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ASIET Net News 37 – September 22-28, 1997
Info-Pembebasan (Liberation) - September 28, 1997
[The following is a translation of an interview sent to ASIET by
the underground Peoples Democratic Party (PRD)]
Reports have been heard recently among pro-democracy activists of
a plan by the New Order dictatorship to announce that the
Peoples' Democratic Party and a number of other groups will be
declared "banned organisations" (Organisasi Terlarang, OT). As
reported by SiaR on September 27, 32 organisations which are part
of the Indonesian Peoples' Council (Majelis Rakyat Indonesia,
MARI) will be declared as banned organisations. According to
information we have obtained, the announcement of the bannings
will be made on September 30, at the same time as the G30S (1)
commemorations. Consequently, the organisation which are to be
declared banned will clearly be identified with the Indonesian
Communist Party (Partai Komunis Indonesia, PKI).
What follows is an interview with Mirah Mahardika, a leader of
the Central Leadership Committee of the PRD (KPP-PRD) and
Pembebasan (Libearation) on the question.
Liberation (L): The PRD are to be declared a banned organisation.
Do you have any comments about this?
Mirah (M): We are not worried. Since the PRD's declaration by
Bung (2) Budiman [Sujatmiko, jailed chair of the PRD] we have
explicitly stated that the PRD does not need recognition from the
authorities. What we want is recognition from he people. So from
the start we have not cared whether our party is banned, its
leaders jailed and so on. We have already shown that since the
July 27, 1996 crackdown, when the PRD was accused of being the
mastermind behind the riots [following July 27] and when its
activists became fugitives from justice... that we are no longer
recognised by the dictatorship. We no longer have formal legal
protection. The people are prepared to house PRD and its mass
organisation's activists. The people give us food for as long as
we are hunted. The people where we hid protect us. Without the
support of the people, certainly we would all be arrested... so
we only need the recognition and support of the people. Only
that. P: In declaring the PRD a banned organisation, does that
mean that the military is free to arrest all PRD activists...
M: The military has always been free to arrest anyone. The
military always trample over the law and human rights. Since the
July 27 crackdown the military has tried to arrest us, but didn't
arrest all of us. And now we are conducting our struggle
underground. No one knows the location of our secretariat, who
the leaders of the PRD are. So how are they going to arrest us?
So in practice, especially for the PRD, it will be no different
if the PRD are declared a banned organisation or not.
P: What do you think caused the dictatorship to want to declare
the PRD and a number of other groups as banned organisations. Why
not earlier, for example after the PRD was accused of being the
masterminds behind July 27?
M: Firstly, this is in the interests of the dictatorship's
propaganda. The dictatorship always tries to frighten the people
by what they refer to as the latent threat of the PKI. It is used
by the regime so that people will be suspicious of movements
which challenge the authorities. To create a phobia against the
pro-democracy movement. According to the dictatorship, the pro-
democracy movement is the PKI in new clothing. And according to
the regime, is the PKI also not evil?
Secondly, the authorities are under ever more pressure from the
pro-democratic movement. The immoral political acts carried out
by the authorities to kill the pro- democratic movement have
clearly not been effective. Look at the arrests and jailings of
pro-democratic activists, the removal of Megawati [as leader of
the Indonesian Democratic Party, PDI], the attack on the pro-
Megawati PDI offices, the torture of activists, the killing of
critical journalists, the terror by the military intelligence and
the Pancasila Youth (Pemuda Pancasila) and other kinds of
detestable political acts by the government... and what was the
result? The result was that the people continued to resist.
Thousands of mercenaries were mobilised to silence the people,
but still they resisted (3). Despite the propaganda, lies and
slander used to vilify pro-democratic groups, the people
continued to be sympathetic to the pro-democratic movement. All
kinds of "taboo" (4) methods were justified (5), but without
success. So declaring [the PRD and other groups] as banned
organisations is just a new method which [the regime] hopes will
be able to extinguishing the pro-democratic movement. But that's
all it is, a hope. It's yet to be proven [effective], ha, ha...
P: So the declaration [of the PRD and other groups] as banned
organisations will not be effective?
M: We don't know what will happen. But for the PRD it really has
no meaning. We have already demonstrated this since July 27. With
regard to other organisations, we pray and hope that it does not
cause the movement to retreat. Hopefully the announcement will
spur on pro-democratic groups to further improve the quality of
the struggle, tighten their ranks and strengthen their
organisational structures, harden their cadres, and sharpen their
thinking; and most importantly, increase their courage.
P: But the July 27 crackdown caused a number of pro-democratic
groups to retreat. Won't the declaration of banned organisations
also be so? M: Perhaps there will be some who will be frightened.
Certainly the quality of different organisations are not the
same. Perhaps there will be some which become more moderate if
they are named as banned organisations, or will dissolve
themselves. Perhaps there will also be those who become even more
radical and militant. But I think this is also a selection
process for the organisations struggling for democracy in
Indonesia. Let the people see for themselves which organisations
are capable of becoming a political vehicle for them. Only those
organisations who are able break through the barriers erected by
the dictatorship will be able to accompany the people into a
brighter world, a democratic Indonesia.
P: Do you have a message for the Indonesian people and PRD
cadres?
M: To the cadres throughout Indonesia, my message is that there
is no need to panic if the PRD is declared a banned organisation.
It will have no effect. We already have a security system which
has proved itself in protecting us and our party since the
military crackdown last year. Furthermore, our first National
Congress [held August 30-31, 1997] was able to further
consolidate and tighten the our organisational structures. My
second message is that in declaring the PRD a banned
organisation, I hope this will push all of us to be more
disciplined and careful. But remember, being careful is not the
same as being afraid!
To the Indonesian people, I say do not be provoked by the
announcement that a number of organisations will be banned.
Gather and organise your relatives, friends and colleagues to win
democracy and overthrow the Suharto dictatorship. Launch
struggles everywhere. But do not to the point where it becomes
and issue of SARA (6), such as the attacks against Christians and
our Chinese brothers and sisters. Because what causes our
suffering is not our Christian and Chinese brothers and sisters,
but the economic and political system of the New Order which is
unjust and oppressive. The issue of SARA will only weaken us and
divide the strength of the people. We must unite all of the
peoples' strength in the of the overthrow of the aging New Order
dictatorship.
Translators notes:
1. G30S/PKI: Garakan 30 September/Partai Komunis Indonesia, the
September 30 Movement/Indonesian Communist Party. An acronym
referring to the alleged coup attempt in 1965 which the New Order
regime blamed on the PKI. G30S was a grouping of middle ranking
officers lead by Lieutenant Colonel Untung, who kidnaped and
killed six generals whom they accused of being members of a
"Council of Generals" allegedly organising a coup against
president Sukarno.
2. Bung: Brother or comrade. The original term
used was "pemberontakan".
3. "Pembrontakan" is closer in meaning to
"rebellion", "revolt", "uprising" or "mutiny" rather that resist.
The original word was "haram", an Islamic term meaning forbidden,
prescribed.
4. The original word was "menghalalkan", derived from
the Islamic term "halal", to allow or permit something, to make
it kosher.
5. Sara: Suku, agama, ras dan antar golongan, An acronym
meaning ethnic, religious, racial and inter-group conflicts. A
loosely defined term with negative connotations, it is frequently
used by the regime to describe conflicts which are deemed to
threaten "national unity" or "stability" and are at odds with the
state ideology of Pancasila and the concept of "unity in
diversity".
[Translated by James Balowski]
INFO KNPD - September 23, 1997
[The following is an abridged translation of a leaflet sent to
ASIET by the National Committee for Democratic Struggle (KNPD)
which was distributed during the strike actions by workers from
PT. Sindol and PT. Beta Mega Pertiwi.]
On the 22 and 23 September, 1997, workers from two factories, PT.
Sindol and PT Beta Mega Pertiwi together with the National
Committee for Democratic Struggle (Komite Nasional Perjuangan
Demokrasi, KNPD) held a strike. On the first day they went on
strike at the factory. On the second day they demonstrated at the
national parliament. However not one of the 1,000 members of the
Consultative Assembly who call themselves the "peoples'
representatives" wanted to meet with the workers. So the workers
decided to march to the Department of Labour. But they were
blocked by the military resulting in pushing and shoving between
workers and the military in front of the parliament building. As
a result nine KNPD activists and two workers were arrested and as
of September 25, has still not been released. What follows is a
leaflet which was distributed on the second day.
United resisting oppression
PT. Sindol Pratama and PT. Mega Bea Pertiwi are part of a group
of companies which produce shoes for export to a number of
countries. A number of brands are produced including: Ellese,
Starmon, Machtick, Rucanor, Sport and Postman. The factory
employs 1,300 workers but despite the large profits the
conditions in the two factories are the opposite. The management
forces us to work overtime to meet production targets, is
fraudulent and denies our rights. Overtime pay is still
calculated on old minimum wage levels (152,000 Rupiah per month)
and they do not provide food and transport allowance. We there
for demand:
Wage deductions be made in accordance with Ministry of Finance
regulation Number 29/KMK04/1994, dated January 25, 1994,
Calculation of overtime wages use the new minimum wage levels;
All forms of sanctions against workers be abolished;
Workers who are considered disobedient (refuse to work overtime,
request sick leave, leave to return home and do not report for
work) are suspended. During the period of suspension, they must
continue to attend work but are only paid half wages; If workers
mistakenly damages goods, they must pay the cost of the damage.
This is despite the fact that the technology used by the company
is old fashioned so it is difficult not to make mistakes. Given
the low wages, this action is inhuman;
An end to workers being forced to work overtime which should be
voluntary; A food allowance of 1,000 Rupiah per day, transport
allowance of 800 Rupiah per day and an insurance premium of 5,000
Rupiah per week be provided; Workers who are sick and have a
doctor's certificate continue to be paid. The company cover the
cost of medicines; 1,000 Rupiah extra per day be paid for working
the night shift; A weekly wage slip be provided; Dismissal the
personal officer, who is ex-army and treats us as little more
than machines in the production process. This is one of the
reasons we are on strike, because we are disciplined as if we are
in the military. Continue to be paid while on strike. It is our
right to strike. No demotions, intimidation or sacking following
a strike;
As well as the above demands, we also reject the newly enacted
labour regulations which:
Allow workers to employed like contract workers which means
workers can be arbitrarily sacked and abolishes the rights we
have at the moment; Prevent workers from taking actions outside
the factory. Our experience so far is that actions and
negotiations within the factory come under more pressure from the
company and benefit them; Obstruct the right to strike by
requiring that the company and government be informed beforehand;
Restrict the right to organise outside of the government
controlled trade union FSPSI. ILO conventions stipulated that
worker organisations must be independent and free from government
intervention. This strike is evidence that SPSI cannot become a
vehicle for workers' struggle.
[Translated by James Balowski]
East Timor
Environment/land disputes
Labour issues
Human rights
Arms/armed forces
Miscellaneous
Democratic struggle
PRD not frightened by been declared a "banned organisation"
Leaflet distributed during strike action
KNPD activist mistreated, workers and KNPD lodge complaint
INFO KNPD - September 26, 1997
Yesterday morning, September 25, 30 activists from the National Committee for Democratic Struggle (Komite Nasional Perjuangan Demokrasi, KNPD) and workers from PT. Sindol and Mega Beta Pratama loged a complaint because of military mistreatment against them which occurred at an action on September 23. As we have already reported, 1,300 workers from the two factories held an demonstration at the national parliament building. Not one of those who call themselves the peoples' representatives responded to the demonstration. Instead, workers and KNPD activists were violently attacked by the military. 11 were arrested after being thrown to the ground, beaten and kicked. After being held for more than 24 hours, yesterday afternoon they were released.
One of the participants, Alex (a Manado KNPD activist), was struck and thrown to the ground, his eye and mouth bruised and fresh blood gushing from his hear. When the police arrived, Alex and his friends were still receiving physical violence from the interrogator. As a result of this harsh treatment, Alex had to be taken to the Cikini hospital in Central Jakarta. Alex is presently getting a doctors report accompanied by lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation to take the case to court.
These violent actions were also reported to the National Human Rights Commission. However the plaintiffs are still not satisfied because many previous complaints have not been acted upon.
We therefore call on all of those committed to the democratic struggle in Indonesia to give support and solidarity to the workers of the two factories, Alex and the KNPD.
[Translated by James Balowski]
ASIET - 23 September, 1997
8.45 am - 1.800 workers from several factories (each from different organisations), from the JABOTEK industrial area [outside Jakarta] together with students mostly from the National Committee of Supporters of Democracy (KNPD) gathered at the entrance gate to the national parliament.
9.00 - The masses reached the steps of the parliament and started a public rally which lasted about 15 minutes
9.15 - The masses entered the lobby and continued the public rally/forum until 11.00. No members of parliament were available because of being in recess.
9.20 - 200 more workers arrived and joined the public forum inside the lobby
11.00 - The masses left the lobby of the parliament and were preparing to march to the Department of Labour
11.25 - The masses were stopped at the gates to the parliamentary complex. The military offered a truck to take them to the Department of Labour. The masses did not believe this (as they were usually immediately arrested once on board) with the result that small skirmishes took place. Several students and workers were arrested. Those arrested and identified so far are: Kamal (male); Yosi (male); Alit (male); Alex (male); Indra (male); Asep (male); Sugianto (male); Hikamah, Secretary-General of the KNPD (female) and ; Herni (male).
12.10 - The masses were foprced on to the truck and taken to the Department of Labour.
[Translated by Max Lane]
| East Timor |
Lusa - September 24, 1997
Jakarta – Bureaucratic problems are blocking the departure of six East Timorese who have sought sanctuary in the Austrian embassy in Jakarta and asked to leave to Portugal.
The Austrian ambassador said on Tuesday the "biggest problem is setting the exact identity of those people", stressing the administrative procedures were "complex and long".
The four adults and two children entered the embassy last Friday, asking to leave to Portugal. Since 1993, more than 130 Timorese have sought sanctuary in foreign embassies in Indonesia before leaving the country to Portugal, via the Netherlands.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and annexed it one year later in a move not recognized by the United Nations that still regards Portugal as the territory's administering power.
Lusa - September 25, 1997
Sydney – More than 10,000 Australians have said to be ready to provide shelter to East Timorese refugees facing deportation, despite risking two-year jail terms.
A spokeswoman for the Sanctuary Movement for Timorese refugees, Cath O' Connor told Lusa on Wednesday that the number of Australians ready to help East Timorese refugees "has increased considerably". The movement was created in 1995 after the government decided to change its policy towards the East Timorese who lost their refugee status to become Portuguese citizens.
Until 1995, the government considered East Timorese as Indonesian citizens, but after Jakarta's pressures, Canberra opted for their deportation.
More than 1,300 refugees facing deportation are still waiting for a final decision over their future.
Straits Times - September 23, 1997
Jakarta – The Indonesian military has accused East Timorese rebels of killing five soldiers and seven civilians in the troubled territory, it was reported yesterday.
The Merdeka daily quoted East Timor military commander Colonel Slamat Sidabutar as saying that the attack was launched by Fretilin rebels last Thursday in Kairua village in Manatuto district, about 80 km from the territory's capital of Dili.
The report said that the rebels launched two attacks on soldiers and civilians working on a construction project in the district.
On Thursday morning, armed Fretilin members attacked a truck carrying civilian workers, killing five men.
That afternoon, they attacked a military vehicle, killing five soldiers and two civilians, Merdeka reported.
The Indonesian security authorities in East Timor declined to comment when contacted by telephone yesterday.
However, a Dili resident reported that the killings occurred, saying that one instead of two civilians died in the second attack.
Fretilin guerillas have been fighting for an independent East Timor since Jakarta annexed the former Portuguese colony in 1976. The United Nations still regards Lisbon as East Timor's official administrator.
Col Sidabutar said that the attacks were carried out to attract international attention to the Fretilin movement. "The Fretilin members only want to create sensational news to give the notion that East Timor is not secure," he said. Thursday's killings were the first major incident since late May when the rebels launched a month-long series of attacks on civilian and military targets, leaving almost 40 people dead.
Lusa - September 22, 1997
Lisbon – An East Timorese couple has been killed by Indonesia's intelligence service, Intel, the Timorese Socialist Association (AST) has said.
Quoting clandestine sources, the resistance movement said in a statement on Friday that the two had been killed last Wednesday night inside their house.
AST said also four East Timorese youth had been arrested, and that it did not know their whereabouts.
Last Thursday morning, an ambush by East Timorese rebel forces in the area of Kailui, killed one Indonesian capitan, three sergeants and two soldiers.
Indonesia invaded East Timor in 1975 and annexed it one year later in a move not recognised by the United Nations that still regard Portugal as the territory's administering power.
| Environment/land disputes |
Reuters - September 26, 1997
Lewa Pardomuan, Jakarta – Forest fires in Indonesia have spread to rubber and palm oil plantations and are likely to hit output, officials and traders said on Friday.
Agriculture Minister Syarifuddin Baharsyah said 173 plantation areas were reported to be on fire, 73 of which had actually made reports to the ministry.
"Most of them are palm oil and rubber plantations. I think it will affect palm oil and rubber output," Baharsyah said, adding that the fire had hit palm oil plantations which were almost mature.
He gave no further details, but said the fires had hit a total of 79,169 hectares (around 195,600 acres) of plantation land on Sumatra and Sulawesi islands and in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo island.
The fires have caused a smoggy haze blanketing much of Southeast Asia affecting Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. Palm oil traders said the haze would also have an impact on the ripening of fruit on the palm trees.
"The haze which is caused by the fires has blocked the sun, which hampers the development of the fruit," said one trader in Medan, the capital of the key growing area of North Sumatra province.
"We expect to feel the decline in production next month. However, it is hard to make calculations on the percentage of the fall yet," he said.
Some traders have attributed a recent rise in palm oil prices to tight supply in the wake of an ongoing drought.
Traders have said the drought sweeping the archipelago and linked to the El Nino weather pattern forming in the Pacific had jeopardised crops such as palm oil, cocoa, rubber and coffee.
Indonesia has said crude palm oil production was projected to rise to 5.2 million to 5.3 million tonnes in 1997, compared with 4.5 million tonnes last year.
Nafis Daulay, chairman of the Association of Edible Oil Industries, told Reuters the impact of the El Nino phenomenon would be felt on the production of palm oil in early 1998.
"This kind of situation will lead to a tight supply of palm oil, especially in early 1998," he said. Daulay said the impact of El Nino on palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, which are the world's largest producers of palm oil, started to be felt in early July.
"In Indonesia, especially in Sumatra and Kalimantan, high temperatures were felt since the first three weeks of July and in August. This kind of situation will worsen in the months to come," he said.
Daulay said farmers in most plantations in the Rantau Prapat area in North Sumatra had to collect water from nearby rivers to irrigate trees due to a lack of rains.
"The southern part of Sumatra has not received sufficient rains for the (palm) plantations, which has led to a decline of production of between 25 percent and 30 percent," he said without elaborating.
But Daulay said local demand still could be met if there was no rise in export, adding that a policy on export tax would be useful to curb the flow of oils outside Indonesia.
Most traders were still concentrating on export because of the weaker rupiah and a bullish overseas trend.
Palm oil was quoted at 1,800 rupiah/kg in Jakarta on Friday against 1,770-75 on the previous day. Crude palm oil was quoted at 1,525 rupiah/kg in Medan.
Reuters - September 26, 1997
Ian MacKenzie, Jakarta – Burning forest peat, too hot and thick to be put out by fire- fighting equipment alone, is now the major cause of choking smog spreading across Southeast Asia, diplomatic sources said on Friday.
"Peat is causing the majority of the smoke problem. It is causing the vast majority of the smoke," a Western source in contact with forestry experts said.
The sources said fire-fighting equipment without rain was useless against the huge quantities of peat underlying bush and rain forests in the affected areas.
Nearly 10,000 Indonesian and Malaysian firemen are fighting the blazes which have sparked a major health scare across the region.
Jakarta has declared a national disaster and Kuala Lumpur a state of emergency in Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo island.
Many expatriates in Kuala Lumpur had left or were planning to leave, residents and diplomats said on Friday.
A World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) official, who has been monitoring satellite pictures, said on Thursday between 500,000 and 600,000 hectares (1.2 million and 1.5 million acres) of bush and forest had been burned or was burning, blanketing large tracts of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia in smog.
Agriculture Minister Syarifuddin Baharsyah told reporters on Friday he understood peat was on fire, especially in Riau province in Sumatra across the Malacca Straits from peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
"If the peat is on fire, it is very difficult to extinguish because it is fire inside the ground," he said.
Other forestry and environmental sources have said burning peat and lignite coal in Sumatra and in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, could cause major ecological problems. The international president of the WWF, Syed Babar Ali, on Thursday described the situation as an "international catastrophe."
Agricultural and environmental sources said many of the fires had been started by plantation companies and small farmers using slash-and-burn techniques – a traditional if illegal practice – to clear land.
Baharsyah said there were 173 plantation areas reported to be on fire. "Most of them are palm oil and rubber plantations. I think it will affect palm oil and rubber output," he said.
He said his ministry suspected 14 plantation companies of setting fires for land clearance.
The fires have been aggravated by drought blamed on the El Nino phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that affects global weather patterns.
Rains normally start in late August or early September, with the bulk of monsoon rain falling from October to April. This year, however, there has been only scattered rain.
Meteorologists warned Southeast Asian environment ministers at a recent meeting in Jakarta that drought could continue into next year.
Air quality in Singapore moved back to an unhealthy level on Friday morning after an overnight respite but was back in the moderate range in the early afternoon.
Military sources said the Indonesian air force and navy had been put on alert to help with cloud-seeding efforts to induce rain. Troops in the affected regions were said to be helping fight the fires, but there had been no general mobilisation so far.
The Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi) accused the government of not showing commitment to deal with the crisis.
"There's no sign of the government's effort to ease the burden on the people. There is a scarcity of (surgical) masks everywhere," Walhi director Emmy Hafield told Reuters.
She said the price of masks had soared to 4,000 rupiah ($1.27) from 500 rupiah (16 cents).
"We believe that the government should announce this crisis an emergency. People in the villages do not have masks and they are already exhausted," she said.
Associated Press - September 23, 1997
Geoff Spencer, Jakarta – A drought that has destroyed crops across the Indonesian archipelago and other Pacific islands could force villagers to begin eating a famine diet of insects, banana tree roots and leaves, an aid official said Tuesday.
"The foods are not very pleasant but they keep you alive," Bryant Allen, who heads Australia's disaster relief team in Papua New Guinea, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Up to one million people are threatened with famine, Papua New Guinea officials say.
Meteorologists have blamed the drought on El Nino, the nickname for a periodic warming of waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Forecasters warn that relief may be far off because El Nino could delay monsoon rains for weeks.
Indonesia's Antara news agency has quoted government officials as saying at least 250 people have died of hunger or cholera on New Guinea since mid-August as gardens have withered and streams and wells have run dry.
The dry weather has created ideal conditions for forest and scrub fires, which have burned out of control, creating thick, health- threatening haze that also has choked Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and the southern Philippines.
Smog grounded relief flights Tuesday across the Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea.
"There are fires and smoke everywhere we go," said Wally Wiley of the Missionary Air Service, which delivers food, medicine and other supplies to more than 200 remote villages in Irian Jaya province.
"Sometimes it's so thick we can't take off because of the lack of visibility," said Wiley, whose organization is headquartered in Redlands, Calif.
The fires pushed air pollution levels in Kuching, in the Malaysian portion of Borneo Island, to an all-time high Tuesday. In some areas, visibility was cut to a matter of feet. Kuching's international airport remained closed, as did schools businesses and factories. In Borneo's Sarawak state, mass evacuations might be necessary if the pollution worsens, said Mohamed Rahmat, Malaysia's information minister. About 5,000 people were seeking treatment daily at local hospitals for respiratory ailments.
Scrub fires trapped 17 hikers Tuesday on the slopes of a volcano in central Java, said Lt. Col. Sangodi, the police chief of Pemalang, 150 miles east of Jakarta. The missing hikers were believed to be Indonesian.
A search was under way by rescue teams of soldiers, police and more than 100 forestry officers, Antara reported.
SiaR - September 23, 1997 (Abridged)
Jakarta – The Environment Minister has released a list of 176 timber companies which are considered to be "at fault" in [causing] the fires in Sumatra and Kalamantan. Many of those listed are by conglomerates owned by people such as Lim Sioe Liong, Bob Hasan, Eka Tjipta Wijaya, and Prayogo Pangestu.
The Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmaja has said that the ministry has asked the police to investigate those companies which are most responsible [for the fires]. But all of the timber companies contacted by SiaR (23/9) have asked the government to be "selective" in taking action. Of the 176 companies named, 40 are classified as having committed major violations.
A timber company in Jambi rejected the governments charges if only particular companies are investigated and acted against.
"Don't only take action against the small timber companies. In fairness it is the timber companies with large investments which are most responsible for the fires and destruction of forests at the moment" they said. They pointed out the correlation between the locations of timber companies owned by conglomerates and the locations of the worst fires. According to them, many of the worst fire started from areas owned by the conglomerates.
The non-conglomerate owned companies question Sarwono and the police's "political will" to take the necessary steps considering that many of the timer companies are owned by "powerful people" who have the backing of the political elite. Furthermore, companies such as Bob Hasan's, have been portrayed to Indonesians as being of great value and service to Indonesia's development.
Companies owned by Bob Hasan have refused to comment on the list released by the Ministry of Environment which includes their companies. A head of one of the companies which operates in Central Kalimantan raised the question of earnings from timber operations and reforestation funds which have been collected by the government. "Where have the funds gone, it could be used to tackle the forest fires" he said. As previously reported by SiaR (11/9), these funds have been injected into companies such as the Nusantara Aircraft Industry (Industri Pesawat Terbang Nusantara, IPTN) [headed by Research and Technology Minister B.J. Habibie] which received as much as 400 billion Rupiah, PT Kiani Kertas owned by Bob Hasan which received as much as 600 billion Rupiah, and as much as 2.2 trillion Rupiah which was used by seven government banks to to prop up the stability of the Rupiah.
[Abridged translation by James Balowski. The title of the report was chosen by the translator.]
Sydney Morning Herald - September 20, 1997
The health of millions of Indonesians - and of people in neighbouring countries - is threatened by the smoke from blazing forests. As Louise Williams reports, Jakarta not only has to cope with the crisis, but stop it happening again.
"Every nation will have its day of reckoning," Indonesia's besieged Environment Minister, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, warned this week as vast clouds of smoke from thousands of fires raging in Indonesia's forests choked the region. The warnings of a serious environmental crisis had been there, he conceded.
"But we were operating on business as usual; we ignored the warnings with dire consequences," he said. "Now Indonesia is facing a disaster scenario; it is a warning for other nations not to be complacent."
As far north as the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur the pollution index breached the 300 mark on several days this week on a scale that sets 100 as a safe limit. School children were fitted with masks, the elderly told to stay indoors and tens of thousands of workers advised to take annual leave allowances now and get their children out of the country.
Indonesia has no pollution monitoring equipment, so the measurements of the crisis are crude. In the worst-hit areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan day has turned into night as cars crawl along the roads headlights glaring. Millions cough and choke, their eyes smarting, dizziness and nausea accompanying their daily routines.
On Wednesday this week, visibility hit zero in the town of Rengat on Sumatra, where some 50,000 people live, and Sarwono said he was advising immediate evacuations.
"I feel sick all over my body, I feel like vomiting. When I go outside, even in a car, my eyes smart," said one Rengat resident contacted by telephone. "Sometimes we can't see anything at all," said another. "The children have breathing problems, the smoke is stinging our eyes and accidents happen because we can't see."
Rengat and most of the worst-affected towns are now virtually cut off, the airports closed and the roads and rivers perilous.
At least 20 million Indonesians are exposed to dangerous air pollution levels and tens of millions more to unhealthy smog on the edges of the fire zones and in the big cities. Indonesia has publicly asked Singapore to lend its environment officials a pollution index monitor.
"We would like to know what the pollution index is in Rengat and other towns, but I am not sure if the level can be indicated on the instruments because it is unimaginably high," Sarwono said.
The Indonesian forest fires are the disastrous product of unusual weather conditions and years of land-clearing and logging in tropical forests that once acted as storehouses of wet season rains.
Fires in Indonesia are seasonal and are routinely used as a cheap and quick method of land-clearing during the dry months. Over the past 15 years, land-clearing for plantations and new settlements has been accelerated, with 300,000 hectares tagged for clearing this dry season alone. The legendary jungles of the island of Borneo (Indonesian Kalimantan) have been reduced to a patchwork quilt of plantations, damaged forest and eroded, denuded land left behind by thoughtless clear-felling.
This year a strong El Nino pattern has taken hold over Indonesia, so the monsoon rains due this month have not arrived to douse the flames. Climate experts have predicted that soaking rainfall will not begin until November or December. Many of the land-clearing fires are now burning out of control.
Right across Indonesia, tens of millions of people have also been hit by drought as wells dry up and rice and other crop planting is delayed under hot, hazy skies. The impact of the drought on the condition of Indonesia's remaining forests, too, is frightening.
A report on "Regional Haze" submitted to the Environment Minister from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta this week said the tropical forests were now dry enough to burn for the first time since 1982, a year of massive fires during a strong El Nino pattern.
"As this dry season extends further and becomes more intense, the risk increases of fires on a scale similar to 1982-83," the report said, citing the destruction of 3.6 million hectares of forest in Kalimantan alone.
The immediate challenge facing Indonesia is to put out the fires and deal with the impact on the health of at least 20 million people living under the smoke. Authorities said this week that millions had suffered throat inflammations and diarrhoea linked to smoke inhalation and poor health was affecting productivity nationwide. Crop failures and rice shortfalls are likely next season because of the delay in planting crops. But, in the long term, Indonesia is facing the crucial issue of land use.
In a landmark statement this week, Sarwono said Indonesia must revise its laws and land-use patterns. For years the Government has dismissed seasonal fires as the work of shifting cultivators, the small groups of powerless indigenous people who live in the diminishing forests of Kalimantan and Sumatra. Now, for the first time, Jakarta has officially acknowledged that it is the big logging and plantation companies, many with links to senior officials, who are responsible for deliberately lighting the fires to clear their land.
Sarwono says more than 175 companies are under investigation.
"When we knock on their doors they say they don't know anything about the fires and that they have friends in high places," the Environment Minister said. "But when we show them satellite photos of their land burning they are less able to deny the charges."
Some of Indonesia's biggest timber and plantations companies have been given 15 days to prove they are not responsible for the fires or face a huge compensation bill: a bill for cloud-seeding to attempt to put out the fires, a bill for medical treatment for local people and a bill for the time environment officials have spent investigating.
The question now is whether the political will exists in Indonesia to push the case against the loggers as well as review land-use policies that have permitted the clearing of large tracts of forest every year.
According to the ASEAN report the area affected by land-clearing fires is steadily increasing. "At the simplest level, moist evergreen forests are not well adapted to fire. High heat can kill trees; it removes the shade required for regeneration and can eliminate seed sources. In disturbed [damaged forest] areas, repeated burning promotes... soil nutrient depletions and erosion."
The report said more than one-third of Indonesia's land area had been affected by fire, indicating that the topography of the world's second-largest tropical rainforest belt was being drastically altered by land clearing.
"There should be a serious review of the use of forests in Indonesia. There is no doubt that environmental considerations must be factored into planning in the future," Sarwono said.
In 1966, 82 per cent of Indonesia's land mass was covered by primary forest. By 1982, it was 68 per cent, and recent satellite photos indicate the area of forest cover is about 55 per cent, including timber estates. About 64 million hectares, roughly a third of Indonesia's land mass, is now covered by commercial logging concessions.
Last year Indonesia became the world's biggest plywood exporter, according to official statistics, and more than 30 per cent of all concessions are controlled by 10 companies with close links to the Soeharto Government.
The even bigger picture of what such disasters are doing to the earth is more complicated.
Indonesia's drought is a consequence of climate change, caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
"We are facing major changes. This is a real-time experience; it is no longer theory," Sarwono told his ASEAN counterparts. "Indonesia is living climate change."
That fact, he argued, was an issue for developed nations.
"Greenhouse gases have been accumulating for more than a century due to industrialisation. There is a difference in how a developed country and a developing country pollutes."
Developed countries, he said, had created "insidious, unseen, global pollution" that could only be measured by scientists familiar with ozone depletion and global warming. Developing countries, he said, citing the smoke and polluted river systems, polluted in a very "visible" way.
Newly industrialising nation, such as Indonesia, however, were not responsible for the long-term gases creating climate change. Japan and other developed countries, ASEAN argued, must set targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases at the Convention of Climate Change later this year.
In the meantime, Indonesian officials said they would have to face their disaster and were putting into place evacuation plans and provisions for the widespread distribution of drinking water if the rains are further delayed.
"What can we do?" asked one overwhelmed official: "We can't tell the people not to breathe."
Straits Times - September 21, 1997
Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Pressure is mounting on the Indonesian government from various groups in the country to strike hard against firms responsible for the forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
The Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi), a non-governmental group, called on police over the weekend to initiate criminal proceedings against 175 companies suspected of starting the fires.
Walhi's executive director Emmy Hafild cited the country's environmental law and a criminal code article on deadly arson as the basis for launching investigations.
The law now allows up to 10 years' imprisonment for polluters and a 100 million rupiah (S$533,000) fine, while the deadly arson article carries up to life imprisonment. Not ruling out legal action by her organisation, she said that Walhi would give police two weeks before it filed a complaint.
Said Miss Emmy: "If the police fail to act, Walhi will be ready to bring the companies to court. We believe in upholding the law and in teaching them a lesson not to disobey rules."
The Association of Muhammadiyah Students also called for tougher government action, saying that companies should be forced to pay compensation for economic losses.
The Indonesian government has said that it would revoke the licences of the 175 suspected firms if they failed to show that they had not engaged in land clearing by fire after a ban was ordered earlier this month. The companies have been given until the end of the month to prove their innocence.
Environment Minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said that the government would continue a crackdown on firms that violated the ban – including releasing their names in public to "shame" them, and having them foot the bill for cloud-seeding operations. In response to the calls for tougher action, Attorney-General Singgih said that he had ordered the courts to co-operate with police to slap a criminal or civil suit against these firms. He did not discount the possibility of using the anti-subversion law as well.
He said: "I have instructed various agencies to act because the fire has caused severe pollution. This is an international problem now."
Miss Emmy stressed that President Suharto's apology should be followed by concrete government action.
In an editorial yesterday, the Jakarta Post said: "The government should teach companies a hard lesson this year. Show them that crime does not pay and there is equal justice under the law. We can't exactly tell our neighbours to put the haze in their pipe and smoke it."
"Another failure would prove costly for Indonesia as it would show the world that we lack the political will to address the problem seriously."
Reuters - September 21, 1997
Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian non-governmental organisations staged a rare demonstration on Sunday demanding immediate and serious action from authorities to combat a smoky haze blanketing parts of Southeast Asia.
Some 60 people gathered at Merdeka Square, the site of Malaysia's declaration of independence 40 years ago, protesting against a lack of action by the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia to control the haze.
Protesters shouted "Immediate action! Immediate action!" during the peaceful hour- long rally as a dozen police officers watched.
The rare protest came amid indications the haze may worsen before it gets better as timber and plantation companies accelerate slash-and-burn activities before the government clamps down on the fires.
The thick, choking smog, which has also affected neighbouring Singapore, has been blamed on smoke from thousands of brush and forest fires in Indonesia and industrial pollution. It has triggered health alarms and disrupted air and sea traffic.
"We regret that the lack of firm and effective action by both Malaysian and Indonesian governments to control the haze has resulted (in) serious health risk to many people," said Sanusi Osman, spokesman for the Group for Clean Air for the People.
"We are surprised that the fires in Indonesia raging at such magnitude were not detected at the early stage. We should have paid greater attention to the situation and helped Indonesia to control or put out the fire as soon as it happened," he said.
The protesters all wore face masks, a common sight throughout the country since the haze worsened a week ago.
The government has said a state of emergency would be declared when the Air Pollutant Index (API), which measures pollution levels, crosses 500.
Malaysia on Friday declared a state of emergency in its eastern state of Sarawak as the pollution thickened to an API reading of 655 in the state capital of Kuching, putting it into "dangerous" territory.
"But we can't wait until it reaches such high level before a state of emergency is declared. By then, it would be a bit too late as many would have fallen sick," said Syed Alwi Syed Mohamad, who brought along his wife and four children, aged between five and 15, to the rally. W.P. Chan, a 72-year-old heart patient, said she attended the rally as a gesture of support.
"Certainly I'm concerned about the situation. I'm a heart patient and my daughter is an asthmatic. I find it difficult to breathe, so something has to be done," she said.
Sanusi said the group would hand over a memorandum to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday.
"We know that (Indonesian) President Suharto has apologised. But apology alone is not enough. Serious actions need to be taken to overcome the problem," he said.
Public rallies in Malaysia are rare, particularly those involving neighbouring nations.
Last November youth members of the ruling National Front coalition broke up a human rights conference on East Timor in Kuala Lumpur organised by Malaysian and foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Malaysia had earlier warned the NGOs not to proceed with the conference over concerns that it could harm ties with Indonesia.
Malaysia's main opposition party, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) said on Sunday that Kuala Lumpur must ensure the Indonesian forest fires were treated as an international problem.
DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang said Southeast Asian countries must not let traditional pride and national sovereignty stand in the way of tackling the forest fires.
Indonesian fire officials said on Sunday they had identified 167 hot spots from blazes across the sprawling archipelago.
"Forest fires are still on. The fires have hit more than 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres) throughout the country," said an official of the coordinating team for land and fires control.
He said some forest companies might be stepping up slash-and-burn fires to clear land before the government fully clamped down on the practice.
Malaysia on Saturday offered to send 200 firefighters to Kalimantan and an equal number to Sumatra to help fight the fires.
| Labour issues |
Kyodo - September 23, 1997
Jakarta – Indonesian police have officially closed their investigation into the 1993 slaying of female labor activist Marsinah, which had sparked a controversy in the country and abroad after they failed to prove the latest evidence, an English-language newspaper said Tuesday.
The Jakarta Post quoted National Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo as saying that their last lead, a DNA test, failed because the blood sample, which was two years old when it was sent to Britain for investigation, had been contaminated.
"We are temporarily closing the investigation due to a lack of evidence," said Dibyo. "We sent the blood sample to Britain, but the laboratory could not use it for a DNA test because it had been contaminated."
The DNA test was the last and probably the only lead the police had to sustain their investigation into the murder which had stirred public outcry at home and abroad, the paper said.
Marsinah, a high school graduate, was found dead only days after organizing a workers' strike at a watch manufacturer in the East Java town of Sidoarjo, where she worked, demanding improvement in working conditions at the company.
Her badly mutilated body was found May 9, 1993, in an abandoned shack near the town of Nganjuk, also in East Java.
Her death sparked a huge controversy amid criticism that the government was dragging its feet with the investigation.
The trials of nine people – the owners, managers and security officers of the company – at a district court in the East Java provincial capital of Surabaja and the way they were arrested raised almost as much debate as the slaying itself, it said.
The Surabaja District Court subsequently convicted all the suspects for Marsinah's murder.
However, all nine of them had pleaded their innocence, and disclosed they had been interrogated under torture.
They also said they were framed for the murder because the government was taking so much heat from labor organizations and human rights campaigners at home and abroad, according to the paper.
In 1994, the Supreme Court acquitted the nine people, ruling the trials were inconclusive, and that much of the evidence was extracted from the suspects by force.
After their release, police insisted they remained the chief suspects and that the DNA test would support their cause for a new trial, the paper added.
Reuters - September 22, 1997
Martin Wolk, Portland – Nike Inc. said Monday it severed ties with four Indonesian- based factories because they failed to adhere to the company's requirements for wages and working conditions.
Speaking to shareholders at the company's annual meeting here, Nike officials defended the sports apparel giant against renewed criticism of its Asian factory labor practices and outlined plans to expand sales of its soccer, golf and women's footwear.
Nike said the move involved three subcontractors, who manufactured products for Nike and other clients at four factories in Indonesia.
Nike said it severed its relationship with one of the subcontractors, which it identified as Seyon, because the company refused to meet a 10.7 percent increase in the monthly minimum wage, as mandated by the Indonesian government in April.
Nike spokesman Vada Manager called Seyon "a good company" and said Nike could sign a new contract next year if the Indonesian company meets the wage requirement.
Manager declined to identify the other three factories but he said Nike chose to end its relationship with them because they failed to comply with Nike's standards for overtime and physical environment.
The company said at one of the factories the average work week was 60 to 70 hours.
The announcement came as a workers' rights group accused Nike of contracting with companies in China that use child labor.
In a lengthy statement, Nike challenged the allegations made about four Chinese sub-contracted factories by a group called Global Exchange.
"The report incorrectly states the wages earned by workers, makes irresponsible accusations about worker health and safety and is just plain wrong in its assertion that Nike's Code of Conduct is not made available to workers," said Dusty Kidd, Director of Labor Practices for Nike.
"These are not new issues," Nike Chairman Phil Knight told shareholders. "We try to be good citizens and operate as good a factory as we can."
Separately, Nike President Tom Clarke confirmed the company's growth rate would slow down in the current fiscal year, reflecting weaker U.S. footwear sales. He said Wall Street estimates that called for a profit of $2.80 a share for the current fiscal year were reasonable. Nike reported a profit of $2.68 a share for the fiscal year ended May 31.
Clarke also said in an interview after the company's annual meeting here the outlook for fiscal 1999 was "very positive."
He said the company will overcome its current difficulties in U.S. footwear sales and over the long term would continue to expand the category by seven to 12 percent a year.
He reiterated the company expects U.S. footwear sales to decline by less than 10 percent over the next two to three quarters from the year ago periods.
Nike shares ended up $1.0625 at $55.375 in New York Stock Exchange trading.
| Human rights |
OMCT - September 24, 1997 (posted by Tapol)
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information on the detention and trial of Mr Mochtar Pakpahan in Indonesia.
Background
In the appeal IDN 310796 and its previous follow ups, the International Secretariat informed you - at the request of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and Tapol (Indonesia Human Rights Campaign), both members of the network - of the grave concern for the physical and psychological integrity of Mr Mochtar Pakpahan, 44, the General Chairman of the Serikat Buruh Segahtra Indonesia (SBSI). He was arrested under the Anti-Subversion Act on 29 July 1996 after a raid on the PDI office in Jakarta on 27 July 1996. In virtue of this law, Mr Mochtar Pakpahan could receive the death sentence. He has also been charged under Article 154 of Indonesia's Criminal Code for a subsidiary charge of expressing hostility, hatred or contempt against the government of Indonesia, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years.
Mr Mochtar Pakpahan had been previously detained, harassed, and subjected to intimidation, while apparently carrying out legitimate trade union activities. On 25 October 1996, the Indonesian Supreme Court reversed its earlier decision and restored Mr Mochtar Pakpahan four year prison sentence for allegedly inciting Medan workers to riot of 1994. ICFTU stated that the charges brought against Mr Mochtar Pakpahan in 1994 and in 1996 were without either substantiated charges or convincing evidence.
According to the information received from Tapol, Mr Muchtar Pakpahan is suffering from vertigo, sinusitus and stomach disorders since being arrested and had been denied medical treatment at the Cipinang Prison. After several complaints, the judge presiding over the hearing of Mr Muchtar Pakpahan had instructed prison authorities to arrange for him to receive medical treatment. Due to his ill health, he was unable to attend one court hearing.
New Information
According to new information received from reliable sources, the health of Mr Mochtar Pakpahan is deteriorating seriously. Apparently, doctors have found a tumour in Mr Muchtar Pakpahan's right lung and a blockage in an artery in his brain. But since he is in detention he is not allowed to travel overseas for medical treatment.
The trial of Mr Muchtar Pakpahan resumed on 4 September 1997, after a six months adjournment due to his poor health. Mr Muchtar Pakpahan and his lawyers are currently presenting evidence to the Court which suggests that he wanted to prevent industrial action which contradicts the allegations of the prosecution. Furthermore, new evidence is being presented to demonstrate that Mr Muchtar Pakpahan was not involved in the Medan riots of 4 April 1994 as the prosecution alleges.
| Arms/armed forces |
Tapol press release - September 26, 1997
The announcement in New York yesterday by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook that the Foreign Office has blocked the sale of military equipment to Indonesia is being taken as a sign that the Labour Government is beginning to implement its ethical policy regarding arms sales to repressive regimes. While welcoming the announcement, TAPOL considers that it does not go far enough and leaves many questions unanswered.
The announcement comes three days before the Labour Party Conference opens in Brighton, when a resolution on arms to Indonesia is expected to embarrass the Government. Many Labour Party members have been dismayed by the Government's refusal to revoke licences issued by the previous administration.
According to press and radio reports, the licences rejected involve armoured personnel carriers and sniper rifles and are believed to be worth altogether =A31 million. Since a single APC can cost anything up to a million pounds,= the licences rejected would appear to cover a very insignificant order indeed. While confirming today that three licences had been rejected, the Foreign Office refused to confirm the value on the grounds of 'commercial confidentiality'.
The Government told Parliament on 30 July that there were 59 licence applications for arms exports to Indonesia under consideration. It is not clear whether yesterday's announcement means that 56 applications are still outstanding or whether any or all of these other licences have already been granted.
Although three licences have now been blocked, armoured personnel carriers and water cannon are still being delivered to Indonesia because the Labour Government refused to revoke licences issued for this equipment by the previous administration. Furthermore, the Government has failed to clarify whether it will embargo future sales of any category of equipment, including APCs.
Carmel Budiardjo of TAPOL said: 'We are concerned that Robin Cook, when asked, refused to acknowledge on the BBC today that his announcement is a "turning point" in his foreign policy. All this leaves us in the dark about the true significance of the Government's policy on arms sales to Indonesia. The lack of clarity only highlights the need for greater transparency about the arms trade. While TAPOL would enthusiastically welcome an end to the sale of APCs to Indonesia, we feel that a complete embargo on all arms sales to Indonesia is the only acceptable policy towards such a repressive regime that is also in illegal occupation of East Timor.'
| Miscellaneous |
Reuters - September 21, 1997
Jakarta – Indonesia has arrested nearly 600 people for alleged involvement in ethnic riots in South Sulawesi province, the official Antara news agency reported on Sunday.
At least six people were killed in the riots last week in the provincial capital of Ujung Pandang and hundreds of houses belonging to ethnic Chinese were attacked after a mentally ill man of Chinese descent killed a local nine-year-old girl.
Antara, quoting official sources, said 73 of the 588 people arrested had been charged. The agency said 67 cars, 1,471 shops and 100 motorcycles were burned during the riots. Thirteen businesses were burned down and 40 damaged.
Thirteen people were wounded by stray bullets, adding that the situation in the port city of 800,000 had gradually returned to normal.
It gave no further details. Government officials could not be reached for comment.
Indonesia Times - September 23, 1997
Jakarta – The wife of Dwi Sumaji, alias Iwik, the defendant on the murder of Bernas daily's reporter Udin, said that her husband was at home in the night it happened.
Sunarti, Iwik's wife, yesterday was present in Bantul district court, Yogyakarta, as a witness to unveil Iwik's alibi.
"My husband had slept at home from 08.00 p.m to 24.00 before he went out to see what was happening in our neighborhood," Sunarti said.
The night the murder happened, on Aug. 13 1996, Iwik's neighbor has just lost his motorbike and all neighbors coming out of their house to see what happened.
"My mother also saw him at home," she added.
Other witness in the trial, Sumardi Imam Daud, a police officer who is also Iwik's neighbor, confessed that he saw Iwik at that night.
"He rarely goes out of his house since he suffers respiratory problem and cannot stand in cold weather for a long time," he said.
Iwik's house is located in the foot of mountain which forces him to stay at home in the night. Other neighbor, Sumarsono, gave the same confession. "I was sitting in a street kiosk when I saw Iwik came out of his house to see the crowd."
Meanwhile, Sunarti said that her marriage life with Iwik runs smoothly. "We have never been in quarrel for a big problem. So far, if there is, we only bring the problem of our child who does not want to go to school without our company into a discussion," she said.
Commenting on the background of murder which allegedly because of her love affairs with Udin, Sunarti said that Udin was one of her school mates in Islamic high school in Bantul.
"We have never see each other since we graduated from school," she said.
Sunarti said that she was surprised when the report said that she has something to do with Udin's death.
However, Sunarti's way of speaking made the trail visitors laugh. Innocently she said that police officers asked Iwik's shoes as a proof to the murder. The police officers came to her house and asked her husband's shoes. Sunarti gave them a pair of shoes which are a gift of Iwik's father. But then they asked other shoes in brand Adidas. "We don't have that kind of shoes. Why they ask us for the things we don't have?" she asked innocently.
Meanwhile, since the police could not find a head bandanna which allegedly used by Iwik at that night, Sunarti promised them to buy the one they wanted. "They try to find a bandanna which I have never seen before around our house. Since they could not find it, I told them that I will buy them the one they meant," she said followed by visitors' laugh.