Over two hundred people were arrested in Jakarta last week at a rally to mark the anniversary of the first raising of the banned Papuan nationalist symbol, the Morning Star flag.

A public interest lawyer who was present, Veronica Koman, says police subsequently released those arrested, without charge, a few hours later.

But she told Johnny Blades that police didn't cite any particular alleged breach of the law in making the arrests.

Transcript

Veronica Koman: So for Jakarta the police didn't mention any particular laws. It's just a pattern of violating their right to freedom of expression. I think the state is just being paranoid of the Morning Star symbol.

Johnny Blades: But this is against the rules, you say, because you have the freedom of expression?

VK: It's just basic freedom of expression. As long as Papua is still a part of Indonesia it means they still have the right to freedom of expression, and it's being violated systematically by the state. And also, I would like to say that today is an historic moment for the West Papua movement. Because this year it's the first time ever that Indonesians have taken to the streets together with the West Papuans in celebrating 1st of December and demanding the right to self-determination for West Papua. And we in Jakarta are really campaigning, letting Indonesians know what's actually happening in West Papua, and also the history of manipulation by state. So people are opening their eyes, and it's growing, the solidarity is definitely growing.

JB: There's a lot of young people, urban young people (taking the action), often students, I suppose?

VK: Yeah. And human rights activists and civil society organisations. Although mostly organisations cannot declare themselves supporting (Papuans) really openly, but I know most of them actually agreed that West Papuans deserve the right to self-determination.

JB: How do the police regard these events? They must know about the rule of freedom of expression?

VK: So I've been the lawyer for West Papuans during demonstrations for the last two years. And always... each time that West Papuans do any protest, the police will always find ways to forbid the demonstration. They keep creating excuse to silence the West Papuans. This year alone, since April, April 2016 until now, there have been at least 4,800 arrests.

Veronica Koman says that as well as being blasted by water cannons, the demonstrators in Jakarta were roughed up by undercover security forces, and ten of those arrested sustained injuries.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/audio/201826491/more-mass-arrests-in-indonesia-at-west-papua-demos

Call for Vanuatu to seek seat on UN committee of 24

Radio New Zealand International - December 2, 2016

A former Vanuatu prime minister Barak Sope wants Vanuatu to become a member of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation to counter Indonesia's influence.

Barak Sope said Indonesia is only on the committee to ensure the subject of self determination in West Papua is not discussed.

Vanuatu is one of the strongest supporters of Papuan self determination and Mr Sope has been one of the strongest advocates. He said Vanuatu has a right to sit on two UN committees and should push to have its say on what is known as the Commmittee of 24.

"The reason why Indonesia is there is to prevent West Papua's case. That is all they are doing – always wanting to be in that top committee to ensure that West Papua is not discussed in that committee," he said.

"That is why it is important that we have countries that would support the idea of West Papua to get independence and the proper way of doing it is to be on the Committee of 24."

While West Papua is not on the list of 24 territories being considered for independence, six Pacific territories are on it – namely French Polynesia, New Caledonia, American Samoa, Guam, Tokelau and Pitcairn.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/319463/call-for-vanuatu-to-seek-seat-on-un-committee-of-24

Flag day in Papua takes form of prayer events, petition

Radio New Zealand International - December 2, 2016

Events held in the cities of West Papua to mark the anniversary of the Papuan nationalist day mainly took the form of prayer events.

Yesterday was the 55th anniversary of a declaration of independence by the indigenous people of the former Dutch New Guinea declared independence.

The Papuan nationalist Morning Star was subsequently banned when Indonesia took over, but each year global rallies mark this anniversary in support of Papuans.

In Papua, the biggest of yesterday's events was in the Highlands town of Wamena where 3000 people converged for a large prayer event at the Traditional Council headquarters.

Benar News reported that organisers of the event thanked the Indonesian authorities for permitting the opportunity to worship.

Among the speakers at another peaceful event, across in Papua's provincial capital, was Filep Karma. Mr Karma was released from prison a year ago after serving eleven years for raising the Morning Star in 2004.

At the Jayapura event, hundreds signed a petition in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua with its growing representative role in the Pacific region.

'Political maturity'

Unlike December 1st demos in global centres such as London, Sydney, the Papua events were not allowed to feature raising of the Morning Star.

"Papuans are already aware and do not want to be provoked by violence and conflict," Mr Karma was reported as saying. "Prayers and speeches such as these show political maturity and a dignified struggle."

The event also heard a speech written by the Liberation Movement secretary-general Octo Mote. He said Indonesians "are starting to acknowledge that crimes have been committed by the government and military of Indonesia in Papua".

In Jakarta police arrested over two hundred people for participating in a demonstration in support of West Papuans' right to self-determination. 14 were arrested in the other Indonesian city of Yogyakarta.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/319478/flag-day-in-papua-takes-form-of-prayer-events,-petition

Police accused of beating pro-referendum activists

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Moses Ompusunggu, Jakarta – Lawyers for protesters attending a West Papua liberation rally in Jakarta on Thursday have accused police officers of beating their clients after a clash broke out between the two sides, leading to the arrest of 10 protesters.

One of the lawyers, Veronica Koman, claimed some of the 10 apprehended protesters were beaten by Jakarta Police officers on Jl. Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, when rally participants insisted on marching to the nearby Hotel Indonesia traffic circle.

The rally was organized by an alliance named the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua), which consists of numerous civil society organizations, aimed at supporting residents of the country's easternmost region to exercise their right to self-determination through a referendum.

FRI-West Papua argues that the need for a referendum is a consequence of abuses carried out by the government that have resulted in a persistent lack of welfare in the restive region.

Those detained by the police included FRI-West Papua spokesperson Surya Anta, who was one of the protesters allegedly beaten by the police, and Alliance of Papuan Students (AMP) chairman Jefry Wenda. The 10 apprehended protesters were released by the police on the same day.

Veronica said the legal team, consisting of representatives from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), the Press Legal Aid Institute (LBH Pers) and the Keadilan Bogor Raya Legal Aid Institute (LBH KBR) based in Bogor, West Java, may report the incident to the Jakarta Police. Beatings, she said, were also carried out by police in plain clothes.

"We may report the police because we saw the police violated many procedures. They beat and arrested [some of the protesters] without wearing police uniform, making it difficult for us to identify whether it was officers who allegedly beat the protesters," Veronica said.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono said he had not received any reports about the alleged beatings by police officers, but added that he would allow the activists to report the incident to the National Police's internal affairs division (Propam).

Apart from Jakarta, West Papua rallies were held on Thursday in nine other cities, such as Jayapura and Yogyakarta, coinciding with what West Papua liberation proponents see as their national day.

Hundreds of protesters participating in the rally in Jakarta initially planned to march from the LBH Jakarta office on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta, to the Presidential Palace. The plan, however, did not materialize as the mass was forced to stop and stage the rally at an intersection on Jl. Imam Bonjol, which was guarded by around 700 Jakarta Police personnel.

During the rally, a leader frequently told the mass, which consisted of members of the FRI-West Papua and the AMP from various cities, that the event had to be conducted in a peaceful fashion, warning them to remain calm amid possible "provocation".

But some protesters, who were seen wearing headbands resembling the Morning Star flag, insisted on advancing to the Presidential Palace via the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, prompting Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Dwiyono, who led the police effort, to issue several warnings to them.

Clashes broke out as the protesters nevertheless tried to break through the police barricade, during which Surya claimed he and other protesters were apprehended and beaten by a number of uniformed and non-uniformed police officers.

[Nethy Dharma Somba and Bambang Muryanto contributed to this story from Jayapura and Yogyakarta.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/police-accused-beating-pro-referendum-activists.html

Protesters arrested and beaten at Papuan pro-independence rally in

BBC News Indonesia - December 2, 2016

Mehulika Sitepu, Indonesia – Police used water cannons to disperse a rally by Papuan near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Thursday December 1.

According to police the protesters did not have a permit to demonstrate although protesters insist that they had already submitted a notification with police in accordance with procedures.

"In fact we had already submitted [the notification] three days earlier in accordance with procedures. Police said they refused a permit. [So] We had already informed them", said Veronica Koman from the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) who accompanied the protesters.

Tensions rose resulting in a scuffle between police and activists with police arresting 10 people. Veronica said that they claimed to have been assaulted after being arrested.

"(They) were gathered together in an open area, their IDs were recorded and they were photographed. Some even had their ID cards and mobile phones confiscated but they haven't been returned. Then they were beaten, kicked to point that one suffered head injuries. When they were in the police truck they were abused yet again", said Veronica.

The 10 arrested activists are Surya Anta (Indonesian People's Front for West Papua, FRI-WP spokesperson), Yohanes Damian (Social Movement for Democracy, Gema Demokrasi), Markus Medlama (Papua Student Alliance, AMP), Anka Thomas, Jefri Wanda, Frans Nawipa, Iriantibus Murib, Frans Douw, Pyan Pagawak and Minus Gibian.

After calling on police to release their comrades, around 200 other demonstrators then surrendered themselves to police for arrest.

"They voluntarily got into the [police] trucks. We facilitated it, we took them away in trucks that transported them to the regional police [headquarters]", said Metro Jaya (Central Jakarta) district police chief Senior Commissioner Dwiyono.

Actions in other cities

December 1 actions were not just restricted to Jakarta but also took place in Makassar (South Sulawesi), Yogyakarta (Central Java), Palu (Central Sulawesi), Poso (Central Sulawesi), Ternate (North Maluku) and Jayapura, Manokwari, Merauke, Sorong, Timika and Wamena in West Papua.

In Yogyakarta, 14 FRI-WP activists were arrested by police, although in other cities the rallies proceeded peacefully. In Jakarta meanwhile, the 200 Papuan activists who surrendered to police to be arrested were eventually released.

Demanding a referendum

"Papua is not red-and-white! [the colours of the Indonesian national flag]" and "Papua! Independence!" shouted protesters in Jakarta, who took to the streets to demand a referendum to determine the future of West Papua.

"It's not a question of prosperity or anything else, but they feel that they were deceived by Pepera (the so-called 1979 'Act of Free Choice). They want the Indonesian government to acknowledge that it was a 'sham referendum'", said Veronica.

Veronica explained, "At the time of the Pepera the Papuan population was 800,000 and in accordance with the New York agreement it was promised that everyone would have a vote (one man-one vote). However only 1,022 people were selected to appear [and vote]. They cast their vote under intimidation.

Veronica admits that it will still be a long road towards the referendum that they want because President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem in Papua.

"Jokowi says that there isn't a problem in Papua. So how can [the government] acknowledge the roots of the problem in Papua if Jokowi himself refuses to acknowledge there is a problem?".

"However the reality is that there has been a systematic media blackout in Papua. Since April 2016 more than 4,700 Papuans have been arrested and this is not being heard in Jakarta".

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Polisi gunakan meriam air untuk bubarkan aksi pegiat Papua di Jakarta".]

Source: http://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-38169072

NZ MPs among those sending message of hope for Papuans

Radio New Zealand International - December 1, 2016

New Zealand MPs were among those demonstrating today in cities across the country to raise the West Papuan nationalist flag.

It's 55 years since the Papuan Morning Star flag was first flown officially when the indigenous people of the former Dutch New Guinea declared independence.

However 1961's declaration was soon eclipsed by a US-brokered agreement between the Dutch and Jakarta which paved the way for an Indonesian takeover.

The Morning Star was subsequently banned in Indonesia, but each year on December 1st rallies around the world mark this anniversary in support of Papuans by raising the Morning Star.

Up to 20 New Zealand MPs are involved in ongoing West Papua solidarity activities, having voiced concern about human rights abuses in the Indonesian-ruled region. Half a dozen of them were present to hold the Morning Star at today's demonstration outside parliament.

Global Morning Star flag raising events are also taking place today cross Australia, Britain, South Africa, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria and elsewhere.

In Wellington, on the steps of the New Zealand parliament, the Greens MP Catherine Delahunty conveyed a message of hope to Papuans.

"People of West Papua who are not allowed to raise their own flag, all over the world today we say to them do not give up hope. Merdeka! Freedom! Solidarity with West Papua."

The MPs gathered to raise the Morning Star in the capital today say Papuans should be able to raise their flag without fear of imprisonment.

Meanwhile, civil society groups planning to demonstrate in Indonesia's capital Jakarta today to raise West Papua's nationalist flag have been warned they face arrest.

And in Papua itself, in recent days, security forces had launched crackdowns in some towns in the region in anticipation of December 1st rallies.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/319403/nz-mps-among-those-sending-message-of-hope-for-papuans

Papuan leaders tell pro-independence activists to trust Jokowi

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2016

Alin Almanar, Jakarta – A protest in support of Papua's independence in Jakarta on Thursday (01/12) ended up with the police beating up the protesters and drew criticism from fellow Papuans, who called on the demonstrators to heed efforts by the government to speed up development in Indonesia's easternmost province.

The protest was the latest in a string of demonstrations recent years that saw authorities repressing protesting Papuans in various parts of the country as decades-old insurgencies in the province showed no signs of abating.

Around 100 Papuans joined the pro-independence rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle to celebrate the Free West Papua Movement's anniversary.

The Indonesian government claims it has been intensifying efforts to ease tension in Papua by starting a number of infrastructure projects to boost economy in the island.

But many Papuans say the developmental approach could barely address the root causes of injustice in the province, which has led to rampant cases of human rights abuses.

Hours after Thursday's demonstration, senior Papuan leaders in Jakarta called on the protesters to calm down, saying President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration has been doing its best to find a solution for Papua.

"The government is trying to understand the conditions in Papua while at the same time carrying out those development programs," Nico Yarangga said. "Maybe the protesters have yet to see the results as the programs are still underway."

Police prevented dozens of Papuans from marching from the busy Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in the city center to the Presidential Palace. The police fired water cannons at the protesters before taking some of them to their headquarters.

Protesters wore Morning Star headscarfs, the banned symbol of the Papuan independence movement, prompting police to move against them.

"We brought them into custody because they were wearing accessories that are an insult to the state," Supt. Hendy Kurniawan of the Jakarta Police told reporters after the demonstration.

Papuan insurgents have long protested against a UN-backed referendum in 1969 that saw Papua becoming part of Indonesia, saying it was rigged. They have complained the central government has since given the resource-rich region an unfair share of the state's wealth.

"There will always be insurgencies if Papuans are hungry. But they will calm down if they are happy. And what the government is doing now is trying to make them happy," Nico's colleague, Max, told the Jakarta Globe.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/papuan-leaders-tell-pro-independence-activists-trust-jokowi-administration/

Pacific CSO commemorate West Papua flag raising ceremony in Kenya

Pina - December 1, 2016

Pita Ligaiula in Nairobi, Kenya – Pacific regional civil society delegates attending the High Level Meeting (HLM2) in Nairobi Thursday commemorated the West Papua flag raising ceremony.

Pacific Islands Non-Governmental Organisation (PIANGO) Executive Director Emele Duituturaga said the event is another opportunity to raise awareness of the struggle faced by West Papua in their quest for independence from Indonesia.

"For us in civil society and those of us who have been very supportive of the West Papua campaign today is the 1st of December where in 1961 the Papuan flag was raised as part of Netherlands preparation of Papua for independence. So we commemorate that day. We are calling for the recognition of West Papua peoples struggle for self-determination which was a human right.

"And we also calling for decolonisation of Indonesia because West Papua is a nation that was prepared for independence and the people have suffered for the last 50 years. They have been killed and deprived off their right to self-determination," Duituturaga told PACNEWS.

Duituturaga also welcomed Pacific Leaders who champion the cause of self-determination in West Papua.

"In fact Pacific Leaders have already recognised their rights as indigenous people and we want to bring that back. Certainly we are calling other Pacific nations and other Pacific countries to support that cause. It's good to see seven Pacific leaders champion this at the UN.

"We are now working with the Human rights Council to ensure that violation of human rights continuing in Indonesia are brought back to the UN and that we calling for UN intervention of what is really going on in West Papua," said Duituturaga. (Pacnews)

Source: http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=12740455505841047bfb8e89cf2343

221 arrested in three cities during West Papua pro-independence protests

Suara Papua - December 1, 2016

Arnold Belau, Jayapura – Indonesian colonial police arrested 221 people on December 1 in three different cities with 203 people arrested in Jakarta, four in Sentani, West Papua and 14 people in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

In Jakarta, a peaceful demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the birth of the Nation of West Papua which was led by the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) ended with brutal arrests by the Metro Jaya regional police. Before being arrested, the protesters from the AMP and FRI-West Papua said they were ruffed up and protest materials seized.

"We hadn't even reached the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle [in Central Jakarta] when we were blocked by security personnel. They (the security personnel) tore the Morning Star head bands off our heads, our command line was cut. Then we were sprayed with water from a water cannon. After this we were taken in four trucks to the Metro Jaya police headquarters", one of the protesters Roberta Muyapa told Suara Papua in Jakarta on December 1.

He said that after being taken to the Metro Jaya police headquarters the protesters were left to dry out in an open area for around four hours. All 203 of them, he said, were arrested by fully equipped Indonesian colonial police along with hundred of officers from the Metro Jaya regional police and Mobile Brigade paramilitary police.

Those arrested included FRI-West Papua spokesperson Surya Anta, AMP general chairperson Jefry Wenda, AMP Bandung activist Markus Medlama, Social Movement for Democracy (Gema Demokrasi) activist Yohanes Damian alias Galesh, Anka Thomas, Jefri Wanda, Frans Nawipa, Iriantibus Murib, Frans Douw, Pyan Pagawak and Minus Gibian.

Three of the 10 people arrested – Surya Anta, Jefry Wenda and Markus Medlama – were abused and assaulted by Indonesian colonial police. All of those arrested in Jakarta have now been released.

In Yogyakarta meanwhile, protesters from the AMP and FRI-West Papua who were holding a peaceful demonstration were reported to have been forcibly disbursed by Indonesian colonial police and members of intolerant mass organisations.

According to information received by Suara Papua, at 1pm Indonesian police together with scores of members of mass organisations lined up to block protesters from FRI-WP and then seized protest materials. A short time later police were ordered to arrest the protesters.

Fourteen people were forced into a truck and removed from the location. According to information from police they were taken to the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) but according to the latest information received at 2pm the 14 were taken to the Yogyakarta metropolitan district police (Polrestabes).

"We invite our comrades from pro-democracy groups to go to the Yogyakarta Polrestabes offices this afternoon to provide solidarity to our activist comrades that were arrested so that they will be released immediately", they said.

The 14 people arrested were Reza (Socialist Study Circle, LSS), Kukuh (Working People's Association-Organisational Saviours Committee, KPO-PRP), Gevan (Student Struggle Center for National Liberation, Pembebasan), Opan (Muhammadiyah Regional Leadership, PMD), Randi (Pembebasan), Edo (LBH Yogyakarta), Adli (Pembebasan), Danial (Indonesian People's United Resistance, PPRI), Opik (PMD), Asrul (Pembebasan), Andi, Aruk, Katek and Edi (Pembebasan). The 14 remain under arrest.

In the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura meanwhile, West Papua National Committee (KNPB) General Secretary Ones Suhuniap when asked for confirmation by Suara Papua confirmed that four activists were arrested and taken to the Doyo municipal police.

Ones said that the four KNPB Sentani Ryang activists who had planned to attend a religious ceremony were stopped and arrested and that the KNPB Sentani secretariat was vandalised by officers from the Sentani municipal police.

"That's correct. Four people were arrested in Sentani. But I don't have their names yet. What is clear is that the information on the arrests is correct. We have asked that the state release them and all of those who were arrested in Yogyakarta", he said.

Based on information gathered by Suara Papua, 203 people were arrested in Jakarta, four were arrested in Sentani and 14 people were arrested in Yogyakarta.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "221 Orang Ditangkap Pada 1 Desember 2016 di Tiga Kota".]

Source: http://suarapapua.com/2016/12/01/221-orang-ditangkap-1-desember-2016-tiga-kota/

Police forced to commandeer public buses after 328 arrested at Papua

Detik News - December 1, 2016

Yudhistira Amran Saleh, Jakarta – Hundreds of Papuan demonstrators from the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) demanding independence for West Papua have been taken to the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters. The transportation of the activists had to be done in stages because the police did not have enough vehicles to accommodate all of them.

"The number of demonstrators was 328 people. The first load was 127 people, the second 201 people", said Central Jakarta District Police Chief Senior Commissioner Hendro Pandowo at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta on Tuesday December 1.

The first load of demonstrators were transported using police cars and trucks. Meanwhile the remainder were taken by Metro Mini public buses. Police officers escorting the protesters were also transported by Metro Mini buses that had by chance passed by.

"There weren't enough vehicles. So we used Metro Mini [buses]", said Pandowo. According to Pandowo, the student protest was illegal because they did not have a permit to demonstrate. They also attempted to break through a police barricade in order to march to the nearby State Palace.

The police then fired tear-gas to disperse the demonstrators who ran in the direction of Jl. MH Thamrin in the direction of Sudirman. The demonstrators managed to cause a traffic jam between Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin. The situation is now calm but the weather cloudy.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Pendemo Asal Papua Diangkut ke Polda dengan Mobil Polisi dan Metro Mini".]

Source: https://news.detik.com/berita/3084824/pendemo-asal-papua-diangkut-ke-polda-dengan-mobil-polisi-dan-metro-mini

Participants of West Papua rally arrested

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – Police apprehended on Thursday several people who were participating in a peaceful rally to demand a referendum for West Papua.

One of the people arrested was the coordinator of the rally, Surya Anta, a lawyer for the rally participants, Veronica Koman, said on Thursday.

Veronica said the protesters were beaten and arrested by police officers who wore civilian attire on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta when they were about to head to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, located a few meters away from the scene.

"We may report the police because we saw many procedures the police violated. They beat and arrested [participants] without wearing police uniforms," Veronica said.

Veronica said she was not sure how many of the participants had been arrested, but said there were no more than five.

About 100 people participated in the rally, which coincided with what they called "the aborted independence day of West Papua" in Dec. 1.

Other participants, consisting of both Papuan and non-Papuan students, remained at the scene after their colleagues were arrested and demanded the police release them. The police at the scene refused to comment about the arrest of the rally participants.

Veronica said the police had blocked the participants from advancing to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in fear of disrupting the traffic flow. "[The ban] has no valid grounds. Why can't they stage a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle?" she asked. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/participants-of-west-papua-rally-arrested.html

West Papuans protest against Indonesian rule

Associated Press - December 1, 2016

Stephen Wright and Niniek Karmini, Jakarta, Indonesia – West Papuan protesters faced off with police in the Indonesian capital on Thursday in a demonstration calling for the remote region's independence.

Organizers had promised protests in other cities and said police had denied them permission to march in central Jakarta.

The dozens of demonstrators were blocked from marching onto a busy traffic circle in the capital by several hundred police who fired water cannons and dragged several men from the crowd into waiting vans. After about three hours, they agreed to end the protest and were detained by police.

"Don't hinder our right to voice our aspirations. Papuans are demanding the truth of our history," a speaker standing atop a small truck shouted at the crowd. Members of the Papua Students Alliance chanted "Freedom Papua" and others sang independence songs.

Rights groups accuse the Indonesian military of serious human rights abuses in Papua and some Melanesian island states have also voiced concerns and called for Papuan independence. Many West Papuans see Dec. 1 as the anniversary of what should have been their independence.

The Dutch colonizers of the Indonesian archipelago held onto West Papua when Indonesia became independent after World War II. It became part of Indonesia following a U.N.-supervised referendum in 1969 criticized as undemocratic.

"They feel that the referendum back then in 1969 was a sham," said Veronica Koman from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.

"There were 800,000 West Papuans at that time. West Papuans were promised one man and one vote. But instead only 1,022 turned up, it was set up that way. They have to vote with the military all over them and intimidation. It's illegal. And they want Indonesia to admit that and hold a referendum," she said.

A low-level insurgency has plagued the mineral-rich region, which is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia, for years.

The Indonesian government, which for decades had a policy of sending Javanese and other Indonesians to settle in Papua, is now also trying to spur economic development to dampen the separatist movement.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/west-papuans-protest-against-indonesian-rule/2016/11/30/40b10af8-b77a-11e6-939c-91749443c5e5_story.html

West Papua supporters gather at PMC for Morning Star flag event

Asia Pacific Report - December 1, 2016

About 20 academics, librarians, journalists and Pacific issues activists gathered at the Pacific Media Centre at noon today for a Morning Star flag-raising ceremony as part of global actions for West Papuan freedom.

Kevin McBride of Pax Christi Aotearoa and the Asia-Pacific Human Rights Coalition (APHRC) spoke of the important human rights concerns for West Papua and how "we're all part of the oppression" with New Zealand's "complicity" with Indonesian policies.

PMC's Dr David Robie talked of the "vision of hope" with mounting solidarity and support in Pacific Island nations, especially the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

But he criticised the "collaboration" of Fiji and Papua New Guinea governments with Jakarta and highlighted the emerging stand in support of self-determination being taken by an Indonesian human rights group, Front Rakyat Indonesia untuk West Papua.

Del Abcede praised the turnout and spoke of another "creative" flag-raising ceremony being planned by M?ori and Pacific women from the Oceania Interrupted collective at Mangere Bridge later today.

Oceania Interrupted was formed on 1 December 2013 in response to the need to raise awareness about Indonesian colonisation and human rights abuses being committed against the indigenous people of West Papua.

Source: http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/12/01/west-papua-supporters-gather-at-pmc-for-morning-star-flag-event/

Lend West Papua your voice

Fiji Times - December 1, 2016

Lice Movono – As futile as it may seem, your voices can make a difference in the Free West Papua movement, a group of young Pacific Island activists told students today.

Speaking at the "Raise The Morning Star" gathering at the University of the South Pacific today, students who make up the Youngsolwara movement called on youths to join them.

Second year student, Elizabeth Volavola told hundreds of peers at the Free West Papua event that prayers were not enough.

"It made me emotional and it made me want to take a stand so that the flame that they ignited in the hopes of freeing West Papua – we as students will fuel that flame," Ms Volavola said.

"Not just sit back on the side on facebook and say we hope and pray that you will continue the fight. No we will stand up! At the end of the day, we are connected by one ocean."

Event organiser, Joey Tau said the event was focused on using art to raise awareness on the Free West Papua movement.

The "Raise The Morning Star" event used drama, music and poetry to mark West Papua's original independence day when it first raised the Morning Star flag, the current day simple of the Free West Papua movement.

"With due respect to the explicit realities put before on social media, the (We Bleed Black and Red) campaign tries to encourage a lot of young people and their creativity. Some people have reservations about explicity – the campaign brings in another dimension to the whole movement," Tau said.

The campaigner said using a creative arts approach has created a larger following of the movement.

Source: http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=380464

Aceh

Indonesia earthquake: 54 dead and dozens feared trapped in Aceh

The Guardian (Australia) - December 7, 2016

Oliver Holmes and agencies – At least 97 people have died and more are feared trapped in collapsed buildings after a powerful earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island at dawn on Wednesday.

Search and rescue teams in Aceh province, an area previously devastated by a massive quake and tsunami on 26 December 2004, used tractors to shift the rubble in attempts to reach people buried in their houses.

The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake hit just north of the small town of Reuleuet, according to the US Geological Survey. There was no tsunami alert.

Major General Tatang Sulaiman, chief of the army in Aceh province, said at least 97 people had died, while four people had been pulled from the rubble alive. Another four or five are known to be buried, but Sulaiman did not say if they are dead or alive.

The rescue effort is concentrated on Meureudu, a severely affected town in Pidie Jaya, the closest district to the epicentre of the undersea quake. Excavators were trying to remove debris from buildings where people were believed buried. Local authorities said there was an urgent need for more excavation equipment and emergency supplies.

President Joko Widodo announced he had instructed his chief of staff to fly immediately to Aceh to monitor the situation.

The quake struck at 5am local time (10pm GMT on Tuesday) as the predominantly Muslim region prepared for morning prayers, local officials said.

Images on television and social media showed cracked roads, collapsed buildings and downed electricity poles. At least five aftershocks were felt in the hours after the initial quake.

"There isn't enough medical staff around," said the Red Crescent's Muklis, who like many Indonesians uses one name, told TVOne.

The national disaster mitigation agency said 273 people were injured, about a quarter of them seriously.

Muhammad Reza Faisal, director of Chik Ditiro general hospital in Pidie Jaya, said the facility, which was damaged by the quake, was overwhelmed with the numbers of injured and many people were being treated in tents pitched on its grounds. He said five of the quake victims died at the hospital.

Hasbi Jaya, a local resident, said his family was asleep when the shaking started. "We immediately ran outside the house but it crumbled. Everything from the roof to the floor collapsed, and was destroyed," he said. "I looked around and all my neighbours' houses were also completely destroyed."

Seismologists said the earthquake was felt across much of Aceh province, which was devastated by the 2004 tsunami.

That quake and tsunami killed more than 170,000 people in Indonesia and tens of thousands more in other countries around the Indian Ocean. Aceh was the worst hit region with more than 120,000 people killed.

The USGS upgraded the magnitude to 6.5 from an initial reading of 6.4 and issued a yellow alert for expected fatalities and damage. "Some casualties and damage are possible and the impact should be relatively localised," it said.

In the coastal town of Sigli people panicked and fled their houses to seek shelter away from the sea, despite no tsunami alert being issued. "We are now evacuating to Tijue because we are afraid of a tsunami," said Nilawati, one of those heading inland.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide. Aceh lies on the northern tip of Sumatra island, which is particularly prone to quakes. The last one struck in July.

Selina Sumbung, chairperson of a local partner of Save the Children, said it was still too early to know exactly how severe the humanitarian impact will be. She said roads and ports had been damaged "which may result in further challenges in delivering aid".

"We're particularly concerned about the impact on children. Earthquakes can be extremely frightening, and children's psychosocial wellbeing will be an important part of the recovery process," Sumbung said.

[Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.]

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/07/aceh-earthquake-children-among-dead-and-dozens-more-trapped-on-sumatra

Military ties

Indonesian Military to boost humanitarian cooperation with Japan

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) and its Japanese counterpart plan to intensify cooperation, given that both countries have vast maritime territories and are vulnerable to disasters.

"In the future TNI will cooperate and boost cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with Japan," TNI chief General Gatot Nurmantyo said in Jakarta as he met with Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) chief of Joint Staff in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Gatot said Indonesia and Japan had been cooperating in defense affairs for quite a long time, especially in education and humanitarian assistance.

Since 1998, for instance, Indonesia had assigned military officers and cadets to study at the Japan National Defense University (Boeidagaku).

Meanwhile, Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano said maritime cooperation was very important for Japan, especially cooperation with ASEAN countries.

"I expect growing cooperation in humanitarian and education affairs with Indonesia as a maritime country and the biggest country in ASEAN," Kawano said. (dmr)

Joint Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) chief Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano and Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo inspect the troops in a ceremony in Jakarta on Dec. 1. Indonesia and Japan will up their military cooperation in many areas, especially in maritime affairs and disaster relief.(Puspen TNI/File)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/indonesian-military-to-boost-humanitarian-cooperation-with-japan.html

Human rights & justice

Film festival staged to promote human rights literacy

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – A documentary film festival held this week to mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 1, aims to promote public literacy about basic rights.

In ScreenDocs Expanded scheduled from Dec. 1 to 4, non-profit foundation In-Docs is organizing the screening of over 20 documentary titles produced by Indonesian and international filmmakers under the over-arching theme of human rights issues.

The screenings will be held mostly at the auditorium and pop-up theaters of Dutch cultural center Erasmus Huis in Kuningan, South Jakarta, with some reruns at the Institut Francais d'Indonesie (IFI) on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

"It will be our first time to screen both national and international documentaries in the hope that the audience can become more aware of social issues around them through film," said In-Docs program director Amelia Hapsari at a recent press conference.

"We believe that documentaries are a valid source of information with the potential to motivate the public to pay attention to and be more tolerant of differences."

Aside from easing public access to the documentaries, ScreenDocs Expanded will also hold workshops for filmmakers and social activists on strategic plans to produce documentaries with an impact to bring about change in society.

The organizers have also invited Dutch director John Appel to give a public lecture and to present his award-winning documentary.

The documentaries will present various social issues such as the environment, disabilities, health concerns, women's welfare as well as bigotry and religious tolerance.

"Each screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers about the making of or the inspiration behind it," said Amelia.

"It's our goal to build the infrastructure for the development of documentary film making in Indonesia by encouraging the public to watch and to produce documentaries. We also seek the production and distribution of impact-oriented documentaries, with more collaboration to enhance solidarity among us, especially toward marginalized peoples."

What's playing

ScreenDocs Expanded is being held at the Auditorium Erasmus Huis, South Jakarta.

Rising from Silence (Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. – Documentary/Indonesia/28 minutes/Director Shalahuddin Siregar): Dialita is a choir that sings songs that have been silenced for more than 50 years. This year, the choir is recording and launching an album with young musicians with the aim of getting the younger audience to recognize a dark part of Indonesian history, and to rise from fear and silence.

Nokas (Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. – Documentary/Indonesia/76 minutes/Director Alberto Maia): East Nusa Tenggara resident Nokas struggles to get together a burdensome bride price to be able to marry the love of his life, Ci, a pretty young woman who works in a chicken farm. The screening will be its Indonesian premier.

Notes on Blindness (Closing film, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. – Documentary/UK/90 minutes/Director Pete Middleton, James Spinney): Writer and academic John Hull keeps a diary on audiocassette as he begins to lose his sight. Virtual reality technology is used in the documentary to help the audience discover the world of blindness.

Complete schedule available at in-docs.org/screendocs-expanded

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/film-festival-staged-promote-human-rights-literacy.html

Sexual & domestic violence

Violence against women and children soars

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2016

Palu – The number of cases of violence against women and children in Central Sulawesi this year had reached 305 as of October, already more than double the 117 recorded in 2015, according to the Central Sulawesi Women's Empowerment and Family Planning Agency.

The Central Sulawesi Police, however, recorded up to 227 cases of violence against children and 446 cases of violence against women in 2015.

Dewi Rana, director of the Mothers and Women's Study Circle, said many of the cases were domestic violence. "A lot of domestic violence cases were related to a spouse cheating on his or her partner," she said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/07/island-focus-violence-against-women-and-children-soars.html

Rampant domestic violence haunts women in rural Java

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Domestic violence remains rampant in rural Java, with one in two women in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, suffering emotional, physical or sexual abuse from their partner, according to a recent survey.

England-based non-governmental organization Sister for Change, together with the Empowerment of Female Heads of Households Program (Pekka) and Women's Empowerment Against Poverty (PPMK), conducted a survey from January 2015 to March 2016 with 398 female respondents in 38 villages and six districts in Java.

The survey used the snowball sampling technique as its research method, in which respondents recommend others to be interviewed.

The study, entitled "Combating impunity. Ending silence, making laws to stop violence against women, especially for rural women and girls in Java, Indonesia" showed a level of violence higher than the global average of one in three women affected.

"Bantul is a sample to represent the life experience of rural women in Java. We believe this is likely happening in other regions in Java," Sister For Change cofounder Alison Gordon told The Jakarta Post after presenting the study in Yogyakarta on Wednesday.

The survey also showed that 48 percent of rural women in Bantul were breadwinners for their families but only one in four had a say in household expenses.

Moreover, the survey revealed that one in four women had suffered sexual violence. In 94 percent of cases, the victim knew the perpetrator.

One in two women who reported crimes committed against them were shunned or received a backlash as they were told such violence was "normal" or that it was not a crime.

Four out of five women reported cases of violence but never saw the perpetrator prosecuted. Women in the rural areas also lacked access to justice and had little information on their legal rights or laws on violence against women.

Based on an analysis of various cases in Bantul, Gordon said the community considered domestic violence to be shameful and chose to silence victims while giving impunity to perpetrators.

"The state has failed to raise public awareness on the law on violence against women. As a result, violence against women is often not recognized as a crime, reinforcing the sense of entitlement of men to perpetrate violence with impunity," she added.

Separately, National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) member Khariroh Ali said the Sister for Change study was not dissimilar to the commission's findings. The group received more than 321,000 reports on violence against women last year.

"This is an iceberg phenomenon. The facts could be higher than the figures because women need the courage to report the abuse they experience as they are subject to negative stigma," Khariroh said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/rampant-domestic-violence-haunts-women-rural-java.html

Labour & migrant workers

Workers demand both wage rise, arrest of Ahok

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Jakarta – Hundreds of workers from several unions staged a dual-purpose rally on Friday to demand both a better payment scheme and the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for alleged blasphemy.

"We demand the law to be enforced," Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) chairman Said Iqbal said on Friday in the Tugu Tani statue area in Central Jakarta.

Speakers at the rally also demanded that Government Regulation No. 78/2015 concerning wages be revoked and also that minimum wages be increased between 15 and 20 percent.

The workers sang Islamic songs during the rally, which was held soon after another anti-Ahok demonstration initiated by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) in the National Monument (Monas) area finished.(fac/jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/workers-demand-both-wage-rise-arrest-of-ahok.html

Freedom of speech & expression

Press exempt from right to be forgotten

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Amid growing criticism from rights activists, the government has softened its stance and announced that internet content generated by press institutions is not among the information that should be deleted under the controversial right to be forgotten provision guaranteed by the revised Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

The Communications and Information Ministry said that both the government and the House of Representatives, when deliberating the law in October, had agreed that the right to be forgotten, as stipulated under Article 26 of the ITE law, could only order the ministry to delete non-press information on the internet at the request of a plaintiff.

Immediately after the bill was passed into law in October, rights activists feared that the new provision in the draconian law, which has seen the jailing of dozens of internet users, would give the green light for graft convicts or former graft convicts who have served their time to have all news about their cases deleted from the internet.

The ministry dismissed the concerns. Henry Subiakto, an expert at the ministry in charge on the implementation of the ITE Law, said the right to be forgotten excluded the press since it had its own law.

The communications professor from Surabaya-based Airlangga University further said the right to be forgotten could only remove information posted on other internet spheres such as fake news websites, social media and blogs, which were shown by plaintiffs to be inaccurate or untrue.

"The press should not worry because it has its own law and the ITE Law will not intervene on information related to the press. We will not suppress press freedom," Henry told The Jakarta Post on Monday, adding details on the mechanism of the right to be forgotten would come in a ministerial regulation.

Henry said that any citizen who found inaccurate or misleading information posted on the internet about themselves could file their case with a court based on the law's provision.

If the plea is approved, the court will order the ministry to ask internet service providers such as Google and Yahoo to delete the respective information from the internet, but only information posted by non-press institutions.

Henry said that the right to be forgotten had been inserted in the revision of the ITE Law at the request of House Commission I overseeing information and technology, adding that Indonesia was the first country in Asia to draft legislation on the right to be forgotten.

"The idea of the right to be forgotten emerged during a consultation with the House. We saw countries in Europe such as Spain, France and England had applied it, and we are now the first country in Asia to follow the move," Henry said.

While the ministry claimed that everyone had the right to file for the right to be forgotten in court, House Commission I said that the provision should not open for all cases, but only for those related to ITE Law violations.

Commission I chairman TB Hasanuddin said that plaintiffs availing of the right to be forgotten could not order the ministry to delete information with regard to other cases outside of the ITE offenses such as corruption and pornography. "Information cannot be deleted without a court order," Hasanuddin said.

Hasanuddin said the right to be forgotten allows citizens to delete all false information and information that besmirches them on the internet, including for example false accusations of rape, adultery, theft or corruption.

In order to be able to apply for the provision, the citizen must go through two separate legal processes, he added. A citizen must prove the information falls within the remit of the ITE Law and then apply for the right to have the information deleted.

Should the court approve the request to be forgotten, then the court will issue a ruling to order the government to delete the information from the internet. The ministry will later inform service providers to get rid of all information proven to be baseless by the court.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/press-exempt-right-be-forgotten.html

Democracy & civil rights

Specter of Soeharto raised

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Several lawmakers have described the arrest of eight antigovernment political figures for alleged treason as premature, and fear it could be a precursor to more draconian acts reminiscent of the authoritarian regime of president Soeharto.

In a hearing with the National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, Golkar Party lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo, chairman of House Commission III overseeing security, human rights and legal affairs called the arrest of eight individuals including former dissident Sri Bintang Pamungkas and retired TNI general Kivlan Zen a "repressive" measure.

"The police should avoid making such arrests. There are more dignified ways [of safeguarding the government] that aren't in violation of our democracy or restrict the freedom of speech," Bambang said during the hearing on Monday.

In the morning of Dec. 2, just as anti-Ahok protesters began making their way to the National Monument (Monas) to stage a rally demanding the imprisonment of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy, the police arrested eight figures known for their opposition to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration on charges of treason.

Other than Sri Bintang and Kivlan, those arrested included Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, sister of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the leading party in the government coalition.

The arrestees were charged under articles 107, 110 and 87 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on treason and conspiracy to commit treason.

On the same day, the police also arrested musician-cum-politician Ahmad Dhani, who is charged with insulting the President, and two other men for allegedly promoting hate speech in contravention of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

Eight people were later released pending further investigation but Sri Bintang and the two other suspects identified as the Kobar brothers, Rizal and Jamran, remain in detention.

Bambang said the government should not have overreacted to the possibility of treason. "We see no movement by university students like what we saw in 1998, and the people seem to love the President. There's nothing to indicate that treason is brewing," he said.

Democratic Party lawmaker Erma Ranik said the arrests could have a chilling effect on the country's fledgling democracy. "People will be afraid if the police can simply arrest them for expressing their antigovernment political opinions," Erma said.

Tito defended the move saying that the police had monitored the figures for weeks before making the arrests and maintained that the Dec. 2 rally passed off peacefully only because of the drastic measure.

"We know that the GNPF-MUI [National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa] and other Muslims went to the National Monument to perform Friday prayers and pray for the country. They were sincerely demanding law enforcement against Ahok. However, there was a group that aimed to take political advantage of the rally by directing them [participants] to the House complex for attempted treason," Tito said.

Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said the police expected to make more arrests in the future. "As to other actors, we'll see, but not now," Boy said.

Constitutional law expert Irman Putra Sidin said the police could not apply treason charges against individuals who only made calls to occupy the House building.

"It is treason if these people go to the TNI [Indonesian Military] headquarters and urge soldiers to take over the government from the President. It is too premature to claim that there was an indication of treason in this case," Irman said.

Another constitutional law expert Refly Harun said that in a democracy there was only a fine line between free speech and treason, so it was incumbent upon the police to be very cautious when handling treason allegations.

"Treason must constitute a grand plan to overthrow the legitimate government, not simply making a public call to do so," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/specter-of-soeharto-raised.html

Censorship overshadows democratic achievements

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democracy Index (IDI) released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Wednesday showed that Indonesia became slightly less democratic in 2015, when censorship became more rampant.

The 2015 IDI scored 72.82 points out of 100, down 0.22 points from the previous year, which according to the BPS, reveals stagnancy in the country's efforts to uphold democracy.

Protection of civil liberties in the country declined by 2.32 points from 82.62 in 2014 to 80.3 in 2015. However, it scored higher than two other components, namely political rights and democratic institutions that scored 70.63 and 66.87 points, respectively.

"Restriction, intimidation and violence against people who want to express their opinions are still happening, both by state authorities and the masses," BPS head Suharyanto said.

The BPS conducted the study in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Human Rights Affairs Minister and the Home Ministry.

Suharyanto noted that last year, violence against journalists was on the rise. Some reporters experienced beatings, had their work equipment destroyed and were stopped from doing their jobs.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) recorded 46 cases of violence against journalists in 2015, up from 40 in 2014 and 39 in 2013. Among the 46 cases, AJI data claimed that the police were responsible in at least 14 cases.

Numerous academic discussions and film screenings on the 1965 communist purge were also banned throughout the year, including in Jakarta and Bali.

The 2015 annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival was forced to cancel a series of panel discussions on the 1965 tragedy as well as the screening of Joshua Oppenheimer's film The Look of Silence following scrutiny by local authorities.

The Jakarta Arts Council's (DKJ) plan to schedule a reading and discussion of a drama script titled Family Album: #50years1965 in early December 2015 was also banned by the Jakarta Police due to fears of trouble from opponents of the event.

Siti Musdah Mulia from the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, a member of an expert team who participated in drafting the IDI, said some regulations issued by the government hampered the protection of people's freedom of expression, especially in the religious aspect.

"For example, the law on building houses of worship presents an obstacle for some religious groups who want to establish houses of worship in areas where they are not of the majority religion," Siti said.

Ahmadiyah and Shia Muslim communities have experienced numerous attacks in past years, including their mosques being shut down by authorities who bow down to pressure from people of the majority group that reject their beliefs and teachings.

In mid-2015, the South Jakarta administration sealed the An Nur Ahmadiyah mosque in Tebet following an incident in which a crowd of locals protested the mosque's presence, saying that the use of a house to perform Friday prayers was forbidden.

Members of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin and the Filadelfia Batak Church (HKBP Filadelfia) celebrated their third Christmas in 2015 without a roof, on the street outside the State Palace in Jakarta. Their church buildings in Bogor and Bekasi, respectively, have been denied permits by the local administrations.

During the event on Wednesday to announce the IDI, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto awarded several provinces for their achievements in their efforts to promote democracy.

He said civil liberties should be limited by the supremacy of law. "It is impossible for freedom to go beyond the supremacy of law. If [this principle] is violated, the state will descend into chaos," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/censorship-overshadows-democratic-achievements.html

Blasphemy & the Jakarta elections

FPI won't gain popularity from recent anti-Ahok rallies, expert says

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2016

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – The mass rallies on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 to protest Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's allegedly blasphemous statement will not win the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) more supporters, an expert has said.

Islamic scholar from the country's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama, Zuhairi Misrawi, argued that the mass rallies were successful thanks to the organizing body's reference to the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the nation's top Muslim clerical body.

The rallies were organized by a group calling itself the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI). Despite having the word MUI attached to its name, the group is not part of the MUI. However, some of the people in the group are from the FPI.

Ahok was charged with blasphemy after an edited video with an incorrect caption went viral in October that showed him mentioning a verse in the Quran when speaking in front of a group of fishermen in the Thousand Islands. The MUI later issued an edict stating that Ahok's remarks in the video had insulted the Quran.

"They [the organizing team] used the name of the MUI," Zuhairi told The Jakarta Post. "[The people attending the rallies] have nothing to do with the FPI, they are more passionate about [upholding] the MUI's edict," Zuhairi added.

Zuhairi also said the two rallies would not help garner more support for the FPI, known as a notorious vigilante group due to its raids on Jakarta nightclubs, especially during the fasting month of Ramadan. Zuhairi said people would remain critical of the FPI for the raids it carried out. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/07/fpi-wont-gain-popularity-from-recent-anti-ahok-rallies-expert-says.html

Rights group questions prosecutors' integrity in Ahok blasphemy case

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2016

Jakarta – A pro-democracy group has lashed out against what it called "unprofessional conduct" by prosecutors in the blasphemy case against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Prosecutors announced that they have completed a study of the case dossier just three days after receiving it from police investigators, and handed over the files to the court only a few hours later. Ahok's trial will commence on Dec. 13.

According to the Setara Institute, a Jakarta-based nongovernmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, human rights and political freedom, the speed at which prosecutors completed the 826-page dossier shows that they were not serious in examining it.

"Prosecutors did not play their role as supervisors; they merely delivered the dossier to court," Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said on Tuesday (06/12).

"There should have been a thorough examination to identify potential errors. It is apparent that both the professionalism and impartiality of prosecutors are questionable," he added.

A doctored video of a speech Ahok made on Pramuka Island in Jakarta's Thousand Islands district in September went viral and prompted several Muslim groups to report him to the police for blasphemy.

Police named the governor a blasphemy suspect last month amid mounting pressure from hardline Muslim groups and a series of mass protests demanding his immediate arrest. "If public pressure can influence law enforcement, the justice system is in peril," Hendardi said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/rights-group-questions-prosecutors-integrity-ahok-blasphemy-case/

Expediting of Ahok's case indicates 'trial by mob': Setara

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Jakarta – Seasoned lawyer and chairman of Setara Institute Hendardi said in an official statement on Tuesday that the decision of the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to expedite the trial of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, despite the thickness of his 826-page case dossier, indicated that this was a "trial by the mob".

"How could they peruse 826 pages in a very short time?" Hendardi questioned. "The reason is to fulfill 'the public demand' behind expediting the trial. And this confirms that "trial by the mob" has been effective in undermining prosecutors' independence in determining whether criminal behavior occurred in this case," he went on.

He said public pressure becoming the influential variable in law enforcement harmed the nation's justice system. "Being fast and responsive doesn't mean neglecting the need for a fair process," he said.

Hendardi said that this showed President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's desire for the state to ensure fair law enforcement would be difficult to achieve. "It would be reasonable for Jokowi to replace the Attorney General with someone who is more credible and has more integrity," he said.

Ahok's blasphemy trial is scheduled to begin on Dec. 13. Attorney General Agung Prasetyo has said that considering the public "request, wish and recommendation" to expedite the case, his office had submitted the dossier to the court as soon as possible.

He said the prosecution of the case would be in accordance with the law and he called the public not to harbor prejudice against the AGO. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/expediting-of-ahoks-case-indicates-trial-by-mob-setara.html

Treason arrests questioned

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2016

Moses Ompusunggu, Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's commitment to freedom of speech has come under scrutiny following the arrest of several antigovernment figures last week over alleged treason.

Jokowi won praise for his bold move to take part in mass prayers last Friday with thousands of Muslims who demanded the imprisonment of blasphemy suspect and incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Hours earlier, the police had arrested 11 people accused of attempting to mobilize a movement to overthrow the government by utilizing the large-scale rally.

On Saturday, the National Police released eight of the suspects, including activist Ratna Sarumpaet and musician-turned-politician Ahmad Dhani.

Former anti-Soeharto activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas, 71, and two siblings, Jamran and Rizal, remain in detention. Another suspect, Alvin Indra, was only announced by the police in a press conference on Saturday.

Most of the suspects were charged under articles 107, 110 and 87 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on treason and conspiracy to commit treason. Sri Bintang was also charged under the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law for hate speech.

In a video uploaded to YouTube, he was seen encouraging dozens of people to demand that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) overthrow Jokowi. "If [we all] unite, let's go together and demand the MPR revoke Jokowi's mandate as president," Sri Bintang said in the video.

Jamran and Rizal were also charged with the 2008 law as the police claimed they had actively spread hate speech and provocation on the internet ahead of the Dec. 2 rally.

National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli denied that the arrests were arbitrary or aimed at silencing government critics.

"There is a clear line of distinction between delivering criticism and attempting to conspire and provoke people to commit treason," Boy said on Saturday. "[In this case] treason was [the action of those] who used their freedom to spread provocative ideas that could create a reaction, mislead people and drive public opinion," he added.

He claimed the police had solid grounds to name them suspects, based on evidence including a "handwritten document and electronic evidence that recorded a conversation among the suspects".

One of the suspects, activist Firza Husein, is the chairwoman of the Cendana Friend Solidarity Movement (SSC), an organization that reveres former president Soeharto.

Cyberlaw expert Megi Margiyono urged the authorities to be prudent and cautious in handling the cases, citing people's freedom of expression, which is protected under the 1945 Constitution and international laws, including the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

"Don't make the public negatively assume that this is an attempt [by the authorities] to silence those who strongly criticize the government," he told The Jakarta Post.

Similarly, Asep Komarudin of the Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) viewed the arrests as a threat to freedom of expression.

"It's bad for the public image of the President and the government. Government intelligence should have waited for them to take concrete action before arresting them," he told the Post.

Asep said treason charges in the Criminal Code had been loosely used by the government in the past to silence government critics.

Under the New Order regime, Indonesia saw numerous activists who opposed Soeharto charged with treason. Since the Reform Era, treason has been mostly reserved for Papuan activists and terror suspects.

Constitutional expert Refly Harun, however, said it was "right" for the police to make the arrests as a preventive action. "However, the authorities should ensure they uphold the rule of law and have strong evidence," he said.

Boy suggested that labor activists may have also planned to use the rally to launch a treason plot. "We are now investigating whether [labor activists] also had a treason plot," he said.

8 treason suspects

Rachmawati Soekarnoputri: The daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno often takes a different stance to her sister, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri. In 2002, Rachmawati founded the Pioneers' Party before joining the NasDem Party, which is led by media mogul and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's confidant Surya Paloh.
Firza Husain: Jakarta Police investigators arrested the activist at the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel in Central Jakarta. She reportedly has a close relationship with the once-powerful "Cendana" family, which refers to the family of Indonesia's second president Soeharto.
Kivlan Zen: The 69-year-old retired two-star Army general was known as a staunch supporter of Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto during the 2014 presidential election. Since his retirement from the Army, Kivlan has often been involved in political activities.
Sri Bintang Pamungkas: Sri Bintang, 71, is best known for his political activities during the authoritarian regime of Soeharto, when he was once jailed for treason. In 1996, he founded the United Democratic Indonesia Party, which garnered a mere 0.13 percent of votes during the 1999 general election.
Ratna Sarumpaet: The actress-turned-activist has frequently made headlines for her fierce criticism of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's policies. The mother of actress Atiqah Hasiholan is also known to be vocal on social media.
Adityawarman Thaha: The retired Army general is a renowned counterterrorism expert. As chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Students' Family Association between 2011 and 2015, Adityawarman is also known for his close relationship with conservative Muslim groups. He was Prabowo's supporter in the 2014 presidential race.
Eko Suryo Santjojo: Eko was the secretary-general of Rachmawati's Pioneers' Party. Eko has a master's degree in law and is a member of the rector's council of the Rachmawati-led Bung Karno University (UBK) in Jakarta.
Alvin Indra: Little is known about Alvin, whose status as a suspect in the alleged treason plot was only revealed on Saturday. Circulating rumors have suggested he is a labor activist.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/05/treason-arrests-questioned.html

Setya Novanto, Surya Paloh stand up for diversity after anti-Ahok rally

Jakarta Post - December 4, 2016

Jakarta – Supporters of gubernatorial candidate Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama retook the public stage on Sunday with a mass gathering in Jakarta to call for unity amid growing pressure from conservative Muslim groups to push for the arrest of the incumbent governor over blasphemy.

NasDem party chairman Surya Paloh expressed hope of national unity in his oration at the event, which saw thousands of people flock to Jl. Jenderal Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin to attend the so-called "Kita Indonesia" (We are Indonesia) event.

"We would not reach our national goals if we keep [accusing each other of blasphemy]. Our biggest evils are not ethnic and religious differences, but rather stupidity and poverty," he said.

Golkar Party chairman and House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto shared a similar view.

"President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo made a good move by blending in with the rally crowd for the Friday prayer. I hope this peaceful meeting can further cool down the tension," he said, referring to a large-scale rally on Friday that saw more than 500,000 people gather around the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta to join a mass prayer pushing for Ahok's arrest.

Ahok, a Christian and Indonesian of Chinese descent in the Muslim-majority country, has sparked uproar among Islamic groups with a comment about a Quranic verse in a speech delivered on his visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September.

Golkar and NasDem, along with the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Hanura Party, are backing Ahok in the upcoming gubernatorial election, to be held on Feb. 15. (adt/hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/04/setya-novanto-surya-paloh-stand-up-for-diversity-after-anti-ahok-rally.html

Treason suspects intended to mobilize mass to occupy House: Police

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2016

Jakarta – The National Police are convinced that seven of 10 political activists arrested for alleged treason had intended to mobilize a mass rally on Friday to occupy the House of Representatives, as part of an attempt to overthrow the government.

National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said he had found evidence suggesting seven suspects, namely Eko, Adityawarman, Kivlan Zein, Firza Huzein, Ratna Sarumpaet, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri and Alvin, had conspired to take advantage of the rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for alleged blasphemy.

"There has been communication and coordination [between the suspects]. The police have monitored and recorded their planned activities," Boy said at the National Police headquarters on Saturday.

Boy added that the police had been investigating the possible involvement of other people who may have given financial assistance to the treason movement. "We are developing an investigation into the source of the money, whether someone has financially backed them," he said.

The police also arrested activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas, Jamran and Rizal on suspicion of treason. However, Boy said they were not connected to the seven aforementioned suspects. (fac/jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/03/treason-suspects-intended-to-mobilize-mass-to-occupy-house-police.html

Agus' cash handout pledge to community heads under scrutiny

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and running mate Sylviana Murni may have to scrap their promise to disburse Rp 1 billion (US$74,197) for each neighborhood unit (RW) in the capital per year in a bid to lure voters.

The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) is currently examining the pair's campaign promise, saying it may constitute an administrative violation.

The commission launched an investigation after the Jakarta Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) reported the possible campaign violation. "What Pak Agus promises is not included in his policy platform," Bawaslu head Mimah Susanti said on Thursday.

KPU Jakarta chairman Sumarno said he had received the report from the agency. He said what Agus promised was not being considered as vote buying, but as an administrative violation, he added.

"The two are very different things. Vote buying is a crime and should be legally processed by the police, prosecutors and the courts," Sumarno told The Jakarta Post.

If an election candidate made a promise in his or her campaign to allocate part of the budget for an official government program, it was not vote buying, he added. "It's not like he's saying that if you choose me, then I'll give you a certain amount of money," said Sumarno.

However, the official clarified that the gubernatorial hopeful could be barred from continuing to promise the Rp 1 billion disbursement as a campaign tool.

"If the KPU agrees with Bawaslu, then the sanction will be a warning letter stating that the pair can only campaign on what's included in their policy platform. According to Bawaslu, they can't promise [what is not part of their platform]," Sumarno said.

The elections body, he said, would hold a plenary meeting on Friday to decide on the matter as soon as possible.

Responding to the investigation, Agus' campaign spokesperson, Rico Rustombi, said the team believed that it was not fair for the election bodies to ban the team from using the campaign promise.

"The program conveyed in political speeches is a community-empowerment program. It's a by-product of our policy platform and what needs to be understood is that the Rp 1 billion will come from the regional budget, not from Agus' and Sylviana's own pockets," he told the Post.

Rico added that the team had explained that to Bawaslu. "We highly object if our program is considered vote-buying. It's a program that has to be explained to the people of Jakarta. They have to know and understand what Agus and Sylviana will do [if they're elected]," he said.

Rico said banning Agus' team from using the campaign promise would harm the pair's candidacy "How can the campaign be effective is something like this is labeled 'money politics'? It reeks discrimination because it means that only incumbents [have the opportunity] to concretely explain their programs because they're already in place," he said.

Prior to the report, Bawaslu announced that Agus and Sylviana had made the most violations so far during the campaign period, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 10, with 15 violations.

Mimah said the violations comprised the presence of unregistered volunteers, campaigning without a permit, the involvement of children and displaying campaign material that did not follow regulations.

Meanwhile, she said candidate pairs Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat and Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno had made six campaign violations each.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/03/agus-cash-handout-pledge-community-heads-under-scrutiny.html

Anti-Jokowi figures charged with treason

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2016

Moses Ompusunggu and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – Seven political figures known for their strong opposition to the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo were arrested on charges of treason on Friday, only a few hours before the large-scale rally by conservative Muslims in the capital against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

The National Police accused the seven people, including Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, of trying to exploit the anti-Ahok rally to overthrow the government.

Rachmawati is the younger sister of Indonesian Democratic Party Of Struggle (PDI-P) chief patron Megawati Soekarnoputri, leader of a coalition of political parties that support Jokowi's administration.

Among the six others charged include retired two-star army general Kivlan Zen and political activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas, both of whom were charged under articles 107, 110 and 87 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on treason and conspiracy to commit treason.

According to Article 107 of the KUHP, if convicted of treason, the suspects could face 20 years' imprisonment.

Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said the police were in the midst of investigating whether there had been any communication between the suspects to commit the alleged treason. "We will announce the questioning results tomorrow morning."

The police accused the suspects of being involved in treason-related activities in the past three weeks, without going into detail.

Questioning of the suspects was still ongoing at the Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Depok, West Java, as of Friday evening. The police have only 24 hours to conclude the process, after which they must determine whether they will detain the suspects, as stipulated in the country's Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP).

Megawati, who was attending a batik exhibition at the Smesco building in Pancoran, South Jakarta, refused to comment on the arrest of her sibling Rachmawati.

On Friday the police also arrested musician-turned-politician Ahmad Dhani for allegedly insulting President Jokowi while partaking in the anti-Ahok rally on Nov. 4, and two other men for allegedly promoting hate speech under Article 28, point 2 of the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law. All three men had also been named suspects by the police.

Rachmawati previously said she would not join the massive rally, but instead would visit the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) to demand that the legislative body immediately hold an extraordinary meeting to bring back the original version of the 1945 Constitution.

Under the old 1945 Constitution, the MPR had the power to appoint a president and vice president, and the president had to answer to the assembly.

Under the current presidential system, a move against the president in the form of an impeachment proceeding can only occur if the House launches an inquiry, requests a detailed examination of a policy, and only when the policy in question meets the criteria for violations that could be subject to an impeachment trial can the process start.

MPR Speaker Zulkifli Hasan said Rachmawati had several times come to him with the demand, but he always said no because the MPR had decided to only have a limited amendment of the reinstatement of the now-defunct state policy guideline (GBHN). "All people can have their aspirations – we as speakers will accept them – but whether we agree or not is another question."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/03/anti-jokowi-figures-charged-with-treason.html

Jokowi changes tune in handling rally

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2016

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – When protesters began to swarm Jakarta on Friday morning, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo left the State Palace to inspect a construction project, raising suspicion that he would again evade the large-scale rally by conservative Muslim groups against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama over blasphemy allegations.

But the suspicions proved to be wrong. The President immediately returned to the State Palace after wrapping up his visit to Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, which is under renovation for the 2018 Asian Games.

In a bold move, with a blue umbrella in his hand, Jokowi, along with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, joined the mass prayers held by protesters at the National Monument (Monas), even though Friday saw bigger crowds than the Nov. 4 rally, when a riot erupted in front of the palace because of Jokowi's refusal to meet with protesters.

At Monas, the pair sat inside a tent erected beside the stage to hear the Friday prayers sermon delivered by Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman Rizieq Shihab, before performing Friday prayers.

Jokowi concluded his attendance by taking to the podium and delivering a short speech expressing his appreciation for the peaceful protest, which had been called "a joint prayer".

"Thank you for your prayers for the safety of the nation," the President said in a firm tone. I highly appreciate everyone who has come and maintained order, so that the event can run well."

"Allahu akbar [God is great]," Jokowi said several times between his sentences, to which the crowd immediately replied "Allahu akbar".

Jokowi seemed confident in handling the Friday rally, following his numerous dialogues with various Muslim leaders and a political safari to visit different party leaders after the Nov. 4 rally, which turned violent later at night.

Some believed that Jokowi's absence from the palace during the Nov. 4 rally may have escalated the situation, as protesters appeared to be dissatisfied when the President sent his ministers to meet them, while he left the palace to visit a construction project at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Prior to the Friday rally, concerns were raised that it could trigger more violence, as it was predicted that more people would take part than on Nov. 4.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police recently held diversity parades nationwide, in an apparent attempt to discourage people from taking part in the rally, which was filled with sectarian rhetoric after the mass prayers.

Jokowi's move to join the mass prayers organized by protesters was unexpected. The decision to take part came from the President himself and was made only minutes before prayer time, said Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.

The main reason, Lukman added, was because the President believed his presence "was needed to directly address appreciation to the congregation and the [rally] participants for their sincere prayers for a peaceful nation".

Lukman expressed optimism that there would be no more rallies in the near future, suggesting that people wait for the result of Ahok's ongoing legal case.

Regardless of Lukman's claim, the President was actually offered three options by his subordinates – to perform Friday prayers at a mosque inside the palace compound, to join the mass prayers at Monas or to pray at Istiqlal Mosque, which was also a meeting point for some protesters.

Unlike the Nov. 4 protest, which took center stage in front of the palace and nearby buildings, the Friday rally was concentrated in Monas square, which appeared to add leverage to security efforts.

Netizens on Twitter immediately commended the President for taking part in the mass prayers, with many saying they were proud of his bold move, resulting in the hashtag #Jokowi212 being among the top trending topics in the country as of Friday evening.

However, as the President wrapped up his short speech, the crowds started yelling: "Arrest Ahok immediately!"

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/03/jokowi-changes-tune-in-handling-rally.html

South Sulawesi residents stage anti-Ahok rally

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Thousands of Muslims staged a rally against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Friday, as seen in many regions across the country.

The protesters marched from Al Markaz Al Islami Mosque to Karebosi Square during the rally, demanding the police arrest Ahok for alleged blasphemy.

The rally, which was organized by the South Sulawesi United Muslims (FUIB) group, was also attended by South Sulawesi Governor Sahrul Yasin Limpo, the province's military command chief Maj. Gen. Agus Surya Bhakti and the province's police chief Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan.

The FUIB handed over a statement to Sahrul Yasin demanding that Ahok be detained for blasphemy. "Ahok has been named a suspect in the blasphemy case. We demand that he should be detained," said FUIB chairman Muchtar Daeng Lau.

The police previously named Ahok a suspect but have not detained the incumbent governor, saying he was cooperative during the police investigation.

Similarly, the Attorney General's Office decided not to detain Ahok after stating that his case dossier was complete and handing it to the North Jakarta District Court. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/south-sulawesi-residents-stage-anti-ahok-rally.html

C. Java protesters demand Ahok's immediate incarceration

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Suherdjoko, Semarang, Central Java – Around 2,000 people called for the immediate incarceration of non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama during a rally in Semarang, Central Java, on Friday.

Rallying in front of the Central Java Prosecutor's Office on Jl. Pahlawan, the protesters insisted that Ahok was guilty of blasphemy.

Islamic organization Majelis Akhir Zaman chairman Farid Prianggono said Muslims must defend Islam. "[...] Allah says said in the Quran that if you help the religion of Allah, then Allah will help you and strengthen your position on Earth," he said during his oration.

Farid is one of the ustadz (Islamic lecturers) who made a speech and gave a sermon during the rally. Started after the Friday prayer, the rally ran orderly and peacefully. Members of Islamic organizations joined with the Semarang Muslim Forum and ended the rally by holding Asr (afternoon) prayers.

They included the Semarang branch of the Islamic Students Association (HMI), the Central Java branch of the Indonesia Islamic Students (PII) organization, the Indonesian Muslim Students Action Front (KAMMI), Pemuda Muhammadiyah, the youth wing of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Islamic organization, and other Muslim components across the province.

The protesters carried posters bearing pictures of Ahok and messages reading "Bring this blasphemy perpetrator to justice" and "Imprison Islam's defamer".

Dozens of police personnel, including police women, secured the rally, which ran in parallel with a mass prayer organized by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) at Jakarta's National Monument (Monas) Park on Friday. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/c-java-protesters-demand-ahoks-immediate-incarceration.html

Indonesia police arrest eight people before anti-Ahok Jakarta protest

The Guardian (Australia) - December 2, 2016

Kate Lamb, Jakarta – Indonesian police have arrested eight people for alleged treason including Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's founding father, hours before a 200,000-strong protest in Jakarta against its Christian governor on Friday.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, has incensed conservative Muslims over allegedly blasphemous comments he made about the Qur'an in an election campaign. Protesters have demanded that the governor, who is to face trial for the remarks, is sent to jail.

Waving banners that read "Jail Ahok, the law must be fair", demonstrators marched through the streets for the second time in a month.

The case of Ahok, who is also a member of the country's ethnic Chinese Indonesian minority, has opened up a political Pandora's box in Indonesia.

Rachmawati reportedly held a press conference on Thursday in which she called upon those joining Friday's protest to occupy the parliament building. Ahmad Dhani, a rock star and political hopeful who accompanied Rachmawati on Thursday, was arrested on the same charges.

Hours before the anti-Ahok protest, police announced that eight people had been arrested for suspected treason.

"Eight people have been arrested and are undergoing interrogation by the Jakarta police. We will wait for the interrogation results," national police spokesman Insp Gen Boy Rafli Amar said on Friday. Two others were arrested for alleged crimes under Indonesia's electronic information law.

Police did not immediately release the full names of those arrested but a lawyer for Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia's first president, confirmed she was among them. She is also the younger sister of Megawati Soekarnoputri – a former president herself, and the political patron of the current president, Joko Widodo.

"Yes, she has been arrested. Police officers arrived at her home at 5am and took her at 6am," said lawyer Aldwin Rahardian.

It is also believed that two former military generals, Kivlan Zein and Adityawarman, and activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas, were also among those arrested for alleged treason. Under the Indonesian criminal code, treason carries a maximum life sentence.

Ahok supporters say that in the world's largest Muslim majority nation, his case is a test of the country's commitment to pluralism and tolerance. Others have suggested the protests point to rising religious conservatism, or nefarious political moves to undermine the president.

But Aleksius Jemadu, a professor from Pelita Harapan University in Jakarta, says Friday's arrests should not be a great cause for concern.

"It's good the government has been firm in establishing the rule of law so those accused of bad intentions to change the government, or to topple the government, should be held responsible for what they planned to do," he said, "In the eyes of the public it's good the government has been firm in order to ensure the supremacy of law."

Crowds had started to thin by the afternoon after the peaceful protest on Friday, but a demonstration against the governor turned violent after dark last month, with protesters burning several police trucks and officers using teargas to disperse the crowd. Demonstrators had called on the president to come and meet them, a demand that was ignored.

In an apparent move to appease the crowd on Friday, Widodo joined Friday prayers at the national monument, commending the peaceful gathering and encouraging people to go home safely.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/02/indonesia-police-arrest-eight-people-before-anti-ahok-jakarta-protest

High-profile Indonesians arrested ahead of major blasphemy rally in

Sydney Morning Herald - December 2, 2016

Jewel Topsfield and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – Eight Indonesians were arrested for alleged treason on Friday morning ahead of another massive rally calling for Jakarta's governor to be jailed for blasphemy.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims flocked to Indonesia's national monument, Monas, on Friday morning waving flags bearing the Islamic testament of faith and placards with "Ahok 2 jail" and "the law must be fair".

Police estimated crowd numbers at around 500,000 to 600,000 but some demonstrators claimed on social media the figure was closer to a couple of million.

Among the eight arrested before the rally were Indonesian rock musician Ahmad Dhani and Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, the sister of former Indonesian president Megawati.

Ahmad Dhani had told a similar rally last month that he was "very sad and crying" for having a president who did not respect the habibs (men who claim descent from the family of the Prophet Muhammad) and ulema (Islamic scholars).

Others high-profile identities arrested, according to a Whatsapp group circulated among journalists, were two-star general Kivlan Zein and theatre artist Ratna Sarumpaet.

National police spokesman Martinus Sitompul said the names mentioned in the Whatsapp group were correct. "According to the law they will be detained for 24 hours, then we will see after that if we need to continue keeping them in the police cell or not," he said.

A further two people are facing charges over breaching electronic information laws.

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, a member of Indonesia's Christian and ethnic Chinese minorities popularly known as Ahok, has been named a blasphemy suspect by police after he accused his critics of deceiving voters using a verse from the Koran.

His case dossier has already been submitted to the North Jakarta District Court and he is expected to stand trial within weeks. If convicted, he faces a maximum jail term of five years.

But this has not satisfied his critics and the nation has been restive after last month's protest of up to 200,000 people turned ugly after nightfall. One man died of an asthma attack after tear gas was fired into the crowd, hundreds were injured and vehicles were torched.

Tensions have been high in the capital ahead of Friday's rally, with a social media campaign calling for a run on the banks and hoax news reports and rumours rife on the internet.

The Australian government issued a travel update strongly advising people to stay away from the protest, which it said may turn violent.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who was criticised for not meeting demonstrators last month, cancelled a planned state visit to Australia last month and has spent the last few weeks meeting Muslim leaders, police and military and calling for calm.

Later on Friday Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, and other cabinet ministers joined the crowd for prayers.

He thanked the crowd on behalf of the government for conducting the rally peacefully and urged them to safely return to the places from which they had come. "Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest), " the president said.

The rally was peaceful, with volunteers handing out water and snacks, some demonstrators carrying white roses and people respecting signs to keep off grassed areas despite the masses. Many in the crowd, most of whom were wearing white, took selfies of themselves and their friends.

They sang the national anthem and a derivation of a popular song sung at birthdays, with the words: "Arrest Ahok, just do it now." "Why are people coming from outside of Jakarta? Because of our love of the Koran," preacher Bachtiar Nasir told the crowd.

One of the demonstrators, Rohman, told Fairfax Media he had travelled from Tegal in Central Java, some 270 kilometres east of the capital, to attend the rally.

Rohman said he had come to pray for the nation, defend Islam and uphold the law in Indonesia. "What is wrong is wrong," he said. "If he (Ahok) is declared a suspect he should automatically be arrested."

One woman, awed by the size of the crowd, remarked it looked like Mecca. "And still he is not arrested!" she exclaimed.

Melissa Crouch from the University of NSW said post-1998 democratisation had given greater voice to Islamic organisations, who used their freedom to promote an Islamist agenda that claimed to uphold the law.

"In fact, they subvert it," she wrote at policyforum.net. "By demanding the attorney-general arrest Ahok, they are already presuming charges will be laid. By a show of force in the capital, Islamists issue an implicit threat to the judiciary who may hear the case – we will mob your courtroom next. So much for a fair and impartial hearing."

A lawyer for Rachmawati Soekarnoputri told Fairfax Media his client had been picked up at 4.30am and was being interrogated for allegedly committing treason. Yusril Izha Mahendra said the arrest was unrelated to the November 4 rally.

[With Karuni Rompies and Amilia Rosa.]

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/highprofile-indonesians-arrested-ahead-of-major-blasphemy-rally-in-jakarta-20161202-gt3007.html

Tito booed as he addresses anti-Ahok protesters

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian faced a tough crowd on Friday as he addressed participants of a mass gathering of protestors to demanding the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy.

"Get off [the stage]!" many protesters shouted at Tito prior to his speaking at the opening of the gathering at the National Monument (Monas) square.

The National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesia Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) chairman Bachtiar Nasir, whose organization initiated the gathering, attempted to calm the protesters who kept booing Tito even as he made his statement, by urging them to respect him as a representative of the state.

Tito said the legal case against Ahok was almost complete. He also urged the rally participants to support the legal process. The crowd responded to Tito by yelling "Prove it, prove it!"

Tito, however, remained unperturbed. "Let's pray and bring our hearts close to God and for the guidance of Muhammad SAW," he said.

Last month, the National Police named Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, a suspect of blasphemy over a comment on a Quranic verse Ahok had made during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in late September. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/tito-booed-as-he-addresses-anti-ahok-protesters.html

Jokowi, Kalla center stage at Muslim rally

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Ina Parlina and Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – In a show of leadership confidence, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla made a bold, last minute decision to leave the State Palace and join a huge crowd of protesters at the nearby National Monument (Monas) square to perform Friday prayer.

Earlier in the day, the palace had not revealed where the President and Vice president would perform Friday prayer, a compulsory ritual for adult Muslim men, but gave strong indications that the pair would perform the prayer at the mosque inside the palace compound.

Jokowi and Kalla, accompanied by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto and Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saefuddin, left the palace at around 11:40 a.m. and walked to Monas with protection from dozens of police personnel and members of the presidential detail.

They later sat inside a tent erected beside the stage to hear the Friday prayer sermon delivered by Islam Defenders Front (FPI) chairman Rizieq Shihab.

After the prayer, Jokowi was invited to the stage and stood there for a couple of minutes to deliver a short speech.

"Thank you for your prayer for the safety of the country. I appreciate everyone who has come and maintained order, so that the event can run well," he said.

By Friday noon, more than 500,000 protesters had flocked Monas and its surrounding areas, where more than 20,000 joint security personnel have also been deployed. The event was scheduled to wrap up at 1 p.m.

This will be a follow-up of another large-scale, anti-Ahok rally on Nov. 4, when protesters, mostly from various Muslim groups, swarmed onto Jakarta's streets to demand Ahok's prosecution for alleged blasphemy. The rally, which started peacefully, however, turned into a riot in front of the State Palace after some protesters refused to disperse themselves in the evening. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/jokowi-kalla-center-stage-at-muslim-rally.html

Jakarta protests: Muslims turn out in force against Christian governor

Agence France Presse - December 2, 2016

A crowd of at least 200,000 Muslim protesters has descended on Jakarta to demand the Christian governor of the Indonesian capital be arrested for insulting Islam.

There was heavy security at the rally on Friday with authorities wary of the kind of violence that marred a similar demonstration in November.

People headed towards a huge park in downtown Jakarta to protest against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known by his nickname Ahok, who has become the target of widespread anger in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Waving banners that read "Jail Ahok, the law must be fair", demonstrators dressed in white Islamic skullcaps and robes marched through the streets. Many had travelled from outside the capital to take part.

"All we want is justice, and by justice I mean Ahok being detained," said Ricky Subagia, 26, who had come 200km (120 miles) from the town of Garut.

President Joko Widodo, who is a political ally of Ahok, unexpectedly went to the national monument to join Friday prayers with the sprawling crowd. He called for protesters to disperse peacefully. They cheered and then broke into chants calling for Ahok's arrest.

Authorities did not have an immediate estimate of numbers although tens of thousands appeared to be on the streets. National police spokesman Rikwanto, who goes by one name, said police estimated 200,000 people were on the streets.

Purnama, Jakarta's first non-Muslim governor in half a century, is already being prosecuted for allegedly committing blasphemy over comments he made about the Koran in an election campaign. But he has not been detained and conservative Muslim groups are now pushing for his arrest.

Speaking on the main stage at the national monument, national police chief Tito Karnavian called for the protesters to support the legal process in the blasphemy case.

"We have worked to finalize the dossier and have handed over to the prosecutors. Therefore, I request support from all of you so that the legal process goes well," he said as the crowd cheered "God is Great".

The case is viewed in part as a test of religious tolerance for Indonesia, where minorities have increasingly come under attack in recent years and the government stands accused of failing to rein in fringe hardline groups.

But critics say it is as much about politics and accuse opponents of Purnama, also a member of Indonesia's ethnic Chinese minority, of whipping up anger and encouraging the protests to reduce his support ahead of February polls for the governorship.

Thousands of police and soldiers were deployed to keep the peace at Friday's rally, which could dwarf a protest of a few weeks earlier that brought 100,000 people on to the streets and was the biggest demonstration the city had seen in years.

The 4 November protest descended into violence as night fell, with Muslim hardliners hurling missiles at security forces, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. One person was killed and hundreds injured.

Police named Purnama as a suspect in a blasphemy investigation in November following the protest as calls mounted for him to prosecuted.

The governor had accused his opponents of using a Koranic verse that suggests Muslims should not choose non-Muslims as leaders in order to trick people into voting against him.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/02/jakarta-protests-muslims-against-christian-governor-ahok

Critics say Jokowi's move to join mass prayer sets bad president,

BBC Indonesia - December 2, 2016

Isyana Artharini – Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab delivered a sermon during Friday prayers at the National Monument in Central Jakarta on December 2.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto and Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin meanwhile attended the prayers and listened to the sermon.

Wahid Institute senior researcher Ahmad Suaedy believes that the president's move was a sign that "moderation has occurred between the two parties".

"At 411 [the November 4 mass demonstrations in Jakarta against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama] there was a big gap, in order just to meet there had to be negotiation, then after more mediation, there was dialogue, before they wanted to hold Friday prayers at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, the Friday prayers [at the National Monument] was different from what had [originally] been planned", said Suaedy.

According to Suaedy the momentum of the Friday prayers was an attempt at communication with the protesting groups that was "quite ideal" because at the earlier 411 action the parties supporting the action were considered to "feel that they had the wind in their sails" so communication with them would have been "counterproductive".

During the Friday prayers, the president, vice president and ministers sat and listened to the sermon delivered by Shihab. When asked if this would give rise to a perception that Widodo appears to have given in to the FPI, Suaedy rejected such a view. "I'm of the view that Jokowi is attempting to communicate with broader society, one that very large, and that's not because of the FPI, it's because of the involvement of many different parties, particularly Koranic scholars, Islamic study groups, who took part in this process, people who actually have their own individual agendas. Politics is the art of communication right, now this is the essence of political communication because a moderation has taken place", he said.

Nevertheless, Suaedy emphasised that after this process, the government must "consistently uphold the law on who is guilty and who is innocent".

"If for example there is a social group that is guilty [of a crime], [the law] must be enforced, don't let the sacrifice of certain people, for example Ahok and Buni Yani [who uploaded a video of Ahok allegedly insulting the Koran] be used to save or protect others, for example, the ones that are really and truly guilty must be punished", said Suaedy.

Did Shihab humiliate the president? Following Friday prayers, the President Widodo joined Shihab on the stage and expressed his thanks to the 212 [December 2] protesters for holding an orderly action. Amid the commotion and cheerful greetings, Widodo also expressed thanks for the prayers that were made to save the nation.

Only movements after Widodo left however, as reported by BBC journalist Heyder Affan, Shihab took to the stage and called on the protesters to sing a song calling for Ahok to be arrested using a tune from the children's song "Planting Corn" (Menanam Jagung) which was changed to: "Arrest, arrest, arrest Ahok, arrest little Ahok now".

When asked about the incident and what was the point in Widodo making such a huge compromise only then to be humiliated by Shihab, Suaedy said that this had occurred precisely because the government has from the start failed to take firm action against people who commit hate speech or express hatred against other groups or people.

"[The government] never enforces the law [against these people] so it has accumulated. This action was a [result of this] accumulation, the government's mistake has been to allow these groups [to keep doing it] instead of upholding the law", said Suaedy.

Sudden decision to join Friday prayers

Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy chairperson Hendardi also said that Widodo's decision to take part in the Friday prayers was a "symbolic political act to demonstrate political stability and that security is still under control". However he regretted Widodo's attendance at the rally.

"(Jokowi's attendance) set a bad president for Indonesia's national life, where in the end Jokowi compromised with the elite of intolerant groups who have repeatedly perpetrated acts of violence. The mass gathering [itself] has already become a new source of legitimisation and justification to dictate the legal process [against Ahok] and what political decision is taken", said Hendardi.

He compared this with Widodo's utter failure to respond in any way whatsoever to the "Thursday Actions" [in front of the State Palace] which have been held hundreds of times by the victims and families of human rights violations.

Earlier, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifudin said that it was the president himself who decided to join the Friday prayers at the National Monument "after of course listening to the views from various circles".

"The decision [was made] just prior to the call to Friday prayers earlier. So indeed the time frame was really very short", said Saifudin.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Apa arti keikutsertaan Jokowi dalam salat Jumat bersama Rizieq Shihab?".]

Source: http://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-38178890

Fake news report on Muslim hardliner behind Jakarta rally linked to

Sydney Morning Herald - December 1, 2016

Jewel Topsfield and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – An incendiary fake news report distributed via Australia and the US has added fuel to Indonesian jitters ahead of another huge demonstration on Friday calling for Jakarta's governor to be jailed.

The report claimed a Muslim hardliner behind the planned mass protests across the country was beaten up by army troops at his party's headquarters. It has been traced to websites hosted in Australia and the US.

For weeks demonstrators have been calling for Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, widely known as Ahok, to be jailed, with the police chief last week warning some groups had a "hidden agenda" to seize control of parliament during Friday's rally. Ahok is Christian and a member of the ethnic Chinese minority in Indonesia.

Authorities are bracing for hundreds of thousands of protesters at Monas, Indonesia's National Monument, just a month after a similar rally in the nation's capital turned ugly, with hundreds injured and cars torched. More than 20,000 military and police officers will provide security.

The Australian government issued a travel warning on Thursday strongly advising Australians to avoid all protests as "they may turn violent".

The hoax news report, which authorities feared would further inflame tensions, said that Islam Defenders Front leader Rizieq Shihab, one of the organisers of the demonstration, had been beaten up by army troops.

Indonesian National Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Wuryanto told Fairfax Media the fake news story had been traced to a poker website from Nobby Beach in Queensland and New Jersey in the US.

Asked if this was evidence of foreign influences trying to destabilise Indonesia as had been reported in local media, Brigadier Wuryanto said: "Well, all I can say is whoever they are, they they have the bad intention to do that."

Brigadier Wuryanto said the military had immediately followed up on reports that Rizieq had been beaten up by members of Kostrad, an Indonesian Army Corps.

When they were found to be false, information technology authorities were asked to check the source of the stories. "The result of tracing shows the news was spread from two addresses in New Jersey US and Nobby Beach, Queensland, Australia," Brigadier Wuryanto said.

He said the website administrator had used a fake internet address and Tor (software that enables anonymous communication) that redirected to addresses overseas and used a foreign server.

"The information we got from the investigation is that the usage of Tor and a fake IP [internet protocol] address was to make an investigation difficult to do, given the website used was for online gambling," he said.

The Ministry of Communication and Information was told to block the websites, which were possibly operated by the same person.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has also warned people not to follow suggestions intended to inflict damage, following a social media campaign calling for the withdrawal of savings from banks ahead of the rally.

Those attending Friday's protest want Ahok, to be jailed for allegedly insulting Islam.

Ahok sparked intense controversy when he told fishermen they were being deceived into not voting for him by his opponents, who used a Koranic verse that some interpret as meaning Muslims should not have a non-Muslim leader.

Ahok was named a blasphemy suspect following the November 4 rally, a decision many believe police made in order to stabilise a restless nation and stave off future protests.

He was ordered not to leave the country but was not detained because opinion was divided over whether his comments were blasphemous.

President Joko Widodo also cancelled a planned state visit to Australia at the eleventh hour and has spent much of the past month meeting with Islamic leaders, police, his political opponents and the military, and calling for calm.

On Thursday, Ahok accompanied police to the Attorney-General's office as his case dossier was formally handed over to prosecutors. If convicted of blasphemy he faces a maximum five years' jail.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) believes Ahok insulted both the Koran and ulemas (Muslim scholars) when he made his remarks. MUI Deputy Secretary General Sholahuddin Al Ayuni told Fairfax Media that in the past blasphemy suspects had been immediately detained.

"Why is it different now? People's feeling of justice is disturbed by it," he said. "The character of Indonesian people is that they can stand being pressured on many issues but when the issue is about religion, they cannot stand it."

Mr Sholahuddin said the police had agreed to take care of security at Friday's rally, which will be held between 8am and 1pm local time. "In this light, I think the December 2 rally will not only be peaceful, it will be super peaceful," he said.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/fake-news-report-on-muslim-hardliner-behind-jakarta-rally-linked-to-australia-ushosted-website-20161201-gt1xea.html

United against sectarianism

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Marguerite Afra and Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – Two days before another large-scale rally in Jakarta organized by conservative Islamic groups against the city's governor over blasphemy accusations, the Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police and local officials held a nationwide diversity parade, in an apparent attempt to weaken the sectarian rhetoric unleashed by the main proponents of the rally.

The parade, Nusantara Bersatu (United Archipelago), was held in all 33 provinces, according to the TNI, which initiated the event.

Wednesday saw a colorful gathering held in the capital, where thousands of participants from diverse backgrounds and cultures wore Indonesia's signature red-and-white bandanas and joined hands to celebrate the country's motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

From civil servants, religious figures, mass organizations to high school students, together they sang Indonesian songs. The national anthem, "Indonesia Raya" as well as "Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke" (From Sabang to Merauke) filled the air.

Among the participants watching the performances were National Police Gen. Tito Karnavian and TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo. The two leaders of the nation's armed forces called on people to unite amid growing sectarianism that threatens the country.

"This is to remind us that from Sabang to Merauke, we are all brothers and sisters. We should stand together in unity amid diversity. Differences should be our strength and not divide us," Tito, who also wore the bandana, said proudly.

"We shall join hands to contribute to protecting this country. Don't let Ibu Pertiwi [the motherland] cry, make her smile because we can unite as one," Gatot said.

The event, which involved military and police personnel from all divisions, was apparently held to counter the rally spearheaded by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesia Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), which is slated to take place on Friday at the National Monument (Monas), where mass prayers will also be performed.

The GNPF-MUI has been rallying for Muslim support to press law enforcers to detain Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who has been charged with blasphemy over a statement regarding a Quranic verse.

Rizieq Shihab, an influential figure within the GNPF-MUI and leader of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI), has said the rally was a "constitutional jihad to defend religion and the state" and that it had nothing to do with race or the Jakarta election, in which Ahok is a contender.

As the group gained support from Muslims outside Jakarta, local administrations responded by taking part in the Nusantara Bersatu events.

Also on Wednesday, provinces across the country from Sumatra to Papua also celebrated the National United event, where people wore similar bandanas and raised their voices to defend unity and nationalism amid growing sectarianism that threatens the national ideology Pancasila.

In Pekanbaru, Riau Governor Arsyadjuliandi Rachman raised a clenched fist as he told the audience, from locals to security personnel, to not easily be provoked by certain parties who wanted to divide the nation.

Meanwhile in Langkat Regency, South Sumatra, the highlight of the Nusantara Bersatu event was the pledge of support for unity in the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia on a 50-meter cloth.

"Let's guard the country's unity. I hope our nation will always be safe without anything dividing us," Arman, one of the students who pledged support, said.

On Losari Beach, Makassar, thousands of event participants were entertained by a Sukhoi fighter flypast and exhibition of Indonesia's primary weaponry system.

Bandung and Jayapura saw hundreds of food stalls offering free food for thousands of participants of the Nusantara Bersatu event. In Jayapura, some attendees enjoyed the food in traditional attire, from Acehnese to Papuan, as they watched cultural performance.

"I was asked to provide 100 portions of meatballs. They will be paid for by the TNI after the event," one of the food seller's in Bandung's Gasibu Square, said.

Similar events highlighting the country's cultural and religious diversity were also held in Semarang, Palu and Flores.

In Kupang, the event was celebrated by interfaith figures who led mass prayers for the safety of the country. They signed a joint statement, where they agreed that living harmoniously in diversity was in accordance with Pancasila.

[Arya Dipa, Rizal Harahap, Suherdjoko, Nethy Dharma Somba, Ruslan Sangadji, Apriadi Gunawan, Djemi Amnifu, Markus Makur, Andi Hajramurni contributed to this story from Bandung, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Jayapura, Palu, Medan, Kupang, Flores and Makassar.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/united-against-sectarianism.html

Outspoken House members Fadli, Fahri cannot join latest rally

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Two of the most outspoken House of Representative leaders, Fadli Zon and Fahri Hamzah, who supported the Nov. 4 rally calling for legal action against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, have to skip the demonstration planned for this Friday.

Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party will attend a Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) meeting in Panama, while Fahri of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) will depart for Uzbekistan.

"I will fly this evening," Fahri said on Thursday, adding that his colleague Fadli had departed for Panama on Wednesday evening after a plenary meeting to reinstall Golkar chairman Setya Novanto as House speaker.

Unlike the Nov. 4 anti-Ahok rally that gained support from the two lawmakers, both remained tight-lipped when asked about the rally planned for this Friday. Fadli previously said he would join the next rally, as it was a "historical" mass Friday prayer, if he was in the country.

Fahri said the same thing, while assuring that there would be no attempts to impeach President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in the legislature. "Setya, who has not involved in any way in the previous rally, will be here. So, there will be no revolt", he said.

The announcement of Fadli's and Fahri's overseas working visits comes only a day after Setya reclaimed the House speakership, replacing fellow party cadre Ade Komarudin, who had also expressed support for the rally. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/outspoken-house-members-fadli-fahri-cannot-join-latest-rally.html

Journalism & press freedom

AJI calls for police probe in Dec. 2 rally intimidation cases

Jakarta Globe - December 4, 2016

Jakarta – The Independent Journalist Alliance, or AJI, called on the police to probe reports of intimidation against journalists during Friday's (02/12) mass rally at the National Monument complex in Jakarta.

"Firm law enforcement should be implemented to avoid cases being repeated, avoiding vigilante action and violations against the law," AJI chairman Suwarjono said in Jakarta on Saturday.

The organization considers the move an act of intimidation and assault which succeeded in preventing reporting.

"Expulsion is a serious violation against the Press Law with threats of punishments and fines," Suwarjono said, adding the unidentified alleged aggressors also tried to break equipment which is also a violation of the law.

Obstructions threaten access of the community to find information of public interest, he said.

There is currently and official procedure to settle objections and disputes with media reporting, including protesting to the media outlet or reporting to the Press Council.

He noted overall Indonesia's level of media education is low, with more awareness needed to create a savvy audience. Meanwhile, the media is expected to be professional, maintain ethics codes and be balance and impartial.

"This includes not becoming speakers for any parties, especially the owners, rulers or government. Journalists and media should maintain professionalism," he said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/aji-calls-police-probe-dec-2-rally-

Rising hostility toward journalists rings alarm

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Hostility toward journalists is alarmingly on the rise as Muslim conservatives have accused several media outlets of biased reporting in the blasphemy case of the incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

The third-largest anti-Ahok demonstration on Friday in Central Jakarta, where more than 500,000 people flocked to the National Monument (Monas) complex in what they called a "peaceful rally", saw another series of intimidations carried out by dozens of protesters against television crews reporting live.

Early in the morning, protesters walking down Jl. Merdeka Selatan shouted in front of Kompas TV's satellite news-gathering van, demanding the crews to stop reporting and to leave the scene. The protesters accused the TV stations of one-sided reporting that tended to be pro-Ahok.

The situation, however, was quickly contained when police personnel approached and asked the crews to park their vans at City Hall.

"This incident is unfortunate, because the protesters had promised to stage the rally in a peaceful manner. However, we appreciate the security officials' quick action to guard us," Kompas TV field producer Alvi Apriayandi said.

Rifai Pamone, a Metro TV journalist who reported live from behind a wire barricade on Jl. Merdeka Barat, was also shouted at and hit with mineral water cups by protesters who claimed that the media he represented was a "provocateur".

Police personnel on standby behind the barricade asked Rifai to pause the recording of his reportage to defuse tensions.

"When people already have negative sentiments, anything we do is wrong. We only get mineral water cups thrown at us, but that's OK, we are only carrying out our journalistic duties," Rifai said.

The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) noted that over the years, the number of cases of violence or other forms of abuses against journalists have fluctuated. However, numbers tend to rise significantly when nearing huge occasions, such as regional elections.

"In numerous cases, the intimidations are carried out against journalists by the supporters of certain candidates [running in the election]", LBH Pers research and networking head Asep Komaruddin told The Jakarta Post.

LBH Pers is aware of the phenomena of labeling media outlets accused of biased reporting. "Labeling actually threatens the journalists as they are susceptible to becoming the targets of violence," Asep said.

In the previous Nov. 4 mass rally, which was also initiated by the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI), the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) recorded numerous instances of violence against journalists initiated by protesters.

The violence included both physical and non-physical, such as when a TV crew was forced to leave Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta on allegations of biased reporting.

In another case, Kompas TV journalist Muhammad Guntur was also intimidated and got his memory card taken away by protesters near the State Palace in Central Jakarta during the Nov. 4 rally, which erupted into violence after dusk.

On Wednesday, journalist Reja Hidayat from tirto.id was hit and told to go away by an alleged member of the firebrand Islam Defenders Front (FPI) when he was carrying out work in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, near the FPI headquarters on Wednesday.

Reja wrote in his report circulating in several journalist chat groups that the man tried to prohibit him from writing any news about the FPI meeting ahead of the rally and demanded that he delete anything he had already written.

"We have filed a report with AJI. But we haven't decided whether we will file a report with the police. But my office will send a protest letter to the FPI," Reja told the Post.

The AJI Jakarta chapter chairman Ahmad Nurhasim criticized the series of intimidations faced by journalists. "Intimidating actions, let alone violent attacks [against journalists] should not occur no matter the reason," Ahmad told the Post, adding that the AJI would speak out against attacks that threatened press freedom.

Ahmad said there were many ways people could voice their complaints against media outlets they claimed to be bias in their reporting that did not involve violence, including by writing a letter to the editorial team or filing a report with the Press Council, as in accordance with the 1999 Press Law.

However, Ahmad asserted that journalists should carry out their tasks based on the journalistic code of ethics. "Every mass media has a right to determine the angle of their reportage, however they should serve justice for all elements in society," Ahmad said. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/03/rising-hostility-toward-journalists-rings-alarm.html

Protesters put pressure on Metro TV, Kompas TV over 'biased reporting'

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Jakarta – Police personnel had to protect television crews of Kompas TV and Metro TV from the crowd as they were reporting live on a mass gathering in Central Jakarta on Friday.

The incident began with dozens of protesters walking down Jl. Merdeka Selatan to join a rally at the nearby National Monument (Monas) square. The situation heated up when some of the protesters started shouting in front of the crews' satellite news-gathering (SNG) vans, accusing the TV stations of biased reporting in the blasphemy case against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Other protesters quickly followed suit, demanding the crews stop reporting and leave the scene. They accused the TV stations of one-sided reporting that tended to be pro-Ahok.

The situation, however, was quickly contained when police personnel approached and asked the group to leave. They then asked the crews to park their SNG vans at the City Hall compound.

Kompas TV field producer Alvi Apriayandi said he was disappointed about the rejection, but added they would still carry out their duty to report the rally objectively.

"This incident is unfortunate, because the protesters had promised to stage the rally in a peaceful way. However, we appreciate the security officials' quick action to guard us," he said. (fac/hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/protesters-put-pressure-on-metro-tv-kompas-tv-over-biased-reporting.html

Group denounces violence against journalist ahead of Dec. 2 rally

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Jakarta – The Association of Journalists for Diversity (Sejuk) is denouncing the violence allegedly committed against journalist Reja Hidayat from tirto.id by a member of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI).

In a release made available on Thursday, Sejuk said it received a report that Reja was hit and told to go away by an FPI member on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. when he was in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, near the FPI headquarters.

In the chronology outlined by Reja, the journalist wrote in his report circulating in several journalists' chat groups that the man tried to prohibit him from writing any news about the FPI meeting ahead of the rally and demanded he delete anything he had already written. He also said he didn't trust the media.

Sejuk said the alleged violence was against press freedom, guaranteed in Indonesia in the 1999 press law.

Sejuk said two other journalists, one from Gatra magazine and another from the Jawa Post News Network, were also forced to go away and told they were not allowed to write news about the preparations for a Dec. 2 rally, which is being undertaken by, among others, the FPI. "We call on the police to investigate the case," the association said.

Sejuk is also calling on the public and participants in the Dec. 2 rally to respect press freedom and journalists' endeavors to report the facts to the public. During the previous rally on Nov. 4, journalists from Metro TV, Kompas TV and Berita Satu, reportedly received threats. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/group-denounces-violence-against-journalist-ahead-of-dec-2-rally.html

Environment & natural disasters

Indonesia to tackle loss of forests, fires

Associated Press - December 7, 2016

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia has strengthened its moratorium on converting peat swamps to plantations in a move a conservation research group says will help prevent annual fires and substantially cut the country's carbon emissions if properly implemented.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's amendment to the moratorium regulation, which was issued on Monday, expands it to cover peatlands of any depth and orders companies to restore areas they've degraded.

Indonesia's move was welcomed by Norway, which in 2010 pledged $1 billion to help the country stop cutting down its prized tropical forests but has released little of it. As a result of the expanded regulation, Norway said it would give $25 million to Indonesia to fund restoration of drained peatlands and another $25 million once an enforcement and monitoring plan is ready.

Draining of peat swamps by palm oil and pulp wood companies is a big contributor to destruction of tropical forests in Indonesia and the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The land conversion worsens annual dry season fires that release huge amounts of carbon stored in the peat. Many of the fires are deliberately set to clear land of its natural vegetation.

Indonesia has made major commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect its tropical forests, which are home to critically endangered species, but deforestation has continued largely unabated. A study in the journal Nature Climate Change estimated that by 2012, Indonesia was clearing 840,000 hectares (2 million acres) of forests a year, more than any other country.

Arief Wijaya, a forests expert at the World Resources Institute, said Tuesday that the strengthened moratorium is particularly important for protecting Indonesia's Papua region as the "last frontier of natural forests" still largely untouched by exploitation.

Deforestation is far advanced on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and worsening in Kalimantan, which is the Indonesian part of Borneo.

The institute estimates Indonesia could achieve a 7.8 gigaton reduction in carbon emissions over 15 years, which is equivalent to about one year of US greenhouse gas emissions.

Wijaya said that in practice the amended regulation means companies such as Asia Pulp & Paper, one of the world's largest paper producers, are prohibited from expanding their use of peatlands, even if they are within their concessions. They also must rehabilitate drained peatlands and peatlands damaged by fires.

Last month, the company was criticized by Indonesia's Environment and Forestry Ministry which released photos showing one of its suppliers in South Sumatra was replanting peatlands which burned in last year's dry season fires and were supposed to be restored.

The fires from July to October last year in southern Sumatra and Kalimantan were the worst since 1997, sent a life-threatening haze across Indonesia into Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand. A study by scientists from Harvard and Colombia universities estimated that fine particulate matter in the haze hastened the deaths of 100,000 people.

The environment ministry said in a statement that one of the main causes of last year's fires was corporate mismanagement of peatlands, which in turn led to the beefed up regulations.

Source: http://www.irrawaddy.com/news/asia/indonesia-to-tackle-loss-of-forests-fires.html

Indonesia calls on Australia to help with Montara oil spill aftermath

Sydney Morning Herald - December 6, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – One of Indonesia's most senior ministers has called on Australia to help find a solution to the 2009 Montara oil spill which he says caused lasting negative impacts in one of the country's poorest provinces.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan told Fairfax Media that after seven years there was still no resolution for those affected by the worst oil spill in the history of Australia's offshore petroleum fields.

Fishermen and seaweed farmers in Nusa Tenggara Timur say fish populations were wiped out and seaweed crops died after oil spilled as a result of an explosion at the Montara rig, operated by oil company PTTEP Australasia.

"There is no solution so far and the victims are fishermen in the area. Australia should help out as well to solve this problem," Mr Pandjaitan said. "I don't think we can do it alone."

The Montara issue was discussed at a meeting with Australian ambassador Paul Grigson and Indonesian government officials last week.

More than 13,000 seaweed farmers have launched a $200 million class action in the Federal Court in Sydney against PTTEP Australasia, a subsidiary of Thai state-owned oil company PTTEP.

The Indonesian Government is also planning to file a lawsuit against PTTEP Australasia in the Central Jakarta District Court.

"We already communicated with the Australian Ambassador last week and we asked them also to help us to convince the Australian Government to push this legal process on this issue because the impact of this oil spill is really very bad for the people of NTT," Mr Pandjaitan said.

"We will see what we can do together with the Australian government. Why are we so quiet about this big disaster in our territory when this happened somewhere else? It is annoying."

For more than 10 weeks in 2009 oil and gas flowed unabated into the Timor Sea, about 250 kilometres off the northwest coast of Australia. Estimates of the surface coverage of the hydrocarbons range from 6000 to 25,000 square kilometres.

PTTEP maintains its position that no oil from Montara reached the shores of Indonesia or Australia and that no long-term damage was done to the environment in the Timor Sea.

The company says this is based on extensive independent scientific research overseen by the Australian government.

An Australian Embassy spokesperson said the legal action brought against PTTEP Australasia and the Northern Territory Government was a matter for the parties involved. "The matter is now before the Federal Court and the Federal Government cannot make any further comment in regards to ongoing legal proceedings," she said.

The spokesperson said the Australian government had shared all relevant information about the spill with the Indonesian government including Australian response efforts.

"We have also shared long-term operational monitoring reports and environmental monitoring studies undertaken in Australian waters since 2009," she said, adding these were publicly available on the Department of Environment and Energy's website.

Deputy Coordinating Minister of Maritime Affairs and Resources Arif Havas Oegroseno said the Australian government was not legally responsible for the oil spill in the same way the Indonesian government was not legally responsible for the haze from forest fires.

"The Australian Government is not under any legal obligation, that's very clear, but they should also be able to encourage PTTEP to act in good faith," he told Fairfax Media.

"PTTEP has never shown good faith in settling this matter. We have met more than 10 times with them, including on the establishment of an independent panel of three persons. However, PTTEP refused to attend the meeting that was aimed at settling the oil spill.

"PTTEP has even balked at its own words on providing provisional CSR (corporate social responsibility) to poor local communities in NTT affected by its mistakes."

Mr Havas said Indonesia was asking Australia to work together under an Memorandum of Understanding on oil pollution that the two countries signed in 1996, three years before the Montara explosion.

The MoU says the countries will promote mutual cooperation on oil pollution preparedness and response, exchange information on incidents and conduct mutual visits, including during oil spills.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-calls-on-australia-to-help-with-montara-oil-spill-aftermath-20161206-gt4usw.html

Bring back our orangutans, activists plead

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2016

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Activists are demanding the government bring back orangutans originating from Indonesia that have been smuggled abroad, saying they have sent letters to embassies in the hope of securing the return of the critically endangered animals.

The activists, under the non-governmental Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group, had written to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuwait to help return a baby orangutan to Indonesia, director Gunung Gea said. The group sent the same letter to the Environment and Forestry Ministry, asking for help in accommodating the process.

"We asked the government to bring back the baby orangutan to be rehabilitated and released into its natural habitat in Indonesia," Gunung told The Jakarta Post over the weekend, adding that the one-and-a-half year old baby orangutan may be from Kalimantan.

The animal's presence in Kuwait was revealed when the owner was arrested by local police over a traffic accident. The police seized the baby orangutan from its owner and are housing it temporarily in a zoo.

"We were informed that the Kuwaiti government has since July this year been in contact with the Indonesian government through the embassy there to take the baby orangutan," Gunung said.

The case is one example of rare Indonesian animals being taken abroad via illegal smuggling. Protected animals could easily be smuggled abroad because of the involvement of rogue personnel in the process, Gunung claimed.

"Recently we worked with the Jakarta Police, uncovering [cases of the] rare animal trade involving civil servants working for Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's quarantine center," Gunung said.

Orangutan Information Centre (OIC) founding director Panut Hadisiswoyo said orangutan trafficking was a bitter truth. It occurred amid high demand for certain animals abroad, either to become pets or for illegal safari parks and zoos in Southeast Asia and China, he added.

In November this year, Panut said he found four Indonesian orangutans in a mini zoo in a department store in Bangkok. "The four most likely were Bornean orangutans," Panut said, showing pictures of the orangutans at the facility.

He also once spotted 26 Indonesian orangutans at the Pintung Rescue Centre in Taiwan, which so far have yet to be returned to Indonesia. Panut said he believed many Indonesian orangutans still remained abroad. "The government has to take them back soon," he said.

Between 1990 and 2000, 283 orangutans were smuggled to Taiwan. However, so far none of them have been returned to Indonesia, according to Panut. One orangutan from Kuwait and 14 others seized from entertainment centers in Bangkok were brought back to Indonesia last year, Panut said.

In 2007, 48 orangutans were seized in Thailand, along with six others the following year. All of them have been returned to Indonesia. Unfortunately, he said, the orangutans were sent to safari parks, not rehabilitation centers.

"We want all the orangutans saved abroad to be rehabilitated in their natural habitats, not in safari parks or zoos," Panut added.

The protected animals, which only live in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the Indonesian section of Borneo island, still face rampant illegal trading. The North Sumatra Police uncovered syndicates illegally trading orangutans from Mount Leuser National Park in July, following the seizure of five orangutans ready to be sold in Jakarta and Medan.

Orangutans sold directly from their habitat in Aceh and Kalimantan are priced at between Rp 10 million (US$743) and Rp 15 million. In Java, however, the price could be between Rp 50 million and Rp 100 million, Daniek Hendarto, coordinator of the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP), said previously.

Java provided a market for the protected animals because, apart from the high number of consumers, it is also a transit point for orangutans smuggled to countries like Thailand and Malaysia.

The COP said that as a result of the rampant trade, orangutans are critically endangered, with the population continuing to decrease to 5,000 orangutans in Sumatra and 7,000 in Kalimantan at present.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/05/bring-back-our-orangutans-activists-plead.html

Disaster-hit regions continue to suffer

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Hotli Simanjuntak and Lita Aruperes, Banda Aceh/Manado – Several regions in Sumatra and Java that have been severely hit by natural disasters have yet to recover while landslides in North Sulawesi have caused blackouts that have affected thousands of residents.

Flooding in dozens of villages in Aceh Singkil regency in Aceh has eased, but some areas remain isolated as roads and bridges have been severely damaged by floodwater and landslides.

As a result, four-wheel or larger vehicles have not been able to enter Singkil, the regency's capital, since last week as a result of a damaged bridge.

"We are looking at making a makeshift bridge pending the shipment of materials from [provincial capital] Banda Aceh," said Aceh Singkil Public Works Agency head Muzni on Thursday.

Some local residents tried to repair the damage using coconut tree trunks, making the bridge passable for motorcycles. "Food and aid for displaced people is being distributed," he said.

Twenty-one elementary and high schools are inundated and have suspended classes. Floodwater also damaged 13 electric poles, causing blackouts in hundreds of households.

A natural disaster also caused a blackout in Gorontalo, after a high voltage transmission tower collapsed in Isimu on Wednesday evening during a landslide.

The incident has disrupted the North Sulawesi-Gorontalo power network that supplies electricity to a number of regencies in both provinces, the spokesman for state-run electricity company PLN's North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo area, Jantje Rau, said on Thursday.

Some areas, such as Pohuwatu and Boalemo, are temporarily being served by the Marisa diesel power plant and the Gorontalo gas-fueled power plant.

BX Wahyu Catur, the distribution manager of PLN Suluttenggo, said rolling blackouts in some areas, including big cities such as Manado, Gorontalo and Kotamobagu, were inevitable. More than 5,000 customers are affected in the three cities.

Meanwhile, crops on 2,000 hectares of land in dozens of villages in Sragen and Sukoharjo, Central Java, were destroyed by floodwater from the Bengawan Solo River.

Hundreds of farmers, mostly rice growers, claimed total losses of Rp 12 billion (US$890,000) due to harvest failure, according to data from the Sragen farm field supervisor. "My crops died after my farm was inundated at a depth of up to 1 meter for two days," a Sragen farmer, Radiman, 45, said.

Meanwhile, search and rescue personnel have found two bodies of passengers of a boat that capsized in Riau waters on Wednesday.

The dead victims were M. Syairozi, 32, from Mandailing Natal regency in North Sumatra, and Julianto, 31, from Indragiri Hulu regency in Riau. Two other passengers, Nur, 34, and an 11-month old baby, are still missing.

The boat, which was traveling from Tanjung Batu, Riau Islands, to Pangkalan Kerinci in Pelalawan regency, Riau province, on Wednesday afternoon, capsized as it battled high waves, according to witnesses.

The boat, owned by Gertiga Express, was carrying 23 passengers and three crew members.

[Ganug Nugroho Adi and Rizal Harahap contributed to the story from Surakarta and Pekanbaru.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/disaster-hit-regions-continue-suffer.html

Floods, landslides follow days of intense downpours

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Hotli Simanjuntak, Ganug Nugroho Adi, Jon Afrizal, Agus Maryono and Rizal Harahap, Aceh, Surakarta, Jambi, Cilacap, Pekanbaru – Extreme weather in several areas across the archipelago has caused landslides and flooding that have displaced thousands of people.

At least 43 villages in five districts in Aceh Singkil regency, Aceh, were inundated after the Cinedang River broke its banks following heavy rain over four consecutive days, forcing thousands to flee their homes.

The flooding – at a depth of between 1 and 2 meters – forced over 7,500 families, consisting of around 30,000 people, from their homes, Aceh Singkil Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Sulaiman said on Wednesday.

It was the biggest flood so far this year but no fatalities were reported, he added.

Several major roads in the region were also cut. At least three bridges connecting Singkil collapsed in the floods, cutting access to the capital of Aceh Singkil regency, Rony, a resident of Subulusalam near Singkil border, told The Jakarta Post.

To ease conditions for affected families, the agency has erected public kitchens in several subdistricts while the Aceh provincial administration has sent logistical supplies.

Water flowing from the Subulusalam and Simpang Kanan regions converges in Aceh Singkil regency, a coastal area in a shallow estuary."At the same time the regency is also experiencing high tides so the water flowing from the land is not flowing into the sea," said Aceh Singkil Public Works Agency head Muzni.

Floods have also struck Jambi with at least 263 hectares of agriculture land, mostly rice, chili and corn fields, under water. Jambi Agriculture Agency head Amrin Aziz has warned of crop failures.

The inundated land is located in several regencies such as Muarojambi, Batang Hari, Sarolangun, Tebo and East Tanjung Jabung regencies. Meanwhile, at least one person died and two are missing after landslides struck in Karanganyar, Central Java, on Tuesday. A 30-meter cliff collapsed and buried at least eight villagers who were harvesting rice in Bulurejo village. Five people managed to escape the rubble but three others were not so fortunate.

Search and rescue personnel were continuing the search for the missing people as of Wednesday afternoon.

Nugroho, the head of Karanganyar Disaster Mitigation Agency, said besides landslides, the high-intensity rain also flooded at least three districts in Karanganyar. "We strongly urge residents to be more alert in extreme weather," he added.

A landslide also cut a 100-meter stretch of road connecting several villages in Cimanggu district, Cilacap regency, Central Java on Tuesday after days of heavy rain, said Darwoko of Bina Marga roads agency in West Cilacap.

Elsewhere in Cilacap thousands of houses in Kroya and Sidareja districts were inundated forcing residents to evacuate.

Meanwhile, a boat traveling from Tanjung Batu, Riau Islands, to Pangkalan Kerinci in Pelalawan regency, Riau province, capsized on Wednesday afternoon, at least four people are reported missing in the incident.

The boat capsized on the Kampar River, Pelalawan Police chief Adj. Sr. Cmr. Ari Wibowo said. The exact number of passengers is not known but at least 20 people survived the incident.

Several witnesses told police the boat capsized as it battled heavy waves, known locally as bono, on the river, the Kampar is notorious for its waves caused by the river's strong current.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/floods-landslides-follow-days-intense-downpours.html

Health & education

Poor enforcement facilitates children's access to tobacco

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Weak enforcement of tobacco regulations has hampered the country's efforts to prevent children from accessing cigarettes, amid growing concerns that some boys take up the habit as early as 7 years old.

According to the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), from 2008 to 2012, more than 239,000 children under the age of 10 had started smoking. The average starting age decreases every year, falling from 19 years old a decade ago to just 7 today, according to the commission.

The situation has been exacerbated by weak efforts to enforce a regulation banning vendors from selling cigarettes to children, said Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) chairman Tulus Abadi.

Since 2012, the government has banned the sale of cigarettes to minors, as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 109/2012. Article 25 of the regulation says it is forbidden to sell tobacco products to anyone below the age of 18 and to pregnant women.

"Our survey shows that 65 percent of cashiers at modern retailers still sell cigarettes to children. So the banning is not effective because there are no sanctions or monitoring," Tulus told The Jakarta Post recently.

It is also easy for children to buy cigarettes at warung (street kiosks), which sell single cigarettes for as little as Rp 2,000 (15 US cents).

"Many parents still ask their children to buy them cigarettes at the warung. They think of cigarettes as a normal thing, just like buying rice. This view has to be changed," Tulus said.

He mentioned a "sin tax", which is an excise tax levied on certain goods deemed harmful to society, such as alcohol and tobacco. "Goods with excise tax shouldn't be allowed to be sold freely," he said.

He also pushed for a total ban on cigarette advertising. "Eighty percent of cigarette ads are placed nearby schools," Tulus said.

The government has started to remove cigarette ads from the streets. But tobacco companies are still allowed to sponsor a multitude of events.

Tobacco giant Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna, meanwhile, has installed warning signs about the ban on cigarette sales to underage customers in over 30,000 convenience stores nationwide.

Philip Morris-controlled Sampoerna, which holds a 34.5 percent market share of Indonesia's cigarette industry, the largest in the country, said it was seeking to collaborate with more store operators in the future.

The company has also provided education for store owners about the regulation. Sampoerna has restricted access to events it sponsors to people aged 18 and above, said the company's sales director Ivan Cahyadi.

But the Industry Ministry has insisted that education should play a larger role. "It's the role of parents, schools and the Health Ministry to educate. People don't like to be forbidden [from doing something]. So instead of banning, just educate," the ministry's director for the beverage industry, tobacco and refreshment products, Willem Petrus Riwu, told the Post.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/05/poor-enforcement-facilitates-children-s-access-tobacco.html

Tobacco firms told to go all-out in campaign against underage smoking

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2016

Jakarta – Tobacco companies must go all-out with campaigns against underage smoking, including removing tobacco product advertisements near schools, a children's protection group has urged.

"If tobacco companies truly want to keep cigarettes out of our children's hands, they needs to stop advertising near schools and targeting Indonesian children with advertisements that promote tobacco use," Lentera Anak Foundation chair Lisda Sundari said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

Last week, cigarette producer Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna, a local subsidiary of global tobacco giant Philip Morris International, announced that it had installed warning signs about the government's prohibition of cigarette sales to underage customers in over 30,000 convenience stores nationwide.

Sampoerna, which controls a 34.5 percent market share of Indonesia's cigarette industry, the largest in Southeast Asia's most populated country, said it was seeking to collaborate with more convenience store operators in the future to support its view that "children should not have access to cigarettes".

Lisda, however, said Sampoerna and other tobacco companies must do more than that, as they had been aggressively targeting children by placing tobacco advertisements near schools.

Quoting a recent joint study conducted in five major Indonesian cities by the Children Media Development Foundation (YPMA), an NGO set up by communications researchers concerned with the influence of media on children, Lentera Anak Foundation and Smoke Free Agents (SFA), a community focusing on tobacco control, Lisda said that 85 percent of 360 schools monitored in the study were surrounded by advertisements for tobacco products. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/05/tobacco-firms-told-to-go-all-out-in-campaign-against-underage-smoking.html

Freedom of religion & worship

West Java Governor laments raid on Christmas service

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2016

Jakarta – West Java Governor Ahmad "Aher" Heryawan has lamented an Islamic group's raid of a Christmas celebration service in Bandung on Tuesday evening.

"We will solve [this issue]. We will find the root of the problem so that this will not undermine tolerance in our society," Aher said as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

The Spiritual Awakening Service (KKR) at the Sasana Budaya Ganesha building on Jl. Tamansari, Bandung, was stopped by dozens of protesters who claimed to be from the Pembela Ahlu Sunnah (PAS) Islamic group.

PAS chair Muhammad Roin said his group had asked the service organizer to stop the second evening session of the service.

The service's first session ran from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., featuring reverend priest Stephen Tong. "They [the organizer] agreed to stop the service. We advised them to hold the service in places allowed by the country's laws," Roin said.

Arifin, one of the service organizers, said they decided to bow to the protesters demands and stop the service. "We dismissed ourselves peacefully. There is no resentment," he said.

Posts about the raid went viral on Wednesday with netizens protesting the authorities' inaction. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/07/west-java-governor-laments-raid-on-christmas-service.html

Government demands MK settles religious column plight

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Having admitted to an error while relaxing a civil registry requirement for native-faith followers, the government is seeking a resolution from a conservative-leaning court, which has been under fire for calling adultery the root of social ills.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration, which had earlier revised Law No. 23/2014 on local administrations to enable citizens to leave the religion column blank on identification and family cards, asked the Constitutional Court (MK) on Tuesday provide constitutional grounds for the religion section to include minority groups.

A group of people of local faiths have petitioned to abolish the court provision, saying that leaving the column blank causes more problems. Leaving the column blank has caused complications in registering marriages, obtaining identification cards and joining the military.

Representing the government in a hearing at the court Widodo Sigit Pudjianto, head of the legal department at the Home Ministry, told the bench of justices that the provision was introduced to end long-time predicaments that the followers had to encounter in having to choose one of the six recognized religions.

"The previous situation of native faiths not being recognized as religions has caused many native faith believers to be forced to choose one [already] recognized religion or have no identification card at all," he said.

The MK has been known for its conservative tendencies in recent cases. Six years ago, in a decision many deemed based on fears of a public backlash, the MK ruled to uphold the Blasphemy Law although many expert witnesses agreed that the law, which appeared to be used as legal grounds for discriminatory actions against minorities in the country, was problematic.

Last year, the court also rejected a judicial review of two articles in the Marriage Law, maintaining its current provisions on the minimum age requirement and interfaith marriage.

The court maintained the law's Article 7 that sets 16 years as the minimum age for marriage for women on the grounds that there is no guarantee that if the age requirement was increased to 18, as demanded by the petitioners, it would reduce divorce rates and solve health and social problems.

In a hearing pertaining to a judicial review petition to outlaw sex outside of marriage, justice Patrialis Akbar said he believed sex outside of marriage was a crime, even if it was practiced by an unmarried couple, as such practices disadvantaged women.

Being a loyal follower of the traditional Sunda Wiwitan faith from Kuningan regency, West Java, Euis Kurniasih said the court could ease her troubles by registering her marriage.

Euis, who has been married since December 2014, faced numerous hurdles in processing her registration, ranging from prolonged bureaucracy matters to repeated rejections by authorities because she practiced a belief that was not recognized by the state.

"We invited civil registration officials to our wedding and our elders have also approved the marriage, so it should not be complicated. The state's responsibility is only to register our marriage," Euis said.

Pagar Demanra Sirait, a follower of the native faith Parmalim in North Sumatra, echoed the same hope. He was forced by his company in Medan to write in one of the six major faiths on his identification card. If he left the column blank, he would be told to quit.

"I offered to write 'native faith follower' instead, but they refused to permit that. I quit my job because I did not want to choose one of the six official religions," Pagar said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/07/-government-demands-mk-settles-religious-column-plight.html

Agriculture & food security

Sporadic efforts pose threat to RI's fruit dream

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2016

Stefani Ribka, Jakarta – The potential bounty of Indonesian oranges, bananas and papayas may not be seen anytime soon in overseas markets, as becoming the world's top fruit producer remains a big challenge.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's ambitious goal to make Indonesia a top fruit exporter in Southeast Asia by 2025 and in the world by 2045 requires at least 400,000 hectares of new fruit plantations by 2025. Currently, most fruit trees are planted on 800,000 ha nationwide.

However, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), whose private sector members will be partly responsible for three-quarters of the new plantation areas, has yet to hear about a grand design to realize the plan.

"Without any grand design and horticulture spatial planning, it will be tough for our fruit industry to grow on a big scale. We have 17,000 islands and lots of unused land. Why not utilize it for fruit?" Kadin horticulture development head Karen Tambayong told The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia's fruit exports were worth US$775,922 in 2015, mainly to Pakistan, Vietnam and Thailand, while imports totaled $666,373, primarily from China and the US, according to data from Trade Map.

The government has stated it will focus on 12 tropical fruits – oranges, bananas, papayas, honeydew melon, watermelon, durian, maNGOsteen, mangoes, avocados, pineapples, rambutan and snake fruit – in an "orange revolution", adapted by Jokowi from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) to boost the fruit industry.

The Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister's food deputy, Musdalifah, said IPB had a plan to realize the goal, pending approval from the government as it had yet to be disseminated to stakeholders and land availability had yet to be cross-checked.

"Yes, we have 189 million hectares of land available but not all is feasible to cultivate, given our topography and the willingness of people to work on it. We also have infrastructure, financing issues in accelerating the fruit industry," Musdalifah said.

"So, everything remains in a planning stage and the process is not easy. Communication with various stakeholders is needed."

IPB was hopeful that its comprehensive program could be translated into a consolidated policy, as well as a presidential instruction on the orange revolution, to be issued by year-end to create firm ground for IPB, state institutions and the private sector to work together in accelerating the industry.

IPB's program includes development plans for small fruit plantations (5 to 50 ha), medium sized (50 to 500 ha) and large scale (over 500 ha). It also covers the use of the latest seeds and technology, manpower and entrepreneur development, fruit processing, as well as integrated marketing for domestic and export markets.

Meanwhile, 14 state plantations firms under PTPN have yet to see action plans, although they will be crucial in developing more fruit plantations, with 100,000 ha, a quarter of the overall land. Their main commodities are cash crops like oil palm, cacao, rubber and sugar cane.

"It's not decided yet. We're breaking it down now," said the Agriculture Ministry's horticulture director general, Spudnik Sujono.

Even so, PTPN VIII and PTPN XII have put a greater focus on fruit plantations. PTPN VIII, for instance, aims to plant fruit trees on 20,000 ha by 2025 by attracting investors for joint cultivation. Agriculture economist Bustanul Arifin from the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) cited confusion and hesitation among stakeholders in taking immediate steps in the absence of formal regulations.

"Concrete actions can be taken while we're waiting for the policy issuance. The policy also needs to be issued as quickly as possible lest we lose this good momentum and the revolution is forgotten," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/05/sporadic-efforts-pose-threat-ri-s-fruit-dream.html

Land & agrarian conflicts

Hundreds of Rembang people march 150 kilometers to protest cement

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Jakarta – About 300 people from Rembang regency in Central Java marched some 150 kilometers from their homes in Gunem district to Semarang in protest against the construction of a cement factory in their area by the state-owned Semen Indonesia.

The coordinator of a group called People Care for Kendeng Mountain, Joko Prianto, said the march started at their iconic "fighting" tents around the cement factory on Monday. They planned to finish walking on Friday, kompas.com reported.

"We have arrived in [downtown Rembang], at the house of Gus Mus," said Joko "Jokopri" Prianto, one of the leaders of the Kendeng community, which had fought for the Kendeng karst mountains against cement factories. He was referring to renowned Nahdlatul Ulama cleric Mustofa Bisri.

The long march was undertaken to push Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo to revoke the environmental permit issued by his office in 2012. The marchers were also encouraged by a Supreme Court ruling that went in favor of the residents and ordered the revocation of the environmental permit.

"We demand the governor revoke the permit and halt the construction of the cement factory in Rembang," he said. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/hundreds-of-rembang-people-march-150-kilometers-to-protest-cement-factory.html

Indigenous culture & rights

Four indigenous groups demand custody of home forests

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Four indigenous communities from Jambi, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi and Banten are demanding that the government fulfill its pledge to grant custody of customary forests to their communities, arguing that they have met all the requirements and, most importantly, have always played a role in protecting the forests.

More than a year ago, four indigenous communities – Wana Posangke from Central Sulawesi, Marga Serampas from Jambi, Ammatoa Kajang from South Sulawesi and Kasepuhan Karang from Banten – applied to have their lands recognized at the Environment and Forestry Ministry.

The groups, who have lived in the forests for generations, have prepared all the necessary documents, such as customary forest maps, and have also obtained recognition of their customary rights from local administrations through bylaws issued between 2012 and 2016, which are among the requirements to gain custody of the customary forest.

However, to date, none of them have been granted their land rights although the government has promised to redistribute 12.7 million hectares of community forests by 2019 to curb rampant land disputes involving indigenous communities.

Andi Buyung, one of Ammatoa Kajang's leaders, demanded the government explain the reason behind its sluggishness in granting the group custody of the forest. "We see no reason to delay the confirmation [of the Ammatoa Kajang customary forest]," Andi told a discussion forum on Monday.

Meanwhile Sairin of Marga Serampas revealed the group's efforts to help the Kerinci Seblat National Park prevent illicit practices in the area, adding that the community had successfully safeguarded 20 hectares of their customary forest, which is located inside the park.

A regulation on customary forests, which was issued last year to follow up a landmark 2013 Constitutional Court ruling that annulled state ownership of customary forests, stipulates that customary forests are no longer considered state forests, and the government is obliged to recognize indigenous communities' ownership.

This allows locals to exploit the forests' resources to meet their daily needs. The exploitation, however, must be in line with the status of the forest, whether it is a production forest or protected forest.

The government appeared to favor businesspeople over indigenous communities late last year when it launched an economic stimulus package that cuts corners in permit handling for investment in the forestry sector.

Indo Laku, a Wana Posangke elders, revealed that representatives from the community had traveled to Jakarta at least four times to seek assurances that their rights would be protected, but to no avail.

The four indigenous groups are among 13 traditional communities who have received assistance from the Community and Ecological Society for Legal Reform (HuMa), along with other local NGOs, in fighting for the recognition of their customary forests scattered mostly around Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

"Having customary communities managing the forests will help the government to protect forests. For instance, it will reduce the operational costs [of forest protection]," Dahniar Andriani of HuMa said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/four-indigenous-groups-demand-custody-home-forests.html

Modern world tugs at an Indonesian tribe clinging to its ancient ways

New York Times - December 2, 2016

Jon Emont and Sergey Ponomarev, Dorougok, Indonesia – The older man wore just a loincloth, revealing taut muscles and leathery skin from decades of living deep in the rain forest. Like other members of his tribe, he was covered head to toe in tattoos. Though he appeared strong, he had a pronounced hunch, and a cough from smoking too much tobacco.

The man, Teu Kapik Sibajak, grabbed his ax on a recent morning and went off through the forest to chop down a sago palm tree. Mr. Kapik delivered precise blows before he and a few friends stooped down and rolled pieces of the thick, heavy trunk toward his house. "Hard work, this!" he announced.

But the effort would be worth it: The tree's leaves provide the roof for his wooden long house; its starchy insides can be cooked and eaten, or fed to the household's pigs, ducks and chickens.

Mr. Kapik and his wife, Teu Kapik Sikalabai, are among the last of the Mentawai people living traditional lives deep in the forest on the remote island of Siberut.

They, and others like them, have for decades resisted Indonesian government policies that pressured the forest-bound indigenous groups to abandon their old customs, accept a government-approved religion and move to government villages. That shift, along with the inevitable lure the modern world has for their children, has led to major disjunction between generations of Mentawai.

The Mentawai tribe, which today numbers around 60,000, is a rare Indonesian culture that was not influenced by Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim currents over the last two millenniums. Instead, their traditions and beliefs strongly resemble those of the original Austronesian settlers who came to this vast archipelago from Taiwan around 4,000 years ago. If the tribe's culture disappears, one of the last links to Indonesia's early human inhabitants will go with it.

Their physically demanding lives now pose a challenge for their children. "They have to work although they're already very old, work until they can't work anymore," said Petrus Sekaliou, the Kapiks' son. Mr. Sekaliou wears Western clothing and, unlike his parents, can communicate in fluent bahasa Indonesian, the national language.

Mr. Sekaliou, 42, lives in Mongorut village on the outskirts of the forest, a brisk 90-minute walk from his parents. He farms and does odd jobs there, and tries to visit his parents every weekend.

When his parents can no longer fend for themselves, Mr. Sekaliou said, his plan is to leave his children in the care of his wife, and move back to the forest until his parents die. The alternative – moving his parents to the village, where motorbikes whir and teenagers banter on cellphones – would be too wrenching in their old age. "They're happy in the forest," he said. "This is what they know."

Mr. Kapik, his father, is of a special class known as Sikkerei – shamans, forest healers and keepers of the Mentawai's animist faith. He and his wife insist they are not going anywhere. "I would never move from here," Ms. Kapik said.

Since arriving on the island of Siberut around 2,000 years ago, the Mentawai people had limited exposure to the outside world. It wasn't until Indonesia gained its independence in 1945, and the new country's leaders sought to turn this archipelago into a nation with a common language and culture, that the Mentawai culture began to be fundamentally transformed.

By law, all citizens of Indonesia had to accept one of Indonesia's officially recognized religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism or Buddhism. But the Mentawai, like many other Indonesian animist tribal peoples, didn't adopt a state-recognized religion.

In 1954, the Indonesian police and other state officials arrived on Siberut to deliver an ultimatum: The Mentawai had three months to select either Christianity or Islam as their religion and cease practicing their traditional faith, which was considered pagan. Most Mentawai selected Christianity, in part because Islam forbids the raising of pigs, which is central to their culture.

Over the next few decades, Indonesian police officers worked with state officials and religious leaders to visit Mentawai villages to burn traditional headdresses and other items the tribe used during religious rituals.

The Kapiks fled deeper into the forest to avoid the state's incursions, without success. Ms. Kapik recounted how the commander of the local police had once forbidden them to get tattoos or sharpening their teeth, both customs among the Mentawai. "It made me so angry," she said. So she rebelled.

In the late 1960s, Ms. Kapik said, she decided that she would ignore the ban and tattoo her legs. The police commander, Nikodemus Siritoitet, noticed the new tattoos during one of his visits to the Kapiks' home in the forest. He punished her by forcing her, without pay, to cultivate land in the hot sun for a week. "It was miserable," she said. "I was never brave enough to get tattooed again."

Reimar Schefold, a Dutch anthropologist who lived among the Mentawai in the late 1960s, had his own brushes with Mr. Siritoitet, who objected to his research into the tribe's traditional life.

"It was a time when much of the old heritage was destroyed," Dr. Schefold said. "When they held rituals, the police would come and burn their traditional equipment – 'the burning of the idols,' as they considered it."

The forced-conversion campaign deepened during the early years of the right-wing Suharto dictatorship, which worried that families, such as the Kapiks, who had not embraced a state-approved religion would be susceptible to Communist influence.

Only after Western tourists began paying visits to the forest people in the 1990s did the local government recognize the commercial advantages of allowing traditional Mentawai to live freely. By that point, an entire generation had been raised without the touchstones of traditional life.

Today, according to the Mentawai anthropologist Juniator Tulius, only around 2,000 Mentawai practice their traditional beliefs.

The tug between the old and new continues in the villages. In 2014, the Indonesian government established a single-payer universal health care system. Two years ago, a clinic that provides free health care to all was set up in Saibi Samukop, a village on the edge of the forest.

But a doctor there, Winda Anggriana, 26, said many residents had rejected her advice, in favor of consulting with shamans in the forest. "It's deeply regrettable," she said, listing patients with treatable conditions who had died during her nearly two years of working on the island.

A sharp divide has emerged between churches about how to handle the traditional Mentawai animist faith, in which many villagers still believe. In July, the Lutheran church in Mentawai celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first conversions of Mentawai people. During an interview, a Lutheran priest insisted there could be no synchronicity between Christianity and an animist faith.

Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church, which has repeatedly apologized for its treatment of indigenous communities in Latin America and elsewhere, is open to the Mentawai's practicing aspects of their traditional faith alongside Catholicism, said the Rev. Tangkas Dame Simatupang, the pastor of Saibi's Catholic church. The pastor added, as an example, that Mentawai parishioners should cross themselves before consulting their ancestors.

Attempts to revive Mentawai tradition have begun, however haltingly. Indonesia began its transition toward democracy in 1998, and the youngest generation of Mentawai came of age during a less restrictive era. Activists have successfully pushed to add Mentawai culture to local elementary school curriculums. Today, Mentawai elders can worship and dress as they wish.

Still, many Mentawai are reeling from what they have lost over decades of government oppression. "My kids don't know about their culture whatsoever," said Mr. Sekaliou, the villager who will soon move back into the forest to tend to his parents.

Mr. Sekaliou said he was disappointed by his life in the village, saying he looked forward to staying with his parents during their twilight years. "Personally, I prefer living in the forest," he said. "I'm happier there. I don't have to stress about finding work every day."

On a recent evening, as he watched his father return from feeding his pigs, he added: "The older generation is happier than we are."

Source: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/12/02/world/asia/modern-world-tugs-at-an-indonesian-tribe-clinging-to-its-ancient-ways.html

Parliament & legislation

House to resume working visits overseas

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The House of Representatives will resume overseas working visits for all lawmakers under the leadership of newly installed speaker, Setya Novanto.

Setya made the announcement on Thursday, arguing that to go overseas on working visits was the right of all members of the House, thus he would reinstate such a policy.

"Working visits abroad are needed because they are part of the job description for all lawmakers," Setya told the press. "They are needed to help [lawmakers] learn from abroad and to study improvements as well as evaluations to make their work better".

The chairman of the Golkar Party referred to the decision as one of the changes he would implement as new House speaker after officially taking over control from fellow party member Ade Komarudin on Wednesday.

As then House speaker, Ade decided to limit working visits abroad for lawmakers amid public criticism.

The House had faced widespread criticism of the policy allowing lawmakers go abroad for working visits in the past due to a lack of accountability. Lawmakers also failed to impress the public with their performances despite the number working visits overseas that were paid using taxpayers' money. Surveys have often placed the legislature as among the least trusted or respected public institution among Indonesians. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/house-to-resume-working-visits-overseas.html

Setya regains old post amid Dec. 2 anxiety

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Political dynamics at the House of Representatives catapulted controversial senior politician and Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto back into the House speaker post on Wednesday, amid concerns that a planned rally could take over the legislative compound and overthrow the government.

After former speaker Ade Komarudin, who is also from Golkar, lost support from his party and other House factions, Setya's return as speaker was expected, but concerns about the rally accelerated the move.

Setya, who is thought to have closer ties with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, is believed to be more reliable in terms of mitigating risks from the protest planned by conservative Muslim groups for Friday.

On Wednesday, a House plenary meeting dismissed Ade, although he was absent due to medical treatment abroad. Setya took his oath during the same session.

"I will strengthen relations between lawmakers and other high state officials, particularly President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo," Setya said after the meeting.

Setya served as House speaker from 2014 until he was engulfed by a corruption scandal involving mining company PT Freeport Indonesia and was forced to resign in December last year.

He then won the Golkar chairmanship, after which he declared the party a government supporter. In October, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling that helped clear him of the corruption charges.

Setya's journey to regain the speakership was quite fast, occurring over just eight days after the Golkar central executive board decided to replace Ade. Only the Democratic Party questioned the hasty replacement during Wednesday's plenary.

"We want to ask the party [Golkar] the reason behind the replacement. We don't know the reason, and our constituents keep asking us why. Can we know the reason?" Dems lawmaker Benny K. Harman said during the plenary session.

"But principally, we appreciate the move, because it is Golkar's prerogative as regulated in the MD3 [Legislative Institutions] Law," he added.

Political experts have said Setya could help Jokowi to strengthen his position in the House as the lawmaker has long been known for his political lobbying, which may be why he is "more trusted" than Ade.

Ade tried until the last minute to keep his position. While undertaking medical treatment, he said he had asked Golkar secretary-general Idrus Marham to postpone the replacement.

But Ade seems to have lost his political clout at the House. A day earlier, the House's ethics council dismissed him from his post, citing two ethical violations. "I will obey all party decisions because I obey its regulations," Ade said on Tuesday.

Setya's return comes amid political turbulence after Jokowi revealed that political actors were suspected of exploiting the recent Nov. 4 rally, where 100,000 people from various Muslim groups staged a protest to demand the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama over alleged blasphemy.

Ade was accused of failing to lobby the protesters and letting them occupy areas surrounding the House, although not within its gates, from night until dawn.

The next rally is predicted to see around 200,000 protesters. Although National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has said the mass may only gather at the National Monument, speculation is rife that certain groups will attempt to occupy the House.

Aside from the Democratic Party, all other House factions expressed support for Setya. "We hope this is the last [replacement], because we want us [to work] together to improve legislative, monitoring and budgetary functions. We should end all political disputes to maintain political stability," Gerindra Party lawmaker Supratman Andi Agtas said.

The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), meanwhile, may benefit from Setya's return through the revival of a plan to revise the MD3 Law and reformulate the composition of House leadership board, so that the party could gain a position on the board.

"We hope the new speaker is willing to initiate the revision of the MD3 Law, because we have to appreciate the people who have elected us to be their representatives in the legislature," said PDI-P lawmaker Arya Bima.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/setya-regains-old-post-amid-dec-2-anxiety.html

Film & television

Indonesian TV stations 'lacking balance, independence'

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has called on television stations to improve their news programs by providing more balanced and independent content as its newest study finds that quality of news broadcast by stations in the country are still below its standard.

A KPI study released on Monday found that news programs in the country scored only 3.55, less than the minimum score of 4 the KPI set in order for a program type to be considered good quality.

"The main element that should be improved is 'balance' and 'independence'," KPI chairman Yuliandre Darwis said during the launch of the study in Central Jakarta.

The KPI study showed that "independence" and "balance" were the two lowest elements news programs scored on with only 3.11 and 3.12, respectively. Meanwhile, "factuality" – providing information based on facts, scored the strongest with 4.1, exceeding the KPI's minimum-quality standard.

Yuliandre said the Jakarta gubernatorial election, given its escalating political tension should be a time that television stations step up their quality of news programs, especially with closer attention paid to the elements of "independence" and "balance", if not, the scores might be lower in its upcoming study.

During the 2014 presidential election, some television stations differed in their quick count results, causing the public to believe that television stations were partial to the presidential candidate they said had one. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/indonesian-tv-stations-lacking-balance-independence.html

Quality of TV programs substandard: Survey

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Arya Dipa, Bandung – The quality of Indonesian television programs is below standard, according to a survey conducted by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) and the Indonesian Communication Scholars (ISKI) from 12 universities.

In their latest survey, conducted between March and August, the nation's TV programs' quality index was rated at only 3.56, which is below the standard of 4 set by the KPI.

"The highest standard is 5, which means highly qualified, but as it is very difficult to achieve we agree that the quality standard is 4," ISKI's research division chair Endah Murwani said during the dissemination of the results of the survey in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday.

The figure from last year's survey, which involved nine universities, was 3.27. Endah said this year's survey was conducted over three different periods and involved 1,200 respondents and 120 expert viewers from 12 cities in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Maluku Islands.

The index resulting from the second period of survey from May-June 2016 was 3.40.

"Thus, there is a slight increase in the third period to 3.56," said Endah, adding that the programs surveyed were broadcast by 15 television stations with national coverage.

Of nine categories of television programs surveyed, only two had indexes above the set standard. They were children's programs (4.09) and cultural tourism programs (4.31).

Three categories showing the lowest indexes were infotainment programs (3.01), sinetron (soap operas) or movies (3.08) and comedies (3.15). The remaining four categories were news, talk shows, variety shows and religious programs, which had indexes ranging from 3.36 to 3.94.

Different indicators were used for each broadcast category in the research. The indicators used for the news category were monitoring, critical power improvement, public interest, factuality, accuracy, independence, news balance and content of judging opinion.

For talk show programs, the balance aspect was monitored. The survey showed that in terms of discourse talk show programs did not yet offer solutions.

"Interesting findings were discovered in the quality index of infotainment programs whose indicators included information provision, protection of public interest, respect for personal life, respect for moral norms and values, respect for particular persons and groups, freedom from violence, verification and respect for sources.

Endah said the indicator of respect for personal life had the lowest index of 2.64, followed by protecting public interest the index of which was 2.69. "These aspects need attention," she said.

Responding on the results of the survey, KPI commissioner Ubaidillah, who oversees the institutional division, said the results of each period had been conveyed to the broadcasting institutions in the hope that they could improve the quality of their broadcast programs.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/quality-tv-programs-substandard-survey.html

Armed forces & defense

Military denies internal split over treason arrests

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) says that its internal solidarity has been maintained despite the recent arrests of two retired Army generals for alleged treason, a high-ranking TNI officer has suggested.

Jakarta Military commander Maj. Gen. Teddy Lhaksamana denied on Tuesday rumors that the TNI was experiencing an internal split following the arrest of retired two-star Army general Kivlan Zen and retired one-star Army general Adityawarman Thaha on Dec. 2.

The arrests came several hours before the start of a large-scale public gathering to push for the arrest of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

"There is no split within the TNI. The command chain for the security [forces] for the Dec. 2 gathering was so solid," Teddy said in response to a circulating rumor saying that a number of high-ranking TNI officers had objected the arrest of Kivlan and Adityawarman.

Teddy added that he had served as deputy chief for the law enforcement taskforce that secured the Dec. 2 gathering, which was attended by over 1 million people. The taskforce was led by Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mochammad Iriawan.

Therefore, the TNI, he added, were also involved in the arrest of Kivlan and Adityawarman, whom according to the police needed to be interrogated for their alleged involvement in a treason plot.

On Dec. 2, several hours before the large-scale gathering at the National Monument square, the Jakarta Police arrested eight people – Kivlan, Adityawarman, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, Ratna Sarumpaet, Sri Bintang Pamungkas, Eko Suryo Santjojo, Firza Husain and Alvin Indra – on treason charges.

Another three people were also arrested with different charges: Ahmad Dhani for defamation, and Jamran and Rizal Kobar for committing hate speech. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/military-denies-

F-16, Apache procurement in spotlight

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The Defense Ministry has asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to help it crack down on graft plaguing the procurement of defense weaponry between 2010 and 2014.

The move came a day after the ministry suffered a major blow following the sentencing of its finance division head between 2010 and 2014, Brig. Gen. Teddy Hernayadi, to life in prison for embezzling US$12 million from the procurement of F-16 jet fighters, Apache helicopters and Hercules aircraft worth trillions of rupiah during the period.

In the latest development on Thursday, the ministry announced that the Air Force's military police had charged Teddy's successor, Col. Irwan, with corruption for allegedly swindling tens of billions of rupiah from a separate weaponry procurement in 2014.

The ministry declined to reveal the details of Irwan's case as the investigation is ongoing.

The announcement of the investigation into Irwan came just two weeks after the KPK provided a tip-off to the ministry that a colonel had Rp 24 billion ($1.7 million) of embezzled funds in his bank accounts.

The ministry's inspector general, Hadi Tjahjanto, said the ministry wanted the KPK to help with the investigations into the cases.

It was revealed during Teddy's trial that as many as 53 non-military individuals had benefitted from his dirty money.

"We will also wait for the trial of Colonel IR [Irwan] to see whether there are other parties implicated in his case [...]. In addition, we will ask the KPK and PPATK [Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre to help us with the two investigations] especially on non-military offenders," Hadi told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Both Teddy and Irwan served in the role during the administration of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who wrapped up his 10-year presidency in October 2014. The country made numerous defense weaponry purchases for the Indonesian Military (TNI) during Yudhoyono's administration.

Hadi said the post of finance division head gave Teddy and Irwan discretion over the disbursement of funds at the ministry.

Teddy disbursed money for the purchase of F-16 jet fighters, Apache helicopters and Hercules aircraft in amounts higher than what was stipulated in proposals, which led to him collecting $12 million in his bank accounts between 2010 and 2014.

Teddy did not enjoy the money alone, as he used part of it to entertain scores of TNI and ministry officials as well as private individuals during the period.

Hadi said after Teddy and Irwan's cases were closed, the ministry would continue investigating past defense weaponry procurement projects.

The military court seized Teddy's assets – including a Toyota Camry sedan; a Toyota Prado; a Ducati Monster motorbike; a plot of land in Kebon Sirih, Jakarta; a town house in Bandung, West Java; a plot of land in Soreang, Bandung; $74,400 and Rp 6 billion in cash; and gold – as part of the court's efforts to return the $12 million to state coffers.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said the antigraft body was ready to assist the ministry in resolving Teddy and Irwan's cases, especially in singling out non-military offenders.

Agus added that the KPK was familiar with Teddy's case because it previously supervised the case and attended the months-long trial to collect information.

"Earlier the KPK reminded the ministry that there was still another case, other than Teddy's. That's part of our move to supervise the case. The KPK is ready to help investigate the flow of the $12 million," he said.

Meanwhile, TNI spokesperson Brig. Gen. Wuryanto said the military would show no tolerance if other members were netted in cases in the future.

"We are ready to conduct cleansing to make the TNI a professional institution. The life sentence for Teddy means the TNI did not intervene in the legal process and did not protect its member," Wuryanto said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/f-16-apache-procurement-spotlight.html

TNI general gets life for graft

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – In a landmark ruling, the Jakarta Military Court has sentenced a one-star Indonesian Military (TNI) general to life for embezzling US$12 million through defense weaponry procurement between 2010 and 2014.

The verdict, which was read out in an open hearing on Wednesday, sent a positive signal that the TNI and the Defense Ministry were serious in cracking down on corruption, which allegedly plagues the nation's weapon procurement deals.

The general identified as Brig. Gen. Teddy Hernayadi was found guilty of transferring the $12 million of state money to his bank accounts when he served as the Defense Ministry's finance division head from 2010 to 2014.

The ministry's inspector general Hadi Tjahjanto said the ministry appreciated the ruling because not only did it sentence Teddy to life in prison for his offences, but also demanded he return the $12 million to the state coffers.

"We are waiting for the defendant to comply with ruling and return the embezzled money to the state," Hadi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Hadi further said a team from the ministry who had observed the months-long trial discovered that Teddy was not the only perpetrator, adding that the ministry would resume investigations into the case to pursue more suspects both from the ministry and private sector who allegedly received shares of the embezzled money.

The inspector general hoped that the verdict would serve as a warning for other ministry officials on the severity of embezzlement. "We will follow up the ruling to find out who the other recipients of the embezzled money are. Around 53 witnesses confirmed that they had accepted money [from Teddy]. If the 53 witnesses include civilians, we will let the National Police investigate them," Hadi said.

Hadi said the case started when the ministry's inspectorate general discovered $12 million had been funneled from the ministry to Teddy's bank accounts in 2014.

"The ruling was expected but nonetheless was appreciated [by the ministry]. The ministry will continue to carry out internal reforms," Hadi said.

Meanwhile, Teddy reportedly said he would use the seven days given by the court to decide whether to appeal the sentence to the Jakarta High Military Court.

Separately, military expert Al Araf said the verdict confirmed long-standing public suspicions that the country's procurement of defense systems was marred with corruption, thus, it was important for the ministry to probe past procurement deals.

"In the past, we have heard about alleged corruption concerning the procurement of Sukhoi [fighter jets], Leopard tanks and missiles from Brazil. The verdict should open the door for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration to investigate the procurement of defense weaponry in the past," Al Araf said.

He said the ministry should ask the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for assistance in the investigation of past cases.

By 2024, the country expects to have reached its minimum essential force requirement. Some Rp 150 trillion ($15.8 billion) was spent to pay for the modernization of the nation's weapons-defense system between 2010 and 2014.

KPK chairman Agus Rahardjo said the antigraft body was ready to assist the ministry, adding that the KPK was closely monitoring the process of Teddy's trial at the military court. "We are monitoring the hearing," Agus said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/01/tni-general-gets-life-for-graft.html

Economy & investment

Consumer spending, investment need boost

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2016

Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – Indonesia's efforts to attain 5.1 percent economic growth next year may fall short without a significant boost to the two top contributors of the economy, consumer spending and investment, economists say.

Prominent economist Faisal Basri projected that growth would be hindered partly by heavy pressure on consumer spending, which makes up 55 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), and amount to no more than 5 percent in 2017.

"Consumer spending is under heavy pressure, especially for low-income people," the University of Indonesia (UI) economist said Monday during a seminar in Jakarta discussing the outlook of Indonesia's economy. "Consumption will slow down."

Consumer spending contributes the most to the nation's economy, having grown about 5 percent in the past few years. It is followed by investment, which accounts for 32 percent of GDP and grew 4.88 percent from January to September year-on-year. Government spending only accounts for 10 percent.

Wahyoe Soedarmono, a financial economist from the Sampoerna University's School of Business, noted that it would be difficult for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration to reach its ambitious 2019 goal of 7 percent growth without increasing the ratio of investments to GDP to 44 percent.

The government recently aimed for economic growth of 5.1 percent this year, slightly lower than the 5.2 percent target that was in the revised 2016 state budget, as it decided to reduce public spending in a bid to maintain a healthy fiscal balance.

The Rp 137 trillion (US$10.13 billion) cut to the state budget was made in early August after President Jokowi called for efficiency measures in the form of trimming less important spending. The move directly impacted government spending, which contracted by 2.97 percent in the third quarter.

The government has remained upbeat despite facing many predictions that its targets are unachievable. Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said infrastructure and deregulation would remain key priorities next year, along with other improvements to reduce the dependency of domestic industries on imports.

The infrastructure projects, as they roll out, are expected to have trickle-down effects triggering loan demand and pushing credit growth to between 7 and 11 percent in 2017, higher than this year's prediction of 7 to 9 percent.

In order to achieve this, the government needed to extend financial inclusion across the country as it would help support any investment needs, economists said.

"We need to increase the proportion of national savings, which currently only hovers at about 33 percent, to 44 percent in 2019 in order to reach the 7 percent growth target, which can be fully supported by national savings," Wahyoe said.

One way to boost financial inclusion is to take advantage of the fast-growing information technology sector to reach remote regions that have no access to banking or financial services because of a lack of infrastructure.

However, he warned that any transactions through financial technology (fintech) should be integrated with a formal financial intermediary in order to minimize any possibility of corruption.

There are about 120 fintech firms, mostly startups, currently operating in Indonesia in separate segments, such as peer-to-peer lending, e-wallets, crowdfunding and financial settlements, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) data show.

Total transactions within the fintech platforms are forecast to reach $14.5 billion with an average annual growth rate of 18.8 percent expected by 2020, according to market statistics portal Statista. (win)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/consumer-spending-investment-need-boost.html

Government urged to control flood of textile imports from China

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2016

Jakarta – The Indonesian Textile Association (API) has called on the government to further regulate imports, as cheap imported textile products continue to flood the market, hitting the domestic industry with losses.

API chairman Ade Sudrajat said on Friday that the domestic market was expected to continue to be flooded with imported products in the next two to three years.

"To protect the domestic market, imported textile products have to be managed; so does the illegal smuggling of used clothes," he told The Jakarta Post. Ade said the government could control the wave of textile imports, primarily from China, by setting a reference price.

Based Industry Ministry data, the textile industry experienced a loss of Rp 30 trillion (US$2.2 billion) per year due to rampant illegal smuggling.

Achmad Sigit Dwiwahjono, the ministry's director general for chemicals, textile and miscellaneous industry, said it would collaborate with the Trade Ministry and the Directorate General of Customs and Excise to curb illegal imports.

"The utilization of the textile's upstream industry currently stands at 50 to 60 percent. Thus, there should be a new policy to support the industry," he said, explaining that the government aimed to create a new regulation to control textile imports. (win/jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/02/government-urged-to-control-flood-of-textile-imports-from-china.html

Analysis & opinion

Reasoning over treason

Jakarta Post Editorial - December 6, 2016

Many of us might have had a feeling of deja vu when the police arrested 11 people, mostly on accusations of attempted treason, hours before thousands turned up for a rally last Friday demanding the head of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for allegedly blaspheming against Islam.

History shows treason charges were a characteristic of the New Order, which gave no room to opposition. During that period, when stability was the mantra, a number of government critics were jailed after the court convicted them of trying to overthrow the legitimate government.

In fact, post-New Order administrations have kept the treason articles intact, although they are very rarely enforced, despite how they are vulnerable to facilitating an abuse of power. It can be said, unfortunately, that the reformasi did not make any difference when it came to the elimination of articles from the Criminal Code that allow for multiple interpretations and endanger democracy.

The reform movement that marked the start toward democratization in 1998 left the antidemocratic articles, including those on treason, untouched because of a lack of political will to repeal or amend them on the part of the ruling regimes. Also, perhaps they know treason charges are the easiest way to counterattack the opposition.

Like it or not, the use of treason charges to justify the arrest of people known for their hostility to the government last Friday has sent the wrong message: that the Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration is departing from its commitment to democracy and human rights. The nation voted for Jokowi and Jusuf Kalla in 2014 with high expectations they could carry on the consolidation that would transform Indonesia into a full-fledged democracy.

Treason charges have served as a constant threat to freedom of speech and our hard-earned democracy simply because of the absence of clear parameters as to what constitutes the crime, which carries a maximum sentence of life. Since their inception back in the colonial era, articles on treason have been used to annihilate any effort to undermine the rulers.

Treason is commonly subject to the ruler's interpretation. One can be accused of attempting treason simply because she or she expresses disappointment with the government through calls for a regime change, which is in most cases unlikely without supporters, let alone an army.

The police's statement that the people arrested for alleged attempted treason would have mobilized the crowd attending the Dec. 2 rally to oust the legitimate government is as illogical as the suspects' dream of founding a new government without going down the democratic path called an election.

The government and security authorities might smell political motives behind the use of the people's power in the Nov. 4 and Dec. 2 rallies to demand the arrest of Ahok, which could foil his bid to win the gubernatorial election in February next year, but arresting certain people involved in the two rallies on treason allegations is equally abusive.

The police will now have to prove the suspects, who have mostly been released, had the intention and capability to commit treason, which would not be easy. The option of applying the treason articles, however, has already stirred fear that freedom of expression is now in jeopardy.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/06/reasoning-over-treason.html