Muhammad Al Azhari – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a presidential regulation providing legal cover for the distribution and control of alcoholic beverages in Indonesia, replacing a 1997 decree that was abolished by the Supreme Court in 2012 after religious groups lodged a number of appeals.

The new regulation (Perpres), which was signed by the president on Dec. 6 but has only just been made public, classifies alcohol into three categories – drinks with less than five percent alcohol, between five percent and 20 percent, and more than 20 percent.

Beverages with more than five percent alcohol can only be sold in licensed premises like bars, restaurants, hotels and clubs. Drinks with less than five percent can be made freely available in modern retail channels like Alfamart, Indomaret, Carrefour and Hypermart.

The Perpres gives stronger authority to regional leaders – district heads and provincial governors – to regulate the distribution of the liquor within their area.

The new rule has been welcomed by officials in the entertainment sector. "This is a good news. The new Perpres gives back legal certainty for alcoholic distribution in the country," said Hariyadi Sukamdani, a deputy chairman at the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI). Cyprianus Aoer, director executive at PHRI, said that it was not much different from the abolished Perpres.

One reason given for the earlier appeal was that the previous regulation seemed to overrule regional autonomy. But despite the apparent grey area many districts across the country, including Depok, Indramayu and South Tangerang, issued bylaws banning alcohol distribution locally.

Another provision in the new Perpres specifically prohibits the sale of alcohol near places of worship, schools and hospitals.

The new regulation is already courting controversy with religious groups claiming it does not give stronger backing to the regions that want to ban sales of alcohol "Whether it will be legally challenged again or not, let's first see the implementation of this Perpres," said Cyprianus.

Aboe Bakar Al-Habsyi, a lawmaker from the Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said that the Perpres will create new uncertainty over the distribution of power between the central and regional governments.

The new regulation comes as several people have died in recent weeks from drinking illegally brewed alcoholic drinks in Jakarta and East Java. A number of foreign tourists visiting Bali have reportedly died from methanol poisoning after drinking traditional rice wine known locally as arak.

SBY passes over broken promises in autobiography

Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – "My campaign themes in the 2004 presidential election were peace, justice and prosperity," said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during the launch of his autobiographical book Selalu Ada Pilihan (There is Always a Choice).

In chapter five of the book, which details his campaigns in the 2004 and 2009 presidential election, Yudhoyono fails to mention some of the promises that he has yet to fulfil, only eight months before his term expires in September.

In 2004, Yudhoyono pledged that he would bring closure to the murder case of Munir Said Thalib, one of the country's most prominent human rights defenders, and said that it would be a "test of our history".

More than nine years later, not only has his government failed to uncover the mastermind behind Munir's murder, but it did nothing when Munir's convicted murderer, Pollycarpus Budihari Prijanto, was given a sentence reduction by the Supreme Court in October last year.

Also in 2004, Yudhoyono promised that he would resolve cases of past human rights abuses and take measures to prevent similar incidents from reoccurring, a promise that he repeated during his reelection campaign.

None of the rights abuses have been resolved and this put Indonesia in a difficult position during the international human rights session at the United Nations Human Rights Council last year.

None of these issues are discussed in the book. If anything, Yudhoyono in fact claims his two terms have been a success and goes on to give a piece of advice to his successor.

"Don't make campaign promises that you can't keep," Yudhoyono says in chapter 12. "I believe promises that a presidential candidate makes must be measurable. Getting a little bit ambitious is fine. But, [a promise] must be reasonable and achievable through hard work," Yudhoyono states.

Yudhoyono also provides "do's" and "don'ts" for candidates contesting the 2014 presidential election.

Not everyone is happy with what Yudhoyono has said in his book. Political analyst Boni Hargens slammed the President for what he regarded as his arrogance.

"He is so arrogant [by making such suggestions]. What has he done [as a basis for the suggestions]? Nothing," Boni told reporters on the sidelines of a discussion in Jakarta on Sunday.

Boni said that the book released by Yudhoyono was merely an attempt to patch up his battered image. "What he [Yudhoyono] cares about is only his image," he added.

Separately, political observer Arie Sudjito of Gadjah Mada University said that although Yudhoyono had the right to defend himself and members of his family, the public only cared about his actions and policies.

He said that Yudhoyono's two terms had been emotionally taxing for the public, given Yudhoyono's penchant for speaking his mind. "This is an era when politics is often marked by the expression of feelings and burdens, instead of quality debates," he said. "But this shall pass eventually."

Meanwhile, Yudhoyono's advisor on political communications, Daniel Sparingga, defended the President saying that the latter had only the best intentions in writing his book.

"The book was written with humility. There is no vanity expressed in it as alleged [by his critics]. The book is also not aimed at taking advantage of the political situation. It is not meant to win or to lose something," Daniel said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"The book is simply written by someone who loves books and celebrates knowledge. [...] It offers opinions and thoughts based on what Pak SBY has gone through," he added.

As country mourns, SBY dispels vicious rumors about family

Jakarta Post - January 19, 2014

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – As the country grapples to cope with the affects of multiple natural disasters, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been busy defending himself and members of his family in his 900-page book, Selalu Ada Pilihan (There is Always a Choice).

In the book's 22nd chapter titled "Family and friends become victims eventually," Yudhoyono denies numerous allegations against First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, including those by Australian media, which said she had played an influential role in how Yudhoyono ran his administration and that she ran several business enterprises

"Should Australia be 'fair', [it] can explain – after concluding its wiretapping – whether or not she has an influential role in Indonesian politics, whether or not she interfered with the government's business," he wrote. Yudhoyono also tries to counter the smear campaign against his son Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro Yudhoyono, especially his penchant for long-sleeved shirts.

"It was endless. My wife shed tears often [...] Many questioned if Ibas' arms were full of tattoos or if he was a drug user," Yudhoyono writes, saying his son's clothing choice was influenced by his slight build.

He also revealed that Ibas and his wife, Siti Ruby Aliya Rajasa, had responded emotionally to the allegations by offering a challenge: "For those who are eager to prove Ibas' arms to be clean can come and prove it. And if they fail, they should apologize in every newspaper in Indonesia and across social media."

"Listening to their grievances, I tried to calm them down. After all, those behind the smear campaign are immoral. He or she is a coward. There is no way they would address the issue face to face." Yudhoyono also vented anger at the people who labeled Ibas and Aliya's wedding ostentatious.

Aliya is the daughter of Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa, who is also chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), a key member of Yudhoyono's Democratic Party-led coalition.

Yudhoyono also denied that the marriage was political. "It hurts when the marriage is said to be a political marriage," he wrote. "Up until now, my relationship with Hatta is professional. We don't mix it with family affairs."

In his book, Yudhoyono also questioned Indonesians cynicism over his accolades from the international community. The President even writes a whole sub-chapter about the criticism he received after he accepted the International World Statesmen Award from a New York-based interfaith organization.

"Every time I got awards from the international community, there were always those who disagreed," he wrote. "[It] sometimes made me sad and embarrassed, for example, those who said [the awards] were arranged and engineered by [myself]."

Yudhoyono said that his decision to set up Twitter and Facebook accounts was partly to counter the agenda of conventional media. "Obviously, after I became active on social media, I was relieved. I could speak to the people at any time and about anything. There is no bias or distortion. No one serves as a filter."

Outspoken lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo blasted Yudhoyono for releasing a book, which mostly concerns his personal affairs, while the country is beset by natural disasters, flooding in Jakarta and Manado and a volcanic eruption in North Sumatra. "This is really unwise, while [...] people are so badly affected by floods and volcanic eruption, he launches his book," he said.

SBY says black magic haunts him, family

Jakarta Post - January 18, 2014

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – In his new book, published Friday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono admits that he and his family had almost fallen victim to witchcraft.

In the book, titled There is Always a Choice, Yudhoyono tells the story of how he and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono had to fight dark clouds hovering inside their house in Cikeas, Bogor, West Java.

Yudhoyono wrote that during one Sunday morning prior to the 2009 election, his wife was reading a magazine in the living room while he was busy in the library.

"Suddenly, my wife screamed and called to me. I ran into the room to find out what happened. It turned out that there was this thick dark cloud hovering beneath the ceiling, trying to enter my bedroom," wrote Yudhoyono.

"I then asked everybody to pray to seek Allah's help. I closed the door to my room but left others wide open. The revolving clouds eventually headed out of my house."

"Alhamdulillah. Praise the Lord. My family was safe. The incident was like footage in a typical horror movie. But this really was happening. It was real," he said in a chapter titled "Threat to the President can reach the level of assassination".

Yudhoyono said that there were other incidents that he believed could not be explained logically, but he preferred to keep them closed to the public.

First Lady rejects claims of cabinet influence

Jakarta Globe - January 17, 2014

Ezra Sihite – First lady Kristiani Herawati, known as Ani Yudhoyono, on Thursday denied allegations that she has frequently meddled in cabinet affairs.

"The cabinet was formed by the president who is also responsible for it, I have never meddled in state affairs," Ani said during the plenary session of the Unity Cabinet Wives Solidarity Association (SIKIB).

Ani's name has been frequently cited as the most influential figure in the president's inner circle. Australian media previously reported that Australian intelligence agencies wiretapped President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's phone and those of his inner circle – including Ani's – because it was concerned about the country's national security.

Ani has repeatedly asserted that she had never been involved in state affairs and said she has never even attended a cabinet meeting. "I attend SIKIB's plenary sessions but that's it, I never attended any cabinet meeting led by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono," she said.

The Australian previously reported that Ani's phone was tapped due to her considerable influence regarding her husband's official decisions.

It cited information from a diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks titled "A Cabinet of One – Indonesia's First Lady Expands Her Influence," which claimed that Australian agencies had found out Ani was initially planning to run in the upcoming presidential election until her son was ready to take over the position.

The paper reported the targeting of Ani's phone was carried out by the Defense Signals Directorate – now called the Australian Signals Directorate – in 2009. The US National Security Agency is believed to have been aware of the surveillance and supportive of it.

Julian Aldrin Pasha, the presidential spokesman, said the report published on Saturday in The Australian newspaper was completely unsubstantiated as it was based on information from WikiLeaks.

The cable also revealed that Australian intelligence agencies dug up the information on Ani's political influence from presidential adviser T.B. Silalahi, who strongly denied the allegation, claiming Australia was looking for an excuse to justify its controversial spying on Yudhoyono and those close to him.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin also denied the allegations, saying Ani had never been involved in any cabinet activities. Amir also defended Silalahi, whom he called a trustworthy person.

West Papua

Watchdog calls on Indonesia to open access to Papua

Jakarta Globe - January 23, 2014

Hariet Conron – At the launch of its 2014 World Report on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch called on the government to lift the ban on foreign journalists entering the volatile provinces of Papua and West Papua.

The report details multiple acts of violence between state security forces and Free Papua Organization (OPM) activists that occurred in the two provinces last year that left at least 11 dead.

Speaking at the report's launch in Jakarta, HRW Indonesia researcher Andreas Harsono said the police and military continued to commit human rights abuses with relative impunity in Papua.

In the last year, peaceful Papuan independence activists have been subjected to excessively violent – and sometimes fatal – treatment from state security forces, he said.

According to the New York-based organization, there are currently 70 Papuans in prison for their peaceful involvement in the Papuan independence movement, despite the government's claims there are no political prisoners in Indonesian jails.

In his statement, Andreas called for the release of these political prisoners, as well as a group of Maluku activists imprisoned for peaceful dissent in the nearby Maluku islands.

HRW asked political parties running in the upcoming national elections to consider changing the policy of restricted access to Papua and West Papua for foreign journalists, questioning what the Indonesian government had to hide from the outside world.

In the past two years, just three international news organizations were granted access to the Papuan provinces under the watch of official minders.

International pressure is mounting for the government to open the doors to Papua, release political prisoners and put a stop to violent clashes between state security forces and suspected OPM rebels.

The European Parliament will met in Brussels today for a hearing on the human rights situation in Papua and West Papua.

Papuan activists scaled the wall of the Australian Consulate in Bali during the APEC Summit last year, when world leaders from around the Asia-Pacific region were in the country, in a bid to consult with leaders about their cause.

However, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott rejected their pleas and vowed instead to stand by the Indonesian government.

West Papuans face long jail terms for raising banned morning star flag

The Guardian (Australia) - January 23, 2014

Marni Cordell – Five West Papuan men are facing 15 years or more in jail for raising the banned morning star flag, while a sixth man has been deemed unfit to face trial after being beaten by security forces so badly that he now has mental health issues, according to the group's lawyer.

In Biak, a small island off the northern coast of West Papua, the public prosecutor has recommended Oktovianus Warnares, 41, receive 18 years in prison while his co-accused George Simyapen, 49, Yoseph Arwakon, 40, Jantje Wamaer 40, and Markus Sawias, 20, are each facing 15 years.

The trial of a sixth man, Yohanes Boseren, 20, has been suspended because the defendant is suffering from mental health problems after being beaten by Indonesian security forces, according to West Papuan human rights lawyer Gustaf Kawer, who is representing the group.

The men were arrested after the Indonesian police and military opened fire into a crowd of people gathered for a flag-raising ceremony on 1 May 2013, the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's annexation of West Papua, Kawer said.

"The defendants were holding a protest and security forces responded violently by shooting, beating and torturing them," he said. "The sentence demanded by the prosecutor is totally over the top."

The chief of police in Biak did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

Esther Cann, campaign co-ordinator for the UK-based advocacy group Tapol, which has been closely following the case, called the proposed sentences against the five men "draconian". She said the situation facing Boseren was particularly shocking.

"Yohanes was beaten up so badly on arrest, including blows to the head, that he developed a sort of mental illness, and just isn't really present," Cann said.

"The court eventually begrudgingly concluded that his trial be suspended, but he's not being given anything like adequate treatment. He's taken to hospital for a couple of days, probably sedated, and then is now back in prison again.

"We're very concerned about that and we think he should be released immediately – as should the other detainees," she said.

The defence in the trial of the five men will begin its case in Biak court today.

Meanwhile, the high-profile West Papuan political prisoner Filep Karma, who has served nine years of a 15-year sentence, also for raising the morning star flag, has called on Australians to lobby the Abbott government to change its policies on West Papua.

In a video interview with Izzy Brown, from the West Papua Freedom Flotilla, Karma said Australia's decision in September last year to deport a group of West Papuan asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea without hearing their legitimate claims for asylum had been "hurtful".

"Australia is the closest neighbour, so why did its government do this to us? I hope that every Australian shows their support for West Papua, by pressuring the Australian government to amend its policies towards West Papuans," he said.

Some MSG opposition to West Papuan group membership bid

Radio New Zealand International - January 22, 2014

A member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group says it is not possible to accept the application of a West Papuan group into the MSG because it's not the only organisation that represents West Papuans.

A special MSG leaders' summit has been scheduled to address issues, including about West Papua, following last week's controversial trip by MSG foreign ministers to Indonesia The trip, which was boycotted by Vanuatu, was meant to discover more about the West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation, which is seeking MSG membership.

Yvon Faua, who took part as an envoy of New Caledonia's FLNKS, which currently occupies the MSG chair, says there are other groups that also claim to represent West Papuans and the people would be better served if they worked together.

"The report FLNKS has to make to the leaders is that it is not possible to accept the application. I think the Melanesian Spearhead Group has to join all the others because as we know there are also other organisations."

Yvon Faua says it might be possible for an umbrella West Papuan organisation to apply for MSG membership.

MSG visit still worthwhile says West Papua group

Radio New Zealand International - January 22, 2014

The West Papua National Coalition for Liberation believes a visit by a Melanesian Spearhead Group delegation to Papua last week would have been revealing, despite no meetings with civil society groups taking place.

The MSG Chairperson Victor Tutugoro, who is also spokesperson of the FLNKS in New Caledonia, has called for a special Leaders' Summit next month to address issues of importance to MSG cooperation, including the West Papua issue.

Last week's MSG mission to Indonesia and Papua, was boycotted by Vanuatu because the itinerary did not include meetings with groups concerned about alleged human rights abuses in West Papua.

The trip was meant to discover more about the West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation, which is seeking membership of the MSG and its vice-chairman, Otto Ondawame, believes the trip can still achieve that.

"They witnessed themselves Indonesian behaviour, they have to build their own opinion on the visit so I'm sure that Melanesia is Melanesian, not Indonesians, Melanesians have their own opinion on these matters", said Otto Ondawame.

Foreign ministers from PNG, Fiji and Solomon Islands took part in the trip.

New MSG meeting on West Papua scheduled

Radio New Zealand International - January 21, 2014

The director general of the Melanesian Spearhead Group has confirmed a special Leaders meeting will be held in Vanuatu next month.

Peter Forau says the agenda is still being consulted on but it will address issues of importance to MSG cooperation, notably the West Papua issue.

The MSG Chairperson Victor Tutugoro, who is also spokesperson of New Caledonia's indigenous FLNKS movement, is calling for the meeting, just days after a controversial MSG mission to Indonesia and Papua.

Foreign ministers from Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands took part in a delegation last week, which was meant to learn more about the bid by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation to become a member of the MSG.

Vanuatu's foreign minister, Edward Natapei, pulled out because the itinerary did not include meetings with groups concerned about alleged human rights abuses in West Papua.

West Papuans criticise Indonesian 'hijacking' of visit by Pacific leaders

The Guardian (Australia) - January 20, 2014

Marni Cordell – Despite earlier pledging support for West Papuan independence, Pacific leaders bloc agrees not to interfere in Indonesia's affairs

A group of Pacific Island nations has agreed not to interfere in Indonesia's administration of West Papua, despite earlier pledging their support for the West Papuan independence push.

But a member of the Vanuatu parliament has accused the Indonesian government of "hijacking" a visit by a delegation of Pacific Island foreign ministers to the troubled Indonesian province last week.

Representatives of regional power bloc the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), including foreign ministers from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, visited West Papua last week to assess an application by a West Papuan pro-independence group to join the MSG.

Vanuatu pulled out of the delegation at the last minute, saying Indonesia blocked the group from meeting with Indigenous West Papuans.

Vanuatu's special envoy for decolonisation, Joe Natuman MP, told Guardian Australia: "When we received the program last Friday we realised the visit would only talk with the Indonesians and do business with the Indonesians, it had nothing to do with West Papua."

"We decided we are not going to take part in this exercise once we realised that the program and visit had been hijacked by the Indonesian government," he said.

The trip was supposed to involve meetings with West Papuan leaders, human rights groups and civil society, Natuman said. He told Guardian Australia the carefully stage-managed visit was part of a campaign by Indonesia to discourage Pacific island leaders from allowing West Papua to join the MSG – a move sought by the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation that would bring the province one step closer to independence from Indonesia.

The MSG secretariat did not respond to a request for comment.

In June last year, MSG leaders at the leaders' summit in Noumea, New Caledonia, passed a motion in support of West Papuan self-determination.

But in a meeting with the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, in Jakarta on Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Fiji, PNG and the Solomon Islands signed a pledge of "non-interference" in Indonesia's "internal affairs".

The joint statement committed the parties to supporting each other's "sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity", and pledged greater trade and development co-operation between Indonesia and the MSG countries.

Vanuatu's foreign minister, Edward Natapei, told Radio Australia on Thursday that it was now unlikely the West Papuan group would obtain full membership of the MSG.

"Considering that the three [other] leaders of MSG have been in Indonesia and they have entered into some agreements with the government of Indonesia, I believe it's going to be a lot more difficult this time to try and push this agenda forward," he said. He said Vanuatu would continue to advocate on West Papua's behalf.

Natuman said Indonesia regularly offered development assistance to Pacific countries to buy political support. "I think they expect that when they are helping us we will turn a blind eye to what's happening in West Papua," he said. Vanuatu would not sign the agreement because "West Papua is a different country from Indonesia", he said.

In Jayapura, local activists say the Indonesian military and police blocked them from meeting with the delegation when it arrived in the West Papuan capital last Monday.

Dozens of people were arrested and an elderly woman manhandled by police when West Papuans gathered in the streets to protest against their exclusion from the meeting, student leader Markus Haluk told Guardian Australia.

Haluk said West Papuans had prepared flowers, music and dancing to welcome the MSG delegation, but the group was secreted in under armed guard.

"We carried banners saying things like 'Welcome MSG delegation', 'We the Papuan community request political sovereignty and independence'.

"The police ordered for us to stop as we didn't have a letter of authorisation [to hold a rally]," said Haluk, who was detained by police but later released.

Local media reported that police said the protest was dispersed on the grounds that the protesters did not have a permit to demonstrate. West Papuan police could not be reached for further comment on their handling of the delegation's visit and the protests.

Haluk said West Papuans were very disappointed that Indonesia had conducted the visit "in secret".

"We urge the member states of the MSG to return to the recommendation of summit in Noumea on 21 June 2013," he said. "That decision stated that the MSG supported the right to self-determination of West Papua and were concerned at the human rights violations occurring in West Papua.

"We'd like to say to the MSG member states: don't be fooled by the trickery tactics of the Indonesian government."

EU Parliament should challenge Papua abuses: HRW

Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014

Jakarta – The European Parliament's hearing on human rights in Papua, Indonesia, is an important opportunity to raise concerns and press for improvements in the area's grave human rights situation, the New York-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

"The European Parliament's hearing on Papua should spotlight the serious human rights challenges and the Indonesian government's needed reforms," said HRW deputy Asia director Phelim Kine in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

"Indonesia should realize that abuses by state security forces are a recipe for instability and lawlessness."

The hearing of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights on West Papua and Papua is scheduled for Jan. 23 in Brussels.

HRW has long urged the Indonesian government to address widespread abuses in Papua by, among others things, allowing international media, non- governmental groups, diplomats and aid agencies access to the two provinces to report on rights abuses by all sides.

"By keeping Papua closed off from the rest of the world, the Indonesian government is fostering impunity among military forces and resentment among Papuans," the HRW said.

The rights group has also urged the government to permit access to Papua and West Papua and to issue standing invitations to visit for United Nations human rights experts, including the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression.

"The performance of recent military tribunals in Papua and the failure to bring those implicated in serious abuses to justice should also be investigated," it said, while urging the release of all political prisoners in Papua who were being held for the peaceful expression of their political views, including the activist Filep Karma.

All laws in Papua that permit criminal prosecutions for the peaceful exercise of political expression, association, and assembly, including the regulation prohibiting the flying of the Papuan Morning Star flag should be reviewed and amended as well, HRW said. (ebf)

Mulia returns to normal after string of shootings

Jakarta Post - January 19, 2014

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The condition in Mulia, the seat of Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, remains stable despite shooting incidents and the theft of assault rifles from the the police by separatists.

"The situation in Mulia remains conducive while shootings have become routine for citizens," Puncak Jaya Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Marselis said when contacted by The Jakarta Post from the provincial capital of Jayapura on Sunday. "The assailants fled after firing the weapons."

The last incident took place on Saturday at about 6 p.m. local time (4 p.m. Jakarta time) when an armed civilian group – a catchphrase for the separatist Free Papua Movement (OPM) – shot at the Pasar Lama post, which was manned by personnel from the 1714/Puncak Jaya Military District Command (Kodim), injuring two soldiers. The soldiers were forced to retaliate.

Second Sgt. La Ode Amrin and chief Pvt. Ade Purnama Yuda were injured in the exchange of fire. Both soldiers were rushed to Mulia General Hospital and remained conscious, said the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Command chief spokesman Col. Lismer Siantar.

Marselis said Papua Police's internal affairs directorate was handling the ambush and subsequent theft of eight assault rifles from the Kulirik police post. "It is negligence so there will be punishment," he said, commenting on the Jan. 5 incident. (nun)

West Papua supporters say Indonesia dividing MSG members

Radio New Zealand International - January 17, 2014

The chairperson of the Vanuatu Free West Papua Association believes Indonesia is trying to divide members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group and weaken their stance on West Papua.

The Vanuatu government decided to boycott a foreign ministers delegation to Indonesia this week because the itinerary did not include any meetings with groups concerned about alleged human rights abuses in West Papua.

Pastor Alan Nafuki says the trip was meant to be a fact finding mission to discover more about the West Papuan National Coalition for Liberation, which wants to become a full member of the MSG. He says other MSG countries should have followed Vanuatu's lead and stayed home.

"We want to see Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands to really talk with Vanuatu and New Caledonia, and at least appreciate what we Melanesians see for the betterment for our future, we do not depend on Indonesia, it's a powerful country, we should not affiliate with Indonesia."

Pastor Alan Nafuki says they will continue to support West Papuan people in their fight for independence.

Human rights & justice

Indonesia reacts to 'Act of Killing' Academy nomination

Jakarta Globe - January 23, 2014

Josua Gantan – It could have been a historical moment for Indonesia. On Jan. 16 the first film focused exclusively on Indonesian history was nominated in the best documentary category in the 86th Academy Awards.

The nomination was the latest in a long list of accolades for Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Act of Killing," a documentary exposing the atrocities of the 1965 communist party purge that birthed the New Order and left as many as a million people dead in a bloody wave of violence.

The chilling documentary has been screened at some 120 international film festivals, netting 32 awards and earning praise from critics worldwide. But in Indonesia the film has received a cold reception from government officials, who see the documentary as an embarrassment; a dangerous film that fails to portray an accurate picture of the modern nation.

"[Indonesia] is portrayed as a cruel and lawless nation," said Teuku Faizasyah, the presidential spokesman for foreign affairs. "The film portrayed Indonesia as backwards, as in the 1960s. That is not appropriate, not fitting. It must be remembered [that] Indonesia has gone through a reformation. Many things have changed. One's perception should not be so heavily influenced by just that one film."

The film focuses on Anwar Congo, a self-described preman (thug) from Medan, North Sumatra. The ageing Anwar guides viewers through his brutal past, coming clean about his active role in one of the nation's darkest hours. A film buff and murderer, Anwar recreates the killings in graphic detail by approaching the subject through the lens of his favorite film genres.

It's a dark and disturbing film, one that juxtaposes the natural beauty of North Sumatra with the unsettling confessions of a trio of admitted killers. But those confessions, and the allegations of widespread support of the Pemuda Pancasila (Pancasila Youth) from some of nation's most powerful men, have riled some in Indonesia.

"We will settle the issues of our bleak past, but it certainly cannot be done in an abrupt way," Teuku said. "It takes [time]. Can the public accept that?"

Most nations had blood on their hands at some point in time, Teuku said. How can outsiders judge Indonesia when they have similar dark periods in their past, he asked.

"Many countries have similar bleak [moments] in their history," he said. "Do not label a country so easily. We have to remember the history of slavery in the United States, the aboriginals in Australia, the bombings of Vietnam by America. There are elements of violations against humanity in many other nations. One must remember that the problem occurred in the context of the Cold War, a war against communism."

He also questioned the film maker's decision to focus on a select cast of characters instead of the larger picture. "The sources are limited to the few who committed acts of atrocity," Teuku said. "Is that really sufficient to interpret a significant historical event?"

The nation will address its past in its own time, he said. "The message that the film is trying to drive at must be treated with caution," Teuku said. "From the perspective of Indonesia as a nation we are in the process of handling and anticipating the problems of the past in our own way. It isn't finished but we are in a period of reconciliation. There is no need to be pushed by parties outside Indonesia."

The nation has tried to come to terms in the events of 1965 in the past. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) conducted a four-year investigation into the violence, releasing a comprehensive report last year that called the purge "a serious human rights violation."

The report, which is based on interviews with 349 witnesses, uncovered evidence of state-supported murder, extermination, slavery, eviction or forced eviction, deprivation of freedom, torture, rape and abuse.

"Komnas HAM undertook the investigations," Imdadun Rahmat, a commissioner with Komnas HAM, said. "Gross human rights violations did occur in 1965. Our recommendations have been passed to the Supreme Court. Yet, up to this point, the Komnas HAM and the Supreme Court have different opinions."

The commission urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take up the issue. Instead the Attorney General's Office rejected an appeal to conduct an official investigation into the purge, arguing that Komnas HAM lacked sufficient evidence of a crime.

"The evidence Komnas has gathered was insufficient to justify an official legal investigation," Attorney General Basrief Arief said at the time.

The investigation stagnated once it was handed to the courts, Imdadun said. "According to the Supreme Court the available data is insufficient," he said.

"For example, it wants Komnas HAM to be able to find each specific name of those who committed a violation against human rights. In the context of trying to settle the matter, Komnas HAM is coordinating with the Supreme Court. We formed an independent team to resolve the archives which stagnated in the supreme court."

Human rights groups accused the AGO of cowing to pressure from powerful political groups, calling the refusal a clear example of "the reluctance of the country's elites to confront its past mistakes and bring those responsible to justice."

"The tragedy has continued to haunt the nation for 47 years, and will continue to do so unless we come to terms with it," said Hendardi, a human rights activist, on the AGO's decision.

The Golkar Party, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the Indonesian Military (TNI, who have all been implicated in the killings, would likely come out against any effort to prosecute the guilty parties. For some it is a period in history best left forgotten; a moment resigned to the pages of often inaccurate history books rather than the nation's courts.

In 2004 the Ministry of Education stripped the words PKI from mentions of the September 30th movement. By 2006 mention of the political party was back in.

Decades of misinformation and New Order-era propaganda have obscured the truth in Indonesia. The anti-PKI film "Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI" ("The Betrayal of the September 30 Movement By The PKI") was played repeatedly in schools and on state-run television. The movie depicted the PKI as a group of bloodthirsty killers, men who tortured army soldiers – cutting off their genitals and gouging out their eyes – in a piece of Suharto-era propaganda.

The lengthy film was compulsory viewing for school children, who were made to write a report about the evils of the communists once a year. But it was just one example of New Order-era lies about the PKI that continue to confuse the populous, historian Asvi Marwan Adam, of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said.

"It was reported in Berita Yudha (Yudha News), the army's news outlet, that the PKI committed atrocities such as gouging the eyes and cutting off the genitals of the generals it kidnapped on 30 September 1965," Asvi said. "Such things were not proven. It did not happen. It was made to smear the PKI.

"Since the reformation, there have been efforts to revise the history of 1965. The military took exception to this since they were involved in the history."

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid attempted to repeal a law banning the spread of the communist party in a move widely seen as a step toward reconciliation by human rights groups. But Gus Dur's words fell on deaf ears. The proposal failed and in 2003, when his term as president drew to a close, the House of Representatives decided not to revoke the law.

Teuku called Gus Dur's failed proposal an example of the nation's willingness to address the past – in its own time. "Look at what Gus Dur has done," he said. "There is no need to be pushed."

Komnas HAM said that the public's perception of the PKI had changed in recent years.

"Now there has been significant improvement, especially with respect to the stigma that the public once had," Imdadun said. "In the New Order the stigma was continually reproduced. It created a negative perception. But now, the stigma has gradually eroded.

"The public gave respect to them. The openness of information and freedom of speech produced a number of books which provide an alternative version of history. In general, there has been an improvement, but it takes time."

The commission wants the central government to address all of the nation's human rights abuses.

"Komnas HAM pushes for a non-judicial push which is restorative in nature," Imdadun said. "We prioritize reconciliation. This is not only limited to the 1965 incident but also all other incidents in the past. We want the government to issue a statement acknowledging that there really were serious violations of human rights. We should be able to forgive and appreciate one another."

Despite similar goals, Komnas HAM accused "The Act of Killing," of reopening old wounds. "The film doesn't need to be responded to too seriously," he said. "Otherwise Komnas HAM's efforts for reconciliation can be crashed by overwhelming resistance from the public. Telling the truth can be done kindly without provoking hatred.

"The methodology [of the movie] is vulgar. It reopened old wounds for victims. Psychologically speaking, watching that movie is not healthy. This is a very sensitive matter. We should be accepting and forgiving of one another."

Imdadun said the nation doesn't need the condemnation of international observers. "We should be free from international allegations that claim that human rights violations in Indonesia happened without any follow-up whatsoever," he said.

But without a renewed commitment from the AGO and the Supreme Court the matter might never be resolved. Those involved in the killings are approaching old age, meaning that further delay by the courts may mean that those implicated in the purge may die before they can be prosecuted.

There is also a danger of the 1965 PKI massacre succombing to the same fate as numerous other unresolved human rights offenses in Indonesia, from the Petrus killings to the 1998 anti-Chinese riots.

Regardless, Imdadun said, the investigation is ongoing. "The process is still ongoing in the Supreme Court," he said.

But some doubt the government's commitment to investigating the claims. "There isn't momentum to have this as a big project," said Asep Kambali, historian and founder of the Indonesian Historians Community. "So long as the government does not push this to be pursued further, there will be no serious effort."

Without open access to government files, historians and investigators are unlikely to uncover the truth, Asep said. "The facts are so limited," he said. "Historians and those in the academia have no access. They are not special agents. They have no access to the palace. No access to many places nor the people in that era [and] many eyewitnesses have passed away."

And even with full access to government records and sources, the entire event is so clouded in propaganda and Suharto-era doctrine that uncovering a truly objective version of the truth is unlikely, he said.

"The heads of the people are full with anti-PKI doctrine," Asep said. "It was one way to legitimize mass murder. Only Suharto knows exactly what happened."

The repercussions of a thorough investigation could be grave, he said. "There will be terrible consequences if anyone tries to uncover the truth," Asep said. "This can be likened to a revolution. We already have a paradigm [in place], yet we want to destroy it and reconstruct a new paradigm. What will happen is a clash of ideologies. Not everyone will agree. Different perspectives and ideologies will give rise to conflict."

But what actually happened in 1965 needs to be known, regardless of the consequences, he said. "History is honest, but it might be painful," Asep said. "Negative or not, the truth must come out."

"The Act of Killing," is available for free download in Indonesia at .

HRW: Indonesia still weak on human rights

Jakarta Globe - January 23, 2014

Nicole Jade Millane & Harriet Conron – The Indonesian government continues to waver in its response to violence and discrimination against minorities, despite the president's claim of strong religious freedom and tolerance, Human Rights Watch reported on Wednesday at the Jakarta launch of its 2014 World Report.

Indonesian authorities, both national and local, have done little against violation of human rights, the report said, and cases of churches being demolished and minority religious groups forced from their homes were reported nationwide.

HRW noted that violations against minorities occurred on many fronts, including freedom of expression, women's rights, freedom of worship, military impunity, and official policies regarding refugees and asylum seekers.

The World Report 2014 also stated that militant Sunni Islamist groups, such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), had frequently threatened or attacked religious minority communities with impunity. Such groups, despite their violent activities, have been praised as a potential "national asset" by Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi.

Andreas Harsono, HRW's Indonesia researcher, shed some light on recent claims by Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali that Indonesia was a religiously tolerant country.

Not so secular

Andreas said that Suryadharma's claim held true only in relatively peaceful Kalimantan. "Eighty percent of the violence in Indonesia is happening in Java," he said, adding that the minister was not "specific enough" in his claims.

Despite President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's vow to "not tolerate any act of violence committed by any group in the name of the religion," religious attacks still occurred throughout the country in 2013. According to the Setara Institute, a think tank that advocates religious and democratic freedom, there were 292 reported attacks on religious minorities in 2013, up from 264 attacks in 2012.

One attack, on March 21, involved the demolition of a Protestant church in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, when authorities bowed to pressure from the Islamic People's Forum (FUI) who opposed the presence of the church in the area.

In Sampang district on Madura Island, East Java, religious violence also flared up in June last year when a mob of more than 800 Sunni militants successfully convinced local authorities to evict hundreds of displaced Shiite villagers. The evicted residents were living in a sports center after having being attacked in their homes in August 2012, leaving one person dead.

Women's rights are human rights

Protecting women's rights was also highlighted as an issue for Indonesia in 2014.

According to the National Commission on Violence Against Women, 60 new discriminatory regulations were passed by national and local governments by August 2013. There are already 342 such discriminatory regulations, including 79 local bylaws requiring women to wear the Islamic hijab, or head scarf.

The women's commission also reported that there were 35 reported cases of sexual abuse of women each day.

In addition to successfully passing bylaws in 2013, local authorities tried to propose a "virginity test" for girls entering high school, saying that the test would prevent youths from engaging in premarital sex and prostitution.

Despite the proposed test being met with a public outcry in some areas, similar plans are on track to be introduced in Pamekasan, East Java.

"President Yudhoyono is all talk and no action when faced with government officials and militant groups intent on curbing the rights of women and religious minorities," Phelim Kine, the deputy Asia director at HRW, said in a press release.

"Unless Yudhoyono takes decisive action in the final months of his presidency in 2014, his legacy will be marred by his failure to defend the rights of all Indonesians."

Getting the vote

Andreas said that with national elections drawing near, political parties needed to do more to address issues of religious violence, or the situation would get worse. He identified two laws that he said need to be reviewed in order to attempt to overcome Indonesia's intolerance to religious freedom.

One of them is the 1965 Blasphemy Law, which has long proved controversial but galvanized international outrage in 2012 when it was used to imprison a man in West Sumatra who had renounced his Muslim faith on Facebook.

Andreas said the other regulation that should be repealed was a 2006 joint ministerial decree setting the conditions for building a house of worship, which has long been criticized as making it near-impossible for non-Muslim congregations to build a church or other house of worship.

HRW says that in rare cases, the decree has also been used against Muslim activity in Christian-majority parts of eastern Indonesia.

Andreas said HRW would not be surprised if political parties incited religious intolerance to appeal to the conservative Muslim voter base ahead of the elections.

Indonesia, he said, still has a long way to go before it can be considered a champion of religious tolerance and freedom, a task that now falls to the next president.

"Far too many Indonesian government policy decisions in 2013 had a negative impact on human rights," Kine said. "The challenge for Indonesia's next president will be to make human rights protection a top priority."

But voters face the difficult task of electing a leader who wants to better the human rights record with the fear of possibly electing candidates who have ties to previous cases of human rights violations.

One of the leading candidates, according to polls, is Prabowo Subianto, a former commander of the Army Special Forces, or Kopassus, linked to rights abuses during Indonesia's occupation of East Timor and accused of the abduction of student protesters during the unrest that led to longtime ruler Suharto stepping down in 1998.

Wiranto, another presidential hopeful and the last military chief under Suharto, has also been linked to the 1998 violence.

HRW noted that on another front, the government had acted positively toward ending the national taboo on discussing the purge of suspected members and sympathizers of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965 and 1966, by allowing limited screenings of "The Act of Killing," an award-winning documentary about that dark period.

Rights rollback for religious minorities, women, HRW says

Jakarta Post - January 22, 2014

Jakarta – Indonesian women and religious minorities have faced heightened discrimination as a result of the government's failure to enforce human rights protections in 2013, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says in its World Report 2014.

The Indonesian government under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should reverse course and enforce laws protecting religious freedom, the New York-based non-governmental advocacy organization further said.

"President Yudhoyono is all talk and no action when he faces government officials and militant groups who are intent on curbing the rights of women and religious minorities," HRW deputy Asia director Phelim Kine in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"Unless Yudhoyono takes decisive action in the final months of his presidency in 2014, his legacy will be marred by his failure to defend the rights of all Indonesians," Kine added.

The HRW said Indonesia should amend or abolish hundreds of local bylaws that discriminate against women and religious minorities.

"The government should also release dozens of political prisoners, mostly Papuan and Moluccan activists, who were imprisoned for peaceful dissent," it said.

In the 667-page world report, which is its 24th edition, HRW reviews human rights practices in more than 90 countries. It is said militant Sunni Islamist groups, such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), have frequently threatened or attacked religious minority communities with impunity.

"Yet, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi praised the FPI as a potential 'national asset', on Oct.25, 2013," HRW said in the statement.

The National Commission on Violence against Women reported in August that both central and local governments in Indonesia had passed 60 new discriminatory regulations in 2013, in addition to 282 similar rules already on the books. These include 79 local bylaws requiring women to wear the hijab, or head scarf. (ebf)

Rights commission warns of intensifying abuse in 2014

Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) warned that 2014 could be an "emergency" year for rights violations.

As political candidates will be contesting the legislative and presidential elections this year, they could use sensitive issues regarding religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and race to further their own interests.

Komnas HAM recorded that there had been a spike in the number of complaints of rights violations, the highest being in 2013 with 7,000. It added that the situation was expected to increase in the months leading up to the elections.

The commission called on the public to brace for a likely escalation of discrimination and intolerance against minority groups ahead and during the legislative and presidential elections.

Komnas HAM commissioner Roichatul Aswidah said that to anticipate the situation the rights body would step up its advocacy on vulnerable groups, including, among others, people with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and members of religious minorities.

"We must anticipate that discrimination against these people will be used to garner support as well as to prevent them from using their right to vote," Roichatul said.

Roichatul, who heads the Komnas HAM team that assesses public policies, said that minority groups would be most vulnerable given the absence of regulations to protect their rights.

She said that the absence of regulations to protect minority sects like the Ahmadiyah and Shia community could result in them becoming the targets of smear campaigns.

"Last year, we witnessed discriminations against members of the Ahmadis and Shia community and other religious minorities. This will worsen unless the government does something," Roichatul added.

Separately, Komnas HAM chair Siti Noor Laila said that the rights body had worked with various institutions to ensure election organizers provided equal access to voters regardless of their ethnicity, political leaning, religious affiliation or sexual orientation.

Laila earlier said that in addition to its official representative offices nationwide, Komnas HAM would also involve the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police, the Election Supervisory Committee (Bawaslu) and civil society groups and universities to help monitor the 2014 election.

"We can't work alone. The elections are a major event and everyone needs to be involved," she said.

In addition, to ensure equal and fair elections, Komnas HAM is also set to resolve cases of past human rights violations this year, together with institutions such as the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, the Law and Human Rights Ministry and the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

Laila said that Komnas HAM expected closure to major rights cases before October, when a new president was sworn in. Cases of past rights abuse that Komnas HAM is currently handling include the 1965 anti-communist purge, the 1998 May riots and the rights violations during the military operation in Aceh.

Analysts have warned that human rights violations could increase due to conflict between corporations and communities. Conflicts could result from the issuance of business permits for natural resource extraction, which will be more rampant as money is needed to contest the legislative and presidential elections.

'The Act of Killing' tipped for Indonesia's first Oscar

Jakarta Post - January 18, 2014

Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – The Act of Killing, the widely acclaimed film about the nation's bloody communist purges between 1965 and 1968, has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

It is the first time that an Indonesian movie will be voted upon by the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for filmmaking's highest accolade: An Oscar.

The film's director, Joshua Oppenheimer, who made the film over eight years with Indonesian collaborators who remain anonymous, hoped the nomination would prompt public action as the 2014 election approached.

"With leading candidates personally responsible for crimes against humanity, and glorifying a history of genocide to build a climate of fear, there is a very real risk that the country will backslide toward military dictatorship," Oppenheimer said in a press statement.

"We hope that this nomination will put the film, and the issues of impunity that it raises, on the front pages of Indonesian newspapers – at a time when Indonesians must urgently debate how impunity for mass murder has led to a moral vacuum of fear, corruption and thuggery," Oppenheimer said in a media release.

He also gave credit to the survivors of the 1965 purges, "who courageously defied army threats to tell us their stories, and inspired us to make this film" and to his anonymous Indonesian crew and co-director.

The documentary follows Anwar Congo and his colleagues, who claim in the film to have killed an untold number of alleged communists in North Sumatra.

What appears on screen is amazing and chilling: At Oppenheimer's encouragement, the men reenact scene after scene of horrific violence within the framework of a movie within a movie.

Killing has received acclaim inside and outside the country since it began screening – privately in Indonesia, publicly overseas – in 2012.

It has been named the best documentary, if not the best film, of the year, by critics around the world and is the fifth highest rated film according to a survey of 153 "top-ten" lists conducted by Movie City News.

Local author Daniel Ziv, recently awarded top honors at the Busan film festival for Jalanan, said Killing offered a raw and provocative counter- narrative of what happened in Indonesia during the birth of the New Order.

"It also brilliantly reinvents the language of documentary storytelling, which a film does maybe once in a generation," Ziv told The Jakarta Post on Friday. "It's a devastating work of art that Indonesia will hopefully embrace for the sake of its own historical reckoning."

Hilmar Farid, a historian and human rights activist, said that the slaughter of suspected members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) was part of the nation's "hidden history" – unlike the better known deeds of Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot.

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has said it has evidence that government officials were involved in the systematic and widespread killing and persecution of PKI members and alleged sympathizers in the aftermath of the abortive coup in 1965.

According to Komnas HAM, upward of one million people were victims of extra-judicial killings, imprisonment or exile. "Killing is not the first movie about the terrible event, but it is by far the most significant for being able to tell the story from the perspective of the executioners," Hilmar said on Friday. "The Oscar nomination can be expected to bring more international attention to the killings."

The Oscars awards ceremony will be held on March 2.

Sexual & domestic violence

Poet's case a microcosm of power play in sex abuse

Jakarta Globe - January 21, 2014

Kennial Caroline Laia – When renowned poet Sitok Srengenge was accused last November of sexually assaulting and impregnating a 22-year-old student at the University of Indonesia, the local literary scene flared up in a near-unanimous denouncement of one of its own and demanded an immediate investigation.

Three months later, police have yet to question Sitok, while his alleged victim and her family have been quizzed multiple times.

Saraswati Dewi, the UI lecturer who has been assisting the victim since the case came to light, says she deplores the investigation's glacial progress and highlights claims by two other women who said that they were sexually assaulted by Sitok as all the more reason to resolve the case.

That the issue even made it as far as the police is itself a sign of progress, say activists from the National Commission on Violence Against Women, or Komnas Perempuan, who point out that the vast majority of sex abuse cases go unreported.

The commission said last December that there were on average 35 cases of sexual abuse a day in the country. In most cases, the perpetrators are people who are close to the victim, including a relative, a religious figure, teacher or government official – figures of authority who, as Sitok is alleged to have done, prey on their victim's trust and confidence in them.

Arimbi Heroeputri, a Komnas Perempuan commissioner, says the high prevalence of sex crimes against women is widely misunderstood by society because much of it take place within relationships with a trusted male figure who would not be expected to exploit the woman.

"We've found that violence often starts from bullying [and later develops into] rape," she tells the Jakarta Globe.

"It is unfortunate that we do not have any framework regulation on violence in dating," she says, noting that sex crimes where the victim and perpetrator are not married to each other are often blamed on the woman for "inviting" the attack through promiscuous behavior. "The only thing victims can do is to keep a documentation of the acts," Arimbi says.

She says it is important for the government to put more effort in dealing with the issue of violence against younger women to minimize the impacts of the crimes on their lives.

"Imagine if a girl in her early teens experiences such violence. How is she supposed to bear with it her whole life? They cannot let this happen," Arimbi says. "Our future generations should not be victims and perpetrators of such crimes. This is the problem of the nation."

In Sitok's case, the victim has been reported as suffering from psychological issues as a result of the alleged sex assault by the poet. "At first, no one paid attention to the issue because the victim refused to speak up as she was depressed" after discovering that she was pregnant, says UI's Saraswati.

Arimbi cites Sitok's case as an example of the abuse of power prevalent in most relationships between perpetrators and victims of sex crimes, saying he allegedly wielded his "superiority" as a famous writer to demand sexual favors from the victim.

"An abuse of power in an unbalanced relationship such as in Sitok's case should push government officials to put together a policy to bridge the power gap," Arimbi says.

"I'm not saying young women are the only ones exposed to sexual harassment – all women are vulnerable to this, and that's why it's important to draft regulations on this issue. The country shouldn't only focus on things like terrorism and corruption. Sexual violence should also be prioritized as a major issue in Indonesia."

Sex crimes, she says, affect not just the victims. "It is a societal issue, it's a national matter," she says. "An open communication and social solidarity are needed. It's not just about morality or religion."

'The weaker sex'

Amanda Margia, a psychologist, says Indonesia's patriarchal tradition has long influenced the values taught within families, where men are regarded as more powerful, and hence more dominant, than women.

"For instance, boys are allowed to climb trees, but girls shouldn't," she says, adding that women often play into this stereotype of the "weaker sex."

"In religion, the notion of male dominance is also very evident, with most leadership posts in various religions around the world being held by men," Amanda says. "So most women subconsciously or automatically accept themselves as being the weaker being."

She says this subjugation often compels women to remain silent when they are subjected to sexual abuse, because of fears of a societal backlash over their perceived role in "eliciting" the abuse.

"People should start to be more open about abuse victims' complaints," Amanda says, adding that blaming women for being at fault in sex abuse or rape cases is a deeply flawed way of seeing these cases.

She agreed that in Sitok's case, there were indications of a power play between the accused, an acclaimed literary icon, and the victim, a much younger, and therefore impressionable, university student.

"Younger women mostly place themselves at a lower level than men. It's inevitable. Saying 'no' is almost impossible because of the men's perceived dominance," Amanda says.

She says victims of sex crimes can take years to recover from the psychological trauma of the incident, if at all, and that the role society played in either supporting or blaming her was a key factor in the success of her recovery.

"The victim's closest relatives have to be in full support of her, raise her spirit and confidence, and not hurt her by blaming her for the incident," Amanda says, underlining the urgent need for women to seek counseling in order to be encouraged to speak out.

She also says it is important for victims to have the support of a psychologist when being questioned by police – another figure of authority, often male, whose very presence might compel an unaccompanied victim to recant her statement. "The situation may get worse if the official at charge is a man," Amanda adds.

Not exempt from patriarchy

Ayu Utami, an author and colleague of Sitok's at the Salihara arts community, where the poet until recently served as a curator, acknowledges the power imbalance in society between men and women, but says it is a natural state of being.

"Biologically speaking, women are indeed more vulnerable than men. However, this vulnerability is fostered by humans as a weakness that can be exploited by the dominant party," she says. She denies that Sitok used this power balance to abuse the victim, saying that would imply that she was socially inferior to him.

"Activists say it is an abuse of power. But I have a different opinion of the case," Ayu says, emphasizing that such a view only amplifies the notion that women are objects and the perpetual underdogs of society. "We have to be careful not to stereotype all women as the weaker party."

She also defends the prevalence of sex crimes in Indonesia as no different from any other country or culture. "It happens around the world and it is normal. It happens any time and anywhere," she says. "It can also be found in religion. No society is exempt from patriarchy."

Wisnu Suryapratama, a spokesman for the alumni association of UI's School of Culture Studies, accuses the Salihara board of not taking a firm stand against Sitok, given its long history championing equal rights for all. "He used the institution's name and his position as a curator to manipulate the victim," Wisnu says of Sitok.

But Ayu refutes the notion, saying Salihara "has its own ethics" and could not dismiss Sitok immediately after the revelations emerged. "We also understand that the things Sitok is accused of doing are contrary to the mission and values that we stand for, so that's why we accepted Sitok's resignation as curator," she says.

She says his insistence that he had consensual sex with the victim cannot be used as justification for the alleged abuse. "It is too narrow a view and it's important not to see things from such a point of view as we may lose sight of the bigger picture," Ayu says.

Labour & migrant workers

Hotel workers protest alleged union busting

Jakarta Post - January 23, 2014

Gorontalo – Around 80 employees of Grand Q Hotel in Gorontalo staged a rally on Wednesday, protesting alleged union-busting moves made by the company, which recently suspended the hotel's general manager and demoted five other employees who are hotel worker's union board members.

Ahmad Andrika Hassan, chairman of the hotel worker's union, said that the company had also arbitrarily cut the allowances of 20 employees. Ahmad alleged that the hotel's finance manager, Rocky Liyanto, was behind the moves.

Rocky, however, denied allegations of union busting. "Their habits and working performance are bad. The hotel suffered losses because of these matters," he said.

Thousands of Hong Kong domestic helpers rally for 'tortured' maid

Agence France Presse - January 19, 2014

Hong Kong – Thousands of domestic helpers took to the streets of Hong Kong Sunday to demand justice for an Indonesian maid allegedly tortured by her employers, the second such rally in a week.

Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 22, was reportedly left unable to walk following eight months of abuse in the southern Chinese city and was admitted to an Indonesian hospital in critical condition last week after returning home.

Protesters including maids, rights activists and migrant group members marched through the commercial area of Wanchai, many brandishing the Indonesian national flag and chanting slogans including "Justice for Erwiana".

They handed a petition to Hong Kong Police Commissioner Tsang Wai-hun urging faster progress in the case before marching to the city's government headquarters.

"We want the investigation to speed up and we demand the Hong Kong government to stop abuses on domestic helpers in Hong Kong," Eni Lestari, chairwoman of the International Migrants Alliance and rally spokeswoman, told reporters at the protest.

The allegations have renewed concern about the treatment of domestic helpers in the former British colony following a spate of similar abuse cases and recent criticism by rights groups.

Hong Kong police had at first categorised the alleged torture as a miscellaneous case but last week launched a criminal investigation after an outcry by domestic helpers in the city.

On Friday authorities said investigators will travel to Indonesia to speak to Sulistyaningsih, who remains in hospital in Sragen on the main island of Java.

"Without this kind of protest the case of Erwiana will never go to the public or go to the court. There will be no justice," Lestari said, adding that two other maids have since come forward alleging abuse at the hands of the same employer.

The agency that employed Erwiana has said they were unaware of her injuries until they were notified by their corresponding agency in Indonesia.

Organisers claimed around 5,000 people participated in the rally, a sharp increase in numbers from a similar march on Thursday which drew several dozen protesters. Hong Kong police were not immediately available for comment on Sunday.

The semi-autonomous Chinese city is home to nearly 300,000 maids from mainly Southeast Asian countries – predominantly Indonesia and the Philippines – and criticism from rights groups over their treatment is growing.

A Hong Kong couple were jailed in September for attacks on their Indonesian domestic helper, which included burning her with an iron and beatings with a bike chain.

Amnesty International in November condemned the "slavery-like" conditions faced by thousands of Indonesian women who work in the Asian financial hub as domestic staff and accused authorities of "inexcusable" inaction.

It found that Indonesians were exploited by recruitment and placement agencies who seize their documents and charge them excessive fees, with false promises of high salaries and good working conditions. Domestic helpers in Hong Kong are paid about HK$4,000 ($515) a month.

Activists seek justice for Indonesia worker in HK 'slavery' case

Jakarta Post - January 17, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The governments of Indonesia and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must launch a fair investigation into the alleged torture of 23-year-old Indonesian migrant worker Erwiana Sulistyaningsih by her employer in Hong Kong, activists and workers say.

According to local media reports, Erwiana – who is now undergoing medical treatment at a local hospital in her hometown of Sragen, Central Java – might have been abused for around eight months after arriving in Hong Kong in May last year to work for a local family, during which she was also banned from speaking to others.

"What happened to Erwiana is not a crime but modern slavery. Shame on the government to have failed to prevent such an incident from occurring," Anis Hidayah, the executive director of Migrant Care, an NGO focusing on workers' rights, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Anis said such an incident could have been anticipated had there been better access to information for migrant workers in Hong Kong, a condition that was unlikely in places such as Saudi Arabia.

"Such an incident should hardly take place in a place with better law enforcement such as Hong Kong. I believe the agency that sent Erwiana to the job is also responsible for the slavery imposed on her," Anis said. "We can no longer ignore abuses against our workers. It's time for the government to take concrete action to act against abusive employers as well as the agencies that assist employment," she added.

Local media reports said Erwiana's beatings began when, undernourished, she stole cookies from her employers. She was reportedly tortured five times a day, given minimum supplies, no days off and was unpaid.

The prolonged abuse led Erwiana to try to flee from her employer the week after her first month of employment, but instead of assisting her, the agency took her back to the employer.

With help from fellow workers and local activists, Erwiana returned to Indonesia last week.

The injustice imposed on Erwiana has encouraged domestic workers in Hong Kong to speak up about the ongoing unfair treatment of domestic workers in the country.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported domestic workers staged a rally on the streets of Hong Kong on Thursday, demanding justice for Erwiana as well as better protection for hundreds of thousands of foreign maids in the country.

Dozens of protesters comprising maids, rights activists and migrant groups rallied outside the office of the maid's employment agency before marching to the Indonesian consulate.

"We're very angry. So many cases have happened to Indonesian migrant workers in Hong Kong," Sring Atin, vice chairman of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, told reporters as quoted by AFP.

The National Labor Placement and Protection Agency (BNP2TKI) said on its official website that the agency would file a lawsuit against Erwiana's employer.

BNP2TKI advocacy and workers' protection division head Teguh Hendro Cahyono said "the government would not need a permit from her [Erwiana's] family for the lawsuit".

The Hong Kong police said they had launched a investigation on Tuesday after migrant worker groups slammed the authorities for not pursuing the case.

Political parties & elections

Golkar, PKS mull an alliance

Jakarta Post - January 23, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Leaders of the Golkar Party and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) held a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, sparking speculation of a possible alliance between the two in the upcoming election.

The meeting was held at Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie's office at the Bakrie Tower, Epicentrum complex in South Jakarta. Aburizal was accompanied by party secretary-general Idrus Marham and treasurer Setya Novanto, while PKS chairman Anis Matta came with secretary-general Taufik Ridho and party executives Fahri Hamzah and Andi Rahmat.

Golkar and the PKS are the largest allies of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling Democratic Party (PD), which has seen its electability plunge from around 20 percent in 2009 to below 10 percent.

Although specifics of what was discussed were not disclosed, rumors abound the meeting was politically motivated, given the upcoming legislative election in April and presidential election in July.

"We just had lunch together," Aburizal told the press after the two-hour meeting. "Indeed we mentioned one or two issues related to a [political] alliance, but in general, we discussed current issues related to the nation."

Anis echoed Aburizal's statements. "The meeting was aimed at easing political tension ahead of the election. Political competition should be smooth and not too tense," he said. Both parties agreed to hold a follow-up meeting. "The next one will probably be held at PKS' headquarters," Aburizal said.

Analysts have suggested that PD's allies in the government coalition – namely Golkar, PKS, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN) – might abandon the foundering ruling party in the upcoming elections.

Currently the biggest opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is now seen as the party to beat in the elections, largely thanks to the popularity of member and Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo.

Almost all surveys in 2013 put Jokowi as the most popular potential presidential candidate, even though the PDI-P has been reluctant to nominate him. Other parties have made moves perceived by many as attempts to woo the PDI-P and land a spot as Jokowi's running mate.

Golkar was initially reported to have been mulling the idea of forming an alliance with the PDI-P for the 2014 presidential race, a move analysts say would be a game changer though unlikely to happen.

Surveys have shown that Aburizal's popularity as a presidential candidate has been gradually increasing, thanks to an advertising blitz on the media outlets partly controlled by the Bakrie family.

This, analysts said, could make Golkar more attractive to other parties, including PKS, which has been ravaged by the beef graft case implicating its former chairman, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq.

It is possible that Golkar is now exploring the possibility of forming an alliance with smaller parties, according to Arya Fernandes, a political analyst with Charta Politika.

"We have seen that the popularity ratings of both Golkar and the PDI-P are very close. Naturally, it would be difficult for two parties with a similar degree of electoral power to form a coalition. A strong party usually accepts smaller parties in an alliance to maintain its control," he said.

No PKS figure, according to surveys, ranks in the top five among potential presidential candidates, including party favorite senior lawmaker Hidayat Nur Wahid.

In the past few years, Golkar, PKS and PDI-P have often allied in the House of Representatives to challenge Yudhoyono's policies, such as the government's decision to bail out then-ailing Bank Century in 2008, and work on rampant graft cases in the taxation sector.

Arya suggested that Golkar and PKS' experience working together in the House could have provided a foundation to form a "real" coalition in the future.

PKS backs legislator in cookie campaign controversy

Jakarta Globe - January 22, 2014

The country's biggest Islamic party has come out in defense of a legislator accused of exploiting the flooding in Jakarta to get a head start on campaigning for the legislative election in April.

Hidayat Nur Wahid, a former president of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said on Tuesday that Wirianingsih, a PKS member of the House of Representatives, knew nothing about food aid delivered to flood victims in Jakarta that carried stickers of her face.

"We have to track down who really did this," Hidayat said at the House complex as quoted by the Indonesian newspaper Kompas. "She can't be held accountable because she doesn't know about it."

Wirianingsih has been widely lambasted on social media for the stunt, in which packs of cookies distributed for free by the Health Ministry were slapped with stickers bearing her face and a message that Wirianingsih, described as "a legislative candidate from the Jakarta constituency" and "intelligent, friendly, caring," had "fought and struggled" to get the food to those affected by the floods.

Hidayat did not deny that the cookies had come from the Health Ministry, but insisted that they would never have been able to reach the intended recipients without Wirianingsih's role. The legislator serves on House Commission IX, which oversees health and welfare issues.

Wirianingsih herself has denied any knowledge of the stickers, saying that even if someone from her campaign team was responsible, it was not that big an issue. "I didn't know and didn't expect [it]," she told Kompas. "Maybe my friends on the site have good intentions."

Tifatul Sembiring, the communications minister and also a former PKS president, said that while exploiting the flooding for political purposes was unethical, it was "not a big sin." "There's no need to kick up a fuss," he added as quoted by Kompas.

The public, however, has seen plenty of reason for kicking up a fuss, with social media users taking to Twitter to inveigh against Wirianingsih.

"How dare you exploit this disaster for political means?" wrote user @yudhawiranata, adding, "If the aid really was from you that would be alright, but this is from the Health Ministry and @wirianingsih is claiming to have 'struggled' for it."

Another user, @OrissaSofyan, wrote: "Wow, this candidate from the PKS... There really was no need for this. Shame on you @wirianingsih."

Others, such as @doggerice, took issue with the party in general for not living up to its pious rhetoric: "This conduct [shows that] the candidate @wirianingsih from the pious party doesn't understand sincerity."

This is not the first time Wirianingsih, a mother of 10, has courted controversy. In July last year she was widely criticized for declaring that people living with HIV/AIDS did not deserve the free anti-retroviral medication provided by the government because they needed to be punished for "leading unhealthy lifestyles."

She later backtracked on the statement, made during a House hearing with Health Ministry officials, claiming it was taken out of context.

SBY under fire for focusing on party rather than handling floods

Jakarta Post - January 21, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to focus on the business of running the Democratic Party (PD) as the nation is coping with natural disasters has been criticized as insensitive.

Yudhoyono is scheduled to hold a meeting with PD members in Medan, North Sumatra, next Friday, on the sidelines of his visit to the area affected by the Mount Sinabung eruption.

Over the weekend, while thousands of people in Jakarta and Manado were being affected by rising floodwaters, Yudhoyono chaired a party meeting in Bali.

Yudhoyono, in his capacity as PD chairman, will meet with hundreds of PD members from North Sumatra province in the provincial capital of Medan on Friday, PD deputy secretary-general Andi Nurpati said.

"The meeting will be closed to media, just like the one we had in Bali," she said. "Such a meeting is aimed at enhancing party consolidation as part of our preparations ahead of the general election in April."

Andi brushed off suggestions that it was unethical for the President to use an official visit for political party business. She said that the President had always spent time dealing with his party's business while on holiday or at home.

On Sunday evening, Yudhoyono held a closed-door meeting in Nusa Dua with thousands of PD members representing Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces.

The President's official agenda in Bali was to attend the opening ceremony of the national congress for the Indonesian Builders Association (Gapensi), which was scheduled for Monday morning.

Political communications expert Effendi Ghazali said that Yudhoyono had a different approach to his state duties than did other world leaders. Other state leaders normally give priority to state affairs rather than their party agenda, Effendi said.

Effendi suggested that Yudhoyono focus his energy on coordinating relief efforts for the disasters, which have struck many regions of the country.

"The presence of a state leader among the victims will cheer them up because it will convince them that the President cares about them," Effendi, who is also a committee member of the PD's presidential convention, said.

"The [PD] meeting in Bali may have been urgent for him but, from the perspective of political communication, his choice of attending to party affairs rather than helping the victims of the disasters was unwise," he added.

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Tubagus Hasanuddin said that most of Yudhoyono's predecessors had reacted with more empathy when disasters struck.

"When the earthquake struck Papua in 2004, president Megawati [Megawati Soekarnoputri] immediately visited the site. In 1981, when flash floods hit Talaga in Majalengka, president Soeharto rushed to the location. This is about feelings; he should have visited Manado," Tubagus said.

Marzuki Alie, the deputy chairman of the party's board of patrons, defended the President's move, saying that Yudhoyono had every right to take care of the party in the lead-up to the election.

"When will he have time amid his busy schedule? Is it so wrong to visit members of your party in order to prepare them ahead of the elections?" Marzuki asked.

Daniel Sparingga, a presidential special staff member, also claimed that the President had done his best to coordinate relief efforts. "The President often chairs coordination meetings to handle natural disasters at the Cabinet level," he said.

B-movie actress nomination a publicity stunt: PPP

Jakarta Post - January 21, 2014

Hasyim Widhiarto, Jakarta – An executive of the United Development Party (PPP) has said that the outcry over the nomination of controversial actress Angel Lelga as a legislative candidate was expected to bring the party back into the limelight.

Speaking during an interview on Monday, PPP election campaign team (Bapilu) manager Fernita Darwis said the controversy over Angel's nomination could bring media attention back to the party, which had been struggling to maintain its popularity, especially after being mostly sidelined by the media in recent years.

"Many journalists, for example, have frequently told us that the PPP is not popular among media people because it fails to raise interesting issues," Fernita said. And Angel, who is a staple in gossip columns, could bring the much-needed attention.

"Such a controversy would not have materialize if she had joined other [nationalist] parties, like the Democratic Party (PD) or the Golkar Party. We realized that this [the controversy] is something we need to make the PPP a media darling once again," she said.

Angel is a swimsuit model and actress known for her suggestive performances in local horror movies. She also made headlines in gossip tabloids when rumors surfaced that she was the mistress of self-styled king of dangdut Rhoma Irama.

Angel, who is running as PPP's top candidate for the Central Java V electoral district covering Boyolali, Klaten and Sukoharjo regencies as well as Surakarta municipality, has become an object of scrutiny following her appearance in a political talk show broadcast by news channel MetroTV last week.

In the political talk show Mata Najwa, Angel gave a stuttered and halting response to questions posed by host Najwa Shihab about her motivation for contesting the 2014 general election.

One of the most embarrassing moments was when Angel, apparently running out of ways to respond to questions, said: "Regarding some of the issues, I haven't asked my party chairman, so I don't have my own opinion. I don't want to meddle in party affairs."

In spite of such a humiliation, Fernita said the PPP would not suffer. She said the party would make some surprise moves in the near future, following its success in securing the support of family members of former president and NU chairman, the late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

University of Indonesia political analyst Hamdi Muluk lambasted the PPP and other political parties that nominated candidates like Angel as a ploy to woo uneducated voters.

"In an election system that guarantees that all candidates have an equal opportunity to win a legislative seat, political parties must nominate candidates who are ready and capable to serve the public should they win their election bid," he said.

According to the list of legislative candidates published by the General Elections Commission (KPU) last year, only the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has not nominated celebrity candidates.

The list includes at least 44 celebrities who will have to compete for votes with regular politicians, non-governmental activists and former athletes in the general election.

Some of the controversial figures include lawyer Farhat Abbas, who has been nominated by the ruling Democratic Party to represent the Jakarta III electoral district covering North Jakarta, West Jakarta and the Thousand Islands.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) has nominated the most celebrities for the 2014 general election, including incumbents Primus Yustisio and former comedian Eko "Patrio" Hendro Purnomo.

Other celebrities recruited by PAN include former soap opera actor Desy Ratnasari, 1980s film star Marissa Haque, television personality Gading Marten and his wife Gisella Anastasia, former soap opera actor Jeremy Thomas and rock singer Anang Hermansyah.

Problematic voters' list: The same old story

Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014

Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – Theoretically – and supposedly practically – it is only a matter of simple data collection and management. In an era of computerization and data collection, the management of the country's population, i.e. the number of Indonesians eligible to cast their votes in the general election, should only be a matter of clicking the "update" button.

But the alleged mismanagement of the final voters' list (DPT) has apparently become an acute problem in the organization of the five-yearly political event. Complaints, particularly from the opposition parties, have become a common phenomenon from one general election to another. And this year's election is no exception.

The problem, according to some analysts, apparently rests on the choice of the population database used by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in the organization of the election. In contrast to many countries abroad, where population databases are provided by their statistical agencies, the Indonesian general election is organized based upon population data provided by the country's Home Ministry.

Election watchdog the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) chairman, Didik Supriyanto, estimated a discrepancy of some 17 million people as a result of the use of a database provided by the Home Ministry, known as the DPT. KPU commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah, however, said only 3.3 million remained disputed from the previous 10.4 million.

There has been no complete explanation for the huge number of voters in dispute. Media outlets, however, have reported cases of alleged mismanagement of data in some regions, particularly in regard to the online e-KTP introduction, the electronic ID cards processing system nationwide. Many residents in the regions have complained of the "slow" ID system and although the system bears the name e-KTP they have continued to be provided with the "old ID cards" that are manually processed.

Such data discrepancy is apparently a loophole in the organization of the general election, which according to analysts and party activists is prone to manipulation. The 2014 general election is the fourth election held in the wake of reformasi in 1998. The spirit of reform that has been the driver for the implementation of direct election system in the country should also include simplification of the database used in the general election system.

Legislative election facts box:

12 national political parties + 3 local Aceh political parties
77 electoral districts four DPR membership
560 available DPR seats
6,607 legislative candidates for DPR seats
77 available DPD seats
497 candidates for DPD seats
2,137 seats in the country's 33 Provincial Legislative Councils (DPRD I)
17,560 seats in the country's 497 Regional and Municipal Legislative Councils (DPRD II).
545,647 polling stations
186,569,233 registered voters

Megawati protecting Jokowi: Analyst

Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014

Jakarta – Political analyst Boni Hargens said that the reason Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri had not endorsed Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo as the party's presidential candidate was that she wanted to protect the popular politician.

Boni said that Megawati had been trying to protect Jokowi from smear campaigns that could intensify once his candidacy was announced.

"Even before being named a presidential candidate, [Jokowi] had been attacked by Ical, TV One. Just look at their news coverage," Boni said, referring to Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie and his television channel, which was currently running massive coverage on the Jakarta floods.

Boni said that Megawati would eventually endorse Jokowi as the party's presidential candidate. He said Megawati was sensible enough to realize that the public wanted Jokowi more than herself.

PPP actress candidate causes smiles, for all wrong reasons

Jakarta Post - January 20, 2014

Jakarta – Political analyst from the University of Indonesia Hamdi Muluk slammed the decision by the Islamic-based United Development Party (PPP) to nominate B-movie actress and swimsuit model Angel Lelga as a legislative candidate.

Hamdi said that by nominating Angel, who was recently humiliated in a political talk show broadcast by news channel MetroTV, the PPP had insulted the intelligence of the country's voters.

"I was crying after seeing the program. Why the party has given such an important task to someone as unqualified as her is an insult to us and our democracy," Hamdi said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

In the political talk show Mata Najwa aired Wednesday last week, Angel gave a stuttered and halting response to questions posed by host Najwa Shihab about her motivation to contest the 2014 legislative election.

Most of the time during the show Angel answered with one-liners or non- sequiturs.

One of the most embarrassing moments was when Angel, apparently running out of ways to respond to questions, gave her final words: "Regarding some of the issues, I haven't asked my party chairman, so I don't have my own opinion. I don't want to meddle with party affairs."

When asked about her objective as a lawmaker, Angel said she wanted to lift the people in her constituency – Central Java V covering Boyolali, Klaten and Sukoharjo regencies as well as Surakarta municipality – out of poverty.

"How would you, as a legislator, be able to eradicate poverty?" asked Najwa. "There are many ways," Angel responded.

"Tell us, just one of them," Najwa shot back.

"Perhaps, I can change development there."

"How?" the host pressed her further.

"We'll see. I don't want to talk too much here. My rivals could copy my programs," she said.

"But isn't it important to woo your prospective voters?" Najwa further queried.

"They already know," Angel said.

"Have you learned about political skills such as lobbying? As a legislator you will need them to discuss budgetary matters."

"What do you mean? Well, I believe my close connection to our leaders will help me."

As a result, Angel has become a laughing stock on social media, with Twitter users mostly complaining about her lack of knowledge even on basic matters, such as the stance of her own political party.

Aside from her reputation as a swimsuit model and her erotic performances in local horror movies, Angel became a local tabloid staple when the rumors surfaced that she was the mistress of self-styled king of dangdut Rhoma Irama.

Rhoma himself is now campaigning, representing the National Awakening Party (PKB) as its presidential candidate.

PPP chairman Suryadharma Ali, who is also the Religious Affairs Minister, has defended Angel, saying that voters should forgive her for her poor grasp of politics. "Angel is a newcomer to the PPP. She was asked to be a legislative candidate before she became a PPP member. Please understand her," he said.

House of Atut maintains political grip in Banten

Jakarta Post - January 18, 2014

Jakarta – Ratu Tatu Chasanah, the sister of disgraced Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, on Friday officially took over the leadership of the Golkar Party's Banten chapter, retaining the family's grip on the province in spite of graft cases implicating members of the family.

In a ceremony at Hotel Ratu in Serang, Banten, Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie officially installed Tatu, who replaces Atut's late husband, Hikmat Tomet, who died from a stroke in November last year.

Tatu, who currently serves as Serang deputy regent, was optimistic that under her leadership, the Golkar Party would win back voters in Banten despite the recent arrest of her siblings, Ratu Atut and Tubagus Chaeri "Wawan" Wardana, by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for their alleged involvement in multiple graft cases.

"This political disaster has been reported widely by mass media. Golkar has become an ugly cocoon. But, I believe it will metamorphose into a beautiful butterfly," she said in her maiden speech.

"The KPK has worked remarkably. The mass media has also been remarkable. Golkar will support the ongoing legal process. We keep legal and political affairs separate," she said in front of hundreds of Golkar members who turned up for her inauguration

Also at the ceremony, Aburizal installed Tubagus Haerul Jaman, Serang regent and Tatu's stepbrother, as a treasurer of the Golkar Party's Banten chapter.

Tatu rose to power after winning the party's regional race for the chair by a slight margin last December.

From 12 eligible votes – representing Golkar's central board, Banten regional branches and three regional support organizations – Tatu managed to secure six votes, one more than her rival, Cilegon Mayor Tubagus Iman Ariyadi.

Many have speculated that her election as leader of the regional party chapter will pave the way for her to become Banten deputy governor should her sister, Ratu Atut Chosiyah, the current governor, be dismissed and replaced by her deputy, Rano Karno.

Rano, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, has said he is ready to replace Ratu Atut, who despite her detention retains her grip on the position. The appointment of Tatu has received both support and rejection from the party's executives.

Senior Golkar leader Fadel Muhammad suggested that the appointment would only worsen the "political storm" around the Atut dynasty, while Golkar Advisory Council chair Akbar Tandjung, suggested it would reinforce the false perception that Golkar in Banten was a family party.

Atut's family's web of power in the province has benefited the party since she became deputy governor in 2002, making Atut's family important to the Golkar Party. Different members of Atut's family control five of Banten's eight regencies and municipalities, including Tatu; her sister-in-law South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany; her stepbrother Tubagus Haerul Jaman, who serves as Serang's mayor; and her stepmother, Pandeglang Deputy Regent Heryani. All are Golkar politicians.

KPK named Atut a suspect in multiple graft cases in December last year. She was initially charged with instructing her brother, Wawan, to bribe former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar in exchange for a favorable ruling for Lebak Deputy Regent Amir Hamzah in an election dispute case. The KPK then expanded its probe and discovered that Atut and Wawan were also working together to embezzle provincial funds.

Analyst Yunarto Wijaya of the Charta Politika think tank predicted that the appointment of Tatu would bring Golkar's electability to a new low.

"The Golkar Party has suffered declining electability since 2009. Prior to Atut's arrest, there was strong resistance to Atut. The appointment of another member of Atut's family will strengthen negative perceptions toward the party and Atut," he said.

Yunarto added that the appointment would diminish the party's chances of getting more voters in the April legislative election. "Critical voters and those against Atut will [not vote for] Golkar. This major party has succumbed to a local political issue," he said.

Dems purge Anas loyalists from House

Jakarta Post - January 18, 2014

Nurfika Osman and Margareth Aritonang, Jakarta – The Democratic Party (PD) has dismissed I Gede Pasek Suardika from his position as member of the House of Representatives, citing the loyalist of former PD chairman Anas Urbaningrum had tarnished the image of the party.

PD deputy chairman Max Sopacua said the dismissal was appropriate for Pasek, whom he accused of making a direct challenge to the party's current leadership.

"He is openly against us. I have seen a lot of people who are close to Anas but not open in their opposition, like Saan [Mustopa], Michael Wattimena and Umar Arsal. Friendships between them are no problem, but it is different with Pasek," Max told reporters.

The dismissal of Pasek is the culmination of a move to rid the party of Anas' loyalists. In September 2013, the PD leadership removed Saan and Pasek from their positions at the House after the two attended the launch of the Indonesian Movement Association (PPI), a mass organization founded by Anas.

Saan was removed from his position as secretary of the party's faction at the House and Pasek was fired from his position as chairman of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs.

PD faction chairperson Nurhayati Ali Assegaf said the party's central board issued a directive stating Pasek had breached the party's code of ethics and integrity pact, but she maintained the dismissal had nothing to do with Pasek's decision to serve as secretary-general of the PPI.

"We're just disappointed he often had different points of view than those of his fellow faction members," she said.

Separately, House secretary-general Winantuningtyastiti said the House secretariat had received a letter from the PD central board to dismiss Pasek. She said the House would forward the letter to the General Elections Commission (KPU) to find a replacement for Pasek.

Pasek said he had yet to receive an official letter from the PD central board about his dismissal. "I just don't understand what part of the code of ethics and integrity pact I've breached. I need to know what and where my mistakes are. People should not make a decision based on emotion," Pasek said.

He also said it was naive for the party to dismiss him only because he was close to Anas. "Political parties are regulated under the MD3 Law [on the structure and composition of legislative bodies] and there are rules and conditions where it is legal for the party to dismiss its members," Pasek said.

Pasek has publicly defended Anas since his arrest last week on Hambalang graft charges. Anas, who was charged with corruption for his alleged role in Hambalang, has been seen as a gadfly by party members due to his criticism of the party.

Media & journalism

Watchdogs demand KPI punish partisan TV stations

Jakarta Post - January 17, 2014

Nurfika Osman, Jakarta – A civil society group has started a movement to empower the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) to get tough on private television stations promoting the interests of political parties affiliated with owners of the stations.

The group, which calls itself Frequency Belong to the Public (FMP), called on the KPI to revoke the licenses of channels that had aired political ads as doing so violated the 2002 Broadcasting Law.

"The KPI needs to give harsh sanctions to these stations because the content of what these television stations are airing is not neutral. According to the Broadcasting Law, the stations must maintain neutrality and they should not be influenced by any group or interests," Roy said in Jakarta on Thursday. The group also accused the KPI of turning a blind eye to rampant political ads on television.

Data from the KPI said that there were 430 Aburizal Bakrie and Golkar Party political ad spots aired throughout October 2013 on TV One and ANTV, two channels controlled by the Bakrie Family.

Meanwhile, RCTI and Global TV also aired two quiz shows,"Kuis Kebangsaan" (Nationality Quiz) and "Indonesia Cerdas" (Indonesia Smart), which campaigned for the presidential bid of People's Conscience Party (Hanura) chairman Gen. (ret) Wiranto and his running mate Hary Tanoesoedibjo. Hary runs Media Nusantara Citra, which owns the two channels.

News channel Metro TV was also deemed partial by running political ads for the NasDem Party as well as giving extra airtime for party chairman Surya Paloh.

The FMP, consisting of the Information and Communication Technology Watch, Indonesian Communication Student Association, private channel watchdog Remotivi, and the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) Jakarta branch, has filed an online petition on website change.org. As of Thursday evening, 3,500 people had signed the online petition.

"The role of the media has been reduced to voicing their owners' interests and no longer plays the role of government watchdog. It is clear that this is very dangerous," change.org communications director Indonesia Arief Aziz said.

The KPI earlier summoned and reprimanded six TV stations: RCTI, MNC TV, Global TV, ANTV, TV One and Metro TV in December 2013 for their excessive coverage of political candidates and political parties.

Contacted separately, KPI commissioner Agatha Lily said that the online petition would embolden the commission to get tough on errant stations.

"This petition or movement will force us work better because our role is to make sure that broadcasters provide impartial and balanced reporting. We will be firm with any TV station and we will not think twice [about punishing them] if they violate the law," she said.

KPI chairman Judhariksawan meanwhile said that it would be difficult to move against the television channels, which have insisted that their coverage of political parties and candidates was outside the purview of the commission.

"They argue that only the General Elections Commission [KPU] and the Election Supervisory Body [Bawaslu] have the authority," he said.

Environment & natural disasters

Human factor to blame for most disasters in Indonesia, agency says

Jakarta Globe - January 22, 2014

Dina Manafe & Robertus Wardi – More than 500 lives are lost each year as the toll from floods and landslides continues increasing each year, official figures show.

A total of 5,650 lives, or an average of 514 people per year, lost their lives due to disasters from 2003 to 2013, while an average of 1.5 million people a year had to evacuate from their homes, according to data from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, or BNPB.

The data also showed Indonesia was hit by a total of 6,288 flood and landslide incidents over the past 11 years – 572 incidents per year – with the highest figure recorded in 2010 at 1,433. "Flood and landslide disasters are actually contributed [to] by all kinds of factors," BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Tuesday.

He cited anthropogenic causes – those originating from human activity – as the main factor contributing to the disasters, as well as changing rain patterns in which rain intensity was rising.

Sutopo said population growth, urbanization, land conversion, low awareness of the importance of correctly disposing of rubbish, poor spatial planning, lack of soil and water conservation and more were major factors that contributed to increased risk of flooding.

Sutopo cited that 68 watershed areas in the country were in critical condition and soil had reached overcapacity due to high forest degradation.

Forested areas typically serve to absorb rainwater runoff. Indonesia's forest cover amounted to 49.4 percent of its total area in 2008 and dropped to 47.7 percent in 2012. Java only had 16.1 percent forest cover, a far cry from the ideal level of 30 percent.

Sutopo also stressed the importance of strictly implementing spatial planning that took disaster risks into consideration. He said there were already many regulations and bylaws issued to regulate environmental, flood and landslide matters, yet implementation was poor.

Sutopo added that disasters were not only the government's concern but should also be those of the business sector and the public in general. "Ministries and government institutions have made various efforts in line with their portfolios. Disasters should serve as a wake-up call to fix all the problems or else they will continue to happen," he said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who presided over a limited cabinet meeting on disaster mitigation on Tuesday morning, said the management of disaster mitigation was still under control and that he had communicated with several governors to discuss their handling of incidents.

"For your information, I have spoken directly to the governors who are dealing with disasters, among them are [the] Jambi, Bengkulu, Central Java, South Sulawesi and Maluku governors. They are all managing and mitigating floods in their respective areas," he said.

Yudhoyono said he had also spoken to the Jakarta, North Sulawesi, North Sumatra and West Java governors prior to the meeting.

The president attributed the current conditions to the impact of "unfriendly global weather conditions," noting that other parts of the world were also experiencing disasters. "I have been following [the global situation] and in some parts there are floods while there are forest fires in other places," he said.

Floods threaten crops, disrupt Pantura traffic

Jakarta Post - January 22, 2014

Nana Rukmana and Suherdjoko, Cirebon/semarang – Around 3,500 hectares of agricultural land in 10 districts across Cirebon regency in West Java are at risk of crop failure following torrential rain that has hit the area in the past week.

Cirebon's Husbandry, Plantation and Agricultural Agency head, Ali Effendi, said on Tuesday that around 3,000 farmers had been affected, adding that the natural disaster had caused billions of rupiah worth of financial losses. Of the damaged fields, 3,400 hectares are rice fields, while the remaining 100 hectares are shallot fields.

"The heavy rain has caused the Cisanggarung and Jonggol rivers to overflow. The flooding has inundated all the plants," Ali told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Cirebon regency is one of West Java's rice producers alongside Indramayu, Karawang and Subang regencies.

Gegesik district is the worst-hit area with 1,000 hectares of damaged rice fields, followed by Kapetakan, Kaliwedi and Suranenggala districts. "For shallots, the worst-struck area is Losari district, which has 100 hectares of damaged fields," Ali added.

Maman, a farmer in Mundu district, said he was facing a potential loss of Rp 4 million (US$329) due to the floods. "My rice fields are severely damaged," said Maman, who owns 7,000 square meters of rice fields.

Meanwhile, the floods have also disrupted Java's northern coastal highway (Pantura), where floodwater continued to inundate several spots, including Indramayu and Subang, Antara news agency reported on Tuesday.

Motorists have been advised to take Java's southern route to avoid the flooded road. "All motorists should take the situation seriously. We call on motorists to take the southern route, entering from the Cipularang toll road," Djoko Murjanto, director general for highways at the Public Works Ministry, said as quoted by Antara.

The incessant rain has flooded the Cirebon-Jakarta route to depths of between 50 and 100 centimeters. High tides and the overflowing of the Cimanuk River have worsened the situation. Djoko said there were still many motorists who insisted on taking the Pantura, thus causing severe congestion.

In Semarang, flash floods have forced dozens of schools to close. Taufik Hidayat, head of elementary and high school education at the Semarang Education Agency, said that 38 elementary schools in North Sumatra had been inundated by floodwater.

Meanwhile in North Sulawesi, the authorities plan to call off the search for those still missing following landslides in Tambulinas, Tinoor subdistrict, Tomohon.

However, according to Military Command VII/Wirabuana commander Maj. Gen. Bachtiar, the military and police would restart the search if they received reports on any of the missing persons.

Massive flash floods and landslides, which struck several parts of North Sulawesi on Wednesday, have claimed at least 18 lives and left thousands displaced. Among the areas affected are Manado, Tomohon, Minahasa, North Minahasa, Southeast Minahasa and the islands of Sangihe and Sitaro.

Separately, the Palu city administration in Central Sulawesi has deployed four excavators to dredge sediment to deepen the Kawatuna River, which separates east and west Palu, in an effort to prevent flooding in the area.

"We aim to dredge 500 cubic meters of sediment out of the river. So far, 50 cubic meters have been dredged," said Palu's Public Works Agency head, Fardirar Djoni.

[Ruslan Sangadji contributed to the story from Palu.]

Indonesians left to count the cost of widespread flooding

Jakarta Globe - January 20, 2014

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The climate agency has rejected statements by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo saying that the flooding in Jakarta had been caused by natural factors such as high volumes of rainfall.

"Rainfall in the capital in 2014 has been lower compared to 2013 when a bigger flood happened," said Achmad Zukri, head of extreme early warning division at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

He added that this year's rain had mostly inundated the areas of West Jakarta, East Jakarta and South Jakarta.

"Rains that have been falling since the beginning of this year are not as heavy as in 2013," Achmad said. "Rainfall has been patchy since New Year's Eve, unlike last year, when the heavy rain fell non-stop for several consecutive days."

Among areas that have seen a drop in rain levels are Tanjung Priok in North Jakarta, Kemayoran in Central Jakarta, Halim Perdanakusuma in East Jakarta, Cengkareng and Kedoya in West Jakarta as well as areas in South Jakarta such as Pakubuwono, Pasar Minggu and Lebak Bulus.

During a visit to Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta, Joko said torrential rain had been a main cause of flooding in the area. "There has been a lot of heavy rain around Pulogadung [East Jakarta], and the tide has been high. That is where the problem lies," he said.

Members of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) also condemned the governor's statements, saying that the flooding and landslides were mainly caused by the clearing of forests for industrial use.

"The water's volume can't be changed. What has changed is the land's ability to absorb that water," said Mukri Friatra, a disaster management specialist at the nongovernmental organization. "They're saying the flood is from God, when in fact, rain should be a blessing."

On Saturday, chief of BMKG's meteorology center Mulyono Prabowo said in Jakarta that the agency has yet to pinpoint the highest level of rainfall this year, adding that the highest ever recorded was at 350 millimeters per day in 2007 at Pondok Betung, South Tangerang.

"The past few days have seen about 200 millimeters fall per day. In general, rain has been quite high in the Greater Jakarta area, with at least 70 to 80 millimeters recorded on a daily basis, although several areas have seen 150 millimeters," he said.

Despite the criticism launched against Joko, a resident living near the Ciliwung River said he did not want to blame the governor and that his living near the river could be part of the problem.

"Joko has done his best, but who can resist nature? We have built our homes on the river, but what can we do? This is our home," said 43-year-old Agus, who lives by the river in Kampung Pulo, as quoted by Liputan6.com. Agus said he has lived just 10 meters from the Ciliwung since 1986 and that he did not have enough money to move to a safer location.

Chief of the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) Fasli Jalal attributed the flooding to the capital's population and urbanization.

"The growing population has resulted in the establishment of residential areas that subsequently limit the soil's ability to absorb the water," he said.

"If the population continues to increase, and land remains limited, then houses will be built closer to one another and will sometimes have to be built on the riverside," said Wendy Hartanto, also from BKKBN. Too many buildings built on the land means that the water isn't being absorbed, he said.

Wendy called on the government not to only continue promoting its family planning program but also to be stricter with urban planning regulations, especially regarding the establishment of residential areas near the rivers.

"In addition, there should be a proper solution to the flow of urbanization, which has seen many people flock to Jakarta, many of whom are lower income earners unable to afford their own properties so they move to cheaper areas like riversides and other areas that are not supposed to be residential areas," he explained.

Meanwhile, Joko on Sunday said he will soon be holding a meeting with the Public Works Minister's directorate general and West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan next week to discuss plans to establish a spillway from the Ciliwung to the Cisadane River, close to their source in the mountains near Bogor, West Java.

Joko explained that the 1.9-kilometer spillway connecting the two rivers would be of great help in minimizing flooding in the city though residents in Tangerang, to the west of Jakarta, are concerned the proposal will just move the flooding from the capital to their city.

Trouble brewing in paradise over fate of Bali's Benoa Bay

Jakarta Globe - January 19, 2014

Putri Fitria – "Bangun Bali, subsidi petani. Kita semua makan nasi, bukannya butuh reklamasi." "Build Bali, subsidize the farmers. We all eat rice, don't need reclamation."

If Bali needed a protest song, then the lyrics above from the song "Bali Tolak Reklamasi" ("Bali Refuses Reclamation") summarize quite succinctly one of the most contentious issues bubbling beneath the veneer of the idyllic island paradise projected by tour operators.

The song was written by a band called Nosstress and sung by dozens of Balinese artists, including renowned bands such as Superman Is Dead, The Bullhead, Nymphea and Gold Voice.

It's a rallying cry against the reclamation of land in Benoa Bay, in southern Bali, by the developer Tirta Wahana Bali Internasional – a massive project that critics contend will devastate the mangrove ecosystem and put the local fishing community out of work.

A decree permitting the project was first issued without any fanfare on Dec. 26, 2012, but later revoked by Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika. However, the governor later issued a new reclamation decree granting TWBI permission to conduct a feasibility study on the plan to use, develop and manage the Benoa Bay area.

Upon issuing the second decree, the governor denied any personal interest in the project. "Many people were fooled when the governor revoked the reclamation degree," says said Jrx, the drummer from Superman Is Dead. "They think the reclamation has been canceled, but there are still attempts being made in that direction."

This is why, he says, the protest from people grouped under the Balinese Against Reclamation Forum (ForBALI) continues.

ForBALI is a cross-sectoral civilian alliance consisting of student groups, nongovernmental organizations, musicians, artists and others concerned about Bali's environment and who believe the planned reclamation of 838 hectares of land in Benoa Bay is part of an irresponsible environmental policy that will destroy Bali.

"The governor claims [the reclamation] is for Bali, expanding the land," says I Wayan Gendo Suwardana, the head of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, or Walhi. "But he forgot to mention that this reclamation is going to make the sea disappear. [It is] a sea with many sociocultural functions and which is important for the local people's livelihood."

The bay area remains one of the few places in heavily developed southern Bali where traditional fishing methods are still practiced. Hundreds of fishermen gather off the shore from the afternoon until night during low tide to collect fish, shrimps, crabs and seaweed.

"This culture and type of fishing shouldn't be wiped out just like that. These fishermen can't instantly make the transition to tourism work. It doesn't make sense," Gendo says.

Critics say the creation of small new islets in the middle of the bay will damage Bali's coastline, from Kampung Bugis Benoa to Tuban, Kuta and Serangan, all the way through to Sanur – essentially the entire beach stretch of the main drag.

The changing tidal patterns will also increase the risk of soil abrasion on the runway of Ngurah Rai International Airport, opponents say. A feasibility study by experts from Udayana University, the leading academic institution in Bali, has also recommended that the project not go ahead, yet the local government has insisted otherwise.

Another point of contention is the government's claim that the land will be handed over to the local community after a period of 50 years. But insiders say there is a covert agreement in place between TWBI, village elders and the head of the Benoa Bay Community Empowerment Group (LPM) that says otherwise.

Notarized documents specify that the villages' function as a partner in the project is to ensure security in and around the reclaimed area from outside external disturbances. The documents state this agreement is valid for 100 years, and gives local residents the right to manage just eight hectares of land – less than 1 percent of the total area to be reclaimed.

The land-use permit issued for this project, meanwhile, makes provisions for yacht marinas, race tracks, casinos, nightclubs, a large entertainment complex and theme park, resort hotels, a golf course, a luxury shopping complex, restaurants, bars, cafes, apartment buildings, and a large numbers of condominiums and villas for sale or lease.

For tourists and investors, the idea of all this luxury and convenience in a bay famed for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets, it makes for an exciting sell.

But as the singer Glenn Fredly said at a concert late last year at the Hard Rock Cafe Bali, "You can have fun in Bali, but you also have a responsibility to preserve Bali."

Other celebrities have lent their support for the push against the reclamation project, including the singer-songwriter Iwan Fals, known for his own brand of protest music in decades past.

"The fire is alive," he says in a video uploaded to YouTube for the campaign. "So many militant young people, but not vandals, are willing to act to fight for the lives of others." He ends it with a moving rendition of "Bali Tolak Reklamasi."

Jakarta flooding not caused by rainfall: BMKG

Jakarta Post - January 19, 2014

Jakarta – The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency's (BMKG) extreme weather early warning head, Achmad Zukri, said the recent flooding in Jakarta had not been caused by natural factors.

"Rainfall in Jakarta this year has been lower than 2013," said Zukri in Jakarta on Sunday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

In 2013, he said, the rain fell mostly over Jakarta. This year, rainfall has been unevenly distributed across Jakarta, with East Jakarta, South Jakarta and West Jakarta bearing the brunt of the inclement weather.

"Last year the high intensity rain fell over several days," said Zukri. He added a decline in rainfall was monitored in 18 areas.

Several observation points recording a decline in rainfall include: Cengkareng, Halim Perdanakusuma, Kedoya, Kemayoran, Lebak Bulus, Pakubuwono, Pasar Minggu and Tanjung Priok.

Meanwhile, Citeko and Gunung Mas, two observation points outside the capital city, which cover the Puncak area in Bogor, West Java, have also seen a decline in rainfall.

In Gunung Mas, rainfall dropped to 25 millimeters (mm) per day for the period of Jan. 11 to Jan. 12, 2014 from 76 mm and 118.5 mm per day on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17, 2013.

Earlier, Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) disaster mitigation campaigner Mukri Friatna said excessive forest conversion had caused the recent flooding. (ebf)

Mud, looters, starvation threaten flood victims

Jakarta Post - January 19, 2014

Jakarta – Puddles of water and thick mud are not the only problems flood victims in Manado, North Sulawesi, face, as looters are also reportedly wandering around housing areas.

"Some of my valuables are gone. I fled to safer ground when the floods hit and I had no time to pack up all my important belongings," Pengki, a resident of Tateli village in Mandolang district, Minahasa, said on Saturday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Other residents filed similar complaints, saying that their valuables and money had been stolen from their cupboards. "How could they do this to us? We've been suffering from this [disaster] and they stole our money," said Florens, another resident.

Meanwhile, residents in Wawonasa, Manado city, reportedly ran out of food as the food items provided at the emergency post were limited. "We haven't eaten anything since last night. Maybe it's alright for us adults, but not for the children," said Ivan.

Tateli and Wanowasa are two areas in Manado that were struck by a massive flash flood on Wednesday.

The flooding also caused Bailey Bridge in the Bolevard area to collapse. The collapsed bridge cut off traffic from Malalayang to the city center, thereby affecting the city's economy. The Army deployed personnel on Saturday to help the city administration rebuild the bridge, Antara news agency reported.

Besides flash floods in Manado, landslides also hit Tinoor, which connects Manado and Tomohon. The road from Manado to Tomohon was cut off, while several bridges in Minahasa broke.

On Saturday afternoon, the search and rescue team found the body of a woman identified as Linda Tan, 61. There are still around 15 people missing in the area.

Meanwhile, Public Works Deputy Minister Hermanto Dardak said that the ministry was set to heighten the dike around Tondano Lake to prevent further flash floods in Manado and would carry out a river normalization program.

He added that the ministry planned to build a dam with a capacity of 23 million cubic-meters. "We have set aside a budget of Rp2.8 billion [US$231,577] for land acquisition and another Rp 700 million for the certification process," Hermanto, said as quoted by Antara.

The project, he went on, was expected to begin in 2015 and might require a budget of Rp 1 trillion.

At least 7 dead as Jakarta flooding continues

Jakarta Globe - January 18, 2014

Lenny Tristia Tambun – Heavy rainfall and flooding have left at least seven dead this week in Indonesia's capital, according to city officials.

"The data we gathered shows that there are seven people dead. The causes [include] sickness, drowning after slipping and getting electrocuted," Jakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) information chief Surya Putra said on Saturday.

As of Wednesday, five Jakarta residents has died due to flooding. Victims died in neighborhoods around the city, from Cipinang in East Jakarta to Bintaro in South Jakarta, Cengkareng in West Jakarta and Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta.

Flooded areas included: Kampung Melayu and Jatinegara in East Jakarta; Rawa Buaya, Kapuk, Kali Angke, Cengkareng, Jelambar, Grogol, Petamburan, Tambora, Kedoya and Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta; and Kapuk Muara, Penjaringan, Pademangan, Kelapa Gading and Sunter in North Jakarta. Water levels in these areas ranged from 20 centimeter to 1.5 meters.

At least 4,000 people have been displaced across the city, seeking refuge in 54 shelters, according to BPBD data.

The BPBD urged all Jakarta residents to exercise caution and recommend residents whose houses were flooded to evacuate to dry ground. "We hope there will be no more victims from this flood," Bambang said.

Heavy rainfall Friday night caused flooding on roads throughout Jakarta by Saturday morning. As an emergency measure, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo authorized city officers to open the Manggarai floodgate.

"I asked them to open the floodgate facing the State Palace," Joko said early Saturday morning at an East Jakarta shelter where he was visiting flood victims. He said the move would reduce further flooding.

A Manggarai floodgate officer, identified only as Farhan, told news portal Liputan6.com that the gate had been open since early Saturday morning, causing lower water levels at the site.

"The water level at the Manggarai floodgate is lower, but only by a little," Farhan said. "It was 960 centimeters, now it is 940 centimeters." Farhan said that the gate would remain open until the water level dropped to 850 centimeters.

The rainy season arrived in earnest in Jakarta on Jan. 12, with sustained downpours in the city and in the outlying valleys on Sunday and Monday inundating flood-prone area in the basin of the greater metropolitan area. More than 25,000 people were evacuated from their homes by Monday afternoon.

Residents in North Jakarta woke up to increased water levels on Friday – Mangga Dua and Kelapa Gading were under up to 60 and 100 centimeters of water, respectively, on Friday afternoon – while the outlook for East Jakartans was predicted to go from bad to worse.

Water at the Katulampa flood gate on the city's southern fringe reached 170 centimeters at 12 p.m. on Friday. The normal level is 40 centimeters. A 200 centimeter recording would prompt a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, the government declared a state of emergency in Manado, North Sulawesi on Thursday as floods and landslides left at least 16 dead and thousands displaced.

Refugees & asylum seekers

Abbott's statement 'defies' UN convention: Expert

Jakarta Post - January 23, 2014

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's statement saying that Australia would continue to stop the boats carrying asylum seekers was a defiant stance against the 1951 Refugee Convention, an expert says.

"Abbott's statement which used Australia's sovereignty as the ground of his policies to turn back the boats is not in line with the convention. The asylum seekers were labeled as illegal immigrants without scrutiny first," University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Abbott said that Canberra would continue towing asylum seeker boats back to Indonesian waters.

"For us, stopping the boats is a matter of sovereignty and President [Susilo Bambang] Yudhoyono, of all people, ought to understand, does understand, just how seriously countries take their sovereignty. So we will continue to do what we are entitled to do to secure our borders," Abbott said as quoted from the official transcription released by the Australian government.

Calling Abbott's statement as "very unfriendly to Indonesia," Hikmahanto also slammed Australia's decision to unilaterally address the boat people issue using military forces.

"It is a pity that such a nation that as developed as Australia still has policy makers that tend to violate human rights. Traditionally, it is nations like Australia which are supposed to preach developing nations how to respect human rights," he said.

Responding to Abbott's statement, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, who has been assigned by Yudhoyono to lead the handling of people smuggling issue, said it was Australia that should respect Indonesia's sovereignty, "which was violated by the Australian navy."

"Asylum seekers that have entered a country, including Australia, must be managed according to the UN Refugee Convention," he asserted in a written statement.

Hikmahanto praised Djoko's statement. He also supports the government's decision to heighten scrutiny on the borders with Australia. "The move is the right response to Abbott's unilateral and arrogant policy," he said.

Officials of the Indonesian Navy said on Wednesday that Indonesian warships, including torpedo and missile craft, have intensified patrol in the southern waters next to Australia.

The Indonesian Air Force, meanwhile, said that the force had maximized four of its radars to monitor the area around the Australian border and that the fighter jets based in Makassar, South Sulawesi, had been readied in case of detection of incursion.

Amid deteriorating diplomatic relation, which is believed to have reached a record low since the late 1990s, Australia announced, last week, that some of its military ships had "inadvertently" breached Indonesian border.

The worsening of the diplomatic ties was first triggered by the revelation of the alleged phone tapping of some top Indonesian figures including President Yudhoyono and his wife.

Jakarta has recalled Indonesia's ambassador to Australia since November and it is not yet known when he would be returned to Canberra.

Asylum seekers say they were burned and beaten during towback

The Guardian (Australia) - January 22, 2014

Bridie Jabour and Katharine Murphy – The Australian navy has been accused of burning asylum seekers during a towback to Indonesia.

The asylum seekers claimed they were forced to hold on to hot pipes coming out of an engine when they were transferred on to another boat and taken back to Indonesia on 6 January. They also told ABC News they had been beaten.

Indonesian police backed up the claims, telling the ABC 10 asylum seekers had to be treated by medical officers on shore and seven of the people were assessed for burns. The broadcaster has also obtained a video of what appears to be asylum seekers receiving medical assessments for burns.

The immigration minister, Scott Morrison, has flatly denied the claims, saying the Australian navy and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service had rejected any suggestion they behaved inappropriately when dealing with asylum seekers.

"Smugglers and their clients have strong motivations for seeking to discredit the activities of Australia's border protection operations in an attempt to undermine public support for the government's strong border policies," he said.

The allegations have come as Customs and Defence issued terms of reference for an inquiry examining how Australian vessels strayed into Indonesian waters. In a statement issued about 10pm on Tuesday, Customs and Defence confirmed an investigation covering the period between 1 December 2013 and 20 January 2014.

The Abbott government has confirmed that Australian vessels made several inadvertent incursions into Indonesian waters. The embarrassing admission followed earlier declarations that Australia would not under any circumstances violate Indonesian sovereign territory as part of any efforts to return asylum boats.

The statement outlining the scope of the inquiry issued by Customs and Defence acknowledged "the seriousness of this matter and the urgency required as a consequence of the importance of our relationship with Indonesia".

"The joint review will focus on the circumstances leading to the entry of Australian vessels into Indonesian waters," it said. "Specifically, the review will assess the sequence of events and cause of Australian vessels entering into Indonesian waters in connection with Operation Sovereign Borders."

The joint review would "identify any potential procedural weaknesses or deficiencies in maritime operations and make recommendations to ensure that any immediate operational policy or procedure issues are highlighted and rectified promptly," the statement said.

The terms of reference suggest the inquiry will have both classified and unclassified sections. The report is due on 10 February but it is not clear whether the investigation will be released publicly.

Australia vows no more intrusions in Indonesian waters

Agence France Presse - January 20, 2014

Australia on Saturday vowed there would be no further intrusions into Indonesian waters during its military-led crackdown on people-smuggling boats, after Jakarta demanded operations be suspended following repeated incursions.

Australia's new conservative government, elected in September, has reintroduced a policy of turning back asylum-seeker boats, many of which depart from Indonesian ports, when it is safe to do so.

It admitted on Friday to several inadvertent intrusions into Indonesian waters as part of Operation Sovereign Borders, but said it was sticking to its policy designed to halt the arrival of asylum-seekers on unauthorized boats.

"We will not again see an inadvertent breach of Indonesia's territorial waters, we've taken steps to ensure that that doesn't happen again," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told reporters in Perth on Saturday.

The incursions prompted a furious response from Jakarta, with Indonesia's Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs saying they "constitute a serious matter in bilateral relations of the two countries."

Jakarta has demanded a suspension of operations and pledged to step up navy patrols along its southern maritime borders. "We welcome cooperation from Indonesia in patrolling the waters where these people-smuggling boats are being launched," Bishop said, when asked about the increased Indonesian patrols. "It is in their interests, it is in our interests to stop this evil trade," she added.

Asylum-seekers arriving on unauthorised boats in Australia are a sensitive issue for both sides, and Canberra's Operation Sovereign Borders to stop them has been received coolly in Jakarta.

Under Australia's so-called tow-back policy, asylum-seeker boats – often wooden fishing vessels – can be pushed back towards Indonesia, a move which Jakarta had previously suggested could infringe its sovereignty.

Asked whether the government would reconsider this element of the policy after the breaches, Bishop said: "We are absolutely committed to stopping people making that hazardous journey that has already led to over 1,000 deaths at sea." "We are determined to stop the people-smuggling trade, we are determined to stop the boats and that's what happening."

Australia has offered an unqualified apology for the unintended incursions, but Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said Friday the government's "stop the boats" policy would remain in place.

Morrison said Saturday he had noted the response from Jakarta. But he said: "The Australian government will continue to discuss these matters, including any response Australia may wish to provide, directly and privately with the Indonesian government through the appropriate channels."

The Australian government has refused to detail the incursions, beyond saying they were committed by a vessel or vessels on several occasions.

But The Weekend Australian newspaper said it understood there had been five or six breaches of Indonesian waters involving two vessels from the Royal Australian Navy and one from the Australian Customs Service.

Morrison said the country's respective chiefs of navy had spoken about the incursions and the Australian government would keep Indonesia informed of progress in the joint military and customs review into the incidents. "Our commanders have already taken immediate operational steps to ensure there is no recurrence of these incidents," he added.

Morrison said Australia's clear policy was to not breach Indonesia's territorial waters. "We have given a clear commitment that we will be ensuring strict compliance with this policy, so as to ensure there will be no recurrence of these events, which we deeply regret," he said in the statement.

The revelations about the Australian naval incursions have added to tensions between the neighbours, already strained by a row over spying.

Indonesia condemns Australian navy waters violations

BBC News - January 17, 2014

Indonesia has condemned Australian naval incursions into its waters as a "violation of its sovereignty".

Australia has apologised to Indonesia, saying its navy vessels "inadvertently" made the incursions during operations to stop asylum seekers. Indonesia has asked Australia to suspend these operations until the incidents have been clarified.

The row comes amid reports Australia's navy have been pushing boats carrying asylum-seekers back to Indonesia. At a press conference, Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said the violations, which had occurred several times, had not been sanctioned by the government.

Australia took its "shared commitment with Indonesia to mutually respect the sovereignty of each nation very, very seriously", he said, adding that the foreign minister would offer an "unqualified apology".

Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, who leads operations to prevent boats carrying asylum seekers arriving in Australia, blamed the violations on "positional errors". "We have never intended for our assets to operate or to enter the sovereign territory of another nation," he said.

Indonesia said in a statement on Friday that it "deplores and rejects the violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity by Australian vessels". It would "intensify its maritime patrols in areas where violations of its sovereignty and territorial integrity are at risk", it added.

"Indonesia demands that such [asylum] operations conducted by the Australian government that led to this incident be suspended until further clarification is received." Tow-backs

The Australian government has been under scrutiny over asylum policy in recent days amid reports of boats being turned back to Indonesia.

Indonesia serves as a transit point for people-smugglers, who ferry people to Christmas Island, the closest part of Australian territory, on rickety boats. The number of boats rose sharply in 2012 and the beginning of 2013, and dozens of people have died making the journey.

When Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Liberal-National Coalition ousted Labor last year, it initiated Operation Sovereign Borders, giving the military control over the response to people-smugglers, and vowed to stop the boats.

In recent days multiple reports have emerged in Australian and Indonesian media of boats carrying asylum seekers being towed back to Indonesian waters by Australian navy vessels. It has also been reported that Australia has bought lifeboats for the purpose of transporting asylum seekers back to Indonesia.

The government has refused to comment on these reports, citing operational sensitivities. But it did deny a report that an Australian navy vessel had fired shots into the air as it intercepted an asylum boat.

'No solution'

Earlier this month the Indonesia foreign minister spoke out on the alleged push-back policy. "Let me once again put on record that Indonesia rejects Australia's policy to turn back the boats because such a policy is not actually conducive to a comprehensive solution," Marty Natalegawa said.

Ties between Australia and Indonesia remain strained in the wake of spying revelations in documents leaked by fugitive US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

Last week, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was seeking details from Canberra on the recent reports of push-backs. "Any such approach would raise significant issues and potentially place Australia in breach of its obligations under the [1951] Refugee Convention and other international law obligations," UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards said.

The UN and rights groups have also strongly criticised conditions at Australia's offshore asylum processing camps, on the Pacific island of Nauru and on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

Earlier this week the Australian government said its asylum policies were working, with no new boat arrivals for over three weeks.

Asylum is a sensitive issue in Australia, despite the relatively small numbers involved. UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report said Australia received only 3% of global asylum applications in 2012.

Graft & corruption

Akil charged hefty price for his election-rigging service

Jakarta Post - January 23, 2014

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – A witness testified at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday that disgraced former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar's price for issuing favorable rulings in disputed local election cases was steep.

Graft suspect Chairun Nisa, a Golkar Party lawmaker who was arrested together with Akil, said that the former justice had used her as a go- between to ask Gunung Mas regent Hambit Bintih for Rp 3 billion (US$261,000) to reject an appeal filed by the regent's opponents following the race.

She said after she did not respond to an initial request from Akil instructing her to ask Hambit for money, "Pak Akil then texted me again and wrote 'tell the regent to bring three tons of gold'," Chairun said. Akil used "gold" to refer to cash.

Chairun, who was testifying as a witness in the trial of Hambit and businessman Cornelis Nalau Antun, said that Hambit then asked her to persuade Akil to lower his fee.

"I told Hambit that I would try to talk to Akil," she said. "I said [to Akil] through a text message, 'can we just make it Rp 2.5 billion or Rp 2 billion?'" Akil, she said, rejected Hambit's request, demanding Rp 3 billion to throw out the appeal.

When a court judge asked her how she came up with the figure of Rp 2.5 billion, Chairun said: "Pak Hambit asked me to haggle, so I asked Pak Akil to please lower the amount to the price he charged in the Palangkaraya mayoral election, which was Rp 2 billion," she said.

The judge later read out the case dossier, which revealed that Akil had insisted on charging Hambit Rp 3 billion because he considered the Gunung Mas regency as "richer" than Palangkaraya.

"He is richer than the mayor of Palangkaraya [Muhammad Riban Satia]. Rp 3 billion is peanuts [for Hambit]," read a text message sent from Akil to Chairun that the judge read aloud from the dossier.

Chairun also said that she had known Rp 2 billion was the "established price" for winning an election dispute case at the Constitutional Court from her colleague Rusliansyah, the head of the Palangkaraya Golkar Party chapter.

In her testimony, Chairun also alleged that Golkar Party secretary-general Idrus Marham and fellow Golkar lawmaker Mahyudin were the middlemen who had passed the Rp 2 billion bribe from Satia to Akil. Chairun will stand trial later for her role in the Gunung Mas regency bribery case.

Akil was arrested in October last year by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for suspected bribery in two election disputes under review by the Constitutional Court.

He allegedly received Rp 3 billion in connection with Central Kalimantan's Gunung Mas regency election dispute and Rp 1 billion related to Banten's Lebak regency election dispute.

Akil has also been implicated in a graft case related to a dispute filed in a mayoral election in Palembang, South Sumatra, and in the election of Empat Lawang regent in the province. The KPK has also charged Akil with money laundering.

The KPK has confiscated several of Akil's assets, including a house and a plot of land in Petanahan, Kebumen regency, Central Java; his family home at Jl. Pancoran Indah III No. 8, South Jakarta; a 6,000-square-meter mahogany tree plantation in Cimuleuk village, Waluran, Sukabumi; and a 12,600 square-meter plot of land in Singkawang, West Kalimantan. The commission has also seized 33 cars and 31 motorcycles allegedly connected to Akil.

Akil is expected to testify in the trial of Hambit and Cornelius next week.

Terrorism & religious extremism

Terrorists plotted attack on brothels

Jakarta Post - January 22, 2014

Margareth S. Aritonang and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Jakarta/Surabaya – The National Police have arrested two terror suspects who were allegedly planning to attack police posts and a well-known red-light district in Surabaya, East Java.

The militants are believed to be linked to a major terror cell led by Santoso in Poso, Central Sulawesi, whose followers have fled to various areas, including Surabaya, the country's second-largest city.

The police's counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, arrested the suspects – identified as Isnaini Ramdhoni, 30, and Abdul Majid, 35 – in Surabaya on Monday evening, after they were spotted at a local gas station.

National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said that it had been uncovered that the suspects were plotting to carry out a number of terror attacks.

"They were going to attack entertainment centers in Surabaya, namely Taman Hiburan Rakyat [THR], Dolly and Galaxy night club, among other places," he said. Dolly is Surabaya's largest red-light district, which Tri Rismaharini, the city's mayor, plans to shut down this year. Boy added that the militants were also targeting police posts in Keputih and Kenjeran.

According to East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Unggung Cahyono, the two suspects were believed to be in the city to launch another attack on police officers in the wake of many deadly terror raids carried out by Densus 88.

Earlier this month, the antiterror squad killed six suspected terrorists during a raid on New Year's Eve in Ciputat, South Tangerang. The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is investigating the incident to decide whether the killings were legally justified.

"Both of them are members of the group led by Santoso, and both are targeting police officers," Unggung told the press in Surabaya shortly after the arrests.

Santoso is the leader of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen, a group hiding in the jungles of Poso. He has reportedly masterminded a number of attacks against police officers in Poso, and is currently being hunted after posting a six-minute video on YouTube in which he calls on his followers to keep up the fight against Densus 88.

Boy said that the police were stepping up efforts to hunt down Santoso's followers. "Many of those who participated in training in Poso escaped. Some of them went to East Java, including the two individuals recently arrested in Surabaya."

Following their arrests, Isnaini and Abdul were taken to their nearby homes where the police found two steel gas cylinders filled with explosive material. The police also found a detonator, timer, flash disk and Rp 4,750,000 (US$389.50) in cash.

Whether the suspects were involved in the explosion of a Mandiri ATM booth in Malang earlier this month, however, is still being investigated.

Although the police have yet to find a connection, East Java Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Awi Setiyono said that they were looking for evidence that might link the two with the ATM booth explosion.

Hard-line & vigilante groups

FPI chapter head attacked, calm urged

Jakarta Post - January 23, 2014

Semarang – Restraint is being urged after members of Barisan Ansor Serbaguna (Banser), the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, the country's largest Islamic organization, attacked an Islam Defenders Front (FPI) regional head who publicly smeared the group on Sunday.

In a sermon on Sunday early morning, Syihabuddin, head of the FPI chapter for Wonosobo regency in Central Java, reportedly accused Banser of supporting a brothel in Semarang.

After the sermon, about 250 Banser members confronted Syihabuddin in his car, demanding he apologize. When Syihabuddin refused, the Banser members broke the windows, causing minor injuries to the FPI head.

"After the incident, I asked Banser members in Solo, Jepara, Kudus and other regions to stay calm and avoid escalation," Banser Central Java coordinator Ali Mahfud said on Wednesday.

Freedom of religion & worship

Central Java village shows that unity in diversity is possible

Jakarta Globe - January 17, 2014

Camelia Pasandaran, Jepara, Central Java – A new report by the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, a nongovernmental organization that conducts human rights and political freedom research, recorded 222 religious freedom violations across 20 Indonesian provinces in 2013, indicating that the country has a long way to go in improving religious harmony.

The NGO recorded some 132 criminal cases, 38 cases of intolerance and four examples of public figures condoning violence.

But a group of people in a hilly part of Central Java's Jepara district may be on course to change the narrative of religious tolerance in Indonesia.

Near the top of Muria volcano on Dec. 22, at its caldera, churchgoers sang a Christmas carol in Javanese through speakers placed outside their small church in the hamlet of Pekoso, part of Tempur village.

Inside the church, a lady chanted the soulful, pentatonic melody, hitting the high notes with firm clarity. Hundreds of congregants clapped their hands as the performance ended.

Sutoyo, the village chief, locally known as petinggi (the highness), stood before the microphone and said "Shalom," a greeting which was repeated by the crowd.

After offering a Christmas greeting, Sutoyo, who is a Muslim, reminded the churchgoers to continue maintaining a harmonious relationship and tolerance between the religions in the village.

"Our village is known to the outside world as an example of religious tolerance," he said. "Hopefully, we can still walk together side by side under the guidance of God."

More than 300 people attended the Christmas celebration at the Javanese Mennonite Church (GITJ) on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013.

Beside some 50 regular members of the congregation, many attendees came from churches in the surrounding area, traveled in the back of pickups from the neighboring villages dotting the mountain slopes.

Others spent around two hours on the winding mountain roads leading up to the scenic village, located between 600 to 800 meters above sea level, some 53 kilometers from the district center.

Not all who attended the service were Christians. Some Muslims, including village officials and religious figures, were there and when the service was over, they warmly greeted the Christians.

The cold breeze and the gloomy weather outside did not affect the joy of the Christians and Muslims happily mingling together. Under the drizzle and billowing dark clouds, churchgoers returned to their pickups, waving goodbye while covering their heads with tarpaulin.

Tempur, known for its coffee and corn plantations, has for several years now also been known as a model of religious harmony. The village became famous because the church, GITJ Tempur, is fittingly located in front of Asyuhada mosque, the two separated by only a narrow lane.

The atmosphere is calm now and relations between members of the different faiths in good health, but when Christianity first entered the village there was much suspicion and mistrust.

Not too long ago, the situation was different. There were no Christmases and residents were unfamiliar with religions other than Islam, and it had been like that since before anyone could remember.

The only Christian in the village

In 1977, a young teacher by the name of Poniyah moved from Bantul, Yogyakarta to Tempur in order to teach first grade students at the state elementary school.

In that cold, windy village, then only connected to the outside world by a footpath, she met her future husband, Suwadi, a person of some substantial local repute.

Suwadi, son of a kyai (Islamic preacher) who was also known in the village for his magic skills, worked as a teacher and a farmer. As a devout Muslim, Suwadi had dozens of students who studied the Koran regularly in a musholla (prayer house).

They lived happily until Poniyah attended a teacher training course in nearby Keling. Although the young teacher did not realize it at the time, the course was to change the small village forever.

"I stayed in the house of a teacher named Tari during the training," Poniyah said. "She was a Christian and it was great to see her peaceful life and how happy they were when they went to the church together as a family."

She decided to embrace Christianity, but the decision outraged her husband, who did everything he could to convert her back. For four years, calling on the magic skills he had inherited from his father, Suwadi tried to cast a fatal curse on his wife, but to no avail.

"I fought her every Sunday for four years," he recalled. "I burned her bibles, five of them, and some hymn books. I burned her new outfit which she had bought for Christmas."

Poniyah, with her growing faith, faced down her husband's enmity continued to practice Christianity. Every Sunday, she would walk kilometers to attend church services, leaving at 4 a.m, stepping gingerly down the mountain slopes, a flashlight in hand.

"One Sunday when I returned home, my husband had trashed all the food, keeping me hungry for hours," she said, adding that there was no restaurant in the village. "He always did bad things to me on Sundays."

In 1988, after secretly reading the bible, Suwadi decided to convert to Christianity, a decision that upset his family and neighbors. "My oldest brother, Giran, and his family would not talk to me and my wife for three years," Suwadi said.

The couple prayed to heal ill people and preached to people in the area, converting several. Eventually, the church had a congregation of some 150 members.

"We prayed for people and they were healed and decided to follow Christ," Suwadi said. "Half of my Koran students decided to convert. Not because I preached to them, but only because I converted. They said, 'We'll follow your religion.'"

The arrival and spread of the new religion in the village outraged some. "We were confused by the new religion," said Giran, Suwadi's brother, who also happened to be the mosque caretaker. "We didn't understand what this religion was doing in our village."

One day 12 people mobbed Poniyah after a man named Midi converted, and reported her to the village officials for converting him. "I explained to them that I did not force anyone to convert, I only preached. It's their own decision if they want to convert," Poniyah said. The officials apologized for the misunderstanding.

The teaching couple relentlessly tried to make peace with their neighbors, but it was not easy. "We kept on being nice to them, we prayed for them and, as God said, we loved them," Suwadi said.

It took almost 10 years before the relationship between the two religious groups returned to normal and the tension turned into a benevolence between residents.

"I don't prevent people from converting into Christians, but they need to explain," Giran said. "I know it's their right, and later I decided that the most important thing is to maintain the harmony."

After they came to understand each other, the situation changed. Christians went freely to the mosque to attend prayer sessions while Muslims would go to church to attend Christmas or other services.

More than just visiting and helping each other during religious holidays, the residents were able to freely convert without fear.

"Converting to another religion is a common thing at the moment here," said Bayan Suntono, chief of the village development forum."Muslims can convert to Christians, Christians can convert to Muslims. No one will attack them. We believe in the principle of 'be to you your religion and be to me my religion.'"

The story of GITJ and Asyuhada mosque

Once Suwadi decided to convert to Christianity, he built the first church in Tempur, back in 1988. The village chief at the time, who was called Legiran, initially opposed the construction, saying he allowed Christians in the village, but they could not conduct services, let alone build a church.

But the village residents supported the plan. After getting approval, a group of men – both Muslims and Christians – left their farms to build the 195-square-meter church.

Suwadi gave part of his land for the church but the materials to build it were all donated by residents, both Muslim and Christian. "The Muslim women also helped us by providing food for the construction workers," Poniyah said.

Three months later, the church stood proudly on the road winding up the mountain. They conducted routine Sunday services at 9 a.m. as well as choir rehearsals, praying sessions and youth services.

Years after the church construction, the residents of Pekoso felt the need for a mosque, as there was only a musholla in the hamlet. They searched for land, but the only vacant lot was in front of the church.

After getting approval from both sections of the community, the land was bought and construction started in 2001. Again, the community joined together to build a place of worship. Once the mosque was completed, the villagers addressed the question of how they would arrange their activities so as to not disturb one another.

In May 2001, Suwadi said the religious figures of the village and the village officials gathered in a house. "Giran and I signed an agreement stating that we would maintain the harmony in carrying out our activities," Suwadi said. "Dozens of residents witnessed the signing of the agreement."

Some church activities were rescheduled to prevent disturbing the mosque routine praying times. "For instance, every Friday night the prayer group starts at 7 p.m. [previously at 6 p.m], after the prayers at the mosque have finished," Suwadi said.

"Once, there was a Christmas service on a Friday, so we delayed it until after 1 p.m. to let the Muslims performed their important Friday prayer first." At Christmas, when the church is not able to handle the volume of worshippers, they sit on the road between the mosque and the church.

From discord to harmony

Bayan's house was hectic the day before Christmas. The residents had just finished harvesting their corn and should have been busy taking care of the fruits of their labor, but almost all members of the family, except Bayan – who had just undergone cataract surgery – were cooking for their Christian neighbors.

"It's a tradition here to cook for the Christians during Christmas," Bayan said. "It's not only cookies and cakes, but also for the big meal." Bayan said the practice had built up as a tradition over the years and many Muslim residents in the village also cooked for Christian families.

In the days running up to Christmas, young Muslims tend to get involved in the preparations, such as bringing chairs from other villages for the guests. As an expression of gratitude for the help, the Christian families give boxes of food to their neighbors.

In a similar fashion, the Christians help the Muslims during Idul Fitri festivities. "Some young Christians help prepare decorations to be used for takbir keliling [a parade during which participants shout praises to Allah]," Poniyah said. "Last year, they made the decorations in my house." The Christian women cook for the Muslim families on Idul Fitri.

On Idul Adha, the Islamic Day of Sacrifice, Muslims distribute meat equally throughout the village, irrespective of faith. "They [Christians] get the same amount of meat as us," Bayan said.

When the Geulis river, located in the middle of the village, broke its banks and flooded some buildings in March of 2006, the disaster strengthened interreligious ties yet further.

"The torrential rain forced me to return home. But then I saw from here that the water had entered people's houses in other neighborhood. Paddy fields were destroyed, a car was swept away and some houses were damaged," Giran said.

Some hours later, the Christians gathered in the church while the Muslims gathered in the mosque. All of them prayed according to their preference, asking for God's help. "It was an unforgettable moment," Giran said.

Building and maintaining friendship

Sutoyo, the village chief, said living together peacefully was not something new for the residents.

"It was inherited from our ancestors many years ago," Sutoyo said, adding that Tempur is an old village known for its cultural artifacts, such as stone yoni and a step pyramid believed to date back to the 14th century.

"For instance, we don't hire construction workers to build our houses here," Sutoyo continued. "When someone is building a house, the neighbors will leave their work on the farms for days and sometimes weeks to help with construction. They also sometimes provide the building materials."

When someone is ill and in hospital, dozens of residents will usually troop down the mountain to visit them. "We pray for them at the hospital according to our religion," Bayan said.

In the case of funerals, residents ease the burden of a bereaved family by taking over the preparations. Giran recalled the time when his mother-in- law, a Christian, passed away.

"I called up my brother Suwadi, asking him what I needed to do," he said. "People from the church and my neighbors then prepared my house for the funeral and managed the funeral as well."

The harmony was once threatened when Poniyah converted to Christianity, but as years went by, they have learned to accept the differences. "The residents meet every 36 days, discussing problems in the village," Giran said.

"It's not only the old people, but also the young people attend the meeting. We remind them to maintain the harmony and unity." Giran said that at every meeting they tell each other that spreading hatred against other religions would destroy village harmony and in the end make everyone suffer.

Mikael Sagimin, priest at GITJ, said to keep the relationship, religious figures in the village consistently reminded people in different ways.

"As for me, sometimes I talk about 'loving your neighbor' in my sermons, to maintain the harmony," Mikael said. "If your neighbor is nice to you, you have to be even nicer."

Even though they live far from a major town, residents often watch how religious differences can be a problem in other regions. They said they never worry that such thing could happen in Tempur.

"There's no such thing like that in this village," Bayan said. "Old people, young people, even children, they've learned that we need to live in peace, letting people perform their religious duties freely."

Echoing the priest, Suwadi said that the recipe for religious harmony was simple: "Love your neighbors and they will love you back."

Land & agrarian conflicts

Farming activists jailed for provoking riot

Jakarta Post - January 22, 2014

Bandung – The Bandung District Court sentenced on Tuesday two board members of the Indramayu United Farmers (STI) to one-and-a-half years in prison each for instigating a riot after a demonstration opposing the development of a dam in the Loyang block, Bubur Gadung village, Indramayu regency, West Java.

The defendants, Rojak and Khamsah, along with three other activists who will be tried separately, were arrested in August last year following the rally, which turned violent.

During the demonstration, several farmers were beaten by a group of unidentified men. To avenge their attack, the farmers then burned an excavator and two other pieces of heavy equipment at the project site.

"The defendants confirmed that those who had caused the damage were members of Indramayu United Farmers. The demonstrators had gathered after receiving text messages from the defendants," presiding judge Marudut Bakara said.

Armed forces & defense

TNI gears up, sets sights on foreign threats

Jakarta Post - January 22, 2014

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – As the Indonesian Military (TNI) begins to perceive the growing threat from other nations, it is accelerating efforts to strengthen deterrence by overhauling its structure to allow for faster troop deployment, expanding the Marine Corps and procuring long-range offensive weaponry.

In what is expected to be among President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's most far-reaching military policies, a regulation is planned for June on the formation of defense groups under joint-command, locally abbreviated as Kogabwilhan.

The plan will integrate the regional resources of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force into multi-service groups that will be positioned in certain defense flashpoints integral to preserving the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"But the function of the Kogabwilhan will not be limited to that. It will also serve as a deterrence to other countries as the command will have the flexibility and the needed resources for rapid deployment," said Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro recently.

Each Kogabwilhan group will be equipped with its own fleet of warships, jet fighter squadron and Army units. Each group's commander, a three-star general, will be given the authority to respond without having to go through the red tape at the TNI headquarters in Jakarta.

Under the existing structure, the TNI cannot immediately respond to, for example, a foreign incursion into the eastern territory until its central command assigns a three-star commanding officer and drafts deployment and logistics orders.

"We're always on alert over future threats from other countries. But our existing structure and command are not sufficient to promptly respond. The Kogabwilhan will patch up the holes," said Defense Ministry's director general for defense planning Rear Marshall FX Bambang Sulistyo.

The government is planning to have four Kogabwilhan groups cover several flashpoints, which according to the ministry officials, are Aceh, Natuna in Riau Islands, Papua and Attambua in East Nusa Tenggara.

Aceh was included due to fears another separatist movement could emerge, and also because of its strategic location at the mouth of the busy Strait of Malacca.

Meanwhile, Natuna sits near the South China Sea, where China is in border rows with several ASEAN nations that are mostly backed by the US. Indonesia is not involved in the territorial disputes. Papua was chosen because of its separatist conflict and Attambua for its proximity to East Timor (Timor Leste) and Australia.

The headquarters of each Kogabwilhan group will not necessarily be at the deployment location. For example, to cover Natuna, the command could either be set up in the West Kalimantan provincial capital of Pontianak or in Riau's capital of Pekanbaru.

"We have not decided whether to have three or four Kogabwilhan groups. If we have four then it should cover the areas of eastern, western and central Indonesia. The command for Java should be a stand-alone," said Purnomo.

To support the policy, the ministry is undergoing a so-called "right- sizing" in its personnel assignments, in which priority will be given to strike units rather than to support ones. "There will also be no expansion in the number of troops. What we are doing is reassigning personnel to priority divisions," said Purnomo.

Indonesia has around 460,000 military personnel, as of 2013, and every year around 13,000 retire.

As part of the restructuring, Purnomo said that the ministry was in the process of expanding the Marines, with the latest addition being the 10th Marine Battalion in Setokok Island, some 4 kilometers southeast of Batam Island in Riau Islands province.

President Yudhoyono is scheduled to inaugurate the battalion, initially commissioned with 600 personnel, in March.

In a sign that the TNI is serious in setting its sights outward, it recently agreed to the purchase of a dozen Russian Kilo-class submarines. A team is scheduled to fly to Moscow at the end of the month to process the purchase through Russia's export credit facilities, which carry low interest rates.

"What will be the game changer is not the Kilo-class subs themselves, but the Club-S cruise missiles onboard," said Purnomo, adding that the missiles could hit a target 400 km away.

The country is also waiting for the deliveries of 30 refurbished F-16 fighters and a dozen Apache attack helicopters from the US starting this year, as well as 103 refurbished Leopard main battle tanks from Germany.

House of Representatives defense, intelligence and foreign affairs committee member Susaningtyas Handayani Kertopati said the TNI should strengthen its "outward-looking" approach at a time when there were signs of escalating threats.

"The greatest threat will obviously be from Australia," she said. Just recently, Australia apologized to Indonesia after its border patrol boats entered Indonesian territorial waters without permission in their bid to stop migrants.

A Defense Ministry official has warned that Australia's "tow-back" policy may soon ignite conflict. The policy involves the Australian navy intercepting and forcing back to Indonesia boats crowded with undocumented migrants heading to Australia.

"Now that we have three frigates on the border, a clash could be imminent as our Navy will prevent the towing back," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The TNI has been occupied for more than four decades with quelling domestic threats – primarily, separatist conflicts in Aceh and Papua, as well as communal and sectarian violence in Kalimantan and Maluku. Its resources and command structure have been mostly tailored accordingly.

But as domestic threats have receded in the past eight years, the TNI has gradually shifted its focus to building deterrent capabilities, and has taken a more serious approach regarding foreign coercion than before.

Criminal justice & prison system

MK declares 'offensive treatment' article unconstitutional

Jakarta Globe - January 18, 2014

Camelia Pasandaran – The Constitutional Court on Thursday struck the phrase "offensive treatment" from Article 335 Indonesia's criminal code, declaring the vague wording unconstitutional.

"[We are] declaring the phrase 'by any other battery or by offensive treatment' in Article of 335, Subarticle 1 of the 1946 Criminal Code as against the 1945 Constitution," Constitutional Court chief Hamdan Zoelva said on Thursday, according to the court website. The ruling has left several ongoing cases based on the phrasing in limbo.

Prior to the revision, the article read: "By imprisonment of one year maximum or a fine of 300 Rupiah [$0.0249] maximum shall be punished: first, any person who unlawfully coerces another though force, through any other battery or through offensive treatment or through the threat of force, any other battery, or offensive treatment, aimed either against another person or against a third party, to do, to omit or to tolerate something."

Judge Ahmad Fadlil Sumadi ruled that the phrase "any other battery or offensive treatment" was impossible to approach objectively. "All crimes of course are offensive and there's no pleasant impact of crime," he said. "Therefore, it was not clearly distinct from other crimes."

He said that phrasing opened a door for misused on the part of police or prosecutors and was too imprecise to find firm footing in the constitution.

University of Indonesia law professor Harkristuti Harkrisnowo compared the article to a trash can. "You can categorize any treatment as offensive depending on the person's view," Harkristuti told the Jakarta Globe.

"Indeed, it can be misused for various purposes." Harkristuti, who is also a director general of human rights at the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, said that the Constitutional Court was correct to remove the wording.

"For example, I can report you for 'offensive treatment' for calling and interviewing me while I was having my dinner," she said. "It's vague in comparison to articles about stealing, which is clearly against the law."

Police expert Bambang Widodo Umar told the Jakarta Globe that the article had long been used for subjective, sometimes political reasons. "That is a subjective article, and it's good that the applicant filed for the judicial review so people of this democratic nation can learn to accept different opinions and not consider them to be crimes," he said.

Suspects have been charged under the article in two ongoing cases. Sitok Srengenge, a noted poet, was reported by a student under the article for allegedly refused to take the responsibility when the student became pregnant with his child.

In the other case, a suspect was charged after a fight with neighbors. Yayan Nurhayati, 43, was imprisoned under the article for punching a neighbor who claimed that Yayan's father had thrown garbage into the neighbor's house.

Both Harkristuti and Bambang said that the ongoing "offensive treatment" cases would be terminated. "If the phrase has been annulled, then the cases should be stopped," Bambang said.

Harkristuti said that as the Constitutional Court ruling was legally binding. "With the Constitutional Court's decision, it's no longer valid," she said. "Rather than causing the police confusion, it's better to stop the investigations."

Oei Alimin Sukamto Wijaya, a man who was detained for "offensive treatment," initially submitted the law for review.

Mining & energy

Women reject mining in West Manggarai

Jakarta Post - January 21, 2014

Markus Makur, Labuan Bajo – Dozens of women who are part of the West Manggarai Independent Women's Alliance (APIR) in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) staged a rally on Monday, urging West Manggarai regent Agustinus C. Dula to revoke every license for geothermal and mineral ore mining in the regency and to issue no more new licenses.

APIR chairperson Lusia Sut urged Agustinus to remain strong despite a court decision ruling in favor of mining investors.

"We joined the peaceful rally by wearing songket [intricate woven fabric] and kebaya [long-sleeved blouses] as a symbol of resistance by the womenfolk against mining activities in West Manggarai in particular, and Flores Island in general," Lusia said in a rally in Labuan Bajo municipality on Monday.

APIR also urged the regency administration not to disburse any funds from the West Manggarai regency budget to compensate the investors according to the court ruling, because the regency budget is not meant for enriching mining investors.

APIR also deemed the regency administration should be more transparent in conveying information on mining, and its impacts, through the media.

She added law enforcement officers should work professionally, based on conscience, and should not succumb to pressure, accept bribes, or compromise justice and truth. They should also uphold the law for social justice and for a sustainable way of living.

She added that members of women's groups and various people concerned with the environment in West Manggarai were concerned and anxious about the issue.

"We are aware that allowing mining is the same as destroying the environment, polluting water and air and threatening people's lives. The message from our ancestors, which is still close to our hearts, is that land will not expand but could diminish due to disasters and human behavior, while humans and the future generations will multiply and breed. That's why we firmly oppose mining," she emphasized.

APIR activist Mersiana Karmin told the crowd that Lembata and Flores Island, and NTT in general, are regarded as small islands in which administrations must abide by Law No. 27/2007 on coastal areas and small island management.

Besides that, Flores Island and NTT are part of an archipelago which is prone to natural disasters, as they are located in the so-called Ring of Fire.

Furthermore, Mersiana added that West Manggarai is inhabited by 215,545 people, consisting of 107,383 men and 107,707 women, who depend on the agriculture, livestock, fishery and tourism sectors as their source of income.

Mersiana said West Manggarai, especially regency capital Labuan Bajo and its surrounding areas, are one of the world's main tourist destinations due to their natural and cultural wealth.

"People, generally, can only live in an ecology which is healthy," said Mersiana.

When the protesters arrived at the West Manggarai legislative office, council members were not on hand to meet them, so they were greeted by the council's financial secretary Aurelia Imelda. Imelda said she would convey the women's aspiration to councilors.

At the West Manggarai Police precinct, the protesters were greeted by operations division chief Adj. Comr. Tobias Tamonob. Tobias said police had received the message from the public and would convey it to the West Manggarai Police chief.

The protesters then marched to the Labuan Bajo District Court to convey their objective there.

Economy & investment

New refineries attract massive investment

Jakarta Post - January 22, 2014

Satria Sambijantoro, Jakarta – Indonesia's commitment to increasing its value-added exports has proven to be a vast boon to the economy, with the country set to see at least Rp 180 trillion (US$14.83 billion) of realized investment in the construction of mineral and palm-oil refineries, the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) says.

Of the prospective investment plans, approximately Rp 150 trillion would be spent on the construction of mineral-smelting plants with the other Rp 30 trillion invested in the construction of palm-oil refineries, BKPM chairman Mahendra Siregar said on Tuesday.

If realized, the investments would greatly support economic growth as the amount was equal to around one-third of the annual realized investment target of Rp 450 trillion set for this year, he told a press briefing.

Mahendra predicted that total realized investment in local smelters could even jump threefold within the next two or three years if the Mining Law was imposed consistently.

"If not, however, it could lead to uncertainty for investors who, instead of implementing such investments, will adopt a wait-and-see approach," the BKPM chief warned.

Indonesia has decided to go ahead with its controversial plan to ban exports of raw ores beginning this year in line with the 2009 Mining Law, which stipulates that mineral products should first be processed in local smelters before being shipped overseas for export.

Due to a lack of smelting facilities, mining companies are allowed to export semi-finished mineral concentrates until the end of 2016, albeit with a higher export-tax obligation. Beginning 2017, ores should be fully refined in local smelters.

The law was met by strong opposition from foreign-based mining firms operating here, which insisted that building smelters was commercially unfeasible.

The export restrictions, combined with the higher export taxes, has threatened the operation of several existing companies. Many miners have claimed the measures would result in the closure of their mining operations, leading to widespread layoffs.

Mahendra said the law had so far proved capable of encouraging local industries to process their raw ores domestically, as evinced by the surge in realized investments in the building of smelters.

The mining sector accounted for around 20 percent of total realized foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia last year.

The country realized Rp 270.4 trillion of FDI throughout last year, 22.4 percent higher than the previous year, Mahendra told the press briefing. Japan was the biggest foreign investor in Indonesia last year, accounting for 16.5 percent of total realized FDI in the archipelago, followed by Singapore (16.3 percent), the US (8.5 percent), South Korea (7.7 percent) and the UK (3.8 percent).

FDI accounted for 68 percent of the total realized investments in Indonesia of Rp 398.6 trillion last year – a record high – with the rest coming from domestic direct investment.

Philip McNicholas, an economist with BNP Paribas in Hong Kong, argued that the implementation of the Mining Law "may provide a short-term boost to FDI, create new industry clusters and potentially crowd in other investors in the future".

The prospective creation of higher-wage jobs generated from the added-value exports could also boost the attractiveness of investments targeting Indonesian consumers, McNicholas explained on Tuesday via an email interview.

Investment at record in 2013, slowdown expected this year

Jakarta Globe - January 21, 2014

Tito Summa Siahaan – Investment in Indonesia reached a record high in 2013, exceeding the government's own target but the pace of growth is likely to slow down this year amid a tighter monetary policy.

Investment totaled Rp 398.6 trillion ($33 billion), up 27 percent from 2012 and higher than the government's forecast of Rp 390.3 trillion, according to data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) released in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Indonesia beat the forecast thanks to higher-than-expected domestic investment, which reached Rp 128.2 trillion, a 39 percent increase.

Foreign direct investment soared 22 percent to Rp 270.4 trillion but was short of the targeted Rp 272.6 trillion.

The agency has set a growth target of 15 percent next year, according to BKPM chairman Mahendra Siregar. "Investment next year will be around Rp 456 trillion," he said.

Mahendra said that the 2014 target signified a realistic adjustment after years of strong growth. "After periods of high growth, it is normal for the trend to flatten," he added.

Mahendra also dismissed concerns that this year's presidential election would damp the mood of investors.

Politics often pop up in discussions with investors but never to the point that it becomes a reason to abandon investment plans, he said. Additionally, Mahendra argued that investors are getting accustomed to the country's political process.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second five-year term ends in November, and presidential elections will be held in July.

Mahendra said that growth in investment will be supported by the government programs to add value to the country's mineral commodities and palm oil. From both types of commodities, BKPM has approved investment plans worth Rp 190 trillion.

Suryo Bambang Sulisto, the chairman of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said that strong growth in domestic investments indicated rising confidence and maturity from domestic investors. Still, Suryo believes conditions this year would not be as good.

The central bank last year raised its key interest rates in a bid to control inflation and prop up the rupiah's depreciation against the US dollar. Higher borrowing costs in Southeast Asia's biggest economy could curb demand for goods ranging from cars and motorcycles to homes and computers.

"Our primary concern is financing. With the government tightening monetary policy, we expect getting funding would be more difficult,"Suryo added.

Government needs to pay more attention to informal sector

Jakarta Post - January 17, 2014

Jakarta – The government should be focusing more attention on the informal sector, which plays a significant role in the country's economy; to do otherwise could constrain development, a senior economist has said.

"Policymakers should work on the issues, depending on what concerns are the more pressing [...] whether productivity or social protection," World Bank senior economist Truman Packard said on the sidelines of a seminar held by Jakarta-based think tank, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

If a piece of legislation had hindered the informal sector from accessing private credit or bank loans – making it difficult for the sector to boost its production – then policymakers needed to get rid of the law, Packard said.

"The law has to recognize the way most people work. Small and medium enterprises are the largest source of employment. Most people are not working full-time, 9-to-5 jobs or waged jobs in this country," he said.

The informal sector plays an important role in the national economy, and was a savior for the nation during the 1998 financial crisis. In 2012, 54 percent of 118.05 million workers were informal workers, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

This figure highlights a significant shift. Before 1999, the number of people working in the formal sector was much higher, at around 60 percent of the national workforce, BPS data shows.

Vivi Alatas, another senior economist with the World Bank, said that Indonesia trailed behind China and Vietnam in terms of labor productivity across the East Asia-Pacific region.

"This is mainly because 95 percent of employers in the country are [informal] small and medium enterprises, which encounter a lot of problems in terms of access to financing to expand their businesses," she said.

Indonesia recorded moderate growth in labor productivity from 1990 to 2010 with scores of between 100 and 200, while China tripled its growth rate from the same level of 100 to more than 400, and Vietnam doubled its growth to 200, World Bank data shows.

"The very first thing that the government can do is to lift the burden hindering business players from boosting their productivity," Vivi said.

The government could help people working in the informal agricultural sector, for instance, and assist them in coping with unexpected conditions – particularly in the event of crop failure – by providing affordable seeds or bank loans, she said.

"The government also needs to encourage employers to train their employees," she said. According to World Bank data, small and medium enterprises account for less than 20 percent of total formal training by companies in the country.

Packard said that policymakers also needed to think about social protection for informal workers, as many people were working in insecure environments, leaving them vulnerable to possible health or other problems in the future.

Acording to Packard, the solution would be to provide everyone with access to health insurance, regardless of their type of jobs or employment. He added that health insurance should benefit all people. (koi)

Analysis & opinion

Time to deal with the Papua pebble

Jakarta Globe Editorial - January 17, 2014

Western Papua has become like "a pebble in the shoe" for Indonesia, as former Foreign Minister Ali Alatas put it when he referred to East Timor's struggle for independence from Indonesia back in the day. While Jakarta is trying to play down the problems in Papua, they do exist. It may seem like a minor nuisance but it continuously hurts.

Several countries and international civil society groups regularly express their support for Papuan independence, accusing Indonesia of human rights violations. The pledge of the Pacific countries (minus Vanuatu) in the Melanesian Spearhead Group to support Indonesia's territorial integrity, including western Papua, should therefore be seen as a diplomatic victory for Indonesia.

Using diplomacy instead of threats and bullying tactics, Indonesia seems to have been able to convince the group of the huge benefits that come with good relations with Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

But international support can't change the fact that, despite its abundant natural resources, Papua is one of the country's poorest regions. Also, Jakarta still maintains a massive military presence in the region and implements a tight screening process for foreigners wishing to visit there.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) should closely monitor the allocation of Papuan autonomy funds, because it's not really a mystery how it is possible that, despite its special status and trillions of rupiah allocated to the area every year, most Papuans are living in poverty.

Also, it is time to treat Papua as a normal region by opening the area to all visitors. The police have already proven they can deal with terrorist groups much more dangerous than the largely unorganized separatists operating in Papua. Security should not be a problem. It's time to throw out the pebble.