March 12, 2023 – Indonesia News Gazette

March 12, 2023

Indonesia’s Merapi Volcano Erupted, Spewing Hot Ash

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi volcano erupted yesterday, spewing volcanic ash to several villages nearby, the country’s Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Centre (BPPTKG) reported.

“The volcano erupted at 12:12 midday local time,” said head of BPPTKG, Agus Budi Santoso, in a written statement, adding that, during the past week, the BPPTKG recorded the Merapi Mount had spewed hot lava 19 times and caused 553 volcanic earthquakes.

The authorities have urged people to avoid hazardous zone within a seven-km radius of the peak, and to avoid rivers originating from Merapi, such as Krasak and Bebeng.

As one of Indonesia’s most active volcanos, Mount Merapi is located at the border between Central Java province and the special region of Yogyakarta. The volcano has been on level 3 alert for the past months, due to frequent eruptions. Level 3 means there is a possibility that a volcanic eruption, which can seriously impact the surrounding areas, could occur.

In 2010, the eruption of Mount Merapi killed more than 200 people and displaced many others.

Source: Nam News Network (NNN)

March 12, 2023

Magelang City govt anticipates impact of Mt. Merapi eruption

Magelang, E Java (ANTARA) – The government of Magelang City in Central Java Province has taken measures to lessen the impact of volcanic ash following the eruption of Mount Merapi on Saturday (March 11, 2023).Larsita, the acting Regional Secretary of Magelang City, said on Sunday that his side immediately held a coordination meeting after volcanic ash rained down on the city, which is located on the west side of the volcano.
He said the city’s environment office, Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), fire service, and tap water company PDAM cleaned up the volcanic ash in several public areas, including parks and roads, by spraying water.
“This has been carried out at Magelang City Square since Saturday evening,” he said.
Larsita said the city government would continue its efforts in other locations on Sunday.
In addition, the local government has provided masks to the people at several locations to prevent breathing problems.
“The city government has also provided medicines for eye irritation and respiratory infection. All medicines have been prepared at the puskesmas (community health centers) and their supporting units,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Magelang City M. Mansyur has appealed to the public to clean the volcanic ash that fell on their settlement areas.
He said that his side also anticipated the impacts of Mount Merapi’s eruption on community events, such as a religious event held on Sunday at Agung Mosque and Kyai Langgeng Ecopark ahead of the Ramadan month, which is estimated to fall between March 23 to April 21, 2023.
The officers had cleaned up the locations and prepared masks to be given to the visitors, he said.
“Anyone who needs emergency medical treatment can contact 119”, he said.
Mount Merapi is located on the border of Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces.
ccording to the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG), the mount started spewing hot cloud avalanches on Saturday at 12:12 p.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB).
The agency recorded one lava avalanche with a sliding distance of 1,500 meters to the southwest during observations on Saturday morning.
baca-jugaRelated news: Mt. Merapi spews hot clouds, causes ash rain in MagelangRelated news: Mt. Merapi erupts twice, lava travels 1.8 km;o:p;/o:p

Source: Antara News Agency

March 12, 2023

PLN to install 100 SPKLUs for 2023 ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo

These SPKLU units will be installed at a number of locations, such as at the parking lot of the office of the Head of West Manggarai District as well as at Kampung Ujung (in Labuan Bajo).
Kupang, E. Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) – State-run electricity company PT PLN’s East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) readies 100 units of electric vehicle charging station (SPKLU) to support the 2023 ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, NTT Province.”PLN provides 100 SPKLU units to serve 275 electric cars to transport the delegates, as well as (electric) cars for security and operational vehicles,” General Manager of PLN’s NTT Fintje Lumembang said in a statement received here on Sunday.;o:p;/o:p
s many as 105 electric motorcycles will also be deployed during the summit which is scheduled to be held in May 2023 — for escorting the delegates and carrying out patrols, she said.;o:p;/o:p
The charging stations comprise ultra-fast charging stations as well as slow charging stations, she noted.;o:p;/o:p
Earlier, Lumembang along with PT PLN’s Senior Specialist Officer for Distribution Joko Priharto and his team, had reviewed the planned installation locations of the SPKLU and the readiness of the supporting facilities.;o:p;/o:p
Lumembangsaid all of the charging unitshad arrived in Labuan Bajoand that the company has bagged the local government’s permission to install the facilities.;o:p;/o:p
“These SPKLU units will be installed at a number of locations, such as at the parking lot of the office of the Head of West Manggarai District as well as at Kampung Ujung (in Labuan Bajo),” she said.;o:p;/o:p
number of supporting equipment, such as uninterruptible power supply (UPS), Mobile Electrical Substation Unit (UGB), and generators, will also be provided, she continued.;o:p;/o:p
In addition, PLN had improved the transmission, distribution, and reliability of the electricity supply at all venues of the 2023 ASEAN Summit in the district, such as the Tanamori area.;o:p;/o:p
It had also helped in expediting the establishment of the communication as well as supervisory control and data acquisition infrastructure.;o:p;/o:p
“The electricity infrastructure in Labuan Bajo is ready to support the implementation of the ASEAN Summit,” she noted.;o:p;/o:p
The 2023 ASEAN Summit is planned to be implemented in LabuanBajoin May and Jakarta in September 2023.;o:p;/o:p
baca-jugaRelated news: Indonesia has potential to make ASEAN axis of global economyRelated news: ASEAN to bolster cooperation in achieving gender equality with CSWRelated news: Bogor Palace provides charging station for electric vehicles

Source: Antara News Agency

March 12, 2023

Ministry to relocate victims of Natuna’s landslides to 7.5-ha area

Some 300 meters of the road are covered with landslide materials.
Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is preparing a 7.5-hectare relocation area to establish simple and healthy instant house (RISHA) units for the victims of landslides in Serasan Island, Natuna District, Riau Islands Province.”We are preparing a relocation site with an area of 7.5 hectares and planning to build permanent housing using the RISHA method,” said PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuldjono in a statement received on Saturday.
He said the materials for the development of housing would be supplied from Palembang City, South Sumatra Province, using a navy ship since Serasan Island is located in a frontier and outermost area.
The government will also construct other supporting infrastructure at the housing, such as roads, bridges, worship places, and water supply facilities, he added.
He said his ministry would determine the relocated residents according to recommendations from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
“The (Natuna) district government said that there is still potential for landslides, thus we will assess which areas need to be relocated,” he noted.
The ministry has sent seven excavators to help with efforts in search, rescue, and evacuation at the disaster-affected locations.
Hadimuldjono, who visited the location on Friday (March 10, 2023), expected that the equipment could help the officers clear the landslide materials from the road in two days.
“Some 300 meters of the road are covered with landslide materials. Seven excavators have been operating since last night (March 9, 2023), and we target that the road will be cleared in two days,” he added.
The disaster, which occurred on Monday (March 6, 2023), destroyed 30 houses. However, BMKG recommended relocating 100 houses since they were built within the landslide danger zone.
The Joint Command for Landslide Emergency Response in Serasan and East Serasan Sub-districts recorded that the disaster claimed 44 lives, while 10 people were still declared missing.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Regional Military Command (Kodam) I/Bukit Barisan, Major General Achmad Daniel Chardin, told ANTARA on Saturday that 1,863 people sought refuge due to the landslides.
baca-jugaRelated news: andgtovt to prepare relocation site for Natuna landslide-affected residentRelated news: andgtovt sends aid worth Rp862.36 mln to landslide-hit Natuna;o:p;/o:p

Source: Antara News Agency

March 12, 2023

Govt helps self-employed workers to have competitive edges: minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The government is improving the skills of self-employed workers (TKMs) to make them more resilient and competitive, enabling them to create sustainable new work opportunities, according to Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah.”Developing a good entrepreneurship ecosystem is the responsibility of all parties, and even small contributions can have a multiplier effect for the growth of TKMs,” she remarked in a statement received on Sunday.
Speaking at the opening of the 2023 TKM Festival in Jakarta on Saturday (March 11, 2023), Fauziyah explained that the Manpower Ministry continues to hold dialogue with business players to ensure inclusive job opportunities in the formal sector.
In addition, the government provides assistance for self-employed workers, including those in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Fauziyah emphasized that MSMEs are not only supporting actors in the national economy but also a crucial pillar for economic recovery during crises.
t the festival, themed “Independent Women for Improving Indonesian Civilization”, Fauziyah invited all stakeholders to support TKMs and encourage entrepreneurship to create productive and sustainable opportunities for the Indonesian workforce.
Deputy Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor stated earlier that MSMEs contribute 90 percent to business activities and more than 50 percent to job creation worldwide.
He also pushed for the implementation of business training for the community to encourage them to establish their MSMEs, anticipating mass layoffs due to the threat of global recession and inflation.
s such, the Manpower Ministry and all provincial, district, and city governments are preparing vocational training centers (BLKs) to train people to become MSME entrepreneurs.
baca-jugaRelated news: New regulation provides additional benefits to PMIs: ministryRelated news: Workers’ protection bill passage: 19 years and counting;o:p;/o:p

Source: Antara News Agency

March 12, 2023

Papuan separatists attack another civilian aircraft: Police

Agats, Papua (ANTARA) – A Trigana Air plane was shot at by members of an armed Papuan separatist group on Saturday, according to Jayapura Police chief, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Fredrickus W.A. Maclarimboen.The shooting occurred shortly after the plane took off from Dekai Airport in Yahukimo district, Papua Pegunungan province, Maclarimboen told ANTARA.
He, however, did not provide any details on the impact of the shooting on the aircraft.
NTARA has reported earlier that over the past few years, armed Papuan groups have often employed hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel and mounted acts of terror against civilians in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak to trigger fear among the people.
The targets of such acts of terror have included construction workers, motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, teachers, students, street food vendors, and also civilian aircraft.
On December 2, 2018, a group of armed Papuan rebels brutally killed 31 workers from PT Istaka Karya who were engaged in the Trans Papua project in Kali Yigi and Kali Aurak in Yigi sub-district, Nduga district.
The same day, armed attackers also killed a soldier, identified as Handoko, and injured two other security personnel, Sugeng and Wahyu.
Such acts of violence continued to occur in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
On January 6, 2021, at least 10 armed separatists vandalized and torched a Quest Kodiak aircraft belonging to Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) on the Pagamba village airstrip.
On February 8, 2021, a 32-year-old man was shot at close range in Bilogai village, Sugapa sub-district.
The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9.
In a separate incident on February 9, a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver was fatally stabbed by 6 armed Papuans.
On April 8, 2021, several armed Papuan separatists opened fire at a kiosk in Julukoma village, Beoga sub-district, Puncak district.
The shooting resulted in the death of a Beoga public elementary school teacher, identified as Oktovianus Rayo.
fter killing Rayo, the armed attackers torched 3 classrooms at Beoga public senior high school.
On April 9, 2021, armed separatists fatally shot another teacher, Yonatan Randen, in the chest.
On April 25, 2021, Papuan separatists operating in Beoga ambushed State Intelligence Agency (Papua) chief, I Gusti Putu Danny Karya Nugraha, and several security personnel during their visit to Dambet village.
On March 2, 2022, several members of an armed Papuan group operating in Beoga sub-district, Puncak district, killed 8 Palaparing Timur Telematika (PTT) workers, who were repairing a base transceiver station (BTS) tower belonging to state-owned telecommunications operator Telkomsel.
The workers were identified as B, R, BN, BT, J, E, S, and PD, while another worker, identified by his initials as NS, survived the deadly assault, according to Papua Police spokesperson, Senior Commissioner Ahmad Kamal.
This year, a group of armed Papuan separatists attacked a civilian aircraft owned by Susi Air on February 7.
They burned the plane at Paro Airfield, Nduga district, and captured its pilot, Captain Philip Mark Marthens, according to the National Police’s (Polri’s) public relations division head, Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo.
baca-jugaRelated news: Armed Papuan separatist terrorists again assault workers in PapuaRelated news: Armed Papuan terrorists’ victims in Ilaga evacuated to Mimika HospitalRelated news: Mimika police’s probe ongoing on criminal group ammunition finding

Source: Antara News Agency

March 12, 2023

Manahan Stadium ready to host FIFA U-20 World Cup: PSSI

I think Manahan Stadium, Solo, has no issue because it is very well-maintained.
Solo, C Java (ANTARA) – Chairperson of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) Erick Thohirhas reviewed Manahan Stadium’s renovation progress and assured that the stadium in Solo City, Central Java is ready to host the2023 Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-20 World Cup.”Praise be to God, I think Manahan Stadium is so ready to host the U-20 World Cup,” Thohir, who is also the state-owned enterprises minister, assessed here on Sunday.;o:p;/o:p
The successful implementation of the U-20 World Cup would become the nation’s pride, Thohir has emphasized.
He said that Indonesia, along with other ASEAN countries, aimed to become the host of the 2034 FIFA World Cup for the senior men’s team.;o:p;/o:p
Hence, Indonesia’s opportunity to host the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is the second largest FIFA’s tournament, should be optimized, he stressed.;o:p;/o:p
“We (the PSSI) are very wholehearted (in preparing the cup) by reviewing and ensuring the preparations of each regional government because this is concerning the pride of our nation,” the PSSI chairperson remarked.;o:p;/o:p
Thohir had previously visited other proposed venues for the cup, namely Gelora Sriwijaya Jakabaring Stadium in Palembang City, South Sumatra Province, and Si Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung District, West Java Province.
He is scheduled to review the Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium in Gianyar District, Bali Province later.;o:p;/o:p
The U-20 World Cupwill be held from May 20 to June 11, 2023. Indonesia proposes that the tournament will be conducted in six stadiums.;o:p;/o:p
In addition to the aforementioned stadiums, the other venues are Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Jakarta) and Gelora Bung Tomo Stadium (Surabaya City, East Java Province)
ThohirsaidManahan Stadium is an important venue for U-20 World Cup because it is planned to hold the final match and closing ceremony of the event.;o:p;/o:p
Only small details which are needed to be adjusted at the stadium, such as the arrangement of the logo of the sponsors, the PSSI chairperson has noted.;o:p;/o:p
“I think Manahan Stadium, Solo, has no issue because it is very well-maintained. Only the grass (on the pitch) should be improved according to FIFA’s standards,” he remarked
Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali, who also reviewed the stadium, has said that each regional government that will hold the tournament had inked a host city contract which contains the commitments of the local government to implement the sporting event.;o:p;/o:p
Hence, the central government and the Indonesia FIFA U-20 World Cup Organizing Committee (INAFOC) is carrying out a series of visit to each stadium to ensure the implementation of the commitments.;o:p;/o:p
“I assess whether the local governments have carried out the agreed commitments well or not. Manahan Stadium and Solo City Government have been truly prepared to become an excellent host,” the minister added.;o:p;/o:p
baca-jugaRelated news: Thohir commends South Sumatra’s preparations to host U-20 World CupRelated news: U-20 tourney could bolster senior World Cup host bid: ministerRelated news: Indonesia ensures safety of World Cup teams, including Israel

Source: Antara News Agency