Antara, Jakarta – British Ambassador to Indonesia Moazzam Malik has expressed support to Papua Province to remain within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

"The policy of the British government is very clear that we support the unity of Indonesia, and Papua is absolutely a part of the NKRI, so there is no debate over it," Malik remarked in a special interview with Antara here on Tuesday.

Malik noted that being within the framework of the NKRI, the Papuan indigenous people are entitled to the same services as Indonesian citizens in other parts of the country.

"Hence, education and health services or opportunities in the economy must be tailored to their aspirations as well," the British envoy remarked.

He said that in the framework of the NKRI, the aspirations of indigenous Papuans should be heard, respected, and fulfilled, as this is the responsibility of the central and regional governments.

"We feel that President Joko Widodo is very conscious and committed to advancing the future of Papua, as he visits the Land of Cenderawasih more often than the previous heads of state," Malik noted.

The British envoy believes that the steps and policies undertaken by the president have been wise, such as the settlement of human rights cases that had become major issues, access to foreign journalists in Papua, the issue of political prisoners to regulate the process of dialog between the central government and Papuans to be heedful of his aspirations.

"Unfortunately, the implementation of these policies is still low until now. Hence, it demonstrates to all parties that there are certain interests that hinder the directives of President Jokowi," he remarked.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/22/055913438/Britain-Supports-Papua-to-Remain-Within-NKRI-Framework

Security hinders deliveries of basic goods to Papuan regencies

Jakarta Post - November 21, 2017

Anton Hermansyah, Puncak Jaya Mulia – Security concerns following the election riots in Tolikara regency, Papua, are hampering deliveries to mountainous areas in the province, the such as Puncak Jaya and Wamena regencies, the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) minister said on Monday.

"The logistic trucks have to take a detour because of security issues. It took about three days before, but now it takes five days or even longer," SOEs Minister Rini Mariani Soemarno said on Monday in Mulia, Puncak Jaya.

Several SOEs have been assigned by President Joko Widodo to reduce the price of basic commodities, including cooking oil, cement and fuel, in the mountainous Papuan regencies.

The price of cement used to be Rp 2 million (US$147.8) per sack, while fuel cost Rp 50,000 per liter and cooking oil cost Rp 50,000 per liter, the minister said.

"Cement is now sold for Rp 500,000 per sack, fuel is the same price as in Java at Rp 6,900 per liter, and cooking oil is Rp 33,000 per liter," she said, thanking Pertamina, PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia and PT Semen Tonasa for their cooperation in lowering the commodities' prices.

Local residents have confirmed the situation, saying that deliveries of basic goods were disrupted because of security concerns.

Daeng Ewa, a motorcycle taxi driver, said that gasoline was growing scarce in recent months, as it was delivered only once every three to five days. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/21/security-hinders-deliveries-of-basic-goods-to-papuan-regencies.html

International academics call for withdrawal of TNI from West Papua

CNN Indonesia - November 20, 2017

Rinaldy Sofwan, Jakarta – Philosopher and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor Noam Chomsky and a group of international academics are calling on the Indonesian government to withdraw all troops from West Papua following allegations of human rights violations against civilians by security forces in the province.

"We call on the Indonesian government and our respective countries to take urgent and effective action to ensure that the Indonesian military is immediately withdrawn from West Papua and that Indonesia demilitarise the region as an initial step towards resolving the conflict peacefully", said the academics in an open letter posted on their website and accessed by CNN Indonesia on Monday November 20.

The group, which calls itself the International Academics for West Papua (IAWP), said that since 1969 the Indonesian military has routinely fired on peaceful demonstrations, torched villages and tortured civil society activists and local people.

Although they are prohibited from entering the province, independent observers such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Indonesian Human Rights Campaign (Tapol) have documented serious and endemic human rights violations by Indonesia throughout Papua, said the group which was formed in 2016.

"Indonesian Special Forces and counter-terrorist units such as Kopassus and Densus 88 – which are trained by Western countries – are implicated in beatings, extrajudicial executions and mass killings in the region."

"The huge military presence combined with racism and structural economic discrimination against the local Papuan population will only have the consequence of conflict and abuse".

The IAWP also demanded that "military and police training along with the export of weapons to Indonesia be halted until the human rights violation in West Papua are stopped", including training and funding for Densus 88 by Australia, the United State, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand which takes palce at the Jakarta Center for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC).

In addition to calling for the withdrawal of military forces and end to cooperation, Chomsky and his colleagues are also calling on Indonesia to release all political prisoners and allow non-government organisations (NGOs) and the international media into Papua.

The IAWP are also demanding that the international community take a firm stand on the alleged human rights violations in Papua and call on the Indonesian government to respect the Universal Human Rights Declaration and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights which has already been ratified by Indonesia.

Finally, they are calling on Indonesia and the international community to acknowledge the historical injustice of the 1969 "Act of Free Choice" in which the Papuan people were not given the right to choose their own future and were forced to become part of Indonesia.

The open letter can be found at the IAWP website [http://academicsforpapua.org/] and can be signed by the public.

In addition to Chomsky, a number of other academics have signed the letter including Sydney University lecturer Michael Webb, Western Sydney University researcher Camellia Webb-Gannon, Deakin University Professor Helen Gardner, Grant McCall from the University of Sydney and 14 other academics. (aal)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was "Akademisi Internasional Minta TNI Ditarik dari Papua".]

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20171120134900-106-256864/akademisi-internasional-minta-tni-ditarik-dari-papua

What happened to Papuan Martinus Beanal?

Sydney Morning Herald - November 19, 2017

Jewel Topsfield and Amilia Rosa – The truth is, no one knows. Even the bare facts surrounding his disappearance are murky. According to police in the Indonesian province of Papua, Beanal was shot in the head in the jungle.

He worked for a firm that supplied food to Freeport McMoRan, the US mining giant that runs Grasberg, one of the world's largest copper and gold mines. The mine is carved deep into the mountains in the remote and restive province.

Members of an armed group known as the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM), who describe themselves as freedom fighters, say they are fighting here for independence.

They believe the lucrative mine is the primary reason why Indonesia acquired Papua in 1969, after a highly flawed UN-backed ballot for independence in which only a handful of the local population were allowed to vote.

Grasberg generates billions of dollars in revenue for Freeport. The Indonesian government also benefits: Freeport is their largest taxpayer.

However most Papuans stand to gain little from the mine. Their province remains the poorest in Indonesia, with 28 per cent of people living below the poverty line.

Violent attacks have spiked in the mining area in recent weeks amid negotiations over a plan for Freeport to divest 51 per cent of its stake in Grasberg to the Indonesian government.

On November 7, Martinus Beanal had been trying to return to his village of Banti, which had been cut off by the conflict, to be with his wife and four children. Four days later he was reportedly found in the woods near the village with a hole in his head.

"Actually, it was the family that found him and then they told us and we collected the body together," Papua police spokesman Suryadi Diaz told Fairfax Media. He said no autopsy was performed: "The family simply took it and buried it."

This version of events was also reported in the local media. But it was news to Beanal's family, who were shocked when they read the newspaper reports.

"We still have no idea where my brother is or what happened to him," Kristina Beanal told Fairfax Media. "No one collected a body, let alone buried the body."

The police blame his disappearance on KKB, an acronym for "armed criminal group", which is how they refer to the TPNPB-OPM. The TPNPB-OPM blames police or the military.

All Kristina knows is that Martinus had set out for Banti at 5am on November 7. He trekked through the jungle to avoid the 125-kilometre road that snakes between the lowland village of Timika and the mine, which is where "the fights have always taken place".

Two of Martinus' nephews agreed to meet him halfway. But as they reached an area known as Mile 68, they heard a gunshot.

"My nephews ran and returned to the village," Kristina said. "The next day our big Beanal family went to search for him. [We searched] for days, we still haven't found him."

Kristina said the family would have insisted on an autopsy. They also would have wanted his body back. "In our culture, until we know what happened to him, until he is returned home, we can't grieve. I have been doing just that, holding back any tears."

When Fairfax Media asked – on two separate occasions – about the discrepancy in accounts, Papuan police promised to "double check and confirm". There was no response before publication.

According to local activist Adolfina Kuum, cases like this are frequent in Papua. "People go missing and then they are found dead, or just simply [remain] missing. The cases go unresolved. We never find out what happened to them."

On November 15, another family in Papua was left grieving. Brigadier Firman, a member of the police paramilitary force Brimob, was shot while patrolling the area around the mine. His wife is six months pregnant.

TPNPB-OPM commander Hendrik Wanmang told Fairfax Media the group was responsible for the attack: "We are at war... we are fighting the Indonesian government."

Firman's father-in-law, John Manangsang, was remarkably gracious. He said it was important that the government did not recklessly punish anyone.

"I personally can't blame anyone but today's lesson is my child made a sacrifice for this country," Manangsang said.

"We don't know for sure who committed it, and what the motive is. I ask for it not to be quickly determined. This is a very complicated phenomenon."

The shooting is the 15th in the area since mid-August. Two police officers have now been killed and at least 12 people wounded. A Freeport ambulance was shot at, injuring a woman who had just given birth.

For more than two weeks the TPNPB-OPM blocked access to villages in the conflict zone although it insisted it was not holding villagers hostage.

One woman told Fairfax Media her eight-month-old baby had run out of formula a week ago and was being fed on rice porridge and water. She said 20 villagers tried to leave the village of Kembeli when the situation became tense on October 29, but were stopped at a roadblock.

"The men held guns to their necks and said they wouldn't do anything, but they had to go back. They trashed their belongings on the road. They took my parents' phone."

Police warned the villages were running out of food and medicine and the hospital in Banti was closed because doctors didn't feel safe after their ambulance was shot at.

They initially tried to negotiate with TPNPB-OPM, fearing civilians could be killed if they forcibly entered the villages to evacuate those who wished to leave.

But on Friday their patience ran out. The military and police entered the villages and evacuated 344 people. Children rode on the shoulders of their parents as they were evacuated along a mountainous trail.

"The joint task force now has control over the two villages," Papua National Armed Forces spokesman Muhammad Aidi told Fairfax Media. "There was some resistance from the group but we managed to push them out of the villages."

Some native Papuans chose not to be evacuated but police said they had requested protection from the joint task force in the villages until the situation was safe.

But those who stayed behind remain edgy they could be caught up in any future violence between the police and military and the TPNPB-OPM. Some of those evacuated were originally from Toraja in South Sulawesi.

Yohanis Batto, the Torajan association group leader in Timika, thanked the police and military for evacuating without any civilian casualties. He said physically the evacuees were fine "but mentally they are traumatised".

When Batto spoke to the Torajan evacuees they vowed never to return to villages in the mining area. "They might still try to make a living in Timika, but not up there, they are too traumatised."

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has arguably paid more attention to Papua than any president since Suharto, according to an October 31 report by the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict.

"Jokowi has made serious efforts to lower prices for basic goods, reduce the isolation of remote areas by building more roads, build markets for Papuan women and increase access to education," the report says. "Nevertheless the political wing of the independence movement inside Papua has grown more active, not less."

It says the government has made at least three miscalculations in its Papua policies: that economic development would make political grievances go away, that fraudulent local elections could be safely ignored and that past human rights violations would be easy to resolve.

The report says the divestment of Freeport is "consuming Papua at the moment". "There is a high probability of continued tensions as different parties within Indonesia contend for huge economic stakes," it says. "Any violence in the Freeport area can involve multiple actors with multiple interests."

Few people know this better than Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono, who has spent years documenting murky deaths in the Freeport mine area.

Harsono says there have been regular shootings along the road between Timika, which he describes as a "wild wild town", and the mine. These include the 2002 murder of two American teachers and an Indonesian and the 2009 killing of Melbourne Freeport mine worker Drew Grant. Harsono says none of the 50 or so cases have ever been properly resolved.

In 2007, Harsono and US academic Eben Kirksey wrote Murder at Mile 63, a detailed account of the shooting of the American teachers.

The report questions whether the pro-independence Papuan guerrillas sentenced over the attack acted alone. It says an initial police investigation implicated Indonesian military troops in the attack.

Why would the Indonesian military stage an attack at the Freeport mine? One theory, the report says, was that Freeport had been reducing official and unofficial payments to Indonesian security forces.

"The August 2002 attack may have been orchestrated by the Indonesian military in a bid to convince Freeport of their continued need for security."

Fifteen years later, Harsono is not optimistic police will be able to identify the perpetrators of the latest shootings or resolve the disappearance of Martinus Beanal.

He said Papuans are angry with Freeport and want to have control over the mine. "This is not something that can be solved overnight," he said. "If negotiations with the Indonesian government and Freeport involved Papuan officials it would reduce tension and dissatisfaction."

Meanwhile, the families and friends of Brigadier Firman and Martinus Beanal mourn the loss of their loved ones.

"My brother had no criminal history, he was not carrying any weapon, he only had with him a bag with some food that day," said Kristina Beanal. "He wasn't siding with anyone to make him a target. He was just this kind and good man."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/high-noon-in-papua-conflict-simmers-around-freeport-mine-20171116-gzn3ua.html

Freeport evacuating Indonesian mine worker families after shootings

Reuters - November 18, 2017

Timika, Indonesia – U.S. miner Freeport-McMoRan Inc is evacuating spouses and children of workers from its giant Indonesian copper mine after a string of shootings in the area raised security concerns, company sources said.

The move follows efforts by Indonesian authorities on Friday to evacuate villages near Freeport's Grasberg mine in the eastern province of Papua that authorities said had been occupied by armed separatists.

Since August at least 12 people have been injured and two police officers have been killed by gunmen with suspected links to separatist rebels.

Freeport has asked family and household members of its employees to prepare over the weekend for a temporary relocation from the mining town of Tembagapura, about 10 km (6.2 miles) from Grasberg, the sources said. Workers have been asked to stay behind and maintain their work schedule, they said.

Details of the evacuation or the number of people impacted were not immediately clear. Shots were fired at a light vehicle and two large mining trucks were set on fire at Grasberg on Saturday, one of the sources said.

A spokesman for Freeport Indonesia and Papuan police did not respond to requests for comment on the matter. The sources declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak to media.

Grasberg is the world's second largest copper mine by volume.

The separatist West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM) says it is at war with Indonesian authorities and wants to "destroy" Freeport in an effort to gain sovereignty for the region.

TPN-OPM has claimed responsibility for the shootings but denies police allegations it took civilian hostages.

[Reporting by Sam Wanda in TIMIKA; Writing by Fransiska Nangoy and Fergus Jensen in Jakarta; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman.]

Source: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-indonesia-freeport-security/freeport-evacuating-indonesian-mine-worker-families-after-shootings-sources-idUKKBN1DI06S?rpc=401&

Indonesia's Widodo vowed to 'erase stigma' in Papua. Tell that to

South China Morning Post - November 17, 2017

Jeffrey Hutton – Oktovianus Warnares gathered with five other men outside a government building on the picturesque island of Biak, just off the coast of the Indonesian province of Papua.

It was May 1, 2013, the 50th anniversary of Indonesia assuming control of Papua from the United Nations. Warnares and his crew had gathered to raise the outlawed Morning Star flag of independence to protest against the rule of Jakarta – a distant city not only in kilometres but ethnicity and religion.

Warnares estimates that within an hour more than 100 police and soldiers had descended, hurling rocks and demanding the men remove the flag. When Warnares and his men refused, police carted them to jail. He will remain in prison until 2019. Warnares, a Christian, says his father died while in military custody.

"I have been in jail for four years for raising a flag. But I will keep fighting after they release me," the farmer and father of three says during a phone call from prison in Biak. "I cannot erase this cause from my heart. I'm Papuan. We're a different race. We have a different faith."

Three years after President Joko Widodo swept to power, in part, on promises to ease historic tensions and "erase the stigma" of the country's easternmost provinces, the region is once again convulsed by violence. Despite progress, many still favour separatism, no matter the cost.

Earlier this month, police said about 1,000 people in five villages near the Grasberg copper and gold mine operated by the Indonesian unit of US mining giant Freeport McMoRan were held captive by separatists linked to the outlawed Free Papua Movement (OPM).

Last week, a police officer was shot and killed and another wounded in the same area. In the past month, 10 police have been shot, Human Rights Watch said.

The violence dates back decades, occurring mostly along the road that runs from the coastal town of Timika, rising nearly 2,000 metres through forests to the mining town of Tembagapura 127km away.

In 2002, two US teachers working at the international school in Tembagapura were shot and killed, along with their Indonesian colleague, when they were ambushed while driving back from a picnic. Seven other US citizens were badly injured.

The heavy military presence in the area did not prevent that attack or others like it. There are several checkpoints and police and commando outposts. Even so, 51 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since 2003, according to Radar Timika, a local publication.

Part of the stigma surrounding Papua is not only the violence but its opacity. Journalists rarely get permission to visit and when they do they are closely monitored. To outsiders, it is unclear who is fighting who and for what. After the fatal police shooting this week, OPM claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has said it is targeting Freeport, the military and the police.

"The situation is murky," says Andreas Harono an analyst at Human Rights Watch. "There are many sides with different causes."

In the case of the attacks on the American teachers, there were signs of military involvement. At least one of the six rebels convicted in 2006 for the killings testified he bought weapons and bullets from police and military officers.

Papua's natural wealth helps underwrite these vendettas. Rebels routinely forage for sandalwood in the forest and sell it for perfume and other cosmetics, or pan for gold in the river that runs past piles of mine dumps from Freeport's Grasberg operation. One of the rebels convicted for ambushing the US teachers reportedly said he paid for bullets and two M-16s and two AK47s in part with panned gold.

Jakarta has undoubtedly made progress in erasing the stigma and easing tensions. Widodo has freed most of the political prisoners in Papua as well as neighbouring Maluku, where separatist dreams die hard. In 2015 there were 45 political prisoners. Now there are nine, including Warnares and his comrades. In neighbouring Maluku, there are two. One died of heart failure earlier this month.

Soon after taking office in 2014, Widodo made a series of official trips to the country's far east. His government has pledged to spend 87.5 trillion rupiah (HK$50.6 billion) to bring electricity to villages in on a electrifying villages in Maluku and West Papua. Papua will get a 4,000km tollway by next year. The province's capital, Jayapura, will host the 2020 National Games – the first time the event has been hosted outside Java.

But Widodo has eroded much of the goodwill he generated by promoting former Suharto-era generals whose soldiers stand accused of committing atrocities.

Wiranto, Widodo's coordinating minister for legal, political and security affairs, was Indonesia's top general when soldiers set upon Filep Karma in 1998. Karma, like Warnares, was raising the outlawed Morning Star flag. Karma says soldiers shot rubber bullets at his leg at point-blank range. "I blame Wiranto," Karma says.

Karma, who was jailed again in 2004 until 2015, wears the Morning Star pinned to his shirt when he leaves his house. The 58-year-old has sworn off chocolate and coffee and vows not to shave his beard until Papua is independent. Karma denounced the police shootings, suggesting the killers may be trying to discredit the rebels.

"That was not part of the freedom struggle. It was conducted by a conflicting party," Karma says.

Samuel Waileruny, a human rights lawyer and former political prisoner, has collected 123,000 signatures to support his application to run as an independent in next year's race to be governor of Maluku. The Election Commission of Indonesia will make a formal decision whether to include his name on the ballot at the end of the month. His election promise includes regular vows to fight corruption and drugs. He also plans to run as a separatist.

"We can't pass this problem on to our children. We have to fight for the truth," Waileruny says. "It's not only me who is fighting. All people, at all levels are fighting, including me if I become governor."

[Additional reporting by Imam Shofwan.]

Source: http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2120457/indonesias-widodo-vowed-erase-stigma-papua-tell-separatists

Indonesia says Papua villages in standoff with rebels secure

Associated Press - November 17, 2017

Tembagapura, Indonesia – Indonesian police said they helped evacuate more than 340 people Friday from villages in easternmost Papua after security forces apparently gained the upper hand in a standoff with separatists. It was unclear if there were any casualties.

Papua police spokesman Suryadi Diaz said the villages of Kimbeli and Banti, where separatists stationed gunmen last week, were secured and 344 people including two dozen children were evacuated by bus to a nearby town. Those who left were mostly migrants from other regions while hundreds of indigenous Papuans stayed behind, police said.

Diaz said in a statement that the evacuation was preceded by a two-hour security operation that "hit back" against the separatists. Earlier Friday, a spokesman for the separatist National Liberation Army of West Papua said in an email that a military surveillance drone had flown over the area. A commander for the group could not be reached by mobile phone.

Another Papua police spokesman, Ahmad Musthofa Kamal, said that gunfire from hills surrounding one village had hampered the efforts of about 300 police and military personnel to move people.

Indonesia restricts journalist access to Papua and police information is not always reliable.

Tensions in the region near the U.S.-owned Grasberg gold and copper mine have flared in the past month. A series of attacks by suspected separatists have killed two policemen and injured more than half a dozen others.

Members of the National Liberation Army of West Papua last month declared an area near the mine a battlefield with Indonesian security forces and last week stationed armed men in the two main affected villages, Kimbeli and Banti, that are home to about 1,300 people.

A low-level insurgency for independence has simmered in Papua since it was annexed by Indonesia in the early 1960s. The region, which makes up the western half of the island of New Guinea, was formally incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 following a U.N.-sponsored ballot of tribal leaders that has since been dismissed as a sham.

Police had made contradictory statements about the status of the villagers, initially calling them hostages and then in other instances saying their movements were not being restricted.

A commander of the armed separatist group, which uses the Indonesian acronym TNP, told The Associated Press last week that villagers were generally free to go about their business but prohibited from entering the area defined as a conflict zone.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/flee-papua-villages-standoff-indonesia-forces-51215692

Hundreds of residents escorted out of besieged Papuan villages

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jakarta – A joint team comprising Indonesian Military and National Police personnel Friday gained control of Banti and Kimbeli, two villages in Tembagapura district in Mimika regency, Papua, that were reportedly occupied by armed separatists for the past three weeks.

Members of Free Papua Movement's (OPM) National Liberation Army (TPN) reportedly blockaded all roads into the area and prohibited residents from leaving the villages. Papua Police chief Insp.Gen. Boy Rafli Amar and Cendrawasih Military District Commander Maj. Gen. George E. Supit arrived at Kimbeli and Banti at 11 a.m. local time Friday.

"Thirteen personnel of the Army's Special Forces [Kopassus], supported by 30 members of the 751st Raider battalion, gained control of Kimbeli village while two teams from the Army Strategic Reserves Command's [Kostrad] Combat Reconnaissance Platoons [Tontaipur] regained control of Banti village from the separatists," said Cendrawasih Military District Command spokesperson Lt.Col. M.Aidi.

"Within less than two hours, they managed to take over the two villages and push back the OPM/TPN members. They ran into the forest."

Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. AM Kamal said that during the operation, security personnel rescued 150 people from Kimbeli village and 194 from Longsoran village.

Hundreds of others chose to stay because they are originally from Kimbeli and Banti villages. "They were born and grew up in Kimbeli and Banti so they don't want to leave. They only asked us to provide security and logistical assistance until the situation in the two villages returns to normal," said Kamal. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/hundreds-of-residents-escorted-out-of-besieged-papuan-villages.html

Indonesia evacuates villagers after shootings near Freeport mine

Reuters - November 17, 2017

Sam Wanda, Fergus Jensen, Jakarta/Timika – Indonesia on Friday began evacuating villages that authorities said had been occupied by armed separatists after a string of shootings near the giant Grasberg copper mine operated by Freeport McMoRan Inc in the eastern province of Papua.

Two police have been killed and at least 12 people have been wounded by gunfire in the area since mid-August. Police have blamed an "armed criminal group", but others have said the gunmen were linked to separatist rebels.

According to police reports, the armed group occupied the villages of Banti and Kimbely near the mining town of Tembagapura, and had prevented an estimated 1,300 residents from leaving the area, leading to food shortages.

Police and military leaders said they have urged the gunmen to surrender, but have also warned that tough measures could follow if their "persuasive" approach fails.

Residents were being evacuated to a sports hall in Tembagapura, according to a source at Freeport.

Mimika Deputy Regent Yohanes Bassang asked families in Timika to accommodate relatives being evacuated from the villages "to avoid further problems".

Bassang said many of the villagers were from the east Indonesian island of Sulawesi and had come to the area to pan for gold.

The separatist West Papua National Liberation Army (TPN-OPM), a group linked to the Free Papua Movement, has claimed responsibility for the shootings and declared war against the military, police and Freeport, but denied it was holding villagers hostage.

According to several residents interviewed by Reuters, military and police officers were preventing them from getting food from Tembagapura, where food aid was delivered in a cargo container on Saturday.

"The atmosphere has really heated up," one resident said, referring to the shootings and concerns over food supplies and safety.

[Reporting by Sam Wanda in Timika and Fergus Jensen in Jakarta; Editing by John Chalmers and Nick Macfie.]

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-freeport-security/indonesia-evacuates-villagers-after-shootings-near-freeport-mine-idUSKBN1DH0TY?il=0

Papua's TPN says villagers not targeted in standoff

Radio New Zealand International - November 16, 2017

The West Papua National Liberation Army, or TPN, has told villagers in Mimika regency their conflict is not with them but with Indonesian security forces.

West Papuans have long expressed frustration about the environmental destruction caused by the Freeport mine operations in Mimika regency.

Police blamed the TPN, which it refers to as a criminal group, for shootings near Tembagapura and the Freeport mine since August. One policeman was killed and several injured.

A tense standoff has developed, with police and military accusing the TPN of holding 1300 people hostage. The TPN, which recently declared war on the Indonesian state, denies this.

A spokesman for the Justice and Peace Secretariat in Mimika's capital Timika, Saul Paulo Wanimbo, said the TPN had relayed a message to local villagers.

"TPN say to people, we have no problem with you, we always have problem with military and police. If we went to war, we went to war against police and military only. They say that to the peple in Tembagapura area."

Mr Wanimbo said Timika was generally peaceful, but that Indonesian security forces have been busy flying personnel into the area.

"They always send military and police every night by plane from Java, Sulawesi or Maluku to here, to Timika. Every night we hear the plane sounds arrive and go from Timika."

He said there were also many Indonesian intelligence officers in Timika and in the area around the Freeport mine.

Freeport has temporarily shut the main supply route to its Papua mine amid the escalating tensions. Indonesian officials on Saturday said about 200 police and military personnel had been deployed in preparation to secure the area by force, if necessary.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/343977/papua-s-tpn-says-villagers-not-targetted-in-standoff

1965 anti-communist purge

New mass graves containing about 5,000 suspected victims of

Agence France Presse - November 17, 2017

A new set of mass graves from Indonesia's anti-communist purges has been discovered, a victim right's group said Thursday, after recently declassified US documents showed Washington had full knowledge of the extent of the brutal massacres.

Some 16 new grave sites containing about 5,000 suspected victims of the Cold War killings were pinpointed around the island of Java, according to the organization.

Historians say up to 500,000 alleged Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) supporters were killed between 1965-1966 by soldiers and civilian militias around the time General Suharto became president.

He blamed the PKI for a failed coup and rose to power on the back of the bloodshed, going on to lead the world's most populous Muslim nation with an iron fist for three decades.

Witnesses of the massacres led investigators to the latest grave sites, with more than 100 others scattered across the island nation.

"One of the witnesses said his grandfather's job was to wash the dead bodies," said Bedjo Untung, head of the 1965 Victims Group. "He would follow his grandfather and saw him clean about 50 bodies a day," he added.

Untung – who was imprisoned as a member of the Communist party in the mid-1960s – urged Indonesia's human rights commission to investigate and protect the graves as well as members of his group.

A presidential spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Although they were among some of the worst massacres of the Cold War era, the purges have long remained taboo in Indonesia, which had the world's third-biggest communist party after China and the Soviet Union before the killings.

Last month, declassified US documents showed how American officials across the archipelago knew of the massacres, including the complicity of prominent Muslim civil society groups in the killings. But diplomats offered little public protest, keen to take advantage of the communist party's destruction at the height of the Cold War.

The 39 US embassy documents cover the period from 1964-1968 and uncovered new details about one of the most tumultuous periods in modern Indonesian history.

Jakarta reopened the painful history last year for the first time by backing a series of public discussions after President Joko Widodo ordered a senior minister to launch an investigation.

But no concrete action to delve into the country dark's history or bring perpetrators to account has so far been taken.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/new-mass-graves-indonesias-anti-communist-purges-found-ngo/

More suspected mass graves discovered in Indonesia

Human Rights Watch Dispatches - November 16, 2017

Andreas Harsono – An Indonesian organization representing victims of the mass killings of 1965-66 has located 16 suspected mass graves in central Java that may contain the remains of up to 5,000 victims.

The 1965 Murder Victims Research Foundation, a nongovernmental advocacy group that has already located 122 other suspected mass graves, on Wednesday provided the coordinates of sites near the central Java town of Purwodadi to Indonesia's National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and asked it to investigate.

In 1965-66, the Indonesian military, paramilitary groups, and Muslim militias were given free rein to kill "communists." Over several months, at least 500,000 people – possibly as many as one million – were slaughtered. Victims included members of the Communist Party of Indonesia, ethnic Chinese, trade unionists, teachers, activists, and artists.

Last month the US government released declassified documents on the mass killings, showing that US diplomatic personnel were fully aware of the scale and savagery of the killings.

in April 2016, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered government officials to document the location of suspected mass graves. The Indonesian government announced one month later that it would form a team to investigate a list of 122 alleged mass grave sites of 1965-1966 massacres compiled by victims' advocacy groups. However, the government has so far failed to do so.

While official accountability efforts have stalled, there has been increasing efforts by the Indonesian military, paramilitary groups and Islamist militants to stoke "anti-communist" paranoia in response to calls for accountability for the mass killings. Elements of those groups led a violent "anti-communist" demonstration in Jakarta in September while the Indonesian military launched a propaganda offensive aimed at reinforcing the official narrative that the killings were a justified response to an attempted communist coup.

President Jokowi can defy these intimidation tactics and support efforts toward accountability for the killings. He can do that by ordering a careful exhumation of suspected mass grave sites by forensic experts with the skills and experience to ensure that exhumation is done in a way that preserves crucial evidence and allows for identification of bodies. By starting the process of identifying the victims of the 1965-66 massacres, Jokowi can take a meaningful first step toward addressing the toxic legacy of those killings.

Source: https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/11/16/more-suspected-mass-graves-discovered-indonesia

Activist group discovers 16 new mass graves from 1965 anti

BBC Indonesia - November 16, 2017

Heyder Affan – A number of locations in the vicinity of Purwodadi, Central Java, have been confirmed as sites of mass grave, places where bodies were disposed of and sites where people accused of being members or sympathisers of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) were executed in the months after October 1965.

The Institute for the Study of the 1965-1966 Massacres (YPKP 65) says that they have found 16 different sites in Purwodadi and surrounding areas which were used as graves for around 5,000 people who were "labeled as PKI" and strongly suspected of being murdered by armed civilian groups on the orders of the military after October 1965.

The existence of the mass graves and estimations on the total number of bodies are based on the testimonies of eye witnesses, direct investigations on the ground and an analysis by the YPKP team.

"Our calculations are based on witness testimonies who revealed that every night, as many as 50 tapols (political prisoners) were taken from detention centres each night. This (occurred) every day for three months", said YPKP activists Bedjo Untung on Wednesday November 15.

The YPKP also claims to have discovered mass graves in Purwodadi which were "referred to" in research conducted by human rights activists Poncke Princen in 1969, which is cited as being the first report released to the public on the existence of suspected mass graves in Purwodadi.

On the afternoon of Wednesday November 14, the YPKP's findings in Purwodadi were given to the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta. They also requested that the Komnas HAM follow up the findings.

The foundation believes that although the Komnas HAM has already acknowledged the existence of mass graves from 1965 in various parts of the country, these findings have never been seriously followed up by the government. As a result, the human rights violations that took place post-1965 have never been resolved and there is still no clarification on the issue.

Moreover there has been strong opposition from the TNI (Indonesian military) as well as some Islamic groups and people referred to as being anti-communist who consider the affair "to been resolved" and "does not need to be brought up again".

These groups have rejected outright a number of efforts to seek resolution and reconciliation such as the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) seminar in Jakarta in September [which was closed down by police and anti-communist groups].

Bedjo Untung further said that the 16 locations of the mass grave sites in Purwodadi represent the "largest" of the 122 other mass graves which are spread across Central Java, Banten (West Java), East Java and Bali.

"They are most likely people who were labeled PKI who originated from Blora and Kudus [in Central Java]. They were sent to Purwodadi, perhaps because it was a strategic place, lots of forest and ravines", he said.

50 people were taken every night

One of the eye witnesses interviewed by the YPKP was Kandar Sumarno, a man born in 1940 and a resident of the Toroh sub-district in Grobogan, Central Java, who is a survivor of the violence post-October 1965.

"I saw it with my own eyes, every Saturday night, there were 50 people who were taken (who were labeled members or sympathisers of the PKI) to be executed. They were taken to the Monggot (Forest)", Kandar told BBC Indonesia.

The Monggot Forest is one of the locations that the YPKP has confirmed as being one of the 16 mass graves in the Purwodadi area. Others include the Ganjing River, the Glugu River, the Simo Dam, the Langon Dam, Sendang Tapak, Daplang, Tego Wanu, Kedung Jati, Mojo Legi and the Sanggarahan Forest.

"I saw myself there were trucks entering and leaving the detention centres", said Kandar when asked if he had actually witnessed people being "executed".

At the time when the "detainees were picked up by trucks", Kandar claimed that he was inside the "detention area" in a building at the Toroh sub-district offices.

Kandar was detained because he was a local branch administrator of the Indonesian Peasants Front (BTI) – an organisation deemed to be affiliated with the PKI.

When asked how he could confirm that the people that were "picked up" were then executed, Kandar explained that this was based on information from the families of people who were picked up and then "never returned".

Bedjo Untung also cited the testimony of a child that accompanied his grand-father washing scores of bodies of those who had been "executed".

The response from Ansor?

The Ansor Youth Movement (GP) that manages the Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser), the paramilitary youth wing of the Islamic mass organisation Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is one of the mass organisations that has been cited as being "involved" in the post-October 1965 vilence, particularly in Central and East Java.

Several leaders of the NU and its affiliated youth organisations have carried out reconciliation efforts with former 1965 political prisoners and their families, such as those undertaken by the Syarikat Indonesia – an organisation established by NU youth activists and the NU in 2000.

Speaking to BBC Indonesia, one of the chairs of GP Ansor, Nuruzzaman, said that his organisation has for some time being carrying out what he referred to as "cultural reconciliation" with former 1965 political prisoner and their families.

"Cultural reconsolidation without it being formalised. There is a great deal of evidence [if its success], for example pesantren [Islamic boarding schools] that during the New Order regime [of former president Suharto] who would not give an opportunity to children of former PKI tapol, now accept them willingly", said Nuruzzaman.

According to Nuruzzaman, the violence that took place post-October 1965 cannot be seen as an affair that "stood alone" because there were other causes, such as, the 1948 [Madiun] affair when NU kyai [Islamic clerics] were victims of unilateral actions carried out by the PKI".

"So, the NU's response, aside from the NU being 'provoked' and 'facilitated', also had a historical burden of suffering the PKI's 'slaughter' of us", he said.

It is because of this that Nuruzzaman is inviting all former 1965 tapols to look towards the future without "revisiting and bringing up" the past. "Come one let's look to the future together, let's forget the past", he asserted.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was "Ditemukan 'kuburan massal korban kekerasan 1965' di Purwodadi, Jawa Tengah".]

Source: http://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-41993286

Sexual & domestic violence

Indonesian police and military refuse to end abusive 'virginity

Coconuts Jakarta - November 22, 2017

In 2014 and 2015, Human Rights Watch released disturbing reports on the Indonesian military and police's use of "virginity testing" on female recruits, an abusive and anachronistic practice that has absolutely no scientific validity.

The report sparked an outcry and widespread condemnation, but the police and military both stubbornly defended the practice, saying it was essential to determining the "morality" of their female recruits.

A follow-up report by HRW released today, based on information from senior military and police officers, reveals that the practice of virginity testing is still being imposed on female recruits, although they are being euphemistically classified as "psychological" examinations for "mental health and morality reasons." There have also been attempts to justify the "two-finger test" as a means of determining pregnancy status (which would also have no scientific basis).

"The Indonesian government's continuing tolerance for abusive 'virginity tests' by the security forces reflects an appalling lack of political will to protect the rights of Indonesian women," said Nisha Varia, women's rights advocacy director at HRW. "These tests are degrading and discriminatory, and they harm women's equal access to important job opportunities."

In November 2014, the World Health Organization issued guidelines that stated, "There is no place for virginity (or 'two-finger') testing; it has no scientific validity." HRW and other human rights organizations consider the test, meant to determine whether the recruits' hymens are still intact, is cruel, invasive and a form of gender-based violence.

So why hasn't the government done anything to end it? An Indonesian military doctor told HRW that senior military personnel were well-aware of the arguments against the practice but were unwilling to abolish it without the support of their superiors, with the doctor suggesting it might take a direct order by Indonesian military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo to end to the practice.

However, it seems unlikely that the military will end the practice internally. All branches of the armed forces have been using "virginity testing" for decades and, in some circumstances, even the fiances of military officers have been required to take them. Military officials strongly defended the practice when it came under fire after HRW's original reports.

The top Indonesian military commander at the time, General Moeldoko, brushed off the criticism, saying that virginity testing was essential to assessing the morality of female recruits. "Yes, that is one of the conditions. So what is the problem?" he told reporters as quoted by Tempo. "It is for a good reason, so why should it be criticized?"

An Indonesian military spokesman Major General Fuad Basya, also told reporters in 2015 that virginity tests were necessary so that soldiers had the right mentality. "You can imagine, if later a prostitute became a soldier, what would happen to Indonesia's military," he told BBC Indonesia.

Those misguided and misogynistic views are unfortunately not limited to the police or military. Just this year, a famous Indonesian judge named Binsar Gultom stirred controversy with a book in which he argued that virginity testing for women was necessary to preserve the "purity of marriage".

With change unlikely to come from within the military or police for, HRW has advised President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to order top police and military commanders to immediately ban "virginity tests", especially in light of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25.

"Indonesian women who seek to serve their country by joining the security forces shouldn't have to subject themselves to an abusive and discriminatory 'virginity test' to do so," HRW's Varia said. "The Indonesian police and military cannot effectively protect all Indonesians, women and men, so long as a mindset of discrimination permeates their ranks."

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/indonesian-police-military-refuse-end-abusive-virginity-testing-human-rights-watch/

Sexual harassment on the rise: Report

Tempo - November 20, 2017

Maya Ayu Puspitasari, Jakarta – Sexual harassment against women continues to rise, according to data from various agencies.

Veni Oktarini Siregar, director of Legal Aid Institute for Indonesian Women Association for Justice (LBH APIK) Jakarta, said that his agency receives dozens of reports of sexual harassment against women. However, only a few were taken to court. "Many women refuse to file a report because they were disappointed," she told Tempo last week.

The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) also reports 259,150 cases of violence against women in 2016, some 3,495 of which are domestic sexual harassment and 2,290 were sexual abuse at the community or workplace.

Veni said that the community has yet to see violence against women as a crucial issue. People are more concerned about politics, labor issue and corruption. She said that there are consequences of not taking sexual harassment seriously. Women who are victims of such cases often feel shame and were traumatized as well as being marginalized due to victim-blaming attitude. "No one believes that somebody has committed a sexual assault in a public space," Veni said.

At court, Veni said that it is not easy to prove sex offenses. Police typically demand some evidence and witnesses that are often missing. Of 27 reports received by LBH APIK this year, only one was being processed at court. "Still, the case was in 2015," she said.

Moreover, Veni also criticized Indonesia's criminal law that does not recognize sexual abuse. The Criminal Code (KUHP) only refers to sexual abuse as 'crime against morality'. "The use of the term blurs the basic issue of sex offenses," she said.

The lack of punishment against perpetrators may trigger repeated offenses. A workers' association secretary-general Jumisih pointed to an example that sexual abuse happened repeatedly in a company based in Jakarta. "There were more than one perpetrator and some did it repeatedly," he said.

Women's organization Perempuan Mahardhika has called on companies to have standard operating procedures in place for sexual harassment. National secretary Mutiara Ika Pratiwi said that sexual abuse experienced by women may have an impact on their productivity. "Companies should not only think about profit but also comfort," she said.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/20/055913379/Sexual-Harassment-on-the-Rise-Report

Gov't must conclude negotiations on sexual violence elimination

Jakarta Globe - November 17, 2017

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women, or Komnas Perempuan, on Wednesday (15/11) stressed that the government must conclude negotiations on the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill to protect sexual assault victims in the wake of a recent incident in Tangerang, Banten.

In a statement, Komnas Perempuan condemned the assault against a couple accused of having premarital sex in Tangerang's Sukamulya village.

"Without evidence that is based on a legal process, the public has no right to inflict punishment, persecute and violate the right to freedom that is guaranteed by the Constitution," Komnas Perempuan said.

On Nov. 11, a group of men reportedly physically and sexually assaulted a couple and accused them of having premarital sex.

The group went on to publicly shame the couple and paraded them naked through the village's streets. A video of the incident has since gone viral on social media, prompting condemnation from rights groups and individual users.

Komnas Perempuan said the mob assault was "sexual torture" and an "inhumane punishment." "This vigilante act has personally affected the victims' integrity and dignity, as well as their family's, and will have a long-term impact on the victims' future," the statement said.

Tangerang district police are conducting an investigation into the case and have so far arrested four people.

Similar cases of "vigilantes" using moral excuses to justify sexual assault against women, according to the organization, have also occurred in Aceh, Sragen (Central Java) and Riau.

Komnas Perempuan urged the government to conclude negotiations on the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill to give an instrument of protection for victims and act as a deterrent for perpetrators.

They also demanded members of the public to stop circulation of the video and for the media to stop exposing the female victim, particularly to support the victim's recovery from the incident.

The commission also called on religious leaders and education institutions to "pay serious attention to the increasing culture of violence in society" to prevent more cases of "moral vigilantes" from occurring.

Separately, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa reportedly expressed sorrow, saying that such actions are not correct in a country based on law.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/govt-must-conclude-negotiations-sexual-violence-elimination-bill-komnas-perempuan/

Labour & migrant workers

Karawang sets highest minimum wage in Indonesia

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Arya Dipa, Bandung, West Java – The West Java administration has set Karawang regency's minimum wage at Rp 3.92 million (US$289.99), the highest in the country.

Karawang is among 27 regencies and municipalities in West Java that will have their 2018 minimum wage set by the province's governor, Ahmad Heryawan.

"He signed a gubernatorial decree on the 2018 minimum this morning [Tuesday morning]," West Java Manpower and Transmigration Agency head Ferry Sofwan Arief said on Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, Pangandaran regency has the lowest minimum wage at Rp 1.56 million. In the decree, West Java's minimum wage for 2018 is set at Rp 1.54 million. As a comparison, minimum wage in Jakarta stands at Rp 3.3 million in 2017. With an 8.71 percent increase, workers in Jakarta will enjoy minimum wage of Rp 3.6 million next year.

Ferry said the minimum wage had been set based on Government Regulation (PP) No.78/2015 on wage matters. The PP has mandated an 8.17 percent annual minimum wage increase, he said.

He said business players who objected to the regulation could file a request for a delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage until Dec. 22.

Ferry further explained that the 8.71 percent wage increase had taken into account Indonesia's inflation of 3.72 percent and 4.99 percent economic growth.

He said the West Java administration received recommendations from 27 regents and mayors before it determined the province's minimum wage. Representatives of business players, worker unions and regional administrations were involved in deciding the 2018 minimum wage. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/karawang-sets-highest-minimum-wage-in-indonesia.html

Ice cream factory workers strike demanding permanent employment,

Go Bekasi - November 20, 2017

Cikarang – On Monday November 20 some 644 PT Alpen Food Industry or PT Aice workers went on strike in protest against the ice cream company.

The workers were on alert in front of the factory located on Jl. Selayar II, Block H Number 10, in the MM 2100 Industrial Zone of West Cikarang. They did not carry out any activities in front of the factory.

Strike coordinator Panji explained that the workers are making two demands on PT Aice. First, that 644 workers be promoted to permanent employees and second that PT Aice reemploy the workers that have been sacked and make them permanent as well.

"Why are we on strike? Because the company has violated Article 59 of Law Number 13/2003 on Labour. We as temporary workers have never been given a [decent] wage, and when it is given it's late", he said.

With regard to the work contract, continued Panji, workers have already obtained six or seven without any resolution and they feel that this is also burdening them.

"Actually we have already had negotiations, so now we are on strike, because we have fulfilled the requirements. We will continue to strike until a decision is handed down on the 644 people", said Panji.

According to their plan, the workers will remain on strike for several weeks starting from November 17 through to December 2. (dam/gob)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was "644 Buruh PT Alpen Food Industry Mogok Kerja, Ini 2 Tuntutan Mereka".]

Source: http://gobekasi.pojoksatu.id/2017/11/20/644-buruh-pt-alpen-food-industry-mogok-kerja-ini-2-tuntutan-mereka/

Tanzil was paid just $6 a day to work in a fireworks factory which

ABC Radio Australia - November 18, 2017

Samantha Hawley, Indonesia – At just 16 years old, Tanzil Alil Uman is just a boy, crying in pain from his hospital bed. His brother sits by his side and wipes the tears from his face as they continually fall.

When we arrived at the Tangerang Regency General Hospital, Tanzil had just emerged from his sixth round of surgery on burns he suffered when a fire ripped through his place of work, a fireworks factory on the outskirts of Jakarta.

His burns are extensive – to his head, arms and back – and on this day the pain is too great to sustain and he struggles to cope. The Tangerang Regency General Hospital has no sophisticated burns unit, the treatment it can provide is basic at best.

Tanzil, a child worker who was paid the equivalent of $6 a day, and 12 other victims of the fire were brought here. Four have since died.

"My clothes, my back and my hair were burned. My back and my hands, which I used to climb a pillar, are the worst," he said. Tanzil's sobs filled the general ward as we spoke to the survivors.

The factory fire highlighted Indonesia's lack of protection for workers and the nation's substandard work safety laws. And now it is shining a light on its inadequate health system.

'I just ran, my clothes were burning but I kept running'

Anggi Aji Pangestu's, 18, wounds leak through the white bandages wrapped around much of his body. Barely any of his young frame was spared. "Fire, fire, they screamed," he recounted.

He too had worked for the fireworks company PT Panca Buana Cahaya Sukses for around $6 a day. "Most people ran inside to the warehouse, I ran outside. If I ran inside there was nowhere else to go," Anggi said.

The factory had only one entry and exit point at the front, where the fire started. Those workers who ran to the back were trapped. According to police, many of the bodies were found piled in the rear of building.

Anggi said he knew if he followed, he would die. He moved towards the flames instead. "I ran with instinct, I just ran, my clothes were burning but I kept running," he said.

His brother died in the fire, and Anggi's burns are so severe it's hard to see how he will fully recover with the treatment available to him.

The fire, first thought to be started by an electrical fault, was later determined to have been caused by a spark from a welding torch.

Factory operating in poor neighbourhood

Tangerang is a satellite city on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta. The fireworks factory had been operating for just a few months, in a poor neighbourhood where the labour was cheap and the children were easily exploited. Many of the victims were women and girls.

Widya, 20, was packing goods when the fire began. She recalled the terror as people began to run screaming for help. "It was so hot on my hands, my feet and my back," she said. "Someone threw in a ladder from outside, I immediately climbed a wall."

With no alternative exit, some workers were saved when locals broke down a wall. Others like Tanzil climbed to the roof and kicked their way out.

Whether the owner of the factory will be held truly accountable remains to be seen, but it's unlikely the tragedy will lead to any tightening of work place safety conditions in Indonesia.

Media coverage of the fire lasted for no more than a few days, but for the survivors the suffering could well last a lifetime.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2017-11-18/tanzil-was-paid-just-6-a-day-to-work-in-a-fireworks-factory-which-became-an-inferno/1717834

Government considers establishing 'workers fund'

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Anton Hermansyah, Bogor, West Java – The government is studying the possibility of establishing what it calls a "workers fund" as a temporary financial cushion for people losing their jobs and to fund training courses to equip them with new skills.

Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said the fund would prioritize dismissed employees and those who were working but yet could not make ends meet for their families.

People who lose their jobs would receive training for additional skills, and members of their families would also get unemployment benefits, the minister said on Thursday.

"With the fund, we will retrain the dismissed employees and the working poor, so they can find a job again," he said at the Bogor Palace in West Java. He added that, sometimes, training could take a long time, which is why their family members needed financial support.

The program was expected to cover the unemployed people and their families for up to one year – six months to support their families while they are in training and another six months while they are in the process of finding a new job, the minister said.

A final decision on the "workers fund" was expected by the end of this year, he said, adding that he would talk to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati about whether to fund the measure through the state budget or through the social insurance scheme. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/govt-considers-establishing-workers-fund.html

Freedom of speech & expression

Bandung man arrested for insulting Jokowi, Iriana on Facebook

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – The National Police have arrested a man over alleged hate speech and insults against President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, First Lady Iriana and other national figures.

The suspect, 38-year-old Hazbullah, was arrested at his home in Bandung on Tuesday evening, National Police cyber crime director Brig. Gen. Fadil Imran said in a press statement on Wednesday.

Fadil said Hazbullah had used four different Facebook accounts to spread hateful content to different groups on the social media platform. To hide his identity, the suspect used a fake name, Fajrul Anam, in all of the four accounts and used Iriana's photo as a profile picture.

"The police are investigating his motives for committing the crime," Fadil said. The exact nature of the content distributed to the groups remains unknown. However, Fadil said all of the content was posted as a "provocative hoax."

Hazbullah will be charged with Article 28 (2) of the Electronic and Information Transactions (ITE) Law and could face up to six years' imprisonment. The police are also investigating whether other people were involved in the alleged crime. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/bandung-man-arrested-for-insulting-jokowi-iriana-on-facebook.html

IT Minister defends satirical memes as freedom of expression, but

Coconuts Jakarta - November 21, 2017

Indonesians love latching onto a good meme, especially ones which allow them to obliquely make fun of the powerful elites whom many dare not criticize directly.

However, the freedom of Indonesians to express themselves through mocking memes was thrown into serious question last month after house speaker, corruption suspect and current detainee of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Setya Novanto had his lawyer report dozens of social media accounts to the police for the high crime of spreading satirical memes about him, leading to the arrest of one woman.

But rather than being scared away from meme making, netizens flooded social media with more mockery of Novanto in the wake of his highly dubious disappearance and subsequent car accident late last week. And now, the minister of communications and information technology (Menkominfo), Rudiantara, has added an influential voice to those saying that meme makers should not be criminalized.

As his ministry is charged with policing the internet, one of the main laws that Rudiantara has to deal with on a regular basis is the country's draconian UU ITE, aka the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions, which criminalizes any electronic message that could be considered insulting or defamatory to another individual.

However, Rudiantara noted that the law still allows for people to voice their opinions, which is still protected in Indonesia.

"(The memes) are an expression of people's feelings, you want me to ban that?" Rudiantara said when asked about Setya Novanto's lawyer's threats to continue to report more mean meme-makers to the police.

The IT minister also noted that the spreading of such memes would not constitute a criminal act. However, Rudiantara said there were limits to everything and warned people about being excessive (we're not totally sure if he was referring to the public or Setya Novanto).

"In my opinion, I think it is a form of expression from the public. But do not overdo it. We are human, so do not overdo it," he said.

The saga of Setya Novanto has spawned many memorable memes of late, such as #ThePowerOfSetNov satirizing his seemingly untouchable status, and, most recently, #SelamatTiangListrik (#SaveElectricalPole), making fun of his highly suspicious car accident which led to his hospitalization but did not prevent his arrest and current detainment by the KPK.

Despite obviously being busy with many other more pressing matters, Novanto's lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, has claimed that his team is still monitoring and cataloging all the memes (which must number now in the hundreds if not thousands) insulting his client and said he would eventually report them to the police so that their makers and spreaders could be arrested just like Dyann Kemala Arrizzqi, a 29-year-old woman who was arrested by the police on October 31 for spreading humorous memes critical of the house speaker.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/minister-defends-satirical-memes-freedom-expression-warns-netizens-not-overdo/

Political parties & elections

President Jokowi criticizes Indonesia's political climate

Tempo - November 21, 2017

Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi has strong opinions regarding Indonesia's political climate that he thinks is becoming unethical and has forgotten about the values of political politeness.

One of the examples he mentioned are the baseless allegations, such as accusations regarding the emergence of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and allegations of being an accomplice to foreigners, which is often issued by a politician to attack their political opponents.

President Jokowi reasons that these political strategies do not showcase a good example towards the society, especially the young generations. Therefore, he urged young generations to imitate politeness in politics.

"There are many political elites that fail to provide a good example," said President Jokowi during the 2017 National Symposium on Culture that was held on Monday, November 20. "Being ethical in politics, valuing seniority, and how to preserve the values of politeness is the example we need to give to our children."

Jokowi also gave an example of how current politicians still often publically accuse certain parties of being a foreigner's puppet and products of the communist party.

"Many people continuously voice anti-foreigner sentiments [and] the rise of communism. Personally, I would beat Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) to the ground if they truly emerged. It's that simple. There is a clear legal base [about it]. So, why must we dwell on this problem?" said President Jokowi.

The seventh Indonesian President reasoned that young people nowadays are being educated not only by their school teachers or parents but also by social media. Jokowi said that social media also influence aspects such as the economy, politics, or other general social activities that need to be anticipated.

"Our character as a nation can erode if this is not anticipated by preparing our Indonesian character values through the correct stages," said President Jokowi.

– Istman Musa, Ria Sanusi, Antara

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/21/055913418/President-Jokowi-Criticizes-Indonesias-Political-Climate

Analysts say Golkar's support for Jokowi at stake

Jakarta Post - November 20, 2017

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – Golkar's support for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is likely at stake as the party is reportedly preparing a congress in response to mounting pressure from party members calling for an election to replace Setya Novanto, the party's chairman who has been named a graft suspect.

Jakarta-based Voxpol Center Research and Consulting executive director Pangi Syarwi Chaniago said on Sunday that political dynamics within Golkar would likely become more fluid if the party held a congress, meaning that any politician elected could be someone unwilling to join the government's coalition.

Pangi said factions within the party remained, although internal divisions that had erupted in 2015 had been resolved through the election of Setya, who was then considered as a neutral candidate.

"We are unsure if Golkar will continue to support Jokowi. The party leadership can be won by any members of Aburizal's faction," Pangi told The Jakarta Post, referring to businessman Aburizal Bakrie, who in 2015 led a faction against politician Agung Laksono, who supported Jokowi.

In that year, unlike Agung, Aburizal tended to side with the government's opposition, led by the Gerindra Party. "Any of the factions will surely propose their candidates [at the congress]," Pangi said.

Golkar deputy secretary-general Ace Hasan Syadzily said on Sunday that the party's executive members would hold a meeting on Tuesday to respond to issues surrounding Setya's case, including whether or not to hold a congress to elect a new leader as demanded by some party members. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/20/analysts-say-golkars-support-for-jokowi-at-stake.html

Identity politics will be back for 2019 election, researchers warn

Jakarta Globe - November 18, 2017

Adinda Putri, Jakarta – Identity politics, utilizing ethnic and religious sentiments by politicians to solidify their own political bases, is expected to reemerge during the 2019 presidential election, researchers warn.

Identity politics played a major role in the 2017 gubernatorial election in Jakarta, during which members of hardline Muslim organizations mobilized masses against Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama. The ethnic Chinese and Christian former governor, who lost to Anies Baswedan, is serving a two-year prison sentence for blasphemy, after a controversial trial that started during the electoral campaign.

"Last year's polarizing campaigning will return," Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Sri Yanuarti said during the "Threats of Identity Conflict in 2019" seminar in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/11).

According to Sri, next year's elections in 171 regions will show the extent to which religion and ethnicity-based campaigning may reappear and what threats it constitutes for the 2019 legislative and presidential election.

She said that while the legislative election is unlikely to see identity-related competition, as too many regions and politicians will participate in it, the presidential election, especially if it involves only two candidates, may assume the recent polarizing Jakarta style.

"Looking at the recent political events... Indonesia is vulnerable and provocations related to ethnicity or religion can be easily utilized for political ends," Sri said.

According to her, tightening the rules for electoral campaigning, stricter law enforcement and disqualifying from the process those parties that play identity politics, may act as a deterrent and prevent the emergence of interreligious tensions. Elections may also be supported by platforms to lodge complaints against the use of ethnic or religious sentiments.

Renowned Muslim scholar Komaruddin Hidayat said Indonesia will lose in the global economic competition if politicians do not renounce identity politics.

"Investors will not invest in Indonesia if we can't guarantee political security... and we will lose in the global competition," he said, adding that democracy will not mature without a sound economy, so everyone has to set aside their private interests and join in making Indonesia a better country and a safer place for investment.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/identity-politics-will-back-2019-election-researchers-warn/

Nasdem nominates Jokowi as presidential candidate in 2019 election

Jakarta Globe - November 16, 2017

Sheany, Jakarta – The National Democratic Party, or Nasdem, on Wednesday (15/11) nominated President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as its candidate in the 2019 presidential election.

The announcement was made by Nasdem chairman Surya Paloh during the party's sixth anniversary event in Kemayoran, North Jakarta.

"The National Democratic Party nominates President Jokowi as its presidential candidate in the 2019 election," Surya said.

Surya said Jokowi is a model president, who tirelessly leads Indonesia. He added that "Jokowi is us. We are Jokowi."

The president, who was present at the event, said the party's principles are in line with his own.

"The National Democratic Party takes the role of a changemaker, and I know their vision and mission is set on the future of this country. I've known this from the beginning," Jokowi said.

He highlighted the importance of changing mindsets, focusing on work ethics, productivity and discipline, especially for the country to catch up with its neighbors.

"Work ethics, productivity and national discipline – these factors are what we need to build, to bring this country forward and develop it further. We must evoke change," Jokowi said, adding that Indonesians should remain calm in the face of upcoming elections.

Regional elections will take place in June 2018. In 2019, Indonesia will hold its first simultaneous general election.

"Citizens should not be disturbed by the democratic processes... If the people are happy and remain calm, we can continue our work to build this country," Jokowi said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/national-democratic-party-puts-jokowi-presidential-candidate/

Surveys & opinion polls

Indonesian millennials lean towards xenophobia

Asia Times - November 18, 2017

John McBeth, Jakarta – While most of Indonesia's youth appears to have a worldly outlook, recent surveys show some troubling insights into the minds of a significant minority of the two Indonesian generations who hold the Muslim majority country's future in their hands.

One poll, carried out by the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), reveals a strong lean towards xenophobia, with 47.8% of millennial respondents believing that foreign companies have a negative impact on Indonesia's economy.

Another survey published by the Mata Air Foundation and the Alvara Research Center shows 20% of high school and university students, the so-called Generation Z, support the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and in many cases vowed they would fight to defend it.

While 85 million of Indonesia's 250 million people are aged between 18 and 34, the definition of what constitutes a millennial varies. CSIS puts it in a range of 17 to 29 years. Others define it at 23 to 37, or those simply born in a loose period between 1980 and the early 1990s. If most of the world's youth today are perceived to be tolerant and open-minded, WARC, an online marketing intelligence service, found in a well-researched consumer study last year called 'Demystifying Indonesia' that younger Indonesians tend to be an exception.

The research showed that although Indonesia may seem modern and outward-looking – and is one of the most social media-connected countries in the world – societal change is happening only slowly. Successful brands, for example, often rely on traditional values to sell their products.

The CSIS poll also revealed a perception, shared among 76-77% of millennials and, in this case, non-millennials as well, that foreign workers are detrimental to the economy, apparently in the widely-held belief that they are poaching local jobs.

In fact, Indonesia already has one of the lowest intakes in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), with the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) noting that the 74,100 registered foreign workers constitute just 0.062% of the 120 million-strong work force, compared with Singapore (36%), Malaysia (15.3%) and Thailand (4.5%).

Strangely, 84% of millennials thought the Asean Economic Community was good for the economy, unaware it promotes the free movement of skilled labor across regional borders, initially in the engineering, medical and tourist sectors where there is stiff opposition from Indonesia's professional organizations.

The current number of foreign workers is higher than the 45,300 Bank Indonesia recorded in a 2009 report, despite a dramatic shrinkage among those employed in the oil and gas and financial sectors due to economic nationalist policies and tougher labor regulations.

But a substantial part of the increase is due to a recent huge influx of Chinese workers, many of them engaged in menial jobs on new Chinese-funded industrial and infrastructure projects, who make up about a third of the total number.

According to the Manpower Ministry, there are now more than 21,000 Chinese working in Indonesia, followed by Japanese (10,000), South Koreans (7,600), Indians (4,650), Malaysians (3,700) and Americans (2,400).

Although BKPM figures show foreign direct investment (FDI) created 975,000 new job opportunities in 2016, labor officials and other like-minded bureaucrats seem to feel that increasing amounts of foreign capital should not necessarily mean a commensurate boost in the number of foreign workers.

It is one of the many puzzling contradictions in President Joko Widodo's avowed search for more FDI to re-build the manufacturing sector, which in providing jobs and improving export earnings holds the key to Indonesia growing beyond its current 5% level.

The economy expanded by a slower-than-expected 5.06% in the third quarter this year, largely the result of sluggish domestic spending, leaving projected growth for the year at 5.03%, significantly short of the 5.2% set down in the revised 2018 national budget.

The Mata Air Institute-Alvara Research Center survey also revealed a disturbing vein of anti-foreign sentiment, this time stemming from a broader trend of intolerance towards religious and ethnic minorities that has already done considerable damage to Indonesia's image abroad in recent years.

Moreover, 82% of the 4,200 student respondents from across the ethnically-diverse archipelago disapproved of interfaith marriages, while 90.6% found Indonesia's large lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community morally offensive.

The Setara Institute, a social research outfit, noted in a preliminary study carried out in Bogor and Depok, two of Jakarta's more conservative suburbs, that messages of intolerance and radicalism are mostly disseminated through community mosques and Islamic study circles on college campuses.

"This finding should alarm society, especially government and moderate Islamic organizations to take tangible steps in religious teachings that match the trends among today's youth," it said.

Setara found that radical narratives emphasized anti-Western concepts and notions of Muslim inferiority and hatred towards "enemies of Islam," a message that in many cases was also being disseminated by mothers who had become primary recruitment targets.

It is noteworthy that 70% of the nearly 700 Indonesians who travelled to Syria and Iraq over the past three years to join the Islamic State (IS) were young wives and children, including some women who had been responsible for radicalizing their husbands.

As reflected in a recent Jakarta Post editorial, there are serious concerns all this could turn into full-blown racism if millennials and Generation Z continue to be exposed to ideas and propaganda that promote suspicion of people of different nationalities and backgrounds.

The Indonesian public is already easily led, the consequence of an education system that fails to encourage students to think independently.

But millennials now comprise a significant demographic force in any election and, facilitated by a vibrant social media, could conceivably spring a surprise of Brexit-like proportions at the 2019 polls that would have a profound impact on the future of secular Indonesia.

Source: http://www.atimes.com/article/indonesian-millennials-lean-towards-xenophobia/

Survey says Indonesians think China poses the greatest threat of

Coconuts Jakarta - November 16, 2017

Despite Indonesia's stable economic growth over the last few years, unemployment and concerns about job prospects remain a major issue, especially amongst young people.

As in so many other countries, blaming external factors has proven far easier than attempting to solve complicated domestic issues, and so it seems China has become the scapegoat for Indonesia's economic problems.

That's according to the results of a new survey from pollster Media Survei Nasional (Median). They asked people across the archipelago which country they thought posed the greatest threat to Indonesia. China came out on top, with 22.7% of respondents picking the Asian superpower.

The second and third countries most chosen countries were the United States and Malaysia, with 14.1% and 7.8% respectively., Israel came in fourth with 3.2% and Myanmar fifth with 1.7%.

The survey was conducted from September 14-22 and is based on data from 1,000 respondents.

Median's research director, Sudarto, said they were surprised that worries about China were greater than for the US or neighboring Malaysia. But he said that the clear reason respondents felt China was now the greatest threat was due to economic issues.

As many as 31.2% of survey takers said they thought China had control over Indonesia's economy. In addition, 23.7% said that Chinese products were dominating Indonesian markets.

This contrasts greatly with the reasons why respondents thought the US was a threat to Indonesia, which were based on concerns over America's military strength and interventionist foreign policy.

Fears about Chinese workers coming to Indonesia and stealing local jobs have been growing, stoked in large part for political purposes. Late last year during the height of the movement against the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, an Indonesian of Chinese-descent, there were rumors that there were 10 million Chinese nationals working in Indonesia when in fact there were only about 21,000.

There was also last year's "chili conspiracy", which saw local media outlets accusing China of using a "biological weapon" against Indonesia after four Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly planting imported chili seeds contaminated with bacteria.

More recently, a survey by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that 77.7% of millennials in Indonesia thought foreign workers were having a negative impact on the economy, believing that they were taking away jobs from locals.

Meanwhile, President Jokowi's administration is doing their best to court foreign investment from China, which many believe is crucial to Indonesia's continued economic growth, while trying not to further antagonize the misled masses who think that China is the source of their economic woes.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/survey-says-indonesians-think-china-poses-greatest-threat-country-us-comes-second/

Indonesians say police, court officials most corrupt: Survey

Jakarta Globe - November 16, 2017

Adinda Putri, Jakarta – Indonesians are most often asked for bribes or illicit favors when dealing with the police and the courts, a survey revealed on Wednesday (15/11).

The survey, conducted by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) on Aug. 16-22, involved 1,540 respondents in 34 provinces. It used multi-stage random sampling and had a 2.6 percent margin of error.

The result showed that of the 14.9 percent of respondents who have had dealings with the police, 46.1 percent alleged that they were asked for money or gifts.

Meanwhile, of the 3.1 percent of respondents who have had dealings with the courts, 39.6 percent were asked for illicit favors.

"The probability of acts of corruption in the public service is the biggest when Indonesians have to deal with the police and court officials," LSI director Kuskridho Ambardi said during a press conference in Jakarta.

Indonesia Corruption Watch coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo expressed concern over the result, saying that instead of being the law enforcers, the police and courts are the most corrupt.

"We cannot expect the law to work effectively if reforms of law enforcement agencies are not implemented," Adnan said.

The survey further showed that 31.3 percent of civil servants, 26.9 percent of public administration officials, 15.1 percent of health service workers, 14.4 percent of public school administrators or teachers and 11.7 percent of university officials also demanded favors from the public.

The World Economic Forum's 2015-16 Global Competitiveness Report indicated that Indonesia's efforts to tackle corruption were starting to pay off, with the country "improving on almost all measures related to bribery and ethics."

However, Indonesia still ranked 90th out of 176 countries in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perception Index last year, on par with nations such as Liberia and Colombia.

The Indonesian government has been making serious efforts, aided by community organizations, to combat corruption since the fall of the country's second leader, Suharto, in 1998.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesians-say-police-court-officials-most-corrupt-survey/

High level of religiosity does not guarantee graft-free Indonesia:

Jakarta Globe - November 16, 2017

Jakarta – A high level of religiosity in Indonesia has no significant impact on the practice of corruption in daily life, a new survey from the Indonesia Survey Institute, or LSI, shows.

"The meaning of religion and rituals for Indonesians has a significant impact only to the stance toward corruption, not to corrupt behavior," Kuskridho Ambardi, LSI director, said in a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/11).

LSI conducted the survey between Aug. 16 and 22, which involved 1,540 respondents across 34 provinces. The survey used multi-stage random sampling and has a margin error of 2.6 percent.

The results showed that 74.9 percent of Indonesian Muslims are very or quite pious, of which 82.9 percent often take religion into consideration when making important decisions.

However, 30.4 percent of respondents consider it reasonable to speed up the process when dealing with public institutions through graft – either by giving money or gifts. While respondents who disagree with graft account for 63.2 percent of the total number surveyed.

The survey also showed that 35.2 percent of respondents tolerate collusion practices, 44.6 percent view it as unethical and 9.2 percent consider it a crime.

Kuskridho said the findings show that corrupt behavior can be displayed by religious persons because religiosity affects only normative levels.

Azyumardi Azra, an influential Muslim scholar and former rector of Jakarta's Syarif Hidayatullah at the State Islamic University (UIN), said the dissonance between high levels of religiosity and corrupt behavior occurs because there is a split personality – many people believe and worship God but they do not implement the values of religion in their everyday life.

There are many corrupt individuals in Indonesia who assume they can "cleanse their sins" by doing good deeds, though the two acts are not at all related, he added.

"It is too naive if we expect that corruption can be eradicated by increasing the level of religiosity," Azyumardi said.

He suggested the two largest Indonesian Islamic organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, step in to resolve the society's split personality.

"There still needs to be an anti-corruption campaign from the pulpit. Preachers and missionaries should be given training regarding this matter," Azyumardi added.

According to the 2016 results of Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index, Indonesia ranks 90th out of 176 countries, on par with countries such as Liberia and Colombia.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/high-level-religiosity-not-guarantee-graft-free-indonesia-survey/

Environment & natural disasters

Top palm oil growers go on defensive against EU curb threat

Bloomberg - November 20, 2017

Anuradha Raghu, Kuala Lumpur – As concerns about palm oil's sustainability simmer in Europe, the world's second-biggest grower is ramping up its defense of the most-consumed edible oil.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Indonesian President Joko Widodo will this week discuss concerns that a resolution passed by the European Union in April calling for tougher environmental standards for palm oil may hurt the industry. The two countries are the world's top palm oil producers, accounting for 85 percent of supply.

"If such a resolution affects our exports, it will be a major blow," Mah Siew Keong, Malaysia's Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur. "Any form of discrimination is not acceptable, and we will be compelled to act if it's enforced to protect our own interest."

The European Parliament's non-binding resolution urged the bloc's executive arm to step up efforts to prevent deforestation as a result of palm oil production. The expansion of plantations in the two countries has seen farmers accused of illegally using slash-and-burn methods to clear land, destroying rainforests and habitats for animals, and causing a severe haze that can blanket parts of Asia. Indonesia has said it is ready to retaliate against further attempts to curb palm oil exports.

The European Union is Malaysia's biggest export destination, accounting for about 13 percent of shipments of palm oil and palm-based products last year, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. About 90 percent of Malaysia's biodiesel exports also go to Europe, Mah said.

Mah met with 18 European ambassadors on Monday, according to a statement from the ministry. EU officials are consulting with stakeholders from palm oil producing countries and the resolution is being worked through European commissioners and the European Council before possible legislative measures are proposed, the statement cited Maria Castillo Fernandez, ambassador, and head of the EU's delegation to Malaysia, as saying.

Indonesia's president has asked the EU to end discrimination against palm oil as it harms economic interests. Palm oil is the country's number one export commodity to the EU, representing 49 percent of the region's imports, according to the EU. The industry helps alleviate poverty, narrow the development gap and develops an inclusive economy, according to Widodo.

Economic lifeline

Farmers are the most vulnerable group, according to Mah. In Malaysia, there are about 650,000 smallholders who depend on palm oil as an economic lifeline and the ministry estimates another 3 million workers are involved directly and indirectly in the industry. While most of the large, listed plantation companies are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, additional stringent sustainability criteria "will be very detrimental" to the smallholders, he said.

Malaysia's commercial palm oil industry began in 1917, with expansion supported as part of government measures to alleviate poverty by increasing agricultural output. Palm plantations began replacing rubber from 1961 and became Malaysia's main economic crop in 1989. In terms of net exports, palm oil exceeds petroleum and electronics, Mah said, and makes up 4.3 percent of gross domestic product.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/20/top-palm-oil-growers-go-on-defensive-against-eu-curb-threat.html

Greenpeace urges gov't to stop coal-fired power plant projects in

Jakarta Globe - November 16, 2017

Jakarta – Greenpeace Indonesia is urging state-run utility company Perusahaan Listrik Negara, or PLN, to cancel its coal-fired power plant projects in Java and Bali since they pose significant risks to the public.

The mega projects are being run to meet President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's target of producing 35,000 extra megawatts for the country's power grid to attract more investments.

Greenpeace also noted the projects may pose risks for PLN and its customers – raising electricity prices, producing harmful pollutants such as mercury in spades and forcing the state-owned company to pay for excess electricity.

The projects also contradict the government's austerity recommendations and run counter to its National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), which promotes energy efficiency and conservation.

"These projects are a mistake. We'll end up with excess [electricity] capacity. PLN and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry should take responsibility. Why should the public have to pay for it?" Hindun Mulaika, Greenpeace Indonesia's energy and climate campaigner, said in a statement.

Canceling the projects is the only way to prevent excess capacity, she pointed out.

Hindun urges PLN to review its power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the private developers of these coal-fired power plants. "If we know now that PLN will soon have more electricity than it needs, why not stop them [the power plant projects]?" she said.

Hindun also urges the government to stop demanding PLN to produce the extra 35,000 megawatts for the country's electric grid since the state company has been embroiled in a financial crisis of its own, as revealed by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati last month.

That time, Sri Mulyani suggested PLN should adjust the number of projects it is managing to its weakening financial state.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/greenpeace-urges-govt-stop-coal-fired-power-plant-projects-java-bali/

Health & education

Minister calls for more studies on impact of tobacco consumption

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Jakarta – Indonesia needs more studies conducted by local researchers to reveal the impact of tobacco consumption on health and health care costs to the country. This call was made by Health Minister Nila Moeloek on Wednesday.

"We have often talked about the impact of tobacco use in the country, but we are just quoting information and data on the matter from reports by researchers in foreign countries," Nila said, as quoted by Antara in Jakarta.

As the National Health Insurance (JKN) program had been implemented in Indonesia, it is actually easier for researchers to conduct a study on the impact of tobacco consumption to public health and healthcare costs needed to treat tobacco-related diseases, she said.

The Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) data shows that 20 to 25 percent of JKN expenditure went to the treatment of non-communicable diseases related to tobacco consumption, such as cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer.

Nila said a study conducted by the Russian government found that the high number of tuberculosis incidences in the country was related to alcohol and tobacco consumption.

"It's probable that our researchers can conduct such a study given the high number of smokers in Indonesia."

At Wednesday's event, Nila launched a book entitled Health and Economic Cost of Tobacco in Indonesia composed from a study conducted by the Health Ministry in collaboration with researchers from the University of Indonesia and Airlangga University. (afr/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/minister-calls-for-more-studies-on-impact-of-tobacco-consumption.html

LGBT & same-sex marriage

'Allah doesn't care if you are transgender': the Indonesian school

The Guardian (Australia) - November 16, 2017

Sebastian Strangio, Yogyakarta – When Shinta Ratri prays, like many devout Indonesian women she dons a mukena, a long flowing gown often embroidered with colourful and intricate designs. But she finds it hard to do so in most public mosques in this small city on the Indonesian island of Java. The reason, she says, is that she began life as a man.

According to Shinta, transgender people in Indonesia find it hard to pray at ordinary mosques, where men and women are divided and they often elicit hostile reactions from other congregants.

It was for this reason that Shinta helped found the Pondok Pesantren Waria al-Fatah, the world's only Islamic boarding school for transgender people. "In the public mosque we made people uncomfortable. We needed a safe place for trans women to pray," she says.

Since its establishment in 2008 the boarding school, or pesantren, has become a safe haven for trans people from across Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

"In here you can be with a women's clothes or men's clothes, it's up to you," Shinta says. "It depends how comfortable you are."

The school sits in a warren of narrow lanes in a quiet neighbourhood of Yogyakarta, housed in a 19th-century joglo, a traditional Javanese wooden house once owned by Shinta's grandmother. Its walls are painted bright green; outside in the yard stray cats scavenge and laundry billows in the breeze.

The school has a shifting membership of around 40 mostly LGBT people. Unlike most pesantren, where students are in their teens or early 20s, the students here are generally older, and include four transwomen who live here full-time.

One of them is Yumi Sara, 50. She has lived at the boarding school since 2010, while working as an HIV/Aids advocate in Yogyakarta.

"Allah doesn't care if you are gay or transgender or anything else," she says, taking drags on a clove cigarette as the evening call to prayer echoes across the city from nearby mosques. "Transgender is a beautiful creature created by Allah."

"Making a place like this is a statement," says Mario Prajna Pratama, the chairperson of Plush, an LGBT rights organisation in Yogyakarta. "It's like, if you do not want to give us access to pray, we will create our own."

In Indonesian, trans people are referred to as waria, a combination of the Indonesian words for woman (wanita) and man (pria). Waria are nothing new in Javanese culture, but they nonetheless face persistent discrimination and are often pushed to the edges of society.

Refused jobs by many employers, who require that applicants describe themselves as either male or female, many find work in the arts, as traditional dancers and street performers, or in more dangerous and marginal fields such as sex work.

In addition to holding weekly prayers and Koranic readings, Shinta frequently visits university campuses to educate young people about LGBT issues. But the increasing visibility of the LGBT rights movement has prompted a backlash from political and religious conservatives. Homosexuality and transgenderism are not illegal in Indonesia, but the past year has seen a spike in anti-LGBT rhetoric and actions by the authorities.

Earlier this month police raided a sauna popular with gay men in the capital Jakarta, arresting 51 people. While most were released a short time after, five have been held for violations of Indonesia's loosely defined anti-pornography laws. A similar raid in May netted more than 140 arrests.

The Indonesian Psychiatric Association has claimed that transgender people have mental disorders, and the country's parliament is currently debating a law that would ban LGBT characters from national television shows.

In May two gay men were publicly caned in conservative Aceh province for violations of the region's sharia laws, which outlaw homosexuality.

As with the fundamentalist campaign that led to the jailing of Jakarta's former governor, Ahok, on blasphemy charges, Pratama says anti-LGBT politics have become a unifying issue for conservatives. "To make them unite, they need an issue. What can make them unite? One of the things is the LGBT," he says.

The Pondok Pesantren Waria al-Fatah has not been immune from the backlash. In February 2016 the school was forced to close for four months after threats of violence from conservative groups, including a local vigilante group calling itself Front Jihad Islam (FJI). After the local authorities proved unresponsive to her appeals, Shinta says she agreed to close the school temporarily.

Abdurrahman, the leader of FJI, claims the boarding school is violating Islamic precepts. "In the Qur'an it is said that men should not behave like women," he says at his home outside Yogyakarta. "It violates sharia."

But many local residents are supportive of the pesantren and its mission. One is Arif Nuh Safri, a religious teacher, or ustadh, based at the Institute of Qur'anic Studies outside Yogyakarta, who volunteers his time to take prayer sessions and Qur'anic readings at the school.

Arif says everyone has the right to access religious truths. "When we talk about religion, we talk about humanity," he says. "If we talk about religion but don't respect humanity, it's no use."

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/16/allah-transgender-indonesian-school-fighting-backlash

Corruption & abuse of power

Arrested Indonesian parliament speaker pleads to keep his job

Reuters - November 22, 2017

Cindy Silviana, Jakarta – Indonesia's speaker of parliament, who was arrested last week over his alleged role in a $170 million graft case, has sent a letter from his cell to house leaders pleading to be allowed to keep his job while he fights the charges.

Setya Novanto, who has denied wrongdoing, is being held for 20 days for questioning by Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). He made the request in a letter handwritten in his holding cell that was released to the media late on Tuesday.

The KPK is investigating state losses of about $170 million after allegations that sums ranging from $5,000 to $5.5 million, generated by marking up procurement costs for national electronic ID cards, were divided up among politicians in parliament.

"I ask other parliament leaders to give me an opportunity to prove that I wasn't involved," Novanto wrote.

"And in the meantime do not organise an ethics council plenary session on the possibility of making me non-active either as parliament speaker or as a member of parliament."

Novanto, also chairman of Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest party and a partner in the ruling coalition, is one of the most senior politicians to be detained by the KPK, which is popular among Indonesians for targeting members of the establishment suspected of abuse of power.

His battle with the graft agency has gripped Indonesia, where newspapers have splashed the story on front pages and memes mocking him have circulated on social media.

He has clung to power through several previous corruption cases and repeatedly missed summonses for questioning by the agency in recent months, saying he needed heart surgery.

Novanto was named a suspect on Nov. 10 again after using a controversial legal manoeuvre to get earlier charges dropped last month.

In another letter, addressed to Golkar, Novanto said "there has been no discussion of me temporarily or permanently stopping as chairman of Golkar". In that letter he nominated Idrus Marham to serve as acting chairman of the party.

Novanto's lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, told Reuters it was up to parliament and party officials to decide if he should keep his posts, but he was confident that his client would win his case. "We have strong proof (and) in every court we always win," Yunadi said.

Asked if he was concerned about the strength of evidence against Novanto, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said: "From the beginning the KPK has had strong evidence, and the two people we have put on trial already (in this case) have been found guilty even up to an appeal stage."

[Reporting by Cindy Silviana; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Nick Macfie.]

Source: https://in.reuters.com/article/indonesia-corruption/arrested-indonesian-parliament-speaker-pleads-to-keep-his-job-idINKBN1DM0PD?rpc=401&

Indonesia's Mr. Teflon finally in the dock

Asia Times - November 20, 2017

John McBeth, Jakarta – Parliament Speaker and Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto is finally under arrest for his alleged role in one of Indonesia's most egregious ever graft cases, but not before he found yet another way to try and avoid the long arm of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK).

Looking pale and drawn, the powerful 62-year-old politician was taken into custody in his hospital room on Monday, four days after he was involved in what police insist was a genuine traffic accident.

What isn't clear is whether he was heading for a television interview at the time of the November 16 crash or, as his lawyer claimed, he was on his way to give himself up to the KPK after eluding an arrest warrant for more than two days.

Draped in a corruption suspect's distinctive orange jacket, he was wheeled out of hospital and into detention to await his trial as the central figure in the embezzlement of 2.3 trillion rupiah (US$173 million) from a Rp5.9 trillion electronic identity card (e-KTP) project.

Novanto, 62, who is said to have personally received US$42 million of the spoils from the rip-off, escaped the initial corruption charge in a controversial pre-trial ruling handed down by a South Jakarta District Court judge in September.

A month later, the KPK responded by issuing a second indictment using new evidence from a US Federal Bureau of Investigation probe into e-KTP contractor Johannes Marliem, 32, who shot himself after a nine-hour police stand-off in Los Angeles in August.

Marliem had previously enquired about seeking help from Indonesia's Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), saying he had digital recordings of his dealings with some of the 37 politicians implicated in the scandal and was in fear of his life.

Novanto was reported to have suffered a minor head injury when the sports utility vehicle he was in ploughed head-on into a lamp post, although the driver and an aide seated in the front passenger seat were both unhurt and the vehicle was not badly damaged.

His lawyer claimed he was on his way to the KPK, but the driver, a Metro Television journalist who later found himself out of a job, told police he was taking him to an interview, which explains the westerly direction he was travelling.

The KPK office is a shorter ride northeast of Novanto's home in the up-market South Jakarta suburb of Kebayoran that the KPK raided the previous night. He wasn't home, but investigators collected a suitcase of documents.

Doctors thought the House Speaker's high blood pressure was more of an issue than the slight concussion he supposedly sustained, while in a stream of derisory posts social media sceptics seemed to pay greater attention to the health of the lamp post.

After he was indicted the first time, Novanto was admitted to hospital with what were described as stress-related vertigo and heart problems that kept him out of the reach of KPK interrogators for the fortnight before the court ruling.

When a senior government minister visited him soon after the favorable verdict to suggest he might still consider resigning from his political posts, he was happily sitting up in bed, free of the oxygen mask and intravenous tubes shown in media pictures.

Novanto is no different from a long string of Indonesian political figures, starting with the late president Suharto himself, who have contrived to find every medical ailment imaginable to avoid or at least delay prosecution.

Suharto never did have his day in court, mainly because prosecutors would have had to put almost the entire political elite in the dock with him. But with broad public backing, the KPK has been out to show that those days are over.

After being implicated in four graft cases going back to 1999, anti-corruption campaigners insist the Teflon-coated Novanto will not escape the long arm of the law this time, despite the vagaries of the country's judicial system.

Certainly, there are signs that his political allies, President Joko Widodo and maritime coordinating minister Luhut Panjaitan among them, appear to have decided he is now damaged goods.

But even now, under guard in hospital and with Parliament's ethics council reluctantly considering his fate, he continues to protest his innocence and shows no inclination to withdraw from political life.

The vultures are already circling in Golkar, the country's second largest party which Novanto joined in the early 1990s and which he has represented as a legislator for four terms in his climb up through the ranks.

Former Golkar chairman Akbar Tanjung, now vice-chairman of the council of patrons, and other senior leaders are growing concerned that the party's chances in the 2019 legislative elections could suffer a severe blow if Novanto isn't removed – sooner than later.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a past chairman and head of the party's Sulawesi wing, has weighed in as well. "This kind of action will make people question everything," he said. "How can a leader have such little dignity? Leaders have to obey the law and be trusted by the people, not run away like this."

Golkar has garnered only 14% of the national vote in the past two elections and is in urgent need of a makeover anyway if it is to attract a share of the 85 million millennials who currently make up 47% of registered voters.

Calls are now growing, particularly from the party's youth wing, for an extraordinary congress to replace Novanto. But what must worry Widodo is who his successor might be when he will be counting on Golkar to join any post-election coalition.

The president's choice would be Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto, but there are doubts about how much loyalty he commands among the rank-and-file and whether he has what it takes to unite a party that has split into at least four different factions.

Source: http://www.atimes.com/article/indonesias-mr-teflon-finally-dock/

Disbelief as Indonesia's 'most wanted' politician in hospital after

South China Morning Post - November 17, 2017

A top Indonesian politician embroiled in a corruption scandal has been hospitalised after a car crash that is being widely mocked online as another tactic to avoid arrest.

The speaker of Indonesia's parliament Setya Novanto has for months been using every political, medical and legal manoeuvre available to avoid questioning after being named a suspect in the theft of US$170 million of public money.

On Thursday night, images swept across social media in Indonesia of a black SUV, its dented grill resting against a power pole, and Novanto apparently unconscious in a hospital bed, but with no visible injuries.

Officers from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) first tried to arrest Novanto, the chairman of Golkar, Indonesia's second-largest party and partner in the ruling coalition, at his house in Jakarta late on Wednesday.

The swoop, watched by television cameras, failed to find Novanto, sparking speculation that he had gone into hiding.

On Thursday evening, the saga took a bizarre twist after reports Novanto was involved in the car crash while on his way to turn himself in at KPK headquarters.

Novanto's lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, said his client was being interviewed at the time of the accident by a journalist driving the vehicle. "(The driver) was looking back and looking to the side, so he wasn't concentrating on what was in front of him," he said.

Novanto was now "very ill" with head and hand injuries, Yunadi said. "He can't even get up yet. He can't talk yet, it's just his eyes – when he opens his eyes the ceiling swirls in circles."

Armed KPK officers were now at the hospital, Yunadi said, adding that they had ignored his requests to leave.

Novanto has previously denied wrongdoing, but has repeatedly missed summonses from the KPK for questioning in recent months, saying he was ill and needed to undergo heart surgery.

The KPK is investigating state losses amounting to about US$170 million linked to a national electronic identity card (E-KTP) scheme after allegations that sums ranging from $5,000 to $5.5 million – generated by marking up procurement costs- were divided up among politicians in parliament.

Novanto was named a suspect in the case again last week after he had used a controversial legal manoeuvre, a pre-trial motion, to get earlier charges dropped last month.

Febri Diansyah, a KPK spokesman, said on Thursday that Novanto's car crash happened soon after it had asked the Indonesian police chief and Interpol to place him on a wanted list.

The KPK, Febri told Inews TV, would liaise with doctors to see if Novanto was "fit to stand trial" and vowed to continue its investigations into the case.

Yunadi has said a request for another pre-trial motion had already been filed on behalf of his client.

President Joko Widodo has said that the legal process should be followed and has backed the KPK against efforts by some members of parliament to weaken the independent agency's powers.

Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, who is also a Golkar member, told reporters on Thursday that Novanto should be ready to face any legal process if called upon.

A Donald Trump admirer, Novanto made an unexpected appearance at a Trump news conference at Trump Tower in New York in September 2015 along with another Indonesian lawmaker, Fadli Zon. Novanto was introduced by Trump as one of Indonesia's most powerful men who would do great things for the US.

Allegations of corruptions have dogged Novanto for years, but he has never been prosecuted. Indonesians widely perceive parliament as one of their country's most corrupt institutions, Transparency International says.

– Associated Press, Reuters

Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2120369/disbelief-indonesias-most-wanted-politician-hospitalised

Is this the end of the road for 'teflon' Setya?

Jakarta Post - November 16, 2017

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – Whether or not Setya Novanto is guilty of colluding with businessmen, government officials and fellow lawmakers to rig the multi-million dollar national project to procure electronic IDs is for a court to decide.

But the Golkar Party chief has built a reputation as a "teflon" politician who has always managed to get off the hook for his alleged roles in a number of graft scandals, including the e-ID graft case.

When the South Jakarta District Court ruled in his favor in September, annulling the decision made by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to name him a graft suspect in the high-profile case, it triggered an online frenzy, with the ever-creative Indonesian netizens competing to satirize his political acumen.

For months, the House of Representatives speaker has been engaged in a power play with the KPK, which has insisted that it has a strong case against the politician, whose party is leading a House inquiry into the antigraft body's performance.

Setya has dodged nearly a dozen KPK summonses, citing various reasons ranging from health issues and tight schedules to his claimed right to immunity as a lawmaker.

But on Wednesday, less than week after renaming Setya a suspect in the e-ID graft case, the KPK upped the ante against the politician by issuing a warrant for his arrest. "We have done everything we can to persuade him to fulfill summonses as a witness and suspect," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said.

The antigraft body sent its top investigators, including Ambarita Damanik, to his house in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. But they were only met by his wife and lawyer. As of Thursday afternoon, Setya was nowhere to be seen.

The KPK has urged Setya to turn himself in within 24 hours, saying that it is considering putting him on a wanted list and thus transforming him into a graft fugitive.

Senior Golkar members are scrambling to find a way to resolve the worst crisis to hit the party in years. While Setya's loyalists claimed to be standing behind the embattled chairman, some of his detractors were quick to call for his resignation to salvage the party ahead of the 2018 regional elections and the 2019 legislative and presidential elections.

"[He] must be immediately [replaced] if he is nowhere to be found. If a captain disappears, why wouldn't we replace the captain?" Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a former Golkar leader, said in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, after attending a national meeting of the NasDem Party.

Golkar is currently the biggest supporter of President Jokowi's re-election. It remains unclear if Setya can remain in his post.

The 62-year-old politician, however, has refused to give up. He has apparently resorted to the same tactic he used before to escape KPK prosecution, which is to file another pretrial motion against the antigraft body's decision to rename him as a suspect in the e-ID scandal.

A spokesman of the South Jakarta District Court, Made Sutrisna, said on Thursday that Setya's lawyers had filed the pretrial motion on Tuesday.

If the court approves the motion and proceeds with a hearing, this will be the second time the KPK has faced Setya in a pretrial hearing, after the antigraft body lost the first round in September.

The court has yet to appoint a judge to handle the pretrial motion, said Made, who suggested that the court would likely rule out judge Cepi Iskandar, who presided over the first pretrial hearing. "Probably not [Cepi], so we can avoid a conflict of interest," Made said.

Meanwhile, Golkar has said it will provide legal assistance for Setya. "This is about solidarity. [Because] we are family," senior Golkar member Mahyudin said after visiting Setya's house on Wednesday night.

The House of Representatives ethics council (MKD) is considering suspending Setya, saying that his legal wrangle would prevent him from performing his duties as House speaker.

"At this point, he can't carry out his duties, can he? It is safe to say that he can't," said MKD deputy chairman Sarifuddin Sudding.

As his fate now hangs in the balance, Golkar politicians claimed that they did not know where he was.

"I've been trying to call him since last night but his cellphone is off," Golkar secretary-general Idrus Marham, a Setya loyalist, said. "Actually, he's not running away. If I meet him I'll tell him to make it all clear as soon as possible." (ahw)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/16/is-this-the-end-of-the-road-for-teflon-setya.html

Top Indonesian politician who was hailed by Donald Trump could be

South China Morning Post - November 16, 2017

Indonesia's anti-graft commission said on Thursday it will declare the speaker of parliament a fugitive if he does not turn himself in after being accused of involvement in the theft of US$170 million of public funds.

Investigations into the major multimillion-dollar corruption scandal in Indonesia took a surprise twist late on Wednesday with Setya Novanto, one of the country's most high-profile politicians, apparently fleeing to avoid a warrant for his arrest. Novanto was nowhere to be found when investigators and police arrived at the politician's private residence to arrest him.

Commission spokesman Febri Diansyah said its law enforcement team was still searching for Novanto, who was once hailed by US President Donald Trump as one of Indonesia's most powerful men.

"We urge him to surrender," Diansyah said via text message. "We'll consider declaring him a fugitive if he is uncooperative."

Anti-corruption police allege a network of about 80 people, mostly officials and legislators, and several companies used the introduction of a US$440 million electronic identity card system in 2011 and 2012 to steal more than a third of the funds.

Novanto, also chairman of the Golkar party, which is part of Indonesia's governing coalition, has denied any wrongdoing.

A Trump admirer, Novanto made an unexpected appearance at a Trump news conference at Trump Tower in New York in September 2015 along with another Indonesian lawmaker, Fadli Zon. Novanto was introduced by Trump as one of Indonesia's most powerful men who would do great things for the US.

Novanto's whereabouts remain unknown. He is currently prohibited from leaving the country after a six-month travel ban was imposed in October. But speaking to reporters from outside Novanto's south Jakarta home, his lawyer Fredrich Yunadi denied his client was on the run.

"He is not a coward, he just won't be willingly raped," Yunadi said on Thursday morning. According to his lawyer, Novanto was picked up by unknown individuals after receiving a phone call late on Wednesday and has not made contact with his family or legal representation since.

Investigators arrived at Novanto's home on Wednesday evening to find only his wife and lawyer. They left at about 2am on Thursday with several suitcases and security camera recordings from the home.

Novanto, who as head of the Golkar party is a key ally for the Joko Widodo administration, was first named a suspect in the e-identity card case in July.

He is accused of playing a central role in the embezzlement of millions allocated for the project, which dates back to 2011. The high-profile politician has repeatedly denied involvement and attempted to use legal processes to avoid prosecution.

Earlier this week, Novanto ignored a summons from the KPK, saying he was not obliged to attend without written consent from the president.

In response to another summons two days later – there have been at least 11 so far – Novanto's lawyers sent a seven-page letter to the KPK claiming he had legal impunity because he is a high-level legislator.

KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah said the anti-corruption body was left with little choice but to issue a warrant for his arrest.

"For investigation purposes, the KPK decided to issue an arrest warrant for SN for his alleged role in the e-ID graft case," said Diansyah, referring to the House speaker by his initials. "We have done everything we can to persuade him to fulfill summonses as a witness and suspect."

The naming of Novanto as a suspect in the massive corruption scandal for a second time follows fresh evidence from the FBI, including an audio recording that allegedly implicates him in the graft case.

[Additional reporting by Associated Press.]

Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2120233/top-indonesian-politician-who-was-hailed-donald-trump-could

Golkar to provide legal aid for Setya

Jakarta Post - November 16, 2017

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – The Golkar Party has said it would provide legal assistance for chairman Setya Novanto after the nation's antigraft body issued a warrant for his arrest for his alleged role in the e-ID graft case.

"The party's executive board, of course, will provide legal aid," senior Golkar member Mahyudin said after visiting Setya's house on Wednesday night. "This is about solidarity. [Because] we are family."

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) sent investigators to Setya's home in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, to arrest him on Wednesday night, but they were only met by his wife and lawyer.

The KPK has urged Setya, whose whereabouts remain unknown as of Thursday morning, to turn himself in, saying that it is considering putting him on a wanted list.

Setya, who also serves as House of Representatives speaker, has refused to step down from his position as Golkar chief and House speaker.

Several of Golkar's top members showed up at his house on Wednesday night, including Mahyudin, Aziz Syamsuddin and Secretary-General Idrus Marham.

The party has stood behind Setya, even though some of his fiercest critics have repeatedly called for his ouster on the grounds that his legal case has tarnished the party's image.

"Golkar remains solid in supporting Setya. After all, our electability is still good," Idrus had told reporters at the House's building hours before the KPK went to Setya's house. (ahw)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/16/golkar-to-provide-legal-aid-for-setya.html

Freedom of religion & worship

Jakarta least tolerant city in Indonesia: human rights group

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Jakarta – Sectarian and religious lines exploited during the gubernatorial election period has given Jakarta the status of "most intolerant city in Indonesia," a survey conducted by human rights group Setara Institute revealed on Thursday.

Jakarta was at the bottom of a list of 94 cities studied from November 2016 to October 2017. The study, called "The 2017 Index of Tolerant Cities," measured cities' midterm regional development plans, government actions and statements, discriminatory policies, intolerant acts and demographic composition based on the harmony among people of different groups. In a similar study published in 2015, Jakarta ranked 64th.

"Jakarta's tolerance index decreased because of a number of events related to elections, for example, refusal to pray for the deceased or politically motivated religious sermons," Setara deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said.

During and prior to the election, banners threatening not to religiously treat the bodies of deceased Muslims who supported incumbent governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, a Christian and Chinese-Indonesian, were placed in some parts of the capital.

Bonar said he suggested the current Jakarta administration, led by newly elected Governor Anies Baswedan, heal the wounds after the divisive election by empowering public interaction among different faiths.

"The government should approach religious clerics and organizations and encourage them to spread the message of tolerance," he said. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/jakarta-least-tolerant-city-in-indonesia-human-rights-group.html

Jakarta least tolerant city in Indonesia, behind Banda Aceh: Setara

Coconuts Jakarta - November 17, 2017

Many people are concerned about a rise in religious intolerance throughout Indonesia, and one of the prime examples used to illustrate those concerns is the highly politicized blasphemy charges and protests against former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama that cost him the election and ultimately sent him to jail.

But compared to other cities in Indonesia, is Jakarta really that bad when it comes to intolerance? Well, yes. In fact, it's the least tolerant city in the whole country.

That is according to the results of a new study by the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, an Indonesia-based NGO that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights issue. Based on the results of their latest "Tolerant Cities Index", Jakarta is the least tolerant in all of Indonesia, coming in below even sharia law-enforcing Banda Aceh.

"In the ranking of the Tolerant City Index 2017, Jakarta fell from 65th to 94th place with the lowest score of 2.30 percent, mainly due to intolerance and the politicization of religious identity in the capital ahead of, during and after the 2017 election," said Setara Institute researcher Halili at a press conference revealing the results of the index yesterday as quoted by Detik.

The index's scores are based on a 1-7 scale with seven being most tolerant, and take into account a variety of metrics including the city's development plan, government regulations, government actions, government statement and actions related to intolerance, violations of religious freedom and religious demographics. It is based on data collected from November 2016 to October 2017.

"The significant change in (Jakarta's ranking) are due to social regulations relating to violations of freedom of religion and worship (KBB), there have been least 24 incidents of KBB violations in the last year and 25% percent of those violations came from Jakarta" Halili said.

Following Jakarta at the bottom of the index are Banda Aceh, Bogor, Cilegon, Depok, Yogyakarta, Banjarmasin, Makassar, Padang and Mataram.

The cities with the highest tolerance score was Manado with 5.9, followed by Pematangsiantar, Salatiga, Singkawang, Tual, Binjai, Kotamobagu, Palu, Tebing Tinggi and Surakata.

Tigor Naipospos, the deputy chairman of the Setara Institute, said the goal of the index was for local governments to evaluate their policies, and said the tolerance scores should not necessarily be generalized to the citizens of those cities.

Many human rights activists have argued that government regulations are an even greater threat to religious tolerance than extremists since they formalize and foster discrimination at an official level.

There have been concerns that recently inaugurated Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, who defeated Ahok in part due to his courting of mainstream (and hardline) Muslim voters, will enact policies based on Islamic-sharia law. He has attempted to alleviate these concerns, but his actions suggest otherwise.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/jakarta-least-tolerant-city-indonesia-behind-banda-aceh-setara-institute/

Sex, pornography & morality

Indonesia warns Google, Twitter to block porn or be blocked

Straits Times - November 17, 2017

Jakarta (Bloomberg) – Indonesia has threatened to bar the world's biggest social-media providers from operating in the country unless they comply with stringent demands to filter pornography and other content deemed obscene.

Twitter, Alphabet's Google and a host of companies have been put on notice by Indonesian Communications Minister Rudiantara, who warned that "all platforms" now face serious consequences if they don't adhere to government requests to block content.

"The worst case is I will not allow them to be in Indonesia," Rudiantara, who uses one name, said in an interview on Thursday (Nov 16). "We are focusing on content. If you violate content then you are violating rules and laws in Indonesia."

A country of 260 million people, Indonesia is a prolific user of social media. But the nation with the world's largest Muslim population has also become increasingly concerned about its use to spread material related to terrorism and racial violence, as well as pornography and child abuse.

Twitter, Google and Facebook are all also blocked in China.

Indonesia last week threatened to block the use of Facebook's messaging service WhatsApp unless it removed obscene content available as GIF images. WhatsApp was allowed to continue operating after agreements to filter images and videos were reached with third-party services that provide GIFs.

Summoning executives

Samuel Abrijani, Director-General for Application and Informatics at the Communications Ministry, said executives from Google and Twitter would be summoned for meetings with government officials to discuss what action they would take to monitor content. He gave no details on timing.

Representatives for Google and Twitter in Asia didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The minister, who's previously served on the boards of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia and PT Indosat, said he wanted to work with content providers to help improve the literacy of Indonesians. "They must at this stage help us to filter content that violates the rules and regulations of the country," he said.

Facebook users

He said Google has shown "the most good will" and had been receptive to requests to help monitor social media. Facebook, which counts almost 90 million Indonesians among its users, has also previously agreed to work with the government.

Amid the crackdown on social media platforms, President Joko Widodo has also ordered the development of the nation's digital economy as a priority. The digital economy may be worth US$130 billion by 2020, Rudiantara said.

Indonesia has recruited Alibaba founder Jack Ma as an adviser to help it reach its digital goal, particularly around the development of payment systems and logistics.

"I want to sell Indonesia. I want to make Indonesia more competitive across the international landscape, so I need people like Jack Ma," Rudiantara said.

He wants the billionaire businessman to be "a guru for the development of human capital, not only to support Indonesia but to support the region."

Some of the companies caught up in the crackdown have also previously fallen afoul of the Indonesian government over tax compliance. Tax authorities have been in a long-running dispute with Google and have also set their sights on Apple, as well as Twitter, Yahoo! and Facebook.

Rudiantara said Thursday that he plans to issue a ministerial decree by the end of the year that will toughen rules for foreign companies operating in the communications sector. The measure, he said, would address three key issues, including ensuring companies pay tax, adhere to their legal obligations and provide customer service.

While they may not necessarily be required to have a local office, they would need to have some kind of presence, such as representation by a third party, he said.

Indonesian content providers had complained that they were being "chased" while other companies weren't paying taxes. "There must be a level playing field," Rudiantara said.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-warns-google-twitter-to-block-porn-or-be-blocked

Komnas Perempuan condemns assault of Tangerang couple

Jakarta Post - November 16, 2017

Jakarta – The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has condemned an assault of a couple accused of having premarital sex in Tangerang, saying the act was inhumane and degrading.

The assault, during which people reportedly stripped off the couple's clothes on Nov. 11, violated human rights principles addressed in the Constitution, says the commission.

"Komnas Perempuan views the act as sexual torture and inhumane punishment conducted by residents," the commission said in a statement on Thursday. The mob assault has destroyed the female victim's dignity and will affect her long into the future, it added.

The assault, during which the woman was accused of being immoral, has also occurred in other areas such as Aceh, Sragen and Riau.

As a result, Komnas Perempuan has urged the government to soon deliberate a draft bill on sexual assault eradication to better protect women and act as a deterrent for perpetrators.

The commission also expressed hope that the individuals involved in the Tangerang attack would be severely punished, as well as those who recorded the incident and uploaded the recording on the internet.

The commission also demanded that the public stop circulating the recording to prevent further stigmatization of the female victim and prevent similar incidents in the future.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/16/komnas-perempuan-condemns-assault-of-tangerang-couple.html

Neighborhood chief latest to be arrested for stripping and parading

Coconuts Jakarta - November 16, 2017

After arresting four moral vigilantes suspected of parading a young couple naked through the streets of a village in Tangerang Regency on Saturday, authorities have captured two more responsible for the heinous act, one of them being a neighborhood official.

The case became widely covered in Indonesia after several videos went viral, showing the visibly distressed couple being forced out of the female victim's house onto the street by the vigilantes, who berated them for supposedly being indecent.

While the man was already naked at the beginning of the videos, the woman had a t-shirt on, but the vigilantes soon forcefully stripped her completely naked, despite her ear-piercing screams for mercy. The couple were also beaten on several occasions while they were paraded around the village – which lasted for about an hour.

The police said the vigilantes also deliberately took photos and recorded the public humiliation before posting the footage online.

One of the latest suspects arrested was identified as 41-year-old Toto, who is the neighborhood chief of the RT 07 neighborhood of Kadu Village. According to the police, Toto and another suspect hit the couple while they were being paraded and forced them to come to the chief's home for interrogation.

Following the first round of arrests, it emerged that the couple – who are actually engaged – were not involved in any of the "immoral acts" they were accused of. According to Tangerang Regency Police Chief Sabilul Alif, the male victim was only bringing food over to his fiance's house before it was raided and the two were forced to falsely admit that they were getting intimate out of wedlock.

An investigation into the case is still ongoing, but the suspects' attorney said that his clients feel remorse for the incident.

"They have not revealed the details of the incident, just that they are regretful and Toto has also admitted that he slapped the victim. As to what each of their roles were, we're still waiting on the police investigation," said A. Goni, the suspects' legal representation, as quoted by Tempo today.

Tohir, resident of the village, told Tempo that Toto works odd jobs and that he has been the neighborhood chief for six years. According to him, Toto has been suspicious that there were immoral activities taking place inside the female victim's house for some time.

"The chief (Toto) has been staking out (the female victim's house) because people were saying that a man often came around midnight," he said.

The Tangerang Regency Police say a cyber crimes task force was formed to catch the original uploaders of footage of the incident and charge them with violations of the Information and Electronic Transactions Act (UU ITE). As for the six suspects, the police say they could be charged with assault under Article 170 of the KUHP (Criminal Code), which is punishable by five-and-a-half years in prison or up to nine years if the victim sustains heavy injuries.

The police did not reveal the extent of the couple's physical injuries, but they were both assigned psychiatric help to cope with the mental trauma from the abuse.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/neighborhood-chief-latest-arrested-stripping-parading-young-couple-tangerang/

Indigenous culture & rights

Indonesian president recognises land rights of nine more indigenous

Asia Pacific Report - November 19, 2017

Basten Gokkon, Jakarta – The Indonesian government has relinquished control over nine tracts of forest to the indigenous communities that have lived there for generations, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced at a recent conference on land tenure in Jakarta.

The move follows the government's recognition last December of nine other communities' rights to their ancestral forests, in line with a 2013 decision by Indonesia's highest court that removed indigenous peoples' customary forests from under state control.

"The spirit of agrarian reform and community forestry program is how lands and forests, as part of natural resources in Indonesia, can be accessed by the people, and provide economic justice and welfare for the people," the president said in a speech to open the conference on October 25.

The nine newly designated "customary forests," or hutan adat in Indonesian, cover a combined 33.4 sq km, on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Sulawesi.

The move is consistent with Jokowi's campaign pledge to give indigenous and other rural communities greater control over 127,000 square kilometers of land, which helped him earn the first-ever presidential endorsement of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) ahead of the 2014 election.

Three years into his presidency, however, the programme is running behind schedule. The administration has rezoned just 10,800 sq km of community forests, of which 164 sq km are customary forests, according to data from the Presidential Staff Office. The latter figure includes the nine customary forests the administration recognized at the beginning of the year and the nine last month.

Dozens of other indigenous communities are hoping to secure rights to their ancestral lands, too. The day after Jokowi's speech, three groups from Enrekang district in South Sulawesi province submitted their own proposals to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The proposed customary forests there would cover 4.04 square kilometers.

"The government hasn't really been performing in making this promise happen," AMAN researcher Arman Mohammad said.

Land mapped out

AMAN has mapped out 19,000 sq km of land, home to 607 indigenous communities, which it says must be rezoned as customary forests. These groups have already obtained the required documents from district and provincial governments for state recognition of their rights, Arman said.

The official recognition last month represented just a fraction of what AMAN had proposed, he said.

As the agrarian reform conference wrapped up, a senior official said the president would issue a decree by year's end to help indigenous groups like that in Enrekang obtain control of their forests. Yanuar Nugroho, a deputy at the Presidential Staff Office, told reporters that the decree would lay out the framework for regulation, bureaucracy and accountability.

Details of the decree were not immediately available. However, Yanuar said at the time that one of the key points was to iron out overlapping authorities between related ministries.

For instance, he said, the environment ministry would concentrate on recognizing land rights inside forests, while the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning would oversee those outside forests. Currently, the matter is handled by those two ministries as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Villages, Underdeveloped Regions and Transmigration.

"The country is returning sovereignty to the people, and I believe this program for community forestry and agrarian reform is the spearhead," Yanuar said.

Some observers welcomed the promise of a decree, saying it would help streamline the process for indigenous communities in obtaining state approval of their land rights.

Single agency

"There should be a single agency focusing on the land reform program so that the people don't get confused," said Dewi Kartika, general secretary of the Agrarian Reform Consortium, an NGO.

Arman called on the government to involve NGOs in drawing up the decree in order for it to be effective once implemented on the ground. But even with a decree in place, the government may miss its target.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar noted at the conference that the government would only realistically be able to approve a total 43,800 sq km, just over a third of the promised total, for community forestry schemes by 2019, when President Jokowi will stand for re-election.

To achieve even that pared-down goal, the minister called on local governments to accommodate indigenous groups, who depend on district chiefs and local legislatures to issue decrees that recognise them as indigenous.

"We must now push for getting more areas that will potentially be appointed as customary lands in order to reduce conflicts," Siti said on the sidelines of the conference.

Observers say the Jokowi administration's actions and policies in general have failed to resolve land conflicts, which have led to the wrongful eviction of indigenous communities from their homes over the years.

Agrarian conflicts

"The locations that the government has been targeting so far are not the ones with agrarian conflicts or where there are overlapping claims between local communities," Dewi said.

She added that policies issued by the federal government often failed to be implemented at the local level.

"A clean and just bureaucracy is our top concern," said Rukka Sombolinggi, AMAN's general secretary. "We have trust in the president and the ministries, but not quite in [officials at] the regional levels."

Others also highlighted land conflicts resulting from other government programs, including its flagship infrastructure development projects and issuance of plantation permits. Efforts at land reform have also been criticized for overlooking communities in coastal areas.

"The president must take groundbreaking actions so that land reform will truly happen, otherwise it's just a fake agrarian reform," Rukka said.

Source: https://asiapacificreport.nz/2017/11/19/indonesian-president-recognises-land-rights-of-nine-more-indigenous-groups/

Jakarta & urban life

Jakarta's working visit budget skyrockets

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Jakarta – The Jakarta administration has proposed a working visit budget for next year at Rp 107.7 billion (US$7.9 million) – much higher than a similar allocation last year, which was Rp 28.7 billion.

The amount is set for various things, like accommodation costs and air travel. Based on the administration's official budget website, apbd.jakarta.go.id, the working visit budget covers domestic trips' representation costs for city councillors and echelon level II officials.

The data showed that the 2018 working visit budget is allocated for 7,752 people. Each person gets representation costs at Rp 150,000, thus it requires Rp 1.1 billion of funds in total.

In addition, the allocation also includes daily travel expenses for 7,752 echelon level II officials and city councillors, at Rp 4 million per person. In total, the daily travel expense allocation is proposed at Rp 31 billion.

However, the data did not explain how many times the officials or councillors would partake in working visits. The Jakarta council itself currently has only 106 members.

Responding to the issue, City Council commission A secretary, Syarif, explained that each commission had between 20 and 23 members and in a month could carry out two work visits.

During a visit, the councillors usually bring along four staffers to take care of administration. Hence, within the working visit period, which is usually effective for 10 months, a commission will deploy 540 people for the activity.

"That is only one commission. We have five commissions and four bodies here," said Syarif as quoted by kompas.com. "But the number is not yet final. If the 7,752 figure is too high, we will evaluate it." (agn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/jakartas-working-visit-budget-skyrockets.html

City tourism head urges 'positivity' for Monas's hosting religious

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Jakarta – Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency head Tinia Budiati has called on residents to be positive regarding the administration's plan to use the National Monument (Monas) for religious events.

She said Monas was a public space that could accommodate public activities, including religious events.

"We should be able to try [and hold events there], because it is a public space," Tinia said on Tuesday, according to kompas.com report. "We will monitor and assess the activities. Do not reject the idea before it is implemented," she said.

Tinia was responding to public criticism of Islamic gatherings to be held at Monas on Nov. 26, Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan plans to restore the Monas's function as a facility for religious events, which is contrary to the policies of his predecessor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama. (wnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/city-tourism-head-urges-positivity-for-monass-hosting-religious-events.html

Jakarta to give Rp 1.6 trillion to mass organizations, religious

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Agnes Anya, Jakarta – The Jakarta administration has allocated Rp 1.6 trillion (US$118.3 million) in grants for 104 non-profit mass organizations, mostly Islamic ones, next year.

The Islamic organizations include mosques, musholla (prayer rooms), and majlis taklim (Quran study congregations), according to the city's budget website apbd.jakarta.go.id.

The mosques, such as Al Qodiyatul Ikhlas in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, and Baitul Maqdis Al Rahmah in Johar Baru, Central Jakarta, will receive grants between Rp 40 million and Rp 100 million each.

Meanwhile, the musholla will be granted between Rp 30 million and Rp 100 million, and each majlis taklim is set to receive Rp 20 million to Rp 25 million.

Jakarta Mosques played a significant role in paving Anies' victory during the gubernatorial election earlier this year.

During the gubernatorial campaign, some mosques called on Muslims not to hold funeral prayers for deceased Muslims found to have supported Anies' contender, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who is a Christian of Chinese ethnicity.

Nonetheless, some of the funds are also allocated for other religious institutions, such as a Protestant church in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, the Bethel Church in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, and Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia. The grants vary from Rp 80 million to Rp 1 billion.

Aside from religious organizations, grants are also given to other institutions, like university student paramilitary groups (Komando Resimen Mahasiswa), youth organization Karang Taruna, the Indonesian Cancer Foundation, the Betawi Culture Consultative Body (Bamus Betawi) and mass organization Laskar Merah Putih.

City councilor William Yani has questioned the method used by the administration to determine the sum granted to each institution.

"I request [that the administration explain] the criteria, [to see] why Komando Resimen Mahasiswa gets Rp 1 billion and Laskar Merah Putih Rp 500 million, while there are many mass organizations in the capital," he said, as quoted by kompas.com.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/city-to-hand-out-rp-1-6t-to-mass-organizations-religious-institutions.html

Jakarta deputy governor Uno defends money for paramilitary, right

Tempo - November 22, 2017

Friski Riana, Jakarta – Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno has confirmed that the Jakarta regional government will allocate grants of some 1.7 trillion rupiah from the 2018 regional budget (APBD) to several organisations.

Based on the apbd.jakarta.go.id website, the organisations that will receive these grants include the Greater Jakarta Student Regiment Command (Menwa), which will receive 1 billion rupiah, and the Jakarta Red-and-White Militia (LMP), which will receive 500 million rupiah.

Meanwhile the Betawi Consultative Forum (Bamus Betawi) will receive 5 trillion rupiah and the remainder will be given to Islamic study groups (majelis taklim).

Uno said that it is appropriate for a portion of the budget to be given to the LMP in 2018 because the group in involved in defending the state. He did not explain however what kind of defending the state has been carried out by the Jakarta LMP.

Uno also pledged to supervise the activities of the social and mass organisations (ormas) or institutions that will receive the grants. "We will look at their activities, I will go [and see]. We will ensure unity", he said at the Jakarta City Hall on Wednesday November 22.

The LMP has been seen at protest actions in Jakarta on several occasions including, among others, in front of the Malaysian Embassy in August this year. The organisation also took part in demonstrations at the Corruption Eradication Commission offices in September demanding a resolution to alleged corruption at the state-owned enterprise PT BUMN PT Krakatau Steel.

Uno said that they had combed through the allocation of grants for a number of ormas. He gave the example of the Menwa which will develop a sense of state defense, unity and patriotism among students.

"The NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia] is non-negotiable", said Uno.

Notes

1. The Bamus Betawi is one of a number of so-called Betawi (Jakarta's original inhabitants) organisations that operate in Jakarta, claiming to protect the Betawi local culture but in reality protecting their territories from non-native gangs. They frequently make headlines for their involvement in violent street brawls. Former governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama suspend grants for Bamus alleging that the group had been playing politics by asking people not to vote for him on election day.

2. The LMP, a paramilitary organisation advocating an ultra-right wing nationalist ideology, was at the forefront of the violent demonstrations against a meeting of survivors of the 1965 anti-communist purge at the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) in September, which they alleged was aiming to resurrect the banned Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

3. Student university regiments, colloquially known as Menwa, had their heyday during the Suharto dictatorship. University students, mostly male, who joined the clubs, were given a set of militaristic paraphernalia and army-like uniforms. Since the reform era the influence of Menwa on campus has declined with some Menwa members being attacked by students who associate them with Suharto's New Order and militarism. Despite their widespread unpopularity, over the last year the military has been attempting to revive the regiments.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was "Alasan Sandiaga Uno Beri Ormas Ini Bagian Hibah Rp 1,7 Triliun".]

Source: https://metro.tempo.co/read/1036158/alasan-sandiaga-uno-beri-ormas-ini-bagian-hibah-rp-17-triliun

Jakarta's 2018 Budget Draft comes under scrutiny, includes IDR620

Coconuts Jakarta - November 21, 2017

Former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama was often praised for his transparency and commitment to fight corruption in his handling of the city's budget, often to the dismay of the City Council (DPRD), which can be seen through the numerous attempts they made to sneak personal allowances into the budget whenever Ahok was away from his office.

The time has come for new Governor Anies Baswedan and Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno to show if they can exhibit the same commitment to transparency and anti-corruption as Ahok, as the 2018 RAPBD (Regional Budget Draft) is currently being discussed with the DPRD before it's officially approved as the APBD (Regional Budget).

As it stands, things don't look too promising. On November 14, the Jakarta Provincial Government and the DPRD signed an agreement to set the budget ceiling for the 2018 RAPBD to IDR77.1 trillion. If passed as it is, this would be the biggest budget Jakarta has ever had. By comparison, last year's budget was approved at IDR70.2 trillion.

Of course, IDR77.1 trillion by itself doesn't tell the whole story – it might even be justifiable if the city's income is expected to increase next year. However, many are already criticizing the 2018 RAPBD for budget allocations that are deemed inefficient.

Rian Ernest, a cadre of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), said his party have been closely reviewing the 2018 RAPBD. He said that one of the biggest allocation hikes was for the operations budget for DPRD members, which was requested at IDR346.5 billion, compared to IDR129.3 billion last year.

Some of the more questionable allocations, according to Rian, include IDR620 million for the renovation of a 8×4 meter koi pond at the DPRD office, IDR107.7 billion for DPRD members' official trips, IDR 542.8 million for vehicle maintenance, and IDR571 million for website maintenance.

"It's surely not too late for the government to review the allocations for non-priority items so they can reduce the budget deficit that they are facing," Rian said, as quoted by Kompas today.

Even DPRD Jakarta Chairman Prasetio Edi Marsudi, on the surface at least, seems critical towards the 2018 RAPBD. He said the Jakarta Provincial Government also put forward some allocations that could be deemed unnecessary, such as IDR28.99 billion to hire and pay for the Governor's Team to Speed Up Construction (TGUPP), compared to just IDR2.35 billion last year.

"The public should criticize Jakarta's 2018 RAPBD. This is the people's budget that is supposed to be used for the benefit of the people of Jakarta," he said today, as quoted by BeritaSatu.

While certain aspects of the 2018 RAPBD seem to be more for the benefit of bureaucrats, some of the cuts certainly seem detrimental to regular citizens. The public was especially outraged that meat subsidies for the poor – a program introduced under Jokowi and Ahok's administration – have been erased from the 2018 RAPBD.

Amid all the criticism surrounding it, Anies and Sandiaga have spent much of today trying to justify some of the allocations of the 2018 RAPBD. Speaking to reporters, Sandiaga assured the public that the meat subsidy program would continue under a different budget allocation, while the expensive koi pond renovation was approved in order to "preserve the state's assets."

Meanwhile, Anies said that the TGUPP budget increased twelve-fold because he would rather hire contractors to work directly for him than hire through the private sector for help with the city's projects (an inference about the previous administration which was rebuffed by the Jakarta Employment Body. Instead, they said that Ahok paid for his staff using his own personal allowance as to not burden the APBD, which was confirmed by Rian Ernest, who was previously a staff member for Ahok's administration).

Sandiaga also said that the government is targeting a IDR2 trillion increase in income, raising the total to IDR38 trillion in 2018. On the face of it, that still wouldn't match the budget increase, unless unnecessary allocations are removed from the RAPBD before it's passed at the end of this year.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/jakartas-2018-budget-draft-comes-scrutiny-includes-idr620-million-allocation-koi-pond-renovation/

Islamic hardliners planning huge 212 anti-Ahok rally anniversary,

Coconuts Jakarta - November 21, 2017

The massive rally in protest of former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama on December 2, 2016, was seen very differently by different people.

While detractors saw it as an attempt by Islamic hardliners to politically destroy the once popular Chinese-Christian leader by taking advantage of people's prejudices and piety, those who supported and took part in it saw "Aksi Bela Islam (Action in Defense of Islam) 212" as being about love and defending their religion against Ahok's alleged blasphemy (even though surveys showed most of them didn't even understand what those allegations were exactly).

Seeking to commemorate their day of glory, the so-called Presidium Alumni 212 (a group of people who both think that you can be the alumni of a one-day rally and apparently don't know that presidium is a term closely associated with communism) are planning to hold a "grand reunion" event at Monumen Nasional (Monas) on Saturday, December 2.

Although religious and political events had been banned from Monas at the time of the original 212 rally, police made an exception because the huge number of protesters (estimated to be around 500,000) threatened to paralyze Central Jakarta if it had taken place on the streets as planned.

Coincidentally, recently inaugurated Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (who many would argue defeated his predecessor largely due to the effects of the anti-Ahok rallies) has announced his plans to overturn the long-standing ban on religious activities at Monas, seemingly clearing the way for the 212 reunion event to take place there.

Slamet Maarif, the chairman of Alumni Presidium 212, thanked Governor Anies for making the area around the landmark open to everybody.

"It's good, that area is a symbol of Jakarta, anyone can use it. That means Pak Anies wants to build an area that belongs to everybody," said Slamet as quoted by Tribun today.

Slamet said that an invitation to the 212 reunion had been extended to the governor and Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno and they were just waiting for their confirmation.

It's not clear whether or not Anies will show up at Monas on December 2. He chose not to attend an anniversary event for the last major anti-Ahok rally on November 4, causing Eggi Sudjana, the lawyer for Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, to despair that it was like Anies had simply used them to win the election.

As for the infamous FPI chief, Slamet said an invitation had been extended to Rizieq as well though it was unsure if he would be able to attend since he's still supposedly hiding in Saudi Arabia as a fugitive from the Indonesian police after being named a suspect in a high-profile pornography case.

But Slamet said that even if Rizieq isn't able to attend, he'll likely remotely preach to the "millions" of 212 alumni that Slamet says will definitely be coming to the reunion (and no, there were definitely not millions of people at 212, despite the hardliners' wildest overestimations).

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/islamic-hardliners-planning-huge-212-anti-ahok-rally-anniversary-thank-gov-anies-letting-use-monas/

Jakarta closes another night club

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Jakarta – City administration permanently closed Diamond Discotheque in West Jakarta on Thursday evening following allegations last September that drug distribution had occurred inside the venue.

"We, the public order officers, permanently stop business activities in Diamond Discotheque as of today," the operation head of the Jakarta Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) Harry Aprayitno said on Thursday according to kompas.com.

Diamond Discotheque had been temporarily closed since September, when the police arrested Indra Jaya Piliang, the head of the Golkar Party's research and development division, and his two friends for allegedly holding a party involving drugs at the premises. The shutdown was successfully conducted without resistance, he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Governor Anies Baswedan said the administration would close the nightclub on the grounds of the violation of Bylaw No. 6/2015 on Tourism. "We want to be serious in eradicating drugs. Once the place is found to have drugs, it can no longer operate," he said.

Previously in October, Anies ordered the shutdown of Alexis Hotel and massage parlor in North Jakarta for allegedly facilitating prostitution. (cal)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/jakarta-closes-another-night-club.html

Governor Anies says he wants to make Jakarta into a more moral

By Coconuts Jakarta Nov. 16, 2017

Since his appeals to mainstream (and hardline) Muslim voters was such a major factor in his election win, some were concerned that Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan would appeal to his base by enacting policies that prioritized Islamic sharia ideas of morality, and his actions since his inauguration haven't done much to alleviate those concerns.

His closing of the infamous Alexis Hotel and his Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno's declaring that their administration would focus on building up Jakarta's sharia tourism sector (including the possibility of transforming Alexis into a sharia hotel called Al-Ikhlas) is just one example.

Governor Anies seems quite aware of the perception that he's planning to enact sharia-centric laws and directly refuted the notion during a speech he gave at the Symposium of Professors from the National Council of Indonesian Students Association Alumni Corps (KAHMI) yesterday.

Although Anies had stated previously that he wants to make Jakarta into a "moral city", he clarified during his speech that he was talking about the moral principles of the existing law, not Islamic sharia law. "By morality (I mean) through the corridor of law," Anies said at the symposium as quoted by CNN Indonesia.

Anies said that his administration's mission to bring morality to Jakarta would have a legal basis in government regulation. "Our morals are defined by the rule of law. Jakarta is a city that must uphold the law," Anies said.

Which sounds good, but, of course, Anies failed to mention that as governor he has the power to change the existing laws. For example, he has stated that he wants to re-allow the sale and slaughter of sacrificial animals on sidewalks and schools in Jakarta, which his predecessor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama had banned on several grounds including sanitation. Reversing that law would obviously be solely for the benefit of members of one religion.

He has also stated that he will have the Jakarta government divest its profitable shares in local beer producer PT Delta Djakarta Tbk, with Vice Governor Sandiaga justifying the decision by saying, "It is not essential for the provincial government to own shares in companies that do not have an interest in the lives of many people". (and on what moral basis do you think they made that call?) Nevertheless, we hope that Governor Anies is sincere in his desire to make and enforce policies in such a way that respects the moral beliefs of all of Jakarta's citizens, not just the people who won him the election. But we can't say he's given us much proof of that yet.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/governor-anies-says-wants-make-jakarta-moral-city-not-sharia-city/

City investigates renting of Tanah Abang sidewalks

Jakarta Post - November 16, 2017

Jakarta – The Jakarta Small and Medium Enterprises Agency is investigating reports about the "rental" of Tanah Abang sidewalks to street vendors, and the alleged involvement of civil servants in the business.

The vendors reportedly pay Rp 500,000 (US$36.90) per month to get space on the sidewalks to conduct their business.

The rent, which is considered low by most of the vendors, has led to them leaving the kiosks provided by the administration to go back to doing business on the sidewalks.

The head of the agency, Irwandi, said the administration had not yet discovered the people who rented out the sidewalks.

"We will ask the vendors [about to whom they are paying rent]. If they're paying it to civil servants, and have the evidence in the form of photos, we will act firmly against them," Irwandi said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.

The agency would engage the city's inspectorate, Central Jakarta administration and Public Order Agency to investigate the matter, Irwandi said.

They would also monitor activities on Tanah Abang sidewalks to monitor and curb the practice of illegal levies there, he added. (cal)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/16/city-investigates-renting-of-tanah-abang-sidewalks.html

Mining & energy

40% of electricity unused, PLN CEO says

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Jakarta – The real reason behind the regrouping policy for customers of of state-owned electricity firm PLN became clear when the PLN president director announced that about 40 percent of electricity produced by the company was currently unused.

"The electricity reserve is about 30 to 40 percent [of the total production]," said Sofyan in Jakarta on Thursday as reported by tempo.co.id.

The customers' regrouping is to encourage households to reduce the electricity surplus, Softan added. "We hope [the households] will increase [their consumption]," he added.

Previously, Sofyan said after the regrouping, the customers with 1,300 volt-ampere (VA), 2,200 VA, 3,500 VA and 4,400 VA would be able to access 5,500 VA electric power, while the electric power of customers with 900 VA, both subsidized and non-subsidized, as well as subsidized customers with 450 VA, would remain unchanged.

But later, PLN spokesman I Made Suprateka said the change in electrical power was optional for customers, meaning customers could reject the change.

Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Tulus Abadi criticized the government for asking regular customers to reduce the electricity oversupply because of its 35,000-megawatt (MW) electricity program.

"The effect of the 35,000 MW electricity program is electricity oversupply. It should be sold; otherwise, the PLN will lose," Tulus said as reported by kompas.com, adding that under the program, the company had to buy electricity produced by private companies.

He rejected the regrouping policy saying it would push customers to consume more electricity. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/40-of-electricity-unused-pln-ceo-says.html

Pertamina says fuel prices need to be increased

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Jakarta – State-owned energy company Pertamina has said fuel prices – particularly subsidized gasoline Premium and subsidized diesel fuel Solar – must be increased to avoid further burdening the company.

Pertamina marketing director Muchamad Iskandar said subsidized fuel prices had not changed since April 2016, when it was Rp 6,550 (US$0.48 US cents) per liter for Premium and Rp 5,150 per liter for Solar.

Global fuel prices were at $37 per barrel at that time, while currently it is around $60 per barrel.

"It is the authority of the government, but if we follow the price formula, we have to increase the prices," said Iskandar as reported by kontan.co.id, adding that according to the formula, the price of Premium should be Rp 7,150 per liter.

Another burden for Pertamina is the single-price fuel program, which has been implemented in 54 remote areas across the country.

Iskandar said the cost to distribute one liter of fuel via air to remote areas could reach Rp 23,000 per liter while Pertamina had to sell only Rp 5,150 per liter for Solar.

For that, Pertamina needed to prepare Rp 1 trillion for additional operating expenses (OPEX) to carry out the single-price fuel program in one year. He added if 52 more areas follow the program, the OPEX could reach between Rp 2 trillion and 3 trillion. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/pertamina-says-fuel-prices-need-to-be-increased.html

Economy & investment

East Java top in ease of doing business

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Jakarta – Research conducted by the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) has shown that East Java was top in ease of doing business (EoDB) this year, followed by West Java, Central Java and Jakarta.

The research was based on a survey by the ACI with 925 business entities operating in 34 Indonesian provinces.

"There is competition among the regions to attract investors," said research fellow and ACI deputy director Mulya Amri at a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, as reported by tempo.co.

There are three categories assessed by the ACI, namely attractiveness to investors, business friendliness and competitive policies, said Mulya.

In the attractiveness to investors category, Jakarta's ranking fell from first in 2015 to third, replaced by West Java, which was fifth in 2015.

In the business friendliness category, Jakarta ranked seventh this year from second in 2015. Central Sulawesi ranked first, while in the competitive policies category, Jakarta's position improved to 19th from 30th in 2015.

Jakarta Property Institute executive director Wendy Haryanto said Jakarta's falling ranking in EoDB was because of the difficulty to arrange building construction permits in the capital.

"There is no innovation in the licensing process in Jakarta. The Jakarta Investment Agency and the One Stop Integration Service still have many problems," said Wendy, adding that it was the reason why investors prefer to invest in other regions. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/east-java-top-in-ease-of-doing-business.html

Government should turn attention to human resources development

Jakarta Post - November 22, 2017

Jakarta – Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairman for telematics, broadcast, research and technology Ilham Habibie has criticized the government for focusing too much on investment and not enough on human resources development.

"Don't just issue pro-business [policies], but also those that are pro-human resources development. Business is important, but we will achieve more if we pay attention to human resources development," said Ilham, son of former president BJ Habibie, as reported by tempo.co.

He was speaking at the Indonesia Economic Forum 2017 in Jakarta on Wednesday. He said weak human resources in Indonesia could be seen from Indonesian exports, which relied heavily on raw commodities.

He said Indonesia needed to improve its human resources so that it could export more competitive products and not solely rely on natural resources as otherwise, the economy would not be able to grow significantly.

Therefore, he added, Indonesia had to prepare human resources to assure the country could compete globally. "Human resources is not only a matter of education, but it relates to character building " he added.

He called on Indonesians to use globalization to learn from foreigners, saying citizens of the country had long interacted with foreigners through trade, missionaries and other activities.

Ilham is behind the development of 80-seat passenger planes – R80 planes –, expected to fly in 2021. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/22/government-should-turn-attention-to-human-resources-development.html

Indonesian businesses prepare for the worst as they face up to

Food Navigator Asia - November 21, 2017

Lester Wan – Concerns are mounting over a controversial new law to bring across-the-board halal certification to Indonesia, as an unprepared government department and industry figures wonder how they will cope with its implementation.

The final law passed by the last government, it is also proving to be a headache for incumbent Joko Widodo.

It is poised to cover a wide range of consumer goods from food and beverages to textiles, which must all be certified as halal by the time the act is introduced in 2019. Currently, halal certification is voluntary and at the discretion of a manufacturer.

The new regulation's broad focus raises concerns for small- and medium-sized retailers carrying quantities of long-life uncertified stock that they will be forced to dispose of when it comes into effect.

Food manufacturers will also be made to shell out to redesign and print new labels to reflect their products' halal status. A colossal gridlock is expected as they rush to get certified.

The Halal Product Certification Agency (BPJPH), a new government body created to replace the widely criticised Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), a clerical organisation, which has hitherto issued halal certification, faces understaffing and a steep learning curve.

While MUI has only been able to process some 6,000 certification requests per year, its replacement is staring at around the 1.5 million companies that will each require assessment over the next year.

"We don't need 45 people. We need more than 1,000?," a resigned Dr Sukoso, BPJPH's director, told Business Times?. It is estimated that each certificate will initially take 50 days to process, at a price of up to IDR5m (US$370). The Indonesian Food and Beverage Association (GAPMMI) has calculated that the overall cost to businesses to register their products could reach up to US$3.25bn.

"In general this halal act will disrupt business in Indonesia?," said Adhi Lukman, GAPMMI's chairman. "We would have to throw everything away?.

"If even the MUI, an organisation with vast experience [in issuing the halal labels], can only process around 6,000 applications a year, what about a new institution??" he added.

Many businesses hope that President Widodo, who inherited the new halal law from his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, will delay its implementation until after the 2019 general election.

While the policy is popular with conservative Muslims, moderate lawmakers like Indonesia's president are concerned about its potential impact to businesses. If re-elected, Jokowi is likely to put it on permanent hiatus, but his success is no certainty.

In the meantime, Dr Sukoso and his lean BPJPH team must plan for the transition from their new office in the suburbs of Jakarta.

And businesses, which are already forced to wade through Indonesia's byzantine trade regulations, must get ready and plan for the worst.

Source: https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2017/11/21/Indonesian-businesses-prepare-for-the-worst-as-they-face-up-to-universal-halal-law

Taxation & state budget

Minister gives taxpayers another chance to declare hidden wealth

Jakarta Post - November 17, 2017

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has issued a revised regulation to give another change for taxpayers who did not avail of the tax amnesty or have not listed assets in their annual tax return to (SPT) to immediately report their wealth.

"Under the revised regulation, we are giving another change to taxpayers to honestly report their wealth, either in a statement or in an SPT," said Sri Mulyani at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday as reported by kontan.co.id.

The regulation was originally intended to facilitate tax amnesty participants to change register property held in name of someone else in their own names without paying tax. However, the revised version also pardons those who have not reported their wealth.

Tax officials previously said any undeclared wealth owned by people who did not avail of the tax amnesty would be considered additional income and they would be required to pay tax plus fines.

"The Tax Amnesty Law has no expiry date and therefore any taxpayers found to not have declared their wealth will be punished," Sri Mulyani warned.

She explained that one of the reasons for the new regulation was that some people who had availed of the tax amnesty had not declared all of their wealth. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/17/minister-gives-taxpayers-another-chance-to-declare-hidden-wealth.html

Analysis & opinion

Understanding the root problem in Papua and its solution

The Conversation - November 22, 2017

In early November, police reported 1,300 people were "being held as hostages" by a "group of armed criminals" in the villages near Tembagapura, Papua, a district that holds one of the largest gold and copper mines in the world, owned by Freeport Mc-Moran, the US mining company.

The media followed with reports that the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) had rescued around 300 non-Papuans. However, the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB), a local political group which supports Papuans' right to self-determination, said the news about the hostage was not true.

The news prompted public speculation on the alleged hostage perpetrators, their motives, and the conflict of interest taking place in the event. Speculations abound about the source of the heightened tension starting from ideological reasons of attacks against nationalism, political reasons related to the pro-independence movement, to pragmatic reasons related to security business for the companies there, which implicates many actors.

The reaction from the public is partly due to Papua's history. Since the 1970s, in Papua, there has been a pro-independence movement which requested for another referendum. The result of Act of Free Choice (Pepera) referendum in 1969 which was attended by 1,022 government-chosen Papuan delegations, authorised Papua as part of Indonesia. However, there are many Papua's pro-independence who feel that Pepera was conducted under the military pressure.

The roots of Papua conflict

Deciding on the best strategy to overcome security problems in Papua by ending violent acts from anyone by any motives is a difficult task.

The Papua Road Map book published by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences in 2009 has elaborated on the roots of Papua conflict:

marginalisation, discrimination, including the lack of recognition of Papua's contribution and service to Indonesia,
the lack of social infrastructure development in Papua, especially education, health, economic empowerment, and the low level access to participation for native Papuans,
unfinished process in political economic, and socio-cultural integration,
the widespread political violence that has never been addressed,
unresolved human rights violation, especially the Wasior, Wamena, and Paniai cases.

Don't rush into military operation

Events in Tembagapura may point to a relationship between the business and security sector in Papua, which involves various actors who tend to use each other. A company like Freeport often spends special funds to make sure that their operations are safe, sometimes by asking protection from TNI and Polri.

The Tembagapura (Banti and Kimbeli) "hostage" case is still unclear, but it is possible that it was not only driven by economic motives such as competition between local miners, but also political motives involving the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

The police has reported that the "hostage" is related to competition or tailing areas between migrants and native Papuans. If this is true, then the police should deal with this using law enforcement approach.

However, if the soldiers of the Free Papua Movement were responsible for the hostage taking as claimed by the military, then it is the domain of the Indonesian military.

The strategy to ensure security in Papua should be carefully thought out due to this mix between political and economic interests in Papua.

Using a state perspective, Tembagapura case should be thoroughly managed to restore stability and security. However, if the government goes overboard in restoring security via a military operation, Indonesia will be deemed inconsistent in its commitment to Papua's development, especially if the security is ensured at the expense of human rights principles.

The dynamics in Papua is closely related to political interests. The conflicting interests between the government and people of Papua have created a deep sense of distrust between the two.

This distrust between the government and people of Papua intensifies one-sided claim either by Indonesian nationalists or pro-independence activists. It manifests in, for example, pro-independence activists claim that Papua is "a colony of Indonesia" and reversely the stigmatisation of Papuans as separatists by nationalists.

Human rights activists and some Papuans often paint government efforts to improve the conditions in Papua as a way to marginalise local people. The government and investors have been criticised for grabbing customary land of Papuans.

On the other side, Indonesian nationalist that oppose to Papuan self determination rights often see native Papuans' genuine discontent as an indication of resistance towards the government, and proof that they wish to separate.

Nonmilitary approach to Papua's security

What should the government do to ensure security and stability in Papua?

First, there's no need to overreact. The Tembagapura case is likely to be driven by pragmatic interests of the parties involved.

Second, the government should balance their state security approach with human security. The safety and well-being of the people that are not directly involved in the conflict must be a priority irrespective of ethnicity and race between migrants or indigenous people.

Third, the government should build paths for dialogue and negotiation towards reconciliation in the long term. Gradually or simultaneously there should be a space for dialogue to prevent growing distrust between migrants and indigenous Papuans and between authorities and the public.

On August 15th, 2017, President Joko Widodo, religious and tribe leaders as well as Papuan human rights activists met at the presidential palaceJakarta. After the meeting, the Coordinating Minister of Politics, Legal, and Security, the president's chief of staff and the coordinator of Papua Peace Network were appointed as the persons in charge to prepare dialogues on human rights and security issues in Papua.

Fourth, the local governments, must be proactive and work together with the police to restore security in the region.

Fifth, the three pillars of Papua (the local governments, Papua legislative bodies, and the Papuan People Council should work together to improve prosperity and welfare of all Papuans.

Dialogue is still relevant and urgent

Even though there is no "new" approach to create peace in Papua and that there are differing views over the urgency of dialogue, it does not mean that dialogue is no longer relevant for Papua.

The most important thing to ensure the success of the dialogue process is to start with a common ground to create a more democratic and prosperous Papua. This is not only to retain Indonesia's territorial integrity, but moreover to appreciate and respect Papuan dignity within the diversity of Indonesian people.

[This article was originally published in Indonesian.]

Source: http://theconversation.com/understanding-the-root-problem-in-papua-and-its-solution-87951

Policy confusion hobbles Indonesian mining

Nikkei Asian Review - November 21, 2017

Marwan Batubara – The long-running dispute between the Indonesian government and U.S. minerals company Freeport-McMoRan over Grasberg, the world's largest gold mine and second-largest copper mine, shows little sign of ending any time soon – despite optimistic government claims to the contrary.

Indeed, Indonesian President Joko Widodo's confused and contradictory mining policies are damaging the country's hopes of extracting maximum benefit from its natural resources.

If the government will not change course, and in particular reimpose a ban on the export of raw minerals, the courts or the voters must force his hand. Indonesia's economic development hangs on getting things right in an industry crucial to the country's future.

In August, Freeport reluctantly agreed to comply with a 2012 law requiring it to divest 51% of its stake in the subsidiary that owns Grasberg, in the remote province of Papua. But a dispute has now arisen over the sale price and a resolution without arbitration appears distant.

Cries of victory from the government following the deal were predictably over-exuberant. While Freeport reluctantly accepts the need to sell down its interest to keep Grasberg in operation beyond the expiration of its current license in 2021, it understandably insists on getting a fair price.

Meanwhile, with Freeport having failed to fulfill some of its long-standing obligations – including the construction of a proposed smelter – and Grasberg-linked investment deadlines endlessly stretched, recent developments are only the latest chapter in a long-running saga.

The Grasberg story highlights the malleability of Indonesian mining regulation, and the government's incoherent mining sector policies.

Is the government pursuing an economic nationalist agenda? Is it in favor of foreign investment? Does it want to push Indonesia up the commodities value chain to secure a greater share of benefits from the country's vast natural resources? Does it want to increase exports of raw minerals to reduce its budget deficit? Is it seeking to garner political capital by promoting nationalistic policies?

No one in the business, legal or mining communities can answer these questions with any degree of certainty. One could argue that the government itself does not know. But the answers matter because minerals and mining are important contributors to Indonesian economic growth, accounting for 4.2% of gross domestic product and 13% of exports by value in 2016, according to PwC, the accountancy firm.

At the heart of the unpredictable course of mining regulation lies the highly politicized nature of natural resources in Indonesia – one of the world's largest exporters of metals and minerals – and the short-term personal and political goals of the country's leaders.

Under a mining law passed in 2009 and implemented in 2014, exports of raw minerals were banned to boost the development of a domestic refining and processing industry.

After sweeping to power on a wave of nationalism in 2014, Widodo initially backed the ban. However, last January, the export prohibition was lifted, and three years of refining sector investment and development were laid to waste. Why this stark retreat from Indonesia's stated goal of raising itself up the global value chain?

The main reason for this reversal was the mounting financial pressure on the president. The ban triggered a significant fall in overseas sales, which accounted for 17% of total exports by value before the prohibition. The export collapse hit the government's income from the sector, contributing to a widening budget deficit.

The economy has been growing at an annual rate of about 5%, short of the 7% Widodo targeted when he came to office, and foreign investors have been heading for the door. In July, proposed revisions to the government's 2017 budget increased the deficit from 2.4% of GDP in 2016 to 2.9%, just short of a legal limit of 3%. The World Bank now lists the rupiah among Asia's most vulnerable currencies.

Rising national debt

Meanwhile, the president has increased government spending on infrastructure to more than 60% of the annual budget from 12% before he took office. His chances of re-election in 2019 are inextricably linked to the success of his $350 billion infrastructure agenda. But rising deficits and a growing national debt have put paid to many of his projects to improve roads, bridges, ports and power grids.

It is unfortunate for the long-term prosperity of Indonesia that Widodo's pursuit of short-term political advantage, combined with a pressing need to balance the books, have served to curtail the focus on downstream investment, which was one of former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's most forward-looking policies.

Keeping open the trade in unprocessed minerals permanently would render Indonesia's domestic mining industry incapable of creating long-term added value for its people. Lifting the export ban has deeply affected the investment climate, creating legal uncertainty. Many analysts believe that the export of raw mineral resources contradicts the Indonesian constitution of 1945, which mandates the utilization of soil, water, minerals and natural resources extracted from the earth for the prosperity and welfare of the Indonesian people.

There remain many influential advocates of the ban on unprocessed mineral exports, such as the Civil Society Coalition (a group of lawyers, academics, environmental activists and non-government organizations), which failed in an attempt to persuade the Supreme Court to reimpose the restrictions. Now this coalition and others in favor of the ban must unify, refocus and renew their legal challenges, as well as mobilize the public.

In typically prevaricating style, the Supreme Court has yet to release its reasons for the ruling, but a new case could be filed, or the judgment could be challenged in the State Administrative Court. Unfortunately, the courts are not immune to political pressures, and with an election on the horizon the most effective course of action may lie in ensuring that mining is a key campaign issue. Those calling for a restoration of the ban must make their voices heard loud and clear.

As well as encouraging more investment in the industry as a whole, a clear decision to reinstate export restrictions would help to clarify the future of Grasberg, giving Freeport little option but to build the smelter the country so dearly needs.

Source: https://asia.nikkei.com/Viewpoints/Marwan-Batubara/Policy-confusion-hobbles-Indonesian-mining