Victor Mambor, Jayapura – After officers broke up demonstrations and detained scores of protesters, police in eastern Indonesia's Papua and West Papua provinces said Tuesday they would prevent pro-independence activists from rallying again.

"Their aspiration is for Papua independence. [W]e told them that we will never accommodate that kind of aspiration," Jeremias Rontini, the superintendent of police in the Papuan capital Jayapura, told BenarNews, adding that his officers would block locals from holding future rallies for independence from Indonesia.

Laurenzus Kadepa, a local lawmaker and member of the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP) who attended peaceful rallies organized in the region by the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), said demonstrators should be allowed to voice their support for Papuan independence.

On Tuesday, police reportedly prevented a crowd from marching from a local housing complex to the DPRP. "Police should know that DPRP belongs to the people, a home for everybody without exception," Laurenzus told BenarNews.

As many as 336 demonstrators were detained in Sentani and Wamena – two towns in Papua – as well as in Manado, in North Sulawesi province, while demonstrating in favor of the release of political prisoners in Papua, the Associated Press reported.

A low-level secessionist movement has simmered in Papua and West Papua, Indonesia's easternmost provinces, which are among its poorest and least developed and which became part of Indonesia in 1969.

On May 2, some 1,700 supporters of the West Papua National Committee were arrested while taking part in pro-independence rallies at several locations in Papua. They were released after being questioned by police.

These demonstrations were broken up although Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had pledged to solve human rights abuses allegedly carried out in the region by the Indonesian security services and to bring prosperity to the people of Papua.

Since he took office in October 2014, Jokowi has made multiple visits to Papua and ordered the release of some political prisoners.

Blocked

According to Ones Suhuniap, the general secretary of the KNPB, police on Tuesday arrested some of its members for planning peaceful demonstrations to support the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP).

"Police blocked us in a housing complex in Waena. There were five military trucks and three military patrol cars. Also, there were 15 police trucks and five police cars. Around 100 police and mobile brigade blocked our way to demonstrate," Ones told BenarNews.

Police arrested 33 KNPB members in Sentani, a town near Jayapura, before the rally began, he said. "Around 61 people were arrested in Wamena. Some of them were arrested yesterday, when they distributed fliers informing about the rally," Ones said.

In Jakarta, the director of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute claimed that police had denied organizers of the KNPB rallied permits for staging them.

"Police's decision not to give permit for a peaceful rally is uncommon. This proves that police or government discriminate against Papuans," Alghiffari Aqsa told BenarNews, adding that Indonesia's constitution guaranteed the right of people to associate, to organize and to express opinions.

Source: http://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/papua-rallies-05312016171145.html

Indonesia detains protesters in insurgency-hit Papua

Agence France Presse - May 31, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesian police briefly detained hundreds of pro-independence demonstrators in Papua on Tuesday, the latest round-up of protesters in the insurgency-hit eastern region.

Police said demonstrators staged rallies calling for the release of political prisoners and for an organisation representing Papuan resistance groups to be given full membership of a regional trade and security body.

A low-level insurgency has simmered for decades in resource-rich Papua, with Jakarta keeping a tight grip on the region through a heavy military and police presence.

Papua police chief Paulus Waterpauw said that around 300 people, some in traditional tribal dress, were briefly detained as they were demonstrating in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, and several other cities without a permit.

"These people were supporting groups who demand Papuan independence, and they did not have permits to stage a protest," he told AFP. He said the demonstrators were rounded up and addressed by police and local politicians before being released.

Victor Yeimo, from pro-independence youth group the West Papua National Committee, said that the demonstrators had requested a permit to stage a protest but police refused. "This is a peaceful act and the right to express our opinions is protected by law – why do the police always try to stop us?" he said.

Earlier this month 1,200 pro-independence demonstrators were briefly detained in Papua to stop rallies planned to mark the anniversary of Indonesia taking control of the region from former colonial power the Netherlands in 1963.

Tuesday's demonstrators were calling for the release of dozens of Papuan separatists jailed for committing treason for acts such as raising the pro-independence "Morning Star" flag and taking part in anti-government protests.

They were also demanding that the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) – an umbrella body representing resistance groups in the Papua – be given full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), a trade and security body. Indonesia last year joined the group as an associate member, but the ULMWP was only given observer status.

Insurgents are fighting on behalf of the mostly ethnic Melanesian population, whose livelihoods President Joko Widodo has pledged to improve.

Source: https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/31733801/indonesia-detains-protesters-in-insurgency-hit-papua/

More mass demos in West Papua

Radio New Zealand International - May 31, 2016

There have been more demonstrations in Indonesia's Papua region today, in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

Over a thousand demonstrators gathered in the Papua provincial capital Jayapura to express their support for the Liberation Movement and its bid for full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

In the past month and a half there's been a series of large, peaceful demonstrations in most Papuan urban centres in support of the Liberation Movement. The largest and most widespread demonstrations occurred on May 2nd when police arrested around two thousand people in Jayapura alone.

The demos have mainly been organised by the West Papua National Committee which is part of the Liberation Movement.

Today's demonstrations also included large gatherings in Manokwari, Fakfak and Wamena, one of Papua's major Highlands towns. Initial reports from Wamena indicate a large police and military forces presence, with police shooting two demonstrators.

Local people have reported that they had no access to Wamena hospital as the security forces have blocked it off. Police reported that a Papuan who has been on their wanted list, Kelenak Telenggen, was one of the people shot.

Back in Jayapura, police stopped the demonstration moving from Waena to Abepura while in nearby Sentani they detained 33 members of the West Papua National Committee.

Earlier, BBC Indonesia reported that a hundred West Papuans had been arrested in Jayapura and Wamena in the past few days for handing out flyers calling for people to join today's demonstrations.

As well as showing support for the Liberation Movement's MSG membership, the demonstrations have been another clear expression of independence aspirations among West Papuans.

However, a police spokesman indicated that security forces would not tolerate freedom of expression in public where it involved promoting the idea of independence for Papua.

University turmoil

Staff at Papua's Cenderawasih University are reportedly striking over a continued blockade of the campus at Abepura.

The Jakarta Post quotes the university director, Onesimus Sahuleka, as saying the strike is a protest against the students who have been frequently blocking the campus.

The students are demanding that the campus extend the enrolment period and ensure that 80 percent of the places available are assigned to Papuans.

He praised the students' aspirations but urged them to not disturb teaching and learning activities at the campus. Onesimus said the enrolment period could not be extended because registration happens online and across Indonesia.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/305303/more-mass-demos-in-west-papua

Indon police begin another crackdown on KNPB activists ahead of May 31 mobilisations

West Papua Media - May 30, 2016

Indonesian police have arrested scores of West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat) members around Papua on May 30, as Papuan civil society is gearing up for a day a mass mobilizations to sustain pressure brought on by the massive May 3 rallies, where Indonesian security forces beat hundreds of people and arrested close to 2300 people.

KNPB members across Papua were handing out pamphlets calling on West Papuan society to rally on May 31 for international mediation to allow West Papuans to exercise their universal human rights of Self-Determination, long denied by Indonesia.

The May 31 rally will also be demonstrating Papuan support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) bid for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, which was due to meet in Port Moresby this week, but the meeting has been postponed.

In Jayapura, 24 KNPB members were arrested at 1250pm outside the office of Papua Province Governor Lukas Enembe, at Dock 2 Jayapura whilst handing out flyers. Together with the Chairman KNPB (Numbay Area), Mr. Calvin Wenda and the Chief Diplomatic Commissioner from KNPB's Central Committee, Mr. Cobabe Waninbo, they were taken and held at Jayapura Police headquarters.

At time of writing, no response had occurred to WPM attempts to contact Jayapura police regarding charges or time of release.

According to KNPB sources, Police have alleged that the leaflets contain subversive material, and all gatherings of KNPB members are illegal as the organisation is forbidden from registration as a legal by a Jakarta mandate, despite the rights allegedly afforded to Papuan people under the long since abandoned "Special Autonomy" provisions, and guaranteed to all other Indonesian citizens.

Riot Police belonging to the Dalmas public order unit at 1420 swooped on the Yapis bus stop outside Abepura, and arrested all 34 KNPB Members handing out the allegedly subversive leaflets, confiscating them as well as personal possessions.

In Wamena, several KNPB activist were chased, arrested and beaten by Indonesian police for handing out the flyers outside the KNPB Baliem office, activists had just begun leafletting for the May 31 mobilisation when Brimob police swooped and captured 21 of the KNPB activists.

Their names are as follows: Warpo Sampari Wetipo, Hasan Kogoya, Marta Haluk, Mardi Heluka, Hery Kosay, Firdaus Hilapok, Paska Iyaba, Marsel Marian, Melianus Kosay, Hiron Hiluka, Yufry Kogoya, Pilemon Meaga, Domy Meaga, Manu Wuka, Martinus Wamu, Deminus Qantik, Ardis Wilil, Nuber Surabut, Mely Wantik, Asa Asso and Yulius Towolom.

Earlier, Three KNPB activists – Darpinus Bayage, Ison Bahabol and Amiter Bahabol – were arrested for leafletting the same flyers at 1025am in Dekai town, Yahukimo, outside the local Bupati (Regent's) office.

According to witnesses of the arrest, interviewed by a WPM stringer, the three KNPB activists were beaten as they were taken to the paddy wagon, and the witnesses reported that they believed the detainees were being "even more severely beaten once the got taken away in the vehicle.

At time of writing, the three were still being detained at the Yakuhimo police station.

A KNPB source in Yahukimo, Marten Suhun, said "despite intimidation and torture happening in Yahukimo, but we KNPB will stay out on the streets (on May 31) according to the (KNPB) national agenda."

Source: http://westpapuamedia.info/2016/05/30/indon-police-begin-another-crackdown-on-knpb-activists-ahead-of-may-31-mobilisations/

West Papua activist testing PNG PM's invitation

Radio New Zealand International - May 30, 2016

A prominent West Papua independence activist is calling on Papua New Guinea's prime minister to extend his invitation to all West Papuans to him.

Peter O'Neill has spoken of the need to speak out about human rights abuses in neighbouring Indonesian territory, and last week told a radio talkback programme that West Papuans are welcome in PNG.

But Benny Wenda, who lives in exile in the United Kingdom, has been denied entry into PNG twice in the last year.

Mr Wenda, who is the spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, said he was trying to apply for a visa to enter PNG to attend an upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group summit.

His movement gained observer status in the MSG last year, and Mr Wenda said he hoped to be able to attend.

"They don't really give a reason [about] why they try to stop me, but I hope they will allow me again because I'm officially a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and I'm officially the spokesperson for the United Liberation Movement."

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/305155/west-papua-activist-testing-png-pm's-invitation

West Papuan leader's barred entry ordered from the 'top'

Radio New Zealand International - May 30, 2016

The secretary-general of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua says he was given no explanation why he was barred from entering Papua New Guinea.

Secretary general Octo Mote was travelling to Port Moresby to assist the Vanuatu and Solomon Islands governments in their representations on West Papua at the African, Carribean and Pacific summit this week.

He had also been preparing for an upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group meeting to deliberate on the Liberation Movement's bid for full MSG membership.

Mr Mote, who has a US passport, said that the two immigration officers who disallowed his entry were respectful but gave no explanation.

"These two gentlemen were just saying this is the order from high top. So I really don't know why they stop me there. I've been in and out so many times to Papua New Guinea, and I'm possessing all the legal process which is on-arrival visa."

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/305209/west-papuan-leader's-barred-entry-ordered-from-the-top

Dozens arrested in Papua ahead of fresh demos

Radio New Zealand International - May 29, 2016

Dozens of members of the West Papua National Committee, or KNPB, have been arrested by Indonesian police in Papua province.

Up to 51 KNPB members were reportedly taken into custody by police in Jayapura and Sentani yesterday for organising new demonstrations in the region.

In the past month and a half there's been a series of large, peaceful demonstrations in most Papuan urban centres in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua and its bid to become a full member in the Melanesian Spearhead Group. West Papuans demonstrate in Jayapura, 16 April 2016.

Earlier this month, during a day of demonstrations, police arrested around 1700 Papuans.

The KNPB is one of the main representative groups which formed the Liberation Movement, and is seen as a prime domestic target by Indonesian authorities opposed to the Movement.

More mass demonstrations are planned for Tuesday, ahead of the MSG leaders summit due to be held in neighbouring Papua New Guinea in June, when a decision on the West Papuan full membership bid is expected to be made.

Human rights advocates in Papua have expressed concern for the wellbeing of the KNPB activists while in custody.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/305122/dozens-arrested-in-papua-ahead-of-fresh-demos

Lecturers strike as students blockade campus

Jakarta Post - May 29, 2016

Jayapura – The blockading of the campus of Cenderawasih University in Waena, Abepura Jayapura, Papua, from Monday to Thursday by its students has resulted in a strike by its 615 lecturers and 321 administrative employees.

"The strike is a protest against the students who have been frequently blocking the campus," said university rector Onesimus Sahuleka on Friday, explaining that the students had been blocking the campus at least twice a month.

Onesimus welcomed students' aspirations but encouraged them not to express them by disturbing the teaching and learning activities at the campus.

The blocking of the campus was held to demand the campus prolong the enrolment period and to give 80 percent of its available seats to Papuans.

"I cannot extend the enrolment period because the registration was conducted online and nationwide," Onesimus said. He added that the university had also been prioritizing Papuans. Last year, he said, of the new students accepted, 79 percent were Papuans and the remaining 21 percent were outsiders.

During the protest on Thursday, a lecturer, John Kawatu, of the university's school of teacher training (FKIP) was injured as protesters pelted his car with stones.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/islands-focus-lecturers-strike-students-blockade-campus.html

Government will not revise autonomy in Papua

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – The Papua provincial administration may find it hard to wrest full control over Indonesia's easternmost province as the central government has refused to amend Law No. 21/2001 on Papua Special Autonomy. The law has been deemed by some to be ineffective in improving the welfare of Papuans.

The Home Ministry's regional autonomy directorate general, Soni Sumarsono, said on Friday the government, along with the Papua administration, should first focus on issuing supporting instruments for the law, such as the Special Regional Regulations (Perdasus), which will stipulate implementation mechanisms for the law.

"The law isn't perfect, that's why we need to arrange the Perdasus. How can we revise a law when it has yet to accommodate any comprehensive instruments for implementation?" Soni asked.

Besides focusing on arranging the instruments, Soni added that the government would try to improve the quality of human resources in Papua.

Currently, the government has sent around 2,500 Papuans to Java to study at numerous universities and high schools. They are expected to go back to their province after finishing their studies to help improve local welfare.

This response follows a demand from the Papua administration to revise the region's autonomy law to become the Papua Administration Law, which would grant the regional authorities full power and control over the resource-rich region.

Under the grand design of the draft revision, which was drafted by the Papua and West Papua administrations, the Papua Legislative Council (DPRD), the Papuan People's Council (MRP), and academics in Papua, local administrations will have the right to share ownership of all economic resources, including mines, plantations, fisheries, maritime industries, the trading sector, tourism and investment.

Also in the draft, local administrations will have the political authority to arrange their own flags, symbols, hymns and law enforcement authorities.

"We don't aim to drive Papua to separatism or to make it an independent country, we only want to manage our natural resources on our own for the sake of the welfare of the Papuan people, so that we can feed the poor and improve education," MRP chairman Timotius Murib said.

Papua has huge reserves of oil, gas and missing minerals, but has suffered from unchecked exploitation that has changed the natural landscape and affected local livelihoods.

The province is also corrupt. In 2015, the Jakarta Corruption Court indicted its former governor, Barnabas Suebu, for graft in the construction of a hydro power plant on the Mamberamo River in which the state recorded a loss of Rp 43 billion (US$3.1 million).

International relations analyst Adriana Elisabeth from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said a revision to the law was not needed. She argued that the government should first evaluate and review whether the implementation of the current law was effective.

"Both sides, actually, have shown inconsistency toward the law. The government doesn't evaluate it regularly, while the two provincial administrations do not give clear reports on the use of their annual budget," Adriana said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/government-will-not-revise-autonomy-papua.html

Indonesia will never allow West Papua referendum: Expert

Pina - May 26, 2016

Adam Boland, Pasifik News – Indonesia is unlikely to ever allow the people of West Papua another referendum on independence, according to a leading expert on the region.

"The TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces) has made very clear it will not allow it, and no president has sufficient political will or capital to push it that hard," says Damien Kingsbury, Professor of International Politics at Deakin University in Melbourne.

Activists want the United Nations to pass a resolution for an internationally supervised vote for independence. But Professor Kingsbury told Pasifik News, the UN Security Council would be unlikely to authorise a referendum without Indonesia's agreement.

Does that mean all is lost for the independence movement? Not according to Tess Newton Cain, political analyst from the Vanuatu-based TNC Consulting.

"We need to look at what the movement has been able to achieve in recent years in terms of raising the profile of this issue not just in our region but across the world," she says.

Dr Newton Cain points to an active social media campaign that has put the issue of human rights violations in West Papua on the world stage. That's also led to influential politicians, like Britain's Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn, from backing independence.

"It's about a political strategy that brings to worldwide recognition the plight of the people of West Papua, forces it onto a political agenda and forces it to the UN," Mr Corbyn said last month.

There is support too from the Australian Greens. "The UN has said the West Papuan people risk extinction if human rights violations in the country continue, but their suffering is being ignored by the Australian Government," says Greens leader Richard Di Natale. Australia, like many countries in the world, recognises Indonesia's sovereignty.

One country that doesn't is Vanuatu, which is leading the charge for the United Liberation Movement of West Papua to be given full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

"Momentum is growing for that to happen," says Professor Kingsbury, "but Indonesia is using its considerable influence to stop full membership and hence recognition. It will be difficult for West Papua to gain full membership, not least because it cannot claim sovereign status."

Source: http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=19623339765747c4f28c7601bb7278

Papuans reject Jakarta statement

Vanuatu Daily Post - May 26, 2016

Len GaraeWest – Papuan Leaders, through the Vanuatu Free West Papua Association in Port Vila, have rejected the Indonesian government's statement against the Prime Minister of the Solomons, Manasseh Sogavare as a blunt lie.

Jakarta through Antara news agency said it was not true what Prime Minister Sogovare said that the Indonesian government was interested to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group for its own interests "rather than seeking to be involved in dialogue about serious human rights abuses in West Papua".

Responding to PM Sogavare's statement, Indonesia's Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa, Desra Percaya, made it clear that the statement was against the principles of sovereignty and non-interference as included in the agreement for the establishment of MSG in 2007.

Percaya stressed that as the world's third biggest democracy, Indonesia considers respect for human rights an important principle.

Meanwhile as late as on last Saturday on May 21, West Papua's social media network sent in shocking pictures of Christian church burning in Lany Jaya Regency, Wamena, in Highlands of West Papua.

If the pictures are not examples of human rights abuses allegedly by Indonesian authorities against West Papuans to worship in their churches, then a totally new phrase has to be invented to define the burning of these places of worship.

The network says these are examples of scores of human rights abuses that continue unabated in West Papua despite an international assurance by Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo, that the situation on the ground in West Papua was improving.

In the latest development, a new sense of urgency is blowing in the wind with an increasing international pressure for West Papua to be debated by the United Nations, while the spokesman of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), Sebby Sambom and Major General Terrianus Satto have spent a week in Port Vila and are boarding a flight out of Port Vila back to their home today.

Both men had also attended the all West Papua Reconciliation Conference in Port Vila which gave birth to the United Liberation Movement of West Papua in 2014. However this is the first time for them to return on their own.

In an exclusive interview, they described their first such visit as satisfying after holding talks with senior representatives of the Free West Papua Association, Chairman of the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs, Chief Seni Mao Tirsupe and the Vanuatu Christian Council.

They wish to thank all Leaders of MSG and their people for their solidarity towards ULMWP. They leave behind the following points for the Leaders of MSG as they prepare to attend their Summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from May 29 to June 1.

- Indonesia cannot be a part of MSG. Geographically speaking, Indonesians are a different race and do not understand and feel what it means to be Melanesian.

- Call on Fiji and PNG politicians not to be swayed by [alleged] bribery.

- Stop Nick Meset and Albert Yoku from entering MSG member countries as they are [allegedly] paid by Jakarta as tools to lobby in favour of Indonesia. They are now in Fiji in the lead up to the MSG Leaders meeting in Port Moresby.

- West Papuans are dying, Melanesian Governments are urged to act now to help. After 54 years of suffering, West Papuans beg to be freed to enjoy their God-given freedom the way other Melanesian countries enjoy theirs.

- We plead for UN intervention as soon as possible as its former leaders were partly responsible for the very start of our suffering by recognizing Indonesia's so called 'act of free choice' in 1961.

- We call on MSG to provide full membership of West Papua to its sub regional organisation because we are part of Melanesia through the Melanesian race.

- May God work through our Melanesian Leaders to grant West Papua full membership to MSG. Approximately 500,000 West Papua Melanesians have died for the same freedom that you our wantoks are enjoying, perhaps without realizing that for us West Papuans, it is the most valuable commodity that now our young people are dying for.

Meanwhile, yesterday the Jakarta Post, Indonesia's daily English language newspaper reported that to resolve human rights cases in Papua, the biggest challenge for the government comes from the police and military, activists say, citing that both institutions are alleged to have been involved as perpetrators.

"It has been a major problem for us, because the state – especially the police and the military – is [allegedly] involved in those cases," said Feri Kusuma, the impunity monitoring division head of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), on Monday.

According to a report released by Komnas HAM (The National Commission on Human Rights – an independent institution in Indonesia) in March, rampant human rights violations occurred in Papua during the first year of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration, which started in 2014, including the arrest, torture and murder of at least 700 civilians, Jakarta Post reported. Cited cases include shootings in Yahukimo, Dogiyai, Tolikara and Timika regency, the newspaper said.

It further reported that Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan recently said that the government would resolve 12 human rights cases in Papua by the end of this year, cooperating with both the National Police and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

Feri, however, told the Jakarta Post that the government are likely to face serious problems, internally, because many people from the police and the military now serve as government officials. "People [from those institutions] have considerable authority. This is our biggest challenge," he added.

Source: http://dailypost.vu/news/papuans-reject-jakarta-statement/article_50dc4e2c-d0fe-5bad-ae5b-9befb0b66716.html

Jakarta has something to hide, says Wenda

Radio New Zealand International - May 25, 2016

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua claims Indonesia is paranoid about regional efforts to seek accurate information regarding Papua region.

This follows claims by the Melanesian Speahead Group chairman, Manasseh Sogavare, that Jakarta has failed to respond to requests by the MSG and the Pacific Islands Forum for dialogue about the situation in Papua. Indonesian officials said Jakarta was keeping Pacific governments informed.

But the Liberation Movement's spokesman, Benny Wenda, is concerned that some Pacific governments are being misled by Jakarta. He said extensive ground reports from Papua indicated ongoing rampant human rights abuses.

"So all this testimony, all these witness accounts that we presented to all the Melanesian leaders or the Pacific is real, and we have a lot of evidence. So that's why Indonesia is worried if Sogavare calling for the engaged dialogue and they always saying oh there's no problem in West Papua, this is internal problem we're dealing with. But actually something, they hide."

The Liberation Movement was granted observer status at the MSG last year and is applying for full membership in the group alongside Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia's FLNKS movement.

The matter is expected to be decided on at an upcoming MSG leaders summit in Port Moresby within the next month. However, Indonesia, which was given associate members status at the MSG last year, is also seeking full membership in the sub-regional organisation.

Indonesian officials told media that PNG and Fiji were supportive of Jakarta's bid. However recent comments from the governments of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu indicate frustration that since being involved in the MSG, Jakarta had not acted in good faith about addressing concerns over West Papua.

As such, Vanuatu's prime minister Charlot Salwai suggested Indonesia be stripped of its membership in the group.

'Zero trust'

The frustrations in the MSG reflect sentiment among West Papuan leaders – both Papua-based and exiled leaders. Benny Wenda said that after five decades of mistreatment, Papuans have zero trust in Jakarta.

"Never trust Indonesia," he said. "Even Indonesia look at West Papua as a colony and they treated West Papuans as second class citizens, they also never trust West Papua. So that's why our aim is to be free from Indonesia. And then one day we can work together because we are close neighbours."

Benny Wenda said West Papuans recognised the need to take their self-determination aspirations to a higher level. He described the recent declaration in London by the International Parliamentarians for West Papua for an internationally-supervised vote in Papua as an important breakthrough.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/304759/jakarta-has-something-to-hide,-says-wenda

MSG chair reminds Jakarta about decolonisation

Radio New Zealand International - May 25, 2016

The chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group has defended his criticism of Indonesia over its alleged failure to engage with the region over West Papua.

Manasseh Sogavare, who is also Solomon Islands Prime Minister, recently claimed that Indonesia joined the MSG for the purpose of protecting its own interests, rather than discussing human rights in West Papua.

It drew a sharp rebuke from Jakarta where the Director General for Asia, Pacific and Africa, Desra Percaya, said Mr Sogavare's claims were not based on reality. He also said Mr Sogavare's statements violated the basic principles of sovereignty and non-interference, as contained in the MSG Establishing Agreement.

However the MSG Chair's Special Envoy on West Papua, Rex Stephen Horoi, said the chair would like to remind Jakarta that one of the key overarching principles of the group is the principle of decolonisation of Melanesia.

"This is a fundamental principle that binds the Melanesian countries and all MSG members together," he said. "In this principle, MSG stands for its defense and promotion of independence as the inalienable right of indigenous peoples of Melanesia."

Mr Sogavare also sought to remind Jakatra that the United Liberation Movement for West Papua was also a part of the MSG, with observer status.

He claimed the refusal of Indonesia's government so far to discuss West Papua with him showcases Jakarta's intention of not engaging in dialogue about the serious allegations of human rights issues.

The MSG chair has reiterated his offer to the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, to discuss matters of common interest within the space provided by the MSG.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/304725/msg-chair-reminds-jakarta-about-decolonisation

West Papua report given to Ban ki Moon at Humanitarian Summit

Pina - May 25, 2016

Turkey – UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon has been presented with the West Papua Fact Finding Mission Report titled "We Will Lose Everything" by PIANGO's executive director, Emele Duituturaga.

Duituturaga presented the report to Ban Ki Moon during day two of the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey. The report was received by the assistant Secretary General.

Duituturaga who captured the handing over in a photograph said she was privileged to have had a brief exchange with Ban at the end of the summit.

The handover comes after Duituturaga addressed the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) plenary on day one calling for United Nations intervention on human rights violations in West Papua.

"PIANGO strongly advocates human-rights based approaches and we commit to upholding norms that safeguard humanity, specifically in relation to speaking out on violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws," she said.

"In the Pacific, we have our share of conflict induced humanitarian challenges. We applaud the closing of the Manus Refugee camp in Papua New Guinea, we are concerned about the conflicts at the Nauru detention centre and we call for UN intervention for human rights violations in West Papua."

"As a leading civil society organisation, the Pacific Islands Association for Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO), representing NGOs in 21 Pacific Islands Countries and Territories, is committed to this Agenda for Humanity."

"In the Pacific where 80% of our population are rural based, the first and the last response is always the local response and so we need to reinforce local leadership, strengthen community resilience and reprioritise localisation of aid."

She said while governments remain the driver at the national level, community engagement is the lever. "PIANGO is committed to facilitate effective coordination of local and national civil society organisations with the complimentary role of international NGOs."

"We also expect our leaders to match the ambition of this agenda with national and regional strategies and accountability mechanisms for inclusive and participatory implementation, bringing all stakeholders together and at all levels – to include government, civil society, private sector, academics, parliamentarians, local authorities, faith communities and UN agencies."

The summit which had 9000 participants from 173 states, including 55 heads of state, hundreds of private sector representatives and thousands of people from civil society and non-governmental organisations ended Wednesday. (Piango/Pacnews)

Source: http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=199021449657465e2adfcf9e34a8bb

Papua transmigration programme denied

Radio New Zealand International - May 24, 2016

The official transmigration programme is not active anymore in Papua region, according to an Indonesian government official.

Transmigration is the relocation of people from crowded parts of Indonesia to more sparsely-populated regions of the republic like Papua, the easternmost province bordering Papua New Guinea.

Papua's provincial Governor, Lukas Enembe, recently spoke out about the devastation which "transmigrasi" continued to inflict on his people, culturally, economically and demographically. But Atmadji Sumarkidjo, from Indonesia's Ministry of Politics, Legal and Security affairs, said that Indonesians were migrating to Papua of their own volition, in search of opportunity. He said it was no longer a state-sponsored programme.

"We are not continue those programmes that belong to the past governments, previous governments," said Mr Sumarkidjo. "Now we like to give more challenges to the local people to develop themselves. So we already stop the transmigration programme."

Mr Sumarkidjo said that in the last five years, Jakarta had spent almost US$20 billion to develop Papua region. He said there were problems that still need addressing in Papua, but that the funds from central government were intended to have an impact among Papuan grassroots communities.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/304628/papua-transmigration-programme-denied

Human rights & justice

Soeharto not worthy of national hero title, say rights activists

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Human rights activists are opposed to naming late dictator Soeharto a national hero and have urged the government to reject the idea, given the late president's track record of alleged human rights abuses and corruption.

Maria Catarina Sumarsih, 64, a human rights activist whose son Bernardus Realino Norma Irawan died in the first Semanggi tragedy in 1998, said there would be more losses than benefits for the country in naming Soeharto a national hero.

By doing so, the current government would endorse the military authoritarianism that Soeharto upheld during his administration, which resulted in violence and led to the disappearance and death of many victims, Sumarsih said. She urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widowo to firmly reject the notion.

"I don't accept if an actor in my son's murder is given a hero title. He [Soeharto] was involved in several human rights abuse cases and my son was one of the victims," she said during a press conference at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on Tuesday.

Soeharto, who was in power for 32 years, and his cronies turned a blind eye to cases of human rights violations, said Kontras activist Feri Kusuma.

"He contributed to the development [of the country], but all of his actions that violated the law smeared the merit [of his achievements]," Feri said, adding that giving such a title to Soeharto would discredit existing national heroes who had made worthy contributions to the nation.

Army general Soeharto was allegedly involved in several human rights abuses such as the Tanjung Priok massacre in early 1984, the 1989 Talangsari incident in Lampung, as well as the May 1998 riots between citizens and the military that resulted in many deaths and injuries.

Soeharto ordered a serious of mysterious shootings between 1982 and 1985, known as Petrus, which reportedly killed about 2,000 people across the country, with the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police deemed responsible for the killings, according to reports by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in 2012.

Despite mounting calls to put Soeharto on trial after the 1998 Reform Era, charges implicating the former president remained unsolved until his death in 2008.

Former Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie announced the party's plan to propose Soeharto's nomination as a national hero during an extraordinary national meeting of the country's oldest political party in Bali last week.

The idea of giving the title to Soeharto also arose in 2010 when his name appeared on a list of national hero nominees from Central Java, selected by the Social Affairs Ministry.

Kontras' impunity watch and fulfilment of victims' rights division head Yanti Andriani said the organization had sent a letter to the government calling for it to cancel the nomination.

However, as officials had not responded to the letter, Kontras assumed they were waiting for the right time to name Soeharto a national hero as in accordance with their original plan, Yanti said.

Kontras intends to send another letter to the government and to Golkar this week to continue urging parties that support Soeharto's nomination to carefully consider past human rights abuses and the ongoing effects of such crimes. "If [Soeharto] is named a hero, it's the same as the supporters wanting to betray the ambitions of reform," Yanti said. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/soeharto-not-worthy-of-national-hero-title-say-rights-activists.html

'Soeharto is the hero of what?'

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Jakarta – A father of a kidnapped pro-democracy activist during the country's turbulent 1997-1998 period under the dictatorship of Soeharto strongly demands the government reject proposals to name the former president as a national hero.

Paian Siahhan, whose missing son was activist Ucok Munandar Siahaan and was allegedly kidnapped for opposing the New Order regime, said Soeharto did not fulfill the criteria to be bestowed such a title.

"Soeharto is the hero of what? A hero does not hurt the people, [but] protects them. What kind of hero is he? It's very contradicting," said Paian on Tuesday as quoted by Kompas.com

Paian underlined that the kidnapping cases that included his son occurred when Soeharto was in power, and consequently holds the former president as the most responsible for his son's disappearance.

Paian has become one of many civilians and rights activist groups who have asked incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to reject the proposal to officially name Soeharto a hero.

Paian said this call was in respect to the investigation results from the National Commission on Human Rights that had revealed Soeharto's involment in a series of human rights violations during his regime.

In relation to the 1997 to 1998 period, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) had listed the forced disappearances of 23 people as being associated with the government at the time.

From the total number, one person Leonardus Gilang was found dead, nine others had been released, while the whereabouts of the other 13 people remains unknown.

The 13 missing people are Abdun Nasser, Dedi Hamdun, Hendra Hambali, Herman Hendrawan, Ismail, Noval Al Katiri, Petrus Bima Anugrah, Sonny, Suyat, Ucok Munandar Siahaan, Wiji Thukul, Yadin Muhidin dan Yani Afri.

The kidnapping of activists in 1997-1998 is closely tied to the lead up of the 1997 elections and the 1998 People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) General Session, which at the time replacement of Soeharto was being discussed.

Pro-democracy activists and civilians suspected of opposing Soeharto, who was in power for 32 years, allegedly became victims of kidnappings and forced disappearances.

Despite mounting calls to put the former president on trial after the 1998 political reforms, charges implicating Soeharto remained unsolved until his death in 2008. (liz/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/soeharto-is-the-hero-of-what.html

1965 anti-communist purge

Retired generals to hold anti-communist symposium

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2016

Jakarta – Ideological tensions may heat up as some retired Army generals have organized an anti-communist symposium for Wednesday in response to an event in April when participants discussed the deadly 1965 purge and possible reconciliation.

At least 300 retired generals and members of mass organizations will gather at the event called "Protecting Pancasila from Threats of the Indonesian Communist Party [PKI] and Other Ideologies" on Wednesday and Thursday.

"The outcomes from the April symposium have run counter to what we expected as a way to shed light for national reconciliation," symposium coordinator Kiki Syahnakri told a press conference on Monday.

"Using a historical approach is not the correct way to address everything related to the PKI, because it contains lots of versions that will only confuse the public who want the truth to be revealed," he said, referring to the April event entitled "Dissecting the Tragedy of 1965: A Historical Approach".

Kiki added that the two-day symposium, spearheaded by the Association of Indonesia Army Retirees (PPAD), was meant to protect the nation's younger generations from threats by "PKI leftovers" that would possibly hinder the country from moving forward, especially when the government is concentrating on developing infrastructure nationwide.

The retired Army general said the symposium was a move to oppose the "resurgence of the communist movement in the country that could jeopardize Pancasila as the country's tenet, given the recent discovery of the perceived use of hammer-and-sickle logos nationwide".

Expected to speak at the event are Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, religious leaders from two most prominent Islamic organizations in the country, Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, as well as former vice president Try Sutrisno and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu.

Ryamizard, also a retired general, is believed to be a staunch backer of this event by activists in the capitol. In an interview on May 14, Ryamizard said he opposed the April symposium, citing the "imbalance" contained in the event that focused only on gathering testimonies from the survivors of the 1965 purge.

Kiki acknowledged that Ryamizard supports the event, but said that his contribution was merely "a morale boost by giving a speech to kick off the symposium".

Retired Army Special Forces (Kopassus) general Sintong Pandjaitan and lawmaker Fadli Zon of the Gerindra Party are also scheduled to speak in two sessions during the symposium. Sintong's speech is entitled "Historical Aspect of PKI Movement in the Country" and Fadli's is "The Constitutional Perspective of Communism and Marxism-Leninism".

In the April symposium, Sintong claimed that the death toll as a result of the mass killings following the alleged attempted coup in 1965 was not as high as 80,000, citing the results of a fact-finding team formed in December 1965 by then president Sukarno and led by then home minister Soemarno. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/31/retired-generals-hold-anti-communist-symposium.html

Government to draft recommendation from 1965 National Symposium

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The government says it will draft a recommendation on the settlement of the 1965 communist purge, combining input resulting from a government-sponsored national symposium in April and a civil coalition-initiated national symposium, which will be held in June.

A committee comprising retired Army generals, Pancasila-based organizations and Islamic groups will hold a two-day national symposium entitled "Securing Pancasila from the Threat of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and Other Ideologies" in Jakarta on June 1 and 2.

The event aims to give a perspective different from that of the recent 1965 National Symposium entitled "Dissecting the 1965 Tragedy". In April's symposium, survivors, government officials, academics, human rights activists and other groups came together to seek national reconciliation for victims of the political turmoil, which has been said to have claimed more than 500,000 lives.

Coordinating Political Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the government would wait for input from the upcoming national symposium, from which it would get another perspective to include in the recommendation.

"We expect to get input from participants of the [June] symposium too. We will combine those two versions and see which one of suggestions delivered is most suitable to be implemented," Luhut told journalists on Monday.

Luhut further said the organizing of the two symposiums was not aimed at finding which parties were wrong or right or to pinpoint which parties were left or right wing. It was all a matter of humanity, he explained.

Luhut said the government wanted to settle the 1965 issue once and for all so that it would not be a burden for the next generation. All future actions would be taken in accordance with prevailing laws, which ban communism, he added.

Retired Army general Kiki Syahnakri, chairman of the June symposium, said the upcoming symposium aimed to protect younger generations from the threat of communist ideology and a re-emergence of the Indonesia Communist Party (PKI), which would hamper Pancasila and stop the country from moving forward.

"We want to use an ideological approach. If all [parties] acknowledge Pancasila as our principle, hopefully there will be a compromise," Kiki said.

He further said the historical approach was not the proper way to address the 1965 tragedy because it involved many versions and would confuse people. Therefore, national reconciliation should be balanced and not based on partial claims.

Kiki said the symposium's committee had invited representatives of human rights groups and other figures, such as representatives of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), April symposium chairman Agus Widjojo, 1965/1966 Murder Victims Research Foundation (YPKP) head Bedjo Untung and as survivors and witnesses of atrocities perpetrated in 1965, to attend the event.

The committee has said it is against a plan to exhume the mass graves of 1965 victims across Indonesia, saying it would be dangerous because it could trigger social unrest. Luhut said the government was considering whether the government would exhume mass graves located mostly in Central Java, based on YPKP findings. "I have said this over and over: I don't believe 400,000 people were killed [in 1965]," Luhut said.

The minister further said he would not attend the national symposium in June even though he had been officially invited. He said Defense Minister Ryamizar Ryacudu would attend the event instead. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/31/govt-to-draft-recommendation-from-1965-national-symposium.html

Activists call on Jokowi to end Cabinet split over 1965

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2016

Jakarta – Activists and religious leaders demanded on Sunday that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo end the division among his aides over the events surrounding the 1965 communist purge, which they said could jeopardize the efforts to resolve past human rights violations.

Rights activist Usman Hamid said that Jokowi had to solidify the government regarding the 1965 issue before continuing to resolve other cases that had been investigated by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

"Jokowi must show that he is a true leader of the nation by either reprimanding or removing any of his ministers who do not support the government's pledge to address past human rights violations," Usman said during a discussion on the 1965 tragedy.

He was participating in the discussion along with Catholic priest and rights advocate Benny Susetyo, secretary of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Gomar Gultom, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) executive Imam Aziz, and Commission for Missing Persons and Victim of Violence (Kontras) activist Yati Andriyani.

In the aftermath of a government-sponsored symposium that gathered victims, families of victims and survivors of the 1965 purge in April, a number of Jokowi's aides within the Cabinet, including Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said that resolving the long-neglected rights case was the government's top priority.

But Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has said he opposed the symposium, saying that there was no need to remember "old and forgotten parts of Indonesia history".

The retired army general also defended recent stern action taken by police and military personnel against the use or display of communist symbolism, the alleged rise of which he said was an "apparent sign of a resurgent communist movement in the country".

Earlier this month police and troops cracked down on cultural events and public screenings related to 1965 and arrested people for allegedly wearing T-shirts bearing the symbol of the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) or for possessing books about the party.

Benny said that every minister had to toe Jokowi's line, including on the resolution of past human rights issues. "Efforts to resolve human rights cases, either through reconciliation or judicial hearings, are aimed at implementing the value of humanity value enshrined in Pancasila. These efforts are unlikely to bear fruit if the President fails to ensure his ministers work in line with his plans," he said.

Apart from the 1965 massacre, Jokowi has also pledged to address six other unresolved gross human rights violations recorded by Komnas HAM, including the 1989 Talangsari massacre, the disappearance of pro-democracy activists in 1998, the Trisakti University shootings, Semanggi I and Semanggi II students shootings, the 1998 May riots and a series of mysterious killings in the 1980s.

Yati said that the government needed different approaches to dealing with those cases. "However, it will be a long and arduous road for the government if it fails to resolve the 1965 case," she said. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/30/activists-call-jokowi-end-cabinet-split-over-1965.html

Indonesia's bid to probe historic anti-communist massacres sparks backlash

Agence France Presse - May 29, 2016

Indonesian activist Adlun Fiqri could be jailed for wearing a t-shirt allegedly bearing a leftist logo, one of many caught up in a backlash against efforts to shine a light on military-backed, anti-communist massacres half a century ago.

Police and the military have in recent weeks rounded up people for allegedly spreading communism – which remains outlawed in Indonesia – through logos on t-shirts. They have also seized books about communism and stopped a film screening that touched on the subject.

It came after the government last month took timid steps towards making peace with one of the nation's darkest chapters – the killing of at least 500,000 people in anti-communist massacres in 1965-66, conducted by local groups with military support.

The killings began after General Suharto put down a coup attempt blamed on communists. He rose to power on the back of the bloodshed, and went on to lead Indonesia with an iron fist for three decades.

During his rule, the massacres were presented as necessary to rid the country of communism – Indonesia had the world's third-biggest communist party before the killings. Public debate about the killings was taboo, and no one was ever held to account.

Since Suharto's 1998 downfall and Indonesia's transformation into a freewheeling democracy, there have been growing calls to re-examine one of the worst mass killings of the 20th century, and even for an official apology.

Last month the government took steps towards coming to terms with the episode by backing for the first time public discussions into the killings – attended by survivors and members of the military – and they announced they would investigate sites that activists say are mass graves.

But the moves swiftly sparked a backlash from the military and police. Conservative elements of the security forces began speaking out against a supposed communist resurgence, despite the fact the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was wiped out during the 1960s massacres.

"The leftist movement is currently surging in this country," hardline Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu warned in a recent speech to hundreds of retired generals, according to the Jakarta Post newspaper.

'Surging communist threat'

Observers believe the military is whipping up the spectre of a communist threat as their role in the killings comes under scrutiny.

Paul Rowland, an independent Jakarta-based political analyst, said some in the military "would like to revive the communist threat because that effectively justifies the actions that were taken 50 years ago".

Those caught up in the backlash potentially face tough punishments, as spreading communist ideology is punishable by up to 12 years in jail.

This includes Mr Fiqri, 20, who was arrested earlier this month on the eastern island of Ternate for wearing a t-shirt that had a picture of a coffee cup and the letters "PKI" on it, which authorities claim was a reference to the country's former communist party.

Police seized more T-shirts and books when they arrested Mr Fiqri and other activists from a group that promotes Indigenous people's rights.

Mr Fiqri and one other activist are still under investigation. "I think this is ridiculous," Mr Fiqri, who is not currently in custody, said. "It is silly that reading books to gain knowledge and wearing t-shirts can get you arrested."

In another case, police arrested and questioned a Jakarta shop owner over the t-shirts he was selling that bore a supposedly communist image of a hammer and sickle. The shop owner insisted it was a picture from the album cover of a German metal band.

There have been other reports from across the country of people being detained for wearing t-shirts with hammer and sickle images, and police stopped the screening of a documentary about Buru Island where suspected communist sympathisers were once held prisoner.

Security forces have been cracking down on attempts to hold public discussions about the killings since last year, as the country marked the 50th anniversary of the start of the massacres, but the current wave of arrests for promoting communist ideology only began in recent weeks. Authorities have backed the crackdown, with the interior ministry noting a "growing phenomenon" of communism.

But for many of Indonesia's younger generation, who are more willing to question the old narrative about the communist killings, the security forces are going over the top. "They are showing excessive paranoia," said Renno Krisna, a 34-year-old music teacher. "It's impossible that communism will make a comeback in Indonesia."

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-05-29/indonesias-bid-to-probe-historic-anticommunist-massacres-sparks-backlash/1585408

Sexual & domestic violence

Rape victims divided on castration

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2016

Jakarta – The government's response to rampant sexual violence against children has been given a mixed reception by activists as well as by victims and their families.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has inked a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) that could lead to child rapists being chemically castrated or even executed.

Helga Worotitjan, 43, who was sexually abused as a 5-year-old, said it took a long time for her to realize that what happened during her childhood had scarred her. She revealed that her grandmother, a dominant figure in her family, had abused her by touching her inappropriately.

"I drew pictures about what my grandmother did to me and told my mother. But she did not really pay attention and asked me to be quiet," she told media at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

Helga said that her grandmother treated her well by giving her anything that she wanted and taking her out of town on holiday, which led her at the time to believe what was done to her was a form of affection. She said she never underwent psychotherapy until 2006 when she thought that there was something wrong with her.

"I had trust issues in relationships and also wanted to commit suicide every time I had severe problems [...]. My psychiatrist explained that occurred because I had experienced trauma as a result of what my grandmother did to me," Helga said.

Helga underwent psychotherapy for five years and she claimed that she was getting better but it would not erase her trauma entirely.

The public's demand for the death penalty has intensified following the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Bengkulu, as well as other rape cases in other parts of the country. As a result, sexual abuse and violence against children has come into the spotlight, raising concerns over the safety of children.

The move to impose capital punishment and chemical castration on sex offenders has led to local and international criticism, given Indonesia's already worrying human rights record. The country, which implements a tough drug law that has seen dozens of drug traffickers executed, may now see the possibility of even more death sentences.

The new Perppu, which is set to replace the 2002 Child Protection Law, has also been condemned for authorizing chemical castration, as human rights activists and legal observers doubt whether the government has the capacity to carry out such a punishment.

Helga said that even though she had experienced a hard time after the assaults, she believed that chemical castration would not solve or reduce the number of cases of sexual violence against children. "Countering violence with violence is not a solution," she said.

Ahmad Samiran, whose 2-year-old child LN was molested and killed, allegedly by their own neighbor, however, said he supported both the death penalty and chemical castration for rapists.

The resident of Bogor, West Java, who lost his young daughter earlier this month said that what had been done to her was cruel and unforgivable. "There was only one perpetrator, not dozens [like in the Bengkulu case]. The victim was not a teenager or an adult, she was only two years and two months old," he said.

Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) chairman Daeng Mohammad Faqih said that conducting chemical castration was against the profession's ethics. He also questioned the procedure for conducting such a punishment, saying the country did not have the expertise to carry it out.

"We cannot say whether we agree or not [with chemical castration]. It's not a medical procedure so it is not within the remit of this profession," he said.

Faqih also said that sexual offenses were not merely physical acts, but also a mental problem, and castration only curbed the physical aspect. He suggested that the government focus on the rehabilitation of offenders. (wnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/30/rape-victims-divided-castration.html

Activists slam sexual violence regulation for not protecting victims

Jakarta Post - May 29, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Rights activists have slammed the government's regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on sexual violence against children, saying it focuses on punishing offenders without showing adequate concern for victims.

Muhammad Hafiz, acting director of the Jakarta-based Human Rights Working Group (HRWG), said that like previous laws, the government had failed to include clauses that protected victims, particularly their right to rehabilitation.

Data collected by the HRWG from various hospitals said victims of sexual abuse often paid for post-traumatic treatment by themselves, as the government did not provide psychological rehabilitation to comprehensively help victims, Hafiz said.

"It does not protect the victims [...] even the very root causes of sexual violence have not been deliberated seriously," Hafiz told thejakartapost.com on Friday.

On Wednesday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo signed a Perppu stipulating chemical castration as a punishment for rapists of children, following an increase of reports of sexual abuse against minors across the country.

The Perppu imposes heavy sanctions for offenders, such as sentences of 20 years' imprisonment or the death penalty, in accordance with the circumstances of the case.

Chemical castration is one of three additional sanctions stipulated by the Perppu, along with the public announcement of offenders' identities and the installation of electronic detection devices.

Some activists have expressed strong disagreement with the chemical castration plan, saying it violates the principles of the International Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which Indonesia has ratified through Law No. 5/1998.

While the Perppu articulated harsh punishments for sexual offenders, it did not accommodate the victims' side, particularly on rehabilitation and preventive measures, said National Commission of Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) chairperson Azriana.

"The Perppu issuance shows the true colors of the government's views on long-lasting sexual violence cases: Only having a deterrent effect for offenders matters," Azriana said as quoted by kompas.com.

The House should reconsider the enactment of the Perppu and should push for immediate deliberation of the bill on the eradication of sexual violence to step up law enforcement, Azriana said. According to Azriana, the bill would become a legal foundation to protect Indonesian women and children from sexual violence, as well as to seek justice for victims.

Komnas Perempuan data revealed in 2013 that three women become a victim of sexual abuse every two hours. Unfortunately, Azriana said, the data was not taken into consideration when lawmakers amended the Child Protection Law in 2015.

Separately, Fati Lazira from the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), said chemical castration would not resolve the overall problem, adding that the government should make comprehensive efforts by strengthening preventive measures.

According to Fati, the phenomena of sexual violence has numerous root causes, including poverty, poor education, a lack of control over television programming and the spread of negative information on social media, which are all interconnected.

The education system should be modified, Fati said, as the current system made students too single-minded and did not provide room for them to explore ideas.

"The government addresses sexual violence with reactive sanctions such as chemical castration, but it actually won't solve the long-term problems," Fati said. (dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/29/activists-slam-sexual-violence-regulation-for-not-protecting-victims.html

Lawmakers support harsh punishments for sex crimes

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – The government's intention to impose harsh punishments on perpetrators of child sexual abuse, as stipulated in a new regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), has gained wide support from lawmakers from various political parties.

Many of the lawmakers, however, are still considering whether the Perppu will become an independent law or will be deliberated as part of a sexual violence bill at the House of Representatives.

"There are two ways to accommodate the Perppu: inserting it into the sexual violence bill or deliberating it as a separate bill. But it is a technical issue," said Arif Wibowo, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo signed a Perppu on Wednesday on sexual violence against children.

The punishments include a minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment, a maximum sentence of the death penalty, and additional penalties such as the publication of sex crime convicts' identities, chemical castration and the use of electronic tags for pedophiles and child rapists.

The secretary of the Golkar Party's faction in the House, Azis Syamsuddin, praised the Perppu, saying the only thing left was law enforcement.

He preferred including the Perppu in the bill being debated by lawmakers. "We will include the Perppu in the sexual violence bill because the Perppu is not comprehensive," he said, adding that his party would carry out a thorough study over three months to ascertain whether castration or other punishments would give a deterrent effect.

Chairman of the Gerindra faction Ahmad Muzani said his party supported the maximum sentences stipulated in the Perppu, but said lawmakers needed to look into whether the Perppu had a long-term perspective in fighting the sexual abuse of children.

"We need to create a long-term regulation. The Perppu was published because of the urgency and usually has only a short-term orientation," Muzani said.

Another Gerindra lawmaker, Muhammad Syafi'i, however, opposed the chemical castration, saying such crimes could be also perpetrated with other body parts, not only the genitals. "I don't really support the castration; the perpetrators should get the death sentence instead," Syafi'i said.

Echoing Syafi'i's comments, Democratic Party deputy chairman Sjarifuddin Hasan said the government must provide a deterrent effect. Therefore, he agreed with the death penalty for adult perpetrators.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker from the National Awakening Party (PKB) appreciated the government's seriousness in providing a legal basis to take harsh action against sexual criminals, but added that the government should also get serious in preventing the spread of pornography.

"We fully support the government's move, but it must be followed by the government's strict actions to close sites that contain porn," PKB faction chairman Jazilul Fawaid said, adding that alcohol consumption and watching pornography could lead to sex crimes.

The Hanura Party considered the Perppu to be a legal basis to "save our next generation". The party believed the Perppu's issuance was of urgent importance, and it supported the castration punishment, Hanura deputy chairman Nurdin Tampubolon said. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/lawmakers-support-harsh-punishments-for-sex-crimes.html

Government told to address societal neglect in rape cases

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Jakarta – While law enforcers and experts have come out in support of the regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on sexual violence against children, others have proposed alternative solutions to curb sex offending.

Child psychologist Seto Mulyadi said on Friday the stern punishments contained in the recently issued Perppu could not in themselves solve the main cause of the problem, societal neglect.

Seto said the administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, apart from imposing more severe punishments for convicted rapists, should consider addressing this issue by deploying a special unit in every neighborhood to monitor any signs of irregular behavior related to violence against children in the area.

"Several cases of violence against children, such as the tragic death of Engeline in Bali last year and the rape and murder of a 14-year old in Bengkulu, which was only reported by news outlets last month, happened because society had turned a blind eye to them," Seto told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview.

In Engeline's case, Seto said, the neighborhood had been aware that she was being "treated inhumanely" before her body was found buried in the backyard of the house of her adoptive mother, Margriet Christina Megawe, in Denpasar.

"Meanwhile, residents and the local administration of Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu, have acknowledged that it was not secure for a girl to walk alone at night, but they did nothing," Seto said, referring to the gang-rape case in Bengkulu.

In the wake of the Bengkulu case activists and lawmakers called on the government to draw up a consolidated policy to prevent sexual violence, with the latter claiming that the severe punishments for child rapists in the Perppu, such as chemical castration, longer jail terms and the death penalty, were the best possible way to deal with the issue.

The Perppu also stipulates that rapists who are chemically castrated must take part in a rehabilitation program administered by the government.

Seto said the government had to ensure that rape victims would receive psychological therapy to heal their trauma. "Oftentimes, they refuse to undergo treatment because the cost is beyond them," he said.

The child protection activist added that Jokowi could use the opportunity of National Children's Day on July 23 to strengthen protection of the nation's children from any kind of violence, similar to what happened during the Soeharto presidency in 1997.

"In 1997, the then government created a national movement on child protection, which was followed by the establishment of a child protection agency," Seto said, adding that after the Reform era, the momentum continued with the establishment of the National Commission on Child Protection and the 2002 Child Protection Law. "But the impetus had faded away a long time before the case in Bengkulu."

Separately, Sri Nurherwati of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) told the Post on Friday that the commission would not change its position in regard to the punishments stipulated in the Perppu saying, "We still reject chemical castration as a punishment."

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said on Friday the police would disseminate the Perppu to every local police office nationwide, especially to officers handling sexual abuse cases.

He added that the National Police's medical and health center was also willing to carry out the chemical castration of rapists.

He said doctors who would be assigned to chemically castrate the rapists should not be afraid of violating the Indonesian code of medical ethics because they would do it under the protection of the regulation.

Article 5 of the Indonesian code of medical ethics stipulates that every action conducted or advice given by a doctor that could debilitate a patient psychologically or physically, must obtain the consent of the patient or their family and be done only for the benefit of the patient. (mos/wnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/govt-told-address-societal-neglect-rape-cases.html

Police vow to enforce stricter rules on sexual violence

Jakarta Post - May 27, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – The police have asserted their readiness to implement a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on sexual violence against children that includes tougher sentences for offenders.

"The police have conducted significant actions in investigating cases of sexual violations that involve children as the victims," National Police spokesman Boy Rafli Amar said in Jakarta on Friday.

Since 2014, the police had assigned at least two female officers in each sub-precinct across the country, Boy said, adding that those officers played an important role in dealing with the victims. "The female police officers are expected to smoothen the questioning of child victims of sexual abuse," Boy added.

The Perppu issued earlier this week stipulates a minimum prison sentence of 10 years (and a maximum of 20 years) plus additional forms of punishment, such as chemical castration and the use of electronic tags.

Boy said the police, in cooperation with local governments across the country, were making serious efforts to prevent and fight sexual child abuse. Some regional administrations give special attention to children dropping out from school, according to the spokesman.

"Local administrations are organizing character-building programs for dropout children, because children who lack attention from their surrounding may become victims of sexual abuse," Boy explained.

Boy said the police would also go ahead with two campaigns aimed at gaining the trust of children and at helping teachers anticipate sexual violence at school.

Boy added that the police had also expressed their commitment to assist prosecutors in criminal proceedings, for instance when a prosecutor needed medical professionals to carry out chemical castration. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/27/police-vow-to-enforce-stricter-rules-on-sexual-violence.html

Police drop investigation into alleged gang rape in Gorontalo

Jakarta Post - May 27, 2016

Syamsul Huda M. Suhari, Gorontalo – Gorontalo Police are dropping the investigation into the alleged gang rape of a 19-year-old woman from Manado, North Sulawesi, because of a lack of evidence.

The police found no conclusive evidence relating to the rape case, which allegedly involved four members of the police and civilians, in their preliminary investigation. The lack of evidence was also supported by medical examination results.

"The medical examination found old wounds to the complainant's genital area. But we will still conduct psychological tests to determine whether or not a rape occurred," Gorontalo Police chief Brig. Gen. Hengkie Kaluara said in a press conference on Friday.

However, the police would still hold crime reconstructions at four locations in Gorontalo, namely two hotels, a karaoke joint and a computer laboratory at a local state university.

Based on the preliminary investigation, the four policemen and the civilians were found to have consumed crystal methamphetamine, known locally as shabu, and ecstasy pills, Hengkie said. The alleged rape took place over a five-day period from Jan. 25.

The police have vowed to take action against the four officers, identified only as Brig RY, First Brig. EEP, Brig. HDK and Brig ASD. Gorontalo Police also transferred Brig. HDK and Brig. ASD to the East Java Police in February.

Police had named two women as abuse suspects, both friends of the complainant and identified as Yuyun and Memey.

It was initially reported that the number of perpetrators ranged between 14 and 19 persons. The gang rapes were allegedly committed in three different places, in Gorontalo, in Manado and in Bolangitang, North Sulawesi.

The case was first reported by the complainant's family to the Manado Police on Jan. 30 and the case was handed over to the North Sulawesi Police on Feb. 16.

North Sulawesi Police also dismissed the allegations of gang rape as widely reported on social media and in the mass media. North Sulawesi Police's detective chief for general crimes, Sr. Comr. Pitra Ratulangi previously said that the results of an examination conducted by a medical specialist on the complainant found no signs of rape. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/27/police-drop-investigation-into-alleged-gang-rape-in-gorontalo.html

Indonesia's new child rape punishments a pyrrhic victory for women's advocates

Sydney Morning Herald - May 27, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – Indonesia's harsh new punishments for child sex offenders – including the death penalty and chemical castration – represent something of a pyrrhic victory for women's advocates in Jakarta.

When Yuyun, a schoolgirl from a remote village in Sumatra, was brutally gang-raped and murdered by 14 males in April, her death was delegated to a couple of paragraphs in the local media. Feminist activists were outraged by the silence.

Thirty-five women are victims of sexual violence in Indonesia every day according to the National Commission on Violence against Women.

However advocates argue the issue doesn't get the attention it deserves, in part because many of the perpetrators are family members, it is difficult to process sexual abuse cases and there is a culture of victim blaming.

In 2011, then Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo suggested women shouldn't wear miniskirts on public transport "so that they don't provoke people to commit unwanted acts" after a woman was gang-raped by four men in a minivan in South Jakarta.

Indie singer and activist Kartika Jahja launched a social media campaign #NyalaUntukYuyun (Light a candle for Yuyun) and a candlelight vigil was held outside the presidential palace this month to push for legislative reform.

Activists compared Yuyun's case to the horrifying gang-rape of 23-year-old physiotherapy intern Jyoti Singh on a bus in India in 2012, which led to significant legal changes.

The campaign was a resounding success. Indonesian President Joko Widodo tweeted: "We all mourn the tragic death of [Yuyun]. Catch and severely punish the perpetrators. Women and children must be protected from violence."

But his response on Wednesday – to give judges discretion to sentence child rapists to death or order that they be chemically castrated – was not what activists had been hoping for.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women issued a statement deploring the move, especially at a time when Indonesia had ratified the Convention against Torture, which prohibits anything that degrades humanity. "The death penalty and chemical castration is included in this form of punishment," the statement said.

However many people in both Indonesia and Australia have applauded the harsh new punishments. (Indonesia is a popular destination for Australian child sex tourists, to whom the new punishments would apply if they were convicted.) "Good, kill these animals, hopefully every country will follow this law," a Fairfax reader comments.

It is one thing to argue "our boys" – reformed Australian drug dealers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran who spent much of the last years of their lives helping others behind bars – should have been spared the death penalty.

But it is much harder to drum up sympathy for child rapists whose offending can scar their victims for life. Then prime minister John Howard articulated a similar conundrum in 2007 when he said it would be a major injustice if the Bali bombers were not executed.

"I think that would be very, very bad, I accept that many people will think it is inconsistent of me to say and I've acknowledged this before... I personally don't support capital punishment in Australia," he said.

But while Indonesia debates whether its latest crackdown on child sex offenders has gone too far, there is still hope Yuyun's death may accelerate the passing of a separate bill on sexual violence that has long languished in the list of bills to be deliberated by parliament.

"(That would) be a big win," one activist tells me. "But yeah, I'm saddened by this. A lot. It feels like it's almost all been in vain."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesias-new-child-rape-punishments-a-pyrrhic-victory-for-womens-advocates-20160527-gp5f5j.html

Lawmaker criticizes govt's inaction for victims of sexual crimes

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – A House of Representatives lawmaker has criticized the government's inaction on aiding the recovery of victims of sexual crimes, pointing out that the newly signed regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on sexual violence against children was purely perpetrator oriented.

Rahayu Saraswati, a member of House Commission VIII overseeing religious and social affairs, said Perppu No.1/2016, which amends the 2002 Child Protection Law, had not accommodated sexual crime victims' right to assistance as they repair the damage caused by the crime.

"We've noted that in the Perppu, the state is not there for the victims of sexual crime. This means [victims] don't have funding for rehabilitation and counseling," Rahayu said. She was speaking before the House's plenary meeting at the House complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Thursday.

Rahayu reminded her fellow lawmakers to speak up on the need for the government and the state to be attentive to the victims, possibly offering help in the form of restitution and compensation.

Law No. 21/2007 on the elimination of human trafficking is currently the only regulation that provides for restitution to victims.

Contrary to the Perppu, the draft sexual violence bill, which is currently being discussed for possible inclusion in the 2016 priority national legislation program (Prolegnas), is widely perceived as victim-oriented legislation.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo signed on Wednesday a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on sexual violence against children.

The Perppu stipulates harsher sanctions and additional punishments for sex crimes against children, with new provisions allowing for chemical castration and the death penalty for pedophiles and child rapists. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/lawmaker-criticizes-govts-inaction-for-victims-of-sexual-crimes.html

Child sex offenders in Indonesia to face execution or chemical castration

Sydney Morning Herald - May 26, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – Child sex offenders could be executed or chemically castrated in Indonesia under a crackdown following the brutal gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl.

Indonesia, especially Bali, is a blackspot for Australian paedophiles – in 2014 it eclipsed Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia to become the number one destination for Australian child sex tourists.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo this week announced a regulation – effective immediately – that would allow judges to sentence child rapists to death or order that they be chemically castrated.

He said additional punishment could include publicly announcing the sex offender's identity and requiring those on parole to wear an electronic monitoring device.

Australian man Robert Andrew Fiddes Ellis is currently awaiting trial in Bali for allegedly sexually abusing at least 15 girls aged between seven and 17.

But Bali prosecutor Alit Swastika said Ellis would not be affected because the new regulation could not be applied retrospectively. "No such law existed when Robert committed the crime," he said.

The 69-year-old man, who is suspected of being part of an international paedophile ring, allegedly groomed street kids by showering them with love and gifts before sexually abusing them in the bath.

"If the girls spent the night there, then she will be given a couple of millions rupiah [about $200]. If they stayed longer, they might even be given a motorbike," Luh Putu Anggraeni, from child protection organisation Lentera Anak Bali told Fairfax Media earlier this year.

The new regulation has implications for the Australian Federal Police, who share intelligence with their Indonesian counterparts on child sex tourism.

AFP guidelines require senior AFP officials to take into account a series of factors before providing assistance in potential death penalty scenarios. These include whether the information is favourable to the defendant, the nationality of the person involved, the person's age and personal circumstances, the seriousness of the suspected criminal activity and the likelihood that the death penalty will be imposed.

Ministerial approval is required in any case in which a person has been arrested or detained for, charged with, or convicted of an offence which carries the death penalty.

The new punishments for child sex offenders in Indonesia follow national outrage over the brutal gang rape and murder of Yuyun, a 14-year-old girl from Bengkulu in Sumatra. Seven boys under 18 were imprisoned for 10 years, a sentence many thought was too light.

"We all mourn the tragic death of [Yuyun]. Catch and severely punish the perpetrators. Women and children must be protected from violence," Mr Joko tweeted after Yuyun's death.

On Wednesday Mr Joko said extraordinary crime needed to be handled in an extraordinary way. He increased the minimum sentence for child sex offenders to 10 years and gave judges the discretion to order the death penalty, authorise chemical castration, name perpetrators and monitor those on parole with electronic devices.

"(This) will give room for judges to issue the heaviest sentence on perpetrators of sexual offences on children," Mr Joko said. "We hope this regulation will provide a deterrent effect... and bring down the number of sexual offences committed against children."

Paedophile Australian school teacher Peter Dundas Walbran was extradited to Indonesia in October 2011, following a request from Jakarta's Law and Human Rights Ministry.

Walbran was sentenced to three years' jail on Lombok in 2012 for offences that shocked investigators, including the repeated rape and abuse of children over a period of nine years. He was deported back to Australia in 2014 but was last year found working at a school in Thailand.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/child-sex-offenders-in-indonesia-to-face-execution-or-chemical-castration-20160526-gp4l9l.html

Proposed chemical castration debate continues

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2016

Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – The plan to punish sex offenders using chemical castration has created a heated debate among government officials and civil society alike, raising questions on the efficacy of the sentence and its effectiveness as a deterrent.

"Chemical castration is not the solution," Rahayu Saraswati Djojohadikusumo, a Gerinda Party lawmaker, said at a press conference held by an alliance of civil society groups against the regulation in lieu of law (Perppu), which is awaiting implementation.

The Perppu cites chemical castration as a deterrent effect to reduce sex crimes, especially against children. "In most cases, pedophiles are not purely driven by sexual desire, but by power and dominance," she added.

Chemical castration may temporarily address sexual arousal, she continued, but in the long term, perpetrators are likely to find other ways to exercise power through violent means.

Careful to not speak on behalf of the House of Representatives, she said her opinion was personal. The statement was supported by 99 non-governmental organizations, united within a network called "Alliance 99 against Chemical Castration Perppu".

"We need to look at the bigger picture and put more emphasis on a holistic approach," said Rahayu, adding that a solution is necessary to make everyone, not just children, feel safe from sexual violence.

Referring to the Nawa Cita (nine agenda) development principles, programs outlined by the President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration, Rahayu emphasized the importance of developing programs in support of the priority agenda as a framework of action to address the issue.

Moreover, Rahayu emphasized the need to enhancing the justice system, including capacity building for judges and correctional facility improvements, questioning the push for implementation of harsh laws if judges on the ground do not implement them.

It is not uncommon for judges to hand out less than maximum punishment, she said, adding that, even whilst in jail, perpetrators are exposed to conditions that could exacerbate criminal tendencies. Finally, Rahayu said it was important to address the root cause of child sex crime.

Health Ministry official Lina Mangaweang, who is also a psychiatrist, said it was important to provide rehabilitation for child sex offenders. For pedophiles, she continued, sexual behavior must be directed toward the norm so they do not target underage children as a means of sexual release.

"Pedophilia is a mental disorder, the mindset has to be changed," said Lina, an official at the prevention and control of mental health problems and drugs directorate at the Health Ministry. She emphasized the benefits of rehabilitation to address sexual violence issues, which would be accompanied by psychotherapy and psychopharmacological approaches.

The increasing number of sexual violence cases committed against children recently led President Jokowi to issue the Perppu, which will serve as the new legal basis to deter people from committing sex crimes against children. He ordered officials to finalize the draft immediately.

The controversial medical sanction involves the administration of anti-androgenic drugs once every three months to reduce sexual interest, compulsive sexual fantasies and the capacity for sexual arousal. Its effects are reversible when treatment is discontinued but there are lasting side effects. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/24/proposed-chemical-castration-debate-continues-1464058689.html

Freedom of speech & expression

'Pulau Buru' screening goes on despite threat

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Purbalingga – Despite facing opposition from a number of mass organizations, the organizer of the Purbalingga Film Festival 2016 has decided to continue screening Pulau Buru Tanah Air Beta at the Main Hall of the Kencana Hotel on Friday. The organizer claimed that the proper permit had been obtained from the police.

"I have been terrorized by a number of mass organizations demanding that we stop the planned screening of Pulau Buru, but I don't care [...} What is their right to forbid us?" Bowo Leksono, the film festival director, said on Friday.

"This year is the 10th year of the festival. We think that students need to know the country's history through the screening of the movie," he added.

The film tells the story of a young woman named Ken Setiawan who accompanies her father and a friend on a pilgrimage to Buru Island, where they had previously been held captive for years because of their connections with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). The PKI has been declared an illegal political party.

Besides screening Pulau Buru, the festival had also put on other short films and documentaries by students from Purbalingga, Cilacap, Banjarnegara and Banyumas, all in Central Java.

Chief of the Purbalingga Police, Adj. Sr. Comr. Heru Purnomo, said he would mediate with anyone opposing the screening of Pulau Buru. "If there are people against the movie, they could hold a dialogue with the organizer. We [the police] do not deal with its content. That's the business of the film community," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/national-scene-pulau-buru-screening-goes-despite-threat.html

After 18 years of reform, free speech at crossroads

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2016

Bambang, Jakarta/Yogyakarta – Activists said on Monday that Indonesia could either maintain the spirit of democracy or return to the era of excessive restriction tantamount to what was seen during the New Order.

National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Roichatul Aswidah said since the nation embarked on the reform movement 18 years ago, the government had taken several steps to uphold the freedom of speech and democracy, including through the implementation of the 1999 Press Law, the 1999 Human Rights Law, an amendment to the human rights provision in the Constitution and the ratifications of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

"We should acknowledge that there has been an improvement in terms of creating a more democratic environment than during the 32 years of the New Order," Roichatul said on Monday during a discussion on freedom of expression after 18 years of reformasi in Cikini, Central Jakarta.

She was participating in the discussion along with Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) researcher Wahyudi Djafar, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR) senior researcher Anggara and Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) political researcher Irine Hiraswari Gayatri.

Wahyudi said, however, that the freedom of expression was in jeopardy, with a widespread crackdown on the use of communist symbolism and threats by hard-line groups for academic discussions on Marxism.

Police, military officials and hard-line groups, including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the FKKPPI, are using the 1999 State Security Law as their basis for the crackdown on events they deem as efforts to advocate leftist teachings with the intention to change the country's governing ideology of Pancasila. Wahyudi said the imposition of the law had resulted in limitations to freedom of expression akin to during the New Order.

"The recent crackdown on the perceived use of communist symbolism nationwide is proof that there are still limitations within the government. The Press Law and the Human Rights Law in 1999 did not help too much in protecting citizens," Wahyudi told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the discussion.

"In recent years, the government has used the law, such as the 2008 Electronic Information and Transaction [ITE] Law, to coerce the freedom of expression," he added.

ELSAM previously reported that there were 45 cases of criminalization threatening freedom of speech on online platforms in 2015. It also registered that there were 35 cases of repression on offline platforms, 20 of which related to the 1965 communist purge, last year.

Another screening of Pulau Buru: Tanah Air Beta (Pulau Buru: My Homeland), a documentary about political prisoners sent to the prison island after the purge, at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) received threats from hard-liners on Monday.

ICJR senior researcher Anggara said that the situation could further threaten democracy, providing the House of Representatives did not revise several provisions in an amendment to the Criminal Code (KUHP) amendment, ranging from possible criminal offenses for defaming the president and vice president and casting contempt upon the nation's flag and national anthem, to the dissemination of communism and Marxism-Leninism ideologies. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/24/after-18-years-reform-free-speech-crossroads.html

Political parties & elections

Tommy Suharto among high profile members announced in Golkar structure

Jakarta Globe - May 31, 2016

Edo Karensa, Jakarta – The son of Indonesia's second president Suharto, Hutomo Mandala Putra, better known as Tommy Suharto, is among the politicians announced to lead the new Golkar Party structure under new chairman Setya Novanto, the party announced on Monday (30/05).

"The structure is named the Work Acceleration Structure, because we look forward to work, work and work in the future," Setya said at the Golkar headquarters in West Jakarta.

The party's structure accommodates the six former candidates for Golkar chair and was formed in the spirit of reconciliation in the wake of the party's factional war, he said. Setya confirmed women members will take on a larger role, making up 32 percent of the 200 included in the structure. He added the names were picked based on merit.

Former chairman Aburizal Bakrie will head the supervisory board along Theo L Sambuaga, former fisheries minister Sharif Cicip Soetardjo and House of Representatives speaker Ade Komarudin as deputies.

Tommy Suharto, Priyo Budi Santoso, Rully Hasrul Azwar, Hafiz Zawawi, Paskah Suzeta and Iris Indramukti will sit on the board with Fadel Muhammad as secretary. Tommy had earlier nominated to run for the chairmanship but pulled out after internal regulations found he was ineligible after serving over five years imprisonment.

Setya appointed former president B.J. Habibie as head of the honorary board, while former minister Akbar Tandjung and current Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan were named deputies.

Luhut, however, refused the position as President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has prohibited all cabinet members from holding strategic positions in political parties. "I think I don't deserve that position since I am still working for the government," Luhut told reporters at the State Palace.

Golkar's expert board will be led by Agung Laksono, helped by his four deputies Pontjo Sutowo, Hajriyanto Y Thohari, Siti Hediati Hariyadi and Mahyudin.

Setya also appointed his loyal supporters Nurdin Halid as party's managing chairman and Idrus Marham as secretary general. Lawmaker from Papua, Robert J Kardinal, was named the party's treasurer head.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/tommy-suharto-among-high-profile-members-announced-golkar-structure/

NGO wants proportional representation system for 2019 elections

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Jakarta – The Election and Democracy Syndicate has suggested the government return to a proportional electoral system for the 2019 legislative elections. However, the NGO said it was up to the government to decide whether the public or parties should retain the right to choose individual candidates.

The organization was referring to the system applied in the 1999 legislative elections. Under a proportional system, the proportion of votes for a political party determines the number of seats that a party has in the legislature.

Unlike the previous elections, which used closed-list systems, in 2014 the country applied an open-list proportional system in which voters directly choose candidates for the House of Representatives and local legislative councils.

A closed-list system gives parties the authority to decide the legislative candidates who will sit in the legislature.

"We don't have a suggestion about whether the legislative elections should use a closed or open system. We will let the government decide that, but we demand that it consider using a proportional system like what was used in the 1999 legislative elections," August Mellaz, the chairman of the Election and Democracy Syndicate, said recently.

According to Constitutional Court Decree No. 14/2014, Indonesia will use the open-list proportional system when it holds simultaneous regional, legislative and presidential elections in 2019.

Three major political parties – the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) – are in favor of the closed-list system, as it gives them more control over choosing their representatives.

The PDI-P, a political party that won the 2014 presidential election and has 109 out of 560 seats in the House of Representatives, declared in January at its national working meeting that PDI-P wanted the upcoming legislative elections to be held using a closed proportional system to increase political parties' responsibility to prepare qualified candidates.

Golkar voiced similar concerns at its extraordinary national congress, which was held from May 15 to May 17 in Bali. Meanwhile, the PKS announced at its national coordination meeting in January in Depok, West Java, that the party had agreed on the use of a closed proportional system for the 2019 elections.

Ahmad Riza Patria, a lawmaker from the Gerindra Party, the third-largest political party that won the most votes in 2014, said that his party supported the open-list system.

"A closed-list [proportional] system is not bad but we want people to be involved directly in choosing their representatives. That is why Gerindra supports the open list," Riza told journalists.

He added that the closed-list system had some good points, such as giving highly qualified but unpopular candidates the chance to serve the public.

"A legislative candidate who is not popular enough to get many votes, but is known as qualified person can be elected by his/her party to be in the House of Representatives under that system," Riza said.

He added that there were many young candidates who might not be effective politicians who had a big chance of becoming House members because they were popular or had a lot of money. (wnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/ngo-wants-proportional-representation-system-2019-elections.html

Aburizal continues to wield power within Golkar: Expert

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – A political analyst has said Golkar newly appointed advisory board chief Aburizal Bakrie is likely to continue to play a leading role in the party, with a substantial influence over decision-making processes within the party.

A senior researcher at Jakarta-based think-tank PARA Syndicate, F.S. Swantoro, said the newly elected Golkar Party chairman, Setya Novanto, would probably operate under Aburizal's shadow.

He added that it was also likely that senior Golkar politician Nurdin Halid, who has been nominated to serve as the party's executive chairman, would be heavily influenced by Aburizal in the course of his duties. Nurdin and Aburizal have long had acted in partnership within the party.

"In fact, Pak Nurdin and Pak Setya's positions in the party are under Aburizal's control," Swantoro told thejakartapost.com in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In Golkar's extraordinary national congress (Munaslub) in Bali last week, Aburizal was elected to head the party's advisory board. Most of the congress participants, comprising officials of Golkar's regional executive boards at provincial, regency and municipality levels, approved the selection of the business tycoon as the leader of the newly established advisory board.

With his current position, Aburizal will have the authority to make two significant strategic decisions: First, appointing Golkar's presidential and vice presidential candidates and second, appointing Golkar representatives who will sit in important state institutions.

However, the recommendation of the advisory board is not legally binding as the Golkar Party's central executive board is not obliged to follow the recommendation.

The party's previous leadership did not have an advisory board in its structure, unlike during the New Order era when the party's leadership had an advisory board, which was always led by the party's patron, former president Soeharto.

During the Munaslub last week, Golkar also established two other new boards, namely the board of experts and the honorary board. Senior Golkar politician Agung Laksono will lead the board of experts while former president BJ Habibie will head the honorary board. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/24/aburizal-continues-to-wield-power-within-golkar-expert.html

Environment & natural disasters

Indonesian birds face extinction due to pet trade – study

Agence France Presse - May 26, 2016

Thirteen species of Indonesian birds, including the country's symbolic Javan hawk-eagle, are at serious risk of extinction mainly due to the pet trade, a wildlife watchdog warned Wednesday.

The vast Indonesian archipelago is home to a dizzying array of birds and keeping them as pets has long been part of the national culture, with birdcages a common sight outside homes and shops across the country.

However increasing demand for some species as pets has led to dramatic population declines, wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic warned in a new study.

"This is a multi-million-dollar industry, there's a huge criminal element and many people are profiting illegally from this business," Chris Shepherd, Traffic's director for south-east Asia and a co-author of the study, told AFP.

Huge demand for songbirds in Indonesia has also put bird species in other countries such as Malaysia and Thailand in danger, Shepherd said.

The Javan hawk-eagle is Indonesia's national bird and the inspiration for the Garuda, the mythical winged creature that adorns the country's coat of arms.

Other species at risk of extinction include the silvery woodpigeon, yellow-crested cockatoo, scarlet-breasted lorikeet, Javan green magpie, black-winged myna, Bali myna, straw-headed bulbul, Javan white-eye, Rufous-fronted laughingthrush, Sumatran laughingthrush and Java sparrow.

The helmeted hornbill is also at risk but unlike the others, is not kept as a pet. Thousands are being illegally killed and traded for their unique "casques" – a solid lump of fibrous protein that runs along the top of the bill and on to the skull. It is used as a substitute for elephant ivory, to meet demand in China, according to Traffic.

It is illegal to hunt birds in the wild in Indonesia and sell them as pets but critics say the law is often flouted, and major bird markets in cities still operate freely.

Shepherd said that government efforts to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade too often focused on endangered species such as orangutans, tigers and elephants, and did not do enough to protect birds.

The Traffic report called for a range of solutions to tackle the problem, including better law enforcement and public awareness campaigns.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/25/indonesian-birds-face-extinction-due-to-pet-trade-study

Indonesia refuses palm oil permits in anti-haze push

Agence France Presse - May 25, 2016

Indonesia has rejected applications from scores of companies for new palm oil operations, an official said on Wednesday, as it cracks down on an industry whose expansion has been blamed for fuelling haze-belching forest fires.

Almost 1m hectares (2.5m acres) of land were spared from conversion to palm oil plantations due to the decision, said San Afri Awang, a senior official from the environment and forestry ministry.

"We want to save our forests – development should continue but we can't let it destroy our environment," he told reporters in Jakarta, after announcing that applications from 61 companies had been rejected.

It came after the government this month announced it would stop granting new land for palm oil plantations in the world's top producer of the edible vegetable oil, a key ingredient in everyday goods, from biscuits to shampoo and make-up.

President Joko Widodo called for planters to increase their yields by using better seeds, rather than expanding into new areas.

Plantations on Sumatra island and the Indonesian part of Borneo have expanded as demand for palm oil has skyrocketed, but the growth has been blamed for annual forest fires that occur during the dry season due to illegal slash-and-burn land clearance.

The 2015 blazes were the worst for years and cloaked swaths of south-east Asia in toxic smog, causing tens of thousands to fall ill and leading to flight cancellations and school closures.

Awang refused to give any details about which companies had their applications rejected, or to say whether they were for new plantations or expansions to existing plantations.

Kiki Taufik, Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner, welcomed the move but cautioned the government must ensure that local authorities enforce the decision. "Often these companies are rejected by the central government but then they start lobbying the regional government," he said.

Implementation of laws is difficult due to heavy decentralisation of power across the archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with rules set in Jakarta often flouted by local administrations.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/25/indonesia-refuses-palm-oil-permits-in-anti-haze-push

Reclamation destroying mangroves in Manado

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Lita Aruperes, Manado – Reclamation projects that had been started in Manado in the 1990s had not only had made hundreds of fishermen lose their jobs, but also destroyed mangroves along the city's coastlines stretching 18 kilometers from north to south.

The projects had turned the mangroves into shopping malls and posh hotels – the icons of modernity. "The size of the reclamation area is about 700 hectares and it pushes the fishermen out of their livelihoods," said Rignolda Djalamaluddin, an agriculture and fisheries lecturer with Sam Ratulangi University.

In the first stage of the reclamation project, the coastlines of the three districts of Wenang, Sario and Malalayang disappeared and so did the mangroves. The projects forced many fishermen to switch professions.

The second stage of the project, which is now ongoing, affected three more districts, Singkil, Tuminting and Bunaken, the latter of which is famous for its diving spots. "Once this second project is completed, we can imagine how big a mangrove area will disappear," he said recently.

Rignolda's concern was not baseless. Now, people can hardly find mangroves from the north, which borders with the regency of North Minahasa, to the south where it borders with the regency of South Minahasa.

"The only mangrove left in Manado is in the Bahowo neighborhood. That is the last bastion of the mangrove following the two decades of the reclamation project," said Sonny Tawisjawa of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an organization that offers advocacy to the people in the coastal area.

Bahowo is one of the four neighborhoods in the Bunaken district, which borders with the regency of North Minahasa. Local residents very much rely for their livelihoods on the ocean.

Mangrove is crucial for people living on the coastlines given its ecological, biological and economical benefits. "Mangrove serves to keep the muds and protects the soil from erosion," Sonny added.

It also serves as the habitat of some fish and a place for breeding. At the same time, the mangrove produces tree trunks or branches that can be used as firewood.

The Manado Environment Agency has no detailed information on the size of mangrove left in the capital of the North Sulawesi province, but Sonny said the mangrove left in Tongkaina village, including in Bahowo, was about 84 hectares. "We do not know the master plan of the reclamation. If it continues to Bahowo, Manado will no longer have mangrove," Sonny added.

While the local administration seems to ignore the condition of the coastlines, residents have started to conserve their surroundings by growing trees along the water. "We keep the mangrove by regularly planting trees," said Benyamin Loho, head of the Bahowo neighborhood in Bunaken.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/reclamation-destroying-mangroves-manado.html

Health & education

Alcohol bill deliberation picks up pace

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2016

Prima Wirayani, Jakarta – The controversial alcohol prohibition bill may have been seldom heard about lately, but the political will remains strong to pass it into law within the current sitting period, which will end in late July.

The House of Representatives has laid out an active meeting schedule, with meetings to be held two to three times a week from now until the end of July to ensure that the bill is passed in the July 28 plenary session.

A closed-door meeting last week between lawmakers and the government also agreed to move directly to discussing the bill's substance and skip discussions about its title.

If passed, the law will be the first to impose a full nationwide ban on the production, distribution and consumption of drinks with an alcohol content of 1 to 55 percent.

"The title will be deliberated later to speed up the process," said leader of a House special committee for the alcohol prohibition bill, Mohammad Arwani Thomafi, a lawmaker from the United Development Party (PPP) which, together with fellow Islam-oriented party the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), has sponsored the bill.

The bill, a top priority for lawmakers as indicated by its inclusion in the 2016 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas), has been put back on the table after all 10 party factions agreed last year to continue deliberating it.

"A lot of problems have occurred in several regions because of alcohol," said Nur Rahmat, a Golkar party politician who is also a member of the House's special committee on the alcohol prohibition bill.

Legislators who support the bill have argued that Indonesia needs a stronger legal basis to control the production and consumption of alcohol, although dozens of regions in the country have already instituted their own alcohol prohibition bylaws, including South Tangerang in Banten, Makassar, Maros, Bulukumba and Enrekang in South Sulawesi and Papua province.

But the voice in the House is not yet unanimous. Some parties want a blanket ban on the production, distribution and consumption of alcoholic beverages, while others want a softer bill that would only "control and supervise" alcohol.

The PPP, PKS and National Mandate Party (PAN) factions have agreed to call the draft the "Alcohol Prohibition Law" while the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Gerindra factions insist on calling it the "Alcohol Control and Supervision Law", in line with the government's proposal.

The Democratic and Golkar factions, in the meantime, took a more neutral stance by proposing the title "Alcohol Law". Other party factions have not submitted a name.

"We are proposing a neutral title so that the bill's deliberation can be completed soon," said Nur, adding that prohibition, control and supervision could all be incorporated into the bill despite its neutral title.

The debate on the scope of the proposed prohibition is likely to end up at some sort of compromise, committee leader Arwani previously said. "It is likely that the bill will allow the production of [alcoholic beverages] with very detailed limitations," he added.

But lawmakers do agree on the main points of the bill to be deliberated, which cover: title, alcoholic beverage classification, prohibition, control, supervision, public involvement and criminal charges.

They are also considering expanding the bill to cover drinks with an alcohol content of below 1 percent and above 55 percent, which are excluded in the existing draft, said committee leader Arwani.

The bill, reminiscent of the US' prohibition efforts of the 1920s, has sparked widespread debate, including protests from alcoholic beverage producers, tourist industry players and local community leaders, who argue that prohibition would kill the alcoholic beverage industry.

Even the Industry Ministry, which has joined the deliberation process, argued that a blanket ban on alcoholic drinks would only worsen the situation, as people would try to make their own liquor using dangerous ingredients such as methanol.

"If we want to ban something, we need to think comprehensively and handle the consequences," said Willem Petrus Riwu, the ministry's director for the beverage industry, tobacco and refreshment products.

Publicly listed beer producer PT Delta Djakarta, the local producer of major beer brands including Anker, Carlsberg and San Miguel, expressed anxiety over the anticipated approval of the bill.

PT Multi Bintang Indonesia, the country's largest brewery, has put a break on expansion plans worth around Rp 635 billion (US$47.63 million).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/30/alcohol-bill-deliberation-picks-pace.html

Plain cigarette packaging to put smokers off, ministry hopes

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Health Ministry is pushing for plain packaging on all cigarettes sold in Indonesia to reduce the alarmingly high smoking rate, especially among adolescents, which claims 200,000 lives per year.

The idea behind plain packaging is that a uniform, ugly color and the lack of brand logos on products may deter consumers from picking up a pack. Indonesia began moving into that direction in 2014 when it required companies to put graphic warnings on their cigarette packages.

"But only three of these five images are scary. The other two are not scary at all, as they just depict men smoking," former Indonesian Broadcasting Commission deputy chairwoman Nina Mutmainnah Armando said.

With pictorial warnings deemed insufficient, plain packaging is seen as the logical next step to contain consumption.

Indonesians spent at least Rp 330 trillion (US$24.3 billion) last year to finance their smoking habit. Data from the 2014 Global Youth Tobacco Survey reveal that 20.3 percent of Indonesian teenagers between 13 and 15 years of age are smokers. The same survey shows that 62.7 percent of the surveyed teenagers are exposed to cigarette advertisement on TV or in movies.

Tobacco companies are increasingly targeting children – their source of income for decades to come. While the government discourages smoking through its packaging policy, the Industry Ministry's tobacco industry road map 2015 states the goal of doubling the production of cigarettes – to 524.2 billion a year – by 2020.

"The road map is focused on raising the production of mild tobacco, so it is clearly targeting children, because mild cigarettes are smaller in size, with more feminine and slimmer packaging," University of Indonesia public health expert Hasbullah Thabrany said.

Since only 2.7 percent of Indonesian women smoke, the more feminine packaging appears to be aimed at the largely untapped female market. "The industry is really smart in targeting children and the youth. That is why we need plain packaging," said Tara Singh Bam, regional advisor for the Asia Pacific tobacco control program at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

The use of plain packaging is catching on around the world as countries try to protect their young generation. Fourteen countries have laws mandating plain packaging, including Australia, the UK, France, Hungary, Slovenia, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland and South Africa.

But not all have enforced those laws, with Singapore expecting to start enforcing plain packaging by the end of this year.

"It will always be opposed by the tobacco industry. Take for instance Australia, which won two lawsuits filed by the industry, one at the WTO and the other at the constitutional court," National Commission on Tobacco member Kartono Muhammad said.

Indonesia's largest tobacco producer, PT HM Sampoerna, said plain packaging would not be effective in deterring smokers. "More than three years after taking effect in Australia, plain packaging has failed to meet its stated goal of reducing smoking," Sampoerna regulatory affairs, international trade and communications head Elvira Lianita said.

According to her, Australian government data suggested that smoking may have actually increased in the first full year of plain packaging in states representing 95 percent of the population.

However, an Australian government review on the implementation of plain packaging concluded that the plain packaging rule had begun to achieve its public health objectives of reducing smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke and that it was expected to continue to do so.

The Health Ministry is lobbying for the government to follow Australia. "But it might be a bit difficult, because to implement plain packaging would require a government regulation, which is an inter-ministerial process," the ministry's law department head, Barlian, said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/plain-cigarette-packaging-put-smokers-ministry-hopes.html

Sex education must be taught in schools: Child protection commission

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – A civil society group has called on the government to include sex education in the school curriculum starting from this year to prevent wrong and misguided information on sexuality from shaping children's views, often leading them down dangerous paths.

Erlinda, a commissioner with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), said the government had to facilitate sex education because parents did not have a comprehensive understanding of the topic so could not inform their children adequately.

"We are hoping that in 2016, sex education gets included in the school curriculum. It will be helpful as many parents don't understand this topic," Erlinda said as quoted by kompas.com on Thursday.

Erlinda said the KPAI had proposed the inclusion of sex education in the school curriculum since 1999. The reason for the delay was rooted in people's perceptions of sex education, with many simply interpreting it as a lesson that taught children how to have sex.

She said this incorrect mindset was not only prevalent among the public but also within government branches. "This is a very pressing issue," Erlinda stressed.

The commissioner said sex education had to be taught from a younger age and should no longer be thought of as something taboo. "If it is not taught, children will be confused. When they go through puberty they could get the wrong information, which can be very dangerous," Erlinda said.

She said the curriculum could include various supporting elements in the sex education course, including religious values and appropriate ethics and norms.

"It could be taught that [each student's] body is a highly valuable gift from God, [so students should] not only maintain cleanliness but also guard it from people just touching it," said Erlinda.

Integrated Services Center for Women and Children (P2TP2A) deputy chair Margaretha Hanita said education institutions had an important role in delivering sex education. She agreed sex education should be included in the school curriculum.

Margaretha said that to prevent children from obtaining the wrong kind of information, it was important that information on sexuality came from an education institution, or from a formalized system of some sort. "I think it's already very urgent and mandatory that the government [act on this]" she said.

However, Margaretha said, parents still had an important role to play in teaching children how to protect their bodies, so, the government would not be walking alone in its efforts. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/sex-education-must-be-taught-in-schools-child-protection-commission.html

Poisoned at work: 13-year-old among hundreds sickened on tobacco farms

Sydney Morning Herald - May 25, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Gelanggang, Lombok – Thirteen-year-old Ayu vomits every year while harvesting tobacco on her family's farm near Garut in West Java.

"The smell is not good when we are harvesting," she says. "My stomach is like, I can't explain, it's stinky in my mouth. I threw up so many times."

Ayu (not her real name) is one of 132 children from tobacco farms in Central Java, East Java and West Nusa Tenggara and West Java that Human Rights Watch interviewed in 2014 and 2015. Almost half the children reported symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness.

"From our analysis and research, we think they could be experiencing symptoms of nicotine poisoning," says children's rights researcher Margaret Wurth. "Nicotine is a poison, it's a toxin."

Indonesia is the world's fifth-largest tobacco producer, with more than 500,000 farms. A quarter of all tobacco produced in Indonesia gets exported and goes into some of the most popular brands of cigarettes. It is likely that some of these brands are sold in Australia. Human Rights Watch had not corresponded or met with any Australian companies.

Human Rights Watch says thousands of children, some as young as eight, are exposed to nicotine, toxic pesticides and extreme heat. Many have symptoms consistent with "green tobacco sickness", where nicotine is absorbed through the skin from tobacco leaves and enters the bloodstream.

"Long-term health outcomes for individuals exposed to nicotine transdermally for extended periods of time are not known," according to Cancer Council Victoria. Children are uniquely vulnerable because their brains and bodies are still developing.

"Nicotine exposure in adolescence has been associated with mood disorders and problems with memory, attention, impulse control and cognition later in life," says The Harvest is in my Blood, a new report by Human Rights Watch.

The report, released on May 25 – calls on the Indonesian government and tobacco companies to ban children from work that involves direct contact with tobacco. But one challenge will be persuading the community. When Fairfax Media travelled to Gelanggang, a village in Lombok, we encountered deep scepticism about the health risks of tobacco farming.

"I don't smoke – I believe smoking is bad for your health and it really has no use," says 39-year-old tobacco farmer Pak Sudirman. But he has been working on tobacco plantations since he was 10 and has never experienced any adverse symptoms. "We never felt sick, no itchiness, nothing. Everyone did it, from the youngest to the oldest kids," he tells us.

A couple of years ago the companies that buy tobacco from Pak Sudirman – Philip Morris, British American Tobacco, Trisno Adi and Djarum – suggested the workers wear gloves when harvesting. Pak Sudirman wears them about 25 per cent of the time: "It's just too much hassle; besides, it's hot under the gloves."

Pak Sudirman researched nicotine on the internet but remains unconcerned. "I believe only half of it is correct because I am healthy," he says. "I believe, yes, the nicotine might be absorbed, but I don't believe it is making people sick. My grandmother chews tobacco – not just absorbing it through her skin, actually swallowing it – and she is fine."

Pak Sudirman has three children. He stresses that school comes first – parents are quite strict about this – but if children want to earn some pocket money, they assist outside school hours. "Adults pick the leaves – the only thing the children do is tie the leaves to the sticks [for drying]," Pak Sudirman says. "I don't have the slightest concern my kids will get sick."

Ms Wurth says harvesting is an especially risky job for children because nicotine is absorbed more readily when the leaves are wet. But she says children in Lombok responsible for tying the leaves to sticks for curing in the tobacco shed are also exposed to nicotine. "They are surrounded by big piles of tobacco leaves... their hands are covered in sticky black residue," she says.

Ela and Wulan, two girls from Lombok, tell Fairfax Media the smell of dried tobacco makes them feel dizzy and they have difficulty breathing.

Human Rights Watch says there is some light work that may be suitable for children, such as planting tobacco wearing gloves or watering the plants. But it would like to see any work involving direct contact with tobacco prohibited.

There is a precedent for this. In 2008, Brazil, the world's second-largest tobacco producer, banned all work on the crop by children under 18. Under Brazilian law, farmers and the companies purchasing tobacco from them can be penalised for child labour violations.

After Human Rights Watch published a report on hazardous child labour on US tobacco farms in 2013, a number of tobacco companies introduced new policies banning children under 16 working on farms in their supply chains.

Ms Wurth hopes this report, timed to come out before harvest begins in August, will have an impact in Indonesia. "We have had preliminary meetings with ministries," she says.

The good news, Ms Wurth says, is that Indonesia already has strong child labour laws, including a ban on children under 18 working with harmful chemical substances. She says the government just needs to specify that this includes tobacco and send labour inspectors out to farms to ensure children aren't doing hazardous work. "It's not like the laws need to be dramatically changed," she said.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/poisoned-at-work-13yearold-among-hundreds-sickened-on-tobacco-farms-20160525-gp37qc.html

Antitobacco groups fighting losing battle against industry

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesia is fighting a losing battle against cigarettes and the health community has not one ally within the government or among other elected state officials, as all of them, reportedly, are being tightly controlled by the tobacco industry.

Low prices and loose regulations have led Indonesia into the top five countries in the world for the number of smokers. Two-thirds, or 67.4 percent, of men over 15 years old smoke, making Indonesia the country with the world's highest smoking prevalence among males.

For years, members of the health community, including the Health Ministry, have campaigned against tobacco by constantly reminding everyone of the danger of cigarettes in the hope of reducing the alarming prevalence of smoking in the country, in particular among juveniles.

However, these efforts are increasingly looking like beating one's head against the wall as the government now aims to double the production of cigarettes – to 524.2 billion cigarettes per year – by 2020, the Industry Ministry's tobacco industry roadmap 2015 states.

The government has also refused to act on advice from the health community and victims of smoking-related illness and ratify the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). Ratification of the treaty would ensure protection for citizens from the effects of tobacco consumption as its provisions include rules that govern the production, sale, distribution and taxation of tobacco, including a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising.

"It's so hard for us to ratify the FCTC because to do so would require the same understanding across all ministries. How can we go in that direction if other ministries have extremely different opinions?" said Lily Sulistyowati, the Health Ministry's director of non-communicable diseases.

Indonesia is the only country in Asia yet to sign and ratify the FCTC. The treaty has been ratified by 180 countries, now protecting 90 percent of the world's population with Zimbabwe being the latest country to join.

Besides pushing for the ratification of the FCTC, the health community has also been pushing for a total ban on cigarette advertising. Ads are believed to greatly influence the public's acceptance of smoking cigarettes as a normal thing to do. But once again, the Health Ministry apparently has no government allies on this issue.

"When we designed the pictorial health warnings for cigarette packs, we also wanted to run TV and radio programs. But we were told that we were going too far and trying to manage things outside our authority. [TV and radio] falls under the authority of the Communications and Information Ministry," said Lily.

The government's weak stance in the fight against cigarettes is likely to be caused by constant lobbying from tobacco industry, according to Kartono Muhammad, an advisory board member with National Commission on Tobacco Control (Komnas PT).

Tobacco companies are major investors, employers and taxpayers, giving them considerable structural economic power, particularly in relation to the government's budget.

Proponents of the tobacco industry often note the significant economic contributions it makes, with the government having received Rp 116 trillion from cigarette excise taxes in 2014.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/antitobacco-groups-fighting-losing-battle-against-industry.html

Spate of deaths from bootleg liquor as Indonesia debates alcohol prohibition

Sydney Morning Herald - May 24, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – It's an excruciating way to die. First comes nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches (often mistaken for normal drunkenness), followed by loss of vision, brain damage and organ failure.

It's not uncommon for Indonesians to meet this gruesome fate after drinking bootleg liquor, known as miras oplosan, which sells for as little as 15,000 rupiah (about $1.50) a litre. Methanol in miras oplosan is poisonous to the central nervous system and can cause blindness, coma and death.

"Miras oplosan can be mixed with all kinds of things – sleeping pills, anxiety pills, insect repellent and methanol found in cleaning liquids or methylated spirits," Anggaito Hadi Prabowo, the criminal squad police chief from Bantul-Yogyakarta, tells Fairfax Media. "Some will also add a fruit mixture to the alcohol to give it a certain taste."

The latest deadly batch from Bantul, a regency of Yogyakarta, killed 12 people, who began dying within 24 hours of drinking the toxic brew on May 12. It's the second spate of deaths in Yogyakarta alone this year – a further 26 people, most of whom were university students, died in February.

Foreigners can also be at risk: Perth teenager Liam Davies died in 2013 after drinking a cocktail containing methanol at a Lombok bar, which he reportedly thought was imported vodka and lime.

The Australian government's smartraveller website warns visitors to Indonesia to be aware of the risk of methanol-spiked drinks, especially in tourist spots such as Lombok and Bali.

Alcohol – and what to do about it – is a perennial debate in Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country in which most people abstain from drinking because it is generally forbidden in the Koran.

Branded wine and spirits are heavily taxed and prohibitively expensive. In April last year the sale of beer was banned from mini-markets across Indonesia.

But the House of Representatives is debating a controversial alcohol prohibition bill, initiated by two Islamic parties, that would go much further.

If passed in its current form (unlikely given opposition from breweries and the tourism industry), the bill would outlaw the production, distribution and sale of beverages with more than 1 per cent alcohol.

Separately, the troubled province of Papua and Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, are both proceeding with bylaws banning liquor.

However the Surabaya parliament acted under pressure from religious organisations, a source tells Fairfax Media. "Many Surabayan parliamentarians actually disagree with it, besides the draft bylaw did not have scientific papers to back the reasoning for banning alcoholic beverages."

The push for stricter laws has intensified after the gang rape and murder of Yuyun, a 14-year-old from Bengkulu in Sumatra, at the hands of 14 young males reportedly high on tuak (palm wine).

"The Yuyun case is a lesson for all of us. Regional governments must restrict and ban the sales of alcoholic drinks in society," Ari F. Syam, a lecturer at the faculty of medicine of the University of Indonesia, was quoted saying in Antara news.

But the Centre for Indonesian Policy Studies suggests the prohibition bill – if passed – could push alcohol underground and strengthen crime syndicates producing deadly homemade brews.

Researcher Rofi Uddarojat told Fairfax Media the centre's research revealed oplosan deaths in 23 regencies or cities in Java despite local bylaws that partially or totally banned alcohol.

"Also interesting is that after the ban on the sale of alcohol in mini-markets in 2015, the Jakarta Police said there was a 58 per cent increase in the sale of illegal alcohol, which included oplosan and other homemade drinks," he says.

"So in our opinion, if the government wants to protect the people, the regulation should be about banning illegal rather than legal alcohol."

[With Amilia Rosa and Karuni Rompies.]

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/spate-of-deaths-from-bootleg-liquor-as-indonesia-debates-alcohol-prohibition-20160524-gp2kl7.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

Police, military want extra powers in fight against terrorism

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – The National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) want more authority to launch preventive measures against suspected terrorists despite public concerns over potential human rights violations.

The police and the military said articles specifying their expanded authority should be included in the revision of the terrorism law being deliberated at the House of Representatives.

The police have called on lawmakers to immediately give them the authority to arrest terrorist suspects before they carry out acts of terrorism. "Terrorism is an extraordinary crime, so we have to combat it with extraordinary measures," National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said Monday.

Those who could be arrested under this preemptive measure include individuals who allegedly plan terrorist attacks, those proven to spread provocative hate speech and who perform military training, even if they only use air guns and make bombs.

Badrodin added the National Police would work with the Army, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to monitor suspected people who have the potential to conduct terrorist acts. The police would play a leading role in this operation.

"No need to worry about human rights violations. Of course, we also have a control mechanism to handle it," the police chief said, adding that security officers should not wait until the terrorists launch attacks and create more victims.

Badrodin made assurances that the police would not make arbitrary arrests, as the BIN would provide them with comprehensive and trusted data about the suspects.

Despite his pledges to avoid human rights violations, the public cannot forget what happened to terrorist suspect Siyono, who died in police custody, allegedly after being tortured by police officers.

An assessment by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), suggests that Siyono had indeed died because of alleged torture carried out by the Densus 88 counterterrorism squad.

Driven by the finding of the rights bodies, the House's special committee working on the revision of the terrorism law proposed to establish a supervisory body that would oversee the work of the Densus 88 to ensure its transparency and accountability in dealing with terrorist suspects and managing their financial allocations, but the police corps was quick to reject the idea. "We already have our own internal mechanism to monitor Densus 88," Badrodin said.

Furthermore, Badrodin also wants the revised terrorism law to be a lex specialis (specialized law), meaning that the stipulations on how to deal with acts of terrorism acts would be based solely on that law.

The TNI's chief for general affairs, Vice Adm. Didit Herdiawan, also emphasized the importance of giving stronger authority to the police to do preventive measures. "If the preventives measures fail, then we have to do repressive ones," he said.

He also wants a stronger role for the TNI in the fight against terrorism, particularly by empowering its village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa) to directly approach civilians to do publicity to raise the public's social awareness.

"But the Babinsa can't walk alone. That's why integrated coordination is important," Didit added. He also said it was important for members of society themselves to monitor their environment – not to distrust each other, but to be aware of security.

A member of the bill's special committee, Syarifuddin Suding of the Hanura Party, said that the aspirations of both of the country's security keepers would be given a lot of consideration during the bill's deliberation. However, he emphasized that human rights protection was an absolute thing that would also be taken into consideration.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/31/police-military-want-extra-powers-fight-against-terrorism.html

Terrorism Law to uphold rights of victims

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – No one can deny that living life as a victim of a terrorist attack, or indeed of wrongful arrest, is heartbreaking, as efforts to heal psychological and hidden physical scars are not an easy task to perform.

Victims frequently continue to live in trauma, thus making it difficult for them to completely recover from their experiences.

Unfortunately, this situation is made worse by state ignorance or reluctance to hear voices of the victims and, instead, preferring to focus on actions against the perpetrators, many of whom have already died in the course of their suicidal acts.

Such victims, however, may now get some relief as the House of Representatives has pledged to accommodate their rights, such as compensation and medical, psychological and psychosocial rehabilitation, in the amendment to the 2003 Terrorism Law currently being deliberated.

Muhammad Syafi'i, chairman of the House special committee for the terrorism bill, said on Wednesday the draft of the law revision would specify a provision about the implementation of care for victims after terrorist attacks, including calculation of compensation and rehabilitation programs.

"This is a crucial point in the law. So far, the Criminal Code stipulates that there is a victim if there is a perpetrator. But, when the perpetrator dies, should we ignore the victim?" said the Gerindra Party lawmaker.

The protection and compensation of terror victims is already a priority under the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) Law. The agency is obliged to provide legal and physical security for victims, and provide medical, psychological and psychosocial assistance. It also helps victims to obtain their rightful compensation from the government and perpetrators.

"But the implementation is not effective as there is no instruction from higher legal instruments and the law does not state clearly who has the authority to determine who the victims are," Syafi'i said. "Thus, we will regulate this in the revision of the Terrorism Law.

LPSK chairman Abdul Haris Semendawai revealed that of the hundreds of victims listed with the agency, less 10 percent of them had received psychological or psychosocial rehabilitation. None of them had obtained official compensation from the government. "Most of the cases were stuck in courts, even though the law has recognized victims' rights," Abdul Haris said.

He pointed out that it was difficult to help victims obtain compensation as the allocated budget for victims and witnesses was in the hands of the Finance Ministry. "The budget should be given to some institution so that the LPSK can immediately give compensation to the victims without complicated dealings with the ministry," he added.

With particular reference to protection of victims of wrongful arrest, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) suggested that it would be better for the House, especially Commission III overseeing security, human rights and legal affairs, to evaluate first the performance of the National Police's antiterrorist squad Densus 88 in taking measures against suspected terrorists before they continued the deliberation.

"Otherwise, the revision will answer nothing as it has yet to address the root causes," Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/terrorism-law-uphold-rights-victims.html

Freedom of religion & worship

Legal aid lawyers protest against detention of ex-Gafatar members

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – A team of public attorneys from the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute have spoken out against the arrest of three former members of the controversial Fajar Nusantara Movement (Gafatar) who have been named suspects for blasphemy and treason on the back of a reportedly unconstitutional legal process.

The National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) arrested two former Gafatar members, Mahful Muis Tumanurung and Andri Cahya, as well as the group's spiritual leader and the founder of Al Qidayah al-Islamiyah, Ahmad Musadeq, on Wednesday.

Police will detain the men for the next 20 days while they further investigate following months of information gathering related to the now-defuct group's activities.

Fati Lazira, public attorney at the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), said the reasons for detaining the men were unclear as the three men had answered their summons on Wednesday morning without any resistance.

"We still don't know the reason behind the detention. Where is the evidences?" Fati said to thejakartapost.com. Police need sufficient evidence before they are allowed to keep anyone in custody according to the Criminal Law Procedures (KUHAP), he added.

Gafatar was at the center of a controversy earlier this year following the disappearance of some of its members. The missing members were later found to have relocated and built a village in Mempawah regency in West Kalimantan. They were then exiled by local residents after media reports on the controversy surrounding the group, which then lead to the government evacuating thousands of the relocated members to their respective hometowns.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO), the Home Affairs Ministry and the Religious Affairs Ministry issued a joint decree in March officially banning the Gafatar movement from spreading its doctrine, which deviates from mainstream interpretations of Islamic teachings.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has also declared Gafatar heretic. MUI claimed Gafatar's religious teachings combined the teachings of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, and that its members had declared Ahmad Mussadeq a prophet.

Asfinawati, another legal aid attorney, said officials should have waited for further evaluation of adherence to the joint decree to see whether the banned organization was still operating and promoting its views, instead of just immediately naming the three suspects. "If [there is] evidence that says the organization is still active, only then can they be made suspects," Asfinawati said.

Another attorney Saidiman Ahmad said the arrests were regrettable and that the incident could become a bad precedent for the treatment of citizens with different beliefs, adding that the police could use the charge of religious defamation to arrest anyone and curb freedom of faith.

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said the detention of the men was aimed at making the investigation more effective. Police also wanted to ensure the safety of the suspects, he added, suggesting there might be a negative reaction from citizens who stand against Gafatar's controversial beliefs.

The investigators are aiming to find people who have been active in Gafatar to ask them about the group's actions, especially related to alleged religious defamation because the group's dissemination of their belief system has caused public disturbances in the past.

"We don't want the Gafatar movement to cause a clash of religious teachings in Indonesia," Boy said at the National Police headquarters. The police have obtained a number of pieces of evidence such as witness statements and documents related to Gafatar's activities, Boy claimed.

The charges against Musadeq, who was also convicted in 2008 for religious blasphemy, will depend on the result of the investigation and the facts revealed in court, Boy said. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/legal-aid-lawyers-protest-against-detention-of-ex-gafatar-members.html

Most high school students tolerant: Setara

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Jakarta – The Setara Institute, a human rights watchdog, released a report on the religious tolerance of high school students in Jakarta and Bandung, West Java on Tuesday.

Setara Institute researcher Aminudin Syarif said the survey was conducted in 171 state high schools in both cities with 760 students participating. The survey was conducted in April.

The survey found that 61.6 percent of the participants tolerated religious diversity and 35.7 percent were passive-intolerant, which means those students do not voice improper opinions about other religions. Only 2.4 percent were active-intolerant and 0.3 percent of the participants agreed with extremists.

"Those 0.3 percent agree with what the Islamic State (IS) movement has done and support terrorism," Aminudin said.

Education activist Retno Listyarti said that teachers had important roles to cope with religious intolerance in schools because most students would follow their actions.

"Teachers should be taught about nationality and diversity, so they can teach and be role models for their students. We cannot ask students to accept our religious diversity, if their teachers are intolerant," Retno said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/national-scene-most-high-school-students-tolerant-setara.html

Nowhere safe for Ahmadiyah as persecutors expand into Central Java

Jakarta Post - May 24, 2016

Haeril Halim/Margareth S. Aritonang/Suherdjoko, Jakarta/Kendal – For decades, some 100 followers of the Ahmadiyah religious group have lived peacefully with their neighbors in Purworejo village in Kendal, Central Java, but this ended early on Monday when a mob ransacked their place of worship, the Al Kautsar mosque.

The destruction of the property belonging to the sect, which the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared to be deviant from mainstream Islam, marks a new departure for vigilante groups attacking beleaguered minority groups in the country; away from daylight harassment to attacks committed under the cover of darkness.

The Purworejo incident came just three months after a group of Ahmadiyah followers in Bangka regency, Bangka Belitung province, were forced to leave their village after locals protested against their presence in the region.

Head of Al Kautsar mosque committee Ta'zis said the attack occurred during a heavy downpour in the village around 1:30 a.m. when everyone was sleeping.

He was unaware of the attack until 6 a.m. when he discovered the roof, walls and doors of the mosque had been heavily damaged. Korans were seen scattered on the floor as local police cordoned off the crime scene in the morning.

"Our congregation comprises around 100 people, of whom 88 are officially registered. We've interacted well with people in the neighborhood up to this time. This leads us to confusion regarding the reason for the attack. We have reported the incident to the police," Ta'zis said.

The attack took place after local officials, including the head of Purworejo village and the subdistrict head, approached the mosque committee on May 18 claiming that people were opposed to the existence of the mosque, which was built in 2012, after the committee had carried out work on the mosque roof.

"The renovation was underway but suddenly this incident took place," said another Ahmadiyah member Roy Attaul Jamil, who also serves as head of the Central Java and Yogyakarta branch of Ahmadiyah.

Monday's incident was the first such attack on the Ahmadiyah in Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta provinces. Previously, Ahmadiyah groups in West Java, West Nusa Tenggara and Bangka Belitung provinces had fallen victim.

Local police are slated to launch discussions with the Ahmadiyah congregation in Purworejo and village leaders, as well as the Kendal regent to resolve the situation with the mosque.

The country's second-largest Islamic organization Muhammadiyah condemned the attack, saying that the problem of persecution of minority groups continued to recur across the country because law enforcers failed to punish properly those found to have attacked minority groups.

"These attackers have received lenient sentences so far and in several cases they've even walked away free. Law enforcers fail to prosecute them because they feel that putting them in jail will offend [mainstream] believers," Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Mukti said.

The Setara Institute said that Monday's attack added to the long list of attacks conducted by hardliners against Ahmadiyah groups across the country. As of today, there were a total of 114 attacks against Ahmadiyah between 2007 and 2016.

Setara chairman Hendardi said there was no reason for locals in Purworejo to object to the mosque because the group had acquired a permit to build their house of worship in 2003, five years before a joint ministerial decree was established in 2008 to restrict the Ahmadiyah from following their beliefs or setting up houses of worship.

The National Police said they were investigating the Purworejo attack and called on hard-line groups to refrain from persecuting minority groups in the country.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/24/nowhere-safe-ahmadiyah-persecutors-expand-central-java.html

Poverty & social inequity

Smoking makes low-income people even poorer: Minister

Jakarta Post - May 28, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Indonesia has some of the lowest cigarette prices in the world, with a pack costing just US$1.

In a country where 28.6 million people are still living below the poverty line, cigarette addiction makes low-income people even poorer, to the extent where some people sacrifice basic necessities – such as their children's education – in order to buy cigarettes.

Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek said recently that she had noticed an alarming trend where children dropped out of school because their parents preferred to spend their income on cigarettes, rather than education.

"There are many children who have to drop out of school because of a lack of money. And we have lost count of how many children are malnourished because the household spending goes mostly to cigarettes," she said.

The poorest families in Indonesia spend almost 12 percent of their incomes on cigarettes, according to a report on Indonesia by the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) in 2011.

Furthermore, cigarettes have become the second biggest household expense in both urban and rural families after rice, according to a 2015 survey from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

While there has yet to be a study on how many children's educations are sacrificed because of their parents' smoking habit, there are many real-life anecdotes.

One instance is the case of a fisherman in Muara Angke, North Jakarta, whose two children dropped out of school because their father's daily income of Rp 50,000 went to four packs of cigarettes per day, according to National Commission on Tobacco Control commissioner Fuad Baradja.

Nila said that Indonesian children stayed an average of 8.3 years in school, further indicating that high cigarette consumption ate up money that could have been spent on other necessities.

"While there could be many reasons that children drop out of school, one of them might be because the parents are not focusing enough on funding their children's education. Even though the government has provided financial assistance for education, why is it only eight years?" she said.

There are countless other intangible costs of smoking, which are often easily forgotten. "If a father is smoking inside his house and his daughter is having respiratory problems because of that, just count the cost incurred from the days when she has to skip school. What about medicine for her? And the father might also have to leave work to take his daughter to the doctor," said Nila. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/28/smoking-makes-low-income-people-even-poorer-minister.html

Indonesia face risks of rapid aging population

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – The number of Indonesians aged over 65 years old is estimated to increase by between 7 to 14 percent from the current figure in 2050, leading to increasing budgetary allocations for social security, a World Bank report revealed on Monday.

WB lead economist Philip O'Keefe said Indonesia was among countries in East Asia and the Pacific that was aging very quickly.

"It is a risk where people will have more poverty in old age. [...] in Indonesia, those aged over 70 years old are much more likely to be poor," he said a discussion in Jakarta on Monday.

O'Keefe went on to say the government should make policies that could help people improve their health. He further said the living behavior of Indonesian people was risky. He referred to the country's high smoking behavior, with cigarette prices, which were very cheap, as one of several triggering factors.

The Social Affairs Ministry's director general for security and social protection, Harry Hikmat, said Indonesia needed an Rp 6.72 trillion (US$494 million) budget per year to overcome poverty among senior citizens. He said the figure might be higher as the number of old people in Indonesia was estimated to increase in the years to come.

Citing official data, Harry said the number of the elderly in 2014 reached 18.8 million but it would grow to 48.2 million in 2025 and 80 million in 2050. "If the budget problem can't be solved, I am worried poverty rate in Indonesia is getting worse," he said. (sha/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/indonesia-face-risks-of-rapid-aging-population.html

Indigenous rights

NGOs demand recognition of rights

Jakarta Post - May 31, 2016

Jakarta – Several NGOs visited the Constitutional Court on Monday to demand the implementation of a court decree that recognized the rights of indigenous people to customary forests.

Their demand is based on Constitutional Court Decree No. 35/2012 that resulted from a judicial review of Law No. 41/1999 on forestry submitted by the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples (AMAN) and two indigenous communities.

In the decree, the court decided to delete the word "state" from the law's Article 1, Point A, which previously stipulated: "A customary forest is state forest located in the area of indigenous communities."

The verdict means that many hectares of forests that belong to the country could now be acknowledged as customary forests. "However, not a single customary forest has been acknowledged by the central government," said Yance Arizona, executive director of Epistema Institute.

According to Epistema Institute data, a research and knowledge management center on law, society and environment, only 15,557 hectares of customary lands in the country have been acknowledged by local governments, while the estimated area already claimed by AMAN is 84 million ha.

Constitutional Court chief justice Arief Hidayat said that there was no executorial institution to ensure the decree was implemented.

"It takes time to implement the decree in our community even though court decrees are final and legally binding," Arief said, adding that economic factors related to the use of customary forests by businesses and locals could not be ignored.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/31/national-scene-NGOs-demand-recognition-rights.html

Jakarta & urban life

Parties unite against Ahok

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2016

Safrin La Batu and Corry Elyda, Jakarta – In 2012, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Gerindra Party, eager to burnish their underdog status, nominated political outsiders Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, then mayor of Surakarta, and Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, former Belitung Timur regent, as their ticket in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. The gamble paid off with the pair winning in a landslide.

Two years later in the 2014 presidential election, the two political parties went their separate ways and nominated their own candidates for the country's top job, PDI-P backing Jokowi and Gerindra campaigning for the party's chief patron Prabowo Subianto. The two parties fought a bitterly contested election and bad blood has persisted between them long after Jokowi became president.

But as the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election draws near, the two parties are now mulling a rekindling of their lost love, united by a common goal: Stopping Ahok from being reelected governor for the 2017-2022 term.

The PDI-P said Sunday that it was communicating with Gerindra and other major political parties on the possibility of forming a big-tent coalition for the upcoming gubernatorial election.

The PDI-P, which has the most seats of any party at the City Council, has stepped up its overtures to Gerindra and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and claims that executives from both parties have responded positively.

"So far, we have talked with PKS and Gerindra. We will extend our talks to other parties in the near future," PDI-P Jakarta's election campaign deputy chairman Gembong Warsono told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Gembong said that Gerindra, the PKS and PDI-P had signed an agreement on taking steps to stop what he called "deparpolisasi", or the weakening of political parties by nominating independent candidates, a term coined by the PDI-P following Ahok's decision to run as an independent next year. "With Gerindra and PKS we have agreed to strengthen the roles of political parties, to prevent deparpolisasi," Gembong said.

PKS and Gerindra are in especially strong positions to help the PDI-P nominate a candidate to challenge Ahok, given that Gerindra, with 15 seats at the City Council, and the PKS, with 11, are the second- and third-largest contingents there.

On Thursday, PDI-P Jakarta's chairman Bambang Dwi Warsono said his party and Gerindra could agree on jointly nominating a candidate to challenge Ahok, but the two would need further talks to decide who the candidate would be.

The PDI-P has yet to announce its candidate, although it continues to float the names of popular politicians like Surabaya Mayor Tri Rismaharini and Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

Gerindra, meanwhile, has gone public with three names: businessman Sandiaga Uno, former Jakarta military commander Lt. Gen. (ret) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and lawyer and former law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra. Sandiaga said recently that Prabowo personally preferred to have Sjafrie on the ticket.

Another major party, Golkar, has yet to decide on its stance for the 2017 election, but could well support Ahok given the good relations between the incumbent governor and Golkar chairman Setya Novanto. "Despite the signal [that Golkar will support Ahok], we will continue talking to them," Gembong said.

Although Ahok has openly declared his intention to run as an independent, he has secured the support of the Hanura and NasDem parties. Hanura controls 10 seats at the City Council while NasDem has only five. Ahok's supporters Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok) meanwhile, have collected more than 900,000 copies of Jakartans' ID cards so far to support the governor's candidacy.

On Sunday, Ahok said that despite his decision to run as an independent candidate, he continued to have "a good relationship with parties, especially the PDI-P". "I still believe in political parties but Teman Ahok would be concerned if I was endorsed by a political party," he said.

Ahok continues to be the most popular politician in the city. A recent survey of 400 residents by think tank the Populi Center showed, for example, that Ahok was favored by 50.8 percent of people. Meanwhile, only 5 percent of respondents preferred Yusril and only 1.5 percent said they would vote for Sandiaga in a gubernatorial election.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/30/parties-unite-against-ahok.html

Gerindra signals it would support ex-general in Jakarta election over Sandiaga

Jakarta Globe - May 24, 2016

Nivell Rayda, Jakarta – The Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) announced on Sunday (22/05) it would select a retired army general linked to one of the worst civilian massacres in East Timor, as its choice for candidate in next year's Jakarta Gubernatorial election.

Abdul Ghoni, deputy chairman of the Jakarta chapter of Gerindra, told Detik.com that the party will likely select Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin relegating the other, and more popular candidate, businessman Sandiaga Uno to its second choice. The announcement will be made by the party's central leadership board at the end of the month.

Ghoni said the retired Army general "had performed well" as chief of the Jayakarta military command in Jakarta during the widespread riot surrounding President Suharto's resignation in1998.

Sjafrie "was very close to the Jakarta people at the time. He was idolized by many housewives at the time. It is fitting that Jakarta is led by a military man," Ghoni told the portal.

Then commander of the Army's special forces' intelligence task force, Sjafrie was accused by the international community of orchestrating the Santa Cruz massacre on November 12, 1991 which claimed the lives of more than 250 East Timorese pro-independence protesters.

Sjafrie was also among those accused of establishing a pro-Jakarta militia which caused widespread violence in East Timor during the 1999 referendum.

In September 2009, the United States refused to issue a visa for Sjafrie, then deputy defense minister, to accompany then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to attend the G20 leaders summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Ghoni said Sandiaga "is ready to become [Sjafrie's] running mate," claiming that several parties have already expressed interests in supporting the pair. However, Gerindra central leadership chairman Ahmad Riza Patria said that Sjafrie is more likely to be paired by a candidate from another party.

Gerindra has 15 seats at the Jakarta City Council, 12 seats short from being able to nominate its own pair. Ahmad said Gerindra could form a two party coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with 28 seats, or form an alliance with at least two more parties.

The third biggest party in the House is the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) with 11 seats, which means even if it forms a coalition with Gerindra the bloc would still be one seat short.

Sandiaga, who is also vying for tickets from other parties including the PDI-P, resisted commenting on the claims he would likely be named second pick by his own party.

"I have heard about it. However, the final decision is in the hands of [Gerindra chairman] Prabowo [Subianto]. I will continue to work until the final decision is made," he said as quoted by Tempo.co. "Whatever the party's decision will be, I will support it."

[According to Kompas.com, Sandiaga said that Gerindra chief patron Prabowo Subianto hand-picked Sjafrie as a candidate. For background information on Sjamsoeddin see the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) article "Indonesian General Not Fit for Civilian Defense Post" at http://www.etan.org/news/2010/01sjafrie.htm.]

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/gerindra-signals-support-ex-general-jakarta-election-sandiaga/

Armed forces & defense

Ryamizard's plan for defense offices irks lawmakers

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Refusing to bow to House of Representatives protocol, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu says he will soon meet the lawmakers that oversee defense to discuss his plan to open defense offices across the country and have active soldiers stationed to operate them.

Ryamizard is expected to elaborate on his arguments in defense of the plan before members of House Commission I during a hearing slated to take place next week. The questionable move will lengthen the list of summonses he could face over his controversial policies.

"The Defense Ministry would usually discuss any plans for policies with Commission I. But all seems to run differently under the leadership of the current minister," said Commission I chairman Mahfudz Siddiq.

"Nowadays, the Defense Ministry will first launch its programs and then explain them to us. This applies to the plan to open defense offices in regions," the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician added.

Ryamizard's plan to deploy active soldiers to run the new offices has faced initial opposition from Commission I because the retired Army general is deemed to be simply renewing a proposal by his predecessor Purnomo Yusgiantoro, who failed to convince lawmakers of its worth the first time around.

Mahfudz, who has led Commission I since 2009, explained that Purnomo aborted the plan in 2012 right after failing to secure the support from lawmakers during a hearing.

There were no details presented to Commission I members back then as then defense minister Purnomo only uttered a rough plan. There is not much known about Ryamizard's current proposal either.

However, the plan to open regional offices quickly attracted attention following the leak of an official letter from Ryamizard to Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo requesting that the latter assign soldiers to be deployed to take charge of the regional offices.

The ministry plans to assign one-star generals to run its offices in Aceh, East Java, East Kalimantan, Jakarta, Papua, Riau Islands and West Kalimantan. Other offices in the remaining provinces will be under the leadership of colonels, the ministry says.

Commission I deputy chairman Tubagus Hasanuddin said that he and his colleagues had learned about the plan on a recent working visit to Riau Islands province, where he received questions as well as complaints over the opening of defense offices.

"It is just weird that the Defense Minister is re-launching the program again. He must definitely explain his reasons to doing so to us," Tubagus said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/ryamizard-s-plan-defense-offices-irks-lawmakers.html

Boots in civilian office

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

The first 20 months under President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo are looking "more ferocious than the New Order", one activist has said. Haris Azhar, as quoted in Koran Tempo on Tuesday, was responding to the request of Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu for the military to deploy personnel to provincial defense offices.

Ryamizard referred to the 2002 Defense Law as the basis of the offices, reportedly a legacy from former minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, for which tasks remain unclear apart from supporting efforts to instill nationalism and boost state defense.

However, Haris echoed increased fears of having the black boots harassing daily life again – meaning a full-circle return to the Indonesian Military's (TNI) powerful defense and non-defense roles.

The military's dwi fungsi (dual role) was the New Order's means to entrench then president Soeharto's rule – until the TNI's New Paradigm introduced the defense-only role to the rank and file on TNI Day on Oct. 5, 1998, barely five months after the strongman quit.

With the Reform Era, the TNI's political role diminished faster than its network of businesses. But politicians aspiring for public office attempted to harness the military's improved public image. Those who succeeded now help to retain the influence of active and retired personnel – including Ryamizard and others around President Jokowi.

Beyond only a few active and retired officers who have reached top positions, leaders have faced the problem of satisfying a corps suddenly expected to be "professional". Jokowi's predecessor, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, started prioritizing their weaponry and welfare.

Jokowi has gone farther, perhaps too far. The top brass and soldiers have surely drawn further encouragement from Jokowi's embracing of the TNI as tentara rakyat (the people's military). The President has also said that as the TNI was "born from the people's womb" during the revolutionary days, it could not hurt the people. But in echoing past jargon in the history of the TNI's birth, he did more than appease resentment, particularly among the old guard, of the TNI being expected to sit on the bench indefinitely during peacetime.

Thus the military, without much controversy, has entered into a few dozen agreements with ministries where soldiers are deployed in various programs. Ryamizard's hallmark is his nationwide state defense training program, boosted by his trumpeted threats of revived dangerous ideologies like communism.

While officials and politicians may say the TNI's role is needed in strategic areas including combating terrorism, fundamental reforms have not been met – including the dismantling of top-down military commands.

Ryamizard may say the defense control offices aim to replace these commands to face national threats. However, most threatening is the TNI's return to public life with no progress on efforts to end its impunity in relation to a long list of human rights abuses.

Jokowi has cleverly enabled outlets for idle, otherwise dangerous men with weapons. But he must use his popularity to enforce his Nawacita nine-point development agenda to ensure citizens' safety and security – which entails a professional military and Defense Ministry under the control of the civilian commander-in-chief.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/boots-civilian-office.html

Defense plans cause concern

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The government's plan to set up defense offices at the provincial level, and deploy active soldiers to run them, has raised suspicions that the Indonesian Military (TNI) is attempting to intervene once again in civilian administrative matters.

The plan became known following the revelation of an official letter from Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, a retired Army general, to TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, requesting the latter to assign soldiers to lead the Defense Ministry's provincial branches.

The issuance of the letter dated May 13 caused concern, particularly given the recent arrests by military personnel of civilians in various parts of the country for allegedly promoting communist ideology.

Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Djundan Eko Bintoro confirmed the plan to set up provincial defense offices, saying it was aimed at boosting "defense services" at the regional level.

He added the ministry would appoint one-star generals to lead its offices in Aceh, East Java, East Kalimantan, Jakarta, Papua, Riau Islands and West Kalimantan. Meanwhile, colonels would run the offices in the remaining 27 provinces.

The plan immediately caused alarm among activists, who questioned the urgency, or indeed need, for establishing the provincial defense offices and more especially the appointment of active soldiers to represent the ministry, which is supposedly a civilian institution.

"Defense is among the matters that are not subject to decentralization. Thus, it is better to keep it centralized and let the ministry operate only at the central level," said Al Araf from Imparsial.

The executive director of the Jakarta-based human rights watchdog, which focuses on military reform, said the plan could lead to an overlap of functions between the soldiers in the existing regional military commands (Kodam) and those in the new defense offices.

Thus, Al Araf suggested the ministry focus on its job of formulating defense policies needed to face security threats from outside the country instead of "creating the perception that it is combating internal problems deemed to pose a threat to the country's security".

Defense observer Mufti Makarim likewise criticized the plan, saying it was part of the efforts by the TNI to regain influence over public life. "That is the problem of appointing a conservative retired army general like Ryamizard to lead an institution that is by concept a civil one," Mufti said.

Then president Abdurrahman Wahid appointed Juwono Sudarsono in 1999 as the first civilian defense minister, breaking the military's decades-long dominance of ministerial posts.

Mufti added that there was also an effort to allow soldiers to serve in civilian offices, such as by proposing a draft law to permit active military personnel to run in regional elections. The debate on the issue is still ongoing.

In addition, Mufti further cited a number of agreements involving the military and several government institutions that allow for the deployment of troops to safeguard public infrastructure such as railway stations, harbors and airports.

The military may even get involved in matters utterly unrelated to defense affairs, such as family planning programs, following its agreement with the National Family Planning Agency (BKKBN).

"I personally see these indications as an attempt by the military to regain power," Mufti said. "Who can guarantee that the [Defense Ministry] provincial offices will not be used as a way to deal with, for example, ideological matters in the regions?"

However, Djundan of the ministry totally rejected such claims, explaining that the regional offices were meant to ensure the effective and appropriate implementation of the ministry's defense policies throughout the archipelago.

In support of the plan he cited the 2012 ministerial decree on the establishment of regional defense offices, the 2002 Defense Law and the 2008 State Ministries Law, which all have stipulations justifying the ministry's decision to set up representative offices in all of the country's 34 provinces.

"This is nothing out of the ordinary. It's been ongoing for four years by the way," he said, insisting that at no time did the ministry's representatives overlap with district military commands. "The Kodam are still in charge of in-field operations while we are simply coordinating policies".

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/defense-plans-cause-concern.html

Criminal justice & legal system

Arrests of judges undermine reforms at Supreme Court

Jakarta Post - May 25, 2016

Haeril Halim, Ina Parlina and Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – The ongoing reforms within the Supreme Court are in question after two judges in Bengkulu were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly accepting bribes to compromise a court verdict.

Judge Janner Purba, head of Kepahiang District Court in Bengkulu, and fellow judge Toton were apprehended on Monday afternoon. Their arrest took place around the same time that KPK investigators questioned Supreme Court secretary Nurhadi for his alleged involvement in another bribery case.

The antigraft body has vowed to intensify its crackdown on dirty practices in the country's judicial system to have a deterrent effect on other court officials.

Aside from Janner and Toton, KPK investigators also detained three other people during their sting operation in Bengkulu – Syafei Syarif, Edy Santoni and Badaruddin.

Syafei and Edy, who allegedly offered the bribes, are the former treasurer and financial division deputy, respectively, at Muhammad Yunus hospital in Bengkulu. Badaruddin is a court clerk.

Janner and Toton, who allegedly accepted Rp 150 million (US$10,974) from Syafei, are two of five members of the panel of judges at the Bengkulu Corruption Court overseeing a graft case surrounding the misuse of honorary funds at the hospital.

The antigraft body expanded its investigation after it found that the hospital had spent Rp 650 million to influence the court verdict that was due to be handed down on Tuesday. "We will also examine the roles of the three other judges," KPK spokeswoman Yuyuk Indriati said, referring to the other judges handling the case.

The KPK has prosecuted dozens of judges in the past five years, but Janner and Toton were the sixth and seventh antigraft judges nabbed in a sting operation.

The other five corruption court judges are Kartini Julianna Mandalena Marpaung and Pragsono from the Semarang Corruption Court, Heru Subandono from the Pontianak Corruption Court, Asmadinata from Central Sulawesi's Palu Corruption Court and Ramlan Comel from the Bandung Corruption Court.

In addition to the cases implicating Janner and Nurhadi, the KPK in February arrested the chief of the Supreme Court's subdirectorate of appeals and special civil case second reviews, Andri Tristianto Sutrisna, for allegedly accepting Rp 400 million from graft convict Ichsan Suaidi, who sought a delay in the handing of his cassation verdict to the Mataram State Administrative Court (PTUN).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/25/arrests-judges-undermine-reforms-supreme-court.html

Foreign affairs & trade

Former Indonesian minister says 'shocking' to suggest link between cattle ban and

Sydney Morning Herald - May 26, 2016

Jewel Topsfield – Indonesia's former foreign minister has emphatically denied a link between the live cattle export ban and an increased flow of asylum seekers, saying it is "shocking" to suggest the Indonesian government would put lives at risk simply to make a political point.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce implied the Indonesian government could have been responsible for dispatching asylum seekers to Australia, after a "disastrous" decision to halt live cattle exports in 2011.

"Might I remind you that when we closed down the live animal export industry, it was around about the same time that we started seeing a lot of people arriving in boats in Australia," he said during a regional leaders debate.

But Dr Marty Natalegawa, who was the Foreign Minister of Indonesia at the time, told Fairfax Media any suggestion of a linkage was "patently false". "At best, it represents an over analysis of the subject," Dr Natalegawa said.

"Worse still, it is shocking to suggest that the Indonesian government would risk the safety and lives of innocent asylum seekers in making the treacherous journey to Australia simply to make a point."

Dr Natalegawa said the Indonesian government had direct and effective channels of communication with the Australian government to constructively discuss the two subject matters. "We can make our points directly, which we did and we eventually resolved the issue."

Australia temporarily banned the export of live cattle to Indonesia in 2011 following the release of footage of cattle being mistreated in Indonesian abattoirs.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/former-indonesian-minister-says-shocking-to-suggest-link-between-cattle-ban-and-asylum-seekers-20160526-gp3z2h.html

Mining & energy

Indonesia's oil imports may swell to US$40b in 2019: Analyst

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni, Jakarta – Oil imports will swell to more than US$40 billion in 2019 from the current value of $15 billion, as domestic supply continues to fall amid lack of exploration while demand keeps increasing, an analyst has warned.

The energy think tank Wood Mackenzie's head of Asia Pacific Research, Craig McMahon, said Indonesia, which has been an oil net importer on a US dollar basis since 2011, has yet to effectively diversify the energy amid declining oil production.

Wood Mackenzie estimated Indonesia's oil production to fall deeper from 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2016 to around 500,000 bpd in 2019. Consequently, the imported oil volume is predicted to rise from 800,000 bpd in 2016 to around 1.2 million bpd in 2019.

"By the end of 2019 it will treble to about $40 billion. It is a huge challenge," McMahon said in a plenary session of the 41st Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) convention and exhibition held at Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He further said oil and gas in Indonesia had underperformed, resulting in Indonesia's reserve replacement ratio to hit a poor level, below 50 percent. For comparison, the ratio in neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Australia was beyond 100 percent.

McMahon added that competition for investment had been intense and would stay that way. In exploration, only prospects with a clear line of sight for development would show significant progress. "Countries seeking investment need to actively position themselves now for the recovery by offering fiscal terms that promote and reward development," he explained.

Presidential staff deputy chief Darmawan Prasodjo said Indonesia's oil and gas exploration had declined in the past five years. He asserted the need for a paradigm shift through flexible fiscal policy by considering investment feasibility indicators such as net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period and profitability ratio.

Earlier, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's director general of oil and gas, IGN Wiratmaja Puja said the government was planning for several incentives to boost oil and gas exploration, including tax incentives.

"Tax holiday, first trance petroleum [FTP], domestic market obligation [DMO] holiday, they are still being discussed, while land and building taxes [PBB] for upstream oil and gas exploration activities have already been scrapped," he said. (ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/indonesias-oil-imports-may-swell-to-us40b-in-2019-analyst.html

Economy & investment

Bad loans, weak demand hold back credit growth

Jakarta Post - May 30, 2016

Prima Wirayani, Jakarta – Bad loans and weak demand are hurting the outlook for Indonesian banks' loan growth amid financial authorities pushing for a more affordable lending rate to help revive the national economy.

A lending rate discount of 22 basis points (bps) this year has so far not done the magic of attracting borrowers. Loan growth at commercial banks nationwide averaged 8.71 percent in March, falling far short of financial authorities' expectations of between 12 and 14 percent this year.

At the same time, a weak domestic and global economy, as well as global commodity price drops, have made it difficult for companies to repay their debts on time. The ratio for bad loans at local banks, dubbed non-performing loans (NPL), rose steadily from just over 1.5 percent in 2014 to 2.8 percent recently.

"When banks experience a higher NPL ratio, they will be more cautious about channeling loans," BI macro-prudential policy director Yati Kurniati said over the weekend. Especially for new customers whose borrowing behavior remains unknown to the banks, lenders have applied strict requirements to avoid a higher bad loans rate.

The bad loans situation for domestic banks gets more alarming. Bank Mandiri, the nation's largest lender in terms of assets, reported a gross NPL rate of 2.89 percent as of March this year, from 1.81 percent in the same period last year on the back of soaring bad loans and loan growth contraction.

As a consequence, Bank Mandiri allocated a higher loan loss provision, an expense reserved for defaulted loans, putting pressure on the bank's net profits to plunge by 26 percent to Rp 3.8 trillion (US$281.2 million) in the January-March period.

Mandiri's rising bad loans were mainly seen in the commercial segment, which mainly consists of commodity-based businesses operating in regions involved in the exploitation of natural resources. "A slowdown in economic growth has reduced the loan payment ability of our clients," Bank Mandiri president director of Kartika "Tiko" Wirjoatmodjo said recently.

Of all stocks, those of banking sector businesses recorded the most significant decrease on the local bourse, indicating investors' worries about the sector that has been hit by a combination of high bad loans rate, weak credit demand and suppressed net interest margin (NIM) against the backdrop of financial authorities' efforts to bring down the lending rate.

The finance sector under the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) has lost 3.1 percent of its value so far this year, while the index as a whole expanded by 4.83 percent so far this year.

An asset manager Henan Putihrai research team recommended in a research paper a "selective buying position" toward banking stocks as risks have yet to subside, including sluggish credit growth and possible lower NIM, which is the difference between the lending rate banks charge their customers and the deposit rate they charge for depositing funds in the banks.

The government has instructed banks to lower their lending rate to a single digit from the current position of above 10 percent by the end of this year to boost the economy. To achieve the goal, the Financial Services Authority (OJK) is offering local banks that maintain high levels of operational efficiency more leeway to expand their businesses.

But boosting credit growth given the current economic environment remains a Herculean task. Yati of BI said businesspeople would focus more on surviving than expanding their businesses amid a sluggish domestic economy. Bankers voiced a similar view, projecting that credit demand would remain slow.

Bank Central Asia (BCA) president director Jahja Setiaatmadja predicts that weak purchasing power and decreasing revenues for businesses will reduce loan demand as the effects of the weak economy continue to linger.

"It [the problem] lies more in the weak purchasing power therefore loan demand will increase when our economic growth is better," Jahja said recently. BCA, known for its huge consumer banking base, saw loans decline by Rp 9 trillion in the January-March period of this year.

Indonesia's economy grew slower than expected in the first quarter of this year at 4.92 percent year-onyear (yoy), after growing by 4.72 percent for the whole of 2015, the weakest growth since the 2009 global financial crisis.

As Indonesia's economy slows down, many companies have put the brakes on borrowing from banks, and are instead seeking funds from the less-costly capital market.

Proceeds from rights issue plans are projected to reach a record high of Rp 67.15 trillion, according to an announcement from publicly listed firms published by the IDX in May. The value even exceeds full year amounts booked in the last five years.

With many big firms, especially those in the commodities sector, slowing down, many banks are now tapping into small and medium enterprises (SMEs), micro loans and consumer loans to seek growth.

Private lender CIMB Niaga plans to tap deeper into those sectors as they still provided room to expand. "Consumer banking propped up the banking industry's performance last year," said CIMB retail banking products head Budiman Tandjung.

The lender's corporate banking, which contributed 31 percent to its total loans, shrank by 4.7 percent yoy in this year's first quarter, while consumer banking grew by 2.8 percent. "This is one of the most promising segments for banking, one that gives stable, regular income and with less volatility in terms of NPL," Budiman said. (win)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/30/bad-loans-weak-demand-hold-back-credit-growth.html

Consumers, vendors applaud relaxing of alcohol rules

Jakarta Post - May 27, 2016

Agnes Anya, Jakarta – Thursday might have seemed just one of those regular days for most Jakartans, but to beer drinker Dwi Setianto, 27, it was a day of sunlit glory, for it was yesterday that he finally knew for sure that beer would be back on the shelves at minimarkets throughout the capital.

Dwi doesn't need to go to hoitytoity high-end cafes selling expensive booze anymore. "At the cafes, the prices are usually much more expensive," he said, adding that drinking beer was a common thing for urbanites like the residents of Jakarta. "Drinking beer is a lifestyle choice for many Jakartans."

Dwi had not been aware that the Jakarta administration recently allowed the sale of beer in convenient stores. No minimarkets in the capital displayed the beverage, whose alcoholic content is less than 5 percent.

The Indomaret minimarket in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, for example, has not put any beer products on display. "We have not received any instructions [from management] about it," said Garry Adam, the minimarket's shop worker, on Thursday. "It has been a year since we sold beers."

PT Indomarco Prismatama, which operates Indomaret minimarkets throughout the country, has yet to allow beer sales in its retail shops because the management is not yet aware of recent policy changes to alcohol sales in Jakarta, said PT Indomarco Prismatama spokeswoman Nenny Kristyawati.

Similarly, PT Sumber Alfaria Trijaya is not yet selling alcoholic beverages at its minimarket chain Alfamart due to a lack of awareness on the Jakarta administration's current policy, said its corporate communications manager Nur Rachman.

However, through spokespersons, both retailers expressed their appreciation for the administration's move and promised to tighten rules surrounding the sale of alcohol by obliging its minimarket officers to check the ID cards of buyers. They also pledged to put up announcements prohibiting underage children from buying beer.

In line with the companies, the Association of Indonesian Retailers (Aprindo) warmly welcomed the administration's decision even though the association has yet to hear any official announcement about permits for beer sales in minimarkets.

"We are ready [to sell alcoholic beverages] and fully support it," Aprindo deputy chairman, Tutum Rahanta told The Jakarta Post on Thursday, adding that demand for beer was high in Jakarta, especially in the areas where expatriates reside. "Jakarta is an international city. So it is laughable to limit the selling of beer," he said.

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

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

"In our [city] regulation, it is clearly stated that beer is allowed to be sold at minimarkets, but only to adults," said Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama on Thursday.

The latter regulation stipulates that liquor classified as type A, or comprising 1 to 5 percent alcoholic content, can be sold at retail stores, like minimarkets and supermarkets, as well as other stores with a floor width of at least 12 square meters.

"As we are now re-using our own regulations, beer should be back at minimarkets again. It is classified as type A alcohol," said Ahok, adding that the administration did not need to announce permits for beer sales. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/27/consumers-vendors-applaud-relaxing-of-alcohol-rules.html

Analysis & opinion

Self-inflicted wounds

Jakarta Post - May 26, 2016

Duncan Graham, Malang, East Java – Indonesia has been rightly promoting its many positives. It's the third largest democracy with Asia's freest media; it's the globe's most moderate Muslim nation and ASEAN's economic powerhouse.

The biggest archipelago is a resource-rich environment open for business and tourism. It's inviting the world and her husband to pack their bags, jump a Garuda and head for Wonderful Indonesia. As the ads say – "know it, love it".

What's not to like? Only a cruel and illogical approach to the drug problem by maintaining the death penalty – with authorities checking carbines and cable ties for the next round anytime soon.

Indonesia's stubborn refusal to discard this primitive and ineffective practice – now being proposed for rape – is corroding all the splendid qualities which make the 17,000 plus islands and their multi-ethnic peoples a delight.

Why does the government allow twisted thinking to dash down all the exciting images it has been building over the years? Why continue to drive on the wrong side of history when most have switched to the other lane?

Only 37 nations still have judicial murder on their statutes and exercise the law. Apart from Indonesia the key culprits are China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia plus several rogue states.

Does an otherwise progressive and reformed Indonesia happily stand in this company of brutes?

A further 50 countries still have the law though they haven't used it for the past decade. Six retain it only for mass killings.

Like the Dutch beheader's sword now hanging idle in Jakarta's Kota Tua, the gallows, stakes, electric chairs and chopping blocks from 102 nations now rust and rot in museums – examples of how their ignorant forebears behaved before they elevated human rights above all else.

Every day President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo faces a mountain of compelling issues, including repairing the nation's infrastructure, boosting the economy, calming inter-faith tensions and eradicating poverty. Despite the workload he's found time to back the death penalty, arguing that it's necessary to curb drug trafficking.

So far 14 peddlers of illegal addictives have been executed under his 18 month watch. During the ten-year rule of his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, only one of the 19 victims had been condemned for drug trafficking. The others were murderers.

Last year's clutch included men from the Philippines, France, Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia and two Australians who had reformed during their decade in detention.

The killings led to widespread condemnation. Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands withdrew their ambassadors. This is the diplomatic equivalent of publicly walking out of your neighbor's house because you find their behavior repellent.

The National Commission on Human Rights wants capital punishment abolished. So do ten other NGOs that have written to Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs asking for "a moratorium on executions as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty".

Last month President Jokowi told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that shooting traffickers was necessary because up to 50 citizens died every day from drug abuse.

The figures come from a 2008 study by the University of Indonesia and the National Narcotics Agency. Researchers have labeled the findings "ambiguous", "inaccurate" and "over simplistic".

Even if the statistics are accurate, an annual total of 18,250 deaths is about four per cent of the World Health Organization's estimate of smoking-related fatalities.

Using the President's logic then Philip Morris, the largest trafficker of addictive substances in Indonesia, should be tied to a stake and shot to shreds. As the British businessman died in 1873, directors of the American company could be executed instead.

Indonesia will win the World Cup before this happens, even though it's the logical extension to the President's reasoning. Apart from an international outcry it would cause a stampede of investors. The economy would collapse, as it did when Sukarno nationalized Western businesses in 1958.

President Jokowi has also argued that "shock therapy" will curb the drug menace. Curiously the threat of death, even a painful and prolonged sentence through metastatic lung cancer doesn't change behavior. So why should a quick 5.56 mm bullet dishearten it?

Every time one of Indonesia's 60 million nicotine addicts pulls out a fag they're confronted by a fume-wreathed skull and the slogan Merokok membunuhmu (Smoking kills you). Yet still they smoke.

Drug traffickers are indisputably evil. Traders in jail are daily reminders of tough penalties. The facts show the present policy is not a deterrent but a distraction.

The collateral damage caused is extreme. Those gleefully announcing the killings to come don't do the foul deeds themselves.

They're distant from the macabre prison rituals. They don't see the ripped flesh, hear the death rattles before dawn, smell the vomit, sweat the nightmare.

They don't pass their remaining lives forever recalling they've helped slaughter defenceless beings in cold blood, the worst thing anyone can do to another human.

All involved in the vile process are corrupted. So is the reputation of a fine nation, crippled by a flawed ideology that has no place in a moral universe.

[The writer is a journalist.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/26/self-inflicted-wounds.html

Indonesia is not Melanesia

Solomon Star News - May 25, 2016

Dr Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka, Honolulu, Hawaii – Late last week, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement rejecting the Solomon Islands Prime Minister's comments on the issue of West Papua and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

In his statement, Manasseh Sogavare proposes that the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) be given full membership to the MSG.

He asserts that the Indonesian President's refusal to meet him, as Chair of the MSG, demonstrates that Jakarta joined the MSG merely to "protect its own interest other than engage in dialogue about the serious human rights issues in West Papua."

In response, Indonesia's newly appointed Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa, Ambassador Desra Percaya, described Sogavare's statement as a violation of "the basic principles of sovereignty and non-interference as enshrined in the Agreement Establishing the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) in 2007."

He went on to say, "it is... myopic for Prime Minister Sogavare to speculate that Indonesia's agenda in the Pacific, let alone in the MSG, is solely Papua driven."

While I respect Indonesia's right to respond, it is vital that Melanesian and other Pacific Island countries do not allow Jakarta to dictate what we believe, say and do, especially when it comes to the defense of human rights.

Indonesia has persistently committed human rights violations, including atrocities, against Melanesians in West Papua for over 50 years. That is not a myth. It is the truth. It has been verified and documented by international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and other independent bodies.

For Indonesia to say that it is "long committed to address human rights issues," is misleading and an attempt to deflect attention from realities on the ground in West Papua.

Indonesia, plus international organizations such as the United Nations, as well as the governments of countries like the US, Australia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, etc. must correct the mistakes of the 1960s; the fraudulent processes that led to the transfer of West Papua's sovereignty from the Dutch to Indonesia.

History is relevant to this discussion. As Australian academic, Jason MacLeod, states, "Continued rule by the Indonesian government in West Papua is founded on the myth that the transfer of sovereignty from the Netherlands to the Unitary Republic of Indonesia was free and fair. It was not. Events surrounding the transfer of sovereignty remain a core Papuan grievance. This grievance is not just historical. It has a contemporary dimension. The lack of willingness to discuss history contributes to the Papuan perception that there has been a 'death of democracy' in West Papua."

The international community needs to correct the wrongs of the past and hold Indonesia accountable for its continuing human rights violations. This is central to the injustices that have deprived indigenous West Papuans their right to self-determination.

In an effort to rebuttal the growing support for West Papuan independence, Jakarta is re-inventing and re-presenting itself as a Melanesian and Pacific Islands country. Through subtle – and sometimes not so subtle – use of language, it writes itself in as part of Oceania.

The statement released by Indonesia last week, for example, states that, "as part of the Pacific, Indonesia developed partnerships with several key countries in the region to ensure that the bilateral ties are strong and productive."

Most Pacific Islanders, however, would not think of Indonesia as "part of the Pacific." It is not part of our "imagined community," or to borrow from the late Epeli Hau'ofa, "our sea of islands."

This re-presentation is also obvious in Indonesia's attempts to forge itself as a Melanesian country. It argues it should become a member of the MSG by virtue of having ethic Melanesians as citizens. To increase its "Melanesian population," it includes Maluku and the nearby islands as part of its "Melanesian Provinces."

In these diplomatic maneuverings, Jakarta is stretching the boundaries and definitions of Melanesia and Pacific Islands to suit its political, economic and strategic agendas. It deploys identities, albeit misconceived, as a political tool of inclusiveness.

What the Indonesian Government conveniently erases from this narrative is that Melanesian West Papuans make up for only 0.67% of Indonesia's total population of over 260 million people. The Melanesians are also the most discriminated against: they have been murdered, oppressed, abused and marginalized in their own land.

Furthermore, it is predicted by 2020, Melanesians will make up for only 28.99% of the total population of West Papua. The rest will be Malays from densely populated islands such as Java. This is part of a concerted effort by Jakarta to assimilate West Papua into Indonesia.

As part of this strategy, Jakarta has used population census as a political tool. While the 1971 and 2000 population censuses made a distinction between Papuans (Melanesians) and non-Papuans, the 2010 census did not make that distinction, enumerating everybody as West Papuans. Melanesians will eventually be absorbed as "Indonesians," continuing Sukarno's policy of building a unitary republic.

Interestingly, Jakarta peddles the story that it is "the third largest democracy, [and therefore] respect for human rights is an essential principle for Indonesia."

The sub-text here is that size – the third largest democracy – warrants a commitment to human rights principles. Of course, that is not necessarily true. Also, the invoking of size is meant (either intentionally or unintentionally) to intimidate.

But Pacific Island countries should not be intimidated. We might be small and imperfect democracies, but we compensate that with huge principles that uphold human rights.

Furthermore, in its statement, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs flaunts the issue of sovereignty to counter what it views as the Solomon Islands PM's infringement into its national affairs; West Papua is a national issue.

But it is worth noting that sovereignty is not absolute, especially when a country has perpetrated human rights abuses for over 50 years. The international community must not allow the Indonesian government to use sovereignty as an excuse for continuing human rights violations in West Papua.

Another twist to this story is that although West Papua contributes significantly to Indonesia's economy, it is the province with lowest development index.

Between 1992 to 2011, for example, the Grasberg Mine, owned by the US company, Freeport-McMoran Inc., made direct payments to the Indonesian government totaling US$12.1 billion. This is made up of $7.3 billion in corporate income tax; $2.3 billion in employee income tax, regional tax and other levies; $1.2 billion in royalties and $1.2 billion in dividends.

Indigenous West Papuans have been economically marginalized and have not benefited equitably from the mine and other natural resource investments.

Given the above, I support the Solomon Islands Government on this issue. We might be a small country, but we must not let Indonesia bully us.

Contrary to the statement by Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister's statement is not "myopic." Rather, it reflects an understanding of issues far into the past and well into future. It is the Indonesian government that is myopic in its treatment of this issue and of Melanesians.

Mannaseh Sogavare and the Solomon Islands Government, you have my support. Don't let Indonesia bully us. Vote Indonesia out of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). Indonesia is not Melanesia.

Source: http://www.solomonstarnews.com/viewpoint/private-view/10374-indonesia-is-not-melanesia