The Archipelago Jul 24, 2008
Sexual exploitation incidents was reported in Langkat (12 cases), Deli Serdang (10) and violence against children was reported in Pematang Siantar (eight cases) and Deli Serdang (six). YPI chair Edi Ikhsan said the sexual exploitation victims were girls aged 2-17 and the violence victims were aged 5-13. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Police, military deny involvement in North Sumatra wildlife trade Jun 2, 2008
Three civilians were brought to justice after they were caught red-handed trading black crows in Pematang Siantar and trying to smuggle scaly anteaters at the Belawan Port in two separate cases, he said. The smuggling of protected animals from Southeast Aceh often took place on the North Sumatra and Aceh border area, while the ports of Belawan and Tanjung Balai were transit points for smugglers on their way to neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, Baharudin said. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
Rekson Silaban: Changing the workers' image May 5, 2008
Rekson, who was born in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, in 1966, is married to Merdy Rumintjip and has two sons. He defended KSBSI's support for the ongoing promotion of bipartisanism in settling industrial disputes because workers, as an key part of industrial relations, had to be encouraged to improve their competence and hence their social welfare. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Plight of Javanese refugees from Aceh Oct 22, 2007
The incident occurred while 29 of the refugees and 24 other Bosar Nauli villagers, accused of being "forest plunderers" by local authorities, were imprisoned in Pematang Siantar, the district capital. Ironically, this was after they were officially settled in the village by the same authorities, who had gave them IDs and had collected land and property taxes from them for the past seven years. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Editorial)
Suyenti: I am proud of my Chinese roots Aug 10, 2007
"I'm very glad that now Indonesia and its people recognize Chinese-Indonesians as an inseparable part of country," said Suyenti, who was born in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra, on Jan. 19, 1988. Suyenti said she celebrated Imlek, though many Chinese-Indonesians did not because of the conflict with their religious beliefs. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
