"That was one of the issues that became a key for some members of parliament to move with the government because they knew that under the opposition they are not certain about Papua, so they don't want to jeopardise the political beliefs and struggle that they've been part of," he said.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/344862/solomons-govt-committed-to-west-papua-issue-says-mote

Putting Indonesian Papua's tensions in context

The Interpreter - November 28, 2017

Bobby Anderson – Since August, numerous civilians and security staff have been killed or wounded in the Tembagapura area in Indonesian Papua, host of Freeport McMoRan's vast Grasberg mining complex.

The violence is almost entirely ascribed to the armed wing of the Free Papua Organization (Organisasi Papua Merdeka or OPM). Two police have been killed and seven wounded. In the absence of specific demands from the OPM faction, led by Sabinus Waker, Freeport has not halted mining operations, though they did temporarily close the road.

According to the police, Waker's OPM faction 'took hostage' roughly 1300 people in the villages of Banti and Kimbely. A joint military-police security force entered the villages on 18 November, with no casualties on either side. Around 350 people in the area opted to be evacuated, but the vast majority did not.

This latest incarnation of unrest is characterised by the media and activists as 'increasing tensions', a view that supposes some catalytic moment will one day be reached, with Papua as a pressure cooker destined to explode. But viewed across a longer timeline, it's clear that the absence of any such violence would be more unusual.

Between 2009 and 2015, at least 20 people were killed and 59 wounded in the vicinity of Tembagapura. The previous decades saw a number of other violent incidents, including the 2002 killing of Tembagapura international school teachers allegedly ambushed by OPM while picnicking (a case that has never been satisfactorily closed), and the 1996 kidnapping of dozens of foreign and Indonesian scientific researchers. Two hostages were killed in a rescue attempt, followed by an army-led counterinsurgency campaign.

Put into context, the latest violence in Mimika is thus both less unusual and more opaque than as described by the Indonesian government and by numerous media outlets. It's worth unpacking a few aspects of this fight in order to highlight a muddled network of relationships.

The location

Tembagapura's Banti and Kimbely villages are mostly inhabited by migrants from other areas of Papua, but also from as far away as Sumatra and Java. They are artisanal gold miners, searching the mine tailings that contaminate the Utikini River. Since mining operations started in Ertsberg and later in Grasberg, Freeport has served to draw unemployed youth from across the entire archipelago. Any who don't end up employed by the mine or its numerous service providers and contractors try their luck mining these tailings.

The security actors

The police and military are heavily involved in such gold trades, either by charging protection fees to miners, acting as buyers, or running their own operations. These activities aren't limited to Mimika regency, where Grasberg is located. Gold mining in nearby Intan Jaya and further afield in Buru Island provides significant off-budget income.

Security actors must generate some income, as those hoping for promotion must generate rents to transmit up the chain of command. 'Protecting' forestry operations and plantations are popular activities. But security actors don't only seek profit – they often need the resources to do their jobs. National operational funding transfers for police are generally gone before they reach the sub-district level. Justifications aside, in non-state contexts such payments constitute organised crime.

The 'separatists'

OPM is only bound within a hierarchical structure on paper. In rural Papua, those who describe themselves as 'OPM' are often local, lightly armed gangs that express vague separatist ideologies while occasionally committing extortion. There are exceptions – Waker's faction is more active, but not as much as the previous Kwalik faction. Other nearby exceptions include Goliat Tabuni's OPM in Puncak Jaya and Purom Wenda's faction in Lanny Jaya. Tabuni and Purom have warred against one another seemingly as much as they have targeted the state.

Waker's OPM faction only targets the police – there have, so far, been no military casualties. The military and police describe a united front in current security operations, but this is hardly the norm in Indonesia.

Cooperation between security actors and separatists over natural resource extraction operations is also common, the largest and richest of these in Indonesia being Freeport. Previous research demonstrated collusion between OPM and the military in Mimika in a likely effort to increase 'security' contributions from the company.

Freeport disclosed that such contributions totalled US$5.6 million in 2002. In 2003, the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act made reporting obligations to the US government for such payments more specific, which may have hampered the ability of local security actors to demand them successfully. But it's unlikely Freeport has managed to avoid such payments entirely, especially amongst its plethora of contractors – if they did, they would be extremely unusual among such companies in Indonesia.

The company

Freeport's 51% share divestment looms. Before that can occur, the company's asset valuation must be agreed between the company and the government. Against standard practice, Indonesia seeks to exclude mineral reserves from the valuation, even though such assets are only accessible by means of the infrastructure Freeport has constructed.

The latest Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict report notes 'a high probability of continued tensions as different parties within Indonesia contend for huge economic stakes', noting that 'any violence in the Freeport area can involve multiple actors with multiple interests. Even if the OPM is blamed, Papuans will be asking who else was involved'.

The 'hostages'

There weren't any. OPM established a roadblock to impede access to the area. If such actions are hostage-taking, then every day in Papua communities are being held hostage. Across the province, temporary roadblocks are the means by which gangs tax passers-by and communities express grievances and seek redress (in the case of communities, roadblocks often serve as invitations to negotiations). Military and police, especially those on short-term assignments, use them to shake downpassing traffic.

The hostage claim originates with the police, and was reported without question by most Indonesian media (Tabloid Jubi and a few others excepted). Mimika Police Chief Viktor Mackbon later contradicted the claim, as did the provincial government. The roadblock, and the hostage claim, are likely parries in a negotiation that predates both.

The current conflict may not be a continuation of historical trends per se, but there are numerous precedents for it. It illustrates the paucity of the state across rural and highland Papua. In its easternmost province, Indonesia does not yet meet the minimalist Weberian definition of the state as an entity that has the monopoly on organised violence within a claimed territory.

Instead, Indonesia's presence in Papua resembles a variant of the early states described by the late Charles Tilly: violence-wielding organisations operating in partnership with early modern capitalists to extract resources and rents from areas whose populations are otherwise ignored, so long as they do not threaten the state.

The wealth Jakarta extracts from Papua is immense, and yet Papuans are the poorest Indonesians: they are the least educated, the least healthy, and the quickest to die. The government doesn't even know with certainty how many Papuans there are: Papuans themselves experience neglect, humiliation, and a steady stream of human rights violations.

To paraphrase many a media outlet, tensions are high. But when in the history of Indonesian Papua have they not been high? And what do those high tensions lead to, other than a slight lull before the next round of tensions? What is described as tension is really fear.

Author's note

The Liberation Army of West Papua (Tentara Pembebasan Nasional) is the armed wing of the Organisasi Papua Merdeka or Free Papua Organization, but within Papua 'OPM' is used to refer to the armed wing as well as the political wing.

Source: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/putting-indonesian-papua-s-tensions-context

Papuans gather in Vanuatu for Liberation Movement summit

Radio New Zealand International - November 27, 2017

Members of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua are converging on Vanuatu's capital for their first major summit since the body's inception.

The Movement is to use the Port Vila summit to evaluate its first three years, establish by-laws, elect executive members and discuss future strategy.

Its secretary-general Octo Mote said the major Papuan representative groups which make up the Movement would be present.

"This time everybody is here, not like last time when many of them were stuck in Papua New Guinea. No, everybody is here. In terms of persons that are participating, this is very successful, from the representation." Octo Mote said he hoped to be re-elected.

Vanuatu's prime minister Charlot Salwai, in a speech welcoming the Papuans, urged the Liberation Movement to maintain unity and continue with the direction of its current leadership.

About 50 Papuans are expected at this week's summit. This includes representatives of the Movement's major member groups: the administration for the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB); the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and the National Parliament of West Papua.

Since its formal inception in Vanuatu on 7th December 2014, the Liberation Movement has lobbied widely for international recognition of their people's plight in Indonesia.

As well as joining the Melanesian Spearhead Group, it has forged a growing international solidarity network which is pushing for Papuan independence.

Indonesia's government is opposed to the group, and frequently challenges its claim to represent Papuan people.

However the Movement has gained the support of numerous countries in the Pacific and elsewhere for issues of Papuan self-determination and human rights to be taken up at the UN level.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/344831/papuans-gather-in-vanuatu-for-liberation-movement-summit

Papua senator accuses TNI, police of public deception

Tabloid JUBI - November 24, 2017

Makassar, Jubi – A member of Papua Regional Representative Council (DPD-RI) from Papua, Yanes Murib, accused TNI and Police of making public deceived of the situation in Tembagapura, Timika to all Indonesian people.

"Media propaganda is overdoing it, as if the people in Banti and surrounding areas are in a critical or emergency situation," said Yanes Murib to Jubi, Monday (November 20).

He asserted that the alleged hostage taking by TPN-OPM in Kampung Banti and surrounding areas is not true. He called the information as a propaganda that brings into conflict.

"It should be informed to the public that conditions on the ground are not as reported by the national media and the local media are all propaganda," Yanes added.

Yanes also challenged accusation that said the TPN-OPM take hostage, raped, and killed. According to him it was impossible, while there are wives of them among the community, or son, family and relatives tribe. He questioned the purpose and interests of the country to make false news to the people of Indonesia.

He considered the TPN-OPM is clearly against only TNI/POLRI and not ordinary. "Their demands clearly define their own political rights," said Yanes.

As a member of DPD RI he asked the state to stop doing public deception and propaganda of local and national media, and do not harm Papuan community.

Meanwhile, Legislator Papua, Laurenzus Kadepa said he wanted evidence of hostage taking against residents in Kampung Banti and Kimbeli, Tembagapura District, Mimika Regency, Papua.

"We want evidence, such as videotapes showing residents in Banti and Kimbeli actually being held hostage, and what the demands of those who declare themselves as TPN and OPM on this issue," Kadepa said.(tabloidjubi.com/Zely)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/papua-senator-accused-tnipolice-public-deception/

Students call for Freeport to be closed

Tabloid JUBI - November 24, 2017

Jayapura, Jubi – People's Union Front (FPR) requested for PT Freeport in Tembagapura, Timika to be closed. The request is to restore the rights and sovereignty of the people of Papua and prevent prolonged humanitarian conflict in the land of Papua.

"We consider the Government of Indonesia had failed to guarantee the wellbeing of Papuan people," said Coordinator of the People's Union Front (FPR), Samuel Womsiwor, Wednesday (November 21).

The uncertainty of livelihood and the future of Indonesian people is in questioned, thus it impacts the mobilization of Indonesian migrants to the land of Papua that is uncontrolled. "This is a problem that creates conflict in Papua," add Samuel.

Samuel also mentioned the exodus of 344 non-Papuans who live in Banti and Kimbeli Villages in Tembagapura, Mimika Regency who turn out to be illegal immigrants in the region Tembagapura. It is caused, he said by the mistake of Indonesia's state to grant power to own natural resources to PT Freeport up to 50 years.

"The profits had no significant impact for the people of Papua as the owner of Amungsa earth," Samuel explained. It had produces waste, destruction of forest into mining land and has damage the social fabric of society.

The President of Cendrawasih University Executive Council, Paskalis Boma, requested that the country provide access to international journalists and media, for the sake of conflict objectivity in Tembagapura. "We ask the TNI and Polri to respect the journalistic code of ethics," Paskalis said.

It aims for the sake of the balanced information developed in Tembagapura Freeport – Timika to be visible to the world without any cover-up.(tabloidjubi.com/Zely)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/eng/students-asked-freeport-closed/

West Papua summit

Vanuatu Daily Post - November 24, 2017

Len Garae – An expected total of 50 West Papuan Leaders from West Papua and beyond and supporters of the Vanuatu Free West Papua Association, are going to take part in a walk from Saralana Park to the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs Nakamal this morning, to launch the first West Papua Leaders' Summit after the first Committee was elected in 2014.

The West Papua United Liberation Movement was formed three years ago in the Chiefs Nakamal. Following the launch, the Leaders' Summit is expected to go for a week ending with a flag raising ceremony on December 1.

Asked if coming to Port Vila to attend the Summit is safe, London-based Global Campaigner Benny Wenda replies, "It is not safe but it is the price towards our West Papua struggle for freedom".

On what it feels like inside knowing that the imminent gathering is preparing to pioneer the way forward to tomorrow, he replies, "For me Port Vila is becoming our home – our shelter because the Government and people are always welcoming us here. We can travel round the world but we are always welcome here in Vanuatu as well as in the Solomon Islands".

Wenda is confident that the parade today is plotting new history for West Papua's destiny and sending a message to the world that Vanuatu and its people are committed all the way to make sure that West Papua gains its independence.

Rex Rumakiek, now over 80 years old, still remembers the small beginnings with the initial message delivered by Father Walter Lini (deceased) in his address to the people of East Ambae at Longana People's Centre on what was then called Aoba in 1983.

"Father Lini reminded the people of the young country that despite the country's lack of resources but that at the end of the day, everybody had to pray for God's divine guidance to sustain the people of West Papua to be able to achieve self-determination from Indonesia," he recalls.

John Tekwie is the former governor of Sandaun Province in Papua New Guinea on the northern border with West Papua. He is the representative of West Papua in the Pacific.

"I want to thank the Vanuatu Government and its people for being the front runner for West Papua. Let me say that the politics of West Papua in PNG is all confused politics.

"The leaders do not really know what to do. Do they give their support to our brothers and sisters in West Papua first or do they entertain Indonesia's political interests?" he says with dilemma.

But he confirms the people of PNG are very supportive of the struggle of the people of West Papua. There is no problem at all.

"I am talking of politics and let's leave that to the politicians and let's move on, to this new part of the final process," he explains.

"I say the final process because this meeting is critical to finalise the election of the new executives involving a final structure of new political status of the organisation, bringing it to the next level.

"For me I want to see a structure where we now have a government in exile. We cannot be forever campaigning and being advocates of independence forever.

"We have to make a statement, take a definitive and resolute position and move to the next level.

"You see. I've been a governor for Sandaun Province on the border for ten years. I understand politics. I am the border man on the corridor between Papua New Guinea and West Papua and am a Vanimo man right on the border."

He feels the gesture made by the Vanuatu Government and its people to the people of West Papua is a very important thing.

"It is a historic event and we have seen the document and we are waiting for the Prime Minister to announce it when he is ready," he concludes.

The Public Relations Officer of the Office of the Prime Minister cannot be reached for comment.

Source: http://dailypost.vu/news/west-papua-summit/article_4a8c79db-2567-5588-85f6-332b48a15a00.html

West Papuans call for closure of Freeport gold mine

Radio New Zealand International - November 24, 2017

Thousands of West Papuans have demonstrated in Jayapura, calling for the closure of the massive Freeport gold mine in Mimika regency.

They're also demanding Indonesian security forces withdraw from the area around the mine where a standoff continues with the West Papua National Liberation Army, or TPN.

An estimated two thousand Papuans took to the streets of Papua's provincial capital to demand the closure of a mine they see as a symbol of oppression.

Freeport is Indonesia's single largest source of revenue but Papuans say they see no benefit from it.

Recently, Jakarta has been negotiating for Freeport's US parent company to divest from the mine, but West Papuans say they are not consulted over the matter.

Now, tensions in the region around the mine have been escalating amid intensified movements of security forces.

Reports from Mimika indicate the Indonesian military launched rockets into the TPN stronghold earlier this week, killing two of their members.

Police and military blame the TPN for shootings on the road to the mine last month which left two policeman dead and others injured. Reports not yet confirmed by police say a Papuan was also shot dead in the past month on the road.

The road between Timika city and the Freeport mine, which is about 125 kilometres long, is guarded by an estimated three thousand Indonesian security forces.

According to Indonesian human rights researcher Andreas Harsono, 50 people – including Freeport workers, civillians, police and military officers – have been killed and over five hundred injured in shootings along the road in the past fifteen years.

With the recent spate of unrest along the road have come signs of an Indonesian military sweep operation of the kind that have caused many Papuan villagers to flee into the bush in the past.

Earlier this week Indonesian police said they were evacuating residents from several villages in the Tembagapura area. But villagers said they were terrified by the presence of these forces, and that the military were obstructing their ability to access food.

It contrasts with claims by Indonesian police earlier this month that the TPN was holding people in Kimberley and Banti villages hostage.

A demonstration was held in Timika yesterday by a group of local civillians protesting against what they described as "hoax reports" in Indonesian media regarding the hostage claims.

The demonstrators also sought answers about the reasons for the recent disappearance of a local Papuan, Martinus Beanal, whose family has now been told by police that their son is buried. The family said they had not seen his body since and were given no reasons for his reported death.

Meanwhile, 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 that they were not targetting them.

The TPN said its conflict was strictly with the Indonesian military and police, and that one of their main goals was to close the Freeport mine.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/344637/west-papuans-call-for-closure-of-freeport-gold-mine

Police brutally attack Papuan journalist in Timika, says human rights

Asia Pacific Report - November 23, 2017

Pacific Media Watch – The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has condemned a brutal attack against journalist Saldi Hermanto in Timika, Papua, and called for a campaign of letter protests.

Hermanto was attacked by the police after he criticised on Facebook the police handling of security at an entertainment show he attended.

Although the Mimika police chief pledged to "properly settle" the case, the public and media should monitor and ensure that the case was not merely settled by the internal police mechanism, AHRC said in a statement. "The perpetrators must be criminally prosecuted," it said.

AHRC's case narrative said that on Saturday, 11 November 2017, at 10:50 pm, journalist Saldi Hermanto and his child were enjoying an entertainment show in the night market of Timika Indah, Papua.

As the show was going on, suddenly there was chaos among the audience. Subsequently, Hermanto wrote on his Facebook wall criticising the police failure to secure the entertainment show and guarantee security for visitors.

Hermanto's criticism angered the police officers, some of whom felt he had humiliated and offended the police institution.

Search for journalist

Some six to eight police officers of Mimika Police Office (Polres Mimika), then searched for Hermanto.

Finally, they found him in a small post where many journalists usually gather and send news to various media, located in front of the Mimika Traffic Police Unit of Mimika Police Office (Kantor Satuan Lalu Lintas Polres Mimika).

The police officers then brutally attacked Hermanto, they beat him repeatedly and brought him inside the integrated police post, the AHRC report said.

"The brutal attack caused serious injuries on Hermanto's face and right rib, and Hermanto had difficulty breathing after the attack," the report said.

On November 13, at 9 a.m. Timika journalists from the Association of Online Media (IWO) Timika and from the Association of Journalist Photo Indonesia (PFI) Timika organised a peaceful protest in front of the Mimika Police Office in Cendrawasih Street.

The protesters demanded that the chief of oolice of Mimika Police Office, Police Superintendent (AKBP) Viktor Dean Mackbon, "fairly and properly investigate" the brutal attack and violence against Saldi Hermanto, a journalist of Salam Papua and Okezone.

In responding to the protest, AKBP Dean Mackbon stated that nine of 13 police officers who had been examined, were detained for further investigation related to the attack.

Two investigations

In addition, AKBP Victor stated that the there would be two investigation processes, both internal and criminal prosecution. He also apologised to the journalists and promised to settle the case.

The AHRC notes that violence against journalists continues in Indonesia. Another recent case occurred on 20 October 2017, when police brutally attacked Panji Bahari, a journalist of Banten Post in Banten province.

According to the Independence Journalist Alliance (AJI) Indonesia, in 2016 there were 78 cases of violence and attacks against journalists. This is a higher number compared to 2015, in which 40 cases of violence and attacks against journalists were recorded.

Indonesia: Journalist in Timika, Papua brutally attacked by police officers – Asian Human Rights Commission Urgent Appeal. November 22, 2017 - http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-199-2017

Source: https://asiapacificreport.nz/2017/11/23/police-brutally-attack-papuan-journalist-in-timika-says-human-rights-group/

Sexual & domestic violence

Indonesia urged to end discriminatory virginity test for female security

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Jakarta – New York based rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to order the chiefs of the National Police and Indonesian Military (TNI) to immediately ban virginity testing for female applicants, saying the practice is a form of gender based violence.

The decades old practice that includes a "two-finger" test to determine whether a female applicant's hymen is intact was degrading and discriminatory, as well as harming women's equal access to job opportunities, HRW women's rights advocacy director Nisha Varia said.

"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," Varia said in a statement on Wednesday.

"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," she said.

Despite criticism from human rights campaigners, security forces continue to impose the test, classified as psychological examinations, on the grounds that the virginity test was for "mental health and morality reasons", senior police and military officers told HRW. Read also: Virginity test: Indonesia'??s institutionalized misogyny

All females who took part in the test told HRW that the experience of having doctors inserting two fingers into their vagina to check the level of vaginal laxity was traumatic, painful and embarrassing.

World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines issued in 2014 stated that virginity testing has no scientific validity. The discriminatory practice has also been internationally recognized as a violation of human rights.

The rights group further urged Jokowi to prohibit virginity tests by the Police and TNI, and establish an independent monitoring mechanism to ensure the two institutions comply.

By ending the practice, the Indonesian government would abide by its international human rights obligations as well as honor the goals of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on Nov. 25, HRW said.

"The Indonesian police and military cannot effectively protect all Indonesians, women and men, so long as a mindset of discrimination permeates their ranks," Varia added. (afr/dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/indonesia-urged-to-end-discriminatory-virginity-test-for-female-security-force-applicants.html

Labour & migrant workers

Palm oil giant vows to reform after Indonesian child labour probe

Reuters - November 30, 2017

Kuala Lumpur – The world's biggest palm oil processor Wilmar has launched fresh measures to improve conditions of thousands of children living on its plantations, but campaigners said on Wednesday that it was not doing enough to tackle widespread use of child labour.

Wilmar was targeted in an Amnesty International probe last year which found children as young as eight were working in "hazardous" conditions on plantations run by the Singapore-based firm and its suppliers in Indonesia.

Wilmar pledged to upgrade and improve access to schools in and around its palm oil estates last week, in a written child protection policy that it said was a first for the industry.

"The whole goal is to ensure children in our community are taken care of in the best way," Wilmar's group sustainability general manager, Perpetua George, said on Wednesday (29/11).

"The issues cropping up a lot really are around the care and well-being of children," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Indonesia.

The policy would protect some 10,000 children on Wilmar's plantations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Africa, she said.

But Amnesty's Lauren Armistead said it was "disappointing" that Wilmar failed to address the root cause of child labour.

Rights groups have said parents who harvest palm fruit often have to seek help from their children, who also live on the plantation, to meet firms' high harvesting quotas.

"The quota and penalty system... is the reason why parents take their children to work. That has not been recognised at all in this child protection policy," campaigner Armistead said by phone from London.

The Amnesty investigation also alleged other labour abuses, including working long hours for low pay without adequate safety equipment. It found at least nine global consumer companies were sourcing from these Indonesian plantations.

Over 1.5 million children are thought to be working in tobacco, rubber and oil palm plantations in Indonesia, according to the International Labour Organization.

Thomson Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/business/palm-oil-giant-vows-reform-indonesian-child-labour-probe/

Manado students hold solidarity action with striking ice cream workers

Tribune - November 27, 2017

Alpen Martinus, Tondano – Scores of Manado State University (Unima) students from the Student Struggle Centre for National Liberation (Pembebasan), the Minahasa Progressive Women and individual pro-democracy activist held a solidarity action at the Unima main gate on Monday November 27.

The protesters took turns at giving speeches using a megaphone while others unfurled banners and posters with demands written on them. One of the banners read, "RRT must obey Indonesian law #salam15hari Zhang Li".

The action grabbed the attention of students and local people who passed by the Unima main gate.

Pembebasan public relations officer Rudi Pravda explained that the action was held in solidarity with a strike by workers at PT Alpen Food Industry, the producer of AICE ice cream. They are demanding that the RRT (People's Republic of China) obey Indonesian law.

"Give the 644 workers who were sacked permanent jobs, abolish contract labour systems and give workers 100 percent of their wages", he said.

In addition to this, they are demanding that the company, which is managed by Zhang Li and located in the Jakarta satellite city of Bekasi, also provide paid leave and social security for workers.

"We also condemn the company PT AFI which has declared itself a sponsor of the Asian Games in the midst of a strike", he explained. They also questioned how the company values the life of a worker who lost their hand in a packing machine but was only paid 4 million rupiah in compensation.

"We demand that the company must fulfill workers' rights, and that the government must not mobilise paid thugs, police or security personnel against the strike", he explained.

Rudi added that the enjoyment people have eating AICE ice cream is not shared by PT AFI workers. "This solidarity action of ours is because without the workers we also cannot enjoy what there is at the moment", he explained.

Solidarity actions were not just held at the Unima but have taken place thought Indonesia.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the article was "Mahasiswa Pembebasan di Unima Ikut Gelar Aksi Solidaritas Dukung Aksi Mogok Karyawan PT AFI".]

Source: http://manado.tribunnews.com/2017/11/27/mahasiswa-pembebasan-di-unima-ikut-gelar-aksi-solidaritas-dukung-aksi-mogok-karyawan-pt-afi

Experts say Indonesia is not yet ready to embrace 'fourth industrial

Jakarta Globe - November 23, 2017

Amal Ganesha, Jakarta – Indonesia has a long way to go before the country can fully embrace the so-called "Fourth Industrial Revolution," panel members at the 2017 Indonesia Economic Forum said in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/11).

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the phenomenon in which digital technology is becoming embedded and transforming society, must be prepared for by developing human skills to compete in the digital age, Shweta Khurana, head of corporate affairs at Intel Indonesia, said.

Artificially intelligent machines, robotics and other cloud-based technologies will not surpass human achievement, Shweta added.

"The highest paid job today is that of a mathematician, not a technologist," Shweta said. "So, computers won't beat us."

"Artificial intelligence is not new, it has been around for a while and it must not be feared. Instead, it does help our life," added Charles Ho, founder of Singapore-based startup consultancy Ace Round.

While digital startups are becoming more prolific across the world, Indonesia still lacks an entrepreneurial workforce that can truly take advantage of new technologies and ways of doing business, panelists said.

"We should start at school. We have to prepare our children with relevant entrepreneurial skills such as thinking critically, out of the box and risk taking ability," Shweta said.

"In Indonesia, those skills are still evolving and are rarely seen at schools. In Sweden, where the average age of entrepreneurs is 19, access to affordable computers and high-speed internet is provided for to support youth conducting business. This sort of infrastructure is actually very important to the Fourth Industrial Revolution," she said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/business/experts-say-indonesia-not-yet-ready-embrace-fourth-industrial-revolution/

Freedom of speech & expression

Lawyer threatens ex-constitutional court chief for saying Setya Novanto

Coconuts Jakarta - November 24, 2017

Throughout the epic legal drama between Indonesia's House Speaker Setya Novanto and the Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) over the senior politician's role in the massive e-KTP corruption case, Novanto's lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, has been almost a big a figure as the house speaker himself, aggressively attacking anybody who dares to speak out against his client and even getting the police to arrest a person just for sharing joke memes about Novanto.

While many have made fun of Fredrich's litigious excesses, few have dared to directly hit back at the high-powered lawyer's statements. One of the very few is Mohammad Mahfud M.D., an ex-chief of the Constitutional Court widely considered to be one of the country's most prominent legal scholars. For example, when Fredrich claimed he would report the KPK to the International Human Rights Court, Mahfud tweeted, "Novanto's lawyer will sue the KPK in the International Human Rights Court – Ha ha ha Fredrich doesn't understand the function of the International Human Rights Court."

He also went after Fredrich and Novanto hard during a recent appearance on the Indonesian Lawyer's Club TV program, a clip of which has been trending near the top of Youtube in Indonesia.

The latest war of words between the two started yesterday when Mahfud told Kompas that the House Ethics Council should immediately remove Novanto from his position as House Speaker since he could no longer lead parliament while he was sitting in a KPK holding cell after he was arrested last weekend. He also argued that Novanto's attempts to dodge questioning by the KPK by pretending to be sick as a result of his highly-dubious car crash one week ago was a clear ethical violation in and of itself.

"Setya Novanto's behavior is an extraordinary violation of ethics. Pretending to be sick. If we declare that Novanto has been pretending to be sick, we are not wrong, we are not violating the law, because in fact the doctor's examination showed he is not sick. It means he is pretending to be sick," Mahfud said.

Novanto did complain of still being in great pain from the car accident when he was officially arrested by the KPK (Fredrich had famously declared his client had had a bump on his head the size of a bakpao bun) but the anti-corruption taskforce only arrested and moved the house speaker from his hospital to their holding facilities after a group of impartial doctors from the Indonesian Doctor's Association (IDI) ran a battery of tests on him and determined he was fit to stand questioning.

Nevertheless, Fredrich did not take kindly to Mahmud saying his client had only been pretending to be sick, and threatened to report the ex-Constitutional Court chief to the police if he could not prove that Novanto wasn't really injured after the car accident.

"If he cannot prove it, then that's defamatory, I'll report it to the police," Fredrich said as quoted by Tribun.

Once again Mahmud was quick to retort and shot back by saying that the data from the IDI doctor's tests was excellent proof of his statement as well as lies being told by Novanto, Fredrich and the first team of doctors who treated him at Medika Permata Hijau Hospital (and said he was too injured to be questioned).

"In fact, I will be the one who will report them first so that all of them (Novanto, Fredrich and the hospital staff) will all be investigated. All of them are just a bunch of legal acrobats anyways."

Unlike the people on social media who shared memes about Novanto, Fredrich can't hope to intimidate a man like Mahmud with legal threats (and that's why bullies generally don't pick on people their own size).

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/lawyer-threatens-ex-constitutional-court-chief-saying-setya-novanto-faked-injury-mahfud-md-says-bring/

Freedom of information & the press

TEMPO, CNN journalists elected new AJI leaders

Jakarta Post - November 27, 2017

Jakarta – The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) has elected Abdul Manan, a journalist with TEMPO, and CNN Indonesia journalist Revolusi Riza as its new chairman and secretary general, respectively, during the 10th AJI congress in Surakarta, Central Java on Monday.

"37 AJI representatives from across the country have elected Abdul Manan and Revolusi Riza as the new leadership team for the 2017-2020 term," chairman of the congress Iman Dwi Nugroho announced, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Abdul and Revolusi took over from Suwarjono and Arfi Bambani Amri who acted as the previous chairman and secretary general, respectively.

In his speech, Abdul underlined his commitment to preserving the organization.

The AJI congress ran from Friday to early Monday. Besides the main agenda of the congress, the journalist group also held the 2017 Festival Media exhibition, which was open to the public. (kuk/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/27/tempo-cnn-journalists-elected-new-aji-leaders.html

Political parties & elections

Trump's Indonesia partner to back Jokowi's 2019 re-election

Bloomberg - November 29, 2017

Jason Koutsoukis and Karlis Salna, Jakarta and Singapore – An Indonesian media tycoon who has partnered with US President Donald Trump's family said he'll back President Joko Widodo for a second term in 2019.

Hary Tanoesoedibjo, 52, said in an interview on Tuesday that he decided not to run for the presidency. The founder of media and real estate conglomerate MNC Group chairs the Indonesian Unity Party, and has previously said he felt inspired by Trump to run for president in Indonesia.

"If you look at the situation today, Jokowi is the strongest candidate," Tanoesoedibjo said in Singapore, referring to the president by his nickname. He left open the possibility of running as vice president, saying: "About myself, I just let it flow."

With the presidential election in Southeast Asia's largest economy due in April 2019, parties are already gearing up for what will be a lengthy campaign. It will be the first time that elections for the presidency, national parliament, state legislatures and local government offices will be held on the same day.

Widodo remains popular, presiding over an economy that regained an investment-grade sovereign debt rating even as growth has been slower than expected. He has focused on improving infrastructure in the world's largest archipelago.

An ethnic Chinese Christian, Tanoesoedibjo could prove a burden for Jokowi if he were to be his 2019 running mate. Earlier this year, Muslim leaders helped topple Jakarta's former Chinese Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, in an election marred by religious tensions.

Ahok was Jokowi's running mate when he was elected governor of Jakarta in 2012, and this year's governor's race was widely seen as a proxy for the next presidential election.

"There is a very little prospect of Jokowi picking Hary Tanoesoedibjo as his running mate," said Hugo Brennan, an Asia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft in Singapore. "The reality is that having a Chinese-Christian candidate on the ticket would likely prove a handicap under the current political climate."

Still, Brennan said Tanoesoedibjo's backing would "no doubt prove useful come 2019, given that the media mogul wields considerable influence through MNC Group," Brennan said.

Trump deals

Among those considering a run against Jokowi are Prabowo Subianto, runner-up in the 2014 presidential election, and Indonesian National Armed Forces chief Gatot Nurmantyo.

Tanoesoedibjo has had a longstanding relationship with the Trump Organization. He currently has deals with the group to upgrade and operate a 700-hectare resort and golf course in Lido, West Java, and a 100-hectare complex in Bali.

Tanoesoedibjo was on the guest list for Trump's inauguration and has often touted his friendship with Trump's children.

"He has the ability to translate his media influence into building support at the grass-roots level," said Tobias Basuki, a researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. "He will definitely have some small bargaining chips."

Police questioned Tanoesoedibjo earlier this year over allegations he sent threatening text messages to a deputy attorney general. He has maintained his innocence.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/29/trumpsindonesiapartner-to-back-jokowis-2019-re-election.html

Jusuf Kalla blames Setya Novanto for Golkar's bad electability

Tempo - November 28, 2017

Amirullah, Jakarta – Former Golkar Chairman and current Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the sudden drop of Golkar's electability is mainly caused Setya Novanto's bad reputation. JK, as he is known, suggested that Golkar must be led by a person with a good reputation.

"The declining poll reflects Golkar's image. Electing a clean leader will improve the party's electability," said the Indonesia's Vice President on Tuesday, November 2017.

The electability of Golkar according to a poll conducted by Poltracking Indonesia suggests that the party's electability is currently third behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) and Gerindra with a 10 percent electability level.

As previously reported, a Golkar extraordinary national congress (Munaslub) is set to be held in the next following days. Jusuf Kalla said that a munaslub to replace Setya Novanto must be held whatever the pretrial motions that Setya will submit in the future.

"[Setya Novanto] has a bad reputation. A pretrial motion does not judge the substance of a case, but merely the process," said Jusuf Kalla.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/28/055913638/Jusuf-Kalla-Blames-Setya-Novanto-for-Golkars-Bad-Electability

Prabowo to be hands on in Gerindra's Central Java campaign

Jakarta Post - November 28, 2017

Jakarta – The Gerindra Party says its chairman, Prabowo Subianto, is ready to participate personally in campaign activities in Central Java's gubernatorial election next year.

"Just like in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, Pak Prabowo is ready to join activities in the field, reaching out to voters down to the neighbourhood unit [RT] level. This is the strategy for our candidates to win," said the party's Central Java executive board (DPD) chairman, Abdul Wachid, as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

Pointing to the party's victory in the Jakarta election, Wachid said Gerindra was optimistic it could defeat the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) candidate pair in the province.

Wachid said elements of Gerindra's winning strategy in Jakarta, which saw Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno elected as governor and deputy governor, respectively, would be replicated in Central Java.

"Those strategies yielded extraordinary success in the Jakarta election. We won it with the efficient use of resources. Those strategies were attractive for the voters – strategies to win people's hearts."

Wachid said Prabowo was looking for candidates untainted by graft for the 2018 election in Central Java. "Pak Prabowo's message to all candidates is: 'Stay away from corruption, and please fight for the people," Wachid said. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/28/prabowo-to-be-hands-on-in-gerindras-central-java-campaign.html

Politics must be free from religious sentiments, money politics: NU

Jakarta Post - November 26, 2017

Panca Nugraha, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara – The national meeting (Munas) and major conference (Konbes) of Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), ended on Saturday with a call to political parties and politicians to stop using religious sentiments in their activities.

NU also called on law enforcement institutions, including the Corruption Eradication Commission, to monitor money politics and corruption in the 2018 regional elections.

"Exploiting religious sentiments in elections is irresponsible and can damage our nation," said NU chairman Said Aqil Siradj during the closing ceremony of the meeting in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday.

Held from Nov. 23 to Nov. 25, the Munas and Konbes NU resulted in recommendations for the government, regarding the economy, health, education and preventing radicalism.

NU said the use of religious sentiments in politics can trigger intolerance and radical acts that can threaten the unity of the nation.

"Enforcers of the law must guarantee the constitutional rights of all Indonesian citizens and not bow to pressure from radical groups. They must be bold in taking tough measures to deter against the use of religious sentiments in competition among political parties and politicians," Said asserted.

NU also called on law enforcement to act boldly against violations of the law, especially in regard to hate speech and incitement of violence committed on behalf of any religion. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/26/politics-must-be-free-from-religious-sentiments-money-politics-nu.html

Kalla supports Jokowi for reelection

Tempo - November 25, 2017

Istman Musaharun Pramadiba, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that Functional Group (Golkar) party would continue to support President Joko Widodo or Jokowi in the upcoming 2019 Presidential Election.

"Definitely. Why support others?" Kalla told Tempo during an exclusive interview on Wednesday, November 22.

In several occasions, Kalla stated that he would retire from politics after President Jokowi's first-period administration expires in 2019. The vice president said he would spend the rest of his life with his family.

According to Kalla, he would continue to support President Jokowi as a friend. He reiterated that it would not be appropriate not to support a friend that he has known for five years.

In response to a question whether he would help Jokowi to find a perfect vice president candidate, Kalla said that he knows the criteria for the next Jokowi's running mate. He said the person must be able to increase President Jokowi's electability and of different characters.

"[The candidate] must have capabilities and be different from the president. A non-Javanese, or [with] military [background] is fine. There is no restriction," Kalla said, adding that the candidate could be from Golkar.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/25/055913549/Kalla-Supports-Jokowi-for-Reelection

Indonesian Golkar Party faces tense times

Voice of America - November 24, 2017

Krithika Varagur, Jakarta – Indonesia's ongoing effort to arrest the Speaker of the House, Setya Novanto, for corruption has been playing out in headlines with melodramatic turns, from a hospital stay to a car crash to a house raid.

But beyond serving as a test for Indonesia's anti-corruption efforts, an additional consequence is the fractures the scandal threatens to expose within the Golkar Party, the country's longest-lasting party and one of its major political forces.

It was the ruling party for 26 years during and immediately after the Suharto dictatorship. Novanto was anointed the party's chairman in 2015, but was relieved of his duties Tuesday because of the corruption case against him.

Novanto has reportedly threatened to name names of other politicians within Golkar involved in the ID Card scandal. He is in the custody of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which has until November 30 to begin questioning him before getting embroiled in a pre-trial motion that Novanto has filed as a stalling measure with the South Jakarta District Court.

The graft case revolves around attempted extortion from a company that has a government contract to produce electronic identification cards ("e-KTP") within Indonesia. The new interim leader is the party's secretary general, Idrus Marham.

If Novanto's trial gets under way, the party will try to elect a new chairman. Golkar has been central to current President Joko Widodo's legislative coalition. There are concerns about cementing its leadership soon because of an intense upcoming year of elections: regional elections in June 2018, and then "unprecedented" simultaneous legislative and presidential elections 10 months later.

Suharto holdover

The modern Golkar party (short for Partai Golongan Kary, or Party of the Functional Groups) arose from an anti-Communist trade union organized by the Indonesian military in 1964. After the military's mass killings of suspected Communists and leftists in 1965 and 1966, military general Suharto took over power from the founding president Sukarno, and was officially elected president in 1968.

Suharto was unaffiliated with a party but needed one, at least nominally, for his re-election campaigns. So, he supervised the transformation of the nonprofit coalition into a political party, whose first candidates ran in legislative elections in 1971.

Golkar continued to be the dominant political party in Indonesia for the rest of the Suharto era, until his dictatorship collapsed in 1998. Until 1997, the party's candidates won 62 to74 percent of all legislative seats in every nationwide election.

The party has adapted to the democratic post-1998 era by electing its chairmen and competitively deciding its presidential candidates. But there are many more parties now than the three state-sanctioned parties of the Suharto era. In the 2009 and 2014 elections, Golkar has won less than 15 percent of the legislative seats and its presidential candidates lost in both 2004 and 2009.

In the past, Golkar has been affiliated with the paramilitary youth group called Pemuda Pancasila. Some of the party's current prominent politicians, like representative Bambang Soesatyo, came up through membership in Pemuda Pancasila.

But at present, most of the ties between the actual military and Golkar have faded, said Evan Laksmana, a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta.

"There is no such thing as a military alliance with political parties anymore, since 1999. The Indonesian military has not and for now will not have any formal or organizational ties with political parties of any kind. The TNI [Indonesian National Armed Forces] does not engage in partisan politics in that sense," Laksmana said.

"If Golkar's electoral performance declines, it wouldn't be because of the role of retirees in their ranks," he added. "It would be because of corruption cases and performance of local Golkar party machinery and elected officials, from mayors to governors."

Crowded party landscape

Observers have pointed to leadership disputes within the party as a source of its diminishing power. The Novanto scandal likely does not help. But modern Indonesia is also home to a large and constantly changing landscape of political parties.

The media mogul and business partner of U.S. President Donald Trump, Hary Tanoe, started his own party called Perindo last year. A former television presenter named Grace Natalie created the Indonesian Solidarity Party, which focuses on women's rights and pluralism, in 2015. One of its talents is a 21-year-old Twitter star and university student named Tsamara Amany.

Golkar's years of domination are likely over. Still, to even remain competitive in upcoming elections, the party has a formidable task to rebuild itself within a crowded political arena. And whatever happens to his party, Novanto's political future looks bleak.

"If the South Jakarta District Court rejects his defense, it will be the final bell of his political career," said Arbi Sanit, a political scientist at the University of Indonesia. "And if he somehow wins in court, the Golkar Party will have lost many supporters."

Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/indonesia-golkar-party-tense-times/4135120.html

Surveys & opinion polls

Survey finds only 5% of millennials in Jakarta will be able to afford a

Coconuts Jakarta - November 29, 2017

If you're in your 20s or early 30s and still don't own the roof above your head, then by all means, be worried, as it's likely that many of you won't be able to do so anytime in the near future.

That bleak prediction was made by property website Rumah123.com, who recently released the latest findings from a long-running survey. According to their data, by 2020, only 5% of millennials in Jakarta will be able to buy their own homes due to the huge disparity between rising property prices and the average income.

In their survey, which was carried out with careers website Karir.com, they found that the average price for the cheapest houses in Jakarta could rise by 125% over five years starting from 2016. During that same period, the average salary increase in the city would only be about 80%.

It gets even more grim from there. Only 17% of millennials in the capital currently earn more than IDR7.5 million (US$555) per month. With that salary, Rumah123 said that one would only be able to realistically take out a mortgage on a house valued at IDR300 million (US$22,200), which amounts to only 1% of all houses in Jakarta (located in the outskirts of the city, no less).

In five year's time, that same house would be valued at IDR750 million (US$55,500), making it virtually unattainable by even more millennials when their yearly salary increases lag behind the increases in property values.

On Rumah123, houses currently valued at around IDR300 million in the Greater Jakarta Area are mostly one bedroom/one bathroom houses measuring around 35 meters squared. There are hotel suites larger than that.

But, according to Rumah123 Country General Manager Ignatius Untung, it's not all the economy's fault. Ignatius said many millennials don't make owning property a priority in their lives, instead spending their money on the latest smartphones and traveling.

"Traveling can be postponed because ticket prices don't increase by much. Whereas house prices increase by a lot, even by 100% in a year. If (owning a house) is not made a priority, then they'll never own a house," he said, as quoted by Detik yesterday.

The Jakarta administration believes Governor Anies Baswedan's DP Rp 0 (zero down payment) subsidy program could be the solution for property ownership for millennials in the capital. The program is targeted at citizens who earn less than IDR7 million per month and requires the government to pay for the house's down payment and interest throughout the mortgage.

The problem with the program is that, while it's one of the cornerstones of Anies' election campaign, it could be nothing but an empty promise as he and his administration don't even seem to know specifically where to build the houses, other than saying that they will be built somewhere in the Pondok Kelapa subdistrict in East Jakarta (to which the subdistrict chief said she was unaware of any houses being built for the program in the area).

When pressed about it yesterday, Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno playfully told reporters that he's holding a competition for people to guess the houses' location.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/survey-finds-5-millennials-jakarta-will-able-afford-house-2020-property-prices-continue-soar/

Poll: Radicalism in Indonesia in alarming state

Tempo - November 27, 2017

Fajar Pebrianto, Jakarta - The latest poll conducted by the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) showed three important findings regarding the level of radicalism in Indonesia.

One of their findings reveals a surprising detail suggesting that the potential of radicalism in Indonesia is currently in an alarming state with 55.12 points from the total of 100 points.

"This result is still considered moderate compared to 60.67 points that reflect a strong potential for radicalism," said Maj. Gen. Abdul Rahman Kadir, BNPT's deputy for prevention, protection, and deradicalization on Monday, November 27.

Another finding shows that local wisdom and community welfare can help prevent potential radicalism. Meanwhile, defense and security are considered to have insignificant influence on the society.

The last finding from BNPT shows that despite not being in its full potential, the Terrorism Prevention Coordination Forum (FKPT) at the national scale is proven to be effective in preventing radicalism.

The poll was conducted through a series of quantitative researches involving 9,605 respondents above 17 years or are married. The result of the national poll on the potential for terrorism would later be used as an official reference for state ministries and agencies to fight terrorism.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/27/055913603/Poll-Radicalism-in-Indonesia-in-Alarming-State

Survey: Public satisfaction level on Jokowi stand at 67.9 percent

Tempo - November 26, 2017

Dias Prasongko, Jakarta – Hanta Yuda, executive director of pollster Poltracking Indonesia said the public satisfaction on President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) leadership is 67.9 percent. In addition, the level of public trust in Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla reached 70.5 percent.

The survey results were presented at Hotel Sari Pan Pacific in Central Jakarta on Sunday, November 26. The latest survey was aimed at evaluating Jokowi-Kalla's performance over the last three years.

In terms of individual performance, Jokowi gained a score of 68 percent related to the public satisfaction. Meanwhile, the level of public satisfaction on Kalla's performance was 64.8 percent.

"It means their reputations in the public's eyes are quite good with scores above 50 percent," Hanta said.

Included in the survey were evaluations in the fields of infrastructure development, healthcare, and education.

The survey was conducted on November 8-15, 2017 across the country, using the stratified multistage random sampling method. The survey involved 2,400 respondnets with a 2-percent margin of error.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/26/055913578/Survey-Public-Satisfaction-Level-on-Jokowi-Stand-at-679-Percent

Environment & natural disasters

Flood hits Central Java, forces thousands to evacuate

Jakarta Post - November 29, 2017

Ganug Nugroho Adi, Surakarta, Central Java – Thousands of residents in Surakarta, Central Java, are being forced to evacuate after floodwater engulfed hundreds of homes following heavy rains that have been falling since Tuesday morning.

In Sukoharjo, homes in Karangwuni and Tegalsari villages in Weru district were flooded after the Siluwur River burst its banks.

"More than a 100 homes, several schools and hundreds of hectares of farming land are flooded," Weru district head Samino said Wednesday.

He added that the Sukoharjo administration and the Klaten Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) were still trying to evacuate residents from their homes as the water level was still high.

Bayat, Klaten, also faced a similar situation where the Dengkeng River overflowed and flooded the surrounding area. In Wonogiri, floods and landslides have hit 14 subdistricts since Tuesday morning.

"This is the worst flooding in the last 10 years. There are no casualties but 2,000 residents have been evacuated to temporary shelters," Wonogiri Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Bambang Haryanto said on Wednesday. He said in December 2007, floods killed 17 residents of Tirtomoyo subdistrict.

This year, the flood blocked roads that connected Wonogiri-Pacitan and Wonogiri-Tirtomoyo, he added.

At least 11 people died after the Cyclone Cempaka hit Java Island. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a warning on Monday that the cyclone had formed off the southern coast of Java and was ready to hit Java and Bali islands. (hol/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/29/flood-hits-central-java-forces-thousands-to-evacuate.html

Greenpeace slams Indonesia palm oil industry on deforestation

Agence France Presse - November 27, 2017

Vast swathes of rainforest are destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, threatening endangered species and pushing indigenous people off their lands

Greenpeace slammed Indonesia's palm oil industry Monday for failing to live up to a pledge to halt deforestation, as the lucrative sector faces possible restrictions in Europe over environmental concerns.

Palm oil is used in everything from soap to frozen pizza, but a consumer backlash has forced dozens of the world´s largest food and drink manufacturers to address its ecological impact.

International corporations, including Unilever, Kellogg and Mondelez, have pledged to adopt environmentally friendly supply chains by 2020.

But Greenpeace said in a report published on Monday that large palm oil traders are failing on that commitment.

The environmental group found that most of the 11 major traders operating in Indonesia did not have strict systems to monitor the origin of their goods and were not calling out non-compliant producers.

"Broadly, the palm oil industry has agreed to end deforestation. The issue – and it is a critical one – is only two of the 11 (traders) we looked at was actually able to say when they are going to end deforestation," Richard George, a UK-based forest campaigner at Greenpeace, told AFP.

None of the firms contacted by AFP replied to requests for comment on the report.

The Greenpeace report comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns about palm oil's environmental impact.

The European Union, the world's second largest consumer after India, passed a resolution in April calling for tougher environmental standards for palm oil linked to deforestation.

Indonesia and Malaysia – the world´s two largest producers – have been lobbying against the resolution. Both countries have slammed possible EU import restrictions as unfair, and a move that would harm millions of mostly small-scale farmers.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5120463/Greenpeace-slams-Indonesia-palm-oil-industry-deforestation.html

Montara oil spill: Indonesian seaweed farmers' class action given go

ABC News - November 26, 2017

Stephanie Zillman – Thousands of Indonesian seaweed farmers who say Australia's worst oil spill destroyed their livelihoods are to have their class action against a Thai-owned petroleum company heard in the Federal Court.

Federal Court Justice David Yates granted the lead applicant in the class action, Indonesian seaweed farmer Daniel Sanda, an extension of time to bring the claim against PTTEP Australasia.

Under Northern Territory law, class actions typically have to be lodged within three years of an incident, but Justice Yates waived that limitation.

In 2009, thousands of litres of oil spewed into the Timor Sea for 70 days straight from an uncontrolled leak at PTTEP Australasia's Montara petroleum rig.

The rig is in the Timor Sea, about 690 kilometres west of Darwin, and 250 kilometres southeast of Rote Island, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia – where the majority of seaweed farmers live.

The company had previously told the ABC the oil spill was contained and never reached the Indonesian coastline. PTTEP Australasia has been contacted for a comment on the Federal Court's decision to hear the class action.

Lawyer Ben Slade, who is leading the class action on behalf of the 15,000 seaweed farmers, said their case would focus on the core issues of alleged wrongdoing and compensation.

"We are now looking forward to presenting the farmers' evidence and having it heard and determined by Justice Yates," Mr Slade said.

"This win means we can get on with the real business of securing appropriate redress for the thousands of Indonesian seaweed farmers who have had their lives severely impacted by the oil spill."

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-24/15000-indonesian-seaweed-farmers-federal-court-montara-oil-spill/9188442?pfmredir=sm

Health & education

Indonesia, where smoking is widespread, just placed tough restrictions

Washington Post - November 27, 2017

Vincent Bevins, Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia is placing prohibitive restrictions on the sale of e-cigarette materials, and Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita last week offered an easy solution for the growing number of citizens using the products.

They can just "become regular smokers," he told local newspaper Kompas, a seemingly puzzling statement for a government official in a country where over 200,000 people already die of tobacco-related causes each year.

But observers of politics in the world's fourth most populous country say this is nothing new, and that because of the power of the tobacco industry here, Indonesia lags far behind rest of the world in controlling use, and suffers from severe health problems as a result.

Indonesia is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region that has not ratified the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and over 5 million children smoke cigarettes, said Dr. Widyastuti Soerojo, head of the Tobacco Control Unit in the Indonesian Public Health Association.

"The tobacco industry here is very strong. Unlike in most other countries now, they're still perceived simply as a normal business and treated that way," she said. "We lack many control measures that are needed, and those rules we do have, like on advertising to children, often go unenforced."

When it comes to other substances, Indonesia is far from tolerant. The government periodically executes people by firing squad – usually foreigners – for nonviolent drug offenses. President Joko Widodo recently implied that his country could take some cues from the neighboring Philippines, where Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has left thousands of people dead. And in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, the sale of alcohol is prohibited in convenience stores and is heavily taxed where available.

Though directly comparable data is not available, it's likely that tobacco use in Indonesia causes more death and illness than the use of illegal drugs. But kids here are still treated to lengthy tobacco ads before watching Hollywood superhero movies, smoking indoors is common, and cigarettes are cheap, taxed at a level far below what the United Nations recommends.

Analysts believe this is because tobacco companies like Djarum, HM Sampoerna (now owned by Philip Morris), and Gudang Garam are some of the country's most wealthy and politically connected, and the popular "kretek" clove cigarettes are sometimes seen as a part of local culture.

"The big companies have convinced the government they are important for local [tobacco] farmers and for tax revenues," said Mark Hurley, communications director and former Indonesia country director at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids in Washington. "But in reality, the costs of treating diseases caused by tobacco far outweigh any economic benefits."

Hurley added that around 60 percent of men smoke, the highest known rate of male tobacco consumption in the world.

There are debates about the health effects of e-cigarettes, but many experts believe they are, at the very least, not as harmful as addiction to traditional cigarettes.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Trade, while confirming that Lukita made the comments reported by Kompas, said the department would decline to make further comments about the influence of the tobacco lobby on Indonesian policy.

The new legislation concerning vapor products, which will go into effect in the next few months, will require vendors to seek a combination of special government licenses, which could take years to acquire.

"These are standards we'll never be able to meet," says Rhomedal, a spokesperson for Indonesia's Personal Vaporizer Association, who like some Indonesians only uses one name. "It will really hurt both small businesses and consumers in our sector."

[Additional reporting was contributed by Stanley Widianto.]

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/27/in-heavy-smoking-indonesia-with-its-powerful-tobacco-lobby-e-cigarettes-face-high-hurdles/

Tertiary education & campus life

How autonomous are Indonesian universities?

Indonesia at Melbourne - November 28, 2017

Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih and Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir – The fall of the authoritarian New Order regime in 1998 heralded new opportunities for Indonesian social science.

Over the past decade, the number of social science articles published by Indonesian scholars in credible journals has increased. Social scientists have more opportunities to provide advisory and consultancy services to government, international donor agencies, the private sector, and political parties. Students and academics also have more freedom to engage in protests and voice opinions critical of the government. Books that were banned during the New Order are now accessible.

Replacing the highly centralised and controlled system that existed under Soeharto, Government Regulation No. 61 of 1999 was issued to grant universities greater institutional autonomy. This restructured public universities into "state owned higher education autonomous legal entities", allowing the universities to raise and manage their own funds and withdrawing state involvement in the appointment of university executives and managers. But these advances have not been sufficient to guarantee genuine autonomy for Indonesian universities.

Autonomy involves more than simply providing universities with greater financial and managerial freedom. A broader understanding of academic autonomy encompasses the capacity to produce good quality knowledge, exchange ideas, and take a critical stance against the interests of the state and market. And this is where Indonesian universities are struggling.

Despite the recent increase, the number of peer-reviewed articles published by Indonesian social scientists is still inadequate. Even more concerning is the poor citation rate, suggesting the quality of published articles is low. And although there are more opportunities for social scientists to conduct applied research with institutions outside academia, connection with policy-making remains weak.

Academic freedom is also restricted. Often it is the universities themselves that restrict the activities of their academics. Several universities have, for example, banned or cancelled meetings, discussions, and movie screenings on issues deemed to be controversial. These have included issues related to conflict between local communities and corporations, the 1965 violence and political upheaval, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

The weak autonomy of Indonesian universities has its roots in their politicisation under the New Order. Public universities were positioned as formal units within the bureaucracy, with no managerial and financial autonomy. This centralised management allowed the state to exercise control over the production and distribution of knowledge. The government blacklisted critical discussions, censored publications and suppressed students' political activity. The New Order bureaucracy pritoritised the production of technocratic forms of knowledge that could contribute to or legitimise its developmentalist policies. In this environment, it was left mainly to civil society to produce social science knowledge that was critical of the ruling regime.

Further, the management of human resources provided inadequate support for strong scholarship. As academic staff were employed as civil servants, they were required to demonstrate loyalty to the state, and regulations and procedures offered few incentives to excel in the provision of service or teaching. Recruitment followed a mostly closed or semi-closed system and scholars faced difficulties transferring between universities, including overseas, resulting in academic insularity. Low salaries drove academic staff to pursue additional earning opportunities, for example, from teaching, consultancies or by securing an administrative position.

University reform after the fall of the New Order has focused on neoliberal policies geared toward establishing universities' financial autonomy and increasing their productivity. Universities can now seek and manage funds to support academic activities like research, teaching and community engagement. They do so by increasing tuition fees and student intakes and engaging in training and research activities with the business sector. Funds have also been increased to enhance university competitiveness. The government has allocated more funding to support good quality research and publications, although Indonesia's spending on tertiary education is still lower than countries like India, Thailand, and Malasyia.

Despite organisational changes, universities remain subject to the interests of political elites and the larger patronage networks that dominate politics. The state retains 35 per cent of the vote for the appointment of university rectors, allowing political interests to influence university management. A weak tradition of critical scholarship means many academics do not feel that they can take a critical stance against political elites. The banning of campus-based discussions on issues deemed to be controversial shows that political elites will readily use their influence to gain greater support for their causes.

The structural and political problems Indonesian universities face are only made worse by the huge teaching workloads academics face. Many are also required to take on research projects to bring in revenue for their university, leaving them with less time to write.

Despite this bleak picture, democratisation and the demands of the market have led to some progress. More academic journals run by Indonesian institutions have been established to accommodate the increased demands for publication and a few have gained reasonable international reputations. There is increasing academic attention to the poor status of Indonesian higher education, including by Indonesian social scientists. Academic staff frequently voice criticism about matters related to university management. The recent suspension of the Jakarta State University (UNJ) rector for alleged plagiarism and mismanagement, for example, was partly driven by pressure from academic staff.

Further progress, however, will be limited by the restrictive environment. If Indonesian social science is to compete internationally, the structural and political barriers to academic autonomy need to be addressed. The increasing support for academic journals, especially in the field of social science, is welcome, but needs to be expanded further. Greater opportunities need to be provided to support social scientists to produce good quality publications that take critical stances against the government and market.

This piece was written as a summary of, and response to, a monthly discussion convened by Indonesian postgraduate students and scholars at the University of Melbourne. Dr. Herlambang P Wiratman, Indonesia Initiative Fellow from Airlangga University, and Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir, PhD Candidate at the Asia Institute, discussed academic freedom in democratising Indonesia during a discussion held in August 2017.

[Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih is a PhD candidate at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne. She is also a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia. Abdil Mughis Mudhoffir is a PhD candidate at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne.]

Source: http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/how-autonomous-are-indonesian-universities/

Marriage & the family

Flyer for polygamy seminar 'Quick Method to Having 4 Wives' goes viral,

Coconuts Jakarta - November 24, 2017

Polygamy is legal in Indonesia – each application subject to review by religious courts who have jurisdiction over marriage. In the case of Islam, a man may apply to wed additional wives (up to four) under certain strict circumstances as codified in the religion, such as if his first wife is unable to bear a child or has a disability and has given her permission.

In the face of such stringent conditions, it's not rare for Muslim men in Indonesia to wed additional wives unofficially (such as by performing nikah siri – a marriage that's recognized by religion but not by the state), and the practice has become somewhat of a lucrative business opportunity for some lately.

Recently, a flyer has been going around online about a seminar called, "Quick Method to Having Four Wives", planned for December 3, in which participants can partake in an on-the-spot session of ta'aruf (an Islamic method of introduction between men and women that doesn't involve dating, often quickly leading to marriage if both parties are in agreement).

The event organizers seem to also want to engineer the male to female ratio as such so that men can take more than one wife out of the seminar – men must pay IDR3.5 million (US$260) for an early bird ticket or IDR5 million (US$370) at the door, while single women can enter the seminar for free.

Furthermore, the flyer says the seminar will have speakers consisting of men who already have multiple wives (officially called "Polygamy Practitioners") from across Indonesia.

While this seemingly glorified version of speed dating (but with greater commitments) sounds similar to recent highly controversial polygamy-based business ventures in Indonesia, the event organizers, Dauroh Poligami Indonesia, assured that the seminar is real and will take place in Jakarta (though where specifically in Jakarta was not mentioned, curiously enough).

"It's true. We want to hold an educational event about polygamy for the people of Islam," said Vicky Abu Syamil, executive director of Dauroh Poligami Indonesia, as quoted by Detik today.

The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the nation's highest clerical body, questioned the intentions behind the seminar and warned men not to take part in it for it looks to be nothing but a scam.

"Even though (polygamy) is not forbidden in Islam, (the seminar) gives off the image that Islam is just all about lust," said MUI Deputy Chairman Zainut Tauhid Sa'adi, as quoted by Detik yesterday.

"The motivations of the event must be questioned. Is it really to help people build households, or is it just for fun, or is it just a way for some to make profit by taking advantage of other people's need to have partners?"

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) also has a similar assessment of the seminar.

"I think this is a business agenda, trading women with the seminar as its cover up. Religion becomes a tool to satisfy one's urges by performing marriage," said Komnas Perempuan Commissioner Masruchah, as quoted by Detik yesterday.

It remains to be seen if there's any legal basis for authorities to shut down the seminar before it can take place. In September, the government blocked a controversial matchmaking site, Nikahsirri.com, which offered "virgin auctions" for men and women looking for marriage, while the police arrested its founder over elements of pornography and exploitation of minors found in the site. Also around that time, a Tinder-style dating app for polygamists called AyoPoligami courted so much controversy and condemnation from many quarters, but the app remains online to this day.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/flyer-polygamy-seminar-quick-method-4-wives-goes-viral-men-must-pay-idr5-million/

Corruption & abuse of power

Four Jambi officials, politician named bribery suspects

Jakarta Post - November 29, 2017

Kharishar Kahfi and Jon Afrizal, Jakarta/Jambi – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named three Jambi provincial administration officials and a regional legislator as suspects of alleged bribery related to the formulation of the 2018 provincial budget.

The officials, who allegedly paid the bribe, were acting provincial secretary Erwan Malik, Jambi Public Works and Public Housing Agency acting head Arfan and the Jambi administration's assistant III Saipudin. Meanwhile, the arrested legislator was Supriyono of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

"The [alleged] bribe confiscated by investigators totaled Rp 4.7 billion [US$348,270]," KPK commissioner Basaria Panjaitan said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

She added that the alleged bribe was intended as a kickback to persuade legislators to attend a regional council budget approval assembly, as the latter had planned not to attend because of a lack of "guarantees" from their executive counterparts.

Investigators arrested Saipudin and Supriyono during an operation on Tuesday, after an alleged transaction had occurred in the provincial capital of Jambi. The money allegedly came from several companies related to the Jambi administration.

"We suspect that the money would have been disbursed to all factions. We are going to dig deeper into the matter as well as the private companies that [allegedly] supplied the money," Basaria said. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/29/four-jambi-officials-politician-named-bribery-suspects.html

Minister prods tax office to assess wealth of Setya's lawyer

Jakarta Post - November 28, 2017

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani has suggested that tax officers might want to look into the wealth of Fredrich Yunadi, the lawyer of graft suspect Setya Novanto, after the lawyer revealed his expensive shopping habits in a TV interview.

"[The interview] is good, because he has actually conducted voluntary disclosure [of his wealth]," Sri Mulyani said, as reported by tempo.co on Monday.

In the interview with former TV journalist Najwa Shihab, Fedrich gave the public a glimpse into his luxurious life.

"I bought an Hermes bag priced at Rp 1 billion. I like luxury," said Fedrich in the interview published on YouTube on Friday.

Sri Mulyani said the Directorate General of Taxation could immediately check the wealth of the lawyer, but she stressed that the result of any investigation would not be made public, as tax information was confidential.

Sri Mulyani said she would be happy if more conducted voluntary disclosure, because that would help tax officers do their job. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/28/minister-prods-tax-office-to-assess-wealth-of-setyas-lawyer.html

KPK haters, mafia allegedly hamper investigation into acid attack

Tempo - November 27, 2017

Maya Ayu Puspitasari, Jakarta - The release of sketches of two suspects allegedly involved in the attack against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan did not deter the Anticorruption Civil Society Coalition to call for the formation of an independent fact-finding team (TGPF).

Feri Amsari, researcher with the Center for Constitutional Law Studies, reasoned that the acid attack against Novel Baswedan could not be considered as a usual criminal offense because of the existence of mafias and groups who are against the KPK. "A neutral investigation conducted by a fact-finding team is necessary," said Feri on Sunday, November 26.

On Friday, November 24, the Jakarta Metro Police released sketches of the possible suspects. Jakarta Poice Chief General Idham Azis claimed that the sketches are 90 percent accurate. Previously on July 31, National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian released a sketch of one of the suspects. However, police were only able to provide the sketch seven months after the incident took place without any significant progress.

Sluggish police investigation into the case had driven the coalition to urge President Joko WIdodo or Jokowi to form an independent fact-finding team. But following the recent sketch release, KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo stated that he will not push for the formation of an alternative independent team since the police are committed to solving the case.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) member Julius Ibrani personally thinks that there has not been any significant progress since the first sketch of the suspect was released, despite media exposures.

"A similar sketch was once released by the media, which lacks the authority. Meanwhile, the police that has the authority has just recently released the sketches" said Julius.

Previously, Tempo released facial sketches of two suspected attackers responsible for throwing a glass of acid to Novel Baswedan's face. The sketches were made based on the testimonies of several key witnesses in July and August.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/27/055913604/KPK-Haters-Mafia-Allegedly-Hamper-Investigation-into-Acid-Attack

Police close to identifying attackers of prominent antigraft

Jakarta Globe - November 25, 2017

Alin Almanar, Jakarta – Police are close to identifying two men suspected of carrying out an acid attack on a prominent antigraft investigator seven months ago, a police chief said on Friday (24/11) after a coordination meeting with antigraft officials.

His comments come amid doubts surrounding a prolonged police probe into the incident that activists have described as an act of terror against the independent antigraft body's fight against corruption.

Senior Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan's face was burned by acid that was thrown by two men on a motorcycle near his home in South Jakarta in early April.

Police, in a joint press conference with KPK officials on Friday, publicized sketches of the two men's faces and said it is highly likely that they were the suspected attackers.

The drawings depict a man with short hair and dark skin and another man with long hair and bright skin. The sketches were made amid a police probe involving 167 investigators and 66 witnesses, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis said.

"Based on the witnesses' testimonies, the two in the drawing are 90 percent the ones allegedly implicated in the acid attack," he said at KPK headquarters.

"We've already been mapping out their families, backgrounds, occupations," Idham said, but added that the two men's exact identities remain unclear. Police have yet to establish any motives behind the attack, the police chief added.

Police and KPK officials have earlier held several similar coordination meetings regarding their joint probe into the incident, which required antigraft investigator Novel to be flown to Singapore for eye surgery. National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian visited KPK headquarters in late June.

Antigraft and human rights activists have repeatedly called for the establishment of an independent joint fact-finding team directly led by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to investigate the incident.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/police-close-identifying-attackers-prominent-antigraft-investigator/

The man who knows too much in Indonesia

Straits Times - November 23, 2017

John McBeth, Jakarta – As Golkar party chairman and speaker of Indonesia's House of Representatives, Setya Novanto clearly knows where all the skeletons lie.

Apart from being a primary source of largesse, he is also known to be very personable. "Everyone likes him," says one veteran politician with the Golkar party, a member of President Joko Widodo's ruling coalition. "There's no emotional issue here because he doesn't have any enemies."

Put those elements together and it is little wonder that despite being indicted for a second time in the embezzlement of 2.3 trillion rupiah (US$173 million) from a 5.9 trillion rupiah electronic identity card (e-KTP) project, the 62-year-old politician is refusing to voluntarily step down.

In fact, he may be trying to emulate previous Golkar chairman, Akbar Tanjung, one of the senior party figures now calling for his removal who clung on as party chairman and House speaker for nearly two years from 2002-2004 until the Supreme Court finally overturned his graft conviction.

Novanto has already filed a second pre-trial motion with the South Jakarta District Court seeking to have the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) indictment dismissed before it even gets to the courtroom, a tactic he employed successfully last September.

Now clearly desperate, he is also trying to head off the naming of a new speaker – tipped to be Golkar's parliamentary leader, Bambang Soesatyo – by threatening to reveal a lot more about Indonesia's most egregious corruption case than is so far known. What else he can disclose is unclear with so much already out in the open.

The KPK has already implicated 37 politicians, with witness testimony showing that nine of the 10 parties holding seats in Parliament benefited to some degree from the illegal windfall.

Whatever the outcome of the standoff, it is unlikely to have any immediate impact on Widodo's ruling coalition, of which Golkar is a key pillar, as Indonesia prepares for regional and national elections over the next 16 months.

Senior party sources say new interim leader Idrus Marham, 55, a one-time academic and Golkar's former secretary general who remained notably loyal to Novanto up until his November 19 arrest, is expected to maintain the second largest party's support for Widodo.

Although it dragged on for nine hours, a central board meeting held two days after Novanto's arrest merely endorsed an instruction the party chairman issued some months ago appointing Marham and deputy secretary general Yahya Zaini to share the chairman's duties if Novanto was indicted.

The alleged personal beneficiary of US$42 million of the spoils, Novanto escaped the initial corruption charge in a controversial pre-trial ruling handed down by a district court judge that experts complained was full of legal holes.

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

Given the previous controversy, analysts find it difficult to believe the same pre-trial tactic will work again given the expected public outcry and harm it could do to Indonesia's image abroad at a time investors are looking for more legal certainty.

Some Golkar party faithful appear to be caught between their loyalty to the likeable Novanto and the likely harmful effect the case will have on next year's June 27 regional elections and on the unprecedented simultaneous legislative and presidential elections 10 months later.

Involving 115 districts and 39 municipalities in 17 of the country's 34 provinces, including populous West, Central and East Java and North and South Sumatra, the regional elections will be an important bellwether for the national polls.

The same sources say Widodo is on board with Marham's appointment, although his first choice if a party congress eventually meets to decide on a permanent chairman would be Airlangga Hartarto, the industry minister in his ruling six-party coalition.

Hartarto, 55, a previous member of Golkar's Agung Laksono-led faction, may not however have sufficient support among the rank and file, despite the promise of him being a breath of fresh air in a party that has only won 14% of the vote in the past two national elections.

Golkar executive chairman Nurdin Halid, who manages the party's day-to-day affairs and was often seen to have the inside track as Novanto's successor, has ruled himself out of the running by declaring his candidacy for next year's South Sulawesi gubernatorial elections.

Halid, 59, would not have been a popular choice anyway because of a string of past corruption cases against him. His reputation as an enforcer has caused resentment in party ranks, as it did when he was head of the graft-ridden Football Association of Indonesia, which he ran from jail in the early 2000s.

Deputy secretary general Zaini, 53, has a past he would no doubt prefer to forget as well. In 2006, he achieved notoriety by appearing on an Internet video in a naked tryst with a raunchy dangdut singer. Zaini resigned from his party positions amid the furor, but later made a comeback.

After being implicated in four graft cases dating 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.

For all the points Novanto and then-chief presidential adviser, Luhut Panjaitan, earned for bringing Golkar into the newly-elected leader's minority coalition in 2014, Widodo clearly decided after Novanto's first indictment that he is now a political liability.

He isn't alone. Former Golkar party boss Tanjung, now vice-chairman of its council of patrons who rescued the all-powerful ruling party from collapse after then president Suharto resigned in 1998, has grown increasingly concerned about the impact the Novanto case is having on Golkar's electoral chances.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla, a past chairman himself 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."

Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) founder Jusuf Wanandi, who helped transform Golkar from an alliance of non-government organizations into Suharto's powerful political machine, says there is no room for sentimentality – and that there is no question Novanto must go.

"I hope Golkar can reform itself and give the young generation the opportunity to lead," he told an elite audience at a dinner celebrating his 80th birthday on Wednesday. "Politics founded on transactions will not succeed, as we see happening in Golkar today."

Source: http://www.atimes.com/article/man-knows-much-indonesia/

Golkar politician visits Setya at detention center

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Kharishar Kahfi, Jakarta – Golkar deputy treasurer Zulhendri Hasan on Thursday visited the party's chairman and graft suspect Setya Novanto, who has been detained at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detention center.

The House of Representatives speaker was named a suspect over his alleged role in the high-profile e-ID graft case.

"I met him only briefly," Zulhendri told journalists after the visit. "I gave him a book he could read during his detention because he loves to read."

Golkar deputy secretary general Muhammad Sarmuji was also spotted at the detention center. Sarmuji, however, said he had only seen Setya from a distance because he did not enter the facility.

"There was also Ibu Deisti," Sarmuji said, referring to Setya's wife, Deisti Astriani Tagor.

KPK has scheduled visiting time for families and friends of detainees at the body's detention center on Monday and Thursday only, from 10 a.m. until noon.

After the visit, Setya was taken to the KPK to undergo questioning as a suspect in the case that caused Rp 2.3 trillion (US$170 million) in state losses.

"We are also coordinating with the Jakarta Police to question him as a witness in the road accident he was involved in," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said.

Setya was involved in a car accident on Nov. 16 when a car reportedly driven by journalist Hilman Mattauch with Setya in the back seat hit a lamp post. The Jakarta Police named the driver a suspect for reckless driving and charged him under the 2009 Traffic Law. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/golkar-politician-visits-setya-at-detention-center.html

Freedom of religion & worship

MUI suggests special ID cards for native faith followers

Jakarta Post - November 30, 2017

Jakarta – Following its strong rejection of a Constitutional Court ruling that grants the acknowledgment of native faiths, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has issued a recommendation suggesting the government issue special ID cards for native faith followers.

"The MUI suggests the ID cards be made specially [for native faith followers] so as to not spark issues, while also following the court ruling," MUI chairman Ma'ruf Amin said on Wednesday as reported by tempo.co.

Ma'ruf rejected the idea of native faiths to be stated in the religion column of ID cards. He also said the rights of native faith followers should be overseen by the Education and Culture Ministry instead of the Religious Affairs Ministry.

There are around 187 groups of indigenous faiths with 12 million followers across the archipelago, according to data from the Education and Culture Ministry.

Special ID cards for native faith followers would also make the budget more efficient, Ma'ruf claimed.

The Constitutional Court said in its landmark ruling on Nov. 7 that despite religion and faith being different, they were equal. The MUI has voiced its rejections over the ruling, saying that native faiths should not hold the same status as the officially recognized religions. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/30/mui-suggests-special-id-cards-for-native-faith-folowers.html

Indonesian Ulema Council recommends gov't make 'special ID cards' for

Coconuts Jakarta - November 30, 2017

The decision by Indonesia's Constitutional Court to allow followers of Indonesia's numerous indigenous faiths (collectively grouped under the term Aliran Kepercayaan) to declare their beliefs on their official state ID cards was hailed by many as an important step towards combating religious persecution.

But the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Indonesia's top Islamic clerical body, has voiced strong opposition to the decision, especially the notion that ancient indigenous faiths could be considered religions in the same category as Islam.

Yesterday, MUI issued a recommendation to the government that the court's decision be upheld by giving followers of Aliran Kepercayaan be given special ID cards, different to those of any other citizen, so that they can declare their faith without the state official recognizing them as a religion.

"MUI proposes that their ID card be specially made so as not to cause problems and rejection, while still allowing the Constitutional Court's decision to be fulfilled," MUI Chairman KH Ma'ruf Amin said on Wednesday as quoted by Tempo.

The court's decision allowed Indonesian citizens to pick Aliran Kepercayaan – a term that covers multiple mystic belief systems – for the religion category required on all state ID cards. Previously, they could only choose one of the six religions officially recognized by the state or to leave the religions category blank altogether.

MUI's proposal would mean creating a differently designed ID card just for indigenous faith followers that did not include the word religion, because, in the clerical body's judgment, none of the estimated 187 types of Aliran Kepercayaan followed in Indonesia constitutes a religion.

The official recommendation released by MUI based on the Constitutional Court decision said the court's decision "hurts the feelings of the faithful, especially Indonesian Muslims" because it places indigenous faiths at the same level as religion. They argue that the verdict will have detrimental legal and social consequences on the country.

The statement goes on to say that MUI respects the different religion and beliefs of every citizen and agrees that discrimination or denial of civil rights due to belief should not be allowed.

The problem, of course, is that the creation of special ID cards for followers of indigenous faiths would be an act of discrimination in and of itself (based on the court's ruling). Forcing followers of minority beliefs to have their own distinct cards – making it explicit that they cannot be considered at the same level as followers of "official" religions – would only serve to perpetuate the kind of discrimination that the court ruling sought to end.

In explaining the court's decision, Judge Saldi Isra said the previous law restricts the religious rights of citizens by only allowing them to officially declare their belief in religions recognized by the state.

"This is not in line with the spirit of the 1945 Constitution, which explicitly ensures that every citizen is free to embrace their own religion and beliefs and to worship according to their own religion and beliefs," Saldi said.

After the court's decision was announced, MUI law commission member Anton Tabah Digdoyo said that recognizing indigenous faiths is be a major step backward for Indonesia.

"The Constitutional Court's decision signifies the country's regression into the stone age, animism-dynamism will flourish again in Indonesia in the era of advanced science," Anton said as quoted in a written statement.

Followers of aliran kepercayaan filed the Constitutional Court petition that overturned the law as they had previously been forced to either falsely declare themselves a member of a religion they didn't follow or leave the religion column on their IDs blank, which often led to denial of government services and accusations of atheism (which remains officially illegal in Indonesia).

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/indonesian-ulema-council-recommends-govt-make-special-id-cards-followers-indigenous-faiths/

Ahmad Dhani formally named hate speech suspect, lawyer says defending

Coconuts Jakarta - November 29, 2017

Celebrity musician, failed politician and Nazi-apparel aficionado Ahmad Dhani was officially named a suspect for spreading hate speech online by the Jakarta Police yesterday over a tweet in which he said that whoever defended former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama should be spit on.

"(Ahmad Dhani) has been named a suspect under UU ITE Article 28," said South Jakarta Police Chief Kombes Iwan Kurniawan when contacted by Detik yesterday. UU ITE is the Law on Electronic Transmissions and Information and Article 28 criminalizes the dissemination of information meant to cause hatred towards individuals or groups based on race, religion, ethnicity or group affiliation with a maximum sentence of six years in jail.

Dhani was reported to the police in March by members of BTP Network, a group of volunteers working for Ahok and former Vice Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat during their reelection campaign, for a tweet from Dhani's official Twitter account in which he wrote, "Anyone who supports the religious blasphemer is a bastard who needs to be spit on in their faces".

The musician, who is also a member of the Gerindra party and tried win the position of vice regent of Bekasi during the last election (he claimed he'd bring over the Red Hot Chili Peppers if he won, yet somehow he still lost), had been an outspoken critic of Ahok during his time in office and often took to Twitter to make crude, provocative statements about the former governor as well as President Joko Widodo (he was also reported for alleged hate speech against the president last year, though that case seems to have gone nowhere).

Dhani's lawyer, Ali Lubis, did not deny that his client wrote the tweet in question but said that it did not explicitly violate UU ITE and thus should be protected as freedom of speech.

"With regard to his legal defense, we will defend him to the fullest, because we are not only protecting Ahmad Dhani, but also in a broader context, saving Indonesian democracy," Lubis said as quoted by JPNN.

It's a bit ironic that Dhani would claim a free speech defense considering he was a major proponent of the politicized accusations of blasphemy against Ahok for his speech in the Thousand Islands that many experts said did not fulfill the definition of blasphemy.

It's even more ironic that his lawyer would say that defending Dhani is important to saving Indonesian democracy, considering the failed politician was arrested in January for his alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the government.

The musician is scheduled to undergo police questioning in the case tomorrow. In response to a Detik reporter's question, Dhani wrote on Whatsapp (yes, in all caps) "I AM READY TO FACE THE DEFENDERS OF THE RELIGIOUS BLASPHEMER".

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/ahmad-dhani-formally-named-hate-speech-suspect-lawyer-says-defending-saving-indonesian-democracy/

NU calls on govt to monitor religious sects

Tempo - November 26, 2017

Amirullah, Jakarta – Indonesia's largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has called on the government to address radicalism issues by, among others, monitoring the development of religious sects that could harm the nation's unity.

"The government through the Religious Ministry must serve an active role in addressing religious radicalism issues," NU Central Executive Board chairman Said Aqil Siroj said in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on Saturday, November 25.

Said delivered the statement in a speech as one of the recommendations in the Ulema National Congress and NU Conference held on November 23, 2017. The recommendations were handed over to Vice President Jusuf Kalla who closed the event.

The government, Said suggested, must be assertive in addressing the radicalism issue, while preserving the humanity approach. Therefore, Said emphasized the need of a national strategy covering religious, education, political, security, cultural, social-economy, and family-based environment aspects.

Said added that radicalism can be prevented by reinforcing character education and moderation-based curriculum implementation. Said also recommended the government to revitalize state ideology Pancasila.

NU also called on political parties to stop using religion sentiments in elections. "Using religion sentiments to take power is an irresponsible action, and it can harm the national sustainability," Nadhalatul Ulama chairman Said Aqil added.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/26/055913570/NU-Calls-on-Govt-to-Monitor-Religious-Sects

Jokowi praises NU's roles in building peace, tolerance

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Panca Nugraha, Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has said that the government appreciates the role of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) as Indonesia's biggest Islamic organization in promoting harmony among the country's diverse religious and cultural groups.

According to the President, the NU has contributed significantly in boosting Indonesia's global image as a country that is peaceful and tolerant, even though it comprises numerous tribes, ethnicities, languages and religions.

"Every time I am among Nahdliyin [NU followers], especially the alim ulama [clerics], I feel a cool and calm atmosphere. Similarly, whenever I enter an NU pesantren [Islamic boarding school], I feel a calmness," Jokowi said on Thursday.

"I'm not the only one to feel that way; representatives of other countries who are with us now have felt the same thing."

Jokowi made the statement while opening an NU national meeting and major conference at the Islamic Center complex in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Thursday evening.

He added that during the recent visit of President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, he told the Afghan leader that Indonesia was home to some 17,000 islands, more than 1,100 local languages and various religions – and the archipelago was still able to remain united.

Jokowi said during their meeting, President Ghani expressed his hope that Indonesia could become a mediator to help settle conflicts in Afghanistan.

Indonesia is seen as a neutral country and this cannot be separated from NU's roles, Jokowi said. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/jokowi-praises-nus-roles-in-building-peace-tolerance.html

Islam & religion

Indonesia's 'Niqab Squad' takes aim at face veil prejudice

Agence France Presse - November 29, 2017

Kiki Siregar – Riding a horse or nailing an archery target is tough at the best of times – it's even harder when you're wearing a niqab.

But that isn't about to stop a group of Indonesian women who have banded together to combat prejudice against the face-covering veil, which has been at the center of a heated global debate over religious freedom and women's rights.

The "Niqab Squad" meets to recite the Koran or, at one recent gathering, mounted horses and tried their gloved hands at archery, activities endorsed by the Prophet Mohammed.

Janariah, a 19-year-old group member, had never ridden a horse before but she gave it a whirl in her flowing black veil, as other niqab-wearing novices fired off arrows with suction-cup tips.

"It's not really difficult," insisted Janariah as she giggled and tried to keep her animal on track in the blazing Jakarta sun.

"Even running is okay. If you're used to it, it's comfortable. The most important thing is that you don't see it (niqab) as a burden and you've got to be patient."

'Weird looks'

Although the body covering garment with narrow slits to see through is common in ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia and some other Gulf states, they're rare in Indonesia, where around 90 percent of its 255 million people have traditionally followed a moderate form of Islam.

Recently, a private Islamic high school on the main island Java was reprimanded by local officials after pictures went viral online that showed a classroom of female students wearing niqab. The veils violated a national regulation on acceptable school uniforms.

Seeking out other women facing discrimination online, Indadari Mindrayanti founded the squad this year after switching from hijab – a headscarf that leaves the face visible – to the more restrictive niqab in 2016.

The twice-divorced Mindrayanti – who was once married to an Indonesian soap opera celebrity – saw it was a way to be more pious but the decision hasn't gone over well with her family or people on the street who often give her "weird looks".

She saw it was a way to be more pious but the decision hasn't gone over well with her family or people on the street who often give her "weird looks".

"It's hard to expect people to talk to you. They look kind of afraid," the 34-year-old told AFP at a mosque in Indonesia's sprawling capital. "Walking on the street sometimes I get comments like 'Wow, there's a ninja' or 'uh, very scary,' uncomfortable comments like that."

Some of the group's fast-growing membership of 3,000 women in Indonesia, as well as Malaysia, Taiwan and South Africa, say they've been labeled as extremists and are regularly asked questions such as "why are you dressed like a terrorist?"

Ideological battle

Mindrayanti felt the stares when she went to France seeking treatment for a skin condition this year.

France was the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public spaces and a bitter ideological battle is raging across Europe and in North America over whether the niqab, and the more restrictive burqa, are key to religious freedom or an affront to women's rights.

Last month, Canada's Quebec province prohibited government workers and anyone receiving public services from covering their face, which critics said unfairly targets Muslim women who wear a niqab.

"Our goal is that we want to unite differences, even within Islam itself," said Mario, who was involved in organizing the squad's horse riding and archery event. "There are different views even in Islam... and the prophet wants us all to unite."

Still, some critics see the niqab as symbolic of a growing religious conservatism that is being exported to Indonesia via Saudi Arabia and other stricter Islamic countries.

Worries about Indonesia's religious tolerance soared when Jakarta's Christian governor was jailed for two years in May on blasphemy charges.

"We have to respect women who wear niqab but they cannot claim it's the best practice of the religion because it is a product of the Arabs," said Zuhairi Misrawi, head of the Muslim Moderate Society.

Niqab Squad's founder, however, says she will keep trying to win over skeptics by speaking to them in a gentle, friendly voice to let people know her intentions are good, even if they're puzzled by her appearance.

"The niqab doesn't prevent us from socializing with anyone, even if they are not Muslim," Mindrayanti added. "We can be good ambassadors of Muslims in front of non-Muslims... (and) those who don't understand Islam and only know it from what they see in the media."

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/indonesias-niqab-squad-takes-aim-face-veil-prejudice/

Sex, pornography & morality

Solo limits use of free wifi in gov't offices, says it was being used to

Coconuts Jakarta - November 30, 2017

The city of Solo in Central Java had a good thing going – previously its citizens were allowed 24/7 access to free wifi provided at kecamatan (district) offices throughout the city.

However, that's come to an end now as the Solo Communications and Information Agency (Kominfo) has limited the use free wifi after claiming to find that citizens were using it for all sorts of illegal purposes – the most obvious being for porn, but for other even more illicit activates as well.

"There were narcotics transactions, prostitution, so now it's limited," head of Infrastructure Department at Kominfo Solo Taufan Redina said, as quoted by Republika.

Media reports do not explain how Kominfo Solo could know how such transactions were taking place, but presumably it means that they were spying on the messages being sent by individual users across the network, which would seem troubling as well. There are also no reports of them taking action against said users for their illegal activities.

At any rate, Kominfo Solo is now switching the free wifi off from 6 pm to 4 am every day. By doing so, they also addressed parents' complaints that their kids used to hang out at district offices late into the night for free wifi.

Pornography is illegal in Indonesia and the government actively attempts to block all pornographic content online. It's clearly an untenable, if not impossible, task, one demonstrated by the fact that, despite the IT Ministry announcing they had successfully blocking 800,000 porn sites manually by August, they are looking to launch an automatic porn detection and blocking system as the growth of internet porn is unstoppable.

However anybody with even a little technical savvy there are plenty of workarounds to the government's censorship system, making their battle against internet porn all but futile.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/solo-limits-use-free-wifi-govt-offices-says-used-access-porn-carry-prostitution-drug-deals/

Jakarta & urban life

City Council approves inflated 2018 Jakarta draft budget

Jakarta Post - November 30, 2017

Jakarta – The Jakarta City Council approved the 2018 draft city budget at Rp 77.117 trillion (US$5.7 billion) on Thursday.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said he appreciated the public's attention toward the city budget. "We will review the prevailing regulation and mechanism so that the budget can be absorbed within the principles of fairness," he said.

The Jakarta administration has proposed controversial changes to the 2018 draft budget, including scrapping trillions of rupiah of capital investment for six city-owned companies to accommodate key programs initiated by Anies and his deputy Sandiaga Uno, such as the OK OCE entrepreneurship program, zero down-payment housing scheme, Jakarta Smart Card Plus (KJP Plus) and the Jakarta Health Card Plus (KJP Plus).

Other controversial changes include the proposed Governor's Team for Development Acceleration (TGUPP) with 73 members and a budget of Rp 28 billion, from the previous budget of Rp 2.3 billion with 15 members.

Before it was approved, the plenary session saw councillors voice their concerns about the budget. Following the approval, the draft budget will be submitted to the Home Ministry to be evaluated within 15 days.

Councillor Syarif said he was optimistic that the ministry would approve the budget. "Even if there is an evaluation, it will only cover administrative issues, not figures."

Earlier, online platform Kawal Jakarta called on the administration to explain the inflated draft budget. In late October, the budget stood at Rp 74 trillion, only to soar to Rp 77.1 trillion in two weeks. (cal/dis)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/30/city-council-approves-inflated-2018-jakarta-draft-budget.html

After repeatedly denying responsibility, Gov Anies admits to permitting

Coconuts Jakarta - November 30, 2017

This Saturday, will be the one year anniversary of the massive politically-charged December 2 protests against former Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama (euphemistically called the 212 "Action in Defense of Islam"), which many would argue ensured Ahok's election loss and subsequent jailing for blasphemy.

And Ahok's victorious political rival, current Jakarta Anies Baswedan, has finally admitted to giving the 212 "alumni" permission to hold their grand anniversary event at the National Monument (Monas).

Anies has been dodging reporters' questions about the anti-Ahok anniversary event for some time now and on multiple occasions has denied that he had any responsibility for permitting the event to take place on the highly symbolic grounds of Monas.

On Monday, when asked if he had given his permission for the event to take place at the park surrounding the national landmark, he tersely responded, "That is not my business".

Yesterday, when asked again about whether the anti-Ahok protest anniversary had been given permission to take place at Monas, he again said that it was not his responsibility.

"That's not my business, that's under the authority of the police," he said as quoted by Tempo.

But today, when pressed yet again, he finally acknowledged that he himself had given his permission for the 212 reunion to take place at Monas and that he had received a letter of request to approve it one week ago.

"The letter was entered about a week ago. It was accepted. I said it was allowed, in accordance with the new regulation," Anies said at City Hall today as quoted by Detik.

The new regulation Anies was referring to was his overturning of a ban on religious events from taking place at Monas set out by the previous administration (an overturn for which he was thanked for by the 212 alumni).

As it turns out, the Department of Tourism and Culture sent the letter asking for Anies' approval last week and he signed off on it on November 24.

In light of that, you can judge for yourself whether the governor spoke truthfully when asked about the event by reporters earlier this week.

At any rate, it seem clear that Anies doesn't want to associate himself with the 212 anniversary event, as he has long denied accusations that he courted the support of Islamist hardliners in his attempts to win the governorship.

But now that he's finally admitted to allowing the anti-Ahok anniversary event to take place at Monas, the question is whether he will show his face, as the 212 alums have repeatedly said that both he and Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno have been invited.

Today when he was asked by reports, he simply said, "I don't know yet."

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/repeatedly-denying-responsibility-gov-anies-admits-permitting-anti-ahok-protest-anniversary-monas/

Anies gives permission for 212 reunion rally at Monas

Jakarta Post - November 29, 2017

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has given permission for an Islamic rally, which has been dubbed a 212 reunion rally, to be held on Dec. 2 at the National Monument (Monas) Park, Central Jakarta, an official has said.

A number of Muslim communities have expressed their desire to hold a rally to commemorate the 212 Rally, which was staged on Dec. 2 last year to demand the prosecution of then Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, contributing to Anies' victory in the gubernatorial election in April.

"The organizer [of the rally] sent a letter [seeking a permit] to us last week," said Monas technical management unit head, Munjirin, as quoted by kompas.com on Wednesday.

He added that the management unit then forwarded the letter to the Jakarta Tourism Agency. "From the agency, the letter was sent to the governor and the governor gave his approval today [Wednesday]," he added.

He said the management would coordinate with the organizer on the technical execution of the rally.

"If possible, we want to persuade them to hold the reunion at Istiqlal Mosque [Central Jakarta] only, so that the event will be safe and controlled," he said, adding that the Jakarta Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) were ready to provide security.

Previously, when asked about a prospective 212 reunion rally, Anies was tight-lipped on whether he would grant permission, saying "that is none of my business." (agn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/29/anies-gives-permission-for-212-reunion-rally-at-monas.html

Jakarta budget spending slashed amid public scrutiny: Councillor

Jakarta Post - November 29, 2017

Jakarta – Public concern about Jakarta's 2018 draft budget influenced the outcome of deliberations, says a member of the City Council's budget committee (Banggar).

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) politician Bestari Barus said public scrutiny toward the proposed budget, uploaded at apbd.jakarta.go.id, informed him of the proposed budgets for other council commissions.

"In the three years that I've been a councillor, this is the most unique budget deliberation, because I didn't get [a copy of other commission's budget deliberations]. We don't understand how the deliberation goes in other commissions," he said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Following mounting criticism from the public over the significant increase of Jakarta's 2018 budget plan, the city administration and the City Council are planning to scrap billions of rupiah for programs considered unnecessary.

Previously, the City Council was set to receive Rp 107.7 billion (US$7.97 million) for working trips next year, which is four times higher than the allocated funds in 2017.

During the budgetary meeting at the City Council on Tuesday, the council said it would slash the working trip costs by Rp 43 billion.

The council has also scrapped the budget to renovate a fountain at the council's office, which had been set at Rp 620 million. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/29/jakarta-budget-spending-slashed-amid-public-scrutiny-councillor.html

212 reunion rally 'none of my business': Anies

Jakarta Post - November 27, 2017

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has declined to respond to a so-called reunion rally of Muslim protestors who staged a demonstration on Dec. 2 last year to demand the resignation of then Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Protestors dubbed it the 212 rally to reflect the date on which it took place. "That's none of my business," Anies said at City Hall on Monday when asked to comment.

Anies also remained tight-lipped on whether he would grant the protestors permission to gather at the National Monument in Central Jakarta, as they did last year.

Earlier, Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno said that permission to use Monas as a meeting point for large crowds was under the authority of Anies as governor.

Participants of last year's major rally had announced that they planned to commemorate the event, which also pushed for the prosecution and imprisonment of Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descend, for blasphemy. Ahok was found guilty of blasphemy in May and sentenced to two years in prison.

Jakarta Police chief insp. Gen. Idham Azis suggested that the reunion rally be held at Istiqlal mosque in Central Jakarta.

However, presidium chairman of the 212 Alumni, Slamet Maarif, claimed he had obtained the necessary permit to hold the event at Monas.

Earlier this month, Anies lifted a ban that prohibited religious and cultural activities from taking place at Monas. (dis)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/27/212-reunion-rally-none-of-my-business-anies.html

'Is 4Play like a co-working space?': Vice Gov Sandiaga Uno reacts to

Coconuts Jakarta - November 27, 2017

The infamous Alexis Hotel in North Jakarta can no longer operate legally after the government chose not to renew its business license in October 2017.

If you've been following news about last month's closure of Jakarta's infamous Alexis Hotel (and we wouldn't judge you if you have been, since shutting down the alleged high-class brothel was one of Governor Anies Baswedan's most publicized campaign promises), you might have heard the rumor today that it reopened under the blatantly sleazy name '4Play'.

Even Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno was taken aback by the rumor, seemingly showing a kind of childlike innocence by failing to grasp the adult nature of the name.

"Huh? Seriously? (Alexis turned into) 4Play? Is 4Play like a co-working space?" Sandiaga said, responding to reporters' queries with one of his own, as quoted by Kompas today.

Sandiaga went on to say that the administration will verify if the nightlife establishment has reopened, and, if so, if they have the necessary permits to do so.

But long-time patrons of Alexis (not us, of course, but we hear things) could tell you that this was not really the case, since the only part of Alexis that was effectively shut down by the government (through denying an extension of its business license) was the hotel's infamous 7th floor "spa". 4Play is the name of a bar and lounge that has long operated on the first floor of the hotel.

"It's not true that (Alexis) changed its name," Alexis Group Legal and Corporate Affairs officer Lina Novita clarified to Detik today.

"Alexis had six permits, including for its bar, hotel, restaurant, karaoke. 4Play's permit is still valid. The permits that haven't been approved are for the spa and hotel." The Alexis Hotel had long been rumored to be Jakarta's most luxurious brothel, with even its own website declaring it the "pioneer that sets the benchmark for adult one stop entertainment hotel" and "the dreamland for men".

But the dream officially ended when recently inaugurated Governor Anies fulfilled his campaign promise to shutter the alleged prostitution palace by not renewing the business' spa and hotel licenses.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/4play-like-co-working-space-vice-gov-sandiaga-uno-reacts-false-info-alexis-hotel-reopened-new-sleazy-name/

Rizieq Shihab expected to attend Alumni 212 reunion

Tempo - November 26, 2017

Syafiul Hadi, Jakarta – The Presidium of Alumni 212 Rally announced a plan to held a reunion that will be attended by Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab.

"By God's willing, he will attend [the event]. That's we're hoping for," congress organizing committee chief Bernard Abdul Jabbar said at Sunda Kelapa Grand Mosque in Jakarta on Sunday, November 26.

The event is a part of the celebration of the first anniversary of the Defend Islam Rally on November 30-December 1 2016. The event will be held at the National Museum (Monas) on Saturday, December 2, 2017.

The Alumni 212 Rally Congress is scheduled to be held before the reunion at Pondok Gede, Jakarta. As many as 500 people will from various regions will be invited to participate the congress.

Bernard hopes that Rizieq, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, is expected to attend the event. However, he admitted that Rizieq's attendance could be hampered by certain matters.

"We will listen to Habib Rizieq's sermon at Monas. It could be in the form of teleconference, or he could be physically present there," he said.

Bernard added the organizing committee has invited Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan. However, Anies has not yet responded to the invitation. The organizating committee, Bernard added, will confirm whether anise could attend the event or be represented," Bernard explained.

In addition to Anies, the organizing committee also expect President Joko Widodo or Jokowi and other state officials to attend the reunion.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/26/055913575/Rizieq-Shihab-Expected-to-Attend-Alumni-212-Reunion

Lawyer: Rizieq Shihab will return to Indonesia

Tempo - November 26, 2017

Irsyan Hasyim, Jakarta – Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab reportedly will return to Indonesia to attend Maulid Nabi (the birthday of Prophet Muhammad) celebration and the Alumni 212 Reunion.

Rizieq's lawyer Kapitra Amprea confirmed the information saying that a team had been sent to Saudi Arabia to pick up Rizieq. "The team lead by FPI Central Executive Board chairman Sobri Lubis departed today," Kapitra said on Sunday, November 26.

According to Kapitra, Rizieq is expected to arrive in Indonesia before the reunion is held. "[Rizieq] is scheduled to return to Jakarta on November 30 or December 1," he said.

Earlier in May, the Jakarta Metro Police named Rizieq as a suspect in a pornographic smartphone chat case, along with Firza Husein. Both of them were charged with Article 4 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 29 and/or Article 6 of Law No. 44/2008 on pornography.

The suspect naming was announced a few days after Rizieq and his family departed to Saudi Arabia to conduct umrah (minor haj) pilgrimage. Following the suspect naming, Rizieq has not yet returned to Indonesia.

Investigators have summoned Rizieq Shihab several times to be questioned as a suspect. However, he failed to answer all of the summonses.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/26/055913576/Lawyer-Rizieq-Shihab-Will-Return-to-Indonesia

Residents send flower board rejecting 2018 Jakarta budget

Jakarta Post - November 25, 2017

Jakarta – "Dear City Council, the PDIP [Indonesian democratic Party of Struggle], the PPP [United Development Party], the Democratic Party, the Hanura Party, the PKB [National Awakening Party] and the Nasdem Party. [We] reject the wasteful spending in the 2018 city budget," reads a flower board found in front of the City Council headquarters in Central Jakarta on Friday.

The flower board was sent by a group of Jakartans, who wanted to give a reminder to the councilors, especially the political parties that supported former governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in Jakarta's gubernatorial election. Ahok was well-known for his thorough monitoring of budget planning, including scrapping allocations he considered irrelevant to the public.

In the draft 2018 city budget, the current administration under the leadership of new Governor Anies Baswedan has allocated Rp 345.6 billion (US$25.58 million) to the city council, which is almost double this year's allocation of Rp 107.7 billion.

The Rp 346.6 billion includes Rp 620 million to revamp a fountain in front of the council headquarters and some Rp 346.7 million for purchasing automatic air freshener dispensers. The total budget allocation for city councilors' working visits also increased significantly to Rp 107.7 billion next year, from Rp 28 billion previously. (vny)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/24/residents-send-flower-board-rejecting-2018-jakarta-budget.html

From traffic jams to floods, can Indonesia fix its 'Big Durian'?

Reuters - November 24, 2017

Michael Taylor, Kuala Lumpur – Aida Widyawati boards a commuter train each day to travel from her home in South Tangerang, west of Jakarta, to her job as an office manager in the center of Indonesia's capital. The 120-kilometer round trip takes three and a half hours on a good day.

Last month, the mother-of-two sprained both ankles falling down some stairs at home and was forced to take a taxi to work. Her total journey time rose to six hours. In the monsoon season, her commute time can easily double.

"It is very boring," said Widyawati, who tries to catch up on sleep during her travels to work. "I just hope that the government will one day offer a better service."

Widyawati is one of more than five million people struggling to get to work each day in Southeast Asia's largest city.

Known as the "Big Durian" after the stinky fruit popular in the region, Greater Jakarta is home to about 25 million people and faces numerous challenges due to rapid urbanization, climate change and the failure of infrastructure and public transport to keep pace with its expansion.

In addition to its infamous congestion – which is often cited by traffic studies as the worst in the world, and costs the city an estimated $3 billion per year – Jakarta also suffers from water scarcity, poor sanitation, regular flooding, air pollution and a lack of affordable housing.

Last year the mega-city joined 100 Resilient Cities, a network backed by The Rockefeller Foundation to help cities deal with 21st century pressures.

The Resilient Jakarta Secretariat, set up this September, has since brought together government officials, researchers, businesses and citizens' groups to map the city and pinpoint issues that will be outlined in a first report due to be published in two weeks.

Oswar Mungkasa, Jakarta's chief resilience officer, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation his city has at least three major problems: transportation, flooding and land subsidence.

Stuck in a jam

Vehicle emissions, made worse by Jakarta's jams, account for 70 percent of air pollution in the city. Besides the economic costs and negative effects on quality of life, the pollution puts extra pressure on public health services.

But in a city where pedestrians and motorcyclists often face off over the use of ramshackle pavements, some steps are being taken to help ease congestion.

Construction of the $3-billion Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) railway began in 2013, and it is likely to be up and running by 2019, when a light rail transit is also due to open.

"We are trying to solve the problem," Mungkasa said. "In two or three years after the MRT [is built], the situation will be much, much better."

Jakarta has also implemented an odd-even license plate policy for key roads to limit private car use in busy hours, while many residents have embraced motorcycle taxi apps in an effort to beat jams.

Critics note, however, that the MRT project will only connect South Jakarta to the city center, and will therefore not be a silver bullet to cure chronic traffic problems.

There are also questions over whether the new train networks will be integrated with existing public transport, like the TransJakarta bus rapid transit system.

The city must develop a "push-pull strategy" to discourage private vehicles while incentivizing public transport use, said Shobhakar Dhakal, head of the energy, environment and climate change department at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).

"But without giving proper options it doesn't work," he said, adding Jakarta should have built a metro train system two decades ago.

That sinking feeling

A coastal city built on a swampy plain, roughly 40 percent of Jakarta is below sea level. Making matters worse, most residents and businesses rely on wells that drain underground aquifers for their water supplies, resulting in the city sinking by 5-10 centimeters each year.

Rising sea levels and the inability of crumbling infrastructure to cope with excess water during heavy storms and the monsoon season result in regular flooding.

Resilient Jakarta's report will ask how health and wellbeing can be improved through better water and waste management.

The city is working hard to solve these problems, Mungkasa said, with improvements to water infrastructure, including the piped supply, and new waste water treatment facilities set to be built over the next 20 years.

Jakarta's piped water network needs to be expanded to both poor and wealthy neighbourhoods, said Marcus Lee, a senior urban economist at the World Bank in Jakarta. Because well water is free and often seen as cleaner, the government must also enforce piped water usage where accessible, he added.

The city's slums – many located on land vulnerable to flooding – are another challenge, said Lee. New housing estates, often backed by government cash, tend to be built where land is cheaper, outside commercial areas.

"If you're able to afford a house, chances are it's going to be very far away in the suburbs," Lee said. "That's contributing to the urban sprawl and links back to the transportation problem."

Planning failure

AIT's Dhakal said most major Asian cities are grappling with "a failure of urban planning." "Since the 1960s and 1970s, when these mega-cities started growing, urban planning did not work very well. This still [plays] a very strong role," he added.

Developing long-term strategies to build resilience has been a low priority for politicians who tend to focus on quick wins during a four- to five-year election cycle, he noted.

Resilient Jakarta's Mungkasa acknowledged that a fragmented approach had not helped in the past and stressed the importance of improving local governance to create a "habit of preparation" for shocks that might hit Jakarta.

"We need to make sure the government is ready and has the strategy and capabilities to face these problems," he said.

It could also learn from other Asian cities, including Bangkok and Singapore, which are part of 100 Resilient Cities and have shared their experiences at workshops.

The Thai capital released its resilience strategy earlier this year which tackled flooding and water usage, while Singapore is pumping billions of dollars into public transport and tightly controls car use and ownership.

Back in Jakarta, commuter Widyawati conceded that the commuter line has improved in the past couple of years. "Things are slowly getting better," she said.

– Thomson Reuters Foundation

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/business/traffic-jams-floods-can-indonesia-fix-big-durian/

Anies invited to 'anti-Ahok' 212 Rally Alumni gathering

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and his deputy Sandiaga Uno have been invited to the first anniversary of the 212 rally, a huge gathering of Muslims last year that pushed the prosecution of then governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

The group holding the reunion event, which has dubbed itself the "212 Rally Alumni" (after the first protest that took place on December 2, 2016) plan to celebrate not only the anniversary of the first rally, but also the birthday of Prophet Muhammad at National Monument (Monas) Park in Central Jakarta on Dec. 2.

Chairman of the 212 Alumni presidium Slamet Maarif claimed on Thursday that the event would begin with subuh (dawn prayer) and end with dzuhur (afternoon prayer). He added that he had invited Anies and Sandiaga to the event.

Slamet said he had obtained permits to hold the anniversary at Monas Park, despite the police's suggestion for them to pray at Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta.

"We're set [on holding the event at Monas]. We have obtained all the permits," Slamet said on Thursday according to kompas.com.

Previously, Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis said the police and the military officers would guard the event should the participants insist on holding their anniversary at Monas.

Separately, Anies refused to comment on the planned event. "It's enough, enough," he said. He added that Monas could be used for religious events, but the event organizers should obtain the permits. (cal/yon)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/anies-invited-to-anti-ahok-212-rally-alumni-gathering.html

All religious institutions can apply for grant: Jakarta administration

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – The city administration has said all religious institutions are welcome to ask for grants following the city administration's plan to grant billions of rupiah to religious institutions next year.

Based on the draft 2018 city budget, the administration has planned to grant Rp 1.42 billion (US$105.138) to 22 mosques and musholla (prayer rooms) and Rp 175 million to nine majlis taklim (Quran study congregations).

It also plans to grant Rp 288 million to three churches and Rp 1.05 billion to a Hindu institution.

Mental and Spiritual Education head Hendra Hidayat said all those religious institutions had submitted proposals to get the grants.

Any religious institution could ask for a grant as long as it had fulfilled all requirements set by the administration, he added. "If they want a grant, they should submit the application to the city administration," Hendra said on Wednesday.

Hendra said that after receiving the application, the agency surveyed the institution to see whether it deserved to receive a grant.

He added that the administration usually did not offer the full amount proposed by the institution, as in principle the grant was a stimulant fund.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/all-religious-institutions-welcome-to-ask-for-grant-jakarta-administration.html

Religious and para-military organizations among those receiving IDR1.6

Coconuts Jakarta - November 23, 2017

Recently inaugurated Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has been getting hammered with criticism this week after the reveal of his administration's proposed regional budget for 2018 was found to have numerous questionable allocations, including IDR620 million (US$45,000) for renovations to a koi pond and a massive twelve-fold increase in the budget for his staff of development construction advisors (TGUPP) from the previous administration.

Yet another controversy lies in the line items of the governor's proposed budget – an astronomical IDR1.6 Trillion (US$118 million) in cash grants to various non-governmental organization, the majority of which is going to Islamic religious institutions or civil society groups (referred to in Indonesia as mass organizations or ormas), many of which have a less than savory reputation.

You can go to the Jakarta regional budget website to see for yourself the specific amounts granted to various organization. Mosques, such as Masjid Baitul Maqdis Al Rahmah in Kebayron Baru and Masjid Darul Jamaah in Circas have been allocated grants ranging from IDR40 million to IDR100 Million. Musholla (prayer rooms) and majis taklim (Quranic study group) are also getting grants ranging from IDR20 million to IDR100 million.

To be fair, a number of non-Muslim religious organization are also getting grant money, such as the Simalungun Protestant Church in Kebon Jeruk, which is receiving IDR100 million in grant money. But the vast majority of the money going to religious institutions is allocated towards Islamic organizations.

Of course, the vast majority of Jakarta citizens are Muslim, so one could argue that the money is simply being given out proportionately. But the real problem is the huge increase in grants being given to religious organizations and ormas at all.

According to Katadata, the IDR1.6 trillion in grants allocated in Governor Anies' draft budget is almost three times the IDR Rp 553 billion in grants given under the 2017 budget of his predecessor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

And much less of Ahok's grant money was spent on religious organizations. While the 2017 budget did give funds to bodies such as the Board of Directors of the Youth Communication Agency for Indonesian Mosques, no grants were given to individual mosques (or churches, for that matter).

Another glaring problem many have pointed are the grant allocations being allotted to certain ormas such as Komando Resimen Mahasiswa Jakarta Raya (Jakarta Student Regiment Command), which is getting Rp 1 billion and Orgsanisasi Masyarakat Laskar Merah Putih (Red and White People's Troops), which is being given Rp 500 million.

Both of those groups are para-military organizations that advocate an ultra-right wing nationalist ideology and have gotten up to some seriously questionable activities in the past. For example, Laskar Merah Putih was at the forefront of the violent protests against a meeting of the survivors of the 1965 communist purges at the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation in September, baselessly declaring that it was a meeting to resurrect the long-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno attempted to justify the funds being given to Laskar Merah Putih by saying they participate in the defense of the nation, although he did not explain what enemies the para-military group was defending Indonesia from. He did assure that any institutions receiving funds from the government would be monitored to make sure that they only do activities that "increase unity".

At least William Yani, the Vice Chairman of the Jakarta City Council's Commission A, questioned what mechanism was used to determine which organizations received grant money.

"I ask for the criteria (for these grants) why was the (Jakarta Student Regiment Command) given Rp 1 billion, why was Laskar Merah Putih given Rp 500 million, whereas there are so many mass organizations in Jakarta," William said, as quoted by Kompas.

We have a pretty good idea of the criteria Governor Anies used to decide who to give grant money to, and it would be shocking if others didn't see it as a transparent attempt at buying the continued goodwill (or simply paying back) the groups that helped seal his election win.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/religious-para-military-organizations-among-receiving-idr1-6-trillion-grants-gov-anies-draft-budget/

212 protesters to stage anniversary rally at Monas

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Jakarta – Thousands of protesters who took to the streets on Dec. 12, 2016 plan to stage a major gathering at the National Monument (Monas) to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the street protest that called for the prosecution of then Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy.

The chairman of an organization that dubbed itself as the "212 Rally Alumni", Slamet Maarif, said the group had applied for a permit to hold the event at Monas.

Slamet said hundreds of thousands of Muslims from Jakarta and beyond would join the gathering where they would hold a predawn (subuh) prayer before continuing with a rally and finishing with a midday (dzuhur) prayer. The event would also coincide with the birthday of Prophet Muhammad, falling on Dec. 1.

The Jakarta Police have called on the group to hold the event at the Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta.

"Others can suggest where we should hold the event, but the time and place has been decided. We are arranging all the permits," Slamet said as quoted by kompas.com.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis maintained that the event should be held at Istiqlal mosque.

"If it is possible, please just hold the event at Istiqlal to ensure better security measures. The military and police will be ready to secure the event," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/212-protesters-to-stage-anniversary-rally-at-monas.html

Monas for people of all religions: Anies

Jakarta Post - November 23, 2017

Ivany Atina Arbi, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan invited the Interfaith Communication Forum (FKUB) to City Hall for the second time on Thursday morning to announce that he would support any religious activities in the capital. He also told the representatives of various religions that the National Monument (Monas) compound was open for them anytime.

"Each religion has the same opportunity to use the facility [Monas]," Anies said after hosting a coffee morning attended by representatives from the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI), the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), the Council of Buddhist Communities (Walubi), the Confucian Supreme Council of Indonesia (Matakin) and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

The use of Monas as a place of religious activities is in the spotlight as numerous Islamic sermons are set to be held there.

Monas technical management unit head Arista Nurbaya said a cultural event would be held on the grounds this Sunday, including a carnival and a performance involving 16,000 dancers in the morning, while an Islamic sermon would be given in the evening.

She added that other Islamic groups had already booked the Monas area for Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2.

A previous gubernatorial decree had banned any religious activity on the square until Anies changed the regulations to allow for such events.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/monas-for-people-of-all-religions-anies.html

Retail & service industry

Retailers lower target of Christmas and New Year's sales

Jakarta Post - November 27, 2017

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – Retailers expect to have sales growth between only 15 and 20 percent month-on-month (mom) during the year-end holidays – Christmas and New Year – compared to about 25 to 30 percent sales growth in the previous years.

The outlook is based on sluggish growth during the Idul Fitri holiday in June, in which sales grew only 5 percent instead of the usual 15 to 20 percent, said Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo) chairman Roy Nicholas Mandey in Jakarta on Monday.

"We are being realistic for the holidays this Christmas and New Year," he said, adding that retail businesses had been seriously affected by low spending from lower middle-consumers, who preferred to hold onto their money for secondary needs due to increasing living costs and stagnant salaries.

On the other hand, higher middle-consumers have changed their consumption habits toward more "lifestyle" purchases, such traveling, eating in restaurants and hanging out in coffee shops, he added.

He estimated this year's total sales growth would reach only about 7.8 to 8 percent due to slow growth in the first half, which was at 3.8 percent. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/27/retailers-lower-target-of-christmas-and-new-years-sales.html

Criminal justice & legal system

The body count in Indonesia's increasingly brutal drug war keeps on

Vice - November 24, 2017

Arzia Tivany Wargadiredja – When police fatally shot a Taiwanese national accused of dealing drugs from a low-rent apartment complex in Central Jakarta earlier this week, it was just the latest death in Indonesia's increasingly brutal war on drugs.

The country's police force have killed at least 92 suspected drug dealers since President Joko Widodo and his anti-narcotics chief Budi Waseso first ordered authorities to "show no mercy," in the war on drugs. The last time VICE's Indonesia office checked, a mere three months ago, that figure was far lower, at 55 dead. This time last year, only 18 people had been killed by police during drug raids, according to data compiled by Amnesty International.

The rising death toll is further evidence that Jokowi's "just shoot them already," rhetoric is more than mere tough talk from Indonesia's normally soft-spoken leader. It's also another sign that Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte's own brutal methods are finding a receptive audience in nearby Indonesia. The country's anti-drug chief has a hot-and-cold view of Duterte's methods, going as far as ordering officers to "shoot drug dealers, sellers, or users dead on the spot," before later telling the foreign press "I will not follow or copy it, I don't even support it."

President Jokowi himself believes that Indonesia is in the middle of a "drug emergency," one that requires a dramatic solution. His office restarted the execution of convicted drug traffickers, sending 18 convicts before firing squads on Indonesia's prison island since Jokowi took office in 2014. The executions have since been put on hold, despite initial plans to kill at least 30 more this year.

But at the same time, the president and top officials started to float harsher rhetoric in speeches and interviews with the press. And as officials reiterated the new "shoot them dead," rules of engagement, the number of suspected drug dealers gunned down during a raid increased, according to Amnesty International's Indonesia researcher Bramantya Basuki.

"What's for sure is the police can't answer the questions coming from civilians and intellectuals on why the number of killed drug dealers has gone up drastically since 2016," Bramantya told VICE. "The police said that what they did was in-line with procedures. There is no other answer from them."

Meanwhile, other public officials have backed the president's words. Members of the regional legislative councils in Medan, Tebingtinggi, North Sumatra, and Kotawaringin Timur, Central Kalimantan, have echoed Jokowi's words, expanding the shoot-to-kill orders to motorbike thieves as well – a class of criminal often referred to as "sadistic" in the domestic press.

"In Indonesia, people think that drug dealers are criminals, so it's OK if they're shot or killed," Bramantya told VICE. "What we're afraid of is if the president's rhetoric becomes widely adopted by officers at field, as if they now have the legitimacy to do it [shoot to kill]."

This is the stickiest part of the country's increasingly violent war on drugs – the more suspected drug traffickers are killed, the more popular the government looks to the vast majority of voters, explained Evitarossi Budiawan, a researcher at the human rights group Imparsial.

"In the Indonesian context, every shooting is blown-up by the media and runs parallel with Jokowi's war on drugs because it reaps a lot of approval and sympathy from the public," Evitarossi told VICE. "Every time there is an execution, people actually support it. There's no resistance – people like it – and that's why it's been done repeatedly."

While some of these busts involve large quantities of illegal drugs, plenty of others don't. When the Taiwanese national was gunned down earlier this week, two of his alleged associates were also arrested. The authorities said he was a known drug dealer, but between the three men they only seized 10.2 grams of methamphetamine. That's enough meth to fill one tiny bag. Hold nine Haribo brand gummy bears in your palm – that's how much it weighed. Not every drug bust – or every death – is going turn the war on drugs.

And so far, none of them have. The rise in police shootings and executions have done little to actually curb drug use in Indonesia. The country's own anti-narcotics agency reported that the number of drug arrests had nearly doubled since 2010, despite the decision to use increasingly brutal methods to curb drug use.

The anti-drug agency has its own arguments for why this is happening. The department's top brass believe that the foreign drug dealers who used to work in the Philippines have fled to Indonesia to avoid Duterte's bloody crackdown. So the response, they argue, is a harsher crackdown – one that, to outside observers, looks a lot like a slow motion version of the tragedy currently playing out in the Philippines.

"We're afraid that if this is allowed and normalized, it could be like what is happens in the Philippines," Bramantya told VICE. "It could get out of hand."

This entire swing toward heavy-handed policing in Indonesia has a lot to do with Duterte's refusal to actually address the complaints of foreign leaders and human rights groups over his support of a drug war that's left thousands dead in a wave of extrajudicial killings. When a country like the Philippines can get away with murder, on the global scene, then what's to stop other Southeast Asian nations from sticking to their own wildly unpopular policies?

"Duterte's policies certainly influences the perspective of some Southeast Asian leaders in addressing human rights issues," explained Ardi Manto Adiputra, a research coordinator at Imparsial. "It reinforces this attitude about 'Asean values' that put aside some universal human rights principles and standards of values."

And this swing toward violence and populism also presents a dangerous future for other countries in the region, the ones that don't even attempt to uphold universal standards of human rights, Ardi explained.

"Even today the issue of human rights in the region is pretty unpopular," he told VICE. "The 'Duterte policy,' can be copied in even worst forms elsewhere, since the Philippines and Indonesia are supposed to be the role models of democratic countries that respect human rights more than anyone else in Southeast Asia."

[This article originally appeared on VICE Indonesia.]

Source: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/mb3z9n/the-body-count-in-indonesias-increasingly-brutal-drug-war-keeps-on-rising

Police & law enforcement

'Just shoot them': E. Jakarta Police chief angered at officers who took

Coconuts Jakarta - November 23, 2017

Indonesian law enforcement officials are constantly going on about the country's "drug emergency" and using shaky statistics about the number of people killed by narcotics each year as a justification for both the death penalty and top-level directives to shoot drug dealers at the first sign of resistance (which has led to a marked increase in police shootings deaths this year).

But one of the reasons the Indonesian public is so strongly in favor of killing drug dealers is because of the belief that narcotics criminals can simply pay off the police and keep running their businesses, even in prison (which, to be fair, has definitely happened, a lot). Basically, the public thinks the police are too corrupt to resist being corrupted by money from drug dealers.

A newly uncovered case of bribery in East Jakarta certainly won't do anything to dispel that notion. It involves three narcotics detectives from the local police force having been found to have accepted IDR 40 million (US$2,960) in "protection money" from drug dealers in exchange for not busting up their business.

The three detectives were arrested yesterday by officers from the Jakarta Police Internal Affairs department. According to Jakarta police spokesperson Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono, the three had promised to not arrest a group of drug dealers in exchange for the bribe.

East Jakarta Police Chief Andry Wibowo was clearly not happy about his officers getting arrested and did not make any attempt at defending them. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Yes indeed, just shoot them (if they really took the money), just shoot them," Andry said yesterday as quoted by Merdeka (a comment echoing President Joko Widodo's own directive to the police to "just shoot" foreign drug dealers).

The three detectives are currently being held for furthering questioning by Internal Affairs. The charges against them have not yet been announced.

Source: https://coconuts.co/jakarta/news/just-shoot-e-jakarta-police-chief-angered-officers-took-idr40-million-bribe-drug-dealers/

Foreign affairs & trade

Rattan producers continue suspending production

Jakarta Post - November 28, 2017

Jakarta – Producers of semi-processed rattan continue to suspend production as they await for the issuance of a new regulation on rattan exports.

Many of them halted operations as rattan farmers were reluctant to harvest the tropical palms with the absence of the new regulation, Indonesian Rattan Producers Association (APRI) deputy chairman Julius Hoesan said on Tuesday.

The drop in rattan supply has also jacked up the price of the raw material, he added. "[Relevant] ministers have agreed to allow rattan exports, but the regulation has yet to be announced," he said as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Since 2011, the government has banned rattan exports to help spur the domestic processing industry, particularly furniture.

Julius further explained that the industry could absorb only 30 percent of the rattan supplied by local farmers, and therefore, business players sought to ship semi-processed rattan overseas.

He added that the government could offer temporary permits as it provides training for producers to make use of various types of rattan. (lnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/28/rattan-producers-still-suspend-production.html

Russia's plan to sell pork to Indonesia is no joke

Straits Times - November 23, 2017

Jakarta (Jakarta Post/Asia News Network) – One might find the notion of a huge pork market in Indonesia laughable. Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed to think so as he chuckled over his agriculture minister's suggestion to improve pork sales in the country with the world's largest Muslim population.

A video of the Russian president scoffing at Minister Alexander Tkachyov's presentation on hiking pork exports to Indonesia went viral last month all over the globe. The president was so amused that he had to cover his face with his hands.

Despite Putin's apparent disbelief, his officials are taking it seriously and have taken concrete steps to grab a piece of the Indonesian market of over 260 million people, 12.8 per cent of whom are non-Muslims.

"Delegates from the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) participated in the Indo Livestock event in Surabaya, East Java, last April to introduce more of our many meat products, including pork," Maria Matsuri, a senior expert with the Russia Trade Representation office in Indonesia said to The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of major food expo SIAL Interfood in the Jakarta International Expo on Wednesday (Nov 22).

"Our parties submitted documents in August to get import approval (for meat and pork) from the Indonesian Agriculture Ministry to no avail until now," she added.

Russia's intention to export pork has come up amid an expected pork production boom. The National Union for Pork Producers projects production to jump by 20 per cent on an annual basis to 4.2 million tons by the year's end, the highest production in the last 25 years amid increasing new investment.

Besides Russia, other pig farming countries, like Germany, Slovakia and Belgium, are also looking to export pork to the Muslim-majority country, said Thomas Darmawan, chairman of the food and beverage division under the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

"Stagnant pork production in the country is due to minimal support from the government in the last 15 years. This has made Indonesia a potential market for European countries to sell their pork here," he said.

Thomas' statement is in line with the fact that swine meat import has been rising in the past five years. Last year alone, the volume doubled to 1,221 tons with limited sources in the United States and the Netherlands, Trademap data shows.

While data on national pork demand is not readily available, Kadin estimates there are more than 600 pigs slaughtered every day to meet the demand in Greater Jakarta alone, home to more than 20 million people.

"Indonesia is open to pork trade; we're an open country. However, the Russians were too late in submitting the documents in August. Should we grant them the permit, they would have to pay PNBP (non-tax revenue charged in the export plan) twice this year and next year," Syamsul Maarif, the Agriculture Ministry's veterinary and public health director, told the Post.

"So it's better for them to register next January. Also, we plan to make the process online by then so they can do it faster," he added.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/russias-plan-to-sell-pork-to-indonesia-no-joke

Mining & energy

Indonesia has 'no clear structure' for Freeport stake purchase yet

Reuters - November 24, 2017

Wilda Asmarini, Jakarta – The Ministry of State Owned-Enterprises, tipped to oversee an acquisition of a majority stake in the local unit of Freeport-McMoRan, has "no clear structure" yet for the deal, an official said on Friday (24/11).

The government needed to be "careful" as the interests of Rio Tinto, which has a joint venture with Freeport in Indonesia, have not yet been accommodated in the government's plan for the acquisition, State-Owned Enterprises Deputy Minister Fajar Harry Sampurno said.

State-owned aluminium producer Inalum has been appointed by the government to acquire the stake, and plans to form a holding company for the purpose.

The company would group together other state-owned units, including coal miner Bukit Asam, tin miner Timah and diversified miner Aneka Tambang (Antam).

The holding company is expected to be formalized by the minister either "today or Monday," Inalum finance director Oggy A. Kosasih told reporters.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/business/indonesia-no-clear-structure-freeport-stake-purchase-yet/

Economy & investment

Indef refutes Jokowi's statement on purchasing power

Jakarta Post - November 30, 2017

Jakarta – The Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) has refuted a statement made by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo about the increase in people's purchasing power, indicated by 12.1 percent value-added tax revenue growth.

Indef's economist Bhima Yudhistira said the increase in income tax revenue did not reflect the people's purchasing power because it was mainly caused by policy improvements by the Finance Ministry.

He said the nine-month tax amnesty that ended in March had improved taxpayer compliance, indicated by an increase in the use of invoices.

Speaking about a decline in people's purchasing power, he referred to data issued by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), showing reduced earnings by farmers and construction workers.

"The wages received by low-income families cannot follow the increasing prices of basic commodities. This causes a decline in their purchasing power," said Bhima in Jakarta on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co.

He further explained that sales of people's daily needs, or fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), grew only 2.7 percent from January to September, compared to 11 percent growth in the same period last year.

Bhima denied that e-commerce had taken over the sales of conventional retailers, saying that e-commerce businesses contributed less than 2 percent.

Previously, President Jokowi had rejected a statement made by economists and businesspeople about a decline in people's purchasing power. He said such a decline was unlikely when the value-added tax revenue received by the government grew by 12.1 percent up to the third quarter. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/30/indef-refutes-jokowis-statement-on-purchasing-power.html

Central Java gains spotlight as key destination for foreign investment

Jakarta Globe - November 25, 2017

Sheany, Jakarta – As part of the government's effort to increase foreign investments to the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (24/11) held an event in Jakarta to highlight and promote Central Java.

The "Update From the Region" event, which took place at a four-star hotel in South Jakarta, showcased various popular commodities, with the province's private and public sector in attendance, as a way to "bring Central Java closer to the global market."

The event was also attended by representatives from foreign embassies in Jakarta. During her remarks at the event's opening, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi emphasized that Central Java "has a lot to offer and is one of the main destinations for business investment and transaction."

"You cannot understand Indonesia if you don't visit and meet the people, the government, the private sectors from other parts of Indonesia. Today, we bring you Central Java," Retno said.

She added that the provincial government has simplified the process of investment and business set-up, and expressed hopes that the event will serve as a space for the attendees to "explore and develop business interactions."

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who was present at the event, said the province is not only attractive but also worth the visit, "especially for those who are looking to do business and make investments."

Ganjar said Central Java's economy has grown above the national average in the past five years, and is continuing on that trend.

With a population of almost 35 million, the province boasts a range of commodities, such as coffee, furniture, batik and handicraft, as well as a number of tourist attractions, from Borobudur Temple to Karimun Jawa.

The province is also home to several industrial areas, including the Kendal Industrial Park and Wijayakusuma Industrial Park.

"Update From the Region" is a regular Foreign Affairs Ministry event that seeks to highlight different provinces across the archipelago and is part of a double-track effort to attract foreign investments to the country. Indonesian embassies abroad often organize their own events to promote different products and areas for potential foreign investors.

"President [Joko] Widodo is pro-inclusive economic growth, [and] the government is doing its best to develop every part of Indonesia, including Central Java, Papua and other eastern parts of Indonesia," Retno said.

Indonesia has put economic diplomacy in its list of foreign policy priorities. The 2017 Ease of Doing Business Index by the World Bank placed Indonesia 72nd out of 190 countries, up 19 spots from last year.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.id/news/central-java-gains-spotlight-key-destination-foreign-investment/

Economist Faisal Basri says Indonesia's economy is languishing

Tempo - November 23, 2017

Caesar Akbar, Jakarta – Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) Senior Economist Faisal Basri said that Indonesia's economic growth in the medium and the long-run is tending to slow down.

The constant economic deceleration, according to Faisal, is detectable annually. He explained that Indonesia's economy once grew 8 percent but is now struggling at 5 percent growth which he deems is caused by the lack of economic leverage.

"Don't dream too high yet, Indonesia's economy is languishing," said Faisal Basri on Wednesday, November 22.

He criticized the government's policies that were introduced by President Joko Widodo or Jokowi. "Many of [the policies] are weird," he said. He criticized Jokowi's economic growth from the outer regions, borders, and Indonesia's Eastern regions.

He reasons that even though the government is currently implementing that idea, in reality, the results are not showing. Faisal took an example of the economic growth in Bali and East Nusa Tenggara that has dropped from an estimated 10 percent to 5 percent and is now stuck in 2 percent growth. "Papua and Sulawesi are experiencing a drop too."

Despite the government's policies, he claims that the money still mainly circulates in Java and Sumatera. "Something is wrong with Pak Jokowi's strategy," said Faisal.

In order to solve this problem, Faisal suggested that the government must have a basic and structural solution that is not instant which is predicted to need time more than two years.

Faisal Basri demanded the government to not force a high economic growth for 2018 considering that the end result would not be too different from what the country is experiencing currently.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/11/23/055913482/Economist-Faisal-Basri-says-Indonesias-Economy-is-Languishing

Taxation & state budget

Indonesia to offer tax incentives to manufacturing industry: Minister

Jakarta Post - November 28, 2017

Jakarta – The Industry Ministry will provide the manufacturing industry – a main contributor to gross domestic product (GDP) – with three tax incentives to try to boost the country's economy, which has seen slow growth in recent years.

The government will offer a 200-percent tax allowance for the manufacturing industry, which wants to invest in vocation programs to improve training and skills for their workers.

"[For example], if a company invests Rp 500 million (US$37,023), the government will provide Rp 1 billion in tax allowance," he said, as reported by kontan.co.id on Tuesday. He added that such a scheme had been successfully implemented in Thailand.

The second incentive is for those who invest in innovative products, for which the government would offer 300 percent in tax incentives from the value of the investment, Airlangga added.

The third is incentives for labor-intensive industries that focus on exports, of which the incentive would depend on the number of workers employed in the industry, the minister said.

Airlangga said he had discussed the incentives with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. He hoped the scheme will be ready by the end of 2017.

Sri Mulyani said she had not yet received the proposal, but she agreed that the government could give such incentives. "The President has talked about the importance of investment in vocation to improve the skills and training of workers," she added. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/28/indonesia-to-offer-tax-incentives-to-manufacturing-industry-minister.html

People & places

This tattooed Indonesian fisheries minister will blow your mind (and

South China Morning Post - November 26, 2017

Jeffrey Hutton – Susi Pudjiastuti shows off a copy of an application for a permit submitted one year before she was named Indonesia's fisheries minister in 2014.

Made out to an Indonesian company with an address in Fuzhou, China, it sought permission to operate a vessel capable of hauling in 3,000 tons of fish per voyage. The vessel would have operated a purse seine, a type of circular net used in commercial fishing to target dense schools of fish. The nets are controversial because they are so efficient – some vessels run out several kilometres of netting that drops from the surface to 650 metres deep, entrapping hundreds of tons of fish at a time.

As China's fishermen fan out farther amid collapsing fish stocks, Susi is standing firm. She has limited the size of domestic fishing vessels and entirely sealed off Indonesia's nearly 6 million square kilometres of ocean territory from foreign fishing vessels. In a stark warning to poachers she has detonated and sunk foreign fishing boats in front of news cameras. So far, 363 boats, operating in the country illegally, have been scrubbed of their parts, nets and fuel and sent to the bottom of the sea. The hardline approach has earned her death threats as fishing industries in neighbouring countries have lost out on billions of dollars in lost catches of species.

Still, Susi says she doesn't discriminate. She resents all foreign fishing boats equally. "I am not anti-China. If it's any other country I will do the same thing. I wouldn't be successful doing this combat if I discriminated."

As proof of her results Susi rattles off numbers that for months have formed the backbone of a PowerPoint presentation she has trotted out to journalists, conservationists and government counterparts.

The estimated sustainable catch has doubled to 12.5 million tons over the past four years. Exports for items such as shrimp have surged by more than a third to countries such as Thailand. Exports of all fisheries products to Thailand have ballooned nine fold. "Now they don't steal our fish," Susi says of Thailand's fish processing industry. "They have to pay for it."

The turnaround has stopped a slide in the number of households that make a living from the sea. Between 2003 and 2013 that number had halved to 800,000. "We only blew up a few boats for show," Susi admits. "Now we just drill holes in the bottom."

Meanwhile, fishermen haul in bigger and better catches closer to shore. That saves time and fuel. Boats based at her hometown of Pangandaran, on the south shore of West Java, haul in red snapper weighing about 8kg when 2kg was the norm not long ago.

Susi flips open a laptop and shows off some video taken from Kaimana in West Papua of a woman hoisting a tuna into an open wooden fishing boat. She lights a cigarette and laughs. "I feel really good when I see this. I travel a lot and I listen to what people say."

The approach brought Susi plaudits. Last year the WWF gave her the Leaders for a Living Planet award. Activists credit her for highlighting the plight of fisheries. "When it comes to fisheries, Indonesia is now cool in the eyes of the world," says Susan Herawati, the secretary general of KIARA, a non-profit agency promoting the issues of the industry.

Even so, implementation in a country as vast as Indonesia and in places still profoundly corrupt is sketchy. Indonesian boats will often fish on behalf of Asian clients and simply transfer their catch to bigger factory ships just outside Indonesia's exclusive economic zone, which usually extends 200 nautical miles from shore.

Still, Indonesia's experience is at odds with other emerging economies. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation says 90 per cent of the world's fisheries are either fully exploited or facing collapse. China's government doles out billions in subsidies to underwrite bigger ships that can scour far-off fishing grounds. That has led to conflict. This year Argentina sank a Chinese vessel. Last year, Indonesia accused China's coastguard of interfering in the seizure of Chinese vessels in waters around Indonesia's Natuna Islands, which abut an area claimed by China as traditional fishing grounds.

The clash tests Indonesia's relationship with China. Indonesia maintains it has no claims on portions of the South China Sea claimed by China. Even so, Susi supports Indonesia's move earlier this year to rename the waters around the Natunas as the North Natuna Sea. At present the waters are part of the South China Sea – Beijing has dismissed the move as meaningless. "I have called for that since I took over as minister," says Susi, who insists [Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Photo: AFP] the name is for convenience and not an escalation in the turf war. "Why should [China] be so sensitive? What is claimed or unclaimed, that is not my portfolio. I care only about the sovereignty of Indonesian fish stocks. What other countries call the ocean above our [exclusive economic zone] is not my business."

As Widodo prepares for re-election in 2019, Susi worries the changes she has made may be reversed by a less crusading minister. The foreign fishing ban, for example, is a presidential decree. Susi wants the protections enshrined in law. That may be a useful backstop. So far the restrictions have not led to a meaningful increase in foreign investment in fish processing plants – a sign, she says, that foreign fishing bosses are biding their time until Susi moves on. "I'm happy with our result. By having power and authority you can do great good for the nation," says Susi. "But I'm worried what will happen when I'm gone."

[Additional reporting by Imam Shofwan.]

Source: http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/personalities/article/2121483/tattooed-indonesian-fisheries-minister-will-blow-your-mind

Analysis & opinion

TNI's role in counterterrorism: Impact on military reform –

Eurasia Review - November 24, 2017

Chaula Anindya – Indonesian lawmakers are currently deliberating revisions to an existing anti-terrorism law which appears insufficient in facing the threat of Islamic State (IS). One of the main points debated in the terrorism bill is the role of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in counterterrorism.

According to existing law, the TNI is only allowed to assist counterterrorism operations under the command of the Indonesian National Police (POLRI). The new bill allows for certain conditions under which the TNI may assume a more active role, rather than serving only as an Auxiliary Support Force (BOK).

Generals back more authority

The process of revising the anti-terrorism law has been underway for more than a year and the final draft is expected to be ready for a vote at year's end. One of the points that has prolonged the discussion is the role of the TNI in counterterrorism. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo began advocating a more active role for TNI after a twin suicide bombing struck a bus terminal in Kampung Melayu, East Jakarta in May 2017. The attack killed three police officers.

A number of current and former military generals, many of whom serve in important posts in the government, have emphasised the importance of the TNI's role in counterterrorism. The TNI commander, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, has argued forcefully that terrorism must not be treated as a crime but as a threat to state security. He asserted the impending danger of a "proxy war" where subversive foreign agents will infiltrate Indonesia in a variety of ways, including exploiting the threat of terrorism.

Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, a retired general, has further asserted that combatting terrorism should not be the exclusive purview of just one agency, as they will be insufficient to the task. This statement might suggest a rebuke of POLRI as they are at the forefront of counterterrorism measures in Indonesia.

TNI's direct role in counterterrorism?

Another retired general, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto argued that the TNI should be given a direct role and no longer work as BOK, playing a supporting function. He believed regulations pertaining to TNI involvement in counterterrorism operations should be simplified and made less burdensome so that when the need arises, appropriate forces can be deployed quickly and effectively.

As these generals hold important positions in the defence and security sectors, their opinions about the proper role of the TNI in counterterrorism carry significant weight. However, there is also a base of public support for their ideas.

According to a survey done by Kompas, a leading daily, 93% of respondents supported the TNI having some role in counterterrorism, while 38% supported the idea of TNI autonomy in combating terrorism. More than half or 55% percent of respondents believe the TNI should remain under the command of POLRI, although the number who support autonomy is still significant.

TNI's expanded role: Inevitable?

A coalition of civil society groups has been strongly opposed to the TNI's expanded involvement in counterterrorism for fear of human rights abuses and the potential erosion of civilian control of the military. Yet the legislation continues to march forward, with lawmakers confident that the new bill will soon be finalised.

The House's committee chairman on the anti-terrorism bill, Muhammad Syafi'I, has ensured the public that despite this expansion of TNI authority, Indonesia is committed to the rule of law and that law enforcement will remain the responsibility of POLRI.

The revised legislation will first establish that the TNI is no longer limited to serving in a BOK or auxiliary capacity. The exact conditions under which and in what manner the TNI should be given a direct role in counterterrorism will be clarified after the bill is ratified using Peraturan Presiden (Presidential Regulation).

Jokowi will consult with the House of Representatives (DPR) on the terms before issuing the Regulation. This should grant him sufficient leeway to bypass their approval in the future should it be necessary to rapidly deploy the TNI in response to a terror attack.

Challenges ahead

The main concern over the TNI's expanded involvement is that it will hinder the ongoing process of military reform. Efforts to reform the military in Indonesia have stressed the division of duties and responsibilities between the TNI and POLRI.

Under this arrangement, the TNI's main task has been to protect the nation from external threats while POLRI's has been maintaining internal security and order. The TNI's active role in counterterrorism could blur this dividing line and presage a return to the political culture of the New Order, when the military had an internal security role.

One potential benefit of the proposed new arrangement is that the Army (TNI AD), the most dominant service, could use its advantage in intelligence-gathering and guerrilla warfare to combat terrorism. However, this has the potential to further entrench the Army as the most dominant service and allow its territorial command structure – which many observers consider problematic – to remain untouched by reforms.

Indonesia is striving for a more balanced armed forces, and has laid out plans for key doctrines such as Minimum Essential Force (MEF) and Global Maritime Fulcrum (GMF) which would direct additional resources to both the Navy (TNI AL) and the Air Force (TNI AU). However, if the Army begins to play a more outsized role in monitoring and combatting terrorism, the defence budget allocation for TNI AD will likely increase at the expense of the other services.

Additionally, the territorial command structure – which mirrors the civilian structure of governance and creates opportunities for political transactions during local elections – has long been the target of military reform efforts. With an expanded role in internal security, the Army will likely be able to fend off these efforts by claiming the structure is necessary to combat terrorism.

Given all this, Indonesia must sustain its efforts toward military reform. TNI AL and TNI AU should continue receiving additional resources to raise their profiles and develop a balanced armed forces that can address threats from air, land and sea – especially considering the intensifying danger of transboundary terrorism. It is important that Indonesia remains wary of involving the TNI too much in the preservation of internal security, even in the interest of national security.

[Chaula Anindya is a Research Analyst with the Indonesia Programme S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.]

Source: http://www.eurasiareview.com/24112017-tnis-role-in-counterterrorism-impact-on-military-reform-analysis/

Not so happy 'Otsus' Day

Jakarta Post Editorial - November 24, 2017

Jakarta – Celebrations are moments of joy to commemorate milestones in a person's life, or a nation. Today, Papuans have a new commemoration: "Otsus Day," or Papua Special Autonomy Day, as declared this week by Governor Lukas Enembe.

Some residents grumbled for not being notified that Nov. 21 was an official holiday. But others may be forgiven for wondering what there was to celebrate. Maybe the blessing in disguise is that the commemoration of the 16-year-old law brings to mind the pile of work that is progressing too slowly to catch up with numerous shouts of unaddressed grievances.

The 2001 Special Autonomy Law brought much hope to the nation and to the people of what is now Papua and West Papua; hope that they could be trusted to run their own government with the Papuan People's Council representing customary groups, diverse faiths and women. The central government under then-president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid had hoped that a special autonomy, following the symbolic name change from Irian Jaya of the Soeharto era to Papua, would help tone down cries for independence following unresolved human rights violations and continued poverty despite Papua's rich natural resources, including the world's largest gold mine.

Since the granting of its special autonomy, Papua has received Otsus funds reaching almost Rp 60 trillion (US$4.4 billion) – yet natural-resources rich Papua and West Papua remain provinces with the lowest Human Development Index.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has stood out among his predecessors for showing more attention to Papuans. He pardoned political prisoners and is accelerating infrastructure development in the province. But efforts at winning over the hearts and minds of Papuans remain paltry to what is being ignored.

Among others, a special team set up last year to address major human rights violations has yet to announce any progress. Among the reasons law enforcers cite as hurdles in investigations are the refusal of families to exhume the bodies of victims for autopsies, such as those killed in the December 2014 shooting of civilians, including teenagers.

Papuan civilians have come to perceive that as Indonesia's minority of non-Muslim Melanesians, they are valid targets as suspected supporters of the independence movement, while losing out to migrants economically.

Though Papua does not host a battlefield as in the war between the government and Aceh rebels in the past, Papuans are often subject to an insecure life with low-level eruptions of violence with unclear actors – the worst involving the recently reported hostage taking of 1,300 people in Mimika regency near PT Freeport Indonesia's mine. That a separatist group claimed responsibility has not helped bring clarity over the incident as independent verification by media is restricted.

Papuans are not the only ones complaining about corruption and suspected rigging in local elections.

But addressing the wide corruption loopholes and repeated flaws in Papua's local elections – including a glaring discrepancy between registered voters and population data, as cited again in the latest report of the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict – are just a few of many urgent corrections, if indeed Papuans are considered equal to other citizens.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/11/24/editorial-not-so-happy-otsus-day.html