| Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia | |
Indonesia News Digest 30 – August 8-16, 2008
Associated Press - August 14, 2008
Jakarta – An Indonesian mayor has ordered security officers in
parts of the capital to go door-to-door on Independence Day to
make sure people are flying the national flag.
Budiman Simarmata, acting mayor of South Jakarta, on Thursday
cited a 1958 government regulation that it is the
administration's right to urge residents to raise the flag,
although there are no penalties for failing to do so.
"Residents should hoist the red and white flag three days before
and three days after the Independence Day," he said in a phone
interview.
Indonesia celebrates its break from the Dutch on Aug. 17, 1945,
for several weeks each year, decking the streets in the national
colors and holding concerts, fairs and parades.
Around 300 officers will be sent out in Simarmata's municipality
of roughly 1.8 million people to persuade residents to show their
patriotism, he said.
"We have to give the highest appreciation for our independence
fought so hardly by our heroes," he said in a telephone
interview. "I urge residents to report to the officers if there
is anybody who did not raise the flag."
Jakarta Post - August 9, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' special
committee tasked with investigating the government's fuel price
rise policy has become enveloped in a fury of political
maneuvering, including pleas to summon the President for
questioning.
Each faction represented in the committee has produced its own
list of officials to be summoned for questioning.
Some, notably the National Awakening Party (PKB), have gone so
far as to summon President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice
President Jusuf Kalla and former presidents Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
The factions said the four were behind the policies that had led
to increases in fuel prices. Golkar Party and the Democratic
Party rejected the proposal to summon Yudhoyono and Kalla, while
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) blocked a
move to question Megawati, instead suggesting the committee focus
on cracking down on misappropriations in the oil and gas sector.
Misuse of funds has reportedly led to more than Rp 200 trillion
(US$22 billion) in state losses.
Inquiry committee member Ganjar Pranowo of the PDI-P said asking
the President or former presidents to explain oil policies would
shift attention from mismanagement in the sector.
"Summoning those leaders would only mean that we would politicize
the inquiry process. We're better off sticking to targeting
misappropriation in the oil sector, which has generated low
output and huge recovery costs," Ganjar said.
Drajat Wibowo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said the move
to summon Yudhoyono and his predecessors was a political ploy by
the factions to protect their leaders from being questioned.
"The persistence of Golkar and the Democratic Party to summon
Megawati, for instance, is just a move to cancel out a move by
the PDI-P and other parties to question Yudhoyono and Kalla.
Probably, the motive behind the PKB's demand to summon those
leaders is to protect Gus Dur," he said.
In the end, Drajat said, no leaders would be summoned. Drajat
said efforts to summon the leaders would only waste the
committee's time and energy, and there was no guarantee the
efforts would be successful.
"We'd be better off prioritizing the collection of data and facts
on misappropriation, and then summon related officials, including
people from BPMigas and Pertamina or Energy and Mineral Resources
Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro," Drajat said.
Committee member Azhar Romli of Golkar Party said the committee
members first needed to improve their understanding of the sector
by summoning experts and officials from the Supreme Audit Agency
(BPK).
A BPK audit of government income statements from 2005 to 2007
revealed that Rp 120 trillion in oil revenues went unreported and
was spent outside the state budget mechanism.
The BPK also found in its audit for 2006-2007 that BPMigas
overpaid Rp 40 trillion in recovery costs to contracted
companies.
They also calculated that misappropriations of oil imports and
overpaid recovery costs had cost the state at least US$2.1
billion and $2 billion in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
Actions, demos, protests...
Aceh
West Papua
Human rights/law
Labour issues
Health & education
War on corruption
Elections/political parties
Local & community issues
Economy & investment
Opinion & analysis
News & issues
Indonesian mayor: flags must be flown
Price hike investigation committee embroiled in political fight
KPK the most credible body: Survey
Jakarta Post - August 8, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Indonesian public considers the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) the law enforcement institute with the highest integrity, a new survey revealed on Thursday.
The survey was conducted by the KPK between February and June, and polled 2,191 respondents in six major cities across the country.
It put the Attorney General's Office (AGO) at the lowest level of credibility in fighting corruption in the country, behind the courts and the police.
Some 82.11 percent of respondents believed the KPK was the most trustworthy law enforcer, with only 2.19 percent putting their faith in the AGO.
By comparison, 5.89 percent and 10.09 percent of respondents said they trusted the National Police and the Supreme Court, respectively.
The public perception survey seems to confirm previous studies on anti-corruption practices within the country's law enforcement institutions.
In December 2007, a Transparency International Indonesia study ranked the police as the most corrupt institute, followed by the judicial and legislative bodies.
The negative public perception of the AGO appeared to be influenced by the arrest by the KPK of one of its senior prosecutors for allegedly accepting a bribe from businesswoman Artalyta Suryani.
Prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan was caught red-handed by the KPK receiving Rp 6 billion (US$660,000) in an alleged bribe from Artalyta, who was linked to tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, once a suspect in a Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) fund graft case.
Urip and Artalyta were arrested two days after an AGO investigation into Sjamsul, which was conducted by a team led by Urip, was unexpectedly dropped.
Respondents in the survey said they placed a high level of trust in the KPK because they believed the institute was independent, courageous and all-powerful in carrying out its job.
However, more than 70 percent of respondents perceived the KPK's handling of graft cases as discriminative, while 66 percent said they wanted the body to prove it could eradicate corruption.
The survey also indicated a need for the KPK to promote its activities, with only 54 percent of respondents saying they were familiar with the anti-graft body.
Despite the fact many high-ranking officials and lawmakers have been arrested by the KPK, 72 percent of respondents believed the institution had failed to create a "culture of shame" among state officials taking bribes and involved in graft cases.
Public perception of the level of corruption in the government before and after the KPK's establishment was virtually unchanged, the survey found. It said 52 percent of respondents said no improvement was made at all after the KPK was established.
"The KPK will use the survey results as a basis to fix its internal system so we can be more transparent, consistent and accountable in carrying out our duty of eradicating corruption," KPK spokesman Johan Budi S.P. said.
| Actions, demos, protests... |
Jakarta Post - August 16, 2008
Jakarta – Around 100 students from several state universities staged a rally outside the House of Representatives, where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was delivering an annual state address Friday.
The protesters called on the government to roll back its controversial policy of raising fuel prices by 28.7 percent in May.
Going under the title Student Executive Board, they urged the President to directly attend an inquiry by the House into the fuel price policy to show his responsibility for the decision.
The demonstrators also demanded the "nationalization of strategic assets" under control by state-owned BP Migas.
The government must also pay more attention to the people's basic needs, including education, healthcare and food, they said.
The three-hour rally, which began at 9 a.m., ended peacefully amid tight police security.
Tempo Interactive - August 14, 2008
Sofian, Jakarta – Around 10 protest actions will enliven the atmosphere of Jakarta today, Thursday August 14.
Based on information from the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre, the first action will take place at 8am at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta.
Then at 8.30am, employees from the PT Mayasari Utama bus company will stop work and hold a demonstration on Jl. Lapangan Tembak in the Cibubur area of East Jakarta. The employees have now been protesting for three weeks demanding improvements to workers' welfare.
At 9am protesters will be holding an action at the Department of Trade on Jl. Ridwan Rais in Central Jakarta, then move off to the offices of the Futures Commodity Trading Supervisory Body at the Bank Budi Daya building on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta.
The next action will take place in front of the State Palace on Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara and at the Jakarta Futures Exchange at the Bank Syariah Mandiri building on Jl. Thamrin, also in Central Jakarta.
The fourth action will start at the Fuji Bijak office at the Summitmas building on Jl. Sudirman then proceed to the Japanese Embassy, the State Palace, the Department of Labour and Transmigration, the South Korean Embassy and the Singaporean Embassy.
At around 10am, an action will take pace at the offices of the Department of Social Affairs and the Central Statistics Agency in the Pasar Baru area of Central Jakarta.
The national police headquarters and the National Defence Agency will also be targeted by demonstrators. Also at the same time, an action and parade will take place at the Poltangan Circle then head for Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta.
At 11am, a protest will take place in front of the Indosat building. Two hours later it will be the turn of the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters. Then at 4pm, a peaceful action will be held in front of the State Palace.
In addition to protest actions, red-and-white flags will be distributed at the Hotel Indonesia roundabout to greet the 63rd anniversary of Indonesia's independence.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
| Aceh |
Jakarta Post - August 16, 2008
Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A vegetable vendor was busy tending to customers at a makeshift stall at the central market of Banda Aceh on Friday.
Nearby a congregation prayed at the Baiturrahman Grand Mosque to commemorate the third anniversary of the peace pact between the Aceh Freedom Movement (GAM) and the Indonesian government in Helsinki, Finland.
"I didn't know today was the anniversary of the peace agreement," Nurma, 40, told The Jakarta Post. She said, however, that she had directly felt the effects of the pact.
"Before the treaty, our kampong was very tense. We had trouble putting food on the table," said the resident of Tanjung Selamat in the provincial capital.
"Now people can go out at night without worry. The most important thing is that there is no longer fear like there was during the conflict," she said.
However, World Bank conflict resolution specialist in Aceh, Muslahudin Daud, said at least 15 of 71 clauses of the Helsinki pact had not been fully implemented.
"The provincial administration and central government have to promptly settle two crucial matters,... policy-making and implementation of the points", in the memorandum of understanding, he said.
Muslahudin said the central government had not granted full power of authority to the province's policymakers, as promised in the MOU.
Issues on re-integration and reconciliation remain pressing, especially regarding training and employment for former GAM combatants and conflict victims.
"For example, Article 3.2.6 in the MOU on setting up a commission to resolve long-standing claims has yet to be implemented," Muslahudin said.
Many damage claims submitted by people affected by the conflict have not been effectively resolved due to the absence of such a commission.
Distribution of the re-integration funds by the Aceh Re- Integration Agency (BRA) to former GAM combatants and conflict victims reportedly has been ineffective.
"The BRA has not set criteria for aid recipients, especially for conflict victims who number in the thousands," Muslahudin said. The central government has set aside hundreds of billions of rupiah to support the re-integration process in Aceh. It has so far disbursed Rp 450 billion (US$50 million) to be distributed to conflict victims across the province.
However, representatives of families affected by the conflict say the peace pact remains meaningless without a commission on truth and reconciliation (KKR), as mandated by the MOU.
"We don't intend to open old wounds that would undermine peace in Aceh. However, the government should bring us justice and immediately establish the KKR in Aceh," victims coordinator Ali Zamzami said.
Zamzami said victims would have more faith in the government if it was seen as serious in providing equal rights and justice for them.
Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf, a former GAM leader, said Aceh had become Indonesia's most democratic province after the signing of the peace pact.
"Aceh was the first province to acknowledge independent candidates in the last election as well as the first to recognize local parties," he said.
Separately, European Commission representative Sakura Moreto conveyed the EC's support on the continued peace process begun in Aceh three years ago.
Sakura said the EC had supported conflict resolution and post- tsunami reconstruction from its early stages with than 292 million euros, of which 25 million was earmarked for supporting the peace process.
Jakarta Post - August 8, 2008
Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A fight broke out between members of the Banda Aceh public order agency and the province's sharia police unit Thursday, during a musical stage show held to celebrate their respective 58th and 4th anniversaries.
"It was just a small misunderstanding and not a large-scale brawl among officers," said H. Marzuki, who oversees the two agencies.
The fistfight began when sharia police operations commander Syafrudin said one of the dances did not reflect an Islamic atmosphere and should be stopped instantly, Marzuki said.
A quarrel ensued when several public order officers objected. Syafrudin and public order commander Tarmizi exchanged blows, before a scuffle broke out between members of the two units. The event was then closed down.
"The fight would not have happened had the sharia police officer asked politely," Marzuki said.
No casualties were reported in the incident. "They have made peace and apologized to each other," Marzuki said.
The two police units had jointly organized the event. "It was a joint event between the public order agency and sharia police because we are now part of the same institution in the Aceh administration," Marzuki said.
With the implementation of the 2006 Law on the Aceh Administration, the public order and sharia police units were merged under a single command.
"The public order officers are tasked with overseeing the implementation of provincial ordinances, while the sharia police oversee sharia law in Aceh," Marzuki said.
The sharia police unit was established in the staunch Muslim province, dubbed the Veranda of Mecca, in 2004. The unit joined the public order agency on March 11 this year.
The public order agency came under the Aceh provincial administration before the 2006 law was enacted, while the sharia police was under the auspices of the Aceh Islamic Sharia Office.
The Aceh Islamic Sharia Office has four ordinances on the implementation of sharia in Aceh, one each on Islamic dress code, alcohol, gambling and immoral acts.
"To regulate the four ordinances, the Aceh administration eventually formed an institution to oversee their implementation," said Marzuki.
Head of the Banda Aceh Islamic Sharia Office, Natsir Ilyas, said the sharia police unit has the authority only to oversee the implementation of sharia ordinances. "They have no authority to arrest people violating sharia," Natsir told The Jakarta Post.
| West Papua |
Jakarta Post - August 16, 2008
Police rejected a request by six Papuan Tribal Council executives to allow UN staff to accompany them during an investigation into the hoisting of a separatist flag last week.
"The case has nothing to do with the United Nations," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira was quoted by Antara as saying here Friday.
He said the questioning of a witness or suspect could only be accompanied by a lawyer. "If they do not afford to get a lawyer we will find a lawyer for them," he added.
The six council members showed up at Papua Police headquarters Thursday, but refused to be questioned about the case unless they were accompanied by UN staff.
The Papuans were summoned as witnesses after their council organized an event on Aug. 9, 2008, to mark International Indigenous Day in Wamena regency.
During the celebration, several participants raised a separatist Kejora flag, inciting violence in which a man was shot dead by police.
Jakarta Post - August 15, 2008
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has insisted the police should thoroughly investigate a fatal shooting incident during the commemoration of UN Indigenous People's Day in Wamena on Aug. 9.
"Police must look into the case. They must investigate from which unit the bullets came and conduct investigations objectively, irrespective of the organization involved," Komnas HAM chairman Ifdhal Kasim told the media in Jayapura, on Thursday.
He said the shooting was in violation of human rights because it occurred when civilians were gathering to air their opinions.
"The incident happened during a peaceful rally. It had not threatened public security and people did not carry firearms. This violates basic human rights, without doubt," he emphasized.
Reports received by Komnas HAM, added Ifdhal, indicated that the shooting took place outside the field where the crowd had gathered, and the victim, Atinus Wenda, was not in the group of people who were commemorating the event.
Based on autopsy results, Atinus was shot from a straight angle because the bullet had pierced through the right ribcage and lodged in the heart.
"The bullet came straight and not from warning shots directed upward, or that ricocheted," he explained.
Komnas HAM is monitoring developments of the case through its representative office in Papua. It would form a team if the outcome of the investigation required it to do so.
Asked from which security unit the bullet came, Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said this was unclear because it was still being analyzed at the police forensics lab in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
He said however that the Wamena police were currently questioning 31 police personnel who were on duty during the incident, and making inquiries with four eyewitnesses.
Rianto said the incident in Wamena concerned two issues – the Bintang Kejora (morning star) separatist flag being raised and the shooting of a civilian.
The Papua Police interviewed five Papua Traditional Assembly (DAP) leaders – chairman Forkorus Yoboisembut, administrative head Fadel Al Hamid, UN Indigenous People's Day chief organizer Julianus Hisage, Baliem chapter head Lemok Mabel and organizer secretary Dominikus Sorambut – Wednesday in connection with the two cases. "They are examined as witnesses," said Rianto.
Separately, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences researcher Muridan Baldan said that flag raising incidents had occurred 10 times this year, and all of the perpetrators had been processed legally.
"Such incidents could occur over and over again and more Papuans would be imprisoned because of the Bintang Kejora flag," he said. "The government should have sought a sensible solution to avoid being embroiled in this issue."
He added prevailing controversies in Papua were more complicated and pressing than the Bintang Kejora flag raising incidents, which were symbolic, rather than substantive.
"The government must renew its approach toward Papua, and not through security means. It has many other substantial issues to resolve but, has only focused on this symbolic question," he said.
Agence France Presse - August 12, 2008
Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not respond to a letter from 40 members of US Congress demanding the immediate release of two Papuan activists, a spokesman said Tuesday.
The presidency spokesman said the appeal for the release of the two men jailed for raising a separatist Papuan flag was "small stuff" and would be handled by the embassy in Washington.
"The president doesn't need to answer the letter because this is only small stuff. We have too many important things to tackle such as independence day (August 17)," spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said.
"We will ask the foreign ministry to give a response through our ambassador in Washington."
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 10 and 15 years respectively in 2005 for raising the separatist Morning Star flag at a protest in the Papuan capital of Jayapura in late 2004. Amnesty International has declared the two "prisoners of conscience."
In the letter addressed to Yudhoyono, the lawmakers called the activists' imprisonment "unjust" and said it came amid a "crackdown on Papuan human rights defenders."
"This campaign of threats and intimidation has targeted Papuans who met with and gave testimony about human rights abuse to a senior UN human rights representative when she visited Papua at your government's invitation in June 2007," it said.
"We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage... Such steps would be an important indicator that Indonesia, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, takes its international obligations to fully respect universally recognized human rights."
The presidency said the letter was based on false information from "anti-government groups" and did not reflect the position of the US government, which recognises Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua.
Hardline Muslims rallied outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to condemn the letter, holding banners reading: "We are against US intervention in Papua."
Indonesia took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony on the western half of New Guinea island, in 1969 after a vote among a select group of Papuans widely seen as a sham.
Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to Jakarta.
Melbourne Age - August 11, 2008
Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Several of the 43 Papuans who sparked a diplomatic crisis by seeking asylum in Australia want to return home, according to Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, who has offered to assist them.
In an exclusive interview ahead of talks today with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, Mr Wirayuda said their return would be a development "good for both Australia and Indonesia".
Mr Wirayuda also said Australian pleas could help spare the lives of the Bali nine on death row and cautioned Prime Minister Kevin Rudd not to rush his push for an Asia-Pacific community.
He rebuffed calls to extradite a former Indonesian military officer and cabinet minister over the murder of five journalists in East Timor in 1975.
Mr Wirayuda said that when Australia granted asylum to the 43 independence supporters who fled by canoe in 2006 it "touched the very nerve of Indonesian politics".
Asylum was granted to the Papuans on the grounds that they had legitimate fears for their safety if returned.
The situation in Papua had since improved, Mr Wirayuda claimed. "We hope there will be no more groups seeking asylum in Australia and other countries."
He would not say how many Papuans wanted to return and how they had communicated with Indonesian officials.
Mr Wirayuda said the new Lombok Treaty, scheduled to come into force this year, committed Australia not to allow its territory to be used "as a staging point for separatist movements from Indonesia".
The undertaking was needed to address "the lingering suspicions of Australia supporting separatism in Indonesia", he said.
Reuters - August 11, 2008
Ed Davies and Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Indonesia does not face any organised resistance to its rule in Papua and there should be a degree of tolerance responding to cases of banned separatist flags being hoisted, the defence minister said on Monday.
A group of 40 US Congress members recently sent a letter to Indonesia's president calling for the "immediate and unconditional release" of two jailed Papuan separatists and warning that the human rights situation there was deteriorating.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 10 and 15 years respectively for raising a separatist flag in 2004.
"I'm trying to persuade my colleagues in government... that these outbursts of flag-raising or cultural dignity should be tolerated at a certain level," Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said in an interview with Reuters.
"It's more of an outpouring of grievances. That the Papuans feel they're still not being treated well by us from the central authorities," he added.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has pledged to end conflict in resource-rich Papua and speed up development under a autonomy deal, although critics say it has not been implemented.
Independence activists in Papua have waged a campaign for nearly 40 years to break away from Indonesia, while a low-level armed rebellion has also simmered.
Sudarsono said there was no sign now of armed resistance. "So far we don't see anything. There is no external support in terms of military and weapons."
But in a sign of ongoing tensions, six people were arrested in July on treason charges after hoisting the Morning Star flag, the symbol of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).
On Saturday, a man was also killed after police fired warning shots when a separatist flag was raised, a local official said.
Rights groups have criticised security forces for abuses in Papua, but Sudarsono said that the current administration favoured settling local conflicts through dialogue and violence by security forces "should be a last resort".
Sudarsono also said potential conflict from Muslim migration into Christian-majority Papua had to be handled carefully.
"We see that as a risk, just as what happened 10 years ago in Central Sulawesi also grew out of this internal migration between islands," he said, referring to bloody religious conflict.
In Aceh, another area that suffered a separatist revolt for decades until a peace deal on Aug. 15, 2005, he said that "I think that on the whole it's quite stable".
But he also said that the province on the northern tip of Sumatra was having some problems trying to absorb former rebels, who also sometimes struggled to adapt after decades of conflict.
"They're used to raising their fists or picking up arms, which is much more romantic and more idealistic," he said.
Sudarsono said a key need for the cash-strapped security forces currently was more patrol boats to help police Indonesia's huge coastline and more than 17,000 islands.
Quoting an estimate from the maritime ministry, he said that $26 billion of the country's resources could be stolen this year by well organised and financed smuggling groups involved in areas such as illegal logging or fishing.
That compares with the combined defence and police budget of about $4.2 billion, he said.
Under the rule of former president Suharto, which ended in 1998, it was common practice for the armed forces to use their positions to make money and top-up salaries.
He said a team overseeing the transfer of military businesses had found that out of 1,500 so-called cooperatives or outright businesses, only five or six viable ones remained, while many had collapsed with the onset of competition. (Editing by David Fogarty)
Jakarta Post - August 10, 2008
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A man was reportedly killed in Wamena, Jayawijaya regency, during an event Saturday celebrating the International Day of the World's Indigenous People.
Otinus Tabuni of Wamena reportedly died a moment after a group of people broke into the celebration site and hoisted four flags, one of which was the Free Papua Organization (OPM) separatist movement's Morning Star. Authorities have yet to confirm the report.
Witnesses say they heard riot police fire warning shots into the air as the flags were raised. "The person was shot in the chest," Papuan Traditional Council (DAP) chairman Fadall Al Hamid told The Jakarta Post.
Fadall said the flag incident was not on the agenda of the DAP who organized the event.
Wamena Military District Commander Lt. Col. Inf. Gandry told the Post that initially the celebrations had gone smoothly. "We heard someone was dead in the crowd but we could not approach," he said.
Also on Saturday in Jakarta, some 100 members of the Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) staged a rally outside the US embassy, protesting a petition from the US Congress for the release of two convicted Papuan separatists.
Carrying banners saying "We are against US intervention in Papua," the demonstrators urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reject the petition and stick to the government's traditional stance of eradicating separatist movements in Indonesia.
Some 40 members of US Congress had sent a letter to Yudhoyono demanding an "immediate and unconditional" release of Filep Karma and Yusac Pakage, who in 2005 were sentenced to 15 and 10 years respectively for treason.
"The letter is clear evidence that the US have given their support to the Papuan separatist group," HTI chairman Farid Wajdi said as quoted by Antara.
Koran Tempo - August 9, 2008
Muh Syaifullah, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta District Attorney General's Office has seized 213 books titled "The Annihilation of Ethnic Melanesians: Breaking the Silence on the History of Violence in West Papua", published by PT Galang Press. The AGO seized the books because they were deemed to touch upon the issues of SARA (race, religion and tribalism).
"Currently we are holding the books at the chief public prosecutor's office", said Asep Syaiful Bahli, the Deputy Assistant for Intelligence and Socio-political Affairs at the Yogyakarta AGO, yesterday.
According to Bahli, the move was a continuation of an earlier seizure when 154 copies of a book titled "The Disappearance of the Melanesians" were seized last month. Bahli also said that the seizure of the two book titles followed a decision by the AGO to declare the books banned. "We carried out the seizure, following which they were destroyed, in accordance with prevailing legislation", said Bahli.
The director of PT Galang Press Julius Felicianus said that his company complied with the order issued by the AGO, which was based on the stipulations under Article 1 Paragraph 3 of Law Number 4/PNPS/1963 dated April 23, 1963, on the securing of printed materials whose contents could disturb public order.
"We handed the books over (which according to the AGO were seized) that resulted from our withdrawal from book stores", said Felicianus after surrendering the books to the Yogyakarta District AGO's office yesterday.
The book of essays by [Fellowship of Baptist Churches in Papua Chairperson Reverend] Socrates Sofyan Yoman was published in November 2007. Three thousand copies of the 500 page book were printed in all. According to Felicianus, the order banning the books was signed by Attorney General Hendarman Supandji on June 20, 2008. The reason for the banning was that the book allegedly disturbs public order and could give rise to sensitivities, particularly with regard to maintaining national unity.
Felicianus said that he regretted the banning of the book, which he said as an intellectual work, if it contains imprecise information should be re-examined, not banned like this. A re- examination could be carried out by publishing a new book, the contents of which could correct the materials that are deemed to be erroneous. "What's more, the book was written by a native Papuan, and native Papuan authors are very rare", said Felicianus.
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Agence France Presse - August 9, 2008
Jakarta – A hardline Muslim group staged a rally outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to protest over a call by Washington for the release of two Papuan activists.
Some 100 members of Hizbut Tahrir massed outside the embassy with banners reading: "We are against US intervention in Papua."
The demonstration came after some 40 members of the US Congress sent a letter to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urging an "immediate and unconditional" release of the activists on human rights grounds.
Philep Karma and Yusac Pakage were sentenced to 15 and 10 years respectively in 2005 after a court found them guilty of treason after they raised an outlawed separatist flag.
"The US Congress letter is obvious evidence that the US have given their support to Papua separatist group who want to be independent from Indonesia," Ismail Yusanto, spokesman for Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia said in a press release.
The group also urged Yudhoyono to reject US intervention and to stick to the government's stance of eradicating separatist movements in the country.
Indonesia took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony on the western half of New Guinea island, in 1969 after a vote among a select group of Papuans widely seen as a sham.
Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to Jakarta.
Jakarta Post - August 9, 2008
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono and TNI chief Gen. Djoko Santoso were divided Friday in their responses to a request from US Congress members asking Indonesia to release two convicted Papuan separatists.
The request was made in a letter sent by 40 Congress members to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on July 29, 2008, and urged him to immediately and unconditionally free Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.
Karma and Pakage were sentenced in May, 2005, to 15 and 10 years, respectively, for their involvement in the outlawed hoisting of the separatist Papuan flag of the Free Papua Organization (OPM).
The Indonesian Military (TNI) chief criticized the request as "interfering" in Indonesia's internal affairs. "This is clearly an interference. The two Papuans were detained by the government, so the government must take further action," Djoko said from the State Palace.
But Juwono considered such a request from the US "normal" and not an interference. "No, I think this is just an ordinary request, which we will consider and then decide whether or not to respond to."
Nor did the defense minister believe the letter contained a hidden agenda, saying it was just "an issue frequently raised when discussing human rights."
Juwono said the issue was being deliberated by his office with the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs and the Foreign Affairs Ministry. "We are discussing the issue in an interministerial forum, and will ask for reports from the Papua Police," he added.
Juwono said the government would also confirm the letter's assertion that the arrest of the two Papuans violated the fundamental principles of human rights. "We should check that claim first before taking a stance and not quickly react."
The letter also called President Yudhoyono's attention to reports that Karma was beaten by police following his arrest.
"We urge you to take action to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Karma and Mr. Pakage. Any security officials who mistreated Mr. Karma or who may have employed inappropriate force against peaceful demonstrators should be prosecuted," read the letter, copies of which were made available to the press.
Djoko said he believed the letter was sent because of OPM's lobbying efforts. "When we examine the request, OPM's lobbying is obvious."
He said the OPM was still operating in Papua, but its power and its armed forces have significantly diminished.
Juwono said that as a military organization, the OPM was not too influential. "This organization is resurfacing and I think they want the central government to be aware of its existence."
Djoko further said the TNI continued to maintain security in Papua to ensure its stability.
Reuters - August 9, 2008
Jakarta – A man was killed in Indonesia's Papua province after police fired warning shots when a group raised a separatist flag at a ceremony, an official said on Saturday.
Thousands of people had gathered in Wamena city to mark UN Indigenous Peoples' Day when the incident happened.
"After the speech, a group of people entered the field and raised an Indonesian flag, a UN flag, an SOS flag and the Morning Star flag," said Fadhal Alhamid, leader of the Papua Tribal Council. The Morning Star is a banned separatist flag.
"When the police saw the flag, they immediately fired warning shots and somebody screamed someone has been shot," he added.
The shot man was identified as Opinus Tabuni, 35, an organiser for the event, according to the Institute for Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights, a rights group. Police could not immediately be reached for comment.
Separately, about 100 Indonesians from a hardline Muslim group rallied outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Saturday to protest against a letter sent by 40 US Congress members calling for the release of two jailed Papuan separatists.
The letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged for the "immediate and unconditional release" of the two men.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 10 and 15 years respectively after raising a separatist flag in December 2004 in the restive province of Papua. The letter also said it believed Papua's human rights situation was deteriorating.
"This is a matter for Indonesia and the letter reflects US intervention against Indonesia's sovereignty," Farid Wadji, a spokesman for Muslim group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, told Reuters Television.
The US embassy in Jakarta issued a statement saying Washington "continues to fully support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Indonesia", while also urging Jakarta to fully implement a special autonomy law in Papua.
Independence activists in Papua have waged a campaign for nearly 40 years to break away from Indonesia, while a low-level armed rebellion has also simmered, often related to disputes over the sharing of rich natural resources.
Last month, six people were arrested on charges of treason after a group hoisted a separatist flag in West Papua. (Reporting by Reuters Television and Karima Anjani; Editing by Ed Davies)
Jakarta Post - August 9, 2008
Nethy Darma Somba – The World Indigenous Day celebration in Papua province turned into a riot on Saturday after several members of local separatist group hoisted the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag.
The flag has long been a symbol of the region's separatist rebellion, with the Papuan Tribal Council urging the government to recognize the flag as a cultural symbol for Papuans.
A civilian identified as Otinus Tabuni was found dead during the incident.
The cause of death has not been confirmed, but those attending the celebration at the Sinapuk field, Wamena, claim that he suffered from a bullet wound after military officers launched a series of gunshots as a reaction to several local traditional dancers hoisting the Bintang Kejora.
"The dancers came at about two p.m. local time during the closing of the celebration, carrying spears, which they later pierce to the ground and then tied four flags on each of the spears," Papua Traditional Administration head Fadall Al Hamid told The Jakarta Post.
Hamid said that the Bintang Kejora was raised along with the United Nations flag, the national flag or the Merah Putih and a flag with S.O.S. written on it.
Meanwhile, a local military officer Lt. Col. Gandry said that military officers made several warning shots before a group of local civilians became hostile towards the officers. "Whether the victim was shot or pierced by a spear is not definite yet," Gandry said.
Earlier this week, a letter signed by 40 US Congressmen was sent to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanding the release of two Papuans convicted for treason by local courts.
The Congress members argue that the two convicts, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, should not be penalized for publicly expressing their stance against the government. (and)
Jakarta Post - August 8, 2008
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Some 160 former members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) declared their allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia at a ceremony on Thursday attended by Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie.
The ceremony was held at the Pegunungan Bintang Regency office in Oksibil, during which the former OPM members read out statements and surrendered three rifles and ammunitions to Aburizal.
"We promise to be faithful to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, to participate in its development and to maintain law and order," Enduro Bikdana said while reading out a statement.
The group were once part of OPM's armed wing, TPN, under two different groups lead by Paulus Kalakdana and Agus Kaproka, based in the border area between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
On hearing the declaration, Aburizal said, as had been previously stated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, those who wished to return to Indonesia would be treated just like other Indonesian citizens.
"Let's work together for a prosperous life. To develop the Pegunungan Bintang regency together we must forget the past conflicts and forgive one another," Aburizal said.
Aburizal said, 250 houses worth a total Rp 98 billion (US$10.76 million) would be built in Pegunungan Bintang for former TPN members who declared their allegiance to Indonesia. Another 100 houses would also be built in Lani Jaya regency for the same purpose.
Thursday was the third such occasion where Aburizal received declarations from former rebels, and is scheduled to receive three more soon from Tadius Yogi's group from Enarotali, Goliat Tabuni from Puncak Jaya, and the Kelly Kwalik group from Timika.
"The President sent a message saying that when we bring them back to NKRI, we should not use a security approach but one of mutual prosperity," Aburizal said.
In a separate development, some members of the US Congress sent a letter to the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two convicted Papua separatists, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.
The pair were sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison respectively in May 2005, for hoisting the OPM flag at a ceremony attended by around 200 people to commemorate the declaration of Papuan independence in 1962.
Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat told Antara in New York that the letter, dated July 29, was conveyed through him and had been passed on to Jakarta.
Sudjadnan said the letter may convey little significance as it was signed only by 40 of more than 500 congressmen from the two US chambers.
Indonesian presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said, however, the presidential office had yet to receive the letter. "I have checked with the Foreign Ministry and the U.S Embassy in Jakarta. They said they had not received such a letter," he said.
He also queried the U.S congress concerns in the matter. "The congress members signing the letter may not really understand what happened in Papua."
They should not intervene with issues in Papua, he said, and should respect the development of the province.
Meanwhile, lawmaker Djoko Susilo of Commission I overseeing defense and foreign affairs said his US counterparts' move to demand the release of legitimately convicted separatists went "way beyond their authority" in a sovereign country.
"They should understand the way we treat issues of separatism here is comparable to the way in which the United States tries to contain terrorist movements," he said.
| Human rights/law |
Jakarta Post - August 15, 2008
Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – The Surabaya Military Court on Thursday sentenced 13 marines to prison terms of 18 months to three-and-a-half years for fatally shooting four villagers and wounding another eight in a clash last year.
Presiding judge Lt. Col. Yan Akhmad Mulyana said in the verdict that the defendants were convicted for their role in a crime that caused the deaths of others. "Each of the defendants is dismissed from the Marine Corps and is sentenced with different prison terms," Yan said.
The heaviest sentence was given to platoon leader First Lt. Budi Santoso, who received three-and-a-half years in prison. A lighter sentence of two-and-a-half years was given to First Cpl. Mohammad Suratno and Chief Pvt. Suyatno. The three said they would appeal the verdict.
The marines' lawyer Marianus T. Miron said the sentences were too harsh. "The marines were on patrol when the clash occurred. They did not do so (conduct the patrol) of their own will. It was a state duty," Marianus said.
The remaining 10 marines were each sentenced with eighteen months in prison.
The incident occurred on May 30, 2007, following a dispute between villagers of Alas Tlogo in Pasuruan, East Java, and the Navy over ownership rights to a plot of land.
The killing spree began as angry villagers reportedly threw objects at the 13 marines as they were patrolling on foot around the Navy's combat exercise compound in Alas Tlogo.
Responding to the sentences, some Alas Tlogo villagers said they were too lenient. "We want them sentenced to life imprisonment. This is not fair. They killed people and got only three-and-a- half years in prison," said Jumatun, a relative of one of the four killed.
Legal expert I Wayan Titip of Surabaya-based Airlangga University said he would show new evidence revealing that the incident was actually a planned action to attack the villagers. The evidence in question, according to Wayan, was discovered by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence.
"The trial gave the image that a clash occurred between the marines and the villagers and that the shootings were not made on purpose," he told The Jakarta Post.
"There is also a possibility that the action was an order by the military's highest authority as soldiers are just like robots controlled by others, the military leaders."
Jakarta Post - August 14, 2008
Panca Nugraha, Mataram – In the past three years child trafficking has increased in West Nusa Tenggara, according to the provincial chapter of LBH APIK.
"The foundation handled 458 cases in the past three years with 118 cases in 2007," said Beauty Erawati, chapter director of the Women's Legal Aid Foundation (LBH APIK), on Monday.
"Most of the cases happen on Sumba Island where falsifying a child's age is a common practice, especially during the recruitment process for migrant workers."
Beauty was speaking from the sidelines of a working visit made by members of the House of Representatives' Commission VIII overseeing social, religious, women's empowerment and child protection affairs.
She said it was a common tactic used by illegal recruiters, known as tekong, to lure female junior high school graduates to work as migrant workers overseas, promising them high salaries.
A tekong usually falsifies applicants' ages on their documents, for example saying teenagers are in the 20s.
"The practice usually involves village officials. We have so far handled 12 child trafficking cases this year," Beauty said. "We were able to return two of them to their parents but there is still no news on the other 10."
She added child trafficking in West Nusa Tenggara was generally due to economic hardship, evident from the number of cases in which parents had given their consent so their daughters could supplement the family's income.
"Once during counseling, parents asked if we were ready to support them if their children failed to become migrant workers," she said. Meanwhile, the visiting lawmakers and officials on children's rights called on provincial administrations to be more active in reducing child trafficking.
"The main issue is our lack of awareness. We have enacted many laws such as the domestic violence law, the child protection law and the human trafficking law," lawmaker Mesir Suryadi said.
"However, not many of us, including law enforcers, know these facts. The role of the provincial administration is essential."
The House Commission has chosen West Nusa Tenggara to conduct its working visit because it is the second largest exporter of migrant workers; East Java exports the most.
West Nusa Tenggara sends about 46,000 migrant workers to Malaysia and the Middle East annually.
The National Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) chairwoman, Masnah Sari, said the number of child trafficking cases in Indonesia in general was alarming, adding provincial administrations must play a key role in minimizing it.
"We will hold a regional meeting in Batam, Riau Islands, on Aug. 20. We will invite at least 30 regents and mayors to discuss the issue," she said.
KPAI is tasked with overseeing the effectiveness of child protection by carrying out public awareness campaigns, data gathering and providing information to the President. It is not authorized to be involved in legal matters related to child trafficking cases.
"Therefore a regulation is required so KPAI can work together with local NGOs in advocacy work," Masnah said.
KPAI representative Sander Zulkarnaen told The Jakarta Post the commission recorded more than 2,000 child trafficking cases in Indonesia in 2007, a majority of which occurred in Batam which has as many as 400 cases, followed by Indramayu, Sukoharjo and Jakarta.
"That's just data derived from 23 provinces," he said.
Children between the ages of 15 and 18 are usually sent to Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore to be employed as sex workers.
Jakarta Post - August 12, 2008
Former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi Purwopranjono has requested a city arrest, as the Attorney General's Office (AGO) prepares to indict him for his role in the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib in 2004.
Lawyers representing Muchdi said Monday humanitarian reasons were behind the request for their client's transfer from a police detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, to his home.
A city arrest will bar Muchdi from traveling outside the capital without permission from state prosecutors.
"Muchdi assured the AGO he wouldn't escape. His family will be the bail. From a legal point of view, family is the strongest bail of all," said Achmad Cholid, one of Muchdi's lawyers.
Cholid denied allegations the city arrest would allow his client to manipulate evidence or influence witnesses.
"My client wants to be ready for the upcoming trial. We – the lawyers and family – also want adequate preparations and easy access to Muchdi during the legal process," Achmad said.
Assistant attorney general for general crimes Abdul Hakim Ritonga said state prosecutors would take into consideration safety concerns and possible public reaction before deciding whether to grant Muchdi's request.
"We will make a decision in the coming few days, but we are concerned about the suspect's safety if he is moved to his home," Ritonga said.
The AGO officially took over Muchdi's dossier in the murder case from the police on Monday.
The suspect faces a charge of premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death. The AGO said it would request the death penalty, saying evidence in a letter uncovered by the police was proof enough of Muchdi's involvement in the murder.
The letter, which had been reported missing, was first mentioned at the trial of former Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the case. Indra Setiawan, a witness in the Pollycarpus trial, testified he received a classified letter from BIN asking for Pollycarpus to be assigned as a security crew member for Munir's flight to Amsterdam.
Ritonga said Muchdi's dossier included evidence such as written records of letters sent and received by Muchdi and his cash flow, as well as three letters from BIN.
He said the AGO would hand the case over to the South Jakarta District Court by Friday at the latest. "Pollycarpus will be one of 13 witnesses we will present in Muchdi's trial," Ritonga said.
He confirmed, however, former BIN chief A.M. Hendropiyono was not on the list of witnesses.
Munir died of arsenic poisoning, administered during a stopover at Singapore's Changi Airport in September 2004.
Jakarta Post - August 12, 2008
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Prisoners convicted last year of corruption, illegal logging, terrorism and drug abuse will not be eligible for annual prison term reductions granted in observance of this year's Independence Day on August 17.
"We will give remissions to only 100 inmates this year, out of a total of 140,000, except for inmates in these particular groups," Law and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalata said at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Monday.
"Corrupters, terrorists, illegal loggers and drug abusers will only be allowed remissions if they have served one third of their prison sentences."
The minister said all other prisoners would automatically have their jail terms reduced after serving six years in prison, as stipulated in the 2006 government regulation on the requirements and procedures of implementing prisoners' rights.
Article 34 of the regulation clearly bars all convicts jailed for terrorism, narcotic and psychotropic abuse, corruption, gross human rights violations, crimes against state security and premeditated transnational crimes, from receiving remissions.
Andi said there were only a few prisoners convicted in 2007 of terrorism, illegal logging and drug abuse. "Most of the prisoners belonging to the exceptional groups are corrupters," he added.
However, he said those convicted of these crimes before the 2006 regulation took effect also deserved remissions, even though the regulation was not retroactively applicable.
The move is based on a 1999 regulation, instead of the 2006 one, he added.
"They can receive remissions because we're applying the old regulation, in which there are no such exceptions. If we apply the 2006 regulation, thus denying them remissions, we will be violating their rights," the minister said.
The 2006 regulation stipulates prisoners are granted sentence reductions if they show good conduct during their detention period. However, under the same regulation, convicts serving life sentences and those on death row are denied remissions.
The government grants remissions for prisoners in the run-up to special yearly occasions, such as Independence Day, Idul Fitri and Christmas.
Ahead of last year's Independence Day, 63,892 prisoners in penitentiaries nationwide received remissions. Out of a total of 132,869 prisoners, 6,641 were released.
| Labour issues |
Jakarta Post - August 15, 2008
Fadli, Batam – Some 1,000 workers employed by foreign companies in Batam staged a rally on Thursday demanding an end to the practice of outsourcing in the region, which they said had left them without futures.
"Thousands of workers in Batam have no future now because there is no certainty in their jobs," Indonesian Metal Workers Labour Union (FSPMI) chairman Anto Sujanto said at the rally.
The outsourcing mechanism most companies in Batam used violates Law No 13/2003 on Manpower, Anto said in a dialog with the head of Batam labor agency.
Many companies, for example, had used the mechanism to hire contract workers for their main work or had not provided health insurance for them.
In some cases, he said, outsourcing is done on multiple levels and involves more than one outsourcing company. Consequently, many workers' take-home pay is much lower than it should be, Anto said.
"Therefore, we demand the municipal administration fix this pressing situation. We can't let companies do as they please, because workers have no choice," Anto said.
Outsourced worker Anita said her salary was Rp 200,000 (US$21) less than other workers in the same position and service term who were recruited directly by the same company she was assigned to.
"Maybe our salaries are in fact the same, only mine is taxed by my outsourcing company," said Anita, also at the rally outside Batam municipality office.
Responding to the protesters' demand, Batam Manpower Agency head Rudy Syakyakirti said his office had issued outsourcing licenses to 56 companies, but only around 10 were still operating.
Rudy also said his office had difficulty enforcing employment regulations.
"Most companies refuse to reveal their numbers of outsourced employees," he said, adding that his office lacked personnel and funding to effectively police the law on outsourced employment.
"Which is why we mainly work based on reports which we follow- up," he said.
Rudy sympathized with workers, but said "developed countries also use a similar mechanism". "Only their mechanisms are much better regulated," he said.
"This (issue) comes under the authority of the central government."
Jakarta Post - August 15, 2008
Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The freedom of association that Indonesian workers have enjoyed since the start of the reform movement in 1998 is now set to backfire on them, a seminar heard Thursday.
Titled "10 Years of Freedom of Association of Indonesian Workers", and organized by state-owned labor insurance firm PT Jamsostek, the seminar was told that instead of laying the foundation for a solid labor movement, the exercise of the freedom had led to divisions, and thus impeded the workers from reaching their common goals.
Bambang Wirahyoso, chairman of the National Labor Union, said freedom had produced no more than a euphoria to form labor unions. With unions mushrooming, they are vulnerable to the divide and conquer tactic of the authorities, he added.
"The government can choose to have partnerships with unions supportive of it and neglect the others. It can use certain unions as a tool to push a policy through acceptance, while most workers are unaware of the policy," Bambang said. "In the end, the policy will be detrimental to workers."
The House of Representatives ratified the International Labor Organization's (ILO) 1948 Convention on Freedom of Association in June 1998, shortly after then president Soeharto stepped down following widespread demonstrations in support of democracy.
To date, there are 97 labor union federations and over 11,400 company-level labor unions across the country.
Of the 97 federations, Bambang said, only 15 comply with a 2001 ministerial regulation on union formation. The regulation stipulates a national-scale labor union federation must have at least 150 company-level labor union members and 50,000 worker members.
Bambang asked the government to verify the 97 registered labor federations and approve only those complying with the regulation, warning workers could otherwise face difficulties in selecting representatives in tripartite negotiations.
He accused some labor unions of serving as spies for political parties rather than fighting for the interests of workers.
Sofyan Wanandi, chairman on the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said employers often found difficulties in settling "crucial matters" with workers because of the confusion about which labor unions or federations to deal with.
"We can't keep having 15 groups representing workers in the tripartite forum. We don't know who represents the workers. Sometimes we reach an agreement with a union, but then face opposition from other unions," Sofyan said. He said most company-level labor unions were already well organized, but when it came to national and regional level, "it is obvious labor unions find it very hard to unite".
Bambang said there were "systematic efforts" underway to split the labor unions, including the 2000 Law on Labor Unions, under which at least 10 people can form a labor union within a firm.
Basrizal, head of the legal advocacy division at the Association of Indonesia Trade Unions, said there were three kinds of labor unions well-known throughout the labor world.
"First, the yellow unions, which tend to compromise with the government's policies and the businesses," he said.
"Second, the paper unions, whose names are there on documents, but have no activities nor are of any use to workers. And third, the genuine unions."
| Health & education |
Jakarta Post - August 14, 2008
Yemris Fointuna, Kupang – East Nusa Tenggara provincial administration has accused the central government of neglecting a help plea to address chronic malnutrition in the area.
The administration reportedly submitted an aid fund proposal for Rp 50.4 billion (US$5.5 million) to the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare in April, but had yet to receive a response.
The money is needed to feed tens of thousands of children suffering malnutrition in the province
The current death toll from acute malnutrition has reached 26 (children) since the administration suspended the provision of food aid in January.
Limited funding was a pressing issue because the number of children and toddlers requiring immediate medical attention had reached 90,000, Provincial health agency officer Maksi Taopan told the media Tuesday, while the province had only Rp 7 billion to allocate between its 20 regencies and mayoralties.
"The governor sent a letter to the minister for backup funds in April but has not yet received a reply," Taopan said.
"We don't know why the central government has not responded to the request, but more people are likely to die if the issue is not resolved immediately."
The local administration were banking on the immediate disbursement of aid funds to revive the existing food aid program, Taopan said.
"Based on the program, food supplements are provided every three, six and nine months," Taopan said.
The funding delay, he said, had an immediate impact on the running of posyandu (integrated health posts). In Kupang regency and mayoralty, he said, most posyandu workers had suspended their activities because of the limited operational funds.
"Kupang regency administration has set aside only Rp 33 million to deal with malnutrition, despite the fact that the regency is home to some 7,500 malnourished children," Taopan said.
The region had recently suffered severe crop failures, Taopan said, and as many as 1 million people were now facing food shortages.
So far, the administration has recorded 105 cases of malnourished children with clinical disorders (marasmus and kwashiorkor), 12,673 cases without clinical disorders and 72,073 who were undernourished.
The province was in deficit of 110,000 tons of rice, Provincial food resilience agency head Petrus Muga said, however denied it was a factor in the rising number of cases of malnutrition.
"The provincial logistics agency will replenish the shortage. The deficit was caused by a drop in production due to excessive rainfalls, long droughts and pests," Muga said.
He urged the community to replace their staple diet with alternative foods such as corn, tubers and nuts.
Jakarta Post - August 14, 2008
Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Men's resistance to condom use will transform moderate-risk Indonesia into a country with the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the region within a few years, the Commission on AIDS in Asia has warned.
The commission projected in its latest report that Indonesia would see the number of people living with the virus grow significantly, even exceeding those in high-risk neighboring countries, due to its "limited success" in implementing preventive measures.
The report, presented at the 17th International AIDS Conference in Mexico earlier this month, said that Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Tamil Nadu and high prevalence Indian states are among countries with high HIV/AIDS infection risks that have seen success in prevention.
Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam and low-prevalence states of India are among countries with moderate risk but limited success in prevention campaigns.
Secretary to the National AIDS Commission (KPA) Nafsiah Mboi told a press conference here Wednesday there was no difference in the approaches used by Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
"Our preventive measures have yet to reach optimum success because many high-risk people here still refuse to use condoms even though we have actually managed to reach them (in the condom use campaign). This is different from Cambodia, for example, where people are willing to comply with the government campaign for use of condoms," she said.
According to KPA deputy secretary for development, Kemas Siregar, only 5 percent of the adult male population in the country are customers of commercial sexual workers, compared with 20 percent of adult males in Thailand.
However, only 30 percent of this high-risk population in Indonesia is willing to use condoms.
Indonesia's promiscuous males' poor responsiveness in the age of multiple sexual partners is another reason for the country's worsening status.
In Thailand and Cambodia, Nafsiah said, the number of males visiting commercial sex workers under the age of 15 has been drastically declining. In Indonesia, by contrast, men still look for teenage girls as young as 11 or 12, a group more vulnerable to infection.
Kemal said if Indonesia failed to improve its preventive measures against HIV/AIDS infection, the country's number of people living with the disease would rise from the current 12,686 to in excess of 1 million by 2020.
Nafsiah said the growth would be attributable mostly to the growing number of male commercial sex customers, followed by the increasing number of gays.
"Stigma like being sinners are still heavily attached to these gay people, resulting in their hiding and our difficulties in reaching them," she said.
Jakarta Post - August 12, 2008
Jon Afrizal and Agus Maryono, Jambi, Purwokerto – The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Jambi and Central Java provinces, especially in Banyumas regency, is rising at an alarming rate, according to HIV/AIDS activists.
The Orang Kito Information and Consultation Center (Sikok), a group concerned with HIV/AIDS issues in Jambi, recorded 341 infections in April, including 52 deaths from AIDS-related illnesses, compared with 314 infections in February this year.
"The data show us the number of people infected with HIV or those living with AIDS has increased steadily," said Sikok anti- HIV/AIDS coordinator Bastari.
He said 184 people had the HIV virus at the end of April, while the number of those living with AIDS stood at 105. Sikok recorded 176 HIV infections and 86 people living with AIDS in February.
"The number recorded in the past month was apparently much higher," Bastari said.
He said most of the cases, or 69.23 percent of the total, were detected in Jambi municipality, with the remainder in regencies across the province.
Bastari said those infected with HIV/AIDS were mostly injecting drug users who shared needles and those who engaged in promiscuous sex.
Sikok and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) have been campaigning in schools and among the general public to raise awareness of the risk of contracting HIV through sharing needles.
"Prevention is necessary in order to deter others from becoming victims," Bastari said.
Banyumas regency has also recorded a rising trend in the number of people living with HIV/AIDS, attributing it to negligence on the part of the regency administration, a local activist said.
"The number of people with HIV/AIDS in the regency is increasing because the local administration tends to overlook the presence of brothels without taking effective measures to clamp down on them," leader of the Baturaden Tourism Community, Tekad Santosa, said in Purwokerto.
"Banyumas has the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases among the 35 regions in Central Java after the provincial capital Semarang."
He said illegal prostitution, widespread in a number of areas in Purwokerto and in the tourist resort of Baturaden, was a major cause of the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"There are two red-light districts in Baturaden with about 200 sex workers, not to mention massage parlors and star-rated hotels, which are all HIV/AIDS breeding grounds," Tekad said.
Tekad said the Banyumas administration had not taken a firm stance on prostitution.
"The administration is currently not aware of prostitution. It apparently doesn't want to recognize it, but allows it to operate," he said.
"Why don't they simply admit to it so special action can be taken?"
Tekad said individuals at the administration had likely turned a blind eye to the establishments because they wanted the money but did not want to take responsibility for it.
Head of the contagious diseases eradication and community health division at the Banyumas Health Agency, Supraptini, confirmed the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the regency was rising.
The agency recorded 250 HIV/AIDS cases to June, more than double the 2007 figure of 112 cases.
Of the 250 cases, 192 people were detected as having the HIV virus and 58 were positively infected with AIDS. The disease has claimed the lives of 33 people in Banyumas over the past five years.
"We have made efforts for prevention by setting up three VCT (voluntary counseling and testing) clinics, one at the Baturaden tourist resort and two at the Margono Soekarto General Hospital in Purwokerto," Supartini told The Jakarta Post.
"We welcome sex workers who wish to have themselves examined, but most of them are ashamed to do so."
| War on corruption |
Jakarta Post - August 16, 2008
Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono re-affirmed Friday his commitment to rooting out corruption, saying nobody is above the law in the anti-graft drive he himself is leading.
But the effort has met with challenges both from his government and the House of Representatives.
Corruption watchdogs have expressed fears that a bill on the Corruption Court submitted by the government to the House this week, along with a lawmakers' move to revise the law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), will undermine the fight against graft.
The government-sponsored bill on the Corruption Court revives the control of district courts and restricts the role of ad hoc judges.
"The public knows that ordinary courts are vulnerable to corruption. Reform initiatives like the anti-corruption drive can't be conducted by institutions that resist reform," Fahmi Badoh, coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch, said.
ICW said the bill would discourage the hard work of the KPK as it could lead to the removal of ad hoc judges from the panel hearing corruption cases.
"Why should we draft a bill on anti-corruption if its implementation would not support the campaign in the first place?" Fahmi said.
ICW is also worried about a move by House lawmakers who want to restrict the KPK's use of phone tapping to gather evidence. The plan comes after a series of KPK arrests of House lawmakers made with the use of phone bugging.
A member of the House's Commission III on legal affairs, Gayus Lumbuun, said the KPK had no authority to tap conversations. He was referring to the 2003 law on advocates, which restricts investigators from tapping conversations between lawyers and their clients.
"Moreover, the 1999 law on telecommunications stipulates that any attempt to tap conversations for the purpose of investigation must be conducted in cooperation with the telecommunications regulating body and operators," Gayus of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said.
He dismissed arguments that the revision would limit the KPK's ability to fight corruption. "Instead, the revision will add legitimacy to the KPK's methods, including the right to tap conversations," he said.
ICW also criticized the Yudhoyono administration for not doing enough to prove its commitment to waylaying corruption. Fahmi said Yudhoyono should not protect any of his aides or relatives implicated in graft cases.
"If the President is really determined to root out corruption, he should encourage investigators to immediately respond to the court findings on the alleged involvement of people close to graft cases," Fahmi said.
Jakarta Post - August 15, 2008
Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – Senior prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan expressed "deep regret" during his bribery trial here Thursday for accepting money from businesswoman Artalyta Suryani, but insisted the cash was not a bribe.
"I feel guilty for accepting the money from Artalyta. I deeply regret my actions. I also apologize to the court for my behavior and words during previous sessions," he told the Corruption Court.
However, Urip steadfastly refused to say that the US$660,000 he received from Artalyta was a bribe, insisting it was a loan for a car repair shop business.
Prosecutors of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will make their sentence demands for Urip next Thursday.
Urip's admission of guilt, statement of regret and his cooperation are among the main mitigating factors that a panel of judges may take into consideration in delivering a verdict.
Urip, who accepted the alleged bribe in his position as a state official, is facing a maximum 20 years' imprisonment for the crime.
At the Thursday court session he also admitted to giving Artalyta information about the Attorney General's Office (AGO) probe into a bank loan scandal involving tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim.
"It is true I gave information related to the investigation. It is also true that I knew Artalyta was a close relative of Sjamsul Nursalim," Urip told the court.
At the previous hearings, Urip had consistently denied the KPK charges against him and insisted he never gave Artalyta any information about progress in the investigation of Sjamsul.
Urip, who led the AGO's investigation of Sjamsul when the latter was accused of embezzling Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance funds (BLBI), is charged with taking a $660,000 bribe from Artalyta.
Last month, the Corruption Court convicted Artalyta of bribery and sentenced her to five years in jail. It was the maximum penalty possible for the crime after the panel of judges found no mitigating factors to reduce her sentence.
The court also said Artalyta had intended to stop the AGO's investigation into Sjamsul.
Sjamsul, former owner of the now defunct Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia, was implicated in the embezzlement of Rp 28.4 trillion ($3.1 billion) in BLBI funds.
Sjamsul remains the only of 37 witnesses who was able to evade three questioning sessions about his BLBI case during the investigation.
Urip also admitted he had brought all three AGO summonses for Sjamsul to Artalyta. "But she always told me to give the letters myself to Itjih Nursalim, Sjamsul's wife. So I sent the letters through a courier," said Urip.
He also said Artalyta once arranged a meeting between him and Itjih, but it never happened.
The major bribery case also implicated at least three senior AGO officials.
They include former deputy attorney general for special crimes Kemas Yahya Rahman, former director of special criminal investigations Muhammad Salim and former deputy attorney general for state administrative affairs Untung Udji Santoso.
They were later dismissed from their respective senior positions at the AGO.
During Artalyta's trial, the anti-graft court said the bribery case had damaged Indonesia's law enforcement system.
Jakarta Post - August 14, 2008
Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Former Bank Indonesia deputy governor Iwan R. Prawiranata withdrew on Wednesday his claim that a state prosecutor received money from Rp 100 billion ($10.9 million) in BI funds allegedly misappropriated in 2003.
But the panel of judges hearing the graft case of former BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah refused to take Iwan's about-face for granted.
The judges sought verification from Iwan, who said in his Feb. 4, 2008, statement to Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors he gave then Central Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Salman Maryadi and an employee of a law firm, Hendrikus Henrikes, US$900,000 in cash.
Salman is now the director for special crimes prosecution at the Attorney General's Office.
The Central Jakarta Prosecutor's Office previously handled graft cases involving former BI officials, including former governor Soedrajad Djiwandono, Iwan and former directors Heru Supraptomo, Hendro Budianto and Paul Sutopo. The investigations into Soedradjad and Iwan were dropped.
Iwan told the court he made up the statement under unstable conditions, citing his fatigue. "I have withdrawn the dossier. It is not true. I was unjust to them (Salman and Hendrikus) and I'm sorry for that," he said.
But Judge I Made Hendra expressed his skepticism of Iwan's rescindment. "How could you possibly make up such detailed statements, because in the dossier you mentioned you gave Salman around $900,000 in cash in denominations of $100 and $50 at the Hyatt Hotel?" Hendra said.
Iwan insisted he had not told the truth at the time.
Presiding Judge Gusrizal questioned how Iwan could give a detailed response to KPK prosecutors, including the role of Hendrikus as a broker between him and Salman. "You are really good at making up such a long story with all those details," Gusrizal said in a high tone.
Also testifying on Wednesday were Soedradjad, Hendro, Paul and former BI legal affairs director Oey Hoey Tiong.
In his testimony, Oey acknowledged the involvement of Supreme Audit Agency chief Anwar Nasution, a former BI senior deputy governor when the alleged graft occurred.
Oey said Anwar ordered him to resolve the BI scandal. "I once visited his home and explained to him the chronology of the use of the YPPI funds," he told the court.
The KPK alleges the BI board of governors decided to use Rp 100 billion in BI Indonesian Banking Development Foundation funds to resolve the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) graft cases and expedite the amendment of the BI law, under deliberation at the House of Representatives' Commission IX on financial affairs.
Oey said Anwar ordered him to get rid of documents from the BI board of directors meeting because they contained his signature.
"Just destroy all those documents, Oey," he quoted Anwar as saying.
Oey said he did not obey the order because he knew it was against procedure.
In light of the court proceedings, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said he would seek clarification from Salman, who was recently promoted to head the South Kalimantan Prosecutor's Office.
Jakarta Post - August 12, 2008
Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – A witness testified Monday that former Bank Indonesia deputy governor Aulia Pohan played a bigger role than previously thought in the alleged embezzlement of Rp 100 billion (US$10.9 million) in BI funds in 2003.
Asnar Ashari, a former staff member at the BI communication bureau, testified before the Corruption Court that each disbursement of Rp 31.5 billion to members of the House of Representatives' financial commission was made with Aulia's consent.
"For every disbursement I had to write a request letter to Aulia and Maman Somantri, and also to the chief of the Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI)," Asnar told the court hearing the case of former BI legal affairs deputy Oey Hoey Tiong and former BI communication bureau deputy Rusli Simanjuntak.
Aulia is the father-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's eldest son.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) accused the BI board of governors of approving in 2003 the disbursement of money to the House's Commission IX to resolve the BI liquidity support case and the amendment of the BI law, as well as to five former BI officials to obtain legal assistance in corruption cases.
The BI governors decided to use money from YPPI, a BI proxy in charge of educational campaigns, which was supervised by Aulia and Maman.
Asnar said he assisted Rusli in the disbursement of the money, which was given to then Commission IX members Antony Zeidra Abidin and Hamka Yandhu in five installments.
"We always reported the disbursements to Aulia and the board of governors," said Asnar, who is currently an executive analyst at the central bank.
In a previous court hearing, Hamka testified that each of the 52 members of the commission accepted at least Rp 250 million from him and Antony. Deputy commission member Paskah Suzetta, now the national development planning minister, and Malam Sambat Kaban, now the forestry minister, received around Rp 1 billion and Rp 300 million respectively, according to Hamka.
Asnar also testified that Hamka and Antony did not receive the entire Rp 31.5 billion.
"After the first installment, Antony decided to return some of the money back to Rusli, amounting to Rp 3 billion," said Asnar. He added he never knew whether there was any deal between Antony and Rusli about the exchange.
According to Asnar, Rusli later gave the money to him and he submitted the money to the KPK in May.
The KPK has alleged that the remaining Rp 68.5 billion was distributed by Oey Hoey Tiong to cover legal aid for former senior BI officials Paul Sutopo, Hendro Boedianto, Heru Soepraptomo, Iwan Prawiranata and Soedrajad Djiwandono.
On Monday the court also heard testimony from former YPPI chairman Baridjusalam Hadi and former treasurer Ratnawati Priyono, who said that in 2006 three of the former senior BI officials – Paul, Iwan and Soedrajad – returned a total of Rp 13.85 billion to the foundation.
"They signed deed of indebtedness letters for the money. It was initiated by Oey," said Baridjusalam, who also said the money was being kept in an account and was not considered among YPPI's assets.
In the same year, the Supreme Audit Agency found irregularities in the BI financial report and reported them to the KPK, which later started its investigation.
| Elections/political parties |
Jakarta Post - August 14, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – More than half of all the preliminary lists of eligible voters (DPS) released by villages and subdistricts throughout the country contain outdated data, a survey says.
The survey released Tuesday said the lists mostly mirrored the data on voters for the 2009 legislative election provided by the Home Ministry in April. The lists were intended to be updated by July.
The survey was jointly conducted by the Institute of Research, Education and Information of Social and Economic Affairs (LP3ES) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in 522 villages and subdistricts in all 33 provinces from Aug. 7 to Aug. 10.
Under the 2008 election regulations, the General Elections Commission (KPU) had three months to update the voter list after receiving it from the government.
All local election bodies should have announced updated preliminary lists at the village or subdistrict level on Aug. 8, leaving eligible voters with a week to verify their names on the roster.
However, election bodies failed to make public nearly a fifth of all such lists.
"The KPU's failure to announce preliminary voter lists in villages... has threatened the validity of the final voter lists for the 2009 election," LP3ES researcher Fajar Nursahid said.
"If there is no list, how can they (voters) check their names? Also, the lists that were on display contained incorrect and outdated data. If most villages and subdistricts still have the outdated lists, then what kind of voter lists we will have for the 2009 election?" he added.
Fajar said the lists showed many voters were not registered, while others were listed two and even three times.
According to the report, only 30.4 percent of villages and subdistricts released "complete" lists, and 50.3 percent made the "incomplete" versions public, while 19.3 percent failed to make any announcement at all.
The survey also found that 65.9 percent of KPU employees at the village and subdistrict levels admitted they did not update the voter lists from the government.
More than 33 percent of them said the lists were of "very low quality", making it difficult to use them as a basis for updating, it said.
Another major obstacle was the fact that many KPU offices at the village level were not yet established, while most election staff also complained about unclear instructions from regents and other local officials on what to do with the original data.
Even in Jakarta, many subdistricts have not yet released the voter lists while some others only announced them on Aug. 11.
"We have not released our DPS because we have not received the list from the Central Jakarta election office," said a staff member at the Harapan Mulya subdistrict office in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
Penggilingan subdistrict in Cakung and Kramat Jati in Kampung Tengah, both in East Jakarta, were among the city's urban areas that did not make lists public.
Officials there said their subdistricts had just received the original voter data on July 27 from the local administration.
The LP3ES and the NDI suggested that the KPU extend the period of DPS verification to give people more time to make the necessary changes.
"The KPU should not rush finalizing the voter list... considering that it still has eight months before the election," they said in a statement. The KPU is scheduled to close voter registration on Aug. 27 and release the final list of eligible voters in October this year.
Jakarta Post - August 13, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A series of defeats in regional elections and threats of disunity have led Golkar Party leadership to scrap its control of the distribution of legislative seats in next year's polls.
In spite of the election law which allows parties' central boards to appoint their loyalists to the legislative councils, Golkar has opted to determine its legislative members based on the votes each wins.
In previous elections, loyalists to party leaders commonly topped the list of legislative candidates and contested the election in the party's strongholds to ensure they would secure legislative seats.
Golkar leaders said the shift was a solution, albeit temporary, to rising tension among party factions over the appointment of legislative candidates for next year's election.
In a meeting at the party's headquarters in West Jakarta on Monday evening, Golkar leader and Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla approved the major change, senior politician Theo Sambuaga said. "We did have a long debate as a new idea must be challenged. But in the end, we all unanimously agreed it was the best way to overcome our challenges," said Theo, a Golkar deputy chairman.
Theo, who will not contest the election in 2009, said the shift would benefit the party as all candidates would work harder to win votes.
Golkar's lawmaker Harry Azhar Azis, who will seek re-election, said the shift had overcome problems long plaguing the party.
"We must change as we have conceded defeats in a series of gubernatorial elections. We hope the new policy will change the course of our trend. It is a mutually beneficial compromise for all sides," he said.
Golkar has recently lost gubernatorial elections in its traditional strongholds, including West Java, North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.
The latest national surveys by Indo Barometer, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and the Indonesian Institute placed Golkar behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the 2009 legislative election.
Golkar had faced an imminent split, with popular lawmakers like Yuddhi Chrisnandi threatening to quit after he was demoted from No. 1 to No. 3 on the party list for Cirebon electoral district. "We know that only two from Golkar will get the seat. Moving me to No. 3 meant dumping me," he said Sunday.
Several of Golkar's old guards like former chairman Akbar Tanjung publicly defended the House's legislation body chairman Ferry Mursyidan Baldan for re-election following rumors he would soon be shown the door.
The split within the party was apparent when Golkar deputy chairman Andi Mattalatta, who is also the justice and human rights minister, slammed Yuddhi's threat as an effort to increase popularity.
Theo openly disagreed with Andi, saying both Yuddhi and Ferry were "valuable assets of the party". "Both of them remain our legislative candidates. They have shown their good performance and proved they could lure voters in their own regions," he said.
Jakarta Post - August 11, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – On a talk show recently, soap opera actor Adrian Maulana looked momentarily baffled when confronted with the question, "What makes you dare enter politics?"
Adrian, who has registered to become a legislative candidate under the banner of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said he would rely on his fame and fortune as a soap star to attract voters and prevent him from accepting bribes.
"Besides, Dede Yusuf (a former actor and West Java deputy governor from PAN) has shown us the way, proving actors can win elections," he said.
Adrian's answer sums up a typical motivation behind the phenomenon of many actors, actresses and singers switching to politics, according to Paramadina University political analyst Bima Arya Sugiarto.
Bima said with infotainment – gossipy TV programs telling daily lives of the country's celebrities – bombarding families' living room several hours a day, these celebrities become household names. The direct election system, Bima said, has switched voters' main consideration from party to figure.
"And celebrities have popularity. Political parties, under pressure after a series of corruption scandals implicating their lawmakers, are willing to take advantage of this. It is corrupt politicians that invite these celebrities to politics," Bima said.
Mohammad Qodari of the Indo Barometer polling group agreed with Adrian that the victory of Dede, as well as senior actor Rano Karno in the Tangerang election as deputy regent, have inspired many other celebrities to try their luck in politics.
"This is only an imitating move. Don't forget that not all celebrities win the elections. (Actress) Marissa Haque and (comedian) Qomar both failed in regional elections. I think only those who have long and proven track records will have a chance of winning votes," he said.
Marissa lost in the Banten gubernatorial election and later her legislative seat as well when her decision to contest the election went against the wishes of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which she was a member.
Noted TV host Helmi Yahya is now joining the race in South Sumatra as the deputy gubernatorial candidate, while dangdut singer Syaipul Jamil and movie actor Primus Yustisio are eying the deputy regent posts of the Banten regency of Serang and the West Java town of Subang, respectively.
The PAN has accepted the membership of 30 celebrities, including movie actress Wulan Guritno, violist Maylafaiza, comedian Deri Drajad, singer Silvana Herman and comedian Jimmy Gideon, leading to a joke in current circulation that the PAN is now the National Artists Party.
The Democratic Party has accepted comedian and TV host Virnie Ismail and actress Vena Melinda, while Marissa Haque and dangdut singer Evie Tamala joined the United Development Party (PPP).
Both Bima and Qodari advised the celebrities to equip themselves with knowledge and mastery of issues rather than depending only on popularity.
Jakarta Post - August 8, 2008
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Political activists warned voter turnout in the 2009 elections could be less than 60 percent, mainly because of inadequate preparations by the General Elections Commission (KPU) and growing public apathy.
The People's Voter Education Network (JPPR) said Thursday less people would vote in the upcoming legislative election than in recent regional elections.
"No matter how much the KPU or parties do to upgrade voter lists, we predict voter turnout will be between 50 and 60 percent," JPPR national coordinator Jeirry Sumampow said in a discussion on the phenomenon of poll absentees.
"There is also increased public apathy. It could be because people are disappointed with the political parties or just bored with the sheer number of elections they've had to participate in."
Voter turnout in the 2004 general elections stood at 67.57 percent. With even more parties competing next year, the KPU expects the 2009 figure to go up to 70 percent.
The KPU has cleared 34 political parties to contest the legislative election, scheduled for April 9, 2009.
A recent study conducted by the JPPR revealed voter turnout in the first-ever direct regional elections to choose governors, regents and mayors stood at between 60 and 70 percent.
It found public participation in gubernatorial elections in North Sumatra, Riau and Central Java was below 60 percent.
In some provinces and regencies, including East Java, poll absentees effectively won the election by outnumbering the winning candidates' total votes.
"We believe voter turnout in next year's legislative election will be similar to that in the regional elections. It is very possible poll absentees will win the election," he said.
Since its establishment, the KPU has never promoted to the public the importance of legislative and presidential elections, Jeirry claimed.
Worse yet, he added, many eligible voters were frustrated by what they considered insignificant improvements in their lives, following a series of elections.
Citing fears over low voter turnout, the KPU rescheduled the polling day from April 5 to April 9. The earlier date falls on a Sunday and coincides with a traditional Chinese holiday.
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) deputy chairman Fahmi Bado agreed with JPPR's predictions of low voter turnout next year.
He said the dismal performance of legislators, coupled with the arrest of several House members in corruption cases, would further discourage people from going to the polls.
"We will push critical voters so they vote for candidates with good track records," said Fahmi, who is campaigning against "crook politicians". The term refers to legislative candidates linked to corruption, human rights abuses and environmental exploitation.
| Local & community issues |
Jakarta Post - August 13, 2008
Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Residents in Samarang district, Garut regency in West Java blockaded the entrance Tuesday to a geothermal power plant operated by PT Chevron Geothermal Indonesia (CGI) asking for more community development funds.
Residents living near the power plant called CGI to provide additional community development funds to compensate for the firm's exploration and exploitation activities. The blockade coordinator, Aten Ruhimat, said that residents had conducted protests twice.
"As native residents, we simply see company people exploiting natural resources here and leaving us behind. We, indeed, remain poor," he said. "Based on the Law on Fiscal Balance there should be income sharing with local administrations and central government."
Aten added the law also provided the opportunity for residents who live near the geothermal power plant to work on the project.
Garut Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Rusdy Hartono said that the residents had prevented two buses and four cars carrying some 80 workers from entering the power plant.
"The crowd delayed the workers for about 30 minutes from reaching their work place. After negotiations, the crowd let the workers pass to their place of work," he said.
The police did not arrest anyone for staging the protest. Rusdy said that he had deployed additional police officers to increase security at CGI's plant and to avoid unwanted incidents.
Previously Monday, CGI's Community Affairs manager Iwan Azof said that the company had empowered residents by hiring them to work at the company.
"About 50 percent of our permanent workers are from Garut while all of our contract workers are from Garut," he said. He added that CGI had met its community development responsibilities by providing scholarships for some 300 elementary students in Samarang.
The company had also provided materials to construct public toilets in Samarang, Pasirwangi, Sukaresmi and Garut districts.
Meanwhile, Santi Manuhutu, the Corporate Communications Manager of Chevron Indonesia Business Unit, said that the demonstration did not affect the power plant's productivity, so that it could meet the power demand of Java, Bali and Madura.
A meeting between delegations from the residents and the company decided that all community development programs and absorption of local workers into the workforce should be coordinated by district heads.
Jakarta Post - August 8, 2008
Maulina Sartika Pravitasari, Jakarta – Some 100 vendors staged a peaceful protest Thursday at South Jakarta's Blok M shopping area, in opposition to the opening of a nearby Carrefour supermarket Friday.
The vendors, who operate on side streets or inside traditional markets near the new store, said the presence of the French-owned supermarket giant posed a serious threat to their livelihood.
"Carrefour is a mass murderer of Indonesian vendors," read one banner unfurled outside the marketing office of Blok M Square, a new luxury mall housing the supermarket. Other protesters waved flags in yellow, the traditional color of death.
The protesters exhorted Blok M authorities to consider the fate of vendors, claiming they have been operating in the area since 1970.
Staff members from the marketing office came out to meet the protesters, but did not offer any statement, nor did the Carrefour management.
Thus far, there has been no indication the vendors will be expelled from the area, though some feared they would soon have to move out.
"What about our future? What about our families?" asked 44-year- old Jumli, a protester. "We are demanding a permanent site at Blok M," he added.
The protest seemed well organized, with vendors donning light blue sweatshirts and distributing announcements for a larger demonstration planned for Friday, which will involve environmental and human rights NGOs such as Walhi, Kontras and LBH Jakarta, a legal aid office.
The vendors' opposition to the Carrefour is based on a 2002 bylaw that states private supermarkets or hypermarkets cannot be built within 2.5 km of a traditional market.
The city administration has violated its own rules in allowing Carrefour to open a new location in Blok M, protesters said.
| Economy & investment |
Jakarta Post - August 8, 2008
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – State airline PT Merpati Nusantara has been forced to axe more than half its workers and receive a government bailout in a major restructuring program designed to stave off a collapse.
The government stepped in to save Merpati with a Rp 350 billion (US$38.6 million) cash injection, also requesting the dismissal of 1,300 of its 2,590 workers to help boost efficiency, State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan A. Djalil said Thursday.
"The President has approved the plan to invest the money in the hope that Merpati will be able to revive and run its operations normally," Sofyan said after a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace.
"We have to take immediate action as the airline is suffering huge losses. The employees will receive their severance pay by the end of this month."
Severance pay will account for Rp 220 billion of the rescue fund.
Some Merpati pilots who are not laid off will be transferred to Garuda Indonesia because the national flag carrier needs more pilots, Sofyan said.
Since the administration of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, Merpati has been plagued by mismanagement, reportedly stemming from profiteering among those in political parties who have vested interests in the airline.
Acting Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sri Mulyani Indrawati warned the government would not inject the necessary capital unless Merpati management provided a feasible business plan and demonstrated it could uphold good governance in managing the money.
"The airline has not recorded the number of its passengers in its financial account. So this is the same as corruption. The new managers must improve the airline's governance," she said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered a major audit of the company to help provide a better picture of its condition.
As part of the restructure, on Thursday the government dismissed Merpati president director Cucuk Suryo Suprodjo, former director general of air transportation at the Transportation Mministry, who had been in the position five months.
Bambang Bhakti, former director of the Jakarta International Cargo Terminal, was appointed the new president director.
The government has also decided to move Merpati's headquarters from Jakarta to Makassar, South Sulawesi, in a bid to improve its potential to service remote areas, which are mostly located in eastern Indonesia.
Merpati, which has recorded Rp 20 billion in losses a month over the past several months, had to ground several airplanes because it lacked the funds to fix their engines. At present, the company can operate 19 airplanes.
Established in 1962, Merpati became a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia in 1978. Merpati's development mission, assigned by the government of the time, was limited to serving only pioneering, unprofitable routes in remote areas.
In 1997, Merpati was reborn as an independent airline after separating from Garuda.
Jakarta Post - August 15, 2008
Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – Strong exports, primarily those of commodities, helped fuel Indonesia's economic growth by an unexpected 6.4 percent in the first half of 2008 as compared with the same period in 2007, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed Thursday.
Slamet Sutomo, BPS deputy chairman for balance sheet and statistical analysis, said exports in the January-June period increased by 15.8 percent from a year earlier, higher than growth in investment and private consumption at 14.1 percent and 5.5 percent respectively.
"It can be said economic growth in the second quarter of 2008 was due mainly to exports," Slamet said.
Exports grew by 16.1 percent in the second quarter, the fastest pace in three years, with June exports alone reaching an unprecedented US$12.9 billion on rising demand from India and China, countering weaker demand from the United States and Europe.
Indonesia's GDP during the second quarter of 2008 reached Rp 1,230.9 trillion ($134.08 billion), slightly higher than the Rp 1,122.1 trillion recorded in the previous three months.
The 6.4 percent growth came as a surprise to analysts, beating their consensus forecast of 6.1 percent, according to Citigroup. The government had earlier forecast the economy would grow by 6.3 percent.
However, the strong growth did not fully factor in the spiraling negative impact of the fuel price increase in late May, with analysts and business players warning the pinch would most likely be felt during the early second half of the year.
Businesses enjoying most of the robust growth during the first half included those in the transportation and communications sector, which posted a remarkable 20 percent growth as compared to the same period last year.
The electricity, gas and the clean water sector also enjoyed an 11.9 percent jump in business activities, followed by the financial, real estate and services sector with an 8.5 percent rise, according to the BPS.
Economist Faisal Basri said the growth was reflected in the double-digit percentage growth in sales of cement, cars and motorcycles, wood and steel products, particularly on demand from outside Java.
"The growth is there," he said, adding half of car and motorcycle sales and 44 percent of cement sales during the first half were from outside Java.
Faisal said between January and June, private consumption and investment remained robust, as shown by high lending growth of more than 30 percent during this period.
While regions outside Java expanded, the economy was still dominated by Java, which contributed 57.5 percent of the GDP, followed by Sumatra with 24.2 percent and Kalimantan with 9.9 percent, according to the BPS.
"The constraint is infrastructure. With better infrastructure in regions outside Java, coupled with more developed labor-intensive industries and agriculture in Java, the economy could leap further."
He urged the government to help businesses seek opportunities to expand amid the current unfavorable global economic climate.
Faisal predicted the economy would grow by slightly less than 6 percent by the end of 2008, lower than the government's expectation of 6.2 percent, with the global economic turmoil worsening and the local economy feeling the full impact of soaring prices.
| Opinion & analysis |
Jakarta Post - August 10, 2008
Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – Former homophobe Anton (not his real name) says he has transformed into a more tolerant person, acknowledging that gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transvestites are humans who have the same rights as anyone else.
"I used to agree with violent bashing of gay men and transvestites," he said. "I'm ashamed of the way I used to think back then."
Beatings of transvestites by homophobic groups were commonplace in the 1990s in his hometown, Bogor, West Java. "Back then, I thought they (transvestites) deserved it."
Anton said his transformation came about as he grew up, realizing in his university years that homosexuals had the freedom and right to choose their own path in life, however deviant it seemed.
Such attitudes are still rife, however, even in mainstream media – as seen in the initial response when reports emerged about the alleged serial murderer, Verry Idham Henyansyah, who happened to be gay.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organization Arus Pelangi head Ridho Triawan said the organization was looking to embrace more heterosexuals in their fight to eliminate discrimination and stigmatization of gay men, lesbian women, bisexuals and transsexuals.
"We need more heterosexual people to be tolerant toward people with different sexual orientations," Ridho said. "We're aiming to make a movement of heterosexuals against homophobia."
Ridho said in two years since the foundation of Arus Pelangi they have been focusing on empowering the gay community. He said their next aim is to reach outside the group.
Meetings between contradicting groups on gay rights issues are needed to promote understanding and tolerance, he said.
Arus Pelangi in March held a discussion on Islam and homosexuality which concluded that homosexuals and homosexuality are natural, thus permissible within Islam.
Moderate Muslim scholar Musdah Mulia of the Indonesian Conference of Religion and Peace cited the Koran's al-Hujurat (49:3) which says one of the blessings of all human beings is that all men and women are equal, regardless of their ethnicity, wealth, social position or sexual orientation.
"There were a lot of pros and cons after the discussion, but it's OK. It's a good thing to be able to have a rational debate in which each party respects one another," Ridho said.
The fight against discrimination has also been backed by leading contemporary psychologists who say homosexuality is not a mental disorder. This is in direct contrast to the dominant religious norms in Indonesia, which largely condemn homosexuals and homosexuality as sinful.
"For me, homosexuality is still not normal. It is wrong and people who believe they are homosexuals are sick and should seek treatment. However... if someone clearly has a cold with a runny nose."
Jakarta Post Editorial - August 14, 2008
As the battle against corruption intensifies in the legal arena, pressures mount for this acute societal disease to be simultaneously fought in a different mode: through social sanction.
Proponents believe that there needs to be a concerted move to further combat the chronic problem since the prosecution – most pointedly when our legal system is proved to be also corrupt – has so far been unable to satisfy the public's quest for justice.
Trailblazing moves by the four-year-old Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to successfully prosecute selected corruption cases – though far better than efforts by its older brothers, the Attorney General's Office and the Police – are inadequate and cannot meet people's thirst for truth while our court system remains vulnerable to bribery and extortion, two fundamental forms of corruption.
The fact that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has decided to "clear" his two Cabinet ministers, despite strong indications of their complicity in the alleged misuse of Rp 100 billion (US$10.9 million) of Bank Indonesia funds, has only added insult to injury. And most importantly, it was a public denial of the President's own anti-corruption commitment initiated during the early days of his presidency.
Perhaps the general public still remembers SBY's remark published in a Jakarta-based current affairs magazine in early November 2004: "This country will be destroyed if we do not stop the growth of corruption. There needs to be some shock therapy so the people know that this government is serious about corruption."
It is therefore reasonable for the general public to come up with the tried and true idea of the importance of publicly humiliating or socially sanctioning those implicated in corruption cases, besides simultaneously indicting and investigating them through the courts.
Some anti-corruption activists have proposed that all corruption suspects and convicts, no matter their social status, wear uniforms and be handcuffed during prosecution. Others have even suggested that they be paraded along the city's main streets so that fellow residents or citizens be given the opportunity to pelt them with rotten eggs, fruit and vegetables just as what English petty criminals experienced during the Middle Ages.
The proposals, however, are not free from controversy. As some legal experts have put it, such public humiliation and social sanction would be meted out beyond the aegis of the court and would therefore put undue burden on the wrongdoers.
Despite the controversy, all of these suggested punishments are well-established forms of insult or humiliation meant to deter others from committing similar wrongdoing.
In a South Korean high-profile prosecution in the mid-1990s, the government put on national TV its handcuffed former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, convicted of corruption and other criminal charges. Closely related or not, the South Korean lesson has proved effective in reducing corruption cases in that country.
To some extent, such public humiliation and social sanction against convicted officials could be effective in reducing if not eradicating corruption in Indonesia. Imposing capital punishment on those convicted of corruption is the subject of ongoing debate as part of the Indonesian public supports while another part disagrees with the imposition of the death sentence for various crimes including corruption.
Apart from the legal controversy, calls for the use of uniforms and handcuffs, for example, should be considered. These practices offer the public real evidence of the universally accepted norms of "equality before the law", meaning that each individual is subject to the same treatment under the law with no individual or group having special legal privileges. Such egalitarian practices erase feudal and aristocratic legacies.
To sum up, it is perhaps worth considering a well-known quote by Karl Kraus, an eminent early 20th-century Austrian writer and journalist: "Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country."
And to bring an end to rampant corruption here, all means are worth a try, including public humiliation and social sanction.
Jakarta Post - August 12, 2008
Evan A. Laksmana, Singapore – In the past few weeks, a debate surrounding the 2009 general elections has revolved around the role of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in political parties where almost every major political party has former military officers sitting as board members or as chairman.
For example, the Golkar Party is now spearheaded by Vice President Jusuf Kalla as chairman and Lt. Gen. (ret) Sumarsono as secretary-general, while former military officers are filling the Hanura and Gerindra party leadership under retired generals Wiranto and Prabowo, respectively.
In addition, this military "comeback" coincides with the growing trend of former military men contesting local elections. Marcus Mietzner, a lecturer at the Australian National University, found that in 2006, 8 percent of the candidates contesting 50 local polls were retired military and police officers.
This begs the question: Is the Indonesian Military returning to politics? Although officially banned from day-to-day politics, the military has always been considered Indonesia's most powerful political institution by virtue of its institutional strength, especially its territorial command structure.
In this regard, it might not be a question of whether the military has returned to politics, but a question of how it plays politics under the new rules of the game. In other words, one could argue it never actually left the political scene.
If this is the case, what then explains the phenomenon of an apparent military "comeback" in politics?
First, as argued by Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a professor at the National Institute of Sciences, it might be an indication of a post-power syndrome among officers who were once part of the ruling elite – or it might only involve a handful of high- ranking former officers rather than indicate a general trend plaguing the entire officer corps.
Second, it could also be seen as the result of politicization, and even commercialization, of the officer corps, which is instigated not only by the political leadership's intervention in internal military affairs – as was the case during the terms of presidents Sukarno, Soeharto, and Abdurrahman Wahid – but also due to the nature of the military education and its territorial command system.
The fact that the majority of the Army is utilized for staff positions in the territorial command structure suggests that the career experience of the majority of the officer corps is actually related to social, business, and political issues in the regions.
Although the process of military education reform is currently underway, the curricula at the military academies all the way through the staff and command colleges since the 1960s have always emphasized social-political subjects. This suggests that some, if not most, military officers would be prepared for "sociopolitical" tasks, and hence, by implication, might not be well trained in other skills required for an alternative livelihood after retirement other than politics or business.
Finally, the military prevalence in politics highlights the failure of the civilian leadership – whether to provide stability and improve welfare, or to overcome their lack of political confidence – because they continue to drag the military back in.
On the one hand, we hear the oft-repeated accusation from the military establishment that the civilian politicians are a prime source of the nation's problems – which the public seems to agree with. A Kompas poll in 2007 noted that 46.6 percent of the public would vote for a military figure as the next president. On the other hand, the charge might not have credibility had it not been for the fact that corruption among civilian politicians is increasing while basic prices are skyrocketing.
Meanwhile, the "inferiority syndrome" suffered by civilian politicians highlights two points: First, the weakness of the civilian defense community to adequately support the civilian leadership; and second, the cliche that military men are financially and politically omnipotent – regardless of the current debate challenging the leadership skills possessed by former military officers.
What does all this mean for Indonesia's fledgling military reform and delicate civilian-military relations?
First, although the focus on removing the military from day-to- day politics and regulating their commercial activities is certainly a worthy cause, the issue of military education reform should be the top priority of decision makers in Jakarta.
Without a complete overhaul and integration of the military curricula – as well as a civilian teaching staff – military officers will always reserve the potential to play a sociopolitical role.
Second, although the territorial command structure cannot be plausibly erased entirely due to the prevalence of internal security threats and separatism, a mechanism should be enforced within the existing regulations to "isolate" military men assigned to regional staff positions to prevent them from being utilized or dragged into local social, political and business activities.
When it comes to civilian-military relations, observers have noted this "comeback" phenomenon could be seen positively as far as military politics are concerned because with former generals running their own campaigns, the military might not be able to present a unified front. Hence, as the argument goes, civilian leadership could be strengthened at the expense of a "fractured" military establishment.
However, a strong civilian leadership cannot be fully achieved without the strengthening of a civilian defense community that could bridge the civilian-military divide while assisting both sides in dealing with national security issues. At the same time, the civilian leadership also needs to overcome its "inferiority syndrome" and stop bringing the military back into politics.
Finally, public exhaustion over corrupt civilian politicians might lead to disillusionment with democratic ideals and civilian supremacy over the military – premised upon distinct "civilian" and "military" realms.
Eventually, if this dichotomy is increasingly blurred, a reconsideration of civilian-military relations that for the past decade has been centered upon establishing a civilian supremacy over the military might be required.
In the end, whether a civilian-military "partnership" would be the best form of relationship and whether such partnership would prove more productive for Indonesia's future in the long run remains to be seen.
[The writer is a research analyst at the Indonesia Programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.]