Indonesian Military Says Missing Submarine Sank in Deep Water off Bali

DENPASAR, LELEMUKU.COM - Hopes for the survival of 53 sailors aboard a missing Indonesian Navy submarine dimmed Saturday when the military announced that the vessel sank and may have cracked and disintegrated in deep water off Bali as it went down.

Senior armed forces officials pointed to debris and objects from the submarine that were recovered in the ongoing search for the KRI Nanggala-402 as evidence of cracks that caused it to sink hundreds of meters below the surface of the Bali Sea.

The submersible boat lost radio contact after being cleared to dive during a torpedo training exercise early Wednesday morning.

“The search has shifted to the sub sunk phase, from the sub miss phase,” Air Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, the chief of the armed forces, told reporters in Bali, using a military term for a missing submarine.

The recovered items included a part used in the submarine’s torpedo system, a heat insulator and a bottle of lubricant for greasing the periscope, officials said as they displayed the recovered objects during a press conference at a military base on Bali. A Muslim prayer rug from the submarine was also recovered, they said.

“These objects would have never slipped out of the submarine unless there was pressure or cracks,” Hadi said.  

Navy Chief Adm. Yudo Margono indicated that the crew’s chances of survival were slim, but he and other military officials declined to say out right whether all the sailors on the submarine had perished, when reporters pressed them on this question.

“It did not explode, but there was a crack due to the depth of 700 meters [2,296 feet]. The pressure was so high that there could have been cracks in the submarine,” the Navy chief said.

Water might have flooded the submarine because of cracks but part of the submarine’s cabin could be compartmentalized to prevent more seawater from coming in provided that the hatches were closed, Yudo said.

“Seventy-two hours is the maximum limit in the event of an electrical blackout, but it can last up to five days if the electricity is on. But we suspect that there was a blackout,” he said, referring to the submarine’s oxygen supply, which had been expected to run out early Saturday.

“We have tried our best to find the KRI Nanggala, but this morning was the deadline for oxygen life support to run out. Oil spills and debris have become authentic evidence of Nanggala’s sinking,” Hadi said.

No bodies have been found so far, according to Yudo.

“We are still carrying out the search ... the depth of the sea we have detected is at 850 meters (2,790 feet), which is very tricky and presents many difficulties,” Reuters quoted the admiral as saying.

The announcement came as an Australian frigate, the HMAS Ballarat, and a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft arrived in Bali to join dozens of Indonesian vessels that have scoured the sea to locate the submarine during the past few days.

Singapore’s submarine-rescue ship, the MV Swift Rescue, was expected to arrive later on Saturday, the Navy said.

Malaysia and India are also sending ships to support the search effort.

The Indonesian military believes that the submarine sank to between 600 and 700 meters below the surface – far deeper than the German-made vessel was designed to dive.

Yudo said Singapore’s MV Swift Rescue ship and a similar vessel from Malaysia had remotely operated vehicles that could reach depths of 900 to 1000 meters.

The Ballarat is equipped with sonar technology that could detect underwater objects, he said.

“Together, all teams will work hard because the depth of the sea is 850 meters and it will be extremely hard to do lifting and evacuation work,” Yudo said.

The KRI Nanggala-402 was built by German company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in 1977 and came into service in 1981, the Indonesian military said.

From 2009 to 2012, the submarine was retrofitted by South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, officials said.

Indonesia has five submarines, including the missing one.

Former Rear Adm. Soleman Ponto said the Nanggala might have broken up because the hull could no longer withstand the pressure.

“It is unlikely that they will survive,” he told BenarNews, referring to the crew.

“When pressure is high, the submarine will crumble like a squeezed tin – flattened.” (Tria Dianti | Benarnews)

ASEAN Leaders Meetin Jakarta, Call for Immediate Stop to Violence in Myanmar

JAKARTA, LELEMUKU.COM - Southeast Asian leaders called for an “immediate cessation” to killings in Myanmar and the opening of ASEAN-brokered talks between its military regime and parallel civilian government, as they and the Burmese junta chief met in Jakarta for an emergency summit Saturday on that country’s post-coup strife.

A statement from the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the end of the one-day talks, which lasted about three hours, indicated ASEAN would appoint a special envoy to facilitate talks aimed at “a peaceful solution in the interests of the people.” It also said the regional bloc would provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.

“We, as an ASEAN family, had a close discussion on the recent developments in Myanmar and expressed our deep concern on the situation in the country, including reports of fatalities and escalation of violence,” said the chairman’s statement issued by Brunei, the current holder of ASEAN’s annual rotating chair.

In the bloc’s pursuit “to strengthen our regional solidarity and resilience, we reiterated that the political stability in ASEAN Member States is essential to achieving a peaceful, stable and prosperous ASEAN Community,” the statement also said.

It went on to say that the member-states reaffirmed a collective commitment to the principles enshrined in the 54-year-old bloc’s charter, “including adherence to the rule of law, good governance, the principles of democracy and constitutional government, respect for fundamental freedoms, and the promotion and protection of human rights.”

The “Five-Point Consensus” on Myanmar called for the “immediate cessation of violence” with all parties exercising “utmost restraint”; a constructive dialogue among all parties; the mediation of such talks by a special envoy of the ASEAN chair, with assistance from the bloc’s secretary general; provisions of humanitarian assistance coordinated by ASEAN; and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation, headed by the special envoy, to meet with all parties.

However, the five points did not include the release of political prisoners as the president of Indonesia – the largest country in ASEAN – and the prime minister of Malaysia had demanded in their speeches during Saturday’s summit.    

The statement, nonetheless, was the strongest collective one issued to date on the crisis in Myanmar, and a rare show of consensus that tested the 10-nation bloc’s founding principle of non-interference in members-states’ domestic affairs.

Although the statement said that the “ASEAN family” had “agreed” to the five points, it was not immediately known how Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the Burmese junta chief, whose forces have killed hundreds of civilian protesters since the Feb. 1 coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government, responded.   

Min Aung Hlaing did not give a formal statement, according to Agence France-Presse.

The meeting, which was the first high-level in-person meeting among ASEAN leaders since the coronavirus pandemic broke out early last year, was closed to the press because of COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

"It's beyond our expectation," Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin told reporters after the summit.

"We tried not to accuse his side too much because we don’t care who’s causing it," Reuters quoted Muhyiddin as saying. "We just stressed that the violence must stop. For him, it’s the other side that’s causing the problems. But he agreed that violence must stop."

Blunt words from Indonesia's leader

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was blunt in his remarks during the meeting, which he later conveyed during a post-summit news conference.

“The situation in Myanmar is something that is unacceptable and should not continue,” he told reporters.

“Violence must be stopped and democracy, stability and peace in Myanmar must be restored immediately.”

Jokowi said at the meeting, Indonesia demanded that Myanmar’s junta make three commitments: end its use of force, start an inclusive dialogue among parties by releasing political detainees at once and open access to humanitarian aid, under the coordination by ASEAN’s secretary general.

“Indonesia is committed to overseeing the continuation of this commitment so that the political crisis in Myanmar can be resolved immediately,” Jokowi said.

In his speech to the meeting, Prime Minister Muhyiddin echoed Jokowi’s remarks.

“Apart from immediately stopping the violence, my second point is to call for a meaningful, inclusive political dialogue which can only take place with the prompt and unconditional release of political detainees,” Muhyiddin said.

“This would be a good starting point and ease international pressure on Myanmar and ASEAN,” he said.

Muhyiddin said the ASEAN chair and secretary general must be given access into Myanmar to meet with all parties.

“This is much needed for ASEAN to provide an honest and unbiased observation. If ASEAN is allowed access, this can demonstrate to the world that it is on track in helping Myanmar restore normalcy in the country,” the Malaysian leader said.

The leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia had called for the emergency summit after the junta failed to heed demands to end the violence and release political detainees, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Min Aung Hlaing arrived at Jakarta airport on a Myanmar Airways International flight in the early afternoon.

The general headed to the ASEAN Secretariat building, where the meeting was being held, after undergoing a COVID-19 test, the Indonesian president’s office said.

Apart from the junta chief, the other ASEAN states were represented in person by their top leaders, except for the Philippines, Thailand and Laos, who all sent their foreign ministers.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte cited their preoccupation with worsening COVID-19 outbreaks at home as their reason for skipping the meeting.

Also on Saturday in Jakarta, Christine Schraner Burgener, the United Nations special envoy on Myanmar met with Bui Thanh Son, the foreign minister of ASEAN member-state Vietnam, on the summit’s side lines, Vietnamese media reported. The U.N. envoy was going to the Indonesian capital to engage ASEAN leaders in discussions “focusing on a political solution” to the crisis in Myanmar, the world body had said earlier this week.  

Human rights groups, meanwhile, had criticized ASEAN for allowing the Burmese junta chief to represent Myanmar at the summit and exclude officials from the newly formed parallel National Unity Government (NUG) from attending it.

In a statement posted late Saturday on Facebook, the NUG said it welcomed “the encouraging news that ASEAN leaders have reached consensus that the military violence in Myanmar must stop and political prisoners be released.”

But it was not immediately clear whether the parallel civilian government was responding to the ASEAN chairman’s statement or to the speech by Jokowi.

“We appreciate the strong words from President Widodo of Indonesia calling for the release of our heroes,” Dr. Sasa, the union minister of international cooperation and spokesman for the NUG, said in the statement.

“We look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and to restore democracy and freedom for our people and for the region.” (Ahmad Syamsudin/Ronna Nirmala | BenarNews)

Philippines Imposes 1-Week Lockdown in Manila to Combat COVID-19 Infections

MANILA, LELEMUKU.COM - The Philippines imposed a one-week lockdown on heavily populated metropolitan Manila and nearby areas beginning Monday, the same day it received 1 million vaccine doses, as the government sought to contain the surging numbers of COVID-19 infections.

The “enhanced community quarantine” announced on Saturday forces more than 24 million people inside their homes until Easter Sunday April 4, unless they are “essential workers” in the field of hospitals and banking, among others.

“Like what I said last Saturday, all social gatherings are prohibited,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a virtual news conference on Monday.

“Unfortunately, all these variants made the disease more infectious and more transmissible. So I’d like to stress, it’s not just foreign variants. Even the Philippine variant now, that’s something that no one could have done anything about because it’s in the nature of viruses to mutate,” Roque said.

The government enforced a curfew between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. the following day, banned all mass gatherings including Holy Week church services when millions of Catholic Filipinos traditionally congregate at places of worship.

On Monday, the health department said it had logged 10,016 new daily COVID-19 infections, the highest so far logged in the Philippines bringing the pandemic toll to 731,894. The health department also recorded 16 deaths, bringing the toll to 13,186.  

Bangladesh recommendations

Meanwhile in Bangladesh, the government on Monday issued an 18-point directive imposing restrictions on social, political or religious gatherings following a spike in COVID-19 infections there.

Bangladesh recorded 5,181 coronavirus infections on Monday, its highest one-day total since the pandemic began.

In addition to the restrictions, public transportation, hotels and restaurants are limited to 50 percent capacity while meetings, seminars, trainings and workshops must be arranged online.

A family medicine specialist in Dhaka blamed the government’s decision to go forward with 50th anniversary of independence celebrations last week with having a role in Monday’s restrictions.

“The authorities did not pay attention to this rise as they were busy with state functions in celebration of the golden jubilee of independence,” Dr. Lelin Chowdhury said. “The 18-point directive that has come today is like chasing after the coronavirus. You could not run faster than the virus, which was urgent.”

Mutations

Roque said the lockdown was necessary because the virus has mutated, making it more difficult for health experts to address. He also sought to dispel doubts about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, saying the government was doing its best to acquire them.

“With more people getting sick, there will be more people inevitably who will get sick in a serious and critical manner, so have your vaccine if you are able to have it now,” he said.

The nation began its inoculation program at the start of March, but had received only 1.12 million vaccine doses and had delivered the first dose to slightly more than 500,000 of the country’s 110 million people as of last week.

On Monday, the government received 1 million vaccine doses purchased from Chinese manufacturer Sinovac.

“We are expecting the delivery of around 1.5 million to 4 million of the remaining procured doses from Sinovac by April and May 2021, together with the 979,200 AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the WHO-led COVAX facility,” said Carlito Galvez, a former general who is in charge of the government’s vaccine procurement.

“These will allow the country to further expand coverage of our vaccination program,” he said. (BenarNews)

A Singapore Skyline View for Migrant Workers

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - The Ferris wheel in Singapore was getting hit with raindrops.

But the migrant workers riding the Singapore Flyer did not seem to mind. They were trying to see the city skyline from above.

They were just a small number of at least 20,000 workers getting a free ride as a gift from members of the public and businesses.

The program ItsRainingRaincoats began a few years ago to help spread kindness to Singapore’s migrant workers. In January, it began calling for ride tickets to be donated to the workers.

Dipa Swaminathan is the group’s founder. She said a volunteer saw the rides as a meaningful way to use tourism money provided by the government.

Singapore citizens ages 18 and older have received about $74 each in tourism money. They must spend it on attractions, hotels and tours – all businesses that have lost money during the coronavirus pandemic.

Swaminathan’s group worked with the Ferris wheel operator and a booking website to get tickets for the foreign workers. A lot of people see that the workers have given so much to Singapore “and this is their chance to give back,” Swaminathan said.

“There’s a lot of joy in giving. I think that’s what causes the public…to support us” in these kinds of actions, she told The Associated Press.

The group will keep organizing rides as long as tickets come in.

A ticket, which includes entrance to an interactive space, costs about $26. There are currently enough tickets for 20,000 workers.

That is two percent of the 700,000 to 800,000 people who live in Singapore, Swaminathan estimates.

She said the “contained” nature of the Ferris wheel makes it a good fit.

Volunteers reminded the riders to keep their facial coverings on and keep a one-meter distance during a recent visit.

Ganesan Thivagar recently visited with a few other migrant workers.

They waited while rides were briefly stopped for bad weather. When it was time to go on, the 165-meter-high wheel did not offer such great views.

But that did not affect the 34-year-old. He was paying attention to the areas he could see. And he was struck by how much Singapore had changed since he arrived 14 years ago.

He quickly began taking pictures for his family, who live in India’s Tamil Nadu state.

“I am happy to enjoy the trip and enjoy together with my friends. Thanks to Singapore, (I get to) come here,” Thivagar said.

Workers like Thivagar have had a hard time. Their small living spaces had high coronavirus infection rates early during the pandemic.

Migrant workers have made up most of Singapore’s 60,000 reported cases. Last year, the high infection rates brought sudden attention to their situation – crowded living conditions, low wages and lack of healthcare.

Although the infection situation is under control, these workers have had more restrictions on movement than the general population. The rules are being eased by officials.

Natarajan Pandiarajan, who is 29, said the restrictions were “really difficult.” He was thankful for a break like his recent ride on the Ferris wheel. “Inside many feelings I also have. But this time now, coming on, happiness,” he said. (VOA)

Shortage of Computer Chips Hits Manufacturers, Electronics Products Affected

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - A computer chip shortage has left several manufacturing industries struggling. Makers of products such as video game consoles, smartphones and cars are among those affected.

Computer chips are small devices that contain electrical circuits and are used in computers and other electronics.

The shortage began in December 2021. At that time, many manufacturers misjudged demand for products like laptop computers and smartphones. Sales for these internet devices sharply increased during the coronavirus health crisis.

Whirlpool is an international company based in the United States. It is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of home products like ovens and refrigerators.

Whirlpool China chief Jason Ai said the company’s exports from China to Europe and the United States have decreased by as much as 25 percent in recent months.

Whirlpool cannot get enough microcontrollers: simple chips used in over half of its products. Ai said the company is struggling to meet the demand for appliances, while trying to fill “an explosion of export orders.”

“It’s a perfect storm,” he said.

Other manufacturers are also struggling because of the chip shortage. Hangzhou Robam Appliances Co. Ltd. is a Chinese home goods maker. It had to delay the release of a new stove part by four months because it could not get enough microcontrollers.

Dan Ye is the company's marketing director. He said many of its products are built for high technology homes, “so of course we need a lot of chips.”

With the shortage, companies are now having to compete to buy remaining chips to secure their own supplies.

Ye said that it is easier for the company to find chips in China than in other countries.

“Domestic chips can satisfy our needs completely,” he said.

To deal with the shortage of microprocessors and memory chips, Dreame Technology cut its budget and hired extra employees just to communicate with chip suppliers. The company makes vacuum cleaners.

Dreame has also been forced to test chips that could serve as alternatives to the ones it normally uses.

Marketing director Frank Wang, said Dreame also is investing in some computer chip suppliers.

“We’re working to have deeper control of our suppliers," he said.(VOA)

Microsoft to Make Augmented Reality Headsets for US Army Worth $22 Billion

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - Microsoft has announced a contract with the U.S. Army worth almost $22 billion to produce augmented reality headsets.

Augmented reality, or AR, is a technology that uses glasses toprojectcomputer-created pictures and information that add to what users see in the real, physical world.

The deal was announced Wednesday. Microsoft would supply at least 120,000 troops with the devices.

Military officials said the technology will improve soldiers’ ability to see their surroundings and identify targets and danger. The technology is based on Microsoft’s HoloLens headsets, which were first designed for video games.

The Army said the headsets could be used for both training and in battle. The army said the AR system could help troops gain an upper hand during battle. Soldiers first tested the gadgets last year.

The contract is worth up to $21.88 billion for up to 10 years, Microsoft said. The agreement goes for five years and could be extended for an additional five.

Microsoft President Brad Smith spoke about the technology to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee in February. He said soldiers could use the system to see at night and for facial recognition on the battlefield. He also described how it could help in hostage situations by creating an electronic representation of a building, what he called a “digital twin.”

Several technology companies have sought to use augmented reality for video games. Those efforts have largely been unsuccessful. But Microsoft’s Hololens 2 will be used by the Army. The company also wants the devices to be used to help doctors during medical operations, factory crews and others. Users can often control what they see on the device by using hand movements or voice commands.

The headset deal is part of Microsoft’s work as a defense contractor. The military also awarded Microsoft a $10 billion cloud computing contract in September. (VOA)

The American College Basketball Tournaments Lift Student Spirit

WASHINGTON, LELEMUKU.COM - The American college basketball tournaments known as “March Madness” look a little different than they used to. There are very few fans watching the games in person. The players stay in safe areas called “bubbles” in the states of Texas and Indiana.

But at least the games are happening. Last year, the tournaments were just about to start when the United States closed all public events to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The college tournaments include over 60 teams made up of college students. There is a tournament for men and a tournament for women. In U.S. cities with large colleges and universities, people would go out to eat, drink and watch the games on television.

When the tournaments were canceled last year, students were also sent home. Some students have yet to return to campus. Others came back to a very different college life in autumn. They needed to stay apart from each other. They took classes by video call. They could not spend time with friends or eat in large dining rooms. Colleges, like the rest of the country, were trying to stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Group activities are a big part of the college experience. And students whose universities had good basketball teams in 2020 lost out on one of those experiences: cheering for their schoolmates in the tournaments.

Shane Hoffmann saw this at the University of Oregon. He is a sports writer for The Daily Emerald, the student newspaper. He said last year, the Oregon women’s basketball team might have won the tournament. Three Oregon players were among the first eight players chosen by the professional teams of the WNBA, including Sabrina Ionescu, the first pick. Hoffmann called it “a huge bummer” to see the college basketball tournaments canceled.

“It did seem very, very gloomy. I think people realized that was the last time they were able to see that phenomenal, phenomenal Oregon team, which is probably going to go down as one of the best ever.”

This spring, things are a little less gloomy for Max Witty, a student at Syracuse University in central New York. Witty said watching the games on television was a fun activity for students and others.

“It gives us a sense of maybe we are getting back to normal, maybe one day we can have that big game, maybe one day we’ll be able to sit and watch it with a huge crowd in The Dome, who knows?”

“The Dome” is the large building at Syracuse where 30,000 fans can watch the games and cheer for the team. Watching games there was one of the reasons Witty chose to go to Syracuse.

Syracuse recently lost to the University of Houston to end its season. But for a couple of weeks, Witty said being able to watch the games with a small group of friends was a “pick-me-up” after a difficult year.

Thomas Kollie is in his second year at the University of Alabama. The school, in the city of Tuscaloosa, is known for its winning football team and the 100,000 fans at the games. Kollie said he missed attending football games last year. With COVID-19 restrictions, very few were permitted at the games and he could not get in.

This year, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams were in the college tournaments before losing in late March. Life in Tuscaloosa has also been different compared to 2020. Streets in the city have been filled with fans watching games as the state removed gathering limits.

In his fraternity house, Kollie has been watching sports events with as many as 25 friends.

“Now, like, actually being able to gather and watch the basketball games without fear of how many rules we're breaking, that's really cool. Because you're not sitting in constant fear about the cops coming and kicking everyone out in the middle of a game, or something like that.”

Hoffmann went to Indianapolis, Indiana to write about the Oregon games. He said seeing the whole sports world shut down last year was “depressing.” But now, he is excited to see fans from all over the U.S. coming to see the games.

He said seeing families out in the city, wearing the colors of their favorite teams, made it seem like the U.S. is taking “a step in the right direction to … normalcy again.”

The final games of the college basketball tournaments are played on April 4 and 5. (VOA)