Ghost, Hantus and Ralph

The “Hantu” (Ghost/Spirit) is back. A move of house sometime back seemed to have confused things for awhile as it must take some time for Ghosts to pack for a move as he went missing for awhile. Fortunately things are back to normal and Ralph is back in residence. I would have prefered the ghost pictured but deep down I was missing ole Ralph.

Bizarrely enough, it really seems to be the same Hantu. Previously I had always thought ghosts were like region/house/forest specific. Our household Hantu, as you can see we call him Ralph, is relatively harmless (Which reminds me of a joke..What do you call a dog with no legs?...Nothing…He can’t come to you anyway). However, Ralph is a somewhat neurotic ghost with compulsive washing seeming to be the order of the day.

As with our previous abode, showers and taps in various parts of the house seem to come on at odd times of the day and night with no (?) human assistance. Additionally, for some reason Ralph gets some perverse pleasure unhooking the generator (of course, maybe he is just trying to encourage that most useless of organisations the PLN to actually to provide some basic infrastructure to rural areas.

I admit, I have yet to see him. However, the lady that helps out around the house swears she has seen him. Interestingly, she says he is wearing an old type of traditional dress she does not recognise.

Despite the advent of Islam and Christianity, Spirits, Ghosts and Black (White ?)Magic is not far below the surface of most Indonesians and they may be right. My own mother could not be shaken from the Guardian Angel theory till the day she died and who am I to say different. I personally have had drivers who refuse to travel through certain areas at certain times, not to mention getting a special cleansing for a vehicle that was involved in an accident. Sometimes it’s better to bow to things you don’t really understand rather that take the high ground.

So with that said, I guess I have a new boarder and I had better get used to it …and the higher water bills.

On a slightly more serious although still humorous (albeit in a scary way, two of the people over at Indonesia-anonymus had an interesting encounter the other day. Well worth a read.

Oh and my question for the weekend…. Why does Iran (and for that matter Indonesia) need Nuclear Power with all its inherent risks when they are sitting on the worlds biggest oil drum??

ANZAC DAY VIDEO

This was pretty emotional if you have any interest in the ANZACS

Faith Based Law in Indonesia

Being friday and in my wild, erractic fancy, a vision comes to me unexpected of .....

All political corruption trials in Indonesia being held in a Sharia Province from now on. The sight of major corruptors having a hand or two lopped off would make an interesting change. Certainly a major change from some poor taxi driver being beaten for daring to bet 1000Rp on a game of cards or someone's wife being arrested and thrown in gaol for three days becuase she happened to on the street after dark.

Might make a few pollies think about some of the technical issues with faith based law as well.

Anyway as I said..tis but a wild erractic fancy..........

ANZ, INDONESIA & LOGIC LOOPS

Previously, I have commented on getting caught in the Indonesian Logic Loops. This is where you start a seemingly innocent conversation that due differences in perception and langauge quickly descend into a bizarre half world of confusion and segments from the book Catch 22“”.

For example..

Question: Excuse me, is that the toilet over there?”

Answer: No Toilet here (Tidak ada)

Question: What is that building?

Answer: Oh..Thats the toilet

Question: Huh.. but you said there was no toilet??

Answer: Ya (Betul)

Question: But that is the toilet isn’t it?

Answer: Ya but no key, it is locked

Question: Why is it locked?

Answer: Because no-one uses the toilet

Question: Isn’t that because it is locked?

Answer: Is locked because no one uses it

Question: Giving up) Ok is there another toilet?

Answer: Tidak ada………………tapi.........


Now to be fair, if I had kept my mouth shut at the first “tidak ada” it would have saved everyone a lot of time. Strangely enough the logic loops extend to the corporate world. Jakartassoften seems to be involved in an endless battles with various companies in Indonesia, usually about hand phone bills for non existent hand phones.

Just for a change, yesterday I had a variation on the theme, the Australian Logic Loop. As regularly happens here, my credit card number was stolen (although I still had the card, another card with my number turned up in Europe). However, the great bank god was on the job. ANZ BANK rang me to inform me my card was canceled (terrific, cancel the holiday) and they would send a replacement card.

Sure enough, after four weeks a new card arrives. The card has the ominous sticker “Please ring ANZ to activate this card”. So it begins

Me: (After listening to 25 Mins of inane music) ..Hi, I have rung to activate my credit card

ANZ Girl: Please wait and I will transfer you to the activation center

Me: Aggghh….ten mins of music….transfer ring ring..

ANZ Machine: Hi you have contacted Adam Wilson, I am not in right now please leave a message….Phone goes dead….. (Adam Wilson you are a pr&cK)..

Repeat above steps (30 Mins)

Me: Hi I have rung to activate my card, here is the number

ANZ Guy: Oh sorry, we cannot activate the card as you missed a payment last month

Me: Hang on, you guys canceled the card, therefore I cannot use the net to make the payment

ANZ Guy: You will have to come down to a branch and make a payment

Me: I am 3000km from a branch

ANZ Guy: I cannot activate the card until you make a payment

Me: I cannot make the payment until you activate the card. Look at your screen, payment was made in full every month until you canceled the card

ANZ Guy: I will transfer you to someone who can help….beeeeeeeeeeeeeep.. phone dead (Another Pr#ck)

And so it went on for 7 more calls until finally I got hold of ANZ’s "Debbie". Explained the situation and in less than two minutes, card was activated, payment made and everyone happy (ish).

Debbie... you should be running the Bank not trying to fly with the turkeys.

ANZAC DAY - LEST WE FORGET

Yesterday was ANZAC DAY. It is a day of reflection and remembrance for Australians and New Zealanders on those who have paid great sacrifices in the service of their nation and their comrades.

Perhaps Australian Ex-Prime Minister Paul Keating said it best:

"That is surely at the heart of the Anzac story, the Australian and New Zealand legend which emerged from the war. It is a legend not of sweeping military victories so much as triumphs against the odds, of courage and ingenuity in adversity. It is a legend of free and independent spirits whose discipline derived less from military formalities and customs than from the bonds of mateship and the demands of necessity."

25 April 1915

"The word Gallipoli has profound meaning to the people of New Zealand and Australia. It was the first major campaign in which the ANZACs1 fought, and because of the extremely heavy casualties, it seems that every family in these young colonies was affected. In some ways the battle became symbolic in forging the national identities of both nations, and to this day it is remembered on the 25 April, Anzac Day, the day the first ANZACs landed in 1915.

The exact events and decisions made are controversial to this day, but it is clear that not enough use was made of intelligence regarding the landscape and topography of the peninsula, and the enemy's positions and preparedness. This resulted in the ANZACs being landed on the wrong beach, and being forced to fight inland up a steep eroded slope to high ground held by an enemy who was already dug in, with predictably high casualties. Worst of all for the chances of success, the element of surprise had been lost, and the Turks had time to reinforce their positions.

The ANZACs were not the only troops in the campaign. There were troops from France, Britain, India, Nepal (Gurkhas), South Africa, and most of the British and French Empires. But it was the ANZACs who bore the brunt of attacking the toughest terrain, and the toughest opponent - Mustapha Kemal. ( later known as Ataturk, the founder of the modern state of Turkey). Kemal was a young Turkish officer who had been charged with the defence of the high ground above the ANZACs' landing grounds. Unfortunately for the ANZACs, but crucially for the fate of Turkey, he was brilliant at his job.

With the high ground gone, and the casualties mounting, it became clear to the high command that the campaign was lost and the allies must evacuate. Ironically this was the only phase of the campaign which went smoothly. Through subterfuge the ANZACs managed to convince the Turks that the ships arriving and leaving were actually reinforcing their positions, rather than evacuating them, and thus managed to avoid casualties. In the end the final ANZAC soldier left on 20 December, almost eight months since their first landing.

During that time the small colony of New Zealand had suffered 7,500 casualties and Australia 26,000. Other nations had also lost many men. France had lost 27,000 and other British Empire losses were around 120,000. The Turkish losses would have been similar, if not worse. After visiting Gallipoli, the Australian war correspondent CEW Bean wrote, 'The dead lay so thick that the only respect which could be paid to them was to avoid treading on their faces.
'
This was a terrible campaign in a terrible war. Similar tales can be told about many theatres of war. The ANZACs continued to fight and die on the Western Front; everywhere else the war was waged; and small country towns on the other side of the world erected monuments to the fallen. A generation later there was another world war, and more New Zealanders and Australians died in far-off lands. However it is Gallipoli in particular that started the ANZAC Legend, and retains a place in the history and hearts of New Zealanders and Australians."

In one of the most moving things ever said by a war time leader Ataturk, despite an invasion by foreign powers showed his compassion to all those families, mothers and children who lost someone in that far away land. I think you will look for a long time to find a more noble statement of compassion.

Overlooking Anzac Cove is a wall that has a quote from Ataturk on it:

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us, where they lie side by side here in this country of ours... You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries, wipe away your tears; Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."

I put the above together from numerous sources and some personal knowledge. I hope those sources will forgive me if I do not acknowledge them all. The picture is from the Australian War Memorial.

No one but a complete idiot glorifies war, death and carnage. The following is also a true story.

I personally knew a man very well, who served in World War 2 in North Africa and New Guinea. He never spoke much about what he did or saw during that time except for occasional asides such as

”Well I joined up because it seemed like a good idea, a bit of lark. They gave us two weeks training in the parklands with wooden guns and two weeks later we sailed past Fremantle (a small coastal town in Australia). I remember thinking…bloody hell !!What have I gotten into! That was the last time I saw Australia for five long years.”

Many years later, this same man was well into his eighties, sick and bed ridden. I was visiting and noticed tears in his eyes (which I never seen before in his whole life). I asked him what was wrong and after much prompting came this story:

“We were looking after wounded in Alexandria (North Africa), and young boy (remembering the storyteller would have also only been in his early twenties) came in from “the Black Watch”, a bullet had passed through his lower face and jaw rendering speech impossible. We did not have much in the way of medicine and we knew he would not live but he lingered for some time.

As I would check on him, he would thrash around and gasp at my arms. As time went by the thrashing got worse and worse eventually we had to strap him down. I just assumed it was the pain.

He died later that night.

In the morning as we wearing clearing his bed space, I found someone had placed all of his personal belongings underneath the bed, amongst them were several unopened letters from home that he must have received just prior to being shot.

The poor bugger wasn’t thrashing in pain, he just wanted someone to read him his letters from home before he died….
The old man’s voice trailed off then as he was very sick himself at this time..
”I know he will be waiting for me…”

That poor old man had carried the guilt of not knowing about those letters for over sixty years, and it was still what he was thinking about in the final hours before his own death.

KARTINI

As most in Indonesia would know, April 21 was Kartini day. Raden Ayu Kartini
, (April 21, 1879-September 13, 1904), was/is Indonesia's most famous champion of women's rights in Indonesia.

Unfortunately, women generally remain very much an underclass in Indonesia. Women are daily subject to the whims and desires of a very closed patriarchal society. For the vast majority of women, it is debatable if the situation has improved at all since Kartini's time.



"In recent months, there has been a concerted push for the passage of the pornography bill by religious hardliners, as well as the enactment of a number of bylaws that single out women for punishment, including on how they dress in public, interaction with the opposition sex, even to imposing limits on what time they can be in public places."

The sanctimonious crap-trap put up in defence of these regulations "we are saving these women from prostitution and exploitation beggars belief". There is no social security structure for abandoned wives, mothers who have no income etc etc. The vast majority of women forced into these situations are there by economic and social misfortune. To jail them in the absence of an alternative support structure is the height on an unthinking, uncaring patriarchal mindset.

This is not unexpected where, for many young males social interaction with women is limited to family and direct relatives. This makes it extremely difficult for any realistic connection or empathy with members of the opposite sex.

An interesting side note, despite a plethora of statues of male heros throughout the Indonesia the one famous statue of Kartini in Jakarta was under threat of removal (with vague promises of relocation). Does anyone know if the plan went ahead?... What happened to the statue?..

FORESTS, ACEH AND PLAYBOY

Back from my trip and was thinking some nice things. It actually appeared that a lot of the forest was regenerating from the vandalism, criminal burning off, illegal logging and the other assorted quasi-condoned jungle rapes that abound in Indonesia. I was all prepared to write a happy up-beat post, when a quick spin around the blogsphere soon proved I was merely deluding myself again.

Indcoup reports on a Chinese Company that intends to join in on the rape and pillage of the Indonesia Forests, “The Chinese state company, called China Light, needed a total of 800,000 cubic meters of logs or equivalent to 400,000 cubic meters of processed wood up to 2008.”

Meanwhile in the
The Jakarta Post today, the most arrogant comment of the week goes to the PT KLI manager who when tackled about his company’s logging activities said “you can see our premises are green” referring to the leafy environment around his office.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20060422.A03&irec=5

Indcoup further brought our attention that up 30%-40% of all aid funds to Aceh have been stolen!!! This is simply stunning!! I think I recall President SBY saying that Indonesia must monitor these funds correctly as the world will form an opinion of Indonesia on the way we handle these funds…Well, one wonders what that opinion is now?

In my secular soul, I find it impossible to understand these immoral, low life scum. How do you justify stealing from people so much in need? How do you look at yourself in the mirror…Aceh being what it is, I can only assume that a lot of these scum are supposedly deeply religious, what I would like to know then. Is how do you reconcile your thievery come Fridays..perhaps an extra prayer…
“ Hey I stole a few bucks but I also burnt a Playboy Magazine so we are square right?”

So with all this shocking news, you would think people would be in the streets protesting and you are right.






Of course not exactly protesting over what you may think is important but protesting none the less

Oh dear the more things change the more they stay the same

LOST

Not Blogging for a week or so. Time to wander off into the Jungle for awhile and see whats out there again...Did someone say something about numbers.....Have fun and to each his own...

Easter Funnies

A quick funny for Easter.


Meanwhile in other Easter News, Religious Hardliners in Jakarta today were severely mauled when acting on information that a Playboy Bunny was sighted in South Jakarta, Unfortunately, there appears to have been a miscommunication with the group tangling with a very angry Easter Bunny (EB). EB still smarting from the Christians knocking off his pagan weekend was in no mood to tolerate another bunch of myopic religious loons and acted accordingly. Police are now seeking suspect pictured below for questioning after several members of the hard line group were..eaten.

Suspect was last seen heading to Tangerang...

EASTER CROWS -

Because its Easter and Treespotter is trying to grasp the finer points of Footy and pick a team that is more suited to him. I am going to suggest the Adelaide Crows pictured..they are weird, openly hyper-manic depressive at times and the followers could seem all to be "Chardonney Sipping Urbo-Sexuals"

Adelaide Crows: Colours: Navy blue, gold and red. Emblem: Crows ... the Adelaide Football Club, known as the Crows

Last nights footy action, in a biblical turnaround The "Saints devoured The Lions"

This weeks rule: Remember you can only interfere (?) with another player going for a mark if the ball is within 5m ...

HAPPY EASTER ALL

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE...

Just a religious thought ..Wouldn't it be fun if we could get all the religous over the top nutcases out here to wear bunny ears this weekend. Then we could all put the slipper on (in). Loads more fun than easter egg hunts.

Bit of Easter History:

Quite a few pagan cultures hold celebrations in the spring. It's the time of year when plants return to life after being dormant all winter and when animals mate and procreate. These festivities celebrate the renewal of life and promote the fertility of crops, animals, and even people, which was important in these agrarian communities. The Saxons believed in a maiden goddess of fertility named Eastre or Eostre (Oestre in Latin) and honored her with a spring festival. Hares and rabbits were considered sacred to Eastre because they are notoriously fertile animals.

In the second century A.D., Christian missionaries tried to convert northern European tribes. To help make Christianity attractive, the missionaries turned pagan festivals into Christian holidays. The pagan Eastre festival occurred around the same time as the Christian celebration marking Christ's resurrection so the two celebrations blended into one, rabbit and all.

Over time, Eastre became Easter, and the symbolism changed as well. Instead of the Easter rabbit symbolizing fertility, the rabbit may symbolize an innocent, vulnerable creature that can be sacrificed, similar to the lamb. To Christians, these innocents are tokens of Christ and the sacrifice he made.
Read more here

SUNSPOTS AND CGAF

Sorry for no posts for a few days I have had a bad case of “CGAF” (Couldn’t Give A Stuff). Besides annoying the bejesus out of Jakartass and his hatred of all things Freeport, Papua, I have been fairly busy work wise and lazy with everything else.

Freeport

My view is that any discussion that neglects the money that Freeport brings into Indonesia every year is a very frail discussion indeed. A Fact omitted is a truth denied!

A billion dollars in taxes and royalties is a bit more than beads and trinkets as some would have us believe.

Of course, that Papuans have not exactly seen the benefits of this wealth would be the under-statement of the decade. Like a lot of the provinces, much natural wealth has been extracted to little gain for the local populace. Unless the government seriously addresses these issues, its difficult to see anything but very sad times ahead. Meanwhile political opportunists and commentators will continue to agitate with, as usual, the poor bugger in the kampung getting the shitty end of the stick.

Still on the Papua issue, The Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Immigration Minister Vanstone have just reported they are rushing in a new policy on refugees. “Under a hardline policy announced today, people arriving illegally by boat will now have their asylum claims processed at one of three offshore detention centres”.

This then prevents any refugee from accessing the Australian Court System to appeal their claim should they be refused refugee status (once onshore in Australia, everyone has access to the courts and out of the government’s control). This according to Howard had nothing to do with Indonesian Governments tantrum of visas recently..In the words of a famous man PIGS ARSE.

On the weather front, there must be sunspots over at Indcoup as his latest post reads as if he believes China is a model Indonesia should follow… I must have read it wrong!!! Leaning left is one thing but too far and you fall off the perch.

Weirdest Conspiracy theory of the Week.

The recent of arrest of an Indonesian (amongst others) Arms Dealer in Hawaii this week, has some in blogsphere saying they were purchasing arms for use in Papua..Sh#T …..as Treespotter says unless Birds of Paradise have decided enough is enough then there is not a lot of call for Surface to Air missiles in Papua.

Fair go guys! Shady arms deals happen every day particularly with the various weak arms embargoes the US has. Perhaps its time to take a deep breath.

Is it Art or is it Porn?

Score wise, the footy was disaster this weekend. Although the Crows getting done by the Eagles by a mere 2 points was a good match to watch.

Seeing how the Indonesian Playboy according to Indcoup and Jakartass is fairly tame, with all the women fully clothed (doesn't matter we only read for the artciles anyway..right).

I thought I would throw up the above picture for your pleasure. I guess what we have to ask is it Porn or is it Art under the draft Anti Porn Bill? Personally I like it, I wouldn't mind a full size copy for the house.

Meanwhile, I am pleased to report the global warning crisis must have stopped?!.It was reported yesterday that less than 1% of the Great Barrier Reef is affected by bleaching (yet in 2002 it only had 5-10 years life left due to global warming) ..I'm confused.. Next they will be telling me the ice sheets in Greenland are getting thicker.

SHINBONERS

To continue my fixation with the Australian Rules Football. The "Kangaroos" were until recently named after their Melbourne suburb of origin "North Melbourne (The dropping of the suburb name was in the name of the never ending supporter drive). North Melbourne was/is a working class suburb and the 1996 census (bottom of post) shows an interesting ethnic, working class mix:

However to the dedicated supporter the kangaroos or North Melbourne will always be "THE SHINBONERS"

Although lost in the mists of time, it is generally believed that the name "Shinboners" nickname came from two possible origins:

1. From the days when many of the players worked at the local abattoirs and spent their days separating meat from shinbones and local butchers used to decorate their windows with the bones.

2. Or possibly the name may have been due to the Irish population playing hurley at the football ground, using their hurley sticks with little regard for their opponent's shins.

It doesn't really matter, in my wild erractic fancy, I wish they had kept the name and there I would see the supporters waving the shinbones above their heads at away matches..grin

North Melbourne

North Melbourne sprang up during the 1850's goldrush. Located on the goldfields road, the suburb's first businesses and residents served the steady flow of traffic headed between the city centre and the fossicking districts and in 1925 North Melbourne joined the VFL (Victorian Football League). In their first game the Shinboners defeated Geelong by 8 points.

Postcode: 3051
Where: 2 kilometres north of the city
Population: 8417
Born in: Australia 48%
Vietnam 8%
China 6%
UK 4%
Italy 2%
Hong Kong 2%
Religion: Christian 50%
Buddhist 6%
Islam 3%
Jewish 0.1%
Language: 53% speak only English

Trumped up Corellas and Kangaroos

There is general trend in some irrational circles to hate all things Australian at the moment but the latest piece of news from Australia is very ominous...

"April 07, 2006
THE Kangaroos are officially the least popular team in the AFL (WHAT!!!, TELL ME IT AIN'T SO), adding further ammunition for those who believe the club must flee Melbourne to build its future"

More of this calamity here

On the bright side, the article mentions the Kangaroos may have to migrate North to survive...The Indonesian Kangaroos perhaps?



In other news that will have the "deep greenies" besides themselves with indecision. An Angry, trumped-up corella (Bird) has stalled a 220Million Aud dollar alternative energy programme in Australia.

Are there mysterious forces afoot in the Animal Kingdom....

Thats What I Like About Football

Once upon a time you would grow up play for your home district team. In the good ol days teams were based around regions. Nowadays, to start you have to pick a bunch of colours to follow with a passion bordering on obsession. Players are traded and swapped and it would be rare thing to find a player actually living in the suburb he plays for (More and more teams are dropping the geo-centric names in search of a wider supporter base).

Ok base rules.

Scoring: Four Posts at both ends of oval field.

Kick the Ball thru the two center posts = 6 points (also known as a Goal) Near Miss = 1 Point (also known as a...a point)

Tackling = Yep sure can.. Anywhere between Knees and Neck and not from the back

Mark = Clean catch from a kicked ball over 15m away..No one is allowed to tackle you.

Mission = to kick more Goals than the other team over four quarters.

Required Football Terminology

Torpedo, Screw, Punt, Stab, Place, Banana, Check side, Drop = All types of kick.

Hand Pass = Legal way of passing ball by hand (punch the ball with clenched fist from palm of other hand)

White Maggot = Referee (losing its effect since they started dressing in funny colours)

One Eyed Maggot = Referee failing to see the obvious injustices your team is suffering

Mongrel = Dirty Player (other team)

Hard Man = Dirty Player (your team)

"Speccy" = Spectacular Mark (catch)

Sausage Roll = Goal (six points)

Pill = Football

"BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL" =Holding the ball .. Shouted by the crowd when a player fails to release the ball when tackled

Sheila = Player who plays the game with the attributes of girl (sexist..but hey its football)

Red Hot Go = Valiant effort

Turn the Corner = Make a comeback

TAGHLAY = Take a good hard look at yourself (reapply yourself to the task)


Ok that’s enough to get your started, just follow the crowd and have fun,a detailed knowledge of the rules is not required and even removes a lot of the fun.

For those of you with a more serious desire to learn, you can learn more here

See you at the Bali 9's

Hotel Sahid Bans Aussies

An Oigal Note: I have edited this post because Mr Snag has pointed out that I may have been a bit harsh on the Manager of the Sahid hotel. Upon further reflection he is probably right. Unconfirmed reports indicate another group of Papuans are seeking Asylum in Australia tonight, so I don't intend to add to the insanity that may follow if I can help it.

It is reported that the Sahid Hotel in the capital of South Sulawesi "agreed in writing that we are prohibited from accepting Australian guests"

Indonesia and Oval Footballs

Its that time year to forget politics, business and differences in Religion. The football season has started, kicked off if you will.

Now of course, I am not talking that round ball game that so preoccupies the normally astute and observant Jakartass
. No I am talking the game played by the "chosen few"...

Yep..Thats right we are talking Australian Rules Football, no helmets, no round ball and no "Nil all" drawn games.

For those lucky enough to have "IndoVison" pay tv, there were no less than six games played over the weekend.

And what a great weekend it was as well, with those champions of champions The Shinboners sending that pack of wharf rats Port Power packing

Indonesia also has a small but vibrant (as in all good things) Australian Rules Football Community. Check out the(now how did they arrive at that name?) Jakarta Bintangs .

Next post will deliver a brief run down on the rules, so those sadly neglected types can understand a bit of the chosen game (except if you barrack for Port Adelaide because those wharf rates have never played by the rules anyway). Also a introduction to Bali 9's competition


LET THE GAMES BEGIN...................

Cartoons Papua and Coal

It goes on..on and....on.

"Indonesia has described as "tasteless" a caricature in an Australian newspaper depicting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a dog."

The Australian caricature cartoon, drawn by award-winning cartoonist Bill Leak, shows Yudhoyono as a tail-wagging dog mounting a startled-looking Papua dog and saying "don't take this the wrong way".

The caption under the cartoon reads "no offence intended".

Meanwhile the "" war of cartoons continues to get international(ok regional then) coverage bringing further (Unwanted?) attention to the Papua situation.

Commenting on the cartoon, Presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said "It's in poor taste. Sometimes the media, both in Indonesia and other countries, resort to poor taste, which actually demonstrates the level of their quality,"

Bill Leak has quite a following and is well know for biting satire. Bill rarely pulls his punches and no target is safe. Before anyone accuses him of being anti-indonesian maybe they should look here for some samples of his work.


Sorry, I don't have a copy of the actual cartoon but I shall keep looking! I have seen a copy of it and admit it did raise a wry smile. I do notice Mallarangeng was bit late commenting on the Indonesian version with Howard as a dog but better late than never I guess.

Meanwhile.....



Speaking of Papua (or cartoons), I notice the calls for more of the wealth continue and fair enough. In the interests of comparision and my own education, I would very interested in the local divestment of wealth (% or dollar) by that other huge mining organisation KALTIM PRIMA COAL. The KALTIM website seems a little out of date with PT Bumi Resources being listed as the owner, whereas I was under the impression they had recently sold out for a massive (?) profit. So if anyone has the details of local divestment please let me know.