Valdy Arief, Jakarta – Students from East Timor calling themselves the East Timor Students Association (Klibur Estudiante Timor Leste, Keustil) held a demonstration in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on the afternoon of Thursday March 24 demanding that Australia withdraw from the East Timor Sea.

Action coordinator Nelson Pereira said that Australia has violated international law because of its actions in exploiting oil in East Timor's territorial waters.

"We demand that Australia leave East Timor's maritime boarders", said Nelson speaking in front of the Australian Embassy on Jl. HR Rasuna Said in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta.

According to Nelson, the treaty to jointly exploit the Timor Gap agreed to between Indonesia and Australia in 1989 should already have expired because East Timor separated from Indonesia in 1999.

Nelson said that the Laminaria-Corallina oil field, which is managed by Woodside Australian Petroleum, has already produced in excess of US$900 million for the Kangaroo Country. "This oil field is almost exhausted, meanwhile the people of East Timor have received nothing", he said.

Nelson demanded that Australia demonstrate its pledge to assist its neighboring countries in the Pacific region. "Demonstrate that Australia wants to assist smaller countries in the Pacific without conditions and without deception", said Nelson.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Sejumlah Mahasiswa Timor Leste Berunjuk Rasa di Depan Kedutaan Australia".]

Source: http://www.tribunnews.com/internasional/2016/03/24/sejumlah-mahasiswa-timor-leste-berunjuk-rasa-di-depan-kedutaan-australia

Timorese protesters in Jakarta demand Australia walk away from Timor Sea

Java Post (JPPN) - March 24, 2016

Jakarta – East Timorese students are calling on Australia to leave East Timor's territorial waters accusing the Kangaroo Country of too long exploiting and profiting from East Timor's natural wealth.

This was articulated by students from East Timor from the East Timor Student's Association (Klibur Estudiante Timor Leste, Keustil) at a demonstration in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday March 24.

The protest action was similar to those held by their sisters and brothers in East Timor over the last few days. "We demand Australia [leave] because it has sabotaged our territorial waters and taken [our] oil from East Timor's territory", explained action coordinator Nelson Pereira.

According to Nelson, starting in 1971 Australia began holding illegal negotiations with Indonesia over the maritime area referred to as the Timor Gap without ever inviting the people of then Portuguese Timor to participate. "The result of the negotiations which took place in November 1973 was that Australia obtained the bulk of the benefits from these negotiations", he explained.

Nelson went on to explain that despite the August 30, 1999 referendum in which the Maubere (Timorese) people decided to separate from Indonesia, Australia continued to use the maritime boundary agreements with Indonesia in 1971 and 1972 without automatically setting a new maritime boundary. "So based on this, the agreement that has continued to be used up until this day is in fact illegal", asserted Nelson.

With regard to the exploitation of oil, Nelson explained that the Laminaria-Carollina oil fields have been exploited by more than 100 million barrels by Australian Petroleum, BHP and Shell. "The Australian government received profits of US$900 million which were never enjoyed by the Timorese people. And these oil reserves are almost exhausted", he explained.

Because of this therefore, the protesters are challenging Australia to prove itself as a big country which says it is ready to help developing nations in the Asia Pacific without conditions or ill intentions. "So this open hearted country doesn't become a country of hypocrisy", said Nelson. (rmol/dil/jpnn)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Gelar Aksi di Jakarta, Mahasiswa Timor Leste Tuntut Australia Hengkang".]

Source: http://m.jpnn.com/read/2016/03/24/365703/Gelar-Aksi-di-Jakarta,-Mahasiswa-Timor-Leste-Tuntut-Australia-Hengkang-

West Papua

Change in the air for West Papua? Melanesia leads the way

Tabloid JUBI - March 21, 2016

Maire Leadbeater – It is great to watch the Solomon Islands establishing itself as a champion of human rights for West Papua. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, current Chair of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, nailed his colours to the mast at the UN General Assembly last year and now he is on a determined diplomatic offensive around the region. Solomon's diplomat Barrett Salato used his slot at this month's Geneva Human Rights Council to plead for Indonesia to address a litany of human rights issues in West Papua – torture, arbitrary arrests, limitations on freedom of expression, racial discrimination and demographic marginalisation.

Peaceful resistance has escalated in West Papua over the past year, spurred on by feisty West Papua campaigns all around the Pacific. In the diplomatic arena, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) agreed to grant observer status to the West Papua umbrella group: United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). This was rightly welcomed as an important win even though the MSG leaders made concessions to Indonesia at the same time – granting Jakarta Associate Membership of the MSG and qualifying their acceptance of the ULMWP by saying it represented Papuans in exile.

Jakarta has been trying hard but unsuccessfully to counteract the MSG move. First it announced a kind of alternative to the MSG – A Melanesian Brotherhood that would include the Indonesian provinces in Maluku and West Timor as well as the two provinces in West Papua. That got off to a shaky start when the Papua Governor Lukas Enembe described it as a political ploy and declined to attend the signing ceremony.

In February, 5000 people gathered to give their support to a new office for the ULMWP in Wamena in the Highlands. Indonesian police promptly took the ULMWP sign down and began to threaten and intimidate the activists who had organised the event. Father John Djonga, who led the prayers at the opening ceremony, has been subjected to lengthy interrogation by the police. The participants knew it was a risky venture but they decided it was important to make sure the MSG and the world knew the ULMWP was not just an organisation representing exiles.

Mr Sogavare welcomed the new ULMWP office and he has been on a tour in the region discussing the idea of a mediated dialogue between Indonesia and West Papuan representatives. When he first asked for a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo he was turned down, but he now has a visit to Jakarta scheduled for April. Sogavare is insisting that if Jakarta wants to be an associate member in the MSG if it needs to work with the MSG members on an issue that concerns them all.

Signs of hope?

My favourite t-shirt which features the West Papua Morning Star flag is a bit out of date – the slogan reads '15 years in jail for raising this flag'. That is a reference to Filep Karma who was jailed by the Indonesian authorities on a charge of treason in 2004 because he took part in a peaceful flag- raising event. He was sentenced to 15 years, but granted early release last November. Karma was actually reluctant to leave jail because he did not want to accept any remission of sentence that implied he had committed a crime. Outspoken and fearless, he is revered by supporters of freedom at home and abroad. Amnesty International accepted him as Prisoner of Conscience and it can take a big share of the credit for embarrassing Jakarta and bringing about his release.

While Karma's release is definitely a good sign, it is too soon to say that Indonesia is relaxing its repressive rule in West Papua. International journalists still face huge impediments to their access. Last year we were lucky to have excellent on-the-ground reports from Maori TV and RNZ International, but then a French journalist was barred because the authorities did not like the content of a documentary he had produced earlier.

Indonesian rule over West Papua was sanctioned by the west back in the Cold War sixties. To their discredit, New Zealand and even the UN turned a blind eye as Indonesia staged a fraudulent 'Act of Free Choice' in 1969. Only 1,022 press-ganged and intimidated Papuans participated. With the international community seemingly indifferent, a guerrilla resistance movement took on the Indonesian military. Over the years some 100,000 have died conflict-related deaths, but now the people are seeking peaceful ways forward.

Last year the Pacific Island Forum proposed a fact-finding mission to West Papua and so far Jakarta has not given its answer. Sogavare is hoping for an independent mission, one that could begin to address the issues set out in the two volumes of human rights reports which have been put before him and the MSG.

Prime Minister Key could take a leaf out of Sogavare's book. New Zealand should let the Indonesian authorities know we too are 100 per cent behind the Fact Finding Mission and we expect a positive answer. Small steps can lead to big change. (*)

[Author is activist for West Papua Action Auckland.]

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/change-in-the-air-for-west-papua-melanesia-leads-the-way/

Noken voting system contradicts principles of democracy, says lawmaker

Jakarta Post - March 20, 2016

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura, Papua – A member of the Papua Legislative Council (DPRD) from the Hanura Party, Yan Mandenas, said the noken voting system implemented in the Pegunungan Tengah mountain range region was not in line with the principles of direct, public and free elections because a community gave authority to one person to select a candidate in an election.

The lawmaker further said that there was no secrecy in the system because voters placed their ballots in a noken, a traditional Papuan bag that had the name of the chosen candidate written on it.

"The noken system must no longer be implemented because it takes away the right of a citizen to vote directly. Their right to vote has been taken away by a community's chosen representative," Mandenas said.

The Hanura politician further said that people in Pegunungan Tengah had slowly begun to understand the process of presidential, legislative and regional head elections.

"Indonesia has long adopted the principle of direct, public and free elections and people are getting smarter in practicing democracy. So, we should not take away people's right to elect their leaders by defending the noken system. To all political elites, please stop mobilizing people to support the interests of a certain elite group through the noken system," Mandenas said.

It is widely believed that the noken system helps political elites attain the most votes. During the 2014 elections, candidates from several electoral districts did not get any votes while other candidates were able to gain all votes.

A law expert from the University of Cenderawasih, Marthen Fery Kareth, said the noken system must be stopped and all people should be encouraged to use their right to vote. Kareth said the noken system had triggered many conflicts, some of which that had led to fatalities.

Kareth further explained that although voters in Papua, specifically people in Pegunungan Tengah, understood the principles of direct, public and free elections, more political education was needed to change people's mindset about voting.

"All parties, comprising local administrations, election commissioners, Election Supervisory Agency [Bawaslu] members, political elites and academicians have to educate people so they can fully understand the democratic election system. It is hoped that people will learn to understand the principles of direct, public and free elections," said Kareth.

The law expert said local administrations should stand in the front line to push forward the removal of the noken system.

"If there are local administrations or election organizers that call for the implementation of a noken system in Papua, it's likely they that they are trying to push their own agenda," said Mandenas. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/20/noken-voting-system-contradicts-principles-democracy-says-lawmaker.html

Jokowi's Papua policy deeply flawed

New Mandala - March 18, 2016

Hipolitus Yolisandry Ringgi Wangge & Djali Gafur – Far from bringing them closer together, Papua's integration into Indonesia in 1969 was a controversial and deeply flawed process that has driven a wedge between the two ever since – a spear through the heart of good relations.

Not least because Papuans and their needs, particularly those in highland areas, have been consistently overlooked by authorities and political leaders in Jakarta.

In the almost 50 years since Papuan integration, the government has had difficulty in admitting, let alone identifying root problems in Papua. In the main, these surround the region's historical and political status.

Challenges also include sociological and economic problems, which see growing disparity between outsiders and indigenous Papuans. Migrants dominate the territory's economy and administrative sectors and leave the indigenous with undeveloped skills for competing in such sectors. As a result, social frictions emerge, which, in turn, lead to conflict.

As a president with no ties to previous regimes and their key actors, Joko "Jokowi" Widodo should not make the same mistake as his predecessors.

But so far the signs aren't good. Without seriously admitting and facing up to Papua's problems, the Jokowi administration will only re-design and re-enforce old policies which simplistically emphasise the economy as a driving force for development.

In his last two visits, Jokowi brought packages focused only on the economy, including tourism investment in Raja Ampat, infrastructure investment in Jayapura and Sorong, agricultural investment in Merauke, and mining investment in Fak-fak and Teluk Bintuni.

Such policies are useless if we acknowledge that the bulk of Papuans lack sufficient skills to benefit from these projects (and are often so far behind that playing catch up is almost inconceivable).

In fact, such projects will only increase a mass influx of migrants from Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi and re-affirm non-locals' economic domination – a process we can already see in almost all Papuan cities, in both coastal and highland areas. Such projects are not distinct from programs launched by other presidents since Suharto.

Public statements made by elites in Jakarta who oversimplify the region's problems exacerbate the central government's flawed approach. Take the recent statement from one of Jokowi's key ministers, Luhut Panjaitan. His advice that Papuans with political aspirations should leave the provinces and join Pacific countries that share a culture with them unsurprisingly sparked widespread criticism.

On top of all this, Jokowi's administration has failed to gain the trust of Papuans. For example, there are continued protests from indigenous mothers (mama-mama Papua) who want Jokowi to build traditional markets for them, as he promised in visits early last year.

In 2015 Jokowi also released several prisoners serving sentences for political activities, including the former state officer Filep Karma. But this action has been viewed as superficial since there are still many political prisoners behind bars. It doesn't help that both foreign journalists and few local journalists are given access to the area to cover such issues (something Jokowi was rolled on by his defence minister last year).

Bubbling away in the background to all of this is the presence of the military which keeps coming to Papua for "official purposes", ranging from defending the country's outer island to helping the government to promote development in the area.

The military's current presence includes the so-called joint expedition, dominated by 670 military personnel, including the Special Armed Forces Command (Kopassus), and including 530 civilians aimed at conducting research and collecting data related to Papua's natural resources and its people. With the armed force's bad human rights record in Papua, this expedition will only exaggerate distrust among locals towards their national government.

In any case, the military-led research expedition in Papua is at odds with the military's principal task as outlined by law. Under this, military operations other than war cover 14 specific tasks, including search and rescue, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and border protection. All of the 14 tasks must support the military's primary function – strengthening its capability for combat operations.

None of these tasks relate to collecting data on an area's natural resources or people. The joint operation in Papua is another example of stalled internal military reforms since the second term of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. It's also another stark reminder that the Indonesian military still exerts its influence as not only a security actor but also a social actor. To make matters worse, Jokowi has shown little intention of continuing military reforms, and has put many retired army officers in strategic government positions.

The national government should realise the flow of vast numbers of soldiers, alongside those who are already there, cannot solve the problems in Papua. In fact, the military a source of ongoing difficulties. At the end of the day, it is Papuans who must be the ones to address the region's problems.

The key issue is the empowerment of the Papuan people and not merely a focus on the region's natural resources which draw much attention and concern from the central government.

As Papuan journalist, Victor Mambor once asked: "What is the importance of Papua to Indonesia? Is it the people of Papua or its natural resources that attract the central government in Jakarta? If it is the people, why are so many Papuans being arrested, dying, and being prohibited from expressing their aspirations?"

[Hipolitus Yolisandry Ringgi Wangge is a researcher for the Marthinus Academy, Jakarta. Djali Gafur is an executive director for the Maluku Institute, Center for Public Policy and Economic Development Studies, Moluccas. Both authors have been conducting a fieldwork research in Papua.]

Source: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2016/03/18/jokowis-papua-policy-deeply-flawed/

Allegations of human rights abuse in West Papua raised at the UN

Solomon Times - March 18, 2016

Solomon Islands has raised concern about human rights violations in the Indonesian Province of West Papua at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Its diplomat in Geneva, Barrett Salato, has told the Council that human rights violations need urgent attention by the world community.

Mr Salato said Solomon Islands remains concerned by arbitrary arrests, summary executions, tortures, ill treatments and limitations of freedom of expression committed by Indonesian security forces.

He encouraged Indonesia to establish a dialogue with West Papuan representatives and to cooperate with the Council by allowing UN special procedures planning to visit Indonesia.

Mr Salato highlighted the request made by the Pacific Island Forum to allow for a human rights fact-finding mission to be sent to West Papua. He said access to education and health services for the Papuans has deteriorated, adding to a decline of the indigenous West Papuan population.

The people of West Papua have refused to be part of Indonesia and the vast majority of them have pushed for independence ever since. There are regular mass protests throughout West Papua in support of independence, with many alleging that the Indonesian military and police often use lethal force to disperse them.

The Free Papua Movement (OPM) was set up to provide a formal resistance towards Indonesian rule. Local and international protest followed the impact of human rights abuses and transmigration by other Indonesians into the region.

Source: http://www.solomontimes.com/news/allegations-of-human-rights-abuse-in-west-papua-raised-at-the-un/8448

Armed rebels have no place in Indonesia: Defense minister

Tempo - March 18, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said on Thursday that armed rebels have no place in the country, including those attempting to free Papua from Indonesia, because allowing them to keep existing would only create fear among the people.

"Their existence cannot be tolerated," he told journalists in response to the separatist movement in Indonesia and the need to promote a state defense program.

Ryamizard said he believed in the involvement of parties in foreign countries in every separatist movement. Therefore, he warned that their unlawful acts would not be tolerated.

For the armed rebels in the Indonesian province of Papua who launch attacks, they would be stopped to avoid the people feeling terrorized. "We have been patient enough and this must be stopped in the best way," he said.

Ryamizard also touched on the importance of having a state defense program. In this connection, the Indonesian Defense Ministry has launched a program called "Gebyar Aku Indonesia" (The Sparkle of I am Indonesian) to educate young Indonesians about the necessities of state defense by employing an arts and cultural approach.

Among the arts and cultural activities that would be displayed from April through December 2016 in different parts of Indonesia are a musical festival, stand-by comedy, and various games, he said.

The "Gebyar Aku Indonesia" program will be held in such cities as Kota Batu and Surabaya (East Java), Semarang (Central Java), Palembang (South Sumatra), Sorong (Papua), Medan (North Sumatra), Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan), Pontianak (West Kalimantan), Bandung (West Java) and Jakarta (capital city).

In resolving conflicts in Papua Province, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Papua Peace Network (JDP) have recommended a dialogue between the central government and representatives of the Papuan people for the sake of building a peaceful Papua.

The dialogue would give legitimacy to the central government and help resolve the Papua conflict peacefully, LIPI and JPD revealed in a policy brief entitled, "Building Peaceful Papua Together (2015)." (Antara)

Source: http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/03/18/055754790/armed-rebels-have-no-place-in-indonesia-defense-minister

Lack of healthcare spurs fears of more deaths in Papua

UCA News - March 17, 2016

Flori Geong, Wamena, Indonesia – When nurse Geno Wetipo first visited Samenage in Indonesia's Papua province in December 2013, she recalled seeing thin-limbed children with distended bellies.

She arrived in an area in the throes of a health calamity – some 60 people, mostly children, had died during the preceding months. Wetipo says the deaths were not due to a mysterious plague or an outbreak of illness, but simply to the lack of availability to adequate healthcare.

The lack of access to medical care continues to plague the region, she said, as evidenced by 43 preventable deaths in nearby Nduga district late last year. The area, comprised of several small villages has a population of about 5,000 people.

"When I came here for the first time, almost all the children had bloated tummies. When I diagnosed them, they had parasitic worms inside their stomachs," says Wetipo. On that first trip, she traveled only with basic medicines such as penicillin and other antibiotics.

A spate of 12 deaths in Samenage late last year along with the Nduga deaths renewed fears that a greater tragedy in the region was looming, she told ucanews.com. A dearth of medical workers and limited healthcare facilities remain a major concern here and in other remote areas of Papua, she says.

Wetipo, based at a hospital in Wamena, continually visits the area with a team of medical practitioners sponsored by the Lotus Heart of Papua Foundation, which was founded by Father John Djonga, a noted human rights activist in the region.

While the foundation's primary mission is to promote justice and peace, it also provides medical funding to assist people who otherwise would have little-to-no access to healthcare.

In 2013, most of the children died from parasitic diseases, Wetipo said. Children rarely bathed; there was no soap available for bathing and hand washing, she recalls. But on her most recent visit in February, "I could hardly find a child with such a condition," she says.

Naomi Kwambre, 28, a foundation staffer, says a team of people from Christ the Redeemer Church in Hepuba do their best to monitor and provide healthcare to the people in Samenage, but can only visit the region twice a year due to the high cost of travel.

In order to reach the area, their team of seven people needs to charter a small plane for a 12-minute flight at a cost of US$1,500, she says. The mortality rate in the area remains high because of the lack of access to medical care, she says.

Naomi Kwambre (white shirt) and Geno Wetipo, (blue shirt), volunteers with the church-run Lotus Heart of Papua Foundation, with children of Samenage village in Papua's district of Yahukimo. (Photo by Flori Geong)

Church-state cooperation

"Our people here die without any health services," says Emanuel Esema, a tribal leader in Haleroma village in Samenage. Villagers often go years without seeing a doctor or medical practitioner, he said.

Naftali Yogi, head of Papua's social welfare agency of Papua province, said the government has started a cooperative program with local churches this year to help bridge the region's healthcare gap. Funding is being provided to church-run organizations to provide medical care to those most in need.

Funding also is being provided for community healthcare education, Yogi says. "We lack not only health service, but also education," says Esema. For many years, the local elementary school did not have a single teacher.

But in June last year the school began regular activities after the local authorities appointed a new principal, who with the help of two volunteers, started a school from scratch, albeit with limited faiclities.

Wetipo says she and the other healthcare volunteers also teach children on healthy living and basic hygiene. "I teach the children to bathe using soap," she said.

Source: http://www.ucanews.com/news/health-fears-force-government-church-cooperation-in-papua/75512

Aceh

Aceh regency restricts LGBT employment

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Hotli Simanjuntak and Ahmad Junaidi, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Bieureun regency in Aceh has banned the employment of openly transgender people at beauty parlors, expressing concern about the influence of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community on the youth.

The ban was issued through a letter from the regency's sharia agency to the owners of beauty parlors, asking them not to employ LGBT people or face revocation of their business permits. "It is a call to LGBT people and the beauty parlors' owners," agency head Jufliwan said on Friday.

Jufliwan said the letter asked transgender people to change their appearance, such as their clothes, if they wanted to continue their jobs according to their skills. He said the regency was worried about the LGBT presence, fearing that they would affect to the behavior of the youth.

The letter alarmed transgender people, many of whom work at or own beauty parlors in the regency of the only province in the country that has implemented Islamic law. "Working at beauty parlors is the only skill we have. If we are not allowed to work, what shall we do for a living?" Dina, a transgender at a beauty parlor, asked.

Dina said it was widely known that most beauty parlors in Aceh had transgender employees. "There are many reasons why transgenders prefer to work at beauty salons. Aside from skills, many customers prefer to be handled by transgender staff," she said.

She denied accusations that many employees and owners of beauty salons provided sex workers, saying the government tightly monitored the salons, making such practices impossible. Beauty parlors operated by transgender people are often targeted in Sharia Police raids in some cities, including Banda Aceh.

Yuli, chairperson of the transgender group Arus Pelangi, expressed her regret over the ban, saying it amounted to discrimination. "We do not have many job opportunities. This is too much. How can they just ban it?" Yuli said in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Sandra Moniaga, a commissioner of the National Commission on Human Rights, also criticized the ban, saying it violated the Constitution and human rights. "The Home Ministry could cancel such regulations that conflict with higher regulations," Sandra said.

Earlier this month, local authorities in Yogyakarta asked the management of Al Fatah Pesantren Waria, an Islamic boarding school for transgender people, to close the school due to pressure from an Islamic hard-line group.

However, after a brief closure, the management decided to continue operations at another location following the forced closure of the school's religious education facility last week.

Pressure against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has been rising recently following controversy surrounding a gender and sexuality counseling group at the University of Indonesia.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/aceh-regency-restricts-lgbt-employment.html

Human rights & justice

As Dutch FM visits Indonesia, human rights dilemma lingers

Jakarta Globe - March 23, 2016

Bastiaan Scherpen, Jakarta – Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Bert Koenders is in Indonesia this week to take part in the Bali Process ministerial conference, but he'll also be looking to cement ties in meetings with key ministers. Because even though there has been significant improvement on the trade front – the Netherlands has became one of the most important investors in the archipelago – Indonesia's relationship with its former colonial ruler remains delicate.

Human rights have long been a key element of Dutch foreign policy and with Indonesia having just made headlines internationally over a series of high-profile statements targeting the country's LGBT community, no end in sight to problems in Papua and a group of Moluccan political prisoners still behind bars, it will be difficult for Koenders to not speak out one way or another.

Koenders – who hails from the Labor Party (PvdA), just like the former Dutch development cooperation minister Jan Pronk, famous for slamming the Suharto regime in the early 1990s over its rights record – will have to tread a fine line if he doesn't want to undo all the progress made in recent years.

Fragile relationship

Yohanes Sulaiman, an Indonesian expert on international relations, politics and security affairs, says that as far as Jakarta is concerned, ties with the Dutch are "cordial" at the moment.

"There hasn't been any [bilateral] ruckus about human rights lately," he told the Jakarta Globe, saying things were different not too long ago. "Remember the Leopard tanks?"

The Dutch government in 2012 was forced to cancel the sale of used Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Indonesia after parliament – including the Labor Party, which was in opposition at the time – voted to reject the deal over concerns about the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s track record on human rights. Indonesia then procured the same type of tanks from Germany.

That low in the relationship between the two countries followed the cancellation of a much-anticipated trip by then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2010. A motion filed by Moluccan activists based in the Netherlands calling for the arrest of the Indonesian leader for alleged human right violations was behind Yudhoyono's last-minute decision to stay home.

However, under current Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte ties strengthened significantly, especially after an official apology was made in 2013 for a series of massacres carried out by the Dutch military to crush resistance against colonial rule in South Sulawesi after Indonesia's 1945 declaration of independence.

That apology cleared the way for the biggest-ever Dutch trade mission to Indonesia in November 2013, led by Rutte, which now-Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi, who at the time was the Indonesian ambassador to the Netherlands, called "a big success."

After President Joko Widodo took office in 2014 and launched his no-holds-barred anti-drugs campaign, reintroducing executions of drug convicts, Indonesia-Netherlands ties took a plunge, however. Koenders even recalled the ambassador in Jakarta, Rob Swartbol, after Indonesia executed Dutch national Ang Kiem Soei, with Dutch and European Union officials voicing their strong objections to the death penalty.

Foreign direct investment

Rutte, the Dutch PM, is a member of the historically pro-business People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), which wanted to sell the Dutch military's tanks to Indonesia in 2012 regardless of human rights concerns expressed by opposition parties in parliament. His time at the helm has indeed provided a major boost in Netherlands-Indonesia trade ties.

The Netherlands was the third-biggest investor in Indonesia in the fourth quarter of 2015, data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) shows, after Singapore and Hong Kong but beating Asian powerhouses such as China (without Hong Kong), Japan and South Korea.

Dutch companies poured a total of almost $400 million into 174 Indonesian projects in the last three months of the year, the BKPM says. For the whole year, investment realization from the Netherlands stood at $1.3 billion, the fourth-highest number after Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

The Netherlands has also played a key role in the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project, better known as the Jakarta Sea Wall. Koenders was scheduled to visit Pluit in North Jakarta together with the capital's governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok, to see for himself what is being done in one of Jakarta's lowest-lying and most flood-prone areas.

'Domestic matters'

Separately on Thursday, Koenders was slated to meet with his counterpart Retno, as well as with the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Luhut Panjaitan – a key aide to Joko and considered by insiders to be one of the most powerful ministers in the cabinet.

In a press statement released before Koenders' trip, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said the main issues on the bilateral agenda would be "geopolitical developments in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Iran," cooperation to tackle drug-related problems, "the position of Indonesia in Asia," and the human rights situation in Indonesia – but first and foremost: trade and how to strengthen ties.

The statement added that Koenders would also be discussing human rights issues and the rule of law with representatives of civil society groups.

It is unlikely however that Indonesian officials will be very keen on discussing such issues with Koenders – or anybody else for that matter – as these are seen as a purely internal affair. "For Indonesians those issues are domestic matters," Yohanes told the Globe. "I think the Dutch would raise it, but they won't push it too much."

If Koenders does publicly raise his human rights concerns, he risks reigniting the debate on past Dutch war crimes committed in the archipelago. "I think the [Indonesian] government and the military are not that concerned about the massacres," said Yohanes, who is a lecturer at General Achmad Yani University in Cimahi, near Bandung.

"But of course, if the Dutch start talking about human rights, the usual suspects may raise those things again, even though in general, my feeling is that they no longer care."

"There are some nationalist groups that are still pushing it," he explained, "but generally they only get the media attention, and are encouraged by the military, if the Dutch are talking about Indonesian human rights abuses."

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/dutch-fm-visits-indonesia-human-rights-dilemma-lingers/

Contras releases archive website on past rights abuses

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) launched on Sunday a website that the public can use to access information about past human rights violations.

The launch of masihingat.kontras.org was part of Kontras' 18th anniversary commemoration held in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar said that the website would show that a myriad of human rights abuse cases had taken place in the country, dating back to 1965.

"After conducting in-depth research for three months, we found that more than one human rights abuse case occurred every day in Indonesia," Haris said on the sidelines of the celebration. There were lists of more than 5,000 cases that happened from 2011 right up to the launch date, Haris continued.

"We have collected data about cases occurring in this country from 1965 to 2011. However, it takes time to input all of them into the website," he said.

In the website, the public can access a list of past human rights abuse cases by entering the date of specific cases in the Kalender HAM (human rights calendar) directory.

The data compiled by Kontras are the result of a string of field investigations and news items on human rights abuse cases. The commission hoped that the public would share their information pertaining to human rights cases in the past, Haris said.

"Everyone can contribute to the compilation by informing us via various media platforms, ranging from email, Twitter and Facebook, to SMS," he explained.

Haris said he hoped that the website would serve as open data documentation, so that the public "can learn and share information", rather than functioning as the government's basis for resolving past human rights cases.

Haris was referring to the government's pledge last week to resolve and find a solution to decades-old human rights abuse cases. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that the government would settle six past human right cases by May 2.

The six cases are the purge of communists following the Sept. 30, 1965 killing of six Army generals, the Talangsari, Trisakti, Semanggi I and II shootings and the disappearance of pro-democracy activists.

Meanwhile, the new website received a positive welcome from several figures, ranging from scholars to family members of victims of past human rights abuse cases.

Franz Magnis-Suseno, senior lecturer of the Driyarkara Institute of Philosophy hailed the website as "a primary source for killings, kidnappings and persecution cases that took place in the past".

"If the public are not informed about violent events in the past, they will let those kinds of cases happen in the future," the German-born priest and human rights champion said.

"The general public, not only activists and victims' families, can learn a lot about our history, especially about human rights abuse cases, from the website," Asih Widodo, father of Sigit Prasetyo, a victim of the 1998 Semanggi shooting, told The Jakarta Post. (dos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/kontras-releases-archive-website-past-rights-abuses.html

ACBN denies report on Wiji Thukul's role as a bomb maker

Jakarta Post - March 19, 2016

Jakarta – Associacao Dos Combatentes Da Brigada Negra (ACBN), a humanitarian aid organization from Timor-Leste, has denied the allegations presented on a Path message about missing human rights and democracy activist Wiji Thukul. In the message, Wiji is described as a bomb-maker for East Timorese rebels fighting against the Indonesian military.

"We hope that the media both in Timor-Leste and Indonesia will not to spread baseless reports about Wiji Thukul. We hope the media will show empathy to the relatives of Wiji Thukul, who are the victims of a past human rights violation," read a statement sent out by the organizer of an ACBN event in Dili on March 16.

During an event named "Seminar on Maritime Borders," ACBN presented 500 awards to activists from both Timor-Leste and foreign countries for their contribution to Timor Leste's independence struggle. Fitri Nganthi Wani, Wiji's daughter, was among those who received an award presented by ACBN chairman and Timor Leste's former first president Xanana Gusmao.

The Path message posted by Wicaksono, the editorial leader of online news portal beritagar.id, claimed that Wiji was an Indonesian who supplied and assembled bombs used by East Timorese soldiers to fight against the Indonesian Military.

Gusmao denied Wicaksono's claims. "What we know from the Indonesian Association of Families of Missing Persons was that he was an activist who was the victim of forced disappearance prior to the [Indonesian] reform in March 1998," the statement added.

Other Indonesian awardees included Budiman Sudjatmiko, Dita Indah Sari, Danial Indrakusuma, Wilson, Bima Petrus Anugrah, Jacobus Eko Kurniawan, Petrus Hari Hariyanto, Andi Arief and Fransisca Ria Susanti. "Those given awards contributed to the fight for democracy. They showed solidarity with Timor-Leste," the statement said.

In 1999, following a United Nations sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia left Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on May 20, 2002. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/19/acbn-denies-report-wiji-thukul-s-role-a-bomb-maker.html

Social media mishap reopens old wounds on missing activist

Jakarta Post - March 19, 2016

Tama Salim and Ganug Nugroho Adi, Jakarta/Surakarta – A misleading post by an infamous social media user has sparked outrage among family members and acquaintances of pro-democracy activist and poet Wiji Thukul, who many believe had been the victim of government-sanctioned abductions and whose whereabouts remains unknown to this day.

The editorial leader of online news portal beritagar.id, Wicaksono, who is better known by his online handle @ndorokakung, caused great commotion on Thursday evening after he linked Wiji's disappearance to the Timor Leste independence movement.

Quoting a local television outlet, Wicaksono's post mentioned how former Timorese statesman Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao heaped praise on Wiji for his role in aiding the struggle as a bomb expert, which allegedly led to his death at the hands of the Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) on the country's borders.

"This is new knowledge for us; let's see how Indonesia reacts," Wicaksono said in his status update.

In response to the post, Indonesian Ambassador to Timor Leste Primanto Hendrasmoro said the information being circulated was not completely true.

While at a civil society event on March 16, Primanto said that Gusmao was only involved as a pro-democracy figure and was not acting on behalf of the Timorese government. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir echoed the envoy's statement.

The social media post prompted impulsive fact-checking on Friday, which led Wiji's daughter Fitri Nganthi Wani to drive away journalists from her home in Surakarta, Central Java, moments after she arrived from Dili, Timor Leste, to accept an award on behalf of her missing father.

Wani stood in for Wiji, who was awarded special recognition by former Timor president Gusmao for his service in aiding the Timorese fight for independence through the Democratic People's Party (PRD).

A number of other PRD figures were given the same accolade, including fellow activists Wilson and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Budiman Sudjatmiko.

Wiji's wife Dyah Sujirah, otherwise known as Mbak Pon, refuted the rumors of Wiji's bomb-making expertise. She said she had never heard that story before and was shocked at what was circulating on social media. "I was shocked, but I didn't believe it – it was a lie," Mbak Pon told reporters at her home in Surakarta.

After the exchange, Wani urged her mother to go inside their home and asked the media to leave the premises. "There will be no interviews; my father was not a bombmaker," she cried.

At the height of the debate, Wicaksono indicated that he had expected the media frenzy, dismissing his previous post as bait. Wicaksono's post was also met with outrage from members of civil society, government officials and even the committee that organized the Dili event.

The Indonesian Association of Families of Missing Persons (IKOHI) published a statement condemning the circulation of misleading facts by the @ndorokakung handle, which brought into question the circumstances in which Wiji allegedly died and accused his daughter of accepting a cash prize from the event.

IKOHI chairman Wanmayetti said this information had hurt the family and friends of the poet, as well as the communities that continue to campaign the government to adhere to recommendations made by the House of Representatives' special committee on missing persons, since 2009.

Wanmayetti urged the owner of the @ndorokakung handle to retract his statement and apologize to the family of Wiji Thukul, as well as all family members of victims of human rights violations in the country, emphasizing that Wicaksono needed to be held responsible for any unintended consequences.

The chairman of the committee that organized the Dili event, Nuno Corvelo Laloran, also issued a statement in response to the media frenzy. Laloran denied all comments that Gusmao might have made that was quoted in @ndorokakung's post.

The statement explained that Gusmao had participated in the event in his capacity as chairman of the humanitarian aid organization, Associacao Dos Combatentes Da Brigada Negra (ACBN), which he established in 1995.

"We urge 'Ndoro' to take responsibility and retract his statements and apologize to Xanana Gusmao, the event committee and especially to the family of Wiji Thukul," Laloran said in his statement. Later in the day, @ndorokakung updated his statement, apologized and urged the media to seek out the whole truth behind his story.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/19/social-media-mishap-reopens-old-wounds-missing-activist.html

Indonesia to settle past serious human rights violations by May

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Jakarta – The government aims to settle past serious human rights violation cases by early May through reconcilition, or through a non judicial process, despite criticism by human rights groups and the families of victims.

At least six major human rights violations namely the 1965 communist purge, the 1989 Talangsari incident in Central Lampung, the 2001 and 2003 Wamena and Wasior incidents in Papua, various kidnappings and unresolved shootings in the 1980s, the May 1998 riots and the disappereances of activists would be settled by May 2, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan said on Thursday.

The settlement will be conducted through reconciliation as the government faced hurdles in settling them through the legal process.

"How do we find the evidence? I challenge, if there is anyone who can bring evidence of whom they want to be punished just bring it to us. We will take them to court. We have searched for evidence but we could not find it, therefore we'll take it to a non-judicial settlement," he said as quoted by kompas.com adding that the government would also uphold the rights of victims and their families.

Scores of victims and the families of past human rights abuses from the Victims Solidarity Network for Justice (JSKK) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) held their 435th Kamisan across from the State Palace on Thursday. Kamisan is a weekly silent protest held every Thursday by human rights activists, victims and families to demand that the government resolve past human rights abuse cases.

Feri Kusuma, an activist from Kontras, said that the groups were disappointed that the government's final effort on the past human rights abuse cases would be reconciliation without taking the perpetrators to court.

Such a settlement would only perpetuate the impunity of the perpetrators. The groups had received a letter from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) saying that it was difficult to bring the cases to court due to a lack of evidence and most of the perpetrators and victims having passed away, he said.

Kontras also questioned the government's statement on a lack of evidence as the AGO had not even started investigations as part of its obligation to complete the investigation files compiled by the the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

The legal process was needed, Feri said, as it would serve as a revelation of the truth for the victims and their families before moving to reconciliation efforts.

Member of JSKK Maria Katarina Sumarsih demanded that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo keep his promise to settle past human rights abuses and erase the impunity of the perpetrators.

Sumarsih, whose son Bernardus Realino Norma Irmawan died during the Semanggi I tragedy in 1998, asked Jokowi to issue a presidential decree to push the AGO to investigate the past human rights violations and bring the perpetrators to court.

"Mr. President, reconciliation without a legal process is impunity. As a state that upholds the law, the government must be responsive in carrying out its commitment by referring to the Human Rights Court Law," she told kompas.com. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/indonesia-settle-past-serious-human-rights-violations-may.html

Government to resolve past human rights cases

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Ina Parlina and Nani Afrida, Jakarta – As a result of public demands that the truth behind decades-old cases of human rights abuse be revealed, the government has declared its readiness to resolve and find solutions to all past human rights cases.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters on Thursday that the government had no intention of forgetting past cases of human rights abuse, and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had ordered the government to resolve them.

"We want to resolve all cases [of past human rights abuses], as well as cases in Papua. We will solve this using our way," Luhut said, adding that the Indonesian people should find solutions, and not only seek to decide who was right or wrong. "We expect to settle six cases by May 2," he added.

It was reported that a government-sanctioned team was set up last year and tasked with finding options on how to resolve past rights abuses.

The team had concluded that a truth and reconciliation committee should be established to answer directly to the President. It recommended that the choice between using judicial or non-judicial mechanisms should be decided on a case-by-case basis.

The team consists of officials from the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, the Law and Human Rights Ministry, the Attorney General's Office, the National Police, the National Intelligence Agency, the military and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

On Thursday, Komnas HAM commissioner Nurcholis said the commission had sent a letter requesting the US government release its documents on the events of 1965. This was part of the efforts by the commission to obtain more documents on the case although there is no decision as yet on whether or not to settle the case, along with other past atrocities, through legal proceedings or reconciliation.

"Whether it will be reconciliation or prosecution, it depends on the [future] decision. However, such documents [from the US] are still relevant. The more complete the data is, the better it will be," Nurcholis told reporters.

The Associated Press previously reported that Komnas HAM had met with US State Department officials and had made a formal request to President Obama for the release of files from the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency and other agencies that would help in "encouraging the Indonesian government to redouble its own efforts to establish the truth" and promote reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Thomas Blanton, director of the nongovernment US National Security Archive, said the Obama administration had quite a good track record on declassifying documents for human rights accountability, as it did last October for Chile, revealing that former dictator Augusto Pinochet ordered the 1976 assassination of a Chilean diplomat.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/govt-resolve-past-human-rights-cases.html

Labour & migrant workers

LBH Jakarta focuses on protest trial

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) will close its legal aid service on Monday in order to attend the trial of two LBH Jakarta lawyers accused of disobeying police orders at a labor rally.

LBH Jakarta director Alghiffari Aqsa said that all LBH lawyers and staff would support the lawyers, Tigor Gemdita Hutapea and Obed Sakti Andre Dominika, at the first hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday.

"We never close our office [on weekdays] but we'll close on March 21 to support our lawyers in the courtroom," Alghiffari said, adding that this move had been tough for LBH as it often received up to 15 new cases per day.

Tigor and Obed were arrested while documenting alleged violent acts committed by the police during a labor protest in front of the State Palace in October.

"If they are found guilty, it will be a serious threat to the legal aid service. Lawyers will be discouraged from assisting the poor because they will be afraid of such criminalization," Alghiffari said.

The institute described the case as criminalization because, under the Constitution, protests are legal and protected. Tigor said that during the protest he had positioned himself at the nearest police station and had only approached protestors that had been arrested by the police.

"I was collecting the names of protestors that were arrested but then I was also attacked by the police. Obed took a photo of me being beaten by them," Tigor said. He added that the police asked Obed to delete the photo but he refused.

Both Tigor and Obed were taken to the Jakarta Police headquarters along with 23 workers and one university student.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/national-scene-lbh-jakarta-focuses-protest-trial.html

Women's group demands better protection of migrant workers

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Jakarta – Women's NGO Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity) has urged the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) to do more to protect Indonesian workers abroad and to include vocational training in the protection of Indonesian migrant workers bill.

According to Solidaritas Perempuan program coordinator Nisaa Yuraonly, the bill, currently under deliberation and the House, focuses overly on the technicalities of the placement of Indonesian migrant workers abroad.

A focus shift is vital, Nisaa said, because Indonesians working abroad, especially in the Middle East, are vulnerable to violence, human trafficking and criminalization.

"Out of the bill's 104 articles, only eight address protection. Most of the rest address technical procedures regarding the placement [of migrant workers]," she told journalists at a discussion on migrant worker protection on Thursday.

The bill is to replace a 2004 law on the same matter, which has been criticized by migrant workers and activists for failing to address protection and seeing workers only as commodities.

Solidaritas Perempuan proposes an integrated national database system for migrant workers, containing details on workers starting from their personal data up to their placement abroad. The group also called on the government to take over the training programs from migrant workers placement agencies (PJTKI).

"If the private sector handles the [training programs], their paradigm is to make a profit. As a result, too many migrant workers aren't trained, but they still acquire certificates and are send abroad. The supplier agencies get money [from it]," Nisaa said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Cases of violence against Indonesian migrant workers increase every year, Nisaa added, noting that the group had received at least 50 reports of human trafficking and violence among migrant workers, with many yet to be resolved.

One of the victims was Nani Suryani, a 20-year-old Indonesian from Karawang, West Java, who worked as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia. She was murdered by her employer in 2011.

Amin, Nani's brother, said in the discussion that the relatives had not yet received her unpaid wages and blood money from her former employers.

Around 1,503,000 workers of a total of 6.5 million migrant workers working overseas were subject to human rights violations by the end of 2014, according to data from Migrant Care. (sha/rin)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/womens-group-demands-better-protection-migrant-workers.html

Freedom of speech & expression

Show about Tan Malaka canceled in Bandung under pressure from hardline group

Jakarta Post - March 23, 2016

Arya Dipa, Bandung, West Java – Indonesian Francais Indonesia (IFI), the French cultural center in Bandung, West Java, and a Bandung-based theater group, Mainteater, canceled the monolog theater performance of national hero Tan Malaka on Wednesday following pressure from a hard-line group that accused the show of spreading communist ideology.

The cancelation, just two hours before the show started, was related to pressure and threats from from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), said IFI Bandung cultural program coordinator Ricky Arnold.

The monolog, entitled Saya Rusa Berbulu Merah (I Am a Red-furred Fox), was scheduled to be performed on Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. The representatives of the hard-line groups visited IFI at 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon and demanded the organizers cancel the show.

"The cancelation was not done because we are afraid or to justify their actions oppressing freedom of expression, but we have invited people to come and we do not want any of them to become victims of the groups," Ricky said on Wednesday.

The monolog's scriptwriter, Ahda Imran, questioned why Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil would allow such oppression. "Bandung is known as a creative city. People say that Bandung is the city of human rights, that Bandung is a champion. Prove it: What kind of champion is Bandung?" said Ahda, who had been writing the script since 2013.

The Mainteater group decided to have a show on Tan Malaka to pay respect to the forgotten hero. The group believed Tan's ideology is still relevant to Indonesia's current situation. "We need to learn by example: How Tan Malaka put the country's interest above his personal and party interests," Ahda said.

The monolog's director, Wawan Sofwan, also questioned where the state was when freedom of expressions was being restricted by hard-liners. He denied that the theater group was related to the leftist movement, as accused by the FPI.

"This is the twilight for freedom of expression and doing arts. There are so many reports on restrictions. This is a challenge for Jokowi [President Joko Widodo]. How could we do our art?" Wawan asked.

Tan Malaka was a controversial leftist figure who fought for the country's independence against Dutch colonialism. President Soekarno's administration named Tan Malaka a national hero in 1963, but the New Order regime under late dictator Soeharto decided to minimize Tan Malaka's role in the country's struggle against the Dutch, given his ties to the communist movement.

The canceled show's production leader, Heliana Sinaga, said that 150 tickets, priced at Rp 30,000 (US$2.27) each, were sold per day. The organizers are working on how to refund the ticket purchasers.

IFI director Melaney Martini said the organization supported the show because it reflected values related to human rights, including freedom of expression. "This is a good script that young generations must know because there are not much information on Tan Malaka," Melaney said, adding that the IFI provided the space for the show for free.

Dedi Subu from the West Java FPI said the group opposed the monolog because he claimed it spread communist teachings. He insisted that communism had been banned by law and thus such an event had to be canceled. Despite having protested against the show, Dedi admitted that he had not read the script provided by the organizers.

"Why would I read it? We all know that Tan Malaka was a communist," he said adding that the FPI threatened to enlist the help of other mass organizations if the performance organizers had insisted on carrying on with the show. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/23/show-about-tan-malaka-canceled-bandung-under-pressure-hardline-group.html

Tan Malaka monolog performance in Bandung canceled after threats, intimidation

Detik News - March 23, 2016

Tia Agnes, Jakarta – A monolog performance titled "Tan Malaka: I am a Red Haired Deer" should have been held by a theater group from the West Java provincial capital of Bandung at the Main Theater at the Bandung Francaise D'Indonesie Institute (IFI) on Jl. Purnawarman Bandung on March 23-24.

The play had to be canceled however over concerns for the safety of the audience, students and IFI Bandung employees. "In the end it was canceled. We took into consideration the safety of the people involved in the play", said "Tan Malaka" playwright Ahda Imran when contacted by Detik on Wednesday March 23.

March 23 was chosen by the organisers because 53 years ago based on Presidential Decree Number 53/1963, Indonesia's founding president Sukarno declared Tan Malaka a national hero.

"We wanted to write about people who have been forgotten. So we can review the histories that have been forgotten, in the years 1945-1949 there were hidden narratives. Which for me still hold their own mysteries", continued Ahda.

Tan Malaka was known as a socialist and left-nationalist figure. Born in West Sumatra in 1897 he died at the age of 51 in 1949. "Tan Malaka was a most highly respected figure. During the New Order era [of former dictator Suharto] his name was proscribed so we need to present this monolog", explained Ahda.

Ahda reemphasised that the monolog presentation was only about Tan Malaka. "It isn't an issue of ideology or something of that kind!".

Ahda explained that earlier members of the District Military Command (Kodim) and the Bandung Metropolitan District Police Chief (Polrestabes) came to the Main Theater at IFI Bandung. They questioned the organisers about the technique, permit and substance of the monolog. They also asked whether the play was part of the Turn Left Festival (Belok Kiri Festival) held recently in Jakarta.

Ahda then explained about the script and the permit for the event. "We said, the Tan Malaka monolog is not part of the Turn Left Festival".

However the discussion was unable to reach an agreement and scores of people from three mass organisations arrived at the IFI Bandung, threatening to close the play down and intimidating the organisers that were present.

"We tried to negotiate with them. But no agreeable solution could be found. In the end the monolog was cancelled", said Ahda. (tia/doc)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Diancam Ormas, Pertunjukan Monolog 'Tan Malaka' Batal Digelar di IFI Bandung".]

Source: http://m.detik.com/hot/art/3171923/diancam-fpi-pertunjukan-monolog-tan-malaka-batal-digelar-di-ifi-bandung

Rights groups say freedom of expression in decline

Jakarta Post - March 20, 2016

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Freedom of expression in the country is in jeopardy, rights groups have warned, as the nation witnessed numerous cases of criminalization over alleged defamation in the past couple of years, with the latest one pertaining to dangdut singer Zaskia Gotik.

Zaskia was recently reported to the Jakarta Police by the Corruption Monitoring Community, a group aiming to deter such defamation, for allegedly insulting the state ideology of Pancasila and Independence Day in a television show.

RCTI, the private TV station that aired the show, asked Zaskia to apologize, but the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) nevertheless insisted on issuing a warning to RCTI for violating KPI broadcasting guidelines. Zaskia later apologized, saying she had not meant to insult the nation's symbols.

Some might deem her comments improper, but the criminalization effort launched against her, which could see her spend up to five years behind bars for insulting the nation's symbols, can also be seen as excessive.

Another controversial regulation that allows for criminalization of online speech is the Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) Law, which mandates criminal punishment for anyone who purposely and without authority distributes electronic information or documents with libelous or defamatory content.

"Instead of allowing such criminalization that can have a chilling effect, freedom of expression can be regulated better by imposing permissible restrictions," said Wahyudi Djafar from the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) on Saturday.

ELSAM has registered 45 cases of criminalization threatening freedom of speech on online platforms last year, up from 40 cases in 2014. ELSAM data also points to 35 cases of repression on offline platforms, 20 of which relate to the 1965 killings. There were also 45 instances of repression infringing press freedom, according to ELSAM, with four media executives reported to authorities last year.

Freedom House's 2015 Index of Freedom in the World describes Indonesia as "partly free". According to the study, treason and blasphemy laws "are routinely used to limit freedom of expression by minority groups and separatists" and "censorship and self-censorship of books and films for allegedly obscene or blasphemous content are fairly common".

Freedom House lowered Indonesia's status from "free" in 2013 to "partly free" in 2014, pointing to the enactment of the mass organization law, which restricts the activities of organizations.

Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara has proposed milder punishment for defamation in a revision of the ITE Law, cutting the maximum prison sentence from six years to four years and the maximum fine from Rp 1 billion to Rp 700 million.

However, human rights campaigners have called for greater protection of the public's right to express their thoughts, demanding that criminal charges be scrapped from the law altogether.

The ministry also proposed a change that will see defamation as a crime based on victim reports, a revision that is expected to prevent abuse of power by law enforcers.

At the same time, however, the ministry signaled that filtering internet content in the country would continue, despite unclear mechanisms and a lack of transparency. A recent plan by the ministry to ban microblogging website and social network Tumblr in Indonesia due to the presence of some content considered to be pornographic sparked widespread criticism.

Meutya Hafid, deputy chairman of House of Representatives Commission I, which oversees communication and technology, said the commission's stance was supportive of freedom of expression and speech, with commission members seeking to achieve more balanced provisions in the ITE that would not undermine freedom of speech, while at the same time protecting people's reputation.

Meutya criticized the government for failing to increase internet literacy. "We are also seeking to amend the Broadcasting Law, which will oblige not only broadcasters or TV stations, but also everyone who appears on television to be more responsible for their appearance. It is also aimed at providing better public education on television," she added.

Beside the ITE Law, the Pornography Law is often used to criminalize people. In a 2014 case, satay vendor Muhammad Arsyad was detained by police for allegedly defaming President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo online. Arsyad was charged with defamation and spreading pornographic material following a report filed by an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker while Jokowi was engaged in his presidential campaign.

Jokowi later asked the police to release Arsyad from detention after he had forgiven him. The President called on the public to learn from Arsyad's case by promoting decency and respecting other people online.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/20/rights-groups-say-freedom-expression-decline.html

Singer reported for insulting national ethos

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Jakarta – Dangdut singer Zaskia Gotik was reported to the Jakarta Police on Thursday for allegedly insulting Pancasila, the five principles of the national ideology, and Indonesia's Independence Day.

Zaskia was reported by a group called the Corruption Supervising Community, which said it had decided to file a report against the singer over her alleged insulting statements in a television show recently as a "deterrent effect".

The singer reportedly made the insult when she appeared as a guest in a television show. The host of the show asked her several questions; one of them was the day of Indonesia's Independence. Zaskia answered August 32, instead of August 17, which caused the audience to burst out laughing.

The host also asked her what the symbol of the fifth principle of Pancasila was. Zaskia answered "bebek nungging" or duck twerking, whereas the answer is rice and cotton symbolizing social justice.

Zaskia has apologized, saying she did not mean to insult the nation's symbols, but the group said the legal process should continue.

"Personally, I accept her apology but the legal process should go on," head of the group M. Firdaus told reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters. "Because Indonesian people have been insulted."

Zaskia could be charged with violating Law No. 24/2009 on insulting the nation's symbols, with a maximum penalty of five years behind bars.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/greater-jakarta-singer-reported-insulting-national-ethos.html

Defamation 'should be scrapped' from ITE law

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Jakarta – After a recent rise in cases concerning freedom of expression throughout the country, the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) has called on the government to guarantee the protection of citizens who express their thoughts publicly.

With reference to the case of Alexander Aan, a Minang [an ethnic group from West Sumatra] civil servant who was arrested for blasphemy after he declared himself an atheist on social media in 2012, Wahyudi Djafar, a lawyer from ELSAM said Thursday that freedom of expression is a basic human right and it should not be restricted by the government.

"He is suspected of spreading blasphemy because he publicly declared himself an atheist. That is part of his faith and his manifestation where he should be respected since they are his beliefs," Wahyudi said after the launching of ELSAM's book about freedom of expression.

Concerning the Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) law, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Syamsudin Haris said the revision of the ITE law should be more concerned with protecting the public's right to express their thoughts. "The law should not be used by people who want to criminalize others for expressing their opinion," Syamsudin said.

ELSAM also demanded the lawmaker to revoke the conventional criminal act's punishment outlined in the law. "The ITE law is regulated for internet users while the punishment of the conventional criminal act has been regulated in the Criminal Code," Wahyudi said.

Separately, on the threats addressed to the venue of a recent film screening – the documentary Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta, the commissioner of National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Roichatul Aswidah, said the police were afraid that there would be a riot after the screening. "We watched the movie in our office and nothing happened. We can prove to the police that no harm came upon the audience," she said.

The film is a political documentary about former political prisoners who come back to Buru Island, Maluku, a place where alleged Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members who were involved in the 1965 abortive coup were held captive. "If it doesn't contain violence, an opinion or film screening shouldn't be banned," Roichatul said.

Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) executive director Kuskridho Ambardi said there are some reasons that might cause the police to react to events relating to communism.

"People who come to the event can influence whether it is canceled or not. For example, the discussion about the Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta film at the faculty of social and political science in Gadjah Mada University was not canceled because the director general of culture was present at the event," he said.

Kuskridho added that social media could influence an event being canceled. He gave an example of an unofficial poster of a theater that went viral on social media portraying two women kissing. "The public thought it was LGBT promotion, became angry and wanted to ban the theater. But in fact, the story was not about LGBT at all. " (wnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/defamation-should-be-scrapped-ite-law.html

TIM threatened with growing intervention from police, hardliners

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Dewanti A. Wardhani, Jakarta – Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) located in Cikini, Central Jakarta, has long been a safe haven for artists and activists to express themselves.

Officially opened on Nov. 10, 1968, the arts and cultural center saw its heyday in the 1970s when Ali Sadikin governed the capital. Artists and activists alike saw TIM as an oasis to freely express themselves without worry of government intervention, control or restrictions.

However, growing conservatism among residents has set off alarm bells that there would be no such luxury. In the last few months, the police have shut down five events representing freedom and diversity. Three of those events were held at TIM.

Last November, the police decided not to give the go-ahead for a discussion on terrorism scheduled to be held by the Association of Journalists for Diversity (Sejuk) after the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) expressed its objection to the event's poster, which depicted the Islamic State movement's flag next to the FPI's official logo.

A month later, the police canceled a discussion and the reading of a drama script about the 1965 communist purge after the FPI blocked the events, which they said "harmed nationalism".

More recently, Jakarta Police dispersed the Belok Kiri (Turn Left) Festival, an event to accommodate history enthusiasts, who wanted to share thoughts about leftist political history in Indonesia. The police prevented the festival from commencing after a group of people had showed objection to the event.

Jakarta Arts Council (DKJ) chairman Irawan Karseno said that the recent incidents at TIM had left artists disappointed. Irawan said that TIM had, for a long time, facilitated artists to freely express themselves and that the recent incidents posed a threat not only to artists, but also to the cultural center itself.

"If the police and the government are limiting freedom of expression and freedom of assembly then we're back to the New Order era. Currently, there is not much we can do, but we will try to discuss this matter with the relevant officials," Irawan told The Jakarta Post recently.

He said that the DKJ were aiming to meet with Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, as well as Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan and lawmakers to discuss the recent incidents at TIM, where they seek to plead with the government and the police not to limit artists' freedom of expression and assembly.

Irawan, as TIM's program curator and who has also previously served as an arts advisor to Jakarta's governor, argued that DKJ is professional enough to determine the programs appropriate for TIM and that intervention by the government or the police, especially to cancel an event was unnecessary. He went on to say that the police should secure TIM from protesters instead of closing down its events.

Separately, TIM's management unit head Imam Hadipurnomo said that the management was responsible for administrative and financial matters within the cultural center. The management is under the Jakarta administration's Tourism and Culture Agency, and consists of civil servants. Previously, such matters were handled by artists.

Imam said that TIM's management unit this year allocated Rp 23 billion (US$1.72 million) for operations, maintenance and salaries. The management unit this year is also set to conduct their own events in TIM, such as the first Jakarta Anniversary Festival and the annual celebrations to commemorate TIM's establishment. The allocation was an increase from last year's Rp 18 billion, he said.

Although TIM is administratively managed by civil servants, Imam assured that the city administration gave its full support to the artists. "The DKJ is still responsible for curating programs in TIM. Our job is only to issue permits and manage TIM's operations. In no way do we intend to limit programs at TIM," Imam told the Post over the phone.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/tim-threatened-with-growing-intervention-police-hardliners.html

Screening packed despite threats

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Corry Elyda and Agnes Anya, Jakarta – Despite threats and a venue change, the screening of the documentary film entitled Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta continued on and received an abundance of support from the audience.

Equipped only with a humble screen and sound system, the screening eventually went on as scheduled but moved from the Goethe Institute to the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) headquarters in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday afternoon.

The persistence of organizers paid off as hundreds of people flocked to the Komnas HAM office. Organizers were even forced to make another screening session as the space was not enough to accommodate the crowd.

Whisnu Yonar, a member of the film's production team, said that Goethe's management canceled the event at 12 p.m., five hours before the screening was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. "Their reason was they couldn't guarantee the security of the event," he said.

Whisnu said that according to Goethe, the police met with the management last night and in the morning, saying that the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) would stage a demonstration at the venue if the screening continued.

This is the sixth event in the past three months in Jakarta that was canceled because the police failed to maintain their impartiality and have taken the side of hardliners or protesters.

The last event was the Belok Kiri (Turn Left) Festival initially held in Ismail Marzuki Cultural Center in Cikini, Central Jakarta, last month. The event was eventually relocated to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) headquarters.

Whisnu said that the organizers did not want to give up. They eventually tried to find another venue so the screening would go on. "We want to show to them [the police and FPI] there is nothing wrong with the film's screening," he said.

Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta (Buru Island My Home Land), by renowned chef Rahung Nasution, is about the journey of two ex-political prisoners accused of being affiliated with Indonesian Communist Party, who come back to Buru Island and meet with other former political prisoners who still live there. "They walked down memory lane on the island," Whisnu said.

He said the film also tried to show the contribution of political prisoners who underwent forced labor there. "Buru Island, which is now the main source of rice for East Indonesia, would not be fertile without the toil of these political prisoners," he said.

Whisnu said the organizers were really disappointed with the police for the cancellation. "It signifies that repression still exists in this country. It turns out that we do not have freedom of expression," he said.

Astri Apriyani, an audience member, said, "I want to support this event. I am really upset with the police and the government. I thought when [President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo] becomes president, we will be free, it turns out that we are more restricted," she said.

Komnas HAM commissioner Muhammad Nurkhoiron said he objected to the police's action. "The police are tasked to guard civil liberties. However, what they have done is the opposite," he said.

Goethe's program director Katrin Sohns said through a text message that the event was not organized by the institute. "We provided the space for the screening. Please get in touch with the organizers for the details," she said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/screening-packed-despite-threats.html

Political parties & elections

House blasts proposed sanction for political parties

Jakarta Post - March 22, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – Factions at the House of Representatives rejected on Monday a proposed sanction for political parties that fail to endorse candidates in local elections.

In the draft revision of the 2015 Law on regional elections, the government has proposed article 40 paragraph 5 that stipulates a political party or a group of political parties that have gathered 20 to 25 percent of seats in a region's legislative council, but fail to nominate any pair of candidates, should be barred from the next election.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)'s faction in the House, Arief Wibowo, said that the article could reduce the opportunity for single tickets, but at the cost of political parties.

"The sanction is unacceptable. What's the point of forcing political parties to nominate candidates when it will be only wasting money?", said the member of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, which handles the deliberation of the amendment.

Senior PDI-P politician and member of House Commission XI overseeing banking and finance Hendrawan Supratikno said that the government had, in good will, proposed the article that assures there would be more than one pair of candidates in a local election, but the sanction should be reconsidered.

Deputy chairman of the NasDem Party's faction, Johnny G. Platte, said this sanction isn't needed because all political parties have their own consideration to seek and nominate capable candidates. "The revision, in fact, should stipulate regulations that can reinforce political parties to create competent nominators," Johnny said.

Hanura Party politician Dadang Rusdiana argued that the implementation of the sanction did not make sense. "It will harm the public because political parties may arbitrarily propose candidates without considering their competence," Dadang said.

The revision has yet to be deliberated as the House is currently having a two-week recess period and has not yet received presidential instruction to commence.

Beside emphasizing the sanction system, the House has also decided to tighten the screening of the candidates' health record related to drug use, where the details of the mechanism will be stipulated in the General Election Commission's (KPU) regulations. Therefore, the KPU is set to cooperate with the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) and the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) in conducting medical test for candidates.

Speaking after a meeting with the IDI and BNN, KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik said that the decision to overhaul the medical test scheme would be added to the election law or stipulated in the KPU's regulations.

"All the concepts we have put together about the medical test mechanism cannot be implemented if they are not regulated by specific legal products. Hence, a new regulation is urgently needed," Husni said, adding that the KPU could not allocate a budget for the new test scheme if it is not legally set in stone.

IDI chairman Daeng Muhammad Faqih said that the current medical test mechanism was not enough to screen every candidates' health record because it does not include hair tests. "The current mechanism only comprises a urine test and a blood test. These two tests can't comprehensively detect one's narcotics-use record. One could easily outsmart the screening by ceasing consumption five days prior to the test," Daeng said. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/22/house-blasts-proposed-sanction-political-parties.html

Government urged to revoke political rights of ex-graft convicts, corruption suspects

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Jakarta – A legal and political expert has said ex-graft convicts and corruption suspects should not be allowed to run in local elections and if necessary, the government should revoke their political rights for life.

"An ex-graft convict may have served a sentence of five to seven years in prison but that's only physical punishment," said Ray Rangkuti, director of election watchdog Indonesian Civil Society Circle (Lima), in a recent discussion in Jakarta.

He was speaking in response to the House of Representatives' plan to revise the 2015 Regional Elections Law to allow former convicts to run in local elections. The Constitutional Court approved the submission of a request for a judicial review into the law last July.

"If someone abuses their power for personal interests, the government should revoke his or her political rights. In this way, an ex-graft convict cannot run for a regional leader post in the future," said Ray.

Indonesia held simultaneous regional elections in 269 regions for the first time at the end of last year. At least one ex-graft convict and one corruption suspect won local elections in their respective regions.

Candidate pair Hamid Rizal and Ngesti Yuni Suprapti emerged victorious Natuna, Riau Islands, even though the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Hamid in 2010 to three years in prison for his involvement in a graft case relating to the oil and gas industry in 2004, which caused around Rp 77 billion (US$5.85 million) in state losses.

Meanwhile, in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) incumbent candidate for the Sabu Raijua regent position Marthen Dira Tome and his running mate, Nikodemus Rihi Heke, also won the election despite Marthen being a suspect in a current Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) case for his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of Rp 59 billion in education funds at the province's Education and Culture Agency in 2007. (vps/ebf)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/govt-urged-revoke-political-rights-ex-graft-convicts-corruption-suspects.html

23,000 sign petition rejecting tighter independent run requirements

Jakarta Globe - March 18, 2016

Jakarta – More than 23,000 people have signed an online petition launched on Change.org to reject tighter requirements being imposed on independent candidates running for office, like the popular governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, is planning to do.

The petition, "Rejecting the Regional Elections Law Revisions Plan to Tighten the Independent Candidate Requirements," was initiated by netizen Caesar Sutiono.

Several lawmakers at the House of Representatives have proposed to revise the 2015 Regional Elections Law, calling for stricter requirements for independent candidates participating in regional elections.

It is widely believed that the revisions plan is an attempt to block the re-election of Basuki, also known as Ahok, whose hard-line anti-corruption campaign has been ruffling feathers within the establishment.

As of Friday (18/03) afternoon, the petition had been signed by over 23,000 netizens, surpassing its initial target of 15,000 signatures.

The Constitutional Court on Sept. 30 revised a provision in the Regional Elections Law, previously requiring independent candidates to gather at least 7.5 percent support of the population in a given electoral area before they were qualified to run. The court changed the requirement to 7.5 percent of eligible voters, arguing that population figures are merely estimates that can change from time to time.

However, some members of the House of Representatives are seeking to double this figure. In response, many commentators have pointed out that the proposal was made just days after Basuki announced that he would rather run as an independent than lobby for support from political parties, which he accused of setting too many terms and conditions in exchange for their backing.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/23000-sign-petition-rejecting-tighter-independent-run-requirements/

Political parties hold independents hostage

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – Fearing tougher competition, lawmakers have rallied to increase the minimum support requirements for independent candidates to run in local elections.

Factions at the House of Representatives have proposed increasing the requirements for independent candidates to 15 to 20 percent of the final voter list (DPT), from the current 7.5 to 10 percent, in the revision of the 2015 Regional Elections Law.

The move was contrary to a recent Constitutional Court ruling that relaxed requirements for non-partisan candidates by basing the minimum percentage on a region's DPT, instead of its population.

Gerindra Party lawmaker Ahmad Riza Patria, a deputy chairman of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, said the minimum requirements for independent candidates had become much easier since the court ruling, posing a greater threat for candidates nominated by political parties.

He argued that currently a political party or a group of political parties had to gather 20 to 25 percent of seats in a region's legislative council to be able to endorse a pair of candidates.

Ahmad said there should be a "win-win" solution for both candidates supported by political parties and independent candidates to run in the elections. "It will make it harder for political parties to join the competition," Riza said.

He added, however, that he would ensure independent candidates would not have any difficulties running in the 2017 simultaneous regional elections.

In a ruling issued last September, the Constitutional Court ordered that the benchmark minimum amount of support for independent candidates be based on the DPT in each region, instead of its population, lowering the number of required supporters.

In the single-ticket ruling, the court also ordered that elections involving single tickets must be held by adopting a kind of plebiscite or referendum. The ruling on single tickets has been lauded by many as it was deemed it would fill any potential power vacuums because interim leaders appointed by the Home Ministry would not have budgetary authority.

One potential independent hopeful is Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who might run for a second term in the 2017 gubernatorial elections.

In the draft bill of the law revision, the government accommodated the court rulings, while also proposing making it obligatory for political parties to name candidates.

The government has added a point stating that a political party, on its own or in a coalition, has to name a candidate in a local election. If it failed to do so, the party would be barred from naming candidates in the next concurrent elections.

Golkar Party lawmaker Rambe Kamarul Zaman, who chairs the commission, confirmed that several members in his commission had demanded the change, but said they had yet to discuss it further.

He claimed the demand was an attempt to reach an "equal standard" between political parties and independent candidates. "The options are whether to raise the bar for independent candidates or lower the bar for candidates from political parties," he said.

National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker Sukiman said that such demands from fellow lawmakers were common, particularly amid the bustle of the upcoming regional elections.

"If it's urgently needed, why not? But if it isn't possible to make [the requirements for independent candidates] higher, why should we force it? We won't deliberate [the revision] based on temporary emotions," Sukiman said. He added that the commission had to hear opinions from all factions and experts before making a decision.

Tagore Abu Bakar from the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), meanwhile, said it would be better to increase the requirement to 20 to 25 percent, so it would be equal with the requirements for candidates from political parties.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/political-parties-hold-independents-hostage.html

Health & education

As illiteracy rate lowers, RI struggles with reading habits

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Stefani Ribka, Jakarta – While more people are literate in the country, the country still struggles to make reading a habit.

A recent study conducted by John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, puts Indonesia in the second-lowest rank of 61 measurable countries for its "literate behavior characteristics" – everything from numbers of libraries and newspapers to years of schooling and computer availability.

Indonesia sits in 60th place after Thailand and before Botswana. The Scandinavian countries are the champions of the research with Finland in first place, followed by Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden rounding out the top five.

Hanna Pangestu, a third-grader at the state-owned senior high school SMAN 2 in South Tangerang, said that a one-hour reading session is scheduled every fortnight at her school, but the teacher is seldom present, so "it's not conducive [to reading] and we end up doing other stuff, but not reading."

Just like Hanna, who said that she only likes to read Japanese comic books, Muhammad Akhfin, a university student majoring in communications studies, said that he only likes novels. "I like science fiction novels, but not news or history because I think they are boring," he said.

Culture and Education Minister Anies Baswedan said that the illiteracy rate has in fact significantly decreased in the past 10 years.

"Indonesia has seen its illiteracy rate decrease significantly and we have many libraries, but the reading habit is still low because of a lack of passion," he told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The ministry's data shows the percentage of illiterate people has decreased from 10.5 percent in 2005 to 3.7 percent in 2015.

Anies admitted that poor reading habits are a serious problem in the country despite the many libraries available. Indonesia placed at the 36th rank in terms of the number of libraries, above countries like Portugal, New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, the Netherlands and Singapore.

The major setback in the country's assessment came from data from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that shows only one out of 1,000 Indonesians is passionate about reading.

The study sets out data from 61 countries, drawing from sources ranging from UNESCO to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

"These kinds of literate behaviors are critical to the success of individuals and nations in the knowledge-based economics. Societies that don't practice literate behavior are often squalid, undernourished in mind and body, repressive of human rights and dignity, brutal and harsh," Miller said as quoted by The Guardian.

Anies said that the School Literacy Movement outlined in Ministry Regulation No. 23/2015 suggested that every school provides 15 minutes of free reading time before school starts.

But students are slow to change. Arief Rachman, UNESCO ambassador for Indonesia, said that besides school, regional government plays a big role in encouraging the habit.

Indonesia's Reading Movement seeks book-lover communities on the village level, while Reading Habit Development by the Language Centers needs regional leaders to also revamp their provincial libraries as well as those owned by state universities.

"Implementation at the regional level is the key. Leaders need to actively seek and create bookworm communities," he told the Post. "Communities need to be imposed with popular books or magazine that they like at the first place before moving on to the heavier themes of readings," he went on saying.

Commenting on the study results, Arief said that Indonesia's low rank and Scandinavians' top positions correlates with each of the nations' cultures, as well as other factors. "Indonesia has a verbal culture in which people talk more to relay information, while the Scandinavians have a more reserved nature."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/as-illiteracy-rate-lowers-ri-struggles-with-reading-habits.html

RI sees public nutrition breastfeeding boost

Jakarta Post - March 23, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesia has attained significant improvement in terms of public nutrition, although challenges remain, with only nine cities and regencies recording no nutrition problems, recent data from various agencies show.

Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek said the country's exclusive breastfeeding rate had risen to 65 percent from 42 percent in 2013 and 32 percent in 2007.

"I am very grateful to all who have been involved in increasing the number of breastfeeding mothers by 65 percent, as acknowledged by The Lancet. The world has acknowledged our success in promoting breastfeeding," Nina said.

Low prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for newborns has contributed to the malnutrition problem that is plaguing children in Indonesia, with more than 37.2 percent of children under the age of 5 chronically malnourished and experiencing stunted growth in 2013.

The lack of exclusive breastfeeding also contributes to the 29 percent mortality rate of children under 5 in Indonesia.

"We know that breastfeeding protects the baby against different kinds of diseases, it helps to program the babies' immune response and prevent from things like allergy," said Susan Horton, one of the authors of the Lancet Breastfeeding Series.

The series is the first of its kind to evaluate global breastfeeding levels, trends and inequalities, as well as the short- and long-term benefits for both mother and child.

"In our study, we calculated the importance of breast feeding; if 90 percent of babies receive breastfeeding until six months, we estimate an additional 800,000 children could survive [annually]. That's a big component of the annual mortality of children [in the world]," Horton said.

Also, breastfeeding mothers heal faster after giving birth and have lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes and depression. "The current [global] rates of breastfeeding help to protect 20,000 mothers, but if it is increased to 90 percent, another 20,000 deaths could be prevented," said Horton.

The increase in the exclusive breastfeeding rate in Indonesia has been followed by a decrease in the stunting rate among children under 5 years old to 29 percent in 2015 from 37.2 percent in 2013.

However, challenges remain ahead. Malnutrition is still present in a majority of regencies and cities surveyed, with 404 suffering from severe and chronic nutrition problems and 20 having chronic nutrition problems. Furthermore, 63 regencies and cities have mildly chronic nutrition problems.

"Only nine regencies and cities that have good nutrition, meaning that they don't have a malnutrition problem or an obesity problem. This is a long way off our goal, because Indonesia contains 500 regencies and cities," Nila said.

The nine regencies and cities are Ogan Komering Ulu regency in South Sumatra, Pagar Alam city in South Sumatra, Mukomuko regency in Bengkulu, Bengkulu city in Bengkulu, East Belitung regency in Bangka Belitung, Semarang city in Central Java, Tabanan city in Bali, Tomohon city in North Sulawesi and Depok city in West Java.

"We are asking regional heads to pay more attention to health and to allocate 10 percent of their regional budgets to health. We may also be sterner, punishing those who fail to allocate 10 percent of their budgets to health or achieve health targets by reducing their budgets," Nila said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/23/ri-sees-public-nutrition-breastfeeding-boost.html

Teacher training not a priority, education quality in question

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Corry Elyda, Jakarta – Jakarta has spent more than Rp 11 trillion (US$847 million) on education in the last two years. New schools have been built, and existing ones renovated. Teachers' salaries and allowances have increased and students have received substantial funds for their study.

However, the city has paid little attention to training its teachers, the main determinant of quality graduates.

Slamet Maryanto, a 51-year-old math teacher at a senior high school in Jakarta, said recently that he had only been requested to attend three training sessions in the last two years. "All the training sessions have been related to the implementation of the 2013 curriculum," he said.

Slamet, who has been teaching for over 20 years, said that the last training session he participated in, a six-day event regarding models of learning, descended into chaos.

Slamet said that around 200 teachers, of different subjects and various school levels, were divided into five rooms. "The committee did not provide us with enough mentors. There were two sessions with only one mentor. We barely learned anything new," he said.

He added that it was not necessary for him to disseminate the information from the sessions to other teachers, as most of them were already familiar with the material. "The training was just lecturing. There was barely anything we weren't aware of regarding practicing new methods" he said.

Slamet said that he hoped the training session could be more intensive and held in smaller groups, so teachers had a chance to actually practice the new methods. "I think it is important to have continuous training as well," he said.

According to data from the Culture and Education Ministry, the average national exam score for junior high school students in Jakarta is 74, while in Yogyakarta it is only 66.2.

Scores in both provinces are above the national average of 61.8, however Jakarta spent Rp 6.48 million per student last year, over 13 times more than Yogyakarta with Rp 484,000 per student. The data also shows that for teacher competence, Yogyakarta achieved a score of 67.02, while Jakarta scored a 62.58.

Civic education teacher Heru Purnowo, who has only attended one training session in the last two years. "It was only the one for [familiarization with] the 2013 curriculum," he said, adding that many questions about the implementation of the curriculum had been left unanswered.

Heru said that the curriculum required teachers to use the scientific method for every subject. "I teach civic education. It is hard to use such a method," he said, adding that he had not received further instruction on how civics can be taught with a scientific method.

Heru said that aside from attending the infrequent training sessions held by the Education Agency, many teachers, especially civil servants, were not sufficiently motivated to attend training sessions conducted by private institutions. "They think that as it is not obligatory, they don't have to attend," he said.

On the contrary, SD Benhil 12 elementary school teacher Hidayat, said that teacher training was adequate. "When a teacher participates in training, he or she will disperse what they have learned to other teachers. So, many people can make use of the knowledge," he said.

Jakarta Education Agency budgetary and planning development head Gunas Mahdianto acknowledged that his agency did not prioritize human resource development in its budget.

"We are focusing on infrastructure," he said. He added that from the Rp 11.1 trillion education agency budget in 2015, only around Rp 40 billion was allocated for teacher training.

Education activist Retno Listyarti said that the city administration's education policy did not encourage teachers to improve their skills. "There are no programs such as scholarships or writing contests for teachers," she said, adding that such programs could increase teacher competency.

She further said that the policy did not respond to real problems faced in schools, such as violence. Retno said that teachers, who directly handle the cases, were often confused about how to react. "The agency should have held school crisis management training," she said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/teacher-training-not-a-priority-education-quality-question.html

'Living in hell', shackled and confined: Indonesia's mentally ill

Sydney Morning Herald - March 21, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – Almost 19,000 mentally ill Indonesians are still being shackled or locked up in a confined place – sometimes for years – despite a 1977 ban on the practice, according to Human Rights Watch.

A report issued on Monday calls on the government to immediately order inspections of all government and private institutions and take action against those that practice shackling or abuse people with mental illnesses.

Between November 2014 and January 2016 Human Rights Watch visited 16 government and private institutions across Java and Sumatra and found evidence of physical and sexual violence, involuntary treatment including electroshock therapy, seclusion, restraint and forced contraception.

In three of four mental hospitals, electroconvulsive therapy was administered without anaesthesia, muscle relaxants and oxygen.

Human Rights Watch documented 175 cases of mentally ill people being shackled or locked up – a practice known in Indonesia as pasung – the longest case being a woman who was locked in a room for nearly 15 years.

Families also often shackle mentally-ill relatives, particularly in remote areas, because they are afraid they will escape or feel pressured from neighbours who fear they are dangerous.

Disability rights researcher Kriti Sharma says there is still a lot of stigma in the community, with many believing mental health conditions like schizophrenia and depression are as a result of being possessed by the devil or cursed.

"In addition there is a real dearth of support – families asked us 'What is the alternative?'," Ms Sharma said.

One man in West Java told her he was unable to go to a mental hospital to obtain medication for his son because it was too far away and he would have to give up a day's work.

"Just imagine being locked in a goat shed where you are eating, sleeping, urinating and defecating in the same space for years at a time," Ms Sharma said. "You can't get out to have a bath and are surrounded by the stench of your own excrement. I heard this phrase again and again 'It's like living in hell'."

In 2010 Indonesia's former director of mental health, Dr Irmansyah, launched an ambitious health ministry program to eradicate Indonesia of pasung by 2014. This has now been extended to 2019.

Although the practice still continues, Dr Irmansyah told Fairfax Media that last year 8000 people were freed from shackles and awareness, at the executive level at least, has emerged. "Of course the situation has improved since 2010 when we first launched the Indonesia bebas pasung (Make Indonesia free from pasung)," he said.

The Minister of Social Affairs launched another program to eradicate pasung on January 29. And the drug Risperidone, which is widely used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is also covered by the national health insurance system and is available at health clinics for free.

"What is lacking is the unity of action," Dr Irmansyah said. "Ideally there should be a standardised procedure in the treatment of mental health patients from when they are admitted to hospital to the day they return to their families."

Dr Irmansyah now works at a mental hospital called Marzoeki Mahdi in Bogor, a city south of Jakarta. He said patients were only put in isolation rooms as a last resort and for no longer than 24 hours. But he admitted there were still cases of patients being restrained because there were insufficient doctors and nurses.

And Dr Irmansyah said he believed 70 to 80 per cent of people with schizophrenia did not go to hospitals because of the stigma. "They will go to traditional healers instead who will spit on the patient's face or ask them to bathe using water or flowers but in the end they remain mentally ill."

[With Karuni Rompies.]

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/living-in-hell-shackled-and-confined-indonesias-mentally-ill-20160321-gnn4pz.html

Women's groups oppose complete ban on alcohol

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – Women's groups requested on Wednesday that the House of Representatives refrain from implementing a total ban on alcoholic drinks, arguing that such a ban would go against the pluralistic nature of Indonesia.

Despite strong resistance from industry, legislators are moving forward with the deliberation of a bill that would control the production, distribution and consumption of alcohol.

During a hearing with the House's special committee for deliberation on the bill, several women's organizations recommended that the aim of the bill should be "to control" alcohol, instead of "prohibiting" it.

"The word 'prohibition' seems to disregard the country's pluralism. We're not a Muslim country and have to consider human rights," said Margaret Aliyatul Maimunah, the secretary general for Fatayat NU, the female wing of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

She said, however, that the bill should be passed immediately to impede the negative impact of alcohol on health and society.

The bill, sponsored by the United Development Party (PPP) and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), political organizations that are Islamist in their orientation, has become one of priority bills under this year's National Legislation Programs (Prolegnas).

Nationalist parties like the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party, have not shown resistance to the bill.

The political deliberation process on the bill has horrified the alcohol industry as it may essentially cripple their industry and livelihood.

The Indonesian Alcoholic Beverage Entrepreneurs Association (APBMI) previously said that it supported a comprehensive law to control the production, importation, distribution and consumption of alcohol drinks, but demanded protection for the right of consumers, including tourists, to enjoy alcohol in a responsible manner.

Chamsiar from the Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani) demanded that the bill's academic transcript stipulate a clear, specific, and medical explanation about the impact of alcohol, because many consumers believed that the bill was designed solely in the interests of Muslims.

"We want to control the consumption of alcohol due to its dangerous impact on our health, but the academic transcript says nothing about the impact of alcohol from a medical or scientific basis," Chamsiar said. If there was a medical explanation, she said, all parties, no matter for what their religion, might consider supporting the bill.

Susanto, a commissioner from the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), wanted the bill to stipulate how to create a society for children free from alcohol. He also wanted that the bill to prohibit any advertisement promoting alcohol as it could set a bad example for children.

Committee chairman Arwani Thomafi of the PPP said that the committee would consider these recommendations and finish the deliberation by the middle of the year. "We will discuss these things more deeply and may invite medical experts to answer our questions," Arwani said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/women-s-groups-oppose-complete-ban-alcohol.html

Disability rights

ILO urges business sector to offer work opportunities to people with disabilities

Jakarta Post - March 22, 2016

Jakarta – The International Labor Organization (ILO) has called on the business sector to offer employment opportunities and equal treatment to people with disabilities following the passing of a law that guarantees the rights of people with disabilities.

Employing people with disabilities should not be merely lip service, ILO country director for Indonesia Francesco d'Ovidio said in a discussion on Tuesday. "It's not a matter of charity. It's a matter of choice, because employing people with disabilities makes good sense from the business point of view," he said.

Of Indonesia's 250 million population, 11 to 13 percent have disabilities, according to Central Statistics Agency data. The ILO said the disabled faced a social stigma, which hampered them in acquiring access to information and equal employment opportunities.

The House of Representatives passed the Disabled People's Law on March 17, which was a revision of the 1997 law on the disabled.

Golkar Party lawmaker Hetifah Sjaifudian said she was optimistic about the law, which would come into effect 30 days after it was endorsed.

The law protects people with disabilities and enables them to play a bigger role in society. "We must protect and fulfill the rights of people with disabilities, especially their right to education and work," she said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The law also stipulates the establishment of the National Disabilities Commission, which will monitor the implementation of the law.

Manpower Ministry official Sapto Purnomo said the ministry would facilitate companies in the recruitment of people with disabilities in accordance with the law. Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa praised the law, saying it better protected disabled people.

There are several important points in the law, Khofifah said, including the establishment of the commission, tax incentives for companies hiring disabled people and the obligation for regional administrations and provincial-owned companies (BUMD) to reserve 2 percent of their vacancies for the disabled and for private companies to reserve 1 percent of their vacancies.

Under the law, those found to hamper the rights of disabled people could be subject to two to five years in prison and a fine of Rp 200 million ($15,163) to Rp 500 million, Khofifah said as reported by Antara news agency. (vps/rin)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/22/ilo-urges-business-sector-offer-work-opportunities-disabled.html

Gender & sexual orientation

Government to probe psychiatrist for false LGBT claim

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The government will summon psychiatrist Fidiansjah for his recent controversial remarks on LGBT people, in which he labeled homosexuality and bisexuality mental disorders.

A renowned physician and member of the Indonesia Psychiatrists Association (PDSKJI), Fidiansjah made a statement that have been widely criticized by international medical circles as he paraphrased diagnostic guidelines to support his statements.

Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek said on Wednesday that she would ask for confirmation from Fidiansjah, who currently serves as the ministry's mental health prevention and management director. The minister's request was anticipated, especially after the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) had issued a warning to Fidiansjah.

"Yes, of course [I will summon Fidiansjah]. I will clarify [his statements] because I just read briefly [about them]. I believe I have to hear it completely first [from him]," she told The Jakarta Post.

Nila added that the ministry was still waiting for clarification from Fidiansjah before issuing an official stance on whether homosexuality and bisexuality can be classified as mental disorders.

The LBH Jakarta has reprimanded Fidiansjah after the latter had insisted that he "had spoken nothing but the truth" by labeling homosexuality and bisexuality mental disorders in a TV talkshow.

The LBH Jakarta said that the psychiatrist did not cite a complete explanation from the Mental Health and Mental Disorder Diagnostic Guidelines (PPDGJ) concerning sexually related mental disorders when he was asked to talk about sexual orientation from a medical perspective.

"He said homosexuality and bisexuality are prone to mental disorders, without further mentioning in the guidelines that [it explains] 'sexual orientation itself cannot be categorized as a disorder'," LBH Jakarta lawyer Veronica Koman told the Post on Wednesday. The guidelines, in fact, said that any sexual orientation is prone to mental disorders.

Veronica said that Fidiansjah had violated Article 28F of the Constitution that guarantees the right to communicate and to obtain information. "His incomplete statement could deceive anyone who watched the show."

Fidiansjah refused to heed the warning because "a psychiatrist has a responsibility to explain the truth to the public," he claimed. He admitted that he had only cited a piece of information from the guidelines due to "the restricted time of the show's airtime".

"The PDSKJI has scrutinized several changes in the guidelines, including the removal of a sentence that said 'sexual orientation itself cannot be categorized as a disorder'," he said. He claimed that the association would further communicate with the Health Ministry, which has the authority to revise the guidelines.

In February, the PDSKJI labeled homosexuality and bisexuality as mental disorders, which it says can be cured through "proper treatment". The claim has been widely criticized by the international community.

The PDSKJI's plan to change the guidelines is against the stance of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA). The WPA, representing more than 200,000 psychiatrists from 118 countries, including Indonesia, said it is wrong to view sexual orientation as a psychiatric problem.

"There is no sound scientific evidence that [a person's] innate sexual orientation can be changed," the WPA's position statement states. "Furthermore, so-called treatments of homosexuality can create a setting in which prejudice and discrimination flourish and they can be potentially harmful," the statement continued.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) responded to PDSKJI's controversial decision on Mar. 8, by sending the PDSKJI a formal reprimand, saying the Indonesian association's decision because it would only lead to coercive treatments and violence against people of LGBT orientation.

The APA itself removed homosexuality from its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/government-probe-psychiatrist-false-lgbt-claim.html

Police halt gay wedding ceremony in Central Java

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Jakarta – Police have put a stop to a same-sex wedding ceremony between two local men from Kepil, Wonosobo regency, Central Java.

Andi Budi Sutrisno was set to marry Didik Suseno on Saturday when police officers stopped the wedding, arguing that such a ceremony violated the law and caused discomfort among local residents. Locals had previously urged the police to cancel the planned wedding.

The police said the ceremony was stopped peacefully following a persuasive and friendly approach toward the couple. Kepil Police chief Adj. Comr. Surakhman confirmed on Monday that they had received tip-offs regarding the marriage.

Andi, who is 27 years old, was already in his wedding attire when the police arrived on the scene, he said. Andi's parents had also announced the wedding to the Muslim assembly three days beforehand, the police added.

According to Surakhman, following a discussion with several influential figures and religious leaders, the couple and their respective parents came to a realization and subsequently felt discouraged to continue with the ceremony.

"To avoid a repeat of this incident, we ask the public to always care for each other and remind each other when there are activities that are contrary to the law," Surakhman said as quoted by tempo.co.

Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Indonesia. The government stipulates that a marriage is between a man and a woman as stated in the 1974 Marriage Law.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community has been dominating public debate recently with arguments in support of and against the minority group.

A number of prominent government officials and religious figures have condemned the community while urging for the limitation of LGBT-related activities. The MUI announced in February that it considered individuals identifying as LGBT to be haram.

Meanwhile, human rights groups have called for the protection of the minority group's basic rights, including equal access to education and job opportunities. (liz/bbn)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/police-halt-gay-wedding-ceremony-central-java.html

Graft & corruption

2,000 foreigner companies avoid tax, cause US$7.5 billion losses: Minister

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – At least 2,000 foreign companies in Indonesia have been avoiding billions of dollars of tax in the last 10 years by claiming that their companies are currently running at a loss, Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has reported.

Each company, according to him, should have paid a minimum average of Rp 75 billion in tax liabilities per year. In total they have caused at least Rp 100 trillion (US$7.5 billion) in state losses.

"Thus, in the last 10 years we've lost Rp 100 trillion just from those 2,000 foreign corporate tax payers that haven't complied with the rules. This is a form of tax fraud that needs to be resolved," Bambang said at the Presidential Palace, as quoted by setkab.go.id.

As for individual taxpayers, he continued, their tax obedience was also quite low. There were only 900,000 taxpayers, out of 5 million NPWP (tax identification number) holders with two or three sources of income who last year paid personal-income tax, a total of Rp 9 trillion.

"It is less than one percent of last year's non-oil and gas tax revenue target of Rp 1 quadrillion," Bambang said.

The government will encourage the tax office and Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) to cooperate in listing taxpayer data, as well as integrating IT infrastructure between the two institutions.

The measures are in accordance with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's instruction to increase the tax ratio. "Our tax ratio is still 11 percent. The President is aiming for a growth of 12 or 13 percent in the future, and 15 percent if possible," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said Tuesday. (ags)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/2000-foreigner-companies-avoid-tax-cause-us75-bln-losses-minister.html

Ethics council to sanction ignorant House lawmakers

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Haeril Halim and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – As over one third of the House of Representatives membership have remained reluctant to report their wealth to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the House's ethics council announced on Thursday that it would impose sanctions on lawmakers who had defied the antigraft body's calls for submission since October 2014.

State officials, including House lawmakers, are required to submit their wealth reports to the KPK within two months of taking office as mandated by Law No. 28/1999 on clean governance. However, the law does not regulate any punishment for defiant state officials.

Since a new batch of House lawmakers were inaugurated on Oct. 1, 2014, as many as 214 legislators out of 554, including House Speaker Ade Komaruddin of the Golkar Party, have consistently ignored the KPK's calls to comply with the law because of its inability to sanction, as claimed by the antigraft body.

It took days of recent media exposure on the disobedience of House lawmakers for the council to initiate the reprimand, with the ethics body planning to send notices to all lawmakers after they returned from recess on March 1.

"The notices are aimed at reminding those who have forgotten to submit their wealth report," council chairman Surahman Hidayat said on Thursday, adding that the council had asked the House Speaker to write to the KPK asking for the names of the 214 reluctant lawmakers.

Surahman said the council would move to sanction lawmakers who still failed to submit reports after receiving the notice, which would regulate new deadlines for the reports.

"We will proceed with the violations. There will be sanctions but it will depend on the level of violation," Surahman said, adding that he encouraged Ade to submit his wealth report before receiving his notice in order to inspire others. Surahman acknowledged that lawmakers had different interpretations of the law, which made some of them disobedient.

KPK deputy for prevention Pahala Nainggolan said that in order to ensure future obedience, the KPK would demand President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration issue a government regulation that outlines a sanction for state officials who fail to submit their wealth report on time.

"We are currently preparing a draft as guidance for the government to make the regulation. The proposed administrative sanctions include salary cuts and job promotion delays," Pahala said. He added that the KPK would soon send to the council the names of the 214 lawmakers.

Pahala said it would take time to revise the law to allow the KPK to prosecute defiant state officials, especially those who had questionable wealth on their listed possessions. He, however, signaled that such an initiative would meet resistance from the legislative body.

As the KPK could not openly probe questionable wealth listed on a state official's report, especially possessions labeled as "bequests", the KPK since March had cooperated with the tax directorate to impose taxes on the controversial assets that did not match with that of the state official's financial profile.

"We have sent the wealth reports of state officials for verification with the tax directorate. In Hong Kong, superiors could bring their subordinates to court for their questionable wealth as part of their commitment to transparency," Pahala said. He said there was no reason for state officials to claim that they did not know how to prepare their wealth report.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/ethics-council-sanction-ignorant-house-lawmakers.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

Komnas HAM warns against limiting freedom in terrorism law revision

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesia's human rights body has reminded the government and the House of Representatives not to misuse the revision of the Terrorism Law to limit freedom of expression, in relation to a plan to add an article on treason.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Thursday that the regulation could have negative impacts if the government and legislative body did not accommodate people's aspirations.

We agree that the revision is to intensify preventive actions but we don't want the bill to restrain freedom of speech," Komnas HAM member Nur Kholis told reporters, adding that the government should hold a public hearing to involve all relevant parties in the law revision.

The government hopes the revision of the 2013 Terrorism Law will enable the police to take legal steps against terrorist suspects even if they have not yet been proven to have committed terror acts. (vps/dan)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/komnas-ham-warns-against-limiting-freedom-terrorism-law-revision.html

Lecturer blames 'lack of knowledge' for rising fanatism, misguided beliefs

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Jakarta – Poor knowledge about the history of Islam has led the public to adopt fanaticism and misguided beliefs, which then helps to maintain decades-long economic disparities in the country.

A sociology lecturer from the University of Airlangga in Surabaya, East Java, Airlangga Pribadi, said Islam was actually conceptualized from the idea of sanctity and social justice.

Therefore, the terminology of so-called "progressive Islam" could not be placed on a par with "liberal Islam", in which the latter recognizes the idea of capitalism and justifies the oppression of the public, he went on.

Airlangga said progressive Islam must be seen as a method of social critique. "Indonesia in the post-Soeharto era has brought into an oligarchic capitalism that has carried us into neo-liberal capitalism," Airlangga said.

The sociologist was speaking in a discussion on the sidelines of the Belok Kiri (Turn Left) Festival at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Foundation (YLBHI) office in Central Jakarta on Saturday.

"Many companies, which dominate our social and political spheres, emerged during that era," Airlangga said. "At the same time, fanatical Muslims have been nurtured and used to support the dominant power of oligarch groups," he went on.

Citing examples, Airlangga said regional leaders had often exploited hard-line Islamic groups to support and legitimate their authority.

The Belok Kiri Festival is a major collective project developed by and for younger activists who strive for greater freedom of speech. Prepared a year ago, the event is being hosted by 40 volunteers aged between 18 and 40 from major cities across Indonesia. (vps/ebf)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/lecturer-blames-lack-knowledge-rising-fanatism-misguided-beliefs.html

Freedom of religion & worship

MUI to issue edict regulating attire

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Despite a recent survey by the Religious Affairs Ministry confirming improved religious harmony in diverse neighborhoods, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), known for its controversial edicts condemning Islamic minority groups, says it will ban Muslims in the country from wearing clothing associated with other religions, a move that campaigners claim will damage religious tolerance.

MUI edict division head Huzaemah Tahido Yanggo said the Islamic body was currently preparing an edict to justify the ban, which is expected to be announced in April, adding that an MUI team working on the dictum had found prophetic words and deeds that would be used as a legal basis for the initiative.

The cleric said legitimate hadiths examined by the MUI confirmed that it was forbidden for Muslims to wear clothing that featured symbols of other religions, such as retail workers wearing Santa Claus costumes to welcome Christmas.

The MUI said that wearing costumes from other religions, especially ahead of religious festivities, could indicate that wearers acknowledged that the respective faith was true. The council added that believing in a faith other than Islam for Muslims would damage their religiosity.

Huzaemah said the edict would prevent shopkeepers or companies that forced Muslims workers to wear outfits from other religious from welcoming any religious events in the future.

"Hadiths say 'for you, your religion, and for me, my religion.' It is the legal basis, which confirms that people cannot be forced to do something that is not suited to their religion," the MUI cleric added.

The MUI said Islam respected differences of faith and encouraged its followers to help other people on matters not related to faith, but added that Islam discouraged its believers from being involved in festivities of other religions that employed religious symbols.

The MUI said it was up to individuals to decide whether they wanted to comply with the soon-to-be announced edict, as the Islamic body was only obliged to inform Muslims about what is forbidden and allowed in Islam.

"The only punishment for disobedient Muslims is sin, as violating the edict will not result in prosecution because this country has its own law," she said.

In spite of several interfaith conflicts, a survey by the Religious Affairs Ministry in February found that the country did enjoy religious harmony, especially in regions where Muslims are the minority.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the country had performed better in the tolerance index last year because people were more open to interfaith dialogue and his ministry had established the Religious Community Harmony Forum (FKUB) to aid communication between groups.

The Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy said that the edict was unnecessary and would hurt religious tolerance in the country.

"The question is how will using other religions' costumes damage someone's own faith? Such an edict will tend to create wrong perceptions [...] The edict has nothing to do with increasing the country's religious tolerance," said Setara deputy chair Bonar Tigor Naipospos.

The institute's chairman Hendardi said the edict would clearly sharpen religious segregation given that it would be disseminated via MUI's local branches nationwide.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/mui-issue-edict-regulating-attire.html

MUI softens stance on 'heretical' Shia

Jakarta Post - March 23, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – After years of being labeled heretical following an edict on Shia issued by the East Java branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in 2012, the headquarters of the Islamic organization in Jakarta is set to partly repair the "infidel" image of Shiite Muslims by preparing a new edict that will recognize several groups in Shia as being part of mainstream Islam.

MUI edict division head Huzaemah Tahido Yanggo said the central MUI could not annul the local edict, which made a general claim that Shia was "deviant" to Islam. Her office, however, is currently preparing a fatwa that will confirm only several groups in Shia practice deviant beliefs, while others are still compatible with Sunni Islam, the denomination endorsed by the MUI.

The cleric said there should not be a general edict on Shia because one of its main groups called Zaidiyyah or Zaidism practiced similar religious dogmas to the Sunni sect, which holds the Prophet Muhammad's first caliph as his father-in-law and closest friend, Abu Bakar.

Meanwhile, Shia, which separated from Sunni over the leadership of Islam following the death of Prophet Muhammad, was considered "heretical" for its decision to reject the Sunni leadership. Shia only recognizes the direction of Ali ibn Abi Thalib, the prophet's son-in-law and cousin, as legitimate.

Huzaemah further said the MUI were currently focused on examining the heresy of 20 sects under Shia Imamiah, which encourage believers to condemn the leadership of three honored caliphates and the Prophet's closest friends: Abu Bakar, Umar and Usman.

"In addition, the Imamiyah also allows contract marriages, a teaching rejected by Zaidiyyah. Some groups related to Imamiyah are also close to Sunni, which is why we are still working on confirming the edict that should be announced soon during this month or next month," Huzaemah told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

She said that internationally, the Rafidah, another Shia faction, also practiced religious teachings in conflict with Sunni beliefs, the former believing that "Muhammad was just a 'physical' prophet, while the real one was Ali."

The to-be announced edict seeks to confirm whether Zaidiyyah is part of mainstream Sunni Islam, while at the same time it also wants to confirm whether Imamiyah and Rafidah are deviant.

Huzaemah said that in his visit to MUI's office in February, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al Azhar, who is considered to be one of the most moderate Sunni clerics in Egypt, told MUI clerics that Shia was not "heretical", but only several related groups practiced deviant teachings.

Although the MUI appeared to soften its stance on Shia, it emphasized that it would not review its heretic edict on another Islamic minority group, the Ahmadiyah, because the latter believed that there was another prophet sent by God after Muhammad.

Huzaemah encouraged people not to hate the followers of Imamiyah and Rafidah after the prospective edict's issuance, adding that Muslims should respect differences.

Approximately 80 percent of the world's Muslims adhere to Sunni teachings, while nearly 20 percent of Islamic followers are Shia. Meanwhile, only a small percentage of Muslims follow Ahmadiyah's teachings worldwide.

Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy deputy chair Bonar Tigor Naipospos lambasted the MUI's initiative, which he said would sharpen differences among Shia followers. The rights campaigner further said the edict would be used as a new tool for intolerant groups to pressure Shia followers to change their beliefs.

In what appeared a desperate move due to government inaction, members of the Shia community from Sampang, in Madura, East Java, who have suffered religious persecution following the 2012 edict, called on the UN to address their plight, including the latest mass religious conversion that had been forced upon them by Sunni clerics in the region.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/23/mui-softens-stance-heretical-shia.html

Poverty & social inequity

RI economic slowdown has resulted in more poverty, says Jokowi

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has said that the poverty level has increased on account of slow economic growth and food-price increases.

"I want all policies, all programs in poverty and inequality alleviation to be implemented in an integrated way among Bank Indonesia [BI], the Financial Services Authority [OJK] and the State Logistics Agency [Bulog]," Jokowi said.

He was speaking in a limited Cabinet meeting at the State Palace in Jakarta on Wednesday that specifically discussed poverty alleviation and economic inequality as part of the government's commitment to addressing poverty and the inequality gap both among Indonesians and regions.

Based on BPS data in September 2015, the number of poor people reached 28.51 million, 11.13 percent of the population. The portion of poor people in urban areas reached 8.2 percent of the total population, while the percentage of poor people in the rural areas was higher at 14.09 percent of the total population.

As a result, the BPS says, the gini coefficient ratio, which reflects the gap between the rich and the poor, reached 0.41 in September 2015, in which the larger gap was found in cities, 0.43. Meanwhile, the gini ratio in the villages was 0.33.

Jokowi further said unstable food prices would easily eliminate all the positive effects of the programs focused on poverty alleviation. "It must truly our concern," he asserted.

Jokowi further said that the distribution of social assistance cards, such as the Indonesia Health Cards (KIS), Indonesia Smart Card (KIP), and the Prosperous Family Card (KKS), should be completed in April.

The President also said that another pro-people program called the Village Fund program should be beneficial for people in villages nationwide. He called for more labor-intensive projects to improve the purchasing power of people in rural areas.

In the meeting, President Jokowi praised increases in the absorption of the public business credit loan (KUR) program, in which its interest rate now stood at 9 percent.

In a press conference after the meeting, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said the government agreed to establish an integrated pilot project on poverty alleviation in Brebes, Central Java, involving several ministries and institutions.

"It should start by improving land certification and KUR disbursement, and adopting mobile banking and e-money, with support from BI and the OJK," he said.

Darmin said the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry was ready to instruct a state firm to assist export and import activities in Brebes, a shallot producing area.

"In the future, we don't have to export the excess amount of shallots anymore because we can process and store them in the country," he said. Results of the pilot project would be implemented in handicraft, agriculture and tourism centers, he added. (ebf)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/ri-economic-slowdown-has-resulted-more-poverty-says-jokowi.html

Land & agrarian conflicts

Mounting opposition to Bali mass tourism project

The Guardian (Australia) - March 22, 2016

Johnny Langenheim – The battle over a controversial land reclamation project in Bali is reaching crisis point, with an official decision due any day on an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that would pave the way for the project to break ground.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at a major roundabout close to the reclamation site. They represent a protest movement on a scale not seen in Bali for decades. The Bali Forum Against Reclamation (ForBali) unites young people, politicians, rock stars, academic and religious institutions, environmentalists and 28 villages, including all 14 in the area earmarked for reclamation.

The developer, Tirta Wahana Bali International (TWBI), plans to build artificial islands that would take up almost half of Benoa Bay in south Bali – an area that had enjoyed conservation status until former president Susilo Bambang Yudhyono issued a decree in 2014 shortly before leaving office, which turned it into a zone for 'revitalisation.' Indonesia's Minister for Forestry & Environment, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, must now decide whether or not to approve the EIA in the face of escalating opposition.

TWBI's idea of revitalisation is a $3 billion luxury resort development across four new islands, including villas and apartments, a retail district, a marina and even a cultural theme park. TWBI describes Nusa Benoa as an entirely new destination that will bring additional jobs, clear waste and cause minimal impact to the environment. Yet Benoa Bay sits in the heart of south Bali, sandwiched between the resort districts of Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua, where most of the island's tourism – and wealth – is already concentrated.

An increasing number of critics are calling out TWBI on a range of social, environmental and cultural issues. Ketut Sarjana Putra, Indonesia director of US environmental NGO Conservation International (CI), says the new islands would cause flooding on a massive scale. "We already have issues with flooding – that excess water eventually goes out into Benoa Bay, but what happens if the Bay's capacity is reduced by 700ha?" he asks. According to CI modelling, the flushing capacity of the bay simply won't be enough.

This isn't the first land reclamation project in Bali – back in 1994, then President Suharto's sons Tommy Suharto and Bambang Trihatmojo quadrupled the size of an offshore island called Serangan for a proposed tourism development that never materialised. Instead, nearby reefs were swamped in sediment, seaweed farms destroyed and wave patterns changed.

"The Serangan project reclaimed 380ha of land and the impacts were felt within a 3km radius," says Putra. "KWBI claim that their 700ha project will only affect an area 0.5km in radius. That doesn't make sense."

KWBI also claims that the Nusa Benoa project will create 150,000 jobs, but the unemployment rate in Bali as of January 2015 was just 33,661.

Meanwhile, rampant development in Bali's overcrowded south has already led to an oversupply of hotel rooms. A moratorium on new tourism developments in 2011 failed, mainly because local governors or bupati ignored it. It is ironic that the man who established the moratorium in the first place, Bali governor Made Pastika, has been a vocal supporter of the reclamation project.

With a decision on the fate of the bay imminent, protest activities have increased dramatically. Mass demonstrations have been occurring almost weekly in different parts of Bali. On Sunday, thousands of protesters gathered at a roundabout close to Benoa and last month, representatives of 18 villages in the vicinity of the proposed development flew to Jakarta to meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo's Chief of Staff to argue their case. ForBali want him to revoke the controversial

For its part, TWBI has been running a Google advertisement, which appears when the search term 'Tolak Reklamasi' (Reject Reclamation) is entered – the rallying cry for the protest movement. The ad links to a new site for the Nusa Benoa project, where it is described as 'a pioneer of sustainable, community based development, environmental conservation and tourism growth.' There was no response to a request for comment on the project's community and sustainability credentials. But in a statement to the local Tribun Bali newspaper, TWBI director Heru Waseso said the protests were normal in a democracy and that the decision now lay with the government, adding that a revised EIA had been submitted 30 days earlier.

Benoa Bay is home to more than 60 natural sites that are sacred to the island's predominantly Hindu population, as well as 24 temples, some of them located underwater. This has raised concerns within the islands powerful religious institutions and nearby communities, some of whom have even threatened a "puputan" – committing mass ritual suicide – should the project go ahead. The last pupatan took place in 1906 during the final days of Dutch rule. A dramatic threat, perhaps, but what seems sure is that if the EIA gets rubber stamped, the demonstrations will only intensify.

"All the protests by the local communities show just how angry the Balinese are about this," says ForBali coordinator Wayan 'Gendo' Suardana. "They won't stop fighting until the end."

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/the-coral-triangle/2016/mar/22/mounting-opposition-to-bali-mass-tourism-project

Residents destroy Riau firm's assets

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Pekanbaru – Hundreds of people attacked security officers and employees of forestry firm PT Rimba Lazuardi in the Peranap district, Indragiri Hulu regency, in Riau on Wednesday, burning down the company's assets.

"Unidentified people descended on the location. It had recently been cleared and planted," the company's spokesman Abdul Hadi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Hadi said that dozens of employees were injured in the attack, adding that three security guards were in a critical condition and were receiving hospital treatment.

He said the attackers also destroyed the employee camp, three patrol cars, a car belonging to the firm manager, five excavators and a small mosque. "The total loss could reach billions of rupiah".

He claimed he still did not know why the local residents had run amok and denied that the attack had been caused by a land dispute.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/islands-focus-residents-destroy-riau-firm-s-assets.html

Indigenous rights

Government yet to grant rights to indigenous communities

Jakarta Post - March 17, 2016

Tama Salim and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – An extensive study by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has found that the absence of formal recognition by the State with regard to indigenous communities and their customary lands remains the root cause of customary land disputes, a problem that has seen a surge over the past few decades.

According to the Komnas HAM national inquiry results published on Wednesday, the absence of state recognition counts among the five root causes of human rights violations against indigenous communities throughout the archipelago.

Other root causes behind indigenous rights violations include a state development agenda that is strongly biased toward economic growth and the dismissal of indigenous communities' rights as a mere issue of legality and administration.

Komnas HAM launched the national inquiry to gather information from indigenous communities, government institutions and companies in an effort to map out possible solutions for the country's rampant customary land disputes.

"We will pass on the results [of our national inquiry] to the relevant parties so that [they] can use concrete data to better improve public policy and regulation changes in the future," Komnas HAM chairman Imdadun Rahmat said.

Komnas HAM data shows that 20 percent of all received public complaints relate to land disputes, with the number of cases having surged from 1,213 files in 2012 to 2,483 in 2014.

With more than 70 percent of the 31,957 villagers living in and around areas declared as state forests said to be dependent on forestry resources, the potential for conflict continues to increase.

In 2012, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples (AMAN) filed a judicial review with the Constitutional Court to challenge several articles in the 1999 Forestry Law that prevent indigenous people from collectively using the natural resources in their customary territories, arguing that the Forestry Law contradicted the Constitution.

Although the court finally approved the judicial review in May 2013, formal recognition of indigenous communities and their customary rights is yet to be implemented due to an absence of formal procedure and a lack of coordination among state institutions.

Presidential chief of staff Teten Masduki said the government was in the process of consolidation across government sectors. He said the government was in a difficult position to establish the task force as it went against current efforts to deregulate and simplify bureaucracy.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/17/govt-yet-grant-rights-indigenous-communities.html

Regional autonomy & separatism

Jokowi calls for removal of 3,000 bylaws

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Severianus Endi, Sanggau, West Kalimantan – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said on Tuesday that his administration would focus its attention on two matters, namely deregulation and infrastructure development.

To achieve his deregulation and infrastructure development targets, Jokowi said he had ordered the Home Ministry to remove 3,000 draft bylaws deemed to have the potential to hamper the delivery of public services.

"In our country, there are 42,000 regulations, comprising ministerial regulations, presidential regulations, government regulations and many more. There are also 3,000 draft bylaws stuck at the Home Ministry because of various problems," Jokowi said on Tuesday.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the Pak Kasih Tayan Bridge in Sanggau regency, West Kalimantan, which is the longest bridge in Kalimantan and the second longest in Indonesia after the Suromadu Bridge in East Java.

Jokowi said he had ordered Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo to remove the 3,000 draft bylaws from regencies, municipalities and provinces across Indonesia because they would burden the people.

"I've observed that the draft bylaws piling up at the Home Ministry are mostly about taxes and levies, which I think will bring difficulties for the people," said the President, without detailing the sectors involved.

Jokowi said he would also remove government, presidential, ministerial and other similar regulations that he considered had slowed down the government's work. He said such regulations had hampered the government's progress both in composing policies and in implementing its plans in the field.

"Our country is huge. It has changed very fast. Such change requires the government to deregulate policies and to simplify regulations both at central and regional levels so we can be more flexible and fast in making decisions," said Jokowi.

Apart from inaugurating the 1.4-kilometer Pak Kasih Tayan Bridge, Jokowi also inspected an infrastructure development site in Entikong, Sanggau regency, which borders West Kalimantan and Malaysia. (ebf)(+)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/23/jokowi-calls-removal-3000-bylaws.html

Jakarta & urban life

Jakarta supports Jababeka to develop chopper service

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Agnes Anya, Jakarta – The Jakarta administration plans to support the realization of a helicopter transportation service proposed by publicly listed property developer PT Jababeka to boost business activities in the capital.

Jababeka introduced recently the Helicopter Air Club to the city administration while also proposing it as a commuting solution amid traffic congestion in the city.

Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said that the administration hailed the proposal as it would help ease business trips in Jakarta, and thus help accelerate the capital's economy.

"We often receive complaints from businesspeople about how long it takes to travel between Jakarta and industrial areas such as Cikarang in West Java," Djarot said on Wednesday, adding that a single trip could take more than three hours because of traffic congestion in the capital. "They wasted their time on the road while they could have used that time to make a quick business decision somewhere else."

Djarot further said that with a helicopter transportation service, businesspeople could move about easier and quicker. He said that with the realization of the proposal, the administration hoped the service could be accessible to a wider range of users – not only limited to executives.

Separately, Jababeka president director Setyono Djuandi Darmono said the club proposed such a concept to the administration in a bid to make helicopters as accessible as taxis.

"Sao Paolo, Brazil, has 300 helicopters that are used like taxis. The users are wide, and thus the fares are low," Setyono said, adding that the transportation service also had a regular schedule due to high demand. "With similar transportation in the city, there will be certainty with regard to travel time to and from Jakarta, as well as within the capital."

Setyono said, however, that the concept had yet to be finalized as the club was still looking to purchase 12 helicopters. The helicopters are expected to be acquired within nine months. He said the club currently had 10 helicopters that were used to serve companies wanting to carry out exploration and business trips.

In the initial phase, he added, the club planned to open routes to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten; Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in East Jakarta and Cikarang. The club also planned to serve interbuilding routes within the city, which currently has 50 building helipads.

"We aim to encompass 100 prominent companies as our clients. With their high number of workers, demand for helicopter transportation will be high when the service starts," said Darmono.

Jakarta Transportation Agency head Andri Yansyah said previously that the administration supported the proposal but needed to evaluate certain aspects, including operation licenses.

Andri said the policy, regulations and licenses for helicopter transportation services were not issued by his agency but the Transportation Ministry. He said once the transportation service was established, the fares would only be affordable for businesspeople even though Djarot hoped it would be accessible to more people.

"The users will still be segmented for businesspeople. Nonetheless, the transportation will help business activities in the capital," Andri said, adding that it might cost around US$100 for a single trip.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/jakarta-supports-jababeka-develop-chopper-service.html

Travellers warned as Jakarta taxi service protests turn violent

Sydney Morning Herald - March 22, 2016

Jewel Topsfield and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – Police fired warning shots after taxi drivers were attacked in ugly scenes during a massive protest against online ride-sharing services Uber and GrabTaxi that brought Indonesia's traffic-snarled capital city to a halt.

Protesters jumped on the roofs of taxis that did not participate in the protest and buses were smashed as growing tensions over the app-based transport services reached fever pitch.

The Australian government updated its travel advisory for Indonesia, warning that demonstrations could turn violent with little notice. "There are reports that some passengers have been forced to disembark from passing taxis and other forms of public transport," DFAT warned on its smartraveller website.

"You should avoid areas where protests are occurring, including around MPR/DPR and Jalan Gatot Subroto in South Jakarta, monitor local media for the latest information and follow the instructions of local authorities," it added. It said the overall level of security had not changed, with people advised to exercise a high degree of caution.

Fairfax Media saw about 15 protesters stop an Express Taxi and punch the driver in the face. In chaotic scenes a Go-Jek (motorcycle taxi) was also targeted but the driver managed to escape, leaving his helmet on the street. Traffic police fired two shots in the air to disperse the protesters.

Thousands of demonstrators are calling for Uber and GrabTaxi to be banned. They claim app-based transportation services are destroying their livelihoods and violate the 2009 Road Traffic Law.

Express Taxi driver Tarwo, 55, told Fairfax Media he was participating in the protest because since Uber and GrabTaxi began operating he earned so little that he had to borrow money from the company. "If I keep driving taxis I am broke, if I don't I am broke too," he said. "So it is a bad situation all around."

Bluebird Taxi driver A.S. Sudrajat said in the past he could earn 100,000 rupiah (about $10) a day. "Now it is only about 30,000 to 50,000 rupiah," the father of four said. "Our demand is that the government should stop Uber, GrabTaxi and Go-Jek because they make us broke, they put us in trouble. Basically, we pay tax. Uber, Grab don't pay tax."

The protest was organised by the Association of Public Transport Drivers (PPAD), after the government this month said ride-sharing apps like Uber, Grab and Go-Jek would be given assistance to apply for permits to operate legally.

"There are laws, but the public also wants more comfortable and affordable public transportation services," Communications Minister Rudiantara was quoted saying in the Jakarta Globe after a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on March 15.

Tuesday's demonstration sparked an online backlash against Bluebird – long considered the most reliable taxi service in Indonesia – after videos went viral that showed Bluebird taxis smashing the cars of those not joining the protest.

In a statement, Bluebird said it regretted the acts of some protesters and management would take stern action. "If netizens have evidence (picture/video) showing the involvement of our drivers please report via social media or to our email," it said. "We need this evidence because Bluebird drivers are not the only ones using blue uniforms." Bluebird also asked passengers to report any loss incurred because they were asked to get out of cabs.

Mr Joko said staging protests was a right, however it should be exercised in an orderly fashion. Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama tweeted that he would revoke the business licence of any taxi company that did not take action against those that caused damage.

Uber, which was estimated to be worth $62.5 billion late last year, has now been launched in almost 400 cities in 68 countries worldwide. Fairfax Media reported last month that it was continuing to operate in Bali – and even offering helicopter rides – despite its cars being banned on the resort island on January 21.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/travellers-warned-as-jakarta-taxi-service-protests-turn-violent-20160322-gnolce.html

Women, the invisible victims of reclamation

Jakarta Post - March 21, 2016

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – In a fishing village located on the North Jakarta coast, Siti Haminah sits in front of her house gazing vacantly toward the early morning sea, an activity that she has engaged in frequently over recent months, as work separating mollusks from their shells has become scarce.

Carrying her toddler, the middle-aged woman said that, since the reclamation projects kicked off, few shells had been found in the sea and, as things had not gone well for her fisherman husband either, she was desperate for a job.

"I keep telling myself that life will get better soon, but it doesn't," she said. "Now I scavenge along the coast and spend most of my time at home."

Despite protests from human rights activists and fishermen, the controversial reclamation project, featuring the development of 17 artificial islands off the North Jakarta coast, continues to pick up pace.

While the public has repeatedly been denied access to a copy of the permit, based on satellite imaging from Google Earth, the development of Islet C appears half-finished.

The whole process has been strictly private; the public, including fisherman living nearby, have not been not informed. Yet, due to its affect on the population of marine life and the increase in sea pollution, reclamation has already had a marked affect on the livelihood of the fishermen on the North Jakarta coast.

Despite being the most affected by the reclamation project, fishermen claim that their opinion has not been heard by the Jakarta administration, which has issued five reclamation permits, or the project developers.

Legal action has been filed by a coalition of fishermen and human rights groups to stop the project. The case is currently being heard at the Jakarta State Administration Court. Arieska Kurniawaty from the Women Solidarity human rights group said that, in addition to fishermen, the reclamation project had also affected women, emphasizing that women were regularly overlooked by the city administration.

"Despite being the group of people most gravely affected by this project, women are considered no more than fishermen's wives," Arieska told The Jakarta Post.

She said Women Solidarity research had found that 15 percent of fishermen in the affected area were women and that 90 percent of marine products processing workers were also women. According to the North Jakarta administration, there are currently around 20,000 fishermen in North Jakarta.

Arieska went on to say that, despite their significant numbers, there had been no initial study carried out prior to the reclamation program with regard to how it would impact women.

"The women in the coastal areas were pushed away from the resources of the sea, from their livelihood," she continued, adding that the women now had no other option but to look for alternate work opportunities, perhaps as a laundry worker or scavenger. "The women work almost 18 hours per day to meet their family's needs," she said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/21/women-invisible-victims-reclamation.html

More parties to support Ahok's independent bid

Jakarta Post - March 19, 2016

Dewanti A. Wardhani, Jakarta – Following in the step of the NasDem Party, the Hanura Party will also announce its support for Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's independent bid in the 2017 gubernatorial elections.

Hanura Jakarta branch chairwoman Miryam Haryani confirmed on Friday and said that it would officially declare its support soon.

"We will make an official announcement in the coming days. For now, I can only confirm that our support for the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections is aimed at Pak Ahok," Miryam said over the phone Friday.

She said that the decision was made by the Hanura chairman, former Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Wiranto, after he met with Ahok's supporters who volunteer at Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok) recently. Miryam added that Ahok had scored the highest in an internal survey within the party, had a clean track record and had also solved many problems as governor.

Hanura's support come with no strings attached, she claimed, similar to that of the Nasdem Party's pledge. Previously, NasDem formed the Muda Mudi Ahok (Ahok Youth group) to collect copies of ID cards to support Ahok's independent candidacy. The group will submit the support they collect to Teman Ahok.

Ahok recently announced that he would participate in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election as an independent candidate with the head of Financial and Asset Management Board (BPKAD) Heru Budi Hartono, as his running mate. Independent gubernatorial candidates in Jakarta must collect copies of roughly 532,000 ID cards, about 6.5 percent of the city's to eligible voters. ID cards and forms must be submitted the Jakarta General Elections Commission by Aug. 16 at the latest.

Thus far, Teman Ahok has collected the support of 117,373 people for Ahok and Heru as a candidate pair.

National Awakening Party (PKB) Jakarta branch chairman Hasbiallah Ilyas, on the other hand, said that the party had yet to make a decision on candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial elections, but confirmed that Ahok was currently a front runner. He acknowledged that PKB supporters also favored Ahok for the election.

Hasbiallah said that former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, an influential PKB figure, had also previously voiced his support for Ahok when he ran for East Belitung regent in 2005.

"We have not yet made a decision. However, Ahok's popularity and Gus Dur's fondness of him are taken into consideration. Currently, Ahok is a front runner," Hasbiallah told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

According to KPU Regulation No. 9/2015 on governor, deputy governor, regent, deputy regent, and/or mayor and deputy mayor candidacy, a coalition of political parties with 20 percent of the total amount of seats in City Council may nominate a pair for an election. As there are 106 seats in the City Council, a party or a coalition of parties must have at least 21 seats to nominate a pair.

NasDem and Hanura have a total of 15 seats in the City Council. With the addition of the PKB, which has six seats, the coalition will be just enough to nominate a pair.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which has 28 seats in the council, can nominate its own candidate without forming a coalition.

Separately, Ahok said that he would continue to run as an independent candidate even if he gained enough support from political parties in the future. "I will run as an independent candidate. The parties that support me already know this," Ahok said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/19/more-parties-support-ahok-s-independent-bid.html

Jakarta's new police chief expected to be impartial

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – The incoming Jakarta Police chief, Insp. Gen. Moechgiyarto, who is to be sworn in on Monday, brings high expectations of police impartiality given his track record in his previous position in West Java, where he promised to protect minority groups.

Moechgiyarto is replacing Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian, who has been appointed as the new boss of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).

Tito was officially inaugurated by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the State Palace on Wednesday but he will still lead the Jakarta Police until after Moechgiyarto takes up his new position, said Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Mohammad Iqbal.

"The inauguration will take place at the National Police headquarters [in South Jakarta] next Monday," Iqbal told reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters.

Moechgiyarto, who graduated top of his class in the Police Academy in 1986, is known for his firm stance on protecting minority groups.

When inaugurated as the West Java Police chief in June last year, the two-star general promised to protect minority groups such as the Ahmadis and Shiites, whose members have been prohibited from exercising their beliefs in the province due to pressure from hard-line groups. "There will no longer be closures [of houses of worship]," he said back then. In October last year, when Shia followers in West Java's capital Bandung celebrated their Asyura Day ceremony, the Bandung Police deployed hundreds of officers to guard locations where the Shiites were celebrating the holiday.

In Sidolig Stadium, for example, Shiites celebrated Asyura despite protests from hundreds of people from the West Java Ahlus Sunnah Defenders (PAS). Police officers held the protesters back from the venue.

His stance on protecting minority groups is expected to continue in his new post in the capital where minority groups have frequently faced harassment. In such cases, the police have either not taken action or worse appeared to help intolerant groups carrying out their actions.

On Wednesday, for example, the documentary film Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta was screened amid threats from a hard-line group accusing organizers of spreading communism. The police told the organizers that they could not guarantee the safety of the participants if they insisted on going ahead.

Host Goethe Institute canceled the event and the organizers moved the screening to the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Last month, another event called the Belok Kiri (Turn Left) Festival conducted by a leftist group was dispersed by around 200 officers from the Jakarta Police following opposition from various organizations. The police argued that the event was dispersed because it did not have permission from the police.

Since November last year, Jakarta has seen a total of six events being canceled or moved after the police refused to protect the organizers. The police claimed the events had not secured permits from and caused unrest among certain groups of people. Organizers have retorted that they do not need permits but simply notification letters to the local police.

Moechgiyarto's track record, however, has been marred by his much criticized standpoint in support of virginity tests for female cadets of the National Police. He stated his support in 2014 when he led the law division of the National Police. He said back then that virginity tests would be necessary to ensure that female cadets lived up to high moral standards.

The idea was criticized by various human rights organizations including the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), which told the police to monitor their own moral standards before talking about those of others.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/jakarta-s-new-police-chief-expected-be-impartial.html

Film & television

Lack of cinemas thwarts local movies: Producer

Jakarta Post - March 18, 2016

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – A dearth of cinemas in Indonesia is among the obstacles to the flourishing of the country's movie industry, with the number of cinemas reaching only a fraction of the ideal, a producer has said.

According to UNESCO, there should be one cinema screen per 50,000 people. Currently, Indonesia has only 1,100 cinemas, a massive drop from 1990 when 6,700 cinemas existed, as result of a monopoly on movie distribution.

"Ideally, Indonesia should have 15,000 cinemas. Now is the right time to invest, as the movie distribution monopoly has been abolished and the government has relaxed foreign ownership in the industry," movie producer Chand Parwez Servia told thejakartapost.com in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Besides providing consumers with entertainment, he continued, a greater number of cinemas could help the local movie industry to grow.

In comparison, South Korea, with a population of 50 million people, one fifth of Indonesia's, has 7,000 cinemas. Moreover, Indonesia's cinemas are largely concentrated in big cities, Chand noted.

"The central and local governments must encourage the building of cinemas in smaller cities. Right now, initial investment is not too high," he continued.

He cited the biggest cinema franchise in Indonesia, XXI Cineplex, as an example. The company charges around 3 to 4 billion rupiah to build a cinema under its franchise. "If we want to build a non-franchised cinema, it costs only 1 or 2 billion rupiah," Chand said.

The digitalization era, he added, has made the business even cheaper. In the past, a projector might cost a billion rupiah, but now many Chinese-made digital projectors cost less than Rp 500 million each. A celluloid film that costs 10 to 12 million rupiah can be replaced with a hard disk that costs around Rp 500,000 for multiple usage.

Chand suggested three ways for local governments to boost the number of cinemas. First, direct involvement through regional-government-owned enterprises; second, partnering with local businessmen; third, facilitating foreign investors by removing the ban on 100 percent foreign ownership. (ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/18/lack-cinemas-thwarts-local-movies-producer.html

Armed forces & defense

South Korea unveils RI's new submarines

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Jakarta – After waiting three years, Indonesia will soon have new submarines, as three submarines purchased from South Korea are expected to be completed soon.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu and Navy chief of staff Admiral Ade Supandi visited South Korea to witness the unveiling of the submarines.

"The unveiling was only ceremonial in nature, [it is important] for the Navy as the user to see that the product is ready," Ade Supandi said in South Korea on Wednesday. He said that after the unveiling, the producer would finish up the necessary tools so that they could be delivered and commissioned.

It was reported that the ministry and Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine Engineering (DSME) signed the contract for the three Chang Bogo-class submarines in 2011. The contract was worth US$1.07 billion.

Under the contract, two submarines would be built in South Korea in cooperation with state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL, while the third submarine would be built at PAL's facilities in Surabaya.

Besides submarines, Indonesia expects other new weapons to arrive in 2016-2017. According to the chief of the ministry's procurement center, Rear Admiral Leonardi, the weapons are leopard tanks, F-16 jet fighters and frigates. They will arrive gradually.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/national-scene-south-korea-unveils-ri-s-new-submarines.html

Lawmakers want military to combat terrorists and drug traffickers

Jakarta Post - March 19, 2016

Jakarta – Lawmakers want the Indonesian Military to play a broader role, beyond just international defense, and assist in the battle against terrorism and drugs, a House of Representatives member said.

Member of the House Mahfudz Siddiq said the military should help police to deal with global security issues such as terrorism, separatism and drug trafficking, in order to make efforts more effective. "The military must be involved more [in helping police to enforce the law]," Mahfudz told reporters recently.

Since the Jakarta terrorism attack on Jan. 14, the government has sent thousands of special troops to Poso in Central Sulawesi to join a police counterterrorism operation, chasing the country's most-wanted terrorist Santoso, the leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT).

Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Panjaitan has called previously for the military to play a role in counterterrorism efforts. "One of the military's additional jobs is to fight against terrorism," he said. (vps/dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/19/lawmakers-want-military-combat-terrorists-and-drug-traffickers.html

Foreign affairs & trade

Indonesia says Bali Process failure on refugee crisis 'must not happen again'

Sydney Morning Herald - March 23, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Bali – Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has issued a blunt warning that the failure of the key regional forum on people smuggling to address the refugee crisis in South-east Asia last year "must not happen again".

"As we observed last May 2015, the Bali Process was unable to address sudden movements of irregular migration in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal," said Ms Retno, who co-chaired the Bali Process Ministerial Conference with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop in Bali on Wednesday. "This must not happen again."

The UN estimates 370 people perished at sea during the South-east Asia refugee crisis last year, many of them Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

The Bali Process, which has 48 member countries and international organisations including the UN Refugee Agency, was founded in 2002 to develop strategies on people smuggling, human trafficking and transnational crime.

For the first time this year it will produce a ministerial declaration, including a new mechanism that will allow co-chairs Australia and Indonesia to convene and consult in response to urgent events in the region.

An Amnesty International report found Rohingya were killed or severely beaten by human traffickers if their families failed to pay ransoms and were kept in hellish conditions at sea during the crisis last May.

Australia came under criticism last year for refusing to resettle any of the Rohingyas or reverse its policy that had ended the resettlement of all refugees who registered with UNHCR Indonesia after July 1, 2014.

After initially pushing back boats, Indonesia agreed to provide shelter to 1800 Bangladeshi migrants and Rohingya refugees on the proviso they would be resettled by the international community within a year.

"Indonesia believes, in this case, [the] humanitarian aspect must prevail," Ms Retno said in her opening address at the Bali Process. "It was for this reason that Indonesia went the extra mile in accepting irregular migrants last year. But the task at hand is much bigger than one country can handle by itself."

Only 300 of the 1000 Rohingyas taken in by Indonesia remain in the temporary accommodation set up in North Sumatra and Aceh, with many believed to have paid people smugglers to take them to Malaysia. All but 100 of the 800 Bangladeshis, most of whom were economic migrants, have been repatriated back to Bangladesh.

Ms Retno said the Bali Process must be able to answer the humanitarian question. "We must find durable solutions that will not burden countries with limited resources," she said.

In an interview with Fairfax Media last week, Ms Retno said she hoped other countries – including Australia – would assist with resettling more than 13,000 refugees and asylum seekers, saying Indonesia lacked the capacity to shelter them long-term.

When an al-Jazeera journalist said Indonesia had made it clear it wanted Australia to take more refugees, Ms Bishop said: "I take issue with that. In fact Indonesia has asked all countries in the membership of the Bali Process to consider doing more."

Ms Bishop said Australia had one of the most significant refugee and humanitarian programs in the world with 13,750 places a year, rising to 18,750 in 2018-19.

"We have taken about 2000 people from Indonesia over the last few years who have been deemed to be refugees," she said. "Australia is already playing a significant role and we urge other countries to do similarly."

Ms Bishop launched an international strategy to combat human trafficking and slavery, which she said would complement a domestic plan, for which $50 million had been allocated from 2013-2018.

Under the strategy Australia would work with other countries in the region on sharing information, cooperating in investigations and working with businesses to ensure supply chains were free from forced labour, trafficking and domestic servitude. No new funding was announced for the strategy.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-says-bali-process-failure-on-refugee-crisis-must-not-happen-again-20160323-gnpnb6.html

Indonesia, Australia strengthen ties over Bali Process

Jakarta Post - March 22, 2016

Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – Indonesia and Australia have taken steps to enhance their relationship ahead of the Bali Process meeting.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop met on Monday with her Indonesian counterpart, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi, in preparation for the meeting scheduled to be held in Bali on Tuesday and Wednesday. The meeting was considered evidence of a step forward in mending ties ahead of the countries' cochairmanship at the two-day event in Bali.

"[Our bilateral discussions] took a very positive turn, very progressive compared with the three months when we met in Sydney. And we have a very strong commitment," Retno said during a press conference following her bilateral meeting with Bishop at the Foreign Ministry in Jakarta on Monday.

The Bali Process is an international forum established in 2002 to facilitate the handling of issues related to people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crime.

Retno said the two nations were set to begin final negotiations of the Indonesia Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), which they are currently forging, by May.

Apart from trade and investment, she said, both ministers also took the opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in the fields of education, counterterrorism and cybersecurity. "At government-to-government, business-to-business and people-to-people levels, this relationship will endure," Bishop said.

Both foreign ministers are cochairing the sixth Bali Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons, and Related Transnational Crime (BRMC), known as the Bali Process.

Apart from the usual ministerial statement produced at the end of a Bali Process, this year's meeting will see a new document released in the form of a declaration detailing an emergency response mechanism for people smuggling and human trafficking in the region.

The move is deemed necessary due to the humanitarian crisis experienced in the region last year caused by the sudden influx of irregular migration from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The anticipated Bali Process conference failed to materialize in 2015, due to tensions between the two countries related to Indonesia's move to execute drug convicts, including two Australians, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

In her visit to Indonesia, Bishop is scheduled to not only attend the Bali Process conference but also the inauguration of the new Australian Embassy in Jakarta and a newly opened Australian Consulate in Makassar. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/22/indonesia-australia-strengthen-ties-over-bali-process.html

'Australia is not a threat': Indonesian defence official

Sydney Morning Herald - March 20, 2016

Jewel Topsfield – Indonesia has stressed Australia is not a threat and it is grateful for Australia's communication over its massive military modernisation program over the next 20 years.

In an interview ahead of a visit by Defence Minister Marise Payne to Jakarta on Sunday, Indonesia's Director General for Strategic Defence thanked Australia for sharing the contents of its Defence white paper.

"We are not only a neighbour country but we should be brothers," Major-General Yoedhi Swastanto said. "So for us Australia is not a threat. We don't have big issues. There are some small ones [which] is pretty normal to happen between two neighbour countries."

Ms Payne was invited to Jakarta by the Indonesian government at a meeting of defence and foreign ministers in Sydney late last year.

Ms Payne and Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu will discuss the two countries' white papers and areas for defence co-operation including counter-terrorism, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping and intelligence.

"Of course, every country has its own interest, but we have similarity," Major-General Yoedhi said.

There are rising tensions in the region over China's placement of military equipment on disputed islands in the South China Sea, through which 60 per cent of Australia's trade passes.

"We have common interest to maintaining security and stability in this region," Major-General Yoedhi said. "As a member of the global regional community we have to pay attention to this area because it could impact our national interest and national security."

Major-General Yoedhi said the Indonesian Defence white paper – the first since 2008 – focuses on maritime defence in line with President Joko Widodo's vision for Indonesia to be a maritime "fulcrum" between Indian Ocean powers and Pacific powers like China and the United States.

Ms Payne said increasing international engagement was a key element of Australia's Defence white paper. "As the white paper says, Australia's relationship with Indonesia is vital and a strong and productive bilateral relationship is critical to Australia's national security," she said.

"The government undertook an extensive international consultation during the development of the white paper and we briefed a number of nations, including Indonesia, before its release."

Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop headed to Indonesia on Sunday, for a summit on people smuggling, weeks after Indonesia warned Australia over its boat turnback policy.

Ms Bishop is set to co-chair Wednesday's Sixth Bali Process Ministerial Conference, after last year's meeting was cancelled during a period of tense relations over Australians on death row and Indonesia's objection to Australia's border protection strategy.

Lowy Institute research fellow Aaron Connelly said Indonesia's positive reaction to Australia's Defence white paper was in marked contrast to its suspicion over the announcement five years ago that US marines would be circulating through Darwin.

"That was a big diplomatic issue because Indonesian officials were not well briefed on it in advance," Mr Connelly said. "This is evidence of how much good work Australian Defence has done in terms of building a relationship with Jakarta."

The nadir of the Australia-Indonesia defence relationship was during the East Timor crisis in 1999 when there were concerns the two countries could descend into open military conflict.

Indonesia remains suspicious of Australia's position on Papuan independence, even though Australia has repeatedly said it recognises Indonesia's sovereignty as outlined by the 2006 Lombok Treaty.

"Of course we asked what their political stance is, especially in Papua," Major-General Yoedhi said. "You see we have a little bit of problems in Papua."

Major-General Yoedhi also reiterated Indonesia's opposition to Australia's boat push-back policy, saying Indonesia was also a victim, with many refugees from the Middle East and Myanmar.

"I think for the common interest, we should handle [the issue together]. Not only Australia, not only Indonesia, all countries, maybe even the UN, must be involved. So push-back policy is not a good way."

Natalie Sambhi, a research fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre, said she believed the relationship was as healthy as it was before defence ties were scaled back after the spying scandal in 2013.

"My only reservation about the trajectory of the defence relationship is to what extent do [National Armed Forces commander] General Gatot Nurmantyo's relatively conservative views or suspicions come to bear on the relationship."

Last year Commander Gatot said efforts to cede Timor-Leste from Indonesia were a "proxy war" for Australia to secure an oil field in the Timor Gap and Indonesia's drug problem was a proxy war aimed at weakening the country's youths.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/australia-is-not-a-threat–indonesian-defence-official-20160320-gnmhu5.html

Tourism & hospitality

Australian tourists finally granted free entry to Indonesia

Sydney Morning Herald - March 23, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – Believe it or not, Australians have finally been granted free entry to Indonesia for up to 30 days, after years of policy backflips.

"Seriously, for real this time," was local news website Coconuts Jakarta's tongue-in-cheek headline to the news Australians will no longer have to pay $US35 ($46) for a visa on arrival.

On previous occasions Australia has been included among countries to be granted free entry, only to be withdrawn from the list at the 11th hour. This time the announcement, which took effect March 22, has come from the highest possible level.

Late last week President Joko Widodo signed a decree waiving visa requirements for another 79 countries, including Australia, bringing the list of visa-free countries to 169.

"Indonesia's decision to add Australia to the list of countries visa-free is smart and timely," ambassador Paul Grigson said. "We expect it to add approximately 3.4 trillion Rupiah ($239 million) into the economy of Indonesia."

More than 1 million Australians already visit Indonesia every year, contributing 18 trillion rupiah ($1.8 billion) to the local economy.

The visa-free policy is part of a plan to lure more visitors to Indonesia, as the government aims to attract at least 20 million foreign tourists to the country over the next five years.

Australians who wish to stay in Indonesia for longer than 30 days or to conduct "journalistic activities" are still required to apply for a visa in Australia.

Indonesia recorded a 19 per cent increase in tourists from countries that received visa-free access in 2015.

In March last year, amid tension between the countries over the execution of Bali nine heroin smugglers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, Indonesia removed Australia from a group of 45 countries whose tourist visa fees would be waived, blaming a lack of reciprocal arrangements.

In September, the Indonesian tourism minister again promised Australians would be granted visa-free access, before leaving them out of the policy that began on October 1.

In November the Australian government said it would introduce an option of a three-year, multiple-entry visa for Indonesian visitors to Australia in 2016 – an extension of the current one-year visa.

The government would also expand online visa lodgment to all Indonesian citizens by 2017, making the process of applying for an Australian visa simpler for Indonesian tourists and business people.

But Indonesia Institute president Ross Taylor said it was astonishing that while Australians would enjoy visa-free entry to Indonesia, the Australian government would still demand Indonesians pay $130 per person just to apply for a tourist visa.

"Then add to that we tell Indonesians to complete some 15 pages of questions per person," he said. "And we wonder why so many Indonesians choose to travel elsewhere on holidays."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/australian-tourists-finally-granted-free-entry-to-indonesia-20160323-gnovx3.html

Economy & investment

Structural reform 'key to boosting economy'

Jakarta Post - March 24, 2016

Tassia Sipahutar, Jakarta – Indonesia should continue to prioritize the upgrading of national infrastructure alongside ongoing structural reforms in order to improve the business climate and fully exploit the country's economic potential, experts and officials have suggested.

Speaking on Wednesday in a seminar on structural reforms in emerging Asian markets, Bank Indonesia (BI) deputy governor Perry Warjiyo said in Indonesia's case, efforts to streamline bureaucracy and promote changes to the way the government works would help boost infrastructure development and human capital.

"Improvements in electricity infrastructure, for example, could increase national economic growth by an average of 0.26 percent per year," Perry said at the event, jointly held by the central bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

By the end of 2015, Indonesia had more than 55,523 MW in installed capacity, with 2.458 MW added to the national electricity system last year. As of December, the electrification ratio stood at 88 percent.

In an attempt to boost economic growth, the government plans to procure 35,000 MW of additional electricity over the next several years to support the growing industrial sector.

According to a simulation enacted by BI and ADB, higher electricity capacity could contribute an additional 0.33 percent growth in Sumatra, 0.18 percent in Java, 0.63 percent in Kalimantan and 0.22 percent in parts of eastern Indonesia.

Improvement in electricity would also bode well for employment, increasing labor take-up by 0.13 percent nationwide. Kalimantan is projected to benefit most from the improvement, with employment up 0.25 percent, the simulation suggested. When combined with human capital development, the improvements will boost national gross domestic product (GDP) by an extra 0.52 percent and labor absorption by 0.65 percent.

"We also need simpler business licensing and procedures. That will encourage economic growth from the investment side," Perry added.

The Finance Ministry's fiscal agency (BKF) head, Suahasil Nazara, meanwhile, said the government had introduced budget reforms and fiscal stimuli plans to achieve sustainable growth. The government is looking at 5.3 percent GDP growth in 2016, up from last year's achievement of 4.8 percent.

He reiterated the government's intention to prioritize infrastructure development, citing massive infrastructure spending allocated in the state budget.

The government has allocated Rp 313.5 trillion (US$23.81 billion) from this year's state budget for infrastructure development, an increase from Rp 290.3 trillion in 2015. It has also slashed electricity subsidies to Rp 38.4 trillion in 2016 from Rp 73.1 trillion last year to make way for greater spending on infrastructure.

Former finance minister Chatib Basri, also speaking at Wednesday's discussion, said that infrastructure reforms needed to include business players in the export-oriented sectors to avoid past mistakes, when capital inflow was almost solely channeled to domestic-oriented sectors.

"We have started to receive significant capital inflow again, directed toward exports, so that they are naturally hedged and reduce foreign exchange risk," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/03/24/structural-reform-key-boosting-economy.html