Robert Isidorus, Jayapura – A legal aid activist in Papua has said the recent unrest in Manokwari, West Papua, is a clear indication of efforts to destabilize the region to prompt a need for a stronger security presence. He urged tribal leaders in Papua and West Papua not to allow themselves to be provoked.

"I want to call on the leaders of tribes in Papua, such as the Arfak, the Doreri, the Wamesa, not to easily fall to provocation following the latest development," Yan Christian Warinussy, the director of the Institute for Research, Analysis, and Development of Legal Aid (LP3BH) in Manokwari, said on Thursday.

Yan said he believed it was clear that in the case of the Manokwari incident, in which police shot and killed escaped prisoner Timotius Ap, there were certain sides who wanted horizontal conflict between groups to break out in West Papua.

"The indications are clear since the clash [broke out] between Papuan natives – the Yapen Waropen tribe with members of the Seram ethnic group -- in Sorong recently," he said, speaking of another recent conflict in the region. He added that tension between tribal groups was also raised during the Dec. 1 anniversary of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) and "even appeared in the case of the shooting of Timotius Ap," in Manokwari.

He gave no details about the indications that tribal tension was being provoked, but he said that all tribal leaders should restrain themselves and allow the Manokwari police to investigate the shooting.

"If the family of the victim finds any indications of violations of the law in the case of the shooting to death of Timotius Ap, they have the rights, guaranteed by the prevailing law, to file a legal suit in line with the procedures and legal mechanism that are in force," Yan said.

He said the seeds of conflict were being sown by groups that he said "are professional and trained," and are strongly suspected to come from official state institutions.

"There are individuals among its [state institutions] leaders who want to see West Papua not peaceful," he said.

Yan said the target was clear, "to weaken civilian control and efforts to create a clean and accountable government that would push development in West Papua," by creating an unstable environment for large scale investment in the region, and therefore justifying a stronger security presence there.

Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said the Manokwari city police on Dec. 4 received information that Timotius Ap, also known as Arnold Ap, who had escaped from jail on Sept. 16, was at his in- laws' home on Jalan Baru Manokwari.

When police came to arrest him, the suspect fled on a motorcycle and was chased until the Maripi beach, where he attempted to shoot at the police personnel using a home-assembled handgun. Police shot to immobilize him but hit him in the waist. Timotius, who had been jailed for theft, rape and other crimes, died not long after.

The next day, a protest march took place in Manokwari. Crowds engaged in vandalism and arson and police used teargas to disperse the crowd.

Riots break out in Manokwari

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Hundreds of angry protestors set fire to two police posts at Sanggeng market and Amban in Manokwari, West Papua, on Wednesday after police shot dead escaped convict Timotius AP as he attempted to avoid being returned to Manokwari penitentiary.

"Demonstrators started a riot in Manokwari, they vandalized a number of food stalls at the Manokwari Port, set fire to two police posts and blockaded streets, which paralyzed traffic in the city," said Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya.

The demonstrators paraded an empty coffin symbolizing the dead Timotius whose remains were in a funeral house in Venindi beach. As the crowd approached Manokwari Port, they met the police riot control unit and the trouble began.

"We immediately closed our shops as people went on a rampage in the streets, burning tires and shouting. We are still afraid to reopen our shops," Erni, a Manokwari resident, told The Jakarta Post. Erni said her neighbors' businesses also remained closed for fear of further rioting.

In July this year, Timotius, a recidivist convict responsible for numerous crimes, including robbery and rape, escaped from the Manokwari penitentiary but was recaptured and returned to prison on Sept. 13.

Three days later, on Sept. 16, he fled again and was arrested on Dec. 4 at around 5 p.m. local time. Officers shot him in the course of the arrest. "He was rushed to the Manokwari Naval Hospital at 6 p.m. but doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival," said Sumerta.

Police found a homemade pistol and caliber 5.56 ammunition on Timotius. His body was returned to his parents-in-law's house on Jl. Baru, Manokwari. Sumerta said the situation in the city had returned to normal, with only light congestion in a few places.

Meanwhile, the director of Manokwari's Institute of Research, Analysis and Development of Legal Aid, Yan Christian Warinussy, urged all elements of society in Manokwari to remain calm and not be provoked by the incident, and give the police a chance to resolve the case.

"Should the family find any indication of human rights violations, they have the right to file a lawsuit in accordance with existing procedures," said Yan, adding that there were indications of third-party involvement in the numerous clashes in West Papua, which were aimed at inciting social conflict.

"There are parties that would prefer West Papua not to be peaceful by taking advantage of social issues to justify a heavier security force presence, especially given the proximity of the Tangguh liquid natural gas plant in Bintuni Bay," said Yan.

Manokwari tense as shops vandalized and police post burned

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2012

SP/Robert Isidorus – The fatal shooting of an escaped convict by police in West Papua's provincial capital led a mob to damage several shops and burn a police outpost there on Wednesday, residents said.

Residents said the city was paralyzed after mobs set up road blocks across Manokwari and vandalized several shops. Another protesting group carried a coffin to the Manokwari district police headquarters.

"I am still seeking information on that," said Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya when contacted by phone.

The first roadblock was set up on Jalan Yos Sudarso in front of the Swissbell Hotel in Manokwari at 2:00 a.m., according to residents, and similar roadblocks have since been erected at several other locations in town.

Residents said the unrest was sparked by the death of Timotius Ap, a prison escapee who was shot and killed by police officers on Tuesday as they attempted to arrest him in the Maripi Pantai area of South Manokwari. Police said the fugitive was resisting arrest.

Police also confiscated a home-assembled handgun and three bullets, as well as the motorcycle Timotius had been riding. Unconfirmed reports said the police post at the Sanggeng market in downtown Manokwari was burned to the ground.

The incidents marked just the latest violence against police in the restive Papua region, where a variety of issues related to resource rights, perceived injustices and human rights abuses by security forces have plagued the nation's easternmost provinces.

Last week, a group of some 50 men attacked and burned down a police post in the Papua district of Lanny Jaya, killing three officers.

Flag unfurled at several ceremonies on 1 December

Bintang Papua - December 3, 2012

Jayapura – The "chief of the general staff" of TPN/OPM, "Major-General" Terianus Santo said that his organisation had celebrated 1 December with prayers and ceremonies to unfurl the Morning Star flag at their headquarters deep in the forest.

"We marked the occasion by holding the flag aloft from early morning and conducted military training sessions and education. If you wish, we can send you a photo by email, to see the flag while we were conducting military training."

Terianus Santo was appointed chief of staff of the TPN/OPM at a summit conference which was held in Perwomi Biak in May this year. "We carried out the ceremony as a mark of respect for our history and our movement's dedication to continue the struggle for freedom," he said.

He went on to say that they want to press the UN to immediately provide an opening for a dialogue between the Dutch Government, the Indonesian Government, the UN and representatives of the Papuan people "because some of these elements were involved in the unlawful annexation of Papua."

Elly CH Sirwa, the secretary of the National Council of the Federal Republic of West Papua, said that ceremonies to celebrate 1 December have taken place every year since 1961 to mark the emergence of an independent Papuan nation, with status equal to other nations in the world.

He said that the cereony had proceeded peacefully and with great enthusiasm by all those who took part, as is evident from the fact that a number of activities took place in various parts of West Papua. "We hope that next year, these ceremonies will be held with even greater enthusiasm," he told Bintang Papua, during an interview at the office of DAP, the Council of Indigenous Papuans.

He also used the occasion to give thanks for all the sacrifices that had been made during the ceremonies to mark the 51st anniversary of 1 December. "What happened on this day exceeded expectations." Although the occasion occurred at a time when relations with some other nations were still strained, he said that they had given thanks for the ceremonies this year even though they had not been given to permission to hold the ceremonies.

"We Papuan people do not feel disappointed or upset, even though in some places in West Papua, our ceremonies were dispersed forcibly by forces who were bearing firearms. In some places, some of our people were arrested."

He said that restricted ceremonies had been held among other places in Imbi Square Jayapura, Buper Waena, at the Sports Stadium in Jayapura and at the Theys Eluay Burial Ground in Sentani. Stones were burnt and people were able to partake of a meal together.'

[Abridged in translation by TAPOL]

Papua police, OPM exchange fire in Lanny Jaya confrontation

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2012

Robert Isidorus & Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Armed separatists exchanged gunfire with Indonesian security forces in Papua on Monday as police combed the Lanny Jaya district for those allegedly behind last week's deadly police station attack, a Free Papua Organization (OPM) head said.

"This morning we exchanged fire with the security forces," said Purom Wenda, the head of the Lanny Jaya branch of the OPM, during a telephone conversation with journalists in Jayapura on Monday.

The local branch of the OPM opened fire after members allegedly met resistance while marching into Tiom, Lanny Jaya, Monday morning. The pro- independence group exchanged fire with members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and Papua Police.

A civilian, 25-year-old Ferdi Turuallo, was allegedly killed in the crossfire, according to unconfirmed reports. Ferdi was allegedly on his way home from the market when the gunfight broke out.

The Papua Police said they heard of the battle, but did not release any additional details Monday afternoon. "I heard but I will have to check it first," Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said.

Purom and the Lanny Jaya branch of the OPM have been hunted by police since the group claimed responsibility for the Nov. 27 slaying of three police officers at a Pirime subdistrict station.

The OPM's main leaders, who are based in Puncak Jaya, denied any connection to the killings. But Purom, who claims to lead a more militant branch of the armed pro-independence group, told the Indonesian news portal tempo.co that he was behind the attack. "OPM did the shootings. I led the shootings," he said.

Police said 50 members of the group converged on the small police station, killing three, seizing weapons and setting the building ablaze.

Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN) has said the attacks were meant to serve as a reminder of the OPM ahead of the Dec. 1 anniversary of Papua's independence from Dutch rule.

Six men were arrested in connection with the attack on Thursday. One was shot in the leg after he reportedly raised a machete in front of security officers. "We are certainly not going to show any mercy," Sumerta told Tempo.co on Friday. "But for now, we are waiting on the government to settle the issue internally."

Indonesian security forces have fought against a low-level insurgency since the resource-rich province was annexed in 1969.

The International Center for Transitional Justice and the Institute of Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (Elsham Papua) have recorded nearly 750 instances of human rights abuses in the remote province since Indonesian forces arrived in 1963, according to a joint report released this year.

OPM besieges city in Papua

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2012

Pirime, Papua – Members of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) were involved in a one-hour shootout with security personnel in Pirime district, Lanny Jaya regency, Papua, at 6 a.m. on Monday.

OPM Pirime commander-in-chief Purom Okiman Wenda said that hundreds of the movement's members had besieged the capital of Lanny Jaya, Tiom, to fight for the separation of Papua from Indonesia. "The shootout claimed no casualties on our side," he said.

Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya, meanwhile, said that the number of casualties was as yet unknown. Tempo.co., however, reported that an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver in Tiom was hit by a bullet during the shootout.

According to Wenda, his group was involved in the shooting that killed three police personnel – Second Insp. Rofli Takubesi, First Brig. Daniel Makuker and Brig. Jefri Rumkorem – at the Pirime police subprecinct station last month.

The Nov. 27 incident occurred at 6.30 a.m., when hundreds of OPM members shot Jefri, who was about to raise the red-and-white flag at the police station, he said. Dozens of others barged into the station and killed Daniel, before they shot Pirime Police chief Rofli, who was hiding under a cot, Wenda added.

Police have detained seven people following the attack on the station. YW, 40, was captured in Pirime moments after the attack when he resisted arrest while attacking police personnel with a machete, while six other suspects -- KW, 40, LK, 22, TW, 24, GK, 35, DTT, 45 and TT, 17, were arrested by police in Waragame village, Piramid district in Jayawijaya regency.

Police seized evidence in the form of a Morning Star separatist flag, Free Papua Movement (OPM) membership cards, a laptop, a United Kingdom flag and a Papua New Guinea flag, five OPM militia notebooks and a machete.

Sumerta said that police had yet to ascertain whether or not the seven men were involved in the attack on the police station. (han)

Sydney councils fly West Papuan flag

Southeast Asian Times - December 2, 2012

Sydney – The Sydney-based Australia West Papua Association has issued a statement that thanks the Leichhardt and Marrickville councils for their support in raising the West Papuan Morning Star at their town halls again this year for West Papuan national Flag Day.

The support of local councils is very important in helping raise awareness of the human rights situation in West Papua in local communities, says association representative Joe Collins in the statement.

"It is of great concern that simply raising a flag can be classed as subversion. The outlawing of the raising of a flag is in direct contravention of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

"Article 19.2 states:

2. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice."

The flags were raised on Friday. Yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of the former Dutch colony's declaration of independence on December 1, 1961 before it was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 as the result of a disputed United Nations-sponsored ballot.

In Wellington, a rally has been held outside New Zealand's parliament to mark the day. More than 40 people, including MP,s convened to raise the Morning Star Flag in solidarity with the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.

The New Zealand Green Party MP, Catherine Delahunty, said the flag represented the long-neglected aspirations and hopes of West Papuans.

"If you raise the Morning Star flag, you can be arrested and jailed for 14 years," she said. "That's almost unimaginable to us... New Zealand should not collude with these people who will not allow citizens to raise a flag."

No sightings of separatist flag on OPM anniversary

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2012

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – There were no sightings of the Morning Star separatist flag on Saturday in Papua on the 51st anniversary of the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM), which has been marked every Dec. 1 since 1991.

"Reports from the regions say there was not a single Morning Star flag hoisted today," Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said in Jayapura on Saturday.

Even though there were no flag sightings, several protesters were captured by the police to prevent tensions escalating, Sumerta said.

Three protesters – Viktor Yeimo, 29, Humum Kiman, 20, and Ebel Sala, 19, were arrested in front of Dian Harapan Hospital in Jayapura at 10:30 a.m. local time after holding a free speech forum and preparing to go on a long march.

"The three were detained to prevent things getting out of control. While they were agitating in a free speech forum and when they were about to go their march, there was someone in the middle of the crowd who threw a stone and wounded a passerby," Sumerta explained.

The crowd was forcefully dispersed by the police, which fired tear gas twice. "Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Alfred Papare had ordered the crowd to use vehicles, but because the order was turned down he decided to disperse them," Sumerta said.

The three were briefly detained at Abepura police station but were released later in the evening.

In Manokwari, a Ukrainian national named Wapinenko Shapirenko, 36, was detained by the police after attending a religious service on the commemoration of the anniversary at the Papua Customary Council.

"He was questioned about his documents as he is a foreigner, but he was immediately freed," Sumerta said, adding that Wapinenko had entered Indonesia using a tourism visa.

Ahead of Dec. 1, security officers in Papua had intensified security. At least 700 security personnel, comprising military and police, were deployed on Friday afternoon to safeguard the city of Timika over the weekend. They patrolled the city at night and monitored US mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia's security post at checkpoint 28 on Saturday morning.

Mimika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jeremias Routini said on Friday afternoon that there were no indications of suspicious activity.

"Intelligence reports indicated that there were no threatening activities. We have also warned public figures to tone down the commemoration of the day," Jeremias said as quoted by tempo.co. The police will also intensify security measures on Dec. 14 – marked as Militia Day – and on Dec. 16 – the anniversary of the death of prominent OPM figure Kelly Kwalik.

Victor Yeimo and others arrested in police crackdown on December 1 protests

West Papua Media - December 2, 2012

Three leaders of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) who were detained at a West Papuan independence rally on December 1 have been allegedly disappeared by Indonesian security forces, prompting fears of ill treatment at the hands of police.

As reported earlier by Tabloid Jubi and West Papua Media, Victor Yeimo, Alius Asso and Usman Yogobi were arrested by Police while leading a long march enroute to a planned mass rally commemorating the West Papuan "Day of Independence" of December 1st at the tomb of Theys Eluay. All three were arrested for allegedly being responsible for these demonstrations, according to Police who spoke with Jubi.

KNPB members and human rights lawyers are currently trying to confirm his whereabouts and legal status, however Indonesian police have claimed to West Papua Media that all detainees being held at the Police headquarters. Legal access has not been allowed at time of writing and human rights observers hold grave fears for the safety of the detainees.

Victor Yeimo, KNPB Chairman, has been on a wanted list (Daftar Pencarian Orang or DPO) and has up to now evaded a massive Papua-wide manhunt by the Australian trained Detachment 88 counter-terror unit, allegedly on treason charges imposed after his appearance on the Australian ABC 7.30 Report where he presented evidence of the Densus 88 assassination of his predecessor Mako Tabuni.

However, after the arrests, the whereabouts of Victor Yeimo, Alius Asso and Usman Yogobi remain unknown until time of writing, with no indications if they still being detained or have been released by police.

"Yes. There are journalists who say that Victor (Yeimo) was released earlier. But we do not know where he is. KNPB members are still trying to find him. Their mobile phone (three KNPB's members were arrested) was (switched) off." Sebby Sambom, a Human Rights Activist, told tabloidjubi.com on Saturday afternoon (1/12).

Some human rights lawyers who commonly accompany Papuan activists also still looking for them (Victor Yeimo, Alius Asso and Usman Yogobi). Because when they checked into the both of Police Office (Polda and Polresta), human rights lawyers was told by police that no one was arrested after rally this morning.

"We had been to the police office, Polda and Polresta, but they (Victor Yeimo, Alius Asso and Usman Yogobi) were not there. Police said no one was arrested there (Police and Police)," said Olga Hamadi, a Papuan human rights lawyer.

Papua Police Head of Public Relations, Chief I Gede Sumerta Jaya confirmed to tabloidjubi.com, that the three activists will be released after the investigation at the Police Sector office of Abepura.

"After being interrogated in Abepura police station, according to the police chief, three of them will be released as they could not to do any further investigation." said I Gede Jaya Sumerta.

However, West Papua Media twice contacted the Police Sector (Polsek) headquarters in Abepura this (Sunday) morning, where an officer named Mas Arbi claimed that Yeimo and the other prisoners were still in custody. Officers immediately volunteered further information on the second phone call that "none of the prisoners have been tortured," despite West Papua Media having not yet asked that question. WPM has not been able to independently verify the claims of police, as legal representation is still barred from seeing Yeimo.

Massive security presence

The December 1 commemorations in Jayapura were amongst national mobilisations in most centres across Papua, and solidarity gatherings internationally.

Reports from Abepura early in the morning described a massive security presence to prevent West Papua people from engaging in peaceful acts of free expression, and from engaging in flagraisings of the Morning Star flag, the Indonesia-banned West Papuan independence flag.

Unknown persons had blockaded the entrance to the Cenderawasih University (UNCEN) by welding iron crossbars and erecting a 2 metre high steel fence around the university in anticipation of events.

From 7.30 on Saturday morning, students and activists with KNPB leaders (including Yeimo) gathered in small numbers by the site of former KNPB head Mako Tabuni's murder, in front of the Perunmans 3 Housing Complex in Waena, where many highland students are domiciled.

Intelligence officers and plain-clothed Densus 88 personnel posing as ojek (motorcycle taxi drivers) become more aggressive towards participants converging prior to the long march, according to West Papua Media stringers and SuaraPapua.com.

At 0845 three platoons of heavily armed Dalmas riot police arrived on site, followed by Jayapura police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Alfred Papare and his men. Papare began negotiations with Yeimo on the route and plan of action for the day, which was to make speeches and a prayer service at the tomb of slain Papuan leader Chief Theys Eluay, to commemorate December 1 and also World AIDS Day.

Participants carried many banners also demanding that the Indonesian government do more to combat HIV/AIDS, which is taking a heavy toll on Papuan society, in a situation that many Papuans believe is a deliberate policy by Jakarta of neglect and genocide.

Kapolres Papare asked the students to not go to Eluay's tomb as he "could not be held responsible for anything that happened outside his Jayapura jurisdiction", according to our stringers. Having heard the explanations and assurances from the students who accompanied Victor Yeimo (KNPB Chairman), police chief Papare then left the scene and ordered the Jayapura Police Dalmas riot police officers to leave the Perumnas 3. After negotiation, the students resumed speeches for the next 1 hour.

The march began slowly from Waena, passing an Indonesian army (TNI) post about 50 meters from the housing complex, which was packed with military personnel moonlighting as taxi drivers, and several platoons of heavily armed TNI on guard, who rang a warning bell as students ran past.

According to reports from Suara Papua, the march was blocked by dozens of police officers from Jayapura Police at the corner near Dian Harapan Hospital (RSDH) in Waena, forming a three layer formation blockade. The first layer is riot police, while the second and third layers are heavily armed police, who were supported by large numbers of plainclothes police who parked their motorcycles and cars nearby.

Yeimo's arrest

Yeimo told police through a megaphone that more students were joining them to continue the journey to Sentani. The Police Head of Operations AKP Kiki Kurnia ordered participants to disperse, but students refused the order to move on. Kiki Kurnia then advanced toward Victor Yeimo and seized him violently. Yeimo did not resist as Kurnia gave the command to capture him and a large number police descended on Yeimo, violently immobilising him as Yeimo, Julian Douw and Usman Pahabol were thrown into the Dalmas truck and taken away, according to witnesses.

Just as the three were taken away, at about 11 am outside Dian Harapan Hospital (RSDH). police violently dispersed the remaining group of students to disperse them, firing tear gas and six live warning shots into the air. A number of students were also beaten by police, according to witnesses.

Soldiers from the TNI post also joined in the pursuit of students who were forced to flee via alleyways between homes, most running back in the direction of the Perumnas 3 dormitories, and all the armed police began raids again.

According to reports from Suara Papua, dozens of students desperately sought shelter inside the UNCEN Campus, where they were funneled into a dead end by police, back at the locked front gate, though they managed to escape for the time being. KNPB sources have reported that several students sustained injuries from beating, but this has yet to be independently verified.

However, unconfirmed reports to West Papua Media overnight have said that the police, allegedly backed by Densus 88 personnel, have been conducting brutal raids on student dormitories and highlander's residences across Jayapura.

It is confirmed that at 1235 local time Densus 88 raid occurred on the KNPB office in Sentani an hour later, seizing laptops, Morning Star flags and the United Nations flag. No reports of injuries or arrests were received during that raid.

[With Victor Mambor at TabloidJubi.com, and Julian Howay at SuaraPapua.com.]

Papuan students in Yogyakarta commemorate West Papuan Independence Day

Kompas.com - December 1, 2012

Wijaya Kusuma, Yogyakarta – Hundreds of Papuan students from Java and Bali that are part of the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) held an action at the zero kilometre point in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta to commemorate the 51st anniversary of West Papuan independence on Saturday December 1.

The protesters were furnished with banners with messages such as "Stop manipulating Papua's entry into the NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia] and recognise the sovereignty of the West Papuan people".

"The date December 1 is not OPM (Free Papua Movement) day but West Papua Independence Day that was officially endorsed on December 1, 1961. We, Papuan students in Java and Bali are holding this action to demand the recognition of independence of the Papuan people", said action coordinator Sonny Dogapia.

Dogapia explained that to this day the Papuan people are still being silenced through various plots, coercion, intimidation and terror in order to quash resistance by the Papuan people. This is being done by the Indonesian government in order to ensure that Papua does not separate from Indonesia.

"Before the declaration of Trikora, the West Papuan nation was already independent but its independence did not last long. On December 19, 1961 [President] Sukarno declared the Trikora in order to thwart the formation of the West Papuan state, since then the Papuan people have lived under Indonesian colonial domination", he asserted.

After giving speeches for two hours, the action was closed with the reading of a statement. AMP made three demands, namely, affirming that December 1, 1961 is not the OPM's anniversary but West Papua Sovereignty Day. The second demand was that Indonesia and the United Nations immediately hand over West Papuan sovereignty and third, an end to claims that West Papua is part of the Indonesian republic. (k75-12)

Notes

Trikora – After the Netherlands announced the formation of a Nieuw Guinea Raad on April 1961, with the intention of creating an independent Papuan state, Indonesia's founding President Sukarno declared a military confrontation in his Tri Komando Rakjat (Trikora, Triple Commands of the People) speech in Yogyakarta, on December 19, 1961.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Police arrest three in Jayapura during Papua Independence Day rally

Metro TV - December 1, 2012

Jayapura – West Papua National Committee (KNPB) chairperson Victor Yeimo was arrested by police during a protest action in the Waena area, Heram district, in Jayapura city on Saturday. He was arrested along with two other colleagues, Hukum Kiman and Ebes Sala.

The arrests occurred when demonstrators led by Yeimo began marching from the Waena III State Housing Company (Perumnas) towards the Expo area. Hundreds of police from the Jayapura municipal police were mobilised and police initially requested that they disburse. The KNPB were intending to commemorate December 1, which is usually referred to as Papua Independence Day.

Earlier, they held speeches at the Waena III Perumnas public transport roundabout and were determined to hold a long-march to the Waena Expo complex. After marching for around 500 metres, the demonstrators where blocked by police in front of the Waena diesel power plant, who requested that they disperse. The demonstrators refused and police dispersed them forcibly by firing tear gas into the crowd.

The 50 or so protesters immediately dispersed but not before three people were detained and placed in a paddy wagon. Jayapura municipal police chief Police Commissioner Alfred said that they were arrested because the protest did not have a permit.

"I issued an order to block them in front of the Dian Harapan hospital. While negotiations were taking place they remained determined [to march] and we used force to disburse the demonstrators", he said.

The protesters were disbursed tear gas was fired twice when they pelted people in the vicinity [with stones]. "As a result of the [stone] throwing a person was injured in the vicinity of their elbow as a result of the [stone] throwing and is now being treated in hospital", said Alfred. As a result of the incident a number of shops were closed. (MI/DOR)

[Slightly abridged translation by James Balowski.]

Celebrating West Papua 'independence,' OPM calls for non-violence

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2012

Jayapura – The separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) called for non-violent actions to free the easternmost provinces from Indonesia as the group on Saturday marked what it considers the 51st anniversary of the independent nation of West Papua.

Lambert Pekikir, the chief of the OPM wing in the Papua district of Keerom, said during a commemoration there that violence would not solve Papuans' problems.

"We have to admit that we can do nothing now. As Papua is still within Indonesian territory, we'll have to make more directed approaches," Lambert said.

Those approaches, Lambert suggested, should rely heavily on international negotiations aimed at amending 1969's United Nations Resolution 2504, which concerned the handover of then-West New Guinea – now Papua and West Papua -- from the Netherlands to Indonesia.

He added that the Indonesian government, in the interim, needed to be more open to the notion of an independent Papua.

"A democratic space must be opened. The Indonesian government has no other choice but to stop seeing Papua as a part of Indonesia," Lambert said, as reported by Indonesian news portal tempo.co.

The Dec. 1 celebrations by pro-independence groups in Papua appeared largely peaceful despite prior warnings by Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN) of heightened security concerns ahead of the commemorations.

On Tuesday, three police officers were killed in an attack on the Pirime Police precinct office in the district of Lanny Jaya, with OPM's Pirime chief Purom Okiman Wenda claiming responsibility for the attack. OPM has often been blamed for attacks on Indonesian security forces in Papua.

On Saturday, the OPM office in Keerom only raised a Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence that is banned by law, and conducted a joint prayer to celebrate the day. "No other activities... no shootings," Lambert said.

There were no reports of separatist attacks nor violent crackdowns by Indonesian security forces across Papua and West Papua as of the time of writing.

Police did arrest several pro-independence activists, including the chairman of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Viktor Yeimo, as they staged a rally in Jayapura on Saturday, but the incident was largely peaceful and the activists were reportedly released later in the day.

The supposed 51st anniversary of West Papua was also celebrated by hundreds of Papuan students on Java and Bali, who gathered in Yogyakarta on Saturday for a rally demanding Indonesian and international recognition of an independent West Papua, according to detik.com. (JG & Suara Pembaruan)

Seven arrested after attack on police station

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Police have detained seven people following the attack on the Pirime police subprecinct station in Lanny Jaya regency, Papua, on Nov. 27, in which three police personnel – Second Insp. Rofli Takubesi, First Brig. Daniel Makuker and Brig. Jefri Rumkorem – were killed.

"The seven men were arrested in separate places. YW, 40, was captured in Pirime moments after the attack as he resisted arrest while attacking police personnel with a machete. He was later paralyzed with a gunshot to his leg. He is still receiving treatment at the Wamena General Hospital," said Papua Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya in Jayapura on Friday.

The six other suspects – KW, 40, LK, 22, TW, 24, GK, 35, DTT, 45 and TT, 17, were arrested by police in Waragame village, Piramid district in Jayawijaya regency, during an operation.

Police seized evidence from them in the form of a Morning Star separatist flag, Free Papua Movement (OPM) membership cards, a laptop, a United Kingdom flag and a Papua New Guinea flag, five OPM militia notebooks and a machete.

At least 10 police officers have been shot dead so far this year by unknown assailants in the province. The rising frequency of violence in Papua by armed civilian groups is believed to be a reaction by local community members to the frustration of dealing with hardships in the underdeveloped region.

Sumerta said police had yet to ascertain whether or not the seven men were involved in the attack on the police station, but police were currently investigating the case.

He added that six individuals in the group might have been involved in the attack because the place where they were caught was a route usually used by armed militias. The individuals are thought to be part of a wider network of armed civilian groups operating in the Pegunungan Tengah area of Papua.

"The group forms part of a collaboration with several armed civilian groups, such as the RM, EW, MW and OW groups, while the attackers were from the JJ group," said Sumerta.

The RM group was involved in a shootout with the police when Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian visited the crime scene in Pirime on Wednesday.

Sumerta further said the Lanny Jaya regency administration and religious and community figures had urged Tito to resolve the case and persuade the groups to give up their weapons and surrender. "However, if the efforts are in vain, the Papua Police chief will ask directives from the National Police chief before taking further action," he said.

Regarding the police's continuing manhunt of the police station assailants, the National Commission on Human Rights head Otto Nur Abdullan said he had not received any reports of alleged human rights violations.

"We have not yet received any reports of human rights violations when authorities have been scouring for perpetrators," said Otto. "This is progress for Papua," he added, after meeting Karnavian in Jayapura on Friday.

Sumerta further said the Papua Police had strengthened security ahead of the Free Papua movement's (OPM) anniversary, which falls on July 1, but is often celebrated on Dec. 1.

Sumerta said that the police would deploy two-thirds of its officers stationed in Papua to "anticipate the activity of pro-Papua liberation supporters".

No Morning Star flag in Timika on anniversary

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Jakarta – There were no sightings of the Morning Star separatist flag on Saturday in Timika, Papua, on the 50th anniversary of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), which is marked on Dec. 1, despite rumors of the flag being raised in various spots in the city.

At least 700 security personnel, comprising military and police personnel, were deployed on Friday afternoon to safeguard the city over the weekend. They patrolled the city at night and monitored US mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia's security post at checkpoint 28 on Saturday morning.

Mimika Police chief Adj. sr. Comr. Jeremias Routini said on Friday afternoon that there were no indications of suspicious activities that could disrupt security.

"Intelligence reports indicated that there were no threatening activities. We have also warned public figures to tone down the commemoration of the day," Jeremias said as quoted by tempo.co.

The police will also intensify security measures on Dec. 14 – marked as Militia Day – and on Dec. 16 – the anniversary of the death of prominent OPM figure Kelly Kwalik. (swd)

Human rights & justice

Thousands gather to remember human rights champion Munir

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2012

Faisal Maliki Baskoro – Thousands of people gathered on Sunday in front of the grave of Munir Said Thalib, a prominent human rights champion who was killed eight years ago but whose murder case remains unsolved.

"Ya Allah, please make the killers of Papa Munir confess what they have done," said Sultan Alief Allende, Munir's son, before the gathering to commemorate the birthday of the activist in Batu, Malang, East Java.

Munir was born in the city on Dec. 8, 1965, but his birthday commemoration began on Saturday. Munir was killed on board a Garuda Indonesia flight from Singapore to Amsterdam in 2004 after drinking a beverage that was spiked with arsenic.

Off-duty pilot Pollycarpus Priyanto was convicted of Munir's murder in 2005. The conviction was invalidated in 2006 for insufficient evidence, before being reinstated in 2008.

To date, however, none of the suspected masterminds behind the murder have been jailed, with Muchdi Purwopranjono, the former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief, acquitted of murder charges.

Munir's wife Suciwati said she would continue to campaign for information on her husband's death. She has launched a petition at www.change.org/melawanlupa to remind people that Munir's murder still has not been solved.

She called on Indonesians to sign the digital petition, which will be sent to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"This petition will target SBY to quickly do his homework of solving Munir's case. As the president has said that Munir's case is a test of our history," Suciwati said, referring to Yudhoyono.

Attending the event were National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) chairman Otto Nur Abdullah, Jesuit priest Romo Sindhunata, artist Ki Djoko Pekik, writer Arswendo Atmowiloto, Javanese puppeteer Sujiwo Tedjo, University of Indonesia professor Tamrin Amal Tamagola, leading poet Goenawan Mohamad, rights activist Emmy Hafidz and Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Otto said that Komnas HAM will support Lukman's recent proposal to formally recognize Munir as a national hero. Batu Mayor Eddy Rumpoko also attended the gathering and signed the petition.

Human rights activist Hendardi praised Eddy's support for Munir as an extraordinary and historic step, saying that it showed that the city was proud of its son. Eddy said in his speech that Munir was an inspiration not only to Batu but to the whole country, saying that Indonesia is proud of him.

Meanwhile, poet Goenawan also launched a campaign in remembrance of Munir's death. He also launched a petition at www.change.org/monumenMunir that called for the building of monument for the human rights champion.

In his speech, he said that Munir even deserved to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Munir was one of Indonesia's most famous human rights and anti-corruption activists. He co-founded the country's most prominent human rights group, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), as well as anti-graft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch.

Munir started his work in legal aid in 1989 at Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Surabaya before being appointed secretary of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in 1996.

His last position was executive director of Imparsial, an Indonesian human rights nongovernmental organization.

Munir family in new push to resolve murder

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2012

Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – In advance of the birthday of Munir Said Thalib, his family has launched a campaign to push the government to resolve the murder of the slain human rights activist eight years ago.

Munir's widow, Suciwati, started the campaign from Munir's hometown of Malang, East Java, on Sunday, calling on the public to sign a petition asking President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to bring Munir's killers to justice.

"Pak President, it's nearly the end of your second term and we are still patiently waiting for the realization of your promises," Suciwati said in her petition, which was made available to The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"Do you still remember your statements early in your term that solving Munir's murder would be a 'test of our history'? You have made a promise to this country," she said.

Munir's son Soultan Alief Allende joined the call while praying at his father's grave in Sisir cemetery in Batu, East Java. "Dear God, please give direction to Abah Munir's killers so that they admit their actions," Soultan said.

Members of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) have been implicated in the murder of Munir by arsenic poisoning on board a Garuda Indonesia plane flying from Jakarta to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004.

Usman Hamid, a friend of Munir who is coordinating Suciwati's online campaign, said that activists from the Committee of Action and Solidarity for Munir (Kasum) wanted to collect new evidence to prove that officials from the BIN were involved in Munir's death.

"We continue to ask BIN to submit written documents as evidence that can prove that Muchdi was assigned to Malaysia," he said, referring to Muchdi PR, the then BIN deputy chief who was eventually acquitted of charges that he had masterminded Munir's murder.

Muchdi said that he was in Malaysia when Munir was killed. The activists want BIN to provide documentation of Muchdi's whereabouts at the time to uphold or refute his alibi.

Usman said that Kasum activists have also urged the President to order the National Police to release a recording of a conversation between Muchdi and former Garuda Indonesia pilot Polycarpus Budihari Prijanto.

Polycarpus has been sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment for his role in Munir's death, although he has appealed the verdict. Who ordered the assassination of Munir has never been established by the law enforcement agencies.

Meanwhile, several witnesses in the case have died in unusual circumstances. In May, one witness – Raymon "Ongen" Latuihamallo – died of a heart attack after having no previous history of such ailments.

Kasum said that Ongen's death was the latest in a series of suspicious deaths surrounding those implicated or asked to testify about Munir's killing, including Bijah Subiyakto, another deputy director of the BIN.

Budi Santoso, another witness who might be able to provide more information on BIN officials involved in Munir's murder, has apparently vanished.

To mark the birthday of Munir on Dec. 8, activists have prepared a memorial in the city square in Batu, with the participation from poet Goenawan Mohamad and actor Butet Kertaredjasa.

No justice? Indonesia struggles to address history of human rights abuse

IRIN - December 2, 2012

Victims of alleged human rights violations in Indonesia, a country where human rights courts set up in 2000 have yet to convict a single case, are facing an uphill battle to bring perpetrators to justice.

Data from local NGO Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) estimates more than one million people suffered rights abuses between 1965 and 1998 that took place largely under President Suharto's military rule, which ended in 1998 with his forced resignation.

"We have an unusual situation in this country. You have all these human rights violations but as things stand, no-one has been found guilty in a human rights court," said Haris Azhar, co-ordinator of Kontras.

In 2000 the Indonesian parliament created human rights courts to hear and rule on cases concerning gross violations of human rights. Over 12 years, 12 cases have come before the country's four human rights courts, with no resulting convictions.

Enforced disappearances

In the tumultuous run-up to the country's first steps towards democracy in 1998, university students challenging the military regime began disappearing. Mugiyanto, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, was detained in 1998.

"I was blindfolded and then held, tortured and interrogated for about four days by the military's special forces. Then they handed me to the police, and they put me in a local prison for three months. I was then released when the leadership changed," said Mugiyanto, who chairs the Indonesian Association of Families of the Disappeared (IKOHI).

In May 1998 President Suharto stepped down and was replaced by then Vice- President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie.

Mugiyanto said a total of 23 students disappeared, with nine (including him) later released. Thirteen remain missing, including Ucok Siahaan, who was a 22-year-old university student whose family still awaits news.

"He visited us several times [in 1998] and each time, he told us to stock up on food and supplies because the political situation in Jakarta was out of control," said his father, 65-year-old Paian Siahaan. "In May he telephoned us and said not to go out of the house. He said if anything bad happened, just go to the mosque."

His family has not heard from him since. "We are angry with the government," said Paian. "They always said they would help us establish what happened, but nothing has been resolved.

"We don't want to sue anyone in a court of law," said Paian. "We just want to know what happened to our son. If he is gone, we want to find his remains and lay them to rest in the family graveyard. We're old now and we just want to live in peace, but until we know what happened to our son, we can't do that."

State brutality in Papua

In recent years activists have reported human rights abuses in the country's remote Papuan region, where a separatist conflict has simmered for decades.

The resource-rich region (3,000 kilometers east of Jakarta and including the provinces of Papua and West Papua) has the lowest level of human development of Indonesia's 33 provinces.

Penihas Lokbere from Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province, said he is one of 105 people arrested by the police in 2000 in the university town of Abepura, about 10 kilometers from Jayapura.

According to Human Rights Watch, a group of unidentified people attacked a police post in Abepura, killing two policemen and a security guard. "The police wanted to retaliate," said Lokbere. "They came to our dormitory while we were sleeping and arrested us. They didn't ask any questions."

Along with his fellow students, Lokbere was imprisoned for three days, where he said he was tortured, handcuffed and beaten with a metal crook. Until now, no one has been convicted.

A 2012 joint report of the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ITCJ) and the Jayapura-based Institute of Human Rights Studies and Advocacy (Elsham), recorded nearly 750 rights violations against Papuans from 1960-2012, including arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and killings.

Paul Mambrasar, a representative of Elsham said the actual number of violations may be much higher. "Many of the victims are not ready to speak about what happened," he said. "The provinces of Papua are militarized and people are worried if they give information, they will be terrorized by the military or the police."

The Papua region has had decades-long separatist tension related to the stalled implementation of a special autonomy arrangement that was granted in 2001; communities' lack access to natural resource wealth such as gold, copper and timber; and there have been security crackdowns on political demonstrations.

Josef Roy Benedict, Amnesty International's Indonesia campaigner based in London, said ongoing human rights violations in the region are in part due to a culture of impunity there.

"Police officers tend to be punished only for disciplinary offences, often in closed-door proceedings, while offences by the military are dealt with through the military court system, which lacks independence and impartiality," said Benedict.

Persecution of Ahmadis

Data from the Jakarta-based NGO Setara Institute calculated nearly 130 violations of religious freedom nationwide from January to June 2012. Most happened in West Java against minority religious groups such as the Ahmadiyah, an Islamic sect that shares many Sunni beliefs with some 500,000 adherents nationwide.

In February 2011 a 22-year-old Ahmadi, Ahmad Masihuddin, was visiting a village outside Jakarta when an Islamic fundamentalist group, which does not recognize Ahmadis as Muslim, attacked Ahmadiyah followers in the village.

"The mob was at least 1,000-strong. We [Ahmadis in the village] were outnumbered, so we ran, but I was captured," said Masihuddin. "They dragged me through a rice field, struck me in the waist with a machete and hit me with bamboo. They said they wanted to cut off my genitals."

It was only when Masihuddin called out to his assailants that he was a Muslim that the attack stopped. "They thought I was one of them, a Sunni," he said. Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam in Indonesia.

Three of Masihuddin's friends were killed in the attack. Perpetrators were sentenced to 3-6 months in prison, which Masihuddin said was not commensurate with the crime.

Harkristuti Harkrisnowo, director-general for human rights at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, acknowledged the sentences were too lenient and suggested that law enforcers need to do more to protect minorities.

"On the ground there are now fundamentalist groups that blatantly threaten minorities," she said. "The police have difficulties containing these groups, but they must try to deal with this violence."

In 2008 the government issued a joint ministerial decree banning Ahmadis from disseminating their beliefs on the basis the reformist movement "deviated" from mainstream Islam in its teachings.

Hard-line groups have used the decree to justify attacks against Ahmadis, but Harkrisnowo said the decree was issued to protect Ahmadis. "They aren't allowed to publicly assemble for their own protection because if they do, they may incite violence against them," she said.

But even without assembling for worship, they are still attacked, said Malik Saifurrahman, an Ahmadi from the island of Lombok. Since 2002, his family house has been destroyed on four separate occasions – before it was completely burnt down in 2006.

"There were many attacks on houses, and about 300 Ahmadis were forced to move," said Saifurrahman, who added he did not know the identity of the attackers.

"I have now moved to Jakarta for study, but my family lives in a government refuge in Mataram [created] for Ahmadis who have had their homes burned down," he said. "At first the government provided us with food and water, but now that has stopped."

Harkrisnowo said she did not know whether the authorities will re-house displaced Ahmadis.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2012 report recorded that at least 50 Ahmadiyah places of worship have been vandalized and 36 forcibly closed since 2008, even though the Indonesian constitution guarantees freedom of religious expression.

But guaranteeing this constitutional freedom has been difficult for the state, said Harkrisnowo. "The central government needs to be more firm on this issue."

Legal wrangling

The National Commission on Human Rights – known locally as Komnas HAM – is an independent, government-appointed commission to monitor violations, advocate on behalf of victims and launch abuse inquiries. The attorney- general's office then investigates the allegations, except for those that took place before 2000, which are handled by an ad-hoc human rights court set up by presidential decree.

Kontras's Azhar said Komnas HAM has recommended seven cases for government investigation through ad-hoc courts – all were rejected. Harkrisnowo said lack of prosecutions for human rights abuses thus far is not due to lack of political will, but rather too-scant evidence.

"In each case, officials have looked at whether there is sufficient evidence, or whether there have been any errors made in terms of legal procedure, and each time have decided that no one can be found guilty," she told IRIN. Efforts to create other legal mechanisms to prosecute human rights abuses have stalled.

Next steps

The country's Constitutional Court declared a 2006 law on Truth and Reconciliation unconstitutional because of a provision that made victim reparations conditional on amnesties being issued to perpetrators. The government is attempting to pass a new law.

Indonesia is a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

But it has yet to sign or ratify the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court in 2002. Harkrisnowo said the government is preparing to ratify both the Rome Statute and the International Convention on Enforced Disappearances.

Critics slam Asean rights commission over inaction

Inter Press Service - December 2, 2012

Kanis Dursin – At the age of 82, former Indonesian political detainee Mudjayin wonders if he will ever see justice served.

Back in 2010, he, along with other victims of state terror, submitted their case to the recently formed human rights commission of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Two years later, they have still not received official recognition of their complaint, suggesting that the rights body lacks the necessary power or political will to carry out its mandate.

"We have still not heard anything on what they did with our report," said Mudjayin, one of tens of thousands of Indonesians rounded up by the military following the coup attempt on Sep. 30, 1965 that saw seven army generals killed.

The army blamed that abortive coup on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and embarked on a campaign of mass killings, which, in the following days and weeks, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of alleged communists.

That bloody chapter in Indonesia's history also saw the rise of Suharto as the architect of the "New Order" dictatorial regime, which held power for more than three decades.

Speaking to IPS at his house in Tebet, South Jakarta, Mudjayin recalled that he was arrested without a warrant in October, 1965 and held for 14 years as a Class B detainee – meaning that no evidence to link him with the PKI or the September coup had ever been established – without ever being formally charged and tried.

He was finally released in 1979, but did not demand justice until after former president Suharto stepped down in May 1998 amid massive public protests.

Aided by rights groups such as the National Committee for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Mudjayin and other former political detainees have been seeking justice for over a decade, to no avail.

The creation of the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in 2009, the first regional rights body of an organization that had traditionally avoided addressing issues that were seen as domestic internal matters, provided him a fresh channel through which to seek redress for his wrongful imprisonment.

Mudjayin was joined by parents and relatives of students shot dead during anti-government protests in Indonesia in 1998 and 1999, relatives of pro- democracy activists kidnapped in 1997 and 1998, relatives of 32 journalists slain in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao in 1999, and some human rights victims from Burma.

At the time the complaint was submitted, all 10 rights commissioners representing each of the Asean member countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – were in Jakarta to attend their first official meeting after being appointed in October 2009. But none showed up to meet the victims, let alone to receive their complaint, Mudjayin recalled.

A limited mandate

According to Indonesian Human Rights Commissioner Rafendi Djamin, "We [AICHR] are not mandated to deal with individual claims."

Set up in October 2009, AICHR is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms of Asean peoples, enhancing regional cooperation on the promotion and protection of human rights, and upholding international human rights standards.

Rights defenders in Southeast Asia hailed the foundation of the Commission but have lamented its limited power to carry out its own mandate.

"AICHR has been given very weak terms of reference that limit its mandates, authority and powers to promote and protect human rights," said Yap Swee Seng, executive director of the Bangkok-based Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development.

The commission's effectiveness was further undermined when "some member states appointed government officials to the commission as their representatives, rather than independent human rights experts," he continued.

Now, eight of the ten commissioners are government officials or diplomats. The only two independent experts are Indonesia's Djamin, a human rights activist, and Thailand's Sriprapha Petcharamesree, an academic.

This development has rendered the commission "institutionally problematic," according to Kontras Coordinator Haris Azhar. "The fact that AICHR reports to the Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) indicates that the commission is not independent and that it serves as an auxiliary body to AMM," Azhar said.

Proponents of the rights body such as Danny Chian Siong Lee, director of community affairs development in the Asean secretariat based here in the Indonesian capital, lauded the Commission's efforts vis-a-vis the Asean Human Rights Declaration, which was adopted at the organization's summit in Cambodia earlier this month.

The declaration lists civil and political rights; economic, social and cultural rights; the right to development and the right to peace.

But this, too, has been the topic of much debate among Southeast Asia's rights activists, who have criticized the draft as being too weak and setting standards that fall short of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For Rena Herdiyani of the Women's Crisis Center "Mitra Perempuan," the inclusion of the right to development is the document's only saving grace, "making it different from the Universal Declaration on Human Rights," she said.

But she also called attention to the declaration's caveat that "the realization of human rights must be considered in the regional and national context bearing in mind different political, economic, legal, social, cultural, historical and religious backgrounds," making the exercise of fundamental rights highly subjective. Further, the declaration "does not protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people or the rights of indigenous people," Herdiyani added.

Yap criticized the commission's lack of transparency. "The performance of AICHR in the first two years [2010 to 2011] has been unfortunately very poor, marked by an extreme lack of transparency and consultation with stakeholders in the process as well as the content of its work," he said.

"This has been illustrated by the non-disclosure of any documents that the AICHR has adopted since its establishment in 2009, including its annual report to the Asean foreign ministers in 2011," Yap added.

He also called on Asean to review AICHR's terms of reference to make it truly independent with the necessary mandates and powers. "The Asean member states also need to provide adequate resources and financial autonomy for the AICHR to function effectively," Yap added.

And while the rights body confronts its teething troubles, people like Mudjayin continue to wait for justice.

[This story was produced through IPS Asia-Pacific's "Reporting Development in Asean" series, made possible by the support of the International Development Research Center.]

Freedom of speech & expression

Think tank wants libel laws scrapped

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2012

Jakarta – A law think tank wants to protect freedom of speech by scrapping articles in several laws that provide prison terms for defamation.

The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) released a study conducted between 2001 and 2012 that said government officials and businesses had abused Article 310 of the Criminal Code on defamation to imprison critics, protestors and irate customers.

The article stipulates that anyone convicted of deliberately making or distributing libellous or slanderous statements can be sentenced to nine months' imprisonment.

Adiani Viviana, the executive secretary of ICJR, said the threat of a prison sentence had had a chilling effect on citizens who wanted to speak out against the government.

"It suppresses freedom of speech. Many countries are aware of this threat and have scrapped jail term from their defamation laws. Therefore, it is irrelevant for us to keep the article," she said during a press conference in Jakarta.

According to Sufriadi Pinim, an ICJR researcher, Article 310 was frequently invoked by government officials to put protesters behind bars. The survey also said that 63 of 275 criminal defamation cases settled between 2001 and 2012 were filed by government officials. Businesses filed 22 cases.

"The plaintiffs range from low-ranking civil servants to lawmakers. Most of them were regents or mayors. These seem to have much to do with regional politics," he said. Sufriadi said that most of the defendants in the defamation cases were members of local communities who criticized local governments.

The ICJR also said that the government and the House of Representatives should amend four other laws with defamation provisions: the 2002 Broadcasting Law, the 2004 Regional Administration Law, the 2008 Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law and the 2012 Election Law.

"The laws overlap with the Criminal Code. The laws contain vague articles that can be loosely interpreted to favor certain parties," she said. The ITE Law, in particular, could be easily used to curb freedom of the press and free speech.

In 2009, Prita Mulyasari, a housewife, was taken to court for writing an email to friends complaining about the treatment she received at Omni Hospital in Tangerang.

Prita was charged under Article 27 of the ITE Law, which provides for a maximum penalty of six years' imprisonment for defamation. Following a lengthy legal process that saw an immense show of public support for Prita, she was acquitted by Supreme Court.

Adinia said that the Supreme Court has been progressive, annulling a large number of prison terms in defamation case. Only 75 of 126 custodial sentences issued in defamation cases have withstood appeal, according to the ICJR. (yps)

Political parties & elections

Andi case to hit Dems in 2014 polls

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2012

Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) made another bold move in naming Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng a suspect in the Hambalang sports complex case, the first active cabinet minister to be attributed the status.

Only four days after the incarceration of Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo in another scandal, the move could deal a severe blow to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party ahead of the 2014 general elections.

Questioning and court proceedings for Andi could drag on until the middle of 2014 when the country will be in the thrall of legislative elections. Based on the KPK's previous modus operandi, Andi will probably be detained early next year and tried in mid 2013.

Andi's status was confirmed in a letter from the KPK to the Immigration Office asking for an overseas travel ban on the minister on Thursday. The KPK have also requested the same ban for Andi's younger brother Zulkarnain "Choel" Mallarangeng and businessman M. Arif Taufiqrahman. The ban will be in effect for the next six months.

"The KPK has sent a letter to the Directorate General of Immigration," KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto confirmed, but refused to confirm Andi's status as a suspect in the case.

A transcript of the letter confirmed Andi's status. "Herewith, we announce that the KPK is conducting a graft investigation into the construction of sports facilities in Hambalang overseen by the suspect Andi Alfian Mallarangeng in his role as youth and sports minister," the letter says.

It is normal for the KPK to request a travel ban as a precursor to the act of naming an individual suspect.

The director general of immigration at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Bambang Irawan, confirmed his office had received the travel ban notification letter at around 5 p.m. on Thursday. "We will implement the ban order directly because we, as executor, only follow instructions," Bambang said.

Responding to the travel ban, Andi said that he would abide by the rules and comply with whatever decision was made by the KPK.

Andi praised the travel ban, saying that it could indicate the maturity of the country's democracy. "Everybody is equal before the law. This is the process of a true democracy," Andi told MetroTV news channel.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said that Yudhoyono approved of the KPK's actions. "The palace respects the KPK's decision," he said.

The KPK has found irregularities, primarily when the project was handed over from former sports minister Adhyaksa Dault to Andi in 2009. After Andi assumed control, the planned site was changed and the budget swelled from Rp 125 billion to Rp 1.17 trillion (US$265 million).

The KPK launched its investigation into the Rp 1.17 trillion Hambalang project in Bogor, West Java, in late 2010, and has since moved at a sluggish pace.

Before Thursday's announcement, the commission had only named one suspect, Dedy Kusdinar, chief of the ministry's financial and internal affairs bureau. In the investigation, the KPK has questioned more than 60 people including Andi and Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

Former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin has repeatedly accused Andi and Anas of accepting money from the project. Nazaruddin claimed Anas used his share to pay for his campaign for the Democratic Party chairmanship in Bandung in 2010.

Nazaruddin has also accused Choel, Andi's brother, of brokering projects in the Youth and Sports Ministry including the Hambalang project.

Tommy Soeharto party aims to join elections

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

The National Republic Party (Nasrep), the political party of former president Soeharto's favorite son, Tommy Soeharto, was upbeat that it would pass the factual verification process and compete in the 2014 general elections.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced that Nasrep had passed the factual verification stage at the central board level. "Our slogan is, 'We are sure we can'. We are prepared for this," Nasrep chairman Jus Usman Sumanegara said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Earlier, in the first stage of the verification process, the KPU decided to disqualify the party. The Election Organizers Ethics Council (DKPP), however, ruled that the KPU had to repeat the factual verification process for the applications of 18 political parties that it had previously disqualified.

The KPU declared toward the end of October that 16 of 34 registered political parties had passed the administrative verification process for the 2014 elections and would proceed to the factual verification stage.

However, in early November, the Election Supervisory Committee (Bawaslu) recommended that the KPU advance 12 disqualified parties to the factual verification stage, stating that the commission had not been transparent in its work.

Following the first KPU decision, several Nasrep members packed up and left the party. "Ten members of our central board have decided to leave the party," Jus Usman said.

Lawmakers at odds on presidential bill

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2012

Jakarta – Political parties in the House of Representatives (DPR) remain at odds on setting the threshold of support needed to nominate a presidential candidate in 2014.

Under the 2008 presidential election law, presidential candidates must be supported by a party or a coalition of parties that secured 25 percent of the popular vote or 20 percent of the seats in the House in the previous election.

The major parties in the House, the Democratic Party and the Golkar Party, want to retain the existing thresholds, while smaller parties would like to revise the numbers down.

"Revision of the existing presidential election law is unnecessary. Such revision is full of political motives. The existing law is good enough," Democratic Party legislator Subyakto said during a hearing at the House legislative body (Baleg) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, other factions disagreed, asking for extra time to study the bill.

Little chance of 'the king' becoming president

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – In spite of possible support from the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP), it will be a steep climb for the self-styled king of dangdut Rhoma Irama to fulfill his presidential ambitions.

Even if the two parties went ahead with their nomination of Rhoma, he would likely fail to meet the presidential election threshold of 20 percent of seats in the House of Representatives, or 25 percent of the popular vote, and rival political parties have expressed their preference for retaining the current cap.

When asked about the prospects for Rhoma in the poll, Democratic Party central board member Saan Mustofa said only that his party would seek to maintain the current threshold as mandated by Law No. 42/2008.

"We feel that we need to maintain the threshold in order to create quality democracy in this country. This doesn't mean that we mean to shut out minor political parties. It's just the best way to strengthen our presidential system," Saan said on Monday.

The PKB has repeatedly said that it is serious when saying that it will nominate Rhoma. Late last week, PKB chairman Muhaimin Iskandar held talks with Rhoma, reportedly about the latter's presidential ambitions.

The Muslim-based PPP has also warmed to the idea of nominating Rhoma. PPP executive Romahurmuziy, said that Rhoma, a card-carrying member of the party, should be given the opportunity to prove himself.

"Even a developed country like the United States was once led by the actor Ronald Reagan. Thus, we don't yet to know what a dangdut singer like Rhoma could do for this country. He has the largest number of fans as a singer," he said.

Romahurmuziy said that Rhoma should be allowed to contest the election, in spite of his perceived shortcomings. "Let the public vote for their leaders. However, it's the job of political parties to introduce potential leaders to the public," Romahurmuziy said.

Other political parties, however, have not been impressed by Rhoma's move. Senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Pramono Anung Wibowo said that Rhoma had nothing to offer to the country.

"Without a doubt he is popular, but I honestly don't think he could serve the country as president," Pramono said.

Many have speculated that the moves by the PKB and PPP to create controversy with Rhoma's candidacy are part of a desperate effort to stay relevant. Political analyst Hanta Yuda AR of the Indonesian Institute said that the publicity stunt could backfire given Rhoma's penchant for making ill-advised comments.

"PKB has the right to experiment, but I don't think that Rhoma will help them get more votes. He doesn't have a quality that could attract regular voters," he said.

Rhoma has failed to appear on the list of most popular politicians released by a number of pollsters. In a list recently compiled by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI), Rhoma joined the Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie as one of the least electable candidates.

In the list, compiled from a survey on leadership in the country, former vice president Jusuf Kalla and outgoing Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD were the most popular candidates for the 2014 presidential election. (yps)

Elections preparation gets more complex

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2012

Jakarta – Preparations for the 2014 general elections have grown more complicated with a ruling by the Election Organizers Ethics Council (DKPP) that allows 18 parties, previously declared unqualified by the General Elections Commission (KPU), to move forward with factual verification.

Several of the 18 political parties complained about the limited time for them to complete the requirements. One political party, the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK), has boycotted the verification, saying the KPU is not reliable.

Aside from complaints and refusals from political parties, the DKPP ruling has brought criticism from experts as well as election observers who claim the decision has legal loopholes. They argue that the council has overstepped its authority.

"Based on existing law, the DKPP is only authorized to examine and issue a ruling on alleged ethical violations by the KPU or the Election Supervisory Body [Bawaslu]," election observer I Gede Putu Artha said in Jakarta on Friday.

He was referring to articles 111 and 112 of Law No. 11/2011 on election organizers, which outline the authority of the ethics council. The articles state that the DKPP is only authorized to investigate alleged ethics violations by election organizers. Then, it has to make a decision concerning such allegations.

The council, therefore, has no authority to issue rulings that may affect the process of the election, according to Putu Artha.

At a hearing on Tuesday, the DKPP ruled that the allegation that the KPU had violated the ethics code was not proven. The DKPP ordered the KPU to dismiss four officials with the KPU secretariat for hampering election preparation.

Surprisingly, the DKPP also ordered the KPU to include 18 political parties that had been disqualified by the KPU at the factual verification stage.

According to the DKPP, the factual verification process must not extend the schedule prepared by the KPU. Factual verification will determine which political parties are qualified to contest the 2014 elections. The result will be announced on Jan. 8 or Jan. 9 at the latest.

"Given the limited time, the ruling is unrealistic and impossible to carry out. If the KPU forces the process of factual verification on the 18 political parties, then it wouldn't be optimal," Artha said.

Political analyst with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Siti Zuhro said the rulings showed the DKPP did not want to take risks. "The ruling is intended to please all parties in this dispute," Siti said, referring to the KPU, the Bawaslu and the 18 political parties.

She said the ruling by the DKPP went beyond the council's authority. She said the council, led by former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie, was a new institution that was still finding its way in terms of dealing with its authority.

The council is the supervisory body of the KPU and the Bawaslu. It has the authority to dismiss commissioners of the two election organizing institutions.

The council recently dismissed dozens of local KPU commissioners in Southeast Sulawesi, Tulang Bawang regency in Lampung and Depok in West Java. It also dismissed Ramdansyah, the former chairman of the Jakarta Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu Jakarta). (riz)

Prabowo rides popularity high and embraces Christians ahead of 2014

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2012

SP/Anastasia Winanti – Prabowo Subianto is moving quickly in the race toward the 2014 presidential election. After establishing the Sumitro Djojohadikusomo Center for Emerging Economies in Southeast Asia in Washington, D.C., he is now embracing Christian communities across the country through Kristen Indonesia Raya (Christians of Great Indonesia), a religious wing of his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) that will channel the political aspirations of Christians.

Kristen Indonesia Raya, or KIRA for short, has 336 branches across the archipelago and Prabowo said he would establish at least 120 more on the provincial level to embrace Christians who need political vehicles to channel their aspirations, according to KIRA chairman Murphy Hutagalung.

Prabowo has previously said that in the future no Indonesians, no matter their religion, will feel like they are in the minority in this country – that is, if Prabowo becomes president.

Prior to establishing KIRA, Prabowo created GEMIRA, the Muslims of Great Indonesia Movement, and Gema Sadhana the Indonesian Sanatha Darma Movement.

Murphy said he hoped at least 60 percent of the 25 million Christians in Indonesia would join forces with KIRA because there they have the right vehicle to pursue their political aspirations.

KIRA is trying to embrace leaders from the Union of Indonesian Churches, the Union of Pentecostal Churches, Union of Evangelical Institutions, the Orthodox Church and the Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Churches are usually not interested in getting involved in politics though some Christian leaders may be tempted to join Prabowo, analysts said.

Personally, Prabowo's family members come from different religious backgrounds. His younger brother, the noted businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo, is a devout Christian. Likewise, his brothers-in-law Didier Lemaistre, a French national who once worked for the Lippo Group, is a Christian while Soedradjad Djiwandono, former governor of Bank Indonesia, is a Catholic.

Prabowo's image has improved markedly in recent months, after he delivered a lecture at Rajaratnam School of Strategic Studies at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in fluent English.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported this immediately afterwards, added weight to Prabowo's performance in a manner that surprised many political observers.

In recent months Prabowo has topped the list of potential presidential candidates, according to surveys by various polling agencies.

But a great number of Indonesians still remember the black pages of his track record, including his alleged involvement in the disappearance of several political activists in the 1990s and other alleged human rights violations.

Whether such allegations will influence voters' perceptions remains to be seen. But Prabowo appears to be moving forward with his eyes fixed on the presidential chair.

More money needed to end political shenanigans

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Jakarta – Political parties need larger amounts of financial aid from the government to help discourage money politics and transactional politics, according to democracy watchdogs.

The Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) suggested that the government should incrementally increase financial aid for political parties to dissuade them from the dishonest practices.

According to Lia Wulandari, a researcher with Perludem, most political parties in Indonesia allegedly practice money politics, apparently because they only receive meager amounts of money from the government. It is estimated that the financial assistance accounts for only 1.3 percent of their annual spending.

"Financial assistance should be increased to fulfill at least 5 percent of the political parties' total expenditures. If they can manage the funds well and provide financial reports, the amount can be increased gradually," she told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

In addition, Lia recommended that increases should be stopped when financial assistance had reached 30 percent of a party's expenses.

Currently, only nine political parties enjoy financial assistance from the government. Based on existing regulations, only those parties with seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) are given the perk.

According to Home Ministerial Decree No. 212/2009, these political parties receive Rp 108 per year for every vote garnered in the 2009 general election.

With the 21.65 million votes it gained in 2009, the ruling Democratic Party gets Rp 2.34 billion (US$243,622) each year from the state coffers. According to Perludem's research, the party's annual spending is Rp 176.74 billion.

At the bottom of the list is the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), which receives Rp 423.97 million and spends Rp 32 billion a year.

The total amount of financial assistance paid to all nine parties is Rp 9.2 billion, less than 0.001 percent of the 2012 state budget of Rp 1,548 trillion.

The lack of financial support from the government, Lia said, forced politicians to raise money from other sources. "This opens a possibility for certain groups or individuals to exert their influence on politicians, which eventually affects the government's performance," she added.

The proposal to increase assistance funding has garnered support from politicians and activists alike.

Golkar politician Indra J. Piliang said that political parties desperately needed financial support, particularly to finance visits to their constituents.

"Politicians need to meet their constituents across this vast archipelago. The visits are expensive. We can't burden politicians with all the costs," he said during a discussion on Thursday in Jakarta.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Ade Irawan also acknowledged the importance of higher financial assistance. He emphasized, however, that the policy should go hand-in-hand with better supervision, to ensure that parties produced transparent and accountable audit reports.

A study conducted by the ICW found that only four of the nine political parties in the House submitted financial reports to the corruption watchdog. They were the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Hanura.

"Politicians from the non-compliant parties said that their parties didn't have financial reports. I assume maybe only God and leaders of the parties know the cash flows," Ade said. (yps)

Surveys & opinion polls

Faith, ethnicity matter less for young voters, says survey

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2012

Jakarta – A survey has revealed that faith and ethnicity have become less relevant for the country's young voters who are expected to cast their votes in the 2014 elections.

The survey, conducted by the Indonesian Youth Alliance for Change (API Perubahan), found that 47.2 percent of respondents interviewed in the country's 10 major cities – a total of 450 respondents – said they could accept a non-Muslim candidate as the country's president. While another 47 percent of respondents said that Indonesia must have a Muslim president, 5.6 percent were undecided.

API Perubahan conducted its survey between Nov. 5 and Nov. 15 in 10 cities by interviewing 450 respondents between 17 and 45-years-old. The survey also showed that 52.3 percent of respondents rejected the notion that the country's president had to be male.

To further challenge the conventional wisdom that the country's president must be a Javanese, 89.5 percent of respondents said the next leader could come from another of the country's ethnic groups. "Our respondents have shown that they no longer care about such factors when they select leaders," API secretary general Dendy Susianto said.

The country's young voters, Susanto said, had become more open as they had access to information from the media about the credibility and track records of politicians.

The survey also gauged which politicians were most electable in the 2014 presidential election.

Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was the respondents' favourite with a 37.4 percent approval rating from respondents. State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan came second with 27.8 percent, while rector of Paramadina University Anies Baswedan was in a distant third position with 12.9 percent.

National Mandate Party (PAN) politician Wanda Hamidah said the survey's findings were good news, particularly for women. "Women can now be more confident to get involved in politics because they can also gain public trust to be leaders," said Wanda, a councilor at the Jakarta City Council.

Meanwhile, political analyst with the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) Siti Zuhro said that the survey had validated the notion that voters today no longer responded to issues of faith and ethnicity.

Siti said that the most recent example was the election of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an Indonesian of Chinese descent, as Jakarta deputy governor. Basuki was elected despite a smear campaign launched against him that highlighted his religious and ethnic background. Siti, however, dismissed the notion that Jokowi should run as a presidential candidate in the 2014 election.

"Let Jokowi finish his duties as Jakarta governor. His turn [to enter the national political scene] will come in the 2019 general election," she said. (riz)

Young people want Jokowi, Dahlan Iskan for president: Survey

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2012

A survey by the Indonesian Youth Alliance (API) shows that among younger demographics, Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan are the most popular candidates for the 2014 presidential election.

The secretary general of API, Dendi Susianto, said the two candidates were popular because of the change they were seen as representing. "Young people really want changes," Dendi said, as quoted by antaranews.com.

Neither Jokowi nor Dahlan has expressed explicit interest in running for the nation's top job.

Among potential candidates affiliated with political parties in the survey, Jokowi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was most popular, gaining 37.4 percent of votes. The capital's governor was followed by Prabowo Subianto, founder of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) at 10.3 percent, and former Vice President Jusuf Kalla of the Golkar Party at 6.5 percent.

Meanwhile, among figures not affiliated with political parties, the most popular candidate was Dahlan with 27.8 percent, besting Constitutional Court chief Mahfud MD and Djoko Suyanto, the nation's coordinating minister of political, legal and security affairs. Former Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani was at the bottom of the list, with only 1.3 percent of votes.

The majority of respondents said they were looking for presidential candidates who were serious about combating corruption.

The survey was conducted from Nov. 5-15 and involved 450 respondents aged 17 to 45. The respondents were selected at random from 10 major Indonesian cities including Medan, Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar, Pontianak, Makassar and Manado.

"Young people were selected [as respondents] because they are the biggest segment [of the population]," Dendi said.

Jokowi, elected governor in September, recently said he did not want to entertain the prospect of a presidential bid. "Being a governor has made me dizzy, let alone being president," he told Vivanews.com. "I only want to work, work and work."

Mass organisations & NGOs

Mahfud beats Anas to lead top Muslim group

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Mahfud MD has been elected the next chief of one of the nation's most influential Muslim organizations, boosting his credibility as one of the strongest potential candidates in the 2014 presidential election.

The outgoing chief justice of the Constitutional Court will be the chairman of the Islamic Students Alumni Association (KAHMI) at its national congress in Kampar, Riau, Antara news agency reported.

Mahfud won 347 votes to secure the top position in the organization, edging out several high-profile candidates, including House of Representatives lawmaker Viva Yoga Mauladi of the National Mandate Party (PAN), who received 334 votes, and Anas Urbaningrum, the chairman of the Democratic Party, who came in third with 320 votes.

The chief justice said that he would not use his leadership of KAHMI to help him with his presidential aspirations. "I will not allow this organization to enter the political arena," Mahfud, who will lead the association until 2017, said after his election.

Mahfud, who served as defense minister from 2000 to 2001 under president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and as a National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker from 2004 to 2008, applauded KAHMI for running a congress that he said had been "very fair and democratic".

Under the collective leadership mechanism of KAHMI, Mahfud will hold power with eight others. The nine candidates who received the most votes in the election were automatically appointed to serve as members of the association's presidium.

Other top finishers who will join Mahfud on the presidium include Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan, who came in fifth with 308 votes; outspoken Golkar Party lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo, with 260 votes; and Crescent Star Party (PBB) chairman and former forestry minister Malam Sambat Kaban, with 156 votes.

Analysts agreed that Mahfud's victory was an indication of his rising popularity, particularly among the members of the nation's Muslim-majority electorate.

According to a survey that was released by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) pollster, last week, Mahfud is the most popular potential candidate for the 2014 presidential election

Meanwhile, Anas' third-place showing at the KAHMI congress was interpreted as evidence of his weakened influence in the Muslim community.

Anas' reputation has been tarnished following allegations of his involvement in a host of high-profile corruption cases, including massive misappropriations in the construction of the Rp 1.17 trillion (US$121.96 million) Hambalang sports complex in Bogor, West Java.

Anas, who was once thought to be a potential presidential nominee from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, has been grilled by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on his role in the cases.

The head of the KAHMI congress organizing committee, Johar Firdaus, said that he welcomed Mahfud's victory. KAHMI had to remain independent and be free of any political affiliations, Johar said. "This is consistent with the desire of a majority of KAHMI's members, who want this organization to be led by a non-politician."

KAHMI is an organization of the alumni of HMI, the largest organization of Islamic students in Indonesia. Some political figures from the HMI have previously used their positions in the organization to advance their public and political fortunes.

Labour & migrant workers

Workers demand higher wages in Palembang

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2012

Thousands of workers staged a rally in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Thursday, demanding that the provincial administration raise their monthly wages, as their current pay was far from enough to meet their daily needs.

The South Sumatra governor has issued a decree to raise the monthly wage to Rp 1.87 million (US$194.48) from Rp 1.35 million. However, the increase was considered to be too small and not able to meet people's requirements.

Coordinator of the rally, Nining Elitos, asked the local administration to review its decision. "The new wage is far from meeting basic needs," Nining said.

Head of the South Sumatra Manpower and Transmigration Office Rizal Fatoni, however, said that the new decision could not be reviewed as another decision had to be discussed with employers.

Rizal said that the decision on the pay rise was based on the 60 items mentioned in the decent life standards.

Minimum wage rises in Indonesia won't hurt investment: Economists

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2012

Francezka Nangoy – Despite hefty minimum wage increases across the country next year, Indonesia remains an attractive destination for foreign companies due to the solid pace of its economic growth, global banks UBS and Deutsche Bank say.

Economists at the banks said foreign direct investment into Indonesia would continue at a rapid clip even though the wage increases, led by Jakarta's 44 percent rise, may dampen sentiment slightly.

"We expect Indonesia to remain popular as an investment destination despite less friendly industrial policies being debated and introduced ahead of the 2014 election," Edward Teather, an economist with UBS, said in a teleconference from Singapore on Tuesday.

Teather said that relative to Europe, which is grappling with a debt crisis, and the United States, which is heading toward a "fiscal cliff," Indonesia and its solid economic growth were attractive to investors. "The reason is that underlying growth prospects remain good," he told the Jakarta Globe in an e-mail.

Indonesia's economy, which expanded by 6.2 percent in the third quarter this year from a year earlier, is forecast by the government to expand by 6.5 percent across the whole of 2012, a similar pace to last year.

"Six percent real GDP growth... estimated by UBS for Indonesia this year will look attractive to firms looking to sell into Indonesia's domestic market," Teather added.

He said consumption in Indonesia of goods and services, in particular cars, motorcycles and other consumer products, was relatively low, creating an opportunity for foreign investors.

Heriyanto Irawan, an executive at Deutsche Bank, said he believed the minimum wage rises across the country may actually stimulate investment because higher wages lead to more consumption. "The positive consequences from the wage increase is an increase in consumption," Heriyanto said in a meeting with reporters on Wednesday in Jakarta.

He said that on average an increase of 5 percent of sales turnover at a company should be enough to absorb the increase in labor costs. He said the momentum of growth in Indonesia remained strong and the economy was in a virtuous cycle.

Meanwhile, based on Deutsche Bank's latest research, he said in urban areas there was a 9 percent increase in employment in the third quarter.

Chatib Basri, the head of Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), said last week that foreign direct investment is expected to reach $31 billion next year, with total investment – including domestic investment -- to hit $40 billion next year. The foreign investment figure is 25 percent higher than this year's estimated investment of $32 billion.

Chatib said the consumer sector, which accounts for two-thirds of the country's economy, would continue driving the investment.

Automotive companies such as Japan's Toyota Motor and Germany's BMW have announced plans to invest billions of dollars on production in the country, where car sales grew 24 percent in October.

In the January-to-September period, foreign direct investment rose 27 percent to Rp 164.2 trillion ($17.1 billion) from the same period last year, BKPM said. The realization up to September is about 79 percent of the government's 2012 target.

Medan 'paralyzed' by labor protest over wage hike dispute

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Apriadi Gunawan and Fadli, Medan/Batam – Thousands of workers staged a protest in Medan on Wednesday over the provincial minimum wage increase that was set at Rp 1.35 million (US$140.63) per month because it was far less than the Rp 2.2 million they demanded, thereby "paralyzing" daily activities in the North Sumatra capital.

Several main roads leading to important facilities such as Polonia International Airport, Belawan seaport, Tanjung Morawa toll road and government offices were blockaded by the protesters from 9 a.m. local time. Activities were ground to a halt for several hours.

Activities returned to normal at about 2 p.m. when the protesters marched to the North Sumatra governor's office on Jl. Diponegoro in Medan.

There, the protesters asked North Sumatra interim Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho to help raise the minimum wage to Rp 2.2 million from Rp 1.3 million per month. Some of the protesters threatened to stay overnight at the gubernatorial office if their demand was not met.

Responding to the demand, Gatot accompanied by North Sumatra Police chief Insp. Gen. Wisjnu Amat Sastro, Bukit Barisan Military Commander Maj. Gen. Lodewijk Paulus and provincial legislative council speaker Saleh Bangun, immediately held a meeting with all officers in charge of wage management, but no decision was made until 6 p.m.

"The demand for Rp 2.2 million monthly minimum wage is ideal for the workers. We will continue to push for our demand," said Bambang Hermanto, the coordinator of the protest.

However, Laksamana Adyaksa, secretary of the North Sumatra chapter of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said that the provincial administration had no legal basis to raise the wage as demanded by the protesters. The employers, he said, would turn down any decision on the wage increase made by the interim governor.

"It wouldn't be appropriate to make revisions whenever there is pressure from the workers," he said, adding that employers also opposed the new Rp 1.37 million per month minimum wage as announced by Gatot last week. The protest in Medan was just one of many other carried out in big cities throughout the country over the last several weeks that saw workers continuing their push for wage increases.

Meanwhile in Batam, Riau Island province, the local chapter of Apindo revealed the demand of 130 employers that the local administration delay the application of the wage increase to Rp 2.04 million per month. Riau Island Governor Muhammad Sani himself had not signed a decree on the wage increase as of Wednesday, even though it should have been signed 40 days before Jan. 1, 2013.

Head of Riau Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Johannes Kennedy Aritonang said on Wednesday that Kadin and Apindo had opened a complaint post in connection with the monthly wage increase of 31 percent from Rp 1.4 million to Rp 2.04 million. Since the complaint post was opened on Monday, 130 firms mostly focusing on manufacturing and garments said they could not meet the wage increase demand.

Johannes said that the 130 companies were ready to be audited by public accountants to review their financial conditions. "In short, the companies are ready to carry out all procedures demanded by the administration," he added.

The Riau Islands Legislative Council had set the 2013 monthly minimum wage for the province at Rp 2.04 million on Tuesday in response to a proposal from the provincial administration.

Workers want foreign firms to lift labor union ban

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Jakarta – Thousands of workers rallied on Wednesday at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, in front of several embassies and at the Presidential Palace, resulting in severe traffic congestion around Central and South Jakarta's commercial and government office areas.

The rally was organized by the Indonesian Workers' Assembly (MPBI) to demand that the government abolish outsourcing and crack down on foreign companies that ban their workers from joining labor unions.

Workers under the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers Union (FPSMI), the All-Indonesia Workers Union Confederation (KSPSI) and the Confederation of Indonesian Prosperity Trade Unions (KSBSI), joined the rally and assembled at the traffic circle before heading to the South Korean Embassy on Jl. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

Protesters chanted and yelled pro-union and anti-Korean sentiments in front of the embassy before continuing on to the nearby Japanese Embassy and then to the Italian Embassy on Jl. Diponegoro.

"Our friends [working for Korean companies] were fired because they joined labor unions. Workers unite against Korea," said a protest field coordinator in front of the embassy, as reported by tribunnews.com.

The protesters then headed to the Merdeka Palace before dispersing in the afternoon. The rally caused a traffic backup from Blok M, South Jakarta, to the palace and on Jl. Imam Bonjol. Police had to divert traffic and open Transjakarta busway lanes to private vehicles.

Jakarta Police operational unit chief Sr. Comr. Choirul Nur Alamsyah said that 8,200 officers had been deployed to secure protests scheduled for Wednesday. "Besides the labor protest, we are also deploying officers to guard a demonstration in front of the Malaysian Embassy," Choirul explained.

Members of Laskar Merah Putih (Red and White Front) demonstrated in front of the Malaysian Embassy to urge the Malaysian government to take firm action against three policemen who allegedly raped an Indonesian maid.

Early in November, an Indonesian maid was taken by the officers to the Prai Police station in Penang, Malaysia, for not being in possession of her passport while traveling in a taxi to her home in Taman Inderawasih, Prai.

The officers reportedly took turns raping the woman at the station before releasing her. The woman filed a police report later that day. The officers have been named suspects and are currently being detained. (aml)

130 companies request Batam new minimum wage postponed

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2012

Fadli, Batam – As many as 130 companies have requested that the Riau Islands administration postpones the implementation of the new Batam minimum wage of Rp 2.04 million (US$212).

Riau Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Johannes Kennedy Aritonang said on Wednesday that Kadin and the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) received 130 proposals of postponement from small- scale factories. The small companies said that the 45 percent salary increase from last year's Rp 1.4 million was too much.

The Riau Islands Remuneration Board set the new salary on Tuesday. According to Johannes, Kadin and Apindo are ready to file a lawsuit to challenge the new minimum salary after the Riau Islands administration officially issued the 2013 minimum wage decree.

"We will file a lawsuit at the State Administrative Court (PTUN) on the establishment of the wage after Governor Muhammad Sani signed the decree," he said. Governor Sani was scheduled to sign the decree on Monday. However, he was taken to Germany for a medical checkup. (cor/lfr)

Workers rally against Indonesia's outsourcing system in Jakarta protest

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2012

Mikael Niman & Bayu Marhaenjati – Thousands of workers marched on foreign embassies in Jakarta on Wednesday in the latest labor protest demanding the end of Indonesia's controversial contract worker laws.

The demonstrators massed at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle Wednesday morning before marching to the South Korean and Japanese embassies in protests against Korean tech-giant Samsung and Japanese carmaker Toyota. Labor unions accused both companies of using contract workers in a process locally referred to as "outsourcing."

"We're going on a long march to the Korean Embassy because Samsung employs many workers with the outsourcing method," president of Confederation of Indonesian Trade Union (KSPI) Said Iqbal said.

The union planned to hold a rally outside the Japanese Embassy before moving to the National Police headquarters to protest the arrest of demonstrators, Said said.

Under Indonesia's outsourcing system, employees are contracted to work for a company by a third-party agency. Although they work alongside regular employees, outsourced workers often lack access to health care, holiday pay and pension funds.

Labor unions and workers' rights groups call the practice unfair. But business associations argue that it is needed to meet spikes in demand and remain competitive in a global economy.

The Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration announced plans to issue a regulation limiting the use of outsourced labor in October amid large labor protests. Under the new regulations, only companies engaged in the cleaning, security, transportation, catering, oil, gas and mining industries can hire outsourced workers.

The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) argued that the outsourcing system cannot be completely dismantled. "No other countries in the world has fully ended the outsourcing system," Sutomo, chairman of the Bekasi chapter of Apindo, said. "Outsourcing is needed by companies, but it should be limited and supervised."

Jakarta Police assigned more than 8,000 officers to secure the protest, according to spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto. "It is predicted that the number of people rallying at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle and embassies could reach 7,500 people," he said.

The Jakarta Traffic Police warned commuters to avoid roads near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, the National Monument (Monas), the National Police headquarters and the embassies.

No more cheap labor in Indonesia: SBY

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has taken a firm stand amid demands from labor unionists to end the international perception that Indonesia is a haven for investors wanting to tap pools of cheap workers.

On the heels of recent rallies by unionists that often ended in violence, Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the government's stance over labor welfare was in line with the workers' demands.

"It is our moral obligation to fight for it. The era of cheap labor and injustice is now over," said Yudhoyono in a speech before governors, regents, mayors, police chiefs and regional military commanders.

Yudhoyono argued that labor rallies and strikes would stop if businesses were more committed to improving the welfare of their workers.

In the past two months, workers have staged rallies demanding an increase in regional minimum wages by an average of more than 30 percent for next year, and for companies to be given limits on the amount of contract workers they can hire from third parties under the outsourcing scheme.

The government has bowed to union pressure by introducing a decree that limits the outsourcing scheme. Several local administrations have also agreed to excessively raise next year's minimum wages. The Jakarta administration, for example, has decided to raise the minimum wage by 44 percent, far higher than the 25 percent demanded by workers' union.

Apart from supporting better welfare, Yudhoyono also expected workers to end their violent rallies.

"We cannot tolerate violence, sweepings or disturbances in the production process," he said. "I've always demanded that the police prevent such violence. The police should not let the perpetrators get away with these crimes."

Yudhoyono also urged businesses that fell victim to extortion by officials, an act which may reduce the ability to pay higher worker wages, to send their complaints directly to him via postal box 9946.

In a separate event, Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said that there should be a balanced relationship between firms and their workers.

"We should also take sides with businesses. Companies unable to comply with the minimum wage increases should immediately file a report with the government to demand a wage freeze. We will definitely facilitate them," said Hatta.

Businesses have voiced concerns that the recent sprawling disputes with workers would send jitters to potential investors and worsen the already high unemployment rate.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), around 41.4 million people, or 35 percent of the 118 million workforce, are categorized as open or half-unemployed workers. (mar/riz)

Environment & natural disasters

Indonesia approves landmark forest protection project

Reuters - December 5, 2012

David Fogarty, Singapore – Indonesia on Wednesday approved a rainforest conservation project that sets aside an area roughly the size of Singapore and rewards investors with tradeable carbon credits in the first of its kind to win formal backing in the country.

Four years in the making, the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve will protect nearly 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres), much of it carbon-rich peat swamp forest at risk of being felled for palm oil plantations. Russian energy giant Gazprom and German insurance firm Allianz are backers of the project, the world's first on deep peat.

A senior Indonesian official announced the approval on the sidelines of UN climate talks in Doha, Qatar. Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan signed a letter last week saying the project had passed all the key steps. Reuters has seen a copy.

"We hope projects like Rimba Raya will lead the way in proving that conservation can address the rural development needs of the communities and also preserve our forests for generations to come," Hasan said in a statement.

Indonesia has the world's third-largest expanse of tropical forests but these are disappearing quickly in the rush to grow more food and exploit timber and mineral wealth. Forest clearance is a major source of greenhouse gases.

By saving the forest and locking away planet-warming carbon, investors such as Gazprom will receive carbon credits they can sell for profit or use to cut their own emissions. Money from credit sales will also fund local livelihood projects.

The project area, in Central Kalimantan province on Borneo island, is brimming with rare animal species and adjoins a national park. It is designed to be a sanctuary for endangered orangutans.

Rimba Raya is part of a UN-led scheme called reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). The aim is to show forests can pay for themselves and compete with powerful palm oil, mining and timber interests.

It challenges Indonesia's often poor conservation record and lax enforcement where national parks are illegally logged. Palm oil firms have also been found guilty of flouting laws and illegally clearing forest for plantations.

"This is a small but significant step in terms of contributing to the government's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and showing that larger volumes of forest carbon credits can be sold to credible buyers," said Andrew Wardell, program director, forests and governance, at the Center for International Forestry Research in Indonesia.

But he said REDD projects remain costly to develop and validate. Over Rimba Raya's 30-year life, the project will generate about 104 million credits, each representing a ton of carbon. In total, that equates to $390 million to $650 million based on current market rates for REDD carbon offsets.

Powerful friends

Hasan's comments mark a dramatic swing in Rimba Raya's fortunes. The project initially met all the ministry of forestry milestones and look set for approval in 2010. But it fell foul of opaque land use rules and pressure from a palm oil firm.

After being approved to cover 90,000 hectares, the project in early 2011 was slashed in half, jeopardizing its viability. The ministry cited overlapping claims to the land. The ministry also granted palm oil firm Best Agro International 9,000 hectares of land previously allotted to the Rimba Raya project.

A Reuters special report last year on the project highlighted the ministry's about-face and the mismatch between the government's green goals and the power of palm oil firms.

After the Reuters story, the project found powerful backers that eventually restored the ministry's support.

These included Indonesian businessman Rusmin Widjaja, who stepped in as a white knight to use his influence and financial backing. Singapore-based Widjaja supplies flight simulators to the Indonesian military but also invests in waste-to-energy projects. He recently told Reuters of his worries about the rapid loss of Indonesia's forests.

"Forests in Indonesia need good governance, need clear rules and this project is a good for Indonesia and the world. That's why I wanted to save this project from disarray," he said.

Central Kalimantan governor A. Teras Narang also offered critical support in letter last month seen by Reuters.

Perhaps most influential, though, is Triwatty Marciano, a special adviser to Rimba Raya and wife of the Marciano Norman, the head of Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency.

Ibu Watty, as she is known, helped resolve differences within the ministry and overcome opposition from PT Best. In a July 2012 letter to the ministry approved by Best President Director Winarto Tjajadi, and seen by Reuters, the firm effectively renounced its claim to any overlapping concessions in return for replacement land elsewhere.

For the project developers, Americans Todd Lemons and Jim Procanik, it marks the end of long and at times bitter process. "Our mistake was in assuming that the logic of REDD and Rimba Raya was self-evident," said Lemons, CEO of project development firm InfiniteEARTH.

Both men, along with Gazprom, invested heavily in Rimba Raya to ensure it met the toughest verification standards. Credits are expected to start to flow to Gazprom, Allianz and other buyers in early 2013.

Illegal logging probe derailed as key evidence surrendered by investigators

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2012

SP/Arnold Sianturi, Medan – A former senior police officer's wife who has been accused of illegal logging has had key items of evidence returned to her despite prosecutors appealing the case to the Supreme Court.

Attorney Roder Nababan, who is not a party to the case, said that investigators were not authorized to return the pieces of evidence unless it was ordered by a court.

"It's against the law to return pieces of evidence to the defendant who was acquitted by the court but whose verdict was in the process of appeal in Supreme Court. Investigators made a big mistake and violated the law for returning the pieces of evidence because it's not the investigators' authority to return them," Roder said on Saturday.

He suspected that many people were involved in efforts to free T.N., the wife of the former North Sumatra Police chief, from the illegal logging charge, which carries a potential punishment of more than five years. He said conspirators may include investigators, prosecutors, witnesses from related institutions and court officers.

"It's strongly believed that there's some kind of a game in this case. Prosecutors only demanded a five-month prison term although the dossiers stated that it was an illegal logging case. The minimum punishment for illegal logging case is five years in prison. The appeals filed by the attorney's office was just an effort to divert the people's attention," Roder said.

Roder said that the weak dossier and pre-arranged witness testimonies enabled the court to acquit the defendants, which included T.N.

He said that none of the judges protested against the investigators returning pieces of evidence to the defendant. He added that the investigators' action was a form of contempt against the court and the law.

"This is the worst in the history of legal enforcement if investigators returned the pieces of evidence to the owner while [she's] still undergoing a legal process. The returning of the pieces of evidence by the investigators was based on the order of their superior. Therefore the superior that issued the order must be processed legally. There's no one above the law, not even the president, National Police chief or the provincial police chief," Roder said.

Safruddin Kalo, a crime expert from North Sumatra University, said that police would be breaking the law if they returned pieces of evidence while prosecutors had filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Gandi Parapat, coordinator of Indonesian Political and Legal Monitoring Center (PMPHI), said that investigators never submitted the police investigation report (BAP) on T.N. to prosecutors despite her dominant role in the illegal logging case in Meriah Dolok village in Simalungun district.

"Hundreds of hectares of protected forests were deforested in Simalungun. The deforested forest was supposed to support the Toba Lake. The wife of the former North Sumatra Police chief played a dominant role in the illegal logging case. Aside from the police general's wife, the wife of the former district police chief should also be suspected to be involved," Gandi said last week.

Health & education

Forum shows abortion remains contentious issue

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Nusa Dua – Although some may consider abortion to be an uncontroversial issue, participants at the three-day Global Youth Forum (GYF) in Bali are still debating its pros and cons.

Although the Programme of Action (PoA) of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) stated that safe abortion was no longer controversial, questions remain on how countries can properly implement it.

"We should be very careful on this issue as moral and religious debates are still raging," Eddy Hasmi, a representative of the Indonesian government on the GYF's international steering committee, said on Wednesday.

Eddy said that the Indonesian delegation was still negotiating whether to return to the discussion on safe abortions and sexual rights, as proposed in a draft of recommendations on staying healthy.

"We as the government need to pay attention. We have to serve and respect the interests of all our people or conflict could arise among different groups in the country," he said.

Staying healthy is one of five themes being discussed at the GYF. The others are comprehensive education; promoting youths' transition into decent work; sexuality, families, rights and well-being; and leadership and meaningful participation.

In the debate on staying healthy, one young participant forwarded a proposal for legalizing abortion. "I think they recognize the need for the legalization of abortions and access to safe abortions," said South African youth rights advocate Rishita Nandagiri, who also acts as cochair of the forum's international steering committee

United Nations data shows that adolescent girls between the ages of 10 and 19 account for at least 2.2 to 4 million unsafe abortions in developing countries. Women under the age of 25 account for almost half of all deaths from such abortions.

Eddy said all the recommendations should be consistent with the 1994 ICPD. "However, some recommendations on staying healthy, particularly on safe abortions, are in fact not in line with the international framework," said Eddy.

The draft recommendations on staying healthy stipulate: "As part of the basic package, governments must provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services that include safe and legal abortion, maternity care, contraception, HIV prevention, care, treatment and counseling to all young people.

"Governments and UN agencies should support the sexual and reproductive rights of young people including ensuring access to legal and safe abortion that is affordable, accessible, and free from coercion, discrimination, and stigma; providing support and protection mechanisms that promote the right to choose," it says.

Eddy said these recommendations would have serious implications for Indonesia, as the country only allows abortions in specific cases. "Abortions are not allowed except in certain medical situations," said Eddy.

The recommendations resulting from the three-day meeting will be reported to a special session of the UN General Assembly on the ICPD 1994 Global Review, which is scheduled to take place in 2014, and will be used in the drafting of the Post-2015 Development Agenda for the next 20 years.

Kwabena Osei Danquah from the UNFPA's board secretariat said that the ICPD PoA had clear provisions on safe abortions and unsafe abortions and their impact on human lives so that, in the context of the ICPD, there should be no controversy.

Keeping English in Indonesian schools

Straits Times - December 4, 2012

Salim Osman – After weeks of review, Indonesia's Education Ministry eventually succumbed to societal pressure that English lessons be retained in elementary schools.

This about-face should be good news for parents. But it is not unexpected given the national swing towards English as an important foreign language in recent years, which the government has acknowledged.

Deputy Education Minister Musliar Kasim announced in late September that English would be scrapped for lower elementary pupils in the next school year beginning July as part of a curriculum revamp.

It was part of efforts by the ministry to ease the workload of pupils by reducing the number of subjects from ten to six. It would involve the scrapping of English, science and social studies in favor of religion, nationalism, Bahasa Indonesia, mathematics, art and sports.

With English dropped, pupils could concentrate on strengthening their Bahasa Indonesia – the country's national language – imbibing national values and picking up knowledge on science incorporated in other subjects. They would study English as a compulsory subject when they reached lower secondary or high school.

But the decision to leave out English was unpopular from the start not only among parents and language teachers but also several education departments in the regions. They debated the issue for many weeks to persuade the government to retain the language.

Parents wanted their children to have a head start in the language, seen as having higher economic value than Dutch, the language of their colonial masters. They feared their children's English lessons would be disrupted by the new curriculum.

"The scrapping of English is a retrogressive step," the head of West Kalimantan's provincial government education department, Alexius Akim, told Kompas daily.

The decision also had language teachers worried about their future as they were specifically recruited to teach English to primary school pupils.

But in a volte-face last month, Musliar announced that English would not be scrapped after all. "Schools would be allowed to offer the subject but as an elective instead. It should not be made compulsory," he said in a statement to Kompas and the Jakarta Globe.

Unlike previously, when he said that it would be "haram" or illegal to hold English lessons, Musliar made it clear that his ministry would not stop schools from offering the subject to pupils.

A number of principals of primary schools in recent years have taken the initiative to introduce basic English even at first grade in the school system. English as a foreign language is mandatory only in lower secondary or junior high school, although many schools offer it from the fourth grade.

The interest in English is especially palpable in Jakarta and other major cities, where tuition centers teaching English have mushroomed. Even city kindergartens and play schools offer basic English instruction for pre- schoolers as an attraction.

The swing towards English has been driven by the growing recognition of its importance in economic life and as an international language. Growing numbers of wealthy and upper- and middle-class families in the cities are sending their children to private schools that focus on English.

But in the rural heartland, the interest is less noticeable. Many rural folk focus on being proficient in Bahasa Indonesia while feeling at home with their mother tongue, one of several regional languages in this diverse nation. If English were to come into the picture, it would be a third language for them.

It is not difficult to fathom why English is not made compulsory in the new curriculum for elementary schools. "If English becomes mandatory, it would not be fair to pupils in remote areas where there is a shortage of trained language teachers," said the deputy education minister.

With the decision taken to retain English, policymakers are now obliged to take the next step – improve the teaching of the language for the benefit of students at all levels.

There have been studies done on the subject in many schools which focused on the teaching methods as well as teachers' competency. Professor Chaedar Alwasilah of the University of Education in Bandung wrote recently that the current teaching of English in primary schools "is far from satisfactory."

In a survey done on schools in West Java, Banten and Jakarta in May, he found that 58 percent of elementary school teachers had neither an English language background nor any training in English for young learners.

The government will have to invest its resources to address the weaknesses in the teaching of English even as expectations of parents for better education for their children rise.

The problem is whether the government would have enough resources to promote the teaching of English, effectively a third language for many Indonesians, and the training of teachers when its major task in the new curriculum is for the inculcation of national values and the strengthening of Bahasa Indonesia.

This is in line with the renewed emphasis on the country's values that encourage the spirit of nationalism and tolerance and on protecting its linguistic legacy. But with such an emphasis, will there be enough attention given to the improvement of English teaching in schools?

Sex workers encourage condom use

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2012

Ainur Rohmah and Kusumasari Ayuningtyas, Semarang/Surakarta – Commemorating World AIDS Day, which fell on Saturday, Dec. 1, commercial sex workers and transvestites in Central Java promoted the use of condoms among their customers in a bid to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In Semarang, prostitutes in the city's biggest red light district Sunan Kuning (SK) conducted a competition to encourage customers to use condoms. The winner would be named the HIV/AIDS ambassador of the red light district.

"Many customers do not want to use condoms, regardless of whether it's important for health. That's why workers here have to be smart and encourage customers to use [condoms]," said Suwandi Eko Putranto, head of the SK neighboring unit.

Sekar, one of the contestants, said she joined the contest to show the public that commercial sex workers in SK obeyed the rules.

On the stage, Sekar sung the Julia Perez song "Jupe Paling Suka" (Jupe Likes the Most), which she perceived to campaign on the use of condoms. She then demonstrated how to encourage a customer, played by a representative of the audience, to use a condom. "We have to be really good with seducing the customers, so they are willing to use condoms voluntarily and yet can still feel satisfaction," Sekar said.

Suwandi said the use of condoms in SK had been enforced since 2001 as part of the One Hundred Condom Success program, also known as Sutra. The program obliges sex workers in SK to use condoms to prevent HIV infection. The sex workers were also trained how to use condoms as well as being educated about HIV/AIDS. No HIV/AIDS cases had been found among SK's 620 commercial sex workers.

In Surakarta, dozens of transvestites from the Greater Solo area were seen campaigning on condom use at the Bundaran Gladag traffic circle. They said they preferred to campaign for condom use because the free sex lifestyle was hard to avoid, especially for them.

"Condoms have become the key for us to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS," said Lousiana Margaretha, an activist of the Solo Transvestites Association (Hiwaso). Solo is a popular nickname of Surakarta.

Lousiana said to counter the negative image of transvestites as agents of HIV/AIDS, the group, which has 97 members, had obliged its members to use condoms every time they engaged in sexual intercourse.

Hiwaso chairperson Fernandes Chintya Maramis said some 99 percent of transvestites in Greater Solo were commercial sex workers. "We always commit to secure sexual relations through using condoms," said Fernandes.

He said in 18 years in his profession as a commercial sex worker, he had always used condoms because he was aware the work was vulnerable to HIV/AIDS.

Housewives in Indonesia now most at risk of HIV: Experts

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2012

Amir Tejo & Vento Saudale, Surabaya/Bogor – The groups with the highest risk of contracting HIV in Indonesia has shifted from commercial sex workers to housewives and children.

Emi Yuliana, of the Surabaya Aids Prevention Commission (KPA), said that in the past two years there has been a growing trend in the number of housewives with HIV/AIDS.

"Compared to PSK [commercial sex workers], the trend is increasing significantly. This is because many have intervened and made transmissions [of HIV] among PSK under control," Emi said in Surabaya on Friday.

Dr. Kartika from Surabaya Health Agency said that community health centers (puskesmas) did not have programs concentrating on the detection of HIV/AIDS in housewives as programs in Surabaya Puskesmas are focused on pregnant mothers.

Kartika recommended using new tools to detect HIV/AIDS among housewives, such as score cards that would be distributed to pregnant mothers who come to puskesmas. The score cards will be able to gauge whether women are at high risk.

"For instance, [the score card includes] questions about their sexual behavior and their husbands' job. If for example, the husband works as a inter-province driver and rarely comes home, we could consider them as potential. From there we will assess and give them counselling so that they will take an HIV/AIDS test," Kartika said.

In Bogor, West Java, 60 percent of HIV/AIDS cases were from housewives. That marks a 12 percent increase and makes it the fastest growth rate among high-risk groups, exceeding the growth rate among commercial sex workers.

Data for 2012 showed that 1,542 people in Bogor were living with HIV and 949 were AIDS positive. The city recorded 65 deaths from the disease this year.

"Out of the total number of HIV and AIDS sufferers, 60 percent are housewives," Edgar Suratman, head of the Bogor Regional HIV/AIDS Control Agency (BPAD), said on Friday.

Aside from housewives, a number of inmates at the Paledang penitentiary have also been infected with the disease due to sharing of needles for intravenous drug use.

"About twenty inmates at the Paledang penitentiary are suffering from the disease. The number continues to grow because every month, somebody gets infected. For them, we are coordinating with the penitentiary to overcome it. All expenses are covered by the Bogor city administration," Edgar said.

Edgar said that the high figure is also contributed to by homosexual behavior. BPAD data showed that 339 female sex workers and 300 transvestites had been infected by HIV/AIDS. "It's estimated that 12,881 of their customers have also been infected," he said.

Yusniar Ritonga, Bogor chief counsellor on HIV/AIDS, said that although the city is conducting blood tests on pregnant women the program has hit obstacles. Many housewives refuse the test as they believe it is taboo for them to take it.

"There are those that complied but the percentage is less than 10 percent. Those who tested positive became hysterical and immediately pointed their fingers at their husbands," Yusniar said.

"Inmates who were declared positive seemed more ready because they know that using shared needles makes them more prone to diseases."

Today marks World AIDS day.

Low condom use blamed for new HIV cases

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – At daylight, the street outside Tanah Abang railway station is an illegal parking lot. By night, it turns into a red-light district where dozens of women offer themselves for paid sex.

Since the government decided to close down brothels, such as Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta, sex workers are using the streets as their new bordellos.

Aldo, program coordinator with the Indonesian Sex Workers Organization (OPSI), told The Jakarta Post that the women were particularly prone to becoming infected with the HIV virus. Once infected, it was likely they would spread HIV among their clients.

"These women have a very low bargaining position when it comes to safe sex. Their customers can easily find another sex worker who doesn't demand protected sex," said Aldo.

A newly published United Nations report shows that the rate of new HIV infections in Indonesia increased by more than 25 percent between 2001 and 2011. Meanwhile, the country's HIV-prevention programs only reached 25 percent of the total number of sex workers and males who have sex with males (MSM).

Consistent condom use, particularly within high-risk groups, remains low. Data from the National AIDS Commission (KPA) shows that only around 40 percent of sex workers regularly use condoms. As of October, the commission had distributed 10 million free condoms to sex workers and other at-risk populations.

"In fighting the disease, we focus our work on promoting the consistent use of condoms to high-risk communities where transactional sex often occurs," said KPA secretary Kemal Siregar.

Citing an example, he said that in a meeting held by the West Jakarta administration on Thursday, the KPA informed local sex workers about the risks of unsafe sex. Owners of at least 200 entertainment centers located in the Taman Sari area, such as karaoke clubs, spas, discos and night clubs, attended the meeting.

Around 2,000 of the total 6,000 sex workers in West Jakarta belong to entertainment clubs in Taman Sari.

"At the meeting, we urged all stakeholders in the entertainment industry – not only the sex workers but also procurers and others who make a profit from the industry – to follow the existing advice on condom use, required in any sexual encounter," said Kemal.

However, persuading those at risk about the importance of using condoms is not easy, especially given the ongoing myth that wearing a condom reduces sexual pleasure.

In 2011, the rate of condom use among sex workers declined to 61 percent from 68 percent in 2007. Only 68 percent of MSMs said they had used a condom in their most recent commercial-sex encounters, down from 69 percent in 2007, according to the Biology and Behavior Survey (STBP) in 2011.

With such low figures on condom use, Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said it was not surprising that the country had a high infection rate. "It's nonsense that we will be able to prevent the infection rate from soaring if the use of condoms stands at only 30-40 percent," she said.

Disability rights

Disabled in Malang demand better treatment

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2012

Malang, East Java – Dozens of disabled people released a thousand birds in front of City Hall in Malang, East Java, on Monday-which coincides with the International Day of People with Disability, demanding the city administration to improve their access to public services.

The disabled people released the birds as a symbol of their desire to be free from discrimination in accessing public services, said the coordinator of the Malang Care for Disabled People Community (KMPD), Slamet Thohari, as quoted by tempo.co.

"Many disabled people still face difficulties in getting proper health services," he said, adding that they also face discrimination in educational institutions and work places.

The community, therefore, urges the city administration to allocate some of the city's budget for improving the welfare of the disabled, whose number reached 135,000 people of the city's total population of 894,653, according to Slamet.

The City Council Disabled Regional Law Committee's member, Abdul Hakim, however, said that the administration would not be able to meet the demands of the community as it had already set the city's 2013 budget. (han)

Gender & sexual orientation

Transgender community lies low as intimidation intensifies

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2012

Jakarta – The transgender community has been keeping out of sight in the wake of rising intimidation from the unruly Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the National Police's reluctance to protect them, activists have said.

Merlyn Sofyan, a transgender activist, said on Wednesday that transgender groups across the archipelago had unwillingly cut down their social and educational events during the past two years amid fears that no one would protect them from extremists in the fire-brand group.

"Our situation has been relatively stagnant. The police have not been cooperative. They know that the FPI threatens us, but they make only small efforts," she told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.

Merlyn, who is also the 2006 Miss Transgender Indonesia, suggested that the crisis might continue following the forceful closure of a cultural transgender festival by the FPI on Monday in Jakarta.

The organizer of the Indonesian Transgender Communication Forum said the police, who witnessed the forcible closure, were reluctant to help the 200 or so transgender people when dozens of FPI members stormed their annual festival.

"The FPI said that we had no permit for the event. In fact, we had sent letters requesting a permit to the Jakarta Police, the South Jakarta Police and the Setiabudi police precinct. But, they didn't respond," the forum's chairperson, Yulianus Rettoblaut, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Yulianus suggested that the police may have themselves been intimidated by the FPI. "Days before the festival, an officer from Setiabudi police rang and ordered me to call off the show because the FPI was planning to attack us," she said.

Maruli Tua Rajagukguk from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) said that police had violated human rights by declining to issue the permit.

"They can only ban an event if it has a negative purpose or threatens national stability and security. Why did they ban this activity? The community only wanted to stage a cultural performance," he said, referring to the 2005 ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Commenting on the matter, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto insisted that the transgender forum was not authorized to go ahead. "The police suggested that the event should not be carried out... We assess every activity and if we deem the purpose to be negative, we will not allow it," he said on Tuesday.

Maruli said the YLBHI would assist the transgender forum to report the attack to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). "We urge Komnas HAM to demand an explanation from the Jakarta Police chief [Insp. Gen. Putut Eko Bayuseno] and put pressure on the police to take stern action," he said.

Yulianus was unsure, however, whether the perpetrators would ever be brought to court. "Just look at the FPI assault in 2010. To this day, there have been no arrests. The police seem reluctant to pursue such a case," she said.

She was referring to the raid by the hard-line group to a human rights training workshop for transgender individuals, jointly organized by Komnas HAM and the transgender forum, in Depok, West Java. When the Post contacted FPI spokesman Munarman, he declined to comment. (yps/aml)

FPI shuts down transgender festival in Jakarta

Jakarta Globe - December 4, 2012

Abdul Qowi Bastian – A transgender festival in Jakarta was cancelled on Monday night, after the Islamic Defenders Front turned up to the event and demanded the organizers shut it down.

Salim Alatas, chief patron of the Jakarta chapter of the organization, known as the FPI, told the Jakarta Globe that the festival organizer for the Miss Waria contest in Pasar Festival, South Jakarta, did not have a permit from the police.

"The local community did not want the contest to be held in their area. They asked the police if there is a permit for the contest, but there is not," said Salim, who discovered the event from a newspaper.

"We will deny if there is such thing as a transgender contest in our country. It's morally destructive and not educating." South Jakarta's Setiabudi Police precinct head AKBP Lalu Muhammad Iwan confirmed that the police did not issue a permit for the event.

Merlyn Sofyan, the initiator of the festival, denied the event was a transgender pageant contest.

"It's called Festival Waria Berbudaya [Cultural Transgender Festival], not a pageant where contestants are judged by their looks," Merlyn told the Jakarta Globe. "Festival Waria Berbudaya is an attempt to answer the wrong perceptions in our community by producing decent human resources of waria. It's not going to be instant, but we're trying to nurture them."

But Salim insisted that such an event would not be tolerated, whatever the reason was. "These warias are supposed to be taught and guided, not paraded around like this," Salim argued, who added that the FPI were unarmed and showed up at the event in peace.

However, Agnes Hening, a festival attendant, claimed that the FPI members wore helmets and brought sticks to dismiss the event.

All 20 contestants, hailing from 17 provinces, left the contest peacefully and continued the event at the Legal Aid Foundation in Central Jakarta.

Merlyn, who herself was a winner of Miss Waria 2006, claimed that it was not the role of the FPI to say who was right or wrong.

"If we're talking about religion, who has the right to judge other people?" said Merlyn, who had hoped the festival would counter negative sentiments toward the transgender community in Indonesia. "Although we are a minority group, we aim to develop each of the contestants' local cultures," Merlyn explained.

The Miss Waria contest was first held in 2006 and then in 2007. After a five-year hiatus, Merlyn had the idea to revive the contest but with more emphasis on giving back to the community.

"What we have now in our community is that our exterior aesthetics are most important," Merlyn said. "Smartness is not of priority. That's what I, through this festival, want to encounter. We screened the contestants through written tests and verbal interviews with the judges from competent backgrounds in their respective fields. Some of the contestants have respectable jobs such as make-up artists, a law graduate and a tourism student."

"It's weird because the contestants did not wear anything vulgar and did not do anything immorally behavior," Merlyn added.

In 2010, dozens of FPI members charged into a session and forcefully shut down a civil-rights training session for transsexuals in Depok, West Java. The FPI members thought that it was a drag queen contest, before leaving after negotiations with the representatives from the transsexual groups and local police.

Marriage & polygamy

Garut becomes laughing stock under Aceng

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2012

Jakarta – Voters turn to independent political candidates when they feel disappointed in party-affiliated politicians. Most times, independent candidates stand out for their integrity as has been shown by candidate Faisal Basri in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. Alas, this has not been the case in Garut, West Java.

Aceng HM Fikri assumed his post as the Garut regent after winning the 2009 local election on an independent ticket. But instead of progress, he has drawn attention to Garut for all the wrong reasons.

Aceng recently made headlines after a teenaged girl, identified only as FO alleged that the regent had divorced her via text message only four days after they tied the knot. Aceng was reportedly still married to Nurrohimah, with whom he has three children, when he decided to take FO as his new wife.

Aceng recently went on national television to explain his reasons for divorcing FO. He claimed he was disappointed after discovering that his young bride was not a virgin. He then decided to take back the dowry worth Rp 250 million (US$26,055) that he had given her.

"I spent almost Rp 250 million to sleep with her for one night. Even sleeping with a celebrity would not have cost me that much," Aceng said recently.

After the scandal, the media began to examine his record more closely and found that under his leadership, Garut had registered no significant progress.

According to a survey by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2011, nearly half of the 2.3 million residents of the regency remained poor.

Local media reported that the administration had put a Rp 3 billion cap on its healthcare budget, which prevented Garut from paying for services provided by local hospitals. Many of the hospitals are reported to have turned away poor patients.

In education, Garut is the only regency in West Java that failed to provide school operational assistance (BOS) funds from its budget. The local administration spent around 69 percent of its budget on civil servants' salaries and 13 percent on procurement and services.

Critics also say Aceng, who is a graduate of a local Islamic college and who was active in various Islamic organizations before running for the regent position, has failed to effectively run the regency, known as a tourist destination.

Aceng has blamed local politics. "We face difficulties in running programs that were part of our mission during the campaign, due to a political tug- of-war," he told The Jakarta Post in May.

Recently, Aceng also caused a stir after he was alleged to have sold the deputy regent's position, which fell vacant upon the resignation of Dicky Chandra in 2011.

Dicky, a former actor and comedian, was elected as Aceng's deputy regent in 2009. However, he resigned two years later due to irreconcilable differences with Aceng. Dicky was formerly a member of the National Awakening Party (PKB), but when the party did not nominate him as a candidate for the 2008 election, he ran as an independent, hoping to exploit his popularity as a performer.

He was unexpectedly elected in two rounds of voting, running against seven candidates. The Aceng-Dicky ticket garnered 535,289 votes – 57 percent of the total eligible vote.

Following Dicky's resignation, the regent was accused of selling the vacant position for Rp 239 million although investigations produced no evidence to support this allegation.

Rallies against Garut district head over crude divorce of teenage wife

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2012

Protestors rallied against Garut's embattled district chief on Monday in a demonstration that united Islamic students, university groups and women's rights activists in anger against a man who divorced his teenage bride after four days because he doubted her virginity.

The protestors gathered outside the Garut Legislative Council (DPRD) office and unfurled a banner demanding that 40-year-old Aceng Fikri step down from his post. The district chief inspired a wave of public outcry after he divorced 17-year-old Fani Oktora four days after their July wedding via text message.

When a reporter from Detik.com ask Aceng why he divorced his teenage bride, the district chief explained that she didn't bleed after they consummated their marriage. "On the first night, I felt that she was not virgin because no blood came out," he said. "I wanted to marry a woman who beautiful on the outside and the inside."

Aceng then lamented to a reporter from MajalahDetik.com that he only slept with Fani once after spending Rp 250 million ($26,000) on their wedding. "Even sleeping with an artist doesn't cost that much," he complained. "After I bought her, I found out that she was 'not as advertised,' so I returned her."

Fani said she agreed to become Aceng's second wife after he promised to pay for her to go to college and take her on an umroh (minor Islamic pilgrimage) to Mecca.

She has now filed a complaint with the National Police accusing Aceng of psychological abuse, according to Tempo.co. Aceng reportedly sent Fani threatening text messages after their divorce, the girl's lawyer Nur Setia Alam said. "We will report him for psychologically abusing Fani," Setia said.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi told West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan to summon Aceng for failing to set a good example for the people.

Ahmad said he would summon the district chief this week. "The district chief is in a public position," Ahmad said. "He should watch his behavior."

Aceng told reporters that he didn't understand what the fuss was about. The wedding grabbed the public's attention after the couple's wedding photos were posted online. "I consider this a family matter," he told Detik.com, adding that he had given Fani some money after their divorce.

The Golkar Party, who nominated Aceng, declined to take any action. "That's a personal matter," Tantowi Yahya, a senior member of the party told Detik.com. "The party has no regulations on it."

Graft & corruption

KPK speeds up Hambalang case investigation

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2012

Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – One day after naming former Youth and Sports Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng as a suspect in the Hambalang sports complex scandal, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Friday that the antigraft body would move fast on the case.

"On Tuesday next week, we will summon two case witnesses," said KPK chairman Abraham Samad, referring to Andi's brother Zulkarnain "Choel" Mallarangeng and businessman M. Arif Taufiqrahman.

The KPK had imposed a travel ban on Andi, Choel and Arif, which will be in effect for the next six months, on Thursday.

Abraham added that Choel and Arif were still listed as witnesses but could be named as suspects should the following investigation implicate them in the case. Abraham said that the KPK would summon Andi after questioning the two witnesses.

Andi, the first active minister to be named as a suspect in a corruption scandal, announced his resignation on Friday morning. "The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) ban on my travel yesterday is enough of a reason for me to resign," the Democratic Party politician said.

Andi said that he had met the President, Vice President and coordinating people's welfare minister this morning and handed them his resignation letter. "I explained my situation and they accepted my decision," he said.

Abraham said that Andi was accused of abusing his authority to enrich himself and other parties or persons, a violation of articles 2 and 3 of the 1999 Corruption Law.

The KPK launched its investigation in to the construction of the Hambalang sports complex worth Rp 1.17 trillion (US$265 million) in West Java in late 2010.

Prior to Andi, the KPK had named Dedy Kusnidar, chief of the Youth and Sports Ministry's financial and internal affairs bureau, as a suspect in the scandal. (lfr)

Indonesia anti-graft agency snares its first minister, damages president

Reuters - December 7, 2012

Neil Chatterjee, Jakarta – Indonesia's first minister to be named a suspect in a bribery scandal resigned on Friday, becoming the highest profile victim of an increasingly aggressive push by the country's anti- graft body to take on rampant institutional corruption.

It is another blow to the reputation of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, elected to combat graft, and to his Democrat Party which faces an uphill struggle to hold on to power in elections in 2014. The case, say analysts, also further damages the president's hopes of picking his own successor when his second and final term ends in 2014.

"Too little time remains for the party to rebuild its credibility before elections. At the party's current rate of decline, it may prove unable to nominate a presidential ticket in 2014," said Kevin O'Rourke, an independent risk analyst.

Youth and Sports Minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng, a former close aide to the president and a senior member of the Democrat Party, is the first minister to be named a corruption suspect.

He joins the bulging ranks of current and former officials to find themselves the target of probes by the anti-corruption agency as it tries to tackle what many see as one of the biggest hurdles to faster growth in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

The resignation comes just after corruption watchdog Transparency International marked Indonesia down to 118 from 100th place in its 2012 corruption index of 176 countries.

Yudhoyono's popularity has slid this year after his party treasurer was nabbed for graft in an infrastructure bribery case while on the run in Colombia. The ex-treasurer, jailed for nearly five years, has named Mallarangeng, the party's chairman and one of Yudhoyono's sons as allegedly involved in hundreds of millions of dollars of kickbacks for sports facilities.

The case also underlines the push to catch top officials by the anti-graft body, often referred to by its Indonesian acronym KPK, which has so far fended off a barrage off attacks from the parliament to police to try to weaken its powers. "We found facts and evidence of involvement," said KPK chief Abraham Samad.

Weakens democracy

Convictions in 2012 have included Angelina Sondakh, a Democrat party official, and wealthy industrialist Hartati Murdaya Poo who was a fundraiser previously for the president.

Despite the pervasive corruption, which combines with weak infrastructure and a slow moving bureaucracy to cap the country's growth potential, a booming consumer market has been pulling in manufacturing firms to invest billions in Indonesia this year. But it comes with risks for Western firms who face strict anti-bribery laws in their home countries but find it nearly impossible to do business in Indonesia without "facilitation payments".

Aerospace and defence group Rolls-Royce said on Thursday it may face prosecution after Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ordered it to hand over details of possible bribery and corruption in Indonesia and China.

[Additional reporting by Rieka Rahadiana.]

KPK seeks decree to block 'premature recall' of police investigators

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2012

Rizky Amelia – The Corruption Eradication Commission urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to enact a government regulation to give the antigraft body more power to recruit its own investigators and block the premature recall of police investigators on loan to the agency.

The call came after the commission, known as the KPK, revealed on Wednesday that the National Police had made a request to withdraw 13 more police officers from the agency.

"If the president agrees, then the presidential decree will become the most important political decision to tackle problems faced by the KPK, like the premature recall," KPK commissioner Busyro Muqoddas said.

The KPK also requested "the president's aides to remind the president to immediately sign [the decree] because talks have been protracted for two years between the KPK, the Ministry for Bureaucratic Reform and the Attorney General's Office."

The police request to recall 13 of its investigators was made on Friday, threatening to grind the KPK's investigation into several major corruption cases to a halt.

Among the cases investigated by the KPK is one involving the National Police Traffic Corps' procurement of driving simulators, which was allegedly rigged and awarded to an unqualified company, costing the state more than Rp 100 billion ($10.4 million).

On Monday, the KPK arrested former traffic police chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo for allegedly receiving bribes linked to the driving simulator procurement, which many said prompted police to retaliate by recalling its investigators.

The National Police had already tried to pull out 20 of its investigators assigned to the KPK but six of them – including Comr. Novel Baswedan, who leads the KPK's investigation team on the driving simulator case – have since opted to join the antigraft body permanently and drop their police affiliation.

Busyro said that Novel had already obtained his KPK permanent status. "Only six of them have not yet converted their status," Busyro said. Novel had been at the center of a tug of war between the police and the KPK after he said he would rather continue to work for the KPK and ignored their pullback.

Police attempted to arrest Novel on Oct 5., arguing that as the Bengkulu Police chief of detectives during June 2004, he was responsible for the death of a thief.

Earlier, the president said that he would give the KPK more power to recruit its own investigators, which critics say would grant more independency in investigating graft cases linked to the National Police.

Yudhoyono also said that he is seeking better ties between the two agencies, saying that he wants police investigators to be stationed at the KPK for a minimum of four years. The current regulation vaguely describes how long the term should be.

"The only thing which can deal with this [situation] is the presidential decree. Hopefully the president will sign the decree soon," Busyro said. "A draft of the presidential decree is already at the president's desk. It has been [in Yudhoyono's hands] for a long time, about a month."

Police ignore SBY and strike back at KPK

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Rabby Pramudatama and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Oblivious to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's order for the police to stay out of the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) business, the National Police headquarters has decided to withdraw Comr. Novel Baswedan and 12 other officers seconded to the antigraft body.

The move came only two days after the KPK locked up Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, the main suspect in the driving simulator graft scandal at the National Police Traffi c Corps (Korlantas).

KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqqodas confirmed on Wednesday that the National Police made the request in a letter dated Nov. 30. In the letter, the police decided not to extend the tenure of its 13 investigators seconded to the KPK, including Novel, whose terms expire in January 2013.

Chief of the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim), Comr. Gen. Sutarman said that the decision was firm. Sutarman said he was aware that Novel had opted to become a permanent member of staff at the KPK, but insisted that Novel was still a member of the corps.

"Of course he [Novel] can be a permanent investigator with the KPK, but he must first tender his resignation," Sutarman told reporters at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

He said that Novel's future employment with the KPK could be illegal if he failed to submit the official documents for his resignation. "All of us must act according to regulations. Ours say that the 13 investigators must return to the National Police given that their terms expire soon. We can discuss what to do next afterward," Sutarman said.

He said the National Police would not abandon the KPK and had dispatched 30 candidates to be new investigators with the KPK.

Sutarman said that the KPK had not yet responded to the move. Responding to the withdrawal, the KPK said that its only hope to function effectively now was swift, strong action by Yudhoyono to allow the KPK to retain non-police investigators whose terms also expire soon.

"I hope the President will sign the regulation on employment management for KPK staff, including investigators, soon" Busyro said. The KPK sent a complete draft revision of the decree to the President in early November, but has received no response yet from the Presidential Palace.

"If the President signs [the regulation], it will solve most of our problems," Busyro said. According to the KPK, Government Regulation No. 63/2005 concerning the KPK's human resources management has been in deliberation since 2010, and the latest draft was completed in November.

Regulation No. 63/2005 stipulates that investigators sign four-year contracts and can be offered tenures after eight years.

In 2010, the National Police issued a rule requiring officers seconded to the KPK to renew their assignments on an annual basis. In the draft amendment, the KPK would be allowed to sign 12-year contracts with investigators.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha denied that Yudhoyono had failed to follow through on his promise to immediately sign the new regulation on the tenure extension of KPK investigators.

"The National Police have their own policy on when they want to withdraw their investigators currently seconded to the KPK. I don't see it as a slight toward the President's instruction," he told reporters.

[Bagus BT Saragih contributed to this report.]

Indonesia's global ranking drops in latest corruption index

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2012

Ethan Harfenist & Erwida Maulia – Berlin-based Transparency International has released its annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2012, with Indonesia sliding in this year's rankings despite increased foreign investment and a bigger global profile.

Southeast Asia's largest economy was ranked 118th out of 176 countries polled, down from 100th out of 183 the year before, and tied with Madagascar, Egypt, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

According to Transparency International's website, the index "scores countries on a scale from 0 [highly corrupt] to 100 [very clean]. While no country has a perfect score, two-thirds of countries score below 50, indicating a serious corruption problem."

Indonesia scored 32 on the scale. The anticorruption watchdog used nine surveys on the country to determine its ranking.

Transparency International Indonesia manager Franky Simanjuntak said on Wednesday that Indonesia performed worse than the Philippines this year, which ranked 105th, when it had traditionally ranked lower than Indonesia.

But Vietnam, which fared better than Indonesia last year, dropped to 123th position in the 2012 index. Most other countries in the region, including Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, again performed better than Indonesia, at 5th, 54th and 88th, respectively. Laos finished at 160th and Myanmar at 172nd.

Franky said this year's score could not be compared with those in previous years, which used a scale from 0 to 10. Indonesia scored 3.0 in 2011.

"We use a different method now. And with this new method, starting from this year we can compare year-on-year scores," Franky said, adding that the previous method did not actually allow comparisons of year-on-year figures.

"But with the 30-something score, we can say that Indonesia remains in the cluster of countries with significant corruption problems, relative to other countries surveyed," he added.

Denmark, Finland and New Zealand shared the 1st position in this year's rankings, scoring 90, followed by Sweden and Singapore. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia shared the bottom place, scoring 8 each.

KPK locks up police general

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2012

Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – After five months of tug-of-war that involved members of the National Police besieging the headquarters of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the antigraft body has finally detained the main suspect in the driving simulator procurement graft case, Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo.

Djoko is the first active police general to be detained in a graft case by the KPK.

"I underwent questioning today and I will accede to the legal process, including by being detained. Thank you friends," Djoko told reporters soon before being led to a detainee vehicle that took him to the military-run Guntur prison.

Djoko is the first KPK suspect to be detained in the newly renovated detention facility. Speculation was rife that the facility was prepared only for Djoko.

Djoko, however, headed to Guntur prison without donning the KPK's detainee jacket, which had been specifically designed to have a deterrent effect on future graft suspects.

A group of KPK investigators and prison guards tailed Djoko on a motorcade on his way to the Guntur prison. The KPK investigators moved to detain Djoko after questioning him for eight hours. Djoko failed to show up for questioning in late September, but finally met two more KPK summons in October.

"The KPK will detain DS [Djoko Susilo] for the next 20 days at the KPK detention center inside the military prison facility at Guntur, in South Jakarta," KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said during a press conference on Monday evening.

He said KPK investigators had charged Djoko under Article 2 and Article 3 of the Anticorruption Law, alleging he abused his authority to enrich himself.

A source inside KPK said that before being sent to Guntur prison Djoko and his lawyers requested the KPK to detain him at the detention center of the National Police Mobile Brigade Headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Depok. Djoko asked the KPK to consider his position as an active police general and begged the KPK to grant his wish.

Juniver Girsang, Djoko's lawyer, said that his client only wanted the KPK to expedite its prosecution. "Pak Djoko is ready to follow the KPK's order and he is willing to undergo the legal process. Now that he is detained, I hope the KPK will expedite its investigation so that my client can get legal certainty," he said.

Juniver said that during Monday's questioning, Djoko was only asked about his position and role as the officer in charge of the tender for the driving simulator procurement project. Juniver said that no substantive questions were asked.

The graft case centers on the procurement of 700 two-wheeled and 556 four- wheeled driving simulators in 2011, which according to initial estimates, caused around US$19.81 million in state losses.

Johan said that although the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) had yet to complete its formal report regarding the exact amount of state losses in the graft case, the KPK estimate put the state losses at $10.4 million.

So far, the KPK has named four suspects in the case, Djoko himself; Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo, the former deputy chief at the corps; Budi Susanto, the director of the tender-winning company PT Citra Mandiri Metalindo Abadi (CMMA); and Sukotjo S. Bambang, director of PT Invoasi Teknologi Indonesia, a company that was subcontracted by PT CMMA.

The KPK named Djoko a suspect in the case on July 27. The KPK investigators were only able to question the two-star police general after three months, on Oct. 6.

On Oct. 6, members of the National Police stormed the KPK headquarters soon after Djoko finished being questioned, prompting a standoff that would end with criminal charges lodged against KPK investigator in the case, Comr. Novel Baswedan.

The National Police dropped charges against Novel only after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono intervened on Oct. 8. In his speech, Yudhoyono also told the police to let the KPK handle the driving simulator case.

PDI-P: Dipo letters shed new light on collusion claims

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2012

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Recently revealed letters indicate that Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam may have had an ulterior motive in flagging alleged collusion between the House of Representatives and the Defense Ministry, an opposition legislator says.

Tubagus Hasanuddin, the deputy chairman of House Commission I, overseeing defense and foreign affairs, said on Friday that through his letters to Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Dipo intervened to scrap Rp 678 billion ($71 million) in funding for the Navy.

"It appears that the funding plan had prompted complaints from one of the other branches of the armed forces," said Tubagus, a veteran Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician. "They were saying, 'How come the Navy gets this funding and we don't?' "

In the first of the two letters, dated July 24 of this year, Dipo asked Purnomo to reconsider the urgency of allocating the funds proposed by the Finance Ministry to buy encryption devices, diving gear and other equipment for the Navy.

He wrote that it would be better to allocate the money toward the military's Rp 34 trillion shortfall for modernizing its main weapons systems.

He also claimed that the funding, if approved by the House, would be prone to mark-ups, embezzlement and other forms of corruption, adding that there had already been a complaint from the public about the funding plan.

In a similar letter dated Aug. 6, Dipo shared similar concerns with Agus about the funds. As a result, Agus issued a letter to the House on Sept. 25 in which he scrapped the Rp 678 billion fund for the Navy, despite the House being on track to approve the allocation in the 2013 state budget.

Tubagus said that Dipo's graft concerns, which led to his reporting the Defense Ministry to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in early November for alleged collusion with legislators, were unfounded and illogical.

He pointed out that the House's role was simply to approve the funding, and that if there were mark-ups and other manipulations, they could only occur during the bidding process carried out by the government.

Tubagus also said that it was impossible for the money to be embezzled since it had not even been allocated yet. "We were shocked when the Finance Ministry scrapped the funding," said Tubagus, a former two-star Army general. "At the time, we wondered why."

"The answer, it turns out, is because one of the other branches of the armed forces didn't get a cut. So why Dipo would cite mark-ups [at the House] as his concern is a mystery."

Ramadhan Pohan, another House Commission deputy chairman, also said he was perplexed as to why Dipo had played the corruption card. "I personally don't know, but since it's in Dipo's letter, you should ask Dipo," he said.

Ramadhan, from the ruling Democratic Party, also urged the Finance Ministry to repeal its decision to withhold the funding for the Navy and proceed with its initial plan, arguing that it was important to make every effort to boost the quality of the armed forces.

The Defense Ministry was one of three, along with the Trade Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry, that Dipo recently reported to the KPK in connection with allegations that ministry officials were colluding with legislators on getting their funding proposals approved ahead of the finalization of next year's state budget.

On Monday, the cabinet secretary claimed that similar practices also took place in other ministries. He added that his aim was not to target the ministers, but to spur the ministries themselves into cleaning house.

Freedom of religion & worship

Religious minorities, indigenous groups remain targets of violence

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2012

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A recent study by human rights watchdog Setara Institute reveals that the government has failed to guarantee equal opportunities for followers of minority faiths, despite evidence of stepped up measures to promote and protect human rights in the country.

According to Setara, discrimination against religious minorities was a ticking time bomb that could explode in the near future with the country undergoing political campaigning ahead of the 2014 legislative and presidential elections.

"Religious sentiment could be turned into a strategic option to be used to win over voters in areas of the country where religious issues are sensitive. This is exacerbated by the government's biased policies in favor of certain groups," Setara deputy director Bonar Tigor Naipospos said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

In its survey, Setara recorded around 200 discrimination cases against religious minorities nationwide up to October this year. Setara said that annually, an average of 250 cases were reported. Although in previous years the targets for attacks were largely members of Muslim minority groups like Ahmadis and Shiites, as well as Christians, this year, Buddhists have also been subject to attacks especially in the wake of the conflict between Rakkhine and Rohingya ethnic groups in Myanmar.

"People [especially those with limited access to communications] were told that the country's Buddhists were responsible for the sufferings of the majority Rohingya Muslims. This apparently stirred the emotions of some Muslims who began attacking Buddhists and their religious symbols here," Bonar said.

He cited the attack on Kwang Kong Buddhist temple in Makassar during a rally protesting the killing of Rohingya Muslims last August as an example.

Apart from violence against religious groups, Setara expected that discrimination against the country's indigenous groups would also escalate in the future, following the government's policy of the Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI).

Setara warned that disputes over land acquisition would mean the government needed to prepare measures to prevent them from turning into violent conflicts.

Setara recommended that to prevent such conflicts, the government must take initiatives such as providing land certificates for local people, particularly those who control customary lands to avoid their rights being trampled on for the sake of "economic development".

Setara's study also found that failure to resolve past rights abuses, including the communist purge in 1965, would continue to encumber the government. "So, it is urgent for the government to amend the Law No. 26/2000 on human rights courts," Setara director Hendardi said.

Hendardi also highlighted the importance of amending Law No. 39/1999 on human rights to strengthen the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), which many see as lacking the authority to force the government into following its recommendations or bringing alleged rights abusers to testify.

Komnas HAM has recently submitted a draft amendment to the human rights law to the House of Representatives Legislative Body (Baleg). The House has said it will give priority to the deliberation of the draft next year.

Alleged Sampang mastermind charged with murder, assault

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2012

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Surabaya – Roies Al Hukama, 36, a Sunni religious leader who allegedly masterminded the deadly attack on Shia followers in Sampang, East Java, stood trial on Tuesday at the Surabaya District Court.

He was charged under Article 338 of the Criminal Code on murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if proven guilty. Prosecutors also charged him with articles 354 on assault, 170 on group assault and vandalism, and 55 and 56 on participation in a crime.

In his indictment, prosecutor Rahmad Hari Basuki said that Roies repeatedly provoked his followers to attack and kill Shiites. "The defendant also incited hatred against Shia followers," Rahmad told the court, which was presided over by judge Ainur Rofiq.

Rahmad added that Roies provoked his Sunni followers, the majority of Sampang residents, and said that Shiites were infidels during his regular sermons. "His sermons caused hatred against the Shia community to grow," he said.

Roies denied all the accusations. "All what the prosecutors have said isn't true. I will talk to my lawyer and write my own defense statement at the next hearing," he said.

Muhammad Ra'uf Syah, Roies's lawyer, said that the indictment was weak and lacked supporting evidence.

Roies allegedly provoked hundreds of people to destroy and burn the house of Shia leader Tajul Muluk, his own brother, in August. Two Shiites died during the attack. The incident was the second in less than a year, following an attack in December last year.

Police named three suspects in the case, namely Roies, Salikin and Musrikah. Salikin began his trial last month and has been charged with articles 170 and 187 of the Criminal Code, respectively on assault and arson. The two articles carry prison sentences of 15 years. (lfr)

Governance & policy

KPK receive grade A accountability awards

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – In what could be seen as a consolation prize for the embattled Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the anti-graft body has won an award as one of the most accountable state institutions for the year 2012.

The KPK has won the award, given by the Administrative Reforms Ministry for three consecutive years since 2009. The KPK is one of only three state institutions to have won the "A" or "very good" grade given by the ministry this year. The other two institutions are the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and the Finance Ministry.

The ministry surveyed 81 state institutions for this year's award. Leaders of the three institutions received the awards from Vice President Boediono in a ceremony held in Jakarta on Wednesday. Boediono said that he was disappointed that only three state institutions received the award.

"I appreciate all of the hard work done by ministries and other state institutions in improving their accountability. But I am not yet satisfied, in the sense that many institutions still do not take the performance accountability report seriously," Boediono said in his speech.

In the event, Boediono also gave awards to six provincial governments that got "B" grades. Provinces that were given the award for their middling performance were Yogyakarta, Central and East Java, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and South Sumatra.

Responding to the poor showing, Boediono suggested that the Administrative Reform Ministry implement a reward-and-punishment mechanism to boost the performance of government institutions. "We need to think about giving penalties. Otherwise, people will not take [the performance accountability] seriously," he said.

Administrative Reform Minister Azwar Abubakar said that for the award, state institutions were judged on their performance accountability, a concept slightly different from financial accountability. Under performance accountability, state institutions have to implement planning, budgetary and reporting systems.

"Performance accountability will basically check whether state budget- financed programs are properly implemented and whether the outcomes are in line with the targets according to the plan. This way, we can measure whether taxpayers' funds have been used appropriately or not," Azwar said.

The highest score in the award is "AA", but no institutions have managed to achieve this since 2009. The next ranks are "A", "B", "CC", "C", and "D".

Azwar said he was happy that the total number of institutions being graded "CC" and up had continued to increase since 2009, although, his own ministry had failed to get an "A" grade. The Administrative Reforms Ministry only got a "B" along with 25 other institutions.

Parliament & legislation

Lawmakers reported by Dahlan to receive slap on the wrist

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2012

Ezra Sihite – Although the members of the House of Representatives Ethics Council have found four lawmakers guilty of violating the House's code of ethics, the council said that none of them will receive the harshest sanction.

The council (BK) chairman Muhammad Prakosa said that after several clarifications and confrontations, the BK concluded that the lawmakers would be slapped with mild to medium sanctions.

"Four people had been concluded to have violated the code of ethics, three people were not found guilty and three people were wrongly identified in Pak Dahlan Iskan's report," Prakosa said at the legislative building on Thursday.

Prakosa said that the guilty lawmakers were from different political parties but declined to disclose their identities or initials.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician said that based on the mechanism, the BK has to convey its conclusion to the lawmakers in question, their respective parties and House leaders before they can announce their names to the public.

"None of them are categorized to have severely [violated the code of ethics]. The sanctions will be announced after we conveyed our decision to the lawmakers and their parties," he said.

He added that the mild sanction could come in the form of a written or verbal warning, while those slapped with medium sanctions could be dismissed from their positions in the House.

BK drew the conclusion on Wednesday night after a series of verifications and ethics trials that went on for almost a month, following up State Owned Enterprise Minister Dahlan Iskan's report.

Dahlan had reported 10 names for allegedly trying to extort several state enterprises but later withdrew some names and replaced them with others. Dahlan said that he filed the report to BK based on information from several SOE directors.

The lawmakers who got dragged into Dahlan's report were Sumaryoto and I Gusti Agung Rai Wirajaya of PDI-P; Idris Laena of Golkar Party; Achsanul Qosasi, Linda Megawati, Saidi Butar-Butar and Andi Timo Pangerang of the Democratic Party; Zulkieflimansyah of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS); and Muhammad Hatta and M. Ichlas El Qudsi of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Dahlan and Merpati Nusantara Airlines president director Rudy Setyopurnomo later removed Hatta, Andi Timo and El Qudsi from the list of lawmakers accused of extortion.

BK had confronted Sumaryoto and Idris with SOE directors separately, indicating that they had violated the code.

BK learned during the verification process that Zulkflimansyah was the one who led the meeting and Democrat Achsanul was the one who did the talking while Saidi, Linda and Agung were passive participants.

Government completes the rupiah re-denomination bill

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – The government has completed its final formulation of the rupiah re-denomination bill and is set to submit it to the House of Representatives to be passed into law.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said on Friday that the main substance of the bill would be the simplification of the rupiah by removing three zeros from the currency without tampering with its economic value.

"For example, now we buy a cup of coffee for Rp 50,000 [US$5.21] but after the re-denomination, the value that we pay and the price of the coffee will be converted into Rp 50," Agus said.

The plan to re-denominate the rupiah was first proposed by Indonesia's central bank, Bank Indonesia (BI), in 2010. BI Governor Darmin Nasution said at the time that re-denomination was part of the government's efforts to comply with regional economic reforms to coincide with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.

Based on BI's initial proposal, the re-denomination policy is separated into four stages; namely preparation, dual-label procedures, the removal of old currency and a finalization stage to ensure that none of the old currency remains in circulation. The program is set to last from 2011 to 2022.

Meanwhile, the House legislative body chairman, Ignatius Mulyono from the Democratic Party, said that legislators were ready to accept the government's proposal on the re-denomination bill.

"We are still waiting for the bill to be officially submitted so that it can be proposed for inclusion in the 2013 priority bills program," Ignatius said.

Ignatius said he believed the bill should be included as one of the priority bills for next year because it would provide numerous benefits for Indonesia's economy once it came into effect.

"Re-denomination will simplify and accelerate transactions because once three zeros are omitted, the numeral system for the rupiah will be much simpler. Re-denomination will also make our currency's exchange value against other currencies simpler and more fair," he said.

Ignatius reminded the government to conduct a thorough introduction to the public on the planned re-denomination policy because most people in Indonesia still believed the policy would affect the economic value of the rupiah.

"The public needs to know that re-denomination will not decrease the rupiah's economic value, it will merely simplify it," he said.

Due to hyperinflation in the 1960s, the government conducted a currency policy known as sanering, in which three zeros were cut from the rupiah and, at the same time, the currency's economic value was also reduced.

Agus said the government was conducting numerous public awareness programs for the planned re-denomination policy but they were so far limited to the central administrative level.

"We will intensify our program on the re-denomination policy for those people in more remote areas of the country starting December through March next year," he said.

"We hope the public introduction program on the policy will receive a positive response from all stakeholders so that we can pass the re- denomination bill into law by June next year," he added.

Jakarta & urban life

Jakarta governor shakes up top civil servants

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2012

Lenny Tristia Tambun – Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said he was just getting started after replacing several senior city officials on Friday in a bid to make the capital's bureaucratic management more efficient.

Among those being reassigned to new posts are the current chief of the sanitation agency, Eko Bharuna, Jakarta Financial Management Body chief Sukri Bey and several high-ranking officials at the housing agency and the Indonesian Civil Servants Corps.

"Nothing is out of the ordinary. We replaced our management, some got transferred and some got promoted. It's nothing unusual," Joko said. "This is just the beginning. I will review everyone and their performance."

Budhiastuti, the administration's human resource agency chief, said the officials transferred were those who were entering retirement age. The governor, she said, wanted succession to be done swiftly so that work would not be hindered by the retirement process.

Budhiastuti added that there were nine others who would soon reach retirement age, signaling that they would also likely be replaced soon. The nine senior officials include city secretary Fadjar Panjaitan, West Jakarta Mayor Burhanuddin and Public Order Agency chief Effendi Anas.

Sanitation agency chief Eko confirmed that he would retire, adding that he would be replaced by his deputy Unu Nurdin. "Yes, I will be replaced. It's okay, I'm already 59 years old and [my retirement] has been postponed twice," he said.

The Jakarta administration plans to raise the salaries of its civil servants in 2014 in an attempt to boost their performance and encourage them to provide optimum public services.

Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said the administration's main focus on improving the bureaucracy would require not only recruiting new employees and improving human resources but also improving the welfare of civil servants.

"If their welfare is good, they can work without worrying about making ends meet or worrying about their families," he said on Thursday.

The administration plans to match public sector salaries with private sector pay so that civil servants can work more professionally. The move also aims to discourage civil servants from corruption because low pay might make them open to bribery.

Basuki said the size of the salary increase would depend on the city's revenue. "We haven't decided it yet. This is still a plan. Let's just wait for the regional revenue," he said.

"Most importantly we want to make people feel proud that they work here [in the city administration]; as proud as people who work at Citibank or oil companies. "So the decision on whether or not to raise [their salary] might depend on incentives or an increase in revenue," he added.

Basuki warned that if after the salary increase civil servants were still found not working their hardest, committing corruption, delivering poor- quality work or otherwise being poor at their jobs, he would punish them in line with the government regulation on civil servant discipline.

"If their welfare has been improved through the salary hike, they will be sanctioned if they can't balance it with good performance and public service," he said. He added that the recruitment of new civil servants would be based on the system established in the National Civil Service Agency.

Success of Jakarta civil servant salary plan uncertain: Analyst

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2012

Lenny Tristia Tambun – The Jakarta administration's plan to raise the salaries of its civil servants will not be effective in either curbing corruption or boosting their performance, an analyst said.

"There's no guarantee that the salary hike will improve the civil servants' performance or reduce corruption in the Jakarta administration," Agus Pambagio, an analyst on public policy from the University of Indonesia, told Beritasatu.com on Thursday.

Agus said that the plan would cause the budget allocation for civil servants' salaries in the regional budget to swell. He said that if salaries are doubled, civil servants serving at the agency head level would have their pay boosted to Rp 70 million ($7,300) per month from the current Rp 35 million.

"That's too much already. With a salary that high, not to mention other allowances, their performance could drop. There's no guarantee that with a high salary civil servants can perform better," Agus said.

He also expressed skepticism that the salary hike could effectively lower incidents of corruption.

"It's true that [logically] the salary hike should be able to reduce the corruption rate," he said. "But in practice, there's no guarantee. Let's say that [salaries] are up twofold. If you were faced with corruption that amounted to five times the salary, you might be tempted."

Agus called on the city administration to not only improve the bureaucracy through the improvement of human resources, new recruitments and salary hikes, but also to implement a strict, comprehensive system of rewards and punishments. He also called for greater efficiency through standard operating procedures.

"If [civil servants] are successful, give them a reward," Agus said. "But if not, or if their performance flops or they commit graft, dismiss them or give them an early retirement. If this is implemented, I'm sure the bureaucracy in the city administration will be better."

Commission A of the provincial legislative council has expressed its support for the city's three bureaucracy improvement measures. Commission A chairwoman Ida Mahmudah said that she fully supports the three plans that have been aimed at optimizing the performance of civil servants and improving public services.

She hopes that the plan to significantly increase salaries would be effective in preventing civil servants from committing graft because the salary would be enough to support their lifestyles.

"As for the improvement of public services, I fully support the move because life is already tough in Jakarta, and in 2014 prices will soar," she said. "This is a remarkable breakthrough from the Jakarta administration."

Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama said the administration's main focus on improving the bureaucracy required the recruitment of new employees, improving human resources and also improving the welfare of civil servants.

"If their welfare is good, they can work without worrying about making ends meet or worrying about their families," he said.

The administration plans to set civil servant salaries at the same rate as employees in the private sector. The move also aims to discourage civil servants from corruption because low pay might make them open to bribery. Basuki said the size of the salary increase will depend on regional income.

Joko launches 'Jakarta Smart Cards' granting monthly allowance to students

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2012

Lenny Tristia Tambun – Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo on Saturday launched the Jakarta Smart Card initiative, which will grant student holders up to Rp 240,000 ($25) in monthly allowance to support their schooling needs.

The cards are intended for less-privileged elementary to high school students in the capital, with elementary school students to receive Rp 180,000 per month, junior high school students Rp 210,000 per month and high school students Rp 240,000 per month.

Joko symbolically distributed the cards to students of high school SMA Yappenda in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, during a launch ceremony on Saturday.

Over 3,000 cards were distributed to students in North, South, Central and East Jakarta on Saturday, and the Jakarta administration is planning to distribute some 6,300 more cards by the end of the year and 332,000 next year to students of public and private schools alike.

"In the name of God, I hereby launch Jakarta Smart Cards, which are immediately available for use," Joko told those attending Saturday's ceremony. "And those are not for school fees... because [the government] already pays school fees," he added, according to Indonesian news portal merdeka.com.

Jakarta Education Agency head Taufik Yudi Mulyanto explained that the cards would allow student holders to purchase school books, shoes, uniforms and food, as well as pay for transportation to and from school.

The cards are basically ATM cards issued by provincially owned Bank DKI, and schools are expected to monitor card use by their respective students to prevent abuses.

"This year we'll only issue Jakarta Smart Cards for high school and vocational school students. Next year it will be for all levels of education in Jakarta [excluding higher education]," Taufik said.

Bank DKI managing director Eko Budiwiyono, meanwhile, reminded students to use the cards prudently. "Be careful when using the cards," Eko told the SMA Yappenda students. "You must really keep them secured, and they can only be used by students whose names are on the cards. Don't let other people know your PIN numbers."

The rollout of Jakarta Smart Cards comes just a few weeks after Joko launched Jakarta Health Cards, which entitle holders to free medical services at 200 community health centers (Puskesmas) and Class III wards of 17 hospitals across the capital.

The health cards are expected to reach about 4.7 million underprivileged Jakarta residents. (BeritaSatu & JG)

Foreign affairs & trade

New export markets too small

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2012

Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – Despite significant growth, exports to new markets are still unable to offset demand for Indonesia's goods and commodities from the country's existing major trading partners.

From January to October this year, non-oil and gas exports to 10 non- traditional and emerging markets, such as South Africa and Colombia, expanded by 115 percent on average to US$3.7 billion, according to statistics from the Trade Ministry. This compared to a 6.2 percent in exports growth, to $86.6 billion, to 10 key export markets.

Indonesia saw its largest export growth of 337.62 percent to $58.58 million to Libya during the period, followed by a 264.50 percent growth to $57.76 million to Mauritania, and a 200.16 percent growth to $82.12 million to Ivory Coast.

Exports mainly comprised coal, books and printed materials, pharmaceutical products, paper, rubber, palm oil, soap, automobiles and parts, and processed meat and fish.

Ahmad Erani Yustika, an economist at the Indonesian Institute for the Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), said on Tuesday that although exports to several new markets had increased by more than 100 percent, the result was not significant enough to counter weakening sales to traditional markets because in terms of volume as well as value, they were still very small.

"The government's claims of a successful export diversification push are too early. Expansion to non-traditional markets goes beyond changing destinations and it takes a lot of time, as exporters should fit their products with the needs of consumers in new markets," he told The Jakarta Post. "We must be consistent in executing our measures to push up exports to new markets and for this goal, we need a road map," he added.

Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Krisnamurthi earlier said that the government had already considered designing a road map for export diversification, but it was not clear whether the plan has progressed.

In previous years, the government has tried to shift its focus from major trade partners, such as Japan and the US, to new markets, particularly in the Middle East, South America and Africa. Those efforts increased last year as exports to traditional markets slumped.

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) economist Latif Adam echoed Erani's argument, saying that one of the main indicators of successful diversification would be a noticeable absorption of exports in new markets that had previously sold well in existing markets.

"The $3.76 billion figure is not comparable to $86.6 billion. Real success will happen only if non-traditional markets can replace the role of traditional markets in terms of volume or value," he said.

The government should be more proactive in disseminating information about export-related regulations, non-tariff barriers and consumer interests in new markets, he added.

Exports plunged by 7.61 percent to $15.67 billion in October from a year earlier, worse than market expectations of only 4 percent, particularly due to a drop in palm oil prices, while imports grew steadily by 10.82 percent to $17.21 billion from the past year, resulting in a record monthly deficit of $1.55 billion.

Cumulatively from January to October, exports dropped by 6.22 percent to $158.66 billion from the past year, while imports surged by 9.35 percent to $159.18 billion, generating a deficit of $516.1 million.

Record trade deficit poses risk to rupiah

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2012

Linda Yulisman and Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Indonesia's biggest trade deficit, recorded in October, is likely to cause jitters in the currency market, with economists warning of the impact it poses to the already weak rupiah.

After recovering over the last two months, the trade balance in October flipped back into the red, driven by a sharp rise in imports against the backdrop of a continued weak export performance, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed on Monday.

The trade deficit topped US$1.55 billion in October as international commodity prices declined while imports soared given the stable pace of purchases of capital goods, raw materials and intermediary goods.

Exports plunged by 7.61 percent to $15.67 billion in October from a year earlier, higher than the market forecast of 4 percent. The decline, according to the BPS, was mostly attributable to a palm oil price drop.

Imports grew steadily by 10.82 percent to $17.21 billion from the past year, particularly due to the purchase of a fleet of commercial aircraft and spare parts for local airlines worth $418 million, according to the BPS.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said the government would remain cautious over the impact of the trade deficit. "The deficit needs to be handled as soon as possible. Normally, imports should not have stood that high amid our weak current exchange rate. So, we need to study this further," Agus said.

Barclays Capital regional economist Prakriti Sofat said the worsening trade balance would likely weigh on the rupiah in the short term.

"Our one-month forecast remains at Rp 9,650 [against the US dollar]. We maintain our six-month forecast of Rp 9,800 given the structural current account deficit, continuing unfavorable terms of trade and the rising political risk premium," said Sofat in a research note.

The rupiah closed weaker at Rp 9,598 per dollar compared with Rp 9,594 on Nov. 30, prices from local banks compiled by Bloomberg show. The one-month implied volatility, a measure of expected moves in exchange rates used to price options, climbed five basis points to 4.65 percent, according to Bloomberg.

The record high trade deficit is likely to impact the country's balance of payments, which flipped back into positive territory in the third quarter of the year from two consecutive deficits in the first and second quarters.

If left unchecked for long, a deficit in the balance of payments would reduce the country's ability to service foreign-denominated debts and finance imports.

According to the central bank, Indonesia's balance of payments recorded a surplus of $800 million in the third quarter of the year, mostly derived from proceeds funneled by foreign direct investment. A "surplus" in the balance of payments generally means an inflow of income into the country.

Bank Danamon economist Anton Hendranata said in a research note on Monday that heightened concern might reemerge given the balance of payments performance, particularly on the current account deficit, as the trade data showed strong and resilient imports weighing down the trade balance.

"Monthly trade data tends to be volatile, but it's still too early to estimate the impact on the current account deficit or on the rupiah, which is currently hovering at Rp 9,600," said the research note.

"However, if the condition persists, the current-account deficit may be bigger than our estimate of 2.1 percent of gross domestic product this year. This could put more pressure on the weak rupiah."

The note also explained that although Bank Indonesia might still be tolerating the weak rupiah, the resurgence of concern over the current account deficit might compel the central bank to raise the overnight deposit facility (FASBI) rate to help reduce pressure in the foreign exchange market.

Mining & energy

Coal turns agrarian village into wasteland

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2012

Tunggadewa Mattangkilang, Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan – The village of Mulawarman used to be surrounded by lush tropical trees and wildlife. But fast forward 13 years and the area is a barren wasteland, blackened by the coal dust from thousands of small pit mines scattered across the landscape.

A good night's sleep can be a luxury in this village, abuzz with earsplitting sounds of coal-crushing machines that run 24 hours a day.

"This whole place used to be a stretch of green fields dotted by trees," Mulawarman village chief Robert Siburian tells the Jakarta Globe. "Everyone [in the village] used to farm, but now it's all gone because of mining."

The changes in the village, located in Kutai Kartanegara district, began in 1999 when the central government decentralized its control on mining permits under the Regional Autonomy Law.

For Kutai Kartanegara, a district rich in natural resources, that meant opening up a floodgate of new permits for a number coal mining companies, which soon began trundling into Mulawarman.

The first company to enter the village was Kayan Putra Utama Coal, and before long there would be seven more companies, all granted the same permit to exploit Mulawarman's riches.

"Since regional autonomy was enacted, the mining permits have been issued like an overflowing river. It was that easy [to acquire a mining permit]," Robert says.

"People's lands were taken over [by the government]. Those with an ID card to their name were paid just Rp 1.25 million [$130] per hectare in compensation, and those without got just Rp 1 million per hectare," he adds. "The village since 1981 was established as a transmigration area, but why all of a sudden was the area was converted into a mining area?"

The village used to have 1,000 hectares of housing and farmland, now reduced to just 35 hectares. The original 450 hectares of rice paddies and 200 hectares of other crop plantations have disappeared.

That left the around 2,000 residents of Mulawarman living in poverty, with their livelihoods taken over by the mining companies. The village is now completely surrounded by mining concessions, some of them operating pits just 200 meters away from people's homes.

And Robert worries that eventually his village will become a ghost town as people move elsewhere, unable to cope with the suffocating coal dust and engine roars.

Two entire hamlets in Mulawarman have been wiped off the map as land clearing paved the way for devastating flash floods in 2008. Residents of the two hamlets had to be relocated when their homes and possessions were lost to the water and mud.

"Ever since the mining companies entered [the village], the residents have been getting nothing but trouble. We lost our livelihoods because there is no more space to plant rice. How can the government issue [mining] permits without the slightest consideration of how it will affect people?" Robert says.

He adds the villagers now have no choice but to petition the government to relocate them elsewhere. "We've agreed to be relocated. If things continue like this, there's nothing we can do. We've lost everything," he says.

The petition was first submitted in 2010, but to date there has been no response from the government.

Didik Agung Eko Wahono, a member of the Kutai Kartanegara district legislature, laments the condition faced by the people of Mulawarman and has urged the district administration to conduct an environmental audit on all mining activities.

"This is an environmental crime being committed by the [mining] companies. The administration must conduct an audit, and those found to have broken the law must have their permits revoked," he says.

Lawmakers approve additional fuel subsidy quota

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2012

Arientha Primanita – Lawmakers on Monday approved an additional subsidized fuel quota of 1.23 million kiloliters this year, adding to the country's subsidy spending by an estimated Rp 6 trillion ($624 million).

Members of the House of Representatives' Commission VII, which oversees energy and mineral resources, approved the government proposal during a meeting with Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik in Jakarta.

The legislators, however, demanded that the government immediately set up an online monitoring system called SPM, which is to be installed at gas stations, to limit subsidized fuel consumption by making sure it is enjoyed only by targeted users. The parameters of the SPM restrictions are still being discussed by lawmakers.

"We want the control system to start running in January," commission head Sutan Bhatoegana told the meeting, as reported by Indonesian news portal antaranews.com.

The government previously allotted Rp 137 trillion to subsidize 44.04 million kiloliters of fuel in the 2012 revised state budget, but the amount later swelled to Rp 216.8 trillion due to soaring global oil prices.

Just recently it proposed an additional quota of 1.23 million kiloliters, with the 44.04 million kiloliters of subsidized fuel expected to be all used up by Dec. 11.

Lawmakers estimate that the additional quota will cost Rp 6 trillion. Subsidized fuel consumption throughout the year is thus expected to reach a total of 45.27 million kiloliters. Indonesia consumed 41.7 million kiloliters last year.

Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said the extra Rp 6 trillion would come from the 2013 state budget, but state oil and gas firm Pertamina will cover the cost up front before the budget is disbursed.

Meanwhile, Pertamina's marketing and commerce director, Hanung Budya, said the company had run successful tests of the SPM system at gas stations in Central and South Kalimantan.

"After the funding [for the system] is approved, we will announce the winner of the bid for the SPM system procurement in January 2013. We're targeting to install the system at all gas stations across Indonesia next year," Hanung said.

He added that SPM was expected to reduce subsidized fuel consumption by up to 1.5 million kiloliters annually.

Economy & investment

Consumers still confident, but wary of job, inflation threats

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2012

Jakarta – Indonesians remain confident about their country's economic outlook, but their worries about employment opportunities and inflationary pressures persist.

The consumer confidence index (CCI), an important economic indicator in a consumption-reliant economy like Indonesia, stood at a yearly high of 120.1 in November, rising 0.6 points compared to the previous month, according to data from Bank Indonesia (BI) published on Wednesday. The index surveyed 4,600 households in 18 cities throughout the archipelago.

All scores above 100 denote consumer optimism while scores below 100 reflect pessimism. Indonesian consumers are currently among the world's most confident. In comparison, official figures showed that the CCI in the US stood at 73.1 in November, while neighboring Thailand scored 79.1 in the same month.

The data also showed that Indonesian consumers were concerned about job availability, which is measured in the expectation index, one of two components of the CCI, with the other being a present economy index. The expectation index tumbled slightly by 0.1 percent compared to a year earlier.

Indonesia's CCI has rallied for six consecutive months since touching 102.5 in May, its lowest in a year, following concerns of a fuel price hike during the month.

In its November report, BI warned increasing inflation might be caused by the planned hike in electricity prices. "Inflationary pressure in the next three and six months is predicted to increase because of the government's plan to increase the price of electricity in 2013," the central bank wrote in the report.

Analysts have said that, besides the planned hike in electricity, Indonesia would see more pressure on its inflation level next year as the government might be tempted to increase the price of subsidized fuel.

Fauzi Ichsan, an economist at the Indonesian branch of Standard Chartered, believed that inflation might top 7 percent if the government increased the price of subsidized fuel by 30 percent.

"We see headline inflation as hovering at 5 percent next year. However, if the government increases the price of subsidized fuel by 30 percent, inflation then will touch 7 percent," he said during a press briefing on Indonesia's economic outlook in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indonesia might be tempted to reduce fuel subsidies due to the likely increase in the global oil price, said Fauzi, who forecast the price of Brent oil to average out at US$115 per barrel next year.

He added, however, that the government was unlikely to have the political will to undertake such an unpopular policy, given the looming 2014 general elections. "The technocrats sitting in the government might want to adjust the price of subsidized fuel, but the political party-related ministers might not want that to happen."

In anticipation, to curb inflationary pressure next year, BI might increase its benchmark rate to 6.25 percent, from its current level of 5.75 percent, according to Fauzi.

"If BI opts to keep its benchmark rate steady, then I forecast an increase in the Fasbi rate by 50 basis points," he noted, referring to an overnight deposit facility provided by BI for commercial banks to manage their funds, which currently offers an interest rate of 4 percent.

Standard Chartered shared an optimistic view of Indonesia's economy next year, forecasting the country to grow by an average of 6.5 percent given strong investment and robust consumption.

The UK-based bank also believed that the recent increase in the minimum wage would not serve as a drag on Indonesian investment, which it identified as one of the major drivers of Indonesia's economic growth, besides domestic consumption.

"There is a risk faced by businesses if they decide to leave here," Standard Chartered economist Eric Sugandi said. "We have a market with high potential, so if businesses relocate out [from Indonesia] they will lose out to competitors." (sat)

Services 'key' to avoiding middle-income trap

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Jakarta – Top government officials have agreed that Indonesia must develop the service sector if the country wants to avoid the middle-income trap, a situation that many international analysts fear might hinder Indonesia's objective to sustain its robust economic growth in the long run.

Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan believed that Indonesia would not fall into a middle-income trap if the country remained committed to allocating huge funds in education, which is the basis of the developing service sector.

"I'm not worried. We have ample fiscal space to allocate funds to education. Such an investment is necessary for the development of our human resources," he told reporters Friday during a discussion on the development of Indonesia's service sector held by the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo).

The middle-income trap is a situation where an emerging economy, after enjoying a period of rapid economic growth, sees a stagnating gross domestic product (GDP) expansion due to soaring labor costs and decreasing productivity, with its citizens' income "trapped" in the middle level and fails to climb up to the high-income level.

During the discussion, Gita highlighted the importance for Indonesia to boost the share of the service sector in the economy if the country wanted to rise in status.

The developing service sector was especially necessary for Indonesia as preparation measures for the upcoming free labor movement in 2015, during which the integration of Southeast Asian countries under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) would take effect, he added.

Gita's views were echoed by his successor on the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), M. Chatib Basri, who argued that Indonesia offered vast investments opportunity in the service sector.

With its growing consumer classes, Indonesia should be an attractive market for investments in the health and education sectors.

"With hospitals, for example, rather than spending money in Singapore, Malaysia, why don't we have joint investment here? The same idea goes with education. For example, the [University of] Nottingham and Monash [University] opened campuses in Malaysia," said the BKPM chairman.

The trade minister said that the service sector accounted for 50 percent of Indonesia's GDP, with part of the percentage coming from unskilled workers in sectors such as construction. The percentage fared relatively low compared to Singapore, whose service sector accounted for 75 percent of its GDP, Gita added.

"The problem in developing the service sector [in Indonesia] lies in the regulations," Edimon Ginting, deputy country director of Asian Development Bank (ADB), said.

Edimon said Indonesia was the fourth-most restrictive country in terms of barriers against liberalization in service sector trade, lagging behind India, Pakistan and China, according to ADB's report published in October. (sat)

Analysis & opinion

Wahhabi war waged on Indonesia's Shi'ites

Asia Times - December 7, 2012

Rossie Indira and Andre Vltchek – Indonesia's Shi'ite minority is under heavy attack. Men, women, and children have been assaulted, schools damaged, and villages burned to the ground. Many have been killed. It is becoming increasingly clear that Saudi Arabia's intolerant brand of Wahhabi Sunni Islam – propagated far and wide by Saudi oil money – is behind most of assaults.

Naila Zakiyah, a lecturer at a Shi'a school for girls in the city of Bangil, East Java, recently explained to us:

"In light of recent events, we are naturally worried about the safety of our students... We feel discriminated against. Before this year's Ramadan, the Sunni mosque across the street broadcasted their sermon twice a week. They had their loudspeakers directed towards our school. They were shouting that Shi'a teaching is misguided, and that spilling our blood is halal [permissable under Islamic law]. It is said that those who are attacking us are being funded by money from Saudi Arabia. In 2007, for example, 500 people demonstrated in front of our boarding school; the Saudis gave each person $2."

When we visited the neighboring mosque, our hosts showed us anti-Shi'a pamphlets and said that they couldn't talk to their Shi'a neighbors "in a subtle way anymore". They added, "If they don't want to convert, then we have to use violence. In our opinion, they are kafir [unbelievers]. We will not be at peace with them until we die, even if our lives are at stake. They have already insulted Islam! If the police do not take action against the Shi'a, we will resort to violence."

And violence they use. In late December 2011, a mob of over 500 Sunnis drove 300 Shi'ites from their houses in the village of Nangkernang, Madura Island. Countless dwellings, including a boarding school and a place of worship, were destroyed.

As is common in Indonesia, local authorities sided with the attackers. Only one person was charged for the attack on the village and was sentenced to a symbolic three months in prison. Around the same time, local Shi'ite religious leader Tajul Muluk was charged with blasphemy and sentenced to two years in prison, despite repeated protests from Amnesty International and other international human rights organizations.

After the attack, some villagers cautiously returned, only to face even more devastating terror few months later.

On August 26, 2012, around 30 Shi'ites were traveling from Nangkernang village when they were accosted by a Sunni mob armed with swords and machetes. According to Indonesian press, two people were murdered as they attempted to defend women and children. When we investigated, the villagers told us that only one person had been killed but at least five had been wounded. Moreover, they said, members of the mob had taken some Shi'ite children away from their parents. The mob also set fire to several homes, including one belonging to Tajul Muluk. We visited the village in October, defying an explicit prohibition by the police force stationed in the area. After slipping through the rice fields in the middle of the night, we managed to meet representatives of the local Shi'ite community.

"Now we are afraid to say or to show that we are Shi'ites," said one. "Here, two communities are living side by side. Not all attackers came from the outside; some were from our own village."

After the onslaught, more than 170 people left central Madura for a refugee camp in the city of Sampang. Even this facility – a converted covered tennis stadium – is out of reach for most independent journalists, and it took great effort to negotiate our entry.

Refugees were clearly in despair. They all wanted to return home, but the government insisted that they would be "relocated" instead. Once again the Indonesian government was more interested in appeasing a cabal of sectarian aggressors than in pushing for justice.

Suryadharma Ali, Indonesia's minister of religious affairs, has left little doubt about his sympathies. "Converting Shi'ite Muslims to the Sunni Islam followed by most Indonesians would be the best way to prevent violent outbreaks," he said.

The essence of domination

At the end of November, the desperate, disheartened, and hungry refugees in Sampang sent an envoy to the Indonesian House of Representatives. They demanded that they be allowed to return home. They had their back against the wall, as the local government had announced it would stop supplying them with food and water.

Instead of sympathy and support, the envoy had insults thrown in his face. According to the Jakarta Post, one lawmaker "indulged in ethnic stereotyping, attributing the violence that befell the Shi'a to their heritage as coarse Maduran fishermen", adding that Indonesia's Shi'ites "must learn to adapt to the norm". Another legislator expressed his suspicion that "the Shi'ites had created their own problems themselves".

We contacted our colleagues from the NGO Kontras, which deals with displaced and disappeared Indonesians, and asked them for a comment.

"It is very sad to see that only a few legislators attended the meeting. I am afraid that they are not serious in defending the minorities here," said Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar. "In my opinion, the essence of domination is when the fate of minorities is determined by the majority. They forget that there are rights that can't be contested."

The same day we called the camp in Sampang and spoke to one of our contacts there, Nur Kholis. He sounded depressed. "We feel betrayed," he said. "The government still wants to relocate us – move us somewhere where we don't belong. We just want to go home."

Collusion across the seas

This is the latest chapter of gross discrimination against minorities in Indonesia. Since 1965, Indonesian authorities have committed at least three massacres that could be considered genocides. Between 1 and 3 million people – mainly leftists and members of the country's Chinese minority – died during and after the 1965 military coup. Indonesian forces also killed or starved around 30% of inhabitants of East Timor. And at least 120,000 people have been killed in Papua in a conflict that continues to fester.

Discrimination against Indonesia's many ethnic and religious minorities did not end after Suharto stepped down in 1998. Since then, there have been brutal and often deadly attacks against "liberal" Muslims, Muslims from the Ahmadiyah sect, and of course against Shi'ites. There have been countless other attacks against Christians, members of indigenous traditions, and more recently Hindus as well.

Are these latest attacks homegrown? That is highly doubtful. Indonesian decision-makers since 1965 – military, economical, political, and religious – have long been known to collaborate with foreign powers and interests. The attacks against Shi'ites and other religious minorities in Indonesia mirror those happening in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and other parts of the Muslim world closely allied to the West.

"There are many madrassas in Indonesia that have been funded by money from Saudi Arabia," says Ali Fauzi, a younger brother of one of the terrorists responsible for the bombing in on Bali in 2002. "In exchange they are expected to promote the Saudi brand of Islam – Wahhabism. They are expected to oppose Shi'a belief and even to attack Shi'ites, as the message coming from Saudi Arabia is that Shi'a teaching is heretical."

Andre Vltchek is a novelist, filmmaker, and investigative journalist. He covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. His book on Western imperialism in South Pacific is called "Oceania". His provocative book about post-Suharto Indonesia and the market-fundamentalist model is called "Indonesia – The Archipelago of Fear" (Pluto).

Rossie Indira is an independent writer, architect, and consultant. Her latest book Surat Dari Bude Ocie is about her travels to Latin American countries. With Andre Vltchek, she cowrote Exile, a book of conversations with Pramoedya Ananta Toer. She was the production manager and translator of the documentary film Terlena – Breaking of a Nation.

[Used with permission of Foreign Policy in Focus.]

Presidential race heats up as polls and pundits take sides

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2012

Pitan Daslani – The past week has seen an extraordinary escalation in Indonesia's political temperature leading up to the 2014 presidential election.

Presidential candidates and prospective candidates are already flexing their muscles at one another while using the mass media to influence public perceptions of their records and acceptability.

New developments include the publication of two new magazines this week that focus solely on the 2014 presidential election. One is called Indonesia 2014, or INA 2014 for short, published by Goenawan Muhammad, the founding editor of Tempo magazine.

INA 2014 describes the potential and past records of 36 prominent public figures capable of becoming the next president. The first edition includes an interview with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who says that he has three preferred scenarios for the 2014 presidential pairs.

The most preferable, by Yudhoyono's definition, is for the presidential and vice presidential candidates to both be civilians. This is Yudhoyono's first option, which indicates civilian supremacy.

But if that is hard to find, his second preference is to have a candidate with a military background to run for president with a civilian running mate. His third option is the opposite of this scenario, that is, a civilian presidential candidate and a vice presidential candidate who is a retired military figure.

The new magazine is well edited, with good reasoning given for its selection of the 36 most likely presidential candidates. It begins by describing the statesmanship qualities of American presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, then runs through Indonesia's presidents, from Sukarno to Abdurrahman Wahid, B.J. Habibie, Megawati Sukarnoputri and Yudhoyono. Suharto, noticeably, is not in the picture.

Apart from leaders of political parties, the 36 names also include chairman of the House of Regional Representatives (DPD) Irman Gusman, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, rector of Paramadina University Anies Baswedan, owner of MNC Group Harry Tanoesoedibjo, owner of Para Group Chairul Tanjung, Puan Maharani from the Indonesian Democracy Party of Struggle (PDI-P), first lady, Ani Yudhoyono, World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a number of serving and former cabinet ministers, as well as military figures.

The second magazine that hit the streets this week was even more eye- catching. Interview Plus, published by Warta Mandiri, based in Duta Mas ITC in South Jakarta, profiled retired Army Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto as "the most preferred American choice" to become Indonesia's next president.

The magazine describes quite logically why Prabowo now appears so appealing to Washington, even though for more than 14 years he was an unwanted option in the eyes of America's political and business elites.

It all began with Prabowo's recent lecture at the Rajaratnam School of Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, when he mesmerized the audience with his mastery of political and strategic issues, delivered fluently in the "Queen's English" of Britain.

The Wall Street Journal, which reported this immediately afterward, added ballast to Prabowo's qualities, raising his profile in an unprecedented manner that surprised many political observers in the region.

An exclusive WSJ Television interview with Prabowo completed America's sudden U-turn in its perception of the person it once accused as a gross violator of human rights after the fall of his former father-in-law President Suharto.

Why has the United States made such a suspicious turnaround in its perception of Prabowo? It seems that the man who it used to hate is now its dearest darling – so goes the hasty conclusion of some political pundits.

An exclusive relationship that Prabowo has maintained for years with Jordanian King Abdullah has been cited by the pundits as part of the reason why the United States needs Prabowo now more than ever before.

A few years ago, Prabowo appeared on a local TV station to announce that in the event that he became president and Washington still denied him entry, "I would send my vice president to represent me" in attending important events there.

Recently, Prabowo's extended family inaugurated the Soemitro Djojohadikusomo Center for Emerging Economies in Southeast Asia (SDCEESEA) in Washington, DC, as an integral part of the Center for Strategic International Studies, one of America's best known and most influential think tanks.

That's not all. US support is also visible in the presence of several public figures during the inauguration, such as John J. Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and former Senator William Brock, the labor minister in Roland Reagan's administration who was a friend of Prabowo's father, the highly respected professor Sumitro Djojohadikusumo.

Prabowo's lecture at Nanyang and the establishment of SDCEESEA in Washington has presumably at least partly deleted the dark pages of his track record regarding human rights, as well as his perceived anti-Chinese and anti-foreign capital image. But his younger brother, Hasyim Djojohadikusumo, said that the SDCEESEA has nothing to do with what appears to be Prabowo's ambition to win the hearts of American policy makers in the run-up to Indonesia's next presidential election.

Perhaps the most telling development is a picture in the magazine depicting Prabowo shaking hands with Yudhoyono. Does this have anything to do with Yudhoyono's second preference? Well, perhaps.

Some have even jumped to the conclusion that Yudhoyono needs a tough leader like Prabowo to secure him when he is no longer president. But such a theory can easily be defeated by the fact that Yudhoyono was part of the four-member team of senior generals who sacked Prabowo at the request of then President B.J. Habibie, who suspected Prabowo of planning a coup. This makes Prabowo an unpredictable figure, even for Yudhoyono.

Meanwhile, another interesting development that took place on Friday was a commentary in the daily Koran Tempo by Asvi Marwan Adam, a political scientist and senior researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

He charged that the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) was lying to the public in promoting the names of 24 presidential candidates that did not include the name of DPD chairman Irman Gusman.

LSI distributed questionnaires to 223 respondents that it claimed represented the mainstream people's choice, when the reality is that such a small number of respondents cannot be taken as a reliable barometer, Asvi said.

The results of the LSI survey were also flatly rejected by many other political analysts because the choice of respondents and methodology applied did not reflect Indonesia's actual situation.

A very senior politician close to Yudhoyono and Irman said on Friday that the LSI survey was "totally misleading" because "in terms of experience, statesmanship, capability, integrity and acceptability, Irman's name should have topped the list."

This senior politician is known to have said that his political party, one of the largest in the country, would not mind if Irman were the next president.

Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party seems comfortable with the idea of having somebody like Irman as its candidate for the 2014 race. It will open a convention in the second half of next year to allow independent candidates to get a ticket.

Despite all these developments, Indonesia's presidential election is unique in the sense that nobody can actually dictate people's choices. A foreign country may back a certain candidate to become Indonesia's president because it wants to protect its huge investments, but it is Indonesian voters that will go to the polls to elect their own leaders, transparently.

Likewise, polling agencies may make a lot of money fulfillling orders from vested-interest politicians and yea-sayers surrounding presidential candidates, but voters are smarter than they once were. Even during the recent Jakarta gubernatorial election, none of the experienced polling agencies predicted the outcome correctly. Perhaps we should begin to believe the opposite of what those pollsters say.

[Pitan Daslani is a senior political correspondent at BeritaSatu Media Holdings, of which the Jakarta Globe is a subsidiary. He can be reached at pitandaslani@gmail.com.]

Our obsession with moral shortcuts

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2012

Nathanael G. Sumaktoyo, Chicago, Illinois – Much has been written about the incoming elementary school curriculum change, mostly concerns about the disappearance of science, social studies and English. As the subjects are crucial elements of elementary education, many fear that their disappearance will damage the competitiveness of Indonesian students in the global market.

The concern is legitimate. However, one crucial thing seems to be missing in the discussion: the examination of which subjects stay and go and what this says about us and our educational philosophy. The news is that science, social studies and English will go, whereas religious studies, civic education, physical education, mathematics, art and scouting will stay. The most intriguing question is why the three crucial subjects should go while religious studies and civic education remain intact.

Religious studies and citizenship education have long been regarded as the perfect embodiment of the Indonesian education goal of creating intellectually capable and, at the same time, moral students. As Khairil Anwar, the head of the Education and Culture Ministry's research agency, said, the new elementary school curriculum will create children who are disciplined, honest and full of integrity. Nothing is regarded as better to do the job than religious studies, which teach students to fear and obey God, and civic education, which teaches students the basic principles of citizenry and social life.

If there is one thing Indonesians – lay citizens and bureaucrats alike – are preoccupied with, it is moral righteousness. We believe that morality is the answer to all social problems and that proper religious study, supported by civic education, will create moral citizens. Thus, no surprise, no matter what the problem is – be it student brawls, premarital sex, or radicalism – the proposed solution is always the same: more hours for religious study.

Unfortunately, such a rationale, though appealing on the ideological level, has little rational merit. The evidence is at best inconclusive. To start with, a chapter on "The Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality' explains that religious people are no more likely than the non-religious to help those whom they dislike, nor are they more honest.

Emphasis on religious studies may also contradict at least two educational goals. First, it may hinder the development of students' critical faculties. Studies show that religiosity is related to a higher level of conformity and obedience to authority. Conformity and obedience are, of course, strange bedfellows for critical thinking.

Second, it is absurd to expect religious studies to be a remedy for social problems when some religious studies teachers themselves encouraging the extreme religious views that harm social harmony. A 2008 survey by the Jakarta Islamic State University on religious attitudes of Islamic studies teachers in Java found that 68 percent of respondents objected to having a non-Muslim school principal and 73 percent objected to the presence of non-Muslim worship houses in their neighborhoods. Only 3 percent of them thought their most important duty to help their students become tolerant citizens.

The case is the same for civic education. If there is anything which decades of social psychological research on the relationship between attitudes and behaviors teaches us, it is how inconsistent the relationship is. The sense of national identity expected to form through citizenship education will not necessarily lead to nationalistic acts such as tolerance or social cooperation. There are simply too many exogenous factors that render the effect of the subject negligible.

In the light of the evidence, the curriculum designers' insistence on keeping religious studies and citizenship education at the expense of science, social studies and English is deeply troubling. If we take the official explanation for granted that the new curriculum is designed to create honest and moral students, we should afterward ask why the preferred way is through religious studies and civic education shortcuts – whose effectiveness is far from clear. Why are we not creating honest and moral students "the long way" – developing students' moral by developing their critical faculties?

The curriculum designers know that science and social studies are not only about planets, animals, or history. More important than what the subjects study is how they study them. Unlike religious studies that are doctrinaire, science is about curiosity. It is open to debate and question. It invites critical thinking. The removal of the subjects seems to highlight what little value we place on critical thinking and our implicit belief that no morality can come from critical minds.

One question that begs a serious answer from policymakers is why, among many alternatives to develop moral students, we choose the easy way – "tell students what is right and wrong and teach them to obey." Why do we not feel obliged to help students think critically? Why are we are more interested in instilling in them, through religious and citizenship educations, the values we deem appropriate?

Maybe we are still reluctant to have overly critical students, who one day may challenge our values. Are we not, in a sense, happy just to make our students photocopies of ourselves?