basically a stint blogging from a gorgeous island off the Great Barrier Reef. Snorkel, scuba, hike, fish, and write about how great your life is, thereby promoting the wonders of Australia. Oh, and you get $100,000 a year too. Not a bad gig.

Anyhow, it looks like the terrific Indonesian blogger Nila Tanzil actually has a shot at it. She's been writing about her travels for ages, so it's a perfect fit. Of course there are others who want it, too, and apparently there's public voting involved. So go to this link, and vote your ass off for her. It'd be fabulous to see a worthy Indonesian came out on top of an intense global competition.

Good luck Nila!

Today's Top Stories

Hambali homesick?!

Bomber wants out of Hotel Gitmo, please

Aviation chief suddenly canned

Presumably to woo fickle EU

Golkar, PPP secret deal

Scrambling for votes in advance of elections

Down with whitey

Shocker: Ads promote unrealistic body image

Obama snacks and postmodernism

2009-03-08T13:25:00.001-07:00

Somehow I love the fact that "Obama snacks" are hitting the Indonesian streets. Not because they're nutritious (I assume not) or even legal (ripoff of likeness), but because they're a perfect distillation of messed-up postmodern society.

Something real, hopeful, and meaningful transformed and reworked into something cheap, throwaway and probably harmful. A powerful image taken over and destroyed by being associated with typical consumer emptiness. Postmodern theorists like Jean Beaudrillard might posit that nothing in our society is real or meaningful anyways (viz. his book The Gulf War Did Not Take Place), so a takedown of a particularly hopeful image - that of the new leader of the free world - by a little street-level capitalist hustling is perfectly appropriate.

If everything these days exists in a media simulacrum, a mirror of a mirror of a mirror of something else, a clever pastiche of things that were once original, isn't an Obama-branded snack part of that glorious and totally degraded mosaic?

A bit heavy, I know. But kudos to the Obama snack-sellers for their unintentional but brilliant contribution to postmodern debate.

Today's Top Stories

Central bank predicts rupiah will strengthen
In related news, L.A. Clippers plan to win NBA championship

The return of Golkar?
VP Kalla taking big, compensating for something

World energy solution: Seaweed?!
Sure, why the hell not

Most Indonesian domestic violence related to cash woes
Financial crunch only going to get worse

Kalla: Indonesia's Cheney

2009-03-05T06:48:00.000-08:00

Media wags have long called him Indonesia's version of Dick Cheney, but VP Jusuf Kalla's decision to take on President SBY is taking his Cheney-ness to a new level.

American VP Cheney demonstrated a certain Machiavellian brilliance, nominating himself to be George W. Bush's VP after supposedly leading the search. (Um, I decide ... on me!) Once in office, he essentially ran the White House, thanks to his deep knowledge of how to work the bureaucratic levers of government. Poor old Dubya didn't have a chance.

But even Cheney didn't have the brass balls to take on the sitting president who had made him VP in the first place. But such is the goal of Golkar's Kalla, who modestly claims that provincial leaders came to him in supplication. Nothing to do with his own ambition, of course.

The Greek tragedies all had core lessons in hubris, or overweening ambition, that ultimately brought down their heroes. Given the latest polls, Kalla is going to get a brutal lesson in the dangers of hubris very soon.

Today's Top Stories

Interest rates cut yet again

To 7.75%, as world economy goes into crapper

Javan rhino gets own reality show

World's most endangered mammal

The environmental answer: More logging!

Curious logic from Indo government

New yoga association forms

Who's afraid of fatwas?

Spotlight: Hotel Sedona Manado

2009-03-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

Time for a guessing game. The newest winner of Indonesia's best resort, from the World Travel Awards?

Seems I gave it away by the title of the post, but it's the Hotel Sedona in the diving Mecca of Manado, beating out a number of better-known luxury chains. Those rival general managers must be gnashing their teeth.

Perched at the top of North Sulawesi, far from Jakarta's bustle and smog, Manado is known mainly by scuba divers and snorkelers for its rich undersea life. The hotel and its 247 suites are only a couple of years old, part of a hotel network that's prominent in Asian locales like Myanmar and Vietnam.

I don't know much about the Sedona chain, but given that its Manado resort fronts a fabulous private lagoon, and boasts diving that's perhaps unparalleled on the planet, I can only assume that the World Travel Awards know what they're talking about.

Today's Top Stories

Beware of Indonesian birds

Death toll from bird flu climbs to 119

Indo proposes new Islamic fund

To help impoverished Muslim nations

Kalla ramps up the rhetoric

I'm better than just OK, says ungrateful VP

Indonesia digital by 2015!

By then it'll be some new technology anyways

Let's create an Indonesia bubble!

2009-03-02T12:08:00.001-08:00

As the Dow sinks into oblivion today, it strikes me that the only real money is ever made during ridiculous asset bubbles. The dot-com bubble of 1999-2000, the home-price bubble of 2002-2007, the grand old South Sea and Dutch Tulip bubbles. As long as you got out in time, you made serious coin.

After all, regular savers always seem to get shafted. The Protestant ethic of work-hard-and-save seems to have been blown apart in this latest meltdown, when savings-account interest rates have approached zero and stock portfolios have been totally obliterated. Bubbles even destroy those who haven't really participated in them.

Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Let's create a crazy asset bubble, and then get out while the getting is good. And why not Indonesia? Let's pump the idea that Indonesia is the Next Big Thing, drive the Jakarta Index into the stratosphere, and then cash in our chips and go live on a private island somewhere with a lifetime supply of mai-tais. Who's with me?

Today's Top Stories

Sumatran tiger catchers on red alert

Species more endangered than ever

Exports plunge most in 22 years

Put the money under your mattress, everybody

Backstabbers unite!

Kalla runs for prez, hurts SBY's feelings

Sharia banking on the rise

Mainly because no other banks are left

Random musings on rice for breakfast

2009-03-01T11:41:00.001-08:00

I like to think of myself as pretty attuned to the Indonesian psyche ... as much as any white Canadian can be, anyways. But one leap I was never able to make: Having rice for breakfast.

Now, I know it's far healthier than any sugar-laden product from Kellogg's, or the deadly bacon-and-eggs combo that clogs up most Western arteries. But I could never wrap my mind around rice in the morning. In fact I was so psychologically damaged after my first stint in Indonesia, that I couldn't eat (or even look at) rice - at any time of day - for at least six months afterwards.

Now, I suppose since much of the country is around or below the poverty line, you eat what you've got. Which, with that climate and terrain, is usually rice. Understood. And perhaps one day I'll get beyond my biases, and enjoy some basmati or jasmine varieties as the sun comes up. But until then, nasi goreng in the a.m. is one cultural bridge too far ...

Today's Top Stories

Chris John keeps WBA crown

Battles Juarez to a draw

Thongchai Jaidee wins Indonesia Open

Thai star takes golf tourney by two strokes

Bonds at 10%? I'll take it

Indonesia leads successful $3 billion issue

Prabowo Subianto kicks off presidential campaign

Former general lags badly in polls

World's Best Featherweight?

2009-02-26T08:11:00.001-08:00

Indonesia isn't known for its boxing traditions, but you wouldn't know it by Chris John's massive success.

The 29-year-old is 42-0 with 22 knockouts, and is defending his WBA title this Saturday against American tomato can Rocky Juarez. With a Marciano-like record like that you'd think John would be more known worldwide, but this will actually be the first time many boxing fans have seen him take to the ring.

He's still on the undercard, as a setup to the larger Lightweight match between Juan Manual Marquez and Juan Diaz. But after this week's bout, one of only a handful he's fought outside of Indonesia, maybe John will be the main draw in boxing matches to come.

Today's Top Stories

So much for loyalty

Kalla to challenge SBY?

Ambassador coming through!

Jakarta airport will dispatch staff on rollerblades

Line up for government cash

Indonesia gets on stimulus bandwagon

Bad timing award

Plane crash greets EU audit team

Islamic bonds hit paydirt

2009-02-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well, the rest of global finance may be going up in flames, but at least there's one bright spot: The Indonesian government's successful issue of Islamic 'sukuk' bonds.

They'd been aiming for a 1.77 trillion issue, but ended up at a cool 5.56 trillion ($467 million). And not in any old economic environment, but the worst crisis since the Great Depression, when pretty much everyone is afraid of virtually everything - other than US Treasuries. Not a bad showing.

The sticky thing is how to issue bonds in the first place when Islam bans the charging or issuing of of interest. Sukuk represent an end-run around that problem by being structured as profit-sharing arrangements, drawing cash from underlying physical assets like rental income.

Now that the first issue has been snapped up, you know the government is going to be holding sukuk sales as often as people want to buy 'em. Like, how about tomorrow? This may not be the most politically correct salutation, but to the Finance Ministry wonks who pulled this off: Mazel tov!

Today's Top Stories

Yawning fish discovered off Indonesian coast
New species rocks scientific world

ASEAN rights: Um, later
Financial crash first order of business

Aceh peace in trouble
So says Finnish Nobel Prize winner

Mud volcano a human rights violation
Driller in big trouble for Java disaster

The Sultan Goes Online

2009-02-24T06:02:00.001-08:00

I've always wondered how divine religious figures throughout history - Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, etc. - would cope with modern society. Would they be on Facebook? Would they Twitter?

I'm being facetious of course, but here's a real-world example. Java's divine Sultan, Hamengkubuwono X (related to Malcolm X?), is aiming for the country's presidency, and has set up a website to help him get there.

Nothing technologically Earth-shattering here - the usual tidbits like a 'Statement of the Day,' a smattering of bad campaign photos, and a boring news feed. But I do like that they have a contact page for someone who's supposedly semi-divine. Does God send e-mail? I hope his missives don't go into my bulk folder ...

As for the his connection to the heavens, given that SBY is leading in the polls by such a healthy margin, the Sultan might need all the help he can get.

Today's Top Stories

Porn law under fire

What about the Papuan penis gourd, dammit

Wishful thinking department

Banking sector is fine shape, says BI

Kuwait wants your oil

$300m investment, fending off Chinese buying spree?

Sukuk a hit with investors

Government's Islamic bond sale exceeds expectations

Spotlight: Le Meridien Nirwana Bali

2009-02-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

Think of Indonesia, and you don't automatically think of golf. But maybe you should.

Specifically if you stay at Le Meridien Nirwana Bali, whose Greg Norman-designed course has been awarded the best golf course in Asia for the fourth year in a row. For golf-addicted business travellers, of which there are many, having 18 holes alongside your luxury resort is something close to perfection.

Le Meridien isn't the most well-known hotel brand in the world, but the Starwood-owned group does have some standout locations like their New York City outpost on 57th St., whose recent renovation has a sleek modernist feel. In Bali the Meridien is near the Tanah Lot Sea Temple, removed from the usual Kuta craziness, and its unique golf course (one of only four on the island) winds through 30 hectares of terraced rice fields.

The top accommodation option, for those who still have a job and some savings (or, even better, a corporate expense account): The over 200-square-metre Presidential Suite, completely done in authentic Balinese decor. But its the links that are the resort's real draw for the golf-obsessed. As Asia's Leading Golf Resort (so named by the World Travel Awards), what's not to love?

Today's Top Stories

Garuda pilot under fire

Could get four years for 2007 Yogyakarta crash

Sumatran tigers on the rampage

Not many left, but they're not happy

Tsunami museum opens in Aceh

Worthy but depressing travel option

Kalla: In praise of thugs

VP goes off-message, disses bureaucrats

Hillary postmortem: Indonesia as 'cornerstone'

2009-02-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

Off she goes, to put out other diplomatic fires around the globe. Iran's nascent nuclear program, North Korea's usual swaggering, all converging at once, as if the world didn't have enough to deal with.

But before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed Jakarta, she helped write a new chapter in U.S.-Indonesia relations. Long-dormant mutual interests are being revived, with Indonesia free of all the old Suharto associations that had chilled relations initially, and the U.S. free of the unilateralist course it charted over the last eight years.

In fact many are citing Indonesia as a "cornerstone" of new-and-improved American foreign policy, both a symbol (of Muslim rapprochement) and a gathering force in population and resources. The question, then: Will Indonesia seize this historic moment, and come to the fore to exhibit leadership and moral principle, bringing disparate nations together? Or will it recede into its own messiness and complexities, content to let other countries take the lead?

Today's Top Stories

Jakarta Index back at historic lows

Dragged down by world troubles

Subianto sleeps easy at night

Special-forces atrocities don't trouble Prez hopeful

Buy the rupiah, please

Central bank doesn't have any other choice

Crisis fund for emerging nations?

Indonesia leads efforts

Hillary in Jakarta: The lovefest begins

2009-02-19T10:25:00.001-08:00

And so, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to Indonesia, starts a new era in American foreign policy. A lot less unilateral arrogance, a lot more inclusiveness and so-called smart power. Hillary famously kicked off her Senate run with a 'listening tour,' and in her new position she seems to be taking a similar tack.

Indonesia's a logical place for the Obama administration to start, as a kind of translator to the larger Muslim world. With its traditions of democracy and tolerance, not so steeped in reactionary Wahhabist thought like much of the Mideast, and with its personal links to America's head of state, it's proving itself as a critical bridge for the State Department.

Unfortunately her Indonesian counterpart Hassan Wirajuda took the occasion to bring up the issue of a $5-billion lifeline, to help get Indonesia through the coming economic storms. In itself, nothing Earth-shattering. But mentioned in conjunction with improving ties, it gives off a certain whiff of pay-to-play politics. New ambassador, Roland Burris?

Today's Top Stories

America must lead on climate change

Indonesia urages US to fill leadership vacuum

Islamic hardliners losing ground

New polls show power of moderates

Indonesia as bridge to Myanmar?

US will consult about strategy

Hambali, you're getting visitors!

Guantanamo inmate could meet with government officials

Total Stock Market Surrender

2009-02-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

In the investing biz it's called 'capitulation,' when people simply give up. Investors throw up their hands, sell what they've got, and put their cash under a mattress. We may be at that point now.

The crisis of confidence wracking global financial markets has become so deep and profound, that some observers are questioning the long-term viability of pure capitalism. Even pro-market forces like French President Nicolas Sarkozy have mused that laissez-faire capitalism, as a concept, is essentially dead.

What a shift from recent times, even just last year. The author Nassim Taleb (The Black Swan) has opined that the stock market itself is a kind of mild Ponzi scheme, in that if people lose faith and start pulling their money out, it all falls apart like a house of cards. That's the historical moment we're in, when the Jakarta Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and every other benchmark out there is being beseiged by an utter lack of confidence.

For good reason, since many American banks are now effectively insolvent, owing more than they're worth. But given that equities are priced for Armageddon, for those with a cash pile and a long time horizon, it could be a time when fortunes are made.

Today's Top Stories

Indonesian budget, take two

Anyone got some Liquid Paper?

Clinton charm offensive starts now

Sec. of State wooing Muslim nations

Orangutans in peril

Government opening up more land for plantations

U.S. and Indonesia, BFFs

Strategic partnership coming together

Peace Corps in Indonesia?

2009-02-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

An interesting sideline to Hillary Clinton's upcoming Indonesia visit: She's open to restarting the Peace Corps. Whether Indonesia is open to that, is another question entirely.

It's a bizarre historical tidbit, dating back to the 1960s when father-of-the-nation Sukarno allowed the program for a couple of years. But since then it's been dormant, and knotted up with what many see as the program's implications, i.e. that Indonesia is in need of outside help because it can't handle its own affairs or development.

The Peace Corps doesn't have to have that negative subtext. They might want to take a page from the program I participated in as a starry-eyed young'un, Canada World Youth: It's been there for decades now, and it's not a one-way offer of assistance, but a two-way exchange. Indonesians come to Canada as well to assist in development projects (my own pairing was situated on a dairy farm in a poor rural area), before we headed back overseas to help a tiny Sumatran village.

That way there's no condescension involved, but a reciprocal relationship where people from both countries have their world view forever enlarged. Case in point, your humble author, who wouldn't be writing about Indonesia were it not for my time with Canada World Youth all those years ago.

Today's Top Stories

High security for Clinton

Sec. of State arriving Wednesday

Economy screeching to a halt

Exports hardest hit

Buy Indonesian campaign

Civil servants, er, encouraged to spend locally

Fatwa in the making?

International Yoga Festival coming to Bali

Hillary to Indonesia, Decoded

2009-02-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

In the old Cold War days, so-called Kremlinologists used to decipher the smallest signs from the Soviet Union's rulers, trying to gain a peek into constantly shifting allegiances and power centers.

In that spirit, let's decode what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's upcoming visit means for Indonesia. It's no small event: Rather than paying homage to the usual Asian destinations of China, Japan and Korea, the U.S. is making a point of adding an important new ingredient. The world's most populous Muslim country, and an inherently complicated one, full of political cross-currents and sticky religious issues.

I see a few fingerprints on this momentous addition, first of whose are Barack Obama's, who has a moving personal history in Indonesia. But the repowered State Department - whose staffers greeted Hillary with wild applause, almost as a liberator - is certainly behind this shift as well. It signals not only a new engagement and respect for the moderate Muslim world, but a willingness to wade into interesting geopolitical thickets.

Of course, Indonesia and its tricky issues (like its vocal cadres of Islamic militants) might demonstrate to American officials that lasting resolutions aren't so easy. But more power to them and to Hillary's imminent visit, for at least trying to change the game.

Today's Top Stories

Sulawesi rocked by earthquake

7.2 magnitude, followed by dozens of aftershocks

Treeman back for more surgery

Poor Dede can't overcome his condition

Teflon Tommy Suharto

Beats graft case, again

Baby Sumatran elephant born

Rare good news for an endangered species

Exclusive Interview: Robin Bush, Part Two

2009-02-11T04:00:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we kicked off our exclusive chat with Robin Bush, the Asia Foundation's country representative for Indonesia. Today we continue with her thoughts on Aceh reconstruction, the upcoming 2009 elections, and what everyone needs to know about Indonesia.

EI: What's your take on the status of development in Aceh province, post-tsunami, and what still needs to be done?

RB: The relief and reconstruction effort in Aceh has resulted in dramatic levels of development. The peace accord to date still holds, and Aceh has the potential of being able to return to being a somewhat normal place. That said, donor assistance is, as it should be, on the downswing and most donors if not already withdrawing, are in exit strategy mode. As the financial resources dwindle, and with an election coming up, it will be important to monitor the situation closely to ensure that local conflicts don’t re-emerge around contestation of shrinking resources.

EI: What are shaping up to be the biggest issues in the upcoming '09 elections?

RB: The economy, unemployment and poverty are the largest set of issues. President Yudhoyono has been strategic and astute in his management of the financial crisis so far – but it has not yet hit the real economy, and in coming months when unemployment becomes more widespread, he will be in a very vulnerable position. That said, other issues like anti-corruption and security are also key issues, and on those fronts Yudhoyono is seen to have been an effective leader.

EI: As someone who's lived in Indonesia for a long time, what are a few things Americans should know about the country, that they don't?

RB: They should know that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, is the fourth largest democracy in the world, and the largest Muslim democracy in the world. They should know that most Indonesians actually really like America – they like the culture, the people, they like to go to school there, they like to take holidays there. They should also know that Indonesia is a country of contrasts – of women in headscarves and tight jeans; where 12 Lamborghinis can be pre-purchased before the show room in Jakarta even opens yet where 100 million people live on less than $2/day and children die of malnutrition; where it is not unusual for Muslim villagers to help their Christian neighbors build their church …yet where 100s of ‘thugs’ can be mobilized to burn it down. They should know that Indonesia’s story of reform and democratization is one of the great untold success stories – to transform within 10 years from an authoritarian dictatorship to a vibrant, growing, stable democracy is an incredible feat, and one which Indonesia gets much less credit than it deserves.

Many thanks to Robin Bush for her insights, and best wishes for her ongoing work for a better Indonesia!

Today's Top Stories

Flooding paralyzes Java
Pantura overtaken by floodwaters

Corruption 101
Anti-graft drive comes to the classroom

Pertamina boosting security at refineries
Last month's fire triggered panic buying

Kalla pushes fair trade at The Hague
VP continues swanning around the world

Exclusive Interview: Asia Foundation's Robin Bush

2009-02-11T04:00:00.000-08:00

No offense to politicians, but when you need a real State of the Union, you don't go to political hacks. You go to people like Robin Bush. As Indonesia's country rep for the Asia Foundation, she's steeped in local culture, with her heart and soul dedicated to making the country a better place.

Today we have the first of a two-part series, chatting with Robin about issues like development, politics, Islam - and what every American needs to know about Indonesia.

EI: What led you to be Asia Foundation's country rep in Indonesia , and what does your work entail?

RB: Indonesia is really home – I grew up here, and then lived in Indonesia off and on during the '90s doing my Masters and PhD research, then joined the Foundation in 1998. Prior to being Deputy Rep and then Country Rep, I was the Director for the Foundation’s Islam and Development programs. As a political scientist with a focus on Islamic politics, The Asia Foundation is a place I really wanted to work because the Foundation is known for its political economy approach to reform and development. It engages with both state and non-state political institutions, and since the 1970s, the Foundation has partnered with Islamic organizations on a wide range of reform initiatives - from women’s literacy, to pro-poor budgeting. Currently, I provide overall management and direction for the Foundation’s work in Indonesia, which includes economic policy reform, election monitoring and education, women’s political participation, anti-trafficking, legal reform, security sector reform, and pro-poor and gender budgeting.

EI: Is your sense that Islam in Indonesia is being pulled in a more militant direction, or is it returning to its tolerant roots?

RB: There are always fluctuations and exceptional incidents, but overall, my sense is that Islam in Indonesia is returning to its mainstream center. Though one could argue that it never actually left that center, but was hijacked for awhile by more stringent voices that had political momentum for a time due to international factors which tended to polarize societies and left no room for a mainstream center. Either way, it does seem that the Muslim mainstream majority in Indonesia has regained dominance of the public discourse, and has effectively marginalized militant and extremist elements. That is not to say that Indonesian society is less Islamic – it is more Islamic in the sense of being more pious, more spiritual, but that is a different phenomenon, one that is actually taking place in many part of both the Muslim and non-Muslim world.

EI: What's been the local response to Barack Obama's victory, since he has such strong roots there?

RB: The euphoria in Indonesia around Obama’s victory and inauguration has been palpable and strong. There is certainly an element of Indonesians taking pride and even a kind of ‘ownership’ of Obama. There is also just the hope that Obama will understand the complexities of Indonesia a bit better than the previous administration. There is certainly a desire on the part of political elites for Indonesia to play a bigger role on the international stage, and they hope Obama will encourage that. But for the most part, the average Indonesian is just amazed that a black man that lived part of his life in Indonesia could be president of the US, and they hope that this very very different figure of a US president will bring about change at many levels.

Tomorrow: Robin Bush on Aceh reconstruction, the 2009 elections, and what everyone needs to know about Indonesia

Today's Top Stories

No flowers or chocolates, please

Valentine's Day activities banned by PKS party

SBY getting cocky?

Democratic Party aims to exceed 20%, ditch coalitions

Uh oh: Loan defaults rising

Exactly what took down US economy

Rihanna cancels Jakarta concert

After bustup with boyfriend Chris Brown

Spotlight: Amanjiwo

2009-02-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

It's often assumed, by Western travellers anyways, that Bali is home to Indonesia's best luxury hotels. Not necessarily so. Today we look at Amanjiwo, the Java resort that overlooks the legendary Borobudur.

For those unfamiliar, Borobudur is the stunning 9th-century collection of Buddhist monuments in Central Java - a rich reminder of Buddhism's past inn the archipelago, and (almost) on par with Cambodia's Angkor Wat temples in terms of being able to take your breath away.

Amanjiwo is Aman Resorts' Borobudur location, ranked among the 101 best hotels in the world by Tatler. There are only 34 luxury suites, looking over vistas like Mt. Merapi (author's note: I scaled it right before it blew up back in the mid-'90s), terraced farmland, and Borobudur itself. Infinity pools set into ricefields, personal butlers on-call 24-7, showers of fresh rose petals upon your arrival. Um, what else do you want?

Today's Top Stories

China wants Indonesia's natural gas

Don't piss off the panda

Talk about a niche investment

Ant Global Partners opening Indo clean-tech fund

Sukuk, anyone? Anyone?

Islamic bonds hitting market for 'Sharia Economy Festival'

Clinton visit 'signal' to Muslim world

Sec. of State skips disappointed Australia

EU travel ban = history?

2009-02-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

A spot of good news for the beleaguered tourism industry (finally): the European Union is mulling over overturning the travel ban on Indonesian airliners.

The brutal ban, in effect since the summer of '07 following a spate of accidents, put a crimp in Visit Indonesia year and has been a major dent in the operations of prominent airlines like Garuda. Even during the best of times, airlines are an awful business (remember slimeball Gordon Gekko's advice in the movie Wall Street?), and this - combined with runaway fuel prices - has been no help to the bottom line.

The ban's slated to be scrapped this summer, in the wake of new safety measures implemented by Indonesian authorities. Given that the EU has already given the green light to dodgy operators like Pakistan International - where I think every passenger is given a parachute, along with their coffee and peanuts - it's only fair that the 51 Indonesian airliners be given a long-awaited break.

Today's Top Stories

SBY playing hard-to-get

Kalla, Golkar waiting by the phone for a call

Jaipong dance under fire

Latest victim of anti-porn law

More Russian military hardware on the way

One submarine, slightly used

Burmese Muslims may get refugee status

More than 500 set adrift by Thailand

Breaking news: Airport taxis might not be legit!

2009-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

From the "No shit, Sherlock" department:

The UK Foreign Office sent out an alert recently, that unlicensed cabs at Indonesian airports might - gasp! - be charging people too much money. Not only that, they're "in poor condition, are unmetered, and don't have a dashboard identity license." Sacre bleu!

First of all, sounds like most New York City cabs. (As Jerry Seinfeld once famously said, all you need to get a cab license is to have a face.) Secondly, as Lonely Planet or any other handy travel guidebook will advise, quasi-airport-cab leeches are a common sight in Jakarta and around the world. Get into a car with some schlump in his cousin's beat-up '89 Tercel, and you deserve to be charged more money.

In other breaking news, the sun rises in the east.

Today's Top Stories

New Pertamina chief was former Halliburton flunkie
Darth Vader's - sorry, Dick Cheney's - favorite firm

Ponzi scheme blew through $65 million
Supposedly invested in Indonesian oilfields

Hillary Indonesia-bound
Confirmed: Clinton, State Dept. officials book trip

Indonesians blow off smoking, yoga bans
Clerics not so powerful after all?

And justice for some ...

2009-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a Zen koan: When the Supreme Court screws you over, where do you turn for justice?

Presumably the answer is nowhere, since they're the highest authority in the land. Which makes it such an unbeatable location for graft. So says the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, whose new survey just singled out the Indonesian Supreme Court as the most corruption-ridden institution in the land. In fact, 65% of respondents said they had to fork over bribes when dealing with the nation's highest court.

What balls! More ballsy, even, than the U.S. Court handing over the presidency in Bush v. Gore ... but I digress.

Other fascinating tidbits from the survey: Bandung is the most graft-mired city in the country, and the national police only came in eighth in corruption. Indonesian cops have to take it up a notch, and start taking big bribes and knocking some heads. Haven't they seen all those movies, that feature plotlines about corrupt cops? Hollywood needs you!

Today's Top Stories

New Pertamina head takes charge
Cranking up production despite low prices; OPEC faints

Obamamania at prayer breakfast
Kalla in US, sucks up to chief exec

Tempo co-founder passes away
Yusril Djalinus felled by stroke

Hillary Clinton on way?
Could visit Indonesia in Feb.

Cheap money! Rates cut again

2009-02-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome, Indonesia, to the brethren of panicked central banks. Monetary-policy wonks around the globe are slashing interest rates as fast as they can, to keep just ahead of the brutal recession that's already hit most nations.

Indonesia's the latest contestant, cutting rates another half-point to 8.25%. Granted, still relatively high, compared to America which has already cut rates to near-zero in an effort to stimulate a dead economy. But the Indonesian central bank in particular is between a rock and a hard place, having to simultaneously support the feeble rupiah, which is (like most emerging-market currencies) abandonded by investors in times of financial turmoil.

Let's hope that this policy of cheaper money jumpstarts more lending and investment. But beware the beast looming on the horizon: Inflation, which can be just as traumatic to populations (if not more) than steep stock-market losses. At some point central banks will have to hike interest rates in a hurry, to protect their devalued currencies. The U.S. in particular, to prevent the Chinese from fleeing Treasury bonds and thereby creating a run on the dollar.

Today's Top Stories

Missing hikers found alive
Seven students rescued from Java's Mt. Halimun

And pastries for all ...
Indonesian foundation funds Gaza bakery

Divorces up tenfold
One reason: Political differences?!

Shhh ... VP Jusuf Kalla meeting US intelligence director
Secret meeting not so secret

Cricket in Indonesia?!

2009-02-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

Sport is an intensely cultural thing. No matter how much you try to interest Americans in soccer, it'll never happen, because it's just not part of their culture. They'll always come back to their beloved baseball, NFL football and basketball.

Same thing with Canadians. If it's not hockey, they could care less.

Which is why I take this article on cricket in Indonesia with a big grain of salt. Given how obsessed Indonesians are with sports like soccer and badminton, I find it highly unlikely that they'll jump ship in favor of the sport of bowlers and wickets.

Now local expats, like Indians and Australians: That's another story. It's in their blood, and they'll never give up the passion until they're six feet under. Heck, I bet they even understood that cricket reference at the pivotal moment of the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

As for me, a red-blooded Canadian who thinks solely in terms of frozen rinks and hockey pucks ... I've never even heard of Ricky Ponting!

Today's Top Stories

Just how many boat people are there?

More Burmese being rescued by the day

WTF? Indonesia seizes Afghans

Presumably being smuggled to Australia

Three fighter jets delivered

Oil-smacked Russians thankful for the cash

Sun, sand - and rabies

Bali tries to stamp out diseased dogs

Spotlight: Oberoi Lombok

2009-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

The island of Lombok may have long been seen as Bali's kid sister, but it boasts some serious five-star luxuriousness of its own.

Exhibit A, the Oberoi Lombok, a 24-acre garden paradise dotted with thatched guest villas fronting a white-sand private beach. Its spa features open-air massage pavilions, its villas house marble sunken baths and four-poster teak beds, and everyone enjoys exclusive 'butler service'.

The luxury chain has 30 hotels worldwide, most in India (including the unfortunate one in Mumbai). As for the Oberoi Lombok, it's racked up multiple awards from the mag Conde Nast Traveler, including Top 10 Asia Pacific Resorts and Best Overseas Leisure Hotels. Current prices range from $250 per night for the luxury pavilion to $780 a night for the Royal Villa.

As much as I'd like to keep Lombok under the radar, with award-winning accomodations like those, Bali's little cousin isn't likely to remain much of a secret ...

Today's Top Stories

Yoga ban ridiculed as "pointless"
Resistance growing to MUI edicts

SBY support growing
Election seen as his to lose

Indonesia exports tanking
Biggest drop in seven years

Obama: So far so good
Relations improving with Muslim world

RIP, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

2009-02-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

Now it's just getting silly.

After the head-scratching news that yoga was posing a dangerous risk to the Indonesian population, now comes word of another target. Specifically Lions and Rotary clubs, those fraternal associations chiefly known for their charitable works.

Such outfits aren't really helping the needy, but are actually "fronts for Freemasonry and the world Zionist movement," according to the ultra-conservative Islamic group FUU. Oy vey. Where are the voices of moderation, pushing back against this nonsense?

As a glorious cauldron of hundreds of cultures, languages and ethnicities, Indonesia is a shining example of 'Unity in Diversity,' the national motto. Don't let the nation slip backwards into the sclerotic hatreds of the rest of the planet. That would be too sad for words.

Today's Top Stories

Indonesia creates rainy-day fund

$5.6 billion worth of emergency credit

Tourism numbers up for 2008

Still fall short of lofty goals

Tackling the HIV epidemic

The health crisis no one wants to talk about

Polygamy problems

Multiple wives? Be careful what you wish for

Introducing ... mortgage-backed securities! No, really

2009-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

Someone please pass a word of advice to Danareksa Investment Management.

The finance firm is launching 100 billion rupiah worth of ... wait for it ... mortgage-backed securities. It's the first such debt issuance in the country, and it's coming in February, backed by Bank Tabugan Negara.

Um, I don't know how to tell you this, guys, but ... mortgage-backed securities are exactly what got us into this global financial mess. The credit crunch, the asset devaluation, the bank blowups every couple of days? Mortgage-backed securities, where home loans are sliced and diced into risky tranches that PhD-level physicists can't understand.

I hope you know what you're doing, because you're stepping into a true financial minefield. If housing prices collapse in Indonesia, and owners all find themselves underwater (owing more than the house is worth), then those mortgage-backed securities won't be worth the paper they're written on. In fact, those fancy products on the verge of making the American financial system totally insolvent.

But, as the French say, bonne chance!

Today's Top Stories

Myanmar refugees headed home
193 boat people were stranded off Sumatra

In it to win it
Indonesia's shock candidacy to host World Cup

No eye contact, please
Luxurious life of a Sultan

Obama protest?!
Local Muslims don't like Pakistan strike

Yoga ban!

2009-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

I mean, come on.

I have no particular beef with the Ulema Council that recently banned yoga for Indonesian Muslims. But don't they have better things to do, than touring the country's gym classes and coming out against Hindu chanting?

Our global financial system is near total breakdown, some governments (i.e. Iceland) are actually falling, the Mideast is blowing up yet again, conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq continue apace, global warming is threatening the entire planet ... and our most pressing issue is yoga?

Priorities, people. If the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression has taught us anything, it's to figure out what's important and what's not. This is not important. Our world has many threats facing it; but a college kid in Birkenstocks, chanting 'Om' while doing the downward dog, is most certainly not one of them.

Today's Top Stories

Riau Airlines debuts
From Pekanbaru to, uh, Pekanbaru

Meth with your coffee?
3.5 tons seized in Internet kiosk

Megawati mulling VP
Sultan, Akbar Tandjung, Sutiyoso among possibles

Letter pushed Suharto out?
Top ministers withdrew support en masse

CIDA in Indonesia

2009-01-29T08:25:00.000-08:00

It's a sad truism that one of the main casualties of a global recession is going to be philanthropy.

Some notable exceptions, to be sure - like the Gates Foundation, which plans to give more this year than ever before, and New York City mayor-slash-billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who's ramped up his giving to hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

When it comes to cash-strapped nations, though, I imagine foreign aid and charitable giving is going to be hurting for several years. When you're having trouble paying your own bills and covering your own mortgage, whether you're a country or an individual, you're less likely to have ready money to send elsewhere.

In that challenging context, some organizations deserve real credit for their massive and ongoing efforts in Indonesia. In particular the Canadian International Development Agency, or CIDA. Check out their lengthy list of Indonesian projects here. Overseas projects like those may not get a lot of credit back home ... but they're the right thing to do.

Today's Top Stories

No smoking in public places? Ha

Don't mess with my Gudang Garam

Sumatran quake hits

Magnitude of 5.6, flashbacks to 2004

Indonesia to host World Cup?

Submits bid to FIFA for 2018 or 2022

Buy our bonds - please

$4-billion government issue coming up

Apa kabar, Obama?

2009-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Need proof that Barack Obama still has a place in his heart for the place where he spent a couple of years growing up? He's actually chatting up State Department staffers in Bahasa Indonesia.

News of the exchange comes in the Jakarta Post, reporting that Charles Silver - a former staffer at Jakarta's U.S. Embassy - greeted him with a 'Selamat siang, Bapak.' Obama swiftly came back with a 'Terima kasih, apa kabar?' He praised Silver's accent, and said he wanted to visit his old neighborhood in Menteng.

We're betting that beyond the usual pleasantries, his Bahasa is probably a little rusty. (Maybe he can take those free classes given by the Indonesian embassy in D.C.!) Given his previously-stated desire for nasi goreng, rambutan and bakso, we're taking bets that Obama will be headed to southeast Asia in short order. Odds, anyone?

Today's Top Stories

Obama to Muslim world: It's a new era
Hand of friendship instead of clenched fist

Golkar expelling Sultan?
Divine VP wannabe in trouble with party

Kalla planning US trip
SBY's deputy to meet Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton

Global warming could wipe out Jakarta
Potential flooding, massive population a bad recipe

Bakrie & Bumi: The saga continues

2009-01-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

The always-dramatic dealings of the Bakrie family have caught the attention of America's foremost investing newsweekly.

Barron's has an article this week on a head-scratching financial conundrum. Execs of coal giant Bumi Resources have announced a big share buyback within a couple of weeks, setting the price at a fixed level (2,500 rupiah). Here's the crazy thing: Shares are currently trading well below that level, in fact more than 400% below it. Theoretically, then, you could quadruple your money within days ... a better investment than almost anything else on the planet, except some aggressive loan sharking.

So what gives? Basically, folks don't believe the Bumi/Bakrie story. "Put simply, few Indonesian investors think it will happen," author Eric Ellis writes. HB Capital managing director James Bryson says he would be "very surprised" if the buyback actually takes place. Given that Indonesians know the Bakries and Bumi far better than Western investors, we'll stick with them, and look at this apparently once-in-a-lifetime deal with a very skeptical eye.

Today's Top Stories

Solar eclipse wows astronomers
Indonesia gets front-row seat

Cops fire on Papuan crowd
Trying to destroy local police station

Indonesia wants Hambali
Bali bombing mastermind currently in Hotel Gitmo

No stretching allowed
World snickers at yoga ban

Spotlight: Como Shambhala Estate

2009-01-26T07:10:00.001-08:00

There are hotels where you flop down for a night in between flights, which all look basically the same (Radisson, anybody?). And then there are hotels which promise to detox you from daily life, and leave you a better person than when you came in. Bali's Como Shambhala Estate claims to be one of the latter.

Como bills itself as a "residential health retreat," pairing luxury digs with a busy activities schedule for body and soul. On the menu, items like pilates and yoga by the riverbanks, rice-paddy hikes, and talks on vedanta philosophy.

Rates for the Ubud resort range from $300 for a garden one-bedroom, up to $1,600 a night for the three-bedroom private villas. Pricey, for sure. But for a locale that's been named one of the top 10 spas in the world by SpaFinder - and is sister resort to Como's Parrot Cay location in the Caribbean, Conde Nast Traveller's number one spa on the planet - might be worth a once-in-a-lifetime splurge.

Today's Top Stories

Apa kabar, Obama?

Barack shows off some of his Bahasa Indonesia

Suharto's long shadow

Indonesia still trying to shake off old dictator

Remittances tanking

Less cash being sent back from overseas

US intelligence chief dogged by Indonesia questions

East Timor rears its head - again

Global Changemaker Announced

2009-01-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

While most teenagers are playing video games or vegetating in front of the television, Alanda Kariza is changing the world.

The 17-year-old was recently selected by the British Council to be Indonesia's 'changemaker,' joining 59 other youngsters from 50 countries around the globe. Her qualifications: She founded the organization The Cure for Tomorrow, with the modest goal of saving the planet, at the age of 15. Oh, and she's even authored a book already.

Next stop for the ambitious changemaker, the famed World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. There she'll get to hobnob with some of the greatest achievers on the planet - and, hopefully, teach some of those world leaders about Indonesia. Kudos to Kariza for her accomplishments at a tender age; to learn more about the changemakers program, click here.

Today's Top Stories

Smoking survives potential ban

Good luck enforcing that one

Australians up in arms over Papua sentences

Illegal flight led to serious jailtime

Atheists in Indonesia?

Holding group meetings in phone booth

Solar eclipse on the way

Indonesia only place on planet to see it

New Indonesia ETF

2009-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Someone please give the folks at Market Vectors their due. In a year when the Jakarta Index has been ravaged beyond recognition, down basically by half, they're rolling out a new ETF (exchange-traded fund) comprised totally of Indonesian stocks.

In the long view, smart indeed, to be buying when emerging markets are at a bottom. But good luck finding investors when they've essentially gone into their bomb shelters, not buying anything but the bluest of blue-chip American stocks. In fact most are ignoring equities altogether, and opting for plain old money-market funds until this vicious economic storm passes.

Market Vectors has brass balls, because many exotic ETFs have been shutting their doors this year and last, since they just haven't garnered enough investors to be viable products. I hope this isn't the case for this new ETF (managed by New York-based Van Eck Global), because apart from this new addition, I think the only pure Indonesia play out there is Eaton Vance's closed-end Indonesia Fund. Victory goes to the brave, and this launch is certainly brave.

Today's Top Stories

Prabowo Subianto: Strongman needed

Retired General emulating Suharto's style

Government still fertile ground for corruption

New study by Brookings' Lex Rieffel

Blame the fast-food outlets!

Protesters use the old rotten-egg method of debate

Anyone need a t-shirt?

Seven tons of smuggled clothes nabbed at Jakarta airport

King of sambal discovered!

2009-01-22T08:10:00.001-08:00

Have you ever wondered about the guy who has cornered the sambal market, at least the sambal available here in America? Every time you ladle hot sauce on something, he gets a few pennies?

I was sniffing around the Web to try to find out, and came upon this old article in Los Angeles magazine. The guy's name is David Tran, he runs Huy Fong Foods, and he's an ethnic Chinese immigrant who arrived from Vietnam in 1980. He started it with $50,000 in family savings, and it's now a multi-million-dollar enterprise shipping tons of chile sauce every year.

What an entrepreneurial story! And congrats to the guy who managed to take an everyday kitchen staple and completely dominate the business. Somehow I think that even in the worst of recessions, sambal will continue to survive and thrive. Especially with Indonesians, who just can't live without the stuff.

Today's Top Stories

New Indonesia fund hits market

Bad time for ETF debut, though

Stranded boat people found on island

Beaten and abandoned by Thai military?

Ouch! Indo vehicle sales plummet

Down 57% in 09

Most corrupt institution? Police force

Followed closely by customs, immigration

Spotlight: Hotel Tugu Bali

2009-01-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another day, another installment in my quest for Indonesia's best resort. Here's one I've heard from quite a few quarters: The Hotel Tugu Bali.

The luxe chain has a number of locations scattered around the archipelago, from Lombok to Malang, but Bali is perhaps its flagship outpost. It's "one of the world's best hotels," says London's Tatler, and is a "sampling of paradise," according to Architectural Digest.

Indeed, there's no mistaking it for a Courtyard by Marriott: It's festooned with Indonesian antiques, and is nestled by the Batu Bolong temple along Canggu Beach in Bali's southwest. Apparently its dining staff even feeds Indonesia's President, which - to someone like me, who's used to eating cockroaches from Cambodian street stalls - all sounds very chi-chi.

Many of the suites are startlingly original, like the bungalow floating above its own lotus pond, dedicated to particular Belgian painters or German artists who have made Bali their home over the years. While the top-flight accommodations go for $600 a night (US), other suites can be had for a more accessible $250. If life had a pause button, I'd probably press it and stay at the Tugu Bali for a while - at least until the money ran out.

Today's Top Stories

Airlines making off like bandits

Garuda should be cutting prices, say travel agents

Free trade zone in Batam

Just in time for global recession

EU flight ban stays

Not yet, say Europeans

SBY's Democratic Party on top

Clobbering Golkar, PDI-P, thanks to fuel-price cuts

Obama's Jakarta speech?

2009-01-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

It's official. Barack Obama took the oath of office, moved his stuff into the White House, and George W. Bush is headed back to the tumbleweeds of Waco. Millions of people witnessed it all, so it must've really happened.

So now that it's logged in the history books, the countdown clock begins on Obama's major address in a Muslim capital. It's been alluded to many times, will set the stage for a new era of relations between America and the world, and is supposed to take place within his first 100 days of office. Given his personal history, you've gotta think it's going to be in Jakarta. And what a triumphant return it will be, for a scrubby little kid who loved his nasi goreng.

As he mentioned in his inaugural address, "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." New era, indeed! Book your Jakarta hotel room now, because surely an Obama visit is in the works.

Today's Top Stories, All-Obama Edition

Obama lookalike an instant TV star

Ilham Anas raking it in

Obama fried rice on the menu

Jakarta goes bonkers for new president

Indonesia on his to-do list

Prez will have to put out fires around the globe

Inaugural party menu: Chicken satay

Americans try Indonesian eats

Starbucks taking over Indonesia

2009-01-19T07:39:00.001-08:00

If you're a slave to venti caramel macchiatos or gingerbread nonfat lattes, like me, you're in luck.

If you're in Indonesia, anyways. Back in the States, not so much: The ubiquitous coffee chain is closing stores, paring costs and doing everything it can to boost a slumping stock price. In a cratering economy, overexpansion and high debt levels are very dangerous things. Even with original founder Howard Schultz back at the helm, they're playing it safe and getting back to basics.

But the good folks at Starbucks in Indonesia - if I'm a caffeine addict, are they my drug dealers? - tell me that a 10% expansion is in the works. They're already in big population centers like Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Bali, Jogjakarta, and Medan. But at only 73 cafes for hundreds of millions of people, they hardly need to worry about saturation at this point.

Conspiracy theorists, take note: In the Austin Powers movie series, Starbucks was actually Dr. Evil's vehicle for global domination. Next time you order a grande Pike Place blend, keep that in mind. :)

Today's Top Stories

Er, no kidding

Bakrie debt restructuring looking skeevy

Transgender conference in Jakarta

They've got balls, sort of

Sultan as Megawati's VP?

Could team up to take on SBY juggernaut

Bye bye to Sumatran tigers

Population now critically endangered

Obama inauguration looms

2009-01-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

As the inauguration of Barack Obama hovers only hours away, it's a time for not only looking forward, but looking back.

As such, the New York Times has just run a series of essays on the individual cities where Obama came to be the man he is. First on the list, an essay penned by Endy Bayuni, the chief editor of the Jakarta Post. In "Obama's Indonesian Classroom," he puts Barack's childhood days in historical context, conjuring up images of Indonesia then - only shortly after the Year of Living Dangerously, with the fall of Sukarno and the rise of Suharto, still beset by mass poverty and in the grip of military control.

What a difference with the Indonesia of today. And what a difference between a little boy of 10 years old, growing up in Indonesian schools and living on the outskirts of Jakarta, and the soon-to-be leader of the free world.

If it were fiction, nobody would believe it. As Bayuni ends his essay, with a wish for Obama from the Indonesian people: Selamat.

Today's Top Stories

Fuel depot fire rocks Jakarta
Pertamina says supplies won't be interrupted

Palm oil vs. the orangutans
Famed scientist Birute Galdikas on the warpath

Indonesia abstains from UN vote
Says wasn't hard enough on Israel

Give me a break
Padang mayor mandates Korna recitation at work

Hillary Clinton on Indonesia

2009-01-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Everyone has talked about Barack Obama's connections to Indonesia, which are deep and resonant, dating back to his formative childhood years in Jakarta. But no one has discussed what Hillary Clinton's appointment as Secretary of State means for Indonesia.

After all, as head of the vast army of Foggy Bottom, she'll have her own team - and, some Obama supporters fear, her own agenda. No one would put it past the Clintons to be pursuing their own goals, even while leading America's dipomats around the globe.

Indeed there's a curious history between the Clintons and Indonesia, in the form of Lippo Group vice-chair James Riady, who was indicted, pled guilty, and paid million in fines related to campaign contributions for the 1996 US presidential election. The name Riady still conjures up images of Clinton corruption, particularly on the American right, and it wouldn't be surprising if Hillary wanted to distance herself from those old associations.

Any lingering bad blood, though, doesn't seem to be affecting her geopolitical outlook. Presuming she's on board to carry out Obama's wishes, Indonesia should be nicely positioned in coming years for an cozy bilateral relationship. In fact here's what Hillary said in her recent confirmation testimony before Congress, giving kudos to both Indonesia and Obama's mom (and herself) in a single rhetorical flourish:

"As a personal aside, I want to mention that President-elect Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, was a pioneer in microfinance in Indonesia. In my own work on microfinance around the world – from Bangladesh to Chile to Vietnam to South Africa and many other countries -- I’ve seen firsthand how small loans given to poor women to start small businesses can raise standards of living and transform local economies. President-elect Obama’s mother had planned to attend a microfinance forum at the Beijing women’s conference in 1995 that I participated in. Unfortunately, she was very ill and couldn’t travel and sadly passed away a few months later. But I think it’s fair to say that her work in international development, the care and concern she showed for women and for poor people around the world, mattered greatly to her son, and certainly has informed his views and his vision. We will be honored to carry on Ann Dunham’s work in the months and years ahead."

Today's Top Stories

Anti-Israel anger boiling over in Indonesia
Gaza incursion has ramifications around world

Hot stock: Telkom Indonesia?
US investing site says poised to pop

ING says Indonesian bonds are hot
30% return? Sign me up

No miracle on Hudson here
Tragic ferry toll could top 300

Alert: Best Job in the World!

2009-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

Seems we could all take some marketing lessons from the Australians.

After all the money and resources poured into the Visit Indonesia 2008 campaign, Australia's tourism industry has just made everyone else look like fools. For the relatively tiny sum of $100,000, they've created a true frenzy and are getting great press around the planet.

The idea: They're offering $100,000 to the winner of the 'Best Job in the World,' who will get to kick back on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef for a few months. Snorkel, scuba, eat, swim, suntan, and basically just blog about how fabulous their life is. They're already received 2,000 video applications; the competition's open until Feb. 22, and world media are lapping it up like cats over a saucer of milk. "Oh boy," says the CEO of Tourism Queensland. "What have we done?"

Pure genius. Indonesia, take note. Now if every tourism commission offered such a great life to us poor bloggers, we'd really be in business!

Today's Top Stories

Indonesian cybersquatter loses case
Hands over domain name to world's second-richest man

Religious violence doubles
Culture of tolerance in retreat

Papua overreaction?
Aussies get three years in prison for illegal trip

Indonesia Southeast Asia's only free country
So says U.S. organization Freedom House

Indonesia's best resort?

2009-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

As estimable TV shrink Dr. Phil is fond of saying, you can't fix a problem if you don't acknowledge it. And so, here goes: I have a raging hotel fetish. I love the glossy brochure photos, the list of glorious amenities, the promise of luxury pool cabanas and hot-stone massages. So sue me.

Which brings me to a burning question: What's the most fabulous five-star resort in Indonesia? I'll be rolling out a few candidates at irregular intervals. But to start, here's one I've heard mentioned in quite a few corners: Amanwana.

It's part of the Aman group of ridiculously plush resorts, and is located on tiny Moyo Island, to the east of Bali and off the coast of Sumbawa. There are touches like the Jungle Cove Spa, catered campfire barbecues, and dinner cruises by starlight. But the defining feature is that you don't get a typical hotel suite, but an ultra-luxury 'tent,' with a canvas top, hardwood walls and local Indonesian artwork, all plunked in the lush Moyo jungle with a view of impeccable white sands.

Now for the bad news. Rates are an eye-popping $700 per night for a jungle tent, and $800 for an oceanside spot. But for a moment, let's pretend we didn't lose all our money to Bernie Madoff ... and sign me up!

Today's Top Stories

Indonesia ramps up deficit spending

John Maynard Keynes, anyone?

Watch out, the Dutch are coming

Um, forget about that whole colonization thing

Indonesia as blockbuster movie?

Just try to make it better than 'Australia'

Obama should come visit

Get the rambutan ready - they're his fave

Exclusive Interview: Don Emmerson, Part Two

2009-01-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we started our chat with Don Emmerson, Stanford professor and renowned Indonesia expert. Today Everything Indonesia continues the conversation, on the subjects of Indonesian Islam, present and future; being a Westerner who speaks fluent Bahasa Indonesia; and his favorite memories, of a country that has defined his life's work.

EI: What tensions do you see developing in Indonesian Islam ... the traditional values of tolerance, versus the more strident forms we're seeing worldwide?

DE: This topic is too complex to warrant a brief answer. Insofar as democracy implies majority rule, it follows that to some extent and in some ways Indonesian democracy will naturally express Muslim-majority-rule. A scale from tolerance to stridency is too one-dimensional to capture the diversities, subtleties, and dynamics involved in the interaction of ostensibly religious with political identities and actions in Indonesia. Indonesia is not on the verge of becomine an "Islamic state," whatever that elastic designation might actually. Yet the syncretic version of Islam that Clifford Geertz conveyed in The Religion of Java (1960) is today far harder to find.

Some observers worry over the possibly freedom-squeezing implications of a bottom-up syariah-ization process unloosed by decentralization, as local communities adopt this or that aspect of "Islamic law." But on closer inspection, this trend seems more often tied to an ethical inspiration than to a legalistic ambition. In view of the ubiquity and cost of corruption in Indonesia, this is not an altogether bad thing. (If a local government bans alcohol, how much should a liberal object?)

That said, the relative impunity of hotheads who use intimidation to enforce a cramped and prejudicial understanding of Islam certainly merits ongoing concern. The status of women, including their freedom of choice, is to varying extents at risk in parts of the country where orthodox interpretations have gained in prominence and popularity. The Council of Indonesian Ulamas (MUI), a Suharto-era creation, has taken on a rather aggressively illiberal life of its own. Indonesia remains, nevertheless, a "not-Malaysia" in the sense that Jakarta has not sought to coopt Islamism to the point of ensconcing illiberal Islam inside the state itself. At the same time, Indonesian Muslim intellectuals, whose influence should not be exaggerated, remain more venturesome and more willing to challenge and reconsider orthdoxy compared to their counterparts across the Malacca Strait. Indonesians remain fortunate that Islam in their country is still nowhere nearly as racialized or bureaucratized as it is in Malaysia. By comparison, in Indonesia, the cross-cutting cleavages of religion and ethnicity noted by Geertz half a century ago also, still, exercise a moderating effect.

EI: Are Indonesians surprised when they encounter a Westerner like yourself who's so fluent in Bahasa Indonesia?

DE: When I first went to Indonesia, after studying the language at Cornell and Yale, I was told, "You speak our language better than we do." This, of course, was not true. The subtext was: "You speak our language formally, correctly, based on your having learned the words and the rules in a classroom. You speak book Indonesian, not street Indonesian." A distinctly back-handed compliment! I no longer get that response, nor are Indonesians whom I meet now for the first time surprised that I speak Indonesian tolerably well. And this is most encouraging. If native-speakers of English take for granted the ability of foreigners to speak their language, why shouldn't Indonesians take for granted the ability (and the courtesy) of foreigners who speak theirs? This stance seems to me all the more reasonable in view of how easy it is to learn Indonesian as compared to, say, learning Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Chinese, or Japanese.

EI: What are your favorite memories of travelling in Indonesia?

DE: Too many to recount. Among them, here's just one: the peaceful contemplation of the flat central Javanese plain and a train crossing it, shrunk to the size of a toy by the distance from my perch on the edge of a cassava patch a short walk up from what little is left of the small temple of Ratu Baka not far from Prambanan, a deeply tranquil sight enhanced by the fact that while droves of camera-toters explored the latter, the former was still quite untouristed the last time I was there.

Many thanks to Don Emmerson for his time and insights. He's welcome back anytime!

Today's Top Stories

Jihad trouble: More militants on trial

10 suspected of consorting with Jemaah Islamiyah

Reuters looks at Indonesian elections

Deciding issues will include job losses, rupiah weakness, economic growth

Lower electricity bills, too

SBY pulling out all the stops

Captain may be at fault for ferry disaster

Decided to set sail in treacherous waters

Exclusive Interview: Indonesia expert Don Emmerson

2009-01-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Western interpreters of Indonesian culture, they don't come any more senior than Don Emmerson. The distinguished Stanford prof is director of the Southeast Asia Forum, a senior fellow at the university's FSI, and took part in the National Commission on U.S.-Indonesian Relations, among countless other notches on his resume.

In part one of the interview, Everything Indonesia talked with Emmerson about his abiding love for the country, the upcoming elections, and the prospect of US-Indonesia relations under Barack Obama.

EI: You have a storied interest in Southeast Asia, when did your fascination with the region begin?

DE: It dates from the mid-1960s when I was a grad student in political science at Yale and got to know (and read the work of) Southeast Asianist historian/Indonesianist Harry Benda and French sociologist/Vietnamologist Paul Mus. I was torn between universalist political science and contextualist area study. Area study won. I was lucky enough to receive a Ford Foundation grant to do my dissertation field research in Indonesia in 1967-69. (The revised results later appeared as Indonesia's Elite.) However, having been born in Japan and raised in a succession of (non-Southeast Asian) countries due to my father's foreign-service career, I suppose (in retrospect) there never was any doubt that I would wind up working on international affairs. The spectacular diversity of Southeast Asia especially appealed to me, perhaps in part because my itinerant childhood had already led me to appreciate the pleasures of heterogeneity, including not only the actual, empirical varieties of reality, but the multiplicity of subjective ways in which its manifestations can be apprehended, interpreted, and acted upon. Southeast Asia is, in my experience, wonderfully unsettling to closed minds, including the mind of the scholar who needs the reassurance of homogeneity to reinforce a view of the world based on answers not questions.

EI: The election's coming up in 2009, what are shaping up as the definitive issues for that vote?

DE: Issues could be listed, but is there really one that is "definitive" in the sense of being make-or-break for every candidate nation-wide? Corruption? Perhaps. But one consequence of decentralization, combined with the sheer variegation of Indonesia (speaking of heterogeneity!), has been to bring local issues to the political fore. In that context it helps to distinguish the April parliamentary elections from the subsequent presidential ones. The latter will of course feature national personalities. If there is a wild card, I suppose it is the impact of the current global economic crisis on Indonesia. The Asian financial crisis of 1997 certainly contributed to Suharto's fall in 1998. But, so far at least, the damage done to Indonesia by this latest downturn has been less severe. In addition, personalities (as opposed to issues and programs) remain important in Indonesian politics, and in this respect, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has, so far, come across rather well in comparison to his predecessors and rivals. As of January 2009, this year's presidential contest is still Yudhoyono's to lose.

EI: How do you see US-Indonesia relations developing in coming years, particularly under Barack Obama, who has his own history with the country?

DE: Chances are Obama will visit Indonesia in 2009. This is most likely to occur in mid-November before or after the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Singapore, to which he will be invited. Some say he could and should travel to Indonesia within the first hundred days of his administration. But foreign-policy crises in the Middle East and South Asia (and the possibility of new ones arising elsewhere), plus the overriding domestic political priority on getting the US through what is arguably the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, would seem (as of now) to favor a later visit.

As for the longer bilateral prospect, barring surprises, it looks pretty good. I sometimes joke that inside the Beltway Indonesia is seen as the "not-Iraq," the "not-Afghanistan," and the "not-Pakistan" all wrapped up into one Big Comforting Otherness: i.e., a Muslim-majority place that does actually seem to be a stable democracy that has overcome (at least for now) the threat of religio-political-communal violence. And this positive impression matters to the relationship quite apart from where Obama happens to have spent part of his childhood.

The question, I suppose, is whether a presidential visit to Indonesia would turn out to be substantively more than an exercise in public relations: the partial mending of an American image so badly damaged by George W. Bush. We need also to remember that, despite the distance from Java to Gaza, Obama's policies toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will also matter. What Obama says and does in that regard between now and a possible Indonesian visit will affect its success or failure as a venture in public diplomacy.

EI: Any potential flashpoints between the two countries, that need to be worked on?

DE: "Flashpoints" seems too strong a term. Indonesia and the US have, in effect, agreed to disagree on various matters, but especially if Yudhoyono is re-elected I don't see rancor erupting in a major way. As the economic crisis worsens, trade-related issues could become divisive. Human rights, including the intimidation of minority groups, will remain matters of concern. But when disagreements arise, and they will, as long Indonesia continues to "look good" in American eyes by comparison to some other parts of the Muslim-majority world, the Obama administration is likely, ceteris paribus, to continue giving its counterpart in Jakarta the benefit of the doubt.

Tomorrow: Emmerson on the state of Islam in Indonesia

Today's Top Stories

Fuel prices cut again - now go vote

Third time in six weeks

Hopes fade for ferry survivors

Was on way from Sulawesi to Kalimantan

Muchdi acquittal appealed

Attorney-general doesn't give up

Indonesia as 'black swan'?

Could surprise world in years to come

SBY vs. Megawati: Astrological smackdown

2009-01-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

We all know national elections are coming up this year, and that SBY is trouncing competition like Megawati and the Sultan in the polls, thanks to a fortuitious drop in fuel prices. But what do the stars say about the matchup? Canadian astrologer Georgia Nicols has this year's forecast, that might shed some light on the 2009 ballot boxes:

SBY: Virgo

"Work is where you totally shine in 2009. Furthermore, even though all people like to enjoy their work, for you it is especially important. Many of you are quite modest. However, you need to be needed and you find great satisfaction in being useful. Many of you are a bit detached and cautious. Your good-luck factor couldn't come along at a better time. Just when you are seeking the right kind of work (again), and a sense of joy and fulfilment for whatever you do, the heavens are going to help you find this in 2009 and into 2010. Yes! This is the best break you've had regarding your job/work since 1997-98."

Megawati: Aquarius

"Since the turn of the millennium, you've been searching for meaning in your work. By 2005-06, some deserving recognition came your way. Since then you've been determined to improve your status and your reputation in the world. This year is a great time to initiate new projects and expand your activities. You'll enjoy studying anything that will benefit you and raise your consciousness. This Jupiter influence attracts auspicious opportunities and favourable situations for you to use to your advantage. It also magnetizes important people to you--people who can help you and open doors for you ... Your career peak begins in 2013-14, and this is your time of harvest. It's the culmination of wherever you've been putting your energy."

I'm no stargazer myself, but it sounds like Yudhoyono's career peaks this year, while Megawati's doesn't crest for a few years yet. Advantage SBY?

Today's Top Stories

Ferry capsizes off Sulawesi
250 onboard, some rescued

East Timor: Finally stable?
Jose Ramos-Horta: What assassination attempt?

Health alert: Mercury widespread in Indonesia
Toxic metal is used in gold mining; someone tell Jeremy Piven

SBY vs. Pertamina
Ridicules company for fuel shortages

To Durian or Not To Durian ....

2009-01-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

... that is the question.

I have a great cost-saving idea for the Indonesian government, in these tough economic times. Get rid of all customs personnel at the ports, borders and airports, and replace them all with a solid wall of durian. Any non-Indonesians will be automatically repelled!

For the unfamiliar, durian is a unique, spiky fruit which looks like a pineapple gone mad. It's got an inside that's kind of squishy, kind of sweet, and kind of garlicky. As a Canadian brought up on maple syrup and salmon jerky, I never acquired the taste, and in fact I'd like to see all durian tossed into the fiery pits of hell.

But many folks swear by the singular charms of durian, even distilling the flavor into ice cream. Perhaps one day I'll understand the logic, and become a true son of the islands. But until then, I hope the government takes me up on my suggestion, and gives me 10% of their cost savings. Direct into my checking account, if you please.

Today's Top Stories

New Obama intelligence chief has Indonesia ties
Dennis Blair pushed for improved relations after East Timor debacle

Finance Minister praised by Newsweek
Sri Mulyani Indrawati profiled for sidestepping recession

Support for Islamic terrorism falls
Events like Bali bombings horrified public

Indonesia and France push for Gaza accord
SBY and Sarkozy teaming up

Friendster? Really?!

2009-01-09T07:50:00.001-08:00

On the iconic American TV show Saturday Night Live, comedians Seth Myers and Amy Poehler have a regular segment called "Really?", in which they take a ridiculous fact and make merciless fun of it for a few minutes. (Here's a recent example, from when New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was caught with his pants down with a hooker from New Jersey.)

In that spirit: Friendster is hugely popular in Indonesia? Really?! Nothing against that particular social network, but in the U.S. at least, Friendster was popular about five years ago and then faded fast into oblivion. But according to tech blogger extraordinaire Budi Putra, a full 60% of Indonesian Internet users have a Friendster account.

Say wha? It's like hearing about a friend who's really into 8-track cassettes. I remember reading Wall Street Journal stories and PBS reports that remarked on Friendster's downfall, along with the strange fact that it was still popular in the Phillipines. It seems we can add Indonesia to that list.

As a Facebook addict myself, I have an interest in seeing all my buddies in one place, and not gathering on a dying platform. At least I can take comfort in the other bit of Budi's news, which is that Facebook is the fastest-growing social network in Indonesia, with a 645% growth rate in 2008 and over 800,000 Indonesians already getting on board. At a population of hundreds of millions, though, Facebook still has a long way to go.

Today's Top Stories

Brokerage fraud hits Indonesia, too

The local Bernie Madoff??

Breathe while you still can

Huge Indonesian coal investment on the way

SBY kicking ass and taking names

New poll has him only trailing Megawati in the east

Jusuf Kalla to jihadists: Chill out

Don't book your Palestine tickets yet

Party at the White House!

2009-01-08T07:43:00.000-08:00

Word of advice to Barack Obama inauguration organizers: You might want to have some emergency sambal on hand, because a number of Indonesians are going to be on hand for the festivities.

Not just the usual government types, like Ambassador to the U.S. (and spelling-bee champ) Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, but actual Obama relatives. Unfortunately the President-Elect's stepfather Lolo Soetoro - second husband of Obama's mom Ann Dunham - isn't in good enough physical condition for the long journey. But Lolo's niece Yana Trisulo, her husband and cousin will all be bum-rushing the Lincoln Bedroom.

Somehow Indonesian actress Ayu Azhari also scammed an Inauguration invitation, even while big American celebrities are complaining that they can't get access to the hottest ticket in town.

Hey, I'd like to go too. Maya Soetoro-Ng, do you visit this site? Help a blogger out!

Today's Top Stories

Indonesia going into business with the Death Star

Also known as Exxon Mobil

Travesty of justice?

Munir's murder going unpunished

Nothing better to do

Silly crackdown on Jakarta's foreign nationals

No way to woo foreign aid

French humanitarian worker stabbed in Aceh

Garuda: Totally insane?

2009-01-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

I don't know what they're smoking in the executive suites of Garuda Indonesia, but I'll definitely have some.

In the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, when other airlines are frantically slashing routes, mothballing new orders and looking for spare coins under the seat cushions, Garuda is doing the exact opposite. It's actually adding routes, like the new Singapore-Yogyakarta service, and planning to double its entire fleet by 2013.

What gives? It seems it's not really a profit grab - after all, nobody's making profits these days - but an effort to gain significant market share while other carriers are cutting back. With a planned 128 aircraft, including a fleet of new Boeings being delivered in 2009, Garuda will have a much bigger Asia-Pacific footprint (and more planes to dispatch to Europe, once the EU ban is eventually lifted). They'll also have the wherewithal to muscle in on new routes like Denpasar-Adelaide and Surabaya-Hong Kong.

Savvy, or suicidal? As investing guru Warren Buffett is fond of saying, "Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful." So though it seems clinically insane, maybe Garuda's going against the grain might actually be a stroke of genius.

Today's Top Stories

Yet another quake shakes West Papua

Tectonic plates aren't happy right now

Indonesia gets on rate-cutting bandwagon

Interest rates shaved by a surprise half-point

Try, try again: Islamic bonds on the way

Government plans to issue sukuk in February

Indonesians on way for Obama inauguration

Relatives invited to Washington, DC bash Jan. 20

Healthcare: Now sucking globally!

2009-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

One things that never fails to puzzle me: Americans' neocolonial attitude towards medical care in other countries.

To wit, a recent New York Times article on an intrepid reporter's medical adventure in Lombok, once she deigned to venture away from the luxe confines of the Oberoi hotel. When her husband suffered a fractured ankle after falling into a ditch, they contemplated a $120,000 airlift back to New York City, and ended up springing almost $10,000 for a first-class ticket back home for treatment by American doctors.

Now, come on. Anyone who's been to a U.S. emergency room knows that the situation here is just as horrendous as anywhere else. The few times I've been in one, have reinforced my desire to never get sick again, ever. They're all disasters. And first-class medical facilities in other countries, anywhere from Thailand to India to Singapore, are just as good - if not better - than the best American hospitals. In fact at some top-flight ones, you get Western-trained doctors, marble hallways, gourmet food and recuperation at a five-star resort, all for a fraction of the price.

So can we all stop assuming that the U.S. has the best medical care around? That is all.

Today's Top Stories

Indonesian 'coalition of the willing'?!

Idea floated to protect Gaza

Next at the multiplex: Badminton!

Unlikely sports movie in works

Watch out for that elephant

Aceh overrun with giant pachyderms

Shamans weigh in on 2009 elections

Magical fellows' pick: The Sultan

Top Indonesian bloggers announced

2009-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

To paraphrase the old E.F. Hutton commercial ... when Fatih Syuhud speaks, people listen. He's the reigning king of Indonesian bloggers, and he's just announced his top 10 bloggers for 2008.

Without further adieu, the lucky winners are: Nana Podungge, Tasa Nugraza Barley, Rima Fauzi, Primadonna Angela, Agni Amorita, Anita Carmencita, Muyla Amri, Deden Rukmana, Sherwin Tobing, and Dedi Sanusi.

Credit where credit is due, so many congrats to this year's top 10. And let's not forget past winners, who continue to dominate the field: Champion bloggers like Ong Hock Chuan, Enda Nasution, Jennie S. Bev, and Budi Putra. Together you're helping raise Indonesia's profile around the world.

Today's Top Stories

Series of quakes hit Papua
One reached 7.6 on the Richter scale

SBY leads in poll shock
Clobbering competition, including Megawati and Yogyakarta's Sultan

Southeast Asian stocks: 2009 forecast
The "Year of the Castrated Bull," indeed

Muchdi acquittal: Major human-rights setback
Activists up in arms over fishy verdict

Jakarta's alcohol shortage, pondered

2009-01-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

The Butterfly Effect holds that relatively small events often have unintended consequences, like a butterfly fluttering its wings in China leading to a hurricance in Florida.

A new real-life example of the theorem: Indonesia's recent alcohol shortage has caught the attention of one of the world's foremost economists.

University of Chicago prof Steven Levitt had a massive bestseller (three million copies) with his book Freakonomics, which sifted reams of data to come up with observations like the effect of legalized abortion on crime, the importance of word choice in selling real estate, and crunching numbers to discover cheating patterns in the world of sumo wrestling. (No, really.)

Anyhow, in a new post on his blog, he sets to thinking about Jakarta's alcohol shortage, caused in part by a crackdown on black-market importers, which is annoying non-Muslims and starting to have a very real effect on the tourism industry. The central question: Whether cutting down supply will actually have the opposite effect, in terms of making alcohol more desirable than ever (in the economics world, a so-called Giffin Good).

Like Prohibition in the U.S. in the 1930s, something scarce becomes even more valuable.

Today's Top Stories

Foreign investors dominate Jakarta index

Almost two-thirds ownership of local bourse

Huge Indonesian rally against Gaza strikes

10,000 protest Mideast troubles

Former intelligence chief cleared

Gen. Muchdi escaped punishment for Munir Said Thalib murder

Mujahadeen, bred in Indonesia

Government anti-terror campaigns can't stem the tide

Selamat Tahun Baru!

2008-12-31T10:34:00.000-08:00

All together now, to 2008: Good riddance.

Since we're all now overanxious, overmedicated, and broke, may history treat this past year like a junior tranche of subprime-mortgage-backed collateralized debt obligations. (Tee hee, a little finance humor.)

Hopefully 2009 will bring better things for all. And if not ... you can always wash the bad news away with a really good Pinot Noir.

Selamat Tahun Baru!

Mideast mess, spilling elsewhere

2008-12-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

What the world needs now is ... not the unholy mess coming out the Mideast. Yet again.

Hard to know what to say, that hasn't already been said. It's the usual cycle of violence that serves no one. Hamas was not in the right to be rocketing Israel, and Israel isn't in the right with its shock-and-awe campaign against the Islamic paramilitary group. If these were children, we'd sit them all down in the corner and take away their marbles. Unfortunately these children all have high-tech weaponry, and millenia of religious grudges to work out.

Now Indonesian militant groups are said to be recruiting fighters to send to Gaza, the government is calling on the UN to decry the Israeli attacks, and Indonesian medical teams are on the way to help out. The vast membership of the Muhammadiyah group is actively lobbying for sanctions to help end the bombings.

In other words, this is spilling beyond local borders, poisoning religious and cultural relations far beyond the limits of Gaza. For what it's worth: Stop.

Today's Top Stories

Jakarta's history gets its due
Heritage sites largely untapped

Gus Dur speaks up
Former president condemns Gaza attacks

China VP on way home
Li Keqiang visited Indonesia, Egypt, Kuwait

Rupiah stable - for now
More currency trouble could be on way in 2009

Gamelan for misanthropes

2008-12-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

Love the distinct and haunting sounds of gamelan music, but don't have a massive orchestra of Javanese or Balinese musicians handy?

Then Soniccouture has just the product for you. It's a 24-GB library of 25 gamelan instruments, with 4,000 samples to draw from. For those unfamiliar, gamelan is an ensemble of bronze percussion instruments like gongs, chimes and xylophones. Said to be around since 800 AD or so, it's one of Indonesia's most unique cultural exports, and is promoted in the US by the American Gamelan Institute.

It runs around $380 for the whole package. Basically, in your slippers and from your own basement, you can arrange and conduct an entire gamelan orchestra. How cool is that?

Today's Top Stories

One of world's largest gold mines?
Tycoon Yusuf Merekh zeroes in on Lembata, island off Flores

Jusuf Kalla starts listening tour in East Indonesia
VP busy shilling for Golkar

Airport exit tax ramped up
Typical government cash grab

Indonesia gets the blues
Gugun and the Bluesbug band catching fire

Megawati as shopoholic?

2008-12-27T12:43:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or do most articles about Megawati Sukarnoputri contain the subtext that she's - as the saying goes - not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree?

I have no personal knowledge of her, or axe to grind. But it seems that many journalists dance diplomatically around the idea that she's not that swift, or that she's more consumed with subjects like gardening and shopping than les affaires d'etat.

Now a new book more or less says it overtly. Dari Sukarno Sampai SBY doles out juicy anecdotes about Indonesian heads of state. Megawati, for her part, is said to "lose concentration" when it comes to geopolitics instead of cooking.

Could be a sexist take on a female leader, I suppose. But historically speaking, it wouldn't be at all surprising if the latest in a dynastic political line is not exactly (to use another expression) the sharpest knife in the drawer. George W. Bush, anyone?

Today's Top Stories

New York Times goes to Java
Big feature on Borobudur and environs

Aceh reefs on the mend
Tsunami devastation receding earlier than thought

Visit Indonesia, uh, 2009
One more year! One more year!

Another one bites the dust?
Corruption watchdogs go after embezzled hajj cash

Indonesia and the Russian bear

2008-12-26T05:44:00.001-08:00

Russia seems to be making a full-time occupation of tweaking American interests. Sending warships to Cuba, running roughshod over Saakashvili's Georgia, cutting off oil pipelines to Europe whenever it serves its interests.

In short the old Cold War spirit is back, led by a veteran of those times, KGB functionary Vladmir Putin. Russia's latest salvo: Ramping up its military shipments abroad, including fighter jets to Indonesia. Two were just delivered, with more to come.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Indonesia is famously independent, back to the Sukarno days and the creation of the non-aligned movement, and can buy arms from whomever it wants. So too can it enter into joint ventures with Russian oil and gas interests, which are currently scouring the archipelago.

But consider what Russian dealings have brought to foreign companies like BP, which entered into a business agreement in good faith and got their heads handed to them on a platter. Russian friendship, it seems, has its limits. When the bear is becoming cornered - thanks to a plummeting national stock market and ruble, which together have devalued wealth by as much as 80 or 90% - it's useful to keep that precept in mind.

Today's Top Stories

Anniversary of the tsunami
Still rebuilding, four years on

No Christmas issues in Indonesia
Celebrated peacefully in world's biggest Muslim country

Indonesia getting ... boring, says Australia?!
No major crises in 2008

Massive Sumatran flooding
15,000 displaced in Lampung provinces

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T07:56:00.001-08:00

What a year we've had. As the old Chinese curse goes, "May you live in interesting times."

Global financial meltdown, wars and deaths, terror and heartache. Things you always thought you knew, turned out to be dead wrong. It was the kind of year that makes it hard to be an optimist.

But amid the gloom, there have been moments of clarity and joy. The election of a new president, to break away from the tragic and unnecessary mistakes of the past eight years. A return to honesty and reality, of people living within their means and buying homes they can actully afford. The birth of my beautiful second son.

And so, merry Christmas and happy holidays to all. May 2009 represent not be another missed opportunity in this short life, but a fulfillment of our better natures.

Today's Top Stories

Stimuli all 'round
Indonesia mirrors U.S., plans infrastructure bonanza

Bakries in crisis mode
Find buyers for some debt, in exchange for Bumi stock

Rare Javan rhinos found
Hanging out at Jakarta McDonald's?

Indonesia's chess princess
Irene Sukandar nation's first female grandmaster

Orangutan Travel: A once-in-a-lifetime trip

2008-12-23T06:27:00.000-08:00

Here's an amazing travel opportunity I came across: Not only can you visit the endangered orangutans of Kalimantan (Borneo), but you get Dr. Birute Galdikas as your personal guide and naturalist.

To put that in context, it's kind of like having Stephen Hawking over to chat about the history of the universe, or having Toni Morrison write your Christmas cards. The woman is a living legend, and has almost single-handedly saved the orangutans from extinction.

She's hosting a couple of seven-day trips in July of 2009, which you can read about here and here. The cost is $3395 per person, with airfare within Indonesia included, but you have to get yourself to Jakarta - international airfare is extra.For more info e-mail irene@orangutan.travel, or call 619-574-1371.

Space for each trip is only 13 people, so if you have the cash and the inclination, don't miss the chance to spend some time up close and personal with the famed Borneo orangutans ... and with one of the premier environmentalists on the planet.

Today's Top Stories

Look out below: Massive Indo job loss
40,000 shed by year's end

Tourism decline on the way for 2009
Alcohol shortage not helping

Jakarta's Old Town in ruins
Kota Tua heritage site a missed tourism opportunity

Bush shoe-thrower unrepentant
Hailed as hero in Islamic world

Setback for the Treeman

2008-12-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

Not all endings are happy ones. Seems like Dede the 'Treeman,' the Javanese villager famed around the world and featured on a Discovery documentary about his rare medical condition, has suffered some setbacks on his road to wellness.

Dede has bark-like growths over much of his body, giving him the look of a human tree and landing him in a local circus act to survive. But after treatment by American dermatologist Anthony Gaspari, it was discovered he suffers from the very common HPV virus ... but that his immune system was so compromised thanks to genetics, that his body wasn't able to fight it off.

He underwent surgery three times this year, the most recent one removing an amazing six kilograms of warts. Unfortunately they've returned since he returned to his hometown, and he's lost much of his ability to function normally. Drugs also haven't had the desired effect, and so more surgery is in the offing. Dr. Gaspari continues to consult on the case, but unless they hit on the right course of treatment for Dede, it looks like he continues the sad battle with a disease that's already cost him his wife and his job.

Today's Top Stories

Contract, shcmontract

More mining royalties, please, says government

Big bikini dustup

Anti-porn law affects tourism

Spend, spend, spend

SBY follows Obama's lead, discovers inner Keynes

Psych wards filling up

Armies of laid-off workers seek mental help

Multiparty democracy as comic farce

2008-12-21T06:03:00.000-08:00

Here in the States, it's always en vogue to ridicule the rigid two-party political system of Republicans and Democrats. And in quasi-dictatorships, the one-party option, like Golkar back in the Suharto days, is equally risible.

But everyone's ultimate goal of multiparty democracy is a messy solution, too. Just think of Italy, which once gained fame for changing its government every few months. The idea of cobbled-together coalitions, where a party with a laughable minority of votes gets to govern (See: Yudhoyono, Susilo Bambang), is hardly the ideal either.

A cautionary tale on this front comes, ironically, from my normally stable homeland of Canada. The governing Conservatives, guilty of overreaching, faced a political putsch from the three parties in opposition - which included, bizarrely, a party that wants to secede from Canada entirely. Their proposed leader? A hapless fellow who garnered no more than 25% of the popular vote nationally. This led the government to close down Parliament, until everyone figures out what to do. Welcome to politics as Feydeau farce.

This is useful to remember as we get closer to Indonesia's elections in 2009. As much as multiparty democracy is a healthy thing, it can also be healthy for one party - whoever that may be - to win a broad and convincing mandate.

Today's Top Stories

Huge anti-terrorism drill

Pre-emptive response to another Mumbai?

No negotiating with Somali pirates

Government coldblooded, in seeking captured Indonesian crew

Growth keeps getting revised down

Finance minister sees clouds on horizon

Football heartbreak

Indonesia loses to Thailand in semifinals

Free Bahasa Indonesia classes!

2008-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Washington may be a crime-ridden blotch of humanity full of sneering career politicos, but hey, look on the bright side.

Exhibit A: A 22-week Indonesian language class, offered by the local Embassy in D.C. I'm not sure what government kitty they're pulling the funding out of, but amazingly, it's totally free to applicants. I remember paying hundreds of bucks for my old Bahasa Indonesia class in Vancouver, so I'm green with jealousy. Memo to government functionaries: How about a similar class in New York City?

Starting date for the free class is Feb. 11, 2009, and there are two language levels offered (Beginner I and II). Interested parties should contact esti@embassyofindonesia.org, or call 202-775-5231.

Today's Top Stories

Rainy day rice
New flood-resistant crop about to hit Asian markets

Borobudur as popular as ever
Javanese temple one of world's timeless wonders

First Lady: Let them eat cake
Mrs. SBY: Keep up the jewelry purchases, everybody

Want to be RI President? 1.5 trillion Rp, please
Elections not just expensive in U.S.

Faith and footwear

2008-12-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

I suppose something must be said about the Shoe Heard 'Round the World.

Sometimes a single unforseen event comes to symbolize something larger than itself, and when it does, there's no stopping the brushfire. Such is the media trajectory of the size-10 shoe(s) tossed at President Bush during his recent Iraqi news conference. Years of a region's - and a faith's - anger, frustration, and personal animosity got distilled into one reporter's action.

The Muslim world, including Indonesia as the faith's most populous outpost, has long seethed seethed with resentment towards the outgoing Republican and his efforts to reshape the region. In that larger context, such a lashing out isn't all that surprising. And there are plenty on the American left who would love to toss a Payless clog or two at the presidential podium.

What will happen to Muntadar al-Zaidi, the spirited stringer for a Cairo-based TV channel, remains to be seen (although apparently he's already tasting some rough justice in Iraqi custody). One thing I will say: It would be nice to have reasoned policy debates about matters affecting geopolitics, rather than having to resort to a flying Florsheim.

Today's Top Stories

Aceh still in a deep hole

Crime, joblessness, tsunami make province one of poorest

Tomcats in the crosshairs

Corruption probe starts taking down elected officials

Garuda lobbyists, unite!

EU now under pressure to lift flight ban

Indonesia plans $4-billion bond issue

Nomura, Barclays, UBS all advising government

Come on in, the water's fine!

2008-12-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

The pungent Citarum River is getting some international attention, and it ain't pretty.

Environmentalists claim the West Java waterway is among the world's most polluted, and from the accompanying photo they may just be right. Now the New York Times has taken a look at how the river - which supplies household water for 80% of Jakarta and its millions of residents (and factories, which aren't helping with their chemical dumping) - is basically a fetid cesspool.

Enter the Asian Development Bank, and its $500 million loan to help clean things up. Ironically the financial aid is getting some local blowback, from those who say that the kitty will probably be pocketed or misspent. Perhaps so. But given the current state of affairs, even if only a portion of that half-billion makes it into useful cleanup projects, it'll be a welcome infusion for health issues and quality of life.

Today's Top Stories

Indonesia following American lead?

More interest-rate chopping likely by central bank

New aviation law passed

Now can we fly to Europe again?

ASEAN charter in effect

Jakarta summit replaced Thai chaos

Indonesia as key growth market

One stock analyst's bullish take

Currency crisis memories ...

2008-12-16T06:42:00.001-08:00

Recent financial developments like the 40% drop in the stock market, on the back of a total bank meltdown; the housing implosion tied to sketchy subprime mortgages; and the collapse of Madoff investment funds, a $50-billion Ponzi scheme that wiped out high rollers worldwide; makes me reminisce about the Asian currency crisis of 1997/8.

Remember when southeast Asian economies underwent painful devaluation of their currencies, helped along by the IMF? And were made to institute neocon economic policies to qualify for loans to get them out of the cascading mess? The impact of currency machinations was so great on regular folks, in Indonesia especially, that it even helped bring down Suharto.

Anyhow, seems like the market-knows-best philosophy of those times has proven to be not so ironclad after all. Even hypercapitalist America has been buying stakes in firms left and right, to prevent a catastrophic economic event (read: Great Depression II). And Barack Obama has proclaimed recent events as history's "final verdict" on laissez-faire capitalism.

As I recall, Malaysian head of state Mahathir Mohammad was saying as much at the time, that the IMF could go stuff themselves with their right-wing reforms. Of course he was derided as a fool for being out of step with economic realities. Did he have it right all along, that the IMF was not the saviour of the crisis, but the catalyst?

Today's Top Stories

New mining law stirs controversy

Foreign investment drying up?

More fuel-price cuts on the way?

Easy when the price of oil keeps dropping

Papuan AIDS microchips could be scrapped

After huge international uproar

Merry Christmas, sort of

Burned maluku churches to be rebuilt

The next Bali, part 432

2008-12-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

If I had a nickel every time Lombok was referred to as "the next Bali" ... I'd be a very rich journalist.

Not that the lush island, nestled to Bali's side, doesn't deserve all the attention. But for some reason it's the only trope that makes sense to Western editors. The latest cliche culprit is the Wall Street Journal, following on the heels of the New York Times' version a couple of months back.

In fact the very same phrase was being used when I was lolling around Nusa Tenggara, back around 15 years ago. One of these days it'd be nice to read about Lombok on its own terms, rather than in relation to its Balinese cousin across the straits. But for an American public not used to exotica, perhaps it's the only way Lombok can be located in the psyche.

Today's Top Stories

Indonesia to be among Obama's first trips?
Plans major address to Islamic nations

Fuel prices cut again
Just in time for, hmm, elections

Fasten your seatbelts: More earthquakes coming
'Superycle' could make 2004 Sumatran quake seem like a piker

Alcohol shortage!
Where's my chocolate martini?

In baby news ...

2008-12-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were wondering why I haven't been posting for a couple of days ...

Welcome to the world, Julien Bryce Arthur Taylor!

Happy and healthy, 7 lb 3 oz, and hungry as a horse. Born Thursday night in New York City.

Indonesia's richest man no more ...

2008-12-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Times are tough all 'round, apparently. And not just for Detroit automakers or Wall Street investment banks. Just ask poor Aburizal Bakrie.

The Master of the Universe - business tycoon, Indonesia's richest man in 2007, cabinet minister to boot - has been bumped from his position atop the country's wealthiest, according to Forbes magazine. Heck, he's not even a billionaire anymore.

So who's the fellow with the deepest pockets now? Meet Sukanto Tanoto, pulp-and-paper king with a $2-billion net worth (although even that's been carved in half in a single year). Next up are the Hartono Brothers (sounds like a WWE tag team), Budi and Michael, who get a royalty every time you suck on one on those irresistible Djarum clove cigarettes.

As for Welfare Minister Bakrie, well, he might be applying for welfare soon himself. He dropped to a shameful ninth. We'll be taking donations to help him out.

Today's Top Stories

Ali Alatas passes away

Former foreign minister, UN ambassador dies at 76

Exit, stage right

Mudflow, what mudflow? Australian oil & gas firm flees liability

Parents worldwide naming kids Obama

Hey, it's better than Bush

Aceh floods wreak havoc

Caused by rampant Sumatran deforestation

Corruption, American style

2008-12-10T07:19:00.000-08:00

Indonesia's been on the front lines of anti-corruption-fighting this last while, with the commission that's been kicking ass and taking names. Seems like every day some new bank honcho or government functionary is taken down. No wonder the nation climbed in Transparency International's index this year, becoming 'cleaner' than 17 additional countries.

But to those who thought Indonesia had corruption issues all to itself, we present for your enjoyment: Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich! Brazen enough to try selling President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat to a half-dozen suitors for a cushy job, or cash, or maybe a combination of both. (Oh, and a gig for his wife too.) As MSNBC's Keith Olbermann said, this guy's either the dumbest SOB in the world, or the craziest.

Goes to show that corruption can happen anywhere, at any time, and not just in the developing world. The potty-mouthed Mr. Blagojevich is now out on bail, vowing to get back to work, and maybe even make that Senate appointment anyways. Shocked and amazed yet? Since it's Chicago politics we're talking about, though, no one should really be that surprised ...

Today's Top Stories

Indo growth slowed by commodity plunge
No one's buying anything anymore

Malukus blowing up again?
Troops arrive to quell sectarian violence

More bird flu flaps
Two additional cases crop up

Australia offers a hand
Funds on the way to help Indonesia through credit crunch

Irresistible adventure travel

2008-12-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Adventure-travel buffs, saddle up. GAP Adventures has uploaded its list of Indonesian options for 2009, and it's a perfectly delectable menu.

In fact there are six adventures on tap, each more excruciating to read about, since with two toddlers I won't be able to go! Nonetheless, here they are, herein and forthwith: Bali Adventure, eight days including climbing Mt. Batur; Discover Lombok, nine days including summiting Mt. Rinjani; Best of Bali and Lombok, 15 days combining the best of both islands; Indonesia Island Hopping, 13 days that includes Komodo and its dragons; West Papua, 15 days in the jungles of the Baliem Valley; and East Indies Sea Trek, 10 days of sailing through Nusa Tenggara.

It's all through the world's biggest adventure-travel company, so presumably you're in safe hands. None is a bargain-basement trip - the new West Papua one runs around $3500 US, for instance - but the lineup sounds like a veritable factory of great travel memories.

Today's Top Stories

Obama gets Supreme Court go-ahead for presidency
Nutbars claimed he was ineligible Indonesian citizen

Indonesians return from Mumbai
Five nationals were trapped in Oberoi Hotel

More holiday trampling
Good intentions gone bad for Idul Adha

Fiery soccer matchup for ASEAN cup
Indonesian fans want Singapore to go down hard

New book on children's rights

2008-12-08T05:49:00.001-08:00

There's an intriguing new book coming out that touches on Indonesia, called The Trouble With the Alphabet. The overarching theme is children's welfare, and it's set up so that each letter of the alphabet, such as I for Indonesia, deals with children's rights in that particular nation.

(Are there any countries that begin with X? Q could be Qatar, I guess ... but I digress.)

Each chapter also links to a particular charity in that country, Indonesia's being World Neighbors, which from its website looks to be a bottom-up approach to finding local solutions to poverty. The book was conceived, written and illustrated by Colorado artist Caryn West, and you can buy it here.

In fact the project is so planet-conscious, that it was even manufactured using wind energy. A great stocking-stuffer for Al Gore!

Today's Top Stories

Soccer madness at AFF Suzuki

Sudarsono hat tricks sends Indonesia into final four

Putting the brakes on AIDS

Behavioral change needed before it spins out of control

Day of Sacrifice honored

President and VP celebrate Idul Adha

Branding Bali

Experts mull taking Bali products worldwide

People and nations, living on credit cards

2008-12-07T03:22:00.001-08:00

Ironic, isn't it. Just as families are learning to live within their means, instead of taking out mortgages they can't afford and charging everything on plastic, governments are doing the exact opposite.

To wit, Indonesia's new $5-billion round of emergency loans, added on to U.S.' $700-billion TARP program to buy up toxic assets ... or purchase equity stakes in banks ... or whatever they say it's for today.

Not that I have any better suggestions. In fact some government spending may be very necessary, as economists like Nobel laureate Paul Krugman points out in the New York Times, to prevent us all from tipping from a severe recession into a Depression of historic proportions. We're all Keynesians now.

But if this Great Credit Crunch has taught us anything, it's that bad debts have to be repaid eventually, in one way or another. And by borrowing big to pay for past sins, we're sticking our children and grandchildren with the bill. Happy inheritance!

Today's Top Stories

The tempeh king of Japan

Former bellboy corners market

Of Indonesian supermodels

Gratuitous story with no real point, but hey, it's about models

Talk about recycling

Jakarta garbage becomes designer art

Indonesia has pirates too

Not just for Somalis anymore

Islamic fashions rock the catwalk?!

2008-12-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

It seems like an oxymoron - along with jumbo shrimp and military intelligence - but it looks like Islamic fashion is undergoing a bit of a boomlet.

The faith's couture is usually associated with simple head-to-toe burqas, which don't seem like a natural fit for the world's catwalks. That's the territory of insane Western designers like Christian Lacroix and Dolce & Gabbana. But take a look at this report of the Islamic Fashion Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which belies the cultural stereotypes.

Apparently burqas and abayas can be fashion-forward , according to Muslim designers like Tom Abang Saufi and Indonesian Ronald Gaghana. In fact as the oil-rich Saudis, Qataris and Dubai dwellers have become increasingly brand-conscious over the years (just check out their malls), it's become no contradiction to demand the finest in designer wear.

The fashion festival rotates through Indonesia in coming years, so get ready for an influx of pret-a-porter couture. Although given the truly insane designs you see every year in Paris and Milan, I'm not really sure that's something you'd want to import.

Today's Top Stories

World's dirtiest river no more?
Asian Development Bank gives $500 mil to clean up Citarum

You get a bailout! And you get a bailout!
Indonesia gets $5 billion in emergency loans

Take that, Myanmar
Indo humiliates soccer rival in ASEAN matchup

Hajj boondoggle?
Ministry pockets trillions in rupiah for annual pilgrimage

Heartwarming story of the day: Balinese orphanage

2008-12-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

In case you think you're just one person, not significant enough to change anything about the world, check out this story. It was sent to me by Cynthia Dammerer, about how a local hotel group is helping out a Balinese orphanage. Kind of puts things in perspective.

“The traffic buzzed remorselessly down the highway, with cars, vans and bike jostling for the best position along the busy road between Nusa Dua and Benoa Harbour in beautiful Bali. Balinese families, sometimes three or four to a bike, pressed to get to work or home again.

Our van swung suddenly into a rough country lane heading to a rubbish dump, up past the tethered cows and parked cars. A pile of dirt and gravel metres high spread out opposite a small blue-and-white painted office, with two low-slung buildings on either side of a central pathway clogged with sitting children and wheelchair-bound young adults. The quietness seemed at odds with so many children present.

This is the setting of the YPAC orphanage and rehabilitation centre in Nusa Dua Bali, on my first visit in December 2006. It was a sobering glimpse of children’s life in another world. The teachers in charge eyed us suspiciously as we arrived – escorted by Yasa, who has volunteered at orphanages around Bali for years. Helping out, delivering donations when possible, and gathering small financial windfalls.

But this children’s facility only received enough rupiah from the government to feed four children rice each day. There are 59 of them. Some boys and girls live permanently in a small dormitory with mouldy mattresses on the floor, bereft of sheets or pillows and any home comforts. The doors on the toilets and showers do not close since the hinges are rusted open, and they are used to the full glare of traffic in the central pathway.

There is no refrigeration for the little food they do have. As meals generally consist of rice or noodles for breakfast lunch and dinner, rats have very little to attract them, but they saunter cockily about in the kitchen anyway. Classrooms are dingy, dull and lifeless, devoid of teaching aids bar a blackboard, but still we can detect a spark – an interest in learning today’s math lesson despite these surroundings.

We come bearing gifts from Australia . Used text books, dictionaries, games, novelty gifts, used clothing and shoes and some meager art supplies. We have also collected enough money in lieu of gifts at a recent 60th to buy the kids a desktop computer for their own use, and some new tables and chairs to eat the bowl of rice from. It is heartening to see the wide smiles of pleasure derived from a pre-loved baby-born doll, or an atlas, an Eeyore hat, an Eagles football or Ice Age watch. But it makes us more determined not to forget these brave kids – some who are physically disabled, some who are mentally impaired, and some who are burdened for life with both.

These children are forgotten no more. Upon hearing our stories and seeing our pictures, the General Managers of the six Accor hotels in Bali , crossing all brands - All Seasons, Novotel, Sofitel and Mercure – took it upon themselves to adopt this one orphanage, and make a real difference for a sustained period of at least two years.

The next time I visit to deliver supplies, I weep when I see the hard work they have all done personally. Manual labour, all with a determination to make their efforts sustainable, and directed at helping the children and their caregivers “help themselves” long-term. A new fridge gleams in the clean and freshly-painted kitchen. It also has food in it. Toilet doors close, plants are used as decorative dividers, and the children, smiling and happy. I’m positive they have grown a few inches. It turns out they have indeed grown: As a group, the Accor Hotel General Managers have organized for a nutritious lunch box to be delivered to each child each day they attend school.

We came bearing four lap-top computers – given kindly by the head of a large Aussie corporation, who upon hearing the story immediately proposed the donation. The children’s eye’s danced when they realized they can learn how to use a computer in the future. But the cost of electricity is high in Indonesia, so a co-sponsor was found for that cost as well. The roof is to be repaired, before it leaks onto the fresh renovations during the wet season, or caves in completely. The leaning wall and sewer are set to be repaired imminently, and the leaks into the playground will cease. An Australian company is generously helping Accor with that cost. The mattresses will be up on bases, and furnished with sheets and pillows.

Other guests have gotten into the infectious spirit of helping, and are advised what the children need, or would consider a treat. At Christmas time, the hotels put a letter in each guest’s room encouraging them to buy an extra present, and then deliver hundreds of packs of much-needed art supplies, stationery and gifts to the orphanage. One guest even bought a new TV at the local hypermart.

You can’t help all the people who are in need in the world. But you can help some, and if we all did that, there might be some happier lives and more nurtured souls."

Today's Top Stories

December surprise: Rate cut
Indonesian central bank slashes interest rates to boost growth

More huge Sumatran earthquakes likely
Get ready, say scientists in Nature magazine

Clintons' Indonesia ties could be troublesome
Illegal Riady contributions rear their head again

Bank troubles redux
Indonesian oversight sucks almost as much as U.S.?

Get Obama some nasi goreng, stat!

2008-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

The news that U.S. president-elect Barack Obama has a hankering for nasi goreng, bakso and rambutan - no joke - has got my taste buds flowing.

Thankfully the consulate-general here in New York has a useful roundup of Indonesian eats in the city. There aren't that many, especially in comparison to Chinese takeout eateries that dot pretty much every block. But at least there are a handful where you can mainline your daily fix of tempeh, gado-gado, or mi goreng.

I can only personally vouch for two - Bali Nusa Indah on 9th Ave., and Java Indonesia Rijstaffel on 7th Ave in Brooklyn, which ironically is just down the block. Fine establishments, both. And there's a strange collection of restaurants in the Queens enclave of Elmhurst, which must mean a thriving Indonesian community out there.

As long as we're on the subject of Indonesian cuisine, check out Evi Nasution's food blog here. She's Indonesian, in Winnipeg, and misses home, so give her some moral support! And NYC chef Mark Tafoya recently went to Pesta Blogger 2008 in Jakarta, as one of five foreign bloggers from around the world - lucky duck - so visit his Indo musings here.

Today's Top Stories

Deforestation? Pshaw ...

Indo government decides to crank up palm oil plantations

Muhammadiyah: Don't worry about radicals

Din Syamsuddin says moderates still hold sway

Mud volcana saga continues

Protesters demand compensation from Java mess

Please get a new moniker

Indonesia called on to mediate MILF talks

New book by Yours Truly ...

2008-12-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

On a selfish note, I have a new book out, just in time for the holiday shopping rush (that is, if anyone has any money left in this recession!).

It's called Thirty Things To Do When You Turn Thirty, and it's a collection of insightful essays from prominent thirtysomethings. People like singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, bestselling author Tim Ferriss, NBA star Chris Webber, Trading Spaces' Paige Davis, Huffington Post blog queen Rachel Sklar, the New York Times' Jenny 8. Lee, Google VP Doug Merrill, Time Inc.'s Vivek Shah, New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner, Penn State football legend Adam Taliaferro, Tango Diva founder Teresa Williamson, Paramount Pictures' Amy Powell, violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain, Kiva founder Jessica Flannery, and many more.

It's the latest in a series from Sellers Publishing, and you can also buy it here at Barnes & Noble. The contributors put a lot of their heart into it, so check it out and maybe learn a little something about life.

Today's Top Stories

Yudhoyono must not like the poll numbers
Quibbles about methodology

We're number three! We're number three!
Not the most corrupt country in ASEAN

Don't mess with the maid
Malaysian woman gets jail for domestic abuse

Indonesian exports plummeting
Global demand going bye-bye

World AIDS Day & Indonesia

2008-12-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was World AIDS Day, and judging from some startling new numbers, Indonesia is going to need a fresh strategy to cope with this deadly disease.

The Health Ministry puts the number of cases nationwide at 18,000; the Association of Indonesian Physicians Concerned About HIV/AIDS puts it at 270,000. That's not just a clerical error ... that's a serious disconnect, that's putting lives at stake.

In fact it's somewhat reminiscent of former South African president Thabo Mbeki, with his ineffectual response to HIV while his nation was ravaged by it. Given the recent push by Papuan legislators to implant sufferers with microchips, it looks like the crisis has left the realm of science and common sense, and is becoming tinged with outright panic.

So the administration needs to get real, get over the stigma, and start working to save lives. AIDS isn't a death sentence like it was in the '80s, but it still can be, if people aren't properly informed about it.

Today's Top Stories

Ex-spy on trial for murder

Prosecutors want 15 years for former intelligence chief

Al Qaeda praises Bali bombers

Al-Zawahiri spouts off yet again

From the Wishful Thinking department

Goverment boosts growth forecast

Singer slams Indonesian music industry

Too commercial, says Rieka Roeslan

Need funding? Buy a bank

2008-12-01T06:28:00.000-08:00

Here's an innovative idea in social entrepreneurship, fresh out of Indonesia: Nonprofit organizations going capitalist, and buying banks.

That's what relief outfit Mercy Corps did, to give it an instant country-wide network for its microfinance projects. Bank Andara could serve as a funding clearinghouse for 2,000 microcredit programs across Indonesia, and with its existing web of ATMs, make accessing cash quick and easy.

It's all recounted in the latest edition of BusinessWeek, and chief exec Neal Keny-Guyer spells out why the ultra-capitalist route makes sense for do-gooder organizations too. If the $300-million, 3,500-employee NGO likes what it sees from Bank Andara, banks in other countries like the Philippines might be next.

An added bonus: Given the current state of the banking industry, nonprofits could pick up financial institutions for a song, if they were so inclined. (See: Washington Mutual, Wachovia, Citibank, etc.) Just make sure you're not getting their toxic debt as part of the deal.

Today's Top Stories

Thailand in chaos; Indonesia to rescue?

Offers to hold next month's ASEAN meetings

Papuans to Jakarta: Go stuff yourself

Big rallies for independence in eastern province

Food and fuel prices back off

Indonesia inflation rate falling to five-month low

Expats beware

Government checking papers of foreign workers

Eat Pray Love winners!

2008-11-30T04:11:00.001-08:00

Congrats to the winners of our fantabulous Eat Pray Love giveaway, Justin Hampton of L.A. and Evimeinar Nasution of Winnipeg. Which begs the question, what's an Indonesian doing in the frozen tundra of Winnipeg, especially at this time of year? But I digress ... copies are on the way.

For those less fortunate, get Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling tale of her travels through Indonesia here, and check out her personal website here. And thanks again to the kind folks at Viking press. If you need a good stocking-stuffer for the holidays, here's a review excerpt from the New Yorker magazine:

"At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for "balancing." These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert's exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, "It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I've always been a big fan of your work.'"

Today's Top Stories

Today in earthquake news

6.0 blast strikes Sumatra

Indian president cuts short Indonesia tour

Heads back to Mumbai

Indonesia takes over APA presidency

Replaces Iran as head of 40-nation body

Jakarta goes jazzy

Jakjazz 2008 kicks off

Struggle for the soul of Islam?

2008-11-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Are we seeing a battle for the soul of Indonesian Islam, playing out before our eyes?

Historically moderation has been the keyword, one that espouses tolerance as well as loyalty to one's faith. But with the world going to extremes, I wonder if it's a philosophy that's in retreat, even in Indonesia.

The Jakarta Post has an article on the subject, with the news hook being the passage of the pornography bill, the emergence of shariah law in some areas, and the banning of the sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah, all of which tends towards a stricter Qu'ranic interpretation of the world.

But more interesting than the text of the article itself, is the plethora of reader comments. It's a real kaleidoscope of views, from the 'unity in diversity' crowd representing traditional Indonesian values, to the one-Islam view that hews closer to the Middle Eastern version. It's always a challenge to represent the moderate middle in a cultural debate, but let's hope the cherished Indonesian traditions of tolerance don't disappear in a world gone mad.

Today's Top Stories

Papua is Asia's worst AIDS crisis

Isolation, lack of HIV knowledge helps disease to spread

What global meltdown?

For isolated Javanese tribe, everything's good

Batik as cultural domination

Down with imperialist fabrics!

Jusuf Kalla the real president?

Wields Cheney-like power behind the throne

The Meaning of Mumbai

2008-11-28T04:30:00.000-08:00

What makes me saddest about yesterday's Mumbai massacre, apart from the death and destruction that fill our screens, is how some of the most memorable places in the world are all being subsumed by terrorism.

New York, London, Madrid, Bali ... the connotations these places bring up are no longer the greatness of human achivement, or the timelessness of their natural beauty, but the tragedy and gore of aimless terror.

I've been to Mumbai, strolling along the grand gates of the waterfront, chewing betel nut purchased at local newsstands, drinking chai tea brewed in huge brass pots. Now I feel those days have been stolen by the Deccan Mujahadeen, replaced by images of evil and human frailty, collected around the carnage of the Taj and Oberoi hotels.

I pray for those affected by yet another massacre, and hope that my beautiful memories of Mumbai will one day be restored.

Today's Top Stories

Et tu, Yudhoyono?
Graft scandal hits president's family

Clerics with too much time on their hands
The enemy of faith is ... yoga?!

Indonesia condemns Mumbai attacks
Government reaffirms anti-terror stance

General Motors: Dead in US, alive in Indonesia
New plant to start production in 2009

New Dow Jones ASEAN Index

2008-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Much ado has been made in recent months about shariah-compliant investing, especially with all the petrodollars washing around the Middle East. Muslim investors are looking for someplace to stash their billions, that's in line with Qu'ranic precepts against drinking, gambling, and the charging of interest. (So how does Saudi Prince Alaweed bin Talal become a major Citigroup shareholder? But I digress.)

Anyhow, such investing has just been made easier, by the formation of the Dow Jones Islamic Market ASEAN Index. Included are shariah-compliant companies in six of the 10 ASEAN nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam). It's weighted by market cap, comprises 284 firms, and will serve as the basis for exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on the same principles.

All well and good. Too bad it's rolling out just as everyone is shying away from exotic investments of all kinds (and as the petrostates are running low on cash, thanks the plummeting price of oil). Niche ETFs are dying by the boatload because of their tiny size, and investors are all retreating to the safety of U.S. Treasuries, which are now yielding next to nothing. In comparison, funds based on shariah-compliant ASEAN companies are anything but a safe haven ... maybe that's why the index has only a single licensee thus far.

Today's Top Stories

Elephants on the rampage
Sumatra overrun by the ornery mammals

Chevron taps Riau for more oil
New Sumatran field kicks off production

Government wakes up, smells coffee
Asks Australia for crisis loans

Obama misses nasi goreng
Yudhoyono speaks with Barack; wants rambutan too

Of U.S.-Indonesia military ties

2008-11-26T03:22:00.000-08:00

The military relationship between the U.S. and Indonesia has always been a bit of a head-scratcher. Under strongman Suharto, it was pretty tight, with joint exercises and copious supplies of military hardware. In recent years it's cooled off, just as a democratic government has taken hold.

Ironic, for a U.S. administration that famously wanted to spread democracy around the world ... especially in Muslim countries. It's as if they were taking revenge for human-rights slights like the East Timor debacle, but long after the fact. Go figure.

At any rate, the Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece on U.S.-Indonesia relations as a crucial test of Barack Obama's leadership. Will he restore joint training between the Pentagon and the Indonesian military, and risk angering some in his own party (like Senators Pat Leahy and Russ Feingold)? Or will he hold off and risk angering Defense Secretary Bob Gates, said to be a fan of restoring ties, and who is being wooed to stay on in the new administration?

Between a rock and a hard place, as they say. Welcome to the presidency.

Today's Top Stories

Slowdown slows some more

Possible interest-rate cut in the offing

EU extends Indonesia flight ban

Even Garuda barred from airspace

Tourism numbers crashing

Visit Indonesia year vs. global economic crisis

Stock up on Johnnie Walker

Liquor shortages plague the nation

Best and Worst Places to do Business

2008-11-25T04:02:00.000-08:00

Can you name the best place in Indonesia to do business? How about the worst?

You don't have to guess anymore, because consulting firm KPPOD (with assists to the Asia Foundation and USAID) has come out with its ratings of 243 'regencies' throughout the archipelago. Using criteria like infrastructure, taxes, security, and 'Capacity of Mayor' (I love that one), they've ranked cities from top to bottom.

(Check out the original survey link here, and Reuters' recent take here.)

And so, without further adieu, the winners: Blitar and Magetan in East Java, Prabumulih and Musi Banyuasin in South Sumatra, and Jembrana in Bali. The stinkers on the other end of the spectrum: Rokan Hulu and Rokan Hilir in Riau, Labuhan Batu in North Sumatra, and two different precinct of Nias Island.

I feel particularly bad for Riau, my old stomping ground. But hey, the numbers are the numbers ...!

Today's Top Stories

CIA book to be banned?
Legacy of Ashes claims Adam Malik was an agent

Bloggers under fire
Wordpress being muscled to give up identity

Indonesia takes on Big Pharma
Set up local production or buzz off, says health minister

Dubai gold rush
Indonesian firms want in on the action

Now online: Life Magazine's archive of Indonesia photos

2008-11-24T07:01:00.000-08:00

Life Magazine may be dead and gone, another victim of the print-to-digital revolution, but its iconic photos live on. In fact Google is now hosting their entire photo archive, of which there are about 200 shots of Indonesia at critical moments through the country's history.

It's quite an amazing voyage down memory lane. There are photos of Indonesian leaders in the fullness of youth, like Sukarno and Suharto; images of visiting dignitaries, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Soviet Union's Nikita Kruschev; nature shots from decades ago, of Sumatran tigers, Borneo orangutans and Komodo dragons; and regular folks caught in a moment in time, from mosque-goers to Balinese dancers.

In total the Life archive consists of millions of photos dating back to the 1750s, and is helpfully broken down by factors like people, places and events. Most were never even published, so it's well worth a look ... if only for a glimpse of when print journalism was still king, and the public collected Life Magazine photos as the precious specimens they were.

Today's Top Stories

Microchips for AIDS patients?!

Papua forges ahead with controversial plan to monitor disease

Rupiah under attack

Government discusses capital controls to save embattled currency

Plant a tree, or else

An innovative way to combat deforestation

Bonds are a bust

Indonesia turns to World Bank for budget help

Cruise Update: The Spice Islands

2008-11-23T03:35:00.000-08:00

If you feel like getting away from it all for a while - far, far from the crashing Dow - reader Michael Corbett sends in word of a unique Indonesian cruise opportunity.

The Orion is Australia's only five-star expedition cruise ship, and usually travels to spots like Oz's Arnham Land, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Antarctica. But in 2009 they're adding Southeast Asia to the roster, with its Spice Island Adventure.

On the itinerary are islands like the Malukus, Komodo and Sumbawa, and the legendary dive site of Alor, along with rarely-seen spots like the uninhabited isle of Satonda. The nine-night adventure kicks off Sept. 10; prices range from staterooms at $6,365 all the way up to $13,325 for the 'Owner's Suite'.

Not cheap, to be sure. But to be on an expedition ship ranked #2 in the world by Berlitz Cruises (complete with luxury touches like gyms and spas), it could be one of those once-in-a-lifetime trips to tell the grandkids about.

Today's Top Stories

Shoring up the rupiah

Bakrie boss on the outs

Malaysia drug laws net Indonesians

Free stuff! Eat Pray Love giveaway

2008-11-21T03:34:00.000-08:00

By now everyone knows about Eat Pray Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia. It's Elizabeth Gilbert's massive Oprah-blessed bestseller about travel and self-discovery, and now the good folks at Viking press have sent along a couple of copies for Everything Indonesia readers.

To enter for the free drawing, send an e-mail to christaylornyc@gmail.com with "Eat Pray Love" in the subject line, and your mailing address in the body of the e-mail. I'll draw a couple of names from a hat and send free copies to the winners. If you're not one of those selected, then help out the author and buy the book at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

For those of you not familiar with the book, here's the review from Publisher's Weekly:

"Gilbert (The Last American Man) grafts the structure of romantic fiction upon the inquiries of reporting in this sprawling yet methodical travelogue of soul-searching and self-discovery. Plagued with despair after a nasty divorce, the author, in her early 30s, divides a year equally among three dissimilar countries, exploring her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. First, pleasure: savoring Italy's buffet of delights--the world's best pizza, free-flowing wine and dashing conversation partners--Gilbert consumes la dolce vita as spiritual succor. "I came to Italy pinched and thin," she writes, but soon fills out in waist and soul. Then, prayer and ascetic rigor: seeking communion with the divine at a sacred ashram in India, Gilbert emulates the ways of yogis in grueling hours of meditation, struggling to still her churning mind. Finally, a balancing act in Bali, where Gilbert tries for equipoise "betwixt and between" realms, studies with a merry medicine man and plunges into a charged love affair. Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year's cultural and emotional tapestry--conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor--as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression."

Today's Top Stories

Indonesia wants a piece of Hambali

Major layoffs coming down the pike

WTF? Smoking raids in Jakarta

Ouch! Jakarta Index falls some more

2008-11-20T03:04:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. Another day, another 2% drop for the Jakarta Index. Indonesian stocks are caught in the downdraft of the American market (magnified by the fall of the rupiah), where the Dow is now below 8,000 and basically where it was five years ago. What was that about 10% annual returns, that our financial advisors kept telling us about?

You're probably wondering about where to invest your money, when nowhere is safe. Good thing I just wrote an article for Canada's Globe Investor magazine, on what Ben Graham (the king of value investing) would do right now. The answer is he'd probably be buying.

In a nutshell, Graham looked to buy companies with low price/earnings ratios and low debt, that are selling at a discount to their book value. With the carnage going on right now, it's the first time in a long while that a lot of companies fit that description. Sure, things could go even lower, thanks to investor panic. But it's impossible to predict an absolute bottom, and according to the numbers, plenty of stocks already look pretty darn cheap.

Value investing is a long-term strategy, though, so don't expect to make big money in the next days or months. But if you're holding for many years, those who buy now, when things are at their bleakest, will be nicely rewarded. Consider Ben Graham himself: He almost went bankrupt in the Great Depression when the market lost 90% of its value, but by sticking to his principles, ended up a millionaire who retired in the south of France.

Today's Top Stories

Sulawesi furby gets worldwide attention
Private equity takes a run at Bumi
Final exam for Indo airlines

Everything Indonesia

Of politics and sausage

Lombok, getting on my nerves

Election 2009: Lessons Learned

Election 2009: It's he-ere!

And the winner is ... Megawati's party?!

Favorite Place on Earth

Food riots as global phenomenon?

Of slow blogging, and the reasons for it

Whither Papua?

Currency's new world order

Forbes: Indonesia's top billionaires

In breaking Buddha news ...

Help Nila Tanzil!

Obama snacks and postmodernism

Kalla: Indonesia's Cheney

Spotlight: Hotel Sedona Manado

Let's create an Indonesia bubble!

Random musings on rice for breakfast

World's Best Featherweight?

Islamic bonds hit paydirt

The Sultan Goes Online

Spotlight: Le Meridien Nirwana Bali

Hillary postmortem: Indonesia as 'cornerstone'

Hillary in Jakarta: The lovefest begins

Total Stock Market Surrender

Peace Corps in Indonesia?

Hillary to Indonesia, Decoded

Exclusive Interview: Robin Bush, Part Two

Exclusive Interview: Asia Foundation's Robin Bush

Spotlight: Amanjiwo

EU travel ban = history?

Breaking news: Airport taxis might not be legit!

And justice for some ...

Cheap money! Rates cut again

Cricket in Indonesia?!

Spotlight: Oberoi Lombok

RIP, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika

Introducing ... mortgage-backed securities! No, really

Yoga ban!

CIDA in Indonesia

Apa kabar, Obama?

Bakrie & Bumi: The saga continues

Spotlight: Como Shambhala Estate

Global Changemaker Announced

New Indonesia ETF

King of sambal discovered!

Spotlight: Hotel Tugu Bali

Obama's Jakarta speech?

Starbucks taking over Indonesia

Obama inauguration looms

Hillary Clinton on Indonesia

Alert: Best Job in the World!

Indonesia's best resort?

Exclusive Interview: Don Emmerson, Part Two

Exclusive Interview: Indonesia expert Don Emmerson

SBY vs. Megawati: Astrological smackdown

To Durian or Not To Durian ....

Friendster? Really?!

Party at the White House!

Garuda: Totally insane?

Healthcare: Now sucking globally!

Top Indonesian bloggers announced

Top 10 Posts of 2008!

Jakarta's alcohol shortage, pondered

Selamat Tahun Baru!

Mideast mess, spilling elsewhere

Gamelan for misanthropes

Megawati as shopoholic?

Indonesia and the Russian bear

Merry Christmas!

Orangutan Travel: A once-in-a-lifetime trip

Setback for the Treeman

Multiparty democracy as comic farce

Free Bahasa Indonesia classes!

Faith and footwear

Come on in, the water's fine!

Currency crisis memories ...

The next Bali, part 432

In baby news ...