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Indonesia News Digest 24 – June 23-30, 2008
Kompas - June 26, 2008
Jakarta – Indonesian people appear to be getting even richer. In
the midst of a difficult situation it is precisely the wallets of
a small handful of Indonesian's that have become fatter.
Just look at the results of the latest survey by Capgemini SA and
Merrill Lynch & Co that was released on Tuesday June 24.
According to the survey, in 2007 the number of super-rich
Indonesians with financial assets of 1 million dollars US or more
jumped by 16.8 percent to 23,000 people.
It should be noted that the limit on wealth does not include
fixed assets such as hoses or cars. The jump in the number of
super-rich in Indonesia is the fifth highest in the world and was
only surpassed by India, China, Brazil and South Korea.
The rate of growth of the wealthily-class in our country is also
far above the growth rate for the world as a whole. Last year,
the number of super-rich or high net worth individuals (HNWI) in
the world only grew by six percent to 40.1 million people. As it
happens the total value of their assets increased by 9.4 percent
to 40.7 trillion dollars US.
Michael T. Tjoajadi, the director of PT Schroder Investment
Management Indonesia, claims that he is not surprised at these
figures. According to Tjoajadi, the jump in the Composite Share
Index (IHSG) last year of as much as 52 percent was one of the
factors in the rapid growth of wealthy Indonesians.
In addition to this, a number of regions outside of Java such as
Kalimantan and Sumatra are currently experiencing a boom in
mining and plantation commodities. "In Bali meanwhile, people are
becoming richer because of the jump in the price of land there is
extraordinary", he Tjoajadi yesterday.
Unfortunately, Tjoajadi claimed he did not know how many of these
super-rich became customers of PT Schroder Investment Management.
Whereas as of late May, the investment management company netted
funds of 25 trillion rupiah, the largest in Indonesia.
According to an executive at a foreign owned bank, the funds of
Indonesian HNWI is spread across a number of asset management
institutions such as banks and in securities. He claimed to have
800 customers who are categorised as HNWI and the average value
of their funds was around 8 billion rupiah. "Some have still not
entered the capital market", said Tjoajadi.
In addition to this, many of Indonesia's super-rich were not
calculated in the survey because they live overseas. According to
the same institution, in 2006 there were 19,000 super-rich
Indonesians living in Singapore who controlled financial assets
valued at 93 billion dollars US. (Cipta Wahyana, Nuria Bonita.
Source: Kontan)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Riau Terkini - June 25, 2008
Pekanbaru – Around one thousand farmers attended the opening of
All Indonesian Farmers and the National Peasants Union (STN)
Extraordinary Congress that was held at the Bukit Square in the
Senapelan sub-district of Pekan Baru on Wednesday June 25. The
event started at around 2pm.
The congress participants were activists or members of the Riau
Farmers Union (STR) that originated from the three regions of
Bengkalis, Siak and Kampar. They arrived using various kinds of
vehicles but mostly open trucks. Some also brought their wives
and children. Their presence filled the Bukit Square with the
colour red, the colour identified with the STR. Most of the
participants also wore the tattered clothing and wide bamboo hats
unique to farmers.
In addition to members of STR, the People's Movement Centre
(Segera) and the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas),
also present were the Reform Star Party (PBR) Central Board of
Directors General Chairperson Bursah Zanurbi and PBR Riau
Regional Leadership Board Chairperson Edi Basri. STN and PBR are
in the midst of drafting an agreement to advance the Indonesian
peasant class in Indonesia. This was explained by STN General
Chairperson Yudi Budi Wibowo in a press conference held before
the congress.
The activities at the mass meeting were dominated by the
presentation of speeches. Figures from STN, STR and Segera as
well as PBR took turns in giving speeches. In Zanurbi's speech for
example, he encouraged the Indonesian peasant class to rise up
and struggle for their rights. "It is time for the Indonesian
peasant class to rise up to struggle for their rights and a
better life. We encourage and always ready to become [your]
partners", he said.
Figures from STN, STR, Segera and Papernas meanwhile,
propagandised farmers' rights to land demanding agrarian reform
and the return of farmers' rights to their land. As of going to
press, the congress was still continuing even though scores of
police were on guard around the location. (mad)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
Fuel price hikes
Aceh
West Papua
Human rights/law
Environment/natural disasters
Agriculture & food security
Health & education
War on corruption
Islam/religion
Elections/political parties
Armed forces/defense
Opinion & analysis
News & issues
Number of super-rich in Indonesia jumps dramatically
STN holds extraordinary congress in Pekan Baru
Poorest still waiting for cash aid
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Jakarta – The distribution of direct cash aid (BLT) for the poor as of Monday has reached fewer than 15 percent of municipalities and regencies across the archipelago.
In charge of the nationwide distribution, national postal service provider PT Pos Indonesia reported Monday the cash aid had only reached 65 out of 440 municipalities and regencies, or about 1.5 million of the targeted 19.1 million households since the start of the program in May 25.
"Some Rp 473 billion of BLT has been distributed in 65 regencies," head of the financial services department at PT Pos, Ida Bagus Nurmantara, said in Jakarta during a press conference.
The penetration of BLT is far below the target of reaching all regencies by the middle of this month. On June 9, Social Services Minister Bahctiar Chamsyah was quoted by Antara newswire as saying the BLT had reached 138 regencies.
PT Pos also reported the average absorption rate in the 65 regencies reached 69 percent, with Jakarta seeing over 94 percent, followed by Riau Islands with 46.83 percent and South Kalimantan with 36.27 percent.
In terms of provinces, 30 provinces have distributed some part of the BLT while the rest – Central Kalimantan, Maluku and West Papua – requesting a postponement as they complete the verification of eligible recipients.
This verification, Nurmantara said, is the most difficult part of the BLT distribution process. The current distribution list was drafted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) in 2005. The agency is updating the list but it is not expected to be finished soon.
Freddy Tulung, the ministry of information and communication's director general for communications and information dissemination, said the BPS has verified the data in some 1,000 sub-districts but there are more than 4,000 sub-districts in Indonesia. It is hoped the new list will provide a clearer map of the poverty problem in the country.
In the meantime, some 44,499 distributed BLT cards have been canceled. Funding to around 11,000 of the cards has been blocked, while the remainder are waiting to be transferred to other family members or to other families in the area.
"Some targeted recipients were taken off the list because they have died, moved, are no longer entitled to the program, or held multiple cards," Freddy said.
Before the new BPS list was ready, he said, the government implemented discussions at the village level where sub-district leaders could propose new recipients for undistributed funds.
The remoteness of some areas, according to Nurmantara, is another reason for the slow distribution.
"When the areas do not have a post office, we have to go to them. Yesterday, Pos 11 Jayapura used a helicopter to reach the most remote area, Kerong, to introduce the BLT to the residents and verify the list. Later they will fly out again to distribute the money. Each trip costs Rp 150 million," he said.
Pos Indonesia is using cross-funding from their allocated budget to pay for the trips.
"We get Rp 5,000 from the government for every distribution we complete. Our costs in cities are quite low, so we use the remaining to subsidize distribution in more difficult terrain," he said.
Freddy said his department had not received any reports of the misallocation of funds. (mri)
| Fuel price hikes |
Jakarta Post - June 28, 2008
Jakarta – Police have released 27 students who were arrested Thursday at Jatinegara train station in East Jakarta.
"They were not proven to have been involved in the riots that happened after the protests," city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said.
He said police were still detaining five suspects for questioning. He said the students were from universities in Yogyakarta and Surabaya.
At least 16 people, including students and police, were injured during the riots when protesters damaged nine cars and public property, like the gates to the toll road and the House of Representatives building.
Lawyers of the arrested protesters said police officers Thursday drove them out of the police station where they were accompanying the 27 arrested students.
"We accompanied them from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m and the police suddenly asked us to leave. They said there were too many people in the room," said lawyer Sarmanto Tambunan.
He said he did not know police had released the 27 students Thursday night after he and other lawyers left the city police headquarters. "We are still waiting for the documents that state their release," he said.
Dozens of police raided the base camp of the Tali Geni (Cross Generation Alliance) on Jl. Tebet Dalam, South Jakarta, reported detik.com.
Police broke down the door but did not find anyone in the house. The student activists had abandoned the house on Tuesday. The officers seized leaflets, a loud speaker, books and posters. (ind)
Jakarta Post - June 28, 2008
Jakarta – Factions at the House of Representatives have promised to use a newly established inquiry committee to uncover wrongdoings in the country's energy industry, including mafia- like practices.
"The inquiry team will investigate the unclear crude oil import mechanisms, which are allegedly controlled by mafia, and which have forced the state and the public to pay 20 percent more for this commodity than they should," Effendy Choirie, head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, said Friday.
He said the inquiry team was designed to uncover national oil and gas technical management and the principles behind government energy policies in general.
"The team will investigate why the government wants to liberalize fuel prices. The Constitutional Court has amended an article in the Oil and Gas Law stipulating that fuel prices be adjusted to business competition because it contradicts the Constitution," he said.
"The team will also investigate why domestic oil production has continued to drop over the past eight years. Does it have anything to do with the existence of the Upstream Oil and Gas Executive Agency (BP Migas)? Why does our cost recovery continue to increase while our oil production always decreases?"
During Tuesday's plenary session, the House decided to use its right to investigate the government's policy over the fuel price rise and has already set up a 50-strong team.
Voting at the plenary session was marked by an about-face as three parties – the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) – that had supported the government also voted to invoke the inquiry right.
Mahfudz Siddiq, head of the PKS faction, said his faction reversed its stance because lawmakers had agreed to use the inquiry right to investigate not only the fuel price rise policy, but also the entire national energy policy.
"We hope the inquiry team will find the answers to the core problems of our poor management of oil and gas," he said.
Despite the positive aspects of the inquiry team, a legal expert at Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University, Denny Indrayana, saw possibilities the inquiry right could be politicized.
"The inquiry right is the lawmakers' most powerful weapon. We don't know yet how the lawmakers will use this right," he said.
Denny said if the lawmakers were serious about conducting the investigation into the oil and gas policy, the team would end up unveiling corruption in the sector.
"We must keep our eyes wide open on the House's inquiry team to control their work in achieving this ideal," he said. (alf)
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Police named five suspects Thursday over this week's violent protests and are still questioning another 27 people at the city police station.
"Three people were charged with violating the Criminal Code for ambush and destruction, while the other two were charged with premeditated criminal action," city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said.
The five suspects were allegedly involved in the riots in three demonstrations in front of the House of Representatives building, Atma Jaya University in Central Jakarta and on Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Of the five people, three were arrested on the scenes Tuesday, while the other two were arrested in a park in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.
Ketut said police had arrested 27 people at Jatinegara train station Wednesday. "I cannot confirm how many of the 27 were students. We just suspect that they are from Yogyakarta and Surabaya," he said.
Agus Priyanto, a student of Sunan Kalijaga University in Yogyakarta, said the 27 people arrested were fellow student activists from Yogyakarta who were on their way home.
He said students who joined the demonstration Tuesday had heard police would arrest them on campus. "We heard police went to Jakarta Muhammadiyah University recently to arrest activists," he said.
At least 1,000 students gathered in front of the House of Representatives building Tuesday, demanding to take part in the plenary session being held to discuss the government policy on fuel prices.
They burned tires in front of the building, blocked a section of Jl. Gatot Subroto, tried to break down the building's gates before clashing with police, who tried to arrest violent protesters.
Riots were also going on in the nearby areas. As many as nine cars were damaged, one of which was set on fire in front of Atma Jaya University.
The National Intelligence Agency chief Syamsir Siregar has accused a legislator from the House of Representatives of having funded Tuesday's protests.
"I was wondering why there were so many outsiders joining the protests, and then I found out they came from far away." He refused to elaborate on the individual or the party, but confirmed had reported his suspicions to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (ind)
Jakarta Post - June 26, 2008
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Violent student protests outside the House of Representatives on Tuesday were masterminded by someone identified only as "FY", the head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) said Wednesday.
Syamsir Siregar said FY had told him a month earlier that there would be street rallies and riots in front of the House and Atma Jaya University in Central Jakarta, Antara news agency reported.
"FY has fled the country and not yet been arrested," he said after a meeting at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
Syamsir said he suspected FY, who was not a politician, engineered the rioting, which brought traffic to a standstill in parts of the city.
At least 1,000 protesters clashed with police when officers tried to arrest more violent protesters who threw stones and tried to break down the House's gates, while other protesters damaged nine cars. One car was burned in front of Atma Jaya University.
Police arrested 16 people outside the university, but later released 13 of them. They said the protesters included students as well as hired thugs.
"We have detained three people now. Two of them are graduates of universities in Medan and Jakarta, while the third is a high school graduate," deputy spokesman of the National Police Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak told The Jakarta Post.
He said police also arrested another man suspected to be a coordinator of the Atma Jaya protests. Another 29 people were arrested at the Jatinegara train station later at night for alleged involvement in the House riots.
He said all the detainees would be questioned at the city police headquarters.
Dozens of students from various universities, including the National University (Unas) and Muhammadiyah University, protested outside the headquarters, demanding police release the student detainees.
They also demanded the government scrap the 30 percent fuel price rise it imposed last month, and called for an inquiry into the death of Maftuh Fauzi, a Unas student who died on June 20, one month after a clashing with police in a violent protest.
On Wednesday evening, 50 students staged another protest at the Senayan circle in Central Jakarta, vandalizing a police station and damaging a CCTV camera in the process. Dedi Tri, a student at Moestopo Beragama University, was arrested and taken to police headquarters.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has renewed calls for increased security and unity in the country.
"Any extreme act of violence in Jakarta is a cause of concern for the whole nation. I call on all citizens to maintain public security and orderliness," he said at the State Palace.
Yudhoyono said it was important to build a solid democracy and avoid violence for the sake of the people, especially ahead of the 2009 general election. (ind)
Jakarta Post - June 25, 2008
Jakarta – Student protests in Jakarta on Tuesday turned violent, leaving at least 18 people injured and causing massive traffic jams that brought areas of the city to a virtual standstill.
Several students were detained and questioned at Jakarta Police Headquarters.
At least 1,000 students gathered at the gates of the House of Representatives building, demanding they be allowed to take part in a plenary session being held to discuss the government's fuel price policy.
They also voiced solidarity with National University student Maftuh Fauzi, who died on June 20 a month after being involved in a clash with police on the university's South Jakarta campus.
The protesters blocked a section of Jl. Gatot Subroto, leaving only one lane available for vehicles.
They burned tires in the street in front of the House and clashed with police when officers moved in to arrest the more violent protesters. Police used water cannons on the protesters, who responded by pelting the officers with stones.
"We just want to enter the House building to persuade lawmakers to vote to question the government over its fuel price policy. We hope by using their right to inquiry, they can annul the government's fuel price hike policy," one of the leaders of the student protesters, Lalu Hilman Afriandi, said.
He said several students attempted to enter the House compound through a back gate, located on Jl. Gelora, but security guards blocked them. "We tried to enter the building but we failed. That's why many students were angry," he said.
During the plenary session, 233 of 360 lawmakers voted for an inquiry into the government's fuel price policy.
Another protest in front of Atma Jaya University, on Jl. Sudirman, also turned violent as students searched for government cars before burning one vehicle.
Students and activists also protested at the Jl. Rasuna Said office of copper and gold mining company Freeport, demanding the government nationalize the company. The protesters halted the operation of TransJakarta buses serving the Kuningan-Ragunan route.
The rallies caused massive traffic jams, forcing office workers to seek alternative routes home. Nine cars were damaged during the protests, including one that was completely burned out.
Commenting on the violent protests, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana called on the Atma Jaya University rector to do more to control students.
He said police detained five students over the violence. "The rector told us to take all necessary measures to secure the protest," he said. (ind)
Associated Press - June 25, 2008
About 1,000 Indonesian protesters angered by a student demonstrator's death after his arrest burned cars and hurled stones at police guarding the Parliament yesterday, witnesses said.
Participants in the demonstration in Jakarta also demanded that the government revoke a 30 per cent fuel price increase imposed last month. The dead student had been protesting the price hike.
Yesterday's protesters started at Parliament, then headed to other parts of the capital where they blocked traffic, vandalised property and set fire to government vehicles, said a police spokesman.
Police used a water cannon to douse the flames and disperse protesters trying to break into the grounds of Parliament. Later, a car was also set alight outside the Catholic Atmajaya University on one of the city's busiest commuter routes, snarling traffic for kilometres.
The main group carried a fake coffin and pictures of Maftuh Fauzi, a 27-year-old student at the National University who had been among 100 fuel price protesters arrested May 24. He died in hospital last Friday, but there were conflicting reports about the cause.
The Indonesian Doctors' Association was seeking clarification from Pertamina Hospital, which said Fauzi died of HIV/AIDS. Students say he was beaten by police and died of his injuries.
A National Human Rights Commission investigation concluded Tuesday that the police raid on Fauzi's university campus violated the students' rights and called for an independent autopsy for Fauzi, said commissioner Nur Kholis.
Indonesia's government raised petrol pump prices by nearly 30 per cent on May 23 because of the surging cost of oil and gas on the global market. The move triggered generally peaceful protests throughout the vast Indonesian archipelago, a nation of 235 million people.
Jakarta Post - June 25, 2008
Jakarta – Facing pressure from students on the street, the House of Representatives decided Tuesday, by an open vote, to conduct a review of the government's unpopular fuel price policy.
The House, however, dropped demands to summon the government to the House to explain the policy.
After a two-and-half-hour closed-door session of faction leaders ended in deadlock, House leaders called for an open vote, forcing several factions to reverse themselves and support the move for an inquiry.
Of the 360 lawmakers present at Tuesday's plenary session, 233 voted for a petition to review the fuel price increase policy.
"The House will establish a review team immediately," said House Speaker Agung Laksono, himself a leader of the Golkar Party, which together with the Democratic Party were the only factions that opposed the petition.
Golkar lawmaker Yuddy Chrisnandi stood out as the only one from his party to support the petition.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) were the key groups swinging the decision for the petition. These factions had previously said a review was unnecessary.
Mahfudz Siddiq, head of the PKS faction, denied his faction had reversed course to save face in the open vote.
"We finally agreed to use the right of inquiry because the investigating team will review government energy policy in general as well as the fuel price increase," he said.
Lawmaker Dradjad Hari Wibowo of the National Mandate Party, who was involved in the closed-door meeting, said the open vote may have forced PKS, PPP and PDS to change their positions.
"As supporters of this petition, our strategy was to force the House to decide by an open vote. With this mechanism, factions had to reconsider their decisions because they were under public scrutiny," he said.
As the lawmakers held their plenary session on the fuel price increase, students from universities staged unruly rallies in different locations in Jakarta.
They tore down the toll road fence in front of the House of Representatives building and attacked a police vehicle nearby. Another group of students burned a vehicle in front of Atma Jaya University.
The police managed to disperse the protesters and detained several demonstrators.
In the same plenary session, the House held another vote on a second attempt to summon the government to the House to explain the fuel price increase. This was rejected. Dradjad said his faction voted against the petition (to call the government to the House to explain itself) because this would divert attention from reviewing the government fuel price increase policy.
"Once the inquiry petition is accepted, the interpellation is no longer relevant. Further, the current lawmakers only have about one year left at the House. It would be better for us to focus on the right of inquiry," he said.
Tjahjo Kumolo, head of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, which has supported the inquiry petition since the beginning, said the action of the legislature to attempt simultaneously to effect two measures on its right of inquiry into government policy and to call upon government to explain its actions before the House showed that there must be something really wrong with government policy.
"This is the first time in our legislative history that this has happened," he said. (alf)
Agence France Presse - June 24, 2008
Jakarta – About 1,000 protesters angered by a student demonstrator's death after his arrest burned tires and threw stones Tuesday at a police post in the Indonesian capital, witnesses said.
The demonstrators outside Parliament in downtown Jakarta also demanded that the government revoke a 30 percent fuel price increase imposed last month.
They then headed to other parts of the city where they blocked traffic and vandalized property.
Police used a water cannon to douse the flames and disperse protesters trying to break down the main gates at Parliament, an Associated Press reporter at the scene said.
Elsewhere, protesters set fire to a police car and wandered onto the toll road to the international airport.
The main group carried a fake coffin and pictures of the late Maftuh Fauzi, a 27-year-old student from the National University who had been among 100 people protesting the fuel price rise and were arrested by police on May 24. He died last Friday from an infection, but there were conflicting reports about the cause.
The Indonesian Doctors' Association was seeking clarification from Pertamina Hospital, which said Fauzi died of HIV/AIDS. Students say he was beaten by police and died of his injuries.
Indonesia's government raised gasoline pump prices by nearly 30 percent on May 23 because of the surging cost of oil and gas on the global market. The move triggered generally peaceful protests throughout the vast Indonesian archipelago, a nation of 235 million people.
| Aceh |
Jakarta Post - June 26, 2008
Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Around 24,000 Acehnese who emigrated to Malaysia to escape the war and devastating 2004 tsunami face deportation, with Kuala Lumpur saying it will not extend their temporary stay permits.
Imam Syuja, a National Mandate Party legislator in Aceh, said Wednesday that provincial and central government should provide them with jobs and housing if their permits lapsed.
"They are Acehnese and Indonesian citizens, victims of conflict and the tsunami and deserving of humanitarian relief to re- integrate them into society so they can live normally," he said.
He explained the 24,000 were part of more than 30,600 Acehnese who emigrated to Malaysia following the conflict and tsunami. "Part have returned home after peace was restored," he said.
The Malaysian government gave two-year temporary stay permits to conflict and tsunami victims for humanitarian reasons and agreed to extend them after intensive lobbying by the Indonesian government in 2006.
Aceh Vice Governor Muhammad Nazar said that provincial government has lobbied the Malaysian government through the Foreign Ministry to re-extend the temporary stay permits until Indonesia was ready to receive the migrants back.
"We have to receive them and seek solutions for them if Malaysia decides not to extend their stay permits because they are Acehnese and Indonesian citizens," he said.
He called on Malaysia to make phased deportations to help avoid social problems and economic burdens for the Aceh government.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said his government was to launch a massive operation to deport tens of thousands of Filipino and Indonesian illegal migrants from Borneo Island where they are blamed for drugs and crime.
"We are ready to launch a large-scale operation to flush out all illegal immigrants from the state of Sabah and deport them," he said, as quoted by AFP.
Najib, who did not make any specific statement on the Acehnese immigrants, said security would be improved along Malaysia's land and sea borders with the Philippines and Indonesia to prevent further illegal migration.
"The root cause of the problem is that the borders are very porous and traditionally local people do not recognize them. They move in and out according to economic opportunities in Sabah," he said.
Sandwiched by the Philippines in the north, and Indonesia's Kalimantan to the south, resource-rich Sabah is a magnet for migrant workers who for decades have come to work on building sites and oil palm plantations.
Sabah and neighbouring Sarawak state make up Malaysia's half of the vast island of Borneo, which is shared with Indonesia. Authorities say there are 130,000 illegal migrants in Sabah, but local politicians put the figure as high as 500,000.
Najib said that since the 1990s, at least 300,000 illegal migrants have been deported from Sabah. "We are prepared to do even more in the future. We have ascertained that this is a serious problem and the people in Sabah want action to be taken," he said.
Najib said Malaysian authorities will hold talks with their counterparts in the Philippines and Indonesia to organise the mass deportation.
| West Papua |
Agence France Presse - June 25, 2008
Jakarta – An Indonesian plan to build a highway through the forests of Papua risks opening the door to massive deforestation in the jungle-clad half-island, environment groups said Wednesday.
The 4,500 kilometre (2,796 mile) Trans-Papua highway between the provinces of Papua and West Papua would lead to an explosion in palm oil plantations and allow easy access for illegal loggers, Greenpeace and Papuan NGOs said in a statement.
The planned road "would not only result in irreversible biodiversity loss and consequent ecological disaster, it will have a devastating impact on the lives and livelihood of the Papuan people," Greenpeace campaigner Bustar Maitar said.
The NGOs urged the government to properly consult local Papuans before going ahead with highway, which is the cornerstone of a 2007 plan by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to develop the resource-rich but impoverished provinces.
The plan comes as Indonesian officials eye Papua's vast wilderness as a potential site for more palm oil plantations to cash in on voracious global demand for the crop.
Palm oil plantations could be created on between three and four million hectares (up to 9.8 million acres) of suitable land in the two provinces, an agriculture ministry official told AFP in May.
Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, also has one of the highest levels of deforestation, with weak law enforcement and widespread corruption allowing illegal land clearing and logging to flourish.
Jakarta Post - June 23, 2008
Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The 2001 law on special autonomy has been implemented over last seven years in Papua, but its journey has lacked clear direction, a discussion concludes.
The conclusion was reached at a recent discussion held between Papua legislative council Commission A and the media in Jayapura titled "Predictions on the Condition of Papua 25 Years after Special Autonomy".
"We are walking without a course, without clear direction and without any goals," said Commission A member Yance Kayame. The ad-hoc implementation of special autonomy, said Yance, was due to the provincial administration's lack of strategic planning over the last 25 years. Policies, therefore, have been temporary and incidental in nature.
"We don't have any long-term goals," he said. "We are still walking without clear direction."
The positive changes gained since the implementation of special autonomy includes provincial budget increment, the development of various sectors and a stronger sense of belonging among indigenous people, Lance said.
However, many issues still need to be properly addressed including adequate access to education, health services, basic nutrition, housing and public infrastructure.
On top of that, the provincial and special ordinances, which are regarded as the key mechanisms for implementing the 2001 law, have not yet been approved by the Papua legislative council.
"Policies will become partial and sporadic given the lack of provincial and special ordinances," ICS Papua director Budi Setyanto told The Jakarta Post in Jayapura recently.
He said the implementation of the Rural Development Scheme (Respek), which provides each village with Rp 100 million (US$11,000), lacked standards with villages individually interpreting the program. "Respek is not supported by a basic implementation strategy. It should be regulated by the special or provincial ordinances in order to have clear definitions."
Another problem, Budi said, was the autonomy issue. Currently, the separation issue is topical in Papua, with some people in favor of separation, while others are against it, he said.
The provincial ordinance, he said, should incorporate a time span for provinces or regencies to flourish into autonomous regions, their reasons to become one and the terms for autonomy.
"People will be more aware and will not arbitrarily ask for autonomy status if there are effective guidelines."
The delay in approving the special and provincial ordinances, said Budi, was both the executive and legislative bodies' mistake. Both institutions should have prioritized the issue, but they had focussed more on political issues such as direct leadership election and separation.
The people themselves have not been persistent in urging the government to enact the ordinances because they think that with all the money being disbursed by the government the special autonomy issue has ended, Budi said.
"It's in the mind-set of our people. They are not aggressive despite the importance of the ordinances. How can we implement special autonomy effectively without guidelines?"
Papua legislative speaker John Ibo said the council had passed 23 draft special and provincial ordinances in May.
"Actually, we were ready to approve them last year, but their approval was impeded by the governor's policy of establishing an ordinance probing team. Everything has been prepared. We are only waiting for approval," Ibo told the Post.
| Human rights/law |
Jakarta Post - June 28, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Activists have dismissed speculation that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a deal with retired generals or military leaders to arrest former senior intelligence officer Muchdi Purwopranjono.
It has been suggested that Muchdi was arrested for his alleged role in the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib as part of a political deal to raise the President's image ahead of the 2009 presidential election.
Rights activists close to the murder investigation said they believed police were "serious" about finding Munir's killers with the arrest of Maj. Gen. (ret.) Muchdi, a former deputy chief of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).
They said the allegation Muchdi was only a scapegoat to allow other higher-ranking officers to escape justice was untenable because the President would not be able to control the case once it reached court.
"It's too risky for SBY to make a political deal in the Munir murder, and the police would refuse to be used as a political tool to arrest someone such as Muchdi without sufficient evidence," said Usman Hamid, coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras).
He said Muchdi's arrest was "significant progress" in the investigation and the police deserved applause.
Usman said he believed Muchdi's arrest was delayed because the police had been collecting more evidence after the Supreme Court jailed pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto for 20 years for murdering Munir. The conviction of Pollycarpus strongly convinced the police that Muchdi was involved in the case, Usman added.
Setara Institute director Hendardi, who – like Usman – was a member of an independent team set up by Yudhoyono to find Munir's killers, similarly said any attempt to restrict suspects in the case to Muchdi would fail.
"The trials of Pollycarpus and other defendants revealed facts and names. That's how the police managed to catch Muchdi. So, once this case is taken to court, further evidence and names will appear connecting Muchdi to other people," Hendardi said.
After years of uncertainty, the police arrested Muchdi on charges of violating Article 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
Muchdi is alleged to have played a part in the murder of Munir, who died from arsenic poisoning on board a Garuda Indonesia flight on Sept. 7, 2004, flying from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore.
Muchdi's name was mentioned in a written statement issued by BIN agent Budi Santoso that was read out in court during Pollycarpus' trial.
Despite public praise for the police and Yudhoyono for taking action against Muchdi, some observers expressed concern the case would end with his detention, saying higher-ranking BIN officers would escape justice because the situation was devised only to please the public ahead of the 2009 elections.
Public pressure has increased for the police to broaden the investigation by arresting other senior BIN officers.
Munir's widow Suciwati, activists and lawmakers have mounted demands for the police to summon A.M. Hendropriyono, who led the BIN at the time of the murder, and his other former deputy M. As'ad.
Soeripto, deputy chief of the House of Representatives' Commission III for legal affairs, who is also a former BIN officer, alleged the Munir murder was planned at an internal BIN meeting in 2004. Hendropriyono has repeatedly dismissed allegations he played a role in the murder.
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Abdul Khalik and Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Police say they will go after other people allegedly involved in the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib after finishing their investigation of former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi Purwoprandjono.
"Right now, we are concentrating on finishing the case file of Pak Muchdi. After submitting the file to prosecutors, we will continue with other people if we have preliminary evidence," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abubakar Nataprawira told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
He refused to provide names but said police had strong evidence that Muchdi worked with off-duty Garuda Indonesia pilot Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto to kill Munir on his way to Amsterdam on Sept. 7, 2004. "We have hard evidence that he (Muchdi) knew Pollycarpus, and both of them worked together to kill Munir," he said.
Abubakar said police had records of conversations between the retired two-star general and Pollycarpus, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for poisoning Munir.
BIN agent Budi Santoso also testified that both Muchdi and Pollycarpus had intensive contacts, saying he was ordered by Muchdi to deliver Rp 10 million (US$1,081) to the Garuda pilot prior to the murder.
Muchdi, through his lawyers, has denied all the accusations, insisting he did not know Pollycarpus or give him money.
A member of the now-defunct fact-finding team for the Munir case, Hendardi, said the most important thing for the police now was to prove Muchdi's involvement in the murder before implicating others. "Muchdi is the entry point for the police to solve the case and net other BIN officials," he said.
Public pressure for the police to investigate other BIN leaders has increased, with many people believing Muchdi did not act alone. Lawmakers have demanded that police summon A.M. Hendropriyono, who led BIN at the time of the murder, and M. As'ad, a former BIN deputy chief.
Soeripto, deputy chief of the House of Representatives' Commission III for legal affairs, who is also a former BIN officer, alleged the Munir murder was planned at an internal BIN meeting in 2004. Hendropriyono has repeatedly dismissed allegations he played a role in the murder.
A police source said As'ad could also be implicated in the murder case as he allegedly signed a BIN letter assigning Pollycarpus as a security officer on the flight on which Munir was poisoned.
BIN chief Syamsir Siregar asked the police to prove the agency had issued such a letter. "I have never seen the letter. If there is such a letter, prove it," he said at the Presidential Office on Monday.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a closed-door meeting with the BIN chief, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Djoko Santoso and Coordinating Minister for Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto.
State Secretary Hatta Radjasa denied the meeting discussed the Munir case. He reaffirmed the President had instructed law enforcers to continue investigating the murder until all those involved had been identified and brought to justice.
"The President demands this case be completely solved, justly and transparently. He will not intervene, allowing law enforcers to do their job."
Jakarta Post - June 23, 2008
Jakarta – Lawmakers are putting pressure on the National Police to summon ex-top intelligence officers in a bid to find the masterminds of the murder of human rights campaigner Munir Said Thalib.
They said Sunday the probe on former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Muchdi Purwopranjono, who was detained last Thursday, should lead to the revelation of an alleged "grand conspiracy" in the murder case.
Mahfudz Siddiq, who chairs the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction in the House of Representatives, said the police must question other former BIN top officers
"The police must first prove Muchdi's involvement in the murder. If they find any further evidence during investigations into Muchdi, which may show the implication of other BIN leaders, they should follow-up by summoning them," he said. Should the evidence be discovered, he added, the police could proceed with the investigation by questioning former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Mahfudz argued the summons for Megawati, who currently leads the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), was plausible because the assassination incident took place during her administration.
PDI-P faction secretary-general Gandjar Pranowo made a similar call for the police to unravel the masterminds behind the murder.
"The police must dig deeper for more information from Muchdi about other parties which may have conspired with him to carry out the murder. I believe if the police do their best, the conspiracy could eventually be disclosed," he added.
Soeripto, deputy chief of House Commission III for legal affairs, who is also a former BIN officer, alleged the Munir murder was planned at an internal BIN meeting in 2004, which was then led by A.M. Hendropriyono. "The meeting resulted in Munir's elimination," Soeripto said, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.
Hendropriyono has repeatedly dismissed allegations of playing a key role in the murder of Munir, who was poisoned to death on Sept. 7, 2004, on board a Garuda flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam via Singapore.
Prominent military expert Kusnanto Anggoro suggested the BIN help reveal the mystery behind the high-profile murder case. "After the detention of Muchdi, former and current BIN officers should act cooperatively with the investigation team if they are summoned to testify," he said.
Muchdi's lawyers are planning to request a detention suspension some time this week under the responsibility of his wife, children and some public leaders, including Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin.
However, Din refused to back Muchdi. "I, as the Muhammadiyah leader, have often received requests to support many parties. But we have no tradition of doing such a thing, so we cannot do so now," he said. (nkn)
| Environment/natural disasters |
Tempo Interactive - June 30, 2008
Firman Hidayat, Samarinda – The elephants also entered villages and destroyed paddy fields. "It is hard for the elephants to get food now," said Arid Data Kesuma, a staff member of the Heart of Borneo World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia, in a press release which Tempo received yesterday.
The human-elephant conflict has increased during the past five months, with the elephants' habitat being changed to oil palm plantations.
Arif said that this has caused a reduction in the Kalimantan elephant population and, based on the last survey, there were only 60-70 Pygmy Borneo elephants left.
Samsuardi, a member of the Indonesian Elephant Conservation Forum, the agency that carried out the survey, said that the elephant herds mostly live in small forests around the village. They target the oil palms as these are their favorite food.
According to Samsuardi, based on the Landsat analysis, there has been an immense conversion of forests to oil palm plantations.
These elephants also destroyed villagers' plantations in Semunad Village. The 350 hectare oil palm plantations, which belonged to 175 families, came from a Nunukan Regency Government loan.
Some of the plants and seeds, which have just been planted, were all eaten by the elephants. Samsuardi said that similar damage had occurred in other villages in Sebuku.
He advised that plantation managers cooperate with the general public and government to deal with the elephant attack. According to him, the best way was to consider the habitat of the elephants when preparing plantations.
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Irawaty Wardany, Nusa Dua, Bali – Indonesia lacks the intelligence capabilities to prevent the dumping of hazardous waste in the country, an environmental researcher says.
From 2004 to 2008, Indonesia's intelligence agencies managed to uncover just five cases involving the illegal importation of hazardous waste. These cases included hazardous waste and batteries from Singapore and used condoms from Germany.
"We have to admit that the abilities of our intelligence services are too weak to watch over Indonesia's large territorial waters," a senior researcher at the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law, Mas Achmad Santosa, said here Monday after a discussion on the handling of illegal transboundary hazardous waste.
The dialogue was a side event at the ninth Conference of Parties to the Basel Convention, being held in Bali from Monday to Friday.
The Basel Convention is an environmental agreement focusing on the control of the transboundary movement of hazardous waste to protect human health and the environment. The convention, signed by 170 countries, has been in force for 16 years.
Achmad said Indonesia was unlikely to realize if neighboring countries were dumping waste into its waters.
He suggested the government improve cooperation with neighboring countries, especially in information sharing and capacity building.
He also suggested bringing the hazardous waste issue to the World Trade Organization, as the Basel Convention is often considered a barrier to WTO negotiations.
The assistant deputy minister for criminal enforcement at the environment ministry, Dasrul Chaniago, said they found it difficult to stop the dumping of hazardous waste because often the companies involved had legal documents.
He cited PT Asia Pacific Eco Lestari (PT APEL), which imported more than one million tons of contaminated organic materials in 2005 from Singapore to Galang Baru Island in Batam.
"According to the documents, it was legal as it was done with an import notification letter stipulating that the bags were loaded with organic fertilizer," he said.
After conducting a laboratory analysis of the waste, authorities discovered it contained heavy metals that were categorized as hazardous composite waste. "But Singapore insisted it was not hazardous," he said.
The dispute was resolved after being brought to the Basel Convention Secretariat for mediation.
"We finally sent the waste back to its country of origin, while the Batam District Court sentenced the director of PT APEL to six months in prison and fined him Rp 150 million (US$16,186)," Dasrul said.
Agence France Presse - June 23, 2008
Singapore – Regional officials on Monday praised Indonesia's efforts to reduce a haze caused by forest fires which regularly choke Southeast Asia.
The blazes, set by large plantations and farmers, send smoke into Indonesian skies and across boundaries into neighbouring countries each year during the May to October dry season.
"I wouldn't say that there will be no haze," Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, told reporters after talks among regional officials on ways to tackle the haze.
"But having said that, we also noted the efforts of our Indonesian counterparts, where they have set a target and reaffirmed the target to reduce the hotspots by 50 percent – which we welcome."
Yaacob said the target gave cause for optimism that "the situation will be slightly better" than in 2006, the last severe outbreak of the haze.
Singapore joined representatives from Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand for Monday's talks.
"Over the next few months, increased hotspot activities may occur in the fire-prone areas of Sumatra, peninsula Malaysia and Borneo, particularly during extended periods of dry weather," the committee said in a statement.
It said parts of Southeast Asia "can expect drier weather in the next three months as compared to the same period last year."
Indonesia's Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said in April that hotspots had been reduced by 51 percent last year in key provinces and that improvement should continue.
Firefighting helicopters will be put on standby in the most fire-prone provinces, said Masyud, director of the information centre at Indonesia's ministry of forestry.
"Indonesia is highly concerned with land and forest fires and we are prepared to manage it if it happens this year," Masyud said. "So far the weather has been kind. There has been a lot of rain."
The worst haze outbreak in 1997-98 cost the region an estimated nine billion dollars by disrupting air travel, tourism and other business. Officials will hold further talks in Thailand in October.
| Agriculture & food security |
Associated Press - June 25, 2008
Brussels – Anti-poverty group Oxfam International on Tuesday urged the world's poorest nations to think twice before jumping on a biofuel boom that could drive farmers off their land and hit food supplies.
In a report, campaigners recommended that developing countries "move with extreme caution" before embarking on any broad push to increase output of energy crops such as palm oil.
It said biofuel exports to Europe and the United States may be lucrative but the potential economic, social and environmental costs are "severe."
Oxfam said governments need to set safeguards to make sure small farmers are not thrown off their land and that food crops continue to be grown.
The report said Indonesia has seen sharp price rises for palm oil which local people use as a staple cooking oil as the government sets aside 40 percent of output for biofuel.
It warned that this may worsen because both Indonesia and Malaysia want to produce more palm oil to supply a fifth of Europe's future biofuel demand.
Oxfam is calling on the European Union to scrap a target for biofuel to replace a tenth of transport fuel by 2020. It says the target will not fulfill Europe's goal of either reducing greenhouse gas emissions or cutting its dependence on imported oil.
"Biofuels currently provide a solution neither to the oil nor to the climate crisis, and are now contributing to a third: the food crisis," Oxfam spokesman Robert Bailey told reporters.
The group claims that biofuels are partly responsible for hikes in food prices and are to blame for dragging some 30 million people worldwide into poverty.
Europe appears to be rethinking its target. EU leaders last week called for a careful assessment of how using more biofuels might affect global food production.
However, some voices see biofuels as a huge opportunity for developing countries.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says the biofuel boom creates a profitable export for energy crop producers in Africa, Central America and Caribbean that would allow them to claw their way out of poverty.
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Jonathan Wootliff – Less than two years ago few people knew about biofuels. Today, Indonesians are struggling to cope with the escalating costs of daily essentials, like rice, as the amount of agricultural land being used to produce this new source of energy increases.
A combination of skyrocketing oil prices and the need to find alternatives to climate changing fossil fuels is driving this new biofuel obsession.
Environmentalists are becoming increasingly worried about the adverse impacts this will have on the country's rapidly diminishing rainforests.
It's a cruel irony that biofuels, which were developed as an alternative to greenhouse gas-emitting petroleum, threaten the environment. Experts fear that the attractive revenues derived from biofuels will result in a surge toward the conversion of conservation-rich land.
Land use in Indonesia is already complicated and muddled without this additional burden. An airplane view of much of Sumatra and Kalimantan shows a scarred and chaotic landscape.
The rate of forest loss is accelerating. On average, about a million hectares a year were cleared in the 1980s, rising to about 1.7 million hectares per year in the first part of the 1990s. Since 1996, deforestation appears to have increased to a devastating annual average of two million hectares.
Opportunistic planting of oil palm by misguided farmers on land that cannot sustain the crop often results in vast abandoned areas reminiscent of desserts.
Although outlawed, slash and burn practices continue to cause massive fire destruction, and illegal logging abounds at an alarming pace.
In spite of sound forestry and environmental laws designed to protect high conservation value forest, the habitats of some of the world's most precious and threatened species are going fast. According to environmental NGO Greenpeace, the country's forests are disappearing at the rate of three hundred soccer pitches every hour.
Demands that the government do more to enforce the laws to protect these forests often falls on deaf ears. In spite of the impressive rhetoric from the forestry minister and other officials, the destruction marches on.
No sensible environmentalist is campaigning for Indonesia to be deprived of using forest and other land for economic development. Millions of people depend on it for their survival. But it has to be managed. That's what sustainable development is all about.
Degraded forests provide ideal land for agricultural use, and there is plenty forest with limited conservation value suitable for development.
Land needs to be strictly delineated so that environmentally important areas are protected. Until this is done, the use of land for the growing of biofuels must be regarded with great caution.
We simply cannot allow the biofuel lobby to argue that its products will help us to combat climate change, when their crops are devastating Indonesia's remaining ecologically sensitive places.
Land used for biofuel is displacing traditional crops, thus driving up food prices. And land use for biofuel crops is increasing the destruction of the nation's rainforests.
Farmers must be discouraged from the allure of attractive revenues derived from growing biofuels. Short-term financial gains will lead to longer-term economic woes.
Contrary to what the exponents of biofuel are saying, this is clearly not a panacea for climate change or rising fuel costs.
There is surely a strong enough case here for the government to sharpen its focus on the biofuel challenge and enforce environmental law.
This is urgent and must be done in the interests of both Indonesia's environmental and food security.
[Jonathan Wootliff is an independent sustainable development consultant specializing in the building of productive relationships between companies and NGOs. He can be contacted at jonathan@wootliff.com.]
| Health & education |
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara – The death toll from severe malnutrition cases in East Nusa Tenggara province rose from 23 to 25 as of Thursday, an official from the local health office said.
Erlina Salmun, the office's head of food and nutrition monitoring, said the two additional dead victims aged under five were Lidia Luna of Ngada regency and Juningsih Winto Wara of Southwest Sumba regency. "The two died because of complications from acute malnutrition and malaria," Erlina said.
Most children suffering from acute malnutrition also endured various illnesses such as diarrhea, malaria and tuberculosis, she said.
Erlina said in the first six months of this year, the number of malnutrition cases with clinical complications reached 112, while those without clinical complications numbered 12,680 and others suffering from poor nutrition amounted to 72,085.
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – With rampant child labor denying many the right to an education, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said Thursday the key to fighting it was education.
In a workshop titled "Education, Alternative Solution for Child Labor", jointly organized by the ILO and National Education Ministry, the ILO's Jakarta deputy director Peter van Rooij said eliminating child labor required close coordination with education programs and policies.
"Without education, children enter the labor force young, often below the legal minimum age of employment," Rooij said.
"Therefore, the link between education and child labor should be reflected by mainstreaming issues related to child labor into educational programs and policies."
The workshop was attended by 60 representatives of government institutions, trade unions, employers' organizations, non- governmental organizations and academia.
It was held as part of commemorations to mark the World Day Against Child Labor on June 12. This year's commemorations focus on the role of education in combating child labor.
In 2004, some 1.4 million Indonesian children aged between 10 and 14 years were forced into labor and denied an education, the ILO said. The global figure was 75 million.
Many child laborers work long hours, often in dangerous conditions, and are either outright denied educational opportunities or forced to balance work with education.
"Their families may be unable to afford school fees or other costs, and may depend on the contribution a working child makes to the household's income. And so they place more importance on that than on education," Rooij said.
He added in the vast majority of such cases, girls often bore the brunt of the compromise.
Suyanto, the education ministry's director general for the management of primary and secondary education, said the government had established 2,576 Open Junior High Schools (known locally as SMP Terbuka) across the country, with higher concentrations in areas with large numbers of child workers, to address the issue.
The schools feature a flexible study time and location, agreed to by tutors, students and parents. Suyanto said they enabled child workers could study while still allowing them to work.
The number of students attending such schools has risen to 306,498, with 16,684 tutors in 10,368 learning centers, while the number of teachers has reached 30,776.
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Agnes Winarti, Jakarta – Parents of new state elementary school students should be cautious of illegal school fees during the admission period and in the first months of school activities, said an education campaigner Thursday.
"Most parents are still unaware any kind of fees charged by the school or teachers during and after the admission period are illegal," said Jumono, of the Alliance of Parents for Education, on Thursday.
He said according to an official letter from the Jakarta Elementary Education Agency, state elementary and junior high schools must not collect money from parents for any reason, including uniforms, text books, as well as student entrance fees.
"All are stated clearly in the official letter," he said. The letter is based on regulations on education expense management and a governor decree implemented in 2007.
"Some schools try to hide some of these regulations from parents. That's why many parents are uninformed and still regard fees for uniforms and books normal charges. The most critical time for parents to be cautious is during the next two to three months, when their children begin school activities," he said.
In the past few years, he said, after new students enrolled and began class activities, school principals or school committees have invited parents to discuss enrollment fees with various terms, like development donations.
Since early June, the alliance and several other NGOs, including Indonesian Corruption Watch and the Suara Ibu Peduli, have set up five posts in East Jakarta, South Jakarta and Central Jakarta to receive public complaints concerning state elementary school admissions around Jakarta.
Jumono said the posts had received more than 25 complaints, mostly from parents who were facing difficulties in enrolling their children in state schools.
Most of the problems are about documents, like birth certificates, family cards and proof-of-address letters, mostly faced by students enrolling in North Jakarta schools.
There are currently 11 complaints about illegal fees requested by either schools or teachers, ranging from Rp 500,000 to Rp 1.5 million.
"Most parents who file complaints are afraid to reveal the school names because they do not want their children to be discriminated against or intimidated," he said.
Jakarta Post - June 23, 2008
Panca Nugraha, Mataram – Malnutrition has claimed 20 lives in West Nusa Tengarra over the past six months, according to a local health office.
Malnutrition affected as many as 466 toddlers in the same period, a decrease from 1,667 cases and 52 deaths in 2007, according to data from the Mataram health office.
The office's head of health services and malnutrition, Sabar Setiawan, said that despite the decreasing number of cases, malnutrition was still a problem in the province.
Malnutrition is often accompanied by other health problems such as lung infections, diarrhea and tuberculosis, he said.
"The victims die from infections, but the root cause is malnutrition," he said.
East Nusa Tenggara is also suffering from a malnutrition epidemic, killing 23 toddlers in the past six months.
The provincial health office recorded a total of 512,400 malnutrition cases in East Nusa Tenggara with most patients still undergoing medical treatment at the public health centers, hospitals and malnutrition rehabilitation centers.
Sabar said of the 466 current cases in West Nusa Tenggara, 353 were still being treated at public health centers and hospitals and mostly have been suffering from health problems.
The data was collected from integrated health service posts, public health centers and hospitals, he said.
"Health workers and volunteers from religious and nongovernmental organizations have been deployed to distribute additional nutrition to poor families and to campaign for breast-feeding among mothers in rural areas," he said.
Besides the absence of strong support from the government to improve the people's social welfare, early marriages among young couples, poor access to health services and the increasing divorce rate have indirectly contributed to rampant malnutrition, he said.
Sabar criticized the central government for cutting the special funds allocated to handle malnutrition cases.
"The province received Rp 17 billion in 2007, Rp 14 billion in 2006 and Rp 16 billion in 2005. This year, the government decided to cut it again. We are yet to know how much the government will disburse to the province this year."
Almost all regents and municipalities in the province have complained about this policy as they have no funds to appropriately handle malnutrition cases.
| War on corruption |
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Jakarta – Untung Udji Santoso was removed from his position as deputy attorney general for state administration on Thursday for his alleged role in a major bribery case that has gripped the country.
He is the third top prosecutor to be dismissed in connection with the unfolding scandal involving another senior prosecutor, Urip Tri Gunawan, and businesswoman Artalyta Suryani.
Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said Untung was removed to "maintain the credibility" of the Attorney General's Office (AGO), which has taken a battering at the hands of critics.
"What is really important in this problem is to protect the credibility of the office. That's why I must relieve Untung of his duties, because the public is questioning his credibility and his possible involvement in the bribery case," he said at a news conference.
Hendarman said he had a short list of three candidates to replace Untung. "I have summoned the candidates to meet with me on Friday. Of the three, one is very promising. But I need to have their commitment in upholding justice before I can recommend them to the President. I cannot mention who they are at this point," he said.
Hendarman said he dismissed Untung in response to the results of an internal investigation following the discovery of several taped phone conversations between Artalyta and senior AGO officials.
Kemas Yahya Rahman, deputy attorney general for special crimes, and Muhammad Salim, AGO director of investigations, were also dismissed from their posts.
The prosecutors have been accused of involvement in the bribery case in which Urip was caught by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) receiving US$660,000 and Rp 100 million (US$10,810) in cash from Artalyta.
The latter is suspected of being a close business acquaintance of Sjamsul Nursalim, one of the country's richest men. Sjamsul was a suspect in the embezzlement of US$3 billion in emergency bailout loans to his bank during the Asian financial crisis in 1998. The AGO abruptly ceased investigating him two days before Urip and Artalyta were arrested.
Untung's alleged involvement in the case emerged after a taped conversation, suggesting a possible connection between him and Artalyta, was played during Artalyta's trial at the Corruption Court.
The case has prompted the AGO to open an internal probe into 15 prosecutors, including Untung, Salim, Kemas and Wisnu Subroto, deputy attorney general for intelligence.
M.S. Rahardjo, deputy attorney general for internal affairs, said the three-day internal investigation, carried out last week, had failed to unearth evidence of violations by the prosecutors, or evidence of their possible involvement in the bribery case.
"To complete the investigation, we have to wait for the verdicts from the trials of Urip and Artalyta, and for court permission to question Artalyta," he said. The Corruption Court has yet to respond to Rahardjo's request, filed last Friday.
In response to his dismissal, Untung said he was willing to accept any decision from the attorney general.
"I will accept all decisions with my heart and soul, although I have no connection whatsoever with the case. It was someone else's mistake, but I have to face the punishment. Do you see any fairness in that?" he said.
"The fact is Urip accepted a bribe from Artalyta and got caught by the KPK. I was outside this game. However, will anyone buy my statement now?" (nkn)
Jakarta Post - June 26, 2008
Jakarta – Indonesia has reduced corruption over the last decade, thanks in part to a reform push by its leaders, a World Bank report says.
In its report, Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), the World Bank found that governance in Indonesia had substantially improved following the end of the New Order era in 1998.
"The progress is a reflection of a country whose political leaders, policy-makers, civil society and private sector view good governance and corruption control as crucial for a sustained and shared growth," Daniel Kaufmann, the director of governance at the World Bank Institute, said in a statement summarizing the report.
"A decade into the reform era, Indonesia bears all the hallmarks of a thriving democracy – freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of the press and now freedom of public information," he said.
The report, titled Governance Matters VII, covered indicators on governance and corruption in 212 countries drawing on data from survey institutes, think tanks and NGOs.
The WGI measures six categories of governance; voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption.
The report, the seventh installment in a 10-year study by World Bank researchers, found Indonesia had moved up in all six indicators, and outperformed other countries in the region on voice and accountability.
Indonesia, in many surveys, has been consistently ranked one of the most corrupt countries in the world in almost all its state institutions, including law enforcers. The latest Transparency International report ranked the country 143rd in its global corruption perceptions index.
The latest prominent example of corruption in the country is the implication of several top prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office in a high-profile bribery scandal.
A watchdog, the Indonesia Corruption Watch, has urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to set up a special team to reform the AGO and rid it of corruption.
Despite this latest scandal, however, Joachim von Amsberg, the World Bank's country director here, praised Indonesia for its efforts to combat corruption, saying it has come a long way in 10 years.
"Indonesia's steady improvement in the rating on control of corruption, year after year, is most encouraging," Von Amsberg said.
"However, Indonesia's ranking shows that the fight against corruption is a long-term effort and that there is still a long way to go. Further actions to fight corruption can contribute a lot to social and economic progress," he said.
The full Governance Matters VII report, the synthesis of the main findings and new WGI data updates can be accessed at http://www.govindicators.org.
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Jakarta – Two more top prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) admitted to connections with businesswoman Artalyta Suryani during her bribery trial at the Corruption Court here Monday.
Djoko Widodo, a former official at the AGO's Special Crimes Division and current head of the East Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, and Muhammad Salim, the AGO's former director of investigations of special crimes, told the court they knew the defendant and had communicated with her.
Djoko testified Artalyta had called him on March 2, a few hours before her arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for giving a US$660,000 and Rp 100 million (US$10,810) bribe to state prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan. KPK officers had arrested Urip outside her house earlier that day.
"Artalyta told me in a phone call Urip had been arrested and the KPK investigators were going to arrest her. She asked me to intervene and prevent the arrest," Djoko said.
He said he told Artalyta to be careful because she was under surveillance by the KPK and her telephone conversations were being taped, and he would call her back. Djoko later joined a team of 11 other AGO officials who went to Artalyta's house to arrest her.
"When we got there, there were already KPK investigators in front of the house. We stopped on a quiet corner near her house to decide what to do," Djoko said.
However, Chandra Hamzah, the KPK's deputy chairman for prosecution, said last week no other agency was involved in Artalyta's arrest and the KPK had never agreed to the AGO's arrest plan.
Muhammad Salim testified the arrest had been ordered by the AGO's deputy for intelligence, Wisnu Subroto, who had told him the Attorney General had approved the plan.
When questioned by Judge Andi Bachtiar if he was aware the arrest plan was a violation of Law No. 30/2002 on KPK – which forbids the police and the prosecutor's office from intervening in any KPK investigation – Salim said he was only following orders.
Both Djoko and Salim admitted meeting Artalyta at the AGO's special crimes building. Salim said the businesswoman had approached him between late 2007 and early 2008 to tell him Sjamsul, Artalyta's boss and the target of an ongoing KPK investigation, was sick and would not be able to attend the AGO's questioning session.
"I later received a letter from Sjamsul's lawyer Maqdir Ismail," said Salim, who said Maqdir was an acquaintance of his.
Sjamsul remains the only one of 37 witnesses yet to be questioned in the case. Salim said he had never questioned Urip about Sjamsul's perpetual absence.
Presiding Judge Mansyurdin Chaniago adjourned the trial to Wednesday to hear from more witnesses, including Kemas Yahya Rahman, the former deputy attorney general for special crimes. (dre)
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono must fire all top prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and let the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigate bribery allegations against them, experts say.
A recording of a telephone conversation heard during the trial of businesswoman Artalyta Suryani at the Corruption Court was a strong indication they have received bribes, noted legal expert Frans H. Winarta said here Monday.
"Not only must the President fire all attorney general deputies implicated in the case, he must also order a full investigation based on the strong evidence that the prosecutors have received bribes."
He said a criminal investigation of the prosecutors would deter other officials from receiving money from criminal suspects.
The fact that former deputy attorney general for special crimes Kemas Yahya Rahman, deputy attorney general for state administration Untung Udji Santoso and deputy attorney general for intelligence Wisnu Subroto had all tried to arrest Artalyta before the KPK showed they were attempting to prevent her from being tried by the corruption court, Frans said.
"Why were they so enthusiastic about arresting Artalyta when the KPK was handling the case? Many said they just wanted to protect the woman," he said.
There were very strong indications of the prosecutors receiving bribes from Artalyta, Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University legal expert Denny Indrayana said. Denny said, "if they are investigated then it will be clear whether they are guilty or not".
The Corruption Court heard taped "friendly" conversations between Artalyta and Kemas, and Untung. The recordings were used by the KPK as evidence against Artalyta, who has been charged with bribing prosecutor Urip.
Urip had led an investigation of tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, the former director of Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia, over the embezzlement of Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) funds. Artalyta reportedly had a connection with Sjamsul, who was charged with misusing Rp 28.4 trillion (US$3 billion) worth of BLBI funds.
Urip – who was alleged to have taken US$660,000 and Rp 100 million in suspected bribes from Artalyta – was arrested just two days after the AGO dropped the BLBI case against Sjamsul and another tycoon Anthony Salim on Feb. 29, 2008.
Legal expert Iskandar Sonhaji said Attorney General Hendarman Supandji must take legal action against prosecutors linked with BLBI cases, and reopen the cases to regain public trust.
"With the recent progress in the BLBI cases, the attorney general must realize his decision to drop the investigations was wrong," he said.
Anti-graft activist Ismed Hassan Putro, however, urged the president to freeze the AGO and form an ad hoc team to select the new figures for top prosecutor positions to investigate the BLBI cases.
"I think Hendarman should learn a lesson from Japanese officials. I wouldn't recommend he jumps off the top floor... but he should be ready to resign," he told a seminar at the House of Representatives on Monday.
AGO spokesman BD Nainggolan said the office's internal affairs team investigating ethical violations by prosecutors would question Artalyta on Tuesday, before making a decision on the case.
However, AGO deputy attorney general for internal supervision, M.S. Raharjo, said he had yet to receive a written permit from the Corruption Court to question Artalyta. (alf)
| Islam/religion |
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – State interference in theological issues could put minority groups in danger and be misused by larger groups, leading to suppression and violence, religious scholars warned here Thursday.
Attending the World Peace Forum in Jakarta, they said governments should show greater restraint, refraining from interpretation of theological controversies, to avoid religious tensions within society.
Scholars were asked for comments on the Indonesian government's recent decision to issue a decree banning the minority Islamic sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah from spreading its beliefs.
The three-day international conference, which ended Thursday, did not raise this as an agenda item, but many moderate Muslim scholars and human rights campaigners warned that the anti- Ahmadiyah decree could overshadow Indonesia's role in promoting global peace.
New York-based Religion for Peace secretary-general William F. Vendley said governments were elected by their citizens to do their administrative job and not for "theological expertise".
"They are mandated very clearly by their own laws to protect their citizens equally, and this includes the exercise of freedom of belief. Is it the government's job in a pluralistic society to decide which sect is authentic and which is heretical? I think not," he said.
Vendley said that to one community a teaching is a heresy, but to another community it is only a doctrine.
"Is the government's job to decide which of these communities is theologically correct, or is it the government's job to ensure there are peaceful and respectful relations that allow citizens to believe according to their conscience and deepest convictions?" he said.
Vendley said the job of protecting the right to freedom of religious belief was a primary task of governments all around the world.
The decree against Ahmadiyah was issued earlier this month as the Indonesian government bowed to intense pressure from extremist groups, including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia.
Just days before the decree was issued, FPI followers armed with bamboo sticks brutally attacked pro-pluralism activists who were staging a rally in support of Ahmadiyah and to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the Pancasila state ideology.
Around 70 activists from the National Alliance for the Freedom of Faith and Religion were either seriously or lightly wounded in the June 1 attack at the National Monument (Monas).
Many analysts have accused the government of violating the Constitution and human rights principles in the UN Charter, which all guarantee freedom of religion.
Dell Higgie, counter-terrorism ambassador for New Zealand's Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry, said all countries should abide by the international covenants on human rights and the UN Charter to help resolve religious conflicts and violence.
"So, my prescription is simple. Respect international laws at the global level and at home," she said.
Rustem Khairov, executive director of Russia's International Foundation for Survival and Development of Humanity, urged balanced news reporting about violence and conflicts. The media should avoid giving too much space to radical groups, thus promoting their objectives, he said.
Jakarta Post - June 25, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The government's failure to enforce laws fairly and provide economic prosperity for all has been cited for rising support for the implementation of sharia in the country.
Muslim scholars and activists said here Tuesday that besides the failed legal system and the issue of economic injustice, the failure of both the government and Muslim clerics to educate people about the state constitution and sharia, or Islamic law, also played a role in the phenomenon.
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) deputy chairman Masdar F. Mas'udi said most Muslims here did not fully understand sharia. He said many proponents of Islamic law pushed for its implementation without any real knowledge of the principles of sharia.
"The essence of Islamic teachings is fulfillment of basic economic needs and justice to live in peace. Most people don't know what sharia is. They know it only as jargon that can cure the current situation of injustice and poverty," he said.
Masdar said efforts to implement sharia focused on the technicalities of Islamic teachings, for instance the cutting off of thieves' hands or the compulsory wearing of the jilbab (veil), without addressing the need for justice and economic empowerment.
Support for sharia has been seen to be growing, igniting fears that it could lead to radicalism and destroy the country's pluralistic nature.
In a recent survey by Roy Morgan Research involving 8,000 respondents nationwide, the majority of respondents (53 percent) supported the introduction of sharia in the country.
The results seemed to confirm an earlier survey by the Setara Institute which found that 56 percent of youths in Greater Jakarta support sharia-based bylaws.
At the level of regional administrations, more and more regions have expressed their intention to adopt sharia bylaws.
Since Aceh officially adopted sharia under the law on special autonomy, 18 regencies/municipalities have adopted sharia bylaws and 37 others are in the process of doing the same.
Setara Institute chairman Hendardi said Muslims longed for a legal system that protected all people, and many hoped such a system could be found under sharia.
Masdar and Hendardi agreed that sharia implementation violated the Constitution by limited freedom of religion, as sharia was exclusively for Muslims
"The problem is few people know about the Constitution, therefore they don't know their constitutional rights. The government has failed to promote an understanding of the Constitution among people," Hendardi said.
"If the government can provide a just legal system by consistently punishing those who are guilty and protecting the innocent, then support for sharia will diminish," he said.
Hendardi said people had lost trust in the existing system and law enforcers, pointing to the current corruption scandal involving top prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office as an example of the system's breakdown.
Jakarta Post - June 24, 2008
Jakarta – The majority of Muslims in Indonesia support the introduction of sharia in the country, but are wary about its implementation, a survey has revealed.
A nine-month survey by Roy Morgan Research, involving 8,000 respondent from across the country, found that 52 percent of Indonesians say sharia law should be introduced in their area.
Assuming that members of other faiths are not interested in sharia, that would mean two out of every three Muslims support sharia. The Roy Morgan survey confirms the results of a recent survey by the Setara Institute on Democracy and Peace, which found 56 percent of youth in Greater Jakarta supported the introduction of sharia law.
Debnath Guharoy of Roy Morgan, however, warned the public about the way the survey's questions were presented to respondents.
"Common sense tells us that if you ask a Christian if the Virgin Mary was Jesus Christ's mother, if you ask a Hindu if Lord Ganesha had an elephant's head, the answer is going to be yes.
"Ask a practicing Muslim if he supports the introduction of sharia law and he is likely to say yes also. Considering that reality, it is surprising that only 56 percent responded positively," Guharoy said in a statement.
This situation, he said, needs to be handled carefully because the questions are more sensitive than the answers. Asked in innocence perhaps, the results can be distorted for political gain.
Wary of this very possibility, Roy Morgan Research introduced a battery of three questions on the issue in July 2007.
In sequence, respondents were asked if "sharia law should be introduced in my area", if "it should be compulsory for women in Indonesia to wear the jilbab (veil)" and should "thieves have their hands cut off".
The first question evokes an answer influenced by faith, and 52 percent of residents said sharia should be introduced. Only 45 percent said women should be compelled to wear the jilbab, while 40 percent said thieves should have their hands cut off.
The majority have spoken, time and again, and are continuing to do so with remarkable consistency, Guharoy said.
Any question of a referendum on sharia therefore does not arise, not only in keeping with the Constitution today but also the views of the significant majority, 85 percent of whom are Muslims, he said.
Because of the sensitivity of the issue, the survey results had not been released until now, awaiting a reliable number of respondents to validate the findings over time, he said.
Jakarta Post - June 23, 2008
Jakarta – Dozens of young people from various religious backgrounds toured several places of worship in the capital on Saturday as part of an event to promote religious tolerance.
The interfaith tour was sponsored by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP) in light of renewed attacks on churches and Islamic minority group Jamaah Ahmadiyah by Muslim radicals.
The students visited three religious places – Santa Maria Cathedral, Istiqlal Mosque and Indonesian Christian Church Kwitang (GKI) – in Central Jakarta.
The participants, including several Ahmadiyah followers, said the event gave them a chance to bond with people from different religions. Ahmadiyah participant Firdaus Mubarik, 24, said he was excited to visit Santa Maria Cathedral in Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta.
"This is my first time visiting the church. I really enjoyed joining the tour. I now know more about how Catholics pray.
"For me the tour is not only about visiting places of worship, but rather it's about building friendships with people from other religions," he told The Jakarta Post during the tour.
"Such a tour gives youths like me a chance to bond with other young people and to learn how to respect cultural and religious diversity. It has also increased my circle of friends and broadened my network," he added.
Firdaus said there were no restrictions in Islam on visiting or entering other religions' places of worship. "It's just a visit. There's nothing wrong with it. Visiting other houses of worship is a great way to raise religious tolerance," he said.
Another participant, Agustinus Hutagaol of the Protestant Batak Christian District (HKBP), shared a similar opinion. "It's a good way to promote religious tolerance. This event also can prevent any misunderstanding among religious groups," said Agustinus, 25.
The event is part of ICRP's program called Peace in Diversity, and one of a series of tours conducted by the civil society organization in partnership with the Church World Service (CWS).
The ICRP will also hold a similar tour on June 28 to Aditya Jaya Temple in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, Gudwara Sikh Temple in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta and Kongcu bio Temple in Tangerang, Banten.
On July 5, the interfaith forum will take another youth group to the Central Buddhist Monastery Mahavira Graha in Ancol, North Jakarta.
Tour project officer Franky Tampubolon said the event is aimed at promoting peace and religious tolerance among young people.
"We are really concerned about the increase in religious violence, which is mainly caused by a lack of information. It's just a misunderstanding. The violence would not have occurred if everybody had adequate information about every religion," he said.
"We took Jakarta high school students on the same tour in 2005. We concentrate on youngsters because they will play a big role in developing this country's future.
"We hope this program will increase their knowledge of other religions. We also hope this tour will become a yearly event," he said.
Abdul Majid, a 25-year old participant from the Nahdlatul Ulama Students Organization (IPNU), called on ICRP to continue running the pluralist program.
"Other organizations should also have tour activities like this. People need information about other religions, so they can help to promote religious tolerance and understanding," he said. (trw)
| Elections/political parties |
Jakarta Post - June 30, 2008
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A new survey suggests former president Megawati Soekarnoputri would win an election if it were held today, thanks to the government's decision to raise fuel prices.
The survey, conducted by Indo Barometer 10 days after the fuel prices went up, found 30.4 percent of respondents would vote for Megawati for president compared to only 20.7 percent for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The survey – conducted among 1,200 respondents in 33 provinces – indicated a sharp decline in Yudhoyono's popularity.
A similar survey in May last year showed Yudhoyono still far ahead of Megawati, with 35.3 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him as opposed to 22.6 for the former president. A survey last December showed Yudhoyono still ahead, at 38.1 percent to Megawati's 27.4 percent.
"Yudhoyono's decision to increase fuel prices and his administration's failure to get people to accept the decision are factors behind his plunging popularity," Indo Barometer executive director M. Qodari told reporters during the survey presentation here Sunday.
The survey said only 8.1 percent of respondents agreed with the government's fuel price policy while more than 80 percent opposed it. Most respondents rejected the government's arguments – preventing smuggling, global price increases, reducing subsidies or helping poor people – to justify the increase.
Yudhoyono's poll loss to Megawati was in line with the low approval many expressed for his performance as president. Some 60.5 percent of respondents said they were not satisfied with his performance in general, with only 36.5 percent saying they were satisfied and 3.2 percent declining to answer.
Respondents expressed highest dissatisfaction for Yudhoyono's handling of the economy, with 79.1 percent saying they were disappointed in his inability to solve economic problems.
Overall, the survey said 50.1 percent opposed his reelection while 31.3 percent supported it and 18.1 percent were undecided.
Economist Faisal Basri said the results could be much worse for Yudhoyono now that people had already felt the full impacts of fuel price increases.
"A month or two after the fuel price hike, people will feel the second round impacts of the raised prices, especially in increased goods and transportation costs," he said.
Faisal, however, said the results did not necessarily guarantee Megawati the presidency, since her approval rating was still just over 30 percent.
Fentiny Nugroho of the University of Indonesia said Yudhoyono could rebound if he enhanced his pro-poor policies in the health and education sectors while trying to create jobs for people.
Aside from Megawati's rising popularity, former TNI chief Gen. (ret.) Wiranto and Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X also received support with 9.3 percent and 8.8 percent of respondents respectively.
Sri Sultan was also the most electable vice presidential candidate with support from 19.9 percent of respondents, with Vice President Jusuf Kalla coming in a distant second at 12.3 percent.
Jakarta Post - June 28, 2008
Jakarta – There are fears the 2009 general and presidential elections will not come off smoothly due to lack of preparation.
A member of the 2004 General Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), Topo Santoso, said here Friday the government was not ready for campaigning for the legislative election, scheduled to begin in July.
"The election campaign is just around the corner, but until today the government has not completely set up supervisory committees at provincial to district levels across the country. Campaigning should be monitored from the day it starts," he told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of a roundtable discussion hosted by Partnership for Governance Reform in Indonesia.
"The existence of these committees is very important. They will monitor the implementation of the election process, file reports on any violations and solve problems during the elections.
"So far, the government has only established the General Elections Supervisory Board (Bawaslu). Unfortunately, the board can't do its job well because of lack of support from the government, which should have provided the budget and infrastructure. I see the government has been slow to disburse the budget," he said.
The government has allocated Rp 6.667 trillion (US$721 million) to finance the 2009 elections. The money will be used to establish local poll commissions and to purchase elections materials.
In the first quarter of 2008, the Finance Ministry provided Rp 126 billion to set up the Bawaslu and local poll commissions from provincial to district levels. On Wednesday it disbursed another Rp 2.9 trillion for this purpose.
Topo warned election campaigning would run into problems due to the absence of supervisory committees. "The government has taken a step backward compared to the 2004 presidential election," he said.
Kusnanto Anggoro of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies agreed with Topo.
"Let's not put high hopes on the upcoming presidential election. I'm not sure the 2009 elections will bring a better democracy for this country than the previous one. There are still many loopholes in the election law and policies," he said.
A legal expert from Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University, Denny Indrayana, said the enforcement of the 2008 law on legislative elections remained poor. He also said the campaign spending of all political parties should be audited.
"During the previous legislative and presidential elections, many parties received more donations than permissible under government regulations, but it was often unclear who the donors were," Denny said.
"So, auditing campaign budgets is necessary. Besides that, the government should impose sanctions on parties that violate the law," he said. (trw)
Jakarta Post - June 23, 2008
Ahmad Junaidi, Semarang, Purwokerto – A nationalist agenda and a focus on gender issues have pushed Bibit Waluyo and running mate Rustriningsih to an early lead in Sunday's Central Java gubernatorial election.
According to a so-called quick count conducted by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) and Public Issue Network (JIP), Bibit, a former Central Java military commander, and Rustriningsih, the current regent of Kebumen, secured 40.42 percent of the vote.
Bibit and Rustriningsih, nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), lead four other pairs of candidates.
Commenting on these early projections, Bibit, a former commander of the Army's Strategic Reserve Command, thanked God and PDI-P volunteers. The retired three-star general said his administration would focus on village development programs, as he promised during the campaign.
Bibit's running mate Rustriningsih, the only female candidate in the election, thanked female supporters.
During campaigning, Rustriningsih, a loyal supporter of PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, focused on gender equality, reproductive rights and the elimination of domestic violence.
LSI research director Eka Kusmayadi said besides nationalist sentiments and gender issues, Bibit and Rustrinignsih benefited from the "militant" political machinery of PDI-P.
"The PDI-P political machinery is militant and able to mobilize its supporters to polling stations," Eka Kusmayadi said in a press conference in Semarang on Sunday.
According to early returns, Bibit and Rustriningsih won in almost every mayoralty and regency where the mayors and regents are PDI-P members, but lost by small margins in the regencies of Blora, Grobogan, Pati and Rembang, where the candidates Bambang Sadono and running mate Muhammad Adnan are the projected winners.
According to early returns, Bambang and Adnan, nominated by Golkar Party, are second with 22.46 percent of the vote, followed by Sukawi Sutarip-Sudharto (Democratic Party and Prosperous Justice Party) with 15.80 percent; Tamzil-Abdul Rozaq Rais (United Development Party and National Mandate Party) with 11.20 percent; and Agus Soeyitno-Kholiq Arief (National Awakening Party) with 6.11 percent.
Political expert Andreas Pandiangan of Sugijapranata Catholic University said Adnan, Tamzil, Kholiq and Sukawi all competed for and split Muslim votes.
Adnan is chairman of the Central Java chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization, while Tamzil, the regent of Kudus, and Kholiq, Wonosobo's regent, are both NU members.
Islamist-leaning PKS, with Semarang Mayor Sukawi as its candidate, could not repeat its surprising success in recent gubernatorial elections in West Java and North Sumatra, despite Sukawi being the richest candidate.
The LSI's Eka Kusmayadi said voter turnout was 54.69 percent, the lowest among all the gubernatorial elections held in the country. The percentage of those deciding not to vote, locally called golput, exceeded the national gubernatorial election average of 35 percent, he said.
In Banyumas regency, the percentage of golput at many polling stations reached 50 percent.
Eka attributed this to many voters being undecided or having no preference among the five pairs of candidates. "It's also due to economic reasons. Many of the voters chose to work and skip voting," he said.
| Armed forces/defense |
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Dicky Christanto, Denpasar – Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo expects the new head of the Udayana Military Command to improve border security and prevent sectarian violence in the region.
The military command oversees Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.
Agustadi also emphasized the need to seek proper responses in addressing the problems that lie ahead. "We have to be effective and yet avoid the use of violence in tackling problems," he said.
The Udayana Military Command earlier organized a series of discussions to find acceptable solutions for the problem of Timor Leste refugees, who in the past have crossed the border into Indonesia to escape violence in the young republic. In coordination with the local administration and police, the military command has also provided locations to be used as refugee camps.
"Even though we have taken steps to prevent such social calamities from happening, of course we must keep improving our security system so that we can detect and then give a proper response for anything that could threaten our nation's sovereignty," Agustadi told newly installed commander Maj. Gen. Hotmangaradja Pandjaitan at a ceremony Thursday.
Commenting on the ongoing Bali governor election, Agustadi said it was the new military commander's duty to work with the police to maintain security during the election.
Also attending the ceremony were newly installed Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Tengku Ashikin, Bali Governor Dewa Beratha, the head of the local legislative council, IBP Wesnawa, Bali's chief prosecutor, Dewa Alit Adyana, and former East Timor militia commander Eurico Gutteres.
Foreign army delegates, retired Indonesian Army officers and noted lawyers such as Tommy Sihotang and Hotma Sitompoel were also seen at the ceremony.
Hotmangaradja, the Army's former territorial assistant and a 1977 graduate of the military academy, replaces Maj. Gen. George Robert Situmeang, who served as the Udayana military commander for around seven months.
Situmeang, a 1974 graduate of the military academy, has been promoted to Army Inspector General at Army headquarters in Jakarta.
Besides dealing with refugees, the Udayana Military Command is also tasked with guarding and preserving the cultural and sociological pluralism of the region. Community conflicts are seen as the primary threat to that pluralism.
"We will tighten our security system in border areas and apply a zero tolerance policy in preventing such horizontal violence from happening by conducting continuous monitoring efforts," Hotmangaradja told reporters on the sidelines of a party held at the Udayana Military Command headquarters on Thursday.
He also vowed to preserve security especially during the Bali election. He said he wanted to be more proactive in safeguarding pluralism in the region and preventing the occurrence of sectarian violence.
| Opinion & analysis |
Jakarta Post Editorial - June 27, 2008
If the United States is obsessed with gauging its popularity in the world through conducting regular opinion polls with simple questions like "Do you like or hate America?", Indonesia is becoming infatuated with surveys asking the question "Do you support sharia?"
The danger with this kind of survey is that it is not only purely misleading, but because it does not provide a comprehensive picture of public sentiment on really complex issues, it could also lead to wrong responses and policies.
In the case of the popularity of sharia, or Islamic law, in many surveys in the past the majority of Indonesians, nearly 90 percent of whom are Muslims, support the introduction of Islamic law in the country.
The latest surveys were conducted by the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, an organization known to promote pluralism and equal rights for people of all ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Setara found that more than 56 percent of youths in the Greater Jakarta area support sharia-based bylaws. Earlier surveys on the same issue, including one conducted by a unit of the Islamic State University (UIN) of Jakarta, also found overwhelming support for sharia.
A report by Roy Morgan, a survey company headquartered in Australia, this week reaffirmed the majority support nationwide, with 52 percent of its respondents to a survey saying yes to the question, "Do you support the implementation of sharia in your area?"
The survey went further in asking about well known aspects of sharia: the compulsory wearing of the headdress (jilbab) for women, the cutting of hands for thieves and the confinement of women to domestic issues. Not surprisingly, the respondents who support "sharia" said no 45 percent of the time to the first issue, 40 percent to the second and 24 percent to the third.
Islamic scholars would argue that sharia means much more than the jilbab, the cutting of hands and the place of women in society, so the survey cannot be taken as authoritative. But what the survey does tell you is the complexity of the issue, and it also reveals the glaring flaws of earlier surveys that showed, misleadingly, overwhelming support for sharia in Indonesia.
The survey could have gone further and used examples of conventions in countries that apply sharia or profess to be Islamic states. It could have asked respondents if they supported the idea of no school for girls, as in Taliban Afghanistan, or about banning women from walking in the streets unaccompanied (unbelievably, this is already enforced in nearby Tangerang after 10 p.m.), or about no driving for women, as in Saudi Arabia, or no watching soccer for women, as in Iran.
The simpler surveys on sharia play straight into the hands of Islamist politicians, who have been fighting for the cause ever since the inception of the Republic in 1945. They lost the argument, time and again, for the introduction of sharia because, at the end of the day, Indonesia is a pluralistic state in which people of all faiths are treated equally.
That was the national consensus in 1945 that brought eastern territories where Islam is not the predominant religion – such as Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi, southern Maluku and Papua – into the fold of the new republic. This is still apparently the national consensus today, more than 60 years later.
A national discourse on sharia is certainly healthy for a democratic Indonesia. One school of thought believes sharia and the Koran are sources of the law. Another school says sharia is the law. The jury is still out on which camp will prevail. But in terms of statehood, secular law wins out.
To the majority of Muslims, sharia simply means Islamic law, which probably explains why many respondents in these surveys supported it. No good Muslim would be caught publicly saying he or she opposes sharia. It is actually surprising that the support does not reach 80 or 90 percent. But this goes to show the Muslim ambivalence on the sharia debate.
The real test of how much support there is for sharia is actually the national election, which is also contested by political parties whose platform is the creation of an Islamic state or the introduction of sharia. In 2004, the share of the votes of the Islamist parties that clearly support sharia or the idea of an Islamic state did not amount to more than 20 percent.
The fact that an overwhelming majority of Indonesians still voted for the secular parties shows the prevailing sentiments of the people, Muslims and otherwise, toward the Islamist parties and toward their sharia platforms. Next year we will know better where we stand on the sharia question.
Jakarta Post - June 27, 2008
Hanan Nugroho, Jakarta – The energy and mineral resources minister was recently blamed for his failure to meet domestic oil production targets. The failure, with a growing demands on fuel supplies, was believed to have increased Indonesia's oil imports. Combined with skyrocketing oil prices, this failure also added to the government's oil subsidy bill.
The increased price of fuels, which comes alongside a shortage of energy supplies, resulted in protests around the country. Was this simply a problem with domestic oil production?
It is not that our supply shortage has increased the burden of energy subsidies, nor that our energy security is getting worse. It is not just oil production levels, but a wider sphere of energy management options which need to be addressed.
Indonesian oil production has been decreasing gradually from 1,434 barrels per day (bpd) in 1995 to 833 bpd in 2007 (OPEC statistics). This trend actually began in 1977, when Indonesia produced a total 1,686 bpd. Many believed Indonesia's oil, which was first exploited in 1893, had achieved its "Hubert production peak" by that year, 1977.
This means that without any extraordinary efforts employing advanced recovery technologies, deep sea exploitation or exploration of "new oils" (heavy oil, gas to liquid, coal to liquid, etc) – which would all require huge investment and take time to deliver – the country's oil production will never return to its 1977 level.
Unfortunately, the country is far from the luxury of having such investments and technology resources, in addition to a strong political will needed to produce more oil.
Nevertheless, there is the potential that more oil fields could still be found in Indonesia, while finding new oil reserves is getting tougher elsewhere. Indonesia's past and present oil production comes from just 16 sediment basins among 60. Only 38 of these basins have been drilled so far, resulting in 23 basins discovered with oil. The remaining 22 basins have not yet been explored.
However, when it comes to producing more oil, the problems are not just below ground. It is not just geological, but political and economic obstacles which have prevented oil production from increasing, particularly over the past decade.
Regulatory frameworks have changed substantially and the decentralization euphoria has confused investors. Despite the new areas that have remained on offer from the government, uncertainties have led to a decrease in exploration (seismic, exploration drilling, discoveries, etc) and production activity.
Moreover, during a period when oil prices have been on an upward path for more than six years (we are currently experiencing the longest period of sustained increase in world oil prices), many other oil producing nations have offered better terms and conditions, meaning oil companies have paid less attention to oil production in Indonesia.
Managing domestic demand for oil, rather than trying to increase production, now seems more like a sensible option. Even though our energy consumption per capita is low, the potential for energy conservation in this country is comparatively large, ranging from 15-30 percent according to different studies.
Reducing domestic fuel consumption by just 10 percent – which could be achieved through better management of the transport sector – would "produce" the equivalent of around 150,000 bpd. In terms of crude production, an equivalent figure would require massive investment.
Energy conservation is a pillar of national energy management, but we often forget about this pillar when oil prices were low.
The application of energy conservation technologies could be widespread; energy-saving light bulbs in households, energy efficient buildings, energy efficient engines in manufacturers, using a mass rapid transit system rather than depending on passenger cars, etc. Compared to production, a lot of energy conservation approaches can be implemented with lesser or with no costs at all.
However, when it comes to building a culture of energy conservation, we need more than just knowledge of energy conservation technologies – we also need an institution which leads and manages those conservation activities.
The success story of the Japanese Center for Energy Conservation is a good example. The center promotes conservation as a "smart lifestyle", trains energy managers (under the Japanese Energy Conservation law every large company must employ staff in this area), manages an energy efficiency labeling system, develops energy efficient technology, provides consultation, audits energy use and offers credit for energy efficient equipment.
The Energy Conservation law mandates the government to provide fiscal incentives for auditing business energy consumption and energy saving equipment, promoting the development of ESCO (Energy Service Company), and campaigning for energy conservation. As a result, since the establishment of the Center 3 decades ago, Japan is now recognized as the world's most energy efficient country.
Institutions dealing with energy conservation in Indonesia are still weak. National energy management puts heavy emphasis on supply and production, but largely ignores the question of how to consume energy wisely.
Clearly, the publication of a Presidential Instruction (for example Number 10, 2005 on Energy Saving) is not enough to meet the challenges of conserving energy in this country, where energy consumption is still widely regarded as outside the responsibility of any government institution.
The establishment of an Energy Conservation Center which could serve as leader and coordinator of energy conservation activities among different consuming sectors (industry, transportation, households, buildings, etc) would potentially improve our non- productive energy consumption habits.
In the procurement of oil, a greater degree of transparency and efficiency might also be promoted, especially by the current monopolist. So far, it is not clear to the public how much we spend on importing crude oil and oil products, or refining and distributing oil in the domestic market.
Where does the oil come from, who organizes the procurement, and are we efficient enough compared to others? Answering these questions and analyzing the results could improve our oil procurement system, a factor adding to the incredible oil subsidy.
[The writer is a lecturer in energy and natural gas economics for the Graduate Program in Natural Gas Technology and Management, University of Indonesia. He can be reached at hanan_nugroho@yahoo.com.]