Three-metre tsunami hit island: reports

A tsunami reportedly struck Simeuleu Island near Aceh just after the huge earthquake that struck off Indonesia's western coast. more

• Fears for 5000 in Banyak islands
• Dozen aftershocks over 5.0 recorded
• Seismologists warned of second quake
• How the quakes compare
• Fearful residents flee the coast
• Aftermath of the earthquake
• Popup graphic: Quake map

Indonesia's oil, gas operations unaffected by Quake  - Oil and gas operations on Sumatra Island were not affected by the 8.7-magnitude earthquake that damaged Nias Island late Monday.  "Operations at Exxon Mobil's facilities are running smoothly," said Trijana Kartoatmodjo, a deputy chairman of upstream oil and gas regulator BP Migas. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) operates large gas fields and a natural gas liquefication plant on the northern tip of Sumatra, while the local unit of ChevronTexaco Corp. (CVX) operates large oil blocks in central Sumatra's Riau province. Indonesia also has a 120,000-barrel-a-day oil refinery in Dumai, Riau. (Reuters)

Fears quake toll will grow sharply (CNN)
Tsunami waves reach Perth (The Age)
Fears for Australians on surfer's island  (The Age)

Prisoner's message to Corby
“Every second word now she is crying. It is taking its toll on her.'' Corby, a Gold Coast beauty school student, is accused of trying to smuggle 4.1kg of marijuana into Indonesia, after the drugs were found in her body board bag at Bali's Denpasar airport last October.

FROM THE EDITOR:

I just returned from my Madura - Glenmore (East-Java) expedition and we discovered some very interesting things. First we followed the footsteps of the famous Dutch writer Alberts (The Islands, published in 1952) and found the kampung Belanda in Sumenep (East Madura) and even one remaining descendent from the old VOC employees who established themselves there a few hundred years ago. His name: Piet Frans Claasen. We also found the remains of an old Dutch fort. In East Java we continued our search for the past. We wanted to find out how the kampung Glenmore got his (assumable) Scottish name. We don't know the answer on this yet, but we did find a kampung Glen Falloch and Glen Nevis near by. One reader named Ron Strachan (Ex-Jakarta, now Aberdeen) wrote me some interesting information:

'Nearby Glenmore is Benculuk which I also believe is Scottish the "Ben" being "mountain" from the Gaelic language just as Benkulu is from Ben Cuillin or the Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. As far as I remember it was the Macdonalds who planted in East Java. You may be interested to know that the Scottish/Indonesian connection still exists in that a visiting gamelan orchestra this weekend will give two performances in Aberdeen in Scotland. Kyai Kanjeng Gamelan Group is visiting London today and travelling to Aberdeen on Friday following up next week with performances in Berlin and Rome and some other places in Italy before returning via London to Indonesia. There are some 50/60 Indonesians living and working in Aberdeen.'

An even more surprising and almost chilling clue came from a reader who links the history we are looking for to the search for the holy grail! As you can understand all the collected information needs time to be organised, but for my subscribers who read the world no.1 bestseller the Da' Vinci Code by Dan Brown, the outcome might provide some interesting links to the book!   -- Bartele
 

In Memory of John Read

With deep regrets we inform you that Indonesia's beloved wine connoisseur John Read  had passed away in the morning of March 28th at his home in Menteng. We will all miss his great sense of humor, his extensive knowledge and his -always- positive attitude towards life.
 

InterGlobal is a specialist expatriate healthcare insurance provider offering a full range of quality international private medical insurance products. In Indonesia they are represented by Mike Woolf, who has over 15 years insurance experience in Jakarta. You will be able to talk to him on policy and claims issues. Click on their logo and receive the info you need.

Jakarta Tenure Offers Glimpse of Wolfowitz
Prominent was Wolfowitz's wife at the time, Clare, who was widely admired for speaking the Javanese language and mastering its traditional Serimpi dance. Because Wolfowitz and his wife cut such popular figures, many Indonesian friends were surprised years later to learn that as U.S. deputy defense secretary he was the intellectual force behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq, roundly condemned in the world's largest Muslim country. "I was a bit shocked when I realized he was a hawk in the Cabinet," said Emil Salim, the population and environment minister under Suharto. "I cannot visualize this because I knew him as a gentle fellow." (Washington Post)

Aceh aid a test for corruption capers  - Indonesia has just released its master reconstruction plan for rebuilding tsunami-devastated Aceh, amid mounting concerns that some aid donations will end up in the wrong pockets. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, however, is determined to keep corruption in check. (Asia Times)

---XXX---

This Thursday LIVE Music in BuGils! The Jaya Pub Band! Free Entrance.
This Friday Ron and Henny's BBQ Brisket - spare ribs and Chicken at D's Kemang -Followed by Bingo!

---------

Having a Party at Home? Call the Party Express!

For more info on the Newspaper Direct service, click here 
For more info on the Beer Delivery Service, click here
For more info on the Stroopwafel Delivery Service, click here
For more info on the Unibind Document Binders, click here

RECENT EDITIONS:

A Scottish kampung in East-Java?
http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Mar22nl2005.htm

Can Indonesia government keep up momentum?

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Mar18nl2005.htm

Don't blame Indonesia
http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Mar10nl2005.htm

Tension Mount in Borneo Oil Row

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Mar08nl2005.htm

Indonesia sends warships to waters claimed by Malaysia

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Mar02nl2005.htm

Yudhoyono fears unrest on fuel price hike

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Feb25nl2005.htm

Indonesia's business climate in Total mess

http://www.bartele.com/newsletters/Feb23nl2005.htm

Ensure your receipt of this publication by taking a moment to click the “Confirm” button below. This affirms your wish to receive this newsletter, getting you VIP mail routing from us to your ISP