Dan McGarry – Vanuatu Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai, was cheered by approximately 50 leaders of West Papua who are currently in Port Vila, when he assured them his Government's position on West Papua "has not changed and will not change".

Not only that but that the entire Vanuatu society beginning with the chiefs, churches, women's groups and youth groups are mobilised to call for the freedom of the people of West Papua.

He told them that the historical policy of the Government since independence 36 years ago is still the same for New Caledonia, French Polynesia and West Papua to achieve self-determination.

West Papua global campaigner, Benny Wenda, said it is the delegation's dream and prayer for the Melanesian leaders in MSG spearheaded by Vanuatu, to grant West Papua full membership to the sub-regional organisation.

As a global campaigner for the West Papua struggle, Benny Wenda is confident that finding all the leaders of the struggle in West Papua shaking hands and laughing and speaking one language in Port Vila, means they and their Melanesian people in West Papua are linked by the one spirit that binds the people of Melanesia for the leaders of MSG to grant them full membership of the Melanesian organisation.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Joe Natuman, Minister of Lands Ralph Regenvanu and Parliamentary Secretary Johnny Koanapo were also present with Prime Minister to welcome the West Papua delegation.

As a token of gratitude to the Government of Vanuatu for its staunch support for West Papua, the Prime Minister was presented with a West Papuan traditional crown-like head gear made of the feathers of a bird of paradise and two baskets. His colleagues were also presented with baskets.

Meanwhile in all towns in West Papua and Jakarta, reports allege one protester has been killed and 528 people have been arrested along with six children less than ten years old, for taking part in a peaceful parade to call on MSG to grant full membership of MSG.

"It cannot be explained why the arrests were made and the office of the ULMWP was destroyed when our colonisers are also an associated member of MSG," Wenda said.

Source: http://dailypost.vu/news/vanuatu-s-position-has-not-changed/article_96990b27-fd95-533b-84a0-9d806e7cb046.html

Two West Papuans charged with treason for demonstrating

Radio New Zealand International - December 21, 2016

Over 500 people were reportedly arrested from West Papua demonstrations in Indonesia.

The Jayapura demonstration was one of more than 14 rallies in Indonesian cities, calling for West Papuan rights to self-determination to be respected. More than 500 people were reported to have been arrested for participating in the rallies.

While the vast majority were released later in the day, two arrested in the Papua provincial capital have been charged.

Hosea Yemo and Ismael Alua are reportedly members of the West Papua National Committee, (KNPB), the pro-independence representative group which organised some of the rallies.

Papua provincial police said the two were arrested after allegedly inciting sedition or treason against the state, and provoking other participants of the rally to commit treason. A treason charge could lead to a jail term of up to 15 years in Indonesia.

Police said that from the Jayapura demo, they also found 1kg of hashish at the KNPB's premises, and confiscated a number of weapons from the crowd.

Law and order has been maintained in the cities and the situation was back to normal, according to police who said they avoided using excessive force in handling the demonstrations.

However, Jakarta-based human rights monitoring groups have condemned intimidation and violence by police officers in the Jayapura rally.

The Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, and its local partner in Papua, Elsham Papua, said it condemned intimidation and violence by police officers against photographic journalist Whens Tebay during the rally.

Mr Tebay said police arrested, interrogated and hit him, later confiscated his camera and forced him to erase all photos taken during the rally.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/320986/two-west-papuans-charged-with-treason-for-demonstrating

Jakarta keeps strong grip on Papua as rallies intensify

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Moses Ompusunggu and Lita Aruperes, Jakarta/Manado – Jakarta is continuing its strong handed approach to Papua and West Papua, the country's easternmost provinces torn between poverty and violence, despite calls to soften its stance in handling the restive region.

In Manado, North Sulawesi, 85 protesters have been detained by the local police for displaying the morning star flag – the symbol of West Papuan independence – in front of the North Sulawesi governor's office in the city.

The rallies were organized by the National Committee on West Papua (KNPB), an organization advocating the right to self-determination for the people of the two provinces.

KNPB chairman Hiskia Mogea criticized the police's move, saying that it did not "comply with the procedures". "The protesters had not yet started the rally when the police arrived to arrest them," Hiskia said on Tuesday.

The group said at least 528 protesters were arrested by the police following massive demonstrations held in various cities across the country on Monday to commemorate the 1961 military operation to seize what was then known as West Papua from the Dutch.

One of the detained protesters, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the detainees had been mistreated in custody, claiming that the police had only served them once since the arrests took place on Monday.

In Jakarta, an advocacy group is considering taking legal action against the government for blocking a web portal containing information about human rights violations in Papua.

The Legal Aid Institute for the Press (LBH Pers) is considering taking legal action against President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration for the block put on suarapapua.com, a prominent Papua-based online news outlet deemed to contain "negative" content according to country's information law, which many consider to be draconian.

LBH Pers head of research and network development Asep Komarudin said the institute, which is suarapapua.com legal representative, may either file a civil lawsuit to challenge the Communications and Information Ministry's censorship, or file a report with the police accusing the ministry of violating freedom of the press guarantees in Article 18, point 1 of the 1999 Press Law.

"The ministry provided no clear reason for blocking the website, but we believe the site was blocked because it stood as a local news source that routinely reported on human rights violations in the region," Asep told The Jakarta Post. "It was the voice of the voiceless [in Papua]."

The blocking of the website came amid a series of government crackdowns on websites it deemed as sources of sectarian sentiment, known in Indonesia as SARA, amid rising political tension related to the blasphemy allegations against non-active Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Following the report by suarapapua.com, LBH Pers then sent a letter to the ministry to seek information about its rationale for blocking the news outlet.

In response to the complaint by LBH Pers, the ministry said in a letter dated Nov. 21 and signed by the ministry's director general for information applications, Semuel Pangerapan, that suarapapua.com was blocked upon request by "a ministry/government institution authorized to determine whether a website has violated the law". It did not explain further.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/jakarta-keeps-strong-grip-on-papua-as-rallies-intensify.html

Rights groups decry violence against activists, civilians in Papua

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Jakarta-based human rights watchdog Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (Elsam) and its local partner in Papua, Elsham Papua, condemned intimidation and violence by police officers against activist Whens Tebay during a rally in Jayapura on Monday.

The two groups said Whens went to monitor the rally, which was held to promote West Papuan independence, before the police forcibly dispersed it. The police arrested 10 protestors and physically attacked several people attending the rally, the activist said.

Elsham Papua said in a press statement that the police had arrested, interrogated and hit Whens during the rally. The police later confiscated his camera and forced him to erase all photos taken during the rally.

"This is deeply regretful," said Elsham Papua director Ferdinand Marrisan. "The police did not give Whens a chance to speak as he was immediately arrested".

The group said the police had also arrested Papuans in other parts across the country during the commemoration of Trikora Day, during which they protested what they consider to be the illegitimate annexation of the region into Indonesia.

In the celebration of Trikora Day earlier this week, the Manado Police in North Sulawesi arrested 72 students from Papua and charged them with treason for planning to hold an event calling for the independence of West Papua.

Both Elsham Papua and Elsam called President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to remind law enforcers of his commitment to maintain peace in Papua.

"President Jokowi must tell the National Police chief [Gen. Tito Karnavian] to oblige police officers throughout the country, including in Papua, to respect and uphold human rights when carrying out their job," the organizations declared. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/rights-groups-decry-violence-against-activists-civilians-in-papua.html

Over 500 arrested in West Papua demonstrations

Radio New Zealand International - December 20, 2016

There were over 500 reported arrests from West Papua demonstrations in Indonesian cities yesterday.

The demonstrations were calling for self-determination for West Papuans on the anniversary of the first Indonesian military invasion in 1961.

Demonstrations were held in Jayapura, Merauke, Nabire, Manokwari, Timika, Yahukimo and Sorong and also in cities outside Papua such as Jakarta, Manado, Ambon, Bandung and Yogjakarta.

Police in the various centres rejected granting the demonstrators permission, but the activists proceeded anyway.

In total, 528 demonstrators were arrested by Indonesian police across these cities. In Wamena, 165 people were arrested, of whom 15 are understood to have been released.

Arrests numbered 126 in Merauke with all later released. Children were reportedly among the 74 arrested in Nambire and also amongst those arrested in Merauke and Wamena.

Activists with the West Papua National Committee, which organised many of the demonstrations, were subject to beatings in Jayapura and had their central headquarters vandalised.

There are also allegations of ill-treatment of demonstrators who were arrested in Nabire where several are badly injured after assault by rattan cane and coal.

The latest round of mass arrests brings to well over 5000 the number of people arrested in Indonesia for peaceful demonstrations in support of West Papuan self-determination this year.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/320854/over-500-arrested-in-west-papua-demonstrations

Accused of treason, dozens of Papuans arrested in Manado

Jakarta Post - December 19, 2016

Manado, North Sulawesi – The Manado Police arrested more than 70 Papuan students who were about to stage a rally on Monday, accusing them of treason.

The police detained them as they were preparing for rallies in two locations in Manado, North Sulawesi. Some of the students were arrested in Papuan Student Dorm while others were arrested in the front yard of North Sulawesi Council. The police said they confiscated Bintang Kejora or Morning Star paraphernalia associated with Papua's independence movement.

"Every possibility that is not in line with Indonesia's unity [NKRI] will be processed," Manado Police chief Sr. Comr. Hisar Siallagan said Monday.

He claimed the condition in Papua was peaceful and there was no demand for an independence referendum. He said the government even gave special attention to Papua's development acceleration even though it cost a lot of money. "I don't see any urgency [for the rallies]," he said.

In 2016, Papuan students in Manado had attempted to stage three rallies. Each one was dispersed by the police.

According to data made available to The Jakarta Post by Veronica Koman, the lawyer of Papuan self-determination activist Filep Karma, the rallies on Dec. 19 were held in Jayapura, Merauke, Nabire, Yogyakarta, Manado, Wamena, Jakarta, Sorong, Manokwari, Timika, Yahukimo, Bandung, Ternate and Ambon.

The lawyer said a total of 528 people were arrested Monday, with Wamena recording the highest number of people arrested (165 people, 15 were released). In Jayapura, the arrest involved beatings, Veronica said, and seven people were badly injured. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/accused-of-treason-dozens-of-papuans-arrested-in-manado.html

Activists stage peaceful rally, ask UN to monitor situation in Papua

Jakarta Post - December 19, 2016

Jakarta – Papuan and non-Papuan activists held a march in Jakarta on Monday to demand that the United Nations (UN) respond to the current heated situation in the easternmost part of the country.

The Alliance of Papua University Students (AMP) and the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-West Papua) marched from the Arjuna Wijaya chariot statue in Central Jakarta to the UN representative office on Jl. MH Thamrin, also in Central Jakarta.

"We want the UN to be involved in determining our faith, which is to hold a referendum for West Papua and the Army's withdrawal from the region," AMP spokesman Jefry Wenda told The Jakarta Post.

Seventy-seven people participated in the march, which was also staged in conjunction with the expected announcement of United Liberation Movement on West Papua's official membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group on Tuesday.

The FRI-West Papua, consisting of non-Papuan Indonesian activists and intellectuals, was established to demonstrate solidarity by non-Papuans with Papuans in their struggle for independence.

Marches were also held in other 15 cities across the country, with reports of several hundred rally participants being detained by the police in Sulawesi and Java. (adt/jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/activists-stage-peaceful-rally-ask-un-to-monitor-situation-in-papua.html

Papuan nativity scenes send out messages of peace

UCA News - December 19, 2016

Despite facing the constant threat of violence and arrest for calling for greater autonomy and an end to rights abuses by Indonesian security forces, Papuans are sending out a message of hope and peace this Christmas by constructing nativity scenes.

Papuans do not get many opportunities to express to the world their desire for peace. Making elaborate nativity scenes, some of which are quite large, is one of the few ways they can do so, according to Anto Beroperai, 31, a Christian from Jayapura.

"These nativity scenes are more meaningful to us now than ever, as many people live in fear," he said. We start building them in early December by roadsides, in churches or on hills next to people's houses, Beroperai said.

The tradition began about three decades ago and it is not clear who started it. But it has become more and more popular, he said. Although the nativity scenes are expressions of peace, the have not deterred security forces from committing acts of violence.

Two years ago, three high school students were shot dead by the military, following an altercation when young people were singing and listening to Christmas music next to one nativity scene in Paniai, Jayapura.

Many people saw it as an act of intimidation and attack on their Christian and cultural beliefs, Beroperai said. "People are not afraid, and continue to make these scenes because we want the world to see that Papuans also love peace."

Ota Rumbekwan, coordinator of a Papuan youth group in Jayapura, said the nativity scene tradition has a positive effect on young people who would otherwise risk getting into trouble by drinking alcohol.

"Lots of people drink alcohol here. But when young people get involved in church activities, such as during Christmas time, they put their bad habits to one side," she said.

Nico Lokobal, a Catholic lay leader in Jayapura Diocese, said nativity scenes at many churches in remote areas, are built together by community members, young and old, men and women, and even by people from different religions. "It unites us as a community of faith, despite coming from different organizations, religions, and political groups," he said.

In some places, he said, nativity scenes get a more Papuan character when people put in images of Jesus, Mary and Joseph with dark, curly hair.

"It makes Christmas in Papua more alive," Lokobal said. "And more than that, it gives off a message of peace to all, amidst the political turmoil in Papua," he said.

Source: http://www.ucanews.com/news/papuan-nativity-scenes-send-out-messages-of-peace/77915

West Papuans look to march again, despite police

Radio New Zealand International - December 19, 2016

There are signs of more imminent arrests of West Papuan demonstrators in towns across Indonesia's Papua region.

The West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, had notified police about its intention to hold a march today to commemorate the first Indonesian military invasion in 1961.

Police in the various centres have rejected granting them permission, but the KNPB has indicated it plans to proceed anyway. However last night police were understood to have arrested 30 people involved in a planned mobilisation in the Highlands city of Wamena.

Two days ago, police also arrested six KNPB activists in the West Papua town of Nabire – four of them were detained when they delivered their notification letter to the police station. Then police raided the KNPB secretariat and arrested two more people.

Today's planned demonstration is the latest in a series of mobilisations this year by West Papuans calling for self-determination.

Some of the demonstrations have marked notable anniversaries of West Papua's modern history. On 19 December 1961 Indonesia's first president Sukarno launched operation Trikora to invade and colonise the former Dutch New Guinea. no caption

It came less than three weeks after West Papuans declared independence and formally raised their nationalist symbol, the Morning Star Flag.

The flag was hoisted in a ceremony by the New Guinea Council, the Dutch-established governing body of indigenous council representatives to facilitate Papuan sovereignty.

Dignitaries from Netherlands, Britain, Australia, France, New Zealand and several Pacific states attended the ceremony.

However the declaration of independence was soon eclipsed by a US-brokered agreement in 1962 between the Dutch and Jakarta which paved the way for an Indonesian take-over.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/320787/west-papuans-look-to-march-again,-despite-police

Indonesian police arrest dozens ahead of West Papua protest

Associated Press - December 18, 2016

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesian police have detained dozens of people ahead of a West Papua independence protest on Monday.

At least 200 people were arrested in several cities in Papua and Java, said Veronica Koman, a lawyer for Papuan independence activist Filep Karma.

Monday is the 55th anniversary of the official declaration of an Indonesian military campaign to take control of Papua from the Dutch.

Koman said several people were arrested last week when they applied for demonstration permits. She said the headquarters of the pro-independence National Committee for West Papua in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, was vandalized during a police raid on Monday.

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.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/indonesian-police-arrest-dozens-ahead-west-papua-protest-44274881

PM: MSG seeks wider support for West Papua

Solomon Star News - December 16, 2016

Eddie Osifelo – Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) has include Micronesia, Polynesia, and African countries to fight against human rights violations in West Papua.

Mr Sogavare explained this in Parliament when asked by Opposition Leader, Jeremiah Manele on Thursday. He said Papua New Guinea and Fiji have taken different stand on this issue and did not want to follow the purpose and stand of MSG.

"PNG shares the same border with Indonesia and want to take cautious and Fiji has fixed connections with Indonesia," Mr Sogavare said. "Therefore, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia will include the Micronesia and Polynesia countries ply non alliance group in Africa," he said.

Furthermore, Mr Sogavare said the government will continue with the shuttle diplomacy of sending the envoy to consult and engage in Pacific countries. "We send our envoy to talk with the leaders within our own circle and outside of Melanesia," the MSG chair said.

Rex Horoi is the Solomon Islands' special envoy to West Papua. Mr Sogavare said the envoy's term will end after his two years with MSG lapses. However, he wants to take it up to Parliament to find ways to continue after the chair of MSG ends.

Opposition leader, Mr Manele said it's a complex issue because it involves self-determination and human rights. However, he said this is the first time for the government to take a proactive step on this policy.

"It's important for Indonesia to understand our position," Mr Manele said. "I hope the engagement and consultation go on, can help Indonesia to understand where we are coming from," he added.

"I guess it's advisable for more engaging and consultative approach we continue to take on this matter, at the end of the day, not counter-productive," he said.

Mr Manele supports the idea to continue with a policy in Parliament after the end of Mr Horoi's term.

Source: http://www.solomonstarnews.com/news/national/11986-pm-msg-seeks-wider-support-for-west-papua

Tantowi seeks to clarify Papua issue in NZ

Jakarta Post - December 15, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesian ambassador-designate to New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya, has made it his mission to inform the people of the South Pacific nation about the improved conditions in Papua and West Papua once he has been cleared to commence his duties in Wellington next year.

It is his belief that people in New Zealand are unaware of the progress the Indonesian government has achieved in improving the welfare of the country's easternmost provinces.

"The Papua issue has been intensely debated in New Zealand by NGOs [supporting Papua's separatist movement]. They stage rallies at the Indonesian Embassy, in public spaces and even on university campuses," Tantowi told reporters after a closed-door vetting process at the Senayan legislative complex in Jakarta on Wednesday. The Golkar Party politician, who has also been nominated to represent Indonesia in Tonga and Samoa, claimed that the situation in Papua and West Papua was significantly different now due to the government's continued efforts to develop the regions.

"While the [protest] movement has remained small, we still have the responsibility to address the issue, especially since they cite outdated information that no longer reflects the reality on the ground," he said.

"It is my duty to present accurate and up-to-date information to shift the perceptions that New Zealand and other Pacific countries have about Indonesia: it is not true that Papuans yearn for independence."

Tantowi, a famous TV presenter and country singer prior to starting his career as politician, is one of 23 candidates endorsed by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to serve as ambassadors.

The ambassador-elects, when cleared for duty, are expected to be officially sworn-in sometime in February or March next year. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/15/tantowi-seeks-to-clarify-papua-issue-in-nz.html

Indonesia urged to address press freedom violations in West Papua

International Press Institute - December 15, 2016

Just five months before Indonesia is set to host UNESCO's 2017 celebration of World Press Freedom Day, its government still has not met a regional human rights watchdog's demands to address press freedom violations in the country's restive West Papua province.

Upon the announcement in July that UNESCO would mark May 3, 2017 with a conference in Jakarta, the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) set that date as a deadline for Indonesia's government to "ensure that there is open access to West Papua for foreign media, and an end to abuses against local media".

However, the government has rejected that demand. In July 2016, the Minister Counsellor at Indonesia's embassy in New Zealand, Wanton Saragih, argued that great strides forward in terms of press freedom in West Papua have been made under the current administration, including a lift on the ban against foreign journalists.

Last year, all foreign journalists' visa applications to West Papua were reportedly approved, including a request by Radio New Zealand International reporter Johnny Blades. But in an interview with the International Press Institute (IPI), he described a burdensome application process that required approval from 12 different state agencies, including the military.

Meanwhile, West Papuan journalists such as Aprila Wayar, who works for online news outlets Tabloid Jubi and Tanah Papua News, say they are forced into self-censorship out of fear of persecution.

"My friend [who is a journalist] died in 2010," Wayar said. "He covered illegal logging on the border of Papua New Guinea and West Papua, and they killed him. Sometimes I'm scared about [the work] that I do."

Human rights violations

West Papua has been the scene of conflict since 1963, when Indonesia gained control of the region on the western half of the island of New Guinea following a vote that pro-independence activists dismiss as illegitimate. Since then, activists maintain, Indonesian forces have killed more than 500,000 West Papuans and tortured, intimidated and illegally detained many more.

Local and foreign journalists have long claimed to be the targets of repression for covering pro-independence views in West Papua and IPI has noted the deaths of two journalists in the region this decade. Indonesia's stance on criticism of its record in the region has been evasive. In September at the U.N. General Assembly, six Pacific island nations expressed support for an investigation of human rights abuses in West Papua by an independent commission.

Jakarta responded by asserting Indonesia's national sovereignty and the U.N. principle of non-interference. One month later, Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu asked Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to warn the Solomon Islands against interfering in Indonesia's domestic affairs.

West Papua in the media

Indonesia has been able to use its political clout to ensure that little is known about West Papua today.

"When I was in the Netherlands, many people didn't even know that West Papua still exists," Wayar recalled. "For more than 25 years, Indonesia hasn't allowed [foreign] journalists to cover Papua, so of course the international community doesn't know anything about it. And I cannot blame them or be mad about the situation, because Indonesia made [it that way]."

The few times that West Papua does make international news, narratives reflect those of mainstream Indonesian media and focus on separatist violence or strikes at Freeport-McMoRan's massive Grasberg mine, one the world's largest gold and copper mines.

According to Blades, who has specialised in West Papuan and Melanesian affairs since 2004, "for years it seemed as though separatists would be blamed for any violence, even when it was [false]".

However, a situation that has witnessed a spread of misinformation and lack of media attention is slowly improving thanks to the introduction of technology and social media. "Jakarta can't keep a lid on it anymore," Blades said. "There are still ways they can control it, the messages coming out, but not entirely."

Twitter and online news platforms have been particularly helpful giving international exposure to West Papuan issues. One example is West Papua Media, an online news outlet considered to be one of the best sources of verifiable information from Papua available in the English language. It currently has 12,575 subscribers worldwide.

Indonesia's 'right to be forgotten'

Unfortunately for online activists, and despite Saragih's claim about media improvements, recent amendments to Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law include a "right to be forgotten" clause inspired by a 2014 case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against tech giant Google.

The ECJ ruled that individuals can, under certain conditions, demand that search engines remove links with personal information about them. The European Commission, however, has made clear that the "right to be forgotten" is not absolute and must be balanced with other fundamental rights, such as the freedoms of expression and the media.

A proposed EU Data Protection Regulation would require EU members to pass national legislation to reconcile data protection with the freedom of expression. Indonesia's ITE Law, on the other hand, makes no reference to press freedoms or how the "right to be forgotten" will be implemented, prompting experts to argue that it lacks adequate data protection or legal mechanisms to limit state power.

Moreover, the amended ITE Law not only targets search results, but also original content, meaning that all Internet content providers – from search engines, to online news outlets, to digital apps – could be obligated to erase published material if ordered to do so by a court.

Expressing concern over the new right, Indonesia's Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) warned that "this provision may become a tool of the government for censoring news, media and journalist publication[s]".

The way forward

Experts say that Indonesia must protect its Internet freedoms by drafting clear rules on the implementation of the "right to be forgotten".

Oxford professor Viktor Mayer-Schönberger noted that the right could be a positive development if it is applied judicially and its scope is narrowed, commenting: "Anything that helps our technologies to behave more like what we humans are used to (like forgetting and forgiving over time) is a potential step in the right direction."

But, he added: "I would want to make sure that the right to be forgotten is not designed as an absolute remedy, with information vanishing completely, but as a relative remedy... that slows one down, but does not make it impossible to reach your goal."

Blades and Wayar both said that journalist exchanges and professional employment are necessary to support high-quality local journalism.

While Indonesia may heavily restrict access to West Papua, it does not restrict Papuans from travelling outside. Wayar suggested that foreign media groups should invite Papuans abroad to attend skills workshops, such as English courses and other training programs.

She also explained that bribery remains a strong challenge for local journalists, who are not paid for covering human rights abuses and face the strong temptation of receiving money for covering Indonesian policies favourably.

Blades said that "foreign media outlets [should] actively engage with [local journalists] and use them as a correspondent or pay them to do some work".

He commented: "If there is some international component in their work, it might make their work safer or less compromised. Or maybe that's wishful thinking. I'm not sure."

Source: http://www.ifex.org/indonesia/2016/12/15/press_west_papua/

Human rights & justice

Government told to upgrade data on human rights-related policies

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Press Council chairman Yosep Stanley Adi Prasetyo has encouraged state institutions to provide quality data to comprehensively examine the performance of the government in protecting and upholding human rights in the country.

Yosep said the lack of quality data from state institutions in charge of human rights-driven public services had led to questionable reports presented by the government in international forums.

"[Related] state institutions mostly build their data through a quantity-based approach instead of a quality-based one," he told a seminar in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry, the National Police, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), the Indonesian Ombudsman and the Witness and Victims Protection Agency (LPSK) have failed to capture the real situation in society by focusing on mere numbers, he added.

The former Komnas HAM commissioner referred to a lack of appropriate information obtained by state institutions related to ongoing discrimination against marginalized groups in the country, including, among others, minority faith groups, people with disabilities, children and women and the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community.

"The government needs to consult findings by human rights groups as well as the media to get comprehensive data," Stanley emphasized. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/govt-told-to-upgrade-data-on-human-rights-related-policies.html

Feminism & women's rights

Young Lombok women fight for equality through literature

Jakarta Globe - December 15, 2016

Jakarta – Recent tensions surrounding religious and ethnic intolerance in Indonesia can place individuals with alternative or liberal views on the sidelines, sometimes suppressing those views altogether.

Such is the reality for several young women on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, when it comes to voicing unconventional perspectives on identity, sexuality and self-expression through writing.

Female writers of short stories and poetry in the provincial capital of Mataram are often prevented from expressing opinions that contradict or offer an alternative to social norms, in fear of retribution from the social milieu.

Other writers might commonly craft tales about a conventional romance between man and woman, for instance, that reinforces values of a moderate, religiously devout and patriarchal social system.

Amid the island's relatively conservative attitudes on topics such as marriage, gender roles and sexuality, those who transgress are a limited few.

One youth pushing back against normative values is Ismawati, known as Isma, a short story writer who imbues her female protagonists with agency and individuality.

Her characters stand in stark contrast to the notion of a typically "good" and subservient wife who stays at home to support her husband, keep the house clean and look after the children.

"A woman whose career is at home can be excellent, but problems arise when a man creates restrictions or can't accept that his wife is more successful or productive at home than he is at the office," Isma said.

"[With my writing] I want to give people a slap in the face... [conventions] are just conventions," she added.

Her writing reflects a desire to undermine tendencies of overbearing masculinity in marriage, in the family and in society.

"My desire to write is satisfied when I write about things like [marriage dynamics and gender equality]. We [women] don't have to be afraid of anything."

Several unpleasant experiences in her family when she was a child became the impetus for much of the 23-year-old's writing, such that she attempts to blur the line between reality and fiction to make readers question established truths.

"I can't deny the influence of my youth. [My childhood experiences] are what I wish to put into words. Even now they still exist in my head like a black fog."

Graduating from the University of Mataram (Unram) with a degree in Indonesian literature in 2016, Isma has published stories in both Suara NTB in West Nusa Tenggara and Banjarmasin Post in South Kalimantan.

Another young writer who does not let social norms restrict her creative output is Baiq Ilda Karwayu, better known as Ilda. By writing she attempts to individually explore her own sense of self, separate from the expectations of society.

Ilda, a 23-year-old graduate of English language education at Unram, does not discuss gender roles or societal discontent too much in her poetry, instead preferring to reveal the intricacies of place and locality in metropolitan Mataram and regional Lombok.

"I identify with nature. The poems I write are also often about nature and place."

Her ideas and self are preserved in her poetry, she continued. "I take pleasure knowing that when people read my work in the newspaper, they may not know whether I'm a man or a woman... they don't look to gender, but [reflect on] the topic at hand."

She drills to the core of the island's tendency for a conservative approach to issues through her personal writing philosophy and in published opinion pieces.

Ilda, a Muslim, also experiments with her appearance and dress by sometimes not wearing a hijab – not necessarily to gauge the response of friends and acquaintances, but to explore her own spirituality and the meaning of the hijab for herself.

"I don't have any issues with the use of the headscarf for myself. I don't feel any repression or intimidation from others."

Both Isma and Ilda agreed that the conditions for women in Lombok are not conducive for offering something different from the traditional stream of thought, and need a shakeup.

"There's an unwritten rule: if you're female, it's expected you don't find a career outside [the home], don't pursue higher education, [because] the most important thing is finding a partner," Isma said.

"Plus, if you don't marry in your twenties for instance, that's extremely harmful. That's a lot of restrictions, actually."

The path toward acceptance of alternative views lies with the open and honest discussion of different perspectives and points of contention. For Isma and Ilda, writing is at the forefront of this effort to create a dialogue between parties.

"If we try to act individually, I'm certain we can't [find success]," Ilda said. "[I wish a woman] is not viewed through any kind of label," Isma added. "She must become human. Women must become human."

The writers' opinions were gathered as part of a student research project during August-October 2016, conducted as part of the requirement for a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/young-lombok-women-fight-equality-literature/

Labour & migrant workers

Govt, House set to deliberate bill to improve migrant worker protection

Jakarta Post - December 18, 2016

Jakarta – The government and the House of Representatives will soon deliberate a bill on the protection of Indonesian workers abroad to better advocate for those facing issues and to increase their skills and competencies.

Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said on Friday that the bill would also serve as an assurance and provide protection for the workers, who many consider to be neglected by the country.

"This law will regulate supervision on migrant workers, information distribution, standards for labor institution accreditation and advocacy for troubled workers abroad," he said at a discussion commemorating International Migrant Day, which falls on Dec. 18.

Hanif said the bill would complement the country's existing regulation on workers abroad with more detailed rules. In 2012, the government adopted the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families in Law No. 6/2012.

The move may appease workers and activists, who have urged the government for some time to immediately table the bill. Workers' rights organization Migrant Care previously said the government had been very slow in responding to the bill.

"They have to deliberate the bill immediately. The vulnerability and oppression of Indonesian migrant workers will remain and even get worse if the government does not enforce migrant worker protection," the organization said in a statement. (adt/evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/18/govt-house-set-to-deliberate-bill-to-improve-migrant-worker-protection.html

Freedom of speech & expression

Netizen faces charges for calling heroes 'kafir'

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – Not everyone is happy with the design of the new banknotes recently released by Bank Indonesia. But a Twitter user's sectarian rants against the banknotes – which feature 11 national heroes – may have crossed the line and could result in criminal charges.

Dwi Estiningsih, the owner of Twitter account @estiningsihdwi, was reported to the police for allegedly spreading hatred after posting a tweet saying that five of the 11 heroes featured in the new banknotes are kafir (infidels).

On Dec. 19, Dwi, who has over 23,000 followers, wrote: "How amazing this Muslim majority country is. From hundreds of heroes, five out of 11 are kafir heroes."

Her post started a fierce debate among netizens on the popular social media platform. As of Wednesday evening, it was met with 534 retweets and 160 likes.

Among the replies included the official account of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) @_TNIAU. The account, which has over 105,000 followers, replied, "I'm sorry miss, one of the Air Force heroes, Agustinus Adisucipto, did not think of RELIGION while he was struggling for NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia], what have you done for NKRI?"

The post from the Air Force was further responded to by thousands of netizens, many of whom praised the move by the military account. As of this writing, the post had been retweeted over 5,000 times and liked by almost 2,000 accounts.

Achmad Zaenal Efendi, secretary of the Communication Forum of Fighters for Indonesia (Forkapri), was apparently offended by Dwi's tweet. Acting on behalf of Forkapri, Achmad on Wednesday reported Dwi to the Jakarta Police for allegedly violating Article 28 of the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law on spreading messages containing hatred against a particular religion, ethnicity or race.

Forkapri chair Birgaldo Sinaga, who is included as a witness in the report, expressed hope that the police would follow up the report even if Dwi apologized.

Birgaldo specified that two tweets had caused offense. In addition to the first tweet that used the word kafir, another tweet had labeled non-Muslim heroes as traitors.

"So we pushed for the police to enforce the law. There shouldn't be any more citizens of this nation who can berate and insult our national heroes who fought for independence of the nation and presented it to us all," Birgaldo told reporters at the police headquarters in South Jakarta after lodging the report.

Of the featured heroes on the banknotes, four were of the Christian faith, namely Gerungan Saul Samuel Jozias Ratulangi, Frans Kaisiepo, TB Simatupang and Herman Johannes, while I Gusti Ketut Pudja was Hindu.

Indonesia is home to the world's largest Muslim population, but the country upholds a national motto of "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/netizen-faces-charges-for-calling-heroes-kafir.html

Indonesia violates international covenant by keeping blasphemy law: HRW

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Indonesia breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that was ratified in 2005 by keeping its blasphemy law valid.

"Indonesia should revoke the blasphemy law. It's an unseparated component of the 2005 law [on the ICCPR ratification]," HRW researcher Andreas Harsono told The Jakarta Post after a discussion in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

He went on to say that the blasphemy law, which was stipulated under Article 56 of the Criminal Code, had violated human rights, in particular freedom of expression.

The law, which had been used to charge 106 people during former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration, had protected religious beliefs, practices, institutions and leaders from necessary criticism, he added.

"Blasphemy laws are subjective and inconsistent and there is no 'right way' of using them. The laws have legitimized vigilantism, mob violence and persecution of minorities," Andreas said.

He further said that currently, only 26 percent of countries across the world still had either blasphemy policy or blasphemy law. In 2009, four Muslim scholars filed judicial review of the blasphemy law at Constitutional Court, during which they lost in an 8-to-1 voting.

The law is currently used to charge Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who was accused of blasphemy for mentioning Surah Al Maidah 51 in his remarks during his work visit to Thousand Islands in late September. Ahok is set to undergo his second hearing concerning his blasphemy charges at the North Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

"It is taking so much energy just to debate Ahok's case. The court's judges should have listened to those scholars and international calls," Andreas said. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/indonesia-violates-international-covenant-by-keeping-blasphemy-law-hrw.html

Police detain man for alleged blasphemy after Facebook post

Jakarta Post - December 18, 2016

Fadli, Batam – Batam Police have arrested a 30-year old man on blasphemy charges over a Facebook post.

The detainee, identified only as SP, reportedly published a comment to a Facebook Group called Wajah Batam (Image of Batam) about Indonesia's loss to Thailand in the ASEAN Football Championship (AFF) on Saturday, relating the loss with one particular religious practice.

The Facebook Group has some 200,000 members, some of whom apparently took offense with the statement and found SP's home address. Some people abducted him from his home and brought him to the nearest police station in Batu Aji. Police later send him to the Batam Police office.

Batam Police chief Sr. Comr. Helmi Santika on Sunday called the arrest a "preemptive strike" before anything ugly would happen to SP.

"Perhaps because of his over-the-top love for Indonesia's football team, he posted a status to the Facebook Group Wajah Batam we considered insulting Islam. To prevent anything undesirable from happening, we arrested him," Helmi said.

After questioning SP, police named him a suspect for allegedly violating Article 28 of the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law on spreading messages containing hatred against a particular religion, ethnicity or race.

"We call on the public to stop spreading messages with sectarian hatred in them," Helmi said. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/18/police-detain-man-for-alleged-blasphemy-after-facebook-post.html

PAN politician summonsed by police for statement on terror arrests

Jakarta Post - December 15, 2016

Jakarta – The National Police confirmed on Thursday that its general crime directorate (Bareskrim) had summonsed comedian-turned National Mandate Party (PAN) politician Eko Hendro Purnomo for questioning as a result of a statement made by the House of Representatives member, which questioned the police's recent arrest of alleged terrorists.

"Yes, he was asked to come to the police for questioning related to his statement to the newspapers," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said as reported by tribunnews.com.

Boy said Eko was reported by a police investigator, named Sofyan Armawan, on the basis of Article 207 of the Criminal Code and Law 11/2008 on information and electronic transactions.

Boy insisted that the alleged terrorist plot to bomb the State Palace was not staged by police but was genuine.

Earlier, several newspapers quoted Eko who said the arrest of the terrorists was a diversion from the blasphemy case implicating Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

PAN along with three other parties, the Democratic Party, the National Awakening Party and the United Development Party, have nominated Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as a candidate in the gubernatorial election in February next year.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/15/pan-politician-summonsed-by-police-for-statement-on-terror-arrests.html

Blasphemy & the Jakarta elections

Prosecutors criticized for using MUI edict against Ahok

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Human rights activists uniting under the Civil Society Alliance for the Constitution (Amsik) have criticized the way prosecutors handled Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's alleged blasphemy, which they said included an Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) fatwa (edict) in their indictment against the governor.

The alliance said the Indonesian legal system did not acknowledge MUI edicts as a source of law. "The opinions and religious views of the MUI are not law. Therefore, an edict shall not be binding," it said in a statement on Thursday. Twenty one activists, including rights group Setara Institute's chairman Hendardi and human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, joined the alliance.

In the governor's first hearing on Dec. 13, prosecutors accused Ahok of committing blasphemy when he made a remark during his work visit in Thousand Islands on Sept. 27 that Surah Al Maidah 51 could be used as a tool to deceive people.

An MUI edict dated on Oct.11, especially in point four, which mentions insulting the Quran, has been cited by those who believed Ahok committed blasphemy.

Citing Law No. 4/2004 on judicial authorities, Amsik said it was only the Supreme Court and other judicial bodies that had the authority to cite religious opinions in the legal process.

The activists said prosecutors lacked professionalism by citing an MUI edict in their indictment and their act had endangered the "due process of law".

The alliance further said the MUI had issued the edict without giving Ahok a chance to provide tabayyun (clarification). Such a flawed legal process had led to a "trial by mob" against Ahok. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/prosecutors-criticized-for-using-mui-edict-against-ahok.html

Ahok supporters finding new strength

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – As prosecutors read out their statement that rejected Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's refutation, hundreds of supporters of the blasphemy defendant staged a demonstration outside the North Jakarta District Court on Tuesday, asking the judges to release the beleaguered incumbent Jakarta gubernatorial candidate.

It was the first time since his allegedly blasphemous remarks started to trouble him two months ago that a large number of demonstrators openly voiced support for the capital's first Chinese-Indonesian governor.

Wearing the iconic blue and red plaid shirts, the protesters carried signs that read, "We are Muslims who forgive Ahok" and "Release Ahok".

"I'll tell you what Ahok has done to Islam. He sent mosque keepers to go on the umrah and built mosques. He is not an enemy of Islam," a man in a white cap said through a loudspeaker to supporters who responded with a thunderous applause.

The scene at the old Central Jakarta District Court building on Jl. Gajah Mada stood in contrast to Ahok's first trial hearing a week before. At that time, no Ahok supporters were present. Instead, hundreds of protesters swarmed the street to demand that Ahok be jailed immediately.

At least three large rallies with similar demands were staged in Jakarta, as well as in other cities, shaking the country's political stability.

With the "anti-Ahok" protestors also present on Tuesday, the two groups were separated by dozens of police officers and a police Barracuda vehicle.

"We were trying to display support for Ahok and send a message to the judges and other people that there are Muslims who support tolerance and a fair trial," Yayong Waryono of the Bara-Badja (Volunteer Front for Basuki and Djarot) told The Jakarta Post. The abbreviation refers to Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

Yayong said they decided to stage a rally because they were concerned with the hundreds of anti-Ahok protestors "trying to put pressure on the panel of judges".

A recent survey carried out by Jakarta-based pollster Poltracking Indonesia found that most Ahok supporters in Jakarta were from the middle class group, which seemed to make up most of the demonstrators.

Inside the court building, prosecutors asked the judges to ignore the refutation statement emotionally presented by Ahok last week.

Lead prosecutor Mukartono said the refutation by Ahok and his legal team was baseless and urged the judges, presided over by Dwiarso Budi Santiarto, to proceed with the trial.

In his refutation, Ahok said as evidence of his great respect for Islam, he had funded many mosque keepers to go on the umrah, therefore leaving him with no reason to commit blasphemy against the religion.

But Mukartono brushed off the claim. "The source of the funds was from the Jakarta regional budget and it was normal for a regional leader to do such a thing," he said.

Prosecutors also questioned a claim conveyed by Ahok's legal team in the previous hearing that it was a "trial by mob".

Prosecutors claimed that despite the blasphemy allegation that stirred public controversy, it was the crime that brought Ahok to court, not the public pressure. "The legal process had been made under the proper procedures and none of it was affected by public pressure," Mukartono said.

The trial has been adjourned until Dec. 27, when the panel of judges are scheduled to issue an interim decision on whether to accept the refutation statement and terminate the trial, in which Ahok would be cleared of the blasphemy charge.

Ahok has been indicted on Article 156 section (a) of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on blasphemy, which carries a maximum of five years' imprisonment, for his controversial remarks that included a reference to a Quranic verse when he made a visit to Thousand Islands regency in September.

The Jakarta Police said they deployed 2,986 officers to secure the area surrounding the court building.

The police have repeatedly voiced concerns over possible security issues during the trial hearings and asked the Supreme Court to consider relocating the trial as the current venue is located in the heart of Jakarta where many government institutions and major businesses operate.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/ahok-supporters-finding-new-strength.html

Jakarta governor Ahok created 'disunity among Muslims', say prosecutors

Sydney Morning Herald - December 20, 2016

Jewel Topsfield and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – Prosecutors have accused the Christian governor of Jakarta of being "self-righteous" and say it is not enough for him to claim that his intention was not to insult Islam.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known by his nickname Ahok, has been accused of blasphemy over comments he made to fishermen on Indonesia's Thousand Islands, during which he made reference to a verse in the Koran.

On the second day of his trial, chief prosecutor Ali Mukartono told the North Jakarta District Court that Ahok's statements had created "disunity among Muslims".

He said it was not enough for Ahok to claim that he did not mean to insult Islam and the finding had to be based on the series of events and background of his actions.

According to the indictment, Ahok gave a speech in which he said voters had been lied to by his opponents citing verse 51 from the fifth sura, or chapter, of the Koran, al-Ma'ida.

Some Muslims interpret al-Ma'ida as a prohibition on Muslims living under the leadership of a non-Muslim. Others say the scripture should be understood in its context – a time of war – and not interpreted literally.

"That's your right, so if you can't choose me because you are afraid you will go to hell, that's OK," Ahok said in the speech. The indictment said Ahok had used al-Ma'ida to lie to and fool the community in the leadup to the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

In an emotional defence last week Ahok said he had not intended to interpret al-Ma'ida let alone blaspheme the religion of Islam or insult the ulema (Islamic scholars).

He said his remarks were directed at "unscrupulous politicians" who incorrectly took advantage of the verse because they did not want to compete fairly in the gubernatorial elections in February.

He also spoke of his love for his "adoptive" family, devout Muslims with whom Ahok stayed when he studied in Jakarta.

Thirman Elon, the head of the Banten chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood of Indonesia (Parmusi), protested outside the court on Tuesday morning.

He told Fairfax Media that Ahok had not only once more insulted Islam and ulema during his defence last week but also those Muslim politicians who cited al-Ma'ida.

"It is only because of politics that he is still a free man," he said. "The police and prosecutor are afraid to arrest him because there is strong pressure from the government not to do so."

The judges will decide next Tuesday whether to proceed with the case.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have staged mass rallies over the past months calling for Ahok to be jailed, one of which descended into violence.

Ahok, who had been comfortably leading the three-legged gubernatorial race ahead of his comments, saw his approval rates plummet by as much as 22 per cent in polls released in November.

However somewhat surprisingly his popularity rebounded in a poll released by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) on December 15. This saw him once again placed ahead of his opponents, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's son, and formed education minister Anies Baswedan.

"The candidates' performance in holding public office is becoming once again a dominant factor influencing voters' decisions," LSI director Kuskridho Ambardi told the Jakarta Globe.

However Ahok's political future will still be over if he is convicted of blasphemy, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' jail.

Under Indonesian law, a person is ineligible to run as a candidate for governor if jailed for an offence that attracts a sentence of five or more years.

In 2009 activists including former president Abdurrahman Wahid asked the Constitutional Court to repeal the blasphemy laws, arguing the laws breached their right to freedom of religion. However the court found the laws were necessary to maintain public order.

Amnesty International has reiterated calls for Indonesian authorities to repeal the laws in the wake of Ahok's trial.

"While states are permitted under international human rights law to impose certain restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression where this is demonstrably necessary for the rights of others, this cannot be used to protect belief systems from criticism," it said.

Asked last week if Indonesia would consider repealing the laws, senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the issue was too sensitive for him to comment.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/jakarta-governor-ahok-created-disunity-among-muslims-say-prosecutors-20161220-gtf6vy.html

Ahok will face opposition until removed from election or imprisoned: Researcher

Jakarta Post - December 19, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – A social researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Ahmad Najib Burhani, says opposition to Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja, who has been charged with blasphemy, is not likely to recede until he is imprisoned or removed from the 2017 gubernatorial election.

"Some groups will not stop their opposition until he loses the election or is put in prison. These groups have their own agenda, namely to regain power at the national level," Ahmad said after a discussion in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

He further said several groups had used Ahok's case to obtain hegemony in the field of religion, ideology, politics or economy. Citing an example, the analyst said, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), had tried to show its domination of the religious field through the case.

"We can recognize parties, which have taken advantage of this case by looking at people who have participated in two recent large rallies. Some people involved in the rallies have declared their support for the two other [Jakarta gubernatorial] candidates," Ahmad said. He was referring to the mass protests organized by Islamic organizations against Ahok on Nov. 4 and Dec.2.

Ahmad said the way authorities settled Ahok's blasphemy case would be detrimental to Indonesia's democracy because it would show how people could still exploit religious issues for political gains in the future.

Therefore, all civil and religious organizations in the country needed to hold a dialogue to talk and strengthen the concept of the nation, he added. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/ahok-will-face-opposition-until-removed-from-election-or-imprisoned-researcher.html

Police question psychic as witness in alleged plot against government

Jakarta Globe - December 17, 2016

Jakarta – Police have interrogated Permadi, a politician from the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party and a well-known psychic, as a witness in an alleged plot against the government involving a group of senior politicians, activists and ex-army generals, who were arrested en masse earlier this month.

Permadi was brought in to the Jakarta Police headquarters on Friday (16/12) to explain his involvement with senior politician and activist Sri Bintang Pamungkas, one of the alleged plotters.

"I have been made a witness in the case against Sri Bintang Pamungkas," Permadi told the press after the interrogation.

Permadi said he had never attended any meeting with the alleged plotters, "People who say I have joined these so-called plotters couldn't be more wrong," he added.

Permadi claimed he was ill and had to stay at home when the plotters allegedly met in a series of meetings to discuss their plan. However, he admitted to joining a meeting at the Bung Karno University in Central Jakarta.

"I was at that meeting to discuss the 1945 Constitution. We need to return it to the original version [without amendments]," Permadi said.

Police said the meeting could be considered an act of treason. "If that's what the police think, I can't do anything about it. Ever since I became a member of the MPR [People's Consultative Assembly], I have always rejected the amendments [on the constitution]," Permadi said.

According to the always black-clad psychic, no one had planned a plot against the government at the meeting. "If trying to return [the 1945 Constitution] to its original version is an act of treason, then so be it," he added.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/police-question-psychic-witness-alleged-plot-government/

Anies to stop Jakarta reclamation project if elected

Jakarta Post - December 17, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedan says he will stop the controversial Jakarta Bay reclamation if he is elected next year, saying that the project is harming people who live around the bay and the environment.

"Our stance regarding the reclamation is clear. We don't agree with the reclamation and we will surely stop it," the former education and culture minister said during a discussion at the Greenpeace office in South Jakarta on Friday.

Previously, Anies said the reclamation project should be stopped as it would affect the livelihoods of those living around the bay. Anies and his running mate, Sandiaga Uno, have included that plan in their working program.

During the discussion, Hindun Mulaika, climate and energy team leader at Greenpeace Indonesia, said the future leader should stop the reclamation project as it threatened the environment.

Hindun added that the next governor should recover the ecological functions of the bay ecosystem that had been damaged by the project.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja has persisted with the development of 17 man-made islands despite opposition from environmental activists and fishing communities. Ahok says the project will settle land problems in the city and bring huge profits to the administration. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/17/anies-to-stop-jakarta-reclamation-project-if-elected.html

Tommy Soeharto denies funding treason

Antara News - December 16, 2016

Jakarta – Hutomo Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former President Soeharto, yesterday denied funding any treason activity as uncovered by the police recently.

His lawyer, Agus Widjajanto, made a statement clarifying the issue that resulted from recent reports in the social media, accusing Tommy Soeharto of being the financier behind this activity.

"Pak (Mr) Tommy has been accused of being the financier of the movement after police investigated the suspects, including Firza Husain, who has declared that he was acting in solidarity on behalf of the Cendana Family (the Soehartos). Pak Tommy knew nothing about their activities," Agus Widjajanto said in a press statement.

He stated that as a public figure, Tommy Soeharto, was certainly known in many quarters but accusing him of funding an unconstitutional activity was certainly baseless. He stressed that Tommy supports the legitimate and constitutional government for two reasons.

Firstly, he noted, Tommy as a businessman in the country participated in the governments Tax Amnesty plan to help make the program successful and paid a fairly large sum of money as tax revenue to the state.

"Secondly, he is until now a member of the Advisory Board of the Golkar Party which supports the government," he stressed. Both these reasons were enough proof to underline that the reports about him being involved in any suspicious activity were bogus, he emphasized.

Agus noted that as a democracy, Indonesia, based on its constitution, guarantees the freedom of expression to its citizens but such a freedom can only be exercised as per certain values adhered to in the country. These values are based on the state ideology of Pancasila and under such a system, no one can easily make an accusation against another or indulge in any slander.

"In view of that, we appeal to the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, as an institution that regulates and supervises the media including the social media, to ensure that reports that lead to slander or smearing someone are blocked before these are found valid in a court of law. We are now thinking of taking further action with regard to such accusations," he pointed out.

The Jakarta Metropolitan Police is conducting an investigation to discover the identity of the financier behind the alleged treason plot that was uncovered recently.

"Investigation is still being carried out. We will announce the results at an appropriate time, including whether there is another suspect in the case," Inspector General M Iriawan, the chief of the Jakarta police command, said here on Tuesday.

Iriawan disclosed that the police would coordinate with the banks to find out who had opened the account that is suspected to have been used to fund the meetings held in connection with the alleged plot. An intensive investigation would be carried out to find the identity of the person, he vowed.

The police has learnt that talks were held on to mobilize people and carrying out the plot, Iriawan revealed. He said meetings were held at a number of places, including at the home of Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, one of those named as suspects in the case.

Rachmawati Soekarnoputri and seven other suspects had planned to topple the legitimate government through the House of Representatives, he noted. "We have not arrested these people casually, without having enough primary evidence," he stressed.(*)

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/108434/tommy-soeharto-denies-funding-treason

Buni Yani deliberately tries to defame Ahok: Police lawyer

Jakarta Globe - December 16, 2016

Jakarta – Chief Comr. Agus Rohmat, a member of the Jakarta Police's legal team, said Buni Yani, the man who uploaded a heavily edited video of a speech by Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in which he allegedly insulted the Koran and eventually led to a blasphemy allegation against him, had done so intentionally to make the video "go viral" and discredit the governor.

Agus made the comment before a pre-trial hearing for Buni – who is now accused of slander against Ahok – at the South Jakarta District Court on Friday (16/12), where judges were scheduled to hear testimonies from experts presented by the police.

"According to our expert witness [information and technology expert from the Communications Ministry, Teguh Arifiyadi] Buni posted the [Ahok] video with the intention to make it go viral and defame Ahok," Agus said at the courthouse.

The police lawyer said article 28 paragraph 2 of the Indonesia's internet law (ITE Law) forbids individuals and organizations from intentionally spreading information that discriminate people on the basis of their race, religion, ethnicity or social groups.

"Since [Buni] uploaded the video himself, he is responsible for it. He would've known about the implications," Agus said.

Teguh after the pre-trial said only the judges can decide whether or not Buni had any intention to commit slander against Ahok.

"The judges will have to weigh up the evidence. The ITE Law says that 'logging in' into a social media account constitutes an intention to spread information to the public, but it's not in my place to say if what Buni did violated article 28 paragraph 2 of the law, that he did it deliberately to defame Ahok," Teguh said.

Buni had made the request for a pre-trial hearing after the Jakarta Police declared he was a suspect in a defamation case against Ahok. Buni is facing a maximum of six years in prison, or a Rp 1 billion ($75,000) fine.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/buni-yani-intentionally-made-ahoks-video-viral-police-lawyers/

Ahok supporters remain loyal despite public pressure

Jakarta Post - December 15, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Supporters of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama have said they will continue to support the incumbent in the 2017 election despite mounting public pressure over his blasphemy case.

Hundreds of Ahok supporters filled his campaign headquarters, Rumah Lembang in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Thursday, to show their support.

In front of his supporters, Ahok confidently described several programs, concerning health and education, he promised to create if he was elected in next year's gubernatorial election.

All visitors, including several celebrities, enthusiastically listened to Ahok's speech. They also took an opportunity to take photos with the governor.

"I will keep supporting Pak Ahok who has been mistreated in this case. This is a character assassination committed by people who have ulterior motives," Rahmi Prabawa, 39, a resident from Cilandak, South Jakarta.

Another supporter, Aini, 47, a South Jakarta resident, expressed her optimism that the case would not decrease Ahok's electability because of his satisfying work performance.

"Several people have used this case for the sake of their own interests because they can't beat Ahok's vision, mission and programs. As a Muslim, I don't feel offended by Ahok's speech, this case is just politically-motivated," she said.

Ahok could not hold back his tears when he read out his exception before a judge panel during his first blasphemy trial at the North Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

The non-active governor told the judges that he had never intended to insult the Quran in his remarks during his working visit to Thousand Islands on Sept. 27. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/15/ahok-supporters-remain-loyal-despite-public-pressure.html

Surveys & opinion polls

Ahok's blasphemy case becomes most popular issue in 2016: Survey

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – The blasphemy case against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama was the most common issue discussed on social media in 2016, including on Facebook and Twitter, a survey revealed on Thursday.

The study recorded that there were more than 279 million entries about Ahok's blasphemy case on Google and as many as 5,730 articles about the Jakarta governor's case written up in the news, becoming viral on Facebook for more than three months and trending on Twitter 25 times.

"It is more popular than any other issue on social media in 2016," Digitroops chief executive officer Fahd Pahdepie said during the release of the survey in Jakarta on Thursday.

Fahd said the blasphemy case attracted wide public attention in Indonesia because it involved religious sentiments and was taking place at the same time as the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

Ahok was named a blasphemy suspect after he was videotaped mentioning a Quranic verse. The recording went viral after being abridged and posted on Facebook with misleading commentary. (dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/ahoks-blasphemy-case-becomes-most-popular-issue-in-2016-survey.html

Agus front runner, followed by Ahok, Anies: Litbang Kompas

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Jakarta – The Research and Development Department (Litbang) of Kompas has released its survey on public preference of the gubernatorial election, placing gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono first, followed by incumbent Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and candidate Anies Baswedan.

According to the survey, which was conducted from Dec. 7 to 15, Agus received a 37.1 percent electability rate, Ahok 33 percent while Anies came in with 19.5 percent.

The survey, which was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 800 respondents living in five mayoralties and a regency in Jakarta, stated that 10.4 percent of respondents have not decided on a candidate, kompas.com reported on Wednesday.

Kompas said that Ahok, paired with incumbent Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, placed second despite their popularity because of the controversy surrounding the pair.

The poll revealed that about 51.5 percent of respondents admitted that they would not elect Ahok because of his communication style and the current legal case implicating the governor.

Ahok is being tried at the North Jakarta District Court for blasphemy due to his statement on a verse in the Quran in Thousand Islands regency in September. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/agus-front-runner-followed-by-ahok-anies-litbang-kompas.html

Fewer people think Ahok defamed Islam: Survey

Jakarta Post - December 16, 2016

Agnes Anya, Jakarta – The latest survey conducted by the Indonesia Survey Institute (LSI) shows that the number of people who think Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama insulted Islam is decreasing.

The survey, which was conducted from Dec. 3 to 11, revealed 54 percent of 800 respondents thought Ahok insulted Islam. However, the results from the same survey conducted in Nov., showed 62 percent of Jakartans thought Ahok defamed Islam.

"Although it's still the majority, the percentage is decreasing," LSI executive director Kuskridho Ambardi said on Thursday. He said Ahok's change of attitude has contributed to the decreasing objections from the respondents and has also served to rebound his electability.

Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, is being tried at the North Jakarta District Court for alleged blasphemy related to his statement on a verse in the Quran at an event in Thousand Islands regency in September.

At his first trial on Tuesday, Ahok shed tears, saying that he never intended to insult the Quran and Islam. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/16/fewer-people-think-ahok-defamed-islam-survey.html

Ahok's change in attitude increases electability: Survey

Jakarta Post - December 15, 2016

Agnes Anya, Jakarta – The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) has released its latest survey showing that the electability of incumbent candidate pair Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and Djarot Saiful Hidayat has increased by 5.6 percent – purportedly thanks to Ahok's change in attitude.

The survey, which was conducted from Dec. 3 to 11 and involved 800 participants, showed that the pair's electability in December reached 31.8 percent. The figure was higher than the LSI's November findings in which the pair only garnered 26.2 percent.

The increase is believed to have occurred from voters returning their attention to Ahok's personal qualities, as well as his work in the Jakarta administration, which has been ignored since he sparked uproar among conservative Muslim groups for his alleged blasphemous comment in relation to a Quranic verse during a work visit to Thousand Islands regency in September.

Voters had started to focus on what matters again after Ahok changed his attitude, as well as apologized for his actions, said LSI executive director Kuskridho Ambardi, better known as Dodi.

"The blasphemy case has definitely impacted the incumbent candidates, causing their electability to decline significantly," said Dodi on Thursday. "However, within a month, there has been a slight rebound [in their electability] [...] At least, the race has become competitive again."

The survey also showed that despite an increase in electability, Ahok was the least liked candidate. Ahok's likeability was at 54 percent, lower than rival candidates Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono and Anies Baswedan at 66 percent a piece. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/15/ahoks-change-in-attitude-increases-electability-survey.html

Mass organisations & NGOs

Jokowi passes new law on foreign mass organizations

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has signed Government Regulation No.59/2016 to regulate mass organizations founded by foreigners.

According to the Cabinet Secretariat website, the regulation was issued to ensure that any mass organizations founded by foreigners respect the country's sovereignty, social values and cultures as well as benefit the community and abide by the law.

Separately, Teuku Taufiqulhadi, a member of House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs, said the government through the Home Ministry should strictly supervise the founding of foreign mass organizations.

"We need to prevent terrorist organizations from entering the country," Taufiqulhadi said as quoted by Antara news agency on Monday. Taufiqulhadi said foreign mass organizations should play a role in maintaining relations between Indonesia and their countries of origin.

"For instance, religious organization founded by people from the Middle East could help maintain good relations [between Indonesia] and those countries," he said. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/jokowi-passes-new-law-on-foreign-mass-organizations.html

Environment & natural disasters

WWF and Greenpeace break with Indonesia's pulp and paper giant

The Guardian (Australia) - December 16, 2016

Jeremy Hance – The construction of a 3km canal in Indonesia has led Greenpeace and WWF to suspend its partnership with one of Indonesia's biggest pulp and paper companies.

Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (Rapp), a subsidiary of Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (April), dug the canal through thick peat forest on the island of Pedang, just off the east coast of Sumatra.

In doing so, April not only flouted its own sustainability standards but went against government regulations and a letter of instruction issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry last year asking companies to block existing canals.

Drainage canals dry out peatland, releasing carbon emissions and creating the conditions for forest fires. Before last year, companies used to dig canals through deep peat forests in Sumatra with impunity, transforming once wild landscapes into monoculture acacia and palm plantations for the paper, pulp and palm oil industries. Both palm and acacia require good drainage.

But then came the catastrophic fires of 2015 that spread a toxic, yellow haze across Indonesia and its neighbours. The fires burned up 2.6m hectares and cost the country $16.1bn (£12.8bn), according to the World Bank. A recent study calculated the pollution from the fires may have led to 100,000 early deaths. In October 2015, President Joko Widodo called for blocking all canals as a way to restore degraded, fire-prone landscapes by lifting water tables, making it harder for fire to start and stay ignited.

April insists the construction of the canal this year was due to a misunderstanding of government regulations. In minutes of a Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting posted for about half an hour on the April website, the company said it misinterpreted a government decree and "mistakenly concluded this canal was mandated by government regulations".

Indeed, a report published in August by April's Independent Peat Expert Working Group (IPEWG) suggests canals could be used to combat fires, which is in fact the exact opposite of the government's regulations.

"[April] wanted to create the impression that canal construction was seen as part of these regulations, whereas the regulations actually refer to canal blocking," says Andy Tait, senior campaign adviser at Greenpeace.

Tony Wehas, the president and director of Rapp, has insisted building the canal and planting acacia in the cleared peatlands was legal because the plan had been approved by the Indonesian government back in 2013. But that approval was given before the fires, the government's new decrees, and April's tougher sustainability commitment. Wenas also said the new canal was built as a fire break and not for drying out the peatland.

Yet the minutes of the SAC meeting said the company "made mistakes" in constructing the canal. "April has apologised to all parties concerned and is preparing a full explanation," reads the minutes.

In response to the construction of the canal and deforestation in the region, the government gave April a verbal censure but has not taken any further action.

The incident – and rising mistrust – has led Greenpeace and WWF to suspend their work on April's SAC. Both groups say they can no longer work with a company they feel is not being forthright. Tait says Greenpeace has been concerned for some time about April's limited follow up on key parts of its sustainability policy.

Owned by Royal Golden Eagle, April has long been a target of environmental groups for forest destruction and conflict with locals. Its concession on the island of Pedang has proven one of the most controversial due to opposition by the majority of villages in the area.

The company is also known for its obfuscation. In 2013 then-external affairs director David Goodwin asked Guardian journalist John Vidal to "pause" filming when asked very basic questions about April's operations, such as how many trees were cut down over the last year.

"We're not involved in deforestation," Goodwin said, despite the fact that the company had been cutting down natural rainforest and planting monoculture plantations for over a decade.

After years of targeted campaigns, the company appeared to have a change of heart in 2015. It strengthened its sustainability policy enough to bring on board longstanding critics Greenpeace and WWF. The new policy included no new clearing of forests on peatlands and an investment of $100m over 10 years for peatland restoration and conversation.

But, within months, the company fell foul of environmental groups after it was caught clearing the forest on Pedang, the same concession where it would be caught with a giant canal several months later.

"April needs to admit that draining peatland for pulp plantations is unsustainable and instead block its drainage canals and announce a major investment in plantation species that don't require drainage," says Tait.

April has yet to reply to the Guardian's request for comment.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2016/dec/16/wwf-greenpeace-april-indonesia-peat-forest-canal-pulp-paper-industry

Medan, Jakarta most polluted

Jakarta Post - December 15, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – With more cars cramming major cities across the country, the air quality has worsened over the past year, rising to levels in several metropolises that may pose a serious health risk to residents.

Medan, parts of Jakarta and Batam are among the most polluted cities in Indonesia, according to a recent study by the Environment and Forestry Ministry.

The ministry on Wednesday announced the latest results of its Langit Biru (Blue Sky) program, which rated 28 cities in 23 provinces based on four main parameters: traffic management, quality of fuel, vehicle emissions and air quality along main roads. The data show high levels of hazardous substances in big and heavily congested cities.

Medan was singled out for being the only city with air quality below the level officially considered safe, due to its off-the-chart hydrocarbon (HC) level.

"As for parameters beyond the safety threshold, this year we found [such a situation] in Medan for its HC level," said the ministry's director for air pollution management, Dasrul Chaniago.

The program measured five hazardous substances: particulate molecules (PM), or dust particles with a diameter of less than 10 microns; carbon dioxide (CO); HC; sulfur dioxide (SO2); and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

HC and NO2 can cause lung cancer and respiratory infections; CO and NO2 can cause heart problems; SO2 can cause corneal haze, airways inflammation and heart failure; while PM can cause cancer, bronchitis and respiratory problems.

Last year, Medan and other cities, including Semarang, experienced a surprising fall in NO2 and HC, only for Medan's HC level to skyrocket in 2016.

"Last year, the HC level in Medan was still below the safety threshold," said the ministry's environmental pollution and damage control director general, MR Karliansyah.

He attributed Medan's high levels of toxic substances to vehicle emissions, particularly from diesel-powered vehicles. Karliansyah pointed out that almost all gasoline-powered vehicles tested by the ministry in Medan had a sulfur content that complied with the nationally adopted international standard of EURO II on emissions from motor vehicles, which requires automobiles to use fuel with a sulfur content of no more than 500 parts per million (ppm).

Sulfur is a natural component in crude oil that is present in gasoline and diesel unless removed. Sulfur in gasoline impairs the effectiveness of emission control systems and contributes to air pollution. A high sulfur content in fuel can lead to an increase in the number of people suffering from air pollution-related diseases.

More than 50 percent of the diesel-powered vehicles tested in Medan did not match the EURO II standard for sulfur. "There is still diesel that contains a sulfur content of up to 1,100 ppm," Dasrul said.

Besides the high level of HC, Medan also recorded a higher PM level than other cities for the PM10 category. Its PM10 level almost reached 140, barely below the safety threshold of 150.

"This is [hardly surprising], because our streets are still dusty, unlike those in Europe," said Dasrul.

As for CO, the highest level was recorded in Central Jakarta, while neighboring West Jakarta had the highest level of NO2.

Batam, meanwhile, recorded the highest level of SO2, which is emitted mostly from industrial facilities and power plants, beating other big cities like Jakarta, Medan and Semarang.

Dasrul said most of the hazardous substances came from vehicles, which constituted 70 percent of city pollutants. Therefore, the ministry has long been lobbying for the country to adopt stricter standards for emissions from motor vehicles in a bid to move away from cheap and dirty fuel to higher-grade variants.

As of now, Indonesia is the only country in the world to still use gasoline of the research octane number (RON) 88 specification, which is of low quality and high in sulfur, in part because its refineries are not capable of producing high-quality gasoline with a low sulfur content.

Phasing out dirty fuel is in line with the government's plan to adopt EURO IV, which requires automobiles to use fuel with a sulfur content no higher than 50 ppm.

"We can't blame the regional administration, because policies on the quality of fuel are from the central government. That's why we are fighting for our standard to be raised to EURO IV," said Dasrul.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/15/medan-jakarta-most-polluted.html

Health & education

Jokowi chooses perseverance with national exam

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has decided that the national examination (UN) will continue, rejecting the Culture and Education Ministry's proposal to scrap the standardized evaluation tool that is used in primary and secondary education.

The decision, made on Monday evening after a limited Cabinet meeting concerning the exam, came about following consideration of the latest survey by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which ranked Indonesia 62nd from 72 countries assessed, indicating a slight improvement for its 2013 rank of 71.

The survey also stated that in 2030, Indonesia would be among countries with the best education.

Cabinet secretary Pramono Anung said in a statement that the country was on the right educational track after promising indications collected in the survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

"President wants the national exam to be a real 'benchmark' for students in the future. If the exam is scrapped, disparities will arise between schools," he said.

Despite the low ranking, the OECD based on its survey findings praised Indonesia's improvement, "During the period of 2012-2015, the science results for 15 year olds rose by 21 points. This has made Indonesia one of the countries with the fastest development."

Cultural and Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy previously said the plan to suspend the exam was aimed at implementing what was stipulated in Jokowi's Nawacita – nine-point agenda – that stated exams would not be used as a gauge for "measuring the national education system". (adt/dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/jokowi-chooses-perseverance-with-national-exam.html

Remotes areas showing high maternal death rates

Jakarta Post - December 18, 2016

Jakarta – The country is still recording high maternal mortality rates because a lot of mothers have not been able to access immediate treatment after giving birth because of their geographical location, the Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani) has said.

Kowani chairwoman Giwo Rubiyanto Wiyogo said on Sunday that the rate was particularly high in remote areas that lacked midwives and puskesmas (community health center).

"The two hours after a woman gives birth is a highly critical time, where a lack of facilities like midwives and puskesmas increase the possibility of mortality," she said at an event commemorating Mother's Day upcoming on Dec. 22.

The government has yet to update the latest maternal mortality statistics. However, in 2012, the country recorded 359 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, increasing dramatically from 2007 when there were 102 deaths per 100,000 births. The West Java Health Agency, on the other hand, recorded 823 maternal deaths in 2015, an increase of 10 percent from 748 in 2014.

Giwo added that another factor to the high rate was early marriage, which was still a common practice for Indonesians.

"Early marriage is still a normal thing in several regions like West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and some villages in Java. It's a potential trigger for health issues," she said.

According to data from the NTB National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), more than 40,000 couples from 1.5 million families in NTB got married when they were younger than 20 years old. (adt)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/18/remotes-areas-showing-high-maternal-death-rates.html

Graft & corruption

KPK, AGO must secure top cop's approval to launch probe on police officers

Jakarta Globe - December 19, 2016

Jakarta – The National Police have issued a circular letter that prohibits other law enforcers – including national antigraft agency KPK and the Attorney General's Office, or AGO – from launching investigations on police officers without a permission from National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

The circular letter was issued last Wednesday (14/12) and signed by the police's internal affairs division chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis.

National Police spokesman Chief Comr. Martinus Sitompul said the circular letter was issued to familiarize police officers in regional areas with the standard operational procedures on internal security affairs. The spokesman said the letter will not hinder other law enforcers from doing their job.

"The letter was issued to maintain good relationship between the central police and the regional police. A police chief must be informed if his subordinates are being investigated," Martinus told reporters at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Monday.

The police promise it will announce publicly the names of police officers who were found to have violated the law or the force's code of conducts.

"At the end of each year, we will announce the names of police officers who have broken the law and those who have been involved in a criminal investigation, disciplinary offenses or found to have violated our own code of conducts. The letter is just to make sure everyone within the police force is kept informed. Nothing irregular about it," Martinus said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/KPK-ago-must-secure-top-cops-approval-launch-probe-police-officers/

Saber Pungli receives 17,600 reports on illegal fees in 50 days

Jakarta Post - December 18, 2016

Jakarta – The Saber Pungli illegal levies eradication task force has received 17,600 reports on illegal fees since its establishment less than two months ago, a minister said on Sunday.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said during a Saber Pungli campaign event at the National Monument in Jakarta that the number was significant.

"What does it mean? The public is aware that the task to eradicate illegal fees is not only the responsibility of the task force, but also the public has to actively participate by reporting illegal fees they are faced with," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Most of the reports, he said, were related to permit issuance, administrative documents, land certificates and passports. He said the campaign against illegal levies was important because such payments had become entrenched in local culture, thus people tolerated them.

"The Saber Pungli task force is at the central government level while in the provinces it is called Saber Pungli unit," Wiranto said. "There is a perception that Saber Pungli is an ad hoc task force. It's not true. We will work until the country is free of illegal fees," he said.

He said the task force had run 22 operations in various institutions in Jakarta and the regions. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo formed Saber Pungli on Oct. 28 this year. The task force is led by Comr. Gen. Dwi Priyatno. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/18/saber-pungli-receives-17600-reports-on-illegal-fees-in-50-days.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

Three alleged terrorists shot dead in Indonesia

Sydney Morning Herald - December 21, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – The Australian government has issued an updated travel warning to Indonesia as three suspected terrorists were killed after a bomb was thrown at police officers during a raid of a house about 25 kilometres south-west of Jakarta.

The raid came as DFAT's smart traveller website warned that Indonesian authorities continued to arrest terrorists allegedly in the advanced stages of attack planning.

Jakarta Police spokesman M. Iriawan said police had been told a terror attack would be carried out on Christmas Day targeting a police post. "The information we received was there were three bombs ready to explode inside the house – pipe [bombs inside] three backpacks," he said.

The alleged terrorists were believed to be linked to arrests in the east Jakarta suburb of Bekasi earlier this month over a plot to attack the presidential palace in Jakarta using a pressure cooker bomb.

This plot sent chills through Indonesia because one of the women arrested – Dian Yulia Novi – had been tasked with suicide bombing, indicating militants were now recruiting women to mount the deadly attacks.

Mr Iriawan said Dian had provided information leading them to a man named Adam who was arrested following a raid at a home in South Tangerang at 8am on Wednesday morning. Adam told police three of his friends planned to stab a police officer.

"Once police and people gathered at the crime scene, they would come and blow up a suicide bomb," National Police spokesman Rikwanto said.

He said the three suspected terrorists were killed after one of them threw a bomb at a police officer during a raid on a rental property in Setu in South Tangerang at 9.45am on Wednesday morning. "Thank God it did not explode and action was taken to stop them," he said.

The Indonesian counter-terrorism force Detachment 88 had seen a big bomb but did not wish to trigger it and so called the bomb squad.

Mr Rikwanto said Christmas and New Year events remain the target of terrorists. "It's like this every year," he said. "Police keep following their tracks to avoid end of year events being disturbed by them."

In an updated travel warning released on December 21, DFAT warned terror attacks could occur anywhere at any time in Indonesia, including in Bali.

"Indonesian authorities continue to arrest terrorists who have allegedly been in the advanced stages of attack planning," it said. "The terrorist threat level in Indonesia remains high."

Police spokesman Awi Setiyono later said one of the alleged terrorists who had been killed – Omen – was a convicted murderer who had been recruited by an ex-terrorist convicted of the Myanmar embassy bombing in 2013.

He said the other two – Irwan and Helmi – were members of Jemaah Anshar Daulah (JAD), which the National Counterterrorism Agency recently said was the most dangerous terrorist organisation in the country. JAD is led by firebrand cleric Aman Abdurrahman, one of Indonesia's most influential jihadist ideologues and a vocal promoter of Islamic State.

The group has been linked to a number of terror attacks in Indonesia including the attack in January near Sarinah shopping mall in Central Jakarta, which left eight people dead. He is currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for terrorism on the penal island of Nusakambangan.

President Joko Widodo expressed his highest appreciation to Detachment 88 and other police units for finding the bomb before it had time to explode.

"I think we should be grateful and we hope people stay alert to their surroundings and report anything to the security apparatus," he said. "We hope all people participate in guarding this nation from terrorism and radicalism." (With Karuni Rompies and Amilia Rosa)

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/three-alleged-terrorists-shot-dead-in-indonesia-20161221-gtfvrg.html

Indonesian police kill three as suspected bomb found near Jakarta

The Guardian (Australia) - December 21, 2016

Indonesian anti-terrorism police have shot and killed three suspects after a gun battle at a house near the capital Jakarta, police said.

The residential neighborhood of South Tangerang was evacuated after the suspects allegedly threw explosives at police and other, larger devices were found at the house, police said.

Jakarta police chief Mochamad Iriawan said explosive experts had defused two bombs and were still in the house.

The men planned to stage their attack on Christmas Day or New Year's Eve, Iriawan said in a televised interview from the neighborhood south of the city. They were to stab police officers in order to attract a crowd and then detonate bombs, he said.

The three men were killed in a shoot-out with the police's anti-terror squad after refusing an appeal from authorities to surrender and come out of the house in a leafy residential compound in Tangerang, a Jakarta satellite city.

National Police spokesman Rikwanto said the men threw explosives and fired guns at police. A fourth man, who was arrested in the neighborhood, had led police to the house used by the militants.

"During the raid, we tried to be careful but they threw something from inside the house and it was a bomb but it did not explode. Then they fired from inside," said Rikwanto, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Indonesian television footage showed a bomb squad officer wearing a blast-resistant suit entering the house as locals watched from behind a police tape.

The authorities believe the suspects were linked to several militants arrested on 10 December in another neighborhood on the outskirts of Jakarta who were allegedly planning a suicide bomb attack on a guard-changing ceremony at the presidential palace the next day.

Police have attributed that foiled plot, in which a woman was to be the suicide bomber, to Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian with the Islamic State group in Syria.

They also say Naim was behind a bomb lab that was raided last month in West Java and contained enough explosive materials to make bombs three times more powerful than those used in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack which killed eight people in Jakarta in January.

Indonesia has carried out a sustained crackdown on Islamic militants since the Bali bombings. But a new threat has emerged in the past several years from militants who have switched allegiance to the Islamic State group and from new recruits.

The Australian government's advice to travellers was updated on Wednesday and said the terrorist threat level in Indonesia remains high.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/21/indonesian-police-kill-three-suspected-bomb-found-jakarta

Tito slams accusations of diversion

Jakarta Post - December 17, 2016

Moses Ompusunggu and Fadli, Jakarta/Batam, Riau Islands – The National Police have hit back against allegations that their arrest of a number of terror suspects was a ploy to divert the attention of the public from the ongoing blasphemy trial of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said he was "ready to step down" if it was proven that the counterterrorism operation, which nabbed nine alleged Islamic State (IS) movement supporters in Bekasi and Tasikmalaya, West Java, had such an intention.

"I will resign if I was responsible for manufacturing [the case]. If they have evidence that this was staged then they should come forward with evidence [...] What we did was purely the result of a months-long investigation," Tito told reporters at the National Police headquarters on Friday.

Tito was responding to a statement from National Mandate Party (PAN) lawmaker Eko Hendro "Patrio" Purnomo, a former television comedian, who alleged that the arrest of terror suspects in Tasikmalaya and Bekasi was a PR stunt to divert public attention from Ahok's ongoing blasphemy trial.

Eko has denied making such a claim, accused the media of taking his statement out of context and demanded that some media outlets withdraw their stories about it.

A police investigator, identified as Sofyan Armawan, has filed a report against Eko for allegedly violating Article 207 of the Criminal Code on insulting the authorities and the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law.

The National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) summoned Eko for questioning on Thursday, but the lawmaker failed to show up.

On Thursday, fellow PAN lawmakers criticized Eko's summonsing by raising the issue during a House of Representatives plenary session, saying the police's decision to launch a probe into Eko was arbitrary. On Friday, Eko showed up to be questioned as a witness in the case.

Tito, a former National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) chief, said it was a mistake for "a lawmaker or any other state official" to disparage the work of the National Police's counterterrorism squad Densus 88, saying it would demoralize those who had made the greatest efforts to combat terrorism.

"I am serious. [Eko] could face criminal charges or be made to apologize to the public for his comment. [...] If he did not say it, then he should make a public clarification," Tito said, adding that Eko's allegation was outrageous.

"Even the best Hollywood director could not conceive of a plot like this. If it was manufactured, why would the suspects have the courage to take on the role of suicide bombers, something that carries the risk of the death penalty?" Tito said.

Since his inauguration in July, Tito has been put under tremendous pressure to deal with three challenges: crime, terrorism and corruption. Additionally, in recent months Tito has had to deal with rising political tension in the lead-up to the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

In the past two months, Tito has had to marshal the resources of the National Police to deal with massive street protests involving hundreds of thousands of Muslims calling for the prosecution of Ahok. He has also had to ramp up the force's antiterror efforts, which led to the recent arrest of the nine alleged IS supporters, including a female would-be suicide bomber Dian Yulia Novi in Bekasi, West Java.

Police said Dian and her accomplices had prepared a pressure cooker bomb that was ready to be transported to the State Palace where it would be set off, a claim that has been subject to ridicule on social media. Many have questioned the validity of the police's claim that a pressure cooker could be used to house a bomb.

In Riau, local police have charged Makruf Maulana, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (Kadin) Riau Islands chapter, with violating the ITE Law for creating a meme lampooning the arrests over the alleged pressure cooker bomb plot.

"If a frying pan bomb fails to divert [the public's] attention, try a thermal bottle [thermos] bomb," Makruf wrote in a social media post.

Riau Island Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Saptono Erlangga said the charges were "a lesson" for Makruf about the importance of being careful when using social media.

Meanwhile, human rights activist Bonar Tigor Naipospos of the Setara Institute said the police were right to launch a probe into Eko. "If such a statement was made by a lawmaker, the police have reason to be furious. A lawmaker is obliged to support counterterrorism efforts," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/17/tito-slams-accusations-of-diversion.html

Police chief denies allegations of public attention diversion over arrest of

Jakarta Post - December 16, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian defended the police's efforts to counter a bombing attack plot on the State Palace, ensuring that the threat was real, and he was willing to step down if it was not.

"We have worked hard to arrest [the suspects]. It's not true that the plot was orchestrated. I am ready to be dismissed if it was," Tito told the press on the sidelines of a ceremony at the National Police headquarters on Friday.

Tito was responding to a circulating statement by lawmaker Eko Hendro Purnomo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) saying that the recent arrests of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) linked individuals to a bomb planned for the State Palace was staged by the police as a diversion from the blasphemy case implicating Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

The police's criminal investigation department has summoned Eko to clarify his statement that was quoted by several newspapers. "I would also encourage the Indonesian public to not be easily influenced [by any statements]," Tito emphasized.

He further explained that the police's Densus 88 Counterterrorism squad had arrested nine suspects over the plan to attack the State Place. Those arrested include the bomb maker, the person in charge of finances, the suicide bombers and the person who conducted a survey for the plan. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/16/police-chief-denies-allegations-of-public-attention-diversion-over-arrest-of-terrorist-suspects.html

Police warn of growing role of women in terrorism

Jakarta Post - December 16, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said Friday that terrorist groups have developed a new trend of recruiting women to launch attacks in the country.

"Using women to carry out acts of terror is becoming increasingly more popular with terror groups because women are seen as less suspicious," Tito told the press on the sidelines of a ceremony at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta, adding that recruiting women for terrorism was not new in other parts of the world.

The National Police have arrested three women that have been implicated in a foiled plot to bomb the State Palace. The women include Dian Yulia Novi, Tutin, alias Ummu Abza, and Arinda Putri. They are suspects for their roles in planning and preparing for the thwarted attack.

The three women are affiliated with the Surakarta terrorist cell, which was reportedly planning to attack the State Palace under the guidance of Bahrun Naim, an Indonesian jihadist who is currently fighting for the Islamic State in Syria.

National Police Spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said that the police had anticipated involvement of women in terrorist groups in the the country but did not expect that women would take on direct and core roles in planning attacks.

"Terrorist groups here are recruiting women to avoid suspicion when carrying out attacks. It's a new strategy to deceive the targets," Boy said. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/16/police-warn-of-growing-role-of-women-in-terrorism.html

Freedom of religion & worship

Jokowi tweets warning against intolerant groups

Jakarta Globe - December 21, 2016

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has given a clear warning against intolerant mass organizations on his Twitter account, following a series of raids by hardline groups on shops, restaurants and malls.

"Law enforcers should not hesitate to take firm action against mass organizations that are violating the law and menacing the society," Jokowi posted on his official Twitter account on Monday evening (19/12).

Aparat hukum jangan ragu menindak tegas ormas yang melawan hukum dan meresahkan masyarakat – Jkw – Joko Widodo (@jokowi) December 19, 2016

The warning followed a public outcry on social media after the FPI raided several shopping malls in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday.

The FPI denied they were raiding the malls and claimed they were only reminding shopkeepers to follow an edict issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) banning Muslims from wearing Christmas outfits and accessories.

Jokowi summoned National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian on Tuesday to discuss the incident. Later Tito reprimanded Muslim organizations, including the hardline Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI), for conducting the raids and ordered them to stop.

Two weeks ago, another mass organization in Bandung, West Java, had ended a Christmas celebration at the Sabuga convention center in the city. Several days after, the West Java Police and Bandung Police chiefs were replaced, although the police denied the move was related to the Sabuga incident.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/jokowi-tweets-warning-intolerant-groups/

Bandung mayor forms tolerance task force following intolerant incidents

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Arya Dipa, Bandung – Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil has announced the formation of the Tolerance Task Force to maintain peace during services of any religion following at least two incidents in the past two weeks.

The formation of the task force, which will coordinate with the Bandung Police, is a response to incidents in which groups forcibly dispersed religious activities.

"This is the first response team that you can contact if you encounter the prospect of a disruption in worship activities. I hope the Tolerance Task Force can maintain peace and make everyone feel protected by the state and that they do not have to give in to those who disrespect unity," Ridwan said on Tuesday.

The task force is comprised of young people of various religious backgrounds. Bandung Religious Affairs Agency head Yusuf Umar said the young people would get training on the law on religious rights.

Besides an incident in which Ahlu Sunnah Defenders (PAS) broke into an event held to celebrate Christmas, the Padjadjaran University choir's fund-raising performance in Trans Studio Mall was also disrupted and halted by one person.

It was reported that members of the choir were in the middle of singing Christmas carols when a man approached them and asked them whether there were any Muslims among them. He also recorded the choir's songs using a smartphone.

"The choir should have reported the incident to security guards. They should have talked with the mediation of security guards. And if that didn't work, they should have reported the matter to the police," Ridwan said. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/bandung-mayor-forms-tolerance-task-force-following-intolerant-incidents.html

West Jakarta Military to confront raids on Christmas paraphernalia

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Jakarta – Amid rampant raids targeting shopping malls and business centers across the country banning the use of Christmas paraphernalia, Jakarta Military Commander Lt. Col. Wahyu Yudhayana said military personnel would ensure that no raids would be done by firebrand Muslim groups in the area.

"Whatever the terms they use, be it fatwa familiarization or implementation, no mass organizations are allowed to conduct raids and take the law into their own hands," Wahyu was quoted by Warta Kota on Tuesday.

The raids are related to the issuance of a fatwa or edict from Indonesian Ulema Council prohibiting companies and business owners from forcing their employees to wear Christmas-related attributes.

"Should they [the vigilante groups] insist on doing the raids, we will arrest them and hand them over to the police," Wahyu added.

"Besides disturbing shoppers in malls, guests at hotels and businesspeople in business centers in West Jakarta, such raids will also disturb religious harmony. For that reason, we cannot tolerate such actions," Wahyu asserted.

Over the weekend, the police came under fire for their failure to prevent members of the hardline Islam Defenders Front from cracking down on business establishments that allowed their employees to wear Christmas accessories. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/west-jakarta-military-to-confront-raids-on-christmas-paraphernalia.html

Indonesian Police assert control over MUI fatwas

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – In a move that reflects the growing influence of conservative groups in the country, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has said he will send a liaison officer to the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to ensure that its fatwas do not disrupt religious harmony.

The police chief is currently under public pressure to keep hard-line groups under control following reports that some of them have been visiting business establishments to inform them about a recent MUI fatwa banning Muslims from wearing Christmas paraphernalia.

In Surabaya, East Java, the local police decided to escort members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) when they visited local malls to publicize the MUI's edict. The police said the move was necessary to prevent possible public disturbances.

The move, however, has drawn strong rebuke from the public, who accused the police of bowing down to the MUI and the FPI.

Speaking at the office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister on Tuesday, Tito said the MUI should first communicate with the force before issuing any edict that had the potential to make a massive impact on public order.

"Don't issue an edict before coordinating with us. [The National Police] has the authority to enforce laws. We will see whether an edict is positive or not and if it is, we will assist to publicize it," he said.

He argued that the MUI edict on Christmas attributes was confusing and could be abused by irresponsible parties. "If confusing edicts circulate in society, there will be [irresponsible] people who will carry out actions [based on the edicts]. People wearing Santa Claus clothing can be affected too," Tito said.

MUI chairman Ma'ruf Amin denied that the council's fatwa had caused commotion in society. He argued that the council had received reports about Muslims being forced to wear Christmas paraphernalia and that the fatwa was meant to protect religious harmony.

Ma'ruf, who visited Tito's residence in South Jakarta on Tuesday night to discuss the edict, said the MUI and the police had reached an agreement that the publicity for the edict would be carried out by the MUI chapters at the local level and by the local police.

"We cannot allow any crackdown to be carried out by certain groups. [They] have nothing to do with the MUI edict because only the police can do it [enforce law]," Ma'ruf said, adding that mass organizations that want to conduct publicity should do it peacefully without intimidation.

The police also asserted that members of mass organizations are not law enforcers who could conduct raids. Tito made it clear that the National Police would punish any group or person who break the law.

On Monday evening, the Central Java Police reportedly arrested five members of a local organization called the Surakarta Islamic Paramilitary Troops (LUIS) for allegedly raiding and vandalizing the Social Kitchen restaurant in Surakarta. The men allegedly stormed into the restaurant and beat some staff members and customers, injuring nine people in the attack.

However, LUIS spokesperson Endro Sudarsono, one of those arrested, claimed that they had not intended to commit violence as they only wanted to meet with the restaurant management because the latter was selling alcohol and allegedly violating regulations about opening hours.

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil, in collaboration with local police, has established a task force to ensure tolerance between people of different religions in the city amid concerns that some Muslim conservatives had disrupted the Christmas celebrations of Christian groups in recent weeks.

[Ganug Nugroho Adi and Arya Dipa contributed to this story from Surakarta and Bandung.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/indonesian-police-assert-control-over-mui-fatwas.html

Police told to resist undue influence of MUI

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Haeril Halim, Jakarta/Yogyakarta – Following the decision of some local police leaders to back a campaign by firebrand Muslim groups to crack down on Christmas celebrations, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has instructed National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian to uphold discipline among members of the force and make efforts to prevent their power from being abused by hardline groups.

During a meeting with Tito at the State Palace on Monday, Jokowi said that the police force must work only to implement official rules and regulations.

"Our existing rules are laws, government regulations, presidential regulations, ministerial regulations and so on, including a regulation from the police chief himself. That should be the ground rule," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said.

Jokowi summoned Tito on Monday following the decision by police chiefs in Bekasi in West Java and Kulon Progo regency in Yogyakarta to issue circulars ordering local officers to uphold an edict issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) banning Muslims from wearing Christmas attributes, such as Santa hats. The MUI issued the fatwa on Dec. 14.

Bekasi Police issued its circular on Dec. 15 while Kulonprogo Police released its circular on Dec. 17.

Over the weekend, police in Surabaya, East Java, also came under fire for their failure to prevent members of the hardline Islam Defenders Front (FPI) from cracking down on business establishments that allowed their employees to wear Christmas attributes.

Earlier on Monday, Tito ordered police officers to get tough on members and activists of hardline groups who carried out intolerant acts. "I instruct all police officers to arrest and take action against those who want to promote disorder. We shouldn't bow to those groups," Tito said.

Tito also ordered members of the corps to keep an eye on groups that carried out intolerant acts under the guise of publicity programs for the MUI edicts.

"Also, if we find some groups that carry out raids while claiming to be conducting 'familiarization', but in fact bring fear to people, we must take the initiative to stop them," Tito said.

The police chief said that he would discuss the issue with the MUI in the coming days. "I will talk with the MUI so that they take tolerance and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika [the country's motto of "unity in diversity"] into consideration when they want to issue a fatwa," he added.

Jan Sihar Aritonang, a professor at the Theology School Jakarta, said that the MUI had wrongly identified symbols of consumerism, such as the Santa hat, as part of Christianity.

"Production and distribution of such attributes are not directly related to Christianity. Until now, Christian churches have never reached any consensus about what could be considered as attributes or symbols for Christmas. They are just a tradition in some churches, particularly in Europe and America," Jan said.

Responding to the actions of the FPI in Surabaya, the MUI said that any Muslim groups that took the initiative to disseminate information regarding the Christmas edict should not use force against business owners who were unaware of the call.

"The information about the fatwa can be relayed by sending one person to inform shop owners about it, or a letter should be enough," said the MUI's edict division head, Hasanuddin AF.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin meanwhile said that no private organizations had the authority to conduct such raids.

[Ina Parlina and Bambang Muryanto contributed to this story.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/police-told-to-resist-undue-influence–of-mui.html

Intolerance, human rights cases in Yogyakarta remain high: Activists

Jakarta Post - December 19, 2016

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – With the number of intolerance and human rights cases in Yogyakarta remaining high this year, NGOs are calling on law enforcers to take stern action against the perpetrators.

National Alliance for Unity in Diversity (ANBTI) Yogyakarta chapter coordinator Agnes Dwi Rusjiati said her organization noted 12 religion-based incidents of violence in the province, the same number last year.

"The state, through its law enforcers, should actively solve intolerance cases in Yogyakarta," Agnes said in a year-end press conference on Monday. She suggested that the government encourage the public to maintain diversity in society through education and religion-based institutions.

The Wahid Institute said last year that Yogyakarta was the second-most intolerant province after West Java

Meanwhile, the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute's (LBH) social, economic and cultural division chairman, Yogi Zul Fadhli, said his organization had received 35 human rights violence complaints this year.

"The perpetrators have not been named suspects by the police. This kind of impunity could trigger others to commit violence," Yogi said.

He said human rights violations related to agrarian issues were the most prevalent this year on account of land conflicts between residents and the Yogyakarta sultanate. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/intolerance-human-rights-cases-in-yogyakarta-remain-high-activists.html

Police to revoke circulars on MUI ban on Christmas attributes

Jakarta Post - December 19, 2016

Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has ordered the chiefs of police in Bekasi, West Java, and Kulonprogo of Yogyakarta to revoke circulars on the ban on wearing Christmas attributes based on a fatwa (religious edict) of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

"I have asked them [the chiefs of police in Bekasi and Kulonprogo] to revoke the circulars," Tito said at Jakarta State University campus in East Jakarta on Monday as reported by kompas.com.

He stated that the MUI fatwa was not a law, merely a reference that could be used as coordination among police offices.

"I have firmly warned the Bekasi Police chief and Kulonprogo Police chief. I warned them because it's not permitted to issue circulars based on an MUI fatwa," Tito.

"So, a MUI fatwa is not statutory law that should be upheld. [The police] should not issue circulars that could become a legal document," he added.

Bekasi Police reportedly issued a circular on Dec. 15 while Kulonprogo Police released a circular on Dec. 17, in which both instructed owners and management of businesses not to force their employees to wear Christmas attributes. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/police-to-revoke-circulars-on-mui-ban-on-christmas-attributes.html

Surabaya malls vow to obey MUI ban on Christmas attire for Muslim employees

Jakarta Post - December 19, 2016

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Surabaya, East Java – Managers of shopping centers in Surabaya, East Java, have vowed not to require Muslim employees to wear Christmas attire at work this holiday season, following pressure from the Islam Defenders Front.

Wahyu Kuncoro, the head of operations at Surabaya's Toeng Market, for example, said he would obey the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) edict banning the use of Christmas attire like Santa hats for Muslims.

"We will forward this message to our leadership. We apologize, because we were not aware of this before. We will follow and obey the MUI edict," he said after receiving FPI representatives at his office.

About 50 FPI members visited shopping centers on Sunday, meeting the managers in charge to tell them not to force employees to wear Christmas attributes. FPI official Ali Fahmi said the management of Toeng Market had signed an agreement.

Ali said two points had been agreed to: first, that managers not tell Muslim employees to wear Christmas attributes and second, that they not force, intimidate or reward any employee in connection with Christmas attributes.

Surabaya's Nahdlatul Ulama executive board member Ahmad Muhibin Zuhri said the MUI edict aimed to uphold tolerance among people of different religions. "Tolerance is to give each religious follower space to worship according to one's faith," he said.

Muhibin said the FPI's action on Sunday was merely an act of exercising a civil right, although NU itself felt it would have been enough to disperse information on the edict through the media.

Surabaya Police, which had escorted the FPI in visiting the malls, said they had made sure the visits did not cause any disturbances. "In total, we visited seven shopping centers to disseminate information about the edict. We escorted them to ensure public safety," Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. M. Iqbal said. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/surabaya-malls-vow-to-obey-mui-ban-on-christmas-attire-for-muslim-employees.html

Emboldened Islamic hardliners seek to enforce fatwa on Christmas costumes

Sydney Morning Herald - December 19, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – Indonesian police have been accused by mainstream Muslim groups of weakening the rule of law by providing security for Islamic hardliners who visited shopping centres in the nation's second-largest city urging them not to ask Muslim shop assistants to wear Christmas costumes.

The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) – the vigilante group that spearheaded three mass protests in Jakarta calling for the city's Christian governor to be jailed for alleged blasphemy – were guarded by police when they went to seven shopping centres in Surabaya on Sunday.

The hardline group told managers at the centres of a fatwa issued by Indonesia's top Muslim scholarly body, the Majelis Ulema Indonesia (MUI), banning Muslims from wearing Christmas apparel such as Santa hats.

But police have been criticised by Indonesia's largest Islamic civil organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and human rights groups for providing security at the shopping centre visits, which some say gives legitimacy to radical fringe groups.

National Police spokesman Rikwanto said Surabaya police had persuaded the FPI to restrict numbers to 35 rather than the hundreds planned and to explain the fatwa outside the seven malls rather than going inside.

"We did not provide an escort to them, we safeguarded their action so it wouldn't go wild beyond their original plan of promoting the MUI edict," he told Fairfax Media.

But NU Supreme Council General Secretary Yahya Cholil Staquf said the fatwa was not legally binding and he did not understand why police guarded the FPI when they carried out "anarchic actions". "The police keep doing this over and over," Mr Yahya told Fairfax Media.

Earlier this month the Islamic Group Ahlus Sunnah Defenders (PAS) forced the closure of a Christmas service in Bandung, West Java, claiming it was illegal to hold a religious service outside a designated place of worship and the participants lacked a permit. Both claims have been refuted.

Mr Yahya said the Islamic group's actions in Bandung were unlawful but instead of enforcing the law, police brokered a mediation between the Ahlus Sunnah Defenders and the church organisers, which ended in the event being closed.

"This is absurd... the police never act to enforce the law," he said. "They are helping radical groups to force the minorities to comply with whatever the radicals want."

Mr Yahya said the Christmas costume controversy was "actually meaningless". "It's been happening all the time that shop workers in malls wear Christmas costumes. People just keep shopping – they don't care that much."

The Jakarta-based Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy said providing the FPI with an escort in Surabaya was a blunder on the part of police that weakened the supremacy of the law of Indonesia. "The police should actually have prevented and banned the intimidation," the Setara Institute said in a statement.

Grand City Mall marketing manager Yudhi Saharudin said the FPI saw for themselves when they visited on Sunday that Grand City Mall did not have any staff wearing Christmas costumes.

"We did not have anything they complained about. We only have decorations. We have some big Christmas trees at the entrance and at other locations at the mall. And it seems that they don't have a problem with them."

The thuggish FPI, which wants to see a rigid interpretation of Islamic practice implemented in Indonesia, is notorious for attacking religious minorities and conducting sweeps of bars during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Last year the FPI also visited Surabaya shopping centres – where many of the store owners are ethnically Chinese – to ensure Muslim employees were not being forced to don Christmas apparel.

But many believe the group has been emboldened by the sheer number of protesters at rallies calling for the imprisonment of Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok. The third rally, on December 2, attracted an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 people.

"The fact they got (President) Jokowi to come and pray with them at the second rally is also a huge sign of their clout," says Tim Lindsey, the Director of the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society at Melbourne University.

Ahok's court case for allegedly insulting Islam has been expedited, with the second day of the trial to be held on December 20.

But religious intolerance and anti-Chinese sentiment continues to simmer in Indonesia. About 1 to 4 per cent of Indonesia's 250 million people are ethnically Chinese, the majority of whom are also Christian. Their relative affluence has fomented resentment for centuries in Indonesia.

A street banner in Magelang in Central Java this month urged people to fight Chinese and foreign imperialism and only support indigenous Indonesian shops. (with Karuni Rompies)

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/emboldened-islamic-hardliners-seek-to-enforce-fatwa-on-christmas-costumes-20161219-gteak9.html

Police escort FPI members during raid on Santa hats in Surabaya malls

Jakarta Post - December 18, 2016

Surabaya – The Surabaya Police escorted Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members on Sunday as they raided shopping malls in the East Java capital to check whether outlets had ordered employees to wear Christmas attire such as Santa hats.

For promotional purposes, many companies ask their employees to wear holiday season paraphernalia, including Santa hats, when serving customers ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Recently, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict banning companies from forcing staff to wear such items, deeming it haram.

Hundreds of officers from the Surabaya Police and East Java Police's Mobile Brigade escorted the Surabaya FPI members during their raid on the malls, tribunnews.com reported Sunday. Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. M. Iqbal was seen leading the operation. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/18/police-escort-fpi-members-during-raid-on-santa-hats-in-surabaya-malls.html

FPI pressures Honda outlet to issue clarification on Santa hat rumor

Jakarta Post - December 17, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Under pressure from the Bekasi branch of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), the Honda Mitra outlet on Jl. Raya Jati Asih, Bekasi, issued a statement on Dec. 14 asserting that none of its employees were being forced to wear Christmas attributes.

The incident was preceded by a rumor spread widely online that Honda Mitra was forcing its Muslim employees, including female staff members who wear the hijab, to wear Santa Claus hats.

According to the rumor, management would fine employees Rp 200,000 (US$15) per day should they refuse to wear a Santa Claus hat.

In a joint statement by Honda Mitra and the FPI delivered on Wednesday afternoon, company service manager Andri Suherman said that the management would not force its employees to wear Christmas attributes.

"If the incident is repeated in the future, I will be ready to face legal consequences," Andri said, as written in the statement.

Bekasi precinct police stations head Sr. Comr. Umar Fana said that police, together with some Muslim organizations, had met with office management on Wednesday morning to clear up the issue.

The police said that the information spread online was not true. "Both the management and employees stated that no employees were being forced to wear Christmas attributes," Umar told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

Umar added that he issued a recommendation on Thursday for companies in Bekasi to also not force their non-Muslim employees to wear Christmas or New Year attributes. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/17/fpi-pressures-honda-outlet-to-issue-clarification-on-santa-hat-rumor.html

Anthropologists urge government to take stern action against intolerance

Jakarta Post - December 17, 2016

Bambang Muryanto and Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta and Yogyakarta – More than 300 anthropologists from across the country have asked the government to protect Indonesian values and take stern action against groups that try to destroy diversity.

"Indonesian values have been continuously destroyed. We consider it important to declare an emergency situation on Indonesian values," senior anthropologist Meutia F. Swasono said in a statement in Jakarta.

Calling themselves the Anthropologists' Movement for Diverse and Inclusive Indonesia, the scholars called on the government, especially the police, as well as the Indonesian Military, to bring to justice groups that committed violence against minorities.

Besides holding a press conference in Jakarta, the anthropologists also conducted similar events in Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Pekanbaru and Jayapura.

"Law enforcement should be upheld without any pressure from mass mobs," said anthropologist PM Laksono of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.

Many observers earlier viewed that an ongoing trial against Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama had been held due to pressure from conservative Muslim groups.

On Dec. 2, hundreds of thousands of people, led by the conservative groups, urged the government to jail Ahok, a Christian and Chinese descent, for alleged blasphemy.

Ahok's case is also believed to have triggered violence. Last week, for example, a Christmas service was dispersed by a group of conservative Muslims in Bandung. In Yogyakarta, another Muslim group coerced Duta Wacana Christian University to take down billboards depicting a female student wearing a hijab. (jun)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/17/anthropologists-urge-government-to-take-stern-action-against-intolerance.html

Ejection of nine Muslims from Kupang 'not retaliation' for Bandung case

Jakarta Post - December 16, 2016

Jakarta – A group that intercepted nine Muslims at El Tari Airport in Kupang last week has said its actions were not a form of "retaliation" for the recent disruption of a Christmas gathering in Bandung.

In a press release on Friday, the group, which calls itself Brigade Meo, said the media reports claiming that its action was made in retaliation for what had happened in Bandung were not accurate.

"We received a tip-off from a member of the public that nine people would arrive in Kupang and we coordinated with the police," the release said. According to the group, the nine were to be picked up by a supporter of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, "an organization whose ideology is not in line with [the state ideology] Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution."

"Hizbut Tahrir is prohibited from conducting any activities in East Nusa Tenggara," the release read. The group said the police had examined the nine men and then consulted with East Nusa Tenggara's Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

"Considering all those facts, we, the police, and the MUI agreed to send the nine men back," Brigade said. "So the decision was made collectively. And the event does not have anything to do with any previous events, and definitely nothing to do with what happened in Bandung," the group said.

"I was not an attempt to intimidate our Muslim brothers and sisters but an action to curb radicalism in this country," it added. Brigade Meo has previously cooperated with Nahdlatul Ulama's GP Ansor to curb radicalism, the group said. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/16/ejection-of-nine-muslims-from-kupang-not-retaliation-for-bandung-case.html

MUI edict on Christmas imbues spirit of tolerance: Minister

Jakarta Post - December 16, 2016

Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the Indonesian Ulema Council edict that declared wearing other religious paraphernalia was unnecessary was part of religious tolerance without necessarily immersing oneself in another religion.

"The spirit of the edict is that tolerance does not mean you have to immerse yourself [in a different religion]," he said as quoted by Antara News Agency on Friday.

Lukman said Muslims should follow the edict without dismissing others and while respecting other religions. "We should see the edict as having that spirit," he said.

He emphasized that the edict was based on a principle of tolerance, respecting each other and other religions. "We don't have to wear religious symbols that are not part of our faith," he explained.

Lukman said he hoped Muslims would respect the Christmas celebration because many Indonesians are Christian. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/16/mui-edict-on-christmas-imbues-spirit-of-tolerance-minister.html

Religion & morality

Surakarta halts restaurant's operations after vigilante raid

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Ganug Nugroho Adi, Surakarta, Central Java – The Surakarta administration temporarily closed the operations of Social Kitchen Lounge and Bar in Banjarsari following the alleged raid by the Surakarta Islamic Paramilitary Troops (LUIS) on Sunday.

The restaurant was raided because it was accused by the group of violating regulations for operational hours and sometimes providing striptease dances.

The Surakarta and Central Java police have investigated the raid and arrested seven men for allegedly damaging the restaurant.

"The Central Java Police have investigated the vandalism case. I asked the administration to close the operations of [Social] Kitchen until the legal process ends," Surakarta Mayor FX Hadi "Rudy" Rudyatmo said Wednesday.

Rudy said they had yet to decide whether or not to revoke the permit altogether because his office wanted to investigate the restaurant's alleged violations.

Rudy expressed disappointment in the raid, destruction and violence by the group and said the raid was connected to the authority of the state apparatus.

There has been an indication that Social Kitchen violated its permit by offering striptease dances, with the restaurant sometimes becoming crowded after 1 a.m.

An employee at the restaurant confirmed they provided striptease dances but not regularly. "Once or twice a week. But when the raid happened on Sunday, we didn't have it," Wisnu Setyawan said.

Surakarta Public Order Agency head Sutarjo said the restaurant and his office had been having a cat and mouse situation regarding the "erotic dance". He said his office had sent a third warning regarding the nighttime entertainment. The restaurant, meanwhile, has the license to sell alcoholic beverages. (evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/surakarta-halts-restaurants-operations-after-vigilante-raid.html

Police arrest 5 linked to vigilante raid in Surakarta

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Jakarta – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said Tuesday that police had arrested five suspects related to a vigilante attack on the Social Kitchen restaurant and nightlife spot in Surakarta, Central Java.

"Last night, we arrested five people in relation to a mass organization's 'sweep' [of the Social Kitchen]. We will keep pursuing the case," Tito was quoted by tribunnews.com at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs building in Jakarta.

Tito added that he had instructed his personnel to hunt down other suspects involved in the violent raid.

He asserted that mass organizations were prohibited from taking the law into their own hands. "We heard they allegedly committed theft, looting and assault. We will impose stern sanctions [on the perpetrators]," Tito said.

Dozens of people donning white robes reportedly stormed the entertainment venue on Sunday morning, vandalizing its restaurant and attacking several guests, including three women. Local media identified the mob as a firebrand Muslim vigilante group, who launched the raid on the venue allegedly because it served alcohol to its customers. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/police-arrest-5-linked-to-vigilante-raid-in-surakarta.html

Land & agrarian conflicts

60% Jakarta evictees not getting health, education aid as promised: Study

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Jakarta – The majority of low-cost apartment (rusunawa) residents, who were evicted from their former homes to make way for city development projects, have yet to receive easy access to education and health as promised by the Jakarta administration, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) found in a recent study.

LBH Jakarta lawyer Alldo Fellix Januardy said on Wednesday that nearly 60 percent of such residents did not possess Jakarta Smart Cards (KJP) or Jakarta Health Cards (KJS), according to a study conducted from April to October at 18 rusunawa spread across the capital. Among the rusunawa are Rawa Bebek in Cakung and Jatinegara Barat in Jatinegara, both in East Jakarta.

"The city administration has failed to fulfill its promise to cover the costs of health and education of the evicted residents," Alldo said in a press conference at the LBH headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Under the KJP program, card holders in elementary and high school receive funds to be used to meet school needs such as uniforms and books. Meanwhile, under the KJS program, holders can access free medical services at the city's community health centers and hospitals. (vny/evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/60-jakarta-evictees-not-getting-health-education-aid-as-promised-study.html

Governance & administration

Jokowi needs to include more women in decision making: Analyst

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration should increase the number of women holding strategic decision-making positions in the government if the country really applied meritocracy, the State Administration Institute (LAN) said.

LAN's policy analysis center head, Erna Irawati, said at an event on Wednesday that the proportion of women in executive and legislative positions in the country was still low compared to men.

"One of the reasons is because women are seen as having lower work rates than men. This is not true. If the government really applies meritocracy, women, in fact, have a lot of potential to work professionally," she said, citing Karawang regent Cellica Nurrachadiana, who was also present at the event, as a good role model.

According to National Civil Service Agency (BKN) data, in 2016 women only accounted for 27 percent of echelon I officers in government entities.

"We have also observed that the percentage is still low in the private sector. This is something that we need to push. The government could be a benchmark for this," Erna said. (adt/evi)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/jokowi-needs-to-include-more-women-in-decision-making-analyst.html

Tax amnesty losing pace in second phase

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – With only 10 days left in the second phase of the tax amnesty, participation in the program has fallen behind government expectations.

According to tax office data, revenue collected from penalty fees has reached Rp 101 trillion (US$7.5 billion) as of Dec. 20, only a slight increase from the Rp 97.2 trillion collected by Sept. 30, when the program's first three-month phase ended.

Asset declaration, meanwhile, reached Rp 375.97 trillion in the period from Oct. 1 to Dec. 20, about one tenth of what was collected in the first phase of the government's signature program.

Tax office spokesman Hestu Yoga Saksama, however, appears confident the figures will increase significantly next week. Based on the experience during the first phase, 95.75 percent of taxpayers submitted their tax amnesty application only in September.

"We are still optimistic and we will open 24-hour services on Dec. 31 to anticipate soaring [applications]," he said at a press conference on Wednesday. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/tax-amnesty-losing-pace-in-second-phase.html

Government to form dedicated body to promote Pancasila

Jakarta Globe - December 20, 2016

Jakarta – The government will form a new dedicated body to promote the Pancasila state ideology, named the President's Working Unit for Reinforcement of Pancasila Ideology, known as UKP-PIP, in response to growing threats of radicalism and terrorism.

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the new working unit will help President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to organize, harmonize and control efforts from various state institutions to promote Pancasila to the public.

"This new body will be nearly similar to the Presidential Office that has same status, financial rights and facilities as a state minister," Luhut told reporters at State Palace in Jakarta on Sunday afternoon (19/12).

The idea, initially proposed by Luhut, has been deliberated for three months and a presidential regulation to legally form the body is still being processed by the Cabinet Secretariat.

The body will address the implementation of nation's pluralistic Pancasila ideology in education institutions, ministries, state institutions, mass organizations and religious groups.

Political expert Yudi Latif who helped to formulate the new body said the UKP-PIP will involve many stakeholders including humanists, religious figures, artists, journalists, traditional leaders and communities in promoting the state ideology. "We want to promote an inclusive approach in developing Pancasila," Yudi said.

Previously, Jokowi said Pancasila can be an answer to growing concerns over intolerance, cracked solidarity as a nation, social order, radicalism, extremism and terrorism. "Pancasila must be a working ideology and embodied in the system, including in economy, politic, social and culture policies," Jokowi said.

He also expressed hopes the value of Pancasila can be shown in forms of mindset, lifestyle and concrete actions among the Indonesians.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/govt-form-dedicated-body-promote-pancasila/

Parliament & legislation

Jokowi's agenda safe as Setya returns

Jakarta Post - December 17, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – It was a meeting in which everyone involved could score political points. For President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo the meeting would prove that he once again had full control of the House of Representatives.

For House Speaker Setya Novanto, the meeting was a signal that he was back in the game after months in the political wilderness following a coup that resulted in the Golkar Party chairman losing the speakership to his junior Ade Komarudin.

As for deputy House speakers Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party and Fahri Hamzah of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the meeting with President Jokowi marked a rewarming of their relationship especially after the decision by the two politicians to join the Nov. 4 street rally demanding the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is backed by Jokowi for reelection next year.

Setya, who described the 90-minute meeting as "friendly and cordial" said it was the start of a close relationship between the executive and legislative branches of the government. He said the House leadership would engage in more consultation with the President and that the legislative body was committed to supporting all government programs.

"We'll also tell the leaders of the political party factions at the House, and we'll continue trying to get them closer to the government to discuss political issues together," Setya told journalists after the meeting.

Setya, whose political career hit rock bottom following a scandal involving giant mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia that forced him to resign as House leader, reclaimed his position as House speaker, replacing Ade, in late November.

Analysts have said the removal of Ade was part of a systematic effort by the President to control the House through Setya, who now ranks as one of the country's most powerful politicians, as Jokowi's closest ally.

Ade was regarded as unreliable by Jokowi, whose agenda in the House stalled reportedly because of Ade's failure to rally support for it.

In June, the tax amnesty bill was rushed through in a House plenary session despite Jokowi's political party the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) seeking to extend deliberation of the bill.

The Golkar faction, then led by Ade, pressed for the immediate endorsement of the bill into law and won support from other political factions.

Ade was also blamed for failing to prevent Muslim-based political parties in the ruling coalition, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), and the National Awakening Party (PKB), from joining the Nov. 4 rally. He specifically failed to warn Fadli and Fahri against joining the rally.

Two weeks after the rally, on Nov. 17, Jokowi invited Setya for a meeting at the State Palace. Six days later, the Golkar Party's central board decided to reinstate Setya as House speaker. On Nov. 30, Setya was inaugurated as the new House speaker, ousting Ade.

Analysts have said that under Setya's leadership, Golkar, the last political party to join the government coalition, appears to have gained more influence over Jokowi than the PDI-P.

In the past few months, the PDI-P has made moves to counterbalance Setya's growing clout by demanding an amendment to the Legislative Institutions Law, known as the MD3 Law, which would allow the party to get a top seat in the House.

Setya has responded to the demand by allowing the deliberation of the MD3 amendment proposal to allow the PDI-P to get a deputy speakership position. The House is currently waiting for a presidential letter to start deliberating the bill.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/17/jokowis-agenda-safe-as-setya-returns.html

TNI commander's anti-China speech denied

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) has denied a circulating provocative message reportedly conveyed by TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo expressing sentiments against China and the spread of communist ideology in the country.

The message, reported to be part of Gatot's speech, warns Indonesian people of a scheme being conducted by China to tear apart the country by dispatching Chinese citizens to work in Indonesia. The message later quoted the speech, which said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had asked all businessmen in Indonesia to use China's yuan.

According to the message that circulated via WhatsApp Messenger and other social media platforms, Gatot delivered the anti-China remarks during a ceremony to commemorate the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, or Maulid Nabi, on Dec. 11.

TNI spokesperson Brig. Gen. Wuryanto asserted Gatot never attended the ceremony because on that day he accompanied President Jokowi at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta prior to his departure for a state visit to Iran. Gatot departed to Aceh the next day to deliver humanitarian aid to victims of the massive earthquake, which struck Pidie Jaya regency on Dec. 7.

"It's not true that the TNI commander made such a hateful speech. The [circulating] message, which quoted the speech, is obviously engineered," Wuryanto said in a statement.

"I would also encourage all citizens to be more selective of messages with quotes from state officials that circulate via WhatsApp or social media," he added. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/tni-commanders-anti-china-speech-denied.html

Criminal justice & legal system

Shoot drug lords, dealers and users, anti-drug chief says

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Jakarta – National Narcotics Agency (BNN) chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso threatened to take severe actions against individuals involved in drug trafficking.

"Don't hesitate to shoot drug traffickers, drug dealers and drug users. Anyone involved in drug trafficking should be punished harshly, including traitors in the BNN body," Budi said as quoted by kompas.com during the installment ceremony of the North Sumatra task force for drug eradication, prevention, abuse and dealing in Deliserdang on Tuesday.

Budi called on everyone to join hands in fighting drug trafficking. "Drug dealers have been all out in their efforts to market drugs. We have to be all out as well to fight them," he said, adding that the agency had teamed up with the military to wage war against drug trafficking.

North Sumatra Governor Tengku Erry Nuradi welcomed the presence of the new task force. He said that the fight against drug dealing would only be effective should the effort involve the public. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/shoot-drug-lords-dealers-and-users-anti-drug-chief-says.html

Mining & energy

Smelting industry held hostage by policy uncertainty

Jakarta Post - December 20, 2016

Viriya P. Singgih, Jakarta – A plan to allow more exports of raw and partly processed mineral products has irked businesses that have already invested heavily in smelters intended to add value to mineral ores and generate a multiplier effect for the economy.

The businesses argue that such a policy would not only send a chilling message to the international community that Indonesia cannot hold to its commitments, but also harm the downstream industry and put more pressure on the global prices of several mining commodities already experiencing a supply glut.

A draft regulation prepared by the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, a copy of which was recently obtained by The Jakarta Post, will allow companies with mining licenses (IUP), or special mining licenses (IUPK), or former holders of contracts of work to have the privilege of getting five-year export licenses.

Partly processed or raw nickel, bauxite, anode slime and copper telluride will be on the list of products allowed for overseas shipment. Companies will also be allowed to resume the export of copper concentrate.

The only requirements from the government are for the companies to pay an export tax and construct a smelter.

"Don't play around with such a high-risk policy. There have been many smelters developed recently and once we open the exports gate the outflow will be unbearable," Indonesian Smelter and Mineral Processing Association (ISPA) chairman R. Sukhyar told the Post on Monday.

"The domestic industry will be left in turmoil as miners will prefer to export the mineral ores."

Foreign investors, mostly from China and Russia, have flocked into Indonesia after a 2009 Mining Law requires a total ban on raw and partially processed mineral exports, encouraging many to set up processing plants to take advantage of the law.

According to the Processing and Smelting Companies Association (AP3I), there have been 32 new smelters built in the country – 24 of which are nickel smelters – within the past four years with a total investment of about US$20 billion.

The smelters are expected to add value to the end products, as opposed to exporting ore in its raw form, and to prevent mining wealth from being exploited by overseas businesses. "Investors will be confused with such a flip-flop policy," said Sukhyar.

"Speculation surrounding the planned relief has already put Indonesia in an unfavorable situation because as investors wait for certainty they suspend business and decision making," said Sukhyar, a former Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's director general for minerals and coal.

Sukhyar said the industry now worries that opening up exports of nickel ore and bauxite ore could undermine the global prices of these commodities and their semi-processed forms, which are already suffering from an oversupply.

During his presidential campaign and first year in office, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo pledged to maintain the ban and expand it into a fully enforced prohibition.

However, the draft regulation contradicts the pledge as the government is in dire need of cash from royalties and taxes paid by several large mining companies amid a shortfall in tax collection caused by sluggish economic activities.

Gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia, a local unit of US mining corporation Freeport McMoRan Inc., to cite an example, contributed $2.4 billion in royalties and $1.5 billion in non-tax state revenues (PNBP) from 2010 to 2015.

Observers have said that if the company is not allowed to resume exporting copper concentrate, the government and the people of Papua, the province where the company is operating, will suffer greatly.

The company has been allowed to export after pledging to construct smelting plants and agreeing to pay export taxes with rates linked to the progress of construction, which has been stalled.

However, its export licenses will expire when the 2009 Mining Law is set to be fully enforced after Jan. 11, 2017, with the government rushing to decide whether to maintain the current relaxation or to fully enforce the ban.

According to the Finance Ministry's directorate general of the treasury, income from export duties was 25 percent short of its target this year and a three-year to five-year mineral export extension for mining companies like Freeport can help the government secure revenues, considering that the country will still be able to sell the raw commodities abroad at contracted prices.

AP3I deputy chairman Jonatan Handojo said the privilege enjoyed by Freeport should not be a catalyst for others to demand the same facility as he understood that many nickel and bauxite mining companies were also lobbying to have the ban lifted amid the government's dire need for revenues.

Jonatan said there had been too many foreign investors putting their money into the country, particularly from China, in the hope of benefitting from the downstream industry after they were no longer be able to maximize the operation of their nickel smelters in China because of a lack of supply following Indonesia's export ban. "Once the policy is eased, I can imagine how they will be extremely furious."

Indonesia is among the world's top producers of nickel, bauxite and copper.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/20/smelting-industry-held-hostage-by-policy-uncertainty.html

High-flying Freeport CEO steers towards new Indonesia mining deal

Reuters - December 16, 2016

Fergus Jensen, Jakarta – Chappy Hakim, a retired air force chief who says he knows next to nothing about mining, now heads Indonesia's biggest copper producer, entrusted to use his connections to guide it through regulatory uncertainty to a renewed contract for its mine.

Picking another former military officer to lead the local unit of U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan underlines how pivotal political ties can be in Indonesia, where the firm got its start nearly 50 years ago helped by close relations to late autocratic President Suharto.

At stake for Freeport is an $18 billion investment to expand its Grasberg mine – one of the world's biggest deposits of gold and copper – in the eastern Indonesian province of Papua. A government deadline in January to end ore exports from the country also threatens two-thirds of the mine's copper output.

"Freeport is more politics than business," Hakim told a recent media briefing. "Right now we are working hard to negotiate with the government... The political aspect has become very heavy here," said Hakim, who was appointed last month as Freeport Indonesia's new chief executive.

Hakim, 69, a keen saxophonist who holds Indonesian skydiving records, first saw the area where Freeport's giant Papua mine is located from the pilot's seat of a C-130 Hercules in the 1970s.

And while he may know little about mining and finance, Hakim said his experience leading the air force and later an air safety panel after a string of deadly plane crashes would help him with both human resource management and mine safety issues.

Grasberg has had several fatal accidents that disrupted operations and strained union relations, and in 2013 a tunnel collapse killed 28 workers, raising worries about its underground expansion plans.

Hakim's appointment was made in consultation with the government, Freeport said, and comes as the company fights to win an extension on its mine beyond 2021.

Freeport needs to sign off in late 2017 on the $18 billion plan to transition Grasberg from open pit to underground mining, and it wants the contract renewed before committing the money.

"One of (Freeport's) priorities is clearly to have someone on board who supposedly has the ear of the government," said Bill Sullivan, a foreign legal counsel and expert on Indonesian mining issues.

'Dispensations' needed

Freeport faces a narrowing window to make a new deal on taxes, royalties, divestment and a second smelter, before it develops what would be the world's biggest underground mine, Hakim said.

Indonesia has given mixed signals on negotiations, however, and it's not clear if Freeport will be able to win a contract extension next year.

Regulations stipulate contracts can be renewed only in the last two years before they expire, but Hakim said Freeport needed "several dispensations" to justify its investment. "We have no choice because we have spent so many billions of dollars on the contract... and we'll be really devastated if we stop," he said.

Hakim also noted that existing rules forbid Freeport from exporting copper concentrate after Jan. 12, 2017, part of an effort to transform Indonesia into a producer of finished goods from a supplier of raw materials.

About a third of Freeport's daily 220,000 tonnes of copper ore from Grasberg goes to its domestic smelter in Gresik, East Java, with the rest exported as concentrate. Jakarta has said it may revise the deadline on metals processing, but nothing has been announced.

Freeport, which employs 32,400 workers in Indonesia, has said it does not believe Jakarta will ban all exports from 2017 given the harm it could do to Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Hakim's predecessor, Maroef Sjamsoeddin, also a former air force and intelligence officer, stepped down in January after being caught up in a scandal. The company said he resigned for personal reasons.

[Reporting by Fergus Jensen; Additional reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Editing by Tom Hogue.]

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-freeport-ceo-idUSKBN1451BR

Economy & investment

Industrial investment regains pace in 2016

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – Despite a global economic slowdown, Indonesia managed to see investment in the industrial sector increase by 41.6 percent year-on-year (yoy) to US$18.7 billion during the first nine months of the year, a minister said on Thursday.

Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said that foreign investment still dominated investment in the industrial sector, with $13.09 billion in foreign money coming into the sector from January to September, a 53.6 percent increase compared to the figure in the same period last year.

Domestic investment, meanwhile, increased by 19.6 percent yoy to Rp 75.41 trillion ($4.69 billion). "Investment is a growth engine for the sector," Airlangga said during the ministry's year-end press conference.

Last year, Indonesia saw foreign investment in the industrial sector drop by 25.8 percent to $11.76 billion compared to 2014. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/industrial-investment-regains-pace-in-2016.html

More 7-Eleven stores close down amid alcohol ban, high operating expenses

Jakarta Post - December 22, 2016

Winny Tang – PT Modern Internasional, the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in the country, has reported a shrinking sales figure in the first nine months of this year, mainly due to increasing operating expenses and the continued effects of the implementation of the alcohol ban regulation in minimarkets.

The company on Thursday reported that its net sales stood at Rp 660.7 billion (US$49.1 million) in the January-September period, down by 31.4 percent from Rp 962.8 billion collected in the same period last year.

Modern Internasional finance director Chandra Wijaya said the company's operating expenses had jumped by 17.3 percent year-on-year to Rp 397.3 billion in the third quarter.

"The increase in operating expenses was caused by the company's consolidation and restructuring strategy, including from the closing down of some underperforming 7-Eleven stores," he said during the company's public expose in Jakarta.

Convenience stores were previously prohibited from selling any kind of alcohol, including beer, as former trade minister Rachmat Gobel issued a regulation on the control of alcohol in April last year in a bid to "protect young generations from the dangers of alcohol".

However, five months after that the ministry, under minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong, relaxed the policy and handed the rights to control alcohol production, distribution and sales to regional administrations, including the Jakarta administration.

Modern Internasional, however, sees such a regulation as hurting businesses, as it had to close down 25 underperforming 7-Eleven stores this year alone. The sales of alcohol contributes roughly 10 percent of the total sales of 7-Eleven stores, Modern Internasional director Henri Honoris said.

"Next year, we will continue to evaluate and take necessary actions to improve our financial performance, which includes the possibility of closing down more underperforming stores," Henri said. (win/hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/22/more-7-eleven-stores-close-down-amid-alcohol-ban-high-operating-expenses.html

Aggressive economic policies could drain bank liquidity

Jakarta Post - December 21, 2016

Jakarta – Despite their potential to stoke growth, major economic policies, including the tax amnesty and aggressive infrastructure spending, have contributed to reducing bank liquidity, an economist says.

Credit-rating agency Pemeringkat Efek Indonesia (Pefindo) economist Ahmad Mikail said that taxpayers participating in the ongoing tax amnesty would withdraw money from their bank accounts to pay the penalties.

As a result, the growth of third-party funds in October stood at only 6.5 percent year-on-year (yoy) compared to 9 percent yoy in the same period last year. "The money will no doubt return to circulation, but not until next year," Mikail said on Tuesday.

Aggressive infrastructure spending, meanwhile, has forced the government to issue more bonds. As more sovereign bonds are available on the market, many investors have chosen to withdraw their money and invest in them. "The bonds offer a higher return compared to bank deposits," he said.

Mikail added that low bank liquidity would impede loan disbursement. In the end, it might lower household consumption, which contributes the most to gross domestic product.

In its 2017 budget, the government expects the economy to grow 5.1 percent, lower than its initial target of 5.3 percent.

The country is gradually recovering from a six-year low economic growth rate of 4.79 percent last year, with an earlier expectation of boosting growth to 5.3 percent in the 2016 state budget. However, after two budget cuts, the government has settled for between a 5 and 5.1 percent growth target for this year as a result of reduced government spending that could hinder its multiplier effect on the overall economy. (hwa)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/21/aggressive-economic-policies-could-drain-bank-liquidity.html

Rupiah's fortunes to fade as Indonesia's tax amnesty nears end

Bloomberg - December 19, 2016

Liau Y-Sing and Yumi Teso, Kuala Lumpur – The rupiah's reign as Southeast Asia's best currency is set to be short-lived as the supportive inflow from a $12.3 billion tax amnesty program is about to be slammed shut.

The currency will slump more than 2 percent by March 31 as the market's focus returns to Indonesia's current-account deficit and as rising U.S. interest rates lure money away from emerging markets. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. says the rupiah will suffer as the dollar strengthens, while Standard Chartered Plc predicts the currency will drop through the first half as the deficit widens.

"A significant portion of funds under the tax amnesty would be repatriated by the end of December, which would ease some supporting flow for the rupiah," said Teppei Ino, an analyst at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi in Singapore. "We are also likely to see the somewhat strong dollar trend remain in the first quarter."

The rupiah strengthened for four straight quarters through September as the amnesty and a slew of economic reforms overshadowed the current account that's been in deficit since 2011. The authorities expect the program will bring in as much as 165 trillion rupiah ($12.3 billion) before it ends on March 31, compared with the 100 trillion rupiah it had attracted as of Dec. 9.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi predicts the rupiah will weaken to 13,700 per dollar by March 31, matching the median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of 31 analysts. The decline of 2.2 percent would make it the worst performer in Asia over the period, based on a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

The currency has gained 3 percent this year, more than four times as much as the second-placed Thai baht. It closed at 13,393 on Friday.

"The macro environment won't be weak for Indonesia with the tax revenue from the amnesty program to be used for infrastructure development," Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi's Ino said. "The weaker rupiah forecast is more driven by the dollar story."

Not everyone is negative. TMB Bank Pcl, the top rupiah forecaster in Bloomberg rankings for the third quarter, predicts the currency will fall as low as 13,500 per dollar this quarter before recovering to 13,000 by the end of March due to "robust economic activity" and a halt in the dollar's rally.

Southeast Asia's biggest economy expanded 5.02 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the government said last month. Bank Indonesia has lowered interest rates six times this year to spur lending and stimulate domestic demand.

"We expect to see the Indonesian economy perform well in 2017," said Jitipol Puksamatanan, a strategist at TMB Bank in Bangkok. "GDP growth should exceed 5 percent with robust support from many fiscal and monetary policies."

Standard Chartered forecasts the rupiah will weaken to 13,500 by the end of March and slide to 13,700 by June as the current-account deficit widens and demand for the dollar rises.

"While central bank intervention and likely repatriation related to the tax amnesty may provide a near-term respite for the rupiah, we expect any dips in dollar-rupiah to be shallow," Divya Devesh, a foreign-exchange strategist at Standard Chartered in Singapore, wrote in comments last month that he confirmed last week.

"Lower real policy rates remove an important buffer for the rupiah during periods of market stress, particularly in an environment of higher U.S. real rates," he said.(dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/12/19/rupiahs-fortunes-to-fade-as-indonesias-tax-amnesty-nears-end.html

People & places

George Junus Aditjondro: an uncompromising activist

Indonesia at Melbourne - December 19, 2016

Ariel Heryanto – On International Human Rights Day, 10 December, Indonesia lost one of its great public thinkers: George Junus Aditjondro. Born in 1946, George led a rich and extremely colourful life, worth celebrating with pride and gratitude. He began his career as a journalist, before taking leading roles in highly respected civil society organisations dedicated to the environment and sustainability. For his environmental work, he won the prestigious Kalpataru Award from the president in 1987. In subsequent decades, he became a socially engaged academic, and one of Indonesia's most vocal public intellectuals.

In addition to his international collaborations, George reached out to many of the diverse communities across the Indonesian islands. He took an extended residence in West Papua and worked as an environment activist. He was one of the first Indonesian journalists to visit East Timor during Indonesia's occupation, and became a prominent supporter of the decolonisation of East Timor.

I had the privilege of working alongside him for several years. In the first half of the 1990s, we worked in the same unit, the Postgraduate Program in Development Studies at Satya Wacana Christian University, in Salatiga, Central Java. It was the first postgraduate program run by a private university in the country.

George's office was located between mine and that of another legendary public intellectual, Arief Budiman. Both were political mentors to me. We often worked together on and off campus, thanks to our shared political activism against the military dictatorship of the New Order government (1966-1998).

The 90s was an exciting time, as irrevocable divisions opened among the top political elite, leading to the inevitable downfall of the New Order in 1998. Our campus was a meeting place for many of the country's political activists and fugitives. Police and military intelligence agents regularly roamed our corridors.

Partly because of these political activities, the university became beset by major internal conflicts, leading to a massive and uninterrupted nine month strike involving students, and administrative and academic staff in nearly all units, except the Faculty of Economics. By the mid-90s, many students and faculty members left the university, including George, Arief and myself.

More than once, George's research on East Timor annoyed the government. In late 1994, Yogyakarta Police interrogated George over a political seminar he delivered at the Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) in the city. He was never tried, as he took a fellowship at Murdoch University for a few months in early 1995. Satya Wacana terminated his employment soon after his departure for Australia, in the face of pressure from local authorities. After leaving Murdoch, George taught at the University of Newcastle for the next five years. He eventually returned to Indonesia in 2002, and lectured at Sanata Darma University in Yogyakarta.

Among his peers, George stood out as a passionate, independent-minded and uncompromising researcher and activist. George impressed many for his ability to speak expansively on many topics with attention to minute empirical details. George's most celebrated work was on the scale of wealth and global investments of Indonesia's first family during the New Order. Most educated Indonesians knew that looting and bribery were part of public life then, and the so-called Cendana family was at the peak of the pyramid. But no one knew as many of the details as George. When Time magazine, and its Indonesian equivalent, Tempo, separately published cover stories on the topic in 1999, they owed a considerable debt to George's work.

In 2009, George completed a similar research project examining the distribution of wealth in Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's inner circle. The controversial book, "Unravelling the Cikeas Octopus" saw him face accusations of defamation and major book chain Gramedia was initially unwilling to sell it.

George was remarkably radical, bold, and confrontational. In his office in Salatiga, he hung a huge East Timorese flag on the wall facing the door to the main foyer of the building. In large diagonal letters across the flag were the words: "Indonesia, get out of East Timor".

Perhaps due to his ample energy, restlessness, and uncompromising style, George found it difficult to operate in one institution for too long. He must have found them too slow and timid. He moved from one to another, and never showed interest in building a secure professional career in any one institution. He went wherever his burning passion and concerns took him.

George worked independently, as a loner. He preferred a few select close and long-term friends and did not reserve his criticism for the elite. Some of his critiques of fellow activists agitated them, and created occasional tensions. In Salatiga, university management was often nervous in dealing with him, and even more so with the local military authorities who had an eye on him.

Despite his fighting spirit, George was not a gruff or overly serious scholar. He had a great sense of humour. His political jokes and puns were original, and they often stung. As mentioned, in 1994 George faced the threat of prosecution. Details of the indictment were never made public but one likely trigger was a joke he made during the seminar at UII, where he asked the difference between student activists and President Soeharto. The first had buletin (bulletins, or pamphlets), he said, while Soeharto had Tien yang bulet (round or fat Tien, the nickname of the first lady).

George will be fondly remembered as one of Indonesia's most radical political critics, public intellectuals and investigative journalists. His audacity, passion, dedication and uncompromising commitment to political advocacy were second to none among his peers.

[Professor Ariel Heryanto FAHA is the incoming Herb Feith Professor for the Study of Indonesia, Monash University. He is the author of Identity and Pleasure: The Politics of Indonesian Screen Culture, Singapore: NUS Press (2014).]

Source: http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/george-junus-aditjondro-an-uncompromising-activist/

Analysis & opinion

Cracking down on sex – and contraception – in Indonesia

Human Rights Watch Dispatches - December 16, 2016

Heather Barr – Lawmakers in Indonesia have decided they need to make their presence felt – in the nation's bedrooms.

In the context of a new criminal code being debated by the legislature, some members of Indonesia's House of Representatives want language added that would make anyone who has sex outside of marriage subject to prosecution – with a sentence of up to five years' imprisonment.

Indonesian lawmakers have been working since the 1960s to develop a modernized criminal code to replace the current code, which is based on the colonial Dutch East Indies law from 1918. The process has been a long and complicated one.

Indonesian law already includes a troubling provision allowing the prosecution of people who are married and engage in adultery, and unmarried people who have sex with a married person. Such prosecutions are permitted only when the spouse of the person having an affair complains, and the maximum sentence is nine months in jail. This means the proposed law would threaten many more people with prosecution, and impose a much harsher punishment.

Proponents of this law, who also seek to criminalize same-sex conduct, have taken their cause to the Constitutional Court. The court is currently deliberating on a suit demanding revisions to the criminal code that include specifically criminalizing same-sex conduct, as well as sex outside of marriage generally – a big step backwards for Indonesia.

The proposal has a serious chance of passing. It is backed by seven different political parties, who together hold just over 50 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives.

There is also a proposal to make it a crime for any unauthorized person to distribute contraceptive supplies, or even information about contraception. This measure could restrict handing out contraceptives to medical professionals and pharmacists, while barring other service providers and advocates for reproductive health and LGBT rights from even talking about contraception, including condom use. Such a law could leave millions of Indonesians struggling to obtain the information and products they need to make their own choices about having children, and to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases.

These efforts to crack down on personal decisions about sex and family planning would, if they became law, violate rights to privacy, autonomy, and health that are protected under international law that Indonesia has committed to uphold. They come on the heels of an increasing clampdown on the rights of LGBT people.

Indonesia's lawmakers should spend less time trying to control other peoples' sex lives and reproduction. Instead, they should focus on the crucial work necessary to develop a new criminal code that can help ensure all Indonesians have access to justice.

[Heather Barr is a Senior Researcher, Women's Rights Division.]

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/16/cracking-down-sex-and-contraception-indonesia