Nurdin Hasan and Ismira Lutfia – The Aceh branch of the Islamic Defenders Front, or FPI, claims it is ready to send a first wave of trained guerilla fighters to fight Israel next week, including two snipers and four suicide bombers, the group said.

"We call them the Martyr Bomb Squad, not suicide bombers, which has been labelled negatively by the foreign media," Yusuf Al Qardhani said in Aceh on Friday.

He said the 15 mujahidin, or Islamic warriors, would be dispatched to Palestine to fight the Israeli forces who attacked the Gaza Strip.

"They were selected from a group of 80 who passed a four-day interview and physical training in the mountains of North Aceh last month," Yusuf said, adding that of those 80, only 50 were fit to be sent abroad.

"They will be dispatched not only to Palestine, but also to other Islamic countries. We call them international mujahidin who are ready to be assigned anywhere to fight for Muslims," he said. "They are already God's soldiers who are ready to defend Islam."

Yusuf declined to give the individuals' real names, but did provide their aliases. The six are Abu Jagat, 23; Abu Faiz, 25; Abu Nagan, 21, and Abu Syam, 25. The snipers are Abu Khalifah, 27, and Abu Rincong, 24. "Abu Faiz will be the commander of the first group," he said.

Yusuf said the six had trained with Abu Alyas, a mujahidin with combat experience in Afghanistan, who has also fought alongside the Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Philippines, and who is a member of Hamas.

"He is an Indonesian who returned for a while to Indonesia to train Acehnese mujahidin who will be sent to Palestine," he said.

"During training, [Abu Alyas, 38] said the four people were physically and mentally ready to join the Martyr Bomb Squad," he said. "They are true mujahidin."

Reporters were not allowed access to the mujahidin, who had been blessed by Aceh ulama Teungku Abuya Jamaluddin Wali. The ulama, in his address to the fighters, said that jihad was one of the main pillars of Islam.

Yusuf said the fighters would first be sent to Jakarta to collect their passports before flying to Palestine.

A spokesman for the FPI's central office, Soleh Mahmud, said the fighters would depart next week.

"We dispatched two batches of jihadists in January, and it has been three weeks now since they left," Soleh claimed.

"Jihadists who have the correct travel documents and finances are sent first."

Police chiefs dismissed over anarchy

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2009

Erwida Maulia and Rizal Harahap, Jakarta/Medan – Heads are rolling in the wake of the death on Tuesday of North Sumatra legislative council speaker Abdul Aziz Angkat after a protest that turned violent.

On Friday, National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the North Sumatra and Medan Police chiefs would be dismissed for being "neglectful" in their duties to ensure security.

Despite the presence of police outside the provincial legislature in Medan, angry protesters managed to mob Aziz and assault him. Aziz died hours later, with police saying he died of a heart attack, while his son pointed out injuries to his body.

The protesters were enraged by the council's decision to postpone a plenary meeting to discuss a recommendation of the establishment of a new province, Tapanuli.

"We've made an internal evaluation and... yes, there were some [procedures] that the field [police] officers failed to carry out, and so we must mete out punishment," Bambang said after meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the Presidential Palace.

Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Aton Suhartono said although he had not yet heard news of his dismissal, he would still be involved in the investigation until the handover to the new chief. "If it's true, I accept the [decision]," he said. "I'm the one most responsible, I was there at the time."

A fact-finding team from the House of Representatives said in Medan on Friday that "early indications" pointed to "serious" lack of security during the incident.

In a protest in the city in 2007, police faced a similar situation, but they failed to refer to this incident, said the head of the team, Maiyasyak Djohan. At that time, council speaker Abdul Wahab Dalimunthe, who was also confronted by protesters demanding clarity on the Tapanuli issue, proposed lifting the impoverished western coast of North Sumatra out of isolation and poverty.

Friday's dismissals of the North Sumatra and Medan Police chiefs were not measures decided by "public pressure or political aims", Bambang said, "but simply for objectivity and professionalism".

He added that based on autopsy results, the death of Aziz, a provincial executive from the Golkar Party, was caused by an "excess" of the attack. Police also said the victim had recently undergone cardiac bypass surgery.

Bambang said 12 people had been named suspects in the case and charged with violating Criminal Code articles on, among others, provoking hostility and destructive actions. Police earlier said they had named 11 suspects; Bambang did not identify the additional suspect.

Reiterating earlier calls on a moratorium on forming new administrative regions, the President said he had asked regional council speakers to suspend talks on the subject following the "shameful" incident.

"Some regional expansions are a success, but others are not, especially if they are done in the interests of certain elites, either for economic or political motives," he said.

11 named suspects in councilor's death

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2009

Rizal Harahap, Medan – 11 suspects in the death of North Sumatra Provincial Legislative Council Speaker Abdul Aziz Angkat, who died of a heart attack after being beaten by a mob Tuesday.

North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said in Medan on Wednesday that among the 11 suspects, all of whom had acted as provocateurs, was Chandra Panggabean, who heads the committee promoting the creation of a new province called Tapanuli, which was at the center of the rally that turned on Aziz.

Other suspects include deputy chairmen of the committee FM Datumira Simanjuntak, as well as Burhanuddin Rajagukguk and Viktor Siahaan, Nanan said.

Aziz, a provincial Golkar Party leader, died of a heart attack Tuesday, hours after he was attacked outside of the council building in Medan by a mob protesting his decision to postpone a plenary session to discuss the proposal of the new province.

Nanan said police had been put on alert over fears the arrest of the committee head could provoke a backlash.

He said the postmortem had concluded Aziz had died of a heart failure. "But the results also showed there were contusions [on his body] caused by beating," he said.

As of Wednesday, no proponents of Tapanuli province were willing to discuss Aziz's death. Eron Lumban Gaol, a North Sumatra Council member who supports the creation of the new province, could not be reached for comment. Eron was questioned by the police Tuesday.

Aziz's body was buried at a Muslim cemetery on Jl. Eka Rasmi in Medan on Wednesday, despite the North Sumatra provincial offering to bury him at Bukit Barisan Hero's Cemetery. Aziz's wife, Tiornalis Siregar, rejected the offer because she wanted to be buried next to her husband.

Almost all of the members of the provincial council attended the burial. Before the burial, Aziz's body was taken to his family's house and then to Baiturahman mosque in Johor Indah in Medan for prayers.

The attack on Aziz sparked criticism from various circles, including Home Minister Mardiyanto, who said that the use of force by the protesters constituted a serious crime. He called for an intensive investigation into the case.

North Sumatra Governor Syamsul Arifin promised in his speech at the burial to take stern action against the perpetrators behind the attack on Aziz.

"Just have faith that justice will be upheld, the investigation into the case will not be half-hearted. This should prove to be the first and last such incident ever in North Sumatra," he said, sobbing.

Syamsul urged all elements of the community to not be provoked by the perpetrators, who he said intended to upset regional stability.

Head of the Golkar Party's board of advisors Surya Paloh urged all Golkar cadres to not be provoked and to trust in the police's ability to bring the case to justice.

He said that Golkar had the power to take revenge, but that it preferred a peaceful solution to the conflict.

"Let's prove that the whole community in North Sumatra is united and fully committed to the same goal, namely to develop and maintain stability," he said.

House prefers delay, distracted by elections

Jakarta Post - February 3, 2009

Jakarta – House factions have argued that delaying the passage of the controversial State Secrecy Bill for now may be the best option with the elections approaching and disagreements over the content of the law mounting.

The bill outlines what information or subjects will be deemed of a secretive nature, such as details of national weaponry and preparations in times of war. "The government insists on finishing the law before the standing session ends. However, that will be a difficult task," Andreas Pareira, a House member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) told The Jakarta Post Monday.

Andreas said the upcoming legislative elections were beginning to divert lawmakers' attention from the bill, and that some of those working on it may not actually be re-elected in this years' polls.

"Even if the House manages to finish their deliberations in time, the result will probably be poor," he said.

Yuddy Chrisnandi, a House member from the Golkar party, said the bill should not be forced into law at the moment because there were too many corruption cases surfacing. He said if the bill was passed in its current form, it could ultimately provide loopholes for those wishing to cite confidentiality as a cover their crimes.

"I'd prefer to delay the completion until 2010, when new lawmakers can tackle this matter head on," he said.

Yuddy said he would rather push for the Freedom of Information Law to be completed before turning attention to the State Secrecy Bill.

Legislators passed the Freedom of Information Bill into law last Thursday and it is expected to take effect next year.

Djoko Susilo, a House member from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the State Secrecy Bill tends to negate the Freedom of Information Law, and placed too much power into the hands of the government.

Mu'tamimul Ulah, a House member from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said determining what exactly will be classified under the law is currently the most debated aspect of the Bill.

"The classification of what is 'classified' should be discussed thoroughly, because differing interpretations might lead to the State becoming a closed regime lacking transparency," Mu'tamimul said.

The bill outlines three areas of classified subjects, they being information, facilities or mediums and activities.

"What if there was a hearing on classified matters at the House?" Andreas said. "A journalist reporting from that hearing could be charged with divulging state secrets because the House may confuse this activity as in fact technically being 'secret' information."

He said the bill also opened up opportunities for corruption and could assist people with vested interests.

Aceh

Acehnese jailed in Malaysia strike over alleged brutality

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2009

Nurdin Hasan – As many as 92 Acehnese inmates in a Malaysian jail have gone on a hunger strike to protest alleged brutality and sexual harassment at the hands of the prison guards, an Acehnese in Malaysia and a lawyer in Aceh said on Friday.

"I have checked with the Kajang prison officials [in Selangor state] and several Acehnese in the prison," said Ibnu Sakdan Abubakar, the coordinator of Peace and Justice for Aceh.

"Initially, the prison officials said there was no hunger strike. But when I told them the story I got from the inmates, they admitted that some Acehnese prisoners had gone on a hunger strike."

The hunger strike by the Acehnese inmates, most of whom have been jailed for drug offenses and some of whom are on death row, started on Wednesday and was prompted by two weeks of harsh treatment by the prison guards, Sakdan said.

"What we need to know is why there have been beatings and sexual harassment," he said. "We've never heard of violence against the inmates of a Malaysian prison before."

"Maybe the Acehnese prisoners are tired of being brutally treated and beaten by the prison guards, and they decided to go on a hunger strike and reported it to their former lawyer."

Sakdan also said that he had contacted the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia, and "they confirmed that there is a hunger strike going on."

However, Sakdan could not say for certain how many inmates were involved in the hunger strike.

Saifuddin Gani, a lawyer in Aceh, confirmed that the number of Acehnese prisoners involved in the hunger strike was 92. "The inmates who are on hunger strike are all housed in the same block in Kajang prison," he said.

"I was told by phone yesterday that the reason they stopped eating is because they were brutally treated by the prison guards.

"Dozens of them were sentenced to death by hanging by the Malaysian courts some time ago."

Saifuddin, a member of the legal team at the Legal and Public Relations Office in Aceh, said that he had been in contact with the prisoners for the past couple of months.

He said he had visited Kajang prison as part of an effort by the government of Aceh to assist its residents jailed in the neighboring country.

"I was taken aback by the information that they have gone on a hunger strike," he said. "Then I informed the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia."

Saifuddin said that there are up to 200 Acehnese inmates in Kajang, most of them convicted for trafficking hashish and crystal methamphetamine.

In addition to the prisoners in Kajang, another 200 Acehnese are currently serving time in Sungai Buloh prison.

Apart from the brutal treatment from guards, Saifuddin said, some of the prisoners' rights had been withdrawn or limited by prison officials.

"They used to have the right to watch TV, but even this has been revoked," he said.

Ex-rebels killed ahead of elections

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2009

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Gunmen have shot dead two former Aceh rebels in the last two days, adding to a string of violence that has plagued the province ahead of the elections.

Spokesman for the Aceh Transitional Committee (KPA) Ibrahim KBS said Wednesday the attacks against commission members were deliberate attempts to destabilize the Aceh Party, a political group formed recently by the KPA as the legislative elections draw near.

"We have lost our best cadres to individuals who do not want to see peace prevail in Aceh," Ibrahim said.

Secretary of the KPA branch in Bireuen, Dedi Noviandi, was found shot dead in his car in Gampong Baru village in Bireuen on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday afternoon two armed men raided the KPA's Aceh Besar branch in Kajhu village, killing M. Nur and seriously wounding Zakaria, who is now in a critical condition at the Banda Aceh state hospital.

Ibrahim urged police to investigate the attacks and capture those responsible. He said he was concerned about the lack of arrests made in relation to previous violent incidences directed at the KPA and the Aceh Party.

A bomb exploded in front of the UKM Hotel in Banda Aceh on Jan. 16, destroying three cars, including one belonging to the Aceh Party.

In October last year, a grenade exploded at the residence of Muzakir Manaf, chairman of the Aceh Party and former military commander of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel group.

KPA comprises of former GAM combatants who founded the party to voice the political aspirations of the former rebels. The Aceh Party will fight five other local parties for seats at the provincial and regional legislatures in the April 9 elections.

"If the police fail to capture the perpetrators of the attacks we will call for the presence of the international community to monitor security conditions in Aceh." Ibrahim said.

Spokesman for the Aceh police Sr. Comr. Farid Ahmad Saleh confirmed the two murders had occurred, but refused to link the attacks with the elections.

"We are still investigating the cases, but so far have not found any evidence or clues about the party responsible for the violence," Farid said.

He admitted the police had not yet established who masterminded the previous attacks on the Aceh Party, largely due to a lack of evidence.

The police are beefing up security ahead of the elections, he said, with police precinct chiefs meeting Wednesday night to discuss security measures ahead of the elections.

Peace returned to Aceh after government representatives and GAM leaders agreed in July 2005 to end three decades of armed conflict, which left thousands of people dead.

The peace negotiation process was accelerated after a huge earthquake and subsequent tsunami swept through Aceh, killing hundreds of thousands and devastating the province.

Since then several former GAM leaders have won executive posts in direct regional elections.

West Papua

Suspects named in police clash in restive Papua

Agence France Presse - February 6, 2009

Four people have been named suspects and face more than five years in jail over a violent clash between protesters and police in Indonesia's sensitive Papua Province, police said on Thursday.

"The four protesters could be charged with assault against persons or property under Indonesian criminal law," Bagus Eko Danto, the provincial police chief, said. He added that the charges carried maximum sentences of five-and-a-half years.

Police opened fire when angry workers attacked them with homemade guns, machetes and wooden stakes during a protest in the mining town of Timika last month, wounding at least four people.

The workers, who had come from the nearby Kei Islands, were demanding justice for a man who was allegedly shot by police in a local bar a few days earlier and subsequently died.Despite charging the protesters, Danto said no legal action would be taken against police for firing into the crowd.

"Our officers had no choice but to open fire because the protesters were very violently trying to break into our police post. "The police didn't break the law because they were defending themselves," Danto said.

'Excessive force' possibly used in Papua

Jakarta Globe - February 6, 2009

Amnesty International is urging the Indonesian government to investigate the dispersal of a demonstration in Nabire, Papua Province, on Jan. 27, saying the police possibly used excessive force against the protesters and had denied the injured medical treatment afterward.

"The Indonesian authorities should discipline and bring to justice those involved if the force used is found to have been excessive and to have contravened the principles of necessity and proportionality," said a statement posted on Amnesty International's Web site on Tuesday regarding the protest, which left at least five protesters injured by rubber bullets.

"They should also put in place measures and training to ensure that future policing operations conform to international standards."

The incident is the latest in a string of alleged police brutality cases in the province.

The report stated that the incident started when some 100 protesters from a "coalition of people who care about the election of the head of region" rallied in front of the General Elections Commission building in Nabire to demand that local elections be held after several delays. The demonstrators erected a tent which blocked one of the main roads, and refused to dismantle it despite the police urging them to do so.

Amnesty International reported that two days after the occupation, police forcefully dispersed the protesters early in the morning while they were sleeping.

Police were also reported to have shot rubber bullets and kicked and beat some demonstrators with rattan sticks and rifle butts, resulting in bruises and cuts to many protesters.

Following the violent dispersal, according to the statement, police arrested and interrogated Yones Douw, a 40 year-old human rights activist, along with seven other protesters. It further alleged that before the arrest, officers kicked Douw with their boots three times, struck him on the ears and punched him in the face when he attempted to stop the clashes between police and demonstrators.

Amnesty International's Web site said police deprived those arrested of food and drinking water during their one-day detention. They were released on Jan. 30 but were instructed to report to the station each day.

"The police actions may have contravened the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials," the Web site said. That measure stipulates that force be used only as a last resort and be designed to minimize damage and injury.

Papua Police still stumped by Sepember 2008 Freeport bombing

Jakarta Post - February 4, 2009

Jakarta – The Papua regional police said Wednesday they have yet to identify who was behind two mortar bombs set off in a concession area run by PT Freeport Indonesia in September last year, despite having evidence in hand.

"We are still investigating the mortar bomb case that occurred on Freeport grounds. We've yet to name suspects and it looks like we won't be able to," Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Bagus Ekodanto told a recent press gathering.

Ekodanto declined to mention the challenges investigators faced, but reiterated the police had gathered all available evidence and were cooperating with the National Police forensic lab.

"The police are still investigating the case, no doubt, in accordance with our investigatory procedures," he said. It was earlier reported that members of an unidentified group had set off two explosives on a highway leading to a gold and copper concession area run by PT Freeport Indonesia, a unit of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan, in Papua.

One of the mortar bombs was set off at a gas station at Mile 50. The second bomb, one of two explosives placed under a bridge crossing the Kabur river on Mile 39, was also set off. Neither explosion caused any significant damage. (amr)

Human rights/law

Lampung victims demand rehabilitation

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2009

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandar Lampung – Victims of the Talangsari tragedy urged the government on Friday to seriously settle the prolonged human rights violation case and pay them reasonable compensation.

They also asked the government to change the name given to the victims after they were labeled for years as rebels intending to establish an Indonesian Islamic State (NII).

"The Talangsari tragedy took place 20 years ago, but up to now the fate of our families remains unclear. Our children and other family members are unable to get jobs simply because we are already labeled rebels," Jayus, 61, one of the victims, said.

The Talangsari tragedy, popularly known as the Warsidi case, took place on Feb. 7, 1989, in Cihideung, Talangsari village, Rajabasa Lama district, in Central Lampung regency (now called East Lampung regency). A military battalion from the Garuda Hitam Military District Command in Lampung raided the Cihideung village from three directions in the early morning, killing hundreds of members of a prayer group led by Warsidi.

The raid was launched because a day earlier, an officer- the head of Way Jepara military unit Capt. Sukiman – was killed at the prayer site. Sukiman died after he was hit by poisonous arrows in his chest and wounded by a dagger.

The Indonesian Military and government officials said at that time that the prayer group intended to establish the NII. Warsidi himself was the son of one of the subordinates of Abdullah Sungkar, an NII figure who once fled to Malaysia.

Amir, 62, another victim of the tragedy, said he once was detained by the soldiers for 16 months. The Muslim religious teacher at an elementary school in East Lampung was accused of being a member of Warsidi's prayer group. After being detained without trial, his salary was cut by 50 percent.

"And I did not get my pension money. According to the head of the local education office, I had to get a recommendation letter from the detention center. I never got it, as I was never declared to have been freed from the detention center," he said. Azwar Kaili, 75, another victim, admitted his children and grandchildren faced difficulties getting jobs in both private and state-run companies because they were branded as dissidents.

"We ask the government to pay attention to our miserable condition. Our village does not have electricity, even though all neighboring villages have it," he said. "Our demands are simple: we just want our legal case to be settled, we want to be given compensation and we want our names rehabilitated," Kaili said.

Jayus further said that he was tired of struggling for the fate of his fellow victims. He and the other victims entrusted the case entirely to the Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), which currently had difficulties investigating Lt. Gen. (ret.) Hendro Priyono, the former commander of the Garuda Hitam Military Command in Lampung.

Komnas HAM has not been able to investigate the human rights violation in the Talangsari tragedy because it has not been given permission to do so, unlike the Corruption Eradication Commission, which is given much more power to fight corruption.

The efforts to settle the Talangsari tragedy was also hindered by the fact that the government said that the tragedy victims were members of an armed group intending to launch a rebellion.

A commemoration of the tragedy will be held in Bandarlampung on Saturday. A get-together will be conducted, with Komnas HAM member Kabul Supriyadi, HAM activist Suciwati and victims of the tragedy in attendance. The meeting will feature a poetry reading by Lampung artists.

Media access to Rohingyas blocked

Jakarta Globe - February 1, 2009

Nivell Rayda – The Indonesian government yesterday blocked media access to the Rohingya refugees stranded in Aceh Province, reflecting the sensitive nature of the case and the embarrassment it has caused to the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Burma.

The group of 193 predominantly Rohingya Muslims who were rescued off the Aceh coastline in a cramped vessel with no engine and with no food and water are believed to be a part of a group of 1,000 migrants from Burma, where they face persecution from the military regime that controls the country.

As many as 500 of the group are feared to have died after the Thai army towed them out to sea and cast them adrift after they had landed in the country last year.

The Indonesian government appears likely to classify the Rohingya boat people as economic migrants, not political refugees, and to return them home. One of the refugees was reported to have said that if that if that were the case, it would be better for the Indonesians to kill them. "Better we die at the hands of Muslims... if we go back, we'll definitely be killed."

Kusuma Pradopo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' coordinator for the Rohingya refugees, confirmed he had limited access for journalists, but did allow the state-run Antara news agency to interview ministry and military officials.

Antara reported on Sunday that the refugees were given soccer balls and badminton equipment for what Kusuma said was to "get them in shape and reduce their stress levels." The boat people were also given an outdoor cinema every night, the news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the head of one of the country's largest Muslim organizations said on Sunday that the government was doing little to help the Rohingya refugees stranded on Subang Island.

"The government is not doing enough to help them. I urge the government to show more sympathy towards our Muslim brothers and take serious measures," Din Syamsuddin, the chairman of Muhammadiyah said. "If the government can't do it, then Muhammadiyah will help them."

The ministry said last week that it had sent interpreters to the camp to interview each refugee and clarify their motives for fleeing before deciding whether to send them back to Burma or let them stay here. However, with no media access, it is difficult to ascertain whether this indeed did occur.

Around 800,000 Rohingyas live in Burma, and about 28,000 more live in UNHCR refugee camps near the Burmese border in Bangladesh.

Amnesty International said in a 2005 report that Rohingyas are denied citizenship in predominately Buddhist Burma, where they are sometimes forced to work on military projects and face land seizures, destruction of their homes and extortion.

"It is time we take the Rohingya matter to the regional forum. Indonesia has been to soft towards the junta in Burma. We hope the same thing will not happen again," Syamsuddin said.

Labour/migrant workers

Employers body: One million jobs may be lost

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2009

In a stark warning of bad times to come, the Indonesian Employers Association, or Apindo, said on Friday that unemployment was likely to increase by between 800,000 and a million this year, not 400,000 as forecast by the government.

Apindo chairman Sofyan Wanandi said the association was predicting that up to one million people would face redundancy as demand for the country's exports shrank. The worst affected sectors, he said, were likely to be producers of primary commodities and export-orientated industries, like textiles and footwear.

Wanandi said the forecast was based on an informal poll of members and that no estimates for individual sectors were available.

Speaking in the House on Thursday, National Planning Minister Paskah Suzetta said that if Indonesia's only managed to achieve 4.5 percent growth this year, then open unemployment would rise to 8.6 percent, meaning that 9.82 million people would be jobless.

"People on temporary contracts will be particularly affected by layoffs. Permanent staff will also be affected if the domestic and overseas markets continue to shrink," he said.

To avoid major layoffs, Sofyan urged the government to expedite labor-intensive development projects, particularly infrastructure.

"Infrastructure gives the country added value in addition to providing jobs. Through building better seaports and roads, the government can help the real sector speed up the flow of exports." Paskah said.

Separately, Singgih Witarso, the deputy chairman of the Indonesian Footwear Association, or Aprisindo, said the association expected that some 30,000 workers employed in the footwear sector, out of a total 1.5 million, could lose their jobs this year.

SBY asks industries to keep workers

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2009

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked national industries to reign in spending in a bid to avoid mass layoffs when the economic downturn takes effect.

The president also ordered local administrations to temporarily accommodate sacked informal sector workers to reduce the impact of the global recession. Yudhoyono said the ongoing financial crisis had led to domestic industries dismissing around 250,000 workers so far.

"The Indonesian government has been working hard to save the real sector and our business world. We have provided various incentives, including tax cuts and excise discounts, so that businesses will survive," the president said Thursday during a visit to the Japanese-based printer manufacturer PT Indonesia Epson in Cikarang, Bekasi.

"Therefore I hope businesses can take the appropriate measures and strive for efficiency so they need not dismiss workers," he said.

Earlier in the day, the President visited the factory of local tea beverage producer PT Sinar Sosro in Cibitung, also in Bekasi. Accompanying the President were several cabinet members, including Industry Minister Fahmi Idris and Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu.

Yudhoyono said the government was committed to helping the business sector survive the crisis and prevent mass dismissals, despite the economic slowdown.

Fahmi and Mari assisted the President in choosing which companies they would visit, deciding on both domestic and foreign business.

Sosro and Epson were selected because despite the hardship, the labor-intensive companies continue to grow without laying off their workers. There are around 8,500 and 10,000 workers, respectively in each of the companies.

"I know this is a hard time. We must do our best to help the business community and ensure it does not go into bankruptcy. Cutting taxes may result in declining government revenue, and our budget is indeed thinning. But that's better than if the industry collapses and mass layoffs occur," he said.

Yudhoyono, accompanied also by West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, told the heads of local administrations to treat informal sector workers in their respective areas with sensitivity and respect.

Before sweeping street vendors from public places, local administrations should think about solutions for the evicted traders to ensure they can continue supporting themselves, he said.

"Many of the 250,000 workers laid off now work in the informal sector. So, please, before giving chasing to these vendors, understand the current situation and perhaps assist them with some solutions. In the future when conditions are back to normal, you can commence sweeping the streets once more," the President said.

Besides speaking briefly with the executives of the two firms Thursday, Yudhoyono also met with workers. Visiting factories has become a common move for SBY, who has declared he is ready and willing to compete in the July presidential elections.

A recent survey conducted by a workers union found Yudhoyono is highly unpopular among laborers, who instead lean toward former president Megawati Soekarnoputri or the incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) said most businesses may wait until after elections before deciding whether to lay off workers permanently, to minimize potential social unrest.

Companies will start to temporarily dismiss permanent employees in April during the general election, Apindo chairman Sofjan Wanandi said. "Then we will observe the economic situation after the elections. If things do not get any better, then there will be layoffs, unfortunately," he said.

Apindo data showed that in Jakarta alone, around 4,000 employees had been sacked in December, with another 6,000 workers by the end of January. On a national scale, almost 28,000 workers have been laid off since last September, with more in the tens of thousands expected to follow.

Indonesia: 100,000 workers to be sent Home

Jakarta Post/ANN - February 4, 2009

Jakarta – Around 100,000 Indonesian laborers in Malaysia are expected to return to Indonesia this year as Malaysia experiences an economic slowdown.

"Just before Chinese New Year, about 10,000 workers in Johor had already been sent back to Indonesia. We expect an increase in layoffs in the near future," Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Da'i Bachtiar said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

However, Da'i added Malaysia's Human Resources minister, S. Subramaniam, had told the Indonesian Embassy that the government would try its best to reduce the numbers of workers being sent home.

He also said Malaysia was currently host to 2 million Indonesian workers, 800,000 of whom were working illegally. "We've got more than 300,000 workers in the manufacturing sector, and a third of them will gradually be laid off," Da'i said.

Those working as domestic helpers, however, will be least affected by the economic downturn, the ambassador pointed out, "Unless their employers decide to send them home."

Most workers underpaid in East Java

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

A. Faisal and RM. Sijabat, Surabaya – Majority of workers in the province were underpaid in January with a strong call on authorities to take stern action against employers violating the governor decree on the minimum wages hike.

The Labor Defender Alliance (ABM) – which established a special desk with the Surabaya legal Aids Institute (LBH Surabaya) to receive complaints from workers – revealed Saturday that it had received complaints from more than 50,000 workers in industrial areas in the province regarding employer violations of the 2009 provincial minimum wages.

"They (the workers) complained they were paid in accordance with the 2008 provincial minimum wages at the end of January, despite the Governor Decree No. 188/2008 on hikes by an average of 17 percent taking effect Jan. 1, 2009," ABM coordinator Jamaluddin told The Jakarta Post.

He said most employers in Surabaya did not increase their workers' wages and paid them, including those working for more than one year, Rp 905,000 last week, while the government had set Rp 948,000 as new monthly minimum wage in the city.

He said similar violations also occurred in industrial zones in Sidoarjo, Gresik, Pasuruan, Mojokerto and Malang. "But, according to our field survey, many workers have declined to file complaints to ABM's complaint desk for fresh fears of dismissals and layoffs."

Jamaluddin said his side was still coordinating with other workers' unions to go down to streets and pressurize employers to comply with the decree, and to ask authorities to take stern actions against companies infringing the decree.

Workers of footwear box producer PT Sumber Jaya in Tanjungsari, Surabaya, said the management had decided to postpone paying their workers in accordance with the wages hike because they were still waiting for a decision from the court trying the lawsuit filed by the employers' association.

Some 150 workers of a toy producer PT Duta Mainan in Kenjeran, Surabaya, told the Post that only 50 workers employed more than one year were paid according to the 2008 minimum wage, while 100 others were paid around Rp 450,000 for the month.

"We are required to show up on time and to work overtime without any extra pay," said a worker wanting to remain anonymous.

Muhammad Sokib, a father of three children and worker of plywood company PT Indah Gejora in Pasuruan, said all workers, including himself, were paid Rp 905,000 in January and they declined to question it for fears of being dismissed.

The provincial chapter of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) disseminated a circular in December 2008 and January, 2009, calling for employers to suspend paying their workers in accordance with the new hike in the minimum wages while waiting for a final decision on the Apindo lawsuit.

In December Apindo filed the lawsuit against the decree. Apindo said the provincial government did not consult with employers before issuing the decree. Employers have objected to the decree, they said, because the global economic downturn was impacting the provincial economy.

The provincial government recently allowed 14 of 37 companies filing a request to be exempted from the wage hike decree, to underpay their workers due to their financial difficulties.

Noerana Dibyantarsih, a member of the LBH Surabaya's legal team, said her side had made an inventory of 17 companies that dismissed a total of 5,200 workers over the past two months without any approval from the manpower and transmigration authorities.

She said the legal aid institution would file a complaint to the Judicial Commission if the court decided in Apindo's favor.

"Employers should bear in mind that the gubernatorial decree regulates minimum wages and it is effective only for single workers with less than one year of employment. Authorities should take stern actions against employers underpaying their workers," she said.

Suryono Pane, a unionist from the Confederation of All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI) in Pasuruan, said only 60 percent of companies in the industrial zone paid their workers in accordance with the gubernatorial decree.

"Many employers pledged to comply with the decree and give the back-pay if the court turns down Apindo's lawsuit," he said.

Environment/natural disasters

Floods, landslides wreak more havoc in Central Java

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2009

Agus Maryono and Nana Rukmana, Cilacap/Cirebon – Landslides and floods triggered by incessant monsoon rain over the last four days in Cilacap, Central Java, have laid waste to 20 mountain villages spread over five districts.

A local official said that up to 105 houses had been buried by landslides, forcing 2,000 residents to evacuate their homes.

There were reports of one fatality in the incident – Jannatun, 65, who was abandoned ill without food or medicine in one of the villages.

The evacuated residents were living in appalling conditions in makeshift camps. There was no firewood or kerosene with which to cook.

Heru Susedyono, head of Majenang district, one of the affected areas, said that a landslide had hit Kutabima and Boja villages Tuesday night. "At least 45 houses were cut off because they were covered in debris from the landslide," Heru said.

All of the 105 houses that were buried were in West Cilacap, Heru said, adding that all residents had evacuated to various temporary shelters.

He said the floods had destroyed 3,000 hectares of paddy fields and killed tens of thousands of chickens raised by local people.

"In our village alone, at least 1,000 hectares of paddy fields were damaged, and about 5,000 chickens were swept away," said Muttaqin, head of Mulyasari village, Majenang district.

Cirebon and Indramayu regencies, both on the north coast of Java and both relatively susceptible to disasters during the rainy season, have set aside Rp 3 billion (US$270,000) and Rp 2 billion, respectively, to fund preparations for disaster relief efforts in the fear that floods or landslides should strike.

Both regencies have also barred all officials from taking leave and traveling outside of the areas.

"We have arranged the funds as part of our efforts to brace for the possibility of disasters during the current rainy season. The funds will be allocated for a number of areas in Cirebon regency that are prone to flooding or landslides," Cirebon Regent Dedi Supardi said.

He said that the money would be distributed by the Natural Disaster Mitigation task force (Satkorlak PBA).

"The Satkorlak PBA will be directly led by the provincial secretary and will manage the disaster mitigation funds," said Dedi.

He said that his office would set up disaster response coordination posts in the districts. "The posts will function as information and mitigation centers for victims. They will also act as emergency health posts in the event of a disaster," he said.

The Indramayu regency administration has also banned its officials from taking leave.

Activists rally against insensitive politicians

Jakarta Post - February 3, 2009

Nana Rukmana, Cirebon – The Cirebon Non-governmental Coalition (KLC) has urged eligible voters not to vote for politicians who are insensitive toward environmental issues in the 2009 legislative election.

"The campaign is part of our efforts to raise awareness on the importance of environmental affairs as well as a political education means for the public. We hope people would not vote for politicians who are irresponsible toward environmental issues," said KLC coordinator Yoyon Suharyono on Monday.

Yoton said KLC was comprised of NGOs and environmentalists from various elements of society in Cirebon, including student activists. He added the campaign was directed at politicians vying for the House of Representatives, provincial legislature and regency and mayoralty legislative elections.

"The campaign is also aimed at candidates for the Regional Executive Board. We want the politicians to place environmental issues on top of their priority list, failing which they will be come targets of the campaign against anti environmental politicians," said Yoyon.

According to Yoyon, who is also director of the Labor and Environmental Foundation (YBLH), a majority of the politicians campaigning in Cirebon have somewhat played a role in environmental damage.

In Cirebon city, 514 legislative candidates from 36 political parties will contend in the legislative election vying for 30 seats at the municipal council.

In Cirebon regency, 725 candidates from 34 parties will contest for 45 seats at the regency legislature.

Yoyon said KLC would also report politicians resorting to environmental damage during campaigning. "We are listing the names of politicians we believe have committed environmental damage during campaigns. We will publicize their names and report them to the Election Supervisory Committee and the disputed parties," said Yoyon.

A number of legislative candidates have welcomed the environmental campaign.

Cicip Awaludin, a candidate for the Cirebon municipal council from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle said the campaign could serve as a benchmark for candidates to be concerned about environmental issues.

"We have to admit that many politicians are less sensitive toward environmental issues now. Through control from activists and the community, the politicians must be held responsible of the environment now facing severe damage," said Cicip.

Heavy floods and landslides ravage Central Java over weekend

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

Agus Maryono and Suherdjoko, Semarang – Heavy rains over the past three days have caused flooding and landslides in several regencies in Central Java that have left at least six people dead.

Floodwaters engulfed several villages in Kroya district, Cilacap regency, destroying 450 hectares of almost-harvested rice crops.

"We suffered this time," Dulyasir, a farmer from Sikampuh village, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. "At the start of the farming, we faced a fertilizer shortage, now our crops are destroyed by floods. Now what do we have to eat?"

The 56-year-old said he was almost certain all the crops were ruined and could not be harvested, having been submerged in floodwaters for almost three days.

Badriyah, from the same village, said rains had poured continuously since Saturday.

"During the last two nights, the rain never stopped," she said. "Suddenly I had water entering my house."

In Surakarta, 500 residents in Joyotakan got ready to flee their homes as the nearby Bengawan Solo River burst its banks and flooded some homes with water as high as 1.5 meters. The swelling of the river was believed to have stemmed from the Bengawan Solo's tributaries, leaving the water level at Gajah Mungkur Dam at safe levels.

"The height of the water at the dam was still below the critical level of 133 meters," said Sumartono, director of the Jasa Tirta water company.

Surakarta city remained on high alert after water engulfed most of the city.

The Jenes and Premulung rivers in the northwest of the city left the Premulung and Bumi areas in almost 2 meters of water. At least 400 people were forced to evacuate.

However, residents of Sewu, located on the riverbank, remained in their homes, saying the river had not overflowed yet. Several areas along the banks of the Bengawan Solo in Sukaharjo regency were inundated in meter-high water.

The four districts of Kartasura, Gatak, Polokarto and Grogol were the worst hit by the flooding.

"Actually, the river has not overflowed yet," said Wisnu, a member of the local search and rescue team. "But we will evacuate residents living near parts of the river that have already overflowed."

Besides flooding, the heavy rains also triggered landslides in several regencies, including Banyumas, Kebumen, Wonosobo and Karanganyar, killing at least six people.

The victims, residents of Ngelogok village, Ngargoyoso district, Karanganyar, were buried alive after a hill behind their homes collapsed on Friday. The victims were Ilham, 2, his mother, Sadinem, 40, Karyotomo, 70, and Tumi, 60, all members of a family. Ilham's brother was being treated in hospital for severe injuries. The other victims were Waginem, 40, and her granddaughter, Fitri, 12.

"Members of the rescue team have now split up to deal with flood victims and landslide victims," Aris Triyono of the Central Java SAR agency told the Post on Sunday.

In Banyumas, landslides destroyed at least 15 homes on Sunday in the villages of Cihonje, Telaga and Paningkaban, in Gumelar district.

Landslides also damaged six homes in Karanganyar district, Kebumen regency. No fatalities were reported in those incidents.

[Blontank Poer contributed to this report from Surakarta.]

Women & gender

Women's rights caught in clash between the future and the past

Jakarta Globe - February 4, 2009

Camelia Pasandaran – Women's rights groups and Muslim groups have opposing perceptions of issues confronting women in Indonesia today.

"There are two groups in opposition with regards to women's rights issues," Fahmina Institute director Marzuki said during a meeting held by the National Commission on Violence Against Women in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He said most women's groups agreed that the principles of democracy and pluralism supported reforms on marriage law and Islamic family law, but that hard-line Islamic groups such as Hizbut Tahrir and the Islamic Front Defender opposed such ideas.

Marzuki said the government itself had been inconsistent in its attempts to reform the disparity between sexes. He said the Ministry of Religious Affairs had passed a decree in 2004 protecting the rights of women, but after the ministry came under attack from hard-line groups, it annulled the decree just four days later.

The decree stated that polygamy was contrary to Islamic law and therefore forbidden, allowed interreligious marriage and gave men and women the same rights in areas that included property inheritance.

Marzuki said that the timing of the 2004 decree was bad and that it would take another 15 years before society was willing to accept such radical changes.

Isnawati Rais, a lecturer at State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, disagreed that the current law on polygamy should be amended.

"The strategy is not only about timing, but also how to ensure that people understand what the law means before they decide whether to revise it," Isnawati said. "As for polygamy, don't look at it from a negative perspective, but look its noble origins," she said.

Isnawati said that polygamy had long been practised in human history. "Islam came to the world to regulate [polygamy], and made some limitations, not to erase it," she said, adding that its use should be regulated by the Koran.

According to Sri Wiyanti Eddyono, a member of the National Commission on Violence Against Women, polygamy was just one of a number of articles that had to be revised. "Under the marriage law, for example, women are only allowed to exist in domestic areas. All of us who attend this discussion are sinful under the law."

Indonesia divorce surges in reform decade

Reuters - February 4, 2009

Jakarta – The divorce rate in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has surged in a decade often driven by a clash of religious and political beliefs between partners, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Data from the Religious Affairs ministry showed the number of divorces had increased 10-fold since the end of the authoritarian rule of President Suharto in 1998 and a new era of democratic reforms, the Jakarta Post reported.

The divorce rate jumped from an average of 20,000 a year to more than 200,000 a year over the decade, the Director General for Islamic guidance at the Religious Affairs Ministry, Nasaruddin Umar, told the paper. Umar said about 2 million Indonesian couples were married every year.

Polygamy, which is not uncommon in Indonesia, was by far the most frequent reason cited for divorce but political differences were also driving more couples apart than ever, Umar said.

Indonesia allows polygamy, but according to the marriage law, a man can only get court approval to take a second wife if his first wife agrees, or if she is disabled or cannot have children.

"Believe it or not, some couples decide to divorce because the husband and wife have different takes on political issues. This has never happened before," said Umar.

In 2005, 105 couples cited political differences as the cause of their split but this figure jumped to 502 couples in 2006. Figures for 2007 and 2008 were yet to be calculated.

The official said 90 per cent of marriages between people of different religions ended in divorce. Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, although also has sizeable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist communities.

Data from 2006 showed that 879 couples cited polygamy as the reason for divorce.

Umar was quoted by the paper as saying the rising divorce rate was "probably because women now have a greater awareness of women's rights."

[Reporting by Sunanda Creagh; Editing by Ed Davies and David Fox.]

Women reject polygamy, choosing divorce

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – An increasing number of Muslim women are choosing to divorce their husbands rather than continue in a polygamous marriage, data from national Islamic courts show.

The courts recorded that in 2006 there were nearly 1000 cases of divorce resulting from wives' disagreeing with their husbands marrying another woman, an increase from figures in prior years.

Director General for Islamic guidance at the Ministry for Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar said Sunday he believed the number of divorce cases linked to disputes over polygamous marriages increased again in 2008 and would continue to rise throughout 2009.

"There has been a significant increase in divorce because women have been rejecting polygamy in recent years," he said.

Muslim scholar Siti Musdah Mulia said the data indicated Muslim women were becoming increasingly aware of their rights and also more economically independent.

"The data shows women are now daring to fight for their rights and reject male domination. They are now saying,'What is the point in continuing a marriage when I am miserable'", she said.

Siti, a lecturer at the State Islamic University in Jakarta, said women were becoming more independent and educated, two factors leading to a greater sense of worth and place.

She said Muslim women were becoming increasingly aware of their rights and potential through the tireless efforts of NGOs and women activists who have launched campaigns against polygamy.

"This is a good sign. Efforts by organizations to raise awareness surrounding women's rights has begun to pay off, even with discussions surrounding polygamy seeing a revival among Muslims with the release of the movie Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love)," said Legislator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana of the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Verses of Love, a film about the conditions experienced by women in polygamous relationships, was one of Indonesia's blockbuster films last year. Along with millions who flocked to see it, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla, also made prominent appearances at cinemas to see the flick.

Many high-ranking officials praised the film while activists accused it of acting as propaganda encouraging polygamy.

Meanwhile, polygamy is on the rise across Indonesia. The Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK) received 87 reports of polygamy last year, up from 16 in 2007.

Illegal abortions still an option for Indonesian women

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – For thousands of Indonesian women, abortion is still viewed as the only way to solve the problems surrounding pregnancies outside marriage or financial stresses from keeping the baby.

"I had an abortion a few days ago and honestly, I feel so guilty," Elli, 22, told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.

Elli's boyfriend, with whom she has been sexually active for three years but is not married, refused to have the baby. After graduating from a private university in Jakarta several months ago, her boyfriend could not find work and money was an issue.

"My family never condoned me having the baby. That option was completely unacceptable. It would have been humiliating and people would have mocked us. The best thing we could do was let this baby go," Elli said.

Elli and her boyfriend panicked when they discovered she had been pregnant for about two months, so they sought information from friends about a clinic in Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, that performed illegal abortions. She paid one million rupiah for the "service".

"A midwife carried out the process. I was terribly afraid but I had to do it. We received a cheap price because my pregnancy was still in the first trimester," Elli said.

Ferly, a 31-year-old married woman, admitted she had an abortion after her family planning program failed.

"I was using pills while on the family program, but to my surprise they failed. I was pregnant with another child when my first son was only five-month-old," she said. To undergo an abortion was a difficult decision for her and plagued her sleep.

Tania (not her real name) has had three abortions and claims she doesn't feel guilty anymore. "I felt guilty after the first abortion but I felt normal after the following two," Tania, a sex worker from a small nightclub in North Jakarta, said.

"I fell pregnant because I did not take precautions during sex. They were all accidental and resulted in having to see the abortion doctor several times," she told the Post.

One of her friends, also a sex worker, informed her that a doctor at a clinic in Salemba, Central Jakarta, could abort her pregnancy.

The clinic, she said, never asked for any documents from their patients before the operation, but simply required patients sign a risk waiver to ensure any injuries incurred were not the responsibility of the doctor. The prices range from between Rp 1,5 million to Rp 15 million, depending how far along the pregnancy is.

"Finding a doctor willing to carry out the abortion is easy," Tania said.

The National Family Planning Coordinating Body (BKKBN) and the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI) data showed approximately 2 million illegal abortions are carried out each year.

Chairman of the Indonesian Doctor Association (IDI) Fachmi Idris said abortion was illegal in Indonesia except when the pregnancy posed a serious risk to the mother, but the decision really came down to the ethics of the doctor.

The association, he said, never allowed its members to conduct illegal abortions, instead advising people to report to official clinics. "In the past, doctors have been caught performing illegal abortions," he said.

Fachmi said the government had opened a clinic in Raden Saleh, Central Jakarta, for women to legally abort their baby if they have a compelling reason.

Corruption & graft

Traumatized House pushes aside graft court bill

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2009

Jakarta – Members of the House of Representatives remain traumatized over recent uncompromising rulings by the Corruption Court, says a legislator.

All legislators tried for corruption by the court have been convicted and sentenced to lengthy jail terms, creating fear among other legislators that they could be next.

The fear has led them to deliberately delay the passage of the corruption court bill, which will establish a permanent anti- graft court, and under a heavy public pressure, create an independent court for corruption cases, the legislator said.

On Friday, Nasir Jamil from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) told The Jakarta Post that many of his colleagues were traumatized over the Corruption Court, following the recent conviction of a legislator involved in graft.

"Frankly, the court not only revealed the man's acceptance of bribes, but also his affair, and this embarrassed him so much. This fact has got some people here worried," he said, refusing to give more details about who those people were.

Anticorruption activists also expressed doubt that the House would endorse the bill before the existing court's mandate expires this December.

Indonesia Corruption Watch's (ICW) Emerson Yuntho said legislators were reluctant to support the bill because they feared the power of the Corruption Court.

"The court has convicted eight House of Representatives members of graft, and it's likely that more legislators will be investigated and tried," Emerson said.

Nasir said many legislators felt the Corruption Court was unnecessary. "The objections by those legislators is probably because there is another option to try corruption cases in the country – by using state courts, improving the judges' credibility and ability," he said.

But district courts have long been associated with corruption. A recent Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) survey singled out the Indonesian judiciary as the most corrupt of public institutions in the country.

ICW also revealed that courts had released 60 percent of those convicted of corruption, while 30 percent of those convicted of graft were sentenced to less than a year in prison.

Nasir also pointed out that many legislators would be too busy campaigning in the upcoming election to concentrate on deliberating the bill.

"Actually, I'm worried the bill will not be passed in the next few months, due to legislators' campaign activities," he said.

"House members will work until March 6, and then they'll be busy for the next few months with the election. No one will remember this bill, even though it's nearing it's deadline."

He added that even after the elections, the new legislators would be busy settling into their new jobs.

However, other legislators, including Gayus Lumbuun from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), were more optimistic about getting the bill passed on time.

"We are optimistic the bill will be passed by December this year," he told the Post.

He added his party had recommended that its members work on the bill before they got busy with the elections.

"We have to finish it, otherwise the government will just make a 'regulation-in-lieu-of-law' for corruption," he said.

However, ICW's Emerson said he doubted the legislator's commitment to curbing corruption.

"Only the National Awakening Party [PKB] and the Reform Star Party [PBR] are serious about this bill, while the other parties are fending for themselves," he said. (naf)

Judiciary the worst in graft: KPK survey

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2009

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The judiciary has been singled out as the most corrupt of public institutions in Indonesia, while state pawnshops come out the cleanest, a survey by the country's antigraft body revealed Wednesday.

The integrity survey was conducted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) between June and September last year.

It involved 105 public service units at 40 ministries and institutions at the national level, and 52 at municipal and regency levels across 20 provinces.

The survey ranks institutions on a scale of 1-10, where 1 means highly corrupt and 10 means graft-free.

The three district courts in West Jakarta, North Jakarta and Central Jakarta were rated lowest, with scores ranging from 2.52 and 4.47.

The Finance Ministry's State Treasury Office came in second, followed by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry's Penitentiaries Institution.

The study also found the most evidence of bribery in state electricity firm PLN and the National Land Agency (BPN).

"The average score of 6.84 at the national level is higher than in the 2007 integrity survey, which had an average score of 5.53," KPK deputy chairman Mochammad Jasin said at the survey's launch.

"But the score is considered worse than the integrity level of public sectors in other countries." For the survey, the KPK interviewed 9,390 direct users of public services, including 3,150 at the national level. "More than 30 percent of respondents admitted to paying extra fees for services at this level," Jasin said.

He added the survey also revealed the public was still "permissive" toward corrupt behavior.

"Some 54 percent of respondents considered paying 'extra fees' for services as acceptable," he said, adding that an interesting discovery was that 52 percent said they paid bribes based on a "mutual agreement" between officials and themselves as consumers.

Only 28 percent said "extra fees" were paid at the initiative of serving officials. Jasin said the reasons for bribery ranged from the common perception that paying "small money" was not corruption, to a lack to ineffective punishment for public servants.

He added most institutions at the national level had yet to launch antigraft efforts, with 65 percent of respondents saying they had never witnessed such campaigns at the service units they visited.

The survey shows the cleanest institutions include the state pawn shops, the Health Ministry, the postal firms and the Foreign Ministry.

Last month, Transparency International Indonesia released a survey that found the highest levels of bribery were in the police force, while judicial corruption was the most costly.

Corruption ingrained in procurement processes

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2009

Jakarta – Trillions of rupiah in state funds are embezzled each year through corrupt procurement deals involving government facilities.

Former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy Sjahrudin Rasul told civil servants attending a graft-prevention workshop Wednesday that improper conduct had eradicated almost half the total funding allocated for the purchase of new equipment for government facilities.

"Corruption is present almost every step of the way in these deals," Sjahrudin said to the audience.

Recent figures from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) indicate that up to 50 percent of national contracts involving equipment purchases are plagued by corruption. The Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) estimates corruption levels to be around 30 percent.

"These deals involve large sums of money," Sjahrudin said. "In 2006, these contracts involved around Rp 118 trillion (US$10 billion), and that does not include funds from the regional budget, state or local businesses."

He said the nation's weak legal structure allowed these acts to go unpunished. "Also, the absence of standard pricing and an independent monitoring body, as well as the weakness of the Supreme Audit Agency all encouraged this cycle of misconduct to continue," he said.

Both the government and businesses have been involved in purchasing equipment in the past through closed deals hidden from the public eye.

This lack of transparency frequently leads to opportunities for corruption, Sjahrudin said. During the planning phase, there are often markups on the price of materials, with the figure hiked again just before the bidding process begins.

The documentation used in these deals is often falsified, incomplete or fabricated entirely, and as the parties involved have a vested interest in the outcome of the deal, this lack of official documentation makes tracing crimes and those responsible very difficult.

"From the very beginning of these deals, it is hard to determine whether every step along the way was purely made to allow corruption to flourish," Sjahrudin said.

The winner of the contract is usually determined well before the sale of any goods begins to ensure everybody benefits satisfactorily.

In the long run though, the result of these deals is always the same. Despite adequate funding initially, there are normally chronic shortages of high-quality goods and services at these government facilities, with key funding siphoned along the way.

According to Transparency International, Indonesia scored a Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 2.6 out of 10, a slight increase from 2.3 in 2007.

"Yes, there has been a small improvement, and for that we should be grateful, but we still have a long way to go," State Minister for Administrative Reform Taufik Effendy said.

"We must strive to eradicate corruption in a way that involves all members of society." (dis)

Islam/religion

'Jaipong' dance becomes latest victim of pornography law

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2009

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The controversial pornography law has been blasted for targeting cultural heritage, after West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan used it as a legal basis to forbid Jaipong dancers from wearing "sexy" costumes and executing "provocative" dance moves.

The West Java administration's ban has prompted severe criticism from artists and legislators who blast it as a move to curb the traditional arts and culture of local people.

Bandung-born singer and dancer Dewi Gita said she did not see the need for the administration to delve into the matter when there were so many other problems affecting the province, including floods, poverty and expensive education.

"You see, Jaipong has nearly vanished. It is our unique heritage and we should do our best to keep it alive. But instead of supporting the internationally recognized dance, the authorities encourage its extinction," she said.

Dewi, who traveled the world performing Jaipong in the 1990s, said that in the pre-reform era, she could travel abroad five times a year to perform, and always won huge praise from overseas audiences. But now, she said, a once-a-year international performance was considered lucky.

"Jaipong has nothing to do with pornography, it's merely a cultural expression. The dance is actually derived from the traditional ketuk tilu dance, which is a way that girls attract boys in Sundanese traditional customs. No wonder, the girl must be provocative and sexy," she said.

Noted Sundanese artist Gugum Gumbira created Jaipong to help indigenous dance and music compete with Western popular shows, after then president Sukarno in 1961 banned rock and roll and other Western music.

Although an urban dance, Jaipong is based primarily on village forms of ketuk tilu and on pencak silat, the Indonesian martial arts.

Legislator and Padjadjaran University professor Chandra Wila said that besides suppressing cultural expression, the ban violated the porn law. "Jaipong is a form of cultural expression, and the law should protect it. Why they do they want to ban it?"

MUI cleric seeks boycott of new movie

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2009

Jakarta – A senior cleric has called on Muslims to boycott a new film about Islam's treatment of women, saying it "slanders" the religion.

The film, Perempuan Berkalung Sorban (Woman with a scarf around her neck), sullies the reputation of Islam, Ali Mustafa Yaqub, the lead cleric at Jakarta's main mosque, Istiqlal Grand Mosque, said, as reported by Agence France-Presse on Friday.

Directed by Hanung Bramantyo, the film tells the story of a student, the daughter of a conservative cleric, who rebels against the limitations put on women at an Islamic boarding school in Java.

"The impression the film gives of Islamic schools is regrettable and I'd be bold enough to say it doesn't hurt their image so much as slander them," Ali said.

"My advice is, just don't watch it. Period. "This film could create misunderstandings about Islam and Islamic schools," said Ali, who is also deputy on the fatwa commission of the powerful Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

Filmmaker Hanung has dismissed Ali's protest, saying the cleric was provoked by those opposed to the film to call for such a boycott.

"The imam wants to follow the voices of those wanting to slander the film. How could he make such a statement when he hasn't seen the movie?" he asked, as quoted by the detik.com news portal.

Hanung's 2008 Ayat-Ayat Cinta (Verses of love) dealt with other Islamic issues, polygamy and religious prejudice, and became a runaway hit in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

The boycott call drew criticism from moderate Muslim scholar Siti Musdah Mulia. She said the film exposed the reality of many Indonesian Muslim women currently "oppressed" in the name of religion.

"I think the film uncovers the real condition of female Muslims. As Muslims, we don't like to see our religion stifling women. But practically, it is still like that," said Musdah, as quoted by detik.com.

She called on Muslims to defy the call and said the government should not ban the film.

Musdah, a senior lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN), also urged Muslims "not to easily anger" when encountering criticism about the discrimination Muslim women face.

"Muslims should be honest in facing this reality and recognize the fact that some ulema and religious leaders often offer misguided teachings on the rights and obligations of women in Islam," she added.

"This film tries to combat this misperception of Islam, including a teaching that bars Muslim women from leaving home (at night). It used to be like that," Musdah said. She is the first Indonesian woman to receive a doctorate in the field of political thought in Islam.

PKS warns dancers not to shake hips

Jakarta Globe - February 6, 2009

Muninggar Sri Saraswati – Traditional West Javanese jaipongan and bajidoran dancers may be some of the first artists to feel the effects of the stricter antipornography law pushed through the Indonesian legislature last year.

The Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party, or PKS, has asked dancers to cover up and minimize gyrating movements when they dance if they wish to perform.

An official in West Java Province said on Friday that he had been told by Ahmad Heryawan, the PKS governor of West Java, that dancers must tone down the "hip shaking" that plays a significant role in Sundanese dancing.

"Female [dancers] are expected to minimize hip shaking to prevent misinterpretation," said Herdiwan, head of the West Java Province Tourism and Culture A gency, citing the governor.

The governor suggested that the dancers cover their chests with "something like a traditional kebaya top," instead of the tube tops often sported by dancers.

"It's a bit revealing. In the 1970s, jaipongan and bajidoran dancers wore kebaya tops," he said, referring to the traditional tops for Muslim women. Herdiwan added that the call was a only a request.

But Tifatul Sembiring, national PKS chairman, suggested that the governor's comments reflected the possibility that the traditional dances might violate the controversial antipornography law passed in October.

He said that "[the suggestion] was made to anticipate the antipornography law. [The governor] is only trying to keep the culture from disappearing by making it less erotic."

The law, which broadly defines pornography, is supposed to exempt cultural performances. The PKS faction in the House of Representatives was instrumental in initiating and passing the bill.

Tifatul insinuated that jaipongan was historically an erotic dance linked to "negative places," rather than a cultural art, and that the PKS effort to reign it in did not amount to an attempt to introduce Shariah law in West Java.

Artists condemned the comments, saying jaipongan was to be respected as a part of West Java's Sundanese culture. Mas Nanu Muda, a lecturer at the Bandung Dance Institute, criticized the governor's call, saying that it offended Sundanese artists.

"He suggested that artists are immoral. The dances are not just about 'hip shaking' – dancers have to learn the moves," he said. Nanu said the governor should focus on more important issues like eliminating corruption.

The social dances, which are performed by women, started in the 1970s as a contemporary take on the Ketuk Tilu dance.

The PKS statements mark the second time this week the party's take on morality has been in the spotlight, after a PKS councilor in Jambi Province was seen in a legal massage parlor. A PKS spokesman said the parlor was not providing sexual services, but that married PKS men should only be massaged by blind male masseuses.

Indonesia hard-liners seek to ban Rotary, Lions

Agence France Presse - February 2, 2009

Jakarta – Indonesian Islamic hard-liners have called for a ban on international organizations the Rotary Club and the Lions Club, saying they are part of a Zionist conspiracy, reports said Monday.

The People's Ulema Forum, or FUU, said that the clubs were fronts for Freemasonry and the world Zionist movement, and that they threatened Islam in the world's most populous Muslim country.

"They gather funds and give them to America and the Israeli Zionists," FUU chairman Atian Ali Mohammad Da'i was quoted as saying in The Jakarta Globe daily.

"We urge all Muslims to renounce membership in the Rotary Club and the Lions Club. Otherwise they can consider themselves infidels."

He called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to ban the groups.

Indonesian Muslims are overwhelmingly moderate, but a vocal hard-line fringe regularly succeeds in influencing policy makers despite opposition from secularists, civil society groups and religious minorities.

The FUU is an ultraconservative group that has used force to stop Christian services and in 2002 issued a death fatwa against a Muslim scholar who had criticized conservative Islam, the Globe reported.

Raja Juli Antony of the Maarif Institute, a moderate Islamic group, told The Jakarta Post there was no evidence that the Lions or Rotary clubs posed a threat to Islam. He said they had made positive contributions to Indonesia's development through their charity works.

A senior member of the Indonesia Ulema Council, the country's highest religious body – which last week issued a fatwa against certain forms of yoga – said it wasn't considering a ruling against the Lions or Rotary clubs.

The public service clubs were formed in the early 1900s and claim some 2.5 million members around the world. They were banned in Indonesia in 1962 for nationalist reasons, but were allowed to reopen in 2000.

Indonesia targets polygamy: official

Australian Associated Press - February 2, 2009

Indonesia is planning a crackdown on illegal polygamous marriages and will ask all Muslim couples to undergo pre-wedding marriage courses, an official says.

Religious affairs ministry official Nasaruddin Umar told AFP the government was concerned about rising rates of divorce, especially the increasing numbers of women who are leaving their polygamous husbands.

According to Indonesian court figures, in 2007 there were 937 cases of divorce due to differences over polygamy, up from a reported 813 in 2004.

Polygamy is technically legal in this mainly Muslim country, but only when the husband has registered his marriages and received the consent of his other wives.

"In our law, polygamy is allowed but the requirements are very hard. The man has to get the consent of his wife but a normal wife will never give consent to her husband wanting to marry another woman," Umar said.

"What's happening is that men are taking another wife without registering the marriage, usually through a religious ceremony which is considered legal for Islam. "In the near future we will also issue a regulation that bans this kind of marriage."

Umar said the marriage course would last about one day and would be compulsory for all engaged Muslim couples hoping to marry.

"We will teach them about the risk of polygamy. The statistics show that polygamy does more harm than good," he said.

"We have observed that the increasing divorce rate is caused by the fact that couples don't have sufficient knowledge about the substance of a marriage."

He said the idea was to "eliminate or reduce the number of couples seeking divorce".

Along with issues surrounding polygamy, the course would cover topics such as family planning and domestic violence. "They will learn about contraception so that they won't have a child every year... About domestic violence, most married couples don't know that domestic violence can carry a jail sentence in this country," he said.

Muslim cult boss held for blasphemy: Jakarta police

Reuters - February 1, 2009

Jakarta – Indonesian police were holding the head of a Muslim cult on a preliminary charge of blasphemy after allegations that the group held rituals involving sex orgies and adultery, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

Agus Imam Solihin, head of the Satria Piningit Weteng Buwono sect, gave himself up to police last week after a raid on the cult's house. A former sect member accused the leader of proclaiming himself God and holding the bizarre sex rituals, Jakarta police spokesman Zulkarnain Adinegara said.

Authorities in Indonesia had been investigating the sect and police said Solihin faces five years jail if found guilty of blasphemy. Police usually classify a person a suspect in Indonesia before prosecutors may lay formal charges.

"If it is proved that Agus Solihin has proclaimed himself God and has restricted sect members from practicing Islam such as through praying it would be blasphemy," Adenegara said.

While Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country, its constitution protects freedom of religion and it has sizeable Christian, Hindu and Buddhist communities.

A range of sects have also flourished in a country known for its religious tolerance, but some have been clamped down on by authorities, particularly when there has been pressure from a small, but vocal radical Muslim fringe.

[Reporting by Telly Nathalia; Editing by Ed Davies and Louise Ireland.]

Elections/political parties

SBY's party will pick VP after April polls

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2009

Febriamy Hutapea – Betraying an underlying sense of confidence, the Democratic Party said on Friday that it is content to wait for the results of April's legislative polls before officially selecting its vice presidential candidate to run with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Their attitude is in stark contrast to the apparent mood of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, which has been involved in comparatively frenzied back-room politicking in an attempt to earn maximum leverage from its choice to run with former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum said his party had other priorities.

"We don't want to be like other parties, who think that searching for their vice presidential candidate is like shopping, because we think that we can team up with other parties if we have a clear power base from the results of the legislative elections," Anas said on Friday.

The Democratic Party will hold a national working meeting on Feb. 8 and 9 to discuss the party's preparations for the legislative elections, and to reinforce and strengthen each candidate's strategy in the polls.

"Surveys have shown that our position is good," Anas said, "so we want to improve upon this and elevate our position even higher."

An Indonesian Survey Institute poll conducted in December found the Democratic Party leading in popularity, supported by 23 percent of 2,200 respondents, ahead of the PDI-P's 17 percent.

Anas said the party was content to focus on the legislative elections because it did not want to divert the attention of the current administration by sparking controversy over its pick for the vice presidential slot.

"We want Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to be focused on performing their duties until the end of their term, to fulfill the mandate of the 2004 election," Anas said.

Many analysts predict that Yudhoyono and Kalla will once again team up in the presidential election slated for July.

Poll law revision a hot potato

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2009

Camelia Pasandaran – After few signals that the government is ready or willing to issue an emergency regulation to revise the elections law, lawmakers appear to be taking matters into their own hands.

"There are only two options, the emergency regulation or a limited revision of the law," Chozin Chumaidy, a House of Representatives member from the United Development Party, or PPP, said at a discussion on election regulations. He said lawmakers were now lobbying factions in the House, or DPR, to revise the article on elected legislative candidates that the Constitutional Court struck down last month.

The court did away with an article in the elections law that guaranteed legislative candidates a seat if they garnered 30 percent of the vote division number, or BPP.

The BPP is calculated by dividing total votes by the number of seats in an electoral region. If candidates fell short of the 30 percent mark, the seats would be given to the top ranked candidates on a party's candidates list.

In annulling the article, the court replaced it with a majority vote system. With the annulment in need of legislation to make the change formal, the court stated that the General Elections Commission, or KPU, had jurisdiction to issue its own regulations.

The commission, however, seemed to be confused by the message. "We were waiting for the emergency regulation" from the government, KPU member I Gusti Putu Artha said. "But as we cannot wait too long, we will issue a KPU regulation soon, but we hope that the government will help make the regulation stronger by issuing the emergency measure."

Irman Putra Sidin, an administrative law expert, criticized what he called the KPU's indecisive behavior.

"The KPU shouldn't take orders from any other institution, as it is a self-regulating and independent body," Irman said. "It is not necessary to depend on an emergency regulation, as this would suggest the KPU was under the government."

Irman also criticized the House for proposing a limited revision on the elections law.

"It's not that complex for the House to issue a revision of the elections law," he said. "But political parties in the House want to maintain an oligarchic system. Most of the lawmakers are afraid that they won't be elected if we use a majority vote system."

Chozin, however, said that without government support "it would return to the old system," and that a KPU regulation would be prone to dispute. "Many candidates would challenge the regulation," he said.

Ex-military chiefs meet, dismiss 'S' controversy

Jakarta Globe - February 6, 2009

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Febriamy Hutapea – Five former military leaders attended a meeting in Jakarta on Thursday amid the controversy surrounding President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's allegation that a high-ranking Army officer had attempted to use his influence to prevent the families of soldiers from voting for a presidential candidate whose name begins with the letter "S."

The five retired military heavyweights were former Armed Forces chief Endriartono Sutarto, former Army chief Ryamizard Ryacudu, former Navy chief Bernard Ken Sondakh, former Air Force chief Chappy Hakim and former Navy spokesman Mualimin Santosa.

The first four officers were the most senior officers during the 2004 general and presidential elections, and had allegedly allowed retired Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yasin and several active high- ranking Army officers to support Yudhoyono through a "mass organization" called Barisan Nasional.

Serving officers are currently banned from participating in the election and even from voting.

The men met at the Y-Grill restaurant, on the third floor of Wisma Nusantara Sudirman. All five denied the meeting was in response to Yudhoyono's allegation, saying that the meeting was a military reunion.

"When we were active soldiers, we used to go to a restaurant together at least once a month. But now, after retiring, we still meet, but just once a year," Ryamizard said.

Asked why they had met amid the controversy over the military's political neutrality, Ryamizard said that they did not consider Yudhoyono's comment controversial.

Endriartono said that the military's political neutrality was a final commitment for them.

"No retired soldiers can use the military structure for political maneuvers," he said. He added that they would not give any suggestions to the Army chief as a result of the meeting.

Retired Adm. Bernard Sondakh called on citizens and political figures not to create an issue out of the military's political neutrality.

"I am sure there is no such movement [as alleged by Yudhoyono] within the military, because the military is always trying to improve and become a better organization," Bernard said.

The Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, the political vehicle of Prabowo Subianto, the former head of the Army's Special Forces, on Thursday called on politicians to stop using the military and police as part of their political maneuvering ahead of the legislative and presidential elections.

Parties told to stop using children in elections

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2009

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Child protection activists have called on the General Elections Commission (KPU) to enforce the law that prohibits political parties or legislative candidates from involving children in political activities.

The Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) said Thursday the polls body needed to issue regulations on publications, broadcasts and advertisements used during electoral campaigns to ensure children are not included in any way. They also pushed for the national body to punish those groups which use children and violate Article 100 of the 2008 elections law.

"Involving children in political activities such as campaign rallies is a crime and an abuse of children's rights," KPAI chairman Seto Mulyadi told reporters after a meeting with KPU chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary.

"This regulation banning the involvement of children in politics was issued after 2004 as the majority of parties used children in rallies," Seto said.

KPAI said six children died during campaign activities in the 2004 elections, three of whom were killed in traffic accidents.

KPU has declared 44 parties, including six local parties in Aceh, are eligible to run in the April 9 elections. They are permitted to hold public campaigns for the two weeks before the election.

Around 12,000 candidates will fight for 560 seats in the House of Representatives.

In the past, children were frequently present during rally events, which usually turned into dangdut music performances.

"The election is a 'party' in ways, and is not really suitable for a family setting," Seto said.

The commission said the depiction of children in TV campaigns for political parties would also be considered exploitative. Currently, children feature in a number of party ads being broadcast on major TV stations.

KPIA Secretary-general Arist Merdeka Sirait said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party and the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) used children in their TV campaigns.

The Democratic Party will renominate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono while Gerindra has declared its founder Prabowo Subianto to be its presidential candidate.

Poll watchdogs predict parties will continue to spend big on TV ads to boost their popularity ahead of the elections.

Legislative candidates will also start featuring themselves in commercials to win over voters as the election date draws nearer, particularly because the Constitutional Court has ruled the legislative seats go to the candidates with the most votes.

A study by the Indonesian Survey Institute found Gerindra had conducted the most successful TV campaign compared to their more established rivals Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P),

Abdul said if children were to play a role in campaigns it did not mean they had automatically committed an election violation.

"It is not clear yet whether or not a violation will occur if children join a campaign at their own free will," he said. "We still need to formulate a concept to regulate the involvement of children in campaigns."

Businesses blossom as politicians spend big bucks

Jakarta Post - February 4, 2009

Jakarta – As political parties and legislative candidates campaign ahead of the general elections, more businesses are benefiting from their hurly-burly for popularity.

Erwin Soffiyah, owner of printing workshop Soffiyah Collection on Jl Kayu Tinggi, East Jakarta, said his business had blossomed due to mounting orders for campaign-related products from many political parties and candidates.

"In normal time, I get revenue of around Rp 20 million per month, but today I can earn more than three times that," Erwin told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Erwin has also promoted his business through the Internet. "Our website is very helpful, we can attract more customers from outside Java," Erwin said.

Boby, 27, the manager of Sarana Anugerah printing workshop in Pasar Minggu district, South Jakarta, shared similar enthusiasm.

"I don't even need to promote my place. Orders keep coming. We have even had to refuse some," said Boby, adding that his monthly revenue had doubled from the usual Rp 15 million.

In December last year, the Constitutional Court annulled two articles of the 2008 elections law that allowed political party leaders to handpick their close supporters to represent the parties in the national and regional legislatures.

The seats will now go to the individual candidates who garner the most votes. The newly changed election system has forced individual candidates to promote themselves more intensively than previous elections.

Abdul Canter Sangaji, a Jakarta councilor candidate from the People Conscience Party (Hanura), said he had spent more than Rp 500 million (US$42,500) on his campaign.

"I have spent the money on publications, meetings and charity programs," said the 24-year-old rookie politician, adding that the money was from his family's coffer.

One candidate for Jakarta's Regional Representative Council (DPD), Firman Abadi, 36, said he had set aside Rp 50 million. "Most of the money has gone toward producing flags, posters, banners and T-shirts," said Firman, who also runs a printing business.

Competition ahead of the elections has also given new businesses a chance to rise.

Eko Prasetyo, one owner of a South Jakarta-based political consultancy agency, Virus Surveyors Group, said his 1-year-old agency was constantly expanding as orders for their services come from more places.

"This month we are managing 10 popularity surveys for national legislative candidates from various electoral regions," Eko said, adding that every survey could cost their clients between Rp 200 and Rp 230 million.

Aside from conducting surveys, the agency also provides exit poll services and campaign trainings for legislative candidates.

But, other businesses have seen a trend of decline. Ujang Nugraha, the president director of integrated marketing communications firm Masima Radionet, said demand from political parties for his radio promotion business had dropped significantly.

"Instead of spending money on massive electronic media, political parties and independent candidates are now choosing to advertise through local newspapers and radio stations or massive print ads," Ujang said.

Masima currently handles the promotions for four political parties, down from dozens in the 2004 election, Ujang said.(hwa)

Voters cannot be persecuted for not voting, rights body says

Jakarta Post - February 3, 2009

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights accused the government Monday of failing to protect the rights of citizens choosing not to vote in the upcoming elections after political groups backed an Islamic edict condemning the act.

The commission said educating the public about the rights and responsibilities citizens have for democracy and the nation would be far more effective in boosting voting numbers than supporting edicts (fatwa) that ban vote abstaining.

The number of voters taking part in elections has been steadily declining over the past decade.

"The right to vote is a basic right of the individual and the state must protect that right and respect it. This is the government's obligation," commission chairman Ifdal Kasim told a press conference in Jakarta.

The commission called the conference to respond to an edict issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) which claimed abstaining from voting went against good religious practice.

"Neither the society or state have the right to hinder people's choices through moral sanctions or discrimination," the vice chairman of the commission Ridha Saleh said.

The government and political parties hailed the MUI edict, saying it would boost voter turnout in the upcoming legislative elections in April and presidential elections in July.

Ifdal said people should exercise their right to vote without fearing intervention or intimidation from the state or public.

"We urge the government to inform and educate people about their rights when it comes to voting, so people will not be misled," he said.

Ifdal said the government supporting the fatwa would lead some voters to believe it was an official state policy.

"If the MUI want to issue an edict that is fine, but we suggest the government refrain from adopting the edict as national policy," said commission member Yoseph Adi Prasetyo.

Yoseph said Indonesia had adopted the United Nation's human rights convention and thus had to obey the rules of that convention, which cover civil and political rights.

"In the United States, at least 45 percent of citizens who abstain from voting do so based on the political agenda of the presidential candidate," Yoseph said.

He said he challenged any argument that abstaining from voting threatened democracy in Indonesia.

The commission also reported Monday that it received several complaints of intimidation during the last elections throughout Indonesia. "We urge the government to protect its people so that rights abuses do not occur again," he said.

The commission plans to meet with the General Elections Commission to discuss the issue further. (naf)

Ex-generals rebuke SBY for remark

Jakarta Post - February 3, 2009

Jakarta – A recent allegation made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of bias within the Army's elite has angered scores of former generals.

Last week, the President said there was a movement inside the Army (TNI) to vote against a presidential candidate whose name began with "S". It remains unclear whether the President was referring to himself, but many officers and observers believe there is no doubt that he was.

The former generals accused the President on Monday of driving a wedge into the Army by raising suspicions among officers, and demoralizing soldiers with the remark. "The accusation will cause officers inside the Army to suspect one another," former Army chief of staff Gen. (ret) Tyasno Sudarto said.

He said Yudhoyono's statement could drive the army back into politics at a time when their neutrality was essential to the success of the upcoming elections, which kick off in April.

"I don't understand why the President should make such a statement. However you look at it, the statement is counter- productive," Tyasno said.

The retired four-star general said Yudhoyono had been spooked by signs of dissatisfaction in him among retired officers because the Constitution, Pancasila and the ideal of the unitary state had not been upheld by his government.

"In Aceh, for instance, they have been allowed to have local parties. What happens if they win? They can get out from Indonesia, and we will end up disintegrated," Tyasno said.

The President's controversial comment was made last week during a speech to members of the Indonesian military (TNI) and National Police at the State Palace which emphasized the importance of the security forces' neutrality in the elections.

He said an Army officer had mentioned there was an "ABS" (anyone but "S") movement. But then added that he did not believe the claim. Army chief of staff Gen. Agustadi Sasongko said later Monday that he had found no evidence of such a movement.

"We have investigated, but we did not find any indication. However, we have warned officers to stay neutral during the election. We will punish those who involve themselves in politics," he said.

Agustadi said he had warned retired generals not to approach active military officers about political matters. "I demand that the retired generals help the TNI stay neutral in the 2009 elections," he said.

Former deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. (ret) Kiki Syahnakrie said the President should not have dropped the comment as it would encourage disunity within the TNI.

"Surely we have some former officers that have asked active soldiers to support their parties. But the Army has been mature, and will not be dragged into politics," he told reporters during a gathering of retired generals at Balai Kartini in South Jakarta.

Former coordinating minister for security and political affairs Gen. (ret) Agum Gumelar said that the "ABS" comment should be seen as an expression of disappointment and serve as a warning for the government.

Former Jakarta governor Lt. Gen (ret) Sutiyoso said Yudhoyono had been wrong to convey an allegation that Yudhoyono later claimed he did not believe. "As SBY Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono himself is not sure of the existence of the 'ABS' movement, why make a public comment about it?" Sutiyoso said.

He said Yudhoyono should have summoned the chief of the Army to discuss the matter in private.

Christians fear of being marginalized ahead of polls

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

Jakarta – Christians in the country are concerned Muslim parties could ratchet up their political leverage by winning more votes in the upcoming legislative elections, and continue to pin their hopes on nationalist parties, a discussion heard Saturday.

Dozens of regencies have enforced sharia-based ordinances without challenge recently, sparking fears in Christian communities that Islamic-based parties would push Indonesia toward a nationwide implementation of Islamic law if they win the April polls, speakers of the discussion said.

Centre for Strategic and International Studies researcher J. Kristiadi said that to a certain extent, Christians already felt they were being treated as second-class citizens in the predominantly Muslim country, as evidenced by the issuance of a joint ministerial decree which restricts them from building their places of worship.

"A survey which revealed that 80 percent of university students chose to uphold sharia over Pancasila [pluralistic state ideology] is another cause for concern," Kristiadi said, referring to a 2006 survey conducted by a nationalist group. The survey revealed that only 4.5 percent of students of prominent state universities in Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Malang polled said they believed in Pancasila.

Aspiration for sharia has revived since the fall of New Order in 1998, with Islamic parties making several attempts to enact the strict Islamic law when the People's Consultative Assembly convened to amend the Constitution between 1999 and 2002.

Of 38 political parties eligible for the April 9 elections, at least eight promote Islamic ideology compared to three Christian-based parties. All eyes, however, will be on the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), as some pollsters have predicted it will pose a serious challenge to its major nationalist rivals, including the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The passing into law of the controversial antipornography bill by the House of Representatives last year was dubbed a political move to woo Islamic voters.

Nationalist parties have traditionally dominated politics since the first legislative elections in 1955, but victories by Islamic parties in some regional elections over the last two years have been seen as a sign of a changing tendency.

"The nationalist parties may always stay in power, but there is a possibility that the Islamic parties will continue to grow in strength," PDI-P lawmaker Yasonna H Laoly said.

He said that it would be difficult for Christians to earn political recognition not only because of the absence of a unified Christian party, but also due to a lack of political enthusiasm among the younger generation.

Rachmat T. Manullang of the Terang Indonesia group which hosted the discussion, called on Christians to exercise their right to vote in the elections or they would risk fulfilling their own prophecy. (dis)

SBY warned that 'S' allegation could cause distrust with military

Jakarta Globe - February 1, 2009

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Allegations made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that an Army officer had urged people against voting for a candidate whose name began with "S," could harm Yudhoyono's relationship with the Indonesian Armed Forces, or TNI, military analysts said on Sunday.

The off-the-cuff comment was made during a speech to members of the TNI and National Police at the State Palace about the importance of the security forces remaining neutral during the upcoming elections. It is unclear if Yudhoyono was referring to himself or fellow presidential candidates Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, former Jakarta governor, Gen. Sutiyoso or former Navy chief Slamet Soebijanto.

Andi Widjajanto, a lecturer at the School of Social and Political Science at the University of Indonesia, said that not only could the allegation trigger confusion, distrust and disharmony among Army officers but that it could cast doubt on the ability of TNI Chief Gen. Djoko Santoso to do his job.

Andi said Yudhoyono should have taken heed from 2002, when former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid intervened in the Army's internal affairs by supporting a reformist faction within the Army.

He said the Bulak Rantai incident, where an Army faction led by the late Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah met with a group of Gus Dur insiders, triggered protests from other military commanders, who threatened to resign from the military.

"It is the same situation because military officers are confused by Yudhoyono's statement and it is dangerous because Army history shows that most of its officers are easily divided by opposing political interests," Andi said.

Andi said the allegation was triggered by Yudhoyono's "anxiety" that the TNI's structure would be used by his political opponents, especially those with military backgrounds.

He referred to retired Lt. Gen, Muhammad Yasin's admittance that he and several active high-ranking Army officers had supported Yudhoyono during the 2004 presidential elections through a "mass organization," called Barisan Nasional.

However, after Yasin was overlooked as a replacement minister of home affairs in August 2007, a disappointed Yasin formed a new party, the Functional Party of Struggle, or Pakar Pangan, he said.

"[Yudhoyono] is afraid his enemies would use the same tactics used against him in the past," Andi said, adding that Yudhoyono knew how the military structure could be effectively used to win a political race. "Maybe he was afraid of his karma."

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Christian Zebua on Sunday denied that Army officers would be confused about Yudhoyono's statement, saying that any Army officers were tied to its command chain.

"So if the Army chief has barred us from playing an active role in politics, then every soldier must follow. There will be no internal conflict, our solidarity will not be influenced by any unclear issues."

Zebua said the Army chief Djoko had warned that every soldier, even high-ranking generals, would be punished for breaching any of the political neutrality codes.

Adreas Pareira, a legislator from the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense and a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, said that Yudhoyono's statement demonstrated that he was concerned about the number of retired military officers running in the upcoming elections. "He is in a panic right now," Andreas said.

However, Anas Urbaningrum, a Democratic Party spokesman, denied Yudhoyono's statement was a political maneuver, adding that it should be perceived as a warning for the military to refrain from becoming involved in the political process.

Media/press freedom

Makassar journalists reject criminilization of the press

Tempo Interactive - February 4, 2009

Irmawati, Makassar – Around 30 journalists from the Makassar Journalists Coalition yesterday held a silent protest in front of the Stella Maris Hospital at Penghibur Street, in Makassar, South Sulawesi. They plastered their mouths with black tape as a sign of rejection against all forms of press criminalization.

"We insist that the Press Law be applied when there are disputes involving the media," said Makassar Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) chairman, Andi Fadli. He said, there are efforts to silence the press by penalizing and charging journalists as crime suspects, like South Sulawesi's Police chief, Insp. Gen. Sisno Adiwinoto, who is currently suing Makassar-based journalist Upi Asmaradhan.

Regional autonomy

Government, House agree to halt creation of new regions

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2009

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for a moratorium to the creation of administrative regions, following the recent death of a council speaker in North Sumatra.

Friday's call was greeted with immediate support by House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono.

North Sumatra Legislative Council speaker Abdul Aziz Angkat died of a heart attack on Tuesday, just hours after an angry mob assaulted him during a violent protest to demand the creation of a new province, Tapanuli.

The crowd of around 2,000 people were incensed at the council's decision to delay a plenary meeting to discuss recommendating the establishment of the new province.

The postponement had been decided upon after the required number of councilors failed to show up.

"I have spoken about this matter with speakers of the House of Representatives and regional legislative councils. [I said] let's have a moratorium; let's first evaluate the creation of new [administrative] regions, past and present," Yudhoyono said at a press conference at the presidential office in Jakarta.

"There are basic requirements we need to meet if we want to create a new region. The establishment of some new regions are a success, but others are not. I therefore ask all parties to consider this issue seriously."

Yudhoyono said the creations of some new regions failed because they were aimed at satisfying the interests of certain local political elites.

He pointed out that the elites demanded new regions solely because of economic or political motives, and not because they wanted to develop the regions and improve the welfare of local constituents.

Regional autonomy expert Siti Zuhro from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) expressed similar views.

She said the political process to create new regions was often marred by violent protests, since the moves were primarily prompted by conflicts of interest among local leaders.

She added Indonesians were basically not prepared for wider regional autonomy, and that the problem was compounded by the "inconsistency" in existing legal basis for the decentralization policy, which often confused the public.

House Speaker Agung Laksono agreed the regional autonomy policy needed to be evaluated.

He said "a new grand design" on the issue was needed, pending which the ongoing process of creating new regions should be halted.

"The government must issue a special regulation on this instead of merely giving statements. It must evaluate and review all related policies and postpone current measures to form new regions," Agung said, adding the regulation was needed as legal basis for the moratorium.

The number of provinces, municipalities and regencies has mushroomed under the decentralization program, following the fall of Soeharto in 1998.

Before the reform era and the enactment of regional autonomy laws, there were only 27 provinces and 293 regencies and municipalities across the country.

As of December 2008, the figure stood at 33 provinces and 491 regencies and municipalities.

As decentralization prompts the flow of money and influence into previously neglected regions, some analysts warn the devolution of power has created venal local elites of "mini Soehartos". (naf)

Police/law enforcement

Staff changes at police force not enough, experts say

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – The recent shake-up of senior officials at the National Police will not bring about significant change in the force, experts said Sunday.

The failure, they said, was caused by a lack of will to implement a merit system and allow for an independent monitoring body to oversee their conduct.

"The latest survey by Transparency International Indonesia (TII) shows once again that the police force is the most corrupt state institution in Indonesia. Clearly nothing has changed within the force despite a series of staff and leadership rotations," legal expert Benny Kabur Harman told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"The police leadership have failed to implement the reward and punishment system, which is particularly important for curbing corruption," he said.

According to the survey, released last Wednesday by TII, the business community views the police force as the most corrupt institution while handouts at judicial institutions were deemed the most costly,.

The study showed 48 percent of respondents admitted to paying police officers more than Rp 2.2 million (US$200) in bribes on average every year. The police also booked first place in TII's 2007 survey, with a corruption perception index of 4.2.

Harman urged the police force to tackle this problem in a more effective manner than simply rotating their personnel.

Law enforcement expert Bambang Widodo Umar said the process of rotating staff would be pointless unless it was followed up by a merit system.

Bambang, himself a former police officer, said when officers were up for promotion, senior officers usually considered their personal ties to the applicant rather than their track record as the criteria for selection.

"As long as the whole system is constructed this way, let's forget about the police force being reliable. Law enforcement heads must pay serious attention to the 'who-holds-what-position' policy by implementing a merit system," Bambang said.

Early last week, National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri rotated 25 generals in top positions to different departments.

Observers were quick to suggest the move was an attempt to clean the police force of the rampant bribery and corruption that has plagued them for years. Some of the relocated regional police chiefs are currently under investigation for alleged instances of bribery or abusing their authority.

Bambang said the police needed to be more willing to allow for an independent body to monitor their performance. The body should include anticorruption activists, experts and representatives from NGOs, he added.

"The monitoring agency should be firm and strict when investigating corrupt officials. It should not replicate the current National Police Commission, which is merely a toothless tiger," Bambang said.

The commission is comprised of state officials whose impartiality when dealing with police is questionable due to links within law and order agencies. "We need impartial figures with the authority to investigate and bring to trial every corrupt police officer," he said.

Economy & investment

Indonesia's exports plunge 20%

Jakarta Post - February 4, 2009

Indonesia is getting pummelled by the global economic meltdown, with December exports plunging 20 per cent from a year earlier as overseas demand shrinks.

December exports were also down 9.97 per cent from the previous month, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) said Monday.

The decline in monthly and yearly figures overshadow a 20 per cent rise in full-year exports from 2007, with exports continuing to take a beating in the last three months of the year, just as the global financial crisis began unfolding.

With the downturn slashing demand and contributing further to the already plummeting prices of key global commodities, Indonesia's exports decreased by 9.57 percent to US$8.7 billion in December, from $9.6 billion in the previous month.

Non-oil and gas exports, which constituted almost 80 per cent of total exports, were down by 8.84 per cent to $7.45 billion. The year-on-year figures show a larger decrease in non-oil and gas exports of 11.59 per cent.

"The largest decrease in non-oil and gas exports is that of animal or organic fat and oil exports, down to $835 million from $1.2 billion," BPS deputy chairman Ali Rosidi said at a press conference.

"On the other hand, ores, iron slag and metal dust exports recorded the largest increase, up by $191 million."

Oil and gas exports also slowed in December from the previous month by 13.69 percent, down to $1.2 billion from $1.4 billion.

Crude oil exports decreased to $455.5 million from $484.6 million, processed oil decreased much more drastically – down 58.19 per cent to $96.8 million from $231.5 million – while gas exports dropped to $691.4 million from $724.8 million.

Non-oil and gas exports to Japan decreased to $1 billion in December from $1.1 billion in November, while to the United States they dropped to $907 million from $935.2 million.

Exports to these two countries contributed almost 25 percent to Indonesia's total non-oil and gas exports. The IMF has said Japan and the US economies may shrink by 2 percent this year.

The domestic outlook remains bleak as well, with exports very likely to plunge further as the world is tipped into recession.

Economists predict the impacts of the global turmoil will likely hit the local market the hardest by mid-2009.

"Exports have been declining since October, and the year-on-year figure also shows the same trend," Rosidi said. "However, we still managed to record a surplus in the trade balance."

The country notched up total exports in 2008 of $136.76 billion, almost 20 percent higher than the $114.1 billion recorded the previous year. However, the trade surplus stood at $8 billion, 80 percent lower than the surplus of $40 billion recorded in 2007.

The declining surplus reflects a sharp rise in imports, valued at $128 billion in 2008, compared to $74 billion in the previous year.

Indonesia inflation slows, exports plunge, rate cut may follow

Bloomberg - February 2, 2009

Aloysius Unditu – Indonesia's inflation slowed to a nine-month low and exports fell the most in seven years, prompting speculation that the central bank will cut interest rates this week.

Consumer prices rose 9.2 percent in January from a year earlier, after gaining 11.1 percent in the previous month, the Central Statistics Bureau said in Jakarta today. Overseas sales plunged 20 percent in December from a year earlier, the biggest decline since 2001.

Bank Indonesia may reduce its policy rate for a third straight month to boost domestic consumption as a global recession crimps demand for exports. Governor Boediono on Jan. 30 said the "downside risk" to growth is increasing and the economy may expand as little as 4 percent this year, the weakest pace since 2001.

"With growth concerns now at an elevated level against a backdrop of softening inflation and more importantly rapidly declining inflation expectations we look for the central bank to cut," said Prakriti Sofat, an economist at HSBC Holdings Plc in Singapore. She expects the key interest rate to be reduced to 7 percent by the second quarter from 8.75 percent.

Indonesia's benchmark share index extended losses after the announcement, declining 2.4 percent at 3:11 p.m. in Jakarta. The rupiah lost 1.6 percent to 11,625 against the dollar.

Local demand accounts for about three-fourths of the Indonesian economy, the largest in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia forecasts inflation will slow to between 5 percent and 6 percent by August, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said at a briefing in Jakarta today.

Interest rates

Bank Indonesia next meets to decide on interest rates on Feb. 4. The central bank may lower borrowing costs by a half point to 8.25 percent, according to 18 of 21 economists in a Bloomberg News survey.

Indonesia last month cut fuel prices for a third time since Dec. 1, helping counter an increase in the price of rice, Rusman Heriawan, head of the statistics agency said on Jan. 30.

Consumer prices fell 0.07 percent in January from a month earlier after declining 0.04 percent in December. Core inflation, excluding fuel prices, slowed to 7.39 percent.

"The government has been proactive in cajoling businessmen to lower prices on the back of lower domestic gasoline prices," said Andry Asmoro, an economist at PT Bahana Securities in Jakarta. It's "imperative the government ensures sufficient supplies of priced-regulated commodities such as kerosene" and liquefied petroleum gas in an election year, he said.

Exports dropped to $8.7 billion in December, the statistics agency said. Imports from outside trade zones fell 7.5 percent in December to $6.29 billion, from $6.8 billion a year earlier. The nation's trade balance widened to $992 million.

"Exports will continue to be weak this year," said Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, chief economist at Danareksa Research Institute in Jakarta. "It's important the government creates a fiscal stimulus and implements it clearly."

Japan, the biggest buyer of Indonesian goods, the US and other advanced economies may shrink 2 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

JICT sees 30% drop in container handling

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2009

Jakarta – The country's largest shipping terminal forecasts container handling to plunge heavily this year due to slowing exports and imports.

Resulting from the impacts of the deepening global economic meltdown, the Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) president director Derek J. Pierson said, shipping businesses were estimated to drop by 30 percent overall this year, with export activities likely to drop by 15 percent and imports by 30 percent.

"We have felt the impact of the global economic crisis since the fourth quarter of 2008, in which we saw 30 percent decline in the number of containers that we handled," he said.

JICT, which is 51 percent owned by Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings and 48.9 percent by state port operator PT Pelindo II, forecasted container handling to shrink by 30 percent to 1.33 million twenty equivalent units (TEUs) of containers from around 1.9 million TEUs last year. In 2007, the company handled 1.8 million TEUs.

"Container handling will probably decline this year. We believe the country's economy will recover from the crisis by 2010," Pierson said.

"That's why we are expanding and investing more in infrastructure despite the (current) slowdown." Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu had said nonoil and gas exports would grow by between 4.3 percent and 8 percent, lower than the annual average 18.3 percent growth achieved between 2003 and 2007.

Nonoil and gas exports contribute about 80 percent to the country's total exports, which were valued at more than US$100 billion last year, up from $91.9 billion in 2007.

Pierson said to anticipate ever-growing exports in the future, JICT had earmarked around $30 million this year for expanding infrastructure at Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

"Up until 2012 the total investment was around $150 million," he said, adding that expenditure would be pooled from the higher margin proceeds the company received following the government's recent policy to raise the container handling charge (CHC) fee.

The company's first batch investment includes the two recently installed cranes worth $13 million.

The cranes are classified as Super Post Panamax Quay Crane, which are capable of lifting two 20 feet containers at once, accelerating the loading and unloading activities to 50 containers per hour from 26. The company will also add two more cranes in April.

"Further investment will include the construction of additional storage areas, new gates, new truck parking areas and a new access to the planned Jakarta Outer Ring Road JORR," Pierson said.

Transportation Ministry Jusman Syafii Djamal said the government had targeted to complete the JORR project by 2011 to streamline the flow of trucks to Tanjung Priok Port.

According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, Indonesia handled 5,74 million TEUs of containers in 2006, far smaller than 24,79 million TEUs managed by Singapore. (hdt)

Analysis & opinion

Rumours put Indonesia's generals on the back foot

Sydney Morning Herald - February 6, 2009

Tom Allard, Jakarta – Indonesia's president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has sent the country's security establishment into a spin, and left political observers divided, after alluding to a mysterious campaign by unnamed army officers to unseat him in this year's election.

Displaying his famed Javanese circumlocution, Dr Yudhoyono called in senior military and police officers to the State Palace last week and, in the presence of the media, revealed his concern about a rumoured "ABS" campaign.

"ABS," he said, stood for "Anyone But S". Who "S" was, Dr Yudhoyono would not say, although it seems a clear reference to his own campaign for re-election. Moreover, he looked the officers in the eye and, as the TV cameras rolled, said he did not believe the rumour, before giving them a stern lecture about the importance of political neutrality during this coming legislative and presidential polls.

What followed was a flurry of meetings among serving and retired military and police officers, many of whom expressed bewilderment at their commander-in-chief's suggestion.

Jakarta's media was confused, and then hostile, as the fallout dominated coverage this week. The Jakarta Post upbraided Dr Yudhoyono. He had "childishly reacted to mere gossip", it opined.

Media Indonesia, another newspaper, urged him "to keep his mouth shut".

As his political opponents pounced, majority opinion among the punditry was that Dr Yudhoyono has scored an own goal, revealing a flaky paranoia unbecoming of a statesman in the new, democratic Indonesia.

But Marcus Mietzner, an Australian National University academic and leading authority on the Indonesian military and its politics, said SBY, as the president is universally known, could very well have cannily outflanked his various political adversaries.

"It's an open secret that retired officers are campaigning against him. He hasn't accommodated their interests and they are not happy about Aceh [and the peace deal forged with insurgents there]," Dr Mietzner said.

"The warning shot has been fired very publicly. Those who were trying to mobilise active officers will be thinking twice."

Roughly 400,000-strong, Indonesia's armed forces are forbidden from voting but can influence their families' voting patterns and, in the past, have used coercive power to direct voting among villagers.

But Indonesia's military, once a powerful force in the country's politics and society, has been neutered since its halcyon days under Suharto's dictatorship.

Dr Yudhoyono, a former four-star general himself, has been at the vanguard of curbing its influence, most recently curtailing the business activities of the military, a source of great corruption.

No doubt he is conscious of the presidential bid of Prabowo Subianto, a former military chief and Suharto crony who is running a very well-financed bid for the presidency.

Prabowo's political vehicle, the Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, wants to restore the military's pre-eminence in Indonesia society so it is once again the "tiger of Asia".

Indonesia's silent voters being heard

Asia Times - February 2, 2009

Megawati Wijaya, Jakarta – When President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono became Indonesia's first directly elected democratic leader in 2004, the former soldier was catapulted to power despite the fact his Democratic Party had won a mere 7.5% of the vote in previous legislative elections.

Now with new legislative and presidential elections scheduled for this year, political analysts are focusing on the potentially pivotal role of the so-called golput, registered voters who choose for various reasons to either stay away from the polls or cast blank ballots, which accounted for around 25% of the electorate at the 2004 legislative polls.

With relatively peaceful and orderly elections in both 1999 and 2004, Indonesia's decade-old transition from authoritarian to democratic rule has been widely lauded as a regional success story. Former strongman Suharto, who throughout his 32-year tenure was officially returned to power in six different elections, tightly controlled the country's electoral process, which he famously referred to as "festivals of democracy".

At that time only three political parties were allowed to participate in the polls, which were consistently won by the military-linked Golkar party; in the first elections of the post-Suharto era, 145 parties registered and 48 parties finally took part in the 1999 polls. In 2004, the legislative polls were contested by 24 political parties in a sprawling democratic process that spanned 14,000 islands, three time zones, and entailed more than 500,000 polling stations.

Less critical attention, however, has been paid to the role of the golput, the huge number of registered voters who choose to not take part in the 2004 legislative polls after nearly 95% of the electorate took part in the 1999 elections. Accounting for over 25% of eligible voters, the golput was the real percentage winner of the 2004 elections, outpacing the top vote-getting Golkar party, which received just 21.6% of the popular vote.

The term "golput", an antithetical spin on the word Golkar, harks to the Suharto-era when voters rebelled against the oppressive, military-backed New Order regime by casting empty ballots or purposefully spoiling their votes. Then the golput figure was smaller, estimated on average at around 10%, as Indonesians feared the consequences of their acts of defiance.

In the democratic era, the golput is much larger and defined loosely as anyone who fails to vote during the election. The reasons for non-participation vary: some can't be bothered to vote; some are overwhelmed by the electoral choices; and, perhaps most crucially, many feel the democratic process has – like its authoritarian forerunner – failed to adequately address the crucial issues of inequality, injustice and corruption that successive elected leaders have promised to tackle.

Analysts say it also demonstrates a rising political maturity among voters who are not willing to simply settle and choose among parties and candidates they feel are out of touch with average voters' needs and aspirations. While more democracy has brought positive changes, including a freer press and greater scrutiny of public affairs, elected leaders have failed to tackle the many systemic and economic problems that directly impact on voters' livelihoods.

Silent protests

With new legislative elections scheduled for this April 9, the golput phenomenon is expected to make its popular absence felt again. Judging by the dismal turnout at recent regional elections, research company Indo Barometer, among others, predict that the golput figure could reach as high as 40%.

For instance, the golput rate at the 2008 Cilacap in Central Java province and neighboring Banyumas regency elections stood respectively at 43% and 45%. Meanwhile, the golput rate at the Central Java gubernatorial election also held last year was estimated at nearly 70%.

Those embarrassingly high rates of non-participation are raising hackles among politicians. Cilacap Regent Probo Yulastoro reportedly promised 23 district chiefs in his regency that each village administration would receive a free motorcycle if they could keep the golput rate at or lower than 5% in their villages during the election.

The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), an umbrella organization of major Islamic groups, even issued a fatwa stating that it is "a moral sin" if one does not cast his vote in this year's elections. The MUI is known to support certain Islamic political parties which in past polls have performed poorly.

In a public opinion survey of over 5,000 workers from both the government and private sectors spanning 33 Indonesian provinces, only 17.8% respondents said that they would choose not to vote. But the actual golput tally at upcoming elections could be much higher as 76.2% of the respondents in the same poll said that they "are not interested" in following the campaigns of both political parties and presidential candidates.

Analysts and academics have different interpretations of the high non-vote rates. According to Max Lane, a writer, researcher, and political analysts with over 38 years experience in the country, Indonesians are not politically apathetic. "Everyone, everywhere, in Indonesia is talking and enjoys talking about politics," he said.

"If Indonesians don't feel that any of the parties are championing their causes, they have the legal right not to choose," said Evi Arifin, a researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. By not choosing, she said, the golput has made a clear statement by not supporting any of the proposed parties and candidates.

An increasingly free media has highlighted that national sentiment. The satirical political talk show, Demo Crazy, shown on national television recently referred to the people running for upcoming elections as itu-itu saja lagi or "the same old faces running again". Indeed the 2009 presidential poll seems likely to be a rerun of the previous one, with former president Megawati Sukarnoputri and incumbent Yudhoyono widely expected to square off again.

This is despite the fact that neither candidate while in office was able to make a serious dent in endemic economic problems, including persistently high poverty and unemployment rates that are expected to only get worse as the global and financial economic crisis impacts on the country's crucial manufacturing and export sectors.

Meanwhile, organized groups of laborers and farmers are still not adequately represented in government. That, analysts say, explains the high frequency of street demonstrations mounted against Yudhoyono's government. "[General elections] are only for powerful people or people who used to be in power to choose who is going to be in power next. This [election] is just a form of fraud," said Emelia Yanti, the secretary general of United Federation of Independent Labor.

After 10 years of democracy, many Indonesians feel that government has failed to bring through new policies for real improvements to their livelihoods. While there are fundamental differences between the Suharto-era golput and its new democratic incarnation, the symptoms of voter frustration with Indonesia's political system are glaringly similar.

In 2004, none of the major political parties garnered enough votes to reach the 25% threshold legally required to nominate their own presidential candidate. That led to complicated coalition building, which effectively catapulted the military- linked Golkar back to the fore in a power-sharing arrangement with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party.

That less-than-ringing electoral mandate has made it difficult for Yudhoyono to pass badly needed economic and other reforms through the legislature. Whether Indonesia can afford another weak administration in the wake of growing global turmoil is an increasingly important electoral question. But if recent elections and opinion polls are any indication, the golput will likely de facto win another Indonesian poll.

[Megawati Wijaya is a Singapore-based journalist. She may be contacted at megawati.wijaya@gmail.com.]