Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – To remind mall-rats that their money can serve other purposes than simply shopping, Islamic charity organizations have gone to the malls and opened for business.

Alms foundations, such as Dompet Dhuafa and the Community Caring Justice Post (PKPU), have set up counters in various malls and shopping centers. That way, whenever Muslims go to shop they are reminded that they also have a duty to give away some of their money to the less fortunate, particularly ahead of the highly consumptive Idul Fitri celebrations.

"We can't just wait passively [to collect alms]. We have to, as the saying goes, 'get on the ball', and we see that potential zakat [alms] payers go to malls," Dompet Dhuafa executive director Ahmad Juwaini said.

Zakat, mandatory alms, is one of the five pillars of Islam. Paying zakat through malls breaks from the tradition of channeling it through mosques or giving it directly to the needy.

Dompet Dhuafa, the private alms foundation that pioneered professional zakat management in Indonesia in 1993, first opened their counters in office buildings, such as the Jakarta Stock Exchange, according to Ahmad. Eventually, they spotted the potential of malls. In Jakarta, its counters can be found at Senayan City and Plaza Senayan, as well as Blok M Plaza and Pejaten Village.

Handaka Santosa, head of the Indonesian Association of Shopping Centers (APPBI) said that shopping centers were commonly used as meeting points. "We can use them to create awareness of zakat and provide the facilities for that," he said.

The emergence of Dompet Dhuafa has led to the establishment of 19 national private alms foundations in addition to the government-run National Alms Agency (BAZNAS) and its regional chapters. Zakat collection by these faith-based charitable organizations continues to rise with an average increase of 24 percent annually. Last year, the organizations collected Rp 1.7 trillion (US$178.5 million).

Ahmad said that while the majority of zakat donations come through online bank transfers, donations from zakat counters in malls can account for more than Rp 1 billion.

PKPU deputy CEO Sri Adi Bramasetia said that counters at malls were quite effective in collecting mandatory and voluntary donations. Last year, the counters collected Rp 1.8 billion in mandatory and voluntary alms, he said. In addition, Ahmad said, "because the owners and managers of other counters in the malls see us every day, we reach them as well."

Online gamblers handed four months in prison

Jakarta Post - August 15, 2012

Eleven poker players, who were found guilty of gambling on the social networking site Facebook, were sentenced to four months and 10 days in prison at Medan District Court on Tuesday.

The verdict was read out by the three presiding judges – Agus Setiawan, L.Sinurat and Rumintang – in three different sessions, which began at around 11 a.m.

Agus Setiawan said the defendants had violated Article 303 of the Criminal Code for their involvement in gambling. Prosecutors Sani Sianturi and Juliana Tarihoran had previously sought a seven-month sentence for each gambler.

Of the 11 defendants, seven were poker players and the other four were operators and cashiers who traded the online chips.

The seven poker players were identified as: A Seng, aka M. Ikhsan; Eman, aka Liang Sun; Haris Pratama Putra; Hendry, aka A Hen; Kesuma Wijaya Sidauruk; M Nasir Dalimunthe, aka Aldo; and M. Zulfikar.

The four others were identified as: Edi, aka A Wie, who was an Internet shop cashier; Bun Seng, aka A Seng; Deni Agriawan; and Herwin, aka A Cong, all of whom acted as operators and transferred gaming chips.

The judges also ruled that Rp 7 million (US$735) in evidence would be confiscated by the state, while the 33 computers and other documents, seized at the Supernet Internet Cafe, would be destroyed.

West Papua

Police officer shot and killed in Papua

Jakarta Globe - August 21, 2012

Jayapura – An unidentified shooter shot a policeman to death at Enarotali airport in the Paniai district of West Papua on Tuesday morning, according to officials.

Papua Police Spokesman Sr. Comr. Yohannes Nugroho said Brig. Yohan Kasiwaitouw was shot while he was washing a car at the end of the airport runway.

"We predict that the perpetrator who killed Yohan Kasiwaitouw in Paniai this morning used a revolver, because we found the projectile not far from the crime scene," Yohannes said.

Yohannes said that the perpetrator might be member of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), who the police often blame when confronted with unidentified suspects. Police say they're hunting for the perpetrator.

Deputy chief of Papua police Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said on Tuesday that "after Yohan was shot from a near distance, the perpetrator allegedly took away his weapon."

Paulus added that police do not plan to beef up security by adding personnel or implementing a night curfew in Paniai. "There are enough military members in Paniai, and they're searching for the murderer."

Church leader in Enarotali said the Paniai district is especially quiet after the shooting. "People are afraid to go out of their houses," Marko Kanas Pekei said. "All shops and restaurants are closed. There are only police and military officers patrolling."

Indonesian government official shot to death in Papua

Jakarta Globe - August 18, 2012

Ayub Natanubun, head of the forestry agency of Papua's Sarmi district, was shot by an unidentified gunman near the border of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea on Saturday afternoon.

Ayub, 50-years-old, was driving his car over the Skanto bridge, near the border area in the Keerom district, when he was shot from the left side of the road. His body has been taken to Dok Dua hospital in Jayapura.

The spokesman of the Papua police, Sr. Comr. Yohannes Nugroho, told Antara news agency that he had not received a complete report about the incident since the Keerom police are still investigating the case.

"After a scene investigation is completed, we may be able to provide the information," Yohannes said.

This incident adds to the list of attacks by unidentified gunmen in the restive region. Last month, three people were found stabbed to death in Ndeotadi in the Paniai district of Papua, including a member of the Indonesian Military (TNI).

NAPAS slams president's speech on West Papua as deceptive, indifferent

Cahayareformasi.com - August 18, 2012

Surabaya (CARE) – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's speech on August 16 took up several issues related to West Papua, including that it is not easy to solve the Papuan problem, that it needs measures that are specific, basic and comprehensive, that we have to integrate these measures to accelerate development in Papua.

Therefore special autonomy (Otsus) for Papua and West Papua is our basic framework to manage public services, development and regional governments. In order to ensure that development is in accordance with plans and policies, of both the central and regional governments, the government has formed the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B), which is working to ensure the synergy, synchronisation and coordination all agents of development. It is by this means that, in a systematic manner, we can accelerate improvements to the people's standard of living in the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

Papua National Solidarity (NAPAS) coordinator Marten Goo is of the view that this is actually an effort on the part of the head of state to deceive the public. Resolving the Papua problem would actually be easy, if the central government is prepared to open up to the Papuan people through a democratic process beginning with a dialogue or negotiations.

"In actual fact, the central government is making the problem more difficult, and we (NAPAS - ed.) are of the view that the central government has hidden interests with regard to Papua", said Goo in a press release sent to cahayareformasi.com.

The speech, continued Goo, shows that President Yudhoyono is indifferent to the needs of the ordinary people, above all the Papuan people. The president is inviting the people to have false hopes. Yet up until now these two things [dialogue and negotiations] have not been implemented, and instead humanitarian crimes continue to be committed in Papua.

"The government's programs such as special autonomy, the UP4B and breaking up the region into new provinces and districts will only complicate the Papuan problem. Humanitarian crimes will only increase instead", said Goo.

In his speech, the president asserted that the government is implementing the UP4B for the sake of the Papuan people. The UP4B is a central government program that is being forced on the Papuan people. Special autonomy meanwhile, which has a higher position than the UP4B, has not been consistently implemented by the central government.

Because of this therefore, Goo believes that the UP4B is just an effort by the government to divert attention and stifle the Papuan people's good intentions to immediately hold a dialogue and negotiations to resolve the Papuan problem comprehensively.

"The state must immediately hold negotiations between Jakarta and Papua, which are mediated by a neutral third party. The president must immediately stop deceiving the public by trading off the Papuan people for a profit in the name of development and the like, through statements and speeches that are illogical", he asserted. (Ones Madai)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Rally blame US for Papua rights abuses

UCANews - August 16, 2012

Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Dozens of Papuans rallied in front of the US Embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday, saying that New York Agreement signed 50 years ago had led to oppression and human rights violations.

"The agreement is an entry point for suppression of Papuans," said Marthen Goo of the National Papuan Solidarity, which coordinated the rally. Goo said the US had economic motives for the treaty paved the way for an "undemocratic and at gunpoint" approach by the Indonesian government.

The New York Agreement was signed on August 15, 1962 at the UN headquarters in New York, ending the territorial dispute between the Netherlands and Indonesia over West Papua. The treaty led to 1969's "the act of free choice" – a highly disputed election that had West Papuans agree to remain with Indonesia.

However, according to Goo, arranging the treaty was a US strategy to build cooperation with the Indonesian government in order to manage Papua's natural wealth. The agreement, he said, has created a "master and guard" relationship in which Indonesia is the US's guard dog in the exploitation of Papua's natural resources.

Both the US and Indonesian governments have robbed much from Papua and given very little to local people, said Meki Wetipo, one of demonstrators. He urged the US government to investigate human rights violations, environmental destruction, and the appropriation of land, especially by the gold mining company Freeport, Inc.

"Human rights violations are so great here, a trauma for Papuans. They have caused the fight for independence," said Reverend Benny Giay, a church leader in Papua.

According to a report of the Institute for Human Rights Studies (ELSHAM) and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) on Tuesday, there are 749 unresolved human rights abuses in Papua since the 1970s. Those were identified as killing of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Lush plans banned Morning Star flag shop protest for Papuans

Pacific Scoop - August 16, 2012

Suze Metherell – The "banned" Morning Star flag of West Papuan independence will be displayed in shop fronts across New Zealand next week.

The flag, which is illegal in both Indonesian-ruled Melanesian provinces in the region of West Papua, will be displayed in Lush natural cosmetics stores as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the indigenous independence struggle.

The campaign will run in conjunction with New Zealand-based West Papuan advocacy group, the Indonesia Human Rights Committee.

Megan Taylor, Lush's campaign manager, says the Morning Star flag – the symbol of the independence movement of West Papua – will hang in shop windows all next week. On Wednesday, employees will hold a protest outside their stores, with tape over their mouths to symbolise the lost voice of West Papuans.

Currently international journalists are forbidden from entering West Papua and the Indonesian media has been accused of misrepresenting the self- determination movement.

Margaret Taylor, activism support manager at Amnesty International, says there are grave concerns about human rights in the two West Papua provinces. Media not free "The media is not free there. A free media is one of the best ways to guarantee that human rights will be respected - and in the region some of the media has been targeted," Taylor says.

Maire Leadbeater, spokesperson for the Indonesia Human Rights Committee, says the restrictions on the media limit greater global awareness of the issue. "It's partly deliberate policy on the part of Indonesians to restrict access to West Papua," Leadbeater says.

"It is a tragedy really, that a country, which is a Melanesian nation in every other way, geographically, culturally, and ethnically and should be part of our Pacific, has been kept separate in that way. The Pacific neighbours find it hard to understand what is happening there because we only see so little information about it," she says.

West Papua is internationally recognised as part of Indonesia, despite over 40 years of separatist movements by indigenous West Papuans.

Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty will also attend next week's protest. Delahunty believes the situation is becoming increasingly desperate for West Papuans.

Shot dead

On June 14, pro-independence leader Mako Tabuni was shot dead by Indonesian police. Tabuni had been campaigning for an investigation into the death of West Papuans at the hands of the Indonesian military.

"I think that the situation on the ground is getting worse, because really it's hard to keep hope alive that the government of Indonesia will recognise what is going on in terms of the self-determination of West Papua.

"I think there is a strong peace movement, and a strong leadership from the churches and many activists for a peaceful dialogue. But there are acts of violence but there is also a lot of provocation, deliberate provocation, by the Indonesians and military behaviour that is out of control," Delahunty says.

"It is very, very hard without an independent media, or even the Red Cross being allowed to be there to find out whether the situation is; whether there are more acts of violent resistance by West Papuans, or whether a lot of it is being provoked."

Leadbeater says since the 1960s Indonesia has increased its military presence in the area in a bid to keep control of the resource rich Freeport gold mine based in the province.

"For all of that time there has been a strong resistance to Indonesian rule sometimes led by a guerrilla movement, but a poorly armed guerrilla movement.

Rights abuses

"In many ways it is quite a close parallel to the East Timor situation. Because again you have a population that doesn't accept being ruled by Indonesia, you have very heavy militarisation and ongoing human rights abuses and massacres under Indonesian rule; it's a parallel in that situation," says Leadbeater.

Not only are there reports of human rights abuses by the Indonesian police and military in the area, but environmental degradation due to deforestation and illegal logging. Indonesia has also maintained an official policy of trans-migration to the province.

"The Indonesian migrants are now believed to be at a larger number in the total population than the indigenous Papuans," says Leadbeater.

"It does make it very difficult for self-determination once that starts to happen. [The Indonesian Government] arranged for the people to be encouraged to move from over from crowded islands to West Papua and set up little villages.

Pressure needed

Delahunty says New Zealand awareness surrounding Indonesia's involvement in West Papua needs to increase, so that the public can pressure the New Zealand government into action.

"We will not be giving up in raising awareness of the issue... I think we are far more likely to get greater awareness amongst New Zealand citizens who don't believe in unfairness and violence by the state. I think the government is a follower, definitely not a leader on this issue, sadly," says Delahunty.

Both Delahunty and Leadbeater agree that the government could take a tougher human rights approach to Indonesia. "There are things that New Zealand can do, that it's not doing. To some extent the fact that we have an ongoing military relationship with Indonesia undermines our human rights stand," says Leadbeater.

Delahunty says there is an opportunity for New Zealand to play a leadership role in the struggle, by offering to mediate between the two interests. "New Zealand could play a really good role and offer to negotiate a peace dialogue," says Delahunty.

Influential players

"I think that the West Papuan people would love to see either Australia or New Zealand, who are influential players in the region, with resources and influence to support a change in attitude from the Indonesians by calling for this peace dialogue.

"It may not be accepted by the Indonesians, but at least it would be an indication by the New Zealand government recognising the need for that kind of arbitration and that kind of dialogue."

Joe Collins, secretary of the Australians for West Papua Association (Sydney), says recognising West Papua as Melanesian is vital to self- determination and independence from Indonesia.

He thought awareness in Australia was increasing, and the Jakarta government was becoming increasingly concerned about the increasing international spotlight on the situation.

"I think, unfortunately, it will get a bit worse before it gets better." However, he says dialogue is the best way forward and international pressure will be a powerful tool for the people of the Morning Star. "I think the more publicity that happens, the more pressure will come on Jakarta and they will need to respond," he says.

The Lush Free West Papua campaign will run next week, and all proceeds from the sale of the Smell of Freedom perfume will be donated to Indonesia Human Rights Committee.

[Suze Metherell is a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies student journalist on the Asia-Pacific Journalism course at AUT University.]

Papuan protesters call on US to end military ties with Indonesia

Kompas.com - August 15, 2012

Vitalis Yogi Trisna, Jakarta – Coinciding with the commemoration of 50 years since the New York Agreement, Papuan National Solidarity (NAPAS) held a protest action in front of the United States Embassy in the Gambir area of Central Jakarta on Wednesday August 15.

"We are calling on the United States government to investigate human rights violations committed by PT Freeport through a legal trial in the United States", said action coordinator Marthen Goo. NAPAS also called on the US government to end military cooperation with Indonesia.

The New York Agreement was signed on August 15, 1962 in New York. According to Goo, the agreement represented the first chapter in the suppression of the Land of the Cenderawasih (Bird of Paradise, West Papua). "Indonesia, Holland and the United States intentionally made the agreement without involving representatives from the Papuan nation", said Goo.

The demonstration proceeded in an orderly fashion with traffic passing in front of the US Embassy largely unaffected.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Independence day

Independence Day celebration is less merry

Jakarta Post - August 18, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta, Yogyakarta – The Independence Day celebration on Friday caused little hype in Jakarta and other parts of the country, but it coincided with the exodus of millions of people from Jakarta and other big cities who wanted to celebrate Idul Fitri, expected to fall on Sunday, in their hometowns.

But for inmates who received sentence reductions as a part of the celebration, Independence Day meant that they were closer to their release from prison.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the state's flag-raising ceremony at Merdeka Palace, which was attended by hundreds of high-ranking officials, former state leaders and envoys of foreign states.

The decorations at the presidential compound were styled to reflect traditions from North Sumatra. Guests were welcomed by dancers performing the tortor dance, and the sounds of the gondang sambilan musical instrument from North Sumatra's Batak Mandailing ethnic group upon entering the compound. Ulos, the traditional fabrics from the North Sumatran Batak ethnic group, were also hung on trees.

Despite the North Sumatran dominance, the audience was also given a chance to observe performances of traditional dances and songs from other regions. The audience at this year's ceremony also witnessed 10 Indonesian Air Force F-16 and Sukhoi fighter jets flying over the city in a double-V formation.

"From 1,500 feet, we congratulate the country on the 67th anniversary of independence. Always be glorious, Indonesia," said one of the pilots, whose voice was channeled to the palace's loudspeakers, resulting in the audience's applause.

Outside the palace, Jakartans failed to share the festive mood of the occasion, which was marked by the local Indonesian domain of Google with a colorful doodle.

The capital saw yet another low-key Independence Day, as it fell during the Ramadhan fasting month. An underwater flag-raising event was held in the Shark Aquarium at Sea World Indonesia in Ancol, North Jakarta.

The government also granted an Independence Day sentence remission to thousands of inmates across Indonesia, including some high profile prisoners such as Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, tax graft convict Gayus H. Tambunan, and murderer and former pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto.

Corby was among those who enjoyed a six-month sentence reduction. In addition to a five-year clemency granted by President Yudhoyono earlier this year, she may be eligible for parole within the next few months.

Other foreign national inmates would also receive reductions during the Independence Day momentum, including Achim Franz Grabmann from Germany, Gary Matin Turner from the United Kingdom and Renae Lawrence from Australia, who have received six-month, four-month, and two-month sentence reductions respectively.

Meanwhile, in Yogyakarta, members of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities joined activists from non governmental organizations and religious leaders under the Network for Human Rights and Diversity (Jamgaman) and held a modest commemoration in Ndalem Notoprajan.

"The government never invites us to attend ceremonies, therefore we hold our own," Budi Wahyuni, one of the activists, said.

[Andreas D. Arditya and Bambang Muryanto contributed to this story.]

Independence Day commemoration celebrates sexual and cultural diversity

Our Voice - August 17, 2012

Yatna Pelangi – Marking Indonesia's 67th anniversary of independence, members of the transsexual, gay and lesbian community held an Independence Day commemoration in Ndalem Notoprajan in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Starting with a reflection on the struggle for liberation and a sense of nationalism, the Yogyakarta Network for Human Rights and Diversity (Jamgaman) held a flag rising ceremony.

Scores of Jamgaman activists, including members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LBGT) community, along with church leaders could be seen underneath the sun's intense heat singing and honoring the raising of the flag.

Through the Facebook page Upe Ha, one of the activists who took part in the commemoration said, "This activity reflects the symbolic love of a community that has been sidelined by the system because of a different life choice. Although to this day discrimination continues unabated, we still show a deep respect for the [independence] struggle.

The Upe Ha Facebook page added that the activity was a mutual reflection that the people that reside in Indonesia are diverse and from a variety of backgrounds, whether that diversity is sexual orientation, cultural diversity, religious diversity and other backgrounds. And the state and policy makers must return to understanding the real meaning of the word independence, not making new policies that instead "imprison" its citizens.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Palace slammed for lavish state ceremony

Jakarta Post - August 16, 2012

Jakarta – The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) has criticized the State Palace for its lavish spending on the Independence Day celebrations scheduled for Friday.

FITRA coordinator Uchok Sky Khadafi said that the Rp 7.33 billion (US$769,650) being spent on the flag-raising ceremony was wasteful spending by the government. "It is a fantastic amount of money for a state ceremonial event," Uchok said.

FITRA data shows that the State Palace has spent Rp 1.7 billion on souvenirs to be distributed to guests attending the ceremony. It also estimates that Rp 1.1 billion will be used to pay for the air-conditioning system for the annual event.

For amenities, the State Palace is spending Rp 440 million on buffet food for the guests and another Rp 180 million on snacks.

Uchok said that rather than spending so recklessly for the celebration, the State Palace have instead staged a modest celebration, relying for funding from contributions from local neighborhoods.

Human rights & justice

Apology to 1965 purge victims not necessary: GP Anshor

Jakarta Post - August 16, 2012

Jakarta – GP Anshor, the youth wing of Indonesia's Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has said that the government should not deliver a public apology to the victims of the 1965 purge.

GP Anshor was present at the NU office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday to push the biggest Muslim organization to reject the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) recent findings on the 1965 purge, which declared that the systematic prosecution of alleged members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was a gross human rights violation.

GP Anshor chairman Nusron Wahid said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should not follow Komnas HAM's recommendation to deliver a public apology to the victims.

"The President must not be obliged to make a public apology to the victims and survivors from the 1965 coup because it would be a forced settlement. Reconciliation must take place naturally and righteously," he said.

Instead, Nusron attempted to remind Indonesian of the alleged hidden threat of communism in the country. "We ask all citizens to stay alert to the rise of ideologies that are against Pancasila. There must not be any ideology allowed in the country but Pancasila," said Nusron, who arrived at the office with other mass organizations.

Responding to the groups, NU deputy chairman As'ad Said Ali said that all Indonesians should forget the 1965 purge. "PKI members killed many of NU's ulema. Yet, we never demanded [PKI members] be brought to trial for what they had done," he said. "It is better for us to forget and forgive what has happened in the past."

Last month, Komnas HAM announced that its had evidence that confirmed the systematic killings of suspected members of the PKI. Komnas HAM also said that military officials had also targeted innocent civilians during the operations, which took place across the nation.

Komnas HAM recommended that the government deliver a public apology to the victims and also that military officials who were involved in the purge be brought to trial. (lfr)

Groups reject justice for 1965 survivors

Jakarta Post - August 16, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A coalition of 23 civil society organizations has condemned the move by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to declare the anti-communist purge in 1965 a gross human rights violation and rejected the establishment of a tribunal to deal with human rights violations during the period.

The groups are also opposed to the plan by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to deliver an official apology to victims and survivors of the purge, arguing that they deserved their fate for violating the national ideology, Pancasila.

"We are against the idea of setting up a human rights court and ask all citizens to stay alert to the rise of ideologies that are against Pancasila. No ideology other than Pancasila should be allowed to exist here. The President should not be forced to make a public apology to the victims and survivors of the 1965 purge because it would be a forced reconciliation. Reconciliation must take place naturally and righteously," Nusron Wahid, leader of the Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor), a youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

The declaration was made at the headquarters of the NU in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. Nusron said that a decree from the 1966 Emergency People's Consultative Assembly, No. XXV on the prohibition of Marxism-Leninism, was still in place and was aimed at protecting the Indonesian people, who were religious people, from atheism.

GP Ansor and 22 other groups including veterans of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Arif Rahman Hakim Militia arrived at the NU headquarters on Wednesday to hold a meeting with the leadership of the country's largest Islamic group to gain support for their move.

Responding to demands from the coalition, NU deputy chairman As'ad Said Ali encouraged all Indonesians to forget the 1965 purge and move on. He said that NU also lost many figures during the period leading up to the aborted coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party. As'ad said that NU, however, demanded nothing in compensation.

"Members of the PKI killed many NU ulema during the coup but we never demanded they be brought to justice. Therefore, it's better to forgive and forget what happened in the past, and move on," he told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.

He also said that the late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, NU's respected leader and former president, would have made a similar suggestion in order to bring peace and reconciliation.

Gus Dur himself made a public apology to all victims and survivors of the 1965 events, and was reported to want to scrap the MPRS No. XXV Decree, which was the source of discrimination against the survivors.

Separately, NU deputy secretary-general Imanudin Rahmat said the issue would probably be discussed during the NU national meeting next month in Cirebon, West Java. "NU has yet to take an official stance regarding the matter. However, statements from these groups has inspired us to seriously question Komnas HAM's recommendations."

Government does not need to acknowledge 1965 crimes: NU youth wing

Kompas.com - August 15, 2012

Aditya Revianur, Jakarta – The chairperson of the Anshor Youth Movement (the youth wing of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama), Nusron Wahid, says that the government does not need to acknowledge past gross human rights violations, particularly the humanitarian tragedy in 1965- 1966.

It is not appropriate for the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to label the affair, which occurred during the Cold War era and took the lives of many victims, as a gross human rights violation, which according to Wahid, was just part of the spirit of the times.

"The government does not need to acknowledge human rights violations in the 1965 tragedy. Let alone try to uncover the masterminds behind the tragedy. It's not possible, the affair was zeitgeist (the spirit of the times). We don't need to dig up pass issues anymore", said Wahid, who is also a member of the House of Representative's (DPR) Commission XI, speaking at the Nahdlatul Ulama's Central Board (PBNU) offices in Jakarta on Wednesday August 15.

Wahid said that the 1965-1966 tragedy was an ideological one. If the issue is revealed, he continued, then the situation in Indonesia's will become unfavorable. It is improper for past issues to be revealed in the current period he said.

Anshor, he explained, is not trying to dispute history, but the historical [facts] of the 1965 affair should not be altered again just because of the results of the Komnas HAM investigation. "If it's revealed, do we want to develop the nation or invite another war? I reiterate again, the 65 issue was only a result of friction between elements of the nation", he added.

Wahid explained that the Indonesian Communist Party and Nahdlatul Ulama were victims of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. Law enforcement institutions, he insisted, through an ad hoc court, are not necessary to deal with cases of human rights violations in 1965- 1966.

It is sufficient if the affair be viewed as a historical lesson, so the current government does not need to acknowledge the affair. "An ad hoc court is unnecessary. Those who have been accused of being the perpetrators are dead. It's better for us to look to the future", he asserted.

Notes:

On the night of September 30, 1965 a group of middle-ranking military officers kidnapped six generals they accused of organising a coup against Indonesia's leftist President Sukarno. For reasons that remain unclear, the six were killed and their bodies dumped in a well in South Jakarta. By blaming the incident on the PKI, this provided the pretext for sections of the military, led by a Major General Suharto, to mount a bloody counter- revolution in which as many as 1 million communists and left wing sympathisers were killed. Hundreds of thousands of others were imprisoned for years without trial.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

NU, retired army officers reject apology for victims of 1965 killings

Kompas.com - August 15, 2012

Aditya Revianur, Jakarta – The Nahdlatul Ulama's Central Board (PBNU) with the support of retired army officers and mass organisations is strongly opposed any form of apology by the government or the Indonesian president for the 1965-1966 tragedy.

The reason for this is that the East and Central Java branches of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU, the largest Islamic mass organisation in Indonesia) have sent a letter to the PBNU strongly rejecting an apology to the victims of the 1965 tragedy.

"We (PBNU) reject an apology by SBY [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] to the victims of the 1965 tragedy. We believe that what needs to be promoted is reconciliation, not an apology", said PBNU Deputy Secretary General As'ad Said Ali at the declaration of "Be on Alert for the Revival of the PKI" (Indonesian Communist Party) at the PBNU's headquarters in Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday August 15.

Said expressed the view that as a nation it is better if the humanitarian tragedy of the 1965 affair be forgotten. Former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, he continued, has already provide space for the restoration of the rights of the descents of PKI members so an apology by the government to the victims of the 1965-1966 tragedy is unnecessary.

Aside from this, according to Ali, an ad hoc count would only add to problems because the issues involved in the 1965-1966 tragedy smack of politics rather than humanitarian concerns. "NU is not pushing for an [ad hoc] court because [we] don't wish to dig up old issues. Our people, Islamic teachers were killed by the PKI, so we are not making accusations", he added.

Ali revealed that the NU has overlooked the 1965 tragedy as a form of its great spirit. The NU will not dig up the issue of the killings by the PKI in 1948 in Madiun because it is better for forgive and forget in order to develop a better national character in the future.

"Our position is a form of our great spirit because we have a share in this republic. We founded this republic. If an apology is made then the nation will continue to fight", he asserted.

A similar view was expressed by Suryadi, the chairperson of the Retired Army Generals Association (PPAD), who explained that in recommending that the president apologise to the victims of 1965, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is fanning the flames of a new hostility in Indonesian society.

The PPAD, continued Suryadi, opposes Komnas HAM's position. It is improper for Komnas HAM to push the government to apologies to the victims of 1965 because the party that was responsible was the PKI. "The PKI were the perpetrators of the coup. There's already plenty of evidence. It is improper for the government to apologise. Komnas HAM is not acting justly", he said.

Notes:

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Lapindo disaster a 'human rights violation'

Jakarta Post - August 15, 2012

Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) announced on Tuesday that the Lapindo mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, was a human rights violation and that the oil and gas company PT Lapindo Brantas was responsible for the man-made disaster.

Komnas HAM chairman Ifdhal Kasim said that after a three-year investigation, which began in 2008, the commission concluded that Lapindo Brantas violated 15 basic rights of local residents in Sidoarjo, whose lives were disrupted by the disaster.

The commission fell short of naming the disaster a "gross" violation of human rights. Ifdhal said the basic rights of local residents violated were the right to life, safety, health, housing, employment, education, social security and education.

The commission considered Lapindo Brantas, controlled by Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, and the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, had failed to guarantee victims' basic rights since the 2006 disaster.

Lapindo Brantas, through its subsidiary company PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, has paid only Rp 2.9 trillion (US$308 million) of the required Rp 3.8 trillion in compensation to 4,129 victims from four villages in Sidoarjo: Siring, Jatirejo, Kedung Bendo and Renokenongo.

The government, as mandated by Law No. 4/2012 Article 18 on the state budget, is required to earmark a budget for the disaster and so far has set aside Rp 500 billion in 2012 to help Lapindo Brantas pay the compensation.

According to estimates from Komnas HAM, between 40,000 and 60,000 people had been internally displaced after the mudflow submerged 10,426 homes in 12 villages in Porong subdistrict alone.

In its investigation, Komnas HAM also found that thousands of victims suffered from respiratory problems. It reported that 81 percent of the victims suffered from lung problems while more than 200 people had died from poor health. Thousands of people lost their jobs as 30 factories affected by the mudflow ceased operating.

Based on its findings, the commission issued a recommendation ordering Lapindo Brantas and its shareholders PT Medco Energi Internasional and Santos Ltd., the government and the National Police to make efforts to rehabilitate the rights of the victims.

The commission urged the companies to complete the payment of the compensation scheme to mudflow victims as well as to plug the mudflow. "Lapindo should cover all the loses, not only in the areas submerged by the mudflow but all areas affected by the disaster," Ifdhal said.

Komnas HAM said that those responsible could only be tried under the Criminal Code, as the Human Rights Law did not cover crime against the environment, and recommended that the police reopen investigations against executives of Lapindo. (cor)

Political parties & elections

Idul Fitri gatherings turn political gesture

Jakarta Post - August 21, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Post-fasting Idul Fitri celebrations have become a great event, not only for devout Muslims, but also for graft suspects and former convicts as they attend gatherings hosted by the nation's top figures.

Speculation is rife that such events serve to enable political deals, as top politicians are also present at the gatherings, known as an "Open House".

One such open house was at the residence of former vice president Jusuf Kalla in Jakarta on Monday. Numerous Golkar Party politicians were present, including disgraced lawmaker Zulkarnaen Djabar, who has been named by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as a bribery suspect in connection to a Koran procurement project at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

Also present was business tycoon Murdaya Poo, the husband of Hartati Murdaya, a former member of the Democratic Party's board of patrons and also a bribery suspect. Bachtiar Chamsyah, a former social affairs minister who was convicted of corruption, was also seen at the event. Zulkarnaen, Murdaya and Bachtiar didn't speak to journalists at the event. When asked to comment about the presence of the graft-linked figures, Kalla said, "this is Idul Fitri; we want to gather regardless of our backgrounds".

Separately, Anas Urbaningrum, the chairman of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, also hosted an Idul Fitri gathering. Anas is a controversial figure due to a number of high-profile corruption cases in which he is implicated. He has been accused of illicitly utilizing funds from state budget-funded projects to help him win the party chairmanship in 2010.

A number of the party's senior members were present at Anas' house, namely party patron and Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Syariefuddin Hasan; lawmaker Muhammad Jafar Hafsah; party deputy secretary-general Saan Mustofa; and Jakarta vice governor candidate, Nachrowi Ramli.

Anas' alleged roles in the graft cases have reportedly triggered internal rifts within the party. The cases have also made President Yudhoyono, the party's founder and patron head, uncomfortable with Anas' leadership within the party.

Unexpectedly, Anas and his wife attended an open house hosted by President Yudhoyono at the State Palace on Sunday. Anas joined dozens of Cabinet members, businessmen and other high-ranking officials in shaking hands with the President at the Idul Fitri gathering.

Later that day, the President also welcomed hundreds of well-wishers at the Palace, now an annual Idul Fitri event. Each guest received a package containing souvenirs and an undisclosed amount of cash.

The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) criticized the government for the open house, which cost Rp 1.5 billion (US$158,061) from the state budget.

Long road for TNI, police to vote

Jakarta Post - August 15, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – It appears that members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police will not be able to vote in general elections anytime soon as President Susilo Yudhoyono has rejected a proposal to grant them voting rights.

Yudhoyono said that Indonesia's young democracy must not suffer by having members of the TNI and police bickering over their political preferences.

"Let's just face up to the fact that we are not ready yet. If military and police officers participate in political campaigns, competing among themselves, that will probably become a problem for the TNI and the police," Yudhoyono said in a recent statement. Yudhoyono said that members of the military and police could vote only when democracy had taken root in the country. "When the time comes. When our democracy is already strong and solid," he said.

Defense observer Al Araf said the government has the prerogative of whether and when to give members of the military and police voting rights. He said that members of the military and police, under laws and regulations, are treated differently to civilians particularly when it comes to legal matters.

Al Araf proposed that once they were given political rights they must also bow to civilian laws. "Military officers must be subject to the 'equality before the law' principle, in the sense that any criminal charges against military members must be tried in civilian courts instead of military courts," Al Araf said.

It would require an amendment to the 1997 Military Court Law, he added. "If members of the military are allowed to vote while the law is not amended, they may abuse their political rights because they feel they are immune to civilian law. They could utilize such 'impunity' to benefit certain political groups," Al Araf said.

Lawmaker Abdul Malik Haramain of the National Awakening Party (PKB) said that sooner or later members of the TNI and the police must be allowed to vote given their commitment to support democracy and reform in the country. "Granting them voting rights actually supports our democracy," he said.

Yudhoyono said that the military and the police themselves are not ready for voting rights. "I have talked several times about this with both the TNI commander and the National Police chief. I think their views are logical and clear that, between now and the 2014 elections, [military and police officers] are not ready," he said.

Labour & migrant workers

Workers left without THR bonus before Idul Fitri

Jakarta Globe - August 16, 2012

Viriya Paramita & Lenny Tristia Tambun – A civil rights group says it has received dozens of reports of Jakarta-based companies not paying employees their holiday bonuses, but the city manpower office says no complaints have been filed with it.

Maruli Tua Rajagukguk, a lawyer with the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta), said on Wednesday that at least 101 workers at private and state-owned companies had reported that they had not received their holiday bonus known as THR, or had been short-changed.

Seventy-three of the workers had filed complaints with the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry on Monday, he said, and another 28 on Wednesday.

He said Sahat Sinurat, the ministry's director for industrial relations, had responded by ordering the local manpower office to look into the grievances and investigate the employers.

However, workers had still not received their bonuses with just one working day left before the Idul Fitri holiday, Maruli said. The THR, which constitutes a 13th month bonus, is supposed to be paid at least a week before Idul Fitri, at the latest.

"Every year the ministry sets up complaints posts where workers can report THR violations, but the problem of nonpayments has never been resolved," Maruli said. "It would be more accurate to call those posts complaint repositories, because they really only serve to make it appear as though the government is doing something."

But the Jakarta Manpower Office said it had received no complaints about employees not receiving their bonuses.

"To date there have been no complaints filed with us," said Deded Sukandar, the head of the manpower office. "If there are, we will write up a report. And if we find that the employers have violated the law, we will punish them. This ranges from a written warning to a revocation of their business permits."

Maruli said the withholding of the THR was an annual problem that needed to be addressed through strict enforcement by the authorities. "Whenever Idul Fitri approaches, you find a lot of companies refusing to pay the THR, with the excuse that they can't afford it," Maruli said. "But in truth these companies have enough to keep operating."

Earlier this week, the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) called on the government to crack down on companies shirking their obligation to pay workers the bonus.

Said Iqbal, president of the confederation, said on Sunday that many companies were avoiding the obligation by hiring workers on an outsource basis, and then terminating their contracts just a week before Idul Fitri.

He said after the holiday, employers hire the workers back, bypassing the obligation to pay the THR.

Health & education

Indonesia makes progress in combating malnutrition

Jakarta Post - August 16, 2012

Elly Burhaini Faizal – Indonesia is one of the top 15 countries in the world in terms of progress in dealing with child malnutrition, a report says.

The 13th "Annual Report on the State of the World's Mothers" compiled by Save the Children said that between 1990 and 2010, Indonesia made great strides to combat child malnutrition by delivering essential services for children.

Save the Children's country director for Indonesia Ricardo Caivano said that Indonesia had adopted six key nutrition solutions, including promotion of breast-feeding; complimentary feeding; vitamin A, iron and zinc supplements, as well as improving hygiene, which the NGO considers has the greatest potential to safe lives.

"Indonesia has already implemented these solutions, and the result is encouraging. Indonesia now ranks in the top 15 countries making the fastest progress against the child malnutrition," he said.

This year's report focuses on nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life, which holds the key to the child's survival and future development. The report also identifies which countries have been falling behind in the delivery of quality nutrition.

According to the report, more than 3.5 million children die of malnutrition every year. "Even when they survive, malnourished children are less able to fight disease. They're less likely to perform well in the school and eventually less likely to reach their full potential," said Caivano.

Data from the NGO said that more than 170 million children in the world do not receive adequate nutrition during this critical period.

Starting in 2000, Save the Children has been publishing annual report on comparative measures of the status of children's health, economy, education, politics and prosperity. It involves countries with a minimum population size of 250,000 people, in three categories, more developed, less developed and least developed countries.

Data from the Health Ministry show that the prevalence of malnourishment in Indonesia stands at 17.9 percent in 2010. To meet MDG targets, the government must bring the figure down to 15.5 percent by 2015.

"One of the nutrition-related health problems we are dealing with is stunting. This includes a high prevalence of obesity in children," said Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi.

In only three years between 2007 and 2010, the prevalence of obesity in children has increased to 14.3 percent from 12.2 percent, she said.

Graft & corruption

Government considers shutting down corruption courts in regions

Jakarta Post - August 21, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The government is considering shutting down corruption courts at the provincial level after difficulties in finding judges with sufficient integrity who can stamp out rampant graft.

The arrest of two antigraft judges caught red-handed accepting bribes in Semarang, Central Java, has raised the idea of centralizing anticorruption courts to ensure objectivity.

According to Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin, a centralized anticorruption court would be easier to monitor, though it may extend processes of certain cases in the regions because of the country's vast size.

"Anticorruption courts were set up in regions because of the size of our territory. Processes would be hindered if everything was handled in the capital. However, this incident serves as a wake-up call for all of us to evaluate all regional corruption courts, as well as the judges. I think it's better to close regional corruption courts and launch a centralized court in Jakarta to allow a focused monitoring," Amir said on Monday.

Separately, former constitutional court chief Jimly Asshiddiqie echoed the urgency for centralized antigraft courts, saying that such courts should be set up only in big cities to allow easier control, while at the same time improving the recruitment system.

"The report of the arrest of two anticorruption judges is a proof of a weak recruitment system for our judges, those who serve in anticorruption courts in particular. I hope we can establish a better procedure for judges nationwide," Jimly said, adding that judges proven corrupt should be severely punished for tainting the profession.

Anticorruption judges, Kartini Juliana Magdalena Marpaung, an ad hoc judge with Semarang Corruption Court in Central Java, and Heru Kusbandono, who holds a similar position in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, challenged the public's perception of their profession whenthey were caught by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) accepting bribes as the nation celebrated its 67th anniversary on Friday.

Investigators from the KPK and the Supreme Court caught the two judges accepting bribes of around Rp 150 million (US$15,806) from a go-between, Sri Dartuti, who allegedly sought the release of a high-ranking official, currently under investigation.

The three individuals are now detained at the KPK's headquarters in South Jakarta. Kartini and Heru have been named suspects in relation to a case involving the car maintenance budget of Grobongan Legislative Council (DPRD Grobongan) in Central Java, which was being overseen by Kartini.

Kartini is also reported to have previously acquitted four graft defendants including Yanuelva Etliana, who stood trial for her role in a Rp 39 billion fraud at the Central Java Regional Development (BPD) Bank; Untung Wiyono, former regent of Sragen in Central Java, caught in a budget scandal worth Rp 11.2 billion; Suyatno, a graft suspect in a scandal worth Rp 13.5 billion; and Heru Djatmiko, a defendant in a Rp 5.9 billion graft case.

The impartiality and integrity of the Semarang Corruption Court has since been in question and the KPK asked Semarang to hand the trial of Semarang Mayor Soemarmo Hadi Saputro from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), over to Jakarta.

The move brought harsh criticism from lawmakers on House of Representatives' Commission III overseeing law and human rights, accusing the KPK of exceding their authority for dubious reasons. Soemarmo was later convicted and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.

Djoko declines summons by the KPK over national police graft

Jakarta Globe - August 21, 2012

Rizky Amelia – Former National Police traffic chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo has no intentions of answering the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) summons for questioning in the latest development of a growing rift between the KPK and the National Police, his attorney said.

Lawyer Fredrich Yunadi told Tempo.co that his client has already been questioned by the National Police as a witness to corruption allegations surrounding a Rp 197 billion ($21 million) contract for the purchase of driving simulators that was awarded to Citra Mandiri Metalindo Abadi, a metal manufacturing company, in 2011.

The former traffic chief cannot be questioned by two authorities over the same allegations, Fredrich said. And without being questioned first, Djoko cannot be detained by the KPK, Fredrich said.

"Ask the KPK to learn the law first," Fredrich told Tempo.co, telling the commission to check the results of the National Police's own investigation into Djoko.

The National Police and KPK each have their own lists of suspects. The National Police named four police officials as suspects in the case, but failed to name Djoko as anything more than a witness.

The KPK named Djoko as a suspect over allegations that he received a Rp 2 billion kickback to ensure the contract went to Citra Mandiri Metalindo Abadi, a company that then had to pass the work off to a subcontractor. The graft-tainted purchase reportedly resulted in at least Rp 100 billion in state losses.

KPK investigators plan to question Djoko on an unspecified date after the Idul Fitri holiday. "After Idul Fitri [he] will be questioned," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said on Tuesday. "But I don't know the exact date."

Indonesian Police Watch argued that the KPK had the right to detain all suspects, regardless of their rank, as well as anyone who tries to interfere with the antigraft body's investigation.

"If [KPK] has witnesses and strong evidence, it should go forward," Neta S. Pane told Tempo.co on Monday. "Even the four high-rank police officials that are being detained by National Police should also agree to be investigated by KPK. If they refuse to be questioned, they could be charged in accordance with the criminal code."

KPK arrests two corruption court judges in Semarang

Jakarta Post - August 17, 2012

Jakarta – Coinciding with the Republic of Indonesia's 67th anniversary of independence, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested two judges with the ad-hoc corruption court in Semarang, Central Java on Friday.

"At 10 a.m. this morning, the KPK and the Supreme Court arrested three people, two of whom are judges with the ad-hoc corruption court in Semarang. The three people are now being questioned," KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto told a press conference at the KPK's headquarters in Jakarta.

Bambang said that the judges were identified as KM and HK, while the other person arrested, SD, was allegedly a go-between in the handling of public figure's graft case. KPK investigators also confiscated cash amounting to more than Rp 100 million (US$10,500).

"SD was allegedly the middleman between the judges and a popular figure whose graft case was being prosecuted. The cash was allegedly related to the case's prosecution," he added. KPK spokesman Johan Budi said the three suspects would be taken to Jakarta.

The judges' arrests are not unprecedented. Previously, the antigraft body arrested numerous judges in its operations, including Syarifuddin, a supervisory judge with the Central Jakarta District, and Imas Dianasari, an Industrial Relations Court judge with the Bandung District Court. (swd)

Report: Police wiretapping phones of KPK officials

Jakarta Globe - August 16, 2012

Rizky Amelia – Corruption Eradication Commission chairman Abraham Samad said he was not bothered by allegations that the National Police had been wiretapping his telephone to keep an eye on his movements in regards to the antigraft agency's investigation into the driving simulator scandal.

"I don't mind," Abraham said in the offices of the agency known as the KPK on Wednesday. "Go ahead and tap it." Abraham said that only God knew if the National Police were indeed wiretapping his phone.

Tempo magazine revealed in this week's edition that a high-ranking police officer said that the police have been wiretapping the phones of KPK leaders in an effort to gain evidence of past misdeeds by the KPK chairman and his deputy. The phones supposedly being wiretapped belong to Abraham and his deputy, Bambang Widjojanto.

The police officer claimed that the police wanted to know who among the KPK leaders were enthusiastic about investigating the driving simulator graft case that allegedly involved police generals. The officer claimed the police were looking for damning evidence to use as bargaining chips against the KPK leadership.

The officer added that the National Police are afraid that the KPK's investigation could lead the organization to start digging into other similar violations committed by the National Police Traffic Corps.

Abraham vowed to fight corruption, even if he and his four deputies have to face the worst possible consequences.

Leaders of the antigraft organization "have surrendered our lives for this cause. We have prepared our bodies for wakaf [sacrificial legacy]," Samad said previously, indicating that they were ready to risk their lives as they battle the police to investigate the controversial graft case, which has caused at least Rp 100 billion ($10.6 million) in losses to the state treasury.

When threats against KPK turn sinister

Jakarta Post - August 16, 2012

Jakarta – In the past few days, security guards, staffers and those who regularly visit the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in South Jakarta have begun to notice a number of peculiarities, such as flowers being spread around one corner and red dirt sprayed in another.

Others claimed that they saw goat hides with letters scrawled all over them. They also found powder with some believing that it was ground from bones. For those familiar with black magic, these items are known to be used in the exercise of it.

Many have said that threats have been commonplace toward the KPK, but since the KPK began its probe into the driving simulators involving two police generals, the threats have become sinister.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said such threats had become routine for investigators, and even the KPK commissioners. "They usually send us text messages, or call us, but when we try and call back, they never answer," said Johan.

For threats that it considers serious, the KPK usually launches its own investigation first. So far, no serious precautionary measures have been taken to respond to these sinister actions.

Johan said that for things that many believed has magical powers, the KPK usually just ignored them. "We believe in God, and our investigations will not be encumbered with superstitions like this," he said.

But a source with the KPK said that some KPK commissioners and staffers have often suffered from mysterious illnesses.

These are not the only types of threats that the KPK have had to deal with since it began investigating the driving simulator graft case. Media reports have said that the conversations between KPK chairman Abraham Samad and deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto have been tapped.

Abraham himself downplayed the bugging speculation. "We do not talk business on the phone, so it is fine for them to tap our conversations," Abraham told reporters on Wednesday.

Threats against graft-busting officials are nothing new. Former attorney general Abdurrahman Saleh was known for his habit of bringing his own meals to the office for fear of poisoning.

His predecessor, Baharuddin Lopa, also known to be a reformer, shared the same habit. Many suspected that foul play could have had a role in his death in 2001. He died only two weeks after vowing to investigate major corruption cases in June 2001.

The KPK and the police have had a tense relationship following the KPK's decision to name two high-level police officers, former Police Traffic Corps chief Ins. Gen. Djoko Susilo and Corps deputy chief Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo, as suspects in the driving simulator graft case, which allegedly caused Rp 100 billion (US$10.5 million) in state losses.

The KPK confiscated the documents during an all-night raid of the Police Traffic Corps headquarters in South Jakarta on July 30. The raid ended in a standoff, with KPK investigators prevented from leaving the building by police officers.

After two weeks, KPK investigators on Tuesday began analyzing the documents, which were previously locked inside a makeshift warehouse. "God willing, we will have enough evidence. Those documents are to supplement the evidence that we already had," Abraham said.

KPK starts analyzing evidence in Korlantas case

Jakarta Post - August 15, 2012

Sita W. Dewi, Jakarta – After the sequestration of evidence of the graft case surrounding the procurement of driving simulators in the National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) for two weeks, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) transferred boxes of documents to its headquarter on Tuesday.

Several workers unlocked the evidence container, which is located in the KPK headquarters basement, and moved nearly 30 boxes of documents into a black minivan at around 4 p.m. "KPK investigators will analyze the evidence this week," spokesman Johan Budi told reporters.

Johan denied speculations that the anti-graft body had delayed processing the evidence due to lack of approval from the National Police chief.

"It is not true that the KPK could not access the evidence. Last week, the evidence analysis was not urgent because we were focusing on questioning witnesses. Only this week do we need to verify the documents," he said, adding that the KPK had full authority over the evidence.

The KPK confiscated the documents during an all-night raid in the Police Traffic Corps headquarters in South Jakarta on July 30. The raid ended in a standoff, with KPK investigators prevented from leaving the building by police officers.

The KPK named two high level police officers, former Police Traffic Corps chief Ins. Gen. Djoko Susilo and Corps deputy chief Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo, as suspects in the case, which had allegedly caused Rp 100 billion (US$10.5 million) in state losses. (lfr)

Anas in graft mix again

Jakarta Post - August 15, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Another graft allegation has been leveled at Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum, now implicated in a corruption case surrounding the 2010 procurement of bird flu vaccine, which lost the state more than Rp 460 billion (US$48.3 million).

An audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has revealed irregularities in what it called an "unhealthy" partnership between the Health Ministry, in charge of the procurement, and companies appointed to build facilities for production of the vaccine, which included PT Anugrah Nusantara, a private company with close ties to Anas.

"It's true that PT Anugrah Nusantara, which has already been implicated in the Hambalang sports complex case, was also involved in production of bird flu vaccine," said Achsanul Qosasi of the House of Representatives' State Budget Accountability Body (BAKN) on Tuesday.

The BAKN was mandated to follow through on the BPK report on alleged irregularities involving the Health Ministry. The body will report its findings to House Commission IX overseeing health and Commission XI overseeing finance.

Qosasi, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, declined to give details on the company's role in the irregularities. "We will dig deeper into the findings," said Qosasi, who is also a member of Commission XI.

PT Anugrah Nusantara, owned by graft convict and Democratic Party former treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, won a Rp 718 billion tender for equipment for the vaccine plant.

During several trials at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Nazaruddin repeatedly stated that PT Anugrah Nusantara also belonged to Anas. Nazaruddin also said outside of the courtroom that he and Anas "are the leaders of the company, while Yulianis is the financial director".

Nazaruddin gave a record of share transactions as evidence, showing Anas to have purchased a 30 percent stake in PT Anugrah Nusantara in 2007. A vehicle ownership license shows a luxurious Toyota Alphard first owned by PT Anugrah Nusantara with Anas as the second owner. According to an official document, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, Anas bought 30 percent of the company's shares in 2007.

Nazaruddin also said money from the company went to the Democratic Party congress in Bandung the previous year, when Anas was elected chairman. The company had previously been implicated in a graft-ridden solar power procurement case at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry in 2008.

The BPK report said that the irregularities took place in 2010, the same year Anas contested the leadership of the Democratic Party in a national congress in Bandung, West Java. Anas has repeatedly claimed that he relinquished his shares in the company in 2009.

Anas did not return multiple calls from The Jakarta Post on Tuesday evening. But he sent a Twitter message shortly after the unreturned calls, saying that "positive thoughts can turn to prayer. Negative thoughts could come from provocation."

Deputy House Speaker Pramono Anung said a plenary meeting later this month would discuss the findings and decide whether to order law enforcement agencies to pursue the case.

"The BAKN has given its findings. We will bring this to a plenary session and decide if the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] or the National Police will handle the case," he said.

The National Police announced earlier that a Health Ministry official in charge of arranging contracts, identified as TPS, was a suspect in the case. He is alleged to have received bribes from companies winning tenders for the project.

Police have raided a factory of the state-owned drug maker PT Biofarma in Bandung and a laboratory at Airlangga University in Surabaya, confiscating several items as evidence.

Freedom of religion & worship

Displaced Ahmadiyah sect celebrates a somber Idul Fitri at shelter

Jakarta Globe - August 20, 2012

Fitri – It was a solemn Idul Fitri for the 33 Ahmadiyah families who spent the holiday living at the Haj Transito dormitory in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

The Ahmadis were forcibly displaced from their homes in West Lingsar, West Lombok, in February of 2006. Local residents told the members of the beleaguered Islamic sect to convert to mainstream Islam if they want to return. Seven years later, 128 men, women and children were still sleeping at the dormitory. Dozens of others have moved in with friends and families in Lombok.

They share a large open hall separated into smaller cubicles by curtains hung from the ceiling. The shelter has no electricity or running water.

On Idul Fitri, the only signs of the holiday were a row of plastic jars containing dry cakes in a window. The Ahmadis prayed at a dilapidated mosque at the complex. But hopes among the displaced families remained high.

"Our children are very happy on this Lebaran," Syahiddin, a local leader, said. "They are increasingly convinced that they will get their own independence and hope that this year will be the last year we will have to stay in this shelter."

The children raised the red and white Indonesian flag during Friday's Independence Day celebration. The children ran races while balancing a marble on a spoon and plucked coins from the surface of sticky fruits.

"This is our seventh year here, where we have lived since we were expelled from our village," Syahiddin said. "We are hoping that this year we will leave this shelter."

The Ahmadiyah sect has been labeled a "deviant" form of Islam in Indonesia over the belief that there was a prophet after Muhammad. Its members face discrimination and violence across the archipelago where Indonesian Muslims have vandalized Ahmadiyah mosques or homes and attacked Ahmadis without fear of arrest.

Children living at the shelter seemed at home in the spartan conditions. Cinta, a young teenage girl, was neatly dressed in a faded blue "mukena" ("prayer robe") embroidered with pretty orange flowers.

"This is an old mukena," Cinta explained. "No one here bought new ones. Mother said that this can still be used."

Munikah, her mother, said the she cannot afford to buy her children new clothes for the holiday. "The children are used to this, that they will have no new clothes for Lebaran," she said. "Every Ahmadiyah child hopes for nothing more than being able to return home."

On intolerance, Jakarta could be worse: Indonesian Council of Churches

Jakarta Globe - August 17, 2012

SP/Natasia Christy Wahyuni – Jakarta is, at heart, a pluralistic city despite the occasional flare-up of hard-line Islamic sentiment, the Indonesian Council of Churches said on Wednesday.

Andreas Yewangoe, chairman of the council known as PGI, said the city's ethnic and religious diversity, coupled with a higher level of education than residents in many other regions of the country, made Jakarta a reasonably tolerant place.

"We have to accept the reality that Jakarta is a city with high diversity, and the only problems with regard to tolerance are those that are engineered," he said.

He blamed recent hard-line tendencies, including calls not to vote for non-Muslim candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial runoff election, on deep-seated social woes that were given a religious or ethnic spin by unscrupulous parties.

"There are a lot of problems that appear to be based on religion, but that in fact aren't," Andreas said. "The roots lie elsewhere. Religion just happens to be a convenient outlet for channeling these grievances, which is why Jakartans need to be aware of these issues and address them rationally."

He warned that unless the underlying problems were resolved, they could threaten Jakarta's cherished pluralism.

Jakarta & urban life

Hard-liners, big parties 'won't help Fauzi'

Jakarta Globe - August 15, 2012

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Lenny Tristia Tambun, Ezra Sihite & Bayu Marhaenjati – Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo's failure to distance himself from anti-Christian fringe supporters could hurt him at the ballot box in next month's gubernatorial runoff vote, experts predict.

Ridwan Saidi, a cultural historian, said concerns about Fauzi turning into a "Shariah governor" were already being raised in the wake of the religious slur used by one of his celebrity supporters, dangdut singer Rhoma Irama, to attack his rival's Christian running mate.

"People are scared that Fauzi will become a Shariah governor, but that's something that I saw coming from the very start," Ridwan said on Tuesday. "You can't blame the people for thinking like this."

He said that Fauzi's silence on Rhoma's call for Muslims not to vote for an "infidel" candidate was seen as a tacit approval of the attack, which he argued would ultimately prove counterproductive to Fauzi's re-election bid.

"I'm certain that in the runoff vote, only 36.5 percent of people at most will vote for Fauzi," he said. "That's because he's banking on the religious card to give him the win, but the proportion of people who will actually vote along those lines is only around 16 percent and falling."

Fringe supporters

Fauzi and his running mate, Nachrowi Ramli, garnered 34 percent in the first round of voting on July 11, coming second to Solo Mayor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his running mate, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who won 43 percent.

Since then, the parties that fielded candidates who did not make it into the runoff have all thrown their backing behind Fauzi. The incumbent has also courted the conservative Muslim vote, holding fast-breaking gatherings at mosques across Jakarta and extending the city's free health care program to clerics.

The Rhoma fiasco was widely believed by analysts to have hurt his chances with mainstream voters, but that has not stopped his fringe supporters from echoing the singer's call.

On Monday, Abdurrahman Al Habsyi, the influential leader of the Alhabib Ali Alhabsyi prayer group, insisted that the city should have a Muslim governor and deputy governor. "We have to choose one of our own, a Muslim. Don't let someone whose faith is unclear lead Jakarta," he said at a discussion at the Jakarta Islamic Center.

The same theme was picked up by Maulana Kamal Yusuf, a deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic organization. "People should vote for Fauzi and Nachrowi because they're clearly Muslims," he told the discussion. "They are not infidels."

Also in attendance at the discussion were members of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and Rhoma.

Honeymoon's over

If the hard-line vote is not expected to help Fauzi come Sept. 20, the flurry of political support will not prove to be much better, Ridwan said.

He argued that the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP) would bring little to the table, given that their candidate, Alex Noerdin, managed just 4.7 percent of votes in the first round.

Likewise, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), long considered the determining factor in these polls, has lost much of its clout with Jakarta voters, he said.

"The honeymoon period between the PKS and Jakarta is over," Ridwan said. "Their candidate [Hidayat Nur Wahid] only won around 500,000 votes in the first round, but maybe just a fifth of that came from actual PKS supporters."

He said that most of the votes were from National Mandate Party (PAN) supporters, directed at Didik J. Rachbini, Hidayat's running mate from the PAN.

The Democratic Party, he went on, which has backed Fauzi from the start, is not expected to contribute any new votes in the runoff, largely because of its declining popularity amid a slew of graft scandals implicating several of its senior officials.

Numbers game

Fauzi's team, however, is playing the numbers game and hoping the math adds up. "If we count the 4 percent that Alex got and the 11 percent that Hidayat got, that gives us an additional 15 percent," said Budi Siswanto, the Fauzi-Nachrowi campaign team secretary.

"Add that to the 34 percent that we got in the first round, and we already have 49 percent in the bag."

But Saleh Daulay, a political analyst from Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, said Fauzi's extended party base would not help his cause, mostly because the people who voted against him the first time around would do so again, no matter their party affiliation. "There's not a single party that can guarantee that its supporters will vote as it says," he said.

He also said that Jakarta voters tended to be educated and savvy, and they would not rush to back Fauzi simply because the parties had done so. However, he said that Jokowi and Ahok would need to campaign hard now that they had a host of major parties going against them.

Ari Junaedi, a political analyst from the University of Indonesia, agreed that party loyalty would be meaningless for Fauzi in the runoff vote. "I predict that the most of the votes from Golkar, the Democrats, the PKS and all the parties supporting Fauzi will go to Jokowi or won't be used at all," he said.

He added that not having the other parties flocking to them had actually helped Jokowi and Ahok. "They've played it smart. While the big parties are busy ganging up on them now, they've been building a coalition with the people," he said.

Vox dei

Maringan Pangaribuan, a spokesman for the Jokowi-Ahok campaign team, said they were not concerned about the support being thrown Fauzi's way and were adjusting their strategy to account for that.

"There's nothing to be worried about. The ones with the right to vote are the people of Jakarta, not the parties. All that the parties can do is give a recommendation," he said.

"Besides, we have a new strategy to win the runoff election. That's definitely going to happen." He said the campaign strategy had already been prepared and would be rolled out after Lebaran, the end-of-Ramadan holiday period.

Maringan said the team's new strategy took into account the lessons learned from the first round of voting and included the necessary improvements.

"It's like a football match," he said. "We've played out the first half. Now it's halftime and we've evaluated our weaknesses and mistakes, and we're going to do better in the second half."

Ari said he believed that Jokowi would win, arguing that "Jakarta has already voted for him." "Even with his limited funding and party support, he's been able to overturn all the predictions about the incumbent winning," he said. "This is the perfect case of vox populi, vox dei."

NGOs challenge Jakarta's spatial planning bylaw at Supreme Court

Jakarta Post - August 15, 2012

Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – A coalition of NGOs focusing on human rights and environmental protection filed a judicial review on Tuesday against a city bylaw on spatial planning at the Supreme Court.

The coalition, calling itself Koalisi Pulihkan Jakarta (Restore Jakarta Coalition), said on Tuesday that the bylaw, which will serve as a blueprint for all new developments in the city for the next two decades, contravened higher regulations, including laws on the environment, spatial planning and public information transparency.

Included in the coalition are the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta); the People's Coalition for Fisheries Justice (KIARA); the Indonesia Green Institute; the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL); and the local branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi). "The bylaw was drafted without any public participation," said LBH Jakarta's Edy Gurning, after the group filed the request for the judicial review with the Supreme Court in Central Jakarta.

Edy said that during the drafting of the bylaw, the public was denied the opportunity to give input. "Jakarta citizens were largely oblivious to the bylaw until it was deliberated last year. This is not how public information transparency works," he said.

The law on spatial planning and the law on public information access stipulate that each regional administration must provide easy access to spatial planning information for residents living in their jurisdictions.

Dyah Paramita of ICEL said the bylaw went against a ruling issued by the Constitutional Court. The bylaw, she said, contained a number of clauses mandating the reclamation of Jakarta's northern coastal region, a move that the coalition claimed was rendered unlawful by the court.

Later on Tuesday, Jakarta administration spokesman Cucu Ahmad Kurnia said they had no problem with the coalition's move. "It is the right of every citizen to protest and object," Cucu said. The spokesman, however, defended the bylaw, saying its drafting and approval was carried out in accordance with existing regulations.

"The administration drafted the bylaw with the City Council and all relevant parties," Cucu said. After failing to meet its December 2010 deadline, the council signed the 2011-2030 Spatial Planning Bylaw in August last year after intensive negotiations with the administration.

Activists had blasted the administration's draft process on spatial planning, criticizing the fact that the draft discussions had not involved the wider public and had failed to address a number of important issues.

The administration was criticized, for instance, for its lack of explanation regarding the population limit, set at 12.5 million, in the draft.

Experts and activists voiced their concerns that the population limit would lead to consequences regarding social pluralism, and the possible eviction of people from lower economic classes.

The bylaw is also seen as failing to consider the efforts on disaster mitigation and environmental protection, in that it does not refer to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency's (BNPD) Jakarta Disaster Map, which had previously determined that all areas in Jakarta were disaster-prone.

The bylaw also contains provisions that would allow South Jakarta to change its function as a water absorption zone into a business center.

Activists have warned that the massive projects mentioned in the bylaw, which include new dams and a giant sea wall off Jakarta's north coast, would spell almost certain ecological disaster for Jakarta.

Armed forces & defense

Lawmakers agree to buy Leopard tanks

Jakarta Globe - August 20, 2012

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – After much debate, the House of Representatives has agreed to buy 100 Leopard battle tanks from Germany, a lawmaker said on Monday.

A few months ago, some lawmakers questioned the government's plan to buy Leopard tanks from the Netherlands, saying the tanks were not suited for Indonesia's mountainous terrain and narrow roads, which require the maneuverability of smaller combat vehicles.

But on Monday, Mahfudz Siddiq, chairman of House Commission I for defense affairs, said the commission had met days ago and agreed to make the purchase from Germany after renegotiating the deal.

In the new deal, he said, the price per unit would range from $800,000 to $1.5 million, much less than the previous price of $2.5 million per unit from the Netherlands. The producer also agreed to provide a complete package of tanks capable of different functions and weighing between 40 and 60 tons.

"The last point is about transfer of technology with [the arms manufacturer company] Pindad," Mahfudz said on Monday.

The House's decision to make the purchase comes after a call by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to raise the defense budget to Rp 77 trillion ($8.1 billion) in 2013.

"Hopefully, this [deal] is the best result after a lot of arguing between House Commission I and the Defense Ministry," Mahfudz said, adding that the Army had also agreed to the deal.

The Army chief of staff, Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, recently said most tanks would be deployed to Kalimantan while others would be stationed on Java and Sumatra.

TNI fast track to more firepower

Jakarta Post - August 16, 2012

Novan Iman Santosa and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is set for an aggressive upgrade to its worn-out firepower next year as the United States has made a fresh offer to donate jet fighters and lawmakers are willing to swell the defense budget.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Wednesday that the US had offered another batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, on top of the first batch of 24 fighter planes it had already agreed.

"There will be additional F-16s donated by the US after they have been upgraded, which is still underway," he said. "Once it is complete, our [F- 16] strength will increase three fold."

Currently, Indonesia has 10 F-16A/B Block 15 fighters with operational capability upgrades (OCU) at the 3rd Squadron base, Iswahjudi Air Force Base in Madiun, East Java. Block 15 represents the oldest model while Block 60 is the most advanced.

In the first batch, Indonesia will get 25 F-16 C/D 24 Block jet fighters upgraded to Block 32 standard. Another six F-16s will be used for spare parts and components.

Purnomo declined to reveal the number of F-16s in the second batch, saying it would go against the military code of ethics to give an exact number. However, secretary-general Vice Marshal Eris Herryanto said the next batch "would be sufficient to form another squadron".

"I returned on Sunday from a visit to the US. We still have to discuss the offer internally before we decide whether to take it up or not." A squadron consists of somewhere between 12 and 24 aircraft.

Other users of F-16s in the region are Singapore and Thailand. Singapore has 74 F-16 C/D Block 52/52+ in three squadrons and an overseas training detachment, while Thailand has 36 F-16 Block 15 OCU in two squadrons and another squadron with 18 F-16 Air Defense Fighter (ADF). South Korea and Taiwan also operate F-16s.

The decision to accept the donated F-16s has been widely criticized. Ravi Kumar Madavaram, aerospace and defense consultant with Frost & Sullivan, said the difference between Block 32++ and 52+ or E/F 60 was in terms of avionics, additional fuel tanks, missile types, accessibility and performance enhancements.

"There is no significant variance in the utility provided by F-16 Falcons of the 32++ or 52+ variety," he said in an email. "Excess defense aircraft donated by the US is quite cost effective. But the effectiveness can only be understood in the finer details of the deal."

In a separate interview, Eris said that the Air Force's defense and deterrence capabilities, taking account of the additional F-16 and Sukhoi Su-27/30, would be sufficient for the next 15 to 20 years. "Then we'll receive another boost from the in-development KFX/IFX figher jets, which will be jointly produced with South Korea," he said.

Purnomo reiterated the plan to buy six C-130H Hercules heavy transporters being decommissioned by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at a cost of US$15 million each, on top of four aircraft being donated by RAAF.

Meanwhile, Navy chief of staff Vice Adm. Marsetio said the service was still selecting candidates for 11 anti-submarine warfare helicopters. "One of the candidates is the [US-made] Super Seasprite," he said.

Indonesia is also due to produce locally around eight more corvettes for the Navy to add to the existing four, in cooperation with Dutch shipbuilder Damen Schelde.

Separately, chairman of the House of Representatives' defense commission Mahfudz Siddiq said the commission had given a green light for a rise of up to Rp 10 trillion ($1.06 billion) on top of the Rp 76.5 trillion already allocated in the 2013 state budget. "We need a flexible defense budget as we are concerned by the poor condition of weapons systems," he said.

Mining & energy

Government stands by rise in electricity tariff, whether in 4 small steps

Jakarta Globe - August 18, 2012

Tito Summa Siahaan – The government has proposed raising the electricity tariff incrementally every three months starting next year, undeterred after a similar plan ended abruptly this year in the face of widespread protests from the public, businesses and lawmakers.

"It is the state obligation to provide subsidies for those who need it," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said during his annual budget address at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

"However, it is also within the state obligation to keep our financial condition sound and sustainable and to ensure that the subsidy only goes to those who actually need it."

The rising cost of electricity and fuel subsidies has been a primary concern during Yudhoyono's second term as president, impeding the country's infrastructure development and gobbling up government spending.

In the 2013 proposed state budget, electricity subsidies were set at Rp 80.9 trillion ($8.5 billion), a 24 percent rise from Rp 65 trillion this year. However, actual spending on electricity subsidies this year is projected to reach Rp 89.1 trillion.

Total energy subsidies are projected to cost Rp 274.7 trillion in the proposed state budget, up from Rp 202 trillion this year.

However, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik said the government planned to raise the power tariff by 4 percent each quarter. "We will raise it in stages, so it will not create greater shocks," Jero said.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said on Friday that the increases in the electricity tariff during 2013 would add up to around 10 percent. Yudhoyono also said raising the power tariff should come along with improved efficiency.

"To lower energy subsidy costs, especially for electricity, the government proposes to the House to adjust the electricity tariff automatically every three months starting in January 2013," he said.

Infrastructure & development

Infrastructure sidelined in the 2013 budget

Jakarta Post - August 18, 2012

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – The government has vowed to increase spending in the capital to drive infrastructure development next year, but economists say that the percentage is insufficient, and larger allocations of the budget still goes to energy subsidies, as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono still has not increased fuel oil prices.

Yudhoyono said on Thursday in Jakarta that expenditure for the capital would be raised by 14.9 percent, or Rp 25.2 trillion (US$2.65 billion), in 2013 to Rp 193.8 trillion, in a bid to help achieve the gross domestic product (GDP) target of 6.8 percent from the 6.5 percent targeted this year.

"To improve the effectiveness and quality of state spending, the government consistently raises allocation of the budget to more productive activities, particularly infrastructure development," he said in his address to a joint plenary session of the House of Representatives and Regional Representatives Council, where a draft of the 2013 state budget was submitted.

In order to support sustainable economic expansion, spending in the capital would be prioritized in order to support energy and food security and domestic connectivity, Yudhoyono said.

The government has allocated around Rp 188.4 trillion for infrastructure projects, including development of transmissions, gas distribution networks, a mini liquefied petroleum gas refinery, the development of 15 new airports and an upgrade for 120 airports, 380 kilometers of railways, 4,431 kilometers of roads nationwide, 100,000 hectares of cultivation areas and 107 hectares of irrigation, in addition to ongoing projects, according to the financial note.

Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) economist Latif Adam pointed out that despite the government's claims regarding infrastructure development, this was not well reflected in the 2013 proposed budget.

"The 2.1 percent share of capital spending of the GDP is still very low, as we need at least 5 percent of GDP in capital spending to achieve economic growth of 6.8 percent," he said, citing job creation as one of the multiplier effects generated from larger infrastructure spending.

The government plans to disburse around Rp 316.1 trillion in subsidies next year, a rise of Rp 48 trillion, or 18 percent, from this year.

Energy subsidies of Rp 274.74 trillion, which are up 35.74 percent from this year, account for 86.91 percent of the total subsidy. The rise is mainly driven by a 15 percent surge in the subsidized fuel quota, which rises to 46 million kiloliters next year.

"The majority of the subsidies are still oriented toward fuel. They should go to non-energy, which could improve productivity of our agricultural sector, for instance," Latif said.

Non-energy subsidies, which covers, among others, food, fertilizer and seeds, will total Rp 41.4 trillion next year, down by 3.04 percent from this year, the financial note shows.

Institute for Development of Economic and Finance (Indef) economist Ahmad Erani Yustika pointed out that political factors also contributed to the government's budget. "2013 is a time for political preparation for the 2014 election, and this is why the government is reluctant to cut the subsidies," said Erani.

Analysis & opinion

Despite limits, mosques remain popular way to channel alms

Jakarta Post - August 21, 2012

Prodita Sabarini – Come Ramadhan, mosques in Indonesia bustle with people donating and collecting alms, or zakat, for the fasting month.

On the porch of one mosque in Condet, East Jakarta, a banner read: "Accepting zakat, infaq, and sedekah". At another mosque in West Jakarta, three youngsters were seen setting up a post to receive alms. In Central Jakarta, after tarawih, or Ramadhan evening prayers, an official of another mosque reviewed his logbook on alms collection.

Islamic law obliges Muslims who are able to give two types of zakat. The first is zakat fitrah, or donations of food (or of cash earmarked for food), given at the end of Ramadhan. In Indonesia, recipients of zakat fitrah typically take home about 3.5 liters of rice. The second type of alms, zakat maal, comprises at least 2.5 percent of a person's earnings and assets. Infaq and sedekah, meanwhile, are voluntary donations.

Despite the rise of zakat agencies and foundations in Indonesia, mosques remain prominent in collecting and channeling alms. However, mosques have been better at managing donations geared for consumption, according to leaders of zakat agencies and foundations.

At Baitul Huda Mosque in Kebon Kacang, Central Jakarta, Karto Suwiryo, known better as Ato, stands among sacks of rice piled three or four high. The zakat fitrah distribution organizer ordered a ton of rice to be disbursed to the poor during Idul Fitri.

A local trader sent the sacks of rice the night before, Ato, 48, said. The mosque will pay for the rice after it receives the last zakat fitrah payment on the eve of Idul Fitri.

Ato said that the mosque intended to deliver alms to 800 people this year, about Rp 27,000 (about US$2.85) per person. At Masjid At-Taqwa, in Pal- merah, West Jakarta, the organizers rounded the zakat fitrah payment up to Rp 30,000 per person.

Besides receiving zakat fitrah payments from donors each year, the mosque, located in the streets behind the Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia and EX shopping malls, has also attracted donations from its well-healed neighbors.

Ato said that one of the malls donated Rp 100 million to renovate the mosque. Baitul Huda mosque treasurer Rubby Mudraf added that anonymous donors often sent building materials, such as a truckload of sand or cement, when the mosque was renovated last year.

There are nearly 9,000 mosques in Jakarta, according to the Religious Affairs Ministry. With Muslims comprising 88 percent of the nation's population of almost 240 million people, Indonesia has almost 240,000 mosques.

Ato said that neighborhood leaders would start listing poor people eligible for zakat fitrah donations a week before Idul Fitri. Included in the list would be children with single parents. He said in his area, which was full of boarding houses for people working around Jl. MH Thamrin, there were less than 100 poor families.

Mosque volunteers from Baitul Huda would then deliver the donations to their homes, he said.

"We make it our policy to not let anyone line up for donations," Ato said. Helmi Ryansyah, 17, a volunteer at At Taqwa mosque also said that local teens would deliver the alms to the doorsteps of the poor. Mosques have learned from past experiences, especially from the deadly stampede during Ramadhan in Pasuruan, East Java in 2008, in which 21 people were killed while lining up for cash handouts.

According to Forum Zakat (FOZ) head Sri Adi Bramasetia, zakat fitrah provides donation for consumption, targeting people who are extremely poor. "The poor who are so poor that they could not be reached through economic empowerment programs... like it or not, [the alms] have to be for consumption," he said.

National Alms Agency (BAZNAS) executive director Teten Kustiawan said that funneling zakat fitrah through mosques was appropriate, as local mosques had more direct knowledge of the people who were in need.

However, due to the nature of the donations and the limited resources, alms collected by mosques had little chance in lifting people out of poverty, according to alms foundation Dompet Dhuafa executive director Ahmad Juwaini.

Paying alms can solve poverty: A big 'if'

Jakarta Post - August 21, 2012

In Ramadhan, Muslims are reminded of their obligation to pay alms to the poor. The Jakarta Post's Prodita Sabarini looks at the collection and management of alms, which are now regulated by law.

For many years, Indonesian Muslims have channeled their alms through mosques or by giving directly to the needy. But the rise of professionally managed alms agencies is changing the way Muslims help their brothers and sisters in need.

From online bank transfers and monthly direct debits, to alms through premium text messages, alms giving has made a leap from the traditional cash-in-hand distribution to the Web 2.0 era of online transactions.

The consequences of the change are enormous, according to leaders of Islamic charitable organizations in Indonesia. Utilizing the principle of crowd-sourcing funds, these alms organization are brimming with optimistic intent to solve the problem of poverty in Indonesia.

Data from the Central Statistic Agency (BPS) states that 31.9 million people or 13.3 percent of the population in Indonesia are poor, living on under Rp 233,740 (US$24.7) per month.

The National Alms Agency (BAZNAS) last year conducted a joint study with the Bogor Institute of Agriculture's (IPB) school of economy and management, stating that Indonesia has the potential to collect Rp 217 trillion in zakat (Islamic mandatory alms). This estimate is more than twice the amount of the national budget allocated by the Finance Ministry for poverty alleviation, which stands at Rp 99.2 trillion this year.

"If we collect Rp 217 trillion of zakat, we can say: that's it. The problem of poverty can be managed by zakat," BAZNAS executive director Teten Kustiawan said recently. There is only one small problem with Teten's confident contention: a very big "if".

In reality, zakat collection in Indonesia is less than one percent of the amount that BAZNAS and IPB conjured up. In 2011, the national collection of zakat through BAZNAS, its provincial chapters and all registered private alms foundations was Rp 1.7 trillion, a mere 0.8 percent of the BAZNAS and IPB figure for zakat potential.

This figure excludes zakat collection from 7 of 19 national private alms agencies who failed to send reports to BAZNAS. The data also excludes zakat collected and distributed by mosques and private individuals.

This small percentage of realized zakat against zakat potential is not to say that alms agencies and foundations are not growing, far from it. Between 2002 and 2012, zakat collection through Islamic charities rose by more than 1,000 percent: an average 24 percent increase each year.

Five years ago in 2007, zakat collected by agencies and foundations stood at Rp 770 billion. Money collected by zakat agencies and foundations continues to rise even faster than the growth in the number of zakat foundations, said Teten.

Dompet Dhuafa Republika now collects as much as Rp 200 billion, according to executive director Ahmad Juwaini. The funds collected have grown from a mere Rp 88 million in 1993, when Dompet Dhuafa, with the support of the Islamic-leaning newspaper Republika, pioneered professional alms management.

The Community Caring Justice Post (PKPU), established in 1999 to answer the social crisis during the sectarian conflict in Poso, managed to raise Rp 3.5 billion in their first round of fundraising. Last year, they collected Rp 80 billion, according to PKPU deputy CEO and head of the Forum Zakat (FOZ) Sri Adi Bramasetia.

Alms agencies have become much more visible, taking an aggressive marketing approach with advertisements in the media. This Ramadhan, the PKPU is running the campaign "Jangan ditahan" (Don't resist it), playing with the concept of resisting temptation during the fasting month.

"People become curious. What is this 'don't resist' thing? And then they get it – that you shouldn't just keep your money. You should pay zakat," Bramasetia said.

While charitable fund managers are certain that zakat money will be more beneficially distributed under their management, skeptics argue that channeling zakat through agencies will only waste zakat intended for the poor, as agencies skim off the money for operational and campaign costs.

Dompet Dhuafa, for example, uses soccer star Bambang Pamungkas in their media campaign. However, according to Islamic law, some 12.5 percent of the donated funds belong to the Amil (zakat collector and manager).

Ahmad's response is that zakat agencies enable large amounts of funds to be collected and utilized in various aid programs for the poor. Dompet Dhuafa's health program for the poor includes a free hospital and 34 free polyclinics across the country. Ahmad said that the hospital building and equipment alone costs Rp 60 billion and operational costs are around Rp 20 billion.

"Where will you find a community here willing and able to spend Rp 20 billion for a free hospital? Nobody could afford that. But if Dompet Dhuafa collects the money – not only Rp 20 billion, even Rp 50 billion, we'll cover it. "That's the difference between paying zakat alone and collecting zakat together," he said.

To manage and ensure accountability of alms agencies, last year the House of Representatives passed a new law on zakat management, replacing the 1999 law. BAZNAS became the official national zakat collector and coordinator of all alms foundations.

This is not the first time the state has become involved in zakat collection. In 1968, Soeharto appointed himself as the national Amil and BAZ Jakarta, which later became BAZIS Jakarta, was established. The self- appointment of Soeharto as Amil, however, did not change the traditional face of zakat. Lacking appropriate social welfare and empowerment programs, people deem zakat management as "a job lacking any prestige", Ahmad said.

"There was no sense of pride. Zakat was managed on the side, at the end of Ramadhan, and channeled through mosques, then distributed to the poor in the area. That pattern was the norm for decades," Ahmad said.

As alms agencies grow with clear and effective programs, along with transparent financial reports – most alms agencies publish their audited financial reports on their website; the 2011 law obliges agencies to audit their finances – the charity organizations are gaining people's trust.

For PKPU, transparency in fund management is not enough. They also have to withstand allegations of partisanship. PKPU was founded by cadres of the Justice Party, which later became the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Bramasetia said in answer allegations of partisanship, PKPU registered with the UN for a special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. One prerequisite for any NGO to be granted consultative status was independence. In 2008, PKPU became the sixth Indonesian organization to receive such status.

Most of the alms agencies have five main program areas: economic empowerment, education, health, disaster response and religious development. Bramasetia said that most of zakat money goes on economic empowerment programs, which include grant money to set up micro-finance co-ops or capacity building programs.

Once, PKPU helped guava farmers transform fresh produce into extracts or puree. "When the harvest season comes, the price of guavas falls, but with our training, farmers are able to sell with added value as well as preserve their harvest in different forms," he said.

Ahmad of Dompet Dhuafa questions people who give their zakat in the form of cash hand outs, in which people queue, sometimes for hours, to receive a mere Rp 50,000.

"Isn't that torture? And how long does the food that they give last? How does that help with health and education?

"I say this is an egotistical form of worship. It's merely 'I'm happy that I can observe this ritual. The poor are happy to receive my help. He kisses my hand with his lips trembling with prayers for me while his tears flow'," Ahmad said.

"Our pride is satisfied by that kind of ritual. But is that really what we're looking for?"