Indonesia Highlights: US Secretary of State Pompeo Visits Indonesia | North Sumatra’s Mount Sinabung Erupts | Indonesia’s Third-Wealthiest Person Tan Siok Tjien Dies

KOMPAS.COM – Residents in Karo district of Indonesia’s North Sumatra are urged to avoid the red zone of Mount Sinabung as the volcanic activity is heightened.

The volcano has erupted again on Thursday, October 29 at about 7:52am local time, spewing a giant hot ash cloud and causing volcanic ash rain over the nearby area.

Just three days ago, the volcano also erupted, ejecting similar hot ash clouds into the air.

Prayers and thoughts go to the family of Tan Siok Tjien who passed away on Sunday at the age of 91. Tan is listed as the third-wealthiest person in Indonesia. Her company’s total assets reach about $5.96 billion.

Tan is the wife of the late Surya Wonowidjojo, the founder of Indonesia’s cigarette company PT Gudang Garam Tbk.

Meanwhile, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Indonesia on Thursday, October 29.

During his visit, the US and Indonesia agreed to enhance economic cooperation to increase the global supply chain and accelerate economic recovery. The two nations also agreed to promote cooperation in the healthcare sector.

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said that the minister’s visit shows the importance of the strategic partnership between both countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the mutual visits between the US and Indonesian officials are quite intensive.

Below are excerpts from the top stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

1. US Secretary of State Pompeo Visits Indonesia

Kemlu US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) signing a guest book upon arriving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jakarta, while Indonesias Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi looks on.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta in the early hours of Thursday.

During the visit, Pompeo met with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi in Jakarta and President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo in Bogor Palace, West Java on the outskirts of the country’s capital.

Speaking at a virtual press conference alongside Minister Retno, Pompeo said that the US has rejected China’s claim to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.

“Our law-abiding nations reject the unlawful claims by the Chinese Communist Party in the South China Sea,” Pompeo told the virtual press conference. Pompeo lauded Indonesia’s courageous leadership on the sea row issue within ASEAN and the United Nations.

“It’s a cause worth pursuing in multilateral settings and the Trump administration very much supports this,” he said.

Meanwhile, Retno said the governments of both nations agreed to enhance economic cooperation in a bid to increase global supply chains and accelerate economic recovery.

Besides, both ministers also agreed to promote cooperation in the healthcare sector. Indonesia has expressed appreciation to the US government for its assistance in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. This included 1,000 ventilators for treating coronavirus patients in Indonesia.

Jokowi said that Pompeo’s visit amid the Covid-19 pandemic reiterates the importance of the strategic partnership between Indonesia and the US.

The US Secretary of State also gave a speech to youth members of one of the largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama.

The visit to Indonesia is part of his five-day swing through Asian countries including India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Vietnam.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2020/10/29/174307974/indonesia-lures-more-us-companies-during-us-secretary-of-state-pompeos-visit?page=2

2. North Sumatra’s Mount Sinabung Erupts Again, Causing Volcanic Ash Rains

HENDRI SETIAWAN Fire and Rescue personnel clean up the main road in Berastagi following Mount Sinabung eruption in North Sumatra on Thursday morning, October 29, 2020.

Mount Sinabung in Karo district of Indonesia’s North Sumatra has erupted again on Thursday morning, spewing a giant hot ash cloud up to 2,000 meters and shooting out a 1,500-meter-high column of ash.

Mount Sinabung’s eruption caused volcanic ash rains over the Berastagi district in Karo regency.

Karo district Fire and Rescue Agency team commander Leo Ginting said that firefighters and a truck engine were then immediately deployed to the main road of the Berastagi to clean up the area.

Residents were urged to keep away from the red zone as the volcano can erupt again anytime.

Source: https://regional.kompas.com/read/2020/10/29/14210221/gunung-sinabung-muntahkan-awan-panas-hujan-abu-turun-di-berastagi

3. Indonesia’s Third-Wealthiest Person Tan Siok Tjien Dies

KOMPAS.com/M Agus Fauzul Hakim PT Gudang Garam Tbk, an East Java-based company in manufacturing clove cigarettes, which are locally known as kretek.

The third richest billionaire in Indonesia, Tan Siok Tjien, passed away on Sunday, October 25. She was 91.

Tan is the wife of the late Surya Wonowidjojo, the founder of PT Gudang Garam Tbk, an East Java-based company manufacturing clove cigarettes, which are locally known as kretek.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Tan’s assets reached $5.96 billion as of Tuesday, October 27.

Tan is also listed as the 369th wealthiest person in the world.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/10/29/071800726/orang-terkaya-ketiga-di-indonesia-wafat-tinggalkan-harta-rp-87-92-triliun?page=2