Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo must form a fact-finding team to investigate a bloody police crackdown on protesters in Paniai district, Papua, that saw five people killed, a prominent clergyman has said.

In a joint press conference in Jakarta with Sihol Manullang, chairman of the Jokowi for President Volunteers' Front, the Rev. Neles Tebay of the Papua Peace Network said the independent team would shed light on what truly happened at Monday's incident.

"Members of [the team] must come from outside of the National Police and the military," Neles said. "Only an [independent] team can subdue the Papuan people's rage at the moment."

Joko had pledged to resolve prolonged tensions between civilians and security forces in the restive province where armed separatists have launched small scale insurgencies since Indonesia annexed Papua in 1969.

Failure to properly investigate the incident will erode chances of peace and stability in the resource rich region, Neles warned, as well as trust toward Joko, who enjoyed wide support among Papuan voters during July's presidential election.

The priest said police had been very secretive about their internal investigation.

Victims and activists have said that the incident was prompted with the beating of a 12-year-old boy from the village of Ipakiye, five kilometers from Paniai district capital Enarotali, when the boy confronted a group of men in an SUV for driving at night with their headlights off.

The beating resulted in villagers marching to the capital to demand an explanation on Monday. At around 10 a.m. on the crowd spotted the same SUV and began attacking it. Police, witnesses said, then opened fire.

But National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman on Friday gave a different account of what happened, as well as denied that a high school student was among the five people shot dead by officers.

According to him, the victims were planning an attack against a local military base, where locals suspected the SUV driver was hiding.

Police stopped the crowd from advancing by setting up a barricade. "Amid the protest, some [unknown] gunmen fired shots from the hills far away, causing the 200 or so people to riot," the police general claimed.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/papuans-demand-independent-inquiry-protest-killings/

Christmas the right time for Jokowi to find solutions to Papuan issues

Jakarta Post - December 12, 2014

Jakarta – Secretary-general of the Presidium of the Papua Council (PDP) Thaha Alhamid said Christmas would serve as a good opportunity for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to discuss and find peaceful solutions to issues in Papua.

"Christmas is the right time for President Jokowi to discuss his strategy on how to settles issues in Papua peacefully, persuasively and elegantly," Thaha said in Jayapura on Friday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

He was commenting on the planned visit of Jokowi to Papua to attend Christmas celebrations to be held in Papua's capital city.

"President Jokowi should not come to Papua only to commission markets, attend Christmas celebrations, etc. But he should address the long unsettled problems besetting Papua since 1961," he said.

Thaha said he was impressed by a statement Jokowi made in August in which he said that a majority of the problems in Papua were caused by the wrong perceptions held by the central government in Jakarta.

Jokowi made the statement when he visited Papua in August as president- elect, Thaha said. "This is interesting. The statement was promising and gave new hope for the people of Papua," he said.

Thaha said he had taken the opportunity on that occasion to tell Jokowi that when he took the reins of the presidency he should prioritize changing the perceptions of the central government in regards to Papua.

As long as the people of Papua are seen as the enemy, separatists, stupid, lazy and drunkards, there will be no solution to the problems," he said.

He said that he hoped to hold talks with Jokowi during his upcoming visit. "Christmas should be a peaceful time, don't scare the people with armored cars and military guards everywhere. Give room for the people to meet their President," he added.

Thaha also urged Jokowi to release all political detainees from prison and reactivate the law on special autonomy related to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"If all these [recommendations] could be accepted and implemented, the people of Papua would have confidence in the President," he said, adding," promises do not solve anything."

Jokowi is scheduled to attend Christmas celebrations at Sentani Airport in Jayapura on Dec. 27, according to Antara news agency.

He is also to commission a number of traditional markets and visit Wamena to meet with a number of Papuan leaders. (hhr)ts and visit Wamena to meet with a number of Papuan leaders. (hhr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/christmas-serves-right-time-jokowi-find-solutions-papuan-issues.html

Papuans spurn Jokowi visit

Jakarta Post - December 12, 2014

Nethy Dharma Somba and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jayapura/Jakarta – Church leaders in Papua have opposed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's plan to visit the province for a national Christmas celebration in Jayapura on Dec. 27, citing the absence of a response by the state to Monday's Enarotali shooting incident that claimed the lives of five civilians and injured 21 others.

The opposition was expressed by the Papuan Ecumene Churches Forum during a press briefing in Jayapura on Thursday.

"The reason why the churches say 'no' to the visit of President Jokowi is because the state has not yet done anything about the security apparatus committing slaughter against civilians in Paniai," Selvi Titihawala of the Evangelical Christian Church in Papua said.

Five locals were killed and 21 others were injured when police opened fire on protesters in Enarotali, Paniai, on Monday.

Chairman of the Evangelical Camp Church (Kingmi) Synod, Benny Giay, said that Christmas was supposed to "bring peace from heaven to earth" and he questioned what peace Jokowi could bring to Papua. "The President has not yet made an official statement regarding the Enarotali incident," Benny said.

Chairman of the service body of the Papuan Baptize Church Association Center, Socrates Sofyan Yoman said the churches demanded the government set up an independent team to investigate the case.

Regarding the proposal to set up an investigative team, Papua Peace Network coordinator pastor Neles Tebay said the military and the police should be excluded because Papuans would not trust the results of the investigation if they were involved.

Based on past experience, Neles said, no investigation into shooting deaths by police involving the military or the police had ever identified the perpetrators.

Separately, Papua governor spokesperson La Madi La Mato said the provincial administration had set up an investigation team for the case in anticipation of a possible blaming war.

"Governor Lukas Enembe deeply regrets the incident, especially because it occurred while Christians all over the world were observing the Advent period, waiting for the Christmas celebration," he said.

Meanwhile, Papua Customary Council (DAP) chairman John Gobay expressed the hope that people would refrain from accusing any particular party as being responsible for the shootings. "We regret the Papua Police chief's statement accusing other groups of committing the shootings," John said.

Fransiskus Madai of DAP Paniai concurred, saying that since leaders of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) in Paniai, namely Thadius Yogi and his son John Yogi, had died, no other armed group existed in Paniai.

"Paniai is actually very secure. There are no disturbances from armed civilian groups. I just don't understand why there have been accusations of other armed groups being involved in the shooting," Fransiskus said.

Separately, lawmakers urged the government to take immediate action to resolve the ongoing violence in Papua, the country's easternmost province. Desmond Junaidi Mahesa, a deputy chairman of the House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law and human rights, said it was urgent for President Jokowi to investigate the incident.

"He [Jokowi] must wait no longer. He has conducted many blusukan [impromptu visits] for on-field clarifications on issues, so why didn't he do so as soon as the incident took place?" Desmond, a politician from the Gerindra Party said on Thursday.

Lawmaker Wahidin Halim, deputy chairman of the House Commission II overseeing regional administration, said that conflict throughout the archipelago, including in Papua, was often sparked by problems concerning regional administrations, such as proposals for the establishment of new autonomous regions or regional elections.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/papuans-spurn-jokowi-visit.html

Government told to form team to investigate Paniai case

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Nethy Darma Somba and Hasyim Widhiarto, Papua/Jakarta – Human rights activists have demanded that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo form an independent team to probe a shooting in Paniai, Papua, that claimed the lives of five civilians and injured 21.

"President Jokowi should form an impartial team to thoroughly investigate the shooting incident so as to avoid the blame game among law enforcers and civilians," said Rev. Neles Tebay, the coordinator of rights group Peaceful Papua Network, in Jayapura on Wednesday.

The incident occured at around 10 a.m. on Monday when security personnel allegedly attempted to disperse a crowd that had gathered and was dancing in Karel Gobai field in Madi district, Paniai.

Witnesses said that the residents were performing the waita tribal dance after setting fire to a black SUV believed to belong to a group suspected of assaulting residents assembled at a Christmas event in Ipakiye village, East Paniai.

Police from a nearby station arrived at the field to disperse the crowd. When the crowd continued dancing and did not disperse, the police fired into the crowd.

Neles said the independent team should also track down the driver of the SUV that had provoked residents. He added that the case required a clear resolution since Paniai regency had seen frequent shootings since 1969.

The Papua Police have denied involvement in the incident, saying that before the incident occurred, residents blocked roads and disrupted traffic in Enarotali city. As the police were trying to negotiate with residents to cease the disruption, they heard gunshots from the nearby hills. The case is currently under police investigation.

The Indonesian Military's (TNI) Army chief of staff Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo concurred with the police's account of the incident and denied any TNI involvement.

"As far as I know, there were no police or soldiers in the hills. However, it is known that [members of the separatist Free Papua Movement] often hide in the hills or the forest. We should check and investigate whether it is true or not," he said on the sidelines of a peacekeepers departure ceremony at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

The government has asked the public not to immediately blame law enforcers for the shooting, hinting that the incident might have been provoked by unknown parties.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after accompanying Jokowi to Halim Perdanakusuma Airport prior to the latter's departure to South Korea, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno said there should be an investigation into where the bullets had come from.

"The gunshots did not only come from the side but also from above. We have to see where they came from. Don't just blame the law enforcers," he said.

Tedjo said that the situation in the area was now calm. "I've spoken with the [local TNI] commander and there have been talks with the local community," he added. "It has been suggested that [the conflict] could be settled by performing a traditional ceremony, for example the rock-burning [ceremony]."

The rock-burning ceremony – where food is cooked with the heat of hot rocks placed in a hole in the ground covered by leaves and grass – is an age-old ritual in Papuan tribes.

[Nani Afrida contributed to this report.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/govt-told-form-team-investigate-paniai-case.html

Indonesian military influx in Papua risks worsening violence

Jakarta Globe - December 10, 2014

Kennial Caroline Laia, Ezra Sihite & Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – Monday's deadly shootings of unarmed protestors by security forces in Papua that killed as many as five teenagers, has sparked fears that a new era of violence in Indonesia' easternmost region has begun.

Analysts speculate that the recent violence may have been fueled by an emboldened Indonesian Military (TNI) following the president's announcement last month of his support for the military's plan to open a new regional military command (Kodam) in Papua.

Adriana Elizabeth, a researcher with Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said the military may use the deadly incident as a pretext to increase their presence in the troubled area where the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) is said to have a presence.

"The latest clash also could trigger new misconceptions towards Papuans. The protest has already been attributed to the leadership of a separatist movement, [however] the cause that actually motivated the protest was merely a protest made by people whose children were abused by security officers," Adriana said.

Activists united on Monday to reject the government's plan to boost the military's presence in the region, arguing the move would be unnecessary and against Joko's initial commitment to resolve long-standing human rights issues in the country.

A large majority of Indonesia's current human right abuses, activists say, take place in Papua, where some 16,000 people have been killed since 1969, when 1,025 Papuans selected by the military voted at gunpoint in an "Act of Free Choice" to join the Republic of Indonesia.

"The plan to expand the number of regional military commands in Papua is a wrong, desperate and baseless step taken by Joko's government in an effort to end conflict in the area," said Haris Azhar, coordinator for the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), on Tuesday. "That plan should have never been initiated in the first place."

According to the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial), more than 16,000 soldiers are currently deployed in region. Add to that the ranks of local police, and the total number of security officers in Papua exceeds the number of indigenous people, according to activists.

The military's presence in Papua, Hais says, is comparable to martial law applied in Aceh from 1990-1998, when TNI declared the province a military operation region.

"The [government's] plan [to increase the military's presence] is a form of injustice to indigenous Papuans. With the additional military power, they will feel less secure. The plan must be cancelled immediately," he added.

Poengky Indarty, Imparsial's executive director, echoed this sentiment, saying the plan was indicative of the state's poor understanding of the underlying problems now plaguing Papua.

"In addition, the president's plan to form Kodam in Manado and Papua could destroy the ongoing military reform," Poengky said. "The reform was supposed refine our military's structure, culture and policy so that it could become a professional national security force.

"This also could be a sign that TNI's role will regress to what it was in [Soeharto's] New Order era. "Imparsial therefore rejects the plan, and we even urge President Joko to discard existing of regional military command structure in Indonesia," she added.

Power breeds violence

Increased military presence in Papua will likely exacerbate violence there, Kontras' Haris said. "The additional number of security forces could trigger more violence in Papua," Haris said, referring to the latest bloodbath in Paniai district, Enarotali, which took place earlier this week.

At least four teenagers were shot dead at the hands of security forces and 21 protesters severely injured, including women and children. Police said they dispatched a special team to the mountainous Paniai district on Tuesday to investigate the incident.

National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti suggested the violence may have been orchestrated by the Free Papua Movement (OPM), which has waged a low-level insurgency against Jakarta for decades on behalf of the mostly ethnic Melanesian population.

According to Imparsial's Poengky, the planned military expansion indicates the seventh president is doubling down on the same security paradigm as his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in viewing the root of Papua's problems as limited to separatism.

The rights activist also questioned commitments Joko made in his presidential campaign, during which the former Jakarta governor vowed to resolve Indonesia's past and current human rights abuses, including in Papua.

The appointment as defense minister of Ryamizad Ryacudu met with widespread criticism by human rights activists, who say the former general's leadership of several military campaigns in Aceh and Papua, led to widespread human rights abuses.

Activists point to Ryamizad's involvement in operations against the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Free Papua Organization (OPM) as their main objection for what they say is his unsuitability for the job of leading the defense ministry.

LIPI's Adriana questioned the motive behind the state's intentions to boost military power in Papua. "What is the purpose of this military increment? What does government plan to achieve?" Adriana said on Tuesday.

"Whatever their reason, one thing must be underlined: the state security approach won't end the violence in Papua," Adriana said. "There's a valid concern going on that the president himself doesn't understand what the problem is. This would also indicate that people around Joko don't provide him with adequate information about the province," Adriana added.

The researcher emphasized that the government's plan for additional military forces was not in line with dialogic approach previously proposed by LIPI, arguing that a peaceful dialogue would be the preferable way of ending Papua's violence and poverty.

"For years, the security approach didn't bear any significant results. Instead, it has fostered a sense of alienation among the indigenous Papuans. They don't feel like they are a part of Indonesia," Adriana said.

"Military power has failed to provide safety. On the contrary, it has traumatized the people of Papua. The solution must be simultaneous, comprehensive and take into consideration human value," Adriana said. "Dialogue provides the best avenue for solving Papua's problems."

Welfare

"In addition, we cannot separate the issues of security and social welfare in Papua," Adriana said, emphasizing that social welfare in Papua is highly related to the political instability of the region.

"But how can the government provide security and welfare if every incidence of violence in the area is associated with a separatist movement?" Adriana said.

"Certain parts of the government are quick to politicize every single clash that erupts in the province. That's a discriminatory way of viewing the region and the problems it faces. We will see no changes in the next five years if the state maintains this attitude," Adriana said.

Despite having disbursed Rp 57 trillion ($4.9 billion) in welfare funds since Papua was granted special autonomy status, or Otsus, in 2001, the province continues to struggle with extreme poverty, poor infrastructure and a severe lack of educational and heath care facilities.

Lawmaker Dede Yusuf underlined the dire need for adequate health facilities in the region. "On our visit to Jayawijaya, we discovered that the medical staff and equipment in existing facilities fall far below standard. The area has a very limited range and supply of medication," Dede said on Tuesday.

"Furthermore, the residents are not yet registered with the national health care plan," he added, referring to the program managed under the country's Social Insurance Organizing Body, or BPJS.

"The conditions we saw were disconcerting to say the least and must be addressed immediately so that the people of Papua may finally receive sufficient and adequate health services," Dede said.

Slow train coming

On Monday, President Joko announced government plans to start building a railroad network in Papua next year.

"We hope the provincial development agency will support our efforts so that construction can start as soon as possible," the president said during a teleconference with district heads and governors from Papua and Maluku.

"We want the railways to reach Papua's higher elevated areas," he said, adding that preliminary studies are projected to last six months, after which construction would immediately start. Railways on the island of Biak, located off the northern coast of Papua, will also be reactivated.

"We want the [country's] railway development to start immediately," Joko said. "It is high time for the Eastern part of Indonesia to receive more attention from the central government. We want to start developing together, maintain the unity [of the nation], and manage our border areas," he added.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesian-military-influx-papua-risks-worsening-violence/

Government defends law enforcers in Papua shooting

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – The public should not be too quick to place blame on the law enforcers allegedly involved in a recent deadly shooting in Papua as the incident might have been triggered by unknown parties, a senior minister has said.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno said a report he received from Army chief of staff (Kasad) Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo indicated the involvement of unidentified groups in the shooting.

"According to the Kasad, the gunshots [during the incident] came from different directions. We have to investigate where these [bullets] came from. Don't blame the law enforcers," he said, speaking to reporters after accompanying President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport prior to the latter's departure to South Korea, on Wednesday.

Five people were killed and dozens others injured on Monday morning when police allegedly opened fire on protesters in Paniai, Papua.

Paniai Customary Council head John Gobay said the shooting took place as residents from Togokotu village were gathering at a field commonly referred to as Suharto field to protest against an incident that occurred the previous night.

Gobay said the residents performed the waita tribal dance in Paniai after setting fire to a black SUV that was believed to have been used by perpetrators who assaulted residents gathering at a Christmas event in Ipakiye village, East Paniai.

The police, meanwhile, claimed they had heard gunshots from a nearby mountain as they were trying to negotiate with protesters.

According to Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende, at the same time, around 200 residents marched to the subdistrict military command (Koramil) office and ran amok. Yotje said after vandalizing the Koramil office, the mob headed to a subprecinct police station and hurled rocks through the windows, injuring three police personnel.

Amid the police's ongoing investigation into the incident, Tedjo reassured that the situation in the city had returned to normal.

"I've spoken with the [Indonesian Military] commander and there have been talks with the local community," he said. "There have been talks to settle [the conflict] by performing a traditional ceremony, for example the rock- burning [ceremony]."

The rock-burning ceremony – an earthy cooking method where food is cooked with the heat of hot rocks placed in a hole in the ground covered by leaves and grass – is an age old ritual in Papuan tribes. The indigenous Papuans perform the ritual on various occasions.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/govt-defends-law-enforcers-papua-shooting.html

Police chief denies officers fired fatal shots at Papuan demonstrators

Jakarta Globe - December 10, 2014

Ezra Sihite, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police chief on Wednesday denied police were behind a fatal shooting in Papua which killed at least four people and injured more than 20.

Police dispatched a special team to the mountainous Paniai district on Tuesday to investigate the incident, which they say left four people dead, but a human rights monitor says killed five.

Speaking in Jakarta on Wednesday, Gen. Sutarman said police were not responsible for the deadly shooting by security forces. "Everything is still being processed, but they [the shooters] were not from the police corps," he said.

Gen. Moeldoko, chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), said the investigation would be left to police, but declined to confirm whether soldiers had opened fire on the demonstrators.

"We are still waiting for the National Police investigation," he said. "Let's wait, we want the information to come out from one source to make everything clear."

There are conflicting reports about what happened on Monday. Police said the shooting was provoked after about 200 protesters – possibly aligned to the Free Papua Movement (OPM) – attacked a police and military outpost in Ebarotali.

Locals and Human Rights Watch, however, have said security forces opened fire on a group of protesters angered by the alleged abuse of a teen.

Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said the public should not draw premature conclusions or blame security forces.

"The army chief said there had been shootings not only from the ground, but also from above," Tedjo said. "We have to check everything first, do not blame the law enforcers."

At least four teenagers were killed during the demonstration in Enarotali, the capital of the mountainous Paniai district on Monday.

The incident started when local teenagers confronted the driver of a vehicle late on Sunday. The driver was from a local military unit and he returned later with a group of people who beat up a teen.

The beating enraged residents of Ipakiye village who headed to a security outpost in Enarotali to protest.

According to local reports the demonstrators torched vehicle and started singing and dancing. A group of police officers and soldiers then opened fire on the demonstrators.

Police, however, say a "mob" first attacked the military base and then a nearby police post with rocks and arrows.

The incident has sparked fears that the increasing military presence in Indonesia's easternmost region could led to an era of renewed violence.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-chief-denies-officers-fired-fatal-shots-papuan-demonstrators/

Government urged to stop using excessive force in Papua

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Jakarta – The Indonesian authorities should prevent the use of excessive force, which has often led to fatalities, in dealing with civil protests in Papua, a New York-based human rights group has said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it had documented hundreds of cases in which the Indonesian police, military, intelligence officers and prison guards had used unnecessary or excessive force when dealing with Papuans taking part in protests.

"While a handful of military tribunals have been held in Papua to try security force personnel implicated in abuse, the charges have been inadequate and soldiers who committed the abuse continue to serve in the military," HRW deputy Asia director Phelim Kine said in a release made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

She made the comments in response to the apparent use of lethal force by security personnel against peaceful protesters in Papua on Dec. 8, in which five civilians died from gunshot wounds.

The HRW says that based on the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, which set out an international law on the use of the force in law enforcement situations, security forces should, as far as possible, apply non-violent means before resorting to the use of force.

"Whenever the lawful use of force is unavoidable, the authorities should use restraint and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offense," the group said.

"Lethal force may only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect life. Governments shall ensure that arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offense."

Tensions have continued to heighten in Papua following an attack on Indonesian military forces by suspected members of the armed separatist Free Papua Movement on Feb. 21, 2013. The attack resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers, the worst attack in the region in more than 15 years.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo pledged to lift punitive restrictions on international access to Papua. During an election campaign on June 5, Jokowi was asked by local residents whether, as President, he would open access to Papua for foreign journalists and international organizations.

"Why not? It's safe here in Papua. There's nothing to hide," he replied. "The President has yet to lift the access restriction," said Kine. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/govt-urged-stop-using-excessive-force-papua.html

West Papua deaths: Jokowi to 'follow up' shooting

Sydney Morning Herald - December 10, 2014

Michael Bachelard, Jakarta – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has agreed to "follow up" Monday's shooting deaths of up to five civilians by security forces in the restive West Papua region.

The men who were protesting in a village square in Paniai were shot dead when police fired into the crowd.

The shooting and its aftermath is the first test of Mr Joko's leadership on Papua, which has hosted a low-level insurgency for the past 50 years, and which he has said he wants to normalise.

Natalius Pigai, a member of the Indonesian Human Rights Commission Komnas Ham, said he had met with Mr Joko on Tuesday for International Human Rights Day and asked him to conduct an investigation into the deaths.

"We told the president what happened yesterday and he said, "I know the case'," Mr Pigai said. "He also said, 'I'll follow up'."

Mr Pigai understood this to mean that a team of police would be sent from Jakarta to investigate, adding "it must be from the president to the national police chief".

Komnas Ham would also investigate, Mr Pigai said, by sending its own team as soon as next week. He said the president's commitment to Papua "remains to be seen".

"Before talking about yesterday's case we talked more comprehensively about historical Papuan human rights cases... because we wanted to see his response. His answer was pretty standard."

Papua police chief Yotje Mende said the local police were "still investigating if the injured people were wounded by the military and police or by some other group".

Media reports quoting local villagers say five people are dead, but Mr Yotje insisted only four were killed and 10 more were being treated in hospital.

Papua police and a team from national police headquarters as well as a forensic team from Semarang would be dispatched, he said. "The updated information I got from the local police chief that the Paniai situation is now under control," Mr Yotje said.

The facts leading to the incident are in dispute, but local sources said the crowd had gathered in Karel Gobay Square to protest against a group of Indonesian soldiers, who they say had beaten a 12-year-old boy the previous night.

The dispute allegedly arose because the boys protested against a police vehicle travelling at night without headlights. The following day, a crowd gathered to protest, and attacked a military vehicle, at which point the police and military fired into the crowd.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/west-papua-deaths-jokowi-to-follow-up-shooting-20141210-123y3d.html

We didn't shoot West Papuans, say Indonesian police, military

Sydney Morning Herald - December 10, 2014

Michael Bachelard – Police and military brass in Indonesia have begun distancing themselves from blame for the shooting deaths of five young West Papuan civilians in the highlands region of Paniai.

Four died when a hail of bullets was fired into a crowd during a confrontation between Papuan protesters and police and military officers in the town of Enarotali on Monday morning. The fifth man died later in hospital.

Two days later, though, Jakarta-based leaders of both the army and police began denying responsibility. "Not the police", national police chief Sutarman said blankly on Wednesday.

A Jakarta-based military counterpart, army chief of staff Gatot Nurmantyo, speculated that, instead of being fired by the armed soldiers and police officers in front of the protesting crowd, the fatal shots came from the top of a hill behind them.

"I heard that from the TNI [military] commander and national police chief and also from the Papuan police and military that... shots were coming from the top of the hill," Mr Gatot said on Wednesday.

He was certain there were no members of the military or the police on the hill. "If there were shootings from up the hill while there was no military and no police, who was it?" he asked.

The comments appear to be an attempt to suggest the Free Papua Movement, OPM, which has been agitating for a separate Papuan state, is to blame for the deaths. Local people say the protest had nothing to do with separatism, but was a response to the beating of a child the previous night by soldiers.

Amnesty International called for a "prompt, independent and impartial investigation" into the incident and for Indonesia to "put an end to the climate of impunity for perpetrators of such abuses" by prosecuting those responsible.

It was revealed on Tuesday that the investigation will be run by a team headed by the Detective Head of the Papuan police, senior commissioner Dwi Iriyanto.

Hardliners in the military, police and political elite are said to be unhappy that the new Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has said he wants to make welfare in Papua his priority, and to take a more pro-Papua stance. They fear it may encourage separatist sentiment in the region.

Also on Wednesday, the head of the Indonesian military, Moeldoko, announced plans to expand the military presence in Papua by opening a second command area, probably in the westernmost of the two Papuan provinces. It would be "purely for defence purposes," not to maintain political control over the region, he said.

The army in Indonesia lost its mandate for internal security in 1999 when the police force was separated from the military. However, in Papua, the military maintains a presence in places such as the highlands where there is little danger of foreign incursion.

Under the law, the police can still call on the army to help if it needs reinforcements to ensure security.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/we-didnt-shoot-west-papuans-say-indonesian-police-military-20141210-124hdi.html

West Papuans unite to form new umbrella group

Pacific Politics - December 10, 2014

Ben Bohane – In a gathering of West Papuan leaders in Vanuatu last week, different factions of the independence movement united to form a new body called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

In customary ceremonies that included pig-killing and gifts of calico, kava and woven mats, West Papuan leaders embraced each other in reconciliation and unity while the Prime Minister of Vanuatu, church groups and chiefs looked on. The unification meeting was facilitated by the Pacific Council of Churches.

The new organisation unites the three main organisations and several smaller ones who have long struggled for independence. By coming together to present a united front, they hope to re-submit a fresh application for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) as well as countering Indonesian claims that the West Papuan groups are divided.

The divisions have tended to be more about personalities than any real policy differences since all the groups have been pushing for the same thing: independence from Indonesia. But the apparent differences had sown some confusion and gave cover to Fiji and others in the region to say the movement was not united and therefore undeserving of a seat at the MSG so far.

This narrative has been challenged by other leaders in the region such as the Vanuatu Prime Minister Joe Natuman who said that the very fact the West Papuans are a Melanesian people gives them the automatic right to be represented by the MSG.

Following the unification gathering, newly elected spokesperson for the ULMWP Benny Wenda said "We West Papuans are united in one group and one struggle now." Wenda claimed this was the most important gathering of West Papuan leaders since the struggle began 52 years ago.

The key groups to have united include the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB); the National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and the National Parliament of West Papua (NPWP), which incorporates the KPNB (National Committee for West Papua). An external secretariat consisting of five elected members from the various groups will now co-ordinate the ULMWP. Octovianus Mote, a former journalist who has been based in the US for many years, has been elected General Secretary of the ULMWP. Benny Wenda is the spokesperson and the other three elected members are Rex Rumakiek, Leone Tangahma and Jacob Rumbiak.

General Secretary Mote said at the close of the unification meeting "I am honoured to be elected and very happy we are now all united. The ULMWP is now the only recognised co-ordinating body to lead the campaign for MSG membership and continue the campaign for independence from Indonesia."

In a speech outside the Chief's Nakamal (the hut which serves as a focal point for all the chiefs of Vanuatu), Mote spoke of the urgency of their situation. He quoted economist Dr Jim Elmslie whose demographic projections suggest that Papuans will comprise only 29% of the population by 2020, highlighting the massive transmigration program that continue to bring settlers in from around Indonesia. Indigenous Papuans are already a minority in their own land – and Mote warned that once West Papua is fully "asianised" then PNG will be next.

PNG is already under sustained pressure from Indonesia, witnessed by the last minute blocking of a charter flight organised for 70 delegates, many of whom had travelled for weeks through the jungle of West Papua to reach PNG, from leaving Jackson's airport in Port Moresby. Peter O'Neill's PNG government had originally organised and paid for the charter to get delegates to the Vanuatu meeting but appears to have succumbed to Indonesian anger. In the end 5 of the 70 delegates marooned in Port Moresby found commercial flights and got to Port Vila in time for the final day's signing ceremony, which became known as the Saralana Declaration.

While Indonesia dangles the carrot of "assistance" and supporting Fiji and PNG's bid for ASEAN membership, other Melanesian nations are not so easily bought. No-one could accuse Vanuatu or its successive Prime Ministers of bowing to Indonesian pressure – the issue has bi-partisan support there and has become a domestic political issue. Vanuatu's current Prime Minister Joe Natuman gave full state support for the West Papuan gathering saying he didn't care if Indonesia cut diplomatic relations with Vanuatu.

On December 1st, the day West Papuans traditionally celebrate their independence day, Vanuatu's leaders joined a large rally of supporters who marched through the capital Port Vila, led by the VMF (Vanuatu Mobile Force) marching band in uniform. Prime Minister Natuman was present at a flag raising ceremony which hoisted both the Vanuatu flag and West Papuan "Morning Star" independence flag. Indonesia promptly sent a "warning" to Vanuatu with unspecified threats.

West Papuan delegates were moved by Vanuatu's support and spoke emotionally about ongoing atrocities and repression in their homeland. Even as they united, reports of more killings surfaced this week.

General Secretary Mote told me the next step is for the new movement to re-submit their MSG application for membership between February and March next year, with MSG leaders expected to make a decision when they meet in the Solomon Islands in June 2015.

No doubt some internal tensions will remain, given the tribal diversity of West Papua and its traditionally de-centralised leadership, but the newly unified movement under the ULMWP represents the best chance yet for the Papuans to continue building momentum for their struggle.

Source: http://pacificpolitics.com/2014/12/west-papuans-unite-to-form-new-umbrella-group/

Students call on government to resolve human rights violation in West Papua

Selangkah Magazine - December 10, 2014

Admin MS, Jakarta – Commemorating International Human Rights Day, peaceful actions were held in several Indonesian cities calling on the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) to fully investigate the human rights violations that have taken place in the land of Papua.

In Jayapura, West Papua for example, the Cenderawasih University Student Community (Kabesma, Uncen) and Papuan People (Rakyat Papua) held a protest action at the Papuan governor's offices.

Action coordinator Maikel Yerisetou said that the socio-political dynamic that has been taking place between 1961 and 2014 is one where the Papuan people are confuted by numerous threats such as murder and rape in all regencies and cities in Papua and West Papua.

The state has never respected the rights of the Papuan people in terms of having a nation and a country, because it did not fit with the ideals of nation's founders in accordance with prevailing laws.

During the action they also urged the Papuan governor, the military commander (Pangdam), the regional police chief (Kapolda), the Papuan Regional House of Representatives (DPRP) along with the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) and church groups to go to Paniai regency immediately to conduct an investigation into cases of human rights violations and try the perpetrators in a civil court.

Kabesma also called on President Widodo to fully investigate the human rights problem in Papua. "Students and the Papuan people are very disappointed with President Jokowi, over the human rights violations in Paniai regency that took the lives of employees and civilians in the lead up to Christmas".

The protesters were received by the Papua Provincial 1st Assistant who said that the Paniai incident is mutual problem and an investigation team would soon visit Papua. The 1st Assistant said that as an indigenous son of Papua, he and the governor do not want any more blood to be shed and will push for the formation of a special institution to focus on the killings. The institution, he said, would involve all non-government and religious organisation with the aim of ensuring the safety of the Papuan people.

In Manokwari regency the Regional People's Parliament (PRD) and the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) mediated with the Papuan community to hold a press conference at the KNPB secretariat.

During the press conference, KNPB Manokwari chairperson Alexander Nekenem and the Papuan community strongly condemned the crimes committed by the Indonesian state in the land of Papua. They said that the violence in the land of Papua has been going on since 1960 until now in 2014 with the violence by the Indonesian state through the Indonesian military and national police (TNI/Polri) that occurred in Paniai.

The KNPB and the PRD urged the Indonesian government to take responsibility for the injustice that occurred in Paniai on December 7-8. PRD secretary general Rafael Natkime said that this December is a month of sorrow for the Papuan people. "The truth may be killed but it cannot be defeated", he said.

In the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, West Papuan student from Solidarity for Papua (SUP) held a protest action at the West Java governor's office.

In a speech, one of the speakers said that coinciding with International Human Rights Day, Papuan student have again taken to the streets to convey their anger against the brutality of the Indonesian military in the land of Papua, particularly the brutal shooting by a joint unit of military and police in Paniai that resulted in the death of six [sic] civilians and scores of other being treated in hospital.

"We condemn the actions by Indonesian military personnel against civilians in Paniai, Papua, who shot dead five civilians an injured scores of others. They were totally unprofessional in carrying out their duties, as a state institution", said spokesperson Markus Medlama.

In the Central Java city of Yogyakarta, a peaceful action was held at the zero kilometre point in front of the central post office by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP), the Papuan Students Association (IPMAPA), Papua and Aceh Solidarity (PAP), Free Women (Perempuan Mahardika), Indonesian Student Horizon (CMI), Archipelago Studio (SN), the Aceh Student Garden (TPA), the Bima Student Community (KEPMA BIMA) and the Sulawesi Student Forum (FMS) Yogyakarta, demanding a full investigation into human rights violations in Papua.

In a speech, action coordinator Dede from Ternate, North Maluku, called for accountability from the Indonesian state which claims to respect human rights. The FMS, which is part of SUP, also held a long march to commemorate International Human Rights Day from the Abu Bakar Ali parking area north of the Malioboro shopping district to the zero kilometre point.

Meanwhile one of the representatives of the Papuan students, Sony Dogopia, called on Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X to forward their demands urging the administration of President Widodo and Komnas HAM to look into human rights violations in Papua.

Similar actions were held in Jakarta, the Central Java city of Solo, the Central Java provincial capital of Semarang and several other cities in Indonesia. (HY/JI/JK/AY/Admin/MS)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Peringati Hari HAM Sedunia: Mahasiswa Tuntut Usut Tuntas Kasus Pelanggaran HAM di Papua".]

Source: http://majalahselangkah.com/content/peringati-hari-ham-sedunia-mahasiswa-tuntut-usut-tuntas-kasus-pelanggaran-ham-di-papua

Police launch probe into security force killings in Papua

Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014

Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police have launched an investigation following the fatal shooting of at least four teenagers at the hands of security forces in Papua.

Police dispatched a special team to the mountainous Paniai district on Tuesday to investigate the clash, which they say left four people dead, but a human rights monitor says killed five. Locals claim more than 20 others were injured in the incident.

There are conflicting reports about what happened on Monday. Police said the shooting was provoked after about 200 protesters attacked a police and military outpost in Ebarotali.

National Police Deputy Chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti has also suggested the alleged attack could have been orchestrated by the Free Papua Movement (OPM), which has waged a low-level insurgency against Jakarta for decades on behalf the mostly ethnic Melanesian population.

However, local community leaders and Andreas Harsono, a Human Rights Watch campaigner in Indonesia, have said security forces opened fire on a group of protesters angered by the alleged abuse of a teen.

Police and rights activists both said tensions rose when local teenagers confronted the driver of a vehicle late on Sunday. The driver was from a local military unit, according to Andreas, and returned later with a group of people who beat up the teen.

John N.R. Gobai, a local community leader, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that residents of Ipakiye village then headed to the nearby security post in Enarotali where they torched a vehicle and begun to sing and dance. Police then allegedly opened fire on the demonstrators.

Police, however, say a "mob" first attacked the military base and then a nearby police post with rocks and arrows.

"The military members fired warning shots into the air to stop the mob," Badrodin said. Windows were smashed, four cars were damaged and six security force personnel were injured in the confrontation, he said.

Badrodin said investigators would establish whether it was personnel from the police or armed forces which fired the fatal shots and promised the perpetrators would be "processed."

But he also claimed the poorly armed OPM fighters, led by Leo Yogi, may have been involved.

"At around 8.30 a.m. local time, we heard gunshots coming from Merah Mount," Badrodin said. "We suspect that it was a code sent by Leo Yogi. Not long after, 200 men ran down the mountain and started the attack."

Andreas said that as well as those killed, 21 people were injured, and they included women and children. He said that he interviewed six people in Papua.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-launch-probe-security-force-killings-papua/

Fatal shooting in Papua, a Christmas 'gift' from President Widodo

Kompas.com - December 10, 2014

Surabaya – Scores of Papuan students in East Java provincial capital of Surabaya held a protest action on Wednesday December 10 to express their concern over the clash between civilians and security forces in Enarotali, Papua.

Chaos broke out when police tried to push demonstrators aside who had formed a circle in front of the East Java governor's office. As well as causing traffic congestion, the action also had to be moved to one side because hundreds of workers had also arrived at the site to hold a protest. Police also had to completely close of Jl. Gubernur Suryo.

Despite being asked to move aside, the Papuan student held their ground and even became more spirited while shouting unique slogans of the Papua movement.

"Our skins are black, our hair is curly, but we also have the right to express our views here", said action coordinator Stefanus from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP).

Stefanus said that the protest was an act of solidarity with Papuan people. The group said that the shooting that occurred in Enarotali is a bad president for the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK), particularly since the shooting is believed to have been committed by a joint unit of military and police.

Because of this therefore, the protesters are calling on security forces to immediately leave the land of Papua. "This tragic shooting is a Christmas 'gift' from the administration of Jokowi-JK to the Papuan people", they said.

The clash between civilians and security forces at the Karel Gobai Square in the village of Madi, East Paniai district, Paniai regency, Enarotali, occurred on Monday December 8. As a result of the incident, five civilians were killed. The police have deployed a team to investigate the clash.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Mahasiswa Papua: Penembakan di Enarotali, 'Kado' Natal Pemerintahan Jokowi-JK".]

Source: http://regional.kompas.com/read/2014/12/10/15165351/Mahasiswa.Papua.Penembakan.di.Enarotali.Kado.Natal.Pemerintahan.Jokowi-JK

Students demand TNI, police be held accountable for shootings in Papua

Merdeka.com - December 10, 2014

Arie Sunaryo – The Indonesian military (TNI) and police (Polri) must be held accountable for the violence that has been occurring in Papua.

This statement was made by the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) during a demonstration at the Gladag traffic circle in the Central Java city of Solo on the afternoon of Wednesday December 10.

The protesters also called on the government to conduct an investigation into and fully resolve the cases of violence that have occurred in the land of Cendrawasih [Bird of Paradise, Papua].

During the action, the student brought posters and photographs of the victims of violence in Papua, including photographs of the victims that were killed in the violence over the last few days.

"We call on the government to conduct an investigation into cases of violence committed by TNI and Polri personnel", said action coordinator Marcel in a speech.

Marcel said that the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) must be held accountable for the recent death of five civilians in Paniai regency, Papua.

According to Marcel, the Papua chief of police (Kapolda) and the commander (Pangdam) of the Cendrawasih military command are the people most responsible in this case.

Marcel said that there is numerous evidence of the violence that is occurring in Papua that has resulted in ordinary people becoming victims. The group is calling for the Papuan people to be given room to live democratically free from violence by security forces.

"The Papua Kapolda and the Cendrawasih Pangdam must take immediate responsibility for the violence that has been occurring in Papua. Stop the violence against the Papuan people", he said.

Although it was quite hot, the action, which was closely guarded by security personnel proceeded in an orderly and peaceful fashion. Satisfied with giving speeches and conveying their demands, the students disbanded. (mtf)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Kekerasan di Papua, mahasiswa tuntut TNI-Polri tanggung jawab".]

Source: http://www.merdeka.com/peristiwa/kekerasan-di-papua-mahasiswa-tuntut-tni-polri-tanggung-jawab.html

President Widodo met with protests by Papuan students in Yogyakarta

Tempo.co - December 10, 2014

Yogyakarta – Scores of Papuan students held a demonstration at the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) traffic circle in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Tuesday afternoon, December 9.

The action took place to coincide with a visit by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo who was scheduled to give a public lecture before hundreds of UGM academics.

The students were protesting the armed clash between the Indonesian military and local residents who are alleged to have been members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) in Paniai regency, Papua. The protesters unfurled two large banners with photographs of the victims that were killed in the clash.

The demonstration continued even though Widodo's entourage left the campus at 3.45pm. The students also set fire to tyres resulting in black smoke billowing through the UGM traffic circle.

The action was closely guarded by hundreds of police officers. The police also closed off all access into the UGM campus through the northern entrance to the UGM traffic circle.

Scores of other police meanwhile surrounded the demonstrators who were blocking the road on the southern section of the traffic circle. At 4.30pm the demonstrators disbanded.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Kunjungan Jokowi Disambut Demo Mahasiswa Papua"]

Source: http://www.tempo.co/read/news/2014/12/10/078627538/Kunjungan-Jokowi-Disambut-Demo-Mahasiswa-Papua

Solidarity for Papua: Stop the killing of civilians in Papua

Tribune News - December 10, 2014

Bandung – Papuan students from the group Solidarity for Papua (SUP) held a protest action at the governor's office in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung on Wednesday December 10.

During the action they called on the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Jokowi-JK) to fully investigate the shooting of seven civilians in Paniai regency, Papua.

According to SUP coordinator Natalius Pigai, the fatal shooting of the seven civilians occurred on December 8. Pigai demanded that the Papua chief of police and the commander of the Cenderawasih military command be held accountable for the incident.

"Stop the killing of civilians in Papua. The Jokowi-JK administration is responsible for this incident. Stop the exploitation of natural resources in Papua", said Pigai during a break in the action.

Aside from giving speeches, the Papuan students, who are pursuing an education in Bandung, also brandished posters and unfurled banners with photographs of the victims of the shooting in Paniai. (san)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Solidaritas Untuk Papua: Stop Pembunuhan Warga Sipil di Papua".]

Source: http://www.tribunnews.com/regional/2014/12/10/solidaritas-untuk-papua-stop-pembunuhan-warga-sipil-di-papua

Wearing penis guards, Papuans join labour protests in Jakarta

Liputan 6 - December 10, 2014

Andreas Gerry Tuwo, Jakarta – It turns out that the demonstrations currently taking place at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta are not just being held by labour organisations opposing the increase in the price of subsidised fuel.

In the midst of the demonstrations, scores of Papuans could also be seen holding a protest action on Wednesday December 10. Although less in number, the Papuan action attracted considerable attention because the protesters from the eastern most part of the motherland were wearing traditional Papuan clothing, penis gourds.

The protest action, which was led by the Papua Human Rights Coalition of Concern (Koalisi Peduli HAM Papua), was held to demand justice over human rights violations that have occurred in the land of Papua.

The group took to the streets in response to the shooting of 10 Papuan civilians in Paniai regency, Papua, on December 8. They rejected allegations that the shooting was carried out by group from the Free Papua Movement or OPM.

They instead accused the TNI (Indonesian military) and Polri (Indonesian police) as being the parties most responsible for the shooting. "We need the voices of all those interested in human rights to fight for the Papuan people's right to life", said the group in a written statement.

In addition to this, they also demanded to be allowed to step in and resolve the human rights problem in Papua because the government has unable to provide protection to the Papuan people. (Rmn/Sun)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Pakai Koteka, Warga Papua Protes di Tengah Demo Buruh"]

Source: http://news.liputan6.com/read/2145486/pakai-koteka-warga-papua-protes-di-tengah-demo-buruh

United West Papua movement 'significant', says Wenda

Radio New Zealand International - December 9, 2014

A spokesperson for the newly-formed United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, says its creation is one of the West Papua independence movement's most significant steps in dealing with Indonesia.

The group is made up of the KNPB, the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation and the Federal Republic of West Papua and is intended to create a unified voice for West Papua on political fronts.

It was set up in Vanuatu, which backs the West Papuans' self-determination drive.

Mr Wenda says the group is working on re-applying for membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, which was knocked back earlier this year because its bid was deemed not representative.

Mr Wenda says now a unified bid has been created, he is confident West Papua will be admitted to the MSG. "Through this unification we are the ultimate because we are Melanesian, geographically and racially – we are Melanesia. So that's why I'm really confident that we will be a full member next year."

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/261318/united-west-papua-movement-%27significant%27,-says-wenda

Police investigate Paniai shooting

Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papuan Provincial Police deployed an investigating team to Enarotali, Paniai, Papua, on Monday to carry out an investigation into the deaths of five Papuans who died when police opened fire on protesters.

Provincial Police Chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende said on Tuesday that the investigating team led by chief detective Sr. Comr. Dwi Irianto, departed to Enarotali to investigate the incident that took place at the Karel Gobay Field. Five people were killed and 21 others were injured in the incident.

Yotje explained that he did not know the cause of the deaths or whether they were shot or not and if they were shot whether the bullets were from the guns belonging to soldiers, police or others.

"The investigation is needed to identify the causes of the civilian people's deaths, whether they were shot or not, if they were shot, what type of guns were used or whether the bullets belonged to TNI, police or others," he said.

He said further that before the victims were found dead, a group of residents conducted a blockade of a road, disturbing the traffic in the town and then the police tried to negotiate with the protesters to end the protest.

When the negotiation was going on, a series of shootings coming from the red mountain was heard and around 200 people were on their way to the military district office and committed anarchism, leaving two soldiers injured and four cars damaged.

After that, the angry mob moved to the Police Station and threw stones at the building. The police office's glass-made windows were damaged and three police officers were injured on their heads.

"A police officer fired a warning shot into the air, but after the situation was under control, a number of people were found dead and a number of others were wounded," said Yotje.

He said that based on an official report from the hospital, there were four deaths, identified as, Yulian Yeimo, Simon Degei, Alpius Gobay and Alpius Youw. Ten were injured and their names are Jerry Gobay, Octavianus Gobay, Noak Gobay, Yulian Mote, Andrias Dagopia, Yulian Tebay, Neles Gobay, Jermias Kayame, Italia Edoway and Albernadus.

For now, he said, the four deceased were at the East Paniai District office for funeral preparations. "The [Paniai] regent, the deputy regent and the victims' relatives are at the East Paniai District office to discuss the funerals," he said.

Yotje also said that besides, three other teams from the National Police Headquaters, Indonesian Automatic Fingerprints Identification System (Inafis) and forensic laboratory in Semarang respectively were going to the regency to join the investigating team. "If police officers are found guilty, they will be punished," he said.

Separately, Natalis Pigai, a commissioner of the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said the death of four civilian people in the incident was deemed as a human rights violation and was leading to gross human rights abuses.

"According to our monitoring, the incident is not linked with politics but is a serious crime to humanity. The right commission condemns the incident," he told The Jakarta Post.

He added that the human rights commission has already reported on the incident to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. "We have already reported the case to the President in Yogyakarta this morning and we are waiting for the President's action," he said.

He also said the human rights group would deploy its own team to Paniai to investigate the incident to determine whether the incident was a human rights violation or gross human rights abuse. He added that based on the report filed to his group, five people died and 17 others were injured in the incident. (rms)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/police-investigate-paniai-shooting.html

Five Papuans shot dead for dancing and protesting

Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Five civilians were shot and killed and 21 others were injured on Monday when security personnel dispersed a crowd that was gathering and dancing at the Karel Gobai Field in Madi district, Paniai regency, Papua.

Paniai Customary Council head John Gobay said the shooting took place at 10 a.m. local time as residents from Togokotu village were gathering at the field, also known as Soeharto field, in protest over an incident from the previous night.

Gobay said the residents were performing the waita tribal dance in Paniai after setting fire to a black SUV that was believed to have been used by perpetrators who assaulted residents gathering at a Christmas event in Ipakiye village in East Paniai.

Police from a nearby station arrived at the field to disperse the crowd. The crowd continued dancing and did not disperse. The police then fired into the crowed. Four people were killed on the spot and 22 others suffered injuries.

"The four deceased have been identified as Habakuk Degei, Neles Gobai, Bertus Gobai and Apinus Gobai. Four people have died while 22 suffered slight wounds," said Gobay in Jayapura on Monday. Saday Yeimo, one of the injured who was being treated at the Madi Hospital for a shot to the stomach, died later on Monday evening.

Gobay said the initial provocation, which took place on Sunday evening, began when the black SUV, which did not turn on its headlights as it traveled through the hilly Togokotu area, reached the peak of a hill where children from a local church had built a Christmas hut. The local children scolded the driver for not turning on his lights while driving at night.

A quarrel ensued and the car then sped off to the Uwibutu 753 Special Team military command post. Not long after, the car, filled with recruits, returned to the Christmas hut and assaulted the children who were about 12 years old.

"Residents then gathered at Soeharto field, just wishing to ask about the driver of the car and the assault, but the soldiers reacted excessively. They thought they would be attacked, so they came to the field. The crowd did not attack the local police station," said Gobay.

Papua Peace Network coordinator and Fajar Timur Theology and Philosophy Academy head Neles Tebay said the police should offer an explanation for their actions against the civilians and church youths who were not members of any armed groups or separatists.

"Civilians have been shot and killed without reason. The Papua Police and Paniai Police chiefs should be held responsible. These actions show that security personnel have treated residents not as citizens but as enemies who must be eliminated," said Neles.

When reached by phone in Jayapura, Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende acknowledged he had learned about the incident in Paniai but had yet to receive a complete report from the local police chief.

"I have yet to receive information on the number of people who died and the chronology of events. I have not been able to contact the Paniai Police chief yet," confirmed Yotje.

Last week two police officers were shot dead by an unidentified group in a church in Puncak Jaya regency, Papua.

In August, two police officers were shot dead in Lanny Jaya regency, Papua. The shooting triggered the arrest of 21 civilians suspected of affiliation with the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/five-papuans-shot-dead-dancing-and-protesting.html

Police, soldiers accused of opening fire on Papua demonstrators: Six killed

Jakarta Globe - December 8, 2014

Banjir Ambarita, Jakarta – Six people were reportedly killed while several others remained in a critical condition after a group of police officers and soldiers allegedly opened fire on demonstrators in restive Papua province on Monday morning.

John N.R. Gobai, a local community leader, said the security forces in the capital of Paniai district, Enarotali, opened fire at 10 a.m. on Monday to disperse a group of people angered by the alleged abuse of a child.

"There are four people who died, four others are in critical condition and 22 more suffered [other] injuries after being shot by the police and soldiers," John said. "Those who were injured are currently being treated at Madi hospital in Enarotali, while those who died are still at the field with people surrounding them."

The death toll was later reported to have risen to six. The chief of Papua Police, Insp. Gen. Yotje Mende, confirmed that there had been a shooting, but declined to provide details.

"The shootings were triggered by an attempt to attack the Ebarotali Police office and our officers were only trying to secure the perimeter," Yotje said.

He added that information was still being gathered about the incident. "I am communicating with Paniai Police headquarters to establish the chronology of the events," he said.

'Child beaten'

According to John, the incident started when a Toyota Fortuner SUV was passing Togokotu hill in Ipakiye village, East Paniai, on Sunday night with its lights off.

Some teenagers guarding the local security post stopped the car and asked the driver to turn the car's lights on.

An argument ensued and the SUV left the location and headed to a military post in Uwibutu. The SUV driver later came back to the security post with some other men and assaulted a 12-year-old boy at the post.

"This is what triggered the anger of Ipakiye villagers and made them walk for five kilometers to Enarotali to seek an explanation from law enforcement officers," John said.

SUV torched

After arriving in Enarotoli, the angry mob torched a Fortuner SUV suspected to be the one that passed the village the previous night, and started to dance and sing.

Then suddenly, John said, police and soldiers started to shoot into the crowd. "The team opened fire at the crowd to disperse them," he said.

The four people who died were identified as Habakuk Degei, Neles Gobai, Bertus Gobai and Apinus Gobai. "The situation in Ebarotali is still very tense because more and more people started to arrive," John said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-soldiers-accused-opening-fire-papua-demonstrators-four-killed/

Jokowi's Christmas gift for Papua – 5 shot dead by military and police

Suara Papua - December 8, 2014

Oktovianus Pogau, Jayapura – The most saddening Christmas gift for the Papuan people this December was the death of five civilians in Paniai regency, Papua, who were shot dead by a joint unit made up of the municipal police (Polresta) and the Indonesian military (TNI) on Monday December 8 at around 10am.

Paniai Traditional Council (DAP) chairperson, John Gobay, said that the shooting shows President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's commitment to the continued use of a security approach to resolving the Papuan problem.

"I can say that this is a most saddening gift for the Papuan people, specifically the residents of Paniai this December. We are questioning Jokowi's commitment to resolve the Papua problem", said Gobay at a press conference at the office of the Democratic Alliance for Papua (ALDP) earlier this afternoon.

Gobay is calling on the Papua police chief and the XVII/Cenderawasih regional military commander to question the commanders of the Enarotali Timsus 753 [military unit based at Paniai sub-district military command (Koramil) – JB], the district police chief (Kapolres), the post commander (Danpos) and the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) to ensure that their personnel that were involved in the shooting are prosecuted.

"The security personnel that committed the crime must be punished as severely as possible, the experience has been that impunity continues, perpetrators from the TNI/Polri [police] are never punished", asserted Gobay.

Gobay also called the TNI and police not to distort the facts by accusing the National Liberation Army/Free Papua Movement (TPN/OPM) of being the perpetrators of the shooting, never mind being involved in the shooting of police or TNI personnel.

"We are also calling on the Kapolri [national police chief] and Panglima TNI [Indonesian military commander] to withdraw all troops, be they Polres, Koramil, Timsus 753, Brimob, Kopassus [army Special Forces] and BIN [National Intelligence Agency] from Paniai", said Gobay.

"The security forces are not carrying out their function of protecting and safeguarding society, but creating unrest and taking the lives of civilians, because of this they must be withdrawn from Paniai", he insisted.

In relation to a statement by the Paniai district police chief who said that the shooting occurred because of intervention by the TPN/OPM, Gobay said that this is a systematic effort to deceive the public.

"This is untrue, we have received reports that there is no TPN/OPM headquarters in Paniai, security personnel committed a brutal shooting without cause at the square, because of this we cannot accept such behaviour", he said.

"We are also demanding that the Kapolri and Panglima TNI pay a traditional fine (Denda Adat) of 4 billion [rupiah], meaning 1 billion per victim, for the innocent civilian victims".

"This is because up until now security forces have been shooting people without feeling they are in the wrong and [government] institutions have never been transparent in dealing with the perpetrators in the various shooting incidents in Paniai", asserted Gobay.

Meanwhile the head of the Papua regional police public relations section, Senior Commissioner Pudjo Sulistiyo, when contacted by Suara Papua this afternoon via his cell phone said that he is currently monitoring the situation. "We in the process of checking it Mr", replied Sulistiyo briefly.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Kado Natal Jokowi-JK untuk Papua, 5 Warga Paniai Tewas Ditembak TNI/Polri".]

Source: http://suarapapua.com/read/2014/12/08/2157/kado-natal-jokowijk-untuk-papua-5-warga-paniai-tewas-ditembak-tnipolri-

Military and police fire into crowd of West Papuan civilians, killing 5

Sydney Morning Herald - December 8, 2014

Michael Bachelard – Five West Papuan people were shot dead and 12 others injured when Indonesian troops and police fired into a crowd of civilians in the highlands region of Paniai on Monday.

The facts leading to the incident are in dispute, but are further evidence that tensions remain high in a province that has hosted an active but low- level separatist insurgency since the 1960s.

Local sources quoted by newspaper Suara Papua say the crowd had gathered in Karel Gobay Square in Paniai to protest against a group of Indonesian soldiers, who they say had beaten a 12-year-old boy the previous night.

On this version, a group of boys aged 12 and 13 stopped a military vehicle on Sunday night to complain that it was being driven without headlights.

Newspaper editor Victor Mambor, from Tabloid Jubi, also quoting local sources, said the boys were living in a small house they had built by the side of the road – a common feature of Christmas celebrations across Papua.

After the boys had stopped them, the driver and passenger of the military vehicle returned to their base in the village of Madi, and then returned to where the boys were, bringing with them a group of fellow soldiers in trucks. The soldiers then beat at least one of the boys, the local sources said.

Mr Mambor said that, on Monday morning, a crowd gathered to protest, and attacked a military vehicle, at which point the police and military fired into the crowd, killing five.

Military spokesman Rikas Hidayatullah said, however, that story was a fabrication. He said his Paniai-based staff had told him a crowd had gathered over an election dispute, relating to the local electoral commission's tardiness in announcing the names of local parliament members.

He could not identify which election was being conducted at the time. People had been protesting for a number of days, he said, and had erected a picket outside the electoral commission office.

Mr Rikas said when the police forced open the barrier on Monday morning, the crowd "ran amok", and attacked the police office, "so police asked the military to help them," he said.

A police spokesman could not be contacted. Police were quoted in local media outlets saying they were still collecting information about the incident.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesian-military-and-police-fire-into-crowd-of-west-papuan-civilians-killing-5-20141208-122wf0.html

Four civilians shot dead in Paniai

Jakarta Post - December 8, 2014

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Four civilians were reportedly shot and killed by a joint police and military force in an incident at Karen Gobai Square in Madi district, Paniai regency, Papua, on Monday.

Head of Paniai Customs Council, John Gobay, said the four civilians were dead on the site while 22 other residents suffered injuries. "The four victims are Apinus Gobai, Bertus Gobai, Habakuk Degei and Neles Gobai," said Gobay in Jayapura on Monday.

He said the shooting incident, which occurred on 10 a.m. local time on Monday, began when local residents from Kampung Togokotu gathered at Soeharto Square in Madi district, Paniai, to question local authorities' measures they had taken in respond an incident that occurred on Sunday evening.

In the incident, a group of criminals allegedly tortured several local residents who gathered at Pondok Natal (Christmas Hut) in Kampung Ipakiye, East Paniai.

The Togokotu residents who came together at the square performed 'waita', a traditional Paniai dance, after they burned a black Fortuner car allegedly used by the torture perpetrators.

To prevent the protest from turning violent, the Madi Police dispatched officers to the rally site, located around 50 meters from the police office, to disperse the mass protesters who instead continued to perform 'waita' to voice their protests.

The rally unexpectedly turned violent, and the security officers started shooting. They killed four civilians and injured 22 others.

Fears are still shrouding Enarotali, according to Gobay. He said security officers had treated civilians as if they were members of the Papua separatist organization's Free Papua Movement (OPM).

"The shooting incident was a gross human rights violation," said Gobay, adding that both Papua Police chief and Papua Military District commander must be responsible for the incident. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/four-civilians-shot-dead-paniai.html

West Papua groups agree to form united front

Radio New Zealand International - December 8, 2014

West Papua's bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group is one step closer, after delegates at a meeting in Vanuatu agreed to form an umbrella organisation to represent their interests.

Earlier this year, the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation put forward a campaign to join the regional group, but the bid was knocked back because of a lack of a more representative bid.

The chair of Vanuatu's West Papua Unification Committee, Pastor Allan Nafuki, says this has been resolved with an agreement on Saturday to form the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

Pastor Nafuki says the group will be made up of the KNPB, the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation and the Federal Republic of West Papua.

"Under that heading they will make an application to be submitted into the MSG. In January, they're coming back to Vila to complete the application and then that will be sent to the June MSG meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands."

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/261207/west-papua-groups-agree-to-form-united-front

Five civilians dead in West Papua after security forces fire into crowd

Metro TV News - December 8, 2014

Ricardo Hutahaean, Paniai – The situation in Paniai regency remains tense following a shooting by a joint unit of Indonesian military (TNI) and police (Polri) on Monday December 8. The shooting, which was intended to disburse a group of protesters, left five people dead, three in a critical condition and 22 others injured.

As of going to print, local residents were still in gathering at the Karen Gobai Square in Enarotali, which is adjacent to the Sectoral Police (Polsek) office and the Sub-District Military Command (Koramil) headquarters.

The chairperson of the Paniai Traditional Council, John Gobay, related the fuse that triggered the riot. According to Gobay, the incident started with an assault on a 12-year-old boy in the Togokotu hills at Ipakiye village in East Paniai the previous evening. The assault was allegedly committed by a member of the TNI.

At midnight on December 7, a black Fortuner car passed through the Togokotu hills without its headlights on. Upon arriving at the Ipakiye village, the driver was reprimanded by some youths who were at a Christmas hut (Posko Natal). "Because their (car) lights were off, the children reprimanded them and asked (the driver) to turn on the car's lights. An argument ensued", Gobay told Metro TV on Monday.

After the argument subsided, the driver continued on to the Timsus 753 [military unit based at Paniai Koramil – JB] at Uwibutu. A short time later the car returned to the Christmas hut will additional passengers. "Upon returning to the posko, they assaulted a youth aged around 12 years", said Gobay.

Upon hearing the news, residents of Ipakiye village gathered and headed towards Enarotali city around five kilometres away. Their intention was to ask for an explanation from security forces about the assault on the youth and discover the identity of the assailant and the location of the Fortuner.

At around 10am the residents found the Fortuner that they suspected was driven by the assailant. They immediately set fire to the vehicle while they danced and sang in the Karen Gobai Square. Security forces responded by firing shots to disburse the demonstrators. Five people fell.

"The incident is a human rights violation and a crime against humanity", said Gobay. "The incident had no link with the TPN/OPM [National Liberation Army/Free Papua Movement], they were ordinary people who became victims of violence".

Papua Peace Network coordinator and Papuan religious figure Pastor Neles Tebay said that the violence by security forces against civilians in Paniai cannot be tolerated. "Why is violence always prioritised in handling every single problem in Papua", he asked.

Tebay called on the joint TNI and Polri unit to be held accountable for the shooting. He insists that the people that were shot were not members of the Free Papua Movement. "Moreover it was done in the lead up to Christmas", he said.

He also called on the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) to intervene and immediately conduct an investigation into the shooting. "Komnas HAM must carry out an immediate investigation because this was a shooting of civilians by security personnel", he said.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Penembakan Lima Warga Dipicu Penganiayaan Bocah Paniai oleh Aparat".]

Source: http://news.metrotvnews.com/read/2014/12/08/329251/penembakan-lima-warga-dipicu-penganiayaan-bocah-paniai-oleh-aparat

Human rights & justice

Victims, activists observe Human Rights Day across nation

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Suherdjoko and Arya Dipa, Semarang/Bandung – Victims and activists across the country commemorated Human Rights Day, which falls on Dec. 10 annually, on Wednesday in diverse ways, urging the government to seriously handle rights violations.

In Semarang, Central Java, activists organized a testimony forum presenting victims of violations of human rights. Coordinator of the activity, Kastoni, said that 632 women in Central Java had been victims of violence during 2014, 14 of whom did not survive.

"Central Java has been ranked as the province with the third-highest number of cases of violence against women," said Kastoni, quoting a report from the Anti-Violence against Women National Commission.

Kastoni said that of the 14 victims, three died because of domestic violence, seven because of state violence, two died from rapes, one died as a migrant worker and another died in relation to prostitution.

Maemunah, one of the victims who gave testimony on the violence she experienced, said her husband had never approved of her using contraception so she finally had five children. Yet, her husband never financially supported the family.

When she finally filed for divorce at the religious court, the court ruled in favor of her husband. "The judges apparently ignored all the witnesses I presented, including my neighbors and own children," Maemunah told the forum.

Other testimonies were revealed by Eko Sutikno, 74, a victim of the Sept. 30, 1965 tragedy, who had been imprisoned for years in different prisons across the country without trial.

The activists and victims demanded the state be more serious in dealing with past human rights violations by involving the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the Attorney General's Office, the President and House of Representatives to come up with a national reconciliation program, especially for the Sept. 30, 1965 tragedy.

In Bandung, West Java, Human Rights Day was marked with the screening of Joshua Oppenheimer's Senyap (The Lock of Silence) and a body exploration performance performed by five youths. They reminded people of many unsolved cases of violations of human rights.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, university students, lawyers and law activists celebrated Human Rights Day by staging sporadic rallies in a number of spots, as well as theatrical performances.

They demanded President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo be serious in guaranteeing security to the people and act firmly against security and government officials to make sure that no violations against human rights were committed.

The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) in Makassar noted 11 cases of violence in the province during 2014, seven of which were shootings of people, including student protesters. The four others were persecution of people, including journalists.

[Andi Hajramurni from Makassar also contributed to this article.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/victims-activists-observe-human-rights-day-across-nation.html

Government highlights fairness in pursuing justice for past violence

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang and Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – The government reiterated its commitment to fairly settling cases of past gross human rights violations, easing mounting doubts over its seriousness in upholding human rights in the country.

In his speech during a ceremony to commemorate international human rights day at the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace last Tuesday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo assured that his administration was committed to resolving cases of past rights abuses through the establishment of ad hoc human rights tribunals and a comprehensive reconciliation process.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla restated the government's stance in upholding fairness regarding the matter, assuring the audience gathered at a ceremony on Wednesday that the Jokowi-Kalla administration was taking all measures to resolve all cases of past human rights violations.

"[...] I know that there are cases that we must settle. The government continues to take efforts to deal with them, but it's not easy work because we must search for data, including evidence. Finding evidence is not always easy," Kalla said.

Kalla further illustrated the difficulty and the length of time required to resolve such cases by mentioning the unsolved murder of former US president John F. Kennedy, the truth of which, Kalla said, was yet to be exposed despite countless documentaries and publications presented to the public.

He also presented to his audience, among whom were individuals and relatives of those who had survived several cases of past gross rights violations, the story of former South African president Nelson Mandela's long journey to justice.

"But that is not an excuse. We are still searching out what happened. It's just not that easy to find out. I just want to tell you this," Kalla said. "Today you see that the government hasn't apologized. But [we] keep on trying, even though hurdles are everywhere," he stated.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has recently started to publicize its executive reviews of probes into seven major unresolved human rights abuse cases in an attempt to push for their settlement.

Those 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 Pa-pua in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

Bedjo Untung, a survivor of the 1965 purge who attended the ceremony on Wednesday, expressed a feeling of relief after listening to Kalla's speech as he was reassured of a brighter future for what he had been fighting for years.

"I am happy to hear that because it assures me that the government is actually serious about ending our years of struggle for justice. But I expect that Pak JK [Jusuf Kalla] will make an official apology by the state, or something like that, because it would ease our pain," Bedjo said.

"An official apology from the government is crucial because it will be a door through which all solutions may emerge," he added. In a separate event, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno gave his assurances that the government was still able to follow up reports on human rights violations properly while preparing the establishment of the much-awaited human rights court.

"We will handle all human rights issues properly, [that is] Mr. President's promise. Just don't keep pushing the government [to establish the court immediately]," he said. "We are preparing, including law enforcers and other related things."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/govt-highlights-fairness-pursuing-justice-past-violence.html

Jusuf Kalla: Government won't apologise for past human rights volitions

Portal Kabar - December 10, 2014

Abu Pane, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) has insisted that the government will not apologies for past cases of human rights violations.

Nevertheless this does not mean that the government will not try to shed light on these violations. Kalla said that investigations into past violations already been carried out but the government is having problems uncovering who is behind them because they occurred a long time ago.

"I'm not making excuses here. We will continue to [try] and find out what happened. But [finding out] what happened in these cases is not as easy as we hoped. It's not easy, what has to be done", said Kalla in Jakarta on December 10.

Kalla criticised the behaviour of people who are quick to accuse the government of violating human rights saying that society also often violates human rights.

Such as mobs blockading roads, burning down government buildings and killing police officers. Because of this in order to clarify human rights cases the government is planning to establish an ad hoc or temporary human rights court.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "JK: Pemerintah Tidak Akan Minta Maaf Pada Pelanggaran HAM Masa Lalu".]

Source: http://www.portalkbr.com/berita/nasional/3371372_4202.html

Human rights let-downs damp Jokowi's pledges

Jakarta Globe - December 10, 2014

Jakarta – President Joko Widodo reiterated on Tuesday that he is committed to resolving past human rights cases.

Observers and activists met the claim, which comes less than a week after the attorney general announced his office will not pursue further prosecutions for the 2004 assassination of rights activist Munir Said Thalib, with some skepticism.

"The government is committed to resolving past cases of human rights violations justly," the president said during a visit to Yogyakarta in observance of International Human Rights Day, which is today.

Joko said the 1945 Constitution guaranteed fulfillment of all Indonesians' human rights, making it important for the government to resolve violations. To this end, the president announced the government's plans to convene a truth and reconciliation commission, as well as ad hoc human rights tribunals.

That news should have been greeted as a positive step by rights campaigners who have long called for the establishment of a truth and reconciliation commission.

Hope for realization of Joko's plan to convene such a body has been dampened both by recent rights disappointments and political prospects for its future support, which remains cloudy at best.

The last time a president tried to convene a truth and reconciliation commission was during the late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's administration; the military put the kibosh on that plan.

According to Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, efforts to unravel past human rights cases have mostly been undermined by the legislature, which has blocked the formation of truth and reconciliation commissions or rights tribunals.

But activists point to what they say is weak commitment by the Attorney General's Office as the real reason for failures to resolve past rights violations. They point to least seven cases of gross human rights violations for which law enforcement investigations are still pending.

Among rights campaigners' recent disappointments was the parole of Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, convicted of activist Munir's 2004 murder, from Bandung's Sukamiskin Penitentiary after serving little more than half of his 14-year sentence.

Joko's pledge also comes amid a bloody police and military crackdown on unarmed civilian protesters in Papua's Paniai district that left at least four teenagers dead and many more seriously injured.

Hendardi, director of prominent human rights watchdog the Setara Institute, urged the president on Tuesday to get to the bottom of Munir's murder. The only person convicted of Munir's murder was Pollycarpus, a former pilot for flag carrier Garuda Indonesia.

Hendardi cited claims Pollycarpus had acted on orders by National Intelligence Agency (BIN) officials, among them Budi Santoso, then-chief A.M. Hendropriyono and his deputy Muchdi Purwoprandjono, as grounds for reopening the case. Muchdi was acquitted; Hendropriyono, recently named a senior adviser to Joko, was never charged.

The Setara Institute says Hendropriyono is not the only person in Joko's inner circle with a checkered human rights record. The president has also named as his defense minister retired general Ryamizard Ryacudu, who led several military campaigns in Aceh and Papua that resulted countless civilian casualties.

Setara deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos also questioned Joko's pick for attorney general, H.M. Prasetyo, whom he said has not shown sufficient commitment to resolving past human rights cases.

Bonar seemed to reserve judgement on Yasonna's top job at the justice ministry, however, saying only that his ministry "is key to forming various rules and regulations that could determine the face of human rights in Indonesia."

According to a Setara survey, people's trust towards Joko's human rights commitment fell to 36.8 percent this year, compared to 39 percent last year.

Al Araf, program director of the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial), said Joko's administration plans to introduce two controversial bills as priority legislation next year: the State Secrecy Act, expected to curtail people's right to information and security forces' accountability, and the National Security Act, which would provide virtually unlimited powers to the Indonesian Military, the National Police and the State Intelligence Agency – all bodies with appalling human rights records.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/human-rights-let-downs-damp-jokowis-pledges/

Jokowi grants clemency for human rights activist

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Yogyakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo grants clemency for Eva Susanti Bande, a human rights activist that has been jailed for defending farmers in Luwuk, South Sulawesi.

In a Human Rights Day celebration event at the Yogyakarta Presidential Palace, Jokowi said that Eva would be released before the National Women's Day that fell on Dec. 22. "[God willing] by the commemoration of Women's Day, the administration for the clemency will be completed," said Jokowi on Tuesday. Jokowi said the clemency is now pending on the recommendation of the Supreme Court.

Eva was convicted of instigation and vandalism for her involvement in a rally with a group of farmers in Banggai, Central Sulawesi, in 2010, against an oil palm plantation.

Luwuk District Court sentenced her to four years in prison and her appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court last year. During his presidential campaign, Jokowi promised to release Eva.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/jokowi-grants-clemency-human-rights-activist.html

Setara institute urges Jokowi to reopen Munir case

Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Following the recent release on parole of his convicted killer, the 2004 murder case of outspoken human rights defender Munir Said Thalib needs to be reopened, the Setara Institute says.

Hendardi, director of the prominent human rights watchdog, on Tuesday urged President Joko Widodo to finally get to the bottom of the case.

The only person convicted of Munir's murder was Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, a former pilot for flag carrier Garuda Indonesia. Pollycarpus was sentenced to 20 years, later reduced to 14 on appeal.

However, activists have long argued that the former pilot had no real motive to harm Munir, suggesting that there may have been a mastermind who remains at large.

National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman said last week, in reaction to the outcry over the release of Pollycarpus, that the investigation would not be reopened.

Hendardi on Tuesday mentioned claims by a senior intelligence officer at the time, Budi Santoso, who allegedly implicated Muchdi Purwoprandjono, then deputy chief of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Muchdi was acquitted and the BIN chief at the time, A.M. Hendropriyono, was never charged. But Hendardi said the government needed to look again at the possible involvement of these men, the latter currently being a senior adviser to Joko.

"The National Commission on Human Rights [Komnas HAM] also should use the momentum to form an investigative team," Hendardi said, adding that the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) should protect key witnesses such as Budi and the family of Munir.

If Joko fails to solve the Munir case, Hendardi said, he "will be just like SBY," referring to Indonesia's previous president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who had vowed to unravel the murder, even calling the case "a test of our history."

According to the activist, Yudhoyono "only used human rights as a political commodity, only talking about it when it was convenient, like around election time," and the same could happen to Joko's administration.

The 38-year-old Munir died on Sept. 7, 2004, on board a flight to Amsterdam. The flight included a stop in Singapore, where Pollycarpus was seen offering Munir a coffee. A court later found that this drink had been spiked with arsenic. Pollycarpus was released on Nov. 28.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/setara-institute-urges-jokowi-to-reopen-munir-case/

Recognition, but still no closure, for late Munir

Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014

Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, Malang, East Java – The National Commission on Human Rights has honored slain human rights defender Munir Said Thalib with its inaugural award, 10 years after his murder.

"This is the first time that Komnas HAM has given out awards in recognition of those who have done services toward human rights protection in Indonesia," Siane Indriani, a deputy chairwoman of the commission known as Komnas HAM, said on Monday in Munir's hometown of Batu, in East Java.

"This is a form of appreciation to those serving as an inspiration and a role model for the government as well as people."

The commission also awarded Maria Ulfa Soebandio Sastrosatomo, Indonesia's first social affairs minister, who was instrumental in getting human rights values included in the Constitution.

Komnas HAM presented the award for Munir to his widow, Suciwati, at Munir's former home turned museum in Batu. Suciwati thanked Komnas HAM for the award, but added: "It would mean more to all of us if [Munir's death] was resolved."

The award came just days after the government paroled the only person convicted in the 2004 murder, Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto.

The former Garuda Indonesia pilot was convicted of poisoning Munir with arsenic on Sept. 7, 2004, during a layover in Singapore before the 38-year-old activist boarded a flight for Amsterdam. Pollycarpus served eight years of a 14-year sentence for the murder.

National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman said last week that the police would not reopen the investigation into the murder.

The announcement means that the police will not assist prosecutors in searching for new evidence needed to file a review of the case against Muchdi Purwoprandjono, the former deputy head of Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN). Muchdi was acquitted in 2008 for his alleged role in the case.

The subsequent clamor for a review of the case puts Joko in a difficult position. This is because the president appointed A.M. Hendropriyono to a senior advisory role in his government.

Hendropriyono was the BIN chief at the time and was known to have been present in at least one meeting at the offices of the BIN with Muchdi and Pollycarpus.

Before his death, Munir had sought to bring Hendropriyono, a retired Army general, to justice for a bloody military crackdown on civilian protesters in Talangsari, Lampung, in 1989.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/recognition-but-still-no-closure-for-late-munir/

Survey unveils early doubts on Jokowi's commitment

Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A study by Jakarta-based Setara Institute confirmed mounting doubts over President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's commitment to uphold human rights following recent decisions deemed controversial, foreseeing ongoing lack of efforts to actually settle cases of human rights abuses by Jokowi's administration.

According to the study, as many as 61.8 percent of the 200 academicians and human rights campaigners in 19 provinces that were engaged in the study were anticipating stagnant performance in upholding human rights during Jokowi's five years in office.

Only 22.4 percent of the respondents still have faith in Jokowi's will to uphold human rights, including to actually end the long overdue cases of past gross human rights violations.

The study cited four main reasons to the declining trust in Jokowi's commitment, which includes: the release of convicted murder of prominent human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto; the government's plan to soon execute five drug-convicts that were on death row; and the appointments of politicians Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno and HM Prasetyo as Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs and Attorney General, respectively.

"Many did not expect that Jokowi's administration would actually grant Pollycarpus' release [on parole] and expected that under his leadership, the government would review the proposal that had been submitted during the leadership of former president SBY [Susilo Bambang Yudhyono]," Setara chairman Hendardi said on Monday.

He went on explaining that the installment of Tedjo and Prasetyo, whom activists slammed for their poor human rights commitment, in the two posts that were crucial in determining the fate of cases of rights abuses, reflected Jokowi's poor knowledge and understanding in the issue.

"Jokowi has so far shown that he is no different from SBY who has used human rights issues as a commodity to promote political interests. Jokowi must soon do something to win back trust in the matter," Hendardi emphasized.

Of all the variables used to measure public perception of the commitment of the Jokowi-Kalla administration to human rights, the commitment to settle the cases of human rights violations that took place in the past has reached the lowest point.

Having affected by recent controversial decisions, on a scale 0 to 7, Jokowi has so far scored only 1.51 in his commitment to resolve cases of gross past abuses, which have been passed on from one administration to another.

Meanwhile, the study revealed that Jokowi has obtained the highest score of 3.09 in his administration's long term plan on human rights, which was reflected through the improvements of state institutions that promote human rights, including the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan); as well as improvements in laws and regulations that promote the rights of the people.

"Although we've witnessed some unexpected and disappointing policies by the Jokowi-Kalla administration, it is still too early to measure the government's work and dedication to protect human rights in the country," Setara researcher Ismail Hasani said.

"There is still a lot of time for the government to do much better than the previous government in order to improve the sluggish human rights work we've recorded from time to time," he added.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/survey-unveils-early-doubts-jokowi-s-commitment.html

Women's rights

Religions distorted to harm women: Religious affairs ministry

Jakarta Post - December 13, 2014

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – In a rare occasion that has signaled the government's shift from religious conservatism, a top official has said religions may have been used by men to justify horrendous acts against women.

The Religious Affairs Ministry's Islamic development director general Muhammad Machasin said on Friday that there were reasons behind the use of religions to harm women.

"The ones who formulated religions were mostly men. Religious heads are also mostly men," he said during a discussion on religions' responses to violence against women.

Moreover, most religions came about during an era when women were not treated as equals and respected as they are today, according to Machasin. Provided with such a background, society often tended to ditch logic and abuse religious texts to rule over women, Machasin argued.

"For example, in Islam, if a husband is concerned that his wife will argue back [a sign of disobedience], he usually advises her, hits her or neglects her in bed," Machasin said.

"If we look at the situation when the text was composed, then it was probably a normal practice. But now if we want to hit [our wives], that is not okay. Our sense of justice would prevent us from doing so."

Rights activist Siti Musdah Mulia of the Indonesian Conference of Religions and Peace said that religious texts had been grossly misinterpreted to justify domestic violence against women for disobeying their husbands.

"The Arabic term used is 'dorabat'. But it doesn't necessarily have to be interpreted as 'beating' because there are 18 different meanings behind the word. Personally, I use a softer meaning such as 'educate', rather than 'beat'," she said.

Musdah also criticized how the texts discriminated against women. "The texts talk about women who disobey their husbands, but what about men? Are there no men who disobey [their wives]? What is the punishment for them?" she said.

Besides texts from the Koran, Prophet Muhammad's sayings and deeds (hadith) could also be used recklessly to perpetuate the role of women as inferior beings compared to men, Musdah said. "There's a hadith that says men should be careful not to be tempted by women, which is even stronger than the devil's temptation," she said.

Musdah also argued how religions were often used to keep women from entering the workforce. "In terms of marriage, women are often told to take care of their children. That's still acceptable. But if they are told to take care of their husbands, can we conclude that their husbands are also babies?"

Whenever people say that a woman's nature is to be a housewife, they should be more careful about their definition, according to Musdah. "The ones included in our nature are related to reproductive organs, such as birthing and breast-feeding. But when it comes to cooking, we don't use our breasts [to cook] right?" she said.

National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) deputy chairwoman Justina Rostiawati said religious leaders were the biggest hurdle to people shifting their mindset from discriminating against women.

"It's not only that they have certain interpretations [on religions] that could be harmful, but they also have a huge influence because their communities are really listening to them," she said.

Religious leaders also played important roles because women tended to seek protection from them in the case of domestic violence, Justina added. In 2013, the number of cases of violence against women jumped 30 percent to 279,688, as recorded by Komnas Perempuan.

To provide a better understanding of how religions could protect women, the commission started a project in 2007 in which it invited religious leaders and theologians to discuss the issue. So far, the commission has produced six books, each based on the major religions' responses to violence against women.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/13/religions-distorted-harm-women-religious-affairs-ministry.html

Sexual & domestic violence

Jakarta Intercultural School teacher pleads for rape case to be thrown out

Sydney Morning Herald - December 9, 2014

Michael Bachelard – A teacher accused of raping three pre-school aged boys has pleaded with a Jakarta court for the case against him to be thrown out.

"My name is Neil Bantleman and I am an innocent, upstanding member of society," the Canadian school administrator wrote in a letter presented to court on Tuesday. "I have never committed any offence against any student or any individual throughout my entire teaching career."

Bantleman and Indonesian teachers' aide Ferdinant Tjiong, both of the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School, are protesting their innocence at the South Jakarta court as their lawyers try to get the case thrown out. The application for an "exception" under Indonesian law was put in advance of any evidence.

Mr Bantleman and Mr Tjiong face long prison terms if they are convicted over the allegations of multiple anal rape. But the teachers insist they are innocent, and they are being supported at court by their wives, a large band of their teaching colleagues, school parents, and the school itself.

The defence argued on Tuesday that the indictment, which was presented last week, was "inaccurate, vague and incomprehensible", and was motivated by a $US125 million civil claim lodged against the school by one of the parents.

Under Indonesian law, a case is capable of being dismissed before it even begins, though this is extremely rare.

The indictment said each of ten alleged acts of sodomy had occurred "at a time that can no longer be remembered between January 2013 and March 2014, or at least at a certain time between 2013 and 2014".

Lawyers for the teachers claimed this "long, dubious and vague" time period breaches Indonesian legal requirements, and means neither teacher can bring evidence of an alibi.

"The defendant has the right to defend himself by stating that he has an alibi on the day of the alleged criminal act... (if for example) the defendant was overseas or elsewhere," the documents say.

In addition, it makes unreliable any medical evidence of rape, particularly a medical test by a police doctor taken in June that purports to show two of the boys had "funnel-shaped" anuses and scars, which the doctor said may be a result of the attacks.

Other medical examinations of two of the boys, which has already been presented in a related case against five contract cleaners at the school, appears not to be capable of supporting the rape allegations.

Lawyers for the teachers described the case against the teachers as "uncommon, peculiar, and even absurd," which meant the prosecutor should have examined the truth of the allegations and the "background" of the complainants' "interests or motives".

This includes the "financial motive" relating to the law suit against the school, the documents say.

In his letter to the court, Mr Bantleman defended his reputation, saying it was "one of a caring, funny and enthusiastic educator".

"All of the things the indictment letter says, I am not. This is why I must write this exception letter to you today, to give you an idea of who I truly am, and [to] humbly request utmost fairness and impartiality in dismissing this indictment." The prosecution will respond to the application on Thursday.

[Disclosure: The author has two children at the Jakarta Intercultural School (formerly Jakarta International School)]

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/jakarta-intercultural-school-teacher-pleads-for-rape-case-to-be-thrown-out-20141209-123mfp.html

Labour & migrant workers

Thousands of workers protest on streets over minimum wage

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Fedina Sundaryani and Apriadi Gunawan, Jakarta/Medan – Hundreds of thousands of laborers across the country joined street rallies on Wednesday, demanding reviews of minimum wages.

Workers from factories in Greater Jakarta demonstrated in several areas in the city, including gathering at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. The members of various labor organizations then continued to convoy to the State Palace and City Hall.

The Jakarta administration recently increased the monthly city minimum wage (UMK) by 12.5 percent from Rp 2.4 million (US$192) to Rp 2.7 million. However, workers demanded a greater increase, saying the minimum wage was too low and had been established before the fuel-price hike.

The Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said that the rally was peaceful without any riots. "The situation has been peaceful throughout the protest. There is no news of violent outbursts," Rikwanto told The Jakarta Post.

Jakarta police deployed 16,670 officers, 2,000 of which were backup officers from the National Police, in order to secure the labor rally.

The police officers were stationed at several areas around Central Jakarta, focusing mainly on the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, State Palace and City Hall compound.

Meanwhile, thousands of workers from various regions occupied the North Sumatra gubernatorial office in Medan and demanded the provincial administration revise the 2015 monthly provincial minimum wage (UMP).

Workers grouped in the North Sumatra Workers Coalition regarded the monthly UMP of Rp 1,625,000, set by Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho, as inappropriate. According to them, the UMP was too low compared to the cost of living, which has further risen along with the increase in fuel prices.

Rally coordinator Eben Ezer said the governor should immediately revise the UMP because it was unsuitable for decent living needs. According to Eben, the 2015 UMO should be ideally set at Rp 2 million monthly.

"The governor must immediately revise the 2015 UMP. We will remain in the office until our demands are met," said Eben in front of the gubernatorial office.

In response to the workers' demand, North Sumatra Remuneration Council head Mukmin said if the workers did not agree with the 2015 UMP, they could file a lawsuit at the State Administrative Court. According to him, the UMP has referred to existing regulations and adapted to meet decent living needs.

"If they don't agree with the UMP, just file a lawsuit at the State Administrative Court. We're tired of the annual labor rallies demanding decent wages," Mukmin said at the gubernatorial office.

Separately, several labor organizations in West Java staged a rally in front of the Gedung Sate gubernatorial office in Bandung on Wednesday demanding Governor Ahmad Heryawan adjust the 2015 UMP as it had not included impacts from the fuel-price increase.

"We are here to demand a revision of the 2015 UMP because it had not considered the fuel-price increase," said rally coordinator Roy Jito. He said the 2015 UMP in West Java had not offered the best to workers as it had not considered components of workers' decent living needs.

He added that a survey to determine decent living needs had only included 66 of 84 necessary items. He said workers in West Java had also demanded the promise made by Heryawan to revise the city minimum wage after setting the 2015 UMK on Nov. 21, 2014.

[Dewanti A. Wardhani contributed to this article.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/thousands-workers-protest-streets-over-minimum-wage.html

ILO asks Indonesian workers to negotiate, not to take to the streets

Kompas.com - December 11, 2014

Jakarta – The director general of the International Labor Organisation (ILO) Guy Ryder is convinced that labour issues in Indonesia can be resolved by the government, employees and companies sitting down together.

"Coincidentally I arrived in Jakarta yesterday at the same time as quite large labour demonstrations. But the problem is, are demonstrations the best way to demand [better] wages", Ryder told Timothy Marbun from Kompas TV during a special interview in Jakarta on Thursday December 11.

In order to resolve wage problems, according to Ryder, the best approach is through routine meetings between stakeholders. "So there's no need to take to the streets, but have a meeting in the same room", said Ryder.

In order to facilitate this, one of ILO's goals is to assist in bringing together the three related parties and at the same time helping to find the best solution. Nevertheless, Rider cannot guarantee that this formulation will always be effective.

"If you ask is there a single best formulation in order to be successful? The answer is no. Because each country has different viewpoints in pursuing policies to resolve labour problems. But Indonesia could also copy the experiences of other countries", said Ryder.

Ryder's visit to Indonesia on 10-13 December is his first. He is scheduled to meet with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, the minister of labour and the association of Indonesian employers as well as trade union confederations. (AlwiyahHusin/Kompas TV)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "ILO Minta Buruh di Indonesia Tak Demo Turun ke Jalan".]

Source: http://bisniskeuangan.kompas.com/read/2014/12/11/173833226/ILO.Minta.Buruh.di.Indonesia.Tak.Demo.Turun.ke.Jalan

Freedom of speech & expression

Civil society: Stop criminalizing the media

Jakarta Post - December 13, 2014

Jakarta – A number of civil society groups have warned the nation about the dangers of criminalizing the press, saying the practice could be used by the state as a tool to silence persons espousing views it disliked.

Fajar Riza Ul Haq, executive director of the MAARIF Institute for Culture and Humanity, expressed the institute's concern about the announcement by the National Police that it would charge The Jakarta Post's editor-in-chief Meidyatama Suryodiningrat for the crime of blasphemy following the Post's July 3 publication of a political cartoon caricaturizing the Islamic State (IS) movement also known as ISIS.

"The police should take into account the Press Council's view on this case. Moreover, alleged blasphemy cases are extremely vulnerable to exploitation by [those with] political motives, which often exploit issues of SARA [tribal affiliations, religion, race and societal groups]," Fajar said in a statement.

"We must learn from similar cases, like what recently happened in Pakistan. The state needs to be very cautious in handling blasphemy complaints. It could become a dangerous political tool if there is no clear standard or public control," said Fajar, a member of Muhammadiyah, the nation's second-largest Muslim organization.

Meanwhile, the Association of Journalists for Diversity (SEJUK), the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) and human rights watchdog the SETARA Institute said the police acted carelessly in naming Meidyatama a suspect of blasphemy, citing Article 156 of the Criminal Code.

"The content of Article 156 has created many problems because it often sends individuals with a different opinion to prison," Andy Budiman from SEJUK said in a statement on Friday.

The Jakarta Preachers Corps (KMJ) filed a complaint with the National Police in July accusing the Post of blasphemy for publishing a caricature criticizing violence conducted by IS.

According to the Jakarta Police, Meidyatama could face a maximum prison sentence of five years if found guilty of publicly displaying hostility, hatred or contempt toward a group in Indonesia.

The government has officially banned IS for its acts of mass murder and other atrocities in Syria and Iraq. "ISIS has committed brutal murders in the name of Islam. ISIS does not represent Islam, which is rahmatan lil alamin [grace to all people]," SEJUK said.

Meanwhile, AJI chairman Suwarjono said "the cartoon was published to warn the public about the dangers of radical organizations, including [how they threaten] freedom of expression."

"The police failed in recognizing the 1999 Press Law as the solution to settling conflict with media," nine representatives of LBH Pers said in the statement sent to the Post.

Press Council member Nezar Patria said the council had concluded in July that the Post's decision to publish the caricature was insensitive, but did not amount to a criminal act.

Meanwhile, SETARA Institute chairman Hendardi said the Post's case was likely politically motivated. "It [the blasphemy charge] is more like a political product to maintain social and political stability, but it's going about it the wrong way," Hendardi said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/13/civil-society-stop-criminalizing-media.html

Journalists condemn police decision to charge Post editor with blasphemy

Jakarta Globe - December 12, 2014

Jakarta – The Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) has condemned the fact that police have charged The Jakarta Post's editor-in-chief Meidyatama Suryodiningrat with blasphemy over a cartoon.

Jakarta Police named Meidyatama a blasphemy suspect on Thursday over the publication of a caricature on July 3. The image showed an ISIS flag with the oval replaced by a skull and crossbones below "there is no God except Allah" in Arabic.

AJI claimed that the Post had already done enough to forego criminal charges by complying with the Press Council's order to apologize and retract the caricature. This should have served as an adequate face-saving exit for all sides in which the situation should have been successfully defused, it argued. But apparently not so.

"The Jakarta Post has apologized and taken back the caricature," AJI chief Suwarjono said on Friday. The apology was delivered in two languages – Bahasa Indonesia and English – and emphasized that the newspaper had no intention of mocking Islam.

"We sincerely apologize and retract the editorial cartoon printed on page 7 in the July 3, 2014, edition of The Jakarta Post?," the newspaper wrote in July. "The cartoon contained religious symbolism that may have been offensive to some. The Post regrets the error in judgment, which was in no way meant to malign or be disrespectful to any religion."

In Friday's edition of the Jakarta Post, Meidyatama has written a statement expressing disbelief that the police have elected to charge him with a criminal offense.

"We are amazed because the fact is we did not commit a criminal act as accused," the statement said. "What we produced was a journalistic piece that criticized the ISIS [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant] movement, which has carried out violence in the name of religion."

"It means that the ISIS caricature was not blasphemous. We all know that ISIS is an organization that is banned in Indonesia and across almost the entire world."

Post journalists have been briefed not to speak about the crisis. AJI said the heavy-handed approach by police was regrettable. "The caricature reminded the public that a threat by radical organizations can endanger civil order and even the freedom of speech in Indonesia," Suwarjono said.

AJI urged police to stop the investigation and leave the case to Press Council as regulated in Article 15 of 1999 Law No. 40 on Press. The law gives the authority in any dispute or complaint related to the press to the Press Council and a special treatment to such cases to not be treated as criminal cases.

"What's the point of having a Press Law that gives a special exception to press-related cases if [the police] put everything into the criminal law sector?" the AJI chief said.

After being named a suspect, Meidyatama will be summoned for further investigation. "Investigators plan to summon M.S. of The Jakarta Post as a suspect next week," Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Thursday. "We named him as suspect after questioning of witnesses, experts on law and religion, and the Press Council."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/journalists-condemn-police-decision-charge-post-editor-blasphemy/

Military cracks down on local screenings of 'Look of Silence'

Jakarta Globe - December 10, 2014

Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, Malang, East Java – Military officials in Malang have blocked public screenings of the documentary "The Look of Silence" by award-winning filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer, on the grounds that the subject matter – the 1965-66 purge of some half a million suspected communist sympathizers – could provoke unrest.

Andry Juni, the coordinator of the Bhinneka Foundation, which planned to show the film in seven locations across Malang on Wednesday night, said the organizers received a visit from the military on Tuesday and were "intimidated."

Two of the locations, Brawijaya University and Warung Unyil, a restaurant, opted not to show the film, while another restaurant, Warung Kelir, insisted it would proceed, albeit with uniformed soldiers in attendance.

Andry said he was disappointed that officials at Brawijaya, the biggest university in Malang, bowed down to the military's demands. The smaller Machung University was still set to show the documentary, said university lecturer Daniel Stephanus.

"The organizers at the university were approached by military officers, but they're going to go ahead with the screening," he said.

Lt. Col. Gunawan Wijaya, the head of the local military command, confirmed that officers had visited the organizers, and said they had warned them against showing any films that would "cause friction in society."

He said he did not know what the documentary was about, but that he couldn't allow any screening of films that "spread forbidden ideologies."

"Communist thinking can't be allowed to live in this country. But I don't hate the descendants [of suspected communists]," Gunawan said.

Communism is indeed banned in Indonesia, but is not the subject of the documentary by the Oscar-nominated Oppenheimer, which focuses instead on the victims of the military-led massacre of up to half a million Indonesians suspected of being members or sympathizers of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Oppenheimer's previous documentary, "The Act of Killing," which won awards the world over, including at the Berlin Film Festival, looks at the purge through the eyes of one of the murderers as he re-enacts his atrocities. "The Look of Silence" takes the opposite view, seen from the side of the brother of one of the victims.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/military-cracks-local-screenings-look-silence/

Political parties & elections

Aburizal defies Golkar to tweet support for elections

Jakarta Globe - December 10, 2014

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Carlos Paath, Jakarta – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie risks alienating supporters, experts say, after unilaterally reversing his party's earlier stance against reinstating direct local elections.

Late on Tuesday, Aburizal tweeted that "the Golkar Party will support the government's proposed [sic] emergency regulation [perppu] on the Regional Elections Law."

Neither Aburizal's characterization of the emergency regulation as a "proposal," nor his attribution for it to "the government" is accurate.

The presidential regulation in lieu of law to which Aburizal refers was issued by then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the final days of his administration.

The emergency regulation, which assumed full legal effect for 90 days beginning in late October, supersedes the so-called Law on Regional Elections, enacted by the House of Representatives days prior, that in fact eliminates regional elections for governors, mayors and district chiefs.

When the perppu, which reinstated regional elections, expires this month, the House must vote to sustain or reject it.

President Joko Widodo and the House minority Awesome Indonesia Coalition (KIH) that supports his administration, have said they are committed to direct regional elections and will seek to sustain the perppu.

Aburizal's remark in support of regional elections appeared late on Tuesday as the chapeau to a lengthy and occasionally digressive series of tweets attempting to lay out the reasons for a series of apparently shifting stances on regional elections – both his own and those of the party he chairs.

Golkar members voted unanimously at a national convention last week on a platform opposing regional elections.

"At Golkar's national convention in Bali [...] it was recommended that [regional leaders] should be elected through provincial legislative councils," Aburizal tweeted. "The recommendation came from all 547 voting participants [of the convention] and 1,300 observers."

The position of party delegates in Bali is clearly at odds, then, with that of Golkar's leadership, which committed in October to a signed agreement with the opposition Red-White Coalition's (KMP) then-five other constituent parties to support regional elections when the perppu comes before House legislators for a vote.

That agreement came to light last week when Yudhoyono, who chairs the Democratic Party, called out Aburizal in a tweet last Thursday for "retreating" on his committment. Yudhoyono added that Golkar's betrayal of the agreement abrogated the basis of the Democratic Party's "understanding" with the Red-White Coalition.

Among the factors Aburizal cited in his decision to assume a public stance diametrically opposed to that voted upon at Golkar's convention were: "a. people's wishes to keep direct regional election b. the agreement in October between 6 parties [of the KMP] c. talks among parties in the KMP."

Many of Golkar's party faithful met Aburizal's tweets with disbelief. Golkar central leadership board executive Tantowi Yahya attempted to play down his chairman's tweets.

"What [Aburizal] meant is that Golkar will respect the agreement by the six parties of the Red-White Coalition," he said. He argued, however, that Golkar would continue to reject the perppu, "because this is the mandate [of the convention]."

Similarly, Golkar House legislator Nurul Arifin pledged that "we will still fight for what the national convention mandated."

However, Golkar politician Lalu Mara Satriawangsa, a close aide to Aburizal, said the conventioneers' vote was not binding.

"The convention is no place to decide to reject or accept the perppu," she said. "The [vote] only serves as a recommendation. Golkar will support the perppu [as agreed]. This has not changed."

Theofransus Litaay of Central Java's Satya Wacana University said Aburizal's stance "undermined the credibility of the national convention in Bali." A party convention, he said, is the highest authority of any party, since its members are also those who decide its chairman.

Theo predicted that Aburizal's decision to defy the convention and support the perppu would erode his support within Golkar's ranks and benefit his rival, Agung Laksono, who has moved for a vote of no confidence and set up his own rival convention and leadership board. If Aburizal hopes that coming out in favor of regional elections – against the wishes of his party members – will earn broader public support, Theo said, the Golkar chair will find himself disappointed.

"[Aburizal] is being pragmatic. His stance does not show that he honestly supports people's constitutional rights [to elect their local leaders]," he said.

Nico Harjanto of political think tank Populi Center agreed: "The change of stance reveals [he] is authoritarian [...] by ignoring the convention's recommendations."

One Golkar member told the Jakarta Globe that Aburizal's shift had prompted some party loyalists to consider joining Agung Laksono's camp. "First we reject direct elections and now we support it? We're a laughing stock," the source said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/aburizal-defies-golkar-tweet-support-elections/

Agung's camp occupies Golkar HQ, sacks Aburizal's men

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Even though his Golkar Party chairmanship was yet to be legalized, Agung Laksono and his men occupied the party's headquarters in a show of force before the camp of Aburizal Bakrie who also claimed himself as the party's legitimate leader.

Golkar national executive office in West Jakarta was heavily guarded by members of the Golkar Party Youth Generation (AMPG) on Tuesday.

Yorrys Raweyai, Golkar deputy chairman in Agung's line up, was AMPG chairman until he was fired by then Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie a few months ago.

Agung and Yorrys, as well as several others with Agung including secretary-general Zainuddin Amali, were seen in the headquarters on Tuesday. None of Aburizal's camp came to the building that day. "We never banned [Aburizal's camp] from coming here. It is they who seem to reluctant to come," Agung told the press at the headquarters.

Several pictures of Aburizal hung in the building's walls were taken down. But some of them were put back by Yorrys a few hours later. "This is to respect Aburizal as former chairman," he said.

In a move to show off his power, Agung also announced that he had reshuffled leaders of Golkar factions at the House of Representatives and People's Consultative Assembly, firing all of the previous leaders known as Aburizal's men.

Agung said he had appointed lawmakers Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and Melchias Markus Mekeng as chairman and secretary of Golkar faction at the House. The two respectively replaced Ade Komarudin and Bambang Soesatyo.

Hardi Susilo, the head of Golkar faction at the assembly, was also replaced by outspoken legislator Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa. "The new faction leaders will be effective soon. We do not recognize the current ones," Agung said.

The former coordinating people's welfare minister added that his camp had also wanted to replace Golkar members serving as House and Assembly speakers. House speaker Setya Novanto and Assembly deputy speaker Mahyuddin are known as part of Aburizal's camp.

"In accordance to House and Assembly's regulations as well as the 2014 Legislative Body Law, we do not have the power to immediately replace them," Agung said.

Agung was named Golkar chairman in a breakaway congress in Jakarta early on Monday. The congress was organized by the party's splinter faction, also led by Agung, which did not recognize the congress held by rival Aburizal in Bali, a week earlier.

Agung won the votes over chairman candidates Agus and Priyo Budi Santoso. Both losing candidates are now serving as Golkar deputy chairmen in Agung's lineup.

Both Agung's and Aburizal's camps have registered the party's new executive board members resulting from each camp's congress with the Law and Human Rights Ministry.

But the government has refused to immediately legalize Agung as Golkar's new chairman despite the latter's pledge to take the party out of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition and jump into the coalition of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly, a politician with Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said he had formed a team to analyze documents submitted by both factions.

If the Agung-led Golkar was legalized, the opposition Red-and-White Coalition would be effectively weakened as Golkar is the second-biggest party in the House of Representatives after the PDI-P.

Agung's camp has also proposed appointing Vice President and former Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla as the chairman of the party's advisory council. But the latter refused the offer citing his commitment not to be actively engaged in political party activities anymore.

Agung was then looking to Golkar's other senior members to serve as the chief advisor, such as Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Siswono Yudho Husodo and Sarwono Kusumaatmadja. "Siswono is the most likely candidate. We just contacted him and he expressed readiness," Agung said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/agung-s-camp-occupies-golkar-hq-sacks-aburizal-s-men.html

More opposition parties support direct elections

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The Red-and-White Coalition (KMP), the opposition caucus in the House of Representatives, is coming together to support direct elections as the Gerindra Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) have expressed a commitment to supporting the mechanism that would allow public election of regional leaders.

Committing to a pact made with the Democratic Party, the political parties have said they would support the confirmation of two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) on regional elections (Pilkada) that would reinstate the mechanism to directly elect regional heads.

While initially announcing a plan to reject the Perppu, Aburizal Bakrie, chairman of the faction of the Golkar Party, the leader of the opposition bloc, said that his group had changed direction to support the Perppu.

"Because of public demand and [a pact with the Democratic Party], Golkar will support the Perppu," said Aburizal through his Twitter account, @Aburizalbakrie.

PAN deputy secretary-general Teguh Juwarno confirmed that the move to support the Perppu has raised dissenting opinions within the party, as well as in the Red-and-White Coalition, but he expressed confidence that PAN would eventually secure full backing.

"We are optimistic that we can settle [the differences]. Even the KIH [the pro government's Great Indonesia Coalition] and the KMP could be united," Teguh told the press on the sidelines of a discussion in the House on Tuesday.

The Perppu, which was proposed by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party near the end of his term in October, is aimed at annulling the endorsement of a 2014 law that returned the election of regional leaders to the indirect mechanism of the Regional Legislative Council (DPRD).

The Perppu is currently awaiting deliberation by the House before it can become fully effective.

Yudhoyono, who is also the Democratic Party's chairman, met President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday and revealed that his party would support the Perppu in the House. The House's Democratic Party faction instructed its lawmakers to walk out during a plenary meeting to vote on the controversial law in September, which allowed for the passage of the law.

In a move seen as an attempt to save the Democratic Party's sinking image following the lawmakers' manuevers, Yudhoyono issued the Perppu and signed an agreement with the Red-and-White Coalition, which won the majority of House seats, for support in exchange for the former's participation in securing the leadership rosters in the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) as proposed by the KMP.

The Democratic Party's presence in the KMP's House and MPR leadership scheme has allowed the opposition coalition to maintain full control over the legislature.

Yudhoyono's party, however, steadfastly declined to be included as a member of the KMP, claiming a role as the "balancing power" between the two rival coalitions.

On Tuesday, Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon reiterated the Red-and-White Coalition's commitment to Yudhoyono. "So far, all of us [in the Red-and- White Coalition] are still committed to the agreement. We have not even voted. So, no one is betraying anything here," Fadli said.

Fadli went on to say that Gerindra's chief patron, Prabowo Subianto, has been in constant discussions with leaders of other political parties within the Red-and-White Coalition, including Golkar's Aburizal, to make sure the coalition was united to support the Perppu.

The contradictory stances toward the Perppu were not the first rift that occurred in the Red-and-White Coalition.

Earlier, the coalition saw one member, the United Development Party (PPP), split into two factions, with one half, led by Muhammad Romahurmuziy, pledging commitment to the government.

The commitment was strengthened when PPP member Lukman Hakim Saiffuddin was appointed to be religious affairs minister in Jokowi's Cabinet.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/more-opposition-parties-support-direct-elections.html

SBY, Jokowi court political coalition

Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Efforts to reinstate the direct elections of regional heads received a lift Monday when former president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono vowed to support deliberation of two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) on regional elections (Pilkada) at the House of Representatives.

Yudhoyono announced the party's commitment on Monday after a closed-door meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Presidential Palace.

The current chairman of green energy campaigner Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) said that his party would support the Perppu, which he himself issued in October, to annul the controversial Pilkada Law that revoked direct elections for regional heads.

"We share a similar position [on the Perppu]. [We] will jointly defend the Perppu so that it can be approved by the House," Yudhoyono told reporters after the 30-minute meeting. "For me and Pak Jokowi, this is in line with public expectations and it is good for the sustainability of our democracy."

Heightened tensions following the July presidential election united the political parties that had supported former presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto to back the Pilkada bill, which was opposed by Jokowi's coalition of political parties.

Lawmakers from Yudhoyono's Democratic Party opted to abstain from voting, staging a walkout that allowed the bill to pass and vesting Regional Legislative Councils (DPRDs) with the power to elect regional heads.

Democratic Party lawmakers argued that their proposals in the bill were not accommodated. Bowing to public pressure following his party's walkout, Yudhoyono issued the Perppu.

Leaders of the political parties in the opposition Red-and-White Coalition signed a pact to back the Democratic Party's proposal to support the Perppu in exchange for the latter's support in the opposition coalition at the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The Democratic Party, declaring itself an independent caucus at the House, is considering ending its alliance with the coalition after Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie pledged during his party's recent national congress to reject the Perppu.

Jokowi has opened the possibility for the Democratic Party to join the ruling coalition Yudhoyono announces his commitment to the Perppu

As the second-largest political party at the House and the leader of the Red-and-White Coalition, Golkar's move could jeopardize the survival of the Perppu.

Jokowi, backed by the Great Indonesia Coalition of political parties, has opened the possibility for the Democratic Party, the country's fourth- largest political party, to join the ruling coalition.

"In the meantime, [we will deal with] the Perppu. It is possible to continue [the cooperation] later. Why not? At least [this] can be an entrance [for forming an alliance]," he said.

Both leaders, however, remained tight-lipped when asked about details of their meeting. "Only me and Pak SBY know [each other's] commitment," Jokowi said, laughing.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the country's largest political party and the leader of Jokowi's ruling coalition, has lost several pivotal battles at the House to the Red-and-White Coalition, which is in the majority. The Pilkada Law was one of those battles.

Support from the Democratic Party for the Perppu would provide more votes to endorse the Perppu should political factions at the House bring deliberations to a vote.

With the recent addition of the United Development Party (PPP), the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition has secured a total of 246 House seats in support of the Perppu. With the addition of 61 Democratic Party votes, the number would become 307, more than half of the 560 House seats.

"We highly appreciate and welcome our colleagues from the Democratic Party faction to join supporting it [the Perppu]. We do hope that this will mark the beginning of a partnership at the House," secretary of the PDI-P faction, Arif Wibowo, said.

The House, which is currently on one-month recess, will hold a plenary meeting to discuss the matter when it reconvenes on January 12th next year. The plenary is expected to conduct a voting session if the 10 factions fail to reach a decision based on musyawarah mufakat [deliberations for consensus].

"We hope that the Democratic Party, which has publicly announced its support for the Perppu, will actually back us with the votes of its lawmakers during the plenary that is slated to take place in the next House session. Time will tell," Arief said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/sby-jokowi-court-political-coalition.html

Jokowi said to channel Suharto in party wars

Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014

Jakarta – When the late dictator Suharto wanted to undermine the political opposition to his iron-fisted rule, he did it from the inside, sowing seeds of discontent that fractured any semblance of organized dissent.

Today, Indonesia's first ever president elected to office without any ties to Suharto's New Order regime is doing the same, critics contend.

For Dradjad H. Wibowo, a veteran politician from the opposition National Mandate Party, or PAN, the Suharto-era tactics are evident in the squabbling that has riven both the Golkar Party, the strongman's former political vehicle, and the United Development Party, or PPP, Indonesia's oldest Islamic party.

"There has been a ploy to divide them," Dradjad says. "These two old parties, Golkar and the PPP, are being divided."

He stops short of apportioning blame for the internal schisms, but insinuates that just as in the New Order era, the government of President Joko Widodo has a hand in the current upheaval.

Underhanded tactics

A turning point in Suharto's 32-year rule was his appointment in 1996 of Soerjadi as chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party, or PDI, spurred by concern about the growing popularity of Megawati Soekarnoputri, who three years earlier had been elected by the party as its leader.

The move caused a rift in the PDI, and on July 27, 1996, the Soerjadi-led faction, backed by the military and the police, stormed Megawati's supporters at the PDI office in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Five people were killed, but Megawati's camp managed to retain control of the headquarters.

Eighteen years later, it seems, Megawati's party, now called the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, is engaging in the same underhanded tactics against the opposition Red-White coalition, or KMP, says Cecep Hidayat, a political analyst at the University of Indonesia.

"I've seen it all; the rifts afflicting some of the parties in the KMP are no coincidence. There's outside interference," Cecep says. Unlike Dradjad, whose party is also part of the KMP, Cecep is unequivocal about who is to blame: the PDI-P-led government.

He cites the case of the PPP, which was part of the KMP until its chairman, Suryadharma Ali, was ousted earlier this year following his naming as a suspect in a corruption case.

His rivals in the party went on to elect the secretary general, M. Romahurmuziy, as the new chairman, but elements loyal to Suryadharma staged their own congress at which they named Djan Faridz the PPP chief.

The government, through Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly, has endorsed Romahurmuziy's appointment and refused to recognize the faction led by Djan – a move that Cecep says reeks of political bias.

"The justice minister, himself a politician, has [helped] Romi's camp win," he says, referring to Romahurmuziy by his nickname. "When the decision is made by a person with a political affiliation, surely it's affected by political tendencies."

Golkar discontent

The Golkar case is similar. For several months now there have been rumblings of discontent over the direction that chairman Aburizal Bakrie has taken the country's oldest party.

A poor showing in the legislative election and Aburizal's decision to endorse Prabowo Subianto over Joko in the presidential race means that for the first time in its 50-year history, Golkar is not part of the ruling government, and has lost seats at the House of Representatives for a third consecutive election cycle.

Critics including deputy chairman Agung Laksono blame Aburizal for the poor decisions leading to the unprecedented state in which Golkar finds itself, and denounced his bid for a second term as chairman at a national congress earlier this month in Bali.

But with his challengers refusing to accept the legitimacy of the congress, Aburizal went on to win (by 100 percent of votes) and subsequently purged 17 party stalwarts who had criticized him, including Agung and Priyo Budi Santoso, a former House deputy speaker.

Unfazed, these Golkar members staged their own congress in Jakarta over the weekend at which Agung was named the party chairman.

The government, as in the PPP case, is giving every impression that it will take sides against Aburizal, who has reaffirmed his commitment to the KMP.

A day before the Bali congress, Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Joko's chief security minister, called on the local police to deny organizers a permit to hold the congress there.

Tedjo is a politician with the National Democrat Party, or NasDem, which along with the PDI-P, is a member of Joko's Awesome Indonesia coalition, or KIH.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a former Golkar chairman, has also hinted his preference for the Jakarta congress that saw Agung elected chairman

"It's not my place to choose. But I will respect the result of the more democratic [congress]," Kalla told reporters in Jakarta on Monday. "Surely you know [which one I mean]."

Aburizal's opponents in Golkar have accused him of using "undemocratic" and "dishonest" means to win re-election, including by dismissing party members opposed to him.

Meanwhile, Agung's camp declared on Monday that it had fired Aburizal and Golkar secretary general Idrus Marham from the party.

Weakening the opposition

Observers say the government has every reason to want to undermine Golkar and PPP because it will weaken the KMP, which controls a majority of the House.

"After the two congresses, Golkar will no longer remain solid, and that includes in terms of its commitment to the KMP and its place in the House," says Siti Zuhro, a political analyst with the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, or LIPI.

She adds that any endorsement of either camp by the justice minister will carry little weight, making it more than likely that Golkar will take the route that the Djan-led PPP faction has done and go to court to challenge the legitimacy of the rival camp.

"That means Golkar will suffer from uncertainties until the State Administrative Court decides who wins" the dispute, and thus Golkar's leadership, Siti says.

Padjadjaran University political lecturer Deddy Mulyana agrees that the government most probably meddled in the internal affairs of Golkar and the PPP, but blames the extent of the rifts on the rival interests and power grabs among the parties' own members.

"Seeking power is among the most basic characteristics of a political party. That's why we've often heard the saying that there are no eternal friends or eternal foes in politics, only eternal interests," Deddy says. "When they're involved in arguments, it all leads to a [fight for] power."

Justice Minister Yasonna, meanwhile, whose office on Monday registered bids for official recognition from both Golkar camps, has promised to set up a team to examine the issue.

President Joko has not commented on the rifts in either Golkar or the PPP. On Monday, though, he hosted his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at the State Palace in a meeting widely seen as cementing a break by Yudhoyono's Democratic Party from the KMP.

Joko said the Democrats might join his KIH next month, while Yudhoyono expressed his dissatisfaction with the KMP.

He said the Democrats could "no longer cooperate" with "inconsistent parties that betray deals and abandon commitments," although he did not elaborate as to what this would mean in terms of the Democrats' long-term stance.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jokowi-said-to-channel-suharto-in-party-wars/

Golkar rift widens, legal challenge planned

Jakarta Globe - December 8, 2014

Erwin Cristianson, Jakarta – The Golkar Party's leadership rift took a new turn late on Monday after disputed chairman Agung Laksono said his camp planned to file a lawsuit against a rival faction led by tycoon Aburizal Bakrie.

Agung, who was appointed as party chairman in Jakarta on Sunday, said his camp would file a lawsuit challenging the result of a Bali congress, which declared Bakrie leader.

The lawsuit was announced on Monday afternoon at the same time as Agung's camp submitted the results of its Jakarta congress to the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.

"We officially register the result of Golkar's 9th congress, the one held democratically based on the party's constitution," faction member Priyo Budi Santoso said.

Details of the lawsuit were limited, but Agung said his camp had prepared a team of "100 lawyers" to argue the case, as well handle its negotiations with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry.

The ministry announced a special task force would be formed to examine which faction of the Golkar Party would be officially recognized in the House of Representatives (DPR).

"We have already gathered a legal team with 100 lawyers including Todung Mulya Lubis and Adnan Buyung Nasution," Agung said on Monday, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara. "We have formed a legal team of Golkar members to fulfill the procedure."

Bakrie, who was declared to have obtained 100 percent of votes after all his challengers dropped out of the running the Bali on Dec. 3, had already registered his new party lineup with the ministry by 8 a.m. on Monday. He said he was "optimistic" his faction would be declared legitimate because it was based on "congress procedure."

Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said he would consider both reports fairly and noted Agung's legal challenge was valid. But a ministry official later declared the documents submitted by Agung's camp were incomplete.

"They haven't given the official note signed by a notary and there are still many things missing," said Harkristuti, the ministry's director general of general law administration. "The one we received this morning [from Bakrie's faction] was complete, but this one is still incomplete."

Agung's camp will file the lawsuit to Central Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN)

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/golkar-rift-widens-legal-challenge-planned/

Surveys & opinion polls

Indonesia marks new high in democracy: Survey

Jakarta Post - December 13, 2014

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The country's Democracy Index (DI) increased this year due to a boost in public political participation as well as the peaceful ending to the political battle of the 2014 general elections, according to research from the University of Indonesia's Center for Political Studies (Puskapol UI).

The study, which was conducted through surveys of experts in politics, economics and civil society groups, showed that the 2014 Indonesian Democracy Index (IDI) was 5.42 on a 0-10 scale, a 0.45 point improvement from 4.97.

"The Indonesian Democracy Index has been stagnant since 2011 and hovering around a score of five," UI political lecturer Panji Anugrah said during the launch of the research in Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Friday.

The interviews were conducted using questionnaires with semi-closed questions, in which respondents gave scores on a scale of 0-10. The 27 respondents surveyed were selected based on their expertise, ideology and roles in society.

This year's result for the index, which is in its fourth year, was based on two aspects: liberalization and equalization.

The liberalization score was measured on how much different sectors in the country could obtain independence and autonomy from the old political regime and could pursue their own interests, while the equalization aspect showed how far minorities could substantially access resources in various sectors and have the same opportunities in accessing the resources.

While Panji said there was still a lot of room for improvement, he admitted that the political situation in 2014 helped to push up the score from the previous year.

The Indonesian Political Index scored 6.72 in 2014, which was the highest among the three sectors. The score was also higher than the previous three years of 5.50 in 2011, 6.16 in 2012 and 5.48 in 2013.

"The positive trend in the Indonesian Political Index is pushed by public participation, civil society participation and media participation. For example, The Jakarta Post could throw its support behind a presidential candidate in 2014. It shows how media is more and more active in politics," said Panji.

The presidential election battle also polarized the country into two political blocks, resulting in an increase in the intensity of political discussion in the public sphere, according to Panji.

Moreover, the power shift in the political sphere, from the dominance of the Democratic Party in the 2009 election, to the more balanced result in the 2014 election, also resulted in the increase in the Indonesian Political Index, Panji added.

"There is no major power in the legislature. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's [PDI-P] vote as the winner [of the 2014 legislative election] is the lowest since the reformation era," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/13/ri-marks-new-high-democracy-survey.html

Environment & natural disasters

Banjarnegara landslide death toll rises as more than 100 missing

Jakarta Globe - December 13, 2014

Jakarta – Indonesia's disaster-management agency said on Saturday at least 11 people were confirmed dead with more than 100 still missing following a landslide in Banjarnegara, Central Java.

The landslide happened in Sampang village, Karangkobar sub-district of Banjarnegara on Friday afternoon at around 6 p.m. following heavy rain.

Some 105 houses were buried when the hillside was dislodged. A search and rescue operation was being conducted by a team led by the disaster- management agency, known as the BNPB, the provincial mitigation agency (BPBD), officers from the National Police, local search and rescue agency volunteers and the Indonesian Red Cross Society.

Several hundred people from the surrounding area have been evacuated to temporary shleters.

"We're still looking for 100 missing residents," BNPB spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Saturday.

President Joko Widodo has appointed the Banjarnegara district chief as the official in charge of the operation. "We will keep on updating you with the latest data," Sutopo said.

Landslides are common during the rainy season in Indonesia. A landslide in Sijeruk in 2006 claimed more than 100 lives.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/banjarnegara-landslide-death-toll-rises-100-missing/

Lapindo must pay losses of victims: VP

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla affirmed on Wednesday that although the government planned to buy the assets of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, the company should still pay compensation to the victims of the mudflow.

"The government will buy the assets, not pay the compensation. It [the compensation] is still the responsibility of Lapindo because it is a civil case," Kalla said on the sidelines of a ceremony to commemorate International Human Rights Day.

Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling ordering the government to force Lapindo to complete the payment of compensation to the victims of the disaster.

The company recently claimed that it still needed to pay around Rp 781 billion (US$63.26 million) of a required Rp 3.8 trillion in compensation to more than 4,000 victims who lived in the affected area.

Earlier this week, Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono revealed the government's plan to buy the assets of the company worth Rp 781 billion so that it could pay the long overdue compensation.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/lapindo-must-pay-losses-victims-vp.html

Government to take over Lapindo's liabilities

Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – After spending more than Rp 6 trillion (US$48.7 million) of taxpayers' money to help the Bakrie family resolve the Lapindo mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java, the government is mulling easing the family's burden further.

Public Works Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said on Monday that the government would plan to buy the assets of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, worth Rp 781 billion, so that the company could pay compensation that has already been delayed to thousands of victims of the mudflow.

"I've talked to Coordinating Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil and Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto. Our plan is to take over the company's assets," said Basuki at the Presidential Palace.

"We will buy the assets and the company's proceeds from the purchase will be used to compensate the victims." He said the funds for the asset purchase would be taken from next year's state budget.

Minarak recently claimed it still needed to pay another Rp 781 billion of a required Rp 3.8 trillion in compensation to more than 4,000 victims who used to live within the affected area.

A Constitutional Court ruling issued earlier this year ordered the government to force Lapindo to complete payment of compensation to victims of the disaster.

The family's scion, Aburizal Bakrie, who is also Golkar Party chairman, has enjoyed the government's assistance between 2007 and 2014 in relation to the Lapindo disaster, which many believe was caused by drilling conducted by Lapindo, the family's firm, in 2006.

Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration allocated more than Rp 6 trillion to compensate villagers living in the vicinity of the so-called "affected area map", which was legalized via a presidential decree in 2007.

Such generous financial protection for the Bakrie Group was among the reasons that Golkar helped the Yudhoyono government remain stable in the face of nationwide protests at the president's generosity toward the conglomerate.

In 2007, the government also established the Sidoarjo Mudflow Mitigation Agency (BPLS) to handle and control the mud eruption, relocate people, recover infrastructure and supervise Lapindo in handling compensation for villagers in the affected area.

However, the 2015 state budget, which was passed during a House of Representatives plenary meeting in September, no longer mentions spending for the Lapindo mudflow.

Instead, the budget only stipulates that "the [central] government can give a grant to local governments for post-disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction".

Andi called last week on Minarak to immediately pay the Rp 781 billion compensation arrears to the Sidoarjo mudflow victims. Lapindo was given next year as a deadline.

Andi acknowledged that the government also had an obligation to pay the mudflow victims Rp 300 billion. However, he added, the payment would be made possible once Lapindo had settled its payment.

The government had committed to give compensation to residents who lived outside the mudflow-affected area, while victims who lived within the affected area were Lapindo's responsibility.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/govt-take-over-lapindo-s-liabilities.html

Health & education

Indonesia's curriculum needs further study: Experts

Jakarta Globe - December 12, 2014

Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – New government policy, which overhauls the controversial 2013 school curriculum, has drawn criticism from education stakeholders, claiming Indonesia's education ministry has rushed the decision.

Bengkulu Governor Junaidi Hamsyah said the suspended curriculum, also known as K-13, as well as the revival of the old 2006 curriculum, has resulted in confusion, especially among teachers in the regions.

"We demand an explanation from the minister about the re-implementation of the 2006 curriculum that so teachers in the regions won't get confused in performing their duties," Junaidi said on Tuesday.

"This happened because the ministry called off the curriculum suddenly, but without any clear solution. I hope the minister will settle this matter in the near future," he added.

But schools in Semarang, Central Java, said they would continue with the 2013 curriculum.

"So far, we're still using [the 2013 curriculum]. We're still waiting for written instruction from the education ministry," the head of Semarang's education agency, Bunyamin told Indonesian news portal Liputan6.com on Wednesday.

"Besides, we're also in the middle of school exams, so we won't change anything yet." He added that 45 public and private schools in the Central Java capital were implementing the curriculum.

Education Minister Anies Baswedan last week instructed the suspension of the 2013 curriculum, pending an overhaul of the content. The curriculum has drawn much criticism as it eliminates sciences, English and social studies for elementary schools, replacing them with additional hours for Indonesian language, national ideology and Islamic studies.

Education academics and experts have argued that this would be detrimental to Indonesian students, making them less competitive on an international level. Anies said 6,326 schools across the country have adopted the curriculum since 2013, while others have only been following it for one semester.

Schools that have already implemented the controversial system are encouraged to continue the program, while those who are still new to it are allowed to revert back to their previous methodology.

According to Anies, to abruptly change the routine of the 6,326 schools that have followed the 2013 curriculum since its inception would only be disruptive to their students' studies. As many as 20,779 schools, meanwhile, have yet to adopt the latest curriculum, and they have been told to stick with the old curriculum.

"The bottom line is that we still want to develop the curriculum, but we do not want to include all schools in Indonesia in the pilot project," Anies said last Friday. "We'll fix the curriculum and then implement it, not the other way around."

Former education minister Mohammad Nuh defended his legacy, slamming Anies's decision and calling it a setback for Indonesia's education sector.

"If technical issues are found [with the 2013 curriculum], the first thing to do is to find a solution to fix the problems," Nuh told state-run Antara on Sunday. "There are substantial flaws with the [old curriculum], and more technical preparations are needed to re-implement it."

The technical issues, Nuh added, include re-training teachers to teach the old curriculum, when they have been mostly trained to teach the 2013 one. He also claimed, citing evaluation figures, that average teachers' comprehension of the 2013 curriculum was much better than of the 2006 one.

Anies countered by saying, "there has never been an explanation as to why the 2006 curriculum must be terminated. Where are the documents [to prove that]?"

Education experts back Anies's decision, saying it is necessary to evaluate and revise the 2013 curriculum, given the high public resistance against it, before the government can find the best formula.

Totok Amin Soegijanto, deputy president of Paramadina University, where Anies was the president before taking over the ministerial job, pointed out that the 2013 curriculum had never undergone a public trial.

"One of the best things to assess whether a policy is appropriate or not is to firstly launch it through a public trial. But this has never been done with the curriculum," Totok said.

Continued implementation of the curriculum in the aforementioned more than 6,000 schools is a "necessary experiment," part of the process to introduce the content gradually to schools, in order to prevent negative impacts on learning process in schools, he added.

"There is possible room for errors with the suspension. But with the experiment, the government will be able to see which part [of the curriculum] is better and which parts must be eliminated," Totok said. "This is the way it should be."

Mohammad Abduhzen of the Institute for Education Reform echoed Totok's sentiment, saying that full implementations of the curriculum must be postponed, pending a thorough revision.

"The revision should not only concern books or how to improve teaching quality. There must be also be improvements in its substance, operations and implementation," Abduhzen said. "Additionally, our education system must be free from any political interest and corrupt practices.

"The school curriculum must be well-prepared, through well-established process and public trial," he added.

The public has lamented Indonesia's education system, in which school curricula and other central education policies continue to change along with changes in the administration. The changes often have little to do with quality improvements.

Totok said a national blueprint was needed to ensure a more fixed education system, with guaranteed quality. He suggested that national education think tanks gather and conduct in-depth research together in order to create this blueprint.

"To create a blueprint, in-depth and massive research is required. An education system that was not born from good research will only lead us to continued uncertainties," Totok said.

"Good research is a must to create methodologies that will be applied in every school in a country. "A good education policy cannot be made without good research."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesias-curriculum-needs-study-experts/

Elementary schools falling below standards

Jakarta Post - December 12, 2014

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – A recent survey conducted by the European Union (EU) and the Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry has revealed that Indonesia's elementary education system is still failing to meet the minimum service standards set by ministerial decree.

The survey, titled the "2014 Status Quo Assessment", found that only 26 percent of elementary schools and madrasah ibtidaiyah (Islamic elementary schools) in the country were equipped with sufficient classrooms, desks, chairs, teachers or whiteboards.

The survey also recommended that 27 percent of junior high schools and madrasah tsanawiyah (Islamic junior high schools) have at least one teacher for each subject they teach in school, while the rest of the schools could have each of their teachers teach two or more subjects.

"The survey will be a guide for our ministry, the Religious Affairs Ministry and regional administrations to improve and provide the best educational service," Hamid Muhammad, the Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry's director general for basic education, told a press conference at the ministry on Thursday.

The survey was conducted between April and May 2014 at 12,980 schools in 110 regencies and municipalities in 16 provinces.

The survey looked into 27 indicators of elementary school minimum-service standards as stipulated in the education ministerial regulation No. 23/2013. For example, the ministerial regulation stipulates the provision of books, science labs and suitably qualified teachers for all students.

It also reveals that Java Island has the best elementary school infrastructure with 34 percent of its elementary schools having well- equipped classrooms, while Nusa Tenggara comes in at bottom place with only 10 percent of schools having well-equipped classrooms.

Hamid added that for school rehabilitation and infrastructure improvements, the ministry had allocated Rp 10 trillion (US$801 million), 60 percent of which would be ear-marked for elementary schools and 40 percent for secondary and vocational schools, from next year's state budget.

"In addition the government and European Union have agreed to cooperate in order to meet the elementary-education minimum standards," he said.

The ministry and EU have cooperated on a program to improve minimum service standards with the institution providing funds totaling Rp 600 billion that will be distributed to schools that are regarded as lagging behind in terms of service standards in 110 regencies and municipalities in 2015 and 2016.

The fund-distribution program is expected to be completed by February 2017. "For the time being we will distribute Rp 2.5 billion for each regency and municipality. After that it can be adapted if we think it is necessary," Franck Viault, minister counselor of the EU, said during the conference.

Viault said there was a significant disparity in Indonesian education- system statistics, with the eastern regions of the country being left behind other areas and the EU would help the government to close the gap.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/elementary-schools-falling-below-standards.html

Government officially puts an end to controversial curriculum

Jakarta Post - December 9, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – The government officially suspended the implementation of the much-criticized 2013 national curriculum, ordering schools in the country to return to the 2006 curriculum starting early next year.

Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace on Monday, Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan confirmed that he had prepared a ministerial decree stipulating the change of curriculum.

"[We] already have the ministerial decree. Insya Allah [God willing], it will be enacted today," he said. "We will start re-implementing the 2006 curriculum in the second semester."

The academic year in Indonesia is divided into two semesters, with the first semester starting in July and the second in January.

The 2013 curriculum – first implemented by Anies' predecessor, Mohammad Nuh – has drawn harsh criticism for creating confusion among students, parents and teachers, who have complained about the extra work it demanded.

Although it imposed many changes in the learning process from the 2006 curriculum, the previous government implemented it after only a one-year trial.

A recent government-sanctioned review of the 2013 curriculum recommended that the ministry scrap the new curriculum and order schools in the country to return to the old one.

The ministry also suggested that the 2013 curriculum needed a tremendous amount of improvement, especially concerning the compatibility of the curriculum's objectives with school textbooks.

Although he admitted that the curriculum overhaul would potentially create chaos in the education system, Anies said that such a move was needed to help parents and students avoid the long-term impacts of educational mismanagement.

"[The curriculum] will continue to be a problem if we do nothing about it," he said. "There will also be more problems if we scrap it, but at least we can cut [the educational] costs since our students will need to pay even higher costs if we stick with this curriculum."

Many experts and educators have said that problems related to the 2013 curriculum were rooted in the absence of a thorough review of its feasibility prior to implementation.

Last week Anies said that starting next semester, 6,221 of the country's 208,000 schools would be part of a pilot project to test an improved version of the curriculum and they should get ready for intensive guidance from the ministry.

Teachers at the 6,221 schools, he added, would also receive intensive training since they would be the backbone of the curriculum's implementation. "However, if some of the schools aren't ready yet, we will be lenient and they can stick to the 2006 curriculum," Anies said.

Nuh, however, said he was not happy with Anies' move to scrap the curriculum, saying he made the decision "too soon". "It is like a person who wants to perform amputation surgery but does not have enough knowledge of physiology," he argued.

Former teacher and education expert, Darmaningtyas, supported the government decision to reinstate the 2006 curriculum, saying that although the 2013 curriculum had the noble goal of imparting real-life knowledge to students, it was a total failure in its implementation.

"It just needed more time to do it, while schools only have a limited amount of resources. Also, the student-assessment system that forced teachers to constantly supervise all their students [was a problem]," he told The Jakarta Post recently.

The Jakarta Education Agency threw its weight behind the decision, announcing that most schools in Jakarta were not ready to implement the 2013 curriculum.

Education Agency head Lasro Marbun said on Monday that the 2013 curriculum needed evaluation as the decision to implement it had been made hastily. He also said that the infrastructure and resources required for the optimal implementation of the curriculum were not available.

"Teachers, for example, are still confused about how to implement it as only 15 percent of the 26,000 teachers in Jakarta had received training," he said, adding that the distribution of textbooks was also late and insufficient.

[Corry Elyda contributed to this story.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/09/government-officially-puts-end-controversial-curriculum.html

Anies vows to boost teacher training following curriculum's axing

Jakarta Post - December 8, 2014

Jakarta – Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan has vowed to increase the training of teachers following his decision to scrap the 2013 national curriculum.

The minister said that the training and development of teachers was the most crucial aspect of implementing a new curriculum or establishing a modified one.

He explained that training and development programs for teachers had been going well but that the effort to develop teachers had yet to reach its maximum potential.

"Teacher development is the key factor as it is the teachers who are responsible for spreading education. Books that have been already published will be placed in schools and if the development programs go well, Insyallah [God willing], they can finally be used," Anies said on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Anies had decided to scrap the unpopular 2013 curriculum and instructed schools that have not implemented it for three semesters to return to the 2006 curriculum until further notice.

Former Culture and Education Minister Muhammad Nuh had reportedly voiced his disappointment with Anies' decision as he felt that his move was a step back for Indonesian education. (dyl/nfo)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/anies-vows-boost-teacher-training-following-curriculums-axing.html

Curriculum overhaul saves educational costs: Minister

Jakarta Post - December 8, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Despite potential chaos in the education system following his recent decision to drop the much-criticized 2013 national curriculum, Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan said that such a move was needed to help parents and students avoid the long-term impact of education mismanagement.

Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace, Anies said many problems related to the 2013 curriculum were rooted in the absence of a thorough review of its feasibility prior to implementation.

"[The curriculum] will continue to be a problem if we do nothing about it," he said. "There will also be more problems if we scrap it, but at least, we can cut [the educational costs] since our students will need to pay even higher costs if we stick with this curriculum."

The 2013 curriculum, first implemented by Anies' predecessor, Mohammad Nuh, has drawn harsh criticism for creating confusion among students, parents and teachers, who have complained about the extra work it demanded.

While imposing many changes in the learning process from the previous curriculum, the government implemented it after only a one-year trial.

A recent government-sanctioned review of the 2013 curriculum recommended that the ministry scrap the curriculum and order schools in the country to revert to the 2006 curriculum.

The ministry also suggested that the 2013 curriculum needed a tremendous amount of improvement, especially concerning the compatibility of the curriculum's objectives with school textbooks.

Last week, Anies said that, starting next semester, 6,221 out of the country's 208,000 schools would be pilot schools for the improved version of the curriculum and they should get ready for intensive guidance from the ministry.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/curriculum-overhaul-saves-educational-costs-minister.html

Freedom of religion & worship

No room at the inn, mayor tells locked-out Christians

Jakarta Globe - December 13, 2014

Jakarta – The congregation of an illegally sealed-off church in Bogor have called on President Joko Widodo and the city's mayor, Bima Arya Sugiarto, to keep their campaign promises to reopen the church, as they prepare to celebrate another Christmas on the sidewalk.

Bona Sigalingging, a spokesman for the GKI Yasmin church in Taman Yasmin, Bogor, lamented Bima's refusal to reopen the church, which his predecessor sealed in 2010 amid pressure from hard-line Muslim groups, despite two rulings from the Supreme Court ordering the city to let the congregation back in.

"We really want to meet [the mayor] before Christmas because we want to celebrate our Christmas at our church," Bona said. "As time passes, that promise has not been realized."

Bona said the congregation would stage a Christmas celebration on the sidewalk in front of their church as a sign of protest, as they had been doing every year since the building was sealed off in 2010, often with the threat of violence from hard-line Muslims, who have jeered and shout insults during previous services.

According to Bona, representatives from several interfaith communities and religious freedom advocacy groups will attend the church's Christmas celebration including from the Wahid Institute, the Jakarta's Legal Aid Foundation and the Setara Institute.

The congregation obtained a permit in 2006 to build its church, but this was revoked in 2010 by then-mayor Diani Budiarto.

Bima said on Thursday he would not carry out the Supreme Court order to reopen the church, citing unspecified "strong reasons" for flouting the verdict from the highest court in the land. He said he had asked for the Home Affairs Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry to weigh in on the issue.

"But so far we have not received any [feedback]," he said. "What is clear is that [the congregation] should not [stage a Christmas celebration] on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are not a place for praying. We have provided [alternative venues] like Harmoni or other places," he said, referring to a local public hall.

Bona said the congregation would not back down from its plan. "Why does the government have to propose such alternatives? What's wrong with our church? Why can't we just take our church back?" Bona said. "If Bima wants to be different from the previous mayor, he should reopen the church, rather than give alternatives – which we have always rejected."

Bona said he expected the president to help in ending the dispute. "We are asking the president to fulfill his promise that the country will not bend down to intolerant groups," Bona said. Separately, Bogor Police are preparing a joint force to secure 59 churches throughout the city as Christmas inches closer, an official said.

Police said they were coordinating with the military, the public order agency, the fire department and community groups and organizations.

The joint task force will unite in an annual operation called "Operasi Lilin," for which 890 security officials will be deployed through six Bogor's subdistricts, running from Dec. 24 through Jan. 2.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/room-inn-mayor-tells-locked-christians/

Sex & pornography

Minister Rudiantara vows more censorship to combat online porn

Jakarta Globe - December 14, 2014

Jakarta – Indonesia's new communications minister has taken on the mantle of his conservative predecessor by vowing to block access to all pornographic content on the Internet, based on the tenuous notion that viewing porn encourages the sexual abuse of minors.

"If there is any keyword with any porn in it the search engine will automatically shut it down," Rudiantara, the minister, said as quoted by Tempo.co in Jakarta on Sunday at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. He did not say how his ministry would compel search engines like Google to "shut down" the websites in question.

Rudiantara, who was appointed minister in late October, claimed that the ministry had blocked access to more than 20,000 websites with pornographic content so far this year. The previous minister, Tifatul Sembiring, claimed to have blocked more than a million websites during his five years in the post.

Rudiantara said the campaign to block such websites was part of the effort to prevent sexual abuse of children, claiming that the perpetrators in more than half of cases of child sex abuse admitted to watching online porn. The Jakarta Globe was unable to verify the figures. Studies the world over have established no definite causal link between the viewing of pornography and the perpetration of sex abuse of minors.

The Indonesian minister, though, is backed by the National Commission for Child Protection, or Komnas PA, whose chairman, Arist Merdeka Sirait, claimed that "porn sites provide an opportunity for unwanted [behavior]." "We stand firm in the fight against porn sites and sexual abuse of children," he added as quoted by Tempo.co.

Komnas PA said it had received reports of 1,689 cases of alleged child abuse in the first six months of this year, involving 1,879 children. Forty-eight percent of those cases involved sexual abuse, and 16 percent of the alleged abuses were said to be perpetrated by minors.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/minister-rudiantara-vows-censorship-combat-online-porn/

Parliament & legislation

Opposition lends half-hearted support to direct elections

Jakarta Post - December 14, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Despite its pledge to support the government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on direct regional elections, the opposition Red-and-White Coalition has indicated that it will not give the ruling coalition an easy ride during the deliberation of the Perppu at the House of Representatives next year.

Gerindra Party executive Ahmad Riza Patria told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that instead of fully accepting the Perppu, the Red-and-White Coalition would push the House to choose one of two alternative options: rejecting the Perppu and immediately working with the government to establish a revised law on direct elections or accepting it with a commitment to swiftly draft a similar law.

"Our point is that the Perppu still lacks many necessary details, like possible sanctions for regional leaders and explanations of the e-voting mechanism. So the House and the government must work together to create a comprehensive law that will improve [the quality of] our regional elections," said Riza, who is also deputy chairman of House Commission II overseeing domestic governance and regional autonomy.

Direct elections were reinstated by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono through the Perppu on direct local elections following criticism of his inaction that allowed a law to pass in the House in October that returned the power to elect regional leaders to regional legislative councils (DPRDs).

Party leaders within the Red-and-White Coalition had signed a pact to support the proposal of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party to support the Perppu in exchange for the latter's support for joining their opposition coalition at the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The coalition, however, has been on the verge of breaking apart recently, following a split within the Golkar Party, the current leader of the opposition coalition.

At a recent national congress in Bali, the leader of one faction of Golkar, Aburizal Bakrie, announced a plan to break the deal with Yudhoyono and to reject the Perppu in the House.

His stance was quickly opposed by Yudhoyono, the Democrats' chairman, who directly sealed a new alliance with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's Great Indonesia Coalition to support the Perppu.

On Thursday, the Democrats' acting chairman Syariefuddin Hasan announced that leaders of the political parties in the coalition had finally agreed to support the Perppu after they held a consultation meeting with Yudhoyono at his residence in Cikeas, Bogor.

Earlier this month, President Jokowi prepared anticipatory moves by signing Government Regulation No. 102/2014 – which stipulates that governors, regents and mayors may have up to three deputies – a regulation analysts believe will trigger backroom power-sharing deals among regional leaderships.

Riza, however, refused to comment on the matter, saying it was the President's prerogative to issue necessary regulations to implement the existing Perppu.

Democratic Party executive Didi Irawadi Syamsuddin said: "We have yet to learn about the details of the newly issued [government] regulation."

Next year, Indonesia is scheduled to hold regional elections in eight provinces: North Kalimantan, Jambi, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, West Sumatra, Riau Islands, North Sulawesi and Bengkulu. Elections will also take place in 153 regencies, 26 cities and 17 new regions.

Gadjah Mada University political analyst Purwo Santoso, however, said he believed that it would not be difficult for the ruling coalition to achieve the House's support for the Perppu since Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP), a fellow member in the opposition coalition, were undergoing intensive leadership disputes.

"That is because the coalition was formed based on power-seeking motives, not on ideological grounds," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/14/opposition-lends-half-hearted-support-direct-elections.html

Opposition parties eye independence

Jakarta Post - December 13, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Following internal fissures within member parties of the Red-and-White Coalition and growing support for direct elections, the parties are now eyeing becoming independent forces at the House of Representatives.

Although leaders of political parties in the coalition have claimed that they remain committed to maintaining the opposition alliance, the coalition will potentially break into independent factions, just like the Democratic Party, which has more flexible stances on the government's policies.

National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker and deputy secretary-general Teguh Juwarno said that after coalition members secured leadership positions at the House and the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), members of the Red-and-White Coalition had no other common goal to unite them.

"Since the beginning, this coalition was not built on a solid ideological [platform]. Thus, our cooperation will continuously be tested [during the House's deliberation] of many strategic issues," Teguh told The Jakarta Post on Friday in a phone interview. "Consequently, the political coalitions will definitely be driven by pragmatic [motives]."

The Red-and-White Coalition – which gathered political parties supporting the unsuccessful presidential bid of Gerindra Party chief patron Prabowo Subianto – currently has 291 out of 560 House seats, as opposed to 269 seats controlled by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's Great Indonesia Coalition.

Aside from securing leadership posts in the House and the MPR, the coalition also sponsored the controversial deliberation of the Regional Elections (Pilkada) Law that has repealed direct elections for regional heads.

Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was the country's president at the time, issued two government regulations in lieu of law (Perppu) to bring back the direct-elections mechanism.

He has also made members of the Red-and-White Coalition sign a deal to support the Perppu in return for his party's support for the coalition's leadership in the House and the MPR.

The coalition, however, has been on the verge of breaking apart recently, after a split within the Golkar Party, the current leader of the opposition coalition.

At a recent national meeting in Bali, the leader of one faction of Golkar, Aburizal Bakrie, announced a plan to break away from the deal with Yudhoyono and rejected the Perppu in the House.

His stance was resisted by Yudhoyono who directly sealed a new alliance with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to support the Perppu. Jokowi's coalition, led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has been supporting direct elections.

Another section of Golkar, led by Agung Laksono, has kept its promise to support the Perppu.

A faction of the United Development Party (PPP) led by Djan Faridz confirmed on Friday that the party would now play a "balancing" role, a term repeatedly used by the Dems to describe its political position after the presidential election.

The Dems claims that it is an independent entity outside the Red-and-White Coalition. "Now, we are still with the Red-and-White Coalition. We will be a balancing power. It means that we will support what is good [for the people] and stop what is wrong. We will be criticizing [the government]," he said on the sidelines of the party's national meeting in Jakarta.

The PPP, a supporter of Prabowo during the presidential election, has also split into two factions following a prolonged rift that started during campaigning ahead of the presidential election. Another faction of the PPP, led by Muhammad Romahurmuziy, has joined Jokowi's coalition.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/13/opposition-parties-eye-independence.html

Djan's faction mulls leaving opposition

Jakarta Post - December 12, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih, Margareth S. Aritonang and Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The endurance of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition's solidarity has been put at risk after intensifying rifts with some of its political parties could result in them jumping ship to the government's coalition.

A faction led by Djan Faridz within the United Development Party (PPP), known as a strong supporter of the Red-and-White Coalition, expressed aspirations to leave the opposition during a national caucus held in Jakarta on Thursday.

"The possibility [to join the government coalition] is always wide open. Every party aspires to be close to the government," Djan, a former people's housing minister, said on the sidelines of the caucus.

Likewise, secretary-general Achmad Dimyati Natakusumah expressed disappointment that the Red-and-White Coalition seemed to ignore the PPP on many political occasions in the House of Representatives.

"We were promised strategic positions, but the PPP did not get anything," he said. "So what is the purpose of our presence in the coalition?"

The surprising development within the PPP could be another strong signal that the Red-and-White Coalition, currently controlling 291 out of 560 House seats, is struggling to maintain unity, while President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's camp is looking to garner more support.

A few days earlier, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the chairman of the Democratic Party, which claims to be "neutral", made political gestures that his party was leaning toward Jokowi's Great Indonesia Coalition.

The former president's move was triggered by his aspiration to retain the direct election system for regional heads to counter the Golkar Party's pledge to revert to New Order-style indirect elections.

Yudhoyono said that Golkar, the second biggest legislative seat holder, had unilaterally backpedaled from its previous commitment to endorse the government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on direct regional elections.

Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie has clarified that it was merely "a recommendation" made during the party's national congress in Bali, last month, to reject the Perppu.

Analysts said that the 208-seat Great Indonesia Coalition, led by Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), was set to capitalize on the situation following a series of political "defeats" in the House.

Should the Democratic Party join Jokowi's coalition and the PPP jump ship, the Great Indonesia Coalition would control 308 seats, compared to the Red-and-White's 252.

Democratic Party lawmaker Didik Mukrianto, however, shrugged off speculation that his party would shift allegiance.

"Our party remains neutral and is meant as a balancing power between the two coalitions. At the moment, we are seeing that Jokowi is taking sides for the people's interests, so we support him," he said Thursday.

The PPP is currently split into two factions since a prolonged rift started during campaigning ahead of the presidential election.

Djan is known to be a confidant of former chairman Suryadharma Ali, who unilaterally declared that the Islamic party endorsed the presidential bid of losing candidate Prabowo Subianto. The move drove then secretary-general Muhammad "Romy" Romahurmuziy to form a faction that favored Jokowi.

Aspiring to a share in power, Romy's camp held a PPP national congress in Surabaya a few days before Jokowi's inauguration on Oct. 20, in which Romy was named chairman.

Suryadharma, who is now a corruption case suspect, staged his own congress in Jakarta, two weeks later. Also in an acclamation, Djan was named chairman.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/djan-s-faction-mulls-leaving-opposition.html

End of stand-off in sight as factions consider following Democrats' example

Jakarta Globe - December 12, 2014

Kennial Caroline Laia & Hizbul Ridho, Jakarta – The Democratic Party's ambiguous stance in Indonesian politics came as no surprise to political experts, who said the decision has provided the party huge leverage over both the pro-government coalition and its opposition rival.

The party's chairman, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, made it clear for the first time on Wednesday where the former ruling party stands in a political landscape, which has been divided into two blocs. It has surprised those who had earlier assumed that the Democrats were part of the opposition Red-White Coalition (KMP).

The Democrats had earlier supported KMP leader Prabowo Subianto in his bid to become president, as well as backing KMP politicians to capture leadership positions in the House of Representatives.

But Yudhoyono said the Democrat Party was never a member of the KMP, or of the rival Awesome Indonesia Coalition (KIH). "The Democratic Party is not a part of the KIH nor the KMP," he said. "Just like in the Cold War. We had the Western bloc and the Eastern bloc. Then there was the Non-Aligned Movement."

Yudhoyono said this in response to speculation that his party was mulling on whether to join the Awesome Indonesia Coalition after a private meeting with his successor, President Joko Widodo on Monday.

The Democratic Party chairman said the meeting was to secure the KIH's support for an emergency regulation in lieu of law, or Perppu, to replace the so-called regional elections law, which eliminates direct elections of governors, district heads and mayors. Instead, the now defunct law provided local legislatures with the authority to elect their respective regional leaders.

The Perppu, which Yudhoyono issued in late October during his final days in office, is effective for just 90 days and expires later this month, at which time the House must decide whether to sustain or reject it.

Hanta Yudha, the executive director of think tank the Poll Tracking Institute, said by announcing that it had always been neutral, the Democrat Party could take advantage of both camps without making any commitment either way.

"With this stance [the Democrats] could do whatever they want. We can say that the Democratic Party is the most privileged party [in Indonesian politics]," Hanta told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

However, the position could damage the Democrat Party in the long run with voters seeing it as being both being overly pragmatic and opportunistic, particularly as the party didn't divulge this fact early on. "The Democrats only want [to benefit through] political transactions without showing it has principles," he said.

Political analyst Cecep Hidayat of the University of Indonesia said despite this, the Democrats would likely remain neutral with both sides fighting to keep them happy and draw them closer.

"We know that Yudhoyono is a safe player. He wouldn't let his party be told what to do by other parties," he said. "The possibility of the Democratic Party joining either of the two coalitions is still narrow," Cecep said.

The Democrats hold 61 seats in the House. With the party finally revealing its neutrality, the KMP now only has 253 seats over the KIH, with 246.

The Democrats' stance has inspired others to do the same, including some members of the United Development Party (PPP) who have remained loyal to the KMP despite most of their peers switching to the KIH.

PPP politician Dimyati Natakusuma, who originally supported the KMP, said his party had nothing to gain by staying with the opposition bloc.

"We have supported the KMP in their quest to gain strategic positions [in the House] but the PPP got nothing in return," he said. "I think we should follow the [example of the] Democrats. Staying in the middle but benefit from all sides," Dimyati said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/end-of-stand-off-in-sight-as-other-factions-consider-following-the-democrats-example-of-neutrality-between-rival-coalitions/

Armed forces & defense

Military reemphasizes Soeharto-era practices

Jakarta Post - December 12, 2014

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – Amid growing fear from civil society groups over the determination of Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to restore the military's sociopolitical role of the past, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has continued launching programs that could easily be linked to practices from former president Soeharto's 32-year rule.

The former Army chief has said that he would relaunch several policies to increase nationalistic pride among young people. He also wanted to involve the military in activities relating directly to community development, including the military's community service, known as TNI Integrated Village Development (TMMD).

"We can accelerate rural development through the revival of the program," Ryamizard said recently, citing his success in spearheading an emergency response team after the 2004 tsunami in Aceh.

The defense minister also repeatedly emphasized the need for the military to expand its engagement with other sectors, with the expectation that it would eventually revive the outdated military doctrine of a Total Defense System.

Meanwhile, TNI chief Gen. Moeldoko revealed the military's plan to expand its community service to several forgotten areas such as in former conflict zones, border areas, remote villages and among the urban poor.

"We've been successful in developing many villages in Indonesia. Until 2014, we've managed to develop 5,679 villages," Moeldoko said during a military community service plenary meeting at military headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

As part of the community service, members of the military would help people to farm, teach and build village infrastructure like roads or bridges.

"I have asked [Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education] Minister Anies Baswedan to give skill upgrades to my soldiers who will be teachers in some areas," Moeldoko said, adding that there were 2,000 soldiers needing to be trained as teachers.

The military's current community-service efforts are almost the same as a community-service program named ABRI Masuk Desa (AMD) from the Soeharto era, which the institution was also involved in to develop infrastructure and promote nationalism among people.

Soeharto also used the AMD as a tool to monitor any form of resistance to his rule and to gain political support from villagers across the country for him to remain in power.

However, the program was terminated soon after the fall of the Army general's authoritarian regime in 1998. The AMD then changed its name to TMMD and the program continued with several changes.

"We have nothing but strong spirit. Do not be reluctant to ask for their assistance to develop your area because the soldiers belong to you, not the military commander," Moeldoko said about the role of military soldiers in the program.

Moeldoko said that the TMMD would aim to support people's prosperity as well as to revive the spirit of patriotism and nationalism.

He acknowledged some shortcomings of the TMMD program. However he believed that in the future the TMMD would be more innovative. "We need creativity and we will evaluate the program so it will get better from year to year," the general said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/12/military-reemphasizes-soeharto-era-practices.html

House turns blind eye to dubious deal

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Margareth Aritonang and Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Lawmakers involved in approving the budget for the Defense Ministry's problematic purchase of an Army artillery system have acknowledged foul play in the procurement, but have decided to rule out the findings.

The House of Representatives' Commission I overseeing defense has received a report from the Defense Ministry's inspectorate general alleging that the ministry overspent some US$134.9 million in the purchase of a multi- launcher rocket system (MLRS) worth $405 million from Brazil's Avibras Industria Aeroespacial in mid 2012.

House Commission I member Maj. Gen. (ret) TB Hasanuddin, who also served in the commission between 2009 and 2014, said the House had approved the procurement budget and it was discussed thoroughly with other commission members.

"I've heard there is an irregularity in the price as revealed by the inspectorate general. That should be settled by the ministry," said Hasa- nuddin of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

"The House was not involved in arranging the details of the procurement. We only agreed on the maximum budget for the purchase, leaving the rest to the ministry," said Hasanuddin, who was then head of the commission's subcommittee for defense procurement.

In its letters to the ministry's top officials, including to then defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and deputy defense minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in April and June 2012, the inspectorate flagged several violations in the procurement process.

The inspectorate, a division in the ministry tasked with ensuring the compliance of all officials with existing regulations and procedures, argued that the decision to select Avibras had violated a presidential instruction and a regulation issued by the National Procurement Agency (LKPP).

Avibras, according to the inspectorate, could not meet the technical specifications required by the procurement tender, such as the provision of eight fire-control systems.

Moreover, the company could only provide seven of the required 38 ammunition supply vehicles and two of the seven mobile workshop vehicles required to support MLRS.

The inspectorate also accused the Army of negotiating with Avibras, which had partnered locally with PT Poris Duta Sarana to secure the deal, to water down the required specifications after Avibras outbid Turkey's Roketsan Missiles Industries, which had teamed up with PT Alabasta Inti Indonesia in the bidding process.

"The violations are very vulnerable [to prosecution] if viewed from the auditor's side, particularly when the audit is conducted by the BPK [Supreme Audit Agency]," then inspector general Vice Admiral Su-martono said in the letter.

The ministry's then Defense Facilities Agency (Baranahan) procurement center chief, Lt. Gen. Ediwan Prabowo, who was responsible for the MLRS procurement, has denied any wrongdoing.

Ediwan said the issue was made public because the losing firm refused to accept the bidding result.

"The issue was blown out of proportion by a company that won't accept defeat. Avibras' MLRS scores were higher than those offered by Roketsan. Avibras' is combat-proven, has multi-caliber capacity, has a wider destructive scope and can be transported with C-130 Hercules aircraft."

Former Commission I chairman Mahfudz Siddiq, who is still serving in Commission I but is no longer chairman, said the inspectorate's investigation into the MLRS was discussed in the commission and that there had been a settlement.

"We've told the ministry that it should award a different project to Turkey," said the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician.

"But during a reassessment at the ministry, it was decided that the MLRS for the Army would be given to Brazil while the Navy would get a similar one from Turkey. We assumed at the time that the procurement would no longer be an issue," he said.

The lawmakers' responses to the MLRS issue were less critical compared to their reaction to the ministry's purchase last year of 180 refurbished Leopard and Marder tanks from Germany worth $280 million. Several lawmakers at the time even threatened to launch a special inquiry into the tank purchases.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/house-turns-blind-eye-dubious-deal.html

Defense Ministry seeks to instill patriotism in students

Jakarta Post - December 11, 2014

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry is proposing to make patriotism a subject in schools in a bid to revive nationalism among students.

Calling the subject Bela Negara (Defending the State), the ministry's defense potential director general, Timbul Siahaan, said that patriotism values should be included in the national curriculum.

"We have seen that moral values in Indonesia have deteriorated and we must cultivate the values of bela negara among youth," he said.

Timbul said that bela negara should avoid taking a "paramilitary approach" in favor of encouraging students to contribute to their country and to value the country's independence.

He lamented that students and young people spent their time fighting each other or were involved in bad habits like drinking alcohol.

"These kinds of deeds are not part of our national identity. This is the reason why we need youngsters to understand the value of bela negara," Timbul said.

He elaborated that bela negara contained five values: loving the country; being aware of being part of the nation; believing in Pancasila as the state ideology; being willing to sacrifice for the nation; and having the ability to defend the country.

To make the idea a reality, the Defense Ministry would work with the Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry and other relevant ministries.

Federation for Indonesian Teachers Associations (FSGI) secretary-general Retno Listyarti told The Jakarta Post that the idea to put bela negara into the curriculum as a new subject would overburden students.

"It would be more feasible if patriotism were attached or incorporated into other subjects like sociology, history and civic education," Retno said.

Besides planning to make bela negara part of the school curriculum, the ministry also plans to revive university paramilitary group (Menwa) as another effort to build patriotism.

"Today, Menwa is a student activity unit after the government revoked the joint ministerial decrees during the reformation era," said the ministry's state defense director, First Adm. M. Faisal. Faisal said that the ministry expected Menwa to promote bela negara values among fellow students. "We will work with other ministries to meet that purpose," he said.

Ibnu Hamad, spokesperson for the Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry, welcomed the idea of cultivating patriotism among students, but also said it would be better to blend it into existing subjects.

"We have been criticized about how heavy the [2013] curriculum already is. It is better to incorporate it in the PKN [civic education]," Ibnu told the Post on Wednesday.

Implemented nationwide in July, the 2013 curriculum is currently under review following criticisms that it was too taxing on students and teachers.

Ibnu said several existing subjects in elementary schools helped build character and taught students about the importance of loving the nation. "This means that the defense and education ministries are both ready to educate the young generation better," he said.

Ibnu added that patriotism could be taught outside the classroom as well, through activities like National Scouts (Pramuka) or basic leadership training for students.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/11/defense-ministry-seeks-instill-patriotism-students.html

Analysts welcome government's plans to triple defense budget

Jakarta Globe - December 10, 2014

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – The new government's plan to bolster the country's defense spending to almost triple its current budget by 2019 has received support from international relations analysts and military experts in Indonesia.

Luhut Panjaitan, an adviser to President Joko Widodo, said on Tuesday that Indonesia's defense spending was targeted to increase to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product over the next five years in order to protect the country's sovereignty and national interests.

"We link to economic growth of about 7 percent... so by 2019, the national defense budget can increase to around $20 billion per annum," Luhut said, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday.

Muradi, a defense and military analyst at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, agreed with the country's plan to set such an impressive target for its defense and security sector, saying that "our defense sector is already 10 years behind neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia."

According to Muradi, Indonesia's defense sector spending – which includes the purchase of primary weaponry defense systems, the cost of security monitoring and also stipends for military personnel – should make up at least 2 percent of the country's GDP to be considered adequate.

This year, Indonesia has allocated Rp 83 trillion ($6.6 billion), which represents 0.8 percent of the total state budget, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said early last month.

"As of now, I believe there's no other way to modernize our weaponry except for increasing the defense sector budget," Muradi told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

"We can't let other parties help us [with providing weaponry] because that way they are likely to dictate to us [on how to manage the country's defense and security]."

Meanwhile, a nation's moves to increase military and defense sector spending often set off alarms in neighboring countries – in Indonesia's case, it includes Australia and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). They may see such a policy as a threat.

Deterrent effect

But international relations experts believe Indonesia's move to beef up its security, by setting aside more money for defense in its state budget, is essentially based on its need to improve its defensive capabilities and security systems in order deter any potential aggressors.

"By beefing up security in its territory, Indonesia is sending a warning to other countries that may possibly be planning acts of aggression against it. It shows that they can no longer do whatever they like and think that we wouldn't be able take decisive action against them," Muradi said.

According to Muradi, Indonesia records some 200 violations to its airspace per year. "For instance, just to challenge the most recent violation by three foreign aircraft, we spent some Rp 150 million, while we only fined them some Rp 60 million," Muradi said.

"The increase is really needed, not because Indonesia is worried that there would be attacks from other countries, but more due to its internal interests," Hikmahanto Juwana, an international relations expert from the University of Indonesia, told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

Hikmahanto says that the increase in defense spending is needed: to protect the country from illegal actions by private groups; to be a peace broker in any disputes occurring in the region; and also to boost Indonesia's participation in United Nations peace-keeping efforts.

"Indonesia also requires adequate weapons systems to protect its territory as it has the second-longest coastline in the world, which eventually is in line with Jokowi's agenda to be a Global Maritime Fulcrum," said Djayadi Hanan, an academic in Paramadina University's department of international relations.

Muradi further pointed out that increased defense spending was also needed to improve the welfare of personnel in the country's armed forces aside from buying more weaponry.

To avoid any misinterpretations by its neighbors, foreign policy experts also say that Indonesia would have to explain and clearly outline the reasons behind its plan to increase its defense spending.

"Increasing the military budget could make other countries worry and if it's not explained in a very clear and diplomatic way, it could be dangerous," Hikmahanto said.

"Therefore, Indonesia must be able to justify clearly in its white paper on defense its reasons for the need to increase the spending.

"[For other countries] the move should not mean that Indonesia is planning to start a war or any aggressive actions, but that it's basically meant to fulfill minimum essential force requirements," Djayadi says.

"Indonesia's move to strengthen its defense sector could boost stability in the Southeast Asia region," Djayadi adds.

"Furthermore, Indonesia could also then start taking part in maintaining security in the region that will eventually improve defense and security for all countries."

Hikmahanto pointed out that Indonesia would also need to show that its foreign policy had shifted to "all nations are friends until Indonesia's sovereignty is degraded and national interest is jeopardized."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/analysts-welcome-governments-plans-triple-defense-budget/

Red flag raised over arms deal

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Behind the great wall of confidentiality at the Defense Ministry concerning its spending of taxpayer money, a leaked document has provided a snapshot of budgetary irregularity surrounding the purchase of a weapon system for the Army.

The ministry has allegedly overspent some US$134.9 million in the procurement of a multi-launcher rocket system (MLRS) worth $405 million from Brazil's Avibras Industria Aeroespacial, according to an investigation report made by the ministry's inspectorate general, a copy of which was recently obtained by The Jakarta Post.

In its letters to the ministry's top officials, including to then defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and deputy defense minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in April and June 2012, the inspectorate had flagged several violations in the procurement process.

The inspectorate, a division in the ministry tasked with ensuring the compliance of all officials to existing regulations and procedures, argued that the policy to award Avibras had violated a presidential instruction and a regulation issued by the Government Procurement of Goods and Services Agency (LKPP).

Avibras, according to the inspectorate, cannot meet the technical specifications required by the procurement tender, such as the provision of eight fire-control systems. Moreover, the company can only provide seven of the required 38 ammunition supply vehicles and two of the seven mobile workshop vehicles needed to support the MLRS infrastructure.

The MLRS is armored artillery, similar to a truck, but equipped with a self-propelled rocket launcher.

According to the inspectorate, the $134.9 million discrepancy in the specifications unfulfilled by Avibras would have allowed the procurement of an extra battalion of the MLRS.

"The violations are very vulnerable [for prosecution] if viewed from the auditor's side, particularly when the audit is conducted by the BPK [Supreme Audit Agency]," then inspector general Vice Admiral Sumartono said in the letter. Sumartono, already retired, could not be reached for comment.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said that while he was not aware of the details of the case, he would review all procurements made by his predecessor and added that he would limit the role of brokerage companies that were regularly involved in securing deals at high cost to taxpayers.

"I've instructed my officials to be highly responsible in spending public money and warned them that I will not defend them if they are caught by the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission]," Ryamizard said recently.

The then Defense Ministry's chief for procurement center of defense facilities agency (Baranahan), Lt. Gen. Ediwan Prabowo, who is responsible for the MLRS procurement, denied any wrongdoing.

Ediwan, who was promoted in May to become the ministry's secretary-general, argued that the procurement was above-board and that the defense minister had endorsed it despite notes from the inspectorate general.

"You should ask the then inspector general about his complaints. I don't want to speculate why he conducted the review," said Ediwan, who served as the private secretary of then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono between 2009 and 2011.

Ediwan said that the issue was made public because the losing company refused to accept the bidding result.

"The issue was blown out of proportion by a company that won't accept defeat. Avibras' MLRS scores higher than those offered by Roketsan. Avibras' is combat-proven, has multi-caliber capacity, has wider destructive scope and can be transported with C-130 Hercules aircraft," he said.

"We've invited many outside parties, including the KPK, to supervise our procurement process and there has been no issue at all," he said, adding that some of the MLRS had already arrived and had been put on display during the Indonesian Military's (TNI) anniversary parade on Oct. 7.

For the past five years, the Defense Ministry has received a bigger budget than any other institution has ever received. Around Rp 95 trillion ($7.72 billion) have been earmarked for next year, up by 7.2 percent compared to this year.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/red-flag-raised-over-arms-deal.html

Government to revive hated Suharto era paramilitary regiments on campus

Merdeka.com - December 9, 2014

Faiq Hidayat – The Defense Department will be reviving the Student University Paramilitary Regiment (Menwa) on all campuses throughout Indonesia. The Defense Department's (Kemenhan) Director of National Defense, First Admiral M. Faisal said that the regiments will be reactivated next year.

"This will show that after so many years we will again be working with the Menwa, previously the Menwa had a legal umbrella. So if necessary it will be attached to several ministries", he said at the offices of the Defense Department in Jakarta on Tuesday December 9.

According to Faisal, the Menwa has a legal basis founded on the Joint Degree Number 39A/2000 between the minister of defense, the minister of home affairs and the minister for education and culture on the Establishment and Empowerment of the Student Regiment (SKB 3 Menteri).

"The Menwa will now become part of the student activates unit after the SKB 3 Menteri which has protected them since reformasi [the post-1998 reform movement] when they no longer exited", he said. Faisal said that they would reestablish the Menwa through local military territorial commands (komando angkatan militer) throughout Indonesia and they would be included in the activities program of government budgets. "The Menwa will be well funded like before, meaning their activities can be programmed and budgeted for again", he explained.

The move to reactivate the Menwa, according to Faisal, will be coordinated with the Department of Youth and Sport, the Department of Education and Culture and the Department of Research and Higher Education. "We will empower it by trying to coordinate with the four ministries", he said.

If an agreement between the four ministries can be realised, Faisal believes that the Menwa could also be able to provide values of national defense to other students.

"Our hope is that in the future we can work with the Menwa to pin down the values of national defense so that they can implant the values of national defence with their fellow students. If for example this MoU can be implemented the plan is for it to be within a national defense movement. If this is done immediately that it will possible quite soon", he explained.

"Perhaps this National Defense Movement [could] be launched and up and running in 2015", he added.

Notes

University paramilitary regiments had their heyday during President Suharto's New Order dictatorship. University students, mostly male, who applied for membership in the clubs got a set of militaristic paraphernalia, including army-like uniforms, and were often employed by the military as intelligence agents. In the wake of the reform era however, Menwa club members been criticised for their militaristic and abusive behaviour and Menwa members have become the target of assaults by students who associate them with Suharto's military regime. Many universities, included state-run ones, have abolished the units on campus.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Kemenhan hidupkan lagi Resimen Mahasiswa pada 2015".]

Source: http://www.merdeka.com/peristiwa/kemenhan-hidupkan-lagi-resimen-mahasiswa-pada-2015.html

Criminal justice & prison system

Jokowi to ban clemency for drug convicts

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang and Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta/Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is upholding his plan to enforce the death penalty for drug convicts, citing the crime's devastating impact on the country's young generations.

During a public lecture at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta on Tuesday, Jokowi emphasized that the government would not be merciful in dealing with narcotics-related crime in the country.

He said that he would reject requests for clemency for 64 drug traffickers who are currently on death row. "[The clemency requests] are not on my table yet. But I guarantee that there will be no clemency for convicts who committed narcotics-related crimes," Jokowi told his audience.

Jokowi explained that such a firm and harsh approach was necessary to combat the widespread use of narcotics. "People can even control [drug] deals from prisons," Jokowi said.

Jokowi said that there were currently 1.2 million narcotics users who were already in acute stages of addiction and could not be treated. "There are between 40 to 50 drug addicts, mostly young people, who lose their lives every day here."

He further defended the government's decision to execute drug convicts, including five convicts that the government plans to put to death later this month.

The government's firm action was announced by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno after a meeting with the President. Tedjo, however, has yet to reveal the identities or nationalities of the five people.

Tedjo announced that besides the five, there were 20 other death-row inmates set to face the firing squad in 2015, the majority of whom were drug convicts.

According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), 77 drug traffickers have been on death row since 2004, of whom nine have been executed. Two were executed in 2013, including Nigerian drug smuggler Adam Wilson in March of that year and a Pakistani in November. The BNN recorded that 47 of the traffickers were foreigners.

The government's insistence on implementing the death penalty has drawn criticism from human rights defenders in the country.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), which earlier slammed the government's plan to execute the five drug convicts, reiterated its stance of advocating for the abolishment of practicing the death penalty in the country.

"Pak Jokowi's announcement is so unexpected. Komnas HAM did not expect that the President would say this. The right to life is a non-negotiable right that must not be limited for any reason. Thus the death penalty violates the very basic right to life," Komnas HAM commissioner Roichatul Aswidah said.

"If not immediately abolishing the death penalty, the government should instead implement a moratorium on the death penalty while at the same time making efforts to improve the country's legal system to make sure reliable processes take place during legal procedures," she added.

In a separate interview, a human rights activist from Jakarta-based watchdog Imparsial, Poengky Indarti, concurred, lambasting the government's defense of the death penalty for drug convicts.

Poengky suggested that Jokowi's administration should instead take comprehensive measures to prevent the distribution of drugs, including strictly enforcing the law on officials involved in such crimes.

"The government must make sure that dealers don't have backup from officials," she said, adding that all efforts to combat drug crime would be to no avail if the government failed to deal with the masterminds.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/jokowi-ban-clemency-drug-convicts.html

Komnas HAM urges Jokowi to drop executions plan

Jakarta Post - December 8, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has called on President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to review a plan to execute five drug traffickers on death row by the end of this year, demanding that he instead fall back on issuing life sentences to the convicts.

Komnas HAM stated that Indonesia does not yet have a reliable enough legal system for it to implement the ultimate punishment of death, with many law enforcement officers still missing their mark in upholding justice.

Komnas HAM commissioner Roichatul Aswidah cited wrongful arrests and bribery involving officials, to mention two examples, as irregularities that were commonly found in the country's judicial system.

"We need to first make sure that our legal system is reliable before we implement [the death penalty]," she told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. "Komnas HAM is officially against the death penalty. It is the worst violation of human rights because it violates people's right to life."

Jokowi has been subject to protests from human rights defenders in the country as well as abroad following a plan to execute the five drug convicts later this month. The five are among 64 inmates currently on death row.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno said the execution of the five convicts was due to the President's instruction.

According to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), 77 drug traffickers have been on death row since 2004. Nine of them have been executed, two of whom were executed last year, including Nigerian drug smuggler Adam Wilson in March and a Pakistani drug smuggler in November.

Roichatul said the national rights body had found cases where foreigners convicted of drug smuggling had undergone unfair procedures, such as the absence of interpreters during the legal process.

Although the government has yet to reveal the identities or nationalities of the drug convicts to be executed this month, rights activists, agreeing with Komnas HAM, gave a reminder that the executions would hamper the government's efforts to save Indonesians in other countries from the same punishment.

"How can our government convince foreign counterparts to spare the lives of Indonesians who are on death row while we still implement such a punishment?" said Poengky Indarti, executive coordinator of Jakarta-based human rights watchdog Imparsial.

"Additionally, in terms of the effort to combat drugs, the government can implement the law by closely monitoring and fighting drug dealers, including those backed by high-ranking officials," she added.

Newly appointed head of the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI) Nusron Wahid previously revealed that there were 280 Indonesian migrant workers facing the death penalty abroad who required protection.

Meanwhile, there are 236 other Indonesians facing the death penalty abroad due to their involvement in drug abuse and trafficking.

During a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing foreign affairs earlier this year, former foreign minister Marty Natalegawa told lawmakers that the government had saved 184 Indonesians from the death penalty abroad.

According to the Foreign Ministry's data, 20 of them were saved from the death penalty from January to May this year, while the rest had been saved from 2011.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/komnas-ham-urges-jokowi-drop-executions-plan.html

Police & law enforcement

Police to get pay hike under Jokowi, amid mounting claims of brutality

Jakarta Globe - December 9, 2014

Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo has approved a nearly 30 percent increase in the operating budget for the National Police next year, to Rp 51.6 trillion ($4.2 billion), with salaries to account for 60 percent of the total.

The House of Representatives in September endorsed the 2015 state budget proposed by the administration of then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which included Rp 47.1 trillion to finance the operations of the National Police. In the 2014 budget, the police force received Rp 40.2 trillion.

Police had been seeking to raise the figure, and on Monday Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, the police chief's deputy for planning and budgeting, said the government had agreed to an increase, albeit below the amount proposed by the institution.

"The finance minister has agreed with Rp 51.6 trillion. But we initially proposed Rp 63 trillion to cover the National Police's needs for next year," Tito said during the launch in Jakarta on Monday of the Police Academy's National Security Study Center.

Tito said that Rp 31 trillion of the funding, or around 60 percent, would be to pay increased salaries for police personnel.

National Police Chief Gen. Sutarman earlier said police personnel at every level would enjoy a 30 percent pay increase. Tito said this was to put their salaries on par with those of their counterparts at the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Salaries in the two security forces have never been standardized since the police were separated from the armed forces in 1999, and the discrepancy in pay has led to frequent and often deadly clashes between personnel.

In 2010, the lowest-ranked police personnel earned as little as Rp 553,000 per month, compared with Rp 924,000 for the lowest-ranking soldier. At the other end of the scale, the National Police chief was paid Rp 21.3 million a month, while the TNI commander received Rp 29.22 million.

"You can say that [the budget increase] includes adjustment of remuneration, so that earnings of police personnel are now nearly on par with those of TNI personnel," Tito said.

He added, though, that police generals would not be eligible for the pay rise. Tito also said that some 30 percent of next year's budget would be used for expenditure on goods and the remaining 10 percent for capital expenditure.

"Capital expenditure here includes purchase of special equipment and materials," he said, adding that these included bulletproof vests, motor vehicles and other hardware.

Critics have criticized the police's demands for a pay rise amid perceived poor performance.

On Monday, dozens of people from a number of regions visited the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta to protest violent treatment they alleged they had suffered at the hands of police personnel during interrogations.

"We bring here representatives of victims [of alleged police brutality] to show that the police continue to torture [people during inquiries]," said Putri Kanesia of the rights group the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), which facilitated the alleged victims' meeting with police representatives.

Kanesia said Kontras had received an increasing number of reports of alleged police brutality. The group recorded 56 cases from mid-2010 to mid-2011; 86 cases from 2011-2012; 100 from 2012-2013; and 108 reports from 2013-2014.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said the police would not tolerate any act of violence committed by police personnel, adding that every year some 200 personnel were fired for ethics violations including use of violence.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-get-pay-hike-jokowi-amid-mounting-claims-brutality/

Mining & energy

Government to use fixed fuel subsidy next year

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Grace D. Amianti, Jakarta – The government plans to use a fixed subsidy in the sales of subsidized fuels beginning next year to ease uncertainty in the state budget and, at the same time, to allow people to pay less for fuel, if the price of crude oil in the world's market declines.

Coordinating Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil said in Jakarta on Tuesday the fixed subsidy, in addition to other subsidy-cut options, was being studied. But he hoped that the change would be submitted to the House of Representatives next year as part of the proposal for the revision of the 2015 state budget.

He said that with the downward trend in crude-oil prices, the use of the fixed subsidies in the sales of the subsidized fuels would be more realistic.

Sofyan declined to mention the range of subsidy amounts currently under the government's review. "We hope that we will be to decide the right amount of the fixed subsidy at the end of the year, by the time we propose the revision of the budget to the House members," he said.

Also on Tuesday, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the fixed subsidy plan would give the government more funds for budget spending, as well as enabling people to pay less for the fuel they buy if the price of crude oil in the world market declines.

Bambang previously said that by using the fixed-subsidy scheme, the prices of subsidized fuels would be regularly adjusted to the fluctuation of the crude prices in the international market and the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar.

According to the 2014 state budget, the government earmarked Rp 210.73 trillion for fuel subsidies this year, higher than the Rp 206 trillion allocated for capital expenditure (capex), which comprises funds for infrastructure-related spending. The government's decision to raise the price of subsidized fuels recently has significantly reduced the fuel- subsidy spending.

On Oct. 18, the government raised the price of subsidized Premium gasoline by Rp 2,000 (16 US cents) to Rp 8,500 per liter and by Rp 2,000 to Rp 7,500 per liter for the subsidized diesel oil.

With the current level of the crude-oil price in the world market, the prices of subsidized fuels have already achieved their economic value (market price). It means that if the government uses the fixed subsidy of between Rp 1,000 and Rp 2,000 per liter, the prices of subsidized fuels could drop away from the present level.

Indonesia has been subsidizing fuel since the first oil-price shock in the 1970s, and kept prices less than 20 US cents per liter until 2005, according to World Bank report published in March. Before the recent increase, the price of gasoline was last increased to Rp 6,500 per liter in 2013 from Rp 4,500 per liter.

Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia chief economist Fauzi Ichsan also supported the fixed-subsidy scheme saying that it would give the inflation rate stability due to a gradual increase or decrease of fuel prices.

"Current policy on subsidized fuels had always been creating a jumping inflation rate every one or two years every time the government increased the fuel price," he said.

Meanwhile, lead economist of the World Bank Indonesia, Ndiame Diop, said recently that the implementation of the fixed subsidy would help ease uncertainty in the state budget. It would also ease people's burden, because fuel prices would decline, if the oil prices weaken.

At present, oil prices in the world market have declined by 30 percent. If the downward trend continued, people could also enjoy lower prices for their fuels, he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/govt-use-fixed-fuel-subsidy-next-year.html

Analysis & opinion

What is going on with human rights?

Jakarta Globe Editorial - December 12, 2014

In the weeks after the inauguration of President Joko Widodo, representatives of the GKI Yasmin church in Bogor expressed their hopes that finally, after years of being shut out of their place of worship, the end of their ordeal was in sight.

With a new president, a new mayor in the West Java city, Bima Arya, and a new minister of religious affairs, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, things looked a lot rosier for the congregation that saw its church sealed despite rulings from the Supreme Court and the Indonesian Ombudsman.

Bima had vowed to resolve the church dispute. But now, less than two weeks away from Christmas, the mayor says he has "strong reasons not to open the church." Considering that the Supreme Court has already ruled in the congregation's favor, it will be interesting to see what these reasons are.

Just last Sunday, the National Police said it would take a tough stance against people targeting the country's many minority groups. But a day later, security forces opened fire on a group of young demonstrators in Papua's Paniai district, killing six.

On Tuesday, the president repeated his campaign promise to solve past rights abuses, as his government faced flak over the release of the man convicted of assassinating one of the nation's most prominent human rights defenders in 2004. He served little more than half of his 14-year sentence.

Only weeks ago Amnesty International strongly criticized the administration of Joko's predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for the use of outdated blasphemy laws against people who peacefully expressed their views. But now the editor-in-chief of the Jakarta Post has tragically been charged with blasphemy for publishing a cartoon.

Joko has only just started his presidency and a lot has already changed for the better. But when it comes to human rights, hopefully developments in the past week are no sign of things to come.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-going-human-rights/

'Fifty years is enough. Genocide is genocide'

Jakarta Globe - December 11, 2014

Jakarta – In 2012, the award-winning documentary "The Act of Killing" drew back the veil on the darkest chapter of Indonesia's history, and now, says director Joshua Oppenheimer, there's no stuffing the genie back into the bottle.

The military-led purge between 1965 and 1966 of suspected members and sympathizers of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) left up to half a million people dead, according to some estimates, and the government today continues to stonewall efforts to address the atrocity and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In an interview with the Jakarta Globe's Jonathan G. Vit in October, before the release last month of his follow-up documentary, "The Look of Silence," Oppenheimer spoke about what he hoped his earlier film had achieved, what he expects of the new film, and how the process of making the documentaries affected him.

Q: 'The Act of Killing' was up for a number of awards. You didn't win the Oscar, but the nomination inspired a lot of discussion here in Indonesia. Where do you see the conversation going from here?

A: You can't stuff the genie back in the bottle, you can't. So I think that there is no stopping the process that "The Act of Killing" has helped to catalyze. It has lifted a conversation that brave human rights defenders and survivors and writers have been having for a long time.

But this is not the first effort in Indonesia to address the mass killings of 1965-66. How does your film, and its impact, differ from previous efforts, like the 2012 report by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM)?

Well, it doesn't. I mean, the Komnas HAM report from 2012 was extremely important, it remains extremely important but it was rejected by [the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] administration.

Now I think things are changing, but what is going to change the government's stance is not simply one film, it is going to be pressure. Yes, the pressure can come somewhat from outside, but fundamentally the pressure has to come from ordinary Indonesians and I think that for that to occur Indonesians will have to overcome a degree of fear and the apathy that stems from fear.

That apathy, that reluctance is, of course, a manifestation of fear and there will not be a profound change in Indonesia until ordinary Indonesians come together collectively to overcome that fear. "The Act of Killing" was produced not to change the country, but as antidote to that fear, to open a space so that Indonesians can change the country.

I think that "The Act of Killing" is not fundamentally about addressing the crimes of 1965, it is about showing how the crimes of 1965, unresolved as they are, underpin an ongoing regime of fear and a system of fear that allows the political leaders in Indonesia to get away with crimes today, corruption today, crimes in Papua today, crimes in the recent past like the pogroms against the ethnic Chinese in 1998, like the violence in East Timor in 1999, like the ongoing violence in Papua and the sectarian violence that continues to occur.

You just touched on something there, that, at least in Indonesia, is one of the larger criticisms of your film: that it isn't an accurate representation of the nation today. But here you are saying the film isn't even entirely about 1965, so what is your view on how this relates to modern-day Indonesia?

If you look at "The Act of Killing" it doesn't claim to be a sociological portrait of an entire nation of 250 million people. It is about Anwar Congo, it is about the political leaders in North Sumatra, the paramilitary leaders around him in one city. But I think the thuggery, the gangsterism, the insane way that the past is discussed is irrefutable, if only because of what the film shows.

Look at the talk show that is produced in the film that was broadcast, what more is there to say? Indonesia's state television broadcast a talk show where, not too long ago, it was 2008, the host of the talk show says, "Lets give Anwar Congo a round of applause because he developed a new more humane more efficient way of exterminating communists," but he also just wiped them out.

Now what else is there to say? This is not a claim that TVRI Jakarta would produce exactly the same show, no, but it shows that the situation in one region in Indonesia and if that were unique to North Sumatra we would see people getting arrested and losing their jobs in North Sumatra because it is so out of step with the rest of the country.

The reason that those efforts are not being made to address the situation in North Sumatra is because everyone knows that is actually the situation in many regions in this country.

After decades of propaganda painting the New Order-era government as heroes for wiping out the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), how can the country move past these ideas and begin to plot a path toward reconciliation?

I think Indonesians have to have this discussion and say, "We deserve better; our government should not be lying to our children every day in school. We do not want our children to be going into school to be lied to, to be taught a false history to justify mass murder. That is not the kind of school I want to send my children to."

Indonesians are going to have to come together and [demand] change. The film is an intervention; it is not an authoritative report about every aspect [of 1965]. The film was made as a wake-up call like the child in "The Emperor's New Clothes." The film was made so that the Indonesians would see a stark image of their country in the mirror and recognize its authenticity, which I think they have despite efforts from government and some of the film's more conservative critics to say that it is not representative of the country, and then wait and respond with righteous outrage and say that this has to change, this is unacceptable, this is not good enough.

Fifty years is long enough. A genocide is a genocide and I think what makes Indonesia look bad is not the acknowledgement of the crimes of the past, it is not even the acknowledgement of present-day ongoing crimes that makes Indonesia look bad. It is the desperate and pathetic attempts to whitewash everything that it does that's evil, to use a simple word.

Does the next film, 'The Look of Silence,' tread similar territory? You filmed it at the same time as 'The Act of Killing,' right?

No, I filmed it actually after. I filmed some of it before I met Anwar and I filmed the core of it after we finished editing "The Act of Killing," before we released it and it was no longer safe for me to return. It focuses on a family of survivors who confront the men who killed their son.

And this is also in North Sumatra?

It is also in North Sumatra, by and large. I think there are moments in "The Act of Killing" where you can feel in your gut the tense and unbearable co-existence between survivor and perpetrator. One of them is where Anwar's neighbor Suryono told the story of his stepfather being killed to Anwar and his friends and as he tells the story you can see that he is afraid and he is laughing so that they don't respond with anger and maybe violence.

If you were to drop the audience into that conversation between Suryono and Anwar, that is what "The Look of Silence" will do; it is like spending 90 minutes in that terrified and frightened and tense co-existence, that is what it's like.

It is really about making palpable the unbearable cost of denial and impunity by showing how it destroys not only one family but the relationship between the people in Indonesia, the relationship particularly between neighbor and neighbor, survivor and perpetrator, bystander and perpetrator, survivor and bystander.

The 'Act of Killing' was full of scenes that were very difficult to watch, but that scene where the neighbor confronts Anwar Congo was, for me, one of the more difficult parts of the film because you could sense how scared and upset he was. If that's the entire tone of this film I have to ask, will this one be harder to watch?

I think what fundamentally makes "The Act of Killing" really uncomfortable and what makes that scene really uncomfortable is that our protagonist is somehow Anwar.

When the neighbor is telling that story we feel afraid for him and we feel is he in danger, but we also feel conflicted. Of course we empathize in that moment with him as someone who is obviously afraid and is a victim of what happened in 1965, yet we know that our main character, the one who is going to take us through the journey at that point, is the perpetrator.

I think that puts the viewer in a very uncomfortable position where they have to think of who they are identifying with and why – even if only unconsciously.

In this film the character we identify with is a survivor, but it is still not easy to watch. It is not uplifting, it will not be any more hopeful except for the fact that the courage, the dignity and even the love shown by the main character and also at least one of the perpetrator's children is genuinely hopeful.

Do you think 'The Look of Silence' will garner the same amount of attention?

I think "The Act of Killing" is a kind of a special film and I think we released it first for a reason; because we knew it is shocking in so many ways, formally, methodologically the fact that it asks you to identify with a perpetrator as a main character, we knew that that shock would be a blast in the face.

For the second film, I don't think it will get the same reception. I think it will get a lot of attention, maybe a lot of attention in Indonesia because it is a more potent and moving indictment of what is wrong.

It is more recognizable; you know the quiet tableaus, the haunted tableaus, the landscape shots that punctuate "The Act of Killing"? For example, after the talk show we see a sort of derelict alleyway and we see a little girl, a very poor little girl just poking in the dirt. These kinds of haunted spaces with which ordinary Indonesians live, with which anyone who has spent time in Indonesia is familiar with – "The Look of Silence," drops the viewers in the midst of these spaces and says, "Look at this space, look at the fear that engendered this disquiet."

So I think the way that it is immediately recognizable means that the impact in Indonesia may be greater, but I think that it will not be, it is not as provocatively shocking as "The Act of Killing," and that is why we released "The Act of Killing" first. We knew that the shock that it would engender would wake people up and that it would blast open the space needed for the emotions that the second film, that I believe the second film will trigger.

Considering your views on the culture of impunity in Indonesia and the reluctance to address 1965, how could a film like this have a resolution?

Well, it is just like "The Act of Killing"; there will be no resolution for the impunity that gives birth to the drama until there is an end to the impunity that gives birth to the drama.

I mean, there can't be an honest resolution for a film. You'll have to see the film, I won't quite give away the ending, but it has an ending. It isn't just a series of confrontations between survivor and perpetrator, it has an ending, it has a strong arc as a work of cinema, but what resolution can there honestly be until ordinary Indonesians come together to make the change that will actually resolve this situation.

Are you hopeful that will actually happen?

It has to happen. Until that happens Indonesia will simply be a kind of object lesson in what happens when there is no justice.

It will simply be a warning to other nations and that, of course, will not be helpful for Indonesia's image going forward. It has to happen also because I think Indonesia deserves much, much better and I trust that there is enough space, there is enough political freedom now that Indonesians will come together and demand that.

You know you can't make a film as bleak as "The Act of Killing" without being an optimist. That may sound paradoxical, but at some point if you weren't an optimist you would just give up in cynicism. I made it because I believe that it has the power to help trigger that outrage the sense of injustice that will lead to change and that is why my entire Indonesian crew made it, that is why my anonymous co-director made it, that is why all of the human rights survivors organizations that supported us made it, that is why we made this film, so of course I am optimistic.

We have talked a lot about the impact that this film has had on the viewers and the impact that it has had on the people in the film. How did it impact you to spend so much time with someone like Anwar?

It was very painful, but it I was also a great privilege. You know, those five years of shooting with him and then the two and a half years of editing and excavating the meat of the material that we shot together was the defining experience of my life. It has given me insights that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. It has made me, in many ways, who I am.

It has made me more forgiving of individual people. At the same time I am utterly intolerant for any mealy-mouth excuses for atrocity; I strongly believe that you have to separate the crime from the individual.

Has any of the stuff that he told you, the re-enactment of the scenes, has any of it haunted you at all?

Absolutely. The single most horrible scene for me is the one where he butchered the teddy bear, which, if you have seen the full-length film you, will be familiar with. And when I was shooting that scene I was about a meter and a half from him and I heard his microphone rubbing through my headphones and I had to call cut for a moment and adjust his microphone. Anwar noticed that I was crying in that moment. It was the only time in my life I ever found myself crying without realizing it, and he said, "Josh you are crying," and I said, "So I am," or something like that, and he said, "What should we do," and I said, "We should continue."

I remember going home that evening feeling terribly tainted by the horrors I was filming and I think that is what the audience was feeling too when they watch that scene. And that was the straw that broke the camel's back for me [and] led to months of nightmares and insomnia, and I got through it because of the support and the love of my wonderful Indonesian collaborators and also from my family.

I wouldn't give up that experience for all the world. It has taught me so much.

[This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/fifty-years-enough-genocide-genocide/

Papua must not be ignored any longer

Jakarta Globe Editorial - December 10, 2014

We can never solve a problem if we do not intend to solve it in the first place. That's what we feel about the government's intentions in Papua.

Statement after statement remains just rhetoric since the region became part of Indonesia in 1969. Then and now, we still have the same problems: conflicts, severe poverty and backwardness.

The problems there have never been a priority, first because this won't provide any political benefit to policy makers in Jakarta, and second because the conflict and instability in the nation's easternmost region has seen too much money divided among too many from the local level to the capital.

For a long time, the elites in Jakarta have treated Papuans as outsiders, and saw Indonesia as only comprising of Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi – the country's most populated islands – because what matters for them is voters and the interest of the majority.

Troubled Papua has always been seen as a source of revenue, including cash from big companies operating in the area and state money spent financing the security forces.

So is it that surprising that Papuans are angry, and want independence? They have the right to live well on their own ancestors' lands.

It's time we treat Papuans as true Indonesians with all the rights they are entitled to as part of this nation. We need a leader who really wants to end the strife, not take advantage and profit from Papua's problems.

Papuans have cried for help for many years. Using Bob Dylan's questions, we can ask how many ears must our elites have before they can hear people cry? How many deaths will it take until they know that too many people have died already?

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-papua-must-ignored-longer/

Time for Jokowi to resolve past human rights abuse cases

Jakarta Post - December 10, 2014

Asvi Warman Adam, Kyoto, Japan – Before he was elected president, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo introduced his vision and mission statements and a supporting nine-priority agenda, Nawacita.

The fourth program on the agenda, law enforcement, sets a priority on the "protection of human rights and fair settlement of past cases of human rights violations". Evidently, a minister with a lack of care about finding ways to deal with past issues has not read the Nawacita.

Of all violations of human rights in the history of Indonesia recorded between 1945 and 2000, the one that gets the most attention is the mass killings of 1965, where 500,000 people were murdered. The Dutch, during their 350-year existence in the archipelago, killed 125,000 locals, 75,000 of them in Aceh – a total much less than the number of Indonesians slaughtered by their compatriots. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has prepared a pro-justicia inquiry on the 1965 gross crimes against humanity, and the Attorney General's Office should seriously follow up on the findings to ensure that the Nawacita programs run.

Cases related to the 1965 events have remained unresolved with neither comprehensive, nor just settlements initiated and in place.

For the near future, there are several initiatives the President may consider taking, including issuing a state apology for the mistakes committed by the state and responding to the Supreme Court's ruling.

First, the President should apologize to thousands of Indonesian patriots whose citizenship had been stripped following the Sept. 30, 1965 coup attempt blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). In the 1960s, president Sukarno sent thousands of Mahid, an acronym for state-funded students with mandatory term of service after graduation, to study abroad to help promote the development of science and technology.

Accused of supporting Sukarno, these students had their passports revoked and as a result lost their citizenship. Although most of them had changed nationality, they would still enthusiastically celebrate Indonesian Independence Day at Indonesian embassies by, among others, reading of the Pancasila. The majority of them were born 75 years ago, some earlier, and many have passed away.

Second, it is advisable that the President issue a formal statement on behalf of the state saying that in the past, the government mistakenly sent more than 10,000 people to the Buru Island in Maluku to live in exile for 10 years (from 1969 until 1979) for their link to the communists. Without trial, they were forcibly sent to work at a concentration camp, not knowing when they would be released. It was the protests by international organizations that forced the government to end this crime against humanity.

Third, the President should apologize to the children of those who had fallen victim to any of the 1965 events. Under an instruction issued in 1981 by the then home minister, they were not allowed to apply for a position at any government organization or in the armed forces.

Whether or not their parents were guilty of involvement in the coup attempt, the government has absolutely no right to bar these individuals from applying for certain jobs because the 1945 Constitution guarantees everyone equal employment opportunities.

Fourth, the President will need to respond to the relief to a claim granted in 2011 by the Supreme Court.

Following inquiries and proceedings of a judicial review of Presidential Decree No. 28/1975, dated June 25, 1975, regarding the treatment of persons grouped under Class C involved in the Sept. 30, 1965 alleged PKI coup, the Supreme Court ruled in its verdict No. 3P/HUM/2011 that the reviewed presidential decree and all subordinate legal instruments run counter to higher legislation.

The Supreme Court therefore "orders the President of the Republic of Indonesia to revoke Presidential Decree No. 28/1975".

The era of reform managed to give birth to Truth and Reconciliation (KKR) in 2004, but half-hearted then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono never approved the list of KKR member candidates submitted by the selection committee for further election by the House of Representatives. The Constitutional Court chaired by Jimly Asshiddiqie later cancelled the KKR Law. A replacement bill has never been delivered by the government to the House.

Along with an ad-hoc human rights court, the KKR plays a key role in comprehensively resolving cases of human rights violations committed in the past. A breakthrough is needed: establishing a truth and reconciliation commission through a presidential decree rather then a law to have it operational in a shorter time. The resulting body will take the form of a state commission set up by the President with a limited number of personnel serving for a short period of time, say two years.

Hopefully this article can help President Jokowi find a breakthrough to properly solve past human rights violations envisioned in his Nawacita agenda. With permanent and full resolutions, the people of this nation will be able to, after waiting almost 50 years, move on without a burden.

[The writer is a visiting research scholar at CSEAS, Kyoto University, Japan.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/10/time-jokowi-resolve-past-human-rights-abuse-cases.html