Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Tolikara Legislative Council member Husia Yosia Karoba was beaten to death by a mob at a polling station as Papuans elected a governor on Tuesday.

Papua Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw said on Tuesday that Husia apparently made a political joke that enraged the people waiting to vote in the Gilibandu district of Tolikara regency.

According to Waterpauw, Husia said: "Have you voted for candidate No. 3?" referring to Lukas Enembe and Klemen Tinal, who were backed by the Democratic Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). "I'm a Golkar member, I voted for No. 6," Husia said, referring to Habel Melkias Suwae and Yop Kogoya.

Those assembled at the polling station had apparently just agreed to back Lucas and Klemen, casting their ballots in a traditional noken woven bag, when Husia arrived and loudly made his comments, the deputy chief said. "It turned out that [Husia's] comments angered the crowd, who later mobbed him," Paulus said.

Husia died before he could reach the nearest hospital. The councillor's body was taken to a hospital in Karubaga regency for an autopsy.

Paulus said that Papua Police criminal investigations and intelligence unit head Comr. Bambang Priambodo was leading the investigation of Husia's death. "The election proceeded, despite the homicide," Paulus said.

The councillor's death capped a gubernatorial election season that has been marred by extreme divisions between the candidates from the province's interior and its coastal regions.

Six candidates are running to lead Papua, where US-based miner Freeport McMoran operates the world's largest gold mine.

Of 2.7 million eligible voters in the province, 2,492 voters at nine polling stations reportedly have yet to cast their votes as of press time due to a failure of ballots to arrive.

Two of the polling stations with 454 registered voters are in Supiori regency, while seven other stations with 2,038 voters are located in Megan, Central Mamberamo.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said that the shipment of the ballots was stymied by a fire on the boat carrying the supplies from Supiori City. No injuries were reported in the blaze and the ballots were not damaged.

"Poll workers and ballot logistics will be sent to both polling stations [on Tuesday]," Sumerta told reporters at Papua Police headquarters in Jayapura.

Separately, Supiori Legislative Council speaker Adolf Mamoribo said election day would be pushed back due to the fire.

Shipment of election supplies bound for Mamberamo regency was also hampered, this time by bad weather, with the ballots and poll workers sent upriver by boat, as opposed to helicopter or truck.

The police spokesman said that other than Husia's death at the hands of a mob, the fire on board the ship and the other delays, election day in Papua proceeded without incident. More or less.

"As of this moment, there have been no reports from other regencies regarding election disruptions, except for several polling stations which have been unable to hold election due to bad weather," Sumerta said.

According to reports from several polling stations in Jayapura, two of the six campaigns in the gubernatorial race have pulled ahead.

"In nine polling stations in Whaimworock subdistrict, campaign No. 3 of Lukas and Klemen and campaign No. 6 Habel and Yop are competing head to head to garner the most votes," Frans, a poll worker in Kotaraja, said.

The other campaigns comprise Menase Roberth Kambu and Blasius Adolf Pakage of The People's Conscience Party (Hanura) and the National Mandate Party (PAN); Alex Hasegem and Marthen Kayoi, backed by a coalition of smaller parties; and two independent campaigns: Noak Nawipa and Johanes Wob and Wellington Wenda and Weynand Watory.

No quick counts were available from survey groups as of Tuesday. The Papua Regional General Election Commission (KPUD) is slated to announce the results of the election on Feb. 14.

Vanuatu groups still object to Indonesia's MSG role

Radio New Zealand International - January 30, 2013

Some non-government and community groups in Vanuatu remain opposed to the Melanesia Spearhead Group's acceptance of Indonesia as an observer.

The MSG this week marks its 25th anniversary organised by its secretariat in Port Vila. Two years ago, the MSG agreed to grant Jakarta observer status despite protests from many West Papuans who are Melanesians.

Our correspondent, Len Garae, says for many locals, the move goes against the principles of Vanuatu's first Prime Minister, the late Father Walter Lini, who helped set up the MSG 25 years ago.

"It's seen as a slap in the face by NGOs in Vanuatu including the National Council of Chiefs, and women organisations and youth organisations in the country, because they have successfully mobilised the grassroots throughout the country to stand firm with the people of West Papua to demand independence for West Papua."

[MSG members are Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu as well as the FLNKS of New Caledonia, with Indonesia and Timor-Leste joining as observers.]

'Mountain people' vying to rule Papua

Jakarta Post - January 29, 2013

Nethy Dharma Somba and Rendi A. Witular, Jayapura, Papua – Papua's "mountain people" who reside in the alpine terrain of the isolated pegunungan tengah area, are the largest population group in country's most backward province.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) census in 2010, 1.6 million of the province's 2.8 million population live in the pegunungan tengah.

Despite being the majority, almost no one from the area has managed to climb the ladder of political success and lead the province, which has been plagued for decades by separatism and conflict.

Papuan leaders at the provincial and national level almost invariably come from the tribes who inhabit the coast. But the province's political pendulum is swinging.

Around 2.7 million eligible voters will cast the ballots today in a gubernatorial election that has been marred by extreme division between candidates from the interior and the coastal areas.

Six gubernatorial candidates are competing to rule Papua, where US-based miner Freeport McMoran operates the world's largest integrated gold concession. Seven gubernatorial and deputy gubernatorial candidates originate in the pegunungan tengah while only five are from the coast.

The strongest candidate, according to local figures, is former Puncak Jaya regent Lukas Enembe, a "mountain figure" supported by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party and the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). In the 2009 election, Papua was a stronghold of the Democratic Party.

Puncak Jaya is part of the pegunungan tengah territory that includes regencies such as Jayawijaya, Lanny Jaya, Nduga, Tolikara, Membrano Tengah, Yahukimo and Pegunungan Bintang.

"What marks the election today is probably the spirit of having 'mountain people' rule the province for the first time," said the head of Papua's unity, politics and public security agency (Kesbang), M. Mansyur.

While Lukas is tipped to represent the "mountain people", his stiffest opponent, Habel Melkias Suwae, former Jayapura regent, is likely to represent the coastline voters.

Habel is supported by the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

"There seems to be a balance between candidates from the mountain and the coastline. Voters tend to pick candidates based on territorial relations rather than on programs," said Cendrawasih University political analyst Beatus Tembaib.

Beatus believes the election will go to a second round as it will be difficult for a candidate to secure more than 30 percent of the vote to win outright.

The division between groups of voters is becoming increasingly polarized. Cendrawasih military district chief Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua said on Monday that military and security personnel would remain on the alert for possible civil unrest resulting from the election.

Local elections in Papua have regularly been the scene of conflicts ignited by the losing candidates and disputes between local leaders regularly contribute to the slow pace of development.

The recent election-based conflict in Tolikara regency, for example, means the current regent is unable to endorse the annual budget as the mob torched the treasury office late last year, destroying all documents related to budgeting.

"I suspect the office was torched to eliminate evidence of corruption from the previous administration," said Tolikara Regent Usman Wanimbo. "The arson attack has also delayed the budget because the records were all destroyed."

Regular civil and separatist conflicts, coupled with intense corruption and extreme isolation from the outside world, have severely retarded development in Papua despite the province's rich natural resources of gold, copper, coal and timber.

Previous Papua governor Barnabas Suebu, whose term expired last year, could not run for reelection due to lack of support from political parties. He has left behind a mounting problem that may not be easy for the next leader to solve.

Despite an annual budget of more than Rp 40 trillion (US$4.16 billion), the seventh-largest budget in the country, Papua's development indicators remain at the bottom of the list.

According to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), corruption has severely aggravated Papua's plight. Last year, the BPK found that around 22 percent of the Rp 19.12 trillion audited autonomy fund had been stolen. Since 2002, the central government has disbursed more than Rp 30 trillion of such funds in the hope of accelerating Papua development.

The latest Community Health Development Index names Papua and West Papua as the provinces with the worst performance of health-related indicators.

According to the annual report, released early last year by the Health Ministry, Papua faces serious public health problems, ranging from high levels of malnutrition, higher-than-average child and maternal mortality rates, low immunization rates, high levels of disease and poor access to clean water, sanitation and trained healthcare workers.

Papua was ranked the nation's poorest province by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), with 32 percent of its residents considered "poor", far above the national poverty rate of 12.5 percent.

"Whoever leads Papua should not repeat the mistake made by the previous leaders who only thought of his personal gain and interests. I don't see any candidates who have firm commitment to that yet, whether they are of mountain or coastal origin. That rests on the voters to decide their future, and I hope they don't chose the wrong guy again," said the secretary of the Papuan Traditional Council, Leo Imbiri.

Significant time for West Papua's inclusion in MSG

Vanuatu Daily Post - January 29, 2013

Ricky Binihi – If the Melanesian Spearhead Group is the brainchild of the late Father Walter Lini then how appropriate it would be to grant West Papua its MSG Observer Status when the people of Melanesia commemorate the MSG Silver Jubilee today.

And if Father Lini dreamt of the founding of a Melanesian Bloc to gather for the social, economic and spiritual needs of Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea, definitely the fathers of MSG, Lini, Solomon's Solomon Mamaloni and PNG's Paias Wingti must have wanted that New Caledonia and West Papua be independent and be part of the Bloc.

The referendum for New Caledonia to be part of France or become an independent Melanesian country will take place next year 2014 but despite that, New Caledonia is part of the great family of Melanesia – MSG. Unfortunately that could not be said for West Papua.

More than 500 000 Melanesians have spilled their blood for Papua Merdeka since the United Nations orchestrated a "referendum" called the Act of Free Choice in 1969 which the Indonesian army selected 1025 West Papuans to vote for Indonesia against Independence in a country where the population of Melanesians is in the millions.

Now the Melanesians in West Papua are "systematically" tortured and their girls and women raped but they could not raise their sympathy and dialogue with other Melanesians because they are not members of the MSG.

Vanuatu, the host country of the, MSG Secretariat in Port Vila will host its Melanesia Week in March – the anniversary date of the birth of the MSG which falls on March 14,2013.

This, he said, will mark 25 years of the signing of the Principles of Cooperation between Independent States of Melanesia, the first agreement to give birth to the idea of strengthening Melanesian solidarity and cooperation.

Mr Nirua revealed as part of the launching ceremony in Vanuatu a symposium under the theme "Leaders' Toktok-Tales from Our Founders and Pioneers" is being organised for founding leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and current leaders of the MSG to share their perspectives on various key topics in Melanesia to highlight the history and future of Melanesian cooperation that began 25 years ago on 14 March 1988.

"This is an exciting time for our people and our leaders as the symposium will give opportunity to leaders of Melanesia to share with the people of Melanesia the vision and ideas that gave birth to the strong relationship and relations enjoyed by MSG member countries," he said.

"This will also give opportunity to leaders to share their perspectives on issues that are of common interest to the people and Governments of Melanesia."

The launching ceremony will see the official release of MSG souvenirs and memorabilia to mark 25 years of Melanesian solidarity and growth, the unveiling of the Melanesian carving by member country carvers and a public luncheon for all.

Nirua advised the official program will soon be circulated to all member countries, governments and the people of Melanesia.

He expressed his satisfaction that the committee for the special event, comprising of government officials and key stakeholders are planning to stage a memorable launching at the Independence Park.

MSG has instead deemed it fit to welcome with open arms the Indonesians to the MSG on an Observer Status and neglected spiritual calls to have West Papua a fundamental part of the MSG.

The Daily Post has been told Sunday that the MSG Secretariat in Port Vila has not received any application for West Papua to be an Observer.

Papua kidnappers demand money, pig for hostages

Jakarta Globe - January 28, 2013

Farouk Arnaz & Banjir Ambarita – While cold, hard cash is typically the preferred medium of exchange for kidnappers the world over, an armed group in Papua has given new meaning to the phrase "bringing home the bacon."

Police say nine employees of a construction company were held hostage by an armed group of 12 people on Friday at Ukawo hamlet in Paniai district, where in addition to seeking Rp 20 million ($2,060) for the hostages' safe return, the group included a pig in its ransom demands.

"They held hostages and asked for a ransom," National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said in Jakarta on Monday. "Five hours after the ransom was delivered, the hostages were set free."

Police say the group was led by L.Y., the brother of John Yogi, a prominent leader of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) in Paniai.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said the kidnappers were carrying five firearms, a machete, an ax, and a bow and arrow, when they arrived at a construction site and rounded up all the employees. They asked the employees to hand over their mobile phones, bags and wallets. The kidnappers also took food and construction equipment.

According to police, the kidnappers then asked an employee to call their company's office in Enarotali, the district capital, to send someone with the ransom. After receiving the money and the pig, the kidnappers fled into the forest.

"We chased them after the incident and after the perpetrators ran away," Agus said. "Hopefully the perpetrators can be arrested so such incidents will not happen again. The nine victims are all safe and not injured."

Paniai is known as an OPM stronghold, where John Yogi is thought to be the local leader. Police there say the resistance fighters' arsenal consists of about 20 different types of weapons that they stole from soldiers and police officers.

Papua military chief warns of threat to Tuesday's polls

Jakarta Globe - January 28, 2013

Banjir Ambarita – Papua Armed Forces Chief Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua said on Monday that they have learned of plans to disrupt the provincial gubernatorial polls this week.

"There is a group that wants to disturb the Papua gubernatorial elections according to information gathered by the Papua Police intelligence and the Cendrawasih Military command. However, the identity of this group bent on undermining the process has not yet been identified," Christian said.

The gubernatorial polls is set to take place on Tuesday. Christian said that the group was an armed group of criminals, but did not give further details.

Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian also acknowledged the existence of the threat, but said police "will not be careless."

Christian called on all parties, including the six candidates running in the elections, to work to safeguard security in the restive region. "May all candidates work towards maintain a safe situation, and to be able to accept defeat or victory," he said.

Christian vowed that the armed forces would remain 100 percent impartial in the elections. He added that soldiers deployed under the coordination of the Papua Police to help maintain security during the election period would not hesitate to act against anyone or any groups intent on disrupting the elections.

Beny Suweni, the head of the Papua General Election Commission, said all logistical needs for the elections were scheduled to be delivered to all villages across the province by the end of Monday.

Police say hundreds of OPM members surrender, but doubts linger

Jakarta Globe - January 26, 2013

Banjir Ambarita & Camelia Pasandaran – Jayapura/Jakarta. Indonesian authorities have announced the surrender of more than 200 members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), but human rights activists aired doubts about the claim.

The guerrillas, totaling 212, were said to have been fighting in Wutung, the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea under the command of Daniel Kogoya, who has reportedly claimed responsibility for several spouts of violence and shooting incidents in the restive region.

Kogoya was arrested in September 2012 with two other members of the OPM, Sony Kosay and Petrus Kosay, after they tried to escape during an ambush.

The 212 men along with Kogoya appeared at the Muara Tami district office in Jayapura on Friday, turned over their weapons and pledged their allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia in the presence of members of the media and military and police leaders, including Papua Military Commander Maj. Gen. Christian Zebua, Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw and Papua government secretary Elia Loupatty.

"Indonesia is open to all of its citizens who have been in the opposition, as long as they return sincerely and stop carrying out illegal activities," Christian said. "If some of your friends dislike your decision to rejoin Indonesia, our soldiers are ready to protect you."

Paulus said surrendering was the best solution to solve differences, rather than continuing to ask for independence.

"This is the time to build communications to create good relations in Papua. Let's build this land, we're ready to serve you who have seen the error of your ways, the government is sure to pay attention [to you]," Paulus said. "There is no use to keep on fighting for something that is uncertain. Special autonomy is a certainty that will benefit Papua's people."

Daniel said he decided to rejoin Indonesia because he saw two Papuan natives rise to become law enforcement leaders – Inf. Col. Joppye Onesimus Wayangkau, who serves as Jayapura Military Resort Commander, and Papua Deputy Police Chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw.

"They're among our successful children, and we don't want to wage war against our own brothers," Daniel said as quoted by Papuapos.com. "We will work together to build Papua." He also apologized for the actions of his troops that victimized ordinary people.

Papuan human rights activist Markus Haluk, however, doubted the surrender, saying that most of those who claimed to be OPM members were actually refugees who had been living in Papua New Guinea. He also said that Daniel did not fight in the border areas, but in Papua's central mountainous area.

"This was fabricated by certain institutions to create an impression that Papua is now peaceful as the OPM members have rejoined Indonesia," Markus told the Jakarta Globe on Saturday. "Thousands of Papuans have sought refuge in Papua New Guinea and they lived near the border. They're not members [of OPM], only refugees."

Markus said even if it was true that these rebels rejoined Indonesia, it would not solve the problem of rampant human rights violations. "The issue isn't whether they surrender or not; the government should address the root of the violence, marginalization and discrimination," he said. "That [surrender] does not solve anything."

Former separatists hand over weapons

Jakarta Post - January 26, 2013

A group that had crossed the Papuan border to join the Free Papua Movement (OPM) led by Daniel Kogoya in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have handed over three firearms to the Cenderawasih Military Command chief Maj. Gen. Christian Sebua at the Muara Tami district office in Jayapura.

The former separatists, who had lived along the borders between Indonesia and PNG, handed over an FN pistol and two double-barrelled shotguns, Cenderawasih spokesman Col. Jansen Simanjuntak told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

In addition to handing over the firearms, the group of 212 people had declared their loyalty to Indonesia and would return to Papua. "Firearms handovers and allegiance statements have been made before and will continue," he said.

He quoted Sebua as saying that anyone who wanted to return to Indonesia would be welcomed with open arms.

"The return of the border-crossers was made voluntarily without any promises. They realized that it is better to stay within Indonesia as the opponents have failed to make good on their promises while those staying within Indonesia have enjoyed development and progress," Jansen said.

Military ties

Kopassus, Japan's defense forces strengthen partnership

Antara News - January 28, 2013

Jakarta – Indonesia's army special forces (Kopassus) and Japan's self- defense forces army will continue to develop their cooperation to later even cover natural disaster mitigation.

Kopassus deputy general commander Brigadier General Jaswandi received Japan's self-defense forces' chief of staff General Eiji Kimizuka and delegation at the Kopassus Headquarters in Cijantung, East Jakarta, on Monday.

The visit was marked by a welcome ceremony, a photo session and a courtesy call meeting at the office of the Kopassus general commander Major General Agus Sutomo.

They would then be followed by a meeting at the Kopassus meeting room started with speeches from the Kopassus general commander and Japan's self-defense's army chief of staff, an expose by operations assistant to the Kopassus general commander, Lt Col Rifky and concluded by a film show of Kopassus profile.

Sutomo said in his speech read out by Jaswandi that relations and cooperation between the Indonesian and Japanese armies have grown well and lasted for a long time. "This will certainly open a wider opportunity for further development in the future," he said.

He said the visit of the chief of staff of the Japanese army this time was very important to increase cooperation between Indonesia and Japan especially between Kopassus and the Japanese army based on mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefits.

He expressed hope the visit would continue in the future to develop deeper understanding between the two sides to support bilateral cooperation between the two countries especially in the field of natural disaster mitigation.

General Eiji Kimizuka on the occasion meanwhile expressed hope that cooperation in the field of natural disaster mitigation could immediately be implemented.

Human rights & justice

HRW slams Indonesia for minority rights, imprisoned activists

Jakarta Globe - January 31, 2013

Hayley Davis – Indonesia must do more to defend minority rights and free imprisoned activists to set an example for other consolidating democracies in the wake of the Arab Spring, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday.

The annual World Report, which reviews progress on human rights in over 90 countries, identified religious violence, discriminatory local by-laws and the imprisonment of Papuan and Moluccan peaceful activists as inhibiting Indonesia's path to becoming a "rights-respecting democracy."

HRW deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine said the issue called for strong leadership from the Indonesian government. "Violence against religious minorities will only get worse so long as the Indonesian government encourages or ignores attacks by Islamist militants," he said.

Religious discrimination is not limited to acts by Muslim groups in Indonesia, with protests in Papua and Christian-majority areas such as Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara halting the construction of mosques as recently as 2011.

Joseph Saunders, Deputy director at HRW, called for a presidential task- force to develop a plan of action on religious violence but cautioned against involving the Ministry of Religion because it frequently exacerbated conflicts.

"[President Susilo Bambang] Yudhoyono hasn't wanted to touch the issue," Saunders said. "Religion remains within the authority of the central government and we want them to wield that power. Perpetrators of religious crime should be arrested and prosecuted with a punishment commensurate with the crime."

In the report, HRW accused Indonesian police of remaining complicit with religious violence, citing the failure of police to respond to an attack on a group of Shia students and teachers in August 2012 as one example. The attack killed two people when Sunni militants set fire to houses in East Java.

Saunders said reforming the legal system and professionalizing the police and military were paramount to ensuring the continued consolidation of democracy in Indonesia.

"The legal infrastructure itself is far from perfect," he said. "In some aspects, it certainly facilitates discrimination toward religious minorities."

Among the necessary reforms, Saunders highlighted a need "for a provision that allows the central government to dismiss people when they fail to implement supreme court decisions. That would apply beyond religious freedom issues."

Legislators this week called again for an ad hoc human rights court to be set up in order to probe past rights violations in Indonesia. Though Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said that the court would be discussed in a meeting with Yudhoyono on Wednesday, the president made no public commitment to its establishment.

When asked about the potential for human rights abuse cases during the anti-communist purge of 1965-1966 in Indonesia, Saunders said it would be a traumatic but useful part of the nation's history for the government to address.

"Take the example in Latin America of the cases from the 'Dirty Wars,'" he said. "Addressing those issues went hand in hand with building law and accountability."

"The Act of Killing," a documentary about the self-proclaimed Indonesian gangsters who perpetrated many of the communist killings during this period, has been selected to be screened at the 2013 Berlin Film Festival, though it has yet to pass Indonesia's censorship board.

Acts of peaceful political expression are also being conflated with participation in armed separatist movements, according to the HRW report.

In May 2012, the Indonesian government dismissed the recommendations of 11 United Nations member states to release political prisoners including Filep Karma, a Papuan independence activist, and others serving up to 20 years imprisonment for activities such as dancing or raising separatist flags, the report said.

SBY might discuss human rights court for past abuses, but no guarantees

Jakarta Globe - January 30, 2013

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Legislators' recommendation for an ad hoc human rights court to be set up to probe past rights violations will likely be discussed in an upcoming meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and leaders of state institutions.

Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said he had gone over the issues that would be discussed in the meeting with the House of Representatives leaders on Tuesday.

Djoko stressed that the recommendation to set up the ad hoc human rights court had not been listed as an issue that would be discussed in the meeting, but there was a strong possibility that the topic could still emerge.

He said the meeting would center on national security issues, special autonomy in Aceh and Papua, and several laws.

At the end of previous House term in 2009, legislators recommended that the government address past human rights cases, including by setting up an ad hoc human rights court.

The issue was largely forgotten until last year, when the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) released a landmark report alleging gross rights abuses by past governments and called for an inquest by the Attorney General's Office.

The Komnas HAM report concluded that there was evidence of serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity during the state's anti- communist purge of 1965-1966 and in a spate of extra-judicial killings of suspected criminals from 1982 to 1985.

President Yudhoyono initially welcomed the release of the report and ordered the AGO to follow up with a legal probe into the findings.

However, the AGO has repeatedly refused to look into the cases, claiming that the rights body has not filed the paperwork properly. Last November, Attorney General Basrief Arief said that his office could not proceed based on the dossier submitted by Komnas HAM because the evidence gathered was "insufficient to justify an official legal investigation."

Haris Azhar, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), said the AGO had no legitimate grounds to reject the report. He added the AGO had turned down similar cases in the past on the same pretext.

Haris said these other cases included the rape of ethnic Chinese women during the riots of May 1998, the shooting of student protesters at Jakarta's Trisakti University in the same month, and the killing of more student protesters in November 1998 and September 1999 in the Semanggi area of South Jakarta.

Women's rights

In Yogya, sex workers say crackdown won't save us

Jakarta Post - January 31, 2013

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Prostitutes and activists in Yogyakarta are calling on the government not to prosecute men who pay for sex to protect the rights of women.

The chairwoman of Yogyakarta Women's Sex Workers Association (P3SY), Sarmi, said on Tuesday at a conference in Yogyakarta that the criminalization of the clients of prostitutes would decrease the bargaining power and income of sex workers.

Criminalization would also drive prostitution further underground, which would hinder HIV/AIDS education and mitigation programs, as men would be reluctant to visit prostitutes in red-light districts, where, however unpleasant, the centralization of the sex trade makes it easier to such initiatives, Sarmi said.

"We demand that the state give us protection in our workplaces," Sarmi told the audience. "If we are the victims of violence, the police must investigate it thoroughly, and not just let it go. We have the same rights to live comfortably as any other citizen," Sarmi said.

Other sex workers at the conference, some of whom came from as far as East Java, agreed, saying that arresting customers would lead to the closure of brothels, to which authorities turn a blind eye, and force sex workers to seek customers on the streets.

"We are already seen as a community disease. Don't make us add more diseases to the community," a sex worker from Semarang, Central Java, who declined to be named said.

Also at the conference, the executive director of the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI), Inang Winarso, said that existing law and custom already criminalized and sanctioned men who hired women for sex.

Articles 281 through 298 of the Criminal Code Procedures (KUHAP) covered crimes against morality, Inang said. These articles stipulate provide for sentences of up to nine years' imprisonment for prostitution, pandering (providing prostitutes) or solicitation (offering to pay for sex).

Researcher Ignatius Praptoharjono of the Atma Jaya Catholic University's HIV/AIDS Research Center in Jakarta said that prosecuting men who paid for sex would not stop the sex trade, as prostitutes would always find a way to ply their trade, perhaps by working for pimps.

He cited the cases of Sweden, Canada and other Asia-Pacific nations, where a crackdown on men who paid for sex led to the decline of red-light districts and reduced fees for prostitutes, forcing sex workers to charge less and work more.

"Such a regulation will not protect women, but instead expose them to even higher risk," Ignatius said, adding that Indonesia is home to some 3.1 million men who paid for sex and 230,000 women sex workers.

Sexual & domestic violence

Indonesian activists blast police chief for rape case stance

Jakarta Globe - January 25, 2013

Nurdin Hasan – Women's rights activists in Aceh have urged the chief of police in Simeulue district to show more seriousness in addressing a case in which three policemen allegedly drugged and raped a 19-year-old woman.

Khairani Arifin, chairwoman of the women's rights group Syura Ureung Inong Aceh, said on Thursday that Simeulue Police Chief Adj Sr-Comr Parluatan Siregar's repeated denials that the incident on Jan. 17 constituted rape showed that he was trying to cover for his subordinates.

"The investigators and public prosecutors should have been more scrupulous in finding the elements of force in the rape case, especially since the victim was previously forced to take methamphetamine," Khairani told the Jakarta Globe.

"As a law enforcer, the district police chief should have issued a statement based on legal facts. In his capacity as the Simeulue police chief, he should have taken more responsibility in guiding his subordinates and not done the opposite, which is defending them for their wrongdoing."

In a previous interview with the Globe on Tuesday, Parluatan denied the claim by the victim's family that one of the officers had raped her.

"After an investigation, the three officers admitted to violating this girl and paying her Rp 200,000 [$21] for the enjoyment," he said. "So it wasn't a rape. If she claims she was really raped by the officer, why didn't she get a medical checkup done when she was in the hospital?"

He confirmed that the three officers had been placed in custody, not for the alleged sexual violence but for using meth. "Rape involves violence and threats, but there was none of that in this case. There were no bruises on her body and no injuries to her genitals."

However, Khairani said that based on information that she obtained, the police had only requested a medical examination of the victim on Tuesday, five days after the alleged rape.

"The examination itself was conducted on Wednesday. So how could the district police chief make a conclusion that no signs of rape were found when doctors had not even conducted the examination?

"The Simeulue police chief doesn't seem to understand the victim's helpless position when the rape occurred, especially since she was under the influence of meth," Khairani added.

She said all rape cases must be examined by the police, even if the victim did not file a report, because rapists often claim that the sex was consensual. "This frees the perpetrators from all charges, while instances of rape continue and the victims don't get any justice," she said.

Khairani said that volunteers from Syura Ureung Inong Aceh had met with the victim's family on Thursday to offer assistance and advocacy throughout the legal process.

Rape joke judge left out in cold

Jakarta Post - January 25, 2013

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – In what could be seen as a triumph of the online movement against misogyny, the House of Representatives on Wednesday left out rape joke judge Muhammad Daming Sunusi from the list of eight candidates who had passed the fit and proper test for Supreme Court justice positions.

Members of the House Commission III overseeing law and human rights apparently bowed to public pressure by giving a "no" vote to Daming in the selection process. The House commission, however, denied that it had caved in to public pressure.

"No one voted for him not because of public pressure but simply because he didn't have the quality to become a Supreme Court justice," chairman of House Commission III I Gede Pasek Suardika told reporters.

Daming caused a national uproar last week after making a statement that some rape cases might involve consensual sex and thus may require more lenient sentences. His most controversial statement, however, was that rape victims "may enjoy the intercourse".

Condemnation quickly poured in after Daming's statement circulated on social media outlets, the popular micro-blogging site Twitter in particular, with users directly sending their feeds to lawmakers, calling on them to disqualify Daming's candidacy. The story was then picked up by the conventional media, which then ran it as a headline. International media also published the story, further increasing the pressure on Daming.

Daming later made a public statement apologizing for what he considered a slip of the tongue that resulted from him being under pressure during the fit and proper test.

After an inquiry, the Judicial Commission (KY) decided that Daming had breached the code of ethics and recommended the Supreme Court sack him from his current position.

However, not everyone was happy with the House decision to disqualify Daming. Former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie said on Wednesday that it was wrong to dismiss Daming over his insensitive joke.

"Dismissing him is going overboard as he [Daming] apologized for his slip of the tongue. Daming is an example of the Indonesian male. It's part of our culture to treat women inappropriately," Jimly said on the sidelines of a meeting at the House on Wednesday.

However, Jimly added, Daming should still be punished for making such a controversial statement in public because he was applying for an important position at the Supreme Court.

The House Commission III lawmakers, meanwhile, said that they were dissatisfied with the final result from the fit and proper test.

Hours before the lawmakers finally agreed to hold a vote to select eight out of 24 candidates, they were complaining over the poor quality of the candidates and criticized the KY for forwarding the names of the candidates in question.

Earlier in January, members of Commission III called for the process to be suspended until the KY was able to propose better and more qualified candidates. The KY holds the preliminary test for the Supreme Court justice candidates.

Suardika said the most blatant display of the KY's amateurism was when it sent a letter to the House calling for the disqualification of a candidate, Nommy HT Siahaan of the Medan High Court in North Sumatra, on the suspicion that he may have accepted bribes.

"It seems to me that the KY is amateurish. The institution is unprofessional," said Suardika, a Democratic Party politician, on Wednesday.

Fellow Commission III member Sarifuddin Sudding of the People's Conscience (Hanura) Party, was concerned about the candidates' poor grasp of basic legal knowledge.

Sarifuddin recalled his experience in interviewing Sri Muryanto, a judge from the Mataram High Court in West Nusa Tenggara.

"How can you claim that you have experience in making a dissenting opinion if you don't know what a concurring opinion is? You need to read a lot to be able to differentiate the two terms," Sarifuddin said.

On Wednesday, the House Commission III voted for eight Supreme Court justices. The new justices are Hamdi of the Yogyakarta High Court, Muhammad Syarifuddin of the Supreme Court monitoring division, I Gusti Agung Sumanatha of the Supreme Court education and training division, Irfan Fachruddin of the Jakarta State Administrative Court, Margono of the Makassar High Court, Burhan Dahlan of the Military Court, Desnayeti of the Padang High Court and Yakup Ginting of Banjarmasin High Court.

Democracy & civil rights

Rights body asks MK to join fight against draconian laws

Jakarta Post - January 31, 2013

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is seeking the Constitutional Court's (MK) support in the fight against legislation considered to hinder civil rights.

Komnas HAM commissioners on Wednesday held a meeting with the court's justices and asked them to considered a human rights perspective in their rulings.

Commissioner Nur Kholis said the commission could state its opinions during court hearings on whether a law was in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but that was not enough to make the law annulled.

"We can only put our opinions into our reports and recommendations. Some perceive those to be merely interpretations from our side," he said.

The commission cited the failures of rights activists in challenging the 1965 Blasphemy Law, which has often been used to persecute religious minority groups. In 2010, the court upheld the law to the chagrin of human rights defenders.

The government is now seeking to pass into law a number of bills that activists said would curtail freedom and bring the country back to the authoritarian era of former president Soeharto.

One of the most controversial pieces of legislation is the national security bill. The government is keen on passing the bill into law despite objections from civil society groups.

Commissioner Natalius Pigai said Law No. 39/1999 on human rights stipulated that the commission could issue non-binding recommendations to government institutions to resolve human rights violations. However, most of the time they fell on deaf ears, he argued.

"Support from other elements, including from the Constitutional Court, will make us stronger," he explained. "It's important that human rights are upheld within the Constitutional Court."

MK Justice Mahfud MD said that the court believed it was important to protect human rights and that it would hold more meetings to discuss the matter. Mahfud, however, stressed the role of the MK.

"Sometimes provisions of regulations are bad, but we can only judge them on whether they are constitutional or unconstitutional. Sometimes we don't like them, but they are still constitutional."

Komnas HAM has been visiting several institutions for advocacy reasons. Recently, representatives of the commission came to the National Police headquarters to raise concerns about the way the authorities were dealing with security issues in restive regions such as Poso.

The commission called on the police to uphold human rights, especially in dealing with suspected extremists, most of whom have been shot dead during police raids.

Draft rule on mass groups called return to New Order repression

Jakarta Post - January 29, 2013

Activists are condemning as repressive a draft bill on mass organizations currently under deliberation by the House of Representatives.

If endorsed into law as expected in February, the bill could be used as a basis to introduce repressive measures against local and international NGOs and civil society organizations deemed a threat to the nation.

The bill, which has been under deliberation for the past two years, would allow crackdowns on groups promoting ideologies that conflict with Pancasila or the notion of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

Articles 2 and 3 of the latest draft of the bill would, for example, require that mass organizations conform to the 1945 Constitution and the principles of Pancasila, while foreign organizations in Indonesia would have to conform with Pancasila in their daily operations.

Article 41 authorizes the imposition of sanctions on foreign groups that engage in espionage, politics, local fund raising or that benefit from state-sponsored facilities. All foreign organizations currently raising funds in Indonesia would have to incorporate state ideology into their operations to the satisfaction of government officials or potentially face dissolution or criminal penalties.

Prominent rights campaigner and lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution said that the bill was unnecessary.

"The bill on mass organizations will only hand over power to regulate every aspect of the lives of citizens," Adnan told reporters on the sidelines of a hearing at the House on Monday.

"The state will only treat the people as slaves; while in fact the country belongs to the people. The people should monitor the state and not the other way around," Adnan said.

Contacted separately, Poengky Indarti of the human rights watchdog Imparsial agreed, saying that the bill would curtail freedom of expression in Indonesia.

"The bill on mass organization will silence all groups that are critical of the government's policies," Poengky said. "This will encourage the New Order's repressive regime to reemerge, a regime that controlled every single move of the people."

Poengky said that the prolonged deliberations were evidence that popular support for authoritarian leadership had returned to the country.

Rights activist Kristina Viri has started an online petition to stop deliberations on the bill at change.org. The petition was addressed to members of the House committee working on the bill; its chairman, Abdul Malik Haramain; and the leadership of the House.

"All organizations could be suspended by the government pending a verification of their status. Organizations might be condemned illegal for administrative reasons," the petition said.

Abdul said that the deliberations would continue, despite the criticism. "We must proceed according to plan, because we believe that this bill can be used to manage thousands of organizations, local and international, that are present all over the archipelago."

"It's not true that we intend to repress the people. We just want to better manage all the civil groups in operation," Abdul, a politician from the National Awakening Party (PKB), said.

"As for foreign groups, of course we need to closely monitor them, because they are free to operate these days. I want to ensure that not all groups are banned," he added.

The House has received petitions from local groups calling for the disbandment of foreign NGOs, such as Greenpeace, whose director, John Sauven, was refused entry to Indonesia by officials who said the decision was based on reports that said that Greenpeace had created "difficulties" for the Indonesian government.

Political parties & elections

PDI-P, Gerindra coalition still a possibility for 2014

Jakarta Globe - January 31, 2013

Yeremia Sukoyo – The Great Indonesian Movement Party says that there is still a chance that it would form a coalition with Megawati Sukarnoputri's party to support its founder, Prabowo Subianto, as a presidential candidate in the 2014 election.

Suhardi, the chairman of the party, known as Gerindra, said on Wednesday that many things could still happen in the 16 months leading up to the election, despite Megawati's anger toward Prabowo for taking credit for Joko Widodo's gubernatorial victory in Jakarta last September.

"Regardless of all of the rumors, we will always respect Ibu Mega," Suhardi said, referring to Megawati by her nickname. "The logic is that we have a similar vision regarding the importance of nationalism and pro-people policies."

Since Gerindra nominated Prabowo as its candidate, Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) should field a vice presidential candidate despite being the bigger party, Suhardi said.

"Yes, it won't be easy. But as time goes by, Prabowo's popularity is increasing, and nobody can deny that he is the frontrunner," he said. Suhardi added that Gerindra is aiming to secure 30 percent of the vote in next year's election.

Most polls have named Prabowo the most popular candidate for 2014, ahead of Megawati. However, many say that his bid could end before it begins due to a lack of party support.

The PDI-P won 14 percent of the vote in 2009, while Gerindra only garnered 4.5 percent.

Although legislators are still negotiating the voting threshold required to make a presidential bid, many say the current figure of 20 percent will be maintained, meaning anyone intending to run needs support from a party or coalition of parties that have won at least 20 percent of the popular vote in the legislative election.

Analysts say Prabowo burned his bridges with the PDI-P by glorifying his role in the recent Jakarta gubernatorial race. Although she did not mention Prabowo by name, Megawati blasted "free riders" that took credit for Joko's victory.

Megawati, the PDI-P's chairwoman, has yet to announce her candidacy but did indicate recently that she may make a run for office.

Suryadharma gets cozy with Islam Defenders Front

Jakarta Post - January 31, 2013

Jakarta – In what could be seen as an effort to squeeze votes out of devout Muslims, the Islamist United Development Party (PPP) has declared itself ready to strike a deal with the vigilante organization the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) even going so far as nominating Munarman, the organization's outspoken figurehead, as a legislative candidate.

Religious Affairs Minister and PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali believes that Munarman is well-qualified for the job. "He comes highly recommended. He is knowledgeable and a lawyer – a perfect fit to be active in politics."

If Munarman is nominated at all, it will likely be to represent South Sumatra, his home province. Suryadharma has no problems with the image of FPI, well known for the promotion of violence. and destruction of property.

"Let's say the FPI is a radical organization, should we stay away from them or embrace them? I think we should embrace them," Suryadharma said, suggesting that the FPI could make a positive contribution to the country's politics if they were welcomed into the system.

In response to Suryadharma's offer, Munarman said he had not yet made any decision. "I haven't made any decision yet. I need to conduct an Istikharah prayer first before I accept the honor. But this is still an offer from Pak Suryadharma Ali and I thank him for that," Munarman told kompas.com.

Other than Munarman, the PPP is expected to enlist a family member of Panji Gumilang, suspected leader of the Indonesia Islamic Movement (NII). "God willing we will nominate Panji Gumilang's son. We just need to confirm with him," Suryadharma said.

Snuggling up to the FPI and the NII could be seen as part of a strategy by the PPP to remain an exclusively Islamic party going against the trend among Muslim-based parties to go secular.

PPP executives have declared that the party would only nominate Muslims to run in 2014. Faced with the prediction that Muslim-based parties will lose significant votes to secular parties, some Islamist parties have begun to woo secular voters.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) is planning to be less visually Islamic and more inclusive during campaigns. The National Awakening Party (PKB) plans to increase the number of non-Muslim members to develop the party's inclusivity.

Suryadharma himself is no stranger to controversy as a minister. In September last year, responding to a clash between the Sunni majority in Sampang, Madura and the Shia minority, Suryadharma said that the conversion of the latter would be the best way to prevent violent outbreaks between the two sects.

Soon after he was appointed as chairman of the anti-porn task force in March last year, Suryadharma proposed a ban on mini-skirt under the country's tough anti-pornography law.

Yudhoyono buffeted by fuel as Indonesia election nears: Economists

Bloomberg - January 28, 2013

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is under growing pressure to raise fuel prices and curb oil imports as currency risks persist and the window to act narrows ahead of elections in 2014.

The government will probably need to increase subsidized-fuel prices this year, according to economists at Bank of America Corp., Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., Standard Chartered Plc, PT Bank Danamon Indonesia and Moody's Analytics.

The country limited the use of partially government-funded diesel last week and the trade minister said Yudhoyono will evaluate energy charges in the next few weeks.

The president has avoided raising fuel prices since protests derailed an increase early last year, highlighting the political minefields in a country where riots spurred by soaring living costs helped oust the dictator Suharto in 1998.

Subsidies that keep charges below international market rates have bolstered demand for energy imports in the world's fourth most-populous nation, contributing to a widening current-account gap and a 5.9 percent drop in the rupiah last year.

"This is a dilemma for the president," said Fauzi Ichsan, a Jakarta-based senior economist at Standard Chartered and a former Finance Ministry analyst. "If the president raises fuel prices, it won't be good politically, yet without an increase, the current-account deficit will remain high and the rupiah will continue to decline, adding imported inflation."

The rupiah, the worst performer among Asia's 10 most-traded currencies excluding the yen last year, fell 0.2 percent to 9,668 per dollar as of 8:36 a.m. in Jakarta, according to prices from local banks compiled by Bloomberg. A daily fixing used to settle non-deliverable forwards was set at 9,766 on Jan. 25 by the Association of Banks in Singapore.

Coalition support

The central bank has refrained from adding to a February 2012 interest-rate cut to shore up the declining currency, as inflation held above 4 percent for three quarters.

Yudhoyono, who can't run for president next year after serving two terms, struggled to win support from within his own coalition for last year's proposed fuel-price increase.

"It's a trade-off between a difficult political choice and an economic choice," said Aninda Mitra, Singapore-based head of Southeast Asia economics at ANZ. "He could risk more potential political unpopularity for his party if he doesn't manage this trade-off skillfully and the benefits are obvious: Your current account would start to get capped, your fiscal deficit would encounter less pressure."

Fuel subsidies rose to 211.9 trillion rupiah ($22 billion) last year and the country imported about $26 billion of oil products in the 11 months through November, according to official data compiled by Bloomberg.

'Forced hand'

The price of Brent crude traded in London, a benchmark for more than half the world's oil, has risen more than 8 percent in the past six months.

"It's going to come down to a point where it's a forced hand," said Vishnu Varathan, a Singapore-based economist at Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. If oil prices keep increasing, "the rising subsidy will compound the current- account deficit factor and that will be even more negative for the rupiah."

The government should try to reduce fuel subsidies early this year "because 2013 is the year of politics, before the bigger year of politics of 2014," Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan said in Singapore last week.

Yudhoyono has met with the energy, finance and economy ministers on the issue, he said.

Policy imperative

"I think the president understands that it is a priority and a policy imperative from an economic standpoint, but surely there is a political consideration, and that is something that I know he is evaluating in the next few weeks," Wirjawan said. "To the extent that it does become something that will be doable, I think he will consider it seriously."

Elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region on Monday, South Korean consumer confidence climbed to the highest level in eight months while New Zealand's services industry grew at a slower pace in December.

In Europe, Hometrack Ltd. said U.K. house prices fell 0.3 percent from a year earlier in January. M3 money supply from the European Central Bank probably grew at a faster pace in December, a Bloomberg survey showed.

Germany's import prices fell in December from the previous month, according to a separate survey. US durable-goods orders and pending home sales probably rose in December, Bloomberg News surveys showed.

Indonesia's current-account deficit last year was probably 2.4 percent of gross domestic product, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said Jan. 7. That would be the largest since 1996.

Domestic demand

DBS Group Holdings Ltd. said in a Jan. 25 report that Indonesia is unlikely to raise fuel prices to reduce strains on the current account and may instead use monetary policy and other tools to "fine-tune domestic demand growth."

An elevated subsidy bill prevents Yudhoyono from diverting funds to build the highways, airports and ports needed to lure investment to Southeast Asia's largest economy and achieve an average growth target of 6.6 percent by the end of his second term in 2014.

The country spends more on energy subsidies for households and companies than it does on capital expenditures or social welfare, Fred Gibson, a Sydney-based economist at Moody's Analytics, wrote in a May 2012 report.

"This year is the right time to do it when the economy is in a sweet spot and doing well," Gibson said. "Since minimum wages in Indonesia have also increased, households will have some scope to bear higher costs."

Raising prices

To reduce spending on energy subsidies, the government raised power prices by an average 15 percent this month. The increase will save the government Rp 14 trillion, Energy Minister Jero Wacik has said.

"You can tinker around at the margins with macro- prudential measures and power tariff hikes and so on, but the elephant in the room still is a very low price of gasoline at the retail level," ANZ's Mitra said.

The price of subsidized fuel may rise by about 1,500 rupiah a liter to 6,000 rupiah, Rudi Rubiandini, then Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, said in a Bloomberg Television interview in September. Rubiandini was named head of the country's oil and gas regulator this month.

Such an increase would lead to a spike in inflation to about 8 percent for about one to three months, according to Anton Gunawan, chief economist at Bank Danamon in Jakarta.

Consumer prices rose at a slower pace for the second time last month, climbing 4.3 percent from a year earlier.

"The government has to raise fuel prices this year," Gunawan said. "March will be an ideal time as normally that will be harvest time, so inflation pressure from foodstuffs won't be too high."

Limits on the use of subsidized fuel announced last week won't be enough to help Indonesia's balance of payments or budget deficit, according to Bambang Brodjonegoro, head of fiscal policy at the Finance Ministry.

"We need to find something bigger," he told reporters in Jakarta on Jan. 23.

NasDem puts on a brave face as members follow Hary overboard

Jakarta Post - January 26, 2013

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The NasDem Party's first national congress in Jakarta on Friday was filled with uplifting and encouraging remarks from the fledgling party's leaders in the face of an internal rift that could lead to the resignation of thousands of members.

The congress, which will last until Sunday, was opened by party chairman Patrice Rio Capella.

In his speech, he roused party members and supporters to work harder and faster to win the 2014 elections. "The NasDem Party was established not to contend elections, not to reach the parliamentary threshold, but to win the elections," said Patrice.

His speech won a standing ovation from NasDem mass organization founder Surya Paloh and the majority of congress participants.

More than 1,500 party functionaries from 33 provinces, regencies, municipalities and from the party's wing organizations took part in the meeting at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, that went out live on MetroTV.

Also attending the event were former vice president Jusuf Kalla, rector of the Paramadina University Anis Baswedan and several state officials.

Patrice said the congress' main objectives were to overhaul the party's statutes, design programs to win the 2014 elections and conduct internal consolidation.

He declared that the congress would elect Surya as the new chairman, a decision that has drawn criticism from other party members, including media tycoon and chairman of the party's council of experts, Hary Tanoesoedibjo.

Surya has been tipped as the party's chairman since it was founded two years ago, Patrice said.

The party is confident that Hary's exit will not hinder it from achieving its goals. "The storm will be over and it will make the party stronger," Patrice said.

Hours before the congress began, Diflaizal Zen, secretary of the party's Jakarta chapter, claimed that thousands in the capital would resign from the party to protest at Surya's appointment and that more members would follow suit in the following days.

Surya stopped short of mentioning Hary and the friction within the party in his speech. "We need ads and logistics but they are not everything and I am sure the party will be able to reach its goals," said Surya, a media tycoon more experienced in politics than Hary.

NasDem is widely seen as a dark horse in the upcoming elections. Various polls have predicted that the party could be major competition for the old political parties, especially the smaller ones.

In a March 2012 survey by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI), the party was ranked fourth, after the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Democratic Party. The NasDems are optimistic of gaining 21 percent of the vote in the 2014 polls.

The internal feuds have cast doubt over the party's ability to make a strong showing in the coming elections.

Hary is one of the country's richest men and controls Media Nusantara Citra (MNC), the largest media group in the country. He played a major role in helping NasDem become the only new party eligible for the 2014 polls.

Iberamsjah, political analyst at the University of Indonesia, believes Hary's resignation is a major blow to the nascent party. "NasDem needs an intensive internal consolidation to win minimum seats at the House in 2014. Surya should change his authoritarian style and make democracy a reality in the party," he said.

Iberamsjah believes it will be difficult for NasDem to gain seven percent of the vote in 2014, even with an influx of politicians from established parties, including Golkar, where Surya served his political apprenticeship.

Former secretary general of the House of Representatives Nining Indra Saleh, outgoing secretary general of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Siti Nurbaya and former commander of Indonesian Military (TNI) Gen. (ret) Endriartono Sutarto are among the new faces at the congress.

Celebrities pack rosters in race for 2014 election

Jakarta Globe - January 26, 2013

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & SP/Robertus Wardi – They can sing, dance, act and walk the runway, but the question on voters' minds is whether they represent the people and can pass quality legislation.

Political parties in Indonesia have a long history of luring celebrities to join them and run as their legislative candidates in the hopes that they will win. Next year's legislative election looks to be no different.

The United Development Party (PPP) is the latest to announce it is targeting celebrities to join its ranks, saying it is already in talks with at least eight.

On Friday Arwani Thomafi, a PPP deputy secretary general, named '80s model Okky Asokawati, former model-turned-entrepreneur Ratih Sanggarwati, '80s singer Emilia Contessa, pop band Ungu frontman Sigit "Pasha" Purnomo Syamsuddin Said and up-and-coming dangdut singer Nassar as possible candidates in the 2014 polls.

Arwani did not identify the other three celebrities but added that some of those approached by the PPP had agreed to run.

PPP secretary general Mochammad Romahurmuziy said his party had been "very selective" in the celebrities it approached. Ones with a "bad image or deemed incompetent by the public will not get votes."

The National Mandate Party (PAN), known for its raft of celebrity legislators, said on Monday that at least five celebrities had applied to run with the party.

"Those who have registered are Marissa Haque, Ikang Fawzi, Hengky Kurniawan, Lucky Hamzah and Rafi Ahmad," said PAN secretary general Taufik Kurniawan.

Marissa is an '80s film star, while her husband, Ikang, was also a film star and singer. Hengky and Lucky are both sinetron (soap opera) stars. Rafi is a TV presenter who has also tried his hand at acting.

Taufik said that his party did not prioritize celebrities, arguing that they would have to go through the same rigorous screening process as non- celebrity hopefuls. "It all comes down to their political performance," he added.

The Golkar Party was the first to recruit celebrities for the 2014 elections. In May, it announced actress Desy Ratnasari, singers Ari Lasso, Katon Bagaskara and former beauty queen Artika Sari Devi as already undergoing Golkar's yearlong "internship" program, preparing them to run for positions in the House of Representatives.

In August, pollster Charta Politika released a study showing only 16.7 percent of Indonesians wanted celebrities to run for the House, while 62 percent were strongly opposed. The rest were undecided.

Celebrities-turned-legislators criticized the survey, including comedian and PAN legislator Eko Hendro Purnomo.

"This survey does not represent all 230 million Indonesians," he said at the time. "No celebrities have ever been involved in corruption."

He was speaking months before the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court sentenced former beauty queen and Democratic Party legislator Angelina Sondakh to four and a half years in prison for bid-rigging.

PAN is also home to former actor Primus Yustisio and actress Raslina Rashidin. The Democrats boast singer Tere and actress Vena Melinda, while the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) has actress Rachel Maryam and singer Jamal Mirdad in the House.

Ari Junaedi, a political communications expert at the University of Indonesia, said some celebrities had fared well in politics, such as '80s film star Nurul Arifin, who joined Golkar, as well as sinetron star Rieke Dyah Pitaloka and comedian Dedi Gumilar, both with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

But people like Nurul and Rieke are rare, Ari said, while the rest are mostly just nominated as vote-getters who contribute little once they become politicians.

"They only make headlines when they have domestic problems or open up a new cafe, and most remain preoccupied with their own television shows," he said.

He added that the phenomenon of celebrities running for the House would hold strong in next year's legislative election. "Parties will try to attract celebrities to boost their votes," Ari said.

"But parties could see their strategies backfire if the celebrities get the spotlight just for personal problems instead of their contribution to the nation. Eventually the people these celebrities represent will become more critical of their behavior. People will no longer need [the] good looks or beauty or glamour that these celebrities offer, but the personal touch of someone who can understand their pain and change things for the better."

Media & journalism

The human cost of media bias in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe - January 29, 2013

Lisa Siregar – After the end of the New Order, Indonesian press became free from government control. Anyone can now run and publish their own news without a permit.

While this freedom should lead to an increase in progressive media, the global phenomenon of consolidating media outlets into massive conglomerations is instead becoming a new means of controlling what the public is reading and watching.

Giant companies are buying up news outlets to enlarge their media groups – a worldwide trend. In Indonesia, most news outlets are controlled by just 12 media groups, many owned by prominent politicians and other powerful figures.

The new documentary "Di Balik Frekuensi" ("Behind the Frequency"), by Ucu Agustin, follows two big issues related to media ownership in Indonesia. In the film, Ucu focuses on national television stations that are broadcast over the public frequency.

The first story she examines is the case of Luviana, a Metro TV reporter who was fired after trying to establish a union at her workplace. The second story tracks Hari Suwandi, from Porong, Sidoarjo, East Java, who was a victim of the Lapindo Brantas mud volcano disaster that has been ongoing since May 2006. Hari walked all the way to Jakarta to demand that Aburizal Bakrie, owner of TVOne, pay reparations promised to him and other Sidoarjo victims.

Director and writer Ucu began following the cases in December 2011 with her cameramen Affan Diaz and Darwin Nugraha. The film features footage taken by Ucu and her cameramen, as well as news clips and other footage to complete the stories.

Ucu, whose previous documentary "The Conspiracy of Silence" bravely explored the issue of malpractice in Indonesian hospitals, told the audience after the premiere screening in Jakarta on Thursday that making issue-based movies has proven a challenge, testing both her creativity and skill as a filmmaker.

"The same problem arose in making both 'Conspiracy' and 'Frequency' – it was how to be creative about the issue and keep people following the case," Ucu said, adding that following both cases for more than a year resulted in hundreds of hours of footage. The final edit of the film runs about 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Ucu said the two cases presented in the film deal with different issues. Luviana is a journalist fighting for her rights, and Hari is a peasant fighting for fellow Sidoarjo victims. It certainly feels like there is a big jump from Luviana's case to Hari's, but in the end, both stories show how media owners abuse their power. Ucu demonstrates how each TV station presented the news differently to benefit their respective owners. She said she hopes that "Di Balik Layar" will make people more literate about media ownership in Indonesia.

Luviana worked at Metro TV for 10 years before the news station fired her in June 2012. Luviana had been criticizing the management about the working conditions and tried to establish a workers union. Metro TV first asked Luviana to resign from her position in January 2012. Six months later, Luviana was fired from her job, just a couple of weeks after speaking with Metro TV owner Surya Paloh. Ucu, Affan and Darwin recorded Luviana's struggles, including her meetings with Metro TV executives and Surya, and included the footage in the film.

At the Thursday premiere, Luviana said she is fighting against what she refers to as "the giant wall," especially given the prominence of media owners. Surya is the founder and chairman of the National Democratic Party (NasDem), and wields a lot of influence among his colleagues. But Luviana has been able to keep fighting for her rights, in part due to assistance from the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) and the Solidarity for Luviana (SOVI) activist group. "I have nothing but friends, and we decided to go on," she said.

The film gets even more dramatic with the other case, about a struggle that turned into betrayal.

When Sidoarjo victim Hari decided to walk to Jakarta to bring his protest to Aburizal, his friends and family offered their full support. Ucu and friends followed his journey using footage taken by Hari's friend, Harto Wiyono, who accompanied Hari on his month-long journey, helping his friend by carrying all his supplies on a motorbike. However the journey did not end well. Hari betrayed his friends by going on TVOne to give a live apology to the Bakries for what he called his false demonstrations.

Harto, who attended the premiere, said that he never saw Hari again after his friend went to apologize on TVOne. "I went back to Sidoarjo and nobody had seen him and his family," he said. "I heard he receives big money each month."

For Harto, it is a precious life lesson. He is not sure if he would help other people with campaigns similar to Hari's in the future. "Hari is a long-time friend, and we put up this fight together for a long time," he said.

On the day of Hari's apology, Harto said both he and Hari received protest messages on their phones and social media accounts. "They thought we were only trying to get an advantage from this demonstration, it does give a bit of backlash to our struggle," he said.

Harto was going to delete the Facebook group that he created to support Hari, but Ucu suggested otherwise. Harto agreed, saying that it should be an online artifact to the betrayal.

For this case, Ucu makes a cameo, meeting Aburizal and asking if he had met with Hari. The tycoon simply said Hari is a person seeking sensation and denied he was a victim of Lapindo.

Ucu said she is unsure whether Indonesian cinemas will be willing to show "Di Balik Frekuensi." Producer Ursula Tumiwa said they will go on the road to screen the film in five cities to reach audiences at universities, social groups and film communities. Ucu remains optimistic that the film will help people grow more knowledgeable and critical of the mainstream media. "For me, if this film manages to make people reconsider their choices in watching TV stations, it means it is already a success," she said.

Environment & natural disasters

Killer landslides blamed on rain, logging

Jakarta Globe - January 28, 2013

Torrential rains across Indonesia triggered a pair of fatal landslides in Sumatra and another one in Bogor on the weekend and prompted flood evacuations in parts of Kalimantan, reigniting debate over the causes for wet-season fatalities.

In the latest incident, seven people were killed and three injured in a landslide in Agam, West Sumatra, early on Sunday.

"Seven people were found dead and three others were injured... and 18 were missing," National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a text message, adding that 15 houses were buried by the landslide.

A day earlier, a landslide killed four workers at a drilling site belonging to state-controlled Pertamina Geothermal Energy in Kerinci, Jambi, the company said in a statement.

"The landslide killed four people, injured five people, and left one person missing. All victims were workers who were drilling," the statement said.

In Bogor over the weekend, six people died in a landslide. The incident was triggered by torrential downpours, burying seven houses on a ravine in Cipayung, officials said.

"Some of the victims were found buried under ruins of buildings, and others were under the landslide," said Budi Aksomo, an officer with the local BNPB office.

The identities of the victims in the three landslides had not been released as of late on Sunday.

Illegal logging blamed

The fatalities reveal the human cost of some of the problems that bedevil Indonesia's development. Inadequate and poorly maintained infrastructure leaves city-dwellers vulnerable to floods, while failure to police rampant illegal logging leaves some rural communities exposed.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) on Sunday blamed the severity of recent landslides following flooding on illegal logging, which allowed the topsoil in the hilly areas to easily wash away with the rain.

T.M. Zulfikar, director of the Aceh unit of Walhi, said that if illegal logging is allowed to continue, "don't be surprised to see even worse disasters unfold in the future."

"The government must reforest the areas that are in critical condition, especially in upstream areas," he added.

The heavy downpours have prompted havoc in parts of Kalimantan. In Central Kalimantan's North Barito district, floodwaters from the rain-swollen Barito River inundated more than 12,000 homes and 60 schools over the weekend.

Rising water levels, which reached as high as two meters, forced 1,300 families to flee their homes and seek refuge at government shelters or with relatives. But many others chose to stay put for fear that their homes will be looted if they leave.

In East Kalimantan, the government of Balikpapan on Sunday warned residents to prepare for extreme weather, including torrential rains and strong winds, over the next two months.

Balikpapan city spokesman Sudirman Djayaleksana said that while the administration had been preparing for the worst, people should also be alert to avoid casualties.

"We call on people to stay home, and avoid dangerous places such as rivers, hills and forests. Those who live in such areas should always be on alert to be evacuated," he said.

Sudirman said that the administration had coordinated with police and the military so that they could quickly deploy their officers in case of emergency.

"We have identified 20 areas most prone to landslide. We hope there will be no more casualties," he said.

Poor sewage

Experts say that many cities across the country lacked effective sewage systems, a problem that meant they were particularly vulnerable to high water levels during the rainy season.

Trisakti University urban planning expert Yayat Supriyatna said on Sunday that cities need to gradually overhaul their sewage systems to cope with the growing population and burgeoning economy. This would involve increasing the size of catchment areas converted into housing areas.

The growing debate over preparations for the wet season follow a spate of fatalities linked to the inundation.

Heavy rains in Jakarta this month has resulted in 32 deaths and, at their peak, forced nearly 46,000 people to flee their inundated homes. The floods also exposed problems in the city's transportation system, with several key roads under water and the TransJakarta bus network unable to operate for most of a day.

In West Sumatra last month, a 61-year-old woman an her two granddaughters were killed when a landslide buried a house in South Solok, several hours after heavy rain hit the area.

On the same day, heavy rain also triggered a landslide and floods in the West Sumatra districts of Pasaman, Agam and Tanah Datar.

Aceh has also been hit by flooding and landslides that have killed several people in the past year.

In March 2012, a flash flood in the Sumatran province's Tangse district killed 11 people. The flood-prone area sits within a river basin.

Seismic threat

In West Java last month, two miners were killed when landslide swept away a village along the bank of Cipanengah River in Cisolok, an area near Mount Buleud, an active volcano.

The Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center said at the time that the area had medium to high levels of seismic activity, making it prone to earthquakes that loosened the soil, amplifying the impact of landslides.

In Balikpapan last May, a woman and three children died and three others were injured after a landslide brought down a hillside home.

The massive floods that triggered the landslide had paralyzed the city, leaving many roads in the city inundated after more than seven hours of heavy rain. Flights from the city's Sepinggan Airport were also disrupted. (AFP, JG)

Health & education

Women adopt freedom to smoke, but face greater risks

Jakarta Globe - January 31, 2013

Dessy Sagita – Misperceptions about freedom of expression and gender equality have been blamed for the growing number of female smokers in Indonesia.

National Commission on Tobacco Control adviser Kartono Muhammad said many women started their smoking habit as a form of retaliation to public attitudes.

"Many of the women who smoke were influenced by their boyfriends, friends and considered smoking as [a form of] freedom, liberalization," Kartono said on Tuesday.

Kartono said that data from the Health Ministry showed that smoking prevalence among women increased by fourfold, from 1.3 percent in 2001 to 5.2 percent in 2007.

It also said smoking in 2007 rose threefold among males and fivefold among female teenagers, compared with data from 1995.

Kartono said that in the past, female smokers were held in a negative light and that it was considered inappropriate for women to smoke. This perception prompted women to retaliate and translated freedom of expression incorrectly by smoking, despite the fact that smoking impacts on women were greater compared to men.

Female smokers are at a greater risk than at any time in recent decades from lung cancer and other ailments linked to their tobacco use, according to a study.

The research in the New England Journal of Medicine found a marked increase in deaths among female smokers from lung cancer, chronic obstructive lung disease and other health ailments.

The study of more than 2.2 million adults 55 years and older found that women who smoked in the 1960s had a 2.7 times higher risk of lung cancer than those who never smoked. But among present-day female smokers, the risk is 25.7 times higher.

The researchers found that the increased risk from smoking has been significant enough to outweigh the effects of medical advances.

The study was led by Michael Thun, a physician recently retired as vice president emeritus of the American Cancer Society.

He said it was worrisome that the "increase in risk among female smokers has continued for decades after the serious health risks... were well established."

A proliferation in "light" and "mild" cigarette brands marketed toward women explains part of the increase, he added. "Smoke from these cigarettes is inhaled more deeply into the lungs of smokers to maintain the accustomed absorption of nicotine."

[Additional reporting from AFP.]

Religious affairs office tells schools to close

Jakarta Post - January 25, 2013

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – The Religious Affairs Ministry's office in Blitar, East Java, has finally recommended the closure of six Catholic schools for refusing to provide Islamic teaching for their Muslim students.

Office head, Imam Mukhlis, said his office had recommended Blitar Mayor Samanhudi Anwar take legal action based on existing regulations against the schools.

"We made the recommendation after the two Catholic foundations managing the six schools refused to follow the regulations," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday. He added that the office had summoned executives of the foundations and the Blitar Education Agency to a closed meeting on Saturday to find a solution.

The schools have refused to implement Blitar Mayoral Decree No. 8/2012 which requires Muslim students to be able to read and write Koranic verses. The decree, according to the ministry's local office, was based on Government Regulation No. 55/2007 on religious teachings, which is in turn based on Law No. 20/2003 on the National Education System.

Imam contends that the schools have also violated Religious Affairs Ministerial Decree No. 16/2010 on Religious Management at Schools.

"Article 4 (3) of the religious affairs ministerial decree stipulates that any school is required to provide a religious subject if there is a minimum of 15 students of the same faith," he said. "In fact, 70 percent of some 3,000 students at the six schools are Muslims."

The mayor said he would study the religious affairs' recommendation saying that closure was not the best solution.

"I will invite the schools and related agencies to discuss the matter," Samanhudi told the Post over phone. "We have a duty that our younger generation understand their religion, so as not to commit adultery, free sex and other actions outside religious guidance."

He maintained that Catholic schools all over Indonesia should provide Islamic lessons to Muslim students studying there. He previously had also said that the regulation did not apply to Catholic schools only and that he would obliged Islamic schools to provide religious instruction for their non-Muslim students.

Meanwhile, the Surabaya Catholic Diocese' vicar-general Father Agustinus Tri Budi Utomo declined to comment so as not to create controversy.

Previously, Father Antonius Benny Susetyo, executive secretary of the Indonesian Conference of Bishops' Religious and Faith Relations Commission, said that there was no problem with Catholic schools providing religious lessons to non-Catholic students as long as it was outside the school.

Yohanes Gabriel Foundation and Yoseph Foundation had refused to implement the mayoral decree arguing that Article 55 (1) of the 2003 education law implies that Catholic schools were entitled to implement a curriculum following their own religious, social and cultural norms.

Executives from both foundations said that parents agreed with existing school regulations.

Yoseph Foundation manages the Santa Maria elementary school while Yohanes Gabriel Foundation runs Yos Sudarso elementary and junior high schools, Yohanes Gabriel junior high school, Diponegoro senior high school and Santo Yusup vocational high school.

An executive of the Islamic Anti-Discrimination Network, Aan Ansori, expected all parties to be unemotional when responding the Blitar case for fear the mayoral decree would lead to the expulsion of Muslim students from the Catholic schools.

"When compared to Islamic schools, the Catholic schools are more open by accepting students from different faiths," he told the Post.

Freedom of religion & worship

Residents rally at Bandung church

Jakarta Post - January 28, 2013

Arya Dipa, Bandung – Around 200 members of the Banua Niho Keriso Protestan (BNKP) or the Nias Protestan Church in Bandung, West Java, were unable to conduct Sunday service following local residents forbidding the use of a house on Jl. Cibuntu in Bandung Kidul district for any religious activities.

Members of some Islamic organizations, such as the Islamic Forum, The Islamic Reform Movement and the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), took part in the protest. The rally, joined by around 100 adults and children, ran peacefully.

Delit Budi Setia, head of Community Unit (RW) 01, said residents urged the congregation to respect the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry's Joint Decrees (SKB) No. 9/2006 and No. 8/2006 on the establishment of places of worship.

To obtain a permit to build a place of worship, the decree stipulates that there should be a minimum of 90 members of the congregation, support from 60 other residents in the area and a recommendation letter from the local authority.

"We have found out that there are many members [of the congregation] who are from out of town. We residents don't approve of this," Delit said.

After a meeting with protesters and members of the congregation, officials at the Bandung Kidul district office decided that no religious activities would be allowed at the house.

"The decision refers to the Religious Affairs Ministry's and the Home Ministry's Joint Decrees," Bandung Kidul police precinct chief Comr. Kokon Sudrajat said after the meeting.

Dharma Zebua, a BNKP administrator, said the congregation had routinely held services every week for the past three years. "There had been no problems. Therefore, we were surprised when the residents protested," Dharma said.

He said that his congregation had obtained the relevant recommendation and permit from the Bandung Kidul district to use the house for religious activities. "We don't understand why they [the officials] decided to revoke the recommendation. They only told us to be patient," he continued.

Dharma said that all services were canceled following the protest as they did not have any other places to hold religious activities. He hoped that the administration would offer a solution to enable them to continue performing religious services.

"If we are not allowed to perform services here [in the house], please give us an alternate place to use permanently," Dharma added.

This case is not the first religious issue in Bandung – In July, 2012, dozens of residents and members of mass organizations called for a halt to the planned Batak Karo Protestant church in Kawaluyaan in Bandung, West Java, saying that the congregation breached the agreement that churches would not be erected in the area.

Activists urge police action to thwart more violence

Jakarta Globe - January 26, 2013

Fitri, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara – Advocates of ethnic and religious tolerance have demanded that police immediately bring to justice those responsible for instigating an attack on Tuesday against an ethnic Balinese community in West Nusa Tenggara's Sumbawa district.

Hundreds of activists from the Indonesian People's Alliance (AKPI) rallied outside the provincial police headquarters in Mataram on Friday to demand a crackdown on what they called a worrying trend of criminal activity threatening interfaith harmony in Sumbawa.

The activists also called on residents not to be easily provoked into acts of violence against other communities.

The provincial chapter of the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia, the country's highest Hindu authority, echoed the call for the perpetrators behind Tuesday's attack to be punished.

Gede Renjana, the chairman of the local PHDI chapter, said it was also important for all sides not to be baited by incitements or a desire for revenge.

"We call on all communities to quell your anger and keep the peace between communities of different faiths and ethnicities," he said. "And to the police, we ask that the perpetrators behind this violence be brought to justice and the law upheld. We hope that this is the last incident of this kind in West Nusa Tenggara."

The violence was sparked by a misunderstanding over the death of a local woman last Saturday. The woman, Arniati, was rumored to have died after her boyfriend, an ethnic Balinese police officer, allegedly raped her.

But police refuted the rumor, and an autopsy later confirmed that she died in a traffic accident when riding on a motorcycle with her boyfriend, identified as Brig. Eka Gede Suwarjana.

The officer and the victim were riding along the Sumbawa-Kanar highway when the motorcycle slipped and crashed. The officer was injured in the accident and remains in hospital.

Instigated by the rumor, however, a mob of hundreds of locals attacked targets associated with the predominantly Hindu ethnic Balinese community. They vandalized 12 homes, two shops, a hotel and a traditional market, and torched several buildings and cars. They also threw rocks at Hindu temples.

At least 3,000 members of the ethnic Balinese community have fled for Bali and Lombok. Police have since named 33 people as suspects in the case.

SBY preaches tolerance as Shia plight continues

Jakarta Post - January 25, 2013

Ina Parlina and Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono again called for religious tolerance in the country, a demand that will ring hollow among members of the Sampang Shia community who are now living in destitution following the government's failure to protect their rights.

In his speech before thousands of Muslims gathered on Thursday to observe the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, Yudhoyono said Muslims in the country must learn from the Prophet's example in promoting tolerance.

"We have to learn from the Prophet, a leader of a very diverse society. He was able to maintain harmony and tolerance in a diverse society and kept people away from violence," Yudhoyono said in his speech at the National Monument (Monas), organized by the Majelis Rasulullah congregation in Central Jakarta.

Several Cabinet members as well as US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot A. Marciel, joined the celebration.

However, Yudhoyono's statement about keeping the minority away from violence was an insult to members of the Shia community from Sampang, Madura, who earlier on Wednesday met with a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on human rights, Albert Hasibuan.

Members of the community aired their grievances about being "abandoned" by the local administration in Sampang since they had sought refuge in a local sports stadium following a clash in August.

A spokesman for the group, Mujtahid Hashemy, an activist from the Universalia Legal Aid Foundation, said the Shia refugees were now in a dire situation following the decision by the local administration to cut off food and a clean water supply.

Members of the Shia community were forced to leave their village following an attack by majority Sunni Muslims in the area. Universalia said currently there were at least 165 people who were taking shelter in the sports center, including 29 children.

The group also reported that, since Jan. 1, the East Java Police had withdrawn officers deployed to protect the displaced Shiites. "Their condition continues to worsen. We really hope that the President will take immediate action," Mujtahid said.

Some members of the Shia community are now also suffering from a range of health problems because of poor sanitation in the sports stadium where they have been sheltering since a mob burned down their homes in Karang Gayam village, last August.

Albert said he deeply regretted the situation and urged the government to take action. "The government must mediate [the situation]. Local government, including the police, also has the responsibility to provide basic services and safety to all citizens," he said.

Albert, said the government's negligence toward the plight of the Shia could be "categorized as violation of human rights."

"I will recommend to the President that this situation be dealt with. We need to focus on the humanity side of this problem rather than debating the faith differences, because the displaced people have suffered for about six months," he said.

Amnesty International (AI) has called on the government to guarantee the safe return of the Shia in Sampang after it found the local government had decided to cut off food and medical supplies for the victims.

"The Indonesian authorities must help them rebuild the homes that were damaged or destroyed," said Isabelle Arradon of AI's Asia Pacific program, in a statement.

Displaced Sampang Shiites cry foul to SBY aide

Jakarta Post - January 24, 2013

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Representatives of displaced Shia adherents from Sampang, East Java, met with presidential advisor on human rights Albert Hasibuan on Wednesday to convey their grievances after being "abandoned" by the Sampang regental administration at a poorly equipped shelter.

"The displaced persons from the Sampang brawl are currently in very poor condition. Access to basic needs such as clean water is very difficult. They have been neglected for months and their condition continues to worsen," Mujtahid Hashemy, an activist from the Universalia Legal Aid Foundation who served as the spokesman of the Sampang group, told journalists after meeting with Albert. "We really hope that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will take immediate action," he added.

Albert said he deeply regretted the situation while vowing to tell Yudhoyono about the situation in the near future.

"I will recommend to the President that this situation be dealt with. We need to focus on the humanity side rather than debating the differences in faith, because the displaced people have suffered for about six months," he said.

"According to reports that I have received, the negligence and abandonment of the displaced can be deemed a violation of human rights," Albert, a former member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), added.

Sampang Shia leaders previously said that the local government in Sampang had cut off supplies in late December, forcing the victims to depend heavily on private donors to help them pay for food and medical supplies.

Shia cleric Iklil Al Milal said that some of the victims had respiratory problems because of poor sanitation in the sports stadium in Sampang where they had been sheltering since a mob burned down their homes in Karang Gayam village last August. "One of us is suffering from dengue, while others, especially toddlers, are struggling to cope with the wet season," he said.

The Shia followers were forced to leave their village following an attack by fellow village activists labeled "intolerant groups".

According to Universalia, one of the groups that has provided legal assistance to the Sampang Shiites, there are at least 165 people sheltering in the sports center, including 29 children.

The group also reported that the East Java Police had withdrawn officers deployed to protect the displaced Shiites since Jan. 1.

"The government must be active in providing mediation to settle disputes. Officials, including the police, also have the responsibility to provide basic services to all citizens," Albert said, adding that the police must guarantee the community's safety.

Land & agrarian conflicts

Farmers arrested in violent protests

Jakarta Post - January 31, 2013

Twenty three farmers and three activists of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI) have been arrested in connection with violent protests in Palembang, South Sumatra, police confirmed on Wednesday.

Police arrested the protesters as they demolished the fences of the South Sumatera regional police office.

The farmers staged the protests after a police officer from the Ogan Ilir regency allegedly destroyed a prayer hall built on a plot of land disputed between farmers from Betung, a village in Ogan Ilir and state-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VII.

Farmers want the company to return a total 850 hectares of land it has occupied since the 1970s. They also want South Sumatera Police chief Insp. Gen. Iskandar Hasan to suspend Ogan Ilir Police chief Comr. Dheni Darmapala.

"We urge Bapak Kapolda to discharge the Ogan Ilir police chief as he committed a violent crime. He demolished a mushola [prayer hall] belonging to people in the area," said director of WALHI South Sumatera, Anwar Sadat.

Parliament & legislation

House powers must be curtailed: Experts

Jakarta Post - January 26, 2013

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The House of Representatives should be stripped of its power to select members of important state commissions such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to avoid conflicts of interest, experts say.

Allowing the lawmakers to select public officials is unhealthy, says former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie.

"It's better for the House to stop conducting fit-and-proper tests as it only wastes their time. They seem to ask serious questions during such tests but the fact is they already know beforehand who they are going to select," Jimly told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at the House recently.

He, therefore, called for a revision to the existing laws to limit the House's role in selecting members for state institutions.

Ronald Rofiandri from the Center for Legal and Policy Studies (PSHK) concurred with Jimly, saying the House's involvement in such selections only added an extra burden on the lawmakers.

"The 1945 Constitution stipulates that the House has the authority to select officials for three public institutions, namely the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court," Ronald told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Thus, he added, the House should leave the selection of members of the national commissions on human rights, corruption, child protection and so on to teams of experts in those respective fields.

Criticism has mounted questioning lawmakers' impartiality in the recent selections of Supreme Court justices and members of Komnas HAM.

Earlier in November last year, rights activists accused lawmakers of intentionally selecting several Komnas HAM commissioners with poor track records in human rights in order to secure presidential nominations of party leaders that have been implicated in human rights violation cases.

The election of the current KPK leaders is also said to have been riddled with political lobbying that analysts say could compromise the antigraft body's independence.

Commission III member Martin Hutabarat from the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party said that he supported the suggestion but emphasized that lawmakers' approval of selected officials was absolute.

"Of course, political parties have their interests. We can establish a team of experts to carry out the selection but we must be allowed to say something on the selected figures before they are actually inaugurated," he said.

Concurring with his fellow lawmaker, Deputy House Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso encouraged the public to challenge the existing laws that allowed the House to engage in the selection of officials.

"We do what we're doing because of the Constitution. I hope everyone can understand this. Nonetheless, people can encourage a change in the Constitution if they think that our authority needs to be reduced," he said.

Ethnic & communal conflicts

TNI, police join forces to deal with unrest

Jakarta Post - January 30, 2013

Ina Parlina and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – In what could be seen as a follow-up to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's new security regulation, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police struck a deal on Tuesday to allow for the military to play a greater role in dealing with communal conflicts.

The TNI and the police signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will allow the military to deploy its personnel to areas deemed to have a high risk of conflict without requiring the consent of the police or officials in the affected regions.

"Every time a military commander thinks that he needs to deploy his troops to an area that has a potential for conflict, he will be able to do so," TNI commander Adm. Agus Suhartono told a press conference at the TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday. Agus said that the measure would be more effective in preventing conflicts. "This is crucial so that every time the police need our help, we will be able to provide it in time," he said.

In such cases, the military personnel will be under the command of the TNI but if it is the police who call for military assistance, the police will be in charge of the operation and pay logistical costs. Agus pledged that in any deployment military personnel would uphold human rights and troops violating human rights would face court martial.

National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said that under the MoU security problems could now be quickly resolved as the TNI had a legal framework within which to work. There previously was no legal basis for the military to assist the police.

"We require personnel to handle situations such as demonstrations and [communal] conflicts fast," he said. "Under the MoU we can now request military assistance."

On Monday, Yudhoyono issued Presidential Instruction No. 2/2013, a new regulation aimed at better coordinating efforts to handle communal and social disputes.

The instruction will allow the coordinating political, legal and security affairs minister, home minister, attorney general, chief of police, National Intelligence Agency head, National Counterterrorism Agency head and local leaders to have a line of coordination to effectively handle security problems.

Rights groups have criticized the issuance of the new regulation saying that existing laws could be effectively used to deal with communal conflicts.

On Tuesday, rights activists aimed their criticism at the TNI-police agreement. Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Haris Azhar said that the MoU could create a chaotic management of security that could lead to more human rights violations.

Haris said that the mechanism for military assistance should be regulated by a law, instead of an MoU. "Because it is an MoU, it is as if the police and the military want us to think that other institutions should not be involved in its deliberation, including civic groups and the House of Representatives," he said.

Al Araf of rights watchdog Imparsial was concerned over possible abuse of the MoU. "After the presidential instruction, now the MoU. Don't make ground rules that only provide a blank check for the military to deal with security problems; it's dangerous," he said on Tuesday. (han)

SBY issues regulation to quell conflicts

Jakarta Post - January 29, 2013

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Concerned by the increasing number of communal conflicts throughout the country, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued on Monday Presidential Instruction No. 2/2013, a new regulation aimed at better coordinating efforts to handle communal and social disputes.

The new regulation will allow governors, mayors, and regents to play bigger roles in dealing with communal conflicts.

The instruction will also allow the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Home Minister, Attorney General, chief of Police, National Intelligence Agency head, National Counterterrorism Agency head and local leaders to have a line of coordination to effectively handle security problems.

"Last year, violence and disturbances, social conflicts and communal disputes, as well as acts of terrorism, continued to occur. This means that our security, particularly public order and safety, are not being well maintained," Yudhoyono said on Monday, explaining the reason for the issuance of the new regulation.

Yudhoyono said that the regulation was a response to complaints that the "state and law enforcement officials have been negligent in dealing with the conflicts".

"Under the new instruction, there should be no hesitation in taking action. We can no longer deal with communal conflicts that have been left unresolved. Do not let them turn into time bombs," he said.

In recent months, the government has been subject to a barrage of criticism attacking the government for failing to handle social conflicts.

Meanwhile, rights groups have opposed the national security bill, saying it will only violate human rights. The deliberation of the bill has recently been suspended.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto insisted the new measure would not violate human rights, nor would it be used as a tool for repression. "Don't think the new regulation as something that it is not," Djoko told a press conference.

Djoko said that he could guarantee that the security authorities would act responsibly. "No actions will go beyond the boundaries; I stress again that this [instruction] is based on existing laws," Djoko said.

The main idea was to handle disturbances more effectively and with better coordination, he added.

"Some think the government allows such conflicts to occur. The police, with help from relevant government institutions, need to act fast in handling social conflicts," he said. "This will allow for early detection of potential conflict so that we can show the public that there is no such thing as government negligence."

Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi said the new regulation would more effectively coordinate different government institutions.

Activist Al Araf from human rights watchdog Imparsial criticized the issuance of the new regulation, saying that it was redundant as existing laws could effectively be used to deal with communal conflicts.

"Identifying the root cause [of a conflict] is a must. But the government must get a clear view here. For instance, many religious conflicts result from growing intolerance backed by the government's own discriminatory policies," he said. "The instruction is an easy way to counter their own failure," he said.

The government has warned against escalating tensions this year with violent, communal conflicts remaining the primary source of security disturbances.

Late last year, Yudhoyono ordered local government heads to engage with the public through social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, to deal with communal conflicts. Yudhoyono told governors, regents, mayors, heads of local police and local military commanders that they should all have a social media presence.

Government inaction blamed for ethnic clashes

Jakarta Globe - January 28, 2013

Spiritual leaders say that religious-based clashes in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, have highlighted the inability of the government to address the root causes of conflicts that have plagued the country in recent years.

At least 3,000 people – most of them ethnic Balinese Hindus – fled their homes following mass fighting in Sumbawa Besar last Tuesday. Many buildings, vehicles and public facilities were damaged in the ensuing riots.

In a seminar held by the Center for Dialogue and Cooperation Among Civilizations (CDCC) on Sunday, leaders agreed that weak law enforcement was behind recurring clashes, saying those who perpetrated the violence often went unpunished.

Romo Benny Susetyo of the Indonesia Bishops Conference said that as well as being illegal, violence was contrary to the principles of justice and human rights.

"The government must have the nerve to enforce the law impartially. This is the only way we can hope that violence will not be repeated," he said.

The Sumbawa violence followed a misunderstanding over the death of a local woman on Jan. 19. The woman, Arniati, was said to have died after being raped by her police officer boyfriend, an ethnic Balinese.

An autopsy instead showed that she died in a traffic accident when riding on a motorcycle with her boyfriend, identified as Brig. Eka Gede Suwarjana.

The officer and the victim were riding along the Sumbawa-Kanar highway when the motorcycle slipped and crashed. The officer was injured in the accident and remains in hospital.

Instigated by the rumor, however, a mob of hundreds of people attacked targets associated with the predominantly Hindu ethnic Balinese community.

They vandalized 12 homes, two shops, a hotel and a traditional market, and torched several buildings and cars. They also threw rocks at Hindu temples.

At least 3,000 members of the ethnic Balinese community fled for Bali and Lombok. Police have since named 33 people as suspects in the case.

Din Syamsuddin, the chairman of Islamic group Muhammadiyah, agreed that the authorities failed to perform their duty to deter violence among people.

"We hope the government is serious in ending such conflicts so that they don't spread to other areas," he said. "Police must arrest the intellectual actors behind the clashes."

Jakarta & urban life

Squatters get homes, official gets the boot

Jakarta Post - January 31, 2013

Sita W. Dewi, Jakarta – Deputy Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has removed the official in charge of Marunda low-cost apartments in North Jakarta as ex-Pluit Dam squatters, made homeless in the floods, began relocating.

In the administration's first tough move to clean up bureaucracy, Ahok announced on Wednesday that he had uncovered brokerage and subleasing practices that made it difficult for squatters to move into the refurbished apartment complex.

"It has been said that nobody wants to move into the apartments. Actually, lots of them want to but have been denied. We have reports from residents and we ran checks," Ahok said at his office.

"This man has been disrupting our efforts to move the squatters into the apartments so it is time for him to leave." Ahok was referring to Kusnindar, head of apartment area I technical operations unit with the housing agency.

The agency has appointed Jati Waluyo to replace Kusnindar. Kusnindar's next assignment remains undisclosed.

The administration has collaborated with relevant agencies to promote a healthy lifestyle among residents. "They will start learning how to live in a clean area as we relocate them to the apartments," he said.

The buildings meant for Jakarta's low-income households, most of which were built between 2007 and 2009, have been neglected for years. Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo blamed mismanagement for the vacant units.

"What was needed was proper promotion for the complex," Jokowi told reporters at City Hall on Wednesday. "Once the deputy governor provided buses and took the squatters on a tour of the apartments, they became interested in moving in."

The administration will prioritize flood victims and residents affected by the city's projects, he said. Jokowi blamed a lack of supporting facilities as a factor that might have made people reluctant to live there.

"Who wants to live in an area where there's no health center, no market, and no buses to connect them to other places? But the situation has improved. Even I want to live there now," he said.

Ahok lured the squatters by promising to give the first few families furniture, a TV and staple food. Ahok also provided free buses for the families who agreed to move in.

According to Jakarta Housing and Building Agency chief Novizal, 10 out of the 15 apartment blocks owned by the administration, with 100 units each, were inhabited as of Tuesday.

There are 26 blocks in total at the complex. The remaining 11 are owned by the central government. Each unit is subsidized and rented for between Rp 150,000 (US$15.50) and Rp 200,000 per month.

Novizal said the agency was still renovating the administration's 500 remaining units. "500 units have yet to be connected to electricity and water," he said, declining to specify a deadline for the work to be completed.

Meanwhile, the administration is restoring the 80-hectare Pluit Dam, which has silted up to a depth of only 3 meters from an initial 10 meters.

"The Sanitation Agency will handle the process. Hopefully, it will be completed by October," he said. The administration will spend Rp 2 billion on the work.

Experts challenge city, government's plans to address floods

Jakarta Post - January 28, 2013

Jakarta – Urban planners are urging the central government and the Jakarta administration to leave behind their old-fashioned ways to counter the capital's endemic flooding problem and to start looking for eco-friendly solutions.

Elisa Sutanudjaja, an analyst with city planning watchdog the Rujak Center, said on Saturday that channeling floodwater to the sea through a waterway and deep tunnel was an ancient solution to overcoming floods.

"The government and the administration should find a solution to manage and keep the rainwater to meet their citizens' needs for water during the dry season," Elisa said. "The drainage system, including waterways they insist on building, is no different from the solution proposed by the colonial government hundreds of years ago."

Elisa said the administration should focus on adding more green spaces to absorb rainwater, rather than channel the water all the way to the sea.

"The government should change the concrete water canals into green spaces that can provide the soil the ability to absorb rainwater," she said, citing the example of Singapore's Kallang River, a once straight concrete drainage channel that has been restored into a natural river.

"The city is always swamped by floods during the rainy season, but faces [clean] water shortages during the dry season. The administration should change their way of thinking."

Trisakti University urban planner Nirwono Joga echoed Elisa's sentiments, saying that the city needed an eco-friendly approach to prevent flooding and should avoid polluting the sea with floodwater.

"The government and the administration still see heavy rainfall and floods as a disaster and don't think about the possibility of managing the water and turning it into drinking water," he said.

He said that 9.8 percent of the city was currently made up of green spaces, and that the government should increase that percentage to at least 30 percent.

Elisa also debated the administration's plan to construct a deep tunnel, saying it would not solve the problem because parts of Jakarta's land mass were around 4 meters below sea level.

"This means the administration is planning to pump the water from the deep tunnel all the way to the ground and then channel it to the sea," she said, highlighting how inefficient and costly the project would be.

The government and the city administration say they will jointly construct a waterway to connect the Ciliwung River to the East Flood Canal and undertake a massive river dredging project in an effort to allow river water to reach Jakarta's north coast unimpeded.

Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has ordered the Jakarta Development Planning Board (Bappeda) and the administration's legal bureau to incorporate plans for the Rp 16 trillion (US$1.65 billion) deep tunnel in drafts of the city's detailed spatial plan and zoning regulation (RDTR) for 2012 to 2013 and the mid-term regional development plan (RPJMD) for 2013 to 2017.

Despite the skeptics, Jakarta Public Works Agency head Ery Basworo stood by the administration's plan on waterways and the deep tunnel.

He said it was impossible to turn canal's concrete embankments into green spaces to absorb river water because it would destabilize the embankments.

However, he said, it was possible to dig percolation pit-like wells along the canals and percolation pits at commercial buildings to maintain the water supply.

"Also, the [deep] tunnel will spare the city from flooding. Water that inundates the ground will be moved to the deep tunnel, and then channeled to the north coast of Jakarta," Ery said, adding the tunnel would be equipped with a sufficient number of pumps to prevent inundation, with details to follow. (nad)

Indonesian governor inspires, but can he deliver?

Associated Press - January 24, 2013

Chris Brummitt, Jakarta, Indonesia – Cheering crowds greeted the new leader of this Asian megacity as he toured its flooded business district atop a handcart typically used to haul garbage. Men, women and children waded through dirty water to shake his hand, shout greetings and hear his vague promises that their lives will get better.

"Come the dry season, we need to do something real, something concrete," Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo said last week. "We need a breakthrough, whether that be a massive reservoir or whatever."

It's the kind of populist moment you see from many of the world's big-city mayors, but it's not typical for Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia. More than 14 years since dictator Suharto was overthrown, its politicians are still mostly drawn from the same stock: wealthy businessmen or former generals running more on connections and money than experience in government.

Enter Widodo, known universally by an affectionate nickname, "Jokowi." He comes from Solo, a smallish city in the middle of Java, and speaks Indonesian with the thick accent of people from those parts. He dresses simply in a white shirt and slacks, resembling one of the office workers who cram into Jakarta's falling-apart buses every day.

Widodo's trip through his inundated city of 14 million reflected his hands-on approach to leadership, a style that helped him win election in September against an incumbent who was backed by the establishment political parties.

The 51-year-old has made several moves aimed at shoring up support among the poor, including a big increase in the minimum wage, but many tough decisions, including those surrounding Jakarta's woeful infrastructure, remain ahead of him. The city is wracked not only by floods, but by corruption, worsening traffic congestion and a widening gap between rich and poor.

"I don't feel under any burden," he said in a 25-minute chat at a street- side coffee shack two weeks before the floods struck. He played to a gallery of photographers who snapped wildly every time he brought a cheap glass of joe to his lips. "My task is simple," he said. "Just stop the floods and fix the traffic."

Widodo, a former furniture producer, was credited with bringing a new style of governance to Solo when he became mayor there in 2005, even though lasting achievements there are perhaps harder to pin down.

He was supported by the country's main opposition party, but appeared to distance himself from it, saying his alliance was "with the people." Many ordinary Jakartans believed him, as well as progressives and liberals, who helped in a savvy, social media-driven campaign that swept through the city's young, relentlessly online population.

"The old schemes don't necessarily lead to success anymore," said Frank Feulner, a governance specialist with the United Nations who was based in Indonesia for many years. "It's quite a development to see such a clean candidate in such a dynamic city. The fact that the political and commercial epicenter of the country has made this move is an encouragement to everyone else."

Widodo's choice of deputy cemented the idea that this was going to be a different kind of Jakarta administration. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama also began his career outside the city and developed a reputation for being tough when dealing with inefficient and corrupt staff.

One clip, uploaded by Purnama's office to YouTube, shows him angrily ordering public works officials to cut their budget by 25 percent, suggesting they have been marking it up. It has close to 1.5 million hits.

Widodo leaves much of the city's day-to-day administration to Purnama. "I'm the one who goes out and about. He improves the system from inside," he said.

One of Widodo's first acts was raising the minimum wage in the city by a whopping 40 percent to around $230 a month, winning him friends among the unions and those in formal employment, but concerning some economists who fear it will result in layoffs. He is also rolling out a health insurance scheme and free schooling for the poor, though how the city intends to pay for this over the long term is unclear.

His traffic plans include more buses to ply the city's dedicated lanes, some of which have already arrived, more roads and a scheme that would restrict the amount of cars that travel into the city center each day based on whether their license plate ends in odd or even number. He has postponed a plan to build a mass transit rail system like other Asian capitals, worried that ticket prices would be out of reach of the city's poorest.

On flood mitigation, he is proposing widening rivers, moving slum dwellers from their banks, new reservoirs outside of the city, a flood canal, 1,000 wells in downtown areas to absorb the groundwater that accumulates when the heavens open and campaigns to stop littering the waterways that crisscross the low-lying coastal city. Similar proposals were made by past governors, but they produced little.

Marco Kusumawijaya, director at the Rujak Center for Urban Studies, voted for Widodo, but is already a little concerned at what he is seeing.

"He showed signs of openness during his campaign but now I am a bit doubtful," he said. "He seems to be oscillating between 'yes' and 'no' on flood control and transport issues. I am disappointed that he and his team didn't do much homework during the campaign."

Back in Solo, people still speak well of Widodo, in large part because of his down-to-earth image and communication skills. After a first term, he won re-election there in 2009 with more than 90 percent of the vote.

But Setyo Herwanto, a researcher at foreign-funded civil society pressure group, raised some doubts about the longevity of his achievements during his seven years in charge of the city.

He said there was system in place to continue free school and health care he had initiated, and that many other of his well-published schemes to move traditional street sellers and fix traffic are no longer in place. "They were 'goodwill gestures' only. He left behind no legal framework," he said.

Yet Widodo's supporters in the opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, are already talking about him being the man that will lead their party back into power. Few believe that he will run for president in next year's polls, but five years down the line, he is already being talked up as a likely candidate.

A day after Widodo hosted a car-free New Year's Eve street party, opposition lawmaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi expressed his hopes as the governor shook hands with Jakartans in the area where the party was held – a venue the floods would inundate two weeks later. "You see that man there," he said. "He serves the people, not the leaders. In 2019 he will be president."

Armed forces & defense

Disputes on Indonesia's defense corruption index

Jakarta Globe - January 31, 2013

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Ramadhan Pohan, the deputy chairman of House Commission I that oversees defense issues, questioned the validity of results from a recent survey conducted by watchdog Transparency International UK.

In the survey, whose results were announced earlier this week, Indonesia was given an E, one step above the lowest score, in the Government Defense Anti-Corruption Index. The score meant that Indonesia is considered to be at "very high risk" of corruption.

Ramadhan said that the results of the survey were baseless. "Who does it involve, where is the evidence? If one accuses without providing the evidence, that is tyrannical," said Ramadhan, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party.

He said that if there were any violation, he would not hinder any legal process. But he added that law enforcement could not be based on opinion and perception.

"There should be at least two [forms of] evidence, and it is then eligible for it to start a legal process," said Ramadhan, who is also deputy secretary general of the Democratic Party.

Indonesia was given the same rank as Afghanistan, Iraq, Uganda, Zimbabwe and the Philippines. Among those countries ranking even lower were Libya, Egypt and Cameroon. Only two of the 82 countries surveyed had the top A grade – Germany and Australia.

Britain-based Transparency International said in its report that the Indonesian defense sector is dominated by cartels of political parties through lawmakers sitting in House Commission I.

The Indonesian armed forces is also mentioned as providing support to industries in the mining and forestry sector as well as being involved in drug trade and gambling operations. Transparency International also criticized transparency within the military, saying that there were no supervision mechanisms that could control "ghost" budgets within the ranks.

It also said there were indications of a bribery culture that remained strong within the military. The group pointed to the absence of both education on anticorruption and of a system to protect whistleblowers.

It said that although the procurements of goods and services are done openly corruption still found its way into the process. It also said that the Corruption Eradication Comission (KPK), which has been credited with battling corruption, is deemed not to have the ability to look into defense.

Revitalization of defense system discussed at TNI meeting

Jakarta Post - January 29, 2013

Jakarta – This year's Indonesian Military executive meeting (Rapim TNI), which takes place from Jan. 28 to 30, will embark on a new push to revitalize the country's primary weapons defense system (alutsista).

TNI spokesman Col. Minulyo Suprapto said on Tuesday that while last year's Rapim confirmed the urgent need to replace the country's outdated weapon systems, Indonesia had not yet fully revitalized its primary weapons defense system.

Military deployment focusing only on Java Island and a lack of funding that impeded the military's efforts to acquire a minimum essential force were recognized as other major issues affecting the country's military, he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Minulyo said the three-day executive meeting aimed to evaluate the capacity and strength of leadership among Indonesia's military leaders.

"The meeting is also aimed at offering TNI leaders knowledge about the conditions and requirements they have to meet in conducting military services in 2013," he said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono gave directions to the meeting's participants, who included TNI and police leaders, governors, mayors and regents on the first day of the meeting, which took place at the Balai Sidang Jakarta on Monday.

On Tuesday, TNI commander Adm.Agus Suhartono officially opened the second day of the meeting at the Gatot Subroto Auditorium at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta. (ebf)

Police & law enforcement

Central Java woman named suspect after crash that killed her daughter

Jakarta Globe - January 25, 2013

The National Police Commission has criticized law enforcers' recent naming of a woman as a suspect in a traffic accident in Banyumas, Central Java, that killed her 11-year-old daughter and rendered the woman herself disabled.

Nani Setyowati, 44, was driving a motorcycle on Jalan Supriyadi in Banyumas, with her daughter Kumaratih Sekar Hanifah on the seat behind her, when a trailer truck reportedly made contact with the motorcycle and sent its passengers to the pavement, killing the child instantly.

Nani was immediately rushed to hospital as a wheel of the truck crushed her leg, and she has had to return to hospital regularly to receive medical treatments since the incident, which took place in August of last year.

Nani remains bed-ridden, yet unable to move her legs, and was lying on her bed in her house in Banyumas when officers from the local police recently visited her to inform her that she had been named a suspect in the case.

She has been accused of violating the Traffic Law's Article 310, pertaining to negligence that results in fatalities. The article carries a maximum sentence of six years in jail.

National Police Commission (Kompolnas) member Hamidah Abudrachman said Nani's suspect status was "inappropriate."

"I think that's outrageous... we'll probably summon the [Banyumas] Police chief to discuss the case at the Kompolnas [office]," Hamidah told Indonesian news portal gatra.com on Friday.

"I think the strongest possible cause of the death was the truck's nudging of the victims' motorcycle. If the truck hadn't been there, the accident wouldn't have happened," she added.

Banyumas Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Dwiyono defended the police decision, arguing that they had gathered sufficient evidence.

"We've questioned witnesses, checked the crime scene and collected evidence... and concluded that the negligence that led to the accident was because of the victim's mother," Dwiyono said, as reported by detik.com.

He rejected accusations that the Banyumas Police were showing no compassion in their naming of Nani as a suspect. "Police haven't detained nor done any other actions to the victim's mother. We're still using our heart and will wait until the mother recovers," Dwiyono said.

Nani, who was still bed-ridden when detik.com interviewed her earlier this week, told the news portal that she was "sad and can't believe I've been named a suspect when me and my child were victims of the accident."

Police defend 'lavish spending plan'

Jakarta Post - January 26, 2013

Jakarta – The National Police on Friday defended their plan to spend Rp 1.366 trillion (US$140 million) for a number of procurements including the purchase of seven horses and 90 dogs that would cost Rp 16.65 billion alone.

The Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) has called the prices set in the police's spending plan "ridiculous", arguing it could also open the possibilities of misappropriation during the tender process. The National Police, however, claim that the prices were reasonable.

The National Police's general planning and development assistant Ins. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak said on Friday that the prices of listed items – such as horses, dogs, cars and laptops – were based on market values.

"We will use the Electronic Goods and Services Procurement System (LPSE) for the tender to guarantee transparency," he said during a press conference at National Police headquarters.

For the sake of transparency, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Suhardi Alius explained details of the project to journalists.

He confirmed that the police had allocated Rp 16.65 billion for the purchase of seven horses and 90 dogs from the Netherlands. "The price of the dogs ranges between $8,000 and $9,000 each. But don't just focus only on the price, we have to calculate additional costs."

In total, the dogs will cost Rp 7.83 billion, but the final price will climb to Rp 13.5 billion due to taxes, shipment and training and accommodation and transportation for the police selection team sent to the Netherlands.

"We will send the dogs to all regional police offices as security during the 2014 elections," he said, adding the dogs had abilities to chase terrorists and track down illegal drugs.

Suhardi said that another Rp 3.15 billion would cover all costs for the procurement of seven trained horses, with each priced between $20,000 and $22,000.

IPW chairman Neta. S. Pane was unsatisfied by Sulistyo's clarification, saying that the police had not shared important details on the budget allocation.

"They did not disclose the breeds and abilities of those animals clearly," he told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview. He said it was baffling that the police should spend billions of rupiah for dogs and horses.

Neta also questioned the jaw-dropping allocation for high-tech facilities. The IPW mentioned that the police allocated Rp 28 million for every laptop, Rp 7 million per external hard disk and Rp 156 million per rubber boat, and Rp 2.7 billion per search and rescue car.

"They have to be open about the specification of those facilities. As far as I know a state-of-the-art laptop doesn't cost that much, while the highest quality of external hard disk only cost Rp 3 million each," he said.

In the police's defense, Sulistyo argued that "the laptop's price will also include training package and many more. Those figures represent the maximum price that can be spent by us."

Neta suggested that the National Police use the majority of the fund to buy vehicles for police stations across the archipelago.

"In the face of the 2014 election, we need to strengthen police stations across the nation. Most stations are operating with limited vehicles. Why do we need horses? The budget for a horse could be used to buy three cars," he said.

The IPW has urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) look into the project. However, the KPK declined to do so, arguing that they needed to obtain evidence of misappropriation before launching an investigation. (yps)

Mining & energy

Government to tackle oil and gas 'brokers' on exploration

Jakarta Globe - January 26, 2013

Tito Summa Siahaan – Frustrated over the low realization of investment commitment in the exploration of oil and gas sector, the government will tighten its supervision over oil and gas companies' activities in the country, aiming to single out obscure firms.

Susilo Siswoutomo, the newly appointed deputy at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said that the government had detected the presence of "brokers" in oil and gas industries, particularly during the exploration activities.

"There are firms that have secured the exploration rights but never performed any exploration activities. Instead these firms are busy offering the rights to other firms," Susilo told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

"There will be a sanction [for these companies]," said the deputy minister without further elaboration. Most of the "brokers" are firms that cannot afford to perform expensive and risky exploration activities.

Susilo called on oil and gas firms operating in the country to abide by government-approved annual work and budget programs so that the country can meet its production and revenue targets. "These stricter supervisions would also be useful to hear their problems and concerns so that the government can be more helpful," he added.

Typically, oil and gas firms must submit their work and budget programs – – consisting mainly of investment projection, production targets and progress reports – to the government every year.

The investment realization for oil and gas exploration activities last year was $160 million of a projected $2 billion.

Susilo acknowledged that it was simplistic to put all the blame of low investment realization on the presence of "brokers," because exploration activities require a lot of investment and the risk of finding a dry well is very high.

One very recent case involved Statoil. The Norwegian firm, together with partner Pertamina Hulu Energi (PHE), had spent as much as $271 million over six years for exploration and had not found enough reserves. Both decided to return the rights to the government.

There are plans to provide tax exemptions for oil and gas companies during exploration stages, Susilo added. "But remember it would be only for exploration activities. Once they start production the tax obligation will return to normal." His statement echoed views of Energy Minister Jero Wacik, that the government planned to provide more incentives to encourage exploration.

Indonesia has seen insufficient exploration activities of late, aggravating the fact that most of the country's oil fields have entered their mature phase. The government approved 274 work and budget programs for 2013, which include 200 working areas in the exploitation stage and 74 in the exploration stage. A total of $26.2 billion will be invested in the oil and gas industry this year, but only $2.3 billion will go to exploration.

Infrastructure & development

Logistics costs rise due to high port fees

Jakarta Post - January 26, 2013

Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – Indonesian Logistics Association (ALI) has predicted that logistics costs in the country will increase by about 3 percent this year following a rise in port fees resulting from port operators' service expansion.

ALI chairman Zaldy Masita said that logistics costs, which currently account for 17 percent of the price of most goods, would rise to 20 percent. The percentage is among the highest in Southeast Asia, in which average logistics costs stand at around 10 percent.

"This is an irony. Better port services are supposed to help boost efficiencies that will eventually push down logistics costs. It appears that Indonesia lags behind countries in the region in the logistics sector," Zaldy told The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia's logistics performance is one of the poorest among ASEAN countries. It ranks 59th out of 155 developing and high income economies included in the World Bank's 2012 logistics performance index, far below the Philippines and Vietnam.

State-owned port operator Pelindo I has recently increased terminal handling costs in Belawan Port, North Sumatra by 14.3 percent to Rp 650,000 (US$62.4) per 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container.

Meanwhile, Pelindo II, also known as the Indonesian Port Corporation (IPC), plans to increase cargo handling costs by 82.8 percent to Rp 500,000 per TEU in Pontianak Port, West Kalimantan. More ports nationwide are expected to increase their fees throughout 2013, he said.

"We are worried when [the construction of] Kalibaru Port is completed, the port fees will soar because the port is being built with a large investment and offers more services," Zaldy said.

The Rp 24 trillion Kalibaru Port, also known as New Priok, is slated to eclipse the adjacent cargo gateway at Tanjung Priok Port as the country's largest industrial port, with a planned capacity of 13 million TEUs.

In the first phase, three container terminals with a total capacity of 4.5 million TEUs are expected to be completed by the end of 2015 to cope with congestion at Tanjung Priok.

Besides increasing port fees, shipowners were concerned about waiting times of container ships, which stood at more than six compared to an average three-day waiting time in major regional ports, he said.

Zaldy said that Indonesia should immediately find solutions or logistics costs would continue to rise and hurt the shipping industry.

Indonesian National Shipowners Association (INSA) chairwoman Carmelita Hartoto demanded a fee moratorium because the costs that shipowners had to pay to port operators were too high. She said that 60 percent of freight costs went to pay port fees, including stuffing, storage and terminal handling costs.

"We want the port operators to stop increasing their fees. How can we possibly decrease logistics costs if the fees continue rising? We want every stakeholder to collaborate with us in decreasing the costs," she told the Post.

Carmelita said that by keeping port fees low, shipowners could maintain low freight costs, enabling local producers to better compete with imported goods.

In addition, INSA is facing the impact of the minimum wage increase and increased electricity base price, which will both drive up operational costs.

Separately, Pelindo II president director Richard Joost Lino claimed that port fees in the firm's 12 ports, including Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, Boom Baru in Palembang, and Pangkal Balam in Bangka Belitung, were not high.

"The fee is not that high and dwell time in our ports doesn't reach six days. Even in Priok, some ships don't wait more than one day because we keep investing to help streamline the handling of containers in and out of the terminal," Lino said.

He said that one of its subsidiaries, the Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT), had recently provided the Jakarta Auto Gate System (JAGS) that provides customers with more efficient and accurate delivery and pick up of containers.

Moreover, the Transportation Ministry's sea transportation director general, Leon Muhammad, said that the ministry was going to talk to INSA and port operators to find a solution to the issue next week.

Economy & investment

Rising income burning a hole in Indonesia's pocket

Jakarta Globe - January 31, 2013

Dion Bisara – Rising consumer income in Indonesia has prompted citizens to shop till they drop and spend more on discretionary goods and services, according to a survey by Credit Suisse Group, a global investment bank.

This behavioral trend presents an ample opportunity for companies engaging in the sector, such as carmakers, fashion retailers and smartphone producers, Credit Suisse said in a report on Wednesday.

Credit Suisse conducted a global survey of 14,000 consumers across eight emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, China and India, in the third quarter of last year.

In Indonesia, the survey involved 1,531 respondents from 10 regions across the country, with 66 percent of the respondents living in urban areas and 34 percent in rural areas.

Consumers in Southeast Asia's largest economy, the survey found, were the second most confident after Brazil, with 64 percent of them expecting a rise in income over the next 12 months.

Indonesia's minimum wage went up by an average of 20 percent across the country this year. "The extra income will likely be spent on discretionary goods such as apparel and mobile phones," Ella Nusantoro, the vice president of equity research at Credit Suisse Securities Indonesia, told reporters on Wednesday.

Spending on fashion increased by almost 25 percent last year, Ella said, while spending on such staple items as dairy products and instant noodles declined.

Better distribution and new selling points have also played a part in boosting consumption. "We found that this year, the savings levels of respondents out of Java declined a bit," Ella said. "They saved in the past simply because they could not spend on the things they wanted."

Demand for housing and automobiles is also rising, the survey found, with about 30 percent of respondents saying that they planned to buy a new house or car within the next 12 months. More than half of them said they also intended to upgrade their mobile-phone handsets to smartphones.

Car sales in Indonesia hit a record high of 1.1 million units last year, with the number set to increase this year, though at a smaller rate.

Ella noted that these consumer trends would benefit companies like Astra International, Indonesia's largest auto company, retailer Mitra Adiperkasa and mobile-phone distributor Erajaya Swasembada.

"Bank Central Asia also has strong prospects since it deals in both car financing and mortgage," she said.

In terms of brand preference, the survey found that locals tend to opt for domestic brands over foreign ones for items such as instant noodles, bottled water and cigarettes due to local tastes.

However, foreign brands dominate buyer preference for discretionary items such as mobile phones, articles of fashion and cosmetics, particularly among the youth and the middle- to high-income group.

"International brands really have a foothold [in the country] because of the high rates of Internet use among the youth," Karim Salamatian, the head of non-Japan equity research at Credit Suisse, told reporters via a conference call on Wednesday.

Indonesia's per capita income has doubled in the past five years to $3,660, Credit Suisse said, citing data from the International Monetary Fund.

The government estimated that the country's economy expanded by 6.3 percent last year, while it expects it to grow by at least 6.6 percent in 2013. Private spending accounts for about two-thirds of Indonesia's economic activity.

No SOEs will go public this year, says Dahlan

Jakarta Post - January 25, 2013

Nurfika Osman and Raras Cahyafitri, Jakarta – As the government has withheld its approval for PT Pegadaian and PT Pos Indonesia to debut on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), it is almost certain that there will be no state-owned companies floating their shares this year.

State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said the government's privatization committee had decided to withhold approval for the initial public offering (IPO) plans of pawnbroker PT Pegadaian and postal firm PT Pos Indonesia.

The decision was made during a recent meeting that was also attended by Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik.

"We are not going to see any SOEs go public this year. For PT Pegadaian, the meeting has decided they will never carry out an IPO because it will affect the lives of low-income people in the country," he said.

The company has long served Indonesia's low-income population in order to help improve welfare. Floating its shares on the IDX would be a problem because it could later operate as a profit-oriented company, imposing high interest rates on customers, Dahlan said.

Regarding Pos Indonesia, the minister said that the privatization committee wanted the company to conduct a revaluation of its assets before carrying out an IPO.

"Asset revaluation will have large consequences for PT Pos Indonesia because they have to pay more tax and they do not yet have enough funds [to pay the tax]," Dahlan added.

According to Dahlan, the firm's assets are currently valued at Rp 5 trillion (US$520 million) and a revaluation would boost the figure to around Rp 10 trillion.

The minister said it would be better for the postal company to focus its business on serving people this year rather than entering the bourse.

In addition, he said that the plan of cement producer PT Semen Baturaja to debut on the IDX was not discussed during the last meeting. He said the company was waiting for a green light from the House of Representatives.

Previously, the government had expected the cement producer to go public in the first half of 2012.

Throughout last year, only construction company PT Waskita Karya offered its shares on the IDX.

Separately, IDX president director Ito Warsito said that the bourse expected to see more state-owned enterprises entering the stock exchange to help it boost market capitalization.

"Every IPO, both by state-owned companies and private firms, will increase market capitalization. There are 125 state-owned enterprises that booked profits [in 2012], meaning that they are suitable for IPOs," Ito said.

The bourse is aiming to welcome 30 new companies to the trading floor this year, higher than last year's 21 new share listings and one re-listing.

Finance & banking

Darmin irked by oil firms with dollars stashed abroad

Jakarta Post - January 29, 2013

Jakarta – Bickering between Bank Indonesia and some oil and gas companies has returned to the public domain when the bank's governor revealed that some firms refuse to deposit their dollars in domestic banks.

Bank Indonesia governor Darmin Nasution believes the refusal is partially responsible for the declining supply of US dollars in the local market.

Currently, many petrochemical giants operating here stash their dollar- based export proceeds in overseas banks and, when ordered to move their earnings to Indonesia, some of them were "disgruntled", according to Darmin.

He said that some companies told him that they "don't like to be treated this way" on the issue of dollar repatriation.

The short dollar supply in the foreign exchange (forex) market contributed to the rapid depreciation and high volatility of the rupiah in 2012, analysts have said.

In 2012, the rupiah was Asia's worst-performing currency, having depreciated as much as 5.9 percent throughout the year.

Oil and gas companies have been in the spotlight since Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo blamed them for the "thin" supply of dollars in the local forex market.

The minister told the companies to repatriate their dollars, urging them to "work together to safeguard the national economy". Darmin said that some of the businesses rejected the suggestion.

"Several companies are refusing. They argue that it goes against their contracts," the central bank governor said. "I ask them, which clause was violated?"

In 2011, Darmin issued Central Bank Regulation (PBI) No. 13 requiring exporters and debtors to bring back to Indonesia-based banks funds parked overseas. Foreign-based oil companies claim that the regulation overlaps another law.

"PBI 13 does not apply to PSC [production-sharing contract] holders, who are governed by Oil and Gas Law No. 22," Dony Indrawan, spokesperson for PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia, the biggest player in the sector, said last week without specifying details.

In its latest push, the central bank introduced PBI no. 14 in November allowing some banks to apply for so-called trust rights, a legal framework for banks to manage dollar-based funds. It is a follow-up to PBI no. 13 on export proceeds

PBI no. 14 was expected to bring home all funds stashed overseas, generating billions of dollars in forex liquidity and easing pressure on the rupiah. BI estimates that total dollar-based export proceeds in Indonesia stand at US$28-$34 billion annually.

Executives from state-owned lenders, Bank Mandiri (BMRI) and Bank Negara Indonesia (BBNI) have confirmed applying for trust rights.

According to central bank data, 11 oil and gas companies have deposited their export earnings with foreign banks – eight in New York and three in Singapore – due to the lack of a clear regulatory framework on the management of dollar-based funds in Indonesia. (sat)

Government officially starts currency redenomination campaign

Jakarta Post - January 25, 2013

Jakarta – The government officially started its campaign to strike off three zeros from the rupiah on Wednesday, with top officials expressing their optimism that the "redenomination" would make the economy more efficient without sparking inflation.

At its current rate of around 9,700 per US dollar, the rupiah appeared to be among the world's weakest currencies but its value did not accurately reflect the country's strong economic fundamentals, Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo said.

"A currency that has too many digits brings complexity to calculations and economic transactions, potentially causing mistakes and ineffectiveness [during the computation process]," the minister said during the redenomination public hearing in Jakarta.

The government has included redenomination as one of the priority bills to be discussed in the House of Representatives (DPR) this year. If the bill is passed into law, Rp 1,000 will become Rp 1 but the banknote's purchasing power will remain the same.

A transition period is slated for 2014. This means in 2014, Indonesians will have two types of banknotes circulating in the market: the existing banknotes and those with three zeros omitted.

During the transition period, all shops and businesses will have to use dual pricing; before and after the redenomination. The process will take between four and six years, meaning the old banknotes should be withdrawn by 2018.

It would be necessary for the public to know that the redenomination was different from the currency policy implemented in the 1960s, known as sanering, Agus said. The minister explained that, while sanering cut both the nominal value and the exchange (economic) value of the currency, redenomination would leave people's purchasing power unaffected.

Nevertheless, the government's plan to delete three zeros has been criticized by some parties, including Chairul Tanjung, the chairman of the President's National Economic Committee (KEN), who argued that the redenomination was unnecessary and should not be a priority.

Delivering his keynote speech at the redenomination public hearing, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Darmin Nasution took time to hit back at critics. "Those saying redenomination is not necessary, arguing that there is no price shock yet in Indonesia, are mistaken," he said.

Darmin explained that a redenomination policy could only be successful if it was implemented at a time when a country possessed both stable inflation and strong macroeconomic fundamentals – as Indonesia has at present.

The central bank is also confident that the redenomination policy will not trigger inflationary pressure. The money supply would stay at the same level despite the fact that there would be two types of banknotes during the transition period in 2014, a BI official said.

"If I need to print 1 million Rp 100,000 notes, then during that time I only need to print a half a million in that form, while another half will be printed in the form of Rp 100. The amount of banknotes circulating in the market, therefore, will remain unchanged," BI Deputy Governor Ronald Waas said on Wednesday. (sat)

Analysis & opinion

Unholy oath

Jakarta Post Editorial - January 28, 2013

Amid all the controversy on illegal wives and polygamy is the silent hope among some women – the hope for a spouse, one way or the other. "If polygamy is banned, what about me?" asked one single mother.

At a gathering of women activists on Friday, they did not appeal to their sisters to reject polygamy, which is legal under certain conditions. It was to unregistered marriages that they called on women to object.

The Islamic marriages, called siri, which are unregistered by the state, "are highly disadvantageous to women as they have no legal protection," said former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Wahid. Because of the largely lax requirements, the siri has become a convenient way for many Muslim men to take additional wives, without the first wives' permission – or prior knowledge.

Sinta, the widow of former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, was addressing a press conference in light of the Supreme Court's decision last week to grant the request made by the Garut Legislative Council in West Java to impeach Regent Aceng Fikri. Aceng became a household name when it became known that he had divorced his second wife four days into their marriage, saying the teenager was not a virgin.

The case caused an uproar – and the only silver lining in a number of similar cases is that the Supreme Court's decision may be a lesson for other public officials. Other women have boldly reported what used to be considered part of a woman's lot but endured in silence – more so if the husband held high public office.

The Supreme Court stated that Aceng had violated his oath when he was sworn in as a public official, as the pledge included allegiance to the Constitution and the nation's laws. In this case, he had violated the Marriage Law, which stipulates that all marriages must be registered. Child advocates were angered that he had abused a minor, but the 1974 law states that brides must be at least 16 years old – a compromise to the reality in the 1970s when many girls were married off much earlier.

Aceng's lawyer argues that the affair was personal; however, the Supreme Court stated that, as an individual, the regent could not be separated from his position as a public official.

The regent may have been shocked that his behavior, which is not all that unique among men here, should become so high profile to the point of having his position threatened.

On the heels of Aceng's case were reports from the wife of the deputy mayor of Magelang, Central Java, and the wife of the mayor of Palembang, South Sumatra, who claimed they were abused and cheated on by their husbands.

Last week, the Judicial Commission recommended that the Supreme Court fire judge Muhammad Daming Sunusi, a justice candidate, following his statement that rapists should not be sentenced to death as the victim might have "enjoyed" the intercourse. Former Constitutional Court chief Jimly Asshiddiqie said the dismissal would be too much because Daming was only representing a common, albeit inappropriate, attitude of the Indonesian male.

So true – yet the fact that both men and women were angered by Daming and Aceng's cases reflects a widespread sense that at least public officials and law enforcers should become models of behavior – starting with their marriage vows.

Women fall victim to sharia law in Aceh

Direct Action - January 25, 2013

James Balowski, in Jakarta – Ignoring outrage and mockery at home and overseas, a town in Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh is pressing ahead with a by-law banning female passengers from straddling motorcycles on the grounds that doing so reveals a woman's "curves".

"We've seen that people's behaviors and morals are getting far from Aceh's Islamic cultural values. Therefore we will issue a regulation that will ban women from straddling while sitting on the passenger's seat of motorcycles", Lhokseumawe Mayor Suaidi Yahya told the Jakarta Globe on January 2.

Yahya said the ban was necessary because the "curves of a woman's body" are more visible than when they are sitting sideways. "Muslim women are not allowed to show their curves, it's against Islamic teachings." Yahya said he hoped the by-law would discourage women from wearing pants in public, adding he has also been considering a ban on women wearing denim. "In Islam, women are not allowed to wear jeans", he told the January 3 Jakarta Post.

The municipal government began enforcing the regulation on January 7 – though only for civil servants – and has been distributing handouts to government offices and villages to inform local residents of the new policy, which will come into full effect after a three-month "trial period". Notices have been posted at busy public locations and banners promoting the ban put up around the city by Islamic groups such as the Ulema Consultative Assembly, an assembly of conservative religious leaders in Aceh.

The regulation also prohibits residents travelling by any type of vehicle from hugging, embracing or holding on to each other in ways that violate Islamic law or Acehnese culture and traditional customs; forbids men and women passing through public places from wearing clothing that does not cover their aurat (in the case of women the entire body except the hands and face); and prohibits people from wearing tight clothing or other apparel that violates sharia law. Exceptions are provided for situations where it is "unavoidable or in an emergency", but these are not specified, nor are the sanctions for violating the by-law.

Religious leaders

Aceh adopted partial sharia law in 2001 as part of a special autonomy package introduced by the government of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. The move was widely seen as an attempt to garner support from Aceh's religious elite to counter the rising tide of separatism.

Following Helsinki peace agreement between the armed separatist Free Aceh Movement and Jakarta in 2005, leaders of the movement initially indicated that they would repeal sharia law. But after transforming into the Aceh Party and winning a landslide victory in the 2009 elections, it has since supported the spread of such laws. All five candidates in the Aceh gubernatorial elections in March campaigned for wider enforcement of sharia law and a greater role for Islamic clerics in government affairs. The Aceh Party backed Yahya as its Lhokseumawe mayoral candidate in 2012.

Aceh's religious leaders responded enthusiastically to the by-law. "[According to] Islamic values this is very beautiful, everything is regulated properly. If [women] want to get close to their husbands, please go ahead and do it at home or inside a room, not in public", Lhokseumawe Ulema Consultative Assembly chairperson Tgk H. Asnawi Abdullah told the Aceh Post on January 1.

Indonesia's top religious body also gave its blessing. "I think it is a good regulation, because women straddling motorcycles is not good", Ma'ruf Amin, the chairperson of the Indonesian Council of Ulema was quoted as saying by the Antara state news agency on January 8. Citing a hadith, or a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad stating, "What is seen as good by Islamic people is also seen as good by God", Amin said "Straddling is impolite for women", adding that females should choose other means of transportation.

The Council of Ulema, which according to Transparency International Indonesia routinely accepts bribes related to the management of halal (permitted under Islam) certificates, has been ridiculed in recent years for issuing a plethora of edicts against everything from yoga and Valentine Day to women straightening their hair and premarital photographs. It has backed scores of sharia-based regional regulations around the country and has been accused of stoking religious violence against minorities. Currently it is on a crusade against a campaign by women's activists to outlaw female circumcision, which is sanctioned by the government.

'Lunatic proposal'

National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) chairperson Yuniyanti Chuzaifah slammed the move. "I cannot understand the aims of such a policy. Local government should focus more on providing protection and service to women who fall victim to violence and enhancing education for women instead", she told the Jakarta Post on January 3.

Acehnese women activists called it a "lunatic proposal". "The way women ride a bike, how they speak and how they dress should not be the concern of the government", said Norma Manalu from the Balai Syura Ureung Inong Aceh NGO.

The Care for Sharia Civil Society Network, a network of women's and human rights groups, called on women to defy the by-law, saying the argument that it is designed to uphold Aceh's traditional values flies in the face of Acehnese history, in which revered women warriors such as Cut Nyak Dien engaged in armed combat against Dutch colonial forces and female combatants known as Inong Balee fought Indonesian troops during the armed separatist conflict in 1976-2005.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said sharia law is being used to justify violent mob rule. Speaking at a press conference on January 3, Kontras Aceh provincial coordinator Destika Gilang Lestari said that there were 50 cases of sharia-linked violence last year, up from 47 in 2011. The group noted that Aceh's abusive sharia police routinely commit violence during raids on suspected offenders, which are conducted in a discriminatory manner and mostly target women.

'Problematic' by-laws

Clearly embarrassed by uproar over the straddling ban, the Home Ministry said it would review more than 2500 by-laws in 2013. "We will verify all by-laws, the old ones and the new ones", home minister Gamawan Fauzi told reporters on January 17. Fauzi said the ministry had already revoked 1878 by-laws since 2002, although he conceded that most of these concerned local levies about which businesses complained.

Two ministerial decrees recently authorised the government to strike down local ordinances that contradict national law, which have proliferated since the introduction of regional autonomy in 2002. This is seen as a face-saving gesture after the government rejected most of the key recommendations by the UN Human Rights Council in May, which released a damning periodic review urging Indonesia to revoke legislation that curbs religious freedom and discriminates against women.

As of last August, Komnas Perempuan said it had found 282 local government by-laws and policies across the country that discriminate against women, mostly in the name of religion and morality. In 2009 there were 154 by-laws that negatively affected the constitutional rights of women, which jumped to 189 in 2010 and 207 in 2011. The laws are spread across hundreds of regencies and coincide with a six-fold increase in cases of violence against women between 2007 and 2011.

Given the government's past record, however, rights activists are sceptical, noting that none of the by-laws revoked by the ministry were those that infringe women's rights. "Local administrators as well as those in the central government think that all regulations that govern women's bodies and lives are essential, thus they are reluctant to do anything about them. To me this shows the government's lack of commitment to promoting women's rights...", Siti Musdah Mulia of the Indonesian Conference of Religions and Peace told the Jakarta Post on January 5.

Muhammad Isnur from the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation criticised the ministry for failing to uphold the nation's motto of Bhineka Tunggal Ika, or unity in diversity. "They do not dare touch controversial areas", Isnur told the Post on January 18. "They were there to settle problematic bylaws on regional taxes and levies, but not the ones that force Muslim women to wear headscarves or schoolchildren to be able to read the Koran."

Despite the fact that the Lhokseumawe government is already enforcing the by-law, Fauzi – who in the past has argued that such laws are in line with the authority granted under regional autonomy and would not be repealed – responded to the straddling ban by claiming that he could not do anything about it because "It was only a proposal".