Intensification of Indonesian security force repression on Papuan non- violent activists and ordinary villagers is allegedly occurring across Yapen Island, in response to escalating demands for freedom from violence, according to credible human rights sources on the island.

A massive raid has also been carried out by Australian-trained Detachment 88 and Kopassus special forces of the Indonesian National Army (TNI) early on May 29 on the jungle headquarters of the Yapen branch of the pro- independence National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM) near the village of Wadapi, Angkaisera district, Yapen.

Local human rights workers have told West Papua Media that many houses had been set on fire after the midnight raids and weapons were discharged repeatedly by the combined Indonesian military and police force under the command of the Head of Police (Kapolres) in Serui, Royce Harry Langie S.IK MH, and the District Military Commander (DANDIM), Letkol Inf Tornado. No confirmed reports of any shooting victims have come to light thus far, however West Papua Media has received credible claims that civilians who fled from the raids into the night may have sustained gunshot injuries from Indonesian troops firing into houses, though this cannot be confirmed independently.

Reports that local police and military commanders have begun to call in major military reinforcements from across Indonesia are increasing fears of an imminent military assault on local villagers, causing many civilians to flee to forest for safety, human rights sources have told West Papua Media.

Forces from the pro-independence National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM) on Yapen have responded to fears of "all out war" between pro-independence and Indonesian occupation forces and have called for calm, ordering all TPN-OPM taskforces active in the area to not respond with violence to Indonesian brutality, citing concerns for the safety of local villagers, according to local independent local media source Warta Papua.

Local human rights sources have reported to West Papua Media that troops from the Police special forces Brimob and Detachment 88, backed up by Kopassus and Kostrad (Strategic Reserve) troops from Citanjung (Kopassus headquarters in Jakarta) and from Cenderawasih Battalion in Jayapura.

Additionally, Kopassus and Kostrad troops from the notorious Kapuas district, Kalimantan battalion of Kopassus have been deployed with the other units in many villages, in Wadapi, Wanampompi & Sasawalast and several other unnamed villages in the Angkaisera district. "We are very worried, as the addition of troops from Borneo... are known as army troops who are very sadistic in torturing civilians," a local human rights worker told West Papua Media via SMS.

The joint taskforce troops have claimed to the TNI-owned Cenderawasih Post that they have broken a major TPN guerrilla base, however the only weapons seized were a traditional hunting poison blowpipe, a handful of traditional hunting spears, bows and arrows, two parang knives (used for preparing food), and two banned Papuan Morning Star flags. These items can be found in almost any rural dwelling in Papua, especially where residents have to supplement their food with animals from the forest.

Several other items were also seized, including cooking and farming equipment, and two 15 year old broken computer printers, which the TNI claimed was proof of a TPN headquarters.

Two men have been arrested and are currently being interrogated by Kopassus and D88 intelligence officers, with the TNI boasting that they are being intensively processed at the Yapen Police HQ in Serui. Local human rights sources have expressed grave fears for the safety of the detained men, amid credible fears that they will be subjected to harsh interrogation techniques and torture by the Australian trained and funded Kopassus and D88 officers. At this stage no legal representation has been afforded to the detainees, with one identified as Wanampompi man John Nuntian. There is also believed to be an unkown number of ordinary villagers who have been detained, and their whereabouts and status is currently unknown.

As the raids were occurring, several hundred TPN/OPM fighters have taken to the forests, and the TNI Dandim, LtKol Tornado, has told Cenderawasih Post that the campaign is intensifying to eradicate all those who are resisting the Indonesian military. He says that the estimated 230 fighters will be hunted down and the his forces will remain to conduct lightning sweeps on any village that gets named in intelligence investigations. These sweeps have traditionally subjected all its targeted villages to collective punishment, including mass burnings of houses and collective detention, acts clearly defined as war crimes.

Local sources have been unable to get a precise number of Indonesian combat troops occupying Papuan villages in Yapen, but credibly estimate to be upwards of two battalions of active combat personnel spread across twelve villages (at least 3000 combat personnel from standard battalion strengths – WPM), including specialists from Detachment 88.

Detachment 88 is fully funded by the Australian Federal Police, but the Australian government claims it is not funded to conduct operations against "separatist" or pro-independence forces, despite many documented cases of this occurring repeatedly in Papua. The Australian government has so far refused to make any sanction against the use of these forces in human rights abuses in Papua, instead increasing the budget and equipment it provides to D88.

Telephone communications with sources on the island have been sporadic, raising fears that security forces are restricting the phone network ahead of a major assault, making these reports difficult to verify independently by West Papua Media. However this activity is consistent with a more aggressive approach taken by Indonesian occupation forces against Papuan independence sentiment.

Indonesian police on Yapen have come under fire for their consistently brutal policies toward Papuan people. On May 1, thousands took to the streets to call for the expulsion of the Kapolres, Royce Harry Langie, and DANDIM, Letkol Inf Tornado, for atrocious behaviour, human rights violations, and violations of the Code of Conduct with the Indonesian military and police regulations.

Papuans 'should have their identity recognized by government'

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Papuan activists and scholars have called on the government to allow the use of the region's traditional symbols and stop prosecuting locals who promote them.

Franz-Magnis Suseno, a Catholic priest and philosophy professor at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy, said that the Indonesian government should stop treating the hoisting of the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag as an act of treason. The flag has long been associated with the Papuan separatist movement.

"Why not let Papuans fly the flag as a symbol of their land? We must also allow them to express their opinions in an assembly," he said.

Papuan peace activist Neles Tebay said that the close association between the flag and the Papuan separatist movement had often been used as an excuse to abuse the human rights of native Papuans.

Neles also said that the central government should drop its security approach and start a dialogue with the locals.

"All elements in Papua from the local governments, the natives, and the business community, must sit down and start a dialogue. Dialogue is the key to end what has been happening there," he said.

Farid Hussein, a former mediator in the talks between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said that the dialogue should also include discussion about the flag. "One of the most arduous issues [in the Aceh talks] concerned the GAM logo," he said.

Papuan activist Filep Karma is serving a 15-year prison sentence for promoting separatism. Filep was first detained in 1998 when he led a ceremony to raise the Bintang Kejora flag in Biak.

In the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review last week, Germany in particular challenged the government on whether it intended to release Filep and other political detainees who have been held arbitrarily and accused Indonesia of violating Article 20 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which states that "everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association".

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday that Indonesia continued to promote and protect human rights in the country, including in Papua, and that some foreign governments had changed their views on the issue.

"Several countries have changed their stance regarding our policies in Papua. The Republic of Vanuatu, for example, has encouraged us to continue implementing the special autonomy program there," he said.

Two OPM members arrested in raid

Jakarta Globe - May 31, 2012

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A joint team of military soldiers and police officers on Tuesday arrested two members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) in a raid on OPM headquarters in a forest located near Kampung Wadapi, Angkaisera district, Yapen, Papua.

Papua police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohanes Nugroho confirmed the arrests. "A joint team of military and police successfully ambushed OPM headquarters located in a forest in Kampung Wadapi, Angkaisera district," Yohanes said.

The OPM members arrested were Tedi John Muntia and Yan Aroi. "Both of them were intensively questioned at the Yapen police office," Yohanes said.

The team also confiscated several items including a Morning Star flag, an outlawed separatist symbol, and weapons. "There are some documents from the OPM, and weapons that we confiscated," Yohanes said.

Before the raid, police received information that there was suspicious activity in a forest located 400 meters from Kampung Wadapi. The patrol team went to the location and found a base camp in an area of 1000 square meters, consisting of a field with makeshift tents.

They dismantled the tents and other facilities, and ambushed two houses located near the base camp and found firearms, motorcycles, ammunition and spears. OPM members have been blamed by police for several mysterious shootings in the restive area.

Peaceful protest against human rights violations in Yapen leads to arrests

West Papua Media - May 30, 2012

The transitional government declared by the Federated Republic of West Papua organised another peaceful demonstration on May 29, with participants from Yapen, Waropen and Mamberamo gathering to peacefully condemn ongoing acts of violence, terror and intimidation by members of the Indonesia Police and military forces (TNI).

Villages such as Daway, Kainui, Ansus, Wadapi and others around Yapen are under constant threat and fear from Indonesian security forces, according to rally organisers outlining the reasons for holding another demonstration on the restive island.

Crowds began to gather for a series of long marches in the villages of Mantembu, Warari and at the courtyard of the DPRD (Papuan Legislative Council) office in Serui. At 9:30am, WP local time, police and TNI were already blockading the road to prevent the peaceful action from going ahead, with police seizing one car being used for the rally.

More than five hundred people were expected at the gathering, with large numbers of heavily armed police and military personnel creating a show of force against the peaceful gathering. According to sources in Serui who spoke to West Papua Media, the security forces were present to intimidate and stimulate fear to discourage activists from carrying out the action.

Meanwhile, Police seized nine black banners outlining Papuan people's demands and aspirations, with one banner demanding an end to constant military intimidation and terror. As another long march was making its way from Mantembu, it was blockaded and stopped by the military-police apparatus in the village of Warari.

At 4 pm, local time, two trucks from TNI attacked Wadapi village and many locals seek refuge in the bush. Many people are still in hiding until now.

Pieter Hiowati, spokesperson for FRWP Governor of Yapen/Waropn and Mamberamo Daud Abon, told West Papua Media that the DPRD office in Serui has been turned into an Indonesian military headquarters. The DPRD office was fully guarded by heavily armed military and police, both inside and outside of the building. "It is sad but it's a reality, the demand of the people falls on deaf ears from staff members in DPRD and responded with heavy military presence", said Hiowati.

Approximately 800 representatives of indigenous people from Saireri went to the DPRD office to express their aspirations in a peaceful and disciplined manner, however police still arrested four people. Those still held in the Serui police station cells include a mother, Lea Kumumbuy (later released at 7 pm), while three others – Josep Mangge, Josep Rudamaga and Jeremias Rabrageri - are still shackled in Serui police prison, according to local advocates.

Note:

On Friday May 25, governor of Saireri under FRWP, Daud Abon, has been presented with a police summons for him (No: S.Pgl/251/2012/Reskrim), notifying that he has been charged with a criminal act of treason (makar) and investigation must be carried out for the rally organized on May 23.

German born tourist shot by 'unknown persons' whilst on a beach in Jayapura

West Papua Media - May 30, 2012

West Papua Media with local sources in Jayapura – Questions are being raised again about the willingness of the Indonesian police in Papua to properly investigate suspicious shooting incidents by "Unknown persons", after a German born Spanish citizen was shot by a sniper and critically injured whilst swimming at a popular tourist beach in Jayapura.

The scientist identified as Pieter Dietmar Helmut (55) was swimming with his wife and some West Papuan friends at Base G beach, when a man brazenly drove up to beach in a silver Avanza car (plate number DS 1852) and shot the man three times in the thigh, abdomen and chest from a distance of ten metres – allegedly with a rifle according to some witnesses, though this could not be independently confirmed.

According to witnesses, who spoke to Indonesian media outlets and West Papua Media, the man was ethnic Papuan, but human rights sources insist that this does not prove that he was a member of any pro-independence forces. Rather, according to a stringer for West Papua Media's stringer in Jayapura, this proves that this Papuan is able to openly use a vehicle that is easily identifiable and yet receives no punishment for his actions, pointing to the likelihood he is an active member of the security forces.

"The man, who had curly hair and was unshaven abruptly stopped his vehicle near us. He got off the car and shot my husband three times," Helmut's wife Eva Mediana Pachon was quoted as saying by the state-run Antara news agency.

Eva Pachon has spent many hours with the Papuan Human Rights organisation ELSHAM Papua, and has provided detailed testimony to human rights investigators. Elsham Papua released a statement that provided testimony from Mrs. Pachon:

Elsham reports that around 10.00 a.m., Dr. Pieper and Eva Pachon were enjoying their day at a popular beach in Jayapura named Base G. It started to rain so most of the other people began to leave the beach. After swimming Dr. Pieper and Pachon packed their bags while waiting for the rain to stop. They intended to head straight back to the city. As they were sitting under a small hut, Pachon noticed a vehicle on a road behind the beach. "We saw a vehicle going by slowly, passing us three or four times. It was an SUV, the car was silver coloured," said Pachon. The vehicle then stopped, a bearded man – an ethnic Papuan wearing a camouflage jacket and hat – came out and started walking toward them.

Pachon noticed that her husband had been shot only after seeing his body was covered in blood. "The man came near to us, about ten metres away, and then he shot Dietmar [Pieper] twice. I was shocked when I saw him fall and moan, saying 'I am going to die. I am going to die.' and I saw blood flowing" she said.

According to Elsham, the perpetrator got back into the car after shooting Dr. Pieper, but did not immediately leave the scene. Pachon thought that the perpetrator wanted to shoot her as well, so she initially ran towards a more crowded area to ask for help, Elsham reported.

"Pachon then returned with bystanders who helped take Dr. Pieper to the Jayapura General Hospital where he underwent a medical operation which lasted 47 minutes. Medical sources and Pachon report that Dr. Pieper had two gunshot wounds – in his left thigh and one on the left side of his torso. The first shot reportedly entered his back on the left side and went through to his chest on the left side. The second shot reportedly went through his left thigh. Medical sources also say that the bullet went through the lungs of the victim, making a hole less than half a centimetre wide. As of close of business on Wednesday May 30th, the victim is in a stable condition in an intensive care unit. Four armed policemen are guarding his hospital room," according to the Elsham report.

A local human rights activist told West Papua Media: "He is being treated in Dok 2 Jayapura hospital. We could not get into the hospital as the police and military, as well as BIN, have forbidden us to go (and) see the victim."

Indonesian police refuse to identify suspect

Despite the clear identification of the suspect, Indonesian Police in Jayapura have refused to name any suspects, instead blaming "unknown persons", a well-known euphemism in Papua for highly-trained shooters whose identity is well-known but enjoy complete impunity for their crimes.

Initial reaction to the shooting amongst Papuans widely puts the blame for the shooting at the hands of Indonesian security forces, who are seeking to turn international condemnation by Germany, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands and France against Indonesian human rights violations in Papua.

"It is the same tactic that was seen with the US after they suspended arms sales after the East Timor bloodbath, and put caveats on the resumption of military assistance to be conditional on significant human rights reform. When Papuan guerrillas were blamed for shooting US schoolteachers at Freeport in 2002, the Indonesian military was able to use the appearance of a heavily armed insurgency targeting foreigners to get the US to support its militarist aims against Papuan civilians," an Indonesian human rights worker based in Jakarta, who asked to remain anonymous, told West Papua Media today.

Dr Eben Kirksey, a US-based Anthropology Assistant Professor with long involvement with Papua, recently published "Freedom in Entangled Worlds", a book that details a series of covert operations by Indonesia's Kopassus Special Forces in West Papua. "Undercover Indonesian military agents have a long history of using ethnic Papuan militias to stage violent attacks in West Papua," said Dr. Kirksey,. "West Papua is effectively off-limits to journalists and the Indonesian military has a history of impunity. A transparent investigation, with international involvement and oversight, must be launched before the trail of evidence goes cold."

The Jakarta Globe has reported that Civil society groups across Indonesia are also getting more suspicious about military involvement in the shooting. Poengky Indarti, executive director of activist group Imparsial, told Jakarta Globe on Sunday that 13 countries raised the issue during the UN's Universal Periodic Review in Geneva last week, with five of them specifically questioning the government's inability to capture those responsible for shooting civilians in the restive province.

"Germany, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands and France questioned the Indonesian government on its handling of human rights violations, such as torture of civilians, shootings and killings in Papua," Poengky told the Jakarta Globe.

"It's a big question why such a large police and military presence there has failed to result in anyone being arrested for the attacks. Furthermore, their presence in the area has also failed to deter more attacks."

West Papuan resistance groups, both in the civil resistance movement and the armed struggle, have universally condemned the shooting of Helmut, saying it is yet another in the long list of crimes by Indonesia against Papuans and those friendly with Papuan people.

Victor Yeimo, International spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), said in a statement sent to West Papua Media that the shooting is a conspiracy by Indonesia to deflect Germany's attention from Indonesian human rights abuses in West Papua. "The shooting is closely associated with a harsh rebuke to Indonesia by the UN Human Rights Council within the UN human rights session recently where Indonesian military and police (were criticised for having) carried out violence and human rights abuses in West Papua."

KNPB had carefully assessed "that the shooting was purely (a) state conspiracy to scapegoat (the) people of Papua for the umpteenth time as the mastermind behind the violent conflict in West Papua," explained Yeimo.

Teacher dead, German tourist hurt in Papua shootings

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2012

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The violence in Indonesia's easternmost province appears to be spiralling out of control after an Indonesian and a foreigner were shot by unknown assailants in separate incidents on Tuesday.

A teacher was shot and killed dead in Puncak Jaya regency on Tuesday, while a German tourist was shot and wounded in Jayapura.

Commenting specifically on the Jayapura shooting, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said in Jakarta on Tuesday that security officers were hunting for the perpetrators.

The tourist, identified as 55-year-old Pieter Dietmar Helmut, was shot several times while walking on Jayapura Beach, about 10 kilometers from Jayapura's downtown district. The beach is typically full of visitors and tourists during holidays.

Helmut was with his wife, Medina Pachon, sightseeing at the Base G seashore, when an unknown man got out of a blue Toyota Avanza and shot him. "The team of security officers are still hunting for the perpetrators and have identified the vehicles," Djoko said as quoted by kompas.com.

Based on information from Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Yohanes Nugroho, the shooting took place at 11:30 a.m. local time. Helmut had just finished swimming with his wife. The pair had been on the beach since 8 a.m., Yohanes said.

Telda Yakadewa, an eyewitness, offered an account of what happened next. "The perpetrators arrived in three cars [...] the [assailant] abruptly stopped his car near Helmut. He got out of the car and shot him in the chest and thigh."

Yohanes said that the man shot Helmut twice in the back and when the victim turned around the attacker shot him again in the chest and thigh.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. BL Tobing said separately that the police were still searching for the attacker, who he believed was still within the city. The police questioned several witnesses on the scene, including Pachon.

The motives behind the shooting remain unknown. Helmut was taken to Jayapura General Hospital for treatment.

Papua Health Agency head Joseph Rinta said Helmut was in stable condition and showing signs of recovery after an operation. "The result of the operation was satisfactory. No projectiles were found in the body of the victim as the bullets passed through," Joseph said.

Meanwhile, the victim of the fatal shooting in Mulia, the capital of Puncak Jaya, was identified as Anton Arung Tambila, 36, an elementary school teacher. Arung was shot by an unidentified man on Tuesday evening at his house in Kulirik area.

Johanes said that Arung was serving customers at his sugar kiosk next to his house when one of the customers suddenly shot him in the head, killing him instantly.

Arung lived in a teachers' housing complex next to Dondoboga Mulia elementary school near an Indonesian Military post in Kulirik. His body was taken to Mulia General Hospital.

"The weather was cold and cloudy and no one had the guts to go out of their houses," Petrus, a local resident in Mulia, said.

Arung's shooting is the latest in a series of fatal shootings in Mulia, and the second civilian death caused by unidentified assailants in May alone. Arkilaus Refwutu, 48, a motorcycle taxi driver, was shot and killed on May 17.

Poengky Indarti of the NGO Imparsial urged the police to be professional in order to protect the people. "The police's failure to capture perpetrators in the fatal shooting incidents will thrust Indonesia into the international spotlight," Poengky said.

She said that Indonesia had been bombarded by questions on human rights violations in Papua during the recent meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council's Working Group.

"Therefore the police have to be transparent. If there are allegations of separatist groups or invisible troops in Puncak Jaya, they have to be publicly uncovered, otherwise the police will only become scapegoats over a series of violent cases," she said.

Unresolved cases in Papua attract global scrutiny

Jakarta Globe - May 29, 2012

At least five countries have used a human rights review at the United Nations to question Indonesia's failure to make any arrests in series of shooting incidents in Papua.

Poengky Indarti, executive director of activist group Imparsial, said on Sunday that 13 countries raised the issue during the UN's Universal Periodic Review in Geneva last week, with five of them specifically questioning the government's inability to capture those responsible for shooting civilians in the restive province.

Civil society groups allege that the shootings, in Puncak Jaya district and around the mammoth Grasberg mine run by US-based Freeport, are part of a rivalry between police and military as they jockey for lucrative security payments from Freeport and the government.

Since the start of the year, there have been at least six attacks on civilians and security personnel in the violence-wracked town of Mulia in Puncak Jaya alone, leaving six people dead.

The most notorious attack came in April when gunmen fired at a commercial aircraft operated by Trigana Air as it landed at Mulia airport. One passenger was killed and four people injured.

Despite a direct order by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for security forces to get to the bottom of the attack that has spooked airlines from flying to Mulia, no suspects have been identified or arrested.

Another issue raised at the UPR was allegations of torture and human rights abuses still employed by Indonesian military and police officials. The United States blamed a culture of impunity enjoyed by security forces, where officials are often tried in military tribunals or ethics hearings instead of a civilian court. In most cases, those accused of torture and excessive force face only administrative sanctions and light jail terms.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who attended the event, denied the allegation, saying that officials charged with violence "have been punished according to the law" and that several independent bodies had been established to monitor the security forces.

Human rights still lacking in Papua

Australian Associated Press - May 24, 2012

Karlis Salna – Indonesia is facing fresh criticism over its human rights record following a year of continued unrest and the jailing of leading political activists in Papua.

In its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, Amnesty International has also criticised the Indonesian government over what it described as an inadequate response to persistent attacks on religious minorities.

But the report reserved its heaviest criticism for allegations of torture and unnecessary use of excessive force by the military, especially in the restive provinces of Papua and Maluku.

It points to a raft of violations in Papua in 2011, including in October when security forces opened fire on participants at an independence rally in the town of Abepura, after which three people were found dead.

"In most cases of violence by the security forces, including during the Freeport strike and the Third Papuan Peoples' Congress in October, no one has yet been held accountable, perpetuating a climate of impunity in Papua," Amnesty spokesman Josef Benedict said.

Amnesty International lodged a request in January seeking access to Papua but is yet to receive a response from the Indonesian government. Foreign journalists and non-government organisations are effectively barred from entering the province.

More than 300 people were arrested while video of the aftermath of the rally in Abepura showed police beating unarmed protesters, including children. Five Papuan leaders were later charged with treason and sentenced to three years in prison after declaring the province's independence at the rally.

The report also raises questions over the failure of authorities to investigate allegations of torture of 21 political activists in Maluku by officers from Densus 88, a counter-terrorism unit which receives funding and training from Australia.

It said that at least 90 political activists in Papua and Maluku had been imprisoned last year for their peaceful political activities.

The Amnesty International report was released as Indonesia was preparing to deliver its own assessment of its human rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, later in the day.

Speaking before handing over the report, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Indonesia had made significant progress in addressing human rights.

However, he said issues of "inter-faith tolerance have become of great importance in Indonesia's diplomacy in bilateral and multilateral forums".

"We must resolve these incidents, otherwise the international community will get the wrong picture about Indonesia," Dr Natalegawa said.

The matter was thrown into the spotlight in February last year when three members of the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim sect were stoned to death in a village in West Java by a rampaging mob of 1500 people.

By the end of 2011, at least 18 Christian churches had also been either attacked or forced to close. "In many cases, the police failed to protect religious and other minority groups from such attacks," Amnesty International said.

Reformasi & democracy

Suharto's gone, but many in Indonesia yearn for him

Straits Times - May 26, 2012

Zakir Hussain – As Indonesians over the past week marked the anniversary of the reform movement that toppled strongman Suharto 14 years ago, several major newspapers ran a photograph of a banner on a bridge in Banten that seemed to capture the mood of many.

On it, the former president is smiling as he asks, in Javanese: "What's up? My era was better, wasn't it?"

The banner, hung up by aspiring politicians from the small One Republic Party, which openly extols his rule, hit a nerve. It encapsulates for many Indonesians all that has gone wrong with their country since its transition to democracy began in May 1998.

Many now question the quality of that democracy. A common theme running through the recent public debate on the subject is that reformasi – as the reform process is known in Bahasa Indonesia – has lost steam and failed to change the nature of politics in the country as many had believed it would.

In a poll conducted this month by the leading Indonesian broadsheet, Kompas, 54 percent of those surveyed felt that the state of the country's politics was as bad as or worse than it was before the events of 1998. Asked to evaluate the state of law enforcement and the fight against corruption, 64 percent felt things were as bad or worse.

Observers say corruption, collusion and nepotism – long associated with the days of the last Suharto decade – are as rife as ever, rule of law remains weak, and social conflict and labour unrest are growing.

In a column in the daily Republika, political scientist Yudi Latif wrote: "Indonesian politics has made technical progress, but suffered an ethical setback. "The democratic hardware can be polished, but the software continues to have a tyrannical soul, with democracy leaving the demos, the common people, behind."

Hasyim Muzadi, former chairman of mass-based Muslim group Nadhlatul Ulama, laments the fact that political parties today fail to emphasize integrity when recruiting cadres, but succumb to transactional politics – where elected officials focus on how they can benefit in exchange for making a decision, rather than on making the right decision.

Constitutional Court chairman Mahfud M.D. said: "There is a lot of low politics going on. The system of political recruitment needs to be relooked."

Others note that the country's economic growth numbers – 6.5 percent last year – and rising prosperity, while raising the standard of living for many people, have also widened the gap between ordinary folk and the elite.

Incomes may be rising, but so too is the cost of living. The Kompas poll results are startling. It found that as many as 69 percent felt the state of the Indonesian economy was as bad or worse than before 1998, even though economists and others note that Indonesia's macroeconomic indicators, like the ratio of foreign debt and gross domestic product, are healthy.

This sentiment did not vary much across people's educational background, or their province.

Recent months have also seen protests and riots by farmers and factory workers over inadequate pay and unjust land seizures, as incidents of social unrest in the country pick up, some targeting local officials.

These developments have fed the growing sentiment that the country has an abundance of self-interested politicians, when what it needs are leaders who can significantly improve the lot of its people.

At a discussion organized by alumni of the Indonesia Islamic University on Thursday, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri said: "If we reflect on the 14-year journey of reform, it seems there is anxiety on the direction and future of the nation. Why? Because the leadership is at this moment directionless and not effective."

Her Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle is in opposition. Observers say she has not forgiven her successor, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for challenging her to the presidency in 2004, but her views are increasingly echoed by many. The event was, tellingly, titled "longing for statesmen."

Human rights & justice

Government slammed for claims in UN report

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2012

Jakarta – Human rights groups have criticized what they call the Indonesian government's complacency in dealing with rampant rights abuses.

Activists from several human rights groups, including the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Setara Institute, Asian Human Rights Centre (AHRC), Communion of Indonesian Churches (PGI), International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and International Protection (IP), came down hard on the government's statement delivered at the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), which they said overstated claims on human rights protection in the country.

"The government lied to the international world. Government officials know all too well about human rights violations occurring in this country, but they keep making excuses to cover them up," Jeirry Sumampow of the PGI said.

Last week, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa delivered a report to the UNHRC summit in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of the council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR), in which he claimed that the government spoke the truth about the nation's human rights record.

Marty also said that, despite some problems, the UNHRC's member countries still considered Indonesia an open, tolerant and democratic society.

Setara deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said the government appeared to downplay human rights issues in the country by pointing out that Indonesia was not the only country that had human rights problems.

"But it's like condoning the problems because they also happen in other countries. This is wrong. It's purely politics of denial," Bonar said.

Delegations from 74 countries, 24 members of the UN's human rights body and 47 monitoring parties attended Indonesia's session at the summit. The review session issued a number of recommendations, including on the persecution of religious minorities.

Jeirry said that religious minorities still lived in a state of constant uncertainty and worry in Indonesia. He pointed out the recent closure of a number of churches in Aceh and the persecution of Shiite community members in Sampang, Madura, as examples.

"These minority groups face uncertainty while the majority of people consider it normal. And when these minority groups are attacked, they have to live under a more severe threat," Jeirry said. (tas)

Indonesia comes under spotlight at UNHRC

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Despite claims made by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa that Indonesia's human rights report received a "warm welcome" at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) summit in Geneva, delegates say they are concerned about the prosecution of religious minorities.

A series of recommendations proposed by nations participating in the UNHRC's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) discussed the persecution of minority groups in Indonesia.

"The Indonesian government must strengthen efforts to ensure that any assaults against religious minorities are properly investigated and that those responsible are brought to justice," the UPR's review committee said in its recommendations.

A member of the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), Choirul Anam, said that the statement amounted to a rebuke of the nation's human rights record. "The fact that such a recommendation was placed at the top of the list reflects the mounting concerns about the poor protection of religious freedom in Indonesia," Chairul said on Thursday.

A video on the UN's Human Rights Office website of Indonesia's review session shows representatives of several countries, including Norway, Slovenia, and the Netherlands, telling the Indonesian government to take action against those who attacked religious minorities.

Delegations from 74 countries, 24 members of the UN's human rights body, and 47 monitoring parties attended the session.

The video also showed a delegate from Slovenia, saying, "The fact is that the vast majority of human rights violations committed by the police and security forces continue to go unpunished. We recommend the government ensure that all cases of human rights violations are impartially investigated and prosecuted in proportion with the crime committed."

A German delegate questioned the government's commitment to release Papuan political detainees such as Filip Karma, who was arrested for flying the flag of the Papuan separatist movement.

In an official "provisional" list of recommendations made available to The Jakarta Post on Thursday, participating countries also made other suggestions, including the establishment of training and awareness campaigns by provincial and municipal officials regarding the freedom of religion and assurance for the credible and impartial investigation and prosecution of all human rights perpetrators in proportion with the crimes committed.

The list also called for the prevention of torture and the establishment of a comprehensive system of independent monitoring and inspection of all detention, the arrangement of comprehensive and effective investigations into credible allegations of human rights violations by members of the security forces, as well as the release of prisoners detained solely for peaceful political activities.

The UNHRC's working group is scheduled to adopt such suggestions as official recommendations for the Indonesian government on Friday.

Separately, Marty said that the government had spoken the truth about the nation's human rights records. "We must approach the issue in a comprehensive way. And as far as Filip Karma is concerned, we already have a clear legal procedure. We have conducted an open and transparent legal process. Thus, it's all clear," he said.

Rights progress is being made in Indonesia despite flaws, Marty tells UN

Jakarta Globe - May 24, 2012

Countries attending the United Nations' four-yearly human rights review in Geneva have criticized Indonesia for a rise in intolerance and attacks against religious minorities, as well as impunity for security forces accused of rights violations.

In its advance question on Wednesday to the Indonesian government at the Universal Periodic Review, the UK delegation noted "an increase in hostility and attacks against religious minority communities."

It also asked about Indonesia's plans for ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Optional Protocol of the UN Convention against Torture. Indonesia signed both conventions in 1998 but has not yet ratified the ICC statute.

Despite ratifying the anti-torture convention, Indonesia has not enacted implementing laws and regulations on it. There has also been mounting pressure for Indonesia to adopt the convention's optional protocol, which activists argue prescribes more effective ways to prevent torture.

The United Kingdom is one of five countries that lodged their advance questions before Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa presented the country's report on its human rights achievement before the UPR Working Group.

Marty said Indonesia had established a grand strategy for the betterment of its human rights records.

"Since the last time we presented a report to this forum in 2008... we have made considerable and important progress in the field of human rights," he said.

"We are only too aware that much is expected of us. Not only by the international community, which has demonstrated strong support for Indonesia's democratic transformation but, above all, also by our own people."

The minister said Indonesia had ratified several international conventions, including on protecting migrant workers and against trafficking, as well as established channels for Indonesians to report on cases of human rights abuse.

"Like other democracies... we are conscious that the promotion and protection of human rights in Indonesia is not without challenges. Not least of the reality that while democracies bring freedom, it can also provide openings for extremists to exploit the democratic space for their own gains," Marty said.

He insisted Indonesia was upholding the spirit of tolerance and religious freedom, including protection for the Ahmadiyah sect, which has for years been discriminated against, threatened and attacked.

Rafendi Djamin, executive director of Jakarta-based watchdog the Human Rights Working Group, said that with so many countries raising concerns about religious violence in Indonesia, the government should pay more attention on ensuring religious freedom and tolerance.

The United States raised concerns over the torture and human rights abuses still employed by Indonesian military and police officials. It blamed a culture of impunity enjoyed by security forces where officials are often tried in military tribunals or ethics hearings instead of a civilian court. In most cases, those accused of torture and excessive force face only administrative sanctions and light jail terms.

Marty denied that, saying officials charged with violence "have been punished according to the law" and that several independent bodies had been established to monitor the security forces.

Freedom of speech & expression

MUI calls on government to ban Lady Gaga videos from TV

Antara News - May 31, 2012

Pangkalpinang – Banning Lady Gaga's Jakarta concert did not go far enough to protect youth, according to a chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), who demanded that the singer's video clips to be banned from television as well.

"We are grateful that the Lady Gaga concert in Jakarta was canceled, but why were the singer's video clips of her concerts in other countries still aired by national television stations?" Usman Fathan, chairman of the MUI chapter Bangka-Belitung, asked on Thursday.

Usman said that the government should censor national television, and force stations to stop airing Lady Gaga videos.

"This depends on the government, which should decide and has the authority to censor the television stations, as MUI has no power," he said. Usmand added that television programs have badly influenced the morality of youth by broadcasting violence, pornography and sadism.

"Many crimes and moral violations have resulted from profane shows," he said. "It is the right moment for the government to take strict action by applying tight censorship."

Usman said that while religious figures labored to change people's mindset, the TV programs had the opposite effect.

"We, the Ulema, are relentlessly preaching in the mosques, but the result is disappointing because the youths prefer television programs that show violence and porn," he said. "The most important thing to do now is to forbid television to freely air immoral and violence scenes."

'We would have secured the concert': National police

Jakarta Globe - May 28, 2012

Farouk Arnaz – National Police refused to shoulder blame on Monday after Lady Gaga's management decided to cancel her June 3 Jakarta concert because of security concerns – specifically, the singer's safety and that of her fans.

"We want to say that even though [the promoter] never secured a permit, Jakarta police were prepared with 5,670 officers," National Police Spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said on Monday.

"They were prepared to face whatever the risk was; it was up to the promoter to get the permit. Don't blame security, as we had a plan to secure [the concert]."

Concert promoter Big Daddy supported on Sunday Lady Gaga's decision to cancel the concert.

"It was not only Lady Gaga's security, but also the audience's," Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for Big Daddy said. "She was really concerned, and she didn't want anyone in the audience to get hurt. We have to respect Lady Gaga's decision."

Some fans accused police of buckling to the will of a small group of thugs, and worry about the precedent set of threatening violence to achieve an agenda.

Lady Gaga cancels Indonesian show after threats

Associated Press - May 28, 2012

Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, Indonesia – Lady Gaga canceled her sold-out show in Indonesia after Islamist hardliners threatened violence claiming her sexy clothes and provocative dance moves would corrupt the youth.

The controversy was a blow to the predominantly Muslim country's reputation for combining free speech and democracy with a mostly moderate brand of the faith.

Fans were devastated, despite the promoter's offer of full refunds. Some accused police – who refused to issue a permit over concerns about security – of buckling to the will of a small group of thugs.

The planned "Born This Way Ball" concert has been on-again-off-again from the start. But on Sunday, it was final, said Minola Sebayang, a lawyer for Big Daddy, the promoter of the June 3 show.

"It's unfortunate," he said. "But with threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga's side is calling it off. This is not only about Lady Gaga's security, but extends to those who will be watching her."

Indonesia, a secular nation of 240 million, is often held up by the US and others an example of how democracy and Islam and can coexist. In many ways they are right. Since emerging from dictatorship just over a decade ago, sweeping reforms have resulted in direct elections, while vastly improving human rights and freeing up the media.

But a small extremist fringe has become more vocal – and violent – in recent years, attacking Christians and members of other religious minorities, transvestites, atheists and anyone else deemed immoral.

The most notorious group, Islamic Defenders Front, called Lady Gaga a "messenger of the devil" and vowed to turn out at the airport by the thousands if she tried to step off the plane. Others said they bought tickets so they could wreak havoc from inside the 52,000-seat stadium in the capital, Jakarta.

Police responded by denying the necessary permits. Then, after public outcry, they said they'd reconsider – but only if Lady Gaga agreed to tone down her act. Instead, she pulled the plug on what was supposed to be the biggest stop on her Asian tour.

Michael Rusli, head of Big Daddy, promised "Little Monster" fans full refunds. But that provided little consolation to people like 25-year-old Johnny Purba.

"This only shows to the world how weak security forces are in this country, how police are afraid of a bunch of hardliners," he said. "Gaga's two-hour show will not hurt Indonesian Muslims. For God's sake, she is not a terrorist!"

Around 50 others, dressed up like the pop diva, performed a mob flash dance at a shopping mall in Jakarta to some of her biggest hits.

Hardliners, however, were ecstatic. "This is a victory for Indonesian Muslims," said Salim Alatas, one of the leaders of the Islamic Defenders Front. "Thanks to God for protecting us from a kind of devil."

Earlier, Murhali Barda, a spokesman for the group, said supporters had purchased more than 150 tickets to the concert. He posted a picture on his Facebook page of a man hiding his identity with a turban and sunglasses and holding a US $50 ticket to the "Ball."

"We have gotten Lady Gaga tickets," the caption said. "Not to watch but for us to enter." "Our target is to stop the concert," he wrote, providing little more detail. "We would force them off the stage but not harm the audience."

Lady Gaga cancellation a shock to fans, 'good news' says FPI

Jakarta Globe - May 27, 2012

After the announcement that pop diva Lady Gaga's Jakarta concert was off, thousands of her fans, who call themselves "little monsters," sent a flurry of Twitter messages to persuade her to go ahead with the concert.

The singer cancelled her June 3 concert early on Sunday, with promoters saying the security threat was too serious after Islamic hardliners promised "chaos" if she entered the Muslim nation.

The promoters had indicated that a deal was being hammered out to tone down the concert, but the US star's management had stood firm, vowing there would be no compromise to appease religious conservatives.

"Lady Gaga's management has considered the situation minute to minute, and with threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga's side is calling off the concert," Minola Sebayang, lawyer for promoters Big Daddy, told reporters. "This is not only about Lady Gaga's security, but extends to those who will be watching her."

The flamboyant performer, who has nearly 25 million followers on Twitter – the highest number on the social networking site – wrote just hours before the announcement was made: "There is nothing Holy about hatred."

Earlier this month Jakarta police refused approval for the show after the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) threatened violence if Lady Gaga performed, calling her a "devil's messenger" who wears only a "bra and panties".

Big Daddy president director Michael Rusli said it was "unfortunate" that the show, part of Lady Gaga's tour of Asia that drew protests from Christian groups in the Philippines and South Korea, had to be called off.

"For the past few days we have communicated with the government and Lady Gaga's side. The government has given support, but this is not about the permit," he said. "The cancellation is really due to concerns over security."

More than 50,000 tickets had been sold for the event at the Bung Karno Stadium, but FPI Jakarta chairman Habib Salim Alatas said the cancellation was "good news" for Muslims in Indonesia.

"FPI is grateful that she has decided not to come. Indonesians will be protected from sin brought about by this Mother Monster, the destroyer of morals," he told Agence France-Presse. "Lady Gaga fans, stop complaining. Repent and stop worshipping the devil. Do you want your lives taken away by God as infidels?"

The FPI claims to have about seven million followers according to AFP, and has been known to raid pubs and clubs.

Lady Gaga is scheduled to play three shows in Singapore this week. She was due to play in Jakarta after that, before flying to New Zealand and Australia, and then to Europe on her "Born This Way Ball" tour.

Indonesian fans had suggested that Big Daddy look for another venue outside the capital after Jakarta police refused to give approval, but Rusli said "this is a huge concert so it can't be moved elsewhere".

"Nowhere else in Indonesia can accommodate that many people", he said, insisting that the 26-year-old singer was "prepared to adapt to Asian culture". The star's manager Troy Carter said in Singapore on Thursday that Lady Gaga would not tone down her concerts.

Disappointed student Agus Murdadi, 17, said he had been waiting for months to see his idol.

"I'm shocked. She's creative, not provocative. I bought a ticket because I want to see her dancing and singing Judas in front of me," he told AFP. "I'm going to tweet to her to tell her that she should just come and not worry. The police can take care of FPI. I hate the FPI."

Another fan, Muh Fadli Firdaus, tweeted on @FadliGermanotta: "Sorry for everything, we still love you."

'Thank God for Gaga's gig cancellation': FUI

Jakarta Post - May 27, 2012

Jakarta – The Islamic People's Forum (FUI), made up of several hard-line Islamic groups including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Lady Gaga's management cancelled her planned June 3 concert at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

"Alhamdullilah [Thank God] that this event, which has troubled Muslims across Indonesia, has been cancelled," FUI secretary-general Muhammad Al- Khaththath told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"I would like to thank all the members of the FUI, the FPI, and all those Islamic movements that persevered in fighting to defend the moral health of our nation." Khaththath also thanked activists and the police for doing their part to stop Gaga's concert.

Similarly FPI spokesman Munarman also expressed his gratitude over Gaga's cancellation saying, "only idiots welcome the kind of entertainment that promotes stupidity and women's nakedness," FPI spokesman Munarman told The Jakarta Post.

Munarman denied allegations from Gaga's camp and Big Daddy Entertainment that Indonesia had a security issue, saying that the police had the authority to provide safety for any show in the country. "Don't make the wrong conclusion about this... what rubbish thought," he said.

Thousands of FUI members pledged to rally in front of police headquarters on June 1 to demand that the police withhold the concert permit for the Grammy award-winning singer. The FUI had previously rallied at the same location on Friday to rebuff Lady Gaga.

"We will still go on June 1 to rally in front of the National Police Headquarters as we had originally planned, only this time we will give the police our support and gratitude for helping to cancel this troublesome event," Khaththath said.

The FUI had previously condemned the pop star for allegedly indulging in "pornography" and promoting "satanic values". They also alleged that she would "corrupt the morals" of young Indonesians. (png/asa)

'Gaga cancellation reflects weak government': Setara

Jakarta Post - May 27, 2012

Jakarta – The decision by Lady Gaga's management to cancel her planned June 3 concert reflects a government that is weak in the face of intolerant political groups, according to human rights watchdog group the Setara Institute.

"The authority of the state should have led to freedom of expression and guaranteed security. These are rights guaranteed in our constitution and in our laws," Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said on Sunday.

Local promoter Big Daddy Entertainment officially announced that Gaga's management had cancelled her performance in the capital due to "security concerns".

Hard-line groups such as the Islamic People's Forum (FUI) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have condemned the Grammy-award winning pop star for allegedly indulging in "pornography" and promoting "satanic values".

The FPI even threatened to send its members to intercept Gaga at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to prevent her from setting foot in the country.

"It's clear that the promoter's decision to cancel the concert was a result of pressure and threats," Hendardi said.

"The tug of war from this [concert] permit acquisition demonstrates that this isn't just a technical matter about the law, but rather has become a political issue that will highly benefit the groups that are controlling it," he added.

Similarly, another critic says that the cancelation of Lady Gaga's concert could lead to negative international perceptions on Indonesia's ability to be a democratic country that guarantees freedom of expression and multiculturalism.

"The world community may still see that Indonesia is a democratic country despite the outcome of this Lady Gaga incident, but they will see the country as one where freedom of expression and different opinions are hampered," Otho Hernowo Hadi, a University of Indonesia social science and politics professor told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"It may even be possible that the handling of this controversy could lower Indonesia's democracy index."

The public could also lose trust in the police, Otho said. "I am certain that strong pressure from minority groups had an indirect influence on the police's decisions throughout this controversy, even if they won't admit it," he said. Whatever the motive of the police, Otho said that the outcome of this controversy is "a defeat for security".

"The public will see that the state is bowing down to these little groups, and it will set a bad precedent on freedom of expression. It could be that people will be afraid to freely express themselves unless they do so according to the limitations set by these little groups," Otho said.

Separately, an official at the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry said that his office respected the decision of US diva Lady Gaga's management to cancel her show in Jakarta, but denied that the cancellation would prompt other foreign performers to follow suit.

The ministry's director general for cultural value, arts and film, Ukus Kuswara, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that the ministry considered the decision made by Gaga's management the best solution under the circumstances.

"I believe that Indonesia will remain an interesting destination for international musicians as well as a potential market for them. In the future, we will have to improve communication between relevant parties," he added. The ministry previously endorsed Gaga's performance, citing that the Grammy-award singer would boost tourism in the country.

Ministry data show that around 12,000 foreign tourists from Australia, the Philippines and other ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries had bought tickets to the concert and had booked rooms in three- and four-star hotels in Jakarta. The singer was scheduled to perform at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta on June 3.

However, local promoter Big Daddy Entertainment said in a press conference on Sunday morning that Gaga's management had decided to cancel her gig in Jakarta, citing "security reasons" amid a hostile response from several hard-line groups in the country.

A total of 52,000 tickets, with prices ranging from Rp 465,000 (US$50.75) to Rp 2.25 million, have already been sold since tickets sales opened on March 10. (png/iwa/asa)

If you don't like it, don't watch, Djoko says of Gaga

Jakarta Globe - May 25, 2012

Arientha Primanita – Opposition from hard-line Muslim groups to Lady Gaga's planned concert in Jakarta should not be heeded by the police, a senior government minister said on Thursday.

"There must not be any threats in a democratic country. If you don't like [a performer] then don't watch [the concert]," said Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs.

The National Police, which is responsible for issuing permits for performers, said it is "evaluating inputs from all sides." Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Untung S. Rajab said his office is still refusing to recommend that the concert go ahead.

A recommendation from Jakarta would hold some weight with the National Police, who have the final decision. Once the promoter, Big Daddy, secured the proper permission, Untung said the recommendation would be made.

Conservative Islamic groups in Indonesia accused the American singer of blasphemy and devil-worship. More than 52,000 tickets have already been sold for the June 3 concert.

The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Manpower have said the concert should go ahead, while asking the singer to tone down her act. But Tony Carter, Gaga's manager, said on Thursday the performer would rather pull out than bow to pressure from censors and religious groups.

"We play the show as it is," he said in Singapore. "It's a very specific show, it's a very specific audience." Carter said the fervid opposition was more a rejection of everything Lady Gaga represents than anything to do with her wardrobe or on-stage behavior.

"I don't think this has anything to do with Gaga as much as it has to do with, you know, it's just a big cultural and generational gap that is happening over there," the manager said.

"You are dealing with a few different things, you are dealing with politics... you are dealing with religion. It's a little bit more complicated than her changing her outfits."

[Additional reporting from AFP.]

Djoko says 'I don't care' about FPI demonstration

Jakarta Globe - May 25, 2012

Arientha Primanita & Bayu Marhaenjati – Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto did not want to be troubled by an Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Islamic People's Forum (FUI) demonstration on Friday demanding a ban for Lady Gaga's scheduled performance in Jakarta.

"EGP," he wrote in a text message to the Jakarta Globe, an Indonesian slang acronym meaning 'I don't care.'

Hundreds of FPI and FUI members rallied in front of Djoko's office in Central Jakarta on Friday demanding he ban the Lady Gaga concert.

"We demand the Lady Gaga concert, that is against God, the constitution, morality and Indonesian culture, be forbidden," FPI secretary general Sobri Lubis said. "We reject her coming and reject the adjustments as requirements [to stage the concert]."

Djoko had said earlier that opposition from hard-line Muslim groups to Lady Gaga's planned concert in Jakarta should not be heeded by the police.

"There must not be any threats in a democratic country," he said, adding that the promoter Big Daddy had asked for a permit two months ago and it was recommended by the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. "If you don't like [a performer], then don't watch [the concert]."

Sobri warned on Friday that Djoko should remember that Indonesia has a constitution. "The statement of the minister some time ago was not a statement from a statesman, but a foreign henchman," Sobri said. "[He] aims to maintain the image in front of foreign countries. We have a constitution, why follow other countries? We came here to remind the minister about this."

Djoko still did not want to comment on the request to ban the concert. "Why bother commenting on a demonstration? Like I don't have better work to do."

PPP joins Lady Gaga opposition bandwagon

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2012

Jakarta – Members of the National Unity Party (PPP) visited the National Police Headquarters in South Jakarta on Thursday to support the police's ban on Lady Gaga's planned June 3 concert at Bung Karno Stadium.

Among the party members in the delegation were secretary-general M. Romahurmuziy, deputy secretary-general Joko Purwanto and party spokesman Arwani Tomafi, and assembly secretary Pakar Ahmad Yani. "We fully support the police, especially the Jakarta Police, in refusing Lady Gaga's concert permit," Yani said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

In order for the Lady Gaga concert to proceed, the National Police said that the US singer had to get recommendations from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Religious Affairs Ministry before they would issue a concert permit. Both parties refused to issue the recommendations.

"This is why we reject Lady Gaga and her indulgent behavior. Her songs are blasphemous. Her music videos and lyrics demean women and universal values," Yani said. "We have certain values and norms that we have to protect."

The PPP, along with hard-line groups like the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), have expressed opposition to the singer's concert. The FPI even threatened to send its members to intercept Gaga as she arrived if the concert went ahead. (png)

Ministry gives blessing to Gaga concert

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has given support to US singer Lady Gaga's planned performance in the capital on June 3, with an official saying that its recommendation that a concert permit be issued has been sent the National Police.

The ministry's director general for cultural value, arts and film, Ukus Kuswara, said Thursday that the government had given "its blessing" for the concert to go on as scheduled.

"We issued our recommendation to the National Police for the planned concert to go on as scheduled last week," he said, as quoted by tempo.co.

He said the concert promoter, Big Daddy Entertainment, had asked the ministry to issue a recommendation to the National Police so that the law enforcement agency would issue a concert permit for the American diva.

The National Police said Monday that the promoter must get recommendations from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Religious Affairs Ministry before they would issue a concert permit. Both parties refused to issue the recommendations.

The National Police also demanded recommendations from the Tourism Ministry, the Home Affairs Ministry and the Director General of Immigration and the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry.

The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry says it has no problem issuing a work permit for Lady Gaga under the condition that she goes through the required legal procedures.

"The ministry will issue its permit for foreign workers (TKA) according to procedure. It will not discriminate, so long as the proper procedure was followed," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said, as quoted by tribunnews.com. "Every one is treated equally, regardless of whether the TKA is a famous artist, a soccer player or a regular worker."

Nevertheless, Muhaimin said that he hoped Gaga would respect Indonesian culture, by making sure that her lyrics, clothes and stage actions will not offend.

Meanwhile, ministry representative Reyna Usman said that the work-permit issuing process for Gaga had so far run smoothly and was currently entering its final phase.

Meanwhile, the United States says it believes that as a democracy, Indonesia will eventually let US pop singer Lady Gaga perform in Jakarta despite opposition from several groups.

"This is a matter for Indonesia to decide. Our hope would be of course that it's the Indonesian community as a whole to be heard on the views and not the views of a small group," US Ambassador Scot Marciel told reporters on Wednesday at the House of Representatives.

"The US believes in freedom of expression and tolerance. And you know I think that Indonesia as I said has a long tradition of support for freedom of expression and tolerance as well," he said.

He said concerns arose more on minority groups that had not been protected against "some groups that are intolerant".

When asked whether the US had interfered with the permit issue, Marciel said: "Well, we had our people with the security talking about the security side of it [the concert]. That's true indeed." "But otherwise we have not been engaged with the police on this [permit]." (asa)

Mega on Gaga saga

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2012

Jakarta – Former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Thursday that the ongoing Lady Gaga controversy reflected the national culture's lack of character.

"If we had political sovereignty and a sense cultural character, people wouldn't make a fuss over things like this," Megawati said, as quoted by tempo.co.

She said strong leadership was needed to enforce the law and prevent the government from appeasing vociferous minority groups. "The state can't be coerced by mobs and thugs," Megawati said.

Over 50,000 tickets have been sold for Lady Gaga's scheduled June 3 concert at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

However, hard-line groups such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) have strongly opposed the US singer's presence in the country, urging the authorities to refuse her concert permits and threatening violence if she did come as planned. (png/iwa)

Media & press freedom

TNI chief says marines, journalists have made peace

Jakarta Globe - May 31, 2012

Ezra Sihite – The commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) Adm. Agus Suhartono said on Thursday that the 12 Marines who manhandled seven journalists during a raid on Tuesday, have now made peace with the victims.

He said the Marines had already visited the journalists who were still being treated in a hospital in Padang after the incident on Tuesday.

"It has been followed up, and in Padang, the journalists have now met with the Marines. Peace has been made and there is no problem," Agus said at the House of Representatives.

Agus said the Marines will face sanctions and would be discharged from the force if it was found to be warranted. However, Agus once again denied that the Marines were backing up shady businesses in the area.

The Marines took the side of the owners of several beach stalls in Bungus which were believed to be used for prostitution. The stalls were the target of a raid by local authorities. Four of the journalists covering the raid were beaten up by the Marines, while three others had their cameras or memory cards forcefully taken away.

Agus admitted that one of the shop owners was related to one of the Marines who happened to pass by after serving at the provincial legislative building. "Therefore, it was just a coincidence," he said.

Lawmakers have said they are planning to summon Agus to explain the incident.

TNI chief orders personnel to apologize over assaults

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Admiral Agus Suhartono said he had ordered military officers who allegedly assaulted journalists in Padang, the provincial capital of West Sumatra, to apologize.

"The Marine personnel did not intentionally commit violence against the journalists. There has been a misunderstanding, particularly given that the family of one of the Marines ran a shop raided by local officers," Agus told the press at the Presidential Office on Wednesday.

"It was triggered by a feeling of sympathy that a shop run by one of the Marine's family had been damaged," he added.

Agus said he had also ordered his men to return to the journalists their cameras, tapes and memory cards, which were allegedly forceably seized during the attack.

Six journalists were among a number of locals reportedly beaten up by a number of military-uniformed men in Padang on Tuesday afternoon. The attack was launched shortly after Padang Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers raided a number of shops allegedly offering prostitution services.

A member of the Padang Representatives Council, identified as Asrizal from the National Mandate Party (PAN), was also reportedly among the victims.

"At the time of the Satpol PP operation, a group of civilians helped raid the shops. Coincidently, a number of other Marines passed the area and stopped but the civilians wrongly perceived them as backups. This ignited hostility and triggered a clash where the journalists were accidentally involved," Agus said.

"I have ordered an investigation. Sanctions will certainly be meted out to any of my men proven guilty in the attacks," he added.

Political parties & elections

SBY finds a friend in Prabowo, but at what price?

Suara Pembaruan - May 31, 2012

Robertus Wardi – As Prabowo Subianto seeks the support of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for a presidential run in 2014, his party is beginning to express its support for some of the president's policies.

The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), which has developed a reputation as one of the fiercest opposition parties, announced on Tuesday that it opposed an attempt by the House Representatives to question Yudhoyono over his decision to cut the jail term of convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Leigh Corby.

Martin Hutabarat, chairman of Gerindra's faction at the House, said granting Corby clemency was a correct decision based on humanitarian considerations. "And granting clemency is the right of the president, so we don't need to politicize it," he said.

Yudhoyono granted clemency to Corby last week, cutting five years from her 20-year prison sentence. The decision has been met by a wave of criticism from lawmakers and civil society groups.

Gerindra's support for the Corby clemency decision comes two weeks after the president held a special meeting with Prabowo in Bali. There has been much speculation that the two retired Army generals negotiated a deal that would see Yudhoyono's Democratic Party support Prabowo in the next presidential election.

Aleksius Jemadu, dean of the University of Pelita Harapan's School of Social and Political Sciences, said Gerindra was known as a consistent opponent of the government's policies, so it was quite a significant change for it to come out in support of Yudhoyono in the controversy surrounding the Corby clemency.

The president's decision has been criticized by members of his ruling coalition. "This must have something to do with Prabowo's effort to get support from the Democratic Party in the next election. A political party can't change its stance unless it gets something in return," he said.

Yudhoyono sent a special invitation to Prabowo for a reunion of the Indonesian Armed Forces Academy's graduating class of 1973, even though Prabowo graduated a year later, in Bali earlier this month. During the gathering, Yudhoyono took Prabowo aside for a private talk.

Officials from both parties have played down the meeting as a chat between two old friends, but others say a Democratic ticket featuring Prabowo could be possible.

With his Democratic Party struggling to produce a strong presidential candidate for 2014, Yudhoyono appears to be looking outside of the party for a possible successor, analysts say. His meeting with Prabowo is seen as part of an effort to recruit a popular figurehead who could win the election.

"It must have been more than just a reunion of military academy alumni," said Burhanuddin Muhtadi, from the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI). "Something must have been said about the 2014 election."

Recent surveys show Prabowo trailing only Yudhoyono and Megawati Sukarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), in terms of popularity.

Politicians defend Bakrie, say Sidoarjo victims are better off

Jakarta Globe - May 30, 2012

Fidelis E Satriastanti, Ezra Sihite & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Legislators have sprung to the defense of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie as he continues to take flak for the Lapindo mudflow disaster while eyeing the presidency in 2014.

Satya W. Yudha, a Golkar legislator at House of Representatives Commission VII, which oversees mines and energy affairs, said on Tuesday that the criticism of Aburizal, whose family controls the company that is widely blamed for the disaster, was unwarranted, politicized and based largely on jealousy.

"From a legal standpoint, we all know that there was no problem with Lapindo Brantas or with the Bakrie family," he claimed. "This must be underscored in light of the efforts by certain parties to politicize the matter."

He insisted the Bakries had shown "moral commitment" in seeking to complete the compensation process for the thousands of people displaced by the mud volcano in Sidoarjo, East Java.

Satya added that Lapindo's holding company, Minarak Lapindo Jaya, was paying the victims far more than their land was worth. "So don't call it covering their losses. Call it covering their gains," he said.

Effendi Simbolon, the Commission VII deputy chairman, claimed the Bakries had shown "extraordinary empathy" for the victims by paying compensation for what he called "a purely natural disaster."

"I salute them because they're the only pribumi [ethnic Indonesian] businesspeople to show such empathy to the people affected by the mudflow," the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician said.

"They didn't flee the country, like many non-pribumi businesspeople who embezzled bank bailout funds [in the 1998 financial crisis] and refused to take responsibility for their actions." He also demanded an end to the "irresponsible politicization" of the issue, which he said would hamper the ongoing compensation process.

However, fellow PDI-P legislator Eva Kusuma Sundari, who lost some of her property in the disaster, accused Minarak and the government of not being committed to the compensation process.

"As a victim, I've received just Rp 30 million [$3,200] of the Rp 150 million that I'm owed," she said. "Both Minarak and the government have fallen short of their obligations and are intensifying the suffering of the people that has been going on for six years. This insensitive and unresponsive attitude is regrettable."

The House declared in 2009 that the mudflow, which swamped 16 villages since it began in May 2007, was a natural disaster. Several studies by scientists from Indonesia and abroad, however, found that it was Lapindo's drilling activities that caused the mud volcano.

Time for indie candidates in 2014 presidential poll

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Given the scarcity of credible candidates from the country's political establishment, experts have suggested that in the future independent presidential candidates should be allowed to run.

Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) executive director Dodi Ambardi said that it was time high for members of civil society to come forward and nominate their own presidential candidates. "Civil movements must promote alternative candidates if we want to see change in the country," Dodi said in a discussion over the weekend.

He said credible independent candidates nominated by civil society could serve as a wake-up call for established political parties to propose similar well-qualified candidates. Nominating an independent candidate would be an uphill battle because the country's law only allows candidates nominated by political parties.

"We must remember that the law stipulates that only political parties are allowed to nominate presidential candidates. Thus, we must encourage independent and well-qualified individuals to promote themselves as alternatives to those promoted by political parties," Dodi said.

Islamic State University (UIN) political analyst Bahtiar Effendy said most current politicians lacked integrity and new figures should come from outside the present system.

Bahtiar said he did not expect credible candidates would emerge in the future presidential race. "Credible candidates would likely emerge from outside of any political parties because such candidates will not see the presidential race as a means to make a living," he said.

Major political parties have nominated their candidates for the 2014 presidential election.

The Golkar Party earlier announced that it would nominate its chairman, Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie, as the party's presidential candidate. The party has scheduled a national meeting in July to officially announce Aburizal's presidential bid.

The Great Movement Party (Gerindra) also made a decision to name the party's chief patron, Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto. The National Mandate Party (PAN) has nominated present Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa as its candidate.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is expected to once again nominate its chairwoman Megawati Sukarnoputri, despite her official announcement that she would not run again for the country's top job.

PDI-P lawmaker Arif Wibowo said that the nomination of an independent presidential candidate would not be an effective solution to produce a quality leader for Indonesia simply because the country had adopted a presidential system.

"I don't understand how an independent candidate, when elected president, will be responsible for what he or she has done. Will it be he or she alone or with his or her family? There seems to be no constitutional foundation to regulate such issues," he said.

Arif said the only way to produce a quality leader was to amend the 2008 presidential election law to create a better mechanism for their selection.

"Lawmakers must sit and discuss all provisions to be included in the bill. For example, we must decide whether or not we need to keep a 20 percent minimum threshold, or should we make it higher or lower by projecting the result of the 2014 legislative election.

Although the House of Representatives is yet to formally begin deliberating the presidential election bill, factions at the House have begun debating a number of issues. Factions are already at odds over the minimum requirements for political parties to be allowed to nominate candidates.

Major factions at the House, namely the Democratic Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party, have expressed their preference to revert to the 2008 Presidential Election Law, which requires parties to win at least 20 percent of House seats, or 25 percent of popular votes to be eligible to be nominated as a candidate.

In Jakarta, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer

Jakarta Globe - May 27, 2012

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum has been fighting for his political survival since he was implicated months ago in several graft cases.

While his supporters insist that Anas can maintain his authority and work well with both President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his son Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro, the party's secretary general, a prolonged investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) into cases implicating him has diminished support for his leadership within the party.

Just after he won the party chairmanship in 2009 and before the graft cases emerged, Anas – young, smart and good-looking – was considered a leading contender to get the party's presidential nomination for the 2014 election. That was despite many being aware of tension between him and the president.

Yudhoyono has reportedly been annoyed by Anas's public statements challenging his authority, including the chairman's mobilization of funds and members to help defeat the president's then-spokesman, Andi Mallarangeng.

But with his name linked to several graft cases, his prospects of representing the party have almost vanished. "Now, he is struggling to merely stay in his post, let alone challenging Yudhoyono or becoming the party's presidential candidate," said Fachry Ali, a political expert from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Nurhayati Ali Assegaf, the new head of the party's faction in the House of Representatives, said the graft cases implicating Anas had caused many members to question the chairman's authority. "I think it's normal that many [members] don't trust him because he has been mentioned in several graft cases," she said.

Ruhut Sitompul, another senior Democrat, said this week's incident in North Maluku showed the decline of Anas's authority due to the graft cases.

On Thursday, a mob attacked an entourage including Anas and Ibas shortly after they arrived in Ternate. The attackers hit two members of the entourage, Ibrahim and Syarif. Anas and Ibas managed to escape unscathed, after which they flew back to Jakarta. No one was injured.

Fachry said Yudhoyono's decision to more directly manage the party and try to prevent it degenerating into internecine conflict while removing graft- implicated members would, paradoxically, help Anas remain in his current position ahead of the 2014 election. Previous efforts to remove Anas by attacking him in the media both divided the party and damaged its public image.

Yudhoyono has stated publicly that he will wait for the KPK's decision on Anas's status – whether he is named as a suspect or remains merely a witness – before making any move against the party chairman.

"Now, they realize that attacking Anas means damaging the party further. So, now they solidify themselves under Yudhoyono, who now gets directly involved," Fachry said. "As long as Ibas continues to accompany Anas on public occasions, the relations are still fine."

The Democrats' substantial reshuffle of its House of Representatives leadership during the week has been perceived as evidence of Yudhoyono's direct involvement in efforts to restore the good image that delivered the party strong election results in 2009.

The reshuffle removes those implicated in graft cases, such as faction head Jafar Hafsah and the deputy head of the Budget Committee, Mirwan Amir, both of whom were close allies of Anas. Jafar has been replaced by Nurhayati, a former adviser to first lady Ani Yudhoyono.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political analyst from the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), said Yudhoyono's reshuffle was intended to distance the party from graft cases involving Muhammad Nazaruddin, the party's former treasurer, and Angelina Sondakh, the party's former deputy secretary general, rather than isolating Anas.

The KPK has announced that Nazaruddin has been implicated in more than 30 corruption cases. "This reshuffle is an attempt to push forward officials not connected to graft cases, especially scams involving Nazruddin," Burhanuddin said.

According to Arya Fernandez, a political analyst from the Charta Politika, the reshuffle is part of Yudhoyono's attempt to solidify the party, with Nurhayati as a central intermediary figure.

He said Nurhayati was known to be close to Anas as well as having a good relationship with the Yudhoyono family. "So, I see the reshuffle as a bridge to solidify the party," he said.

A Democratic official close to Ibas said recently that the emergence of the graft cases meant Anas was now considered unlikely to challenge Yudhoyono. His removal could endanger the public reputations of the president's family, which has been linked to several scandals, such as the Bank Century bailout and several cases involving Nazaruddin.

Initially, Nazaruddin accused Ibas and Anas of involvement in several cases in which he was accused. However, Ibas's name later disappeared from the list of those accused.

"Anas knows too much and pushing him too hard will create a backlash we don't want to see," the Democratic official said. "We'd better allow him to maintain his post while limiting his influence. Unless the KPK decide to name him a suspect, he stays."

Angry mob attacks SBY's son

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's youngest son, Edhie Baskoro "Ibas" Yudhoyono, and the chairman of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, Anas Urbaningrum, narrowly escaped an attack by an angry mob at Sultan Babullah Airport, Ternate, a situation which prompted the two politicians to immediately leave the provincial capital of North Maluku on Thursday.

Ibas, who came in his capacity as the secretary-general of the Democratic Party, was supposed to accompany Anas to the party's North Maluku regional meeting to elect a new chairman for the provincial board.

After disembarking from a Garuda Indonesia aircraft, Ibas and Anas immediately became the target of an angry mob who appeared to be supporters of North Maluku Governor Thaib Armaiyn, who is running for reelection as chairman of the Democratic Party's North Maluku provincial chapter, Antara news agency reported.

Footage from news broadcasts showed that the angry mob, wearing Democratic Party T-shirts, failed to breach the Security Details that protected Ibas and Anas and their entourage.

Local security officers as well as members of the Presidential Security Force (Paspampres) guarding Ibas, managed to hold back dozens of party members who were lashing out against alleged "unfair practices and intervention from the party's central board" in the upcoming North Maluku provincial election. Two members of Ibas' team, Ibrahim and Syarif, suffered slight injuries.

The Democratic Party in Ternate is reportedly divided over the election of the party's provincial chairman. Some of the district executive boards back Thaib while others support other candidates, including local politicians Beni Laos and Rahmi Husen.

After escaping from the angry mob, Ibas and Anas were whisked to another Garuda flight and left for Manado, North Sulawesi, to attend another party meeting. The Ternate meeting itself was postponed on Anas' orders.

In a statement, Anas downplayed the incident, saying, "Everything is under control." He said the North Maluku chapter of the Democratic Party "failed to manage the internal political dynamics which have been ongoing for quite a long time".

"That failure has created rifts and misunderstandings. This is not good and was supposed to be dealt with in the provincial election," he said.

Ibas also released a statement on the incident, saying that he "deeply regretted the incident". "Such a violent act is not tolerable under the party's code of ethics," he said.

Ibas said the party's central executive board would investigate the incident and impose sanctions against any party members found guilty of orchestrating the attack. "I apologize to the people of Ternate who may have felt uncomfortable because of the incident," he said.

This is not the first time Anas and Ibas have been accused of meddling in local party affairs.

In February, a former head of the party's Southeast Minahasa regency office in North Sulawesi, Diana Maringka, publicly said that she had received Rp 100 million (US$10,800) in return for her support of Anas during the party's chairmanship race in 2009.

Diana spoke about the alleged "bribery" after she accused Anas of having intervened and mobilized party members in the regency to oust her from her position.

The Ternate incident was another test for the leadership of the 31-year-old Ibas, who has been deemed too young to serve as the party's secretary- general. Many believe Ibas enjoys the position only because of his status as the son of Yudhoyono, the founder and chief patron of the party.

National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman denied that the embarrassing incident resulted from the failure of the Paspampres members. Security protocol requires Paspampres to provide continuous protection for all the President's family members including Ibas. "Our office is still investigating the incident," Marciano said.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Djoko Suyanto regretted the incident and ordered the National Police to investigate the attack. "Committing violence, for whatever reason is indefensible. Under a democratic system people should be free to speak, debate and communicate. Why don't they try that," he said.

Surveys & opinion polls

Dems dominate the news from January to April

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2012

Jakarta – The ruling Democratic Party was the political party with the most media coverage from January to April this year in a total of five national newspapers, a recent survey has announced.

According to the recent study conducted by the Center for Media and Journalism, Democratic Party-linked issues were covered in a total of 559 news items, or 47.2 percent, during the first four months of 2012, principally due to stories about convicted former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin.

"News about the Nazaruddin case basically dominated the media during the four-month period," center researcher Sinansari Ecip said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Nazaruddin is an infamous graft convict who has been linked to numerous cases that are currently being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Sinansari added that media coverage over the Nazaruddin saga reached its peak in February with a total of 111 news items, or 43 percent of the 259 news items relating to the Democratic Party.

The five national newspapers that were studied by the center were Kompas, Koran Tempo, Media Indonesia, Republika and Seputar Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Golkar Party came in second place with a total of 160 news items, or 13.5 percent, followed by the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 110 news items (9.3 percent).

The main opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), reached fourth place with 80 news items or 6.8 percent, while the Nasdem Party, owned by former Golkar politician Surya Paloh, who also owns the Media Group, came in fifth with 64 news items (5.4 percent). (asa)

Labour & migrant workers

Labor unions criticize 'cosmetic changes' in wage components

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2012

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Labor unions have protested at what they call "cosmetic changes" to a ministerial decree on decent living standards, as the minor revisions will not lead to higher wages.

The revision of the ministerial decree initiated by the National Wages Council was supposed to improve workers' living standards. In fact, according to the unions, the changes are minor and irrelevant to workers' real conditions.

Irianto Simbolon, director general for industrial relations and social security affairs at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, said the council had added components in Ministerial Decree No. 17/2005, the guideline for determining wages nationwide.

The decree sets out the monthly needs for a single worker to attain a reasonable standard of living. Among these are staple foods, clothes, decent rental accommodation and health and dental care.

In total, there are 46 components set out in detail in the ministerial decree. All of them are used by regional administrations to set minimum wages.

Irianto told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the National Wages Council had added new components to the ministerial decree including specific items of clothing and furniture, as well as raising the calorific content and quality of food as well as power needs.

Mudhofir, chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (KSBSI), said the decree revisions would bring no significant improvements to workers' social welfare and were far below the standards proposed by labor unions and the ILO.

According to the KSBSI, a single worker at present needed at least 16 kilograms of rice, five kilograms of meat, eight kilograms of fresh fish, five kilograms of fresh fruit, three kilograms of vegetable oil and six cubic meters of drinking water each month.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Workers Organization (OPSI) Timboel Siregar said the cosmetic changes in the wage components would maintain the cheap labor policy and poor labor conditions.

"The changes made to the wage components are unrealistic and the government and employers have failed to identify workers' real needs. If the government and employers are serious about improving workers' social welfare, they should drastically raise the minimum quality, quantity and variety of food and drinks, change the rented house assumption to house ownership, include transportation costs and the need for communications like cellular phones and Internet," he said, adding that the government should raise the calorie intake to around 5,000 from the current 3,000 per day.

He warned that the decree's review would provoke labor unions and workers to stage antigovernment demonstrations and would deepen popular distrust of the government.

Separately, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said he had asked the wages council to apply the new components in several regencies and municipalities to ascertain the increase in minimum wages if they were implemented.

"We will compare the current system and the new one and compute the percentage wage increase," he said, adding that the newly revised components would be used to set the minimum wages in 2013.

Indonesia wants 10,000 child workers to return to school

Jakarta Globe - May 25, 2012

Agustiyanti, Surabaya – Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar on Thursday called on regional governments to help return 10,000 child workers across the country to school this year.

"The phenomenon of child workers is a serious problem because it is threatening the quality of the children's life, their rights and their future," Muhaimin said at the signing of a joint agreement between the ministry and the East Java government on returning child workers to schools.

He said the central government and regional administrations should step up and conduct inter-sectoral programs to pluck these children from the work force and return them to schools.

Muhaimin said the government was targeting to return 10,750 child workers to school this year, while between 2008 and 2011, 11,305 child workers were returned to school.

He said the focus for this year was on 84 district and municipalities in Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Jakarta, Gorontalo, Java, Kalimantan and Sumatra.

He said the local manpower offices would supply data on the child workers, between 6 and 18 years of age, and joint efforts would be made by the local authorities to remove these children from the work force.

"They will then be put in transit shelters and provided with motivation so that they can return to school," Muhaimin said.

The local education offices, he said, will have to facilitate their return to schools. To support these efforts, the offices should also ease the administrative and financial requirements for the children.

"Without providing them with special attention, these children could easily return to the working world at any time," he said.

Muhaimin took the opportunity of the signing to hand out school equipment packages to 1,010 children who had returned to school in East Java. (BeritaSatu/JG)

Environment & natural disasters

Resolution in Lapindo mud eruption is one big sticky mess

Antara News - May 30, 2012

For the past month, residents of Sidoarjo district in East Java have blocked the main road running through Porong subdistrict in a bid to bring attention to their cause.

But after having taken part in these regular sit-ins for the past six years, Pitanto is growing weary. "We're all getting tired of having to do things like this, like blocking the highway," he says.

What grieves Pitanto the most is that he's having to take to the streets to demand something that he and thousands of other residents have been owed for more than half a decade now: their rightful compensation.

These are the villagers who lost their homes and farms to the mud volcano that began gushing from the ground in Porong on May 29, 2006. Today, the mud covers nearly 700 hectares of land, including more than 10,000 homes, and still continues to bubble out of the ground.

Most experts blame the gusher on drilling activities carried out in the area by gas exploration company Lapindo Brantas, controlled by the family of Aburizal Bakrie, the Golkar Party chairman who was the coordinating minister for people's welfare at the time of the incident.

Lapindo, however, insists the mud volcano was triggered by an earthquake in Yogyakarta – 300 kilometers away, and two days earlier. The government, though, has ordered the driller's holding company, Minarak Lapindo Jaya, to compensate the residents for the loss of their land.

As the affected area grew, from the initial six villages in Porong to 16 in three subdistricts, including Jabon and Tanggulangin, so did MLJ's bill, which now stands at Rp 2.5 trillion ($267 million) in compensation to residents and Rp 1.3 trillion to stem the spread of the mud. The government itself has allocated Rp 6.2 trillion. The compensation process has been slowed by legal wrangles over which residents are eligible for the program.

Andi Darusalam Tabusala, the MLJ vice president, recently said that although the company still had Rp 1.1 trillion in compensation left to pay, it only had Rp 400 billion in funds, which would be prioritized for residents with claims of less than Rp 500 million each.

"As for the residents with claims above Rp 500 million, we will find another solution," he said, indicating the company could take out a loan.

But the stalled compensation process is threatening far more dire problems as the mud and flammable gases continue to spew out of the ground.

Several months after the gusher began, the government decided to channel some of the mud into the Porong River and out to sea. Because of the heavy silting, the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS), the government body set up to handle the disaster, has had to continuously dredge the river.

But there has been no dredging for the past month, following a protest in which residents blockaded the BPLS office where its heavy equipment was stored.

Akhmad Kusairi, the BPLS spokesman, says the silting in the river has now reached such a critical level that no mud is flowing out. The mud contained inside the embankment built around the affected zone has risen to dangerous levels – less than a meter below the rim of the embankment.

"The situation will be very drastic if we can't quickly restore the flow of mud out to the sea," Akhmad says.

Even if the mud doesn't spill over, he warns that the sheer volume could cause a breach in the dam that would send mud pouring onto the Porong highway and the railway line passing nearby. "I just hope the residents and Lapindo can reach an agreement on the compensation soon so that we can get back to work," he said.

Indonesia defies critics, says deforestation has declined

Jakarta Globe - May 24, 2012

The Indonesian government reiterated its claim on Thursday that the country's deforestation rate has drastically declined over the past two years, defying critics and environmental activists who say otherwise.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said Indonesia's forests declined as much as 3.5 million hectares per year between 1996 and 2003, compared to 450,000 hectares per year between 2009 and 2011.

"This means that the moratorium on forest cutting has had an impact, and it's proven to effectively reduce forest destruction," Zulkifli said in Jakarta, as he briefed journalists on a map of forests protected under the moratorium. He added, nevertheless, that the moratorium did not affect investments in sectors such as plantations and industrial forests.

"A well protected forests doesn't necessarily mean a declining economy. Industry can grow along with forests," Zulkifli said. The Indonesian government has come under fire after Greenpeace Indonesia released a report earlier this month saying the country may have lost five million hectares of forest since the moratorium on deforestation came into effect in May last year.

Greenpeace said such a loss occurred because the areas overlapped with existing coal and logging concessions, with Kalimantan and Papua hit hardest.

The moratorium is set to last for two years, and was enacted after Norway pledged $1 billion in aid to Indonesia as part of a larger UN-backed plan to reduce emissions produced by deforestation.

Norwegian environment minister Bard Vegar Solhjell told Reuters in an interview earlier this week that Indonesia's progress in reforming its forestry sector would be insufficient to meet its pledge to cut carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2020. (Antara/JG)

Illegal logging in Kalimantan 'cost state $35 billion in 2011'

Jakarta Globe - May 24, 2012

Illegal forest clearing in Kalimantan potentially cost the state Rp 321 trillion ($34.6 billion) in losses last year, largely because law enforcement efforts on the ground remain weak, activists claimed on Wednesday.

Citing data from the Forestry Ministry, Indonesia Corruption Watch and the environmental group Save Our Borneo, the activists said in a joint statement that the province of Central Kalimantan accounted for nearly half the losses because of the large number of firms there operating with "flawed permits."

The groups said some 282 plantation firms and 629 mining firms were responsible for the deforestation of at least seven million hectares in the province.

"The Forestry Ministry's investigating team calculates that based on the assumption that one hectare of forest can yield 100 cubic meters of timber, and with a reforestation fee and levy of $16 and Rp 60,000 per cubic meter, the total amount of revenue that the state should have received was Rp 158 trillion," the statement said.

The groups identified similar potential losses of Rp 121.4 trillion in West Kalimantan, Rp 31.5 trillion in East Kalimantan and Rp 9.6 trillion in South Kalimantan.

What makes Central Kalimantan's case particularly egregious, the statement says, is that some 200,000 hectares of forest that have been cleared there fall inside concessions for 15 companies owned by the head of one the province's districts and his family and cronies.

The groups said the district head had dished out concessions to a host of sham companies owned by people including his siblings and his driver.

"Save Our Borneo and ICW reported this matter in 2011 to the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission]," the statement said, adding that the groups would report similar allegations about forest concessions in East Kotawaringin district.

The problem, it went on, is that despite the number of reports filed to law enforcement officials, very little action has been taken.

"Enforcement efforts are not yet optimal because they are still based on using sectoral legislation such as the Forestry Law, the Environmental Law and the Plantations Law," it said.

"If things remain on this tack, then it is almost certain forestry crimes, specifically the illegal granting of concessions, will be difficult to uncover."

The groups called instead for the Anti-Corruption Law and the Anti-Money Laundering Law to be used to charge suspects. Among the advantages it cited was the possibility of prosecuting officials who issued illegal permits and stiffer minimum sentences and fines than those prescribed by the other laws.

"The Anti-Corruption Law can also be used against both individuals and companies, it can help in seizures and asset recovery, and it can be used against those who hamper the investigation process," ICW said.

The groups said although the KPK and the Attorney General's Office were already using these laws in illegal forestry cases, the number of prosecutions was still very low. The KPK has prosecuted just six such cases, for which 21 people were tried and convicted.

Health & education

Child protection agency wants Indonesia to curb condom sales

Jakarta Globe - May 30, 2012

Indonesia's Child Protection Commission (KPAI) urged the government to limit condom sales to approved stores, a move that would effectively pull the contraception out of convenience stores.

"Condoms are a halal product, but sales should be limited to prevent misuse by people who are not supposed to use it," KPAI Deputy Chairman Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh told Antara.

The criticisms of Asrorun, a former secretary with the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), were backed by an employee of Bogor's Religious Affairs Ministry who argued that the prevalence of easy-to-get condoms had led to a surge in sexual activity in Bogor.

"Unlimited condom sales make it easy for people to buy them," Ita Rosita said. "The fact is, in the underpass that connects the Bogor Agriculture Institute and the Bogor Botanical garden, there were many used condoms because the underpass had not been used in a long time."

A mini market worker in Bogor said that condoms were flying off the shelves, bragging that "even junior high school students buy condoms here."

Asrorun said that he is sure the students bought the condoms for personal use, explaining that no parent would send their kid to the store to pick up condoms.

Condom use in Indonesia is already low by global standards. The nonprofit organization DKT Indonesia previously said that Indonesia's commercial condom market was about 120 million sales a year, half to one-third of what is should be for a nation of 240 million people.

Indonesia has one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in Asia, according to United Nations figures. According to the AIDS Prevention Commision (KPA) 76 percent of the nation's HIV/AIDS infections are transmitted through unsafe sex. The United States Center for Disease Control lists condoms as an effective barrier against the HIV virus.

Teen pregnancy is also an issue in Indonesia, where, according to a dubious survey conducted by the KPAI, 21.2 percent of girls between the ages of 14 and 18 have had at least one abortion. The same survey, which has been criticized for its unreliable data, claims that 62.7 percent of teenagers ages 14 to 18 had engaged in sexual intercourse.

As Indonesia grows older, social attitudes, health under the spotlight

Antara News - May 30, 2012

Indonesia is getting older. Life expectancy has climbed to nearly 70 years for Indonesian women and 65 for men, and continues to rise.

Globally, Indonesia has the fifth-largest elderly population in the world; in 2010, the senior population was comprised of 18.04 million elderly citizens, or 9.6 percent of the country's total population. According to the State of the World's Older People 2002, Indonesia's senior population is estimated to reach 28.8 million (11 percent) in 2020.

The United Nations has predicted that this figure may even reach 25 percent in 2050, or nearly 74 million elderly people (those above 60 years of age are categorized as elderly citizens according to an Indonesian law).

Social Affairs officials acknowlege the challenges that the rapid growth of the elderly population poses, such as inadequate health care services, lack of welfare provision and a legal framework that often does not specifically address elderly people.

And while many elderly people lead a happy, active and healthy lives, aging can put a strain families, especially lower income households.

While observing the National Day for Elderly People in Jakarta on Tuesday, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono reminded the nation that elderly people are not a burden on the public, but an asset to the community that contribute to national development.

"The elderly must not be regarded as the community's burdens, because they are the country's assets," Ani remarked when receiving elderly people representing Indonesia's 33 provinces at the State Palace. The First Lady, who will turn 60 this year, mentioned some elderly national figures – such as Herawati Diah, Titik Puspa, Moeryati Sudibyo, Martha Tilaar and Haryono Usman.

She urged the community to care more for the elderly, saying: "although they are old, they can still develop their capabilities and share their experiences with the younger generation."

A similar sentiment was voiced by Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri in Palu, Central Java, on May 22. The minister urged the community at large to participate in caring for the elderly.

"We still have 2.9 million elderly people who are being neglected. We want to see how far people's family values and compassion can take them in their involvement in such community affairs. This spirit has to be cultivated," he remarked.

Based on the Social Affairs Ministry's data for 2006, around three million out of 16.5 million elderly people are considered neglected.

Salim noted that the widespread poverty among families presented a problem in caring for the elderly.

"We understand that there are families who are experiencing extreme poverty, but there needs to be an understanding that people are here in this world because of their elderly parents. It can evoke a sense of enthusiasm among them to care for their elders," he said.

According to Salim, Indonesia has a large number of abandoned elderly people, and said it's important to involve all sections of the community, and to seek help from the district government.

The management of neglected elderly people is one of the main responsibilities of the Social Affairs Ministry. Each neglected senior receives a social benefit of Rp 300,000 ($33) each month. The ministry not only runs several nursing homes, but also provides home care at family residences.

Bali is also planning to establish a senior citizen center to accommodate elderly people who wish to contribute their ideas to the society and the nation.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has lauded the plan to start a Senior Citizen Center, which will help the elderly people to feel productive and useful, said the governor.

Dr. Luh Ketut Suryani said that the government should take steps to improve the welfare and health of elderly people, because if they are neglected, poor and sick, they will most certainly become burdens to their families and the government.

Men's sexual behavior blamed for rise in HIV/AIDS prevalence

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2012

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – As the number of HIV/AIDS infections contracted through sexual contact grow higher in the country, the efforts to combat the condition should primarily focus on addressing men's irresponsible conduct, experts have said.

Nafis Sadik, the UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS for Asia Pacific, said many husbands go to sex workers only to later infect their wives, who are unaware of the condition.

"Most of the women in all countries, including in Indonesia, are getting infections from one partner they have – either their spouses or husbands," Sadik told a media conference on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) recently.

To protect women and children against HIV/AIDS infections, Sadik suggested more aggressive efforts were needed to deal with the irresponsible conduct of the men.

"As the number of HIV/AIDS infections through sexual contact grows in Indonesia, we need to step up efforts to prevent parent-to-child- transmission with the right approach," she said.

Data from the Indonesian Health Ministry shows that in 2009, 186,257 people were infected with HIV. Without accelerated preventive measures, the number of HIV-infected people may increase to 541,700 people by 2014.

The National AIDS Commission (KPA)'s secretary-general, Nafsiah Mboi, said young people between the ages of 15 and 29 were the group with the highest risk of HIV/AIDS infection.

Unlike previous trends in which most new HIV infections were contracted through intravenous drug use, most infections today are contracted through sexual contact.

"Currently, most of HIV infections in Indonesia are the result of unprotected sex among people with multiple partners. After having unsafe sex with sex workers, they [the men] infect their own wives," said Nafsiah.

Health Ministry data estimates that around 5 to 6 million men have the potential to spread HIV due to high-risk behavior such as injecting drugs, practicing homosexuality or having unsafe sex with sex workers.

The ministry notes that around 3.1 million men have sex with sex workers and 230,000 women are now working as commercial sex workers.

"I think the figure is too low because we [the KPA] have mapped out that between 6 to 8 million men have sex with commercial sex workers. Meanwhile, more that 1 million women are now working as prostitutes, mostly to support their families. So, poverty plays a key role in such circumstances," said Nafsiah.

One problem is that in Indonesia, sexual and reproductive health services, including information on safe sex, are available for married couples only.

Outside of Indonesia, HIV/AIDS has become an increasing epidemic in the Asia Pacific region as many countries, including Cambodia, China, India, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and Thailand, are experiencing major increases in the number of new infections.

In addition, Sadik said countries should address three key issues – sexual behavior, stigma and discrimination, and attitudes of young people – in tackling the problem.

"That's why enabling women to have full access to information and services on sexual and reproductive health rights and in making decisions that affect their own lives and futures is a critical issue. Women's lives are being affected not only by their own decisions, but by the decisions of their partners," she added.

National exams' 'fantastic' passing rate suspicious: ICW

Jakarta Globe - May 24, 2012

Dessy Sagita – Indonesia Corruption Watch has questioned the results of Indonesia's latest national exams, calling the nearly perfect pass rate suspicious.

An ICW education researcher, Febri Hendri, said such good results were unlikely given the state of the education in the country.

"That 99.5 percent rate is strange and we must question the credibility. To me it is illogical," Febri said in Jakarta on Thursday.

"This has confirmed our doubts that there have been rampant cheatings and leakage of exam papers. If the exams were performed honestly and in accordance with standards, the figure wouldn't have been that fantastic."

Febri warned universities against using scores from the exams, known as UN tests, to measure students' eligibility.

"Universities must be careful, and reject any attempt to make UN scores a determining factor in students' selections. To us, UN is merely a tool that the government uses to legitimate their waste of funds [in organizing the UNs]. They've made it so that the outcome is fantastic."

The Education and Culture Ministry announced earlier on Thursday that 99.5 percent of the country's 1.5 million final-year senior high school students passed the exams, which took place last month.

The exams are meant to determine the final-year students' eligibility to graduate and continue to higher education. (BeritaSatu/JG)

Graft & corruption

KPK having trouble finding suspect in Hambalang case

Jakarta Globe - May 26, 2012

SP/Novianti Setuningsih – The Corruption Eradication Commission admitted on Thursday that it was struggling to name suspects in its investigation into the Rp 1.52 trillion ($164 million) construction of the Hambalang sports center in Bogor.

"We are having a hard time finding substantial evidence because the procurement process [for the project] occurred a year or two years ago," said Johan Budi, a spokesman for the antigraft body known as the KPK.

Johan said the Hambalang investigation was different from a similar corruption case linked to the construction of the athletes' village for last year's Southeast Asian Games, which took place in Palembang.

The SEA Games scandal, the spokesman said, was easier to investigate because three of the main suspects were caught channeling more than Rp 3 billion in bribes.

On Thursday, Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng honored a summons from the KPK to be questioned regarding the construction of the sports stadium in Hambalang.

The Hambalang case was among the many accusations of graft leveled by high-profile corruption convict Mohammad Nazaruddin, the former Democratic Party treasurer, during his lengthy trial. Nazaruddin alleged that some money from the Hambalang project had gone into Andi's pocket. The minister has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The KPK has already questioned several people, including Ignatius Mulyono, a Democratic legislator, and Joyo Winoto, the head of the National Land Agency (BPN).

Misuse of travel budgets still rampant

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2012

Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo has called on government institutions to make serious efforts to deal with massive abuse of travel budgets, which has tended to increase lately despite tight controls imposed by his ministry.

"Generally, we have a huge state budget and if the BPK finds leaks caused by irregular practices, then those who conduct such wrongdoings should be considered as criminals," Agus told reporters on Friday.

"Therefore, all ministerial and state institutions must be able to monitor the travel budgets of their officials closely and set an example," he added.

The Finance Ministry's budgeting director general Herry Poernomo said that the government had actually tried its best to closely monitor the utilization of state-official travel budgets but for some reason, new monitoring policies often sparked more creativity among state bodies to continue misusing their authority and facilities.

The initial reform of monitoring policies was taken during the tenure of Sri Mulyani as finance minister, according to Herry. He said that Mulyani shifted travel-budgeting policy from being based on "lump sum" to an "at- cost" basis.

Under the lump-sum basis, state officials were given a fixed amount of money that they could utilize for their traveling needs while under the other system, an organization must be held accountable for every penny spent. The latter means that if an official is given Rp 1 million (US$108) for tickets but only uses Rp 600,000, then he or she must return Rp 400,000 to the state along with an official receipt.

Herry said that the "at-cost" policy managed to reduce misuse of travel budget utilization but on the other hand some state bodies were still trying to embezzle taxpayers' money.

"They began to forge boarding passes. For example, an official claims to have flown by Garuda and submits his boarding pass. In reality, he used a cheaper flight and forged the boarding pass," Herry said.

Herry added that due to the popularity of boarding-pass forgeries among state officials, services to produce such products began circulating.

Herry said that Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) auditors had at the same time improved their auditing competencies to track down forged boarding passes by directly contacting the airlines or travel companies for official documentation of passenger lists.

However, Herry also said that it would be hard for the government to fully eliminate the misuse of travel budgets because those kinds of practices were mostly conducted through collusion between officials themselves.

The BPK report for the second semester of the 2011 financial year found around 180 cases of suspicious travel budget utilizations with a total potential loss of Rp 34.59 billion.

The state travel budget stands at around Rp 18 trillion annually based on data from the state reform ministry while Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) coordinator Ucok Sky Khadafi said that the budget could amount to Rp 23.9 trillion for the year 2012.

In 2009, travel-budget misuse in 35 state institutions amounted to around Rp 73.5 billion and in 2010 this increased to Rp 89.5 billion.

Sex & pornography

Forget Gaga, Indonesia wild for own raunchy shows

Associated Press - May 30, 2012

Robin McDowell – Titin Karisma parades onto the stage wearing a rhinestone bustier and matching bottoms, with sequin fringe that jiggles wildly to the rhythm of the beating drums.

Preteen boys watch the singer wide-eyed as she straddles a speaker, whipping her long hair wildly. She licks the microphone and drops to the ground, repeatedly thrusting her pelvis toward a camera.

Lady Gaga's onstage antics are almost tame compared to this act, known as dangdut, the most popular genre of music in this predominantly Muslim nation of 240 million.

But while the pop star's show was effectively banned from Indonesia, tens of thousands of young women here put on performances like Karisma's every night. They shake and grind in smoky bars, ritzy nightclubs, at weddings, even circumcisions. In most cases the hosts say the sexier the better.

The apparent double standard highlights divisions between Indonesia's largely tolerant majority and a vocal minority of Islamic hard-liners. The conservatives hold outsized influence in government, and have successfully picked high-profile battles like the Lady Gaga show, but they haven't been able to stop dangdut, which has a long tradition here.

Karisma's stage shows have gotten nearly a million hits on YouTube. Julia Perez, an actress and wannabe politician, is dubbed the "sex bomb" for her racy act. Another performer, Dewi Persik, is known for her powerful back- and-forth hip thrusting "saw move" and public acknowledgments that she had surgery to become "a born-again virgin" to please her future husband.

The up-and-coming "Trio Macan," made up of three Gaga look-alikes, with dyed hair and catlike poses, often simulate sex with male customers on stage.

Members of the Anti Apostasy Movement, Indonesian Mujaheeds Council and the notoriously thuggish Islamic Defender's Front, better known as FPI, are quick to say they go after provocative dangdut performances. From time to time their followers jump in vans and ransack dangdut bars and nightclubs in the capital, Jakarta, and its outskirts.

But they know this won't get them the kind of attention they crave, said Andrew Weintraub, a professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh and author of the book "Dangdut Stories."

"Lady Gaga is a big name," he said. "It's a big stage for conservative Muslim organizations to promote their own agenda. They'll get a lot of attention internationally – which is also what makes the state nervous."

All 52,000 tickets for the concert Lady Gaga planned to give June 3 sold out within days, but members of the FPI had vowed to meet her at the airport if she dared step off the plane. Others bought tickets to her show saying, if it went ahead, they'd wreak havoc from inside the packed stadium.

As the weekslong controversy raged, conservative politicians and members of more mainstream Muslim organizations piled onto the anti-Gaga wagon. And police – for the first time ever – denied a permit to one of the many Western stars passing through, citing security. Lady Gaga eventually pulled the plug.

"We hold huge concerts here all the time," said Desi Anwar, a local television anchor, noting that crowd control is nothing new. "This is what happens when the government is perceived as weak and not consistent."

Indonesia is often held up by US and others as a beacon of how Islam and democracy can coexist, and in many ways they are right. Most of the secular nation's 210 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith and accept differences in others, with schoolgirls in headscarves regularly seen in shopping malls walking arm-in-arm with friends wearing tiny short shorts and T-shirts.

Sweeping reforms that followed the ouster of Gen. Suharto's 32-year dictatorship in 1998 have allowed citizens to directly pick their own leaders, while vastly improving human rights, opening up the media and allowing artists freely express themselves for the first time in decades.

But a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years, using its influence to push through controversial laws banning everything from kissing in public to showing too much skin. They've also become more violent, going after Christians and members of other religious minorities with batons and machetes, usually without paying any price.

More recently, mobs attacked Alex Aan, an atheist, now in jail for his beliefs, and rampaged a book discussion by visiting Canadian liberal Muslim activist, Irshad Manji.

That's one reason hard-liners felt they could take on Gaga – the biggest international star in the world, said Sidney Jones, a Jakarta-based analyst with the International Crisis Group think tank. They were emboldened by a string of successes.

"These guys are on a roll," she said, adding they have learned that by mobilizing various conservative groups and politicians, "they can set the agenda and underscore the importance of abiding by Islamic values."

Critics say President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose government relies on the support of Islamic parties, is largely to blame for rising intolerance for remaining silent.

But the passivity of the majority also plays a role, staying out of the debate unless their own liberal lifestyles are at stake – as was the case with Lady Gaga.

Dangdut, which got its name from the rhythmic "dang" and "dut" of the drum, is an occasional target of conservatives, though Weintraub, the music professor, says most of its singers are not raunchy.

Introduced in the 1970s, the genre is partly derived from Malay, Arabic, and Hindu music. For many years, it was mostly the music that expressed the hopes and disappointments of the downtrodden, spilling into the streets and back alleys from bars and restaurants, taxis and public buses.

After Suharto's downfall, when media restrictions were lifted, dangdut made the leap to commercial TV. Once male-dominated audiences expanded to include the middle- and upper-class women, many of whom felt empowered by overt expressions of sexuality.

From that emerged Inul Daratista, a village girl from East Java province who wowed fans nationwide with her rapid-fire, pelvic "drill dancing."

Hard-liners were mortified, calling her lewd and a threat to national morals. They held protest rallies, forced her to cancel shows and dismantled a statue of her built near her home.

Within a few months, the then 24-year-old largely disappeared from the limelight, in part because of legislation proposed in response to her wiggling derriere that eventually led to the country's controversial 2008 anti-pornography law.

The law has been applied arbitrarily since than, usually with hard-liners leading the charge.

It was used to jail the editor of Indonesia's now-shuttered version of Playboy, even though there are many smuttier magazines on the streets. The lead singer of a local pop band, Peter Pan, also is behind bars after a homemade sex video of him and two girlfriends found its way on the Internet, even though several lawmakers caught in similar sex scandals are still sitting in Parliament.

Dangdut's influences have changed over the years to include everything from American and British rock to salsa, house and remix, and styles of dance today are shaped by MTV and Western pop stars. Hard-liners cite those outside influences as another reason they don't like it.

Conservative opponents of dangdut don't worry fans like Imam Siswanto, who says the genre is powerful because it often touches on issues that resonate with the masses: heartache, social inequality and, sometimes, faith. He said that although critics sent Gaga packing, "I can firmly and confidently say that dangdut will never die."

Kalimantan governor claims dirty politics behind sex tape scandal

Jakarta Globe - May 26, 2012

Farouk Arnaz & Arientha Primanita – The governor of West Kalimantan has come out and denounced a sex tape allegedly featuring his lawmaker daughter as a political attack on his family.

Cornelis M.H. has denied that his daughter, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Karolin Margaret Natasa, was the person who appeared in the tape.

"That is not true. The video is a fake," he said. He accused unnamed people of conspiring to destroy his daughter's career by defaming her. "This is politics. I know this because I am also in politics," he said. "Politics is about destroying one another."

Intelligence analyst Wawan Purwanto said sex tapes were often used to hurt political rivals, but he thought the motive in this case was blackmail. "What [the perpetrator] was after is not the daughter but the father," he said. "They also wanted to see the political party that supports them to suffer."

The sex tape allegedly showed Karolin and another PDI-P lawmaker, Aria Bima, who has repeatedly denied that he is the man in the tape. The video, circulated widely online, could breach two laws – the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions and the Anti-Pornography Law.

"We can investigate the couple involved or investigate the person uploading the video," National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said. "The investigation is already ongoing."

A source close to the case who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter said it was not Aria in the video, but a man identified only by the initials E.G.M., whom Aria had implicated earlier. The source said the pair had started a company called Advance Borneo and when it failed he got angry and released the tape.

Making and distributing pornography is illegal under the 2008 Anti- Pornography Law and carries up to 12 years in prison.

Land disputes & evictions

Farmers, activists protest land conversions in Central Java

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2012

Ainur Rohmah, Semarang – Farmers and activists in Central Java are expressing concern over what they claim is rampant conversion of agricultural fields.

They argue that the practice is not only threatening food security but are also potentially creating conflicts.

The Semarang Legal Aid Institute (LBH) reported that the practices had triggered conflicts in Batang regency, Semarang municipality, Semarang regency and Kudus regency this year.

"The conversions have been done mostly for two reasons: in the name of development and for the sake of investors," the operational head of LBH Semarang, Andiyono, told The Jakarta Post in Semarang on Tuesday.

He said the majority of conflicts originating from land conversions could be attributed to a lack of communication between investors, local administrations and the affected communities.

"A lack of analysis of environmental impacts has worsened the condition as conversions have caused environmental damage," he said.

Separately, the Association of Prosperous Indonesian Farmers and Fishermen (PPNSI) has been urging the Central Java provincial administration to stop its planned conversion of 300,000 hectares of agricultural fields for non- agricultural purposes.

"It must be stopped right away. Otherwise, it will threaten the province's existence as a national food production center," PPNSI secretary-general Riyono said.

Riyono blamed the governor of Central Java for not being firm with regents and mayors who issued conversion permits.

According to the PPNSI, uncontrolled conversions of agricultural fields have been rife since 2006, occurring at a rate of between 2,300 and 2,500 hectares of agricultural land a year.

The figure is equal to 0.23 to 0.25 percent of the critical irrigation fields in the province, amounting to 996,000 hectares.

A survey, Riyono said, showed that 40.5 percent of the land used for industrial activities in the province were formerly agricultural fields and another 47 percent used to be horticultural fields.

He suggested the Central Java Legislative Council enact a bylaw that would ensure the agricultural use of designated fields. Drafted in 2005, the planned bylaw is expected to help control agricultural field conversions.

"A slack of regulation has made agricultural fields easier to convert. If nothing is done I am afraid that within the next 10 years all of the fertile lands will disappear from the province," Riyono said.

Protests and demands for transparency have also come from farmers.

Dozens of farmers from Kudus regency went to the Central Java Information Commission on Monday, demanding transparency in the acquisition of land allocated for the construction a local reservoir.

"The people have been rarely involved in the acquisition process. Deliberation with the locals has been denied," one of the protesters, Harjono, said.

Last month, hundreds of farmers from Batang regency staged a rally in the provincial capital demanding transparency on plans to convert their agricultural fields to a steam-fueled power plant site.

Andiyono of LBH Semarang said that conflicts that emerged due to lack of government transparency could be settled through a non-litigation mechanism, such as through mediation facilitated by the information commission.

"If both parties agree to settle the dispute, there should be a mediator considered as neutral enough to mediate the case," he said.

Armed forces & defense

Defense ministry, TNI must deal with internal, external threats: Minister

Jakarta Globe - May 27, 2012

Indonesia needs its Defense Ministry and the Armed Forces not only to deter external threats but also to deal with internal provocations, according to Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

"The existence of the Defense Ministry and TNI [Indonesian Armed Forces] is not only to face external threats. There is also what is called internal threats; terrorism and separatism and other threats necessitating deterrents," Purnomo said in a recent television interview carried by BeritaSatu TV, a sister company of the Jakarta Globe.

In a taping that aired on Thursday, he told the "Impact" talk show that besides terrorism and separatism, the country also faced newer "internal threats" such as cybercrimes and attacks.

"Nowadays, threats have developed," he said, adding that the military also played a role in non-war deployments, such as to assist in dealing with natural disasters.

He said threats to the nation were no longer limited to those posed by other countries, but they could now come from individuals or organizations and could be rational or irrational, as well as potentially asymmetric in nature.

Purnomo also said any country looking to boost its bargaining power on the world diplomatic stage needed a strong military. "Whether you like it or not, the deterrent effect, the effect provided by a defense power, will influence bargaining in diplomacy. The strong countries are those that conduct their diplomacy well, too," he said.

The minister said the involvement of the Defense Ministry or TNI in dealing with internal threats depended on the scale of escalation deemed appropriate. He cited as examples the sectarian unrest in Ambon and in Poso in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when soldiers were involved, but only in providing assistance to police.

In Aceh, however, where around the same time separatists put the nation's territorial integrity at risk, the military was directly involved.

That decision was bolstered by the declaration of a military operational zone in the region, Purnomo said. "It is clear that there are rules to the game," he added.

He said there were often misconceptions about situations in which the military was directly dealing with security issues, including in Papua, where pro-independence sentiment has been on the rise.

But Purnomo said in the restive eastern province, police were the ones responsible for safeguarding regional peace and security, with the TNI serving only as a backup force to assist law enforcement personnel. He said a law on national security being debated at the House of Representatives was expected to more clearly define the respective jurisdictions of the police and TNI.

Purnomo also said he hoped that if the law was passed, it could become the embryo for a National Security Council, to be headed by the president and to include among its members the heads of the TNI and the National Police. The ministers of foreign and home affairs as well as several representatives from civil society would also be included.

"The various threats from inside and outside the country would be addressed in this National Security Council," Purnomo said.

Porsche with military plates riles officials

Jakarta Globe - May 25, 2012

A member of House Commission I called on Friday for the Indonesian military to confiscate a luxurious Porsche Cayenne Turbo allegedly owned by a member of the military.

"Please confiscate the [Porsch] using a military vehicle registration plate," Fayakhun Andriadi told Antara. "Don't let [the owner] go free, as this is tainting the image and dignity of the Indonesian military."

A citizen took a photo of the Porsche Cayenne that was parked at Soekarno Hatta airport, and sent the photo to Detik.com. The amateur photographer, Pranistara, said he had just arrived from Yogyakarta when saw several parked military vehicles (identifiable by their license plates) – the Porsche was conspicuously among the other cars.

The price of Porsche Cayenne on the Indonesian market is around Rp 3.85 billion (almost $416,000) before taxes.

Fayakhun said that it was "not appropriate" for a military member to show off such a lavish vehicle amid average Indonesian's who are "struggling for a living."

"On behalf of Indonesian people, I'm upset with that show-off attitude – it really taints the image of military," he said. "The owner needs to learn a lesson, and the car [should be] confiscated to the state."

Indonesian Military spokesman Rear Adm. Iskandar Sitompul said that he would investigate the extravagant car. "That kind of car could not fulfill any specification for a military [official]," Iskandar told detik.com.

"If the car is [Toyota] Kijang or Avanza, it is normal to be used by members in carrying out duties – but we need to investigate if it is Porsche."

Foreign affairs & trade

HRWG deplores Yudhoyono's 'lack of diplomatic skills'

Jakarta Globe - May 25, 2012

Febriamy Hutapea & Ezra Sihite – The Geneva-based Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) deplored on Friday President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's move to trade clemency for a convicted Australian drug smuggler in exchange for the release of Indonesian minors in Australian jails.

HRGW said in a statement that to grant Australian Schapelle Corby clemency was one of several indications showing Yudhoyono's incapability of properly using diplomacy to secure the release of young imprisoned Indonesian fishermen arrested for taking illegal migrants to Australia.

"HRWG condemns the granting of clemency in trade for the release the [minors]. It is President Yudhoyono's responsibility to seriously engage in diplomacy to free those fishermen," it said.

Scorn was also aired the People's Consultative Assembly Deputy Chairman (MPR) Hajriyanto Thohari, who said that although the clemency did not violate the laws, it went against the government's own "war on drugs."

"The granting of clemency for Corby is the most ironic [occurrence] in 2012," Hajriyanto said in an e-mail on Friday. Such clemency, he said, should have been decided based on legal and formal approaches, and recommendations from the Supreme Court.

Tourism & hospitality

Jakarta 'slum tourism' treads between aid and exploitation

Agence France Presse - May 31, 2012

Loic Vennin – "I decided to experience the real Jakarta," said a tourist, stepping gingerly between puddles of putrid water and a scurrying rat in a scene that would never make a postcard.

Rohaizad Abu Bakar, 28, a bank employee from Singapore, said he could not believe his eyes as he wandered around the slum in the Indonesian capital, a jumble of hundreds of shacks, some less than a meter from a railway line.

Nearby, a small girl picked up a discarded juice bottle in search of a sip while a man wearing tattered shorts lay slumped on a dirty old mattress. Only a blue plastic tarpaulin offered shelter from tropical downpours.

So-called "poverty tourism" is on the rise in Jakarta. Organizers say it raises awareness and brings aid to the destitute of the city, but accusations of exploitation are never far away and critics say poverty should not be a tourist attraction.

A few hundred families cram into the slum in the Tanah Abang neighbourhood, minutes from gleaming shopping malls where the likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton compete to lure the newly-minted beneficiaries of Indonesia's economic miracle.

Abu Bakar opted against the picturesque landscapes of other parts of the country to instead join a "Jakarta Hidden Tours" trip, which aims to show visitors the squalid conditions of the nation's poor.

"Tourists stay in their ghetto. We show what is really Jakarta," said Ronny Poluan, 59, an Indonesian documentary maker who created the non-profit organization in 2008.

Recent years have seen "poverty tourism" mushroom globally, from the favelas of Brazil to the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai, popularized by the film "Slumdog Millionaire".

"We have about 10 tours per month, with two to four tourists each time. More and more people are coming, some now even come just for my tour," Poluan said.

"I've had tourists from as far away as Washington. They're not only backpackers, but also businessmen, bankers," he added before being cut short by shouting reverberating around the slum.

"Kereta! Kereta!" ("A train, a train") cried mothers rushing to grab children playing on the track as a roaring locomotive approached, whipping up clouds of dust and garbage as it surged towards the flimsy-looking shacks. The train recently claimed the life of one little girl who died as she ran after her cat.

Poverty as a tourist attraction

The slum dwellers, like half of Indonesia, live on less than two dollars per day. Each tourist pays 500,000 rupiah ($54) to visit, with half of that going to the tour company, and the rest funding doctor visits, microfinance projects or community projects such as school building.

"I don't give cash. I pay the doctors directly for example," said Poluan. But that does not reassure some critics.

"I'm against slums being turned into tourist spots," Wardah Hafidz, an activist with the Urban Poor Consortium, told AFP. "It's not about shame. People should not be exhibited like monkeys in the zoo.

"What residents get from these tours, in cash or whatever form, only strips them of their dignity and self respect, turning them into mere beggars. They not only become dependent on handouts, but come to expect them. It doesn't help them to believe they are capable of standing on their own two feet or getting them out of the spiral of poverty," she added.

Nonetheless, residents say they look forward to the daily influx of foreigners witnessing their lifestyles.

"I like that foreigners want to know about us. It's good they want to know about us," said Djoko, a father in his fifties, as he removed labels from a pile of glass and plastic bottles before selling them for recycling.

Tourists deny voyeurism, instead saying that what they witness inspires them to action. "If I had not seen it, I would not have done anything about it," said Caroline Bourget.

A teacher at Jakarta's French school, she is now discussing setting up a mobile school in the slum to give disadvantaged children a better chance in life. "Here we are at the heart of reality," she said.

Mining & energy

Activists blockade Mahakam river in protest of subsidized fuel quota

Jakarta Globe - May 30, 2012

Tunggadewa Mattangkilang & Camelia Pasandaran, Samarinda – As many as 500 people from 12 individual groups have set up a blockade of ships carrying coal on Mahakam River in Samarinda on Wednesday in protest of Kalimantan's low subsidized fuel quota.

"We launched this action at 9 a.m. this morning. We have prepared 10 boats lining the river under the Mahakam bridge," Mahakam Blockade Action spokesman Endrianto said in Samarinda on Wednesday. "If the government will only fulfill our demands in a month, then we will only end our action after a month," he added.

Victor Juan, the head of the East Kalimantan branch of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI), one of the groups taking part in the blockade, added that two watch posts had been set up under the Mahakam bridge to ensure that no tug boats or barges carrying coal could pass through.

"We've built blockade posts for the Mahakam river. We'll guard these posts 24 hours [a day], and we've prepared two speedboats that are ready to chase after boats that try to pass through," Victor said.

A number of organizations in Kalimantan have been protesting the small quota of subsidized fuel allotted for the entire island – only 5 percent of the total national quota – which has led to long queues in gas stations in Kalimantan provinces for the past month, especially after the increases in non-subsidized fuel prices in April.

The groups have long been threatening to organize a blockade if the government failed to add the quota.

"We are the regions that produce [fuel], but we've been abandoned. Only in Kalimantan do people queue for fuel. There are no queues in Java and other regions," Endrianto said.

He added the 12 groups also demand transparency in the transfer of state funds from the central government to regional administrations, as well the government's firm action against companies that fail to perform reclamation, or restoring areas that have been affected by mining activities.

But East Kalimantan Governor Awang Farouk Ishak warned the groups about setting up a blockade, saying it would only "cause detriment to people, especially businesses."

Home Affairs Ministry Spokesman Reydonnyzar Moenek, said on Wednesday that representatives of the central government, the East Kalimantan administration and some civil society organizations in the province were currently holding a meeting to seek a solution.

"There must be win-win solution for both the central and regional interests," Reydonnyzar told The Jakarta Globe by phone.

SBY announces five new policies to cut subsidized fuel use

Jakarta Globe - May 29, 2012

Arientha Primanita – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced five new policies on Tuesday aimed at reducing government expenditures on subsidized fuel, including limiting its sale to certain types of customers and using an IT system to monitor its consumption.

Yudhoyono said the government would control subsidized fuel sales through "advanced information technology."

"We will electronically record ownership and physical data of each vehicle," Yudhoyono said at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. "Every time the vehicle purchases fuel, the amount of subsidized fuel purchased will be recorded automatically, and we'll know how much [subsidized fuel] each person purchases every day.

"This measure will guarantee transparent and accountable control of subsidized fuel consumption, and make it well-targeted." The president did not say exactly how the IT system would work, nor explain the time frame for the implementation. He also did not mention how the government would deal with results of the recorded individual fuel purchases.

The president also announced four other policies, which had been drafted since the House of Representatives rejected the government's proposal to raise subsidized fuel prices starting on April 1, following an increase in global oil prices.

The second policy, he said, was a ban on officials and employees of state enterprises from using subsidized fuel for state-owned vehicles they use.

The third was a similar ban for vehicles used by plantation and mining companies. Special stickers will be attached on those vehicles signifying that they can't buy subsidized fuel.

Yudhoyono said oil and gas regulator BPH Migas would work with law enforcers and regional governments to supervise the implementation of the sticker policy.

"[State oil and gas firm] Pertamina will build more gas stations that sell non-subsidized fuel to meet the needs of mines and plantations," Yudhoyono said.

The fourth policy, he said, is the promotion of alternative gas-based fuel, known as BBG, to replace kerosene and diesel.

Number five is a campaign to minimize fuel consumption through reduced use of electricity in government offices, state enterprises' offices and on the streets.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik explained that the electronic recording system had been tested in Kalimantan and could detect vehicles that repeatedly purchased subsidized fuel.

"This is aimed at preventing repeated filling [of subsidized fuel]," Jero told journalists after Yudhoyono's speech on the government's new fuel saving policies.

Jero said the government was planning to start implementing the five new measures on June 1. He added the government was targeting to save Rp 5 trillion ($535 million) in subsidy budget as of December 2012, with the implementation of the new policies.

The government has allotted Rp 137.3 trillion for fuel subsidies and Rp 64.9 trillion for electricity subsidies in the revised 2012 state budget. (BeritaSatu/JG)

Analysis & opinion

Thugs in religious clothing, Lady Gaga, and the dangers of liberalism

Jakarta Globe - May 29, 2012

Olin Monteiro – Does anybody really believe that a concert can stir a mass of people to devote themselves to the devil, let alone change them to become immoral individuals? I don't buy that.

The cancellation of Lady Gaga's Jakarta show, triggered by a bunch of thugs dressed in religious attire, made headlines all over the world. But do these people even know who Lady Gaga is? Prior to her cancelled Jakarta concert, did they even listen to her songs?

Her scheduled June 3 concert had to be scrapped by promoter Big Daddy Entertainment after the National Police refused to issue a permit following demands from hard-line Islamist groups. A representative of the government warned the promoter to be aware of Indonesian's traditions and culture and later to "tone down" the show. The pros and cons of Gaga's show sparked fiery debates between those who support freedom of expression and those who demand the singer to be banned from performing in the capital under a noble morality.

The most shocking statement, however, came from the Jakarta Globe's editorial piece on Monday. It said the cancellation "was definitely the right decision." The title itself, "Gaga Concert Is Too Hot for Indonesia," was a larger issue, as it insinuates the country cannot handle a superstar as big as Gaga.

What surprised me most was the editorial's last paragraph: "We must accept that Indonesian society is different and that we cannot be expected to be as liberal as other societies." Cannot be as liberal as other societies? Shocking, isn't it?

Why is the writer afraid of liberalism? Is liberalism necessarily bad? Can the influence of so-called liberalists change our "Indonesian values" overnight? Is liberalism positively correlated with moral degradation?

I have been blogging for the Globe for a few months now – I'm thankful for the opportunity that allows me to express my thoughts on literature, film and women's issues – but I am deeply disappointed by the paper's Monday editorial.

The way I see it, the editorial is a form of withdrawal from the freedom of expression that is expected from a progressive media like the Jakarta Globe. I can't help but wonder, does the editorial side with Jakarta's elites or does it really reflect the views of many of its readers?

A failed country is one that cannot protect the rights of its citizens. The demand of a small group of Islamist hard-liners, followed by the police's refusal to issue a permit, is seen as the rise of powerful conservative Islam in the country. Why did the government make the religious group's demand such a high priority? Why didn't the government support its citizens' cultural rights and the freedom of expression? Something suspicious might be brewing behind all this controversy. It's either shady business deals or political games.

Lady Gaga is certainly not the first international singer whose costumes, stage designs and songs deal with complexity. Indonesia has hosted numerous international acts who brought about the same level, if not more, of sensuality and provocation in their performances. As far as I'm aware, there hadn't been any ban or cancellation.

The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has often acted selfishly. It once stopped an art exhibition that displayed photography and installation works of artists Agus Suwage and Davy Linggar; attacked a number of night clubs in South Jakarta; injured activists during peace demonstration at Monas in 2008; banned an Islamic sect called Ahmadiyah; harassed pluralist activists; violently stopped Canadian writer Irshad Manji's book discussions; and countless others.

Where have the police gone? To say I'm disappointed with the police is an understatement, as they did not perform their duty to protect the citizens. We Indonesians are taking risks to expressing our faith and our culture. The idea of freedom of expression seems so far away for many Indonesians. There is no protection and security in this country while the FPI spreads hatred and creates chaos.

By supporting groups like the FPI, the media only worsens the situation. With its preachy statement, the Globe gave hard-line religious groups a platform to bombard mass opinions. The media has the power to educate the masses and to influence policymakers. The media must use such power wisely.

The editorial speaks about protecting Indonesia from moral degradation that Lady Gaga brings through "what she sings and the lyrics of her songs. It is about the lack of morality she represents." Excuse you, Indonesia today is consumed by historical and deep-rooted corruption. Do we really need to bring up morality issue here while the people who run this country themselves lack of morality?

The cancellation neither protects Indonesians from liberalism nor does it save diminished "Indonesian values." It only strengthens the fact that this country bows down to thugs, shows weak law enforcement, is manipulated by businesspeople and supported by biased media. The victim in this tangled relationship is the people of Indonesia.

[Olin Monteiro is a writer and feminist working in Jakarta.]

Shariah advocates must put into practice its history of tolerance

Jakarta Globe - May 28, 2012

Imam Shofwan – In August 2002, a number of Islam-based political parties demanded the Jakarta Charter be included in the Constitution, which would mean that Muslims in Indonesia would have the obligation to live according to the prescriptions of Shariah law.

The effort was supported by a large number of – mainly hard-line – Islamic organizations, but nevertheless failed to pass through the House of Representatives, in part due to opposition from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the – also Islam-based – National Awakening Party (PKB).

The Islamists had to change strategy. In 2004 a new law on regional autonomy gave them the opportunity they had been hoping for. They set about implementing "Shariah from below" by advocating across the archipelago local Shariah laws, which often included rules such as women being required to wear the hijab, and couples wanting to marry needing to read the Koran.

Islamic groups have long argued that their brand of "Shariah from below" need not alarm any skeptics. The reality, however, is that attacks on religious minorities have been frequent and even deadly in a number of regions were such laws have been implemented.

One proponent of Shariah, M.S. Kaban of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), has said that: "If Shariah is applied, the benefit is not just for the unity of Indonesia but also for a fair and cultural humanity, and for social justice for the whole of society." Ma'ruf Amin of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) and Ismail Yusanto of the Liberation Party of Indonesia (HTI) echoed this sentiment. There was nothing to fear, they all said.

Hidayat Nur Wahid of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has argued, in a slightly different vein, that minority rights could be protected under a social contract similar to one that existed on the Arabian peninsular in the 7th century and formed the basis of the first Islamic caliphate: the Charter of Medina. It was an agreement between the Muslim, Jewish, Christian and pagan tribes of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad first came to power. "Not only Muslims have the obligation to implement the Islamic Shariah; other groups [Jews and Christians in Medina] were given the authority to implement their religious orders," Hidayat said.

There have been successes at the national level for the Shariah proponents, like the 2008 Law on Pornography. And there are restrictions on the building of houses of worship issued in 2006 and a joint ministerial decree severely limiting the activities of the minority Ahmadiyah sect. But the "Shariah from below" program runs particularly smoothly. Nowadays, at least 151 local Shariah bylaws have been adopted across Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra and West Nusa Tenggara.

In those areas, are adherents of minority religions sufficiently protected from persecution?

According to data released by the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, in 2010 there were at least 216 violations of religious freedom in areas that had implemented Shariah bylaws. West Java, East Java, Jakarta and North Sumatra were areas of particular concern.

Pandeglang, in Banten, began to apply Shariah bylaws in 2004. The goal was to minimize social relations among students and that effectively led to gender separation. But the defenders of Shariah in Pandeglang have not stopped at preventing boys and girls from mingling at schools; they also harass the Ahmadiyah there.

The Feb. 6, 2011, violence against the Ahmadis in the Cikeusik subdistrict of Pandeglang was the worst such violation in recent years. Three died in an attack by a large mob. The maximum prison sentence handed down was six months.

In Lombok, the Ahmadis suffered outright persecution. Houses were burned and access to electricity cut. All Ahmadis were expelled from Bayan, West Lombok. In 2001, persecution shifted to Pancor, in East Lombok. Local authorities gave the persecuted Ahmadis two options: leave Ahmadiyah or leave Pancor. All chose to leave Pancor. Across West Nusa Tenggara, of which Lombok is part, at least 11 Shariah bylaws are in effect: from liquor bans and compulsory Friday prayer attendance for Muslims to zakat pay cuts for civil servants.

But Ahmadis, whom mainstream Muslims say have a deviant understanding of the finality of Muhammad's prophethood, are not the only targets.

Alexander Aan, an aspiring public servant in Dharmasraya district in West Sumatra, is another. On Jan. 18 this year, he was beaten and dragged to the police by a mob after questioning the existence of God in a Facebook status update. Instead of protecting him, police took him into custody and named him a suspect for defaming Islam. Is this the protection promised by pro- Shariah groups?

Sampang district in Madura – again an area that has implemented Shariah bylaws – is home to followers of the Shiite branch of Islam. There, homes, mosques and schools of Shiites were burned in December 2011. Tajul Muluk, their leader, has been charged with blasphemy.

West Java is among Indonesia's most "Islamized" provinces, with at least 30 Shariah bylaws. But violence against Ahmadis and Christians is common there.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has a key role to play in the protection of religious freedom, which is guaranteed in the 1945 Constitution. The fact that the MUI's Ma'ruf remains a key advisor on religious affairs is unlikely to help. In 2006, Ma'ruf helped draft the rules aimed at curbing the number of churches in this country. And in 2008, Ma'ruf supported the government's decision to outlaw Ahmadiyah proselytizing.

So it is about time the so-called defenders of Shariah make good on their promise and start offering protection to minorities – just like what used to be the case during the life of the Prophet Muhammad himself under the Charter of Medina.