Kaya dan Kejam

Varsha Mahender Sabhnani, 46 tahun, dan suaminya, Mahender Murlidhar Sabhnani, 51 tahun, didakwa telah menyiksa secara fisik dan psikis Samirah dan Enung, dua pembantu rumah tangganya asal Indonesia. Varsha dihukum penjara 11 tahun plus denda sebesar US$ 25 ribu atau Rp 232 juta.

Kedua korban mengaku telah dipukul oleh majikan mereka dengan payung dan sapu, disayat dengan pisau, dipaksa naik-turun tangga berkali-kali dan disiram air dingin sebagai hukuman. Salah satu dari mereka mengaku dipaksa makan 25 cabai sekaligus.

Doraemon Dreamland

Do you love Doraemon? Perhimpunan Persahabatan Indonesia Jepang (PPIJ/Indonesia Japan Friendship Association) presents Doraemon Dreamland, a big special playground from Japan with Doraemon character as an icon in Kartika Expo, Balai Kartini, Jakarta, 20-29 June 2008.

You can get some informations here or in the website.

Samak Win

Thailand Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and seven cabinet members win a vote of no-confidence in parliament. Here is the results.

Name	Yes	No	Abstain
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej	280	162	-
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee	279	161	1
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan	279	161	1
Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung	279	162	-
Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat	280	162	-
Transport Minister Santi Prompat	279	162	-
Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri	280	162	-
Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama	279	162	1

Source: The Nation

The Holy Quran

If you want to read or listen surahs from Al-Quran in your computer, then you can visit this site: The Holy Quran. There are Al-Quran in many languages, including Indonesia, Malay, English, Japanese, Portugal, and Russian. You can download PDF, MP3, or just read and listen them online for free. May God bless you...

Hantu Baudrillard (2)

Imajinasi Hiperrealitas


Arthur Kroker, editor jurnal Ctheory, menyatakan dukanya dengan mempersembahkan serangkaian artikel oleh dan tentang Baudrillard di jurnalnya yang didedikasikan bagi diskusi pascamodernisme itu.


"Jika kita berduka atas kematian Jean Baudrillard," tulis Kroker, "itu juga dengan pengakuan bahwa kehadiran intelektualnya di dunia selalu ada lewat pernyataan dininya bahwa abad keduapuluh satu pasti akan terbabar tepat seperti yang dia gambarkan -- sebuah kegemparan besar politik atas prinsip-prinsip realitas yang saling tertarik dan bertentangan satu sama lain."

Hantu Baudrillard (1)

Perang Teluk tak pernah terjadi, kata dia.


Dunia pascamodernisme berduka cita ketika Michel Delorme, direktur Galilee dan penerbit Baudrillard, mengumumkan bahwa filsuf kontemporer Prancis, Jean Baudrillard, telah wafat dalam usia 77 tahun pada 7 Maret 2007 di Paris. Baudrillard meninggal setelah lama berjuang melawan kanker.


Berhadapan dengan duka, biasanya kita mencoba mengingat lampau. Tapi, filsuf berwajah bundar dan berkacamata tebal-besar itu seringkali terkesan misterius. Dia menolak mengungkap masa lalunya dan sering menjawab pertanyaan tentang sejarah pribadinya dengan kalimat pendek, "Tak ada latar belakang."

Killing the Messenger

Suharto's regime in Indonesia closed news magazine Tempo and other weekly (Editor and DeTik) in June 21th 1984. Duncan McCargo name it as policy of "Killing the Messenger", which is marked the beginning of the end for Suharto and the New Order.

Ratih Hardjono wrote:

This was a turning point for Indonesian journalism and also for Indonesian politics. It was a humiliating experience for Indonesian journalism. Tempo had set a high standard of journalism while also trying to be responsible, trying to meet the authorities half way. But it wasn't enough. They still closed Tempo down because it dared to expose a difference of opinion in ex-President Suharto's cabinet, about a project of his protègè Habibie.

"Tempo becomes history, and I'm surprised and I'm saddened," said Fikri Jufri, editor in chief of Tempo, to The New York Times.

The Information Ministry said that it closed Tempo after the magazine, which had a circulation of about 190,000, failed to heed several warnings about its news coverage. The director of the ministry's press department was quoted in news reports from Jakarta as saying that recent articles in Tempo "haven't reflected the life of a sound press, a free and responsible press."

Today people remember that day in parking yard of Koran Tempo office in Velbak, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan. Some prominent figures attend the event, including Goenawan Mohamad, Fikri Jufri, Bambang Harimurti, S Malela Mahargasari, and Eros Djarot.

Ras Muhamad, reggae singer, and his music group entertain people with his critical songs.

You can see some photos of the event.

Untuk Sebuah Bangsa

Adakah sebuah bangsa dalam sepak bola?


Pada suatu masa sepak bola pernah mengajarkan tentang nasionalisme, sebentuk identitas yang ditanamkan di sebuah ladang bernama tanah air. Karena prestasi adalah salah satu syarat dari kebangsaan--sebagaimana digariskan sejarawan Sartono Kartodirdjo--maka bola jadi bagian di dalamnya.