Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – The government must rethink its relationship with Papua as soon as possible if it wants to avoid further civil violence and more adamant calls for independence, activists and social scientists have said.

"If security conditions in Papua could be equated to a volcano, a violent eruption is due very soon," said Amiruddin al Rahab, of the civil-society Papua Working Group (Pokja Papua).

Amiruddin said on Monday that Papuans felt excluded from government policies and economic programs aimed at bringing prosperity to the province.

"Programs from Jakarta have not addressed the real problems in Papua – namely the need for health care, education and economic empowerment," Amiruddin said. "Papuans want their voices heard. The government needs to stage a balanced and mutual discussion with Papuans."

Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a senior researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said that massive investment and exploitation of the natural resources in Papua had led to resentment of outsiders, both foreigners and other Indonesians.

"Immigrants coming to Papua from Java and elsewhere have better work opportunities and access to education, creating social and economic disparities. For the Papuans, money coming from Jakarta or abroad only means environmental destruction," he said.

But he pointed out that dialogue with the government may be difficult because of Papua's decentralized population. "Papua consists of many tribes and communities. Finding a figure that can be accepted collectively [to speak for] the Papuans is difficult," Ikrar said.

Ikrar said internationally sponsored talks like those that took place between Indonesia and former combatants in the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) might not work due to the lack of a unifying figure.

"The government must instead appoint a team that can reach out directly to the Papuans and conduct negotiations with them," he said.

Poengky Indarti, executive director of human rights group Imparsial, said that the government had a history of violence toward Papuans that had already soured relations.

"Every time the Papuans express their voices against social and economic injustices, the military automatically views it as an act of treason or separatism," Poengky said.

"There are countless demonstrations that have ended with the military or police using excessive force and violence. This has led to resentment toward the central government, particularly knowing that not a single perpetrator of violence has been prosecuted."

A report published by the University of Sydney's Center for Peace and Conflict Studies last month warned that a repeat of the 1991 East Timor massacre was likely to occur in Papua, after calls for an internationally sponsored referendum of independence intensified.

The report predicted that as Papuans grew restless about their conditions they would stage large-scale demonstrations, risking increasingly violent military responses.

The deepening impasse in Papua

International Crisis Group - August 30, 2010

The two sentiments that define the political impasse in Papua are frustration on the part of many Papuans that "special autonomy" has meant so little, and exasperation on the part of many Indonesian government officials that Papuans are not satisfied with what they have been given.

The gulf between the two might be reduced by dialogue, but any prospect of serious talks is hampered by an unwillingness of Jakarta to treat the problem as essentially a political, rather than an economic one.

To move forward, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono needs personally to take the lead in recognizing that autonomy means more than increased budgetary allocations or accelerated economic development. He needs to explore directly with credible Papuan leaders how political autonomy can be expanded; affirmative action policies strengthened in all sectors; and Papuan fears about in-migration addressed.

Unless these three issues are tackled head on in face-to-face meetings, the impasse is unlikely to be broken and increased radicalization is likely.

Frustration and exasperation crystallized over a decision in November 2009 by the Papuan People's Council (MRP), a body set up under special autonomy legislation to protect Papuan cultural values, that all candidates for elected office at the sub- provincial level had to be indigenous Papuans. The decision stemmed from fears that Melanesian Papuans were being rapidly swamped by non-Papuan Indonesians who in some towns already were a majority. As one Papuan put it, "Every day planes come in, vomiting migrants."

The decision, known as SK14, had wide support in the Papuan community and was seen as an example of affirmative action. It was also seen as a natural extension of a provision in the autonomy law stating that the governor and deputy governor had to be indigenous Papuans. In Jakarta, however, the Home Ministry rejected the decision as discriminatory and in violation of a national law on local government.

It was not just the flat rejection that irritated the Papuans who were privy to the process, it was how it was done: without any acknowledgment of the concerns behind SK14, without any effort to understand that "special autonomy" meant something different than the blind application of national law, and without any attempt to meet them half way.

Jakarta's reaction underscored the powerlessness of the MRP and the contemptuous disdain of officials toward its attempt to assert authority.

As the anger built, advocacy groups in Jayapura saw the issue as reflecting the deeper problems of special autonomy and looked for a vehicle to express those concerns publicly.

In late May, they approached the MRP about holding a semi-public consultation that would evaluate its work as the end of the members' first five-year terms approached.

MRP leaders agreed, sent out 200 invitations only days before the target date, and on June 9-10, hosted an event billed as a Consultation of MRP and Indigenous Papuans. About three times as many people showed up as had been invited.

To the discomfiture of some MRP members, the consultation produced 11 recommendations that included a rejection of special autonomy, a demand for an internationally mediated dialogue and a referendum on independence, and a recognition of Papua's sovereignty as proclaimed on Dec. 1, 1961.

The organizers then asked the MRP to formally turn the recommendations over to the provincial legislature (DPRP) for further action.

The MRP did so on June 18, by which time activists from Papua's central highlands had organized thousands of protestors for a "long march" from the MRP office to the provincial parliament to symbolically "hand back" special autonomy.

They held a second mass demonstration on July 8 to pressure the legislature to hold a special session to determine how to follow up the recommendations. Several smaller street actions followed.

Non-Papuan officials from the police and military regarded not just the demonstrations but the consultation as unlawful because the MRP's role is supposed to be cultural, not political.

Local intelligence operatives were almost certainly behind a slew of crude text messages sent to religious leaders, elected officials, academics and others across Jayapura, and probably across Papua, insinuating that those involved in the protests were actually raking in large amounts of money on the side.

In the view of the security forces, the protests were neither legitimate nor sincere but they allowed them to go ahead as long as they stayed peaceful.

The anger over the fate of SK14 obscured several other political developments in Papua that are taking place simultaneously.

One is Gov. Barnabas Suebu's Strategic Plan for Village Development (Respek), an initiative to get block grants to local communities that can then decide on their use within certain parameters. Few Papuan leaders in Jayapura have anything bad to say about Respek or anything good to say about the governor, a directly elected Papuan, whom they see as inaccessible and focused only on his own agenda.

But it is almost certainly a different story in the villages where Respek has had an impact, and not all its beneficiaries would see eye to eye with the protestors in Jayapura. The second development is "pemekaran," or the dividing of Papua into more and more administrative units: districts, subdistricts and villages.

There is supposed to be a nationwide moratorium on this fragmentation but the centrifugal impetus in Papua seems too strong to hold back.

Villages are dividing up so that smaller units can get Respek funds; the same impetus, combined with the desire of minority ethnic groups to become dominant in their own territory, fuels the creation of new districts. Twenty local elections are being held in Papua in 2010, one of the factors that prompted SK14 in the first place.

The candidates have no desire to throw away special autonomy because it underpins their chance for political and economic power.

There is thus a disconnect between the urban protests on the one hand, and local elite interests and village-focused development initiatives on the other.

That said, there are also widely shared grievances, over discrimination, unfulfilled promises and past injustices. The longer Jakarta refuses to discuss them, the stronger the radical voices will become.

Human rights & law

Rights commission calls on government to protect the mentally ill

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is urging the government to provide better protection to people living with mental illness following the lynching of two mentally ill people in Tangerang regency, Banten, over the weekend.

On Sunday, a mob, spurred by rumors of a kidnapping syndicate, burned to death two people, who were later determined to have been mentally ill, in Tangerang regency, Banten.

The mob reportedly suspected the two people were part of a syndicate, which, according to text messages circulating on cellular telephones in the community, was stealing and trafficking children's organs.

Leading up to the vigilante-style executions, the two people had been door-knocking in the area and had been unable to identify themselves or explain what they wanted when asked. When the two attempted to flee, the crowd grabbed them and set them alight.

Yoseph Adi Prasetyo from the commission said Wednesday that the government had to take an integrated approach to mental health to protect people with mental illness by involving various ministries, including the Health Ministry, the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, the Social Affairs Ministry, and the People's Welfare Ministry.

"The government is guilty of violating human rights by omission against these people whose rights have been grossly neglected," he said.

He added that this negligence was apparent in the minimal budget allocated to handle people with mental illness. Right now, the mental health allocation is only two percent of the total budget at the Health Ministry.

"In order to fulfill the rights of the mentally ill, the government is required to allocate a budget reflecting [Indonesia's mental health] needs," Yoseph said.

Eka Viora from the Soeharto Herjan Mental Hospital in Jakarta said that health services for people with mental illness were still very limited.

"There is still discrimination against these people. Even community health centers, which should provide basic health services, do not want to accept them," she said.

Yeni Rosa Damayanti, the chairwoman of the Mental Health Association, pointed out the commonly held assumption that mentally disturbed people were dangerous and a threat to society.

"This makes the public afraid of them. However, statistics show that they suffer much more violence at hands of the public than the public does from them," she said.

According to Yeni, on a daily basis, the mentally ill are vulnerable to violence of all kinds, including discrimination, stigma and physical attacks. (lnd)

Freedom of expression & press

Supreme Court order threatens press freedom

Jakarta Post - August 27, 2010

Arghea Desafti Hapsari, Jakarta – A court ruling against the former chief editor of Playboy Indonesia, Erwin Arnada, sets a bad precedent, threatening the freedom of the press, the Press Council says.

Council member Agus Sudibyo told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the ruling could set a precedent for similar cases in the future.

The Supreme Court in July 2009 granted an appeal lodged by prosecutors and sentenced Erwin to two years' imprisonment after finding him guilty of public indecency. Public indecency is regulated in the Criminal Code.

The South Jakarta District Court had cleared Erwin of charges in 2007, saying prosecutors should have charged him with articles in the 1999 Press Freedom Law.

Agus said that with the Supreme Court ruling, "if in future there are people who dislike or feel threatened by media coverage they will be able to use the Criminal Code or other laws other than the press law."

The Press Council, he said, slammed the Supreme Court ruling because it was issued without taking the press law into consideration, when it was very clear that the now-defunct Playboy magazine was a product of journalism.

The local edition of the US-based magazine sparked controversy when it was first launched in 2006.

Only a week after the first edition was published, members of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) attacked the Playboy Indonesia editorial office in South Jakarta, injuring two policemen as they pelted the building with rocks, shattering windows and terrifying tenants.

FPI members then reported the magazine, which contained no nudity, to police for allegedly violating public indecency laws.

The South Jakarta District Court ruled that Erwin had not violated the law by publishing the magazine. Presiding judge Efran Basuning said photographs presented as evidence during Erwin's trial could not be categorized as pornography.

Erwin praised the verdict as a victory for press freedom in Indonesia.

Rudy Satrio, a legal expert from the University of Indonesia, said he supported the ruling made by the lower court.

"If [the magazine] indeed contained material that violated public decency or pornography [laws], the publisher should be punished, not the individuals. The press law should have been applied," Rudy told the Post.

He also said the Supreme Court had "made a mistake" by sentencing (Playboy's) chief editor to imprisonment.

"The press law regulates violations committed by the press as a company while the Criminal Code regulates crimes committed by individuals. The Supreme Court should draw a line there," he said, adding that Erwin was only a representative of a company that published the magazine.

The Supreme Court justice presiding over the case, Mansur Kartayasa, said he planned to clarify the legal reasoning behind the verdict today. Court spokesman Hatta Ali told the Post on Thursday that he was unable to comment on the matter.

South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday it had received a copy of the ruling and would arrest Erwin immediately. Office chief Muhammad Yusuf said he had sent Erwin a summons, but that the letter had not reached Erwin.

"Our data shows that he lives in Bendungan Hilir, but when we sent the letter there, the neighborhood chief said [Erwin] had moved."

Yusuf said his office would issue three summons before declaring Erwin a fugitive. According to Erwin's Twitter account, @erwinarnanda, he is still in Jakarta.

"One thing is for sure. I am not running away," he said in one of his tweets on Thursday. Erwin said he would stand up for Playboy Indonesia, which he says was not a pornographic publication.

The exclusive interviews in the magazine had been with prominent figures including novelist Pramoedya Ananta Toer, writer Goenawan Mohamad and artist Butet Kartaredjasa, he said.

"Would they have been willing to be interviewed exclusively had Playboy Indonesia been a pornographic magazine?" he said.

Politics & political parties

PDI-P pins hopes on 'distrustful' youth

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle hopes to tap into the country's substantial and often politically apathetic youth to win more votes in the 2014 presidential elections.

Buttressing this new strategy was a national coordination meeting for hundreds of the party's young members at its South Jakarta compound on Wednesday.

Maruarar Sirait, chairman for youth and sports affairs for the party, known as the PDI-P, reckoned there were more than 73 million Indonesians aged 18 to 31.

If the party can win the support of 15 percent of them in the next election, "it will help the party to get at least 25 percent of the total vote." Maruarar hopes a push to enlist young role models including influential activists will translate into votes.

"We are going to recruit youth leaders, farmer and fishing leaders, young intellectuals and sportsmen to help us with the program," he said.

With only 107 million votes cast in the 2009 elections, analysts predict the youth vote could be a potential boon for parties in the next election, provided they can win over a traditionally distrustful and apathetic demographic.

Rizky Maulana, a senior high school student from Jakarta who was a speaker at the meeting, said most young Indonesians had such little trust in political parties that campaign pledges usually fell on deaf ears.

Most young voters today, he said, would only back a party if it was able to prove itself sincere.

"If PDI-P wants to recruit new members from students, don't forget to involve them in activities, and give scholarships to poor students or students who do well in certain fields," he said.

Firmanzah, a party member who was elected the youngest dean of the University of Indonesia's School of Economics last year at the age of 32, added that a special focus on education and inspirational role models would also help the PDI-P attract younger supporters.

"I suggest the PDI-P start the program by giving special attention to education. Indonesia only has around 4.6 million young people with bachelor's degrees out of a total of 73 million, and only 7.1 percent of [those with degrees] are women," he said.

"Helping to increase the number of educated Indonesians would be huge for the party."

Firmanzah also backed the plan to hold up young PDI-P members as role models for their peers.

Arif Mustopha, chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Students Association (HMI), highlighted the importance of the PDI-P embarking on a regeneration program.

He said the party would remain unattractive for Indonesian youth if it maintained its dependence on the Sukarno line, adding that the PDI-P must give cadres outside the family a chance to lead.

Party chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of founding President Sukarno, has held her post since 1998, when the PDI-P was formed as a breakaway faction of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) following the fall of Suharto.

Aburizal tours East Java, defies attack over mudflow disaster

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie visited a number of Islamic boarding schools in East Java on Thursday and played down the provincial legislative council's plan to set up a committee of inquiry into his company's alleged role in the protracted mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo.

"So please form an inquiry committee, no problem. It's the Supreme Court which holds the legitimate right to decide," Aburizal told Antara news agency said on the sidelines of his trip to Lirboyo Islamic boarding school in Kediri.

Aburizal said his company, PT Lapindo Brantas, had gone bankrupt and run out of money to pay compensation for people affected by the disaster, which began in 2006. He claimed his holding company had disbursed Rp 8 trillion to relocate thousands of people from their sinking villages.

Aburizal also visited two other Islamic boarding schools in Kediri municipality and Kediri regency, before flying for Jombang by a helicopter to visit Darul Ulum boarding school and the grave of former president Abdurrahman Wahid at Tebuireng Islamic boarding school.

He denied allegations that his Ramadan tour in East Java was driven by political motives. "There are many people studying in Islamic boarding schools across Java. We want to hear and help articulate their aspirations," he said.

Hatta Rajasa gets early endorsement for president

Jakarta Globe - August 24, 2010

Anita Rachman & Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Jockeying for the 2014 presidential election has begun in earnest with a respected scholar and former candidate touting Hatta Rajasa for the country's highest seat.

Hatta, the coordinating minister for the economy, is the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and a close ally of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is prevented by a term limit from seeking re-election in four years' time.

On Monday, PAN co-founder and former chairman Amien Rais said Hatta would be a strong candidate for the presidency.

"For PAN, Hatta is our most prominent figure," Amien said during an event to mark the party's Aug. 6, 1998, founding.

"We also have [secretary general] Taufik Kurniawan and [deputy chairman] Drajad Wibowo, but they're not as popular. When we talk about Hatta being the strongest candidate, that's an argument based on reason."

Amien, a noted scholar who lost the 2004 presidential election to Yudhoyono, said a Hatta presidency would be the natural next step in his career.

"He's served as a minister four times and is now a coordinating minister, so it makes sense for him to aim for president as the next step up," Amien said. "It would be weird if he ran for district head."

He added there was still a long way to go before PAN could mount any kind of serious bid on Hatta's behalf, but said some other parties would probably react favorably to a Hatta candidacy.

"If we were to mount a bid, we'd do so as a coalition, though it's too soon to discuss that," Amien said. "We'll polish him up a bit first."

Setya Novanto, chairman of the Golkar Party in the House of Representatives, lauded PAN's "desire to put its best candidate forward for 2014," but said the voters would decide whether or not Hatta made the grade.

He said Golkar had not yet opened discussions on possible candidates for 2014.

"We haven't discussed the 2014 election yet, and neither has the joint secretariat," Setya said, referring to the governing body of the ruling coalition, of which PAN and Golkar are both members. Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie heads the secretariat.

"We want to be very careful about choosing our next leader," he said.

Golkar's deputy secretary general, Lalu Mara Satriawangsa, a spokesman for Aburizal, said while he respected Amien's prerogative to speak for PAN, the announcement should not be seen as the coalition's support for Hatta. "I don't think his statement will disrupt the coalition," Lalu said.

The chairman of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party in the House, Jafar Hafsah, welcomed Amien's statement but said the ruling party would most likely back a candidate from within its own ranks.

"We'll work hard to earn votes in the legislative elections [that precede the presidential election] so we can nominate our own candidate without the need of a coalition," he said.

Electoral commission & elections

Indonesian ministry to force companies to clean up act

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Fidelis E Satriastanti, Jakarta – The State Ministry for the Environment is finalizing regulations that would oblige all companies to manage their waste according to prescribed standards, a senior official announced on Monday.

The ministry is required to issue 11 regulations by the end of this year in order to enforce the 2008 waste management law.

However, it says it has accounted for all of them in three regulations – on waste management, waste reduction and specific waste management – that it will issue later this year.

"The breakthrough in this waste management law is the EPR [extended producer responsibilities], which will push manufacturers to be more responsible for their waste products," said Ilyas Asaad, the ministry's deputy for environmental compliance.

"For electronic appliances, for instance, manufacturers will need to be responsible for what happens once their goods are broken," Ilyas said.

He added that the ministry would add a new clause specifically for the EPR. "Almost all developed countries implement an EPR," he said. "In Japan, for instance, they have some sort of eco-town where all their used electronic appliances are disposed of."

Ujang Solihin Sidik, the interim head of the ministry's waste management unit, cited instant-noodle packaging as one of the more difficult types of waste to manage in the country.

"Plastic noodles wrappers are definitely useless waste because they're not recyclable and they fetch a very low price, which makes it hard for trash scavengers to sell them," he said.

"Around 11 billion noodle wrappers are disposed of every year, which accounts for around 6,400 tons of waste from that industry. So it's a very significant amount of waste," he said, noting that producers have no responsibility to deal with it.

Based on ministry data from 2007, at least six million tons of plastic waste were generated by 194 districts and towns across the country, accounting for 14 percent of the country's 666,000 cubic meters of total waste.

The ministry also estimated that national waste generation amounted to 176,000 tons a day, or an average of 800 grams of waste per person per day.

Ujang said the EPR could be introduced with financial incentives, like a tax break to noodle producers that bought back disposed wrappers. Ujang said enforcement of the EPR should not involve financial or administrative penalties for non-compliant producers, but should instead focus on social punishment – publishing the names of offending companies.

Meanwhile, Sri Bebassari, the head of the Indonesian Solid Waste Association, said the EPR would be a significant step toward waste management, pointing out that the proportion of plastic trash, much of it non-biodegradable, was increasing.

"To date, no one has taken responsibility for that waste, much less the producers, because all this time the pressure to change attitudes has always been directed toward the consumer," she said.

"However, the producers are responsible for churning out [the plastic] so there should be regulations applicable to them in the form of the EPR."

Sri added that producers could also contribute to waste management by providing wrappers that biodegraded in two years rather than 100, which is the case with most wrappers today.

"They could also consider reusing plastic containers, such as water bottles," she said.

Lawmaker pushes for dual threshold

Jakarta Globe - August 29, 2010

Anita Rachman& Arientha Primanita, Jakarta – A lawmaker from the main opposition party has made the radical suggestion of having two legislative thresholds, just the latest twist in the debate over streamlining the national legislature.

Arif Wibowo, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said over the weekend that different thresholds should be applied for individual parties and coalitions of parties – 5 percent for the former and 7.5 percent for the latter.

The threshold, currently at 2.5 percent, is the share of votes a party must win in the general elections to get into the House of Representatives. The four biggest parties in the House have proposed doubling it, which is seen by smaller parties as an attempt to remove them from the political stage.

Other lawmakers, however, were quick to criticize Arif's suggestion. "It's not fair," said Mahfud Siddiq, the deputy secretary general of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

"The current threshold is already a great challenge for smaller parties and has pushed them into considering forming coalitions. I believe the threshold should be the same for both parties and coalitions."

The PKS is one of the four parties in the House calling for a doubling of the threshold.

Marwan Ja'far, a veteran lawmakers from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said there should only be one threshold, and no coalitions. "Ideally, the threshold should be increased to 3 percent, 3.5 percent or 5 percent," he said.

Jerry Sumampouw, from the Independent Committee for Election Monitoring (KIPP), said the idea of a dual threshold was just another way to keep smaller parties out of the House.

He also said the idea was confusing and could lead to disputes in the final determination of House seats. "It's too complicated for voters, so political parties must think of an alternative," Jerry said.

However, Bima Arya Sugiarto, from the National Mandate Party (PAN), which first proposed the idea of coalitions, said he thought having different thresholds was a good idea. "It's a really good idea," he said. "Now we just need to discuss the procedures for forming coalitions."

Arif defended his proposal, saying it was "an effort to accommodate smaller parties worried about getting into the House."

He added that future coalitions should be composed of parties holding similar ideals. "And once they've merged, they should be one new party," he said. "A coalition shouldn't be an umbrella group for several discrete factions. It's not a complicated concept."

Analyst says Indonesian president will right the Democrat's ship

Jakarta Globe - August 28, 2010

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – A flurry of recent controversies that rocked the Democratic Party will not dent the party's voter base during regional elections because of the widespread popularity enjoyed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a political analyst said on Friday.

The string of scandals to engulf the Democrats range from corruption cases to political faux pas to sex scandals.

"For now, the party will remain popular because of the brand built by Yudhoyono and its showing in the 2009 election," said Charta Politika analyst Yunarto Wijaya.

He added the incidents would inflict some damage to the party's reputation, but not enough to turn away supporters.

He said these individual incidents were relatively small compared to the impact from the Bank Century bailout, which the Democrats attempted to defend as legitimate in the face of overwhelming opposition from the House of Representatives and the public.

"Yet the Democrats still emerged from that case with their high approval rating intact," Yunarto said.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi, an analyst from the Indonesian Survey institute (LSI), agreed that the Democrats remained relatively popular, but warned that any future slipup by Yudhoyono could seriously hurt the ruling party's reputation.

Yunarto argued that with Yudhoyono out of the picture for the 2014 polls, the party would no longer be able to rely on the "bumper effect" that he currently provided. "Sooner or later, the Democrats will have to come out from Yudhoyono's shadow," he said.

He added that middle- and high-income voters would eventually become more critical of incidents involving other party members after this.

"If they don't start getting a handle on them now, they could prove to be dangerous in the future," Yunarto said. "That could have a multiplier effect that would hurt the party's popularity."

The most recent fiasco revolves around a sex scandal involving Ahmad Tohari, the party's district chairman for Jombang, East Java.

Tohari's wife revealed recently that she had filed for divorce after learning that he had been having an affair with their maid for the past six years. She also claimed to have evidence in the form of cell phone pictures. Tohari has since reportedly been dismissed by Democrat chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

A second alleged sex scandal implicates Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Darwin Zahedy, who is widely rumored to be having an affair with his personal secretary.

However, he and several party stalwarts, including deputy secretary general Saan Mustopha, have denied the allegation, claiming that the rumor is part of a smear campaign against the party.

Adding fuel to the fire, an online news portal recently reported that a senior Democrat had been reported to the police for raping a woman at a hotel in Bandung during the party's national caucus in the West Java capital in May this year.

House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie, himself a Democrat, said there was no truth behind any of the sex scandals. "Let the police investigate first, and only if the allegations prove to be true should any action be taken," he said.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, sex scandals are not the only problems rocking the party's boat.

The party was roundly chastised for not taking action against convicted embezzler, fugitive and sitting legislator As'ad Syam, who was finally jailed earlier this month on a Rp 4 billion corruption charge for which he had already been convicted of a year and a half earlier.

Last week, another Democrat legislator, Ruhut Sitompul, was widely condemned for proposing that the Constitution be amended to abolish the presidential term limit and allow Yudhoyono to serve a third term.

The party's leaders, including Yudhoyono, were quick to distance themselves from the call, but Ruhut's standing as the party's spokesman fueled speculation of a sinister plot to keep the Yudhoyono family in power.

Regardless of the denials, Ruhut's audacious faux pas incited a barrage of criticism from political parties and pundits.

In June, the Democrats courted more controversy when they appointed a serving election commissioner to their leadership board, in violation of the law. Andi Nurpati, the official at the center of the controversy, was promptly axed by the General Elections Commission.

Crucial to resolve poll law deadlock now: Watchdog

Jakarta Globe - August 28, 2010

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – Lawmakers should settle their differences and reach a consensus on the draft of a revision of the 2007 Law on Election Organizers, a watchdog said on Friday.

The revision could potentially allow members of political parties to join election management bodies.

Erik Kurniawan, from the Indonesian Parliamentary Center, said a consensus was crucial to establishing a solid General Elections Commission (KPU) in time for national elections in 2014. He said new members should be selected next year instead of leaving it until close to the election.

"The KPU needs more than a year to prepare for the elections, like recruitment, publicizing the voting mechanism and adjusting to new rules stipulated in the revised law," Erik said. "Ideally the new KPU must be established three years before elections commences."

Current law stipulates the KPU for the 2014 elections can only be established a year beforehand. It is one of the issues being considered in the draft of the revision.

Lawmakers from House Commission II, which oversees home affairs, have failed to reach an agreement on the revision, with the dispute mainly revolving around allowing members of political parties to serve in bodies that supervise elections, like the KPU and the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu).

The current law says a political party member can only become a member of the election bodies five years after officially leaving the party.

Another disputed article deals with the appointment of the committee to select members of election bodies.

The revision aims to include the legislature in the process, whereas the government now has the full authority.

The idea to allow party members to sit on management bodies has been criticized by the KPU and Bawaslu and a string of political watchdogs, which argue that it could result in parties abusing the election process.

Commission II deputy chairman Teguh Juwarno, from the National Mandate Party (PAN), agreed that forming the new KPU by 2011 was crucial to having a stronger, better prepared body to deal with the 2014 elections.

"Commission II is committed to finalizing the revision of law this year or at the latest the beginning of 2011," Teguh said. "We're hoping to find a way out to settle the differences of opinion on the political party participation in KPU membership this month."

Teguh said the discussions were still at the commission level. "Voting will only take place once the draft gets to the plenary session," he said.

The commission has just a couple of weeks to decide on the draft before the House breaks for Idul Fitri, which falls on Sept. 10- 11. The draft would then be taken to the legislative body, discussed with the government and then passed in a plenary session.

Erik said if the commission failed to make a decision before mid-September, it would be impossible to pass the bill by the end of the year. According to the schedule of Commission II, the draft should have been finalized and brought to the plenary session in July, so it could have been discussed with the government during August and September.

However, the commission was reportedly deadlocked over allowing political party members into the election bodies, including the KPU, Bawaslu and the Election Organizers Honorary Council (DKPP).

The members of the working committee formulating the draft had all agreed to eliminate the rule that political party members cannot join the KPU unless they have resigned from the party at least five years earlier.

But when it was brought up at the commission level for a decision, the Democratic Party and PAN had totally disagreed, leading to a stalemate.

"If the deadlock continues, the IPC fears that the target of setting up a new team by 2011 will not be met, and this would be risky," Erik said. As long as factions failed to reach a consensus, progress was impossible.

Legislative threshold hike idea still under fire as 'ploy'

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The country's big political parties should provide proof that their push for an increased legislative threshold is not part of a sinister ploy to crowd small parties off the political stage, critics say.

At a discussion on Thursday on the issue, veteran journalist Budiarto Shambazy said the proposal to double the threshold from 2.5 percent to 5 percent, championed by the four biggest parties in the House of Representatives, could be viewed as a "political trick."

The threshold is the minimum share of votes needed by a party to clinch a seat in the House.

Bima Arya Sugiarto of the National Mandate Party (PAN) agreed, calling on the big four to explicitly state their reasons for pushing for the increase.

"Before we even start discussing the threshold, we should first decide on the grand design of our political system," he said. "If the point is to trim down the number of parties in the House, this should be clearly stated in the grand design. But there's been no statement of this."

The PAN has called for parties to be allowed to join together as coalitions in a bid to counter the expected threshold increase.

However, the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party, the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) have all denounced the move, arguing that the threshold must be hiked to 5 percent in order to streamline the legislative process and shore up the presidency.

PDI-P legislator Hasto Kristiyanto, speaking at Thursday's discussion, said his party was pursuing the increase mainly to strengthen the presidency. "This can only be achieved through a simplified multiparty system, which the increased threshold will give us," he said.

Hasto also warned the rest of the big four that a doubling of the threshold must be accompanied by a process to allow parties to consolidate, without which, "raising the legislative threshold could be seen as a trick by the big parties to eradicate smaller ones." He said consolidation would motivate all parties to work that much harder in pursuing their political agendas.

Separately, PKS secretary general and House Deputy Speaker Anis Matta said his party was considering proposing that any party meeting the increased threshold be allowed to nominate its own presidential candidate.

Currently, only parties that win at least 15 percent of votes in the legislative elections are allowed to nominate their own candidates for the presidential polls that follow a few months later.

Anis said the idea was sparked by a call earlier this week that PAN chairman Hatta Rajasa contest the 2014 polls.

"Hatta is proof that Indonesia has many potential leaders for the future," Anis said. "In light of his backing, we're considering an idea whereby all parties that meet the threshold can nominate a candidate."

However, United Development Party (PPP) secretary Romy Romahurmuzy rejected the idea, insisting that the 15 percent limit still apply for nominating a presidential candidate.

Labour & migrant workers

Thousands rally to protest Idul Fitri bonus cut

Jakarta Post - August 31, 2010

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – About 13,000 workers staged a sit-in rally outside PT Panarub Industry shoe factory in Tangerang city to protest the management's decision to cut their Idul Fitri bonus without any explanation.

The protesters had stopped working as soon as they found they received less holiday bonus this year than the previous years. The company produces shoes for prominent German brand Adidas.

"This cut did not happen last year and in the previous years. We need explanation from the company management why the bonus was cut and what for," Lia Naipospos, one of the workers, said.

Sofiyah, another worker, said the cut ranged from Rp 100,000 (US$11) to Ro 200,000, depending on the workers' wage and term of service. "The amount of is very meaningful for workers like us," she said.

Workers who have been employed for one year receive at least Rp 1.1 million in monthly wage each.

No company executive was available for comments about the policy.

In another part of the city 1,400 workers of PT Woneel Midas Leathers went on a strike to protest the absence of Idul Fitri bonus, forcing the company to put production to a complete halt.

"This is the third day we are on strike. We demand holiday bonus as we did not receive it in the past few years," Agung Tridarto, chairman of the company's labor union, said.

The workers also demanded that the company, which produces golf and baseball gloves, to reemploy four workers who had been dismissed recently for instigating others to demand holiday bonus.

Worker who have been employed for one year are entitled to holiday bonus, the amount of which equals their respective monthly wage. Companies that cannot meet the obligation must report to the local manpower agency.

Environment & natural disasters

Thousands flee as Indonesian volcano erupts

Agence France Presse - August 29, 2010

Arlina Arshad, Jakarta – A volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted for the first time in 400 years Sunday, spewing a vast cloud of smoke and ash into the air and sending thousands of people fleeing from their homes.

Indonesia issued a red alert after the Sinabung volcano erupted, blanketing the area in thick and acrid black smoke, disaster officials said, although no casualties have yet been reported.

"It's clearly dangerous so we've raised the warning to the highest level, or red level," said Surono, head of the nation's volcano disaster alert centre. "From the crater, it shot smoke and volcanic ash 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) into the sky," he told AFP.

The 2,460-metre (8,100-foot) Sinabung in northern Sumatra has not erupted for more than 400 years but had shown "some volcanic activity" since Friday, Surono said, adding that they were monitoring the situation.

Villagers said they saw lava emerge from the crater around midnight, about 15 minutes before the eruption.

"I saw flames flickering, very red right at the top. Previously there was only smoke," Terkilin Sembiring was quoted as saying by Detikcom news website.

"At the time, we heard a sound like an aircraft flying past. We thought it was a government official's plane but it turned out that the sound came from the volcano," another villager Maslin Pandia was quoted as saying by Kompas.com news website.

Television footage showed black smoke shooting up into the sky and lava overflowing from the crater as residents fled the area in pickup trucks and cars.

More than 18,000 people have been evacuated from several affected villages to towns outside a six-kilometre "danger zone", officials said.

"The ash has spread to a distance of 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the volcano. Many of the villagers evacuated were farmers and they said the ash had settled on their vegetable farms," search and rescue team official Mohammad Agus Wibisono told AFP.

There were however no flight disruptions, Wibisono said.

Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono told AFP that many residents in four affected villages at the foot of the volcano had fled immediately after the eruption.

"Many had left their homes even before they were evacuated. They said the volcano was spewing thick black smoke, small stones and sulphur. They were so scared they decided to leave their homes and go to the city," Kardono said, adding that a rescue team had been sent to survey the area.

"The area is blanketed with thick smoke and there's a strong smell of sulphur," he added.

Kardono said while there were no reports yet of any deaths or injuries, "many" had reported breathing difficulties.

"We have anticipated that people may have respiratory problems from inhaling dust. So we've given them face masks and are preparing to send in medicines for respiratory infections," he added.

The red alert would likely remain for "at least a week" as vulcanologists monitor the situation, Kardono said.

"There's little data on Mount Sinabung. The eruption took the experts by surprise. We don't know when it might erupt again so, it's best for people to stay away until the experts can determine when it's safe to go home," he added.

Antara news agency quoted local police as saying that two people had died from heart attacks. Karo district official Andes Mbaga earlier said one of them had "breathing problems which could have been worsened by the ash and dust floating around".

Evacuees from 18 affected villages were "all doing well" and those who complained of breathing problems were receiving medical help.

"Villagers are too traumatised to go home but the situation is under control, we have enough tents, food and water," he said, although volcanic activity had reduced significantly.

"We're going to stay put here. Mount Sinabung has never spouted so much smoke and at such a high level. We're so scared that it might erupt," villager Edi Ginting told Jawa Pos news website.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity. It has more active volcanoes than any other country.

Earlier this month, four people went missing after the 1,784- metre Mount Karangetang, on the remote island of Siau in North Sulawesi province, erupted.

Most people accept nuclear power plant: Survey

Jakarta Post - August 25, 2010

Jakarta – A survey jointly conducted by the National Nuclear Agency (Batan) and the University of Indonesia's School of Social and Political Sciences found that 57.6 percent of respondents could accept the deployment of nuclear power plants.

The survey discovered public opposition to a nuclear power plant was not as tough as expected as only 24.6 percent of the respondents were against the program, while 17.8 percent abstained, Antara reported.

Even in Jepara regency in Central Java, where the first nuclear power plant will be built, the approval rate of nuclear energy reached 55.30 percent.

Conducted in May and June on 3,000 respondents in 22 regions in seven provinces across Java and Bali, the polling showed that most government officials, legislative council members, community figures, NGO activists and housewives supported the government's plan to go nuclear.

Those who resist the plan expressed their fear about safety, learning from fatal accidents that have occurred in nuclear countries.

Batan chief Hudi Hastowo suggested Tuesday that the government take the survey seriously and no longer delay its plan to build a nuclear power plant.

Lampung deer on the brink of extinction

Jakarta Post - August 24, 2010

Liwa (Lampung) – Unchecked hunting is feared to wipe out the deer population in Liwa regency within the next 10 years, residents and government officials said Monday.

"In the past, the animal could be easily spotted in droves. Now, because they are hunted every day, they are rarely sighted," Edi Susanto, a local resident, said.

He said the decreasing deer population has tipped the environmental balance as seen from the increasing incidence of predators, such as tigers, encroaching on residential areas and preying on domesticated animals.

"The government should stop poaching deer so that the ecological balance remains well-checked," Adi said as quoted by Antara news agency.

West Lampung regent Mukhlis Basri has appealed to the public to stop hunting deer but he is yet to issue a regulation. "I always remind people of the need to stop hunting now," he said. "The public has fallen victim of poaching."

Health & education

No decline in leprosy sufferers battling stigma, sores

Jakarta Globe - August 31, 2010

Dessy Sagita, Jakarta – Anen, a man in his mid-50s, recalls the years 2000 and 2001 as the darkest days of his life. He was battling leprosy, a disease that not only left him disfigured, but ostracized and alienated from his community.

While the disease is not fatal, the stigma that comes along with it altered Anen's life. Long thought to be God's curse upon man, leprosy manifests itself very visibly, beginning with skin lesions and, if left untreated, disfiguring the extremities.

Far from being a divine curse, the symptoms are caused by an immune response known as granuloma, in which cells corral a foreign invader, in this case a bacteria, causing the lesions.

A lack of information about the condition, combined with the stigma, forced Anen into isolation. He said after his family and friends found out about his disease, he was shunned. His relatives avoided him because they were afraid that he might infect them.

"No one would touch my clothes or my toiletries," Anen said during a two-day leprosy education forum in Jakarta.

Fortunately, the medical workers in his village in Subang, West Java, came to his aid, prescribing medication that led to a near-complete recovery after more than a year of treatment.

Kristina Widaningrum, head of the leprosy control program at the Ministry of Health, said the disease was more feared than tuberculosis, which is also airborne and treated with a similar drug therapy, but is much more contagious and dangerous.

"Most people fear it more because leprosy can cause permanent physical disabilities," Kristina said.

Leprosy is caused by the bacteria mycobacterium leprae and mycobacterium lepromatosis, Kristina said. If left untreated, it can cause permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

Bucking global trends, Indonesia is still greatly exposed to leprosy, said Khanchit Limpakarnjanarat, a representative of the World Health Organization.

From 2000 on, the Ministry of Health has recorded some 17,000 to 18,000 new cases in Indonesia, Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said at the leprosy forum's opening on Monday.

"The bad news is, the number seems to have stabilized. There are no signs of decreasing, and the prevalence among children is still quite high," she said.

Thayib Armayn, the chairman of the multiagency Leprosy Eradication Alliance, said the illness was still prevalent in Indonesia due to multiple factors, including geographic challenges.

Many people who suffer from the disease live in remote areas with limited access to health facilities. For the same reason, early detection is difficult.

In addition, Endang said stigmas and misconceptions about the disease also kept people from getting treatment, partly out of shame and also because they were convinced that the disease was incurable.

The government has had a program in place since 1990 to provide free leprosy drugs such as rifampicin, clofazimine and diaminodiphenyl Sulfone in most community health clinics (Puskesmas) in the country.

Endang said that more than 375,000 patients had been cured, but that 30,000 had been left with permanent damage.

Indonesia has the third-highest leprosy rate among the disease's 18 major endemic countries around the world, after India and Brazil, the WHO's Khanchit said. It has the highest rate in Southeast Asia.

If the disease is detected early enough, Kristina said the chance for a full recovery without lasting damage was very good. Warning signs include white or reddish spots on the skin, especially accompanied by numbness.

Radicalism persists in schools despite moderation efforts

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – Religious radicalism in schools lives, despite efforts by the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to reverse the trend.

Researcher and women's activist Ciciek Farha said many public school teachers preach radicalism – with or without the knowledge of their superiors.

Ciciek and other activists conducted a study of state high schools in seven cities from 2007 to 2008: Jakarta, Padang, Cianjur, Cilacap, Pandeglang, Yogyakarta and Jember.

They discovered that radical religious ideas that spread during extra-curricular religious activities had influenced young people's behavior.

For example, certain girls refused physical contact with family members whom they considered unclean and insulted their mothers for not wearing jilbab, or Islamic headscarves.

"A mother told me that her daughter had forced and terrorized her into wearing a jilbab," Ciciek said, adding that some of girls she spoke to performed wudhu, or ablution, to "cleanse" themselves after coming into physical contact with their families.

Extra-curricular religious activities have become a strategic tool for national and transnational radical and conservative groups mentors from outside the school system can use the activities to incorporate their ideas into student materials, she added.

The findings showed there were extra-curricular paramilitary trainings in schools in West Java and other provinces, where students recited an oath similar to the one used by Egyptian jihadist group Muslim Brotherhood, sometimes with the knowledge of school officials.

"These intensive, systematic and organized movements hinder efforts to bring about gender equality and open-mindedness in Indonesia," she said.

She added that concerned NGOs, with support from the government, have taken steps to curb growing radicalism in schools. "The process of advocacy has been carried out," she said. "Many elements in the society view this as a problem."

The activists said they have discussed tolerance with key figures, including Islamic preachers, teachers and civil organizations. "We call them intermediary groups because they have people to whom they can spread their message," she told The Jakarta Post.

Religious Affairs Ministry official Imam Tholkhah said the ministry had created programs to instill multiculturalism and tolerance in teachers.

"We have organized seminars and workshops since 2007 to build multicultural understanding," he said, adding that teachers could use the ideas in their lessons.

Tholkhah, who is the ministry's director for Islamic education in schools, added that the ministry had distributed multiculturalism handbooks to Islamic studies teachers and would launch a moderate Islamic reference book with anti-violent messages that emphasized respecting people from different cultures. "The teachers will design their own modules based on this reference book," he told the Post.

The challenge in fighting radicalism is the mixed qualifications of the state's 180,000 Islamic religious studies teachers, he said.

Only 50 percent met requirements, Tholkhah said, adding that ideally, the government should provide college degrees to 100,000 of its teachers to improve quality. (gzl)

Women & gender

Women's activists decry conservatism

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – Indonesia has made significant strides to empower women recently – but activists say progress is hampered by weak enforcement and religious conservatism.

Women's rights activist Sulistyowati Irianto said the women's movement has made great progress during the reform era, as shown by the laws and regulations enacted over the last decade.

"There are more than 12 such legal instruments, including those that stand independently and those that are integrated with other laws," she added.

Sulistyowati, who also heads the University of Indonesia's postgraduate anthropology program, said two good examples were the 2004 Domestic Violence Law and the 2007 Eradication of Human Trafficking Law.

"Thus, normatively, the government has been successful," she said, adding that the women's movement in Indonesia has been remarkable when compared to its neighbors such as Malaysia and Singapore, as well as Japan.

Sulistyowati said that although there was a chasm between what was written and was implemented, women now had an umbrella of legal protection.

"Unfortunately, some state institutions have filled the void by weakening what the government has built," she told The Jakarta Post.

Sulistyowati said the Constitutional Court's pending judicial review of the quota for female legislators might ruin much of what women have fought for.

The 2008 General Election Law stipulated that at least 30 percent of legislative candidates should be women. The judicial review filed by several political parties, if approved, would require that party candidates be nominated by majority vote, she said.

Activist Smita Notosusanto said that Indonesian women have made progress since reform began 12 years ago, especially in primary education and employment.

"The field of education has shown heartening progress because we see that at the primary and junior high school levels, the enrollment of girls to boys is nearly equal," she told the Post.

"However, many things are threatening [progress]," she said. "There are many reversals such as the rise of conservative religious interpretations which would diminish women's roles in society," she said.

She added that the rising trend must be reversed because no religion teaches discrimination against women. "This starts from the family where ideas on pluralism, religious tolerance and gender equality – as well as female and male equality – must be instilled from childhood," she said.

Moderate Muslims must raise their voices to counter extreme religious interpretations because the latter were more vocal and can have a greater effect on the easily influenced youth, she said.

"If the moderate can't raise their voices, these young people will not have an alternative interpretation to compare what the two camps have to offer," she said.

Women, especially those with the education and financial means, can help to advance empowerment by creating activities to benefit other women, especially those less privileged, she said.

Grassroots women's rights activist Nani Zulminarni said that women could take the initiative with leadership roles.

"Women must have the courage to step out of their comfort zones and cross the limits imposed on them to gain their rights as humans," she said.

She added that although many positive changes have taken place in the legal field, many social and cultural values still give room to values that discriminate and subjugate women.

"Thus, a dilemma exists because on one side, we have increasing opportunities but on the other, we are stuck with values and traditions than hinder us from taking advantage of available opportunities," she said. (gzl)

To veil or not to veil, Islamic women face tough choices

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Dina Indrasafitri, Jakarta – When Wina decided to shed her jilbab, the headscarf symbolizing, for most people, a woman's commitment to Islam, her husband commented, "It's up to you, but it's degrading."

She said some of her colleagues at work started gossiping and were cynical toward her following her decision to remove the scarf after three years wearing it.

Wina, a thirty something Jakarta resident, had been one of the subjects in the book "Psychology of Fashion": Fenomena Perempuan Melepas Jilbab (Psychology of Fashion: The Phenomenon of Women Removing Their Jilbab), launched Tuesday in Jakarta.

The author, Juneman, a psychologist from the University of Persada Indonesia, interviewed three other women who also decided to shed their headscarves.

The choice was often met with shock and criticism – some soft and others openly harsh – from their friends and family.

Intan, a citizen from West Java, said she had a long argument with her mother after deciding to take off her veil and said her mother accused her of being "wishy-washy".

In the book, Intan recalled her mother's words: "See? I told you so. You didn't have to [wear a jilbab] now you're embarrassed, right?"

The book revealed that social institutions and peer groups often play a large part in influencing a woman's decision to wear the Islamic head-scarf. And they are quick to react to women's decision to remove it regardless of the fact that such a decision is a private one.

"I often get comments on my Facebook page, saying that I would look prettier in a jilbab," said Tia – not her real name – who attended the book launch.

The woman in her thirties said that despite similar nudges from friends and colleagues, she would still put off donning a scarf.

Four of the women in the book said they were encouraged to wear the head scarf by institutions such as religious organizations and schools, and by male figures.

Intan in particular recalled her public junior high school teacher teaching students that women who refused to wear the jilbab were bound to hell.

The women interviewed in the book shared their various reasons behind their decision to remove their jilbabs. Tari from West Java was disillusioned by the election process for the head of the women's division of her campus' religious group. She said rumor was rife that candidates had to wear the very conservative hijab, which covers more than just the head and shoulders.

"This is not right. How come a woman's worth is judged by the size of her jilbab," she said.

Lanni from East Java said that one of her reasons was having her heart broken by the man who encouraged her to wear a jilbab. While for Intan, studying Hindu and Buddhist philosophy during college had been one of the antecedents. Juneman said the reason to shed the jilbab fell into two categories: the feeling that one is not "enlightened" or pious enough to wear one, or, on the contrary, feeling that they are already enlightened thus felt that the attire was unnecessary.

Three of the women said they felt more comfortable after taking off their jilbabs, and two said they may return to wearing the headscarf again in the future.

All of the four women had finished undergraduate degrees and were living in major cities when Juneman conducted the book's research in 2007. When he first announced he needed subjects for the research over the Internet, more than 10 women expressed their interest over the one month waiting period.

"The nature of this research [qualitative], is not a representative one," Juneman said.

Siti Musdah Mulia of the Conference For Religion and Peace said that it was only after the 1980s that jilbabs became a major phenomenon in Indonesia, and the movement had grown more significantly in public schools rather than religious ones.

"For pesantren [Islamic boarding school] students, the headscarf was just considered as part of the uniform, there were no talks of hell for those not wearing jilbabs there," she said.

Siti added that there were other changing habits regarding how people viewed religion. For example, in the past there were no unwritten rules that lectures should pause during the call to prayer.

She illustrated less rigid methods of wearing jilbab that she encountered during her student days at a university in Cairo. "Some female students only put on their scarves in class," Siti said.

Some regions, which won autonomy since the fall of Soeharto's centralist government, have imposed Islamic dress codes on women. In some regions, such as several parts of Aceh, failure to adhere to these codes can lead to punishment under sharia law.

Population & migration

Population boom spells multi-sectoral bust for Indonesia

Jakarta Post - August 28, 2010

Jakarta – Indonesia's exponential annual growth rate of 1.49 percent will overload and over-stretch the country's limited resources, potentially ushering in a host of new problems in coming years, population watchers say.

The rate translates into at least 3.5 million births per year which will significantly augment the current population size of 237.6 million people. In just five more years, Indonesia's population could swell to more than 250 million people.

According to Sri Sunarti Purwa-ningsih, a demographer at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the rapid population growth would impact the provision of basic needs. "Planning and the provision of facilities for certain age groups becomes vital with large populations," she told The Jakarta Post.

Already problematic housing issues would amplify as more people migrate to cities and set up low-cost houses in squatter areas by river sides and railway tracks, she added.

"This migration will considerably increase the burden on the land as more people consume resources such as clean water, which are already difficult for many to obtain," Sri Sunarti said. "People will fight for these limited resources."

The poor would accept such living conditions as long as they were close to employment areas, which were more numerous in big cities, she said.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data shows that Indonesia's workforce amounted 171.02 million people, but only 116 million were employed, as of February this year.

With a majority of the population being under-educated, most would be stuck in low-level jobs, University of Indonesia (UI) demography and labor expert Sri Moertiningsih Adioetomo said.

It is even more essential that the number of employment opportunities could keep up with the rapid expansion of the workforce. "If it doesn't, there will be mass unemployment or people will take whatever job they can find," she said. "This situation could trigger higher crime rates."

Sri added that the effect of limited incomes would filter into the family unit as parents' capacity to provide good educations, nutrition and healthcare for their children became considerably weakened, especially without state social programs.

"If no attention is given to this problem right now, the circle of poverty will continue," she said, adding that current economic indicators were insufficient to show poverty reduction because economic growth had failed to decrease unemployment and poverty.

Indonesia's economic growth stood at 4.5 percent in 2009. That year's number of poor stood at 32.5 million people, the BPS data shows. "The government does not consider demography important, which explains why unemployment and poverty persist," Sri added.

The 2010 census data shows that 58 percent of the population is concentrated in Java.

The massive population growth affected policies in maximizing the state budget, such as in the field of education, UI sociologist Robert M.Z. Lawang said.

As more children enter school, the government will have to increase education subsidies to fully implement the nine-year mandatory education program, Lawang told the Post. (gzl)

Lingering doubts on census accuracy

Jakarta Post - August 24, 2010

Arghea Desafti Hapsari, Jakarta – House legislators and population experts are questioning the accuracy of the nation's recent head count, agreeing that the BPS failed to clear implementation and training hurdles during the 2010 census.

Many obstacles hindered the implementation of the country's largest census to date.

Workers reportedly had difficulties when surveying residents of Jakarta's high-rise apartments and indigenous people living deep in the hinterlands in places such as Papua.

BPS head Rusman Heriawan also said some census workers might have also been negligent in their work.

The difficulties prompted the BPS to extend the census' deadline twice: first from the original May 31 completion date to June 15, and then to June 30.

A member of the House of Representatives' Commission II overseeing domestic affairs, Budiman Sudjatmiko, told The Jakarta Post over the weekend that he doubted that the census was accurate.

"I don't believe it's 100 percent. There is always room for human error in the survey. The census takers and the people who were surveyed could have had different perceptions of the questions asked and therefore the data may not be valid," he said.

University of Indonesia Demographic Institute director Sonny Harry B. Harmadi said the BPS' national population estimate of 237.6 million might be right – but he was concerned that other parts of the census were inaccurate.

He said the BPS' biggest challenge had been managing 700,000 census workers.

"There were census takers who didn't understand the questions or what kind of data was asked for by the census. There were also those who did not do their work, made assumptions and used them to fill out the census forms," he added.

He said he questioned the effectiveness of the BPS' training for census workers.

"When they needed to query people on, for example, maternal related deaths, did they stop after asking if a female member of a family had died during a time when she was pregnant or went into labor? The women could have died because of a motorcycle accident and that would not count as a maternal-related death. Was the training good enough so participants could have understood those kinds of things?"

Multiple errors could have happened, he said. "The census workers could have not done their jobs, or maybe they did but made mistakes in understanding the questions asked. And there is always the chance that mistakes were made during data entry," he added.

Budiman, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said there was a lack of efforts to raise awareness on the census' importance.

"Statistics can only be objective if everyone who is surveyed understands that the results will benefit them," he told the Post.

Sonny said the BPS should have cooperated with NGOs and other civil society groups. "The BPS should have a wider network. NGOs can help in making questionnaires and in monitoring the census," he added.

Graft & corruption

Democrats: Proposed 'integrity pact' not a good idea

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – The ruling Democratic Party on Monday criticized an attempt by lawmakers to tie the selection of an antigraft commissioner to the 2008 Bank Century bailout through an "integrity pact."

Several factions in the House of Representatives have proposed that the two candidates for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) be asked to sign the pact.

It would require them to investigate alleged graft surrounding the controversial Century bailout should they be appointed to the KPK and later elected to head the body.

The Century case has dominated the House's agenda for much of this year, and was used by lawmakers to attack Vice President Boediono and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who eventually resigned to take a post at the World Bank.

Jafar Hafsah, chairman of the Democrats in the House, questioned why lawmakers were so eager to emphasize one case while failing to mention others. "Why should it only be about the Bank Century case? A pact must not mention individual cases, but all cases," he said.

On Sunday, lawmakers demanded the two final candidates for the KPK – human rights lawyer Bambang Widjojanto and Judicial Commission Chairman Busyro Muqqodas – sign a pact to investigate graft allegations surrounding the Century bailout.

The People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Golkar Party are the two initiators of the pact, with the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) supporting the idea.

Hanura legislator Syarifuddin Sudding and Golkar's Bambang Soesatyo, both members of House Commission III, which will vet the two candidates, said they would not vote for any candidate who refused to sign the pact.

They said the Century case would be the biggest test for the next KPK leader, as it allegedly involved top officials. In June, the KPK told the House it had not found any indications of corruption in the bailout.

Benny K Harman, the House Commission III chairman from the Democrats, said the pact was unacceptable. "No, they cannot put forward a pact, that's another way of dictating to the two candidates," he said. He added that no act could not guarantee the candidates' integrity.

Another Democrat on Commission III, Didi Irawadi Syamsuddin, also said the pact was inappropriate. He said the commission only had the power to question and assess the candidates.

"I strongly criticize the idea – is the [pact] meant to be used as a political tool? Don't forget that we have this tax brokers case that is strongly believed to involve conglomerates. The KPK should focus on probing that," he said.

"We shouldn't push the KPK to handle certain cases; the KPK should handle all cases."

Didi praised Bambang and Busyro and said both candidates had the necessary skills and intangible qualities to lead the KPK. He also said the Democratic Party would ask the candidates to focus on the tax brokers case.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, however, praised the proposed integrity pact, calling it "tremendous progress" by Commission III. He said it was important the Century bailout was properly investigated.

He said once the names of the candidates were given to the House, Commission III was free to assess them in any way it saw fit.

Patrialis also said that under the law, the candidate chosen by Commission III would not automatically chair the KPK. The House will choose the chairman from the new commissioner and the four existing ones.

The House will also have to discuss with the government whether the newly elected KPK commissioner will be appointed for one or four years.

Anggodo Widjojo jailed for four years for attempted bribery

Jakarta Globe - August 31, 2010

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – Controversial businessman Anggodo Widjojo has been jailed him for four years after the Anti- Corruption Court convicted him of attempted bribery.

The jail term, delivered by presiding Judge Tjokorda Rai Suamba, is less than the prosecution's demand of six years. Attempted bribery carries a minimum 3-year sentence and a maximum jail term of 12 years.

Anggodo was found guilty of attempting to bribe officials from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) with as much as Rp 5.1 billion ($566,000) in an attempt to get it to drop a corruption case against his brother, Anggoro Widjojo, who is still at large.

The prosecutor also recommended Anggodo be fined Rp 200 million. Anggodo's lawyer, OC Kaligis, appealed the sentence.

Anggodo is a hugely controversial figure and was central in an alleged plot to bring down the respected KPK. Elements of the National Police and Attorney General's Office were also alleged to have been involved.

Lawmakers: KPK chief must deal with Bank Century scandal

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – The search for the next head of the Corruption Eradication Commission has taken a distinctly partisan turn even before the House of Representatives has begun screening the two remaining candidates.

On Sunday, lawmakers demanded that human rights lawyer Bambang Widjojanto and Judicial Commission Chairman Busyro Muqqodas sign a promise to probe alleged graft surrounding the 2008 Bank Century bailout.

With the scandal having dominated the agenda of the House in the early part of the year with no clear results, some legislators now want to force it onto the plate of the next antigraft leader.

Syarifuddin Sudding, from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), told the Jakarta Globe that House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, would make "integrity" a key issue when choosing one of the candidates.

However, his definition of integrity was action on Century. "The commission will ask them to sign an integrity pact," Syarifuddin said, adding that the antigraft body, also known as the KPK, could no longer afford to drag its feet on the bailout.

"The [integrity] pact has to do with the Bank Century bailout scandal. They must be committed to resolve this matter within a specified period of time. Our suggestion is within two or three months," Syarifuddin said. "If they refuse to sign, what is the use of choosing either of them?"

On Friday, the selection committee for the KPK chairmanship announced that Bambang, 50, or Busyro, 58, would be recommended by the government to the House to lead the agency. House Commission III would begin the fit-and-proper tests in late September or early October. Pundits praised the candidates, saying neither was likely to bow to political pressure.

Politics, however, were front and center on Sunday as lawmakers sought to revive the Century case, which was earlier used by Hanura, the Golkar Party and others to attack Vice President Boediono and former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who resigned under House pressure and became a managing director at the World Bank.

Analysts believe the Century scandal was used by some politicians to try and derail the government's reform agenda, led by Sri Mulyani.

Bambang Soesatyo from Golkar, a part of the ruling coalition that remains critical of the bailout, said he shared Syarifuddin's sentiments that the Century case was central to the KPK's integrity.

"Candidates who lead the KPK must be ready to die, especially in resolving the Bank Century bailout," Bambang said. "I personally will vote for the candidate who signs the pact."

Gayus Lumbuun, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said he also wanted to pressure the candidates on Century, because the House had concluded its long probe into the scandal with a call for a criminal investigation.

Gayus said the proposed integrity pact should be used as a factor in assessing the candidates, although he added that both men were basically acceptable.

Corruption involving senior energy ministry officials grows: KPK

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission had laid a second charge against an official from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in connection with a solar energy project corruption scandal.

Jacobus Purwono, director general of electricity, and Kosasih Abbas, chief of renewable energy, were named suspects in June for their alleged involvement in a tender rigging and budget inflation case connected to a solar energy project aimed at providing electricity to remote villages in 2007 and 2008.

Johan Budi, a spokesman for the antigraft body, also known as the KPK, said on Monday that last week the body named Jacobus as a suspect for a similar scheme in 2009. For the 2009 case, the KPK also named Ridwan Sanjaya, a ministry official who was in charge of the project's procurement process.

"We suspected that there had been a budget inflation that cost the state Rp 150 billion [$16.7 million] in losses," Johan said. "This is a continuation of our investigation into the 2007 and 2008 case."

The spokesman added that there were similarities in both cases. Jacobus and the other two officials are accused of receiving kickbacks from companies bidding on the project in exchange for naming them winners of the tender processes.

In 2007 alone, the ministry installed 33,000 solar panels across 30 provinces, with each able to produce as much as 4.5 kilowatts per day. The commission estimated Rp 119 billion in state losses from the 2007-2008 projects, which were valued at more than Rp 1 trillion.

Johan added that the three allegedly received at least Rp 4.6 billion in kickbacks from project contractors. The pair later claimed the money was 'tactical funds' from contractors to avoid detection.

The commission had been looking into the case for the past few months and had been able to gather enough evidence to charge the officials with violating Articles 2, 3, 5 and 11 of the 1999 Law on Corruption, which carry a combined maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

"It is possible that the case could develop further and more suspects could be named," Johan said.

Energy Minister Darwin Zahedy Saleh told reporters that he would not intervene in the legal process.

"I don't want to rush into a conclusion as to whether the allegations are true or not. I just hope the legal process is fair and just," the minister was quoted by Antara as saying.

Jacobus could not be reached for comment.

Activists support KPK nominees

Jakarta Post - August 29, 2010

Jakarta – Anticorruption activists are throwing their support behind Bambang Widjojanto and Busyro Muqoddas as nominees for a key post at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), saying both were worthy candidates.

The selection committee proposed Bambang and Busyro to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday. Once legislators take their pick, they will then choose one of the KPK's five deputy leaders to be chairperson, a position left vacant by Antasari Azhar after his conviction in a murder case in February.

Adnan Topan Husodo of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said Saturday that both candidates were the best picks made by the selection committee.

"The integrity and achievements of both nominees are beyond doubt," he said. "They have extensive experience in the field of corruption eradication."

He added that regardless of their different backgrounds, both nominees would be able to boost the KPK's internal dynamism, which has considerably been weakened by criminal allegations against KPK deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.

Bambang, 51, is a long-time anticorruption activist who now lectures at Trisakti University and is the KPK's legal adviser. Busyro, 58, lectures at the Indonesian Islamic University in Yogyakarta and is the incumbent chairman of the Judicial Commission.

Adnan added that the appointment of a new chief would simply be to fulfill administrative requirements and would not alter the degree of authority shared among the chairman and his four deputies. "It does not matter who gets appointed chairman," he said, adding that based on the 2002 KPK Law, the House of Representatives had the prerogative to appoint the chairman.

"The House, however, cannot turn down a candidate nominated by the selection committee," he added. "The law does not permit them to do that."

Legislator Gayus Lumbuun, however, said the House had the constitutional right to reject candidates if there was evidence of a criminal past or serious misconduct. Adnan called the statement a ploy by legislators who feared that a strong KPK would threaten corrupt political parties.

Article 30 of the KPK law states that the House is obliged to pick five candidates, one of whom would be appointed chairperson.

"This is a move to protect themselves and their interests," Adnan said of Gayus' statement, adding that the ploy could misfire if legislators failed to substantiate their refusal.

"The strong resistance from legislators is suicide on their part as it indicates to the public, who have shown strong support for the candidates, that they have something to hide," he added.

Indonesia Budget Center (IBC) activist Roy Salam told The Jakarta Post that another concern was the ability of legislators to pick without bias.

"Bambang's level of acceptance in the House is not as strong because he is not from a government institution. Also, he has been critical of the government all along," he said. "These facts can affect the legislators' views."

Busyro is a more likely choice since he and the legislators had established relations during Busyro's tenure at the Judicial Commission, Roy said.

"Bambang lacks this rapport, which is worrisome," he said, adding that if legislators truly supported corruption eradication, they would consider both candidates equally.

Roy said both candidates were equally qualified because both possessed integrity and had never been implicated in criminal cases. Busyro consistently made the effort to combat case brokers while in the Judicial Commission, but could still compromise, he said.

He added that Bambang had shown an unstoppable drive to eradicate corruption throughout his career as a lawyer by not representing clients implicated in graft cases.

"He has been able to form networks with, and is well received by, various stakeholders, from the general public to law enforcement officials," Roy said. (gzl)

A last test for rivals to head KPK: Politics

Jakarta Globe - August 28, 2010

Nivell Rayda & Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – As the government on Friday announced the two final candidates for the vacant chairmanship of the Corruption Eradication Commission, analysts and antigraft activists voiced worries about the upcoming final selection process in the House of Representatives.

The 13-member committee that selected candidates for the commission, known as the KPK, submitted the names of the two final candidates – lawyer Bambang Widjojanto, 50, and Judicial Commission chairman Busyro Muqoddas, 58 – to the president for approval. The two were selected from seven candidates after a round of final interviews.

If approved, the candidates will face a so-called fit-and-proper test before House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs.

Rocky Gerung, a political analyst at the University of Indonesia, said resistance to the candidates from political parties was inevitable.

"There have been indications from the House that politicians are trying to pick the worst candidate possible in an attempt to weaken the KPK," he told the Jakarta Globe.

"Several lawmakers will also try to get the next KPK chairman in their pocket. So they will try to find a figure that will accommodate their political agenda," Rocky said.

However, Emerson Yuntho, deputy chairman of Indonesia Corruption Watch, said neither candidate was likely to bow to political pressure.

"Bambang is very critical of corruption inside the House, while Busyro has been consistent in his fight against graft in the judiciary system," he said.

Several lawmakers immediately expressed reservations about the two candidates, who both received strong support from antigraft watchdogs.

Fahri Hamzah, a lawmaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said he would ask the selection committee to turn over all its documents concerning the two candidates.

"The committee's decision shows irregularities," Fahri said. "These two figures were not the best candidates. Perhaps there were other considerations in naming the two."

Gayus Lumbuun, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that by law, the House could reject both candidates. He declined, however, to comment on either.

Hasril Hertanto, a legal analyst from the University of Indonesia and chairman of the Indonesian Judicial Watch Society (Mappi), said Gayus's remarks indicated that some lawmakers were intent on weakening the KPK.

The KPK chairman post has been vacant since March, when interim chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean's appointment was annulled.

"The selection committee has done a great job," Hasril told the Globe. "They were very transparent in their process and listened to input from members of society. This could serve as the standard for other selection processes. I don't see any reason why lawmakers would want to reject either candidate. If they do, we can be sure that the rejection is political."

Hasril said that during the final screening, lawmakers might pressure the candidates not to prosecute certain cases – or push the hopefuls to follow up on certain corruption scandals.

Nudirman Munir, from the Golkar Party, confirmed that suspicion. He said his party would push for prosecutions in corruption cases surrounding the Bank Century bailout and the appointment of economist Miranda Goeltom to a senior Bank Indonesia post in 2004.

"These cases will be our main concern during the fit-and-proper test. We won't try to influence the candidates' independence, but their stance on these cases will be the basis for Golkar's decision," he told the Globe.

Lawmakers agree powers for KPK to probe money trails

Jakarta Globe - August 27, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Lawmakers drafting an amendment to the 2003 Money Laundering Law say they agree with the government about giving new powers to the Corruption Eradication Commission to investigate suspicious financial transactions.

The agreement was reached during a closed-door meeting on Friday between the team from the House of Representatives and the government, represented by the leaders of the antigraft agency, also known as the KPK, the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) and National Legal Development Agency (BPHN).

As part of the agreement, the KPK is set to gain the right to investigate suspect finances, which is currently only permitted to the police, Attorney General's Office, customs office, National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and tax office.

The pending amendment will give the KPK high-level access to PPATK reports in order to conduct investigations.

The agreement came amid public concern that some House factions were opposed to expanding powers for the KPK and PPATK, and accusations that some lawmakers in the special committee deliberating the bill had even received bribes to block the amendment.

"This is proof that there is no intention to limit antigraft efforts, including limiting the KPK's access to suspicious financial reports," Ahmad Ramli, head of the BPHN, said after the meeting.

However, Ramli said the KPK, BNN and tax and customs offices would still need to coordinate with the police and AGO before launching their own probes into a suspicious transaction.

At the meeting, the parties also agreed to drop a proposed article of the law that would have also given the PPATK the authority to initiate investigations of transactions and bank accounts.

PPATK chairman Yunus Husein confirmed that it had only been agreed that the agency would retain its current right to identify, clarify and provide analysis to the six institutions that would then investigate the transactions. "And we can accept that," Yunus said.

Bambang Soesatyo, a special committee member from the Golkar Party, said lawmakers would only grant the PPATK the authority to investigate suspicious transactions if it agreed to be more independent.

Some lawmakers have aired fears of potential manipulation by the government if the PPATK was given such rights, because the institution was still technically under the president, he said.

"It won't be independent," Bambang said. "Just look at how the head of the PPATK is also a member of the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force, which is also part of the president's special team."

The special committee's chairman, Edison Betaubun, who is also from Golkar, said the consensus over the matter had shown that lawmakers were not trying to curb the authority of the KPK and PPATK.

KPK Deputy Chairman Chandra M Hamzah, meanwhile, applauded the decision to allow the agency to investigate and follow up on PPATK reports.

KPK wants proof of money House bill bribery claims

Jakarta Post - August 28, 2010

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)'s appealed for evidence from those alleging that House legislators accepted a Rp 5 billion (US$555,000) bribe to pass a bill giving the police and prosecutors jurisdiction over money laundering.

"Anyone who has hard evidence proving the allegations, please come forward," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said in Jakarta on Friday. Bribery allegations have been rife the last two days during deliberations on the long-awaited bill.

The issue revolves around the bill's original version, which authorized the KPK to handle money laundering – an idea rejected by major political parties, such as the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP) on the grounds that it would undermine public trust in the police and prosecutors.

Detik.com reported Friday that the legislators in charge the bill received a Rp 5 billion down payment for a larger bribe if they would approve a bill favoring the police and prosecutors. The legislators have denied the allegations.

Embattled lawmakers defend keeping PPATK powers in check

Jakarta Globe - August 27, 2010

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – Lawmakers on Thursday defended their opposition to granting the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center expanded powers, saying it was necessary to keep the agency in check to prevent government manipulation.

"What matters for us is that the PPATK [the center] is never given an investigative role," said Bambang Soesatyo, of the Golkar Party. "We oppose it so there will be no overlapping and abuses of power."

On Tuesday, watchdogs accused four parties with members on the House legal commission of hampering the country's antigraft drive by rejecting 24 critical points in the government's proposed amendment of the 2003 Money Laundering Law.

The activists said Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development Party (PPP) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) opposed allowing the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to automatically receive PPATK reports on suspicious transactions.

The factions are also against giving PPATK members limited immunity, the right to investigate and the ability to inspect and freeze suspicious bank accounts.

Only six of out of the 15 legislators on the House legal commission turned up to a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue, further angering activists. The session is to be continued today.

Bambang took issue with what he called the PPATK chairman's willingness to follow the president's orders, raising doubts on the center's independence.

He said if the agency were granted greater powers it could be used by the government to strike at political enemies by exposing their abuses.

However, Jamil Mubarok, a researcher with the Indonesia Transparency Society, said the lawmakers' denials were toothless. "Based on data, they have this tendency to undermine the KPK," he said. "Now we don't need them claiming that they don't, we are waiting for proof. If they really intend to give more access to KPK, they should prove it."

The activists said lawmakers may have good reason for wanting to keep PPATK reports from the KPK. In the two cases in which the KPK used PPATK reports, 10 lawmakers ended up being charged with taking bribes. At the moment, only the Attorney General's Office and the police can access the reports.

Tjahjo Kumolo, faction chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said his party had no intention of backing down. "We oppose the government's wishes to give PPATK more power."

He said the PDI-P insisted that PPATK should work independently and not be tied to governmental institutions. The PPATK should limit itself to its current tasks of analyzing financial transactions, he said.

"Look at PPATK's performance. It is dictated by these and those people," he said. "The discussion whether KPK could finally have access to the PPATK reports will be decided later. What we should focus on today is the role of the PPATK."

Two names left in race to take up battle against corruption

Jakarta Globe - August 27, 2010

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – Lawyer and academic Bambang Widjojanto and Judicial Commission chairman Busyro Muqoddas have been named as the final two candidates for one of Indonesia's most formidable, and dangerous, jobs – chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission.

The 13-member selection committee submitted the final two names to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for approval on Friday. Once approved, both candidates will undergo a fit-and-proper test before the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission III for legal affairs.

Justice Minister Patrialis Akbar, who chairs the selection committee, said both candidates met the committee's standards of integrity and competence.

Patrialis added that former presidential advisor Jimly Asshiddiqie and prominent lawyer Melli Darsa also met the same requirements but the committee questioned their commitment to the commission, also known as the KPK.

During their final interview, the two said that they would resign from their respective bids if the conditions at the KPK were not favorable to them.

Committee member Todung Mulya Lubis said that retired police officer Insp. Gen. Chaerul Rasyid and prosecutor Sutan Bagindo Fachmi were rejected because of their questionable track records. Legislator I Wayan Sudirta, meanwhile, was rejected over his political ties to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The KPK has been without a chairman since March, when interim chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean's appointment was annulled. He had been appointed to lead the body following the dismissal of now-jailed former chairman Antasari Azhar's over murder allegations.

Analysts say the KPK have been left badly wounded after attempting to take on three of Indonesia's most corruption institutions, the Attorney General's Office, National Police and the House of Representatives.

Alleged tampering in Gayus graft trial

Jakarta Post - August 27, 2010

Jakarta – The acquittal of graft suspect Gayus Tambunan by the Tangerang District Court in March was engineered by a prosecutor, a police investigator testified at the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday.

Adj. Comr. Sri Sumartini was testifying at the trial of fellow investigator Comr. Mohammad Arafat Enanie, who allegedly accepted bribes from Gayus, whose graft case is being reopened following revelations that his acquittal had been engineered by corrupt officials.

Sri, who with Arafat investigated Gayus, told the Court that a district attorney named Fadil requested she charge Gayus not only with money laundering but also with embezzlement.

"Fadil spoke to me on the phone. He asked me to also charge Gayus with embezzlement to speed up the completion of Gayus' police dossier," said Sri, who is also a suspect for receiving bribes from Gayus.

She did not fully disclose the identity of Fadil, but it is believed the three prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office implicated in the Gayus case are Fadil Regan, Cirus Sinaga and Poltak Manulang.

Sri added that she was aware that Fadil's request was not by the book, but said she did not inform Fadil of this because she also wanted to have the documents completed promptly.

The Tangerang District Court acquitted Gayus with the presiding judge saying he believed the charges were weak.

In a separate trial at the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday, Gayus testified against alleged case broker Sjahril Djohan, who Gayus' lawyer Haposan Hutagalung turned to in order to get the police to unfreeze his client's seized Rp 25 billion (US$2.77 million) bank accounts and also to stop investigators from arresting Gayus.

Gayus said he did not know Sjahril, and that Haposan had tricked him. He said Haposan intimidated him and told him that he would be arrested unless he bribed certain police officers.

"If you don't want to be arrested," Gayus quoted Haposan as saying, "pay up. If you don't want to have your property seized, pay up. If you want to have your accounts returned, pay up."

"Haposan turned out to be lying. I learned later that the police had no intention of arresting me," he told the court.

He added that Haposan, also a suspect in the scandal, asked him to submit a document meant to unfreeze his bank accounts to a person identified by the initials SJ.

"Haposan sent a text message asking me to send the document to a fax number, which supposedly belonged to SJ. However, after it was tracked down, [we found out] the number belonged to the National Police chief," he was quoted as saying by news portal kompas.com.

During his testimony, Gayus did not say whether he thought SJ was Sjahril Djohan.

Gayus said Haposan told him how SJ could help him unfreeze one of his accounts because the suspected case broker had close ties to then National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, who is also a suspect in the Gayus bribery case.

Gayus is reported to have many bank accounts, including at Bank Panin and Bank Central Asia, where he had Rp 28 billion (US$3.1 million) allegedly amassed from his time as an official at the Directorate General of Taxation, where he was suspected of aiding large-scale tax cheats.

Gayus has testified several times in corruption trials related to his current trial, where it is alleged he paid $2 million in bribes to National Police detectives, prosecutors, the judge presiding at his criminal trial and several attorneys to ensure his acquittal in March and to unfreeze his accounts.

Apart from Gayus, four other witnesses also testified at Sjahril's trial Thursday: police officials Sr. Comr. Wahyu Indra Pramugari, Sr. Comr. Eko Budi Sampurno and Syamsu Rizal, and Sjahril's driver, Upang Supandi.

A key witness in Sjahril's trial, Upang told the court he saw Sjahril carrying a brown bag, which Sjahril had picked up at the Sultan Hotel in South Jakarta, before going to Susno's residence.

"After arriving at Susno's home, my boss notified me that there was money in the bag," Upang told the court. He added that Sjahril took the bag into Susno's house after Susno arrived home.

Legislators deny bribe rumors to undermne antigraft agencies

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – Indonesian Lawmakers have been forced to deny rumors reported by a number of media organizations that legislators have been paid a total of Rp 5 billion ($550,000) to undermine attempts to bolster the antimoney laundering agency and increase the power of the respected Corruption Eradication Commission.

People's Conscience Party (Hanura) legislator Syarifuddin Sudding, one of the formulators of the proposed amendment of the 2003 Money Laundering Law, described the reports, which he had seen on the running text of private broadcaster RCTI, as "liable."

"We did not receive anything from anyone," Syarifuddin said. "There are people who want to halt our efforts in working on the bill by spreading the rumors."

Hanura, the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the United Development Party (PPP) oppose the amendments to give unprecedented powers to the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) and for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to automatically receive PPATK reports on suspicious transactions.

The bill would allow the PPATK to provide limited legal immunity for its members, the right to conduct probes and the ability to inspect and freeze suspicious bank accounts.

Syarifuddin said Hanura opposed the amendments because they believed a strengthened PPATK could by used by those in power to strike their political enemies. "The PPATK should be independent if it wants more power," he said.

Didi Irawadi Syamsuddin, a lawmaker from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, said he had also heard the claims but discounted them.

He said, however, that if the rumors were true the Democrats would be the first to report them to police. "I hope that it's not true; bribery would embarrass the House" of Representatives (DPR), he said.

The DPR is perceived to be one of Indonesia's most corrupt institutions, with recent investigations by the KPK exposing widespread graft for legislators to pass even the most basic legislation. Many past and sitting legislators, however, have avoided prosecution.

Legislators from the DPR are yet to pass a single piece of legislation since they were elected to office last year and the public is becoming increasingly angry at their indifference to the plight of average Indonesians.

Lawmakers slammed over money laundering bill

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) slammed lawmakers on Wednesday for refusing an article in the money laundering bill aimed to give more authority to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The provision in the bill currently deliberated in the House of Representatives proposes to give the KPK authority to investigate money laundering cases. Lawmakers from the Golkar Party, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and United Development Party (PPP) argue that by giving the KPK new power would worsen public trust in the police and Attorney General's Office.

They also fear it would cause overlapping of authorities among law enforcement institutions. "It's fishy that lawmakers object to empowering the KPK. It should have been potential looters of public funds raising the issue," ICW activist Febri Diansyah said.

He pointed out it would be useless to retain the authority to investigate money laundering with the police and prosecutors because they had failed to do the job for the past seven years.

Ministries get KPK whistle-blower system

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) launched Wednesday a whistle-blower system allowing civil servants to report gratuities to their institutions and the KPK.

Only in its initial phase, the software was installed at seven ministries – health, public works, home, forestry, national education, agriculture and finance – before it will be introduced in other government institutions.

"These institutions are prone to receiving gratuities, so we need more structured prevention efforts," KPK deputy chairman Haryono Umar told a press conference after the launch.

"Civil servants can file reports to their respective ministry's inspectorate generals through the system, which is linked to the KPK. The commission along with the inspectorate generals will then further process reports of gratuities received by civil servants," he said.

Under the system, he added, civil servants filing reports would remain anonymous. "The system also guarantees that no filed reports would defame anyone because those filing reports must answer certain questions," he said.

According to Haryono, so far only a few civil servants have filed reports to the antigraft body relating to gratuities they had received. "The definition of gratuities is broad. However, previous reports filed [by civil servants] usually centered on gifts or money received at wedding ceremonies," he said.

Haryono added the gratuities might also include any presents, tickets, allowances and souvenirs. "Civil servants must report the gratuity received within 30 days. Otherwise, these [gratuities] can be categorized as bribes," he said.

Under Article 12 of the 1999 Corruption Law, civil servants are forbidden from receiving things other than their salaries and allowances.

The software, which will cost $30,000 (US$38,000) in its first year of operation, is supported by the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

The KPK also launched two other programs: the gratuities control program and the anticorruption clearing house. Both are part of its corruption prevention efforts.

Abdul Hakim from the Forestry Ministry said his colleagues had previously found it troublesome to run a scheme to return gratuities. "[Officials] were reluctant to report and hand over the gratuities to the KPK," he said.

Abdul said civil servants usually felt receiving something other than their salaries or allowances was actually legal.

"We thought it was okay because [the gratuities] had nothing to do with our status. But it does," he said, citing presents received by an auditor as an example. "Our biggest task will be to raise awareness over this," he said.

Abdul was confident an integrated approach – such as that being implemented by the KPK and the ministries – would be effective in the fight against rampant corruption in government institutions. (lnd)

Governor lavishes Rp 1 billion on cards, stamps

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan's move to spend more than Rp 1 billion (US$111,420) from the local budget on personalized stamps and Idul Fitri cards has drawn criticism.

Protests emerged after state postal company PT Pos Indonesia's spokesman in Bandung, Suyud Suhendar, on Wednesday said the company had been ordered to distribute 450,000 cards from the administration to all officials – from neighborhood chiefs to regents and mayors – in all of West Java's 26 cities and regencies.

The order, which was to be carried out before Idul Fitri on Sept. 10 and 11, was the second of its kind from the governor, Suyud said. "A similar order was made last year, but it was not as many as this year. In 2009 we delivered around 100,000 cards for the governor."

The cards, sent on behalf of the provincial administration and funded with the local budget, show pictures of Ahmad, but not his deputy, Yusuf Macan Effendy.

In one card, the governor is pictured wearing an official suit, while in the other two cards he wears Cirebon and Garut batik shirts. The personalized card also serves as a calendar for 2011. The Rp 1,500 stamps also feature the governor in three different poses.

Suyud said the total amount spent on the stamps was Rp 675 million, while the cards were made by a separate printing company. If the cards cost Rp 1,000 apiece, they may have cost the province Rp 450 million.

West Java administration secretary spokesman Iip Hidajat confirmed there had been a special budget allocation for the governor's Idul Fitri cards.

"The funds used to print the cards came from the maintenance division budget, while the funding for the stamps came from protocol," Iip said. The spending had been approved by the West Java Legislative Council.

The cards from the governor drew criticism from observers. Bandung Institute of Government Studies (BIGS) deputy director Suhud Darmawan said the governor should have sought a cheaper means to ask for forgiveness during Idul Fitri.

He said the governor had sent the cards out of his personal interest, not on behalf of the administration, since he did not include his deputy. "[He could have] just sent an SMS. This would have been much cheaper," Suhud said.

The use of state funds also drew criticism from political observer I Gde Pantja Astawa of Padjadjaran University. "He could have placed an ad in the media. This would have been cheaper and effective. Once it is printed or aired, it would reach millions of people."

War on terror

Hardliners push for Baasyir's freedom on Web

Associated Press - August 29, 2010

Jakarta – Islamic hard-liners have launched a full-scale campaign in cyberspace seeking the release of Indonesia's best- known radical cleric. They are on Facebook, have set up their own websites, and hacked into the homepages of private companies.

Abu Bakar Baasyir, believed to be the spiritual leader of the al-Qaida-linked terror network Jemaah Islamiyah, was arrested for the third time on Aug. 9 for allegedly helping set up a new cell that was plotting Mumbai-style attacks targeting foreigners at luxury hotels and Western embassies in the capital. If found guilty, he could face a maximum penalty of death.

"It's all a lie!" wrote Facebook user Asy'Hari Siregar, who in the past would have been among hundreds rallying in Jakarta's streets, now largely quiet as the predominantly Muslim country observes dawn-to-dusk fasts for the holy month of Ramadan.

Others chimed in that he was a victim of a US conspiracy.

Indonesia, a secular nation of 237 million people, has seen an explosion in high-tech grass roots campaigning thanks to the availability of relatively cheap cell phones that can access the Internet. The number of Facebook users jumped from less than a million two years ago to 22 million today, making it the third largest country for the social networking site.

It also has the highest penetration of Twitter usage.

Robertus Robert, an analyst from Jakarta State University, said it is unlikely Islamic hard-liners will abandon street protests altogether.

"It's just that they see the web as a way of broadening their campaign," he said. "It's a bit a paradox, really. Most fundamentalists reject modern technology as a tool of the West, but it allows them to reach new audiences – the middle classes and others using the Web."

Within hours of Bashir's arrest, followers set up "freeABB.com" website, which has drawn more than 65,000 visitors. It contains video of police leading the smiling cleric into the police station, articles alleging US involvement in his arrest, and a message delivered by the cleric from inside his cell. Days later, supporters set up an account on Facebook.

A hacker who calls himself "ashaburayatisud" has also cracked into atleast 12 websites including a private bank, posting pictures of the white-bearded cleric and other terror suspects on their welcome screens. "Free Them!!!" the hacker wrote on a site operated by Panin Bank.

Indonesia has been hit by a string of suicide bombings blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah since 2002,including the 2002 attacks on Bali island that killed 202 people, most of them Western tourists. Several luxury hotels, embassies, and restaurants also have been hit, killing another 60.

Though Baasyir has denied any links to terrorism, he is well- known for spewing hatred in his sermons and is seen by many xperts as one of the driving forces behind the country's small but increasingly vocal hardline fringe.

Baasyir has been arrested twice before and spent three years and eight months in prison, but this is the first time officials say they can directly link him to terrorist activities.

They say he helpedset up al-Qaida in Aceh, providing funding for their military training camp in Aceh province, helping choose its leaders and keeping in regular contact with its field commanders.

Court documents link Abu Bakar Bashir with Aceh terror group

Reuters - August 26, 2010

Telly Nathalia & Sunanda Creagh, Jakarta – Islamic militants based in Indonesia's Aceh province worked with a fugitive suspected of planning the Bali bombings in an effort to unite various militant networks, court documents tabled on Thursday showed.

While Indonesia's anti-terror squad has killed or detained scores of militants since the bomb attacks on the resort island of Bali in 2002, police and other security experts have warned about the potential security threats to foreign and government targets in Indonesia from newly formed groups.

Prosecutors told the West Jakarta District Court on Thursday that several men with links to various Muslim militant groups had operated a secret training camp in Aceh.

The camp was discovered by police earlier this year, and at least 50 people have been arrested and several others killed in police raids since then.

Earlier this month, police detained Indonesia's most famous radical cleric, Abu Bakar Bashir, who was formerly the spiritual leader of the Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, for allegedly funding and advising the Aceh group.

Police have said Bashir was the leader of a group which calls itself Al Qaeda of Indonesia and which is the umbrella for four militant Islamic groups including JI, Jema'ah Ansharut Tauhid, Kompak and Indonesia Islamic State.

According to the court documents, Oman Rochman, a radical cleric linked to the Aceh group, had met Dulmatin, a senior militant figure on more than one occasion. The pair met last year and discussed setting up the Aceh base.

Dulmatin, who was a top bomb technician for JI, was killed in a police raid in March. He was previously believed to be hiding in the Philippines and the United States had put a $10 million bounty on his head.

Rochman, arrested in 2004 for arranging bomb-making classes, had been sentenced to seven years in prison but was released after only four years.

The court documents also detailed how Dulmatin provided recruits with training videos that featured Israeli soldiers demonstrating how to use various weapons. Other videos showed militants training in the Philippines and in Afghanistan under the direction of Osama bin Laden.

The group carried out attacks on targets they considered to be "enemies of Islam," including a German Red Cross worker who was shot dead in Aceh. The house where two American teachers were living, and the Aceh office of UNICEF were also attacked.

"According to the group, NGOs or foreign aid agencies were agents of Christianization in Aceh," one document said, adding the group planned to destroy churches in the staunchly Islamic region and stem what they saw as the spread of liberal thought.

Extremist & hard-line groups

Indonesian government urges crackdown on violent groups

Jakarta Globe - August 31, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Government leaders agreed on Monday to push for law enforcement to act firmly against any organization that disturbs public order or promotes anarchy and violence.

"We are pushing the state apparatus to strictly execute the laws dealing with violations and anarchism by certain mass organizations," Priyo Budi Santoso, the deputy house speaker and a Golkar Party member, said following a meeting with several ministers and top officials dealing with political, legal and security affairs.

Present at the meeting were Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, State Intelligence Agency Chief Sutanto and National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri.

The attendants, who gathered in the wake of recent violent attacks on religious minorities by Islamic hard-liners, agreed that the state will never accept any violence carried out in the name of ethnicity, race or religion, Priyo said.

They also called for strong measures against organizations that could threaten the country's sovereignty, such as separatist groups.

Golkar lawmaker Nudirman Munir said that the government needed to take tougher action against civil society groups in Papua which have been calling for a self-determination referendum there. "If we let them do that, they will become bigger," he cautioned.

The meeting also called on the House of Representatives to immediately launch a revision of a 1995 law on mass organizations, Priyo said. "What we discussed during the meeting should become the basis of the revision," Priyo said.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Said Abdullah said the police should arrest members of any organization using violence in the name of religion, stressing that such behavior amounted to terrorism.

He also criticized the police for appearing too passive in dealing with such groups. Bambang, though, said the police simply did not have enough personnel to deal with all violations.

"But we are still serious about law enforcement. We have even sent the leader of that certain group to prison," he said, alluding to radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who was arrested in mid-August on terrorism charges relating to his connections with a paramilitary training camp in Aceh.

Djoko said he believed that most mass organizations were resistant to any government "guidance," but vowed to enhance programs to strengthen dialog between the government and prominent organizations.

"We do need to tell them that all organizations must respect Indonesian laws," Djoko said.

Meanwhile, the PDI-P urged the government to revoke a joint decree requiring approval from local residents before a house of worship is constructed.

"Why should we have a regulation that requires permission from local residents if any religion wants to build a new house of worship?" Said questioned, agreeing with charges that the regulation has produced only conflict.

However, Suryadharma said the decree was approved by senior representatives from the six major religions recognized by the government.

"If we freed any religion to build their houses of worship, would it prevent us from further conflict? I don't think so. The decree is useful in preventing conflict among religion communities," Suryadharma said.

FBR, FPI conduct 107 violence acts: Police chief

Jakarta Post - August 30, 2010

Jakarta – The mass organizations Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and Barisan Muda Betawi conducted 107 violence acts between 2007-2010, the National Police chief says.

"From the aforementioned figure, we have completed investigations of 36 cases and have sent their dossiers to the prosecutor offices," Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said Monday during a meeting with the House of Representatives, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

The government has the chance to freeze these mass organizations, Bambang said. However, implementation is rather difficult as the 1985 Law on Mass Organization does not stipulate sanctions, he added.

Islam & religion

Minister calls for Ahmadiyah to be disbanded

Jakarta Post - August 31, 2010

Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said Monday that the Jamaah Ahmadiyah faith – who claim to be Muslim – had to be broken up, as followers violated regulations and were not Muslim.

The minister was quoted as saying after a hearing at the House of Representatives that Ahmadiyah, which has 200,000 followers across the country, "must be disbanded immediately". If not, "problems would continue".

It was the first clear statement from the minister following a number of attacks on the congregation and their mosques in the last few years, the most recent in Kuningan, West Java, late last month.

In West Lombok, 33 families who are followers of Ahmadiyah have not returned from their refuge as of April, fearing for their safety from residents who attacked them in 2006.

Suryadharma reiterated his earlier statement that the group violated a 2008 joint ministerial decree on Ahmadiyah, which stated that members of the faith could not propagate their teachings.

The decree issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Attorney General's Office and the Home Ministry, however, stated that Ahmadiyah followers could continue practising their faith through prayers, visit to mosques and other activities. The decree is based on a 1965 law on the prevention of blasphemy.

In the previous Cabinet under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, then vice president Jusuf Kalla had said Ahmadiyah would not be banned, but its members were not allowed to propagate their beliefs, which include the controversial tenet that the Prophet Muhammad was not the final prophet, as mainstream Muslims believe.

Ahmadiyah members have repeatedly said their teachings did not violate Islam, while others insist Ahmadiyah saw its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, as the last prophet.

Another group, the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Movement (GAI), regards Ahmad as only an Islamic reformist leader, and was thus not subject to the decree.

The belief that anyone other than Muhammad is the last prophet "is in basic contradiction with Islam," Suryadharma was quoted as saying. "If that is what is called freedom of worship then that freedom has gone too far," news portal tempointeraktif.com reported.

The basic right of other Muslims, he said, "is the right that must be protected when one group says the Prophet Muhammad is not the last prophet."

More discussions about banning the group are scheduled for after the Idul Fitri holidays, the minister said.

Following the issuance of the 2008 decree on Ahmadiyah, the ministry said the public would be allowed to act as a watchdog to ensure Ahmadiyah's compliance. The decree also threatens penalties for anyone committing violence against Ahmadiyah members.

However, sporadic attacks against the group have continued unpunished. In Kuningan regency, Ahmadiyah members clashed with hard-line Muslim organizations who demanded the banning of the group. Several houses were damaged and three were injured in Manis Lor village, where 3,000 of the more than 4,000 residents were Ahmadiyah followers.

Suryadharma said the 2008 decree was not being enforced effectively, while police say their main concern was to prevent clashes.

Sleep-deprived American pulls plug on noisy prayers in Lombok

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Fitri, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara – The ubiquitous prayers broadcast from mosques nationwide during Ramadan usually fade into the background for those not inclined to join in them. Until one day they don't.

An American expatriate living in Lombok for 15 years apparently reached the end of his rope on Aug. 22, when police say he barged into a late-night prayer session with his shoes on, unplugged a microphone and may have even hit one of the worshippers.

Police and witnesses said he was lucky to escape with his life as enraged worshippers chased him, then ransacked his house. Luke Gregory Lloyd, 64, escaped a beating but is being held by police on suspicion of blasphemy and violating his visa, the deputy chief of the Central Lombok Police, Comr. Lalu Mahsun, said on Monday.

"This man really angered residents of Kuta village in Pujut, Central Lombok," Mahsun said. "On the night of August 22 he stormed into a musholla [prayer facility] and berated locals who were performing the Tadarus," the traditional reading of the Koran that goes late into the night following special 9 p.m. Ramadan prayers.

"He entered with his shoes on and then unplugged the microphone used by locals to recite the Koran," Mahsun said. "We believe he even hit one of the worshippers because, according to him, they had interrupted his sleep."

Mahsun said the local religious affairs office would need to decide whether Lloyd had committed blasphemy, which is illegal. If officially named a blasphemy suspect, he will face further questioning.

Meanwhile, police are holding Lloyd under guard at a local hotel while they also confer with immigration officials. Mahsun said Lloyd's visa expired in April 2006. They declined to say why he was being held at a hotel instead of a police holding cell. Lloyd has a history of disrupting local prayer services, Mahsun said, but this was his most extreme act.

Nasruddin, a resident of Kuta village, said he had lost patience after Lloyd's latest outburst, which he said had been deeply insulting to residents.

Worshippers chased after Lloyd, Nasruddin said, but police intervened and took the American into custody before he was injured. Nasruddin said the villagers decided to ransack Lloyd's house instead. They broke windows, destroyed furniture and demolished a wall.

"He should consider himself lucky that we decided not to beat him, because we didn't want to do anything stupid, but some people were unable to control their anger and decided to damage Lloyd's house," he said.

After more than 15 years tolerating Lloyd, who bought land and built a house in the village, Nasruddin said his neighbors could no longer stand him. "We hope the police will give him the proper punishment for insulting our religion and not just let him walk away because he is a foreigner," he said.

Lloyd reportedly travels back to the United States to extend his residence permit, but has not done so for some four years. The immigration office in Mataram could not be reached when the Jakarta Globe tried to confirm his immigration status.

Shoemaker stoking the flames of sharia state

Jakarta Post - August 27, 2010

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Once Indonesia's public enemy number one, Mochammad Achwan, 62, has devoted the remainder of his life to consistently pushing Indonesia to become an Islamic state under sharia by any means.

Achwan's decades of struggle has seemed to have now found direction, with firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the spiritual leader of terrorist group Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), appointing him leader of Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT).

JAT, founded by Ba'asyir in 2008, is an above-ground extremist organization harboring many former terrorists and violent jihadis. It currently has around 1,500 members mostly concentrated in Central and East Java.

Under his leadership, Achwan has pledged to continue fulfilling the organization's goals already outlined by Ba'asyir through sermons and jihad. Jihad is perceived by Achwan and JAT as the fight to uphold sharia through both peaceful and violent means.

"Violent jihad can only be committed by those who already have the necessary resources and capability to wage such holy measures," said Achwan. "Those who don't have them must wait for the opportune moment with patience."

Security analyst Al Chaidar of Syiah Kuala University in Aceh said while Achwan was not as inflammatory as Ba'asyir, JAT was unlikely to shift away from its original course under Achwan.

"There's no indication JAT will be weaker without Ba'asyir because the organization's measures to reach its goal will remain sermons and jihad," said Chaidar.

"Jihad in this case will tend to toward violence," he said, adding Achwan's appointment was merely due to his seniority in the JAT structure, a requirement that had enabled him to be widely accepted by other senior members.

Achwan's acquaintance with Ba'asyir, now in police custody for his alleged role in establishing a terrorist training camp in Aceh, began in 2000 during the inception of hard-line group Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI).

"Ba'asyir and I have share the similar obligation of turning Indonesia into an Islamic state, in which sharia is fully implemented," said Achwan recently. "That's why we get along."

Ba'asyir had verbally touted Achwan as the next leader of the organization in May when the cleric's health began to deteriorate.

In the first week of this month, Ba'asyir penned a letter in his prison cell officially endorsing Achwan as JAT's new leader, responsible for the group's day-to-day operations with full authority in exercising the course of the organization.

"Ba'asyir's letter was read out by his son Abdul Rohim to the senior members of the organization," said Achwan, a former JAT leader for East Java chapter. "But I still don't know the reasons behind why he picked me."

For members of the extremist movement, Achwan is already a cause celebre, whose legacy includes the bombing of the Borobudur Buddhist temple complex in Magelang, Central Java, in 1985. While the attack resulted in no human casualties, part of the iconic temple was badly damaged.

In the same year, Achwan was also involved in the bombing of a church in Malang, East Java, again causing no casualties, and a failed attempt to bomb tourist-packed Kuta beach in Bali, according to a court hearing in May 1986.

The planned Kuta attack failed when the bombs detonated in Banyuwangi, East Java, en route to Bali. Four innocent passengers on the bus carrying the bombs were killed, along with the three terrorists tasked with carrying out the attack.

Achwan, then a preacher-cum-shoemaker, was accused of providing the explosive devices, and assigning his students to carry out the bombing.

The court believed Achwan was the mastermind of the attacks, and handed him a life sentence for attempting to topple the legitimate government.

Achwan's plot was considered especially daring at a time when then president Soeharto had absolute power to commit atrocities against those linked with subversive movements.

"I was fully aware of the consequences at the time," said Achwan. "The aim of the bombing was to show the world the existence of jihadis vying to restore the pure Islamic teachings. We were administering a kind of shock therapy," he said.

After spending almost 15 years in prison, including time on the notorious Nusa Kambangan maximum-security prison island off Cilacap, Central Java, Achwan was pardoned by then president B.J. Habibie in 1999, but was not released until president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid took office in 2000.

Achwan then returned to his hometown in Malang, East Java, where he managed a leather shoe workshop from his home with his children. He sells the shoes under brand name Sifalony.

Having been actively involved in the violent jihad movement since the 1980s, Achwan said there was no reason for him to pull back, especially when the very existence of the JAT was now under his authority.

"Why would I give up the fight after all these years? It's an obligation for all Muslims to fully apply the sharia. I'm here to make sure that happens."

Sharia rules makes Islam 'a laughing stock'

Jakarta Post - August 25, 2010

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – West Java is among the provinces that worries critics regarding several religiously related regulations – but concerns over the economy and diversity has led to mixed reactions.

Regarding a planned ban on liquor, for instance, lawmakers are split between those who want an absolute ban like in a number of Papua regencies; while others point out the possible effects it may have on the entertainment sector.

"About 80 percent of entertainment spots still rely on liquor. We must protect thousands of workers who would likely be affected if liquor was banned throughout the township", lawmaker Achmad Nugraha said. Last year, the entertainment sector in Bandung listed a contribution of Rp 20 billion (US$2.2 million) from the total muncipality income of Rp 300 billion.

Mayor Dada Rosada said the bylaw on liquor should accomodate the various religious communities in Bandung. "The bylaw should be acceptable to both Muslims and non-Muslims," he said. The planned bylaw was a reaction against various incidents of intoxicated persons, the latest being two female buskers who died after reportedly drinking at a party last July on the town's outskirts.

The planned ban on alcohol has even been rejected by the conservative Islamic group Hizbut Thahrir Indonesia, which cited the apparent double standard for the lawmakers and municipality, as the draft bylaw banned liquor on the streets but allowed it in hotels.

Earlier this month a lawmaker said the main progress in the planned bylaw was that Muslims would not be allowed to buy and consume liquor. The deliberation of the bylaw has thus been stalled by several expressions of rejection from those who want a total ban on liquor in Bandung.

Compared to Bandung, one of the country's major cities, local regulations on morality and individual behavior have found less resistance in West Java's other smaller, more homogenous towns such as Cianjur, Tasikmalaya and Garut.

West Java is known for its devout but liberal Muslims – hosting for instance the sensual jaipongan dance. But in history, it was also the base of the Islamic movement Darul Islam, led by Kartosuwirjo, who aimed for an Islamic state.

Like elsewhere, aspirations to legalize "Islamic" teachings found opportunities after the fall of second president Soeharto.

Cianjur, the first regency that came up with the government campaign of the "Development of a noble society", known by its acronym Gerbang Marhamah, faced criticism from Muslims.

One is the chairman of the Cianjur Islamic Reformist Movement (Garis), Teguh Yoga Permana, who said the concept had fallen flat on its face given the suspected involvement of so many of the regency's officials and lawmakers in a graft case of social welfare funds, amounting to a state loss of more than Rp 2.5 billion from the regency's 2008 budget. Two local lawmakers were already convicted: The former chief of the Democratic Party, founded by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

The failure of the concept "is seen from the behavior of officials and lawmakers, particularly the latter, who have dared to swindle people with their sweet pledges during their campaigns, by stealing state money allocated for the development of mosques, Islamic boarding homes and Koran reading groups," Teguh said.

The sharia-based rules in Cianjur, supported by 35 Islamic organizations, faced its main challenge in 2005, with media reports of a sex scandal involving 11 secondary high school students and a teacher. The government religious campaign continues, with the mandatory Islamic dress code and broadcasting of Koran reading before school time.

"We have experienced an Islamic lifestyle, though maybe only limited to its accessories," said Sulaeman Zuchdi, deputy at the education council in Cianjur regency.

The apparent euphoria over sharia-based regulations in West Java began in 2001 with the issuance of bylaws, circulars and regental instructions in Cianjur, Sukabumi, Tasikmalaya, Garut, Bandung, Karawang, Indramayu, Majalengka and Depok, which borders Jakarta.

They are not officially sharia regulations, and range from mandatory Koran reading skills to an "Islamic" vision in government development plans.

Tasikmalaya Mayor Syarif Hidayat, for example, issued a circular saying that during Ramadan all food stalls, restaurants and entertainment centers must not open for business before 5 p.m.

A number of areas issued bans against prostitution such as in Tasikmalaya, Majalengka, Bandung regency and Bekasi, on Jakarta's eastern border – in part a reaction to the fact that the country's Criminal Code, inherited from the Dutch, criminalizes pimps, not prostitutes.

Irfan Junaidi, a Bandung resident who runs a news portal on Islam-related issues, says authorities and politicians "forgot to apply sharia in a broad sense because of their use of it only for pragmatic interests". He said sharia was difficult to apply with a shortage of role models, given that governance in Islam stresses good governance, a ban on corruption and a clean environment, he said.

Further, as rules are only used by certain Islamic-labeled groups to justify actions against others, he said, "Islam becomes a laughing stock but not the true solution to social problems" as many have been claiming.

A Ramadan retreat

Jakarta Globe - August 24, 2010

Lisa Siregar – On a Sunday at about 10 p.m., a group of women wearing jilbabs are gathered in one corner of Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta after tarawih, a series of nightly prayers during Ramadan.

Asih, 50, from Cirebon, West Java, is among them. She is one of the many Muslims who make a yearly pilgrimage to Southeast Asia's biggest mosque during the fasting month. The women in the group chat about random things, share jokes and talk about their problems.

"We rest around this time," said Asih, who had just finished cleaning the women's quarters at the mosque. "We wake up at 2 a.m. for the istiharah prayer," she added, referring to the prayer to seek guidance.

Every Ramadan, Muslims around the country leave behind their everyday lives and make a pilgrimage to various mosques. Istiqlal is a favorite destination.

This practice retreating to a mosque during Ramadan is called i'tikaf. During this time, mosques like Istiqlal open their doors to travelers and provides them food and shelter.

At Istiqlal Mosque, about 3,000 meals are provided free for people to break their fast during Ramadan.

During the last 10 days of the holy month when visitors are expected to stay up late, the mosque will also be providing 1,000 predawn meals before fasting begins.

According to Muhammad Wahyono, secretary for Ramadan activities at Istiqlal, there are an estimated 100 i'tikaf devotees currently staying at the mosque.

The number is expected to increase during the middle of Ramadan and swell even further in the last 10 days.

"Muslims are advised by the Prophet Muhammad to seek the Lailatul Qadr night, which occurs sometime during the last 10 days of Ramadan," Wahyono said.

Muslims believe that Lailatul Qadr, also known as the Night of Power, is the most blessed night, as it commemorates the eve when the first verses of the Koran were revealed to Muhammad.

This is said to fall on one of the odd-numbered nights during the last 10 days of the month, usually on the 21st, 23rd, 25th or 27th. During this time, the number of pilgrims to Istiqlal can reach 3,000, Wahyono said.

Asih and her friends Mistuti, 55, and Mubaidah, 54, arrived at Istiqlal five days ago. This is Asih's first time here. In Cirebon, she sells cakes and snacks for a living at Masjid Agung (Great Mosque).

She earns Rp 100 (1 cent) for every item she sells. She never thought she would be able to make the trip to Istiqlal on her meager income. "But I really wanted to come to Istiqlal even just once in my life," she said.

Her wish came true this year. At Masjid Agung, Asih met Mistuti, who had traveled with another friend, Mubaidah, to Istiqlal last year.

The three women managed to sneak aboard an economy-class train from Cirebon to Jakarta and did not have to pay the fare. "I feel at peace at this mosque, far away from my harsh life in Cirebon," Asih said.

In the women's quarters, the poverty of the devotees is evident. Here, strangers not only seek comfort in their religion but also in each other. They share stories or meals when there is little money to buy food.

Mistuti has been homeless for the last five years and has been relying on the generosity of various mosques to survive.

She tries to eke out a living by doing menial jobs, like working as a masseuse and a laundry woman, but she is unable to earn enough money to even pay for a room. "I used to have a house, but I sold it when my grandchild needed money for surgery," she said, with tears in her eyes.

Ima, 22, is from Pondok Gede, East Jakarta. Like Asih, she is seeking a temporary reprieve from her everyday reality at the mosque. Her husband had just recently left her. "At first, I only wanted to pray. But then, I saw people staying on, so I told my mother that I would stay here for awhile," Ima said.

The schedule of the devotees revolves around prayer. They wake up, read the Koran and have a predawn meal before the fasting begins. They read the Koran and pray some more during the day. A teacher is there to guide them.

"I can't read the Koran [in the original Arabic] so I just read the Latin [pronunciations]," Mistuti said.

Ima, on the other hand, finds it difficult to find time to read the Koran because she needs to take care of her children. But she tries anyway.

Wahyono said Istiqlal's reputation as the biggest mosque in the region attracted many devotees. "I am taught that if we pray with a high number of devotees, our rewards will be multiplied," Mubaidah said.

By leaving their life behind momentarily, these devotees are losing the chance to earn money, both from temporary jobs and alms distribution for the poor in their area.

Asih said the management of the mosque has started listing the names of the poor who would later be given alms. However, Mistuti said she does not get anything. "But I never get alms anyway because I move around a lot. In Cirebon, they don't count me in," she said.

Ima said she was starting to run out of money. "Maybe I will return my eldest son to my mother tomorrow," she said, adding that she is enjoying her stay at Istiqlal and is planning to come back the next day.

This year, the committee for Ramadan activities is trying out a new method of distributing alms to the poor. Usually, they would distribute alms to mosques, mushollas and schools.

Wahyono said that after the team reviewed the methods of distribution, they had come to the conclusion that it would be better to give the alms directly to the needy.

"Most visitors who come to Istiqlal are poor," Wahyono said. "We will give three kilograms of rice to every visitor who comes to break their fast on the last day of Ramadan."

He said the committee was preparing nine tons of rice for the 3,000 devotees.

During the Islamic holy month, people come to Istiqlal Mosque for a peaceful retreat. Whatever their reasons, be it peace, friends, shelter or food, the mosque has established itself as a haven during Ramadan.

Sex & pornography

Tifatul's war on porn enlists 10 new soldiers

Jakarta Globe - August 31, 2010

Ismira Lutfia, Jakarta – Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring's porn-free Internet plan got a boost on Tuesday when 10 civil society organizations told him they backed his war on pornography.

"We should not let our guard down to the danger and be aware of it only when a public distribution of celebrity sex videos is affecting our younger generation," said Azimah Soebagijo, of Network of Supporters of the 2008 Anti-Pornography Law.

She was referring to videos of singer Nazril "Ariel" Irham purportedly having sex with TV hosts Luna Maya and Cut Tari that were leaked on the Internet in June.

The scandal turned out to be a "blessing in disguise," said Juniwati Sofwan, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Committee for Pornography Eradication (KIP3), because it was a wake-up call to people about the dangers of pornography.

The frenzy surrounding the scandal was soon followed by the ministry's plan to make pornographic Web sites inaccessible in Indonesia, with Tifatul vowing to have a smut-free Internet by the start of Ramadan.

On the eve of the fasting month, six major Internet service providers demonstrated their filtering systems.

"Up to now, up to 90 percent of the porn sites are inaccessible," Tifatul claimed. "I frequently check on them through my mobile phone and [the most popular ones] are now blocked."

Peri Umar Farouk, the resources coordinator of Jangan Bugil Depan Kamera, or Don't Get Naked in Front of a Camera, dismissed public concerns that the ministry had gone too far, saying the porn-free drive was appropriate because it enforced the law.

"And this is not just the obligation of central government but also regional adminstrations," said Peri, whose group was among those meeting Tifatul.

Juniwati said her organization would call on regional governments to propose their own antiporn bylaws.

The deputy secretary general of Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), Amirsyah Tambunan, said there were two ways the government could tackle pornography – education and strict law enforcement.

"Offenders must be punished and we have to really take note that this is just the tip of the iceberg," he said.

Information ministry takes an inch, porn sites run a mile

Jakarta Post - August 30, 2010

Arghea Desafti Hapsari, Jakarta – If this was a race, the Communications and Information Technology Ministry would be the heavily panting, sweaty out of shape runner who drags his feet while eyeing with envy the clear winner running far in distance: the porn sites.

The ministry's efforts to block X-rated sites are hitting a brick wall, as acknowledged by one ministry official.

Ministry official Hendri Subiyakto said Sunday that for every porn site blocked, new sites with different names and different URLs were created.

Since the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the ministry has made endless attempt to block porn sites. Critics have said this was not feasible, and that any attempts made would be futile.

"We have not succeeded [in blocking the sites]," Hendri was quoted as saying by Antara news agency. He was speaking at a working visit with Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar in Madura, East Java.

Hendri said there were 400 million porn sites and images on the Internet, and that each year, 24 million new pages carrying "obscene" material were created.

"This is the obstacle in our efforts, this is why there are still porn sites and images that escape the ministry's filters," he added.

Sammy Pangerapan from the Indonesian Internet Service Providers Association (APJII) told The Jakarta Post that ISPs were going to take a business approach to the "problem".

"We are targeting to have every ISP provide filtered services before the fasting month ends. If customers want to have filtered Internet access, they will have the option of subscribing to filtered services," he said.

The ISPs, he added, would have to provide detailed information on which sites were blocked by the service. "ISPs provide access. If we ever want to block our customers' access to certain web pages, we will have to let them know," he told the Post.

Sammy added that the government needed to foster the growth of local content to help curb visits to pornographic web sites. Local content makers need to join international conferences to learn how to make online content with international standards, he said.

ISPs, he added, were planning to cooperate with non-profit NGO ICT Watch and other communities in campaigning on Internet safety. Educating users on safe browsing would be the main focus. "The most effective filtering is through education," he said.

Hendri acknowledged that a blanket block on porn sites would never be fully accomplished. Some sites, he said, "broke through" the ministry's censors.

He maintained, however, that the government's effort to block the sites was necessary to curb the spread of pornography on the Internet, saying Internet porn would damage the morality and mental health of the nation.

He added that the government was respecting Muslims who were fasting by taking such steps.

FPI demands arrest of Playboy editor, or troops will raid

Jakarta Globe - August 27, 2010

Arientha Primanita, Jakarta – Around 20 members of the Islamic Defenders' Front gathered in front of the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office on Friday demanding the arrest of Playboy's Editor-in- Chief as soon as possible.

Awit Mashuri, the Deputy Secretary General of FPI said that Erwin Arnada is a moral terrorist and should have been put in detention a year ago after the Supreme Court ruled that he was guilty of indecency charges.

"He has been found guilty and should have been taken to prison to serve his two years punishment immediately following the court ruling," he said.

"This shows the extent of the judicial mafia in our court system – permitting Erwin to be free for a year after a guilty verdict."

The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office said that they had just received the ruling from the Supreme Court on August 25. They said that they will summon Erwin on Monday.

"If by Monday Erwin does not show up, all FPI's troops will conduct raids to find him. We know his apartment, his house and the hotel where he is staying," Awit said.

During the protest, FPI distributed leaflets with Erwin's face on it bearing the slogan "Fugitive: Erwin Arnada, Moral Terrorist". They also brandished copies of Playboy magazine which they referred to as evidence of Erwin's guilt.

AGO to jail ex-Playboy editor following Supreme Court's ruling

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – The South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office said Wednesday it would immediately detain the former chief editor of the now-defunct Playboy Indonesia magazine, Erwin Arnada, after receiving a copy of the Supreme Court's 2009 ruling sentencing him to two years in prison for public indecency.

"I have summoned him to my office next Monday. The letter of summons will be sent twice should he fail to respond to my first call. We will take him by force if he chooses to ignore our third summons," head of the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, Muhammad Yusuf, told The Jakarta Post.

In July 2009, the Supreme Court granted an appeal lodged by prosecutors and sentenced Erwin to two years in prison. Erwin was cleared of charges by the South Jakarta District Court in 2007.

Yusuf declined to comment when asked why it took more than a year for the Supreme Court to announce its verdict and send a copy of the ruling to his office, saying the matter was beyond his authority.

Members of the hard-line group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), who strongly protested the publication of the Indonesian edition of the men's magazine, have demanded that Erwin turn himself in to prosecutors to serve his sentence.

"We expect Erwin to be a gentleman," Ari Yusuf Amir, an FPI member, said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

In 2006, only a week after the publication of Playboy Indonesia's first edition, the FPI members attacked Playboy Indonesia's editorial office in South Jakarta, injuring two policemen. They pelted the building with rocks, shattering windows and terrifying tenants.

FPI members then reported the magazine, which contained no nudity, to the police for violating public indecency laws. The South Jakarta District Court ruled in 2007 that Erwin had not violated indecency laws by publishing the magazine.

Then presiding judge Efran Basuning said photographs presented as evidence during Erwin's trial could not be categorized as pornography. Erwin praised the verdict as a victory for press freedoms in the country.

Prosecutors had charged Erwin with publishing indecent material and profiting from the publication of those materials.

Basuning said prosecutors should have charged the defendant under the 1999 Press Freedom Law, rather than the Criminal Code.

Many legal experts and media identities argue that although the Press Law carries similarly severe punishments as the Criminal Code, including prison sentences and fines, it provides authorities necessary leeway to resolve media cases without jailing journalists.

Neither Erwin nor his lawyers could be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Islamic Defenders Front hunt former Playboy editor

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2010

Putri Prameshwari, Jakarta – The head of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front says he has ordered his members to find Erwin Arnada, the former editor of the Indonesian edition of Playboy magazine.

"This is an instruction," said Habib Rizieq, chairman of the militant group, known as the FPI. "Members of the FPI, as well as the public, must arrest Erwin if they see him on the street." Prosecutors are awaiting written confirmation from the Supreme Court that it has convicted Erwin of indecency charges and sentenced him to two years in jail.

Erwin, writing on his account on the social networking Web site Twitter, said on Thursday that "Criminalization of the press is a threat to the media and people who dare to speak and to create." He also said that, "What Playboy sells is quality not porn pictures."

The Indonesian edition of the magazine contained no nudity and was considered to be much tamer than other legal magazines available for sale in Indonesia, where illegal pornographic films and magazines can be easily purchased.

Rizieq also used the news conference at FPI headquarters in Central Jakarta on Thursday to clarify how the group had come to be in the possession of a stack of Playboy magazines.

Police raided the group's headquarters after its attack on members of the National Alliance for Religious Freedom, who were holding a peaceful rally at the National Monument (Monas) on June 1, 2008. Both Rizieq and FPI commander Munarman were jailed for their roles in the unprovoked violence.

Rizieq said the magazines found during the raid were "evidence". "We collected five editions of Playboy magazine for evidence purposes," he said, "it is not true that we collected them for personal reasons."

He said Playboy was not the only magazine the FPI was targeting, saying that since 2004 they had reported 25 adult magazines to Jakarta police. "However, they only took Playboy to trial for reasons that we do not know."

Regional autonomy & government

Government working to clean up regional budget mess

Jakarta Post - August 31, 2010

Jakarta – The government is committed to imposing a "rewards-and-punishments" mechanism to promote accountability in regional budgets, since less than 3 percent of the budgets for 2009 were deemed "clean", a minister says.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo on Monday said only a handful of the budget spending by regional governments received unqualified opinions.

"This figure is still very small," Agus said after a hearing with the budget board of House of Representatives. The hearing was to discuss a draft law on the 2009 budget accounting.

In its 2009 budget, he said, the government had allocated Rp 309 trillion (US$34.3 billion) for regional governments.

Unfortunately, in its audits of accounts from 2009 of 503 administrations nationwide, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) only gave 13 of them unqualified audit opinions (meaning the accounts were verified as OK).

"This shows us the poor quality of budget disbursement and accounting in most regions," Agus said.

He added that the government would develop rewards-and- punishments mechanisms to improve regional budget accounting. "We should have better accounting reports to reflect good governance" in line with a higher allocation of regional transfers next year, he said.

In the central government's proposed 2011 budget, regional transfers will reach Rp 378.4 trillion, a 9.8 percent increase from Rp 344.6 trillion in the revised 2010 budget. This amount comprises regional balancing funds and special autonomy funds. The balancing funds will increase to Rp 329.1 trillion next year from Rp 314.4 trillion in the revised 2010 budget, while the special autonomy budget for Papua, West Papua and Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam will increase to Rp 49.3 trillion in 2011 from Rp 30.2 trillion in the revised 2010 budget.

Agus said that the government would have better budget accounting, starting with a transparent and accountable audit system.

The implementation of reward and punishment would deliver more transparent and accountable budget accounting, he added.

"A good [accounting] system should be initiated with good planning and a good approval process. We should also have a good monitoring and reporting system while starting to disburse the budget," he said.

"We hope Indonesia can have transparent and accountable accounting systems, both in the central and regional governments, producing unqualified audit opinions.

"It's a kind of target we dream of," he said, adding that the government hoped it could impose a comprehensive and accountable rewards-and-punishments mechanisms in regional governments' accounting next year. (ebf)

Legislation & parliament

New DPR to include pool, spa to get legislators 'blood flowing'

Jakarta Globe - August 31, 2010

Jakarta – A heavily criticized and costly new office building for Indonesian lawmakers will feature a swimming pool, gym and spa facilities, the head architect confirmed on Tuesday.

Budi Sukada, who heads the team overseeing the project, told the Jakarta Globe the facilities were in accordance with Jakarta bylaws.

"There is a bylaw stating that a building occupied by more than 500 people must provide public facilities and social facilities," Budi said.

He said it was wrong to assume the pool or spa would be similar in appearance to those offered by five-star hotels, saying designers were seeking the functionality of facilities provided by hospitals "for health" reasons.

"We know the lawmakers sit in meetings for hours, so they need facilities to get their blood flowing."

Budi, however, quashed suggestions the lawmakers' expansive new 120-square-meeting offices for legislators from the House of Representatives (DPR) would include bedrooms – yet.

"I don't understand where the rumors about bedrooms or spring beds came from. As of yet, no bedrooms or spring bed are in the plans," he said.

Legislators in the House, under fire for being out of touch with voters and rewarding themselves for doing very little, have refused to bow completely to public criticism to cancel the lavish construction but have agreed to lower the budget for the project from Rp 1.8 trillion ($200 million) to Rp 1.3 trillion.

The tender process for the project begins today with construction expected to begin this year.

The House has only passed seven bills into law since being inaugurated last October, all amendments to existing laws, with not a single new bill being passed.

House birthday, but 223 lawmakers don't care

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – The House of Representatives on Monday celebrated its 65th anniversary with a muted response to mounting public criticisms of its recent performance.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie, addressing a plenary session called to mark the occasion, only touched on the issues affecting the legislature during his speech.

"The House completely understands the people's criticisms of its legislative functions, seeing the small numbers of bills we have deliberated," he told a nearly half-empty chamber. "Therefore, various efforts have been undertaken to confront this challenge and look for breakthroughs."

Since starting its tenure in October, the House has only managed to pass seven bills, already forcing it to halve its initial target of completing 70 bills this year.

Marzuki, who is from the ruling Democratic Party, asked the public to understand that the House also had to deliberate with the government over bills, and the process was invariably a long one.

"The people need to be informed of this so there will be no more talk about the legislature not being serious enough when deliberating bills," he said.

House Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung, from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), conceded the work of the current legislature left much to be desired.

"This is self-criticism. We know that our legislative functions have not been met," he said, adding however that the House was ahead in its monitoring schedule.

Lawmakers have been under fire recently for their high absenteeism, preoccupation with monitoring as opposed to action, such as with the highly-politicized Bank Century bailout, and according additional funds to build new offices for themselves.

But the criticisms appear to have fallen on deaf ears, with the plenary to mark the anniversary attended only by 337 of the 560 House members.

A House official also reiterated its intention to plow ahead with the building of its new Rp 1.3 trillion ($144.3 million) office tower.

Sebastian Salang, from the Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), a governance watchdog, said that the lawmakers' performance during their first year had been "very disappointing."

"They should have used this anniversary to reflect and evaluate, not to brag about themselves," he said.

Sebastian said the poor attendance record of the current crop of legislators had adversely impacted on the legislative process.

"Their productivity is very low. I don't even think I can say that either their legislating, budgeting or monitoring functions can be singled out as noteworthy," he said. "Compared to the many things that they have been asking for, what they have given back has been very little."

Nonetheless, Marzuki argued that the House had made some breakthroughs, citing moves in June to establish Wednesdays and Thursdays as "Legislation Days" in order to accelerate the deliberation of bills.

Jakarta & urban life

Indonesia eyes new capital as Jakarta falls apart

Reuters - August 26, 2010

Sara Webb, Jonggol, Indonesia – A mere pinprick on the map of Java, Jonggol's cluster of tiny red-roofed houses set among banana groves and shimmering waterlogged rice fields may in years to come be destined for greater things.

Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, population 9.59 million, is overcrowded, set in an earthquake zone, prone to flooding and crippled by inadequate infrastructure.

Now Jonggol is one of several sites being considered as a new administrative seat in a bid to relieve Jakarta's congestion, but at a potential cost of billions of dollars.

This sudden thrust into the limelight appeals to some local residents in Jonggol, where few buildings exceed one storey and the nearest thing to a skyscraper is four floors high.

"Now you can call this a village. I hope they will transform it into a city," said local resident Annur. "I don't mind if this becomes the capital, it would be more lively and beautiful."

For years, Indonesia's growth has lagged behind that of China and India, held in check by poor infrastructure, endemic corruption and ample red tape.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has floated the idea of moving part of the capital in recent months, and earlier this month proposed increasing infrastructure spending, with plans to build 14 new airports as well as roads and railways, to lure foreign investment and boost growth.

"The government takes this idea seriously," Velix Wanggai, an advisor to Yudhoyono, told Reuters. "The president considers it normal to look at moving the capital because of Jakarta's urban problems, the risk of disaster, and heavy environmental toll."

As Southeast Asia's largest economy and a G20 member, Indonesia is keen to raise its international profile.

It has ambitions to join the emerging market elite of BRIC nations Brazil, Russia, India and China, is eyeing an investment-grade credit rating, and even wants to lop a few zeros off its currency so that everyday transactions no longer seem so third world, involving millions or billions of rupiah.

A new capital could – as was the case with Brasilia, studded with Oscar Niemeyers' architecture – be an emblem of national coming-of-age with careful urban planning and new infrastructure.

To get a sense of Jakarta's infrastructural shortcomings, start at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia's busiest. At peak times the queues at the visa and immigration counters snake back several hundred metres, and it can take up to three hours for passengers to be reunited with their luggage.

The drive into Jakarta's center provides sweeping views of shopping malls set among slums and densely packed housing.

Traffic crawls along at 15-20 Kilometer per hour, flooding is common during the heavy rains, power supplies are erratic, while Dutch-era canals serve as stinking open sewers for slumdwellers. Only the affluent, ensconced in compounds with guaranteed power and water supplies, live comfortably.

"Anything that would lessen the congestion in Jakarta would be a blessing, so separating the business capital from the centre of government could be a positive," said Tim Condon, regional economist for ING.

"But it's also a huge investment. These moves are typically driven by political rather than economic considerations, the desire to develop an alternative part of the country. Is it really going to pay off in terms of increased efficiency by decongesting Jakarta?"

The choice of location can also lead to questions over government policy, and spur regional jealousies in a country composed of many different ethnic groups and religions.

Of Indonesia's 17,000-odd islands it is Java, the cultural heart and home to 58 percent of Indonesians, which still calls the shots, making it the more likely site. "Java runs the country," said Condon, so a capital outside Java "would be pretty radical."

Jonggol was first mooted by the autocratic former president, Suharto, who wanted one of his sons to develop the satellite town as a new capital. Today, the main property developers in the area include the Ciputra and Bakrie groups.

Bakrie group and its property unit Bakrieland Development are owned by the family of Aburizal Bakrie, whose Golkar Party is part of the ruling coalition and who nurses presidential ambitions. Indonesia's two main state construction firms Wijaya Karya and Adhi Karya would likely gain from the development of a new city.

Malang in East Java, and Palangkaraya and Jayapura, which are outside Java, are also being considered, Wanggai said.

Palangkaraya, on the island of Borneo, was former President Sukarno's choice for the capital because of its position in a quake-free region at the very centre of the archipelago. A less likely site is Jayapura, at the easternmost extreme of Indonesia in resource-rich Papua, where the military has struggled to contain a decades-long secessionist movement.

Despite its mineral, timber and energy reserves, Papua remains one of the poorest parts of the country. Building a new capital there would bring jobs and infrastructure, as well as an influx of Javanese and other ethnic groups, potentially diluting the Papuan majority and sowing further discontent.

The cost of such grandiose mega-projects can easily run into billions of taxpayer dollars, providing opportunities for patronage and land speculation.

"I think there are no successful examples. I don't think it's wise to take that direction," said Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of Yudhoyono's presidential delivery unit.

Astana, Kazakhstan's showcase new capital boasting Norman Foster's architecture, cost over $12 billion.

Malaysia's Putrajaya, the administrative capital built 25 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur, was promoted and pushed through by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at an official cost of 11.83 billion ringgit ($3.77 billion).

But while government and ruling party supporters see Putrajaya and its stylish Islamic architecture as a symbol of Malaysia's development, critics say it is a white elephant that may have cost far more than stated.

South Korea's new seat of administration, Sejong, is expected to cost about $19 billion, the bulk of which will be borne by a state-run development company. A dozen government ministries and agencies, including the powerful Ministry of Strategy and Finance, will move to the new city, 150 kilometers south of Seoul, to reduce congestion in the capital.

"I don't see any strong benefits" for Indonesia, said Song Seng Wun, regional economist at CIMB Research.

"Maybe a few civil servants get a nice new aircon office and nice scenery but for the man in the street who is trying to find work in a textile company it's about whether the government's policies can lift the wages of the ordinary people."

Literature & the arts

Activist's art packs a political punch

Jakarta Globe - August 30, 2010

Report Alia Swastika – Muhammad Yusuf, also known as Ucup, is a 35-year-old artist who first found recognition with the populist posters he designed during the student-led protests against President Suharto's regime in the late 1990s.

An exhibit that opened in Yogyakarta last Tuesday highlights Ucup's art, as well as the shift in his work from the stridently political to his more recent personal explorations of identity.

The show follows a well-received opening in Singapore in July that highlighted the block-printing method Ucup and some other young artists are employing to great effect in their work.

The Yogyakarta exhibition, titled "You and I," contains a few of Ucup's most recent block print pieces, but the bulk of the show is devoted to his richly detailed and vibrantly colored canvasses.

Visitors to the exhibition, which is being held at the Tembi Contemporary art gallery through Sept. 14, will be treated to Ucup's surreal, cluttered and often mocking critiques of a society he sees as materialistic and neglectful of the environment.

Corruption and abuse of power are two themes Ucup has explored in his work for years.

When the student movement started to gain real traction in the 1990s, art became an integral part of the youth-led push against the Suharto administration.

The Taring Padi art collective, of which Ucup was a founding member, was a cornerstone of artistic involvement in sociopolitical issues, in particular government policies seen as hurting the interests of marginalized groups such as farmers and laborers.

Taring Padi members plastered cities with protest posters and were a vocal and visual presence at rallies. Most members were students at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta, and were highly skilled in the techniques of silk-screening and woodcuts.

Members of the collective adopted the concept of seni kerakyatan (people's art), which borrowed from the Communist-affiliated movement of the 1950s and '60s known as the People's Cultural Organization (Lekra).

While populist political demonstrations are rarer these days, Ucup and the other members of Taring Padi still find ways to keep their political beliefs and ideologies relevant.

The artworks on display in Yogyakarta, however, offer a more personal approach, particularly in Ucup's explorations of his identity as an artist.

He traces some ideas from activist artists of previous generations, such as the legendary painter S Sudjojono and the poet Wiji Thukul, and relates their ideologies to himself.

One of Ucup's paintings is called "Penyelewengan Sejarah" ("History Deprivation"). The work is a triptych of self-portraits that make reference to a triumvirate of heroic Indonesians.

In the left panel, Ucup assumes the guise of Diponegoro, a Javanese prince who became a national hero during the anticolonial rebellions of the 1800s.

Next to Diponegoro, Ucup paints himself as Sukarno, complete with the statesman's uniform, holding a large stone. The last figure is Sudjojono.

"Yusuf's treatment of history, while rooted in reality, is driven by a purposeful sense of pastiche, clobbering together an assortment of historical figures and episodes," Wang Zineng, an art historian from Singapore, wrote of the painting.

"His guises signal affiliations with protest, revolutions, uprisings and the triumph of people power, and stand as a distinct and powerful voice of social advocacy in today's Indonesian contemporary art scene."

Ucup's work can be topical as well. One piece, titled "Good Gaster," depicts a well-dressed man in a cape with a snake coiled around him.

In each of his four arms are various tools, and his two heads are the notoriously explosive three-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas canisters, stacked one on top of the other.

Another painting, titled "Layar Jutaan Rumah" ("Screen of Millions of Homes"), casts a critical eye on the growing materialism among Indonesians, with a man grinning widely as he displays a credit card along with his newest purchase – a high- heel shoe – which he wears like a hat.

While most young artists today create work based on personal issues, Ucup's show reminds audiences of the artist's role in inspiring and hastening social change.

Police & law enforcement

Indonesian president pledges police reform

Agence France Presse - August 31, 2010

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono promised on Tuesday to replace Indonesia's much-maligned chiefs of police and prosecutors but denied the reshuffle was linked to corruption and incompetence.

His comments to cabinet ministers came as businessman Anggodo Widjojo was sentenced to four years in jail for attempting to bribe anti-graft investigators with the alleged backing of top police and prosecutors.

The case shocked the nation when it broke last year but it was far from an isolated incident, with reports of alleged judicial graft and misconduct filling the pages of the newspapers on a daily basis.

Yudhoyono said the law enforcement agencies needed to be professional and "fair", and called for any official found to be involved in wrongdoing to be punished.

"If any police members or prosecutors are involved in any violations, measures should be taken against them according to the law with transparency and high accountability," he said.

National police chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri and Attorney General Hendarman Supandji would be replaced along with the head of the armed forces as part of a scheduled reshuffle, he said.

"These officials will end their terms in line with the existing law," he said, adding that he was "not pleased" by suggestions the changes were political.

The reshuffle is expected to take place in October and speculation is mounting about who will take over the embattled institutions.

Yudhoyono has won two elections on the back of promises to stamp out chronic corruption but his reform efforts have stalled amid opposition from vested interests including lawmakers and police.

Police chief, Attorney General sued for 'telling a public lie'

Jakarta Globe - August 24, 2010

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – Pressure continued to mount on Indonesia's ailing National Police chief on Tuesday after a case was filed against him by a lawyer for allegedly "telling a public lie."

National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri has previously claimed police were in possession of wiretapped phone conversations as evidence in a bribery case against two deputy chairmen of the respected Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) when in fact the recordings did not exist.

"There are no recordings so they simply have told a lie," Sugeng Teguh Santoso told reporters after registering the case in the South Jakarta District Court. "Now we want the police chief and the attorney general to publicly admit that."

There have been calls for both Bambang and Attorney General Hendarman Supandji to take responsibility for misleading the public into believing that police had wiretapped recordings implicating the KPK pair.

The accusations came at the height of an alleged conspiracy involving elements of the police and Attorney General's Office to bring down the KPK. The National Police and AGO are perceived to be two of Indonesia's most corrupt institutions.

The lawsuit demands that Bambang and Hendarman publish their apologies in five newspapers and on 11 television stations and pay Rp 10 million ($1,110) in damages.

"It's not a big amount but we need the money to cover expenses of the legal proceedings until it reaches the Supreme Court," said Sugeng.

Sugeng, who counts alleged case broker Ary Muladi among his clients, claimed that he represented a group called "People's Voice Against Arbitrary Criminal Charges."

In the wake of the case against the deputies, Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samat Rianto, the attorney general told lawmakers late last year that police and prosecutors had secured recordings to prove the bribery claim.

The phone conversations allegedly involved suspected case broker Ary Muladi and mid-ranking anti-graft official Ade Rahardja. But when the judges in the graft trial of Anggodo Widjojo – who claimed to have paid anti-graft officials Rp 5.1 billion in bribes – ordered the recordings to be presented as evidence, police failed to respond.

They later admitted that what they had was the data record of phone calls but refused to clarify if the phone numbers involved really belonged to Ary and Ade.

The phone call records weren't handed to the court either. "We have many witnesses to testify for us, including lawmakers, Ary Muladi and Ade Rahardja," Sugeng said. "And we plan to present Chandra and Bibit if they are willing to speak."

Bambang has taken sick leave for a week, officials say, fueling speculation that a slew of scandals and public pressure has put him under severe strain.

Nationalism & chauvinism

Ultranationalist mobs raid Malaysian banks

Jakarta Globe - August 31, 2010

Farouk Arnaz & Antara, Jakarta – Recent anti-Malaysia sentiment took a criminal twist on Monday when an ultranationalist group stormed into two Malaysian-controlled banks in Makassar, South Sulawesi, and forced their early closure.

Dozens of members of the Red and White Troops (Laskar Merah Putih) broke into a branch of CIMB Niaga bank, which is majority-owned by CIMB, Malaysia's second-largest financial service provider.

Police and security officers attempted to stop the mob, but were unable to because they were heavily outnumbered.

The demonstrators came on dozens of motorbikes and a pick-up truck to the bank branch located on Jalan Ahmad Yani, news portal Detik.com reported. The group forced the employees to "declare [their] love for Indonesia" and leave the bank.

Rahmat Haris, CIMB Niaga's director for eastern Indonesia, represented the employees and conceded to the protesters' demands, while the employees sat in the parking lot.

The mob then marched to a branch of Bank Internasional Indonesia – owned by Malaysia's largest lender, Maybank – where they pulled a similar stunt without the police making any attempt to stop them.

Afterward, the group held a demonstration at the Malaysian Consulate in Makassar. There were no reported injuries or damage to property.

In response to these incidents, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said on Monday that they had "ordered all police stations to extend protection for all Malaysians, and not just the embassy."

He declined to comment on remarks made by Malaysian officials that Indonesian authorities were being far too lenient with demonstrators from the People's Democratic Defense (Bendera), who threw human feces at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta last week. None of the protesters were charged over the incident.

"It's up to the Foreign [Affairs] Ministry to respond to those remarks," Iskandar said. "All we can say is that the Jakarta Police have dealt with the incident at the Malaysian Embassy."

Last Friday, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said he hoped Indonesian authorities would act against those behind the "heinous act." He said Malaysia's cabinet was unanimous in wishing to see the incident resolved peacefully.

Mustar Bonaventura, head of Bendera, said earlier that the group would continue its anti-Malaysia protests, which broke out after three Indonesian maritime officers were detained by Malaysian authorities in disputed waters weeks ago.

"If Malaysia scolds us for throwing feces, what they have done to Indonesia is more than that: they abuse our migrant workers and step all over our integrity," Bonaventura said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian students on Monday tried to defuse tensions by offering tokens of goodwill to Bendera and the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR), through the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

More than 70 university students turned up at the embassy to hand over Ramadan hampers intended for the hard-line groups.

"Even though Bendera and FBR threw feces at the Malaysian Embassy, we're still sending them Idul Fitri cards and hampers," said Muhammad Zaki, president of the Malaysian Technology University student body.

He said they also planned to send hampers to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, Education Minister Muhammad Nuh and Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia, Da'i Bachtiar.

The gifts – traditionally handed out by Muslims during Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the Islamic fasting month – were accepted by Imran Hanafi, the Indonesian Embassy's education attache, and Edi Sucipto, the maritime defense attache.

Imran thanked the students and invited them to an event to break the fast on Friday. However, the Malaysian students also used the occasion to file a formal protest against those who hurled the feces.

Officials lambast Malaysia protests as over the top

Jakarta Globe - August 28, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Ronna Nirmala & Armando Siahaan, Jakarta – Indonesian officials have denounced an anti-Malaysia campaign by the ultranationalist People's Democratic Defense, or Bendera, as threatening the two countries' diplomatic relations.

On Monday, Bendera members threw human feces at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta during a protest over a maritime dispute.

The group went further on Friday when its members smeared feces on the Malaysian flag and pictures of Malaysian celebrities in Indonesia. Bendera members also threatened to accost Malaysians working in Jakarta and "force them back to their own country."

On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the "overreactions will have a negative impact on diplomatic talks between the countries."

He said it was understandable the Malaysian government would be concerned by its flag being burned and its citizens being threatened with violence, "which is unjustifiable even in the context of democracy."

Responding to reports that the Malaysian government had imposed a travel advisory against Indonesia in the wake of Monday's demonstration, Teuku said the Foreign Ministry had yet to receive an official notification from Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie, from the ruling Democratic Party, said the recent demonstrations against Malaysia had "crossed the line of propriety," citing in particular Monday's feces-hurling incident.

He added that threats by Bendera to "run sweeps" for Malaysians living in Indonesia would "create poor conditions for improving relations" between the two countries. "What I fear is that this will also help create a new problem for Indonesians living in Malaysia," he said.

Elsewhere, the National Police released the three Bendera activists arrested for Monday's incident, claiming it could not detain them as "they had not committed a crime."

The police said on Thursday that no action would be taken against the perpetrators, despite pressure from groups within Indonesia and Malaysia to make an example of them.

"We can't charge them if the article relating to the alleged offense doesn't exist," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Iskandar Hasan said.

The controversy took another turn when legislators at the House called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to resign for failing to prevent the dispute from spiraling out of control.

Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, from the opposition Indonesian Democratic party of Struggle (PDI-P), and Lily Wahid, from the ruling coalition's National Awakening Party (PKB), said they were disappointed with the government's handling of the arrest of Indonesian maritime officials by Malaysian authorities, which had sparked the current unrest.

The officials, who the government said were seized in Indonesian waters, were later released, allegedly in exchange for seven Malaysian fishermen who had been arrested for allegedly poaching in Indonesian waters.

"If the government can't safeguard the country's sovereignty and safety of its citizens, please just resign," Lily said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, who said the cabinet was unanimous in wishing to see the current dispute incident resolved peacefully, said he hoped Indonesia would act against those behind Monday's "heinous act."

"If it is an offense under Indonesian law, I hope action will be taken against them," he was quoted as saying by Malaysian news agency Bernama. "But I'm not about to tell the Indonesians what to do with their laws. We respect them."

Anifah also told Bernama that Prime Minister Najib Razak had expressed disappointment over the incident. "He thinks it was wrong for them to do that," he said.

Malaysia urges Indonesian authorities to act against Bendera

Jakarta Globe - August 27, 2010

Jakarta – The leader of a fringe group that has managed to put a serious dent in relations between Malaysia and Indonesia after hurling human feces at the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta and smearing excrement on the nation's flag during a protest over a maritime border dispute are pledging to repeat their actions today.

Mustar Bonaventura, head of the People's Democratic Defense (Bendera), said they would hold an anti-Malaysia protest in front of their headquarters on Jalan Diponegoro in Central Jakarta on Friday afternoon.

"We will burn the Malaysian flag and defecate on it," Mustar told the Jakarta Globe. "If [Malaysia] scolds us for throwing feces, what they have done to Indonesia is more than that: they abuse our migrant workers and step all over our integrity," he said.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, who said the cabinet was unanimous in wishing to see the incident resolved peacefully, said he hoped that Indonesia authorities would act against those behind the "heinous act," alleging that the Bendera had admitted their actions on the group's blog.

"If it is an offence under the Indonesian law, I hope that action would be taken against them. But I'm not about to tell the Indonesians what to do with their laws. We respect them," he was quoted by Bernama as saying.

The Malaysian state news agency also quoted Anifah as saying on Thursday that Prime Minister Najib Razak had expressed disappointment at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday after he was informed about the incident.

"Of course he was very disappointed," Anifah said. "He finds it is wrong for them to do that. But he has faith in the Indonesian authority, he has faith in the President that this matter will be settled."

Anifah said he did not expected an apology from Indonesia as the act was committed by a small group of people that did not represent the people or government.

He also said the government had no intelligence that concluded that Bendera was formed by one of Indonesia's main political parties, despite reports in the Malaysian media that the group had been formed by a party once headed by a former president.

Mustar rejected the accusations that apparently linked the group to the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is still chaired by former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Both the PDI-P and Bendera are headquartered in the same street. "The Malaysian government is attempting to write new fiction about Bendera by saying we are linked to Ibu Megawati's political party," Mustrar said. "It's their way of distracting attention from the real issues."

He claimed Bendera was an independent group. "The members work. I sell leather jackets from Bandung, others work as laborers, bus drivers, professionals, etc. We pay for our own activities," he said.

Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, meanwhile, was quoted by Bernama as saying that the protests could have been masterminded by groups who wished to harm relations between the two countries.

"I fear that there are third parties who have interests whether in Malaysia or Indonesia who are trying to take advantage of the situation for political or business gains," he said.

He said that alleged threats made against Malaysian interests CIMB-Niaga and Petronas that they should leave Indonesia were merely provocative efforts.

Demonstrators burn Malaysian flag at embassy in Jakarta

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2010

Jakarta – Around one hundred people rallied in front of the Malaysian Embassy at Jalan Rasuna Said on Thursday.

According to news portal Detik.com, the rally got heated when a group of people from Betawi Brotherhood Forum, also known as FBR – a Betawi organization renowned for its thuggish presence during mass demonstrations – tried to burn a Malaysian flag.

The police stopped them and snatched the flag away but following a scuffle the protesters managed to get the flag back and burn it.

The demonstrators also tried to enter the Malaysian Embassy compound but dozens of officers blocked them. Pushing and shoving broke out until the crowd finally withdrew and moved across the street.

The demonstration ended around 3 p.m. but it caused traffic to bottleneck on Jalan Rasuna Said toward Mampang, from Ambassador Mall to the Menteng area and from Jalan Casablanca to Tanah Abang.

The demonstrations in front of the Malaysian Embassy have caused diplomatic strain and the neighboring country's patience is running thin, Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman said in an interview with Star News on Wednesday.

Economy & investment

Factory exports near pre-crisis levels: Government

Jakarta Globe - August 26, 2010

Eny Wulandari, Jakarta – The value of major manufactured exports jumped dramatically in the first half of the year, and the full- year totals could equal those seen in 2008, before the global financial crisis sent the world economy into a tailspin, a senior government trade official said on Thursday.

The Trade Ministry said the value of exports of automotive products, electronics, footwear and textiles all soared during the first half, and were expected to keep climbing.

The automotive sector – covering cars, trucks, motorcycles and parts – grew 47.9 percent year on year, with exports hitting $1.32 billion. The sector saw $1.73 billion of exports in the whole of last year.

Electronics grew 38 percent in the first half to $4.83 billion, compared with $8.68 billion for all of last year.

Footwear saw more modest growth of 26.1 percent, with first-half exports reaching $1.17 billion, compared with $1.74 billion in 2009. Textile exports rose 17.4 percent to $4.95 billion, compared with a total of $9.26 billion last year.

Deputy Trade Minister Mahendra Siregar said the government expected even better figures in the textile, automotive and electronics sectors by the end of the year.

"We are predicting that textile exports can reach $10 billion by the end of 2010," he said, adding that such a result would match 2008 levels, when textile exports were $10.14 billion. Mahendra said the government was optimistic that automotive exports could match the $2.73 billion figure posted in 2008.

"The sector can improve because it is making use of the Asean free-trade agreement," he said.

Most of Indonesia's automotive exports go to Thailand, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, with Thailand being the only Asean member.

Mahendra said the government was targeting $9 billion in electronics exports this year as both advanced and emerging countries became bigger importers.

Indonesia sells most of its electronics to Australia, France and the Philippines, which replaced the US, Singapore and Japan as big export destinations.

Textile exports go mostly to the US, South Korea and Turkey, but Indonesia is also eying Italy, China and Brazil as serious customers. For footwear, Belgium, the United States and Italy have been major buyers since 2005.

Total first-half exports rose 44 percent to $72.55 billion, while imports surged 51.99 percent to $62.89 billion.

Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said on Thursday the economy was expected to grow 6 percent this year and accelerate in 2011.

She was speaking in Danang, Vietnam, where she is attending a meeting of Asean economic ministers.

The pace of expansion in the third and fourth quarters should "continue to pick up," in part because government spending "is normally much higher in the second half," Mari said.

[Additional reporting by Bloomberg.]

Indonesia the 'worst in Asia' at protecting copyrights

Agence France Presse/Jakarta Globe - August 25, 2010

Indonesia is the worst country in Asia when it comes to protecting intellectual property rights, according to a survey of expatriate businessmen.

The Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy said on Wednesday that recent efforts by Jakarta to crack down on piracy of intellectual property and bring the country up to international standards had "lost momentum."

The nation "has passed new laws that should improve protection of intellectual property, but those rules are not enforced effectively and piracy levels in Indonesia remain among the highest in the world."

This conclusion came as no surprise to Donny Sheyoputra, chairman of antipiracy group Business Software Alliance Indonesia, who said the government should target the pirates themselves as well as small vendors.

"What's still lacking is the quality of these raids and law- enforcement activities because these raids mostly target the small piracy players, who are less of a threat compared to the big-time players who commit piracy," he said.

The bigger players often used bribery to escape punishment, Donny said.

In June, BSA Indonesia said international and domestic software companies had lost a total of $886 million in licensing fees in 2009 due to piracy here, up 60 percent from the year before.

At the time, Autodesk Indonesia, the local license-holder of AutoCad, 3D Max and MAYA software, said that about 70 percent of users of their products in Indonesia were using bootleg versions. A 2009 BSA study ranked Indonesia as the 12th worst country in the world for software piracy.

Donny said the practice was common even among the country's biggest multinational companies. "I've seen big companies that use pirated software," he said. "There are even multinational companies that use pirated software in Indonesia while their branch offices in other countries use the original software."

The PERC survey of 1,285 expatriate managers was conducted between June and mid-August. Indonesia was given the worst score of 8.5 out of a maximum 10 points. Zero is the best possible rating.

More advanced economies fared better, with Singapore topping the list with 1.5, followed by Japan at 2.1, Hong Kong 2.8, Taiwan 3.8 and South Korea 4.1. At the other end of the scale, Vietnam was second-worst at 8.4, China scored 7.9, the Philippines 6.84, India 6.5, Thailand 6.17 and Malaysia 5.8.

The rankings largely reflect studies by the global software industry, which is alarmed by the easy availability of pirated movies and software in Asian cities despite government pledges to crack down.

China has also come under sharp scrutiny because of the sheer size of its economy and the presence of large companies "capable of using pirated technology to compete in foreign markets."

"Countries like Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia do not have this same ability to inflict global damage through piracy as Chinese companies do," the report said.

The Indonesian government has been lobbying the Office of the US Trade Representative to remove it from its priority watch list of countries that fail to protect intellectual property rights.

In 2008, the USTR took Indonesia off the list and placed it on the regular watch list in recognition of the government's crackdown on copyright theft.

However, Indonesia was put back on the priority list in May 2009 as Washington determined that Jakarta was no longer adequately protecting intellectual property.

Finance & banking

Indonesian banks battle to sign up new customers for credit cards

Jakarta Globe - August 27, 2010

Irvan Tisnabudi, Jakarta – As the economy gains steam, banks are growing more aggressive in marketing credit cards to increasingly wealthy consumers, targeting 25 percent increases on the year in the number of credit card users.

This battle for new customers has led to aggressive market tactics, including steep discounts at many retailers. But consumer watchdogs warn that banks are also loosening their lending criteria and relying on a credit bureau that even the banks themselves acknowledge is outdated. The result, to nobody's surprise, is that default rates are on the rise.

The economy grew 5.9 percent during the first half of the year, and is expected to pick up during the second half and next year.

In June, consumer research company Nielsen released the results of a survey that found that Indonesians are the second-most confident people in the world about their job prospects and near-term financial futures.

Enter local banks such as Bank Central Asia, Bank Mandiri and Bank Negara Indonesia, and international banks such as Citibank.

BCA, the nation's biggest lender by market value, is hoping to have 2.3 million credit card users by the end of 2010, after reaching two million last year.

BCA card transactions last year totaled Rp 20 trillion ($2.22 billion), and the bank expects this year's transactions to total Rp 26 trillion, according to credit card facilities manager Santoso Lim.

State-owned BNI, meanwhile, is hoping to top 1.9 million users by the end of this year, up from 1.5 million last year, according to the bank's director of consumer lending, Darmadi Sutanto.

BNI hopes total transactions will reach Rp 10.5 trillion this year, up from Rp 7.5 trillion last year, Darmadi said.

State-owned Bank Mandiri is seeking a 25 percent surge in credit card users, from 1.6 million last year to two million by the end of this year.

It is targeting total transactions this year of Rp 13.6 trillion, up from Rp 10.5 trillion last year, the bank's coordinator of consumer finance, Mansyur Nasution, told the Jakarta Globe.

Citibank is also targeting 25 percent growth in the number of credit card users this year, up from 1.6 million last year, country manager Shariq Mukhtar said.

As these banks compete for customers, they have taken to offering any number of bonuses for consumers who use their credit cards. And, judging by the reactions of consumers, such tactics are working.

BCA, for example offers discounts on credit card transactions at Starbucks and Cinema 21. Mandiri cooperates with businesses such as Hypermart and state-owned airline Garuda.

BNI's arrangements include a deal with South Korean retailer Lotte Mart. Retailer group Mitra Adiperkasa is among the businesses that Citibank has agreements with.

Steve Marta, general manager of the Indonesian Credit Card Association (AKKI), told the Globe that average monthly transactions on credit cards nationwide had risen 10 percent this year, from Rp 10 trillion to Rp 11 trillion.

"This shows that consumers' purchasing power has risen," Marta said. Rising along with it, however, has been the number of defaults, he said.

During the first half of this year, the nationwide default rate on credit cards jumped to between 8 percent and 9 percent, up from 6 percent for all of 2009 and 2.5 percent in 2008, he said.

Fadil Hasan, a retail business analyst at the Institute for the Development of Economics and Finance, said many banks were becoming overly lax in their rush to sign up new customers.

"Banks are aggressively marketing their credit card facilities, often without doing a thorough check of customers' credit history," Fadil said.

All the banks contacted by the Globe denied that their lending criteria had grown too lenient. But the banks said that Indonesia's credit rating system needed improvement.

Sigit Pramono, chairman of the Indonesian Banks Association (Perbanas), said this year that banks had approached Bank Indonesia about creating their own credit bureau to replace the central bank's, which bankers frequently say is out of date and often contains limited information about credit applicants.

However, Sudaryatmo, a representative of the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said consumers also needed to be smarter when it came to credit cards.

"Consumers have to determine whether they only want or actually need the credit card, because these cards will inspire consumers to spend more, and even sometimes to overspend," he said.

Analysis & opinion

Lack of 'moral courage' in Indonesia

Asia Times - August 28, 2010

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar, Bali – Six years ago, academic Greg Barton understood why Indonesian moderates were reluctant to clash with the country's radical Islamist minority.

Then, Barton contended that the public relations savvy of Muslim extremists combined with ambiguous election results, varied platforms of so-called Islamic parties, and political coalition- building made it difficult for moderates to challenge them effectively.

"With the objective data painting such a complex picture, is it any wonder that it has elicited such a confused response?" the author of Indonesia's Struggle: Jemaah Islamiyah and the Soul of Islam he said.

Now, Barton has a simpler answer for the failure of Indonesia's leadership to confront radicals: a "lack of moral courage" that starts at the very top of the government.

Herb Feith Research Professor for the study of Indonesia at Melbourne's Monash University, Barton's authorized biography of Indonesia's first post-reform president Abdurrahman Wahid won him notice beyond academic circles in Australia and Indonesia. His next book, Islam's Other Nation: Faith in a Democratic Indonesia, is due out next year.

A former faculty member at the Pentagon's Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii, where he remains an adjunct, Barton also currently serves as director of the Center for Islam and the Modern World and deputy United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations-Asia Pacific at Monash. His next project is to examine progressive Islam and social currents in Indonesia and another pivotal secular Muslim majority nation, Turkey.

He spoke to Asia Times Online while visiting Indonesia as a member of the inaugural Presidential Friends of Indonesia study program that brought academics from 15 countries to Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Interview excerpts follow:

Asia Times Online: Since we last talked six years ago – to paraphrase your book's title – who's winning the struggle for the soul of Islam in Indonesia? Under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, are things moving in a positive direction, negative direction, or sideways?

Greg Barton: In general, things are moving in a positive direction. There's a moderate mainstream center that's holding. There's an equilibrium, but it's a dynamic equilibrium. We're going to see a constant state of contestation. There's going to be a struggle between groups to see who controls the middle.

ATOL: What are signs to watch for indicating which side is winning?

GB: If we saw progressive groups being inhibited, that would change the dynamic.

ATOL: What would indicate that progressives are being sidelined?

GB: The anti-pornography law that was passed over objections from non-Muslims is one example. There's also a proposed anti- blasphemy law. In Pakistan, the anti-blasphemy law has been used in a pernicious, cynical fashion. These laws can be used to stir up a mass reaction.

Indonesian activists look north at Malaysia, which has laws against conversion from Islam and apostasy. Malaysia has religious police going around during Ramadan enforcing the fast. It has religious courts that take precedence over civil courts for Muslims. That's the sort of thing that worries Indonesian moderates. Indonesia isn't going to become a Muslim state like Iran.

ATOL: Is the trend toward Islamization growing in Indonesia?

GB: If you look at the elections, PKS [Prosperous Justice Party] got 9% of the vote. The preeminent radical Muslim party hit a glass ceiling. When it comes to hard choices, people don't choose radicalism.

However, a large portion of society is sympathetic toward some of the radicals' positions. A majority of Indonesian Muslims support banning Amadiyah [a breakaway Muslim sect]. Because of that support, the government is reluctant to crack down on FPI [the Islamic Defenders Front that uses violence against its targets in the name of Islam].

If the government had the moral courage to stand up to these guys, it wouldn't face a broad backlash, in my opinion. These groups have very limited support – less than 10%.

ATOL: So why doesn't the government stand up to them? What is behind that reluctance?

GB: I believe it's a lack of moral courage. The president is a decent man, but not courageous politically. Also, his cabinet includes members of Islamic parties, and his governing coalition is dependent on PKS and it manages to wield its influence in disproportion to its numbers. If he [Yudhoyono] did speak up, he'd find society on his side.

It's not just the president – police and local politicians are also reluctant to act against radicals. The problem is not unique to Indonesia. Look at the issue of gun control in the US. Privately, people and politicians acknowledge it's necessary. But they don't want to face the consequences from a vocal minority. The minority is very clever at bringing their power to bear on the debate.

ATOL: Do you fear that the reluctance to speak out could lead to a dictatorship again, this time under the flag of Islam?

GB: First, I think you have to remember that the Suharto regime didn't happen in a vacuum. It was the Cold War era. Suharto came to power with the backing of the US, and its allies supported it.

Today in Indonesia, the level of education is higher, so there's less likelihood of people simply following along. Many people do speak out today against intolerance.

If we did see an extended period of political uncertainty, it could lead to a politician playing the Islamic card. It happened in Malaysia. [Former premier] Mahathir Mohamad was an ultranationalist who shifted to religious language, not because he believed it, but because it was convenient and served his purpose.

In the realm of secularist national politics in Indonesia, if someone tries to play the populist card, it can do damage. But populist politics are a regular feature of democratic society everywhere in the world. It's not unique to Indonesia.

ATOL: In our interview six years ago, you said, "Thoughtful engagement with the Indonesian police and, arguably, with carefully chosen sections of the military is necessary and important, but discredited units such as Kopassus [an elite commando unit frequently used to quell political dissent under former president Suharto] should be avoided at all costs."

As I'm sure you know, last month the US resumed military ties with Kopassus. What do you think of the decision?

GB: It's one of those areas where the devil is in the details. Things have changed with the armed forces, there has been a shift. The military has decisively moved away from politics. There has also been a generational change, a new crop of officers that weren't part of the Suharto era. It's good that they have international engagement as part of a positive drive toward professionalism.

But there needs to be careful scrutiny and control of who participates. The main thing is that it's not a free-for-all.

ATOL: You're doing research about Turkey and comparing it with Indonesia. What are some of your key findings?

GB: It's good to see that the two countries are drawing closer. They have a cultural connection. Islam came to Indonesia via merchants from India. But their Islam was a very Persian form of Islam. Islam in Turkey is also very Persian. It's a quiescent, pluralist form of Islam that helped both countries evolve into secular democracies.

Over the past 15 years, Turkey's government has gotten more representative. Society is generally socially conservative and religious, and government now reflects that.

Indonesia and Turkey are stable, secular democracies where Islam plays a major role in public life. But in both countries, people don't want an overt link between state and religion. That augurs well for the future.

There's been a perception that the Arab world is the center of Islam. Turkey and Indonesia represent progressive developments on the geographic periphery of Islam.

ATOL: But on the other hand, Indonesia has seen a recent spate of church burnings.

GB: It's shameful that Lutheran Bataks [people from the Lake Toba region in Sumatra] can't worship in peace in Jakarta. As long as the government stands up to these fringe groups, it's fine. When it doesn't, there's trouble. Thuggish behavior is from guys trying to see how far they can go.

The overall sentiment here is to live in harmony but we're seeing some cowardly behavior from the president's office on down. What's comforting is that some of the most strident voices speaking out for tolerance are from Muslims as well as religious minorities. There's never going to be a situation where these sorts of things are not contested. What's important is that progressive elements speak up and the majority comes onside. As I said, it's an ongoing dynamic equilibrium.

ATOL: You're participating in the Ubud Writers Festival this year. Are events like that a unifying force, or are they divisive, highlighting that Bali with its Hindu culture is outside the Indonesian mainstream?

GB: When you ask people in Jakarta where they're going on holiday, they say Bali. There's a feeling that's strengthened in recent years that Bali is a national treasure.

It's worth noting the absence of international literary festivals in Yogyakarta, the cultural capital, and Jakarta, the national capital. Ideally, over time, the Ubud festival will show the way for festivals in Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Ubud's [festival] theme this year, Unity in Diversity, the national motto, is a good model to show the way.

[Longtime editor of award-winning investor rights advocate eRaider.com, Gary LaMoshihas written for Slate and Salon.com, and works an adviser to Writing Camp (www.writingcamp.net). He first visited Indonesia in 1994 and has tracking its progress ever since.]

As FPI target ex-Playboy editor, questions raised about verdict

Jakarta Globe - August 28, 2010

Putri Prameshwari& Arientha Primanita – FPI flexing its muscle again. The Brown Shirts in Nazi Germany did that too – and no one stood up to them – and look what happened.

Obviously because of week leadership, and a corrupt judiciary and police force – there is a vacuum existing and growing in Indonesia. The FPI seem to be filling this.

For a time they will be allies, useful tools and supporters of the politicians, judges and police who think they are using them – then the tables will be reversed.

The FBI are enemies of democracy – along with those corrupt judges, lawmakers and police who are in collusion with them and are corrupt themselves.

In an animated protest on Friday, the Islamic Defenders Front threatened to take the law into its own hands if Playboy Indonesia editor in chief Erwin Arnada failed to begin serving his two-year prison term on Monday.

The hard-line group, better known as the FPI, called on its members to arrest Erwin on sight and threatened to raid his house if he did not appear on Monday as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Awit Mashuri, deputy secretary general of the FPI, said: "If, by Monday, Erwin does not show up, all of the FPI's troops will conduct raids to find him. We know his apartment, his house and the hotel where he is staying."

Erwin was acquitted on charges of indecency in April 2007, but the prosecution appealed, and on Thursday the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office announced that the Supreme Court had found Erwin guilty and sentenced him to two years in prison.

However, confusion surrounds the verdict, which prosecutors say was reached in July 2009. Supreme Court rulings are not made public, and are instead sent out only to the concerned parties.

Normally, the South Jakarta District Court, where the original trial was held, would have received the verdict, as well as prosecutors and the defense. But in this case, the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office says it only received the verdict on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's official Web page of the case contains the note, "prosecution rejected." Court spokesman Andri Tristianto Sutrisna confirmed this to reporters on Thursday, but could not clarify whether this meant the top court had upheld Erwin's 2007 acquittal. "I suspect the FPI is behind this," the magazine's former publisher, Ponti Carolus Pondian, told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

Ponti sat on the board of directors of Velvet Silver Media, which obtained a license from the US-based magazine to produce an Indonesian version of Playboy.

The short-lived magazine published its first issue in April 2006. It released its sixth and final issue in February 2007, and did not publish nude pictures in any issue.

Multiple calls to Erwin went unanswered on Friday.

"I don't even have a lawyer anymore because there is no case," Ponti said. "This case has been blown out of proportion, and [comes] completely out of the blue. It was settled years ago in court. It is so weird that it should turn up once again."

With the case suddenly back in the spotlight, there has been renewed debate on press freedom and freedom of expression, and what constitutes pornography.

But Awit said the matter was clear, as far as the FPI was concerned. He called Erwin a "moral terrorist" and said the case was not a press issue but "a porn issue." He also said Erwin should have been detained a year ago.

"He has been found guilty and should have been taken to prison to serve his two-years sentence immediately following the court ruling," Awit said. "This shows the extent of the judicial mafia in our court system – permitting Erwin to remain free for a year after a guilty verdict."

But despite his threats that the FPI would detain Erwin and raid his house, Awit said his group was not usurping the role of legal authorities.

"We are here protesting because the system is not functioning in Indonesia," he said. Terror suspect "Abu Bakar Bashir has been declared a suspect and police took him away. Erwin is guilty but he is still free," Awit said.

The Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) said the FPI's targeting of Erwin was "terror against the press." In a press release, the group said: "AJI urges all mass organizations not to take the law into their own hands because they have no authority or right to do so."

Indonesia to keep shining

Asia Times - August 27, 2010

Robert M Cutler, Montreal – Jakarta's principal stock market index has more than doubled since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won the July 2009 presidential elections with a margin that made a run-off unnecessary. Yudhoyono's comfortable victory came three months after his Democratic Party coalition won 314 of the 560 seats up for election to the People's Representative Council, the country's legislature. The stage was set for a period of political stability that has encouraged investment by local and overseas companies, including South Korean steel giant POSCO, and consumer spending.

The economy in the second quarter grew 6.2% compared with a year earlier and expanded at a rate 2.8% faster than in the previous three months, according to the country's Central Bureau of Statistics. Yudhoyono has set a 6.6% goal for annual economic growth, and the consensus is that this will probably reach at least 6.0%.

Exports, capital investment, and the consumer sector all contributed to the advance. Domestic consumption, though, was the main driver, accounting for over two-thirds of the country's growth, an atypically high figure for the region. Domestic automobile and motorcycle sales are a backbone of the consumer spending statistic, and gains there translate into Stock market strength – local automaker Astra International accounts for no less than 8% of the capitalization-weighted Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index (JCI).

The Indonesian stock market has been one of Asia's stand-outs, with the JCI powering up from 1,111 last October to 3,141 as of Wednesday's close. This growth is equivalent to a compounded rise of almost 4.84% per month consistently for nearly two years. The performance includes a recovery from 2,614 near the end of May to the present level, itself equivalent to a 1.42% compounded weekly increase over the last three months.

The JCI surpassed its previous (mid-January 2008) all-time high of 2,810 in early April this year, then fell back, passed it again in early June and has not looked back since. It has been showing short-term strength for the last two-and-a-half weeks, and this is continuing. That previous all-time high came from the basis of a level at 361 in mid-October 2002, itself a record of over five years of consistent growth of 3.37% compounded monthly.

The JCI has significantly outperformed the country's other major market index, the LQ45, which is (as Bloomberg News explains) "a capitalization-weighted index of the 45 most heavily traded stocks on the Jakarta Stock Exchange", whereas the JCI is "a modified capitalization-weighted index of all stocks listed on the regular board of the Indonesia Stock Exchange". For example, over the past five years, the JCI has vaulted 216%, but the LQ45 is up "only" 174% during the same period.

Jakarta's stock market capitalization remains relatively small, given the size of the country. The market cap is only one-third of Taiwan's even though Indonesia's population is 10 times as large. At the same time, the country has well-established regional and global political links through membership of organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Group of 20.

Like many Asian economies, Indonesia's is less financially intermediated by the international banking institutions that find themselves under continuing, if no longer immediate, threat. Its investment regulations are still seen as unfriendly in comparison with many Asian peers, and administrative steps have been under way for some time to improve the climate for foreign capital. Endemic red tape, corruption, and poor infrastructure complicate attempts to realize the potential of the country's natural resource base.

HSBC economist Wellian Wiranto nevertheless remarked this month that "[F]oreign direct investment may be contributing more and more to growth, judging from the gathering interest among international companies seeing Indonesia as a big market with a large pool of labor force, right where the raw materials are", as quoted by India's Economic Times. POSCO, South Korea's largest steelmaker, is only one of the latest to sign an agreement with an Indonesian firm for a new industrial plant (a steel mill in West Java with Krakatau Steel).

Relatively low interest rates are spurring consumption, although with annual inflation reaching a 15-month high of 6.22% in July, up from 5.05% a month earlier, those rates may be increased. Still, companies are plowing profits back into investment.

The only cause for worry would be the increasing unemployment rate, although even this has not worsened as much as feared. About half of the country's total employment remains in the agricultural sector, although it is not clear what proportion of those formally counted in agriculture may migrate seasonally to the cities. The high degree of informal-sector employment is a worry to economists and reformers, but it does provide a cushion of sorts.

At the same time, the country's export structure has the advantage of being more oriented toward Asian economies and therefore less dependent upon the vagaries of the Western consumer resilience. That does not make it immune from following global markets in the wake of periodic financial-crisis downturns, but these tend to be transitory waves of market emotion and not based on fundamental economic realities.

For these and other reasons, it is foreseeable that the Jakarta stock market will continue its stellar performance, other things being equal, even if it suffers the occasional inevitable hiccup. In the short term, for example, it is looking a bit overbought, even if volume has lately been impressive and a number of short- term technical indicators remain favorable. It is attempting to confirm its surmounting of a long-term ascending-tops trend line while it is at the same time at the top of a medium-term ascending-tops trend line.

[Dr Robert M Cutler (http://www.robertcutler.org), educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The University of Michigan, has researched and taught at universities in the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, and Russia. Now senior research fellow in the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, Carleton University, Canada, he also consults privately in a variety of fields.]

Is Yudhoyono still serious about fighting corruption?

Jakarta Post - August 26, 2010

Pandaya, Jakarta – The generous presidential pardon and remissions granted to graft convicts has strengthened Indonesia's status as a haven for corruption and eroded public trust in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration's commitment to combating chronic corruption.

Thanks to his generosity, many corruption convicts have walked free after they have served three-quarters of their equally stunningly short prison terms in view of the billions, or even trillions, of rupiah in taxpayer' money they had looted.

You may imagine they breezed out of their prison cells humming a happy tune, with a big smile on their face, or letting tears of joy stream down their cheeks. The President gave them a perfect Independence Day gift, as the pardon and remissions are given as a part of the national day celebration.

Oh, and the Idul Fitri holiday is around the corner, too, and those still serving time can expect another round of remissions, which can be as generous as six months – enough to release crooks who had received light sentences of four years or less.

In fact, all forms of prison, term deductions are comparable to the holiday sales, when capitalists try to rake in as much money as possible from the large quantity of merchandise they can sell, albeit at lower prices.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, who was showered with praises earlier this year for advocating the death sentence for graft convicts, now insists that keeping critically ill prisoners, such as former regent of the resource-rich Kutai Kartanegara, Syaukani Hasan Rais, in prison would amount to a violation of human rights.

He says if anyone could prove that the fabulously rich Syaukani, who was found guilty in a corruption case which incured state losses of Rp 103.5 billion (US$11.5 million), had faked his illness, he would have his presidential pardon reviewed.

The best-known figure who walked free thanks to the generous remmissions is undoubtedly Aulia Pohan, who was imprisoned along with several other former Bank Indonesia senior officials – who also enjoyed remissions – for misappropriating funds of Rp 100 billion.

His remission and immediate release has been associated with the fact that he is the father-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's eldest son Agus Harimurti. Aulia's holiday gift has seriously undermined public trust in Yudhoyono's pledge to fight corruption in high places.

His arrest and subsequent conviction had won Yudhoyono international acknowledgement for his antigraft crusade, but the remissions have made his pledge sound somewhat hollow.

Not only do the prison-term deductions deeply offend the public's sense of justice, but they have also dumbfounded the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which feels its toiling to catch state thieves has been poorly appreciated by the government.

Now is time for Yudhoyono to heed calls for a review of the 2006 government regulation on remissions. The regulation has to be either revised or dropped altogether.

The main reason for the public protest at the remissions and presidential pardons, especially for graft convicts, is the lack of transparency regarding why those convicted of corruption and big-time criminals are accorded multiple remissions that allow them freedom so soon.

The "good attitude", or "outstanding service", a convict demonstrates during detention that government officials always cite as the reason for pardons is just too vague and often translated as the "prisoners' generosity to pay officials".

It's a public secret that graft convicts, like other wealthy prisoners, receive privileges. Lest you forget, businesswoman Artalyta Suryani, who was sentenced to five years in 2008 for bribery, was accorded a luxury room at the notoriously crowded Pondok Bambu Women's Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

Members of the presidential judicial mafia taskforce, who paid a surprise visit, found she had all the amenities that an entepreneur has at home, a scandal that cost the chief warden his position.

Remissions and presidential pardons that the government generously offers are obviously inconsistent with the government's own conviction that corruption, like terrorism, is an extraordinary crime, which should be dealt with with extraordinary measures.

Could it be that the administration has forgotten the KPK was established in 2002 for just this purpose? Remissions and presidential pardons are just one of the worrying signs that President Yudhoyono is giving up his fight against corruption.

He is yet to give an adequate response to a host of problems, such as senior police officers' suspiciously enormous bank accounts, as reported by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, and the various maneuvers to strip the KPK of its key powers.