Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – Hundreds of angry villagers in Manggi, West Aceh, on Saturday raided a subdistrict police station they believed was being used as a brothel and attacked a naked couple found inside, officials said on Sunday.

Teuku Abdurrazak, operational commander of the district's Shariah Police, said the villagers had been suspicious of the police station in Panton Reue subdistrict after a number of women were observed going there at all hours of the night.

Abdurrazak said the villagers could "no longer tolerate this" and were "in an emotional state" before taking it upon themselves to raid the police station, where they found an unmarried man and woman who were in a state of undress. The man was severely beaten by the villagers, while the woman was repeatedly slapped, he added.

The pair were identified as Divan Abu Kasem, 29, and Raida Yusuf, 25, both residents of West Aceh but not from Panton Reue. "From our preliminary investigation, Raida is suspected of being a sex worker," Abdurrazak said.

The policeman who was suspected by the villagers of having operated the brothel from the police station reportedly escaped when the post was raided, while another officer not suspected of involvement was not harmed by the mob. The policeman who fled the scene is believed to be an acquaintance of Raida.

According to Abdurrazak, Shariah Police personnel managed to rescue Divan from the enraged mob. "If we had been any later, it might have been a lot worse," he said.

"Divan was attacked by the angry mob because the reputation of their village was tarnished by those immoral acts, which cannot be tolerated by the Acehnese people."

Divan was treated at Cut Nyak Dhien General Hospital in the district capital, Meulaboh, Abdurrazak said. He needed five stitches for a head wound and sustained extensive bruising over his entire body.

Raida has been detained at the West Aceh Police headquarters. If the pair are proven to have violated regional bylaws on vice, they could face between three to nine public lashings. The officer suspected of operating the brothel was also arrested and detained.

"The policeman who provided the place has been detained and will have to face the law," Abdurrazak said. "The West Aceh Police chief has promised that he will not intervene."

West Aceh is the only district in Aceh to have banned women from wearing tight pants and men from wearing shorts. A local regulation issued by the district head earlier this year requires women to wear long, loose-fitting skirts in public.

Abubakar, Manggi's village head, said residents had been outraged that such activities had been occurring in their neighborhood. After having staked out the police station on Friday evening, he said the villagers decided to raid the post after a woman was seen entering alone.

"It turns out that our suspicions that this police station was being used as a place for such immoral activities was true, and we found a man and woman, both undressed, inside," he said.

Aceh was granted wide-ranging autonomy under a peace pact signed in August 2005 that ended decades of separatist conflict. As part of the deal, the province was allowed to implement regulations based on Shariah law.

West Papua

Activists slam Indonesia military for 'sidelining' Papua torture

Jakarta Globe - November 22, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – Human Rights Watch on Monday lambasted the government for failing to prosecute five soldiers allegedly caught on tape torturing two Papuan civilians, even after one of the victims came forward to recount his ordeal.

A 10-minute video of the torture in May was recorded using a cellphone camera and was later posted to the Internet, causing an international uproar.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono later instructed the newly appointed chief of the Armed Forces, Adm. Agus Suhartono, to investigate, and a court-martial was promised. However, the military went on to try four other soldiers in an unrelated and less serious case of abuse in March, also in Papua.

"Once again, the authorities are sitting on their hands rather than fulfilling their obligations and proactively identifying and prosecuting the soldiers responsible," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.

"Kiwo has shown tremendous bravery in coming forward – he deserves justice and protection from retaliation, not another half-hearted Army investigation and cover-up," he said, referring to Tunaliwor Kiwo, believed to be one of the two Papuan victims.

HRW's statement comes after the release of a 30-minute video interview with Kiwo, which details his alleged torture at the hands of soldiers from the time he was detained on May 30 until his escape on June 2.

Activists from the Papuan Customary Council (DAP) met with Kiwo on Oct. 30 at his hiding place in Tingginambut subdistrict in Puncak Jaya, Papua.They recorded his testimony on video and submitted it to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Kiwo said he had been tortured for over 48 hours, a routine that included repeated beatings, suffocation and being burned with cigarettes and red-hot pokers. The interrogators also burned his genitals with a smoldering stick, crushed his toes with pliers and rubbed chili paste into his open wounds, he said. Kiwo also showed DAP activists where he was captured and detained.

On Nov. 9, however, the commission decided not to form a fact-finding team or launch a formal investigation.

Meanwhile, Army Spokesman Brig. Gen. Soewarno Widjonarko declined to comment on HRW's statement. He said that as far as the Army was concerned, the soldiers accused of violence against Papuans had been court-martialed and sentenced to detention. "The most important things is that there has been punishment," he said.

However, he declined to acknowledge that the tribunal in question was not centered on Kiwo's case, but on an incident in which soldiers assaulted about 30 civilians during questioning.

Meanwhile, the military announced that Maj. Gen. Hotma Marbun, the regional commander in Papua, had been removed from his post as of Nov. 12. It called the move a "routine transfer," despite the fact that Marbun had only been in Papua since January.

"Changing military commanders will not root out impunity," Robertson said. "The victims deserve justice. The Indonesian military and police in Papua should fully cooperate with investigators from [Komnas HAM]."

Papuan prisoner joins elite company

Jakarta Globe - November 22, 2010

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – A prominent international human rights group has agreed to advocate for the release of Filep Samuel Karma, a Papuan political prisoner who was jailed in 2005 for raising the banned Morning Star flag.

Washington-based Freedom Now said Filep, 51, would become one of just 13 political prisoners around the world it was currently campaigning for, joining the likes of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xiaobo. The organization was also known for working for the release of Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Freedom Now will represent Mr. Filep Karma with the aim to secure the release of Mr. Karma from detention," Freedom Now's executive director, Maran Turner, wrote in an e-mail to Filep's mother, Eklefina Noriwari.

Cynthia Warwe, one of Filep's closest friends, said the e-mail arrived last week and Eklefina immediately signed a contract to formalize the deal. The e-mail did not specify why the group wanted to represent Filep, but its Web site says that the group considers Filep to be a prisoner of conscience.

"I'm glad they want to defend my rights at an international level," Filep told the Jakarta Globe during a telephone interview from inside Abepura Prison in Jayapura.

"It is truly an honor for me to join the lineup of renowned human rights figures on Freedom Now's short list of clients.

"Freedom Now made it very clear that I cannot engage in or advocate the use of violence, which I never have and never will do.

"There are a lot of political prisoners in Papua – all equally deserving to be released by the Indonesian government. I wish Freedom Now could advocate for their release too."

On Dec. 1, 2004, Filep organized a peaceful demonstration in Abepura, where the banned Morning Star flag was raised. Filep was subsequently sentenced in May 2005 to 15 years in jail for treason and stoking unrest.

Human Rights Watch has said there has been a long history of suppressing peaceful activism in Papua, with nonviolent protesters regularly being arrested and occasionally suffering abuse.

Chandran Lestyono, a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, said Indonesia would not bow to international pressure by releasing prisoners.

"Only the president has the executive power to pardon a prisoner," he said. "If what the prisoner wants is unconditional release, then he should file a case review to the Supreme Court."

President's agenda steers clear of human rights issue

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2010

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in Papua on Sunday to meet with the local administration on regional revenue and to open a national university student body conference, steering clear of the thorny issue of human rights violations.

On Sunday evening, the President met officials from the Papua and West Papua administrations at the Papua governor's office to discuss strengthening the local economy. The President and administration officials also signed an integrity pact, reaffirming their loyalty to the country.

On Monday, Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the national meeting of Student Executive Bodies from universities across the nation. He will deliver a lecture at Cenderawasih University, where the national meeting will be hosted, his official website reported. He is not scheduled to meet with locals during this visit.

Upon his arrival, Yudhoyono and several Cabinet ministers were greeted by hundreds of elementary school students who lined up at several points along the roads from Sentani airport to Jayapura, Antara news agency reported.

Officials had deployed 1,863 soldiers and police officers to provide security for the two-day visit.

On Saturday, local police arrested nine people, allegedly members of the West Papua Revolutionary Army (TRPB), for raising the Morning Star (Bintang Kejora) flag.

Human rights activists said the President's agenda gave a wide berth to reported rights violations by the military and police, thus was a waste of time and state budget.

They demanded the President initiate dialogue with local communities during his visit to gain more insight into solving the protracted and extreme human rights problem in the province.

The most recently publicized case of human rights violation in Papua was a video uploaded onto YouTube showing soldiers torturing two Papuans.

Haris Azhar, from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said Yudhoyono's visit would be futile if the President failed to talk to local communities, including victims of human rights violations, the Papua Customary Council, the Papua legislature and vulnerable groups such as women.

"The President can't remain blind to issues of human rights violations in Papua," he said. "The central government rejected the opportunity to hold open discussions with local communities," Haris told a press conference Sunday.

He said Papua's special autonomy, in place since 2001, did not bring any benefits to locals despite the influx of funds and added that the President should address this as well.

Septer Manufandu of the Papua NGO Working Group agreed that the central government did not treat Papuans as Indonesian citizens. "We don't want money. We just want the same rights as other citizens because we are part of this republic," Septer said.

He added that locals in Papua had repeatedly sought dialogue with the President since 2008. The presidential office was frosty, he said. "A presidential aide told us that the President did not need to talk to us," he told The Jakarta Post.

The chairman of the Papua branch of the Evangelic Church Assembly in Indonesia (Gidi), Lipiyus Biniluk, said he also hoped the President would discuss special autonomy with locals during his visit.

"Special autonomy needs clearer implementation. We are open for discussions with [Yudhoyono]," Lipiyus said, adding that native Papuans needed guarantees from the President. (rch)

Nine held for flying banned flag in indonesian Papua: Police

Agence France Presse - November 21, 2010

Jakarta – Nine people have been arrested after an outlawed separatist flag was raised in Papua, police said on Sunday.

Eight men and a woman from the West Papua Revolutionary Army, the militant wing of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM), unfurled the banned "Morning Star" flag on Saturday in a village in Jayawijaya district, local police chief I Gede Sumerta Jaya said.

"We arrested nine people and they're being investigated. They had raised the Morning Star flag. We found the flag and a wooden pole," he said. "They're likely to be named suspects on charges of plotting against the state," he added.

Anyone convicted of displaying separatist symbols faces a possible life sentence. Indonesia won sovereignty over Papua, a former Dutch colony on the western half of New Guinea island, in 1969 after a vote among a select group of Papuans widely seen as a sham.

Many Papuans accuse Indonesia's military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to Jakarta.

Security conditions in Papua conducive: Regional military commander

Antara News - November 21, 2010

Jayapura, Papua – Security conditions in Jayapura, Papua, ahead of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)'s visit on Sunday (Nov 21), are quite conducive, the region's military chief of the Cendrawasih Military Command Brig. Gen. Erfy Triassunu said here Saturday.

"It is true that there was an attack involving two communal groups but the matter has been handled very well and they are now ready to welcome the president," Brig Gen Erfy Triassuni, chief of the Cendrawasih Regional Military Command, said here Saturday.

The possibility of demonstrations as planned by certain persons was a normal thing, he said, adding that if such rallies were to take place, their organizers had to obtain prior permission from the police.

"In principle, such demonstrations are normal in a democracy and their aspirations deserve appreciation so long as they do not disrupt the public interest and abide by the existing rules," he said.

A number of personnel from the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and the State Police (Polri) since Saturday afternoon have been on guard along the Abepura-Sentani route which links Jayapura city to the Sentani airport.

The head of state and entourage were scheduled to arrive in Jayapura on Sunday afternoon and expected to make a series of activities including opening a meeting of Student Executive Boards (BEMs) across Indonesia at the Cendrawasih University in Jayapura.

The president was also slated to give directives at a meeting on efforts to strengthen the regional financial capacity at the Papua gubernatorial office on Sunday evening.

On his visit to Papua, the president would be accompanied by a number of officials including those from the Corruption Eradication Comission (KPK), the Home Affairs Ministry and the Finance Ministry. (KR-MBK/HAJM/B003/R009)

Ringtone anger 'won't affect' SBY visit to Papua

Jakarta Post - November 21, 2010

Indonesia – A series of conflicts sparked by a racist mobile phone ringtone will not affect a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Jayapura, Papua.

"President Yudhoyono will continue to visit Jayapura from Nov. 21-22 despite the recent conflicts," Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Bekto Suprapto said Saturday.

In Jayapura, Yudhoyono is scheduled to meet with representatives of the Papua and West Papua provincial administrations, attend a meeting of the Student Executive Body from universities across the nation and deliver a lecture at Cenderawasih University, Bekto said.

He added that the sender of the controversial ringtone and the singer had been named suspects and were being investigated by Jayapura Police.

"The two were shocked as they did not think [the ringtone] would cause such a big stir," he said, referring to protests by members of the Wamena tribe upon hearing the ringtone, which led to the destruction of several houses and arson attacks on several others.

Freedom of expression & press

Police say Indonesia corruption watch official targeted by henchmen

Jakarta Globe - November 19, 2010

Zaky Pawas, Jakarta – Police investigating the July assault of an anticorruption researcher have ruled out personal motives, lending credence to allegations that he was targeted as a result of his work.

Tama Satrya Langkun, a researcher with Indonesia Corruption Watch, was ambushed by four unknown assailants on July 8, leaving him hospitalized with serious injuries.

ICW said Tama was the key researcher behind its report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force that alleged several National Police generals held suspiciously large bank accounts.

The attack came shortly after the publication of the report in Tempo magazine. Three days before the attack, the Tempo office was firebombed, again by unknown perpetrators.

While no one has been arrested in either case, on Friday police announced that Tama was targeted by "a certain group's henchmen," but declined to elaborate.

Nurcholis, a director of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH), which is representing Tama, said this conclusion was positive news.

"We've made good progress in this case today," he said on Friday at Jakarta Police headquarters. "We and the police are in agreement that Tama was singled out, and the perpetrators were henchmen of parties who did not like him."

Nurcholis said the police had not revealed any definite motive for the attack. "They're still investigating that," he said. He also said police were analyzing calls made to Tama's cellphone in the days leading up to the attack. The researcher had complained of receiving anonymous threats during this time.

Tama said he was relieved by the conclusion reached by the police, as it proved they were still working on his case.

"It shows they no longer believe the attack was motivated by some personal problem linked to gambling debts or women or whatnot," he said. "All those angles have been ruled out."

He said while the police had not explicitly linked the assault to the ICW report, "the point is, they no longer believe it was a personal matter."

Tama said any failure by the police to resolve the case would be unacceptable. "It will be a burden on them if they can't resolve it," he said.

However, Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said the police were treating the case simply as an opportunity to embellish their human rights credentials.

"[National Police Chief] Timur Pradopo, during his selection test, only promised to resolve Tama's case because of the public pressure at the time," he said.

"He said the case was salient because it was interesting, not because it was urgent, like a corruption case. I suspect he did so because of public pressure. "If that's the case, then I fear it was just lip service, and not really a promise to resolve the investigation," Haris added.

"If he was serious about it, he would have reorganized the investigation, but so far, I don't believe Timur has ever taken this case seriously."

Politics & political parties

Parties 'fail' to educate cadres

Jakarta Post - November 21, 2010

Jakarta – Most political parties have failed to encourage their cadres to reach out to their constituencies and people, a political observer said following news about several legislators who snubbed and even snapped at several Indonesian migrant workers in Dubai.

Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) political analyst Burhanuddin Muhtadi said that political parties had failed to serve their basic function of acting in the public interest. "They forgot that these migrant workers are their people too," he said Saturday.

While waiting for a delayed flight from Dubai to Jakarta, kompas.com recorded the testimonies of three Indonesian passengers who had volunteered to help 150 confused and stranded Indonesian workers.

The three volunteers said they, along with several other Indonesian passengers, spontaneously offered assistance because they saw many Indonesian migrant workers who were also waiting could not understand English or Arabic had difficulties proceeding through the transit, which forced hundreds of passengers to stay overnight in an airport hotel.

The volunteers said not a single member from the House of Representatives' Commission V group traveling from Russia to Indonesia booked on the same delayed flight offered to help the migrant workers. One legislator even snapped at one of the workers and another told one of the volunteers to quiet the workers down because they were "embarrassing Indonesia with their noise".

The House's record showed that the traveling legislators went to Russia to study low-cost apartments in Moscow. Politicians from the Democratic Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), whose fellow politicians were among the group, defended their peers, saying that their party cadres would have helped if the workers had asked and if they had enough time.

Democratic Party member Ignatius Mulyono said that his party, as well as other parties, had provided a lesson for party cadres on dealing with voters and constituents.

He said that the issue was technical and it depended on the creativity and empathy of each person to deal with such a complicated situation in Dubai. He was sure that his colleagues would have helped the confused workers if they had more time, he added.

Ganjar Pranowo of the PDI-P said that any aspirations of constituents would be heard by political parties if "it was carried out well". He also said his party had an education program for party cadres and the program was adequate. (ipa)

Aburizal Bakrie: Gayus meeting rumor is just 'political intrigue'

Jakarta Globe - November 18, 2010

Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie has fired back at rumors that he met with high-profile graft suspect Gayus Tambunan in Bali, calling it nothing more than political intrigue designed to weaken his party ahead of the 2014 elections.

"The rumor is something not worthy to be discussed. It is a useless political intrigue that does nothing good for the nation," Bakrie told Metro TV. "Given my position as the chairman of Golkar, I feel that many people are afraid that Golkar will be a threat in 2014."

On Friday, Kompas wrote that Bakrie, accompanied by a Golkar official Fuad Hasan Mashyur, met with Gayus in one of his resorts.

Gayus, found to be bribing his way to a Bali vacation while on trial for corruption charges, broke down into tears on Monday when he admitted in a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court that he was the wigged man captured by a Jakarta Globe photographer at an international tennis match in Bali on Nov. 5.

Golkar Party members have also spoken out against the rumors. "There was no meeting," Lalu Mara Satriawangsa, a senior Golkar politician and Aburizal spokesman, told the Globe on Sunday.

He confirmed that the Golkar chairman did attend the tennis tournament, but said he arrived on a different day to when Gayus was allegedly spotted in Bali. "Aburizal was in Palembang for a Golkar meeting on Friday [Nov. 5]," Lalu Mara said. "He didn't arrive in Bali until Saturday."

Other Golkar politicians said the rumor was a systematic effort by unidentified groups to ruin the party's image by attacking its chairman. "Golkar rebukes any effort that seeks to ruin the image of the party," lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo said on Sunday.

The allegations "are being exploited by certain parties to corner Golkar and the party chairman," he added. The vocal lawmaker went a step further: "It wouldn't be unreasonable for Golkar members to think that Gayus's appearance in Bali was fabricated especially to attack Golkar."

Gayus amassed a fortune that he claims came from bribes from companies including miners Kaltim Prima Coal, Arutmin and Bumi Resources, which are linked to Aburizal. The companies have denied paying bribes.

Elections

Indonesian government intervention urged in election bill deadlock

Jakarta Globe - November 19, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – A speedy resolution to the deadlock over an amendment to the 2007 Election Organizers Law is to let the government, rather than the House of Representatives, complete the draft, a former legislator says.

The impasse stems from a proposed clause that would allow members of political parties to serve on the various government bodies that organize and monitor elections.

The ruling Democratic Party, the largest bloc in the House, and the National Mandate Party (PAN) oppose the clause, while the seven other parties in the House want it included in the amendment.

On Friday, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, who from 2005 to 2008 chaired the House special committee that drafted the law, said the government would be able to complete a draft of the amendment quicker than the House because it was not held back by party interests.

"That's why we delegated to the government the final task of completing the draft of the law back in 2007," he told a discussion in Jakarta. "So rather than take flak for its slow pace of deliberation, it would be better for the House to ask the government to take over," he added.

However, Ida Fauziah, a member of the House Legislative Body, does not agree. She said the whole point of letting legislators finish the draft themselves was to help them improve their legislation capabilities. She also said the current deadlock between the parties was a normal part of the political dynamic, and should not be a reason for legislators to give up and let the government finish the job.

"Just be patient," Ida said. "We've targeted the completion of the draft amendment and its passage into law for 2011, along with all other bills related to political issues."

M.S. Kaban, chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), which is not represented in the House, told the discussion that the current situation was proof that legislators were unable to carry out what should be a routine task. "There's a big question mark hanging over the ability of legislators to draft bills," he said.

There are around 20 smaller parties outside the House, he added, that are waiting for the amendment to be passed so they can begin planning their strategy for the 2014 general elections.

Kaban blamed the deadlock on the Democratic Party's opposition to the proposed clause. "The big question is why the Democrats do not want political parties getting seats on these elections bodies," he said.

But Hadar Gumay, an elections observer from the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro), said he supported the Democrats' stance, saying parties should not be allowed on the bodies. He warned of a repeat of the 1999 elections, when all of the parties running were represented on the polling bodies, and some representatives refused to sign off on the election results, leaving the outcome in limbo. Eventually, President B.J. Habibie was forced to step in to confirm the results.

Activist proposes bill unification to save time, cost

Jakarta Post - November 19, 2010

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Unifying three of six bills regarding general elections that are currently deliberated by the house' legislative council might be the right answer to save more time and on costs, an activist says.

"We could unify the legislative election bill, president and vice president election bill and the regional leaders' bill, for instance, in order to be more efficient. It could save us more time and also on costs," Hadar Gumay, executive director of Cetro (Center of Electoral Reform), told a discussion on Friday.

Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, former lawmaker who also attended the discussion, said that the bill unification was a great idea. However, he then warned that in return, the lawmakers should be able to develop a single standard or criteria for the three bills.

Ida Fauziah, lawmaker from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said without elaboration that it was too late to unify the bills this time, since some of the bills had already undergone their final deliberation sessions, meaning that these bills were to be completed before the end of this year.

Among those bills that are currently being deliberated at this date are the president and vice president bill, the legislative elections bill, the regional leaders' bill and the People's Consultative Council bill.

Graft convict to still be crowned regent

Jakarta Post - November 18, 2010

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Yusak Yaluwo will be inaugurated as the new regent of Boven Digoel, Papua, but faces the threat of being immediately suspended after his inauguration for his conviction in a graft case.

Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu is scheduled to lead the inauguration ceremony at the Home Ministry in Jakarta on Saturday. Yusak has appealed against his four-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

"Although he was sentenced to imprisonment, Yusak has the right to be inaugurated as regent because his status as convict is not binding as he can still appeal to the Constitutional Court," Barnabas told reporters in Waropen, Papua, recently. "But after the inauguration, he may be suspended and administrative affairs will be handed over to the deputy regent."

The governor was in Waropen to inaugurate regent-elect Yesaya Buiney and his deputy Yeremias Bisai.

He said if Yusak's appeal was rejected, the deputy regent would be promoted to the top post while the Boven Dogoel legislative council appointed a new deputy regent. "If Yusak is successful in his appeal, his position will be reinstated," Barnabas said.

Nine regencies and municipalities in Papua have completed their polls, all of which were shrouded in disputes and escalated to the Constitutional Court.

Three of the poll winners have been inaugurated as regents since winning their appeals at the Court: Yuvensius Biakai and running mate Saridjan Mottong of Asmat regency, Yusuf Wally and running mate Muhammad Markum of Keerom regency, and Yesaya and running mate Yeremias of Waropen regency.

The Court has ruled that Supiori and Merauke regencies would have to hold fresh elections as voting day irregularities were found. Romanus Mbaraka and running mate MT Sunardjo, who had the most votes before the case went to the court, again garnered the lead.

Jayapura municipality, Mamberami Raya and Pegunungan Bintang regencies are still preparing for their elections.

Barnabas blamed bias by the Elections Commission (KPUD) for the poll disputes. "I blame this trend on the KPUD performance. They have been partial where they should have been neutral," he said.

The arrest of the head of the Jayapura KPUD for graft, Barnabas said, was evidence of this "deplorable performance".

Papua Councilor Carolus Bolly said the KPUDs had lost the trust of the people. "The candidates were also too ambitious to accept the losses," Carolus, a member of the Democratic Party, said.

Labour & migrant workers

Agency warns against underage workers

Jakarta Post - November 20, 2010

Sanggau, West Kalimantan – The Women's Empowerment, Family Planning and Child Protection Agency head, Gorgonius Theno, is condemning private companies that are hiring underage workers.

Gorgonius said Friday that he asked parents and companies to stop employing children. "They are violating the 2002 Child Protection Law, the law on labor and the law on manpower," he said as quoted by Antara.

The laws states that people, whose ages are below 18 years, should only be in three places – house, school and on the playground. If they must work, they are only allowed to work for a maximum of four hours each day.

Body of Indonesian maid found in Saudi dumpster

Associated Press - November 19, 2010

Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta – Indonesia demanded an investigation on Friday into reports that a domestic worker was allegedly killed by her employer in Saudi Arabia and thrown into dumpster – the second case of maid abuse to emerge this week.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting called to discuss the need to protect hundreds of thousands of migrants who flock to the Middle East in search of work. Too many, human rights groups say, face slavery-like conditions, torture, sexual abuse and even death.

Indonesian Minister of Labor Muhaimin Iskandar said an embassy team was dispatched to the Saudi town of Abha to look into allegations the 36-year- old maid, Kikim Komalasari, had been killed by her bosses. Her neck was slashed and she had severe cuts to the rest of her body, he said.

"It's shocking to hear this... it's beyond inhumane," Yudhoyono said, adding, however, he was encouraged so far by the Saudi government's quick response. "I'm hopeful the perpetrators will be punished according to law."

The report came as a team of Indonesian officials headed to the Mideast to seek justice and medical help for another maid, Sumiati binti Salan Mustapa, who has been hospitalized in the Saudi city of Medina since Nov. 8. The 23-year-old's employers allegedly burned her, broke her middle finger and cut her lips with scissors.

Earlier this week, New York-based group Human Rights Watch urged Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait to do more to protect domestic workers in their countries, saying a string of allegations point to a "broader pattern of abuse."

They were responding to reports that a Sri Lankan maid working in Jordan had been forced to swallow nails. Another maid employed in Kuwait claimed her employer drove nails into her body.

"The wanton brutality alleged in these cases is shocking," said Nisha Varia, senior women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, which called on authorities to investigate claims promptly and bring those responsible to justice.

Government mulls equipping migrant workers with cell phones

Jakarta Post - November 19, 2010

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The government is considering whether it will equip Indonesian migrant workers overseas with cell phones to better enable them to reach officials in the event they face problems.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Friday, after a Cabinet meeting discussing workers' safety, that the government was considering this option to prevent more abuse cases against domestic workers.

"Based on our experience, we often receive reports on our migrant workers too late," Yudhoyono told a press conference at the Presidential Office. "We are discussing whether to equip migrant workers with cell phones, along with contact numbers of our nearest consulate generals and embassies, so that they can instantly communicate with our officers and the system is effective."

The President said the plan could be very helpful especially in the case where countries hosting Indonesian migrant workers had "closed" cultures.

Environment & natural disasters

Government urged to write off survivors' debts

Jakarta Post - November 19, 2010

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – The Association of Indonesian Economists' (ISEI) Yogyakarta branch has called on Bank Indonesia on Thursday to consider writing off the bank loans of debtors in Sleman regency who are badly affected by the Mount Merapi eruptions.

The measure was especially proposed for customers with outstanding credit of up to Rp 100 million (US$10,600) each. The fund could come from either or both the central government, the Yogyakarta provincial administration and state-owned enterprises.

"We are to follow up the proposal by sending letters to the BI governor, Yogyakarta governor, and the finance and state-owned enterprises ministers," the association chairman Lincolin Arsyad said in Yogyakarta.

Quoting data from BI's Yogyakarta office, Lincolin said there was an estimated 3,655 debtors so far in areas badly affected by the eruptions of the world's most active volcano, with a combined outstanding credit of Rp 106.4 billion. "These are credits that have the potential to turn into bad debts," he said.

The association, he added, had also estimated that the eruptions had caused a total loss worth up to Rp 5 trillion including in subsectors of fishery, tourism, infrastructure and education. "The figure will surely increase if we also include areas bordering the three worst hit areas of Cangkringan, Pakem and Turi districts," Lincolin said.

The eruptions, which first started on Oct. 26, have claimed more than 270 lives as of Thursday according to data at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and have displaced some 400,000 others in the four affected regencies of Sleman in Yogyakarta and Magelang, Boyolali and Klaten in Central Java.

Apart from proposing to the government to potentially exempt Merapi victims from bank loans, the association is also proposing to the finance minister to consider exempting them from various taxes until they fully recover from the disaster.

Team coordinator Mudrajad Kuncoro expressed hope that the proposal would be valuable input for the government in conducting the reconstruction and rehabilitation programs for survivors of Merapi eruptions. He also expressed optimism toward the proposal, based on the experience of dealing with the rehabilitation and reconstruction programs for survivors of the 2006 earthquakes in the province.

He said the government back then agreed to write off survivors' bank loans with outstanding credit of up to Rp 50 million each. The total fund spent on the program at that time was Rp 7 billion.

The 2006 earthquakes that killed nearly 6,000 lives in Yogyakarta and Central Java caused some Rp 500 billion in losses in the banking sector, which affected about 21,000 debtors across Yogyakarta province.

NTT demands compensation for Timor oil spill

Jakarta Post - November 16, 2010

Kupang – An advocacy team has found that 3,200 fishermen have been affected by the Montara oil spill in Timor Sea.

"We have conducted a survey and it appears 3,200 fishermen are affected by the pollution," team leader Masnellyarti Hilman told reporters after meeting with Governor Frans Leburaya in Kupang on Monday.

She said the survey results would be reported to Montara in a meeting in Singapore on Friday.

"We met the governor and other related institutions to shed light on the social and economic disadvantages caused by the oil spill and our plans to demand compensation for the affected fishermen," she said, adding that next week's meeting with Montara gave them a chance to negotiate compensation.

The Montara oil rig in the Timor Sea was reported to have sprung a leak in August 2009. The two-month spillover reportedly saw up to 500,000 kiloliters per day of crude drifting into Indonesian territory.

Women & gender

Central Java sets up anti-violence commission

Jakarta Post - November 18, 2010

ng Yuniardi, Semarang – The Central Java provincial administration in the process of setting up Commission on Anti-violence against Women and Children in line with Regional Bylaw No. 3/2009 on protection for victims of violence.

Its process is still in the stage of selecting five members of the commission, billed to be the first of its kind in Indonesia. The chosen commission members will be representatives of the community, including religious figures, activists, academians and practitioners.

Soelaimah, head of the Agency for the Empowerment of Women, Children Protection and Family Planning in Central Java, said in Semarang Tuesday that the duties of the commission will include mediation for inter- departmental institutions providing integrated anti-violence services, provision of advocation on protection program and policy and supervision on the process of case handling.

According to Soelaimah, the commission will not become a super institution which guarantees drop in the number of violence against women and children.

"Those having the heavier burden will still be the regental or city administrations, for example, through the establishment of shelters, integrated service centers and the provision of funds to help the victims," she said.

Central Java Deputy Governor Rutriningsih disclosed that the number of violence cases on women and children continued increasing over the last few years. In 2009, for example, the number of violence cases reached 2,512, which were dominated by domestic violence, rape and human trafficking.

"I'm confident the number which was not uncovered was much higher than that. It means it is like the tip of an iceberg, which has to be thoroughly settled," she said.

Soelaimah further said that the Central Java administration had allocated a fund of Rp 500 million to get rid of female violence victims, including to get specialists giving counseling and advocation.

The establishment for the commission constitutes a mandate from Regional Bylaw No. 3/2009 on Protection and counseling for Victims of Violence on Women and children.

Fatah Muria, a member of a team to select the commission members who is also an anti-violence activist, said that the mediation function for the commission was important at a time when regencies and cities in Central Java had their own integrated service centers for such a purpose.

"As there has been the funds earmarked for such services, the next step will be how to ensure its implementation so that it will not be simply a lip service from the government," Fatah said.

"The establishment of this commission is timely in that it will be able to independently supervise and at the same time encourage the formulation of more policies which take site to women and children on the part of the regional government," Fatah explained.

Transgenders battle for license to live a decent life

Jakarta Globe - November 18, 2010

Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – Many transgenders are finding little sympathy from the government as they struggle to obtain vitally important ID cards.

The national ID card, known as the KTP, is required for everything from getting a driver's license and applying for a loan to enrolling at a school and registering to vote. It is also required when seeking medical treatment at state and private hospitals.

Many transgenders are denied a KTP because ward officials refuse to register them under the gender they choose to identify with.

Ourvoice is a group that lobbies for the rights of marginalized groups such as sex workers and people living with HIV/AIDS. Its secretary, Hartoyo, said on Thursday that being deprived of a KTP threatened the health of people from such groups.

"When you do not have a KTP, access to health care becomes more difficult," he said at a press conference to mark World Transgender Day on Saturday.

"Meanwhile, these people are among the key groups most prone to HIV/AIDS infections." Hartoyo said because they could not get the cards, many transgenders were being denied HIV/AIDS treatment. "All they can do is wait for their condition to worsen," he said.

Hartoyo also lamented the state of poverty most transgenders were forced to endure. "When a transgender is poor, the condition is worse than for other people because not many people want to help them," he said.

Of the estimated 3,000 transsexuals in Jakarta, half did not have an ID card, he said, quoting figures from the Transsexual Communication Forum. "They face layers of oppression, stigma and denial of access to welfare," Hartoyo said.

He said very few male-to-female transgenders finished school because headmasters prohibited them from dressing like females. "For transgenders, the job market is limited to beauty parlors and entertainment," Hartoyo said, adding this restriction also fueled the poverty problem. "You can't work in other fields."

An estimated 24 percent of all Indonesians living with HIV/AIDS are transsexuals, according to 2007 data from the Health Ministry and the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Sujana Rojat, head of the National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM) at the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare, said the ministry had planned a program, PNPM Peduli, to ensure easy access to health care and education for groups at high risk of HIV/AIDS.

"These people have the potential to help develop our country, so we have to treat them fairly," Sujana said.

Desy Mutialim, a World Bank official in charge of supporting PNPM programs, said the PNPM Peduli program would begin next year. An initial $3 million would be allocated for a pilot to run from January 2011 to June 2012.

"PNPM Peduli will work at the local level through local civil society organizations and community groups, which will receive the grants," she said. "These organizations will be responsible for identifying beneficiaries and reaching out to the vulnerable groups, including the transgender groups. At the moment, we're still in the process of selecting the organizations."

Women taking risky paths to perfection

Jakarta Post - November 16, 2010

Tifa Asrianti, Jakarta – Besieged by advertisements on the ideal image for women – slim, white-skinned with long straight hair – more women are trying to fit the picture by taking risks such as consuming slimming pills.

However, many consumers of the pills – widely available at drug stores and online shops – are not aware of the risks and some even face tragic ends. Several death cases related to slimming-pill overdoses are being whispered among women and some have made their way to the press.

The latest death case recorded in the press took place in May 2009. At first, the police believed the victim, Nia Oktaviani, a private employee, committed suicide. But after a thorough investigation, the police found that she died of complications after consuming slimming pills.

There has been no exact and official statistics but a consumer protection advocate says the number might be higher than the number reported due to social stigmas.

Ida Marlinda, a researcher at the Indonesian Consumers Protection Foundation, said that her organization had not yet received statistics on those affected by slimming medicine. "Perhaps the victims [or their families] are too embarrassed, so they keep quiet," she said.

Ida carried out research on slimming programs several years ago. The research showed that some slimming pills acted as a diuretic on consumers resulting in weight loss, but sometimes only 1 kilogram. She said losing water might be the cause of the weight loss but it did not mean the pills were working.

She suggested that consumers change their eating habits and lifestyle to achieve their desired weight. "Consumers should consult their nutritionists to lose weight correctly. They should know that there is no such thing as a quick fix," she said.

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has banned several brands of slimming pills in the past. In 2009, the agency banned dozens of traditional herbal medicines, including six brands of slimming medicines that contained dangerous substances including sibutramine hydrochloride. Last October, the agency also banned six more slimming pills that contained the substance.

Sibutramine is an oral appetite suppressant, which has been marketed for obesity. It has been associated with increased cardiovascular incidents and strokes. Several countries including those in the EU, the US, Canada and Hong Kong have banned the ingredient from the market.

BPOM head Kustantinah said that Indonesia had followed in their step; the BPOM pulled drugs containing sibutramine from the market.

Sibutramine hydrochloride is also known to increase risk of hypertension, or commonly known as high blood pressure, sleep difficulties, spasms and blurry vision.

The agency has received tipoffs from hospitals that fatalities have resulted from patients consuming the medicines. The side effects were, among others, vomiting blood.

While reports have been circulating, the agency has no specific regulation on slimming pills. "We monitor the slimming pills just like any other medicines, we check the registration and the content," she said.

Although the distribution had been hampered, online stores are still selling the unlicensed slimming pills.

A doctor based in Tangerang who requested anonymity said that he was aware of a case involving a 22-year-old woman who died after consuming slimming pills she bought through an online store.

While Indonesia already has a cyber law that came into power in 2008, it does not regulate complaint procedures for online stores while the consumer protection law does not specifically stipulate protection for online shoppers.

Cyberlaw expert Onno W. Purbo said that the law only regulated that online transactions could be used as evidence in court, but it did not focus on quality of products sold online.

Online consumers must educate themselves by keeping well read, Onno said. He suggested reading tips on online shopping or reviews on vendors from trusted friends. "It is much safer to gain recommendations from people you trust," he said.

Graft & corruption

Hand over Gayus case to KPK: ICW

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2010

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The recent "vacation" of graft suspect Gayus Tambunan to Bali is a perfect overture for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to take over the case from the National Police, activists say.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) coordinator Febri Diansyah said the KPK's involvement might end the police's sluggish probe into the case as well as its lenient treatment of suspects. "The current situation surrounding the Gayus case is enough reason for the KPK to handle this case," he said Sunday.

Febri added that the KPK law stipulated that the antigraft body could take over a case from other institutions if the case involved other corruption cases and many masterminds, two conditions that the Gayus case fulfills.

Gayus, a former low-ranking tax official, is on trial for bribing police detectives, prosecutors and a judge to the tune of US$2.5 million he illegally amassed from corporate taxpayers to escape graft charges.

The massive publicity his case has generated has apparently failed to curb corrupt practices in the judicial system as Gayus once again bribed prison officers to allow him out to watch an international tennis event in Bali a few weeks ago.

He bribed nine guards Rp 368 million ($41,200), leaving his cell a total of 68 times. There is widespread speculation that Gayus' recent trip to Bali was a favor called in by one of the "big fishes" who benefitted from his extensive tax scams.

The glacial pace of developments in the case is also raising questions about the impartiality of the police. Investigations have revealed that Gayus amassed at least Rp 100 billion from 43 corporate taxpayers including three giant mining firms partly owned by the family of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

So far, only the case related to PT Surya Alam Tunggal (not a Bakrie company) has been sent to court. Police have even failed to prove that the company's money went to Gayus.

Only two middle-ranking police officers have been charged despite court testimony implicating several high-ranking officers. "The police have also frozen Gayus' safe deposit boxes containing Rp 75 billion but strangely, they never investigated the source [of the money]," ICW official Donal Fariz said.

Police have expressed reluctance in handing over the case, saying it was not necessary. National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said Sunday that police viewed calls to hand the reins to the KPK as merely a "suggestion".

Moreover, the KPK, which spearheads the country's anticorruption efforts, is not rushing into the fray.

Despite enough legal basis to take over the case, KPK deputy chairman Bibit Samad Rianto played down the idea of stepping in. "The KPK is ready but the police refuse to surrender the case," he was quoted as saying by Koran Tempo daily.

Bibit and fellow deputy chairman Chandra Hamzah were recently victorious in their fight against on-again-off-again graft allegations.

Critics expressed pessimism going forward given the KPK's reluctance to take over the case. Febri said the KPK's reluctance went against the law. "If the KPK is reluctant to take over the case, it means they're neglecting the law. If the KPK neglects the law, it means they're contributing to the resistance to eradicate corruption," he said.

Gayus's lawyer belittles Indonesian police, prosecutor 'failures'

Jakarta Globe - November 22, 2010

Heru Andriyanto, Calmelia Pasandaran & Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – As bizarre incidents continue to crop up and overshadow the notorious tax mafia scandal involving Gayus Tambunan, his lawyer on Monday called on the antigraft commission to take over the case from police and prosecutors.

Veteran lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution said he had lost confidence in the ongoing legal proceedings against his client, and questioned whether the court was even interested to locate and thoroughly probe those behind Gayus's enormous wealth.

Adnan suggested that the tax embezzlement scandal centering on Gayus was more and more becoming about the figure of Gayus today, instead of about Gayus's dealings in past years – squirreling away huge amounts of money handed over to him as bribes, allegedly by large corporations attempting to evade taxes.

Adnan further pointed out that the trial was failing to probe the origins of Rp 28 billion ($3.1 million) found in the defendant's personal bank accounts, let alone demand those who paid Gayus this money to testify.

"We cannot expect [the bribers] in court, when [police] never even interrogated them. The case is better off handed over to the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission]," Adnan said.

"I was confident in the beginning that the independent [police] team would uncover the entire case, but now the case has been dwarfed [by other scandals], I have lost confidence."

Photographs taken by the Jakarta Globe recently found Gayus – sporting a wig and glasses – attending an international tennis tournament in Bali, even as the graft defendant is supposed to be in police detention during the course of his trial.

Police eventually admitted that Gayus had bribed his way out and stayed with his extended family at Bali's Westin Hotel from Nov. 4-6. The scandal has captivated the nation's attention even more than the Gayus trial.

Adnan said prosecutors can't pretend Gayus's money doesn't exist, and the court probe should at least uncover his accounts and safe deposit boxes as well, which reportedly contained gold ingots and other valuables worth some Rp 70 billion. "His wealth didn't fall from the sky, you know," the lawyer said.

In Monday's hearing, presiding judge Albertina Ho ordered prosecutors to transfer Gayus to the high-security Cipinang Penitentiary.

"The panel considers the detention facility [at the National Police's mobile brigade headquarters in Depok, West Java], not 'conducive' and we order prosecutors to transfer the defendant to the Cipinang Penitentiary," said Albertina, adding that the orders were effective immediately. Gayus was promptly transferred on Monday.

Speaking separately, legislator Anis Matta from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said the antigraft commission should take over the Gayus case because of allegations that some police officers might have been bribed by Gayus. However, Trimedya Panjaitan, a fellow lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the KPK should supervise police rather than take over the case.

Trimedya said police had "already investigated the case for more than two months" and they should be given a chance to finish it.

Separately, the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force said it had yet to find any evidence of Gayus meeting with Golkar Party tycoon Aburizal Bakrie during his visit to Bali.

"We have not seen any relations," Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, head of the task force, said at the Vice-Presidential Palace on Monday. Kuntoro added that the task force has already looked into how Gayus got to Bali, including his companions, where he slept and the means of transportation he used.

Bakrie himself has denied rumors that he met the former tax official in Bali, speaking of political intrigue merely designed to weaken his party ahead of the 2014 elections.

Indonesian government and house want Krakatau Steel IPO probed

Jakarta Globe - November 22, 2010

Dion Bisara, Jakarta – With public complaints growing over the allocation and pricing of shares in Krakatau Steel's recent initial public offering, both the government and the House of Representatives on Monday called for an investigation.

"Everything that does not involve state secrets can be opened to the public," said Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister for the economy. "It should be transparent," he added.

Hatta said the Capital Market and Financial Institution Supervisory Agency (Bapepam-LK) should investigate and disclose data on the buyers of the IPO in light of widespread speculation that the stock was priced artificially low to benefit well-connected politicians, who were rumored to have received large allocations of shares.

The offering was oversubscribed nine times, leading to outrage when it was priced at the low end of the offering range. When a group of journalists were later accused of trying to extort share placements from the company, the controversy only deepened.

Lawmakers joined calls for a probe on Monday, with House Speaker Marzuki Ali saying the offering price of Rp 850 ($0.09) per share at launch was "too low," given its rapid rise at its debut on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX).

"There are many questions and demands to prove that the procedures for the Krakatau Steel IPO were conducted properly and did not violate the stock market's rules, norms and ethics," Marzuki said. "The House will ask Bapepam to conduct an investigative audit."

The underwriters, Mandiri Sekuritas, Danareksa Sekuritas, and Bahana Securities, have said the price was in line with the earning ratios of other regional steel companies, and that there was no "outside interference.".

The IPO sold 20 percent of the state steel maker's equity for Rp 2.68 trillion. The shares debuted on Nov. 10, soaring 49 percent to close at Rp 1,270. Its closing price on Monday was Rp 1,290.

Krakatau's president director, Fazwar Budjang, said the IPO should not become a public issue. "We are talking over and over about the IPO. The company would have been dying if it were not for the IPO. Now we have to make sure this national asset is strong and growing to serve the people and nation," Fazwar said.

Golkar's Priyo Budi Santoso said House Commission VI, which oversees government-run companies, would summon Hatta and State Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar. "These officials need to explain the process to the public," Budi said. Asking Bapepam to disclose the buyers of the shares could also set up a regulatory showdown.

Fuad Rahmany, the head of Bapepam, declined to comment on the issue on Monday, but he earlier warned against disclosing the buyers. "The market will not be healthy if data can be disclosed arbitrarily," Fuad said last week.

He also said the capital market law guaranteed the confidentiality of buyer data, which can only be disclosed in a criminal probe. The law, however, states that Bapepam can access the data, and experts say this could open the door for disclosure.

Drajad Wibowo, an economist from Sustainable Development Indonesia, said the law gives the agency room to reveal the data. "Bapepam should be able to promote transparency, instead of covering up," he said.

Former IDX president Mas Achmad Daniri, head of the independent Krakatau privatization monitoring team, cautioned against politicizing the share sale, which he said followed the rules.

"The authority to disclose investor data lies with Bapepam. But disclosing the data could hurt investor confidence. Don't let this Krakatau share sale hurt investor confidence in Indonesia," he said.

[Additional reporting by Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Yanto Soegiarto and Armando Siahaan.]

More political intrigue await Gayus' case

Jakarta Post - November 20, 2010

Jakarta – Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD said that the president must step into the Gayus H. Tambunan tax graft case since it was heavily infused with political interests.

"The president's involvement is very important because Gayus' case has many political dimensions. The Attorney General and National Police chief can get swarmed over by political parties, lawmakers and shady businessmen who want to save themselves," he added.

He said that the Attorney General's Office and National Police would find difficulty in withstanding the political pressure upon the case.

"Lawmakers at the House of Representatives (DPR) who want to save themselves can, for example, threaten that law enforcers trying to mess with them will be summoned by the DPR," he added, as reported by kompas.com.

He further said that the many political interests affecting the case have prevented those suspected of bribing Gayus from undergoing legal process at this point of time although the trial process would eventually reveal their identities.

AJI: Probe Krakatau Steel's Indonesian coverage

Jakarta Globe - November 19, 2010

Ismira Lutfia & Faisal Maliki Baskoro, Jakarta – The Jakarta chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists is urging an investigation into allegations that journalists demanded shares from Krakatau Steel in exchange for positive coverage of the state steel maker's initial public offering this month.

It is also in the process of reviewing the reporting on the IPO by the journalists in question to determine if it was fair or appeared to have been influenced in any way. The journalists were said to have demanded 750,000 shares of Krakatau, worth Rp 637.5 million [$71,500].

"They tried to put pressure on the company by threatening negative coverage of Krakatau Steel's IPO," Wahyu Dyatmika, chairman of the Jakarta chapter of the alliance, known as AJI, said on Thursday. He added that he had received information that the journalists also asked for cash.

AJI received reports from several parties connected to the offering that a number of journalists from "well-known media organizations" were involved, Wahyu said. He added that if the reports were true, the behavior would constitute a violation of the code of ethics for journalists. That code prohibits journalists from misusing their position for personal gain.

"We have asked the whistle-blowers to write down the allegations in a formal report to the Press Council so it can conduct an investigation, and to the police, considering that [the attempted] extortion would be a criminal offense," Wahyu told the Jakarta Globe.

Wina Armada, a Press Council member, told Tempointeraktif on Wednesday that it had received informal reports about the case and that only after a formal report had been filed would the council summon the journalists suspected of involvement. "This is not the first such case. Journalists who have acted like this in the past have been dismissed," he said.

Press Council members could not be reached on Thursday, but a source said that Wina's comments pre-empted the council's deliberations but the charges seemed credible. "Actually, this kind of thing is common practice," the source said.

But Harry Supoyo, president director of Mandiri Sekuritas, one of the underwriters for Krakatau Steel's IPO, denied that journalists had demanded his company hand out shares to them.

Wahyu said if the allegations proved to be true, harsh sanctions must be handed out to the journalists involved. "I call on journalists at the stock exchange or business journalists to declare if they own shares in companies listed there to avoid any conflicts of interest," he added.

However, Budi Suyanto, who covered the stock exchange for five years, said there was "nothing wrong with journalists wanting to invest." He told the Globe that stock market regulations did not classify journalists as parties barred from owning shares in listed companies unless they were associated with the operation of the stock market, such as public relations consultants.

War on terror

Indonesian military to study up against terror

Jakarta Globe - November 22, 2010

Farouk Arnaz, Semarang – The National Police's anti-terrorism school will open its doors next year to soldiers in line with a new grand strategy to deal with extremists.

"Police are still the leading actors in combating terrorists but other institutions should also be involved as stipulated in the constitution and laws," Brig. Gen. Boy Salamuddin, executive director of the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation based in Semarang, Central Java, said on Saturday.

"If the military's ability in the fight against terror is not maximally used then we will stand to lose."

Boy, who was the Bali Police's chief detective in 2002 when suicide bomb attacks targeting nightclubs there left 202 people dead, said the military, especially the Army, had comprehensive capacity to deal with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

"In 2011 we will open a class on the subject of Crisis Response Management in cases of terrorism and we will invite Army officials to join," Boy said, declining to give further details.

Counterterrorism investigations and raids are the domain of the National Police's Densus 88 anti-terrorism unit, although there have been calls for the military to play an expanded role.

In a move to make the country's anti-terror fight more coordinated and efficient, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in July issued a decree forming the National Anti-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), and in September appointed Ansyaad Mbai, the head of the antiterrorism desk at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, to lead the new body.

The agency, which answers only to the president, is charged with preventing terrorism, protecting civilians, deradicalizing terrorists and building national preparedness.

Ansyaad in October said cooperation with the military in fighting terrorism was "a new development" in response to the changing tactics of terrorists, who are shifting from suicide bombings to armed assaults as seen in Mumbai in 2008.

He said it would also send a strong message to terrorists that they were facing not the police but the state as a whole. Ansyaad also said the BNPT would not shy away from requesting support from the Army.

Critics have warned of the dangers of involving the Armed Forces. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said the inclusion of the military could lead to abuses.

Brian Thomson, executive program director for the JCLEC, said he could not comment on Indonesian policy decisions. "Terror is a crime and police are handling and investigating crimes by providing evidence," he said, adding that Australia was fully committed to supporting the JCLEC in its efforts.

The JCLEC is housed within the National Police Academy in Semarang. It was jointly established by Indonesia and Australia in February 2004 with Canberra contributing 36.8 million Australian dollars ($36.27 million) for development and operations, its Web site said.

The center aims to help the entire Southeast Asian region fight transnational crime, with a special focus on counterterrorism.

Police reveal terrorist training spots in Central Java

Jakarta Post - November 21, 2010

Central Java – Head of Central Java Police's special counterterrorism detachment 88 Sr. Comr. Daryono revealed there were eight regions in Central Java that had become terrorist training grounds: Semarang; Kendal; Temanggung; Wonosobo; Karanganyar; Surakarta; Sukoharjo; and Boyolali.

In addition, there were 15 other regions in Central Java province that had been proven to be terrorists' preferred hiding places, he said without elaborating. "The intelligence has listed some new people that might have connections to the terrorist network," he said, as quoted by tempointeraktif news portal Sunday.

To date, according to police records as many as 118 people from the province with links to terrorist activities had been placed under police custody. Among those detained were Abdullah Sonata and firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

Extremist & hard-line groups

FPI mars peace and quiet in Christian Medan city

Jakarta Globe - November 17, 2010

Aidi Yursal, Jakarta – Hundreds of Islamic hard-liners in Medan took to the streets on Tuesday evening, storming clubs and other establishments they deemed an affront to Muslims preparing to celebrate Idul Adha, the Day of Sacrifice.

Members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) sent customers fleeing when they marched into cafes and bars in the predominantly Catholic North Sumatra capital.

"We strode into these places while chanting the takbiran [or overnight prayers] over some loudspeakers," said Abdul Muthalib Daulay, chairman of the FPI's Medan chapter. "We called on the owners of the establishments in question to respect the Muslims trying to observe Idul Adha."

The FPI, known for launching raids and fierce protests, "would never have used violence to shut the places down," Abdul said. "We just went there to remind the people not to tarnish the night before Idul Adha with any immoral acts," he said, adding that the FPI had deemed these places of entertainment as "dens of iniquity."

Abdul called his group "polite and humane" and said the protests, which began after sunset prayers and ended at midnight, prompted the establishments in Medan to shut down "spontaneously."

Police said they had monitored the mob's movements and that there were no reports of violence against the customers.

Abdul said the protest was justified since the police issued an advisory ahead of the festival – celebrated on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to varying dates given by Muslim organizations – for bars and cafes to stay closed on Tuesday night.

"I'm really proud of the way the police cooperated with us [by merely monitoring us] and I'd like to thank them for helping us in our mission," he said.

Muslims mark the annual feast, which begins after hajj pilgrims descend from Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia, with animal sacrifices to feed the less fortunate.

Freedom of religion & worship

Indonesian Ahmadiyah again driven from Lombok homes

Jakarta Globe - November 19, 2010

Fitri R., Mataram – Twelve Ahmadiyah families who returned to their homes in Gegerung village in West Lombok shortly after being chased out in 2006 have once again been ordered to leave.

The 50 Ahmadiyah members, who had been back home for the past three years, were from a larger group forced to stay at the Transito temporary shelter in Mataram, the provincial capital, after they were driven from their homes by other residents of Gegerung.

However, in response to a protest against their presence by villagers at a town hall meeting on Friday, local authorities conducted a raid on the homes of the Ahmadiyah families shortly before noon prayers, forcing men, women and children to flee with their belongings.

The families were forced to return to the Transito shelter, although two individuals, a man and his aging father, have chosen to remain behind.

At the meeting that prompted the raid, presided over by Gegerung village chief Syahudin, Lingsar subdistrict chief Agus Sukma Aryana and Lingsar Police Chief Syamnurdin, the villagers said they could not accept the return of the Ahmadiyah members.

"We remain opposed to their presence in this village," said one of the residents. "They are a stain on this village and must be cleaned out."

Another resident said that if the authorities did not order the families to relocate, "then the people will have to do it". "Don't force the people to take matters into our own hands," one resident said.

During the raids, overseen by Syahudin and Syamnurdin, the village chief asked the stricken families to return to the shelter. "We ask with all respect that all Ahmadiyah members prepare to leave this village and return to Transito," he said.

The subdistrict chief said he would oppose any move by the Ahmadiyah families to return to their homes, and asked other villagers not to resort to violence. "This case will be resolved by the administration," he said.

Syamnurdin ordered several of his officers to stand guard outside the deserted Ahmadiyah homes to ensure that residents did not vandalize or destroy them, following threats. He also warned the two Ahmadiyah men who chose to stay on to "leave before something bad happens to you." However, villagers had already burned down the home of the older man by then.

Zulhair, the younger Ahmadiyah member who chose to stay, blamed the latest surge in animosity toward the minority group on comments made by West Lombok district head Zaini Arony that the Ahmadiyah would have their civic rights respected. He said the comments were printed in local news reports, which he cut out and took to the Gegerung village hall for confirmation on Nov. 10.

He added an official at the village hall had insisted that Zaini's decision would never be accepted by Gegerung residents, who were opposed to the presence of the Ahmadiyah in their village.

"Why must we always be chased out, over and over again?" asked Gegerung Ahmadiyah member Sarim Ahmad. "What did we do wrong?"

Sarim returned home three years earlier to resume farming his land that had been neglected for a whole year after the events of 2006. "If I farm, at least I'm making a living, whereas at Transito I have no hope for a meaningful life," he said.

Sex & pornography

Ariel faces hard-liners, fans at start of sex trial

Jakarta Globe - November 22, 2010

Yuli Krisna, Heru Andriyanto & AFP, Bandung – Indonesian rock star Nazril Irham went on trial on Monday, charged with distributing two homemade sex videos on the Internet, in a case that has shocked and fascinated the country in equal measure.

The 29-year-old defendant, popularly known as Ariel, appeared at the closed-door trial in Bandung District Court facing criminal charges including those filed under the 2008 Anti-Pornography Law, prosecutor Rusmanto told reporters.

More than 500 police were on hand to providing security, while adoring Ariel fans – mostly young women – mixed with radical Islamists outside the court, illustrating the yawning cultural divide the case has opened in Indonesia.

"There are so many cases like this. Why are they freed and not Ariel? Is it because he's famous? We want justice," 22-year-old waitress Ruri Astari said, as around 20 fans sang Ariel's hit songs and carried "Free Ariel" banners.

Islamic hard-liner Hirman Firdaus said the free-spirited rock 'n' roll singer was a threat to society and deserved the maximum penalty. "I want him to be severely punished. This is immoral," he said.

Dozen of people from the Islamic People's Forum (FUI) rallied outside the court, demanding that the pop singer be jailed for indecency.

If convicted, Ariel could face 12 years in jail and fines of up to6 billion rupiah ($670,000) for offenses including spreading pornography on the Internet. "Ariel helped to facilitate the distribution of pornographic videos," Rusmanto said.

The singer looked relaxed in a gray shirt and black trousers as he spoke to reporters from behind bars in the court lockup. "I've read the charges. I'm ready to face anything," he said.

Ariel has been behind bars since he surrendered to police on June 22 amid a media circus over the explicit videos, which allegedly showed him having sex separately with two television celebrities, Luna Maya, 27, and Cut Tari, 33. Luna remains his girlfriend and was at court on Monday.

Neither Luna nor Cut Tari have been charged with any offense, although Islamic hard-liners have called for Cut Tari – who is married – to be stoned to death for adultery. Both women have lost lucrative marketing deals as a result of the scandal.

The clips have been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people online and sparked fears about a wave of licentiousness and immorality spreading among the country's youths through the Internet.

Afrian Bondjol, an attorney for Ariel, said prosecutors indicted his client for participating in the distribution of the sex videos featuring himself.

"Such an indictment is ridiculous. Ariel is fully aware that he is a public figure. Why would he participate in the video's distribution, knowing it could ruin his career?" Afrian said.

"That's equivalent to committing suicide, which is impossible for Ariel. He would never do something so stupid."

"I can tell you, nothing in the indictment describes, in detail, the sexual relationships [portrayed in the videos]."

"The indictment mentions articles from the pornographic law and the Information and Electronic Transactions Law [ITE]. We presented our preliminary defense to convince the judges the prosecution had no case. If our argument is accepted, the trial will be done," Afrian said.

"Otherwise, we have prepared a list of witnesses and we will certainly cross-examine testimonies, especially those accusing my client of helping to distribute the videos."

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned that the nation of 237 million people was at risk of being "crushed by the information-technology frenzy".

Dubbed "Peterporn" after Ariel's band Peterpan, the scandal also fueled efforts to purge the Internet of pornography.

Web usage has taken off among Indonesia's upwardly mobile urban youth, who have come from nowhere to rank among the world's biggest users of social media sites over the past five years.

The trial is taking place in closed hearings to protect the public from the inappropriate sexual nature of the subject matter, according to the judge. The court is adjourned until Nov. 29.

Peterpan singer's closed-door porn trial set for Bandung: AGO

Jakarta Globe - November 17, 2010

Heru Andriyanto, Jakarta – After languishing in jail for months, Peterpan frontman Nazril Irham is finally going to trial in Bandung, according to acting Attorney General Darmono.

"The case against Irham, also known as Ariel, has been handed to court. Since the alleged crime occurred in Bandung, the trial will be held in a district court there," Darmono said on Wednesday, without giving a date. However, a source from the AGO said the closed-door trial would start on Monday.

"Normally, the trial of pornography-related cases are not open to the public," said the AGO source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Irham will reportedly not be indicted for taping his sexual liaisons with celebrities, identified by police as Luna Maya and Cut Tari, since prosecutors had been unable to find the appropriate legal articles to charge him for this.

Instead, he will face charges for his role in the distribution of pornographic materials, which is illegal under the 2008 Anti- Pornography Law.

The singer had been detained since June 22 at the National Police headquarters but was transferred to a Bandung detention facility late last month.

He was arrested after videos of him having sex were uploaded to the Internet, allegedly by the band's music editor. Luna and Cut were named suspects in the case but were not detained.

AGO spokesman Babul Khoir Harahap said details of when and where these videos were filmed remained unclear so Ariel would be prosecuted for his role in distributing the movies rather than his role in making them.

"[Ariel] knew about the sex videos but he didn't do anything to prevent them from being circulated," Babul said.

A key witness identified only as Reza or Redjoy – who was also named a suspect in the case – said in October that he received the video files from the Capung Studio along Jalan Antapani, Bandung, and prepared them for online distribution.

Poverty & unemployment

Indonesian graft seen holding back poverty alleviation work

Jakarta Globe - November 18, 2010

Dessy Sagita, Jakarta – Efforts to alleviate poverty through community empowerment programs are being held back by corruption and vested interests within the government, an official with those programs said on Thursday.

The Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare runs a variety of programs under its National Program for Community Empowerment (PNPM), including micro- credit schemes.

But Sujana Rojat, the ministry official in charge of the PNPM, said the program was rife with corruption, though not on the scale of other government institutions.

"About 0.8 percent of our annual budget, or about Rp 100 billion [$11.2 million], is embezzled every year on average," he said on Thursday. "If we gave that same amount to a single district, there would be no more poor people there."

He blamed the corruption within the PNPM partly on the permissive culture in Indonesia, saying that people tended not to report embezzlement. Sujana also said the effectiveness of PNPM schemes was hampered by the fact that the implementation teams were poorly coordinated and worked independently.

He said that because the funds for PNPM schemes were transferred directly into accounts opened by recipients but that could also be accessed by facilitators, there had been numerous cases of facilitators taking the money and fleeing with it. One such facilitator reportedly made off with Rp 900 million, Sujana said.

His minister, he added, had set up an account on the social networking site Facebook to allow fund recipients and facilitators to report violations.

While he acknowledged the problem of corruption, Sujana rebuffed criticism by a coalition of budget watchdogs that the PNPM was a waste of money.

Last month, the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) questioned the effectiveness of the schemes under the PNPM. It said that while the government had earmarked Rp 3.9 trillion for the program in 2007, and proposed Rp 11.8 trillion for 2011, the actual progress on poverty alleviation was debatable.

Yuna Farhan, the Fitra secretary general, said the government had burdened itself with extra debt by borrowing an additional $744 million from the World Bank for the PNPM.

But Sujana said Indonesia had reduced the poverty rate by an average 0.8 percent a year, according to the CIA World Factbook, and the PNPM deserved some of the credit.

"That means that every year, two million people here rise out of poverty," he said. "That is the fastest poverty reduction rate in the world, faster even than China's."

He also said it was unfair to call the PNPM's effectiveness into question, given that its annual budget was just a fraction of the total Rp 80 trillion allocated for poverty alleviation every year.

Agriculture & food security

1,481 villages in NTB prone to food scarcity

Jakarta Post - November 19, 2010

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara – Some 1,481 villages in East Nusa Tenggara (NTB) are at risk of running short of food following months of inclement weather have caused harvests to fail in the province.

Head of the East Nusa Tenggara food security agency Niko Nuhan said in Kupang on Wednesday that the 1,481 villages were situated in 20 regencies and cities. Nuhan said the harvest failures had been caused by a combination of droughts, pests and flooding.

"Food production dropped substantially, resulting in food scarcities. The condition was worsened by the extreme changes in weather that has seen rain come randomly," Nuhan said.

He said rice, corn, peanut and tube crops covering an area of 94,395 hectares had been ruined. Of the total number of villages that have suffered food scarcities, he said, 746 were considered to be severely affected, adding that those villages comprised 189,088 families.

The provincial administration has taken a number of measures to solve the problem, including taking rice from stockpiles in other regencies in the province. "The regional government has also proposed to seek help from the Coordinating Public Welfare minister, and that proposal has been approved," he added.

Legislation & parliament

Indonesian legislators stall over council's side trip

Jakarta Globe - November 20, 2010

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – Pending a thorough internal investigation, no orders must be issued to suspend those members of the House of Representatives Ethics Council who allegedly enjoyed a two-day visit to Turkey during a study trip to Greece, lawmakers said on Friday.

Irgan Chairul Mahfiz, secretary general of the United Development Party, said the House Ethics Council must wait for a detailed explanation from those members who stopped in Turkey, as well as the results of its own internal investigation.

"Members of this council must meet and sort this out. I fear this is more to do with an internal conflict between the chairman of the council and its members than anything else," Irgan said.

Ten nongovernmental organizations have filed a request with the House Ethics Council asking it to probe its members who took part in the trip to Greece, and allegedly used state funds for a pleasure trip to Turkey.

"We have the itinerary here, and it states that they spent a day and a half in Turkey. What did they do there? " Ray Rangkuti, the director of the Indonesian Civic Network (LIMA), had asked on Thursday.

The NGOs asked the House Ethics Council to investigate eight of its own members: Nudirman Munir (Golkar), Salim Mengga (Democrat), Darizal Basir (Democrat), Chairuman Harahap (Golkar), Anshori Siregar (Prosperous Justice Party), Abdul Rosaq Rais (National Mandate Party), Usman Ja'far (United Development Party), and Ali Maschan Moesa (National Awakening Party).

On Friday, Nudirman, the Ethics Council deputy chairman who led the Greece visit, told the Jakarta Globe via a text message that the stop in Turkey was only a transit stop. Chairuman offered the same explanation, stating briefly, "it was a flight transit."

Neither Nudirman nor Chairuman replied when the Globe asked what they did in Turkey and when they would release their report on their Greece visit to the public.

Ethics Council chairman Gayus Lumbuun, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the eight lawmakers faced possible suspension over the issue. He added that because following up on the complaint would mean conducting an investigation of its own members, the eight lawmakers must first be suspended.

"We have three members in the council who did not join the trip. But then, we won't reach the quorum," Gayus said, referring to the fact that just three members would be left to probe the remaining eight members. Thus, Gayus said, only after suspending the eight lawmakers and replacing them with new cadres could the council conduct a probe.

The Ethics Council, however, is already experiencing its own internal conflict, with Gayus insisting that any decisions made by the council are not legitimate while all factions are not involved in the council.

At the moment, two factions, the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), do not have cadres sitting on the council.

House Speaker Marzuki Alie of the Democratic Party said the Turkey issue could create an unhealthy internal conflict among council members. "The Ethics Council has a problem, do not add to it [with a new conflict]. This will create an unhealthy atmosphere within the council," Marzuki said.

Jafar Hafsah, chairman of the Democratic Party's House faction, rejected the suspension option, saying the Ethics Council should take into account travel difficulties.

He said that complicated airline schedules could force people to wait for hours, a day, or even longer for connecting flights. Jafar said that only if it were proven that the lawmakers intentionally stopped in Turkey for leisure could the council pass judgment.

More money for Indonesian legislators' home renovation project

Jakarta Globe - November 19, 2010

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The House of Representatives' Secretariat says it will inject another Rp 34 billion ($3.8 million) into a project to renovate legislators' homes, despite allegations of heavy markups in the project.

The House's Household Affairs Committee (BURT) initially approved a total of Rp 445 billion for the project: Rp 335 million for the renovations and the rest to build 10 new homes, a mosque and a school.

However, the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) said in October that of the Rp 717 million to be spent on each house, the contractors had spent just Rp 152 million each, with the remainder unaccounted for. Also in October, the contractors requested a 10 percent budget increase and an extension of their January 2011 deadline to March.

On Friday, House Secretary General Nining Indra Saleh said she had approved an additional Rp 34 billion for the contractors and had demanded the project be completed by the end of December.

"The extra funding will be used for additional improvements to the houses," she said, adding the improvements had been requested by legislators after they inspected the homes.

Meanwhile, the BURT said it would not object to the budget increase, although BURT chairman Pius Lustrilanang said the secretariat had not informed him of the approval. He added the BURT had decided to let the secretariat make all decisions related to the renovation project.

However, Uchok Sky Khadafi, advocacy coordinator for Fitra, warned that issuing the additional money would only invite further misappropriations. He also said the decision to release the funds should not have been made by the House Secretariat, but rather by the BURT, as mandated by the 2003 State Finance Law and the 2009 Legislative Bodies Law.

"It's the BURT that has the authority to decide whether to approve a budget extension, not the secretariat," he said. "Has the secretary general presumed to act in place of the BURT in this case?"

Uchok said Fitra had filed a complaint with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over the alleged markups.

The Rp 445 billion contract was initially awarded to state construction firm Adhi Karya, which then subcontracted it to another state-owned builder, Pembangunan Perumahan.

PP again subcontracted the project, this time to nine private firms, which Fitra said had spent just Rp 152 million on each house, for a total of Rp 75 billion, leaving Rp 260 billion of the budget unaccounted for.

Indonesia's house ethics trippers will be asked to talk turkey

Jakarta Globe - November 18, 2010

Anita Rachman, Jakarta – Eight members of the House Ethics Council who took part in the controversial trip to Greece are facing possible suspensions after 10 nongovernmental organizations on Thursday demanded an investigation into the possibility that the lawmakers used state funds for a leisure side trip to Turkey.

"We have the itinerary here which states that they spent a day and a half in Turkey. What did they do there? " asked Ray Rangkuti, the director of the Indonesian Civic Network (LIMA), one of the 10 NGOs that presented the itinerary to the Ethics Council on Thursday. "We even heard that they had belly dancers entertain them while they were in Turkey," Ray added.

The NGOs asked the House Ethics Council to investigate eight of their own members: Nudirman Munir (Golkar), Salim Mengga (Democrat), Darizal Basir (Democrat), Chairuman Harahap (Golkar), Anshori Siregar (Prosperous Justice Party), Abdul Rosaq Rais (the National Mandate Party), Usman Ja'far (the United Development Party), and Ali Maschan Moesa (the National Awakening Party).

Ethics Council chairman Gayus Lumbuun from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the eight lawmakers are facing possible suspensions because of the complaint.

"The House Ethics Council's procedure states that the House Speakers should demand faction leaders to suspend their members in the Ethics Council following a complaint, replace them with other members, and conduct an investigation," he said.

"There is no other option [but a suspension]. We will discuss the process in our weekly meeting next Thursday. The House Speakers must also discuss this."

But House Speaker Marzuki Alie said House leaders will meet first to discuss the report, adding that he was not sure whether the eight members of House Ethics needed to be suspended. "We will see later," he said.

Sebastian Salang, from the Forum of Citizens Concerned about the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said they received data from the House Secretariat stating that the eight members checked out from a hotel in Greece on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. and arrived later that day in Istanbul.

On Thursday, the itinerary stated, the eight lawmakers did not have a clear schedule. They checked out of the Istanbul hotel at noon on Friday and boarded a flight to Singapore at 11.25 p.m. "What did they do in Istanbul? They had no agenda. They said that they wanted to focus on Greece? But why then there was Istanbul?" Ray asked.

The Greece trip has been controversial from the start, having been announced at the height of public criticism of the lawmakers' comparative study trips abroad.

The Greece jaunt was even further criticized after the House Ethics Council told reporters prior to departure that they were out to study ethics issues, such as how to stop legislators from ranting or mocking others in a meeting, how to stay ethical and within regulations, and whether a House Speaker can dismiss a plenary meeting unilaterally.

Ali Maschan Moesa told the Globe after the trip that he and colleagues had met with the Greek parliament speaker, its Greek counterpart, a regional representatives council and experts from Indianapolis University during their visit.

Speaking to the Globe on Thursday, he refused to comment on either the NGO complaints or what the lawmakers did in Istanbul, and simply denied the rumor about the belly dancers.

"No, no, there was no such thing. Just ask Pak Nudirman," Ali said, referring to Nudirman Munir, the council deputy chairman who led the visit. But when sought for comment on Thursday, Nudirman only said: "I don't know anything about it yet. We will see on Monday."

Chairuman previously told the Globe that they needed to go to Istanbul because they took a plane that needed to transit in the country.

Aside from LIMA and Formappi, the NGOs that filed the complaint on Thursday included the Indonesia Budget Center, Transparency International Indonesia and the Indonesian Voters Committee (Tepi).

Police & law enforcement

Indonesians 'not satisfied' with country's law enforcement: President

Jakarta Globe - November 16, 2010

Camelia Pasandaran, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has acknowledged that the Indonesian people are "not satisfied" with the country's law enforcement system but says he cannot do anything about it.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday in which he addressed the evolving Gayus Tambunan debacle, Yudhoyono conceded that the world's spotlight was on Indonesia's law enforcement but said he could not intervene in individual cases, despite the increasing number of public complaints.

"Though I could not and would not intervene in the legal process... as a head of state I should care about the concerns of our people."

The president said nothing about steps he would undertake to improve the justice system as a whole, which he has previously stated was one of the government's leading priorities.

"I received text messages from our people who are not satisfied with the aspect of law enforcement in our country, including corruption eradication," Yudhoyono said.

He said the messages began when he was attending the G-20 Summit in South Korea and the APEC summit Japan and had not stopped "regarding the protests and unrest of our people of the cases that breach our efforts to correctly uphold the law."

Flanked by National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo and acting Attorney General Darmono, Yudhoyono ordered the pair to report to him directly about detained corruption suspect Gayus's trip to Bali to watch an international tennis tournament where he was photographed by the Jakarta Globe, and other aspects of the case.

Before the cabinet meeting, Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, advised the media not to focus on Gayus's trip to the detriment of Gayus's ongoing corruption case. "It is a problem that should be seriously investigated by the police, but we should not forget the old case, the tax case."

Gayus, who amassed more than $11 million in personal assets when he worked at the Directorate General of Taxation, has claimed that most of the money came in the form of bribes from companies such as KPC, a unit of Bumi Resources, the flagship of the Bakrie Group owned by the family of Aburizal Bakrie, the powerful chairman of Golkar.

Three Bakrie companies, including Bumi and KPC, have been accused of evading a total of Rp 2.1 trillion ($227 million) in taxes during the 2007 tax year. Bakrie was also photographed at the same tournament as Gayus, although on a different day.

A blubbering Gayus on Monday finally admitted that the person photographed at the tournament was indeed him, telling the South Jakarta District Court that his leave would "trigger such a major controversy." He said his detention had caused him stress and he needed a "little vacation."

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Djoko said Yudhoyono had asked for a comprehensive and speedy investigation, including the "motive behind Gayus's trip to Bali". "Every allegation developed among the public should be proven by the head of the National Police though an investigation."

Asked what allegation he was referring to, Djoko said the allegations in the mass media that Gayus "met someone" in Bali.

Asked directly if the Bakrie group would form part of that investigation, Djoko said he did not name any names. "The police have been ordered to investigate how [Gayus came to Bali] and the background. We should not judge someone from the beginning. Let the investigation process run well."

Timur promised that the entire investigation – including the trip and other aspects of the case – would be handed over to the Attorney General's Office within ten days.

The police chief, however, dodged a question regarding other high-profile inmates the National Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) detention facility in Depok who allegedly may have been allowed to leave their cells. The names of former chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji and mid-ranking officer Sr. Comr. Wiliardi Wizar have previously been mentioned.

People

Australian recalls drawing of Indonesia's battle lines

Melbourne Age - November 20, 2010

Tom Allard, Surabaya – When the editor of now defunct Sydney afternoon daily The Sun got the message through to Tony Rafty to head down to Java, the artist and caricaturist was not pleased. "Not another bloody war," was his response.

It was 1945 and Rafty had already spent some tough years in the jungles of Borneo and Papua New Guinea chronicling the deeds of Australian forces as an official war artist, leaving the military only months before World War II ended after contracting malaria. He got word of his new assignment while in Singapore, illustrating the formal surrender of the Japanese to Lord Mountbatten.

His new mission was to find out who was the man rallying his people against the British and Dutch forces seeking to re-assert European dominance over Indonesia now the Japanese had been defeated.

Rafty not only found Indonesia's independence hero and first president, Sukarno, he befriended him. He also witnessed one of the most celebrated moments of Indonesian nationhood, the Battle of Surabaya. Rafty and another Fairfax journalist, Ian Flemming, were participants in the seminal event of that battle.

Now 95, Rafty last week returned to Surabaya, where he was feted by the locals, his presence even bumping the visit of US President Barack Obama off the front pages of newspapers.

At the opening of an exhibition of his drawings staged by the Australian embassy and a parade to the mayor's residence in his honour, Rafty reminisced about his experience in Indonesia and his affection for its people.

On his arrival in Indonesia in 1945, he was immensely curious about who "that man" Sukarno was, but largely indifferent about his cause. At that time Australia supported the Dutch reclaiming their prized colony.

The Dutch East Indies government-in-exile was hosted outside Brisbane during the war and Australian troops had taken the Japanese surrender in eastern Indonesia in preparation for the Dutch return. It was the task of the British to do the same in Java, but they were meeting fierce resistance from woefully equipped but fanatically determined Indonesian partisans.

"I wanted to meet the symbolic leader of the land," Rafty wrote back home soon after arriving in Java. "Was he old? Was he just a rebel leader of ruthless ways? Would he see us?"

Thanks to the directions of a rickshaw driver, Rafty met Sukarno in Batavia, now Jakarta. He soon became sympathetic to the independence movement. "He was very clear in the way he spoke... Everything he said had meaning, and people listened."

The two men bonded over Sukarno's art collection. They met many times and Sukarno took Rafty with him to Surabaya, where he was to sign a ceasefire with the British commander, Brigadier General A. W. S. Mallaby

The plane was hit by a hail of bullets when it arrived at Surabaya's airport. "Sukarno jumped straight out of the plane and shouted, 'Merdeka [freedom]. Merdeka. Merdeka,"' recalls Rafty. "Someone must have recognised him because we were soon surrounded by a screaming mob of Indonesians waving their red-and-white banner."

The ceasefire was signed – recorded in sketches by Rafty – but General Mallaby was killed only days later, apparently while attempting to disarm some Indonesians.

Rafty, who had stayed behind in Surabaya, was aware six war correspondents, including Flemming and Herald photographer Ray Olsen, were being kept in prison. He used his links to Sukarno to convince guards to release them. Flemming used Morse code to inform the British that General Mallaby had been killed. The British responded with a terrifying sweep of Surabaya, aided by a massive air and sea bombardment.

"That was the cruellest thing I had seen," says Rafty. "They didn't care who they bombed. They killed many women and children. There was no justification for what they did to the city of Surabaya and its people."

Rafty recorded the operation in a series of sketches, some of which were stolen after an exhibition in Australia. About 10,000 Indonesians died and many more fled the city as the British gradually asserted control after three weeks of ferocious fighting.

The day the bombardment in Surabaya was launched, November 10, is National Heroes Day in Indonesia. Like Anzac Day, it honours a terrible defeat. However, the significance of the battle was its galvanising effect, producing a rallying cry for the revolutionary movement.

It also prompted the British, impressed by the determination of the Indonesian resistance, to take a neutral position, rather than helping the Dutch.

Australia went even further under prime minister Ben Chifley, taking up the cause of Indonesian independence at the fledgling United Nations and blockading Dutch supply ships. In 1949, Indonesia was recognised by the international community as a nation state.

Analysis & opinion

Turning to the Army to fight terrorism

Jakarta Post Editorial - November 21, 2010

In the continuing struggle against terrorism, the nation must employ every resource at its disposal. To date, the police's anti-terror unit, Densus 88, has been chiefly responsible for counterterrorism investigations, raids and arrests.

Starting next year, the new anti-terror school will admit soldiers to its training courses. This is vital for national security, given the Army's long experience in fighting domestic separatists.

It might be too soon for joint operations, but harnessing the Army's resources is a vital step in the name of countering terrorism.

Brig. Gen. Boy Salamuddin, executive director of the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation in Semarang, Central Java, hit the mark when he said: "If we don't maximize the military's ability in the fight against terror, then we stand to really lose."

He should know what he is talking about. Boy was chief detective for the Bali Police in 2002 when bombs exploded in a nightclub there, leaving 202 people dead.

The military, especially the Army, has a comprehensive ability to deal with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

In fact, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono initiated greater cooperation between police and the Army in the fight against terrorism when he formed the National Anti-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) in July, and appointed Ansyaad Mbai as its head in September.

The agency, which answers only to the president, is charged with preventing terrorism, protecting civilians, de-radicalizing terrorists and building national preparedness.

As terrorists change their tactics and strategies, the government cannot afford to remain fixed on any particular response. The country's security forces must continue to innovate to stay ahead of the terrorists.

As we have witnessed over the past few months, terrorists have shifted their tactics from suicide bombings to armed attacks on public and private institutions. This represents a major shift as they now target police officers and other public employees.

By involving the Army in the anti-terror fight, the police send a strong message to the terrorists that they are enemies of the state and all available resources will be used to hunt them down and bring them to justice.

While the move to involve the Army is largely seen as a positive one, there are concerns that, given the military's past record of human rights abuses, similar incidences could once again occur.

These concerns are legitimate and the Army must convince the public that it has transformed into a professional institution that abides by the laws of the land.

Regaining public trust will not be easy. However, if the Army does play a constructive and positive role and works with the police in halting the terrorists, it will go a long way in winning back the confidence of the people.

Uproar over corrupt police

Jakarta Post - November 21, 2010

Vincent Lingga – It has indeed not been without strong reason that national and international surveys have consistently singled out the National Police as the most corrupt public institution in Indonesia – which is also internationally perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Headline stories roared over the past 10 days about how 31-year-old Gayus Tambunan, a former junior tax official who is supposed to be under police detention while facing trial on corruption charges, somehow managed to enjoy a vacation in Bali with his family early this month. The incident underscored just how systemic corruption is within Indonesia's justice system.

More flabbergasting still was the bitter fact that had it not been for the Kompas daily photographer who exposed Gayus vacationing in Bali, the scandal over how Gayus had bribed his way out of jail almost 70 times since July would never have been investigated by the police.

It is really an embarrassment for the nation, which President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono proudly represented at the summit meeting of the Group of 20 industrialized countries and emerging economies last week.

The police remained in self-denial for about 10 days after the Gayus photo was widely circulated. The police began a serious investigation only after Gayus himself admitted in court on Monday that he was the man in the wig caught by the Kompas photographer at the Commonwealth Bank international tennis tournament at the Westin Hotel on Nov. 5.

Eventual investigations of Gayus and the police officers in charge of overseeing his detention uncovered that Gayus had spent almost US$40,000 since July on bribing his way out of police detention – 68 times!

Where could Gayus have accessed so much money after his ill-gotten wealth, estimated at over Rp 100 billion ($11 million), had reportedly been seized by the police as evidence of corruption?.

This is only one of the troubling questions around the Gayus case.

Gayus' escapades beyond his maximum security status in a Depok prison are strong a verification that his case is not simply about corruption related to tax cases, but involves an integrated faction of a larger judicial mafia involving almost all components of the justice system.

The overall manner in which the police have handled the Gayus case since April has raised many other big questions.

Even though Gayus admitted in court to having obtained the bulk of his ill-gotten money from subsidiaries of Bumi Resources, which is partly owned by the family of Golkar party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, the police have never followed up on his testimony.

Gayus revealed in his testimony he received the money from the Bumi Resources group, the country's largest coal producer, in return for his assistance in clearing the company's tax problems.

It was again a highly questionable coincidence that Aburizal Bakrie, who runs the secretariat of Yudhoyono's political coalition, was also in Bali at that time while Gayus and his extended family enjoyed a holiday on the Island of the Gods.

The ease with which detainees and prisoners have been allowed to leave prison indicates that the justice system is corrupt to its very core.

Only a few months ago, members of the President's Judiciary Mafia Taskforce uncovered, during a late night surprise visit to the women's prison in Klender, Jakarta, how Artalyta Suryani, who is serving a four and a half year sentence after being found guilty of corruption, lived lavishly in her cell with all the comforts of a luxury hotel room complete with modern perks and amenities.

The explosion of the latest scandal once again shows how almost nothing has changed for the better in the nation's prison institutions. Punishing corruptors and other criminals through the justice system could not have a powerful deterrent impact if prisoners can easily leave their cells anytime they like.

Look at how Gayus did not show any remorse on Monday when he admitted to bribing prison officials to take leave outside jail almost 70 times. He simply said because other detainees regularly bribed their way out of detention, he also had the right to do so with his money.

Gayus' Bali getaway added to the frustration of the already-disillusioned public, who are more convinced than ever that those with a lot of money can evade the arms of the justice system. If they are unfortunate enough to get caught and jailed, they could still live comfortably in prison, as Artalyta did, and take vacations outside their cells as they please.

Under this pretext, corruption then is simply a matter of a business calculation, estimating whether the money likely to be gotten from crime is significant enough to pay the bribes needed to evade justice or create a comfortable life in prison.

Corruption has been central to the legal uncertainty which has become one of the greatest barriers to foreign direct investment in Indonesia.

Indonesia has the main elements for success, such as political and economic stability, democracy, a large population and rich natural resources, all of which could be harnessed to develop an economic and political powerhouse.But we would never make it to the league of developed countries if the government fails to make steady, yet incremental, progress in the fight against corruption.

Yudhoyono did put corruption eradication on top of his working agenda, but he failed to make a substantial dent on systemic corruption, despite the establishment of the Corruption Eradication Commission and the Corruption Court.

Carbon credits have a social price for Indonesia

Sydney Morning Herald - November 18, 2010

Teguh Surya – Climate change has brought forest protection into the forefront of the global agenda. In the past few months, billions of dollars have poured into Indonesia from countries such as Norway, Germany and Australia to tackle Indonesia's huge rates of deforestation.

Stopping deforestation is, of course, a very important task. Environment groups such as WALHI (the Indonesian Forum for the Environment) have been working for decades to halt illegal logging and the conversion of forest into palm oil plantations and pulpwood. Preserving tropical forests not only protects habitat for wildlife but also preserves the livelihoods and culture of the millions of people who live in and around Indonesia's forests.

But international assistance comes at its own price. The money given to Indonesia is part of the United Nations Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), which aims to slow climate change by preserving the carbon stored in forests. While other parts of the UN climate change negotiations have stagnated, REDD is progressing rapidly and, unusually for UN processes, promises are backed up with cold hard cash.

When finalised, the REDD scheme is expected to enable polluting countries to offset their own emissions by buying carbon credits generated by forest protection and restoration projects, thereby meeting their domestic emission reduction targets without having to impose deep cuts in their own fossil fuel use. It will be much cheaper for countries such as Australia to buy forest carbon credits than to reduce emissions at home – hence the enthusiasm, and the aid money.

However, donor countries often act without respect for the situation on the ground in Indonesia.

The Australian government has established two pilot projects in Central Kalimantan and Sumatra to show that REDD carbon trading can work. The Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership was announced three years ago and is one of the most advanced REDD projects in Indonesia. But there are some worrying early signs about the local effects of the project.

Pak Muliadi, who has joined me here in our speaking tour of Australia, represents local villagers from the indigenous Dayak Ngaju people who live within the Central Kalimantan project area. In consultations, the villagers have been promised money for participation but there has been no discussion about how their rights to use and access the land will be affected by the REDD project. Already the money has started flowing, but the introduction of a cash economy is impacting on their traditional culture. Some people are now expecting cash payments for activities that were once part of village life.

The Australian government say their intention is to divert the activities of the local people away from deforestation towards sustainable livelihoods. However it is plantation and logging companies that are causing deforestation in the area, not the local people. On the contrary, the local people have been using their knowledge of the area to live sustainably and restore deforested land.

More concerning is the issue of land rights. Millions of people in Indonesia live without secure access to land, a legacy of the Soeharto era. Conflicts between local people and timber companies are occurring throughout Indonesia as logging and plantation establishment encroach on traditional lands and ways of life. The area to be covered by the Kalimantan REDD project is no exception, and there are ongoing questions over land rights that must be resolved before the project goes any further.

The primary driver of dangerous climate change is the massive expansion in the global use of fossil fuels, not deforestation. As the world's biggest coal exporter, Australia must face up to its part in this, not just push the burden of responsibility for action onto its poorer neighbours. If the REDD scheme is used to justify increasing fossil fuel use in countries such as Australia, it will not be part of the solution to climate change.

We are visiting Australia to inform the government and the Australian people about the complex issues surrounding forests in Indonesia. WALHI has witnessed decades of governance and market failures that have led to massive deforestation and human rights abuses in Indonesia.

We appreciate Australia's interest in protecting Indonesia's forests but this issue is too important and we must get it right, not cause further problems.

[Teguh Surya, campaigns director for WALHI, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, is on a speaking tour in Australia.]