Indonesian news highlights: Friday March 23rd 2007

Here are some news items from Indonesia today. Adam Air still in business >> JI militants arrested in Java >> large stash of explosives found in C. Java.

Adam Air miraculously escaped closure by the Indonesian government. After 2 crashes the Ministry of Transportation rated Adam Air ‘one of the worst airlines’ in the country. Not sure if that is good or bad news. Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.

Adam Air escapes license revocation

JAKARTA (JP): Despite experiencing a series of accidents, Adam Air escaped license revocation as it was only categorized Thursday by the Ministry of Transportation as one of the worst airlines in the country that fail to meet several safety requirements.

The Ministry also announced that six other airlines – Metro Batavia, Trans Wisata, Tri MG Intra Asia Airlines, Manunggal Air Service, Jatayu Gelang Sejahtera, Kartika Airlines - were also put in the same category as Adam Air.

The other 13 airlines were placed in the second category as they were only able to meet the minimum safety requirements.

None of the local airlines met all safety requirements as required by the regulations, the Ministry’s Air Transportation Director General Budi Mulyawan Suyitno was quoted by Metro TV as saying.

He said that Adam Air and the other six airlines under the worst category would be given a-three-month period to improve their airlines otherwise their licenses would be revoked.

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Indonesia police crack down on JI (Jemaah Islamiyah)

Indonesian police captured several alleged members of terror group JI in Yogyakarta, shooting one member in the process. Here’s more from the BBC website.

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Explosives found in Central Java

In a separate incident police found 0.5 tons of explosives in a Central Java bomb making factory.

Explosives found in Central Java

The Jakarta Post reports on the latest success on stopping extremists in Indonesia.

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police are now investigating possible connections between a half ton of explosive materials, firearms, and bombs found in Central Java and religious conflicts in Central Sulawesi’s town of Poso.

“We are investigating such a possibility,” spokesman of the National Police Sr. Comr. Bambang Kuncoko told Elshinta news radio Thursday.

Police Wednesday seized more than half town of explosive materials, fire arms and a number of bombs at a house in Sukoharjo regency, Central Java, a report says.

They were found in a house owned by Sikas, who was arrested after the seizure.