Elisabeth Oktofani – A relatively quieter Ramadan may be in store this year after former Vice President Jusuf Kalla called on the Indonesian Council of Ulema to help control the volume of mosques' call to prayer.

"There is no other country in the world except Indonesia where the call to prayer is deafening," he said in a speech on Saturday addressed to the council, also known as the MUI, that was broadcast by local television stations.

"If [mosques] want to compete, they should do so based on the quality of the call to prayer, not the volume of their speakers."

Umar Shihab, one of the chairmen of the MUI, told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday that the council responded positively to Kalla's advice.

"We have to admit that there are many complaints about the loud calls to prayer during Ramadan, as if there is a competition," Umar said. "Apart from that, some of them start calling for prayers an hour or two hour before the schedule, when it it's better to be done just 30 minutes before," he said.

Umar said the MUI would ask mosques to heed the call and be more orderly. "It should not be about which one is the first or the loudest to call for prayer," he said. "It should be about the quality of the prayer, because Islam is an orderly and beautiful religion."

Last December, the Praya District Court in West Nusa Tenggara sentenced an American man to five months in jail for blasphemy for pulling the plug on a mosque's loudspeaker during a prayer reading during Ramadan last year.

Yudhoyono urged to ground plans for presidential aircraft

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

Critics have called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to cancel plans to purchase a private presidential plane.

The $58 million purchase – called an Indonesian Air Force One – will only add to the nation's growing debt, said the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra).

The forum's coordinator Ucok Sky Khadafi told SCTV that Indonesia's foreign debt reached $214.5 billion by the first quarter of 2011, a $10 billion increase over last year's total.

"We are asking [Yudhoyono] to call off the plan to buy a presidential plane. It is a pride to have a plane but the pride will be gone when it has to be purchased from foreign debt," Ucok said.

Fitra has also asked the House of Representatives' Commission II to put pressures on the government to cancel the plane. "This country will lose its self respect if we insist on buying a debt-funded plane," he said.

But plans to buy a presidential plane have already been approved by the government and legislature, said Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo in June.

Still, don't expect to see Yudhoyono's private plane take to the skies anytime soon. It will be two years before the plan takes off, Agus said. "It is true that the budget has been allocated, but it will take time to complete the plane," Agus said.

Agus said the plane was an "urgent need" that could significantly reduce the cost of presidential trips.

"Indonesia is a huge country," he said. "If the president uses a commercial plane that has been modified into a presidential plane, it is a very inefficient use of the airliner. Besides, it is very costly if commercial fares apply to any [presidential] trip."

The president now travels on a plane leased from Garuda Indonesia at a cost of Rp 900 billion ($106 million) for a five-year period.

Indonesian Ulema issue fatwa on destructive mining

Jakarta Globe - July 27, 2011

Fidelis E. Satriastanti – The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) issued a religious edict, known as a fatwa, on Wednesday, condemning mining practices that were destroying the environment and neglecting people's welfare.

"We condemn mining activities that only destroy the environment and inflict misery on the people. We must prevent such actions through regulation and government actions," Ma'ruf Amin, head of the fatwa division at MUI, said on Wednesday.

Ma'ruf said that the fatwa was not made by "order" but based on the council's long observation and research.

This fatwa applies to everyone, from government officials, company managements and regional governments, most of whom are Muslim. They must ensure that mining practices should be environmentally friendly," he said.

Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said the fatwa served as an additional solution to accompany the formal regulation that deals with environmental destruction from mining activities.

"We are still implementing the law and the regulation. This [fatwa] is just to complete our efforts in developing better mining practices," he said.

"I know that there will be pessimism [about the fatwa], however, the fatwa applies not only to Muslim but also to the mining activities itself and local government officials who are mostly Muslim. Maybe with this fatwa, these people could be 'moved'."

500 men in black descend on MNC TV station

Jakarta Globe - July 27, 2011

Five hundred men gathered at a television station at the center of a dispute between a daughter of former dictator Suharto and media mogul Hary Tanoesoedibjo on Wednesday morning but eventually agreed to leave peacefully.

Wijaya Kusuma, a spokesman for MNC TV, formerly known as Televisi Pendidikan Indonesia (TPI), told the Jakarta Globe that the men, all wearing black, claimed to have been sent by a "director" of the station based in East Jakarta.

He said the men alleged the director had ordered them to go to the station to perform a traditional dance.

There is speculation the man is politician and lawyer Yapto Soerjosumarno. Yapto, a long-time friend of the Suharto family, is the head of the Pemuda Pancasila youth organization.

In April, a court ordered Media Nusantara Citra to return its 75 percent stake in MNC TV to previous owner Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti Rukmana. She was also awarded Rp 680 billion ($78 million) in damages.

MNC is appealing. Tutut has named Yapto as chairman of the board of directors of TPI.

Wijaya said the men eventually agreed to leave the station due to the "miscommunication," adding the situation was under control.

Actions, demos, protests...

Residents protest power station project

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Cilacap – The construction of the Central Java II steam power station (PLTU) in Bunton in Central Java's Cilacap regency has been suspended for the past two weeks due to protests from local residents.

The residents blocked the 3-kilometer road from the district capital to he construction site. They claimed that contractors damaged the village road and refused to repair it, and that no villagers were employed to work on the project.

"This has been going on for a year and the contractor and government have never listened to our complaints. We have suffered very much from the severely damaged road," a resident at a meeting between villagers, contractors and the Cilacap administration at Adipala district hall on Thursday.

Such meetings have been held frequently but have proved fruitless.

Aceh

Violence in Aceh is getting political: NGO

Jakarta Post - July 31, 2011

Violence in Aceh is becoming political, according to a human rights NGO.

"We are facing violence in relation to local political issues such as the regional elections and harsh competition between political parties," Harris Azhar, coordinator of the Missing Persons and Violence Victims Commission (Kontras), told a press conference on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.

The latest incident of politically related violence was the murder of Saiful Cage, a former Aceh Freedom Movement (GAM) combatant, who was shot dead in a drive-by shooting on July 22. Saiful was working for Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf's controversial re-election campaign when he was killed.

Kontras recorded 16 cases of violence Aceh in 2010, down from 26 cases in 2009, he said. Aceh was classified as a military operations area for years due to the violent, decades-long insurgency led the GAM.

Former GAM combatant shot dead in Aceh

Jakarta Post - July 25, 2011

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A former combatant of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in front of his coffee kiosk in Bireun, Aceh, on Friday evening.

Saiful Husen – the former chairman of Aceh Transitional Committee (KPA), a GAM-affiliated group – died after unknown assailants in a Toyota Avanza van shot him in the chest and head as he left his coffee kiosk on Matang Geulumpang Dua, Bireun, Aceh.

"We are still investigating the case. So far we have just heard from two witnesses. It's too early to say if this has something to do with politics." Bireun Police chief Adj. Comr. Mulyadi said over the weekend.

Saiful recently worked as a security coordinator for Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf's controversial re-election campaign this year.

Saiful previously criticized the Acehnese Party, a local political party established by former GAM fighters, for not backing Irwandi for a second term in February.

He resigned as chairman of the KPA, a strong supporter of the Acehnese Party, by returning the organization's stamp, and was replaced by Darwis Jeunib, a former commander of GAM troops during the conflict.

The police secured the crime scene for investigation and found a bullet and three shell casings. The perpetrators promptly fled the crime scene, according to witnesses.

"For the time being we consider this a usual crime. We don't want to speculate or relate it to other things," Mulyadi said.

Political tensions have risen in Aceh following a dispute between local administrations and legislative bodies on implementing the province's gubernatorial election set for Nov. 14.

The dispute stemmed from the Aceh legislative council's (DPRA) decision not to support independent gubernatorial candidates.

The DPRA is dominated by the Acehnese Party, which decided not to nominate Irwandi for reelection. Irwandi, a former GAM activist, then chose to run as an independent candidate.

The strong support Irwandi received from the public after his decision to run independently prompted the DPRA, encouraged by the Acehnese Party, to pass a bylaw on local elections that banned independent candidates.

The bylaw, among other things, requires that all gubernatorial candidates be nominated by political parties, effectively barring independent candidates. Irwandi refused to sign the bylaw.

West Papua

Syamsul installed as Papua's caretaker governor

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Jayapura – Syamsul Arief Rivai has been installed as Papua's caretaker governor amid legal uncertainties about the next election.

Syamsul was most recently currently the Home Ministry's director general for regional development. His inauguration was held at the ministry's headquarters in Jakarta on Monday, which saw the end of the term of Syamsul's predecessor, Barnabas Suebu.

"Syamsul is now the caretaker governor of Papua," Johana A. Rumbiak, Papua provincial spokesperson, confirmed in short message.

With Syamsul's appointment set to expire later this month, the next gubernatorial election should come in September. However, there is a controversy about whether candidate registration should be hosted by the Papua election commission or legislative council, both of whom have asked the Supreme Court to settle the dispute.

Sorry: Indon army backs down over threats

New Matilda - July 25, 2011

Alex Rayfield – In an extraordinary media statement dated Monday 18 July the chief of the Army in Indonesian occupied West Papua, Major-General Erfi Triassunu, issued a very public apology to the leadership and congregation of the Kingmi Papua Church.

In the statement, a copy of which has been obtained by New Matilda, the general writes, "if I caused any offence to the Kingmi Papua Church I am sorry".

Reverend Benny Giay, the moderator of the embattled Kingmi Papua Church, and a subject of the general's initial ire, said that "this is perhaps the first time in West Papuan history that an Indonesian Army Chief has apologised to the West Papuan church".

A copy of the original letter was also obtained by New Matilda who published an exclusive story on 7 July. The article was then republished in Open Democracy, written about in daily newspaper Bintang Papua and discussed extensively in blogs, Facebook and email lists inside and outside West Papua.

In the original letter (marked "secret" and dated 30 April 2011) Triassunu repeats claims made by representatives of Kingmi Indonesia, an Indonesian- wide church, that Kingmi Papua is a separatist organisation. In his letter, the general weighed into a conflict that he himself notes is an internal church matter.

The most disturbing phrase in the original letter is a veiled threat by the chief of the Army to take "assertive action" if the conflict between Kingmi Indonesia and Kingmi Papua is not resolved.

What is implied here is that the Kingmi Papua Church must cease all efforts to establish an autonomous church in West Papua or risk violent retaliation from the state. It is these kinds of statements that can encourage Indonesian nationalist militias to take the law into their own hands, says Benny Giay.

However, in the three-page apology to Kingmi Papua Church, the general claims that the military command in Papua has never stated that Kingmi Papua is a separatist organisation. He also clarifies the meaning of the phrase "assertive action", insisting that he did not mean to imply "repressive action" but rather wanted to encourage the civil authorities in Papua to resolve the internal church conflict "on the basis of peace and mercy".

If true, it marks a seismic policy shift for the Indonesian Army in West Papua – news that will certainly be welcome to Giay. Kingmi Papua's pastors have been killed at the hands of the Indonesian Military since they first occupied West Papua in 1963. Papuan Church leaders and their congregations across Papua are regularly harassed and intimidated by Indonesian security forces. Public beatings and torture by the security forces is also systemic in Papua, meted out on the basis of race and often conducted in public view, reports ANU based academic Br. Budi Hernawan.

While welcoming the apology, Giay urges the civilian and military authorities in Indonesia to go further. In an open letter to the Susilo Bambang Yudhuyono dated 16 July, Giay asks the President to guarantee Kingmi Papua's right to exist. An apology from the chief of the Army in Papua after all, is no guarantee of religious freedom.

Giay maintains that the real cause of the conflict, whether between Kingmi Indonesia and Kingmi Papua or the Indonesian government and the Kingmi Church, is political and fundamentally connected to the history of Papua. To break the impasse Giay repeats the call for "dialogue" and an end to "stigmatising" the Papuan people for wanting to address the root causes of state violence in Papua.

Recognition of the right of the Church in Papua to speak out on behalf of the oppressed and to take nonviolent action in protection of their congregations is an acid test for freedom of speech in West Papua. To date the Indonesian Government has failed that test.

While the general seeks to reassure Papuans that the Army wants to resolve problems on the basis of "peace" and "mercy", their approach has been inconsistent at best. Papuans are still not allowed to raise the Morning Star flag or sing their national anthem "Hai Tanahku Papua". Filep Karma, who has been sentenced to 15 years for nonviolent action remains in jail along with scores of other Papuan political prisoners. A press conference by the West Papua National Committee earlier this month concerning current military operations in Puncak Jaya had to be cancelled because of police and military intimidation of the both the organisers and invited journalists.

The Indonesian constitution ostensibly guarantees the right to free speech but it looks a lot like that freedom does not reach West Papua. Until that changes any claim that Indonesia is a democracy rings hollow.

For now, however, Benny Giay and Kingmi Papua are claiming the apology as a "small victory". Whether that victory can be defended and extended remains to be seen.

Human rights & justice

History gone as PDI-P approves HQ demolition

Jakarta Post - July 28, 2011

Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – One of former president Sukarno's most memorable speeches was titled "Jas Merah", an acronym for Jangan Sekali- kali Melupakan Sejarah (Don't ever try to forget history). Delivered in the twilight of his reign, his speech warned Indonesians not to forget the heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the republic.

But now, on the 15th anniversary of the July 27 attack, it appears that Soekarno's daughter, Megawati Soekarnoputri, has let history go by the wayside by allowing the demolition of the headquarters of the former Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

On Wednesday, PDI supporters and the families of victims who died in the attack gathered to pay tribute to the victims of the July 27 tragedy on an empty plot of land where the building used to stand, virtually the only memorial to those lost. Eyewitnesses of the July 27 tragedy condemned the demolition.

"Fifteen years ago, we had bloodshed in this place. We spoke freely to criticize the Soeharto regime. This is where the reform movement began," Betawi leader Ridwan Saidi said in his speech commemorating the July 27 riots. Ridwan was one of the speakers at the podium erected on the spot for free speech in the lead up to the July 27 attack.

Ridwan, who also serves as a Jakarta historian, said demolishing the PDI headquarters showed a lack of appreciation by PDI-P leaders of historical buildings. "Now what? Are they going to build a new mall here?" Ridwan said.

Another eyewitness to the attack, Muchtar Pakpahan, who was jailed by the Soeharto regime for his role in the opposition, said he was devastated to know that the symbol of the reform movement was gone. He put the blame for the demolition squarely on Megawati.

"I am very sad and disappointed to see that the building has been demolished. It was the symbol of our fight for the reform movement. I am particularly disappointed with bu Mega. This building would not have been torn down without approval from the PDI-P elite," Muchtar said.

He added that the demolition would further tarnish the Sukarno family's image. "I believe the spirit of her father, Sukarno, will not rest peacefully now that this building has been demolished," he said.

The PDI headquarters demolition sparked accusations against the PDI-P leadership of ignorance of the 27 July riot – especially Megawati, whose ascent into national politics and her eventual post as the country's fourth president, owed a great deal to the grassroots support that converged around her in the days after the riot.

Megawati and other senior PDI-P members made no appearances at the July 27 tragedy commemoration, a gesture that critics attributed to a lack of resolve to uncover alleged human rights abuses in relation to the incident.

The attack in 1996 was a turning point for Megawati and her party. Activists alleged that the attack was supported by elements of former Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI), now the TNI. PDI-P lawmaker Budiman Sudjatmiko, who was targeted by the military after the July 27 riot, said the demolition would make way for a monument to be constructed.

Activist urges reopening of probe into 'July 27' attack

Jakarta Globe - July 26, 2011

The statement by former general Slamet Singgih on Tuesday about a secret meeting to plan the infamous July 27, 1996, attack on the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) was applauded by local activists.

Mugiyanto Sipin, the head of the Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared, said that the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) should follow up on the revelation.

"I am pleasantly surprised that finally someone who was directly involved in the planning of the attack speaks up," Mugiyanto told the Jakarta Globe. "Singgih's statement shows that the attack was systematically done and it was a huge human rights violations therefore the Komnas HAM must act on it."

The July 27 attack was seen as the first step toward the reformation movement in Indonesia that peaked in the 1998 revolution. Five people died, 16 people were listed as missing and 143 were wounded during the attack, however, Mugiyanto said Komnas HAM was not persistent enough in digging deeper.

"What Singgih said was a confirmation of what we had all secretly suspected, that the attack was very well prepared. Now the ball is in Komnas HAM's court, they have to be brave in investigating the people whose names were mentioned by Singgih," he said.

"The attack was a criminal case and not a civil case. Human rights were violated that day but Komnas HAM as the institution with the authority to push the case to be tried in a public court didn't do that."

He also regretted Megawati's lack of enthusiasm in pushing for a thorough investigation. "If the government still fails to reveal the truth behind the July 27 attack, we will be failing as a democratic country."

Former general claims of secret meeting to plan deadly 1996 attack

Jakarta Globe - July 26, 2011

A retired military intelligence official said on Tuesday that he had been part of a group that planned a notorious and deadly attack against members of the main opposition party 15 years ago.

Retired Brig. Gen. Slamet Singgih said that a week before the July 27, 1996, attack, in which five people died, 143 were wounded and 16 went missing, he had taken part in a secret meeting with other high-ranking military officials to plan the ouster of Megawati Sukarnoputri as head of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The PDI at that time was divided between those who supported Megawati as the party's leader and those who backed her main rival, Suryadi, who had been elected party chairman at a congress which the future president's supporters considered to be a sham.

In a defiant reaction to the congress' election results, Megawati's supporters occupied the party's headquarters at Jalan Diponegoro in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Slamet said during a press conference on Tuesday that the attack had been planned as a way of supporting Suryadi while striking a blow against Megawati and her supporters.

Present at that secret meeting 15 years ago were military chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung, Army head Gen. R. Hartono, National Police Chief Dibyo Widodo, Jakarta Military Regional Commander Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso and the head of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command, Lt. Gen. Wiranto, according to Slamet.

Sutiyoso was asked to help Suryadi reclaim the office from the grasp of the pro-Megawati faction.

"I was once tasked to get rid of Megawati but I disagreed because it's not fair," Slamet was quoted as saying by newsportal MediaIndonesia.com adding that he recalled hearing Wiranto telling Sutiyoso to deal with the rival PDI faction. "Yos [Sutiyoso], don't delay anymore. What are you waiting for?" Slamet said, quoting Wiranto.

Slamet said the reason he was finally coming forward was so that the case investigation could be reopened. "The reason I speak about the secret meeting is because I want all facts to be revealed and the generals to be held responsible for what they did," he said.

Political parties & elections

Golkar afraid of Nasdem: Surya Paloh

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Jakarta – National Democrat (Nasdem) founder Surya Paloh deplores Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie's instruction that all Golkar members involved in the newly-declared Nasdem political party should resign from Golkar.

According to Paloh, who is still a Golkar member, Aburizal is worried about the potential of Nasdem in the next legislative elections.

"Nasdem has great potential in the 2014 elections. It is normal that he [Aburizal] issued the warning, because we can harm Golkar's position," Paloh said Saturday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com. "Golkar has more experience than Nasdem; it should have more confidence," he added.

Aburizal Bakrie gave Aug. 11 as the deadline for all Golkar members involved in Nasdem to decide whether they wanted to stay with Golkar, or join the new party.

The instruction was also addressed to Paloh, who said he is still undecided about the issue. "I want to focus on Nasdem's social activities. I haven't yet thought about which party I would join," he said.

Nasdem, as a civil society organization, was founded last year but some of its members decided to enter the political arena by forming a political party with the same name. The Nasdem party was declared and registered at the Law and Human Rights Ministry on Wednesday.

Paloh, who chairs Nasdem, said the establishment of the political party, chaired by Rio Patrice Capella, had not been his idea but had been forwarded by other members within the organization.

Megawati looking good for 2014

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri remains the hot favorite to run on the main opposition party's ticket in the 2014 presidential election, but others also stand a chance, party officials said on Thursday.

Maruarar Sirait, a member of the central leadership board of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said a survey of voters aged 17 to 31 carried out by the party earlier this year showed that Megawati, the PDI-P chairwoman, would be the frontrunner if a presidential election were held this year.

Coming in second was Prabowo Subianto, founder of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and Megawati's running mate in the 2009 election, Maruarar said, although he gave no figures.

However, he said Megawati would never insist on being given the party's nomination. "The chairwoman is always like that, she prefers to give a chance to other people," he said.

He added that while the party had not officially discussed who it would nominate in 2014, it was widely recognized that the candidate would have to meet two stringent criteria.

The first, Maruarar said, was high electability as reflected in opinion polls, while the second was the ability to consolidate the party. He added that Megawati met both criteria.

On Wednesday, however, Megawati said the party would likely seek a new presidential candidate for 2014, after nominating her in 2004 and 2009. She lost both elections to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, her former legal, political and security affairs minister.

She said that at the PDI-P's last national caucus in 2010, no decision was reached to automatically nominate the party head as its presidential candidate.

She said this differed from the caucuses that came prior to the 2004 and 2009 elections, when the party agreed that its chairperson should also be its presidential candidate. "So in the 2014 election, there will be room for new candidates," Megawati said.

Maruarar said that rather than obsess over the presidential race that was still three years off, it would be better for the party to focus on how it could reach out to more grassroots voters.

Separately, a recently concluded meeting of the PDI-P's central leadership board in Manado, North Sulawesi, recommended that the country revert back to its old system for determining which candidates received legislative seats in national elections.

Under the current system, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency gets a legislative seat. Under the old system, the parties got all the votes and distributed them to their candidates based on seniority, no matter how many votes each individual may have won. Andreas Hugo Pareira, from the central leadership board, said it was necessary to correct the "current liberalization of our political system."

"Through the party ranking system, each party would be forced to put forward its best candidates for the election," he said.

Democratic Party yet to reveal financial reports: ICW

Jakarta Post - July 28, 2011

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) on Thursday urged the Democratic Party to publicly reveal its financial reports from between 2010 and 2011.

ICW political corruption division researcher Apung Widadi said his organization had filed a complaint to the Democratic Party since it had received no response to an earlier request to see the documents.

Besides the Democratic Party, the watchdog also filed complaints to eight other parties, namely Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the United Development Party (PPP), the Greater Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra) and the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) in regards to similar problems.

"We have waited for all the parties' financial reports on July 13, 10 days after we submitted our request, but there has been no response [from any of them] until now," Apung said as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that ICW would take the parties to the National Information Commission should they not reveal their financial reports within the next 30 days.

PPP leaders favor youth for top posts to appeal to younger voters

Jakarta Globe - July 26, 2011

Anita Rachman – After re-electing its chairman earlier this month, the United Development Party on Monday decided on its new executive leadership board, promoting young members to more senior posts and reaching out to all factions of the party.

Chairman Suryadharma Ali, along with seven other senior officials in the selection committee, appointed 55 members to the executive board of the Islam-based party, also known as the PPP. Of those, about 30 percent were women.

Meanwhile, only 13 of the 55 were old faces. The rest, Suryadharma said, was dominated by young people who were mostly still in their 40s.

Lawmaker Muhammad Romahurmuziy, 36, was appointed secretary general, while the two challengers to Suryadharma in the chairmanship race, lawmakers Ahmad Yani and Ahmad Muqowam, were picked as secretary of the expert board and deputy chairman of the advisory board, respectively.

"There are people who are happy with the new format, there are some that may not be. We can't satisfy everybody," Suryadharma said, adding that the appointments had been met with some internal criticism.

Romahurmuziy told the Jakarta Globe that the PPP was eyeing young voters in the 2014 poll. "It is the young party members who can communicate better with the young people," he said.

Putting more young people in senior posts is also expected to spread political awareness among the youth. Romahurmuziy said the PPP had seen surveys that showed low interest among young people to party politics.

"We are trying to rebuild the young people's trust toward political parties," he said. "The PPP is hoping, along with the government, to educate the people politically."

He added that there was a trend among the political parties at the House to appoint younger members as secretary general, signaling an era of regeneration.

Arwani Thomafi, 36, a PPP lawmaker who was appointed one of its chairmen, said the party's younger members would decide the PPP's future. "Recruiting more young members and women means that the PPP wants to change and be more dynamic," he said.

These members, Arwani stressed, were appointed to lure critical votes. He said he believed their positions and ability to communicate with the wider community were crucial to the party's election hopes.

Under its new, all-inclusive structure, Suryadharma said, the PPP was going to be provide a safe choice for the country's Muslims. He also said that the party would come up with some "surprises" in the next election.

Nasdem Party declared, set to join 2014 polls

Jakarta Post - July 27, 2011

Jakarta – The Nasdem Party, which is linked to the mass organization National Democrat (Nasdem), declared Tuesday its establishment as a political party ahead of the 2014 general elections.

Party secretary-general Ahmad Rofiq read out the party's manifesto titled "Indonesia's Restoration" before party members from all 33 provinces.

"The Nasdem Party aims to establish a mature democracy where diversity and unity stand together, and where dynamics, competition and freedom are in harmony to sustain people's prosperity," Rofiq was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

The ceremony was attended by a number of prominent figures, including former vice president Jusuf Kalla.

The party, partly funded by former Golkar Party member and media mogul Surya Paloh, has registered with the Law and Human Rights Ministry to join the upcoming general elections in 2014.

Declaration committee chief Sugeng Suparwoto claimed the party had established branches in all regencies and cities across the nation as part of its attempt to gain as many votes as possible. The plan to establish the party created rifts between members of Nasdem, which is also funded by Paloh.

A number of national figures, including organization initiator Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, left the organization in protest, saying the establishment of the Nasdem Party broke the organization's commitment not to transform into a political party.

Indonesian politicians campaign hard, not smart

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Jakarta – It is not uncommon for Indonesian politicians to spend billions of rupiah to win elections, especially in the regions; but only a few seem to care if their money is spent effectively.

Speaking at the launch of his book, "Political Branding & Public Relations", along with a discussion in Jakarta recently, marketing communications expert Silih Agung Wisesa said that politicians spend too much money for costly advertisements in mass media and overlook the importance of what he calls "community campaigns," which involve direct voter contact.

After doing some research, he concluded that politicians campaign hard, not smart. Silih said he analyzed the 2009 general election campaign budget from the General Election Commission (KPU) and made a simulation on how politicians spent their campaign money.

Silih, a London School of Public Relations lecturer, took one year to study the issue and draw the conclusion that 73 percent of the political parties' spending was allocated to media advertisements, while only 2.6 percent was used to develop community campaigns.

The media placement absorbed most of the campaign spending while material campaign making only took 7.55 percent, internal meetings took 7.1 percent and other needs took 9.8 percent.

He said that in many ways, politicians were selling themselves as if they were a new commercial product. "They appear on television and in newspapers everyday in big, colorful pictures. They dispatch enormous posters everywhere. That's not right and far from being effective," he said.

He said appearing on television or any other media would do well for commercial products but would likely fail for regional head hopefuls or political parties.

"People will notice a new coming product if they see its advertisements everywhere. But people will never be impressed by politicians' faces in big posters," he said. "Politicians should campaign smart. Don't do something vain."

Costly political campaigns in the regions have become a problem in democratic Indonesia.

Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, who was previously governor of West Sumatra, has said that a gubernatorial candidate might have to spend between Rp 60 billion (US$7.02 million) and Rp 100 billion to finance their campaigns. The problem is that the costly campaigns are believed to have forced election regional heads to embezzle state funds to offset the money they spent.

It is reported that since the country implemented regional autnomy 155, regional heads, including 17 governors, have been named corruption suspects.

Silih said that many political parties used money in their political brandings, "while they can actually avoid that."

He added it made sense that many politicians committed corruption since they have to spend a lot of money for campaigning. "Once they get their position, they may be busy collecting money to pay the campaign expenses," he said.

Former vice president and former Golkar Party chairman, Jusuf Kalla, said that he predicted there would be no significant changes in the way politicians work. "I have observed the recent political situation and I predict the money competition remains high. But let's hope that the next election will be better," he said.

National Mandate Party (PAN) politician Arya Bima agreed that political parties should plan smarter political campaigns. He said that his party had prepared a better political branding.

In the previous election, PAN, which failed to finish in the top three, used celebrities to lure voters. "We are evaluating the strategy" he said. (lfr)

PDI-P looks to rally rank-and-file for 2014

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Purwokerto – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is looking to bounce back from its poor performance at the ballot box in 2008 with an eye to winning the 2014 elections.

"I feel ashamed that we lost in regional elections in several regions. That should not have happened in regions that were dominated by PDI-P members," Puan Maharani, a member of party's executive board, said on Sunday when opening a coordination meeting in Purwokerto, Central Java. "We are not solid and there's too much bickering with each other," she said.

Central Java is known as a PDI-P stronghold but the party's recent poor showing in regional elections in several regencies, including in gubernatorial elections, has left the PDI-P's board members scratching their heads.

In Banyumas regency, for example, where the PDI-P boasted the largest number of supporters among other parties and held 12 seats on the legislative council, their candidate lost in the 2008 elections to the candidate nominated by the National Awakening Party, which has only 5 legislative seats. The party has also suffered defections from top regional officials who have switched allegiance to the Democratic Party.

No reshuffle for Democrats, but a pledge to improve

Jakarta Globe - July 25, 2011

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Sentul, West Java – The Democratic Party wound up its national coordination meeting here on Sunday leaving its leadership unchanged in the wake of recent troubles and embarrassments, but did pledge to abide by a chastening 10-point charter to be clean and disciplined in the future.

The two-day meeting for 5,000 executives of the ruling party ended with no recommendation to restructure its leadership. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the party's key patron, did not close the meeting as expected, but made an address behind closed doors before party chairman Anas Urbaningrum officially closed it. Sources said the president spoke about political ethics.

A 10-point party commitment produced by the meeting was read during the closing ceremony by the head of the steering committee, Johny Allen Marbun. "The Democratic Party must strengthen its commitment to be a mainstream, nationalistic, religious party, in support of the reform agenda and tightly holding to clean, smart and polite politics," Allen said.

The commitment included a vow to concentrate on internal consolidation, introspection, improving its regeneration program and its performance in local elections and a better communication strategy with the people. "The Democratic Party must tightly uphold discipline for the cadres and synergy between all cadres," Allen said.

But the commitment made no mention of the claims against the party by its fugitive former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin. "That's because a national coordination meeting is not mandated to issue technical decisions, just recommendations," Allen told the Jakarta Globe.

Nazaruddin was dismissed as treasurer in May after allegations of involvement in a bribery scandal linked to a Southeast Asian Games construction project. He flew to Singapore and has since been in hiding. Anticorruption officials declared him a graft suspect on May 30. From hiding, Nazaruddin has accused a slew of Democrats, including Anas, of involvement in bribe taking.

Closing the meeting, Anas urged unity and said the problems the party faced were there only to make it stronger. "We must use this moment to build a more solid, intact and united political party. We must be able to make improvements in our lives," he said.

Syarief Hassan, a member of the party's advisory board, said Yudhoyono was "not angry." "The most important thing is that the president did give us guidance," he said.

Dani Sriyanto, secretary of the party's Central Java chapter, was the only executive who tried to push the meeting to discuss Nazaruddin's allegations, but the meeting's leaders said that would go against party regulations.

Dani told journalists later that he and many others wanted Anas suspended until Nazaruddin's accusations were addressed. The party's deputy secretary general, Saan Mustopa, said, "We are improving our solidarity at this meeting... Why should we respond to statements made by a fugitive?"

Golkar says the future of election success is in Facebook and Twitter

Jakarta Globe - July 25, 2011

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Golkar Party says it will tap into the booming popularity of social networking sites in the country to carry it to victory in the 2014 elections.

Indonesia has about 40 million Facebook users, the second most in the world after the United States, and a sizeable and growing Twitter population. Given the numbers most political parties are likely to make some attempt to embrace social networking as elections near.

While Golkar's plans may not be unusual, its ambitions almost certainly are. According to Sharif Cicip Sutardjo, the Golkar deputy chairman, the party wants sites like Facebook to help it win 60 million votes in the 2014 presidential election.

It's candidate in 2009, Jusuf Kalla, received only about 15 million votes. The Democratic Party and its candidate, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was the incumbent, won the election with about 73 million votes.

"We are targeting at least 60 millions votes in the 2014 election. By using social networks, we are sure that we can attract the attention of more than a hundred million voters," said Sharif, who is overseeing the training of Golkar members in the use of social networking sites.

The party held a training program in Jakarta over the weekend for members from Sumatra, Java and Bali. Participants were given basic computer training and shown how to send out messages over Facebook and Twitter and communicate with voters.

Golkar was the ruling party for more than three decades during Suharto's New Order and built up an extensive network of grassroots offices. But Sharif said for election success these days, it was important to be active on social networking sites, which can reach millions of potential voters at once.

He said 65 percent of Indonesians were between 25 and 45 years of age. Of this age group, he said, 70 percent are in the middle class and 75 percent have access to cellphones. Sharif said this represented a key block of potential voters who could be reached through Facebook and other sites.

"Today we hold direct meetings, but tomorrow we will have to do things differently because information technology is changing things so quickly," he said.

The ruling Democratic Party is also looking at ways to increase its vote total in 2014, though it is taking a more low-tech approach at the moment.

The party's secretary general, Edi Baskoro Yudhoyono, said the Democrats were stepping up their recruitment of members through things like leadership programs.

These kinds of programs, he said, are aimed at building the future leaders of the party, whose present leaders have found themselves battered by a storm of graft allegations. "With the regeneration programs, we want to find our future leaders," he said.

Internet & social media

Indonesia's web users abandoning radio, print: Survey

Jakarta Globe - July 26, 2011

Lisa Siregar – Internet users in Indonesia are now spending more time online than they are reading newspapers or listening to the radio, according to a survey released by Yahoo! on Tuesday.

The digital media company carried out the survey as part of its Net Index study, which surveys Internet penetration, usage and demographics. Yahoo! said the change in habit was likely due to the widespread use in Indonesia of smartphones and the availability of low-cost data plans.

Television, however, remains at the top of the media pile among Internet users, the company said.

The study's results were based on interviews with roughly 1,000 male and female Internet users ranging in age from 15 to 50. The annual study focuses on Indonesia's urban population in places like Jakarta, Bogor, Surabaya, Medan and Makassar. Of those surveyed, social networking was the most popular online activity, with 89 percent saying they regularly visited and used sites like Twitter and Facebook. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they regularly visited news Web sites.

These results lead to two points, according to Suresh Subramanian, deputy managing director of TNS Indonesia, the company that conducted the study. "The changing landscape of the digital ecosystem in Indonesia will affect social networking activities and online transactions," he said.

For example, he predicted that Facebook's growth would flatten as online users began widening their areas of interest online. He also said that e- commerce would steadily increase in popularity, much as it has in other countries with large numbers of Internet users.

Labour & migrant workers

Ban leaves migrant workers in limbo

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Elly Burhaini Faizal – The beheading of Ruyati binti Satubi, a migrant worker from Bekasi, West Java, last month triggered a moratorium on sending Indonesian workers to Saudi Arabia.

After hundreds of murder and torture cases involving migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian government enforced the moratorium to prevent more outrage at home.

A previous pledge to ink a bilateral agreement on protection for migrant workers by the end of this year was left all but forgotten after Ruyati's execution.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sent a letter of protest to Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Azis via Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulrahman Mohamed Amen Al-Khayyat after the beheading.

The question that remains now is how can the government make up for the lost jobs as a result of the moratorium.

Iis, a 30 year-old worker from Cianjur, said that although she was crippled with fear over the horror stories about abused Indonesian migrant workers, she still saw Saudi Arabia as a pathway to a better life and a way to provide her family with money.

For many Indonesian female workers, including Iis, working in Saudi Arabia or other Middle Eastern countries offers an opportunity for low-skilled workers that do not have a chance of earning sufficient income in South Korea, Taiwan or Japan.

With only an elementary school decree, job seekers can get work as domestic helpers in Saudia Arabia, earning up to 800 Riyal (US$213) per month. "It's a good income for us," Iis told The Jakarta Post.

Working as a domestic worker abroad, she said, was one of the few good choices available to women in her hometown, most of whom were poorly educated.

For Muslim migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, there is the added bonus of being able to perform the hajj or lesser umroh pilgrimage to Mecca for low cost. "Stopping workers from going to Saudi Arabia makes no sense at all to me," Iis said, referring to the moratorium, which comes into effect on Aug. 1.

As a result of a string of recent abuse cases against Indonesian migrant workers, getting a job as a housemaid in Saudi Arabia is now more difficult due to tightened rules. Tougher requirements imposed by the Indonesian government have resulted in a decrease of local workers departing to Saudi Arabia.

In the first three months of this year, the number of domestic workers sent to Saudi Arabia was down by 30 percent compared to the same period last year.

The new requirements stipulate that any Saudi employer who employs Indonesian migrant workers should have an income of at least 10,000 Riyal, or about Rp 24 million (US$2,808), per month and clarify the number of family members living in each house. Employers must also submit maps of their homes.

According to the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, the number of Indonesian migrant workers who are dispatched to Saudi Arabia reached 367,719 workers in 2010. Of the total number of workers, 337,564 workers worked in the informal sector, and the remainder in the formal sector.

Dedeh Elah, an activist from Cianjur Migrant Workers Union (SBMC), said that instead of imposing the moratorium, it would be better for the government to provide better protection for Indonesian workers abroad, and improve training standards.

She said the demand for housemaids in Saudi Arabia could not be met domestically, resulting in a huge demand on such workers from outside countries. "Is it a mistake to meet the huge demand for domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia? I don't think so," Dedeh said.

She said that once the moratorium had taken effect, the government should be able to provide job seekers with very low educational backgrounds and alternative job opportunities so that they could still afford proper living for their families.

Commission demands ratification of UN treaty

Jakarta Post - July 29, 2011

Tifa Asrianti, Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) called on the government and the House of Representatives to ratify a 1990 UN convention on migrant workers, saying it would improve the welfare of overseas workers.

The commission hosted a two-day meeting to measure the country's preparedness to ratify the convention with the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, the Law and Human Rights Ministry and the National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers.

Concluding the meeting, Komnas Perempuan commissioner Agustinus Supriyanto said Tuesday that the government had stalled on the ratification for too long.

"The Indonesian government signed the convention in 2004 ratification has been stalled ever since," he said, adding that the public called for the ratification for years, with no response from the government.

"However, the [execution by beheading in Saudi Arabia of Indonesian migrant worker] Ruyati really shocked the country. It showed that we need to better protect our overseas workers," Agustinus said.

Ruyati was found guilty of killing her employer. Her family in Bekasi, West Java, was not informed of her execution.

The ratification of the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families could reduce such unfair treatment, he said.

Under Article 13, migrant workers and members of their families have the right to freedom of expression, include the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds.

Article 33 of the convention states that adequate information shall be provided upon request to migrant workers and members of their families. "The ratification of the UN convention would create a basis for laws to better protect migrant workers," Agustinus said. The government could also use ratification to revise the 2004 Placement and Protection of Migrant Workers Law, which is currently the only regulation governing migrant worker issues.

Agus warned that ratification would not immediately erase violence against migrant workers, but said the law would give Indonesia a better bargaining position.

Indonesia, one of 44 convention signatories, has approximately 5 million overseas workers throughout the world.

The government's slow progress in ratifying the convention has been criticized, particularly after the Philippines, another ASEAN state with a large migrant worker population, ratified the convention.

Manpower and Transmigration Ministry spokesman Suhartono said the "long road" to ratification was stalled by the "complexity of related ministries involved in the issue". (lfr)

Pilots end strike at Indonesia's state-run airline

Associated Press - July 28, 2011

Jakarta – Pilots with state-run carrier Garuda Indonesia cut short their 24-hour strike Thursday after company officials agreed to reopen negotiations over pay and working conditions. Pudjobroto, a spokesman for the airline, said he hoped the two sides could reach a satisfactory agreement before the end of August.

The 600-strong Garuda's Pilot Association called the strike – which lasted only half a day – after local pilots complained they earned 30 percent less than the carier's foreign pilots.

"We just want to be heard," said Capt. Stephanus Geraldus, the union's chairman. "Not only are we underpaid, we're overworked". "The board of directors should know all this undermines safety."

It was not immediately clear how many pilots took part in the strike. Gealdus said 500 initially agreed to join in, but many were convinced to return to the skies by early Thursday.

Ari Sapari, Garuda's chief operating officer, said the work stoppage caused no major disruptions in service.

Garuda, which has 900 pilots and 395 flights daily, leased a new fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation last year but the planes were forced to sit in hangars because there were not enough pilots to fly them.

Rather than risking further financial losses, the airline brought in about 40 foreigners to operate the new planes and train new pilots.

Environment & natural disasters

FBR vows to keep pressure on Greenpeace

Jakarta Globe - July 31, 2011

The Betawi Brotherhood Forum continued to allege on Saturday that Greenpeace's presence in Indonesia violates the law, and was seeking to compel the environmental organization to report itself to the Jakarta administration, Berita Jakarta reported.

The Betawi Brotherhood Forum, known as the FBR, is a vigilante group known for employing thug-like tactics. On Saturday, the FBR's head, K.H. Lutfi Hakim, said the group would continue to put pressure on Greenpeace because its presence violated the law.

"We will keep controlling Indonesia Greenpeace actions until they report to Jakarta," Lutfi said during a 10th anniversary celebration for the FBR in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

According to Lutfi, the NGO's activities in Indonesia could be seen as breaking Indonesian law and violating the country's sovereignty, an allegation also leveled by some local politicians.

On July 14, about 100 members of the group staged a noisy rally outside Greenpeace's Jakarta headquarters, protesting what they said were the environmental group's attempts to spread negative stories about Indonesian companies, endangering local jobs.

Greenpeace has maintained that its works in Indonesia are well within the law and that the organization is already registered with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.

Also on Saturday, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo told the roughly 10,000 FBR members at the anniversary rally that he was anticipating the group providing security during the Southeast Asian Games to be held in Jakarta in November.

Greenpeace blames paper company for tiger's death

Agence France Presse - July 26, 2011

A graphic video showing the last hours of a rare Sumatran tiger as it writhes in a trap in Indonesia exposes the gruesome toll of rampant rainforest clearing, Greenpeace activists said on Tuesday.

Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner Zulfahmi said the trap was set up by villagers to catch wild pigs on a logging concession owned by Asia Pulp and Paper, one of the world's biggest paper and packaging companies.

"The tiger died in a spot, which is located on an APP concession. Due to land clearing by the company, the tigers have to leave their habitat," he told AFP. "We urge the company to stop its land clearing activity in Indonesia... to avoid endangered animals becoming extinct."

Estimates of the number of Sumatran tigers remaining in the world range from 300 to 400. Several die each year as a result of traps, poaching or otherwise coming into contact with villagers who do not understand their plight.

The 18-month-old tiger died within three hours of being tranquilized by local conservation officials, said Greenpeace media campaigner Zamzami, who witnessed the incident.

The Greenpeace video shows the animal in obvious distress as it tries to pull its blackened paw free of the rope trap. "The tiger died on July 1, seven days after it fell into the trap. It couldn't eat or drink, its paw had turned black already and there were many flies around it," Zamzami said.

Veterinary surgeons were called to the scene on Sumatra island's Riau province but were unable to save the tiger, he said.

A spokeswoman for Singapore-based APP was not immediately available to comment on the video. But a tiger conservation organization that receives funding from the company said local people were to blame for the tiger's death, not APP's destruction of tiger habitat in the area.

"We need to intensify our campaign with the local people so they stop setting up animal traps. We've urged them not to do so but they still set up traps," Sumatran Tiger Conservation Foundation organizer Bastoni said.

"The tiger was there in the acacia forest to hunt for animals, such as deer. And it died on the border of the acacia forest and the APP concession."

Greenpeace says logging by APP and other companies is destroying the tiger's habitat and driving them into ever closer and more dangerous contact with people.

But APP insists its activities are environmentally sustainable. "It's the local people who set up the animal trap. Unless APP set up the trap, then we cannot blame the company," Bastoni said.

Indonesian lawmaker continues to attack Greenpeace

Agence France Presse - July 26, 2011

An Indonesian lawmaker reiterated his position on Tuesday that Greenpeace should be expelled from the country if an investigation finds the environmental group is trying to "ruin our sovereignty."

"We have found indications that Greenpeace has its own political and economic agenda in Indonesia," said Effendy Choirie, who sits on a parliamentary commission overseeing security and foreign affairs.

"If there is clear data that they are trying to ruin our sovereignty, then the government has to expel them or give sanctions," added the lawmaker from the Muslim-based National Awakening Party (PKB).

The party is a member of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling coalition. There was no formal response from the government to the allegations.

Choirie refused to elaborate on Greenpeace's alleged wrongdoings, except to say that the international nongovernmental agency was biased against certain unnamed companies. "We have a plan to invite Greenpeace for a hearing. We'll urge the government to find the data about their wrongdoings," he said.

Greenpeace has aggressively campaigned against powerful palm oil and paper companies that are widely blamed for rampant destruction of Indonesian forests and threatening critically endangered species like orangutans and tigers.

The organization released a video this week showing a rare Sumatran tiger dying in a trap, in what it said was a forest concession owned by Asia Pulp and Paper, a Singapore-based paper and packaging giant. Greenpeace country representative Nur Hidayati rejected Choirie's allegations.

"There is a fact that seems to have been forgotten, which is that Greenpeace exists not only in Indonesia. We are present in more than 40 countries, most of them are in developed countries," she said in a statement. "Greenpeace is not willing and will never want to accept funding from governments, governmental bodies or any companies."

Indonesia is considered the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, mainly through deforestation for the timber industry and to make way for plantations.

Health & education

Agency pushes men to use contraception

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – Indonesia may fail to achieve balanced population growth by 2015 without intensifying the family planning campaign to curb men's refusals to use contraceptives, a senior family planning official says.

National Demographic and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Center for International Training and Collaboration head Eddy N. Hasmi said Indonesian women currently had better access to reproductive health services, including contraceptives. In many cases, however, the use of contraceptives required the consent of their husband.

"In the absence of a husband's consent, women may not participate in the family planning program," Eddy recently told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a family planning training session.

In other Asian countries, such as Sri Lanka, contraceptive use was possible only with the husband's consent. In Sri Lanka, women depend on their husband's permission in using contraceptives due to local tradition, culture and religious norms that are still widely practiced.

University of Colombo senior lecturer Sunethra Perera said that despite achievements over the last several decades, family planning programs in Sri Lanka still faced strong refusals from communities, especially in rural areas.

"Many men from Muslim communities in Sri Lanka prohibit family planning programs, saying that no human has a right to refuse what is given by God, whereas it is good not only for the infant and maternal health, but also for improving family welfare," she said.

Over the last several years many civil organizations and women's groups have advocated broader rights for women making decisions about the use of contraceptives. They propose the autonomy of women as one mechanism required in consideration of the use of contraceptives.

In Indonesia, however, men seem to still have control over their spouses' involvement in family planning. Many stories have portrayed how men exert strong influence in the implementation of the family planning program, particularly in the use of long-term contraceptives.

"One of our family planning cadres was sued by a man whose wife was offered to use of an intra uterine device (IUD) without his consent," said Eddy.

In another case, a family planning worker was sued by a man after his wife was given an IUD without his permission. "His wife came to our health provider asking for the IUD. We had no reason to refuse her demand because she came to the clinic accompanied by a man and both of them signed the informed consent form. In turned out that man was not her husband," said Eddy.

Those suits dealt severe blows, not only to the agency, but also to overall efforts being attempted by the government to promote family planning.

Indonesia's family planning program requires that each client who asks for long-term contraceptives, such as IUDs and sterilization, should sign an informed consent document.

"We have a particular responsibility to make sure people make informed decisions before using IUDs and sterilization because they are long-term and even permanent contraceptives. These cannot be removed without help from medical workers," said Eddy.

Women & gender

Women ministry joins hands with police

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Jakarta – Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari and National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo signed Friday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on gender mainstreaming and improvement of service for abused women and children.

The agreement focused on issues related to violence against women and children, dissemination of gender mainstreaming and gender awareness inside the police institution and the establishment of women and children units in police district offices.

Linda said that the police institution, as a law enforcing body, was among the strategic partners of her ministry in alleviating children and gender- based cases of abuse.

"We still face the violence against women and children, including such cases in public spaces, in the workforce or inside families," she said. "I encourage women to report abuse they have endured to the police. I put high hopes that the police will provide fast and fair legal service," she said.

Timur promised that his institution would take cases of violence against women and children seriously. "We will follow up the reports on domestic violence and child abuse," he said.

Gender & sexual orientation

Indonesian 'husband' revealed to be a woman

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Jakarta – A wedding was aborted in Banten province after it was discovered that the groom was a woman, Indonesian media reported on Tuesday.

The couple was about to exchange vows in front of a Muslim cleric when the groom inadvertently let out a female voice, prompting suspicion among the congregation, Detik.com reported.

"When the cleric asked him questions, his voice turned soft, like that of a woman," said a police officer investigating the woman for fraud.

"It turned out the groom is really a woman," he said. "She looked very much like a man and her voice was heavy."

Last year, an Indonesian man who married someone he met on the social networking Web site Facebook filed a police complaint after finding out that his new wife was actually a man.

Graft & corruption

Eradicating corruption? Forgive corrupters, House speaker says

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – As his party struggles to cope with a wave of graft allegations, House speaker and Democratic Party politician Marzuki Alie suggested that the country pardon corrupters as a means of eradicating corruption.

The ever-controversial politician said that it was one of the potential solutions to ending corruption in Indonesia, besides enacting a law on a reverse burden of proof mechanism.

"We forgive all [corruptors]. We ask them to bring their money from abroad, but we tax it," he said, adding that he felt the country had wasted too much time to settle past corruption cases. "We are tired of dealing with the past [corruption cases]."

The other solution, according to Marzuki, is to require all transactions valued over Rp 1 million (US$117) be done via banking rather than cash. "There should be no more cash purchases of land, motorcycles or cars – all should be through banks," he said.

His call comes as criticism mounted against the Democratic Party for failing to clear allegations on graft cases made by its former treasurer and fugitive graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party has been at the center of debate over the previous two months after Nazaruddin accused a number of politicians from the party of also being involved in cases tainted by graft.

Nazaruddin accused Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum of amassing illegal money from several projects funded by the state budget, some of which reportedly may have contributed to his winning bid for the party's chairmanship in 2010.

Nazaruddin continues to spread his allegations, saying he had colluded with Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy for enforcement Insp. Gen Ade Rahardja to discuss the graft cases linked to Democratic Party politicians Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada and Kutai Timur Regent Isran Noor. During some of his meetings with the KPK, Nazaruddin admitted he was accompanied by Democratic Party lawmakers, including Saan Mustopa and Benny Kabur Harman.

Marzuki also suggested on Friday that the KPK be disbanded if there were no credible candidates to lead the KPK as an hoc body to wipe out corruption in the country.

"The KPK is an ad hoc body. If we no longer trust it, why do we have it? It has yet to bring change. It tends to carry out political maneuvering rather than eradicate corruption," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Marzuki defends KPK critique

Jakarta Post - July 31, 2011

Jakarta – House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie is defending his statement that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has failed and should be disbanded.

"I see that current efforts have yet to produce results, while corruption continues to spread across the country," Marzuki said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Sunday. "I have a different solution."

Marzuki said on Friday that corrupters could be forgiven if they returned their ill-gotten booty to the state. The statement drew protests from legislators, lawyers and others, who agreed that the KPK was still needed.

The commission, the latest in a series of institutions created to tackle graft, has a better popular reputation than the Attorney General's Office (AGO) or the National Police.

House speaker suggests dismissal of the KPK

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

Speaker of the House Marzuki Alie called for the dismantling of the Corruption Eradication Commission following the latest controversy surrounding a number of top officials.

"We are disappointed with the institution. If it's no longer trustworthy, what is the benefit of having it?" Marzuki was quoted by news portal Detik.com on Friday.

The agency's deputy chairman for graft enforcement, Chandra Hamzah; chief of graft investigation and prosecution, Insp. Gen. Ade Raharja; and spokesman, Johan Budi were all accused of wrongdoing by high-profile fugitive graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin during a television interview that aired on Metro TV last week.

Nazaruddin alleged that the three met Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum to secure political backing for their bids for the top KPK posts.

In return, the former Democratic Party treasurer said, the KPK would overlook Anas' alleged role in a graft scandal surrounding the construction of an athletes' village for November's Southeast Asian Games. Nazaruddin has been named a suspect for his role in that case.

Marzuki stressed the importance of finding trustworthy individuals to staff the anti-corruption watchdog group.

"But if the selection committee could not find credible people then it is important to reconsider the restructuring of the agency," he said, adding that the agency must consider recruiting academics.

"Maybe it is necessary to hire academics so that we can still rely our hopes on the KPK to eradicate corruption," he said.

KPK candidates' links to Nazaruddin 'not a factor' in being passed over

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

A member of the committee tasked with selecting commissioners on the Corruption Eradication Commission has rejected suggestions that three high-profile candidates were rejected because of alleged improper links to fugitive graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Selection committee secretary Achmad Ubbe told the media that Nazaruddin's recent allegations implicating the three senior members of the commission, also known as the KPK, "were not a factor" in their failing to make the cut during the selection process.

"But, we agreed that we wanted to keep the KPK away from controversies, because they do more harm than good for the commission," Achmad said.

The knocked-out candidates were the agency's deputy chairman for graft enforcement, Chandra Hamzah; chief of graft investigation and prosecution, Insp. Gen. Ade Raharja; and spokesman, Johan Budi.

Controversial speaker has new anticorruption idea

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

Indonesia's controversial speaker of the House of Representatives, Marzuki Alie, has come up with a new idea to encourage graft fugitives to return home – forgiving them if they return the money.

"Let's call home all corruptors," Marzuki told Detik.com, "and tell them to bring the [stolen] money back, and put a tax on it."

Marzuki, who has a history of making statements that experts often say are foolish, said returning the money would result in a full pardon, although there was a catch. "But they cannot do it again. If they repeat it, [it means] the death penalty."

Marzuki is a senior member of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, which is struggling to deal with a hugely embarrassing scandal involving fugitive lawmaker Muhammad Nazaruddin, went further, claiming investigating past wrongdoings would be "too difficult."

"Our life is about the future. We should all forgive each other." Marzuki, speaking after Friday prayers, added that: "Even God forgives all humans."

KPK to probe Nazaruddin claims of Chandra 'deal'

Jakarta Globe - July 25, 2011

Ulma Haryanto – Corruption Eradication Commission spokesman Johan Budi said the antigraft body would not ignore allegations leveled against one of its deputy chairmen by graft suspect and fugitive lawmaker Muhammad Nazaruddin.

In a telephone interview with Metro TV last week, Nazaruddin said that Chandra M. Hamzah, of the commission known as the KPK, had a "deal" with Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

The deal, according to Nazaruddin, was for Anas to ensure that Chandra would be re-elected as the KPK's deputy chairman. In return, Chandra would not summon Anas in relation to the graft case investigation surrounding construction of an athlete's village for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.

"Regarding the information given by Nazaruddin, the KPK will form a team to investigate it because it is important to verify any information about the KPK's officials, no matter how small the information is," Johan said on Monday.

Graft cases show need for procurement law: Activists

Jakarta Post - July 25, 2011

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – A preponderance of procurement-related graft cases should prompt the government and the House of Representatives to accelerate the drafting of a bill on procurement, watchdog groups say.

The NGOs referred to a recent high-profile bribery case surrounding the contract to build the athletes' village for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

The case confirmed a report by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) that said the majority of government corruption cases – 86 of 196 cases recorded between 2004 and 2010 – were related to the procurement of goods and services.

Agus Salim, the KPK prosecutor for the SEA Games case, said that the case was "a quintessential example of the common method for winning a procurement project in this country".

The case has implicated four suspects: Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Wafid Muharram, a PT Duta Graha Indah employee Mohammad El Idris, go- between Mindo Rosa Manulang and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin. A coalition of activists called for a stern law regulating government procurement projects, stating that the current presidential regulation on procurement was weak and made corruption inevitable.

The activists are comprised of members of the Indonesia Transparency Society (MTI), Transparency International Indonesia (TII), the Indonesian Center for Legal and Policy Studies (PSHK), the National Consortium for Legal Reform (KRHN), the Indonesian Legal Roundtable (ILR), the Indonesian Judicial Monitoring Society (Mappi) and the Association for Advocacy and the Study of Independent Justice (LeIP).

Transparency International Indonesia procurement specialist Heni Yulianto told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that the government had to provide for public participation to monitor the procurement process.

"The government must also establish a complaint mechanism to accommodate [complaints] should there be reports from the public," he added.

The government, however, had yet to listen to the activists' recommendations on the bill, according to Heni.

He slammed the Government Procurement Regulatory Body (LKPP) for its sluggishness in drafting the bill, despite its inclusion in the House of Representatives' 2011 legislative agenda (Prolegnas).

Jamil Mubarok from the Indone-sia Transparency Society said the 2010 presidential regulation on procurement was lax. "Law enforcement efforts will be futile without prevention efforts by improving the current system through a legal framework."

Current procurement procedures are regulated by Presidential Regulation No. 54 on Public Goods and Services Procurement, which replaced a 2003 presidential decree providing guidelines for the government procurement of goods and services.

The activists said there were 15 loopholes in current procurement procedures that were prone to abuse.

"Such loopholes occur at the beginning of the process, the planning stage, until the evaluation stage," Jamil said. "Violations are systemic and structured in procurement projects that involve powerful actors."

Jamil said that the presidential regulation failed to provide criminal penalties for illegal behavior.

"The current presidential regulation cannot avoid wasting the state budget because it does not acknowledge the principles of effectiveness and efficiency," Jamil said, citing the example of the House's plan to build itself a luxurious office building.

The LKPP previously said that 35 to 40 percent of the state budget went to procure goods and services.

Critics have also said that the presidential regulation was flawed as it continued to allow the direct appointment of contracts without monitoring and auditing.

According to the regulation, direct appointments are allowed for projects valued at less than Rp 100 million (US$11,700) that entailed small risk, were supplied by small businesses or were related to operational needs and used simple technology.

Terrorism & religious extremism

Detachment 88's handling of terrorists criticized

Jakarta Post - July 25, 2011

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The repressive methods applied in Indonesia' fight against terrorism, particularly those reportedly being applied by the police's anti-terror special detachment Detachment 88, are outdated and should be replaced with a more holistic approach, a scholar said.

Speaking at a discussion forum in Yogyakarta over the weekend, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University terrorism researcher Nurhadi said that Indonesia had a good model for combating terrorism that combined both hard and soft approaches. "The international world has noticed Indonesia's success in this," he told the forum.

According to Nurhadi, as of the end of last year Detachment 88 was still proportional in curbing terrorism. This encouraging achievement, however, had been tarnished by repressive actions demonstrated more recently, as indicated by the numerous terrorist suspects that had been shot dead.

"It may be true that they [the suspects] were involved in terrorist networks. But without legal processes, their involvement could not be presented to the public," Nurhadi said. He added that violence was not the appropriate way to preemptively deal with terrorism.

Nurhadi said repressive measures that suggest that terrorist suspects enemies be killed were out of date. They only reinforced terrorist desires to rebel, making it only more difficult for Indonesia to ever free itself from terrorism, he added.

He said most acts of terrorism were the result of various structural factors, including economic, social and cultural issues.

That accounts for why holistic approaches, not violence, were needed to purge the threat of terrorism from Indonesia. "The problem is we have yet to develop comprehensive counterterrorism concepts," Nurhadi said.

The same comment regarding Detachment 88 was also expressed by former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) director A.M. Hendropriyono, who expressed disagreement over their methods and questioned whether preventive measures had to be conducted by using violence. "Such [violent] approaches can only be applied given an emergency situation," he said.

Hard-line & vigilante groups

'No vigilantism during Ramadhan'

Jakarta Post - July 31, 2011

Jakarta – Regional authorities have warned people against carrying out vigilante street raids as the Islamic fasting month approaches.

The Yogyakarta administration has banned the sale of alcohol during the period and encouraged the public to report any violations to the authorities.

"We will act [against the violators]. People do not need to take action themselves, as this could possibly be a contravention of public order," Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto said Friday at an event to destroy thousands of bottles of alcoholic beverages.

"The destruction of the alcoholic drinks sends a message that we will be tough against those creating disorder, so that people can fast in comfort and security," he said.

Authorities destroyed drinks seized from 31 unlicensed vendors. "We have been conducted raids for the past three months," Yogyakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Mustaqim said.

Police also had the vendors sign a declaration vowing to no longer sell alcohol. "If they are found to be selling alcohol, they will go to jail," Mustaqim was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

Red light districts are also being targeted by authorities.

Police in Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta and in Klaten, Central Java, also warned mass organizations against carrying out vigilante acts. "Raids by mass organizations could trigger potential conflict," Adj. Sr. Comr. Asep Nalaludin said Saturday in Wonosari, Gunung Kidul.

Last year, 250 members of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) reportedly raided several hotels and entertainment centers in Medan, North Sumatra.

Klaten Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Kalingga Rendra Raharja said police were prepared for such illegal raids and the chaos they would create. Ramadhan is likely to begin on Monday. Non-mainstream Muslims may observe Ramadhan a few days earlier, although there have been no reports of this so far.

The religious affairs agency in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, a predominantly Catholic province, called on Muslims to wait for the official announcement of the start of the holy month. "All Muslims are advised to wait for the government announcement," agency official Muhammad Moa said.

Demand for basic goods usually increases during the fasting month, as is occurring in Bengkulu. "Most residents enough basic good for the following week. This has led to a 20 percent increase in demand," Asril, a seller at Bengkulu's Panorama Market, said.

[Slamet Susanto contributed to the report from Yogyakarta.]

FPI calls for anti-immoral decree in rally

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Jakarta – Thousands of members from the hard-line Muslim group, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), staged a rally in front of the State Palace on Saturday, calling on the President to issue a decree to ban immoral activities during Ramadhan, which is predicted to start Monday.

"Issue a presidential decree to tackle immoral activities during Ramadhan," one of the orators at the rally, Abdulrahman Assegaf, demanded, as reported by tribunnews.com.

The demonstrators, wearing all-white outfits, came from FPI branches nationwide. They carried banners, one of which read: "Indonesia is not a state of Islam. But it is not a state of devils either."

The rally caused traffic congestion in the area around the State Palace as demonstrators had parked their vehicles along the road. More than a thousand police officers were deployed to secure the area and manage the traffic.

Goodbye, Dolly! FPI raids brothels

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

Amir Tedjo, Surabaya – Despite pledges not to conduct Ramadan-related raids, hard-line groups on Thursday descended on Surabaya's infamous red- light district to demand its closure during the holy month.

Under the umbrella of the United Islamic People's Movement (GUIB), elements from the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Islamic Defenders Force (LPI) and Muhammadiyah's youth wing marched through the country's second largest city before arriving at Dolly, the country's biggest prostitution complex.

Chanting prayers and jabbing their fists in the air, the men went from one brothel to another forcing owners to sign statements saying they would not operate during Ramadan.

Many of the brothels closed immediately and locked their doors, while most sex workers were too afraid to step out and confront the hardliners as they banged on the doors demanding to meet them. Some prostitutes, however, agreed to sign the prepared documents.

"It's good that this particular brothel responded," said Khoiruddin, a cleric from the Surabaya branch of the FPI. "We will get other brothels to sign these statements as well and put an end to this disgraceful practice."

Several workers claimed they were intimidated by the hard-liners' actions. "Maybe on Sunday I will go back home to Malang [East Java]," said one sex worker. "I have already saved some money so I will stay at home and do nothing."

Meanwhile, Sr. Comr. Rahmat Mulyana, a spokesman for the East Java Police, played down the raids, saying it was only for show. "[Hard-line Muslims] were just parading across town, reminding people that Ramadan is near. It just so happens that the route intersected with many entertainment centers and prostitution areas," he said. Rahmat added that the GUIB had secured permit to conduct the march.

Separately, Sumarno, a city official, said the administration would impose strict sanctions on those who violated a provincial decree forbidding discotheques, bars, night clubs and brothels from open during Ramadan. The city will also limit cinemas from showing movies from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. "If there is a violation, we will sanction them," Sumarno said.

The GUIB also visited several hotels on Jalan Embong Malang and forced their managers to sign statements in front of men with beards and white robes who shouted praises to Allah once they read the statements out loud.

The crowd later descended on Meteor, a one-stop entertainment center on Jalan Arjuna, and also asked to meet with its manager.

After failing to meet many of the brothel owners, members of the GUIB pledged to raid Dolly again and make sure those who signed the statements kept to their promises.

Freedom of religion & worship

Cikeusik verdicts gives extremists green light to continue hatred

Jakarta Globe - July 30, 2011

Christian Solidarity Worldwide has expressed renewed concern about continuing violations of religious freedom in Indonesia following the sentencing of the perpetrators of violence against the Ahmadiyah community, new threats to Christians, and developing tensions in West Papua.

CSW, in a news release, says it "regards these sentences as astonishingly lenient, and believes it calls into question the integrity of Indonesia's judicial system."

The organization met with survivors of the violence that claimed three lives in may.

One man told CSW, "When the attackers caught me, they stripped me naked on the road, dragged me through a river, beat me with sticks and machetes and tried to cut off my penis. They bashed stones on my head, and dragged me around the village. One man used a bamboo spear to hit my eye. They shouted that I was an 'infidel' and should be killed. I lost consciousness."

In addition, the World Evangelical Alliance's Religious Liberty Commission on Friday warned that the GKI Yasmin Church in Bogor, West Java, may face mass violence if continuing tensions are not addressed.

In a separate development, the Chairman of the Fellowship of Baptist Churches of Papua, Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman, has issued an "urgent report" claiming that churches in West Papua are coming under increasing threat from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the statement said.

On April 30, 2011 the Regional Military Commander, Maj. Gen.Erfi Triassunu, accused the Church of Papua Gospel Tent (KINGMI) of supporting the Free Papua movement, the statement continues.

"The churches claim that since 2004, military operations in Puncak Jaya have resulted in the destruction of churches and homes, and killing of civilians, including at least one pastor."

Rev. Socratez describes these as "humanitarian crimes" making Puncak Jaya "the most cruel and inhuman place."

He made an appeal to the international community to encourage the Indonesian government to stop the violence.

"We call and plead with governments, members of Parliament,... churches, non-governmental organizations... to support peaceful unconditional dialogue between the government of Indonesia and the Papuans, mediated by a neutral third party." CSW's Advocacy Director Andrew Johnston says he was concerned by the developments in Indonesia, which has a proud tradition of pluralism, tolerance, and religious freedom and harmony.

"The shockingly lenient sentences imposed on the perpetrators of some of the worst anti-minority violence in recent years raises serious questions about the integrity of Indonesia's justice system, and gives the extremists a green light to continue their campaign of hatred. It leaves religious minorities throughout Indonesia, not only in West Java, and not only the Ahmadiyah community, vulnerable and defenseless," he said.

"Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and his government must now take meaningful action to uphold the rule of law, strengthen the independence of the judiciary, provide protection to religious minorities, enter into dialogue with the Papuan people, and ensure that justice and human rights are protected for all."

Islamic scholars react to Cikeusik criticism

Jakarta Globe - July 30, 2011

Ismira Lutfia – Indonesian Islamic scholars had mixed reactions to criticism launched by Western nations of the apparent light sentences handed down to Islamist extremists who killed members of the Ahmadiyah sect in Cikeusik, Banten.

The district court in Serang, Banten's capital on Thursday handed down jail sentences of between three and six months for all 12 defendants. The men were found guilty of "participation in a violent attack that resulted in casualties."

They were involved in a Feb. 6 attack on a group of Ahmadis gathered at the home of an Ahmadiyah leader in Cikeusik, a village some 95 kilometers from Serang. Three Ahmadis died in the videotaped attack while five others were seriously injured. The attack allegedly involved some 1,500 Islamist militants and about 20 Ahmadiyah members.

The United States and European Union on Thursday expressed disbelief over the lightness of the sentences, while Human Rights Watch called it a "sad day for Indonesia."

The US Embassy encouraged Indonesia "to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President [Barack] Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta." The embassy called the sentences "disproportionately light."

But Slamet Effendy Yusuf, of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), criticized Western nations for only seeing the verdict from their own perspectives. "Western countries must respect another country's judiciary system based on its own cultural and philosophical background," Slamet said.

He pointed out that Anders Behring Breivik, the man charged with killing 76 people in terror attacks on July 22, would face harsher penalties in Indonesia. In Norway, Breivik faces a maximum sentence of 21 years but in Indonesia, a terror suspect would be facing a death sentence for a similar crime.

"But we don't criticize their law, even though we think what he did is unacceptable," Slamet said. "Regardless of the case, they have to respect Indonesia's judiciary system."

However, Salahuddin Wahid, a scholar from Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Muslim Organization said that many Muslims in Indonesia also questioned the light sentences.

"But it is the court's authority [to decide]," he said, adding it was within the other countries' rights to express their disappointment. "It is OK if they want to have a say as long as they are not applying any pressure," he said.

Islamic Defenders Front demand Ahmahdiyah be outlawed

Jakarta Globe - July 30, 2011

Hundreds of conservative Muslims have held a noisy but peaceful rally in Indonesia's capital to demand the government outlaw an Islamic sect they consider heretical.

Nearly 1,500 white-robed protesters gathered on Saturday, days after a court sentenced 12 men to less than six months in jail for lynching three Ahmahdiyah sect members. Some held placards Saturday that said, "Disband Ahmadiyah or Revolution."

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim and secular nation of 240 million, has a long history of religious tolerance.

Critics said the light sentences given to 12 men caught on video taking part in February's frenzied mob attack on Ahmadiyah members sent a "chilling" message about growing religious intolerance.

No justice for victims of Islamic sect attack

Associated Press - July 29, 2011

Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta, Indonesia – Foreign governments and human rights groups say the relatively light sentences given to 12 men who participated in the brutal killings of three minority Muslim sect members sends a chilling message about growing religious intolerance in Indonesia.

The attack – captured on video and widely circulated on the Internet – showed a frenzied crowd of around 1,500 descending on members of Ahmadiyah with machetes, wooden clubs and rocks to try to prevent them from worshipping.

Police looked on as the crowd pummeled the lifeless bodies of the victims, while others chanted "Allahu Akbar!" or "God is Great!"

The sentences handed down by the Serang District Court on Thursday ranged between three to six months – less than what an ordinary citizen would get for begging in the street or gambling. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement that Washington was disappointed by the "disproportionately light sentences."

"The United States encourages Indonesia to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta."

Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim and secular nation of 240 million, has a long history of religious tolerance. But experts say a small, extremist fringe has grown more vocal in recent years and is seeking – with some success – to impose its will on police, the judicial system and the government.

They are emboldened by the inaction of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who relies on the support of Islamic parties in Parliament, and does not want to offend conservative Muslims by taking sides.

The February attack on members of Ahmadiyah – considered deviant by many Muslims here and abroad because they do not believe Muhammad was the final prophet – followed a long string of attacks on religious minorities.

They included the stabbing of a Christian preacher in September 2010 as she tried to lead followers to her boarded-up church outside the capital, Jakarta. There also have been beatings and the burning of houses of worship.

But the attack in the town of Cikeusik was the most brutal – and it was caught on camera.

Dani bin Misra, seen smashing the skull of one of the lifeless victims with a rock, got three months in jail for public incitement, destruction of property and an attack that led to death.

Idris bin Mahdani, who led the mob to the house where followers of the Ahmadiyah sect were gathering, got 5 1/2 months for illegal possession of a sharp weapons and involvement in the attack.

New York-based Human Rights Watch slammed the decision. It said police failed to conduct thorough investigations and prosecutors – who sought reduced sentences contending the Ahmadiyah provoked the attack – did not call key witnesses.

"Indonesian authorities should be making all-out efforts to bring to justice those who kill people because of their religious beliefs," said Elaine Pearson, the group's deputy Asia director. "The Cikeusik trial sends the chilling message that attacks on minorities like the Ahmadiyah will be treated lightly by the legal system."

Cikeusik verdicts met with disbelief

Jakarta Globe - July 29, 2011

Heru Andriyanto & Ulma Haryanto, Serang, Banten – A wave of condemnation greeted the lenient sentences handed down on Thursday to 12 men found guilty of attacking members of the minority Ahmadiyah group in Cikeusik, Banten, leaving three dead.

The district court in Serang, Banten's capital, cleared the defendants of the primary charge of inciting hatred and mob violence, but found them guilty of "participation in a violent attack that resulted in casualties."

The court handed down sentences of between three and six months in jail for each of the men, even though the charge of which they were found guilty carries a jail term of up to seven years.

In all of the verdicts – read in separate hearings – the panel of judges maintained the same notion that it was the Ahmadiyah group the instigated the attack by ignoring calls by police to leave the scene and instead challenging the mob to a fight.

"The defendants did not know the victims and they just followed the crowd that was made up of thousands of people," judge Cipta Sinuraya said.

The judges said the defendants' actions had been spontaneous, "triggered by a situation after negotiations between Ahmadiyah members and the crowd collapsed, and that there was no conspiracy or collusion to commit murder."

The defendants were mainly local villagers and students from Muslim boarding schools who joined the mob in the Feb. 6 attack on a group of Ahmadis who gathered at the home of an Ahmadiyah leader in Cikeusik, about 95 kilometers from Serang.

Three Ahmadis died and five were seriously injured in the attack, which was widely condemned by both local and international human rights organizations.

On Thursday, many of the same organizations expressed grave disappointment, with the Human Rights Watch saying it was a "sad day for Indonesia."

"The way this investigation and trial was conducted is just appalling. Despite clear video evidence of people being beaten to death, the longest sentence is six months," Elaine Pearson, deputy director of HRW's Asia division, told the Jakarta Globe. "It sets a new low for Indonesia's justice system."

The US Embassy expressed its disappointment at the "disproportionately light sentences," and encouraged Indonesia "to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President [Barack] Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta."

The European Union reminded Indonesia about "the need to ensure that religious and other minorities are adequately protected by the justice and law enforcement systems, including through sufficiently dissuasive penalties for acts of violence directed against such minorities."

Rumadi, a senior researcher from the Wahid Institute, feared the court ruling would set a dangerous precedent. "Now they can say you can be violent, you can kill, as long as you use religion as the motive – then you can get off with a light sentence," he said. "And for those who want to protect their property, watch out: you can be criminalized."

Some of the defendants were released because they have already served their sentences in detention, which began in February. Endang Sujana, a member of the defense team, said it was still considering an appeal. "We are certainly fighting for their acquittal," he said.

Indonesia rejects outrage over lynch mob sentences

Agence France Presse - July 29, 2011

Indonesia on Friday dismissed expressions of outrage and disbelief over the perceived light sentences handed down to Islamic extremists who killed three minority sect members in a mob frenzy.

The United States and the European Union expressed strong misgivings while local rights groups and international watchdogs issued strong condemnations and calls for action to address rising intolerance in the mainly Muslim country.

But Religious Affairs Ministry spokesman Zubaidi said the sentences of three to six months for the men accused of leading the murderous assault on the Ahmadiyah sect members in February were the result of a fair trial.

"As an executive body, we cannot interfere in the legal system. We believe in the law enforcers. They have the right to come up with the sentences," he said. "Whether the sentences are light or harsh, how it's perceived is relative."

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, often held up by the United States and others as a champion of pluralism and democracy, made no comment on the sentences. Foreign ministry officials were unavailable to comment.

Human rights activists said prosecutors and the court in Serang, which handed down the verdicts, had been influenced by local Islamic leaders to play down the gravity of the crime.

They say religious violence against minorities is going unchecked in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, and criticize Yudhoyono for failing to defend the nation's pluralist, moderate traditions.

But Zubaidi said the court was independent and its decisions could not be questioned. "I don't see that there has been any pressures from anyone. On the matter of intervention, I believe there was none," he said.

The violence against the Ahmadiyah sect members in Cikeusik, western Java, was one of the most horrific in a long line of attacks on the minority group in Indonesia in recent years.

Ahmadiyah, unlike mainstream Muslims, do not believe Mohammed was the last prophet and are regarded as heretics and blasphemers by conservatives in countries such as Indonesia and Pakistan.

A secretly filmed video of the Cikeusik rampage sparked international concern when it appeared online within days of the attack.

Rights group slams police, prosecutors in Cikeusik verdicts

Jakarta Globe - July 28, 2011

A prominent rights organization said on Thursday that the light sentences handed down to 12 men involved in the deadly February attack on an Ahmadiyah community were a result of frustratingly weak efforts made by prosecutors and police investigating the case.

Human Rights Watch in a statement criticized the police and prosecutors, saying they did not conduct a thorough enough investigation, failed to call key eyewitnesses to the stand and erroneously blamed the Ahmadis for provoking the attack.

Three people died and five were seriously injured in the Feb. 6 attack on a small band of Ahmadis by a mob numbering at least 1,000.

"Indonesian authorities should be making all-out efforts to bring to justice those who kill people because of their religious beliefs," said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The Cikeusik trial sends the chilling message that attacks on minorities like the Ahmadiyah will be treated lightly by the legal system."

The Serang District Court in Banten found 12 persons guilty on a mixture of charges, including public incitement, destruction of property, maltreatment of others and attacking others causing serious injuries or death. The court sentenced the accused to between 3 to 6 months in prison. Assault resulting in death can bring a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison. None of the defendants were charged with murder or manslaughter.

Much of the attack on the Ahamadiyah home, which involved some 1,500 Islamist militants against about 20 Ahmadiyah members, was captured on video and posted on the Internet. Those videos were cited by prosecutors as a reason to ask for a reduction in sentencing for the defendants, saying that the Ahmadiyah should not have posted the videos online.

"It's outrageous that the prosecutors asked for a reduction in sentences on the basis that the Ahmadiyah filmed and distributed a video of the attack on their community," Pearson said. "It is telling victims of serious crime that they should keep quiet rather than come forward."

One of the Ahmadis seriously injured, Muhamad Ahmad, allegedly told Human Rights Watch that he was not given an opportunity to testify at the trial.

"I might not recognize them, one by one, but I could describe the situation," he said. "We were just trying to defend our properties. Hundreds of Ahmadiyah properties were destroyed and the government did almost nothing."

Pearson lamented what she saw as a clear signal to Islamic militants that the use of violence against minority religions would not be seriously investigated or prosecuted.

"The Cikeusik trial should have been a way to show vulnerable groups in Indonesia that when they are targets of violence, the state will protect them," Pearson said. "Instead, these sentences will embolden militants who will see that using deadly violence brings few consequences."

NGO, EU voice concern over Cikeusik case rulings

Jakarta Post - July 28, 2011

Jakarta – An NGO and representatives from the EU expressed concerns at the rulings in trials over attacks on religious minorities in Cikeusik, Banten, saying they expected the government to pay serious attention to protecting minority groups.

"The EU delegation recalls the need to ensure that religious and other minorities are adequately protected by the justice and law enforcement systems, including through sufficiently dissuasive penalties for acts of violence directed against such minorities," read a press statement released by the EU on Thursday.

Human rights NGO Setara Institute said the panels of judges in the trials may have been under much pressure during the trials. It added that it felt that the entire judicial process was not conducted seriously.

"The heavy presence of hard-line demonstrators during the trials obviously affected the quality of the hearings, including the panels' integrity," Hendardi from the Setara Institute said in a press statement Thursday.

He added that the Setara Institute expected the Judicial Commission to examine the panels of judges to determine whether their integrity had been compromised.

Three members of the Ahmadiyah sect were murdered and dozens of others severely injured when they were attacked by a mob in Cikeusik early this year following weeks of growing anger at the Ahmadis by Islamic hardliners who hold that Ahmadiyah is heretical.

United States concerned by Cikeusik attack sentences

Jakarta Globe - July 28, 2011

The United States Embassy in Indonesia has expressed "disappointment" in response to the light verdicts handed down in relation to the bloody attacks on members of the Ahmadiyah sect in Banten.

"We are disappointed by the disproportionately light sentences handed down on [Thursday] in the trials of twelve individuals implicated in the brutal murder of three Indonesian citizens during the February 6 attack on an Ahmadiyah community in Cikeusik, Pandeglang, Banten Province," the Embassy said in a statement.

"The United States encourages Indonesia to defend its tradition of tolerance for all religions, a tradition praised by President Obama in his November 2010 visit to Jakarta."

Bogor mayor told to 'settle' church case

Jakarta Post - July 27, 2011

Arya Dipa, Bandung – West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan has told Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto to settle once and for all a protracted local religious dispute about an under-construction Taman Yasmin Indonesian Christian Church in the city.

"I told the Bogor mayor this morning to please settle this. They could just copy the settlement of the Cikeuting dispute. The implementation in the field could translate into a variety of outcomes because I don't know for sure what the real situation is," Heryawan said in Bandung.

The governor was referring to a Sept. 12, 2010, attack on the HKBP church congregation, which sought to gain permission to build a church in Bekasi, West Java.

In the attack, Rev. Luspida Simanjuntak and Hasean Lombantoruan Sihombing, one of the church's senior members, were wounded by a group of Muslim assailants grouped under the Bekasi Islam Defenders' Front (FPI), which rejected the plan to build the church.

The Bekasi District Court sentenced Murhali Barda, head of the Bekasi FPI, to five months and 15 days in jail for masterminding the attack. Murhali was freed after the verdict was read because he had been in detention since Sept. 13, 2010.

Heryawan said the dispute over the Yasmin church could be settled if the two opposing sides were willing to negotiate.

Previously, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia issued a recommendation for the Bogor mayor to annul the city administration's decree that revoked the Yasmin church building permit.

Budi Santoso, an ombudsman, said that under the recommendation the mayor should have implemented a Supreme Court verdict that ruled that the building permit was valid. The verdict was also sent to the West Java governor and the Home Ministry.

The governor and the Home Ministry, Budi said, had been told to ensure that the court verdict was implemented within 60 days after its issuance in mid-July, 2011. He said that if the mayor refused to comply with the ruling, the ombudsman body would forward the case to the President and the House of Representatives.

The Supreme Court's verdict included an edict that said the verdict was permanently binding. However, the mayor, who was elected with the support of the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), has refused to comply with the court ruling.

In response to being denied access to its half-completed church, the Yasmin church congregation began holding its Sunday services on a sidewalk near the church, prompting aggressive protests from local Muslims.

Budi said that Mayor Diani's stubbornness was counterproductive. "There should have been institutions or bodies supervising the recommendation, in this case the West Java governor and the Home Ministry," he said.

Heryawan, who had recently spoken to the mayor over the phone about the issue, said that his provincial administration was ready to support an amicable solution. "Please, settle this amicably through negotiation," the governor was quoted as saying.

The governor has pledged the Bogor municipal administration funds to solve the issue. "If needed, we are ready to set aside funds from the regional budget. The most important thing is to settle the case through the best possible means. Whether this will be similar to the settlement of the Cikeuting church attack case is up to the mayor.

"This should have satisfied all parties involved in the dispute. If they need financial assistance, the provincial administration is ready to help, note this, ready to help," Heryawan added.

Poverty & unemployment

Poor families spend more on cigarettes

Jakarta Post - July 27, 2011

Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Despite their financial hardships, many poor families in Indonesia prioritize spending on cigarettes rather than on other needs. Six out of 10 poor households report spending on cigarettes.

According to the 2009 National Socio-Economic survey, poor households spent 19 percent of their income on staple foods and 11 percent on tobacco, 2 percent for education and 3 percent on health care.

Ekowati Rahajeng, the Health Ministry director of non-communicable diseases, said the spending habits could be related to the economic conditions that made poor people resort to smoking cigarettes without realizing that spending in cigarettes would only pull them deeper into poverty.

Abdillah Hasan from the Demography Institution of University of Indonesia calculated the potential loss of consuming cigarettes. "Let's say they consume a pack of cigarettes a day that cost them Rp 10,000 [US$1.18]. In a month, they will spend Rp 300,000 and Rp 3.65 million in a year," Abdillah said.

He went on, saying that in 10 years they could save Rp 36.5 million, which could be spent on a down payment for a house or pay an admission fee to a university for their children.

Therefore, the institution urged the government to issue cigarette control regulations through, among other methods, increasing the cigarette tax, a total ban on cigarette advertisement, health warnings through pictures printed on the cigarette packs and imposing smoke-free areas.

SBY appoints poverty fighter

Jakarta Globe - July 25, 2011

S.K. Zainuddin – In the fight against poverty, the yardstick used to measure progress has long been statistics.

Every government around the world, including Indonesia, as well as multilateral organizations such as the World Bank, gauges progress based on one key figure – how many people live on $1 a day or less. Such measurements, however, do not reflect the sheer human tragedy that poverty creates in many societies.

H.S. Dillon, the newly appointed point man in Indonesia's fight against poverty, said, "Poverty is helplessness, a state when you start to question your humanity."

He estimates that half of Indonesia's 230 million people are under tremendous economic pressure, although official poverty figures are much lower, at about 10 percent of the population. "It's not just a numbers game but a process," he said.

Dillon's appointment as the presidential special envoy for poverty alleviation is a double first. He is the first Indonesian of Indian descent to be appointed to a cabinet-level post, and this is the first time President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed one person dedicated to tackling the issue of poverty.

"Fighting poverty is as historic as fighting slavery and colonialism in terms of urgency," says Marzuki Darusman, a former Attorney General. "There is a great sense of urgency among civil society and the business community to tackle this issue."

Observers note that Dillon's appointment also indicates that Yudhoyono is now serious about taking a more focused approach in the fight against poverty, rather than just leaving it to individual ministries. "This is an important step in the right direction as the problem needs a coordinated approach," Marzuki said.

Dillon said the fight against poverty is essentially a fight against inequality. Poverty often leads to social tension and unrest, which in turn causes political instability.

"If the government fails to deliver on prosperity, the people fear that the military will take over," he said. "The government is spending a lot of money but getting few results because reducing poverty will take a combination of efforts beyond just the government."

Dillon's first step will be to bring together business, civil society and the government in fighting poverty. He has already roped in the likes of Wardah Hafidz from the Urban Poor Consortium, sociologist Gardono Sujatmiko and private equity heavyweight Edwin Soeryadjaja in his crusade.

"My aim is to change perceptions so that poverty is not seen as a result of sloth and laziness but because of the inequality of the system," Dillon said. "We must focus on education, especially in rural areas."

He also wants to ensure that every bill passed by the House of Representatives is linked in some way to people-driven development and ultimately helps the poor.

"That is the paradigm I want to create – to build a ladder out of poverty," he says. "I'm not afraid to stand up and shout if that's what is required. I have nothing to lose and I'm not a threat to anyone."

Dillon says it is in the interest of the business community to help reduce poverty because it helps create a bigger market and economic stability.

Agriculture & food security

Land conversion 'threatens food security'

Jakarta Post - July 29, 2011

Slamet Susanto and Panca Nugraha, Yogyakarta Mataram – With more than 100 hectares of agricultural land converted to residential use every year in Bantul regency, production of dried unhusked rice (GKG) has declined.

The decrease in the harvest reportedly reaches 1,800 tons each year and if no efforts are made to curb the trend, the regency could face a food crisis, experts warn.

"One hectare of rice field on average yields 18 tons of GKG. If Bantul loses up to 100 hectares of farmland each year, it could lose 1,800 tons of GKG," the head of the agribusiness infrastructure and facilities division of the Bantul Forestry, Livestock and Agricultural Agency, Agus Hudi Sunagiyo, said recently.

Most of the converted farmland, he said, was turned into residential areas by individuals and developers. The total 16,500 hectares of farmland in Bantul could dwindle further if the issue was neglected, Agus said.

"The rate at which the area of farmland is shrinking is quite high. Our food stock is currently safe but if this pace of conversion continues, our food security would be at stake," he said.

Data from the Bantul Forestry, Livestock and Agricultural Agency showed that Bantul currently produced 190,357 tons of GKG annually, more than enough to meet demand in the regency.

The agency said it had taken steps to curb the conversion of farmland and was currently incentivizing farmers by offering them free land certification if they agreed to not convert their land for the next 10 years. "We have issued land titles to 659 farmers in an effort to curb farmland conversion," Agus said.

The decrease in GKG production in Bantul is also being blamed on the recent practice by farmers of switching from growing rice to more economically viable produce.

In West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), the NTB Prosecutor's Office said it would assist local administrations salvage idle state-owned land controlled by investors.

"Provincial administration records show that around 15,000 hectares of land have been controlled by investors for years, but are neglected. We will help the local administrations recover the state assets, including the idle land," NTB chief prosecutor Didiek Darmanto said Tuesday at an event to sign a memorandum of understanding with the NTB administration at the governor's office in Mataram.

Didiek said the MoU was a way for prosecutors to help the administration in legal and administrative matters, including legal steps to recover state assets.

Turning a deaf ear to farmers' plight

Jakarta Post - July 27, 2011

Nani Afrida – Paddy farmer Sewi, 50, spent heavily before the harvest in May to save his crops from rats and pests.

"I pay hunters Rp 3,000 for each rat they kill," said Sewi, who only has one hectare of land at the rice production center of Rawa Dalem, Indramayu, West Java.

Sewi and other farmers in the hamlet have suffered dearly this year as they have had to spend more on production costs, without any assistance from the government.

Formerly, farmers spent Rp 4.5 million (US$529) for production per hectare, but now the cost has soared to Rp 6 million. Sewi is unsure whether the income from the harvest can cover the production costs.

Pests and rats are just two among an array of challenges that most poor farmers have to confront, in spite of a whopping Rp 40 trillion annual influx from government for agricultural development. This year the spending has leapt to more than Rp 55 trillion.

The fund includes assistance for free seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, irrigation, roads, dams, and agricultural experts commissioned in villages, to help boost productivity.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, around 44.1 million people work as farmers, accounting for 42 percent of the country's total workforce. The majority of farmers are categorized as poor and own less than 0.3 hectares of land.

Worse, most farmers are now held hostage by cheap chemical fertilizers, which encourage irrational use. It was not until the fall of the Soeharto regime in 1998 that fertilizers became a serious issue for farmers, when the government decided to allocate more than Rp 10 trillion annually to subsidize the price.

However, farmers have to go through convoluted bureaucratic procedures to buy the subsidized fertilizers; moreover, the products are frequently in short supply during planting seasons due to hoarding by price speculators.

"Securing sufficient fertilizer for farmers is more challenging now than it was during the Soeharto era," said Nana Senjaya, a farmer from Subang, West Java.

He recalls that years ago he used to buy fertilizer from a village cooperative unit (KUD) at an affordable price. But now, it is just too difficult. "It's just impossible nowadays to plant without [chemical] fertilizers, no matter how expensive the product is," said Nana.

But easy access to cheap fertilizers alone did not do any good for farmers who lacked a sufficient irrigation system. The country's irrigation system was last restored during the Soeharto era, leaving it now in an extremely poor condition.

In Indramayu, West Java, for instance, many irrigation gates have been stolen, forcing farmers to use banana trees to open or close the gates. In another rice center at Karawang, West Java, most of the irrigation channels are clogged with garbage, and some are already shallow. And in Cirebon, West Java, paddy farmers have to compete with sugar factories to obtain irrigated water.

The government has targeted the production of unhusked rice to reach 70 million tons, up by 2.4 percent from 68.06 million tons last year. But despite the expected rise in production, farmers remain unable to raise their bargaining power when it comes to determining the selling price.

Mardjana, a farmer from Lemahabang hamlet in Karawang, said he would receive higher revenue by selling his paddy to middle-men than to the government through the state logistic company PT Bulog. Farmers need to sell their crops immediately and at a good price because they need cash to start planting again.

After the harvest, Madjana and Sewi end up buying rice for their families at higher prices than those at which they sold their paddy. Unhusked rice can only be stored in a warehouse for a maximum of six months.

Farmers would also prefer to have a stable price structure for their product so that they can determine precise expenditure and income.

Bulog president director Sutarto Alimoeso said the company had aggressively tried to absorb the commodity from farmers to help stabilize the price, and to prevent traders from speculating on prices.

Since April Bulog has raised its buying price ceiling to lure farmers to sell their rice to the company. "This strategy will cut out the role of the middle-man," said Sutarto.

But the company's effort to turn the game around seems to be difficult as brokers now offer farmers loans should they agree to sell their rice to them.

"We still need to sell the rice to the brokers as they provide loans," said Sutatang, a farmer from West Java. "The government often tells us to go to the bank if we want to get a loan. But the banks expect us to provide collateral, which we cannot provide."

Pork-barrel politics lure poor farmers

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Nani Afrida – Free seeds, fertilizers, farming tools and financial capital, funded by taxpayer money, are up for grabs for thousands of poor farmers. But, as the assistance is channeled by political actors, it comes on condition: political loyalty.

In the rice production center of Subang, West Java, for instance, farmers are held hostage by facilities provided by campaigners, linked either to the Islam-based Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS) or the ruling Democratic Party (PD).

These campaigners help broker relations between farmers with officials at the Agriculture Ministry or with politicians in Jakarta, who have the authority to channel various state-funded agriculture assistance.

"There has been an aggressive move by PKS and PD volunteers to buy our loyalty by giving us financial assistance, free seeds and fertilizers," said Toto Marwoto, a farmer from Cijambe district, Subang.

"For us that's really helpful, and we don't mind voting for either one of them," said Toto, whose area was formerly dominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P), before PKS and PD reduced its popularity in the 2009 general election.

However, not all farmers are fortunate in getting the assistance, particularly those who decided to stay out of politics. According to Mae Azar, a farmer from Gereged district in Cirebon, West Java, only those farmers who have links to parties will gain access to the assistance through their political representatives at provincial and central levels.

"It's hard for the farmers who have no political affiliation. If we take the assistance, we must support the party in the next election, including in its campaign," said Mae.

According to the chairman of the Progressive Farmers' and Fishermen's Association, Winarno Tohir, the use of the state budget to help gain future votes in rural areas has become a growing trend among politicians since 2009.

Politicians are regularly involved in distributing several agricultural assistance programs, with the largest one includes the rural agribusiness development program, or PUAP.

The government launched PUAP in 2008 through the Agriculture Ministry, of which the PKS has held the ministerial post since 2004. The program is aimed at curbing poverty and unemployment in villages by distributing capital to non-bank holding farmers' groups.

Each eligible group, consisting of up to 15 farmers, will receive Rp 100 million (US$11,700) annually, on agreement that the money is paid back within a certain period, so it can be used to help other farmers.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the government distributed Rp 1.05 trillion of PUAP funds to 10,542 farmers' groups in 2008, Rp 988 billion to 9,884 groups in 2009, and Rp 1 trillion to 10,000 groups in 2010.

Despite a lack of precise data showing the total amount of funding repaid by the groups so far, the government is aiming to distribute another Rp 1 trillion to 10,000 groups this year. However, critics have alleged PUAP's management of lacking transparency and accountability, leading to an opportunity for politicians to use the program to lure support in villages.

While the program is run solely under the auspices of the Agriculture Ministry, in practice, many politicians get involved and act as brokers between farmers' groups and ministry officials when determining funding.

Indications are rife that funds have also been channeled to fictitious farmers' groups.

Based on The Jakarta Post's observations in rice production centers at Subang, Cirebon, and Indramayu in West Java, a political party will often create fictitious farmer groups to secure funds. These groups are not registered as farmers' groups in any villages, but have received PUAP funding.

According to a source at the Agriculture Ministry, who declined to be named, a regional party member usually appoints his relatives to establish a fictitious group.

The member will propose the group to the party's representatives in the province and then to legislators in the House of Representatives, who will then liaise with the Agriculture Ministry to enable the fictitious group to receive the funds.

Funds channeled to such groups are used either to encourage farmers to support the political party in question, by providing them with free seeds and farming equipment, or for local election campaigns.

PD legislator Herman Chairon denied his party creates fictitious groups, but admitted that the party was extended the privilege from the Agriculture Ministry to select farmers' groups eligible to receive the fund.

"We have a privilege from the minister to select our own farmers' groups eligible to receive funding," said Herman, who is also a member of the House's Commission IV for agriculture, fisheries and food.

However, West Java agriculture agency official Erdono, who works as an agricultural instructor for farmers, confirmed that he had trained several members from fictitious farmer groups. "The fictitious groups usually consist of 50 percent farmers and 50 percent party activists who have no land and no prior experience in farming."

Officials like Erdono are tasked specifically to help farmers' groups in West Java to manage the money they receive from the PUAP program.

PKS legislator Refrizal, who is also a Commission IV member, also denied his party's role in brokering for the fund. However, he believes that using fund through the PUAP program is a normal practice to help constituents, particularly farmers.

"They have appointed us as their representatives, so it's obvious that we [should] pay them back with any assistance that we can provide."

Lost in the field: Political interests blocking agriculture development

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

This is the first of two reports on agriculture development in Indonesia – an alleged victim of political misappropriation in many rural areas, where efforts to increase productivity for the greater public good have been sidelined by vested interests. The Jakarta Post's Nani Afrida explores the issue:

As the nation's main staple food, rice has always been a political commodity, and this also translates into policies aimed at improving Indonesia's rice output.

Pork-barrel policies and rent-seeking businesses related to fertilizer subsidies and rice imports are among areas politicians allegedly manipulate to secure resources to buy new voters or maintain support in rural areas.

The rural agribusiness development program, known locally by the acronym PUAP, is a stark example of a pork-barrel strategy applied by politicians to garner rice farmers support.

After launching the program in 2008, the Agriculture Ministry – a government department that has been headed by the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) since 2004 – has spent around Rp 1 trillion (US$116 million) annually to entertain farmers.

Critics have pointed out the lack of accountability of the policy since the funds are not awarded competitively and most farmers that have received them (in the form of soft loans) have failed to pay them back.

"It's hard for farmers who have no political affiliations. If we take the fund, we must support a certain political party in the next election, including in its campaigns," said Mae Azar, a rice farmer from Gereged district in Cirebon, West Java.

Around 44.1 million people work as farmers, accounting for 42 percent of the country's total workforce of 105 million people.

Political expert Arbi Sanit from the University of Indonesia says the PKS has gained most from the agriculture policy by using Agriculture Ministry resources to garner support.

"Traditionally, PKS constituents are mostly people at universities and in cities. And now they're trying to win the hearts and minds of farmers by giving out agriculture equipment and funds," Arbi said. "They're using state facilities to bribe farmers."

As a coalition member of the President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono camp, PKS appointed its member Anton Apriantono as agriculture minister during the 2004-2009 term, and senior politician Suswono for 2009-2014.

According to Arbi, while the party has been attempting to expand into rural areas since 2004, it has had limited success in doing so. "They have to compete with other parties, particularly Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle [PDI-P], which already have strong footholds there."

During the 2009 general election, PKS secured 7.89 percent of the ballot, up slightly from 7.34 percent in 2004.

Deputy agriculture minister Bayu Khrisnamurti denied the allegations that his institution was facilitating political activities. "I assure you we're very professional in carrying out our job," Bayu said.

PKS legislator Makmur Hasanuddin also denied that the party was using the Agriculture Ministry to expand into rural areas.

"We have additional votes from rural areas, but that's not because of facilities provided by the ministry," said Makmur, who is also a member of House of Representatives' Commission IV overseeing agriculture, fisheries and food. "The party just makes sure the ministry realizes its pledge to provide assistance to farmers."

But the PKS is not the only party vying for a slice of resources from the agriculture policy.

Most politicians have long maintained a whopping subsidy for fertilizer despite the fact that the assistance program has been deemed ineffective and mired with allegations of embezzlement.

The Vice President's office has also noted its suspicion that the huge subsidy is being maintained because there are rewards given to politicians from businesses that benefit from it.

Legislators have the final say in determining the amount of the subsidies allocated, albeit against the government proposal. Makmur denied the allegations, saying that discussions over the subsidy were initiated by the government.

Fertilizers were not subsidized until the 1998 financial crisis. The policy to grant the subsidy was then introduced as a temporary measure to help farmers cope with the crisis. As the price of chemical fertilizers has declined, farmers are now held hostage by an irrational use of the commodity.

But farmers, at the same time, are also confronted with difficulties in getting access to fertilizer during rice planting seasons, due to hoarding by speculators.

This year, the government and the House agreed to earmark Rp 16.3 trillion for the fertilizer subsidy, less than the Rp 18.4 trillion allocated last year. According to Suswono, the subsidy will be gradually reduced as there are indications of graft and mismanagement in the distribution of the fertilizer.

The subsidies are given to five state-owned fertilizer companies so they can sell the fertilizer at below market prices. But at a distribution level, the fertilizers have been regularly siphoned off to ineligible recipients, such as big plantation companies, here and overseas.

Vested interests are also at play in a protracted rent-seeking business at state logistics agency Bulog, which this year has around Rp 16 trillion to spend on securing rice and sugar reserves, as well as keeping their prices stable to avoid spiking inflation.

Over the past 10 years, the graft-infested company has claimed the fall of several top politicians and high-ranking officials.

Golkar patron Akbar Tandjung was sentenced to four years in prison for bribery related to Bulog in 2001, but was later acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2002. Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid was impeached by legislators in 2001 following allegations in another bribery case related to Bulog.

Despite its notorious record, Bulog's charm as a cash cow remains. And now, the contentious point of debate between politicians and government officials is related to a decision to allow Bulog to import rice this year to help secure its reserves.

Rice imports have always been a controversial issue, since they are allegedly plagued with graft. Importing rice is also said to hurt local farmers because it reduces the price of rice. If approved, the import is estimated to be worth more than Rp 3 trillion, and is scheduled for delivery in September.

The Agriculture Ministry has rejected the import policy, arguing that the country's rice reserves should be sufficient with a rice surplus of an estimated 4 million tons.

"If there's a possibility of a surplus, I think it'll be wise for Bulog to terminate any import plan," said the ministry's director general of food crops, Udhoro Kasih Anggoro.

The ministry's stance has been supported by most legislators on House's Commission IV. However, Bulog has insisted otherwise, claiming the company has had difficulties buying rice from farmers and filling its reserves because there was actually not enough rice available.

"I know many people don't like me [because of the rice import policy], but I have to do what the President has told me to do – to prevent a possible famine," said Bulog president director Sutarto Alimoeso, Yudhoyono's high school pal.

Agriculture analyst Bustanul Arifin from Lampung University said the policy related to rice production and management had always been mired with vested interests.

"Policy makers tend to take benefits from unstable rice prices. Instead of resolving this by improving agriculture infrastructure, they prefer to take a shortcut and import, which we believe is always beset with rent-seeking," he said.

Bustanul said the government had successfully banned rice imports in 2008, when it relied on domestic output to keep prices stable. "But I believe the decision was made more to lure rural votes just ahead of the 2009 election by creating an impression that the administration was siding with local farmers."

What's at stake this year?

Production of unhusked rice is unlikely to meet the target of 70 million tons, but is up by 2.4% to 68.06%. Volatility in rice prices was the largest inflation driver in 2010, and is estimated to remain this year.
Corn production to decline by 5.1% to 17.39 million tons
Soybean production to decline by 9.66% to 87,590 tons.

[Source: Central Statistics Agency]

Bulog's charm lured many into fee-seeking business

Jakarta Post - July 27, 2011

This is the second of two reports on misappropriation in agricultural development. The Jakarta Post's Nani Afrida explores the controversy surrounding rice imports, and poor agricultural infrastructure in rice production centers. Here are the stories:

State logistics company PT Bulog's president director, Sutarto Alimoeso, is fully aware of the hot seat he is currently in. A job that has landed many of his predecessors, and top politicians, in jail for graft cases related to the company's business.

Despite the notoriety, Bulog's charm remains, attracting many politicians to use the company as their cash cow. But what exactly draws politicians into wanting a share in the rent-seeking business with Bulog?

The company has around Rp 16 trillion (US$1.88 billion) this year to spend on securing rice and sugar reserves, as well as keeping their prices stable to avoid spiking inflation. Another Rp 3 trillion will be added, should the government finally agree to give the green-light for the company to import rice this year.

"I know many people don't like me," said Sutarto, an old high-school friend of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. "Political pressure is so heavy given Bulog's notorious reputation as a graft-infested company," said the former Agriculture Ministry bureaucrat.

Allegations of exploitation and fees-seeking regularly resound around Bulog's plan to import rice. The Cabinet was recently divided over the rice import policy, with Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, and Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, in the supporting camp, while Agriculture Minister Suswono was on the opposing side.

Suswono's stance is also supported by his Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS), the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The three parties have advocated for the removal of Sutarto.

They argued that imported rice would create more dependency on other countries and create losses for farmers, as rice prices will plunge. But keeping the price of rice lower and stable is just what rice-import supporters expect.

"The imports will help stabilize rice prices and keep inflation low. Rice has always accounted as the key contributor to our inflation," said Hatta.

The license to grant rice imports is granted by a coordinating meeting led by Hatta. Until now, no decision has been taken.

"Bulog spends trillions of rupiah mostly to import rice. They should instead spend it to boost rice production," said Firman Soebagyo, the House of Representatives' vice chairman for Commission IV overseeing agriculture, fisheries and food. "We suspect something questionable is going on with the rice import plan."

A senior bureaucrat with the Agriculture Ministry, who requested on anonymity as the issue is deemed sensitive, said Bulog could not justify the reasons behind the imports.

"There's something odd with the company's data. They claimed our rice reserves had reached the minimum level and that they couldn't buy the rice from farmers to increase the reserves, as supply was tight," said the bureaucrat. "But last year, there was a surplus of around 4 million tons. Where are they now?"

He said Bulog was supposed to absorb rice from farmers at the right time and right price before deciding to import. Sutarto refused to comment on the 4 million tons' discrepancy in the country's rice reserves.

The country actually has a success story of keeping rice prices stable in 2008 without having to import, the first time since 1982. The policy was taken ahead of the 2009 general election. After the election, Bulog imported rice in December, 2009, amid stable prices.

But Sutarto argued the import policy was justified to keep the price stable and keep inflation low. The problem, he said, was with the implementation of the imports, which were often plagued with graft.

Sutarto claimed Bulog had reformed its rice importing mechanism to prevent graft. Previously, when the government announced a plan to import rice, importers – mostly Bulog's old-time brokers, operating since the Soeharto era – would come to Bulog and offer a price.

"But I rejected the brokers' proposals as the prices were dubious, preferring to fly to Vietnam and Thailand to buy the rice myself," said Sutarto. "In the past, Bulog just sat and waited for the rice to arrive as arranged by the brokers. But that's an old practice."

Sutarto said many brokers come to his office to offer their services, but none were accepted. "I think they are angry over my rejection and have used various parties to attack us," said Sutarto, refusing to elaborate.

Among the parties are businessmen with close ties to politicians who opposed the rice imports.

Legislator Firman Soebayo denied the allegation, saying that the reform at Bulog was not effective because many old officials and players who were allegedly involved in graft cases were still roaming around at the company.

During the past 10 years, three Bulog president directors – Beddu Amang, Rahardi Ramelan and Widjarnarko Puspoyo – have been convicted for graft.
Beddu and Rahardi were known as Golkar financiers, while Widjanarko was with the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P).
Former vice president Jusuf Kalla was once Bulog president director in 2000 but was fired by then president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, due to alleged graft.
Golkar patron Akbar Tandjung was sentenced to four years in prison for bribery relating to Bulog in 2001, but was later acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2002.
Gus Dur was impeached by legislators in 2001 following allegations in another bribery case relating to Bulog.
Most of the graft cases afflicting the officials and the politicians revolved around fees paid by brokers in rice import deals.
In 2006, several Commission IV legislators launched an investigation to detect graft in rice imports. Although the Commission managed to gather some evidence of the graft, the case was sealed off.

How graft occurs in rice imports:

1. During government-to-government negotiations, officials will agree to inflate the price of the imported rice, and then split the proceeds of the higher price among themselves.

2. During a negotiation between Bulog partners and their foreign counterparts, they agree to inflate the price of the imported rice, and then split the proceeds of the higher price among themselves.

3. Direct appointment of companies to import rice during an emergency rice shortage. The appointed companies will pay a certain amount of "success fees" to Bulog officials. 4. Bulog officials manipulate fluctuations in the price of rice to justify rice imports and to stabilize the price.

5. Inflating the amount of the import price and selling the discrepancy on the black market.

[Source: State Logistics Agency (Bulog)]

Food Law revision bill must uphold food sovereignty: NGOs

Jakarta Post - July 25, 2011

Jakarta – A group of NGOs have called on lawmakers to include principles of food sovereignty in their draft revision to the 1996 Food Law to protect local farmers. The House of Representatives is still drafting the revision, which will be deliberated after legislators return from recess.

Activists said the substance of bill was a far cry from the principles of food sovereignty, a term coined by supporters of Via Campesina or the Peasants' Way, an international movement involving farmers who fight for their right to produce and define their food systems.

"Access to food is seen as only the people's ability to purchase food, not their right to food," the NGOs said in a statement last week.

M. Islah from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) said that the bill did not guarantee people's right to food as it considered food merely as a commodity.

"Anything related to food should be seen in the perspective of food sovereignty to ensure that land for food production is protected from extractive industries."

The NGOs said they were aware that the bill stipulated that the government guaranteed the livelihoods of farmers by providing land and financing for them, but said that given current conditions, they doubted that the government could abide by the bill.

Islah criticized the government for allowing the management of land belonging to farmers to fall into the hands of companies.

He cited the example of Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate, where "private firms PT Rajawali and PT Medco Energi Papua took over management of forests belonging to local farmers and transformed them into oil palm plantations".

Islah said the government handed over their responsibility to the companies. "What happens next to the farmers is not food sovereignty, but food vulnerability," he added.

Inda Fatinaware from the department of environment and social risk mitigation at NGO Sawit Watch, expressed the same concerns. She said land conversion by companies threatened farmers' livelihoods.

"We cannot balance continued population growth with agriculture land. Unfortunately, the amount of land available continues to decrease due to conversion and other uses by big companies," she said.

Yuyun Harmono, the program officer of the Anti-Debt Coalition, said that even paid farmers accepted very low pay, well below the minimum wage.

The latest data from the Association of Indonesian Agriculture Graduates in July 2011 showed that farmers on average accepted very low monthly pay. Those with half a hectare of land accepted Rp 750,000 (US$87.95) per month. "Farmers who do not own land accept only Rp 250,000 per month," Yuyun said.

He said the issue would worsen as 40 percent to 60 percent of the money was spent on fulfilling daily needs. Therefore, the agriculture sector no longer attracted young men to become farmers. "Most farmers are more than 45 years old," Yuyun said. (fem)

Social security & welfare

Students warn government to improve people's welfare

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Arya Dipa, Bandung – A forum held by university students concluded that the government failed to bring prosperity to the people.

The students claimed to have assessed the government's performance and had included in the so-called Siliwangi Declaration read out at Bandung's Indonesian Education University (UPI).

The declaration was drawn up during a working meeting of the National Association of University Student Executive Bodies (BEM SI) in Bandung on July 24 by 143 participants from 68 higher learning institutes. Forum delegates "gave" the government until Oct. 20 to evaluate and improve people's welfare.

Forum coordinator M. Sayyidi said the date would also mark the seventh year since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's came to power. "If the government fails to carry out changes by Oct. 20, we can't be held responsible for an escalation of actions against the government," he threatened.

The Siliwangi Declaration states that the government failed to protect people, provide affordable education, enforce the law and eradicate corruption.

The students demanded the government resolve the Bank Century bailout scandal, trace the flow of funds in the tax corruption case of convicted tax officer Gayus Tambunan, arrest Democrat Party treasurer M. Nazaruddin and fellow fugitive Nunun Nurbaeti, as well as revoke presidential instructions and decrees governing food issues.

They said they also expected the President to guarantee food security in the country when he makes his state of the nation address on Aug. 16, and called on the government to approve the social security and insurance bill and effectively implement the regulation to allocate 20 percent of the budget to education, excluding teaching payrolls.

University of Indonesia BEM president Maman Abdurrahman said the students' criticism was not aimed at any person, but at policies.

"However, if the government continues with its failed policies, the blame could fall on leaders. So policies must be evaluated and we expect the government to respond positively to our demands," he said.

"[Yudhoyono] must get out of his comfort zone and stop dwelling on his image at the expense of sluggish and indecisive actions. That is reform," Maman added.

Union requests review on Social Security Law

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Jakarta – The State Enterprises Workers Union (FSP BUMN) filed on Monday for a judicial review of the 2004 Social Security Law with the Constitutional Court, saying that the court should revoke the article stating that employers should contribute funds to the system.

FSP BUMN filed against 18 of 53 articles of the law, particularly Article 17, which states that citizens should pay a certain amount of money to cover health, workplace accidents and death benefit plans, old age risks and pension insurance.

FSP BUMN chairman Arief Poyuono said that Article 38 of the Constitution mandated that the state guaranteed citizens' social insurance. "The article says that all citizens have the right to social welfare and to have the state guarantee their social insurance. The insurance should be free and covered entirely by the state," he said.

Armed forces & defense

Indonesian army given anti-terrorism role

Straits Times - July 26, 2011

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja – Indonesia is bringing the army into the fight against terrorism, authorizing military officers to do everything from investigating suspected terrorists to telling radical preachers to tone down sermons.

Taking advantage of the existing military structure found even in remote villages, the army will also help in a "preventive" role in the fight against terror, national Anti-Terror Agency (BNPT) chief Ansyaad Mbai said yesterday.

Among other things, the army will monitor overseas-trained clerics who return to their villages immediately, he said.

The fight against terrorism in Indonesia has so far been led by the police and a crack counter-terrorism squad. But they have increasingly been the victims of shootings and bombings themselves.

In the past two years, around 700 terrorist suspects have been arrested, with some shot dead in police raids, while the counter-terrorism squad Detachment 88 destroyed a militant training camp in Aceh province in February last year.

Brigadier-General Tito Karnavian, deputy chief of the BNPT, said "the third generation of terrorists is emerging" in 14 of Indonesia's 33 provinces. "These are not Afghanistan war veterans or those trained by the war veterans. These are people who have self-radicalized,' he said.

The army's wide-reaching structure stems from the days of former president Suharto, who used the military not just for defense and security, but to promote national development and political stability.

This structure "paralleled the civilian bureaucracy down to village level", said a research paper on Indonesian military reform published in April by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

It "facilitated political surveillance and police functions by monitoring and controlling the activities of political parties, religious groups, social organizations and trade unions", said the paper's authors.

In 1999, as the process of democratic reform in Indonesia began, the police were separated from the military. Since then, civil society activists have rejected any sign of the army – thought to be around 430,000-strong – getting involved in public security. That job has been left to the police, thought to number around 350,000.

But Ansyaad said: "We know that carrying out this territorial role is legal... and it can help prevent terrorism once there are early signs of it."

He was speaking at a day-long forum attended by around 500 top government, police and military officials, as well as state prosecutors. The forum was to mark the first anniversary of the BNPT and to update state organizations on trends in terrorism. Army chief Pramono Edhie Wibowo agreed, saying: "Terrorism is everyone's problem."

Army Commissioner General Agus Suryabakti called on the officers stationed in the regencies and villages to get to know residents, mingle and socialize, and find out more about those who tend to isolate themselves or who try to tell fellow villagers who should pray in which mosque.

"Do your analysis, map out the situation and then report it to the police. And no, we do not use force. Previously, our weapons were firearms, now our weapon is our smile," he told the participants.

But much-publicized military brutality in Indonesia – which human rights groups say continues in the restive province of Papua – is likely to make activists chafe at the army's involvement in anti-terrorism efforts.

"That would interfere with the freedom of expression," Poengky Indarti, executive director of human rights watchdog Imparsial, told The Straits Times. She added: "It is not the duty of military officers to spy on civilians, or on people giving sermons. This would be intervention."

Army chief hesitant on TNI's terror role

Jakarta Post - July 27, 2011

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The Army's top soldier says that the Indonesian Military (TNI) is "not confident" about a recent proposal to involve the TNI in domestic counterterrorism efforts.

"I must admit there have been hesitations among us. We do not want to be accused of abuses of power anymore, like in the past," Army chief Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo said during a meeting with reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Pramono referred to the TNI's violent repression of civilians at the hands of the New Order regime under former president Soeharto.

The TNI, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and the National Police agreed to give the military a role in domestic counterterrorism efforts during a coordination meeting led by the BNPT on Monday.

All 151 of the TNI's military district (Kodim) commanders and around 350 local police chiefs attended the meeting.

Pramono, who is the brother-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said that the TNI would have to establish good coordination and communications with the National Police to curb potential overlapping authorities as it developed its counterterrorism role.

"Yesterday's coordinating meeting with the BNPT and the police was a good start. I hope the meeting can help us find the best method of communication to learn about each institution's role to avoid conflicts and curb hesitation among the TNI's members," Prabowo said.

At the meeting, the BNPT said that the TNI, with its vast network of territorial commands, was well-suited to the "early detection" of terrorism and in curbing local "religious radicals".

"TNI members have the ability to engage in effective social talks with communities, which will be helpful in building civilian power to fight radicalism and dissuade extreme individuals or groups," Pramono said.

He cited the example of the deadly explosion at an Islamic boarding school in Sonolo village in Bima regency, West Nusa Tenggara, two weeks ago, as an example of a preventable incident.

"How could such activities inside the school not be detected for so long? And yet, after the explosion, police officers were not allowed to enter the school," Pramono said when discussing the negative impact of poor relations between the National Police and the local community.

On potentially overlapping police and military authorities, Pramono said: "We will continue to intensify communication with our brothers in brown," referring to the National Police.

Al Araf, program director for the human rights NGO Imparsial, was critical of the proposal, saying that the decision to involve the TNI in domestic counterterrorism was "premature". He said the TNI might play a role only if terrorist attacks "became too massive and the police could no longer go it alone".

Citing the 2004 Indonesian Military Law, Al Araf said that only the President could authorize military operations during peacetime, "not the BNPT chief nor the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister."

Al Araf said that the military should not be involved with de- radicalization initiatives or community-level counterterrorism deterrence measures.

"The government should utilize the Religious Affairs and National Education Ministries as well as its apparatus down to the sub-district level to play that kind of roles. That will be more effective," he said.

Lawmaker Tubagus Hasanuddin of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) also criticized the TNI's potential involvement in counterterrorism.

"The BNPT should develop a concept for counterterrorism operations and explain the TNI's role in the operation. The President should then make a political decision to determine whether to involve the TNI in the operation or not," he said.

TNI to leave barracks to root out radicalism

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Officials from the National Antiterrorism Agency (BNPT), the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police have agreed that the TNI must take the initiative domestically to curb religious radicals.

"We have demanded the TNI's participation through their vast network of territorial commands to persuade individuals or groups to abandon radical teachings," BNPT chief Ansyaad Mbai.

"For example, the TNI might visit a cleric who spreads hate speech and radicalism during Friday prayers, and persuade him to deliver more peaceful sermons."

The TNI, Ansyaad said, could also enlist the Babinsa, non-commissioned officers assigned to villages to promote development, to counter radicals.

The decision to involve the TNI was emphasized during an inaugural BNPT coordination meeting on Tuesday that was attended by all 151 of the TNI's military district (Kodim) commanders and around 350 district police chiefs.

The meeting was also attended by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, TNI chief Adm. Agus Suhartono, Army chief Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo and National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo.

Despite the fall of the Soeharto's authoritarian New Order in 1998, the TNI's leaders continue to believe that internal threats to the nation's stability are greater than external threats.

The belief is reflected in the TNI's command structure. The Army continues to maintain bases at the district, regency, municipal and provincial levels that were previously used to gather intelligence, oppress Soeharto's political opponents, and quash religious radicalism and communists.

While the TNI no longer functions malevolently as it did previously, most officers and soldiers stationed at TNI bases currently stand idle. There are currently more than 400,000 active duty TNI personnel 470,000 National Police officers.

The BNPT's deputy for prevention and de-radicalization, Maj. Gen. Agus SB, said at the meeting that the TNI already had the legal and command infrastructure in place to carry out the job.

"From now on, don't let the Babinsa and the Kodam chiefs stand idly by doing nothing. They should take the initiative to map out radicals in their territory," Agus said.

Agus dismissed concerns of human rights activists that an increased role for the TNI in quashing radicalism might augur a return to the repressive and violent methods used during the New Order. "We don't use guns as a weapon when we approach a cleric as in the old days. Our smile is now our weapon in persuasion efforts," Agus SD said.

Ansyaad emphasized that the TNI would not have the authority to detain people, which was the sole remit of the National Police as the enforcers of security.

"Don't get me wrong. The TNI is not authorized to detain people, but they can grab hold of somebody who might harm others and then transfer him or her to the police for prosecution," Ansyaad said.

Army chief Pramono said he instructed all Army officers to cooperate with police to fight radicalism and terrorism. "The focus is on prevention. For that reason, the TNI and the police can take the initiative simultaneously and share intelligence."

Indonesia, with the world's largest Muslim-majority population, has seen five major terrorist attacks in the past eight years, including the first Bali bombing in 2002, which killed more than 200 people, most of whom were foreign tourists.

The nation has not seen a major attack since the bombing of the J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in 2009.

Judicial & legal system

Supreme Court drops its case against judicial watchdog

Jakarta Globe - July 30, 2011

Nivell Rayda – The Supreme Court announced on Friday that it had withdrawn its defamation claim against a member of the Judicial Commission, the body charged with overseeing the court system.

Peter Kurniawan, a lawyer representing the court, said that Suparman Marzuki had issued an apology during a closed meeting between the two institutions on Tuesday, following which the court immediately retracted its complaint. "We have withdrawn our police report, thus ending the dispute between the Supreme Court and Suparman Marzuki," the lawyer said.

Suparman, Peter said, had renounced his remarks, published by a number of local media outlets, alleging that prospective judges need only pay Supreme Court officials Rp 300 million ($35,000) to secure a position, and an additional Rp 275 million to become head of one of Jakarta's district courts.

Earlier this month, Suparman denied making such remarks, saying he was only responding to a question posed by a journalist about such practices. He claimed he only said that he was familiar with the allegations, and that people had reported it to the Judicial Commission.

"Supreme Court Chief Justice [Harifin Tumpa] welcomed the apology," Peter said. "Because we withdrew the complaint, all police investigations into the matter were automatically halted."

On July 15, the Supreme Court announced it was ready to settle the dispute out of court, just days after filing a report with the National Police.

"The most important thing is for the public to know that there is no such thing [bribery in the court]," Harifin said previously. "If the Judicial Commission has information [regarding bribery] please show it to us and we will prosecute those involved."

Harifin previously acknowledged that court officials had made "false promises" like those alleged in the past, but the people involved were investigated and dismissed from the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission have for years been engaged in a battle over which body has the authority to punish rogue judges. The Supreme Court argues that the Judicial Commission has too much power, while the Judicial Commission claims the court is not serious about handing out sanctions.

Intelligence & state security

Security bill will not prompt return to Suharto-era intimidation: Ministry

Jakarta Globe - July 28, 2011

Ismira Lutfia – The Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday that a controversial draft bill on national security was not an attempt to return to the country's repressive past.

"The bill only outlines the potential threats we might face and how we deal with them," the minister, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, said at a meeting with the editors-in-chief of the country's major media outlets.

Purnomo said the bill would be designed to cope with the "paradigm shift" in national security, where threats had moved beyond the conventional ones. He said the contemporary threats to national security were mostly non- military and the draft bill, if passed into law, would define what constituted a threat, as well as outline the appropriate response measures.

"So we know exactly what our position is [against the threats]," Purnomo said. He added that in the case of an emergency, the national security bill would dictate which government body would assume the main responsibility, the scope of its authority and the duration of the emergency situation.

The role of intelligence agents, one of the contentious issues in the bill, was also discussed, with Purnomo describing them as "the eyes and ears that provide valuable input to the National Security Council [DKN]."

Sjafrie Sjamsuddin, the deputy defense minister, said that unlike in the past, intelligence agents were no longer given any real power. "They are not granted any authority, they are only state instruments to gather information that serves as inputs to draw conclusions," he said.

The State Intelligence Agency (BIN), Sjafrie said, had over the years undergone considerable reform, just like other national defense and security units.

The draft bill has faced stiff resistance from rights and pro-democracy groups who worry that the bill would see a return to the time when intelligence agents had the power to arrest and detain suspects.

"There have been reforms on the structure and attitude within the intelligence agency, they are not working for a [certain] power and they don't have any power," Sjafrie said.

Meanwhile, Defence Ministry official Pos M. Hutabarat, said there were no provisions in the bill that were open to interpretation or that could pose a threat to press freedom, as the Press Council argued last month.

In contrast to a number of his colleagues, Pos said the national security bill was not in fact designed to become an "umbrella bill" for a slew of laws and regulations on defense and security. The bill, he said, was an attempt to address the loopholes not covered by those laws.

Pos said matters of implementation and supervision were not covered in the bill, but rather were included in other security-related laws, including regulations on the National Police and others.

Infrastructure & development

SBY warns of subsidy cuts to boost infrastructure

Jakarta Globe - July 25, 2011

Dion Bisara – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed on Monday to boost spending on infrastructure next year at the cost of subsidy cuts on programs including fuel and electricity to trim the budget deficit.

"I don't want this government work plan and the state budget proposal to be merely mechanical, every year just the same with a few modifications here and there," Yudhoyono said before a cabinet meeting to discuss the 2012 state budget. "It must be based on priorities and agendas we've set beforehand."

Economists and international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have urged Indonesia to prioritize infrastructure development in order to achieve economic growth. They argue that Indonesia has been constrained by high subsidy expenditure, especially for fuel and power, and those costs accounted for around 15 percent of this year's state budget.

"Reducing the subsidies could create fiscal space for other purposes, the most important being for infrastructure," said Eric Alexander Sugandi, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in Jakarta. "The government has to make sure that those funds are disbursed."

Last week the House of Representatives agreed to spend an additional Rp 33 trillion ($3.8 billion) on fuel subsidies, as the government failed to control subsidized fuel consumption.

According to data from downstream oil and gas regulator BPH Migas, subsidized fuel consumption in the first six months reached 19.6 million kiloliters, or 51 percent of the 38.5 million kiloliter quota set in the state budget. The government then raised this year's quota to 41 million kiloliters in the revised budget approved by lawmakers last week.

The revised 2011 budget raised energy subsidies across the board, earmarking Rp 127.9 trillion for fuel and Rp 65.6 trillion for electricity subsidies – a 61 percent increase over last year's budgeted electricity funds. The revised budget totals Rp 1,320.8 trillion, up from original forecasts of Rp 1,229.6 trillion.

Milan Zavadjil, the IMF's resident representative for Indonesia, said subsidy spending only weakened the country's budget, limiting government capacity to spend on infrastructure development and social works.

In the revised budget the government has earmarked Rp 136.9 trillion for spending on such infrastructure projects as roads, bridges and ports. That was 0.6 percent less than the original sum of Rp 137.8 trillion.

Hatta Rajasa, the coordinating minister for the economy, said that government capital spending will increase next year from this year. "It must be substantially larger for our economy to be expansive," Hatta said after Monday's cabinet meeting in Jakarta. He also said that the government aimed to cut subsidies in 2012, but he refused to elaborate.

"It's not for me to say the number, but the president will announce that in his budget speech," he said. Yudhoyono will announce next year's budget in a public address on Aug. 17.

Armida Alisjahbana, head of the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), said the government's main priority in capital spending would be on transportation. "This sector is vital," Armida said, adding that future savings on subsidized fuel would go toward spending on public transportation projects.

Economy & investment

Indonesian economy grew in Q2, profits indicate

Jakarta Globe - July 31, 2011

Dion Bisara & Faisal Maliki Bakoro – Profits at some of the largest companies in Indonesia rose in the second quarter, boosting the case that the economy grew during that period.

Bank Mandiri's net income in the April-June period rose 25 percent to Rp 2.54 trillion ($300 million) from a year earlier. The lender, viewed as a bellwether for the banking industry because it is the largest by assets, saw strong growth in its lending.

The second-quarter figures for Mandiri and other companies were compiled by subtracting first-quarter data from unaudited first-half income statements that were released last week.

Mandiri's net interest margin – the percentage-point difference between the rate it charges on loans and the rate it pays depositors – remained steady from the first quarter to the end of the second quarter at 5.2 percent.

Still, profit growth slowed from the 89 percent rate in the first quarter, when it booked a Rp 1.3 trillion gain from the one-time sale of Garuda Indonesia shares.

At Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Mandiri's closest rival, second-quarter net income jumped 62 percent to Rp 3.53 trillion. That was larger than the 52 percent increase for the first quarter, as micro-lending, which makes up about a third of the bank's total loan portfolio, increased.

Achmad Baiquni, BRI's finance director, expressed confidence about the prospect of the bank doubling its profit in the second half, particularly because it focused on micro-lending.

Those loans disburse as little as Rp 100,000 to small businesses or sole proprietors and carry interest rates of about 24 percent, compared with commercial lending interest of about 12 percent. "Loan growth may look slow, but most of the loans disbursed are micro-credits," Achmad said.

Astra International, a conglomerate that controls the largest publicly traded plantation and the biggest auto distributor, had a 25 percent increase in second-quarter profit, to Rp 4.29 trillion.

Sinar Mas Agro, the nation's second-biggest publicly traded plantation operator, saw profit skyrocket almost sevenfold to Rp 580 billion. It benefited from higher prices for crude palm oil.

Net income at Telekomunikasi Indonesia fell 3.7 percent to Rp 3.11 trillion on a jump in expenses.

For Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier, the Ramadan season, which starts today, is likely to boost profitability. Its loss in the second quarter dropped to Rp 2.1 billion from Rp 183.6 billion in the first quarter, when expenses climbed on higher fuel costs. Emirsyah Satar, Garuda's president director, was optimistic the airline would return to profitability by the end of this year as demand picked up during religious celebrations. "Fuel, which accounts for 30 percent of our costs, is our biggest challenge," he said.

With companies reporting large profit increases in the second quarter, some analysts forecast faster growth for the economy. Manufacturing data shows that year-on-year industrial production rose 9.2 percent in May, the fastest rate in three years.

The economy probably grew 6.8 percent in the second quarter, according to David Sumual, an economist at Bank Central Asia, after expanding 6.5 percent in the first quarter.

Analysis & opinion

By the way...: Are our politicians clowning around or are they serious?

Jakarta Post - July 31, 2011

Pandaya – It seems that national politics gets more muddled every day. The media is filled with depressing news, from corruption, malfunctioning bureaucracy to communal violence.

Six Indonesian students won medals in a recent math Olympics in Amsterdam and a young woman won an honor at this year's Miss Deaf World contest in Prague are the few things that have uplifted our spirits as political elites were busy trying to save their skins.

The other good news is that our leaders have been honing their theatrical skills instead of trying to silence their critics with guns as rulers in other parts of the world have been doing.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono, who has been slammed as a weak leader, has revealed his interest in taking up a new profession as a futurologist once his term in office ends in 2014 and probably giving up his glorious political career.

"Someday, when I retire from the presidency, I may join your exciting field and may even form a club of futurology," he said when addressing a gathering of world futurologists in Jakarta on Wednesday. Yudhoyono's idea could raise eyebrows in Indonesia where a futurology is easily confused with fortune-telling mysticism still widely practiced in this age of high technology.

Then on Friday, House Speaker Marzuki Alie – from Yudhoyono's ruling Democratic Party – whose ideas have often draw fierce criticism, set the world on fire by proposing that the much celebrated Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) be disbanded and that embezzlers of state money be pardoned if they gave back their loot.

He reasoned that none of the candidates vying for a leadership post at the KPK were qualified enough to lead the "independent" body while people increasingly lose their trust in the corrupt conventional judiciary and police.

Marzuki said he was tired of the KPK, which has sent dozens of corrupt lawmakes to prison, after graft fugitive Democratic Party colleague Muhammad Nazaruddin accused incumbent KPK leaders of taking bribes "just like other robbers".

Well, let's hope Marzuki was only being facetious as he was tired of desperately defending more of his fellow lawmakers who face graft allegations.

How can the chief representative of the people entertain such a wild idea as killing off the antigraft body when Indonesia remains one of the most corrupt countries on the planet?

I wonder if Marzuki will also insist that the Yudhoyono administration be disbanded too because critics have accused it of leading Indonesia into becoming a failed state.

Then he will hopefully propose that the House be dissolved too because it is perceived as the most corrupt institution and nobody trusts it anymore. Or, it would be more appropriate if he also seeks to dissolve the Democratic Party because its politicians are implicated in graft cases.

The hunt for Nazaruddin, who reportedly fled to Singapore on May 23, just a day before he was named a suspect in a Rp 191 billion (US$22.46 million) Southeast Asian Games construction project in South Sumatra, has made a laughing stock of the Democratic Party for three months.

It seems that the former Democratic Party treasurer has so far outwitted police and the KPK because he enjoys the protection of powerful figures who don't want to see him unveil a great conspiracy from his hiding place.

How can he elude the police and KPK – and even Interpol – in such a spectacular way yet still grant television and telephone interviews to the media in Indonesia to attack the KPK and Democratic Party leaders without authorities being able to locate his position with their state of the art technology?

If this whole affair had happened in Japan or South Korea, where the culture of shame is serious, the police and KPK chiefs could have committed suicide!

I am one of those convinced that a bread jingle heard in the middle of his interview with MetroTV the other day suggests that Nazaruddin is in fact in hiding somewhere in Indonesia.

There is no good reason to believe Nazaruddin's claim that the unmistakeable song was his mobile ring tone unless he was the owner of the venture. Or do you buy it? The police sleuths should follow bread vendors in major cities who play the recorded jingle as they pedal along. Who knows, luck may be on their side and they may bump into Nazaruddin.

Resolving conflict in Indonesia

Jakarta Post - July 30, 2011

Michael Vatikiotis, Singapore – These days it's so easy to look back at the past decade and marvel at Indonesia's transition to democracy.

But there are lessons to be learned from the successes and the failures of the reform era. One of the stand-out successes has been the country's ability to manage and resolve conflict.

The end of the authoritarian era under President Soeharto unleashed violent centrifugal forces that resulted in the deaths of thousands in places like West Kalimantan, Maluku and Poso in Central Sulawesi, and displaced more than a million people. The reform era also resulted in the ending of a long-running separatist conflict in Aceh.

There is much to be learned from the methods used to manage these conflicts. Although the case of Aceh is much trumpeted because international mediation was employed, there were homegrown political initiatives that ended the conflicts in Poso and Maluku, as well as significant but largely unsung contributions made by civil society.

Countries plagued by violence stemming from communal or separatist causes could learn from Indonesia's experience. Equally, it is important that Indonesia reflects on its own experience in order to deal with contemporary conflict situations, such as Papua, as well as anticipating conflicts that may arise in the future.

One of the lessons is that ending the violence is only the start of a process of resolving conflict. In the case of both Poso and Maluku, successful mitigation of the conflict resulted in promises of compensation and resettlement that were not properly implemented, which has resulted in continued discontent. The proportionate and judicious use of force is a key variable that Indonesia hasn't always managed well.

To this end, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue teamed up with Indonesian academic experts and civil society activists to examine three different conflicts with a view to distilling lessons from the approaches to their management and resolution.

One of the key lessons derived from this study is that Indonesia's homegrown approach to conflict resolution has tended to be top down. Both the Malino I and Malino II agreements that ended violence in Poso and Maluku consecutively were not participatory processes in which local communities were involved, either in the planning or the implementation of the agreements.

Instead of identifying root causes and addressing the longer-term drivers of conflict they focused on physical recovery, reconstruction and the provision of emergency aid. This left them open to criticism as top down and short-lived efforts that ended the violence but left the legacy of violence – issues of displacement, compensation and justice – largely unaddressed. The danger is that leaves seeds of future conflict.

Civil society, and women in particular played important roles in informal reconciliation in Poso and Maluku, but these roles have been either missed or misunderstood. As a result formal peace processes in Indonesia have tended to marginalize civil society and the role of women in particular. For example, in negotiations that led to the Helsinki Agreement on Aceh, there was only one woman, and advisor to the Free Aceh Movement, involved in the process.

The under-estimation of the role of women, and the capacity of informal community organizations, means that preventing violent conflict at an early stage is more challenging.

There's an irony here. Indonesia is proud of the resilience of its community networks and structures, grounded in cultural traditions of cooperation and tolerance, yet with something so critical to social harmony as conflict management, there is a tendency to defer to centralized imperatives and bureaucratic procedure – and all too easily resort to the use of force.

The conflict that poses the biggest threat to peace in Indonesia today is in Papua, where the indigenous Papuan community doesn't just dream unrealistically of independence from Jakarta, but sees its own existence threatened by encroaching demographic and environmental pressures. One of the opportunities that stems from the past decade of conflict management in Indonesia is the chance to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Peace in Maluku and Poso is less secure than it could be because both the Malino I and Malino II agreements were elite arrangements made without public participation. In the case of Papua, the careful, dedicated work of Papuan Pastor Neles Tebay and researcher Muridan Widjoyo in Jakarta offer a corrective. Through intensive public consultation on the ground in Papua, they have persuaded restive Papuans to accept peaceful dialogue with Jakarta. In response, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has assented to a "constructive communication" to discuss political issues that fuel discontent in Papua.

Building on valuable lessons from the management of past conflicts, hopefully the conflict in Papua will be addressed through peaceful dialogue leading to a political solution that doesn't need the glare of international publicity. As a maturing democratic country, Indonesia should be able to settle its own conflicts – and help others to resolve theirs.

[The writer is the Asia Regional Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. The report on the conflicts in Maluku, Poso and Papua can be downloaded at http://www.hdcentre.org/projects/peacemaking-research.]

Indonesia's uphill fight against Aids

Straits Times - July 29, 2011

Bruce Gale – Visiting Jakarta in the early 1990s, when health officials in Asia were just beginning to wake up to the challenge posed by a global HIV/Aids epidemic, I had occasion to discuss the subject with a foreign businessman.

At the time, barely a handful of HIV infections had been confirmed in Indonesia. But the businessman was very worried.

"Imagine what would happen if it (the virus) gets into the general population," he warned, pointing to the devastating economic effect the disease was already having in parts of Africa.

Indeed, the threat looked very real. There was little attempt at monitoring or testing in Indonesia, and only those admitted to local hospitals with full-blown Aids seemed to be showing up in official statistics. With hundreds – or perhaps thousands – presumably already infected, the businessman insisted, it was only a matter of time before the nation's rudimentary health system was overwhelmed.

HIV infections in Indonesia were rare until the mid-1990s. As recently as 2000, only half of the country's 33 provinces had reported an HIV or Aids case. A few years later, however, it appeared that the businessman's fear was about to be realised. The number of HIV infections had ballooned, and the National Aids Commission (NAC) established in 1994 remained poorly funded.

According to a report published by the NAC in 2009, almost half the people living with HIV in Indonesia were infected through sharing contaminated needles. Most drug injectors were also sexually active, but only a small minority consistently used condoms. They passed the virus on to others, creating what the report described as a "critical mass" of sexually transmitted infections that have since spread into the general population.

Battling HIV/Aids in a Muslim country like Indonesia was never going to be easy. But after a slow start, the NAC is now making real progress. The turning point came in 2006 when newly elected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a decree requiring the commission to report directly to him. Additional funds were also forthcoming from the British, United States and Australian governments.

From a mere 25 voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) sites in 2004, the NAC now maintains 388. Anti-retroviral drugs are also distributed without charge at government hospitals and clinics.

As of March this year, 746,000 people have visited the NAC's voluntary testing sites, with 84,423 testing positive. And most of those are young. Even so, experts believe that many more infections remain undetected. The estimated prevalence of HIV among Indonesians 15 to 49 years old is 0.2 per cent, about the same level as in Singapore. However, infection rates are not uniform. Some provinces report much higher rates, particularly in Java and Papua.

African countries face far more difficult circumstances. There are also countries in Asia that are worse off. Examples include Cambodia (8 per cent) and Thailand (1.4 per cent). But with a huge, widely scattered population and only rudimentary health services available in some areas, the situation in Indonesia remains potentially serious.

According to NAC secretary Natsiah Mboj, new HIV infections among drug addicts have dropped significantly in recent years, partly due to the distribution of sterile needles, increased use of methadone (a heroin substitute taken orally), and the success of the authorities in cracking down on heroin use.

Sexual transmission, however, remains a problem. "There are thousands of harbours in the archipelago, and each one has prostitution," says Natsiah. "Indonesia is too big. We have 17,000 islands. And our population is young and mobile, traveling from island to island and city to city."

Mining areas in Kalimantan and elsewhere also have large numbers of unregulated sex workers servicing young workers from all over the country. The increased use of stimulants such as methamphetamine, which also increases the sex drive, is yet another issue.

Further progress may well depend on the willingness of the nation's Muslim religious authorities to cooperate. "In many areas, I am not allowed to talk about condoms," Natsiah tells me.

Local government crackdowns on red-light districts, many in response to pressure from religious militants, also slow progress. Before a red-light district at a local bus station in Bali's Tabanan Regency was closed down in April, for example, anti-Aids volunteers worked with local prostitutes, arranging regular medical check-ups for them at local community health centers, and encouraging the use of condoms. Since the crackdown, however, many of these sex workers have begun to ply their trade in local villages, making it difficult for health workers to contact them.

Despite this, Natsiah believes Indonesia's anti-Aids efforts will eventually be successful. "I am always optimistic. But that doesn't mean I think it will be easy," she says. The businessman I spoke to back in the early 1990s would no doubt agree.

Monkey Mail: More cars? Yes, please!

Jakarta Globe - July 28, 2011

Robert Finlayson – Your monkey has been following reports that soon some foreign motor car manufacturers might be making very cheap, small cars here. That's jolly good because it will give lots of people jobs in nice, new factories, not to mention the inevitable network of places selling spare parts. It is what is known as Progress. Getting Ahead. Moving Up in the World.

Soon, everyone with access to a credit limit of around Rp 20 million ($2,340) will be able to own a four-wheeler, bringing an end to the discomfort and danger of transporting the family around on a motorcycle. Soon, we will all be able to join the ranks of the middle-class and the wealthy, who have been increasingly stuffing themselves and their large automobiles into Jakarta's limited road space.

This is a Tremendously Good Thing, partly because my middle-class friends, who complain about all the motorcycles jamming up the roads, will find they have a whole lot of new friends helping to keep the roads free-flowing (that is, extending the fantasy that cars are somehow not the problem here) and partly because it will prove that The Market is Always Right. The good people who run the car factories, as well as our wise and self-sacrificing elected members of government, fully understand the exceptional benefits that their initiative will bring to the people of Jakarta and know that the best thing to do is get out of the way of Progress.

I, for one, have unlimited confidence in the ability of Jakarta's government to deal effectively, fairly and efficiently with the forthcoming transformation of three hundred thousand motorcycles into three hundred thousand motor cars. Per year. For example, I am sure that plans are already underway to create an even greater network of elevated highways so that, eventually, the entire city will be under one enormous bridge. This will be a Great and Good Thing because we will be able to do away with the roofs on our houses, saving us a fortune, and build a few extra floors on to take them all the way up against the bottom of the jalan layang, promoting a renovation boom.

The economy will also benefit because cars crawling around the city guzzle around 12 liters of gas per 100 kilometers whereas motorcycles consume a mere 3 liters. This will do wonders for the resource sector as well as increase that warm, comforting blanket of pollution that we all know and love so dearly. There will be other unexpected side benefits, too. For example, in the unlikely event that the moratorium on deforestation actually works, we will nevertheless be well placed to keep our classy status as the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, after those two giants of consumption, the USA and China. This will really prove to the world that Indonesia is no longer a developing country but has fully embraced the wisdom of the West. Everyone will be thrilled. All in all, I can see a rosy future for Jakarta's traffic – not to mention its citizens – and have nothing but praise for the titans of manufacturing and our wise leaders. Really, a job well done, chaps.

In order to prepare myself, I am going to build myself a small, car-shaped home out of palm fronds and park it in the road in front of my house. When all the rest of Jakarta's road space is taken up by stalled automobiles going nowhere, I will still have my own special place in which to while away the hours thinking I am actually going somewhere. Progress!

Fragmenting political landscape will eventually affect economy

Jakarta Post - July 26, 2011

Debnath Guharoy, Roy Morgan – Asked who they would vote for if an election was held today, eligible voters from across the country continued their drift away from the coalition.

In June, the leading the Democratic Party (PD) shed another 4 percent of supporters moving to a new low of 31. This is far removed from its heyday during the last election. Golkar Party shed another point to sink to a new low of just 10 percent giving them the thumbs-up. The other major party in the coalition, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), continued to languish with just 6 percent of voter support. At No. 2, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) moved up by 1 percent to 17. Minor parties, collectively grouped as "others", were the only gainers moving up collectively from 4 percent in May to 8 percent in June. These are some of the key findings of the Roy Morgan Voting Intentions Monitor.

The dwindling popularity of PD is signalling a political future that is unlikely to bolster Indonesia's economic prospects when the current term ends in 2014. Disenchanted voters are moving away in different directions, too many to do the country any real good. With so many choices but no clear alternative, the jigsaw continues to loosen, the overall picture increasingly murky.

Religious parties aren't gaining, but a motley crew of small parties are collectively building traction, splitting voting intentions further away from the majors. If the current trend continues, if this is the political backdrop to the next election, the outcome can only be a weak coalition of several parties with different ideologies and conflicting agendas. Paralysis, not action, is the likely outcome. But three years is a very long time in politics.

One of the key promises that enabled the Democrats to form a coalition the first time was the promise to fight corruption. That pledge was renewed vigorously, resulting in a second term full of hope. It is the disenchantment with broken promises, the unabated continuation of endemic corruption that has primarily influenced the ruling party's fortunes today. Nine out of ten Indonesians continue to believe "corruption is a major problem affecting my country". That number is climbing.

In realpolitic, what does corruption really mean to the average citizen? Listening to a broad spectrum of Indonesians, I think it all boils down to two simple reactions.

The first is anger, ignited by the injustice of endemic corruption: National wealth is being squandered, pocketed by a small but growing band of thieves who thrive unpunished. The second is frustration, the inability to force change: National wealth should be used for better essential services, to improve the quality of life for all. Not enough change for the better is visible. Perception is reality.

In sharp contrast, every other socio-economic indicator is in remarkably good shape. Consumer confidence is at an all-time high. Demand for just about every product and service is very strong and growing. Unemployment is down, so is poverty. Wages are up. Seven out ten Indonesians believe "the country is heading in the right direction", three out of four agree that "democracy is working". So where's the disconnect?

It's obvious. The people have decided to get on with their lives, regardless of what their elected representatives do. Or don't do. There's precious little voters can do about corruption anyway. But they can register their protest at the next election, almost three years from now. All political parties would be wise not to ignore the average Indonesian's involvement with politics. In June, 31 percent of eligible voters say "a fair amount" and another 28 say "a little". Just over 6 percent of citizens 18 years and older said they were interested "a great deal". That's up one point in just one month. But one in three Indonesians continue to say they are not interested in politics. That's a sizeable vote-bank, many of whom could be influenced to cast a vote on election day. Of all people eligible to vote, an overwhelming majority say they "always" vote, with another 20 percent "almost always". That's considerably more than in most democracies where voting isn't compulsory. Only 8 percent said "part of the time" and 4 said "seldom".

What can the ruling party do about connecting with their voters once again? It's blindingly obvious: Deliver on key election promises, like the fight against corruption. If there are signs enough that the fight is being fought, relentlessly, at all levels of hierarchy, the pendulum will swing again. Blaming the media for its misfortunes is unlikely to deliver desired results, either in opinion polls this year or in voting booths some three years later. On the other hand, it could well be argued that a positive swing of voting intentions would impact just about every aspect of life in Indonesia, not least of all its realpolitic. The economy would get another shot in the arm, investors both local and foreign would be even more encouraged. But a coalition in paralysis cannot be good for Indonesia. Today, that prospect is real.

[These conclusions are based on Roy Morgan Voting Intentions Monitor, a survey with 2090 Indonesians 14 years and older interviewed during June. The national database is now being updated every month. Almost 90 percent of the population is covered, from the cities, towns and villages across this large democracy. The writer can be contacted at debnath.guharoy@roymorgan.com.]

Blame game and political suicide of Indonesian elites

Jakarta Post - July 25, 2011

Donny Syofyan, Padang – Democratic Party executives are supposed to question themselves over the party's politicians getting entangled in corruption. Much to everyone's surprise, the party's patron, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, last week put the blame on the media, accusing media organizations of destroying the party's image. Furthermore, he oppugned press credibility.

Many criticized the statement and were confused at his capacity either as the leader of the Democratic Party or as President.

Despite his right to voice his disagreement with certain media reports, the fact that the complaint came from the President could be seen as an attempt to influence coverage.

President Yudhoyono's statement risks losing support and confidence from the public. It suggests that President Yudhoyono is committing political suicide when it comes to blaming the media. Several matters appear to prove this analysis.

First, the President fails to regard media as his critical partner. Frankly speaking, media has played a significant role in defending him from being victimized under Megawati Soekarnoputri's administration and in promoting him as the sole public presidential candidate in 2004.

The media helped him to the top of the political stage since the public placed high hopes in him. Yudhoyono really turned out to be "someone".

Yet, the media has its own yardstick and code. What the press reports are hard facts. Media reports on former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, a fugitive suspect in a corruption case, are the facts commonly known by the public and none of them are fictitious.

Rather than scapegoating the media for dividing his party, President Yudhoyono would be better-off appreciating it for disclosing rotten politicians within the party instead.

Cooperating with the media will not only save the President from being set up by "yes sir" policies, but also allow him to stay firm with long-term public-oriented decisions.

No less important, a critical relation between the President and the media renders long-life democracy and cuts off the status quo. Hence, pointing a finger at the press would harm the President and society as well.

President Yudhoyono and other government officials who believed they had been unfairly singled out by the press may lodge their complaints with the Press Council. Addressing unfair news reports with the existing system is much better than using their political position to express their disagreement with the press.

Second, blaming the press may be seen as efforts to divert the public's attention from the main issue. There is a tendency that blaming the media is a smart way to boost the dying party's image and achieve public sympathy.

However, Yudhoyono should not ignore the fact that our people are getting smart and impatient with unresolved cases. Distracting main political issues, such as corruption and the Democratic Party's internal friction, could reduce the approval rating of Yudhoyono and his Cabinet.

Intensive media reports on the President and his government's tendency to distract from unfinished political issues would only fuel apathy among the people. Voters are no longer concerned with policy debates and many kinds of policy issues introduced by the government.

Third, Yudhoyono's criticism of media reflects his decreasing political imagery. There has been public disappointment over the President's endless political imagery.

Accusing the press of damaging his party's image, to a serious extent, gives the public the impression that the President is neither bright enough nor prudent. Indeed, the mass media has contributed to President Yudhoyono's political image owing to a combination of his determination to gain political power and the high public expectations placed on him.

Yet, this political image boomeranged as the media saw the President as slowing down in managing political cases involving his aides and friends in the government, parliament and the party.

Instead of denouncing the press, Yudhoyono should transform his "image building approach" into swift action. He could restore the public's trust by involving the media to improve his Cabinet ministers' performance.

The media, for instance, could campaign for "minister of the month" or "minister of the year" title, judging from public satisfaction and extraordinary innovation. Certainly, this cooperation bodes well for the President since the media takes part in supporting him in fighting and having zero tolerance for wrongdoings and misuse of power.

The President needs to ask the media to cooperate with him to lay out all the country's problems on the table for the public to discuss. The public, then, will see a dynamism in politics in Indonesia.

With the debacle of involving the press, politicians often hide the problems under the table and avoid talking about specific issues in detail.

Lastly, blaming the media would simply allow the President to be more interested in political coverage on the media than the contents of the reports themselves.

[The writer, a graduate of the University of Canberra, is a lecturer at Andalas University, Padang.]