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European, African Leaders Meet in Malta to Discuss Refugee Crisis; Alibaba Breaks New Records on Singles' Day; Myanmar's Hidden War; The Toranja People's Death Rituals. Aired 8:00a-9:00a ET

Aired November 11, 2015 - 8:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[08:00:53] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream.

Now, as a summit on Europe's migrant crisis is set to begin, boats attempting to cross into Europe sink off the Turkish coast, killing 18

people.

Plus, protesters in Afghanistan demand the resignation of leaders for their

inaction after ISIS kidnapped dozens of people, killing some of them.

And Myanmar's hidden war. Now CNN speaks to a rebel militia group still fighting the government.

European and African leaders are meeting in Malta in hopes of forging a unified response to the EU's migration crisis.

Now hours before those talks were to begin, two boats carrying migrants to Europe capsized off the coast of Turkey, claiming the lives of

at least 18 people.

But Europe's response to the continuing crisis is divided. In Slovenia, government officials tell CNN that they have started to put up

temporary barriers along their borders in an effort to control the tide of people.

Now, the deaths in the Aegean Sea are a grim reminder for leaders in Malta for what is at stake.

Now keep in mind, the sea crossings are just the start of the journey most migrants take. The overwhelming majority land in Greece, but many

continue north through the countries you see here on the map.

And several of these states now say they cannot handle the influx.

Now the EU has spent months trying to work out intake quotas. And so far this year, nearly 800,000 people have reached Europe's shores.

Now for the very latest on this unfolding crisis, our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is tracking developments live from

Greece. She joins us now.

Arwa, more lives lost at sea today, a reminder of the dangerous and perilous journey the migrants make to reach Europe. Describe the scope of

the crisis at sea.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Kristie, those who died at sea were trying to get here, to Lesbos, where they would, had they

made it, later on be getting on these larger sized ferries to move to the mainland.

The thinking had been that perhaps with the winter months the numbers coming here would decrease, but in fact, it's proven to be quite the

opposite. And why are people risking their lives, risking everything, risking the lives of their

children to try to get to Europe? Because they are looking for a future, any sort of future, a future that no longer exists for them back home.

We have been speaking to people here, and one Afghan family was telling us they had actually been in Turkey for nine years. They had two

of their children that were born in Turkey, but they were born without a nationality, without

an identity, and they were growing up without any opportunity to go to school, to be able to even begin to build an existence.

The wife is pregnant and that's why they're trying to go to get to Europe because going back to Afghanistan for them is not an option. It is

still very much a war zone.

One Syrian family we just spoke to, they had been living in a border town between Syria and Turkey, called Jarablos (ph) and ISIS took over a

few years ago, and when it took over, it killed the uncle of this little boy named Ali (ph), and now he and his family have finally decided to leave

to flee after his father was able to make enough money so that they could actually afford this very treacherous, very, very difficult journey.

To give you an idea of the numbers, the sheer scale of what it is that we are talking about here, according to Frontex, in the first ten months of

this year of 2015, 540,000 people, Kristie, made the crossing. And that's just the crossing between Turkey and Greece. That is 13 times the number

that did this back in 2014.

If that's not an indication of the sheer level and scale of this crisis, I don't know what is. And with these rising numbers, we're also

getting rising numbers of people that are dying at sea, and that is why it is so imperative at this stage that these people in Malta, these various

different leaders really try to come together to form a cohesive solution, because throwing money at the problem like one of the ideas they're trying to float when it comes to

what's happening in Africa, that's not necessarily going to work.

Blocking these people, trying to make this journey even more difficult for them, that is not going to work either. They don't have a choice but

to try to get to Europe so that they can even have a semblance of a life that has opportunity and dignity, Kristie.

[08:05:43] LU STOUT: Arwa Damon reporting on the growing scope of the migrant crisis there as leaders struggle in Malta to come up with some sort

of solution to help scores of desperate families. Thank you very much indeed

for your reporting.

Arwa Damon.

LU STOUT: Now, in Afghanistan, thousands of protesters have been driven back from the gates of the presidential palace. Now, Afghan

security forces fired warning shots in the air to disperse the crowd after several protesters

tried to climb the palace walls. Now the demonstrators are angry. They are demanding the

resignation of Afghanistan's leadership. They were angry over the killing of members of the Hazar (ph) minority, kidnapped and beheaded by ISIS-

linked militants.

And for more on this story, Sune Engel Rasmussen joins me now live from Kabul. He's a reporter for The Guardian newspaper based there. And

Sune, how did this tense situation unfold today? What happened?

SUNE ENGEL RASMUSSEN, THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER: Well, these protests actually started last night when the coffins with these seven beheaded

people arrived. And then they continued this morning with a March from Hazara dominated area of Kabul, and then into the area where the

presidential palace is.

And during this march, the crowd swelled up to several thousand, tens of thousands of people. And then at the end it turned -- some people said

it turned violent, but at least there was fired warning shots. People said there were a couple of protesters maybe throwing stones and some of them

also tried to scale the walls into the compound at the presidential palace.

The crowds have now been more or less dispersed and the city is more calm now, and the president has just addressed the nation.

LU STOUT: The situation is calm now, but earlier, we saw angry protesters, and they were people in mourning. I mean, these are protesters

carrying the bodies of the victims, some of the victims, including a 9- year-old girl. The protesters, like the victims, they are Hazara Shiites. Can you tell us more about them, can you tell us about this community in

Afghanistan?

RASMUSSEN: Well, the Hazara Shiite, as you correctly said, is a minority in Afghanistan. They've historically been persecuted by among

others the Taliban. And these killings, they ring very uncomfortably for members of the Hazara community.

Last night, the grieving ceremony was mainly Hazara demonstrators. But today they're also members of other ethnic groups who did not only

rally around the cries of protect Hazaras, but also, as you said in calls for the government to

step down and to protect all Afghans.

So it has more from -- more of a mourning ceremony to a wider call for the government to protect the Afghan civilians.

LU STOUT: Yes, this is a group they're angry at ISIS, angry at their leadership as well for a lack of adequate action. Sune, we'll leave it at

that. Thank you very much for joining us. And thank you for your reporting.

That was Sune Rasmussen, journalist for the Guardian, joining us live from Kabul.

Now it looks like a historic win for Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League of Democracy Party in Myanmar, but what happens next? Now Ivan

Watson is on the ground in Yangon, he joins me a little bit later in the program.

Also ahead, Republicans vying for the White House face off on the debate stage yet again and we will bring you the highlights.

Plus, China broke records yet again with its annual Singles Day. It is the biggest shopping day anywhere in the world. We'll hear all about

this e-commerce phenomenon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:11:21] LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, the world's biggest digital shopping frenzy is ending in just a few hours. It already broke last year's record of $9 billion in sales.

The ecommerce firm Alibaba sold more than $5 billion in the first 90 minutes of the event and that number just kept on climbing.

Now, some of the top selling items include baby products and food. Also apparel by Nike and Levis.

Now, the shopping extravaganza it actually started out as an anti- Valentine's Day event to celebrate single life.

Now, earlier, I spoke with Duncan Clark, chairman and founder of the consultancy BDA China who called it retail therapy on a scale never seen

before.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DUNCAN CLARK, CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER, BDA CHINA: Alibaba didn't create Singles

Day, but it certainly made it what it is today, which is a major national phenomenon, and what they're trying today, to make an international

phenomenon, and it is exactly that, the marketing machine of Alibaba.

You know, companies like JD and others are making sure that it's not just Alibaba, and actually you know Alibaba doesn't own the name, but

certainly they're the biggest player.

But in terms of the international market, we're starting to see other people, some connected to the Chinese market and others not, trying to make

this clearly a good idea spread around the world, because we all think of Valentine's Day obviously as kind of the most romantic sort of festival of

the year, but many people are single. More people perhaps are single than in happy

relationships. So from a retailer standpoint, it's a great idea to exploit.

LU STOUT: You just mentioned another Chinese e-commerce player, JD.com, and there are others out there like Jume (ph). How do they compare

to Alibaba? What kind of threat do they pose?

CLARK: Well, the biggest threat is probably JD, partly because JD actually has invested heavily in kind of the last mile. So when you buy on

JD in China, you actually get the package handed over by somebody wearing a JD uniform, riding a JD

vehicle whereas Alibaba relies on third parties, which they've invested in.

So it's sort of that seamless service that you get with JD.

And also in the rural areas, which is really a key growth market, JD sells a lot of stuff like white goods, and things that rural consumers are

really craving.

So Alibaba is making a big push also in the rural areas. So, the theme today is sort of global, but actually rural is probably the biggest

battleground.

LU STOUT: The issue of counterfeits and fakes. I mean, we know that the market is pretty rampant, especially online inside China. Is Alibaba,

JD and others, are they doing enough to minimize it?

CLARK: Well, you know, there's really never going to be zero fakes online here or in any country, but because China is kind of the workshop

for the world, it's particularly a grave problem here, that there are people manufacturing fakes or running extra shifts, you know, with leftover

materials and obviously online is a great distribution platform.

Alibaba and other companies would argue, other internet companies would argue that online is part of the solution as well as part of the

problem. For example you can track patterns of distributions of fakes. You can analyze data.

The reality is there's never going to be zero fakes. The question is what's going to be acceptable to the government and to the merchants that

are affected.

And for merchants, of course, and for brands, you know, it's a great way to build brands and also sell products. So they have to really weigh,

you know, the two. Like do they do nothing online? Do they do everything online or somewhere in between? And how do they partner with companies

like Alibaba to attack the problem of fakes?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Duncan Clark, founder of BDA China.

And he mentioned that Chinese consumers are looking for quality products, and that is contributing to a shortage of one brand of baby

formula in Australia. Now Belamese Organic says Chinese shoppers are buying up their formula and reselling it online for Singles Day.

Now, trust in domestically produced formula plummeted in China years ago after a tainted baby formula scandal there.

Let's turn to Indonesia. When it comes to the world's worst traffic, a survey has put Jakarta at the very top of the list. And with all that

congestion comes frustration.

David Molko tries to steer clear of the gridlock.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MOLKO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So I just finished a meeting. Need to head back to the hotel. Sounds pretty simple, but it's about 4:30 and

traffic here is building.

Could take a car, good option, but I need a couple friends. There's a rule here that you need three people in the car in order to take main roads

during rush hour. So instead, I'm going to jump in a taxi and avoid that problem.

But that gridlock you were trying to avoid, well, you end up stuck right in the middle.

So how about the bus? It's cheap. But there are limited routes. And it can get pretty packed.

Or maybe the quickest option is the Ojeck (ph), or motorcycle taxi. There's an app for that, of course.

Hi.

Thank you.

All right. Helmet on. Climb onboard. Hold on tight. We're ready to dodge our way through the Jakarta gridlock.

Ojecking (ph) competitor Grab Bike (ph) are like Uber for motorcycles, tech savvy and growing cast. And that's caused some resentment among

ordinary Ojeck (ph) drivers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Their prices are much lower and they're killing us with that price level. Now is the time to launch

healthy competition with them.

MOLKO: So Tata (ph) says they're forming a new cooperative that will cover

insurance and repairs. They may even get their own app.

But fixing gridlock will take much more than an app. Motorbikes for hire may be fast, but they're only adding to the problem.

BASUKI TJAHAJA PUMAMA, JAKARTA GOVERNOR: You couldn't just give medicine to make -- it's only for here are the symptoms. You have to make

a big operation.

MOLKO: That big operation happens to be decades behind schedule, Jakarta's governor concedes, but they're finally making progress, he

insists, tunneling away on the city's first ever mass rapid transit rail line.

Meanwhile, the governor wants to build up the bus network and make it free for low-income passengers. And about those motorbikes, well, he wants

to ban them at least on some major highways.

PUMAMA: They've become a feeder for us, for our bus.

MOLKO: I'm pretty sure my driver won't like that idea. But with about 1,000 new cars and motorbikes on these roads every day, something has

to give.

Wow, that was an experience, about 30 minutes for six kilometers, not too bad, pretty quick. Thing is for most Jakartans, when it comes to

getting here to there and the word quick just isn't in the vocabulary.

David Molko, CNN, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now early this week, we told you how companies in Indonesia are

burning forests there illegally to make room for oil palm crops. Now, this dramatic picture, this has been making the waves on the internet and social

media and it shows how damaging these fires have been. It shows a clearly malnourished

orangutan, a mother with her baby.

Now thankfully, they were rescued by a conservation team and later released into a protected forest. But these endangered animals, they have

been choking on the dangerous haze that has been shrouding Indonesia for weeks.

You're watching News Stream, still to come on the program, Hillary Clinton was a big target in the Republican presidential debate, but the

candidates took some serious shots at each other as well. We've got some highlights

straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:21:37] LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now around the world, honors for those who fought and fell in war. November 11 now known as Remembrance Day, is when the armistice signed in

1918, the end of World War I.

It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. At 11:00 a.m., Britain fell

silent to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. Now, crowds gathered in the area around the senitap (ph) and filled Trafalgar Square.

In Paris, French President Francois Hollande paid his respects at a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe.

In the U.S., it is Veterans Day, and U.S. President Barack Obama is to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

You're looking at live pictures from there.

Now he's is to deliver a speech at the ceremony, that speech will take place around three hours from now.

The Republicans vying to be the next U.S. president faced off in their fourth debate on Tuesday night. Now, the candidates gathered in Milwaukee,

Wisconsin, to lay out their plans for the country's economic future. And this time, the issues, not the insults necessarily, took center stage.

And our senior media correspondent Brian Stelter joins me now live from Milwaukee. Brian, good to see you.

On the previous debate, that was just so roundly criticized. So how did it go last night?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Fox Business wanted to have the anti-CNBC debate, and for the most part, the network succeeded at that.

This was a debate about economic policy, briefly about foreign policy. There were almost no personality-based questions. And we saw less sniping

between the candidates than we had in prior debates.

Some of the reviewers saying this was more of a grown-up conversation about what these candidates would do as president.

LU STOUT: Now, I want to ask you about Ben Carson. Because before the debate, his campaign team did something interesting. They took to

social media to mock news organizations, including CNN, for asking questions about his

biography, for covering his personal record. Do you think this strategy will work to deflect attention away from himself?

STELTER: I think it was disturbing to see these images. I say disturbing because there's a lot of misinformation on the internet.

There's a lot of websites that pretend to be real news organizations, sometimes people use the logos of CNN and Politico and others in order to

create fake news sites that are attempting to confuse people.

I think it's unfortunate to see a presidential candidate doing the same thing, creating this kind of image even though they mean it as a joke,

even though they mean it as a parody, I do worry it may confuse some people.

More broadly, it was a missed opportunity last night when Carson was briefly asked about this controversy about his life stories. He was given

a chance to knock away the questions, and there was no follow-up, there was no pushback by the

moderators. So we didn't really hear much about his position on this issue last night.

I thought it was interesting, none of the candidates took on Carson on this issue. None of the candidates criticized Carson for his

inconsistencies in his stories about his past. Even Donald Trump who has been very critical on Twitter and on TV interviews didn't actually bring it

up during the debate.

So in some ways, the other candidates helped Carson move on from the controversy. But I do think we're going to see journalists continue to

follow up. This is a part of the process, even though it might be unpleasant for candidates, journalists have to vet all the candidates and

that's what we're seeing in the case of Carson.

LU STOUT: Yeah, appreciate your insight into the debate and also into the media strategy used by some of the candidates, in particular here Ben

Carson. Really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Take care, Brian Stelter there.

STELTER: Thanks.

LU STOUT: Now, let's turn now to the investigation into the crash of Metrojet flight 9268. Now Egypt is allowing American investigators to join

the probe, and the team will include federal agents with expertise in transport safety.

It is not known if the FBI will be involved, but Egypt says a team is allowed to bring in advisers.

You're watching News Stream. Still to come, it looks like a big win for Aung San Suu Kyi and her party in Myanmar, and we will look at the

country's latest election results as the ballot counting goes on.

And we'll explore the challenges facing Myanmar's new government, including a conflict that has been described as the world's longest running

civil war.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong, you're watching News Stream

and these are your world headlines.

Now at least 18 people have died after two boats carrying migrants sank off the Turkish coast. Dozens have been rescued. European Union and

African leaders are meeting in Malta to look for solutions to the ongoing crisis.

Now Russia is set to respond to allegations of rampant doping among its track and field athletes. Russian President Vladimir Putin is

attending a meeting with the country's top sporting officials. Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee plans to begin its own disciplinary

action.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League of Democracy Party appears set for a landslide victory in Myanmar's historic parliamentary election. The

country's president says he will Suu Kyi when the ballot counting process winds down. The NLD has won the majority of seats declared so far,

including Aung San Suu Kyi's.

Myanmar's election is being touted by some as its freest in a quarter century, but human rights groups are questioning how could that be when a

large segment of the population wasn't even allowed to vote. You can see the

election commission canceled voting in these places in yellow, citing security concerns as well as ongoing ethnic violence, and there are

hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who were not permitted to vote because the government does not recognize them as citizens.

Let's head to Myanmar now for the latest. Our senior international correspondent Ivan Watson joins us now live from Yangon. And Ivan, the

ballot counting is still dragging on. Why is it taking so long for the government to declare the results of this election?

[08:30:52] IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't have an easy answer for that. It is now more than 72 hours since polls closed.

And we only have official results for a little bit more than half of the seats in the next parliament, overwhelmingly going to the opposition party

of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

Her party has been congratulated, however, by the sitting president. Whatever government emerges from this election, when the final results are

finally announced, they're going to have to deal with some very big challenges, one of them notably being what has been described as the

longest running civil war in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: Sometimes fishing can be a balancing act. This graceful technique

performed on a mountain lake, just one of many cultural treasures that attract more and more foreign tourists to Myanmar every year.

This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Myanmar. Foreign visitors flock to inlay lake in droves. Most of them don't know

how close this is to a conflict that's been going on for more than 60 years.

This is what Myanmar's hidden war looks like. Video shot by rebels show battles in the jungle between government forces and ethnic militias.

Since independence, this former British colony has been plagued by rebellions, minorities fighting against military regimes, dominated by the

Burmese ethnic group.

In a town not far from the lakeside resort, we find one of the most recent casualties of the conflict, a 26-year-old man, caught in the

crossfire, shot in the stomach and arm. He said he was bleeding. His pregnant wife had to bandage him. And it took more than eight hours before

he could see a doctor.

Dozens of villagers who fled recent fighting now shelter in this neighborhood with friends and relatives.

SAO YOON PAING, SHAN POLITICIAN: 60 years, we have suffered.

WATSON: Sao Yoong Paing is a politician from the Shan ethnic minority. He blames the Myanmar military for the long war in this region.

PAING: The belief that (inaudible) the war will stop.

WATSON: Traveling to a militia stronghold is not easy. After a long, bruising journey, we finally reach a militia in a village on top of a

mountain.

These are fighters with the Ta'ang National Liberation Army. They're one of at least 15 armed groups in Myanmar that refuse to accept the

authority of the central government. And as you can see, they're operating in uniform,

armed, apparently not worried about the presence of the Myanmar army in distant hills.

The are members of the Ta'ang ethnic group. The commander says he's been an armed rebel for the last 11 years.

What is it you're fighting for?

ROBAR ANYUNT, TA'ANG NATIONAL LIBERATION ARMY (through translator): We want our own state. We want to build a genuine federal system in this

country. We want to have dignity and self-determination.

WATSON: The rebel claims the government persecutes and neglects his people.

In this village, is there electricity?

ANYUNT: No. No electricity.

WATSON: In recent months, the Myanmar government tried to negotiate a cease fire, but only eight of 15 armed groups signed on. And this faction

wasn't even invited to the talks.

With no end to Myanmar's long war in sight, these ethnic rebels continue to declare themselves the law in this mountainous land.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WATSON: And, Kristie, it's important to note, as millions of people in this

country were going to the polls in this historic election, the fighting was also going on in parts of the east of the country, parts of the northeast

of the country.

A very mixed bag on what was supposed to be an historic period, a steppingstone for democracy for this country.

[08:35:07] LU STOUT: That's right, this war is still very much under way. You were the first American journalist to film and interview one of

these armed groups that are part of Myanmar's hidden war.

What do you think they're making of the vote that happened, and a new government that could be shaped by not the military-led party, but by the

opposition, the NLD?

WATSON: It's a very good question. And I just spoke with a spokesperson from that faction that we saw, the TNLA, and he effectively

welcomed the apparent victory of the opposition NLD, saying that his faction looked forward to meeting with a potential new opposition

government, and trying to work towards peace to try to bring an end to the civil war that's been going on for more than 60 years.

Some of the other ethnic activists and political groups from minority groups that we've reached out to have also said that they tend to look

better, more optimistically towards negotiated solution with a government potentially led by

Aung San Suu Kyi's party than they would towards a government dominate by the military, which has, of course, controlled this country more than 50

years.

But this is going to be a thorny issue, make no mistake. Because some of these armed factions have controlled territory and administered

territory in this country for years. So there are some vested interests in this country,

powerful vested interests that have profited from a conflict that has gone for so long.

LU STOUT: This will remain a very thorny issue, a big challenge for the NLD and the new government that will take shape.

And finally what does the vote mean for all the nation's ethnic minorities, like the people you met in Shan State, will the new government

reflect the diversity of the entire country of Myanmar?

WATSON: That's a really important question. And, you know, you started this segment by mentioning the disenfranchisement, for example, of

the Muslim minority in this country. And while some people have celebrated the apparent victory

of Aung San Suu Kyi's party, members of the Muslim communities in Myanmar that I've

talked to have lamented the fact that her party did not run a single Muslim candidate in this election.

So that has been seen as a black mark by some people in this country, and we'll just have to watch and see how her party moves forward.

And it's also important to note that Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, whatever government may come next, they may be hampered by the real power

of the military that will continue to be a presence within the state, within the government.

The fact that the military will continue to maintain control of key ministries of defense, interior, foreign affairs while also holding at

least 25 percent of the seats in the parliament means that a future government may not have quite as free a hand to negotiate with armed

factions, and with ethnic political parties that they might like -- Kristie .

LU STOUT: Ivan Watson there live in Yangon reporting on the vote of the

future government taking shape, and of course the hidden war underway in Myanmar. Thank you, Ivan.

Now, you're watching News Stream. Still to come on the program, life and death in Indonesia.

Villagers in this remote town have a unique approach when it comes to celebrating the lives of loved ones who pass away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now in the Indonesian highlands of Torasia (ph), on the island of Sulawesi, there are unique rituals to mark death. As Paula Newton show us

funerals can take years to complete. And until then the dead are still living.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's hard to know where to rest your eyes first: that lovely traditional lakian (ph) or

resting house of a loved one, seemingly taking it all in from on high. The gentle melody of the

children playing their tributes, the regal processions of family and friends that come in wave after wave; or that guy, that noise, that

unforgettable master of ceremony introducing the mourners to the funeral.

For me, though, this was the shop stopper. These are brought by these families.

UNIDENITIFID MALE: Yes

NEWTON: These pigs...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The group (inaudible) inside the temple...

NEWTON: Right.

And these pigs will be slaughtered for the funeral.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, today.

NEWTON: Today. They'll be slaughtered and eaten today.

Now, before we go any further I want you to meet Ekson, Ekson Dulangalo (ph). He's my know it all so we can learn it all guide through

Taraja and its intriguing death rituals.

This mother of eight, a respected elder, died nearly two years ago. It's taken that long to prepare and save thousands of dollars to hold this

funeral. Until then, for the Taraja, she is not dead yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, they call it sick.

NEWTON: Just sick?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, just sick. Local language it's Toma cola (ph)

NEWTON: Toma cola (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

NEWTON: Funerals here, then, are not particularly sad. They don't look sad. They look like celebrations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Because if there is white, there is black. If there is sadness, there is happiness. And somebody born must be dead.

NEWTON: A state of balance and grace for which the water buffalo must be spared. We will spare you the gory details.

Because now, we are walking through a traditional Taraja village, and its holy houses. These holy homes have survived centuries, preserved all

this time to pay homage to the death rituals here.

And these are the offerings for him?

And they bring him food?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, they also bring food, because they must eat, because

still sick men.

NEWTON: Mr. Nuaka (ph) died a few months ago at the age of 80. Since then, and until the funerals next year, his daughters Hana and Dina (ph)

and his son-in-law Tambing (ph) take turns sleeping with him.

Still alive, as the burial ritual is perfected.

The morbidity of this has long ago worn off. By the time we reach the cemetery landmark at Londa (ph), the burial caves are revealed like a grand

stage.

So this is the burial tradition within the caves?

UNIDENITIFIED MALE: Yes. What you say burial, what we say home.

NEWTON: This is their home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their home, it's another home. Because the Tarajan people have two different homes, or house, here is the home for the

dead person.

NEWTON: Eksno was worried we'd be shocked by all this, think it bizarre or gruesome. But even here, you feel you are intimately honoring

lives well-lived. It is considered an honor for the Taraja to be buried here in this way. It is an uncommon spirituality that Ekson says brings

them closer to god.

Paula Newton, CNN, Taraja, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Wow, such a stirring report.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. World Sport is next.

END