Indonesia government this week decided to buy Sukhoi 12 SU-30 jet fighter and eight MI-18 helicopters from Russia. This decision is a controversial one since Indonesia already forbid military artillery from Russian since end of 1960s. The turnaround decision need to be followed by massive military manpower development to support the Russian jet fighter and helicopters.
editor's
letter
This weekly newsletter intended to provide the current issues in Indonesian political situation. This second edition review the potential and political view of oil exploration in Indonesia. If you have interest on Indonesia, stay tuned and check out our coming editions. See our other issues on East Timor and Jama'ah Tabligh.
If you encounter something interesting in Indonesia that you think is worthy of the indonesia weekly, please send email to editor.
The indonesia weekly is published weekly informally. See our back issue on East Timor, and Jama'ah Tabligh.
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indonesia weekly
Second Edition - August 1997
special coverage: oil exploration
coastal plains block
Coastal Plains Block is an oil exploration block assigned to PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia, a subsidiary of Texaco and Chevron. Since the end of last month, many controversies arose because Pertamina - the government agent for hydrocarbon exploration decided to end the PT CPI's contract on Coastal Plains Block. The PT CPI resist to give away the block, albeit many exploration attempts in this block has proven unsuccessful since 1970s. The block itself is located strategically in the margin of the world-class prolific oil province in central Sumatra, Indonesia.
If Pertamina going to takeover the block in 2001, it is advisable for them to review
the exploration opportunities within the block. If they can prove that the block is
remain the good exploration opportunities. However, the oil exploration history tell
us that the block is not promising and inherited very high risk region.
cement industry in east timor
A US$480 million cement industry will be developed in East Timor by PT Tuban Oceanic Research and Recovery (PT TORR), owned by Budi Prakoso and four East Timorese eminent people: Abilio Araujo, FX do Amaral, F Lopez da Cruz and Abilio Soares. The initial investment from Ameridien Investment affiliated with World Islamic Fund and unnamed Malaysian corporation to build 2.3 million tonnes/year cement factory named PT Semen Lorosae. The initiative of cement industry in East Timor shows an Indonesian government goodwill to make prosperous East Timor. The East Timor development was abandoned during Portuguese colonization for more than 450 years.
hartono join icmi
The newly appointed Information Minister, Gen. Hartono recently declare to join ICMI, the fast growing moslem scholar affiliation. Presiden Suharto already give his permission for Hartono to join ICMI. ICMI Chairman, Habibie also welcomed Hartono and will think about his position in ICMI. Both Hartono and Habibie are rumoured to be the potential candidate of future Vice President. Therefore, it is predicted that the future of Indonesian leader will come from ICMI. Indonesian politics elite currently also lean to Islamic fraction, albeit the Islamic fraction abandoned and suppressed during last decade.
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