Bali temple hall moonlights as makeshift classroom

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Anton Muhajir, Contributor, Denpasar | Wed, 01/28/2009 3:25 PM | The Archipelago

Eight-year-old Manik Manu Harani likes studying on the floor of the Dharmayana Kongco temple hall in Kuta.

“It is just more relaxing to study here” she said Thursday.

Manik is one of the 25 third-grade students from the state elementary school SDN 1 in Kuta studying at the hall on Thursday afternoons. They all agree that this hall has become a favorite spot for after-school lessons.

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Widespread, IDU misuse of substitute drug

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Anton Muhajir, Contributor, Denpasar | Tue, 01/27/2009 1:27 PM | Bali

Agus, an IDU (injection drug user) addict who insists on using a false name before granting an interview, injects 2 milliliters of Buprenorphine, an orally consumed substitute drug for heroin,  into his veins each day.

He grinds the pills into a powder before mixing it with water, then filtering the solution through cotton before injecting the final mixture into his veins.

“My doctor knows I’m injecting it,” he says.

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Kintamani farmers keep their coffee pure

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Anton Muhajir,  The Jakarta Post, Kintamani | Mon, 01/19/2009 6:03 PM | Bali

For some people, Kintamani coffee is an enjoyable delicacy worth traveling to Bali for. But for Kintamani farmers, it is a serious business.

Coffee farmers in Kintamani go to great lengths to ensure their brand of Arabica coffee reaches an international standard, including penalizing farmers who use chemicals or who fail to abide by the strict regulations for Kintamani coffee bean farming.

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In Denpasar, farmers struggle against mounting odds

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Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Thu, 01/08/2009 10:36 AM | Bali

In the face of rising agriculture costs and the declining value of crops, once prosperous farmers like Rini Suryani are struggling to earn a sufficient income.

Toiling over 45-acres of farmland in Renon, East Denpasar, she spends around Rp 2.1 million in costs to produce a harvest every three to four months valued at between 100,000 per acre and 150,000 per acre, depending on the quality of the season.

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Ubud Village outlaws unsightly political banners

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Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Gianyar | Mon, 01/05/2009 11:06 AM | Bali

Amid failed attempts by election officials to protect Bali’s beauty by limiting certain campaigning techniques, one village has managed to preserve its natural look by outlawing banners.

Lodtunduh village in Ubud, Gianyar, is all but free of the huge political campaign banners and flags so common in Denpasar.

The village chief refused to sacrifice the village’s beauty for political campaigning.

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'Kafe' are HIV hotspots: Official

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Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Sat, 01/03/2009 10:33 AM | Bali

The growing popularity of kafe (local bars) across Bali has made the island more vulnerable to the spread of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), as the outlets also serve as a front for prostitution, a senior health official warns.

“The kafe have became not only places to relax but also places to solicit sexual transactions,” Bali AIDS Commission (KPS) spokesperson Mangku Karmaya said at a year-end press briefing earlier this week.

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Quiz commemorates efforts in harm reduction and founding of NGO

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Anton Muhajir,  The Jakarta Post,  Denpasar | Thu, 12/18/2008 11:18 AM | Bali

I Made Suartama closed his eyes as he listened to a challenge posed by Yusuf Pribadi.

“Name one government institution that provides harm reduction services,” Pribadi asked.

A kentongan (bamboo drum) was sounded by Suartama’s friend, signaling his readiness to answer the question.

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Rights groups face classic problems

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Anton Muhajir, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Wed, 12/17/2008 11:12 AM | Bali

Bali’s human rights organizations were still embroiled by classical, internal problems diminishing their capability to implement their agendas, an activist said during a civil society gathering last week.

“Efforts to implement human rights agenda in Bali are still hampered by a lack of coordination among the human rights organizations,” chairwoman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Association’s (PBHI) Bali Chapter Nyoman Sri Widiyanthi said.

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Bali group promotes Silent Day in Poland

Anton Muhajir, Contributor, Denpasar | Fri, 12/05/2008 11:30 AM | The Archipelago

The Bali Collaboration for Climate Change (BCCC) is promoting the idea of World Silent Day to delegates at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), currently being held in Poznan, Poland.

Two members of the campaign team — Agung Wardana and Hira Jhamtani — left earlier in the week to join the UNFCCC’s two-week summit meeting.

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