Yuliasri Perdani and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Sutarman vowed to take stern action against violent protesters in the wake of a clash between Makassar State University (UNM) students and local police personnel in the capital city of South Sulawesi, which left the Makassar City Police's deputy chief seriously injured.

"This is a country of law. Everyone has the right to stage a rally, but if it turns into chaos, we will get tough in enforcing the law, including in the prosecution of the perpetrators," he said in Depok, West Java on Friday.

The protest against the expected fuel-price hikes took an ugly turn when some students began shooting arrows at police personnel guarding the protest site. During the clash, the city's deputy police chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Lisdianto, was shot in the right armpit and was immediately rushed to a local hospital for a surgery.

The arrow attack prompted the police officers to beat and arrest some of the student protesters, who then fled the scene for the campus' classrooms.

Separately, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the protest did not represent the general view of Makassar students and universities on the government's plan to hike fuel prices.

"The majority of the protests are small-scale, joined by between 10 to 20 individuals. Yesterday's rally became noticeable thanks to the presence of the media. When mass media outlets covered them, they ran amok, but then subsided as the media crew left. That is Makassar's style," Kalla, who hails from the city, told journalists at the vice-presidential palace.

The vice president also applauded the police's swift response in handling the violent protesters. "I appreciate the [South Sulawesi] Police chief who is committed to acting against any individuals who attempt to stir up violence," he said.

During the Makassar clash, police officers allegedly assaulted four photographers and television journalists, who were covering the arrest of the UMN students.

The police forcibly commandeered a memory card from a camera belonging to a photographer from the Koran Tempo newspaper and allegedly attacked a Metro TV correspondent, causing an injury to the latter's left temple. Sutarman regretted the incidents and promised an internal inquiry into the case.

"I apologize to my journalist friends. The actions can't be justified and we will uphold the law [...] It was a violation of the police's disciplinary rules and code of conduct," he said, adding that the force was still working to identify the officers responsible for the assault.

A number of journalists' and photojournalists' associations have issued statements condemning the police's heavy-handed approach and demanding a thorough and fair investigation into the incident.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/police-get-tough-protesters-following-makassar-clash.html

Student rally against fuel-price hike turns ugly

Jakarta Post - November 8, 2014

Andi Hajramurni and Apriadi Gunawan, Makassar/Medan – A protest on Friday against the planned fuel-price increase ended in a clash between students and police in front of the Makassar municipal council building in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

Students staged rallies in several points in the city, such as in front of the municipal council, Muhammadiyah University and the Indonesian Muslim University in Makassar.

Students also blockaded roads, burned used tires in the middle of the road and paralyzed traffic on Jl. Andi Pengerang Pettarani, Jl. Sultan Alauddin and Jl. Urip Sumihardjo in Makassar. As well, the students vandalized a traffic light and damaged the facilities at a gas station.

As of 6 p.m., angry residents also joined the clash against students from Muhammadiyah University who ran into their college building on Jl. Sultan Alauddin.

Hendra, one of the angry residents, said they really wanted to go home and were annoyed with the blockade and exhausted by being stuck on the street.

"We appreciate the students' efforts to oppose the fuel-price increase, but they are not supposed to block the road. Such an action only causes problems for ordinary people like us," he said.

Besides blockading Jl. Alauddin and Jl. Urip Sumihardjo, the students seized a trailer and parked it across the road.

The protesters were forcefully dispersed by hundreds of police personnel using tear gas and water cannon. During an incident in which students tossed rocks, bamboo and sticks at police, a number of students were arrested.

"As many as 600 personnel were deployed to secure the rallies," said South Sulawesi Police community affairs division chief Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi.

Protests against the planned increase of fuel prices also took place in Medan, North Sumatra. Around 200 people from various community groups in Medan rallied at the state oil and gas company PT Pertamina and at the North Sumatra legislative council building on Friday.

The protesters, affiliated with the North Sumatra Corruption Eradication People's Movement (Gebrak) and the North Sumatra Community Presidium, urged the government, through PT Pertamina, to not raise fuel prices.

Rally coordinator Saharuddin said the policy of raising fuel prices would bring a rise in the price of food. This, he added, would impose economic hardship on the community, especially on those from low-income groups.

"Fuel prices have not yet increased, but the prices of goods in the market have risen. What will happen if the fuel prices are increased, the prices of goods will become even higher. This will obviously place a harsh burden on underprivileged families," Saharuddin said, addressing a crowd in front of the PT Pertamina office in Medan on Friday.

He said the administration of President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla should first work to prove the economy could grow by more than 7 percent prior to raising fuel prices. Then, Saharuddin said, people would be able to afford to follow the increase in production costs in every sector that would occur as a consequence of the rise in fuel prices.

PT Pertamina Marketing Operation Region I spokesman Zainal Abidin said Pertamina was just a fuel distributor. He emphasized Pertamina had no authority to raise fuel prices.

"We don't have the authority to decide whether or not to raise fuel prices. Our stance is to wait for the government and abide by the law," he said.

"We appreciate the students' efforts to oppose the fuel-price increase, but they are not supposed to block the road. Such an action only causes problems for ordinary people like us."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/08/student-rally-against-fuel-price-hike-turns-ugly.html

West Papua

Saifi community rejects palm oil plantation in Sorong Selatan regency

Tabloid JUBI - November 14, 2014

Sorong – Residents in Salfi Sub-district of Sorong Selatan Regency rejected the local government's plan to invite a palm oil plantation company to their area, said Customary Council community leaders.

"We absolutely reject it, because it would affect to the sustainability of our dense forest," the Secretary of Sekanoi Customary Council Simson Sremere said. He further said the plam oil plantation would threat and damage the forest sustainability in their customary area.

"In addition, the deforestation for the palm oil plantation could threaten the habitat of various animals in our forest," he said.

The presence of a palm oil company could have an adverse effect on the local economy and marginalize the local community as the company would tend to hire migrant employees.

Meanwhile, a youth leader from Sayal Vilalge, Maikel Ajamsaru asked the Sorong Selatan Government to decline the MoU with the major investment companies who threat the ecosystem within other regions in Sorong Selatan Regency. "Local government must review some agreements with the future investment companies," kata Ajamsaru said. (Nees Makuba/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/?p=3364

New political party, Papua Bersatu, to be declared

Tabloid JUBI - November 14, 2014

Jayapura – A new local political party, Papua Bersatu (Papua United), will be declared next week, its chairman said.

The declaration was to be on Monday (18/11) in Jayapura, the General Chairman of Papua Unite Party, Cris Fonataba said. He said the establishment of a local party is in accordance with article 28 of Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law.

"The idea to establish a local party was a result of considerations and discussions among components of society in Papua. The community's components and student senate would participate in its declaration," Fonataba said on Thursday (13/11).

However, he said, it has no connection with the 14 seats for the indigenous Papuans at the Papua's Parliament, but simply to support the thought of the Papua's Parliament and Papuan People's Assembly and the people of Papua.

Earlier, the law expert from the Cenderawasih University, Yusak Reba said he thought the Otsus Law was not clear about the establishment of a local political party, unlike in Aceh.

"Thus, such discourse will only be a waste. The article 28 does not include the mechanism and the legal basis to establish the local political party. It has multiple and vague interpretations. Therefore it's difficult to realize a local political party (in Papua)," Reba told Jubi in the early of October.

He further said the vagueness includes the absence of legal basis to regulate the establishment of local party, and it couldn't be included in the Special Regional Law (Perdasus/Perdasi) because it would contradict with the Political Party Law.

According to him, the different between Aceh and Papua about this issue is related to the Papua's struggle to develop and improve the Special Autonomy Law.

"To realize a local political party in Papua, the Papua's Parliament must endorse the local materials on the political party regulation, which consisted a separate chapter allowing the establishment of local political party in Papua in proper with the Article 28 of the Otsus Law," said Reba. (Arjuna Pademme)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/?p=3362

Papua has huge potential in emission reduction: Experts

Jakarta Post - November 13, 2014

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Experts have said Papua still has huge potential to contribute to land-based carbon emission reduction efforts because it has a lower level of carbon emissions from the land sector compared to other regions in Indonesia.

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Indonesia coordinator Sonya Dewi said Papua was the province with the largest forest coverage in Indonesia.

"As of 2013, forests in Papua cover 31,687,680 hectares of land, which is equal to 27 percent of total primary forest coverage in Indonesia," said Dewi in Jayapura on Thursday. She said with this potential, Papua could play a vital role in initiatives to reduce carbon emissions from the land sector.

Dewi was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day ICRAF workshop to review the implementation of the Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation by Civil Society on Land-use Planning for Low Emissions Development Strategy (ParCiMon) and the Locally Appropriate Mitigation Action (LAMA-1) programs.

Dewi said ParCiMon was designed to support Papua in achieving its low emission development targets as part of its contribution to the national climate change mitigation strategy.

"The project is focused on developing the capacity of civil society to be able to participate in the planning, monitoring and evaluation process of land-based low emission development activities," she said.

The ParCiMon project is being carried out in three regencies – Jayapura, Jayawijaya and Merauke – for four years from January 2013 to December 2016.

Meanwhile, LAMA-1, a capacity-building program to help local administrations in formulating good land use planning as a solution to realizing low emission development, is taking place over four years from July 2013 to May 2017.

Dewi said that halfway through the implementation of ParCiMon and LAMA-1 projects in Papua, a number of activities conducted had resulted in several crucial initial lessons.

"In Jayapura regency, the Low Emission Development Initiative Working Group has been successful in implementing two mitigation actions through development plans, namely reforesting critical land and rehabilitating sago palm forests in Sentani," she said.

Suyanto, team leader of ParCiMon and LAMA-1 from ICRAF, said lessons learned in the three regencies would hopefully give input to stakeholders at the provincial level in anticipating the national action plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (RAN-GRK) which would be implemented in regency and municipality levels soon. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/13/papua-has-huge-potential-emission-reduction-experts.html

Transmigration is the last thing that papua and its people need

Jakarta Globe - November 10, 2014

Bobby Anderson – Marwan Jafar, President Joko Widodo's new minister for village development, disadvantaged regions and transmigration, announced on Oct. 31 that he would make Papua more attractive to Javanese migrants by working with the police and military to provide security there.

Marwan, from the National Awakening Party (PKB), one of the smaller parties in Jokowi's cabinet, might have been seeking to impress his boss with his can-do attitude. Instead, his statement reveals a complete ignorance of the volatility in Indonesia's easternmost province, of which tension between migrants and Papuans is a part.

Papuans are utterly marginalized by the Indonesian government, from the ministerial level on downwards. They have the lowest life expectancies in Indonesia, the highest maternal and child mortality rates, the lowest educational levels, and the lowest incomes. In the hinterlands where most indigenous Papuans live, the presence of the state is found in shuttered schools and empty clinics. The area hosts the last active insurgency in Indonesia, and the majority of Papuans support independence because the state has no relevance in their lives.

Special Autonomy has provided nothing beneficial to ordinary Papuans: returns from Papua's mineral wealth are soaked up by a constipated bureaucracy or otherwise misused.

And then there's migration. Migrants from other parts of Indonesia now constitute over half the population of Papua province. In 2010, the ratio of non-Papuans to Papuans was 52-48. The indigenous Papuan population grows at 1.84 percent a year; the migrant population, 10.82 percent. The 2014 ratio may be 60 migrants to every 40 Papuans.

In Papua's towns, where the most of the functioning schools and health clinics are found, and where migrant populations are concentrated, the ratio is even more extreme. Jim Elmslie at the University of Sydney predicts that indigenous Papuans will be only 29 percent of the provincial population by 2020. If mines, palm plantations, and other extractive enclave investments continue to expand, unregulated migration will increase in tandem, and Elmslie's prediction will prove to be conservative.

Migrants absolutely dominate Papua's markets. Papua's towns are characterized by migrant businesses operating in fixed and permanent abodes, while Papuan businesses are out on the sidewalks, with goods laid out on blankets: vegetables from garden plots, betel nut, shoe repair, and so on. Most Papuans engage in subsistence-level agriculture, petty trades, and day labor. The service industry favors hiring migrants, as do construction contractors. Papuans are generally found in either the civil service or in subsistence.

Papuans cannot compete for a few important reasons. Firstly, education: migrants have benefitted from schools in their areas of origin: second- and third- generation migrants are concentrated in towns where their kids attend working schools. But rural areas where the majority of Papuans live have never benefitted from a systematic and functioning educational system. Papuans aren't getting the educations that are required for market transactions, because most of the teaching positions are no-show jobs. Markets are not understood instinctively: we learn them theoretically in school and practically in business. Capitalist markets are themselves alien to Melanesian societies were exchanges are meant to form reciprocal bonds, not generate profit (this is why bargaining in indigenous markets doesn't work).

Second, discrimination: most migrants do business within ethnic and extended family-based networks that have no place for Papuans except at the bottom rung.

Third, affirmative action: this aspect of Papua's special autonomy dissolved into the awarding of no-show civil service jobs rather than the building of an effective workforce and managerial class.

The majority of ordinary Papuans are left behind in Indonesia: they have been cheated out of educations, healthy lives, and meaningful work. The migrants who surround them in the cities are emblematic of their marginalization. This is not the fault of individual migrants, who are only seeking to better their lives: the average Papuan and average migrant have more in common with one another than they have with their own predatory elites. But current migration is viewed as nothing but a continuation of the previous transmigration program, with new arrivals resembling an undifferentiated mass of invaders who are taking jobs and economic opportunities. Papuans see migration as different points on the same continuum that ultimately leads to their extinction.

Under transmigration, the poor from densely populated islands like Java, Bali, and Madura were shipped to lesser-populated parts of the archipelago – Maluku, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua. It relocated as many as 20 million people, with the greatest numbers settled in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Javanese were primary transmigration targets because Java is one of the most densely populated areas on earth, and this was transmigration's primary concern. It was also a social engineering experiment: officials in the Suharto era were never shy about their intention to blur ethnic boundaries in the interest of solidifying an 'Indonesian' identity. Transmigration didn't succeed in alleviating poverty; instead, it distributed it, and the preponderance of transmigrants that now work as airport porters and ojek drivers in Papua attests to this.

Between 750,000 and one million transmigrants were sent to Papua: low indigenous population density ensured that they would create huge sociological and demographic impacts. They were given incentives to relocate, including grants, land and homes. Papuans were provided no such things. Health and education services were provided in migrant areas: Papuan areas did not receive the same services. Traditional land ownership was not recognized and compensation was not given for land seized to make way for these new settlements. When Papuans tried to assert their rights over the land, they were answered with violence. This also reveals the depths of the minister's ignorance about this issue: every square meter of Tanah Papua is claimed by a clan or extended family that derives sustenance from it, worships the ancestors that dwell in it, or simply has used it in the past and plans to use it in the future. Many of these borders were fought hard for, drawn in blood in the time before Indonesia. None of this land is "empty."

Transmigration was drastically reduced after Suharto's fall. At present, such population transfers are generally based upon provincial requests, of which none will be forthcoming from either Papua or West Papua. Governments there have rejected the program.

Papuans need what other Indonesians need: the rule of law and protection from the predations of their own elites. They need health care; a functioning educational system; controls on migration; a legitimate affirmative action program, not just in Papua, but nationally; and an equitable distribution of the wealth that their land produces, not simply an allowance for elites to siphon funds. Papuans need a special autonomy law guided by legislation and with limited discretionary funds: the "special autonomy plus" draft created by the government of West Papua contained many of these provisions but they were not incorporated in the flawed final draft which was ultimately rejected by Jakarta. That rejection is an opportunity under Jokowi's administration.

The last thing that Papuans need is transmigration. By asserting that Javanese transmigration will be re-started in Papua, either the minister has no clue what he's talking about, or, more frightening, he knows exactly what he's talking about. I'm betting on the former. He should do a little research before he speaks: Papua is not a stage for a new minister's fatuous utterances to the press.

This underlies the need for the Jokowi administration to rapidly design an innovative policy on Papua that transcends failed past approaches that were founded in the belief that every problem can be solved with either cash or guns. The new administration's diverse ministries must speak on Papua with one voice, and be reprimanded when they speak otherwise.

[Bobby Anderson (rubashov@yahoo.com) works on health, education and governance projects in eastern Indonesia, and travels frequently in Papua and West Papua.]

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/transmigration-last-thing-papua-people-need/

Human rights & justice

Komnas HAM publishes reviews of 7 major human rights abuses

Jakarta Post - November 15, 2014

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has started to publicly release their executive reviews of probes into seven major unresolved cases of human rights abuses. The releases, begun Friday, are intended to raise public awareness and put extra pressure on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to settle the cases.

The unresolved cases consist of the 1989 Talangsari massacre, the forced disappearances of anti-Soeharto activists in 1997 and 1998, the Trisakti University shootings, the Semanggi I and Semanggi II student shootings in 1998 and 1999, the mysterious killings of alleged criminals in the 1980s, the anti-communist massacres of 1965 and the various abuses that took place in Wasior and Wamena in Papua in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

The executive summaries, which cover the commission's findings concerning the alleged human rights violations and its recommendations to the state to prosecute the cases, would soon be made available on the Komnas HAM website. The commission will also distribute copies to human rights groups and networks.

"These documents need to be taken by the public as a collective effort to understand the importance of the process of settling gross human rights violations," commissioner Roichatul Aswidah told a press conference on Friday.

However, the summaries do not mention the identity of the alleged perpetrators because of arguments that such details should only be presented to law enforcers or courts.

For example, in the summary of its report on the probe into the Talangsari case, which was completed in July 2008, the commission found 130 civilians were murdered by the military and the police in the Lampung massacre.

According to the document, there were 19 individuals who were allegedly responsible in the case, including Gen. (ret) AM Hendropriyono, because they were the ones in charge of the military and police units allegedly involved in the 1989 incident in Lampung, which was sparked by allegations that residents were attempting to set up an Islamic state.

"What we need is the President to show his commitment in his Nawacita [or nine programs, one of which prioritizes a just settlement of past human rights violations]," said another commissioner, Natalius Pigai.

"And it actually does not need to be hard work since he only needs to issue a presidential decree ordering the attorney general [to handle the case or to set up an ad hoc human rights tribunal]."

The 2000 Law on Human Rights Trials allows the Komnas HAM to follow up reports on alleged gross human rights abuse cases and to conduct preliminary investigations, but gives the authority to investigate and prosecute those cases to the attorney general.

The law also stipulates that an ad hoc human rights court can be set up by a recommendation from the House of Representatives and a decree by the President after obtaining the investigation results from the two institutions – the Komnas HAM and the attorney general.

Only minutes after the press conference, a human rights group, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), along with several victims of the Talangsari case, went to the Komnas HAM to demand it summon Hendropriyono for him to reveal the truth about the incident.

Roichatul said, however, that her office had decided not to summon Hendropriyono because their probe had been completed.

"I assure you, our investigation found that it was a killing, not a suicide," Roichatul said, later handed out the executive review to the activists. "Just like it is stated in the documents [...] Now, these are now becoming a public document."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/komnas-ham-publishes-reviews-7-major-human-rights-abuses.html

First screening of 'Senyap' draws crowds

Jakarta Globe - November 13, 2014

Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – Historians and activists have welcomed the enthusiasm of local viewers toward the first public screening in Jakarta of "Senyap," the second documentary by award-winning American director Joshua Oppenheimer about the country's anti-communist purge, raising hopes that Indonesia and its new government may be more willing to admit to its dark past.

"Senyap" or "The Look of Silence" is a sequel to "Jagal" or "The Act of Killing," which landed the film director an Oscar nomination last year. Although he failed to win the Oscar, Oppenheimer has brought home a string of other awards for "Jagal" and recently for "Senyap" as well.

This includes the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival and the International Film Critics Award.

In Indonesia, "Senyap" had been screened privately by journalists and film enthusiasts since September, but it was only publicly screened for the first time in Jakarta on Monday – in a joint effort by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Jakarta Arts Council.

The screening took place at Graha Bakti Budaya inside the Taman Ismail Marzuki complex in Central Jakarta. Organizers said they were surprised that more than 2,000 people of all ages showed up to watch the film.

"Senyap" portrays Adi Rukun, whose brother was killed during the government crackdown on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and its sympathizers in 1965, following an alleged coup attempt by the party.

The movie follows Adi as he meets with the alleged killers of his brother in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, trying to find the truth behind his brother's death from the killers' side of the story. Adi was born a few years after his brother's death.

After several meetings, Adi and the killers' families agreed to reconcile, with wives and children of the alleged killers extending their apologies to Adi.

Oppenheimer said Indonesians have been muted or reluctant to talk about the tragedy for the past 49 years. Through his films, he wishes to encourage people to get involved in reconciliatory moves related to the human right violations committed in the Indonesian military-commissioned anti-communist purge, which resulted in the deaths of more than 500,000 people.

"The year 1965 was the starting point of severe human rights violations that took place in Indonesia. That was the start of a regime of fear. Unfortunately, the fear came from the people themselves, who killed their own brothers and sisters," the director said via a teleconference on Monday.

Oppenheimer emphasized that his films were not intended to defend PKI members, but to fight for the lives that were forcefully taken by members of mass organizations and the military at the time.

He added that human rights should not have been so easily violated just because someone adopted a different ideology that did not match that adopted by the government. "We should fight against the fear of the dark past. We shouldn't give up," he added.

Opening up

Historian J.J. Rizal of Komunitas Bambu said the public's enthusiasm for "Senyap" indicated that Indonesians are starting to realize the importance of being more open to discuss the country's dark past.

"Movies such as 'Jagal' or 'Senyap' are like a moment we've been waiting for our entire lives," Rizal told the Jakarta Globe. "The events of 1965-66 are the most brutal human rights violations committed in the 20th century, [the truth of] which has so far always been concealed. But now with these movies and a positive response from the people, I am optimistic that [the truth] will slowly revealed."

Hafiz Rancajale, a member of the Jakarta Art Council, said the unexpectedly large number of people that attended Monday's screening indicates an increasing curiosity among Indonesians towards their nation's past.

"More importantly, many of them are young people with no connection to the events [in the film]. That is necessary for more objective perspectives to reconcile with the tragedy," Hafiz said on Monday.

"This isn't only a matter of aesthetics. This is about humanity. This is also about unhealed wounds. That's what made us cry while watching 'Senyap' and 'Jagal.' No matter what, this case [and also others of human rights violations] must be resolved," he added.

Some members of the audience also shared their thoughts on "Senyap" with the Jakarta Globe.

"I've never watched any movies on the 1965 events before, except those that were funded by the military-backed government during the New Order era," Karla, 23, said. "This movie, though, has opened my mind. I know now that aside from the political turmoil, there had been gross human rights violations in our history. It was really sad and shocking to learn about those facts from 'Senyap.'"

"This movie can give the audience knowledge and enlighten them on the communists' history in Indonesia. It is an important note for me that in our history, there had been human rights violations," another viewer, Jane, said.

Ammatul, meanwhile, said "Senyap" was one of the best documentary films he had ever watched. "Joshua [Oppenheimer] has brilliantly made this film and constructed the story in a way that made every character come alive. Although it doesn't give me any new perspectives, because I've already read many versions of the 1965 events, I do admit that this film is real genius," he said.

Indie musician Rayhan Sudrajat said the movie had touched him emotionally. "When I watched 'Jagal' for the first time, it felt like my mind was struck by something hard; [the film] has reshaped my perception about the 1965 events," he said.

"Watching 'Senyap,' meanwhile, has made me feel emotional, as though I was suffering from a wound, and then drops of vinegar and salt were added to the wound."

Rayhan added that he felt pain in his chest when watching the scene of Adi's meeting with his brother's killers. "I appreciate his bravery and patience in facing his brother's killers," Rayhan said. "The movie also remind us of this nation's history, [some parts of] which have been concealed and muted for a long time... Yet, we don't really know when [the silence] will finally end."

High hopes on Joko President Joko Widodo addressed human rights issues, promising to settle unsolved cases of past abuses, during his presidential election campaign. That had won him some sympathy from human rights activists. In contrast, his rival, former Army general Prabowo Subianto, promised nothing in the area, instead carrying his own checkered human rights record during his time in the military.

"That [human rights issue] was partly the reason I voted for Joko. I know he's an honest man. And honest people keep their promises. Though I haven't heard him issue any specific [policy] about this yet, I trust him and will wait for him to fulfill those promises," Adi, who portrayed himself in "Senyap," said in an e-mail to the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

"I'm not a rich or powerful person. All I have are this film, hope and the president's promise. Additionally, the number of people attending [Monday's] movie screening has raised my hope that years of silence on this crime against humanity will end, sooner or later, with people's power," he added.

Indonesia's former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, despite previous pledges, failed to solve any past cases of rights abuses, including the 1965-1966 anti-communist purge.

Komnas HAM's investigation reports on the alleged gross rights violations during the crackdown, submitted to the Attorney General's Office, have always been returned to the human rights commission allegedly due to insufficient evidence.

This has been attributed to resistance to the investigations by those parties allegedly responsible for most of the killings, namely the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), with the assistance of paramilitary groups such as Pemuda Pancasila, then a youth wing of the Golkar Party, and Banser NU, a youth wing of Indonesia's largest Muslim group, the Nahdlatul Ulama.

Rizal said Joko should make use of the public's enthusiasm for Oppenheimer's movies to immediately act on his campaign promises concerning the rights cases.

"This is a wake-up call for Jokowi," Rizal said. "He must start to work on these human rights issues. People have trust on him. He can benefit from people's support and solve this."

Rizal added that although compensation and rehabilitation were important aspects, the very first step that should be taken is reconciliation, with an acknowledgment by the state of past crimes against the people.

"Our history must be cleaned first. That may be done through an ad-hoc court. And let's not talk about the punishment of the perpetrators. The important thing is that we are willing to sit together and talk. What is most important is that we must push for national reconciliation," he said.

"But it all depends on Joko. Is he brave enough to apologize on behalf of the country? This is a test for Joko's commitment to people who have voted for him."

Komnas HAM member Muhammad Nurkhoiron said the movie screening was aimed at helping people in Indonesia recognize their past, with new perspectives to look into the events.

"This will act as a trigger to encourage people to discuss human rights violations from the past," Nurkhoiron said on Monday. "It's not an easy task, though. It will be like breaking the wall of silence that had been created by the New Order for so many years."

Komnas HAM, he added, is planning to hold another screening for "Senyap" next month and has extended an invitation for Joko to attend. "We have invited President Jokowi and we hope that he will come. We'd like to hear from him his agenda related to human rights resolutions."

Bonnie Triyana, chief editor of Historia magazine, emphasized that the government could not ignore the issue any longer. "For 10 years, the issue of human rights had never been a priority under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration," Bonnie said.

"But along with the new president, comes new hopes. We hope President Joko could bring a light to this nation, especially concerning the settlement of human rights violations in Indonesia. This time the state must be present in reconstruction of the truth."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/first-screening-senyap-draws-crowds/

Jokowi urged to get to bottom of Talangsari case

Jakarta Post - November 10, 2014

Oyos Saroso H. N., Bandar Lampung – Victims of the bloody 1989 Talangsari tragedy in Central Lampung are demanding that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo instruct his advisor, Gen. (ret) AM Hendropriyono, to reveal the truth about the incident.

They rejected the statement made recently by the former commander of the Garuda Hitam military command post (Korem), which said victims of the Talangsari incident had committed suicide.

"If it's true that Hendropriyono said hundreds of Talangsari residents committed suicide, my question is this, is he in a healthy condition? I think he needs to see a doctor," Azwar Khaili, 76, one of the victims, told a press conference on Thursday.

Azwar claimed he was not a member of the hard-line Warsidi group that was accused of attempting to establish an Islamic state, but said yet his house and store were still burnt down by the military. He also said that his son, Warsito, who was only 11-years-old at that time, was killed in the incident.

Azwar said he had been informed by a resident that Warsito, who had been climbing a tree, was shot by soldiers, who then dragged him into a house and set it on fire. Following the incident, he said, surviving residents were detained at Korem headquarters in Bandar Lampung for months.

"For decades our legal status was unclear. The state has ignored our rights as citizens. We are still considered rebels and our children face difficulties when applying for jobs," Azwar said.

He added that former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration had not been serious about handling human rights violations in the case, as there was still no clear result from an investigation into the case. "As long as we are still alive, we will never stop seeking justice from the government," he said.

Another victim, Azwari, 63, said the victims demanded clarity on their citizenship status and sufficient compensation from the government.

"Hundreds of residents were killed in a clash with the soldiers. Many were accused of being rebels, arrested, tortured and later released without trial. I lost my status as a civil servant because of the incident," Azwari said.

The Talangsari tragedy, also known as the Warsidi case, occurred on Feb. 7, 1989, in Cihideung village, Talangsari subdistrict, Rajabasa Lama district, Central Lampung (now part of East Lampung). A battalion of soldiers from Korem Lampung reportedly attacked the village after dawn, killing hundreds of Warsidi congregation members.

Hendropriyono, who was former Garuda Hitam commander, repeatedly denied having any part in the attack. In an interview with US journalist Allan Nairn recently, Hendropriyono said the victims had committed suicide by hiding in burning houses when the soldiers surrounded them.

Nairn was recently summoned by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to explain his article on his blog. Komnas HAM said it would summon Hendropriyono, who is also a former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) director, to speak about the case.

The attack was reportedly made following the discovery of Way Jepara military commander Capt. Sutiman's body at the religious complex overseen by Warsidi. Sutiman's body was covered with arrows and stab wounds.

Local military personnel and the district administration considered the religious group to be part of a movement to establish the Islamic State of Indonesia (NII). The group reportedly had links to Abdullah Sungkar, a key NII figure.

An investigation conducted by the Lampung People Solidarity (Smalam) Committee and the Committee for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) reported at least 130 people were killed in the incident.

The families of Talangsari victims, however, claimed there were 246 killed and missing in the incident.

Besides the Talangsari case, Hendropriyono was also alleged to have been involved in the murder of prominent human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib in 2004, when the former was BIN chief. Hendropriyono has frequently denied any involvement in Munir's death.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/10/jokowi-urged-get-bottom-talangsari-case.html

Labour & migrant workers

Female workers need protection, says WIEGO

Jakarta Post - November 15, 2014

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The majority of workers in developing countries, such as Indonesia, work in the informal sector, mostly women who have yet to receive their proper rights, says an international female rights activist.

"[There are] More women workers than men work in the informal economy. They have the lowest earnings and live poorly," Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) international coordinator Martha Chen told The Jakarta Post in Yogyakarta on Thursday.

WIEGO hosted the Global Assembly of Women Leaders in the Informal Economy in Yogyakarta from Tuesday to Thursday. The meeting is organized once every four years; this year's is the sixth. Some 140 participants from countries, including Thailand, India, Ghana, Colombia and Brazil participated in the assembly.

"Informal workers are subject to occupational hazards, no legal or social protection, and the accumulated impact is that they are not able to get out of poverty," said Chen, who teaches public policy at Harvard Kennedy School in the US.

Meanwhile, Cecilia Susiloretno, coordinator of Homenet Indonesia, an organization dealing with domestic workers, said that the Indonesian government had yet to pay attention to domestic workers and did not even have data on their numbers across the country.

"The Indonesian government has not recognized domestic workers because it has yet to ratify International Labor Organization Convention No. 177 on domestic workers," said Cecilia. She added the majority of the domestic workers in Indonesia were women with very low earnings of around one fifth to one third of the regional minimum wage in general.

Nora Kartika Setyoningrum, from the Manpower Ministry's directorate general of Workers Training and Placement, said the Indonesian government, under the leadership of President Joko Widodo, was formulating a regulation to protect workers in the informal sector.

"We are still seeking an instrument to address the issue," said Nora in a public dialog titled "Formalizing the Informal Economy: Perspectives of Informal Workers".

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/female-workers-need-protection-says-wiego.html

Workers continue rallies, demand minimum wage increase

Jakarta Post - November 15, 2014

Fadli and Ainur Rohmah, Batam/Semarang – Thousands of workers staged rallies in several cities across the country on Friday, demanding a significant increase in the minimum wage.

In Batam, workers blocked the main access to a number of industrial areas, such as the Tunas Industrial Zone at the Batam Center, where the main road was closed and guarded by security personnel.

The closure was aimed at preventing labor union members from conducting sweeps urging workers to join the protest against the 2015 minimum wage.

The rally was also focused at Batam City Hall, where protesters rejected the minimum wage recommendation by Batam Mayor Ahmad Dahlan. Dahlan announced the 2015 minimum wage had been set at Rp 2,664,302 (US$220) on Thursday afternoon.

According to Dahlan, the recommendation would immediately be conveyed to Riau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani for direct approval.

Unwilling to accept the recommendation, nearly 1,000 protesters on Friday assembled at Batam City Hall, where they criticized the mayor for not meeting their demand for a Rp 3.3 million minimum wage.

Indonesian Metal Workers Federation (FSPMI) Batam chapter secretary and FSPMI Guard commander Suprapto said the workers were disappointed with the mayor's stance.

"We will continue protesting to urge the mayor to hand the recommendation that we proposed to the governor. The prices of basic needs have surged, even though the new wage has not been set," said Suprapto.

According to him, the recommended minimum wage of Rp 2.6 million seemed blind to the reality in a number of regions that had set it at a higher level, whereas the cost of living in Batam was higher than in other Indonesian cities.

Economic observer and lecturer at Putera University in Batam, Suyono Saputra, said something was amiss in the discussions among workers, the government and employers to estimate a decent living standard.

"Every party has voiced that it is no longer the era of cheap labor, but the ideal wage is also not clear. This is due to different evaluation methods used by the three."

Meanwhile, workers grouped under the Central Java Struggling Workers' Movement (Gerbang) have asked for a minimum 10 percent hike in their minimum wage next year to fulfill 100 percent of the decent standard of living. With this, the wage being demanded for the province's 35 regencies/municipalities is a minimum Rp 1.3 million a month.

"The minimum wage has to be in accordance with the decent standard of living set in December, plus predicted inflation," Gerbang coordinator Nanang Setyono said in Semarang on Friday.

Gerbang, according to Nanang, also demanded the wage policy not be politicized. Nanang said the administration had always argued that a high wage would made investors go to other regions. "In fact, a low wage makes quality workers leave Central Java to look for a higher salary in other regions," Nanang said.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo agreed to the workers' demand for a minimum 10 percent hike next year. He also guaranteed that in 2015 there would be no regencies/municipalities in the province with a minimum wage of less than Rp 1 million a month.

Presently the lowest wage in the province is in Purworejo regency, at Rp 910,000 per month, while the highest is in Semarang City, at Rp 1,400,000 per month.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/workers-continue-rallies-demand-minimum-wage-increase.html

East Java likely to turn down workers' wage-increase demand

Jakarta Post - November 14, 2014

Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya – The East Java provincial administration in Surabaya may reject workers' demands that the province set the city minimum wage (UMK) at Rp 3 million (about US$250) per month, an increase of 36 percent.

East Java Vice Governor Saifullah Yusuf claimed it would be difficult to agree to the proposed increase, which he argued was too high and would burden employers.

"Workers are entitled to make proposals, but the investment climate in East Java must be maintained," Saifullah said after meeting workers' representatives at the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya on Thursday.

He went on to argue that the demand of Rp 3 million was unreasonable, as the current UMK in Jakarta was only Rp 2.75 million. "The increase in the UMK should be around 12 percent," he said.

Saifullah said the final say on the UMK should be given to regents and mayors, as they best understood the manpower situation in their respective areas.

Currently, he said, the mechanism used to set the UMK was based on an assessment of the basic cost of living (KHL) carried out by local remuneration councils, consisting of representatives from workers, government and employers.

The KHL at the regency and city level is often subject to debate, with labor unions and local chapters of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) presenting separate, differing assessments.

"Consequently, regents and mayors often submit two different proposals for the UMK to the provincial remuneration council, one from the unions and one from Apindo. The regencies and cities should determine the amount and the governor will approve it," he said.

On Thursday, thousands of workers from various industries rallied in front of the Grahadi State Building, demanding that the municipal administration grant their Rp 3 million wage demand.

Surabaya Mayor Tri "Risma" Rismaharini, said her administration would still propose two levels of UMK from Apindo and the unions to East Java governor Soekarwo.

"Initially, the government proposed a figure of Rp 2,588,000, but as both Apindo and the unions rejected it, I was forced to submit two separate proposals to the governor. So it's up to the governor to decide the UMK," said Risma.

Apindo's Surabaya chapter proposed that the city UMK be set at Rp 2,206,000, a mere Rp 6,000 increase from the 2014 UMK, while the workers' representatives proposed a figure of Rp 2.84 million, an increase of Rp 640,000 from the previous UMK.

Meanwhile, in Sukabumi, West Java, workers affiliated to the Sukabumi regency chapter of the Textile, Garment and Leather Workers section of the Indonesian Workers' Union (TSK SPSI) welcomed the city's proposal to set the 2015 UMK at Rp 1.94 million.

"We hope the 2015 UMK set by Sukabumi Regent Sukmawijaya, which will be proposed to West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, will not be changed," TSK SPSI leader M. Popon told Antara news agency.

According to Popon, the regent's decision to raise the UMK from Rp 1.56 million this year to Rp 1.94 million was commendable, as it was higher than the KHL, which was set at Rp 1.7 million. The move, he said, showed that the regent would not accept low wages.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/14/east-java-likely-turn-down-workers-wage-increase-demand.html

Thousands of workers rally against low wage, fuel price hike

Jakarta Globe - November 10, 2014

Bayu Marhaenjati, Jakarta – Thousands of workers from a number of labor associations said they would be rallying in Jakarta on Monday to protest the government's plans to increase the price of subsidized fuel and demand the acting governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, increase the minimum wage in the city.

"There will be workers from Jakarta, Bekasi, Tangerang, Karawang, Subang and Purwakarta. It is estimated that there will be around 20,000 workers," Confederation of Indonesian Workers' Union (KSPSI) president Andi Gani Nena Wae said, as qouted by Kompas.com on Monday.

The workers under KSPSI would march from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the State Palace, she said.

Andi said they would voice their rejection of the plan to increase fuel price and the current wage level. She added that if President Joko Widodo did not respond to the request, the workers would stage a nation-wide strike later this month.

"The nation-wide strike is not a bluff. We have previously staged a nation-wide strike in 2012 which led to an economic loss of up to Rp 7 trillion [$575 million]," Andi said.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said that aside from workers who are members of the KSPSI, members of other organizations based in Jakarta would also join the rally, demanding Basuki to raise the minimum wage to more than Rp 3 million ($247) from the current Rp 2,441,301.

Rikwanto also added that hundreds of members from Islamic organizations would be joining the rally, including the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Islamic People's Forum (FUI).

"They're rejecting Basuki [who is set to be appointed as] Jakarta governor. They will be marching from the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to the Jakarta City Council building," he said, emphasizing that thousands of officials from the Jakarta Police, Central Jakarta Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) as well as the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) were being deployed to keep order.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta/thousands-workers-rally-low-wage-fuel-price-hike/

Massive strike planned to reject minimum-wage hike

Jakarta Post - November 10, 2014

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Thousands of workers across North Sumatra have planned a massive rally for next week, rejecting the 2015 provincial minimum wage (UMP), which was set at Rp 1,625,000 (US$130) per month.

"We will occupy the governor's office until a decision is made to revise the UMP. We are demanding a 30 percent hike, not 8 percent," chairman of the North Sumatra branch of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), Minggu Saragih, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Saragih said the KSPI considered the 8 percent raise in the UMP insufficient for coping with growing increasing daily needs. He said the rally would involve all workers organizations from across the province.

He said that of all the provinces in Indonesia, North Sumatra passed the lowest UMP increase, reflecting poorly on North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho. Saragih said that the ideal UMP would be Rp 2 million per month, or a 30 percent raise from the 2014 UMP of Rp 1,505,850.

He argued the demands had been made in accordance with the results of the survey on the basic cost of living (KHL) in North Sumatra, which showed that the current KHL was Rp 2 million.

"The survey refers to the lowest living-cost standard in North Sumatra," said Saragih, adding that the survey was conducted in five markets in the Serdang Bedagai regency.

The provincial wage council (Depeda) has recommended that the Serdang Bedagai KHL be set at Rp 1,271,058 per month.

The recommended KHL for this newly established regency was the lowest among the province's 33 regencies and cities and had been used as a reference for the North Sumatra administration to decide on the provincial UMP.

North Sumatra announced lowest minimum-wage raise in Indonesia Workers say wage insufficient for meeting increasing daily needs Employers praise new minimum wage

Governor Gatot said that the 2015 UMP of Rp 1,625,000 per month was in accordance with the provincial Depeda's recommendation and that it would become a reference for other regencies and cities in the province to decide on the regency and city minimum wage (UMK). "The UMK has to be higher than the UMP," Gatot said.

Responding to the workers' demand for a higher UMP, Gatot said that the figure had not yet taken into account the central government's plan to increase fuel prices. He said there was still a room for revision.

"The provincial administration will struggle for a revision of the UMP figure once the central government has officially announced a hike in the price of subsidized fuel," Gatot told reporters at his office over the weekend.

Separately, secretary of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) North Sumatra branch, Laksamana Adiyaksa, said that employers had expressed readiness to implement the governor's decision on the UMP.

He said the decision was ideal because it was based off the recommendations from the Depeda, whose elements also included worker's representatives. "As long as it is in line with the regulations, we are committed to implementing the decision on the UMP," Laksamana said on Sunday.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/10/massive-strike-planned-reject-minimum-wage-hike.html

Minister promises better days ahead for Indonesian migrant workers

Jakarta Globe - November 8, 2014

Jakarta – The newly inaugurated Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, Hanif Dhakiri, pledged on Saturday to audit all migrant worker placement agencies in a bid to crack down on widespread extortion of some of the country's most vulnerable people.

"I will not tolerate anyone playing dirty, be it the agencies or the staff in my ministry," Hanif told Indonesian news portal Tempo.co on Saturday.

The sector is nominally regulated but criminal gangs have long established that the placing of poorer members of society in countries such Dubai and Saudi Arabia makes for good business. Migrant workers frequently fall victim to extortion at the hands of these agents.

"Hopeful migrant workers are asked to deposit guarantee money and told they would receive training but what happens next is they don't get the training and the agents run away with their money," Hanif told Tempo.

The lot of the migrant worker is a major political issue in Indonesia. While remittances sent by construction workers and domestic workers from abroad has had an important impact on raising hundreds of thousands of families out of poverty, migrant workers are often victim to mental and physical abuse and in many cases have to surrender their passports to either agents or employers.

Extreme cases such as the recent murders of two women in Hong Kong, allegedly at the hands of a British banker, occasionally make international headlines, but the domestic press is never short on stories of abuse perpetrated by agents, employers – even the governments of workers' destination countries.

There are around 45 Indonesian domestic workers on death row in Saudi Arabia, while 375 Indonesians workers were facing the death penalty worldwide in 2012, according to data from Migrant Care, a Jakarta-based advocacy group set up by labor activists.

While migrant workers are frequently extorted when they are first recruited – the villages of West Java being particularly fertile ground for placement agents – the return journey home has historically been an opportunity for members of the military, police and airport authorities to take a cut of workers' wages.

The KPK and the National Police conducted a joint raid on July 25 at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and arrested 18 people – including a soldier and two members of the National Police.

The men were running a decade-long racket at the airport where returning workers would be forced to pay up to 10 times the market rate for a taxi to their chosen destination. A foreign exchange scam would also relieve the workers of large sums of money. One worker testified that she had been forced to pay $250 for a taxi.

The vast scale of the extortion racket is instructive of a systemic lack of protection.

Migrant Care director Anis Hidayah said earlier this year that every day some 400-500 migrant workers were extorted on returning home, describing the scam as "systemic" and estimating that the figure represented 45 percent of the total number of workers re-entering Indonesia.

In addition to addressing the entrenched exploitation of workers, Hanif also plans to improve the facilities where migrant workers are housed before they leave the country. "The fact is; they look more like detention centers," Hanif told Tempo.co.

"I have seen some migrant workers stay in these shelters for eight months," he added. Hanif pledged to ensure that all Indonesian migrant workers receive proper protection from when they are recruited to when they return home.

Ministry data show there are 520 registered placement agencies in the country. "We will conduct an audit for all these agencies," Hanif said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/minister-promises-better-days-ahead-indonesian-migrant-workers/

Political parties & elections

Bawaslu under fire for lack of follow up

Jakarta Post - November 14, 2014

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has been criticized for its inflexible response to reports of alleged election violations, thus causing tensions in this year's legislative and presidential elections.

Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) researcher Fadli Ramadhanil said Bawaslu, which was tasked with monitoring violations of the Elections Law, had been inflexible when dealing with citizen reports.

"There were more than 200 reports during the legislative and presidential elections this year. But the reports that had clear follow up were less than 10 percent," said Fadli.

He said that those people that had gone to Bawaslu to report alleged violations had been bombarded with questions regarding evidence and other administrative requirements.

Perludem executive director Titi Anggraini pointed out that the election observer did not inform those who lodged complaints on the status of their reports.

"When the public enthusiastically reported [election fraud], there was a missing link – an absence of communication with the public on the status of their reports," she said on Thursday.

Another point of criticism was on the Elections Law, which requires people to report a violation at Bawaslu three days after the violation occurs at the latest. Fadli said that such a short window had made it difficult for the public to participate in election supervision.

Voters went to the polls this year to select legislative candidates at the central and regional levels and later had to choose between two candidates, Prabowo Subianto and then Jakarta governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, for the presidency.

The presidential poll in July was the most polarized election the country had witnessed, with the mainstream press and social media heavily scrutinizing the candidates.

The media reported smear campaigns and a series of intimidation incidents, but almost none were confirmed as serious breaches of the election process due to lack of evidence. Jokowi won the presidential election with 53.15 percent of the vote.

General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Ida Budhiati lambasted the law and Bawaslu's rigidness.

"If we're talking about election law enforcement, it cannot be limited by time. Even after the election is finished, people should still be able [to report on past election violations]," she said.

According to the law, Bawaslu is tasked with dealing with violation reports. If the reports are proven to be administrative violations, then Bawaslu makes recommendations to the KPU for the commission to act upon, while criminal violations are forwarded to the police.

Bawaslu also teams up with the National Police and the Attorney General's Office to handle cases of electoral fraud. Perludem's Titi said it was better for Bawaslu to be stripped of its some of its authority.

"Bawaslu has too many tasks [to accomplish] and its performance is not maximal," she said. "It would be better for the monitoring function [of Bawaslu] to be given completely to the public as long as it is accompanied by a clear law enforcement mechanism."

Bawaslu commissioner Nelson Simanjuntak said the election observer could not follow up on all reports because it had a lack of resources. "I really appreciate the public's enthusiasm but most reports [received by us] are related to improper campaigning. These matters should have been settled at the regional level," he said on Thursday.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/14/bawaslu-under-fire-lack-follow.html

Aburizal blockades contenders

Jakarta Post - November 13, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih and Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Contenders of incumbent Aburizal Bakrie in the upcoming Golkar Party chairmanship election have complained about alleged "foul play" by Aburizal's camp that they have said is aimed at preventing their campaigns.

Several Golkar members who had announced their intention to run for party chairperson met on Wednesday with members of the party's advisory council at the party's headquarters in West Jakarta to convey their complaints.

"I have continued to receive reports from regional branches saying that they were not allowed to receive any chairperson candidates but Aburizal. They were intimidated and threatened about their future in Golkar," former House of Representatives speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, one of the potential chairman candidates, said before the meeting.

Other candidates present at the meeting included lawmakers Airlangga Hartarto, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Zainudin Amali, as well as senior party executive Hajriyanto Y. Thohari.

According to Priyo, reports over such illicit practices came from dozens of Golkar provincial, regional and municipal branches in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Maluku.

Golkar's statute stipulates that in order to be elected chairman, a candidate must garner support from a majority of 547 available votes – which represent the party's central board and its branches, chapters and affiliated organizations – at a Golkar national congress.

Priyo suggested that the moves had been orchestrated by some current party executives who wanted Aburizal to continue his leadership of the party.

Airlangga echoed Priyo's statement. "The atmosphere from regional branches is increasingly strong that they are conditioned to support only one particular candidate. I feel that they are afraid to vote for candidates other than [Aburizal]," he said.

Airlangga added that, in the meeting with the advisory council, he would also convey his investigation over scenarios launched by "culprits" to expedite a party congress.

Speculation is rife that the scenario is aimed at ensuring that Aburizal would win his second chairmanship term given the intensifying efforts by his potential contenders to lobby party branches in regions.

"We have to stick to the decision made at our last congress in Pekanbaru, [Riau] to have our next congress next year," Airlangga said.

From Nov. 17 to 19, Golkar is scheduled to hold its national leadership meeting (Rapimnas), during which the party is expected to announce the details of its next national congress.

Unlike Priyo, Airlangga said he would accept if Aburizal wanted to run again. "But the mechanism must be legal and avoid any illicit attempts to block the nomination of other potential candidates," he said.

Advisory council chairman Akbar Tandjung said he would study the complaints conveyed by Priyo and Airlangga. "But the next national congress must be held next year for sure, because it was a legal decision made at our last congress," he said. Akbar also agreed that any efforts to block the nomination of other candidates could not be accepted.

Priyo also said that he had detected moves by certain Golkar members to push for a revision of the conditions required for a candidate's nomination.

"Our statute clearly states that a candidate can be nominated if supported by at least 30 percent of voters. But there have been moves to create a regulation to add other conditions, such as the requirement to get support from at least 30 percent of provincial branches, which is just ridiculous," he said.

Golkar's head of youth affairs, Yorrys Raweyai, meanwhile, complained about Aburizal's decision to name senior Golkar member Nurdin Halid to lead the steering committee of the Rapimnas. Nurdin is a former head of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and a graft convict who is also known as a loyalist of the Bakrie family.

"It is indeed the chairman's prerogative to name the steering committee head. But in terms of competence, is Nurdin really capable? Besides, Nurdin's appointment has just strengthened the scenario to orchestrate the next congress to let Aburizal be the chairman for a second term," Yorrys said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/13/aburizal-blockades-contenders.html

Calls mount for e-elections with available technology

Jakarta Post - November 13, 2014

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – More people are calling for the implementation of an electronic voting system (e-voting) in next year's concurrent regional elections.

The Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) said on Wednesday that holding electronic-based elections (e-elections) was actually feasible and that they could begin as soon as next year.

"If the General Elections Commission [KPU] gives the green light, e- elections can start [in 2015]," BPPT researcher and former chief Marzan Aziz Iskandar said during a discussion on e-voting at the agency's headquarters in Jakarta.

He said that the BPPT had conducted research on the feasibility of e- elections. "The research and the development [of the technology for e- elections] is complete and the needed equipment is available," Marzan said.

He said that the technology had been demonstrated and tested during some gubernatorial elections. "We have already used the technology in some village head elections," said Marzan.

The KPU is mulling the possibility of carrying out e-elections for the concurrent regional elections next year. Discussion on e-elections began when former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono issued a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on the mechanisms for local elections last month.

Article 85 of the Perppu stipulates that voting can be done electronically or by paper ballot, while Article 98 says that if the KPU chooses electronic balloting then the votes can be counted manually or electronically.

Marzan said that the legal basis for an e-election was strong enough. "So the KPU only needs to issue a regulation, there's no need for a higher law," he said. KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay said that the election body would set up a team to consider the options.

The 10-member team would comprise IT experts from reputable universities, researchers from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the BPPT, election observers and members of the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu).

Hadar, however, said that the public should not get their hopes up too high because it usually took years for a country to prepare to hold e-elections. "Countries smaller than Indonesia needed more than 10 years to prepare for e-elections," said Hadar last week, citing the Philippines as an example.

Smartmatic, the electronic system provider for e-elections in the Philippines, said that Hadar's statement was blown out of proportion.

"Ten years ago, the plan for e-elections started but it was abandoned. Then in 2008, the idea was brought up again. In 2009, the government prepared the system and in 2010 e-elections were being held," Robert Dobler, the head of Smartmatic Asia channel sales, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Therefore, if a country is really dedicated to holding e-elections, then it should not take too long to prepare for them, according to him. "Now it's up for the political leaders, do they want to do it or not," Dobler said.

In 2015, the KPU expects to hold 204 elections of local heads in eight provinces, 26 municipalities and 170 regencies. The KPU initially scheduled the start of the elections in September of this year.

"But we had to abandon that plan because preparations were taking longer than expected. For example, candidates must go through a six-month screening before we decide whether they are eligible to run for office," Hadar said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/13/calls-mount-e-elections-with-available-technology.html

Court begins review on local-election Perppu

Jakarta Post - November 13, 2014

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court started hearing on Wednesday seven judicial review petitions challenging two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) issued by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which would bring back a direct-election mechanism for local leaders.

The court started the session despite the House of Representatives' plan to deliberate the Perppu in January next year.

The seven petitions were filed by several individuals, including an election watchdog and legal observers, a former Jakarta Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) chairman and two former members of the House as well as a group calling itself the Forum of Legal and Constitutional Review (FKHK).

Though most of them argued that the Perppu had never met the primary requirement of being issued under "emergency conditions", the plaintiffs told the court during the first hearing on Wednesday that they had different demands regarding the election mechanism.

Some plaintiffs demanded that the court scrap the Perppu as they wanted to ensure the country would have the direct local-election mechanism, while some wanted to go back to the 2014 Local Elections (Pilkada) Law, which has been annulled as Yudhoyono issued the Perppu. The 2014 law carries a stipulation on the representative-based local-elections mechanism.

Plaintiff Didi Supriyanto, a former Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker who is now an executive of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the Perppu was unconstitutional because the issuance process did not meet the required "prompt and immediate" conditions and, therefore, the decision to issue the regulation by Yudhoyono could potentially compromise the country's legal system.

"The Perppu shows the inconsistency on the part of the former president [Yudhoyono]," Didi told the panel on Wednesday. "We believe that he [Yudhoyono] made the move simply because he had differences with the House."

Yudhoyono, he said, had resorted to an "autocratic" move by cancelling the law he previously approved. "It can set a bad precedent and will undermine the legislative authority of the House in making the laws," he said.

Heriyanto, a plaintiff who, along with former Panwaslu commissioner Ramdansyah, supported the direct mechanism, told the court to annul the Perppu and suspend the 2014 law, and to bring back the 2008 Local Administration Law that set the direct mechanism.

"[We demand the court] bring back the 2008 law, in the sense that we want to go back to direct local elections," he said.

Justice Maria Farida reminded all plaintiffs that should the court annul the Perppu, it could create a legal vacuum. "Should the Perppu be annulled, there will be legal consequences."

Justice Aswanto also raised similar concerns. "[And] if the Perppu is rejected by the House, the 2014 law will not immediately take effect. There should be another process."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/13/court-begins-review-local-election-perppu.html

House set to debate fate of decree to reinstate direct regional elections

Jakarta Globe - November 12, 2014

Jakarta – Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are set to deliberate on the presidential regulation in lieu of law that nullified an unpopular law recently enacted by the House, which eliminated direct regional elections for governors, mayors and district heads.

Ranbe Kamaruzaman, chair of House Commission II, which oversees home affairs, said legislators have no reason to endorse the presidential regulation in lieu of law, known in Indonesian political parlance as a Perppu, issued in the waning days of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's presidency, saying no emergency existed to warrant its issuance.

Ranbe's statements present a somewhat puzzling premise, since Indonesian jurisprudence generally recognizes a presidential regulation issued in lieu of law as having the same force as statutes enacted by the House. There would appear to be no legal basis for nullification of a perppu except by executive order or passage of a bill by the legislature superseding the perppu.

"Yes, it's the president's right. But [a perppu] is enacted if there is an urgent need for it," the Golkar Party politician said.

Other legal experts have argued that Yudhoyono's perppu nullified the controversial law, but added that if the House does not enact the provisions contained in the president's regulation, an absence of law governing regional elections will exist.

Ranbe said the House has anticipated this by preparing a provision in the House that he said would allow the controversial law to be revived. "So there will not be any legal absence. What will take effect is the law passed by the House of Representatives," he said.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has been pushing the House to immediately deliberate on the perppu's disposition, arguing that terms for 204 governors, district heads and mayors are slated to end next year.

KPU commissioner Sigit Pamungkas said his office needs the House to decide whether regional elections will be held next year. "We are optimistic that by the end of 2014 there will be a decision [by the House]," Sigit said.

Ranbe expressed confidence that no regional elections will be held next year, saying the House will likely reject the perppu. "If the KPU wants to prepare [for the 204 regional leaders' successions], do it according to the law [passed by the House]," he said.

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Agus Purnomo said the House law that eliminated regional elections was enacted by the votes of PKS lawmakers, along with those of Golkar and the Red-White Coalition (KMP), which controls 314 seats in the House.

"There is a good chance [the perppu] will be rejected. On paper the Red- White Coalition will triumph because from the start it was the Red-White Coalition that designed the law," Agus said.

But some House members are still trying to reconcile with the positions of the majority coalition with that of the minority Awesome Indonesia Coalition (KIH), which backs President Joko Widodo.

"There is a possibility that the decision [on the perppu] will not be made if the House remains [divided]," Agus said. By law, the House has six months to deliberate on whether to reject or endorse a perppu. A perppu automatically becomes law if the House fails to reach a decision.

The Red-White Coalition may split on whether to endorse the perppu. Yudhoyono chairs the Democratic Party, a Red-White Coalition member with 61 House seats. If the Democratic Party endorses the perppu that its chairman issued in office, the House vote tally favors its endorsement 307 to 253.

Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said the government has been in talks with House leaders stressing the importance of holding regional elections in maintaining a credible democracy in Indonesia.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/house-set-debate-fate-decree-reinstate-direct-regional-elections/

Court freezes ministerial decree backing Romy's tenure

Jakarta Post - November 10, 2014

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) has suspended a decree issued by the law and human rights minister that acknowledges Muhammad "Romy" Romahurmuziy as the chairman of the United Development Party (PPP).

In a court order made available to The Jakarta Post on Sunday, the court demanded that Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly "suspend" his decree issued on Oct. 27 that recognized changes to the structure of the party's central board based on a decision made during a muktamar (national congress) in Surabaya to appoint Romy, previously the leader of a breakaway faction in the party, as its legitimate chairman.

Yasonna's decree, issued right after his inauguration as minister, has drawn controversy in the wake of a power struggle within the party.

It has also fueled a dispute over the current distribution of control in commissions and other internal bodies at the House of Representatives as the speakers, all from the Red-and-White Coalition, have challenged the decree and refused to recognize Romy's chairmanship.

"We order the defendant [Minister Yasonna] to temporarily suspend his decree [...] before the court makes a final and legally binding decision," said the court order, which was signed by presiding judge Teguh Satya Bhakti on Friday.

Humphrey Djemat, the lawyer of Djan Faridz, the successor of Suryadharma Ali, who had led the party for the past five years, said Sunday that the minister should obey the court order and must not issue any other decrees related to the PPP before the court delivers its verdict.

"With the court order, Djan Faridz is the legitimate chairman of the PPP. All parties, including the government, the minister and Romy's camp must abide by this court order," Humphrey told reporters at PPP headquarters in Central Jakarta.

The party's central board split into two factions after Suryadharma, then the party's chairman, decided to support defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his Red-and-White Coalition ahead of July's presidential election.

On Oct. 16, the rival faction appointed Romy as party chairman at the Surabaya congress. The legitimacy of the Surabaya congress and Romy's leadership has been outlawed by internal bodies in the party.

Suryadharma held a national congress in Jakarta on Nov. 2 that named Djan Faridz the new chairman of the party. His camp has also filed a lawsuit to challenge the impromptu ministerial decree.

Djan said that it was the right time to end the ongoing dispute between the factions and he was ready to provide members of Romy's faction with positions on his central board. "I thank God for the court order. Now, we will invite people from Romy's camp to join us," he said.

Meanwhile, PPP's House faction deputy chief, Syaifullah Tamliha, said that the court's temporary decision did not automatically make Djan the legitimate PPP chairman.

Syaifullah, a Romy supporter, also emphasized that any dispute in the party's central board would not affect PPP's position to back President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's Great Indonesia Coalition.

Romy's camp pledged allegiance to Jokowi's coalition after he was appointed chairman, resulting in party executive Lukman Hakim Saifuddin being appointed to Jokowi's Cabinet.

"Based on a House internal regulation, political positions of a party at the House are decided by its faction leader and not the party's central board. Therefore, we will stick with the Great Indonesia Coalition," said Syaifullah.

He further said that he hoped the party factions in dispute would reconcile in the face of concurrent regional head elections in seven provinces and 181 regencies and cities in 2015.

"There will be regional elections next year that will need strong party coordination. As soon as we come together, we can prepare our strategy for the regional elections," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/10/court-freezes-ministerial-decree-backing-romy-s-tenure.html

Surveys & opinion polls

Gloomy outlook for Aburizal, Golkar: Survey

Jakarta Post - November 14, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih and Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – A survey has revealed that Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who is seeking reelection in the party's upcoming congress, is least likely to win the race for the chairmanship and the party faces a struggle in the 2019 general elections.

In its survey released on Thursday, the Poltracking Institute found that eight candidates tapped to contest the party chairmanship were deemed "mediocre", scoring only between four to six points on the scale of 1-to- 10. The survey, conducted from Nov. 3 to 11, asked 173 experts to give ratings to the candidates on 10 parameters used.

"There's nothing exciting about the candidates. The scores are mediocre when we compare them to chairmanship candidates in other parties. Golkar will be doomed in 2019," said Poltracking researcher Agung Baskoro.

The survey found that the majority of respondents deemed that all candidates, including incumbent chairman Aburizal, did not have the capacity to be good leaders for the party.

Former House of Representatives deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso topped the list with an average score of 6.51 points, followed by senior party executive Hajriyanto Y. Thohari with 6.31 points.

Golkar deputy chairman and former coordinating people's welfare minister Agung Laksono received 6.03 points and former industry minister MS Hidayat received 5.99 points.

Lawmakers Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Airlangga Hartarto received 5.8 and 5.73 points, respectively. Second from bottom was Aburizal with 5.61 points, performing slightly better than lawmaker and former head of the party's East Java provincial chapter Zainuddin Amali, who received 4.98 points.

But there was some success for Aburizal in the "capability to lead a coalition" section, with him receiving a high score of 6.49, trailing only Priyo with 6.70 points. Aburizal also did well in the "capability to lead a party" section, scoring 5.90 points, and the "elite communication" section, scoring 6.42 points.

When expert respondents were asked to identify their least preferred candidate from the eight individuals, 52.03 percent opted for Aburizal. Agung performed much better, receiving disapproval from only 7.32 percent of the respondents.

Among the 10 parameters used in the study, integrity and track record were considered by 39.23 percent of respondents as the most important virtues for a political party chairman.

The survey also showed 34.85 percent of respondents believed a party's top priority should be improving its accountability and transparency, while 31.82 percent demanded regeneration in the party's chairmanship.

The 173 experts interviewed for the survey have qualifications in the fields of sociology, politics and humanities. They are academics who hold at least a master's degree and senior researchers in research institutes.

Another Poltracking researcher, Arya Budi, said Golkar needed to get its act together to prepare for the 2019 general elections.

"Golkar needs to transform from a legislative-oriented party to an executive-oriented party that can nominate a strong figure in the 2019 presidential election. Politically, Golkar is lauded as a party with strong infrastructure, but the party always fails to nominate strong candidates in presidential elections," Arya said.

Priyo said he was happy with the study. "This study, however, does not reflect my true chances of winning the race, because the experts are not the ones voting," he said.

Golkar's statute stipulates that to be elected chairman, a candidate must garner support from a majority of 547 available votes that represent the party's central board and its branches, chapters and affiliated organizations at a Golkar national congress. Infighting in Golkar has intensified ahead of the chairmanship election, which is scheduled for January 2015.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/14/gloomy-outlook-aburizal-golkar-survey.html

Media & journalism

Violence against journalists condemned

Jakarta Post - November 15, 2014

Andi Hajramurni and Ainur Rohmah, Makassar and Semarang – Journalists and other circles in Makassar, South Sulawesi, have condemned police brutality against students and journalists when police stormed Makassar State University (UNM) on Thursday.

Scores of journalists from various associations, including the Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) Makassar chapter, Indonesian Journalists Association and Indonesian Photojournalists Association, held a rally condemning the police for assaulting and seizing camera memory cards from journalists covering the incident.

During the incident, seven journalists were victims of police brutality. Makassar MetroTV correspondent Vincent Waldy suffered injuries after being hit by a police officer with a shield.

Waldy was assaulted by police when he separated photographer Iqbal and police, who got into a quarrel when the police seized his camera and memory card.

The incident started when the police raided the UNM campus after a clash between students and police officers took place when the students blocked a road during a rally to protest the government's plan to increase subsidized fuel prices.

During the clash, Makassar City Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Lisdianto was shot in the right armpit with an arrow.

UNM Deputy Rector Heri Tahir regretted the police raid on the campus, with police even entering classrooms while lectures were ongoing.

"The police should have restrained themselves from entering the campus," Heri said. He said four classrooms and glass windows were damaged in the raid.

However, Heri asked the students not to block roads and clash with police officers when rallying against the planned fuel price hike.

South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Setiadji promised on Friday to investigate the officers who had allegedly beaten the journalists.

Separately, Makassar Legal Aid Institute member Edy Kurniawan deemed the act as having violated basic human rights and planned to file a report with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

"The assault and confiscation of journalists' equipment is clearly a violation of human rights and Komnas HAM must deal with it," he said.

The violence against the journalists sparked solidarity from fellow newshounds across the country.

In Semarang dozens of journalists staged a rally in the city center, performing a theatrical act showing the violence committed by the police. "We deplore violence against journalists. We demand the police investigate the violence and their officers," photojournalist Arif Nugroho said.

Gorontalo print and broadcast journalists also staged a rally on Friday, urging the officers allegedly involved in the violence be brought to justice.

Similarly, Padang journalists unfurled a banner in front the West Sumatra Police headquarters, asking the perpetrators of the violence be legally processed.

[Syamsul Huda M. Suhari and Syofiardi Bachyul Jb also contributed to the story]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/violence-against-journalists-condemned.html

Police expect journalists to join investigation team

Jakarta Post - November 14, 2014

Jakarta – The South Sulawesi Police will form a joint team to investigate the assault of several journalists who were allegedly beaten by police personnel during a raid at Makassar State University (UNM) on Thursday.

"We will form a joint team to investigate the case and we expect that there will be journalists in the team so that they can monitor the investigation process," said South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Setiadji in Makassar on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the police were still waiting for a report from the journalists regarding the case. "We hope that the journalists can help the investigation process and be involved in the fact-finding team. I apologize for yesterday's incident. I am ready to take responsibility and ready to be fired," he added.

On Thursday, the police raided the UNM campus after a clash occurred between students and police officers when the students blocked a road during a rally to protest the government's plan to increase subsidized-fuel prices.

During the clash, Makassar City Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Totok Lisdianto was shot in the right armpit with an arrow.

The incident started when the police commandeered a memory card from a camera belonging to a photographer from the Koran Tempo newspaper, Iqbal Lubis, who wanted to take pictures of the raid.

The police officers also allegedly assaulted Metro TV correspondent Vincent Waldy with their shields when he was trying to prevent the officers from confiscating Iqbal's memory card, causing a wound to Vincent's left temple.

Another journalist who was allegedly assaulted by the police was Ikrar from Celebes TV.

Antara news agency reported that based on the testimony of several witnesses, the police officers who assaulted the journalists were heard shouting "kill the journalists!" (ask/nfo)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/14/police-expect-journalists-join-investigation-team.html

Environment & natural disasters

Greenpeace repeats calls for peatland protection

Jakarta Globe - November 10, 2014

Jakarta – Greenpeace Southeast Asia has called once again on Singapore and Indonesia to work together and find solutions to what has become a recurrent regional scourge: the annual choking haze from fires burning in forest and peatland areas on Sumatra.

"Clearing the haze is not simply a matter of enacting strong laws against burning, then prosecuting people who light fires. You need to look at where the fires are burning, and why," said Teguh Surya, a political analyst with Greenpeace's Indonesia Forests Campaign, on Saturday.

"Many of the worst fires are in Riau's peatlands, which have been cleared and drained for oil palm and pulp plantations. Once fires start in drained peatlands, they burn and burn, smouldering underground, and no one can effectively deal with them until the monsoon comes," Teguh said.

Teguh's comments came during a four-day event involving a roundtable of academics, corporations and NGOs organized by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

After Singapore experienced its worst smoke haze on record in 2013, the Singapore government in September 2014 enacted a law designed to ensure accountability for transboundary air pollution.

The law has yet to make inroads into the problem, with hundreds of fires still burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The question of blame for the fires was posed during Thursday's roundtable, and according to Teguh: "Companies are quick to point the finger at small- scale farmers, who they say don't have the technology to properly manage the land, and resort to burning before planting crops.

"But blaming local communities is disingenuous at best. The peatland landscapes which burn each year have been drained by massive networks of deep canals dug into peatlands with excavators – heavy equipment that small-scale farmers simply don't have."

Indonesia, Singapore and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should cooperate in the spirit of that body's Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which Indonesia ratified after a decade-long delay last September, Greenpeace said.

Implementing the pact requires concrete legal steps in Indonesia, including regulations to ensure full legal protection for peatlands, and strengthening and extending the current moratorium on new forest clearing permits due to expire in May 2015.

The private sector also has a key role to play in fighting and preventing the ongoing haze crisis, Teguh said: "Four of the most prominent traders in palm oil – Wilmar, GAR, Cargill and APICAL – committed to a No Deforestation Pledge last month in New York. Now the question is what steps these traders will take to prevent fires in their supply chains."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/greenpeace-repeats-calls-peatland-protection/

Ministry to stop granting permits for forest use

Jakarta Post - November 8, 2014

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The government will impose a moratorium on the issuance of all forest-exploitation permits as part of its effort to slow down the country's rapid deforestation rate.

The moratorium was announced on Friday by the newly installed Environment and Forestry Minister, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, following a meeting with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Home Ministry and the National Land Agency (BPN).

"In this four-to-six month period, I have ordered all echelon-I officials in the Environment and Forestry Ministry to halt the issuance of permits that allow the exploitation of land for corporation purposes," she said at KPK headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

The moratorium was issued to support an order from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to tackle permit-issuance problems, which were often abused for mining or plantation purposes, Siti said.

President Jokowi has also ordered all services related to the issuance of permits to be brought under one roof. "The President's order is for permit-issuances to be fair, accurate, clear and accountable, which means that the procedure is clear and the result is certain," said Siti.

She added that the government would continue issuing permits for forest exploitation once the new system was in place. "We will halt issuance of all permits until the integration process is completed to the President's satisfaction," Siti said.

Environmental activists, however, were not impressed by the move. Kiki Taufik from Greenpeace Indonesia said on Friday that the new moratorium was nothing new, as the administration of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had actually imposed such a moratorium in 2011.

In 2011, Yudhoyono signed a decree suspending new concession permits for two years. The moratorium was extended for another two years in 2013 and was expected to expire in May 2015.

The suspension applied to primary forest and peatland in areas designated as "Conservation Forest", "Protection Forest", "Production Forest" and "Other Uses of Land".

"So if the new moratorium is for six months at most, then we think it's far from what the public wants because even the last moratorium was extended twice but was still lacking," Kiki told The Jakarta Post.

He said that even under the current moratorium, rampant violations persisted, included the burning of peatland for commercial purposes by forestry firms and palm oil companies. "So a moratorium is supposed to provide complete protection for peatland. [Thus,] there should be no more peatland that can be opened," Kiki said.

The current moratorium, Kiki added, also contained loopholes that could be exploited by both the government and private firms. "While no new permits can be issued, the [Environment and] Forestry Ministry can still issue permits to convert the land from "Protected Forest" to "Production Forest" and from "Production Forest" to "Other Uses of Land," Kiki said.

Citing an example, Kiki said in 2013 the Forestry Ministry approved the Aceh administration's request to convert protected forest to non-forest zone through spatial planning bylaws. Kiki called on the current government to come up with a more comprehensive work plan.

Ministry spokesman Eka W. Soegiri, however, said that the new moratorium was not merely an extension of the current policy. "Now the moratorium applies to all kinds of permits, including permits to convert forest area," he told the Post.

Eka also said that the ministry would ensure that the new moratorium would not adversely impact the forestry industry. "The moratorium is for permits that will expire soon, so that they can't be extended," he said.

Unlike the moratorium imposed by Yudhoyono, which covers only primary forests and peat lands, the new ban will cover all forest areas in the country.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/08/ministry-stop-granting-permits-forest-use.html

Health & education

Anies's education reform quiets critics

Jakarta Globe - November 15, 2014

Natasia Christy Wahyuni, Jakarta – Anies Baswedan, the minister for primary and secondary education, appears to be out to silence his critics by seeking to change two pieces of controversial education policies left by his predecessors.

Education experts and activists earlier expressed their skepticism that the former Paramadina University rector would do much to eliminate the much criticized National Examinations, or UN, and the 2013 revised school curriculum.

On Friday, Anies said that he aimed to change the much-dreaded national exam concept, saying it would no longer be a deciding factor in whether a student passed or failed school.

"The UN as a measurement to standardize the education system can still be used. But whether it will be used to decide whether [students] pass school is another matter entirely," Anies said.

The minister said he had been in talks with experts and activists about the two issues and found that the exams caused undue stress to students, with some even committing suicide after failing.

The underlying problem, many have said, is that the students' entire years at school are judged based on that one exam, overlooking other achievements and yearly performances. The exam also disadvantages students at vocational and Islamic schools because many of the subjects tested are taught only in regular state schools.

"The law [on education] emphasizes the standardization [of schools] as the crucial point [for the exams]," Anies said, and not to judge students' performance. "I'm trying to find a solution and how we can [change the exam] for the better."

Education expert Arief Rachman said the UN has made the national education system put too much emphasis on grades and not achievements and creativity. "I get why many students complain [about the UN]. [Why the UN is dreaded] makes a lot of sense," he said.

Anies said his ministry was also forming an independent team to evaluate the 2013 curriculum, comprising education experts and practitioners. "There have been several names but it is not final," he said of the team.

According to the minister the new team will consist of fewer than 10 members and will work closely with the government before the new school year starts in June.

"We want to get proper feedback on this curriculum. From there we will make a decision," he said, adding that the government could amend the curriculum or have schools re-adopt the previous one, which was introduced in 2006.

Anies said the 2013 curriculum was designed to put less burden on teachers and students, but in reality the opposite was true. "We want to know why that is so."

The school curriculum cut the number of subjects taught to students and dropped the sciences, English language and social studies in favor of instruction in Indonesian language, nationalist ideology and Islam.

Opponents of the plan have argued the curriculum will make Indonesian graduates less competitive than their global peers. They also charge the curriculum discriminates against those who cannot afford to send their children to private English and science study centers.

The Federation of Indonesian Teachers Associations, or FSGI, earlier said teachers were not ready and the necessary infrastructure was not in place.

The teachers' association also complains that the new curriculum presents subject materials that exceed the level of difficulty students can realistically be expected to achieve.

According to the FSGI, the new grading system, which aims to assess knowledge-based and psychomotor development, is also problematic.

Indonesia Corruption Watch has also criticized the preparation and procurement of new books for the curriculum, saying the process is riddled with graft and illegal appointments that bypass regular and official channels.

Anies has summoned education practitioners, experts and observers to brief him on the implementation of the 2013 curriculum, which has cost the state Rp 2.49 trillion ($204 million).

The high cost comes second, Anies said, responding to arguments that it is too late for the minister to scrap the 2013 curriculum because the government has invested too much money in it.

"There's an impression [among students] that education is a burden. I don't want education to be a burden. This is what we must change slowly," he said.

The minister staged a surprise inspection at a number of schools in Depok on Friday to check the facilities and talk to students, particularly those affected by the changes wrought by the new curriculum.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/aniess-education-reform-quiets-critics/

Hard-line & vigilante groups

FPI reports Basuki to police for defamation, unpleasant acts

Jakarta Globe - November 12, 2014

Bayu Marhaenjati, Jakarta – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), a hard-line group notorious for violence and intimidation, has reported Jakarta's Acting Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama to police for "defamation, libel and unpleasant acts" towards them.

Sugito, a representative from the group, announced the action to reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Wednesday. He said the FPI had brought evidence to support their claim, namely statements the politician had made about the group that were published and broadcast in the media.

"We have CD of his statement on televised news," Sugito said. "He [Basuki] said arrogantly that he would disband the FPI and he would send a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights."

Sugito went on to say that Basuki's comments that the FPI was not worthy of existing and that the group had violated Indonesia's Constitution "really offended" the Islamic organization.

Basuki sent a letter to the Justice Ministry on Monday requesting the central government disband the FPI. The acting governor's request came after the hard-line group and other organizations threatened to occupy Jakarta City Hall and foil his inauguration as governor of the capital.

The FPI objects to Basuki, a Christian and Indonesian of Chinese decent, becoming governor and has called him an "enemy of Islam" and an infidel. The group has repeatedly said that Jakarta's leader should be from the majority religious group.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta/fpi-reports-basuki-police-defamation-unpleasant-acts/

Acting Governor Ahok to propose disbanding FPI

Jakarta Post - November 11, 2014

Dewanti A. Wardhani and Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – Responding to the Islam Defenders Front's (FPI) relentless protests against acting Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, Ahok says he will file an official recommendation with the home and law and human rights minister to disband the notorious hard-line organization.

Thousands of FPI members returned to City Hall in Central Jakarta on Monday to protest the planned inauguration of Ahok as governor.

Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, said the FPI's protest was offensive and against the 1945 Constitution, adding that he would file an official letter with the Law and Human Rights Ministry in a bid to disband the hard-line organization.

"The FPI is protesting against me because I'm a Christian. That's against the Constitution," Ahok told reporters at City Hall on Monday.

Ahok said he had attended an Islamic school from elementary until senior high school and learned that Islam followed the value of rahmatan lil alamin (grace to all people) – meaning that it did not discriminate against others, including those of different religions. He added that the FPI's actions of intolerance were embarrassing Islam and the Islamic community.

"They are embarrassing their own religion. The organization does not deserve to exist. I have written a recommendation letter and will send it to the [minister] tomorrow [Tuesday] to ban the FPI, because its actions are against the Constitution," Ahok said.

Ahok is among very few government officials who have dared to confront the hard-line organization, with even police generals tending to avoid such confrontations.

Thousands of protesters from several Islamic organizations, including the FPI, who claimed to represent the majority of Jakarta's residents, staged a demonstration in front of City Hall and yelled insults at Ahok, such as "Ahok is the devil's spawn!" and "Arrogant Ahok must be ousted!"

A number of demonstrators, including FPI chairman Muhammad Rizieq Shihab, were received by Abraham "Lulung" Lunggana and Muhammad Taufik, two City Council deputy speakers from the United Development Party (PPP) and the Gerindra Party.

During the meeting, Lulung and Taufik expressed their support for the demonstration and its demand that the government not swear in Ahok as the new governor.

"We agree that Ahok must not be sworn in as governor. Ahok has a bad reputation, not just in the eyes of city councilors but also the Jakarta public. I'm glad that all Jakartans also reject Ahok. He is the source of all problems," Lulung said when he joined the protest.

The FPI has demonstrated several times at City Hall and the City Council building to protest against Ahok being sworn in.

During their protest early last month at the City Council, the FPI members threw rocks at the police and Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers who were guarding the building. About a dozen police officers were injured and more than 10 FPI members were arrested.

Meanwhile, the National Police declined to recommend disbanding the hard- line organization because they said they did not have enough authority to assess such organizations.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Ronny F. Sompie stressed that it was the authority of the Home Ministry and the Law and Human Rights Ministry to recognize or disband mass organizations.

"The Home Ministry is tasked with supervising mass organizations, while the Law and Human Rights Ministry devises the regulations [...] The National Police have no authority to disband [an organization]. The ministries should not wait for our recommendation, if they want, they can ask for the data right away," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/11/acting-governor-ahok-propose-disbanding-fpi.html

Ahok to hand over FPI disbandment recommendation letter to ministry

Jakarta Post - November 10, 2014

Jakarta – Acting Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has said he will submit a recommendation letter on the disbandment of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) to the Law and Human Rights Ministry on Monday.

Ahok explained that he had coordinated the delivery of the letter with the Jakarta administration's legal bureau head Sri Rahayu.

"Hopefully many governors, regents and mayors across the nation will follow my lead in submitting letters calling for the disbandment of the FPI that is in line with the 2013 law on mass organizations," said Ahok on Monday as quoted by kontan.co.id.

According to the 2013 law, the Law and Human Rights Ministry can disband a civil organization through a trial, which would involve police reports and evidence. An organization that is taken to court may be sanctioned with a warning, suspension or disbandment.

About 2,000 FPI members demonstrated at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Monday to protest Ahok's upcoming governorship of Jakarta, making it the group's third demonstration in as many months.

During a protest in October, 16 police officers were injured by rocks and cow manure hurled by FPI members. As a result, the FPI riot coordinators were subsequently arrested, including two senior FPI figures Novel Bamu'min and Shahabudin Anggawi.

Also on Monday, 3,000 workers, including members of the Confederation of Indonesian Labor Unions, staged a rally at the same place as the FPI demonstration to demand an increase in the minimum wage in Jakarta and more generous benefits.

The former Jakarta governor – current Indonesian president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo – raised the minimum wage from Rp 2.2 million [US$181] to Rp 2.4 million earlier this year. (dyl/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/10/ahok-hand-over-fpi-disbandment-recommendation-letter-ministry.html

Freedom of religion & worship

No religion on KTP, no public services: Pontianak deputy mayor

Jakarta Globe - November 14, 2014

Jakarta – Residents of Pontianak in West Kalimantan who do not list their religion on identification cards will not be allowed to access public services, the city's deputy mayor has said.

In comments that are likely to inflame debate about religious freedom and the rights of minority groups, Sutarmidji said he would instruct the region's population agency and sub-district offices not to serve people who fail to put their religion on ID cards, known as KTP.

He said the religion column on the cards should not be omitted as it was required under current law. "If you want to add another religion or belief you should first amend the law that stipulates it," he told detik.com.

Indonesia formally recognizes only six religious designations: Buddhist, Catholic, Protestant, Confucian, Hindu and Muslim. Adherents are required to identify themselves on their KTP.

Under the current laws and regulations, observers of minority and indigenous religions such as Sunda Wiwitan, Buhun and Kejawen have their religion column left blank, regardless of whether they wish to state their faith or not.

In the past, members of religious minority groups have had to identify themselves as observers of state-recognized religions.

Last week Tjahjo Kumolo, Indonesia's minister of home affairs, spurred debate about the place of religious identification on KTPs by saying people should be allowed to leave the religion column blank on IDs.

Tjahko said not stating one's religion is "a matter of privacy" and the government should not meddle with people's beliefs.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/religion-ktp-public-services-pontianak-deputy-mayor/

Ulema council wants to keep religion column

Jakarta Post - November 14, 2014

Ansyor Idrus and Ina Parlina, Palembang – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has supported a recent call from Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo to allow people who do not belong to one of the six religions recognized by the state to leave the religion column on their identity cards blank.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician announced last week that adherents of faiths other than the country's six official religions – Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism – may leave the religion column on their ID cards blank, after being forced for decades to fill in the column with one of the six religions.

MUI deputy chairman Ma'ruf Amin said on Thursday that the home minister had followed the rules by suggesting the policy, as the 2013 Civil Administration Law stipulated it as an option.

"If someone adheres to a faith outside of the six, then they should leave [the column] blank but still have to register [their faith] with civil administration offices," he said after a meeting to address the religion- column issue at the MUI office in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara news agency.

The council held the meeting following public controversy surrounding Tjahjo's statement.

In a predominantly Muslim country with conservative views on religion, many have expressed concern that the home minister is planning to scrap the religion column on identity cards.

Despite supporting leaving the religion column blank, the council maintains that the state should not allow followers of religions and non- denominational faiths outside the recognized six to mention their faith specifically in the column. It also rebuffed the idea of scrapping the religion column altogether.

"A non-denominational belief is not a religion so it should not be stated in the religion column," said Ma'ruf.

Data from the Home Ministry recorded in June showed there were a total of 295 organizations affiliated with non-state recognized religions and non- denominational faiths in the country, with more than 9.9 million followers.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, who recently revealed a plan to draft a new bill that would serve as legal grounds to provide protection to adherents of all religions in the country, said there was no plan to remove the religion column from identity cards.

"The home minister firmly said the religion column will be maintained," Lukman said on Thursday in Palembang, South Sumatra.

He argued that religion, however, was still needed as part of the identity of each citizen of the country that embraces the principle of "belief in one God" as stipulated in the state ideology of Pancasila.

Lukman gave his assurances that the bill, which was expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives for approval by April next year, would regulate the civil rights of adherents of non-officially recognized religions, including in obtaining identity cards and birth certificates, as well as administrative processes for marriages and funerals.

"All people will be covered under this bill. We will not exclude a particular religion or belief system," he said when asked whether Ahmaddiyah and Shia followers would also be covered by the law.

Former Constitutional Court justice Harjono said the most important thing was that central and local administrations were able to ensure the civil rights of all citizens, regardless of religion or beliefs.

"With or without the religion column, this issue can only be solved if the government ensures and fulfils the civil rights of all citizens without discrimination," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/14/ulema-council-wants-keep-religion-column.html

Ministry drafts legal basis for tolerance

Jakarta Post - November 11, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Fresh from allowing citizens to leave the religion column on their ID cards blank, the government has announced the drafting of a new bill that would serve as the legal grounds to provide protection to adherents of all religions in the country.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said on Monday that the drafted regulation, called the protection of religious communities bill, will allow all religious groups to perform religious teachings in public.

Lukman said that the bill, which was expected to be submitted to the House of Representatives for approval by April next year, is an elaboration of the Constitution's guarantee of freedom for all followers of religious communities to observe their faiths.

"For each of us, whether or not the state recognizes [the faith], there will be a guarantee for the protection of whichever faiths the people want to embrace and how they perform [them]," Lukman told the press at his office on Monday.

The politician from the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) said that the bill would also eliminate the current choke holds civil administrations have on minority groups, such as those related to the issuance of ID cards, birth certificates and marriage certificates.

He also expressed support for Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, who recently gave the green light to residents to leave the religion column on their ID cards blank if they do not feel they belong to any of the six religions recognized by the state.

"So don't use terms like 'state-recognized [religion]' because this is problematic. It still raises controversy even in the internal [ministry] whether or not the state possesses the authority to formalize religions. The most important thing is how [the state] protects [religious communities]," Lukman said.

Additionally, he added, the bill was also expected to regulate other aspects of religious life that might concern public spaces, such as, among other things, the construction of houses of worship, proselytizing or funerals.

The ministry's initiative to formulate such a bill will likely supersede the 2010 draft bill on religious tolerance initiated by the House of Representatives, which was abandoned because of criticism over articles promoting tolerance.

Before speaking to the press on the matter, Lukman, a former deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), held a closed-door meeting with rights activists from the Setara Institute to discuss suggestions for the new draft bill, as well as efforts to uphold tolerance in a country that housed diverse faiths.

"Once approved, the bill will thus annul all other laws and regulations deemed discriminatory, including, among others, the joint ministerial decree on the construction of houses of worship and on the Ahmadiyah, as well as the 1965 Law on Blasphemy," Setara deputy head Bonar Tigor Naipospos said on the sidelines of the meeting.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/11/ministry-drafts-legal-basis-tolerance.html

Home affairs minister criticized by all sides in religion ID debate

Jakarta Globe - November 8, 2014

Adelia Putri Anjani & Robertus Wardhi, Jakarta – Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo waded in to a heated debate after suggesting that people have the option of leaving the religion column blank on their identity cards, forcing him to clarify his original remarks.

The minister earlier said on Thursday that stating or not stating one's religion is "a matter of privacy," but later changed his statement saying that the option only applies to followers of religions that are not formally recognized by the state.

"The government should not meddle in citizens' choice of beliefs, providing [those beliefs] don't disturb the general order," he said earlier.

Indonesia formally recognizes only six religions, namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. Followers of the six religions are required to fill the column, he said.

Religious freedom advocacy group, the Setara Institute noted that Tjahjo's stance does not differ much from the existing regulations set by his predecessor Gamawan Fauzi.

It is not clear whether Tjahjo will allow observers of such faiths to openly state their religions on their identification cards.

For minority religions "we will consult about this with the Indonesian Council of Ulema, PGI [Indonesian Communion of Churches] and so on. Are these [minority religions] considered deviant or not. That is up to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and religious figures," he said.

"What is important is for people not to obtain their right [of acquiring an identification card] because their religions are not recognized [by the state]."

Haris Azhar, coordinator of human rights group the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said Tjahjo's remarks showed that the minister has no real standing on the matter.

"I think that it's better to delete the column. I don't understand – what's the use of a religion column on the identification card," he told the Jakarta Globe.

Haris highlighted cases where stating religion on identification cards can be dangerous, saying it was often used to identify enemies during bloody sectarian conflicts in Poso, Central Sulawesi and Ambon, Maluku between 2000 to 2005.

In the past, members of religious minority groups have had to identify themselves as observers of state-recognized religions, which could lead to criminal charges.

Former civil servant Alexander Aan, who was sentenced to two years in prison for writing "God does not exist" on his Facebook page also faced charges of giving false information for stating in his identification card that he was a Muslim.

Similar charges were also to several members of the Ahmadiyah group, who identify themselves as Muslims but are declared as deviant or even non- Muslims by other Muslim groups.

"Our constitution guarantees the freedom to choose a belief," said Poengky Indarti, executive director of the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial).

"Both religion and beliefs are personal human rights in which the state cannot intervene. Stating one's religion on an ID card is a form of government intervention. It's going to divide people and opens up opportunities for discrimination for certain religious groups, especially the minorities."

Poengky said only a few countries in the world require their citizens to state their religion on their identification cards, "most of them are countries where the citizens are suppressed when it comes to their religious choices."

Arwani Thomafi, a lawmaker from the Islam-based United Development Party rejected Tjahjo's plan. "Leaving [the religion column] empty can create the impression that the person has no religion. And observing a religion is the manifestation of Pancasila," he said referring to the state ideology.

Atheism is banned in Indonesia since the 1965 massacre against communist sympathizers.

"The religion column is important. It shows we are not a secular country although we are also not a country based on a particular religion," Arwani said. "It is important to state one's religion. [Otherwise] there will be problems such as marriages, child custody and so on."

Salahuddin Wahid, a prominent figure of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's biggest Muslim organization, said Tjahjo should consider the matter carefully as religion is a very sensitive issue in the Muslim majority country. "Discuss this first with other parties," he told Republika newspaper on Friday.

Salahuddin said he neither supports nor dismisses the inclusion of religion column on identification card but said both sides have valid arguments and should be accommodated by Tjahjo.

Tjahjo's remarks came after the government stated it wished to continue the graft-ridden electronic identity card program, which was stopped after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) found that tens of millions of dollars earmarked for the scheme has been siphoned.

It is unclear whether the recent controversy will further delay the program. The KPK on Friday gave the green light for the ministry to resurrect the program.

"As long as the Ministry of Home Affairs believes that the project should continue," Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Johan Budi said. "The KPK has no right to reject or approve a project."

Johan said the KPK would continue to investigate the project, which it says has relieved the Indonesian taxpayer of Rp 1.12 trillion ($92 million) in corruption to date.

The e-KTP procurement was originally projected to cost Rp 5.8 trillion and confer a major technological upgrade on the country's identity card system. It was intended to offer more efficient applications and better, more secure data.

The project was mothballed, however, and many high-profile lawmakers were directly accused of having taken $500,000 bribes. Graft convict and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin accused the previous home affairs minister, Gamawan, of having taken a kickback. While the man in charge of the tender between 2011-12 – Sugiharto – has also been named a suspect by the KPK.

Despite its past troubles Tjahjo believes the project could be rehabilitated. "So we are not halting the e-KTP project but we are evaluating it because there's a legal problem, so let's investigate to find out the core of the problem," Tjahjo said.

Antigraft activists have urged the KPK to prioritize the investigation of the e-KTP project, which they see as particularly egregious given the size of the bribes alleged to be involved and the paucity of formal charges issued.

Uchok Sky Khadafi, the investigations director of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra), expressed surprise that the KPK had managed to net so few suspects after it had been investigating the project for some time.

"The KPK must find new suspects from the consortium of companies or from the ministry," he said. "So far there has been only one suspect and he has been sacrificed to take the fall."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/home-affairs-minister-criticized-sides-religion-id-debate/

Governance & administration

Government to have open recruitment in all ministries next year

Jakarta Post - November 15, 2014

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Following in the footsteps of the Jakarta administration, which has put in place a system that allows government agencies to hold open-call recruitment for civil-servant positions, the central government is planning to implement open recruitment in all ministries starting next year.

Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Yuddy Chrisnandi said on Friday that the open-call recruitment was part of a scheme to overhaul the country's bureaucracy, which has long been plagued by corruption and populated by incompetent civil servants.

"The open-call recruitment is to find public officials with quality, integrity and capability. We need to be open [in the recruitment system] as we have arrived in the era of competition and we need to upgrade the skills of civil servants," Yuddy told reporters.

Yuddy said that the open-call recruitment was mandated in Law No. 5/2014 on civil and state servants. However, the law stipulates that only active civil servants qualify to join the selection process and that it only applies to positions in echelon I and II.

Echelon I usually refers to the position of a director general while echelon II is a director-level position or the head of a division.

Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister says all ministries will have open-call recruitment next year Professionals to be able to join selection process.

Yuddy said that the government would soon issue a regulation to allow professionals to join the selection process. "Before we issue the regulation, the open-call recruitment can only involve active civil servants," he said.

Yuddy, a NasDem Party politician, said that the new regulation would be ready by the time the open recruitment started. "Hopefully the regulation will be ready in the next three months, so early next year we can [start implementing the system in all ministries]," he said.

As to how many positions would be available, Yuddy said it would depend on individual ministries. "For example, the Finance Ministry recently announced that it would conduct open-call recruitment for its tax directorate-general position. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said also just announced such a thing," he said.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry is currently evaluating which of its units will offer vacancies for top positions. Under the plan, only the positions of officials failing to perform well would be offered.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's secretary-general, Teguh Pamuji, said that the most urgent position was that of oil and gas director general, given the high number of applications for permissions as well as the amount of paperwork that a new official has to handle.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad applauded the open-call recruitment, saying that it was necessary to eradicate the practice of nepotism and favoritism prevalent in the bureaucracy. "We want to push a just system of promotion," Abrahaman said on Friday.

Samad said that under the current system, where a minister could appoint any candidate to fill a top position based on his or her preferences, the antigraft body would have a difficult time taking preventive measures against corruption.

"If the recruitment system is not regulated, then officials who get promoted would be those whose moral standards could be questioned. The fact of the matter is currently people who could get promotions are those with close connections to the leaders of government institutions," he said.

The Jakarta administration has introduced an open-recruitment system aimed at finding quality human resources among Jakarta's civil servants to fill thousands of middle- to top-level jobs.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/govt-have-open-recruitment-all-ministries-next-year.html

Unclear projects to be aborted

Jakarta Post - November 10, 2014

Tassia Sipahutar, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called on all ministries to rein in spending for the rest of the year in an effort to save state funds.

Ministries should scrap projects that, by the end October, remained unrealized, or whose prospects remained uncertain, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said after a meeting at his office late on Friday with representatives of all 34 ministries in the so-called "Working Cabinet".

"If the ministries have projects that they have not carried out by [the end of] October, they should cancel them. How can they realize the projects before the end of the year if the procurement process has not even begun?" he announced after the meeting.

The cancellation could save funds already allocated in the revised 2014 state budget, Bambang said, adding that any savings would likely be small.

Government spending, which accounts for less than 10 percent of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP), is notorious for being disbursed at the last minute. The government has been criticized for not disbursing state funds earlier so that they could have a more stimulating effect on the overall economy.

Central government spending in the 2014 revised state budget totaled Rp 1.23 quadrillion, or two-thirds of the overall Rp 1.88 quadrillion in state spending. The remaining Rp 596.5 trillion was for transfers to regions.

As of September, about two-thirds of the funds allocated for state spending, or Rp 1.23 quadrillion, had been disbursed, according to Finance Ministry data. Central government spending reached 62 percent of the total, while transfers to regions reached 73.9 percent.

Despite the plan to cancel projects left unrealized, Bambang remained optimistic that overall, the state budget's absorption rate would reach between 93 percent and 95 percent, versus 93 percent last year.

Deputy Finance Minister Mardiasmo said that the project cancellations would not significantly impact the full-year economic growth target, as there are only two months left until year-end.

Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto, who also attended the Friday meeting, said that ministries would begin coordinating with all of their directorates to identify the projects hanging in limbo on Monday.

"We do not want to rush the projects because of the concern that their quality will be undermined. That may cause problems if the BPKP [the Development Finance Comptroller] or the BPK [Supreme Audit Agency] carries out an audit," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/10/unclear-projects-be-aborted.html

Councilors question budget for rain shamans

Jakarta Post - November 8, 2014

Surabaya – The Surabaya Council may reject allocating funds in the 2015 draft city budget to pawang hujan (rain shamans), a service often used by local residents in their attempt to prevent rain during important outdoor events.

Council member Baktiono said the education agency had proposed an allocation of Rp 5 million (about US$435). Meanwhile, the city's youth and sports agency and protocol and general affairs division had also allocated Rp 70 million for 14 of their outdoor activities.

"Education should teach reasonable, scientific things, not things that are not real, as the budget must be accountable to the public," Baktiono told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Surabaya Education Office head Mohammad Ikhsan said the presence of rain shamans was important, as every outdoor event would be successful.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/08/councilors-question-budget-rain-shamans.html

Parliament & legislation

House peace talks stall

Jakarta Post - November 14, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Peace talks between the two rival coalitions at the House of Representatives have once again broken down, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-I)-led Great Indonesia Coalition making a new demand as a condition for sealing a power sharing deal with the rival Red-and-White Coalition.

Negotiators representing both coalitions had agreed to hold a plenary meeting to officiate the agreement, which included assigning Great Indonesia Coalition lawmakers to 21 of the 64 leadership posts at the House.

The meeting however, which was scheduled for Thursday, was cancelled after members of the Great Indonesia Coalition made the fresh demand.

In addition to an earlier request for leadership positions in the House's 16 internal bodies, including its 11 commissions, the Great Indonesia Coalition made a new demand to include a change in lawmakers' rights, in particular in relation to questioning the government, as stipulated in the 2014 Legislative Institutions (MD3) Law and a House internal regulation.

Lawmakers from the Great Indonesia Coalition argued that existing stipulations on the matter in both pieces of legislation could be easily abused to disrupt President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration, which would eventually lead to Jokowi's impeachment.

"The existing stipulations are too authoritarian. We are not aiming to abolish the rights of lawmakers, but we must reformulate a way to exercise them to avoid abuse of power," lawmaker Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat, who leads the NasDem Party faction at the House, said on Thursday.

In a separate interview, secretary-general of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Abdul Kadir Karding concurred with Victor and emphasized such a revision would be key to sealing the deal.

"It's non-negotiable because it's important for the country. It's much more important than the agreement recently reached regarding leadership positions within the House's bodies," he said.

Besides NasDem and the PKB, other members within the Great Indonesia Coalition, including the Hanura Party and the United Development Party (PPP), demanded the House to revise articles 73, 74 and 98 of the MD3 Law and Article 60 of the internal regulation, which all upheld the rights of lawmakers and the method of exercising them.

Article 73 of the MD3 Law, for example, allows lawmakers to summon government officials to question them on relevant issues. According to the article, the House can summon government officials by force if they refuse to respond to the summons three times.

Meanwhile, Article 98 of the law obliges government officials to obey any decisions reached by House commissions during meetings and requires the President to punish officials that fail to do so. Article 60 of the House's internal regulation has similar stipulations.

"We must reformulate such stipulations to ensure that they won't be abused to unfairly attack the government. Trust us on this. The House is already a very powerful institution without those regulations. They grant the House even stronger power," Abdul Kadir of the PKB said.

Meanwhile, negotiators from the majority Red-and-White Coalition rejected the demands, arguing that the rights of lawmakers were consistent with the Constitution.

"We've just learned of this. We've already agreed to share 21 leadership positions with them. Let's see what we can do about this one. We will conduct a further study to carefully examine it," said the coalition's spokesperson, Idrus Marham of the Golkar Party.

Idrus, however, expressed confidence that the standoff could be settled by Dec. 5 before the House started its month-long recess.

House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party was cynical about the new proposal from the Great Indonesia Coalition. "We see nothing important about revising lawmakers' rights. We've given one and they asked for more," said Fadli.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/14/house-peace-talks-stall.html

Coalitions agree to end rift, pledge to work in harmony

Jakarta Post - November 11, 2014

Ina Parlina and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The two opposing camps at the House of Representatives agreed on Monday to work in harmony for the sake of the Indonesian people that voted for them in April's legislative election.

Golkar Party secretary-general Idrus Marham, who represented his party, which leads the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, met Pramono Anung Wibowo and Olly Dondokambey, two senior members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the leader of the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition.

The meeting was held on Monday afternoon at the office of House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto, who is also Golkar treasurer.

Idrus revealed that both coalitions had committed to improving the House's performance after more than a week of paralysis due to a struggle over the control of commissions and internal bodies. No documents, however, were signed at the meeting, as had been earlier hinted at by Pramono.

"We promise that within a day or two, everything will be settled. Matters will be finalized during a plenary session [of the House] on Thursday," Idrus said.

As well as promising to work in harmony, the two coalitions agreed that both camps would be represented in the chairmanships of the 16 commissions and internal bodies.

They have also decided to revise the 2014 Legislative Institutions Law (MD3) and internal House regulation during Thursday's plenary session to allow the increase of deputy chair positions from the existing three posts to four.

Pramono, who has been very active in efforts to bring an end to the deadlock, said he expected the amendment of the two guidelines to be completed before Dec. 5.

"The deal is to respect each other. This will be reflected in the final structure of the House's internal bodies, which will include both the Red- and-White Coalition and the Great Indonesia Coalition," Pramono said after Monday's meeting.

Both Idrus and Pramono said there would be no additional House commissions or internal bodies.

The rivalry between the two camps became heated after the Red-and-White Coalition, whose member-parties control the majority of House seats, insisted on upholding an internal regulation regarding the selection of leaders for all internal bodies, squeezing out Jokowi's Great Indonesia Coalition.

The paralysis caused by the rift has prevented the House from updating the administration on its plans, which the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), the other legislative institution, began to do last week.

Golkar executive and lawmaker Fadel Muhammad said on Monday night that the signing was merely ceremonial "but the points of the truce have been agreed".

Fadel said that the Great Indonesia Coalition would get deputy chair seats in the 16 internal bodies, including the five most important, such as the household and budgetary committees.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said he supported every decision the two camps made during the negotiations.

"Alhamdulillah [Praise God] it [the unity] is what [we were] expecting all this time [...] so that the House can become an example for the people," said Kalla, who is also a former Golkar chairman.

"The government is currently working. Of course, it is best to have proportional [separation of power between the executive, legislative and judicial] roles."

However, a group of civil society organizations warned that adding extra deputy chair positions in each of the House's internal bodies was not the answer to end the rift, arguing that such a move would only lengthen the decision-making process of the internal bodies.

Representing the group, Ronald Rofiandri said they should revise the two regulations to accommodate the proportionality principle in the selection mechanism of the House speakership and the leadership of its internal bodies through a mu-syawarah mufakat (deliberation for consensus) instead of nominating and voting on leadership packages.

"The amendment should open the door to bringing back the rule of proportionality in the selection mechanism," said Ronald from the Center for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK), which often criticizes lawmakers' poor performance.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/11/coalitions-agree-end-rift-pledge-work-harmony.html

House split as stand-off continues

Jakarta Globe - November 8, 2014

Jakarta – The pro-government minority in the House of Representatives has lowered its demand for some control over the legislature as the rift continues.

President Joko Widodo's Awesome Indonesia Coalition (KIH) continued to demand for the legislature to repeat the appointment process for chairs of all oversight commissions at the House. But this time the House minority leader, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said it only wants 40 percent.

PDI-P deputy secretary general Achmad Basarah said the party originally wanted all 11 House commissions and four special committees to be ruled according to the number of seats each party won.

"But we must be realistic. We are not demanding for [control over the commissions] to be distributed based on seats, but based on size of coalitions," he said.

The KIH has a minority 246 of the 560 seats in the House. Joko's five-party KIH has refused to recognize the legitimate House leadership, with all key posts held by legislators from opposition Red-White Coalition (KMP).

The KIH has instead named its own shadow speaker and deputy speakers as well as boycotted nearly all House meetings and sessions, stopping the legislature from deliberating on important issues, moves Joko himself has regretted.

The KMP has also refused to give in to the KIH's demands. "There'll be no re-election [of commission chairs]," House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon said. "What has been established [by House speakers] stands."

Fadli, of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) – a KMP member – said the only way for the KIH to gain some control over key posts is for the House to add the number of commissions. "Besides, we haven't named chairmen and deputy chairman for [House] budget committee and [House] internal affairs committee," he said.

Dadang Rusdiana of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) – a member of the KIH – however said a re-election of all commission chairmanship posts "is not negotiable."

"We hope the KMP will realize they can't stage hearings with the government [without the KIH] because they will not reach a quorum," he said. Political observer Leo Agustino from Banten's Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, said the problem can only be resolved through talks between lawmakers as well as party leaders.

"This can only be resolved if everyone just keep their heads cool. Common sense and reason should be the main tool in any political communications," he said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/house-split-stand-continues/

Jakarta & urban life

Ahok to raise minimum wage by 12.5 percent

Jakarta Post - November 15, 2014

Corry Elyda, Jakarta – Following a deadlock between workers and employers on Thursday, the city administration looks set to raise the minimum wage by 12.5 percent to Rp 2.7 million (US$221) from the current Rp 2.4 million.

Acting governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama stated that he would unilaterally decide the increase in the provincial minimum wage (UMP) and that the hike would be not more than Rp 2.7 million, slightly higher than the results of a basic cost of living (KHL) survey conducted in the city over the past few months. The expected wage increase is not much higher than that proposed by employers.

The tripartite meeting held by the Jakarta wage committee on Thursday was deadlocked and finally, referring to the survey, employers proposed a minimum wage of Rp 2.69 million, while workers proposed a sum of Rp 3.5 million.

Ahok intimated that it was impossible for him to accept the workers' demand of a Rp 3.5 million minimum wage, as the amount was far more than that suggested by the KHL survey. "I have told labor unions several times that our benchmark [for setting the minimum wage] is the KHL," he said.

Ahok said that aside from the KHL, the city administration would take into account other factors such as economic growth and productivity, when setting the minimum wage.

"We also have improved the level of the KHL. For example, now we assess instant noodles rather than flour and we're using a higher mineral water price," he said.

Ahok revealed that his decision would also take into account the planned increase in fuel prices, which would affect the price index. "I've planned to scrap fuel subsidies in Jakarta since last year, so we've already considered this," he said.

According to the 2003 Labor Law, the minimum wage applies only to workers with no work experience, while those who have worked for one year or more are paid higher depending on their productivity, skills, work experience and position.

Asked about the higher wage hike in Bekasi, West Java, Ahok challenged workers in the capital to move to Bekasi. He said, however, that the city would provide alternative public transportation for workers.

"They often complain that transportation fees are too expensive," he said. Elaborating, he said the city would build and operate new bus routes leading to factories. "The bus fares will be cheaper," he said.

Separately, Sarman Simanjorang, who represented employers on the Jakarta wage committee, said on Thursday that employers had proposed to increase the monthly minimum wage by 10.34 percent to Rp 2.69 million.

"We previously wanted to set the 2015 minimum wage as high as the KHL, which was set at Rp 2.55 million," he said. However, he went on, the employers eventually proposed Rp 2.69 million, considering economic growth and the inflation rate this year.

Sarman said workers' representatives on the committee had demanded an increase to Rp 3.57 million. "Their sum was calculated in consideration of other factors like inflation, productivity and the estimation of increasing fuel prices," he said, adding that while the government-set survey included 60 wage components, workers used 80 components in their proposal.

Sarman said in the absence of a tripartite agreement, the wage committee eventually decided to allow both workers and employers to file their own proposals to the acting governor.

"We, the employers, hope that the acting governor will decide the wage increase wisely and not bow to pressure from workers, who have almost daily staged protests in front of City Hall over the past two weeks," he said.

According to Presidential Instruction No. 9/2013 on remuneration, the minimum wage should have been set on Nov. 1, but the hike will come into effect on Jan. 1 of the coming year.

"Labor-intensive industries and small and medium enterprises are looking forward to the decision in order to evaluate their business' situation," Sarman said, adding that labor intensive companies could relocate to other provinces where the minimum wages were lower.

Jakarta Labor Forum secretary-general Muhammad Toha said that labor unions were hopeful that the minimum wage would be set at around Rp 3 million. "It would be strange if Ahok didn't listen to our aspirations. He previously stated that the basic living cost in Jakarta was around Rp 4 million," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/15/ahok-raise-minimum-wage-125-percent.html

Basuki's opponents vow to prolong fight

Jakarta Globe - November 14, 2014

Jakarta – A hard-won victory in the protracted process to get Jakarta Acting Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama inaugurated as governor proper appeared short-lived on Friday, as political opponents of the popular leader sought to challenge his endorsement.

The Jakarta City Council on Friday morning convened a special plenary session to endorse the succession before the inauguration sometime next week, but parties in the Red-White coalition, or KMP, which boycotted the session, declared the meeting and endorsement invalid.

"There will be a legitimate plenary session... next week," said Muhammad Taufik, the council deputy speaker from the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the chief critic of the acting governor.

Taufik, a corruption convict who served an 18-month sentence for embezzling funds from the Jakarta elections commission in 2004, claimed the endorsement was invalid because none of the council's four deputy speakers, all from KMP parties, was at the session.

However, Council Speaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said that because it was a special plenary session, none of the usual requirements applied.

The session, which began at 11 a.m. and lasted just 10 minutes, was attended by just 44 of the council's 106 members.

"As speaker of the council, I declare and recommend to the president of the Republic of Indonesia, through the minister for home affairs, that Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the acting governor of the special province of Jakarta, be inaugurated as governor for the remainder of the 2012-2017 term," Prasetyo said at the close of the session.

While the attendance was short of the minimum of 54 typically required for a valid plenary session, Prasetyo said the quorum did not apply in this case because it was a special plenary session held under the auspices of a Home Affairs Ministry directive issued last month.

"If those on the other side believe it's not valid, they can take it up with the Constitutional Court," he said.

Not bothered by boycott

Basuki, meanwhile, brushed off the KMP's objections to the endorsement, adding he wasn't bothered by their boycott of the plenary session. "I'm just trying to get work done, no more of this political stuff," he said.

He conceded that even after his imminent inauguration as governor, the KMP could, with its majority in the City Council, thwart his programs for the city. But again he declared he was unfazed by the hostility.

"So be it. That means we also won't discuss the annual budget and [the councilors] won't get paid. Maybe they're rich already and don't need a salary," Basuki said.

Independent state administrative law expert Refly Harun said Basuki's detractors had "no legal grounds for rejecting" his succession to governor. He cited electoral laws stipulating that deputy governors would automatically become governor in the event that the latter post was vacated for any reason.

Djohermansyah Djohan, the Home Affairs Ministry's director general for regional autonomy, said city councilors who refused to acknowledge Basuki as Jakarta's governor after his inauguration, expected sometime next week, could face administrative sanctions from the central government "for not abiding by the law." He did not elaborate on the possible sanctions.

12,000 security personnel

The Jakarta Police, meanwhile, plan to deploy 12,000 personnel to safeguard Basuki's inauguration, although details on when and where the inauguration will take place have yet to be decided.

The Islamic Defenders Front, or FPI, a militant group notorious for its vigilante raids and attacks against businesses and religious minorities, has held rallies against Basuki becoming governor, and in one protest last month attacked police personnel with rocks, cow patties and a sword.

Insp. Gen. Unggung Cahyono, the city police chief, said the police would continue to allow demonstrations against Basuki's inauguration, but only if they remained peaceful. "Express your opinions in public peacefully," he said.

Police will stage a joint exercise with the Indonesian Military on Monday to prepare for the inauguration.

Basuki has filed a request with the Justice Ministry to have the FPI disbanded, citing its litany of unchecked criminal actions. In response, the FPI has reported Basuki to the Jakarta Police for defamation and unpleasant conduct.

The group objects to Basuki because it deems that as a Christian and an ethnic Chinese, he is unfit to lead a Muslim-majority city.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/basukis-opponents-vow-prolong-fight/

Police & law enforcement

Police personnel dismissed for allegedly selling ammunition

Jakarta Post - November 11, 2014

An officer from the Nduga subprecinct police station in Nduga regency, Papua, First Brig. Tanggam Jikwa, has been dismissed from his unit for having violated ethics and discipline as a member of the National Police.

The police's code of ethics commission head, Comr. Irwan Sunurdin, said Tanggam was proven guilty of selling ammunition to an armed civilian group at Papua's Pegunungan Tengah region.

"Tanggam was proven to have repeatedly committed violations. He was proven guilty of having violated rules; therefore, we sanctioned him in accordance with Article 22 of the National Police decree No.14/2014 on the permanent dismissal of a National Police member," said Irwan when he read out the commission's ruling during a code of ethics session in Jayapura, Papua, on Monday.

Tanggam was arrested in Wamena on Sunday, together with the armed group leaders, Rambo Wendan and Rambo Tolikara, as well as several other members.

During the raid, Tanggam was caught red-handed selling 29 rounds of ammunition worth Rp 3.5 million (US$287.64). The Nduga Police officers later found 231 rounds of assault rifle (SS1) ammunition when they searched Tanggam's house.

During the investigation, Tanggam admitted he had sold ammunition to the armed group, saying that he was forced to do it in the hope that he could get his firearm back, which was lost in 2013.

Tanggam said he lost his revolver when riding on a two-wheeled vehicle with a local resident. Tanggam then began to make friends with the local armed civilian group in hopes of getting his lost revolver returned to him.

In April, Tanggam sold 18 rounds of ammunition to the Rambo Tolikara group, from which he earned Rp 600,000. Tanggam never had his revolver returned by the armed group by the time he was arrested on Sunday.

Tanggam was reported to have committed ethical and discipline violations three times. In 2011, he was detained for 21 days for having been proved careless in carrying out his duties so that a prisoner was able to flee from a detention facility. Tanggam was also reported to have once been involved in a fight with a police officer colleague and had often run around drunk.

Apart from the code of ethics trial, Tanggam also will face charges in front of the Jayapura District Court. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/10/police-personnel-dismissed-allegedly-selling-ammunition.html

Mining & energy

Government, business braced for fuel-price hike

Jakarta Post - November 13, 2014

Headlines – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's economic team is formulating strategies to ease the negative impact from an upcoming rise in fuel prices on business, as entrepreneurs also brace themselves for the long-awaited move.

Although the government has not provided details of the policy, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has said the increase will come into effect before the end of this year.

In his presidential campaign, Jokowi vowed to reform the country's burdensome and poorly targeted fuel subsidies, estimated to hit Rp 276 trillion (US$22.7 billion) next year, eating up around 15 percent of total state spending.

The huge fuel subsidies had created a "helpless" state budget and a gaping fiscal deficit at a time when the country needed to boost government spending in order to increase economic growth and people's welfare, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Wednesday evening.

"We had planned to raise fuel prices early this month, but we've had to recalculate because of the recent fall in global oil prices. But, of course, we have to implement the policy soon," he said.

On Oct. 22, Bloomberg reported that the benchmark Brent crude oil price dropped 25 percent from the previous four months, trading at $85.80 per barrel, significantly easing pressure on the government's bill for fuel subsidies.

The price was significantly below the average price predicted by the government in the 2015 state budget, which sets the Indonesian crude price (ICP) at $105 per barrel. The ICP is traded not far from the price set for the benchmark Brent oil.

Despite the decline in global fuel prices, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said said the government would go on with its plan to raise fuel prices this year, revealing that the announcement would likely be made as soon as President Jokowi returns from his official trip overseas.

Jokowi is expected to return to Indonesia after the G20 summit taking place in Brisbane on Nov. 15 and 16.

Sudirman insisted that state-owned oil firm PT Pertamina would ensure sufficient fuel supplies despite reports that it was planning to limit distribution.

"We urge the public not to panic. [The rumors of limitation] are psychological; speculators are trying to benefit from the situation," he said.

Separately, Industry Minister Saleh Husin said he was convinced that the increase in fuel prices would not widely affect small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or small industries, as they use industrial-purpose fuel rather than subsidized fuel.

However, he acknowledged that the increase would affect industry logistics costs, possibly causing around 4 percent cost increases. "We will make sure officials talk with business associations about this issue."

Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Sofyan Wanandi said he was convinced that the president would announce the fuel-price hike soon after returning from overseas.

He said that employers would calculate the impact of the policy on the regional minimum wage (UMP). The association, however, is considering raising employees' transportation allowances rather than supporting any wage increase.

According to Sofyan, the increase in fuel prices will not immediately affect the minimum wage because the impact of the inflation hike will only last for around three to six months.

"The minimum wage doesn't need to increase following the increase in fuel prices, but employers will boost workers' purchasing power by raising transportation allowances."

Indonesian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Suryo Bambang Sulisto echoed Sofyan's opinion that the government should cut fuel subsidies immediately and reallocate the money to sectors that needed it the most.

Suryo also said that increases in fuel prices did not always correlate with rises in the regional minimum wage, which, he argued, had more to with workers' productivity levels.

"The business world is not opposed to an increase in the minimum wage, but we have to be careful that raising it doesn't backfire. We're currently considered to be quite competitive in term of our minimum wage," he said.

Permata Bank independent commissioner Tony Prasetiantono, said he had calculated that a fuel-price increase of Rp 2,500 per liter would be sufficient for the government's budget and would allow Bank Indonesia (BI) to maintain its current interest rate of 7.5 percent.

He said BI would not have to increase the rate above its current level after the fuel-price hike in order to prevent liquidity from getting tighter.

[Linda Yulisman and Raras Cahyafitri contributed to the story.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/13/govt-business-braced-fuel-price-hike.html

Indonesia shakes up corruption-tainted energy ministry

Reuters - November 12, 2014

Jakarta – Indonesia's new energy and mineral resources minister on Tuesday launched a major shakeup of the graft-tainted ministry, requiring all top directors to re-apply for their jobs.

Energy Minister Sudirman Said took office last month and pledged to repair the image of his ministry, which has been rocked by a series of high- profile corruption scandals that implicated several top oil officials.

Said dismissed his director general of oil and gas last week after presidential advisers gave the unit a poor review.

"Building a reputation and public trust is our homework," Said told reporters. "We want to refresh our organization... we want to put in place better people."

The minister said all oil, gas and mining director positions would be open to internal applicants and those currently in those jobs would need to re- apply. The overhaul would be imposed in stages over the next few months.

Indonesia was once self-sufficient in oil and gas but has been struggling for years to attract investment to halt declining output from a peak of around 1.6 million barrels per day in 1995.

The former OPEC member, which currently produces around 800,000 bpd, is now a major fuel importer.

Said's predecessor, Jero Wacik, stepped down in September after being named a suspect in a case involving extortion and kickbacks worth about $841,000.

A few months before that, the former head of Indonesia's energy regulator, SKKMigas, was jailed for seven years for taking over $1 million in bribes from the owner of a Singapore-based oil company.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesia-shakes-corruption-tainted-energy-ministry/

Discord in PDI-P as members oppose fuel plan

Jakarta Post - November 8, 2014

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P) central board member, Puan Maharani, who is also Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister, has insisted that her party remains solid despite opposition by several party politicians to the government's plan to slash fuel subsidies.

"There's no rift. The PDI-P remains solid," Puan, the daughter of PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, said at her ministry office on Friday.

Puan was responding to a query regarding a recent statement made by PDI-P lawmaker Effendi Simbolon, who criticized the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo over its plan to raise fuel prices soon without preparing sufficient measures to improve the country's energy sector.

Effendi had also lambasted Vice President Jusuf Kalla for his strong stance on the issue, which he found to be in contrast to Jokowi's cautious approach. Kalla has responded to the criticism by saying that Effendi did not represent his party when making his statement.

Puan downplayed Effendi's statement, noting that the PDI-P, which supported Jokowi's presidential bid, had yet to issue a formal stance on the planned fuel hike.

"If there are individuals who express different opinions, it is simply political dynamics in the House. Our chairman has not yet issued an instruction. Such dynamics are common, but one thing is for sure, the PDI-P is always solid," said Puan, a former PDI-P faction leader at the House of Representatives.

Interim PDI-P secretary-general, Hasto Kristiyanto, had earlier said that the PDI-P, as a party in the ruling coalition, would back Jokowi's fuel- price hike plan.

Effendi is not the only high-profile PDI-P politician to have openly challenged the plan.

Rieke Diah Pitaloka, who was once touted as a leading candidate to take a ministerial position in Jokowi's administration, has raised doubts over the effectiveness of the recently launched Productive Family welfare program to cushion the blow of the expected increase in fuel prices.

PDI-P remains solid despite opposition from its politicians on fuel price hike plan PDI-P carries a burden as a party that constantly opposes fuel price hike

"I support Jokowi in implementing the KIS and the KIP [the Healthy Indonesia Card and the Smart Indonesia Card, which are part of the welfare program] as evidence that the government abides by the Constitution. But, I won't support a rise in the price of subsidized fuels if it does not match with the basic principles of the Constitution," she said.

Charta Politika political analyst Yunarto Wijaya suggested that the opposition of some PDI-P politicians to the fuel plan was aimed at safeguarding the party's populist reputation in the eyes of voters.

"The PDI-P carries a burden as the party that consistently opposed fuel hikes proposed by the administration of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. They did this to maintain their constituents' support. I believe, in the end, all PDI-P members will accept the fuel-hike plan," he said.

Yunarto said that it was very unlikely that the opposition to the fuel- price hike was deliberately promoted by individual PDI-P members who had failed to get positions in Jokowi's administration.

"Whatever the motivations, whether they are truly against the fuel hike or disappointed by Jokowi or the party's decision in the final line-up of the Cabinet, all PDI-P members will eventually take the same stance on this issue," he said.

Ray Rangkuti, a political observer from the Indonesian Civil Society Circle (Lima), suspected that many of the PDI-P members would not tolerate what they perceived as Kalla's dominance in Jokowi's administration.

"It appears that critics within the PDI-P aren't looking to attack the policy but rather they are targeting Kalla, who tends to issue bold statements on important issues before the President does," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/08/discord-pdi-p-members-oppose-fuel-plan.html

Fishing & maritime affairs

Indonesia signs deals with neighbors to combat illegal fishing

Jakarta Post - November 13, 2014

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has successfully encouraged neighboring countries in Southeast Asia to help deal with illegal fishing in the region, a minister has said.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the government would sign memorandum of understandings (MoU) on combating illegal fishing with six ambassadors of neighboring countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and China, on Dec. 13.

"The six ambassadors have promised to help combat illegal fishing in Indonesia," she told The Jakarta Post in an interview at her office on Wednesday.

Susi said she would urge other ambassadors in Indonesia to sign similar MoUs because illegal fishing had become a major problem, making Indonesia's maritime sector lag behind other countries.

"They [foreign ambassadors] have to be responsible if ships from their respective countries enter Indonesian waters illegally and if their citizens illegally fish in these waters," she said.

Under the MoUs, the Indonesian government would order the ambassadors to remove their ships from Indonesian waters if they were proven to have entered illegally, she said. (alz/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/13/ri-signs-deals-with-neighbors-combat-illegal-fishing.html

Indonesia to create new coastguard, boost defense spending

Reuters - November 13, 2014

Kanupriya Kapoor and Randy Fabi, Jakarta – Indonesia will launch a new coastguard next month to crack down on piracy and smuggling which can disrupt commerce in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, the chief security minister told Reuters on Thursday.

The force is part of President Joko Widodo's push to reassure investors at a time when the economy is growing at its slowest in five years and is strained by twin trade and current account deficits.

"There are too many overlapping agencies that are not effective in securing the seas," Tedjo Edy Purdijatno said in his first interview to foreign media as chief security minister. "We will bring it all under one coastguard to make sure businesses that use sea transportation are not harmed."

Indonesia relies on a loose grouping of police and navy personnel to safeguard its shipping lanes but smuggling of natural resources is rife. The Malacca Strait in western Indonesia, a regional and global trade corridor, has among the highest number of piracy attacks in the world.

The coastguard, to be launched in mid-December, will also secure maritime borders and tackle illegal fishing and human trafficking.

It will initially borrow personnel and vessels from the military with the aim of being fully independent in a year, Purdijatno said, declining to give details about the size of the force.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago, is set to beef up its defense, especially its navy and air force. The government aims to boost defense spending from 0.8 percent to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product over the next five years, putting it on par with neighbors such as Malaysia, Purdijatno said.

The spending comes as competing territorial claims in the South China Sea between China and four Southeast Asian countries stoke tension.

Purdijatno raised the possibility that Indonesia, which is not involved in the disputes and under the previous government remained neutral, could play a greater role if requested. "If asked, we are ready to be mediators in the with the spirit of maintaining security," Purdijatno said.

The former navy chief said defense spending would be focused on weapons and technical know-how, from countries like South Korea and China, to domestically manufacture and eventually export equipment like submarines and missiles.

"For example, after the first two ships or fighter jets are built outside, number three we can build in Indonesia," he said. "But it has to be for the domestic market first and then we export."

[Additional reporting by Dennys Kapa, Editing by Robert Birsel.]

Source: https://news.yahoo.com/indonesia-create-coastguard-boost-defense-spending-100746586 – business.html

Economy & investment

Indonesia rolls out red carpet to investors, promises reforms

Reuters - November 12, 2014

Eveline Danubrata & Nicholas Owen, Jakarta – Indonesia's new government is launching a bid to convince skeptical foreign investors to pour billions of dollars into improving the country's dilapidated infrastructure, promising to reduce corruption and bureaucracy.

Entrenched graft, burdensome red tape and confusing regulations have scared off investors at a time when disarray in the sprawling country's infrastructure is a major obstacle to economic growth – which has been slowing.

Statements by President Joko Widodo and ministers indicate a priority will be resolving land acquisition problems, long a big obstacle to infrastructure improvement.

"A lot of investors, when they come to me, they always complain about land acquisition," Joko on Monday told chief executives in Beijing for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. "I will push my ministers, my governors, my mayors to help clear this problem," he said.

Joko, who started a five-year term on Oct. 20, used his first foreign trip to try to repair Indonesia's poor reputation, inviting global CEOs to invest in Indonesia's ports, power plants, roads and railways. "I was a businessman... I'm very happy because we can talk about business, about investment with all of you," Joko said.

Andrinof Chaniago, head of Indonesia's national development planning agency, told Reuters that under its five-year infrastructure plan, Joko's government wants to build many ports, 25 dams, 10 airports, 10 industrial parks and 2,000 kilometers of roads.

Indonesia needs at least Rp 6,000 trillion ($493.4 billion) in infrastructure investment over five years, according to Bastary Pandji Indra, director of the agency's public-private partnership development.

Joko's signature project is to build 24 small feeder ports and five deep- sea ones. More than half of the estimated $5.75 billion cost should come from private firms, said Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Indroyono Soesilo. Companies, however, want to see major reforms before investing.

Ports "are really big investments so there needs to be openness about designs and also the whole tender process needs to be more transparent and simplified," said Jakob Sorensen, chief executive of the Indonesia unit of shipping firm AP Moeller Maersk.

Building ports could be hindered by land-title issues that have stymied construction of power plants. In July, a joint venture between Japan's Itochu, Electric Power Development and Indonesia's Adaro Energy declared force majeure on a $4 billion project in Central Java due to a land acquisition problem.

Fixing the problems

Last week, Joko pitched infrastructure opportunities to a group of global institutional investors who manage a combined $8 trillion.

His presentation included a photo of him sitting with residents who long refused to sell their land, blocking completion of a Jakarta road project. Joko, then Jakarta governor, got the residents to sell, and the project was completed.

"That's the sort of concrete deliverable that investors really appreciate. He gets down into the field himself to help resolve the situation," said Tom Lembong, chief executive of Quvat Management, a Singapore-based private equity firm that invests in Indonesia. "Jokowi is a huge magnet for investors," Lembong said. "He speaks the language of business."

The Joko administration aims to create a "one-stop shop" to slash the time needed to get investment permits to 15 days, instead of a multi-stop process taking up to three years, Chaniago said. It may also offer tax incentives for strategic sectors such as renewable energy.

If Indonesia doesn't attract enough private investment, it could consider the new China-based $50 billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) as a source, Soesilo said.

Indonesia hasn't decided whether to join AIIB, seen as challenging the Western-dominated World Bank and Asian Development Bank.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesia-rolls-red-carpet-investors-promises-reforms/

Analysis & opinion

Food security: A tough question for President Jokowi

Jakarta Post - November 9, 2014

John McCarthy, Canberra – Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has moved into Indonesia's presidential palace. He comes to power with great expectations, notably among the millions of villagers who voted for him. Jokowi's platform included 18 measures to address a key problem for Indonesia – food security. The vice-president, Jusuf Kalla, is now working on a plan to achieve 'food sovereignty' within a year.

In the past, when food prices rocketed, presidents Soeharto and Sukarno fell from power. Indonesian policymakers see food insecurity as a threat to stability and national development. With climate change now linked to harvest failures, and fluctuating availability of food in global markets, the food issue provokes national anxiety.

Five years ago the last president made food security the fifth of 11 national priorities for his second term. But the country has yet to meet his ambitious targets for self-sufficiency in corn, soy bean, sugar and beef, and a 10 million ton rice surplus by 2014.

This agenda included developing food estates, and large scale production by private and state corporations. Planners set out to address problems in Java's rice fields and extend the green revolution into "sleeping" land off Java.

But should self-sufficiency be the chief aim of food policy? To answer this, consider first the wider picture.

Indonesia's economy has grown by over 6 percent since 2010. However, a third of children under five remain stunted. Stunting refers to low height for age, and is an indicator of chronic under nutrition. The World Bank says that Indonesia fares little better than much poorer countries, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Indian economist Amartya Sen won the Nobel Prize after asking a simple question: why does famine occur even when food is readily available? He concluded food insecurity occurs due to the inability of the poor to access food rather than due to a shortage of food.

Indonesia can aim to become self-sufficient by intensive farming, using biochemical inputs and high investments by large corporations. But many households may still be unable to access food. Indeed, Sen's work, now taken up the United Nations, suggests a different problem: how can we help the poor gain the means to access food?

This brings up many challenges in helping the poor and food insecure people, most of whom reside in Indonesia's villages. These include how to help these poor rural people gain access to productive land; protect the ecology of farming; provide access to inputs, credit and extension services; extend work opportunities in the rural economy; reform agricultural markets; and roll out effective social safety nets for the urban poor.

Fortunately Indonesia's policy thinkers have been working on these issues. But much remains to be done.

The State Logistics Agency (Bulog) maintains a reserve stock of rice. Imports are restricted to protect Indonesian rice farmers from the dumping of cheap foreign food. However Bulog only buys rice from farmers at a low floor price (HPP) at certain times of the year. For the most part farmers are left in the hands of speculators and traders who manipulate prices.

Further, the system sets rice prices up to US$1 dollar above international prices. This adds a burden for the poor who spend most of their meager earnings on food. It also provides incentives to rice smugglers.

The last administration invited corporate investors to develop food estates to grow rice to feed a growing number of city dwellers. With mining and oil palm expanding rapidly, a lack of available land frustrated the East Kalimantan food estate. West Kalimantan's food estate continues to limp ahead, but without meeting the ambitious hopes invested in it.

In the past Indonesia, India and China increased rice production without shifting to large-scale farming. The ministry of agriculture has programs to help the vast body of small and marginal farmers. These aim to increase the planting frequency of farmers using hybrid rice varieties, providing seedlings, fertilizer, technology and training to farmer groups in field demonstration plots. However after long years of policy neglect, progress remains slow.

Indonesia is experimenting with social safety nets. However with 29 million poor and around 40 percent of the population living around the poverty line, targeting is difficult. One study found that only about 30 percent of the poor received all three of the main social assistance programs.

The budget for the social safety net remains very low, only 1.2 percent of GDP; well below all the major countries of East Asia and the 2 percent level recommended by the World Bank.

In India, Brazil and South Africa the right to adequate food is written into the national constitution. Legal cases brought by civil society actors led to the conversion of this right into effective programs. Indonesia has included food security, self-sufficiency and sovereignty in a new food law.

Yet Indonesia needs an explicit legal formulation of the right to adequate food to ensure political commitments are converted into programs that really deal with hunger.

Good ideas can remain isolated from millions of poor people. Despite excellent policy concepts, programs lack resources and capacity. Meanwhile the temptation is to focus on national food self-sufficiency. But the crux of the problem may be left aside.

President Jokowi, can you help under-resourced farmers and develop effective safety nets for food insecure households? Moving beyond a simple focus on national production targets, it's time Indonesia's leaders focused on the real problem.

[The writer is associate professor at Crawford School of Public Policy, in the Australian National University's College of Asia and the Pacific. The article was first published in the New Mandala of the ANU.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/11/09/food-security-a-tough-question-president-jokowi.html

A crisis of identify that needn't be

Jakarta Globe Editorial - November 8, 2014

Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, in the job less than a month, has caused waves with his suggestion that the religion field on citizens' ID cards, or KTP, can be left blank.

The notion of having to declare one's religion on an official document should be an abhorrent one under a secular government – but Indonesia, for all its well-meaning avowals of pluralism, is not a secular state. The first tenet of the state ideology, Pancasila, declares a "Belief in the one and only God."

So does Tjahjo's statement mean that agnostics or atheists who have to pick a religion to identify with for official purposes may in the future no longer have to do so? Hardly. The minister has tempered his proposal to extend only to those Indonesians who currently subscribe to a faith that is not among the six officially recognized religions.

This measure, coupled with Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin's earlier offer to consider official recognition for faiths like Baha'i, should be lauded for its inclusive spirit. But it doesn't go far enough toward granting true religious freedom to all.

An individual's personal beliefs are just that: personal. They should not be displayed on an identity card. People have been attacked and killed simply on the basis of what their KTP states, as in the brutal sectarian violence in Maluku from 1999 to 2002, and self-professed atheists prosecuted for "lying" about their religion on their KTP.

Ultimately it comes down to a question of what purpose the religion field on the KTP serves. Allowing those of unrecognized faiths to leave the field blank is a half-measure. But perhaps a better half-measure – given that true secularism can never be attained as long as Indonesia subscribes to Pancasila – would be to not have the field at all.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-crisis-identify-neednt/

Book & film reviews

The Look of Silence: Oppenheimer's film confronts Indonesia's brutal past

Sydney Morning Herald - November 8, 2014

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – Two cups of human blood aday, taken from the severed neck of your dying victim and drunk from a glass, is enough to stave off the madness induced by participating in mass murder.

This, it seems, was popular wisdom among some of the squads of amateur assassins who rampaged around Indonesia in 1965, ordered by the army to slaughter at will to consolidate the rule of General Suharto.

Perhaps a million or more people were hacked to death in Indonesia's killing fields under the guise of ridding the country of communism.

After taking the world by storm with The Act of Killing, his surreal and disturbing 2012 documentary about these events, director Joshua Oppenheimer has now made a companion piece, or perhaps prequel, The Look of Silence, about the same subject matter.

In this film he focuses closely on the inhabitants – both murderers and their victims – of one village in North Sumatra. Some were armed with machetes and the certainty of religious righteousness and ordered by the army to hack their neighbours to death and discard them into Snake River. The victims were demonised as atheists and communists, and still are. Drinking their blood was supposed to protect the killers from the psychological consequences of their crimes.

"Human blood tastes salty and sweet at the same time," reminisces one, old and toothless, but still evidently satisfied with his role. "Two glasses per night; that's enough," says another.

At the moral heart of the new film is Adi Rukun, a 40-year-old optometrist born shortly after his brother Ramli became a victim of one of those murderous nights.

Ramli's death, it's revealed as the film progresses, was even more gruesome than most. His father, Rukun, was so traumatised by it that afterwards he lost one tooth everyweek until he had none left in his mouth. But the boys' mother, Rohani, unlike most people in these tiny villages, could not force herself to pretend it never happened. She regarded her youngest son Adi, born after these events, as a kind of replacement Ramli and spoke to him regularly of the circumstances of his brother's death.

Adi was a surprise guest at a screening this week of the new film to a small audience in Jakarta. He said that, when Oppenheimer came to the village in about 2005 to interview his mother, Adi had volunteered to visit the killers as an optometrist in the guise of checking their vision.

As the test lenses pop in front of the rheumy eyes of these superannuated monsters, Oppenheimer's camera observing them in aching close-up, Adi asks: "Is that more clear? Less clear?". It's a powerful metaphor. As he tests their vision he's also gently probing their memories, seeking clarity for himself about their mutual history.

Their answers, for the most part, demonstrate pride and boastfulness; an eager retelling of gory details.

There is a good deal of swagger here. Almost 50 years have passed, and those who wielded the machetes have got away with it. They've lived long lives and enjoyed wealth and power (often built on the back of their crimes). Indonesia has never faced its past or apologised to the victims.

"The perpetrators are still in power all across the country, as we all can see," Adi tells me after the film has finished rolling. The stigma attaches not to the killers, but to the victims and their families, who are still tarred with the communist brush.

Inevitably, at some point during Adi's optometry appointments, though, he confronts them with the fact that he is a victim of their crimes, that his brother was murdered in the purge. The killers respond with offence and the full gamut of denial: "We were acting under orders"; "The communists were Godless animals"; "Let the past rest, don't dig it up". And, from a former militia commander turned long-time politician: "If you had come to visit me under the Suharto dictatorship, you can't imagine what would have happened [to you]".

These awkward confrontations do not normally happen in Indonesia, Adi says after the film: "It's truly covered up. We pretend not to know... Nobody dares talk about it."

The consequence of such silence is predictable. A scene in a schoolroom shows children being told of the evil of the communists and how the government was right to take strong action.

The collective impulse to forget is strong, but the truth is available to anyone who encourages these old men to boast. In sequences shot by Oppenheimer more than a decade ago, groups of old militia men giggle as they reminisce about their exploits at Snake River. They've even brought props to help them.

You can see in these scenes the genesis of the Oscar-nominated The Act of Killing, in which Oppenheimer encouraged one particular killer, Anwar Congo, to make a docu-drama about his own past. But while The Act of Killing is full of artifice and the thin veil of fiction, The Look of Silence is unflinching, seeking the clearest possible lens. It was this week named the best film at the Venice Film Festival and has found an Australian distributor, Madman Entertainment, though it's unlikely to be seen in Australia for another year.

In Indonesia, meanwhile, some of the anonymous local crew hope that, under new president Joko Widodo, they will be able to seek censorship approval for the film. (The Act of Killing was never submitted to the censors for fear that screenings may be violently disrupted.) Adi says wide distribution would be a start, but not enough in itself. The government needs to start a truth and reconciliation process, he says.

"If we ignore it all the time, the same things might happen again. We need to clearly state, 'This was right and this was wrong'." He wants the truth taught in schools.

Reconciliation, though, is a long way off. Adi revealed that, a few weeks after the film finished shooting in 2012, he and his family were visited by some of the old killers.

"They threatened us... I got out of [the village]," Adi says. He now lives with his family in another city.

Even his wife, though, who was initially sceptical about what he was doing, supports his decision to confront these men, some of them who were quite literally bloodthirsty. "We had no choice," Adi says. "Someone has to sacrifice themselves if they want to find the truth."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/the-look-of-silence-joshua-oppenheimers-film-confronts-indonesias-brutal-past-20141108-11hsg3.html