Jakarta – Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency, or BNN, has requested the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology block a website that has been selling marijuana brownies.

The narcotics agency said on Monday it had busted the online operation and arrested three people, including a man identified as IR, who owns a marijuana paraphernalia shop in Blok M, South Jakarta.

The 38-year-old had been selling the brownies through website www.tokohemp.com for six months with the help of two friends, the BNN said.

"BNN does not have the authority to close down the website, we will write a request letter to the Ministry of Information and Technology [sic] who is authorized to do so," said Insp. Gen. Deddy Fauzi Elhakim, deputy head of the BNN, on Tuesday.

Police seized four kilograms of marijuana, 12 boxes of cake flour, cake tins, blenders, mixers, scales, and 15 boxes of chocolate, when they raided IR's home in Tangerang, Banten.

IR told the police he started selling the brownies to help people like himself, who were living with HIV and Hepatitis C, that used marijuana for pain relief.

"I just wanted to treat my HIV and Hepatitis C, I believe consuming marijuana will make me feel better but I'm afraid the police will find out if I sold the marijuana in joints, so I made the brownies," IR said at BNN headquarters in East Jakarta on Monday.

Deddy said the BNN launched an investigation into the online dealers after they received a report that a junior high school student was asleep for two days straight after eating the brownies.

After investigators arrested two customers of www.tokohemp.com at a parking lot in Blok M in February, they were able to gain crucial information that eventually lead to the arrest of of IR and his associates.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta/bnn-requests-ban-website-selling-marijuana-brownies/

West Papua

MSG summit in May to discuss West Papua bid

Radio New Zealand International - April 15, 2015

The chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Victor Tutugoro, says a special summit is planned for May 21st to examine the membership bid of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

The bid for membership was formally submitted to the MSG secretariat in February after an earlier attempt by the West Papuans was rejected because the MSG didn't consider the application to be representative of the Indonesian province.

Mr Tutugoro told Noumea's daily newspaper that he met a ULMWP leader, Rex Rumakiek, and has been invited to the Movement's planned Congress in Papua New Guinea. According to the paper, an MSG foreign ministers' delegation is considering submitting to Jakarta the conclusion of the May meeting.

It also says Mr Tutugoro will soon travel to Fiji and PNG to discuss the application which will ultimately be decided at the MSG leaders summit in Solomon Islands later this year. At the MSG summit in 2011, Indonesia was granted observer status.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/271248/msg-summit-in-may-to-discuss-west-papua-bid

PNG army investigates Indonesian troop movements

Radio New Zealand International - April 15, 2015

The Commander of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force is looking into an unauthorised excursion of Indonesian soldiers into the country last week.

The newspaper, The National, reports that Brigadier-General Gilbert Toropo has directed his officers at the Vanimo Forward Base to submit a report on the matter.

Earlier Wutung villagers reported seeing eight armed Indonesian soldiers crossing the border. PNG soldiers at the time were busy checking passengers and cargo from Indonesia at a checkpoint about 100 metres away.

Wutung councillor Raphael Tungla says the Indonesian soldiers passed the border monument on the beach and walked to the edge of his village.

He says they immediately turned back when villagers confronted them. But Mr Tungla says he is concerned about the laxity of the PNG soldiers in manning the border.

He says soldiers should be patrolling the border and not checking passengers returning from the Batas market who had already been cleared by Customs, Immigration and the police.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/271250/png-army-investigates-indonesian-troop-movements

Nearly 1,600 people in Papua suffer from leprosy

Tabloid JUBI - April 15, 2015

Jayapura, Jubi – Nearly 1,600 people in 16 districts in Papua are suffering from leprosy, said Ary Pongtiku, a consultant of Leprosy and Framboesia in Papua and West Papua in Jayapura last week.

He said the actual number could be higher because people were reluctant to get treatment. In addition, the patients did not want to take medication given by paramedics. If it is not to be taken seriously then the it is difficult to eradicate.

Therefore, the Papua provincial government allocated Rp. 200 million and Rp. 525 million from the Netherlands Leprosy Relief.

When asked about the prevention of leprosy by using a "blanket system", he stated it would be implemented in Mumugu village, Asmat, Papua. We have recorded 135 lepers in Mumugu that its treatment would be using the "blanket system" out of 350 lepers.

The area that became epidemic of leprosy is the city of Jayapura, Timika, Sarmi, Nabire, Mamberamo Raya, Biak, Waropen, Asmat, Supiori, Digoel, Mappi, Merauke, Jayawijaya, Paniai, Yapen Islands, Keerom and Jayapura regency.

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/04/15/nearly-1600-people-in-papua-suffer-from-leprosy/

Rights commission call on Paniai killings a 'good first step'

Radio New Zealand International - April 13, 2015

An announcement by Indonesia's Human Rights Commission that it will recommend a pro-justicia inquiry into killings of four students in Papua last year has been described as a good first step.

In the December incident, Indonesian security forces allegedly opened fire on hundreds of peaceful protesters in Paniai regency in Papua province, resulting in the deaths of four Papuan students and injuries to dozens of others.

An expert in Indonesian history and politics, Dr Richard Chauvel of Melbourne's Victoria University says the response of Indonesia's President Jokowi to the killings has been indecisive. But he says the Commission's input could help influence discourse in Jakarta about this incident.

"I think it is a positive first step in the direction of shining greater light on those killings... not necessarily with any teeth. I think it's a necessary first step but there's quite a few steps that they're going to need to follow it."

Dr Richard Chauvel says a key question remains whether Jokowi is going to change the culture of impunity around abuses by security forces in Papua region.

He says while it is still early in Jokowi's presidency, prospects are uncertain given that his predecessor also began his tenure with intentions for security forces reform but was only able to make limited inroads over ten years.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/271052/rights-commission-call-on-paniai-killings-a-%27good-first-step%27

MSG urged to accept West Papua

Solomon Star News - April 13, 2015

West Papua must be given full membership at the Melanesian Spearhead Group, says the Pacific Freedom Forum.

"The people of West Papua have long been denied basic human rights by their own government," says PFF Chair Titi Gabi. "They are therefore justified in seeking support and assistance for those rights from outside their own borders."

The Melanesian Spearhead Group will decide on an application for full membership from West Papua groups in June. PFF is calling on the Melanesian Spearhead Group to support internationally recognised West Papua organisations, rather than a recent initiative from Indonesia.

"Indonesia already has observer status at the Melanesian Spearhead Group," says Gabi. "They need to step back and allow West Papua to establish full and proper relations with their Melanesian brothers and sisters."

A recently established coalition of freedom groups called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua is now competing with an initiative from the Indonesian government to gain recognition for its own grouping.

PFF has previously joined international concerns about human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces in West Papua, including against freedoms of speech, along with assault, arbitrary arrest, torture, rape and murder.

PFF co-Chair Monica Miller says there is growing recognition for West Papua to have a voice at the regional level.

However she says there are mixed signals from within the Melanesian Spearhead Group, about which group to support. "It makes absolutely no sense for MSG to give priority to Indonesian voices when Indonesia denies those same rights to its own citizens."

Indonesia was given observer status at the MSG in 2011, after support from Fiji. Miller notes that support for West Papua has grown significantly since then, especially in Fiji.

A Facebook group called Fiji West Papua Friends has more than 10,000 members. This compares with some 4,000 members in an Australian group, and 2,000 in New Zealand.

Support groups for West Papua have appeared in multiple locations across the region, including Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Source: http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/regional/6483-msg-urged-to-accept-west-papua

Hope on the horizon for a West Papua free of indonesian abuses

New Matilda - April 9, 2015

Amy McQuire – There is a silent genocide in his homeland of West Papua, independence leader Benny Wenda says, but it is slowly becoming difficult for the world to ignore.

"A lot more people are talking about it, a lot more people are finding out the truth," he tells New Matilda.

"Because it is happening right now. A lot of people from Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific, all across the Pacific, in Africa and the Caribbean. I'm telling the world what is happening because this is the 21st century and West Papua is still fighting colonisation. People thought colonialism has ended but Indonesia is still practising it."

In the past 50 years since Indonesia obtained control over West Papua following the departure of the Dutch, an estimated 500,000 Indigenous Melanesians have died in the resource rich province. But their cries have fallen on deaf ears.

The brutal crackdown from the Indonesian military and security forces is largely hidden from the international radar through a foreign media ban. But now, with the explosion of social media, the atrocities committed are regularly flowing out of West Papua.

In mid-March, Indonesian military opened fire on a group of West Papuans who were fundraising for the victims of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu in the town of Yahukimo, the only country that has consistently supported a free West Papua. One person died, four were injured, and there are reports of arrests.

"This was humanitarian – it wasn't talking about independence, but the Indonesian police don't respect humanitarian issues," Mr Wenda says.

"Nobody brought justice and people are really scared. Some of them are in hiding but they are continuing to raise funds. Some are singing on the street and collecting money."

Mr Wenda has been in exile since 2003, when he was offered political asylum by the British government. It followed his escape from a jail in the small town of Abepura, where he was being held as a political prisoner, and was awaiting the outcome of a trial into allegations of inciting an attack on a police station, charges he has consistently denied.

More than a decade later, Mr Wenda is in Australia after he was deported from Papua New Guinea last week on a visa related issue. He told New Matilda he accepts the PNG government's reasoning that it was not a political decision.

"I used a British passport and when I arrived I thought you could apply for a visa on arrival. I was held for five hours, I didn't know what was going on, they didn't tell me. After two days they decided to deport me. But I understand and respect their law," Mr Wenda says. "I don't want to go into a lot of the speculation that it was a political issue."

But Mr Wenda arrived in the country to thank PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill for recent comments he made against the brutal control of the province by Indonesian military.

Mr O'Neill recently told ABC's Pacific Beat program that the recently elected Indonesian President Joko Widodo should keep the previous President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's promise to reduce the military presence in the rich province. The matter was discussed with the former President in a meeting held in Indonesia, he said.

"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," he said.

Despite the need to take a "diplomatic approach" to the issue of West Papua's future and have a "cordial relationship with Indonesia", Papua New Guinea "will not keep quiet about the abuses that are taking place". The comments were "shocking" to Mr Wenda, who has said in the past 50 years, no PNG Prime Minister has ever made such strong comments about the future of West Papua.

"My visit to PNG was because in 50 years, no other Papua New Guinea Prime Minister has supported the human rights issue in West Papua," Mr Wenda said. "This is also a family issue – we must sort it out amongst the Melanesian family – so I came to PNG to personally thank the Prime Minister and his government."

Another reason was to personally lobby Papua New Guinea in the lead up to a significant meeting of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in the Solomon Islands in July, which will determine whether the United Liberation Movement of West Papua, for which Mr Wenda is a spokesperson, will be included.

The MSG is a regional group made up of Melanesian countries – Vanuatu, PNG, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste, a pro-independence New Caledonian movement. As of 2011, Indonesia has observer status at the MSG.

Mr Wenda told New Matilda Mr O'Neill's comments gave him hope about Melanesian support for a free West Papua.

"Nobody has said a comment or statement like that so I was shocked and it let our spirits up. We thought 'this has never happened', that's why it gave us hope. This is a Pacific issue. It's a regional issue. That's why it was a surprise for a Melanesian leader to speak out publicly," he says.

The situation is urgent, and it is getting worse under President Widodo, who only visited West Papua during his election campaign to gain popularity, Mr Wenda said.

"People thought he was the Indonesian Obama but actually he's worse. From the beginning I never had trust. You can't trust them. We are better off going back to where we came from. We are demographically, culturally, linguistically, part of Melanesia," he says.

Over the past five decades, the Melanesian nation of Vanuatu has been the only country to back a free West Papua, but Mr Wenda says it's now time for the rest of Melanesia to stand in support. He says Indonesia has been a key player in keeping the Melanesian countries silent on the issue.

"Indonesia has played clever games, like what happened in 1969 with Indonesia threatening America and the Dutch... the same has been used to get Melanesian countries not to support because they say this is an internal issue, a territorial integrity issue.

"But Melanesian people and leaders are now realising that Indonesia is hiding something. Indonesia does not allow journalists inside and they are committing a secret genocide."

He believes that the MSG bid will be successful, following on from a meeting of the MSG in Vanuatu last year, where the application for membership was submitted.

"I hope the Melanesian leaders will accept West Papua and welcome West Papua into the Melanesian family. We are campaigning now with our solidarity groups around the world, particularly in Australia, New Zealand the Pacific Islands.

"I really believe we will be a full member. "We already have a united group with the United Liberation Movement of West Papua, and it gives you confidence."

Source: https://newmatilda.com//2015/04/09/hope-horizon-west-papua-free-indonesian-abuses

MMF: Government must make clear its stand on West Papua

Solomon Star News - April 9, 2015

Bradford Theonomi – Outspoken pressure group, Malaita Ma'asina Forum (MMF) has strongly urged the Democratic Coalition for Change (DCC) Government to make clear its stand on the West Papuan issue.

President, Charles Dausabea said, whilst MMF is very supportive of the government's policy framework and its progressive works. "MMF wants the government to make clear its stand on the West Papua issue."

Dausabea said, MMF has made its stand clear from the previous government that it will stand along its fellow Melanesian brothers of West Papua.

"We have not moved nor changed our stand, freedom for our Melanesian brothers and sisters it is," he said. "Where does our Democratic Coalition for Change Government stand on this issue," he questioned.

The President said, they have heard enough of genocide killings of innocent people and its time the country support them for true freedom. "Groups and individuals support including that of our government's support will at least give our brothers and sisters some hope to relief."

He added acknowledging government whatever steps taken on this issue but wants a clear and strong truth.

MMF' General Secretary, Charles Ashley said, like Solomon Islands during the protectorate days, West Papua is striving for freedom except that the situations are different.

The number of deaths and killings in West Papua are in big numbers since it happened. That number could have been the total population of Solomon Islands. "Imagine, entire Solomon Islands population swiped out instantly as such over decades."

The government needs to make clear now, our brothers and sisters from West Papua are suffering, said Ashley.

Source: http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/6411-mmf-gov-t-must-make-clear-its-stand-on-west-papua

Students urge human rights commission to form inquiry

Tabloid JUBI - April 9, 2015

Jayapura, Jubi – At least 150 students and youths rallied in front of the National Human Rights Commission Papua Representative Office on Tuesday (7/4/2015) urging it to set up a team to investigate the shooting dead of four students in December.

Protester Agus Kadepa said the Paniai case constituted a severe human right violation. In addition, he said there are many cases in Papua were not resolved yet, such as the murder of Theys Eluay and Mako Tabuni, and the latest Yahukimo case.

"We asked the Indonesian Human Right Commission to immediately form the KPP HAM. They shouldn't wait. The Paniai Case has observed the element of human right violation in accordance to the Law No. 39/1999 and Law No. 26/2000 stated nine categories of severe human right violation, including torture and enforced disappearance," he said.

According to him, and for justice, the commission's plenary must result in the formation of KPP HAM. Elsham (Human Right Non-Governmental Organization), churches, and students will help to provide information on this case if the KPP HAM was established.

Meanwhile, the Acting Chairman of National Human Right Commission Papua Representative Office, Frits Ramadei said the commission office was appreciated for the suggestion and input. He said the human right enforcement is not only the responsibility of Human Right Commission, but it is the struggle and responsibility of entire parties.

"National Human Right Commission is the institution by Law. So many teams have been formed and worked in field in resolving the Paniai case. Papua Representative Office has issued a conclusion and recommendation that the Paniai case is suspected containing the human right violation," he said.

Separately, the Papua Legislative Council's Commission I member for Legal, Politics and Human Right, Laurenzus Kadepa said the National Human Right Commission Papua Representative Office must follow up the students' voice to the Indonesian Human Right Commission as a pressure for them taking the appropriate actions in resolving the Paniai case.

"This is to bring justice to the victims and their families. Don't let it be ended without solution. It's about the humanity and justice. The Paniai case must be the entrance to resolve similar cases in Papua," Kadepa said. (Arjuna Pademme/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/04/09/students-urge-human-rights-commission-to-form-inquiry/

Human rights & justice

The Hague dedicates street name to slain rights defender Munir

Jakarta Globe - April 14, 2015

Jakarta – Amnesty International has welcomed naming of a street in The Hague after the slain Indonesian human rights defender Munir Said Thalib, the rights organization said in a press release.

"[Today], a Munir Lane will be unveiled in The Hague, The Netherlands, in honor of the Indonesian human rights defender Munir Said Thalib," it said.

Munir died in 2004 on board a flight from Indonesia to the Netherlands after being served coffee spiked with arsenic. Dutch authorities investigating his death proved he had been poisoned. Three people were convicted for involvement in the murder, but many believe they were acting on orders from intelligence agents.

The ceremony unveiling the street sign will begin at the intersection of Munir Lane and Martin Luther Kinglaan in The Hague on Tuesday evening.

The mayor of The Hague, Jozias van Aartsen, Munir's widow Suciwati, and Amnesty International Netherlands director Eduard Nazarski are expected to attend the ceremony.

"Amnesty International is pleased that the municipality of The Hague is paying tribute to Munir by remembering his name by naming a street after him," Nazarski said.

"Munir made extraordinary efforts to improve the human rights situation in Indonesia. He was a courageous and persistent man and we miss him dearly."

After the unveiling, Amnesty International and the municipality of The Hague will co-host a public meeting at Humanity House, where Suciwati will be the special guest.

Papang Hidayat, Amnesty International's Indonesia researcher, will give a presentation on human rights in Indonesia. The event will be moderated by Gerry van Klinken, a professor of Southeast Asian history at the University of Amsterdam.

In Indonesia, Munir is remembered as a well-known human rights defender involved in the investigation of cases of disappearances during the dying months of the Suharto regime.

He was also a key figure in the commissions on human rights violations in Aceh and East Timor.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/hague-dedicates-street-name-to-slain-rights-defender-munir/

1965 affair could open the way to investigating other rights violations

Deutsche Welle - April 13, 2015

Hendra Pasuhuk – A seminar by the International People's Tribunal (IPT1965) titled "Indonesia's 1965 Massacre: Unveiling The Truth, Demanding Justice" that was held in the Den Haag on April 10 on the 1965 massacres in Indonesia, which resulted in the killing of hundreds of thousands of people, has raised several new aspects related to the affair. 2015 could be a decisive year for the investigation of various other gross human rights violations.

Former Dutch minister for development aid, Jan Pronk, raised the question as to why the Netherlands has preferred to remain silent on the humanitarian crimes that took place in Indonesia in 1965. As the former coloniser of Indonesia, the Netherlands appears to have sought to tread carefully and safeguard its quite significant business interests and investments in Indonesia.

Hundreds of thousands of Indonesian citizens who were accused of involvement in the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) were killed in 1965. In the years that followed, sympathisers and family members were isolated and stigmatised. The total number of victims of the 1965 killings is still not fully known because investigations into affair were taboo during the New Order regime under the leadership of former president Suharto.

The decades of New Order propaganda an agitation about the brutality of the PKI and organisations affiliated with the political party still grip Indonesian society to this day. The IPT1965 is seeking to break open the taboos and veil that has obscured this humanitarian calamity through a series of events and publication both in Indonesia and overseas.

Sensitive issue

Professor Saskia Wieringa, who spoke on the international dimension of human rights at the seminar said that the 1965 affair is still a very sensitive issue in Indonesia. A similar view was conveyed by Jan Pronk who said that the Netherlands also committed war crimes in Indonesia.

Gerry van Klinken, a researcher from Leiden University, elaborated on how the 1965 affair was not just a "military crime" against citizens as it is often portrayed. "This affair indicates that when it took place there was a huge cleavage within society", said Klinken. This is because it was not just the military but also religious groups, both Islamic and Christian, that were involved in the mass killings.

Lawyer and legal observer Todung Mulya Lubis said that it would be impossible to initiate legal proceedings over the 1965 affair. This is because New Order forces still have a huge influence. "But this must become a principle agenda item for the administration of Jokowi [President Joko Widodo]", said Lubis. Moreover it could open the way for investigations into other gross human rights violations such as Tanjung Priok, Talangsari, Aceh, East Timor, Papua and the assassination human rights activists Munir.

Learning from other countries

Jan Pronk suggested that Indonesia learn from other countries such as Rwanda in order to resolve the 1965 mass killings. He also recalled that at the time that many Western block countries had an interest in containing communism in Indonesia and removing President Sukarno who they saw as supporting the left and socialist block.

Nursyahbani Katjasungkana SH, one of the IPT1965 coordinators, admitted that it is not easy to publically raise the issue of the 1965 mass killings. When the IPT11965 website was launched in Jakarta, the committee invited a number of media to cover the event. Journalists did indeed come but it was not reported she said. Instead, the Detik.com news portal carried a story about IPT1965 from the Netherlands, not Jakarta.

So far only a few media have carried articles on the IPT1965's activities, including among others Deutsche Welle (DW), Detik.com and Tempo Interactive. Pos Kota News carried a report on the IPT1965's seminar in Den Haag by quoting from a story by DW.

Todung Mulya Lubis conceded that 1965 is not a sexy issue for the media like corruption and admitted to being pessimistic that the situation will change in the short term.

This is because in 2012 the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) released a full report complete with data and recommendations on the 1965 affair. The report was the result of four years research as mandated under Law Number 26/2000 on a Human Rights Court. To this day however, there has been no follow up from the government.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Peristiwa 1965 Bisa Membuka Pintu bagi Pengusutan Pelanggaran HAM Lain".]

Source: http://www.dw.de/peristiwa-1965-bisa-membuka-pintu-bagi-pengusutan-pelanggaran-ham-lain/a-18378090

Munir street in The Hague reminder of murder

Jakarta Post - April 12, 2015

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Dutch government's decision to name a street after the late human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib could serve as a reminder that the Indonesian government has done little to bring closure to his murder.

The street, located in The Hague, Netherlands, will open next Tuesday, 11 years after Munir died from arsenic poisoning during a flight to Amsterdam. The street is located in a complex that also has streets named after other prominent human rights campaigners, namely US civil rights leader Martin Luther King, South African president Nelson Mandela, slain Chilean president Salvador Allende and Mother Theresa.

The Hague will also install a plaque that reads, "Munirpad: Munir Said Thalib 1965-2004, Indonesische voorvechter van de bescherming de rechten van de mens" (Munir street: Munir Said Thalib 1965-2004, human rights activist).

Suciwati, Munir's widow, who is scheduled to attend a ceremony to inaugurate the street, said on Saturday it was ironic that a foreign government could pay respect to her late husband while in his home country, the government failed to find a breakthrough in his murder case.

"There are human right violators everywhere and Munir's murderers remain free. It's ironic when another country gives an award while his country gives space for the actual perpetrators [to roam free]. The last person who got jailed [for allegedly murdering Munir] was in fact given parole," she told a press conference at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) office in Central Jakarta.

Suciwati was referring to Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto, the convicted murderer of Munir, who was granted parole by the Law and Human Rights Ministry in November 2014 after being imprisoned for six years.

Pollycarpus, who has close relations with the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), was supposed to serve 14 years. Pollycarpus' release is currently being challenged by human rights watchdog Imparsial at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN), with Suciwati scheduled to give testimony later this month.

"We have found many irregularities in the granting of the parole. Pollycarpus is said to have regretted and admitted [to being responsible for the murder], while in another news report, he was reported to have denied [the accusation] and claimed innocence," Suciwati said.

Imparsial director Poengky Indarti said on Saturday that the government's decision to release Pollycarpus was a huge blow to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's commitment to resolving past human rights abuse cases.

"But, instead, Jokowi freed a minor actor [in the murder]. This is suspicious [...] besides releasing Pollycarpus; Jokowi also gave room [to the suspected actors behind the murder]. For example, Gen. (ret) Hendropriyono, who was BIN chief at the time of the murder, was appointed as an advisor to Jokowi's [now-defunct] transition team," Poengky said.

With the absence of progress in the past 11 years in the investigation to find the mastermind behind Munir's murder, the street in The Hague should serve as a strong reminder that the world demands justice in the case, said Yati Andriyani, the deputy coordinator of the advocacy department of KontraS.

"This street is like a ghost. As long as the case is not resolved, then the Indonesian government will keep being haunted by the truth," she said on Saturday. "But the street could also influence Jokowi's administration to resolve the case."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/12/munir-street-the-hague-reminder-murder.html

Women's rights

Half-price tickets for female train passengers to Celebrate Kartini Day

Jakarta Globe - April 13, 2015

Jakarta – Kereta Commuter Line (KCJ), subsidiary of Indonesia's state-run railway company Kereta Api Indonesia, is offering half-price multi-trip tickets for female passengers over the next two weeks as part of Kartini Day celebrations.

Starting on Monday, female passengers on Jakarta train lines will pay Rp 25,000 ($1.90) for Commuterline Multi Trip Cards (KMT) and receive Rp 15,000 of credit, said Eva Chairunisa, spokeswoman of KCJ, as quoted by news portal Merdeka.com on Monday.

She said the offer would last until April 26 and was valid at 12 stations: Bogor, Citayam, Bojong Gede, Depok Baru, Pasar Minggu, Tebet, Manggarai, Jakarta Kota, Bekasi, Tanah Abang, Palmerah and Tangerang.

Eva said the offer was to coincide with Kartini Day celebrations, which take place on on April 21 – the birth date of Raden Ayu Kartini (1879- 1904), who is recognized as a pioneer of woman's rights in Indonesia.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta/half-price-tickets-female-train-passengers-celebrate-kartini-day/

Sexual & domestic violence

Decade-old law failed domestic abuse victims: LBH APIK

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Jakarta – A legal aid foundation has lamented that a 2004 Law on Domestic Violence Eradication has not been optimally implemented despite its enactment 10 years ago.

The Women's Legal Aid (LBH APIK) noted in its annual report published on Tuesday that domestic violence cases still sat on the top of the list of cases of violence against women handled by the organization last year.

"We worked on 527 domestic violence cases last year. The figure accounted for around 75 percent of the entire 704 cases we handled in Greater Jakarta," LBH APIK director Ratna Batara Munti said during a press conference on Tuesday.

The number of cases handled by the organization decreased from 992 in 2013, but the organization claimed the number was just the tip of the iceberg because most female victims choose to keep silent and hide their problems.

According to the law, domestic violence is categorized in four ways: physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse and abandonment.

The report showed that of the 527 cases, 259 cases, or around 49 percent, were categorized as a combination of the four kinds of abuse, while 9 percent were considered abandonment cases and 7.5 percent were psychological abuse.

Despite the hundreds of reports received by the foundation, only two cases had made their way to court.

One of them was a case of abandonment experienced by a Depok, West Java housewife, identified as Swk. The victim's husband had not provided for the family's daily needs and even had debts unknown to her.

After two years of legal proceedings, her husband was found guilty and sentenced to one year imprisonment and six months on probation.

The law on domestic violence eradication rules that punishment for physical abusers is between four months to 15 years imprisonment, or a maximum fine of Rp 45 million (US$3,467), while psychological abusers can get between four months and three years in prison, or a maximum fine of Rp 9 million.

Domestic sexual abusers are threatened with four to 20 years of imprisonment or a maximum fine of Rp 500 million, while abandonment convicts can be sentenced to a maximum of three years imprisonment and Rp 15 million in fines.

The organization noted light punishment, as well as a long and exhausting legal process, had become a challenge that often makes the victims reluctant to face a court battle.

Ratna added that different law enforcers also have different understandings on how domestic violence was proved. In many cases, some law enforcers still required victims to provide at least two witnesses besides herself.

"They still use the Criminal Code's rules when they should apply what the UU KDRT [law on domestic violence eradication] already determines," she said. The law on domestic violence eradication only requires the victim and another witness for a domestic violence case to be processed, she added.

Meanwhile, the head of the East Jakarta Police's Women and Children Protection Unit, Comr. Endang Sri Lestari, said besides the legal enforcers, victims who have little knowledge of the law can also halt the prosecution of domestic abusers.

She said in some cases victims and suspects have reached amicable settlements and dropped their cases. "We need to educate people that amicable settlements should not end a domestic violence case investigation," she said.

She added that the parties in most domestic violence cases handled by her office went away after reaching a settlement and could not be traced by her officers. (prm)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/decade-old-law-failed-domestic-abuse-victims-lbh-apik.html

Labour & migrant workers

Indonesia protests against beheading of domestic worker in Saudi Arabia

Agence France Presse - April 15, 2015

Jakarta has summoned the Saudi Arabian ambassador to protest against the beheading of an Indonesian domestic worker and complain that her family and consular staff were not given prior notice of the execution.

Saudi authorities said Siti Zainab was executed on Tuesday in the Muslim holy city of Medina after being convicted of stabbing and beating Saudi woman Noura al-Morobei to death in 1999.

Human rights groups used Zainab's beheading to urge Indonesia to abandon its support for the death penalty. The country is pressing ahead with plans to execute several foreigners on death row for drug crimes, including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo and three of his predecessors had previously written to the Saudi king asking for the victim's family to forgive Zainab. But the sentence was carried out despite Jakarta claiming Zainab's family and consular officials were not given adequate notice before her execution.

"From the beginning, the government has struggled to provide her with assistance and has asked the family [of the victim] for forgiveness," Indonesia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The Indonesian government filed a protest against the Saudi Arabian government for not giving prior notification to Indonesian representatives or to the family over the execution date."

Concerns over date of execution: Saudi Arabian ambassador

The Saudi interior ministry said Zainab's execution was delayed until the victim's children were old enough to decide whether the punishment should proceed.

Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Indonesia, Mustafa Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, said he was "surprised" to be summoned by the foreign ministry but would follow up on Jakarta's concerns.

"The problem is not about the court and the execution, it is about the date of the execution," he told reporters. "I have to check what went wrong."

Migrant Care, an NGO advocating for the rights of Indonesian workers abroad, condemned the execution and claimed Zainab was acting in self defence against an abusive employer.

The group urged Indonesia to abandon the death penalty "as a first step to push other countries to not impose the death penalty on migrant workers".

Jakarta, however, remains determined to execute several drug traffickers – including Chan and Sukumaran as well as citizens from France, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil and the Philippines – as soon as possible.

Indonesia executed six drug offenders in January, including five foreigners, prompting a furious Brazil and the Netherlands – whose citizens were among those put to death – to recall their ambassadors.

Foreign minister Retno Marsudi said Indonesia would proceed with the executions as planned, despite protests over Zainab's case.

"Our commitment is to protect our citizens, that is our priority," she said. "But there's an issue of law enforcement which we have to enforce domestically."

Amnesty International said the sentence against Zainab was carried out despite suspicions she was mentally ill, adding to what the London-based watchdog calls a "macabre spike" in Saudi executions this year.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-04-15/indonesia-protests-against-beheading-of-domestic-worker-in-saudi-arabia/1437206

Activists demand investigation into shooting at Jakarta union headquarters

Jakarta Globe - April 15, 2015

Jakarta – Activists are demanding police investigate a non-fatal shooting at a union headquarters in East Jakarta on Tuesday.

"We're pressing the police to investigate this incident immediately and arrest the perpetrators," Mudhofir Khamid, president of the Indonesian Confederation of Prosperous Labor Unions (KSBSI), said on Wednesday.

Mudhofir said he believed the shooting, which occurred about 10:45 p.m. and did not injure anybody, was an act of terror designed to intimidate workers ahead of Labor Day demonstrations on May 1.

"The sound of gunshots took us all by complete surprise. At first, we thought it was some passerby throwing firecrackers," said Mudhofir, who was in a meeting with several labor union leaders at the time.

Several cars parked in front of the office were damaged by the gunfire. The incident was immediately reported to Jatinegara Police.

Jumhur Hidayat, chair of the Federation of Indonesian Maritime Workers (FSPMI), condemned the attack, and agreed it may have been related to the planned upcoming May Day demonstrations.

"This is terror against the workers and the shootings remind us of New Order-era repression," Jumhur said. "But the labor movement will not be cowed by such a cowardly act."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta/activists-demand-investigation-shooting-e-jakarta-union-headquarters/

Political parties & elections

With Jokowi's nod, Puan bends Cabinet rules

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Jakarta – Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani has won approval from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to keep her new position as Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) deputy chairperson for political and security affairs.

"I have been declared by the PDI-P chairwoman as inactive. After being installed, I will be suspended or declared inactive immediately," she said after attending a limited Cabinet meeting at the State Palace on Monday evening.

Puan, who is Megawati's daughter from her marriage to the late Taufiq Kiemas, stressed that she was not working two jobs. "There is no double job because I am inactive. Jokowi has banned Cabinet members from maintaining formal party positions.

The appointment of Puan – widely deemed inexperienced and under-qualified – to the post of coordinating minister for human development and culture was seen as a token of gratitude for the PDI-P's support of Jokowi's presidential campaign last year. Puan said the President and the Vice President understood her position in the party.

Separately, executive director of PolMark Indonesia, Eko Bambang Subiantoro, criticized the move. "It is impossible for Puan to do the two jobs simultaneously," he said, adding that although Puan would be inactive, it would be impossible for her not to work for the party in her new role.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/national-scene-with-jokowi-s-nod-puan-bends-cabinet-rules.html

In Golkar rift, a PDI-P bid to control Joko

Jakarta Globe - April 13, 2015

Jakarta – A faction of Indonesia's oldest political party affiliated with the opposition claims the rift tearing it apart is being engineered by the pro-government coalition to tighten its control over an increasingly independent president.

Bambang Soesatyo, a Golkar Party legislator and outspoken supporter of the faction chaired by tycoon Aburizal Bakrie, said on Sunday that it was clear that the Awesome Indonesia Coalition (KIH), led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), was growing increasingly frustrated with President Joko Widodo's growing refusal to toe its line, and was thus seeking to pry Golkar from the opposition to countervail Joko's executive powers with its own control of the House of Representatives.

Bambang said that Joko's distancing himself from the PDI-P was "clearly reflected in PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri's speech at the opening of the PDI-P congress in Bali" last week.

A visibly agitated Megawati told the thousands of party faithful in attendance that Joko, as a PDI-P member, "must toe the party line," and reminded everyone that it was thanks to her "grace" that he had even been nominated to run for president last year.

"She repeatedly emphasized that legislators, ministers and even the president are members of the party and must obey the party's regulations and platforms," Bambang said.

He said the PDI-P and its coalition partners no longer held a strong sway over the president, who he claimed was getting closer to the opposition Red-White Coalition (KMP), which holds the majority of House seats thanks to Golkar, the biggest party in the bloc.

Number game

With Golkar's 91 seats in the House, a switch to the KIH would for the first time give the pro-Joko coalition a majority of House seats, with 298 to the KMP's 262. The current balance favors the KMP, at 353 to 207.

Bambang said it was clear that, at the House level, the KMP had proved far more accommodating to the president's policy initiatives than his own KIH, and cited the endorsement late last year of the 2015 state budget.

"The KIH at that time tried to drag out the deliberations, but they were powerless because the KMP was unified in helping the president and the vice president prioritize the public's needs by endorsing the budget on time," he said.

The KIH has also clashed with Joko on the president's choice of police chief nominee. Joko initially proposed Budi Gunawan, a police general known to be cozy with Megawati, but withdrew his candidacy following a public outcry over Budi's alleged corruption.

In response, the KIH legislators at the House made it clear that they would not vet a replacement candidate until the president explained his reason for dropping Budi – only to be drowned out by the KMP parties.

With Golkar's schism – in which Aburizal's camp is siding firmly with the KMP and the rival faction led by Agung Laksono aligning itself with the PDI-P – the KIH has seized on a chance to wrest control of the House from the opposition, and thereby try to win back some authority over the president, Bambang said.

"It's very easy to draw a conclusion as to what has motivated this divide- and-conquer practice, and that is greed for full control of the State Palace," he said. "This includes controlling the president and forcing him to act as a party servant, instead of the people's servant."

"Why is it so hard for them to get the president to bow to them? Because they're not as strong at the House as the KMP, and lately the relationship between the president and the KMP has become closer," he added.

However, officials from Agung's camp deny that the faction has cut a deal with the PDI-P to ally Golkar to the KIH.

"It's not right at all to accuse the [KIH] of being behind what is an internal Golkar conflict," said Andi Sinulingga, the head of the youth wing of Agung's camp. "That kind of accusation is what you'll hear from a Golkar member who refuses to look at their own faults and instead tries to pin the blame on a scapegoat."

Chronology of a crisis

Golkar is experiencing the worst crisis in its 50-year history, its rock- solid reputation for unity unraveling before last year's elections. Long- simmering tensions within the party, fueled by dissatisfaction at Aburizal's helmsmanship of the party and poor showings at the ballot box, resulted in Indonesia's once dominant political machine splitting in two last December.

Agung's camp blamed Aburizal for the party's weaker-than-expected result in last April's legislative elections as well as its failure, for the first time in its history, to nominate a presidential or vice presidential candidate in the July presidential election.

Aburizal instead ended up endorsing the candidacy of Prabowo Subianto, who went on to lose to Joko. Aburizal was later re-elected in a party congress in Bali in December, which critics say was rigged from the outset. Days later, they held a rival congress in Ancol, North Jakarta, at which they elected Agung their chairman. Both sides agreed to settle their differences through the party's internal tribunal. However, the tribunal returned a split decision, with two of the four judges ruling in favor of Agung and the other two saying the matter should be settled in court.

Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly, a PDI-P member whose office is responsible for registering political parties, interpreted the split ruling as an endorsement of Agung, and duly issued a decree recognizing his leadership of Golkar. Aburizal's camp, however, won a legal injunction against that decree and are now awaiting a final court ruling in their lawsuit against the legitimacy of the Ancol congress and its outcome.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/golkar-rift-pdi-p-bid-control-joko/

Rough road ahead as PDI-P forms controversial new board

Jakarta Post - April 12, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Sanur, Bali – In the wake of its three-day national congress, which led to the unanimous reelection of party chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) may face problems reaching out to voters, since the party's central board is full of graft-tainted figures and politicians with dubious reputations.

With the prerogative to pick whoever she wanted for the party's central board, Megawati kept many of the same faces from her 2010-2015 tenure, including those who had already been named graft suspects.

Megawati said loyalty weighed most heavily in her decision regarding which party officials to appoint to the central board. "I will slaughter him, if he dares betray me," Megawati said of her choice for the party's secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto.

The party's commitment to promote corruption eradication, which was reiterated throughout the congress in Sanur, Bali, seemed to be nothing more than an empty slogan as many politicians with controversial reputations – namely Idham Samawi, Rokhmin Dahuri and Olly Dondokambey along with a new face, Bambang Dwi Hartono – appeared on the list of party executives.

Idham and Bambang have been named suspects for embezzlement and accepting gratuities, while Olly, who chairs the PDI-P faction at the House of Representatives, has been questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly accepting bribes for increasing the amount of funding allocated to the construction of the Hambalang sports center in West Java.

Idham serves as head of the party's membership while Bambang is head of the party's election campaign team.

Idham, a former Bantul regent in Yogyakarta, has been named a suspect by the Yogyakarta Prosecutor's Office for allegedly embezzling Rp 12.5 billion (US$967,000) from the National Sports Council (KONI) in 2011. Bambang, former deputy mayor of Surabaya, has been named a suspect for giving gratuities worth Rp 720 million to a councilor at the Surabaya Legislative Council (DPRD).

Meanwhile, Rokhmin Dahuri, who was appointed leader of the PDI-P maritime affairs division, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2007 for abusing his power as then maritime affairs and fisheries minister to illegally collect Rp 11.5 billion from regional offices within the ministry. He was released on parole in 2009 for good behavior.

"We are aware of the criticisms regarding their appointment. We defend them because the cases that ensnared them were highly political in nature," Hasto said on Saturday.

Hasto said the PDI-P had gathered enough evidence to prove that the prosecution against Idham, Rokhmin, Olly and Bambang was politically motivated.

When introducing Bambang to the audience, Megawati said: "He is actually a bad boy but he is very loyal. He also has good leadership skills, although self-control is sometimes an issue if he has nothing to play with."

Megawati then referred to Olly as a money maker. "He is known as a Don because his pockets always rattle," she said, referring to Olly's ability to deliver the goods to the party.

It was her concern about loyalty that prompted Megawati to exclude several names, such as Bambang Wuryanto, Effendi Simbol on, Maruarar Sirait and Pramono Anung, from the new management, according to sources within the PDI-P.

Although Megawati did not elaborate on her reasons for excluding such familiar faces, she highlighted that she had carefully selected the candidates, leaving out individuals with questionable loyalty and the potential to divide the party.

Bambang, who led the energy and mining division in the 2010-2015 term, is the leader of the PDI-P branch in Central Java, one of the regions that contributed the highest number of votes during the 2014 elections.

Central Java is also the electoral district of Megawati's daughter Puan Maharani. Puan, however, gave up her legislative seat after being appointed coordinating human development and culture Minister by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Like Effendi, Bambang seems to be critical of Jokowi, which many believe is jeopardizing the PDI-P's stance as the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Maruarar, a lawmaker from the House of Representatives Commission XI overseeing finance, was known as an ardent campaigner for Jokowi in the 2014 presidential election.

Pramono, a former secretary-general and House deputy speaker, is famous for his lobbying role in reconciling the ruling Great Indonesia Coalition and the opposition Red-and-White Coalition during the fight over control of the House.

Arya Fernandez from the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that in addition to loyalty, a politician's stance toward Jokowi's nomination in 2014 had also influenced Megawati's selection of party board members.

"There were party members who actively supported Jokowi's nomination. These individuals are thus considered unfaithful to Bu Mega, the party's leader," Arya said.

The key leadership

Chairperson: Megawati Soekarnoputri
Secretary-general: Hasto Kristiyanto
Deputy secretary-general for internal affairs: Utut Adianto
Deputy secretary-general for social affairs: Eriko Sotarduga
Deputy secretary-general for programs and governance: Ahmad Basarah
Treasurer: Olly Dondokambey
Deputy treasurer for internal affairs: Rudianto Tjen
Deputy treasurer for programs: Juliari Peter Batubara
Politics and security affairs division head: Puan Maharani (non-active)
Law and regulation division head: Trimedya Panjaitan
Creative economy division head: Prananda Prabowo (Megawati's son)
Membership division head: Idham Samawi
Election campaign division head: Bambang Dwi Hartono
Maritime affairs division head: Rokhmin Dahuri

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/12/rough-road-ahead-pdi-p-forms-controversial-new-board.html

Observers: Megawati's PDI-P ranks leave a lot to be desired

Jakarta Globe - April 12, 2015

Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – Observers have questioned the future quality of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, after its national congress last week saw members deemed qualified sacked from the executive board while those whose credibility has been questioned now hold senior leadership positions.

Petrus Selestinus, the coordinator of non-governmental organization the Indonesian Democracy Defenders Team, listed Maruarar Sirait, Pramono Anung, Rieke Diah Pitaloka and Eva Kusuma Sundari as among the PDI-P politicians with good and clean track records who had not been appointed to any position in the party's executive board for the entire 2015-20 period.

He said this was nothing new for the PDI-P, whose members agreed last week that former president Megawati Soekarnoputri should continue to lead the party for another five years, a role she has held since it was founded in 1998.

Observers have criticized the lack of healthy succession plans in the PDI- P, and accused Megawati of appointing only her loyalists to senior positions in the party. These include her daughter Puan Maharani, who stays on as head of the party's political and security affairs, and son Prananda Prabowo as the head of the creative economy division.

"Maruarar Sirait... et cetera have been sacked from their prestigious positions in the PDI-P's central executive board," Petrus said in Jakarta on Sunday. "Instead, members suspected of having legal problems are included in the new structure."

The arrest of PDI-P lawmaker Adriansyah by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators during the party's national congress in Bali last week should serve as a warning for the PDI-P if it insists on keeping people with potential legal problems in the executive ranks, Petrus said.

"We can predict that the PDI-P will face a leadership vacuum for the next year because most [of the executives] will face legal problems, including Megawati, Trimedya Panjaitan, Olly Dondokambey, Bambang D.H. and Idham Samawi," he said.

Suspended KPK chief Abraham Samad last year said the antigraft body was planning to question Megawati for relieving several banks of having to repay bailout funds, which in most cases had been embezzled and taken out of the country, during her presidency in the early 2000s.

Abraham has been suspended after he was named a suspect over power abuse and document forgery cases in February, in what are widely believed to be part of attempts to criminalize KPK leaders after the KPK named National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as a bribery suspect in January.

Budi is known to be close to Megawati, while some other critics accuse the criminalization attempts to be part of the PDI-P's move to protect Megawati from the KPK's inquiry plans.

Meanwhile, graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin has accused Trimedya of involvement in rigging a contract to supply driving simulators to the police. In a separate trial last year, Olly was identified as among the recipients of kickbacks from a similarly graft-ridden project to build a sports training complex.

Bambang, for his part, has been named a graft suspect by the East Java Police after allegedly receiving gratuities while serving as the mayor of Surabaya, while Idham has been charged with the misuse of public funds for a local football club in Bantul district, Yogyakarta, during his terms as district chief from 1999 to 2010.

Megawati, meanwhile, made it clear while speaking at the party congress last week that she wanted all PDI-P members, including legislators and the president, to always remember they belonged to the party.

She dismissed critics warning her against forcing President Joko Widodo – a junior member of the PDI-P – to act as a party servant, saying it would harm the president's integrity and might cost the PDI-P votes in the 2019 legislative elections.

"All of you – members of the PDI-P in the House of Representatives, regional legislator, district heads, mayors, governors, all the way to the President – are officers of the party," Megawati said during her speech on the closing day of the congress on Saturday. "If you don't want to be called party officers, please leave," she added.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/observers-says-megawatis-pdi-p-ranks-leave-a-lot-to-be-desired/

Megawati maintains full control of PDI-P rank and file

Jakarta Post - April 11, 2015

PDI-P rank and file, Sanur, Bali – Her unrivalled authority over the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) having been reaffirmed at the party's national congress in Bali, Megawati Soekarnoputri on Friday appointed 26 members of the central board that will aid her for the next five-year term.

Chair Megawati said that the new party top brass would help her secure victories in the upcoming local elections and in the 2019 legislative and presidential elections.

Members of the central board included old names, who, according to Megawati, have proven trustworthy and loyal, her two utmost criteria for candidates for top officials.

The old faces included her daughter Puan Maharani, who is also the coordinating human development and culture minister, as well as lawmakers Trimedya Panjaitan, Ahmad Basarah and Olly Dondokambey.

Megawati was quick to announce, however, that Puan would be a nonactive member of the board given her position as a minister in the Cabinet of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Megawati also explained that she had struck a deal with Jokowi to allow Puan to carry out her duties in the PDI-P concurrently with her ministerial duties. "It is wrong to ask politicians to give up their party positions just because they have been appointed public officials," she said.

Jokowi has insisted that members of his Cabinet resign from their posts in their respective political parties.

As well as Puan, who was appointed head of the PDI-P's political and security affairs division, Megawati's son Muhammad Prananda Prabowo was appointed to the board to lead the party's creative economy division.

"He [Prananda] doesn't like hanging out in the crowd, because he likes the creative economy," Megawati said in her remarks when detailing the track records of certain members of the central board.

Megawati handpicks 26 party loyalists for central board Old guard includes son and daughter, fresh faces include deputy Jakarta governor Reiterates that all, including Jokowi, owe her allegiance,

Speculation is rife that Megawati is preparing Puan and Prananda to succeed her in the future in order to maintain her grip on the party.

According to several party executives, Puan is on the list of potential leaders to replace Megawati as she is considered to meet the three requirements for leading the party: capability, loyalty and Sukarno's bloodline.

Besides the old guard, Megawati also introduced new faces into the party management. "I run a test on them. Only I know what the test is," she told participants of the congress.

In defending her choices, Megawati detailed her assessment of each of the newly appointed cadres, as well as emphasizing that all the board's members owed their positions to her and her alone.

She recalled the presidential candidacy nomination of Jokowi, who was then Jakarta governor, when introducing Djarot Saiful Hidayat as leader of the membership and organization division.

"It is his good fortune to have been elected [Jakarta] deputy governor. He would not be in his position now if I had refused to nominate Pak Jokowi," she stated.

The day before, soon after being reelected party chair, Megawati had made similar remarks. She used her victory speech to remind all party members that she was fully in charge and to instruct Jokowi to toe the party line.

In an emotional speech, Megawati claimed that it was only thanks to her that Jokowi had become the country's sixth president, warning him not to break his campaign promises.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/11/megawati-maintains-full-control-pdi-p-rank-and-file.html

Two Golkar members charged with forgery over contested Ancol congress

Jakarta Globe - April 10, 2015

Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – The National Police have charged two Golkar Party politicians for document forgery in relation to an ongoing rift tearing apart the country's oldest political party.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto identified the pair on Friday as Hasbi Sani and Dayat Hidayat – both supporters of Agung Laksono, who was elected chairman at a congress in Ancol, North Jakarta, last December of a faction of Golkar hostile to the leadership of Aburizal Bakrie.

Aburizal's supporters claim that the Jakarta congress used a forged Golkar stamp and included members of other parties, as well as a Golkar politician who has been dead for several years.

Rikwanto said Hasbi and Dayat were questioned for four hours on Thursday evening but were not detained.

"Investigators are seeking confirmation from the pair about the evidence collected. Investigators are also seeking to question other witnesses who can also be named suspects.

"We are screening all of the Ancol congress participants, about which of them know about the forged letters," the police spokesman added.

Agung's camp blamed Aburizal for the party's loss of power over the past five years. They say Golkar's weaker-than-expected legislative election result last April as well as its failure, for the first time in its 50 year history, to nominate a presidential or vice presidential candidate in the July presidential election should have compelled Aburizal to resign instead of seeking another term.

Aburizal instead went on to win re-election in a party congress in Bali in December, which critics say was rigged from the outset. Days later, a rival congress was held in Ancol, at which Agung was elected chairman.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/two-golkar-members-charged-forgery-contested-ancol-congress/

Graft taints PDI-P congress

Jakarta Post - April 10, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Sanur, Bali – Anxiety coursed through members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) elite on Friday, the second day of the party's national congress, after PDI-P politician Adriyansah was caught red-handed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) accepting bribes, allegedly from a member of the National Police, early on Thursday evening.

Executive Pramono Anung Wibowo confirmed that Adriyansah, a lawmaker from the House of Representatives Commission IV overseeing agriculture, plantations, maritime affairs, fisheries and food, was the suspect, emphasizing that "The PDI-P will not provide legal aid if he is proven guilty".

PDI-P members from Ambon were relieved to discover that early reports implicating PDI-P Maluku branch chairman Adrian Huwae were false.

"I received countless phone calls, particularly from my supporters at home, asking for clarification about last night. It was not me who was arrested. I am here," Edwin announced at the Inn Grand Bali Beach Hotel.

"I really hope Bu Eva will officially clarify the misunderstanding to settle everything," he added, referring to PDI-P politician Eva Kusuma Sundari, who reportedly misquoted Edwin's name in response to reporters' queries in the early hours on Friday.

The KPK has arrested Adriyansah for allegedly misusing his power to issue an illegal mining permit in his capacity as Tanah Laut regent in South Kalimantan. (hhr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/10/graft-taints-pdi-p-congress.html

Mega bares her teeth

Jakarta Post - April 10, 2015

Margareth S. Aritonang, Sanur, Bali – The national congress of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) on Thursday officially reelected Megawati Soekarnoputri as chairwoman for the fourth consecutive time since 1999, reinforcing her grip on the party that controls the current government.

Following her unanimous reelection, Megawati used her speech to remind all party members that she was fully in charge and instructed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to toe the party line.

In an emotional speech, Megawati claimed that it was only thanks to her that Jokowi had become the country's sixth president.

"It goes without saying that the President and Vice President must toe the party line, because the party policies are consistent with what the public wants," she claimed.

Her voice rising, Megawati warned Jokowi against breaking his campaign promises. "I have said this again and again, please stick to the Constitution. Fulfill your campaign promises because they are your sacred bond with the people," Megawati said, to the thunderous applause of party members attending the national congress at the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel.

The former president also sent out a warning to what she called "opportunists" from outside the party who were attempting to block the party's role as the governing party and distance it from Jokowi's administration.

She elaborated that these "opportunists" were unaffiliated with, and critical of, political parties, and were waiting to seize power and hand it back to those she termed "capitalists".

"These people are opportunists. They don't want to work hard to build [political] parties. They don't want to organize people. They're just waiting for the right moment to move against us," Megawati said.

The statement won rousing applause from the audience, some of whom shouted "Merdeka!" (freedom) at intervals.

Megawati did not specify against whom exactly her sombre warnings were directed, but called directly on Jokowi to be vigilant against such enemies, and to honor the 1945 Constitution in running the country.

In February, the PDI-P politicians launched attacks against members of President Jokowi's administration, calling for the resignations of Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, whom they accused of intentionally undermining the President.

The PDI-P politicians accused Andi and Rini – both known to be close confidants of the President – of leading Jokowi astray from the party line.

Recently, it was reported that the targets of Megawati's wrath included Presidential Chief of Staff Luhut Panjaitan, a former military general and, until recently, member of the Golkar Party. Neither Luhut, Andi or Rini were spotted at the PDI-P congress.

Responding to Megawati's speech, Jokowi, who was invited as a regular party member and not in his capacity as the country's current President, praised his leader's speech. "It was very good," the President told reporters on the sidelines of the congress.

Jokowi also said he understood Megawati's exhortations to serve the people. "The job of a leader is to serve the people, and nothing else. That's what I understand from Ibu Mega's speech," he said.

He rejected suggestions that Megawati's speech was a sarcastic way of warning him to improve communications with the party that had backed him in the presidential election. "We communicate every day. There is no problem. Internal communication is also maintained,"

Megawati found time in her speech to dismiss direct election mechanisms as an import from the West, and also reminded party members to step up their preparations for the regional elections set for late this year.

"We have only eight months to prepare. After this congress, we won't get another chance to sit together to make preparations ahead of the simultaneous elections," she said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/10/mega-bares-her-teeth.html

Police vs KPK

Police gear up for second stage of KPK witch hunt

Jakarta Globe - April 10, 2015

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – The National Police have indicated they will go after Corruption Eradication Commission investigators who declared a former police chief candidate a graft suspect.

Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, head of the detectives division, claimed police had collected sufficient evidence to prove the anti-graft body, or KPK, had broken the law after a South Jakarta court ruled it was not authorized to name Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a corruption suspect.

"Even without the pretrial motion ruling we would have enough to take legal action against the KPK officials; we have proof that they abused their authority," Budi Waseso told reporters on Friday.

He added that police were in possession of documents the KPK used against Budi Gunawan, which he said could prove that the KPK had manipulated evidence in order to declare him a suspect.

The chief detective dismissed concerns that his latest move against the KPK may reignite the long-standing conflict between the two institutions, saying, "The media created the impression that we are at war with each other."

He then hinted that police investigators would not pursue the corruption allegations against Budi Gunawan, after the Attorney General's Office handed over the case to the National Police.

Former police chief detective Comr.Gen. Ito Sumardi has cleared all 17 bank accounts owned by Budi Gunawan, as reported by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), he added.

"The PPATK didn't make a big fuss about [the bank accounts] at the time, so why should they be a problem now?" he questioned.

The National Police were accused of retaliating against the KPK and the PPATK by threatening senior officials from both institutions with criminal charges. They succeeded in charging two KPK leaders who are now suspended from office.

The KPK relinquished its investigation on Budi Gunawan to the AGO following the South Jakarta court ruling, an sign that the antigraft commission had folded to the pressure brought by the police.

The AGO in turn transferred the case to Budi Waseso – who once served under Budi Gunawan at the National Police institute and often referred to himself as "anak buah B.G.," or B.G.'s protege.

Miko Ginting, a researcher at the Center for Legal and Policy Studies (PSHK), slammed the AGO's move, arguing it would preclude a proper investigation.

"The case should never have been transferred. Think of the massive conflict of interest and how the AGO has mishandled it so far," Miko said, urging the KPK's current leadership to file an appeal and challenge the pretrial ruling.

The researcher also rejected the idea of naming Budi Gunawan the next deputy chief of the National Police "or any other official position because of the ongoing legal process". "To appoint Budi [Gunawan] to a position in any public office would be unethical," Miko added.

Meanwhile, Budi Waseso said the investigation against his former mentor would be transparent and speedy. "My team is now examining the documents submitted by the AGO," he said. "We will be transparent. We will stage a joint examination with the KPK and the PPATK to evaluate the case together."

The fate of Budi Gunawan's case will be determined before the House of Representatives begins vetting Joko's latest police chief nominee, Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti, he said. The House has scheduled a confirmation hearing with Badrodin next Wednesday. His nomination will then have to go to a floor vote on Friday.

The KPK and the PPATK cleared Badrodin of any red flags last Thursday – a move that was once again considered a sign of submission by the antigraft commission to the police.

Both the KPK and PPATK claimed they had not found any indication of Badrodin's involvement in any graft case – despite the fact that he, along with Budi Gunawan, were among the list of police generals found to have suspiciously "fat" bank accounts in 2010.

PPATK chief Muhammad Yusuf told the House that the Rp 3 billion ($232,000) in transactions through Badrodin's accounts at the time "were from legitimate sources and could be accounted for."

KPK interim chairman Taufiequrachman Ruki added, "There have been no complaints made against Badrodin Haiti."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-gear-second-stage-KPK-witch-hunt/

KPK, PPATK support Badrodin as top cop

Jakarta Post - April 10, 2015

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) cleared National Police chief nominee Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti of all criminal charges during a hearing with the House of Representatives on Thursday.

Acting KPK chairman Taufiequrachman Ruki said that Badrodin had proven himself as a good government official by submitting his wealth report. He also said that the antigraft body had yet to receive any reports of suspicious transactions from Badrodin's bank accounts.

"Badrodin Haiti is the figure who has helped us to succeed in our corruption prevention efforts, especially in the energy and mineral resources sector," KPK deputy chairman Adnan Pandu Praja said.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo nominated Badrodin for the role of National Police chief following controversy surrounding a previous candidate, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, who was named a suspect in a bribery case.

Badrodin is now awaiting a confirmation hearing from the House before being inaugurated as National Police chief.

Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) chairman Muhammad Yusuf said there were no problems with Badrodin's bank accounts. "He was reported for suspicious transactions in 2009, but was later cleared of the allegations," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/10/national-scene-KPK-ppatk-support-badrodin-top-cop.html

Police insist on handling Budi's graft case

Jakarta Post - April 9, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani and Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The National Police are maintaining they are the only law enforcement agency that has the authority to handle the investigation into a graft case involving Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said that based on a 2012 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the National Police and the Attorney General's Office (AGO), the police had the sole authority to probe into the case as they were the first to handle it.

Rikwanto was responding to speculation that Budi's case had been transferred to the police force so that it would be dropped, a move that could pave the way for Budi to be nominated to be the next deputy police chief.

"Article 8 of the MoU clearly states that when it comes to corruption cases, only the law enforcement institution that originally launches a probe could take over the case," Rikwanto said at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Rikwanto was referring to a 2010 police investigation into Budi's allegedly "inflated" bank accounts based on reports from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (PPATK). The police force eventually cleared Budi of any wrongdoing and maintained his wealth came from "legitimate businesses".

Earlier this year, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Budi a graft suspect one day before he underwent a confirmation hearing at the House of Representatives as the sole candidate to be National Police chief.

Although the South Jakarta District Court subsequently decided that the KPK had made an unlawful decision in naming Budi a graft suspect, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo declined to go ahead with his candidacy and instead called on the House to confirm the alternative nomination of the current deputy police chief Comr. Gen. Badrodin Haiti. The KPK was then forced to hand the case dossier over to the AGO in March.

Meanwhile, another National Police spokesman, Brig. Gen. Anton Charliyan questioned the KPK's decision to name Budi a suspect as investigators found that there was insufficient evidence as the case dossier only contained a copy of the Information Analysis Report [LHA] of Budi's bank accounts from the PPATK.

Although the case dossier received by police investigators contained several witness testimonies, Anton said, the names of the witnesses were allegedly withheld by the KPK investigators. "The AGO handed over the case to us because they had difficulty analyzing the documents," he said.

Although Anton denied that Budi's alleged graft case would be dropped so that he could be nominated to be the next deputy police chief, Anton acknowledged that Budi was one of the strongest candidates.

Separately, former KPK advisor Abdullah Hehamahua said that the AGO made a historic yet questionable decision to transfer the case to the police. "To my knowledge this is the first time that the AGO handed over a [graft] case to the police," Abdullah said.

He said that after the KPK was forced to stop investigating Budi, the AGO was expected to independently continue the investigation given Budi's status as an active police officer.

On Tuesday, the AGO claimed that its month-long investigation into the dossiers it had received from the KPK found that there was not enough evidence to incriminate the police general in any case. "The AGO itself should have halted the case in the first place [as it was within its authority to do so]," Abdullah said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/09/police-insist-handling-budi-s-graft-case.html

Health & education

Education report shows Indonesia losing ground

Jakarta Globe - April 14, 2015

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Indonesia has achieved only half of the global target for early childhood education, while its rate of primary school enrollment has dropped and the number of primary school-aged children not in school has doubled since 2010.

These were among some of the key findings published last week in the Education for All global monitoring report from the United Nations education agency, or Unesco, based on 2012 data.

The report found that Indonesia had doubled the proportion of children receiving an early childhood, or pre-primary, education, from 24 percent in 2000 to 48 percent in 2012. But this was still far short of the indicative target of 80 percent set in the Education for All goals, launched in 2000.

Indonesia fared worse on this metric than Malaysia (70 percent), Vietnam (79 percent) and Brunei (92 percent).

The Education Ministry attributes the low early childhood education enrollment on the fact that the government only began seriously focusing on pre-primary learning in the final years of the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration.

"But now we've been vigorously expanding the outreach of early childhood education," Furqon, the head of the ministry's research and development division, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday.

"We now have the 'one early childhood education center per village' program, as well as the 'early childhood education mother' program," he added.

The first program targets the opening of early childhood education centers in every village and urban ward, while the latter employs housewives to teach at these centers on part-time or volunteer basis.

"We do have to pay more attention on early childhood education because this will heavily influence the future development of a child, in their adolescence and so on," Furqon acknowledged.

The Unesco report, titled "Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges," details achievements, or the lack thereof, of six education goals set in 2000 by region and per individual countries.

Aside from the early childhood care and education goal, there are goals on: universal primary education, secondary education, adult literacy, gender equality, and education quality.

On primary education, Indonesia's primary school enrollment slid slightly from 97 percent of its primary age population in 2000 to 95 percent in 2012, falling short of the target of 100 percent.

Indonesia's 2012 score was lower than that of Laos (96 percent), Vietnam (98 percent) and Cambodia (98 percent), which all saw their enrollment rates improve.

The number of children who did not go to primary school in Indonesia reached 1.336 million in 2012, the highest in the East Asia and the Pacific region and double the figure in 2000.

In secondary education, the percentage of children who completed lower secondary school went up from around 50 percent in 2000 to 76 percent in 2012. The number of adolescents who did not go to school dropped by more than half – from 3.5 million to 1.7 million.

Indonesia did well on gender equality in education. In 2000, there were two fewer girls for every 100 boys enrolled at primary schools; 12 years on, the ratio was at parity. In secondary education, there were two fewer girls enrolled for every 100 boys in 2000 – that figure reversed to three fewer boys enrolled for every 100 girls in 2012.

Indonesia's education spending, albeit having met its own constitutional mandate of 20 percent of state expenditure, failed to meet the EFA target of 4 percent of gross domestic product.

Indonesia's education spending was the equivalent of 3 percent of GDP in 2000 and 2012. Furqon said he was not aware of any government plans to boost education spending to 4 percent of GDP.

"What we're focusing on right now is how to use the existing funds more effectively, so that they can be more beneficial to education development," he said.

Unesco said that globally, only a third of countries had achieved all the EFA goals, and half had achieved "the most watched" goal of universal primary enrollment.

An extra $22 billion a year is needed on top of already ambitious government contributions in order to ensure that countries achieve new education targets being set for the year 2030, it says.

"The world has made tremendous progress towards Education for All," said Unesco director general Irina Bokova in a press statement. "Despite not meeting the 2015 deadline, millions more children are in school than would have been had the trends of the 1990s persisted.

"However, the agenda is far from finished. We need to see specific, well- funded strategies that prioritize the poorest – especially girls – improve the quality of learning and reduce the literacy gap so that education becomes meaningful and universal."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/education-report-shows-indonesia-losing-ground/

Indonesia's education not making the grade

Jakarta Globe Editorial - April 14, 2015

The numbers are in and they're not pretty. In its 2015 Education for All global monitoring report, the United Nations education agency, or Unesco, highlighted some sobering truths about just how far Indonesia stands today from being able to boast a decent education system.

The report, which compares the picture in 2012 (the most recent year for which figures were available) to 2000, shows that while Indonesia doubled the proportion of children receiving early childhood education, from 24 percent to 48 percent, it is still woefully short of Unesco's target of 80 percent.

Even more shockingly, the number of primary school-aged children not in school has doubled to 1.336 million, dwarfing all other countries in Southeast Asia combined. It is also telling that the key metrics for those other nations, in particular Vietnam, have improved while Indonesia's have for the most part gone backward.

A good education is arguably the most important service that a government can provide to its citizens. An informed, curious and knowledgeable populace is the bedrock on which great nations are founded, and it is a tragedy of epic proportions that Indonesia seems to be moving away from that ideal even as our peers – and economic rivals – in the region make great strides forward.

One constantly hears the refrain that the Indonesian workforce is uncompetitive, even in the Southeast Asian region, but this is entirely the fault of an education system that is outdated and failing the very people it is meant to empower.

Indonesia must invest more in education. We obviously won't see any improvements in time for the Asean Economic Community, which goes into force at the end of this year, but it will at least be a first step in securing the country's long-term competitiveness and standing.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-indonesias-education-not-making-grade/

Disability rights

House snubs disabled persons in bill drafting: Coalition

Jakarta Post - April 13, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The National Coalition of People with Disabilities has called on the House of Representatives to revise the current draft of a bill on disabled persons before deliberations start in June, arguing that the bill limits disabled persons' rights as citizens.

Chairperson of Indonesian Association of Visually Impaired People (Pertuni), Ariani Indrawati, said the coalition had proposed to the House a comprehensive draft bill consisting of 265 articles detailing the specific needs of people with disabilities, but that House Commission VIII, which oversees religion, social affairs and women's empowerment, ignored the proposal and went ahead with its own version of the bill, with 106 articles focused mainly on charity-based programs.

Ariani said that people with disabilities had the same rights as all citizens to education, information, welfare and protection from the state. Thus, their needs need to be discussed by all House commissions, not just Commission VIII, which is working with the Social Affairs Ministry to draft the bill.

"We want a human-rights-based law to protect people with disabilities. If the current bill is passed into law then it will become a welfare-based law that sees persons with disabilities as people who should be given only charity. It denies the fact that they also have the same rights as other citizens," Ariani told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Ariani said the coalition, which consists of several NGOs, including Pertuni, would soon meet with the House to replace its version of the draft bill with the one proposed by the coalition.

The bill is slated to be passed into law in Dec. 3, when several countries, including Indonesia, will celebrate International Day of People with Disabilities.

"In our proposed draft bill, we, for example, elaborated on how law enforcement institutions should conduct questioning when collecting testimony from persons with impaired hearing. This is completely different from the current [version of the draft] bill, which only focuses on giving charity to disabled persons," Ariani said.

"We also gave detailed explanations on the need for education among disabled persons. We explained who should attend special-needs schools and who should attend regular schools and universities. This is something that Commission VIII and the Social Affairs Ministry know nothing about, because such matters are handled by Commission X on education," Ariani added.

On Friday, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah said the bill on disabled persons was aimed at ensuring equal access to people with disabilities.

"This is important because all government offices at every level should undertake development planning in consideration of those with special needs," the minister said.

Khofifah added that her office was currently establishing communications with other state institutions to produce special cards that would provide easier access to government services currently out of reach for many disabled persons. In 2011, the House ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in what was seen as an important step in improving the welfare of disabled persons.

The convention stipulates, among other things, that the state should take measures to protect persons with disabilities from inhuman or degrading treatment, to ensure personal mobility and to prohibit discrimination in the workplace.

According to data from the UN, there are more than 1 billion persons with disabilities across the globe, accounting for some 15 percent of the world's population, with the majority living in developing countries, including Indonesia.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/13/house-snubs-disabled-persons-bill-drafting-coalition.html

Graft & corruption

KPK to resume probe into Bank Century case

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Tuesday that it would soon hold a case reconstruction on the Bank Century case to determine the fate of former vice president Boediono and other former Bank Indonesia (BI) directors in the controversial Bank Century bailout in 2008.

Acting KPK commissioner Johan Budi said the case reconstruction would be conducted to follow up on the Supreme Court's rejection of an appeal filed by former BI deputy governor Budi Mulya, who was sentenced in connection to the case to 10 years behind bars by the Jakarta Corruption Court in July 2014.

"The reconstruction will be conducted as soon as we finish studying the cassation court verdict," Johan said on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court increased Budi's sentence to 15 years, after the Jakarta High Court had increased it to 12 years. The Jakarta Corruption Court in its verdict on Budi confirmed the roles of other individuals it deemed responsible for the controversial bailout, including Boediono, who served as the BI governor when the bailout decision was made, former BI senior deputy governor Miranda Goeltom and then BI deputy governors Siti C. Fadjrijah, Budi Rochadi, Muliaman Hadad, Hartadi Sarwono and Ardhayadi Mitroatmodjo.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/national-scene-KPK-resume-probe-bank-century-case.html

Court restores faith in KPK investigations

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The South Jakarta District Court rejected on Tuesday another pretrial petition, this one filed by a former director of state oil and gas operator Pertamina, Suroso Atmo Martoyo, a decision that solidifies support for investigations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The decision brought to three the number of consecutive pretrial motions by graft suspects against the KPK that the court has rejected.

The KPK had its investigative authority questioned in February after a ruling that annulled the suspect status of controversial police officer Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan.

Defying the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP), which does not authorize pretrial hearings to decide on someone's suspect status, South Jakarta District Court judge Sarpin Rizaldi found that the KPK did not have sufficient evidence to name Budi a suspect in a bribery case and ordered the antigraft body to call off its investigation into him.

Sarpin's verdict then triggered six other KPK suspects, including Suroso, to file similar lawsuits at the court. Three cases have been rejected by the court and one suspect, former Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) chief Hadi Poernomo abruptly withdrew his case on Monday.

On Tuesday, the court further countered Sarpin's controversial ruling when judge Riyadi Sunindyo, in his rejection of Suroso's pretrial petition, said that graft suspects could not question the legality of KPK investigators because the antigraft body had the right to appoint policemen or civilians as their investigators, as stipulated in the 2002 Law on the KPK.

Graft suspects, including Suroso, earlier argued that only active police personnel could be investigators at the National Police or at the KPK.

Suroso claimed the court should order the KPK to stop investigating him because two of its investigators working on his case had resigned from the police in 2014.

"It cannot be interpreted that only investigators from the National Police are legitimate. KPK investigators need not necessarily be active police officers," Riyadi said.

Riyadi also agreed with the earlier two rulings which stipulated that articles 77 and 82 of KUHAP limited the authority of the pretrial mechanism only to the determination of the legality of an arrest or detention, the termination of an investigation or prosecution and a request for compensation and rehabilitation.

"Judges should abide by KUHAP and cannot make any interpretation of things that have clearly been stipulated in it," Riyadi said.

The South Jakarta court is now left with pretrial motions from two KPK suspects, former Makassar mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin and former energy and mineral resources minister Jero Wacik.

The KPK said that it hoped the recent string of dismissals would persuade the other 36 graft suspects not to file pretrial petitions to challenge their legal status.

"We are satisfied with the series of court rejections. It has confirmed that our investigations into graft suspects are legitimate," KPK legal division team member Nur Chusniah said after Suroso's hearing on Monday.

"Today's ruling also provides confidence that all our investigators [who have resigned from the police] are legitimate investigators. We hope that in the future this will no longer be questioned [by graft suspects]," said Chusniah.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/court-restores-faith-KPK-investigations.html

Pretrial bubble bursts as another plea is rejected

Jakarta Post - April 14, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Following the rejection of two other pretrial motions, former Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) chairman Hadi Poernomo withdrew his own motion during a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday.

Judge Baktiar Jubri opened Monday's initial hearing of Hadi's pretrial claim asking the court to order the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to annul his graft suspect status in a high-profile tax scandal but, before reading the claim, Hadi's lawyer Maqdir Ismail interrupted the session and said that Hadi had changed his mind.

The lawyer did not elaborate on the reason behind the withdrawal.

Maqdir also declined to comment on another hearing at the South Jakarta court on the same day that had rejected a petition filed by graft suspect and Democratic Party cofounder Sutan Bhatoegana.

The court dismissed on Wednesday another petition from former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali who sought to have his suspect status in a haj fund scandal annulled.

"We have no other reason for the withdrawal than that it is at the request of my client," Maqdir said on Monday. Hadi did not attend the court session.

The pretrial mechanism had been frequently demanded by graft suspects to clear them from charges after the controversial verdict of judge Sarpin Rizaldi that annulled the suspect status of high-ranking police officer, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan.

Legal experts said the controversial verdict, which went against the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP), caused chaos in the country's legal system as it encouraged six other KPK suspects including Sutan, Hadi and Suryadharma, to try to emulate Budi's success.

Two days after the rejection of Suryadharma's pretrial motion he was sent for detention.

The KPK claimed the suspects had used pretrials as a means to delay investigations into their cases as well as to avoid KPK detention by skipping questioning.

KPK legal team division member Yudi Kristiana urged the remaining suspects – including former director of state oil and gas company Pertamina Suroso Atmo Martoyo and former Makassar mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin – who filed similar requests with the court, to give up their pretrial battles and focus on preparing themselves to face their upcoming trials. "It is better if they voluntarily do so," Yudi said.

Yudi said articles 77 and 82 of the KUHAP limited the authority of the pretrial mechanism to the determination of the legality of an arrest or detention, the termination of an investigation or prosecution and a request for compensation and rehabilitation.

The KPK is set to summon Hadi for questioning sometime this week following the court's rejection of his pretrial petition.

"We will soon send the letter so that he can be questioned this week," acting KPK commissioner Johan Budi said on Monday. Johan did not specify on which day Hadi would be grilled for the first time as a suspect in his case.

Separately, Sutan's lawyer Eggi Sudjana said his client did not accept Monday's ruling and would file a case review petition to the Supreme Court asking it to overrule the decision. "We will challenge the judge's mistake," Eggi said.

Another lawyer for Sutan, Rahmat Harahap said he would report the judge to the Judicial Commission for rejecting his client's pretrial petition.

Separately, the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court once again adjourned the reading of the KPK prosecutors' indictment against Sutan in his bribery case as the politician was too ill to come to the court on Monday.

Last week, the court also ordered a one-week adjournment after Sutan's lawyers failed to show up at the court. The lawyers said the Jakarta Corruption Court should postpone the trial until the South Jakarta District had made its final ruling on Sutan's pretrial petition.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/14/pretrial-bubble-bursts-another-plea-rejected.html

KPK slammed for releasing 'bribe courier'

Jakarta Post - April 12, 2015

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has slammed the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for releasing a police officer who allegedly played the role of courier in a graft case implicating a businessman and a politician of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Coordinator of the ICW's law monitoring division Emmerson Yuntho, said the release of a police brigadier from Menteng Police station, identified only as AK, would certainly tarnish the commission's image.

"The KPK leaders should give a plausible explanation to the public about the release of the police officer who allegedly played the role of courier in a graft case," kompas.com quoted him as saying on Sunday.

AK, PDI-P legislator Adriansyah and businessman Andrew Hidayat were allegedly caught red-handed in Jakarta and Bali on Thursday. AK was believed to be acting as courier taking a large sum of cash from Andrew to Adriansyah. The PDI-P politician and Andrew have been held as suspects while AK was released.

Emmerson said that without any adequate explanation to the public, the commission would be considered discriminatory and it would be deemed as an institution that only handles graft cases implicating civilians.

"If it is true it will affect the sense of justice among the public. Even worse, the commission appears to be afraid to handle graft suspects of the rank of a police brigadier," he said. (rms)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/12/KPK-slammed-releasing-bribe-courier.html

KPK incarcerates resisting Suryadharma

Jakarta Post - April 11, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) finally put former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali behind bars after questioning him for eight straight hours on Friday night.

In May 2014, the KPK named the United Development Party (PPP) chairman a corruption suspect in a case surrounding the 2012-2013 haj pilgrimage program. He will soon face trial in the case, which caused state losses of nearly Rp 2 trillion (US$150 million).

He will serve a maximum 90 days in detention at the non-air conditioned KPK detention center inside the Guntur military prison facility in South Jakarta.

Suryadharma – who has resisted arrest over the past two months using different reasons from an "unacceptable summons letter" to a pretrial petition – said he had no choice but to face detention after the South Jakarta District Court "took away justice" from him by rejecting his pretrial plea on Wednesday, which demanded that the KPK lift his graft suspect status in the haj case.

"I've sought justice through legal means but to no avail, so where should I turn to find it? This detention is a manifestation of KPK's revenge because I tried to challenge it through the pretrial hearing. This is injustice," he said.

KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said the antigraft body investigators locked up Suryadharma to expedite the completion of his dossiers in the case to prepare his upcoming trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court. "He is detained for the first 20 days, but it is extendable up to 90 days before the trial begins," he said.

The KPK had planned to detain Suryadharma in the first week of February, but he refused to attend questioning by saying that the KPK summons letter contained a typographical error. In the following week, he again defied a second summons by saying that he was too ill to go to the KPK for questioning.

In March, he claimed that the KPK should not summon him until the South Jakarta District Court ruled on his pretrial motion.

Suryadharma said that the KPK was wrongly prosecuting him in the case because it could not provide a comprehensive yet formal audit detailing how "I could embezzle such a huge amount of money from the haj program, which ran well during my tenure as religious affairs minister."

He made the claim despite being told earlier by the KPK that the state lost Rp 3 billion from the Indonesian Haj Organizing Committee (PPIH) recruitment program and Rp 1.8 trillion in the procurement of catering, transportation and housing for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

The haj fund has increased annually as the number of Muslims going on the haj keeps increasing. Each pilgrim is required to pay Rp 25 million to be placed on the haj waiting list. There are about 2 million names on the list. The ministry is currently managing about Rp 70 trillion in pilgrims' funds in its bank account.

The KPK said that it was still calculating other state losses caused by Suryadharma's other alleged offenses in the case as it further found that he had also abused his authority by misusing haj quotas intended for would-be pilgrims.

One percent of the annual 190,000 haj quotas was left unused by pilgrims due to death or illness and Suryadharma argued that it was within his authority as minister to determine how to allocate the vacant quota.

In 2013, the KPK said, Suryadharma flew 36 people, including relatives, ministry colleagues and lawmakers, to go on the haj by using the quota intended for pilgrims and using money deposited in the haj fund. Suryadharma has been charged with malfeasance, enriching himself and others, and corporate enrichment under articles 2 and 3 of the 2001 Corruption Law, which carries a maximum 20 years behind bars.

The antigraft body has slapped travel bans on six House lawmakers who enjoyed the free haj trip, including his wife Wardatul Asriah, who is a PPP politician.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/11/KPK-incarcerates-resisting-suryadharma.html

Court crushes Suryadharma's pretrial plea

Jakarta Post - April 9, 2015

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – South Jakarta District Court judge Tatik Hadiyanti overturned on Wednesday a pretrial petition filed by former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali.

The judge ruled that pretrials had no authority to challenge a law enforcement institution's decision to name someone a suspect.

Wednesday's ruling – which rejected Suryadharma's request to annul his graft suspect status that was handed down by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over the haj fund case – contradicts an earlier pretrial ruling by another South Jakarta District Court judge, Sarpin Rizaldi, whose verdict in February annulled the suspect status of Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan in a bribery case and released him from a KPK investigation.

Sarpin allegedly bent the law by ruling on Budi's suspect status, something that a pretrial mechanism is not meant to do.

Tatik argued on Wednesday that Articles 77 and 82 of the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) limited the authority of the pretrial mechanism to the determination of the legality of an arrest or detention, the termination of an investigation or prosecution and a request for compensation and rehabilitation. Tatik said the decision to name someone a suspect was not an issue to be overturned in a pretrial.

She also said that whether or not the KPK had enough evidence to prosecute Suryadharma was a matter to be settled in a primary court. "A pretrial hearing should not address the essence of the investigation. It only looks at whether investigators have gone off track while conducting their probe," Tatik said.

Joining Wednesday's hearing, KPK legal division member Abdul Basir said the verdict had corrected Sarpin's controversial ruling, which had encouraged other graft suspects to file such petitions to the court. He hoped other judges would see Tatik's pretrial ruling as solid legal precedence for issuing similar verdicts.

The KPK still has five other pretrial hearings underway and it has expressed concern over another 34 suspects that could file pretrial motions, further complicating matters. "We hope that in the future the country's pretrial practices will return to the KUHAP, as guided by today's verdict," Basir said.

Suryadharma's lawyer, Humphrey Djemat, said Tatik had failed to use her independence as a judge to make "legal innovation" through her interpretation of Article 77 of the KUHAP, like Sarpin did.

"The judge does not have the courage to exercise such discretion. Naming someone a suspect is clearly an act that robs a person of his basic human rights," Humprey said.

Following the decision, the KPK is set to lock up Suryadharma after questioning him on Friday.

Acting KPK commissioner Johan Budi said the antigraft agency was speeding up investigations into graft suspects who were currently challenging their legal statuses at the court – including former energy and mineral resources minister Jero Wacik, who recently avoided KPK detention after skipping a questioning session Monday, using his pretrial hearing as an excuse.

Johan said Jero's excuse was "irrelevant", adding that KPK investigators had the right to use force to bring Suryadharma and Jero to the antigraft agency for questioning to complete their dossiers in preparation for the upcoming trials.

"We treat all suspects equally, if they skip questioning for irrelevant reasons then the law allows us to bring them with force," Johan said.

Other suspects who are currently challenging their legal statuses at the court include the former head of the House of Representatives Commission VII overseeing energy, Sutan Bhatoegana, former Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) chairman Hadi Poernomo, former Makassar mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin and former director of state oil and gas operator Pertamina Suroso Atmo Martoyo.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/09/court-crushes-suryadharma-s-pretrial-plea.html

Islamic law & morality

Bill on alcohol prohibition gets secular backing

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Rendi A. Witular and Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – Lawmakers from secular parties have added their voices to those of their counterparts in Islamic parties in support of a bill prohibiting the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party respectively the largest party and second- and fourth-largest parties in the House of Representatives – have agreed to the deliberation of the bill.

"I see no reason for the bill not to progress. We've all agreed to establish controls on the consumption of alcohol. It's for reasons of health and safety," the deputy chairman of the House legislative body (Baleg), Saan Mustofa of the Democratic Party, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

The Islamist National Development Party (PPP) and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) initiated the bill in 2012, since when it had been on the back burner until Baleg agreed on Monday for it to be taken to the next stage.

The bill is the first of 37 priority bills set to be passed this year, with lawmakers to convene on Thursday to ensure no clauses in the bill contravene existing laws.

Saan refused, however, to reveal whether his party supported a clause in the bill stipulating between three months' and two years' imprisonment for anyone caught consuming alcohol.

"It's too early for me to comment on my stance on that. It's a preliminary draft and can still be changed," he said, adding that Baleg had yet to discuss the bill's substance.

The bill, a copy of which has been obtained by The Jakarta Post, will, if enacted, prohibit the sale, production, distribution and consumption of all beverages containing more than 1 percent alcohol.

According to the bill, any person consuming alcoholic drinks will face three months to two years in prison or a fine of between Rp 10 million (US$775) and Rp 50 million.

Baleg member Mukhamad Misbakhun of the Golkar Party said that while the criminal charges were unnecessary, the bill's motivation was to ensure order. "A limit is needed on the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks," he insisted.

The bill does, however, include a clause allowing exemptions. In its explanation section, the exemption includes "consumption for customary uses, religious rituals, tourism, in pharmacies and in places authorized under the regulations".

"The bill is aimed at ensuring public order. But it should not contradict the long-held traditions of our society," said Baleg member Masinton Pasaribu of the PDI-P.

"We've suggested that the Baleg discuss carefully the minimum alcohol content that can be accepted. The Batak people, for example, consume tuak liquor in rituals related to birth and death," he said.

Tuak usually falls under Category B with alcoholic content of between 5 and 20 percent under existing regulations.

Alcoholic drinks have deep roots in Indonesian society, from the many traditional spirits and bootleg liquor to Bintang – a beer brand globally synonymous with Indonesia, home to the world's biggest Muslim population.

If the bill is passed, publicly listed PT Multi Bintang, Indonesia's biggest brewery, which is controlled by Heineken International BV, will be the prime casualty.

The company's president commissioner, Cosmas Batubara, said the business and investment climate would be severely disrupted if the bill were passed, but remained optimistic of eventual changes to the bill, as it was still at its earliest stage.

"Lawmakers may have their opinions, but they do not represent the entire House," argued Cosmas.

As the bill was initiated by the House, the government has so far been kept in the dark. "I haven't received a copy of the bill, so I can't comment," said Coordinating Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/bill-alcohol-prohibition-gets-secular-backing.html

Indonesian parties propose bill to ban alcohol

Reuters - April 14, 2015

Two Islamic parties in Indonesia have proposed legislation that would ban all consumption of alcoholic drinks and bring jail terms of up to two years for offenders.

It was not immediately clear how much support there would be for the bill put to parliament, although previous moves to crack down on alcohol consumption have been seen as posturing to appeal to voters before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"Under the bill, consuming alcoholic beverages could land a person in jail as it will be treated similarly to drug trafficking," the Jakarta Post quoted Muhammad Arwani Thomafi, a member of one of the two parties, as saying.

The bill seeks to ban the sale, production, distribution and consumption of all beverages containing more than 1 per cent of alcohol, according to the national newspaper.

The parties behind the bill and government officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

Beer sales in Indonesia growing steadily

Indonesia, which has a population of around 250 million, has seen fast- growing sales of alcoholic drinks such as the Bintang beer brand brewed by PT Multi Bintang Indonesia Tbk, which is majority owned by Heineken.

Other alcoholic drinks makers with a footprint in Indonesia include Diageo and Carlsberg. Indonesia is the tenth-largest beer consumer in Asia and has the most Guinness stout drinkers in the region. Beer sales have climbed 54 per cent over the past decade.

"Of course I don't agree with it, why would you prohibit someone's hobby to drink? So after banning drinks, what else would they ban? Smoking?" said Diponagara, a 28-year-old worker at a non-government organisation in Jakarta.

However, a survey by market researcher Nielsen found that, in 2014, only 2.2 per cent of Indonesians over the age of 20 had consumed alcohol in the previous 12 months.

Alcohol consumption is frowned upon by many Muslims in Indonesia and, during Ramadan in particular, bars are sometimes attacked by vigilante groups.

A regulation banning the sale of alcoholic drinks at mini-markets will come into force on Thursday, although they will still be sold at supermarkets, hotels, bars and restaurants.

The Jakarta Post said the proposed legislation banning all consumption would exempt some locations to protect tourism, including five-star hotels and the resort island of Bali.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-04-14/indonesian-parties-propose-bill-to-ban-alcohol-fivestar-hotels-bali-would-be-exempted/1436730

Prison, fines await drinkers

Jakarta Post - April 14, 2015

Rendi A. Witular and Linda Yulisman, Jakarta – A priority bill initiated by the House of Representatives has proposed banning all consumption of alcoholic beverages, with imprisonment of between three months and two years for anyone caught consuming alcohol.

The bill on the prohibition of alcoholic beverages, a copy of which has been obtained by The Jakarta Post, will put in place a ban on the sale, production, distribution and consumption of all beverages containing more than 1 percent alcohol.

A meeting of lawmakers in the House Legislation Body (Baleg) on Monday approved the progress of the bill's deliberation to the next stage where lawmakers are set to ensure clauses in the bill do not contravene existing laws.

"Under the bill, consuming alcoholic beverages could land a person in jail as it will be treated similarly to drug trafficking," Baleg member Muhammad Arwani Thomafi of the National Development Party (PPP) told the Post.

Despite the fact that it has been initiated by the PPP and fellow Muslim- based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Arwani insisted the bill was not merely about complying with religious norms.

"The health issue is equally important. The bill will enable the state to guarantee the health and safety of its citizens because the bill will not only target producers and distributors but also consumers," he said.

According to the bill, a person under the influence of alcohol will face one to five years in jail for disturbing public order or for threatening the safety of others.

Under the explanation section, the bill argues that 58 percent of criminal activities are due to the influence of alcohol, although it cited no scientific studies to back up this claim.

Alcohol is also cited in the bill for causing memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer's, schizophrenia and other types of brain ailments.

Despite having the world's largest Muslim population, alcoholic drinks have deep roots in Indonesian society; from the many traditional spirits and bootleg liquor to Bintang – a beer brand globally synonymous with Indonesia.

The bill, however, includes a clause enabling exemptions for certain provinces and locations for tourism purposes. "Five-star hotels, Bali and North Sulawesi might be examples of places to be exempted," said Arwani.

While the House has yet to invite the government to discuss the bill, it is the first of among 37 priority bills set to be passed this year that has made progress in deliberations in Baleg so far.

The Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (Gapmmi) is already aware of the deliberation and has voiced concern as it says the impact would be enormous in terms of health issues.

"There will be a proliferation of bootleg liquor production. This is more alarming as there won't be any health and safety standards put in place. How can the government control that?" Gapmmi deputy chairman Sribugo Suratmo said.

In response to the bill, Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel claimed to have no knowledge of the deliberation.

"We should find out the thinking behind the bill," he said. "For example, I recently imposed a regulation banning the sale of alcoholic drinks in minimarkets in order to protect our younger generation. Alcohol can damage their morality. There are already signs they no longer respect their parents."

In the past couple of months, attempts to limit the sale of alcoholic drinks have been on the rise despite the government's ambition to lure more foreign tourists and to reap greater income from alcoholic duties and excise.

The Trade Ministry regulation referred to by Rachmat will take effect on April 16, restricting the sale of drinks with an alcohol content of between 1 and 5 percent to supermarkets.

Rachmat argued that the negative impact of the ban on tourism would be limited. He has refused to exclude Bali from the regulation, but promised a solution for small vendors in tourist areas on the resort island.

"Malaysia and Singapore have put in place controls in the distribution of alcoholic drinks, and yet their foreign tourist arrivals are three times higher than ours," he said.

"The [minimarket] ban will cause a decline in the sale of alcoholic drinks. But we expect companies that have invested here to be able to offset the drop by exporting their products."

[Hans David Tampubolon also contributed to this story.]

Excerpts from the bill

Article 8: Certain areas and businesses will be exempt from the prohibition.

Article 12: The police along with local government officials will have the authority to supervise the production and distribution of alcohol.

Article 17: Any person producing or distributing alcoholic drinks will face two to 10 years in prison or a fine of between Rp 200 million (US$15,500) and Rp 1 billion.

Article 18: Any person consuming alcoholic drinks will face three months to two years in prison or a fine of between Rp 10 million and Rp 50 million.

Article 19: Any person under the influence of alcohol will face one to five years in prison and fines of between Rp 20 million and Rp 100 million for disturbing public order and threatening the safety of others.

Article 21: The law will fully take effect one year after its endorsement.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/14/prison-fines-await-drinkers.html

Jakarta & urban life

Activists demand participation of public in drafting city budget

Jakarta Post - April 13, 2015

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – Anti-corruption activists have said the recent budget spat between Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and the City Council should provide both with a lesson on the need to increase public participation in budget deliberation.

Roy Salam of the Indonesia Budget Center said recently that the Constitution demanded both the administration and the Council invite the public not to budget deliberation but instead budget meetings, including those held by Council's budgetary committee (Banggar), were held behind closed doors.

"That's why the last draft was lambasted for containing so many irregularities," Roy said in a press conference at the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) office in Kalibata, South Jakarta.

In February, relations between Ahok and city councilors turned sour after he brought to light irregularities in the councilors' version of the draft 2015 city budget.

The city councilors, who argued that their version was made in consultation with Ahok's subordinates, exercised their right of inquiry into Ahok himself, saying the version Ahok sent to the Home Ministry was not authentic. Ahok responded by filing a report with the Corruption Eradication Commission, containing evidence of budget irregularities from 2012 to 2014.

Roy said everyone must learn from the recent budget conflict, adding that councilors must invite their constituents to supervise budget meetings, as every single item allocated in the draft budget represented the public's interest and the objective of the city budget was to bring prosperity to the people.

"Any meeting discussing the budget must be open to the public so people can see whether their interests are being represented by councilors or not," Roy said.

Apung Widadi from the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) said the city administration must also be criticized as they had yet to propose a "pro people" budget as a result of the "unnecessarily high" personnel expenditure on the city's public servants.

Fitra found that the newly proposed draft 2015 budget, through gubernatorial regulation, had allocated Rp 19 trillion (US$1.47 billion) for indirect personnel expenditure spending and Rp 2.3 trillion on direct personnel expenditure spending. "In total, the personnel expenditure allocation amounts to more than Rp 20 trillion, almost equal to the Rp 22 trillion of its capital spending. I think that is too much," Apung said.

He added that he hoped the Home Ministry would cut spending in the city budget.

Meanwhile, Donal Fariz from ICW said one of the systems that should be maintained in a bid to provide a transparent budget process was e- budgeting.

Ahok implemented an e-budget system this year in a bid to reduce dubious budget allocations. The system only allows selected officials to have usernames and passwords and any changes that are made can be traced back.

According to Donal, the city administration must consider establishing a particular institution for the e-budget process, which would have a firm legal basis, to prevent the next administration from returning to the old budgeting system.

"The best thing to do now is to institutionalize the e-budget process, otherwise I am afraid the next governor will discard the system that has been built to minimize any misappropriations," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/13/activists-demand-participation-public-drafting-city-budget.html

Armed forces & defense

TNI to establish anti-terror force

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) will create an anti- terror task force comprising special personnel from the Navy, Army and Air Force who will support the National Police in dealing with terrorism. The new force will tackle critical security issues such as terrorism, as well as off-shore and border threats.

"The concept has been prepared. It will be a force that is ready to be deployed at any time," TNI chief Gen. Moeldoko told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview.

According to Moeldoko, the group will be formed just like the quick reaction striking force or PPCR, which conducted exercises in Poso, Central Sulawesi, several weeks ago.

"[We will deploy the new force] depending on the situation. If the threat is only of low or medium intensity, the threat will still be the police's responsibility. We will move when the threat is very serious or of high intensity," Moeldoko added.

The new force will work together with the police during their operations to prevent overlapping duties with the police's anti-terror force Densus 88. "[The tasks of the anti-terror units] will be different, but we have the same goal," said Moeldoko, who will retire later this year.

The TNI chief revealed that one of the serious threats to Indonesia was the proliferation of the Islamic State (IS) movement in Indonesia. "Indonesia should take the ongoing issue of IS very seriously to prevent this radical movement getting out of hand," he said

On Monday, a video was posted on YouTube titled "ISIS Ancam Nusakambangan Untuk Bebaskan Abu Bakar Ba'asyir" or "ISIS threatens Nusakambangan prison in order to free Abu Bakar Ba'asyir".

The 3.03 minute-video showed a man whose was face covered by a black scarf vowing to free terrorist convicts Abu Bakar Ba'asyir and Aman Abdurrahman from a penitentiary in Nusakambangan Island, Central Java.

Ba'asyir and Abdurrahman are currently serving their sentences in prisons on Nusakambangan prison island in Central Java.

Both men are IS supporters. Terrorism experts have claimed that Abdurrahman is the person who translates IS teachings from Arabic into the Indonesian language and plays an important role in recruiting IS followers from Indonesia.

Besides promising to free the two convicts, the man in the video also threatened the TNI.

Confirming the threats on Tuesday, Moeldoko said that the TNI was always ready. "It's OK. We will just wait for what [the terrorists] do. We will then wipe them out," he told reporters at the Marine base in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

Moeldoko said that Nusakambangan island was now under TNI supervision as the TNI had security posts in every corner of the island.

Although the TNI is ready to fight, Moeldoko suggested the government should make preventive efforts to tackle IS influence in Indonesia. "IS develops faster in a country that has no stability. We need the people to play a role in stopping the radical movement," Moeldoko said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/tni-establish-anti-terror-force.html

Kontras demands TNI transparency

Jakarta Post - April 11, 2015

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has urged the Indonesian Military (TNI) to allow victims of crimes or violations committed by soldiers to obtain information regarding their prosecution.

"At the moment, it is very difficult for victims to get any information on whether perpetrators who are military personnel have been tried or not," Kontras research division head Puri Kencana Putri said in Jakarta on Friday.

Kontras has also found that it is very difficult for civilians to file reports of crimes or violence committed by soldiers to the military police (POM), as there is no clear-cut mechanism.

"The military institutions are very strict and are not transparent about criminal cases involving their personnel," Puri claimed.

Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar said that in most cases involving military personnel, investigations ended up hitting a brick wall. "Usually the victims report the case to the police. Unfortunately, the police don't want to meddle in the problem and justice is not served," he said.

Two TNI personnel, along with a civilian, were accused of murdering a family of four in Langkat, North Sumatra, last year. Despite evidence presented by the Langkat Police, the two Army personnel were not charged. The civilian suspect, however, was brought to trial.

A similar result occurred in the case of the alleged kidnapping of a civilian named Dede Khairuddin by Navy personnel, also in Langkat last year. Dede's family reported the case, but the local police never launched a probe.

Puri said that the government and the TNI should immediately establish a mechanism for reporting criminal cases involving military personnel.

"The mechanism should not only concern reporting the case but also access to information and justice proceedings, so that victims can be sure that the TNI follows cases up," Puri said.

Indonesian Military chief Gen. Moeldoko pledged that he would not allow impunity within the military. "We will impose severe sanctions and punishments on [personnel who commit crimes], including dismissing them from the institution. We are very strict on this issue," Moeldoko told The Jakarta Post.

According to Moeldoko, the military also shamed soldiers guilty of committing regular crimes by officially dismissing them in an open ceremony that the media could attend.

Besides stringent punishment, the TNI has also opened a call-center for families of victims of abuse by TNI personnel to convey their complaints.

Based on data from the TNI in 2014, there were 143 cases of violence involving TNI personnel, down from 187 in 2013. "The military institutions are very strict and are not transparent about criminal cases involving their personnel."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/11/kontras-demands-tni-transparency.html

TNI to play role in curbing radicalism

Jakarta Post - April 10, 2015

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has struck a deal with the Religious Affairs Ministry for a joint campaign to strop radicalism, including the spread of the Islamic State (IS) movement in the country.

Under the agreement, the TNI may start its campaign during the 94th military community service program, also known as TNI Masuk Desa, which will kick off in May this year.

"This is standard for the TNI; it is very responsive to issues like these. The TNI has invited us to join its campaign, and we've agreed to be its partner. We want to spread information on Islamic teachings to Muslims in this country," Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin told a press briefing on Thursday.

This year's community service program will involve 9,150 army personnel and will take place in 61 regencies and municipalities in the country. In the program, the army will work on infrastructure projects including the construction of bridges, roads and offices and the renovation of mosques and churches.

Aside from infrastructure programs, soldiers will also educate villagers on the dangers of radical movements.

"For this year's community service, we will focus on religiosity. Besides developing infrastructure, we also want to develop people's spirituality," Army deputy chief of staff Lt. Gen. Muhammad Munir said. Munir explained that although radicalism was not yet a cause for concern, it could become so.

Minister Lukman also said that the ministry would assist the TNI in the program by deploying Muslim scholars to help soldiers propagate the true teachings of Islam.

Military community service sees TNI personnel sent into villages to build infrastructure and promote nationalism among citizens.

During the New Order era, president Soeharto rolled out the program, known as ABRI Masuk Desa (AMD), which was used as a tool to monitor and discourage dissent or opposition to his rule.

The program was also used to gain political support from villagers across the country, allowing him to remain in power for more than three decades.

The program was terminated after Soeharto fell from power in 1998. The program was revived soon afterwards with a number of modifications.

As well as allowing soldiers to disseminate a moderate version of Islam under the community service program, the Religious Affairs Ministry has also given the go-ahead for the TNI to get involved in a long-term radicalism prevention program.

"We will have a separate agreement for that. This is to respond to the radical influence of IS. We will work with the ministry, because radicalism is part of the ministry's domain," Munir said.

He added that under the planned agreement, the ministry and the TNI would boost the role of the Religious Affairs Office (KUA) in preventing radicalism.

Under the planned agreement, KUA officials could work non-commissioned officers assigned to villages (Babinsa) to map areas that are vulnerable to IS and other radical influences.

"We need to change the image of the KUA. It has tremendous potential," Munir said, adding that it was time for the KUA to shed perceptions that its sole purpose was as a place to register Islamic weddings.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/10/tni-play-role-curbing-radicalism.html

Criminal justice & prison system

Jakarta tempers outrage at Saudi execution, amid cries of hypocrisy

Jakarta Globe - April 15, 2015

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has protested a lack of notice from Saudi authorities prior to the execution of a mentally ill Indonesian woman in the kingdom, prompting activists to point out Jakarta's double standards on the death penalty.

Siti Zaenab, 47, was beheaded on Tuesday after serving 15 years in prison for the murder of her employer. "We did everything we could to free Siti Zaenab," Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He added that Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi had asked the family of the slain woman to forgive the Indonesian worker, and a press release on the ministry's website said President Joko Widodo had sent a letter to the Saudi king to request clemency for Siti – echoing similar moves by his predecessors Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

In Saudi Arabia, a death sentence can be commuted if the family of the victim forgives the murderer, usually in exchange for a hefty payment.

Amnesty International said in a press release that Siti was reported to have stabbed her employer 18 times after allegedly being mistreated by the employer's son. She "confessed" to the act during interrogation, but reports suggest "police suspected that she suffered from mental illness at the time," Amnesty said.

"Imposing the death penalty and executing someone with a suspected mental illness smacks of a basic lack of humanity," Philip Luther, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa program director, said in the press release. "This practice has been widely condemned on the world stage and Saudi Arabia should take this opportunity to reconsider its stance on the death penalty."

Amnesty says Saudi Arabia ranks among the top five executioners in the world, having executed at least 60 people so far this year, most of them by beheading. The country carried out 90 executions last year.

"Whatever the misguided purpose behind Saudi Arabia's shocking spike in executions so far this year, it should draw international condemnation. The kingdom's authorities must halt this execution spree and establish an official moratorium on the use of the death penalty," Luther said.

'Miscommunication'

The Joko administration itself has come under fire since the start of the year for resuming executions of drug convicts on death row, almost all of them foreign nationals.

In an interview in February – after the execution of six death-row convicts, including a mentally ill Brazilian man – Retno said diplomatic tensions with Brazil and Australia, which has two of its own nationals in the next batch of condemned inmates, were misguided because Indonesia's adoption of the death penalty was not against international law.

She said Indonesia would defend any of its citizens on death row overseas, but would not abolish capital punishment at home despite accusations of double standards.

"We understand [these countries'] concerns for their citizens. We, too, would do everything in our power to rescue our people facing death sentences abroad," the minister said.

"But this is a matter of the sovereignty of Indonesian law. We're enforcing our laws and, as a sovereign nation, we don't want anyone to intervene with our legal processes."

Saudi Ambassador Mustafa Ibrahim Al-Mubarak said on Wednesday that there might have been a "miscommunication" between his government and the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh.

"They knew about the [upcoming] execution, but the Saudi Arabian government might have not reminded them of the execution date," he told reporters at the State Palace, after a meeting with the president and other ambassadors from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

"I will check what went wrong. I will be in touch with my government to get their explanation."

Zero moral leverage

In Siti's home district of Bangkalan, on Madura Island in East Java, her family wept hysterically as the head of the National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, or BNP2TKI, paid a visit on Wednesday to inform them of the execution.

"Two weeks ago, the Indonesian government helped us meet mother. We were hoping she would be forgiven," said Siti's daughter, Halimah. "But what can we do now that she has been executed? We're letting her go and hoping her sins will be forgiven."

Rights activists called the execution "sad and cruel," but blamed the Joko administration's double standard on the death penalty for costing it any moral leverage it may have had in trying to stay Siti's execution.

"This is a lesson for the president, the foreign minister, the Attorney General's Office and other relevant parties not to use double standards, so that our diplomatic approaches to rescue Indonesian migrant workers on death row will be fruitful," said Haris Azhar, the coordinator of the rights watchdog the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, or Kontras.

"Siti's execution is very hurtful, sad and cruel. Kontras condemns the execution," he added.

There are 229 Indonesians on death row overseas, according to BNP2TKI chief Nusron Wahid, most of them unskilled laborers in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the government was "defending all of them. We've prepared lawyers for them. We are terribly concerned," he said on Wednesday.

He stressed, however, that Indonesia's protest at Siti's execution centered on the failure by Saudi Arabia to notify Jakarta ahead of time, and that Jakarta was not presuming to interfere in another country's decision to enforce its use of the death penalty.

Slave culture

Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto, meanwhile, said the president had ordered the Foreign Ministry to dispatch a letter of protest to the Saudi authorities over their failure to notify the Indonesian government and Siti's family about the execution date.

He also extended the president's condolences to Siti's family, adding that the president had asked the Foreign Ministry to continue with its ongoing efforts to defend other Indonesian citizens on death row overseas.

The execution has also sparked calls to widen an existing moratorium on sending domestic workers to Saudi Arabia, to extend to the whole of the Middle East. The Saudi moratorium has been in place since 2011, following the execution under similar circumstances of an Indonesian woman there, but Democrat legislator Dede Yusuf said it should cover all the countries in the region that "have a slave culture."

"We support the manpower minister's call to end the sending of workers to the Middle East," said Dede, who chairs the House of Representatives' oversight commission on labor.

"We want Indonesian migrant workers to be sent only to countries that don't have a slavery culture. It's better to send them to countries that have more soft [treatment for migrant workers]."

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/jakarta-tempers-outrage-saudi-execution-amid-cries-hypocrisy/

Call to halt executions after study finds condemned not given fair trial

Sydney Morning Herald - April 13, 2015

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – An Indonesian law reform organisation has called for a moratorium on executions after a study of 42 death sentences handed down between 2002 and 2013 found many of the condemned had not been given a fair trial.

In 11 of the 42 cases, law enforcement officers allegedly intimidated or tortured the defendants or witnesses, according to the report by the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. Defendants in 11 cases also did not appear to have had proper access to legal assistance.

Bali nine organisers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are among 10 drug felons who are facing the firing squad in the second round of executions to be held in Indonesia this year.

Many of those on death row with the Australians claim they did not receive a fair trial, including impoverished Indonesian labourer Zainal Abidin, French welder Serge Atlaoui and Filipina domestic helper Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso. The report said that a lawyer was only present in Zainal Abidin's case after his interrogation had taken place.

Capital punishment is the heaviest sentence an Indonesian court can impose and therefore should be reserved for the most serious criminals and the ringleaders of crime syndicates, the report said. However "in practice", defendants with a minimal role who were not even involved in the planning of a crime were often given the death penalty.

The report pointed to Bali nine mule Scott Rush, who was sentenced to death by the Bali High Court in 2006. It was only during his appeal that the Supreme Court took into account that Rush was merely a courier and commuted his sentence to life imprisonment.

The Institute for Criminal Justice Reform review was prompted by the case of Yusman Telaumbanua, who was apparently only 16 when he was found guilty of murdering three gecko sellers in 2012.

Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise called for a review of his sentence in March, amid allegations he was tortured during questioning at the Nias Police station three years ago and was a minor when found guilty.

The Institute decided to review decisions made in the District, High and Supreme courts to see if the principle of a fair trial was being applied in Indonesia's criminal justice system. The report found repeated problems including lack of access to legal aid, lack of proof from the prosecution, and inconsistencies in judges' rulings.

The Institute urged the government to review all court decisions that imposed the death penalty. It also called for a moratorium on executions and the imposition of the death penalty until defendants could be assured of a fair trial.

Meanwhile Atlaoui, the Frenchman who is facing the firing squad with Chan and Sukumaran, had his appeal thrown out of the Administrative Court last week on the grounds that the court did not have the jurisdiction to challenge a presidential decree.

Lawyer Nancy Yuliana said she would appeal the ruling in the same court within two weeks. Chan and Sukumaran lost a similar appeal last Monday.

Ms Yuliana said she understood that the rejection of clemency pleas was the final legal avenue but this should not be the case when the defendant felt there had been a miscarriage of justice. "Our client has the right to defend his life although it may have the same result [as the Bali Nine duo's case]," Ms Yuliana said.

Atlaoui was arrested at a methamphetamine laboratory in Tangerang in 2005. He has always maintained his innocence, saying he was merely a welder installing equipment in what he thought was an acrylics factory.

"He is not a chemist who understands chemical substances," Ms Yuliana said. "Moreover Serge is only a mechanic, he is not the owner, but he is sentenced to death just like the drug factory owner."

Nine people arrested with Atlaoui have also been sentenced to death, however Ms Yuliana said Atlaoui was the first to face the firing squad even though "we all know that people from the same case must be executed together".

"Why is it only our client that is singled out to be executed?" she asked. "It is absolutely unjust."

[With Karuni Rompies.]

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/call-to-halt-executions-in-indonesia-after-study-finds-condemned-not-given-fair-trial-20150413-1mk3yq.html

Foreign affairs & trade

Police call for no rallies during Asia-Africa Conference

Jakarta Post - April 15, 2015

Arya Dipa, Bandung – The West Java Police have urged the public to participate in securing a series of events during the 60th anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung and refrain from holding rallies, especially around the peak of the event on April 24, 2015.

Provincial police chief Insp. Gen. M. Iriawan urged every police force chief in the region to make sure their territories were free of demonstrations, especially by the Falun Dafa – also known as Falun Gong – community in Indonesia, a day prior to and a day after the event.

"The police will not issue rally permits on those days. We appreciate the aspirations, but we will secure the situation," Iriawan told police personnel during a roll call at Gasibu Square in Bandung on Tuesday.

He added that the police would disperse rallies carried out from April 23 to 25, aggressively if necessary, should community groups remain steadfast in expressing their aspirations.

"A representative from the Chinese government has requested that there should be no action from the Falun Gong," Iriawan said to the personnel.

Iriawan has also assigned officers from territories around Bandung to anticipate the possibility of rallies being held during the conference anniversary.

"There are also security issues on terrorism and the Free Papua Movement," said Iriawan.

Separately, Indonesia Falun Dafa Society representative Gatot Machali expressed concern about the restriction of freedom of expression.

"Why should Indonesia bow down to pressure and intervention from China? We will express our right to freedom of expression just by unfurling banners," said Gatot, adding that the planned rally was a form of international support so the Chinese Communist Party would stop violent action against Falun Gong followers in China.

"Indonesia should not acquire the image of supporting a regime that resorts to oppression, or genocide against hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong followers in China," said Gatot.

Wahyu Nandang, from the Indonesian Legal Aid Institution's Advocacy Division, said the police call stifled the right to freedom of expression, regulated in the 1945 State Constitution, Law No. 39/1999 on basic human rights and Law No. 9/1948 on freedom of expression in public.

"The government – in this matter the police – should provide a guarantee and protection for Indonesian citizens in using their right of freedom of expression," Nandang pointed out.

Falun Gong, an ancient practice for mind and body, originating in prehistoric China, has been banned in the country since 1999 for carrying out "illegal activities".

The practice was initially tolerated in China, but was banned after 10,000 practitioners staged a protest outside the central government's leadership compound in Beijing.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/15/police-call-no-rallies-during-asia-africa-conference.html

Ahead of Asian-African summit, riot police 'ready for everything'

Jakarta Globe - April 14, 2015

Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – A total of 2,500 members of the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) are ready to help secure Jakarta and Bandung during the upcoming Asian-African Conference, including against possible chemical, biological or radioactive threats.

The Jakarta Police and the West Java Police have already prepared a force of 8,000 officers for the conference, which will be held in the Indonesian capital and in Bandung from April 18 till April 24.

On Tuesday, 500 officers to be attached to the group of 8,000 were presented at the Brimob headquarters in Depok, south of Jakarta.

"They bring their personal equipment, such as shields, body armor and tear gas," Sr. Comr. Leo Gona said. "They're not armed with live bullets. But they do have tactical vehicles to quell riots, anarchism and to fight terror."

The Brimob forces also include a unit trained to deal with chemical, biological or radioactive threats. "The point is that we're ready for everything," Leo said.

The police are coordinating with the Indonesian Military (TNI) to secure the summit, which will be attended by up to 35 heads of state.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/ahead-asian-african-summit-riot-police-ready-everything/

Analysis & opinion

Death penalty has no place in our society

Jakarta Globe Editorial - April 15, 2015

No one seemed to know, or care, very much about Siti Zaenab when she was still alive. But when this Indonesian migrant worker was put to death on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, the government in Jakarta suddenly grew a quasi- conscience.

"Quasi" is the operative word here, because while the government duly protested the Saudi authorities' failure to notify Siti's family and Indonesian Embassy officials ahead of the execution, it was deafeningly quiet on the fact that she was killed in the first place. Indeed, Vice President Jusuf Kalla made clear that Indonesia's objection was not to the exercise by Saudi Arabia of the death penalty.

It was, of course, a hole that the administration had dug for itself. By insisting on its own use of the death penalty against foreign drug traffickers, Jakarta has lost any moral standing it may have had to appeal for mercy for its own citizens on death row overseas – a number that today sits at 229, mostly in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Opponents of the execution of drug traffickers here may be tempted to indulge in schadenfreude at Indonesia finding itself at the sharp end of the stick, but such a sentiment is both misplaced and perverse.

Siti should not have to bear the sins of the Indonesian government. Instead, her death should serve as a rallying cry for all countries, Indonesia foremost, to abolish or at least freeze the use of the death penalty. Nothing can be gained from taking a life – whether that of a convicted murderer, like Siti, or of a drug dealer, like the five foreigners killed by the firing squad in Indonesia in January, and the nine more slated for imminent death.

The death penalty, regardless of whether or not a country's statutes make room for it, is a barbaric relic with no place in civilized society today – whether that be in Saudi Arabia or Indonesia.

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-death-penalty-no-place-society/

What we've got here is failure to communicate

New Mandala - April 15, 2015

Liam Gammon – If it achieved nothing else, last week's PDI-P party congress managed to confuse a lot of tourists. The sleepy beach resort of Sanur was turned a brilliant red as thousands of party officials, staffers, journalists and hangers-on swarmed around a 1960s-era beachfront hotel for the five yearly event. Sunburnt Dutch retirees found deckchairs occupied by branch secretaries from Kalimantan and Aceh, while Korean businessmen on their way to the golf course were startled by the sight of paramilitary police slouching on assault rifles. Guests at the nearby Swiss-Bel Resort will go home with a good story after the anti-corruption commission conducted a late night raid to arrest a PDI-P MP while he was allegedly receiving a large bribe in his suite.

Back inside the ballrooms and conference halls where the congress took place, you might have thought that the atmosphere would be jubilant. After PDI-P came first in 2014's legislative elections, its presidential candidate won office last July, bringing the party back into government after a decade in the wilderness. Wouldn't the congress be a PR-laden showcase for the regeneration of the party's ranks, in the form of President Jokowi and popular regional leaders like Tri Rismaharini and Ganjar Pranowo, in full view of the national media?

Not by a long shot. Of course, Ed Aspinall's observations of the previous PDI-P congress in 2010 still ring true of the party. In their physical appearance and personal style, the delegates looked like what they are: a cross section of remarkably ordinary, and mostly lower middle-class, small town and provincial Indonesians...At its core, the congress was a boisterous and hugely entertaining affair. Far from being a demure event, it was full of cheering and jeering, good-natured heckling, excited and sometimes angry declamations and frequent hilarious interjections...In short, this was not a gathering of a slick metropolitan elite but a festival of lower middle-class culture.

The endearingly laid back and (thankfully for researchers) talkative PDI-P cadres give at least a sheen of credibility to their organisation's self- image as the party of and for the common man.

Yet the 2015 congress was at once more and less than what Aspinall saw in 2010. Although in much better electoral shape than it was five years ago, it was paradoxically the worst of PDI-P on display in Sanur last week. With former president Megawati Soekarnoputri's reelection as chairwoman a fait accompli six months ago, her leadership team and the rank and file used the Bali congress to both reemphasise her feudalistic reign over the party and belittle the president whom many feel is an affront to it. No serious internal debate was allowed, with the usual deliberations about the party's internal administration truncated by the leadership elite.

Since the expulsion of dissidents after the 2005 congress, and the death of Mega's straight talking husband Taufik Kiemas in 2013, that elite is mostly populated by sycophants and blood relatives. That's no surprise: she chooses them herself. Elections for the national management board, or Dewan Pengurus Pusat (DPP), are not held. Megawati simply announces its members to the congress after several hours' consideration behind closed doors.

The new line up was revealing: Megawati's son, the shy but increasingly ambitious Prananda Prabowo, joins his half-sister, cabinet minister Puan Maharani, on the board. Notably, Maruarar Sirait, the prominent Jokowi booster whose appointment to cabinet was blocked by Megawati in 2014, was not reappointed to his position. Once again, many more younger party figures with positive public profiles were passed over.

Which brings us to the man many in the party brass wished wasn't there: the president. It might be an exaggeration to describe the relationship between Jokowi and PDI-P as dysfunctional – but not a very big one. What has been exaggerated in recent weeks is the success of attempts at reconciliation between the palace and party after the police-KPK crisis earlier this year.

It seems Megawati was deadly serious when she said during last year's presidential election that Jokowi is merely a petugas partai (party functionary) – and, corollary to that, a peon of hers.

As Tempo magazine revealed this week, the president and his staff had prepared a speech for him to deliver at the congress, but he was refused permission to do so. Not once did Jokowi even mount the stage. Instead, he remained seated in the front row wearing his poker face while Megawati took a swipe at his administration, reminding him of what she characterised as his constitutional responsibility to represent his party while in office. This was all in front of a national television audience as the PDI-P rank and file who packed the room cheered her on. (The video below is cued to this section.)

In her extraordinary address, Megawati denounced the 'stowaways' and 'backstabbers' who had 'sneaked' into Jokowi's administration via his campaign team. While not naming names, it was obvious she was referring to Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjojanto, State Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, and Chief of Presidential Staff Luhut Pandjaitan.

It's no secret that Mega's relationships with Rini and Andi (both former protegees and family friends of hers) have become toxic due to a feeling on Mega's part that they've been at the forefront of efforts to shut her out of what she sees as her rightful role in decision making – including, crucially, choosing who gets appointed to top government posts. Luhut is resented in many quarters – not just inside PDI-P – for concentrating power in his newly-created Presidential Staff Office. Mega is known to regard him with suspicion and jealousy.

Some delegates who spoke to myself and two ANU colleagues at the congress were taken aback by Mega's forthrightness, while agreeing with the substance of her remarks. Others were openly delighted. As one regional official – himself a former staunch Jokowi supporter – said, 'me and my colleagues were pleased. She voiced what all of us [in the party] were thinking...we feel we've gotten nothing from this government!'

It is indeed striking how disappointment with Jokowi seems to extend throughout the party. Regional officials complain about the lack of pork barrel projects being delivered to them. One attendee of a meeting between Jokowi and PDI-P's provincial chiefs at the congress said the president was bombarded with demands for various public works projects to be fast- tracked, while an aide took notes. Lawmakers with policy agendas feel that the PDI-P parliamentary caucus is shut out by the administration. Elite figures feel that the party did not get its fair share of cabinet seats compared with other coalition partners.

I put it to a well-known PDI-P lawmaker (another former Jokowi-booster) that, leaving aside whether they have legitimate complaints about his leadership, the party does itself no favours by being seen to publicly humiliate Indonesia's president. Why air one's dirty laundry in public? The response: 'well, we've tried to get the message across in private, but now you see it's had to come to this'. Overwhelmingly, PDI-P insiders feel that Megawati gave what they typically described as a much-needed 'reminder' to Jokowi about his responsibilities to the party.

Even those privately scathing of PDI-P's internal culture acknowledge that the Jokowi administration isn't going to function if the relationship between the palace on the one hand, and the party and its leader on the other, becomes toxic. With this in mind, efforts are underway from PDI-P figures sympathetic to Jokowi to engineer more regular meetings between Megawati, party officials, and the president and his cabinet.

But is a lack of communication really the problem, and is more of it really the solution?

Despite Megawati's attempts to present her political feuds as being based on principle, it's almost always personal. Her sense of entitlement, jealousy, and ability to hold a grudge are legendary. The tension between her and Jokowi is not about policy – it's about people. In this instance, it seems that her idea of 'compromise' is for the other party in the negotiation to capitulate entirely. 'Communication' is really a euphemism for obsequiousness.

Jokowi is put in an impossible position, then. If he dismisses the two ministers and curtails the powers of his chief of staff, the boneka (puppet) tag which has dogged him since his election will be stuck on him for good. And what happens thereafter when Megawati and PDI-P, their protest in Bali having had its effect, inevitably make further demands of him?

If he stands by his team – who, in the case of Rini and Andi, were foisted upon him by Megawati during the election campaign, yet have earned his respect and trust while their relationships with her have crumbled – then there seems to be no hope of reconciliation.

One couldn't blame Jokowi for asking whether PDI-P is worth the trouble. If they want to act like an opposition party, then why not invite them do so from opposition? In her closing speech at the congress on Saturday, Megawati had one last thinly-veiled missive for the president: 'if anyone doesn't wan't to be called a party functionary, then get out!' Careful what you wish for, Ibu.

[Liam Gammon is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Political and Social Change in the ANU's Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. Thanks to Marcus Mietzner and Thomas Power for contributing to material used in this article.]

If the title of this post seems cryptic to you, please consult this video for further explanation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnO9Jyz82Ps

Source: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2015/04/15/what-weve-got-here-is-failure-to-communicate/