Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Agustinus Tabuni, a 24-year-old local identified as a member of an armed criminal group led by Militer Murib, was shot dead when a number of Indonesian Military and National Police personnel conducted a patrol in Kampung Jenggernok, Gome district, Puncak Jaya, around 10 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

"A joint team comprising 30 police and military personnel led by Adj. Comr. Syahwal Halim was conducting a patrol in Kampung Gome when they spotted three people carrying Mauser and revolver rifles," said Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Com. Rudolf Patrick in Jayapura on Tuesday.

"The team then pursued the three armed people. Two people fled while one suspect was shot as he attempted to shoot two police personnel involved in the patrol," he went on.

Security personnel confiscated one revolver, 12 bullets with a caliber of 7.62 x 51 mm and two bullets with a caliber of 3.8 mm. Rudolf said the Gome district head who was with the patrol managed to recognize the man that was shot.

"Both Gome district head and village officers joining the patrol confirmed that the dead victim was Agustinus Tabuni, a member of the Militer Murib group," he said.

After the identification process, Agustinus was cremated in a procession held at the site of the incident, and witnessed by the Gome district head and village officers. (dyl/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/31/member-armed-group-shot-dead-puncak-jaya.html

West Papua: Leaders meet solidarity groups in Brisbane

Pacific Media Centre - March 30, 2015

Brisbane (Free West Papua Campaign/Pacific Media Watch) – West Papuan leaders of the newly formed United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), including Benny Wenda, Octovianus Mote and Rex Rumakiek, met in Brisbane over the weekend with Australian and some Aotearoa/New Zealand solidarity groups.

As their campaign for full membership for West Papua to the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) gains momentum, the ULMWP met to strengthen campaign support for the July MSG meeting in Honiara, where the application for West Papuan membership will be considered.

The newly formed ULMWP is the coordinating body representing all organisations in the struggle for West Papuan self-determination as a unified front.

More than 40 delegates representing 13 West Papuan solidarity groups from across Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand, met in Woollangabba, Brisbane, with the ULMWP to network, hear stories and develop resources for the campaign to gain full membership of the MSG for West Papua.

Benny Wenda, spokesperson for the ULMWP, said: "This gathering is very significant because this is where the people who have been behind us from the beginning of the campaign until today contribute their ideas.

"We cannot do this on our own, we need everyone to come together to bring West Papua back to the family of Melanesian countries in the Pacific".

The solidarity groups meeting agreed on pursuing a coordinated strategy of activism with Pacific Island communities, Indigenous and church communities in the lead up to the July MSG meeting.

'One family' Mary Joku-Ponifasio, a West Papuan member of the New Zealand-based group Oceania Interrupted, said: "I encourage Pacific Island women to speak out for the women who are suffering in West Papua and be their voice. We Melanesian women are one family."

"Australians and New Zealanders can play a vital role in supporting the Melanesian nations in standing up to the regional powers and moving to end the illegal occupation of West Papua."

Peter Arndt, meeting co-organiser and representative of the West Papua Solidarity Group Brisbane, said: "There is growing support for West Papua in our region, and it is vital for all the solidarity groups to work together to support the ULMWP's efforts to achieve this important step towards freedom for West Papua."

"There is now an opportunity to turn this support into concrete, effective action, by getting the MSG leaders to grant West Papua a voice at the table."

Source: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/west-papua-leaders-meet-solidarity-groups-brisbane-9187

PNG PM calls on Indonesia to fulfill Yudhoyono's promise to reduce

ABC Radio Australia - March 29, 2015

Papua New Guinean prime minister Peter O'Neill has called on Indonesia to fulfil the promise of its former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to reduce troops stationed in West Papua.

Mr O'Neill told Radio Australia's Pacific Beatprogram that Mr Yudhoyono had discussed this intention with him during a bilateral meeting when the PNG prime minister was in Indonesia for a state visit.

He said he hoped current president Joko Widodo would keep the former leader's promise.

"We will try and hold the Indonesian government to that, to make sure that the current government also has the same view about a reduction of presence of military on the island, and of course more autonomy for the people of West Papua," Mr O'Neill said.

He said there were no specific details discussed at the meeting with Mr Yudhoyono on the number of troops to be withdrawn.

Mr O'Neill said he wanted to take a diplomatic approach to the issue of the future of West Papua, the mainly Melanesian and Christian western half of New Guinea Island. "We all need to have a very cordial relationship with Indonesia and we will continue to maintain that," he said.

"But that does not mean we will not keep quiet about the abuses that are taking place. I'm certain that Indonesia as a member of the international community will do the right thing, they've committed to us."

Dr Richard Chauvel from the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute said he had never heard such forceful language from a PNG leader when talking about the Indonesian province.

"Peter O'Neill's directness of laying the responsibility on the Joko Widodo government to fulfil Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono commitments... The frankness of that was remarkable," he said.

"The language he has used in terms of identifying West Papuans as 'our people', the other side of the border as 'our fellow Papuans', I think that is a remarkable change from the statements of any of his predecessors."

The West Papua expert also said Mr O'Neill's statement had the potential to embarrass the Indonesian government. "But he was also very cautious in the way that he linked the statement to the more effective implementation of autonomy for West Papua and also Indonesia's responsibility as a member of the international community," he said.

Mr Chauvel said Indonesia's version of the meeting with Mr O'Neill, however, was "starkly different".

Mr O'Neill's comments come after West Papuan independence leader Benny Wenda was refused entry into PNG yesterday, after he arrived without a visa. He said the reason Mr Wenda was not allowed to enter the country was a simple immigration matter and not a political issue.

"We welcome anybody to come to the country, but we must follow the immigration laws," he said. "There are no exceptions for anyone."

Mr O'Neill was in Melbourne on Thursday among the mourners at the funeral of former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser. He said Mr Fraser gave strong support to PNG's push for independence, which was granted in 1975 when he was opposition leader.

"In the early years his support for Papua New Guinea was well regarded and well appreciated by our country, that is why I am here today to pay our respects to him and to the family," he said.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-28/png-pm-says-indonesia-promised-troop-reduction-in-west-papua/6354606

OPM commander committed to armed struggle in Papua: Relative

Jakarta Globe - March 27, 2015

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A leader of the Free Papua Movement has not "surrendered" to the Indonesian military and remains committed to armed struggled over Jakarta's occupation of Papua, a relative of Goliath Tabuni told the Jakarta Globe.

"[Thursday] afternoon when I was in Nabire, Goliath Tabuni called me and reiterated that he and followers have not surrendered to join the Republic of Indonesia," Deerd Tabuni, a Papuan politician and relative of Goliath told the Jakarta Globe.

"[Goliath] is still consistent with his fight for an independent Papua," Deerd said.

Deerd said that Goliath had rejected that 23 OPM members had turned themselves in to the Indonesian military or police. "[Goliath says] 'They are not my followers; they are civilians. I don't understand why TNI calls them my followers'," Deerd said Goliath had told him.

Previously Brig. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman, chief of staff of the Cendrawasih military command said Goliath, his family and some of his followers had turned themselves in to authorities and renounced the struggle against Indonesian rule over Papua.

Tatang said Goliath had requested the military build him and his family a honai, or traditional Papuan home, in Tinginambut district, where the OPM leader has been operating.

Shortly after Tatang released his statement, Cendrawasih military commander Maj.Gen. Fransen. G. Siahaan issued an extraordinary retraction. Fransen said it was true that 23 OPM members had surrendered but Goliath was not among them.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/opm-commander-committed-armed-struggle-papua-relative/

Papua activist Benny Wenda leaves PNG after 'visa issue', government

ABC Radio Australia - March 27, 2015

Liam Fox – Papua New Guinea's government says a prominent West Papuan activist has been flown out of the country because he was travelling without a visa.

Benny Wenda, spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, was detained by immigration officials when he arrived in Port Moresby on Tuesday.

He had flown from the United Kingdom and had planned to visit PNG before heading to Vanuatu for a meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

"Now I'm deported," Mr Wenda said before being taken to the international terminal at Port Moresby's airport. "That means I leave this country, but my spirit and the struggle, I will leave it with the people of PNG today."

The office of Papua New Guinea's prime minister Peter O'Neill said Mr Wenda had arrived in the country without a visa.

A spokesman for Mr O'Neill said the West Papuan independence leader was not being deported, but he was "not permitted to enter the country". "It's not a political issue, it's a visa issue," he said.

The prime minister intervened in the case on Wednesday and met with Mr Wenda and PNG immigration officials.

Mr Wenda, who had been released into the care of friends, flew out of PNG on Thursday afternoon.

Last month Mr O'Neill said he would start speaking out about human rights abuses in the Indonesian province of West Papua. "I think, as a country, time has come for us to speak about the oppression of our people there," he said.

Some observers have wondered whether Mr Wenda's forced departure from PNG represents a backdown by Mr O'Neill.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-26/west-papua-activist-benny-wenda-leaves-png-after-visa-issue/6350804

West Papua: Deported Benny Wenda was on 'thank you' mission to PNG

Pacific Media Centre - March 27, 2015

Port Moresby (PNG Loop/Pacific Media Watch) – West Papua roving ambassador Benny Wenda says he came to Papua New Guinea to personally thank Prime Minister Peter O'Neill for voicing concern and support for the West Papuan struggle.

Wenda made these comments while he was being escorted into the international airport to be deported from Papua New Guinea.

Appointed as the spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) in 2014, Wenda said it was the first time a PNG Prime Minister had spoken about support for West Papua

"The Prime Minister spoke about West Papua last month, that is why I came here personally to thank him and secondly we want to explain West Papua have come together to gain our country from Indonesia," he said.

"I respect the laws and I will leave but my spirit and the struggle is already a Papua New Guinea struggle. It's not only a West Papua struggle and it is also a Melanesian struggle," Wenda told reporters.

Later, in a message on social media, Wenda said he believed he had been deported as a result of a "misunderstanding".

"I respect the wishes of the Papua New Guinea government. I think the visa issue is a technical matter and I am confident that it will be resolved so that I can return to Papua New Guinea," he said on Free West Papua Media Alerts.

Wenda said although he had been deported, he left behind his spirit to fight for West Papua with Papua New Guineans.

Wenda flew into the country on Tuesday but was detained on grounds he did not have a valid visa. He was supposed to have met with the secretary- general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua Octovianus Mote, who flew into PNG from the United States.

Governor's invitation

Mote told PNG Loop they were here on invitation from NCD Governor Powes Parkop and were supposed to have met with Prime Minister O'Neill to express their gratitude for his vocal concern and support.

Wenda lives in exile in the United Kingdom. In 2003 he was granted political asylum by the British government following his escape from custody while on trial.

He has acted as special representative of the Papuan people in the British Parliament, United Nations and European Parliament.

In 2013, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize along with West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma for their lifetime's work in struggling for peace, freedom and justice for West Papua.

In 2014, he was appointed as spokesman for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), a new organisation uniting the three main political organisations struggling for the independence of West Papua.

Source: http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/west-papua-deported-benny-wenda-was-thank-you-mission-png-9185

Pangdam: Dialog Jakarta – Papua must be in the frame of NKRI

Antara News - March 26, 2015

Jayapura (ANTARA News) – Commander XVII/Cenderawasih Major General Fransen Siahaan asserted, Jakarta-Papua dialogue that aggressively championed by a number of people, will be presented in the frame of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

"We have the same perception of the dialog before it is implemented," said Maj Siahaan, told Antara in Jayapura on Thursday.

He said, if the dialogue for the rectification of history and involving a foreign country then Cenderawasih will not support because of the status of Papua is final (part of NKRI).

Therefore it hoped that all the components of the perception that the plan can be realized.

Two-star general was hoping if implemented dialogue discussed is how to improve the welfare of the community, including improving their standard of living. "Papua is an integral part of Indonesia that does not need to be debated," said Fransen.

In addition to affirming the necessity of understanding the purpose in the plan of implementation of the Jakarta-Papua dialogue, Maj Fransen also expressed his support for the plan of dissolution of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB) which is a supporting organization of Papuan independence. "Cenderawasih support disband of KNPB," he said.

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/berita/487626/pangdam-dialog-jakarta-papua-harus-dalam-bingkai-nkri

Stranded West Papua leader to be deported

PNG Loop - March 25, 2015

West Papua leader Benny Wenda is still under the control of PNG Immigration and will be deported today at 1pm, back to England where he came from yesterday.

The co-ordinator of Free West Papua PNG Chapter Freddy Mambraso, said his group, with the support of NCD Governor Powes Parkop, were still negotiating with the government to allow Mr Wenda to stay for a while in the country.

Mr Wenda, an international symbol of the Free West Papua cause, has been denied access into the country.

He was waiting with Immigration officers at the Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby yesterday afternoon until 6pm when he was released to stay with Mr Mambraso last night.

Sources told PNG Loop yesterday that Mr Wenda came into Papua New Guinea at NCDC Governor Powes Parkop's request. Mr Parkop has a long history of involvement in human rights issues including the Papua issue.

Governor Parkop told Loop yesterday that Mr Wenda was "not locked up" and was awaiting clearance for him to officially enter PNG and then travel on to Vanuatu.

Wenda has been travelling from the United Kingdom. Loop attempted to speak with Mr Parkop this morning regarding this issue but could not get through

Source: http://www.pngloop.com/2015/03/25/stranded-west-papua-leader-deported/

Indonesian army claims OPM leader surrenders in Papua

Jakarta Globe - March 24, 2015

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – The Indonesian military has claimed a prominent leader of the pro-independence Free Papua Movement, or OPM, has turned himself in to authorities and renounced his struggle against Indonesian rule in Papua.

Goliat Tabuni, his family, and 23 followers surrendered to authorities on Sunday, according to Brig. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman, chief staff of Cendrawasih Military Command.

Tatang claimed on Monday that the group surrendered because they wanted to "live properly like other Indonesians."

Goliat is a seasoned OPM leader who has claimed responsibility for killing troops from the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) in the past.

Tatang said Goliat had requested the military build him and his family a honai, or traditional Papuan home, in Tinginambut district, where the OPM leader has been operating. TNI representatives were still negotiating with Tabuni.

The veracity of the army's claim has been questioned by other OPM commanders, however, who have challenged the TNI to prove it.

OPM Commander Puron Wenda said he was unsure about the military's statement. He said he had not been in contact with Tabuni, who led his own fighting cell, for a long time.

"Goliat might feel he is already independent and that is why he used the title of general, but for us our fight has just been started," he said.

Enden Wanimbo, another OPM military leader, challenged the TNI to show evidence. "Where is the evidence? Is there any videos or pictures," he asked.

Both military leaders said the OPM would not give up fighting for a free Papua. "We are not asking for money, position, or a new district, we just want Papua to be independent," Puron told the Jakarta Globe Tuesday.

The OPM has been waging a low-intensity guerilla war against Indonesia since Papua was annexed in 1969.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesian-army-claims-opm-leader-surrenders-papua/

After shooting, an uneasy calm in Papua

Radio New Zealand International - March 24, 2015

There's an uneasy calm in Yahukimo regency of Indonesia's Papua province following an incident at a West Papuan fundraising event which left a person dead.

Last week's event in Dekai, aimed at at raising funds for the West Papuan bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group, lapsed into chaos when police forces started forcibly breaking up the crowd.

The crowd became angry, a policeman's weapon was stolen and in the melee that followed, police fired at the crowd, killing one Papuan and wounding three others.

A local resident, who wishes for his name not to be used, says police continue to search for those who resisted police.

"Here in Yakuhimo, police have been chasing local people. There were three local people who got shot by police. Two days ago the situation was tense, but now the situation has begun to improve. Three people were shot by police, one has died."

Meanwhile, Tabloid Jubi reports that the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, which organised the fundraiser, had received permission from authorities to hold the event.

However the KNPB says the police were well-informed of the event and that organisers were about to close the fundraiser when police opened fire.

The KNPB has called on the Papua Police force to show responsibility for their brutal and inhumane conduct in Yahukimo.

Meanwhile, it's understood at least one member of the KNPB was arrested. Police say the missing weapon has been retrieved.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/269414/after-shooting,-an-uneasy-calm-in-papua

Legislators urge Papua police to complete Paniai case

Tabloid JUBI - March 24, 2015

Timika, Jubi/Antara – A legislator urged the Papua Police to thoroughly investigate the shooting case of a number of civilians in Paniai on December 8, 2014.

The deputy chairman of House of Representatives' Commission III, Benny K Harman, made the statement during a working visit to Jayapura to the Papua police chief, Inspector General of Police Yotje Mende.

"We urge the police chief to fully investigate it. Anyone who is allegedly involved must be prosecuted legally and imposed severe penalties, " he said in Timika on Sunday (22/03/2015)

Mende said the police would continue to investigate the case even though the perpetrators have not been caught. Previously, the Forum of the Papua Ecumenical Churches urged President Joko Widodo to immediately establish a Commission of Inquiry and Investigation (KPP HAM).

"It is been the fourth month since the shooter has not been revealed and seems like the investigation has not shown any progress, "chairman of the Synod Fellowship Baptist Churches in Papua Socrates Soyan Nyoman added.

Therefore, churches in Papua urged Jokowi to immediately form KPP HAM, because the incident is serious human rights violations. "We ask the President to seriously uncover Paniai case, by forming KPP HAM with a mandate to examine all the parties involved, and it must be carried out before the President visit Papua again, "Nyoman said.

He also pointed out that there was an indication of officers to intentionally protect its members and even seemed like in internal security forces did not the identity of two people who were on duty in the top of Enarotali Airport tower. Chairman of the Synod Kingmi, Benny Giay, also urged President Jokowi to appoint a person to act as a mediator in order to create dialogue Papua-Jakarta.

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/03/24/legislators-urge-papua-police-to-complete-paniai-case/

Human rights & justice

Authorities attempt to halt screening of 'Look of Silence' in West

Suara Pembaruan - March 31, 2015

Jakarta – Human rights activists in West Sulawesi have denounced police for attempting to stop a screening of Joshua Oppenheimer's documentary film "The Look of Silence" in Mamuju.

"Even though the attempt failed to stop the screening due to resistance from the Subar Raya editorial staff, the act has caused fear among the public, especially those who were present at the screening," said Asyari Mukrim, an activist from the West Sulawesi chapter of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), on Tuesday.

Nurlaela Lamasitiju from the Solidarity for Human Rights Violation Victims (SKP HAM) said the West Sulawesi police had displayed arrogance and intimidation by trying to prevent the public from accessing the film.

The movie screening, organized by Subar Raya newspaper and Mamuju Tarbiyah Academy, was held on Monday at a coffee shop.

The event, which was attended by commissioners from the local branch of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), was suddenly disrupted when 20 officers from the police force, the prosecutor's office and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) showed up and demanded the event be dismissed because it did not have the necessary permit.

The organizers refused to comply, citing that such a permit was unnecessary for a simple movie screening and that the movie has been screened in many cities without any problem.

The film, which tells the story of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge from the perspective of a family member of one of the victims of the state-sponsored killings, has caused concern in some corners due to the unfounded belief it promotes communism.

Earlier this month a group of Islamic hardliners attempted to halt the movie screening at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN) in Yogyakarta but failed after students refused to concede and barricaded their campus to prevent the protesters storming in.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/west-sulawesi-police-slammed-for-attempting-to-halt-look-of-silence-movie-screening/

Komnas HAM proposes inclusive forum for KKR

Jakarta Post - March 30, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – While a bill to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) for past human rights violations is among priority legislation to be deliberated this year, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is calling on the government and the House of Representatives to arrange public hearings prior to the setting up of the new commission.

Komnas HAM, a mediator between the government and civil society groups in the deliberation, has called on the government and House to involve the public – in particular the victims of past alleged rights abuses – in the process, instead of opting for certain preferences to achieve a national consensus.

"We can settle the cases through a non-judicial mechanism if all related elements agree. If not, its better not to impose it because it will not bring a comprehensive solution," Komnas HAM deputy chief Roichatul Aswidah told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

The resolution of several gross rights abuses has been out of reach for years due to political arguments.

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

Law No. 26/2000 on rights courts mandates the establishment of a KKR to settle abuses that took place before the 2000 law was passed.

Although a formal discussion on the matter has yet to begin, several officials including Attorney General M. Prasetyo have cited reconciliation instead of a rights tribunal as the best option, suggesting that the government will cancel the judicial process in an attempt to resolve past abuses.

In terms of challenges to resolving the cases via investigations, officials repeatedly cite the often prolonged length of time that has passed since the alleged abuses occurred as well as the lack of witnesses, victims or alleged perpetrators available, as many have passed away.

Komnas HAM reiterated the importance of opening the process to the public to resolve cases that have weighed on the country for years.

"We don't want to see these cases appear in public discussion every five years during elections, when they are used as weapons to attack [different presidential contenders]," Komnas HAM chairman Nur Kholis told the Post recently.

However, the fate of the KKR bill is in limbo, despite it being included among the priority bills that the government and House have agreed to deliberate this year.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly previously said the government was committed to endorsing the bill this year to hasten the process and restore the rights of victims of past human rights abuses, but no deliberations have taken place.

The House is not expected to start deliberations in the current sitting session, which will run for one month until April 24, due to ongoing tension involving the two existing political coalitions regarding issues deemed more important, including the selection of the new National Police chief.

If approved, the KKR would comprise of nine individuals who would be given four years to investigate the cases that Komnas HAM declared gross human rights violations, to find the most appropriate way of restoring the rights of the victims as well as achieving reconciliation.

The draft bill also mandates the establishment of KKR branches in Aceh and Papua due to the special needs of both of those regions, with the consent of the local authorities.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/30/komnas-ham-proposes-inclusive-forum-kkr.html

Legal challenge to Pollycarpus parole opens

Jakarta Post - March 26, 2015

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The Jakarta State Administrative Court held its first hearing on Monday of a petition challenging the decision to release Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto, the convicted murderer of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib, on parole.

Human rights watchdog Imparsial is asking the court to annul the parole, which they claim violates the provisions of a 2012 government regulation and a 2013 Law and Human Rights Ministry decree that public interest and a sense of justice and security should be taken into consideration when granting parole.

Pollycarpus was granted parole by the Law and Human Rights Ministry in November last year after only serving six years in prison. He had been sentenced to 14 years for the premeditated murder of Munir and falsifying documents.

In the petition, the plaintiffs also argued that such parole "violated the principles of legal certainty and transparency".

Representing the plaintiffs, Muhammad Isnur from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), said after the hearing that Pollycarpus had "failed to help uncover the mastermind behind Munir's murder". "Not to mention that Pollycarpus has shown no remorse," he added.

Isnur also cited a 2008 Supreme Court ruling that said the premeditated murder of Munir was heinous and had ignited criticism at home and abroad and had shown Indonesia, which was trying hard to build a democratic state based on the law and protection of human rights, in an embarrassing light.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly has defended the decision to release Pollycarpus, a former pilot with state-flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, on parole, saying that the latter had met all the conditions required by the ministry.

During Wednesday's hearing, the ministry officials presented no arguments, asking the court to allow them more time to prepare their brief as the ministry had yet to officially appoint legal representatives for the case.

Presiding judge Ujang Abdullah adjourned the hearing until April 1 to hear arguments from the ministry. "[Next time] you must be ready with your arguments," Ujang said. Pollycarpus was not present at the hearing, as the court was unable to contact him at his home address.

Pollycarpus was convicted in December 2005 at the Central Jakarta District Court for putting arsenic in Munir's tea at Singapore's Changi airport, where Munir was in transit en route to Amsterdam in September 2004.

The Supreme Court increased Pollycarpus' sentence to 20 years in 2008 after he lost an appeal, in 2013, it was cut to 14 years.

During his imprisonment, which began in June 2008, Pollycarpus accumulated a total of 42 months of remission on 11 occasions. His release has been seen as a blow for human rights campaigners who have long sought justice for Munir and other unresolved human rights abuses in the country.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/26/legal-challenge-pollycarpus-parole-opens.html

Women's rights

Portrait exhibit examines violence, injustice against women

Jakarta Globe - March 30, 2015

Ari Susanto, Yogyakarta – Prominent feminist and artist Dewi Candraningrum exhibited her visual artworks "Dokumen Rahim," or "Documents of a Womb," in Yogyakarta's Sangkring Art Project earlier this March.

Through acrylic painting and charcoal drawing, she captures portraits of neglected women – the victims of violence, rape, and an unjust authoritarian regime.

Dewi serves as a lecturer at the Surakarta Muhammadiyah University in Solo, Central Java, and is the editor of the Indonesian Women's Journal.

Most of the 128 sketches displayed in the exhibit were inspired by her own experience in advocating for women rights, and draw from the pain and sorrow of survivors she encountered.

"Dokumen Rahim" is a series of images resembling documents that contain Dewi's notes on woman rights abuse cases in Indonesia and abroad, from physical abuse and rape to genital mutilation.

Dewi said she chose the thought provoking title because a woman's womb is a symbol of her purity, from which all human life begins.

Rahim also means merciful in Arabic, reflecting the strategy she chose to take in criticizing violence against women – through peaceful measures, rather than violence. Dewi says she believes the important task of speaking out for victims must be carried out with compassion rather than pugnacious confrontation.

One of her portraits depicts mothers from Mount Kendeng in northern Central Java who camped in front of a cement plant to peacefully protest its construction for ecological reasons.

The painting also reflects Dewi's passion for defending the rights of Indonesia's indigenous community in wanting to preserve the environment.

"'Dokumen Rahim' sends the message that we must fight for women's rights with love and compassion," Dewi said at the exhibition's launch last week.

A series of portraits in the exhibit depicts the forgotten ianfu, so-called "comfort women" held captive and raped by Japan's soldiers during the former empire's occupation of the Indonesian archipelago.

She also reminded visitors of the Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani) from the 1960s – an organization associated with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) – through black and white sketches of four former Gerwani members, titled "Plight of Gerwani."

In the dawn of former dictator Suharto's New Order regime, women believed to have ties to Gerwani were jailed without trial, raped and tortured.

Those who survived were discriminated against by a government driven by its hate of Godless communism. Those identified as former members were stripped of the right to vote in regional and presidential elections, and forbidden from joining the military or civil service. Each job they applied for required them to also submit a police report on their "criminal" past.

In "After the Rape," Dewi paints the anguished faces of rape victims of the 1998 May riots in rich colors.

She explained that pain can also be expressed through vivid hues to reflect its depth. The stark contrast implies a strong impression of hope behind the sorrow, Dewi added. With "After the Rape," Dewi underlines the crippling impact of rape on a woman's self esteem that lingers long after the physical scars heal.

"Rape victims are precious; they are not shameful in any way," she says. "Thus, sadness sometimes needs to be illustrated with bright, colorful images."

Dewi is an outspoken activist for rape victims of the '98 riots in Jakarta, Solo and Medan, most of whom were of ethnic Chinese decent. With the help of the National Commission on Violence against Woman (Komnas Perempuan), Dewi continues to campaign for government-led efforts to investigate the mass atrocities.

"Though it occurred 17 years ago, the victims and their families need acknowledgement from the government, not denial," she said.

Charcoal sketches titled "Daughters from Zambia" portray the young women she met during her mission to the African country last year to raise awareness about child exploitation – trafficking, sexual abuse and early marriage – in developing countries.

A combination of poverty, little to no access to education, the spread of HIV and AIDS, child trafficking and the ritual of female genital mutilation, or FGM, pose a serious threat to the women of Zambia – as well as Indonesia.

At least 27 countries in Asia and Africa still practice FGM, putting at risk 125 million girls of life-long physical pain,infection and even death. "Every girl in Zambia undergoes FGM and the death rate if very high in Africa," Dewi said.

In "Ecological Body," the activist uses flowing lines to capture the female body. She underlined that each individual has the authoritative right to define their own body, desires and sexual orientation.

"Dokumen Rahim" does not focus solely on women; Dewi used her artistic skills to also pay respects to fathers in "Lelaki Rahim," (translatable variously as "Man of the Womb" or "Male Womb.")

Prominent visual art and literature curator Kris Budiman refers to Dewi's work as "talking pictures," calling her one of Indonesia's "exceptional" rising artists.

He praised Dewi for her versatility, marveling at her ability to portray melancholy in vibrant colors, while also producing striking black and white sketches.

"This exhibition shows the other side of Dewi, who is widely known as an activist, researcher, and writer on feminism issues," Kris said. "She stimulates emotions with her images using unconventional [artistic] techniques that are just as good as her writing," he added.

Komnas Perempuan chairwoman Yuniyanti Chuzaifah called Dewi one of the few feminist artists who tirelessly dedicates her time and energy to representing the rights of marginalized women.

Dewi, a single parent, began painting two years ago after finding inspiration in her 15-year-old son, Ifan Ufuq Isfahan, who suffers from autism spectrum disorder and is himself a very talented artist. Their first joint exhibition took place in Solo's Balai Sudjatmoko in 2014.

What started as a hobby became a medium for Dewi's passionate cause. For the activist, arts is another language with which to express her thoughts and ideas on women's rights.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/portrait-exhibit-examines-violence-injustice-against-women/

Labour & migrant workers

Kalla unfazed as laborers protest fuel price hike

Jakarta Globe - March 29, 2015

Carlos Roy Fajarta Barus & Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – About 200 laborers staged a protest at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta on Sunday, but Vice President Jusuf Kalla says the government's decision to increase the price of subsidized fuel over the weekend was necessary for national development.

"We, as representatives of laborers, want to express our disappointment with the current administration," said Ilhamsyah, a union leader. The protesters briefly blocked one entrance to the port area, causing traffic congestion in the area.

The government on Saturday increased the price of subsidized Premium fuel to Rp 7,400 per liter ($0.57), from Rp 6,900 per liter. Subsidized diesel, known as solar, now costs Rp 6,900 per liter, up from Rp 6,400.

However, Kalla said the prices of basic goods were unlikely to be affected by the relatively minor price hike.

"In Indonesia, whatever happens, the people will protest," the vice president said. "[The fuel price] is up slightly, [so they] protest. However, we want to build longer roads, more schools and more hospitals. If the state doesn't have enough money, how can we build?"

Pertamina, the state energy firm, said in a press release last week that the price hike was necessary because of rising oil prices and the depreciation of the rupiah against the dollar.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/kalla-unfazed-laborers-protest-fuel-price-hike/

Freedom of speech & expression

Two women sentenced to months in prison after violating draconian ITE

Jakarta Globe - March 31, 2015

Yuli Krisna, Bandung/Yogyakarta – Two Indonesian women on Tuesday were sentenced to months in prison for violating Indonesia's notorious 2008 Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) law.

Bandung State Court sentenced 47-year-old housewife Wisni Yetty to five months of jail, plus a fine of Rp 100 million ($7700), or an additional six months' jail time for violating the law.

Yogyakarta postgraduate student Florence Sihombing, meanwhile, was handed a two-month prison sentence and a total fine of Rp 10 million ($770), pending six months' probation

The two cases are bound to stir concern among rights groups worried about freedom of expression and privacy in Indonesia.

In February last year Wisni was reported to West Java Police by her husband for distributing and transmitting immoral content online.

Wisni's husband, Haska Estika, obtained a transcript of a private Facebook conversation from 2011 in which Wisni reportedly told a friend about Haska abusing her. Haska then reported his wife to the police. Judge Saptono of the Bandung State Court said on Tuesday that Wisni was guilty of defaming her husband.

Damar Juniarto, coordinator of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SafeNet), argued that the court had recklessly ignored evidence that was helpful for Wisni. Damar said that the conversation between Wisni and her friend – about domestic violence – was done through a private social media feature.

He added that the court should have prosecuted Haska for accessing Wisni's Facebook account without her consent. "He should've been tried with article 30 from the IT [2008 Law on Electronic Information and Transaction] law. He could get six to eight years' imprisonment and a total fine between Rp 600 to Rp 800 million," Damar said.

Yogyakarta State Court, meanwhile, sentenced Florence – a postgraduate student at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) – to two months in jail and a total fine of Rp 10 million, or an additional one month of jail time for violating article 27 of the law. However, she was handed six months' probation.

Florence became the subject of a social media uproar in August last year after a post she had published on social media network Path was screen- captured and went viral, triggering a awave of negative reactions, mainly from residents of Yogyakarta.

"Yogyakarta is poor, stupid and uncultured. Friends in Jakarta and Bandung, please don't come to Yogya," her post said.

Chief Judge Bambang Sunanto said on Tuesday that Florence's post contained "insults" and created "restlessness" among residents of Yogyakarta.

"The court decides that the suspect does not need to undergo the sentence unless she commits crime before her six-month probation time ends," Bambang said as cited by news portal Republika.co.id.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/two-women-sentenced-months-prison-violating-draconian-ite-law/

Online war of words lands poet in police cus(s)tody

Jakarta Globe - March 26, 2015

Jakarta – Indonesian poet Saut Situmorang was taken by three Jakarta Police officers from his Yogyakarta home to testify in a libel case, his friends said on Thursday.

"I am ready to be questioned by police," Saut said as he was being escorted, as quoted by Merdeka.com. "My status is a witness. [The officers] came to pick me up. If I am a witness, why not question me here? Why must I be taken to Jakarta?"

The plainclothes officers visited Saut at his house at 8 a.m. on Thursday, his friends wrote on social media. The officers' presence compelled dozens of poets, essayists and authors to come to his home on Jalan Parangtritis in Yogyakarta in a show of support.

The officers argued that Saut had three times evaded summonses for questioning by the East Jakarta Police in a libel case filed against fellow poet Iwan Soekri Munaf.

On his Facebook page last year, Iwan criticized the inclusion of political pundit Denny Juniar Ali, founder of the Indonesian Survey Circle polling group, in a book titled "33 Most Influential Literary Figures in Indonesia."

The book puts Denny on a par with Indonesian literary giants like Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Chairil Anwar and Rendra. Iwan's post mentioned a female writer, Fatin Hamama, as someone who was responsible for the inclusion, calling her "a broker."

Fatin responded to the Facebook post and a heated argument ensued. Saut also wrote in the discussion thread telling Iwan not to respond to a "bajingan," the Indonesian equivalent of a "scumbag."

Fatin reported Iwan to the police for slander and Saut for "unpleasant conduct." Both are also accused of violating the notorious Internet and Electronic Transactions Law.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Martinus Sitompul confirmed that Saut had been "forcibly summoned" by police but denied that police would try to detain him as his friends suspected.

Several of Saut's friends wrote on social media that Saut initially refused to be taken to Jakarta, saying that he wished to be questioned in Yogyakarta.

Saut even phoned his lawyers when police insisted, his friends wrote. The poet eventually agreed and was taken to Yogyakarta's Tugu train station at around 1 p.m. where he and the officers boarded a train to Jakarta.

Poet Puthut Ea wrote on his Facebook page that Saut's summons was a serious setback to freedom of speech.

"This issue is not just about Saut, but the encroachment on the freedom of expression [...] how intolerant we are toward different opinions and expressions," he said. "Today Saut [has fallen victim]. Tomorrow, it could be one of us. It could be our children."

Saut said he was ready to defend remarks made by Iwan and himself. "I am ready to fight back," he said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/online-war-of-words-lands-poet-in-police-cusstody/

Political parties & elections

Megawati to keep her iron grip on PDI-P

Jakarta Globe - March 31, 2015

Hizbul Ridho, Jakarta – Megawati Soekarnoputri is slated to continue as chairwoman of the country's biggest political party for a fifth consecutive term despite strong public demand for a new brand of leadership.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is scheduled to stage a national congress from April 9-12, but its deputy secretary general Trimedya Panjaitan confirmed that absent from the agenda is any indication of a progression in leadership or a stage for a successor to Megawati's reign, which has virtually gone unchallenged since she founded the party in 1999.

The congress will instead discuss a reshuffle of the party's structure and its stance on key political issues, he said.

"The issue concerning [PDI-P's] chairmanship has been settled," Trimedya said. "Mega will continue to serve as chairwoman. The main issue now is party structure. [PDI-P officials] are now wondering whether they get to keep their jobs or will be replaced."

Megawati's position has been secure since the party's 2010 congress, during which party members voted to extend the former president's leadership for a fourth and fifth term, he said, adding that no other politician has been considered for the job.

Some analysts predicted that this year's congress will likely see Megawati's daughter and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Puan Maharani elected as deputy chairwoman. Trimedya, however, did not dismiss the possibility of this in the future, saying Puan "deserves a good post."

But President Joko Widodo – also a PDI-P member – has stressed that no member of his cabinet should hold any party position. Puan was the PDI-P chief of politics and institutional relations, a post she gave up for her current role in Joko's government.

In direct contradiction with the president's statement, Trimedya said he saw no problem in Puan holding down both positions as long as "her responsibilities for the party do not hinder her duties as welfare minister." He added that "Puan would not be directly involved in the party, but her input and thoughts are valuable to PDI-P."

However, several surveys have shown that a majority of the public disagrees with having yet another member of the Sukarno family in a position of power, calling for fresh faces in the party's upper echelons.

Poltracking Indonesia last week released a results of a survey that placed Megawati, her son Prananda Prabowo and Puan at the bottom of a list of nine political figures whom respondents think should lead the party, which earned the most legislative seats in last year's elections.

Topping the list of favorites to lead PDI-P is Joko, who scored a popularity ranking of 7.68 out of 10 points. Behind the president are Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo and veteran politician Pramono Anung, who scored 7.41 and 7.35, respectively.

Megawati, Prananda and Puan were ranked seventh, eighth and ninth, scoring 6.44, 5.93 and 5.74, respectively.

The poll surveyed 200 political experts between December and January. But PDI-P dismissed the study as a sham, and accused the group of trying to fray the relationship between Joko and Megawati.

Ties between the two soured when Joko refused to swear-in Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as police chief due to his alleged involvement in a 2010 graft case. Budi was Megawati's security aide during her time as president from 2001-2004.

University of Indonesia sociologist Hamdi Muluk called PDI-P's accusation "baseless," arguing that the surveys mirrored the public's perception. Hamdi said the public expects each political party to be run democratically – and what is currently happening in PDI-P is anything but.

"If the same person gets elected again and again, that's called a deterioration in leadership," he said, predicting that the party will likely lose public support as a result of its nepotistic practices.

He then likened Megawati's rule of PDI-P to that of a dictatorship. Ikrar Nusa Bakti, a senior political researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said the party has no chance of progressing with Megawati or her children ruling the party.

"The [experts] surveyed by Poltracking Indonesia were right in wanting to see a leader who isn't related to Sukarno," he said referring to Megawati's father, the country's first president.

But PDI-P elites are too afraid to acknowledge this, Ikrar said. "Even Joko supports Mega's fifth term as party chief because she unites its members. If we don't see a chairperson, Mega's brand of leadership will age [along with Megawati], which means there will be no progress," he said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/megawati-keep-iron-grip-pdi-p/

Golkar standoff in party office

Jakarta Globe - March 30, 2015

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Hotman Siregar & Hizbul Ridho, Jakarta – The rift inside the Golkar Party reached a new height on Monday with the party's House of Representatives, or DPR, caucus office turning into a dramatic scene.

Incumbent caucus officials reportedly locked the office, located on the 12th floor of the House's Nusantara I building, forcing their successors to call in House security officials and a locksmith to open the doors.

The incumbents barricaded the doors with furniture, while other entrances were replaced with dry wall. The main door was eventually unlocked by a locksmith, and the new caucus officials were able to enter the office.

Jakarta Metro Police chief Insp. Gen. Unggung Cahyono attended the scene to ensure the incident didn't turn violent.

"I see that everything is alright," the two star general said. "I will let the security guards take it from here. I just came to make sure that everyone is safe and the guards don't take sides."

Golkar split in December, with one faction throwing its support behind Agung Laksono and the other remaining loyal to Aburizal Bakrie, the incumbent chairman.

Both men claimed to be the rightful chairman, but the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights endorsed Agung's reign.

Agung has threatened to replace Aburizal loyalists in the legislature, including Ade Komarudin, the current chairman of the Golkar caucus, and his secretary general, Bambang Soesatyo.

Agung said his camp had informed the House on Monday that Ade and Bambang were being demoted from their positions as caucus chairman and secretary, and that they would be replaced by Agus Gumiwang and Fayakhun Andriadi, respectively. Ade and Bambang were given until Sunday to clear out their desks.

Golkar lawmaker and Agung loyalist Melchias Markus Mekeng said Ade cooperated and voluntarily gave the key to his office to his replacement Agus on Sunday. But upon visiting the caucus office the following day, Mekeng found the doors locked.

Bambang was using the office to stage a press conference along with four other Aburizal supporters when the incident occurred. Bambang argued that the party's conference in Jakarta, which saw Agung elected chairman, was a sham and that participants were bribed to attend the congress and vote for Agung.

The press conference, however, was cut short when shouting was reportedly heard from the outside telling those in the office to open the door.

To the dozens of journalists attending the press conference Bambang gave a different account, saying that the doors were locked from the outside. "The doors to the emergency exits were locked and guarded by unknown people," he said.

Agus, Fayakhun and Mekeng arrived a short moment later in the lobby with another group of journalists.

While denying it was his colleagues who had locked the doors, Bambang said he was the one who called the police. "The legitimate caucus chairman is Ade Komarudin," he said.

Bambang claimed he phoned National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti who then instructed Unggung to attend the scene.

Meanwhile Fayakhun said that the doors were locked from the inside. "We knocked the doors and waited for 15 minutes," he said. Fayakhun claimed he wanted to politely ask Ade and Bambang to leave quietly.

However, Ade, Bambang and two other legislators – Slamet Rasyid and Adhi Massardi – refused to open the door. Mekeng then called the House secretariat's office asking for security and a locksmith. The standoff lasted for about an hour.

He said, he said

Agung's deputy Yorrys Raweyai said the incident has forced his camp to not only relieve Ade and Bambang from their current caucus post but also revoked their status as lawmakers.

"What [Ade and Bambang] did is unethical and does not reflect how a Golkar member should behave," he said. "We will take firm action. [Ade and Bambang] will be fired [from Golkar]."

Separately, Aburizal's supporters claimed Agus Gumiwang, the incoming caucus chairman, has already been fired from Golkar based on a decision made by Aburizal before the Golkar split occurred.

Agus was reported to the National Police for document forgery, trespassing, property damage and shouting "unpleasant words."

Agung's camp has filed a police report against Ade and Bambang for trespassing and illegally occupying the caucus office. National Police Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso promised to maintain impartiality and professionalism, treating both complaints with equal care and measure.

State administrative affairs expert Asep Warlan Yusuf of Parahyangan University said that from a legal standpoint, Agung's camp has the right to replace Ade and Bambang with one of their own.

"Although [Agung's reign] is legitimate, they should not create more drama inside the House. They should be patient and not conduct any reshuffle before Aburizal exhausts his legal options," he said.

Abdul Fickar Hadjar, a legal expert from Trisakti University said Agung is the legitimate Golkar chairman "until there is a court order reversing the ministry decision." "So before the court makes a ruling on the matter [Agung] should not do any reshuffle inside the parliament," he said.

Agung's deputy Yorrys said his camp does not wish for a painful transition or to fire anyone from Golkar. "But [Ade and Bambang] continue to air statements and make moves which are inhibit moves for a reconciliation [between both camps]," he said.

Meanwhile Mekeng said at the House, Aburizal loyalists continue to dwindle. "Almost 70 people," Mekeng said of the Golkar lawmakers pledging support for Agung's rule. "But some are willing to openly admit it and some are not."

Legal expert Fickar predicted that the power struggle will only end if the State Administrative Court confirms the ministry's decision to recognize Agung's reign.

Previous splits inside the Golkar party have given birth to many political parties, most notably the Democratic Party, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the National Democratic Party (Nasdem).

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/golkar-standoff-party-office/

KPU recognizes Agung's Golkar

Jakarta Post - March 30, 2015

Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) says it recognizes the Golkar Party faction led by Agung Laksono. The faction has recently been validated by the government.

KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik said that according to the Political Party Law, legitimate leadership should be validated by the Law and Human Rights Ministry. He said Agung's faction has fulfilled this requirement.

Husni, however, refused to comment on whether the commission would only accept electoral candidates from Agung or would take those recommended by its rival faction led by Aburizal Bakrie.

"The elections haven't started. It is not proper for the KPU to act on anything that does not relate to the polls," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay said all parties involved in internal conflicts were expected to resolve their leadership disputes by June this year. The elections will take place simultaneously in regions in December.

Internal conflicts within Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP) have yet to be resolved, despite the ministry issuing decrees validating the leadership of the two parties' pro-government factions.

Former Golkar chairman Aburizal is still contesting the ministerial decree recognizing Agung at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN), while the ministry is appealing to the Supreme Court to defend another decree favoring the PPP faction led by Muhammad Romahurmuziy.

The PTUN rejected the ministry's decree on the PPP and granted the party chairmanship to Djan Faridz, a successor appointed by former chairman Suryadharma Ali.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/30/national-scene-kpu-recognizes-agung-s-golkar.html

Ex-news anchor to become nation's youngest party leader

Jakarta Globe - March 29, 2015

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Former news anchor Grace Natalie is working on the establishment of a new political party run entirely by young people, she announced on Sunday.

"I am officially [engaged in] politics. Together with several young colleagues, [we are] building a new party named Indonesian Solidarity Party, or PSI in short," the party's prospective chairwoman said.

Grace added that Raja Juli Antoni, a young activist with a Muhammadiyah background, would act as secretary general. The entire party, the former journalist said, would consist of young people with no prior political experience.

Grace, 32, worked for various television stations before she became the CEO of survey institute Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) in 2012.

If the PSI is officially established, Grace would be the nation's youngest political party leader and only the second woman holding that position, after Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/ex-news-anchor-become-nations-youngest-party-leader/

Tensions rise as Golkar factions battle

Jakarta Post - March 28, 2015

Jakarta – Conflict between the Golkar Party's two opposing factions has intensified as news of the Agung Laksono camp's plan to seize control of the party's faction office at the House of Representatives circulated on Friday.

A number of police officers were stationed at the office on the 12th floor of the House building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Friday.

"The police are ready to do their job if there is a request from the House's in-house security team," said Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Hendro Pandowo, who was also present at the office.

Agung's camp has been trying to take over the office after his leadership was validated by Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly on Monday.

Lawmakers from his camp quickly followed up the announcement by attempting to seize control of the party's faction from loyalists of Aburizal Bakrie.

While keeping Setya Novanto, a loyalist of Aburizal, as House speaker, Agung is focusing on removing his opponent's loyalists from strategic posts in House commissions and other internal bodies, including faction head Ade Komarudin and faction secretary Bambang Soesatyo.

Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, who has been appointed by Agung to replace Ade, has sent a letter to Ade, asking him to leave his office at the House by Sunday.

Aburizal and his supporters, however, refuse to give in, saying that the camp is waiting for the House to make a decision regarding the leadership of the party's faction. They also planned to file a lawsuit against Yasonna's decree with the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN).

On Friday, Agung's camp launched a counterattack by filing a report against Bambang with the National Police's crime unit.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/28/national-scene-tensions-rise-golkar-factions-battle.html

People's Democratic Party aims to offer anti-elite alternative in 2019

Jakarta Globe - March 28, 2015

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – The People's Democratic Party, or PRD, once accused by the military of having ties to the banned Communist Party of Indonesia, or PKI, (as well as, more innocuously, to Amnesty International) has said it plans to field a slate of contenders in the 2019 national legislative elections.

The PRD elected its new chairman, Agus Jaco Priyono, during a convention in Central Jakarta on Thursday. The newly elected chairman said he had formulated a strategy to allow the PRD to pass the government's stringent requirements for participating in the national election.

Under a 2011 law, parties are required to have at least 1,000 members throughout the country's 33 provinces. Parties must also have at least 30 registered members in each province. They also need permanent offices and members in 75 percent of all districts and half of all subdistricts.

The law has disqualified many parties from elections in the past, including some founded by prominent politicians and backed by wealthy donors. Only 12 parties were allowed to compete in the national election last year, down from 33 parties in the 2009 election.

The PRD has never qualified for any election, whether nationally or locally, since it was founded in 1996. Agus is confident he can change that.

"We will create [support] bases in all levels through our advocacy programs touching social, political and economic issues. In general our political strategy is to get all our political [allies] and unite them into one platform," he said.

The party grew from 1980s labor movements and students critical of former dictator Suharto's iron-fisted rule.

Suharto's New Order regime responded to the party's establishment by blaming it for staging the July 27, 1996, attack on the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). But many contend the attack was orchestrated by Suharto himself to tighten his hold on power and oust Megawati Soekarnoputri as the PDI chair.

Although abandoned by its founders, Agus says the PRD offers an alternative to existing political parties run as cults of personality by an elite few. "We are targeting young people, clean and idealistic people and nationalists," he said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/peoples-democratic-party-aims-offer-anti-elite-alternative-2019-elections/

PDI-P in 'blunder' over Risma

Jakarta Globe - March 27, 2015

Kennial Caroline Laia & Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – Analysts have warned that the party of President Joko Widodo is committing political suicide by not endorsing the popular and highly regarded Tri Rismaharini for another term as mayor of the East Java capital Surabaya.

The Surabaya chapter of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, has made a unanimous decision not to support the mayor, popularly known as Risma, in the election this December, after backing her in the previous ballot.

The PDI-P will instead nominate Deputy Mayor Wisnu Sakti Buana. Wisnu was the Surabaya City Council's deputy speaker before taking over from the post vacated by Risma's previous deputy, Bambang Dwi Hartono, who quit to mount an ultimately failed bid for the East Java gubernatorial election in 2013.

During his time at the council, Wisnu and other PDI-P councilors have often sparred with Risma, reportedly over her refusal to approve an Rp 8 trillion ($680 million) toll road project in the city.

Wisnu was among the city councilors who spearheaded a bid to call a vote of no confidence in the mayor in 2011 over her opposition to the toll road project. The bid ultimately fell flat, as did the project, which was also widely opposed by residents.

Risma even threatened to resign when the PDI-P named Wisnu as Bambang's replacement without consulting her.

Wisnu, who is also the PDI-P's Surabaya chapter chairman, said Risma had failed to improve the city or show loyalty to the party, which nominated her in 2010.

"Tri Rismaharini became mayor because of the PDI-P's support. But she left us in pursuit of her own popularity instead of maintaining the dignity of the PDI-P's constituents," he said.

The rest of the world, though, would appear to approve of what Risma has achieved while in office.

In February last year, the City Mayor Foundation named Risma its world mayor of the month, and on Friday the influential US business publication Fortune declared her one of the world's 50 greatest leaders.

"Elected as Surabaya's mayor in 2010, Rismaharini has transformed her city of 2.7 million people into a new kind of Indonesian metropolis, one that celebrates green space and environmental sustainability," Fortune said.

Risma rose to fame in 2005 as the head of the Surabaya parks department, which was responsible for rejuvenating the city's parks and developing more green spaces. The mayor has been praised for her hands-on approach to the city's problems, such as picking up trash along the roadside or getting out of her car to direct traffic.

Arbi Sanit, a political analyst at the University of Indonesia said the PDI-P "has made terrible mistake [...] given the fact that they lack strong candidates outside of the mayor."

"It's not hard to say that the PDI-P will lose the local election. It will lose its popularity," Arbi said. "Now the other parties are trying to lure Risma to join them. That's good for her."

The National Mandate Party (PAN), the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the National Democrat Party (NasDem) are among those that have expressed an interest in supporting Risma after the PDI-P ditched her.

The PAN's Surabaya chapter on Friday offered its "unconditional support" to Risma, while Gerindra said it hoped to work together with the incumbent "to determine who her running mate will be."

Cecep Hidayat, a UI political analyst, said PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri likely felt threatened by Risma's growing popularity.

"Should people continue to support Risma, the mayor could pose a threat to Megawati and even Puan," he said, referring to Puan Maharani, Megawati's daughter and heir apparent to the PDI-P chair.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/pdi-p-blunder-risma/

Yasonna's probe plan weakens as PAN gets nod

Jakarta Post - March 26, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A proposal for an inquiry into Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly over an alleged "abuse of power" is losing its muscle as the minister approved the new chairmanship of the National Mandate Party (PAN) under Zulkifli Hasan on Wednesday.

While having garnered support from 116 lawmakers, the inquiry that is set to probe the minister's rulings in ongoing party conflicts may hit a stumbling block during a review in the House of Representatives' steering committee (Bamus), in which every party faction delivers its stance on the inquiry plan.

As a member of the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, which initiated the inquiry, PAN has not said whether it supports the proposal that aims to probe two ministerial decrees that recognized the leaderships of pro- government camps in the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP).

The party went through a relatively smooth succession earlier this month in Bali with People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Zulkifli taking over the party's chairmanship from Hatta Rajasa.

After his inauguration, Zulkifli pledged that the party would remain in the opposition coalition, but was open to supporting good initiatives from the government.

"Our stance to be part of the [Red-and-White Coalition] remains until today. We are still thoroughly studying the urgency of the inquiry. We will make a decision soon," PAN executive Mufachri Harahap said.

PAN secretary general Eddy Soeparno said that discussion on the matter would be prioritized in the first meetings of the new management to be held in the next few days.

If PAN's House faction decides not to support the probe into Yasonna, the Bamus review may only see three factions – the Gerindra Party, Golkar and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) – of the 10 House factions, sponsor the inquiry.

Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, which remains independent but has been occasionally swayed into supporting the opposition, has said that it will not support the inquiry and that each party should resolve their own internal conflicts.

Despite throwing support behind the opposition earlier, the PPP faction at the House is controlled by the pro-government camp led by Hasrul Azwar, a supporter of Muhammad Romahurmuziy, who had earned recognition to lead the party from Yasonna.

The Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) recently revoked a ministerial decree on the recognition and granted the PPP's chairmanship to Djan Faridz, but Yasonna, a politician from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict.

Hasrul's control over the PPP faction, however, may still be effective pending the court verdict.

Former Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who recently lost legitimacy to Agung Laksono, is challenging Yasonna's decision to recognize Agung's leadership with the PTUN but his case has yet to be heard.

While awaiting the court order to suspend the decree, Agung has the right to replace the party's faction lineup at the House to assure that it supports the government. If successful, Agung's takeover may also crush the inquiry plan.

Golkar lawmaker John Kenedy Azis, who is among the initiators of the inquiry, said the proposal has met the quorum to be proceeded.

The signatories of the motion consist of 55 Golkar lawmakers from Aburizal's camp, 37 from Gerindra, 22 from PKS; two from PAN and another two from the PPP.

PAN executive Yandri Susanto previously encouraged his fellow party members to wait for an official stance to be taken by the party's central board office and reminded that all should comply with the decision.

Yandri assured that PAN would be extremely careful in examining the matter to avoid unnecessary involvement in the internal affairs of the two embattled political parties.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/26/yasonna-s-probe-plan-weakens-pan-gets-nod.html

Opposition parties try to launch Yasonna inquiry

Jakarta Post - March 25, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Parties in the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, supported by the Aburizal Bakrie faction of the Golkar Party, have agreed to launch an inquiry into Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly for his alleged intervention that led Aburizal to lose his chairmanship of the party.

The opposition coalition aims to submit the inquiry motion to the House of Representatives leadership by Thursday, a move many in the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition perceive as "weak".

Lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo, a supporter of Aburizal, who lost the Golkar chairmanship to Agung Laksono, announced on Tuesday that 50 of the party's 91 lawmakers had signed the proposal. Other political factions in the opposition camp have agreed to direct all their lawmakers to follow suit in a show of solidarity.

"We're determined to endorse the inquiry because we've been informed that Yasonna made the decision [to issue a decree to recognize Agung's leadership] without the President's consent. Thus, we demand an investigation into the move of the [law and human rights] minister, who is a politician from a political party," Bambang told a press briefing on Tuesday.

Bambang alleged that the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), of which Yasonna is a member, was behind the decision to favor the pro-government camp of Agung. He also alleged that the move was motivated to lure Golkar, which had the largest number House seats among members of the opposition coalition, into the ruling coalition.

Bambang, a member of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs, said Yasonna had abused his position as minister. "We will fight back. He [Yasonna] has acted as a political party operator instead of a minister," Bambang said.

Bambang's colleagues from the Gerindra Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) backed the announcement.

"We fully support the proposal as we too have suffered from his [Yasonna] abuses of authority," said United Development Party (PPP) politician Epyardi Asda. Epyardi is a member of a political faction within the PPP that supported the leadership of Djan Faridz.

Last year, Yasonna recognized the leadership of Muhammad Romahurmuziy of the PPP at the expense of Djan, a former minister in the administration of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"The PTUN [Jakarta State Administrative Court] granted the party's chairmanship to us [the Djan Faridz camp], yet Yasonna recognized the leadership of Romahurmuziy as legitimate," Epyardi went on.

While other parties in the opposition coalition support the motion, PAN has yet to formally endorse it, despite the presence of two of its politicians, Teguh Juwarno and Dewi Coryati, in the press briefing to announce the inquiry proposal on Tuesday.

The two PAN politicians said they had yet to receive directives from the party's central board. "Our presence is an act of solidarity as we are still a member of the KMP [the Red-and-White Coalition]. An official stance of the party's faction will be issued after the central board makes a final decision," Teguh said.

PAN is expecting a decision from Yasonna on the party's new leadership, which is now controlled by new chairman Zulkifli Hasan.

The camp of Zulkifli, who is also People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker, registered his leadership at Yasonna's office last week. The minister is expected to make his decision on Wednesday.

Parties in the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition have played down the threat against Yasonna, saying that it lacks a legal basis.

The PDI-P's Aria Bima said an inquiry normally expected to hear an explanation from the president, not ministers. "The 1945 Constitution mandates this. This is why we've been wondering why such a proposal has been is aimed at Pak Yasonna instead of the President," Aria said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/25/opposition-parties-try-launch-yasonna-inquiry.html

Golkar's flip could leave KMP in tatters

Jakarta Globe - March 25, 2015

Erwin Cristianson, Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Yustinus Paat & Hotman Siregar, Jakarta – The Red-White Coalition could be reduced to only two parties soon, political analysts say, as the biggest party in the opposition bloc shows signs that it may be planning to switch sides in favor of President Joko Widodo's administration.

Ray Rangkuti, director of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle (LIMA), said the bloc's dwindling power is further evidenced by a split inside the opposition, known as KMP, over the plan to launch a parliamentary inquiry against Justice and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly.

Only the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) are unified so far in their call to launch an inquiry against Yasonna.

"This means that in the future, the KMP will only consist of Gerindra and the PKS," Ray said on Wednesday. "The PKS and Gerindra are the only ones that have supported [the inquiry] as House [of Representatives] factions. They have vested interests in keeping Golkar in the opposition."

The two parties have accused Yasonna of abusing his authority by recognizing Agung Laksono, who has repeatedly stated his intention to join Joko's ruling coalition, as the legitimate leader of the Golkar Party, a member of the Red-White Coalition.

Ray noted that only a few lawmakers in Golkar, particularly those remaining loyal to Agung's rival Aburizal Bakrie, support the inquiry, while the majority have switched to Agung's side.

'Unproductive' inquiry

Meanwhile the Democratic Party, the third-biggest party in the opposition bloc after Golkar and Gerindra, signaled on Wednesday that it would not endorse the planned inquiry.

"We have not yet decided [our official stance] but we will not join the inquiry," Democratic Party deputy secretary general Saan Mustopa said. "We will not meddle in the affairs of other parties. Hopefully there won't be any Democratic Party members signing up [for the petition to support the inquiry]."

The National Mandate Party (PAN), the Red-White Coalition's fourth-biggest party, has also decided not to officially support the inquiry. "The inquiry will simply create new problems and make the political climate unproductive," PAN national leadership board chairman Viva Yoga Mauladi said.

But Viva pointed out that his party would not stop individual PAN lawmakers from supporting the inquiry.

PAN veteran lawmaker Teguh Juwarno said despite his party and the Democrats opting out of the inquiry, the Red-White Coalition was still solid. The different stances "will not dissolve the KMP," he said.

Agung vs. Aburizal

Golkar split in December, with one faction throwing its support behind Agung and the other remaining loyal to Aburizal, the incumbent chairman.

Agung has criticized Aburizal for the party's poor result in last April's legislative elections as well as his support of former general Prabowo Subianto, who eventually lost the presidential race to Joko.

However, Aburizal refused to back down from his re-election bid, staging a national congress in Bali in November.

The congress, which his rivals consider a sham, saw Aburizal being re- elected for a second term. A rival congress held in Ancol, North Jakarta, in early December, saw the anti-Aburizal party members elect Agung as chief.

Both sides agreed to settle the dispute through the party's internal tribunal. But the tribunal issued a split decision, with two of the four judges ruling in favor of Agung, while the other two said that the dispute should be settled by a court.

The government has decided to accept the ruling issued by the two judges in favor of Agung.

With Golkar's 91 seats in the House, the dispute proved to be of great interest for both the ruling coalition and the opposition bloc. The switch could mean that for the first time since Joko took office last year, his ruling coalition will have a majority of 298 seats over the opposition bloc's 262.

Aside from securing the position of speaker in the national legislature, Golkar also has members chairing several House oversight commissions.

'No good governance'

Legal expert Asep Warlan Yusuf of Bandung's Parahyangan University said Yasonna should have allowed both sides to exhaust their legal options before taking sides, calling his decision to endorse Agung's reign "rushed" and "political."

Asep noted that Yasonna made a similar decision on the United Development Party (PPP), which also became embroiled in a similar power struggle between the pro-government Muhammad Romahurmuziy and KMP supporter Djan Faridz.

Yasonna endorsed Romahurmuziy's claim over the PPP chairmanship, which the State Administrative Court (PTUN) later overturned.

"This shows that [Yasonna's] decision is legally problematic," he said. "Yasonna's decisions [on Golkar and the PPP] are too political and cause many problems. I think the president should reprimand him."

Aburizal is suing the government in both the Central Jakarta District Court and in the State Administrative Court.

"We have lodged a complaint against the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, whose decision in favor of the other faction is contrary to the principles of good governance," Aburizal's lawyer Yusril Ihza Mahendra told Reuters. He added that Aburizal should remain chairman of Golkar – which had backed Prabowo in last year's election – until a verdict was announced.

Agung told local media last week that the party planned to join Joko's coalition without expecting cabinet seats in return.

Cabinet reshuffle?

Vice President Jusuf Kalla told Reuters last week that the government was planning a cabinet reshuffle in the next month, but declined to comment on whether Golkar would be included in the new lineup.

Analysts say Joko will be under pressure to include Golkar, the political vehicle of former authoritarian ruler Suharto, in any new cabinet.

"Jokowi already has patrons to deal with in his coalition and the addition of Golkar would mean another patron. And he has to balance power between them," political analyst Tobias Basuki said, using the president's nickname. "This could potentially create new problems for [Joko]."

Agung threatened to replace Aburizal loyalists in the legislature, including Ade Komarudin, the current chairman of the Golkar caucus, and his secretary general, Bambang Soesatyo.

Agung's secretary general, Zainudin Amali, said on Tuesday that 61 Golkar legislators had decided to switch their allegiances to Agung's camp.

'Trying to be persuasive'

Agus Gumiwang said he has given Ade and Bambang until Sunday to clear out their desks.

"We are trying to be persuasive. But if [Ade and Bambang] refuse to comply, then we will resort to other means according to laws and procedures. The building has its security details, we have police officers guarding the complex. We can utilize them if [Ade and Bambang] won't budge," Agus said.

"If they are not happy with the minister's decision then go ahead! Make their legal moves! But by law, a government decision is in effect until there is a decision reversing it."

Agung's national leadership board chairman Leo Nababan said that Bambang and Ade could even be recalled from their positions as lawmakers if they refused to accept the reshuffle and provoked other Golkar lawmakers.

"I am warning Ade Komarudin and Bambang Soesatyo. If they want to fall, don't force others to go down with them. Don't force us to make a recall," he said.

Arbi Sanit, a political observer from the University of Indonesia (UI), said now that the government has officially recognized Agung's chairmanship of the party, the House leaders have no choice but to accept the reshuffle.

But House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon of Gerindra thinks otherwise, saying that he will not accept the reshuffle.

"The dispute [inside Golkar] is not over, the [legal] process is still ongoing. If we endorse [the reshuffle] when the dispute itself is not finalized there will be new problems," he said.

[Additional reporting by Reuters.]

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/analysis-golkars-flip-leave-kmp-tatters/

PKS leader calls on PRD to unite against neoliberalism

RMOL.co - March 25, 2015

The aggressive implementation of neoliberal policies in Indonesia cannot be halted by a small handful of groups. At the moment moreover neoliberalism has again succeeded in maintaining the status quo by taking advantage of the interests of the political parties that are thirsty for power and positions.

Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) advisory board (MPP) member Soeripto says that neoliberalism can only be blocked by collaborating.

"As a member of the PKS' MPP I am ready to collaborate with the PRD (People's Democratic Party). Let us not be egotistical in confronting neoliberalism alone. We must unite", said Soeripto at a seminar on the international situation at the PRD's congress at the Acacia Hotel in Central Jakarta on Wednesday March 25.

The intelligence observer [and former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief – JB] emphasised that he is ready to advocate on behalf of the PRD if there are groups that accuse them of being a communist party.

"The PRD must maintain the people's trust. Because right now the people are increasingly losing their faith in the political parties. This will not be easy", he said.

In addition to Soeripto, the seminar also presented National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) deputy for education TNI Major General Tony SB Hoesodo who elaborated on the state ideology of Pancasila which is the PRD's current ideology. [cho]

Notes

Tony Hoesodo is a former Army Special Forces (Kopassus) officer who worked on former New Order general Prabowo Subianto's presidential election campaign in 2014 and has known Prabowo since 1989.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Dedengkot PKS Ajak PRD Bersatu".]

Source: http://politik.rmol.co/read/2015/03/25/196770/Dedengkot-PKS-Ajak-PRD-Bersatu

Golkar sees worsening tensions as govt inks Agung's chairmanship

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Tensions between two opposing factions in the Golkar Party have escalated as Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly validated the leadership of Agung Laksono on Monday.

The director of the ministry's state affairs division, Tenan Sitepu, announced on Monday that Yasonna had issued a decree approving Golkar's new committee lineup under Agung's leadership, hence disowning the chairmanship of embattled incumbent Aburizal Bakrie.

The new party committee lineup comprises 394 individuals and is the largest board in the history of Golkar.

Agung has appointed three deputy chairmen – former House deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, lawmaker Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita and former lawmaker Yorrys Raweyai.

The board also includes lawmaker Zainuddin Amali as secretary-general, who will be assisted by 53 deputies; while the rest on the list lead various divisions within the party.

Lawmakers from Agung's camp quickly followed up the announcement by attempting to seize control of the party's faction at the House of Representatives from Aburizal's loyalists.

While keeping Setya Novanto, a loyalist of Aburizal, as House speaker, Agung is focusing on removing his opponent's loyalists from strategic posts in House commissions and other internal bodies.

A House plenary meeting on Monday failed to officially recognize the new control of Golkar's faction as, according to House deputy speaker Fachri Hamzah, who directed the meeting, the matter had yet to be discussed among House leaders.

Fachri, in response to demands for recognition from executives of the winning faction, explained that the House had received letters from the opposing groups that required further discussion.

"We must go through formal procedures before making a decision," he told the audience.

Despite not earning House leaders' approval, lawmaker Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, who has been appointed the new Golkar faction leader, announced the faction's new board under his leadership, declaring that all affairs regarding Golkar's stance in the House required his approval.

Among the candidates are Dave Akbarshah Fikarno Laksono, the son of Agung who is currently a member of House Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs and information; Andi Rio Idris Padjalangi, the son-in-law of Golkar senior politician Andi Mattalatta, a member of Commission X overseeing education, sports and youth affairs; Commission I lawmakers Meutya Hafid and Agun Gunanjar Sudarsa; and Airlangga Hartarto, who was previously listed as an executive of the Aburizal-camp management.

Agus said the changes were necessary to improve Golkar's performance in the House and support Golkar's shift to the pro-government block.

Under Aburizal's chairmanship, Golkar is the leader of the opposition Red- and-White Coalition.

The winning camp has also claimed to have taken measures to takeover leadership posts within the party's branches nationwide, a move cited to consolidate Golkar's preparations to win the regional elections in December.

Aburizal and his supporters refused to give in, saying that the camp was filing a lawsuit against Yasonna's decree with the Jakarta State Administrative Court. "We must wait for the court ruling. This country upholds the law," Aburizal told the press at the House.

"It is true that according to Yasonna's decree the other camp leads legally, but in fact, the power is still with us. We will not allow the party's faction to be taken over. We will fight," he added.

An Aburizal loyalist, Bambang Soesatyo, said blame would fall on Yasonna if supporters from the two groups got involved in horizontal conflict.

"[Yasonna] must take responsibility if our supporters kill each other because of this rift," Bambang said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/24/golkar-sees-worsening-tensions-govt-inks-agung-s-chairmanship.html

Police vs KPK

Court hears case on KPK suspensions

Jakarta Post - March 27, 2015

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) told a hearing at the Constitutional Court on Thursday that a mechanism used to suspend KPK leaders could be misused and may eventually weaken the antigraft body.

The court is currently hearing a judicial review filed by a number of plaintiffs, including a group calling itself the Forum of Legal and Constitutional Review (FKHK) and a group of law students that have challenged the mechanism used to suspend KPK leaders.

Concerned that a mechanism used to temporary dismiss KPK leaders could be used to undermine the antigraft body, the plaintiffs are attempting to get Article 32, paragraph 2 of the 2002 KPK Law scrapped. The paragraph stipulates that if a KPK leader is named a suspect, he or she must be temporarily dismissed.

KPK legal division head Catharina M. Girsang argued during Thursday's hearing that such temporary dismissals had the potential to hamper KPK efforts to eradicate corruption.

"Such a provision should remain as a logical consequence for the special authority KPK commissioners [who lead the antigraft body] have. However, without limitation, it has created legal uncertainty and has the potential to weaken the KPK and hamper efforts to fight corruption," she said.

Catharina told the court that such a mechanism should be limited. She argued that KPK leaders should only be temporarily dismissed if named suspects in corruption cases or other criminal cases that carried prison sentences of five years or more. Catharina also said the provision should not be applied for offenses that occurred before the persons were appointed KPK leaders.

Last month, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo temporarily dismissed two KPK commissioners, Bambang Widjojanto and Abraham Samad, after the police named them suspects – in what was seen by many the criminalization of the KPK. Bambang was named a suspect in connection with a 2010 perjury case, while Abraham was declared a suspect in a 2007 ID forgery case.

Rivalry between the two institutions broke out after the KPK named a high- ranking police officer, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, a suspect, which led to Jokowi dropping Budi's nomination as police chief.

In the petition, the plaintiffs argue that the mechanism violates the presumption of innocence principle, saying that it could be used as a tool to orchestrate a case against the KPK.

Representing the House of Representatives, Democratic Party lawmaker Didik Mukrianto rejected the petition, arguing that such a provision was a tool to ensure legal certainty.

"It is not an instrument to weaken the KPK, but is aimed at ensuring the KPK remains focused in carrying out its tasks and run as it should," he said during the hearing. "Not to mention, it can also [serve as a tool] to maintain KPK's credibility."

The Law and Human Rights Ministry's director for legislation, Wicipto Setiadi, who represented the government, said the article did not violate the Constitution and demanded that the court reject the petition. "A temporary dismissal is a fair and proportional move to provide balance between the KPK's authority and tasks," Wicipto said.

Presiding justice Anwar Usman adjourned the hearing until April 20, when expert witnesses will testify.

The plaintiffs plan to present criminal law expert Edward Omar Syarif Hiariej as an expert witness, while the government will present law expert Romli Atmasasmita, one of the writers of the KPK Law. He was also an expert witness in a pretrial hearing filed by Budi to challenge his suspect status.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/27/court-hears-case-KPK-suspensions.html

Civil society groups come to Denny's defense

Jakarta Post - March 27, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Civil society organizations have criticized the National Police for their move to name former deputy law and human rights minister Denny Indrayana a graft suspect, calling the decision a systematic effort to silence critics of the police.

Antigraft activists are convinced that the police's move to bring corruption charges against Denny for his alleged role in the Law and Human Rights Ministry's online passport-payment system is motivated by police anger after Denny publicly supported the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in its standoff with the police in January.

Chairman of the Indonesian Civil Society Circle, Ray Rangkuti, said on Thursday what befell Denny could happen to other antigraft activists in the future, especially those who strongly criticized the police.

Ray condemned the National Police for expediting their probe into Denny while hundreds of other graft cases languished in their anti-graft division.

"This is a warning [from the police]. This is their way of saying to other antigraft campaigners that in the future they should just shut their mouths because the police could quickly move against them and name them suspects right away," Ray said.

Ray added that the police prosecution of Denny was a ploy to repair their battered image, especially following reports that some high-ranking police officers were involved in graft. "The move against Denny is meant to restore the public's perception that the police also support the national fight against corruption," Ray said.

Separately, Denny's lawyer Nurkholis Hidayat said he had uncovered a number of irregularities in the police investigation into the online passport- payment system.

Nurkholis said that it was strange that the letter of investigation into Denny was issued on Feb. 24, the date the police received a report, meaning that the police processed the report and named Denny a suspect in one day. "How could the two different steps happen on the same day?," Nurkholis said during a press conference at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) office on Thursday.

Nurkholis said the Police also violated Article 27 of Law No. 8/2009 on the National Police by not allowing a lawyer to accompany Denny when he was questioned on the case on March 12. "Police investigators have broken their own rules. This is clear malpractice," Nurkholis said.

Denny is scheduled to have his first questioning as a suspect in the case at the National Police headquarters on Friday.

In addition to this case, Denny stands accused of abusing his power by directly appointing two online service providers, PT Nusa Satu Inti Artha and PT Finnet Indonesia, to run the payment system, also known as a payment gateway.

Denny, who is a Gadjah Mada University law professor has been charged under Articles 2 and 3 of the Corruption Law in conjunction with Articles 55 and 421 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).

The online passport-payment service was launched on July 14 last year. It was abruptly halted in October after the ministry said that it had yet to authorize the start of the project.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/27/civil-society-groups-come-denny-s-defense.html

Palace cornered for dropping Budi

Jakarta Post - March 27, 2015

Hans Nicholas Jong and Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The State Palace is being pushed in a corner to explain its decision to drop Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan's nomination as the next National Police chief as the Attorney General's Office (AGO) has refused to grill Budi over his suspicious bank accounts.

Attorney General M Prasetyo told The Jakarta Post that his office would not summon Budi for questioning to confirm a financial analysis of the three- star police general's bank accounts that it recently received from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK). "There is no plan on it," he said on Thursday.

In addition, he said that a special AGO team was examining Budi's dossiers from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which had earlier named the three-star police general a suspect in a bribery case based on the PPATK analysis. The AGO also has no plans to summon witnesses for the case.

House of Representative's lawmakers recently questioned President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision to drop Budi, who had earlier gained approval from most factions at the House, arguing that Budi's legal status had been annulled in a pretrial hearing.

Prasetyo emphasized that AGO investigators had no plans to renew Budi's suspect status in their investigation, adding that the AGO would soon hand the case over to the National Police, which had probed Budi's bank accounts in 2010.

"We want to create synergy and have harmonious relationships with other law enforcement institutions. We don't want our investigations to overlap," Prasetyo added.

Budi will likely be cleared of the charges should his case be transferred to his office as the 2010 National Police investigation did not find any irregularities in his bank accounts.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Thursday that President Jokowi was ready to explain his reasons for dropping Budi's nomination despite him no longer being a graft suspect.

"The government will talk to House of Representatives Commission III [overseeing law and human rights]," he said at his office in Central Jakarta. "Maybe next week".

Kalla added that the President would have Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno and Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly meet with the commission to settle the matter.

A former adjutant to former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, Budi was Jokowi's previous choice for the top-cop post.

The KPK named Budi a suspect in a bribery case only days before a confirmation hearing at the House in which the legislature decided to approve Budi's nomination.

Jokowi later dropped his nomination following public outcry and opted to nominate police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti instead.

Badrodin's nomination has been challenged at the House, with most party factions refusing to talk about his nomination before the President explains his move to drop Budi.

Although each of the 10 factions have yet to formally announce a final decision on the matter, leaders from the majority factions have called to defer Badrodin's confirmation hearing until Jokowi provides an official reason for withdrawing Budi's nomination.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/27/palace-cornered-dropping-budi.html

Police name former deputy law minister suspect in graft case

Jakarta Post - March 26, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – The National Police have named former deputy law and human rights minister Denny Indrayana a suspect in a graft case centering on the Law and Human Rights Ministry's online passport payment system.

Denny stands accused of abusing his power by directly appointing two online service providers, PT Nusa Satu Inti Artha and PT Finnet Indonesia, to run the payment system, also known as payment gateway.

The Gadjah Mada University law professor has been charged with articles 2 and 3 of the Corruption Law in conjunction with articles 55 and 421 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).

Denny said he accepted his status as a graft suspect, saying that fighting corruption came with risks.

"I understand that this is one of the risks of fighting for a cleaner, non-corrupt Indonesia. Bismillah, I will face this patiently and steadfastly," he said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday evening, the National Police's detective division announced that it had named Denny a suspect and would question him on Friday over his alleged role in the case.

The online passport payment service was launched on July 14 last year when he served as deputy minister. It was suddenly halted in October last year after the ministry said that it had yet to authorize the start of the project.

Denny explained that he had intended to implement the payment gateway to improve public service and prevent extortion, which many faced at immigration offices from workers or middlemen.

"So if anyone feels that passport services have been improved [by the payment gateway], please speak up," he said.

When Denny's case was first reported, speculation was rife that it was a move by the police to criminalize him following his support for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) during the standoff between the two institutions.

Tensions between the two law enforcement institutions flared after the antigraft body named three-star police general Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a suspect in a bribery case.

During the standoff, KPK commissioners Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto were named suspects for alleged document forgery and perjury, respectively, which many deemed insignificant and considered another act of criminalization. The cases have been postponed to cool relations between the two institutions.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Anton Charliyan denied the allegations and said that there was sufficient evidence to charge Denny. "[Denny] was the one who chose the two vendors for the payment gateway system," he said.

He explained that Denny had authorized the two companies to open a single bank account where funds from the payment gateway were to be deposited before being transferred to the state treasury. "This is where they violated the law, the money should have gone straight to the state treasury," Anton said.

Although investigators are still waiting on an official audit from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) on the state losses caused by the case, they have estimated Rp 32.09 billion (US$2.4 million) in state losses. The police also estimate that there were unauthorized charges worth Rp 605 million from the system.

Anton said that several of the ministry's staff members testified that they were unsure of the payment gateway program because another similar program, known as Simponi, already existed. "According to the witnesses, the Simponi program was simpler and more profitable," he said.

Although Denny is the only person that has been named a suspect in the case thus far, Anton said that more suspects were likely to be named but investigators wanted to gather as much evidence as they could first.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/26/police-name-former-deputy-law-minister-suspect-graft-case.html

House queries Badrodin's nomination

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The candidacy of Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti as the new National Police chief may face challenges at the House of Representatives as the majority of political factions have questioned the reasoning behind the dropping of previously confirmed candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan.

Although each of the 10 factions has yet to formally announce a final decision on the matter, leaders from the majority factions have called for a deferment in the confirmation hearing for Badrodin until President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo provides an official reason for withdrawing Budi's nomination.

A former adjutant to former president and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chief Megawati Soekarnoputri, Budi was Jokowi's previous choice for the top cop post.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Budi a suspect in a bribery case only days before his confirmation hearing at the House. Jokowi later dropped his nomination following a public outcry in which the three- star general's commitment to law enforcement was questioned because of his lawsuit.

At the beginning of the third sitting session on Monday, the lawmakers said there had been no reason to drop Budi, as a pretrial ruling had annulled his suspect status.

Those questioning Jokowi's decision include lawmakers from the PDI-P, the ruling political party which has supported Jokowi since his presidential bid last year.

The PDI-P has joined other parties from the opposition Red-and-White Coalition, the influence of which has waned due to infighting within the Golkar Party, its largest faction.

"The PDI-P is not against Badrodin. But there is an unfinished process of BG's [Budi Gunawan] nomination. The President must formally explain that to us," Bambang Wuryanto, the secretary of the PDI-P faction, said on Monday.

"The House has sent a letter requesting an official explanation from the President. He must first respond to make everything clear. One cannot arbitrarily do whatever one wants in running the country," he added.

It was previously reported that the largest political party continued to support Budi despite public resistance.

Executives from other factions have also demanded an explanation from Jokowi, excluding the Democratic Party and the Golkar camp of Aburizal Bakrie. The Democratic Party was the only faction that opposed Budi's nomination during his confirmation hearing in January.

As two rival factions in Golkar has battled for government recognition, a group led by Aburizal, the legitimacy of which was recently annulled by the government, has chosen to support Jokowi's nomination of Badrodin, which has been officiated by a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu).

While it has been preoccupied with maintaining its legitimacy at the House, the Aburizal camp is also in the process of challenging the Law and Human Rights Ministry's official endorsement of the rival camp led by Agung Laksono.

House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party said the House would hold a consultative meeting to hear the official stance of factions this week. "We basically expect the President to answer us, providing a thorough explanation of the decision to annul Budi's candidacy," Fadli said.

Budi's suspect status was annulled in a controversial pretrial motion ruling at the South Jakarta District Court.

After a surprising pretrial court hearing that is not regulated by the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP), judge Sarpin Rizaldi declared Budi's suspect status "null and void" and ordered the KPK to stop investigating him.

Following the court ruling, Budi's case was transferred to the Attorney General's Office (AGO). Attorney General Muhammad Prasetio has expressed his reluctance to continue the investigation into Budi, citing weak evidence.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/24/house-queries-badrodin-s-nomination.html

Environment & natural disasters

Subsidies to industries causing deforestation worth 100 times more than

The Guardian (Australia) - March 31, 2015

Arthur Neslen – Brazil and Indonesia spent over 100 times more in subsidies to industries that cause deforestation than they received in international conservation aid to prevent it, according to a report by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

The two countries handed out over $40bn (#27bn) in subsidies to the palm oil, timber, soy, beef and biofuels sectors between 2009 and 2012 – 126 times more than the $346m they received to preserve their rainforests from the United Nations' (UN) REDD+ scheme, mostly from Norway and Germany.

"The fact that domestic subsidies for commodities that cause deforestation so vastly outweigh international aid seeking to prevent it shows we need a radical rethink," Will McFarland, one of the report's authors told the Guardian.

"By making the cost of producing these commodities cheaper, subsidies increase their profitability and make them more desirable to investors. That in turn artificially inflates their growth, and threatens the rainforests further. With subsides running at over 100 times that of forest aid, we should be urgently trying to reform this system."

Asad Rehman, a senior international climate campaigner for Friends of the Earth compared Brazil and Indonesia to "cancer charities asking for donations whilst subsidising cigarette production at the same time".

"Deforestation is ultimately driven by consumption demands in the North," he said. "We all have a responsibility to tackle the businesses that are colluding in this destruction. The only real solution to this failure is empowering communities to safeguard their forests."

More than half of the world's forest loss between 1990 and 2010 took place in the two countries, with an average 2.7m hectares (6.7 acres) of rainforest lost in Brazil and 1.2m hectares in Indonesia.

Indonesia's rate of forest destruction rose steeply in the last decade and may now have overtaken that of Brazil, where deforestation has declined since a peak in 2004. Between 2008 and 2012 forest clearing accounted for 61% of Indonesia's greenhouse gas emissions, and 28% of Brazil's.

Part of the problem lies in a lack of coordination between national environment ministries seeking to protect their natural resources and other government departments motivated by imperatives to protect commodity exports and reduce rural poverty.

McFarland said the phenomenon was "incredibly contradictory" and demanded the conditioning of future aid on environmental protection measures. "Through subsidy reform, modest sums of forest finance can be used to ensure that any subsidies are provided in a manner that both protects forests and the poor," he said.

In Brazil, commodity subsidies have been focused on beef and soy production, while in Indonesia they have mainly gone to timber and palm oil.

Between 2008 and 2011, one reform, linking rural credit subsidies to environmental criteria in the Brazilian Amazon, saved $1.4bn – and an estimated 346 sq km (133 sq miles) of rainforest – according to the ODI study.

Lord Stern's New Climate Economy report last year recommended that the international community up its forest protection aid to at least $5bn per year by 2030, with payments tied to verified emissions reductions.

But an ODI finding that Brazil spent $2.7m in biofuel subsidies in 2009 – mostly for ethanol – illustrates how contentious such conditions may be in practice.

New research by Timothy Searchinger published in the journal Science last week, found that any greenhouse gas reductions from bioethanol would depend on cuts to food consumption in the developing world.

The paper said that models used by US and EU agencies to evaluate ethanol's greenhouse gas saving potential, expected up to half of the calories lost to its production not to be replaced by substitute crops.

Most associated CO2 reductions would come from diminished diets which reduced the amount of carbon dioxide that people breathed out or excreted. The McKinsey Global Institute says that in 2011, governments spent $1.1tn subsidising the consumption of resources such as water, energy and food.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/mar/31/subsidies-to-industries-that-cause-deforestation-worth-100-times-more-than-aid-to-prevent-it

Health & education

Islamic textbooks spark concern among teachers

Jakarta Globe - March 31, 2015

Yuli Krisna, Bandung – Teachers in Bandung, West Java, have raised concerns over the distribution of thousands of school books, which they say teach religious intolerance and radicalism.

Iwan Hermawan, vice principal of the State Senior High School 9, said his school received 440 books on Islamic teachings, which contain a chapter titled "Rise Up All Islamic Fighters" and details the teachings of Muhammad Abd Wahhab, the founder of the Wahhabi Muslim movement.

Wahhabism is known for its ultraconservative, literal interpretation of Islam. One part of the book reads: "Those who worship other than Allah are infidels and must be killed."

Iwan said the books have been distributed by the Ministry of Education and Culture to schools across West Java since August. "This can spark intolerance and frictions with other religious groups," Iwan said.

The book is officially printed and distributed by the Ministry of Education and even contains a prologue by then-minister Mohammad Nuh. "This means the book is compiled, studied and examined by various people under the minister M. Nuh," Iwan said.

The book was printed as part of the controversial 2013 curriculum. The book listed the names Mustahdi and Mustakim as authors and Yusuf A Hasan and Muhammad Saerozi as reviewers.

Iwan, who is also the secretary general of the Indonesian Independent Teachers Federation (FGII), said the same book was found in dozens of high schools and vocational schools across Bandung.

"I am concerned that students will interpret [the book] the wrong way. I am also fearful that teachers with the same [radical] perspective will teach students intolerance and radicalism," Iwan said.

"[The teachers] will think it is alright to teach radicalism, because this is a book sanctioned by the education ministry."

The FGII on Tuesday officially requested for the book to be recalled. The book's presence sheds new light on how extremism and intolerance flourishes and spreads in Indonesia, particularly among school students.

A recent survey by the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, involving nearly 700 students from 76 high schools in Jakarta and 38 in Bandung, showed that 7 percent of the respondents agreed with the Islamic State movement's aims.

"That means one in every 14 students agrees with ISIS," Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the non-governmental group, said in Jakarta on Monday, referring to the extremist group's old acronym. He added that 75 percent of students have heard of IS, mostly from social media and the Internet.

Most have a negative view of the radical movement, saying that they recognize that IS is a sadistic group intent on spreading terror and using violence in the name of religion.

But those who sympathize with IS do so because they believe the terror group has established an Islamic caliphate. They said they agreed with the view that Indonesia's five founding principles of Pancasila should be replaced with Islamic ideology.

Setara researcher Muhamad Syauqi said some of the students who sympathize with IS contributed to the so-called "jihadist selfie" phenomenon, where they spread pictures through social media of youths in uniform – presumably IS members in Syria or Iraq – who take photos of themselves in front of army tanks or while holding rocket launchers. "That makes them [those spreading the selfies] feel 'cool,'?" Syauqi said.

The book also confirms suspicion among some human rights and religious tolerance advocates that the government – or at least some elements of it – is to some degree involved in the spread of intolerance and radicalism despite pledging otherwise.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Rudiantara said last week that the government recently begun working with information technology firms such as Google to block websites containing pro-terrorism content.

Indonesians were recently shocked by a video that appeared to show Indonesian-speaking children training with assault rifles in front of an IS flag. The video has since been removed from most websites, including Google-owned YouTube.

Rudiantara said the partnerships had enabled the government to remove 78 Indonesian sites with pro-terrorism content.

National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Marciano Norman said his office was also joining forces with the communications ministry to curb pro-IS propaganda on the Internet.

But the House of Representatives' Commission I, which oversees defense, intelligence, foreign affairs, communication and information, responded by summoning Minister Rudiantara to explain the government's decision to block access to 19 websites believed to have spread radical Islamic ideology.

"We will invite the communications minister immediately to give an explanation," Hanafi Rais, deputy chairman of Commission I, said on Tuesday.

The ministry said the sites were blocked after it received a request from the National Counterterrorism Agency, which included them in a list of 22 media sources allegedly spreading radical ideology.

Hanafi attacked the government's "rash" decision to block access to the websites. "The government's decision to block the media could create the impression that the government under President Joko Widodo is developing Islamophobia," he said.

Meanwhile, police are investigating what appears to be a failed bomb attack on the Kompas TV office in Makassar, South Sulawesi, by alleged sympathizers of the IS.

"We are still investigating the case," Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi, a spokesman for the South and West Sulawesi Police, told Tempo.co on Tuesday. "We can't immediately draw a conclusion," he added.

The bomb was found around 9 p.m. on Monday, in a plastic bag placed some 20 meters from the office in Panakkukang subdistrict. "I didn't open the package and told Panakukkang Police about it," said the head of security of the Kompas TV office, Gassang Daeng Kulle.

The bomb package had a statement written on it that said "To Kompas sampah [trash] dari [from] Islamic State," and came with a handwritten letter threatening "infidel" Indonesian media. It was signed "Anshor Daulah Makassar," an alleged IS sympathizer group. A police bomb squad arrived at the office in time to defuse the bomb.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/islamic-textbooks-spark-concern-among-teachers/

Minister in hot water for encouraging smoking

Jakarta Post - March 28, 2015

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – With the Health Ministry stepping up efforts to reduce tobacco use in the country, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa has drawn criticism for her decision to hand out cigarettes to leaders of the Orang Rimba, an indigenous community located in the Bukit Duabelas National Park (TNBD) in Jambi.

Khofifah visited the indigenous group on March 13 and in addition to cigarettes distributed food and clothing. The minister handed out the items following the recent deaths of 11 Orang Rimba figures from alleged starvation due to the conversion of land into production forests.

"I offer my condolences. May the families [of the victims] be granted strength," she said during a meeting with community elders. "Here, I also bring cigarettes. I see that the tumenggung [clan leader] really likes cigarettes."

Outraged by the action, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) and anti-tobacco activists are planning to sue Khofifah.

"It contradicts the basic economic principle. It actually makes people poor because [she] distributed a product that makes people poor," Tulus Abadi of the YLKI said on Friday.

By distributing the cigarettes, the minister also violated Government Regulation (PP) No. 109/2012 on tobacco control, according to the YLKI.

Article 35 of the regulation mandates that the government control the promotion of tobacco by refraining from distributing free cigarettes, or allowing discounts on cigarettes or other tobacco products.

Responding to the criticism, Khofifah said she had gifted the cigarettes as a symbol of her respect for the culture of the Orang Rimba.

"It's better [for the critics] to go to the area because every culture has its own tradition. Not everything should be seen from the perspective of Jakartans," she said on Tuesday.

Azas Tigor Nainggolan of the Advocates' Solidarity Movement for Tobacco Control (SAPTA) said that respect for local practices could not be used to justify Khofifah's actions.

"We applaud her visit to the tribal community. But we disagree with the way she did it," he said on Friday. "This shows that she doesn't understand the rules and regulations." If Khofifah declines to issue an apology, the YLKI and SAPTA will proceed with the filing of a lawsuit.

"We will file a lawsuit at the Central Jakarta State Court to demand an apology," Tigor said. The two groups also demanded that Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek reprimand Khofifah for her oversight.

"We're asking Nila not to apply a double standard. When Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was caught smoking, she was rebuked [by Nila]. We are now criticizing Nila's silence [over Khofifah's action]," YLKI chairman Sudaryatmo said during a press briefing on Friday.

Khofifah said she would stand firm despite the threat of litigation. "We have to respect [their right to file a lawsuit]. I would just ask them to go to the field and experience the local wisdom [for themselves]," she told reporters on Friday.

Indonesia continually ranks among the countries with the highest smoking rates worldwide. Some 62 million people, or one-fourth of the nation's population, are smokers.

Combined with low levels of income and education, the cost of tobacco use has resulted in wasted household income in six out of every 10 families. Worse, smoking cuts the life expectancy of an Indonesian citizen by an average of 10 years.

The risk of heart disease halves just one year after a smoker quits, while the risk returns to normal levels five to 15 years after a smoker quits.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/28/minister-hot-water-encouraging-smoking.html

Teacher quality remains poor: OECD

Jakarta Post - March 27, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – Indonesian students are performing below their counterparts in other countries because their teachers are not equipped with the skills to help them develop, a study says.

In a new review on the country's education policies, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that the poor quality of teachers in Indonesia is the main reason behind Indonesia's poor education.

Although OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria praised Indonesia for nearly achieving universal education in the past decade, student performance was three years behind the global average.

"This is a very serious and very shocking statistic and the [Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry] will have to face this formidable challenge. Such low skill level is clearly holding back progress," he said at the release of the OECD's first review on Wednesday.

In the OECD review, the gross enrollment ratio for elementary schools in 2004 was 100 percent and increased drastically to 110.68 percent in 2013 and 2014. Meanwhile, the gross enrolment ratio for secondary education increased drastically from 76.1 percent in 2001 to 96.9 percent in 2013.

However, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) said that Indonesia finished second-lowest out of the 65 countries participating in its 2012 assessment.

Organized by the OECD since 2000, PISA is a triennial assessment designed to compare the quality of international education by testing the performance of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science. In 2012, PISA's assessment involved more than 510,000 students worldwide, including Indonesia.

"This means the 50 percent of Indonesia's 15 year olds do not have the basic skills of mathematics; imagine, the average child in Indonesia compared to the global standard seems to have three years less of schooling," he said.

The review noted that the number of teachers was not the problem as many have speculated before; 54 percent of schools reported a shortage of teachers in 2003 while only 16 percent of schools reported shortages in 2012. In the 2012-2013 academic year, there were a total of 2.7 million civil servant and non-civil servant teachers nationwide.

Although the OECD review pinpoints the rather low bar for teachers to become accredited due to the almost 100 percent passing rate, OECD rapporteur Michael Gallagher said that the problem was also in the way teachers assist in classrooms.

"Didactic teaching rather than interactive learning is embedded in much of the culture. There is also a major disconnect between what is happening in schools and what teachers were taught in teaching colleges," he said.

Gallagher recommended that teachers and principal should be encouraged to share what works in the classroom so that educators nationwide could learn from each other.

Furthermore, he recommended that the Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry focus on improving the quality of educators in early childhood education first as doing so would create a domino effect on the following levels of education.

Separately, Culture and Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan applauded the OECD's research efforts and said that much improvement needed to be made in the next five years.

"We will try to focus on early childhood education, which is often overlooked. Many problems persist today because we had overlooked them," Anies said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/27/teacher-quality-remains-poor-oecd.html

Graft & corruption

KPK trapped in mounting pretrial lawsuits

Jakarta Post - March 30, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has called on the South Jakarta District Court to rearrange schedules for six pretrial cases that challenge the antigraft body's decision on the plaintiffs' suspect status for six separate cases.

Overwhelmed with the congested schedule of hearings that will swamp KPK lawyers over the next two weeks, its legal team asked the court for more time to prepare.

On Monday, the KPK will face three separate pretrial hearings scheduled at the exact same time, 9 a.m., in three different rooms at the South Jakarta District Court. On April 6, the KPK team will face the same schedule yet again, three pretrial hearings in three separate rooms all beginning at 9 a.m.

KPK legal bureau head Catharina M. Girsang said on Sunday that such a hectic schedule unfairly burdened the antigraft body because it would be impossible for its legal experts to present defenses in three separate hearings at the same time.

"When it comes to experts, we have the same experts [for all the cases] and they certainly cannot attend three different hearings at once," Catharina told The Jakarta Post.

Since a pretrial hearing takes one week to finish, she suggested that the South Jakarta District Court schedule one hearing per week, adding that there was no need to rush pretrial hearings, as such hearings only challenged the administrative procedures of ongoing investigations.

"We have expressed our concerns to the court and we hope that it will issue a fair schedule," Catharina said, adding that the KPK team would attend the pretrial hearing of graft suspect and former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali on Monday, but would likely ask for the postponement of the hearings on former Supreme Audit Agency chief Hadi Poernomo and former director of state oil and gas operator Pertamina, Suroso Atmo Martoyo.

Catharina said the South Jakarta District Court had asked the KPK to attend the pretrial hearings of Democratic Party cofounder Sutan Bhatoegana and former Makassar mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin, both graft suspect, along with a hearing for another suspect in a Bangkalan regency graft case on April 6.

The graft suspects followed the footsteps of former National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, who secured a pretrial verdict ordering the KPK to stop investigating his bribery case, although the Criminal Law Procedures Code does not authorize a pretrial to examine someone's legal status.

Legal experts called Budi's pretrial verdict controversial and said it caused chaos in the country's legal system as it offered precedence for other graft suspects to challenge their legal status.

Suryadharma's lawyer, Andreas Nahot Silitonga, said he was confident the South Jakarta District Court would issue a similar ruling for his client, who is a suspect in a case on the misuse of the haj fund worth Rp 1 trillion (US$76 million).

Andreas earlier requested the KPK temporarily freeze the haj probe until the court issued its final ruling on Suryadharma's pretrial, but to no avail.

"The court will likely order the KPK to stop the investigation and probably will declare Suryadharma's suspect status illegitimate. It is useless for the KPK to continue the investigation as we are sure that we will win the pretrial hearing," he said.

Catharina said the KPK team was optimistic about winning the hearings, as Sutan, Suryadharma, Suroso and Hadi met the criteria as state officials who could be investigated by the KPK.

The South Jakarta District Court had said the KPK's decision to send Sutan's dossier to the Jakarta Corruption Court had voided the politician's pretrial petition, but the court would have to conduct a hearing on April 6 to officially rule that the hearing could not be continued.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/30/KPK-trapped-mounting-pretrial-lawsuits.html

Court quashes Sutan's pretrial motion

Jakarta Post - March 28, 2015

Jakarta – The South Jakarta District Court has rejected the pretrial motion filed by Democratic Party lawmaker Sutan Bhatoegana, who challenged the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) move to name him a suspect in a graft case.

The court said that the pretrial motion was rejected because the KPK had wrapped up their prosecution against Sutan.

"A pretrial motion cannot be accepted if the Jakarta Corruption Court has already held a hearing for the case. A pretrial hearing only concerns administrative matters," South Jakarta District Court spokesman I Made Sutrisna said.

Earlier this week, the court ordered a two-week postponement for Sutan's pretrial hearing. Sole judge Asiadi Sembiring adjourned the court session until April 6 after the antigraft body failed to attend the hearing.

Sutan is currently challenging the KPK's decision to name him a suspect in a bribery case involving the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and House of Representatives Commission VII overseeing energy and mineral resources, where Sutan once served as chairman and allegedly accepted billions of rupiah in bribes.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/28/national-scene-court-quashes-sutan-s-pretrial-motion.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

Students who agree with IS are few, but worrying: Rights group

Jakarta Post - March 31, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – Amid rising interest among young Indonesians to join the Islamic State (IS) movement, the Setara Institute, a human rights group, has alarmed the nation with reports about the influence IS has gained in high schools in the country.

The rights body unveiled on Monday a study that revealed that 7.2 percent of high school students, or one out of every 14 in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java, agreed with the actions and atrocities undertaken by IS in Syria and Iraq.

"Although the percentage of high school students who are interested in intolerant or radical views is small, this does not mean that we can yet pat ourselves on the back and conclude that all Indonesian high school students are tolerant of pluralism. There is still a chance that the percentage could increase depending on the government's intervention," said the institute's deputy chairman, Bonar Tigor Naipospos.

In the study, conducted from March 9 to 19, Setara found that out of 684 students who attended 114 schools in Jakarta and Bandung, only 75.3 percent, or 515 students, knew of IS.

Researcher Ismail Hasani said he was relieved to discover that 36.2 percent of the 515 students who had heard of IS saw it as a sadistic terrorist group, while 30.6 percent thought that IS fighters abused the name of religion to justify their violent actions.

However, it also discovered that 16.9 percent of the 515 students thought that the IS movement was a group of Muslims who were simply trying to fight for an Islamic caliphate. According to Indonesian authorities, more than 600 Indonesians have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the movement.

The study also revealed that a large number of students were in favor of banning or limiting the activities of Ahmadiyah and Shia groups because they are not in line with the Sunni, who make up the majority of Muslims in Indonesia.

"Out of the 106 high school students who knew of Ahmadiyah and Shia groups, 43.8 percent of them agreed that these minority groups should be banned or have their activities limited so that they don't become larger," Ismail explained.

"Only 27.7 percent of the students disagreed with limiting the minority groups, while 28.5 percent of the students did not answer."

A 2012 report from the Wahid Institute, which promotes pluralism and a peaceful Islam, reported that incidents of religious intolerance increased during the 10-year tenure of then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The report showed religious intolerance cases in 2012 stood at 274, up from 267 in 2011. In 2010, the institute recorded 184 cases, while 121 cases were recorded in 2009.

Although the Setara Institute discovered that there was evidence of intolerance among students, Bonar said that they could not jump to conclusions on where they had learned it.

"We are still unable to pinpoint the most influential factor that leads to extremist thinking among students. Students change their minds easily, which is why they are very impressionable," Bonar said.

However, the study noted that 48 percent of all the respondents said they received their religious education from teachers at school, followed by parents at 18 percent and the media at 12 percent.

The study also showed that 35.4 percent of the students undertook religious activities out of school. "This is an early study but we suspect that most extremist influence comes from outside of school, followed by school material and teachers," Bonar said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/31/students-who-agree-with-is-are-few-worrying-rights-group.html

Free speech a possible casualty in purge of IS supporters

Jakarta Globe - March 26, 2015

Farouk Arnaz, Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, Natasia Christy Wahyuni & Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta/Malang – Indonesia's counterterrorism agency has urged the government to revise laws governing freedom of assembly and speech in a bid to tackle supporters of the extremist group Islamic State.

Insp. Gen. Arief Dharmawan, the deputy for law enforcement and skills building at the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), said the government must revise the controversial 2013 Mass Organizations Law to prevent the spread of IS ideology.

"We have stated that the mass organizations law must be revised and expanded because it only regulates those mass organizations that are registered," Arief said in Jakarta on Thursday.

"What about those unregistered groups? How to we regulate how they should be disbanded? We need a clear legal basis," he added.

Arief also said the government must consider a revision to the 1998 Freedom of Speech Law. "Can you imagine if pro-IS people made a speech at a public event like the Car-Free Day and then declared that the government were infidels and killing them should be justified?" Arief said.

The comments are likely to alarm rights groups who fear the recent rush of calls for a more aggressive stance against domestic supporters of IS could led to abuses of powers by the security forces.

The mass organization law came under heavy criticism from the public, NGOs and unions when it was passed in 2013, with many arguing some of its provisions were repressive.

But the BNPT, which has recently expressed frustration about its lack of powers under existing anti-terror laws, says the law does not go far enough. The law only stipulates administrative sanctions for violators and does not provide monitoring mechanisms for the mass organizations, Arief said.

"This loophole has caused unregistered mass organizations to appear and they openly support IS," he said.

Arief said the West Indonesian Mujahideen (MIB), East Indonesian Mujahideen (MIT) and Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, among other hard-line Islamic groups, had openly declared their support for IS.

'Existing laws enough'

The BNPT last week called on President Joko Widodo to issue a regulation in lieu of law, or perppu, prohibiting Indonesians from traveling to "conflict-prone" countries such as Syria.

The agency has decried its inability to detain and charge Indonesians suspected of traveling to the Middle East to join the jihadist movement.

But Vice President Jusuf Kalla, known for his controversial remarks, said such a perppu was unnecessary. "The existing laws are enough. Terrorists are evil doers and evil doers must be punished. Not just IS, anything. We don't need a perppu for that," he said.

But counterterrorism officials have been struggling to level criminal charges against Indonesians joining IS. It is not illegal for Indonesians to travel to countries like Syria and Iraq, or to finance others to travel to or already in said countries.

Terrorism analysts have noted that these homegrown and foreign-trained militants will pose a huge threat to the country if they return.

Indonesia has been a terrorism hotbed since 2000, with most of the major actors returning jihadists who had seen combat action in places like Afghanistan and the Southern Philippines, where Islamic militants have launched an armed rebellion against the government.

Some 500 Indonesians are estimated to have joined IS, according to the BNPT. Some are believed to have returned home to spread the group's radical ideology in the archipelago.

Depok mall attack

Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, a former National Police counterterrorism chief, said Indonesian militants believed to have returned from fighting with IS in Syria are suspected of being behind an attempted chlorine bomb attack at a shopping mall in Depok last month.

The homemade device – made up of several bottles and a detonator – was discovered in the ITC Depok mall, south of Jakarta, after it failed to go off properly. Police said it was the first such attack ever attempted in Indonesia.

Exposure to chlorine gas causes intense irritation to the eyes, skin and airways, and can be deadly. IS has been accused of using chlorine before, notably in a Jan. 23 car bomb attack on Kurdish forces in Iraq. The Syrian regime has also been accused of carrying out chlorine gas attacks.

A police source told the Jakarta Globe earlier this month that all the chemicals used to manufacture the bomb were easily available, and that the perpetrators of the failed attack in Depok may have attempted to produce the nerve agent sarin.

The government has previously expressed concerns over the hundreds of Indonesians fleeing the country to join IS's cause, including 16 citizens arrested by Turkish authorities earlier this month for trying to cross the border to Syria, reportedly to support the militant movement.

Deputy Foreign Minister A.M. Fachir said the Syria-bound group was flown home on Thursday and handed over to the National Police once they arrived in Jakarta. BNPT deputy Arief said the agency would question the group "to prevent them from rejoining IS once they are in Indonesia."

"Not all will be detained, some will go home but we will question them first. Did they try to go [to Syria] because they wanted to? Were they brainwashed? Were they just following their family? We will scrutinize them because they were mostly children," he said.

Malang arrests

On Wednesday, the police's elite counterterrorism squad arrested two men in the East Java town of Malang for alleged links to Abu Jandal, an Indonesian known to be fighting with IS.

Also known as Salim Mubarok Attamimi, Jandal has appeared in an online video calling for a war against the Indonesian security forces and for other Indonesians to join in the campaign to carve out a caliphate in the Middle East.

One of those arrested in Malang, identified as Abdul Helmi Alamuddin, 51, is alleged to have had a role in either making or distributing the video featuring Abu Jandal, also a Malang native.

Meanwhile Abdul Hakim Munabari, 45, is said by police to have recently returned to Indonesia after having joined IS with Abu Jandal.

"Abdul just got back from Syria," Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti, the National Police deputy chief, said on Wednesday. "We will begin to question him. We will do all we can to prevent IS ideology from spreading in Indonesia."

The third to be arrested is a man named Junaedi, or Abu Salman, although his role remains unclear. National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said only that Junaedi was responsible "for ensuring Abu Jandal made it to Syria."

East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Anas Yusuf said all three "lived in Syria for around six months before returning to Indonesia." During their stay in Syria, Anas said, the three acquired combat and bomb-making skills.

Pro-terrorism content

The government has recently begun working with information technology companies such as Google to block websites with terrorist content.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Rudiantara said on Thursday that the partnerships had enabled the government to remove 78 Indonesian sites with pro-terrorism content.

"Most of the sites were blogs, and after we reviewed them, we saw that they could teach a lot about Islamic radicalism," he said. "We have worked together with the BNPT and many religious figures," the minister continued.

Rudiantara also confirmed remarks made by his predecessor, Tifatul Sembiring, that identifying such sites were harder than those with pornographic content.

During his administration, Tifatul, a politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), a conservative Islamic-based party, was criticized for focusing too much on blocking porn sites and doing little to block sites containing messages of hate, religious intolerance and radicalism.

Rudiantara said that unlike porn sites, pro-radicalism sites rarely used predictable keywords, which made them hard to identify through search engines like Google.

Recruitment drive

But IS sympathizers are also resorting to pamphlets and persuasion to look for fresh recruits, officials said, reaching as far as Indonesians working overseas.

Rafail Walangitan, the Indonesian consul general in Hong Kong, said brochures had been distributed to Indonesian migrant workers there calling on them to join IS.

Consulate staff also found brochures inviting Indonesian workers to a sermon hosted by two clerics slated for earlier this week. The clerics were denied entry by Hong Kong authorities.

"Maybe immigration here see [the two pamphlets] as related," Rafail said. "We don't know. [Hong Kong] immigration never told us why [the two were denied entry]."

Earlier, local newspaper Oriental Daily reported that a number of Indonesian workers had also received brochures with an unspecified job offer. The brochures depict a woman draped in black Islamic attire and veil while carrying an IS flag.

Back in East Java, meanwhile, the three suspects in Malang are accused by police of luring dozens of people – mostly impoverished farm workers – to join IS with the promise of cash.

"Some were promised $100 all the way $500," provincial police chief Anas said. They were also promised bonuses for killing enemies or blowing up a target. "But these promises were never honored." One of the suspects, Anas said, used a religious school he once managed as a recruiting ground. "We suspect that he has sent at least 18 Indonesians to Syria," he said.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/free-speech-a-possible-casualty-in-purge-of-is/

Government blocks 70 terror websites

Jakarta Post - March 25, 2015

Yogyakarta – The Communications and Information Ministry has blocked 70 websites with content linked to terrorism, including the Islamic State (IS) organization.

"Most of the sites were in the form of blogs, not registered websites," said Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara on Tuesday.

He said the ministry had problems blocking social media accounts that shared similar content. "Social media is open. We can't [block these sites] unless there are reports from the public," he said.

According to the minister, the challenge in finding terror websites was using the right keywords, as the sites sometimes used names that were unrelated to radicalism or terrorism.

Given the apparent rising influence of IS in the country, the ministry has started to crackdown on websites containing IS teachings and terrorism. It has also prepared a panel consisting of religious leaders to verify whether a website contains dangerous content.

The panel consists of Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Din Syamsuddin, Nahdlatul Ulama leader Sholahudin Wahid and Catholic priest Benny Susetya.

"The panel is helping to verify whether a website supports radicalism," said Rudiantara during an event in Yogyakarta.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/25/national-scene-govt-blocks-70-terror-websites.html

Jakarta bombing linked to returning IS fighters

Sydney Morning Herald - March 25, 2015

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – A bomb explosion in a Jakarta shopping mall last month has been linked to members of the so-called Islamic State who fought in Syria, highlighting the danger posed by foreign fighters when they return to Indonesia.

National Police Inspector-General M. Tito Karnavian also confirmed police were investigating claims by a money-laundering watchdog that funds from Australia were supporting terrorist networks in Indonesia.

General Tito said 159 Indonesians were confirmed as having left to fight for IS in Iraq and Syria, but the real number was likely to be higher. Of the 159, 11 had been killed and 11 had returned to Indonesia. Three of the 11 returned fighters had been arrested and eight were being monitored. "We should not underestimate the danger," he said.

He revealed the national police's counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, believed the perpetrators of last month's bombing at the ITC mall in Depok, south of Jakarta, were connected to a group that had just returned from Syria. No one was harmed in the explosion in the men's bathroom of a children's play area on the second floor of the mall because the bomb did not detonate properly.

However the chlorine bomb – which General Tito said was a signature of IS – highlighted the risk Indonesia faces from returned fighters. "Our danger is when they return they could pose attacks because they have got a network and they have got militancy," he said. "The heart of the matter is that one militant only who is ready to die could defeat a platoon of skilful officers."

Earlier this week, the Financial Transactions and Analysis Centre (PPATK) deputy chairman Agus Santoso said some of the funds used by IS in Indonesia had originated from Australia.

"I cannot discuss it in much detail but but we have given this information to [Detachment] 88 for further investigation," he said in the Jakarta Post. "Although I cannot disclose the amount I can confirm for sure that the amount does not reach the millions of dollars."

General Tito said the watchdog could track down and monitor money flows but did not have the authority to find out the owner of the account.

"So far, what they said seems like money flowing from Australia to get into Indonesia – likely not confirmed – likely to be radical groups," he said. "We are asking them to provide us with the data and facts that they found but they can't determine this is a radical group."

He said it was possible Islamist networks in Australia were linked to networks in Indonesia. But it was also possible that family members or non-radical friends who had businesses in Australia were supplying the money.

Sidney Jones, the director of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, said that so far trips to Syria had been funded locally. She said people were either selling off their own goods to raise money or getting donations from other local members of the network, such as owners of herbal medicine businesses. "There is no evidence at all of any foreign funding for any terrorism activities in Indonesia. None," she said.

The number of terrorist attacks in Indonesia fell from 21 in 2013 to just six in 2014. There have been just three deaths from terrorist attacks between 2010 and 2015 and all three killed were suicide bombers.

"The capacity of terrorists in Indonesia is very weak," said writer and journalist Solahudin. However he warned this could be because extremists had been more focused on fighting in Syria than staging attacks in Indonesia.

The core membership of Jemaah Islamiyah, the group that undertook a number of bombings in Indonesia between 2002 and 2009 including the deadly Bali bombings, were trained during and fought in the war against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/jakarta-bombing-linked-to-returning-is-fighters-20150325-1m7n0n.html

Parliament & legislation

Infighting results in poor House performance

Jakarta Post - March 25, 2015

Hans Nicholas Jong and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The current batch of lawmakers will likely fail to meet the House of Representatives' legislative target, a watchdog group has predicted after evaluating the lawmakers' performances in the last six months.

The Indonesian Parliament Watch (Formappi), which has tracked the House's performance over the past six months, said that it was business as usual for the 560 members of the House, who came from various backgrounds, ranging from lawyers and businessmen to activists and celebrities.

"They did not meet their own targets. They also failed to grasp the people's needs and aspirations," Formappi chairman Sebastian Salang said during the release of the report on Tuesday.

From the 159 bills included in the 2015-2019 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), 37 are on the priority deliberation list, which lawmakers as well as the government are targeting to complete deliberation of by December.

However, as of now, lawmakers have only passed two bills from the priority list, one on regional elections and the other on regional administrations. "They haven't even discussed other bills [from the priority list]," Formappi researcher Lucius Karus said on Tuesday.

To make matters worse, the two passed laws were in fact leftovers from the 2009-2014 term.

Formappi recommended that, if the House wanted to meet its legislative target, it would have to pass at least eight bills in each sitting session. The House has five sessions per year, as stipulated by the Legislative Institution Law, known as also MD3.

This year's target of 37 bills had been lowered from the target set by the 2009-2014 batch of lawmakers. In the previous term, lawmakers aimed to complete the deliberation of 251 bills with 72 on their priority list in the first year.

The House Legislation Body (Baleg) has set a target for each of the 11 House commissions to focus only on deliberating two bills every year. The target would only encourage lawmakers to deliver subpar performance, Lucius said.

"They appear to not be commitment to taking their jobs seriously. Once they set the bar low, the lazier and slower they get," he said.

Having commenced their tenure in October 2014, lawmakers have not been able to carry out their main roles in legislation, budgeting and monitoring effectively due to political struggle between the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition and the opposition Red-and-White Coalition.

But once the situation improved during the House's second sitting session, from Jan. 12 to Feb. 18, the political factions had to deal with new rifts affecting two major parties at the House, the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP).

With renewed tensions, lawmakers have said that it is very unlikely that the House will meet its target, including this year's priority agenda.

Escalating tensions in the House involve a proposal for an inquiry to investigate Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly over his alleged "abuse of power" in the struggle for power in Golkar and the PPP.

The House also decided to get into new political war with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo after it declined to conduct a confirmation hearing for a new National Police chief candidate.

"All of the attention is practically devoted to the issue. The very dynamic political situation involving political parties undoubtedly has slowed down our work," deputy chairman of the Baleg, Firman Subagyo, said on Tuesday.

In spite of fresh rows, the House has decided to proceed with its plan to deliberate six bills within the current sitting session, which is expected to wrap up on April 24.

The list includes the bills on broadcasting; on state broadcasters Television of the Republic of Indonesian (TVRI) and Radio of the Republic of Indonesia (RRI), which is expected to see the merger of both; on the protection of fisheries; on architecture; on construction services; and on banking.

In addition to accomplishing the deliberation of such bills, House Speaker Setya Novanto announced that the House would also propose for the issuance a government regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on the amendment of the 2002 law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as well as the deliberation of an amendment to the Criminal Code (KUHP), which has been in limbo for years.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/25/infighting-results-poor-house-performance.html

Jakarta & urban life

Saga ends with city using 2014 budget

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2015

Dewanti A. Wardhani, Jakarta – The Jakarta administration for the first time in history has failed to secure approval from the City Council for a draft budget and is set to use the revised 2014 budget ceiling of Rp 72.9 trillion (US$5.6 billion).

The decision was made final following an official letter of disapproval issued by the City Council on Monday.

On the same day, Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja, accompanied by his subordinates, submitted a new draft budget to the Home Ministry. The draft budget consisted of programs in the draft 2015 city budget that had been downsized by Rp 180 billion to fit the 2014 budget ceiling. He said discussion on the new draft budget would commence on Tuesday.

"Starting Tuesday, the city administration and the Home Ministry will evaluate the draft for 15 working days," Ahok said at City Hall on Monday after submitting the documents to the ministry. He went on to say that the budget was scheduled to be disbursed in late April.

Before heading to the ministry, Ahok paid a visit to the Vice President's office, located next to City Hall, to discuss the budget dispute. Later in the day, Vice President Jusuf Kalla also met with City Council Speaker Prasetio Edi Marsudi to discuss the same issue. However, no resolution was achieved after the meeting.

Ahok reiterated that no major programs would be disrupted. He gave his assurances that school renovation programs, a new civil servants' allowance system and the mass rapid transit (MRT) project would continue smoothly. Instead, he said, using the 2014 budget ceiling would be an advantage for the city administration because "the councilors could not force civil servants to input sneaky budget [entries]".

Ahok also promised that this year's spending would be higher than it was in 2014 because programs in 2015 had undergone numerous efficiencies in order to fix the 2014 budget ceiling. The city administration could also revise the budget at midyear, he said.

However, Ahok acknowledged that the city administration would be forced to cut allocations for a number of programs, such as land acquisition. He said that if the tax agency collected more money than targeted, the city would not be able to use the extra money.

Separately, Prasetio confirmed that he had eventually decided to disapprove of the draft budget despite declaring support for Ahok last week. He said the main reason behind the disapproval was because the city was late in submitting the improved draft to councilors. Prasetio confirmed that he had sent an official letter on the disapproval to Ahok and the Home Ministry.

"We waited since 2 p.m. on Friday, but the city administration only gave us the draft after 8 p.m. This shows that the city administration is not serious. Pak Ahok, who is my good friend, also lacks manners and is inconsistent," Prasetio told a press conference at the City Council building.

Ahok previously refused to take the blame, and said that the city had complied with the councilors' antics, such as providing them with a soft copy of the draft budget and later printing 6,600 pages of the document for each of the nine factions. Such requests, Ahok had said, wasted time that could have been used for discussions.

Prasetio said that the City Council would keep a close watch on the city administration in implementing the budget, and vowed to prevent the administration from misusing money. "I assure you we will be keeping a close watch on the city administration," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/24/saga-ends-with-city-using-2014-budget.html

Armed forces & defense

TNI chief threatens, Komnas HAM questions

Jakarta Post - March 31, 2015

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu – Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Moeldoko has threatened to shoot any suspected terrorists operating in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on sight, while the country's human rights commission is questioning the purpose of combat training in the area.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Central Sulawesi chapter raised doubts over the military exercise held by the TNI in the province, involving at least 3,222 personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force. "What's the military exercise for?" asked Komnas HAM local chapter head Dedi Askary.

He told The Jakarta Post that if the exercise was aimed at stamping out the Islamic State (IS) organization, then TNI had made a mistake because internal security was the responsibility of the National Police.

Dedi deemed that without a clear objective and reason, the military exercise would bring local residents more problems, limiting their movements during the exercise.

"Some residents will even be forced out of their homes for fear of being hit by stray bullets," Dedi pointed out. He also expressed concern over the damage to farmland that could occur, as there was no guarantee of compensation from the TNI.

Consequently, Komnas HAM's Central Sulawesi branch has asked the TNI to respect basic human rights and give ample room to law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties in Poso. He added that the military exercise was being held almost simultaneously with the police's Camar Maleo Operation in the same area in Poso.

"The entire task force involved in the Camar Maleo Operation in Poso has been withdrawn from the location. Such a situation is obviously very risky and is cause for concern," said Dedi.

During transit at Mutiara SIS Aljufri Airport in Palu before leaving for Poso on Monday, Moeldoko urged the terrorist group led by Santoso to surrender if it did not want to be shot at by his men involved in combat training in Poso.

"We are not pursuing terrorists or IS in Poso, but if they're in the way, we will shoot them. There's no place for IS in Indonesia," emphasized Moeldoko.

The Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), the Navy's Frogmen Command (Kopaska) and the Air Force's Special Forces (Paskhas), are also involved in the exercise, which will be officially opened by Moeldoko on March 31.

Some Poso residents living in the area of the training location in Poso Pesisir, Poso regency, have been evacuated temporarily. Most of them, hailing from the Bersaudara mountain range in Poso Pesisir, have been evacuated to avoid casualties during the exercise.

Tadulako 132 Military Command chief Col. Ilyas Alamsyah Harahap said the evacuated residents hailed from Tamanjeka and Sipatuo hamlets and Weralulu village in Poso Pesisir. They have been moved to the barracks at Lape and Tokorondo. "The evacuation process will take 16 hours at most," said Ilyas.

According to him, although the mountainous area in Poso Pesisir would be a bombing target of the Navy and Air Force, access to the area would not be closed. "It will be dangerous if the residents are still in their villages as our soldiers are training," said Ilyas.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/31/tni-chief-threatens-komnas-ham-questions.html

War exercise in Poso not for terrorist operation, TNI says

Jakarta Post - March 28, 2015

Suherdjoko and Ruslan Sangadji, Semarang/Palu – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is insisting that the joint combat exercise in Poso, Central Sulawesi, is not aimed at arresting members of a terrorist network, but added that if soldiers apprehended any of the group, the TNI would hand them over to the police.

Speaking in Semarang, Central Java, on Friday, the Indonesian Army's spokesperson Brig. Gen. Wuryanto said that the 12-day exercise, which started on March 22, was purely a training exercise.

"It's purely an exercise involving the Army, the Navy and the Air Force," Wuryanto said, adding that those involved were from Division 2 of the quick response strike unit.

He refused to link the exercise with efforts to arrest the Santoso-led terrorist group in Poso, saying that the group comprised only 19 persons with only five rifles.

"If the TNI surround them, it will undermine the TNI's name. On the other hand, the Santoso group will feel big," he said. Wuryanto said that if really wanted, the TNI could arrest all the terrorist group members in a month-long operation.

The fact that the group had always successfully escaped being apprehended, according to him, was because previous operations might have been less well conducted.

Meanwhile in Poso, people residing near the joint war exercise sites are to be evacuated to prevent them becoming unnecessary victims of the bombings scheduled for Tuesday.

The commander of the Military Resort Command 132/Tadulako, Central Sulawesi, Col. Ilyas Alamsyah Harahap, said that those to be evacuated were from Tamanjeka and Sipatuo villages in Weralulu subdistrict, Poso Pesisir district. They were to be housed in barracks in the Lape and Tokorondo subdistricts on Monday.

"They will be evacuated only for a day, or 12 hours, or 16 hours at the maximum," Harahap told reporters in Palu on Friday.

He said evacuations were only necessary for regions occupied by the war exercise, as the TNI would be using real bullets.

He also said that although some mountainous areas in Poso Pesisir would be used as bombing targets, the access road through the region would not be closed.

Harahap also insisted that the war exercise was not intended to locate the terrorists operating in the region.

"But if we encounter them we will arrest them to be handed over to the police," he said, adding that arresting the terrorist group in Poso was the responsibility of the National Police.

He said what the TNI was doing in Poso was just a normal war exercise involving 3,200 personnel from the Indonesian Army, Navy and Air Force. "This is conducted to improve the personnel's preparedness in dealing with vulnerable spots in Indonesia," he said.

Separately, the Central Sulawesi Police on Thursday had withdrawn its Mobile Brigade personnel assigned to Operation Camar Maleo 2015, which was conducting a hunt for members of the Santoso-led terrorist group in Poso.

Central Sulawesi Police's spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Hari Suprapto said that the operation, which has been conducted since Jan. 26, involving 1,000 Brimob personnel was not being extended for the time being.

Even so, he said, efforts to locate the terrorist group would be continued after the TNI's joint war exercise in Poso was over.

Until Operation Camar Maleo ended, the whereabouts of the terrorist group estimated to have 28 members had not yet been found. The police have so far arrested six locals suspected to be accomplices of the terrorist group.

People residing near the joint war exercise sites will be evacuated to prevent unnecessary victims Although some mountainous areas in Poso Pesisir will be used as bombing targets, the access road through the region has not been closed

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/28/war-exercise-poso-not-terrorist-operation-tni-says.html

TNI at forefront of IS prevention in Sulawesi

Jakarta Post - March 26, 2015

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – The Military Region Command (Kodam) VII/Wirabuna is stepping up monitoring and surveillance to prevent the Islamic State (IS) militant group from entering and spreading its influence in Sulawesi, a commander has said.

Kodam VII/Wirabuana commander Maj. Gen. Bachtiar said preventive measures were being conducted by officers at all military command levels, including village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa).

He said military personnel would socialize prevention strategies and attempt to instill the importance of patriotism and love of country. The Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel are also tasked with monitoring resident activities, which has aroused suspicion.

"IS has been declared a common enemy. Therefore, people must be warned to stay alert, preventing the influence of the radical group from entering and growing in the region," said Bachtiar at the Kodam VII/Wirabuana headquarters in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Thursday.

According to Bachtiar, the command has identified Poso, Central Sulawesi, as a region prone to the influence of the IS group, as it is home to a number of militant terrorist groups that have pledged allegiance to IS.

In South Sulawesi, Luwu and surrounding areas have also been identified as potential breeding grounds for radical groups in Central Sulawesi.

Bachtiar asserted that the command's military personnel would only take preventative measures to halt the spread of IS influence. "It is the police that will handle security measures; but the Indonesian Military is ready if requested by police to help tackle the militant group's movements," said Bachtiar.

He denied a rumor that naming Poso a region vulnerable to the spread of IS was was being used as a way to justify a joint military exercise in the regency later this month.

Previously, National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) head Saud Usman Nasution said the recruitment of IS fighters from Indonesia jumped significantly between January and October last year, estimating that 514 Indonesians had gone to Syria to fight with IS.

Bachtiar said in addition to Poso and several other regions in Sulawesi, border areas near the Philippines would also see tightened security, as they were prone to illegal immigrant trespassing, harboring and trafficking activities. "We are working with Philippine authorities to guard the border areas," he said. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/26/tni-forefront-is-prevention-sulawesi.html

Criminal justice & prison system

Supreme Court expedites death row appeals

Jakarta Post - March 28, 2015

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The Supreme Court guaranteed on Friday that all justices would expedite hearings on case-review petitions filed by several death row, as the international community was observing the process.

The court decided on Wednesday to reject a second case review petition filed by Philippine national Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, a drug convict in the second batch of executions to take place.

Two other drug convicts – Serge Areski Atlaoui of France and Martin Anderson alias Belo of Ghana – are still challenging their death penalty rulings via case-review petitions.

Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo praised the court's decision to reject Veloso's second case review petition, adding that the decision helped clear the way for the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to carry out the second batch of executions.

Supreme Court spokesman, justice Suhadi, said hearings in lower courts took up most of the time in the case-review process. Suhadi later pledged that all court justices handling the cases would prioritize them.

"It is automatic. All justices know what to do [in prioritizing] those cases because it has drawn so much public attention," he said on Friday. "Rest assured, we are working professionally."

The Criminal Law Procedures Code stipulates that a case review should be filed first with a lower court, which will later hear and study whether the petition meets all the requirements.

A case review can only be considered if new evidence or conflicting facts are found, or if judges are deemed to have erred in applying the law.

The first hearing of Veloso's second case review petition took place at the Sleman District Court on March 3. The lower court later submitted the documents to the Supreme Court on March 12.

Atlaouli's case review petition was first heard at the Tangerang District Court on March 11, however, the court has adjourned the hearing to March 25. The first hearing of Anderson's case review took place at the South Jakarta District Court on March 19.

Prasetyo expressed hope that court proceedings could be wrapped up soon so the AGO could announce the dates of the executions.

Veloso, Anderson and Atlaoui are three of 10 convicts set to be executed in the near future on Nusakambangan prison island near Cilacap, Central Java.

The other drug convicts facing imminent execution are Bali Nine duo Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan of Australia, Rodrigo Gularte of Brazil, Zainal Abidin of Indonesia and Raheem Agbaje Salami of Nigeria. Also slated to be executed are three convicted murderers: Syofial alias Iyen bin Azwar, Harun bin Ajis and Sargawi alias Ali bin Sanusi, all from Indonesia.

Separately, Vice President Jusuf Kalla urged the public to wait for the AGO, which has authority over the executions, to decide when the executions would take place.

AGO spokesman Tony Spontana said it would take a while before the executions could take place. "I can assure you it will not be this week. I'm not sure if it will be this month. We must wait."

Meanwhile, House of Representatives Commission III overseeing laws and human rights checked Nusa Kambangan prison island to see if it was ready to host the executions.

Commission III chairman Azis Syamsudin said after the inspection that the prison was prepared and that it was only a matter of time before the executions would take place.

"All preparations for the executions of the drug convicts are complete, but the prosecutors are still waiting for the completion of the legal process," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/28/supreme-court-expedites-death-row-appeals.html

Police & law enforcement

National police allow hijab for female officers

Jakarta Post - March 27, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – The National Police have officially issued a decree allowing female police officers to wear the Islamic headscarf, or hijab, with their uniforms.

"On Wednesday, March 25, a National Police chief decree was issued that was signed by acting police chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti. The decree describes the changes to the 2005 decree on police uniforms, adding regulations on official female wear for those who want to wear the hijab," National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Thursday.

The recently issued decree proscribes that a female officer who wishes to wear the hijab must use a plain one with no emblems. The hijab must be tucked into her shirt and should not get in the way of any headwear, including berets and helmets.

The decree also includes specifications that policewomen in the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) must wear brown hijab, while those in the detective unit or the intelligence unit must match the color of their hijab to their pants.

Rikwanto explained that the police force would use Rp 600 million (US$46,273) out of its annual budget to provide each policewoman who requested it with two headscarves.

The National Police currently have around 20,000 policewomen, representing only 5 percent of the force's 400,000 personnel.

In 2013, former National Police chief Gen. Sutarman gave his verbal approval to allow policewomen to wear the Islamic head coverings to work. At the time, Sutarman said he would not issue an official decree as there were no funds for the police force to provide the head coverings.

The ban on policewomen wearing the hijab was introduced in 2005, when then police chief Gen. Sutanto issued a decree ordering all police officers to wear only official police force attire.

The decree stipulated that a policewoman could be dismissed for violating the instructions. It only made an exception for those stationed in Aceh, given the province's 2001 Islamic bylaws that oblige all women to cover their hair.

Rikwanto explained that several changes had also been made for policewomen in Aceh. Although the police force previously allowed policewomen in Aceh to choose whether to wear long skirts or pants with their uniforms, the new decree specified that they must wear long pants and cover their feet with ankle boots and black socks.

"The decree was made official and sent to all the police precincts on Wednesday, but it will take time to raise awareness of the new decree and also take time to make the hijab," he said, adding that the hijab was not compulsory for policewomen to wear.

After the decree was issued, members of Polwan Indonesia, a Facebook group for policewomen, flooded the page with positive comments about the news. The Facebook group had previously been active in pressuring the police force to revoke the hijab ban.

Separately, National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) member Muhammad Nurkhoirun applauded the police's decision to finally issue a decree that regulates hijab-wearing for policewomen.

"The decree issued has to be seen as an institution trying to accommodate the identity rights of their personnel and to give them a legal basis to wear the hijab. I believe that it was the right decision to accommodate hijab-wearing women, but that there still should be limitations that make sure the hijab does not affect their work," he told The Jakarta Post.

Nurkhoirun also warned that the police force must be very careful to make sure that with the decree issued, policewomen would not be forced into wearing the hijab just because there were now regulations that allowed it.

"The police force must also respect Muslim policewomen who decide not to wear the hijab. This is the consequence of living in such a multicultural society; everyone's identity rights must be upheld," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/27/national-police-allow-hijab-female-officers.html

Mining & energy

Government may pay fuel subsidies

Jakarta Post - March 30, 2015

Satria Sambijantoro, Jakarta – Indonesia has increased the price of subsidized gasoline again in line with its fixed-subsidy plan, but the price is significantly lower than its actual market price, a policy that may eventually force the government to spend on fuel subsidies again.

On Saturday, the price for Premium (gasoline) and Solar (diesel) fuels increased to Rp 7,400 (57 US cents) per liter and Rp 6,900 per liter, respectively, both increasing Rp 500 per liter from previous prices.

However, the new prices were set well below market price, as the sharp depreciation of the rupiah and the increase in oil prices, stemming from recent geopolitical tension in Middle Eastern countries, drove up the cost of fuel imports.

The economic price of Premium currently stands at around Rp 8,000 per liter, according to Widhyawan Prawiraatmadja, an expert staff at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. "We could not increase the fuel price too drastically," Widhyawan said on Sunday.

The move, he said, showed that the government did not allow fuel prices to be dictated by the market, as demanded by the country's Constitution.

In this case, the fuel prices could be increased gradually in line with fluctuations in the exchange rate and global oil prices, according to Widhyawan, who urged the politicians and economists not to politicize the issue of fuel subsidies.

"This is not supposed to be a continuously debated political issue," he said, adding that the public should be educated so that it became accustomed to the fluctuation in fuel prices.

The government did not earmark any funds for Premium subsidies in the revised 2015 state budget, after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo abolished unproductive fuel subsidies – which hit Rp 276 trillion last year, around 15 percent of total state spending – and reallocated the funds to more productive uses such as infrastructure projects.

Under Jokowi's new fixed-subsidy system, the prices of Premium and Solar are no longer capped, but instead are evaluated and adjusted every month in accordance with fluctuations in the exchange rate and global oil prices.

The new fuel prices, however, raised the question of who will pay for the Premium and Solar subsidies, both of which are sold significantly lower than their actual prices on the global market.

Widhyawan said state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina – not the revised 2015 state budget – would temporarily finance the subsidy gap.

He explained that when oil prices fall in the future the government might not lower the prices of Premium and Solar too drastically, thus allowing Pertamina to reap profits that could compensate for present losses.

However, the policy is feared to create confusion and has drawn criticism from observers.

"As a state-owned company, PT Pertamina is a profit-oriented firm that is mandated not to incur [financial] losses, but now they have to bear the burden of subsidies," Kardaya Warnika, the chairman of House of Representatives Commission VII overseeing energy, said on Sunday.

"A policy must be implemented consistently, not shifting from left to right." Nevertheless, economic stakeholders have urged the government not to adjust fuel prices drastically, citing difficulties in adjusting to the economic uncertainty, notably the potential swings in operating costs and price levels.

"If the adjustment in fuel prices is relatively small – say, for example, less than 5 percent – then public transportation operators could still adjust to the new conditions by reducing their margins," said Andriansyah, the secretary-general of the Organization of Land Transportation Owners (Organda).

The government's fixed-subsidy plan, nevertheless, was still a huge burden on public transportation owners, who could not adjust their tariffs in line with the soaring operating costs due to higher fuel prices, he noted.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/30/govt-may-pay-fuel-subsidies.html

People

Book Worm: Faiza Marzoeki; Novels & realism

Jakarta Post - March 30, 2015

Hans David Tampubolon – Playwright Faiza Mardzoeki often takes inspiration and ideas from the books she reads to produce high quality plays.

Most of Faiza's works, such as 2006's Nyai Ontosoroh (Madame Ontosoroh), are adapted from realist novels, a genre that she said was her favorite. However, she did not always have access to the high quality literature that made her the way she is today.

The 43-year-old playwright, who was born in the Central Java town of Purwokerto, said that during her teenage years she only had access to teen novels.

"Everyone read Lupus because that was the only novel available in Purwokerto back then," she said, referring to a popular teen novel written by Hilman Hariwijaya that was one of the country's bestselling novels back in the 1980s.

When Faiza started her theatrical career in 1992, she began reading serious novels, including the works of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, whose books were banned in the past because of his alleged affiliations with the left wing political movement.

"I can say Pram is one of the few realist novelists in Indonesia. We do not have a strong tradition of reading realist novels here. Most of the novels written here are about religion and dreams."

Pramoedya Ananta Toer's Tetralogy

Pram had a very strong influence on my political knowledge, particularly on the issue about society and how it develops. I usually did not give much thought about society, but through the literature provided in Pram's Tetralogy – Bumi Manusia (Human's Earth), Anak Semua Bangsa (Child of All Nations), Jejak Langkah (Steps) and Rumah Kaca (House of Glass) – I learned a lot.

Women at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

This was one of the most influential novels for my career. I adapted it into a play back in 2000 with Nurul Arifin in the leading role. It impacted me by broadening my comprehension about women's issues in society.

All works by Henrik Ibsen

Ibsen was very clever in capturing the dynamics of everyday lives and all of his stories are timeless, despite the fact they were written more than a hundred years ago. Ibsen talked about human beings in any period and any place. He did not talk about the artifacts or the cultural accessories that were embedded in a society, but about all human beings.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/30/book-worm-faiza-marzoeki-novels-realism.html