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Indonesia News Digest Number 21 - May 17-23, 2004
The Guardian (UK) - May 21, 2004
John Aglionby -- "Ferry Bebas" (Ferry is Free) was all Media
Indonesia needed as its main headline on Monday to tell its
readers the news.
Anyone who had been following Indonesian current affairs knew
immediately it referred to Ferry Santoro, a news cameraman from a
private television station who'd been taken hostage last June,
along with the reporter Ersa Siregar, by the separatist Free Aceh
Movement (Gam).
All the papers gave the story pages of coverage for days, with
many highlighting the need for journalists to continue covering
the decades-long conflict in the northern tip of Sumatra.
As Media Indonesia said in a front-page editorial: "Ferry's
freedom should reinforce journalists' motivation and bravery to
continue their profession in Aceh or other conflict zones. For
journalists have no choice but to continue to truthfully report
every event that happens and even more so from war zones.
Because in war the first casualty is the truth and so journalists
must seek the truth that is different to the truth claimed by the
combatants." It finished with a national appeal: "It is now the
time to build the truth together; so the Acehnese can be saved
from even greater destruction ... and [Aceh can] become a
paradise for its people."
That was a reference to one of the other big stories of the week:
the government's decision to end a year of martial law in Aceh,
and declare it to be at civil emergency status. President
Megawati Sukarnoputri claimed the move was justified because a
significant blow had been dealt to GAM. But the media were not
convinced life would be that different for the Acehnese,
particularly because their new ruler, the civilian governor, is
accused of myriad corruption offences.
"Abdullah Puteh to be in charge of the civil emergency in Aceh"
was Koran Tempo's banner headline on Wednesday, which probably
took many of its readers aback. The day before, Jakarta's main
evening paper, Suara Pembaruan, had been unable to conceal its
contempt for the man or the cosmetic nature of the change of
status.
"As long as the legal system does not process the accusations [of
corruption, collusion and nepotism] that have been levelled
against Mr Puteh, especially now he has taken over control of the
operational budget for the civil emergency status in Aceh, the
new situation will not result in civil order," it said. "No one
should feel proud that martial law has been changed to a civil
emergency, because both are equally repressive. There is no
difference!"
Against this backdrop, the run-up to Indonesia's first-ever
presidential election, to be held on July 5, continued to gather
momentum. This week saw the deadline for the registration of
candidates and the probable immediate disqualification of the
former president Abdurrahman Wahid, on account of his virtual
blindness.
Indonesia's leading newspaper, Kompas, ran an exclusive on that
subject on Saturday. It quoted Mr Wahid's daughter, Yenny, as
saying the election commission had sent them a letter to say he
would be disqualified. "But they're not brave enough to announce
whether this will really happen or not," she reportedly said.
The Jakarta Post, the nation's main English-language newspaper,
looked at the issue from a broader perspective. It observed that
the parties were, for the most part, nominating candidates from
the military and the former dictator Suharto's party.
"It is not our intention to denigrate any of the six pairings as
contenders," it said. "At present they are the best candidates
the political parties can be expected to field. However for the
sake of the nation's future, all necessary steps must be taken to
ensure that the grooming of future leaders will take properly at
all levels of the nation's social and political life."
Indonesia's sporting woes grabbed the headlines after poor
performances in the Thomas and Uber Cups, the top international
badminton team competitions. No pundit could remember when
Indonesia last did so badly in a sport it used to dominate.
Tempo magazine blamed the five years of economic crisis and
government apathy. "Perhaps matters of sport should be left to
the people," it said.
"The government can just give encouragement and motivation, for
example by building necessary sports facilities. What is
happening now is that the government is taking over land that the
people use for sport. Football fields have become shopping
centres, not only in large cities but even in provincial towns."
Agence France Presse - May 19, 2004
Most of the nearly 150 people freed by separatist rebels in Aceh
province this week were not hostages but people rounded up from
around the release site, Indonesia's military says.
"There are strong indications that about 120 of the people were
not hostages but simply civilians from locations around the
release site who had been ordered to gather by the GAM," said
Aceh military spokesman Major Ahmad Husen.
He was referring to at least 138 people freed by the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM). The movement had said its "prisoners" were
suspected spies for the military or those who had sought its
protection.
The Indonesian Red Cross and the International Committee of the
Red Cross said the rebels handed over 138 people to them.
Husen said some of those freed carried bags containing ironed
clothes. "It is very unusual for people who have been kept
hostage for months by the guerrillas to have nicely ironed
clothes," Husen said. Medical checks also showed their health was
not compatible with people who had been held hostage for months,
he said.
Husen also said some of those freed claimed they came from
villages surrounding Lhok Juk, the site of the release, and had
been told by rebels to avail of medical checkups provided by the
Red Cross.
Sayed Zakaria, 52, a released prisoner who was allowed by the
military to talk to reporters in the East Aceh district capital
of Langsa late Tuesday, said: "Most are civilians who were asked
by the GAM to go with ICRC and PMI vehicles to Langsa to get free
medical checkups." Zakaria said he had been detained by the
rebels for the past three years on suspicion of spying for the
military.
GAM has been fighting since 1976 for the independence of
resource-rich Aceh province at the northern tip of Sumatra
island.
After a year of martial law, Jakarta Wednesday downgraded the
status to civil emergency, which gives civilian authorities the
power to censor the press and declare a curfew. The military
operation against GAM will continue, the government said.
West Papua
2004 elections
Corruption/collusion/nepotism
Regional/communal conflicts
Local & community issues
Human rights/law
Reconciliation & justice
Focus on Jakarta
News & issues
Environment
Islam/religion
Business & investment
Aceh
Aceh rebels free hostages after 11 months
Freed Aceh hostages were civilians: Military
Critics question motives for abandoning martial law
Financial Times (UK) - May 20, 2004
Shawn Donnan, Jakarta -- Indonesia lifted martial law in the restive province of Aceh yesterday, a year after it launched its biggest military operation since the 1975 invasion of East Timor in an attempt to end a separatist rebellion.
But the move to downgrade the situation in Aceh to a civil emergency was criticised as being motivated by politics more than practicality and raised questions over what changes, if any, the new status would bring.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri is preparing for presidential elections that begin on July 5. Announcing the decision on Aceh late on Tuesday, she said the threat posed by separatists had "been broken by the Indonesian military and police".
Analysts and diplomats said security in Aceh had improved as a result of the year-long military campaign. However, they said civil emergency status was unlikely to change the situation on the ground or end the military operations, which have been blamed for a series of human rights abuses.
There are no plans to pull out any of the more than 40,000 security forces deployed to the province. "If you look at the decree, nothing has changed except for the name," said one diplomat.
Indonesia's military claims it has killed more than 2,000 members of the Free Aceh Movement, or Gam, in the past year and to have 3 detained a similar number.
Those numbers are impossible to verify and human rights groups have said they believe many of those killed were civilians. Jakarta claimed Gam's total membership stood at about 5,000 when operations began.
Questions are also being raised about Mrs Megawati's decision to restore Abdullah Puteh, the province's civilian governor, to power as martial law is lifted. Mr Puteh is the subject of at least three corruption investigations.
[Additional reporting by Taufan Hidayat.]
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta -- More than 100 Acehnese claiming to be local people and members of various anti-separatist movements met with officials of the Ministry of Defense here on Wednesday as part of what seemed to be a government-sponsored week-long course on national defense.
Briefing the press after the meeting, Yahya of the Association of Students for Religious Propagation in Gayo Lues regency said that the course was very useful for participants as "it teaches us many things about nationalism and basic military training".
Yahya also said that during the course participants were taught to sing the national anthem, Indonesia Raya, and recite the principles of the country's ideology, Pancasila.
"In Aceh, there are a number of anti-separatist groups that usually join troops patrolling in remote villages to hunt down rebels. I frequently join them and have learnt that only a few Acehnese people can sing the national anthem," he said.
Another Acehnese, Muslizar of the Struggle Against the Separatist Free Aceh Movement Front (GPS GAM), described how soldiers decided whether or not villagers were rebels.
"The soldiers usually order villagers, especially the youths, to gather in a certain area and order them to sing Indonesia Raya or to recite the principles Pancasila. If they can't do so, they are considered to be rebels," said Yahya, adding that suspected the rebels were "processed" afterwards.
Beginning last Friday, a total of 129 Acehnese started a seven- day nationalism course sponsored by the Ministry of Defense in the hilly Puncak area of West Java. They are the first batch of Acehnese to join the program. Most of the participants are leaders of pro-Jakarta militias, such as the Anti-separatist Movement (Geurasa) and the Separatist Hunters.
According to the ministry's director general for defense capabilities, Rear Adm. Darmawan, the course would be held regularly, saying that the government was responsible for developing the spirit of nationalism among Acehnese people.
"The objective of the course is to create nationalist cadres among the Acehnese who will share the same perceptions on the development the province as part of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia," he said.
Government troops are currently on the offensive against the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has been fighting for independence for resource-rich Aceh since 1976. Close to 15,000 people have been killed since then.
During the one year of martial law than ended on Tuesday (May 18), civilians were either mobilized or forcibly drafted into militia groups across the province to help crush the guerrillas.
Members of these groups are equipped with sharpened bamboo sticks and machetes, with some of them wearing red-and-white headbands. Many claim they were the victims of violence that they blamed on the rebels.
Indonesian Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin once said that the members of the anti-separatist movements were recruited from villages in the province and were given basic training by soldiers.
Sjafrie argued that the establishment of the groups was aimed at strengthening the ability of civilians to defend themselves against the separatists. He refused, however, to call them militia groups, despite the fact that their members were allowed to carry sharp weapons.
Human rights activists have expressed concern over the widespread establishment of militia groups in Aceh, saying that the trend could precipitate a wider civil war there.
In 1999, the TNI backed the establishment of pro-integration militia groups in the country's former province of East Timor prior to a UN-sponsored independence vote there. The militiamen were blamed for widespread intimidation, thuggery and carnage in East Timor both before and after it voted for independence in August 1999.
Agence France Presse - May 17, 2004
Authorities in the restive Indonesian provice of Aceh have transferred 171 convicted separatist rebels to jails on neighbouring Java island, prison officials said. A.C. Hendarmin, head of the Keudah jail in Banda Aceh, said that 136 prisoners were flown in Hercules transport planes from Banda Aceh and the rest from Lhokseumawe.
Hendarmin declined to give a reason for the move, saying it was ordered by the head of the state of martial law in Aceh, Major General Endang Suwarya.
The transfer of former guerrillas of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to jails in Java is the third since the government imposed martial law in Aceh in May last year.
The authorities had earlier said the reason for the transfers were that the capacities of jails in Aceh were insufficient. Hendarmin said the prisoners were serving jail terms of between three to 19 years.
In Banda Aceh, the prisoners were taken to the Sultan Iskandar Muda military airbase on board 10 trucks. Many of their families, who had gathered in front of the Keudah jail, saw them board trucks, bound by chains to each others.
Among the detainees taken to Java was Muhammad Nazar, the head of the presidium of the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) who was jailed for five years in May last year on charges of publicly spreading enmity against the government.
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Nani Farida, Banda Aceh -- The clock reads 11 p.m. but residents of the capital Banda Aceh are still crisscrossing the streets. Food vendors hawk their goods and several public transportation vehicles are operating as midnight approaches.
"We remain open until 1 a.m.," said Rizal, 40, a cake vendor from West Sumatra. Rizal, who has been selling cakes in Aceh for the past 13 years, does his best business in front of the landmark Baiturrahman Grand Mosque.
He said he was able to stay open after midnight only because the imposition of martial law had improved security. "Before martial law, I had to shut at 11 p.m. Moreover, other street vendors shut early, so I just followed suit," he said.
A military operation was launched on May 19, 2003, in Aceh, where Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels have been fighting for independence since 1976. Martial law was declared in conjunction with the military operation and was only lifted last week, being replaced by a state of civil emergency.
Bus conductor Muhammad also said security in Banda Aceh was much better than a year ago. "That is, just over the last few months [has security improved]. Before that it was scary," he said.
Banda Aceh was previously considered a "gray area", meaning armed groups were still thought to be operating in the city. There were times when suspected GAM rebels would board buses, terrifying passengers. At other times, buses would halt as rebels and security forces exchanged gunfire.
While some residents of Banda Aceh have good things to say about martial law, many people living on the outskirts of the city feel just the opposite. They say they feel threatened by the presence of security forces, whether the Indonesian Military (TNI) or the police's Mobile Brigade. "Whether there is martial law or not, we are still treated roughly by security forces," said Husain [not his real name], a resident of Aceh Besar district.
For a time, GAM rebels were reportedly based near the outskirts of Banda Aceh. Wrongful arrests were rumored to be common in the area because security forces could not distinguish between residents and rebels. Many of those residents who were arrested returned to their families with tales of abuse while in detention.
Husain, who says he was the victim of a false arrest, claims that he was detained at a security post in Aceh Besar for a week before being released. "I was returned to my family black-and- blue and they only offered an apology," he told The Jakarta Post.
However, he said that he was fortunate to be alive. "I fear many were not as lucky as me. They [security forces] cannot tell the difference between GAM rebels and ordinary people." Those living on the outskirts of Banda Aceh say the security forces sometimes combed the area, searched their homes and beat them if they did not answer questions to their satisfaction.
TNI chief Gen. Endriartono Soetarto acknowledged recently that troops in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam had committed hundreds of violations, including rape and selling ammunition to rebels.
Aceh martial law administration spokesman Col. Ditya Soedarsono also said recently that 139 members of the armed forces had been found guilty of various violations, including torture, since the military operation began in the province.
Residents say they are relieved if they are beaten publicly rather than being taken to a command post, where they believe they are likely to receive even worse treatment. "We just want to live in peace, but it seems so difficult," said Nurjannah, 45, a vegetable seller in Kuta Baro district.
After martial law was lifted and replaced by a state of civil emergency last week, the Acehnese can only pray that peace will return to the province as soon as possible, so that their lives can return to normal.
Detik.com - May 19, 2004
Dian Intannia, Jakarta -- Army chief (KSAD) General Ryamizard Ryacudu says that reducing the status of Aceh from martial law to a state of civil emergency will not change the way security operations are conducted. The TNI (armed forces) will also not be withdrawing its troops from Aceh.
"I don't think so. What is important for us is improving security. If it's working, we will [continue] as before. If not, we will look at it again. Because in principle security in Aceh must be restored as soon as possible", said Ryacudu in answer to a question about whether security operations in Aceh would be changed and troops withdrawn.
Ryacudu who was met my journalists after giving a talk at a discussion titled "TNI as glue of the nation's diversity and unity" at the Sudirman Building in Tebet, South Jakarta, on Wednesday May 19, said that the Acehnese people would not know the difference between a state of civil emergency or martial law.
"Because what they want is a sense of safety and protection when troops are around. So for the moment troops will not be withdrawn from Aceh", he said.
With regard to the status of the TNI's operational commander (Pangkoops) in Aceh under a state of civil emergency, Ryacudu said "Yeah, Pangkoops will revert to the way it was before. I can double as the territorial military commander. Maybe, yeah? I don't know yet. The [change of] status is just a change in who is in charge. But with regard to other issues we'll wait and see. If the system is still working we'll stay with it".
Ryacudu also took the opportunity to express his hope that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will be supportive and release the authentic hostages that it is still holding. "Because [we can see] from the hostages which were released last Sunday that there were only three genuine hostages, the others were just ordinary members of the public who just went long with it"(1), he said. (gtp)
Notes:
1. According to a report by Agence France Presse on May 19, the TNI claims that most of the 138 people freed by GAM on May 16 were not hostages but ordinary people who rounded up from around the release site.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Detik.com - May 17, 2004
Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh -- As may as 1000 students from the Ar- Raniry Darussalam State Institute of Islamic Studies and the Muhammadyah University along with hundreds of residents of Banda Aceh held demonstrations in three locations in the provincial capital on Monday May 17.
They were calling on President Megawati Sukarnoputri to sack Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh because of indications that he has been involved in a number of cases of government corruption. The demonstrations which began at around 9am, were held at the Simpang Limong roundabout, the offices of the Attorney General and at the Aceh provincial parliament.
Students said that Puteh was involved in corruption cases involving the procurement of a used printing machine and electricity, the government's purchase of a helicopter worth 12 billion rupiah, the Ladia Galaska road project, PT Seulawah Aceh, Gema Assalam and the misuse of the provincial state budget.
The students also unfurled a 30 meter long white cloth on the main road and called on the public to put their signatures to it as a statement rejecting government corruption in Aceh. The students said that the cloth would later be presented to Megawati.
At the provincial parliament, a demonstration taking up the same issues was also held by hundreds of residents of Banda Aceh and Greater Aceh. As well as calling for Puteh to resign, they also called for martial law to be extended, even though the government has already decided to replace martial law in Aceh with a state of civil emergency. (nrl)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Kompas Cyber Media - May 17, 2004
Banda Aceh -- On Monday May 17, demonstrations calling for the governor of Aceh, Abdullah Puteh, to resign from his post took place in three separate locations in Aceh.
Starting at 9am, thousands of students from government and private schools of higher education as well as the general public held demonstrations at the Simpang Limong roundabout, at the offices of the Attorney General and at the provincial parliament.
Students from the Syiah Kuala University, the Ar-Raniry Darussalam State Institute of Islamic Studies and the Muhammadyah University demanded that President Megawati Sukarnoputri immediately remove Puteh from his post as the governor of Aceh in order to investigate claims of his involvement in a number of corruption cases.
According to the students, there are suspicions that Puteh has been involved in a number of corruption cases in Aceh including the procurement of a used printing machine and electricity, helicopters, moneys from the People's Economic Empowerment fund, the Ladia Galaska road project, PT Seulawah Aceh, Gema Assalam and the misuse of funds from the regional state budget.
"By acting to deactivate Abdullah Puteh the president can accelerate the process of the investigation and a decision by the courts whether [Puteh] is guilty or not, so that Aceh is no longer led by an individual who's integrity is still questionable", said the students.
Demonstrators also unfurled a length of white cloth 30 metres long on the main road and called on the public to put their signatures to it as an agreement rejecting government corruption in Aceh.
Students said that after the cloth had been filled with signatures it would be presented to Megawati as a sign of the Acehnese people's opposition to corruption in Aceh.
Meanwhile, a group of students who went to the Aceh Attorney General's offices called on law enforcement officials to immediately investigate a number of corruption claims within the government administration.
Hundreds of people from a number of sub-districts in Greater Aceh also held a demonstration at the provincial parliament urging Puteh to resign from his post because of government corruption. The demands for Puteh to resign and the calls for an extension to martial law in Aceh were made because the security is yet to be restored and no action has been taken against corrupt officials.
In front of the parliamentary gates on Jalan Tgk Daud Beureueh in Banda Aceh, the demonstrators unfurled a number of banners and posters with messages opposing [reducing the status of Aceh to] a state civil emergency, supporting an extension of martial law in Aceh and calling for Puteh to resign from his post. The demonstrations at the three different location were tightly guarded by fully armed police.
The students, as the "motor" to uphold national reform, including in Aceh, hope that the province of 4.2 million people will not be led by a corrupt administration or corrupt individuals. The students also urged the Acehnese Attorney General, Andi Amir Achmad, to immediately arrest the corrupters who have brought misery to the lives of the Acehnese people.
Achmad told the students that he supports efforts to eliminate corruption in Aceh. "I ask that students support our work in investigating claims of corruption in Aceh. I will stake my job on upholding the supremacy of law in Aceh. I will arrest all of the corrupters in Aceh, no one will be exempted", he said. (Ant/nik)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
| West Papua |
Detik.com - May 19, 2004
Suwarjono, Jakarta -- Opposition to presidential and vice- presidential candidates from the military are surfacing again. A coalition of West Papuan non-government organisations (NGOs) say that presidential candidates with a military background will make it difficult to uphold values of human rights in Indonesia.
"We don't want a future president or vice-president who was involved in bloody incidents which have slaughtered thousands of people in the territory of Indonesia. The people of Papua have already experienced the bitterness of confronting the military".
This was related by the secretary general of the Institute for the Study and Advocacy of Human Rights (Elsham) Papua, Aloysius Renwarin, at the offices of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Jalan Cisadane in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Friday May 14. Also present was the coordinator of Kontras Papua, Pieter Ell and the chairperson of the Papuan Legal Aid Foundation, Paskalis L.
Renwarin added that the next president must open up a dialogue with the Papuan people. "Many Papuan people have been the victims of human rights violations, the law. And there has been no respect for the values of humanity. It is time for the presidency to be held by a civilian who can accommodate the desires and interests of the Papuan people. In our assessment, the Papuan people are still being treated like illegitimate children", he explained.
The coalition also called on the next president to take real action and not just make promises. "We do not just need a symbolic gesture of placing a Papuan in the next cabinet but actions which are far more concrete [and real]", said Renwarin. (ton)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
| 2004 elections |
Straits Times - May 21, 2004
Devi Asmarani, Jakarta -- Public polls are a much-sought device in Indonesian politics these days.
Several polling groups have emerged since last year and, for the first time, their surveys of public expectations are being taken seriously by contenders for the presidency.
The groups are made up moSuara Timur Lorosaey of non-profit institutions. Some have begun to commercialise their services to cater to political parties or figures.
Their rise in popularity is in line with the country's political climate. Direct legislative elections were completed recently and polling for the presidency is due in July.
"This is not an exclusively Indonesian phenomena," said Mr Muhammad Husain, head of the research division at the Institute for Social and Economic Research, Education and Information (LP3ES). "In other countries undergoing the democratisation process like us, polling groups begin to mushroom around election time."
Other analysts noted that there was greater political freedom in Indonesia since the fall of the authoritarian Suharto regime in 1998. "Under an authoritarian political system, it is pointless to do a public poll. The public has no control over who gets elected," said Mr Qodari, director of research at the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI).
Tight government control also made it tough in the past for the authorities to approve surveys with "sensitive" questionnaires, he said.
LSI is one of the more prominent polling groups. Established last July, it is made up of young scholars specialising in political behaviour. Last year, it secured funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency to carry out regular surveys on politics and public policies.
The LP3ES has been around since 1971, doing studies and publishing books on social and economic issues. In 1993, it began to carry out public opinion surveys, focusing then on less sensitive issues such as the environment and economic liberalisation. This year, it was hailed for its successful and highly accurate 'quick count' of the April 5 legislative elections.
By placing 4,000 staff to observe vote counts and interview voters in 2,000 ballot stations, the institute came up with an estimate of the polling results in one day.
It took the General Elections Committee a month to finish the vote count. The estimate by the institute boosted confidence and trust in public polls.
Just a year ago, President Megawati Sukarnoputri's party dissolved its research and development division. The party was angry about the studies by the division showing that the party's popularity was waning because of corruption and the President's sluggish performance.
The Straits Times understands that the party is now one of two parties using the LSI's service to do surveys for internal use on public approval ratings.
Other polling groups include the non-governmental organisation, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES), and the Centre for Political Studies-Sugeng Sarjadi Syndicated.
The media has also jumped on the bandwagon with their own polls, albeit with less scientific methodology.
Television stations invite viewers to pick the political parties or presidential candidates of their choice, through short messaging services.
For commercial reasons, some of the stations impose higher rates for each SMS in the pollings. The print media, including Kompas, do regular telephone polling on ground sentiment.
Internet news sites such as Detik.com also conduct surveys on their sites.
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Slamet Susanto and M. Taufiqurrahman, Yogyakarta/Jakarta -- Presidential candidates are set to spend billions of rupiah in the one-month campaign period slated to begin on June 1, seeking financing from supporters and the business community, with some willing to empty their own pockets.
Running mates Amien Rais and Siswono Yudhohusodo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) have estimated that they need some Rp 160 billion (US$17.7 million) to fund the campaign.
Siswono said on Thursday that almost 30 percent of the fund would be from his own pocket and the rest would come from supporters through the party's bank account.
"If necessary I can give more for the campaign, but the rest will be from supporters who can contribute through a bank account," said Siswono, who is known as a successful developer.
Candidates from the Democratic Party, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla have opted to seek support from the business community to raise the needed Rp 100 billion in campaign funds.
Kalla cited a recent fund-raising in Bali where 700 businessmen donated Rp 100,000 each. "I am also a businessman, so some of my friends will help me," Kalla said as quoted by Antara.
The Democratic Party's Rp 100 billion paled significantly in comparison to the United Development Party (PPP)'s whopping Rp 500 billion campaign fund. The amount was revealed by party' candidates Vice President Hamzah Haz and Minister of Communication Agum Gumelar.
The party's team manager Endin J. Soefihara, however, failed to mention the source of the funding, saying only that it would come from PPP supporters. "We will maximize all potential sources in our party to finance the campaign," Endin said after party's meeting at Hamzah's official residence.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Golkar Party have yet to announce the amount of their campaign fund. PDI-P's Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi's campaign team refused to mention the amount of their campaign fund, saying they would announce it later. In a recent fund-raising event Wiranto managed to collect some Rp 4 billion.
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta -- The renewed rivalry between the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and its old nemesis the Golkar Party has taken on a new twist with Golkar leaders accusing PDI-P of funding a negative campaign against its presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto. Golkar deputy chairman Slamet Effendy Yusuf said the party was considering a lawsuit against PDI-P executive Jacob Nuwa Wea for "plotting and funding" a student rally against Wiranto on May 12.
Nuwa Wea, who is also the Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, denied the accusations and said he could explain it all to Wiranto and Golkar. "I will be glad to clarify it to Wiranto if Golkar wants me to do so," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
The anti-Wiranto rally marked the May 12, 1998 shooting incident which claimed four Trisakti University students who were attending a demonstration against then president Soeharto at their campus in Grogol, West Jakarta.
Nuwa Wea said he received guests nearly everyday from different people, including students and PDI-P supporters "and it is very often I provide them with financial support." "They are my friends and they support our leadership and PDI-P. Is it wrong if I give them financial aid to cover their transportation expenses?" he said.
Slamet disclosed that he knew of a document about a meeting hosted by Nuwa Wea at his official residence in the Widya Chandra housing complex in South Jakarta on May 6 to plan the rally. Representatives of 26 student groups attended and Nuwa Wea has been accused of providing Rp 16 million (US$1,778) for each group.
Nuwa Wea conceded that a group of students came to his official residence on May 6, but said he did not know what exactly their motive was.
"I received them and chatted with them for three to five minutes and then I let them go and we did not discuss the anti-Wiranto rally. I am a Mega Center member, but as a state official I know what I can and can't do," he said, referring to his party's campaign strategy team.
The Mega Center comprises state officials and experts who are working to help President Megawati Soekarnoputri win the July 5 election.
Nuwa Wea also admitted giving some money to the students but declined to mention the amount, saying only that he took it from his monthly emergency fund. He reportedly receives Rp 100 million for that fund.
PDI-P lost to Golkar in the recent legislative election.
Meanwhile, Ryaas Rasyid, a public administration expert, suggested that President Megawati should not block any trial of Nuwa Wea in connection with the Golkar allegation.
"The President should let him stand trial because his actions are against public administration ethics," said Ryaas, also the leader of the Nationhood Democratic Party that supports Wiranto's bid for the presidency.
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Jakarta -- Discontent with a regulation detrimental to the comeback bid of its presidential candidate Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, the National Awakening Party (PKB) disclosed a backroom deal made among parties that would allow him to run for the top job.
PKB leader Alwi Shihab told a media conference the compromise was agreed upon to provide a leeway for all possible presidential candidates to join the race, including lowering the stringent health requirements for Gus Dur, who has impaired vision.
"When we deliberated the presidential election bill, there was a compromise made [between the parties] that a candidate would not be required to hold a bachelor degree so that Megawati could join the race, the word 'defendant' was dropped to accommodate Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung, the 15 percent electoral threshold was lowered to only 3 for Amien and the article on health requirements was to be modified for Gus Dur," Alwi told the conference at Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) head office here on Thursday. Gus Dur was also present.
Incumbent president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the candidate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), does not have a university degree.
Golkar Party leader Akbar was found guilty in a graft case by the Central Jakarta District Court and the Jakarta High Court when the presidential bill was being debated. The Supreme Court acquitted Akbar in February, but he lost to former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto in the Golkar's convention to select its presidential aspirant.
The National Mandate Party (PAN) nominated its leader Amien Rais for the presidency, after the party garnered 7 percent of the vote. "It was a gentleman's agreement that must be respected by all parties involved." Alwi said.
He said due to the deal Gus Dur should be given equal opportunity to contest the presidential race. "PKB will file legal charges against the KPU should they disqualify Gus Dur," Alwi said.
Gus Dur was dismissed as president in July 2001 for incompetence, and was succeeded by his deputy Megawati. Last week, Gus Dur told the press he had been declared unfit to contest the presidential election by the KPU due to his poor eyesight.
The General Elections Commission (KPU) will announce the eligible presidential candidates on Saturday. Earlier on Thursday, PKB deputy chairman Mahfud MD submitted Gus Dur's credentials and those of his running mate Marwah Daud Ibrahim, including copies of ID cards, a statement declaring that they are debt-free and have no tax arrears. Other candidates also completed the requirements on Thursday.
Later on Thursday, Gus Dur flew to the West Java town of Cirebon to meet one of NU's respected clerics, Abdullah Abbas, who runs the Buntet Muslim boarding school, to introduce Marwah to NU leaders in the town.
Gus Dur said after a closed-door meeting with Abbas he would go ahead with his presidential bid, due to support from the prominent clerics. "Most clerics are behind me," he said, comparing himself with NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, who will contest the election as Megawati's running mate.
In a related development, NU's East Java branch capped a plenary meeting on Thursday in Surabaya with a pledge to support Megawati and Hasyim. The province is the main NU stronghold, the largest Muslim organization in the country.
Meanwhile, in an apparent move to improve the quality of the presidential campaign, the KPU will require candidates to present their manifesto during the month-long campaign starting on June 1.
"The campaign must not be about personalities alone. It must be used to inform the public about the manifesto of each candidate," KPU member Anas Urbaningrum said on Wednesday.
Detik.com - May 21, 2004
Gede Suardana, Denpasar -- Although anti-military demonstrations in Jakarta have proceeded safely, it wasn't so in Denpasar Bali. On Friday May 21, around 50 students and youths who where demonstrating against the military were beaten by scores of children from the TNI (armed forces) belonging to a group called the Indonesian Sons and Daughters Communication Forum (Forum Komunikasi Putra-Putri Indonesia, FKPPI).
The incident began when demonstrators from the Network Against Militarism and the New Order [regime of former President Suharto] (Jaringan Anti Militerisme dan Orba, JAM Orba) were giving speeches at the Udayana University in Denpasar. They were expressing their opposition to presidential candidates from the military and New Order.
The demonstrators were also carrying posters with photographs of [presidential candidate and former armed forces chief] Wiranto with the writing "The butcher of East Timor" and photographs of [former coordinating minister for politics and security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) with the writing "[The one who] conceived the Aceh military operation" along with a number of other derogatory posters.
Following the action at the campus, at 2.50pm the students were proceeding on foot via Jalan Diponegoro towards the Udayana IX Territorial Military Command [which overseas the provinces of Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara and East Timor before it became independent] when they were intercepted by a group of people of about the same number as the demonstrators.
The groups was wearing FKPPI uniforms with brown camouflage and were much more heavily built than the demonstrators.
Realising that their way had been blocked, four of the demonstrators tried to negotiate with FKPPI members but were then hit by members from the FKPPI.
The unfortunate demonstrators then ordered their other friends to run but the FKPPI members Chassid them resulting in them scattering in all directions. The incident occurred at the Jalan Udayana intersection right in front of the Bank Mandiri and Bank International Indonesia and because it happened so quickly it also caused a traffic jam.
The children from the military also grabbed the posters attacking Wiranto and SBY and the bamboo sticks which the posters were attached to were used to beat the demonstrators. A woman demonstrator was detained and "interrogated" in order to find out who was involved in the action and who the leaders were. The woman was even beaten although not very roughly. The FKPPI demonstrators also ripped up the posters which they had been able to seize.
The student demonstrators then scattered and ran back to the campus. "Perhaps the attack was stopped after [they] know that there was a demonstrator who was seriously wounded", said one of the demonstrators after arriving at the Udayana campus.
The student who was seriously injured was Joseph Eko K.
Tako alias Agus (27). Agus, who is a student at the Udayana University Faculty of Law, had his head gashed had to have six stitches and is now being treated at the Sanglah public hospital in Denpasar. Another demonstrator, Erni, was wounded in the knee. (nrl)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Detik.com - May 21, 2004
Danang Sangga Buwana, Jakarta -- National Mandate Party presidential candidate Amien Rais has promised himself that he will not use negative campaign methods in the presidential elections because as well as not being educational it will create an acrimonious atmosphere.
Amien made the statement after performing as a witness at the marriage of the eldest son of the deputy-chairperson of the People's Representative Assembly, Oesman Sapto Odang, at his home on Jalan Denpasar on Friday May 21. Vice- president Hamzah Haz was also present as a witness.
"I will not be developing a negative campaign. It isn't conducive. Even more so at the grass roots level it would be negative", he said. "We must be transparent and democratic. So essentially 'stop' the negative campaigning", emphasised Rais.
The issue of negative campaigns [referred to by Rais] surfaced following lively anti-military demonstrations which have been opposing [presidential candidates former armed forces chief] Wiranto and SBY [the former coordinating minister for security and politics Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]. Wiranto has even made the accusation that there was a meeting which was sponsored by a state official to coordinate these kind of demonstrations in order to stop him from winning. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle has said that the meeting which was organised by labour minister Jacob Nuwa Wea -- the state official -- was not party policy. (nrl)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya -- The National Awakening Party (PKB) looks certain to throw its support behind Golkar presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto after the General Elections Commission (KPU) declared its own candidate, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, ineligible to stand.
PKB chairman Alwi Shihab said the policy was in line with the decision of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) senior clerics who preferred Wiranto as the PKB's alternative presidential candidate. "We will follow the clerics' suggestion and will support Wiranto should Gus Dur fail to contest the presidential election," Alwi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Wiranto has named Gus Dur's brother Solahuddin Wahid as his running mate. Solahuddin is the deputy chairman of NU, the organization that founded the PKB and the largest Muslim organization in the country.
Alwi said the PKB would formalize its support for Wiranto after the KPU publicly announced the eligible candidates for the presidential election on May 22. "We will only announce our decision after the KPU finally decides on the fate of Gus Dur," Alwi, a former foreign minister, said.
The KPU decision to disqualify Gus Dur, whose vision is impaired, on health grounds was been leaked to the media on Friday. Gus Dur, who was dismissed as president in 2001, ostensibly for incompetence, has threatened to sue the commission for thwarting his comeback bid.
Gus Dur has approved his brother's nomination as Golkar's vice presidential candidate, but asserted that the PKB would not vote for the rival party despite his previous meetings with Wiranto.
The KPU required all presidential candidates to pass medical tests, including an eye examination.
The PKB's East Java chapter leader Choirul Anam said that all regional branches of the party in the province were ready to support the duo of Wiranto and Solahuddin should Gus Dur be declared ineligible to stand. "But, the decision must wait until there is a formal decision on Gus Dur's fate. We are prepared to support the pairing [Wiranto and Solahuddin]," Choirul said.
He said the decision had been endorsed by most NU clerics in East Java, the PKB stronghold. "Gus Dur's chances look slim now, but Solahuddin has a better chance of winning," Choirul said.
Solahuddin is not the only NU leader who has announced his intention to contest the July 5 election. NU top leader Hasyim Muzadi will also participate in the race as the running mate of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) presidential candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri.
The fight to win NU support is continuing with Megawati and Hasyim intensifying their approaches to the clerics.
A member of the Megawati reelection center, Hermawan Sulistyo, said Hasyim as NU chairman was seen as serving as a moral guardian for Megawati should she win. "We are counting on him not because of how many votes he can bring in, but rather for his image as a moral guardian for the next government," Hermawan, who is also a political analyst, told the Post on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Hidayat Nurwahid, said on Sunday that his party would soon issue a recommendation as to which presidential candidate its members should vote for in the July 5 election. "We will issue the recommendation before the start of the presidential election campaign," Hidayat told reporters on the sidelines of a rally condemning the US occupation of Iraq. The campaign will run from June 1 to June 30.
Hidayat said the recommendation could not be revealed now as the KPU had yet to announce the eligible candidates for the presidential election. The PKS, which came seventh in the April 5 legislative election, has decided not to contest the presidential election but vowed to take on the role of an opposition in the future House.
Detik.com - May 21, 2004
Gunawan Mashar, Makassar -- The fall of President Suharto six years ago was also commemorated by hundreds of Makassar students in South Sulawesi who held simultaneous demonstrations at four different locations on Friday May 21.
The first demonstration was held at the South Sulawesi regional parliament on Jalan Urip Sumoharjo. The action was organised by hundreds of demonstrators from the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB).
During the action BOB, demanded the investigation of a number of cases of human rights violations. They said that to date these cases have never been clearly resolved. "Reject SBY-Wiranto- Mega"(1) as presidential [candidates]", they shouted.
The second action was held at the campus of the Alaudin State Institute for Islamic Studies on Jalan Sultan Alaudin. Compared to the first demonstrations it was much smaller with only a handful of demonstrators present. There demands however were the same, rejecting militarism.
The third and fourth demonstrators were held at the Reformasi Toll Road and on Jalan Andi Petarani. Like the earlier demonstrations they also rejected militarism.
According to information obtained by Detik.com, they will end the demonstrations by gathering at the Mandala Monument. As of going to print the demonstrations at the four different locations were still proceeding in an orderly manner. (djo)
Notes:
1. SBY-Wiranto-Mega - Democratic Party presidential candidate former coordinating minister for politics and security Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Golkar Party presidential candidate former armed forces chief Wiranto and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle presidential candidate President Megawati Sukarnoputri.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Detik.com - May 21, 2004
Muchus Budi R., Solo -- Commemorating six years since the fall of Suharto, students and non-government organisations (NGOs) held a demonstration in Solo, Central Java, on Friday May 21. During the action they declared their opposition to presidential candidates form the military, the neo-New Order [regime of former President Suharto] and the fake reformists.
The action was joined by around 100 people who originated from a number campus based groups, professional organisations, legal aid foundations and NGOs. Calling themselves the Surakarta (Solo) People's Opposition Movement (Gerakan Oposisi Rakyat Surakarta) they included the Surakarta Muslim University (UMS) Student Executive Council, Indonesian Muslim Student Action Front (KAMMI), the Islamic Students Association (HMI), the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IMM), the Indonesian Legal Service Association, the People's Democratic Party (PRD), the Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI) and even a becak (pedicab) organisation.
The action was held at the Gladag roundabout in Solo. They said that although the Suharto regime was brought down six years ago under the pressure of the reformasi movement, the agenda of reformasi is still not being implemented because the forces of the neo-New Order, militarism and the fake reformists are still dominating the national leadership.
They therefore called on all sections of society to unite in an opposition movement together with all the different pro-democracy movements to immediately consolidate a nation-wide opposition movement.
In addition to this, they also explicitly stated that they oppose presidential and vice-presidential candidates originating from the military, the neo-New Order and the fake reformists. They did not however specifically mention any one name from the six pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates(1) who they consider are included in these three categories. (asy)
Notes:
1. The six presidential and vice-presidential candidates who are contesting the July 5 presidential elections are: Democratic Party founder and former coordinating minister for politics and security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former minister for people's welfare Jusuf Kalla; Golkar Party nominee former armed forces chief Wiranto and former National Human Rights Commission deputy chairperson Solahuddin Wahid (Gus Soleh); the chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi, the head of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama; the head of the United Development Party and incumbent Vice-President Hamzah Haz and transport minister retired General Agum Gumelar; National Awakening Party head former President Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) and former Golkar Party deputy leader Marwah Daud Ibrahim (pending an appeal over the Wahid's disqualification by the National Election Commission on health grounds) and; National Mandate Party chairperson and parliamentary speaker Amien Rais and former transmigration minister Siswono Yudhohusodo.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
| Corruption/collusion/nepotism |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Former president Soeharto quit on May 21, 1998, amid a chaotic security and economic crisis after he had ruled for three decades. His resignation led to the reform era, which, after six years, many say has yet to rehabilitate the country's economy and the nation's integrity. The Jakarta Post asked a few residents their opinion about the changes that have occurred since then.
Boedi Indratama, 30, is an executive at a private company in South Jakarta. He lives with his wife on Jl. Radio Dalam, Gandaria, South Jakarta: In the economic realm, there has been no change compared with what existed when president Soeharto was in power, six years ago.
The difference is only that the people can now express their opinion freely without fear of police arrest. Law enforcement is also better now.
Corruption seems worse now. From media reports, we know that more people are involved in corruption. I don't know whether this shows an increase of corruption or simply that the media now have the freedom to report it more openly.
Bonar Manahan Siahaan, 38, is an entrepreneur whose office is in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. He lives in Jl. Ampera, South Jakarta, with his wife and 7-month-old son: We now have freedom of the press, but no legal certainties yet, so people have no trust in the government.
In West Sumatra, 48 councillors were recently found guilty of graft. If the situation is that bad in the regions, what's it like in the central government? Surely it must be worse! If Soeharto had remained in power, the situation might have been worse still. We would have received more short-term loans from American bankers to finance investment and the money would have gone straight into the pockets of Soeharto's circle.
Even though Soeharto has been out of power for six years, our leaders still fear him. How can they not do so, when up to 70 percent of our politicians were made rich by Soeharto and therefore indebted to him and his family? This kind of deep- rooted behavior needs to be eliminated.
Associated Press - May 19, 2004
Jakarta -- An Indonesian court has jailed dozens of town councillors in West Sumatra for pocketing millions of dollars meant for municipal services, a court official said yesterday.
Judges sentenced 43 members of the 55-seat council in Padang on Monday to 24 to 27 months' jail for misusing the equivalent of US$7.2 million (S$12.4 million) from the city's 2002 Budget, the official said.
In recent years, police had cracked down on corrupt politicians, but this case marked the first time a large number of lawmakers were convicted.
The councillors remained free pending appeals to a higher court, the court official said.
A Padang community group first brought the case to public attention last year, prompting activists to hail citizen efforts to curb corruption.
| Regional/communal conflicts |
Straits Times - May 21, 2004
Jakarta -- Indonesia could face new bloodshed between Christians and Muslims in the Maluku islands ahead of July's national presidential election, an international think-tank warned yesterday.
The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said the authorities must arrest unidentified snipers who fatally shot most of the 40 people killed and wounded about 200 in riots there last month. Two-thirds of the victims were Muslims.
The killings raised fears of a return to communal mayhem that hit the area three years ago, when up to 9,000 people died.
ICG Asia programme director Robert Templer said the longer last month's murders remain unresolved, 'the greater the chance of a new round of violence in a sensitive place and at a sensitive time for Indonesia's democracy'.
The ICG doubted an Indonesian police finding that radical Muslim groups were behind the shootings.
Unidentified marksmen have featured prominently in many violent incidents in recent Indonesian history. None has ever been arrested, prompting many to speculate that only army snipers could have committed the crimes.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri will make a three-hour visit -- her first -- to Ambon, the capital of Maluku, on Saturday, officials said yesterday.
| Local & community issues |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Yemris Fointuna, Kupang -- A police disciplinary committee in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, ordered 18 officers to be detained on Thursday for only six days for their role in a shooting incident last March on Flores island that killed six people.
However, the committee exonerated another low-ranking officer of all charges over the shooting in Manggarai regency, Flores.
Two of the 18 punished police officers were ordered by the committee to be held in special detention for six days, East Nusa Tenggara Police spokesman First Insp. Chusnul Waton said in Kupang.
He said the two -- Second Brig. Tausius Tanus and Brig. Piter Jhon, who were both working at a police weapons warehouse during the March 11 incident -- would also have their promotions delayed for six months.
The committee said the two and 16 other officers had forcibly opened the warehouse and took ammunition and firearms, in what they claimed was an act of self-defense, without permission from their superiors.
"They were charged with disciplinary offenses, as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 2/2003 on the code of police discipline and other rulings because they used firearms without the permission or knowledge of their superiors," Waton said.
The same committee earlier ordered the dismissal of Manggarai Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Boni Tompoi for failing to prevent the deadly violence.
On Monday, the committee imposed light sanctions on two middle- ranking officers for their role in the shooting, but acquitted local intelligence unit chief First Insp. I Made Andhika, a middle-ranking police officer, of all charges.
The two punished middle-ranking officers were given only a written reprimand and have been banned from taking part in police training courses for six months.
They were found guilty of negligence in the performance of their duty, according to the committee.
The Manggarai shootings occurred after local regent Anton Bagul Dagur ordered his subordinates to fell thousands of coffee trees in plantations belonging to local people in Colol village early in March.
There were few villagers in the area when public order officers and police personnel arrived and began cutting down the trees. The residents, who insisted that the area was ancestral land, put up resistance, but were arrested and detained at Manggarai police station.
The following day, some 400 residents turned up at the police station to protest the arrest of their seven neighbors. The demonstration turned ugly when the police refused to release the detainees, with the angry crowd attacking police personnel.
In retaliation, officers fired into the crowd, killing six people and seriously injuring 28 others. Last month, a National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) team visited Manggarai to investigate alleged human rights abuses during the melee. However, the team has yet to announce the results of its findings.
| Human rights/law |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta -- The country will mark on Friday the sixth anniversary of president Soeharto's resignation -- and the failure to bring him to court for his alleged involvement in a number of graft cases.
Legal observers say the whole nation is responsible for the inability of the country's legal system to touch Soeharto.
Frans Hendra Winarta of the National Law Commission and Hendardi from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association blamed the reform movement for the failure.
"The reform movement had a false start because Soeharto's successor was B.J. Habibie, who was a close aide of Soeharto," Hendardi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. Habibie, he said, paved the way for compromise between reform leaders and members of the status quo camp.
Winarta said that compromises between the reform movement and the status quo affected the struggle for a genuine democratic government, turning it into an aristocratic government. He said this aristocratic government was marked by the unwillingness of those in power to bring people close to them to court for violating the law.
"The law enforcers have never been serious about upholding justice because of the collusion and compromises," he told the Post. Soeharto, 82, has not stood trial despite being charged in a US$500 million scam because of poor health. A medical team appointed by the Attorney General's Office ruled the former president was unfit to stand trial.
The long-time ruler is accused of enriching himself, his family and cronies by laundering state funds through dozens of tax-free foundations.
A team of doctors from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital ruled in August 2002 that Soeharto had suffered permanent brain damage from several minor strokes. The doctors said that because of his brain damage, Soeharto had totally or partially lost the ability to use and understand words.
Soeharto's lawyers have suggested that the case against their client be closed because of his health problems. The former president was hospitalized earlier this month for a week due to intestinal bleeding. Many other former New Order officials have used illnesses to escape legal steps against them.
In February, an official from the Attorney General's Office said the office would reexamine Soeharto's case. But no steps have been taken since this announcement.
Both Winarta and Hendardi doubted that whoever won the upcoming presidential election would take steps to see the former strongman brought to court. "Because the president will face a strong challenge from the status quo, I think he or she will have to compromise to save their presidency," Hendardi said.
None of the six presidential candidates have made a legal settlement of Soeharto's case part of their platforms.
Meanwhile, Winarta said he hoped the newly elected government would lead the nation to a peaceful transition, which would create the political climate necessary for improved elections in 2009.
| Reconciliation & justice |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta -- Vice presidential candidate Solahuddin Wahid defended his running mate Wiranto on Wednesday, saying the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) had no proof the retired Army general had committed any human rights violations.
Speaking after a discussion with the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI), Solahuddin, a former member of Komnas HAM, said he had handed over all the evidence he had gathered as a commission member on the May 1998 riots to the House of Representatives and the Attorney General's Office.
"It is now up to them to decide. But from all the evidence the commission has gathered, Wiranto is innocent of gross human rights violations," said Solahuddin.
As a deputy chairman of Komnas HAM in 2002, Solahuddin led a team investigating the May 1998 riots, which took place while Wiranto was Indonesian Military (TNI) chief and the minister of defense. Hundreds of people were killed and scores of women, moSuara Timur Lorosaey Chinese-Indonesian, were allegedly raped during the riots.
Solahuddin's team attempted to subpoena several key military officers, including Wiranto, but the officers ignored the summons.
Komnas HAM presented a 16-page report on the riots to then attorney general Marzuki Darusman on Jan. 31, 2000. The report urged that Wiranto, along with 33 other high-ranking officers, be investigated for the failure of the TNI chief to ensure security. However, a list of suspects later released by the Attorney General's Office did not include Wiranto.
A joint fact-finding team announced on November 3, 1998, that individuals within the armed forces took an active role in inciting the May riots. The team also confirmed the occurrence of rape and sexual assault during the violence.
In a related development, a United Nations-sponsored East Timor tribunal recently issued an arrest warrant for Wiranto for alleged crimes against humanity before and after a referendum in the former Indonesian province.
Wiranto was the TNI commander when the violence erupted in East Timor in 1999. About 1,400 people were killed during the violence.
Solahuddin, who was also a deputy chairman of the 40-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama before resigning recently, said Indonesia had to resolve its own problems and should not be dictated to by foreign countries.
"We must not follow certain groups that are being directed by foreign interests. These people have no sense of nationality," said Solahuddin, who is also a deputy chairman of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals.
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta -- Chinese-Indonesians pressed on Saturday for the prosecution of the masterminds and perpetrators of the deadly May riots in 1998, which killed over 1,000 people in Jakarta and other towns.
"We will forgive them only after we know the truth and it means the perpetrators must be brought to justice," Ong Heru, a victim of the riots, told a discussion entitled: The May 1998 Tragedy, Shall We Forget It?.
Ong, nearly 70, lost his house and shops during the May 12, 13 and 14 mayhem. His wife's suffered multiple fractures to her legs when she jumped from the third floor of her burning shop, while his daughter became an invalid as she too jumped from the third floor, injuring her spine.
"I want it [the truth] revealed, not because I want to take revenge. It would affect my children, grandchildren and the country's future generations," he said.
Benny Satya, chairman of the Indonesian Tionghoa (Chinese) Association (INTI), shared Ong's view, saying that the demand of most ethnic Chinese victims was only that the masterminds be revealed.
"We really want to know what happened at that time. Who did that and why. Only then would we be able to forgive. If any Chinese- Indonesian claims that all Chinese-Indonesians have forgotten it, it's wrong. We are waiting for justice to prevail," he told journalists on the sideline of the discussion.
Other participants voiced similar grievances, questioning the government's lack of political will to resolve the case. They also expressed concern over whether those linked to the tragedy would become the country's future leaders.
Activist Ester Indahyani Jusuf, who was the secretary of an ad hoc team set up by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to investigate the riots, told the same forum that the riots were planned.
She urged the Attorney General's Office to follow up the team's report by prosecuting those responsible for the incident. "But, they [prosecutors] keep saying that our report lacks this, that or the other, or that they do not have approval from the House of Representatives. We have sufficient testimonies from witnesses. What the prosecutors need to find out is information from those who were responsible for security at the time," Ester said.
I Ketut Murtika, the Attorney General's Office human rights division head, said his office was continuing to study the report that lacked testimonies from former military and police chiefs as they defied the team's summonses.
Gen. (ret.) Wiranto was the armed forces commander when the riots devastated Jakarta. He is currently contesting the presidential election on the Golkar Party' ticket. He has selected Solahuddin Wahid, who was the Komnas HAM's ad hoc team chairman, as his running mate. Last week, Solahuddin resigned as the commission's deputy chairman to accept the candidacy for vice president.
Probes into the tragedy had in fact started under the government of B.J. Habibie. But no suspects were named by the Attorney General's Office as the House decided that gross human rights abuses were not committed in the May riots.
During the incident that led to president Soeharto's fall on May 21, 1998, no military or police officers were around to prevent the devastation, except those hired by the owners of private enterprises to guard their assets.
This strengthened widespread allegations that the riots were part of a conspiracy among those in power to quash the people's movement.
More than 1,200 people were killed during the riots, which were fueled by anti-Chinese sentiment across the country, according to the Volunteer Team for Humanity. Hundreds of shops, shopping centers and homes, particularly in Chinatown, were looted and torched in the violence that was triggered by the shooting of four Trisakti University students during an anti-Soeharto protest on May 12, 1998.
Antara - May 14, 2004
Jakarta -- Head of Wiranto's team of lawyers handling the East Timor case Dr Muladi said those who had been accusing the one- time military (TNI) chief to have committed human rights violations in East Timor have breached international law.
"Actually, it is these people who have breached international law, because while the Indonesian human rights tribunal still enjoyed international recognition, the courts in other countries have no right to intervene," he told the press in Jakarta on Friday.
When asked whether the East Timorese prosecution has made a request for arrest, Muladi pointed out that no such request had been made, since the arrest warrant was issued by a United Nations official seconded to the East Timor Prosecution Office, bypassing the East Timorese Supreme Court.
"I think, as our foreign minister has said, the matter should simply be ignored, as it was only some kind of 'move' on their part," he said.
When asked what the international world would think of Wiranto if he had been elected President, Muladi said it would be no problem. Actually both the United States and Australia have no problem, as long as Wiranto had been elected democratically, he said.
Muladi also said that Wiranto as presidential candidate has a commitment to eradicate graft without exception. And even former Indonesian strongman Soeharto would have to stand trial if his health condition allows it.
"Soeharto will have to face the law. And the attorney general has even stated that Soeharto has to stand trial if his condition allows him to do so," he said.
When asked whether Wiranto would really have the guts to have Soeharto stand trial, Muladi said Wiranto has a commitment to do that. But if Soeharto is suffering from permanent brain damage, it would also be difficult for the international community to have him tried.
Muladi said while Wiranto's first commitment is to eradicate corruption, his second commitment is to serve only one term of office, with the members of this cabinet comprising experts in their respective fields and not representing any political party. "Such commitments are good," he said.
When asked what chances Wiranto has in the upcoming presidential election, Muladi said he may not win in the first round, meaning that he may fail to secure 50 pct of the votes, and also not 20 pct in each province. My prediction is that Wiranto and Megawati will emerge in the second round," he said.
The chairman of the Habibie Center also said that Megawati and Wiranto will enter the second round as both have a strong political machine. Wiranto has the support of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) moslem organization and the National Awakening Party (PKB), as he has Solahuddin Wahid as running mate, who is Gus Dur's younger brother, and supported by Golkar.
"This is a very big political machine, in addition to the support of other parties. Yudhoyono, on the other hand, is a very strong and popular figure, but with a very small political machine. The other hopefuls could be ignored, and Mega is still very strong," he said. According to the one-time Diponegoro University rector, in the second round there will be another political party coalition. "The coalition will be of the losing political parties that have crystalized. Wiranto will be tightly competing in the second round.
| Focus on Jakarta |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Leony Aurora, Jakarta -- More than 40 percent of poor Jakartans, whose health care services are supposed to be covered by the government, claim they still have to pay part of their hospital medical bills.
A recent survey by the Indonesian Health Consumer Empowerment Foundation (YPKKI) showed that 91 out of 211 inpatients had to pay for medicine, administrative fees, surgery and laboratory tests.
Among the 860 outpatients surveyed, 9.1 percent also said that they had paid for similar services, said Marius Widjajarta, the head of YPKKI, in a press conference early this week to announce the results of the survey. "Most had to pay for medicine," said Marius.
The survey, conducted between November 2003 and February 2004, was intended to evaluate the effectiveness of the welfare cards for poor families (Gakin). The local administration introduced the cards last year to free poor people from having to pay medical bills.
Those who do not yet have a card can ask for a letter to confirm that they are economically disadvantaged from their neighborhood unit chief to get free medical services or at least discounted ones.
However, according to the Jakarta Health Agency head A. Chalik Masulili, this letter was the biggest problem. "It is not easily obtainable," he said.
Such a letter could only be used once, he elaborated. "For subsequent visits to the doctor, patients have to get Gakin cards," he said, adding that the cards were the safest way to ensure that only poor people received free services.
The agency plans to issue new technical and operational guidelines that will spell out in detail who can avail of such a card.
According to the Central Statistics Agency, the definition of a destitute family is a family that has a living space of less than eight square meters per member, no floor covering -- only a dirt floor -- and only able to afford to buy one set of new clothes per person per year. The family is not able to afford its own clean water facilities or toilet. The family cannot afford to buy living room chairs and is limited in the variety of dishes it can consume in a week.
"If a family fulfills at least five of the requirements, they can get a letter confirming that they are economically disadvantaged," said Salimar, the agency's head of planning and budgeting.
As the survey shows that 34 percent of the respondents received the information regarding this policy from neighborhood unit chiefs, the agency plans to involve them by holding meetings to make them familiar with the requirements.
Salimar said the agency was still discussing whether those with a Gakin card would only get a discount of up to 50 percent or the decision would be left to the hospitals, which can evaluate the condition of the patients themselves.
This year, Rp 40 billion (US$4.44 million) in funds from the city budget were set aside for health services for the underprivileged. Last year, the city provided Rp 54.3 billion in funds, and the state, from the oil and gas subsidy compensation funds, provided Rp 19.9 billion.
There would also be funds made available from the oil and gas subsidy compensation this year, said Salimar, but the amount is yet to be determined.
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta -- Ahead of the campaign period for the July 5 presidential election, the Jakarta administration has begun a month-long campaign of its own to evict street vendors.
"The evictions are routine. Since we will have the presidential election campaign [beginning on June 1], we are carrying out selective evictions on small numbers of targets," said Jakarta Public Order Office head Soebagio over the weekend.
He added that about 4,000 public order officers would be deployed to help the police provide security in the capital during the campaign itself.
The agency will be targeting vendors operating in busy areas in the capital, including the main thoroughfare of Jl. Sudirman and the Sabang and Cikini areas of Central Jakarta.
Soebagio said his officers would not be rousting larger communities of squatters and vendors, like the squatters living beneath the Rawa Bebek overpass in North Jakarta or near the Otorita Batam office in Cawang, East Jakarta, because he wanted to avoid clashes.
A string of forcible evictions last year by the Public Order Office left more than 5,000 families homeless.
A chicken porridge vendor near the Dharmala Sakti building on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, Ibu Menik, recalled how she had to hurry her customers along last Friday morning, less than an hour after she opened, when dozens of public order officers pulled up near her cart.
She said she always had to be on the alert to avoid the officers swooping down on her and seizing her cart. "I don't know why the public order officers have begun sweeping for street vendors again," she told The Jakarta Post.
Ibu Menik is luckier than street vendors operating in front of the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center in Cikini, Central Jakarta. "About 500 public order officers arrived in 40 pickup trucks last Monday. They took away my cigarette cart along with all the goods inside," said vendor Gondrong, 30. About 200 vendors lost their kiosks and goods in the operation.
"If there were fewer than 100 officers, we could have fought them. But we had to obey them because we were outnumbered," Gondrong said, adding that several officers returned the next day to confiscate those items they had missed the previous day.
Gondrong and dozens of other vendors staged a rally in front of the City Council several days later, demanding the officers return their belongings. "There was no prior notice about the raid even though each of the vendors pays a minimum of Rp 17,000 a month as a 'security fee' to Cikini subdistrict officials," one of the protesters said.
The chairman of the Jakarta Residents Forum, Azas Tigor Nainggolan, called on the administration to stop the evictions. "I suspect that [Governor] Sutiyoso's administration is intentionally creating bad conditions in the city in order to undermine the people's support for the current [central] government," he said.
He alleged the evictions were related to efforts by Sutiyoso, a retired Army general, to increase support for his former Army colleagues in the upcoming presidential election. Three retired Army generals will take part in the presidential election.
"Please, remain neutral. The administration should not intervene in the political process. Instead, the administration must ensure that all residents can cast their votes," he said.
| News & issues |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Tangerang -- Hundreds of residents attacked on Thursday the houses of Lontar village officials, who they accused of taking bribes to allow offshore sand mining to resume in the area.
The houses of village head Sanusi, village representative body (BPD) chairman Animan and the chairman of Indonesian Fishermen's Union (HNSI) were damaged by the residents. The occupants managed to escape through back entrances and no one was injured.
The residents of Lontar and Alang-alang villages said the authorities had allowed offshore sand miner PT Jetsar to resume its operations in the Tirtayasa area in Serang, Banten province. The company had resumed its operations on Monday, they said The villagers later took a flotilla of 40 small boats on a mission to burn PT Jetsar's Kalimantan II and Aru II dredging vessels but police halted them.
The regent stopped PT Jetsar's operations earlier this month because of local protests against the dredging's environmental impact.
However, a source from the regency office said Serang Regent Bunyamin had again given the project the green light. "[The decision] was based on a study that said the sand dredging did not cause environmental damage as was claimed by residents ... the company is allowed to resume operations but it has to follow the rules," the source said.
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
A. Junaidi, Jakarta -- While public participation in the fight for good governance has increased in the current regional autonomy era, the role of women in public affairs remains marginalized, research by The Asia Foundation (TAF) says.
"During four years of decentralization, public participation [in the system] has increased, although people have not yet become involved in decision-making by regional administrations and regional councils," TAF director for gender and women's participation Hana A. Satriyo said on Wednesday. However, there was still an absence of women players on the political scene, Hana said.
The research conducted in 39 regencies by TAF in cooperation with 28 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) did not explain why women still played second-fiddle to men in politics amid mounting demand for their participation.
The Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) has said earlier that existing laws and the reluctance of political parties to recruit women were to blame for their low representation in politics.
The recent legislative election resulted in only 11 percent of the 550 seats in the House of Representatives being held by women in spite of Law No. 12/2003 on the general election, which recommends a 30 percent quota for women in legislative bodies.
Hana said research from the Indonesian Rapid Decentralization Appraisal (IRDA) group, which has been conducted since 2001, found regional legislatures (DPRDs) were not strong in their legislative, budgetary and control functions because of a lack commitment and capability.
"DPRDs devote too much attention to the allocation of regional budgets," she said.
The disclosure came on the heels of the Padang District Court's decision on Monday to sentence 43 members of the West Sumatra Provincial Legislature to between two years and 27 months in jail for corruption involving Rp 6.4 billion from the province's 2002 budget. The councillors are free pending their appeal.
Meanwhile, Early Rahmawati, the executive director of the Surabaya-based Association for the Advancement of Small Businesses (PUPUK), one of the NGOs involved in the research, said regional administrations were providing better public services than before.
"[They are creating] new initiatives and innovating in accordance with their needs. The administrations have also started to apply minimum standards for services they provide," Early said.
The research involved 3,837 respondents, more than 30 percent of whom were women, using interviews and focus group discussions. Of the respondents, 47 percent were civil servants and government officials, while the remainder were private employees.
Other NGOs that took part in the research were the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS) from Aceh, the Social, Cultural and Economic Study Center from Padang and the Cendrawasih University Research Institute from Papua.
| Environment |
Jakarta Post - May 21, 2004
Jakarta -- Fishermen in Cilincing, North Jakarta, demanded the city administration close factories located on the northern coast, which they said were polluting the sea with unprocessed waste.
In a protest at City Hall on Wednesday, the fishermen said the factories should be prosecuted.
Thousands of fish, clams, shrimp and oysters have been found dead in past weeks on beaches on Ancol, Kamal and the Thousand Islands. The authorities have yet to complete an investigation into the cause of the poisoning.
Reuters - May 18, 2004
Jakarta -- Indonesia will allow 13 mining firms, including Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc and PT International Nickel Indonesia , to continue mining operations in the country, according to a presidential decree that was seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
The decree, which was signed on May 12 by President Megawati Sukarnoputri, stated those companies that signed mining contracts prior to the introduction of a law banning open-pit mining in forested areas would be allowed to continue operating for the term of their contracts.
Many mining projects have been on hold since 1999, when the forestry law was passed. The statute has generally not been enforced.
Others companies covered by the decree include Indonesian nickel and gold producer PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (Antam) ; PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals, majority owned by Newcrest Mining Ltd ; PT Indominco Mandiri, owned by Banpu ; and PT Weda Bay Nickel, majority owned by Canada's Weda Bay Minerals .
"The decision has given a certainty to the firms for investment in the sector," Simon Sembiring, director general mineral resources at the government's mines and energy ministry, told Reuters.
"I expect, with this decision, output in nickel, coal and gold mining will be boosted in the future. This decision has been awaited by the mining firms," he added. Indonesian officials said in March that a decree would be issued.
The law's defenders say the legislation is needed to protect Indonesia, which is rapidly losing tropical forests from illegal logging and a variety of other factors, including mining.
Mining analysts have said the forestry law was broad enough to apply to virtually all mining operations in Indonesia if it were to be fully enforced. Indonesia has an abundance of coal, gold, copper, nickel and tin along with natural gas and oil. Most of the metals and some of the energy resources are located in the eastern part of Indonesia.
Indonesia had previously said it expected output of copper, gold and coal to rise in 2004 despite the impact of the forestry law.
| Islam/religion |
Straits Times - May 19, 2004
Devi Asmarani, Jakarta -- President Megawati Sukarnoputri has ordered a review of the teaching of religion in Indonesian schools, saying the current methods encouraged rising radicalism in the country.
In a statement criticised by Indonesia's highest Islamic body, the President said on Monday that religious teaching that produced militant students could threaten national unity.
She urged the ministry in charge of religion to consider improving the curriculum in public and religious schools.
"We have seen how religious teachings have nurtured fanaticism -- although not all -- and hostility towards those who do not share the same beliefs," she said at the opening of a national meeting of ministry officials. "This kind of militancy encouraged the idea of eliminating those with different beliefs," she said.
Ms Megawati did not go into details or identify the schools she found advocating this kind of teaching, but several convicted terrorists graduated from Islamic boarding schools or pesantrens.
One of these schools is in Ngruki in Central Java. The Al-Mukmin Pesantren was founded by detained militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is accused of heading the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network.
Mainstream Muslim leaders have jointly campaigned for moderate religious teachings. But some fringe groups including Bashir's Majelis Mujahiddin Indonesia are pushing for the adoption of Islamic laws and staging protests against the United States.
Many Muslim scholars and leaders, however, have dismissed previous assertions that pesantrens are breeding militant students.
The thousands of pesantrens in East Java and other provinces in Indonesia have been around for decades. They produce students with religious understandings that are generally tolerant and inclusive, the scholars and leaders said.
Commenting on the President's latest remarks, Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Al-Munawar said radical Muslim groups were a recent phenomena created by 'external influences'.
"Fanaticism and militancy were not the result of religious classes but come from outside influences," he told reporters, adding that the curriculum established by the ministry did not teach students to become militants.
"Interpretation of religious teachings that come from outside influence led to beliefs that people could kill or wage war on others in order to defend their religion," he said without elaborating.
Religious teaching is compulsory in public and private secular schools in Indonesia. Most madrasahs or Islamic schools are privately owned and have their own syllabuses.
Indonesia's governing religious body, the Council of Indonesia Ulema (MUI), yesterday criticised the President's statement as baseless. MUI chairman Amidhan said there was no need to revise the curriculum on religious teachings because it had not encouraged militancy.
"The President should be able to differentiate between fanaticism and radicalism," he said. "Every religion teaches that it is the most righteous faith. In Islam we are taught that so that our faith intensifies."
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Tangerang -- A group of ulema have asked Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim to eliminate prostitution in the municipality, citing fears that sex workers could spread HIV/AIDS.
"The ulemas are willing to take part in raids to drive prostitutes and transvestite sex workers from the town," said Lau Pangkun, an official with the Indonesian Tionghoa Muslim Unity Body, on Saturday.
The chairman of the Tangerang branch of the Indonesian Ulemas Council, Saiful Millah, said the administration had reached an agreement with the ulemas to eliminate prostitution.
He said the agreement also included the eradication of gambling, drugs and alcohol in Tangerang.
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Jakarta -- Over 1,000 supporters of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) staged a rally at the Proclamation Monument in Central Jakarta on Sunday, condemning the United States' occupation of Iraq.
The protesters said the US rule of Iraq had resulted in the humiliation of their fellow Muslims there, with the abuses perpetrated against Iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison being a blatant example.
They carried banners reading "Stop the invasion of Iraq", and "USA is the real terrorist", while party leaders and guests speakers delivered speeches condemning the US for what they claimed was its hypocrisy over human rights.
"They claim to be human rights champions, but in fact they are the greatest rights abusers," Crescent Star Party legislator Ahmad Sumargono yelled.
| Business & investment |
Jakarta Post - May 17, 2004
Dadan Wijaksana, Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta -- While sentiment remains in favor of the dollar, the rupiah is expected to regain some ground against the dollar this week on expectations that Bank Indonesia will be prepared to intervene to prevent the local unit from falling further.
Bank Indonesia will be more determined to protect the rupiah, which had lost 2 percent of its value during last week's trading, amid strong criticism of the central bank for not taking action, according to BNI analyst Ryan Kiryanto.
"Because of this criticism, BI will go all-out to defend the rupiah, with massive intervention if necessary," Ryan told The Jakarta Post, adding that the rupiah could strengthen to 8,900 per dollar this week.
The local currency fell to a 14-month low of Rp 9,040 per dollar on Friday, compared to 8,735 the previous week.
As well as being dragged down by the yen's sharp drop against the US greenback -- which saw the Japanese unit falling to 114.65 Yen from 110.60 Yen the week before, the rupiah's recent slump was also attributed to speculation.
Most currencies fell against the dollar last week amid expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve would increase its interest rate soon, which should make investment in dollar- denominated assets more attractive.
Under criticism for failing to stop the rupiah's fall, the central bank accused four foreign banks of being too actively involved in foreign exchange transactions. It even sent a warning letter to them and placed supervisors in the dealing rooms of the banks so as to monitor their foreign exchange transactions.
In another bid to help curb speculation against the rupiah, the central bank said it was considering tightening up a ruling on foreign exchange transactions. According to the current ruling, a bank can only engage in forex trading that is unconnected with underlying transactions to a value of up to 20 percent of its equity capital.
This is stipulated in the central bank ruling on net open positions (NOP) -- which regulates the extent to which a bank can go short or long on foreign currencies against the rupiah. Such a move, Ryan added, should help discourage foreign banks, and other banks, from engaging in speculation.
Other analysts, however, were not so optimistic. Market analyst Dandossi Matram expressed doubts over the weekend that Bank Indonesia's measures would be effective in minimizing speculative transactions.
"Under the current policy, where the rupiah is freely floated in accordance with market demand, the rupiah will remain vulnerable to speculation. And also, [under the current system] one cannot be punished for engaging in foreign exchange transactions," Dandossi added.
A dealer with a joint venture bank also said that the pressure on the rupiah would not abate this week given the dollar's continued strength. "The main factor is the sentiment. At present, investors just see that it is more beneficial to hold dollars than rupiah," he said, adding that the market's concerns about the upcoming presidential elections had not fully subsided.