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Indonesia News Digest 11 – March 16-23, 2008
Agence France Presse - March 23, 2008
Sydney – Hardline Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has likened
tourists to "worms, snakes, maggots" and called for signs to be
placed in Muslim areas warning them to dress modestly, a report
said Monday.
The preacher made the comments in a speech to an Islamic youth
organisation in east Java in October, The Australian said.
"Worms, snakes, maggots – those are animals that crawl. Take a
look at (the resort island of) Bali... those infidel tourists.
They are naked," he said.
The sermon by Bashir, who served almost 26 months for conspiracy
over the deadly Bali bombings of 2002 before being cleared and
released, was videotaped by an Australian university student who
was conducting research in the area.
In the address, Bashir also said that signs should be placed in
Muslim areas to tell western tourists to dress modestly.
And he encouraged young people to "beat up" infidels, but it was
not clear whether he was referring to tourists in east Java or
simply to any listening to his sermon at the time.
"God willing, there are none here," Bashir told the group. "If
there were infidels here, just beat them up. Do not tolerate
them."
Bashir also recommended "martyrdom" and told young Muslims not to
be afraid to be called hardliners. "The youth movement here must
aspire to a martyrdom death," he said.
"The young must be first at the frontline – don't hide at the
back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins
will be forgiven. Don't be scared if you are called a hardliner
Muslim," he added. "It must be like that. We can't follow human
law that is in conflict with Allah's law."
The Bali bombings killed 202 people, mostly tourists. Bashir last
year visited the three key Bali bombers awaiting execution,
reportedly describing the men as "not terrorists but counter-
terrorists," and "mujaheds", or holy warriors.
Jakarta Post - March 22, 2008
ID Nugroho, Surabaya – Environmental and law enforcement
activists called on the government Tuesday to put an end to
industrial pollution in rivers running through Surabaya, the
capital of East Java, saying rising toxin levels were endangering
residents in the area.
Speaking at a public discussion in Surabaya on water management
and control, the activists expressed concern the local government
had failed to take action against companies responsible for
dumping toxic waste into Brantas River.
Prigi Arisandi of the NGO Ecoton said since its creation in 1998,
authorities had neglected the Clean River Program, allowing
industries to continue dumping harmful waste into rivers.
"All polluting companies located upstream of the city should have
been relocated, required to manage their waste or had their own
waste managed by a government-backed agency in order to protect
residents from various potential diseases," he said.
He said a coalition of local NGOs had identified some 120
companies that dump toxins directly into Brantas River, which is
used to irrigate hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland on
the city outskirts, and is siphoned by a local tap water company
to supply city residents.
He said of 40 pollution cases brought to court in 2007, only 10
went to trial, resulting in fines of between Rp 5 million and Rp
8 million.
Prigi said residents were exposed to mercury-triggered diseases
through their tap water because processing was only able to
remove about 50 percent of toxins.
Athoillah of the Surabaya Legal Aid Institute said local
authorities had the power to take extraordinary measures to curb
river pollution.
He said local residents had a right to clean water and could in
theory file a lawsuit against the government over the issue.
"The government has the authority to enforce environmental laws,
but in reality it has issued only a common call for industries
not to pollute the environment," he said.
East Java councilor Hidayat Maseaji said authorities were unable
to enforce environmental laws, including a 2008 bylaw on water
quality management and pollution control.
"The key problem is the government does not enforce the law and
rules are negotiated by law enforcers and authorities during
pollution cases," he said.
He said Governor Imam Utomo, who leaves office in June, had paid
little attention to river pollution during his two terms in
power.
Hidayat said an independent team should examine and assess river
toxin levels in the province to encourage the next governor to
make the problem a higher priority.
Demos, actions, protests...
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Indonesian cleric Bashir likens tourists to 'maggots': report
Activists warn of threat posed by East Java's polluted rivers
Troubled Adam Air loses operating rights
Jakarta Post - March 19, 2008
Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – The financial troubles of PT Adam Skyconnection Airlines (Adam Air) climaxed Tuesday with airline regulators revoking the company's operating certificate as of Wednesday.
"With this I revoke Adam Air's operating certificate. Adam Air is no longer allowed to operate its planes," the Transportation Ministry's director general for air transportation, Budhi Mulyawan Suyitno, said at a press conference in Jakarta.
According to regulations, the company now has three months to address its internal problems before its Aircraft Operator Certificate is permanently revoked.
Responding to the decision, Adam Air president director Adam Aditya Suherman said the airline was working to address its financial problems. He also confirmed that all operations had been shut down as of Tuesday morning. "Our employees are deeply demoralized now. So, I suppose, this decision is in the best interest of everyone," he said.
Earlier this week, PT Bhakti Investama, which owns 19 percent of Adam Air through its unit PT Global Transport Services (GTS), and the Bright Star Perkasa business consortium, which holds a 31 percent stake, announced they were pulling out of Adam Air and selling their stakes to the airline's founder Suherman and Sandra Ang.
Bhakti Investama president director Hary Djaja said the investment company would protect the interests of its public shareholders should its investment through GTS in Adam Air cause any losses.
Hary said his firm decided to pull out of Adam Air after claims by Bhakti Investama's legal adviser, Hotman Paris Hutapea, that Adam Air's management had misused internal funds totaling Rp 2.1 trillion. Hotman also said potential losses suffered by the government related to loans from state-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia reached Rp 50 billion.
Hotman said his clients planned to report the misuse of funds to the Corruption Eradication Commission if the airline refused to be transparent in its financial reports, especially regarding cargo and ticket sales.
Suherman and Sandra Ang, who hold the remaining 50 percent stake in the airline, plan to buy the stake from Bhakti for Rp 100 billion in September, Hotman said.
Adam refuted Hotman's statement, saying Suherman and Sandra had not accepted the offer and that no notification had been delivered to the airline's management.
Also Tuesday, dozens of college students protested the cancellation of Adam Air flights at Soekarno-Hatta airport, Tangerang.
"We were informed of the cancellation only five minutes before the scheduled departure," one of the students, Mia Kurnaedi, 23, said as quoted by Antara news agency. She said a group of students from Bandung, Makassar and Kalimantan were scheduled to fly to Batam aboard an Adam Air flight.
Another passenger, Hasaniah, 58, said she bought a ticket for an Adam Air flight from Jakarta to Surabaya for Rp 500,000, but was only refunded Rp 290,000 when the flight was canceled. (lva)
Agence France Presse - March 18, 2008
Jakarta – Indonesia's attorney general has removed two of his top officials in the wake of the arrest of a top prosecutor for allegedly accepting bribes, an official said Tuesday.
Kemas Yahya Rahman, the deputy attorney general for special crimes, and Muhammad Salim, who heads the unit's investigative section, have been removed from their posts following an internal probe, attorney general spokesman B.D. Nainggolan told AFP.
Attorney General's Office prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan was arrested on March 2 with 660,000 dollars in cash as he left the Jakarta home of Syamsul Nursalim – just days after the AGO abandoned an investigation headed by Gunawan into the banker.
The AGO was looking into alleged misuse of billions of dollars in bailouts during the Asian economic crisis a decade ago. The internal probe was launched on March 10 following Gunawan's arrest.
"The consideration relates to the credibility of the special crime team," Attorney General Hendarman Supandji was quoted by the Koran Tempo as telling reporters over the replacement of the two officials. He gave no details.
Supandji said they would be given postings that do not put them in direct contact with the public.
Nursalim's Bank Dagang Negara Indonesia owes the government a total of 30.9 trillion rupiah (3.37 billion dollars) in so-called liquidity funds handed out by the central bank in 1998 in the midst of the Asian economic crisis.
Bank assets confiscated and sold by the state to repay the debt only yielded about 1.8 trillion rupiah.
In dropping the investigation into Nursalim last month, Rahman said the bank's inability to repay its debts could be excused due to the economic difficulties that followed the crisis, which began in 1997.
Bank Indonesia, the central bank, doled out almost 145 trillion rupiah (15.8 billion dollars) during the crisis. State auditors said that they have found that 80.4 trillion rupiah, distributed to 48 banks, was embezzled.
| Demos, actions, protests... |
Detik.com - March 22, 2008
Nurvita Indarini, Jakarta – Seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered with water. Not all of it however is fit for consumption, because only around 2.5 percent is fresh water. Unfortunately the rest is salt water.
On World Water Day, which is commemorated on March 22 each year, people are also reminded not to exploit water excessively. On this Saturday March 22, three protest actions will be held in the capital to commemorate World Water Day.
According to the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre, the Water Concern Community (KPA) will hold a peaceful action at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout in Central Jakarta at 8am.
The Nature Lovers League (PPA) will hold a similar action at the same location between 10am and 4pm.
The People's Coalition for the Right to Water (KRUHAA) will hold a peaceful action at the Horse Statue and in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta at 10am.
Water represents an ultra-essential commodity for human survival and has even become a source of conflict in the 21st century. By around 2020, if a serious water deficit occurs it could lead to the spread of wars. So don't waste water! (nvt/nvt)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Detik.com - March 18, 2008
Ken Yunita, Jakarta – Three protest actions will enliven the House of Representatives (DPR) in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday March 18. Each of the three protests will be taking up different demands.
As announced by the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre, the first action will begin at 9am and involve around 250 people. The protest, which will be calling for the ratification of the Draft Law on the Establishment of Aceh Leuser Antara (ALA) province, is being organised by the Preparatory Committee for the Formation of ALA Province.
The second action, which is being held by the Peoples Movement for the Trial of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support Scheme Corrupters (GERAK BLBI), will involve around 200 people.
The final action is being organised by the group Pro-Democracy Activists (ProDem) at 12noon. The protest, which is expected to be joined by some 150 people, will be calling on the DPR to launch an interpellation motion over the BLBI corruption scandal. (ken/ken)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Detik.com - March 19, 2008
Ramadhian Fadillah, Jakarta – A number of protest actions will enliven Jakarta today, from with a solidarity action for Tibet, a protest by factory workers and a student demonstration. Various stretches of road across the capital will be jammed with protesters. These are the location that will be targeted.
Based on information from the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre for Wednesday March 19, between 1pm to 3pm, the Chinese Embassy on Jl. Mega Kuningan will be rocked by protesters from the group Solidarity Action for Tibet.
A protest action will also take place at the offices of the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises on Jl. Lapangan Banteng in Central Jakarta at 8am.
Also at 8am, the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of the Aceh Leuser Antara (ALA) province will hold a demonstration at the House of Representatives on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta. They will then hold a second protest at the Department of Home Affairs on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, also in Central Jakarta.
At 9am, workers from the National Employees Union will be giving speeches at the central offices of the Adidas shoe manufacturing company.
Following this at 10am, a protest by the Borobudur Student Community (KMB) will be held in front of the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters on Jl. Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta.
The final action will take place at 12noon. Student from the National Student Front (FMN) will be demonstrating at the Horse Shoe statue on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta then go on to demonstrate at the US Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan and the State Palace. (rdf/ndr)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Detik.com - March 17, 2008
Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – As many as five protest actions will enliven Jakarta for the start of the new week. One protest in particular will have the potential to cause traffic congestion because it will involve as many as 500 participants.
Based on data from the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre (TMC) for Monday March 17, the first action will take place at 9 am by around 500 people from the Preparatory Committee for the Formation of the Aceh Leuser Antara (ALA) Province, who will be holding a demonstration in front of the House of Representatives building on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Central Jakarta.
At around the same time, students from the Indonesian Saviours Institute for the Eradication of Corruption (LPKPI) will be protesting at two locations, the Jakarta provincial National Education Department offices on Jl. Kampung Melayu Timur in East Jakarta and the Jakarta chief public prosecutor's offices on Jl. Jl. HR Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.
The next action will take place at the Central Jakarta District Court on Jl. Gadjah Mada between 9am and 12 noon. The Gamasmart Partners Association (HIMIGA) will be calling on the court to act professionally in its handling of a customer embezzlement case involving the company PT Gamasmart Karya Utama.
The forth protest will be at 10am at the Attorney General's Office on Jl. Sisingamaraja in South Jakarta. Around 150 students from the non-government organisation Friendly For Future (LSM F2) will be calling on the AGO to seize the assets of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support Scheme corruption suspect Anthony Salim.
The final action will be held at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) offices on Jl. HR Rasuna Said between 10am and 2pm. Members of the State Assets People's Saviours Movement (GRPHN) will be calling on the KPK to take over the Wiltop Trade Centre Water Bomb corruption case at the Jambi Representatives Mess Development project in Jakarta involving Jambi province Governor Zulkifli Nurdin.
The TMC is appealing to road users to be patient if they are passing through stretches of road where protest actions are taking place. This is because protesters often try to attract the attention of passing road users resulting in the flow of traffic becoming congested. (bal/ptr)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Reuters - March 16, 2008
Jakarta – About 500 Indonesian Muslims took to the streets of the capital to demand the government bring down food prices after media reports of cases of starvation.
The protesters, from the Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, marched through Jakarta's main streets to the presidential palace, chanting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great).
The Surya newspaper said a schoolboy in East Java, who lived with his elderly grandmother in Magetan district, hanged himself in February because he could not bear the pain of starvation. Neighbors said the family was very poor.
Detik.co, news Web site earlier this month reported that a pregnant woman who lived in a rented room with her three children died because she had not eaten for three days.
"People have died of hunger, babies are suffering from severe malnutrition because they can't get proper treatment," Hizbut Tahrir spokesman, Muhammad Ismail Yusanto, told Reuters Television.
"How is it possible that in an agricultural nation that has been independent for more than 60 years, many people have died of hunger?"
Soaring global prices of rice and other staples are hitting Asia's poorest citizens.
[Reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by Ade Mardiyati; Editing by Ahmad Pathoni.]
| West Papua |
Radio New Zealand International - March 20, 2008
Indonesian police have sought assistance from New Zealand police to implement improved community policing in the Papua region. They are also looking to recruit about 1,500 more Papuans into their ranks as part of the initiative.
New Zealand Police's manager for International Strategy and Policy, Jackie Goodwin, recently visited Papua on Jakarta's invitation to scope out areas where the Papua-based police could use technical assistance.
She says people in Papua made it clear to her that they want more development, and therefore more community policing and direct Papuan involvement in it.
"And also the Indonesian government recognise that there is a lot of diversity in lower levels of development in Papua and West Papua which represent additional challenges. And I think there's wide acceptance now that in order to achieve sustainable development you need rule of law. So police have a very important role in helping to achieve sustainable development."
Jackie Goodwin says the details of the assistance programme are still being worked through.
Radio New Zealand International - March 19, 2008
A group of Papuan leaders have written to a British newspaper outlining a list of grievances with the operations of British Petroleum at the Tangguh gasfield in their part of Indonesia.
The Guardian reports that the Papuan leaders requested anonymity in their claim that BP has reneged on its agreements over the 7- billion US dollar natural gas plant project at Bintuni Bay.
The British firm had promised the locals better homes, long-term jobs and full environmental protection when it started several years ago to build its giant plant to extract 14 trillion cubic metres of gas.
The Papuans complain that BP has blocked off their fishing grounds, attracted a flood of migrants to the villages, provided very few jobs for local people and destroyed their traditional way of life.
The leaders also say BP is now siding with the Indonesian authorities against the native Papuans in their struggle for self-determination.
The claims come a week after the Duke of York visited the BP project site in Papua as the government's official business envoy.
The Guardian (UK) - March 19 2008
When BP set out to build a #3.5 billion natural gas plant in remote West Papua, local villagers hoped for a bright future. But all is not well.
John Vidal – Recently, with hundreds of Indonesian troops just out of sight in scenes of intense security, Prince Andrew, the government's official business envoy, dropped in on Bintuni Bay, one of Indonesia's mots remote corners. The plan was to inspect BP's new #3.5 billion natural gas plant. What the Duke of York probably did not know was that he had walked straight into a row between the giant oil company and local villagers.
The British firm had promised its new neighbours, who live on the edge of the pristine Papuan rainforest, better homes, long-term jobs and full environmental protection when it started several years ago to build its giant plant to extract 14 trillion cubic metres of gas. But with the gas about to flow, village leaders have now complained bitterly that the company has reneged on its agreements.
In a long letter sent to the Guardian and in telephone conversations, Papuan leaders requesting anonymity have complained that the company has blocked off their fishing grounds, attracted a flood of migrants to the villages, provided very few jobs for local people and is now siding with the Indonesian authorities against native Papuans who are engaged in a long struggle for independence.
"Everything we feared when BP came to the area has come true," claims one community leader. "People are not allowed to catch any fish or shrimps in the exclusive zone established by BP. More and more migrants are coming because of the plant. There is very high inflation because there is lots of money around. The number of local people from Bintuni Bay who work in the project is very low. Local Papuans are never recruited as full-time members of staff."
BP has been desperately keen to avoid the experiences that it, Shell and other oil companies, have had in Africa and Latin America, where oil and gas extraction has left a trail of pollution, human rights abuses and distressed people with no share in the wealth extracted from their land. The company pledged from the start to set new social and environmental standards, and to be a model of corporate social responsibility. It hired some of the best development NGOs to offer advice.
Papuan leaders say they were initially impressed when BP completely rebuilt one fishing village, poured money into the nearby communities, and employed leading environment, human rights and health groups to advise them on how to avoid conflict and bring prosperity to the villages.
But as the project has come closer to opening, people have flooded into the area. "Conflicts between local communities and migrants have begun," says the leader. "The migrants [from all over Indonesia] have come here to look for jobs, and are staying. There are about 1,500 in the village of Babo and 1,200 in Bintuni. They are the majority now in all the villages," he says.
The Tangguh gas field, believed to be eventually worth more than #100 billion to BP and the Indonesian government, is one of the largest in the world. Known as a "super giant", it is contracted to provide gas for China, Mexico and the US, and should last 30 years.
But the Papuan leaders, who have long been pressing for independence from Indonesia, say they fear that BP is taking sides with the Indonesian government, as they are bypassed from all the lasting benefits.
According to documents seen by the Guardian, less than #30m was budgeted for the Tangguh social programme over six years, including money for resettlement and security; nearly #15m was earmarked for "consultants" and administration. The nine most affected villages in the area are being given #15,000 a year for five years, and others in the area #5,500 a year.
"BP has built 100 houses for 100 heads of families. All looks wonderful," another village leader says. "But the people actually suffer mentally from their new settlement. Their access to the sea is limited because of the company's exclusion zone, and they cannot expand their gardens. They do not have enough [space] to expand their families."
Criticism of BP's employment policy was levelled at the company last year and the Tangguh Independent Advisory Panel, chaired by Lord [David] Hannay, to monitor the project, encouraged BP to employ more Papuans and to educate the local population about the "demobilisation" process when the construction work is complete.
Although nearly 6,000 people have been employed in constructing the plant, fewer than 500 will be employed by the company after the building is complete later this year. Of these, only around 50 are expected to be Papuan.
"People's dependency on BP is very high. There will be problems when the work ends. There will be economic and psychological degradation," say Papuan leaders in their letter to the Guardian.
"We predicted that BP and Indonesia would not care about the very survival of the Papuans on their land and their nation. We expected that BP and Indonesia would continuously destroy our forests and our trees and pollute the rivers and seas," they says. "And we feared that BP and Indonesia would bring misfortune for the Papuans by employing skilled workers from outside West Papua, claiming that we Papuans are not 'skilled workers'. I have to tell you that our worst predictions and fears have come true."
BP denies that it is causing environmental damage, or that it is favouring non-Papuans. The company said it is bound by strict guidelines about how many Papuans should be employed. A spokesman says: "We think about 30% of the construction workforce is Papuan. The intention is that there will be long-term employment for Papuans. We are prioritising the most affected villages," says a BP spokesman.
But he also concedes that Papua is large and that it has been difficult to identify who is an original inhabitant of these villages. On the fishing situation, he points out that BP has provided outboard motors to some people so they can travel further to fishing grounds. "We believe we have set new standards for the BP group. There has been a lot of progress but there is no complacency," he says.
Radio New Zealand International - March 18, 2008
The New Zealand-based Indonesia Human Rights Committee says it continues to be deeply concerned about the human rights situation in West Papua.
It has written to the New Zealand foreign minister, Winston Peters, asking the government to suspend all defence training ties with Indonesia.
The letter says New Zealand's defence ties serve to give legitimacy to a military force which is manifestly responsible for deepening repression and ongoing violence in West Papua.
Instead, it says, New Zealand should support the call of US Congressional leaders, Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin and Donald Payne for internationally mediated dialogue to help resolve the ongoing crisis in West Papua before there is further bloodshed.
There have been reports of arrests in recent days over the raising of the banned Morning Star flag.
Cenderawasih Post - March 16, 2008
Jayapura – It appears that the police will show not tolerance to those who unfurled the Morning Star flag during a demonstration on grounds of the Manokwari Regional House of Representatives on Thursday March 13. The evidence, nine out of the 12 demonstrators arrested earlier by police are to be charged with rebellion.
"We will be taking legal action against them (those who unfurled the Morning Star flag) in Manokwari", Papua regional police chief Inspector General Drs Max Donald told the Cenderawasih Post on Friday March 14.
Despite this, police believe that the protest action, which ended with the unfurling of the Morning Star Flag, was a reaction against Government Regulation 77/2007 on regional symbols that contains a prohibition on the Morning Star flag in Papua, the South Maluku Republic Benang Raja flag in Ambon and the Crescent Moon flag in Aceh.
What is clear however, is that Donald asserts that incidents such as this are a violation of the law so police will be taking legal action. When asked if the unfurling of the Morning Star flag had any relationship with a recent demonstration in the provincial capital of Jayapura and who the intellectual actor were, Donald claimed that they already had a good understanding of the case and who is behind it.
Donald also called on the Papua people not to be provoked by such actions and remained all citizens that they are obliged to comply with government regulations, including Government Regulation 77/2007 that bans the Morning Star flag. He added that it was not just the unfurling of the flag but that there were also speeches and statement with a similar tone.
Will the suspects be indicted under the articles against rebellion? Donald said there is a possibility that they could. "Yes, of course it could go in that direction", he added.
As reported earlier, the protest action was carried out by a group calling themselves the West Papua National Authority (WPNA) and the Greater Manokwari Student Executive Council (BEM).
District police chief assistant superintendent Drs Yakobus Marjuki said that the initials of the persons detained as suspects, among others, are DS (35), NA (25), MO (22), LB (24), ML (20), EA (30), GA (25), AW (34) and SK (16). Since Friday March 14, the suspects have been held at the Manokwari district police detention center while they await questioning.
Also included among the suspects are a Manokwari University of Papua student with the initials ML (20) and MO (22) from the Manokwari College of Law (STIH). There is also an under-age child with the initial SK (16) from a junior high school in Manokwari. SK will be questioned by a special investigator and police also plan to investigate SK's parents to find out if they were involved or not.
Two others, YM and OM have been released because initial questioning found insufficient evidence of their involvement in the unfurling of the Morning Star flag.
Police said that the results of the initial question were that witnesses said that the flags were provide by the chairperson of the group Manokwari Regency Traditional Youth (PAWM), Elimelekh Obeth Kaiway
Suspects and witnesses have also admitted that the flags were unfurled on the orders of WPNA spokesperson Jack Wanggai. "If Elimelekh realizes his error [he should] give himself up quickly before [he is] arrested, because all of the witnesses' testimonies point towards him", said Marjuki on Friday.
At a press conference at his offices, the director of the Manokwari Legal Aid Assessment, Research and Development Institute (LP3BH), human rights lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy said that the suspects had officially asked LP3BH to assist them during questioning. Warinussy added that the suspects have been charged under articles 106 and 110 on rebellion.
From the Cenderawasih Post's observations, as of this afternoon the suspects were still being question by criminal investigators. The suspects are being assisted by a team from the LP3BH. (bat/sr)
[Abridged translation by James Balowski.]
| Human rights/law |
Jakarta Post - March 22, 2008
Jakarta – The national reform movement and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) may appear to be two sides of the same coin.
Kontras was established March 20 a decade ago, amid rising public outcry for reform. Ten years on, people have demonstrated anger the reform agenda has been hijacked by elements in the former regime, and the prominent rights group has found Indonesia still has a long way to go before it can proclaim itself a fertile ground for the promotion of human rights.
The murder of Kontras cofounder and former coordinator Munir Said bin Thalib in September 2004 proves campaigning for human rights is still a dangerous job. Intimidation of rights activists was reported by the special envoy of the United Nations Secretary- General, Hina Jilani, following her visit here in June last year.
Kontras coordinator Usman Hamid, who replaced Munir, says people in Indonesia still consider human rights "a product of the West", which suits the norms shared by mainstream groups.
"We're being dragged back into a primitive discussion of whether human rights are important or not. I think we should've moved past that by now," he said recently. The challenges facing the promotion of human rights might explain why victims of violence have not found justice, despite legal assistance from Kontras.
"The problem with all our efforts is it takes so long to get anything done. Some victims simply cannot cope with how long it takes to get justice," he said, citing as examples the Trisakti and Semanggi cases, which have remain unresolved after nearly 10 years.
The House of Representatives refused to declare the killings in 1998 and 1999 gross human rights violations. However, the recent Constitutional Court ruling to strip the House of its power to investigate alleged crimes against humanity has revived Kontras' hopes of seeing the rights violations reinvestigated.
"Some of my contacts at the House of Representatives have repeatedly told me Kontras just never seems to go any slower than fourth gear. I usually just laugh at that, because that's what we have to do to maintain the reform momentum," said Usman.
Tetty, the mother of Elang, one of the victims in the Trisakti shooting, said Kontras had been at the forefront of her struggle for justice. "They've really put everything they have on the line, and they just don't stop," she said.
While efforts to bring those responsible for the Trisakti and Semanggi cases to justice have yet to bear fruit, the probe into Munir's murder has yielded a significant result, although far from satisfactory. On Jan. 25 this year, the Supreme Court sentenced former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto to 20 years in prison for the premeditated murder.
"Munir's death is far from being resolved, but we have seen a lot of progress from the government. We'll continue to pursue this case, and other cases of human rights violations," Usman said.
The National Police is said to be expanding the probe into former and current officials of the National Intelligence Agency, as ordered by the court.
Kontras is currently helping the National Commission on Human Rights investigate alleged human rights violations in the Talangsari incident of Feb. 8, 1989, when military troops stormed a village in a crackdown on a militant Muslim group.
According to the military, 27 people died in the attack. Villagers, however, claim more than 300 people, including those who were not part of the militant group, were killed.
Jimly Asshidiqqie, chief of the Constitutional Court, has nothing but admiration and respect for the organization's tenacity in promoting human rights.
"I hope all citizens will learn, especially from the Munir case, how important it is to revive the humanity principle of the Pancasila state ideology, which is the spirit of our nation's Constitution," said Jimly.
Usman said Kontras would continue to push the government to solve Munir's murder, among other cases still pending on its extensive human rights calendar.
"I think the police will have a new suspect for the Munir case before the end of June or even earlier. If they have one before the end of April, that would make a great birthday present for Kontras," Usman said.
Detik.com - March 19, 2008
Gagah Wijoseno, Jakarta – The European Union Parliament has issued a declaration calling on the Indonesian government to fully investigate the murder of human rights activist Munir. If Indonesia ignores the declaration, there is a possibility that EU countries will extend the ban on Indonesian airlines flying to Europe.
"Not just Holland that coincidentally was the country the Munir was to visit. Member states that number in the dozens, could influence the ban on flights to EU countries", said Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (Kasum) coordinator Usman Hamid at the offices of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid) on Jl. Mampang Prapatan in South Jakarta on Monday March 17.
Hamid warned that Europe has a cooperative relationship the fields of trade and Indonesian law enforcement. Legal and military reform cannot be separated from the role of EU countries.
It is because of this therefore, that Hamid has repeatedly warned the Indonesian government to respond to calls to resolve the Munir case, bearing in mind that Indonesia has significant interests with the EU.
"This could clearly influence relations, particularly European overseas policy. This is a very serious case, the EU is greatly concerned about this case", asserted Hamid. (nik/nrl)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Jakarta Post - March 19, 2008
Jakarta – A group of non-governmental organizations has asked Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono to revise a statement telling retired military generals not to attend questioning sessions by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) over rights abuse investigations.
The nine NGOs, including Kontras, Imparsial and Human Rights Work Group Coalition, said Juwono's statement could be interpreted as an attempt to obstruct justice. "Juwono does not have the authority as a defense minister to make such a statement," Usman Hamid of Kontras said Tuesday.
The group also asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take strict action against Juwono over the issue. "We hope that Komnas HAM will keep on investigating cases involving retired military generals despite the illegal appeal from the minister," Usman said.
Two weeks ago, Juwono said Komnas HAM did not have the authority to ask military generals to appear for questioning.
| Health & education |
Jakarta Post - March 23, 2008
Lilian Budianto, Jakarta – Ratna, a resident of a slum in Cilincing, North Jakarta, has struggled for years to cope with chronic water shortages.
The mother of three young children says her only water source is a well located at the back of her depleted hut, which runs out of water during the dry season.
To provide her family with adequate clean water, she has to buy it from a vendor for Rp 3,000 (US$0.30) per jerry can. Her family needs at least three jerry cans a day.
Without access to tap water, Ratna has to spend more than a quarter of her husband's salary on clean water. To have clean water, she has had to slash her children's food budget, she said.
"I have no choice. I can't do household chores without clean water," she said. "My kids are used to eating rice with just soy sauce. They have never complained about it."
Hanung Santono, an activist with the People's Coalition for the Right to Water, said water shortages would affect even more people in the future if the government failed to handle the matter seriously.
A 2003 study by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) found densely populated Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara to be the three areas most vulnerable to water shortages.
In 2003, water demand in Java and Bali reached 38.4 billion cubic meters while tap water production only stood at 25.3 billion cubic meters. People without access to tap water have to rely on underground water or resort to rivers, even though many of them are polluted.
Walhi predicted more residents of Jakarta and Bali would face water shortages in coming years because water demand was growing faster than water provision. "Water crises affect the poor the most. The poor have to pay more for water than other residents who have access to treated tap water," said Hanung.
"It is ridiculous the poor have to pay more to get clean water simply because they have no access to tap water."
He criticized the government's decision to allow private sector management of treated tap water after it failed to provide clean water to the wider public.
He said 11 years after water privatization, tap water only met 55 percent of demand and water quality remained poor.
"Private sectors do not aim to provide water for everyone; it is a business for them. Our Constitution says every citizen is entitled to clean water."
He said the government should stop perceiving water as a commodity and reclaim water management from the private sector.
Achmad Lanti, chairman of the Jakarta water supply regulatory body, said Tuesday illegal water connections and consumption hampered water operators from increasing supply to meet the increasing demand.
"Both PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya and PT Thames Pam Jaya provide 17,000 liters of water a second. Half of this amount is lost due to illegal pipe connections," he said, referring to the city's tap water providers.
Legislator Alvin Lie of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said he was fearful the water crisis would trigger nationwide conflict in the future.
"As long as people can still rely on underground water, a serious water shortage is not imminent," said the member of Commission VII on energy, research, technology, science and the environment.
"But underground water can be exhausted if people keep exploiting it, and once that happens, I am afraid conflict is inevitable," he said.
Jakarta Post - March 22, 2008
Andrea Tejokusumo, Jakarta – There is no better moment to address the importance of sanitation than this year's World Water Day, which takes on the issue in conjunction with the UN's 2008 International Year of Sanitation.
Up to this day, poor sanitation standards continue to claim the lives of millions across the globe each year. Recent WHO statistics reported some 1.8 million deaths per year from diarrhea-related diseases, with 90 percent of the victims being children. This means that every 20 seconds, a child in the world dies from poor hygiene – a predicament that puts it in the same lethal category as poverty and hunger.
In Indonesia, the figures don't look too promising either. WHO counted as many as 100 Indonesian child deaths per year as a result of diarrhea, while an estimated 30 percent of Indonesians do not yet have the access to basic sanitary facilities including proper drainage and safe drinking water. This figure sits far behind those of neighboring countries, and contributes greatly to reducing national productivity and the Human Development Index (HDI).
Seeing the direct impact that sanitation brings upon the country and its people, the Indonesian government has been putting a lot of work into improving hygienic conditions across the country. This includes the management of liquid waste, garbage and drainage, on top of ensuring that access to clean water is widely available.
Initiatives like the provincial Proyek Air Bersih (Clean Water Project) have been under way since the 1980s to help reduce water pollution and subsequently help with household water needs. The government has also been teaming up with private companies such as PT Palyja (Pam Lyonnaise Jaya) and TPJ (Thames Pam Jaya) in the effort to increase supply of clean drinking water, although the strategy has been met with varied responses from the general public.
In all, enthusiasm from the government side has proven to be more than commendable. The current Water and Sanitation Working Group (WSWG) has the backing of various government offices from the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) to the ministries of public works, health, industry, environment and home affairs, and there seems to be cross-sectoral understanding that sanitation is a major issue that affects quality of life on so many different levels.
Despite such a positive stance, however, Indonesia is still facing a number of daunting sanitation problems. Paskah Suzetta, chairman of Bappenas, gave a glimpse into the predicament during the National Sanitation Conference (NSC) in Jakarta last November is very much affected by internal factors such as education, behavior and the economy," Suzetta said in his keynote speech before ministers and representatives from the WSWG.
"On the other hand," he added, "there are also external factors at play, and these include structure, perception and technology."
In terms of structure, Suzetta argued that there has never been a definite law regarding the management of sanitation in Indonesia. Even if an effort is currently being run to review past and current laws and strategies, it would take some time before a new and effective action plan could be formulated that would benefit the masses.
In terms of perception, there needs to be more initiatives to give sanitation a higher profile, so the subject can be more comfortable to broach publicly.
Apart from these instances, participation from local governments is also vital in the widespread distribution of sanitary facilities. To allow for effective implementation, coordination would need to be strengthened between the sectors.
Minister of Public Works Djoko Kirmanto had this to say about the issue, also during the 2007 conference: government institutions often found an overlap of responsibilities between the sectors. This is especially so because it has never been made clear which office should take the core responsibility for sanitation."
The confusion had in turn permeated matters of priority and funding, and many believe not enough budget has been allocated by central or local governments to help deal with the lack of proper sanitation.
The Asian Development Bank estimated that only US$124 million per year, or around 2 percent of the regular national budget, was invested by the central government in water supply and sanitation (average of 2004-2005).
Following decentralization of the economy in 2001, local governments have had to extract infrastructure funds from their own pockets, and most have spent less than 2 percent on sanitation each year.
The fact remains regrettable that on the whole, government allowance for personal hygiene amounts to as little as Rp 200 per person per year, when the number should be around Rp 47,000. This despite studies by WHO that sufficient investment will increase national productivity by 79 percent (2006 report), while for every rupiah spent investing in sanitary facilities, there is bound to be a seven-fold return (2007).
Thus, as Minister Kirmanto said, "Laws will need to be developed to ensure that sanitary facilities are given as much priority as other public facilities." A Declaration of Sanitation was also released during the national conference.
In the meantime, support from NGOs, donors and the private sector has all had a large impact on progress, not only in monetary terms but also in extending public knowledge of health and hygiene in general.
USAID, for example, has been running bilateral sanitary projects with the Indonesian government since 2004 and 2005.are schemes like the Safe Water System and the Environmental Services Program, both of which touch on basic health services including sanitation," said Alfred Nakatsuma, USAID's acting director of the Office of Basic Human Services, to The Jakarta Post.
With a combined fund of nearly $53 million, the two programs will run until 2009 and employ different problem-solving approaches, be it through personal health education, citywide sanitation strategies, or advanced research into water-purifying technologiesthe latter in collaboration with the private sector.
Speaking of Indonesia's agenda to prioritize sanitation, Nakatsuma commented how USAID had been really impressed by the government's picking up its pace with sanitation investments, also by its proactively raising awareness "within its own ministries as well as aid agencies".
He added: "All of us have a long way to go, and it's always a given that government policies and budgets shift slowly. But we are definitely moving in the right direction, especially with the government committing to prioritize sanitation to a much greater degree... more than ever now."
Jakarta Post - March 19, 2008
Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Despite a compulsory basic education program launched by the government in 1994, enrollment figures remain disappointing in many regions.
In a survey of a quarter of the country's 440 regencies and municipalities, officials said Tuesday almost half of children between ages 13 and 15 were being denied the benefits of a secondary education.
West Papua, East Nusa tenggara and Central Kalimantan are among the regions where junior high school enrollment rates (APM) remain lowest.
Poverty was mostly to blame, as well the mind-set of parents who sometimes view school fees as a waste of money. Inadequate physical facilities were also a factor in keeping kids from getting a primary and middle school education.
Education Ministry data from 2007 showed West Papua (five regencies surveyed) with an APM of about 40 percent, East Nusa Tenggara (17 regencies) with 50 percent, and Central Kalimantan (four regencies) with between 42 and 60 percent.
Some 12.98 million kids, five percent of the nation's 240 million population, are 13- to 15-year old "schoolchildren". By law children must attend primary school for six years and middle school for three. However, while school may be compulsory, it isn't free.
The country's most densely populated province, West Java, where some 2.2 million 13- to 15-year-olds live, had the most children unable to attend junior high. The regencies in West Java with the lowest junior high enrollment rates included Sukabumi, Cianjur and Indramayu, where the figure was only 50 to 60 percent.
Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo said this year the government would wrap up the compulsory basic education program after nine years. He said a 95 percent national gross participation rate (APK) for junior high school was the goal.
In 2007, the APK – which is different from the APM because it also takes into account adults back in school – was about 93 percent, or 963,000 enrollees short.
"We will encourage all primary school graduates to continue their studies at junior high school to achieve this target," Bambang said in an address at a ceremony Tuesday marking the final stages of the program.
"We will also conduct sweeps in community and neighborhood units across the country to find 13-15 year-old children still out of school," he added. The minister said the government would also build 500 junior high schools and 11,069 classrooms this year.
In attendance at the Tuesday event was Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni, who also bears responsibility for the seeing compulsory education succeed. Around 21 percent of students affected by the program are studying at Islamic schools under ministry supervision.
Agence France Presse - March 19, 2008
The bird flu situation is "critical" in Indonesia, where the virus could mutate and cause a human pandemic, the UN food agency warned yesterday.
"The prevalence of avian influenza in Indonesia remains serious despite (national and international) containment efforts," the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organisation said in a statement.
The FAO's chief veterinary officer, Joseph Domenech, said he was "deeply concerned that the high level of virus circulation in birds in the country could create conditions for the virus to mutate and to finally cause a human influenza pandemic".
H5N1 is endemic across nearly all of the sprawling archipelago nation, and of the total 105 human deaths reported there, 11 have occurred this year alone.
"The human mortality rate from bird flu in Indonesia is the highest in the world, and there will be more human cases if we do not focus more on containing the disease at source in animals," Domenech said.
"Indonesia is facing an uphill battle against a virus that is difficult to contain," the statement said, urging improved surveillance and control measures.
"We have also observed that new H5N1 avian influenza virus strains have recently emerged, creating the possibility that vaccines currently in use may not be fully protecting poultry against the disease," Domenech warned.
Jakarta Post - March 18, 2008
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Experts, activists and teachers said they would consider filing a request for the Constitutional Court to revoke its recent decision ordering the inclusion of teachers' salaries into the education budget.
Teachers' salaries have to-date been allocated via civil servant expenditures rather than the education budget.
The Constitutional Court revised Article 49 of the 2003 law on education last month, and has ordered the government to pay teachers' salaries from the education budget.
The ruling was in response to a judicial review request submitted by two teachers from South Sulawesi.
The plaintiffs said the inclusion of their salaries in the education budget, which sees an overall increase every year, would also increase their wages.
But critics said the new ruling would further debilitate efforts to improve education in Indonesia because the budget should only be spent on facilities to directly benefit students.
Indonesian Teachers Association chairman M. Surya told The Jakarta Post teachers were angry about the Constitutional Court's decision.
"This is a setback for the national education sector," Surya said. "Teachers will not be able to enjoy better welfare and at the same time the government will not be able to provide better education services."
Surya said the association supported any plan to seek a judicial review of the ruling. He said the association had also written to the government and the House of Representatives to express its disappointment over the court's decision.
Education expert Soedijarto said the salaries should continue to be pulled from civil servant expenditures and not the education budget.
"The decision will merely help the government achieve the constitutional requirement of 20 percent of the state budget for education," Soedijarto said. "But, in fact, it will slash other portions the government should spend to improve educational facilities."
A legal expert from Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University, Zainal Arifin Mochtar Husein, said it was necessary to ask the Constitutional Court to annul Article 49.
"With its annulment, there will only be Article 31 in the law on education that requires 20 percent of the state budget for education," he said.
Zainal said the judicial review request by the plaintiffs was "weird". "It runs counter with the mainstream thought of teachers and also with the government's policy to never incorporate teachers' pay into the education budget," he said.
"In fact, the allocation will have reached 20.1 percent next year even without including the teachers' salaries in the education budget."
This year's education budget of Rp 64.029 trillion accounted for 17.4 percent of the government's total spending of Rp 854.66 trillion. The figure has gradually increased by some 2.7 percent on average over the last few years.
Support for a plan to challenge the court ruling also came from Yuna Farhan of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency. He said the Constitutional Court should have better calculated the issue first, before making its decision.
The two plaintiffs were identified as teacher Rahmatiah Abbas and lecturer Badriyah Rifai, who is head of a postgraduate program in South Sulawesi.
But Surya said the teachers' association heard from its representatives from South Sulawesi the plaintiffs were not teachers. "We are collecting evidence to prove whether they are teachers or not."
Activists said if the plaintiffs were found to be non-teachers, the court's decision would be legally be flawed.
Jakarta Post - March 16, 2008
Erwinda Maulia, Jakarta – Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari has accused the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States of conspiracy in the collection of bird flu virus samples and the production of vaccines.
The WHO collected H5N1 virus samples from developing countries like Indonesia and Vietnam, which suffer most from bird flu, but then collaborates with pharmaceutical firms in rich nations to produce expensive vaccines, Siti said here Saturday.
"I am not making up stories. I based my book on my own experiences. There is real evidences for this," she said at a discussion of her newly released book Saatnya Dunia Berubah, Tangan Tuhan di balik Flu Burung (It's Time for the World to Change, Divine Hands behind Bird Flu).
Her suspicions began when Indonesia was unable to buy Tamiflu (a trade name for Oseltamiviran – an antiviral drug used in the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza) which was "sold out to rich countries, and the WHO did nothing about it", she said.
After sending bird flu samples to the WHO at no cost, Siti was offered bird flu vaccines (for sale) which used the Vietnamese H5N1 virus strain.
"And these vaccines were not produced in Vietnam. They knew nothing about it. I thought the same thing could happen to Indonesia. They can make profits from our bird flu samples, while we must pay for expensive vaccines," she said.
A similar thing occurred when the WHO offered her smallpox vaccines in 2005, she said. "I told the WHO that their mechanism for collecting viruses from developing countries was very unfair. It's the same way an imperialist country treats its colonies," Siti added.
At the time, her statement made the United States angry, she said, and also prompted her suspicion over "a conspiracy between the WHO and the superpower country".
Siti rejected diplomatic means to ease tensions that resulted between Indonesia and the WHO. "Diplomacy, in the eyes of superpower nations, means 'we must do as they want us to do'," she said.
Siti was further angered over a finding that bird flu samples she sent were used exclusively by 15 scientists at the United States' Los Alamos laboratory. A senior biodefense researcher at the Defense Ministry, Isro Samiharjo, told the audience the US government used Los Alamos to develop biological weapons.
Isro supported Siti's claims, saying the samples could be used to develop weapons, added that a similar scenario had taken place in the US in the 1980s, when plant-hoppers had attacked a wide range of paddy fields and turned Indonesia into an importer of paddy seeds until now.
Isro said biological weapons could be used to make one country dependent on another, a condition he referred to as "covered imperialism". "There is evidently a conspiracy," he said, discussing the United States' involvement in the development of biological weapons.
With the inevitable development of such weapons, Isro said, Indonesia's Defense Ministry, through its directorate for defense potential, had begun to focus on biodefense.
| Elections/political parties |
Jakarta Post - March 22, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Political bargaining was involved in the selection of five Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) members by the House of Representatives, observers said Friday.
They told The Jakarta Post such a political compromise could affect the neutrality of the new board in carrying out its work.
In a vote Wednesday the House's Commission II for political and domestic security affairs selected five – three women and two men – new Bawaslu members. They were among the 15 candidates proposed by the government.
The five included People's Election Network coordinator Wahidah Suaib, former Central Java elections supervisory committee (Panwaslu) chairman Nur Hidayat Sardini and former Jakarta election commissioner candidate Agustiani Tio FS.
The two others were Yogyakarta Muhammadiyah University lecturer Bambang Eka Cahya Widodo and former Depok election supervisory committee member Wirdyaningsih. Wahidah received the largest number of votes with 41, followed by Nur Hidayat and Agustiani with 34 and 31 votes, respectively. Bambang received 29 votes and Wirdyaningsih 28.
The former deputy chairman of the now-defunct national Panwaslu, Saut Sirait, criticized the House over what he said was a "political compromise" in the selection process.
"That is the democratic process we have to get through. But the public will demand they stay neutral whatever deals they faced during the selection process," he said.
Saut hoped the five newly selected members had the ability to carry out their task of supervising the election process in the face of media and public monitoring and criticism.
"My experiences during the Panwaslu period showed that we were scrutinized by the media and the public. That's why we need the involvement of as many NGOs monitoring the elections as possible," he said.
The new election law scrapped Panwaslu and replaced it with the more powerful Bawaslu.
The main difference between the two bodies is that the General Elections Commission (KPU) and other related parties, such as police and prosecutors, are required to follow up on Bawaslu's recommendations on election violations.
Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) executive director Hadar Navis Gumay similarly criticized the selection process for the Bawaslu members. He said political bargaining meant the best candidates were not selected.
Several other candidates had better knowledge and experience in the election process, monitoring and legal affairs than the chosen Bawaslu members, he said.
"We can clearly see political compromises in the selection process when a group of lawmakers tried to barter with other groups so that each faction was represented on the supervisory body. "Thus, the process did not select the best candidates," he said.
Hadar did praise the process that reduced the number of Bawaslu candidates from thousands to 15. "But the vote at the House allowed for a political deal," he said.
The selection of Bawaslu members was the latest step in the necessary institutional building for the 2009 legislative and presidential elections, after the House passed the law on parliamentary elections.
Lawmakers are now discussing a presidential election bill and a draft law on the position and composition of the House.
Jakarta Post - March 17, 2008
Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Former president Megawati Sukarnoputri on Saturday said a PDI-P win in the upcoming gubernatorial election in West Java would pave the way for the party to win the 2009 general election.
Chairing the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Megawati called on party cadres in West Java to work harder for the election of party nominees Agum Gumelar and Nu'man Abdul Hakim, and asked supporters not to be involved in the practice of money politics.
"If you are offered a basic commodity package (to vote for someone), take it, but in the balloting booth, strike the Agum- Nu'man pair's picture. If you choose other candidates, our party and our candidates will be defeated," she told her audience, mostly women, in a mass gathering to celebrate the party's 35th anniversary at Gazibu field in Bandung.
Megawati also called on voters to listen to their own conscience in voting in the governor race, saying money politics would not address the tough lives people were living.
"Do not elect the wrong candidates. What can you do with Rp 100,000? What does rice cost? Rp 6,000 per kilogram and cooking oil Rp 14,000 per kg and it can be enough for two days," she said, referring to the soaring prices of basic commodities.
She also stressed PDI-P had a special political interest in winning the governor race in the densely populated province because a victory would pave the way for the party to win the legislative and presidential elections in April and October 2009.
"Our victory in the province will strengthen our spirit to gain a similar victory in Central and East Java. The party's victory this year in Java, home of 62 percent of the country's 230 million population, is a benchmark for the party's victory of the general election next year.
"But would you like to imagine if PDI-P is defeated in this province, Central Java and East Java? No chance would come. The success in governor races is a starting point for us to dominate the Parliament and finally the State Palace," said Mega.
She also threatened to delist party cadres for the upcoming legislative election if they did not show their performance in conducting the governor race.
"No way but hard work and hard work. Those who reject working hard will be deleted for the list of legislative candidates," said Mega, who gained applause from thousands of party supporters in red T-shirts and hats.
Agum and Nu'man are expected to face a tough race with the pair of Danny Setiawan and Sulandjana nominated by the Democratic Party and the Golkar Party, which had its strongholds in urban areas.
The governor race is scheduled for April 13 with some 28 million eligible voters from the province's 41 million population.
Jakarta Post - March 17, 2008
Lilian Budianto and Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is still split over simultaneous legislative and presidential elections, one of the main issues in ongoing deliberations over the presidential election bill.
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan of the Golkar Party, the biggest faction at the House, said Sunday the simultaneous legislative and presidential elections would be made possible only in 2014 at the earliest.
"If the elections were held simultaneously in 2009, would it mean only parties who won House seats in the 2004 election were able to nominate presidential candidates?" Ferry questioned. "Parties contesting for legislative seats in 2009 will certainly not accept this," he said.
The 2004 presidential elections were held three months after the legislative elections to elect House, regional legislative council and Regional Representatives Council members. In the first direct presidential election, candidates were nominated by parties that secured at least 5 percent of the vote in the legislative election.
Golkar has proposed the threshold be raised to 30 percent, while the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle demanded it increase to between 15 and 20 percent. Among supporters of the joint elections are Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who chairs Golkar.
The National Awakening Party (PKB) faction has insisted Indonesia hold simultaneous elections in 2009 in order to simplify the electoral system and save money.
PKB member Ali Masykur Musa told the House special committee, deliberating the presidential election bill last week, that the simultaneous election would also allow voters to know the presidential candidates as early as possible.
The General Elections Commission is conducting an online survey of simultaneous legislative and presidential elections.
PKB faction chairman Hermawi Taslim criticized the survey for unfairness because it asks a leading question. Respondents are asked for their opinion on separate elections, rather than simultaneous elections.
The second biggest faction, PDI-P, and the National Mandate Party (PAN) have joined in support for the PKB. Ferry said administering joint legislative and presidential elections next year would be unfeasible, now that the House is still debating the electoral threshold for the presidential election.
"If the simultaneous elections are accepted for next year, we must agree that only parties that won a minimum of 15 percent of the vote in 2004 legislative election are eligible to nominate candidates."
Ferry added that the PKB proposal would be met with opposition from parties that did not qualify and newcomers in the 2009 election.
The United Development Party (PPP) and Democrat Party have also rejected simultaneous elections, citing unreadiness of both voters and the General Elections Commission (KPU).
"Simultaneous elections will only confuse voters because they will mix up presidential and legislative election campaigns," PPP faction chairman Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said.
Agence France Presse - March 17, 2008
Former Indonesian president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid says he intends to run in next year's presidential elections.
"I am making myself available to run as a presidential candidate to once again lead this Indonesian state and nation," he told a rally of his National Awakening Party (PKB) in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, according to the state Antara news agency.
He said his readiness to run for a second time was based on his conviction that "a lot of Indonesians want a leader figure who is daring, honest and always puts the people's interest above everything else".
The ex-president, the country's fourth, was kicked out of office and impeached in July 2001 amid accusations of incompetence and unproven allegations of corruption.
Wahid is the third politician to formally announce his intention to run in the polls. So far, his former vice president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who replaced him, and ex-Jakarta governor Sutiyoso have said they were prepared.
The current president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has not yet stated whether he will run.
Wahid's announcement means it is highly likely he will be nominated by the party for the leadership.
Wahid, who is clinically blind, also sits on the board of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Islamic movement which claims more than 40 million members and supporters.
Indonesia held its first direct elections for president and vice president in 2004, with the next poll set for 2009. Wahid did not run in 2004.
| Economy & investment |
Asia Times - March 19, 2008
Tom McCawley, Jakarta – Indonesia, one of Asia's largest fuel exporters, now faces dire power shortages, threatening to hold back an economic recovery which at 6.3 % reached its fastest pace in a decade last year. Chronic under-investment and fast-rising industrial and consumer power demand means Indonesia is facing under-capacity constraints, which the government warns could reach crisis levels by next year.
The government is pinning its hopes on a "crash program" to add 10,000 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired power, mostly financed and built by Chinese companies, in a bid to rapidly expand capacity by over one-third. If the crash program fails to meet its goals, energy policy could become a major campaign issue as Indonesia gears up for general elections next year.
So far Indonesia's 26,500MW power grid has not yet suffered the drastic shortages seen throughout the 1990s in China, India and the Philippines, where frequent blackouts dragged severely on economic growth. But Indonesia's many decrepit power plants are ageing and the country's main Java-Bali power grid is straining to meet demand.
Some analysts argue that Indonesia already faces a crisis. The capital, Jakarta, was hit with widespread power outages in March, as ships carrying coal from Kalimantan to Java were delayed by stormy weather.
At least two power plants had to reduce production and power cuts hit several commercial and residential areas while coal stocks fell to dangerous levels of only two or three days of reserves. Critics blamed the mini-crisis on poor planning. Officials at the state-run power utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) said that power shortages in March were symptomatic of mounting strains on the entire grid.
Of 17,500MW of installed capacity on the Java-Bali grid – three-quarters of the country's total – only about 15,500MW is operational at any given time. Many of the power plants that are up-and-running are old and inefficient, according to one PLN official who requested anonymity.
Daily evening demand peaks at around 15,200MW, leaving a tight 2% reserve margin, according to PLN. The supply cushion gets tighter and even falls short of demand when plants routinely shut for maintenance or repairs, according to the PLN official.
With abundant natural resources, Indonesia would seem to be well-placed to meet its domestic energy needs. The country is Asia's only member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is the world's largest exporter of thermal coal and the second-largest exporter of LNG.
New investment in the power sector has lagged badly since the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, when under financial constraints the government cancelled billions of dollars worth of power contracts with some 26 private power companies or independent power producers (IPPs).
Six years of tortured and lengthy negotiations over the nullified contracts ended only in 2003. Meanwhile, Indonesia's economy began to emerge from the doldrums of the crisis, reflected not only in economic growth statistics but in the rising numbers of electricity consumers and per capita demand.
A stop-start policy reform process added to investor confusion. Indonesia passed a wide-ranging power liberalization bill in 2002, aimed at breaking up PLN's monopoly on sales and distribution. The bill, modeled on power reform legislation elsewhere in the world, aimed to instill market competition through a so-called multi-buyer and multi-seller model.
That included provisions allowing for foreign companies to build power stations and sell directly to the public. But in late 2004, the powerful new constitutional court struck down the bill, citing a nationalist clause declaring ill-defined "strategic" enterprises should be left in national hands.
Burgeoning power problems later forced the government to backtrack and devise the crash investment program in March 2006, which aims to rapidly add 10,000MW to the national grid. In line with that policy, PLN last August signed new power plant deals worth some US$2 billion with China's Shanghai Electric Corp and Dongfang Electric Corp.
Some Chinese lenders, according to Indonesian media reports, had asked for sovereign guarantees on their power plant agreements – not all of which have been granted. Those contracts included a Chinese consortium of Shanghai Electric Corp and Dalle Energy, which are set to construct a 945MW coal-fired power plant in Teluk Naga, Banten, at a cost of $547.4 million in foreign exchange and 1.89 trillion rupiahs ($207.6 million).
A consortium of Dongfang Electric Corp and Dalle Energy is also to build a 630MW coal-fired power plant in Pacitan, East Java, while a consortium of Shanghai Electric Corp Ltd and Maxima Infrastructure is to establish a 1,050MW coal-fired power plant in Pelabuhan Ratu West Java at an estimated $566.9 million and 2.2 trillion rupiahs.
Indonesia's drive to boost its domestic power output could have supply effects on the rest of industrializing Asia, where China's growing appetite for imported fuels has intensified regional competition for access to sources. New power capacity in Indonesia, home to an estimated 236 million people, will require more oil fuel, coal, and LNG that previously went to exports.
Industry analysts estimate that by 2010, if the crash program goes ahead as planned, Indonesia will burn over 60 million tons of coal per year, up from around 30 million tons at present. Some Energy Ministry officials speculate privately that Indonesia may follow China's lead in imposing export curbs. China imposed such curbs in January, amidst one of the harshest winters in decades which badly disrupted power supplies.
Perhaps no one is more worried about the power supply issue than Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is scheduled to run for re-election next year. One of his central campaign promises in 2004 was to boost economic growth to 7% per annum, about the level economists estimate is needed to keep unemployment down as more young people enter the work force.
Economists are already warning that infrastructure constraints, including inadequate roads and ports, as well as power stations, risk holding back economic growth. They note, for instance, that PLN has been imposing rolling blackouts in outer areas for several years now. Meanwhile private gas-run generators have been selling well in Jakarta as households apparently brace for more power shortages.
[Tom McCawley is a Jakarta-based freelance journalist.]
Jakarta Post - March 18, 2008
Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – Expansion in the business sector is likely to slow down in the first quarter of 2008, emulating a similar trend in the previous quarter, a Bank Indonesia survey says.
According to the survey released Monday, the nation's business sector expanded by 15.25 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, a drop from 21.99 percent the previous quarter, which was the highest quarterly growth recorded in 2007.
In the first quarter of last year, the sector contracted by 0.24 percent. It is estimated the decline in the last quarter will continue into the first quarter of this year, in part because of slower demand, the survey found.
Entrepreneurs, the survey respondents, said although there would be an increase in business activities in almost all sectors in the first quarter of this year, the growth would be slower than in the previous quarter.
"Growth in business expansion will occur mostly during the first quarter of this year in industries such as processing at 5.81 percent, and mining and exploration at 4.47 percent.
"Agriculture, farming, forestry and fisheries will grow at 3.7 percent, and services at 3.18 percent," BI's director for economic and monetary statistics, Triono Widodo, said when launching the survey.
Triono added while the business climate was expected to improve, only 22.37 percent of the respondents said they would invest in expansion during the first quarter of this year. This figure is lower than that in the first quarter of 2007, 27.54 percent.
Most respondents said interest rates were the main barrier to investment, followed by poor infrastructure, banking access and licensing procedures.
The survey, which involves more than 2,500 companies across the country, is conducted by the central bank every quarter, except for investment, which is conducted in the second and fourth quarters.
The companies surveyed operate in nine sectors that contribute significantly to the economy, including agriculture, mining, infrastructure, trade and services.
| Opinion & analysis |
Jakarta Post - March 18, 2008
Neles Tebay, Abepura, Papua – The Indigenous Papuans have begun calling for referendum to decide the future political status of Papua province. The call was raised by the Papuan youth. I do think that the same call will be raised in days and months to come.
There are two major factors that trigger the Papuans to call for refendum.
Firstly, the call for referendum is raised due to the government's failure in implementing properly and consistently the Law no.21/2001 on the Special Autonomy for Papua Province.
The Papuans know that their problems have already been accomodated in the Papuan autonomy law. Therefore they have been calling upon the government to address their grievances through an effecitve implementation of the law. However, they see that the government has no moral commitment to put the law into practice. It has even no willingness to enforce the law consistently.
Instead, the government has deliberately produced some policies conflicting against the Papuan autonomy law, after having deliberately postponed for four years to issue the government regulation on the formation of the Papuan People's Assembly (MRP).
One example is that the central government establishes a new province of West Papua, although by violating the Papuan autonomy law, and imposes upon the Papuans to accept the existence o f the Province.
The government under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has not issued all necessary government regulations (peraturan Pemerintah), except one on the formation of the MRP, and therefore some articles of the autonomy law can't be executed in Papua.
Instead, President Yudhoyono has decided to issue new controversial government regulation to accomodate the presence of the West Papua Province. The regulation on West Papua will make the autonomy law more difficult to be implemented. How can the autonomy law for Papua Province be implemented also in other province?
The House of Representative, on its part, has not considered the implementation of the autonomy law as a solution to address the Papuans' grievances. Therefore the house never encourges the government to produce necessary government regulations and to do monitoring the Papuan provincial government's role in implementing the law.
Ignoring the necessity of implementing the autonomy law, the House agreed to form some four new provinces in Papua, namely West Papua, South West Papua, Central Papua, and South Papua.
The Papuan provincial government also never produces the special implementing regulations (Peraturan Daerah Khusus/Perdasus) and provicial regulations (Peraturan daerah Provinsi/Perdasi) which are necessary for implementing properly the autonomy law.
The present governor has even not yet approved the special implementing regulation (Perdasus) on how to spend properly the autonomy fund. As a result, the use of autonomy funds is completedy up to the individual governor and the regents and it can't be monitored by the people for not having legally approved criteria. Therefore, much of autonomy fund are allegedly misused by the government officials.
The Provincial legislative council (DPRP) still needs to be encouraged to prioritize the implementation of the autonomy law.
So in the eyes of the Papuans, the central government, the House of Representative, the Papuan provincial government and legislative council, all of them fail to implement the autonomy law.
As a result, the Indigenous Papuans' prosperity is not improved yet. In February of this year, Papuan governor Barnabas Suebu announced that some 80 percents of the total population in Papua province were identified living under poverty line. It means that the implementation of the law for seven years has never brought about any change in terms of the living standard of the Papuans.
The Papuans have repeatedly called for a comprehensive evaluation on the implementation of the autonomy law by involving the all Papuans in the whole process of the evaluation. The evaluation is meant to jointly identify the obstacles to the enforcement of the law and seek the solutions to remove the obstacles so that the law can be executed properly.
The government never responds to the call for evaluation, however. It means that the government wants to keep repeating the errors it has been committing for seven years. So, the Papuans already come to the conclusion that the government does not want to implement the autonomy law, properly and consistently, despite its repeated empty promises.
Secondly, the central government has not demonstrated its willingness to engage in peaceful dialogue to settle the Papua case. The call for dialogue has repeatedly been raised since 2000 by the Papuans and supported all civilian society's elements in Papua, including the Papuan rebels in the jungle.
However, Jakarta is not interested in the proposed dialogue. It means the government prefers violent approach to settle the Papua case. Perhaps, it is the reason why the central government increases number of troops in Papua.
New military commands are established in newly formed regencies. New military posts are set up along the land border with the Papua New Guinea. New battalions are formed. All battalions are added with more troops. Thousands of troops will be deployed in the future. All these make Papua as the Indonesian military occupied territory.
So the call for referendum is raised due to the government's failures to implement the autonomy law and its refusal to have dialogue with the Papuans while increasing the number of troops in Papua.
[The writer is a lecturer at the Fajar Timur School of Philosophy and Theology in Abepura, Papua.]
Jakarta Post Editorial - March 17, 2008
When we amended the 1945 Constitution in 2000-2002, we decided power must no longer be concentrated in the hands of a single person as it was when Soeharto ruled the country unopposed for more than three decades.
Thus, some of the powers that the constitution vests in the President of the Republic are now being shared with the House of Representatives, the Regional Representatives Council, the judiciary, and also the regional administrations through the move to decentralize and give them greater autonomy.
But while the political setup outlined by the constitution serves to prevent emergence of another tyrant, we get the impression that sometimes too much power sharing can be bad, especially if it is irresponsible. Worst, it can lead to political paralysis.
The decision by the House of Representatives to reject the candidates for Bank Indonesia (central bank) governor proposed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a case in point.
The writing was on the wall when Yudhoyono submitted the names of Agus Martowardoyo and Raden Pardede last month. The majority of the House's factions – led by the main opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) but also including parties that are members of Yudhoyono's coalition government – indicated from the beginning they wouldn't endorse either candidate.
House Commission XI handling the nomination went through with fit-and-proper tests for both men anyway. When the commission voted last week, predictably a majority rejected both candidates. The ball is back in Yudhoyono's court to come up with candidates the House will endorse.
The power of state appointments is a prerogative the House now enjoys in collaboration with the President.
The power-sharing arrangement applies to appointments of ambassadors, the central bank governor and deputy governors, Indonesian Military chief, National Police chief, state audit body chief, Supreme Court justices, as well as the members of many state commissions. All these appointments were once made by Soeharto, which ensured expediency but opened the door to nepotism and collusion.
While appointments such as the Bank Indonesia governor are still made by the president, the house now has an effective veto power.
A sign that the House went overboard in wrestling some powers away from the President is shown by an article in the constitution that makes even the appointment of foreign ambassadors to Indonesia subject to House approval. In no other country is the appointment of foreign ambassadors decided by the parliament of the host country. While the House has always endorsed all envoys proposed by the government, early this month it publicly rejected the nomination of the ambassador-nominee from Myanmar.
The Bank Indonesia governor issue is turning into a psychological tug-of-war between the President and the majority factions in the House. It is not the qualifications of the candidates (Agus Martowardoyo has an impeccable and proven track record as a banker) at the core of the dispute, as much as political posturing by the factions ahead of the 2009 elections.
Every move of the President and the political parties in recent months can be interpreted on the basis of how it would impact their respective chances for success at the polls. Yudhoyono is also at fault for promising not to increase domestic fuel prices, and thus pumping more subsidies to motorists, but cutting back on essential spending like health care, education and defense.
Not only are both the President and the House guilty of electioneering so far ahead of time, but they are doing it at the expense of good governance and effective government. Bank Indonesia is already beset by many problems, what with reopening an investigation into liquidity credits given to the country's conglomerates and the investigation into alleged improper use of co-op funds by senior bank officials, including the outgoing governor Burhanuddin Abdullah, whose term of office ends May 17.
The integrity and credibility of the central bank is important in being able to keep the country's currency and monetary affairs separate from politics. We could do without the delay caused by the election games the President and the House are playing.