Democratic struggle

Four injured in attack on protesters

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Semarang -- A demonstration held by the Democratic Front for Poverty Eradication (FDPRM) turned violent on Monday when the group was attacked by dozens of people claiming to be members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Two demonstrators, a plainclothes police officer and a local photojournalist were injured in the violence.

The incident occurred when demonstrators read out a speech criticizing the failure of President Megawati Soekarnoputri to eradicate poverty and her inclination to ask for foreign loans.

The attackers also seized other journalists' equipment, including their cameras, to stop them from covering the incident, while the police -- who arrived at the scene two hours later -- stood by and did nothing.

Following the incident, about 20 journalists filed a complain with the police, saying that attacking journalists was in violation of the law.

Jakarta hit by National Awakening Day protest

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Jakarta -- Students, activists and members of non-government organizations held various protests and rallies to commemorate National Awakening Day on Monday, reports said.

Groups of protesters marched along the main streets of Central Jakarta, including Jl. Medan Merdeka, Jl. Proklamasi and Jl. M.H. Thamrin, demanding all elements of the nation stick tothe reform agenda, particularly the eradication of corruption and strengthening of law enforcement.

Also attending the commemorations at Proklamasi Monument were former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and political activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas.

Monday's protest was only a day before the commemoration of the fall of Soeharto's authoritarian regime on May 21, 1998.

The National Awakening Day on Monday was also celebrated by various demonstrations in Yogyakarta and other parts of the country.

Mass student protests in commemoration of Soeharto's downfall and the begining of reforms report will be held on Tuesday at the Assembly building.

East Timor

MPs insist they will continue representing East Timor

Associated Press - May 24, 2002

Irwan Firdaus, Jakarta -- Like most lawmakers in Indonesia's Parliament, Natercia Do Menino Jesus Osoria Soares insists she is the voice of her people. The only problem is that the people live in another country.

Since Monday, Soares and three other legislators have been thrown into political limbo. The former Indonesian province they represented -- East Timor -- became an independent country, with a legislature of its own, on Monday. That leaves the four politicians without a constituency.

The predicament has not deterred the four from showing up at Parliament this week and joining the debate over terrorism and the fate of East Timorese refugees. And they insist they are not going to step down from their well-paid posts.

"There is no reason legally that I have to resign from my post," said Soares, who did not support independence for East Timor and said she is still looking out for the interests of pro-Jakarta Timorese. Despite criticism from some fellow Indonesians, their seats appear safe for now.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung confirmed that the four are still members of Indonesia's Parliament and said there were no plans to remove them. "They are members who represent Indonesian people," he said.

Some support for the four stems from Indonesia's relationship with East Timor, the world's newest nation. Despite East Timor's independence, there are plenty of thorny issues that remain unsettled. Among them are the fate of 55,000 East Timorese refugees in West Timor and Indonesia's calls for compensation for the loss of its investment in its former province.

Indonesia ruled East Timor for 24 years, until East Timorese voters opted for independence in an August 1999 referendum. Following the vote, anti-independence militias _supported by Indonesian security forces_ killed hundreds of people and destroyed nearly 80 percent of the country's infrastructure. East TH3mor has a population of 800,000 people.

Indonesian MPs with no electorate dig in

Sydney Morning Herald - May 24 2002

Four Indonesian parliamentarians are hanging on to their positions despite their East Timorese electorate having broken away from the republic nearly three years ago.

Amid calls to give up their seats, the MPs insist they are representing the interests of the Timorese remaining in Indonesia.

Political commentators have condemned the politicians for staying on in parliament, at a cost to the cash-strapped government.

Indonesia's parliamentary rules do not provide guidance for MPs who lose their constituency, said Wahyu Sugeng Santoso, a legal officer at the General Election Commission. He said the MPs could hold on to their seats until the next general election in 2004.

Rekso Ageng Herman, a member of President Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), defended his decision to stay: "I don't represent a place, in this case the province of East Timor, but the people of East Timor."

Under Indonesia's electoral laws, MPs are not directly elected but are selected by their political parties to represent a province.

Another MP for East Timor, Ronny Hutagal, also from PDIP, said he was still looking after the interests of tens of thousands of East Timorese refugees who remained in camps in Indonesian West Timor.

The other two MPs are from former president Soeharto's Golkar party.

'Show trials' likely to let off generals

South China Morning Post - May 21, 2002

Vaudine England -- Indonesian media greeted the birth of an independent East Timor with congratulations and the stated desire for better ties. But behind the positive rhetoric remains a Government and armed forces determined to avoid responsibility for past abuses in the new nation.

Analysts at the hearings, in which 18 senior Indonesian generals and administrators are being tried in Jakarta for crimes against humanity, say the process will probably end in acquittals -- and with more congratulations among the generals for literally getting away with murder.

In its editorial, the Republika daily said: "Full support for the new state and Government in East Timor should be one of the forms of Indonesia's orientations in the future." But, along with the leading daily Kompas, it said East Timor also had a responsibility to "help" Indonesia.

"Now that Indonesia has shown its commitment to co-operate with [East Timor], it is time for President Megawati to seek the commitment of Xanana Gusmao ... to help free Indonesia from the effects of various problems related to relations between the two sides so far," said Republika. "For a new page in relations to be smooth and clean ... there is a requirement, that is, a mutual understanding," Kompas said.

Evidently, Indonesia wants East Timor to let Jakarta's generals off the hook, which ignores the extent of international concern on the issue. Analysts say the extraordinarily large military delegation sent to East Timor on the weekend indicated a similar insensitivity to how Indonesia appears to the world.

"The visit of President Megawati Sukarnoputri to Dili could have been a turning point for Indonesia's international reputation but has turned into a problem of its own," wrote the Media Indonesia daily. "Indonesia keeps stumbling into the same old disease, the disease of blowing up small things and trying to belittle things that should have been big ... This is a bitter lesson for us," it admitted.

But international observers of the generals' trials doubt if that lesson would be heeded. They say the judicial process is being perverted to such an extent that the concept of war crimes has already been lost.

Prosecutors who would normally put as strong a case as possible are instead describing "riots" by East Timorese before and after their independence vote in 1999, which required calming by Indonesian troops.

"Regardless of the political aspects of these trials, legally [prosecutors] are already ridiculous," said a diplomat monitoring the trials.

"An attorney making a case would normally bring in the witnesses first to establish that a crime has been perpetrated. Here, they brought in the generals first and have given each of them a chance to blame everything on the United Nations.

"These are merely show trials and I expect the indictments to collapse. The Attorney-General has no interest in the case. There is no argument for what they are supposed to be proving, namely, the widespread and systematic pattern of gross human rights abuse," the diplomat said.

Hamzah finds Seroja fighters' disappointment understandable

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2002

Jakarta -- Vice President Hamzah Haz expressed on Monday his sympathy over the Seroja fighters' frustration at President Megawati Soekarnoputri's visit to East Timor, but reminded the nation to move forward and to not only look at the past, reportssaid.

"Their [Seroja veterans] disappointment is understandable, but let us remember that we must not keep looking at the past but also to the future," Hamzah said, at the vice presidential palacein Central Jakarta, as quoted by Antara.

There have been calls for the government to provide generous compensation to the Seroja fighters and their families, as well as resolving Indonesian assets in East Timor.

"We will look into the state's financial condition. If it is possible, we will certainly consider it [compensation for the Seroja fighters]," Hamzah said, adding the government is alsoworking on sorting out the distribution of national assets in the former province.

Labour struggle

Taxi drivers protest management

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Jakarta -- At least 100 Gaspermindo taxi drivers thronged the City Council building on Wednesday, complaining about a lack of transparency in the taxi company's management.

"We are demanding that the management resign for the lack of transparency in managing the company. We held a meeting today but were forced to disperse," the drivers' spokesman, Jose Rizal, told reporters.

The company is reportedly owned by Muslim activists Eggy Sudjana and Jumhur Hidayat, who allegedly often compel the drivers to join their street rallies.

The drivers complained that the company had increased the price for a KIA sedan taxi from Rp 75 million (US$7,500) to Rp 83 million.

Four drivers, including Jose Rizal, were suspended by the company for questioning the increase in the taxi prices.

Drivers queried after rally over illegal fees

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung -- Bandung Police are questioning more than 40 crews of container trucks after a rally they held to protest widespread levies and demand a whole day of access to Padalarang toll road ended in violence on Tuesday.

Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Edwardsyah Pernong said the truck drivers and their assistants were accused of causing a public disturbance as their protest caused traffic congestion and incited a clash between carriage drivers and local residents.

At least three truck drivers were injured in the fight, one of them, Hartono, was rushed to Sartika Asih Hospital due to serious wounds.

The protesters, who were grouped under the Indonesian Port Transportation Labor Union (SBTPI), complained about levies demanded by police patrolling the toll road between Padalarang and Sadang. It was the second protest in the past two months.

The West Java Land Traffic Transportation Agency, confirming a 1993 decree issued by the minister of transportation, has banned containers from traveling on the Padalarang toll road during daylight hours because they caused traffic jams.

SBTPI secretary-general Teguh Susilo said the police had taken advantage of the regulation by demanding levies amounting to between Rp 50,000 (US$5.5) and Rp 200,000 from errant container truck drivers.

Another driver, Deden Fachrurozi, said most employers refused to reimburse the levies. "If we have to regularly pay the levies ourselves, how can we can afford to eat?" he said.

Teguh said the partial ban imposed on containers did not make any sense because nobody could restrict shipping arrangements, which are dependent upon exports.

"We have to quietly operate during the day to avoid fines from foreign importers who always demand swift service. But the police have taken advantage of this situation," Teguh said.

Bandung Police allows the containers to use the toll road between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. every day from Monday to Friday and between 9 a.m. and 12 noon every Sunday. Containers are banned on Saturdays.

Deden said traveling at night was risky as the drivers could fall asleep or face street robbers.

A previous protest was left unheeded because both the police and the provincial legislature found the restriction on containers had helped ease traffic on the toll road.

Police fired warning shots to disperse the warring groups on Tuesday. Pernong said the clash could have been avoided had the protesting truck drivers ended their rally, as demanded by carriage drivers operating close to the access road, who feared a drop in revenue.

The protest began at around 2 a.m. after the drivers returned from Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta.

Poverty hampers effort to stop child labor

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Jakarta -- Severe economic hardship and political instability have undermined efforts to eradicate child labor in the country, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said on Monday.

"Child labor is closely linked to the poverty beleaguering families, poor health and lack of education opportunities for Indonesian children," Nuwa Wea said on Monday when unveiling an International Labor Organization (ILO) report titled A Future Without Child Labor in Jakarta.

The economic crisis, which has plagued the country since 1997, has effectively reduced people's purchasing power, increasing the number of people living under the poverty line to around 40 million people, or roughly 20 percent of the country's 215 million population.

This has also forced poor families to send underaged children to work. According to the latest data issued by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), at least 2.3 million Indonesian children aged between 10 and 14, and 3.8 million children aged between five and 18 work to support their families.

"The figure might not be correct because it is extremely difficult to obtain an accurate figure on the number of child labor in Indonesia," said ILO Jakarta director Alan Boulton without elaborating.

Nuwa Wea appealed to all social components to join hands in fighting against child labor, saying it was impossible for the government to do it alone.

Indonesia has ratified ILO Convention No. 138 and incorporated it into Law No. 20/1999, which bans, among other things, the employment of children under 15 years old.

The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration is working on a bill on the training and protection of workers, which includes banning employing underaged children. Worldwide, the report said that some 352 million children aged between five and 17 years old were involved in various forms of economic activities, of which 179 million children were involved in employment that did not only harm them physically and psychologically but also threatened their lives.

Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region has the highest number of child workers, with 120 million children employed, sub-Sahara Africa second with 48 million, followed by South America and the Caribbean with 17.4 million, and the Middle East and North Africa with 13.4 million.

The report also revealed that child labor was not confined to developing or poor countries. The report showed that approximately 2.5 million of the world's child laborers were in industrialized countries, while another 2.4 million were found in newly independent countries.

Students/youth

Five policemen questioned for beating demonstrators

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta -- The police admitted on Wednesday that some officers were out of control when they beat and kicked students during Tuesday's demonstration to mark the fall of former authoritarian president Soeharto.

"Yes, we admit that some police officers were out of control [in beating and kicking the demonstrators] when dealing with the demonstration on Tuesday," City Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam told The Jakarta Post.

Police officers, as public servants, should handle demonstrations in a less violent manner, Anton said. "We've identified five officers who were out of control during the incident. They've been questioned by the Central Jakarta Police provost," Anton said. He refused to name them, but he said that if found guilty they would be punished according to the prevailing law.

Clashes between police officers and at least 150 student demonstrators of Jarkot (Jakarta Network) occurred at two locations on Tuesday, namely Jl. Diponegoro, in front of Megaria theater in Central Jakarta and on Jl. Suwiryo, adjacent to Jl. Cendana, the residence of Soeharto in Central Jakarta.

The rally, which was organized to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of the former New Order authoritarian leader, was tainted with violence after the demonstrators pelted the officers with Molotov cocktails, according to the police.

The incident apparently provoked the police to take tough action against the students. At least five were injured during the incident.

Police detained 40 students for questioning and confiscated 17 Molotov cocktails and banners. Elsinta radio reported on Tuesday evening that the beating and kicking of the demonstrators by police officers continued after their arrival at the City Police headquarters.

The demonstrators are accused of opposing police officers on duty. According to Article 214 of the Criminal Code, such a crime is punishable by a maximum of seven years' imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Jarkot spokesman Rey Christian said they were still considering whether or not to take legal action against the police officers over the beating. "We are undecided over the matter. We are still discussing it with the victims' families and our team of lawyers," said Rey.

Reinhard Parapat, a lawyer of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) revealed that his team of lawyers would back the demonstrators should they file a complaint against the police officers over the beating and violence.

"We are determined to defend the students if they propose to lodge a complaint over their "barbaric" treatment by police officers during the incident," Reinhard told the Post.

Reinhard also denied that the seized Molotov cocktails belonged to the students. Instead, he alleged that they had been planted in the students' bags to justify the repressive action by the police.

"That's an old-fashioned way of justifying their action, to clamp down violently on the students' peaceful rally," Reinhard asserted.

Students mass in peaceful protest

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Denpasar -- About 150 students staged a peaceful rally on Tuesday at the Bali legislative council building to protest what they called continuing state-sponsored violence against civil society.

Six student groups from Udayana University, Warmadewa University and the Denpasar College of Arts joined forces under the banner of the Bali Students' Alliance (AMB) in a protest that lasted for three hours.

The protest was triggered by an incident last week in which Denpasar Police officers attacked dozens of protesting students commemorating the 1998 fatal shooting of Trisakti University students in Jakarta.

"The attack is a blatant example of how the politics of power and the paradigm of violence still prevail within our state apparatus," said Wayan Gendo Suardana, the field coordinator of Tuesday's rally.

Students mourn death of reform movement

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Jakarta -- Unlike other historical days, the fourth year of the reform movement was observed in a bitter mood on Tuesday, with students nationwide taking to the streets to vent their disappointment with the political elite's failure to comply with the reform agenda.

The demands aired during the rallies varied, ranging from legal measures against former president Soeharto and his corrupt cronies to the resignation of President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The demonstration near Jl. Cendana in Menteng, where Soeharto and his family live, turned ugly as the protesters from the City Network (Jarkot) clashed with police who blocked their access to the house of the former dictator.

No casualties were reported, but some of the students were injured and got all wet as the police beat, grabbed and threw them into a water fountain in the traffic circle nearby.

A larger group of students from various universities across Java marched to the State Palace, demanding the government to lower prices of fuel and other basic commodities, as well as electricity, telephone and transportation rates.

They also urged the government to eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism, to bring human rights violators to court and to reject foreign loans.

The demonstrators, carrying with them floral bouquets usually reserved for funerals, unfurled posters that read: "Mourning the death of the reform movement" and "Revolution Now".

They waved pictures of President Megawati and Vice President Hamzah Haz crossed out with red paint.

The students could not meet Megawati as she was in Bali, where some 150 people staged a peaceful rally against violence committed by the state. Hamzah was at his office on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan when the rallies occurred.

Students took the lead role in pushing for changes in the country, which climaxed with Soeharto's resignation on May 21, 1998 after 32 years in power. The abduction of student activists who challenged Soeharto's rule, the shooting death of four Trisakti students and mass rioting which left hundreds burned alive were the prices paid for a national leadership succession.

History repeated itself, as it was Soeharto who benefited from student rallies against his predecessor and founding president Sukarno in 1966 so he could assume power.

None of the three administrations which have followed Soeharto managed to satisfy the people's demand for sweeping reforms. On the contrary corruption, collusion and nepotism have worsened, the legal system has been virtually unchanged and the selfish, short-term objectives pursued by politicians have all contributed to the bitterness.

A recent poll conducted by leading daily Kompas revealed that over 80 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with the state of the reform movement at present.

Megawati, once the darling of the oppressed and the student protesters, was one of four figures who directly benefited from student-led reform and was chosen to take the lead in the move to challenge Soeharto. The others were former president Abdurrahman Wahid, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais and Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X.

Student rallies also took place in, among other towns, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Palu in Central Sulawesi, Makassar and Pontianak in West Kalimantan.

The protesters from the Alliance of Students for Total Reform and the splinter group of the Islamic Students Association in Palu burned an effigy of President Megawati with the words "Enemy of the Poor". The rally occurred in front of the governor's office.

One of the students, Temu Sutrisno, said Megawati had failed to carry out reform and to bring the nation out of the economic crisis. "Therefore she has to be forced to step down," he told some 100 students attending the rally.

Another student, Burhanuddin, shouted: "Megawati's government is not on the side of the people in accordance with the reform ideals. Neither is she a leader who can guide Indonesia out of the crisis."

In Bandung, representatives of several student bodies demanded the provincial councillors to push the government to take legal action against Soeharto and his cronies, and to seize their ill- gotten gains to subsidize commodities for poor people.

The students also expressed anger over the price hikes of basic necessities.

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais joined the chorus of criticism on Tuesday, saying that despite some positive achievements, the reform movement failed to show any improvement in law enforcement.

Bali students stage anti-state violence campaign

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Denpasar -- Some 150 students from various groups staged a peaceful demonstration here on Tuesday at the Bali Legislative Council, protested what they called the continuing state- sponsored violence against civil society.

Six student groups from Udayana University, Warmadewa University, and Denpasar College of the Arts joined forces under the Bali Students Alliance (AMB) in the demonstration that lasted for at least three hours.

The protest was triggered by last week's violent incident, when Denpasar riot police attacked dozens of protesting students, who were commemorating the 1998 fatal shooting at Jakarta's Trisakti University. Eight students sustained minor injuries during the attack.

"The attack is a blatant example that the politic of power and the paradigm of violence still prevail among our state apparatus," Tuesday's demonstration field coordinator Wayan Gendo Suardana said.

During the protest the students repeatedly provoked the riot officers with verbal assaults. Fortunately, the 50-men strong riot squad was able to maintain its composure, and, in stark contrast to what they did last week, the officers chose to keep alow profile during Tuesday's protest.

In their written statement the protesters demanded the government stop state oppression against society, investigate and prosecute those who involved in state-sponsored violence, dissolve the Golkar Party and clean up state institutions from any element of the New Order regime.

The chairman of the Bali Legislative Council, IB Wesnawa, agreed to meet the protesters at around 3:45 p.m., during which he read the Council's written statement. In the statement, the Council conveyed its condolences over the Trisakti's shooting, and expressed it's support for firm legal action against those responsible for the shooting. Wesnawa also apologized for the last week's violent incident.

Later on, the Council's statement was also sent to, among others, the President, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General, the National Police chief and TNI commander.

Dozens injured, 40 detained after students clash with police

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Jakarta -- At least 40 protesters were detained at Jakarta Police headquarters following clashes that broke out separately in Megaria and Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, reports said.

Dozens of people were also injured in both incidents, most of them were rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta, El Shinta radio reported.

Some students suffered from injuries to their heads and bruises on their bodies, and one of them also had a broken leg.

Police seized several evidence in the melee, including 15 motolov cocktails. The protesters were part of those joining mass demonstrations in commemoration of the downfall of formerpresident Soeharto on May 21, 1998.

Students stage protest to mark Soeharto's downfall

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Jakarta -- Hundreds of students staged rallies in at least six cities throughout the country on Tuesday to mark the downfall of former president Soeharto and to remind the government under President Megawati Soekartoputri to meet the pledge for reforms.

In Jakarta, students from various universities across Java staged a protest in front of the State Palace, demanding the government lower prices of fuel and other basic commodities, as well as electricity, telephone and transport rates.

The students also demanded the government eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism, bring human rights violators to court and reject foreign loans, Antara reported.

The demonstrators, carrying with them floral bouquets, unfurled posters that read: "Mourning the death of the reform movement" and "Revolution Now". They also waved pictures of President Megawati and Vice President Hamzah Haz crossed with red paint.

Another group of students rallied near Soeharto's house in Menteng, Central Jakarta, demanding he be brought to trial. The protesters, however, were prevented from approaching the house by police.

Similar anti-government protests were also held in five other cities, including Bandung and Surabaya.

In the capital of Central Sulawesi, Palu, about 100 protesters burned an effigy of Megawati with the words "Enemy of the Poor," according to Antara Soeharto resigned on May 21, 1998 amid an economic crisis and widespread opposition to his 32-year rule.

Students threaten to launch second stage of reform movement

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Jakarta -- Hundreds of students of various universities from Jakarta, Bogor and Bekasi on Tuesday threatened to stage huge rallies if the government was unable to improve the condition of the nation within one month.

The students claimed the rallies they would stage would be similar to the ones which lead to the downfall of then president Soeharto in 1998.

"We demand that the government lowers prices, eradicates corruption, collusion and nepotistic practices, fights against criminals and wipes out all foreign debts," student Muhammad said as was quoted by Antara.

"If the government fails to meet our demands, we will mobilize a greater number of protesters to launch the second stage of the reform movement," Muhammad said.

The students from student bodies of universities in Greater Jakarta, including the University of Indonesia (UI), Muhammadiyah University, Jakarta University and a number of private universities, gathered in front of UI's School of Medicine before marching to the Presidential Palace.

Aceh/West Papua

Police foil attempt to smuggle arms to GAM

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan -- Police in Labuhan Batu, North Sumatra, arrested on Tuesday five Acehnese people who were trying to smuggle a huge cache of M-16 automatic rifle ammunition and 103 boxes of medicine from Jakarta to strife-torn Aceh.

The five suspects identified as H, 35, MBK, 32, BS, 42, B, 20, and ABZ, 32 and all Acehnese, were netted by the Labuhan Batu Police in a traffic operation in Blok Songo Village, Kota Pinang.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Amrin Karim, spokesman for the North Sumatra Police, said the five detainees were scheduled to be moved to the provincial capital of Medan on Wednesday and were believed to be members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), and simultaneously part of a well-organized syndicate supplying provisions to the secessionist movement.

"All detainees are Acehnese and their address are in Bireuen and Banda Aceh. They will be undergoing intensive investigation at the provincial police headquarters," he said.

He said the 5.56 mm bullets and medicine would also be sent to the police headquarters in Medan as material evidence to investigate the origin of the illegal goods, and who supplied them.

Second Insp. M. Pasaribu, who led the operation, said that the contraband was seized from two trucks that were on their way from Jakarta to Aceh. "We became suspicious after one of the drivers tried to escape when the trucks were told to pull over," he said.

When checking their cargo, the police found the six boxes of ammunition and 10 bags of drugs, he explained. He said the police suspected that the ammunition was made by the state-owned munitions plant PT Pindad in Bandung, West Java, which engraves all bullets with the letters PINDAD and are easily identifiable. "But the police are still investigating the ammunition supplier," he said.

However, Labuhan Batu Police station chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Didit Prabowo said the ammunition was from Finland because the boxes had "made in Finland" printed on them. He said the ammunition and drugs were supplied by an international syndicate in cooperation with GAM's network in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Sr. Comr. Iskandar Hasan, chief of detectives at the North Sumatra Police, said the police would continue to monitor the trafficking of marijuana from Banda Aceh to Java and the smuggling of weapons and ammunition from Java to the restive province.

"We have enhanced coordination among provincial police in Sumatra and Java to crack down on the increasing trafficking of marijuana from Aceh to Java," he said.

GAM smuggles marijuana to other provinces in Sumatra and Java to finance its struggle against security personnel, he said. "GAM is supplied weapons through the Sumatra mainland because of the tight control by the Navy of Aceh's waterways," he said.

In the past year, the police have confiscated thousands of tons of dried marijuana from trucks and buses traveling through Sumatra on their way to Java.

Aceh leaders call state revenue allocation unfair

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta -- Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh met House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung and People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais on Wednesday to lodge a complaint against what he called the unfair allocation of state revenue from the exploration of natural resources in the oil-rich province.

After separate meetings with Akbar and Amien, the Governor, accompanied by a number of councillors from the provincial legislative council, said he was here to seek political support from the House and the Assembly for the province to gain a greater portion of the revenue than the government now that the province had special autonomy.

Mursyid Minorsa, deputy chairman of the Aceh provincial legislature, said Aceh could not accept the Rp 1.8 trillion allocated by the central government because according to calculations based on Law No 18/2001 on special autonomy, the province should receive Rp 2.9 trillion for the 2002 fiscal year.

"Most Acehnese people know that the province's income from natural resources this fiscal year is Rp 2.9 trillion. And so far, both the finance ministry and state oil company Pertamina have yet to give clarification about why the province earned less," he said.

According to the law, Aceh receives 80 percent from the general mining sector, 15 percent from oil and 30 percent from gas. "So far, the government has not disclosed the total revenue from the mining sector," he said.

House Speaker Akbar acknowledged that the central administration had promised to allocate Rp 2.9 trillion to the Aceh administration and said he did not understand why the province had received less.

The smaller amount from the fiscal balance has proved to be a problem for the provincial administration because it figured the Rp 2.9 trillion into its 2002 budget.

According to Akbar, the discrepancy had created conflicting opinions between the central administration and the Acehnese.

Ahmad Farhan Hamid, an Acehnese legislator of the National Mandate Party, confirmed that the visit was an effort to get political support from the legislative body to pressure the central government into complying with the law.

"Even in the early implementation of special autonomy, the government has violated the law, indicating an absence of commitment to the law, which it made," he said.

A test for big oil in Indonesia

Christian Science Monitor - May 21, 2002

Simon Montlake Tanahmerah -- From the mangrove-fringed shore, the waters of Bintuni Bay look deceptively calm. Only a metal platform a few miles offshore hints at the riches beneath this remote bay in eastern Indonesia.

If all goes according to plan, this languid scene will be transformed within four years into a $2 billion spider web of pipes and onshore processors that will convert Bintuni's gas reserves -- among the largest in Asia -- into liquefied natural gas (LNG) bound for markets in China, Korea, and Japan. The 500 or so residents of the village of Tanahmerah will relocate inland to a new site that they will help build.

But as BP, the British oil giant, embarks on the project, critics worry that it could fall into a disappointing pattern of global development, in which the presence of oil and mining companies in unstable countries exacerbates or even sparks civil conflicts.

BP says it wants to break the mold and hopes that the venture, called "Tangguh," or "invincible," will show that oil companies can be responsible investors in the developing world.

"We want to manage the impact so that we can be a force for good," says John O'Reilly, BP's senior vice-president of external affairs. "What we are doing is integrating the entire social dimension into the framework of the project."

But some human-rights groups in Papua, the Indonesian province that is home to Tangguh, are skeptical of BP's talk of social responsibility.

"BP is a company and it's profit-oriented," says John Rumbiak, a veteran campaigner for human rights in Papua. "Don't pretend to be a church or a social organization."

With the Tangguh project, BP enters a remote corner of an unstable country where a repressive army is confronting a simmering separatist movement. In the province of Papua, also known as Irian Jaya, that tension was heightened by the murder last year of Theys Eluay, a popular pro-independence leader. Nine soldiers have been named as suspects in the killing.

BP is no stranger to conflict zones. Rebels have targeted its oil pipeline in Colombia, sparking reprisals by army units paid by BP to guard the pipeline. British newspapers have accused BP of supplying military equipment to abusive soldiers and spying on local communities. BP says it pays Colombia's Army for protection, but denies abetting any human-rights abuses.

Other foreign companies have already run into trouble in Indonesia. Freeport McMoran of Louisiana, for example, operates a gold mine in Papua that is guarded by thousands of troops and has become a byword for combative community relations. At the other end of the archipelago, Exxon-Mobil operates a similar LNG plant in Aceh that was shut down for four months last year after attacks by armed separatists.

It's hard today to imagine such strife in the backwaters of Bintuni Bay, where the few thousand inhabitants are mostly fishermen and farmers. Armed rebels, who have operated elsewhere in Papua for decades, are unheard of here. Local villagers are busy angling for jobs at the plant and jostling for land compensation and social-development funds.

"Most people would agree that BP has good intentions," says Diarmid O'Sullivan, who has studied conflicts over natural resources in Indonesia for the International Crisis Group, a global think tank. "The question is how far good intentions will get you in an inherently complex and unstable situation in Papua."

One key player is Indonesia's army, which has a hand in many legal and illegal business activities in Papua. Most observers say the army will expect some of Tangguh's riches to flow its way in the form of protection money. If there's no strife today to justify the stationing of troops in the area, "then it's going to happen in the future -- it's just a question of when," says a US consultant on the project who is familiar with Papua.

A draft report written for BP by two former State Department human-rights officials highlights the risk of troops entering the area under the guise of securing the project from threats, and terrorizing local communities. It recommends that BP screen any Indonesian troops deployed there for past human-rights abuses.

Company officials declined to comment on the report, which has not yet been made public. BP was among seven UK and US oil and mining companies that two years ago signed a set of voluntary principles on security and human rights. It is also a founder member of the UN's Global Compact on corporate responsibility.

BP insists that its social program and emphasis on partnership with locals is the best way to secure its investment. It has begun training a small local security force to guard the site and handle everyday disputes, and says it doesn't want police or troops stationed there -- a popular stance with locals, given the brutal reputation of Indonesian security forces in Papua.

Some Indonesian security officials are skeptical, however, that BP's community-based force can secure the project. "They will need the police ... not only to guard [the site], but also when a certain amount of people are there, there will be crime," says Made Mangku Pastika, provincial police chief in Jayapura.

The Indonesian Army's Maj. Gen. Mahidin Simbolon, the provincial commander, visited the site's base-camp earlier this year and reminded BP officials that the army is required to defend "national assets" like Tangguh.

To some ears, this sounded like a veiled threat, though BP officials insist it's simply a statement of fact. "The police have a role to play ... and the military also has their duty to protect the sovereign rights of Indonesia," says O'Reilly. "In neither case are we indicating there isn't a role for the police or the military. What we are doing is looking to have them well- defined and understood by all stakeholders."

The plant will employ no more than 500 people. BP says it is determined to keep out carpetbaggers who could disrupt local communities and says no roads will be built to the site, which is currently accessible by helicopter and boat. The company is also trying to direct its spending power into regional towns, rather than foster a local boomtown.

By 2012, the plant should contribute around $100 million in tax revenues, in addition to development funds earmarked for local communities. Environmentalists say BP has worked hard to modify the plant's design to minimize the risk to local plant and animal life.

While development experts say BP's approach is pragmatic and sympathetic to Papuan culture, it has yet to be tested in Indonesia's choppy political waters.

Leroy Hollenbeck, who used to manage Freeport's social development fund, says BP is taking some innovative steps, but "we won't know for another 5 to 10 years whether they work."

Senior officers may be involved in Theys' murder

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta -- Investigation into the killing of Papuan pro-independence leader Theys Hiyo Eluay last year points at the possible involvement of high ranking officers, National Military Police Chief Maj. Gen. Sulaiman A.B. said on Monday.

"It is not an ordinary murder. We can see that Theys was not an ordinary person ... he was the local Papuan leader, so I believe political motives were behind the killing," Sulaiman said on the sidelines of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas)' 37th anniversary celebration here on Monday.

He, however, refused to confirm or deny rumors that Theys' killing involved intelligence operatives from a neighboring country. "You can make your own conclusion," Sulaiman said when pressed by journalists to comment on whether or not an international conspiracy was behind the killing.

Theys, chairman of the Papuan Presidium Council (PDP), was found dead inside his Kijang van on Nov. 11, 2001, in Koya Tengah, a few hours after he attended a function at the local headquarters of Army's Special Force (Kopassus).

Aristoteles Masoka, who drove Theys to the ceremony and is believed to have been a key witness in the murder, is still missing.

After conducting a series of investigations, Military Police detained nine Kopassus members, including middle ranking military officers Lt. Col. Hartomo and Maj. Doni Hutabarat, as well as Capt. Rianaldo and six other lower ranking military officers.

They have been named as suspects in the murder case and were initially charged with violating Article 338 of the Criminal Code.

Another Kopassus member Sergeant Yani, who once tried to kill key witness Yaret Imowi, is currently being detained at the Jayapura Military Police Command.

As political motives may be behind the killing, "these Kopassus officers will probably be charged with other violations", Sulaiman said without elaborating.

Sulaiman brushed aside allegations that the insubordination charge against the Kopassus members was 'part of the scenario', by saying that "the ongoing investigation had not ended, and it is still open for more suspects." Facing increasing pressure at home and from the international community, the central government set up a national commission of inquiry to investigate the murder. The commission had recommended that the Military Police carry out further investigation of the suspects believed to be responsible for the killing.

GAM warns of attacks on state facilities

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Jakarta -- Acehnese separatist rebels have warned civil servants to stay away from state facilities, which they plan to attack.

Free Aceh Movement (GAM) spokesman Tengku Sofyan Dawod said from the group's foreign base in Norsborg, Sweden, that the prior warning was issued to avoid futile fatalities in the long- standing conflict.

"In a state of war, public and economic facilities belonging to the warring nations are legitimate targets of military attack, except for health centers, schools and cultural places. It's our obligation to inform or order a clearance of those facilities, and any civilian casualty as a result of defiance is beyond our responsibility," Sofyan said in a statement released on Sunday.

He said the warning was not intended to provoke or intimidate civilians because it was regulated by international humanitarian law.

"Civil servants remain simply civilians as long as they do not involve themselves in the conflict. Civilians deserve protection during a state of war according to the Geneva convention and nobody can trespass that right," Sofyan said.

Thousands of civilians are believed to have been killed and hundreds of public facilities, including schools, attacked in the protracted armed fight between GAM and Indonesian security troops, which dates back to the mid-1970s.

Security authorities always blame the losses claimed, both human and material, on the rebels.

Sofyan denied GAM was responsible and said that in many cases military operations by the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police had resulted in human rights violations.

"GAM invites TNI and National Police to stop arguments about civilian casualties. Let the monitoring team from the Henry Dunant Center [HDR] determine who committed human rights abuse," Sofyan said.

HDR has facilitated a series of peace talks between the Indonesian government and GAM in Geneva, the latest one taking place on May 9 and May 10.

In the latest violence in Aceh, two men were shot dead by unidentified gunmen on motorbikes in front of a junior high school in the Cunda area of Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, on Monday.

Yusuf Passe, an activist with the local human rights group PB- HAM, told AFP the attack caused panic among hundreds of children. Students were sent home early following the incident.

One of the victims was believed to be a GAM member. No confirmation was immediately available from police, but Sofyan said both victims were civilians.

Earlier on Sunday, local military command spokesman Maj. Zaenal Muttaqin said TNI personnel killed a rebel and confiscated an automatic rifle and ammunition during a raid on a suspected GAM base in Bukit Teumpon, East Aceh, on Saturday.

Muttaqin also said GAM members led by Tengku Anas had abducted three employees of a plantation company in Darul Makmur, West Aceh. The whereabouts of the three workers remain unknown.

It is the second case of abduction in less than a week after GAM rebels kidnapped nine female students last Wednesday.

Government & politics

Yawning gap worsens unabated crisis: Mega

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

I Wayan Juniartha and Agus Maryono, Denpasar/Purwokerto -- President Megawati Soekarnoputri said the unabated crisis the country was facing had been exacerbated by the yawning gap between the political classes and the masses.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark National Awakening Day in Denpasar, Megawati said the gap was evident from the public's resistance to the agenda set by national leaders.

"I sense that our [political] elite is showing the symptom of alienation from the very people who supported them on their road to leadership," Megawati said.

The most recent test of leadership had surfaced with the constitutional amendment debate, which according to the President could destabilize the country if it was not dealt with in a well-thought out manner. "The most sovereign power in this republic is the people, not the government, the President, nor the House of Representatives or the People's Consultative Assembly. If what the people wants is different from what the leaders want, then we must heed the wishes of the people," she stressed.

"Perhaps it would be of benefit if the leaders tried to be more humble, and more willing to listen to other people's opinions." Home minister Hari Sabarno, foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla were among the Cabinet members attending the modest ceremony held at the Kcirarnawa building in Denpasar's Werddhi Budaya arts center complex in Denpasar.

Former foreign minister Ali Alatas and Megawati's special economic advisor Frans Seda were also present.

Violence broke out during at least two separate demonstrations held in Central Java on Monday to mark National Awakening Day.

At least 15 people were wounded when around 300 students scuffled with police in Purwokerto regency during a protest demanding better conditions in the crisis-battered country. Five of the protesters sustained serious injuries and had to be taken to the hospital. The police fired warning shots, forcing the students to flee to safety. No arrests were made following the clash.

The protesting students were demanding that the members of the nation's political classes ceased politicking for their own interests and instead took into account the nation's future.

"We strongly condemn the elite for only caring about their own stomachs, while millions of Indonesian people are starving," an unnamed speaker told the crowd during the rally.

M. Latif, coordinator of the protest, urged the Indonesian Military to quit politics and focus solely on its task of maintaining security.

In Semarang, an activist from the Democratic People's Party (PRD) was attacked by a group of hoodlums outside the Diponegoro University campus, Antara reported. The victim, Tomi Fian, was among dozens of students staging a protest against President Megawati Soekarnoputri's government earlier in the day.

The attack took place near the protest venue, Semarang's "waterfall" traffic circle. Tomi, a student from Tujuh Belas Agustus University, sustained injuries to the head after being beaten. He also suffered wounds to other parts of his body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital following the attack.

Corruption/collusion/nepotism

Racial bias? It's graft in Indonesia

Straits Times - May 22, 2002

Robert Go, Jakarta -- Surabaya businessman Lukman Hartono knows he is a marked man in the eyes of predatory immigration officials in Indonesia.

As an ethnic Chinese, it is: Pay up and get paperwork "expedited". Refuse to pay, and face probing questions and hassle.

"I travel frequently to other Asian countries for business. I often get this treatment when I come home. They see me, and they take me to a side room," he said.

"I know what they want, and they know I know. I just smile and take out my wallet. They stamp my passport and let me go."

Indonesia's ethnic Chinese complain of discrimination in their own country even four years after the fall of former president Suharto and the beginning of the reform era.

For example, processing citizenship papers -- such as in the case of badminton star Hendrawan, who saved his country's Thomas Cup bid last weekend -- or other basic documents could prove to be an arduous process which takes years to complete.

Government universities, it is said, reject ethnic Chinese students, who can be spotted easily by information on applications: Their names, special characters on their identification cards, their religious affiliations, and so on.

But some prominent figures within the minority group also say that while racism exists and presents hurdles for the ethnic- Chinese community here, the true problem is Indonesia's rampant corruption.

And the ethnic Chinese, these observers argued, make themselves easy targets. They contribute to the problem by reaching for their wallets too quickly when facing potential trouble.

Mr Enggartiasto Lukito, a politician from the Golkar party who is also one of the few ethnic-Chinese members of Parliament, told The Straits Times that corruption, not racism, sits at the root of many situations that can be construed as discriminatory.

Indonesia's government has taken some key strides in recent years to improve the situation for the ethnic Chinese.

In 1999, former president B. J. Habibie banned discrimination based on a citizen's place of origin. President Megawati Sukarnoputri has also declared next year's Chinese New Year as a national holiday.

Mr Enggartiasto said: "We see discrimination, but it is not as pervasive as it used to be. Things have improved. But corruption does target us on a daily basis, and we contribute to that. We pay up too easily. Often, it is we who seek special treatment in exchange for bribes. That's a big problem."

Mr Frans Winarta, a prominent Jakarta lawyer who is also an ethnic Chinese, said previously that Indonesia has to revise many discriminatory provisions in the constitution and the country's legal codes. But other observers make the case that those discriminatory laws remain in the books precisely because they help bureaucrats -- at all levels of government -- fill their own pockets as they process the basic documents the ethnic Chinese need.

A mid-level officer in Surabaya's court system yesterday said: "Civil servants ask everyone, not just the Chinese, for bribes. It's true, however, that the Chinese can be made to pay more."

Habibie's testimony worsen Akbar's charges

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Jakarta -- Former president B.J. Habibie's written testimony in the Rp 40 billion Bulog scandal read during a hearing on Monday has solidified the case against his former minister/cabinet secretary Akbar Tandjung.

Habibie said in the testimony read out by prosecutor Fachmi on Monday that he ordered Akbar to ensure that the distribution of food to the poor in early 1999 should be in compliance withexisting regulations.

Habibie, who is now in Germany tending his sick wife, made the testimony before Attorney General's Office investigators on February 25 this year.

He said that the regulations he meant included Presidential Decree No. 16/1994 on the management of the state budget where a formal report is required and should be accounted for at the end of the president's tenure.

"The reason I appointed Akbar to run the program using the Rp 40 billion belonging to the State's Logistics Agency [Bulog] was because it was one of the cabinet secretary's functions to securemy directive.

"[But] I never received or was told how the program was implemented. I learned that there was a follow up to my order just recently from the media when the case blew up," Habibie testified.

Habibie delivered his order during a February 10, 1999 meeting with then coordinating minister for social welfare and poverty eradication Haryono Suyono, minister of industry and trade/Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan and Akbar.

Bulog money was used, he said, because foreign loans had not yet arrived while the state budget was in short supply. "But the government has to react fast to recover the government's declining image in the people's eyes."

Akbar, now the chairman of the Golkar party and the speaker of the House of Representatives, in his response to the court denied that Habibie had specifically mentioned the 1994 decreeand that he ever made a report on the program.

"I resigned from my post on May 10, 1999, when the program was not yet completed. There was no formal hand over to my successor Muladi so there was no chance to make the report ... I also made an oral report to the president on one occasion," he said.

Akbar and two people he asked to run the project -- chairman of the Raudlatul Jannah Foundation Dadang Sukandar and contractor Winfried Simatupang -- are defendants in the case. Rahardi isalso being tried separately.

Akbar is being charged with abusing his power by swindling the money with the help of his two accomplices. Many believe that the money had actually gone to Golkar's coffers to finance itscampaign for the general election that year.

The court also heard written testimonies from the administrations of villages in four provinces in Java who the Foundation claimed to have sent the food packages to in mid 1999.

Only a few of them admitted to receiving the packages from the Foundation. Head of Payaman village in East Java, Mahdi Rahardjo, stated in his testimony to investigators that the packages came in small amounts.

Winfried, in his response to the testimony, said that he had used some Rp 2 billion of the Foundation's money to buy and distribute food packages to villagers in East and Central Java and kept the remaining Rp 40 billion at home. The Bulog money is now in the hands of the investigators.

Presiding Judge Amiruddin Zakaria adjourned the hearing until May 27 to question five witnesses from Bulog and the Foundation who earlier gave contradictory testimonies.

Regional/communal conflicts

Muslim militants surrender weapons

Straits Times - May 20, 2002

Ambon -- Muslims in the riot-hit Indonesian province of Maluku yesterday surrendered hundreds of weapons and explosives to the security authorities.

The Forum for Muslim Brotherhood of Maluku, which also includes members of the hardline Laskar Jihad Muslim militia, surrendered one cannon, 250 bombs, 100 petrol bombs, four army-issue firearms and 15 homemade guns, plus hundreds of rounds of ammunition, sabres and bayonets.

The weapons were handed over to Maluku military commander Mustopo by the Forum's chairman Muhammad Attamimi at a ceremony at a mosque in the Kebun Cengkeh Muslim quarter of Ambon.

"These weapons are only part of what we have, and the rest will be surrendered when the TNI and the national police have met their promises to comprehensively investigate the RMS," Mr Muhammad said, referring to the mainly Christian South Maluku Republic separatist movement. TNI is the Indonesian armed forces.

Brigadier-General Mustopo welcomed the weapons surrender and pledged that the military would support the government's move "to safeguard the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia", against any secession.

Laskar Jihad spokesman Abdul Hadi was quoted by Kompas newspaper to have said that his force would take part in the weapons surrender although he provided no details.

He said that the move was in response to a call by Vice-President Hamzah Haz. Mr Hamzah, who also chairs the largest Muslim party, this month visited detained Laskar Jihad commander Jafaar Umar Thalib, sparking strong criticism from politicians and parliamentarians.

An unidentified group attacked Christian villages south of Ambon on April 28, killing 13 people. The authorities accuse Jafaar of having incited the massacre during a sermon.

Mr Abdul said the weapons surrender was decided in view of the government's progress in meeting the militia's demand for an investigation into the mainly Christian Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM), which it accuses of fomenting the sectarian violence.

Human rights/law

International court for Trisakti case possible but not soon

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2002

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta -- Human rights activists have set an early deadline for the government to open an ad hoc court to try military and police officers for alleged gross human rights violations in May 1998.

If the government fails to heed the motion, activists have threatened to file the cases with the international tribunal in The Hague, Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Ori Rachman said.

Ori said an international tribunal was the last resort if there was no response to public skepticism of the legal system, or if the court only serves as impunity to prominent figures and officials allegedly involved in crimes against humanity.

Although the chance is there for the international tribunal to take over the cases, a long and winding road will stand between the human rights activists and the desperately sought trials.

"Individuals or groups of people are entrusted with the capacity to file human rights cases with an international tribunal. But such an international tribunal can only occur if the cases draw the attention of the international community. And it will take time to convince the rest of the world to solicit their support," he told The Jakarta Post in an interview.

Four students were killed on Trisakti University campus in May 1998 when police troops moved to quell widespread demonstrations against then president Soeharto. Looting and rioting, which followed the shooting, left hundreds dead with many Chinese Indonesians fleeing the country for safety.

Ori said there were three mechanisms the international community could attempt to pull alleged human rights perpetrators out of their countries.

The first mechanism is through the annual meeting of the UN High Commission for Human Rights, where individuals or groups may ask for a follow-up to a particular case that was considered unheeded.

Special rapporteurs will be sent to monitor the case and to give recommendations to the High Commission whether to support the motion or not. Lobbying is essential to win support from the UN Security Council, which has the authority to establish a tribunal.

The next mechanism is the permanent International Criminal Court, where the international community could take over investigation into the case.

The last option is direct intervention without prior notice to the country, should there be reports on gross violations to people's basic rights, such as genocide or mass killing.

Dozens of protesting students and civilians were shot dead by the security forces in three different rallies in 1998 and 1999.

Many believe the incidents have become the momentum for the reform movement, but the current administration is considered to have neglected public demand for the cases to be unraveled.

The cases, known as the Trisakti, Semanggi I and II cases, had been brought to a military tribunal, which proved unpopular. The human rights commission repeated the investigation and the case is now in the hands of the Attorney General's Office.

The Office's spokesman, Barman Zahir, said the human rights prosecutors are still studying the case and have yet to start the investigation, despite the fact they have been examining the case for more than three weeks.

Focus on Jakarta

Jakarta faces real, immediate threat of sinking

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Berni K. Moestafa, Jakarta -- A major increase in construction, overexploitation of groundwater and unstable soil are causing parts of Jakarta to subside by up to eight centimeters a year, making the capital prone to more flooding, a surveyor company's report said.

A joint report by the city administration and state-owned surveyor firm PT Sucofindo predicted that from 1999 to 2005 Jakarta would sink at a rate of between 1.5 centimeters and eight centimeters a year.

During that period, North Jakarta may sink between two centimeters and eight centimeters, West Jakarta by 2.2 centimeters, East Jakarta by 1.5 to three centimeters, and South Jakarta by two centimeters.

"Lower land means there is an increased possibility that flooding will worsen," said the president of PT Sucofindo Appraisal Utama, Ganis Ramadhani, on Wednesday.

Sucofindo Appraisal is a subsidiary of Sucofindo. It conducted the study under the order of the city administration, which, according to one company official, wanted scientific proof that land was subsiding.

The study will help better anticipate flood problems and provide developers with data on the extent of land subsidence around the city.

Jakarta saw its worst floods in over 50 years last January. At least 30 people were killed and 15 more died from flood-related diseases, while thousands were forced to seek shelter for several weeks.

The city administration took the blame for failing to anticipate the magnitude of the flood, as well as developers for building houses in water catchment areas.

Parts of the city, however, have sunk by four centimeters to 91 centimeters over the past six years, according to one report by the City Mining Agency.

Ganis said land had subsided because of pressure on loose soil. The construction of houses and buildings have accelerated the sinking process.

Another contributing factor has been the exploitation of groundwater. Water drawn from underground sources has loosened the soil, and along with the weight of construction, has caused land to subside until it becomes dense again, Ganis explained.

Groundwater accounts for 56 percent of the clean water Jakarta consumes, while rivers supply the rest through the city water company PAM Jaya.

Regulations on groundwater use exist, but only 7.5 percent of the water Jakarta draws from wells is regulated, said the head of the City Mining Agency, Muzahiem Mochtar.

He suggested that the city administration increase the tax rate for using groundwater to prevent people from wasting it. But the exploitation of groundwater accounts for only 19 percent of land subsidence, he added.

Eighty percent is due to the weight of manmade structures, and one percent is because of natural processes. While the impact was mainly from construction, Ganis said it also depended on whether engineers had factored in the risk of land subsidence.

Office buildings in Jakarta's business district on Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. MH. Thamrin should be relatively safe, he said. "It's usually tall office buildings and luxury homes that have anticipated the risk of land subsidence," said Agusman Effendi, the chairman of the Indonesian Real Estate Association (REI).

In that case, he explained, subsiding land would cause buildings to sink into the ground, but not collapse. Agusman said developers should have had access to information on land subsidence prior to beginning their projects.

However, the city's 2010 master plan excluded geological factors. Chairman of the Urban and Regional Development Institute, Wicaksono Sarosa, said he did not see any information related to land subsidence in the city's planning.

"The information should have been there [during city planning], but I guess it could be added later on," he said.

Wicaksono said developers should know the weight capacity of the land they plan to build on.

Ganis said Sucofindo's findings were incomplete and further measures would provide a more accurate picture of the extent of the problem. "This is a preliminary study and we see opportunities for more [studies] in the future. They will be ongoing," he said.

Editorial: UN didn't prepare East Timor for freedom

Far Eastern Economic Review - May 30, 2002

On Monday, East Timor became the world's newest nation. As things settle after a splashy celebration, Timorese will be trying to figure out what to do next. They have much to ponder. And in some respects, no thanks to the United Nations.

After centuries of Portuguese rule, 24 years under Jakarta and two and a half years being nannied by the UN, East Timor may be insufficiently prepared for the journey on which it has been launched. With most of the country's professionals having emigrated long ago, it is now left to untested administrators to pull the country out of its economic malaise.

Although in 2001 East Timor could claim a per-capita GDP of nearly $500, that figure is grossly inflated on account of UN workers spending expatriate pay packets locally. One estimate is that nearly half its people actually live on about 50 cents a day. Indeed, economic growth is expected to be flat this year as the expatriate spigot tightens when most foreign workers leave.

Donors already have had to offer $440 million to help bankroll the first three years of the country's existence.

Much of the country's initial hope for self-sufficiency is being pinned on the easy out. On its first day of business, Dili signed an energy-project agreement with Australia. This could earn East Timor $6 billion in the next 20 years. Further negotiations with Canberra will centre on a large natural-gas field that may yield even more revenue. That is all fine, but should not the greater urgency have been to build an economy based on work for Timorese themselves, rather than accustoming citizens to entitlements from natural-resource royalties?

Here, little so far has been been accomplished. Only now is an investment and commercial code being finalized, when this should have been an early priority under UN stewardship. Roads and other infrastructure in the interior are wanting, so who will come and invest?

As East Timor deservedly begins life as a new nation, it has foreigners to curse for its old plight and to thank for salvation. But that was the past; now comes the hard part, taking care of itself. The pity is that the UN didn't better prepare it for this.

Jakarta has sunk 91 centimeters in six years: Official

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta -- Due to a greatly increased amount of construction and over-exploitation of groundwater, the city's land has subsided up to 91 centimeters in recent years, a city official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a hearing with the City Council's Commission C for economic affairs, head of the city mining agency, Muzahiem Mochtar, said that based on a study, the land subsidence in various parts of Jakarta during the 1993 to 1999 period ranged from four centimeters to 91 centimeters, depending on each location.

The 4-centimeter drop occurred on Jl. Lubang Buaya in East Jakarta, while the 91-centimeter sinkage occurred on Jl. Sunter Kemayoran in North Jakarta.

Other significant drops occurred on Jl. Baru Arah Sunter (76.1 cm), Jl. Mundu Koja Utara (52 cm), Jl. Gadang Tanjung Priok (42 cm), and Jl. Kampung Malaka III (27 cm), which are all in North Jakarta.

He said the continuing process of subsidence was also a serious factor that contributed to the worsening of annual floods in the city.

"The continuing subsidence of land here could worsen the environmental problems, including the possibility that the annual floods in the city will worsen in the future," he said. Muzahiem said the impact of groundwater exploitation on land subsidence accounted for about 19 percent, while the weight of buildings on the land was responsible for about 80 percent, and one percent was due to natural processes.

"Although the impact of the groundwater exploitation on land subsidence is only 19 percent, it should be stopped. Otherwise, it will significantly lower the ground surface (in relation to sea-level)," he added.

"Exploitation of groundwater should be minimized to a sustainable level. If groundwater is over-exploited, not only the groundwater will disappear, but it will also hasten land subsidence," he reiterated.

He said that only 7.5 percent of groundwater use was regulated by his office, while the rest was still unregulated.

He pointed out that 44 percent of the potable water needed in Jakarta was supplied by the city-owned company PAM Jaya, which uses river water.

He said that there were several ways to curb the use of groundwater. He suggested that taxes for groundwater use should be increased. "That way, we could discourage companies from wasting groundwater," he said.

He also suggested that PAM Jaya should be allowed to expand its coverage because it could guarantee the water supply for the whole city.

Haris Pindratno of the Indonesian Geological Expert Association said the 2010 city masterplan needed to be revised as the masterplan did not consider geological factors.

"Because there is no geological consideration, the capability of land to support the buildings was never taken into account. And based on the study it is proven that the weight of buildings significantly contributes to subsidence," he added.

Fake rupiah a bane of Jakarta vendors and shops

Straits Times - May 20, 2002

Robert Go, Jakarta -- When Mr Haryanto, who runs a hardware store in West Jakarta, takes a payment from a customer these days he quickly scans the rupiah bills under a blue-light device designed to spot fakes.

"Some of the fakes are very difficult to tell apart from the genuine bills," he said.

Counterfeit bills have always been in circulation in Indonesia but there are now signs that the problem is on the rise.

The police have no firm data on just how many fake rupiah notes are out there but the few arrests they have made suggest that counterfeiters are operating nationwide.

In February, police in Pekanbaru, Riau, arrested a distributor of 50,000-rupiah bills. Their captive was carrying 10 million rupiah in fake bills at the time of his arrest.

Police in Bogor, West Java, last year arrested as many as 15 different counterfeiters and seized fake money 'worth' more than 10 billion rupiah.

In July 2000, investigators in Bandung, also in West Java, broke up a counterfeiting ring involving employees of Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank.

On the streets today, many people remain wary enough of fakes that some lick bills to see whether the colours run, or subject them to "rub and crumple" or other tests.

Ms Marsiyah, a food vendor in Central Jakarta, said she was cheated by a group of young thugs a few weeks ago.

They passed her 50,000 rupiah to pay for food items worth 7,500 rupiah and ran away quickly after getting their change. The note, of course, turned out to be a fake. The vendor said: "They not only didn't pay for their food but stole money from me. I just sat down and cried for most of that day."

The police said they are doing all they can to nab counterfeiters, but there are speculations that members of the security force are involved. Some sting operations have caught serving or former military or police personnel red-handed.

One of the most notorious cases occurred in September 2000, when two retired military officers were arrested in Surabaya with 20 billion rupiah in fake money.

They pointed their fingers at superiors, including the former Armed Forces commander and Cabinet minister, General Wiranto, who ordered the project to finance the militia's terror campaign in East Timor.

The problem has forced businessmen like Mr Haryanto to do a little detective work of their own before putting money into their cash drawers. And it has led to a boom in detection devices, some of which are sold for as little as 50,000 rupiah on the streets and run on battery power.

Some shops visited by The Straits Times reported selling five to 10 units each week, and sometimes more.

Even though the machines are little more than ultraviolet lights, many Indonesians swear by their cheap anti-counterfeit devices.

News & issues

Over 30 million Indonesian children at risk from abuse

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta -- About a dozen children, each with a piece of paper and a pen in hand, gathered together and were engaged in a serious discussion.

They may look like ordinary children but they have experiences that many people could never imagine. They are abused street children.

"Nita" (not her real name), 11, a polite girl with tattoos on her right hand, said she was raped by a man last year.

Another girl, "Sita", 12, wore a headscarf to cover her bald head. Her unemployed father shaved her hair as she was hung upside down by her feet last month. Her crime: She refused to heed her father's order to drop out of school to become a street beggar.

"Gino", a 12-year-old boy was sodomized by a man. Traumatized by the incident that happened last year, he became clinically paranoid. He is now able to communicate with men, but unable to hide his fear and suspicions of them.

"The grown ups like to hit us and say dirty words to us. We don't like it, it hurts," Sita told The Jakarta Post recently.

Her friend, "Dwi", added that he wished he was an adult so that no other adults would abuse him any longer.

"I am helpless when an adult abuses me, nobody cares, not even my family. I have to get money for food by singing and begging on the streets," he said.

The 13-year-old Dwi said that in April of last year his mother forced him to leave school and make money by begging on the street.

"She said that I had to earn Rp 700,000 a year. But on one day, I could only get Rp 4,000," he said. He then decided to make fast money by stealing a sidemirror from a car which stopped at a traffic light in Prumpung, East Jakarta. He was caught and was jailed for two months.

Sharing their heart-breaking stories, the children were working hand-in-hand on a project to make a documentary film about their lives on the streets. The project, facilitated by the Indonesian Women's Coalition for Justice and Democracy (KPI), is aimed at making their dream come true: To make adults stop violating children.

Violations against street children are only the tip of an iceberg of rampant child abuse around the country as such cases also occur in well-educated and financially secure families.

Data from the National Commission for Child Protection showed last year there were over 60 million children under 15 years old in the country. At least 1.6 million of them are child laborers.

Dian Kartika Sari, the coordinator for the public policy division of KPI, which provides legal aid for women and children, estimated that 60 percent of the children around the country are at risk for abuse, pointing to underaged workers, street children and child prostitutes.

The grown ups violate children since the latter have no way to get revenge, said Dian. Most adults, too, are ignorant of children's rights.

Worse, there is no place for the children to get protection as their parents, relatives and teachers, are often the people who abuse them. The police, too, usually do not take seriously a child who reports a violation case without being accompanied by an adult.

Unfortunately, the state does not consider child abuse a serious crime. In fact, there are several articles in the Criminal Code on crimes against children. However, the articles of the law only cover sexual abuse.

"The government has not shown its willingness to respect children's rights. We have ratified the International Convention on Children's Rights through Presidential Decree No. 36/1990, but it has never been implemented," Dian said.

The convention stipulates children's rights, including the right to adequate protection, love, sufficient education and health services. It also requires the government to protect children from sexual abuse or exploitation of any kind.

The government, in this case, the State Minister of Women's Empowerment Sri Redjeki Soemaryoto, is currently trying to decide on approval of a bill on Child Protection, which was deliberated upon by the House of Representatives last year. If the ministry endorses it, the bill will once again be sent back to the legislature for final approval and possibly enacted into law. It can become a very long process.

"Our life, our country's future depends on the children of today, the government has no other choice but to prioritize children in its policies," Dian asserted.

Children from around the world recently met at the United Nations children's summit to discuss their problems and demand the governments to respect children's rights.

Press feels chill as journalists see new crackdown

San Francisco Chronicle - May 21, 2002 (slightly abridged)

Ian Timberlake, Jakarta -- Four years after restrictions on free speech ended with the fall of strongman Suharto, Indonesian reporters fear a recent government crackdown could signal a return to this nation's repressive past.

The latest sign, they say, is the decision not to renew a journalist visa for Australian Lindsay Murdoch, who is the first foreign resident reporter to be barred from reporting since Suharto.

The 48-year-old Murdoch reportedly angered the government of President Megawati Sukarnoputri by writing about a military plan to separate East Timorese children from their parents and bring them to orphanages in Java after Timor voted overwhelmingly to separate from Indonesia in 1999. They were also said to be irate after he wrote that Indonesian troops had poured boiling water over a baby who later died in Aceh, a province that also is trying to gain independence. "I was called in and told those stories were upsetting important people," Murdoch told The Chronicle.

There is a 1999 law that prohibits censorship, including a clause calling for two years in prison for "standing in the way" of a free press.

But the Committee to Protect Journalists, based in New York, said Indonesian reporters have suffered an increasing number of attacks and threats in recent months while covering provincial conflicts and political upheaval.

Not true, said Marty Natalegawa, a Foreign Ministry spokesman who rejected the idea that there is a grand design for a Suharto-like clampdown. "We wish only the greatest freedom of the press," he said. "There is no question whatsoever of us ever going back to the past."

Such statements hardly comfort Ati Nurbaiti, who heads the Alliance of Independent Journalists. "There have been more and more signs of efforts toward press control," said Nurbaiti, who fears a series of recent measures could be used to curb the press. She points to the following:

• Megawati's revival of the Ministry of Information and Communications, a Suharto-era tool used to control the media.
• Talk among legislators that press laws should include a criminal code for articles deemed subversive or propagating hate.
• A draft of a law that would give low-level bureaucrats the power to declare information "confidential" at their own discretion.

Under Suharto, newspapers could not exist without a government permit, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and sharply limited the number of publications.

At that time, there was only one government-sanctioned national journalists' association, and many subjects -- especially ethnic and religious strife -- were off-limits.

"For decades you had to report as if everything was OK," said Nurbaiti, who sat in her office beneath a photo of the late US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Defying government attempts to control them, Nurbaiti and other journalists founded the Alliance of Independent Journalists in 1994 after the Suharto regime set off widespread public debate by banning three respected publications.

When Suharto fell four years later, his successor, B.J. Habibie, ushered in an era of political freedom and free speech. No longer requiring expensive permits, hundreds of new publications hit the streets.

In fact, there have been so many tabloids -- newspapers that hype crime stories and pass off a politician's sex life as investigative reporting -- that Nurbaiti fears they may have colored Megawati's perception of the press.

Munir, a prominent Indonesian human rights activist, suspects that the government move against Murdoch came from the National Intelligence Body, headed by a retired general named A.M. Hendropriyono. He said the decision may be part of a general resurgence of military influence within the government.

A recent report in the Sydney Morning Herald said secret Australian communications show Hendropriyono helped arrange the forced deportation of more than 200,000 East Timorese after the independence vote.

Seven Kontras attackers jailed

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Jakarta -- The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced seven defendants on Tuesday to two months and 15 days each for the March attack on the offices of the Commission for Mission Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

The verdict was delivered by presiding judge Silvester Djuma about an hour after prosecutor Ramdhanu presented the sentence recommendation. The sentence was equal to the recommendation.

The defendants will be released within 10 days, as they have already been detained for two months five days in Salemba Penitentiary, following the attack on March 13.

The attack occurred after a rally held by 300 people in front of the office, accused the nongovernmental organization of being discriminatory toward their relatives, who were members of military-backed vigilante squads.

Disabled rally in Bandung

Jakarta Post - May 22, 2002

Bandung -- Hundreds of people from the Forum of Struggle for the Disabled (Forpadi) marked National Awakening Day with a rally here on Monday.

They marched through the city carrying banners and posters demanding the public, the government and state institutions stop discriminating against the disabled. They accused government institutions and state universities of not providing facilities for the disabled.

Forpadi chairman Jumono said the government and the private sector failed to pay proper attention to the over 70,600 disabled people in West Java, only one-third of whom received any form of government assistance.

"Although the President, government, mayor, even the legislators have changed, we still find it hard to find jobs, educations and fair treatment from the public," he said.

A provincial legislative member, Kusmeni S. Hartadi, met with the protesters and promised to seek a meeting with Bandung Mayor Aa Tarmana to discuss their complaints.

Amien Rais vows never to let separatists win again

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2002

Jakarta -- Assembly Speaker Amien Rais said on Monday that the nation must accept the fact that its former province of East Timor had become the world's newest country, reports said.

Amien, speaking in Cirebon, West Java, said that despite emotional trauma and psychological burdens due to international pressures, arrogance of several foreign countries and allegations of an unfair ballot during the 1999 UN-sponsored referendum thatled to East Timor breakaway from Indonesia, the people have to accept the fact that the territory is no longer part of the country.

"I think that in spite of what has happened, we have to let it go. We are reminiscing the past ... we forgive but we must not forget. This is very important because the issue has become a national trauma, and it must never happen again in the future," Amien said as quoted by Antara.

"We have to recall the history so we don't make the same mistakes in the future. Don't let it happen to other provinces such as Papua, Aceh, Maluku or other provinces. East Timor tragic incident must be the first and last thing to ever happened to ourcountry," he said.

Amien further urged the Indonesians to gradually forge good ties with East Timor. "In the end we hope that Indonesia willhave a strong ties with East Timor like with other Asian countries," Amien added.

75 artists rally at mayor's office

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2002

Tangerang -- Some 75 artists from the Tangerang Arts Council staged a rally at the municipal administration office on Monday to demand the administration provide them a space to put on exhibitions and performances.

With paint on their face, the artists formed a large circle inside the office compound. Three of the demonstrators performed dances and read poems, while a number of others held up posters to demand the administration pay attention to their demands.

"The administration officials only remembered artists when they needed them to contribute their skills for the celebration of the municipal administration's anniversary last year," the council's chairman, Wedha, said.

Hundreds of artists in Tangerang announced the establishment of the arts council in July 2000. The demonstrators dispersed at about noon, having failed to meet with Mayor M. Thamrin or other administration officials.

Environment

Lampung fishermen seek one billion rupiah in redress

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2002

Oyos Saroso, Bandar Lampung -- Fishermen in Lampung have accused a sugar cane plantation company of polluting waters off the province's Pelabuhan Panjang, killing thousands of tons of fish.

The Lampung Fishermen's Association (SNL) urged that PT Gunung Madu Plantation (GMP) be taken to court and be ordered to pay damages of more than Rp 1 billion.

"We are demanding Rp 1.2 billion in damages. The money will be distributed to around 220 fishermen as compensation for their not being able to go out fishing for three months," SNL Secretary- General Joko Purwanto said on Saturday.

He said the amount was based on the calculation of fishermen's incomes over three months based on Rp 40,000 each per day.

Joko said other plantation firms located along Lampung bay should also be prosecuted for their contributions to the pollution.

The protesters also demanded that GMP be held responsible for the rehabilitation of the ecosystem in Pelabuhan Panjang waters, and apologize through the newspapers.

SNL Chairman M. Yamin said hundreds of local traditional fishermen had been prevented from fishing in Lampung Bay for more than one week after they found that the fish they were netting were mostly dead.

He said that since the pollution was detected last Thursday, the fishermen's catch has dropped drastically. Yamin could not say exactly how many thousands of tons of fish had been killed by the pollution.

The director of Lampung's Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Mashuri Abdullah, confirmed that Lampung bay was seriously polluted. "For sure, the marine ecosystem for up to one or two kilometers out from the coast has suffered serious damage, and this has caused a significant reduction in the fishermen's catch," he explained.

He said that based on Walhi's investigations, the pollution was coming from a leak in the pipeline carrying sugar cane waste from PT GMP to the Paros Velleta, a waste transporting ship.

"As the wind has been very strong lately, the pollution has quickly spread to other areas. So the extent of the pollution has been becoming greater," Mashuri said.

Gunamarwan, GMP manager of service, business and finance, admitted the leak in his company's waste pipe. "It is the first time this has happened since the pipeline started operating 11 years ago," he claimed. He promised that PT GMP would take responsibility for the pollution, but did not elaborate.

Religion/Islam

Catholic society establishes solidarity forum

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2002

Jakarta -- The Indonesian Catholic society declared on Saturday the establishment of the Democratic Solidarity of Indonesian Catholics, a social organization which will serve asan alternative medium to channel people's concerns on current social and political issues.

Although the solidarity forum is not set to be a political party, the organization is determined to take an active role in nurturing the nation's morality and political culture which, according to the forum founders, have been deteriorating.

"The birth of the solidarity forum is based on the premise that the existing channels for people's aspiration are still partof the authoritarian old regime," co-founder Chris Siner Key Timu told reporters after the launching of the solidarity forum at the Volley Ball Hall of the Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Central Jakarta on Saturday.

"By cooperating with other social organizations and holding dialogs with the existing political parties, the solidarity forum will become a driving force for the people's struggle and involvement in social and political affairs."

Chris, who is also a member of Petisi 50, a group of government critics active in the past regime, underlined that the solidarity forum was a nonexclusive organization where peoplefrom other religions and members of organizations or politicalparties were allowed to join.

"The word Catholic itself means universal. The Catholic label in the name is only to show that the organization has been initiated by the Catholic community. But the work is based on solidarity principles," he said.

The declaration ceremony was attended by hundreds of Catholic society members from Greater Jakarta; West Java's Cibinong, Karawang and Bandung; and representatives from North Sumatra,South Sulawesi, Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua provinces.

Mohamad Sanusi, Chris' colleague at Petisi 50 and former executive at the country's second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, was also in attendance as well as other non- Catholic figures.

The public figures who signed the declaration included senior economist and former Bank Indonesia governor Frans Seda, former minister for public housing Cosmas Batubara, senior Catholicfigure Petrus Canisius Harjasudirdja, and former House of Representatives (DPR) legislator of the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police faction F.X. Ferry Tinggogoy.

The solidarity forum is the first Christian and Catholic social organization, which touches on social and political issues.

Armed forces/Police

Army chief pledges to avoid politics

Straits Times - May 23, 2002

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta -- Promising to boost professionalism in the Indonesian armed forces (TNI), army chief Endriartono Sutarto appeared before a parliamentary commission hearing yesterday to stake his claim to the coveted military commander's post.

Amid quiet rumblings here that the army was creeping back into Indonesian politics, the four-star general outlined his vision to legislators in a 19-page document titled Building Professionalism in the TNI.

"Professionalism in the armed forces is not just about improving our ability to perform our most basic functions," he said. "It is also about adhering to the law and respecting human rights. Soldiers need to put the country first before any personal or group interests."

Observers said that his message appeared to be directed at critics who argue that the TNI is making a comeback in politics with its close links to President Megawati Sukarnoputri, who had given the generals an increasingly free hand, especially in the troubled provinces.

Some had criticised Ms Megawati for nominating Gen Endriartono for the top job as, under the rotation system for the three military services, the post should have gone to an air force official.

The 55-year-old leader, it is speculated, has given him the position and put in place a few other army loyalists in key posts as a quid pro quo for backing her for the 2004 election.

A three-star general told The Straits Times: "A pattern is beginning to emerge in which she is putting in place a number of generals to back her all the way. Endriartono is one of them." But legislators who attended the hearing did not seem too interested in political rationales. They were convinced that the general was the right man for the job.

Retired major-general Sembiring Meliala, deputy of the parliamentary commission, said: "We do not have any problems with him. His broad policy outlines are clear and good for Indonesia."

Gen Endriartono, while being short on specifics, pledged that he would continue with reforms in the military. He also said that promotions would be made on merit and not through political connections as some still argue to be the case.

He also dwelt on the need to beef up the TNI's operational readiness to handle "trouble spots" in Indonesia.

Touching on regional security, he said that he aimed to strengthen bilateral links with neighbouring countries to anticipate potential problems.

But the thrust of his message during the day-long hearing was aimed at wiping out perceptions of the Indonesian military returning to its Suharto-era role of dabbling in politics.

Indeed, his nomination has come under flak from several non- governmental organisations that have staged demonstrations to oppose the move.

The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation -- pointing to his links to the New Order Regime where Gen Endriartono served as head of the elite presidential guard unit under Mr Suharto in 1997 -- said there was now "a conspiracy" to give room for the military to make a comeback.

Despite Gen Endriartono's promise to whip the TNI back into shape, analysts doubt that the military will return to the barracks in the near term. They said that the approach for at least the next five years was likely to be tactical and defensive to keep their influence in the centre of government.

Helped by the transitional nature of civilian leadership, and the threats to law and order, the military will continue to exert substantial political influence.

International relations

Australia, Indonesia discuss military ties

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2002

Jakarta -- Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Friday that "building trust and confidence" were the keys to restoring Indonesian- Australia military ties, according to a report.

Susilo met with Australian Prime Minister Alexander Downer on Friday to discuss the restoration of military and defense ties between the two countries. These ties were severed because of anumber of contentious issues, most notably East Timor.

"I told [Downer] that if we are talking about defense cooperation, which was cut off due to the East Timor matter -- which is even now still an unresolved problem for both Indonesia and Australia -- that [ties] can be mended, starting with the building of mutual confidence and trust between the two countries," Susilo said as quoted by Antara.

Susilo and Howard also discussed Indonesia's domestic problems on Friday and how to resolve conflicts in Maluku, Aceh and Papua, as well as the steps Indonesia was taking to combat terrorism.

Regarding Maluku, Susilo said the Indonesian government was working on a fair and just resolution to end the conflict, as well as formulating stern policies to crack down on those instigating violence in the province.

In dealing with separatism in Papua and Aceh, the Indonesian government has already given both provinces special autonomy status, he added. "Australia as well as the rest of the international world supports our country in handling these domestic problems," Susilosaid.

Another point discussed at the meeting was a possible Pacific Island Forum, which would involve Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia and East Timor.

On terrorism, Susilo said he explained to Downer Indonesia's policies and the ongoing deliberation of an anti-terrorism bill.

"Indonesia's way of coping terrorism is different from that of Singapore or Malaysia's Internal Security Act. One thing is sure, we will not ignore the international call to combat terrorist threats," Susilo said.

Indonesia military aid held back

Associated Press - May 24, 2002

Jesse J. Holland, Washington -- Congress is moving toward sending money to Indonesia to help train its police but has yet to warm up to the White House's call for increased relations with the country's military forces.

The House on Friday agreed to provide $8 million to help train Indonesia's police forces in anti-terrorism as part of the $29 billion anti-terrorism bill.

The Senate Appropriations Committee earlier had agreed to send money to Indonesia's police, saying the United States "recognizes that Indonesia is a potential terrorist haven."

The Senate earmarked $4 million for general law enforcement training and $12 million "to train and equip an Indonesia police unit to prevent or respond to international terrorism."

The Senate money does come with strings attached. Assistance is prohibited to mobile brigade units, which the report accompanying the bill says "have a long history of human rights abuses."

The House and the Senate committee also specifically refused to provide any money that would have gone to the country's military forces.

The State Department had asked for $8 million to train and equip a military force to control problems within Indonesia that police are unable to control.

But the Indonesian military has been accused of corruption and human rights abuses, especially for its role in trying to suppress the independence drive in East Timor in 1999.

The United States cut ties with the Indonesian military following the East Timor violence and has said that reforms -- including accounting for the violence -- are necessary to resume normal relations.

However, the Bush administration -- spearheaded by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, a former ambassador to Jakarta -- has been pushing to re-establish relations with the Indonesian military to fight terrorism.

The administration has been "interested in finding ways to work with the Congress to re-establish the kind of military-to- military relations which we believe are appropriate," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said May 14.

He did not elaborate on what those might be. "We are of the view that it's time for them to be adjusted substantially," he said.

The law halting aid -- called the Leahy Amendment for Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat who sponsored it -- requires that Indonesia cooperate with investigations and prosecutions of members of the armed forces responsible for human rights abuses.

"If we provide this aid it should be narrowly focused and closely monitored, and it should reinforce our other foreign policy goals, including respect for human rights," said Leahy, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee's foreign operations subcommittee. Human rights groups say the conditions have not been met.

Britain to help persuade US to ease military sanctions

Agence France Presse - May 22, 2002

Jakarta -- Britain has offered its help to convince the United States to restore military relations with Indonesia, the Indonesian defense minister said Wednesday.

"The British defense secretary [Geoff Hoon] is willing to help us by persuading the US to restore military relations with Indonesia," said Matori Abdul Jalil. He did not give further details. Jalil returned home Wednesday after a 12-day foreign trip which included visits to Britain and the US, where he made the case for restoring the military ties.

The restrictions on military relations with Indonesia were imposed after pro-Jakarta militias went on the rampage in East Timor after its 1999 independence vote.

Since the September 11 attacks on the United States, US officials have lamented the absence of military ties with Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation.

They say Indonesia could become a haven for al-Qaeda operatives of suspected terror mastermind Osama bin Laden.

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said after meeting Jalil that Congress should ease the military restrictions, saying that Jakarta was dealing with past human rights violations "in an orderly, democratic way".

But some officials, including some in the State Department, are believed to be more cautious on the issue, fearing that Indonesia has not yet done enough to purge the armed forces of those guilty of human rights abuses.

The Pentagon has had no military training or foreign military sales programs with Indonesia since 1999 when Congress passed an amendment barring funding for those activities until Indonesia accounted for the military's role in the East Timor killings.

EU issues resolution on Maluku, Aceh and Papua

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Jakarta -- The European Parliament has issued a resolution calling on Indonesia to formulate an immediate peaceful solution to the conflicts in Maluku, Aceh and Papua, while affirming its recognition on Indonesia's integrity, a report said.

Signed by 13 members of the parliament, the resolution suggested that Indonesia invite the United Nations' special rapporteurs to investigate the alleged torture of civilians by the military in the provinces of Aceh and Papua.

The resolution was issued during the European Parliament meeting held in France last week to discuss human rights issues in Indonesia, Antara reported from Brussels on Wednesday. The resolution contains 15 points on facts and information on human rights violations found by the European Parliament, and 11 points on its concerns and calls on Indonesia to take immediate measures against various human rights violations in the provinces.

In Maluku, the parliament spotlighted the absence of an independent inquiry commission, the arrest of Laskar Jihad (holy war) commander Ja'afar Umar Thalib on May 4, 2002, who had provoked Maluku's Muslims to ignore the Malino II peace accord on April 26.

It also said that Indonesia had held peaceful dialogs with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Geneva on May 10, 2002.

On Papua, the European Parliament made mention of a fact that the National Investigation Commission had claimed six members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) were involved in the murder of Theys Hiyo Eluay, chairman of the Free Papua Movement's Presidium Council.

In other parts of the resolution, the European Parliament expressed concern over the United Nations' Human Rights Commission led by Mary Robinson which it viewed as having failed to live up to its responsibility on the occurrence of human rights violations in the three Indonesian provinces.

It hailed the government's measures to drive away all members of the Laskar Jihad from Maluku, saying the Indonesian government was committed to peaceful resolution.

On Aceh and Papua, the resolution also urged the Indonesian government to form independent enquiry commissions composing of international human rights experts to investigate the slaying of Eluay and also human rights cases in Aceh.

The politics behind the scenes: Secret persuaders

The Australian - May 22, 2002

In trying to rein in Jakarta, Australia put its special relationship with the Indonesian army on the line, write Don Greenlees and Robert Garran in the third of four exclusive extracts from their book Deliverance.

On January 27 1999, the Indonesian cabinet acceded to the wishes of president B.J. Habibie to give East Timor the choice of independence. But this historic act became the precursor to a reign of terror unleashed by military-sponsored militias opposed to Indonesia letting its conquered possession go free.

Given the task of establishing the will of the East Timorese in a referendum, the UN was left in an invidious position. It had little means of influencing the behaviour of the Indonesian security forces, who were clearly boycotting the cabinet's official policy.

In the face of this violent obstruction, the Australian Government decided to make its own approach to rein in the Indonesian armed forces, putting to the test what it believed was a special relationship.

Over the previous decade the Australian Defence Force had been steadily intensifying co-operation with the Indonesian armed forces, so that by 1999 Indonesia was more militarily engaged with Australia than any other nation.

One sign of Australia's confidence in this relationship came in March that year. The ADF sent its highest-ranking delegation to Jakarta for talks with 50 Indonesian generals. The country's respective military chiefs, Admiral Chris Barrie and General Wiranto, led the two sides.

For two days Australian and Indonesian officers and civilians met at the Shangri-la Hotel, engaging in an unprecedented discussion of the role of the military in civil society. They canvassed concepts such as "civil supremacy" over the military -- standard democratic practice in the West but alien to the Indonesian armed forces' doctrine of dual function (dwi fungsi), which envisaged a social and political as well as a security role for the armed forces.

The Australian officers and Indonesian civilians who attended the closed meetings saw the willingness of Indonesian generals to debate the proper role of militaries as a sign of a new openness. To the Australian military the meetings suggested the military-to-military relationship had grown to another level of intimacy -- further validation of the benefits of close engagement.

After dinner on the final night of the forum, Barrie wondered how Wiranto could possibly know all that was going on inside an organisation of 500,000 personnel, spread across a vast archipelago.

As the year went on it became glaringly apparent that whatever reformist intentions the Indonesian armed forces had, they did not include standing idle while East Timor seemed increasingly likely to secede.

Among the sources of mounting evidence on the Indonesian military's role were Australian intelligence agencies -- two of which, the Defence Signals Directorate and the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, had primary information-gathering responsibilities.

They produced an extraordinary volume of information on East Timor that confirmed in detail what almost any observer on the ground had seen or deduced: that Indonesian security forces were using the militias as proxies in an uncompromising campaign to win or destroy the referendum.

The main source of intelligence was DSD, for which interception and decryption of Indonesian signals had been the highest priority since the 1980s. During 1999 about 150 people worked at DSD's largest intercept station at Shoal Bay, near Darwin, "listening with earphones to Indonesian radio traffic, recording encrypted signals, and monitoring satellite telephone conversations".

Small teams of navy signals intelligence personnel from Shoal Bay served on Royal Australian Navy frigates and patrol boats operating close to East Timor to intercept radio communications. Two RAAF P-3C Orion aircraft modified for signals intelligence gathering were also used.

The intelligence gave Australia an incomplete picture of the degree to which events in East Timor were being directed from armed forces headquarters in Jakarta, although a tremendous amount was known about activities on the ground.

Some of the briefings to government in early 1999 blamed hostile acts only on military elements inside East Timor. But even then the circumstantial case for the campaign having been designed in Jakarta was strong and had grown substantially by midyear.

In spite of what was known from human and signals intelligence, the Australian Government was cautious in public statements in early March about attributing the military activity in East Timor to any more than "rogue elements". "If it's happening at all, and there is concern it could be happening, it certainly isn't official Indonesian government policy, it certainly isn't something that's being condoned by General Wiranto, the head of the armed forces," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in March.

"But there may be some rogue elements within the armed forces which are providing arms of one kind or another to pro- integrationists who have been, you know, fighting the cause of Indonesia ..."

The "rogue elements" description downplayed what was known about the level of military co-ordination on the ground. The reason for the Government's misleading public statements was threefold: it did not want to jeopardise what it saw as its substantial capacity to quietly influence the Indonesians by making strident public criticisms; it wanted to guard against measures to counteract its intelligence gathering; and it was concerned at the impact of any interventions on the outcome of the then unfinished negotiations in New York over the details of the referendum.

Downer said later: If we had gone out there and made all sorts of wild allegations about particular people and particular actions by particular Indonesians, it would have terminated our relationship with Indonesia. The Indonesians would have been outraged. We would have rightly been attacked by people in the media and the Opposition here in Australia for mishandling the relationship with Indonesia. Of course they would have denied all these things. It would have been their word against mine. I was hardly likely to produce intelligence reports to prove my case. And what's more, in those circumstances it wouldn't have been possible to get to a successful conclusion to the process, that is, a ballot.

But as events unfolded and evidence mounted that the armed forces were impervious to public calls from the UN and member states to improve security in East Timor, the Australian Government decided to test the influence its close military relationship gave it in Jakarta.

The vice chief of the defence force, Air Marshal Doug Riding, flew to Jakarta in late June to deliver a difficult message to the generals who had been so welcoming only months before during the talks on the military's role. It was hoped a direct approach, coming from a close military partner, might have a sobering effect and avoid the risk of a diplomatic dispute.

Australian Department of Defence officials were also concerned that the Indonesians would be deeply offended if they learned second-hand of the detailed intelligence briefings Australia was giving to the US on conditions in East Timor.

On June 21, at armed forces headquarters in Cilankap, Riding met two of Wiranto's key deputies, chief of staff for general affairs, Lieutenant-General Sugiono, and chief of staff for territorial affairs, Lieutenant-General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Riding came quickly to the point. His briefing notes record him telling the generals: We fully understand that the situation in East Timor is complex. In our opinion the most significant threats to a genuinely free ballot come from the pro- integrationist militia groups, supported by TNI [the armed forces]. So long as this occurs, Indonesia's claims to be supporting a fair and open process will be undermined. This is very seriously damaging the credibility of the Indonesian Government and TNI ... It is of the utmost importance that Indonesia restore the security environment in East Timor, but in doing so TNI must stop supporting the militias and must control their activities. It is our assessment that: TNI and pro- integration militia have intimidated the East Timorese population as part of a campaign to maximise the chances of an autonomy result; TNI has provided support to the pro-integrationist militia by legitimising and decriminalising militants and failing to prevent or punish their activities; TNI has not extended basic protection to peaceful and law-abiding supporters of independence; and TNI protection of and support to militias has prevented the police from maintaining law and order effectively.

This was a remarkably tough message from a government wanting to remain on friendly terms with Indonesia. It could easily have elicited a similarly blunt response from Sugiono and Yudhoyono.

But the meeting remained courteous despite the tension, as Yudhoyono dismissed the thrust of Riding's case, urging the Australians to "develop a balanced picture, considering all points of view". He insisted security forces were trying to be neutral; pointed to Indonesia's willingness to accept military liaison officers within the UN mission in East Timor as evidence of goodwill; accused the UN mission of partiality; and justified the existence of militia by repeating the familiar refrain that they were legitimate defence auxiliaries.

His view of security conditions in East Timor was also starkly different from that described by witnesses on the ground, the UN and foreign governments. Disturbances to that point, he said, had been minor.

US Congress to evaluate military embargo on Indonesia

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2002

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta -- The US Congress will evaluate the embargo imposed on the Indonesian Military (TNI) in July, pending the completion of the ongoing Human Rights Tribunal in the country against military and civilian officials accused of committing gross human rights violations in East Timor in 1999, an official said on Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Sudrajat, Director-General of Defense Strategy at the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, said the US congressmen had given a very positive response to the Indonesian government over its concern for the enforcement of human rights.

But, he was quick to add that the US Congress was waiting for "a certificate" from the US' executive branch, that the result of the ongoing rights tribunal was satisfactory.

Sudrajat was accompanying Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil during a recent three-day visit to the US to meet the country's Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and his deputy Paul D. Wolfowitz, as well as several Pentagon staff and chairman of the US National Security Council Condoleeza Rice.

During the visit, the Indonesian officials had hoped to meet influential US congressmen, including Democrat Patrick Leahy who had proposed a military embargo on TNI following the 1999 post- ballot violence in East Timor.

Sudrajat regretted the congressman's reluctance to see them, saying that "Leahy was too busy to meet the Indonesian delegation." "But the government, as well as the TNI headquarters, will maintain its stance of not interfering in the current rights tribunal although we (Indonesia) desperately need US military aid," Sudrajat told The Jakarta Post by phone from the Netherlands.

Earlier on Friday, TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin asked for understanding from the US government on the Indonesian Military's internal problems here, especially "its troops preparedness while performing their tasks in the country's troubled regions." "TNI is currently facing problems in maintaining its equipment, as well as improving the soldiers' professionalism following the suspension of all military training and cooperation by the US government," he said.

"Meanwhile, on the other hand, the US pressures us to seriously combat terrorism which they allege has been cultivated here," Sjafrie said.

Several former government, military, and police officials are facing trial at the Human Rights Tribunal for alleged gross human rights violation before, during, and after the 1999 ballot.

The tribunal is set to issue the verdict in July, and if proven guilty, the officials will face a minimum of 10 years in prison.

Economy & investment

Poultry farmers oppose new tax

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2002

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung -- Thousands of poultry farmers declined to pay a special poultry tax to the West Java provincial administration because of their losses in the fierce competition with the chicken cartel.

Alie Aboebakar, chairman of the Indonesian Poultry Farmers Association (PPUI), said here on Wednesday that both the association and its members in the province would not comply with Bylaw No. 25/2001 requiring them to pay between Rp 10 and Rp 50 per chicken in fees to the local administration.

"So far, the government has never given protection for domestic poultry farmers in facing the cartel monopolizing the broiler products. Now, it is enforcing the bylaw to extort us," he said.

He said domestic poultry farmers actually had no objection to the tax under the regional autonomy provided the funds collected from the farmers were returned in the form of training, protection and necessary information for the farmers.

He regretted that the provincial administration did nothing to help thousands of traditional farmers whose poultry business was killed by the cartel.

He urged the local administration not to close its eyes on the traditional farmers of domestic poultry because they contributed 70 percent of the province's demand of 19 million chickens per week.

Governor R. Nuriana was not available for comment on Wednesday while the provincial legislative council said it had yet to check the bylaw enforcement.

Hidayat Zaini, a member of the provincial legislature's Commission B on agriculture, pledged to follow up the poultry farmers' complaints.