Archive for February, 2008
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Bojonegoro
Kanor village in Bojonegoro, East Java, located along the Bengawan Solo River, was hit by floods more than a month ago, but recovery work has yet to restore conditions.
Many dams and bridges in the village were damaged in the floods, along with homes, schools, graveyards and thousands of hectares of ready-to-harvest rice fields.
Thousands were forced from their homes, but there were no reports of casualties in the flooding that devastated 15 districts in the regency.
Local residents referred to the destruction as a minor doomsday, pointing to broken embankments and bridges. Limestone earth and clay, used to plug broken embankments, resembled mud traps.
Motorcycles traveled on heavily damaged roads that looked like off-road trails where riders frequently fall.
A number of passing public minivans also found themselves trapped in the mud. Pedestrians often walked barefoot, trudging through knee-deep mud in places.
“Conditions could worsen if it rains now. The public works office should be held responsible,” said resident Eko Prayitno.
A number of the broken bridges had been temporarily fixed with bamboo, with vehicles taking turns to cross over them.
When it rains now, residents said they watched the water level of the Bengawan Solo River passing along the western part of the village.
Last Thursday the water level rose and the river overflowed onto roadways.
“My family and I were fearful the river would burst its banks,” said Tukul, a villager whose house is located near the river.
Tukul’s house was engulfed in chest-high water last month during the floods that destroyed all his belongings.
Residents were aware they lived in a flood-prone area, especially since it is located in the upper reaches of the longest river in Java.
They believed the latest flood was triggered by water released from the Gajah Mungkur reservoir in Central Java.
“If the reservoir releases its water, the level of the Bengawan Solo River rises and floods are inevitable. So what else can we do?” said another resident, Munir.
Many residents were pessimistic over a proposal to restore broken dikes in Bojonegoro.
Building permanent dikes, they said, would not make much of a difference when the Bengawan Solo started overflowing.
“They (broken embankments) could create more adverse impacts when they break. We fear the rapid rush of water could claim peoples’ lives,” said Munir.
Source: The Jakarta Post
February 6th, 2008
Talks have started over the possible repatriation of a 1,000-year-old Javanese stone which has stood in the Borders since the 19th century.
The Indonesian government is seeking the return of the Minto Stone also known as the Sanggurah Stone.
It was taken from near the modern day town of Malang by British administrator Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1812.
He gave it to the governor general of India, Lord Minto, who brought it back to his home near Hawick.
A spokesman for the Indonesian culture ministry confirmed it was seeking the return of the inscribed stone which dates back to 928 AD.
“The Minto Stone is an important historical artefact and a crucial source of information,” he said.
“It contains the history of the Mataram kingdom in Central Java and its eventual shift of power to East Java.
“Upon the artefact’s return to Indonesia, it will be placed in the National Museum in Jakarta.”
‘Continued discussions’
He added that the government had been attempting to secure the stone’s return since 2004.
Timothy Elliott, the 7th Earl of Minto, confirmed he had been approached over the possible repatriation of the stone.
He said it became his family’s property after it was gifted to his ancestor Gilbert Elliott, the 1st Earl of Minto.
However, he confirmed that trustees were willing to enter into talks about its future.
“We have been approached by representatives of the Indonesian government and the trustees are willing to continue our discussions with them,” he said.
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was proclaimed lieutenant governor of Java by Lord Minto in 1811.
He was also the founder of Singapore in 1819 and is widely credited for the creation of Britain’s Far Eastern empire. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/
February 5th, 2008
By Tristan Stewart-Robertson
AN ANCIENT Indonesian carving given to a British diplomat almost 200 years ago as a gift has become the latest relic involved in intricate discussions about its repatriation.
Government ministers in Jakarta have confirmed they are negotiating for the return of the four-tonne Minto Stone, on which is carved in ancient script of the history of the island of Java.
It has been part of the Minto family estate near Hawick, Roxburghshire, since 1812, after it was given to the 1st Earl of Minto by explorer Stamford Raffles, and is now overseen by the family’s Minto Trust.
Repatriation has increasingly become a major issue in Scotland after ministers called for the return of the Lewis Chessmen from the British Museum.
Nine Maori heads held by Marischal Museum at the University of Aberdeen were returned to New Zealand last year. And last month, the National Museum of Scotland announced it would return an aboriginal skull to Tasmania.
There is no legal requirement for the repatriation of items that are not human remains. In Indonesia last week, officials said the stone – known as the Sanggurah Stone or Batu Minto – was an important historical artefact and belonged in the capital’s national museum.
And last night, the 7th Earl of Minto, Timothy George Lariston Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, confirmed discussions were continuing with the Indonesian government.
But the father of four, 55, who heads stationery firm Paperchase, denied the issue had been dragging on for a long time. He confirmed: “We have received an approach from a representative of the Indonesian government and we are prepared to continue discussions.” The Minto Stone was carved in AD982. It was taken from its site near the town of Malang in East Java by Stamford Raffles after he became governor of Java in 1811. He gained the post thanks to the patronage of Gilbert Elliot, the 1st Earl of Minto, and gave him the stone in thanks.
But the monolith is considered a valuable record of the Javanese kingdom of Mataram, which grew to power between the 7th and 10th centuries.
Last week, Hadi Untoro Drajat, of the Indonesian culture and tourism ministry, said: “We are in negotiations to return the Sanggurah Stone back to Indonesia. It is an important historical artefact. Upon its return, it will be placed in the national museum in Jakarta.
“The Indonesian government has been attempting to secure the return of the artefact since 2004, but government-to-government negotiations have proven difficult because the relic is currently in the custodianship of Minto trustees.”
Hashim Djojohadikusumo, an art dealer who was caught with five antique statues in his home last November but never charged, said he was negotiating the return of the Minto Stone. He said: “The Indonesian government has a policy of not paying for the return of ancient artefacts, but we are ready to cover the transfer costs and compensation to the Minto Trust. So far, it hasn’t determined the amount. The Minto Trust are willing to discuss it in a family meeting.”
And he added: “The Minto Stone is a heritage that has been handed down for generations.”
Theft of ancient artefacts is said to be rife in Indonesia, home to ruins of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that flourished from the seventh century onward.
Also, at one point, there was a Minto family museum of historic items held in Fatlips Castle on Minto Crags, near Jedburgh in the Borders. But they were all removed after the site was plagued by continuing vandalism.
Source: http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/
February 4th, 2008
SURABAYA - Alkisah, Firaun punya seorang putri bernama Aspicia, yang jatuh cinta pada pemuda bernama Ta Hor. Namun, Firaun ternyata sudah menjodohkan Aspicia dengan Nubian, raja yang kaya raya.
Telanjur cinta, dua sejoli itu pun melarikan diri untuk menghindari kemurkaan Firaun. Melihat keteguhan hati putri cantiknya itu, hati Firaun luluh. Dia menyetujui hubungan cinta tersebut. Kisah cinta itu pun berakhir bahagia.
Novel karya penulis Prancis, Theopile Gautier, itu dipentaskan dalam balet kolosal, The Pharaoh Daughter, di ballroom Hotel Sheraton petang kemarin. Pementasan amal untuk anak-anak kurang mampu itu memang mencoba menyuguhkan sesuatu yang beda dari tema-tema balet klasik sebelumnya. “Cerita bertema Mesir ini memang tidak sesering lakon Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, dan lakon klasik lainnya,” kata koreografer Ekawati Loekito.
Mengusung tema bernuansa Kerajaan Mesir kuno, pementasan itu pun didominasi kostum-kostum penari berwarna keemasan dipadu kombinasi warna biru, putih, hitam, dan merah.
Sentuhan Timur Tengah terasa semakin kental dengan desain kostum prajurit dan raja yang menyerupai Spinx. Misalnya, tutup kepala berwarna keemasan. Busana kebesaran raja juga didesain berupa jubah terusan warna kuning mengkilat.
Untuk menambah kesan kemegahan Kerajaan Mesir, para penari berhias gelang-gelang keemasan di lengan dan pergelangan tangan. “Sesuai tema, warna-warna kostum lebih colorful dan banyak modelnya. Tidak seperti pagelaran balet klasik yang didominasi warna putih,” terang Ekawati.
Drama balet hasil kerja bareng Sheraton Hotel and Towers dengan Center Point Dance Studio itu disajikan dalam empat babak. Yulia Liemena tampil sebagai putri Aspicia dan penari tamu asal Filipina, Edmund Gaerlan, sebagai kekasih Aspicia. Keduanya tampak beberapa kali melakukan teknik pas de deux, menarikan suatu tarian berdua.
Mereka juga tampil menawan kala melakukan teknik lifting. Ketika Edmund mengangkat Yulia di bahu sembari menarikan gerakan-gerakan balet. Yulia sesekali menarikan gerakan-gerakan cantik.
Seperti ketika dia menari dengan melompat sambil berputar. Para solist atau penari tunggal juga melakukan foutte berkali-kali. Mereka melakukan gerakan berputar dengan satu kaki secara terus menerus dalam 16 kali putaran.
Dalam pementasan berdurasi satu setengah jam itu para penari anak-anak turut memeriahkan panggung. Mereka berperan sebagai dayang-dayang dan unta. Para penari cilik itu rata-rata berusia 3 hingga 10 tahun.
Pementasan kali ketiga itu merupakan salah satu dari rangkaian program organisasi anak-anak PBB, UNICEF, yang dihelat Sheraton Surabaya. Acara malam penggalangan dana itu meraup Rp 10 juta yang langsung disumbangkan kepada UNICEF. “Kami akan menyediakan obat-obatan dan imunisasi bagi anak-anak miskin,” kata Andang Kristanto duta UNICEF Sheraton Surabaya Hotel dan Towers. (ken/cfu)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 4th, 2008
SURABAYA - Sebuah branding diyakini mampu menjual potensi pariwisata Surabaya. Itulah yang menjadi salah satu alasan peluncuran buku Sparkling Surabaya: Pariwisata dengan Huruf L. Buku yang ditulis Yusak Anshori dan Dewa Gde Satrya itu menggambarkan rumitnya mengembangkan pariwisata Kota Surabaya. Buku tersebut sudah diluncurkan pada Sabtu (26/1). Namun, secara resmi, peluncuran itu dilakukan kemarin (31/1) di Balai Kota Surabaya.
Executive Director Surabaya Tourism Promotion Board (STPB) Yusak Anshori mengatakan, buku itu memantapkan posisi Surabaya sebagai pintu masuk Indonesia Timur, layaknya Singapura sebagai palang pintu Asia. Karena itu, kata Yusak, sebuah brand dinilai penting bagi pengembangan pariwisata kota karena menentukan posisi sebagai destinasi wisata.
Sejatinya, Sparkling Surabaya yang menjadi city branding sejak 2005 telah berhasil memosisikan Surabaya sebagai kota wisata yang nyaman ditinggali oleh pengunjung lokal maupun internasional. “Juga, tak pernah sepi berkegiatan dari pagi hingga pagi berikutnya,” ujarnya. Itu dibuktikan dengan peningkatan jumlah pengunjung ke kota metropolis ini. Pada 2005, jumlah pengunjung domestik ke Surabaya mencapai 3.546.532 orang. Setahun kemudian (2006) menjadi 3.726.389 orang. Lebih lanjut, Yusak menjelaskan, simbol L pada bukunya merepresentasikan pelat nomor mobil Kota Surabaya. “Sudah saatnya kita melakukan intellect branding, yakni melalui buku,” tuturnya.
Wakil Wali Kota Arif Afandi teringat ketika kali pertama logo Sparkling Surabaya diluncurkan beberapa tahun lalu. “Kita waktu itu berpikir, kok kemenyek banget Surabaya saja pakai Sparkling,” kenangnya. Namun, sejak itu pemkot dan STPB bertekad mengembangkan wisata Surabaya. “Dengan memakai branding tersebut, kami berharap hal itu dipahami dan diimplementasikan dari wali kota hingga tingkat ke bawah, kelurahan,” tuturnya.
Arif meminta buku itu diterjemahkan dalam beberapa bahasa. “Sebagai suvenir bagi tamu-tamu asing yang bertandang ke Surabaya,” tambahnya. (kit/oni)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 1st, 2008
SURABAYA - Tak lama lagi, taman bermain untuk anak bertambah. Lokasinya di Jalan Ngagel, persis di tepi Kali Jagir. Lahan milik Perum Jasa Tirta tersebut kemarin (31/1) sudah dibersihkan.
Camat Wonokromo Kartika Indrayana menjelaskan, lahan seluas 65 x 15 meter persegi itu akan disulap menjadi sarana bermain untuk anak. “Pemilik tanah (Perum Jasa Tirta, Red) memang menginginkan lahan tersebut dijadikan taman,” ungkapnya kemarin.
Saat ini, lahan itu digunakan warga setempat sebagai tempat penitipan sepeda, parkir becak, dan warung liar.
Dia mengungkapkan, biaya pembangunan taman tersebut ditangung PDAM Surabaya. “Itu sesuai keputusan bersama antara Jasa Tirta dengan PDAM. Yang mendesain taman adalah Dinas Kebersihan dan Pertamanan Pemkot,” ungkapnya.
Indrayana menjelaskan, pembangunan taman akan dimulai akhir Januari hingga Juni mendatang. Proyek tersebut diperkirakan menghabiskan dana Rp 135 juta. “Anggaran sebesar itu dipakai untuk biaya pengerjaan hingga pemenuhan fasilitas. Untuk saat ini masih akan dilelang dulu,” ujarnya.
Kepala Dinas Kebersihan dan Pertamanan Hidayat Syah menuturkan, pihaknya memang dimintai bantuan untuk mendesain taman tersebut. DKP sudah membuat layout taman dan fasilitas di dalamnya. Menurut dia, fasilitas yang akan disediakan dalam taman tersebut, antara lain, jungkat-jungkit, jogging track, komidi putar, bangku taman, serta sarana penunjang lainnya. “Namun, yang terpenting adalah tanaman itu. Rencananya dihiasi berbagai jenis tanaman,” tegasnya.
DKP juga mendesain parkir khusus mobil serta kendaraan roda dua. Itu berbeda dari taman-taman lain di Surabaya. “Intinya, kami ingin membuat taman itu tampak cantik dan bisa dikunjungi banyak orang. Selain itu, lokasinya kan strategis dan dekat sungai,” ujar Hidayat.
Sementara itu, Kepala Divisi Jasa Asa IV Perum Jasa Tirta 1 Sunu Suprapto mengaku senang terhadap ide pembangunan taman tersebut. “Asalkan tidak mengganggu aliran air sungai, tentu kami akan mendukung,” ungkapnya.
Dia menjelaskan, pembangunan taman tersebut akan mengubah wajah kumuh tempat itu. Lagi pula, kata dia, aturan telah melarang adanya bangunan di sekitar sempadan sungai. “Baik itu bangunan permanen maupun semipermanen,” ujarnya. (bal/uan/oni)
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 1st, 2008
SURABAYA - Nuansa bar begitu terasa di Gedung Cak Durasim, kompleks Taman Budaya Jawa Timur (TBJT). Ingar-bingar musik dangdut, kepulan asap rokok, plus gelas-belas minuman keras yang berseliweran terasa mendominasi atmosfer. Gedung kesenian tersebut tak sedang berubah fungsi. Itu adalah setting panggung lakon Perjalanan Panjang yang dipentaskan Teater Gapus, Fakultas Sastra Universitas Airlangga (Unair).
Pentas sepanjang 75 menit itu adalah adaptasi naskah Long Voyage Home karya Eugene O’Neill. Cerita yang berlatar belakang pelabuhan itu memang ditampilkan tak sama persis dengan aslinya.
Menurut Muhammad Attikurrahman, pimpinan produksi, kelompok itu ingin mengangkat hal-hal yang berlatar laut. Selain itu, teater besutan sutradara Kharisma L.J. itu bertema gender. “Sampai saat gender masih menjadi perbincangan hangat dalam masyarakat,” ujar Maman, panggilan akrab Attikurrahman.
Lakon itu mengisahkan kisah keseharian anak manusia. Inti ceritanya adalah kisah cinta dan perebutan kekuasaan. “Tidak ada yang menang atau kalah dalam cerita ini,” ujar Mamam. Semua tokoh adalah korban.
Mak Sun, tokoh utama perempuan, harus rela kehilangan Marjono yang dicintainya. Padahal, sebelumnya dia berhasil merebut bar milik Marjono. Marjono, selain kehilangan bar, juga hidup jauh dari Mak Sun. Dia menjadi budak di Argentina. Teater Gapus coba menampilkan cuplikan hidup seseorang yang berasal dari desa, merantau ke kota, terjebak ke dunia hitam, dan kegagalan dalam meraih cinta.
Perjalanan Panjang adalah lakon yang dipentaskan di tiga kota. Mereka akan tampil di Bandung pada 6 Februari. Setelah itu, Teater Gapus menyinggahi Solo pada 9 Februari. (dee/dos)ÂÂ
Source: Jawa Pos Online
February 1st, 2008
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