Kate Lamb – Travellers in Indonesia struggling with the usual rough landings and delayed flights now have a new cause for concern: was the pilot smoking crystal meth before take-off?

The arrest of a Lion Air pilot for possession of 0.4 grams of crystal methamphetamine over the weekend, the third such incident in the past seven months, has raised concern over just how widespread drug use is among Indonesian pilots.

A month earlier, another Lion Air pilot was arrested with an undisclosed amount of crystal meth in a karaoke bar in South Sulawesi, while two Lion Air co-pilots were arrested for possession of crystal meth and ecstasy last September.

The incidents have put pressure on the government to enforce stricter regulations, the Indonesian National Air Carriers Association said yesterday.

Manotar Napitupulu, an adviser from the Indonesian Pilots Federation, said the booming industry was fuelling the growing use of narcotics among pilots. "Pilots make big money. The more they fly, the more money they earn. I think it's more about lifestyle," he said. "The bigger the money, the more expensive your lifestyle will be. Methamphetamine is not cheap, you know."

A pilot with national carrier Garuda Indonesia, Captain Napitupulu denied that drug use was widespread, but said it was time the Transportation Ministry started conducting random blood and urine tests on Indonesian pilots.

In line with Indonesia's booming economy, the aviation sector has experienced strong growth over recent years, and Lion Air is one of the star players. Late last year the budget airline signed a $US21.7 billion deal with Boeing, the largest in the US company's history.

From January to October 2011, Indonesian airlines flew 56 million passengers, with the International Air Transport Association forecasting passenger demand to rise 4.6 per cent this year.

"Airlines have become a big business, but unfortunately security and safety regulations have not been sufficiently enforced," said Rizal Ramli, an economic adviser to former president Abdurrahman Wahid and part of the government's first efforts to liberalise the aviation sector.

Despite its success, Lion Air is among several Indonesian carriers that are banned from flying to Europe due to safety concerns. The International Air Transport Association also rejected the airline's membership application, citing safety issues.

Intense competition and rampant corruption, Dr Ramli said, were responsible for the dire state of safety and airport infrastructure. While Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was designed to handle 22 million passengers annually, analysts expect that figure will jump to 54 million in 2015 and 66 million by 2020.

Plans to revamp and upgrade airports across the country are under way, but poor enforcement of regulations continues to undermine Indonesia's vast economic potential.

"Corruption is now decentralised, from the top ministers to the local bupatis [regents]," Dr Ramli said. "Without major changes to this environment, infrastructure and corruption, Indonesia will become the next Philippines, not the next China."

Indonesian president's new plane to cost $89 million: Fitra

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Arientha Primanita – The State Secretary acknowledged on Monday that the government had indeed allocated two different budgets for a planned presidential plane; one for buying it and another for outfitting its interior.

That would be a departure from what was approved by the House of Representatives, which only agreed to provide $58 million for purchasing the plane.

"We have allocated $58 million to buy the aircraft plus an amount, I forget the figure, for its interior," said Sugiri, the head of administration and public relations at the State Secretary.

The plan has drawn heavy criticism from people who say the plane is too lavish and unnecessary an expenditure for a country with so many millions of people mired in poverty.

According to the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), the government has lied to the public and the House with its double budgets.

A document obtained by the civil society group revealed that the budget for the plane's interior amounted to $31 million, which would bring the total to $89 million. Fitra coordinator Ucok Sky Khadafi said officials were planning to borrow a huge amount of money from foreigners to help cover the cost.

"It's very sad that the plan is financed by a Rp 92 billion [$10.3 million] loan," Ucok said. Sugiri, however, denied the allegations about the loan.

Indonesia's foreign debt reached $214.5 billion by the first quarter of 2011, a $10 billion increase over last year's total, according to Ucok.

The plane, a 737-800 series Boeing Business Jet, was delivered to the government last month. In a reference to the aircraft that transports the president of the United States, it has been dubbed "Indonesian Air Force One."

Now, Ucok said, the government had invited four US companies – Associated Air Center, PATS Aircraft System, L-3 Integrated Systems and Gore Design Completions – to participate in the tender process for filling out the interior. "The government opened a tender process for filling the interior last month," Ucok said.

Earlier reports indicated that the plane's onboard amenities would include a bedroom, bathroom and shower, as well as a dining area and conference room.

Last June, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo 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 that has been leased from Garuda Indonesia for Rp 900 billion for five years.

West Papua

West Papuan leaders face life in prison

New Matilda - February 7, 2012

Tomorrow five West Papuan men will face charges of treason for peacefully declaring independence from Indonesia. Why isn't Australia sending legal observers to the trial, asks Tom Clarke.

Tom Clarke – An unprincipled and myopic approach to human rights will fail in West Papua just as it did in East Timor. Australia needs a new approach, underpinned by a principled and persistent commitment to human rights, to addressing conflicts in our region.

For 24 years, successive Australian Governments not only turned a blind eye to Indonesia's brutal occupation of East Timor, but they actively supported and financially benefited from it.

For two decades, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials and government ministers put on their best poker faces and told the Australian public that everything was just fine in East Timor. Credible reports of human rights abuses were routinely dismissed as the death toll climbed to more than 180,000. Gareth Evans, Australia's foreign minister at the time of the Santa Cruz massacre – in which more than 200 civilians were shot during a funeral procession featuring pro-independence flags – labelled the killings "an aberration".

Of course, this inept and immoral policy of trying to simply sweep human rights abuses under the carpet eventually came crashing down. In response to an overwhelming tide of public support, the Australian government belatedly took a principled stand on East Timor.

Looking at current events unfold in West Papua, it's hard not to feel that when it comes to dealing with human rights abuses on our doorstep, Australia's foreign policy is trapped in a "ground-hog day" cycle.

The presence of the same key ingredients – the denial that there's a problem, the defence and justification of the indefensible, the deafening silence and dubious financial interests – are extremely worrying.

As recently as last November, Labor Senator Joe Ludwig was dusting off the often repeated line that "under President Yudhoyono, Indonesia's human rights record and scope for freedom of expression have improved markedly". This comes at the end of a decade that saw the Indonesian military assassinate Papuan political leaders, oversee a massive build up of personnel in West Papua, and get caught out torturing Papuan captives.

Democratic reforms are making great headway in Indonesia. But much of this progress is simply not reaching West Papua.

The Senator made the comments just days after reports of Indonesian police shooting into houses from helicopters and barely a month after the Indonesian military and police forcibly shut down the peaceful gathering at the Third Papuan People Congress, killing at least three people, injuring at least 90 and arresting approximately 300.

Following the violent crackdown at the Congress, Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Greg Moriarty, was quoted by Indonesian media outlets as saying the actions of the Papuan leaders during the Congress had been "illegal, provocative, and counterproductive".

Indonesia has changed so much over the last decade, but it appears Australia's diplomatic position is frozen in time.

While the US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton has publically voiced her alarm about the unfolding situation in West Papua, pledging to again raise directly with Indonesia the need for political reforms to meet the legitimate needs of the Papuan people, neither Australia's Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, or her Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, seem willing to speak up and out on the issue.

Given the Prime Minister's trip to Indonesia was only a month after the violent crackdown at the Papuan People's Congress, there is little doubt that her silence on the topic added to the perception of double standards. While Papuans can find themselves imprisoned for 15 years for simply raising a flag, the Indonesian military personnel who pleaded guilty to killing Theys Eluay, the elected leader of the second Papuan People's Congress in 2000, were sentenced to three and half years.

Despite being willing to take leadership roles in conflicts on the other side of the world such as in Libya, Foreign Minister Rudd is a more reluctant advocate for human rights closer to home.

The Australian Government may not be benefiting as directly as it did during the occupation of East Timor – through government royalties from Timor's oil and gas resources – but Australia's financial interests in West Papua should not be overlooked. Watching businesses such as Rio Tinto extract huge profits from the resource rich province at significant environmental cost can only fuel the resentment felt by the local people.

How can Australia emerge from this policy black hole?

Tomorrow in a courtroom in Jayapura, five West Papuan men will face charges of treason. They are the Papuan leaders Forkorus Yaboisembut, Edison Waromi, August Makbrowen Senay, Dominikus Sorabut and Selpius Bobii, who were arrested at the Papuan People's Congress after raising the Papuan 'Morning Star' flag and declaring independence. Their lawyers say they face 20 years to life in prison if they are found guilty.

The Human Rights Law Centre does not have a position on West Papuan independence, but our support for fundamental human rights such as the rights of all persons to freedom of expression, association and assembly, is crystal clear – as should be the Australian Government's.

Australia's bid for a place on the UN Security Council pitches us as a "principled advocate of human rights for all". Here is a prime opportunity for Rudd to take a principled stand against human rights abuses on our doorstep. If Australia has the special relationship with Indonesia that the Foreign Minister says we do, he should use it to remind his Indonesian counterparts that the prosecution of activists for peacefully expressing their political views has no place in a modern democracy. The Australian Government should also deploy embassy staff to observe the legal proceedings to help ensure that the protesters receive a fair trial.

Last week the US State Department reminded Indonesia of its domestic and international legal obligations and urged the authorities to ensure due process is followed. Rudd would be on safe ground to publically reiterate Australia's support for the fundamental rights of all persons to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association that are protected by International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – which Indonesia ratified in 2006. He should also go one step further than the US and urge the authorities to drop the charges.

Beyond tomorrow's trial there are some other basic steps Australia could take to help improve the human rights situation in West Papua.

The effective ban on journalists from travelling to and reporting from West Papua only serves to highlight how little we know of what's actually happening there. The Foreign Minister should push this issue at every opportunity and support Australian journalists to gain free access to West Papua.

It is also essential to ensure that Australia is not providing training, logistical support or equipment to assist the Indonesian military violate human rights. Australia provides millions of dollars to Indonesia's elite counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, which has been accused of brutality towards political prisoners. A complete review of Australia's relationship with Indonesia's military and security forces is required.

Most of all, Australia needs to play a leadership role in bringing the world's attention to the problems in West Papua and supporting those moderate voices within Indonesia that support human rights and are pushing democratic reforms forward.

Our choice is between supporting the pro-military and anti-reform remnants of the Suharto regime that we backed during the occupation of East Timor or aligning Australia with the mainstream Indonesian human rights movement that recognises that the problems in West Papua do not have a military solution. I know which I prefer.

Cop gunned down in Timika, road access closed

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

A police officer from the Mobile Brigade, Brig. Ronald, was killed by unidentified gunmen while on a routine patrol in the area of PT Freeport Indonesia on Tuesday.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. B. L Tobing said Ronald was on patrol with his team when he was shot while crossing the east embankment of PT Freeport's area. Ronald was immediately taken to Kuala Kencana health center.

Police suspect the gunmen are linked to a separatist group led by Kelly Kwalik. Tobing said that police officers had been deployed to hunt down the gunmen.

Road access between Timika to Tembagapura was cordoned off following the shooting for the police to conduct an investigation. "Access is temporarily closed during the investigation. We express our deep condolence to the bereaved family," said PT Freeport Indonesia spokesman Ramdani Sirait as quoted by kompas.com.

On Jan. 9, two workers of PT Freeport were shot dead on the same route linking Tembagapura and Timika. (aml)

West Papua cop discharged for smuggling guns

Jakarta Globe - February 6, 2012

Banjir Ambarita – A Mobile Brigade police officer serving two years in prison for smuggling firearms into West Papua has been dishonorably discharged from the force.

An ethics panel hearing the case, headed by Comr. Sudarsono from the Papua Police, issued its decision against Haeruddin Arifin after a daylong hearing on Saturday.

Haeruddin was recently convicted by the district court in Manokwari, the capital of West Papua, and sentenced to two years in prison.

Saturday's hearing, which was attended by several other Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers, was stopped twice after Haeruddin objected to the charges.

Haeruddin was sentenced to two months in detention in 2005 after a similar panel found him guilty of illegally bringing in 1,500 rounds of ammunition into the area.

The officer told investigators at the time that he had collected the ammunition when on a tour of duty in Aceh between 2004 and 2005. However, he denied charges that he had brought in 21 firearms into Manokwari in the same period.

In March 2011, Haeruddin was found in possession of three handguns and more than a hundred rounds of ammunition.

Papua and West Papua have grappled with a long-running insurgency. There is a heavy police and military presence in the provinces as they battle armed separatists.

Papua to require male circumcision in AIDS fight

Antara News - February 6, 2012

The Jayapura administration is planning to require male residents to undergo circumcision in an effort to cut HIV/AIDS transmission rates in Papua.

Edison Muabuay, an administration spokesman, said the program was spurred by numerous studies worldwide that found circumcision to be an effective tool against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The World Health Organization has said that male circumcision, performed by well-trained professionals in sterile settings, can reduce the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by 60 percent. "Therefore, the obligatory circumcision will be regulated in 2012, to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Papua," Edison said on Sunday.

There are 796 people with either AIDS or HIV on record in Papua, according to data from the Aids Handling Commission (KPA) and Health Department of Papua, including 335 HIV cases and 461 AIDS cases. Of those cases 330, or 41.5 percent, are male, and 466, or 58.5 percent, are female.

"The worst is that the disease infects people of all ages and sexes. This number should be our concern and [we need to] take breakthrough steps. In Papua, we will require circumcision," Edison said.

He declined to go into further detail on how the administration would compel males to report for circumcision, or what would happen to those men who failed to do so. Details on how many men were targeted for circumcision through the program were unavailable as well.

The Health Department and Regional Public Hospital of Yowar in Jayapura have been ordered to provide the necessary instruments and supplies for the program, but will receive funding from the 2012 regional budget, Edison said. "The instruments will be distributed among the clinics of districts because the program not only covers people in towns, but also villagers."

According to KPA data, HIV/AIDS affects Papuans of all different backgrounds, from sex workers to housewives to even a handful of religious leaders. "Those prove that the handling of HIV/AIDS is the collective responsibility of society, religious leaders, indigenous leaders, youths and also government," Edison said.

Number of Freeport workers back to work after massive strike

Jakarta Post - February 4, 2012

Nethy Dharma Somba, Timika – Strikers have finally returned to work after a long work stoppage at giant copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia (PT FI) in Papua, following the signing of a Joint Working Agreement (PKB) between the PT FI Mining, Energy and Chemical Workers' trade union and the company's management.

Mining activities have resumed as observed by The Jakarta Post on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, the Post arrived at the processing plant, which was virtually deserted, with only two employees seen working. The rock crushing plant has begun operations again. Of the four plants, only two plants were in operation at that time.

Mining materials from the open pit and underground mines in Grassberg were being channeled by conveyor belts to the plants to be processed into concentrate and made ready for shipment.

On Friday, the number of workers in the field appeared larger, especially during the shift changeover at 5 a.m. local time (3 a.m. Jakarta time), when those who had just finished their shifts gathered at the tram terminal to wait for buses to return to their barracks, while incoming workers alighted from buses to board trams taking them up to the Grassberg open-pit mine. Workers have also resumed activities in the underground mines.

At around 6 a.m., a larger convoy of buses arrived at the location. Not all the miners had started working because many of them were still in Timika. Some of the strikers have not yet returned to Tembagapura, while those who did not strike returned to Timika or applied for vacation due to the internal problems at the mine.

After the signing of the PKB, a new problem seems to have arisen, with conflict breaking out between those workers who went on strike and those who did not.

Some of the striking workers are believed to have intimidated and assaulted those who did not strike, thus causing fear among many workers, prompting them not to report to work. "I was hit and accused of being a traitor but I did not fight back," said one employee.

The abuse toward non-strikers is due to a sense of injustice among those who fought for their demands by striking, seeing the fruits of their struggle also benefiting those who chose not to strike.

"We were given a choice whether to strike or not and those who refused were allowed not to strike. I opted not to strike and remain working in the mine due to my responsibility and duties and for the sake of my family, but it turned out this way," he said.

The workers have called on the management to immediately take steps to resolve the issue. Due to escalating levels of intimidation and abuse, the plant was closed for a day and re-opened following a meeting between the management, workers' unions and workers.

PT FI employee development executive vice president Djoko Basyuni said he had met with the workers' unions and employees for consolidation so that everything could return to normal.

Prior to returning to the mines following the strike, Djoko said the management carried out a reconciliation program, but acts of violence continued. Djoko expressed regret because the workers had promised not to resort to intimidation over the PKB.

"Let's respect what we agreed upon and return to work for collective progress. If there are still differences, they should be discussed amicably," he said. The PKB was signed at the Hotel Crown Plaza in Jakarta on Jan. 25.

Two Ojek drivers shot in Papua

Jakarta Globe - February 3, 2012

One man was critically injured and another missing after reportedly being ambushed by a group of armed men in Papua's Mulia district on Thursday, the latest attack against civilians in the province.

The victims, both motorcycle taxi drivers, were returning to Mulia city from an outlying area when they were jumped by a group of around 10 men who opened fire on them. One of the drivers, Yondri, was shot in the neck. The other managed to escape, although it was unknown if he suffered any injuries.

The attackers fled when a joint police-military patrol rushed to the scene after hearing the gunshots. Yondri was rushed to hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

The incident is the latest attack by unknown assailants on civilians in Papua. On Jan. 5, two people were killed in similar circumstances in Puncak district.

Papuan church leaders meet with Yudhoyono

Jakarta Globe - February 2, 2012

Arientha Primanita – The government has vowed to improve the infrastructure and welfare of the people of Papua, but stopped short of committing to an all-inclusive dialogue to address the problems afflicting the restive province.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, flanked by Vice President Boediono and several top cabinet ministers, on Wednesday held a three-hour dialogue with representatives of the Papuan Synod of Churches at the state guesthouse. "They want to work for a future peaceful Papua and want to intensify the dialogue between the various stakeholders. The president welcomed this," Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said after the meeting.

He said the representatives of the Christian Protestant and Roman Catholic churches in Papua demanded that the government initiate a dialogue among the nine main parties in Papua so that "there will no longer be any psychological problem hindering good relations."

The nine parties were defined as indigenous Papuans, non-Papuans in Papua, the police, the armed forces, the local government, the central government, companies exploiting the natural resources in the province, the Free Papua Organization (OPM) and exiled Papuans overseas.

Gamawan, however, did not say whether the government engage in such dialogue. Instead he pointed to the government's Unit for the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B), a body intended to coordinate development and gauge local aspirations on the ground in the impoverished region.

"We will repair the infrastructure, the ports, the factories needed so that there can be downward pressure on high prices in Papua. We will also build infrastructure for the welfare of the people," Gamawan said.

Meanwhile, the United States on Tuesday called on Indonesia to ensure due process and address grievances in Papua after a court indicted five activists for treason on Monday.

The activists – Forkorus Yaboisembut, Edison Waromi, Selfius Bobbi, Agust Makbrawen Sananay and Dominikus Sorabut – are accused of treason for their declaration last October of an independent West Papuan state and for raising the banned Morning Star flag during a mass peaceful pro- independence Papuan People's Congress on Oct. 19.

The five accused face up to life in prison if found guilty.

"We urge the Indonesian authorities to ensure due process and procedural safeguards in accordance with Indonesian law and Indonesia's international legal obligations for all persons indicted," a US State Department spokesperson said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We encourage the Indonesian government to work with the indigenous Papuan population to address their grievances, resolve conflicts peacefully and support development in the Papuan provinces," the spokesperson continued, adding that Washington recognized and respected Indonesia's territorial integrity.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene shrugged off the statement, saying that the legal process for the five "has been taking place in accordance to our law."

[Additional reporting from AFP.]

United States urges Indonesia to address Papuan grievances

Agence France Presse - February 1, 2012

Washington – The United States called Tuesday on Indonesia to ensure due process and address grievances in the restive Papua region after a court indicted five activists for treason.

The court in Indonesia, a nation which has warming relations with the United States, prosecuted the men after they raised an outlawed Papuan flag and declared independence at a peaceful gathering. They face life in prison if convicted.

"We urge the Indonesian authorities to ensure due process and procedural safeguards in accordance with Indonesian law and Indonesia's international legal obligations for all persons indicted," a State Department spokesperson said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The United States "recognizes and respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia within its current borders, which include the provinces of Papua and West Papua," the spokesperson stressed.

Jakarta in 1969 took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony on the western half of New Guinea island whose people are ethnically distinct from most Indonesians. The region has since seen a low-intensity insurgency. Foreign journalists are barred from reporting in the region.

Local television footage in October showed the five men declaring independence in the Papuan capital Jayapura and paramilitary police then shooting into the crowd and beating participants with batons and bare fists.

At least three people were killed and more than 90 injured. Eight police officers were let off with written warnings for disciplinary infractions.

President Barack Obama's administration has sought greater ties with Indonesia, pointing to its rapid transition to democracy and moderate brand of Islam. In 2010, the United States said it would resume ties with Indonesia's elite Kopassus unit after a 12 – year hiatus due to human rights concerns.

Aceh

Aceh Ulema warns Muslims against observing Valentine's Day

Antara News - February 6, 2012

Banda Aceh – Ulema in Aceh have warned Muslims, the younger generation in particular, that observing Valentine's Day is not allowed in Islam and against Shariah law that is in force in all of Aceh province.

"It is haram for Muslims to observe Valentine's Day because it does not accord with Islamic Shariah" Tgk Feisal, general secretary of the Aceh Ulema Association (HUDA), said on Monday.

In Islam, he said, love should not be expressed or shown on a certain day only but every day. "Therefore, Islam's younger generation should not participate in the celebration of a foreign festivity," he said.

Faisal Ali who is also chairman of the Aceh branch of Nahdlatul Ulama called on Muslim parents, especially those in Aceh, to instruct and supervise their children in the matter.

"We must prevent the Muslim younger generation in Aceh from being poisoned by a culture that contradicts our Muslim values. Therefore, everybody, parents in particular, should give our youth the proper guidance," he said.

He also called on the government to uphold and implement Islamic Shariah in "serious and sincere ways and not just out of political expediency or momentarily."

"Islamic Shariah cannot prevail in Aceh as expected if it is not supported fully by the government and other parties in authority," he said. The government must also watch out for youths participating in Valentine's Day activities in Aceh, he said.

Human rights & justice

Leading gay activist aspires to lead human rights body

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Jakarta – Leading gay activist and sociologist Dede Oetomo might be the first known homosexual person to lead the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) if he makes the leadership selection.

Dede, human rights activist Sandyawan Sumardi and former law and human rights director general Hafid Abbas, are among the 363 applicants who aspire to lead the commission.

Sandyawan was a member of the government-appointed fact finding team for the May 1998 riots. The former priest continues to work with the urban poor in South Jakarta.

The selection committee distributed the list of applicants to the press, saying the committee would make a further announcement on the total number of applicants who had passed the administrative selection on Feb. 14.

Selection committee chairman Jimly Asshidiqie said that the selection committee would not consider gender when screening the candidates.

"We consider them all humans with the equal rights to apply," Jimly told the press Tuesday, stressing competency and other requisites in the screening of applicants.

He acknowledged the possibility of the House of Representatives rejecting such applicants on the basis of their gender. However the minority gender issue "has become a reality in many countries," he said.

Only one applicant, Indonesia Transgender Communication Forum chair Yulianus Rettob Laut, listed his gender as transgender. Yulianus filed his application to the Komnas HAM headquarters in Jakarta with about 100 supporters.

During the event, Jimly also expressed his disappointment regarding the small number of female applicants. "We hoped to get 30 percent of woman commissioners but only 14 women out of 363 applied," he said. Activist and land issue researcher Sandra Moniaga is among the woman applicants.

One of several expected controversies surrounding the selection is six incumbents among the applicants. The current term under Ifdhal Kasim has been widely criticized for lacking credibility and competence.

The House will conduct the final fit and proper test for applicants, scheduled in June or July, before the current Komnas HAM commissioners ends their term in August.

The House will then determine the final number of commissioners. A law mandates up to 35 commissioner candidates to undergo fit and proper tests. However, House Commission III overseeing legal affairs and the selection committee have agreed that the committee will submit 30 names to the House.

NGO says Indonesia government not serious in handling human rights cases

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2012

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – A human rights watchdog has slammed the government for not taking human rights cases in the country seriously.

"To date, the government has continuously ignored any calls from the international community regarding the handling of human rights cases. The government has apparently used any rights violation issues solely as image polisher," executive director of the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) Rafendi Djamin said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said among the obvious examples where human rights violations could be easily spotted was in migrant workers' protection. He added that the implementation of migrant workers' protection was contrary to the fact that Indonesia was among the countries that had endorsed the UN resolution on migrant workers' protection and had even called on other countries to ratify the migrant workers' convention.

"It is obvious that migrant workers' protection procedures in Indonesia have yet to be optimized; diplomacy for migrant workers is not supported by an improvement in the national migrant workers' protection mechanism," he said.

The government was also accused of being inconsistent in upholding religious freedom. In practice, he said, religious-based violence and discrimination continues to take place in Indonesia. The beleaguered GKI Yasmin Church congregation and a clash between Shiites and Sunnis in Sampang, Madura, were just two examples of how the Indonesian government is incapable of settling religious-based human rights violations, he said. (iwa)

Gay, transgender OK for commissioner

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2012

Jakarta – National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) selection committee chief Jimly Asshiddiqie says selectors would have no problem in accepting homosexual or transgender candidates for commissioner roles.

"[We have] no problem with that, as long as they are human," Jimly said Wednesday as quoted by tribunnews.com. He was talking on the sidelines of a seminar on the 1945 Constitution Amendment at the International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) in Matraman, Central Jakarta.

Jimly said that although Indonesian people generally were not accepting of homosexuals and transgendered people, the selection committee would not take a person's sexual orientation into consideration when selecting candidates for Komnas HAM commissioners.

"We won't put someone's sexual orientation into consideration. The most important thing is that they are qualified to be Komnas HAM commissioners," he said.

On Tuesday, academic Dede Oetomo, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights activist, submitted a candidacy application. Earlier, transvestite Yulianus Rettob Laut submitted an application on Jan. 20.

Freedom of speech & expression

Is atheism illegal in Indonesia?

Straits Times - February 7, 2012

Salim Osman – After surviving a mob attack over a Facebook posting, 31- year-old Indonesian civil servant Alexander Aan was taken into custody by the West Sumatra police for his own safety.

But instead of rounding up his attackers, the police charged him with blasphemy for insulting Islam and declaring that "God doesn't exist" on the social networking site a fortnight ago.

Blasphemy, which carries a five-year jail sentence, is defined under the Indonesian Criminal Code as "publicly expressing feelings or doing something that spreads hatred, abuse or taints certain religions in a way that could cause someone to disbelieve religion."

Aan may be the first self-confessed atheist who has got into trouble with the law in recent years. He was charged with blasphemy against his former religion. He was not charged with atheism.

Human rights groups deem his arrest as a violation of human rights. They have raised concerns over the rights of citizens to a religious belief. Some argue that atheism is a form of religious belief, as an atheist subscribes to moral principles that are universal and does not believe in God.

The case also raises alarm among Muslims because Aan comes from a staunchly Muslim Minangkabau region, birthplace of renowned clerics and the springboard of many Islamic movements in the past two centuries. People are outraged that one of their sons could have been misguided and turned apostate.

"He has hurt the feelings of the people in Minang society and damaged the religious structure by his posting," said the local head of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) Syamsul Bahri Khatib. "He has violated Pancasila because atheism has no place in Indonesia."

The incident has brought atheism into focus and raised the question of whether it is illegal to be an atheist according to Pancasila, the state ideology. Atheists lie low to avoid trouble with the authorities because of the notion that atheism is against Pancasila and, therefore, anathema in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

Community leaders such as cleric Syamsul Bahri invoked Pancasila's first principle which says that Indonesia shall be based on the belief in the one and only God. According to this view, atheism is a violation of the state ideology. Does this mean that atheism is illegal in Indonesia? Many believe it is.

Legal scholars see the first "monotheistic" Pancasila principle as a compromise between secular nationalist, Muslim and non-Muslim founding fathers. It resolved the decision to drop from the 1945 constitution the Jakarta Charter, whose first tenet dictates the obligation to hold Muslims to Sharia law.

Indonesian scholar Yordan Nugroho said the first Pancasila principle was not intended to ban atheism. "It was meant to bring together the different religions of Indonesia in a fair-minded, compromising manner," he recently wrote in the Jakarta Globe.

All citizens must choose one of the six recognized religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism – on their identity cards. If atheism were to be banned, similar questions could be raised as to why three religions with no monotheistic belief – Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism – remain recognized in Indonesia.

Atheists like Aan are usually charged with blasphemy for defiling a religion, and not because of atheism.

The notion that atheism is illegal has its origin during former president Suharto's New Order regime, which treated atheism as an enemy of the state because, like communism, it rejects religion.

Communism was and still is considered an enemy of the state because of an alleged coup attempt by the Indonesian Communist Party in September 1965. The aftermath saw the bloody killings of thousands of communists and their sympathisers. Atheists, fearing that they would be targeted, had to declare themselves Muslims or Christians to escape death.

Since then, atheists eschew disclosing their rejection of God and all religions, for fear of being branded communists or accused of breaching the constitution and the state ideology.

However in recent years, atheists have been more assertive in proclaiming their lack of religious faith and defending their belief in no religion.

According to a recent report on atheism in Indonesia, this small community utilise tools such as blogs and Facebook groups to connect with one another. At least three social networking groups have emerged: Indonesian Atheists, Indonesian Freethinkers and the Indonesian Atheist Community.

Aan is said to be the coordinator for a new group in West Sumatra known as Ateis Minang, which has been posting pictures and comments defiling Islam on the Internet. This probably brought him and his group up on the radar.

Atheism is a fundamental right of citizens who choose not to have God in their belief systems. But atheists who want to proclaim their beliefs outside their own circles might want to think carefully before zealously taking on established religions or worse, denigrating religious faiths.

Calls to behead Indonesian atheist Alexander Aan

Agence France Presse - February 2, 2012

Presi Mandari, Jakarta – A defiant declaration of atheism by an Indonesian civil servant has inflamed passions in the world's most populous Muslim nation, pitting non-believers and believers against each other.

The trouble began when civil servant Alexander Aan posted a message on the Facebook page of Atheist Minang, a group of Indonesians with godless beliefs. It read: "God doesn't exist."

The post so enraged residents in Aan's hometown of Pulau Punjung in West Sumatra province that an angry mob of dozens stormed his office and beat up the 30-year-old. To add insult to injury, police then arrested him and now want to press blasphemy charges that could see him locked up for five years.

Muslim extremists have called for Aan to be beheaded but fellow atheists have rallied round, and urged him to stand by his convictions despite the pressure.

"Dear Alex, stick to your beliefs. This country has no right to restrict your faith," Fahd Singa Diwirja wrote on the same Facebook page, where Aan is one of the administrators.

"You're facing narrow-minded people, but this is the true Indonesia, a fertile ground for the spread of fundamentalism," Diwirja added, advising Aan to escape persecution by seeking asylum in a European country.

Aan has also gained the support of the US-based International Atheist Alliance. The group, together with Atheist Minang, has written to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, calling on him to ensure that the blasphemy allegations are dropped.

"This is a law that has been used to promote mob violence and intimidation against those who do not agree with... vigilante groups," said the letter, copies of which were also sent to the United Nations and Human Rights Watch.

Aan's proclamation has been removed from the page, but the Facebook group has doubled to 2,000 since the controversy made local news reports. Most of the postings, however, are diatribes against Aan and his supporters.

"These atheists should be beheaded, that's what they deserve," wrote a man who identified himself as Putra Tama, a Muslim from neighboring Jambi province.

Other posts challenged atheists from the group to dare show themselves, instead of hiding behind the anonymity of social media. "If you think your arguments are true, why don't you just have a face-to-face meeting with us, people who still believe in God? You're just a group of cowards," taunted a post by another Muslim.

Although Indonesia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, it only recognizes six faiths: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Confucianism. Perceived blasphemy against any one of these religions carries a maximum five-year jail term.

Local police chief Chairul Aziz said this week that Aan, who had written on his Facebook page that he was brought up as a Muslim, had expressed his willingness to revert to Islam but that it would not be enough to escape punishment.

"He expressed his intention to convert to Islam but he has not performed an Islamic declaration of faith. Even if he does so, he still can't escape from justice due to his blaphemous act," Aziz said.

He said Aan could face additional charges, including falsely declaring himself a Muslim when he applied for a civil service job years ago.

The Islamic Society Forum (FUI), an umbrella group for several hard-line groups, said that a five-year jail term for Aan would not suffice.

"He deserves the death penalty, even if he decides to repent. What he has done cannot be tolerated," said Muhammad al-Khaththath, FUI's secretary- general. "It is important to prevent this group from spreading atheism in this country," he added.

Indonesia has seen a spate of attacks on minority religious groups in recent years and the country's judiciary is notoriously unsympathetic towards their plight. In 2011, three Ahmadiyah sect members were killed in a mob attack.

Those convicted received light sentences of between three and six months while one of the Ahmadiyah survivors, a man who almost lost his hand in the violence, got six months for defending himself and his friends.

Political parties & elections

Angelina Sondakh accepts party suspension, prepared for detention

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Outgoing Democratic Party deputy secretary general Angelina Sondakh has accepted the party's decision to suspend her and says she is ready to be detained after anticorruption authorities named her as a suspect.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in a speech on Sunday that all party members who have been declared a suspect must step down. "I respect all steps taken by the party and legal enforcers," she said through Kahfi Siregar from the Democrats' communications division.

She said she would accept her suspension, because it was for the betterment of the party. "I have told my children about my status. They are shocked, but I told them they must be tough," said Angelina, who has three children from her marriage with the late Adjie Massaid, a former Democratic legislator.

After having been repeatedly accused in court of receiving bribes, Angelina was named a corruption suspect last week.

The chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Abraham Samad, said there was enough evidence to name Angelina, a member of the Budget Committee at the House of Representatives, a suspect. "We are declaring her a suspect based on two strong pieces of evidence," Abraham said at a news conference.

Angelina is expected to be charged under at least three articles of the 1999 Law on Corruption Eradication. Each of the charges, he said, carries up to 20 years in jail and up to Rp 350 million ($39,000) in fines.

"[Angelina] is suspected of having received promises of monetary gratification," he said. Angelina has been accused by graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin of asking for money in connection to the construction of the athletes' village in Palembang for last year's Southeast Asian Games.

Another key witness, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, who used to work in one of Nazaruddin's many companies, testified in court that Angelina had requested that money be given to members of the House Budget Committee. Rosalina said Angelina had accepted a Rp 2 billion "fee" linked to the project.

Separately on Monday, the Democrats announced that the party would soon issue a decision to suspend Angelina. "While the investigation is underway, we will suspend her from all her posts. It's just a matter of administrative process before we officially suspend her," party official Didi Irawadi Syamsudin said.

Indonesia's ruling Democratic Party must lose corruption suspects: Analysts

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Ezra Sihite, Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Rangga Prakoso – The Democratic Party will continue to decline in popularity unless President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono removes those who are alleged to have been involved in graft cases, analysts agreed on Monday.

University of Indonesia political expert Iberamsjah said that Yudhoyono's speech defending party chairman Anas Urbaningrum in the name of the presumption of innocence would not help the party but rather speed up its destruction.

"It is time for a massive clearing out to dump those members allegedly involved in corruption. This is more about politics rather than legal problems. If people feel that you are involved in the scam, then you must leave until you are proven innocent," Iberamsjah said.

In a speech on Sunday, Yudhoyono said he had decided to keep Anas in his post but indicated graft suspect Angelina Sondakh, the party's deputy secretary general, would be removed.

The speech was in response to increased speculation of the involvement of some of the party's members in a graft case surrounding the construction of the Southeast Asian Games athletes' village in Palembang – Both the party's former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin, and Angelina have been named suspects by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the case. Anas has not been named a suspect.

During the trial, several witnesses and suspects, especially Nazaruddin, accused Anas of receiving some of the graft money.

The scandal threatens to weaken the Democrats' prospects in the 2014 elections, with a series of surveys indicating that support for the party was falling amid a flurry of negative headlines about the its links to the graft scandal.

A survey by the Indonesia Survey Circle (LSI) published on Sunday showed that the party had fallen to third place behind the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) after leading since 2009.

Political analyst Arbi Sanit said Yudhoyono, the Democratic Party's chief of patrons, must suspend Anas pending the results of the KPK's investigation.

"This is an extraordinary condition for the party, so there is no time to be weak. People say SBY has no guts. He thinks he's just being polite, but it's very negative for the party," he said.

Arbi said that any party officials mentioned in the scandal, including Sports and Youth Minister Andi Mallarangeng and lawmaker Mirwan Amir, should be suspended from their posts to stop the party's popularity from falling any further. Yunarto Wijaya, a political analyst from Charta Politika, said that Yudhoyono's speech to the public was useless because it would be better for him to unite the party internally amid growing rifts.

"The speech is very far from resolving the party's problems. He should talk to all members, demanding them to stay solid from external attacks," he said.

A day after Yudhoyono defended Anas, a senior member of the party, Ruhut Sitompul, demanded again that the Democrat chairman step down. "What I fear is that we get continued sanctions from the public and our rating continues to decline. It will be very damaging for us if, say, in two to three years we are in this kind of situation," he said.

Ruhut said Anas's deliberate stepping down would help the party regain its support from the public.

Rapists, murderers can stand for election

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Rapists, killers and other criminals can run as legislative candidates in general elections as a committee in the House of Representatives (DPR) has agreed to grant former convicts their political rights.

Based on articles agreed upon by legislators, the criminals will be allowed to run for seats in the House, the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and regional legislative councils (DPRD).

"Ex-convicts can be candidates five years after finishing their jail terms. They must announce publicly during the campaign that they are former prisoners," said Gede Pasek Suardika, chairman of a special committee deliberating a bill on the revision of the 2008 Election Law.

"The point is that a former convict has paid off his or her wrongdoings by serving jail time. Thus, they become ordinary citizen again within certain limits," he added. The agreement was made on the basis of a recent Constitutional Court (MK) ruling, Gede said.

In 2009, the MK approved a judicial review filed by Robertus, a former murder convict from Pagar Alam, South Sumatra. Robertus challenged articles in the 2008 Election Law that prevented him from running in an election, saying they contravened the Constitution.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Ganjar Pranowo, another committee member, said recidivists would still be banned from running in elections. "Recidivists are treated differently because they continue to offend," he said.

Apart from the agreement on that issue, legislators also agreed to allow political parties 16 months for political campaigning, much longer than the nine-month campaign period in the 2009 elections. Lawmakers and the government believe longer campaigns can lessen corrupt practices.

"Longer campaign periods will help voters understand the background of their potential representatives. This will also put pressure on political parties to nominate credible candidates in order to win votes," Gede added.

"Because voters make informed choices, it will prevent politicians using bribery to influence voters. Voters will reject candidates thought to be incompetent," he added.

In addition, the House committee and the government also made a groundbreaking decision by giving political rights to citizens who don't have identity cards, such as KTP (ID card) or passports.

The decision was made after learning that certain tribes in remote areas, such as the Anak Dalam in Sumatra and the Badui in Banten, did not use such documents. "Identification is an administrative matter, which should not prevent citizens from using their constitutional right to vote," said Nurul Arifin of the Golkar Party.

"However, we are still discussing mechanisms for them to vote. They certainly cannot use the same mechanisms as urban voters," she added.

Although the House and the government have made several ground-breaking decisions, they have yet to agree on other important issues such as the plan to raise the legislative threshold. The prolonged discussion on the legislative threshold has split members of the current coalition government.

Four smaller coalition parties, namely the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP) oppose the plan of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) to form a so-called "central axis". They want the threshold to be set at 3 percent.

The government has proposed a legislative threshold of 4 percent for the 2014 polls. The Democratic Party supports the government's proposal, but its main ally, Golkar, agrees with the biggest opposition party, the PDI-P, which wants the threshold to be set at 5 percent.

Democratic party slide, Golkar now on top

Jakarta Globe - February 5, 2012

Ezra Sihite & Anita Rachman – Voters are abandoning Indonesia's ruling Democratic Party amid a string of corruption scandals enveloping its senior figures, with a new survey of public opinion showing the party has fallen to third place.

The study carried out by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) also showed the Golkar Party consolidating its top position.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, LSI researcher Barkah Pattimahu said that 18.9 percent of the 1,200 respondents identified Golkar as the party they would vote for, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Democrats picking up 14.2 percent and 13.7 percent respectively.

In January 2011, the Democratic Party led the same survey with 20.5 percent, but five months later dropped to second place with 15.5 percent. The party experienced a brief surge in popularity in October 2011 when it received the approval of 16.5 percent of respondents, but still languished in second. This latest survey, carried out in January and February, is a new low.

Barkah identified several factors contributing to the decreased popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling party, including the alleged involvement of senior party members in a massive 2011 Southeast Asian Games graft case.

Former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin is on trial for his role in the case, while Democratic lawmaker Angelina Sondakh has been named a suspect. Nazaruddin has also accused party chairman Anas Urbaningrum of involvement in the case. Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng and lawmaker Mirwan Amir, both Democratic Party members, have also been implicated in the graft case.

The president's poor public approval ratings have also hurt the party. In January 2011, 57 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with Yudhoyono's presidency. This figure dropped to 49 percent in the latest study.

Yudhoyono on Sunday spoke about the survey results, conceding that the party's popularity had dropped in the last eight months. "I want to stress that acts and allegations of corruption carried out by party members are not part of the party line," he said.

The president added that party members had to be aware that they could not deviate from party policies. "Even though we are a relatively young party, we will overcome this crisis," he said. "In moments such as this we need to seek God's help, admit to mistakes, weaknesses and shortcomings and start correcting things."

Given the survey results, Barkah laid out three scenarios that could play out in the run up to general elections in 2014.

First, Anas could resign prior to the party meeting at an extraordinary congress. Second, if Anas refused to step down, delegates to the extraordinary congress would choose a new party chairperson. Third, Anas could refuse to step down and the congress would collapse.

However, Anas retains the support of the president, who said on Sunday that Anas would not be asked to step down. "Anas has strong backing at all levels of the party," Barkah said, adding that party factions led by House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie and Andi Mallarangeng could play a role in its fate.

He warned that calling an extraordinary congress could lead to widening rifts within the party that would lead to its popularity dropping even further.

SBY told to act to save party's tainted image

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2012

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Political observers have warned that Democrat Party chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's initiative to publicly explain issues surrounding the party in relation to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) declaring party deputy secretary general Angelina Sondakh a suspect could be ineffective and counterproductive.

"It's up to SBY [Yudhoyono] to decide whether he wants to set an example so that all party members will think twice before committing corruption or whether he is just satisfying himself with rhetoric. His speech might work with party members, but not with the people. People are waiting for real action and not speeches," Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Siti Zuhroh told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Yunarto Wijaya of Charta Politika said SBY needed to take a stand and stop party members from making different public statements regarding developments with party.

"SBY needs to take a stand and tell his cadres to stop making statements over the graft investigation and honor the legal process," Yunarto said Sunday as quoted by kompas.com. Yudhoyono is expected to deliver a speech this afternoon at his private residence in Cikeas, Bogor, regarding recent developments involving the Democrat Party.

The expected statement follows the commotion surrounding party chief Anas Urbaningrum's position in relation with former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin's accusation that Anas also accepted a bribe and therefore should give up his position.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party communication and information department head Ruhut Sitompul said he had suggested that Anas step down temporarily to focus on proving that the graft allegation was not true.

However, other party colleagues, such as party advisory board member Ahmad Mubarok and party corruption eradication and judicial mafia department head Didi Irawadi said Anas' position was safe and would remain so until proven guilty in court. (mtq)

Nazaruddin threatens Anas to admit role in corruption scandal

Jakarta Globe - February 3, 2012

Rizky Amelia – Notorious Indonesian corruption suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin has demanded Anas Urbaningrum admit to his alleged involvement in a high- level graft scandal – or else.

Nazaruddin, speaking before his trial resumes in the Anti-Corruption Court in Jakarta on Friday, said he wanted the embattled Democratic Party chairman to surrender to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and admit that he was involved in graft surrounding the construction of the athletes' village for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

Nazaruddin, the disgraced former chairman of the party headed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, told reporters that a leader of a powerful and respected party should set a good example by admitting to what he has done.

He said if Anas kept on denying his role in the scandal, he would make further allegations. "If he is still unwilling to admit [to his crimes], unfortunately I will have to reveal other [information]," he claimed.

Nazaruddin reiterated that he had known Anas extremely well since 2006. "I was in frequent contact with Anas – I spent almost every day and night with him for three years in a row," he said.

The scandal threatens to topple the Democrat's position as the largest party in Indonesia in the 2014 elections.

As the scandal continues to tarnish the image of the Democratic Party, which has campaigned on an Anti-Corruption theme, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Marzuki Alie, a Democrat, called on fellow party members to hold their tongues.

"I want to remind all the cadres in the Democratic Party that it would be best for all of us to not speak too much in the media, Marzuki was quoted by Detik.com as saying at the House on Friday.

Marzuki, who has faced repeated ridicule for his past comments, said the image of the party had declined due to comments made by party members in the media.

He said he would not comment on the Anas scandal. "Internal problems should not be raised in public. I don't want to discuss the central leadership board," the news portal quoted him as saying. The leadership board has warned of a possible coup against Anas.

'Parasites' on docket for Democratic party discussion

Jakarta Globe - February 1, 2012

Anita Rachman, Ezra Sihite & Robertus Wardi – The beleaguered Democratic Party held a meeting on Tuesday after it became apparent that some party members were seeking to replace chairman Anas Urbaningrum, but attendees gave different takes on what was discussed.

"We were discussing our working program," said a Central Leadership Board member, Benny K. Harman. He added, however, that "termites and parasites, both internally and externally," were also discussed, signaling that threats to Anas's rule were brought up in the meeting. Benny said "political forces" were acting against party unity as the 2014 elections drew near.

On Monday, Ajeng Ratna Sumira, a member of the party's Board of Patrons, said there were "three or four names to replace Anas." She added that the party was preparing for the possibility of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) naming him a suspect.

Anas's name has been dragged into the Southeast Asian Games athletes' village graft case after he was accused by high-profile corruption suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin and a former employee, Yulianis, of receiving money to help his bid for the Democratic Party chairmanship in 2010.

Ajeng said that because of Anas's strong support at the grassroots level, the party would not remove him unless there was a change in his legal status that would indicate his guilt.

In his first public statement since details of his alleged involvement in the bribery scandal surfaced, Anas said on Tuesday that he had chosen to ignore speculation he would be replaced.

Asked to comment on Ajeng's remarks, Anas said the names "are rumors from outside." "The meeting was to discuss the party's work from each department and division," he said. "We are consolidating the party so that our programs go well."

Democratic Party spokeswoman Andi Nurpati said supporters of the party were still behind Anas's chairmanship. "There are [informal] talks, but no official position [from officials]," she said when asked if there werew party members angling to replace Anas.

Sources within the party pointed to Djoko Suyanto, coordinating minister for political, legal and defense affairs, as a prospective candidate. Other contenders include Transportation Minister E.E. Mangindaan, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Syarif Hasan and party secretary general Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono.

Edhie was quick to distance himself from the rumor, saying, "In the executive board, there is no information on a replacement or other related things."

On Tuesday, Mangindaan said the party "is united [behind Anas]. Anas is performing well. Let's wait for the legal process."

The party's Honors Council secretary, Amir Syamsuddin, said Anas owed the public an explanation about the case. "If he stays quiet, then the case will become more complicated and impact other matters," he said.

Amir, also the nation's justice minister, said the party would not interfere in the investigation. "Don't politicize a legal process," he said. "I don't believe the KPK will hesitate to unravel the case."

[Additional reporting from Suara Pembaruan.]

Tommy's Nasrep to be based on Suharto

Suara Pembaruan - February 1, 2012

The new-look National Republic Party said on Tuesday that it would base its platform on the policies and programs espoused by former President Suharto, who was ousted by popular dissent in 1998.

Buddy Hartono, the secretary general of the party known as Nasrep, said that Suharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, was the ideal figurehead for the party. "He is Suharto's ideological heir," he said. "He's also the perfect choice to stand for president."

Buddy added that Nasrep expected to do well in the 2014 polls in parts of the country that were previously Suharto strongholds.

PKS to nominate popular politicians

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Bandung – The central board of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said that the party would nominate some popular figures as candidates for the 2014 presidential poll, including controversial Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring.

Deputy chairman of the party Yudi Widiana Adia said that the party leadership was now weighing up nominating PKS politicians including former party chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid, party secretary-general Anis Matta, current party chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq and Tifatul.

Yudi said that the party popular figures were expected to be able to generate more votes for the party, which was expected to get 0.8 percent less than what it garnered in the 2009 general election, which was 7.8 percent of the popular vote.

"Every regional party branch is free to nominate their candidates and we will look for candidates with grass roots support including Tifatul. If people from Medan want him to run, we have to include him," Yudi said, referring to the North Sumatra capital city where Tifatul was expected to get more votes.

PKS is expected to come up with a shortlist of candidates by the end of 2012 and would name its presidential candidates in the months leading up to the 2014 poll.

As rift deepens, Anas and backers flex their muscles

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The rift within President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party appeared to increase on Tuesday, with supporters of party chairman Anas Urbaningrum making their stance public.

Scores of senior Democratic Party politicians attacked fellow party members who demanded that Anas step down for his alleged corrupt practices. Lawmaker Benny Kabur Harman, one of Anas' loyal allies, said that there were "parasites" within the party and "termites" from within that were bent on destroying the party.

"These people have systematically organized attacks on the party to prevent it from winning the 2014 general elections," Benny added.

Party deputy secretary-general Ramadhan Pohan said that the threat against Anas had been exaggerated. "Rumors saying that Anas would be soon replaced have been proven to be a 1,000 percent hoax," he said.

Anas himself also suggested there had been a movement to drive public opinion against him. "I am no defendant or suspect. But the public has shared an opinion that I am a convict," he said. Anas also maintained his claim of innocence.

"I am completely innocent. Let's wait for the legal processes to complete. I am totally ready for whatever the outcome will be. The judicial processes [on the cases implicating me] will answer the public's right to know," Anas said on the sidelines of a party executive meeting in Jakarta.

Party executive Sutan Bhatoegana and party spokesperson Andi Nurpati, said the meeting could have been used to discuss the party's deepening rift. "We are going to identify those parasites and termites. They must be exterminated," Sutan said. Anas, however, said that the meeting was merely aimed at "maintaining party solidity".

A number of Democratic Party politicians, including two members of the party's board of patrons, have issued statements suggesting that Anas should step down from his position, at least on an interim basis. Anas' critics said that his alleged role in numerous graft cases had contributed to the slumping of the party's image.

Witnesses in graft trials have testified that Anas had illicitly benefited from the construction of an athletes' village for the 2011 SEA Games, worth Rp 191.7 billion (US$21.28 million).

Besides the support given by some senior party members, Anas has also reportedly enjoyed support from almost all of the party's regional branches. "The party's central board has never received a complaint from regional branches concerning cases implicating our chairman," Andi Nurpati said.

Analysts have said that this grassroots support has prevented Yudhoyono, the party's chief patron, from making a swift decision against Anas.

Critics of Anas from within the party are said to be the supporters of losing candidates in the party's chairmanship election in 2010 in Bandung, West Java. The losing candidates in the elections were House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie and Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng.

Former party treasurer, who is now a graft defendant, Muhammad Nazaruddin, has repeatedly said that he disbursed billions of funds he illicitly pocketed from state budget-funded projects to help Anas win votes in the election. Although Anas' alleged roles have been frequently suggested, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has yet to name him as a suspect.

Surveys & opinion polls

Widespread belief Anas involved in scandal

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2012

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – A recent survey revealed that a majority of the public believes that Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum was involved in the Southeast Asian Games bribery scandal. The Party, however, still refuses to remove him from his chairmanship.

According to the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI), a majority of respondents believe that Anas, along with four other key Democratic Party politicians – Muhammad Nazaruddin, Angelina Sondakh, Andi Mallarangeng and Mirwan Amir – were involved in the case.

"As much as 62.6 percent of respondents answered: They know about the SEA Games bribery scandal, and 57.8 percent believed that the case's primary suspect, Nazaruddin, had been cooperating with other politicians," LSI researcher Barkah Pattimahu said during a press conference on Sunday.

LSI conducted the survey from Jan. 12 to Feb. 2, involving 1,200 respondents from across the country's 33 provinces. It used a multistage random-sampling method in direct interviews. The approximate margin of error was 2.9 percent.

Nazaruddin is currently on trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) recently named Angelina Sondakh a suspect in the case and has banned her from leaving the country.

Anas Urbaningrum, Andi Mallarangeng and Mirwan Amir seemingly remain off the hook, even though their names have repeatedly been implicated during case hearing sessions.

Barkah said that the five politicians' relation to the graft case is among the reasons that have apparently sunk the Democratic Party's popularity.

"The Democratic Party's popularity dropped to the third position, below the Golkar Party, now in first place, and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in second," he said as quoted by kompas.com. The Democratic Party was second after the Golkar party in June 2011.

Another contributing factor has reportedly been the recent drop in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's public approval rating following a growing groundswell of public dissatisfaction with his government's performance.

According to a separate LSI survey, Yudhoyono's approval rating dropped to 48.3 percent at the end of 2011, compared to 56.7 percent recorded at the beginning of last year.

Responding to the party's present situation, as chief party patron, Yudhoyono said that he would not remove Anas from the chairmanship position. "I said I would not remove Anas Urbaningrum as Democratic Party chairman. Why? Because the legal proceedings are underway at the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK]. We stick to the presumption of innocence," Yudhoyono said.

Party colleagues, such as party advisory board member Ahmad Mubarok and party corruption eradication and judicial mafia department head Didi Irawadi have said that Anas' position was safe and would remain so until proven guilty in court.

Contrarily, Democratic Party communication and information department head Ruhut Sitompul had suggested Anas temporarily step down to focus on proving that the graft allegations were not true.

Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Siti Zuhro told The Jakarta Post that it is up to Yudhoyono to decide whether he wants to set an example so that all party members will think twice before engaging in acts of corruption or whether he is merely satisfying himself with rhetoric.

"His speeches might work with party members, but not with the people. People are waiting for real action and not speeches," she said.

Zuhro previously said the Democratic Party will risk losing public support if it does not strongly back the probe of former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin.

"Making statements about supporting the KPK investigators in doing their jobs is not enough. Party officials should do something better given the fact that some of the party's top brass have constantly been mentioned as having played a role in the graft case," she said. (rpt)

Internet & social media

We've blocked 1 million porn sites, government claims

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Jakarta – The Communications and Information Ministry claims it has blocked nearly 1 million sites that carry pornographic content.

Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said the censorship of porn sites was in line with the government's commitment to provide safe sites accessed by Indonesians and build a more positive character for the nation.

"We've blocked more than 983,000 porn sites. We will keep on doing it," Tifatul said during a seminar on the Healthy and Safe Use of the Internet at the Pullman Hotel in Jakarta on Monday. The seminar was held ahead of International Safe Internet Day, which falls on Friday.

Tifatul added that the censorship would in turn improve people's ethics in using the Internet for positive purposes.

According to Tifatul, Indonesia is home to 45 million Internet users with the growth in household computer use reaching 25.8 percent per year. "Censorship and filters will not work if people are determined to look for porn sites," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

The government has banned online pornography since 2010, since which time the Communications and Information Ministry has ordered local service providers to block access to pornographic websites, a controversial decision because experts doubt its effectiveness.

'Rude', 'anonymous' Tweeters beware: Tifatul to target Twitter

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Arientha Primanita & Anita Rachman – After blocking access to almost one million pornographic Web sites, the Communication and Information Technology Ministry is now targeting anonymous accounts on Twitter.

Minister Tifatul Sembiring said on Monday that he has learned that Twitter was filled with many anonymous accounts that often use insults to attack other people.

"We are now studying it. Because if they really violate [laws] and insult people, they could be reported as spam. Then their [accounts] could be closed by Twitter officials," he said.

Complaints can be filed against Twitter users that disturb the public or attack and offend public figures, he claimed, even if it is an anonymous account. "If they violate the laws, they will be punished. Principally, every account user could be held responsible by tracing his position and device," he said.

Based on the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law, Tifatul said, there are five violations in the cyber world that can warrant legal charges: pornography, gambling, threats, fraud and blasphemy.

The ITE Law stipulates that anyone who violates the law could face seven to 12 years of imprisonment.

Blogger Wicaksono, who has about 55,000 followers on Twitter, told the Jakarta Globe the ministry had too much time in its hands if it actually pursued that plan. He said there were growing numbers of anonymous accounts, but many of those accounts are tweeting humorous material, such as an account named Suster Ngesot (the mythical crawling nurse ghost). "And what is the definition of insulting? It has so many interpretations," he said.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pramono Anung agreed, saying people could learn a lot from criticism made by anonymous accounts. "A limitation or monitoring is not needed. This is a democratic country. If someone thinks that he is being defamed please [report the case], but special monitoring for anonymous accounts, that's just unnecessary," Pramono said.

Ministry spokesman Gatot S. Dewa Broto said more than 983,000 Web sites containing pornography had been blocked. There are now more than 55 million Internet users in Indonesia, he added.

[Additional reporting by Ezra Sihite.]

For many Indonesians, 'Facebook' is the only internet

Agence France Presse - February 2, 2012

Shirley Wibisono & Sumisha Naidu – Indonesia, a developing Muslim nation which claims the world's third-largest community of Facebook users, has become a showcase for the social networking site's global power and reach.

Facebook has broken technological and social barriers to connect 40 million users in the sprawling Indonesian archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, some without even landline connections.

Its remarkable ascent has for many users rendered the rest of the Internet obsolete, as well as attracted allegations that it is responsible for encouraging pornography, premarital sex and adultery.

Banking on its global popularity, which has also seen India amass the second-biggest number of users after the United States, Facebook has filed for a stock market debut expected to become one of the biggest of all time.

With even cheap cell phones in Indonesia sold already bundled with Facebook applications, for many, "Fesbuk" – as it is written in the national Bahasa language – simply is the Internet.

"Since access to Facebook is made so easy by pressing one button on a mobile phone, many people who are not familiar with the Internet do not realize that Facebook is part of the Internet," said Danny Oei Wirianto, co-founder of homegrown social networking site MindTalk.

Many don't bother to do anything else on the Internet and are barely aware that they can use the browser button on their phone to go online, he explains.

Internet penetration via computers is low in Indonesia at less than 10 percent, but many have leapfrogged that technology by using wildly popular smartphones which have seen mobile Internet penetration reach 57 percent. Their low cost and ease of access has enabled almost 17 percent of the population to use Facebook, making it a cheap past time in a country where the majority live on less than $2 a day.

The Internet "is the cheapest form of entertainment here," said Daniel Tumiwa, country manager of Multiply, Facebook's runner-up in Indonesia which in the face of the juggernaut has reinvented itself as an e-commerce network.

Facebook games are a major drawcard for users, with a survey showing that 65 percent of traffic is directed to them, Wirianto said.

In recognition, Rovio – the company behind the smash-hit Angry Birds – has chosen the Indonesian capital Jakarta for the game's much-anticipated worldwide launch on Facebook this Valentine's Day.

"It's the Facebook capital of the world," Peter Vesterbecka, Rovio's Asia- Pacific manager, said recently in Jakarta, which has more Facebook users than any other city in the world.

But in the world's most populous Muslim nation, known for its strong religious and cultural beliefs, Facebook is not all fun and games.

Indonesians are learning everything from English to the Koran through Facebook groups, and perhaps more than any other Internet tool the site is helping Indonesians interact and express views that were once taboo.

Facebook group "Gay Indonesia Only!" with more than 8,000 members is a forum for homosexuals to meet and interact online.

"It's easier for us to educate people about homosexuality through Facebook than face-to-face," said Sri Agustine, head of Ardhanary Institute, an advocacy group for lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. "We even have Muslim extremists among our Facebook friends," she said.

Facebook's ability to smash through social norms has raised the ire of Islamic clerics, who have called for a ban, arguing it allows improper mingling between the sexes and encourages pornography and illicit sex.

"If Facebook is used for positive activities, like sharing useful knowledge and announcing job opportunities, then it's good," said Muhammad Al- Khaththath, head of an Islam umbrella group representing mostly extremist groups.

"But accounts that promote negative lifestyles, pornography and atheism should be banned. I use it to share information about Islam and also organize protests," he said of his own Facebook page, which boasts the maximum 5,000 friends.

Labour & migrant workers

Lawsuit against government for failing to protect migrant workers dismissed

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Agus Triyono – The Central Jakarta District Court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by domestic workers' rights activists against the government for failing to protect the country's maids at home and abroad.

In his ruling on Tuesday, Judge Herdin Agustin said the suit failed to prove that the government had not done its utmost to protect domestic workers, despite not yet ratifying the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Restaria Hutabarat, a lawyer for the group filing the suit, said her camp was disappointed with the ruling. She said the court had overlooked ample evidence and testimony from migrant workers who had experienced violence and other forms of abuse.

"These are the facts that our maids live with because domestic policies on their protection are minimal," she said. "But unfortunately, the court chose to ignore it all."

The suit was filed in April 2011 by the Action Committee on Domestic Workers, an umbrella group for 162 activist organizations and individuals.

In their suit, the plaintiffs named President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono and the House of Representatives as respondents. Others named in the litigation include Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, then-Justice Minister Patrialis Akbar and the National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI).

"These parties were all guilty of negligence for not immediately ratifying the convention on migrant workers, which in turn has deprived us of national legislation on protecting domestic workers," Restaria said.

The plaintiffs had called in their suit for the government to pass legislation recognizing maids as workers and granting them the same rights and protections given to the latter.

They also called for amendments to the 2004 Law on the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, which they said was insufficient in providing protection for maids working overseas.

The plaintiffs added that the law fell short of complying with the convention on protection of migrant workers, including its failure to acknowledge that most Indonesian maids abroad were being made to endure 12- to 16-hour workdays.

Also among the plaintiffs' contentions is that the 2004 Labor Law does not comply with international conventions and that existing regulations fail to consider the harsh conditions endured by more than 10 million Indonesian maids globally.

Revision to labor law? Forget it

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Hasyim Widhiarto and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The string of workers' rallies that has severely disturbed businesses recently, particularly in the industrial estates of Bekasi in West Java, Tangerang in Banten, and Batam in Riau Islands, will unlikely be the last.

The silver bullet of the much-awaited revision to the Labor Law, which is expected to put an end to workers' rallies and protracted problems, is unlikely to be passed this year.

"We're trying to immediately submit a draft revision of the law to the House of Representatives so that it can be scheduled for deliberation next year," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said recently.

However, Muhaimin said he could not ensure if the revision would be ready before the 2014 general elections. Due to the complicated and sensitive nature of the law, the House has not listed the revision in this year's bill deliberation schedule.

Deputy chairman of the House's Commission IX overseeing manpower, Irgan Chaerul Mahfiz, urged the ministry not to rush the draft revision because of concerns it might ignite uncontrollable workers' protests.

"I've warned the ministry to carefully draft the revision since it has become a sensitive issue for both [workers] and employers in the past few years," Irgan said.

But Manpower and Transmigration Ministry spokeswoman Dita Indah Sari said that the ministry was planning to submit a draft revision to the House within two months.

"We want the House to have enough time to study the revision so that they can consider scheduling the law revision next year," she said.

Revision to the Labor Law remains a hard nut to crack, with workers' unions and businesses regularly failing to come to terms with the revised articles.

The last effort to revise the law was in April 2006. The government backed down following massive rallies that could have turned into riots.

Businesses have seen the 2003 Labor Law as a restriction to hiring more workers that undermines the country's competitiveness because it is deemed to favor workers. For example, it is hard to dismiss unproductive workers without having to provide hefty compensation. A bankrupt company is still required to provide severance pay to laid-off workers that is more than three-times their basic salary.

The law also failed to break down the definition of "decent living standards", which has become a contentious issue when determining annual minimum wages.

The law's handicaps are blamed for the country's inability to benefit from more investment in labor-intensive sectors that is needed to help reduce unemployment, despite average economic growth exceeding 6 percent annually in the past four years.

The number of people unemployed or under-employed topped 42.2 million as of 2011, or around 36.6 percent of the working-age population, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). That figure declined by less than 3 percent from 2010. Existing foreign investors are also jittery over the escalated workers' unrest, particularly during the annual negotiations over minimum wages.

In mid-December, workers ran amok in Batam after demanding higher wages, igniting riots on an island that is supposedly an investment haven. The unrest spread to Bekasi, culminating in the Jan. 27 blockade of the Jakarta-Cikarang toll road, which paralyzed local factories.

History of the labor law

1997: Several laws on labor, manpower and industrial disputes are merged into labor law 2003: Megawati administration revises the law into 2003 Labor Law 2004: Calls arise from workers for a revision to the law 2005: Calls arise from businesses for a revision to the law 2006: Yudhoyono administration tries to revise the law, but fails to do so after massive protests 2011: The House rejects the government's draft revision as it suspects the draft is a fake.

Ball and chain in new wave of labor movement

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

January's labor unrest that culminated in the paralyzing of economic activities in the industrial estates of Bekasi, West Java, took many by surprise as it marked the awakening of the labor movement after years of slumber. The Jakarta Post's Hasyim Widhiarto investigates the issue. Here are the stories:

Labor activist Obon Tabroni, 40, not only knows how to rally crowds with his fiery speeches and provocative words but also how to wreck havoc.

During the rally on Jan. 27 in which tens of thousands of workers in Bekasi regency – home to a large number of production facilities owned by multinational companies – vented their anger over wage issues by occupying the Jakarta-Cikarang toll road and forced many factories to shut down.

Workers, aided by local thugs, pressured other workers in several Bekasi industrial estates to join the protests by threatening them with violence. Racist remarks were also bandied by the protesters, igniting concerns that the row might spiral into a racial issue. The property of several Korean companies was also damaged during the rally, according to the Korean Embassy.

Obon's struggle showed how people power could overpower the rule of law – a move that is set to be copied by fellow labor unions in Tangerang, Banten, which recently planned to deploy masses to block access to the airport on Thursday to demand higher wages.

Despite a court ruling that annulled a West Java decree stipulating the wage rise in Bekasi, the central government and a lobby group, the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), decided to bow to the workers' demand for a more than 15 percent raise – more than four times last year's inflation rate of 3.79 percent.

The decision to give in to the pressure was merely based on concerns that the rally may turn into widespread riots.

Aside from a blatant show of force, the rally also marked the revival of the labor movement, which gained notoriety between 2000 and 2007 when workers often flocked to the capital to rally. Some leading labor activists believe the revival did not emerge suddenly.

Confederation of Indonesian Prosperity Trade Unions (KSBSI) president Mudhofir, 47, said there was a rise of a stronger and more localized labor movement resulting from the shift in core labor issues in the past few decades.

"Unlike in the past, the agenda of most labor unions nowadays has moved ahead to ensure workers in the regions receive a proper wage. This has made their operation more localized but with a stronger support base," said Mudhofir, who took over the organization's chairmanship from labor activist icon Rekson Silaban last year.

Established in 1992 by veteran labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan as an alternative to the government-sanctioned All-Indonesia Workers Union (SPSI), KSBSI currently coordinates 11 workers' federations with a total of 511,000 members.

Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Union (FSPMI) president Said Iqbal said the fragmentation among Indonesian labor unions was only a matter of geography but clearly not because they shared extremely different goals.

"If we look closely at all labor unions in Indonesia, we can easily conclude that they actually work to focus on promoting several issues, including the abolition of the outsourcing system and the implementation of fair regional minimum wages and a social security system," he said.

"So basically it's not difficult to unite them as long as they agree to highlight which issue they want to promote in a particular period."

Iqbal, who was appointed chairman of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI) last week, said the recent rally in Bekasi and Tangerang had shown that the labor movement in the areas, where labor- intensive companies are concentrated, was obviously more vibrant than those in smaller cities.

According to Iqbal, the recent awakening of the labor movement from its long slumber is because labor activists are in the process of consolidating and building a new and stronger support base.

There are currently about 100,000 labor unions registered in private companies throughout the country. These unions can opt to affiliate with any of the 90 existing workers federations.

The federations can also attach themselves to one of the country's four labor confederations: KSBSI, KSPI, the All-Indonesian Workers' Union Confederation (KSPSI) and the Congress Alliances of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI).

Infighting currently plagues the KSPSI, which is now led separately by former manpower and transmigration minister Jacob Nuwa Wea and labor activist Syukur Sarto.

The government and Apindo usually invite the four confederations, along with several major federations, to represent workers during lobbying or discussion on labor-related issues.

Apindo chairman Sofjan Wanandi said the real "battlefield" for employers and workers was currently at the regional level, as governors, regents and mayors now had the authority to set the annual regional minimum wages under recommendation from the Regional Wage Council (DPN), which consists of representatives from the local administration, Apindo, major local labor unions, academics and experts.

"But usually, regional leaders ignore the DPN's decision, and unilaterally raise the minimum wages way higher, especially when they have been aggressively pressured by labor unions or when they are aiming to re-run in upcoming regional elections," he said. Businesses have always proposed the ideal formula of the annual wage increase based on inflation plus 5 percent. However, to please workers and net support, most regional governments usually introduce higher numbers.

Businesspeople have also questioned the representation of workers in most of the existing labor unions. According to Sofjan, only one-third of the 90 workers federations have a significant number of "real workers" as members.

"The others act more like NGOs. They only have a small number of members but are usually eager to protest employers hoping to get financial benefits either from us or from a third party," he said.

Labor researcher Indrasari Tjandraningsih from the Bandung-based Akatiga social analysis center said that players in the labor movement nowadays were "smarter" compared to those in the past decade, mainly because most of their leaders had university degrees and a vast network with established local and foreign labor organizations.

Indrasari suggested that the government open dialogue with these new breed of labor leaders since she believed that they had the intellectual capability to engage in talks.

"Even if they have to stage a protest, labor unions will not do it in front of their companies, but at the House of Representatives, ministerial offices or the presidential palace, showing that they understand the labor system and know who they should protest to," she said. "Shutting down toll roads is only their last resort when negotiations collapse."

New breed of unionists rising to the top

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Hasyim Widhiarto – Since the reform era began in 1998, the union movement has been primarily driven by activists who were unemployed or had no affiliations to employers.

Workers' union icons like the now-retired Muchtar Pakpahan and Djumhur Hidayat, the head of the government-sanctioned National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Migrant Workers, are just two examples of this. But now, a group of educated and politically wired activists are leading the charge for workers' rights. So far, they have fared well.

At first glance, Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Union (FSPMI) chairman Said Iqbal, 43, does not look the part, dressing more like a business executive than an activist.

But his clout cannot be overlooked: the FSPMI is the most influential workers' union in Bekasi, with more than a third of the union's 130,000 members working for manufacturing companies in the regency. The rest work in Tangerang, Banten and Jakarta.

Iqbal made his name after masterminding the notorious Jan. 27 rally in Bekasi, West Java, in which tens of thousands of workers cut off access to the Jakarta-Cikarang toll road and paralyzed economic activity in the industrial areas.

The Bekasi unrest erupted after the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) filed a lawsuit against the West Java administration, which had endorsed a rise in minimum wages exceeding 15 percent – more than four times the size of last year's inflation rate of 3.79 percent. The unions agreed to end the protest on Jan. 28 following Apindo's decision to comply with their demands

Due to his success in giving businesses and the government a hard time, Iqbal was last week promoted to chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), one of the country's four union groupings that oversees hundreds of workers' organizations.

As FSPMI's leader since 2006, Iqbal claimed he was still registered as a manager of Japanese electronic giant Panasonic's business in Bekasi, but rarely showed up at work due to his union activities.

"Since I was appointed FSPMI chairman, my employer has allowed me to work full time for the organization," Iqbal said, adding that he still received a monthly salary from the company.

Iqbal, who has a master's degree in public policy from the University of Indonesia, works from a 350 square-meter house on Jl. Raya Pondok Gede, East Jakarta, which has become FSPMI headquarters in recent years. He has regularly flown overseas for training and to attend trade union conferences, sometimes as a speaker.

In 2009, Iqbal ran as a candidate for the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in the legislative election in the Riau Islands province. But he failed to secure a seat at the House of Representatives.

The FSPMI's involvement in the recent strikes might be linked to regional politics. Bekasi Regent Sa'duddin and West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan were endorsed by the PKS and they could struggle to win re-election next month and next year, respectively.

Iqbal strongly denied that the motivation for the recent strikes was political. "Whoever the government is, it's the duty of all workers' unions to ensure that every worker receives a proper wage rise," he said.

Iqbal has been assisted by the 40-year-old chairman of FSPMI's Bekasi branch, Obon Tabroni. Obon, who is also the chairman of the Bekasi Workers' Movement, has run a small car repair workshop with his wife after deciding to quit his job at Panasonic last year, after nearly 20 years with the company.

"I quit because of my choice to completely focus on managing the labor union, without having to worry about receiving pressure from the management," Obon said.

KSPSI's Tangerang regency chapter chairman Imam Sukarsa, 39, has become an icon in Tangerang. On Thursday, Imam will lead workers in blocking the entrances to the toll roads connecting Jakarta to Merak Port and Soekarno- Hatta International Airport.

Iman has also been studying law at the Pelita Bangsa University in Tangerang. Aside from running the union branch, Imam has been involved in managing the family-owned Islamic boarding school established by his father in Cikupa, Tangerang.

Imam, who once worked for local food producer Indofood, said that he decided to join the union movement as it was a noble way to fight for "many real things to help empower the poor society". Imam said his union was the biggest in Tangerang and claimed to have 250,000 members.

Along with more than a dozen unions, KSPSI's Tangerang branch last month joined a rally to pressure Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah for a 30 percent rise in minimum wages. Several days later, it joined another rally to protest Apindo's lawsuit against the Banten administration's granting of the wage rise.

Imam gained fame after pressuring Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Untung S. Rajab and Apindo representatives to comply with the wage rises during tough negotiations on Wednesday.

Imam's union has forged an alliance with the Federation of National Workers' Unions (FSBN) to ignite the movement.

But unlike Imam and Iqbal, FSBN executive Poniman, 35, has been living a relatively humble life. Poniman started out as a full-time activist in 2005 after leaving his 12-year career with tire company PT Gajah Tunggal.

Officially jobless, the father of one was now living in a 30-square-meter house in a densely populated neighborhood in Batu Ceper, Tangerang, which has also been used as FSBN's headquarters for over six years.

"Since the house is too small for three people, I asked my wife to return our 6-year-old son to her hometown in Solo, Central Java," he said, adding that his organization paid Rp 400,000 (US$44.8) per month for renting the house.

Four labor confederations

The Confederation of Indonesian Prosperity Trade Unions (KSBSI)

Founded by the icon of the labor movement, Muchtar Pakpahan, many people still associate the organization with Pakpahan even though he has not been involved in the organization's day-to-day management for the past few years due to his advancing years and declining health.

Established in 1992, the SBSI (before the confederation was formed) became an alternative organization for labor activists who felt dissatisfied with the performance of the government-sanctioned All Indonesian Workers Union (SPSI), which had been strongly co-opted by retired generals and government officials.

In the 1999 general elections, after the fall of Soeharto's New Order regime, Pakpahan finally entered politics by establishing the National Labor Party, hoping to receive support from members of the labor organizations. After failing to clinch a significant number of votes, Pakpahan tried his luck again in the 2004 and 2009 general elections, but still the party scored similarly disappointing results.

Currently led by Mudhofir, one of Pakpahan's apprentices, the KSBSI now coordinates 11 workers' federations that contain a total of 511,000 members. Learning from past experience, Mudhofir said the organization would carefully consider before trying to enter politics again.

"Looking at the recent situation, promoting labor rights through political channels is somewhat inevitable. But we currently don't know whether we are ready or not [to enter politics]," he said.

The Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI)

The KSPI oversees eight workers' federations with a total of 793,000 members. The organization appointed last week labor activist Said Iqbal as its new president, replacing Thamrin Mosii, during its national congress in Bogor, West Java. Known as a labor activist with a vast network both here and overseas, Iqbal is also the president of the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers' Unions (FSPMI), the confederation's most militant and influential federation member, which currently has 130,000 members, mostly in Bekasi, West Java. Last month, the FSPMI, together with other smaller labor unions in the area, initiated a massive labor rally in Bekasi, requesting employers to withdraw its lawsuit against the West Java administration's decision regarding 2012 regional minimum wages.

The Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI)

The KASBI received its status as an official workers confederation in 2005. More than 30 workers' federations currently affiliate themselves with KASBI, pooling a total of more than 130,000 members within its purview. As a seven-year-old organization, KASBI has the smallest number of members compared to the three other workers' confederations. Despite its relatively small size, KASBI is already renowned for its militancy and ability to attract supporters to every labor rally. Members of the organization are also easily recognizable since they always wear red when staging a protest. The organization is led by female unionist Nining Elitos.

All-Indonesian Workers' Union Confederation (KSPSI)

KSPSI is currently the oldest and largest workers' confederation in Indonesia. It oversees 16 workers' federations with a total of around 2 million members. In 2007, the organization split into two under the same name, one led by former manpower and transmigration minister Jacob Nuwa Wea, and the other by labor unionist Syukur Sarto. Some internal sources say their personal dispute has affected their supporters, down to the lowest levels of the organization. "It is almost impossible for supporters of the two branches of the organization to cooperate with each other because they each think their organization is the legitimate and official one," said Imam Sukarsa, the chairman of the KSPSI's Tangerang regency branch.

Labor unrest spooks investors

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2012

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Japanese and South Korean emissaries along with a representative of the Taiwan administration have filed complaints to the Indonesian government over its handling of the recent labor unrest, claiming that it has severely harmed their businesses here.

The three countries, which are Indonesia's largest investors in labor- intensive sectors – textiles, footwear and electronics – said they believed Indonesia would lose its strength in netting new foreign direct investment should similar incidents occur in the future.

Japan has sent a letter to the National Police to request it pay more attention to securing Japanese businesses and citizens, and to ensure security amid tensions created by the ongoing labor rows. "We want to ensure that the companies are safe, not only for Japanese citizens who work there, but also for their local workers," Japanese Embassy spokesman Masaki Tani said recently.

During a rally on Jan. 27 in which tens of thousands of Bekasi workers took out their anger over wage issues by cutting off access to the Jakarta-Cikarang toll road, businessmen complained about a lack of security in industrial estates.

Workers, aided by local thugs, pressured workers to join the protests by threatening them with violence. Racist remarks were also lauded by the protesters, igniting concern that the row might spiral into a racial issue. Properties of several Korean companies were damaged during the rally, according to the Korean Embassy.

"They [the workers] blocked roads, and took other mass action that not only caused severe traffic congestion but also hampered factory operations by preventing Korean employees from going to work and damaging the properties of several Korean companies," a letter from the South Korean Embassy to Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa read. The Embassy has urged the Indonesian government to find ways to address the issue.

President of the Korean Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia (Kocham) CK Song said that most of the South Korean labor-intensive companies felt uncomfortable with the incident, and were concerned about the future of their business operations.

"Along with Indonesia's Master Plan for Economic Development, there are a lot of Korean companies who are still willing to invest more in Indonesia in various sectors. However, we are afraid that any bad perception of the current atmosphere and image could be of great concern for future potential new investors."

Economic director of Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Indonesia (TETO) YC Tsai said the uprising had prompted some Taiwanese companies to move their factories from Greater Jakarta to other parts of the country, or even overseas. "Ideally, the wage rises must be in line with the level of inflation. Beyond that is something that we consider unexpected," Tsai said recently.

In response to the recent incident, Taiwanese companies are considering raising their product prices or negotiating new salary levels with their employees, according to Tsai. TETO has sent letters to the BKPM expressing its concerns over the issue.

Currently, there are around 12,000 Taiwanese, 1,600 Korean and 1,000 Japanese companies operating in Indonesia, employing more than 1.8 million local workers. Japan and South Korea are the country's second- and fifth- largest foreign direct investors, respectively. The majority of the companies have their production facilities in Bekasi, West Java, and Tangerang, Banten.

The labor issue in Bekasi and Tangerang erupted in early January when the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) filed a lawsuit against the West Java and Banten administrations for endorsing a greater than 15 percent rise in minimum wages, more than four times last year's inflation rate of 3.79 percent.

Bekasi labors unions agreed to end the protest following Apindo's decision to comply with their demands, while Tangerang unions have said they intend to hold a strike and protest on Feb. 9 in which they will block the entrances to all toll roads connecting Jakarta with Merak Port and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Workers lose when firms forced to pay bribes: Analyst

Jakarta Globe - February 6, 2012

Agus Triyono – The burden of making facilitation payments and paying bribes to government institutions is one reason businesses might have trouble paying higher minimum wages, according to an economic think tank.

And the government institution most commonly bribed by entrepreneurs wishing to get on with business is the police, said Enny Sri Hartati of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef). Enny was speaking at a discussion, titled "Labor Speaks Out," on Saturday in the capital.

"Almost every institution demands bribes, but most commonly it is the police, with 48 percent [of respondents reporting being required to bribe the police]," Enny said, quoting a recent survey by Transparency International Indonesia.

Other institutions found to commonly require bribes were customs, to which 41 percent of respondents reported paying bribes, followed by immigration offices (34 percent), the Land Transportation Agency (33 percent), local governments (33 percent), and the National Land Agency (32 percent).

Surprising mentions were the Health Department (17 percent) and the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) (10 percent). These two agencies' duties include providing certification for safety and halal status, respectively.

"It's interesting that the Health Department and the MUI require illegal payments. This is extraordinary, because if institutions with functions such as theirs can demand bribes, then what hope do we have with other bodies," Enny said.

Enny said that for many businesses, overheads including graft payments were so burdensome that non-wage costs constituted as much as 70 percent of all operating costs.

Meanwhile, a researcher at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said the government's announcement that unemployment fell from 10 million people to 7.7 million was misleading because it counted only "open" unemployment.

"Kadin has made a projection that if there is no policy implemented to deepen job opportunities, then 'hidden' unemployment will increase from 2011's figure of 18.7 million people to 20.3 million people by 2014," analyst and former lawmaker Didik Rachbini said.

Didik tied the unemployment figures to institutionalized graft. "Company money is being diverted to corrupt government officials," he said. "Workers' wages are low because of invisible costs – bribes that must be paid to various government agencies. Around 30 to 40 percent is going on bribes," Didik said, citing research. "What needs to be fixed is mostly the government sector, so that business costs can be reduced. Start with the police."

Last October, a global report by the International Finance Corporation, which is a member of the World Bank Group, on the ease of doing business saw Indonesia's rank fall from 126 to 129 out of 183 countries surveyed. Didik said the reason for the drop was simple. "The permit costs for setting up a business are expensive, and the bureaucratic processes are many and lengthy," he said.

[Additional reporting by Investor Daily.]

Indonesian workers agitate for bigger slice of boom economy

Agence France Presse - February 5, 2012

Angela Dewan – For years big-name manufacturers including Honda, Samsung and Nike have quietly harvested profits from factories in Indonesia, where wages are even lower than in China or India.

Now, Indonesian workers are hitting back with a wave of industrial strikes, demanding a bigger chunk of profits in one of Southeast Asia's fastest growing economies.

In the latest major strike factories on the outskirts of Jakarta, producing car parts, electronics and big-brand trainers, fell silent on January 27, when more than 20,000 workers walked off the job.

Demanding a minimum wage increase, the Bekasi-based workers blocked a toll road to the capital, leaving trucks and traffic snarled for 10 hours.

"We had no choice but to stop everything and block this road," said 37-year-old Sarjo Suragil, who makes McDonald's and KFC packaging for Australian company Detpak & Detmold. "We've already met with the local government and authorities, but no one listened to us. We can't get by on these wages."

As industrial action spreads across the vast archipelago of 240 million people, workers realise the more disruptive their protests, the more likely they are to be heard.

Factories in the Bekasi zone make products for global car, electronics and fashion firms, churning out $4.5 billion in goods a year, government figures show.

The Bekasi workers were enraged after a court annulled a provincial minimum wage increase from 1.29 million rupiah ($143) per month to 1.49 million rupiah ($165). After the workers hit the streets, the governor reissued the wage increase that same night.

The government, celebrating a record $20 billion in foreign investment last year, is keen to keep a lid on industrial action that could scare away investors.

The Indonesian Employers Association argues that quick wage hikes could do just that. "If wages go up that quickly, foreign investors in several industries might start looking elsewhere," warned Franky Sibarani, the association's secretary-general.

West Java is the eighth province where workers have won a major wage hike of more than 14 percent in recent months, and those in other provinces are planning similar action.

Workers have been emboldened by the success of a three-month strike at a giant gold and copper mine owned by US company Freeport that ended in December, with a 37 percent pay rise on the $1.50 hourly minimum wage, analysts say. It was the longest strike in Indonesia's recent history.

"After the Freeport case, workers around Jakarta and West Java started looking at what was going on there and thought perhaps we can get wages a good deal higher too," Chris Manning from the Australian National University said.

In another case last month, an Indonesian factory producing Nike shoes agreed to the demands of thousands of disgruntled employees and shelled out $1 million in unpaid overtime wages.

The Indonesian Workers Association said recently it would target all pressure points of Indonesia's economy to win more wage increases.

"We will shut down the stock exchange next if we have to. We've been inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement," chairman Timbul Siregar said. "We will keep interfering with economic activity until we start to see the gap between rich and poor narrow."

The World Bank ranks more than 56 percent of Indonesians as middle class, classified as those who spend between $2 and $20 a day. In 2003 only 38 percent fitted that category. More Indonesians are climbing the social ladder as the economy, which grew an estimated 6.5 percent last year, continues to boom.

But Indonesian factory workers still remain some of the lowest-paid in Asia, usually making between $100 to $200 a month. Similar workers in China now earn just over $300 a month, according to a 2010 survey by Japan External Trade Organisation, followed by Malaysia ($298), India ($269) and Thailand ($263).

The success of strikes is also a sign that Indonesia's 14-year-old democracy is starting to blossom, analysts say. Under the 32-year Suharto dictatorship only one official workers confederation was recognised, but today there are four such organisations and 11,000 workplace unions.

"It's taken a long time for unions to consolidate after being repressed for so long, and that's part of the reason we're seeing a surge in these actions now," Manning said.

Workers to put up wage complaint posts in Tangerang

Antara News - February 3, 2012

Tangerang – The Greater Tangerang Workers Alliance will set up posts where employees can report if their companies are not obeying a gubernatorial decree on Banten's new minimum wage.

The posts will also provide legal assistance for workers whose companies fail to implement the wage decree, which until Wednesday was being contested by the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo).

Banten's minimum wage has been set at Rp 1,527,150 ($170), up from Rp 1,379,000. But there are concerns that not all companies will abide by the ruling.

Koswara, a coordinator for the labor group, said a clause in an agreement with employers on Wednesday allowing companies to delay implementing the wage increase if they were financially unable was ripe for abuse.

"We heard that many companies have said they are not yet able to comply and have ignored the decree from the Banten governor," he said.

He said his group would set up 25 posts to field complaints. Tangerang district will have 13 posts, the city of Tangerang 10 and South Tangerang two.

The agreement that was reached on Wednesday between the labor unions and Apindo in a meeting mediated by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry prevented a massive and crippling labor strike planned for today.

Muhaimin Iskandar, the manpower minister, said companies should abide by the agreement. He added that if the two sides could work together, it would increase productivity.

According to ministry data, there are about 11,000 companies across the country that have struck wage deals with unions. Muhaimin said improved welfare for workers would translate into increased productivity and improved profits for the companies.

The authorities are not taking any chances. Sr. Comr. Rikwanto, a spokesman for the Jakarta Police, which has jurisdiction over Tangerang, said they were ready to handle any labor protests.

"Learning from the labor protests in Bekasi, the Jakarta Police will make every efforts to prevent similar protests from taking place in Tangerang," he said.

In Bekasi, workers last week protesting against efforts to lower a planned wage increase blocked a busy toll road for a day, causing congestion and barring access to industrial zones.

Rikwanto said the police were ready to deal with protests, and warned people that officers would take action against anyone disrupting public order.

Military commander's remarks condemned as return to New Order repression

Gatra.com - February 3, 2012

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Workers' Rights (KMSHB) has condemned Jakarta Military Commander Major General TNI Waris for being arrogant, anti-democratic and provocative.

"We condemn the Jakarta military commander's remarks threatening to repress workers", said Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) activist Kusbiantoro during a KMSHB press conference at the Kontras office in Jakarta on Friday February 3.

According to Kusbiantoro, the remarks are concrete evidence that Waris clearly wants to again involve the military in quelling protest actions.

"This is a step back by the TNI [Indonesian military], bearing in mind the reform of the TNI is one of the pillars from the elements of reformasi [political reform] that remains homework [for the government]", he said.

Kusbiantoro added that the statement represents a warning and a threat against democracy and opens the way for the TNI's re-involvement in politics as was the case during the New Order regime of former President Suharto.

"This opens the way to and is a return to the past, and cases such as [labour activist] Marsinah who had to die at the hands of the military will occur [again]", he said.

Kusbiantoro said that KMSHB firmly and strongly rejects such a move on the part of the TNI. Aside from violating the law on the TNI it will also overlap with the police's function as mandated by the law on the national police, who are tasked with safeguarding domestic security and order.

As reported, Waris has threatened to repress labour actions. He was reported in the mass media as saying that he would drive back and put his life on the line if demonstrators carry out looting or blockade toll roads.

"[And] it was not just a verbal threat, the Jakarta military commander and the Greater Jakarta regional police have made a show of force by putting TNI and police personnel on alert in anticipation for a worker action in Tangerang", he explained.

KMSHB is made up of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Migrant Care, the Indonesian Center for Democracy and Human Rights (Demos), Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), the Institute for Public Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), the ICHS, the Solon National Consortium for Legal Reform (KRHN Solon), the Semarang Women's Legal Aid Foundation/Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH APIK Semarang), the Bogor Sedane Labour Resource Centre (LIPS Bogor), Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), the Working People's Association (PRP), the Yogyakarta Institute for Development and Economic Analysis (IDEA Yogyakarta), the Children's Rights Monitoring Foundation (YPHA), the Women's Alternative Education Circle (KAPAL Perempuan), the Ma'arif Institute for Culture and Humanity, the Indonesian Bishops' Conference's Commission for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs (Komisi HAK KWI), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), the People's Coalition for Water Rights (KRUHA), the Center for Welfare Studies (Perkumpulan Prakarsa), Transparency International Indonesia (TII), the Indonesian Green Institute (IHI), the Wahid Institute, the People's Democratic Community (KBRD), the Resource Management and Development Institute for Social Transformation (Praxis), Free Women (Perempuan Mahardika), the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), the Indonesian National Front for Labour Struggle (FNPBI) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). [IS]

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Police talk tough on blockade

Jakarta Post - February 3, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The National Police will not hesitate to arrest workers who blockade toll roads as part of expected labor union strikes, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo says.

"Demonstrations and rallying to convey aspirations are allowed in a democratic country. But if the action leads to violence or the disruption of public interests, the protesters will become law offenders," Timur said at the Presidential Office on Thursday.

"Blockading toll roads has a massive impact on the people. Thus, once again, should such action be carried out again, we will need to enforce the law," he added.

Timur, however, reiterated that his force had always prioritized a soft approach and negotiation over sterner measures. "All police offices down to the local levels have continued talks with representatives from labor unions. We always give suggestions on how to present aspirations without having to disrupt public interests," he said.

Inspired by events that helped labor unions in Bekasi regency, West Java, pressure the government and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) on approving a new standard for minimum wages, workers from Tangerang regency, Banten, have threatened to block access to toll roads connecting the capital city with Merak Port and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Feb. 9.

Bekasi and Tangerang laborers account for around 70 percent of the country's industrial workers.

Tens of thousands of Bekasi workers blockaded the Jakarta-Cikampek toll road for about eight hours last Friday, paralyzing economic activities in the area. The Friday protest erupted after the Bandung State Administrative Court in West Java ruled in favor of Apindo and ordered the provincial government to annul its decision on a 16 percent increase of minimum wages for 2012 to Rp 1,491,866 (US$168), for general workers, Rp 1,715,645 for Category I industrial workers and Rp 1,849,913 for Category II industrial workers.

Despite the large turnout on Friday, the protest ended peacefully as Apindo backed down on its demand during a negotiation brokered that day by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry.

In line with the results of the meeting, the West Java governor signed a decree the next day revising the minimum wages for Bekasi regency, slightly lowering them to Rp 1,491,000, Rp 1,715,000 and Rp 1,849,000 for the respective categories.

The ministry brokered another round of negotiations on Wednesday, this time between Apindo and Tangerang workers, that lasted a grueling six hours. Once again, Apindo bowed down to pressure and decided to withdraw the lawsuit against the salary increases for 2012 by the Ban-ten administration, which saw a 23 percent hike from 2011 figures.

Workers, however, were not fully satisfied with the meeting due to a clause that would pardon companies financially unable to raise wages and allow them a grace period. The workers vowed to continue its plan of blockading the toll road on Feb. 9, the day when the State Administrative Court would issue its decision on a lawsuit filed by Apindo against wage increases.

Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar asked workers to respect the results of the meeting, saying that some companies, especially small- and medium-sized firms, usually needed time to adjust their budget to wage rises set by regional administrations.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said that the police were striving to prevent demonstrations like the one in Bekasi from reoccurring. He said that blocking toll roads would paralyze the public's activities.

"We consider them [toll roads] vital," he said. Rikwanto added that the police would prepare alternative routes heading to and from the airport if the workers staged another demonstration on Feb. 9.

Indonesia's trade minister seeks labor reform

Straits Times - February 3, 2012

Zubaidah Nazeer – Indonesia's trade minister has called for the country's labor laws to be reformed, saying that increasingly aggressive unions and mass protests are posing a major stumbling block to economic development.

In a warning that echoed the concerns of many businessmen and investors, Mr Gita Wirjawan said that the laws sometimes favor workers at the expense of employers, and risk putting off investors just as Indonesia is on the path to economic growth.

His warning, delivered at a forum this week, comes amid a recent wave of workers' protests, legal battles and strikes that have prompted investors to consider pulling out of areas stricken by labor unrest.

One protest is planned for next Thursday, while another scheduled for today in Tangerang was averted only after labor unions and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) settled their dispute, following a six-hour negotiating session mediated by the Manpower Ministry.

Companies and investors have long criticized Indonesia's labor laws for not being business-friendly, saying they are tilted too much in workers' favor, such as giving them huge severance payouts.

But others argue that workers are not given adequate protection, such as proper unemployment benefits. They also say wage growth has not kept up with inflation, which is why many workers have taken to the streets in protest.

Labor activist Odie Hudiyanto said many blame the government for not doing enough to protect their rights. "Trust between the labor and employer groups has broken down, so workers are willing to put their jobs on the line, seeing how other groups have demonstrated and successfully won higher pay," he said.

Tensions between labor unions and employers have been mounting in recent months, not just in the courts but also increasingly on the streets. Last Friday, thousands of workers in the industrial town of Bekasi, 20km east of Jakarta, caused a 30km tailback of traffic and forced shops to shut down after they blocked a major toll road.

The workers eventually scored a crucial victory, after a court ruling favoring Apindo was overturned and a minimum wage increase was upheld. Previous months also saw violent strikes in Batam, Riau, and long-running riots in Papua.

Observers say the workers' victories are likely to encourage labor unions to continue with their protests – raising fears that "street justice" could hurt an otherwise good investment climate and dent Indonesia's economic trajectory.

Southeast Asia's largest economy has managed to restore investor confidence with strong economic figures, netting record investment last year and scoring upgrades in credit ratings.

But economists say that apart from labor issues, the government also has to improve infrastructure, governance and transparency. Some also back worker demands for higher wages.

"Wage increases have not kept up with inflation, especially food prices," said economist Kazutoshi Chatani at the International Labor Organization. "This means that most of the workers are actually struggling to pay for basic needs."

According to the Central Statistics Agency, food prices rose by nearly 16 percent in 2010, while the wages of factory workers grew by less than 7 percent. Experts also say there are too many Indonesians working in informal sectors, earning below minimum wage without social security coverage and training.

The Manpower Ministry is working on ensuring that outsourced workers get the same benefits as permanent ones. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday also called for minimum wages to be revised in tandem with the growing economy.

Labor deal prevents another massive strike

Jakarta Globe - February 2, 2012

Arientha Primanita & Anita Rachman – After hours of mediation with workers and the government, the Indonesian Employers Association agreed on Wednesday to withdraw its lawsuit against a wage rise decreed by the Banten governor.

"The governor's decrees on changes in regional minimum wages remain," one of the clauses in the agreement read.

After the meeting, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar voiced relief. A similar lawsuit by the association, known as Apindo, against the West Java governor over wage increases led to a massive labor strike at the Cikarang industrial zone in Bekasi and a worker blockade of a busy nearby toll road for a day.

Last month, in the run-up to the gubernatorial election, Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah issued a decree raising Tangerang's minimum monthly wage from Rp 1,379,000 to Rp 1,527,150 ($153 to $170). Apindo challenged the decree at the State Administrative Court (PTUN).

While Apindo's lawsuit withdrawal may have prevented a massive strike planned by workers in Tangerang for Friday, some fear the labor camp's victory will create a domino effect across Indonesia, setting up higher costs for industries and investment uncertainty.

However, workers who did not join the meeting expressed concern over a clause in the accord that allows employers who can prove that they are unable to meet the required wage increase to ask the governor for a delay of its implementation.

"[The employers] can ask for a delay at will. This is not over yet," the Greater Tangerang Workers Alliance's Susmita said, vowing to push for a strike on Friday.

Ratu Atut, however, dismissed fears of such a scenario, insisting that the companies must prove their inability to meet the raise. "There is a mechanism for asking for a delay. We will be careful," she said.

Heri Tubagus, one of the workers' representatives, said his organization had a list of which companies had the ability to pay and which did not.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked that the settlement of disputes over workers' pay demands be free from political interests.

Yudhoyono said achieving better labor relations required the prioritization of the humanitarian, welfare and justice concerns of workers and the continuation of business. "I hope there are no other interests besides the interests of the workers and companies' capacity. Free it from any kind of political interests," he said.

He said that morally, the minimum wage of workers had to continue to improve in line with the growing economy. "Formulate it correctly. It is our moral obligation and responsibility from time to time to assure that the minimum wage of workers becomes better and better and increasingly more appropriate," he said.

However he also said that such increases should bear in mind the different sizes of businesses. "They must all be put into consideration and calculated carefully," he said.

"I am convinced that those who work in micro and small businesses can discuss any problem arising well and can also understand the companies' limits." On the other hand, it would be inappropriate for big companies with increasing profit margins to deny their workers improved welfare, he said.

Yudhoyono also asked that agreements reached between all major stakeholders – the government, the workers and the employers – be honored.

Another labor defeat for businesses

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih and Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Once again the voice of the many outdid the few, regardless how diligent the latter may have been.

Business lobby group, the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), tasted another round of defeat on Wednesday as it agreed to withdraw its legal complaint against a revision to the minimum wage increase in Tangerang, Banten.

A six-hour meeting with labor union representatives, moderated by Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar and Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, left Apindo with no choice but to surrender, as the labor force threatened to stage a massive rally to block traffic connecting Jakarta with Merak port and the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The threat attempted to mimic the Bekasi labor workforce in West Java, which on Friday succeeded in forcing Apindo to bow to their salary increase demands after blockading toll roads.

An insider who followed the closed meeting revealed to The Jakarta Post that the biggest blow to Apindo was an admission from the Jakarta Police that it would not be able to protect factories in Tangerang should the labor protest turn chaotic.

The dispute between the employers and their workers stemmed from Banten's decision to revise the 2012 minimum wage for Tangerang and South Tangerang regencies following a labor uprising. Previously, the province set Rp 1,379,000 as the minimum wage for general workers in 2012, which was a 10.4 percent increase on 2011. The standard was later increased to Rp 1,529,000 following the uprising.

Indonesia was ranked 94 out of 142 nations surveyed on labor market efficiency.

Apindo filed a lawsuit against the ruling, arguing that the provincial administration had abused its power by disregarding 2012 wage proposals submitted by the National Wage Council (DPN)

Although the six-hour meeting ended with Apindo agreeing to withdraw the lawsuit, it failed to satisfy most of the labor unions after they refused to acknowledge an agreement clause allowing companies facing financial constraints to receive dispensation from the Banten administration to postpone the implementation of the regulation.

"Such leniency will make more companies reluctant to implement the regulation, even though they can afford the raise," Imam Sukarsa, the chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers' Unions' (KSPSI) Tangerang regency chapter told the Post.

After the meeting, Imam said the alliance would continue its plan to strike next week to protest the "half-hearted willingness to improve labor welfare" on the part of employers' and the government. "On Feb. 9, we will close toll roads connecting Jakarta with Merak port and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport," he said.

On the heels of a series of recent strikes by tens of thousands of workers, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told employers to increase labor wages to correspond with the country's stable economic growth.

"Morally, labor wages should be appropriate to meet the sense of justice," Yudhoyono told journalists during an impromptu press conference on Wednesday. "If our economy and business world continues to grow, then labor wages should go up in line with that growth," he said.

Yudhoyono also said that all local administrations at regency and city level should take a share of responsibility in handling disputes concerning minimum wages.

"The tri-partite regional wage council [in each region], which consists of representatives from the local administrations, businesspeople and labor unions, must be able to address the issue properly. The council knows the life costs in the regions, thus they should know how much the minimum wage in each region should be," Yudhoyono said.

"Don't let disputes become ridden with other interests. I hope this matter is free from any kind of political influence."

Government to revise remuneration system over labor uprising

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The government together with employers and labor unions will carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the remuneration system and other contentious issues pertinent to the 2003 Labor Law in a bid to calm down mounting industrial conflict in numerous regions.

"The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry will evaluate the remuneration system, including Ministerial Decree No 17/2005 on 46 components composing of decent wages, with employers and labor unions in the immediate future. This is important to avoid any misinterpretations either from labor unions and employers in setting the provincial minimum wage and decent salaries at present," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said when he was asked to comment on the mounting labor union movement in several provinces, here on Tuesday.

He said he had let labor unions and employers know about the planned evaluation in a three-party meeting with the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) and labor unions here on Monday.

The minister also said that the government, employers and labor unions would also evaluate outsourcing, which labor unions have called a form of modern slavery because workers face legal uncertainties and job insecurity.

He said that the government could no longer unilaterally determine the remuneration system and the decent salaries, as had been shown by the mounting opposition to the minimum wages, which were approved by governors, mayors and regents.

"The evaluation of all new rulings on national remuneration systems, including provincial minimum wages, outsourcing and others that have triggered industrial conflicts is urgent in order to provide legal certainty for either employers and workers and to calm down the mounting industrial dispute," he said.

Workers in Banten and North Sumatra have stayed away from their workplaces and have spilled out onto the streets over the past few days, demanding that the government annul the recently approved provincial minimum wages in the provinces after workers in Bekasi and Cikarang won approval from local employers and regional heads to increase minimum wages by almost 16 percent to 1,491,000 for general workers.

Previously, workers in industrial estates in Batam, Riau islands, staged violent rallies, clashing with the police in protest of the minimum wages in the province, but the provincial government refuted the workers' demands, deferring to pressure from labor unions and employers.

Employers and labor unions have showed mixed reactions to the government's plan to revise the remuneration system and outsourcing practice, with unionists demanding an immediate revision of the ministerial decree on the 46 components, which they said were no longer relevant.

All-Indonesian Workers Organization (OPSI) secretary-general Timbul Siregar said workers in Jakarta and surrounding areas would rally on the streets of Jakarta on Feb. 9 to demand an immediate revision of the 2005 Ministerial Decree and request the compliance of the government and employers with the Constitutional Court's recent ruling on outsourcing.

"All labor unions are of the same opinion that the monthly provincial minimum wage and outsourcing systems constitute modern slavery, which has been established by the government in its conspiracy with businesspeople," he said, adding that all labor unions had to be involved in the planned revision of the contentious rulings.

Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Regional Committee of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) Hanafi Rustandi concurred and said that the newly set provincial minimum wages were too low while the outsourcing practice introduced by the World Bank in the past had created job insecurity among workers.

He questioned the government's commitment to protecting workers, citing the government's decision to set a Rp 1.3 million minimum wage in Jakarta, arguing that this amount would not enable a single worker to survive or meet his/her monthly basic needs in the capital city.

Hanafi, also chairman of the Indonesian Seafarers' Association (KPI), said that the government should give workers and their employers the chance to determine sectorial minimum wages because conditions differed between sectors. "The minimum wage in the transportation sector should be set at Rp 3 million to allow them to revive their purchasing power," he said.

Deputy chairman of Apindo Hasanuddin Rahman opposed the planned revision of the contentious rulings on remuneration and outsourcing, saying that many investors would relocate to other countries if the current remuneration system was revised.

"The provincial minimum wage level is quite relative. It is relatively high compared to the increasing number of jobless people who have survived unemployment. But it's too low compared to the salaries of bank executives," he said.

He also blamed the mounting industrial conflict on regional heads who had used the labor issues to win political support in local elections and had indirectly encouraged workers to protest the minimum wages.

Health & education

Insurance failures blamed for deaths

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2012

Agus Maryono, Banyumas – At least five mothers have reportedly died due to maternity complications over the last month in Banyumas, Central Java, allegedly due to poverty.

Banyumas Health Agency head Widayanto blamed the condition on the failure of the so-called free Jampersal (maternity insurance) program offered by the government for poor families.

"We admit that the condition is very concerning. We are investigating why this is happening at the time the government is promoting the Jampersal program," Widayanto told The Jakarta Post recently, adding that the figure was considered high.

He said that with the Jampersal program on offer, no pregnant women from poor families should be refused proper treatment by obstetriticians or midwives because they were poor.

He also expressed concern that the respective Puskesmas (community health centers) seemingly had failed to acknowledge the condition.

Widayanto said that the high rate of maternal mortality in Banyumas regency had been a reality since before he was appointed as head of the regency health agency last year.

Data at the agency shows that there were 35 cases of maternal mortality in both 2010 and 2011. "We have already had five cases in just one month this year," he said.

According to Widayanto, in most cases maternal mortality was due to poor access to doctors. "In many cases, a mother who is about to deliver and is in a critical condition needs to be referred to a particular hospital, but is not sent to that hospital by her family. As a result, late treatment often ends up in death," Widayanto said.

In other cases, he went on, patients were not sent to the referred hospital but to another hospital where they needed to undergo another basic examination, starting from the beginning again while they were already in a critical condition.

"These are a few factors that have caused high maternal mortality in Banyumas," he said. In some cases, patients were reluctant to be admitted to recommended hospitals or maternal clinics because they were afraid they could not afford the expenses.

Many maternity hospitals or clinics charge about Rp 3 million (US$333) for a normal delivery in Banyumas. The expenses for C-section surgery can reach up to Rp 10 million. "It's a lot of money for poor families who find it difficult even to afford daily meals," said Hidayah of Kembaran district, Banyumas, who had recently had a baby.

She said that she was charged Rp 3.2 million for her normal delivery. "This is already considered cheap. If you want the less expensive option you can use a midwife. They charge about Rp 800,000 for a normal birth, accounting for why poor mothers chose to go there," she said.

Disability rights

1 person, 1 vote? not for many of Indonesia's disabled

Jakarta Globe - February 2, 2012

Ismira Lutfia – Electoral laws must be amended to guarantee that people with disabilities are able to run for public office and vote freely, officials said on Wednesday.

Hafiz Anshari, chairman of the General Elections Commission (KPU), said this guarantee was missing in the current legislation governing polls. The 2008 Law on Legislative Elections only states that those allowed to run should be "well-spoken and literate."

"What I wish to see is for lawmakers to include a provision that explicitly states that those with disabilities may run, because in the prevailing law that guarantee is only implied," he said.

Hafiz, speaking at the opening of a regional dialogue hosted by the Asean General Election Network for Disability Access (Agenda), stressed that it was important that people with disabilities be given the same chance to run as everyone else.

"Whether they go on to win or not is up to the voters and the political parties backing them, but what's crucial is that they are first acknowledged," he said. "Our laws must provide them more room to participate as legislative candidates. The technical details are something that the KPU can work out."

Ariyani Soekamwo, chairwoman of the Center for Elections Access for the Disabled, told the dialogue that although the right of disabled people to vote was enshrined in law, the reality on the ground was that they were often left out.

She said this was because of the lack of facilities for them at polling stations and a general lack of training for polling officials in dealing with the disabled.

"They often have to vote in booths that are too narrow [to accommodate a wheelchair], or they find that they have to go up a set of stairs to cast their vote," she said.

Ariyani, who is blind, also said that not all polling stations provided sufficient ballots in Braille. "In the 2009 presidential election, [Braille] ballots were provided, but there weren't enough of them," she said.

She urged the government to provide more funding for facilities that would make it easier for people with disabilities to vote, and also for training for polling officials.

"Even though the law guarantees the disabled a vote, the implementation is weak because officials don't understand," Ariyani said. She cited the case of a blind man who was barred from voting while his wife, with no disabilities, was allowed to cast her ballot.

"It's a major human rights violation when a person is not allowed to vote because they are disabled," she said.

Wardana, the deputy foreign minister, said there needed to be a change in the public mind-set to ensure that the disabled were allowed to stand for election and vote without hindrance.

Sex workers & prostitution

East Java promises end to prostitution

Antara News - February 3, 2012

East Java Deputy Governor Saifullah Yusuf vowed on Thursday to close down all red-light districts in the province but warned it could only be done in steps.

Speaking at an Islamic boarding school in Pasuruan, Saifullah said his administration would work with the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) to close down all brothels across the province.

He said the administration would deal with the economic fallout of shutting down an entire industry and find new jobs for sex workers, while the MUI would handle "moral aspects" of the campaign.

Surabaya, the provincial capital, is home to the Dolly red-light district, said to be the biggest in Southeast Asia. City authorities have already restricted its opening hours and prohibited the hiring of new sex workers in a bid to slowly phase it out.

Sex workers demand a red-light district in Surakarta

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Kusumasari Ayuningtyas, Surakarta – Surakarta Deputy Mayor F.X. Hadi Rudyatmo has promised to facilitate a meeting of around 600 sex workers in the city at his official residence. The fate of the sex workers would become the main topic of discussion in the upcoming meeting.

The meeting will be a follow up of a seminar commemorating Human Rights Day which was attended by around 550 representatives from 11 marginalized communities in Surakarta in December last year.

Then, representatives for sex workers in Surakarta floated an idea to establish a red-light district in the city, similar to Gang Dolly in Surabaya, East Java.

"We will accommodate the meeting, but it would be a daunting task to establish a red-light district," Hadi said. He added that establishing the location would certainly draw criticism as well as praise, and that many parties would be reluctant to back the plan. "We cannot place our interest in this while sacrificing others," he said.

During the seminar, Surakarta sex workers representative Sriyatun proposed the establishment of a red-light district in the city. He addressed the proposal to Hadi, who represented Mayor Joko Widodo.

According to Sriyatun, the sex district location would be a solution to provide protection for sex workers and a form of recognition of the presence of the sex workers as part of the community, especially in matters concerning health.

Based on her report, only 52 sex workers are officially registered in the city, but there are an estimated 600 sex workers operating in Surakarta.

The meeting is expected to be held in February, but the mayor and deputy mayor are still occupied with discussions on the development of the Kiat Esemka car, dubbed the national car.

The Kiat Esemka attracted the attention of the public after Joko Widodo and Rudy said that they wished to use the Indonesian-designed vehicle as their official transports.

At present, the two Esemka sports utility vehicles (SUV) lent by vocational school SMKN 2 Surakarta to Joko Widodo are undergoing engine tuning work at the Solo Techno Park in Surakarta for emission testing.

This kind of routine maintenance is needed to prevent anything unexpected during the emission testing in Jakarta. Two cars similar to the ones used by the Surakarta mayor and his deputy are to be tested in Jakarta.

"The moment the emission test on the Kiat Esemka car is completed, we will immediately schedule the meeting with sex workers and marginalized communities at the deputy mayor's official residence," Hadi said.

This year, the Surakarta municipality has invited 11 poor and marginalized communities to participate and provide input on the 2012 Development Plan Conference, namely hawkers, pedicab drivers, parking attendants, sidewalk vendors, sex workers, the disabled, beggars, scavengers, and street artists and singers.

"They are the targets of our development. By involving them immediately, we hope they will voice their aspirations to achieve the most appropriate solution," said Surakarta Development Planning Agency head Anung Indro Susanto.

Public Institution Cleansing and Monitoring Consortium executive director Akbarudin Arif said other cities should emulate what was happening in Surakarta.

The municipality has deliberately involved the community to be involved directly in policy-making, which is expected to become a solution for the issues they are facing.

"Surakarta is the first city in Indonesia to provide room for the community to come face to face with their leaders," Akbarudin said.

Refugees & asylum seekers

Indonesia detains 96 Australia-bound migrants

Agence France Presse - February 5, 2012

Indonesia detained on Saturday 96 asylum seekers who had attempted to reach Australia, half of whom were rounded up after their boat capsized in western Java waters, police said.

Police chief Irman Sugema said a wooden boat with 47 Afghans and Iranians leaked and capsized in the rough seas of Tasikmalaya in West Java province. "All of them, 47 migrants and two boat crew, have been rescued alive in the afternoon and they are now being held at Tasikmalaya police office," Sugema told AFP.

Earlier on Saturday at 02:00 am (1900 GMT) he said police also arrested 49 Afghans and Iranians who were traveling by bus to the port in Tasikmalaya.

He said police would work with the International Organization for Migration and the immigration office to settle the problem.

In December an overloaded vessel carrying about 250 mostly Iranian and Afghan asylum seekers sank off Indonesia's eastern Java, killing all but 47 people on board. Indonesia is a key staging post for people-smugglers taking Afghans, Iranians and other nationals on the sometimes deadly sea voyage to Australia.

Graft & corruption

Bribe money, in all its colorful forms

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – It appears that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has grown to be such a fearsome outfit that corrupt officials have become very careful in running their own operations. Evidence of this is the increasingly creative, albeit not too subtle, ways of delivering bribe money.

In December, the Jakarta Corruption Court displayed evidence of corruptors' ingenuity when it opened a brown cardboard box of durian, with an imprint of "Thai Durian", containing Rp 1.5 billion in cash.

The KPK presented the box as evidence against businesswoman Dharnawati, who was charged with bribing two officials at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry to rig a tender in her favor. Two KPK prosecutors had a hard time catching their breath after delivering the box to the courtroom.

A witness testified that the money was later deposited in a safe at the office of the ministry's treasurer before it was picked up by M. Fauzi, an alleged aide to Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.

In another bribery case, the money was kept inside a box of coconut cookies. Former South Nias regent Fahuwusa Laia tried to bribe a member of the General Elections Commission (KPU) by delivering the money in a cookie box.

At a trial in December, a witness in the case, Saut Hamonangan Sirait of the KPU, testified that Fahuwusa once tried to bribe him with Rp 100 million to help seal his win in the 2011 South Nias election. "The cookie box was covered with flower-motif fabric," Saut said.

The bribe money was delivered on Oct. 3, 2010 when Fahuwusa was still in office. Saut said he did not know about the bribe inside the cookie box, and that his assistant opened the container to try to taste what was inside.

Saut later reported the case and handed over the money to the KPK. Fahuwusa was sentenced to two years and six months in prison by the Jakarta Corruption Court last month.

In 2010, the KPK confiscated Rp 100 million in cash kept in a brown envelope that was wrapped in a newspaper and gave away in haste to a street vendor in Bandung after investigators arrested West Java Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) official Suharto and Bekasi municipality officers Herry Suparjan and Heri Lukmantohari.

Anti-graft activists pointed out that the way corrupt officials ran their operation indicated that corruption remained a backward practice. Donal Fariz from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said that "to a considerable extent, bribery is still a primitive crime."

"However, at the same time, these people do fear the KPK. So they try hard not to get caught by concealing bribes in the most bizarre places that they think are safe," he added.

Teten Masduki from Transparency International Indonesia (TII) said that the drive to engage in corrupt practices did not match with sufficient skills as most actors were just too greedy. "Many of them are new hungry players," Teten said. "They play like thugs without strategies."

Donal concured with Teten, saying that greed had got the better of corrupt officials, and that one thing was certain: bank transfers were no longer safe. The KPK investigated 24 bribery cases from a total of 38 corruption cases in 2011.

A dead end in the Bank Century probe? Some say no

Jakarta Globe - February 2, 2012

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – A high-level meeting on the Bank Century case ended right where it started on Wednesday, perhaps marking an end to the case both as a political weapon and as a scandal involving some of the country's highest-ranking officials.

The meeting between the House of Representatives and the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) offered up the same figures and claims that have been made numerous times in the past.

Taufik Kurniawan, a lawmaker from the National Mandate Party (PAN), led the meeting. He said they concluded that the Century bailout had caused Rp 6.7 trillion ($744 million) in state losses, a figure that has been repeated often.

But BPK chairman Hadi Purnomo said the agency had finished its work and submitted its forensic audit to law enforcement, and would not be performing any more audits.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has already said that with the current audit results it would be difficult to follow up the 2007 case with a full graft investigation.

Without sufficient ammunition from either the BPK or the KPK, lawmakers outside President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party have struggled to use the scandal as political ammunition against the ruling party.

After Wednesday's meeting, lawmakers from the Golkar Party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P), three of the biggest parties in the House, expressed disappointment over the BPK's decision. Both Golkar and the PKS are part of Yudhoyono's coalition government, while the PDI-P is an opposition party.

They asked why the BPK had not investigated where the Rp 6.7 trillion in state funds had gone.

"I demand a deeper investigation into the money. For instance, Budi Sampoerna had at least 10 accounts at the bank. How and where did the money in the accounts go?" said Fachry Hamzah, from the PKS.

Opposition parties have accused both Vice President Boediono, the central bank governor at the time of the bailout, and former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati of having broken the law in the decision that led to the bailout of Bank Century.

Some lawmakers have even hinted that some of the money from the government was channeled to Yudhoyono's family, even though there is no proof of that.

Several parties, including some in the ruling coalition, questioned the bailout after rumors circulated that some of the money was funneled to Yudhoyono's re-election campaign in 2009.

The BPK had earlier found that some of the president's biggest benefactors held accounts in Century, which was renamed Bank Mutiara after the government took it over. Yudhoyono has repeatedly denied the allegations.

At the height of the scandal, a number of lawmakers moved to summon the president and the vice president, a first move toward impeachment. The effort failed to materialize after a political agreement was forged among some of the political parties involved and Yudhoyono. "We want the BPK to trace the money wherever it goes," Chairuman Harahap of Golkar said.

Another lawmaker from Golkar, Bambang Soesatyo, expressed suspicion that the BPK had not done the forensic audit as the agency claimed. "We believe that the BPK did not perform the audit, as it did not involve legal and banking experts, et cetera," he said.

Talking about Budi Sampoerna, one of Indonesia's richest men, the BPK chairman said the money in the businessman's accounts was his personal wealth and was not sourced from state coffers.

Taufik said that the House would meet with the attorney general and KPK members to find out how the two institutions wanted to pursue the case.

Anti-graft agency fails to investigate Garuda allegations, workers say

Jakarta Globe - February 1, 2012

Ezra Sihite – The Garuda Employees Union told lawmakers on Tuesday about several cases of potential corruption at the national airline that it said could have cost the state tens of millions of dollars.

"We have been reporting this since 2006," Tomy Tampatty, a spokesman for the union known as Sekarga, said at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Tuesday.

A union delegation told lawmakers about several cases dating back to 2000 where it said corruption might have occurred. Tomy said the union had repeatedly reported the cases to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), but the antigraft body had never followed up.

Sekarga filed its most recent report in December, he added. "We, the union of workers, are seeking the support of you, the members of House Commission III," he said. "Hopefully, the mafia [in Garuda] can be unraveled."

Tomy said the reports to the KPK had been made while the commission was still under the leadership of Antasari Azhar, who was removed from the position in connection with a murder charge he was later convicted on.

He also pointed out that Chandra Hamzah, who until recently was a KPK deputy, had been a lawyer for Garuda. Tomy said the union was not accusing Chandra of wrongdoing, but added "we are afraid about what will happen to Garuda if cases like thse are not taken seriously."

The union claimed that there were indications of corruption in domestic ticket sales between 2000 and 2006. It also said graft may have taken place in the restructuring of Rp 270 billion ($30 million) worth of Garuda loans from Bank Negara Indonesia.

It also pointed to what it said were indications of corruption in the company's promotion costs and in its IT management, with losses in its various international budgets put at Rp 140 billion, 2.7 million euros ($3.6 million) and $5.2 million.

Sekarga also singled out the leasing of eight Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which it said had the potential to cause state losses of up to $28.45 million. The Sekarga delegation was received by House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs.

Martin Hutabarat, a Commission III member from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), said the commission would seek clarification from KPK chairman Abraham Samad during its next hearing with the antigraft body. The House commission, he said, will ask the KPK about Sekarga's claims.

"Garuda was once a major source of corruption," Martin said. "Why hasn't the KPK been serious about handling this? We need to straighten this out. In our next hearing with the KPK, this matter will be included in our questions."

Ahmad Yani, a member of Commission III from the United Development Party (PPP), said he believed the KPK's hesitancy to investigate Garuda was mostly due to Chandra's status as a former lawyer for the company. "On the matter of Garuda, I received the reports and sent a letter to the KPK," Ahmad said. "There are strong indications of a conflict of interest."

Tomy said Sekarga was now trying to seek an audience with Abraham, who took over the KPK in December. "Hopefully, this mafia can be unraveled if we can get the ear of Mr. Abraham Samad," Tomy said.

In 2000, Indonesia Corruption Watch said that corruption at Garuda had cost the airline more than $1 billion since 1989.

Court too easy on former minister Bachtiar: Graft watchdog

Jakarta Globe - February 1, 2012

Rizky Amelia – A self-appointed civilian review of several corruption cases at the Social Affairs Ministry has called on the Supreme Court to review a lenient sentence handed down to Bachtiar Chamsyah, the former minister involved.

The cases occurred from 2004 to 2008 and concerned the procurement of beef, sewing machines and fabric rolls that was said to have cost the state Rp 33.7 billion ($3.7 million) in losses. "The Supreme Court must correct Bachtiar's lenient sentence," said Donal Fariz of Indonesia Corruption Watch.

The team was established by nongovernmental organization ICW and included academics and former justice system figures such as Donal, Nurkholis Hidayat and Yance Arizona.

Last year, the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court found Bachtiar guilty of corruption and sentenced him to 20 months in prison, along with a Rp 50 million fine.

But in its ruling, the court found that Bachtiar's actions had only enriched third parties, including the companies that supplied marked-up equipment and goods.

The failure of the trial to delve deeply into the testimony of two key witnesses, Sularto and Yusrizal, resulted in a finding of not guilty on one charge, the NGO team said.

Their review of the trial found that because the panel of judges did not pursue the flow of funds, it reached the erroneous conclusion that Bachtiar had not enriched himself. During Bachtiar's trial, it was revealed that funds had flowed to Insan Cendikia, a nonprofit foundation belonging to the former minister.

"Despite this, the public prosecutor chose not to pursue the testimony that suggested the accused had personally benefitted from the proceeds of corruption," Donal said. "It was this negligence in ignoring evidence during the trial that led to the accused going free on the charge of enriching himself," he added.

The KPK's prosecutors asked for only a three-year sentence for Bachtiar, out of a possible 20-year maximum under the corruption law. Furthermore, the team found that the court should have attempted to recover some of the Rp 33.7 billion in procurement losses.

Terrorism & religious extremism

10 associates of Cirebon bomber convicted

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2012

Multa Fidrus, Tangerang – Ten out of 13 defendants associated with Muhammad Syarief, the suicide bomber who attacked a mosque at a police compound in Cirebon on April 15, 2011, were sentenced up to eight years in jail by the Tangerang District Court on Wednesday.

Two separate panels of judges, presided over by Riadi Sunindyo and I Made Supartha, handed down eight-year prison terms to Dzulkifli and Musola Saifullah for supplying bomb materials.

"The defendant committed an extraordinary crime and showed no regrets at all during the trial, so there is no reason to forgive him," said Riadi as he read Dzulkifli's verdict.

Three other panels of judges, presided over by Immanuel Sembiring, Abdul Hutapea and Ibnu W. Widodo, sentenced Arifin Nur, Echo Ibrahim and Ishak Andriana to seven-and-a-half-year jail terms.

The defendants were proven guilty of partnering with other suspects in terrorist activities and helped pave the way for the bombing, said the judges.

Edi Jablay and Ari Budi Santoso each received seven-year jail terms, while Hari Budianto received six years. Jakim and Andri Siwanto received five- year terms. Prosecutors previously demanded the panel of judges sentence each defendant to between eight and 10 years behind bars.

Separately, a panel of judges presided over by Samsul Bahri adjourned the trial of Achmad Basuki, Arief Budiman and Mardiansyah until Feb. 8.

"Achmad Basuki had filed an objection to the panel of judges, saying that his motorcycle, seized as evidence by Insp. Suroto, a member of the Densus 88 counterterrorism unit, was not mentioned in his dossier and had not been returned to him," Samsul said.

While some prosecutors said they would need to consider filing appeals for those sentences lower than their demands, all defendants said they accepted the sentences.

Akhyar, a member of the Makassar Legal Advisory Team, said that the defendants had no choice. "They had to accept the sentences because they have become so tired given the long legal process. This is not to mention if they file for appeals."

Most of the defendants were arrested following a raid at Sukoharjo, Central Java, which involved a gunfight between the alleged terrorist group and the police, a month after the Cirebon suicide bombing incident.

During the gunfight, two alleged terrorists, Hendro Yunianto and Sigit Qurdowi, who were also allegedly involved in the church and Kliwon market bombings in Surakarta, Central Java, died of gunshot wounds.

Police confiscated a laptop containing several video clips showing training recruits engaging in terrorist activities. One of the recruits in the video was M. Syarif, the Cirebon suicide bomber.

Cirebon group:

Achmad Basuki (alias Uki), Arif Budiman, Andri Siswanto, Musola (alias Saifulllah), Ishak Andriana (alias Abu Syfa)

Sukoharjo group:

Mardiansyah (alias Ferdi), Ari Budi Santoso (alias Abbaz), Hari Budiarto (alias Nobita), Arifin Nur Haryono, Jakim (alias Zaim), Edi Tri Wijayanto (alias Jablay), Echo Ibrahim (alias Baim), Dzulkifli Lubis (alias Abu Irhab)

Freedom of religion & worship

SBY 'cannot intervene' in Yasmin dispute

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono does not have the authority to step into a protracted dispute between Christian worshippers and Muslim hard-liners over a church in Bogor, his spokesman said on Monday.

"Even though the President is the country's highest commander-in-chief, the existing law on regional autonomy says that the president cannot intervene in decisions made by regional leaders," Julian Aldrin Pasha said, citing the 2004 Regional Autonomy Law.

"It would be unconstitutional should the President directly intervene in the dispute. Please don't ask the President to commit an unlawful act," the presidential spokesperson said as quoted by tempo.co.

Julian said encouraging Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto to re-open the beleaguered church was the best thing that Yudhoyono could do.

He also said President Yudhoyono had shown sufficient concern by instructing Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto and Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi to seriously address the issue.

Julian added that the President could do nothing else, including punishing Diani for his refusal to heed the Supreme Court's ruling, which guaranteed the congregation's legal right to use their church.

Two weeks ago, the church's members staged a demonstration opposite the Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta, demanding Yudhoyono's intervention in the continued discrimination and intimidation toward the church's congregation, which began more than two years ago.

A year later, Indonesia's Ahmadis still wait for justice

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Ulma Haryanto – Despite international and domestic appeals to the government to bring to justice those responsible for the killing of Ahmadiyah followers in Cikeusik, Banten province, the violence remains unresolved one year later.

Human rights activists and Ahmadiyah followers marked Monday, a year after the brutal attack, with questions as to why the government had been so slow in processing the case.

Three members of the minority Muslim sect died in the attack, five were badly injured and gruesome footage of the event was uploaded to YouTube. "This isn't over. The state is still responsible to resolve the issue," said Zainal Abidin, deputy director of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam).

Aside from the 25 Ahmadis displaced from Cikeusik, hundreds more were forced to flee hometowns for fear of their safety.

Indonesia's Human Rights Working Group said on Sunday that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, had sent a letter to the government raising concerns over its handling of the attack.

Zainal said not all of the perpetrators had been brought to justice, including the murderers and police officers who "watched" as Ahmadis were slaughtered. Of more than 1,000 people who took part in the mob attack, only 12 were eventually convicted of crimes. They also received lenient sentences of three to five and a half months in prison.

One of the Ahmadis, who almost lost his hand in the incident, was even convicted of provoking the attack and sentenced to six months in prison.

Muhammad Isnur of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) said police had named three Cikeusik Police officers as suspects, charged with causing loss of life through negligence. "They are Chief Brig. T.B. Ade Sumardi, Second Brig. Ahyudin Kasaputra and Chief Brig. Subandri Sutiana," Isnur said.

He said the officers were seen in the video footage standing idly by and smoking while mobs beat the lifeless bodies of the three Ahmadis.

"The last we heard was that in mid-October, the Banten prosecutor's office returned their dossiers to Banten Police due to incomplete procedure," Isnur said. "It is still unclear why it hasn't been brought to trial yet. Is it because there is no demand from the public?"

Bebi, one of the survivors, said he was disappointed that police in the field did not do anything when the group was attacked.

"I saw it with my own eyes. When the mob arrived, [the police] were gone. Before, there were two of the police's control units there," he said. "They didn't even attempt to stop the mob. I can't help but wonder whether the police were involved." Isnur said the government and the people should not forget the tragedy in Cikeusik.

Ahmadis across the archipelago have faced attacks from militant groups, and in more than one instance they have been forced to flee their homes.

"There are 200 displaced Ahmadis in Lombok and 15 in Tasikmalaya [West Java]. But there are also those who moved in smaller numbers and are harder to trace," said Firdaus Mubarik, a spokesman for the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI).

Activists question Indonesia president's silence over religious violence

Jakarta Globe - February 5, 2012

Agus Triyono – Activists are questioning the lack of response from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to a letter sent by international human rights organizations about the government's handling of cases of religious discrimination.

According to Indonesia's Human Rights Working Group, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, has sent a letter to the government raising concerns on the handling of cases including the GKI Yasmin church blockade in Bogor, the killings of Ahmadiyah members in Banten, the burning of churches in Klaten and Tegal, both in Central Java, and the destruction of a Buddha statue in North Sumatra.

"On behalf of the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, she [Pillay] sent a letter to question the handling of the cases, calling on the Indonesian government to immediately take action in accordance with international human rights standards. But so far, there is no response from the government," Akbar Tanjung, the HRWG's program manager, said in Jakarta during the weekend.

Pillay asked the government to respond to hatred, discrimination, intolerance and violence against minority groups.

According to the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, a group that champions pluralism, Yudhoyono delivered 19 speeches in 2011 that encouraged the embrace of tolerance. However, the group said, there was a lack of action to substantiate the words, with intolerance steadily on the rise in Indonesia.

While Indonesia has portrayed itself as champion of human rights and democracy on the international stage, acting as a mediator in high-profile conflict cases in the region, it has undermined its authority with a series of incidents targeting minority groups at home.

Rights activists describe incidents such as the GKI Yasmin standoff and Ahmadiyah attack as discrimination, but the Ministry of Religious Affairs and law enforcement authorities have treated them as either criminal or administrative issues.

In the long-running GKI Yasmin dispute, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali has said the issue did not fall under his jurisdiction since it involved a building permit, and therefore was the responsibility of the Home Affairs Ministry.

In the violent attack of about 1,500 people on an Ahmadiyah home last year that led to the death of three Ahmadis in Banten, perpetrators were only charged with "participation in a violent attack that resulted in casualties" and sentenced to just a few months in jail.

Other international human rights bodies, such as the Anti-Racial Discrimination Committee, also questioned the so-called Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate in Papua, raising concerns that the two-million hectare project would ruin the environment and dislocate Papuan people.

"There is also no response on this issue. All of these lack of responses clearly signal that the government is reluctant to cooperate with the international community," Akbar said.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council has announced it will review in July the state of human rights in Indonesia.

The HRWG said the report was likely to be a gloomy one given the country's weak record of legal enforcement. "We will see many more incidents of violence against minority groups this year because the government can't handle the current violations. The government is very weak and not serious. The violence will spread as impunity seems to prevail," said Rafendi Djamin, HRWG's executive director.

Setara recorded 244 violations of religious rights in 2011, up from 200 cases in 2010. Rafendi called on the government to end the apparent impunity enjoyed by particular groups, and to enforce the laws to protect minority groups before the UN review.

SBY calls on Muslims to follow Muhammad in respecting harmony

Antara News - February 5, 2012

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sunday called on Indonesian Muslims to follow the Prophet Muhammad's example in living in a religiously diverse society and in overcoming differences among people.

The president made the appeal while he attended a large prayer service held in celebration of the Prophet's birthday at the National Monument (Monas). "Let's us follow the Prophet, his morals and manners as well as his attitude and politeness," Yudhoyono said, stressing how the Prophet built solidarity and stressed a message of peace in his teachings.

The president said that the leadership and the manners of the prophet in managing state and national affairs during his life deserved to be followed nowadays. The Prophet, he said, asked all to take part in developing the nation's future and ensuring it remained harmonious and civilized.

Calls mount for Suryadharma to resign from minister post

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Joining a chorus of criticism from rights activists and religious leaders, members of the House of Representatives have called for the dismissal of Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali for his failure to uphold religious tolerance in the country.

Muhammad Oheo Sinapoy, a House member in Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs who represents the Golkar Party, said Suryadharma did not have the competency to handle religious issues in the country and should therefore resign from his post soon.

"He has failed to fulfill his responsibility as a minister and he therefore must resign," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday on the sidelines of a House session to amend the 2008 Law on Haj Pilgrimage Management.

Oheo went so far as to suggest that the Religious Affairs Ministry should be disbanded because it had failed to serve as a guardian for religious harmony in the country and its minister had often fanned the flames of religious intolerance.

"The ministry has always been absent at times of religious conflict. It never comes up with progressive solutions to resolve conflicts, including attacks on religious minority groups.

"The minister has failed to lead the ministry to perform its main duty – encouraging the public to respect religious differences. This may be because the ministry is too busy taking care of the haj pilgrimage," he said.

Fellow lawmaker HM Busro said that Suryadharma had shown no leadership when it came to advocating religious tolerance across the archipelago. "He is responsible for bringing down religious harmony in the country. He should have worked harder to promote respect and tolerance among people of different faiths," he said.

Suryadharma, who also chairs the Muslim-oriented United Development Party (PPP), was earlier criticized by activists for calling the Shiite branch of Islam heretical because it deviated from mainstream Islamic teachings.

He had made similar accusations about the Islamic Ahmadiyah sect previously, which he also called heretical, and urged its followers to return to the true teachings of Islam.

Contacted separately, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Amidhan Shaberah came to Suryadharma's defense. He told Post that there was nothing wrong with Suryadharma's statement about the Shiite community although he called on the minister to be more careful with the word "heretical".

"His statement was spontaneous after he had a meeting with some Muslim leaders from Madura. He doesn't have to issue an apology, as demanded by some people, because he did nothing wrong. However, he should have shown more respect to others when making a public statement," he said.

Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said that although Suryadharma was a controversial minister, calling for the disbandment of his ministry was too much.

"The ministry has its weaknesses, but regardless we still need the ministry to accommodate all faiths in the country. Can you imagine how worse off religion in Indonesia would be if we didn't have the ministry? It's already bad enough with one ministry tasked with handling such problems," he said.

Land disputes & evictions

Police respond to latest land dispute clash

Jakarta Globe - February 4, 2012

Farouk Arnaz & Ulma Haryanto – The National Police said on Friday that it would investigate an incident on Thursday in which officers shot and wounded six farmers in the latest in a string of violent land disputes.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said an evaluation of "how they performed their duties" would be carried out.

Six villagers from Batang Kumuh village in Riau had to be hospitalized on Thursday following a clash with Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers and security officials involving a long-standing dispute with plantation firm Mazuma Agro Indonesia.

Two security employees and four Brimob officers were also injured in the clash. None of injuries were serious, a police spokesman said, as the officers only used rubber bullets.

"None of the victims' [wounds] were severe and all have been treated," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said. "North Sumatra Police together with their internal affairs unit are already at the location."

According to the Riau Palm Oil Farmers Union (SPKS), farmers at Batang Kumuh have been protesting MAI's activities since 1998. Although the company has a permit from the North Sumatra administration, the farmers say the land is part of Riau province.

"The villagers filed a suit against MAI in 2009 and won a high court ruling," the SPKS's Nasir Sihotang said. Despite the ruling, he said, MAI never ceased its activities on the disputed land.

The National Police had a different story. According to Saud, the dispute was not with the plantation company but rather with a neighboring village, and it had been ongoing only since 2004.

"The border between the villages is not clear. On one side, the people of Padang Lawas [in North Sumatra] claim [the plantation area] as their ancestral land, while on the other side [the Batang Kumuh villagers] claim it as theirs," Saud said. "MAI was granted a permit by the North Sumatra authorities," he continued.

North Sumatra Police Chief Insp. Gen. Wisjnu Amat Sastro said that as of Friday, all activities on the disputed land had been brought to a halt pending the outcome of the police investigation.

He also defended the use of Brimob officers. "I don't understand why the people always question us about [Brimob's presence]," he said. "Whatever we do, our duty is to protect the whole community."

Indriaswati Dyah Saptaningrum, executive director of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam), questioned the police's commitment to internal reforms in light of the recent spate of incidents involving excessive force against civilians.

"From the Mesuji case there were recommendations for the National Police to immediately review their policy on dispatching Brimob officers, especially in plantation areas," she said, referring to a land dispute in Lampung in which several farmers were killed.

"If [the North Sumatra Police] say they only want to protect the community, then how come it's the people who become the victims? Are they protecting assets or people?"

West Sumatra official targeted in land row

Antara News - February 3, 2012

Hundreds of people from the Suku Tanjung indigenous group hurled rocks at the office of the district head in Agam, West Sumatra, on Thursday to protest the lack of resolution to a long-running land dispute.

Edlerman, a tribal elder, said the Suku Tanjung wanted the district head and officials from plantation company Mutiara Agam to meet with them to discuss the fate of 2,500 hectares of land granted in a concession to the company. The tribe claims the land is ancestral forest and thus not to be exploited.

The protest turned violent when the protesters broke through a security cordon. After breaching the cordon, they threw rocks and other objects at the district head's office, shattering several windows.

Police shoot five farmers in latest Indonesia land dispute

Jakarta Globe - February 3, 2012

Ulma Haryanto – Five farmers in North Sumatra suffered gunshot wounds on Thursday in the latest clash in a land dispute involving farmers, a palm oil company and police.

North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Raden Heru Prakoso said the clash started from "an ambush" by residents of Batang Kumuh village, which lies on the border with Riau province.

"At the time, about 90 employees of MAI [Mazuma Agro Indonesia] were working on the land with two units of heavy machinery when as many as 200 villagers showed up and demanded the work stop," Heru said.

The villagers, he said, were armed with sharp weapons and began attacking the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers guarding the plantation. "One of the officers was stabbed, so the others started shooting in order to immobilize them," Heru added.

Five farmers were taken to Pasir Pangaraian Hospital in Riau with gunshot wounds. "None of the injuries are serious," Riau Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Syarif Pandiangan said. Heru added that six villagers, two company employees and four Brimob officers were injured.

The Brimob officers were from South Tapanuli, North Sumatra. According to Heru, the company's operations were located in a remote area, six hours from the South Tapanuli capital of Sipirok. "Because of the distance, they requested Brimob's help with security," Heru said.

According to the Riau Palm Oil Farmers Union (SPKS), farmers at Batang Kumuh have been protesting against MAI since 1998. The farmers claim the land is part of Riau, but the company was given a permit by the North Sumatra government.

"The company doesn't have a sufficient permit. The people brought the case to court and won at the district level up to the Supreme Court," said Mansuetus Darto, director of the SPKS.

The company filed an appeal against the Supreme Court's ruling, but even without a final ruling it already started work on the disputed land.

"These last few weeks the company deployed armed security officers including Brimob and police to guard four units of heavy machinery in the area," he said. Mansuetus also alleged that the company had been intimidating the locals.

Rights organizations condemned the shootings. "Our police never learn, reflect or critique themselves over their contribution to violence against Indonesian people," said Wahyu Wagiman from the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam).

Thursday's incident came in the wake of similar cases of police violence toward civilians in Mesuji in Lampung and Bima in West Nusa Tenggara. "In those events, the steps and actions taken by police officers were rowdy, unpredictable and bordering on the unethical and immoral," Wahyu said.

State & civil society

Social upheavals triggered by public distrust in the state - Survey

Kompas - February 6, 2012

Yohan Wahyu – Most of the recent social upheavals have been triggered by a decline in public trust in the state. Public pessimism towards the government's performance has stimulated the emergence of several mass movements, from solidarity actions through to the social media and mass blockades.

This public mistrust in the state was revealed in a Kompas survey conducted in 12 major Indonesian cities. Eight out of 10 respondents agreed that the performance of the states three principle institutions – the executive, legislative and judicial wings of government – were dissatisfactory.

Specifically, the majority of respondents in this survey expressed dissatisfaction with the government's performance on four issues. First, the government is seen as lacking in resolving land disputes. Second, although the state depends for its income on the production process and export of commodities produced by workers, the government has failed to resolve labour disputes.

The survey results also indicated that the public believes the government is unable to guarantee the rights or freedom of worship of minority groups. The Fourth problem that was revealed relates to the government's lack of seriousness in resolving cases of corruption that involve officials from the three state institutions.

The most concrete form of the public's loss of trust in the state is the view that there are no state institutions that are currently able to carry out their functions. Four out of 10 respondents believe there is not one state institution that is able to carry out its functions and duties in accordance with public expectations.

Mass movements

US sociologist Herbert Blumer notes that mass movements that emerge in society have to be understood as a collective effort to build something new, that is to create change. In the context of a society that has almost entirely lost is trust in those who run the country, the emergence of various types of mass movements is something unavoidable.

The survey also examined the basic reasons that have triggered the burgeoning of mass movements of late. In relation to the performance of the executive, eight out of 10 respondents cited the many regulations and laws that do not side with the ordinary people along with deadlocks in dialogue between the government and the people as triggering mass movements. The mass movement that emerged in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, is particularly relevant as an example of this.

A mining license was issued by the Bima regional government and given to a mining company resulting in the forced eviction and loss of livelihoods for communities living in the vicinity of the mine. Efforts by local communities to pressure the Bima government to revoke the license went unheeded. As a consequence, local communities were forced to form a mass movement to fight for their interests.

The other reason is related to the performance of the legislative that is seen as weak in articulating the wishes of the ordinary people who have no access to power. Instead of fighting for the interests of the little people, the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) often collude with the owners of companies or officials in the state bureaucracy. This view was articulated by almost all or 88.9 percent of respondents.

This was also the case for respondent's perceptions of the law, with as many as 91 percent stating that weak law enforcement has resulted in society tending to seek forms of mass justice in order to press for their interests. News reports carried by Kompas showing that in one day as many as three police officers are attacked and assaulted by mobs is one worrying illustration of the level of public anger over the police's performance.

Social media

Three types of mass movements that the public believes often rise to the surface are actions garnering support though the social media, protest actions by different social groups and movements involving blockades or occupations of an area. Public opinion with regard to these three types of mass movements is quite varied.

Seven out of 10 respondents in this survey agreed with actions garnering support through the mass media such as Facebook or Twitter. Only 38.2 percent of respondents agree with protest actions or demonstrations. An even lower proportion (15 percent) of respondents supports actions involving occupations or blockades of an area.

A number of things can be concluded from this. The relatively high proportion of respondents that chose the social media as a mass movement is linked to the issue of access to technology where the urban middle-class represents the largest number of social media users. Cases that have succeeded in garnering support through the social media have been closely linked with the interests of this group.

Protest actions and occupations meanwhile have two dimensions. On the one hand, for the protesters or parties that carry out occupations, this form of protest is the last resort after other means have been exhausted but failed to bear fruit. The toll road blockade by workers in Bekasi represents a strategic option they were forced to pursue in the face of "cooperation" between business and state institutions.

On the other hand, blockades are seen as causing both economic and social losses for other groups in society. In such cases the method chosen by the state to resolve these is often repressive. The Bima case demonstrates this problem. As a consequence, public opinion is influenced into seeing the consequence of occupation actions as not addressing the roots of the problem that cause the emergence of the action itself.

Nevertheless, a small ray of hope is remains fixed in the public's minds. One out of three respondents stated that there are still social figures who can be trusted and are capable of becoming leaders that society can follow. Of course an important proviso from the public is that such a figure must first and foremost have a high level of integrity and never have been ensnared in a legal case (Kompas Research and Development)

Assessment of government performance

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the central and regional government's performance on the following issues:

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What state institutions do you most trust to still be able to carry out their functions and tasks in accordance with the public's expectations?

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Assessment of movements

Do you agree or disagree with the following mass movements:

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Do you agree or disagree that the emergence of mass movements are a result of the following factors:

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[Translated by James Balowski.]

Poor leadership fuels public disobedience

Jakarta Post - February 4, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – January has seen blatant disregard of law and regulation by intoxicated driver Apriyani Susanti and protesting workers blocking one of the city's most important thoroughfares and even threatening to occupy Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

On the other side of the law, the government appeared to have problems upholding regulation. The state railway company, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), has made foreign media headlines for installing concrete balls to deter joy-riders from breaking regulations that bar passengers from riding on the roofs of commuter trains.

For social observers, the reason for such disregard of the law is simple – an absence of leadership that the public could follow. University of Indonesia (UI)'s social psychologist Hamdi Moeloek said that poor leadership had eroded the trust the public has in the state.

"People no longer respect the state because it had equally failed to guarantee the rights of the people. They are not afraid to break the law because they have learned that rules and regulations can easily manipulated," he said.

Put in an environment where rules are followed, Indonesians abroad would abide by them. "Here people from Indonesia should obey by the rules because Singapore has a much better legal system compared to Indonesia. A good and trusted system that force all people, regardless of their identities, to be obedient," he said.

Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan said that the public had grown apathetic, seeing that law enforcers only defended the interests of certain groups.

"Criminals must be given punishments, regardless of their backgrounds. But this doesn't happen in Indonesia. These days, because law enforcers have mistakenly taught people that their religious, ethnic, or political backgrounds decide their future. No wonder people distrust them," he said.

Gadjah Mada University sociologist Arie Sudjito said that public disobedience could indicate a mode of resistance from the weak. "Protesters, who could be violent, such as those in Bima who fought for their rights because the state has failed to guarantee them," he said.

Hundreds of local people in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, burned down the regent's office last week. The angry crowd decided to take the law into their own hands after learning that the Bima regent was slow to revoke the permit for mining company PT Sumber Mineral Nusantara (SMN).

Later in the same week, thousands of workers in Bekasi, West Java, blocked the Jakarta-Cikarang toll road access to Bekasi to protest a ruling issued by the Bandung State Administrative Court (PTUN) granting the Bekasi chapter of the Indonesian Employers Association's (Apindo) lawsuit aimed on revoking the 2012 minimum wage set by the local administration.

Arie said that the key to improving the situation and win back the trust is for the government to start indiscriminately enforcing the law. "The government must work hard to provide assurances that we can trust them. This all must begin from the political elites, including members of the House of Representatives," he said.

Anies suggested the government act soon because "violence is contagious". "Allowing some groups to freely bend the law will stimulate others to do the same. So, start now before it's too late," he said.

Legislation & parliament

Indonesian politicians fail in attempt to replace expensive chairs

Jakarta Globe - February 1, 2012

Ezra Sihite, Agus Triyono & Carlos K.Y. Paath – After vowing last week to replace the imported furniture at the heart of a controversy over the costly bill to renovate a meeting room, the House of Representatives said on Tuesday that it couldn't do it just yet.

Jaka Winarko, a spokesman for the House Secretariat, which has sparked a massive public outcry over its handling of the Rp 20 billion ($2.2 million) project, said the only things at this point that could be replaced were the chairs. Even then, however, the plan to replace them on Tuesday fell through because of technical reasons, he said.

"The secretariat has agreed to replace the chairs, but we can't do it just like that," Jaka said. "We have to hold discussions and negotiations first with the contractors and suppliers."

The 85 chairs have been the focal point of the public outrage over the renovation plan. They were imported from Germany and cost Rp 24 million each, although online furniture stores list that exact model for just half the price.

The House Budget Committee, for which the meeting room is being renovated, last week conceded to replacing the chairs and other imported furniture with cheaper, locally made products. "It has been agreed that all [furniture] will be replaced with high-quality domestic goods," Siswono Yudo Husodo, the committee deputy chairman, said last Thursday.

However, Jaka and Muhammad Prakosa, the House Ethics Council chairman, said that not all the furniture and fittings would be changed. "For now, only the chairs will be replaced," Jaka said.

Prakosa said items such as the three video wall displays and wall-to-wall carpeting would remain in place.

"Well, the carpet's already been laid, so we'll just leave it," Prakosa said. "If we replace the video walls, there won't be much of a difference [in the cost], so we'll just leave that as well."

However, he said the sound system would be replaced. "There's two concepts we won't stand for in this matter. The first is 'luxury' and the second is 'imported,'" Prakosa said.

The costly project, along with other instances of exorbitant spending by the House, has been reported by House Speaker Marzuki Alie to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to investigate.

Yahdil Abdi Harahap, a member of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, said it was important that the investigation proceed, even if the House was now trying to slash the cost of the project. "Replacing the furniture won't make up for any violations that may have occurred."

[Additional reporting from Suara Pembaruan.]

Jakarta & urban life

Bike lanes occupied by cars again

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Novia D. Rulistia, Jakarta – Almost a year after its inauguration, the city's first bike lane has again become a parking space for cars. Private cars have been seen occupying the lane despite the non-parking signs that are installed along it.

"About a month after it was inaugurated, Satpol PP [Jakarta Public Order Agency] and officers from the transportation agency regularly patrolled the lane to make sure that no cars parked there," said Slamet, a security official of a commercial building in Melawai. "The bike lane was clear from private cars back then. But as there is no patrol anymore, drivers prefer to park their cars on the street," he said.

Slamet said that although sometimes he had asked drivers to park in the basement of the building or at the building's front yard, they refused to do so. "But due to limited parking space and so many cars coming here, we can't do anything but let them park in the lane."

Sobari, a parking attendant in Melawai, said that nowadays, the authorities only conducted patrols and asked drivers to immediately move their cars during heavy traffic congestion. Besides becoming on-street parking space, the lane is also overwhelmed by private cars, public minivans, motorcycles and the three-wheeled bajaj.

In May last year, Governor Fauzi Bowo inaugurated the first bike lane in the city, which stretched 1.4 kilometers from Blok M to Ayodya Park in South Jakarta.

The bike lane was constructed to accommodate the growing number of cyclists in the city, which was predicted to have reached over 6 million people. The administration also provided cyclists with parking space near the park, although no bikes were seen parking there on Monday afternoon. Many cyclists usually come and gather around the park during weekends or at night.

South Jakarta Public Order Agency head Sulis said the agency and the transportation agency still conducted patrols around the area, although not as often as before. "We do still have patrols, but of course we can't keep an eye on the cars parking there for 24 hours."

Toto Sugito, the founder of the Bike to Work Community (B2W) said private cars could not be totally blamed for occupying the lane as they might notice that only a few cyclists used the route. "To my knowledge, not many cyclists use the route, so maybe that's why many drivers park their cars on the street again," he said.

After building a bicycle lane in an area of South Jakarta, the Jakarta administration says it will construct other bike lanes in four other municipalities – West Jakarta, East Jakarta, Central Jakarta and North Jakarta.

Protesting pedestrians keep motorcyclists off sidewalks

Jakarta Post - February 4, 2012

Jakarta – Fifteen members of the Pedestrians' Coalition (Koalisi Pejalan Kaki) on Friday blocked motorcyclists from riding on sidewalks in front of the Hotel Pullman Jakarta, near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta, as part of a protest against the violation of pedestrian rights.

"Our number may be small, but our impact is large because we were seen by thousands of bikers passing through Jl. MH Thamrin and the traffic circle," coalition member Alfred Sitorus told The Jakarta Post.

"Our message is clear and simple: we want the pedestrian sidewalks back. It is our basic right, not the bikers', to use them."

The protest was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m., but heavy rain forced a delay. Protesters started to gather at around 6 p.m., holding signs bearing the words "Pedestrian Walks are for Pedestrians" and "Sidewalks are not for Motorists".

According to Alfred, protesters joining the rallies came from several organizations, including KRL Mania, the Institute of Transportation Studies, the Indonesian Transportation Society and Suara Transjakarta. "Some of the protesters are actually pedestrians who met us on the spot and decided to join the protest," he said.

Several motorcycle riders who rode over the gutter were swiftly blocked by protesters, who then flaunted the signs and told them to get off the sidewalks. The protest ended at around 8 p.m.

Alfred said that the coalition aimed to turn the protest into a weekly event. "We recorded 30 major thoroughfares throughout Jakarta where sidewalks are mounted by motorbikes. We will conduct protests on these roads, moving from one place to another every week," he said.

Those thoroughfares include Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. Casablanca, as well as some in Tebet, South Jakarta, and Kota Tua in North Jakarta, Alfred said. "We won't stop until the city administration responds to our pleas."

Pedestrian rallies have become increasingly common in the wake of a horrific car crash that killed nine people and injured four in Gambir, Central Jakarta, two weeks ago.

The accident sparked public outrage against the allegedly reckless driver, who has been accused of being under the influence of drugs when she lost control of the vehicle. Experts said that the tragedy highlighted the constant threat to pedestrians in Jakarta, which has few safe sidewalks.

A group of pedestrian advocates have been campaigning for Jan. 22 to become known as the Day of the Pedestrians, in remembrance of the victims of the crash.

Jakarta Traffic Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Wahyono said that the police would act against street vendors and motorists who occupied sidewalks and left no room for pedestrians. "We want to return these sidewalks to their original function, which is for pedestrians to walk by safely," he said. (mim)

Jakarta grinds to a halt as traffic nears gridlock

Sydney Morning Herald - February 4, 2012

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – A young woman, carrying her infant son in a sling around her neck, stands in the shadows of a decaying concrete pylon, her hand extended in the hope that a passing motorist will pick her up.

Maya Sari, 23, and one-year-old Muhammad are "jockeys". Jakarta motorists pay to carry them in peak hour traffic, because to legally travel on the city's best roads, cars need three occupants. Babies count, and they cost less to hire than an adult, so on feeder roads all over the city, women and their young children stand touting for business. One ride with them costs the driver about 20,000 rupiah, or $2.15.

As Jakarta's population grows in wealth, 565 more cars and 3006 more motorbikes clog its roads every day. According to one official report, this city with a daytime population of 11 million is just nine years away from being gridlocked. When it rains and the roads flood, many areas are there already.

It's the most immediately obvious of Indonesia's profound infrastructure problems that economist Chatib Basri says are cramping the growth rate of south-east Asia's largest economy. It should be growing at 9 per cent, like its rivals China and India. Instead it's 6.5 per cent.

There is no quick fix. Jakarta's authorities introduced the "three-in-one" rule to reduce the number of cars, but it has only succeeded in creating entrepreneurs like Maya.

She brings Muhammad on the train to Jakarta twice a day from her village of Parung Panjang to stand with dozens of others in both peak hours among the exhaust fumes and the noise, to ride in the vehicles of strangers. Her nine hour day on the roadside provides her family's only income and with five mouths to feed, they are glad to have it.

"With a child it's very difficult to find a job," she says. "This is the only one I can do and keep my child with me."

The huge concrete pylons are testament to a transport failure of a different sort. They were built to carry a monorail to augment the city's desperately inadequate public transport system. But it was abandoned without explanation in 2004. The steel reinforcing rods are rusting and all the pylons carry now is advertising.

There are signs of inadequate infrastructure countrywide. Trucks regularly park in line for hours, even days, at Merak Port on the western tip of Java, waiting to cross the Sunda Strait.

Ferries provide the only transport between the two most populous islands, Java and Sumatra and bad weather often slows the service or even halts it entirely. A feasibility study for a 30 kilometre bridge between the islands was announced this week. But long-planned projects often fail to materialise here.

A Malaysian investor was last month forced to cancel plans to build a hydro-electricity plant in West Kalimantan because the surrounding roads were not up to the construction task.

Social infrastructure, too, is lacking. The CIA World Fact Book puts Indonesia near the bottom of global rankings for access to hospital beds, with just 0.6 beds per 1000 population compared to 3.82 in Australia, and it spends 2.8 per cent of GDP on education, compared to Australia's 4.5 per cent.

Indonesia's economy should be in the "sweet spot" Dr Basri, a consultant and government adviser says. But without huge investments in infrastructure, it will miss the opportunities that a young population and bullish investors offer.

National and local governments appear to have heeded the message. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made spending on infrastructure development a top priority, promising to spend $160 billion by 2015, with almost half coming from private companies through partnerships.

But corruption, red tape, problems with land acquisition and uncertain public finances often thwart projects before the foundations are even laid. "The policy decisions are fine, it's the implementation that can be a problem," Dr Basri says.

The government last week cancelled a planned $1.3billion public-private partnership to upgrade the country's biggest port – the colonial-era Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta. Companies that had tendered for the work were left in limbo after authorities announced they could not afford the $389 million required for access roads and bridges.

None of this surprises the 11 million Indonesians who live in and around the capital.

Ratna Utami, 32, who works in the city and lives in middle class Depok, in West Java, must leave at 5.30am to catch a bus if she hopes to be at the office by nine. A few minutes late leaving home and it "would be a blessing" to make the office by 10am. Home time is 12 hours later, 10pm.

For commuters there are few alternatives to the private car or the sea of motorbikes. Designated bus lanes have limited success in speeding up a trip as motorists illegally drive in these lanes if they think they will get away with it.

The trains are so crowded that people resort to riding on the roof, prompting the state rail company to hang large concrete balls from overpasses to stop them.

Even walking is hazardous. Pedestrians must first find a footpath – not so easy on Jakarta's streets – then it's a question of dodging huge, open drainage holes, uneven surfaces and the motorbike riders who routinely use them to beat the traffic.

The brave souls from pedestrian lobby group Koalisi Pejalan Kaki are trying to reclaim the footpaths; they often lie down in front of the motorbikes to make their point. "I've been called crazy and yelled at and argued with," activist Anthony Ladjar says, "but the pedestrians have rights for safety."

The government is also talking up its plan for a new above-and-below ground rail system, Jakarta MRT [mass rapid transport] that when completed would be 111kilometres long and carry up to 960,000 commuters a day.

Jakarta's governor, Fauzi Bowo, known as "Foke," told the Herald the idea for MRT had been around for 20 years, but "it was hindered by budget limitations", particularly to the regional budget. But now it is a priority and construction is due to start in September.

But Jakartans are sceptical. "I've been living in Jakarta for over 30 years," says a Twitter-based pedestrian activist Glenn Marsilim, who posts as @JalanKaki. "I try to be optimistic. But sometimes it's hard."

Armed forces & defense

Amid controversy, SBY defends planned arms purchases

Straits Times - February 3, 2012

Zubaidah Nazeer – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono weighed in on Thursday on ongoing opposition to planned arms purchases, saying it lagged behind its neighbors in military equipment because the country had been preoccupied with economic matters for the past 15 years.

Speaking at the start of a meeting of cabinet ministers on political and security matters, Yudhoyono urged his colleagues to lay out the facts about defense spending clearly in responding to criticisms from legislature and other quarters.

The time for mark-ups and backroom deals in defense and other government spending was over, he said, pledging action against irregularities.

Critics, Yudhoyono noted, might wonder whether Indonesia's efforts to upgrade its ageing military hardware at a time when its economy is also picking up might trigger an arms race or questions from its neighbors in the region.

"The answer is very simple: What Indonesia has is far behind that which our neighbors have. We only intend to bridge that gap so we can maintain our sovereignty and peace," he said. "For 15 to 20 years, our military modernization did not proceed as it should have because of economic reasons and other pressing priorities."

Yudhoyono's remarks came a week after the legislative commission overseeing defense and foreign affairs grilled Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and military chiefs over the army's plan to buy 100 second-hand Leopard tanks from the Netherlands for $280 million.

The lawmakers asked whether enough was being done for the country's sea and air defenses, and whether the large German-made tanks – which many Asian countries already have – were really the best buy for the archipelago's defense needs.

Yudhoyono, a former army general and chief-of-staff before he entered politics, did not go into specifics, but said he had been following the debate closely, and it was only fair for the legislature to discuss the matter at length. "You cannot stop explaining," he said. "If communication is lacking, we are at fault."

Lawmakers had also expressed concern that the purchase would hinder efforts to develop Indonesia's own defense industry. Some suggested tanks could be developed by local arms manufacturer Pindad. Yudhoyono said the government's policy was to use local industries when they had the capability, and admitted some would be unhappy that the time for mark-ups or backroom deals was over. "We have to be accountable for what we spend out of the state budget," he said.

The Dutch had insisted the Leopards sale would strictly be a government-to-government arrangement, with no middlemen, fees or commissions.

On Thursday, the defense minister also gave an update on the newly inaugurated Indonesian Peace and Security Center in Sentul, West Java, that will be ready by 2014. The center will house a regional counter-terrorism and disaster relief training center, the Indonesia Defense University, as well as a standby force that can respond rapidly to natural disasters and United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Judicial & legal system

Court election plagued with money politics

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Long considered as a bastion in the country's judicial system, the Supreme Court (MA) these days is plagued with money politics ahead of the selection of its chief justice, which is set for Wednesday.

Rumors about vote-buying practices have circulated as 54 justices prepare to elect a new chief justice to replace Harifin A. Tumpa, who will retire in March. Some media sources have even estimated that the cost of one vote could be as high as Rp 5 billion (US$555,555).

The rumors have prompted the Judicial Commission, judicial watchdogs and legal associations to scrutinize the selection process to ensure the right person heads up the Supreme Court. They also demanded the selection on Wednesday be transparent to ensure fairness.

Judicial Commission member Suparman Marzuki said he heard the rumors from the media. He said he planned to check the information with a number of different sources. "The commission is currently gathering information about the [money politics] rumor," he said on Monday.

Suparman acknowledged the court's chief justice was a very strategic position because whoever secured the post would have broad authority in overseeing all the country's judicial institutions, from the most senior down to the regional level.

The chief justice, he added, could also influence the promotion of justices. "Even though there is always a specific team charged with the promotion and rotation of judges, the chief justice can always promote his favorite. And he has tremendous influence over the whole promotion process," Suparman said.

Meanwhile, Erman Umar from the Congress of Indonesian Advocates (KAI) said that his team had also been monitoring the selection at the Supreme Court to minimize potential irregularities.

"Regardless of whether or not it is only rumor, we are urging the Supreme Court to make the selection on Wednesday more transparent," Erman said. "And if they find an indication of vote-buying practices, please make the information public and reject the chief justice elect."

He also urged the 54 justices to only vote for the best candidates, adding that the court needed to choose the cleanest person among them.

Suparman argued, however, that the allegations were probably just part of the friction and competition in the chief justice's election. "I don't think there is a Rp 5 billion vote. It's just too big," he said. "I think it would be hard to implement such vote-buying due to the risk," he added. "If one was caught, one's career would be finished."

Erman disagreed, saying that the position was "too strategic not to attract all-out competition". "Maybe the cost was exaggerated; however, it could likely happen, just with less money. The person who rules the Supreme Court basically rules the country's judiciary," he said.

Donal Fariz from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) agreed, saying the position had a commanding influence in the judicial system. He likened the position of chief justice to a piece of sugar that attracted ants.

He said the chief justice oversaw not only criminal and corruption cases but also civil cases, involving powerful companies and businessmen. "Businessmen and politicians have a key interest in this position," he said, urging the 54 justices to be honest in casting their votes.

The 54 justices with full suffrage have been quarantined inside the court's office building since Monday.

Harifin was himself deputy chief justice for nonjudicial affairs before he won 36 out of 43 justice votes in the 2009 chief justice election. He was already 66 at the time when he replaced Bagir Manan.

Based on the 2009 selection procedures:

- Each chief justice candidate must obtain the support of five supreme justices - The selection is made at a special plenary meeting open to the public - The meeting must be attended by two-thirds of the Supreme Court's justices - The candidate who receives the most votes will become the new chief justice

Criminal justice & prison system

Indonesia working on regulation to meet public 'sense of justice'

Jakarta Globe - February 2, 2012

Ronna Nirmala – In the wake of a public uproar over a series of trials for petty crimes, Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin said on Wednesday that the government would provide a legal umbrella to prevent court cases deemed offensive to the public's sense of justice.

"There is a spirit among us to treat these marginalized people so as to prevent the impression that the [sword of justice] is only sharp on the side facing downward and blunt on the side facing upward," Amir said.

He said the government was working to improve and perfect the law to deal with cases that might be perceived as unjust. "We should not treat them in a rigid manner. There is a need for restorative justice," Amir said.

He added, though, that whatever decision was made should not ignore justice. "The truth is, the process is right but it is the sense of justice that is disturbed," he said of many recent cases, including that of Rasminah, a housemaid convicted of stealing six dinner plates and other trivial goods.

Amir's deputy, Denny Indrayana, said the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, along with the Supreme Court, the Attorney-General's Office and the National Police, had formed a forum to discuss and seek solutions to cases they thought could offend the people's sense of justice.

He said the forum was named Mahkumjakpol after the first few letters of the name of each member institution.

Supreme Court upholds guilty verdict for thieving housemaid

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – The Supreme Court is upholding a guilty verdict for the maid who stole some oxtail meat and a few plates from her boss, sentencing the 60-year-old to time previously served.

"The decision was entirely within the [court's] authority," Supreme Court spokesman Djoko Sarwoko told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The verdict was a victory for prosecutors, who challenged the Tangerang District Court's acquittal of Rasminah binti Rawan, the woman accused of stealing the items from her employer of eight years.

Rasminah, who was previously incarcerated for four months and 10 days, has been free since her acquittal, when judges in Tangerang said prosecutors had failed to present sufficient evidence to support a conviction.

Separately, Asep Iwan Iriawan, a legal expert from Trisakti University in Jakarta, said the Supreme Court was wrong in considering the case in the first place.

"According to the Criminal Code, prosecutors cannot file an appeal for a case where the defendant has been acquitted of all charges by the court. The only reason to brake this rule is if prosecutors can prove that the judges were wrong all along – which in this case didn't happen," he said.

Asep urged Rasminah to file a case review with the Supreme Court to clear her name.

Police & law enforcement

Officers flaunt extravagant lifestyles

Jakarta Post - February 6, 2012

Having a lavish lifestyle is not a crime, but if police officers indulge in such a way of life when the police force is under fire for its poor service, excessive use of force and alleged corruption, then public outcry will surely follow.

The National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Nanan Sukarna was recently criticized for his extravagant lifestyle.

Besides serving as a policeman, Nanan is also currently the chairman of the Indonesian Motor Association (IMI), the chairman of the Harley Davidson Club Indonesia (HDCI) and the chairman of the Indonesian Shooting and Hunting Sports Association (Perbakin).

"I can't understand how the deputy police chief can spare such time to manage his activities with a tight schedule as the second man in the police force," legislator Trimedya Panjaitan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said at a hearing with the National Police.

Busyro Muqoddas, a leader of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) once said such extravagant hobbies were hedonistic. "Is there a Harley- Davidson motorcycle costing less than Rp 20 million (US$2,240)?" Trimedya asked.

Nanan admitted he owns a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He, however, said he saw his hobbies more as a public service than hedonism. "I chair those organizations without receiving any payment, and all of those hobbies relate to my duties as a police officer," Nanan said.

In another case of the high life, a former provincial police chief made headlines after reportedly having an affair with movie star Sinta Bachir. Sinta claimed she had a romantic relationship with "a retired three-star general" who had graduated from the police academy in 1974, and was a former Jakarta Police chief.

The romantic affair took a dramatic turn after several gossip television shows reported that Sinta had received death threats via text messages and phone calls from the police general. The motive for the threats was reportedly jealousy.

A police expert from the University of Indonesia Bambang Widodo Umar said that extravagant lifestyles would arouse social jealousy. "Police should promote morality in society, if they have lavish lifestyles then it will generate a cynical response from society," he said.

Extravagant lifestyles, he added, would cause friction within police ranks and create a gap between senior officers and their subordinates, "The principle of obedience would be based on fear, not respect."

"Therefore their [senior officers'] subordinates will rarely follow instructions correctly." Bambang also said that the police should adopt a more humanitarian rather than a militaristic approach.

He further explained that this kind of behavior had become the culture within police institutions and it urgently needed to be reformed, "To reform the culture the police should emphasize values not personalities." (JP/rpt)

Experts vow to give law enforcers an earfull

Jakarta Post - February 5, 2012

Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – A group of judges, prosecutors, academics and experts are banding together to fight what one member called "poor law enforcement, from head to toe" in Indonesia.

"The law enforcement process has been corrupted for every step of the way. We need to do something to stop it," Trisakti University money laundering expert Yenti Garnasih told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Yenti said that group members would visit the headquarters of every law enforcement institution in the nation to discuss the sad state of Indonesian justice. "We will make the National Police chief, the Attorney General, Law and Human Rights Ministry officials, lawmakers and the Supreme Court justices realize how dangerous it is to keep things this way," she said.

The group counts as members noted justices Adi Andjojo, Benyamin Mangkoedilaga and Bismar Siregar; former prosecutor Chaerul Umam, UI police expert Bambang Widodo Umar; and scholars such as Tubagus Ronny Nitibaskara and Soetandyo Wignjosubroto.

Family want Indonesia police held accountable in boys' torture deaths

Jakarta Globe - February 3, 2012

Ulma Haryanto – Relatives of two teenage boys who died in police custody in West Sumatra said on Thursday that they would not be satisfied until the police took full responsibility for the deaths.

"The family's wish is that all of the officers who handled [the brothers] from the day of their arrests be held accountable," said Yusbar, the uncle of 14-year old Faisal and his brother, 17-year old Budri M. Zen.

On Wednesday, National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo acknowledged that torture may have taken place when the brothers were arrested last month by the Sijunjung Police in an attempt to extract a confession.

"[There was] an alleged abuse of the two victims by rogue officers," Timur said during a hearing with House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs.

Timur maintained, however, that any torture did not cause the boys' deaths, which police claim were suicides by hanging. "Circular abrasion marks were found on the victims' necks, like what you would see when people hang themselves," he said.

Johny Nelson Simanjuntak, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said they were still convinced that Faisal and Budri had not committed suicide. The group is seeking to have an independent autopsy performed.

The National Police sanctioned the Sijunjung Police chief and eight officers for negligence in failing to prevent the deaths. "They are now waiting for the legal process [for torture]," Timur said.

The Sijunjung Police chief, Adj. Comr. Syamsul Bahri, was stripped of his rank and sentenced to 21 days in detention. The other eight officers received between 21 and 28 days in detention, demotions and other administrative punishments.

Indonesia's top cop defends moonlighting deputy

Jakarta Globe - February 2, 2012

Ezra Sihite & Carlos K.Y. Paath – The chief of the National Police has been forced to defend his deputy in the House of Representatives amid claims the lower-ranked officer was moonlighting in other jobs and had political aspirations.

Trimedya Panjaitan, a member of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, said on Wednesday that he had information that Comr. Gen. Nanan Soekarna had been mustering support from local dignitaries and potential campaign workers in preparation for a run at the governorship of West Java in 2013.

Nanan denied the claim after meeting with Commission III on Wednesday. "It's not true," the National Police deputy chief said. "I have no party, and no money to put myself forward."

Trimedya said that if the information was true, Nanan should resign from the police. "To ensure the neutrality of the police, Nanan must state his intention to resign from his post immediately," he said.

The lawmaker said that Nanan's predecessor, Adang Daradjatun, had resigned from the police when he decided to run for governor of Jakarta.

Trimedya, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said he was also concerned about three positions that Nanan held outside the police force. He said Nanan was the head of the Indonesia Motorsports Association (IMI), the head of the Indonesian Shooting and Hunting Association (Perbakin) and the head of the Harley-Davidson Motorbike Riders' Club.

"We know the deputy police chief holds these three prestigious positions. These are all expensive hobbies, and according to Busyro, they're hedonistic," Trimedya said, referring to Busyro Muqoddas, a senior figure at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Nanan's superior, National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo, also attended the Commission III meeting and took the opportunity to defend his deputy against Trimedya's accusations. "Hopefully these concerns are unfounded, and I take responsibility," Timur said.

"I think we are all professional, and the duties of the deputy police chief are already clear: to assist the police chief and lighten his load. No matter what he [Nanan] does, including when he meets the public, he always asks for my direction, which I give him."

He added that as far as he knew, Nanan had no intention to run in the West Java gubernatorial election.

Sulawesi police station stoned

Jakarta Post - February 2, 2012

Palu – A police station in Morowali regency, Central Sulawesi, became the target of stoning and Molotov cocktails by residents, in an attack allegedly linked to last year's deadly incident involving an offshore drilling company.

No fatalities or injuries were reported from the acts of around 20 people on the Mamosalato police station.

"They stoned the building but the bombs were targeted only at the office's fence," Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Dewa Parsana said on Wednesday when asked for confirmation by The Jakarta Post.

He said they could not confirm the motive behind the attack but speculated that it was related to a deadly offshore incident in which two were killed when a group of people launched a violent protest at Pertamina-Medco E&P Tomori in August last year, demanding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.

One policeman attacked every three days in January, IPW says

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Sita W. Dewi, Jakarta – The Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) said Wednesday that the number of attacks on policemen had risen within the last month.

IPW data shows that 11 police officers across the country were beaten, attacked and shot by civilians, three of them fatally, throughout January.

"The phenomenon shows that the relationship between the police and civilians has gotten worse," IPW chairman Neta S. Pane said Tuesday in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post. Neta urged the National Police to evaluate the police's performance and to restore their relationship with the public.

"Attacks on police officers show civilians' prolonged disappointments toward the police, who are deemed arrogant," he said. "The attacks toward the police will go on unless they improve their image and performance," Neta added.

The 11 officers who were attacked, beaten and shot by civilians in January included First Brig. Sukarno, 33, a Papua Mobile Brigade member who got shot by a stranger while on patrol in Puncak Jaya on Jan. 28, and Adj. Comr. ABL of the National Police, who was severely injured after being beaten and attacked by five men at his house in Kemang Pratama, Bekasi, Greater Jakarta. One of the attackers was ABL's own brother-in-law.

According to the IPW, eight police officers died of gunshot in 2011, comprising six officers, who were shot by criminals, and two officers died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. (mtq)

Intelligence & state security

Opposition grows against the controversial security bill

Jakarta Post - February 7, 2012

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is looking to delay the deliberation of the controversial national security bill following public rejection due to claims that it deviates from the Constitution.

After rejection from human rights groups, on Monday the House received the same views from several security analysts who said the bill lacked clarity.

Arry Bainus of Bandung's Padjadjaran University in West Java, Hermawan Sulistyo of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and Ludiro Madu of Yogyakarta's State Development University (UPN) were of the same opinion that the bill had no clear vision and contradicted the Constitution and many laws.

They suggested the House should return the bill to the Defense Ministry, the institution that had drafted the bill. "You need to return the bill for a review. We will support you," Hermawan told lawmakers during a hearing with the House's Commission I on defense, foreign affairs and information on Monday.

Agus Gumiwang, a Golkar Party lawmaker who presided over the meeting, replied that the commission would likely ask the House leaders to return the bill since it had met with increasing rejection from lawmakers in the commission.

"The bill is too general. Also, it weakens the authority of the Indonesian Military [TNI], the police and the National Intelligence Agency [BIN]," Agus said.

During Monday's hearing, security analysts voiced their criticisms of the bill. "If the bill is intended to be an umbrella for the 2004 Indonesian Military (TNI) Law and the 2002 National Police Law, such thought is no longer valid because the TNI and the police now have their own territorial jurisdiction," Arry said.

Arry also criticized articles in the bill that were mostly prone to multiple interpretations. "Almost all chapters in the bill allow multiple interpretations," he added.

The bill gives regional administrations, especially governors, regents and mayors, the power to get involved in dealing with security affairs. This stipulation is against the 2004 Regional Autonomy Law, which says only the central government has full authority in matters of security, foreign affairs, finance and law.

In addition, Hermawan said he was suspicious that some articles would be a pretext for the military to revive provincial and regional security and defense commands (Kopkamtibda and Laksusda), which were used by the military in the Soeharto era to oppress the people.

Meanwhile, Sidharto Danusubroto, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker, said his faction had urged the House to return the bill to the government for a total overhaul. He said the Defense Ministry should involve others in preparing its content because the bill deals with cross- sector issues.

According to him, the bill was not in line with Chapter 30 of the Constitution which required all citizens to take part in state defense, the details of which would be set out in further regulations.

Sidharto questioned the definition of national security threats, which the bill put as "all activities and acts, either personal or collective, that threaten state defense". "Could someone who provokes hatred against the state be seen as a national security threat?" he asked.

Sidharto also opposed many chapters in the bill that put governors, regents and mayors in the provincial and regional security and defense board as it was against the 2004 Regional Autonomy Law.

He said the bill adopted decrees of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) No. 6 and 7 on the separation of TNI and the police, and other relevant laws regulating the two institutions. It would however leave a grey area, mainly because there was an unclear separation of the job descriptions of the two forces in the fields of defense and security.

The commission was also of the same opinion that the bill, after its review, would be deliberated by a joint committee from relevant commissions, including Commission II on domestic governance, regional autonomy, state apparatuses and agrarian affairs, and Commission III on legal affairs and laws, human rights and security.

Economy & investment

Indonesia economy reaches 15-year high

Jakarta Globe - February 7, 2012

Dion Bisara – The economy grew 6.5 percent last year, its biggest expansion since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, as domestic consumption helped shield the country from the global economic turmoil.

"There was growth in almost all sectors," Suryamin, the acting chairman of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), said at a press conference on Monday.

Last year's growth topped 2010's 6.1 percent and was the strongest since 1996, when the economy expanded 8 percent, International Monetary Fund data showed.

Along with the expanding economy, per capita income rose 18 percent to Rp 31.8 million ($3,560) last year from Rp 27.1 million in 2010. The size of Indonesia's economy was Rp 7,427.1 trillion at the end of 2011.

Despite the global economic turbulence, household consumption, which makes up 56 percent of the nation's economy, rose 4.6 percent in 2011, helped by low interest rates and easing inflation. It was 4.7 percent in 2010.

"Overall, domestic demand provided the growth cushion even though exports slowed down in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the external balance was a drag," Deyi Tan and Seen Meng Chew, economists at Morgan Stanley in Singapore, said in a report released on Monday.

The central bank trimmed its key interest rate by a total of 75 basis points in October and November, bringing the rate to a record low 6 percent.

Investment and government spending also accelerated in 2011, rising 8.8 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively. The 2010 figures were 8.5 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.

Communication and transportation led the sectoral growth with 10.7 percent pace last year, followed by trade, hotels and restaurants with 9.2 percent. Manufacturing, which employs millions of workers, grew 6.2 percent last year.

Economists and businesspeople warned of a less rosy 2012 as a possible global economic slowdown threatens to cut demand for Indonesian exports. Among the country's key export commodities are crude palm oil, rubber, tin, nickel and coal.

"Our markets overseas are suffering," said Sofjan Wanandi, chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo). He called on the government to focus its attention on the economy, improve the business climate, build more infrastructure and spend less time on politics if it wants to achieve another high growth rate this year.

"Please, don't get embroiled too much in politics. Get it done and move on," he said.

Indonesia needs $160 billion through 2014 to develop much-needed infrastructure such as roads, airports, seaports, bridges and toll roads to support an average growth rate of 6.6 percent over the next two years. But graft, an uncertain and unwieldy bureaucracy and overlapping regulations are among the factors keeping investment away.

Despite the strong growth, critics have voiced concerns over Indonesia's massive wealth gap and rising economic inequality. The government released a report in January that said the number of poor people in Indonesia fell 130,000 to 29.89 million in September.

However, Hamonangan Ritonga, BPS's director for social resilience statistics, said the reduction was insignificant and that it was still the rich who were benefiting the most from the growth.

[Additional reporting by Muhamad Al Azhari.]

Indonesian exports surge 29 percent

Agence France Presse - February 1, 2012

Indonesian exports surged 29 percent last year, and January inflation eased, date showed Wednesday, as Southeast Asia's largest economy targeted emerging countries amid weakness in US and European markets.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has been basking in a welter of positive economic indicators in recent weeks, with the latest official figures showing shipments reached $203.62 billion last year.

The export data was a 29 percent hike over 2010 and beat the government's target of $200 billion, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency. Shipments in December dipped, losing 0.22 percent to $17.2 billion from a month earlier, but still gained 2.2 percent over December 2010.

Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan last month set an export target of $230 billion in 2012, targeting emerging markets in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America to compensate for the slowdown in the United States and Europe.

Meanwhile, inflation eased again in January, the agency said, with the consumer price index rising 3.65 percent year-on-year, slower than the 3.79 percent rise in December. The index rose 0.76 percent on month, compared with a 0.57 percent increase in December, as bad weather drove up food prices and stoked inflation.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, slowed to 4.29 percent year-on-year in January, compared with 4.34 percent in December. Last month, Moody's ratings agency upgraded Jakarta to Baa3 from Ba1 with a stable outlook – after a similar move by Fitch – with officials saying the stronger credit ratings would attract more foreign investment.

Indonesia's foreign direct investment in 2011 hit a record $20 billion, with Singapore, Japan and the United States among top investors.

The trade minister said the economy may grow to $9.3 trillion by 2030, a more than tenfold increase from the country's current output.

Indonesia's major exports include oil, natural gas, palm oil, coal, electrical appliances, textiles and rubber. Other natural resources include copper, tin, gold and timber.

Rising costs, bad policy render Batam obsolete

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Fadli, Batam – Once touted as investment paradise for exporters, Batam City of the Riau Islands has fallen victim to rising costs and bad policy making, hurting its leverage as a free trade zone amid the ongoing economic crisis in US and Europe.

Three companies in Batam are in the process of completing a mass termination of their employees, prompting some 5,000 workers to lose their jobs and the city administration to bear the burden of their unemployment.

Rudi Syakyakirty, head of the Batam Labor Agency, said that PT Exas Batam, PT Nutune and PT Panasonic had notified the agency about the layoffs, which are expected to be completed this year.

Japan-based Exas Batam ended its operation in Batam after 15 years. The company produced stamped metal products, car audio components and disc drives for computers. Starting its operation with US$5 million as initial capital, the company trimmed the number of its 2,000 workers to 170 during difficult days before completely closing down.

Panasonic first began operations in Batam in 1998 with an initial investment of $71 million. It began to suffer in 2009 and consequently reduced its employees, which reached 9,000 workers during peak production, in stages from 3,649 early to 2,351.

"For Panasonic, the termination has been going for a long time and this year, they want to ensure that the problem is over," Rudi said.

The layoff is expected to exacerbate the city's unemployment problem, already strained by the 10,000 people already on the list of job seekers.

A mix of dwindling orders from traditional export destinations and escalating operational costs for maintaining production bases in Batam led to the retreat of the companies, the Batam Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) argues.

Workers ran amok in late November in Batam as they attempted to force the local government to meet their demand for a much higher municipal minimum- wage.

More than 5,000 striking workers from several industrial zones took to the streets and vandalized several police posts. They protested against the shooting of two fellow demonstrators and the beating of 21 others in violent clashes with antiriot police.

Responding to the labor uprising, the provincial government raised the minimum wage for Batam by almost 19 percent to Rp 1,402,000 ($155.82) per month for general workers for the 2012 fiscal year.

BKPM Batam deputy chairman Yayan Akhyar said as a base for industries that are supposed to enjoy the benefits of relaxed export and import taxes, Batam was losing its competitiveness compared to other free trade zones abroad.

Yayan said the demise of electronic manufacturers was a clear indication that Batam was lacking skilled labor and a support system for a high- technology manufacturing. Persistent problems in the supply of electricity to factories also remains an obstacle.

"Labor issues, such as the recent riots, really make investors feel threatened. They always complain about that whenever we meet in meetings or during golf," Yayan said.

Coordinator of the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Unions (FSPMI) Suprapto confirmed that the closures were caused by both the drop in orders and skyrocketing operational costs. "The Free Trade Zone regulations promised by the local administration have not been able to reduce operating costs," he said.

Riau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani denied suggestions that recent rallies demanding wage hikes had prompted the closedown. "It's part of the nature of labor and employment. Rallies are common in the globalization era. Workers' rallies in Batam are not the trigger for the companies to leave Batam," he said.

Dean for the economic faculty of Riau Islands University, Ade P. Nasution said Batam no longer maintained its leverage as a cheap production base as companies, most of which relied on US and European markets, suffered from sagging demand.

"If the situation in the traditional export destination gets better, I am sure the economic condition in Batam will get better," Ade said.

Doing business in Indonesia easier: World Bank

Jakarta Post - February 1, 2012

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – The ease of doing business in cities across Indonesia, measured by the requirements of starting a business, dealing with construction permits and registering property, has improved in the past two years thanks to business regulatory reforms, according to a joint report of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation launched on Tuesday.

"There's a great scope of improvements in the business environment and conditions of the 20 cities we've included in the study," said Augusto Lopez Claros, director of Global Indicators and the Analysis Department of the International Finance Corporation, during the report launch at the Investment Coordinating Board's (BKPM) office.

The report stated that starting a business took on average 33 days including nine procedures, and cost around 22 percent of the country's income per capita in 2012, 13 days faster and 8 percent cheaper than two years ago.

Yogyakarta was ranked first in this category where it took 29 days and cost 18.5 percent of income per capita to comply with eight requirements to start a business. It was more difficult in Manado, where it required 11 procedures, taking 34 days and costing 30.8 percent, the report said.

However, the report highlighted that Indonesians still waited one month longer than Malaysians and spent four times as much as Thai entrepreneurs to start a business.

The average time needed to deal with construction permits decreased by one month to 77 days in 2012 from 106 days in 2010 and this resulted in a decline in the average cost of permits by 12.86 percent to Rp 19.25 million (US$1,850), it added. Balikpapan claimed the top spot for this category where it took 52 days to obtain permits. The process was more cumbersome in Jakarta, where it took 158 days.

For construction permits, Indonesians spent 3.5 times less time than Malaysians and were twice as fast as Thais to obtain the permits, it said.

Registering property also only required an average of six procedures over 33 days and cost 11 percent of the property value, with Bandung topping the list, the report said, adding that registering property in Manado, for example, only took 12 days, almost twice as fast as Mandaluyong, the fastest city in the Philippines, where it took 22 days.

The report, based on a survey in 20 cities across Indonesia including Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Batam, Balikpapan, Denpasar, Medan, Makassar and Banda Aceh, took the view point of local small and medium enterprises.

According to the report, this improvement has been enabled by the establishment of one-stop integrated license services, improved administrative efficiency of involved agencies and simplified requirements for commercial buildings.

However, Claros said the Indonesian central and local governments still needed to learn not only from the best cities within Indonesia but also those beyond the country.

If all cities in Indonesia could adopt from Yogyakarta the best seven procedures to obtain construction permits, those cities would then altogether rank fourth out of 183 countries.

For starting businesses and registering property, Indonesia must look beyond its borders to close the gap with global leaders. If all cities in the country copied the eight procedures to start a business from Balikpapan, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Denpasar, Palangka Raya, and Surakarta, Indonesia would be placed in 109th position globally.

Analysis & opinion

A year after Cikeusik, why is the government going soft on hard-liners?

Jakarta Globe - February 6, 2012

Bramantyo Prijosusilo – One year ago today, Indonesia hit the headlines with the murder of three members of the Islamic Ahmadiyah sect, by a mob over a thousand strong in a small town not far from Jakarta.

YouTube videos of the incident in Cikeusik, Banten, showed the mob gathering, screaming "God is Great" and calling for Ahmadi blood. They lunge forward to throw stones at the house they are attacking and run back when the defending Ahmadis throw stones back.

One of the kingpins moves further forward, brandishing his machete in the traditional martial art style of pencak silat. Then we see naked figures bathed in blood, members of the mob still beating them with sticks and rocks, some recording their "heroism" on mobile-phone cameras. The images and the story race around the world, shocking and sickening civilized people everywhere, including people in Indonesia.

To say that the Cikeusik murders were premeditated would be an understatement. The fate of Indonesian Ahmadis had been sealed years before, when Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leaders began calling for their killing. A YouTube video shows Sobri Lubis, a national-level leader of the FPI, going berserk as he whips up the emotions of his congregation, screaming: "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill Ahmadiyah!" He also boasts that should anyone kill Ahmadis, he would be ready to take responsibility alongside his fellow FPI leaders.

This video was discussed in the press and brought to the public's attention several years before the Cikeusik murders took place, but Indonesian authorities chose to ignore it. And they also ignored the fact that Indonesia has laws banning the incitement of religious hatred.

The current situation, in which the Indonesian government continuously demonstrates how much it fears violent Islamist mass organizations, has been commented on all over the world, including by people in Indonesia. Until he passed away, President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid was the most influential leader who had the guts to stand up to violent Islamists, but even he could not do much to restrict their proliferation. We now have even more hard-line Islamist pressure groups than during his presidency (1999- 2001).

The world has also witnessed the unfolding of the legal processes related to the Cikeusik murders. Again, YouTube reveals how one of the Ahmadi survivors was intimidated and threatened by a zealous judge, who asked him why he didn't just go and get himself killed that day. The victim was in the end given a six-month prison term for his efforts to protect property and human lives. The longest sentence any of the attackers received was also six months. This means that those murderers in all probability are free by now and resuming their careers as preachers of violence and hatred.

The message that the government sent to the people of Indonesia was that Islamists can get away with murder, as long as their victims are members of minority groups. Don't try bombing Western symbols like Bali nightclubs or the JW Marriott Hotel. For that kind of terror, expect no mercy. To commit murder and get away with it, pick on a minority group and make sure you have a mob, preferably chanting God's name.

In recent months we have seen attacks by Islamic hard-liners against Christians in Bekasi and Bogor, against Buddhists in North Sumatra, against Hindus in South Sumatra and, lately, against Shiite Muslims in East and West Java.

Commenting on the Shia branch of Islam recently, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said its followers – who have been here since Islam arrived on our shores – form a deviant sect. His statement as a minister cannot but reflect official government policy. And although it seems bizarre, at closer examination it becomes clear that the prosecution of minorities in Indonesia could well be supported by policy. How can this be?

There are only two possible ways to reasonably describe the relationship the Indonesian government has with all the above-ground and high-profile violent Islamist groups.

Many analysts think that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government is a cowardly one that genuinely fears the Islamists and bows down to their whims out of weakness.

The problem with this explanation is that it doesn't take into account the fact that Yudhoyono is Indonesia's only democratically elected president so far. With the strongest mandate any leader has ever had, there should be no problem in assertively upholding the Constitution, which explicitly protects the rights of minorities.

Commentators also say Indonesia's economy has held up well amid the global crisis under Yudhoyono's leadership, a fact that should give him enough political capital to confidently wield his power, especially when the state-backed philosophy of pluralism is at stake.

Perhaps people should begin to look through the ruse and see what is really happening: Yudhoyono's government actually supports and benefits from the intimidation of minorities in Indonesia.

The idea is not so far-fetched as it might seem when one considers the fact that high-ranking military and police officials as well as ministers have blessed these groups with their presence at important events or by visiting when their leaders endure a stint in prison.

For a government struggling with corruption, a government that has after all these years failed to account for the disappearing funds of Bank Century, having Islamist mobs that can make headlines at command is very useful. They can effectively divert people's attention from more serious crimes going on near the heart of power in this country.

A more sinister theory would be to link Yudhoyono with the rumors concerning the "Islamist generals" who, at the end of Suharto's regime, were said to be preparing the conditions to bring Indonesia under Shariah law.

However one examines the situation, past events suggest that Yudhoyono is not likely to lift a finger to prevent vigilante Islamism. Whether this incompetence is by weakness or by design, his leadership presents a grave danger to the pluralist nature of our nation.

[Bramantyo Prijosusilo is a writer, artist and broadcast journalist in East Java.]

Our faith in the law

Jakarta Post Editorial - February 3, 2012

The decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of 54-year Rasmiah for petty theft prompted a chorus of condemnation on the state of our judicial system.

Her crime, according to news reports, was stealing plates, bowls, oxtail soup ingredients and clothes belonging to her employer.

The line of argument taken by editorials published in some national newspapers and broadcast on television is that a poor woman was imprisoned for months before her trial because of her economic circumstances.

Meanwhile, the nation has been privy to the drama of high-profile cases of corruption, in which the alleged perpetrators continue to live in luxury and will most likely get off lightly thanks to the cunning of their top- notch and highly paid lawyers.

The credibility of our legal system is very much at stake, and the way those responsible for administering and enforcing the law do their work, particularly for corruption cases, does not give us confidence about the state of justice in the country. Keep this up and pretty soon the entire nation will lose faith in the ability of the courts to dispense justice.

But the Rasmiah case sheds light on another way the law is being administered, which borders on the ridiculous.

The maid was originally found not guilty by the Tangerang District Court in Banten province. Instead of letting things go, prosecutors appealed, and sure enough, the Supreme Court overturned the original verdict and found her guilty, sentencing her to time previously served in pre-verdict detention.

The case has now become a cause celebre highlighting the injustices of the legal system. Her lawyers have announced that they will file a judicial review in the hopes of getting the Supreme Court to reverse its decision.

It is not so much the injustices that the Rasmiah case has revealed that bothers the conscience. After all, a crime is a crime, and if the book says she has to go to jail then she should serve her time like everybody else.

More disturbing is the length and trouble to which our law enforcement agencies and the entire court system has gone to in seeking justice for such a simple case, all at considerable cost to taxpayers.

Politicians and lawyers can be excused for making a trifle of the law, but it's a completely different story when those responsible for enforcing and administering the law make a mockery of the system.

Shouldn't there be restrictions on which cases can go to the Supreme Court. Are we to believe that every single case should go all the way to the already over-burdened Supreme Court?

If police, prosecutors and judges don't believe in the system, how can they expect the public to believe in it and then to respect the law?

God save this nation.