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N, 15 JUNI 1992 k83 Orang Gelar Veteran Bali Post). 83 orang anggota Supaten Dompu veteran pejuang berdasarkan Sp m namer berlangsung dal ara di halaman D Dompu, ditandai akaian dan peci mpu, Letkol Inf Ad Ade Suganwar, se ina anggota vetena Dompu dalam san mengatakan, penye - veteran ini merupa bukti pemerintah - melupakan begitu saja ara pahlawan, masuk di dalamny ta veteran, yang jase besar dalam mene ta mempertahank an. u pemberian gelar mendaknya dijadika ng sangat tinggi nila a di sisi lain skep te t dijadikan doronga s bersemangat dala kan sisa usia, di sam mbantu pemerintah emerdekaan ini me arakat adil makm -citakan Letkol Inf. Ade S nta agar para anggota erus meningkatkan aktifnya bersama pe dalam pembangunan turut serta menyuk si komando dan ABRI mnya. penganugerahan an pejuang kemerde lanjutkan dengan pe upacara selamat veteran, oleh selun acara. (038). (Sambungan Hal angi kalau penerangan emilu dilaksanakan mal. "Masyarakat ha beri tahu cara menc enar, dengan member ng objektif tanpa meng an salah satu OPP ditanya, tentang ket an PDI dalam rapat akan PPD I Bali tang ni lalu, Adi Suedand zan, itu terjadi karena informasi dari PPDI ktu itu saya ditelep 45 oleh petugas pike katakan, ada rapat bar 09.00. Karena wakt sakit, saya bilang tidak Logikanya saya tidak wakilkan karena yang ebagai anggota PPD firi dan itu ada SK-nya L ta, kata Adi Suedand a bukan hanya rapat api rapat PPD I dengan PP. "Kalau saja ketika n, saya diberi tahu apat itu adalah antan gan OPP, pasti saya askan pengurus DPD anya untuk mewakili rnya. khadiran PDI dalam ■ semata-mata karem an PPD I yang tidal kan maksud rapat te ukan kesalahan PDL tidakhadiran PDI it ah minta maaf kepad (Pangdam 四 a a-red). Dalam rapat 10, hal itu juga sudah arkan di depan rapat (017). са ositif daknya para siswa hara ahi persyaratan dasar njadi patokan untuk ke hotel," katanya. Bag cat tubuh maupun ya annya kurang menjad perhotelan menur bih baik mengurung bersekolah di sekolah an karena akan sia-si mpengaruhi kualitas l kolah tersebut. mya tentang banyak la erhotelan yang tidak d erima di hotel sementan otel juga masih banyak kurangan tenaga kerja otel karena memang Hak mempunyai kema an keterampilan yang zan pihak perhotel arena mereka ikut pend erhotelan karena kura dan terkesan ik "katanya seraya mena sebenarnya prospek ariwisata sekaligus kete akan tenaga-tenap il di bidang perhotela erus berkembang. (Syd iulang icurangi dalam pemil kan H. Djibril Husay DPD PDI NTB kepa st di kediamannya, m angat tidak puas deng pemilu, khususnya Karena kecurangan itu sudah melewati ba asi. curangan di Bima itu, be a banyak sekali. Bahk num tertentu yang mas uara lebih dari satu embawa kartu suara katanya. 4 skecurangan-kecurang lain DPC PDI Bima kan surat protes kepa Bima, DPD PDI NTB Djibril akan "menya ya" dengan melayang kepada DPP PDI pusat encari jalan pemeca ngan rapat pimpinan partai berlambang ni di Jakarta. "Saya datang ke Jakarta orkan semua kecuri pada DPP untuk dican ke luarnya," kata orang atu PDI NTB ini. ( NEWS MAKER Shannon Miller Beats Zmeskal At U.S. Olympic Trials SHANNON Miller beat world champion Kim Zmeskal at the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials on Saturday but the strong Ame- rican women's team that will head for Barcelona with high hopes of winning Olympic gold was still far from set. Scott Keswick won the trials for a men's team seen as only an outside threat for a team medal in Barcelona. Miller upset Zmeskal in the women's all-around competition thanks in part to a convoluted scoring system. Normally scores from last month's USA championship would count for 30 per cent of the total and scores from this weekend's trials for 70 per cent. But Miller, who had a screw inserted in her injured left elbow just two months ago, accepted an injury waiver allowing her to skip the championship and count her trials score as 100 per cent of the total. Zmeskal's two-day total here was. 001 better than Miller's but she was weighed down by points from the championship. Miller beat Zmeskal 79.056 to 78.916 overall -- even though Zmeskal received the trials only perfect mark, recording a 10.0 for her optional round vault. "This selection system is confusing for a lot of the gymnasts and coaches as well as the public," Steve Nunno, Miller's trainer, said. "Here we have a trials, but when do you select the team? We still don't know exactly. At the 1992 worlds in Paris, where competition was held in only individual events, Zmeskal captured gold medals on the ba- lance beam and floor exercise. (Rtr). Katrin Krabbe Beaten In First Race DOUBLE world sprint champion Katrin Krabbe was beaten on Saturday in her first race since the German Athletics Federation (DLV) lifted a four-year ban for alleged doping. Krabbe, who is waiting for the International Ameteur Athle- tic Federation to decide whether she can compete in the Barce- lona Olympics, finished behind fellow-German Andrea Phillip in a 100 metres heat at a regional meeting. Phillip clocked 11.46 seconds while Krabbe was timed in 11.70. The German news agency SID said Krabbe had decided not to run in the final. (Rtr). Calendar of Events 05. Wednesday, June 17, 1992 Activity: Traditional Sport: Gowak Maling Taluh (crow steals eggs) from Klungkung. Time: 10.00-13.00 Location: Art Centre Activity: Contest of handicrafts, paintings and carvings Time: 10.00-13.00 Location: Art Centre Activity: Arja -the traditional opera "Sewa Gati" of Jembrana. Location: Ksirarnawa Time: 20.00-23.00 Activity: Performance of the best puppeteer of Parwa Story Time: 20.00-23.00 Location: Wantilan Hall. 06. Thursday, June 18, 1992 Activity: Kembang Kirang classical orchestra by SMKI - the Tradi- tional Music and Dance High Scool Time: 10.00-13.00 Location: Art Centre Activity: Mabebasan - traditional of reciting and translating Bali- nese manuscripts from Karangasem Time: 10.00-13.00 Location: the stage of Art Centre Activity: Drama Gong-drama with gong orchestra accompaniment of Buleleng. Time: 20.00-23.00 Location: Ardha Candra amphitheater. 07. Friday, June 19, 1992 Activity: Mamebasan- tradition of reciting and translating Baline- semanuscripts from Badung. Time: 10.00-13.00 Location: the stage of Art Centre Activity: Gong Luang Classical orchestra of Tabanan. Time: 10.00-13.00 Location: Art Centre Activity: Barong Telek performance of Klungkung Time: 20.00-23.00 Location: Wantilan Hall Activity: Contest of Gong Suling - flutes orchestra between Abian Tuwung village and Sempidi village. Time: 20.00-23.00 Location: Ksirarnawa stage. Halaman 5 World Leaders Say Earth Bali Post English Corner Summit A Start But Not Enough Rio De Janeiro - World leaders, in an unprecedented gathering on Saturday, said the Earth Summit had not lived up to its expectations, but still marked a historic change towards a safer and cleaner planet. "Expectations for this confe- rence have not been fully met, "Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif told a roundtable meeting of up to 100 world leaders. "But we leave Rio with a new sense of urgency and purpose, de- termined to work for a more equi- table and environmentally sound world order, "Sharif, talking for Asian nations, said. The roundtable meeting, cal- led a unique gathering by Brazil's President Fernando Collor de Mello, was billed as leaders' only debate at the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in contrast to formal conference speeches. But with leaders on tight travel schedules, Collor de Mello selected five lea- ders as representative speakers; four from the developing world and one for industrialised states. All echoed the same message-- UNCED or the Earth Summit as it is known -- did not achieve the dramatic changes needed to avoid global environmental and social disaster. Right track But at least it has set world na- tions on the right track. "UNCED has achieved a lot. It was historic in its importance but, I regret to say, it has also failed in some res- pects," said Botswana President Ketumile Masire, speaking for Africa. More than 175 countries atten- ded the summit, whose main ac- hievements are a treaty to curb global warming and a biodiver sity treaty to preserve the world's animals and plants. The United States has been criticised for refusing to sign the climate treaty until it was wate- red down and precise targets for the emission of greenhouse gases were removed. It has also refused to sign the biodiversity treaty. President George Bush was not at the meeting. Aides said he had not been scheduled to go due to his travel plans. Developing nations have also been disappointed by lower- than-expected commitments by developed nations to fund envi- ronmentally acceptable develop ment in the South. Elimination of poverty "The elimination of poverty is a primary and formidable task before us," Sharif said. Speaking for Eastern Europe, Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev said: "The U.N. conference is a historic event and I am sure it will have a lasting effect." But he pleaded for more debt relief and technological coopera- tion with the states of Eastern Europe Even the speaker for Western Europe and other states, Aus- trian President Franz Vranitsky, criticised the summit. "In spite of thousands of pages of documents submitted to this conference, I am not sure if we have really accepted some of the basic facts underlying the challe- nge of environmental develop- ment," Vranitsky told the meeting. Industrialised nations had to acceptthat current patterns of consumption and production are unsustainable, he said. "We, the developed nations cannot afford any more to live in an apparently splendid present and remain blind to the threat of a destitute future," he said. "(But) UNCED is a powerful demonstration of our awareness that the Earth is our common home and that we must all as- sume our responsibility for it," he added. (Rtr). ADUH.. BAPA, NGUDIANG DADI TIANG SAKITIN 000 UUU TIANG MAI MANUMITIS MULA DOT NUTU- GANG TUWUH...! ° 0 SENIN, 15 JUNI 1992 2. EH. BAPANE, DA SUBA NGALIH BERERONG, PADALEM PIANAKE ANE PALING SAYANGA LAKAR NGEMASIN. AAH.. SASARI SING POCOL IRAGA NELAHANG LIV GATI оград Simbaran ge Aduh...Pak, kenapa Anda sakiti saya. Uuu...uuu... saya menjelma ke Sorry..., my dear husband, why do you iritate me. Uuu... uuu... I am sini karena ingin menyambung umur.....! Eh...Pak, tak usahlah mencari bererong, kasihan anak kita ter- cinta bisa menjadi korban. Aaah....! Kan rugi kita sudah banyak menghabiskan uang. reincarnating here for the sake of longer life....! Oh... dear, it doesn't matter without bererong, we are to save our loveliest child of being a victim. Wou...we shall compensate the money we have spent a lot. Optimism Despite Cambodia How To Make A Fortune In Bali? Get A "Bererong" Disarmament Problem Mekong Naval Base, Cambo- Khmer Rouge's refusal to comply dia- with the demobilisation as a Cambodia's U.N. supervised "clear violation of the Paris disarmament has got off to a agreement." shaky start with the extremist Khmer Rouge refusing to comply, but the head of the peace-keepers says he is happy with progress so far. All across Cambodia on Sun- day, soldiers from three rival ar- mies continued to report into can- tonment sites on the second day of the crucial second phase of peace accords signed last year in Paris. The Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge guerrillas have refused to join in the cantonment and disar- mament process saying the Uni- ted Nations has failed to verify the complete withdrawal of Viet- namese soldiers from the coun- try. The communist group has pro- duced no evidence to support its allegation, rejected by Yasushi Akashi, head of the U.N. Transi- tional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC). Moving of rinae troops Apart from this, first reports from U.N. units throughout Cambodia indicate there has been a cautious but positive start to Phase two of the UNTAC ope- ration, the moving of troops into U.N.-supervised cantonments. "According to figures released by the UNTAC military com- mand overnight than 3,338 sol- diers had reported for regroup- ment, handing over 522 weapons and 363,191 rounds of ammuni- tion. non- They included 250 soldiers from the two small communist guerrilla factions. The rest were from the gover- nment army. Munitions and equipment to be guarantined by UNTAC inclu- ded, tanks, multi-barrelled roc- ket launchers, Russian and Chi- nese recoiless rifles, mortars, heavy machineguns and a collec- On Saturday he branded the tion of old Vietnam War-era U.S. Earth Summit Reaches Accord On Money Rio De Janeiro - Weary Earth Summit negotia- tors agreed late on Saturday to a loosely worded compromise on funding for environmentally sound development that will not commit industrialised countries to any specific timetable for in- creasing overseas aid. The formula will be inserted into Agenda 21, the U.N. Confe- rence on Environment and Deve- lopment's master plan for a green future. But it was a disappoin- tment to third-world nations. They had called repeatedly for rich countries to commit them- selves in Rio to raising aid to 0.7 per cent of Gross National Pro- duct by the year 2000 as proof of their good intentions. Rubens Ricupero, the Brazi- lian diplomat coordinating the talks on finance, said the compro- mise formula lacked a firm time table. It calls on industrialised coun- tries to reaffirm their commit- ment to the 0.7 per cent target and adds: "To the extent that they have not yet achieved that target (they) agreed to augment their aid programmes in order to reach that target as soon as possible and to ensure a prompt and effec- tive implementation of Agenda 21." An amendment added on the initiative of German Environ- ment Minister Klaus Toepfer will commit a high-level commission to monitor regular progress to- wards the target, Ricupero said. Earlier in the day, agreement on the text had been held up by France, which objected to the wording of a phrase on agreeing to reach the 0.7 per cent target. Extreme Regret Pakistan's Prime Minister Na- waz Sharif told the conference earlier that it was "a matter of ex- treme regret" that the aid time- table had not been agreed upon. Speaking on behalf of the Group of 77, now a cluster of 128 developing nations, Sharif said, "in a range of issues related to the environment, perhaps the ugliest scar is the abject poverty of over a billion inhabitants of our planet. "The pain of their undernou- rishment, the squalor of their ha- bitat and the degradation of their daily lives is not only a basic envi- ronmental hazard but is also a shameful blot on the conscience of the world." howitzers. The weapons are to remain at the cantonment sites until the Khmer Rouge complies with the accord. If it does not, UNTAC has said it may give them back to the factions for self-defence. The United Nations is allo- wing the troops to retain perso- nal weapons because of the Khmer Rouge's refusal to com- ply. In the statement, the UNTAC military commander, Lieutenant-General John San- derson, described the initial re- ports as encouraging but cautio- ned that these were only initial results and "not a good indication of the real number reporting to the cantonment sites." Soldiers' Cantonment At the Mekong River Naval Base, 15 km (nine miles) nor- theast of Phnom Penh, 1,019 go- vernment soldiers reported for cantonment, a number U.N. se- curity forces said was surpri- singly high. "We were expecting about 90 today which shows they are playing their cards close to their chest," said Commander Dunan Mathews of the British Navy. The Mekong Naval Base is gar- risoned by two platoons of Chi- lean and Columbian commandos charged with providing security for the government soldiers. Mathews, Operations Officer for the UNTAC Maritime Force, said the "U.N. navy" would start patrolling the Mekong River, which flows south through eas- tern Cambodia and Tonle Sap, and enormous lake in the centre of the country. "We will monitor, register and control the shipping with the help of the Cambodians throug- hout Cambodia he said. Some Surprises The second phase of the peace process has produced some sur- prises and minor problems for the U.N. peace-keepers. At Kompong Speu, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of the capital, a detachment of T-54 medium tanks and their crews waited in vain on Saturday for N. peace- keepers to receive them. At Kompong Chnnang, 124 km (77 miles) northwest of Phnom Penh, Ghanian peace-keepers Norwegian Prime Minister waited all day at an empty recep- Gro Harlem Brundtland, whose tion site although government report "Our Common Future" lay soldiers had arrived in town on THE Balinese still have --at least for the most "traditional" ones -- a special knack for magic. There is not, indeed, just one single type of magic, but many, called "nesti, luh tranjana", all ruled by Rangda, the witch, who dwells, people say, in the pura da- lem, or temple of the dead. It is not uncommon, for someone to arm himself with magical po- wers, to go and make offerings at the pura dalem in the middle of the night. Really scary. If things have been carried out properly, with the right offerings in the right way and at the right time, and with the help of the right priest, supplicant might end up with the power to turn himself herself into a cat, monkey, pig or any other animal. Once this is done, the leak, or animal of ma- gic, can be sent to wreak havoc on the person of your choice. While you "meditate" prostrated in your house, your leak messenger is out spreading illness and mis- fortune. The bererong is one of these "magic" animals. It does not me- rely bring simple illnesses or mis- fortunes, though, but he also steals on behalf of his master. He may for example take the guise of a white rat and be sent on a mis- sion to some wealty villager with the explicit goal of stealing jewels or money. Special Temples The word goes around in the Balinese coffee stalls that there are special places and temples to request a good stealing bererong, usually with the help of a local priest. Foremost is the temple of Gunung Kawi, the most impres- sive archeological structure of the island. But to go there for a The belief in such magical spi- bererong is not without its risk, rits or animals is a fertile ground as the bererong has to be bought. for village gossip and stories. If, By what? By a child. Your friends for example, someone gets rich will advise you, anyway: "Don't without seeming having to work look for a bererong at the Gunung or have inherited a fortune, the Kawi temple", they will whisper other villagers may well - parti- in your ear", as you will have to cularly if he tends to neglect his "pay" for it with the soul of your village duties-- accuse him of son. keeping a bererong. Which is da- The advice may well be streng- ngerous indeed, as other people thened by a story: "You know might try some counter-magic. Nang Kocong, don't you? He went The bererong is feared for practi- to that famous witch-priest who cal, but not for moral reason, gave him a piece of bread to eat though. If someone works hard when he wanted to get a ber- but does not make it, one will ad- erong. But it did not work, do you vise him with these words: "Why know why? When he was home, don't you try to got a bererong to on the verge of putting it in his get money?" mouth, his son shouted suddenly while crying: "Why are you tortu- ring me so?" Upon hearing his son's sudden call, Nang Kocong could not eat the bread. So he did not get his bererong and is still poor. But his son is still alive and well. Which is the best way to avoid ha- ving one's money stolen by the bererong? People with "know- ledge" said that the money should be bundled together with ilalang grass with a protective mantra. Why ilalang grass? Be- cause, after the primeval fight between the gods and the titans, some water of immortality fell on the ilalang grass. The ilalang, thus, is blessed with the attribute of the gods. The bererong is a white rat, people say. It makes one think wheter the bererong has anyt- hing to do with tourists, who are mostly white, and who make the Balinese rich. Are tourists worth the souls of Balinese children? Nyoman Sutiasa Japan's Peace-Keeping Bill May Soon Become Law Tokyo - A bill to send Japanese troops overseas for the first time since 1945 is likely to win parliament's final approval in the lower house by Tuesday, parliamentary source said on Sunday. A final debate and vote on the Peace-Keeping Operations (PKO) bill, designed to allow about 2,000 Japanese soldiers to be sent as U.S. peace-keeping to spots such as Cambodia, was likely to start at a plenary session of the powerful lower house on Monday, the sources trou added. The plenary session was ex- pected to be the final stage of par- liamentary procedure to enact the PKO bill, which was appro- ved by the upper house last cabinet by the Socialists who Taiwan's foreign ministry spo- Tuesday. want to derail the PKO bill. kesman Quyang Jui-hsiung said Confidence motions usually on Friday: "We are extremely take priority over no-confidence concerned about Japan's forthco- ones. Socialists's plan ming passage of a bill to send The Socialists confirmed a troops overseas." plan on Saturday to have all their members resign from the lower house to try to force a general election. Even if Socialists and Commu- nists use the "ox-walk" again, a form of filibuster in which each member takes 20 to 30 minutes to vote, the legislative process for the PKO bill could be completed early on Tuesday, they said. On Sunday, at an unusual lo- wer house plenary session, legis- lators began deliberating a ru- ling party-proposed confidence motion for Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa's cabinet which was expected to be approved later in the day. The Socialists and Commu- nists say the bill violates Japan's "peace" constitution, which pro- hibits Japan from using armed conflict to settle disputes. Asian countries, particularly former Japanese colonies, have The ruling Liberal Democratic expressed concern about Tokyo's Party (LDP) submitted the mo- plans to send troops abroad for tion to counter a no-confidence the first time since World War motion against the Miyazawa Two. A Singapore foreign ministry spokesman said: "It is a histori- cal fact that China, Korea and southeast Asia have deep and painful memories of Japanese militarism." The LDP and its allies argue the bill is necessary for Japan to obligations. meet its international A special lower house panel ap- proved the bill last Thursday, pa- ving the way for formal passage in the chamber. (Reuter). Royal Couple Destined For Unhappiness London - Britain's Princess Diana and Prince Charles are destined for a life of unhappiness because neit- her will end their marriage, ac- cording to a long-time friend of the princess. the foundations for the Rio confe- motorbikes carrying bundles of tiny because it alleges the prin- rence, told delegates she was di- assault rifles. The claim is made in the con- troversial book "Diana: Her True Story", written by royal watcher Andrew Morton and serialised by a British Sunday newspaper. The book has put the royal cou- ple under relentless press scru- cess tried to kill herself five times sappointed by "the lack of ade- One young Cambodian repor- quate financial commitments ting for cantonment has been in despair about her marriage to made." adopted as a mascot by the Chi- heir-to-the-throne Prince Char- Delegates looked likely to go leans. He is a six-year-old local home with only a fraction of the boy nicknamed "Ninja" to whom $70 billion in new money called the U.N. troopers have given a for at the outset by conference uniform. Secretary General Maurice "Ninja is the world's youngest Strong actually pledged. peace-keeping soldier," they (Reuter) said. (Reuter). les. In the latest extracts carried by the Sunday Times, James Gil- bey, a friend of the princess since she was 17, is quoted as saying: "She can never be happy unless she breaks away, but she won't "Charles won't do it because of break away unless Prince Char- the monarchy would still be in po- les does it. wer in 50 years time. "Queen reviews troops as pub- lic reviews family at war," was the front-page headline in the serious-minded Observer. Morton's book is to be publis- hed in Britain on Tuesday. Top 'people's store Harrods has refu- sed to stock it. his mother, so they are never going to be happy. They will con- tinue under the farcical umbrella of the royal family, yet they will both lead completely separate li- ves." Display of Unity Britain's royal family has failed to shake off the media at- tention despite a public display of unity on Saturday. Princess Diana, 30, and Prince Charles, 42, joined Queen Eliza- beth on the balcony of Bucking ham Palace in the first big royal occasion since the suicide allega- tions were published a week ago. But the press seized on the self-conscious appearance of the couple and the absence of several other leading royals, while a Sun- day Times opinion poll suggested less than half the nation thought Poor Thai Region Tries To Break Out Of Backwater Si Sa Ket, Thailand - Students, teachers and busi- nessmen in impoverished nor- theast Thailand are leading ef forts to catch up with the rest of country in opposing military in- terference in politics. "Distorted TV coverage of the crackdown on anti-military pro- tests (on May 17-20) did not stop us learning what went on in Bangkok. We're informed of de- velopments by faxed reports from pro-democracy groups," said teacher Putporn Ratanawan in remote Kantaralak district bor- dering Cambodia. the second time in two years, as a white knight coming to save the country from political chaos. Students held peaceful anti- Suchinda rallies at a university and many colleges in northeast Thailand before and during the army suppression of demonstra- Washington cancelled its par- mic backwater, said they tried to ticipation in an annual U.S. Thai follow unrest in Bangkok by wat- military exercise here code- ching foreign satellite TV news. named "Cobra Gold" after Thai They, however, represented only troops fired on unarmed demons- a tiny part of the population in trators, killing scores of people this area. and wounding many hundreds. Hotel Booking Cancelled tors in Bangkok. Chakrapong Thanavanichkul, Therdsak Kusripitak, mana- manager of a Thai Farmers Bank branch in nearby Ubon Ratchat- branch in Korat, said the pro- ger of the Thai Farmers Bank hani province, said Thailand vince's hotel and tourist industry should consider itself fortunate was a casualty of the May rebel- to have Anand to help see it lion against the army. through political strife. "Several thousand hotel rooms Political analysts say that due to its size and poor economic standing, northeast Thailand is a big support base for the righ- twing, pro-military parties. Tradition Of Vote-Buying traditional way of coducting Vote-buying is said to be the politics. "He's a leader who can really here had been booked for up to represented by 128 MPs out of a The region's 17 provinces were Putporn said teachers and civil work. I wish he can be prime mi- two months by American and a total of 360 seats in the lower servants in her district fully bac- nister for five years instead of small number of Singapore sol- House of Representatives. ked a successful public campaign just a few months," he said. diers due to have taken part in to force non-elected prime minis- ter Suchinda Kraprayoon to quit. of northeast Thailand, was the Korat, the commercial centre The 28-year-old teacher saw province most affected economi- Anand Panyarachun, named last cally by bloody street clashes in week as caretaker premier for Bangkok. cancelled," he said. Cobra Gold. The bookings were Many bankers and busines- smen in northeast Thailand, long the country's political and econo- According to the Bank of Thai- land, the per capita income of the northeast is less than one eighth of that of Bangkok. At the last general elections in March, the region gave the big- gest pro-military party, Samak- khi Tham, 42 per cent of the party's total 79 parliamentary seats. The New Aspiration Party, the well financed opposition leader, won 55 per cent of its total 72 seats in the region. Sanit Lokasemsant, mayor of Surin's provincial municipality, conceded that vote-buying was an open secret in his town during the last elections. He estimated that at least 50 per cent of Surin's ceptible to direct financial re- wards or other incentives. eligible but poor voters were sus- "At the last elections here, can- vassers of some parties blatantly handed out cash envelopes of 100 to 200 baht ($4 to $8) each," he said, adding that at least six of Surin's eight MPs elected in March would be returned by snap elections to be called by Anand. (Reuter) The Observer said Saturday's line-up on the balcony, after the annual parade celebrating the queen's official birthday, was 'like the bad old days of the Soviet Union when you knew who was in and who was out by their appea- rance and position at the October Revolution parade." hess of York. The Mail on Sunday defended press coverage of the private lives of the royals in a full-page edito- rial claiming that attitudes to- wards the 1,000-year-old monar- chy had changed. "There is a powerful sense that our monarchy is overblown and out of tune with the times... Those of us who didn't know it be- fore know now that the royal fa- mily is not a paragon of all vir- tues, an example to the nation," the Mail on Sunday said. The Mori opinion poll for the Sunday Times showed "massive changes in public opinion" away from the monarchy, Mori Notable Absentees chairman Bob Worcester said. Notable absentees included Only 46 per cent of those ques- recently-divorced Princess Anne, tioned thought these would still the queen's only daughter, and be British monarchy in 50 years both Prince Andrew and his es- tim compared with 69 per cent tranged wife "Fergie", the Duc- two years ago. (Reuter). Bali Post/Rtr. DIANA-The Prince and Princess of Wales flank the Queen Mother as they watch a fly-past from the balcony of Buckingham Palace June 13 during ceremonies marking the Queen's 66th birthday.