Prita Riadhin, Den Haag – At least 200 people staged a protest when welcoming President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo at the front yard of Kurhaus Hotel on Scheveningen beach, the Hague, the Netherlands of Friday (22/4).

The group claimed to be South Maluku and West Papua activists and from the International People Tribunal (IPT) 1965 as well as Indonesian people residing in the Netherlands.

Guarded by dozens of police, the protesters patiently waited for Jokowi come out of the gate of Kurhaus Hotel. Tempo contributor in Amsterdam Prita Riadhini reported that there were no violent actions during the protest.

In the meantime, Fransiska Pattipilohy from IPT 1965 said that they hoped that Jokowi would revoke the Presidential Decree that the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) is not the 'right movement'. She also said that those exiles hoped to have their rights as Indonesian citizens restored.

Fransiska also regretted that the majority of the exiles are Indonesian students who are not allowed to return to Indonesia. "Reconciliation cannot be reached without truth finding," she said.

Source: http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/04/23/055765251/jokowis-arrival-in-the-hague-welcomed-by-protests

Farmers keep up struggle against cement factory

Jakarta Post - April 23, 2016

Suherdjoko – Having returned home from Jakarta to stage a protest against the construction of a cement factory in their area, farmers from Mount Kendeng in Central Java are still fighting to get their voices heard.

Gunarti, Sukinah and Gunretno from North Kendeng expressed their concerns to academicians, environmentalists and the local administration during the Women Reading Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) forum at the Soegijapranata Catholic University (UKS) in Semarang on Thursday.

Speaking in Javanese, the farmers spoke of the damage the cement factory would do to the mountainous North Kendeng regency.

Most farmers on Mt. Kendeng live in the village of Tegaldowo in Gunem district, near the under-construction factory. During the dry season, they grow side-crops and during the rainy season, they grow rice.

According to Gunarti, even in times of drought, the village's wells do not dry up; villagers believe the water is retained in the mountainous area.

"If the springs are damaged, we'll have to buy water. We need water from the moment we wake up in the morning for cooking, washing, bathing, livestock and farming. If the springs in our area are damaged by limestone quarrying for cement, what will our fate be?" asked Gunarti.

Meanwhile, Gunretno told the forum that he had been told by a number of experts that the cement factory would have a harmful effect on the environment.

"I was informed about cement production volume and demand in Indonesia. It turns out that production exceeds demand in Indonesia – so what on Earth do we need another plant here for?" he asked.

Meanwhile, UKS rector Yohanes Budi Widianarko backed the farmers' resistance, saying the spirit was vital to keep alive the flame of motivation to keep on farming.

"Farmers across Java have lost their motivation to go into the fields. But here, the spirit to keep cultivating the fields is high, and this should be supported," he said.

Kendeng is a karst region, home to aquifers that provide a good deal of water. Research on karst regions shows that good management is important to prevent the loss of water sources, not just for the local area but for the wider region too.

Last week, nine women cemented their feet inside boxes in front of the State Palace in Jakarta to protest against cement factories that they say will threaten their livelihoods and their sources of water.

They extracted themselves after Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki ensured them he would arrange a meeting for them with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo once the latter returned from Europe.

Previously, the protesters, backed by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), filed a lawsuit at the Semarang State Administrative Court, but the judges ruled that the case had been filed too late.

With the ruling, PT Semen Indonesia immediately conducted the groundbreaking of the factory. The company's corporate secretary. Agung Wiharto, said that as of this month, the plant project was 90 percent complete; the company plans trial operations for October this year before production starts in January.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/23/farmers-keep-struggle-against-cement-factory.html

West Papua

AWPA condemns arrest of 41 West Papua activists in Jayapura

Asia Pacific Report - April 30, 2016

The Australia West Papua Association today condemned the arrest of 41 KNPB (National Committee of West Papua) activists in Jayapura yesterday. "The activists were arrested simply because they were handing out leaflets informing people of a rally to be held on May 2," said AWPA in a statement.

The purpose of the rally was to commemorate and protest the "tragic betrayal" of West Papua by the international community when West Papua was handed over by United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) to Indonesian administration on May 1, 1963, 53 years ago.

The KNPB also called on people to show support for the meeting of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua in London. Suara Papua reported 41 had been arrested, while Tabloid Jubi cited 38 arrests. The arrests followed an earlier incident on April 13 when 44 protesters were arrested.

Joe Collins of AWPA said: "Hopefully those arrested will be released and the security forces will not interfere with any peaceful rallies that take place on May 2. "It should be remembered on May 1 last year up to 270 people were arrested. The arrests of activists [yesterday] are obviously an attempt by the security forces to intimidate local people into not taking part in any rallies called," Collins said.

"Hopefully the international community is beginning to realise that if West Papuans are continuing to protest after 53 years of Indonesian administration, willing to face arrest and torture, then their cries of help to the international community should be heeded.

"A good start would be for the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) countries to continue to press Jakarta to allow a PIF fact finding [visit] to West Papua".

In Port Vila, Vanuatu, yesterday, the Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting scheduled for next week was postponed but a big rally in support of West Papua becoming full members of the MSG went ahead.

Source: http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/04/30/awpa-condemns-the-arrest-of-41-knpb-activists-in-jayapura/

Activists urge Jakarta to involve victims in addressing human rights cases in Papua

Tabloid JUBI – April 29, 2016

Jayapura, Jubi/BenarNews – Papuans reacted coolly to the central government's plans to resolve alleged human rights violations in Papua, saying that they doubted that the victims would be involved.

"If the government has their own interpretation on human rights violations in Papua, it would be better for Papuans to solve their own problems according to their customs," said Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, a few days ago.

He said he was disappointed because according to him, most central government officials were merely revealing the interpretation on the definition of human rights violations of their own during a meeting attended by the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian Police Chief, Military Commander and government officials of Papua and Papua Barat provinces as well as the human rights activists in Jakarta on Thursday last week

Attempts to settle human rights cases in Papua were revived after Luhut visited Papua in February. At that time he mentioned the government has been recording the sixteen cases of human rights violations in Papua. Then followed by Papua Police to initiate a limited discussion with the Civil Society Organizations, representatives of church and university and human rights defenders to make documentation on human rights on 15, 18 and 19 April 2016. But most of CSO activists and human rights defenders refused to attend the meeting.

Involvement of victims

Human rights lawyer and John Humphrey Freedom Award 2005 winner Yan Christian Warinusi questioned the purpose of the meeting.

"It is not in line with the legal and human rights logics if Papua Police as well as Cenderawasih VII Regional Military Command, who have been accused of being perpetrators, are now busy collecting data on human rights violations in Papua," he said to BeritaBenar on Wednesday, 27 April 2016.

Some human rights activists in Papua who interviewed in the same day also said the similar statement. Coordinator of Bersatu Untuk Kebenaran (BUK/Unite for Truth) Peneas Lokbere who organized the human rights victims in Papua since 2003 also questioned the government's concern to solve the human rights cases.

"Is it to prove the seriousness of government in resolving the human rights cases or is it the State's alibi to clean its hand over the conflict in Papua? Who would get benefit with this agenda? We don't want being trapped," he said.

Lokbere stressed the settlement of human rights cases in Papua could not ignore the victims. According to him, in every process of human rights settlement, the rights of victims should be considered as main priority.

Three cases

Secretary of Human Rights Commission Papua Representative Office, Frits Ramandey said the three days meeting has recommended three cases to be solved by the government within this year, namely Wasior, Wamena and Paniai cases.

Based on data issued by the coalition for Papua human rights violation, Wasir case was triggered by the deaths of five Mobile Brigade personnel and a resident in 2001, while perpetrators took away six guns. In chasing the perpetrators, four residents were killed, 39 were tortured and five was missing.

While Wamena bloody cases was started from the robbery of district military arsenal in 2003. Two military personnel were killed, and a number of local residents were killed in the sweeping and chasing of perpetrators.

And the last case of Pania was occurred in December 2014 which killed four teenagers and dozens of civilians were injured. "Wamena and Wasior cases have taken to the Attorney General, while the ad hoc team for Paniai case was already formed. During the three days meeting we endorsed the three cases to be solved by the government before we move to talk about another case," said Ramandey.

Yap Thiam Hien 2009 winner Pastor John Jonga admitted the government has done a positive effort, but he didn't agree with the method. "The time is too short. It could be more serious. The human rights issues in Papua could not be solved within one or two days by merely one or two groups," he said.

"It should be questioned whether the State did it for showing to the world that Indonesia is currently fighting, protecting and respecting the human rights in Papua," he added.

Indonesian Human Rights commissionaire Otto Nur Abdullah thought what was done by the government is a positive thing. According to him, it was a breakthrough done by the government because it involved many parties. "We just need to follow the government's intention. It could be like buying a problem. At the end, the party who could determine whether it is the human rights violation or not is the Human Rights Commission," he said. (Victor Mambor/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/activists-urge-jakarta-to-involve-victims-in-addressing-human-rights-cases-in-papua/

MSG leaders summit postponed but big West Papua rally goes ahead

Asia Pacific Report - April 29, 2016

Jane Joshua and Len Garae, Port Vila – The Melanesian Spearhead Group Special Leaders Summit scheduled to be held in the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila next week has been postponed to a date yet to be confirmed.

The Vanuatu Daily Post understands the MSG Summit will no longer be held from May 3-5 as initially planned and provisional dates (subject to change) may be May 30 to June 3, 2016 depending on the availability and commitments of the Leaders.

However, this did not trouble Vanuatu's Free West Papua Association's organised public march today, which was planned to happen on the brink of the MSG Leaders' Summit. A big turnout bolstered the West Papua movement and will strengthen the support and determination nationwide.

On Tuesday, Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama told the Fiji Sun that he would not be attending the MSG meeting in Port Vila as he would be going to the Queen's birthday celebrations at Windsor Castle in London with the Fiji Military Forces Band.

PM Bainimarama who said the appointment of Fijian diplomat Amena Yauvoli as MSG director-general would be discussed in the upcoming MSG Leaders' meeting also noted that Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea have questioned the system used to appoint Yauvoli.

He further indicated that Fiji's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Inoke Kubuabola, is likely to represent Fiji in the MSG meeting.

Envoy sent

In 2015, then Prime Minister Sato Kilman did not attend the MSG Leaders' Summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands, due to political developments and sent an envoy in his absence.

Nevertheless, the incumbent government led by Prime Minister Charlot Salwai has frankly confirmed its intention to see Indonesia out of the MSG and the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) gain full membership into MSG.

The process of the appointment of the new MSG DG has also come under scrutiny, an issue raised by PM Salwai.

This week Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, wrote to the chair of the MSG, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, saying the process of consensus through the MSG Leaders Summit by all members must be completed before such appointments could be announced.

Vanuatu Free West Papua Committee members Lai Sakita and Jacob Kintor appealed to "all real men, women and youths" to come out of their Facebook "comfort zones" to join the public march in Port Vila this morning.

They also called on participants to demand that the Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders full membership of MSG to the ULMWP, and terminate Indonesia from the sub-regional organisation.

The march started at Fung Kuei car park, opposite Anchor Inn, and continued along the Lini Highway to the MSG Secretariat at Independence Park today.

Source: http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/04/29/msg-leaders-summit-postponed-but-big-west-papua-rally-goes-ahead/

Pacific leaders head to UK for West Papua meeting

Radio New Zealand International - April 29, 2016

Several Pacific leaders are headed for London to participate in the International Parliamentarians for West Papua meeting at Westminster.

The IPWP is a cross-party global network of politicians who support self-determination for West Papuans, the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.

The two-day meeting next week will also be attended by representatives of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and several heads of government, including the Prime Minister of Tonga, Akilisi Pohiva.

This comes as a public march in support of West Papuan self-determination was this morning held in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is to be represented at the London meeting by its Minister for Lands, the Port Vila MP Ralph Regenvanu. Mr Regenvanu said there was much to discuss as the political climate over West Papua has changed significantly over the last year.

In 2015, the Liberation Movement achieved observer membership in the Pacific sub-regional organisation, the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Mr Regenvanu said this reflected growing international support for the West Papuan people to realise their rightful aspirations for a genuine process of self-determination.

The London meeting will be discussing a strategy to bring about an internationally supervised vote in West Papua by the end of the decade.

In addition to this meeting, there will also be a Conference in Oxford held the day before, next Monday, titled 'The Day of Betrayal', which will revisit the Act of Free Choice from an academic, legal and human rights perspective.

The Act of Free Choice was the United Nations-sanctioned referendum by which Papua was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969, however the vote is widely considered as having been stage-managed. West Papuans claim they were not consulted about the referendum process.

Public support for West Papua

Although some regional governments such as Papua New Guinea and Fiji express strong support for Indonesian territorial control of West Papua, public support for West Papuan independence is steadily growing.

Vanuatu's Free West Papua Association organised a public march towards the MSG secretariat this morning in the country's capital Port Vila.

The march was supposed to coincide with the beginning of a special MSG leaders summit in Port Vila where the group was to appoint a new director-general. However the summit has now been postponed amid a fallout over Fiji's selection of one if its diplomats as the new MSG director-general.

Before the postponement, Fiji's prime minister Frank Bainimarama announced he would skip the summit because he instead planned to travel to Britain to attend the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations.

Nonetheless hundreds of peaceful demonstrators this morning in Port Vila delivered a petition signed by thousands asking the MSG to grant full membership in the MSG to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua. They also want the MSG to cancel the associate membership of Indonesia, as proposed by the government of Vanuatu.

The Daily Post quotes Vanuatu Free West Papua Committee member Lai Sakita as saying Indonesia's involvement in the MSG is a mockery to Vanuatu's traditional stand for freedom for West Papua. Earlier, Mr Sakita called on the many supporters of West Papuan self-determination to come out from behind their computers and personal devices.

"While we appreciate your brave words of support for West Papua on Facebook, we want all of you to prove what you say by coming out to join in this peaceful march to confirm you mean business for the people of West Papua," he said.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/302618/pacific-leaders-head-to-uk-for-west-papua-meeting

Government urged to bring human rights cases in Papua to court

Tempo - April 28, 2016

Mitra Tarigan, Antara, Jakarta – Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Imdadun Rahmat has urged the government to immediately bring two gross human rights violations in Papua to court. The two cases are human rights violations in Wasior in 2001 and Wamena in 2003.

"After being received by the Attorney General's Office, the two cases will be processed toward trial," he told Tempo yesterday.

On Monday, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan summoned Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti, the National Army (TNI) Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo, Komnas HAM's representative and other parties to discuss gross human rights violations in Papua. A decision has been agreed in the meeting regarding gross human rights violations in the past, including in Papua, to be resolved this year.

Earlier, Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti said that he will adopt political approach in resolving two human rights violations in Papua, namely Wamena and Wasior cases. Badrodin said that resolution through political approach will be pursued because the two cases took place before the issuance of Law No. 20/2000 on Human Rights Tribunal.

Komnas HAM commissioner Sandrayati Moniaga said Minister Luhut had asked Komnas HAM and the Attorney General's Office to analyse the cases of human rights violations in Papua. "To [analyse] gross human rights violations in Wamena and Wasior," she said.

Sandrayati said her agency has investigated human rights violations in Wamena and Wasior. The dossier has been submitted to the AGO to be examined before conducting investigation.

Another case to be resolved through legal action is gross human rights violations in Paniai. "The case is currently being investigated by Komnas HAM before we submit [the dossier] to the Attorney General's Office," Sandra said, who is aiming to complete Paniai case investigation by August.

Human rights violations in Wasior occurred in 2001. The event was sparked by the death of five mobile brigade (Brimob) police officers and a civilian, while perpetrators took away six weapons, leading to a chase of suspected civilians. The event left 4 people dead, 39 tortured, 1 being raped and 5 were allegedly missing.

The case in Wamena took place in 2003, when Wamena District Military Command's arsenal were broken into, leaving two TNI members dead in the process. While Paniai case occurred in December 2014 leaving four civilians dead.

Deputy Attorney General for Special Criminal Conduct Arminsyah said his agency continue to coordinate with Komnas HAM in relation to Wasior and Wamena cases. He will also follow up the human rights violation cases. "Next week, we plan to summon experts," he told Tempo.

Source: http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/04/28/055766650/Govt-Urged-to-Bring-Human-Rights-Cases-in-Papua-to-Court

Trust needed in human rights settlement in Papua

Tabloid JUBI - April 27, 2016

Jayapura, Jubi – Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan on Monday (25/4/2016) led a coordination meeting on alleged human rights violations in Papua and Papua Barat provinces.

The meeting was held at the meeting room of the Political Ministry's office and attended by Indonesian Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw and Papua Barat Police Chief Brigadier General Royke Lumawa and Papua human right defenders

In response to the efforts to resolve the human rights issues in Papua, the awardee of the international award for human rights from Canada, John Humphrey Freedom Award 2015, Yan Warinusi said a resolution to gross human rights violations and contradiction of history and construction of political identity between Papua and Jakarta should become urgent issues, and should be a concern and responsibility of President Joko Widodo and his administration to resolve it.

Trust building

"It is very important step that should be taken by President Widodo to restore public trust as well as the international community who continue to highlight human rights violations in Papua which cannot be solved for decades in accordance with Indonesian law," said Warinusi.

He further said trust building is an absolute condition that should be created in this settlement process. Therefore, President Jokowi must issue a written instruction to the National Human Rights Commission and Indonesian General Attorney to immediately execute their task in accordance with the Law.

For example, towards some cases that occurred before the Law No. 39 Year 199 about human rights and the Law No. 26 Year 2000 about human rights court, therefore the mechanism is clear that is should be taken to the Ad Hoc Human Rights Court, which needs the investigation of human rights violations from National Human Rights and Indonesian General Attorney for legal action.

Meanwhile towards the human rights violations occurred after year 2000, such as Wasior 2001, Wamena 2003 and Enarotali-Paniai of 8 December 2014, it needs enforcement and assurance towards President Widodo to provide the widest access for the National Human Rights and Indonesian General Attorney to optimally work in revealing and taking the human rights violation suspects to the trial before an independent and impartial human rights court.

It is not only be terminated until the court, but in the future the Indonesian Government must be able to give a legal assurance towards a clear political policy to stop the (severe) human rights violations perpetrated by State through security personnel (both Police and Military).

"It could be applied by enforcing the elimination of security/military operations that enable the mobilization of security personnel (Police and Military) in the massive number, either it was part of open or closed security operations," said Yan Warinusi.

This trust building issue becomes a concern of civil society group who involved in the process of documentation on human rights violations in Papua. The government must show good intention to solve the human right violations in Papua.

"Coalition for human right violations gives recommendation that three cases of Wasior, Wamena and Paniai should be settled by the government in 2016. It is to build a trust. If the government could solve these three cases, we can move to another cases," said Frits Ramandey about the recommendation by Coalition for Human Rights Violations in Papua towards the government through the Coordination Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Neutral party in need

Separately, Papua human right defender Pastor John Jonga thought the settlement of the human rights issue in Papua needs a neutral party, because it is not wise to involve the parties such as security forces who have been accused of being perpetrators of human rights violations.

"I wonder and think it is funny because the perpetrators are mostly them (security personnel). But there might be an awareness from the Minister or Papua Police Chief considered to human right violations during the time," Pastor Djonga told Jubi on Tuesday (26/4/2016).

He also criticizes the process as unserious process. Because to settle the human rights violations in Papua that was occurred since 1960s to 2016 could not merely done through one or two days discussion. The State must be more serious to explore the human rights violations issues from the highland to the coastal area, from the sea to the mountains and from any situations and conditions in Papua.

Djonga further said Papua is a big island, so it's not easy to solve the violations occurred for decades, it could not easy and fast to explore the human rights violations from the sixties only with three days discussion, it is considered as carelessly work.

"I thought the discussion is positive, but the time is too short and it should be more serious. For me, the reason of State conducted this event was to show to the world that the Indonesian Government was fighting, protected and respected the human rights in Papua," he said.

He also highlighted the human rights activists who involved in the meeting, that on his point of view, they should be capable to provide feedback instead of conducting a meeting or exploring the human rights violations in Papua. In addition, the Central Government also need to appoint a neutral person who can be trusted by any parties to resolve the human rights issues in Papua, because the Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs have harmed the Papuan people.

Political approach and human rights trial

After the coordination meeting on the alleged human rights violations in Papua and Papua Barat provinces led by the Minister Pandjaitan on Monday, Coalition for human rights violations member Matius Murib who involved in the meeting said the coalition currently endorses the government to urge the Indonesian Human Rights Commission to settle the cases of Mapenduma 1996 and Biak 1998 through political approach at the Indonesian House of Representative.

"Wasior 2001 and Wamena 2003 as well as Paniai 2014 must be settled through Human Rights Trial in 2016. The government has showed good intention and being open, so the human rights defenders should be unite and mutually gather the facts and data for advocacy," said Murib.

Papua Police Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw confirmed that three alleged human rights cases to be recommended are Wasior 2001, Wamena 2003 and Paniai 2014. "Although these cases have been recommended but until now the team is still not completing the data because it might not possible to take this case to the trial," said Chief Waterpauw.

He further admitted the team led by the Chief of National Human Rights Commission Papua Representative is still in Jakarta and completing the supporting documents. According to him, three cases were recommended because of sufficient data and further the National Human Rights Commission has formed the ad hoc team, so it becomes priority to be followed up.

However, the Indonesian Police Chief Badrodin Haiti told reporters that Wamena and Wasior cases would be solved through political approach, because both cases were occurred before the authorization of the Law on Human Rights Trial, namely the Law No. 26 Year 2001.

"It settlement would be executed by the government and Indonesian House of Representative. Currently, the Indonesian Human Rights Commission is handling the investigation on the two cases while the Indonesian General Attorney would conduct the charge. The two cases with 12 human rights violations would become priorities to be solved," said the chief. (Victor Mambor/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/trust-needed-in-human-rights-settlement-in-papua/

Tolikara clash kills two, damages homes

Jakarta Globe - April 25, 2016

Edo Karensa & Robert Isidorus, Jakarta/Tolikara – A clash over village fund disbursement has left two dead and at least 96 homes damaged in the Tolikara district, Papua, this month. Police and military authorities continue to deny the incident.

The clash was initially reported by Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), on Sunday afternoon (25/04) who said the conflict has been running since April 9 in the Gika and Panaga subdistricts.

The dispute was triggered after a perceived unfair disbursement of village strategic development funds among the subdistricts, Sutopo said in a statement.

At least two people have been killed, with 17 others sustaining severe injuries and a further 15 suffering minor injuries, Tolikara Disaster Mitigation Agency head Feri Kagoya said. Almost 100 homes have been damaged in the district.

"Four wheel vehicles cannot reach the conflict area because the road is horribly damaged. Tolikara Disaster Mitigation Agency has requested aid to be delivered by helicopter," Feri said on Sunday night.

Local commanders of police and military authorities have denied the incident. Cendrawasih Military Commander Maj. Gen. Hinsa Siburian said Panaga district resident, 24-year-old Deki Wanimbo, died April 9, just one day after the disbursement of funds in Kembo. The police spokesman said the death had led to the ensuing conflict.

Military and police personnel had facilitated mediation with Yaka Kogo, mother of the victim, Hinsa said. The cause of death remains unclear.

"I've called Tolikara Police chief. He said the situation is safe and there were no incidents like the one reported by the head of Tolikara Disaster Mitigation Agency," said Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw, Papua Police chief.

Earlier this year, an Islamic mass prayer in the Tolikara district was attacked. Tolikara district made headlines during Idul Fitri celebrations last July, after members of the Evangelical Church of Indonesia (GIDI) set fire to several buildings, including a mosque where a group of Muslims were readying to perform mass prayer.

Police have named two suspects in the riot and the district's police chief was also dismissed from the post after the incident.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/tolikara-clash-kills-two-damages-homes/

Aceh

'End discrimination against Christians in Aceh Singkil'

Jakarta Post - April 23, 2016

Representatives of Aceh Singkil Christian residents have filed a report with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), accusing their local government of discriminating against them in the courts and schools, as well as when it came to obtaining their church's construction permit.

"We hope the central government will check the facts in the field and resolve these problems," said Boas Tumangger, a resident and head of Aceh Singkil Peace Forum (Forcidas), in Jakarta on Friday.

Hundreds of people grouped under the Islamic Youth Movement (PPI) attacked Suka Makmur village in Aceh Singkil and burned down the Huria Kristen Indonesia (HKI) church on Oct. 13, 2015.

One of the alleged perpetrators was shot dead, while three others were injured when residents tried to defend the church. The incident led to around 7,000 people leaving Aceh Singkil to seek shelter in North Sumatra.

Previously, several mass organizations protested in early October to the Singkil regency demanding churches without proper permits be torn down. The regency planned to demolish 10 churches on Oct. 19. However, the masses then decided to do the tearing down themselves and attacked the areas where congregations were standing guard to safeguard their houses of worship.

"There are 24 churches in Aceh Singkil regency, but only one of them has a permit, which was awarded in 1935," Boas said, adding: "It does not mean the Christians have been unwilling to arrange permits, but the red tape is so complicated."

To obtain a construction permit or a church, approval from several parties in a given area must be secured first. These parties include the village head, regent, religious affairs office, public works (PU) agency, national land agency (BPN) and the inter-religious harmony forum (FKUB).

Obtaining approval from the Aceh provincial government also comes with additional requirements, including having a congregation of at least 150 people and gained the support of at least 120 residents of the area in which the church is to be built. However, the 2006 joint ministerial decree of the Religious and Home Affairs Ministry only requires a congregation of 90 and the support of 60 residents.

Boas further said, in April 2016, FKUB has repeatedly rejected the permit proposals of 13 churches in Aceh Singkil, while another 10 have been torn down previously.

"Why does this happen only to the Christians? Have all the Muslims already fulfilled their administrative requirements [for mosque construction permits]?" Ramli Manik, a Muslim religious leader of Aceh Singkil, said in Jakarta on Friday. "The local administration has failed to protect the Christians' right to worship," he added

Meanwhile, Boas also condemned the Aceh Singkil District Court's decision on Thursday to sentence Hotma Uli Natanael Tumangger to six years in prison. He was accused of being involved in the shooting that occurred on Oct. 13, 2015, but Boas said that Hotma was just trying to defend the church.

Three of the perpetrators of the church burning were sentenced with six months in prison by the district court on the same day, while the agitator of the attack will go to jail for seven months.

Furthermore, Boas also reported that children were being discriminated against in Aceh Singkil's educational system, saying that there was not a single Christian religious studies teacher in the region. "In fact, 23 percent of Aceh Singkil residents are Christians. In January 2016, there were 17,288 Christians there," Boas said.

Following the reports from those residents, Komnas HAM plans to send representatives to Aceh Singkil to find solutions for the prolonged disputes. (vps/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/23/end-discrimination-against-christians-in-aceh-singkil.html

Human rights & justice

Kontras demand government declassify Munir case

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) reported the State Secretary to the Central Information Commission (KIP) Thursday following the former's rejection to disclose the investigation refusal on the death of human rights champion Munir Said Thalib.

On February, Kontras, along with Munir's widow Suciwati, requested the State Secretary to unveil the summary report on the government's investigation into Munir's tragic death, but to no avail.

"We lodged the request in order to make the President [Joko "Jokowi" Widodo] reveal the investigation results," Kontras civil and political rights division member Satrio Wirataru told The Jakarta Post after filing the request at the information commission's headquarters in Central Jakarta. "The State Secretary said that it could not find the summary report in its archive," he said.

Munir died from arsenic poisoning on Sept. 7, 2004, during a Garuda Indonesia flight to the Netherlands. In late 2004, a fact-finding team was established by then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to investigate the case, which was touted as "a test of our history" by Yudhoyono himself.

Authorities have failed to find the mastermind behind the murder, as the courts sentenced only two perpetrators, Garuda pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto and former Garuda president Indra Setiawan, to 20 years and 12 years prison, respectively.

In 2014, Pollycarpus was released on parole by Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly after the former accumulated a large number of sentence-remissions during his imprisonment. After the decision, calls mounted for Jokowi to open Munir's case and other unresolved human rights abuses in the country.

Satrio said that a 2004 presidential decree on the establishment of the fact-finding team stipulates the President's obligation to unveil the report after being submitted by the team. "The team conveyed its inquiry to the government on May 2005, but nothing has been heard until now," he said.

The procedures on information about a case settlement stipulates that the KIP has to decide whether a case should go to mediation after questioning the conflicting parties in a hearing. The information commission should then conduct an adjudication hearing, similar to a criminal court hearing, providing the mediation fails.

KIP chairman Abdul Hamid Dipopramono said that it was everybody's right to file a public information case disclosure with the commission as stipulated in Article 28F of the Constitution. "We will decide whether the plaintiff has met the legal standing to file the request," Abdul told the Post in a telephone interview. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/kontras-demand-govt-declassify-munir-case.html

1965 mass killings

Indonesia's search for mass graves met with skepticism

Associated Press - April 28, 2016

Stephen Wright & Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta – The Indonesian government's decision to investigate anti-communist massacres in 1965 is being met with wariness by rights groups, some of which are reluctant to share information about mass graves until the government shows how it will conduct the probe.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo instructed Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan this week to investigate the killings by the military and religious groups and gather information about mass graves. His directive followed a conference earlier this month that broke a half-century taboo on public discussion of an atrocity that historians say killed half a million people.

But Pandjaitan, a retired army general, has not instilled confidence that a genuine investigation will take place, saying the government would never apologize and that the death toll is wildly exaggerated, and demanding that advocacy groups prove that mass graves exist.

Haris Azhar of advocacy group Kontras said Wednesday he was involved in mapping 16 burial sites nearly a decade ago, mainly in central Java, and at the time had information about hundreds of other sites including on Bali, now Indonesia's top tourist island, and Sulawesi.

But he said for his group to share its information, the government must announce a clear and highly specific plan for the investigation. Thirty to 40 groups throughout Indonesia have information about graves, Azhar said. "From our side, we decided not to give it to them if there's no clear agenda on what they will do with the data," he said.

The killings began in October 1965, shortly after an apparent failed coup in which six right-wing generals were killed. The dictator Suharto, a largely unknown major general at the time, filled the power vacuum and blamed the assassinations on Indonesia's Communist Party, which was then the largest outside the Soviet Union and China, with 3 million members.

Within Indonesia, widely accepted accounts of the era portray the events as a heroic uprising against communism and gloss over the deaths. Today, millions of descendants of Communist Party members remain stigmatized and face legal discrimination that prevents them from holding government jobs.

A four-year investigation released in 2012 by Indonesia's human rights commission described the killings as violence on a "truly massive scale" and called for the prosecution of perpetrators still living, but was ignored by the government of then President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Despite doubts over Pandjaitan's role, the government's tentative step toward a reckoning with one of the worst atrocities of the last century has been welcomed by rights groups and survivors. "This is a very important step for the future of Indonesia," said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher for Human Rights Watch. "It's just the opening battle."

Bedjo Untung, a survivor of the massacre and head of YPKP 65, or the Research Foundation for 1965 Murder Victims, said his group will soon hand over its information to the government.

"We already have evidence and records of mass graves in various places in Java and Sumatra," Bedjo said. "We will show evidence that an incredible crime against humanity occurred in 1965."

Source: http://www.irrawaddy.com/asia/indonesias-search-for-mass-graves-met-with-skepticism.html

Support needed for Jokowi's resolve to locate mass graves: HRW

Jakarta Post - April 28, 2016

Elly Burhaini Faizal – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's efforts to start a reconciliation process around the tragedy of 1965 demands both domestic and international recognition and support, a rights activist has said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) deputy Asia director Phelim Kine said a lack of support from senior ministers and the government bureaucracy could foil Jokowi's plan to document mass graves from 1965.

"There are powerful elements within the government and the security forces who would prefer that the details of those victims and their killers – state security forces and the paramilitary groups under their control – remain buried and unaccounted for," Kine said in a statement on Thursday.

Kine cited the recent statement from Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan as an example. Luhut challenged the enormity of the massacres by stating that the death toll was "probably less" than 1,000 victims.

Luhut, Kine said, had ruled out the possibility of an official apology for the abuses and the minister had expressed skepticism about the existence of already well-documented mass graves.

As reported earlier, on April 25, Jokowi instructed Luhut to start documenting the location of mass graves across Indonesia, thought to hold more than 500,000 victims from the 1965 communist purge. "Powerful religious groups are also opposed to accountability for the 1965/1966 killings," Kine said.

He was referring to the Indonesia Ulema Council, the country's highest Islamic clerical body, who cautioned that locating and excavating the mass graves would be a socially and politically divisive policy, "tantamount to awakening a sleeping tiger."

"Elements of the government, the security forces and religious bodies have – without basis – equated moves toward justice for the victims and their families as an effort 'to revive communism'", Kine said.

He said Jokowi's order was an act of political courage that defied half a century of official lies and denial. "Establishing the location of those mass graves is the first step toward identifying the victims buried within and the circumstances of their death," said Kine.

He further stated that Jokowi's order posed a threat to the official narrative that had long silenced survivors and their families. "In the government's account, the killings were a justified and heroic response to an Indonesian Communist Party plot to overthrow the government," said Kine. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/28/support-needed-for-jokowis-resolve-to-locate-mass-graves-hrw.html

Vast gap on views of '65 aired in safe govt space

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Ati Nurbaiti – A national symposium on the bloodshed of 1965 has brought together the persecuted, the persecutors and their respective families.

Seating positions at the tables were being rearranged until late at night before a recent symposium about the 1965 anticommunist violence.

No glasses were provided beside the bottles of mineral water, "lest participants throw glasses at each other", one of the organizers, Ezky Suyanto, wrote on her Facebook account along with posted pictures of a big group of grinning participants of the National Symposium on 1965. She added that, in any event, most of the participants were too old to throw glasses.

Police tanks were parked outside the Aryaduta Hotel in Central Jakarta, where the symposium took place on April 18 and 19, but most of the police, who were of a generation of the grandchildren of those who experienced the events of 1965, just snacked and chatted.

High-ranking officials have previously addressed the 1965 issues with survivors in talks held by national human rights bodies, but the opening of this official symposium saw the elderly survivors facing members of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's Cabinet, including Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan, and National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti, along with Sidarto Danusubroto of the president's advisory team. The latter is a former adjutant of Sukarno, the country's first president who was ousted following the coup attempt in October 1965 that was blamed on the now banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

During the symposium Luhut blurted that the state "won't go here and there asking for forgiveness [...] I'm not that stupid," ignoring the old survivors in the room and backing up what Jokowi had previously said, that "nothing has been decided" on the issue.

On the second day, a participant wondered why there were more victims than persecutors at the event. "Why are so many victims present?" he asked.

Behind that question was a deep sense of offence, since the people – including activists with Christian and Islamic student organizations – who went all-out on the communist witch hunt were told at the time they were heroes saving the nation, but now they are considered villains by those advocating for the survivors, who with their families have endured life-long stigma and discrimination.

Meanwhile survivors, many in their 80s, are still hurt and scared because they are accused of seeking to "revive the PKI".

So the packed ballroom brought together two "camps" – the persecuted, the persecutors and their respective families. "Actually, we're all victims," one said.

A few barking matches seemed enough to represent the pain felt on all sides. Former Christian activists, just like Islamists, said that around the time of 1965 they really feared the aggressive PKI and the looming powerful communists next door in Indochina. Also, the military, as former local commander Sintong Pandjaitan told the forum, was indeed assigned to "safeguard" the countryside from communists.

As everyone felt they were either innocent of crimes or a victim of them, or that they did what they had to do at the time, one proposed settlement was to "let bygones be bygones". "Sing wis yo wis," Harry Tjan Silalahi, a member of the former PMKRI Catholic students' organization, said in Javanese.

"That's not for you to say. It's the right of victims," responded Ilham Aidit, the son of slain PKI leader DN Aidit.

Such statements, repeated 51 years later, had extra weight in the government-sponsored forum when they were uttered fearlessly. So amid officialdom and under the glare of staunch believers of the New Order version of 1965, the alternatives and counter-allegations were roared out:

"The ousting of Sukarno was a military coup!" shouted one of his daughters, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri, standing with clenched fist, to loud applause. "Bung [brother] Karno should be the first to be rehabilitated!" said historian Asvi Marwan Adam.

The founding father, who had named himself president for life, is still blamed for his indirect role in facilitating the PKI's rise to power.

The witch-hunt and killings were "a political genocide!" shouted an organizer of the recent International People's Tribunal on 1965 held in The Hague. Reza Muharram was reacting to insinuations that the tribunal organizers were "selling out the country" to international donors of NGOs.

"That Gerwani sliced off the general's penis is a lie!" shouted a former member of the women's organization affiliated to the PKI about a scene in the government propaganda film called G30S/PKI. The Gerwani became known as an "immoral" group based on decades of propaganda about their role in the generals' murders.

"It's no horizontal conflict when violence lasts for months across many areas," said Ariel Heryanto, who was among the rebellious scholars under Soeharto. He said the conflict "shifts the responsibility of the state to civilians".

Dealing with the 1965 atrocities, the government states, will be the "gateway" to settle other major abuses and controversy surrounds where that gateway will lead – whether reconciliation is merely based on "forgive and forget", "rehabilitation", "truth revelation" or the involvement of a judicial process.

If judicial methods are used, "I'm afraid we will enter the wrong chamber", said Agus Widjojo, a co-founder of National Leaders' Children's Forum (FSAB), a forum of children of leaders during past conflicts (his father was the slain Gen. Sutoyo). "If you haven't made peace with your past you cannot enter reconciliation yet."

However, Kamala Chandrakirana, a member of the Coalition of Justice and the Disclosure of Truth (KKPK) and a former chairperson of the National Commission on Violence against Women, said reconciliation would be the end result of the prior steps, including revelation of the truth and rehabilitation of survivors and the dead victims.

Peaceful conflict settlement, say experienced mediators, requires recognition of mutual suffering. Last week both sides had started to listen to each other.

Nearing the closing of the event, amid booing from the audience, the poet Taufiq Ismail who was among the writers formerly harassed by the PKI's Lekra cultural body launched into verses about questions from his grandchildren:

"There is said to be a party/That has slain 120 million people for 74 years in 75 lands/Every day they slaughtered 4,500/Datuk (Grandfather), how come people are so vicious?/They imposed forced labor/Their own people collapsed and died [...]"

An elderly participant, Sayuto, told The Jakarta Post about his own experience of detention without trial and forced labor in Serang, Banten, where they were forced to build schools and roads. As they were not fed, his friend said, "It must have been a deliberate decision to let us die."

But Sayuto said residents had fed them while the local military watched. "People would say, come, eat here; they knew we were innocent."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/vast-gap-views-65-aired-safe-govt-space.html

Luhut heads search for '65 mass graves

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Nani Afrida – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has ordered Coordinating Political, legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan to find any mass graves from the 1965 bloodshed, to allow a verified estimate of the tragedy's death toll.

"The President has requested that I find out if [there are] any mass graves," Luhut told journalists after a meeting with Jokowi at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

Luhut claims that for years Indonesians have been fooled by unfounded estimates that hundreds of thousands of people perished in the tragedy. The minister urged NGOs to disclose data they had about the whereabouts of mass graves to assist the government in uncovering the truth.

"Go ahead please, if they want to show [their data] to us. We at the ministry are ready to go anytime," said the retired Army general, adding that many people or organizations had claimed to have data on mass graves but could not prove it.

The 1965 tragedy was sparked by the assassination of seven Army generals in September 1965, allegedly by a group launching an abortive coup against then president Sukarno.

Soeharto, then the commander of the Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), stepped in, defeating the group and accusing the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), a powerful ally of Sukarno, of being behind the coup.

He subsequently usurped power from Sukarno and formed a new government that unleashed a campaign against communism, leading to a spate of killings carried out by civilian and military groups.

Estimates range from a conservative 500,000 deaths to as many as 3 million, a figure once boastfully cited by Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, who, as chief of the Army Special Forces (Kopassus), headed the military campaign.

A week ago the government, supported by the Luhut's office, held a two-day symposium to examine the killings that took place from 1965 to 1966 through testimonies provided by experts, survivors of the atrocities and members of the military.

At the conference, Luhut said that the victim count from the tragedy was likely to be around 1,000. He cited a statement from retired Army general Sintong Panjaitan, who helped lead a Kopassus platoon during the time of the killings.

Luhut's estimate does not take into account research and witness accounts that have pointed out the locations of various mass graves.

National Commission on Human Rights member Siti Noor Laila has supported the government's initiative to search for the graves. "The government should find and rebury the victims in a more humane burial," Siti said.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) states that before finding and digging up mass graves, the government should issue a formal regulation regarding the procedure.

"Mass graves are vulnerable to being destroyed so the process needs protection and legal guarantees. The government should also protect witnesses so that they are not criminalized," said Puri Kencana Putri, Kontras deputy coordinator for strategy and mobilization.

Puri said the government should involve in the process the organizations that have been working with victims and locating mass graves since before the government showed any interest in the issue.

She agrees that the search for mass graves is an effort to find out the truth about the 1965 tragedy. Efforts should also include however, Puri said, seeking other data, facts and as many witness accounts as possible. "The government must move fast and not be trapped in disputes around the victim count," Puri said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/luhut-heads-search-65-mass-graves.html

Rights watchdog invites government to examine data on 16 mass graves in Java

Kompas - April 26, 2016

Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Haris Azhar has invited the government to examine its findings on mass graves of the victims of the 1965 affair.

Azhar conveyed this in response to a recent statement by Coordinating Minister for Politics, Security and Legal Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan who asked to see evidence of the mass graves of 1965 victims.

Azhar related how in 2007 Kontras conducted an investigation at the sites believed to be the location of mass graves containing victims of the 1965 mass killings.

From the results of the investigation, Kontras found 16 locations that can be identified as mass graves spread across the provinces of Central and East Java. "We found 16 locations that were verified. We only just updated our data last year", said Azhar when contacted on Tuesday April 26.

In addition to verifying the locations, Kontras also gathered information and testimonies on the executions that occurred from local residents. Azhar however was reluctant to cite details of the locations on the grounds of security.

"Actually Kontras obtain information on the location of many more [mass graves]. But at the time we were restricted by human resources and costs", said Azhar.

Azhar also related Kontras' experiences in conducting an investigation at one of the sites where they heard a story from a local resident about how the security forces carried out the execution of prisoners.

Each night, he said, prisoners were brought to the location in trucks escorted by only a handful of armed soldiers. At the location, four to five prisoners were ordered to get out and dig a hole. The soldiers were then ordered to stand and execute the prisoners.

After this, continued Azhar, the next lot of prisoners was ordered to get out, cover the hole that was already filled with the corpses of the previous prisoners, after which they were ordered to dig a hole for themselves.

"So it continued. People were ordered to dig their own graves. We estimate that between 10 and 40 people were executed at each location", said Azhar.

Azhar invited the government to examine the truth of the mass graves at these locations. According to Azhar, the signs and evidence of the slaughter at these sites can still be found to this day.

Government searching for mass graves

Earlier, Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered Panjaitan to find the mass graves of the victims of the 1965 affair.

Finding the mass graves, said Panjaitan, is for verification and at the same time to straighten out history in relation to the slaughter of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) followers in the years following 1965.

"Earlier the president told [me], ordered [me] to find out if there are any mass graves", said Panjaitan following a meeting with the president at the State Palace in Jakarta on Monday April 25.

"Up until now, for years and years, we've been indoctrinated that there were so many hundreds of thousands of people that died. Yet, up until now we have never found a single mass grave", he said.

Panjaitan said that it is possible that the state will apologise for the 1965 affair explaining that the possibility of the state apologising is always open if facts are uncovered indicating that mass killings occurred following the September 30 Movement affair in 1965.

These facts, for example, could be data on mass graves. Panjaitan explained that up until now, the government has not yet received any solid data or evidence to indicate that there was a mass slaughter.

The only data that exists is with regard to the murder of the six TNI (Indonesian military) army generals. Because of this therefore, said Panjaitan, the government does not know who to apologise to.

"Up until this day there has been no data on mass graves. [So] who should the government apologise to? What is clear is that six TNI generals were murdered. That's already clear. There's no data yet on any others, right", said Panjaitan.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Kontras Temukan 16 Lokasi Kuburan Massal Korban 1965".]

Source: http://nasional.kompas.com/read/2016/04/26/18433271/Kontras.Temukan.16.Lokasi.Kuburan.Massal.Korban.1965

Recommendations on 1965 massacre to be submitted in July

Jakarta Post - April 23, 2016

The recommendations from the national symposium on the 1965 tragedy will be given to the government in July, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says.

"The recommendations will cover several points, such as the scope, stages and deadline [for resolution of the case], as well as which body should handle it," Komnas HAM chairman Imdadun Rahmat said in Jakarta on Friday.

The national symposium, organized by Komnas HAM, the Presidential Advisory Board (Wantimpres), the Press Council and several other institutions, was held on Monday and Tuesday to discuss and make further recommendations to the government on the 1965-1966 mass killings. The event, which was supported by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, involved academics, human rights activists, victims of the incident, politicians and the representatives of several government bodies.

"We will be taking input from the Indonesian Military, Islamic groups and other groups as well as former Indonesia Communist Party members [and their relatives] to be considered in the recommendations," said Imdadun.

The kidnapping and murder of six Army generals on Sept. 30, 1965, led to a purge of communists and alleged communist sympathizers by the military under the leadership of Soeharto. It is estimated that between 500,000 to 1 million people were killed during the cleansing of people with any leftist connections, regardless of their age or level of involvement in left-wing movements.

Komnas HAM has launched its own investigation into the case, but its recommendations have never been followed up by the Attorney General's Office (AGO). Imdadun further said Komnas HAM only had the authority to encourage judicial processes, so it did not have rights to facilitate the reconciliation.

The 2000 Human Rights Trials Law only mandated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (KKR) to manage the reconciliation process. However, the Constitutional Court has annulled the law. "The process could be managed by a committee directly under the President," Imdadun said. (vps/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/23/recommendations-on-1965-massacre-to-be-submitted-in-july.html

Labour & migrant workers

Security personnel prepare for May Day

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

About 17,000 security officers will be deployed to secure the commemoration of International Labor Day, or May Day, this coming Sunday, the same day when residents of Jakarta and its neighboring cities enjoy Car Free Day (CFD) on Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman.

"To secure the day, we will deploy officers from the military, the police and the Jakarta Transportation Agency," said Jakarta Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Nanang Jumantara on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.

The officers will be placed at crucial points in the city including roads near the State Palace, National Monument (Monas), Bung Karno Sports Stadium and the House of Representatives, he said.

"We will escort them [the laborers] to the places where they will gather. They are likely to start rallying around 8 a.m.," said Nanang, adding that the police would also prepare parking facilities for laborers who want to take part in the May Day parades.

The laborers have been asked to park their vehicles at the Monas parking facility, Banteng field, the grounds of the Istiqlal Mosque and Senayan's eastern parking facility.

Nanang stressed that the laborers would not be allowed to drive their vehicles along Jl. M.H. Thamrin and Jl. Sudirman because of CFD, a day on which thousands of people enjoy outdoor activities on the city's main thoroughfares.

"Even police personnel are not allowed to take their vehicles. Only Transjakarta buses are allowed to pass through," he said, adding that CFD would take place as per usual. "Residents do not need to worry. They can still enjoy CFD and the laborers can express their aspirations. Both of these things can take place," he added.

Trade union leaders have announced that some 50,600 laborers will take part in May Day this year. They will come from cities in West Java such as Bandung, Bogor, Cirebon, Bekasi, Kerawang, Subang, Purwakarta and Depok, as well as from cities in Banten such as Cilegon, Tangerang and South Tangerang.

Nanang said the police had met with labor representatives to discuss May Day. Citing a gubernatorial regulation, Nanang told the trade union leaders to focus their activities around three locations, namely Senayan's eastern parking facility, the House complex and Monas. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/security-personnel-prepare-for-may-day.html

Political parties & elections

Golkar candidates must pay $75,000 in chairperson race

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi – The Golkar Party's central executive board (DPP) has outlined several rules ahead of the party's extraordinary national congress (Munaslub), which will be held in Bali in May.

In a plenary meeting on Thursday, the board decided that each candidate for the position of party chairperson must pay a Rp 1 billion (US$75,000) donation when he or she registers for the chairmanship race.

The three-day congress is set to be held at Nusa Dua Convention Center in Bali from May 23 to May 25.

Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie said the congress funding would be covered jointly by all parties involved, including the party's DPP, party members and chairperson candidates. "Every chairman candidate must pay Rp 1 billion," Aburizal said at the party's headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta, on Thursday.

The meeting rejected one element of a proposal put forward by the congress' Steering Committee, namely regarding pocket money. Meanwhile, the meeting agreed on extending transportation fees for participants, but the amount received will differ depending on the regions they belong to.

During the plenary meeting, the Steering Committee initially suggested to the DPP that each chairperson candidate pay between Rp 5 billion to Rp 10 billion. The amount was calculated based on the committee's estimation that there would be six to nine prospective chairperson candidates during the congress.

However, the suggestion was rejected and the meeting agreed that each candidate must pay Rp 1 billion. The donations will be used to cover various expenses related to each candidate's nomination, such as venue rental, transportation, fees for congress participants and their accommodation. The donations will also cover public debates between the candidates, which will be aired live on a national TV channel.

Apart from the Rp 1 billion mandatory donation, all chairperson candidates are also required to give additional contributions in line with their financial capacity.

The Golkar DPP said it relied on donations provided by chairperson candidates for organizing the congress but also agreed to share some of the financial responsibilities.

Steering Committee secretary Agun Gunandjar said all chairperson candidates were allowed to discuss the sources of additional donations they needed to make to cover their candidacy. "If they cannot find an agreement, we will ask the DPP as the organizer of the congress to cover the remaining funds," Agun said on Thursday.

Steering Committee chairman Nurdin Halid said Golkar would need approximately Rp 47 billion to organize the national congress. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/golkar-candidates-must-pay-75000-in-chairperson-race.html

Govt, House to lower candidacy benchmark

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani – The House of Representatives has almost achieved its mission to push the government to apply lower requirements for political parties for naming candidates in regional elections.

The deputy chairman of House Commission II overseeing home affairs, Muhammad Lukman Edy, said on Tuesday that during several mostly closed-door hearings about revisions to the Regional Elections Law, the government so far agreed to lower the polling benchmark for candidates from political parties.

Candidates from a political party or a coalition of political parties will be able to name a candidate in a local election if they can garner 15 to 20 percent of the seats in the respective local legislative council (DPRD), down from the current 20 to 25 percent.

The agreement was a trade-off for keeping the requirement for independent candidates at 6.5 to 10 percent of the final voters list (DPT), which the lawmakers had earlier insisted should be raised to 15 to 20 percent.

"The government has agreed so far. They only need to talk about it with the President," Lukman said in a discussion, claiming that the deal was made based on fairness.

Lukman went on to say that the requirement could work effectively as long as the General Election Commission (KPU) strengthen and improve the quality of its verification of the identity cards of the candidates' supporters.

"The KPU should be able to design a better mechanism to guarantee the quality of the verification using technology," said the National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker.

Having run the first concurrent regional elections in December, the government has initiated the revisions of the Regional Elections Law to improve the running of the next batch of elections, currently scheduled for February next year.

The revisions include an accommodation of the recent Constitutional Court ruling that changed the basis of the minimum requirement for independent candidates from the population numbers to the voters list.

Also in the revisions, the House and government have agreed to grant authority to the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to directly impose sanctions on candidates or their teams who are proven to have tried to buy votes.

"Money politics is an administrative violation, so the candidates deserve a disqualification," Lukman said.

However, he said that the House actually proposed stronger powers for the Bawaslu, with which it could supersede the authority of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court in solving election disputes.

"We actually recommended that the Bawaslu establish a council to deal with violations and sanctions, but the government doubts if the authority should be given to the agency," he added.

The government also previously proposed that any political party be penalized if it fails to name a candidate in a poll. This is to prevent the single-ticket phenomenon that emerged in the December season.

Commission II has claimed that the proposal was dismissed since most parties were of the opinion that they have full authority to determine whether to endorse or propose candidates.

The revisions also include a requirement for police officers and Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel to quit their jobs prior to contesting elections.

KPU commissioner Juri Ardiantoro said that the House should firmly synchronize the draft with the TNI and police laws so that it would not create problems in the future.

"The draft should make it clear and just say that the TNI and police should refer to their sectoral laws to avoid multiple interpretations," Juri said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/govt-house-lower-candidacy-benchmark.html

Golkar candidate promises to abolish culture of political dowries

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Elly Burhaini Faizal – A would-be candidate to be Golkar Party chairman, Priyo Budi Santoso, has expressed his willingness to abolish brokerage practices that have long tainted political parties in Indonesia, including his own.

"If I'm elected to be Golkar Party chairman, I will abolish all kinds of political dowries," he said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Monday.

Priyo said he was sad to see excessive news about Indonesia's political parties, which had turned into political brokerage vehicles. He said there was an ongoing effort to depoliticize political parties in the country.

"This depoliticization should become a 'medicine' for political parties to be more willing to respond to criticisms. As a democratic country, in which the implementation of democracy has even been stronger than in the US, we should not have suspicions against political parties," said Priyo.

The senior Golkar member added that the current distrust against political parties would lead to their fall while all this time political parties were the pillars of democracy. He wanted activists to come forward to lead Indonesia's political parties.

"I want to ensure our activists dare to lead a political party. If political parties can serve only as bunkers for problematic figures, this is a sign of the destruction of political parties in the country," said Priyo.

Earlier, Priyo said he had seven important steps he called "Sapta Krida" that he would take if he was elected to be the party chairman.

In the first step, Priyo said he would rebuild the close collaboration that once existed between Golkar and what was then the Indonesian Armed Forces (now the Indonesian Military and National Police) and bureaucrats. He said the relationship must be set up to resemble a family atmosphere.

"There will be retired police and military officials as well as teachers and civil servants I will involve to develop this party. We have been a bit careless, not involving them [in developing the party]," said Priyo on Monday.

The politician added that he would also involve activists in developing the party. "Activists who have revolted against the government have been long absent from Golkar. We have to involve them to jointly build the party. Golkar and NGO leaders must work together," said Priyo.

In his second step, Priyo said he would highlight the importance of a personal branding for a figure in Golkar. He said a Golkar chairman must have positive values that he or she would uphold when communicating with society. A Golkar chairman must be populist, he said.

"How can a Golkar Party chairman show him or herself as bourgeois? It will bring loss upon us. If elected, I will call all Golkar members not to show lavish lifestyles," said Priyo.

Third, Priyo said he would give a greater chance to young people to lead the party. Allowing a youth to lead a party would minimize risks to the party, he said.

Building a party headquarters that would serve not only as a command center but also as a center for people to convey their aspirations is the fourth step. As the fifth step, Priyo said, Golkar must take over leadership positions in the regions. The 2017 regional election was a crucial test case for Golkar, he added.

Priyo further said that the developing of party members was another critical step he would take to ensure the continuity of Golkar.

As the last step, Priyo said he wanted to promote a dignified form of politics in the party. He said Golkar should not only pursue power, but also must push forward ethics in Indonesian politics. "These seven steps are not just a concept, but have been embodied in me," said Priyo.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/golkar-candidate-promises-to-abolish-culture-of-political-dowries.html

One Golkar candidate wants to reactivate New Order structure

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Golkar Party chairman candidate Priyo Budi Santoso plans to revive the party's tripartite structure, consisting of the military, bureaucrats and Golkar politicians, often called ABG in the New Order era, if he is elected chairman at a national meeting in Bali next month.

"I will ask several retired generals, police officers, teachers and civil servants to lead the party together. I want to reunite the big family of ABG, though this does not mean I want to involve the military in the bureaucracy, as that is prohibited by law," Priyo said in Jakarta on Monday.

Suharto, the country's president and chief patron of Golkar during the New Order regime from 1966 to 1998, succeeded in developing the party into a powerful combination of the Indonesian Military, bureaucrats (civil servants) and Golkar politicians.

Under Suharto and the ABG structure, Golkar became the single biggest party in the country, consecutively sweeping all six general elections from 1971 until 1997 taking an average of over 60 percent of the vote.

Suharto's fall from the presidency led to a significant drop in Golkar's vote in the 1999 general election as it suffered defeat for the first time, securing 22.4 percent of the vote to come second behind the PDI-P, which won 33.74 percent.

One major cause of Golkar's electoral plunge was the political reformation of 1999 that terminated party-membership blocks involving the Indonesian Military and the civil service, which had formed two of the three mainstays of Golkar's membership.

Priyo says he wants to maintain a good relationship with activists, such as the heads of student movements and NGOs including Indonesia Corruption Watch. "We have to maintain relationships with the press, activists and others," he said.

Golkar has been split into two factions for around a year. One is led by Aburizal as chosen by a congress in Bali in November 2014, and another by Agung, who was elected at a conflicting congress in Ancol, Jakarta, in December 2015.

To help the party organize a congress as part of efforts to end its leadership conflict, the Law and Human Rights Ministry extended the Riau congress leadership, which expired in 2014, for six months on Jan. 28. As a result, Golkar will hold a national meeting on May 7 in Bali.

Several Golkar members other than Priyo have also declared their candidacy for the party's chairmanship, including party executive Idrus Marham, lawmaker Azis Syamsuddin and House of Representatives Speaker Ade Komarudin. (vps/ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/one-golkar-candidate-wants-to-reactivate-new-order-structure.html

Parties call for lower poll benchmark

Jakarta Post - April 25, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani – The revision of the Regional Elections Law has reached deadlock with the government and the House of Representatives at loggerheads regarding the minimum requirements that should be applied for independent candidates.

Considering waves of independent candidates as a threat to partisan hopefuls in local elections, all factions of House Commission II overseeing home affairs have continued to demand that independents should gather an increased amount of support before being allowed to acquire tickets in a poll.

House Commission II has proposed increasing the requirement for independent candidates, forcing them to garner the support of 15 to 20 percent of the final voters list (DPT), from the current 6.5 to 10 percent, which is supported by the government.

Commission member Arteria Dahlan of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said on Sunday that they would keep the benchmark for independents if the government agreed to lower requirements for political parties to name a candidate.

He proposed that a political party or a coalition of political parties be able to name a candidate in a local election if it can gather 15 to 20 percent of seats at the respective local legislative council (DPRD), from the current 20 to 25 percent.

"Don't accuse us of destroying democracy. I'm sure that if independents feel that they can gain the trust of the people, it won't be difficult for them to garner 15 to 20 percent," he said.

Having run the first concurrent regional elections in December, the government has initiated the revision into the Regional Elections Law to improve the running of the next batch of elections, currently scheduled for February next year.

The revisions include accommodation of the recent Constitutional Court rulings that changed the basis of the minimum requirement for independent candidates from population numbers to the voters list.

The government has also proposed that any political party be penalized if it fails to name a candidate in a poll. This is to prevent the single ticket phenomenon that emerged in the December season.

The amendment deliberation, however, has been taken as an opportunity for lawmakers to lower the requirements for a party to name a candidate in an election.

The revision of the law has reached a stage where it is 50 percent complete and the commission targets to pass it through the upcoming plenary session on April 29.

However, the commission has predominantly held closed-door deliberations, raising concern from the public and civil society that drafting is influenced by certain political interests.

General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay said he had recommended House Commission II not increase the requirement for independent candidates.

"On the other hand, they should lower the benchmark," Hadar said. Hadar said that the requirement should be between 3.6 to 5 percent, as stipulated in the previous elections law.

The House drew additional criticism from the public after one of the factions proposed that military and police personnel should not be required to quit from their posts prior to contesting elections.

Civil society concerns regarding elections argue that such initiatives as illogical, saying such an allowance contravenes laws on the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police, which regulate that both are not allowed to involve themselves in political practices.

The commission has confirmed that the initiative to allow personnel of the nation's security forces to run in elections without first quitting their position will not be passed. "We won't pass such an idea. People don't need to worry about the potential abuse of power," Arteria said.

PDI-P lawmaker Arif Wibowo said the law would stipulate that military and police personnel should leave their posts before they register so as to keep their neutrality.

"They have their own regulations, which are binding, with regard to what they can and cannot do. We have to follow the rules. Similar with them, civil servants and state-owned company employees should also resign from their post if they are named as candidates," Arif said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/25/parties-call-lower-poll-benchmark.html

Environment & natural disasters

Thousands of hotspots detected in peatlands this year

Jakarta Post - April 30, 2016

Thousands of hotspots have been detected by the government this year, an early warning sign of the rampant forest fires which have in the past caused massive losses in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites, currently operated from Singapore, detected 1,075 hotspots between January and April, a decrease from 3,411 hotspots in the same period last year, says the Environment and Forestry Ministry.

In contrast, the Terra-Aqua satellites detected 2,710 hotspots, an increase from 1,432 hotspots detected last year.

The main factor for the forest fires is human behavior, although fires also occur due to the damaged peatland ecosystem and the El Nino weather phenomenon, said Kemal Anas, the ministry's law enforcement director-general on Friday.

The NOAA and Terra-Aqua satellites produced different results because they detect hotspots at different minimum temperatures: 44 and 42 degrees Celsius, respectively.

A hotspot is not to be mistaken for a forest fire as, according to the ministry, a hotspot is an initial indication which could lead to ground checks.

In April, the greatest number of hotspots were found in East Kalimantan (235) and Riau (105) according to NOAA satellites. While Papua (542) and East Kalimantan (286) recorded the highest according to Terra-Aqua satellites.

Failure to contain hotspots last year resulted in the destruction of 2.61 million hectares of forest and peatlands in Sumatra and Kalimantan, leaving 21 people dead and more than a half-a-million people to suffer from respiratory problems as a consequence of the five-month-long choking haze that smothered surrounding areas.

Last year's fire crisis cost the economy Rp 221 trillion (US$16.5 billion), around 1.9 percent of the country's GDP, more than double the cost of rebuilding Aceh after the 2004 tsunami.

According to the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), at least 308 forest fires occurred at plantations in concession areas managed by giant corporations including Wilmar, Sinar Mas and APRIL groups, in Sumatra and Kalimantan last year.

The government has reprimanded those companies involved in the fires, with three having land-use or environmental permits revoked and a further 16 seeing permits suspended.

"All corporations with revoked permits are required to turn all of the concession areas over to the government. Suspended corporations are required to hand back burnt areas," Kemal said. (vps/bbn)

In contrast, the Terra-Aqua satellites detected 2,710 hotspots, an increase from 1,432 hotspots detected last year.

The NOAA and Terra-Aqua satellites produced different results because they detect hotspots at different minimum temperatures: 44 and 42 degrees Celsius, respectively.

A hotspot is not to be mistaken for a forest fire as, according to the ministry, a hotspot is an initial indication which could lead to ground checks.

Last year's fire crisis cost the economy Rp 221 trillion (US$16.5 billion), around 1.9 percent of the country's GDP, more than double the cost of rebuilding Aceh after the 2004 tsunami.

The government has reprimanded those companies involved in the fires, with three having land-use or environmental permits revoked and a further 16 seeing permits suspended.

"All corporations with revoked permits are required to turn all of the concession areas over to the government. Suspended corporations are required to hand back burnt areas," Kemal said. (vps/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/30/thousands-of-hotspots-detected-in-peatlands-this-year.html

Manado reclamation robs fishermen of their livelihood

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Lita Aruperes and Ni Komang Erviani – Reclamation off Manado beach, North Sulawesi, has forced fishermen in Daseng Panglima, Sario district, to switch occupations as they find it increasingly difficult to catch fish in the area.

Since 1998, Manado has been reclaiming land off its coast for property expansion under nine licenses, covering a combined area of 700 hectares, thus depriving fishermen of their fishing grounds.

The first phase of reclamation off Manado beach occurred along the coastlines of three districts: Wenang, Sario and Malalayang. A reclamation project known as Boulevard 2 spanning three other districts, namely Tuminting, Singkil and Bunaken, is also planned.

Sudirman Hiliilo, a fisherman and fishing net maker, said that fishermen now had to go farther off the coast to catch fish. "That's why I have tried to find another source of income by producing nets for large-scale fishermen," Sudirman said.

Sudirman, who is also secretary of the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI), said that since the group was established in 2009 Antra members have never stopped struggling for their rights, especially in the last three years as the number of fishermen in the region has decreased from 29,000 to only 580.

He added that the association had repeatedly staged rallies at the Manado city legislative council but so far had only managed to win fishermen a 40 meter by 150 meter mangrove area to moor their boats.

Another fisherman, Danny Teleng, said the area was too small to moor their boats, adding that it could only accommodate 40 boats while the total number of boats in Sario Tumpaan was 105.

"That's why many of us have switched occupation," Danny said, adding that many had been earning a living by becoming parking attendants, motorcycle taxi drivers, traders or net makers like Sudirman.

He added that in the past he could catch hundreds of kilograms of fish in a day, but now he could only catch 2 to 3 kilograms. Such an amount is only enough to feed his family, leaving him with nothing to sell.

Thanks to fishermen's rallies, the North Sulawesi provincial administration has issued a moratorium on reclamation licenses, pending a bylaw on zoning.

In Bali, the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council's (PHDI) Sabha Pandita (high priests) called on the government to consider religious values in their decision on the planned Benoa Bay reclamation project.

Chairman of the high priests, Ida Pedanda Gede Ketut Sebali Tianyar Arimbawa, expressed hope that the government would consider the council's edict, which declared Benoa Bay a sacred area.

Tianyar said there were many areas in the bay and surrounding areas believed to be sacred by the Balinese Hindu community. The high priests, however, decided not to issue an edict on the reclamation, arguing that the project was concerned with material issues, while their concern was on theology.

"Yet, if we look at the sacred spots around the bay, it means that there is no space for reclamation there," Tianyar added.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/manado-reclamation-robs-fishermen-their-livelihood.html

Hindu priests oppose Benoa Bay reclamation project

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Ni Komang Erviani – The Sabha Pandita (high priests) of the Indonesian Hindu Religious Council (PHDI) have called on the government to review its decision over the controversial Benoa Bay reclamation project in Bali and to take spiritual values into account in shaping the future of Indonesia's world-class tourist island.

PHDI previously issued an edict declaring Benoa Bay a sacred area. There are many points in Benoa Bay believed to be sacred by Balinese Hindus, including temples, estuaries and seagrass areas, PHDI chairman Ida Pedanda gede Ketut Sebali Tianyar Arimbawa said.

"As religious leaders, we want to advise the government. As good citizens, we are obliged to convey our wish that the government safeguards Indonesia's nature, people and values," said the high priest recently.

PHDI's high priests issued the edict on Benoa Bay in early April after holding a meeting to answer to the public uproar over the planned reclamation project in the southern part of the island. The project is set to be managed by PT Tirta Wahana Bali Internasional (TWBI), a company controlled by prominent tycoon Tommy Winata.

"If we see sacred points around Benoa Bay, it means that there is no space to carry out reclamation," Pedanda Tianyar said.

As a Hindu-majority province, the PHDI's religious edicts have always influenced government policy in the region.

Bali's 2009 spatial planning bylaw, for example, accommodated the 1994 religious edict that stated the ocean, mountains and other areas of the island were sacred places.

The edict also led to a regulation that strictly controls development near sacred sites on cliffs, riverbanks, lakeshores and coastlines.

The 1994 edict was issued in response to public uproar over the construction of the Bali Nirwana Resort near the famous Tanah Lot Temple. The issuance of the edict created a sacred zone around temples, prohibiting the construction of tourist facilities within five kilometers of major temples, such as Besakih and Uluwatu, and within two kilometers of minor temples.

PDHI approved the development of the Bali Mandara toll road, launched in 2013, because the island's first toll road was desperately needed for the public, Pedanda Tianyar said.

The Bali Mandara toll road spans 12.7 kilometers and cost Rp 2.4 trillion to build. The road connects Denpasar, Kuta and Nusa Dua, and eases traffic congestion on the southern part of the island.

Still, the Benoa Bay reclamation project is thought to be different from the toll road project. "The reclamation project is purely business and it poses a risk to nature and spiritual belief," he said.

TWBI announced its plan to reclaim 700 hectares from Benoa Bay to build luxury tourist resorts. The company is currently working on an Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) document to use as a foundation to proceed with the project.

Many parties, including customary villages across the island, stakeholders in tourism, environmentalists and local residents, have voiced their objection to the plan after it was announced in 2013.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said he respected the high priests' decision. However, the local government cannot do anything about the plan because the central government has authority over this particular issue.

Pastika expressed skepticism about the edict on Benoa Bay as a sacred area. "If we talk about sacred areas, all areas in Bali are sacred. Does that mean we have to break down all the buildings in Sanur and Kuta?" he said.

A 2014 presidential regulation on the matter, signed by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhyono, gave permission for the reclamation project to go ahead after the status of Benoa Bay was changed from a green-belt water conservation area into a commercial zone. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/hindu-priests-oppose-benoa-bay-reclamation-project.html

Health & education

Activists rally against tobacco machinery expo

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Activists rallied on Wednesday in protest against the 2016 World Tobacco (WT) Process and Machinery Asia event at JIExpo, Jakarta, in the wake of the finalization of a controversial tobacco bill that has triggered furious argument between pro- and anti-tobacco campaigners.

According to the Central Jakarta Police, the demonstration, gathering at least 100 people, started at 12.30 p.m. on Wednesday; the organizer of the event agreed to meet eight of them at around 2 pm.

"At the event, machinery to process tobacco and new cigarette products will be displayed in order to expand the grip of the cigarette industry on the country," said University of Indonesia student executive body (UI BEM) head Arya Adiansyah in a press release on Tuesday.

WT Process and Machinery is an international forum for key players in the tobacco industry to showcase tobacco machinery and facilitate discussion on the challenges faced by the industry.

Previously, UI students asked Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama to cancel the event, which is to last until Thursday. They argued that the event was a way to promote cigarette consumption. As Ahok ignored their demand, the UI BEM decided to rally at JIExpo, supported by the Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI).

According to the National Commission on Tobacco Control (KNPT), around 200,000 Indonesians die annually because of smoking-related diseases. However, the House of Representatives legislation body (Baleg) said on Monday that the tobacco bill was only awaiting finalization.

If the tobacco bill is passed into law, tobacco farmers will acquire legal protection in tobacco pricing, especially for unique tobacco varieties, said Baleg deputy chairman Firman Subagyo, who also chairs the working committee tasked with drafting the bill. He added that the bill would also regulate relations between tobacco farmers and producers of tobacco-related products.

Meanwhile, Agus Sujatno of the YLKI advocacy department said the tobacco bill was a result of cigarette industry lobbying, as there had been many peculiarities in the deliberation process, including a failure to take the Health Ministry's opposition to the bill into account.

"One of the problems is that the bill would recognize kretek [clove cigarettes] as a cultural legacy, which could eventually increase the production of cigarettes in the country," Agus said.

On the other hand, Alfa Gumilang, the general secretary of Komunitas Kretek, said on Wednesday that all requirements to finalize the tobacco bill had been completed over the past years.

"Anti-tobacco campaigners tend to talk about the tobacco bill as if it has been ordered by the industries, but they have never been able to prove that. Kretek is a part of our cultural heritage, an inherent part of our daily lives. The mixing of tobacco and cloves is found only in Indonesia," Alfa said.

He added that cigarette industries contributed massively in taxes and employed millions of people across the country. This year, the government has targeted Rp 139.12 trillion (US$10.29 billion) in revenues from tobacco products, following a rise in tobacco excise by an average of 11.19 percent as of Jan. 1 this year.

Indonesia is likely to see further significant increase in cigarette production; a roadmap of tobacco production issued by the Industry Ministry aims to see 524.2 billion cigarettes produced by 2020, up from the previous roadmap that targeted 260 billion cigarettes in the same period. (vps/ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/activists-rally-against-tobacco-machinery-expo.html

House snakes tobacco bill again after being rejected

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi – The House of Representatives' Legislation Body (Baleg) has been quietly working to finalize the controversial tobacco bill that was already rejected by Health Ministry last December and dismissed by a consumer organization as the product of the cigarette industry.

"The bill only needs to be finalized, and God willing, it will soon become the House's initiative," said Baleg deputy chairman Firman Subagyo in Jakarta on Monday, adding that the bill was expected to be ready for deliberation next month.

If the tobacco bill is approved into law, it will offer protection to tobacco farmers, relating to prices, especially for unique tobacco varieties, said Firman, a Golkar Party politician, who also chairs the working committee tasked with drafting the bill.

He added that the bill would also regulate relations between tobacco farmers and producers of tobacco-related products.

Whether on purpose or not, the deliberation of the tobacco bill was held discreetly in a committee at the Baleg, not by a House commission in the current sitting, which will end on Friday.

Late December, the Health Ministry rejected the bill from the 2016 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas). The draft bill had no sense of urgency, the ministry's director of non-transmitted diseases Lily Sulistyowati said as quoted by tempo on Dec. 15, 2015.

During the government of then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the relevant ministries agreed to halt the draft bill discussion. Since then, the Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) has called for the removal of the tobacco bill from the 2015-2019 Prolegnas.

The tobacco bill is promoted by Indonesia's cigarette industry, especially by the major cigarette manufacturers, with the primary purpose of boosting production, which currently amounts to 365 billion cigarettes per year, said YLKI chairman Tulus Abadi.

He said the tobacco bill was created by the cigarette industry to annul tobacco control articles stipulated by Law No.36/2009 on health that included tobacco as an addictive substance and other supporting regulations like Government Regulation No.102/2012 and bylaws in many regions. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/house-snakes-tobacco-bill-again-after-being-rejected.html

Gender & sexual orientation

Play's gay themes breaking taboos

Jakarta Post - April 23, 2016

Ika Krismantari – Raising the topic of homosexuality in the theater may be a risky move for a director working in a conservative religious society like Indonesia.

But senior playwright Eka Dimitri Sitorus has taken that brave step in his latest play, The Many Taboos of Being Gay, being performed at the Salihara Theater in South Jakarta this weekend.

The one-hour show consists of four short plays: Sweet Hunk O' Trash, Twenty Dollar Drinks, Frozen Dog and Uncle Chick. All are adaptations of plays with similar titles from acclaimed US playwrights Eric Lane and Joe Pintauro, who often include gay issues in their work.

Eka attempts to look at homosexuality from various perspectives, covering social, political, moral and psychological elements through various characters. He also questions public resistance to gay people and ideas.

Eka says he raised the topic because he has been interested in gay issues since he was young. "When I lived in San Francisco for two years, I witnessed and learned so many things about this issue," said the 55-year-old, who attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in California in the 1980s.

Eka said he had been involved with a volunteer organization that assisted people living with HIV/AIDS during that period, an experience that he reflects on through his adaptation of a work by Lane, Sweet Hunk O' Trash.

He brushed aside assumptions that he had deliberately chosen the topic to attract attention amid the controversy currently surrounding LGBT issues. "I have been working on these scripts since 2005," he said.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues are still considered taboo in Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population. Many events raising these issues have been banned recently and also subjected to threats from religious fundamentalists.

Hard-liners have stopped events on LGBT issues, including the Q! Film Festival in Jakarta, and their aggressive actions have prevented LGBT-themed films from being commercially distributed in movie theaters. This unfortunately helped to limit the exposure of award-winning 2011 film Lovely Man by Teddy Soeriaatmadja.

This time around, Eka says he has not received any such threats. "But we have been told to be prepared. So I just tell my boys: 'Don't panic and don't get stirred up by people's anger'," he said.

Putting the theme aside, the play is good but not mind-blowing in terms of script, set and cast.

Eka acknowledged experiencing difficulty in adapting the plays for a local audience. This result is that some cast members fail to effectively deliver funny lines that should ideally trigger laughter from the audience.

The cast, all from Eka's acting school – the Sakti Actor Studio – overall deliver an excellent performance. However, it is clear they are not used to the format of live theater, as can be heard in their limited vocal range and projection.

However, the cast does a great job of maintaining lively dialogues and displaying perfect body language and gestures throughout the play. Even though each play only involves two actors, those actors always manage to maintain the rhythm of the dialogue and plot.

The cast's great performance comes as no surprise, being students of Eka's studio. Besides working as a playwright, Eka is also a senior acting coach who has worked with big names in the film industry such as Agnes Monica and Olga Lydia.

Before establishing his acting studio, Eka was a lecturer at the Jakarta Institute of Arts and has experience as an academic in the US and the UK. He also published a book, The Art of Acting, in 2002.

Eka's last play was a musical in 2011, titled Bang Bang You're Dead, which was an adaptation of a work by another US playwright, William Mastrosimone.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/23/play-s-gay-themes-breaking-taboos.html

Graft & corruption

Government should take stance on officials listed in Panama Papers: NGOs

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie – Activists from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have urged the government to immediately respond to reports of the existence of state officials in the Panama Papers.

An immediate response is important to prevent unnecessary commotion and public distrust toward the Cabinet of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, said Setara Institute chairman Hendardi.

At least two high profile figures, head of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) Harry Azhar Aziz and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, are among 800 Indonesians listed in the Panama papers.

"His inclusion [in the Panama Papers] has the potential to degrade the credibility of Jokowi's administration," Hendardi said in reference to Luhut in a statement retrieved by thejakartapost.com on Monday.

The Panama Papers leaked information about more than 214,000 offshore companies associated with Panamanian law firm and corporate services provider Mossack Fonseca. Jokowi summoned both Harry and Luhut to the Presidential Palace to clarify their positions.

According to investigative reports from Tempo, Harry is recorded as the owner of Sheng Yue International Limited, a company established in the British Virgin Islands, a known tax haven.

He signed up as the sole director of Sheng Yue in early 2010 with the help of Mossack Fonseca. He held the position as chairman of the House of Representative's budgetary board at the time.

Meanwhile, Luhut's name is recorded as a director of Mayfair International Ltd, registered in the island country of Seychelles. The offshore company was established on June 29, 2006, with two companies, namely PT Persada Inti Energi and PT Buana Inti Energi, a subsidiary of the energy and plantation firm PT Toba Sejahtera, which was established by Luhut in 2004.

While Harry has acknowledged that his name is listed in the documents and has directly reported to the President and the director general of taxation, Luhut has denied his involvement in Mayfair, saying that he has never heard of it.

According to Hendardi, Harry should resign from his position as chairman to save the audit agency, and Jokowi should probe the details of Luhut's alleged involvement in offshore companies.

Separately, Wahyu Dhaytmika, a senior journalist from Tempo, the only Indonesian media outlet involved in the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), said public officials should be open and transparent about the assets that they own.

"This complex financial structure makes it possible to do anything in secrecy and this has happened for years," Wahyu added.

The ICIJ investigation discovered that nearly 215,000 companies and 14,153 clients are tied to Mossack Fonseca, including politicians and business people who have kept their wealth offshore for years.

Even though the practice is generally legal, such financial arrangements can be misused for committing illegal practices such as evading tax or money laundering. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/govt-should-take-stance-on-officials-listed-in-panama-papers-NGOs.html

Luhut denies report on Panama Papers

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan denied any wrongdoing in relation to his involvement in a shell company as was reported in Tempo magazine.

"The issue that [the magazine] raised happened when I was not a public officer or a minister. [...] I always followed procedure and never violated regulations," Luhut said in a written statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Luhut said that on Dec. 31, 2014, he had given up his positions at his company Toba Bara Sejahtera and its subsidiaries. Those companies are now run by professionals, Luhut says, and he is not actively involved. "I have reported my wealth through LHKPN transparently, based on regulations," he added.

Luhut also denied that he was a director of Mayfair International Ltd., a shell company that was mentioned in the Panama Papers according to Tempo magazine. "I have never heard that company's name before," he said.

Tempo magazine reported that based on its own investigations, Luhut's name was included in leaked documents from Mossack Fonseca, a Panama-based law firm that provides shell-company services.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/national-scene-luhut-denies-report-panama-papers.html

Antigraft activists file ethics complaint against BPK chairman over Panama Papers

Jakarta Globe - April 26, 2016

Jakarta – A group of activists lodged a complaint against Harry Azhar Azis, the chairman of the Supreme Audit Agency, or BPK, to the body's ethics committee after Harry's name appeared in the so-called Panama Papers.

The activists – representing some of the country's most prominent antigraft watchdogs, including Transparency International Indonesia, Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and Indonesia Budget Center (IBC) – said Harry had violated the agency's code of ethics by not fully disclosing his wealth and being involved in a private firm, which could create a conflict of interest.

Roy Salam of the IBC said it was not ethical that Harry, who is tasked with ensuring transparency and accountability in all government institutions, established and ran a company based in a tax haven when Indonesia was trying to prevent tax evasion and the hiding of assets offshore.

"As the BPK chairman, [Harry] cannot hold multiple positions in other agencies or private companies," Roy said, as quoted by Tempo.co.

Harry "has also violated the law by not fully disclosing his wealth and assets to the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK]," Roy continued, something that all senior public officials must do before they take office.

The activists arrived at the BPK offices in South Jakarta at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday (26/04) to lodge their complaint.

Harry has been in hot water after Tempo magazine unveiled his name this month as the owner of Sheng Yue International Limited, which had been set up with the help of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. The law firm was the source of the so-called Panama Papers, the largest leak of financial records to date, which shed light on tax scandals involving public officials, corporations and the rich and the famous all across the world.

On April 15, Harry told the tax office that he sold his offshore company for HK$1 (13 US cents) last year, claiming that he did not use the company to avoid tax.

Harry claimed that he established Sheng Yue in 2010 when he was still a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, to help a family business. But the business venture was later canceled, prompting him to disown the company.

The BPK chairman also claimed the company has no assets, arguing that he set up the paper company only to simplify cross-border transactions and to save costs. The finance ministry's Directorate General of Tax is still verifying Harry's claims.

The Panama Papers have revealed the names of several graft fugitives and senior Indonesian officials, including that of Coordinating Legal and Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/antigraft-activists-file-ethics-complaint-bpk-chairman-panama-papers/

Jokowi summons Luhut over Panama Papers reports

Jakarta Post - April 25, 2016

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo summoned Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan on Monday over reports citing the latter's name in the controversial leaked information on clients of Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, known as the Panama Papers.

Luhut admitted that one of the topics of discussion between him and the President was his name being included in the Panama Papers as reported by prominent news outlet Tempo over the weekend. "I have talked to the President. There is no problem," he told journalists after the meeting on Monday morning as quoted by newsportal kompas.com.

He declined to provide further details about the meeting. He even tried to avoid journalists by running to his car and only answered a few questions before ending the interviews claiming that he had a flight to catch, kompas.com reported.

Tempo magazine reported over the weekend that based on investigative reports the magazine had conducted, Luhut's name was included in the leaked documents from Mossack Fonseca, the Panama-based law firm providing shell-company services for its clients.

Tempo magazine reported on Saturday that Luhut's name was recorded as a director of Mayfair International Ltd registered in the island country of Seychelles. The offshore company was established on June 29, 2006 with two companies PT Persada Inti Energi and PT Buana Inti Energi as the shareholders.

PT Buana Inti Energi is the subsidiary company of energy and plantation firm, PT Toba Sejahtera established by Luhut in 2004. The director's appointment certificate stated that Luhut's address was Jl. Mega Kuningan Barat III No. 11, Jakarta, and included a copy of Luhut's passport, according to the leaked documents.

Luhut denied his involvement in Mayfair saying "I've never heard of it. We never owned Mayfair, this house number is 18," he told Tempo last week.

Investigations by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that nearly 215,000 companies and 14,153 clients were tied to Mossack Fonseca. The reports showed that politicians and business people had been keeping their wealth in offshore companies for years.

Even though the practice is generally legal, such financial arrangements can be misused for committing illegal practices, such as evading tax or money laundering. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/25/jokowi-summons-luhut-over-panama-papers-reports.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

Specific provision on Densus 88 sought in terrorism bill

Jakarta Post - April 30, 2016

Under a democratic political system, people's aspirations are supposed to be channeled through government – in Indonesia's case, through the House of Representatives.

In practice, people more frequently approach pressure groups in order to get their aspirations heard as the House often fails to listen to voices other than those of their political constituencies. Such an approach has been made with regard to the counterterrorism issue.

In compliance with pressure from rights groups over the controversial death of alleged terrorist Siyono, the House of Representatives (DPR) decided on Friday to create provisions to ensure "the accountability and transparency" of the National Police's counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, in the terrorism bill.

The bold move was made after the House received evidence related to Siyono's death from several human rights groups, including the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), suggesting that Siyono had indeed died due to alleged torture carried out by Densus 88.

Muhammad Syafi'i, chairman of the House special committee for the terrorism bill, told The Jakarta Post in an interview that the planned provisions were "a top priority" for deliberation in the next sitting period.

"All of the factions within the committee have agreed that Siyono's death was mired with controversy due to the lack of transparency and accountability in counterterrorism operations conducted by Densus 88," Syafi'i said after a discussion on terrorism sponsored by the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Syafi'i was participating in the discussion along with human rights lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar, Komnas HAM commissioner Maneger Nasution and Muhammadiyah Youth Association chairman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak.

Syafi'i said the planned provisions would be, among other things, an obligation for Densus 88 to disclose its financial condition, a supervision measure for the counterterrorism unit, and criminal sentences for any of its members proved to have committed a criminal act while duty.

"A supervisory measure is important in order to ensure that Densus 88 upholds human rights when dealing with a suspected terrorist," Syafi'i said.

The police's Internal Affairs Division is in the midst of conducting an ethics hearing with regard to the behavior of the two Densus 88 members responsible for Siyono, having driven Siyono from his house in Klaten, Central Java, following his arrest on March 8, to the police interrogation center.

Siyono died while in police custody, four days after his arrest. His body showed signs of torture as it was covered with wounds and blood. "The ethics hearing will asses whether the Densus 88 members breached the code of conduct. However, given the fact that Siyono died due to torture, there should be a criminal procedure," Syafi'i, also a Gerindra Party politician, added.

Todung said Siyono's death had provided sufficient impetus for the House and the government to establish a special supervisory body to monitor Densus 88 operations. "The team could be led by either Komnas HAM or the Indonesian Ombudsman," Todung said, adding that without a special monitoring measure Densus 88 could "transform into a more dangerous monster than the terrorists themselves".

Haris of Kontras said the House had to take a look at the plan to establish such a supervisory body, given the fact that Densus 88 had abused its power in previous operations prior to Siyono's death. "Densus 88 must bow to the law for it is a special unit that is responsible for carrying out special counterterrorism operations," he said. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/30/specific-provision-densus-88-sought-terrorism-bill.html

Parliament & legislation

House speaker: 'We have other things to do beside passing bills'

Jakarta Globe - April 29, 2016

Jakarta – The House of Representatives ended its current assembly period with a plenary session on Friday (29/04), as it goes into recess until May 17 without having passed a single bill.

Draft laws left to be discussed include those on tax amnesty, amendments of the regional election law and counter-terrorism, all of which are considered urgent.

"After the recess, the bills on tax amnesty and regional election law amendments will be discussed. These bills are important, we want the regional elections to run smoothly," House Speaker Ade Komarudin said at the legislative complex in Senayan.

Ade said a working committee tasked with discussing the Tax Amnesty Bill was established on Thursday evening. Nevertheless, he is convinced that the committee will have more than enough time to discuss the bill in the next parliamentary session.

"The committee works quickly. There aren't that many articles to discuss. But the issue is quite complex, so they will take their time," the House speaker said.

Meanwhile, the government and the House have not come to terms on several articles in the regional election amendment proposal – including the requirement of pledged support for independent candidates – which triggered a delay in the deliberation.

Ade said the House's perceived inactivity was a non-issue. "The assembly session only lasted three weeks, there wasn't enough time. We didn't even have enough time to finish the Regional Election Law amendments. We have other things to do as well, apart from passing bills into laws," the Golkar Party lawmaker said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/house-speaker-things-beside-passing-bills/

House rejects PKS pick for deputy speaker position

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani – House of Representatives leaders dipped deeper into the internal conflict within the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Monday after they decided to scrutinize the dismissal of deputy speaker Fahri Hamzah.

Instead of following the party's recommendation to inaugurate one of its senior lawmakers, Ledia Hanifa, as a replacement for Fahri, who was kicked out for his supposed rebel streak, House leaders set up a team to investigate his dismissal.

The move possibly constituted a breach of the Legislative Institution (MD3) Law, which stipulates that the political party of a removed speaker or a deputy speaker has the right to name his or her replacement.

When former House speaker Setya Novanto resigned from his post following the corruption scandal involving mining company PT Freeport, the Golkar Party later appointed Ade Komarudin as his replacement.

House deputy speaker Fadli Zon said House leaders would not dismiss Fahri before reviewing the regulations and mechanism concerning the dismissal of a house leader.

"We will review the regulation first and then review the letter sent by [PKS chairman] Sohibul Iman. We can't simply follow his request and dismiss Fahri. Moreover, Fahri has filed a lawsuit," Fadli said.

The review team will consist of officials from the House's legal team and will finish its investigation within three weeks. The team will present the results of its investigation in the form of legal opinions that the House will use to determine whether Fahri should keep his post.

"Let the team work on reviewing the letter based on the interpretation of the MD3 law. We should be careful about this matter because it determines a person's rights," Fadli said.

Fahri was officially dismissed by the PKS central executive board in March, after being a member since the party was established in 2002.

The party accused Fahri of causing too much damage with his controversial statements, including calling fellow members of the House "stupid", something that the House ethics council regarded as a minor violation of the lawmakers' code of ethics.

He was also regarded as having failed to toe the party line when he backed seven controversial construction projects that had been rejected by PKS leaders.

Considering that Fahri is no longer a PKS member, the party executive board appointed Ledia to replace him, a move that gained support from party members for empowering the female politician.

However, House leaders have seemingly not acknowledged the appointment of Ledia and have continued to stall for time to maintain Fahri, a politician known for his heavy criticism of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from the Democratic Party.

Fahri, who has fought the dismissal that he says is unfair, has filed a lawsuit with the South Jakarta District Court against the PKS central executive board for its decision.

Not long after, Sohibul sent a letter to House Speaker Ade Komarudin requesting Fahri's dismissal and Ledia's inauguration.

The party's Majelis Syuro (religious council) chairman, Hidayat Nur Wahid, insisted that the House should not wait for the legal process nor consider further information to dismiss Fahri from his post.

"The law stipulates that the deputy speaker is appointed by the faction based on determination from the party, while the membership of the House, indeed, is in the hands of the House speaker. But those are two different cases," Hidayat said.

He went on to say that PKS had a legal team that would also review the case and respond to the House leaders' decision and arguments.

"I don't understand why they had to establish a review team. Our legal team will review their arguments concerning why they haven't removed him so that we can respond with a more objective argument," he added.

Fahri said that he actually had his own view regarding the dismissal letter and praised the House's decision to keep him in his position.

"Let them work on it. One thing is that I am still a part of the PKS and I hope my fellow friends in the party can understand the Constitution and that a member doesn't fully belong to their political party," Fahri said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/house-rejects-pks-pick-deputy-speaker-position.html

Jakarta & urban life

Jakarta pedestrians in need of proper, safer sidewalks

Jakarta Post - April 30, 2016

Corry Elyda – Saying that walking in Jakarta is a pernicious activity is not an exaggeration considering the poor condition of sidewalks or the lack of them in the capital.

Rubiyanti, a 23-year-old worker, said she enjoyed walking from her office at the Manggala Wanabakti building to Palmerah station in Central Jakarta, which is only 300 meters away. However, when she gets close to the station, she needs to be extra careful as the road narrows and the sidewalk becomes nonexistent.

She is forced to walk in a 50-centimeter-wide space between the asphalt road and the sewage. She also has to pay attention to where she is walking as some utility wires protrude from the ground.

"We still have a good sidewalk in front of my office to near the station. After that, I have to compete with motorcycles, buses and cars to walk as there is no sidewalk," she said. Rubiyanti said she was always cautious as her body could be inches away from vehicles. "I was almost hit by a car once," she said.

Sidewalks in Palmerah and many other areas around public transportation shelters and stations in Jakarta are far from decent. Many stations and bus shelters that are near to each other also do not have integrated facilities for pedestrians that allow them to easily switch between public transportation modes. Many of them eventually resort to using private vehicles or take personalized public transport like motorcycle taxis and taxis.

Putri Annisa, a 24-year-old worker, also has to struggle when exiting from the Duri Kepa Transjakarta shelter in West Jakarta to take her regular bus to reach her office in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. "The sidewalk is narrow and some of it is occupied by stores and offices," she said.

She said that part of the sidewalk was once damaged. "I reported it through Qlue, it was fixed right away," she said, referring to the public monitoring application used by the Jakarta administration. She said, however, the sidewalk was still inadequate.

Qlue reveals that at least 5,797 reports on sidewalks were submitted from January to April to the application. The top three complaints regarding sidewalks related to general damages, which recorded 1,788 reports, illegal parking with 1,063 reports and street vendors with 1,026.

A survey conducted by the Pedestrian Coalition last year recorded that 80 percent of sidewalks in Jakarta are inadequate. "Ninety-nine percent of [the sidewalks] cannot accommodate disabled people," coalition chairman Alfred Sitorus said.

Alfred said that the coalition received around five reports per day about sidewalks from Jakartans through their Twitter account, @trotoarian, and their facebook fanpage. "We usually forward the report to the authority's social media account to be followed up on," he said.

The coalition routinely stage protests at the sites with damaged or no sidewalks across the city every Friday since 2012. "Only one sidewalk on Jl. Raden Saleh, Central Jakarta, has been revamped because of our protests so far," he said.

Alfred urged the city administration to set targets each year for which sidewalks need revamping or if new sidewalks need to be constructed. "The administration should also use the standard set by the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, so the work can be synchronized," he said.

Earlier this month, Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said that the administration was set to widen sidewalks along Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin – the site of a planned MRT station – by up to 9.5 meters next year in a bid to limit the number of cars using the capital's main highways.

Through the plan, Ahok added, the administration was also aiming to persuade commuters to switch from private vehicles to rail-based mass transportation.

Alfred said that the projects by the city were still sporadic. "I appreciate that Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama wants to widen the sidewalks on Jl. Sudirman and Jl. Thamrin," he said. He added, however, areas near public transport shelters and stations were sites that needed sidewalks the most.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/30/jakarta-pedestrians-need-proper-safer-sidewalks.html

Jakarta Bay project against the law: KPK

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Haeril Halim – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says its investigation into the multitrillion-rupiah Jakarta Bay reclamation megaproject has confirmed that the project contravenes the law.

KPK legal experts had been examining regulations relating to the reclamation following the arrest of PT Agung Podomoro Land (APL) director Ariesman Widjaja on suspicion of bribing Jakarta city councillor Mohamad Sanusi to expedite the issuance of a zoning bylaw regarding the reclamation area.

The regulations in question include Presidential Decree No. 52/1995 on land reclamation regarding the Jakarta coast issued by then president Soeharto, Law No. 27/2007 on coastal area and islet management, Law No. 54/2008 on spatial planning management in Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, Puncak and Cianjur and Presidential Regulation No. 122/2012 on reclamation of coastal areas and islets, issued by then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Despite a lack of necessary bylaws, including zoning regulations, the Jakarta administration, now led by Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, has since 2014 issued a number of permits for developers, including APL, to start construction on the reclaimed land.

KPK commissioner Laode Muhammad Syarif said that after thorough study of the regulations, commission investigators had concluded that the Jakarta administration had no right to issue permits for the Jakarta Bay reclamation projects.

Laode further said that the projects came under the jurisdiction of two provinces, namely Jakarta and neighboring Banten; as such, it is related ministries, including the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry and the Environment and Forestry Ministry, that have the right to issue permits for the project, rather than the Jakarta administration.

"According to the most updated regulations, if a reclamation project covers more than one province, then it must be handled nationally and the leading institutions are related ministries," Laode said on Tuesday. The Jakarta administration, he added, should have studied the related regulations before issuing permits for development.

Laode lauded the recent joint decision by Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Rizal Ramli, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry officials and Ahok to temporarily halt the projects and disentangle the legal mess.

The commission, he went on, expects related institutions to consider economic, environmental and social aspects in settling the legal disputes plaguing the controversial projects.

In addition, KPK chairman Agus Raharjo said that following the arrest of Sanusi and Ariesman, the antigraft body had shifted its attention to scrutinizing the legality of other reclamation projects underway across the country.

"We're not just looking at Jakarta, we're also looking at Makassar and Bali. We hope the projects in those provinces do comply with existing regulations," Agus said.

On Friday, Siti said the environmental impact analysis (Amdal) on the Jakarta reclamation project was deeply flawed, failing to take into account the environmental degradation caused by sand dredging in coastal areas of Banten.

Besides inadequate environmental assessment, Siti also pointed out that despite the megaproject, divided into 17 islets from A to Q, having incomplete Amdal documentation, construction was already up and running.

A KPK investigation into the bribery allegations surrounding the projects has so far seen Ariesman and Sanusi named suspects, as well as two other APL employees. In the days subsequent to the arrest of Ariesman, the commission moved to impose travel bans on PT Agung Sedayu Group (ASG) owner Sugianto "Aguan" Kusuma and his son and ASG president director Richard Halim Kusuma, as well as a special advisor to Ahok, Sunny Tanuwidjaja.

The KPK implicated Aguan in the case after collecting preliminary evidence that his company had also bribed Sanusi to ensure the swift issuance of the zoning bylaw, which has been left in limbo by the arrest of the councillor.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/jakarta-bay-project-against-law-KPK.html

Local children rally in support of 'becak'

Jakarta Post - April 23, 2016

Eighty-six children rode 27 becak (three-wheeled pedicabs) on a parade in Muara Baru, North Jakarta, on Friday. Sporting various traditional outfits and military uniforms, the children sang the anthem "Ibu Kita Kartini" as they rode.

The march was held to celebrate the 137th anniversary of feminist heroine Kartini, which falls every April 21. In the spirit of the feminist heroine, the children urged the Jakarta administration to stop confiscating becak, which they lauded as a helpful means of transportation for short-distance travel.

Attached to the front of the pedicabs were banners reading "Stop confiscating becak", "The poor need to eat too" and "Don't dream of winning the election, Pak Ahok" aimed at Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Six-year-old Muhammad Juan Subandi, who took part in the convoy, said that traveling by becak was a richer experience than using other modes of transportation. "I can't sing on a motorcycle," the boy noted.

Siti Marfuah, 28, a denizen of Muara Baru, said she would miss becak if they were all confiscated. Siti regularly uses pedicabs to go shopping at the market, as they are able to carry large bundles of vegetables and are also able to traverse the narrow alleys of her neighborhood.

Despite being aware of the ban on becak, Siti also often takes them to go shopping for clothes at Tanah Pasir in North Jakarta.

Becak driver Tasa, 76, said that he was a construction worker before switching jobs to the transportation business eight years ago. Given his old age, he said, it was impossible to find work in the physically demanding field of construction work. Earning fares of between Rp 40,000 (US$3.03) and Rp 60,000 daily, Tasa makes enough to cover his daily needs.

Despite being appreciated by local people, becak are frequently confiscated by the city administration, following the issuance of Bylaw No. 8/2007 on public order, which stipulates that individuals and organizations are prohibited from making or selling becak and are prohibited from operating or storing becak. The emission-free vehicles are deemed to exacerbate the capital's traffic problem, despite not operating on main thoroughfares.

Another becak driver, Wahyu, said that confiscations by the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) were excessive and often violent. "We were told not to operate on main roads – we agreed. But even when our becak are parked in front of our houses, they still get cracked down on," he said.

Ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver Untung Sudaryono meanwhile called for the bylaw to be revoked and for becak to be allowed to operate once more. "We have different customers. I usually pick up passengers who are traveling far, while becak mainly carry short-distance travelers," he said.

However, Ahok said in February that he would not revise the bylaw and advised drivers to seek alternative work. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/23/local-children-rally-support-becak.html

Criminal justice & prison system

Government spends too much on prison needs: Experts

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

The government is spending too much on logistics in prisons due to its repressive judicial system, experts say.

Instead of providing rehabilitation services, the government tends to imprison drug suspects, causing prison overcrowding, they said, citing an example.

Indonesia has 183,000 prisoners detained in 477 penitentiaries, which are actually designed to accommodate 118,000 inmates, according to data.

Center for Detention Studies director Ali Aranoval said the cost of one prisoner meal was around Rp 11,000 (83 US cents) in penitentiaries and Rp 40,000 in the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) detention center. This meant the government had to spend at least Rp 2 billion a year on food for prisoners, he added.

"It would be better if the government could allocate such a high prisoner cost of living to other sectors, such as education," Ali said in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to the Law and Human Rights Ministry, drug-related prisoners account for around 35 percent of the 183,000 inmates in the country.

Institute of Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) legal expert Erasmus Napitupulu said such a situation occurred because drug-related suspects tended to be imprisoned rather than put in rehabilitation centers.

Ali shared similar concerns. He said there were options other than imprisonment, including house arrest. "Detention centers should be the last resort of our penal system," he said.

According to an ICJR study, the number of detainees and prisoners doubled from 71,500 to 144,000 from 2004 to 2011, while prison capacity increased by less than 2 percent. "It means there will always be prison overcapacity problems every year," Erasmus said.

He added that in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, the overcapacity level in prisons stood at 662 percent, while in Bagansiapiapi, Riau, it could reach 1,000 percent.

In several cases, overcapacity has led to riots in prisons. Reports revealed several riots occurred in prisons around Indonesia, including the latest case at Banceuy penitentiary in Bandung on April 23. Previously, riots have broken out at Kerobokan prison in Bali on April 21, Tewaan Bitung detention center in North Sulawesi on April 6, Malabero prison in Bengkulu on March 25, Rajabasa prison in Lampung on March 18 and Muara Bulian prison in Jambi on March 17. (vps/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/govt-spends-too-much-on-prison-needs-experts.html

Harsh judicial system leads to prison overcapacity, say experts

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

The government's plan to build more prisons will not solve overcapacity problems because the main cause of overcrowding is Indonesia's harsh judicial system, experts have said.

Indonesia has 183,000 prisoners currently accommodated in 477 penitentiaries, although the facilities are designed to accommodate only 118,000 inmates.

Judicial system watchdog the Indonesian Judicial Monitoring Society's (MAPPI) research division head said overcapacity problems occurred because Indonesia had too many crime-related legal provisions.

According to a MAPPI study, Indonesia produced 563 laws with 154 crime-related provisions from 1998-2014. It led to 1,601 actions being categorized as crimes, with 1,424 of them leading to possible imprisonment.

Rizki said there were many regulations that carried cumulative penalties for convicts. Many carry a combined sanction of imprisonment and fines.

"The problem is, the amount of fines sought by the government and lawmakers in those regulations is irrational. For instance, the minimum fine stated in the 2009 Narcotics Law is Rp 400 million [US$30,000]. Then, if the convict cannot pay the fine, it is replaced by two years' imprisonment," Rizki said in Jakarta.

"So no matter how many more prisons the government aims to build, the overcapacity problem will continue because our legislation is so repressive."

Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) legal expert Erasmus Napitupulu said drug-related suspects tended to be imprisoned rather than put in rehabilitation centers.

A study commissioned by ICJR together with Rumah Cemara, a community-based counseling organization for drug addicts and people living with HIV/AIDS, showed that 94 percent of drug-related suspects arrested by the police in 2016 were imprisoned, while only 6 percent were rehabilitated.

According to the Law and Human Rights Ministry, drug inmates account for 35 percent of the country's 183,000 prisoners at present. "It's a lot more difficult to give drug suspects care in a rehabilitation center rather than putting them in jail," said MAPPI researcher Cendy Adam.

Erasmus criticized the government's measures to repeatedly raise detention periods and fines to have a deterrent effect on offenders. However, there has never been a proper study to evaluate the costs and benefits of the current judicial system.

In several cases, the overcapacity problem has led to riots in prisons. Reports revealed several riots occurred in prisons around Indonesia, including the latest case at Banceuy penitentiary in Bandung on April 23.

Before that, riots broke out in Kerobokan prison in Bali on April 21, Tewaan Bitung detention center in North Sulawesi on April 6, Malabero prison in Bengkulu on March 25, Rajabasa prison in Lampung on March 18 and Muara Bulian prison in Jambi on March 17. (vps/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/harsh-judicial-system-leads-to-prison-overcapacity-say-experts.html

Prisoners on death row in Indonesia could be saved under proposed law change

Sydney Morning Herald - April 28, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Karuni Rompies and Tom Allard – A groundbreaking new penal code that would allow for prisoners on death row in Indonesia to have their sentences commuted to a jail term could be passed as early as next year, according to the country's justice minister.

This could save the lives of some of the estimated 180 people sentenced to death in Indonesia – if they could demonstrate they had reformed after 10 years behind bars.

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly told Fairfax Media he hoped the new draft of the criminal code would be passed by Parliament next year.

"Under the revision of the penal code we are doing now, we want the death penalty to still be there, but it can be changed, commuted," Mr Yasonna said. "If possible we would like to finish it up next year. The progress looks good."

Mr Yasonna's comments come on the eve of the first anniversary of the execution of eight drug offenders, including Bali Nine co-ordinators Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

President Joko Widodo refused to grant the Australians clemency, despite their well-documented reform and rehabilitation, including Chan becoming a pastor and Sukumaran establishing art and computer classes for inmates at Bali's Kerobokan jail.

After a year-long break from executions – which government ministers attributed to the weak economy – prison authorities have been ordered to prepare for a fresh round on Nusakambangan, known as Indonesia's Alcatraz.

The timing of the executions and the names and nationalities of those who will face the firing squad have not yet been disclosed. However Fairfax Media has been told they are likely to be Indonesians after the international outcry following the two rounds of executions last year, when 12 of the 14 killed were foreigners.

Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan said Indonesia wanted to avoid the "soap opera" surrounding last year's executions. He said this time only three days' notice of the timing would be given, as stipulated under Indonesian law.

Last year's April 29 executions became a circus, with Chan and Sukumaran flown to the island where they were executed accompanied by two Sukhoi fighter jets.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at the time she couldn't comprehend the dramatic display of military might, given the pair had never done anything to suggest they were violent.

Chan and Sukumaran's Indonesian lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, told Fairfax Media the international pressure could not be underestimated. He said a draft of the revised penal code, which included the option to commute the death penalty, had been submitted to Parliament late last year.

"I think the government expedited the submission of this draft criminal code partly because of the death penalty protest," Dr Todung said. "They want to find a way to answer the criticism of the human rights community. I think Andrew and Myuran contributed to the expedition of the whole process."

However Dr Todung pointed out the low success rate in Parliament passing bills and said he believed it would take Parliament more than a year to deliberate the draft criminal code.

Putri Kanesia, from Jakarta-based human rights organisation Kontras, said she was pessimistic about the new penal code, given it had been in the pipeline for many years.

In 2007, the Indonesian Constitutional Court upheld the validity of the death penalty, but also recommended that a death-row prisoner who showed rehabilitation after 10 years have their sentence commuted to imprisonment.

The Indonesian President, Mr Joko, again defended the death penalty during a visit to Europe this month, saying Indonesia was at an emergency level in the war against drugs.

Mr Joko's "position on death for drugs is a genuine one" but also boosts his political popularity, says Tim Lindsey, director of Indonesian law, Islam and Society at the University of Melbourne's Law School.

Certainly, the legal team for Chan and Sukumaran saw Mr Joko's stance as pivotal to their failure to succeed in the final weeks of their lives to get Indonesia's Judicial Commission to investigate claims by the duo's former lawyer, Mohammad Rifan, that judges and prosecutors asked for bribes to commute their death sentence to 20 years during their first trial.

The commission, a nominally independent body that examines the probity of judges, refused to summon the Bali Nine pair for interviews even though they were key witnesses to the bribery and had provided statements.

"They admitted it would be really, really hard for them to be interviewed," said one senior member of the Indonesian legal team. "They said the President, the executive, the lawmakers were united in performing the executions. They essentially said it was too bad."

Right up until just hours before their execution, lawyers, eminent Indonesians, diplomats and others were beseeching the chair of the Judicial Commission, Marzuki Supraman, to intervene, to no avail.

"While there are many in civil society and government who oppose executions – even in cabinet – many law enforcement officials, with an eye to promotion, appointment, extension of tenure, now seem reluctant to take a stand against the President's position," said Professor Lindsey.

"Many think this explains the Judicial Commission's shameful reluctance to call on the government to halt the executions of Sukumaran and Chan, at least until they had a chance to give evidence about the allegations of corruption by judges in their original trial – allegations that, if proven, might well have led to them avoiding the firing squad."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/prisoners-on-death-row-in-indonesia-could-be-saved-under-proposed-law-change-20160428-gohesv.html

Police & law enforcement

Cop allegedly makes billions from dealing

Jakarta Post - April 25, 2016

Apriadi Gunawan – Police are urging the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) to resolve a case involving Belawan Police narcotics division chief Adj. Comr. Ichwan Lubis who has been accused of laundering more than Rp 2 billion (US$148,000) obtained from drug dealing.

North Sumatra Police public information division head Adj. Sr. Comr. MP Nainggolan said he believed the BNN was acting professionally in investigating Ichwan and promised the police would not interfere with the investigation until a court reached a verdict.

"Please let the BNN resolve the case. If he [Ichwan] is found guilty, he will definitely face sanctions, but only when a court verdict is reached," Nainggolan told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He admitted many officers of the North Sumatra Police had been dismissed after being proven guilty of being involved in drug cases. "Last year, we fired 10 officers for their involvements in drug cases," he said.

Ichwan was arrested by BNN personnel in Medan on Thursday because of his alleged connections to an international Malaysia-Aceh-Medan syndicate allegedly run by Toni Togi, who has been accused of dealing drugs from inside Lubukpakam Prison in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.

Based on the BNN investigation, Ichwan allegedly received funds amounting to Rp 2.3 billion from suspect Tjun Hin, alias Ahin, who was known as a treasurer for the drug syndicate. Toni was arrested on March 26 inside the prison. Besides Toni, the BNN also apprehended 21 people in connection with the international ring.

The agency also seized 97 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and over 13 kilograms of ecstasy pills that were apparently supplied by a trader, whom police identify only as B, from Malaysia. Toni has been accused of ordering 97 kilograms of meth, 44,849 ecstasy pills and 6,000 "happy five" pills from B in the last four months.

Meanwhile, BNN chief Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso said his officers arrested Ichwan after further investigating the case against Toni. "While developing the case, we found one of the suspects had a relationship with a police officer. We found suspicious transactions between them," Budi said.

Based on the BNN's preliminary investigation, Budi said Ichwan had allegedly asked for Rp 8 billion from Toni, but he said during Ichwan's arrest BNN officers only found Rp 2.3 billion with the suspect. He said his agency would involve police internal affairs to further investigate the suspect. "Ichwan is still being examined at the BNN."

Like at Lubukpakam Prison, the BNN had earlier busted a drug syndicate operating out of Kerobokan Penitentiary, Bali, after it arrested a woman who received drugs in December last year.

A fire destroyed the Malabero state detention center in Bengkulu city, Bengkulu province, on March 27, killing five people who were being detained for alleged involvement in drug crimes.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/25/cop-allegedly-makes-billions-dealing.html

Mining & energy

Explorations down as oil prices remain low

Jakarta Post - April 27, 2016

Fedina S. Sundaryani – Oil and gas companies are increasingly reluctant to keep exploring for new deposits as oil prices remain at an all-time low.

The benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price stood at US$43.01 per barrel on Tuesday afternoon according to figures from Bloomberg, a 24 percent year-on-year decrease from $56.99. Meanwhile, the fellow benchmark Brent Crude recorded a $44.86 per barrel price.

Due to the consistently low prices, companies have started to proceed with caution. Data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry show that 7,281 2D and 3D seismic surveys were conducted last year compared to the 14,414 surveys conducted in 2014.

Furthermore, the same data shows that only 52 exploratory wells were drilled last year resulting in a mere 15 discoveries, compared to 83 wells with 25 discoveries in 2014. The number of wells drilled dropped significantly when compared to the average of 104 wells drilled per year from 2011 to 2013.

Up to 10 exploratory wells were drilled from January to April this year, which produced three discoveries.

The exploration slowdown has not just been limited to a lack of drilling and surveys. Because of a lack of funds, as many as 11 companies have decided this year not to extend contracts that are due to terminate within the decade. Furthermore, only one company has filed for a contract extension by April.

The lack of exploration may lead to national oil and gas production dropping to 1.5 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) within the next decade. The country produced on average 2.3 million boepd in its first quarter this year.

"The decline rate of oil wells in Indonesia is above 20 percent every year," The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's director general for oil and gas, IGN Wiratmaja Puja, said on Tuesday.

However, Wiratmaja confirmed that the ministry was considering several incentives to lure companies into extending their contracts, including the possibility that companies would not have to pay taxes during the exploration period.

"For example, during the exploration period they would not have to pay land and building taxes [PBB], taxes on imported equipment and other similar taxes. Currently, only the PBB has been scrapped," he said.

Furthermore, the ministry is also considering changing the current scheme to a national-based one from a block-based one so that the revenues from what is extracted from one oil or gas field could cover the exploration activities at another.

Decreased exploration will not bode well with the country's growing demand for oil. This year, the national demand has been predicted to reach 1.6 million barrels of oil per day (bopd), far higher than the country's production capacity of only about 800,000 bopd.

The ministry estimated that Indonesia had oil and gas reserves of 7.018 billion stock tank barrels (mmstb) and 148 trillion standard cubic feet (tcf), respectively, in this year's first quarter.

Meanwhile, Total E&P Indonesie acknowledged that it had decided to decrease the number of production and exploratory wells it would drill this year to 36 from last year's 107 as it was currently not economically feasible to drill any more than the targeted figure.

"This year we will continue to drill 36 wells, whereas we drilled 107 wells last year. We are trying to accommodate the current economic situation," Total E&P Indonesie's vice president for corporate communications, human resources and finance, Arividya Noviyanto, said.

The company has also decided to stop production from wells that have been deemed economically unfeasible this year in order to increase efficiency.

Last year, Total E&P produced 69,800 bopd and 1,686 (mmscfd) from its six oil and gas blocks.

Arividya also said that Total E&P Indonesie has decided to relinquish the South Sageri Block to the government and was prepared to pay the fine for dropping out of the contract early as it did not make economic sense to continue. The company stopped exploration activities in the block last year after drilling three wells.

The company has already notified the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) that it would, as well, not extend its contract on the Tengah Block, which is set to expire in 2018.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/27/explorations-down-oil-prices-remain-low.html

Fishing & maritime affairs

Moratorium, ban hit fishermen hard

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

Lita Aruperes – Fifty fish-processing companies in Bitung, North Sulawesi, have sent thousands of workers home following the implementation of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministerial Decrees No. 56 and No. 57/2014 on a moratorium on fishing permits and a ban on transshipments.

North Sulawesi Pajeko Fishermen's Association (Asneko) chair Lucky R. Sariowan said the regulation was a blow to the provincial fisheries industry, with the local unemployment rate rising from 7.27 percent in February 2014 to 8.69 percent in February 2015.

According to Asneko data, 10,502 workers were made redundant in 2014 and 2015, with a concurrent drop in purchasing power of Rp 250 billion (US$18.946 million).

"A pajeko ship of above 30 gross tonnage normally requires a crew of 30. If 10 ships stop operating, then 300 fishermen lose their jobs," Lucky said, referring to a kind of local fishing vessel. He added that the Bitung fishery industry had suffered losses of up to Rp 8.7 trillion in 2015 due to the moratorium and ban.

Besides ship crews, the policy has also caused losses to fisheries employers, who have had to change their previous transshipment patterns and fish production decreased by almost 30 percent in 2015.

A report issued by Bank Indonesia's provincial office showed that the volume of fish traded in North Sulawesi in the third trimester of 2014 was recorded at 5.16 percent, but decreased to 3.21 percent in the same trimester the following year.

Lucky said fisheries employers in the province had difficulties in securing licenses to operate new ships, particularly those of over 30 GT. He criticized the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry for what he deemed an overreaction to the problem of overfishing, citing the ministry's lack of concrete data on fish resources and the fishing industry in Sulawesi and Maluku waters.

"We support the policy, especially on arresting foreign ships stealing fish from our waters, but its impact on local fishermen was not anticipated by the ministry," Lucky said.

He suggested that the ban on fish catching should have been applied only to those fishing illegally, rather than generalized to all domestic fishermen and employers.

"Supervision and surveillance should be tightened through administrative sanctions, but it should be done in a humane way," said Lucky, adding that many fish processing units in Bitung and Manado had also ceased operating.

Provincial councilor Yongkie Limen similarly lambasted the permit moratorium and transshipment ban, claiming it had "paralyzed" the fishery sector in the region. "How can a processing unit operate if it has no fish to process?" asked Yongkie, who has a background in the fisheries business.

He was further upset, he added, to learn Bitung was now forced to import fish from India because of a supply shortage, despite Indonesia always having been a net fish-exporter.

Yongkie said that the ministry's policy had not just affected large-scale industries, but also derivative sectors employing factory workers, fishermen, fishing ship crews, collectors, retailers and workers at fish auction sites, as well as consumers.

Bitung fish port head Frits Penehas Lesnussa declined to comment on the ministry's policy or the situation of the local fishing industry. However, he confirmed the decrease in fish production at Bitung.

Jimrits Lohonauman, 40, a former member of a pajeko crew, said he had had to switch occupation to working at a construction site after being asked by the owner of the fishing ship to stop working for him at the end of 2015.

Switching occupation has led to a decrease in Jimrits' earnings. While previously he was able to take home millions of rupiah a month to support his family through sea-fishing, now he can barely cover his wife and children's basic needs.

"My child is a third-grader at a junior high school now and is preparing to enroll at a senior high school. My wife has to sell cakes and sweet ice at the market in order to get extra money," Jimrits said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/moratorium-ban-hit-fishermen-hard.html

Economy & investment

Indonesian economy needs more time to lick its wounds

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

Prima Wirayani and Stefani Ribka – Indonesia's economy may recover more slowly than expected as the expansion of the manufacturing industry, which the government hopes will propel growth amid low private consumption, remains weak.

Despite posting a stable annual production growth of around 5 percent, the sector saw its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) growth shrink to around 4 percent since 2013 from an average of 6 percent in 2011 and 2012, according to data compiled by DBS Group Research.

Investment growth in machinery and equipment has also been in a negative state over the past three years while capital goods imports fell 35 percent between February 2013 and March this year, indicating a sluggish manufacturing sector.

Indonesia's imports of capital goods, which mostly represent government and private spending, contracted by 18.22 percent year-on-year (yoy) to US$5.3 billion in the first three months of 2016. At the same time, raw material imports dropped by 15.21 percent to $23.5 billion.

In contrast, imports of consumer goods surged by 23.74 percent to $3.14 billion in the first quarter of the year. "We can't continue our dependence on consumption growth as it is now weaker compared to two or three years ago," DBS economist Gundy Cahyadi said on Wednesday.

Consumption growth has showed a downward trend since 2013, reaching a 4.9 percent yoy decrease in last year's fourth quarter, a level unseen since 2011.

Recent surveys by Bank Indonesia (BI) also show that the consumer confidence index stagnated in March after falling to 110 in February from 112.6 in January. Meanwhile, the retail sales index grew 9.9 percent yoy in February, lower than the 12.9 percent recorded in January, and is projected to continue sliding to 9.6 percent in March.

Despite the bleak outlook, consumption remained the main booster of Indonesia's GDP growth in the first quarter of this year as investment was projected to be lower than the previous quarter, Gundy said.

"Private investment growth is not optimal yet," he said, adding that investment expanded by around 4 percent recently, while historically, it had grown by above 8 percent per annum.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that investment growth reached 8.8 percent yoy in 2011. After the period, it slowly moved downward and stood at 4.9 percent last year. However, the growth started to demonstrate an upward trend since last year's third and fourth quarter when it booked 4.6 percent and 6.9 percent growth, respectively, compared to 3.7 percent in the second quarter.

The growth, Gundy said, was not enough yet to push economic growth above 5 percent in the long term, and that no quick recovery would occur, as internal and external risks would remain throughout the year.

DBS forecasts that the Indonesian economy will expand by only 6 percent over the next five years compared to the government's target of 7 percent by 2019.

"The government has to be more active in propping up sentiment in the private sector," Gundy said. He lauded the government's 11 policy packages that aim to boost the sluggish economy, but added that it would take time to see the impacts in the real sector.

Previously, the president director of publicly listed cigarette maker PT HM Sampoerna, Paul Janelle, said the policy packages signaled the government's intention to being open to and encouraging investment. "The 11 packages have had no major impact on our business, but in terms of opening up the economy overall they're good," he said.

Separately, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) regional advisor on ASEAN, Larry Maramis said that the UN recommended Indonesia boost its local demand because global demand was now weak amid the economic slowdown.

"To bolster economic growth, the government will need to strengthen efforts to stimulate domestic demand," he said at the launching of the UN Economic and Social Survey of the Asia and the Pacific 2016 in Jakarta on Thursday.

Larry also emphasized the importance of agricultural productivity as a high percentage of the local workforce were a part of the sector and still lived in poverty. The survey data shows that the agricultural productivity growth rate has been less than 2 percent for the last five years.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/29/indonesian-economy-needs-more-time-lick-its-wounds.html

Jokowi publishes 10 points on ease of doing business

Jakarta Post - April 29, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni – The government has unveiled a 12th economic stimulus policy package containing 10 points aiming to facilitate starting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo said the latest deregulation package aimed to achieve the goal of boosting Indonesia's place in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings from 109th at present to 40th. In the 10 policies, the government has condensed 94 procedures into 49.

"This will help the entire business world, especially SMEs, to start businesses," Jokowi said in Jakarta on Thursday, adding that the time required to start a business had been cut to 132 days from 1,566 days, while the required permits had been cut from nine to six.

Jokowi explained that it had previously taken 13 procedures, 47 days and Rp 6.8 million to Rp 7.8 million to start a business; the government has slashed that to seven procedures, 10 days and Rp 2.7 million.

For construction permits, the government has slashed the process to 14 procedures and 52 days from a previous 17 procedures and 210 days. To register property, investors only need seven days and three procedures, compared with five procedures and 25 days before.

The fourth point concerns tax payments. Currently, taxes are paid manually, in 54 installments. In the latest package, tax payments are brought online, with installments cut to 10.

Regarding contract enforcement, Jokowi said lawsuit settlements had been simplified, with resolution simplified to eight procedures with 28 days.

On electricity, meanwhile, the President said it would take four procedures to subscribe to a new grid for 25 days from a previous five procedures within a period of 80 days.

The government has also cut export-processing time from four and half days to a maximum of three. In addition, the cost of exports, which was previously US$424, will be slashed to $83, Jokowi said.

In terms of resolving insolvency, Jokowi said the cost, previously calculated based on the value of the debtor's assets, would be calculated based on the value of debt (through a negotiation scheme) or on the value of settlement (through a settlement scheme). (ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/28/jokowi-publishes-10-points-on-ease-of-doing-business.html

Moody's warns of corporate foreign debt in Indonesia

Jakarta Post - April 28, 2016

Anton Hermansyah – Rating agency Moody's has given a warning about Indonesian corporate debt, which relies heavily on foreign sources, while choosing not to downgrade the sovereign rating of the country.

Moody's kept the sovereign rating at Baa3 with a stable outlook as government and corporate debts were at 26.8 and 23.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), respectively. The level of government debt is moderate, as the average debt of other countries with the same rating is around 42 percent.

"However, almost half of the debt is denominated in foreign currencies, and overseas investors hold more than 38 percent of local government bonds," managing director Atsi Seth said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Compared to 2010, Indonesian corporate debt to GDP has increased by 11.3 percentage points from 12.4 percent to 23.7 percent, and most of the additional debts were foreign currency denominated.

While the overall leverage remained modest and non-performing loans stand at around 3 percent, Atsi explained, the rising cost of servicing foreign currency-denominated corporate debt and weaker dollar income from commodities had contributed to defaults in recent years.

"Further weakening in the rupiah or slowing in growth could spur defaults and weigh on bank asset quality. For instance, telecommunications company Trikomsel defaulted on a Singapore dollar bond in 2015 as debt servicing requirements ballooned due to the rupiah depreciation," he said.

As for commodity based companies, Atsi continued, the risk of falling commodity prices which affect dollar income had reduced their natural hedge against foreign exchange volatility last year. Thus, coal miner Berau Coal Energy Tbk defaulted, after Bumi Resources Tbk registered a default in 2014. (ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/28/moodys-warns-of-corporate-foreign-debt-in-indonesia.html

BI urges structural reforms to boost growth

Jakarta Post - April 28, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni – Bank Indonesia (BI) has called for structural reforms in the industrial sector to increase the competitiveness of local companies and strengthen downstream business activity.

BI Governor Agus Martowardojo said on Thursday that Indonesia's economy had shown a positive performance last year despite external and domestic challenges, including the drop in commodity prices, hampering the country's commodity-based exports.

"It is essential to maintain macroeconomic stability and sustainable economic growth," Agus said at the publication of the central bank's Indonesian Economic Report 2015.

He urged the government to implement macroeconomic policies – both fiscal and monetary – that were disciplined, prudent, consistent and timely.

Agus said substantial synergies between authorities – be it BI, central and local government, as well as other regulators – should be exploited to support macroeconomic policies.

"We need to encourage a growing population and rising industrial share especially outside of Java and the integration into global value chains," he asserted. The government should continue to strengthen maritime connectivity, promote tourism and improve institutional and human resource capacity, he said.

Agus said the structural reform agenda had yet to extend to food security, energy and water management. He added that coordination among stakeholders was required to improve agricultural productivity and address problems regarding production, distribution, marketing and institutions.

"We welcome the commitment and efforts of the government to maintain food supply, which in our opinion is critical for keeping inflation low and stable."

Agus also said the government needed to increase capacity in the energy sector with regard to the production and reserves of primary energy, the energy mix, and the accessibility and efficient use of energy and electricity. He also requested that fuel subsidies be more transparent and well targeted.

"And related to food and energy, our efforts to strengthen national water security must be combined with the conservation of water resources," he said. He noted, however, that sustainable financing was needed to support these long-term efforts.

"Reforms are needed to improve the availability of long-term funding from domestic and foreign [sources], as well as the deepening of financial markets," Agus explained.

Indonesia's economy is expected to grow by 5.2 to 5.6 percent in 2016 and remain on an upward trend in the medium term, he said. Inflation is projected to be maintained within the target range of 3 – 5 percent for 2016 to 2017 and 3.5 ± 1 percent over the medium term, he added.

"With a better economic structure and more diversified source of growth, the current account deficit is expected to remain subdued at a safe and healthy level," he ended.

The annual Indonesian Economic Report contains comprehensive analysis by the central bank's researchers on the national economy in the year preceding its publication. The report also seeks to deliver lessons learned during that period, which can serve as the foundation for strengthening and improving future policy. (dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/28/bi-urges-structural-reforms-to-boost-growth.html

Analysis & opinion

1965 symposium: Uphill road to truth, rehabilitation

Jakarta Post - April 26, 2016

Galuh Wandita – Last week an extraordinary thing took place in Jakarta. For the first time, survivors of the 1965 atrocities were in the same room with some of Indonesia's highest-ranking generals and officials, talking about what happened.

There were different views: denials of the killings, a refusal to apologize, and pleas to let bygones be bygones (in Javanese, sing wis yo wis). But also in the same space harrowing stories of torture and killings, demands for accountability, and proposals for a way forward were tabled. The symposium was an important first step, but there is much work to be done.

One of the searing questions was how many were killed? Some numbers were bandied about. Eighty thousand, according to an early inquiry mandated by first president Sukarno, but that estimate was based on an investigation in December 1965 as the killings were still ongoing. A retired general said he only saw one dead person during his time as a platoon leader, adding that he believed the estimates of between 1 million and 3 million were exaggerated. Victim's groups in the audience handed over lists of the dead and sites of mass graves. A survivor spoke about the hundreds of bodies she saw in her village. The symposium opened a door to this discussion, in an official setting.

Victims of gross human rights violations have the right to know the truth about what happened. How many were killed, incarcerated without trial and why? Although the People's Consultative Assembly had promised to uphold "the supremacy of the rule of law and human rights based on justice and truth" in the early days of reformation in 1999, there has been little progress.

School books still teach the unreformed historical content recycled from the past. Events and meetings involving survivors of 1965 continue to be closed down, citing security concerns. As the symposium organizers described in the terms of reference, "a thick haze" surrounds the whys and the wherefores; and we still fear even talking about these matters.

However, for many years stalwart survivors and civil society groups have collected the scattered memories of violence, from testimonies to marking mass graves and sites of torture. It is time that the government had the courage to face this painful past and acknowledge that the state itself committed human rights violations on a broad scale against its own citizens.

Let us hope that these violations are a thing of the past, but the only way we can be sure of this is to examine courageously what has happened and to learn from it. Only if this is done can we recognize and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

It is the responsibility of the state to protect its citizens and to repair any harm that is done if it fails to protect them. The state must repair what was broken and in this way repair the relationship with victims and their communities.

I believe this effort will take a long time, even generations. What we are trying to do now will be revised and improved during a long process. But now is the time for the Indonesian government to begin this journey of healing, and no longer be left behind by various efforts already being made by civil society and victims' communities.

Ideologues from the right or left need not be worried. An impartial and systematic reckoning of what took place should take into account testimonies from victims from all sides. It will not be an easy task, nor will it be speedy.

The idea that a "solution" can be provided by next month is misguided. But we need a solid truth-seeking process to be the foundation for our next steps. Because we are already so late in taking on this task, any truth-seeking process must integrate healing for victims.

Sidarto Danusubroto, a senior statesman and member of the President's Advisory Council, was an advisor to the symposium. He closed the event with a moving reflection and a commitment to recommend victims' rehabilitation. Rehabilitasi umum (general rehabilitation) is widely understood as the reinstatement of one's good name, i.e no longer stigmatized as a traitor. This call for rehabilitation has long been a demand from survivors' groups, and a promise made by former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as well as the Supreme Court.

It is an opportune moment to look deeper into the meaning of the right to rehabilitation. Article 14 of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 1974 states that victims of torture have "an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation, including the means for as full rehabilitation as possible."

However, in 2005, the UN Principles on the Right to Remedies and Reparations defined rehabilitation as including "medical and psychological, legal and social services." But more holistic approaches are emerging. The UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women included not only "legal aid, medical and psychological care" but also "steps to heal victims' dignity and reputation". The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that the right to rehabilitation included the right of victims to have "a life plan" to achieve personal fulfillment based on options and guaranteed freedom.

For the 1965 survivors, to rehabilitate their lives requires official acknowledgement of what happened, and an end to the daily repression and intimidation that they still experience. We have before us an opportunity to create a road map, where victims and witnesses can provide their testimonies as part of a nationwide truth-telling process, and are enabled to talk about the impact of these violations.

The state has an obligation to heal the relationship between citizens and the state by facilitating the rebuilding of victims' lives. This will contribute greatly to a future in which every person can live their lives confident that they will not be detained, mistreated or killed without a sound legal basis and a fair trial.

At the end of the symposium, I asked one survivor how she felt. She said, "I see a light. But the road to the light is still long." I can only hope that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is listening with an open heart. We need the type of leadership, shown by the symposium organizers, leadership that is courageous and is not quick to close doors to justice and accountability.

[The writer is the director of Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) and co-convener of the Coalition for Truth and Justice (KKPK).]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/26/1965-symposium-uphill-road-truth-rehabilitation.html

1965 symposium, youth and reconciliation

Jakarta Post - April 23, 2016

Irine Hiraswari Gayatri – Growing up as a teenager in the 1990s was easier than today. You got to listen to high-quality rock bands, pop and other MTV hits that were considered original.

However, I then came to realize, after reading many books and hanging out with friends from different social groups that something was not right about our country.

As a high school graduate I attended a 100-hour class on the state ideology, Pancasila, and its elaboration, Butir-butir P4 (guidelines for the internalization and manifestation of Pancasila). That was my first official engagement with statehood following school ceremonies and weekly flag salutations.

In my first semester at university I asked a lecturer, why do we need those lengthy lessons on Pancasila? He said, "we need to arm ourselves against dangerous ideologies infiltrating [the country], i.e. communism."

Hence, every Oct. 1 the Pancasila Sanctity Day, Hari Kesaktian Pancasila, is celebrated as a totem to remind Indonesians of the ideology's might against communism. What is so sakti (sacred) about Pancasila?

Only after reading the famed novels of Pramoedya Ananta Toer, I discovered huge diversions from the official version about the 1965 failed coup attempt. The 1989 arrest of activist Bonar Tigor Naipospos, aka Coki, of Gadjah Mada University was a story retold among activists. Why was the state fearful of a student distributing copies of books?

We used to live in constant, if not orchestrated, fear. Fear that our culture will be infiltrated by a latent danger. Rene Descartes once said, "If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."

So, I wondered about many things – such as why the 1965 past was not openly talked about, but only among particular groups of students, activists and senior citizens.

My first real encounter with the 1965 issue was during a project I was involved with, documenting stories from survivors of the violence. Initiated by the literary Lontar Foundation in 2000, it collected stories from interviews with senior citizens.

Oral history was the method used to dig into their accounts about the years of 1965 to 1970s, which my team and I learned beforehand in a two-day class in Yogyakarta.

The experience was fascinating. I managed to interview 15 survivors living around South Jakarta. A book of the accounts was published and I was happy to get two copies. Unfortunately, I no longer have the original files, which included my interview with former political prisoner Tedjabayu Sudjojono, the son of the late painter Sudjojono. He was a young student when arrested in Yogyakarta.

Another encounter with the 1965 events came when I joined discussions on a book by the researcher Hermawan Sulistyo, Palu Arit di Ladang Tebu (Hammer and Sickle in the Sugar Cane Field), originally his dissertation from Ohio State University. I learned again that history is not a mono narrative. It involved different actors in particular sequences of time and place, involving various point of views.

I was deeply sympathetic to stories of those families who were torn apart, not knowing the precise cause of why it all happened the way it did.

The stories of misery that I read in these books or heard directly from survivors were real. Their experience of being dehumanized reflected a loss of civilization.

Thus when a friend invited me to help facilitate a workshop with a national coalition to stop violence, the KKPK, with the noted activist Galuh Wandita, of course I agreed. It was an honor. The forum was an initial effort after many trial years to formulate recommendations to the government on how to settle the 1965 issues.

So my appreciation for the National Symposium 1965 of April 18-19 is personal. It was a release, being there as a citizen in a new era of democracy and openness. Freedom of expression was visible. Different views did not matter.

I could not imagine this happening after the long period of secrecy, where opening your mouth about Marxist teachings could send you to a lifetime of exile on Buru Island. It was a happy feeling. I appreciated the hard work of the committee. Of course to expect a concrete follow up from the government after the controversial two-day symposium is unrealistic.

Especially when the new government is still in its early days of consolidation on the one hand, while on the other hand not all parties agreed to the reopening of the 1965 cases – perhaps because of their particular interests, among other reasons.

Indonesia's younger generation need to live their life with a clearer knowledge of their past. Where else can we find the truth if not from our own history?

Disputing parties can reconcile when truth is told, followed by acceptance and letting go of the past.

Recognition that once not too long ago a massacre took place in this country can give one better understanding on why the youth today still need to understand the Pancasila, but for a different reason. No longer is it to merely memorize magical "anticommunist" creeds – but to uphold, as the Pancasila's second point says, "kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab", a just and civilized humanity.

[The writer is a researcher at the Center for Political Studies at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/04/23/1965-symposium-youth-and-reconciliation.html