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Hong Kong protests: High court orders main protest site in Admiralty to be cleared
ABC Radio Australia - December 9, 2014
The ruling, published in local papers on Tuesday, called for the clearance of three sections of the main Admiralty protest site in the heart of Hong Kong's business district.
The injunction, requested by Hong Kong bus company All China Express, allowed bailiffs to "request the assistance of police" where necessary in order to clear the site next to the government headquarters.
Since late September, student groups have called for a free vote in the Chinese-controlled city through largely peaceful demonstrations dubbed the Umbrella Movement.
Splinter pro-democracy groups sprung up and fast-tracked action plans as student-led demonstrators considered a retreat from the main protest site.
The city's chief executive, CY Leung, branded the protests illegal and rejected calls for more talks on political reform. He warned protesters not to turn to violence when the clearance started.
Police were expected to clear the area this week with more than 3,000 officers, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported, citing police sources.
Protesters on the ground have thinned to under 100, with most of the hundreds of tents pitched on the camp site empty. At their peak, the rallies drew more than 100,000.
Clashes between protesters and police increased at the end of November after the clearance of protest sites in Mong Kok on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong Harbour.
One man was jailed for six months on Monday for threatening to burn Mong Kok demonstrators with paint thinner, media said.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to China in 1997. Under a one-country, two-systems formula, the city has some autonomy from the Communist Party-ruled mainland and a promise of eventual universal suffrage.
Beijing has allowed a vote in the next election in 2017, but insists on screening any candidates first. (Reuters/AFP)
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Jakarta Intercultural School teacher pleads for rape case to be thrown out
Sydney Morning Herald - December 9, 2014
Michael Bachelard – A teacher accused of raping three pre-school aged boys has pleaded with a Jakarta court for the case against him to be thrown out.
"My name is Neil Bantleman and I am an innocent, upstanding member of society," the Canadian school administrator wrote in a letter presented to court on Tuesday.
"I have never committed any offence against any student or any individual throughout my entire teaching career."
Bantleman and Indonesian teachers' aide Ferdinant Tjiong, both of the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School, are protesting their innocence at the South Jakarta court as their lawyers try to get the case thrown out.
The application for an "exception" under Indonesian law was put in advance of any evidence.
Mr Bantleman and Mr Tjiong face long prison terms if they are convicted over the allegations of multiple anal rape. But the teachers insist they are innocent, and they are being supported at court by their wives, a large band of their teaching colleagues, school parents, and the school itself.
The defence argued on Tuesday that the indictment, which was presented last week, was "inaccurate, vague and incomprehensible", and was motivated by a $US125 million civil claim lodged against the school by one of the parents.
Under Indonesian law, a case is capable of being dismissed before it even begins, though this is extremely rare.
The indictment said each of ten alleged acts of sodomy had occurred "at a time that can no longer be remembered between January 2013 and March 2014, or at least at a certain time between 2013 and 2014".
Lawyers for the teachers claimed this "long, dubious and vague" time period breaches Indonesian legal requirements, and means neither teacher can bring evidence of an alibi.
"The defendant has the right to defend himself by stating that he has an alibi on the day of the alleged criminal act... (if for example) the defendant was overseas or elsewhere," the documents say.
In addition, it makes unreliable any medical evidence of rape, particularly a medical test by a police doctor taken in June that purports to show two of the boys had "funnel-shaped" anuses and scars, which the doctor said may be a result of the attacks.
Other medical examinations of two of the boys, which has already been presented in a related case against five contract cleaners at the school, appears not to be capable of supporting the rape allegations.
Lawyers for the teachers described the case against the teachers as "uncommon, peculiar, and even absurd," which meant the prosecutor should have examined the truth of the allegations and the "background" of the complainants' "interests or motives".
This includes the "financial motive" relating to the law suit against the school, the documents say.
In his letter to the court, Mr Bantleman defended his reputation, saying it was "one of a caring, funny and enthusiastic educator".
"All of the things the indictment letter says, I am not. This is why I must write this exception letter to you today, to give you an idea of who I truly am, and [to] humbly request utmost fairness and impartiality in dismissing this indictment." The prosecution will respond to the application on Thursday.
[Disclosure: The author has two children at the Jakarta Intercultural School (formerly Jakarta International School)]
http://www.smh.com.au/world/jakarta-intercultural-school-teacher-pleads-for-rape-case-to-be-thrown-out-20141209-123mfp.html
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United West Papua movement 'significant', says Wenda
Radio New Zealand International - December 9, 2014
A spokesperson for the newly-formed United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, says its creation is one of the West Papua independence movement's most significant steps in dealing with Indonesia.
The group is made up of the KNPB, the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation and the Federal Republic of West Papua and is intended to create a unified voice for West Papua on political fronts.
It was set up in Vanuatu, which backs the West Papuans' self-determination drive.
Mr Wenda says the group is working on re-applying for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, which was knocked back earlier this year because its bid was deemed not representative.
Mr Wenda says now a unified bid has been created, he is confident West Papua will be admitted to the MSG.
"Through this unification we are the ultimate because we are Melanesian, geographically and racially – we are Melanesia. So that's why I'm really confident that we will be a full member next year."
Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/261318/united-west-papua-movement-%27significant%27,-says-wenda
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Five Papuans shot dead for dancing and protesting
Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Five civilians were shot and killed and 21 others were injured on Monday when security personnel dispersed a crowd that was gathering and dancing at the Karel Gobai Field in Madi district, Paniai regency, Papua.
Paniai Customary Council head John Gobay said the shooting took place at 10 a.m. local time as residents from Togokotu village were gathering at the field, also known as Soeharto field, in protest over an incident from the previous night.
Gobay said the residents were performing the waita tribal dance in Paniai after setting fire to a black SUV that was believed to have been used by perpetrators who assaulted residents gathering at a Christmas event in Ipakiye village in East Paniai.
Police from a nearby station arrived at the field to disperse the crowd. The crowd continued dancing and did not disperse. The police then fired into the crowed. Four people were killed on the spot and 22 others suffered injuries.
"The four deceased have been identified as Habakuk Degei, Neles Gobai, Bertus Gobai and Apinus Gobai. Four people have died while 22 suffered slight wounds," said Gobay in Jayapura on Monday. Saday Yeimo, one of the injured who was being treated at the Madi Hospital for a shot to the stomach, died later on Monday evening.
Gobay said the initial provocation, which took place on Sunday evening, began when the black SUV, which did not turn on its headlights as it traveled through the hilly Togokotu area, reached the peak of a hill where children from a local church had built a Christmas hut. The local children scolded the driver for not turning on his lights while driving at night.
A quarrel ensued and the car then sped off to the Uwibutu 753 Special Team military command post. Not long after, the car, filled with recruits, returned to the Christmas hut and assaulted the children who were about 12 years old.
"Residents then gathered at Soeharto field, just wishing to ask about the driver of the car and the assault, but the soldiers reacted excessively. They thought they would be attacked, so they came to the field. The crowd did not attack the local police station," said Gobay.
Papua Peace Network coordinator and Fajar Timur Theology and Philosophy Academy head Neles Tebay said the police should offer an explanation for their actions against the civilians and church youths who were not members of any armed groups or separatists.
"Civilians have been shot and killed without reason. The Papua Police and Paniai Police chiefs should be held responsible. These actions show that security personnel have treated residents not as citizens but as enemies who must be eliminated," said Neles.
When reached by phone in Jayapura, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende acknowledged he had learned about the incident in Paniai but had yet to receive a complete report from the local police chief.
"I have yet to receive information on the number of people who died and the chronology of events. I have not been able to contact the Paniai Police chief yet," confirmed Yotje.
Last week two police officers were shot dead by an unidentified group in a church in Puncak Jaya regency, Papua.
In August, two police officers were shot dead in Lanny Jaya regency, Papua. The shooting triggered the arrest of 21 civilians suspected of affiliation with the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/five-papuans-shot-dead-dancing-and-protesting.html
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Government to take over Lapindo's liabilities
Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014
Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – After spending more than Rp 6 trillion (US$48.7 million) of taxpayers' money to help the Bakrie family resolve the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, the government is mulling easing the family's burden further.
Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said on Monday that the government would plan to buy the assets of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, worth Rp 781 billion, so that the company could pay compensation that has already been delayed to thousands of victims of the mudflow.
"I've talked to Coordinating Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil and Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto. Our plan is to take over the company's assets," said Basuki at the Presidential Palace.
"We will buy the assets and the company's proceeds from the purchase will be used to compensate the victims."
He said the funds for the asset purchase would be taken from next year's state budget.
Minarak recently claimed it still needed to pay another Rp 781 billion of a required Rp 3.8 trillion in compensation to more than 4,000 victims who used to live within the affected area.
A Constitutional Court ruling issued earlier this year ordered the government to force Lapindo to complete payment of compensation to victims of the disaster.
The family's scion, Aburizal Bakrie, who is also Golkar Party chairman, has enjoyed the government's assistance between 2007 and 2014 in relation to the Lapindo disaster, which many believe was caused by drilling conducted by Lapindo, the family's firm, in 2006.
Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration allocated more than Rp 6 trillion to compensate villagers living in the vicinity of the so-called "affected area map", which was legalized via a presidential decree in 2007.
Such generous financial protection for the Bakrie Group was among the reasons that Golkar helped the Yudhoyono government remain stable in the face of nationwide protests at the president's generosity toward the conglomerate.
In 2007, the government also established the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) to handle and control the mud eruption, relocate people, recover infrastructure and supervise Lapindo in handling compensation for villagers in the affected area.
However, the 2015 state budget, which was passed during a House of Representatives plenary meeting in September, no longer mentions spending for the Lapindo mudflow.
Instead, the budget only stipulates that "the [central] government can give a grant to local governments for post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction".
Andi called last week on Minarak to immediately pay the Rp 781 billion compensation arrears to the Sidoarjo mudflow victims. Lapindo was given next year as a deadline.
Andi acknowledged that the government also had an obligation to pay the mudflow victims Rp 300 billion. However, he added, the payment would be made possible once Lapindo had settled its payment.
The government had committed to give compensation to residents who lived outside the mudflow-affected area, while victims who lived within the affected area were Lapindo's responsibility.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/govt-take-over-lapindo-s-liabilities.html
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Government officially puts an end to controversial curriculum
Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014
Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – The government officially suspended the implementation of the much-criticized 2013 national curriculum, ordering schools in the country to return to the 2006 curriculum starting early next year.
Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace on Monday, Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan confirmed that he had prepared a ministerial decree stipulating the change of curriculum.
"[We] already have the ministerial decree. Insya Allah [God willing], it will be enacted today," he said. "We will start re-implementing the 2006 curriculum in the second semester." The academic year in Indonesia is divided into two semesters, with the first semester starting in July and the second in January.
The 2013 curriculum – first implemented by Anies' predecessor, Mohammad Nuh – has drawn harsh criticism for creating confusion among students, parents and teachers, who have complained about the extra work it demanded.
Although it imposed many changes in the learning process from the 2006 curriculum, the previous government implemented it after only a one-year trial.
A recent government-sanctioned review of the 2013 curriculum recommended that the ministry scrap the new curriculum and order schools in the country to return to the old one.
The ministry also suggested that the 2013 curriculum needed a tremendous amount of improvement, especially concerning the compatibility of the curriculum's objectives with school textbooks.
Although he admitted that the curriculum overhaul would potentially create chaos in the education system, Anies said that such a move was needed to help parents and students avoid the long-term impacts of educational mismanagement.
"[The curriculum] will continue to be a problem if we do nothing about it," he said. "There will also be more problems if we scrap it, but at least we can cut [the educational] costs since our students will need to pay even higher costs if we stick with this curriculum."
Many experts and educators have said that problems related to the 2013 curriculum were rooted in the absence of a thorough review of its feasibility prior to implementation.
Last week Anies said that starting next semester, 6,221 of the country's 208,000 schools would be part of a pilot project to test an improved version of the curriculum and they should get ready for intensive guidance from the ministry.
Teachers at the 6,221 schools, he added, would also receive intensive training since they would be the backbone of the curriculum's implementation.
"However, if some of the schools aren't ready yet, we will be lenient and they can stick to the 2006 curriculum," Anies said.
Nuh, however, said he was not happy with Anies' move to scrap the curriculum, saying he made the decision "too soon".
"It is like a person who wants to perform amputation surgery but does not have enough knowledge of physiology," he argued.
Former teacher and education expert, Darmaningtyas, supported the government decision to reinstate the 2006 curriculum, saying that although the 2013 curriculum had the noble goal of imparting real-life knowledge to students, it was a total failure in its implementation.
"It just needed more time to do it, while schools only have a limited amount of resources. Also, the student-assessment system that forced teachers to constantly supervise all their students [was a problem]," he told The Jakarta Post recently.
The Jakarta Education Agency threw its weight behind the decision, announcing that most schools in Jakarta were not ready to implement the 2013 curriculum.
Education Agency head Lasro Marbun said on Monday that the 2013 curriculum needed evaluation as the decision to implement it had been made hastily. He also said that the infrastructure and resources required for the optimal implementation of the curriculum were not available.
"Teachers, for example, are still confused about how to implement it as only 15 percent of the 26,000 teachers in Jakarta had received training," he said, adding that the distribution of textbooks was also late and insufficient.
[Corry Elyda contributed to this story.]
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/government-officially-puts-end-controversial-curriculum.html
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SBY, Jokowi court political coalition
Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014
Hasyim Widhiarto and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Efforts to reinstate the direct elections of regional heads received a lift Monday when former president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed to support deliberation of two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) on regional elections (Pilkada) at the House of Representatives.
Yudhoyono announced the party's commitment on Monday after a closed-door meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Presidential Palace.
The current chairman of green energy campaigner Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) said that his party would support the Perppu, which he himself issued in October, to annul the controversial Pilkada Law that revoked direct elections for regional heads.
"We share a similar position [on the Perppu]. [We] will jointly defend the Perppu so that it can be approved by the House," Yudhoyono told reporters after the 30-minute meeting.
"For me and Pak Jokowi, this is in line with public expectations and it is good for the sustainability of our democracy."
Heightened tensions following the July presidential election united the political parties that had supported former presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto to back the Pilkada bill, which was opposed by Jokowi's coalition of political parties.
Lawmakers from Yudhoyono's Democratic Party opted to abstain from voting, staging a walkout that allowed the bill to pass and vesting Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs) with the power to elect regional heads.
Democratic Party lawmakers argued that their proposals in the bill were not accommodated.
Bowing to public pressure following his party's walkout, Yudhoyono issued the Perppu.
Leaders of the political parties in the opposition Red-and-White Coalition signed a pact to back the Democratic Party's proposal to support the Perppu in exchange for the latter's support in the opposition coalition at the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
The Democratic Party, declaring itself an independent caucus at the House, is considering ending its alliance with the coalition after Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie pledged during his party's recent national congress to reject the Perppu.
Jokowi has opened the possibility for the Democratic Party to join the ruling coalition Yudhoyono announces his commitment to the Perppu
As the second-largest political party at the House and the leader of the Red-and-White Coalition, Golkar's move could jeopardize the survival of the Perppu.
Jokowi, backed by the Great Indonesia Coalition of political parties, has opened the possibility for the Democratic Party, the country's fourth-largest political party, to join the ruling coalition.
"In the meantime, [we will deal with] the Perppu. It is possible to continue [the cooperation] later. Why not? At least [this] can be an entrance [for forming an alliance]," he said.
Both leaders, however, remained tight-lipped when asked about details of their meeting.
"Only me and Pak SBY know [each other's] commitment," Jokowi said, laughing.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the country's largest political party and the leader of Jokowi's ruling coalition, has lost several pivotal battles at the House to the Red-and-White Coalition, which is in the majority. The Pilkada Law was one of those battles.
Support from the Democratic Party for the Perppu would provide more votes to endorse the Perppu should political factions at the House bring deliberations to a vote.
With the recent addition of the United Development Party (PPP), the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition has secured a total of 246 House seats in support of the Perppu. With the addition of 61 Democratic Party votes, the number would become 307, more than half of the 560 House seats.
"We highly appreciate and welcome our colleagues from the Democratic Party faction to join supporting it [the Perppu]. We do hope that this will mark the beginning of a partnership at the House," secretary of the PDI-P faction, Arif Wibowo, said.
The House, which is currently on one-month recess, will hold a plenary meeting to discuss the matter when it reconvenes on January 12th next year. The plenary is expected to conduct a voting session if the 10 factions fail to reach a decision based on musyawarah mufakat [deliberations for consensus].
"We hope that the Democratic Party, which has publicly announced its support for the Perppu, will actually back us with the votes of its lawmakers during the plenary that is slated to take place in the next House session. Time will tell," Arief said.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/sby-jokowi-court-political-coalition.html
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Police investigate Paniai shooting
Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papuan Provincial Police deployed an investigating team to Enarotali, Paniai, Papua, on Monday to carry out an investigation into the deaths of five Papuans who died when police opened fire on protesters.
Provincial Police Chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende said on Tuesday that the investigating team led by chief detective Sr. Comr. Dwi Irianto, departed to Enarotali to investigate the incident that took place at the Karel Gobay Field. Five people were killed and 21 others were injured in the incident.
Yotje explained that he did not know the cause of the deaths or whether they were shot or not and if they were shot whether the bullets were from the guns belonging to soldiers, police or others.
"The investigation is needed to identify the causes of the civilian people's deaths, whether they were shot or not, if they were shot, what type of guns were used or whether the bullets belonged to TNI, police or others," he said.
He said further that before the victims were found dead, a group of residents conducted a blockade of a road, disturbing the traffic in the town and then the police tried to negotiate with the protesters to end the protest. When the negotiation was going on, a series of shootings coming from the red mountain was heard and around 200 people were on their way to the military district office and committed anarchism, leaving two soldiers injured and four cars damaged.
After that, the angry mob moved to the Police Station and threw stones at the building. The police office's glass-made windows were damaged and three police officers were injured on their heads.
"A police officer fired a warning shot into the air, but after the situation was under control, a number of people were found dead and a number of others were wounded," said Yotje.
He said that based on an official report from the hospital, there were four deaths, identified as, Yulian Yeimo, Simon Degei, Alpius
Gobay and Alpius Youw. Ten were injured and their names are Jerry Gobay, Octavianus Gobay, Noak Gobay, Yulian Mote, Andrias Dagopia, Yulian Tebay, Neles Gobay, Jermias Kayame, Italia Edoway and Albernadus.
For now, he said, the four deceased were at the East Paniai District office for funeral preparations. "The [Paniai] regent, the deputy regent and the victims' relatives are at the East Paniai District office to discuss the funerals," he said.
Yotje also said that besides, three other teams from the National Police Headquaters, Indonesian Automatic Fingerprints Identification System (Inafis) and forensic laboratory in Semarang respectively were going to the regency to join the investigating team.
"If police officers are found guilty, they will be punished," he said.
Separately, Natalis Pigai, a commissioner of the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said the death of four civilian people in the incident was deemed as a human rights violation and was leading to gross human rights abuses.
"According to our monitoring, the incident is not linked with politics but is a serious crime to humanity. The right commission condemns the incident," he told The Jakarta Post.
He added that the human rights commission has already reported on the incident to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.
"We have already reported the case to the President in Yogyakarta this morning and we are waiting for the President's action," he said.
He also said the human rights group would deploy its own team to Paniai to investigate the incident to determine whether the incident was a human rights violation or gross human rights abuse.
He added that based on the report filed to his group, five people died and 17 others were injured in the incident. (rms)
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/police-investigate-paniai-shooting.html
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Survey unveils early doubts on Jokowi's commitment
Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014
Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A study by Jakarta-based Setara Institute confirmed mounting doubts over President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's commitment to uphold human rights following recent decisions deemed controversial, foreseeing ongoing lack of efforts to actually settle cases of human rights abuses by Jokowi's administration.
According to the study, as many as 61.8 percent of the 200 academicians and human rights campaigners in 19 provinces that were engaged in the study were anticipating stagnant performance in upholding human rights during Jokowi's five years in office.
Only 22.4 percent of the respondents still have faith in Jokowi's will to uphold human rights, including to actually end the long overdue cases of past gross human rights violations.
The study cited four main reasons to the declining trust in Jokowi's commitment, which includes: the release of convicted murder of prominent human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto; the government's plan to soon execute five drug-convicts that were on death row; and the appointments of politicians Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno and HM Prasetyo as Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs and Attorney General, respectively.
"Many did not expect that Jokowi's administration would actually grant Pollycarpus' release [on parole] and expected that under his leadership, the government would review the proposal that had been submitted during the leadership of former president SBY [Susilo Bambang Yudhyono]," Setara chairman Hendardi said on Monday.
He went on explaining that the installment of Tedjo and Prasetyo, whom activists slammed for their poor human rights commitment, in the two posts that were crucial in determining the fate of cases of rights abuses, reflected Jokowi's poor knowledge and understanding in the issue.
"Jokowi has so far shown that he is no different from SBY who has used human rights issues as a commodity to promote political interests. Jokowi must soon do something to win back trust in the matter," Hendardi emphasized.
Of all the variables used to measure public perception of the commitment of the Jokowi-Kalla administration to human rights, the commitment to settle the cases of human rights violations that took place in the past has reached the lowest point.
Having affected by recent controversial decisions, on a scale 0 to 7, Jokowi has so far scored only 1.51 in his commitment to resolve cases of gross past abuses, which have been passed on from one administration to another.
Meanwhile, the study revealed that Jokowi has obtained the highest score of 3.09 in his administration's long term plan on human rights, which was reflected through the improvements of state institutions that promote human rights, including the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan); as well as improvements in laws and regulations that promote the rights of the people.
"Although we've witnessed some unexpected and disappointing policies by the Jokowi-Kalla administration, it is still too early to measure the government's work and dedication to protect human rights in the country," Setara researcher Ismail Hasani said.
"There is still a lot of time for the government to do much better than the previous government in order to improve the sluggish human rights work we've recorded from time to time," he added.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/survey-unveils-early-doubts-jokowi-s-commitment.html
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Jokowi said to channel Suharto in party wars
Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014
Jakarta – When the late dictator Suharto wanted to undermine the political opposition to his iron-fisted rule, he did it from the inside, sowing seeds of discontent that fractured any semblance of organized dissent.
Today, Indonesia's first ever president elected to office without any ties to Suharto's New Order regime is doing the same, critics contend.
For Dradjad H. Wibowo, a veteran politician from the opposition National Mandate Party, or PAN, the Suharto-era tactics are evident in the squabbling that has riven both the Golkar Party, the strongman's former political vehicle, and the United Development Party, or PPP, Indonesia's oldest Islamic party.
"There has been a ploy to divide them," Dradjad says. "These two old parties, Golkar and the PPP, are being divided."
He stops short of apportioning blame for the internal schisms, but insinuates that just as in the New Order era, the government of President Joko Widodo has a hand in the current upheaval.
Underhanded tactics
A turning point in Suharto's 32-year rule was his appointment in 1996 of Soerjadi as chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party, or PDI, spurred by concern about the growing popularity of Megawati Soekarnoputri, who three years earlier had been elected by the party as its leader.
The move caused a rift in the PDI, and on July 27, 1996, the Soerjadi-led faction, backed by the military and the police, stormed Megawati's supporters at the PDI office in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Five people were killed, but Megawati's camp managed to retain control of the headquarters.
Eighteen years later, it seems, Megawati's party, now called the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, is engaging in the same underhanded tactics against the opposition Red-White coalition, or KMP, says Cecep Hidayat, a political analyst at the University of Indonesia.
"I've seen it all; the rifts afflicting some of the parties in the KMP are no coincidence. There's outside interference," Cecep says.
Unlike Dradjad, whose party is also part of the KMP, Cecep is unequivocal about who is to blame: the PDI-P-led government.
He cites the case of the PPP, which was part of the KMP until its chairman, Suryadharma Ali, was ousted earlier this year following his naming as a suspect in a corruption case.
His rivals in the party went on to elect the secretary general, M. Romahurmuziy, as the new chairman, but elements loyal to Suryadharma staged their own congress at which they named Djan Faridz the PPP chief.
The government, through Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly, has endorsed Romahurmuziy's appointment and refused to recognize the faction led by Djan – a move that Cecep says reeks of political bias.
"The justice minister, himself a politician, has [helped] Romi's camp win," he says, referring to Romahurmuziy by his nickname. "When the decision is made by a person with a political affiliation, surely it's affected by political tendencies."
Golkar discontent
The Golkar case is similar. For several months now there have been rumblings of discontent over the direction that chairman Aburizal Bakrie has taken the country's oldest party.
A poor showing in the legislative election and Aburizal's decision to endorse Prabowo Subianto over Joko in the presidential race means that for the first time in its 50-year history, Golkar is not part of the ruling government, and has lost seats at the House of Representatives for a third consecutive election cycle.
Critics including deputy chairman Agung Laksono blame Aburizal for the poor decisions leading to the unprecedented state in which Golkar finds itself, and denounced his bid for a second term as chairman at a national congress earlier this month in Bali. But with his challengers refusing to accept the legitimacy of the congress, Aburizal went on to win (by 100 percent of votes) and subsequently purged 17 party stalwarts who had criticized him, including Agung and Priyo Budi Santoso, a former House deputy speaker.
Unfazed, these Golkar members staged their own congress in Jakarta over the weekend at which Agung was named the party chairman.
The government, as in the PPP case, is giving every impression that it will take sides against Aburizal, who has reaffirmed his commitment to the KMP.
A day before the Bali congress, Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Joko's chief security minister, called on the local police to deny organizers a permit to hold the congress there.
Tedjo is a politician with the National Democrat Party, or NasDem, which along with the PDI-P, is a member of Joko's Awesome Indonesia coalition, or KIH.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a former Golkar chairman, has also hinted his preference for the Jakarta congress that saw Agung elected chairman
"It's not my place to choose. But I will respect the result of the more democratic [congress]," Kalla told reporters in Jakarta on Monday. "Surely you know [which one I mean]."
Aburizal's opponents in Golkar have accused him of using "undemocratic" and "dishonest" means to win re-election, including by dismissing party members opposed to him.
Meanwhile, Agung's camp declared on Monday that it had fired Aburizal and Golkar secretary general Idrus Marham from the party.
Weakening the opposition
Observers say the government has every reason to want to undermine Golkar and PPP because it will weaken the KMP, which controls a majority of the House.
"After the two congresses, Golkar will no longer remain solid, and that includes in terms of its commitment to the KMP and its place in the House," says Siti Zuhro, a political analyst with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, or LIPI.
She adds that any endorsement of either camp by the justice minister will carry little weight, making it more than likely that Golkar will take the route that the Djan-led PPP faction has done and go to court to challenge the legitimacy of the rival camp.
"That means Golkar will suffer from uncertainties until the State Administrative Court decides who wins" the dispute, and thus Golkar's leadership, Siti says.
Padjadjaran University political lecturer Deddy Mulyana agrees that the government most probably meddled in the internal affairs of Golkar and the PPP, but blames the extent of the rifts on the rival interests and power grabs among the parties' own members.
"Seeking power is among the most basic characteristics of a political party. That's why we've often heard the saying that there are no eternal friends or eternal foes in politics, only eternal interests," Deddy says. "When they're involved in arguments, it all leads to a [fight for] power."
Justice Minister Yasonna, meanwhile, whose office on Monday registered bids for official recognition from both Golkar camps, has promised to set up a team to examine the issue.
President Joko has not commented on the rifts in either Golkar or the PPP.
On Monday, though, he hosted his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at the State Palace in a meeting widely seen as cementing a break by Yudhoyono's Democratic Party from the KMP.
Joko said the Democrats might join his KIH next month, while Yudhoyono expressed his dissatisfaction with the KMP.
He said the Democrats could "no longer cooperate" with "inconsistent parties that betray deals and abandon commitments," although he did not elaborate as to what this would mean in terms of the Democrats' long-term stance.
Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jokowi-said-to-channel-suharto-in-party-wars/
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