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Indonesia News Digest 25 – July 1-8, 2013

West Papua

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West Papua

Ban on Papua magazine, attempt to block the press?

Tempo.co - July 8, 2013

Ali Akhmad, Jakarta – The Press Council says the ban on the first edition of Papua's Pelita Pelita Magazine is considered as an attempt to block the press.

"If the police really did come and prohibit the distribution of information, that is a form of blocking the press," Press Council member Imam Wahdyudi told Tempo on Sunday.

Imam said that according to Press Law No. 40/1999, blocking the press is defined as the forceful or unlawful prohibition of publishing, distributing and/or broadcast of information.

Imam also said that that freedom of the press is clearly regulated in the law and 1945 Constitution, and is a guaranteed right of the people.

"Basically, if the police do not approve the contents of the publication, they can report it to the press council," he said. Imam criticized the police for immediately going to the publisher's printing office and prohibiting the sale of the magazine.

On Wednesday, July 3, after just days of the distribution of its first edition, Pelita Papua magazine encountered problems with the police last Wednesday for portraying the symbol of the Free Papua Movement on its cover.

Police arrived at the printing office in Jayapura and asked the magazine to stop distributing. Officers also confiscated a few magazines and took them back to the police station to analyze.

The first edition of the magazine covers the issue of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) office in England. There is also an article about the opinions of some figures regarding the movement. Fidelis Jeminta, chief editor of Pelita Papua, said this was ordinary news with no large hidden agenda behind it. He is disappointed at the police for randomly banning the distribution of his magazine.

Papua Police Chief Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said that published material about Papua's freedom or anything that can incite violence is prohibited. He denied allegations that the police revoked the magazine's license.

Indonesia's West Papua policies in the spotlight at ABC's Q&A

Pacific Scoop - July 8, 2013

Michael Sergel – Asylum seekers and West Papuans were prime time talking points on Australian television last week, as ABC hosted a ground-breaking debate on Indonesia-Australia relations live from Jakarta.

Senior vice-presidential advisor Dewi Fortuna Anwar fronted questions about corruption and human violations in her own government – and unprecedented questions about conflict and censorship in West Papua.

Journalists, advocates and academics also talked frankly about corruption scandals, human rights violations, the live cattle trade and Australia's so-called "refugee crisis" in the special edition of political panel show Q&A.

Interim Australian Prime Minster Kevin Rudd was in Jakarta for diplomatic talks, but it was the upcoming election on Australian soil that drove the sixty minute conversation.

The 'Papua problem'

Anwar said the government was making significant progress on democratic rights – while accepting the ongoing corruption and human rights issues that face the country.

But she was defensive about the government's sensitivity to separatism and self-determination in West Papua and other parts of Indonesia – and said the government had the support of its people, the international community and even the Australian government.

The country had always been "very vulnerable" to internal struggles against the state and was still in a "state of being", she said.

"We're trying to create one nation out of a multi-ethnic group. We're trying to develop into one territory with 70,000 islands and very poor connectivity."

Indonesian journalist Yuli Ismartono was also defensive of the crackdown on separatism, which has been criticised by Australians, New Zealanders and the international community.

She said the sympathy for the West Papuan cause was due to an inherent media bias, and claimed the independence struggle was an anti-government minority limited to the Papua province.

Human rights advocate Rafendi Djamin tried to contextualise the deadly conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, suggesting that the legacy of totalitarian rule was continuing to unfold in the Papuan provinces.

He said ending the ban on international journalists and the UN Special Raconteur would involve a slow and complex negotiation, but the government needed to respect basic freedom of expression rights in the region.

Asylum seekers

The panellists also discussed the game of asylum seeker hot potato both countries have been playing over several years.

With ongoing accusations that Indonesian authorities are involved in people-smuggling between the two countries, Anwar argued for a zero- tolerance approach to bribery and corruption in the government.

But she believed many Australians expected too much of the Indonesia. The country had extensive land and sea borders, its waters were dangerous, and monitoring and turn-back policies would not work, she said.

She urged both governments to look beyond bilateral negotiations between election terms, and come up with regional and international solutions aimed at the underlying causes of displacement.

Journalist Meidyatama Suryodiningrat said displacement was rooted in conflict in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, and it was here that smuggling networks began.

He said smuggling was the last resort for people that had spent months or years in Indonesian detention centres.

Human rights protection

Djamin said the collaborative policies and shared rhetoric of the Australian and Indonesian governments used the inherent dangers of smuggling people across dangerous waters to justify the detention and punishment of vulnerable people.

"Is this a question of border protection or human rights protection?," he asked the panel.

"When there's a crisis in Syria 1.7 million people cross the border, and what we are talking about between Indonesia and Australia is less than 10,000."

He believed the rhetoric of protection was being used to convey a practice of law enforcement.

"Giving money to the Indonesian government for detention is not the human rights approach to the protection of people," he said.

Muslim religious tolerance advocate activist Yenny Wahid said the asylum seeker smuggling was just "fodder for domestic political consumption in Australia".

She believed it missed the wider goal of finding an effective, realistic and humane solution to the humanitarian crisis, and was standing in the way of progress.

Bipolar relations

Indonesia is a fast-growing ASEAN economy, focused on its relationship to its South East Asian neighbour states and largely shaped by its strong Muslim population.

Australia, by contrast, is a western-style country with strong political connections to the United States, and very strong cultural connections to New Zealand and the Pacific.

That obvious cultural divide was not lost on the panel. Indonesians, they said, knew Australians by the often intolerant bogans who partied on Bali beaches rather than by the country's gradual focus on Asia.

And Australia knew Indonesians, they said, by the earthquakes, religious radicals and drug-smuggling cases reported in the media rather than by the country's transition to democracy.

Asian law specialist Tim Lindsey believed this made the often tense, complex and asymmetrical relationship almost "bipolar" in nature.

Lindsey believed growing public ignorance and antagonism and falling migration between the countries was drawing the two nations apart.

At the same time, common goals and interests were drawing the two governments closer together.

The result, he said, was a fragile and volatile relationship that could be stressed further if the future Australian prime minister chooses to rock the water.

Indonesian diplomatic manoeuvre delays West Papuan independence

ABC News - July 7, 2013

Simon Santow: Indonesia has invited the foreign ministers of four Pacific Island countries to visit its two easternmost provinces – Papua and West Papua – to see for themselves if the people want independence. Those two provinces are the western half of the main island of New Guinea.

This offer is something of a diplomatic manoeuvre, successfully delaying any consideration by the Melanesian Spearhead Group, the MSG, of an application for full membership by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation.

Pacific correspondent Sean Dorney went to the two yearly meeting of the leaders of Melanesia's sub-regional organisation, held this year in New Caledonia.

Sean Dorney: Twenty-five years ago, the four independent countries in Melanesia – Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea – created a sub-regional organisation, the Melanesian Spearhead Group and one of its aims was to help the Melanesian people of New Caledonia, the Kanaks, get their independence from France.

That has not happened yet but France did agree to allow the Kanak independence movement, the FLNKS (Le Front de liberation nationale kanak et socialiste), to take up full membership of the Melanesian Group.

Now, the Melanesian independence movement in West Papua – the Indonesian half of the main island of New Guinea – wants to join. At the MSG's plenary session in Noumea, Dr Otto Ondawame, the vice chairman of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, put their case.

Otto Ondawame: Our delegation come here as the lost son of Melanesia, to come here to ask for your support. We must unite and find a viable alternative to solve the longest conflict in our region.

Sean Dorney: Indonesia took control of what had been to then Dutch New Guinea in 1963 and six years later gathered just over 1000 tribal leaders together to vote in favour of becoming part of Indonesia. It was called an 'Act of Free Choice' which the United Nations accepted.

Paula Makabory, from the Institute of Papuan Advocacy and Human Rights, was part of the West Papuan delegation

Paula Makabory: Yeah, I think with all of this, the MSG recognise that the Act of Free Choice was a shameful choice for West Papua.

(Dancing and singing at Official Opening)

Sean Dorney: At the official opening of the Melanesian Spearhead Group leaders meeting, the outgoing chairman, Fiji's military commander and prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, spoke of unity.

Frank Bainimarama: As a result of our shared vision for closer regional integration, MSG solidarity has never been stronger.

Sean Dorney: But Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Peter O'Neill, visited Indonesia instead of attending the MSG meeting while his stand-in, the deputy prime minister Leo Dion made it clear to the other MSG Leaders that PNG regarded West Papua as an integral part of Indonesia.

Fiji revealed that Indonesia had offered to host a visit by Melanesian foreign ministers and so Fiji suggested the membership application by the West Papuans be put on hold.

Vanuatu's prime minister Moana Carcasses made an impassioned plea on behalf of the West Papuans, and Sir Michael Somare, invited as an elder statesman, summed up the situation well although he was not referring directly to West Papua.

Sir Michael Somare: In Melanesia we are also very divided. We are not united. We have to unite. The only course we can take is when we are united people you can beat your enemy.

Sean Dorney: In the end the communique said the West Papuan's application would be considered after the foreign ministers of the MSG countries visited Indonesia.

However, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu insisted on the inclusion of two critical sentences. The first said that "Leaders endorsed that the MSG fully supports the inalienable rights of the people of West Papua towards self-determination..." and the second said the Leaders agreed that "the concerns of the MSG regarding the human rights violations and other forms of atrocities relating to the West Papuan people be raised with the government of Indonesia".

Sean Dorney: The reactions of the West Papuan delegation to the Communique were mixed. Dr Otto Ondawame was relieved.

Otto Ondawame: We are very happy that our application has not been thrown out, but is still there on the agenda of the MSG.

Sean Dorney: But the secretary-general of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, Rex Rumakiek, doubted the value of a ministerial trip to Indonesia.

Rex Rumakiek: They will come back empty-handed. They won't see the people they really want to see and that means it's a waste of time. Better to make a decision right now instead of going to Indonesia.

Sean Dorney: Melanesian foreign ministers' visit to Jakarta and the Papuan provinces should take place before the end of the year.

This has been Sean Dorney for Correspondents Report.

Australian PM's offer for Papua raises suspicion

Jakarta Post - July 7, 2013

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's commitment to help develop Indonesia's easternmost region could instead lead to more abuses of Papuans, an activist warns.

Papua was among the three main issues discussed during the third Indonesia-Australia Annual Leaders Meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Rudd at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java on Friday. The two other issues were people smuggling and economic cooperation in the beef and cattle sector.

"Given the trends of the series of cases in the past, we can see that almost all human rights cases in Papua were rooted in economic motivation. Corporations operating in Papua, particularly foreign ones, for instance, use soldiers for security, a measure that increases the chances of human rights abuses against locals," the coordinator of rights group National Papua Solidarity (NAPAS), Zely Ariane, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

With Rudd standing beside him at a joint press conference after Friday's meeting, Yudhoyono expressed concern over rampant "propaganda" spread by Papuan separatist activists in many countries who advocate independence by "exaggerating alleged human rights violations by Indonesian military and police".

"I told the Australian prime minister that any Indonesian soldiers or police officers found to commit violations will definitely be punished or brought before a military tribunal," Yudhoyono said. "But to be honest, in the recent past, those falling victims were Indonesian Military [TNI] personnel and police officers."

In his speech at the conference, Rudd not only reiterated Australia's recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua but also offered help to speed up development in Papua and West Papua provinces. "I, as the prime minister of Australia, will do everything I can to support [Yudhoyono] in this direction."

Issues concerning Papua were not expected to be broached by those attending the media conference. "According to information I received, it was Prime Minister Rudd who raised the issue," presidential spokesman for foreign affairs Teuku Faizasyah told the Post.

Zely alleged that Rudd's statement was a further indicator of the wish of Australia's businesses to invest in Papua, particularly in the mining sector. "The door for foreign investors has been opened by the government via its MP3EI [Master Plan for the Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesian Economic Development]," she said.

Foreign investment in Papua, she said, would not address the core problems in Papua. Massive projects would not only be prone to corruption but would also widen economic gaps and marginalize Papuans more, she added.

Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said that starting this year, the government would prioritize MP3EI projects in the eastern provinces, including Papua and West Papua.

"Projects in natural resources and energy will be boosted," Hatta said. "But exploration projects must also contribute to the acceleration of local economies by establishing centers of growth around the projects," he added, brushing-off Zely's opinion.

Of the total MP3EI investment of Rp 545.76 trillion (US$55.12 billion) set for this year, almost a half or Rp 204.56 trillion will go to Papua, West Papua, Maluku and North Maluku provinces.

Issues surrounding Papua have always been politically sensitive for Indonesia, while to Australia, it is the long-unstoppable flow of asylum seekers that is at the heart of its domestic political interests.

New debate in Papua on who represents the indigenous people

Radio New Zealand International - July 5, 2013

The bid by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation, or WPNCL, to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group has reignited debate about who represents the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.

The cultural and ethnic diversity of the region, coupled with ongoing difficulties around freedom of expression in Indonesia's eastern provinces, mean that West Papuan leadership remains fragmented.

Johnny Blades has more:

A decision on whether to accept WPNCL as a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group has been deferred by MSG's leaders while they look to engage more closely with Indonesia on West Papua.

However a member of the organisation known as the government of the Federal Republic of West Papua has questioned the coalition's legitimacy. The president and prime minister of this organisation are in jail, having been being arrested after 2011's Third Papuan People's Congress in Jayapura where tribes and representative groups from around Papua elected them.

The organisation's Foreign Affairs spokesman, the Melbourne-based Jacob Rumbiak, says their group rather than the WPNCL represents the majority in West Papua. He says having confusion over which group represents West Papuans is unhelpful to efforts to promote dialogue with Jakarta.

Jacob Rumbiak: I'm very proud that they also bring the voice of West Papua into the Melanesian Spearhead Group or the international arena, but to follow the procedure, we should stand on one head, one voice, one agenda. But also we must have one political body. That's only. When (there are) lots, people get confused. Jakarta also says, we want to meet with whose? You have lots of leaders, you have lots of organisations.

At the recent MSG summit in Noumea, Indonesia, which itself has MSG observer status, brought several Papuans in its delegation including the country's ambassador to Colombia Michael Menufandu. He says the fact that its leaders are almost all in exile undermines the WPNCL's legitimacy.

Michael Menufandu: I don't know about them because they're not from Papua. They have been living outside Papua for up to 50 years. They don't know about what's really in Papua. That is the difference. They don't know what's going on in Papua.

But the coalition has worked hard in the past two years to get support for its MSG bid from among the hundreds of West Papuan tribes, many of them based in some of the most remote parts of the world. The WPNCL's vice- chairman John Ondawame says theirs is a legitimate representative organisation.

John Ondawame: The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation is representing 29 organisations: resistance movement, social movement and traditional organisations. So we fully get support from the wider community inside West Papua, inside the jungle and abroad, from all layers of society in West Papua. However certain elements within groups in West Papua and some other countries, they don't have any clues about how much support we have in the West Papuan community.

Despite its critics, the bid by the coalition has succeeded in elevating the West Papuan self-determination campaign to a new level where it is no longer just an Indonesian domestic matter, but an international issue. Self-determination appears a common goal among West Papuans – however the challenge they still face is to rise above their fragmentation to work together and achieve that goal.

Tribunal to highlight Papua's Biak massacre 15 years on

Radio New Zealand International - July 5, 2013

A citizens' tribunal is being held at the University of Sydney tomorrow to mark the 15th anniversary of the Biak massacre in West Papua.

On July 6, 1998, in Biak Island's main town, Indonesian soldiers launched a dawn attack on Papuans who had staged a peaceful demonstration over several days, calling for independence.

Some were shot on the spot while many others were taken onto Indonesian naval boats and thrown into the ocean before their mutilated bodies washed up on Biak's shores over following days. Indonesian security forces obstructed efforts to count the victims.

However a political counselor at the US Embassy in Jakarta at the time, Ed McWilliams, who visited Biak a few days later, believes the death toll to be in the hundreds.

"Obviously the people of West Papua have suffered under Indonesian military repression for decades, and there have been many instances of cruelty and killing of Papuans, But the number of people killed (in Biak) was significant but also the manner in which they were killed."

15th anniversary of Biak massacre marked

Radio New Zealand International - July 5, 2013

This weekend marks the 15th anniversary of the Biak massacre in West Papua, when scores of West Papuans were wounded, arrested or killed while calling for independence from Indonesia.

On July 6, 1998, in Biak Island's main town, Indonesian military units launched a dawn attack on Papuans who had staged a peaceful demonstration over several days.

Some were shot on the spot while many others were taken onto Indonesian naval boats and thrown into the ocean before their mutilated bodies washed up on Biak's shores over following days.

A political counsellor at the US Embassy in Jakarta at the time, Ed McWilliams, visited Biak a few days later and found an entire town traumatised.

"And we don't know the number of people (who died) but we estimate certainly in the hundreds. The effort was made to try to try to simply determine how many were killed by counting the bodies that were floating up from having been thrown into the sea, but the Indonesian military authorities would not allow the people to collect the bodies as they came in on the shore."

Rudd reiterates recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua

Jakarta Globe - July 5, 2013

Ezra Sihite, Bogor, West Java – Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reiterated his government's recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua on Friday.

"I would like to publicly reaffirm here, what successive Australian prime ministers have said in the past, that Australia recognizes, recognized in the past and will recognize in the future, the territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia that includes Papua," Rudd said.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Bogor Palace, Rudd also praised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's "strong leadership" and the special autonomy package accorded for Papua's development.

"I encourage him in this direction. I am sure, as Australian Prime Minister, I will do everything I can in supporting him in this important direction as well," he said.

Rudd, who was on visit for the third annual Indonesia-Australia Leaders' Meeting, said that Yudhoyono's government had already achieved success in Aceh, where the government also granted an autonomy package after it agreed with separatists rebels there to end decades of conflict in August 2005.

He said that Australia wanted to work with the government here in a way that could be helpful "in making sure that we bring about a long-term, stable, prosperous and secure Papua that is part of the Republic of Indonesia."

A joint communique issued after the meeting of the two leaders, said that they "reaffirmed the two countries' continued adherence to the principles of respecting each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity as mandated in the Lombok Treaty."

"I am certain that under the leadership of Prime Minister Rudd, the cooperation, partnership and friendship between the Republic of Indonesia and Australia can continue to be stepped up," Yudhoyono said on the same occasion.

Yudhoyono said that he and Rudd shared the same commitment in seeking new opportunities to boost cooperation.The leaders, it said, were encouraged by the many "positive developments" in their bilateral relationship since the previous meeting in Darwin last year.

In the joint communique Yudhoyono and Rudd also encouraged the further promotion of bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Indonesia and Australia.

"Noting that the two countries have shared interest in the area of food security, both leaders agreed to further explore trade and investment cooperation in the agriculture sector, including in the beef and cattle industry," it said.

Tensions had risen several times between Indonesia and Australia over the alleged maltreatment of cows here, leading to a cut in beef imports from Australia.

The Leaders also recognised the importance of the two countries' wide- ranging cooperation in tackling regional and global challenges, particularly transnational crimes such as terrorism, cyber-crime, drugs, corruption and money-laundering.

On the issue of human trafficking and people smuggling, the two countries agreed to continue to develop a regional solution.

The regional solution, the communique said, should involve countries of origin, transit and destination and cover elements of prevention, early detection and protection.

"They stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral actions which might jeopardize such a comprehensive regional approach and that may cause operational or other difficulties to any party," the statement said.

Police ban first edition of Pelita Papua magazine

Tempo.co - July 4, 2013

Jerry Omona, Jayapura – After just days of the distribution of its first edition, Pelita Papua magazine encountered problems with the police last Wednesday for portraying the symbol of the Free Papua Movement on its cover.

Previously, 2,000 copies of the 64-page edition were already been distributed. Fidelis Jeminta, chief editor of Pelita Papua in Jayapura, said this case would restrict freedom of the press in Papua again.

"We feel we are being treated unjustly. Out there, many media outlets show pictures of the Bintang Kejora (symbol of the movement) but are not examined by the police," he said.

The Pelita Papua magazine office is located in the Merauke district and has a permit issued by the Merauke district. The first edition of the magazine covers the issue of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) office in England. There is also an article about the opinions of some figures regarding the movement.

"It's normal, nothing big. We are disappointed at the police's random prohibition," said Fidelis.

Papua Police Chief Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said that published material about Papua's freedom or anything that can incite violence is prohibited. He denied allegations that the police revoked the magazine's license.

Church leaders meet the Dutch ambassador, stress need for UN to visit Papua

Bintang Papua - July 3, 2013

Jayapura – Two vocal church leaders in Papua, Rev Socratez Sofyan Yoman and Dr Beny Giai held a meeting with the Dutch ambassador, Tjeerd de Zwaan, on Tuesday.

During the meeting, the Dutch ambassador asked the church leaders about the implementation of the Special Autonomy for Papua (OTSUS) and the additional law called Special Autonomy Plus.

Rev Yoman told the ambassador that special autonomy had failed. "The law itself is good," he said. "Just go through it article by article and everything is fine. But it has failed because it is the Indonesian government that is in charge of implementation. It's all a matter of the bargaining position between the Indonesian government and the Papuan people."

He also commented on Special Autonomy Plus, saying that this had not solved the problem. "It's just a change in the name but as for the substance, nothing is different." He went on to suggest that the ambassador might urge the Indonesian government to take a number of steps.

The first would be that all the political prisoners should be released unconditionally, those who have already been tried as well as those who haven't been tried. (tapol/napol).

His second suggestion was that foreign journalists should be allowed to visit Papua to see for themselves how development activities are proceeding.

His third point was for the United Nations to be allowed to enter Papua and fourthly that there should be a comprehensive peaceful dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Papuan people, mediated by a third, neutral party.

Dr Beny Gyai asked the ambassador whether he thought there was anything in the special autonomy law that could be raised and could be implemented in a way that would serve the interests of the Papua people. He also told the ambassador that on 15 August 2005, the Special Autonomy Law had been returned to the Indonesian government. "This means that OTSUS is now dead."

Dr Gyai explained that some time ago, the Indonesian government introduced two new measures. One is called UP4B [for the acceleration of development] while the other is OTSUS Plus. As far as the latter is concerned, we don't know whether this might be useful because there hasn't been any public discussion about it yet. He wondered whether the Dutch ambassador might also have some thoughts about OTSUS Plus and how it might be used to serve the interests of the Papuan people.

[Translated by TAPOL.]

Morning Star flag raised in Puncak Jaya

Jakarta Post - July 1, 2013

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – A group of civilians raised the banned Morning Star (Bintang Kejora) flag in Kampung Wandenggobak, Mulia, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Monday, while officers from the Puncak Jaya Police precinct were celebrating the National Police's 67th anniversary, which fell on July 1.

Intermittent gunfire was also heard in the lead-up to the Morning Star flag being raised.

"The flag-raising occurred at 8:55 a.m. local time when members of the Puncak Jaya Police precinct were preparing to celebrate Bhayangkara Day," Agus, a local resident of Mulia, told The Jakarta Post.

It is unknown where the gunfire came from as the weather at the time was foggy. As the fog faded, the flag was seen flying at Kampung Wandenggobak, which is 3 kilometers from the location where the celebrations for Bhayangkara Day took place.

"Information currently circulating in Mulia indicates that the raising of the Morning Star flag was carried out by a group led by Enggaranggo Wenda and Purom Wenda," Agus said.

Police officers from the Papua Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit deployed in Mulia lowered the flag. Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Tito Karnavian said both the raising of the flag and the sounding of gunfire were merely aimed at provoking the police.

"It was just provocation, hoping that police would enter the Puncak Jaya area so they could shoot our personnel. But we have experienced such tricks before so we were not fooled," said Tito. (fan/ebf)

Morning Star flag raised during Papua's independence day

Tempo.co - July 1, 2013

Jerry Omona, Jakarta – The Free Papua Movement allegedly raised the Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag to commemorate the independence of Papua, which is believed to fall on July 1. The flags were found in several places in Papua, yet OPM's military wing, the Papua Liberation Army Front (TPN), refused that they were involved in the case.

TPN leader Lambertus Pekikir said that they were not responsible for the flags in Puncak Jaya, or the Carstensz Pyramid, the highest summit of Mount Carstensz in Papua. "We don't know which group did it, the authority can look for them, we are not responsible," he said.

Lambert said that he had warned all TPN members to remain calm during the Papuan independence day, and not to do any activity related to the commemoration. "So any activity related to it is not OPM'S responsibility," he added.

Numbers of Papuans commemorate the independence of Papua on July 1. The independence was proclaimed by Zeth Rumkorem and Jacob Pray, who raised the first Bintang Kejora flag on July 1 1971.

Aceh

Aceh quake victims frustrated at lack of help

Jakarta Globe - July 5, 2013

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – A rescue team involving the military, police and volunteers is struggling through rain and rubble to search for bodies and deliver aid, which survivors of Tuesday's deadly earthquake in Aceh say isn't coming soon enough.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) data confirms that 30 people – 12 in Bener Meriah and 18 in Central Aceh – were killed during the 6.2- magnitude earthquake.

Other reports said that the death toll had risen to 42 people as of Wednesday evening.

Fatchul Hadi, BNPB secretary, said that access to several villages had been cut off due to landslides thus making the rescue efforts and aid distribution difficult.

"This is a hill area and the land is unstable. Access to several villages in Ketol [subdistrict] were cut off due to landslides," Fatchul told the Jakarta Globe.

"The rains that fall in this area are also slowing down the search process for victims and distribution of aid," he added.

Fatchul said that heavy equipment has been deployed to reach the isolated villages, adding that the BNPB has set up a relief post where aid is pooled and distributed to the worst-hit areas.

Army Lt. Col. Budi Hartono, head of the military's evacuation team in Blang Mancung, said that the areas were still prone to landslides.

"The land is very unstable and prone to landslides. We cannot take heavy equipment there yet," he said.

Baktiar Gayo, a youth figure in Central Aceh, feared that it could take a long time before the team would be able to reach the villages, as they might have to make emergency road repairs and work hard to continue the rescue operations.

Baktiar said that the nine villages which were isolated after the quake are located in a valley that was flanked by hills.

"Nine people were buried in a landslide in Bah village. The victims were detected because we used BNPB's special detector device but they haven't been evacuated," Budi told reporters on Wednesday night.

Fakhrizan Joely, a volunteer from Aceh Adventure who was able to reach Bah village, said that almost 90 percent of the houses there were destroyed and could no longer be used.

"The route that we took to Bah village was narrow and the temperature here is very cold," said Fakhrizan, adding that he still has no data on the number of victims in the village.

Ketol head Muhammad Saleh said that Serempah village, which neighbors Bah, was also in a very bad shape because the quake divided the village in two. He said half the village had sunk and the Peusangan river overflowed.

"Many of the people's houses sank when the quake occurred. The river overflowed and washed away houses," said Saleh, adding that 200 households were located in Serempah village.

Residents from several subdistricts in Bener Meriah and Central Aceh had complained about the slow distribution of food and tents.

Muhammad Adam, secretary of Wih Porak village in Silih Nara subdistrict, Central Aceh, said that none of the 120 households in the village had received help.

Yani, a resident of Kute Kering village in Silih Nara, said that her village was also without aid.

"Many of the houses in Kute Kering are badly damaged and cannot be used," Yani said.

Residents in Celala subdistrict also claimed they have not received aid and that they had to sleep in the open and cold air, under the rain because their houses were badly damaged.

"The residents are worried because they have started to rely on neighbors who still had food to survive," said Ali Amran, a social worker.

Rohani, a resident of Seloen village, Kuta Panang subdistrict, said many vehicles that carried food and tents passed their village but they were ignored.

"Vehicles carrying logistics passed our village but they didn't provide us with any aid. All aid was supplied to Blang Mancung," he said.

Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said that an integrated medical team has been deployed to quake hit areas and that she has not received any reports of personnel shortages.

Nafsiah said that quake victims are most desperate for medical assistance.

"I get reports every day and the number of medical personnel there is enough," said Nafsiah on Thursday.

Nafsiah also said that the government would send psychologists from Medan to help victims overcome their trauma.

"Many remain frightened. That will be with psychologists and counselors," Nafsiah said.

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) had deployed a team of seven medical workers, including orthopedists to Bener Meriah to help the quake victims on Thursday.

"PMI sent seven people comprising of medical workers, water and sanitation specialist and staff," said Tia Kurniawan, PMI's disaster mitigation sub- division head in Jakarta.

"They were sent from Jakarta and will stay in Bener Meriah for 10 days and that can be extended if required," she said.

Strong quake in Indonesia's Aceh province kills 22

Associated Press - July 3, 2013

Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Soldiers, police and volunteers fanned out across an earthquake-damaged region of western Indonesia on Wednesday, scouring the debris of fallen homes and landslides for possible victims of a temblor that killed at least 22 people and injured hundreds.

The magnitude-6.1 quake struck Tuesday afternoon at a depth of just 10 kilometers (6 miles) and was centered on the far western tip of Sumatra island in Aceh province.

Twelve people were killed and 70 others were injured by a landslide or collapsing buildings in Bener Meriah district, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. He added Wednesday that the number of houses and buildings damaged in the district is still being counted.

In neighboring Central Aceh district, 10 people were killed, 140 were injured and about 1,500 houses and buildings were damaged, Nugroho said. The quake also triggered landslides and caused hundreds of people to be evacuated to 10 temporary shelters.

Rescuers and other assistance teams have arrived in Bener Meriah, while the air force have dispatched a helicopter and a CN-235 aircraft to the region, Nugroho said.

"We are now concentrating on searching for people who may be trapped under the rubble," said Rusli M. Saleh, the deputy district chief of Bener Meriah.

He said at least 25 of the injured in his district were hospitalized in intensive care. As the quake hit, villagers in the area ran out of their homes in panic and screamed for help.

"I see many houses were damaged and their roofs fell onto some people," Bensu Elianita, a 22-year-old resident of Bukit Sama village in Central Aceh district, said shortly after the quake hit. "Many people were injured, but it is difficult to evacuate them due to traffic jams."

The quake also caused concern among officials attending a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Medan, the capital of neighboring North Sumatra province. They were escorted from the second- floor meeting room by security officers.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean. In 2004, a magnitude-9.1 earthquake off Aceh triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people in 14 countries.

Human rights & justice

Indonesia urged to be transparent on human rights record

Jakarta Post - July 8, 2013

Yohanna Ririhena, Jakarta – A human rights group coalition has urged the Indonesian government to be more open in reporting the country's human rights situation when it presents a report in a United Nations' session in Geneva later this week.

The Indonesian government delegation is scheduled to present a report on the implementation of International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) during the Human Rights Committee session in Geneva, Switzerland on July 10 and 11.

It will be the first Indonesian report examined by the committee after eight years of Indonesian ratification of the ICCPR. The Indonesian House of Representatives ratified the ICCPR by enacting Law No. 12/2005 (UU no. 12/2005).

"We hope the government will be more open about the human rights situation in the country after it ratified the covenant," said executive director of the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) Rafendi Djamin over the weekend.

He noted that covering up the real facts of the human rights situation or refusing to acknowledge the truth would run against the spirit of the country as a state-party to the ICCPR.

Rafendi gave the example that there had been widespread torture and ill treatment against detainees, especially the poor and alleged terrorists.

In its report, the government said: "It is important to emphasize that in a democracy where media is free and transparency is one of the essential elements, occurrences of any misconduct against detainees is always exposed to the public, including the way the relevant authorities address the incident. However, categorizing the incident of torture in detention facilities as widespread is an exaggeration."

HRWG UN program manager Ali Akbar Tanjung added that openness in presenting the report would be essential. Since the committee consisted of experts, their recommendation would be important for the government's efforts to ensure human rights protection.

"It differs with the UPR [Universal Periodic Review] when its recommendations could have political nuance, since the government's report was reviewed by fellow member states," Akbar said.

HRWG, representing some 50 civil society groups across the country, has indicated that eight years after the ratification, human rights protection is still not getting better. "It would be difficult to not say that the human rights protection was not improving," Rafendi added.

Therefore, civil society hoped the first committee session would be a test of government openness and consistency of its commitment on human rights protection, including rehabilitation and restitution for victims.

HRWG has submitted its report to the committee, underscoring several issues to be highlighted in the upcoming recommendation: protection of religious minorities, women and LGBTI, the situation in Papua, torture of detainees, the death penalty and bylaws that contradict human rights principles and norms.

The Human Rights Committee is a body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the ICCPR by its state parties.

All state parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the committee on how the rights are being implemented. States must initially report one year after acceding to the covenant and then whenever the committee requests (usually every four years).

The committee meets in Geneva or New York and normally holds three sessions per year. It examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the state party in question in the form of "concluding observations".

The committee's 108th session will be held from July 8 to 26.

Political parties & elections

Sidarto officially installed as MPR speaker

Jakarta Post - July 8, 2013

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) senior politician Sidarto Danusubroto has been inaugurated as speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), replacing the late Taufiq Kiemas.

He took the oath of office in an official swearing-in ceremony at the Pustaka Loka building in the MPR and House of Representatives (DPR) compound in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Monday.

"I do solemnly swear in the name of Allah that I will faithfully fulfill my responsibilities as the MPR speaker to the best of my ability. I will uphold Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution and serve devotedly the nation and the people. I will fight for the people's aspirations," said Sidarto, while taking the oath, as quoted by Kompas.com. Sidarto will serve as MPR speaker for the next 15 months, replacing Taufiq who passed away last month. Megawati chose Sidarto as MPR speaker because he is the senior member of PDI-P faction and had been a House member for three terms. Prior to the appointment, Sidarto held the prestigious position as the party's honors board chief.

Sidarto was adjutant to Indonesia's first president Soekarno and he is expected to continue Soekarno's legacy, in particular upholding the four pillars of nationhood.

In his professional career, Sidarto was formerly head of information service with the National Police (1975-1976), head of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in 1976-1982, and West Java Police chief (1988-1991).

Sidarto was nominated as MPR speaker with several other candidates. They included Deputy DPR Speaker Pramono Anung, head of PDI-P faction at the House Puan Maharani, and PDI-P secretary general Tjahjo Kumolo. Among those names, Sidarto was the most senior politician and party member. (apt/ebf)

Yudhoyono 'grooming his sons' for high office

Jakarta Globe - July 8, 2013

Disna Harvens – Having watched the offspring of former presidents Sukarno and Suharto seek high office, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is trying to built a dynasty of his own, grooming his two sons to seek high office, political analysts say.

While Yudhoyono has said none of his direct relatives will stand for the presidency next year, plans by him to nominate a son in 2019 are likely to have an impact on the 2014 race, promoting an aging Jusuf Kalla to serve a single term rather than the younger rival Pramono Edhie Wibowo, according to one expert.

M. Qodari, the executive director of respected polling company Indobarometer, said Yudhoyono was keen for Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, aged 34, and Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, aged 32 and also known as Ibas, to seek high office.

"Ibas is involved in managing the Democratic Party, while Agus Harimurti is a military officer and we know the Indonesian Military plays a major role when it comes to producing a national leader," Qodari said.

He added that the Sukarno offspring, including the founding president's daughter, Megawati Sukarnoputri, and grand daughter, Puan Maharani, were influential in shaping the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) campaign. While the Suharto family was keen to continue President Suharto's legacy, no members had so far reached the upper ranks of power.

Under a theory floated by political commentator Iberamsjah, President Yudhoyono was seeking to engineer Agus's rise in 2019 by backing Kalla, aged 71, over Pramono, aged 58, for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2014 race because he would not seek a second term.

In Iberamsjah's theory, Pramono, a former Army chief of staff, would at best obtain the vice presidential slot in 2014, serving under the former vice president Kalla.

"The Democratic Party has made plans to endorse Agus Harimurti as president [in 2019] instead of Pramono Edhie Wibowo," Iberamsjah said.

In a speech that will likely only fuel speculation of his presidential ambitions, Agus told the Indonesia Youth Conference in Jakarta on Saturday that the country faces three major challenges: terrorism, natural disasters and the scarcity of natural resources, such as fossil oil.

"The terrorist incidents that occurred both overseas and at home have had negative impacts on Indonesia," he said. "In the long term, terrorism could hurt Indonesia's reputation."

On natural disasters and natural resources scarcity, Agus attributed the problems to the growing human population. "We could have shortages [in 40 years] and this could trigger conflicts."

To prevent conflict, the government must build cooperation with other countries and boost domestic economic growth, he said.

At the same time the government must issue pro-growth, pro-jobs policies and policies that sided with the poor, he said, echoing the sentiments of his father, adding the government must also prioritize using alternative energy resources to overcome natural resources shortages.

On the 2014 race, Iberamsjah said Kalla, notionally a member of the Golkar Party, would not be hindered by his party from seeking a nomination elsewhere.

"Especially now Aburizal Bakrie [Ical] is running Golkar in a monopolistic and authoritarian way. This will not get voters' sympathy," Iberamsjah said.

"There have been cases where Golkar members have fled Golkar. Ical has a lot of baggage with the Lapindo and tax cases," he added, referring to Bakrie Group mining company Lapindo Brantas and its possible responsibility for a mudslide in Sidoarjo, East Java, in 2006. "He lacks status as a statesman."

Kalla could be a strong candidate if paired with a Democratic Party cadre, he added. "He is one of the few national figures that can be accepted by the public, surpassing Ical and others."

Previously, Democratic Party politician Ruhut Sitompul said there was a big chance Agus would become a presidential candidate in 2019. He said Agus, currently an Army major, could be Army chief of staff, improving his presidential prospects.

But Charta Politika analyst Yunarto Wijaya disagreed, saying "it was impossible for him to become chief of staff by then." Yunarto said Agus's could not become a four-star general in time. "I think by that year he would only be a lieutenant general," he said.

Yunarto said it was unlikely Indonesians would accept a lieutenant general as a presidential candidate and called on Agus to ignore suggestions he nominate as a presidential candidate in 2019.

"My advise to Agus is to not be bothered or to force himself to run in 2019 because as a military officer, he's quite outstanding compared to his fellow colleagues," he said.

Political dynasties are nothing new in Southeast Asia. Megawati served as president from 2001 to 2004 while Thailand's current prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is following in the footsteps of her brother Thaksin. Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong is the eldest son of founding father Lee Kwan Yew and in Malaysia current prime minister Najib Razak, is the son of their second leader, Tun Abdul Razak.

Wiranto-Hary face resistance from within

Jakarta Post - July 8, 2013

Jakarta – A rival faction within the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) called on the leadership of the party to withdraw its decision to nominate party chairman Gen. (ret) Wiranto and media tycoon Hary Tanoesoedibyo as presidential and vice presidential candidates respectively for the upcoming 2014 election.

"We strongly object the declaration [...] this is a strategic decision and to nominate a candidate we must at least secure 20 percent of the vote, so we need to build a coalition with other parties," said a founding member of Hanura, Fuad Bawazier, on Sunday.

Fuad added that the decision to nominate Wiranto and Hary had flouted the party's statute. "All strategic decisions must be made in a national leadership meeting but no such meeting took place," Fuad said.

Fuad explained he was notified of the declaration through a text message shortly before the event took place.

On Tuesday, Hanura officially recognized its Wiranto-Hary ticket for the 2014 election. Hanura is the first political party to declare its ticket for the 2014 elections.

Wiranto said during the declaration ceremony that he and Hary were a good combination that would help each other as leaders. Wiranto said his candidacy with Hary best represented pluralism, since he was Muslim and Javanese while Hary was ethnic Chinese and Christian.

In the 2009 general elections, Hanura only acquired 3.8 percent of the vote, gaining only 18 seats at the House of Representatives, while the current Presidential Election Law requires 20 percent of the vote for a party in the legislative election or 25 percent of seats at the House to be able to name its own presidential candidate.

Wiranto's supporters within the party said they were optimistic that the party could fulfil the 20 percent threshold. Hanura's secretary-general Saleh Husin said the party could go it alone in the 2014 presidential election.

"We are aiming to get 20 percent of the vote in the House so that we can propose our nomination for presidential and vice presidential candidates," Saleh told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Saleh also said the decision to nominate Wiranto and Hary had been legitimate as it was made with the presence of all chairmen of the party's regional branches. "At that time, all members of the executive boards also agreed to Hary's nomination and gave a standing ovation soon after the announcement," he said.

Saleh said the nomination of Hary could be a breakthrough for the party as he would represent the Chinese ethnic minority in the country.

He also said that Hary, with his business background, could complement Wiranto's experience in the military. "Hary is a successful businessman and media baron, which will of course benefit the party," he said.

Saleh added that the decision had been final and could not be reversed. "This decision to nominate Hary as Wiranto's running mate has been final and we will tell other party members at the next party's meeting," he said.

Hary joined Hanura in January following his exit from the NasDem Party. He left the party following his spat with Nasdem founder and fellow media baron Surya Paloh. The NasDem leadership has said it does not consider Hary's membership of Hanura a threat.

Election shaping up as battle of the tribes

Jakarta Globe - July 6, 2013

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Robertus Wardi & Anastasia Wienanti Resardhy – Presidential hopefuls without the backing of one of Indonesia's political dynasties appear to stand little chance of winning next year's race, as members of the Sukarno, Suharto and Wibowo networks position themselves for office.

Christianto Wibisono, leader of the Indonesia Presidential Institute (IKI), said forces aligned to founding president Sukarno were gathering behind Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo, a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) led by Sukarno's daughter Megawati Sukarnoputri, herself a former president.

"Jokowi is not a figure from the dynasty but Megawati could rely on him if she is wise enough to turn him into Goh Chok Tong while preparing a Sukarno grandchild," Christianto said in Jakarta on Friday. Goh served as prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004, taking over from founding president Lee Kwan Yew before being replaced by Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Lee.

Christianto said that although the family of late former president Suharto does not include a prospective candidate, the Wiranto-Hary Tanoesoedibjo ticket endorsed by the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) has close ties to the family. "Wiranto and Hary Tanoe had close ties with Cendana [the family base in Menteng, Central Jakarta]," he said.

The dynasty of Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, a late former military leader under Suharto, is represented by his son Pramono Edhie Wibowo, a former Army chief of staff seeking the candidacy of the Democratic Party. Pramono's sister Ani is married to Democratic Party chairman and incumbent president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"Presidential candidates outside a dynasty, except for Jokowi, do not have an impressive popularity yet," he said.

Christianto said that Aburizal Bakrie, who despite being the chairman of the Golkar Party and himself part of a corporate dynasty, still polled poorly.

He said that Prabowo Subianto, a former military leader and founder of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), and Hatta Rajasa, a government minister from the National Mandate Party (PAN), would face electoral difficulties because their parties' low level of public support meant they would struggle to achieve the threshold to gain a spot on the presidential ballot paper. (Hatta's daughter in 2011 married the Yudhoyono's son.)

Christianto said CT Corp leader Chairul Tanjung, State Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan and Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan would struggle to beat Pramono for the nomination at the Democratic Party convention.

Tjipta Lesmana, professor of political communications at Pelita Harapan University, said the presidential and vice presidential candidates who have emerged so far would bring little meaningful change to the country.

Tjipta said Prabowo was a visionary, but had a problematic human rights record. He described the former military leader as someone that would do anything to get his way, potentially making him dangerous.

The academic predicted that Megawati would suffer another defeat if she ran for office, while Puan Maharani, her daugher, is not ready for the presidency or vice presidency, he said.

Tjipta said Aburizal was a weak candidate due to the Sidoarjo mudslides of 2006, in which drilling work of his company Lapindo Brantas was widely blamed, even though his Golkar was one of the three most popular parties.

Jusuf Kalla, who served as vice president from 2004 to 2009, has proven leadership abilities, but at 72 come the election could be considered too old, Tjipta said.

The Hanura pair were described as weak because Wiranto has made little impact on national debate, while Hary, a media tycoon, is new to politics.

"We all know why Wiranto took the risk. Before Hary [joined], Hanura's finances were in dire straits. Now we also know why Hary quit the National Democratic Party. It's because Surya Paloh [the founder of NasDem and fellow media mogul] would not give up the vice presidential position that he wanted," Tjipta said.

Regarding the Demoratic Party battle between Gita and Pramono, Tjipta said Yudhoyono would probably choose Pramono over the Harvard-educated minister. "SBY would have chosen Gita Wirjawan, but he will certainly choose Pramono due to the family ties. Gita Wirjawan is very intelligent but it is feared that if he became president he would adopt pro-Washington policies."

Tjipta said Joko, who has yet to declare his intention to seek national office, is the strongest candidate. If he became president, his deputy Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, also known as Ahok, would succeed him as Jakarta governor. "Ahok is good but temperamental, very impulsive. As a leader he should contain himself. If he leads Jakarta, the projects would stall and the people would blame Jokowi for it and that could pose a major problem."

But PDI-P deputy secretary general Ahmad Basarah said Megawati would decide whether Joko runs for president, adding that the party's congress decided she would have the final say.

Joko and Basuki were supported by Prabowo in their 2012 gubernatorial bid.

Political dynasties still pivotal in 2014 elections

Jakarta Post - July 6, 2013

Jakarta – Christianto Wibisono from the Institute of Indonesia Presidency says three political dynasties retain a firm hold on current Indonesian politics; namely the Sukarno family, the Soehartos and Sarwo Edhie's family.

The Sukarno family is best represented by Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. Besides Megawati, her daughter Puan Maharani, niece Puti Guntur Soekarnoputri, brother Guruh Soekarnoputra are also known as politicians.

However, Christianto said none of them had what it took to enter next year's presidential contest. That was why, he said, many believed that Megawati had groomed Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to take that role.

"Even though he is not part of the political family Jokowi could play a significant role in the 2014 presidential election if he gets Megawati's endorsement and is nominated as presidential candidate by the PDIP," Christianto said.

Similarly, the Soeharto family also lacks a promising member to be named as presidential candidate next year. "But the Wiranto and Hary Tanoesoedibjo ticket could be identified as persons affiliated with the Soeharto family because of their past closeness," he said.

Chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) Gen. (ret) Wiranto used to serve as then president Soeharto's adjutant in the early 90's while Hary Tanoesoedibjo, media mogul, used to be close to Soeharto's third son, Bambang Trihatmojo.

The third family, that of Sarwo Edhie, is represented by son-in-law President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Sarwo Edhie's son Pramono Edhie Wibowo, who has just retired from his post as army chief of staff.

Pramono has joined the Democratic Party and is believed by many to be the Sarwo Edhie family's next political heir. Political observer Tjipta Lesmana, has said political dynasty contravened the principle of democracy and therefore should be avoided. (hrl/dic)

Past history forgotten as Hary meets Wiranto

Jakarta Post - July 3, 2013

Jakarta – It was not until 2001 that Hary Tanoesoedibjo made his debut on the national stage after his company unexpectedly took over Soeharto family's media flagship.

As Soeharto's children decided to go below the radar after the 1998 downfall of the dictator, suspicion was rife at the time that Hary was merely a frontman for the family. PT Bhakti Investama, in which Hary was then the president director, had close links to Soeharto's daughter, Siti "Titiek" Hediati.

Bhakti eventually bought a majority shareholding in PT Bimantara Citra, now called PT Global Mediacom, which was then controlled by Titiek's older brother, Bambang Trihatmodjo.

To some extent, Hary tried to severe ties with the Soehartos after getting into a legal fight with Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana.

Now, more than a decade later, Hary's "frontman" image has faded following his success in turning Global into an influential and profitable media group. But the comfort and positive reputation that Hary has since earned have not deterred him from venturing into politics.

In a bold move that will further cement his political role, Hary declared on Tuesday his candidacy for vice president alongside presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto, who was the military commander when Soeharto decided to resign.

The People's Conscience Party (Hanura), which harbors many Soeharto loyalists and family members, will propose the pair should it succeed in passing the threshold for proposing presidential candidates; 25 percent of the popular vote in the upcoming 2014 legislative elections.

Wiranto is the party's patron while Hary is the chairman of the party's election division. "We want to show the people that we represent all groups. We are a combination of majority and minority groups, I am a Javanese and Hary is of Chinese descent," said Wiranto.

The declaration also marked the first time someone of Chinese descent has aspired for one of the country's two top jobs amid Javanese-majority governments.

Hary joined Hanura in February after leaving the National Democratic Party (NasDem) following rifts with NasDem patron Surya Paloh, whose television station Metro TV was once owned by Bimantara.

Political analyst Arman Salam of the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) said that Hary's nomination was aimed at increasing his leverage, and opened chances for other parties to turn to him for their vice-presidential candidate due to his control over influential media outlets.

"This is just a strategy by Hanura to gain popularity and also to provide chances for Hary to be picked up by other potential presidential candidates who are more popular than Wiranto," said Arman.

Numerous surveys have shown Wiranto at the lowest level of popularity. He ran for president in 2004 and for vice-president in 2009. A survey last week by the state-run Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) showed that Hanura garnered only 1.9 percent support.

"Any party or candidates teaming up with Hary will be assured of gaining massive campaign access through the mass media. This is something that Hanura could sell to other bigger or more popular parties and candidates," said Arman.

Hary runs the country's biggest and most profitable group of media companies, including RCTI, MNC and Global television stations and Seputar Indonesia newspaper daily.

However, Hary is quick to deny that he would use his media outlets in the campaign, pledging that his media would remain independent. "I have been in politics for the past two years and I have managed to keep my media independent, away from politics," said Hary.

"Other parties can advertise their campaigns in my media as long as they comply with the Indonesian Broadcast Commission's (KPI) regulations," he said.

While Hary's profile flourishes, he still needs to find ways to dodge several corruption allegations plaguing his family and business.

Hary was summoned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last year as a witness after Bhakti Investama, through its tax consultant James Gunarjo, bribed tax official Tommy Hendratno. The court found James and Tommy guilty, and sentenced them each to three-and-a-half years in prison.

A company controlled by Hary's brother, Bambang Rudhianto Tanoesoedibjo, has also been implicated in a health-equipment procurement graft case. The trial for that case is currently ongoing. (koi)

'Nepotistic' Dems build legacy

Jakarta Post - July 1, 2013

Ina Parlina and Nadya Natahadibrata, Jakarta – By recruiting his brother- in-law former Army chief Gen. (ret) Pramono Edhie Wibowo into the ruling Democratic Party, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has set his sights on building another political dynasty to last beyond his term in office, analysts have said.

The decision to approve the membership of Pramono, which many said was a precursor to his nomination as the party's presidential candidate and even replacing Yudhoyono as party chairman, has been deemed an example of nepotism, said University of Indonesia political analyst Siti Zuhro.

"It's obvious that this is a dynasty in the making within the Democratic Party, no doubt about it. The new membership of Pramono and his direct appointment as a member of the party's advisory board further confirmed the party is running on a principle of nepotism," Siti told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Siti said the appointment of Pramono was the final act of the Yudhoyono family in its attempts to control the ruling Democrats.

In February, Yudhoyono, who is also the party's chief patron, took over the party's leadership from former chairman Anas Urbaningrum who was being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Soon after being elected chairman, Yudhoyono maintained the position of his son Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro as the party's secretary-general in a leadership shake-up.

Siti said nepotism within the party could severely affect its future electability rating, especially if a political novice like Pramono was appointed leader of the party or as its presidential candidate.

"The public will certainly not vote for a party that blatantly applies nepotism. It will be hard for the Democrats to increase their electability, especially given the party is facing a lot of legal problems," she said.

Based on a recent survey conducted by the state-run Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) that interviewed 1,799 voters, the Democrats are expected to get 11.1 percent of the vote, trailing the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) with 14.9 percent and the Golkar Party with 14.5 percent. The Democrats secured 20.85 percent of the vote in the 2009 legislative election.

Charta Politika analyst Yunarto Wijaya said by having members of his family controlling the party, Yudhoyono was preparing an exit strategy that would allow him to be free of potential prosecution once he left office. "SBY envisions a smooth power transition to the next government," Yunarto told the Post.

Yunarto, however, said the control of the party by Yudhoyono's family would not affect the party's performance in the 2014 election. Neither would it affect the party's electability, because most voters had not yet participated in general election in a rational manner, he went on.

"Most voters have no concerns about political dynasties. We have seen a lot of families controlling local politics and voters putting them into office again and again," Yunarto added.

Yunarto also said that although Pramono could win the party's primary, it would be unlikely to see him contest the 2014 presidential election, given the crowded field.

Popular candidates for 2014 include Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and chief patron of the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto.

On Saturday, the Democrats executive chairman Syarief Hasan said Pramono could be the best candidate to contest the primary, which was slated for September. "He is a former Army chief and he has the capacity to compete," Syarief said.

People told to shun candidates not committed to anti corruption

Jakarta Post - July 1, 2013

Jakarta – Senior lawyer and human rights activist Adnan Buyung Nasution has urged people not to choose 36 names recently listed by the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), as legislative candidates, because they are not committed to eradicating corruption.

"Such people should not be re-elected. They have a track record as a legislative member not committed to corruption eradication. So, don't choose them again," said Adnan Buyung in Jakarta on Sunday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Recently, the ICW released a list of 36 member candidates of the House of Representatives deemed poor in their commitment to eradicating corruption in the country.

Adnan appreciated the action taken by the ICW, who dared to publicly announce the names of people who lacked anti-corruption commitments, due to either their involvements in corruption or their reluctance to support anti-corruption law enforcement.

"We have to support the ICW. Releasing those names is part of monitoring activities. Don't ever let the legislative members adopt authoritarian ways of thinking and make people suffer by producing laws that oppress them," he said.

Adnan said the list of names released by the ICW was an instrument that could be used by people to consider candidates before choosing them on April 9. "If they are offended, please file a lawsuit. I will be ready to defend any entity which is sued," said Adnan.

Of the 36 names in the prospective legislative candidate list (DCS), 10 candidates are from the Democratic Party, followed by 9 candidates from the Golkar Party, 5 from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), 4 from the Prosperous Justice Party, 3 from the Great Indonesian Movement (Gerindra) Party, 2 from the United Development Party (PPP), 1 from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), 1 from the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the remaining one from the Star and Crescent Party (PBB). (ebf)

Surveys & opinion polls

Faith in political leaders is falling: Survey

Jakarta Globe - July 8, 2013

Novianti Setuningsih – Politicians need to try something new to regain public trust ahead of next year's elections, it appears, with a new survey finding an increasing number of people are questioning their leaders' moral commitment.

A recent survey by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) showed 52 percent of its 1,200 respondents distrust the values of politicians working in the executive, legislative and judicial systems.

"In 2005, public distrust toward politicians' morals stood at 35 percent. In 2009, the distrust was at 40 percent. And then in 2013, public distrust rose to 52 percent," LSI researcher Rully Akbar announced on Sunday at a news conference.

The significant growth, he said, stemmed from the fact that 52 percent of people agreed that few political figures were suitable role models.

The poll also found that 65 percent of people believe there is a significant gap between politicians' words and their actions. Some 38 percent of respondents said politicians' attitudes and characters contradicted their professed religious views.

"There is a gap between politicians' religious claims and their attitude. For example, individuals of a certain religious mass organization would often act upon their own judgment [without initially consulting governmental entities]. Another thing is that Indonesia is a country with a majority Islam population but a most corrupt government," Rully said.

The survey was conducted by LSI from Wednesday to Friday, with a margin of error of 2.9 percent. It was conducted across all 33 provinces and included qualitative research, media analysis, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews.

"Respondents came from both cities and rural areas, those who are educated and non-educated, men and women from all social and economic statuses. Every segment of the Indonesian population," Rully said.

Rully added that the cluster of corruption cases made public by law enforcement entities like the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) intensified public doubt toward politicians.

"The KPK and other law enforcement officers have exposed many corruption cases. This is good. On the other hand, however, the fact that so many corruption cases exposed involve big political figures [means] public distrust could continue to increase ahead of 2014," he said.

Rully highlighted a 2011 survey released by the KPK that ranked the Ministry of Religious Affairs as the most corrupt government ministry.

The ministry has been put under close scrutiny by the KPK following the discovery of corruption in a Koran procurement program, which is estimated to have cost Rp 20 billion ($2 million) in state losses in 2011 and Rp 14 billion in losses in 2012.

"The Holy Book is a source of morality, but yet the Holy Book itself was subject to corruption," he said.

The involvement of religion-based political parties such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in corruption cases has also contributed to raising doubts against politicians' integrity.

The chairman of the PKS earlier this year resigned after he was linked to the payment of bribes in exchange for beef import permits, and other party officials have been implicated.

"Personal godliness based on [religious] beliefs and practices is unable to hold back corrupt personal desires," Rully said.

Acts of violence conducted by religion-based mass organizations in recent years have also fueled suspicion of a link between professed piety and malfeasance. "But ... law enforcement officers have allowed them to do so," he said.

The survey's results should serve as a precaution for religion-based political parties, Rully said, because their popularity will depend on their ability to create positive perceptions ahead of the elections.

"With the many [corruption] cases, public trust toward political parties could decline," he said.

Speaking before the subsidized fuel price increase last month, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on political elites to set aside their political interests ahead of the general elections next year.

"I humbly call upon my friends, political elites, to put their political practices or political interests second ahead of 2014, as there is something that needs to be done by all of us, the people of Indonesia," said the president, the leader of the nationalist Democratic Party.

Such actions appear to be out of step with current political practices.

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in 2011 found irregularities in the state budget amounting to Rp 103 trillion, with only Rp 37.8 trillion of that sum investigated by the government. Of the 305 cases, worth Rp 33.6 trillion, reported to law enforcement officers, only 139 were checked.

Indonesian Corruption Watch recently claimed politicians lacked commitment in curbing corruption, identifying 36 legislative candidates from various parties it said lacked commitment on the issue.

"Corruption remains unimportant to political parties and we have no doubt about this," said Emerson Yuntho, an official ICW official.

In the LSI survey, only 37 percent of respondents believed politicians would improve their attitudes over the next year. "Meanwhile 40 percent stated that the political elite would not change," Rully said.

The pollster noted that politicians' failure to use this week's start of Ramadan to improve themselves may strengthen apathy toward Indonesia's democracy. "Without change, the public will become even more apathetic toward the politicians as collective hypocrisy only becomes more obvious," he said.

Next year's elections, the fourth round of votes since hardline leader Suharto was ousted from power in 1998, come amid entrenched negativity toward political parties and many political figures.

Early next year, ballots will elect members of the House of Representatives, with the results serving as the basis for discussions between parties to establish which candidates will stand for the presidential election, which could extend to a second round if no candidate secures more than half of the popular vote.

Several early contenders for the presidential election have faced scrutiny over the ethics of their behavior, including corporate tycoon Aburizal Bakrie, whose company has been accused of triggering a mudflow in East Java in 2006, and Prabowo Subianto and Wiranto, who served in the military during times of great violence.

Mass organisations & NGOs

Foreign groups wary of 'Ormas' law

Jakarta Post - July 4, 2013

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The newly endorsed Mass Organization (Ormas) Law is putting foreign NGOs operating in Indonesia in a difficult position, as they must choose between siding with their local partners or abiding by the government's new policies.

A number of foreign NGOs interviewed by The Jakarta Post said that they did not mind abiding by the new law, but admitted that it would likely restrict their partnerships with local NGOs.

"The law will put us in a difficult situation with our local partners because we do support their struggle for freedom of association, but we must also obey the Indonesian government because we signed an agreement before entering the country," one of the groups said, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

They said all this time they had been coordinating with Indonesian officials from several institutions, including the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister as well as the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Roichatul Aswidah of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said that the new law would therefore limit the contribution of foreign groups advocating democracy in Indonesia, for example, by setting restrictions on their partnerships.

"The law will surely put them in a difficult position because they are tied to the agreement with the government on one side, but must also uphold their values in working with local partners who share their values," she told the Post.

"This is one of the reasons why Komnas HAM urged the House of Representatives to drop the bill because it will definitely pose a threat to freedom of association in Indonesia. We are aware of the existence of problematic foreign groups, but imposing the law on all foreign organizations operating here to counter espionage activities is unwise."

Speaking before lawmakers during a plenary meeting to endorse the controversial bill earlier on Tuesday, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi said that the Foreign Ministry currently recorded 108 foreign organizations operating in the country, which also have partnerships with several of the 139,894 registered local groups.

Among the recorded local mass organizations, 65,577 are registered with the Home Ministry; 48,866 with the Law and Human Rights Ministry; and 25,406 with the Social Affairs Ministry.

Local groups that have been perceived as foreign agencies due to their internationally recognized names such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Indonesia and Greenpeace Indonesia argued that the law would further hamper their activities in different regions due to misleading information among local administrators.

Fathi Hanif from WWF Indonesia said that the organization was registered as a local organization with the Law and Human Rights Ministry since 2006 but it has been treated as a foreign group particularly by local officials.

"I'm afraid that the implementation of the law will cause problems in regions due to a lack of information from the central government," Fathi told the Post.

WWF Indonesia and Greenpeace Indonesia are among two of hundreds of local organizations that opposed the enactment of the law.

Both organizations will join other groups across the archipelago, such as the Yogyakarta-based Institute for Interfaith Dialogue (DIAN/Interfidei), Imparsial and the Setara Institute to challenge the new law at the Constitutional Court.

"I understand the difficult position of our foreign partners, but I hope they are with us in this struggle," Poengky Indarti from Imparsial said.

Freedom under grave threat

Jakarta Post - July 3, 2013

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – After months of delays and intense debate, the House of Representatives on Tuesday passed into law the mass organizations bill, which will give the government greater control over public activities, including the power to disband an organization deemed a threat to the state.

Out of the 361 lawmakers that attended the plenary meeting on Tuesday, 311 voted for the bill's enactment, saying that the country needed such legislation to empower local organizations and counter foreign intervention in the country through NGOs. One hundred and ninety nine lawmakers skipped the plenary.

The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Peoples Conscience (Hanura) Party were the only factions to oppose the bill, which activists have said could be used by the powers that be to silence political dissidents.

"I'm aware of the criticism out there. This law may not satisfy all groups but this is the best we can do," said Abdul Malik Haramain, who chairs the House's special committee deliberating the bill.

Religious groups such as Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) and the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) have rejected the passage of the controversial bill and are planning to challenge the newly passed law at the Constitutional Court.

The law places the Home Ministry in charge of the government's integrated information system to screen all mass organizations operating in the country in coordination with related ministries as well as local administrations.

Speaking before lawmakers, Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi said that his ministry recently recorded 65,577 mass organizations, the Law and Human Rights Ministry 48,866 organizations, the Social Affairs Ministry 25,406 organizations and the Foreign Ministry 108 foreign organizations.

According to Gamawan, there are many unregistered organizations operating in the country that should be monitored. "We need to manage all of these groups so that they can positively contribute to the country," he said.

Critics of the law have insisted that it will only grant excessive state control over civil movements in the country.

Among the 87 articles included in the law, several articles have raised concerns over potential arbitrary interpretation by the state of organizations that are critical of the government's policies.

Article 5 of the law, for example, urges mass organizations to maintain and strengthen the unity of the nation as well as to uphold the state's ideals. The article also ban's blasphemy against established religions; activities that promote separatism; disruption of public order; and violation of the state's ideology, Pancasila.

It therefore obliges all mass organizations operating across the archipelago, registered and unregistered, to undergo a screening process with related ministries to secure a permit from the government.

Only Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic organizations, are exempt from the requirement on account of their contributions to the country and because they were established before the country's independence.

Under the law, foreign groups must undergo a screening process with a clearing house that includes the Foreign Ministry as well as the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Critics said the mass organizations law overlapped existing laws, such as Law No. 24/2004 on the foundation of organizations and Law No. 14/2008 on public information (KIP). Those laws, they argued, set conditions for registered organizations.

They further argued that the 2008 law on public information allowed the government to asses information on any organization, which lawmakers said was one of the primary purposes of the mass organizations bill.

"It is obvious that the law will only grant the government the authority to closely monitor and freeze our activities whenever we are considered a threat," Imparsial executive director Poengky Indarti said.

The bill was initiated in response to public calls for the disbandment of violent groups such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), which have frequently caused public disturbances. Activists, however, doubt that the law will address the problem.

The law's definition of mass organizations

Mass organizations are groups that are voluntarily set up by the public based on shared aspirations, will, needs and interests; and that are participating to uphold the unity of Indonesia based on the state's ideology of Pancasila.

The government will impose sanctions on mass groups that fail to:

Sanctions

Workers in Batam protest enactment of mass organisation law

Java Post National Network - July 3, 2013

Batam – Scores of workers from the Indonesian Metal Trade Workers Federation (FSPMI) in Batam, Riau Islands, held a demonstration at the Batam Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on Tuesday July 2 urging house members to convey their concerns over the Draft Law on Mass Organisations (RUU Ormas).

The RUU Ormas itself will be enacted at around 10am today at the by the House of Representatives (DPR). It is believed that the RUU Ormas will restore politics as a commander that will curb all types of democracy that are guaranteed under the 1945 Constitution as the highest legal foundation in Indonesia.

"We strongly reject the RUU Ormas because it will be used to curb democracy in Indonesia. The draft law has been intentionally drafted simply for political interests and does not side with the public [interest]", said Yoni Widodo, the head of the FSPMI Batam branch.

The protesters were received by Commission I Secretary Askan Asrul Sany. "We will accommodate these aspirations. We also agree that the RUU Ormas could curb the democracy that has currently been established", said Sany. (thr/jpnn)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Mass organization bill becomes law

Jakarta Globe - July 2, 2013

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives were finally able to reach compromise on the Mass Organization Bill on Tuesday, as the country's largest union vowed to appeal the controversial restriction to Indonesia's freedom of assembly laws in the Constitutional Court.

The bill was passed after 311 out of 561 lawmakers attending Tuesday's plenary session voted in favor. Some 50 lawmakers voted against it, with the remainder electing to abstain.

"This result is something we all should respect," Deputy Speaker Taufik Kurniawan, a member of the National Mandate Party, said after the law was passed on Tuesday.

Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party were among the supporters of the bill - 107 Democrats voted in its favor.

The House of Representatives was scheduled to pass the bill on June 25, but several factions - Hanura, the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), the United Development Party (PPP), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) - demanded that the House postpone the ratification.

While human rights groups and labor associations viewed the bill as a potential threat to their effectiveness, Islamist organizations objected to the inclusion of Pancasila as a prerequisite for permissible assembly.

The newly passed Mass Organization Bill addressed the latter concern by dropping the requirement for groups to submit to Pancasila - a certain stumbling block for doctrinaire Islamic groups - in favor of a clause that required groups' guiding ideologies to not be at odds with Pancasila.

The latest version of the bill prohibits a group from committing blasphemy, promoting separatism and spreading violence.

Muhammadiyah, the country's second-largest Islamic organization, said in April that it would mount a legal challenge if the bill were passed, while the country's largest union confirmed it would be seeking to have the bill overturned.

"We will appeal it in the Constitutional Court," Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI), told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday. "With this bill, local governments can disband local union organizations if they go on strike: industry bodies are all for [the Mass Organizations Bill]."

Jakarta protesters blockade road after mass organisation bill passed

Detik News - July 2, 2013

Siti Aisyah, Jakarta – Around 600 people from various labour organisations held an action opposing the Draft Law on Mass Organisations (RUU Ormas) on Tuesday July 2. The demonstration, which was initially orderly, created traffic congestion after protesters closed the road.

The protesters began to flooding onto Jl. Gatot Subroto in the direction of Slipi, Jakarta, at around 11.50am. Despite the heavy rain, demonstrators from the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), the Indonesian Metal Trade Workers Federation (FSPMI) and other mass organisations gave spirited speeches and unfurled banners and posters on the street.

They then halted the flow of traffic taking control of all the lanes so no vehicles were able to move. A traffic jam was unavoidable and continued until 12noon when the tail end of the rally finally arrived in front of the Metro Jaya regional police headquarters.

"Today we intentionally closed the road, if they don't listen, no matter what the risk we'll take over", said Said, one of the speakers.

Scores of police officers could be seen on guard inside the House of Representatives (DPR) building. A Barracuda armoured vehicle was also in position to anticipate the possibility of riots. If you want to pass through the area, it would be better to seek an alternative route. (mad/nwk)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Bandung students say mass organisation law threatens freedom of expression

Kompas.com - July 2, 2013

Putra Prima Perdana, Bandung – Voices of protest against the Draft Law on Mass Organisations (RUU Ormas) have again been taken up by students.

This time 10 members of the National Students Front (FMN) and the People's Struggle Front (FPR) in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung held a protest action in front of the governor's office on Tuesday July 2.

During the action, three of the students covered their mouths with masking tape and wrapped their bodies in black plastic. "This is to symbolise that if the RUU Ormas is enacted, then it will defiantly impact on weakening the critical voice of the people", said FPR public coordinator Vichi Fadhli Rahman when sought out during a break in the action.

Rahman said that the RUU Ormas violates the fundamental principles of democracy. "It will threaten freedom of expression and deprive the people of their sovereignty", he asserted.

In addition to this, specifically in the education sector, the law will impact on enslaving students and other academic activities, as well as creating high levels of fear and depression about voicing rights said Rahman.

Students, said Rahman, will no longer be free to develop and articulate their views on various phenomena and conditions on campus. "The contents of this draft law clearly show the extremely fascist character of the government", said Rahman.

In addition to rejecting the enactment of the RUU Ormas, the students also stated their opposition to a packet of regulations that threaten the people's democratic space. They also called on the government to guarantee the right to the freedom of association and expression for all Indonesians.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Workers shutdown industrial zone after house passes mass organisation bill

Berita Satu - July 2, 2013

F-5/YUD, Jakarta – Hundreds of workers held a sweeping action in the Pulogadung Industrial Zone in East Jakarta on Tuesday July 2.

The action by the Confederation of the All-Indonesian Workers Union (KSPSI), the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) and the Confederation of Prosperity Labour Unions (KSBSI), which are part of the Indonesian Trade Union Council (MPBI), was held following the enactment of the Draft Law on Mass Organisations (RUU Ormas) at a House of Representatives (DPR) plenary meeting a short time earlier.

While the protesters gave speeches and shouted slogans rejecting the RUU Ormas, other workers entered factories one by one to invite workers to join the demonstration. Initially they were chased away by security personal at several of the factories however after negotiations workers who were still on the job left the factories and joined the protest.

"We held the sweeping action at around 2pm. Prior to this along with workers from other areas, we held an action in front of the DPR building. After the results of the vote at the DPR decided to enact the RUU Ormas, we immediately went back to the [industrial] zone and invited workers to shutdown the area", said Ruli, one of the action coordinators from the Pulogadung Industrial Zone.

Ruli said that in addition to the Pulogadung Industrial Zone, simultaneous actions were held by workers form the MPBI at industrial zones in other areas. This was to demonstrate workers' seriousness in rejecting the RUU Ormas.

"After it was enacted, the MPBI Presidium took a decision and instructed workers to shutdown all [industrial] zones, including Bekasi, Cikarang, Tangerang, Karawang and Purwakarta. This covers the industrial zones in the Jabodetabek [Greater Jakarta] area. The instruction was also followed in all industrial zones in other areas", he said.

After holding sweeping actions at around 200 of the 400 factories in the Pulogadung Industrial Zone, the workers, who numbered around 700, were instructed to stop the action after the MPBI Presidium was invited to meet with the DPR.

"Because there will be another meeting, we have temporarily stopped the sweeping actions and [factory] closures in this area. We have swept almost half of the factories in the area", he added.

Ruli explained that the workers strongly object to the enactment of the RUU Ormas over concerns that the law will prevent workers and the public from forming associations and conveying their wishes. Yet one of the principle tools of the labour struggle is through trade unions and street parliaments.

"It is no longer the era to fight it out at the negotiating table, because [agreements] always get overturned", he explained.

The workers disbanded at around 5pm. "For today, our struggle is over comrades. If the government is still determined to enact the RUU Ormas (sic), we will hold even bigger actions", said one of the action coordinators using a megaphone from atop the command vehicle.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Environment & natural disasters

Rivers of filth flow throughout the land

Jakarta Post - July 6, 2013

Jakarta – Domestic waste, at 80 percent, remains the top contributor to water pollution in Indonesia.

"Between water, air and land pollution, the most worrisome threat turns out to be water pollution. Eighty percent of water pollution is caused by domestic activity," Karliansyah, the deputy minister for pollution control at the Environment Ministry said on Thursday.

According to the "Indonesian Environmental Status" report published in June by the Ministry, 82 percent of the 52 rivers surveyed are polluted with domestic and industrial waste. The problem is exacerbated by over use of water and bad spatial planning.

The report, based on observation from 2008 to 2012, shows that the quality of water in the nations rivers is decreasing, especially in Riau, Jambi, Central Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Southeast Sulawesi and Maluku. The rivers mostly are contaminated with e-coli bacteria from human feces, indicating the poor quality of waste water treatment systems in cities and villages throughout Indonesia.

"Some 53 percent of the population pours domestic waste from bathing, cooking and washing, into rivers without treatment in septic tanks," he told The Jakarta Post.

Every day, 14,000 tons of human feces pours into rivers, the water of which is used by communities for daily activities like washing dishes, creating risks of ailments like typhoid fever and dysentery.

Data from the Ministry has shown that from 2006 to 2011 the number of houses with septic tanks had increased from 40.7 percent to 60.3 percent. Jakarta, has the highest percentage of home septic tanks at 93.9 percent, while Papua has the lowest, at only 28.4 percent.

Many households do not have septic tanks because of lack of space, high cost and the culture of defecating in rivers.

Despite the increase in the number of septic tanks, the government can only process 5.4 percent domestic waste.

Abetnego Tarigan, the executive director of the Forum for the Environment, believes adequate water waste treatment like septic tanks are mostly are used in private housing in big cities.

"Some private housing complexes, including those in Jakarta, Bogor and Tangerang, provide adequate facilities like proper septic tanks," he said.

The government's waste water treatment does not reach people in remote areas, who remain unaware of water related environmental and health issues.

Mukri Friatna from the advocacy division of the forum pointed out that government waste treatment had focuses on industrial waste.

"If the government wants to reduce the amount of water contaminated with e-coli bacteria, they should build communal septic tanks rather than merely providing industry with treatment systems," he said.

The Environment Ministry plans to build communal waste water treatment centers as pilot projects in various areas. The pilot project budget alone reaches Rp 99 billion (US$9 million).

"This year we will build seven communal waste water treatment facilities in Lumajang and Jombang in East Java as well as in Bogor, Central Java, Sorong and Manokwari in Papua and East Nusa Tenggara," he said.

Last year, the ministry built some communal waste water treatments facilities in Jakarta, Surakarta and South Kalimantan to prevent the groundwater pollution from e-coli bacteria. (tam)

Sex workers & prostitution

Red-light district closures alarm locals

Jakarta Post - July 6, 2013

Ainur Rohmah, Semarang – A plan by the Social Affairs Ministry to close down 50 red-light districts across Indonesia has caused nervousness among inhabitants of the Argorejo red-light district, or Sunan Kuning as it is more popularly known, in Semarang, Central Java.

Sunan Kuning is one of the ministry's five main targets in a crackdown on prostitution. The other four are Saritem in Bandung, West Java; Pasar Kembang in Yogyakarta; Dolly in Surabaya, East Java, and Banyuwangi, also in East Java.

"Nervousness has been high in Sunan Kuning ever since we heard about the plan in May," Ari Istiyadi, field coordinator of NGO Griya Asa PKBI Semarang, which has been monitoring Sunan Kuning, said in Semarang on Thursday.

Ari expressed his fear that the closure of the prostitution center would create new problems in the social and health fields. Among the impacts that could be felt from the closure was pushing prostitution underground.

"The impact may be worse because they [prostitutes] would start operating without control from the red-light district's management," Ari said. Sunan Kuning currently has 689 commercial sex workers who operate in hundreds of brothels in the location.

Ari said that Sunan Kuning was established in 2003, partly as a way to prevent illegal street prostitution, which was previously found along Semarang's roads, such as Simpang Lima, Jl. Gajahmada, Jl. Pahlawan, Jl. Pandanaran, Jl. A Yani, Jl. Pemuda and Jl. Imam Bonjol.

The Semarang city administration issued in 2003 a policy to relocate the prostitutes to Sunan Kuning, making it easier for the administration to control their health and security as well as help them find other ways of earning a living.

Ari added that red-light districts could not just be dismissed, as they followed the same market economy law as all other businesses. As long as demand still existed, the "goods" would still be sold.

Indonesia has been recorded as having some 6.7 million men who actively use prostitutes' services, while the number of prostitutes totals around 270,000.

Sunan Kuning chairman Suwandi said that Sunan Kuning not only functioned as a red-light area but also as a resocialization and rehabilitation center.

As a resocialization center, Sunan Kuning helps prepare prostitutes to return to their communities by, among other things, offering them vocational training in other skills and strengthening their spiritual beliefs.

As a rehabilitation center, Sunan Kuning helps its inhabitants to avoid infectious sexual diseases, including HIV/AIDS.

"We help the women by providing them with trainings in entrepreneurship. We also encourage them to get in the habit of saving to help them become economically independent so that they no longer need to work as prostitutes," Suwandi said.

He also said that closing red-light districts would be counterproductive to the government's efforts to slow down the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexual diseases. "We urge the government to reconsider this policy," he said.

Previously, Central Java Health Agency head Anung Sugihantono said that if Sunan Kuning was closed down, tracing the spread of HIV/AIDS would be more difficult because commercial sex workers' activities would be much harder to monitor. He said Sunan Kuning had been a control point for the spread of HIV/AIDS. Increases in the number of infections were easy to locate and handle.

The health agency recorded 166 new cases of HIV infection and 175 cases of AIDS across Central Java as of the end of the first quarter of this year.

Refugees & asylum seekers

SBY torpedoes Abbott boat plan

Australian Associated Press - July 4, 2013

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has thrown the Labor government a lifeline on asylum seekers, offering his own solution to the problem while repudiating Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's plan to turn boats around.

The Indonesian president on Friday offered to host a dedicated summit aimed at solving the problem which has dogged relations between Jakarta and Canberra, and was front and centre at talks with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

But even as Dr Yudhoyono was hosting Mr Rudd at a presidential palace in Bogor, near Jakarta, it emerged that a boat carrying about 80 asylum seekers was the subject of an ongoing search and rescue operation in waters between Java and Christmas Island.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed that it had issued an alert to ships in the area that the boat was taking on water.

An Australian navy patrol boat was expected to arrive at the location 42 nautical miles from Java later on Friday, while a Customs Dash 8 surveillance aircraft had also been deployed.

The unfolding drama came as Dr Yudhoyono delivered a telling rebuke of Mr Abbott's plan to tow boats back to Indonesia with insistence that "unilateral action" be avoided featuring prominently in a joint communique issued after the talks with Mr Rudd."

As co-chairs of the Bali Process the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to developing a regional solution involving countries of transit, origin and destination," the communique said.

The communique also "stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral actions which might jeopardise such a comprehensive regional approach and might cause operational and other difficulties to any party."

Dr Yudhoyono said that "all parties must be responsible and they all must take action that is concrete".

"Of course it is also not fair if only the Australians (are left) to resolve this matter. I wish to underline that it is really necessary that we have concrete cooperation."

The meeting proposed by Dr Yudhoyono, which would involve countries of origin, transit and destination from around the region, would likely be held before the end of the month.

The one-off summit would not replace the regional framework for dealing with people smuggling – known as the Bali Process – but would have an "action orientated" focus, Dr Yudhoyono said.Mr Rudd praised the Dr Yudhoyono for his leadership, describing the summit plan as a "bold initiative".

"This problem of people smuggling is a problem for our entire region, therefore the president's initiative is for all of us to work now together," Mr Rudd said.

In Australia, Mr Abbott maintained that his plan of turning boats around was preferable to letting the navy act as "an escort service for the people smugglers"."I think it's an embarrassment to our country because the people smugglers are having a lend of us.

"I suspect the naval personnel would be only too happy to respond to orders that allow this problem to be solved.

"Meanwhile, there were grave concerns as night approached with efforts underway to reach an asylum seeker boat which got into trouble while making the perilous crossing to Christmas Island after leaving from Indonesia."It's reported that there are 80 people on board," an AMSA spokeswoman told AAP. "We believe they are taking on water."

The rescue mission was mounted after AMSA was contacted directly by someone on the stricken boat.

Confronting refugee abuse in Indonesia's detention centers

Jakarta Globe - July 1, 2013

Alice Farmer – In February last year, guards at the Pontianak Immigration Detention Center in West Kalimantan beat Taqi Naroye, an Afghan asylum- seeker, so badly that he died.

A new Human Rights Watch report finds that this was not an isolated instance – rather, the report documents numerous instances of guards abusing detainees, including children, in immigration facilities across Indonesia. Yet Indonesia provides little or no accountability for those abuses, and has not done nearly enough to clean up its detention facilities.

Each year, a growing number of asylum-seekers – primarily from Afghanistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Burma (Myanmar) – enter Indonesia looking for safer lives here or passage onward to Australia.

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, 9,226 refugees and asylum-seekers were in Indonesia at the end of February, a 2,000 percent increase since 2008. Indonesian law permits immigration detention for up to 10 years without judicial review. Thousands of people are detained each year, in overcrowded, sordid facilities that are all too often violent.

The testimony we gathered suggests that the violence occurs frequently. We interviewed 102 migrants and asylum seekers, of whom 82 were or had been detained. They gave credible, detailed testimony of 34 incidents in which guards or police physically abused detainees. The abuse was not limited to Pontianak IDC, where Naroye was killed. Migrants reported violence at each of the other major facilities, including Tanjung Pinang (Riau Islands), Kalideres (Jakarta), and Belawan (North Sumatra) IDCs, as well as in smaller IDCs, police stations, and informal holding cells at immigration offices.

Both adults and children described guards kicking, punching, and slapping them or other detainees. Some said guards tied up or gagged detainees, beat them with sticks, burned them with cigarettes, and administered electric shocks.

Unaccompanied migrant children – traveling alone, without parents or other guardians to protect them – are among those who reported abuse. Arif was just 15 when he arrived in Indonesia, having fled Afghanistan by himself.

Rather than offer him refuge, Indonesia detained him at Balikpapan IDC, where guards beat him for trying to escape. "That day I was beaten up very roughly," he said. "There were eight or nine people beating me, most were guards and there was one person from the outside. They hurt my shoulder, my ear, my back."

A number of people had lasting injuries. Sher, an Afghan refugee, was beaten repeatedly over a three day period for trying to escape from Kalideres IDC. He said: "Three shifts of guards, they would each come with sticks and knives and hit us.  My face was black and blue. My kidney was damaged for a month – it was bad – from the beating."

When we interviewed Daoud, an Afghan refugee, in August 2012, his injuries from a 2010 beating at Belawan IDC in North Sumatra had not healed. "I can't hear in my right ear because of the beating," he said. "They slapped my ear so hard."

Hundreds of those held in immigration detention are children – and they are routinely exposed to violence, or, like Arif, beaten themselves.

Safia, an Afghan mother held at Pekanbaru IDC with her husband and three daughters, then 10, 6, and 4 years old, related an incident in late 2010 when guards forced her and her family to watch as they beat two adults: "They beat them like animals. The blood came from their nose, their face, all parts of their bodies.  My children were very scared."

Nasir, Safia's husband, tried to intervene with the guards. "I pleaded, 'Don't beat them in front of my kids.'?" But even when Nasir was eventually allowed to take the girls back to their cell, Safia said she knew her young daughters could still hear the beating. "The men were crying very loudly."

Indonesia has taken some small steps to respond to Naroye's death. For instance, the guards involved in his beating no longer work for the immigration service and were put on trial. But our report shows that those steps are nowhere near enough. Indonesia urgently needs a nationwide review of physical abuse in detention.

The government needs to put in place procedures to train immigration staff and provide an effective and safe complaint mechanism for detainees. The Directorate General of Immigration needs to issue published regulations establishing consequences for government workers who violate detainees' rights. Without new procedures growing numbers of asylum-seekers will continue to receive a poor welcome in Indonesia.

Graft & corruption

New scandal hits PKS top cleric

Jakarta Globe - July 6, 2013

Rizky Amelia – The chief patron of a scandal-ridden Islamic party, already implicated in a major graft case, now faces allegations of illegally profiting from the sale of a home bequeathed by its owners to their children.

Hilmi Aminuddin, the chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party's (PKS) board of advisers, is accused of selling the 700-square-meter plot of land and house in Cianjur, West Java, to Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, the former PKS president currently standing trial in a corruption case, for three times the price that he paid for it.

The accusation was made on Thursday by Yusuf Supendi, a co-founder of the Justice Party (PK), from which the PKS later evolved, and a long-time critic of the current PKS leadership.

Speaking after reporting the matter to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta, Yusuf said he was acting on behalf of Faizal Rahmat, the sixth of seven children of Zainal and Umi Marikah, the Cianjur couple who had bequeathed the property in question to their children.

Yusuf said he had filed a criminal complaint against Hilmi after the transaction with Luthfi was revealed during Hilmi's questioning by the KPK in late May.

"I've filed a report with the KPK. We've already prepared a lawyer to take this matter to court," he said.

He added that if the case went to trial, then Hilmi could be charged with violating the 2008 Law on Bequeathments, which explicitly prohibits the sale of property that has been bequethed by its owner to another party.

During Hilmi's questioning on May 27, in relation to Luthfi's case, it was revealed that the former had sold the land and house to Luthfi in 2006 for Rp 1.5 billion ($152,000).

Faizal said the property rightfully belonged to him and his siblings, but because of a pressing need for money, they had sold it to Hilmi for Rp 500 million, with the intention of buying it back later.

He said the initial sale did not go against the law on bequeathments because Hilmi was the father-in-law of Isma Aidah, the youngest of the seven siblings, and hence the property would remain in the family.

"But then Hilmi went and sold it for more than a billion," Zainal said. "He bought it from us when we were desperately in need of money, so it's regrettable that he would then exploit the situation for commercial profit."

The controversy is the latest to hit Hilmi and the PKS, which is reeling from the graft scandal in which Luthfi is mired.

Luthi was arrested in February on charges of accepting kickbacks to rig the awarding of a government contract for importing beef. He has also been indicted for laundering the bribe money through various property transactions.

Hilmi has also been implicated by witnesses in the beef case, in which his son, Ridwan Hakim, is alleged to have been the go-between between the Agriculture Ministry and the company angling for the beef import contract.

Former PKS boss says he was framed by KPK

Jakarta Post - July 2, 2013

Jakarta – Former Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq has accused the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of drumming up charges against him in the high-profile beef import scandal.

Luthfi's lawyer, Mohamad Assegaf, said in his client's defense statement that KPK prosecutors had built a weak case against the former PKS party chairman.

"There are a lot of holes in the indictment. The indictment doesn't explain what exactly Luthfi's role was in the case. We believe there's a political motive behind this trial," Assegaf said.

Luthfi's team of lawyers also accused KPK prosecutors of cherry-picking facts and evidence that they could deploy against their client.

Assegaf said the indictment ignored testimonies from witnesses that alleged the complicity of some political bigwigs, including Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, chairman of the Golkar Party faction at the House of Representatives Setya Novanto, and Yudi Setiawan, who is said to be a confidant of Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

"We have seen these names in the dossier, but they haven't been included in the indictment," said Zainuddin Paru, another one of Luthfi's lawyers. Zainuddin said his client was particularly concerned about the absence of Yudi's role in the scandal.

In an exclusive interview with Tempo magazine, Yudi claimed to have handed over millions of rupiah to a number of PKS executives through Ahmad Fathanah, one of the suspects in the beef import case.

Yudi said that Luthfi told him about a scheme to collect Rp 1 trillion (US$100.73 million) from the Agriculture Ministry, led by senior PKS member Suswono. Communications and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring and Social Affairs Minister Salim Segaf Al Jufri were also reportedly instructed to collect Rp 500 billion each.

Yudi has also been named a suspect in an embezzlement case involving two banks in West Java.

"We are wondering why the commission has moved so quickly when it comes to the PKS. They haven't really followed up with other politicians who were also mentioned in indictments," Assegaf said.

Last week, the KPK's prosecutors indicted Luthfi, who is also a former member of the House, for allegedly lobbying Agriculture Minister Suswono, also a PKS member, to raise the overall beef import quota for PT Indoguna Utama.

Prosecutors also charged Luthfi with money laundering, which he allegedly committed in 2003 and 2007. The prosecutors, however, did not provide details on the alleged sources of the dubious assets in the indictment.

"This is very vague. They have accused Luthfi of money laundering but they were not able to provide details on what constitutes the crime," Assegaf said. Article 2 of Law No. 8/2010 on money laundering stipulates that a money laundering case should be directly linked to the predicate crime.

Luthfi's lawyers also objected to the way Luthfi has been treated in the case. "When they arrested Luthfi and took him to KPK headquarters, they didn't allow him to be accompanied by a lawyer," Assegaf added.

In another trial involving PT Indoguna Utama directors Arya Abdi Effendy and Juard Effendi, judges found the two defendants guilty of bribing Luthfi. The panel of judges sentenced Arya and Juard to two years and three months in prison for paying Luthfi Rp 1.3 billion in bribes.

The judges also found evidence that proved Luthfi did indeed help the company attain an overall import quota increase.

"In a meeting on Dec. 29, 2012, Ahmad Fathanah met with Maria [Elizabeth Liman, president director of Indoguna] and Elda [Devianne Adiningrat, a broker in the case] and he reiterated Luthfi's willingness to help Indoguna based on what had earlier been agreed on during the Lembang meeting," one of the three judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Amin Sutikno, said in Arya and Juard's verdict. (koi)

Top house members fume over ICW graft list

Jakarta Post - July 1, 2013

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – A number of prominent members of the House of Representatives have threatened to file a defamation report against Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) for producing a list that deems them graft-friendly politicians.

Over the weekend, ICW, in collaboration with the People's Voter Education Network (JPPR), released a survey in which they found that 36 politicians out of the 6,482 people listed in the General Elections Commission (KPU) provisional legislative candidates list (DCS) were considered to lack the commitment to fight graft.

Among those in the list are House Speaker Marzuki Alie of the Democratic Party, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's son Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro Yudhoyono also of the Democrats, fellow Democrat lawmaker Sutan Bhatoegana, outspoken lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo of the Golkar Party, House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso also of Golkar, I Wayan Koster of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Fahri Hamzah of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and Desmond Mahesa of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party.

Golkar had the most members on the list with 10 of its politicians appearing. The Democrats had nine members on the list while the PDI-P had five and the PKS four.

A number of lawmakers responded angrily to the report. "I will file a police report against ICW soon. The organization no longer has credibility because it accuses people without evidence," senior lawmaker Sutan Bhatoegana of the ruling Democrats said on Sunday.

ICW researcher Donal Fariz said the list indicated the failure of political parties to come up with quality candidates.

"Of the 36 people, 34 are incumbent lawmakers. To make matters worse, most of the 34 people have been placed by their political parties as number one candidates on their lists," Donal said.

The study used five main criteria to assess the candidates' anticorruption commitment: Their alleged roles in corruption cases as provided by court witnesses, the sanctions imposed on them by the House ethics council, their graft convictions, their media statements openly undermining anticorruption campaigns and their open support for reducing the power of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) by planning to amend the Antigraft Law.

Ibas, for example, is included on the list for reporting whistle blower Yulianis to the National Police for defamation after the witness testified in court that Yudhoyono's son received illicit funds from former Democratic lawmaker and graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Sutan's name was repeatedly mentioned during many graft trials. Marzuki appears on the list for his repeated calls for the disbanding of the KPK.

The PKS' Fahri accused ICW of mounting a smear campaign against his party "to raise money from foreign donors." "ICW has been calling all of their opponents corrupt," he added.

Golkar's Bambang, who had been a central figure in efforts to uncover the Bank Century bailout scandal, accused ICW of making baseless accusations.

Bambang has repeatedly denied accepting bribes from former National Traffic Police Corps (Korlantas) chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, who is now a graft defendant. ICW placed Bambang on the list on the basis of that accusation and said it was ready to deal with the fall out from its latest report.

"Go ahead, it's their right to do that. For the record, ICW made the list after doing comprehensive research. We had a strong basis before releasing the list," he said.

"We did the research as part of our responsibility as members of civil society to scrutinize legislative candidates so that people will have sufficient information before voting in the 2014 elections," Donal said. He said ICW had turned over the report to the KPU.

Freedom of religion & worship

SBY urged to fulfill tolerance vow by supporting Shiites' safe return home

Jakarta Globe - July 2, 2013

Stephanie Hendarta – Human rights observers have called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to step in to support a persecuted group of Shiites in East Java, and by so doing fulfill a promise made when accepting an international award for religious tolerance.

Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch on Monday urged the president to order East Java authorities to return evicted Shiite villagers from Sampang district on Madura Island to their homes, after refusing to allow them back since last August.

The group fled their village after violence experienced at the hands of a group of Sunnis in August 2012, but were subsequently compelled by local officials to remain refugees in at a sports center in Sampang, before last month being coerced to move to tenement blocks in Sidoarjo, on the East Java mainland, far from their own homes and livelihoods in Madura.

During the violence that led to the displacement of the nearly 200 Shiites, their homes were burned, one was wounded and another killed.

The Sunni-Shiite conflict in Sampang is just one of many recent attacks on religious minority groups in Indonesia, most of which are marked by inaction or outright discrimination on the part of law enforcers and local governments.

While receiving an award from the New York-based interfaith organization the Appeal of Conscience Foundation on May 30, Yudhoyono promised that his government would not tolerate acts of religious violence in Indonesia. Andreas said the time had come for Yudhoyono to put those words into action.

"Nothing significant has been done so far to deal with the Sunni-Shiite conflict in Sampang. SBY needs to fulfill the promises he made in New York, promises that there will be no more tolerance toward religious violence or discrimination," Andreas told the Jakarta Globe.

Existing legislation such as the 1965 Blasphemy Law act to hinder freedom of belief in Indonesia and have been used to criminalize atheists and adherents of non-mainstream religious sects such as Shiites and Ahmadis.

Violations of the law attract a punishment of up to five years in prison. Alexander Aan, a civil servant working in West Sumatra who admitted to atheism in an online posting on a social media website, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison last year.

Following Alexander's imprisonment, the International Humanist and Ethical Union commented "when 21st century technology collides with medieval blasphemy laws, it seems to be atheists who are getting hurt."

Former President Abdurrahman Wahid, himself a major religious figure, teamed up with nongovernmental organizations and individuals to file an ultimately unsuccessful constitutional challenge to the blasphemy law in 2010.

According to Ismail Hasani of the Setara Institute, an organization that monitors religious freedom in Indonesia, government figures are reluctant to uphold the rights of minority groups such as the Sampang Shiites because of a selfish fear for their own political fortunes.

"A long-term solution that can be enacted is to plant tolerance both in education and political orientation," Ismail said.

"There are many issues that are surfacing because national policies are giving room to intolerant groups. This won't go away until the public relearns tolerance. Without education, it'll be difficult because religious tolerance in Indonesia is an issue of social dynamics in a very diverse country."

SBY makes another promise displaced Sampang Shiites

Jakarta Post - July 2, 2013

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has formed a team to help members of the Sampang Shia community, violently evicted from their homes.

Presidential advisor on human rights Albert Hasibuan delivered the promise when he met members of the community, who rode bicycles all the way from Surabaya, East Java to Jakarta, as a protest against the eviction.

The protesters had expected to meet the President himself. The Shiites insist that they be allowed to return home instead of being relocated to Sidoarjo, East Java.

"The President has formed a team led by the Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister [Djoko Suyanto] to settle this issue," Albert said after the meeting, but gave no guarantee of help for the Shia community.

In the statement, the presidential advisor also expressed his concerns over the difficulties the Shia followers had been facing.

Albert criticized Sampang Regency and East Java Province for failing to settle the problems. His team issued recommendations, but no response has been forthcoming from the local government.

"The forced relocation of the Sampang Shiites, in my opinion, is inhumane and unwise," Albert added. "It is a false interpretation of the values of tolerance promoted by President Yudhoyono."

The 10 cyclists represent about 165 displaced Shiites who sheltered at the Sampang sports hall for 10 months, following a clash with the Sunni community.

The government argued that the policy was for their own safety because locals would harass them if they return to their original village.

The cyclists were disappointed with their failure to meet Yudhoyono and that their two-week journey had come to naught.

"We are not demanding much. We just want to meet the President to kindly ask him to protect us and our constitutional rights as Indonesian citizens," Muhammad Rosyid, one of the cyclists, said.

Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Coordinator Haris Azhar, who joined the Shiites in the meeting, said that he had asked Albert to meet with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) given the indication that the forced eviction could be seen as a human rights violation.

"This is the time for the President and his aides to take firm action because the Shiites have lost trust in local administrations," he said.

Eviction of the Sampang Shiites is one of numerous cases of religious intolerance which have tarnished the reputation of Yudhoyono's administration.

Other cases included the forced church closure and intimidation of the HKBP Filadelfia congregation in Bekasi despite a court ruling in their favor, the forced closure of the GKI Yasmin church by the Bogor city administration despite a Supreme Court ruling in favor of its congregation, and the recent attack at an Ahmadiyah village in Tasikmalaya, also in West Java.

Shariah law & morality

Booze bill moves forward

Jakarta Post - July 8, 2013

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has agreed to accept a draft bill proposed by the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), which calls for stricter regulation of alcoholic beverages, for deliberation by the Legislative Body (Baleg).

The PPP proposal has received a second wind following the decision by the Supreme Court to abolish a 1997 presidential decree which had prevented local administrations from prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages.

The court upheld the judicial review filed by hard-line group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), which is notorious for its violent raids on nightclubs and bars in protest against practices that it deems "sinful", including the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks.

With the abolition of the decree, local administrations now have the freedom to ban the sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks within their jurisdiction.

The bill is among the 70 prioritized bills to be deliberated and completed within this year as agreed by lawmakers during last year's plenary meeting.

The PPP's draft had proposed a complete ban on all beverages containing any levels of alcohol in the country. Those who produce and distribute alcoholic beverages would face a maximum of 10-years' and five-years' imprisonment respectively. Consumers of alcoholic drinks could be sentenced to two years in prison.

PPP lawmaker Ahmad Yani said that the Baleg had watered down some of the party's proposals, changing a total ban to stricter distribution and consumption. "It now includes stricter rules on production and levels of alcohol, as well as designated areas for consumption," the senior lawmaker said.

Although the Baleg has yet to finish discussion of the draft, Yani said his faction would keep pushing for the endorsement of the bill this year, arguing that a legal vacuum on the distribution of alcoholic drinks could be exploited by those who could benefit from the situation.

Under the 1997 decree, the distribution and sale of drinks containing more than 5 percent alcohol were legal if they were sold in hotels, bars, clubs and certain areas designated by the central government.

The decree put those alcoholic beverages under supervision while the sale of drinks with an alcohol level below 5 percent, including beer, was freely allowed.

More than 22 regencies and municipalities, including Tangerang in Banten; Bali; and Depok, Indramayu and Bandung in West Java, have issued such bylaws on alcohol control, although not all of them have yet been implemented as the Home Ministry had been reviewing the ordinances as they were deemed to contravene the presidential decree.

The Home Ministry has yet to issue a new regulation, arguing that it is still waiting for an official copy of the Supreme Court's ruling.

Some of the bylaws, which include a 2010 Bandung bylaw, violate the decree and put all alcoholic beverages under supervision, allowing their sale only in hotels, bars and clubs. The Bandung administration has stuck to its guns despite the Home Ministry's call for revision.

A 2012 Bali alcohol bylaw adapted the decree, controlling only those drinks with more than 5 percent alcohol and allowing the production of traditional palm wine "arak" under supervision. Arak is also used by Balinese Hindus in religious ceremonies.

The legal vacuum could easily be exploited by firebrand groups, constitutional expert Fajrul Falaakh said. "With the Supreme Court ruling, the FPI and other parties could try for a complete ban. Some religions in our society allow the consumption or use of alcoholic beverages [for rituals]," Fajrul said.

With or without a regulation on alcoholic drinks, what mattered most was law enforcement, he said.

Nasir Jamil, lawmaker of another Muslim-based party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), questioned the motives of PPP although he agreed that the distribution, as well as consumption, of alcohol should be tightened.

"Basically, we agree on imposing tighter limitations on alcoholic beverages, but not a total ban as we still have to study the damage of alcohol on society and the benefits of the industry," he said. "And why has Baleg yet to finish the draft? [PPP] should not make it a political bargaining chip."

Hard-line FPI wins legal battle for total booze bans

Jakarta Post - July 5, 2013

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The Supreme Court has accepted a judicial review filed by hard-line group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), abolishing a presidential decree that prevented local administrations from prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages.

With the abolition of the 1997 decree on the control of alcoholic drinks, local administrations are now free to ban the sale and distribution of alcohol in their areas.

More than 22 regencies and municipalities, including Tangerang in Banten, and Depok and Indramayu in West Java, have issued bylaws prohibiting the sale of alcohol.

However, the bylaws have not been implemented as the Home Ministry annulled them because they were in contravention of the presidential decree.

"With the Supreme Court ruling, there is no other legal reason to annul any bylaws prohibiting the circulation and consumption of alcoholic beverages," said FPI spokesman Munarman on Thursday.

The FPI, notorious for its violent raids on nightclubs and bars in protest against practices that it deems "sinful", filed the judicial review in 2012 after the ministry annulled all bylaws limiting or banning the sale of alcoholic drinks.

Members of the FPI and Islamic People's Forum (FUI) rioted last year in front of the Home Ministry after it issued a regulation forcing regional administrations to annul the bylaws.

Last year, the FPI raided minimarkets that sold alcoholic beverages in Tangerang.

Head of the Tangerang FPI Habib, Muhammad bin Toha Assegaff, claimed that the open sale of alcohol had contributed to recent rapes in Greater Jakarta. "Alcoholic beverages are closely related to adultery," he said.

Under the presidential decree, the distribution and sale of drinks that contain more than 5 percent alcohol are legally allowed and protected if they are sold in hotels, bars, clubs and certain areas designated by the central government.

The abolition of the law means hotels, bars and clubs will no longer have automatic legal protection to freely sell alcoholic drinks.

Local administrations across the country have enacted a host of bylaws since they received legislative authority following the introduction of regional autonomy in 2002.

Supreme Court judges Supandi, Hary Djatmiko and Yulius, who accepted the review, argued that the presidential decree had violated the autonomy law as councilors, as regional representatives, had been prevented from implementing the bylaws as demanded by their constituents.

The judges also argued that the decree was to some extent against the spirit of Pancasila – the nation's five-point philosophical basis – and the 1945 Constitution.

Moreover, according to the judges, the decree was also contrary to Law No 36/2009 on health and Law No 8/1999 on consumer protection. Sales of alcoholic beverages in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, have soared by more than 20 percent annually over the past three years as the economy has grown at an average of 6 percent.

PT Multi Bintang Indonesia, the producer of Bintang and Heineken beers, recorded a 30 percent jump in revenue to Rp 2.41 trillion (US$245 million) last year from Rp 1.85 trillion in 2011.

The company has said that the robust economy will see the alcoholic beverage industry enjoy a further boost this year.

Civil service & bureaucracy

End may be near for lazy bureaucrats

Jakarta Globe - July 4, 2013

Ridho Syukra – Bureaucracy reform legislation that threatens underperforming civil servants with dismissal is likely to become law this month, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

The civil service bill was approved last month by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and is currently under deliberation by lawmakers.

Deputy Minister for Administrative Reform Eko Prasojo told a bureaucracy reform seminar in Jakarta on Wednesday that the bill would force state apparatuses to perform, and that civil servants who failed to perform for three years would face dismissal.

"All this time, no civil servants have ever been dismissed until they reached retirement age after they had been appointed, despite poor performance," he said. "The draft was finalized in early June. President SBY also immediately approved it. I hope it can be passed into law this July."

The government has committed to improving the quality of bureaucracy by 2025, part of its goal of maintaining economic growth at above 6 percent per year.

Eko said that should Indonesia fail to improve the quality of its bureaucracy, investment would dwindle and public trust would deteriorate. Bureaucracy is key to public faith in government, he said, given most people's interaction with the state is through bureaucratic channels.

The deputy minister said the government had identified three paths to improve the bureaucracy. First, it will require all provinces to work with local city administrations. Secondly, it will seek higher quality staff to match the skills of private-sector counterparts. And thirdly, it will use technology to improve bureaucratic services.

Eko said he was confident annual growth in the national economy could remain above 6 percent if the government implemented the three strategies. He said that compared to Asian economic powerhouses like India and Japan, Indonesia's bureaucracy is lagging far behind.

But Eko said Indonesia's economic growth could outstrip that of Japan and India by 2025, once the plans for bureaucracy come to fruition.

A poor-quality bureaucracy is often identified as a hurdle to foreign investment in Indonesia. More than a decade of decentralization has shifted many responsibilities to underskilled local governments.

In 2011 the government introduced a since-expired moratorium on hiring additional civil servants, but made exceptions for several agencies.

Social security & welfare

Indonesia needs to spend more on social-protection programs: ADB

Jakarta Globe - July 3, 2013

Social-protection systems in many Asia-Pacific middle-income countries, including Indonesia, are failing to support large numbers of poor and vulnerable people due to a lack of spending on safety-net programs, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Wednesday.

"There are many vulnerable groups, including women and informal sector workers, who can't access unemployment, health or other social insurance but are also not poor enough to be eligible for social assistance, such as cash transfers," said Bart Edes, Director in ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department.

Speaking in a statement issued by the bank on the release of a new ADB study, "The Social Protection Index: Assessing Results for Asia and the Pacific', Edes said that most middle-income countries in the region, including Indonesia, spend less than 3 percent of their GDP on social- protection programs.

Only four countries – Japan, South Korea, Mongolia and Uzbekistan – have social-protection indexes of over 0.200, those that invest 8 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on safety nets.

"Government social-protection programs need to be expanded to cover this unprotected 'missing middle,' who are at risk of falling into poverty in the case of an economic, environmental, or health shock of some kind," Edes said.

The study, which analyzed government programs providing social insurance, social assistance, and labor-market support in 35 countries across Asia and the Pacific, noted that because social insurance tended to dominate government social spending, benefits accrue disproportionately to men and people not classified as poor.

Poor and disadvantaged people, particularly those working in the informal sector, benefit less because they lack the access to social insurance. They are instead targeted by social-assistance programs that in many countries are fragmented and provide inadequate transfers.

ADB said that relatively little is being spent on labor-market programs like cash-for-work and skills development. This needs to be addressed amid rising youth unemployment, critical skills gaps, and the disproportionate number of women who are unable to enter the formal labor market.

Areas for government attention include employment-guarantee schemes to construct or rebuild basic infrastructure, skills development, and technical and vocational education and training.

The bank said that countries at various stages of development needed to set their own targets, taking into account available public resources. However, governments needed to accelerate the review and reform of pension schemes in view of the region's huge informal sector and rapid aging.

Expanding social protection coverage requires mobilization of additional public revenue which can be secured by broadening the tax base, improving tax collection, and improving public expenditure management, the ADB said.

Governments should also encourage private firms to contribute more to social insurance programs.

Handouts 'may worsen poverty,' says BPS

Jakarta Globe - July 2, 2013

Ridho Syukra – The government's temporary direct cash assistance program to offset higher fuel prices could increase the poverty rate if recipients do not use it properly, the country's statistics agency has warned.

Wynandin Imawan, the deputy chairman of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), said a similar cash handout program launched eight years ago to compensate for a fuel price hike increased the poverty rate instead of reducing it.

"It happened in 2005 where the BLT [cash handout] was just Rp 100,000 [$10] per month per household. But it turned out the poor people didn't use it properly. Most of them [used it to] pay off debts at food stalls," Wynandin said at a press conference at the BPS office in Jakarta on Monday.

But Wynandin said the latest temporary direct cash assistance program, or BLSM, could also help ease poverty if the money was used properly.

"We cannot predict the figure yet. If the BLSM is used properly, there's a chance the poverty rate can come down. But if it's used just to pay debts, then there's also a chance of an increase in the poverty rate," he said.

The BPS also announced the number of poor people in the country in March 2013 was at 28.07 million or 11.37 percent of the total population, above the government's target of 10.5 percent in the 2013 revised state budget.

BPS chairman Suryamin said the number of poor fell by 520,000 in March this year compared to last September, when the total was 28.59 million or 11.66 percent of the total population.

Suryamin said the number of poor in urban areas had dropped by 180,000 last year to 10.33 million in March, while the number of suburban poor was down 350,000 to 17.74 million.

Suryamin attributed the poverty reduction to six factors: a relatively low inflation rate of 3.2 percent; a nominal daily wage increase for farmers and construction workers of 2.08 percent and 9.96 percent respectively; a relatively stable rice price of around Rp 10,000 per kilogram between September last year and March this year; economic growth of 1.41 percent between the fourth quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year; a lower unemployment rate of 5.92 percent in February compared to 6.14 percent in August last year; and lower staple food prices between September last year and March this year. Cooking oil was 5.10 percent cheaper, while sugar and flour prices dropped by 0.60 and 0.20 percent respectively.

The BPS said the highest percentage of poor was found in Maluku and Papua, where the rate stood at 23.97 percent, followed by Bali and Nusa Tenggara at 14.51 percent, Sumatra (11.51 percent), Java (10.92 percent), Sulawesi (11.22 percent) and Kalimantan (6.37 percent).

"Despite the declining poverty rate, there are several provinces that saw an increase, both in urban and suburban areas, compared to September 2012," Suryamin said, citing West Sumatra (0.14 percent), South Sumatra (0.76 percent), Banten (0.03 percent), Bali (0.02 percent), West Kalimantan (0.38 percent), North Sulawesi 0.24 percent, Gorontalo (0.29 percent) and Papua (0.47 percent).

Cash assistance to the poor may be ineffective: National Statistics Agency

Kompas - July 2, 2013

Jakarta – Temporary Direct Assistance to the Public (BLSM) could be ineffective because it may not be spent as intended. Using the Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) scheme in 2008 as a reference, 60 percent of the money allocated was used to pay off debts and the rest spent on cigarettes.

Answering questions by journalists in Jakarta on Monday July 1, National Statistics Agency (BPS) Social Statistic Deputy Director Wynandin Imawan said that BLSM could be a buttress against inflation for the poor. This however depends upon whether BLSM is spent productively. If this is not the case, then poverty levels will increase. Especially so if inflation exceeds the purchasing power of the poor.

"In 2005 we did an evaluation of direct cash assistance. It turned out that 60 percent of it, on average was used to pay off debts. This was because in general poor households meet their needs through debt. So when they get money it's usually used to pay off debts", said Imawan.

In 2005 direct cash assistance was set at 100,000 rupiah per household or 25,000 rupiah per capita. This year, BSLM was set at 150,000 rupiah per household or 37,500 rupiah per capita.

According to National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) Chief Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, BLSM is one means to prevent poor household's purchasing power from being eroded by inflation. The increase in the price of subsidised fuel will cause inflation to skyrocket with Bank Indonesia (the central bank) predicting its contribution to inflation will be as high as 2.46 percent.

Meaning that if part of the BSLM is used to pay of debts, then ordinary people's purchasing power will not be maintained as the government hopes. Let alone if a part of it is use to buy cigarettes.

Referring to research by the Demographic Institute at the University of Indonesia's Faculty of Economics, spending on cigarettes exceeds that of essentials in the poorest households. According to one of its researchers, Abdillah Ahsan, 47.74 percent of the poorest households were smokers in 2005. In 2009, this increased to 57.1 percent.

The BPS notes that cigarettes were one of the commodities that had a huge impact on the increase in poverty in March 2013. Out of nine consumable commodities cigarettes were in second place after rice. In cities cigarettes contributed as much as 8.82 percent to the increase in poverty. While in rural areas it contributed 7.48 percent. (LAS/MAS/ACI)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Armed forces & defense

Sleman trial failing to address the real issues

Jakarta Post - July 6, 2013

Slamet Susanto and Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana called on the public to keep watching the progress of the Cebongan trial. The trial so far has yet to expose any details of the attack on the penitentiary in Sleman, Yogyakarta.

"Everybody has to participate so justice can be won through the military court," Denny said after attending a session at the II-11 Yogyakarta Military Court on Friday.

The 12 defendants are members of Kopassus Group 2 Kandang Menjangan of Kartosuro, Central Java. They are accused of storming the prison and killing four detainees.

The court has heard that three of the defendants – Second. Sgt. Ucok Tigor Simbolon, Second Sgt. Sugeng Sumaryanto and First Corporal Kodik – left their posts on Mount Lawu in Karanganyar, Central Java, on March 22, to take revenge on "Marcel", a man they believed had killed former Kopassus member, Sriyono.

They stopped by Kandang Menjangan and took additional Kopassus members with them. Failing to find Marcel, they then went to the prison in Sleman to look for another man, Deki. Ucok has testified that he intended to ask the detainee about Marcel's whereabouts.

Nine of the 12 defendants have been charged with premeditated murder, while the remaining three are charged with failing to inform their superiors of the other nine men's intentions.

Whatever the reasons, Denny said, the defendants' misconduct was intolerable. "The perpetrators must be punished in accordance with their acts," he said.

He said the court must be safe for everyone for the sake of justice. He criticized the presence of different elements of the community at the court compound, claiming to secure the trial. Denny believed that the presence of the groups could have the opposite effect.

"Security is the responsibility of the institution. Anything that obstructs justice from being served must be avoided," he said.

Regarding the trial, Denny said that it had yet to dig out any deep information on how the killings actually occurred. "So far, it has been nothing but fringe matters, nowhere near the heart of the matter," Denny said.

While he was at the military court, Denny had the chance to witness two out of the four sessions.

Leader of the defense team, Col. Rokhmat disagreed with Denny's interpretation of events, saying that there had been confessions from the defendants. The only matter remaining open was to establish whether the killings were premeditated or not.

Separately, member of the Victim and Witness Protection Agency (LPSK), Teguh Soedarsono, complained that the panel of judges had not allowed 10 of the 42 witnesses to come under LPSK protection and give testify through a video link for psychological reasons.

"In fact, the psychological examination result has been presented to the panel of judges," Teguh said.

Cebongan jail shooter claims self-defense

Jakarta Globe - July 3, 2013

A soldier standing trial for the summary execution of four detainees at a police detention center in Yogyakarta's Sleman district in March claims that he shot at the victims in self-defense after one of them attacked him with an iron rod.

Speaking at his court martial in Yogyakarta on Tuesday, Second Sgt. Ucok Tigor Simbolon admitted to storming the Cebongan jail on March 23 with the intent of finding the detainees who had been arrested for the murder of a fellow Army Special Forces (Kopassus) personnel four days earlier.

He said that one of the detainees then struck at him with a rod through the bars of his cell and hit him on the shoulder. He then tried to identify the person who had hit him, but at that point, the culprit had dropped the rod.

"I immediately pulled out my gun as I was afraid they would reach for it. I acted quickly and shot that person," Ucok said, as quoted by Detik.com.

He was testifying as a witness for a co-accused, Second Sgt. Sugeng Sumaryanto, who was also involved in the attack.

Ucok admitted to killing two people who had been locked inside the cell and then pursuing the others inside and also gunning them down. He added that afterward, he was dragged out of the cell by another Kopassus member and fleeing the jail.

Ucok is one of three Kopassus personnel facing a possible death penalty for the jail raid and execution of suspected gang members Hendrik Angel Sahetapi, Yohanes Juan Manbait, Gameliel Yermianto Rohi Riwu and Adrianus Candra Galaja.

Nine other Kopassus personnel are also facing a military tribunal and could receive life sentences for their roles in the incident that shocked the nation.

Following Tuesday's hearing at the Yogyakarta military tribunal, Ucok, Sugeng and fellow defendant Second Cpl. Kodik apologized for "inconveniencing" the Cebongan officials whom they had held at gunpoint while carrying out the execution of the detainees.

The officials, including chief security officer Margo Utomo and wardens Supratikno and Indrawan, all welcomed the gesture from the soldiers.

"On behalf of my friends, officers of the Cebongan jail, I accept the defendants' apology," Margo said. "We were simply doing our jobs, so we do not have anything personal to hold against them," he said after testifying.

None of the Kopassus members has expressed any kind of remorse for gunning down the four unarmed men.

Criminal justice & prison system

Police too hard on users: Judge

Jakarta Globe - July 4, 2013

Farouk Arnaz – The mind-set of law enforcers needs to be changed to make them understand that not all drug users are criminals and that they need rehabilitation instead of imprisonment, says a Supreme Court judge.

"Users aren't criminals, and the mind-set of law enforcers such as police and prosecutors needs to change," Justice Surya Jaya said at a discussion in Jakarta on Wednesday.

"The process in handling drug abusers isn't implemented well, and that's why we're seeing so many of them jailed."

Surya said the Supreme Court had already issued circulars urging judges to prioritize rehab instead of jail for offenders charged with nothing more serious than possession or consumption of token amounts of narcotics.

"The 2009 Anti-Narcotics Law clearly states that those caught with possession of narcotics amounting to less than 5 grams should be categorized as users and not as dealers," Surya said. "But law enforcement officers have failed to implement this article."

He added that judges should always refer to the 2009 law when issuing rulings against drug users, and try to determine whether the defendants were victims of drug abuse and therefore entitled to medical and social rehabilitation.

"But the fact remains that judges can still be blamed for only ordering rehabilitation without a jail sentence. Maybe in the future we can change this by, for instance, ordering probation," said Surya, who is also a law professor at Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

He also stressed the importance of focusing on the requirement for drug addicts to report periodically to the authorities, saying this was an important in keeping them in rehab programs.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last month called on law enforcers to make a distinction between drug users and drug dealers, saying the former should, where possible, be rehabilitated rather than jailed.

He said the current law enforcement approach to tackling drug offenses was ineffective because it criminalized users who should be treated as victims.

"Members of our young generation, who have become victims [of drug use], are losing their past and their present," he said on June 24, ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.

"Don't let them lose their future as well. We must give them guidance. The solution [for drug users] is not jail, but rehabilitation. The concept shouldn't be one of punishment, but of salvation."

Police & law enforcement

Mobs set police posts on fire in South Sumatra

Jakarta Globe - July 3, 2013

Farouk Arnaz – Mobs burned two police stations to the ground in South Sumatra following the fatal shooting of a man suspected of theft, police said on Wednesday.

"There were two police stations burned – the provisional Rupit subdistrict and the Rawas Ulu subdistrict police stations," South Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Djarod Padakova said.

The stations were 30 minutes' drive from each other, according to Djarod, who added that police were still assessing the health of detainees held at the stations.

The attacks took place on Tuesday, he said, the day after the National Police celebrated its 67th anniversary – although police gave no indication that the date was a contributing factor.

The Rupit subdistrict police station had already been burned down once before in April, after a dispute about the creation of a new electoral district.

In this instance, people were angered by the death of a local man, whom police have identified as "H.H," who was shot while resisisting arrest, police said. The mobs also blocked the Trans Sumatra highway betwen Lubuk Linggau in South Sumtara and Jambi until the early hours of Wednesday. H.H. was wanted on suspicion of several armed robberies.

"A raid was conducted on Tuesday at around 9:30 a.m., but the suspect resisted and, after firing warning shots into the air, the suspect continued to resist arrest – so we had to take police action," Djarod said.

A home-assembled firearm was seized from the victim, Djarod said, adding that H.H died while on the way to the hospital. Djarod said he was unable to pinpoint why the police had become so unpopular in the area.

"This is what we are trying to ascertain," he said. "We are looking at the problem. I am confident, however, that the people of South Sumatra still wants a police presence to safeguard security and order," he said.

Police have yet to make any arrests.

Gang boss struts out of prison

Jakarta Post - July 3, 2013

Fikri Zaki Muhammadi, Jakarta – The West Jakarta District Court handed Hercules Rozario Marshal a mere four-month prison term on Tuesday for multiple charges as no incriminating witnesses, other than police witnesses, showed up during his trial.

On March 9, Hercules and 49 of his associates got into a clash with police officers in a commercial district in West Jakarta after the gang tried to provoke a fight with the police personnel who had been dispatched to guard the area.

The police were deployed in the area following reports that Hercules and his men were actively engaged in extortion.

The verdict was lighter than the six-month prison term sought by prosecutors who had failed to build a case of instigation of crime, vandalism, obstruction of justice and extortion, all of which carry a maximum prison term of 18 years in total.

The prosecutors could only charge Hercules with obstruction of justice, a violation of the Criminal Code that carries seven years, imprisonment.

"The court rules beyond doubt that defendant Hercules Rozario Marshal committed violence, violating Article 214 of the Criminal Code and he is therefore sentenced to four months' imprisonment," said presiding judge Kemal Tampubolon as he read the verdict.

"The sentence is less time served," the judge added. Hercules had been behind bars since March pending trial and therefore was free to walk out of the Jakarta Police detention center on Monday.

Police investigators criticized the prosecution, questioning why the prosecution did not include the fact that the police had also seized an illegally owned gun from Hercules in the indictment, when illegal possession of a firearm carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison as stipulated in the 1951 Emergency Law.

Prosecutors were unable to explain this lapse while Hercules' lawyers said that the case was political. Hercules' lawyer Agung Sri Purnomo said that his team would consider filing an appeal to a higher court. "Our client is innocent and he should have been acquitted."

In the verdict, the judges stated that Hercules' cooperation and politeness during the proceedings and the fact that he was his family's only bread winner were considerations in mitigating his sentence. In his defense statement last week, Hercules told the court that he was a changed man.

The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party's chief patron, Prabowo Subianto, also defended Hercules in this case. The former commander of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) said that Hercules had pledged to change his bad behavior. Prabowo had denied that his ties with Hercules would be utilized to help the latter in his legal proceedings.

Hercules, who moved from Timor Leste to Jakarta in the 1980s, made Prabowo the head of the advisory board of the New Indonesian People's Movement (GRIB), which he established in May of last year.

Last August, Hercules and his men were involved in a clash with the gang of convicted murderer and notorious gang leader John Kei, over the protection of a disputed plot of land in Taman Palem, West Jakarta.

One of Hercules' men was shot dead by police officers during a raid following the altercation. None of Hercules' men were charged with any offences.

Yudhoyono pats graft-ridden police on back at force's anniversary

Jakarta Post - July 2, 2013

Bagus BT Saragih and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono praised the National Police for their outstanding performance in enforcing the law and maintaining security and public order, despite certain allegations plaguing the force, such as graft, impunity and torture.

"Since their establishment in 1946, the police have dedicated themselves to the state. We are all proud of their service as law enforcers and servants of the people," Yudhoyono said in his remarks during the celebration of the corps' 67th anniversary at the National Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) headquarters in Depok, West Java, on Monday.

Yudhoyono also called on the police to improve their professional expertise in order to cope with today's more sophisticated, white-collar crimes. "With better skills and capabilities, the police will be able to deal with all types of crimes, ranging from street crime, smuggling, illegal logging and corruption to transnational crimes, such as terrorism and narcotics," he said.

The praise, however, did not match the reality that the National Police remains one of the most corrupt state institutions in the country.

Fourteen years after their separation from the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police remains one of the few state institutions that has yet to be reformed. One of the most virulent problems within the institution is corruption.

Currently, former National Police Traffic Corps chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo is standing trial for his role in a driving simulator procurement graft case that caused state losses of Rp 144.9 billion (US$14.63 million).

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has also indicted Djoko for money laundering after it found that the disgraced police general had allegedly purchased assets in the names of his relatives and wives.

Last week, the force's Criminal Investigations Directorate detained two middle-ranking officers for planning to bribe an unidentified official at the National Police. The officers – identified as Adj. Sr. Comr. ES and Comr. JAP – were caught carrying Rp 200 million ($20,200) in cash into the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta on Friday.

Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) said the arrests highlighted the deep-seated graft culture within the force.

The force has also been dogged by allegations of torture and abuse. A study by the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) found that the number of torture cases committed by members of the National Police, Indonesian Military (TNI) and prison staff was on the rise.

Muhammad Isnur of Jakarta's Legal Aid Institute (LBH) said the allegations of torture further eroded public trust in the police. "It has become common practice for police to torture suspects, make false arrests or ask for bribes," he said.

A recent study by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) showed that the police's failure to provide justice, particularly for minority groups, had encouraged more Indonesians to resort to mob violence to resolve disputes.

The survey stated that more than 30 percent of respondents said they would take the law into their own hands rather than trust law enforcers to impose "just" punishments on perpetrators.

Last week, the IPW released a report showing that relations between the police and the public were continuing to deteriorate. The IPW said the worsening relations were indicated by the growing number of conflicts between members of the public and police personnel.

The report said that in the first half of 2013, 58 police assets were damaged or torched by civilians in 14 incidents, a higher rate than the aggregate numbers reported in 2012. The damaged assets included 13 precincts, 25 motorcycles, eight cars and two official residences.

"Most [of these] attacks on police facilities stemmed from public frustration with police arrogance, repression and their overwhelming tendency to side with businesspeople. The public seems to turn to police only at the point when they have lost all hope for justice," IPW chairman Neta S. Pane said.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar responded that everybody was entitled to their own opinion. "Information from analysts or activists about the police need to be verified but all the inputs should be taken positively to help us improve," he said.

Police-public violence on rise

Jakarta Globe - July 1, 2013

Rizky Amelia – Indonesia Police Watch says relations between the police and the public are deteriorating and have called on the government to take urgent action.

IPW director Neta S. Pane attributed the worsening relations and growing number of clashes between the public and the police to the National Police's failure to improve the quality of its officers.

Neta urged the National Police to improve officer conduct or risk a further fall in public perceptions.

"Most attacks on police facilities stemmed from public frustration with police arrogance, repressiveness and the police's overwhelming tendency to side with businesspeople. The public seems to turn to police only at the point when they have lost all hope for justice," Neta said.

Neta said that in the first half of 2013 there were 58 police assets damaged or torched by mobs in 14 incidents, a rate higher than across 2012. The damaged assets include 13 police offices, 25 police motorcycles, eight police cars and two police official residences.

Neta said that in the first quarter of the year, six policeman were attacked by mobs and seven others were slashed with blades. Five of the victims were police officers while the rest were troopers.

Neta said that in all of 2012, a total of 85 police assets were damaged or torched by mobs. The assets were 56 police stations, 18 police vehicles and 10 police motorcycles and an unidentified number of official residences.

In 2011, only 65 police facilities were attacked. "The number was much smaller in 2010 when only 20 police offices were attacked by mobs," Neta said.

So far in 2013, there have been 143 people arrested for involvement in the conflicts, in which 23 people have been reported as injured and five people as having died. "On the police side of the conflicts, 15 officers have been injured and two police officers have died," Neta said.

Neta added that vandalism and torching of facilities was an issue across the archipelago, but that the highest concentrations of conflicts between the police and the public are in North Sumatra and Papua, where mob attacks stemmed from clashes with low-ranking police officers.

Thirteen police officers fell victim to mob violence in the first three months of this year. In April, Neta said that so far this year, 13 police employees had been mobbed and stabbed.

On March 27, Adj. Comr. Andar Siahaan, the subdistrict police chief in North Sumatra's Dolol Pardamean, was killed by a mob of about 100 people. The violence erupted when Andar attempted to arrest a gambling operator.

On the same day, Adj. Comr. Suhardiman, a member of the Aceh Police, was stabbed to death, allegedly by his neighbor, in Ulee Kareng, Banda Aceh. The victim was at a roadside coffee shop when he and the assailant got into a dispute. According to IPW data, 29 police officers were killed and 14 were injured in 2012, up from 20 police officers killed in 2011.

Neta attributed the violence to several factors, including low awareness of the law, the discriminatory attitudes of police officers and the lack of training on gathering evidence properly.

"Considering these conditions, members of the National Police should improve the quality of their training so that they can become more professional. In the future, the public will increasingly be desperate in their actions, considering the complex socioeconomic problems they face," he said.

On March 24, First Brig. A.N.L., 30, from the Way Karya subdistrict police in East Lampung, was attacked by a crowd after he was found sleeping at a woman's home while her husband was away but escaped with his life.

Indonesia has long prided itself on being a law-abiding nation, but the failure by the police and the legal community to uphold the law has resulted in what former Vice President Jusuf Kalla has described as "jungle law."

Many clashes between the police and the public involve land disputes, where the police are suspected of acting as agents for land holders.

As well as clashing with the public, the police have also maintained testy relations with the military, often leading to violence.

Mining & energy

Indonesia'S geothermal dream may never be a reality

Jakarta Post - July 1, 2013

Amahl S. Azwar, Jakarta – Currently, Indonesia can only utilize 1,226 megawatts (MW), or 5 percent of its total geothermal reserves, despite being surrounded by a number of tectonic plates.

With that geographical position, the largest Southeast Asian economy holds 40 percent of the world's geothermal reserves with a total potential of 29,000 MW scattered across 276 locations to feed energy to its 230 million citizens.

But land acquisition and permit issues that linger on are allegedly the reasons for the stalling of 30 geothermal projects that were launched before and after the introduction of the 2003 Geothermal Law.

"I think this is the point where the government should take an all or nothing approach [to help potential investors]. Otherwise, just shut down all of the geothermal projects in the country," said Indonesian Geothermal Association chairman Abadi Purnomo in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.

The association chairman himself former president director of Pertamina Geothermal Energy, a subsidiary of Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas firm Pertamina – was referring to most geothermal players in the country, who were still "stuck" in the exploration stages.

Eleven out of 20 geothermal projects launched before the law was enacted are still in the exploration stages with various contractors, including Pertamina Geothermal Energy, according to Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry data.

Nineteen projects launched after the enactment of the law are also still at the same stage. Companies involved in these projects include Supreme Energy – whose partners include Japan-based Sumitomo and France-based GDF Suez – Star Energy (owned by mogul Prajogo Pangestu) and Chevron.

The law, which stipulates that working areas and exploration-exploitation work are to be tendered by regional administrations, has held back companies from progressing, with land acquisition and permit issues.

In the most recent case, Supreme Energy decided last month to postpone drilling on its 2x110 MW project in Mt. Rajabasa in Lampung amid local protests that were, ironically, endorsed by the Forestry Ministry.

Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry geothermal director Tisnaldi highlighted the level of "acceptability" from local communities as one of the main challenges for geothermal firms to operate in Indonesia.

"As for the Supreme Energy case, we [the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, the Forestry Ministry, the local administration and the firm] have invited local leaders in Lampung to an existing geothermal project in West Java," he said over the weekend, referring to Pertamina's 200 MW- Kamojang power plant in Garut, West Java.

He added that Supreme Energy, which plans to invest more than US$800 million for both geothermal exploration and the Rajabasa power plant, could resume its exploration "soon" on endorsement from the local leaders following the Kamojang power plant visit.

Commenting on the Supreme Energy case, Abadi said stakeholders from the government's side lacked coordination and had different views when it came to geothermal projects.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik said at the opening of the Indonesia International Geothermal Convention and Exhibition in Jakarta last month that the government would raise the price of electricity that state power firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara would buy from geothermal power plants, to promote business certainty.

Tisnaldi said the new pricing scheme would be applied for new projects but might be open to the currently stalled geothermal projects as well "if the projects turn out to be unprofitable". He, however, did not elaborate on whether already running geothermal projects would also benefit from the new scheme.

In July, last year, the government raised the feed-in-tariff for geothermal power plants from 9.7 US cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to between 10 to 17 cents per kWh.

The current prices vary from one region to another, depending on the availability of infrastructure and potential geothermal reserves where a power plant operates. For example, the price in Sumatra is 10 cents per kWh, Java 11 cents and Papua 17 cents.

The new pricing would be based on a power plant's capacity and enthalpy, or heat content. In the capacity category, power plants will be divided into five groups: over 55 MW, between 20-55 MW, between 10-20 MW, between 5-10 MW and under 5 MW.

A power plant with low-medium enthalpy lower than 225 degrees Celsius, depending on the capacity of the power plant, will have a ceiling price range from 17 to 30 US cents per kWh and that of high enthalpy from 11 to 28 cents per kWh.

Economy & investment

Indonesia 'most vulnerable' to capital flight

Jakarta Post - July 5, 2013

Satria Sambijantoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's equity market is the most vulnerable to capital outflows in Southeast Asia, a US-based investment bank says, ringing alarms for policy-makers bracing for more volatility in the financial markets.

Morgan Stanley said it downgraded the outlook of the equity market to "neutral" from "positive" on account of the rise in global risk-free rates, currency volatility and the resulting increase in equity risk premiums.

Morgan Stanley described the stock market as "over-owned", noting that the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) had the most expensive price-to-book ratio among its peers in emerging market economies.

That situation, coupled with the high foreign ownership in Indonesia's stock and bond markets, has made the country "likely to be the most vulnerable equity market within ASEAN in a sudden stop of capital outflows scenario", Morgan Stanley analysts, led by Yang Bai, wrote in a report released on Thursday.

Foreign investors have pulled Rp 20.1 trillion (US$2.03 billion) from the stock market throughout June in response to a statement by US central bank governor Ben Bernanke, who hinted at possible tapering in its quantitative easing policy that has pumped inflows into emerging economies.

In the fixed-income market, foreign ownership in government bonds in July declined by Rp 18.8 trillion from a month earlier, data from the Finance Ministry's debt management office said.

"Capital outflows and rising real rates from recent QE [quantitative easing] taper concerns have exposed such macro vulnerabilities, or funding needs, forcing policy-makers to undertake fuel subsidy rollbacks and interest rate hikes," Morgan Stanley said.

The JCI rose 0.1 percent to close at 4,581.93 on Thursday. A day earlier, the benchmark index dropped 3 percent after Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Agus Martowardojo released a statement that hinted at the possibility of hiking interest rates during his board of governors meeting next week.

Though it has stabilized in recent weeks, the JCI was nevertheless still 12 percent lower than its historic high of 5,214.98, which it broke on May 20.

Further downside correction in the stock market and more foreign outflows should not be ruled out, said John Rachmat, the head of equity research at Mandiri Sekuritas. He predicted the JCI would decline to 4,000 by year's end.

At present, the benchmark index was supported only by the short-term "euphoria" over the government's successful attempt at increasing fuel prices, he said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Chatib Basri dismissed such notions, saying that Indonesia was vulnerable to the ongoing volatility in the global economy, though he stressed the importance for the country to reduce its dependency on hot money from portfolio flows.

"I personally believe that, by simplifying investment procedures and attracting more foreigners to come into the real sector, we could still increase our FDI [foreign direct investments] and strengthen our capital account position," he said over the phone on Thursday.

Nevertheless, the huge economic costs from the sudden capital reversal has alerted policy-makers in the region to the importance of capital controls – a move to entrap foreign capital by imposing taxes on portfolio-related investments or capping transaction volume – given the possibility that the present uncertainty might not end in the near future.

Chatib recently warned that the ongoing volatility in the financial market was here to stay, at least in the medium-run, noting that policy-makers would have to take "long breaths" to cope with the situation.

Inefficient Tanjung Priok Port 'must' address processes

Jakarta Post - July 5, 2013

Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – Businesses and consumers are to suffer further losses as the time it takes for goods to enter and leave Tanjung Priok Port – the country's main port – continues to increase.

The dwelling time at the port in North Jakarta, which handles around 70 percent of all goods entering the country, has spanned to eight days since earlier this year, according to the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).

The dwelling time begins from the time a carrier moors at a port to the time its cargo is unloaded and the cargo leaves the port, or vice versa.

"The dwelling time [at the port] should be lowered to three days as instructed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono because we want to reduce logistics costs borne by logistics players and customers, because it affects the price of goods," Kadin permanent committee on logistics services head Irwan Ardi Hasman said on Thursday. He added that all stakeholders, including state port operator Pelindo II must work on the issue.

In spite of this, the dwelling time has continued to increase, for example from six-and-a-half days last year to eight days this year, in line with its economy that has annually expanded to more than 6 percent since 2010.

Kadin also asked Pelindo II to reduce the port's yard occupancy ratio (YOR), another port efficiency measurement, from 106 percent to 65 percent to make moving containers more efficient. The lower the YOR the less space containers take up at port, thus, the faster the containers move.

According to Kadin, around 600 containers must be loaded, unloaded and checked every day at the port. However, the current situation means that only 170 containers are processed daily, with a backlog of some 400 containers that results in congestion at the port's terminals.

Kadin Jakarta deputy head Sjafrizal BK said businesspeople could suffer losses of up to Rp 4.8 billion (US$484,800) a day due to the port's tardiness.

"We are afraid that we are going to suffer more losses during Ramadhan [fasting month] because the flow of goods during this month will increase due to rising demand," he said.

Indonesia's logistics performance is one of the poorest among Southeast Asian countries, ranked 59th out of 155 developing and high-income economies included in the World Bank's 2012 logistics performance index, far behind the Philippines and Vietnam.

Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang S. Ervan said the government initiated Inaportnet – a system that streamlines the clearance and permit process to move cargo online – at the port and was collaborating with Pelindo II to run the Rp 500 billion system.

World Bank paints gloomy picture of Indonesia economy

Jakarta Post - July 3, 2013

Satria Sambijantoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's economic growth is at risk of falling below 6 percent for the first time in more than two years as growth drivers such as domestic consumption, exports and investment are expected to slow partly due to higher inflation and global uncertainty, the World Bank has said.

The US-based organization cut its economic growth forecast for Indonesia to 5.9 percent this year from 6.3 percent earlier, arguing that "the risk of a more pronounced slowdown is high" due to the rise in inflation stemming from the fuel price hike.

Prevailing global uncertainty might result in further weakening commodity prices, posing another significant risk given the importance of commodity- related activities for foreign currency earnings, corporate profits and investment activities, the World Bank said in its quarterly report released on Tuesday titled Adjusting to Pressure.

"Although monetary and fiscal policies have been responsive, other pressures are emerging, requiring readiness for further policy adjustments to safeguard macroeconomic stability and maintain Indonesia's growth momentum," Ndiame Diop, World Bank lead economist for Indonesia, said on Tuesday.

Indonesia has maintained economic growth of above 6 percent for 10 consecutive quarters since October 2010, thanks to strong domestic consumption that accounts for almost 60 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

The government has targeted the economy to grow 6.3 percent this year. However, economists have said that such a target might be difficult to achieve, pointing to the fact that Indonesia only expanded 6.02 percent in the first quarter this year, the lowest level in more than two years.

The slowdown occurred amid solid economic growth recorded by its neighbors, notably the Philippines, which in the first quarter of this year posted 7.8 percent economic growth – overtaking China as the region's fastest-growing economy.

Apart from growth, the country's external position was also under pressure as intense selling in capital markets was predicted to continue, consequently limiting fund inflows coming into the country, the World Bank said.

Any disruption of inflows would exert pressure on the country's balance of payments, which already recorded a staggering US$6.6 billion deficit in the first quarter this year.

If the deficit in the balance of payments continued in the upcoming quarters, it would create "very strong pressure on external financing needs", Diop argued.

But, the World Bank expressed little concern over the depreciation trend of the rupiah. While the rupiah has depreciated on a sustained basis against the US dollar in nominal terms since mid-2011, the currency had in fact appreciated on a trade-weighted basis and in real terms since the start of 2013. The rupiah actually weakened the least among other currencies in the region, the Washington-based lender noted.

"Many of the government's objectives can be served better by a weakening rupiah rather than [forcing] a stronger rupiah," Diop said, arguing that a weak rupiah could boost Indonesia's competitiveness in its manufacturing industries, especially those dealing with exports.

Deputy Finance Minister Mahendra Siregar highlighted the importance of maintaining strong economic fundamentals to ensure that any sudden shock in the global economy would not trigger volatile swings for the rupiah.

"In the end, market operations and intervention might not be able to improve the position of a currency. The only way to maintain a stable exchange rate is through good, sustainable economic management," he said on Tuesday.

Indonesia would be able to grow at least above 6 percent this year, the deputy minister added, vowing to expedite economic reforms to ensure that the 2013 growth target of 6.3 percent could be achieved.

Analysis & opinion

By the way... These commercials are brought to you by ... state officials

Jakarta Post - July 7, 2013

Pandaya – There is something strange in the latest raucous, uninspiring commercials bombarding our brains on local TV channels: A host of advertisements for commercial products starring a Cabinet minister, the House speaker or a regional official.

Just like any other ambassadors for any commercial products, the state bureaucrats extol the virtue of the products they promote. It looks like they have forgotten they are public officials paid to serve the public and to shun side jobs – be it for money or for free – because it diminishes their status.

"Take Tolak Angin. It's a good Indonesian product that everybody loves," says State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan, promoting the anti- bloating herbal medicine in a TV ad made with members of boy band Padi in the Netherlands to convince the public the product is world class.

Dahlan, an ex-journalist who loves to portray himself as a campaigner for the consumption of local products, has reportedly argued he did the ad for free after the drug maker, Sido Muncul, agreed to use indigenous herbs as its raw materials.

Movie-actor turned politician Deddy Mizwar retained his status as one of the most popular commercial actors even after he was elected deputy governor of West Java. On TV, he appears to promote a "yummy and nutritious" sausage, a sarong brand he asserts can make its Muslim wearers "more intent in their prayers", and a bank he swears offers "top service".

Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan, an entrepreneur before he entered politics, once appeared for Astra International, praising the country's largest auto seller as one of the biggest tax payers and its success in penetrating the world market.

House Speaker Mazuki Alie is also a commercial star. The man, who is often embroiled in controversy, appeals to the citizens to "love Indonesian products", a tag-line he shouts loud and clear as he promotes household appliances made by Maspion along with company owner Alim Markus and veteran crooner Titiek Puspa.

Just to refresh your memory, Marzuki has just reemerged after a bruising controversy that saw him implicated in a gold investment scam involving a Malaysian company called PT Global Traders Indonesia Syariah (GTIS). PT GTIS used him to promote the business that had been endorsed by the powerful Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

The gold investment business lost its shine when GTIS owner Michael Ong disappeared after raking in billions of rupiah from Indonesian investors. Marzuki denied having a hand in the scam and there has been no news that police have investigated it.

Other state officials have also been involved in commercials, albeit in a more subtle way. Former Army chief of staff Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, for example, "promoted" energy drink Kuku Bima Energy in an Army corporate social responsibility event held in cooperation with the company.

Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appeared in the advertisement for Esemka, an automotive venture developed by local vocational high school students while he was mayor of Surakarta. The car promotion catapulted his reputation onto the national political scene and helped him win the Jakarta gubernatorial seat last year.

State officials appearing in commercials have raised serious questions about the political ethics they are supposed to uphold, although legally they breach no laws because of a lack of legislation addressing the issue.

They publicly favor certain commercial products and induce the public to buy them. They "sell" their political leverage as public officials to help the capitalist make money. What about their oath to serve citizens equally regardless of their social status?

Dahlan's "I did it for free" excuse is disingenuous because money is not the only benefit that state officials can receive from the companies they endorse.

In the future, actors may have to compete with government officials for a share of the advertising market and it could be unfair competition because the politicians wield both power and good looks, while actors rely merely on good looks.

Just imagine in this paternalistic Indonesia as more and more public officials vie for a slot in the burgeoning TV advertising sector following the footsteps of their superiors and role models! It is also reasonable to suspect the higher the officials' standing, the more they can earn from this moonlighting.

By the way, former beauty queen Angelina Sondakh also appeared in an anticorruption ad for her Democratic Party along with such top party figures as Anas Urbaningrum. And, ehrmm [...] last year she was convicted of graft and sentenced to four years behind bars. Already a butt of jokes, the Democratic Party had to lose Anas the anticorruption crusader as well after he was named a graft suspect and will soon face the music.

So, are you buying the politicians' words?

Rudd Mark 2: A clean slate on Indonesia relations

ABC News - July 4, 2013

Tracee Hutchison – To many Australians, Indonesia has come to be seen through the prism of pesky boats and brutalised beef – either that or a cheap and easy surfing destination.

But there has been a subtle but interesting shift in diplo-speak from Rudd Mark 2, as Kevin Rudd massages the rhetoric around his first international trip as re-birthed Australian Prime Minister by talking up trade and investment opportunities in Indonesia's booming economy.

While mandarin-speaking Kevin07 was all the way with Beijing, the early signs suggest Kevin13 is keen to pay Jakarta a little more than lip service – and he should.

With over 240 million people living throughout the archipelago, an estimated 10 million of them in the capital Jakarta, Indonesia is already well ensconced as an economic and strategic powerhouse in the region through mechanisms like ASEAN and geo-political influence.

This week's edict from Rudd to Australian business to look north to the fast-growing opportunities on its (Indonesian) doorstep is a sure sign that Canberra has well and truly clocked that China's economy – and with it Australia's financial drip-feed – is tanking. Just as China turned to Australia for the natural resources to fuel its infrastructure-driven transformation – Indonesia, and particularly Jakarta, is an infrastructure market still waiting to happen.

The city's notorious traffic jams – largely due to dearth of public transport – has morphed into something well beyond inconvenience. The issue is so dire – and so costly in terms of hours lost sitting in traffic – there is even talk in government circles of moving the capital.

But alongside the heavy industry, sits the bourgeoning contemporary industries of modern Indonesia – finance and technology in particular. Almost half the country's population is under 25, its tech-savvy youth have made Jakarta the world's most active "Twitter-city" and the country is the world's fourth largest mobile phone market.

@RuddonWeibo might still be a hit on China's social media Twitter equivalent, Sino Weibo, but expect @KRuddMP to make a splash in Twitter- city during this trip to Indonesia.

The desire for Kevin Rudd to frame this trip in the context of economic opportunity and not as a fire-fighter extinguishing the spot fires of asylum seekers and the live cattle trade is significant. By loudly declaring Indonesia is Australia's most important near neighbour in the context of business potential, Kevin Rudd has re-framed the image of 21st- century Indonesia as the dynamic, vibrant, bourgeoning country that it is.

"Our nearest neighbour, Indonesia is a huge and continuing political democratic story unfolding. And it is a tribute to the people of Indonesia, the successes they have achieved. And, on top of that, those of us in Australia looking through the lens of our own national interest to the country to our north this vast country will within a decade be a vast economy by global standards." Mr Rudd said in his pre-trip press conference.

"For those of you here from business I think we need to open our eyes to the huge opportunities that exist with the Australia-Indonesia trade relationship."

Gone is the tragic dual imagery of rickety-boats full of desperate people clinging vainly to the hope of a better life in Australia and cattle sent to the slaughter – in its place is a sophisticated society with money dripping from its shiny and rapidly multiplying skyscrapers.

Indeed, by 2050, Indonesia will be among the top 5 economies in the world and will have 90 million new consumers by 2030, according to Professor Tim Lindsey, director of the Australia-Indonesia Institute. You don't have to be Einstein to work out what that means for a country just a few plane- hours away.

And while this is the Indonesia Kevin Rudd is keen for Australia to see, it is also the Indonesia Kevin Rudd wants Indonesia to see the him talking up. That it followed Rudd's Day 1 message that Tony Abbott's 'Stop the Boats' policy risked a "konfrontasi" with Indonesia, reinforcing Indonesia's territorial authority and blowing the policy apart, was a political and diplomatic masterstroke.

Certainly the pre-arranged timing of this annual bi-lateral meeting with Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono meant Kevin Rudd had a significant ball to pick up. Yet he did it with aplomb, describing SBY as a "deep, personal friend". (After three years in backbench wilderness, who knew?).

But Rudd Mark 2, with none of the damage of Australia's suspension of live cattle trade on his hands and a mea culpa that his move to dismantle the Howard government's Pacific Solution had been a boon for people smugglers, has grabbed the chance at a clean slate with Jakarta to re-badge and reposition how the relationship between the countries might progress.

Just a week into his old job, Kevin Rudd has returned to one of his favourite themes, talking up Australia's role as a middle-power on the global stage – this time around with just a little more Bahasa than Beijing.

Don't be surprised if a significant bi-lateral economic cooperation and trade agreement between the two countries sits top of the list in the joint-communique when SBY and Rudd stand side by side smiling at the end of the these talks.

Kevin Rudd and Indonesia's Obama

Eureka Street - July 2, 2013

Pat Walsh – PM Rudd's visit to Jakarta this week will almost certainly be marked up or down depending on the outcome of his talks with President SBY on the trafficking of asylum seekers from Indonesia to Australia. The issue is the latest high profile measure of the health of the Australia-Indonesia relationship.

A potentially much bigger test, however, is just around the corner. Next year, Indonesians will elect a new president. Their choice will not only say a lot about the state of democracy in the world's fourth most populous country; it will also impact on the Australia-Indonesia relationship for better or for worse.

The choice confronting the electorate is between what might be called Old Established Forces and New Emerging Forces, to borrow terms coined by Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno, in a former anti-colonial context.

The final list of candidates is still to be settled, but the two individuals who most starkly represent Indonesia's past and its future are Prabowo Subianto, a former military commander, and Joko Widodo, a civilian being described in Jakarta as Indonesia's Obama.

Suharto is dead, but he continues to make his presence felt. Posters in Central Java show a smiling Suharto teasing "lebih enak jaman saya kan?" (My time was nicer wasn't it?) and asking Indonesians how they are going. Many are said to pine for the days when, so the joke goes, "You only needed to pay off one person to get things done". His family recently opened a huge museum in his honour. It makes no mention of his crimes.

Though he tries to re-brand himself as a champion of Java's populous rural poor, a massive reservoir of votes, Prabowo is unavoidably associated with the Suharto years. He is the former dictator's son-in-law, prosecuted the disastrous war in Timor-Leste on Suharto's behalf, has a questionable record in Papua, and is widely considered to be tarnished with the Suharto regime's bad human rights record.

Prabowo has not been tried and found formally guilty of human rights violations. However, he is banned from the US for alleged involvement in torture and the organising of rapes during the upheaval in Jakarta at the end of the Suharto regime in 1998. And Timor-Leste's CAVR truth commission argued that he and fellow officers who had command responsibility in Timor-Leste during Indonesia's illegal occupation must be held accountable for the atrocities perpetrated against thousands of civilian victims there.

Australia is not generally considered to be active in the struggle against impunity in the region but it does require visa applicants to declare whether or not they have been involved in human rights violations, war crimes or militia activity. Presumably, therefore, if Prabowo were to apply to visit Australia now or, heaven forbid, as president, Canberra would follow the US lead and deny him access or, very likely, have to endure the embarrassment of public protest in Australia where engagement with Timor- Leste is strong at all levels of society.

Either way, Prabowo as president would almost certainly be a big headache for Australia and a potentially serious setback to our very important relationship with Indonesia reminiscent of the Suharto years.

If Prabowo represents Indonesia's dark past that is best left behind, Widodo is a breath of fresh air who would be good news for both Indonesia and Australia. Popularly known as Jokowi, he has the exciting star quality of an Obama. My own informal poll of young and old Indonesians around Jakarta confirms the very positive ratings he enjoys in the professional polls. The former governor of Solo, he was elected governor of Jakarta last year and has distinguished himself particularly by his sensitive dealings with the masses of Indonesia's poor.

It is not clear whether he will run next year or wait till 2019. My point is, however, that there are serious and attractive alternatives available to Indonesian voters who will do Indonesia proud at home and abroad.

There are positive signs in addition to the enthusiasm for Jokowi. The widespread use of social media among young voters is one. The fact that SBY, having served the maximum two terms, cannot run again is another. It means that Indonesia has rejected the Suharto period model which allowed the former strongman to convert Indonesia into a dictatorship and rule for over 30 years. Contemporary polling indicates that many Indonesians regard democracy as the best system for Indonesia and consider Suharto was a dictator.

The highly respected commentator Goenawan Mohamad observed recently that in the old days it was easy to blame Suharto for everything, but now Indonesians only have themselves to blame if they get it wrong.

Australia should more than just hope and pray that they get it right next year. PM Rudd should use his visit to send a clear signal about Australia's hopes for human rights and democracy in Indonesia and that as a society we are pro-poor and no longer prepared to accommodate the impunity that was a hallmark of the Suharto years.

Passage of mass organization bill: A return to New Order regime

Jakarta Post - July 2, 2013

Henri Tiphagne, Bangkok – After much stalling, it now seems that the controversial and highly restrictive bill on mass organizations is expected to be presented to the House of Representatives for approval on Tuesday.

If passed, it will unduly constrict the space that civil society organizations (CSOs) can operate in, impose unnecessary limitations on them and effectively curtail the rights to the freedoms of association, expression and religion.

There have been token revisions to the draft, but they do little to guarantee the exercise of basic and fundamental human rights.

At the outset, the official logic for the law was to rein-in "mob violence" and "fundamental groups".

However, as the problematic provisions are laid bare, it is increasingly clear that the mass organization law is intended to control and suppress groups that are "antagonistic" to the government. While it is framed as an administrative exercise to streamline organizational operations and enhance future cooperation with the government, the repressive levers of control under the proposed law indicate otherwise.

Should the bill be passed the government would wield discretionary powers to forcibly suspend or dissolve mass organizations without legal order or recourse if their activities are deemed to conflict with the state ideology of Pancasila.

Such vague and broad restrictions, which assign blanket powers and expand executive discretion and control, can easily be exploited to limit the type and scope of activities of mass organizations.

This is reminiscent of the New Order regime where criticism was suppressed. It has no place in democratic Indonesia today.

Invoking Pancasila renders any group – human rights, religious, labor, environmental and even community-based and informal networks – susceptible to crackdowns and operational challenges.

Furthermore, by stipulating that the activities of organizations do not encroach into the sphere of government, it suggests that behavior such as monitoring corruption or advocating for security sector reforms would potentially run afoul of the mass organization law.

It certainly appears that the government perceives civil society to be an adversary of the state. If passed, the law risks turning into a State apparatus that increases and legitimizes control, intimidation and harassment of all mass organizations.

It is no small irony that elsewhere in the region, similar tactics employing the rhetoric of combating "terrorism" or "anti-state" activities have been used to control a robust and thriving civil society.

Instances of laws that cripple funding, impose onerous bureaucracy, limit the scope of activities and heighten government interference are growing.

In Tamil Nadu, India, similar groups have had their accounts frozen and registration canceled under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act for actions deemed "prejudicial to public interest" allegedly for protesting the construction of a nuclear plant over safety concerns.

Meanwhile, Cambodia has been contemplating the enactment of the Law on associations and NGOs (LANGO), which imposes excessive restrictions on the rights to freedom of association and expression.

The law has been heavily criticized and vociferously opposed by civil society groups inside the country as well by the international community. The overwhelming opposition toward the bill in Cambodia has stalled its passage into law for the time being, although it would be naove to rule out its possible reintroduction in the near future.

Similarly, if passed, the mass organization law will be a constant threat that could be enforced arbitrarily. The dangers are worrying and numerous – from the criminalization and disbanding of groups to the creation of unnecessarily burdensome and lengthy (re)registration processes, increased administrative and judicial harassment and restricted cooperation with partners.

We must bear in mind that the mass organization law should not be viewed in isolation. Together with the intelligence and social conflict management laws passed in the last two years, the government now has a wide array of instruments conducive to an almost unfettered exercise of power at its disposal.

As the House prepares to deliberate the mass organization bill, again, it is imperative that all existing concerns and problematic provisions in the bill must be duly addressed, or rejected altogether.

Otherwise, the claim by Abdul Malik Haramain, chairperson of the House's Special Committee deliberating the bill, "we will show the public that we never meant to restrict freedom at all" is hollow.

Conversely, it will shrink the hard-won democratic space in Indonesia. After the dismantling of the New Order regime, the exercise of the right to freedoms of expression, association and assembly was integral to ensure Indonesia's democratic transition.

The government should instead focus on creating and ensuring an enabling environment for civil society and all citizens to exercise their democratic and fundamental rights without fear of reprisals or harassment.

A return to the New Order era is certainly not welcome and neither is it inconceivable if the government continues to insist on enacting the mass organization law in its current form.

[The writer is chairperson of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), a Bangkok-based regional human rights NGO representing 47 member organizations in 16 countries across Asia, including Indonesia.]

A win for West Papua in Melanesia

New Matilda - July 1, 2013

Jason MacLeod – West Papua has just won an extraordinary victory at the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) meeting in Noumea.

When the heads of government and distinguished persons from Melanesian nations gathered for the MSG annual meeting in late June, the most prominent item on the agenda was West Papua's membership. It was the result of some 18 months work by John Otto Ondawame, Rex Rumakiek, Andy Ajamiseba and Paula Makabory, the coordinating group of the West Papua National Coalition of Liberation, a West Papuan umbrella group for resistance organisations inside and outside the country.

At the meeting, representatives of the Indonesian government (recently granted observer status by the MSG) publicly conceded that West Papua has become an international problem. This is extremely significant; for decades the Indonesian government has insisted that West Papua is an internal issue. Jakarta has repeatedly refused all offers of international assistance to resolve the longstanding conflict.

However, as noted by the West Papuan delegation, the Indonesian government is acutely aware that MSG members have successfully sponsored past pushes for decolonisation in Vanuatu, East Timor, Kanaky (New Caledonia) and now Ma'ohi Nui (French Polynesia which includes Tahiti).

In a formal statement, the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister for the Indonesian Government, Djoko Suyanto invited MSG "foreign ministers to visit Indonesia to observe Indonesia's development in general, which also includes the government's policy on the acceleration of development in Papua and West Papua". The senior minister said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had endorsed the plan.

The governments of the Melanesian states – Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and the FLNKS (Front de Liberation Nationale Kanak et Socialiste, the National Socialist Liberation Front for Kanaky, a coalition of four pro-independence bodies) – will likely visit Indonesia in around six months, depending on negotiations with the Indonesian Government.

Collectively the MSG nations could force West Papua back onto the list of countries not yet decolonised, thereby making it the concern of the United Nations Decolonisation Committee. That they have invited five foreign governments to view the situation inside West Papua shows how worried they are.

If they are to travel to West Papua, the foreign ministers must determine who represents the West Papuan people: the Indonesian government, the Federal Republic of West Papua or the West Papua National Coalition. The MSG took it upon themselves to decide this at the urging of Commodore Vorenqe Bainimarama, the head of Fiji's military government, with the support of Sir Michael Somare from Papua New Guinea.

The West Papua National Coalition's application to gain either observer or member status at the MSG was deferred after a last-minute intervention by West Papuan exile Jacob Rumbiak, who insisted they were not the legitimate representative of the West Papuan people. All this makes the next six months very interesting indeed.

Some things we can predict with a high degree of probability. First, the Indonesian government will attempt to buy off Melanesian political leaders. With endemic corruption in many Melanesian countries, weak rule of law, varying degrees of media freedom and vested economic and political interests at stake, they may succeed. Certainly the Papuans will never be able to compete with Indonesian largesse.

Bainimarama's military government already has a close relationship with the Indonesian government so he will be unlikely to rock the boat. Without a free press or democracy in Fiji it will be much harder for the Fijian people to insist that the Papuans should live their lives out from under the Indonesian jackboot.

Papua New Guinea is particularly vulnerable. Some Papua New Guinean politicians, notably Sir Michael Somare, are heavily invested in logging, palm oil plantations, and supermarket chains with the Indonesian government and military. Other PNG politicians will be worried about instability along the shared border with West Papua. The Indonesian military has repeatedly crossed over into Papuan New Guinean territory in hot pursuit of Papuan dissidents, including nonviolent activists seeking sanctuary. That could play into support for demilitarisation of West Papua, a position supported by some politicians in PNG.

The Solomon Islands are also vulnerable to Indonesian influence. Of all the Melanesian countries, the Solomons have the lowest level of awareness of the Indonesian government's occupation of West Papua. They are the site of substantial Indonesian and Malaysian logging interests.

Having said that, it must be noted that Gordon D. Lilo, Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, told members of the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation that "the West Papuan case is an incomplete decolonisation issue, it has been going on for too long; it must be resolved now".

The Vanuatu government and the FLNKS will be much less responsive to Indonesian overtures. In Vanuatu last year the government was overturned largely over outrage at then Prime Minister Sato Kilman's close relationship with the Indonesian government. The current Prime Minister, Moana Carcases Kalosil, is a strong supporter of West Papuan independence. The FLNKS also tie their own political fortunes to that of the West Papuan struggle for self-determination through a frame of Melanesian solidarity.

We can also guarantee that the Australian and New Zealand governments will wheel out their tired mantra that they "support the Indonesian government's territorial integrity". In an article in the June edition of The Monthly strategy doyen Hugh White recommended the Australian Government jettison any concerns for human rights over West Papua in favour of political and economic interests.

But ministers of both sides of the Tasman privately concede that their influence over Indonesian foreign policy on West Papua has receded. The MSG meeting in Noumea clearly showed how irrelevant Australian and New Zealand foreign policy on West Papua have become and how much the MSG is maturing as a regional political body.

However, familiar tensions between the West Papuan resistance groups came out during the Noumea meeting. The main fault line, exposed by an article in the Island Business, was between the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation and the Federal Republic of West Papua, who both claim to be the true representatives of the Papuan people.

Both the National Coalition and the Federal Republic applied to become members of the MSG. Representatives of the National Coalition are based in Vanuatu with easy access to the MSG secretariat in Port Vila, but the leadership of the Federal Republic is in jail, sentenced to three years prison for a dignified and nonviolent declaration of independence on 19 October 2011. Dialogue between the two groups is understandably difficult.

When Forkorus Yaboisembut, the President of the Federal Republic of West Papua learnt of the National Coalition's application earlier this year, he wrote to the Director General of the MSG. In the letter, Yaboisembut graciously withdrew his application, saying:

"Rather we request the letter be seen only as a letter of support from West Papua for the application for [the National Coalition's] MSG membership and as a means of introducing the Federal Republic State of West Papua to MSG for future purposes."

This, and the fact that for a short time in late 2010-2011 both groups were part of a shared decision making structure, shows that cooperation is not beyond the realm of possibility.

Papuans now have six months to get their house in order. This might involve a political coalition between resistance groups, as was the successful model in East Timor and Kanaky, or unification under a shared vision similar to the African National Congress' Freedom Charter.

When the foreign ministers from the Melanesian Spearhead Group do visit West Papua they will be accompanied by the international media – a victory for Papuans who have long demanded their country be opened up to foreign media.

If, on the other hand, the Indonesian government insists on keeping journalists out during the MSG visit, they will only reinforce international perceptions that they do in fact have something to hide.

Either way, the Papuans, like the East Timorese before them who mobilised when Pope John Paul II visited in 1989, will seize this opportunity to register their cries for freedom in numbers never seen before.

Such a call may be heard further than West Papua, which has become an explosive political issue in Melanesia. The ties between Papuans and their Melanesian kin are closer than ever; what happens if citizens of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Kanaky rise up and insist that their leaders support West Papua? The overturning of Sato Kilman's government in Vanuatu is a cautionary tale.

How will the Indonesian state react? They will likely point to the money they have poured into West Papua – the benefits of which have gone mainly to transnational corporations and Papuan elites, while further impoverishing the Indigenous people. They will argue that West Papua is a democracy; that Papuans are elected by their own people. This is true, but the Indonesian government denies the Papuans the right to form their own political party. In reality West Papua is a colonial outpost ruled from Jakarta.

Papuan political prisoners fill the jails, evidence of systemic torture leaks out, and the bodies of Papuans killed by the police and military pile up (like the alleged massacre of 40 Papuans in the remote Puncak Jaya area in recent months).

Finally, the Indonesian government will call the Papuan dissent terrorism or a foreign-led ploy. This kind of propaganda is the last resort of all authoritarian rulers. Official Indonesian military figures say the armed guerillas number little over 1000 full time fighters, most of whom are not active. On the other hand, the nonviolent movement numbers tens of thousands and they are on the streets every week, if not every day. The West Papuan independence movement is a nonviolent civilian based insurrection against continued Indonesian rule.

The Indonesian government can no longer credibly be concerned that West Papua, like East Timor before it, will become an international issue. It is too late for that. West Papua has already become an international issue.

In the next six months Jakarta's job will be to enforce the Papuans' obedience while trying to minimize repression. The Papuans' task is to undermine the Indonesian government's legitimacy and raise the political and economic costs of the occupation. The stakes are high but the potential reward is great: freedom.


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