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Indonesia News Digest 35 – September 16-23, 2015

West Papua

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West Papua

Stop blaming OPM: Laurenzus Kadepa

Tabloid JUBI - September 22, 2015

Yogyakarta, Jubi – "The real Free Papua Movement (OPM) do not create havoc. They are not murderers, terrorists or criminals as stigmatized by the State all the time," Papua Legislator Laurenzus Kadepa told Jubi on Sunday (20/9/2015) from Jayapura, Papua.

He said violence is not the goal of their struggle, but the government keeps accusing of being the actors behind all cases of violence in Papua, including kidnapping and hostage taking of two Indonesian citizens in Papua New Guinea.

"It's a mistake and out of the fact. In fact, the State has put the situation in Papua unsecured through its own creation of fake OPM," he said.

However, Kadepa said he didn't accuse or appoint any parties as the government's pet or fake OPM. But, according to him, those who kidnapped and took hostages on two Indonesian citizens are a group that wants blaming the pure and peaceful struggle of OPM and indigenous Papuans in demanding their rights.

"I am not accusing them (fake OPM) as specified group or organization, but the fact is their existence is intense, solid and systematic. They (actors behind violence in Papua) are troublemakers in Papua. Their goal is to conduct a crime, terrorism and to accuse the struggle of real OPM," he said.

Thus, he added, the State must be serious to pay attention on violence cases that keep on going in Papua. "At this point, the State actually challenges its image in front of the world, it can consider the State has designed, trained, protected and maintained the conflict in Papua," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Council of Church Union in Indonesia (PGI), the Rev. Phil Karel Erari said Papua New Guinea and Indonesia must reveal the hostage takers of two Indonesian citizens few times ago. "PNG must reveal who did it, as well as Indonesia," he told Jubi on Sunday (20/9/2015).

He further said public in Indonesia, in particular in Papua are already assuming. And the hostage over two Indonesian citizens gives an impress of being plotted. "Public are already assuming that it's been plotted, since within this month, both countries are facing the recommendation of Pacific Islands Forum about fact finding mission on human right violation in Papua and the supports on Papua issue to be submitted to Commission 24 about decolonization in the UN list," said Erari who was also the former Chairman of PGI. (Arnold Belau/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/09/22/stop-blaming-opm-laurenzus-kadepa/

Kilman silence on West Papua noted in Vanuatu

Radio New Zealand International - September 22, 2015

The Vanuatu opposition MP Joe Natuman says the government should speak up more about West Papua. Joe Natuman was replaced as prime minister by Sato Kilman in June this year following a motion of no-confidence against him.

Before that, Mr Natuman was instrumental in facilitating a major reunification summit for West Papuan representative groups who have since been admitted into the Melanesian Spearhead Group as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

However, Mr Kilman has taken a different approach on Papua and was inconspicuous on the issue when it featured at the recent Pacific Forum summit in Port Moresby. Joe Natuman admits this approach is not reflective of Vanuatu public opinion.

"We should be more forthcoming on the issue of West Papua. At least the MSG now has decided to include West Papua as observer status. but I think our government should have voiced some concern especially in regard to human rights abuses happening in that country."

While Vanuatu under Sato Kilman has stepped back from the issue, support within the MSG for West Papuan self-determination is largely being driven by the group's current chair, the prime minister of Solomon Islands, Manasseh Sogavare.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/284872/kilman-silence-on-west-papua-noted-in-vanuatu

Indonesia spreading propaganda to justify military deployment on border

Tabloid JUBI - September 22, 2015

Jayapura, Jubi – The Indonesian government is desperate to avoid further condemnation of this heavy military build up. In the past few days there have been reports, mainly from the Indonesia media of Indonesian loggers being kidnapped by West Papuans living in PNG, and later being rescued.

"I want to state very clearly and categorically that neither myself nor the Free West Papua Campaign are in any way affiliated with anyone advocating kidnapping or any violence. I do not know who is responsible in any way with this alleged kidnapping but I do know that the Indonesian military is always blaming the people of West Papua so that they can justify more violence and murder of West Papuans," the spokeperson of United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP), Benny Wenda told Jubi on Monday (21/9/2015).

He strongly suspect that the Indonesian military is once again trying to stir up more conflict along the border in an attempt to make their massive border deployment and systematic oppression of West Papuans seem acceptable and to gain more popularity for the Indonesian government.

Wenda added, only last week, West Papua's top soccer team Persipura Jayapura (internationally renowned in the region as one of the best teams) were stopped by Indonesian officials at the PNG border, even though a friendly soccer match had been formally arranged between Persipura and the PNG national team.

"This was due to be part of Papua New Guinea's 40th Independence Celebrations but the Indonesian government is so scared of West Papuans and PNG solidarity with the freedom struggle, they don't even want our soccer team playing outside West Papua," said Wenda.

Wenda said he is sure, there is further suspicion that the entire "hostage case" was manipulated and directed by the Indonesian government.

Recently, Zainal Abidin, an Indonesian "political expert" said, "People will naturally praise Joko (the Indonesian President) for helping free the two Indonesians,"

He even said, "I think it's only fair we remain suspicious, this may have been a scenario created by the [Indonesian] government to boost its popularity,"

"Everywhere I go, I tell the world the truth about the horrors my people face on a daily basis and so my central message for this statement now is that there is a very real possibility that this situation was manipulated by the Indonesian government to spread their own propaganda against the Free West Papua struggle. Our peaceful movement has nothing to do with this hostage situation at all," Wenda added.

Meanwhile, Octovianus Mote, General Secretary of ULMWP said West Papuans know the truth of what the Indonesian government is doing in West Papua. Ever since they illegally took control of the country in 1969, they have been massacring West Papua like animals and creating systematic violence and panic in an attempt to confuse the world about the real murderous situation. Over 500,000 innocent West Papuan people have died in what has become known as a secret genocide.

"The truth of West Papua is not about Indonesians being kidnapped by West Papuans. The truth of West Papua is genocide and the illegal occupation of our nation. Let the truth finally be told! West Papua must be finally be free and Independent from this illegal Indonesian occupation," Mote Said. (Victor Mambor)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/09/21/indonesia-spreading-propaganda-to-justify-massive-military-deployment-on-png-border-benny-wenda/

Released Indonesian hostages recount abuse by captors

Jakarta Globe - September 21, 2015

Robert Isidorus, Papua – The two Indonesian loggers held captive by a Papuan separatist group earlier this month in Papua New Guinea said they were stripped naked and beaten by their captors during their week-long ordeal.

"They forced us to crawl on the ground while yelling, 'Free Papua.' They forbade us to speak in our local Butonese [South Sulawesi] dialect; we had to speak Indonesian instead," Badar, 29, told Papua Police Chief Ins. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw at Bhayangkara Hospital in Jayapura, Papua.

Badar and Ladiri, 28, were among a group of Indonesian loggers working in Skopro village, located in Papua's Keerom district, who were attacked by seven armed men believed to be members of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) some 100 meters from the Papua New Guinea border. While their coworkers managed to flee, the pair was captured and taken across the border, into the dense jungles of Mount Victoria.

Badar and Ladiri said they spotted a helicopter flying overhead on their fourth day of captivity and attempted to catch the pilot's attention by waving their shirts in the air, but to no avail.

Neither knew why they had been captured. They were handed over to the Indonesian government through the Indonesian Consulate in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, last Friday before being transported back to Papua.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/released-indonesian-hostages-recount-abuse-captors/

Government draws praise, criticism in Papua kidnapping case

Jakarta Globe - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – The government's successful efforts in ensuring the freedom of two Indonesian loggers kidnapped and brought to Papua New Guinea last week have drawn mixed reactions from officials and experts.

An armed group believed to be part of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM) on Thursday night released two Indonesians – identified as loggers Badar, 29, and Ladiri, 28 – to security forces in Papua New Guinea, where both had been held since their capture on the Indonesian side of the border last week.

The release reportedly took place without incident and the two men are said to be healthy.

"I really appreciate President Joko Widodo for immediately contacting Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neil and requesting his help in releasing the two civilians," Setya Novanto, speaker of the House of Representatives, said in a statement distributed in Jakarta on Friday.

Setya also extended his praises to Indonesia's security forces and the government of Papua New Guinea.

Separately, the kidnapping and subsequent release received criticism from political expert Zainal Abidin, who questioned the authenticity of the entire situation.

"People will naturally praise Joko for helping free the two Indonesians," he said. "[But] I think it's only fair we remain suspicious; this may have been a scenario created by the [Indonesian] government to boost its popularity," he added.

Zainil pointed out OPM leader Jefry Endang Sodik's denial of the separatist group's involvement in the matter.

"The OPM are known to admit holding Indonesian nationals hostage and they often make demands in exchange for [the hostages'] freedom. But in this case, the group has denied any wrongdoing," Zainil said on Tuesday as quoted by Intelijen.co.id.

"This definitely raises questions, especially as State Intelligence Agency [BIN] chief Sutiyoso is very good at handling [such matters]," he added.

The Indonesian government expects to have both hostages in custody later this afternoon.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/govt-draws-praise-criticism-papua-kidnapping-case/

Police arrest two KNPB activists in Yahukimo

Tabloid JUBI - September 18, 2015

Yogyakarta, Jubi – Two activists of the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Hariel Luluk and Arpius Magayong, were arrested by the local police in Yahukimo while distributing flyers announcing the results of the Pacific Islands Forum meeting on the West Papua issue.

The chairman of KNPB in Yahukimo, Erius Suhun, said armed police officers in a patrol car came, stopped in front of a store and immediately arrested the two activists who were distributing the flyers. Then both were taken to the local police station.

"But, when we went to the police station and talked with the officers, they had been released since this afternoon. They were beaten by the police but currently they are already with us," Suhun said on Wednesday (16/9/2015).

The Central KNPB spokesperson Bazoka Logo confirmed to Jubi about the arrest of their two activists in Yahukimo. He said the political matter of the Papuan people is not final yet. Papua issue is currently being worldwide.

"Now, we warned the police to behave and maintain their attitude. Because the Papua issue is not merely a domestic matter but also get attention from the worldwide," he said.

Meanwhile, the Papua Police spokesperson Senior Commissionaire Patrige Renwarin has not yet being confirm. (Arnold Belau/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/09/18/police-arrest-two-knpb-activists-in-yahukimo/

Laurenzus Kadepa: National media fuelling conflict in Papua

Tabloid JUBI - September 18, 2015

Yogyakarta, Jubi – Papua councilor Lauzensus Kadepa accused the national media in Jakarta of fuelling the conflict in Papua.

"Some reports about the hostage-taking showed the national media in Jakarta are not professional. They accused the wrong people, those who were never involved. That's their bad side. This is an effort to keep enforcing the project of conflict in Papua with the intention to destroy Papua," Kadepa said in Jayapura on Wednesday (16/9/2015).

He cited the coverage on Tolikara case, in which some media in Jakarta continue to raise the issue of the little mosque was burned while the coverage on the shooting victims perpetrated by security forces was never given a space.

"That's it. It showed the national media are taking side instead of being neutral. Similar thing was happened on the report about two Indonesian citizens who are taken hostages in the border of Indonesia – PNG, or when a national media reported that West Papua National Committee was involved in action since 2006 while it was established at the end of 2008. Well, I advise to national journalists asking their local journalist colleagues about the local situation before publishing their writing. I guess there's a grand design to destroy Papua," he said.

Separately, senior journalist and Human Right Watch researcher said there are many problems among the so-called 'media national journalist' in Jayapura, Manokwari and Timika. They (journalist) are often underpaid that forced them to collect cash from their news resources.

He further said Papua geographical space that often seven time of the size of Java Island is not considered by media leaders in Jakarta. As a consequence, the less payment could not be used to cover the cost of reportage.

"Most of national media reporters in Papua have sold their independence to the third party. Even in 2011, leaked military document listed dozens of reporters as intelligent and informant of Military Special Force. Their names were circulated on social media, and recently it was analyzed by Sydney Morning Herald and Allan Nairn," he told Jubi from Jakarta.

Harsono revealed those who mentioned in the military document are mostly 'straight-haired' journalists. However, he recognizes some 'curly-haired' journalists who also sold their independence.

"I think the Press Council need to conduct special investigation on several disturbing news, including the report written by two media national journalists, and to find out whether it was done on purpose or not. It's required to recover the people's trust in Papua – indigenous or migrant – against journalism in Indonesia," he said. (Arnold Belau/rom)

Source: http://tabloidjubi.com/en/2015/09/18/laurenzus-kadepa-national-media-fuelling-conflict-in-papua/

Indonesia: After shootings of civilians, people of Papua demand justice

Benar News - September 17, 2015

Victor Mambor – The night began as a celebration of academic achievement but ended in the latest shooting of civilians by security forces in Papua, Indonesia's remote easternmost province.

Local people were gathering in Timika, a city of about 120,000 in the lowlands of south-central Papua, to celebrate the graduation of Leonardus Tumuka, the first member of the Kamoro tribe to earn a doctorate.

There was Tifa Duduk – traditional drumming, singing and dancing – but an altercation with soldiers shattered the festive mood in the early morning hours on Aug. 28. A shooting ensued that killed two young men and wounded five other people.

A special team of the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has been sent to the region to investigate this and other incidents, in which members of the Indonesian security forces have allegedly shot and killed civilians.

A tragic turn

The shooting occurred around 2 a.m., when a group of Kamoro people was gathering at St. Fransiskus Koperapoka church to prepare for the celebration, Gerry Okoware, a witness, told BenarNews.

According to him, two soldiers on a motorcycle rode up, waved guns and yelled, "Who hit our [army] members?" Some women tried to get the soldiers to leave the church yard, and some young men joined the effort. Then, shots rang out.

Seven people were wounded, two fatally. Imanuel Herman Maurimau and Yulianus Okoware, both 23, died after being rushed to local hospitals.

Less than an hour before the shooting, an altercation took place when two other soldiers tried to enter the street, which had been blocked off for the festivities.

"The two people were drunk, and they tried to break into the street closed by local people and police for the celebration," the bishop of Timika, Monsignor John Philip Saklil Pr, told BenarNews by phone from the city. Timika is a hub for Freeport Indonesia, the firm that operates the world's largest gold mine in nearby Tembagapura sub-district.

When an argument ensued between the soldiers and some young men at the scene, Kamoro elders, fearing that the incident might escalate, intervened to mediate the dispute.

The soldiers backed down and went away, but the two other servicemen on the motorbike rolled by some 40 minutes later, Sakil said.

'Protector of immoral criminals'

Within the past year there have been at least five cases of shootings of civilians in Papua by soldiers or members of the police force, according to the bishop. A total of eight people have died as a result.

"The cases have not yet been completely solved. In addition to a lack of transparency in handling the cases, it seems there is no good will or seriousness from police and army leadership. Therefore, the culprits have never been caught,"Saklil told BenarNews.

The worst of these shootings occurred on Dec. 8, 2014, when four teenagers were allegedly shot and killed by members of the security forces, as hundreds of people were protesting outside a military installation in Enarotali, a town in Paniai regency. The crowd was riled up by reports that some servicemen had fought with some local teens the night before.

Among the other incidents, members of a mobile police brigade and some soldiers were allegedly involved in a shooting in Dogiyai regency on June 26 that left one civilian dead and another wounded.

Tensions rose even higher on July 15, after a riot broke out in Tolikara regency. A group of Christians rioted outside a small mosque as local Muslims were taking part in a prayer service to mark Eid-ul-Fitr. The Christians were angered by noise coming from the mosque's loudspeakers.

According to news reports, a small fire broke out at the mosque, and one person was shot dead and 11 others suffered gunshot wounds when police fired on the crowd.

Yet because the people responsible for such shootings are still on active duty with the National Police and Army, their mere presence terrorizes people in Papua, Saklil said.

"The absence of a serious and sincere effort on their side gives the impression that both institutions are no longer serving the public. They are no more than the protector of immoral criminals," the bishop said.

Komnas HAM investigates

Komnas HAM Commissioner Natalius Pigai and four other staff members arrived in Timika on Sept. 8 to interview relatives of the two dead civilians, as well as gather facts from the army, local police force, and intelligence officials.

"We also stressed to the national police and army that we will monitor this case through to the level of military court, until the trial is over," Pigai told BenarNews by phone from Mimika.

Families of the victims want justice, Pigai said after visiting several of the wounded in hospital.

"Up until now, only the army has provided aid to the victims. No other aid has been received, including from the local government of Mimika. But the public is now seeking justice through transparent trials and verdicts, because we have two people who died here," he added.

According to Pigai, the army has acknowledged that the two men who carried out the shooting were members of the local district's military command. Military police have arrested and identified them as Chief Sgt. Makhar and 1st Sgt. Arshar.

Separately, Cenderawasih Hinsa Siburian, head of Military Command Zone XVII, confirmed to BenarNews that the two soldiers had been handed over to military police.

"They are now under investigation and soon will be tried by the military high court. The sooner, the better," Siburian said.

But he did not say what kind of punishment they might face, if court- martialed. "They will be charged with multiple crimes," he said.

Jokowi's promise The latest case has added to the toll from violence in Papua since Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was inaugurated as Indonesia's president last October, following an election campaign in which he promised to pay special attention to justice and development in Papua.

Laurensius Kadepa, a member of the provincial house of representatives, questioned the pledge that Jokowi had made on the campaign trail.

"Where are his promises saying that Indonesia's development will be started in Papua? Where is his attention on the human rights issue in Papua? I see no significant change until now," Kadepa told BenarNews.

"The violence by security forces is still going on, and Papuan lives are at stake in the name of the unity of the Republic of Indonesia. That is very wrong," said Kadepa, who has headed parliamentary committees probing such shootings.

Source: http://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/papua-shootings-09172015183311.html

Wanted rebel leader denies role in Papua kidnapping case

Jakarta Globe - September 16, 2015

Robert Isidorus, Banjir Ambarita & Ezra Sihite, Jayapura/Jakarta – The rebel leader accused of kidnapping two Indonesian loggers and fleeing with them across the border to Papua New Guinea has denied any involvement in the incident, hinting he was being framed by the armed forces.

Jefry Pagawak, said to be a local commander of the Free Papua Organization (OPM) and wanted by the authorities since 2006, said on Wednesday that he had nothing to do with the group that attacked a group of loggers in Papua's Keerom district, on the border with Papua New Guinea, on Sept. 9, killing one person and abducting two.

"I'm trying to find out who's behind this attempt to tarnish my name by carrying out this shooting and kidnapping," Jefry told the Jakarta Globe by phone.

"You'll have to ask the police and the military about that, because I wasn't there and I'm not part of that group," he added, saying he would never carry out such an attack "because then I wouldn't be safe."

Police alleged that Jefry's wing of the OPM is responsible for the attack and kidnapping, and that the rebel leader has a history of targeting civilians.

Last week's incident occurred in Keerom's Skopro village, a three-hour hike through thick jungle to the village of Skouwciouw in Papua New Guinea. The attackers fired on the group of loggers, killing one who was later identified by police as simply Kuba. They then took two others hostage, identified as Badar, 30, and Sudirman, 28, and fled across the border.

The Indonesian authorities claim that the kidnappers have demanded the release of Papuan separatist prisoners in exchange for the hostages, but the Globe has been unable to confirm this.

An Indonesian consular official in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea, said the PNG military was on the trail of the kidnappers but that there had been no progress yet in securing the hostages' freedom through negotiations or through use of force.

Officials in Jakarta have made clear that they will not give in to any demands the kidnappers have made or plan to make, and that they have full faith in the PNG military being able to secure the men's release.

"We've left it entirely up to the PNG government on how to deal with this incident, because the PNG government is a friend of ours and the prime minister has given this matter special attention," Luhut B. Panjaitan, Indonesia's chief security minister, said on Wednesday.

As for the kidnappers, he said Jakarta "will not negotiate with them on any point. Once we start negotiating, they're going to start dictating terms."

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/wanted-rebel-leader-denies-role-papua-kidnapping-case/

Soldier killed in Jayapura stabbing incident

Jakarta Globe - September 16, 2015

Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – Security forces in Jayapura have launched a manhunt for an unknown assailant who stabbed to death a soldier outside the main military base in the Papuan capital in the early hours of Wednesday.

The incident occurred at around 1:25 a.m. as the soldier, identified as Master Pvt. Langgeng, was carrying out a routine patrol of the base's perimeter.

A lone assailant is believed to have jumped him and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife, just 300 meters from the base's main guard post, out of sight of the other soldiers gathered there.

The assailant fled into the dense residential area behind the base, according to Lt. Col. Teguh Pudji Raharjo, a spokesman for the base.

"We can confirm that there has been a stabbing against a member of the Jayapura military base that left the victim dead," he told the Jakarta Globe. "There were a number of other soldiers on duty at the guard post, but because the incident took place some 300 meters away, the assailant was able to get away."

Teguh said the military and police had launched a joint force to hunt down the perpetrator.

He refused to speculate on the identity of the perpetrator. Similar attacks on the armed forces in Papua have typically been blamed on separatists, who have been waging a low-level insurgency since the 1960s.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/soldier-killed-jayapura-stabbing-incident/

Aceh

Aceh official in hot water over 'vulgar' Indian dance at cultural festival

Jakarta Globe - September 21, 2015

Jakarta – An official in Aceh has been demoted for featuring a "vulgar" and "erotic" Indian dance performance during a cultural festival in the province's capital last week.

Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal told news portal Detik.com on Sunday that she has demoted the city's Culture and Tourism Agency chief Fadhil for featuring the dance in the event, staged last Monday, arguing that the performance is not in accordance with Islamic shariah law, which Aceh adopted in 2001.

Fadhil "was sanctioned in relation to the cultural event in Banda Aceh. [The event] featured an Indian dance and the [female] dancers were not wearing hijabs," the mayor said, referring to the headscarf Muslim must wear in the predominantly Muslim province.

The dance "is not in line with [shariah law] as it features hugging and displays parts of a woman's body that must be covered," she said.

"I will not comment about art, but [the dance] clearly violates Islamic laws and it is fitting that I demote him," Illiza said. Fadhil, she said, has been reassigned to unspecified position inside the city's secretariat.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/aceh-official-hot-water-vulgar-indian-dance-cultural-festival/

Human rights & justice

No apology forthcoming as 50th anniversary of anti-communist massacre looms

Jakarta Globe - September 23, 2015

Jakarta – The Indonesian government is adamant it will not issue a formal apology to the victims of a state-sponsored anti-communist purge 50 years ago that left up to three million people dead.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said on Tuesday that any talk of President Joko Widodo preparing to issue an apology on the anniversary of the event that triggered the massacre was not true.

"This issue about the apology and whatever was never discussed at any cabinet meeting," Pramono told reporters at the State Palace in Jakarta.

He added the president was focused on "more pressing matters," including tackling slowing economic growth. "So the point is that that's not in his thoughts right now," Pramono said.

Speculation about an official apology for the 1965-66 military-led massacre of suspected members and sympathizers of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) has mounted since Joko's inaugural state-of-the-nation address last month, in which he called for national reconciliation to put to rest past rights abuses.

Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly later that month confirmed that the government was working on formulating an apology, but did not say when it would be issued. He also stressed that it would not be directed solely at the victims of the PKI purge, but also at those killed or otherwise affected by a litany of rights abuses carried out by the state since then.

Proponents of an apology had expected it to be delivered on Sept. 30, the anniversary of a purported coup attempt blamed by the military on the PKI.

Historians have since rubbished that narrative, saying the PKI was framed for the alleged coup attempt so that the military, led by Gen. Suharto, could justify seizing power from then-president Sukarno.

In the purge of suspected PKI sympathizers that followed – led by the Army and abetted by militias including the youth wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, today the country's biggest Islamic organization – an estimated one million to three million people, mostly ethnic Chinese, were murdered and millions more detained as political prisoners.

NU and Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second-biggest Islamic group, have denounced any attempt to apologize for the massacre, as have politicians from Suharto's Golkar Party and officials from the PPAD, the military's biggest veterans' association.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/no-apology-forthcoming-50th-anniversary-anti-communist-massacre-looms/

Haze disaster is human rights abuse, says rights commission

Jakarta Post - September 19, 2015

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has said that the uncontrollable spread of air pollution from forest fires in Sumatra could be categorized as a human rights violation by the state because the government allows it to happen every year.

"The government has committed fundamental human rights abuse because it does not stop [the forest fires] happening," Komnas HAM commissioner Roichatul said as quoted by kompas.

om on Saturday. She said that preventing such annual disasters occurring was the responsiblity of the central government, provincial governments and regency and city governments.

Siti Nurlaila, another commissioner, said the spread of the choking haze had curtailed the fundamental rights of the people to live a healthy life. The people are forced to inhale polluted air in their own homes and workplaces. Therefore, she demanded the government temporarily relocate all people, particularly children, affected by the haze to more healthy areas.

Relocating the people to safe areas is no less important than the efforts to extinguish the fires, according to Siti. "The government has also to provide indoor education and indoor playgrounds for the children affected by the haze," Siti added.

On Friday, a group of people, who described themselves as Riau's Anti-Haze Movement visited the Komnas HAM office in Jakarta to complain about the worsening impact of the haze on people's health in the province over the past month.

Siti said that her institution would carry out an investigation. "We have to work immediately because the air pollution in the area has become intolerable," she said, adding that the investigation was important for her institution before submitting a recommendation to the government.

Meanwhile, Riau Provincial Health Agency recorded that the number of people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections (ISPA) as a result of this year's haze had reached 43,386 or about double the 27,200 recorded last year. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/19/haze-disaster-human-rights-abuse-says-rights-commission.html

Health & education

Despite ban, female genital mutilation widespread in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – More than 140 million women worldwide have experienced female genital mutilation, but not everybody knows that many of them live in Indonesia, where over half of girls under 11 are subjected to the dangerous practice that is widely condemned internationally.

Now, with research indicating that government regulations and religious decrees have little to no impact on the prevalence of FGM, activists and officials are making themselves heard once more, to call for a comprehensive solution.

Religious background

Former Indonesian first lady and longtime women's rights activist Sinta Nuriyah says the tradition – which she stresses has no beneficial effects at all – "causes health problems, violates women's rights... and hurts their dignity."

Sinta, who raised four daughters with the late fourth president of Indonesia, Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid, spoke at a seminar hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Jakarta on Thursday.

She described how her children grew up in a traditional pesantren (Islamic boarding school) environment. Their grandfather, Wahid Hasyim, was a religious affairs minister in the Sukarno era and their great-grandfather, Hasyim Asy'ari, founded Nahdlatul Ulama, currently the biggest religious organization in the country.

Yet none of Sinta's daughters or six granddaughters was subjected to the treatment, which many in Indonesia strongly believe is an integral part of the faith.

"There really is no religious postulate for female circumcision, neither from the Koran nor from the prophet's sayings," Sinta said, with various religious experts at the meeting concurring. "That is why I am confident that the nahdliyin [followers of NU] will not circumcize their daughters."

Dearth of knowledge

Research suggests, however, that many Indonesian parents continue to do just that – in various degrees of severity.

At the seminar in Jakarta, Yarsi University professor Jurnalis Uddin presented findings of his research on the issue. He looked at the effects of a 2008 Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) fatwa challenging a ban on FGM issued by Indonesia's Health Ministry in 2006, and at the effects of a 2010 guideline issued by the ministry that overturned its own ban and instead explained in detail how the procedure should be carried out.

The 2010 ministerial guideline was withdrawn last year, meaning that the 2006 ban now stands. But the practice continues.

Jurnalis' research – conducted in Bandung and Indramayu in West Java and Makassar and Maros in South Sulawesi – suggests a dearth of knowledge on FGM on the part of both practitioners and girls undergoing the procedure.

None of the study's respondents were aware of the existence of the 2008 MUI fatwa or of the 2010 Health Ministry guideline. Perhaps not surprisingly, the professor said there was no measurable impact of either on the prevalence of FGM.

Health Ministry data from 2013 suggest 51.2 percent of Indonesian girls have undergone some form of FGM, with the highest prevalence in Gorontalo (83.7 percent) and the lowest in East Nusa Tenggara (2.7 percent).

'Indonesia is lagging behind'

Gunilla Olsson, Unicef's representative in Indonesia, said that people often point out that there are various degrees of damage done to women's genitalia as part of traditional FGM practices – with some having a relatively minor impact – but that the time had come for zero tolerance.

"They're all violations of girls' rights," Olsson said, pointing out that Indonesia is failing to meet its obligations based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which it has both ratified. "Indonesia is lagging behind," she stressed.

The chief of Unicef's child protection unit, Loren Rumble, concurred. "Is it still mutilation if it is only a scratch?" she said. "Absolutely, yes."

Pointing at the high prevalence of FGM in Indonesia, Rumble said it is about time people stop associating the practice solely with nations in Africa. "We need to think about what's happening right here at home," she said, urging Indonesian women to speak out to protect themselves and their daughters.

Holistic approach

Nafissatou J. Diop, the New York-based coordinator of the UNFPA-UNICEF joint program on FGM, stressed the need for a holistic approach.

According to Diop, even when most people in a given region want the practice to stop that doesn't necessarily mean it will, because of the strength of social norms.

When other people continue to carry out FGM, "the stigma attached to not doing it remains," she told the seminar, calling for a culturally sensitive approach focused on human rights and the empowerment of girls and women, and centered around positive, shared values.

But for such an approach to be successful, women do need to be open about their rejection of the tradition and there needs to be explicit, public affirmation of a collective commitment to abandon FGM at the community level, Diop said.

Access to information

In Indonesia, the Health Ministry says society's demand for female circumcision remains high, regardless of official decrees.

Muchtaruddin Mansyur, director general for children's health, said the ministry is acutely aware of the negative consequences of FGM, but that it is primarily a problem rooted in traditional beliefs.

As female circumcision is not a medical procedure, he argued, there is little the Health Ministry can do in terms of rules and regulations.

But Maria Ulfah Anshor, a member of the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI), called on the government to do more against FGM by finally taking a clear stance on the matter.

The commissioner pointed out that FGM is a violation of Indonesia's child protection law and also breaches a host of international conventions and human rights principles.

While also calling on parents to take their responsibility in protecting their children, Maria Ulfah said the government should act quickly and decisively.

What is needed, she said, is "complete, honest and accurate information about opinions on and the effects of female circumcision, so that people can steer clear from this dangerous practice."

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/despite-ban-female-genital-mutilation-widespread-indonesia/

Political parties & elections

House urged to simplify election laws

Jakarta Post - September 16, 2015

Tama Salim, Jakarta – To ensure the success of future elections, a coalition of civil society groups advocating for better electoral standards has urged the House of Representatives to simplify existing election laws as one of its priority tasks in the 2016 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

To this end, Didik Supriyanto, chairman of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) that spearheads the coalition, has asked the House Legislative Body (Baleg) on Tuesday to codify and merge the country's intricate set of election laws with hopes that it would resolve any overlapping or contradictory provisions.

"The election law [revision] should be prioritized in the deliberation of bills for next year," Didik said at a meeting with Baleg in Jakarta, arguing that there were currently too many distinct laws that governed the preparation, hosting and resolution of general elections.

As a solution, Didik recommended merging Law No. 15/2011 on election organizers, Law No. 8/2012 on legislative elections, Law No. 42/2008 on presidential elections and Law No. 8/2015 on the revision of the election of regional heads, into one comprehensive regulation.

"If we codify [these laws], any future debates between the government and the House regarding elections will be focused solely on the electoral system, while all other aspects will have been resolved or need only be slightly improved upon," he explained.

According to him, the House has passed a total of 12 laws that govern the electoral process between 2000 and 2015 alone, which have resulted in the emergence of three problems.

First, he says there are complications in the way elections are organized, as different standards are being used to regulate the aspects common in every kind of election, such as different methods for vote recapitulation.

The second issue, Didik continued, has to do with the inherent complexities of organizing an election. "From the perspective of election organizers, the current election system is unmanageable, while from the voters' perspective, the election encourages irrational choices due to its multifaceted approach," he said.

"For political parties and election candidates, the current election system foreshadows high political costs in campaigning."

In terms of election results, Didik said the current system had resulted in a divided and unconnected government that had become ineffective both at the central and regional level.

Meanwhile, Baleg deputy chairman Firman Soebagyo of the Golkar Party said that the initial response of the coalition was positive, with several party factions convinced that the nation's election laws needed to be revised and codified.

"I think that [this is important] for the national interest, especially since studies have shown that our current system doesn't elect people based on competence, but on popularity; even popular candidates don't guarantee integrity," he told reporters after the meeting with the coalition.

Firman vowed to propose the bill to the government once it accommodated all relevant input from experts, and would promote the importance of the bill before setting the 2016 Prolegnas priority bills.

Even so, Firman said that it would be next to impossible to pass such a bill by the end of this year – which the coalition suggested would provide election organizers enough time to successfully promote and implement the law – as it needs to go through a series of steps beforehand. "The fastest we can [guarantee passing the bill] is in 2016."

The House has been under constant pressure for its low performance since the beginning of its term. From the 37 priority bills that the House has planned to pass this year as part of the Prolegnas, legislators so far have only passed two bills: one on regional elections and the other on regional administrations.

It is also aiming to pass fewer bills this sitting period, citing other priorities such as consolidating the 2016 state budget proposal and preparing for the regional elections.

The coalition is made up of members of Perludem, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Populi Centre and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/16/house-urged-simplify-election-laws.html

Environment & natural disasters

Government revokes, suspends licenses of forest burners

Jakarta Post - September 23, 2015

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The government has announced the revocation of permits for four firms whose concessions in Sumatra and Kalimantan have burned up recently, adding to the haze fire disaster that has engulfed the nation.

One of the firms, PT Hutani Sola Lestari (HSL), is alleged to have supplied timber to PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), the country's major pulp and paper producer. However, the pulp and paper giant has denied the allegation. "RAPP has no connection whatsoever with HSL," RAPP president director Tony Wenas said in a press statement on Tuesday.

According to the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) database, HSL is a subsidiary of Raja Garuda Emas, previously known as Raja Garuda Mas, a business group controlled by one of the country's richest businessmen, Sukanto Tanoto. Sukanto also owns RAPP.

According to Environment and Forestry Ministry secretary-general Bambang Hendroyono, HSL obtained its concession for a 45,990-hectare plot of land in Riau in 1999. The permit was supposed to have been valid for 55 years, but it will now expire following the government's recent decision to revoke the permit.

"After we revoke the permit, it means that all operations should be stopped and all financial obligations have to be carried out," Bambang told a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday. Bambang said that the rights to manage the plot of land would be relegated to the government within 60 days.

Besides HSL, the government decided to suspend licenses for three palm oil companies; PT Tempirai Palm Resources and PT Waringin Agro Jaya, both in South Sumatra, and PT Langgam Inti Hibrindo in Riau.

"As of today, all operational activities of these companies are to be halted," Bambang said, adding that the suspension would be effective until there were court verdicts on the cases.

The companies are also to be considered responsible for regenerating the burned land, with the ministry saying that it was currently taking samples from the burned land to estimate the environmental damage as well as the cost to repair it.

The four firms are the first few companies on a long list of 286 companies that the government is targeting for allegedly causing land and forest fires.

Of the 286 companies, 90 hold industrial forest permits and production concessions, 49 hold land-conversion permits and 147 hold land-use permits. All together, they are responsible for burning of 191,993 hectares of land.

The decision to impose administrative sanctions before bringing the cases to court is something that is unprecedented. It is also a part of a grand plan set up by the central government to put an end to forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan, areas that have struggled with worsening land and forest fires over the past 18 years.

Both the Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) and the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) have rejected the general notion that big companies are behind the rampant forest fires, arguing that they are actually victims of the widespread slash-and-burn land clearing practices that are common in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Slash-and-burn farming is a generations-old agricultural practice to clear land quickly through the cutting and burning of forests and woodlands to clear the areas for agricultural purposes.

"There's no way we would burn [our own concessions] because we would suffer from losses due to the loss of plantation assets," APHI executive director Purwadi Soeprihanto said on Tuesday.

Likewise, head of Gapki's agrarian and spatial planning division, Eddy Martono, said that most of its members whose concessions had burned up were in fact victims.

"While it's true that the fires occurred on the concessions, these concessions were not controlled completely by the companies. For example, we already obtained land-cultivation permits but in those areas, local people still lived there. So if we looked at the hotspots, the fires happened on our concessions but they were actually [the wrongdoing of] local people," he told a press conference at Gapki offices on Tuesday. "Gapki members are actually victims from this disaster."

Langgam Inti Pelindo, one of the companies whose permit is to be suspended, is a member of Gapki. "From PT Langgam's report to us, their concession caught fire from neighboring plantations," Eddy said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/23/govt-revokes-suspends-licenses-forest-burners.html

Police ready to send first forest fire case to court

Jakarta Globe - September 21, 2015

Jakarta – Indonesian police are expediting a criminal investigation into one of 10 companies charged so far with starting forest fires that have generated choking haze across vast swaths of Sumatra and reached as far as Singapore.

A source at the police identified the company in question as Bumi Mekar Hijau, a South Sumatra-based supplier to Singapore-listed Asia Pulp and Paper (APP).

Under the charges being brought by investigators, company executives could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of deliberately setting the fires to clear forested land for planting.

"Next week we'll be ready to submit the case [to prosecutors]," the source told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Hopefully the prosecutors can deem [all the evidence] sufficient so we can proceed to investigating other companies that have also burned forests."

Bumi Mekar Hijau was earlier this year the subject of a civil suit filed by the government over fires inside its concession last year. A court in South Sumatra threw out the case in February.

In the current investigation, police have charged an unnamed executive from the company with violating a prohibition on slash-and-burn forest clearing.

An APP spokesman told Singapore's Straits Times newspaper that it was "not aware of any new formal police charges against any of our suppliers at this time" and maintained that APP had operated a "zero burning" policy in its supply chain since 1996.

Police have charged 10 companies in Sumatra and Kalimantan along with 127 individuals for slash-and-burn practices, which are believed to be behind the thick haze that has blanketed parts of the country as well as Singapore and Malaysia, bringing air quality indexes in all three countries to unhealthy levels.

The companies face fines of up to Rp 10 billion ($694,000) each, while the suspects face jail time of up to 10 years under the environmental protection and forestry laws. The companies also face having their permits revoked by the government.

The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) called on Sunday for the government to employ some of the nation's best lawyers to prosecute these cases, saying they could serve as a precedent for future prosecutions and lawsuits against other companies.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said on Sunday that the government was investigating nearly 300 companies for alleged slash-and-burn practices.

The ministry has deployed at least 200 officers to investigate firms with concessions on which fires had been detected, suspecting them of using the slash-and-burn method of clearing land. The minister promised to publish a list of violators before the end of the year.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/police-ready-send-first-forest-fire-case-court/

Forests should be given back to the people, says green leader

Jakarta Post - September 19, 2015

Indonesian Green Institute chairman Chalid Muhammad has said that large parts of Indonesia's forests have been converted into plantation businesses, mostly for oil palm, including many owned by foreign businesspeople, and called for radical community solutions to the forest fires that have been plaguing the nation.

The conversion has, according to Chalid, destroyed a great deal of flora and fauna in the forests.

"Oil palm alone controls 12 billion hectares of forests. The owners include large corporations from neighboring countries. The government issues permits to convert the forests. Peatland areas are another target for business," Chalid said in Jakarta on Saturday.

Chalid, a former director of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi), said that the government should stop granting concessions to convert forests and peatland, as it has promised.

The ongoing forest fires should be enough reason for the government to fulfil its promise, he went on, with further conversion of peatland – which is highly flammable – likely to lead to worse fires.

Speaking of the forest fires, Chalid called on the government to be serious about punishing those responsible for burning land, including by revoking the permits of those found guilty.

"After the permits are revoked, they should be recovered to be given to local people. If the people are allowed to manage the forests, they can be expected not to burn the forests,' he said, adding that community forest management was the answer to long-term forest fire management and reduction.

"Such long-term solutions should be seriously discussed, because we cannot talk about forest fires only when the forests are being burned," he said. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/19/forests-should-be-given-back-people-says-green-leader.html

Indonesia arrests seven company executives for illegal forest fires

The Guardian (Australia) - September 18, 2015

Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja for the Straits Times – Indonesian police arrested seven corporate executives on Wednesday in connection with illegal forest fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan, as part of a wide-ranging effort to stop the haze crisis.

Suspects included a senior executive from Bumi Mekar Hijau, a unit of Singapore-based Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), which is also Indonesia's largest pulp and paper producer.

The national impetus includes deploying more police to help with firefighting and handling probes against culprits, and increasing cloud- seeding sorties to douse the blazes, especially those burning on dry peatlands.

These carbon-rich peatlands produce the thick haze that has blanketed many parts of Indonesia, as well as neighbours Malaysia and Singapore in recent weeks, bringing the air quality down to unhealthy and sometimes hazardous levels.

The government's pledge to step up enforcement and expand cloud-seeding operations, as air pollutant levels improved owing to the rain yesterday, raises hope among millions affected by the haze.

Several parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan have been ravaged by forest fires in recent weeks because of the dry season, which was exacerbated by the El Niqo effect.

A weather phenomenon, El Niqo, reduces rainfall in south-east Asia, resulting in hot and dry weather, which causes forests to burn more easily. But Indonesia's national disaster management agency (BNPB) said sporadic rain in recent days may offer respite while the presence of clouds facilitates cloud-seeding.

"We understand the El Niqo will last until late November, but a weather anomaly has developed – we had rain north of the equator line," said BNPB chief Willem Rampangilei.

Rampangilei was speaking to The Straits Times on Wednesday after a meeting on the forest fire and haze crisis with president Joko Widodo. "Cloud- seeding is not effective if there are no clouds at all, but we expect the clouds to increase in the coming days," he added.

The Indonesian national police chief Badrodin Haiti told reporters yesterday that he has deployed 682 officers, including 68 investigators, to affected areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan, to reinforce firefighters and soldiers already on the ground.

The Straits Times understands that the national police have identified firms such as plantation company Bumi Mekar Hijau for suspected environmental crimes.

A senior executive from the South Sumatra-based firm, identified by his initials JLT, was arrested on Wednesday morning and is currently being interrogated.

An APP spokesman, responding to queries from The Straits Times, said last night it was "not aware of any new formal police charges against any of our suppliers at this time". She maintained that APP has operated a "zero burning" policy in its supply chain since 1996.

Senior members from six other companies accused of similar offences were also picked up on Wednesday for questioning, General Badrodin added. Bumi Mekar Hijau, which has pulpwood concessions in Ogan Komering Ilir in South Sumatra, is still facing trial for a separate civil case in the Palembang.

The environment and forestry ministry had previously demanded that Bumi Mekar Hijau pay 7.8tn rupiah (S$780 million) to the state for damages from burning land. If found guilty again this time, the company's management could be jailed for up to 10 years.

This year, provincial police units in the six areas affected by the haze have been investigating 24 companies and 126 individuals for breaching environmental laws.

According to figures from environment and forestry minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, estimates show 52,000 hectares of land in Sumatra were ravaged by fire, while 138,000 hectares in Kalimantan were scorched. However, the number of hot spots recorded thus far this year remains fewer than that recorded last year, said the BNPB.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/18/indonesia-arrests-seven-company-executives-for-illegal-forest-fires

Indonesia emissions targets lack transparency

Jakarta Post - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – Environmental activists have demanded the government revise a draft document on the country's emissions targets before submitting it for a UN climate conference in Paris.

The activists said the draft document on Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) lacked information on how the government hoped to achieve its new emissions-reduction target of 29 percent, with no clear reference to funding sources, targets, baseline references or means of implementation.

The draft is open for review on the Environment and Forestry Ministry website for public input. The review closes on Sept. 20. It will be discussed at the UN conference this December, with Indonesia and other countries shifting the focus from tackling deforestation to issues of energy consumption post 2020 in the fight against climate change.

The draft states that Indonesia will provide US$55.01 billion to reduce emissions by as much as 29 percent for the period 2015 to 2019. From 2007 to 2014, it had spent a total of about $17.48 billion to reach its own emissions-reduction target of 26.41 percent.

"The government cannot show us how they've come up with such figures. There is no review on the use of past funding. If this is how the draft looks like, INDC could be merely another international discourse that ends up in investment projects among various countries without serving the public interest," Diana Gultom, a researcher from debtWATCH Indonesia said during an activists' gathering on Thursday.

She added that drafts from developed countries also did not state that they would provide funding for developing countries to combat climate change.

"Indonesia should state clearly the sources of the $55.01 billion cited in the draft. Are they domestic sources, donations or loans? If it's from foreign sources, we have to make sure that there are no conditions they require from us that will disadvantage us," she said.

Diana went on to say that instead of taking on additional unnecessary loans, the government could disburse existing idle funding to reduce emissions, such as from the reforestation budget.

"The disbursement needs approval from the regional heads or central government. They need to be aware of the red tape involved in the budget disbursement so they have to act fast and change any challenging regulations that slow down the disbursement," she said.

Mentawai Island regency in West Sumatra, for example, has a Rp 64 billion reforestation budget that has lain idle since 2003. "The budget is wasted because it cannot be used. There are so many requirements for the disbursement," said Kortanius Sabeleake, a regional councilor in the area, as quoted by tempo.co.

Sisilia Nurmala Dewi, the spokesperson of the Association for Community and Ecology-Based Law Reform (HuMa) said the INDC should insert variables that were specific, measurable, relevant and time-bound to be able to reach a target that could be verified in the future.

This includes the listing of real programs that the government could undertake from now until 2020, which can lay the foundations for responsible long-term development to reach zero emissions.

"Developed countries could offer help if the draft showed clearly the ongoing progress of emissions reduction, how far we are from the target, and identify in which areas foreign countries could help us. If the draft is this unclear, who is going to help?" she said during the conference.

Activists also lambasted the government for the contradiction between the targets and existing policies.

"The government plans to build power plants producing 35,000 megawatts by 2019. As much as 20,000 megawatts will be produced by coal-fired plants, while only 2,000 megawatts will be generated from clean and renewable sources. How can it be possible to reduce emissions by 29 percent?" asked Abetnego Tarigan, the chairman of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi).

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples (AMAN) detected inappropriate terminology for indigenous peoples in the draft that could negate the status of indigenous people as legal subjects.

"The UN declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples mentions 'indigenous peoples' while this draft uses 'adat communities'. If something happens to them in the future, who is going to protect their rights?" said AMAN secretary-general Abdon Nababan. (rbk)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/18/ri-emissions-targets-lack-transparency.html

Residents abandon homes in search of fresh air

Jakarta Post - September 17, 2015

Rizal Harahap, Apriadi Gunawan and Jon Afrizal, Pekanbaru/Medan/Jambi – After spending weeks battling with the impact of the thick haze that has blanketed their home city, many Pekanbaru residents have finally decided to give up, leaving the Riau provincial capital in a desperate search for a healthier environment.

Pekanbaru resident Zahara Hanafi, 37, recently left her house at the Green Tiara residential complex for Medan, North Sumatra, to avoid the haze.

"I have been living in Pekanbaru for years and have experienced haze disasters from time to time. I, however, feel that this year's haze is the most severe and longest of all," the mother of three told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

"That's why I finally decided to evacuate my family to my sister's house in Medan." Zahara said she would return to Pekanbaru only when the haze had completely disappeared from the city.

Riau, the country's top oil-producing region, along with Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, are the provinces hardest hit by the air pollution originating from fires in peatland and plantation areas.

Apart from creating health problems and disrupting the operation of local airports, the fires have also caused air quality in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia to deteriorate to alarming levels.

On Monday, acting Riau governor Arsyadjuliandi "Andi" Rachman even issued a gubernatorial decree declaring an emergency status regarding air pollution in the province.

In response to public pressure, the Riau provincial administration announced on Tuesday the opening of Pekanbaru's Tribuana Sports Hall as a temporary evacuation center for locals affected by the haze.

Separately, Pekanbaru Mayor Firdaus admitted that the city was no longer livable as the pollutant standard index (PSI) in the city had surpassed 300, which indicates a "dangerous" level, over the past few days.

Firdaus acknowledged that many Pekanbaru residents had moved their families to other cities if they had the financial ability to do so.

"Haze does not only fill the air but also peoples' houses. Pekanbaru should have been emptied, but the problem is where these people should go when many [neighboring] regions are also hazy," Firdaus said.

To curb the impacts of the haze on residents' health, the city administration, according to Firdaus, has allowed pregnant civil servants and those prone to haze-related diseases to take time off until the air quality in the city returns to normal.

"We are also hoping private companies in Pekanbaru will show similar lenience for their pregnant employees, as the haze will affect fetal brain development," he said.

The Riau Health Agency announced on Monday that more than 25,000 people in the province's 12 regions had suffered from haze-related diseases recently, with the majority related to acute respiratory infections (ISPA).

In Jambi municipality, the local health agency reported that the intensifying haze in the city had increased the number of ISPA patients by almost 10 times, from 2,849 patients in August to 20,741 patients during the first two weeks of September.

Last week, a 2-year-old infant and a 15-year-old girl from the city died after experiencing acute respiratory problems.

Meanwhile in Batam, Riau Islands, the management of Hang Nadim International Airport reported that 38 flights from and to the airport had been canceled on Tuesday on haze-related safety concerns.

"Airline companies have been forced to cancel their flights as [visibility] at destination airports is not favorable," the airport's general affairs head, Suwarso, told Antara news agency.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/16/residents-abandon-homes-search-fresh-air.html

Malaysian company among those investigated over haze: Indonesian minister

Reuters - September 17, 2015

Jakarta – A Malaysian company is among more than 20 firms under investigation by Indonesian authorities in connection with forest fires that have caused a haze to engulf large parts of Southeast Asia, an Indonesian minister said on Wednesday.

The worsening smog across northern Indonesia, neighbouring Singapore and parts of Malaysia forced some schools to close and airlines to delay flights this week, while Indonesia ordered a crackdown on lighting fires to clear forested land.

"There is one [company] from Malaysia that is among those being investigated," Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya told reporters, without elaborating. "We are still checking if there are any from Singapore."

Police in Riau, at the heart of the haze, said an official overseeing operations at Indonesian palm oil company Langgam Inti Hibrido had been named a suspect for starting fires on the company's land. It was not possible to reach the company outside of business hours.

Southeast Asia has suffered for years from annual bouts of smog caused by slash-and-burn practices in Indonesia's Sumatra and Kalimantan islands, but governments in the region have failed to address the problem.

The fires have been exacerbated this year by the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon, as a prolonged dry season in Indonesia has parched the top soil, fuelling the flames.

This year's haze had already caused trillions of rupiah in losses to the Indonesian economy, with further losses now expected, added Nurbaya.

Authorities have so far declined to name any other suspected perpetrators but are set to announce this week the names of three or four companies that are due to face sanctions including possibly having their land permits revoked.

President Joko Widodo instructed security forces late on Monday to accelerate efforts to extinguish the fires and revoke land permits from companies found responsible.

Nearly 3,000 military and police personnel, 17 helicopters and four cloud- seeding aircraft have been deployed to fight the fires, according to the country's disaster management agency.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/malaysian-company-among-investigated-haze-indonesian-minister/

Companies responsible for forest fire will be blacklisted, minister says

Jakarta Globe - September 16, 2015

Jakarta – At least 10 companies believed to be behind several land fire incidents across Sumatra and Kalimantan have been charged by the National Police with violating the Law on the Environment.

National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said police have charged 127 individuals along with 10 corporations, but refused to divulge the firms' names due to ongoing investigations against the firms.

"We charged [the companies] on several grounds. For example, their lands caught fire last year and this year they caught fire again, despite the law which says [companies] must do all it can to address the problem by getting the needed equipment and personnel ready. There are obligations which [the companies] sidelined," he said on Wednesday as quoted by Detik.com.

Badrodin said police are also considering charging the company's directors. "We will take it one step at a time, starting from who is responsible [for slash-and-burn practices] on the field and who is involved in [these incidents]," he said. "We can target the directors, commissioners all the way to the shareholders."

Separately, Coordinating Minister on Politicals, Legal and Security Luhut Pandjaitan said if the firms are found guilty, they will be placed on the government's blacklist and will have permits revoked. "This is a national issue, which endangers the health of many. We will take firm action by blacklisting them," he said.

The blacklist, Luhut said, will extend to the companies' board of directors, commissioners and landowners in anticipation of the possibility that the same people may begin establishing shell companies to avoid the government's blacklist.

"After the blacklist, there will be no more chances for the firms and businessmen and there is no chance for them to ever receive a plantation or forest clearing permit," he said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/companies-responsible-for-forest-fire-will-be-blacklisted-minister-says/

Gender & sexual orientation

Gay married couple leave Bali

Jakarta Post - September 18, 2015

Denpasar – Police are investigating a recent gay wedding celebration in a hotel in Ubud, Bali, although the couple has already left the island for the US.

"They left Bali on Saturday. The men are a US citizen and an Indonesian citizen who were married in the US. They came here to celebrate their wedding," Bali Police chief Isp. Gen. Sugeng Prayitno said on Thursday.

He said the wedding celebration must have been organized well before Saturday.

Photos of the couple's traditional Balinese wedding ceremony have been circulating in the media. In one of the photos, the couple, dressed in pink beskap (traditional suits) and blue sarongs, are seen standing in front of a Hindu priest who is believed to have led the ceremony.

National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chief Dianto Bachriadi said the rights of minority groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, should be protected but that upholding these rights should not create social unease and should respect local culture and traditions.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/18/island-focus-gay-married-couple-leave-bali.html

Graft & corruption

Police chief removed in Bali extortion case

Jakarta Post - September 23, 2015

Ni Komang Erviani, Denpasar – After weeks of investigations, the Bali Police on Monday officially dismissed Comr. Ida Bagus Deddy Januartha from his position as Kuta Police chief, making him the highest-ranking officer among 12 police personnel who have received initial punishment for their alleged involvement in the extortion of a group of Australian tourists earlier this year.

The inauguration of the new Kuta Police chief, Comr. I Wayan Sumara, was held on Monday in a modest ceremony at the Denpasar Police headquarters, along with the swearing in of 16 other police officers who have been installed in various leadership positions.

Deddy, who has been reassigned to the Bali Police's operations bureau, also attended the ceremony but refused to speak to the press.

Denpasar Police chief Sr. Comr. Anak Agung Made Sudana, who led the inauguration ceremony, expressed hope that the new leadership would prevent a similar incident from occurring.

"Referring to the previous [extortion] incident, we are hoping that it won't happen again. No one hopes that will happen again," Sudana told journalists after the ceremony.

The police's investigation into the extortion case began last month in response to reports from Australian media on a group of Australian tourists who allegedly extorted by Bali law enforcers during a vacation on the popular resort island.

The Sydney Morning Herald, for example, reported on June 21 that the incident happened in February when Australian tourist Mark Ipaviz and his friends were holidaying in Bali.

On their last night on the island, they organized a private event at an upmarket Seminyak restaurant and hired a stripper for the party.

After the stripper began her performance, security guards stormed in and allegedly used Taser weapons against the Australians, as well as beating them with guns and bottles.

After confiscating the men's phones and calling the local police, the guards and the police transported the group to a police station.

The tourists were reportedly forced to stay overnight at the police station and threatened with 10-year prison sentences for indecency. They were reportedly later taken to ATMs and forced to withdraw a huge amount of cash to secure their release.

Earlier this month, the Bali Police announced that their internal investigation had found the involvement of 12 Kuta Police personnel in the extortion, which the police claimed had cost the tourists Rp 20 million (US$1,380).

The amount, according to the police, was shared among eight officers. Although they did not take the money, the other four personnel, including Deddy, are also considered guilty for not reporting the case to their superiors.

Newly inaugurated Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Sugeng Priyanto has also pledged to settle the case in an attempt to make Bali a safer place for both local residents and tourists.

Prior to Deddy's official dismissal, Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Hery Wiryanto confirmed on Sunday that Deddy had been suspended from his position since Wednesday.

Deddy, according to Hery, insisted that he did not accept any of the money taken from the Australians, defying testimonies from his subordinates. "Even if he did not take the money, as the chief of Kuta Police [at the time], he must take responsibility for what has happened," Hery added.

Earlier this month, Kuta Police general crimes unit head Adj. Comr. Dewa Tagel Wijasa was also suspended from his position after the police's internal investigation revealed that Dewa had allegedly served as the main instigator of the extortion operation.

The Bali Police said that permanent sanctions against the 12 police personnel could only be imposed after they had undergone sessions with ethics tribunals, with dismissal as the maximum possible punishment.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/22/police-chief-removed-bali-extortion-case.html

Soeharto foundation buys time as courts grow impatient

Jakarta Post - September 21, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani, Jakarta – The Supersemar Foundation has said it will not pay a court-ordered fine of Rp 4.4 trillion (US$305.3 million) for misuse of its scholarship funds until it receives an official notice to do so from the Supreme Court.

Although the Supreme Court reached its decision last month, the South Jakarta District Court, the court that originally heard the case, only received the notice on Tuesday.

Denny Kailimang, a lawyer representing the foundation, which is owned by the family of former president Soeharto, told The Jakarta Post that he was not aware of the notice having been issued.

"As of today, we have not received any notice. We will wait for the notice from the [South Jakarta District] court and it is up to the prosecutors to decide what happens next," he said on Saturday.

While the foundation has not yet decided its next move, Denny claimed there was no explanation as to why the his client should pay the amount specified.

In 1998, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) conducted an audit into the Supersemar Foundation, alongside several other foundations that were suspected of embezzling funds. Following the probe, the AGO declared the foundation in the clear.

"As far as we are concerned, we were audited in 1998 with the permission of Pak Harto [Soeharto] and no foul play was detected," Denny said.

The case dates to 2008, when the AGO filed a lawsuit at the South Jakarta District Court accusing the Soeharto family and the foundation of misusing scholarship funds by diverting them to their own companies.

The South Jakarta District Court found the foundation guilty of misusing the funds and ordered it to pay a penalty.

The Supreme Court upheld the decision in 2010 and demanded that the foundation pay $315 million and Rp 139.2 billion, which roughly equals Rp 4.4 trillion under the present valuation.

A problem arose when it was discovered that the earlier decision by the lower court contained a typographical error, stating that the rupiah portion of the ordered payment should be Rp 139.2 million, rather than Rp 139.2 billion.

Meanwhile, Attorney General M. Prasetyo said that the South Jakarta District Court would meet the AGO and the Supersemar Foundation to discuss the method of payment.

"[The payment mechanism] is based on the lower court's authority. The court will summon the two sides and ask the foundation whether or not it is able and willing to pay the sum," he told reporters on Friday afternoon.

"Hopefully, the foundation's leaders are willing and the issue can be resolved quickly." If the foundation refused to pay the fine, Prasetyo said, the South Jakarta District Court would be forced to confiscate its assets.

However, the attorney general added that it was possible that the foundation would be allowed to pay in installments if unable to pay the fine in full within eight days of receiving notice.

"We will see what their condition is, whether the Supersemar Foundation is indeed cash-strapped," he said, adding that the AGO had already evaluated part of the assets owned by the foundation.

South Jakarta District Court spokesman Made Sutisna confirmed that the court would convene the foundation and the AGO before moving to demand the payment.

"The South Jakarta District Court will let each side study the verdict. Only after that will the winning side [AGO] be able to file for a request for the verdict's execution," Sutisna said on Saturday.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/21/soeharto-foundation-buys-time-courts-grow-impatient.html

AGO ready to confiscate Papua cop's huge assets

Jakarta Globe - September 18, 2015

Yeremia Sukoyo, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office is ready to confiscate the assets of graft and money laundering convict Labora Sitorus, a law-ranking but surprisingly well-off police-officer-cum-businessman from West Papua.

Attorney General M. Prasetyo said the Supreme Court has already issued a final and binding ruling on the matter, so authorities could proceed.

Even if Labora were to lodge a judicial review to challenge the ruling, "it would not get in the way of the impending confiscation [of the assets]," Prasetyo said on Thursday.

Labora made national headlines in 2013 when it turned out he had some Rp 1.5 trillion ($105 million) in his bank accounts. He had been laundering money gained through fuel hoarding and illegal logging with his timber company Rotua.

The notorious officer has since been sentenced to 15 years in prison for graft and money laundering.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/ago-ready-confiscate-papua-cops-huge-assets/

Former KPK leaders to stand trial soon

Jakarta Post - September 18, 2015

Fedina S. Sundaryani and Andi Hajramurni, Jakarta/Makassar – National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti has ordered police investigators to wrap up their probes into former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto and hand over the case evidence and dossiers to the Attorney General's Office (AGO).

"I have already ordered that all cases that have been declared complete [by the Attorney General's Office] be handed over to the prosecutors as soon as possible. If not, the cases will stall and doubts will surface," he told reporters on Thursday at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Although Badrodin said he had officially given the order to expedite Bambang and Abraham's cases, he claimed not to know if they had been yet. "I can't say for sure when [the handover will occur]. However, I have ordered the handover to be expedited," he said.

Earlier this year, Bambang was arrested by the National Police's detective division for allegedly directing witnesses to provide false testimony in an election dispute hearing at the Constitutional Court in 2010, a year before he became a KPK commissioner.

A former colleague of Bambang, Zulfahmi Arsyad, was recently sentenced to seven months in jail by the Central Jakarta District Court.

Abraham, meanwhile, was declared a suspect by the South Sulawesi Police for allegedly abusing his authority to forge a document that would allow a woman, Feriyani Lim, to be included on his family card so that she could apply for a passport at the Makassar Immigration Office in 2007.

The cases against the two KPK leaders arose shortly after the commission named then police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a graft suspect. At the time, Comr. Gen. Budi Waseso, a former subordinate of Budi's, had recently been inaugurated as the National Police's detective division chief.

Separately, Bambang's lawyer, Julius Ibrani said on Thursday that he had received official notification that the dossiers would be transferred on Friday.

"The handover of [the dossiers of] BW [Bambang] and AS [Abraham] will be conducted on the same day, Friday. For AS' dossier, the South and West Sulawesi Police will hand the document over to the local prosecutor's office while BW's dossier will be transferred from the National Police's detective division to the AGO," he said.

According to Julius, both Bambang and Abraham have said that they will be present during the handover of the documents.

However, the head of Abraham's legal team, Adnan Buyung Azis, said that the former KPK chairman would not be present on Friday, as he had a scheduling conflict.

"We received the summons on Wednesday afternoon but Pak Abraham said that he could not come because he had work to do," Adnan said, adding that Abraham had requested that the handover be postponed until Sept. 28.

Meanwhile, antigraft activists have criticized the police for the belated handover, saying that it was further proof that the cases against the former KPK commissioners had been manufactured as a political vendetta.

"It's even more glaring if you see that BW's dossier was declared complete by the AGO in May, but only now is the detective division transferring it," said Makassar antigraft activist Abdul Fickar Hadjar.

Although the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) stipulates that the police force must hand over the dossier, evidence and suspects of a case as soon as possible following confirmation from the AGO that the case is complete, it does not specify a time frame in which the police force must do so.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/18/former-KPK-leaders-stand-trial-soon.html

Case against suspended corruption commission leaders passed to prosecutor

Jakarta Post - September 17, 2015

Jakarta – The case dossiers of suspended Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders, Abraham Samad and Bambang Widjojanto, will be submitted to provincial and national prosecutors on Friday.

"The second phase submission [which includes investigation files and evidence] of Abraham and Bambang's dossiers will be carried out simultaneously on Friday," said lawyer Julius Ibrani on Thursday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Julius added that Abraham and Bambang's dossiers would be handed over from the South Sulawesi Police to the South Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office, and from the National Police Criminal Investigation Corps (Bareskrim Polri) to the Attorney's General Office (AGO), respectively.

According to Julius, Polri investigators had also sent summons letters calling on Abraham and Bambang to come to the South Sulawesi Police and to Bareskrim Polri, respectively, regarding the dossiers' second phase submission.

"Both Abraham and Bambang are ready to comply with the legal process as it is part of their responsibility as citizens," said Julius.

Abraham has been declared a suspect by the South Sulawesi Police for allegedly abusing his authority by helping a Pontianak woman, Ferriyani Lim, obtain an ID card and family card for inclusion in her passport application at the Makassar Immigration Office in 2007.

Meanwhile, Bambang was named a suspect for allegedly directing a witness to give false testimony at the Constitutional Court during the hearing of a West Kotawaringin election dispute in July 2010.

Previously, in a related case, the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Bambang's colleague Zulfahmi Arsyad to seven months in jail for his role in aiding Bambang in 2010, who was then a lawyer working on an election dispute case before the Constitutional Court, by recruiting witnesses to give false testimonies in court. (kes)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/16/bandung-tops-list-most-corrupt-city.html

Freedom of religion & worship

Pluralism activist asks Indonesians to stop spreading hate on social media

Jakarta Post - September 21, 2015

Jakarta – Wahid Institute director Yenny Wahid called on Indonesians to spread more peaceful messages during the opening of the International Peace Day at City Hall in Jakarta on Sunday.

The pluralism activist said she was apprehensive about bullying and hateful messages, which were easy to spread via social media.

"We have witnessed many hateful messages distributed through social media. Certain people have provoked us with messages of hate, the accuracy and reliability of which we cannot verify," she said as quoted by kompas.com on Sunday.

The daughter of former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said the ongoing actions to spread hatred were now getting systematic and radical; therefore, any effort to fight against such hatred must be conducted systematically and on a large scale.

Yenny said that through the International Peace Day celebration, she wanted to urge all Indonesian people to spread more peaceful messages on social media.

"We also want to make a more coordinated effort to spread peaceful messages. We are calling on all Indonesian people to be ready to participate in spreading peaceful messages, at least in their surrounding community," the activist said.

"Social media should be filled with messages of love. It's the simplest way we can create peace," she went on.

The International Peace Day celebration, jointly held by the Wahid Institute and peace movement Indonesia #BeraniDamai, offered various activities such as a fun walk. Hundreds of participants from various communities attended the fun walk, which started at City Hall.

The event also presented various entertainment activities such as a flash mob, Komunitas 5 Gunung dance performance, Koto musical performance, and barongsai (lion dance). Yenny and popular singer Agnes Monica closed the event reading a peace declaration. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/20/pluralism-activist-asks-indonesians-stop-spreading-hate-social-media.html

NU supporters protest extreme teachings

Jakarta Post - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – Hundreds of supporters of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization staged a rally in front of Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 2 state Islamic senior high school in Purwokerto, Central Java, on Thursday, in protest at four of the school's teachers allegedly spreading extremist teachings and hatred.

"It's serious. We have evidence, including recordings, of the statements of the four teachers that were recorded by the students," said NU Banyumas regency chapter secretary Muhaimin.

Muhaimin said NU demanded the school fire the teachers if they continued spreading extreme teachings and hatred.

The school's principal, Muslikh, said the school had been discussing the matter with the Banyumas office of the Religious Affairs Ministry. "But in essence, we should not let extreme teachings and hatred be taught here," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/18/island-focus-nu-supporters-protest-extreme-teachings.html

Agriculture & food security

Extreme weather hits farms, ruins harvests

Jakarta Post - September 16, 2015

Slamet Susanto and Ruslan Sangadji, Yogyakarta/Palu – The current extreme weather has aborted harvests on hundreds of destroyed of farmland in Yogyakarta and Central Sulawesi, causing farmers in the two provinces billions of rupiah in losses.

"The [current] weather and climate are extraordinary, unpredictable. For years, August until October has been the best time for planting onions," said Sumarwanto, a farmer from Srigading village, Bantul, Yogyakarta.

The 47-year-old said temperatures could be cool, reaching 18 to 20 degrees Celsius on one day, then suddenly increase to above 35oC.

Because of the extreme weather, Sumarwanto said he could not harvest the commodity on his hectare of land as the onion plants, which were aged between 30 to 40 days, dried up in just two days.

"To plant the onions, I spent about Rp 20 million [US$1,390]," said the father of one. About 80 percent of 400 hectares of farmland in Sanden district, Bantul, which had been planted with onions, were reportedly suffering harvest failure. Similarly, about 170 hectares of onions in Parangtritis, Kretek district, in the same regency, were facing the same fate.

Bantul Agriculture Agency head Partogi Pakpahan said his agency did not yet know why the leaves of the onions had become yellow and dry. "This morning, we are sending a team to the fields to investigate," Partogi told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said the harvest failures occurred on farmland located within a 4- kilometer radius of the beach, while land located far from the coast was not experiencing the issue.

Meanwhile, many farmers in Bolupontu Jaya transmigration village, Sigi regency, Central Sulawesi, have reportedly moved into construction and mining work due to the prolonged dry season.

One of the farmers, Abbas Daeng Malewa, said he and his friends worked in construction for government projects in Sigi since there was no agricultural work in their village. "We worked on a bridge development for two months in Kalukubula village, Sigi," Abbas told the Post recently.

After the bridge was completed, Abbas said he and his friends began working in traditional gold mining in Palu. "We have been working here for 11 days."

However, Abbas said they could not stand working in construction or mining for long as their skills were in farming. "We don't know when the dry season will end," he said.

Abbas' village is known as a center for agricultural products, such as onions, chilies, tomatoes, mustard, cucumbers, eggplants, long beans and melons, which are sold to other areas in the province and East Kalimantan.

Similarly, farmers in the highlands of Napu, Poso regency, have suffered losses because of the prolonged dry season. Ruben, a farmer of Maholo village, North Lore district, Poso, said many farmland areas were not currently productive. "My plants died due to drought."

He said the highlands used to produce vegetables such as cabbages, beans and read beans, as well as fruits such as oranges, papaya and melons.

Another farmer, Arman from Watumaeta village, said he suffered failures of his cabbage and tomato crops due to the drought, which has affected the area for three months. "This time, farmers are suffering big losses," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/16/extreme-weather-hits-farms-ruins-harvests.html

Land & agrarian conflicts

Agrarian Law 'does not apply to me', claims Sultan

Jakarta Post - September 17, 2015

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Yogyakarta Governor and Sultan Hamengkubuwono X has again insisted that Law No. 5/1960 on agrarian affairs does not, by tradition, fully apply in Yogyakarta province.

"All land here is the Sultan's land and Pakualaman land. The state acknowledges so via the rights of origin," the sultan said during the inauguration of the Parangtritis Geomaritime Science Park.

In the colonial era, the province was under the authority of the Yogyakarta and Pakualaman sultanates.

During the inauguration, the sultan planted a sign stating that the land on which the park stands was the property of the Yogyakarta Palace, a provocative and unprecedented act.

The head of the Yogyakarta provincial administration's governance bureau, Beni Suharsono, said that the provincial administration was continuing an inventory of the lands belonging to the Yogyakarta and Pakualaman sultanates, with some 1,300 plots of lands currently on the list.

"We are implementing the mandate of the Yogyakarta Special Status Law," Beni said, referring to Law No. 13/2012.

Meanwhile, the National Antidiscrimination Movement (Granad) has reported Hamengkubuwono to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for reviving colonial laws and abusing the Yogyakarta Special Status Law, claiming that his actions have caused legal uncertainty.

"This is our responsibility as citizens. If nothing is done about it, this could lead to a separatist movement brought about through legal means," Granad chairman Willie Sebastian told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. The letter of complaint was sent by mail to 27 central and provincial government institutions on Monday.

As well as the sultan, Granad also reported the head of the National Land Agency's Yogyakarta office, Arie Yuwirin, and the head of the Yogyakarta Palace land affairs body, the sultan's younger brother KPH Hadiwinoto.

Granad claims that the sultan's actions have led to abuses including the taking over of land by the Yogyakarta and Pakualaman sultanates. Other impacts include the implementation of a policy, considered racist, which ban non-indigenous citizens from owning land in Yogyakarta province. The organization said that such cases would not occur if the law on agrarian affairs were enforced in the province, stressing that there was no legal reason why it should not be. "We want Yogyakarta to continue as part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, subject to the Constitution," Willie said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/17/agrarian-law-does-not-apply-me-claims-sultan.html

1,500 security officers guard street vendor eviction

Jakarta Post - September 16, 2015

Jakarta – The process of evicting hundreds of street vendors from Jl. Karang Ayar in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, was supported by 1,500 security officers from the City Public Order Agency and the Jakarta Police on Wednesday.

A number of street vendors tried to prevent the demolition of their kiosks, reported beritajakarta.com, demanding a delay of another month before the eviction, but their efforts failed and the eviction, and demolition, went ahead.

"We had told them to voluntarily pack down [their kiosks], but they did not do it. So, we are forced to break them down because their presence is disrupting the public order," said Central Jakarta Mayor Arifin, who led the eviction.

The eviction had been delayed for several months as requested by members of the City Council's economic commission. After inspecting the site, and finding that many of the buildings had been constructed above a water drain, the City Council approved the eviction.

According to data owned by Sawah Besar district office, there were 236 kiosks constructed illegally in the location. Dozens of workers, together with an excavator, leveled the buildings.

A number of street vendors expressed confusion after the eviction, saying they still did not believe that they would find anywhere to relocate their businesses to.

"I was told to dismantle my kiosk, but I am still confused. They told me that I would be relocated into the market. But, is there a space for me in the market?" Darmi, one of the street vendors, told kompas.com.

Coordinator for the street vendors Rahmat said that the relocation to Karang Anyar market owned by city-owned PD Pasar Jaya was temporary because the street vendors still hoped that they could return to the current location. They still hoped that the city administration would revise its decision.

"We support their efforts to make the place tidier, but they should be wise about it," said Rahmat. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/16/1500-security-officers-guard-street-vendor-eviction.html

Parliament & legislation

Experts slam court ruling on criminal investigations involving legislators

Jakarta Globe - September 23, 2015

Jakarta – Legal experts have criticized the latest Constitutional Court ruling that requires law enforcement officers to secure approval from the president before investigating legislators in connection to criminal allegations.

"This is really devastating," Anggara, a researcher from the Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), told the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday night.

"Can you imagine law enforcers having to wait 30 days for written permission from the president so they can start investigating and summoning lawmakers allegedly involved in a crime?" he said.

The court on Tuesday handed down its verdict in a judicial review of Article 245 of the Law on Legislative Bodies, which sparked controversy soon after its approval last year as it required investigators to seek permission from the House of Representatives' Ethics Council before probing a legislator.

Anggara argued that the decision would only hamper the investigative process of a case. "Presidential approval may be needed only when the lawmaker is about to be arrested as not to disrupt his or her responsibilities as a public official," Anggara said.

Refly Harun, a constitutional law expert at the University of Indonesia, said that the ruling could be beneficial if the president supported law enforcement and wouldn't compromise with the criminal allegations the legislator faces. "But, if not, the president's written approval will only be in the way of the investigation," he said.

Refly added that the court ruling could also overlap with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Law that provides KPK investigators the authority to investigate possible corruption suspects.

"The ruling doesn't highlight investigations against lawmakers who are believed to be involved in extraordinary crime such as corruption, drugs and terrorism. This could create conflict on the field," said Refly, who is a former adviser for the State Secretary.

Refly pointed out that a lawmaker could submit a report against KPK investigators for violating the Law on Legislative Bodies.

"Hopefully, there will be a judicial review on the KPK Law, which should state that the commission is granted the exception to investigate suspicious lawmakers, so that it synchronizes with the Court ruling," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/experts-slam-devastating-court-ruling-criminal-investigations-involving-legislators/

Fadli surrenders Trump hat to KPK

Jakarta Post - September 19, 2015

Jakarta – House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon surrendered a hat and ties he received from US presidential candidate Donald Trump to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday.

The KPK had ordered Fadli to surrender the gifts to the antigraft body as the items could be regarded as gratuities. "I'd rather give them to the KPK as gifts rather than returning them," Fadli told reporters at the KPK headquarters on Friday.

Fadli also suggested that with the amount of things the KPK had collected from government officials, the agency should build a museum to house some of the memorable items in its collection.

"The Metallica guitar given to Pak Jokowi [by the band's bassist Robert Trujillo] and other items could be put on display in the museum. My hat should also be put on display," he said.

Fadli and House Speaker Setya Novanto caused a stir earlier this month when they made an appearance at a Trump campaign event in New York at which Trump introduced Setya to the crowd.

Setya was in New York to speak at the Fourth World Conference of Parliamentary Speakers of Parliament held by the International Parliamentary Union. He went with fellow legislators, including Fadli.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/19/national-scene-fadli-surrenders-trump-hat-KPK.html

Gerindra lifts junket ban, allows lawmakers to go on 'beneficial' trips

Jakarta Globe - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – The Great Indonesian Movement, better known as Gerindra, has dropped a recent decision to bar its lawmakers from going on official overseas trips, now allowing them to make only "beneficial" excursions.

"We have put a stop to all overseas trips that have been approved or were in the process of being approved," Gerindra announced in a letter dated Tuesday and signed by party faction chief Ahmad Muzani and secretary Fary Djemi Francis.

"However, in performing tasks as members of the House [of Representatives], which include diplomacy, overseas trips that are beneficial for the state's interests are allowed but chosen very selectively," the memo added.

Gerindra deputy chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad confirmed the letter on Friday, explaining that feasibility trips abroad are among those that are forbidden.

"Banning overseas trips completely is wrong, because our lawmakers must also perform their duties," Sufmi told news portal Detik.com on Friday. "If it's not too urgent, then we won't approve [the trip]."

A letter issued on Monday banned Gerindra members from going on any overseas excursions, citing orders from chief patron Prabowo Subianto.

Gerindra lawmaker Ahmad Riza Patria denied the order had anything to do with the controversial trip made by House deputy speaker Fadli Zon, who is also from the party.

Fadli was part of an Indonesian delegation visiting the United States with House Speaker Setya Novanto earlier this month, but stirred public and media backlash when he and Setya appeared at a campaign event for American billionaire and presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/flip-flop-gerindra-lifts-junket-ban-allows-lawmakers-go-beneficial-trips/

House Committee: Allowance hike rejection only for show

Jakarta Globe - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has aired its confidence that no lawmaker will dare return the higher allowances they will receive despite several parties saying they reject the hike, set to be in place next month.

Parties have given mixed reactions over the hike, approved by the Finance Ministry on Tuesday. It will guarantee legislators up to Rp 36 million ($2,490) a month in additional take-home pay outside of their base salary.

"I will make a placard for them," House of Representatives' household affairs committee (BURT) deputy chairman Dimyati Natakusumah said of lawmakers who would actually refuse to pocket the increase.

"The placard will thank the members who donate some or all [of their allowance money] back to the House."

Dimyati said he was confident that lawmakers were not really serious about rejecting the hike, saying that they were merely angling for some public sympathy, but would gladly accept the money.

The Finance Ministry approved a monthly monitoring incentive of between Rp 3.75 million for regular legislators to Rp 5.25 million for House oversight commission chiefs, up from the earlier figure of between Rp 2.5 million and Rp 3.5 million.

Legislators will also receive another Rp 15.5 million to Rp 16.4 million in "intensive communications incentive," on top of the monthly "honors incentive" of between Rp 5.5 million and Rp 6.6 million. It was not immediately clear what these incentives were for.

Legislators will also receive Rp 7.7 million a month to pay for utilities, including mobile phone bills, up from the previous figure of Rp 5.5 million.

The total in approved allowances comes out to just under Rp 36 million for senior legislators – or 13 times the minimum wage in Jakarta of Rp 2.7 million.

Necessary but untimely

Several political parties have rejected the increase saying that although "necessary" and "reasonable" it should be postponed amid the Indonesian economic slowdown.

"Because of [fluctuating] prices and other adjustments, the increase is actually a good thing and it is reasonable," Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party faction chairman Ahmad Muzani said.

"But poverty has risen, not to mention more and more people are being laid off and people's purchasing power continues to slide. Gerindra is asking the [allowance] hike to be postponed"

People's Conscience Party (Hanura) chairman Wiranto, meanwhile, is instructing all members of his party to reject the allowance hike, saying: "It is best to give the money to those who need it most."

More than enough

Democratic Party deputy chairman Syarief Hasan said his party was also rejecting the allowance hike, saying that lawmakers already have more than enough to cover their day to day expenses.

Echoing that sentiment was Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Budiman Sudjatmiko. "I feel what I earn now is already enough," he said, as quoted by CNNIndonesia. "Lawmakers' take-home pay is already big."

Hanura lawmaker Djoni Rolindrawan questioned how House leaders and the ministry had come up with the figure, which he called "excessive." "My phone bill never exceeds Rp 2 million a month. So what is the justification for the Rp 14 million a month in intensive communication incentive?" he said.

But not all shared their views. Fahri Hamzah, the House deputy speaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), has called it a "measly" increase, saying the party had asked for a 100 percent hike.

"I think the increase is not enough," he said. "If we receive more of course we can monitor the government more intensively," he said on Wednesday.

He also argued that the proposed increase was "nothing" compared the trillions of rupiah in government spending that the House was responsible for monitoring.

The total budget for the House, Fahri claimed, "only amounts to 0.00196 percent of the state budget," adding the House would likely apply for another increase next year.

Sense of crisis

Watchdogs, though, accuse the House of lacking a "sense of crisis" by demanding a hefty raise in allowances at a time of slowing economic growth.

"This proves the House is only thinking of ways to make more money for itself," Sebastian Salang, from the group Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said on Wednesday.

He noted this was not the first time the House had sought ways to pocket more taxpayer money, having previously demanded – and failed – to get the government to foot the bill for down payments for new cars, as well as proposing a pork-barrel scheme for ostensible constituency-based development programs, and repeated efforts to secure trillions of rupiah to build a new House building with questionable facilities such as an indoor swimming pool and a spa.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/house-committee-allowance-hike-rejection-show/

House leader bemoans 'paltry' allowance hike of 50%

Jakarta Globe - September 16, 2015

Jakarta – A parliamentary watchdog has lashed out at Indonesian legislators for demanding a hefty increase to their various allowances that already amount to 13 times the minimum wage.

The Finance Ministry on Tuesday approved the House of Representatives' proposal to increase a range of incentives payments – for "intensive communications" to "honors" to utilities bills, among others – by up to 50 percent, which will guarantee legislators up to Rp 36 million ($2,490) a month in additional take-home pay outside of their base salary.

However, the House has slammed what it calls a "measly" increase, saying it had asked for a 100 percent hike.

"I think the increase is not enough," said Fahri Hamzah, the House deputy speaker from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). "If we receive more of course we can monitor the government more intensively," he said on Wednesday.

He also argued that the proposed increase was "nothing" compared the trillions of rupiah in government spending that the House was responsible for monitoring.

The total budget for the House, Fahri claimed, "only amounts to 0.00196 percent of the state budget," adding the House would likely apply for another increase next year.

Watchdogs, though, accuse the House of lacking a "sense of crisis" by demanding a hefty raise in allowances at a time of slowing economic growth.

"This proves the House is only thinking of ways to make more money for itself," Sebastian Salang, from the group Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), said on Wednesday.

He noted this was not the first time the House had sought ways to pocket more taxpayer money, having previously demanded – and failed – to get the government to foot the bill for down payments for new cars, as well as proposing a pork-barrel scheme for ostensible constituency-based development programs, and repeated efforts to secure trillions of rupiah to build a new House building with questionable facilities such as an indoor swimming pool and a spa.

While the House's latest bid has fallen short of its expectations, the raise in allowances still leaves legislators supremely better off than the vast majority of their constituents.

The Finance Ministry approved a monthly monitoring incentive of between Rp 3.75 million for regular legislators to Rp 5.25 million for House oversight commission chiefs, up from the earlier figure of between Rp 2.5 million and Rp 3.5 million.

Legislators will also receive another Rp 15.5 million to Rp 16.4 million in "intensive communications incentive," on top of the monthly "honors incentive" of between Rp 5.5 million and Rp 6.6 million. It was not immediately clear what these incentives were for.

Legislators will also receive Rp 7.7 million a month to pay for utilities, including mobile phone bills, up from the previous figure of Rp 5.5 million.

The total in approved allowances comes out to just under Rp 36 million for senior legislators – or 13 times the minimum wage in Jakarta of Rp 2.7 million.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/house-leader-bemoans-paltry-allowance-hike-50/

Jakarta & urban life

Scholars, youth plead no more forced evictions

Jakarta Post - September 19, 2015

Indra Budiari, Jakarta – Scholars are calling on Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama to review the city's policy on evicting residents from riverbanks, arguing that negative social, economic and cultural ramifications brought about by such a policy would be more dangerous than the simple environment effects alone.

In an open statement signed by 56 academics from various backgrounds, the scholars hoped that the governor would understand that the flow-on effects generated by forced eviction would be wider than simply the loss of a home.

"Residents evicted without any prior dialogue have been deprived of their political, social, economic and cultural rights, which results in a loss of culture and a decline in economic capability. This in turn will eventually lead to a slow impoverishment that will be very hard to recover from," the statement said.

The statement was signed by, among others, Edwin Husni Sutanudjaja, geographical hydrologist from Utrecht University, Ariel Shepherd, architect from University College London, Iriana Pasaribu, children and youth geographer from University of Groningen, John Taylor, urban planner from Harvard University, Marco Kusumawijaya, director at the Rujak Center for Urban Studies and Roanne van Voorst, a lecturer in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam.

Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) Sianne Indriani and public defender at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) Muhammad Isnur also signed the statement demanding that the Jakarta Administration instigate a dialogue process to find alternative solutions to the problem instead of just evicting residents.

"Active involvement of the citizen is not only a constitutional mandate, but also a development strategy in line with the modern and educated norms of humanity," the statement read.

On Aug. 20, with more than 2,000 members of a joint force comprising the National Police, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), the city administration evicted residents from Kampung Pulo, East Jakarta.

The clash caused injuries to several residents and troop members, and Eko Prasetyo, a 22-year-old resident of Jatinegara, East Jakarta, underwent intensive medical treatment after receiving a heavy blow to his head during the chaos.

Ahok said the eviction had to be carried out in order to make way for the revitalization of the Ciliwung River. The residents have been relocated to a nearby rusunawa (low-cost apartment) complex in Jatinegara.

However, some people believed that the rusunawa was not a sufficient solution for the evicted residents, saying that residents now faced many and more severe problems from living in the complex. A youth discussion said that the governor should not consider a rusunawa to be the best or only solution for the evictees.

Nineteen-year-old Hanna Mariam believed that not every evicted resident in Kampung Pulo preferred living in a modern and fancy rusunawa compared to their former houses located on the riverbanks.

"It is not a luxurious apartment that they wish for, but rather the home in which they have lived for many years. Alternative solutions must be agreed upon before forcing an eviction," she said during a recent discussion at the Jakarta State University (UNJ) in East Jakarta.

Lia Toriana, youth program manager at Transparency International Indonesia, said that moving residents to a rusunawa was not as simple as moving a thing from one place to another and the city administration had failed to see that.

"For example, some Kampung Pulo residents opened kiosks in front of their old houses. The business, however, had to be closed down when they move to a rusunawa because the business could not be accommodated in the new place."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/19/scholars-youth-plead-no-more-forced-evictions.html

Fishermen file petition against reclamation of Islet G at PTUN

Jakarta Post - September 17, 2015

Dewanti A. Wardhani, Jakarta – The People's Coalition for Equal Fisheries (Kiara) and the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI) have registered a petition at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) against governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama for issuing a gubernatorial decree giving developer PT Muara Wisesa Samudra a permit to build a man- made islet, known as Islet G, off Jakarta's coast.

Kiara's law and policy advocacy deputy Marthin Hadiwinata said Tuesday that the permit violated the rights of the fishermen in Muara Angke and Muara Baru, who relied on the North Jakarta coastal area to catch fish.

"The affected fishermen and all residents living on the coastal area have never been invited to any talk about the plan by the city administration. How could he issue the decree? There should be a public discussion before the issuance," Marthin told reporters at the PTUN office in East Jakarta.

In December last year, Ahok issued a permit, based on Governor Decree (SK) No. 2238/2014 on the Permission for the Reclamation of Island G, for the subsidiary of publicly listed developer Agung Podomoro Land (APL).

The permit itself is part of the city's controversial coastal reclamation project to create 17 man-made islands in 2,700 hectares of sea along Jakarta's 32-kilometer long northern coast.

Other developers involved in the reclamation besides Muara Wisesa Samudera include city-owned PT Jakarta Propertindo and PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, publicly listed PT Intiland Development and developer Agung Sedayu Group's subsidiary PT Kapuk Naga Indah (KNI).

Governor Ahok said that thus far, only two firms had received a gubernatorial decree to begin construction, and those were Muara Wisesa Samudera and KNI.

KNI has been constructing an artificial island to the north of (Pantai Indah Kapuk) PIK. The gubernatorial decree for KNI, Ahok said, had been approved years earlier by then governor Fauzi Bowo.

According to data from Kiara, the reclamation project has impacted about 16,855 fishermen along the north coast, crippling their livelihoods and their ability to fish in the sea.

KNTI Jakarta chairman Muhammad Taher said that in Muara Angke alone, the reclamation had caused 500 fishermen to suffer losses.

"The fishermen now can earn only a maximum of Rp 30,000 (US$2.08) to Rp 40,000 per day. How can such an amount cover their daily needs?" he asked, adding that before the reclamation project the fishermen could earn around Rp 300,000 to Rp 400,000 per day.

Taher said that out of the 500 traditional fishermen in Muara Angke, 150 had switched occupations to become garbage collectors. "Many of them have also switched to driving ojek [motorcycle taxis] or opening bike washing businesses," he said.

Kiara's Marthin further argued that Ahok had violated legal procedures, saying that the decree contradicted Law No. 32/2009 on environmental protection and management, Law No. 26/2007 on spatial planning and Law No.27/2007 on the management of coastal zones.

"Until now, the residents [living in the area affected by Muara Wisesa Samudera] haven't received copies of the Amdal [environmental impact analysis]," he said.

Meanwhile, Ahok said that all firms that had received a permit to start construction had obtained the Amdal.

The Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) regretted the way the city administration had dealt with the reclamation project. "The local government should be transparent to the residents. If they ignore the public, can we say that the project is for the sake of people's welfare? Or only for the welfare of developers?" PBHI Jakarta lawyer Eka Prasetya said.

However, Ahok said that he supported the fishermen's suit against the gubernatorial decree in order to "clear up the rumors" on land reclamation.

"There are many negative rumors on land reclamation. If the issue is taken into court, the authorities will judge and determine whether or not it is wrong," he said.

He further said that land reclamation was necessary, especially around Jakarta's polluted north coast. Ahok said that land reclamation could help purify polluted water and pointed out that such a technique had been proven effective in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. (foy)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/17/fishermen-file-petition-against-reclamation-islet-g-ptun.html

Jakarta set to regulate liquor sales

Jakarta Post - September 16, 2015

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has said that his administration is ready to use existing city regulations on liquor distribution as soon as the Trade Ministry issues a new regulation allowing it to do so.

Ahok, as quoted by beritajakarta.com, said that the distribution of liquor is currently being regulated by Bylaw No. 8/2007 on public order. "We are waiting [for the new Trade Ministry regulation]. After that we will return to the city bylaw that used to regulate the distribution of liquor with an alcohol content of 5 percent and lower," Ahok said.

The Trade Ministry previously announced that they would loosen liquor regulation as part of the economic stimulus package issued by the government on Sept. 9.

The regulation, set to be revised, is Trade Director General Regulation No. 04/PDN/PER/4/2015, which guides the implementation of the prohibition of liquor sales at minimarkets and supermarkets.

Under the city bylaw, liquor with alcohol content of 5 percent and lower is categorized into Group A of alcoholic beverages that according to article 4 of the Trade Ministry Regulation No. 20/2014, may be sold at minimarkets, supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Ahok said that he agreed that liquor sales should continue to be partly limited, and not just sold anywhere. He also expressed concern about rampant sales of bootleg liquor, which, he said, was dangerous for human health.

The new regulation is expected to hand authority over the control of liquor distribution to local governments. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/16/jakarta-set-regulate-liquor-sales.html

Armed forces & defense

Navy to buy submarines despite defense cuts

Jakarta Post - September 22, 2015

Nani Afrida, Jakarta – Following the government's decision to cut Rp 7 trillion (US$490 million) from the defense budget next year, the Navy revealed on Monday a plan to purchase two new submarines to augment its fleet.

Navy spokesperson Comr. Muhammad Zainuddin told The Jakarta Post that the force had opted to procure Kilo-class submarines from Russia as part of the 2015-2019 strategic planning. "There are many kinds of Kilo-class submarines, we have yet to decide which type we will purchase," Zainuddin said.

He declined to provide more information on the financing for the submarine purchase, especially after the cutbacks the government has made to adjust to the current economic slowdown. Zainuddin said the purchase plan was still on the table, awaiting further discussion with the Defense Ministry.

It is reported that the government has proposed cutting the defense budget for next year by 6.3 percent, or Rp 7 trillion, to Rp 95.8 trillion, by rationalizing the ongoing plan to revamp the country's ageing weapons systems.

Despite the savings being relatively small, and defense still accounting for the second-largest slice of the 2016 state budget, lawmakers have conveyed their concern, saying the cutback will hinder the plan to achieve the defense target known as minimum essential force (MEF).

Submarines, with their stealth capacity, are regarded as effective deterrents and Zainuddin said that Indonesia needed at least 12 submarines to protect its territory.

"So far, we have two submarines and an additional three Chang Bogo-class submarines that are still under construction in South Korea. So we still need at least seven more submarines," he said, adding that the seven submarines would probably be Kilo-class vessels.

The Navy currently operates two German-made submarines, the KRI Cakra (401) and KRI Nenggala (402), which were built in the 1980s. The submarines are due to be decommissioned in 2020.

In 2013, Indonesia held talks, under the leadership of then defense minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, with Russia to procure a number of Kilo-class submarines.

Purnomo held talks with Russian Ambassador MY Galuzin to discuss the procurement of the submarines, but no deal was struck. In January, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu met Galuzin, and Russia offered the Kilo-class 636 to Indonesia.

Ryamizard confirmed the Navy's submarine-procurement plan. "It's better to have five new submarines, instead of 10 second-hand submarines. This is [in line with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's] instruction to buy new weapons systems," he said.

The Russian Kilo-class 636 submarines are mainly intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine operations in shallow waters. The type is also resilient in various weather conditions. Countries that operate the Kilo class include Algeria, China, India, Romania and Vietnam.

Indonesia has a long history of procuring submarines from Russia and the former Soviet Union. In 1967, it acquired 12 Whiskey-class submarines.

Besides purchasing submarines, the Navy is awaiting the arrival of the Panther helicopters it has ordered from France.

The helicopter is a multi-purpose aircraft capable of combat assault, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue and medical evacuation roles.

"We have ordered a squadron of Panther helicopters, or 11 units. Four units will be arriving in 2016 and the rest in 2017," Zainuddin said, adding that with the helicopters, the Navy would re-create the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) unit which had proven effective in the 1960s.

The new helicopters will be deployed on board the KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda, KRI Sigma, KRI Sultan Hasanuddin, KRI Diponegoro and KRI Kaisiepo.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/22/navy-buy-submarines-despite-defense-cuts.html

Indonesian, Thai armed forces gather for ninth joint defense meeting

Jakarta Globe - September 19, 2015

Jakarta – Top officials from Indonesian and Thai security forces gathered in Thailand on Thursday for the ninth Thailand-Indonesia High Level Committee to discuss bilateral, military ties between the two Southeast Asian nations.

This year's installment of the annual reciprocal meeting took place at the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Headquarters in Thailand and was lead by Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Lt. Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and his Thai counterpart, Chief of the Defense Forces Gen. Worapong Sanganetra.

The meeting's agenda covered an array of collaborations between the two armed forces, including the Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee, Joint Coordinated Operations and Exercises Sub-Committee and Joint Education and Training Sub-Committee (JETSC).

"There are regions in both countries where security is still an issue. This gives us the opportunity to conduct joint training programs and enhance our interoperability in eliminating terror threats," Nurmantyo said.

The TNI chief was accompanied by a slew of high-ranking officials, including Indonesian Ambassador to Thailand Lutfi Rauf, army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. M. Erwin Syafitri, air force Deputy Chief of Staff Vice Marshal Bagus Puruhito and the Defense Ministry's director general for defense strategy Yoedhi Swastanto.

A bomb tore through a busy Bangkok tourist area on Aug. 17, killing more than 20 people, including one Indonesian national. The incident is believed to be an international terror plot conceived by sympathizers of Uighur Muslims.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesian-thai-armed-forces-gather-ninth-joint-defense-meeting/

Ministry to set up paramilitary force in border areas

Jakarta Post - September 17, 2015

Nani Afrida, Natuna, Riau Islands – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu revealed on Wednesday a government plan to hold military training for civilians living in border areas. Such training would allow them to join in efforts to maintain the country's territorial sovereignty.

"If the country faces serious threats, people should assist the military to protect the country. It is impossible for the military to protect the country without getting any support from the people," Ryamizard told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Natuna, Riau Islands.

He said that people in places like Natuna would be given priority in the military training program.

"[Natuna] is situated on our outer border area. Natuna's residents should be trained [how to protect their country] and they should know about war," he said, adding that the military training program could start next year.

Natuna, located between Malaysia and Kalimantan, is part of the Riau Islands Province. It has 154 islands, of which only 27 are inhabited. The 27 islands are home to 85,000 residents, comprising 50,000 adults.

Currently, at least 300 military personnel from the Army and Navy are guarding Natuna, which is also located near the disputed South China Sea.

Ryamizard said that because Natuna was very important to Indonesia, protecting the area was a priority for the government. "We will hold military training for the adults. There will be a paramilitary group here," Ryamizard said.

Besides Natuna, the government plans to implement a similar program in other border areas such as Merauke, Maluku, and in the border areas of Sulawesi and Kalimantan.

The regent of Natuna, Ilyas Sabli, welcomed the plan, saying that the people on the island had in fact sought for the opportunity to form a paramilitary group.

"We need the skills because we live in a border area. We also want to protect our land. When the military needs us, we will be ready," Ilyas said on Wednesday.

Ryamizard said that the military would train civilians in the border areas, although there was no plan to distribute weapons to them. "It is just training. We will not allow them to keep weapons," Ryamizard said.

Earlier this year, Ryamizard said that he planned to enlist at least 100 million reservists who could be deployed to defend the country. The recruitment plan was also aimed at rekindling a sense of nationalism, especially among the country's younger generation.

The plan to involve civilians to back up the military is not a new idea. The government has pushed the House of Representatives to pass a military reservist bill.

According to the draft bill, citizens who are older than 18 would be obliged to participate in five years of military duty under the condition that they pass a number of tests. Furthermore, citizens could be called on until the age of 45. If a citizen refuses to take part, they could be imprisoned for one to two years.

Rights groups are strongly opposed to the proposal of mandatory military service, saying that the plan would compromise the capability of the Indonesian Military (TNI), and that training from the program could easily be abused by subversive organizations.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/17/ministry-set-paramilitary-force-border-areas.html

Criminal justice & prison system

Prison system, not Gayus, to blame for inmate's outings, ex-KPK chief says

Jakarta Globe - September 23, 2015

Yogyakarta – Transferring a graft convict notorious for his out-of jail jaunts to a higher-security prison will solve nothing as long as the systemic corruption that allowed the fiasco to play out remains unaddressed, a leading activist says.

Disgraced tax official Gayus Tambunan, serving a 30-year sentence for bribery, money-laundering and passport forgery, made waves yet again this past week when a photo circulated online purporting to show him at a restaurant in Jakarta.

He previously pulled an identical stunt while supposedly remanded in jail in 2010 awaiting trial, during which he managed to obtain a fake passport, fly to Singapore and Macau to gamble, and attend an international tennis tournament in Bali.

The Justice Ministry, which is in charge of the nation's prison, has responded to the latest incident by transferring Gayus from the Sukamiskin Penitentiary in Bandung to the high-security Gunung Sindur prison in Bogor, built specifically for drug offenders.

It did not, however, punish the Sukamiskin prison guards who allowed Gayus out – even though the convict has a history of bribing police and prison guards to let him out of jail for extended periods of time.

"Is there any way he could have gotten out except by paying a bribe?" asked Busyro Muqoddas, a former deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). "It's quite clear that bribery was involved, but because this is a repeat offense, the [prison] system is obviously part of the problem."

Busyro, speaking at a discussion in Yogyakarta on Wednesday about the KPK's upcoming challenges, made the point that Gayus would never have gone on his jaunts if prison officials were doing their jobs properly.

"It's curious that a convict serving a 30-year sentence can just go out – be allowed out by his guards – and go and have a meal [at a restaurant]. This is not just a problem with the prison, but it goes all the way up to the [justice] minister," he said.

The minister, Yasonna Laoly, has responded to the case by calling Gayus "an idiot" for allowing himself to be photographed at the restaurant. Tellingly, he has not used the same language to refer to the prison officials at fault who ostensibly work under him.

"Who's the one who's really to blame here?" Busyro asked, adding that Yasonna needed to introspect on how he was managing the prison system. "It doesn't solve anything by transferring [Gayus to another prison]. The system also needs to be evaluated to see why this sort of thing is allowed to happen over and over again."

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/prison-system-not-gayus-blame-inmates-outings-ex-KPK-chief-says/

Prisoner Gayus admits to dining out

Jakarta Post - September 22, 2015

Jakarta – Ex-tax officer, now prisoner, Gayus Halomoan Tambunan has admitted that he did indeed enjoy a meal at a restaurant recently, the photo of which went viral on social media.

According to a spokesman for the directorate general for penitentiaries, Akbar Hadi, Gayus gave the confirmation during questioning by the directorate's team on Monday night.

"Gayus has admitted that he went out for lunch [that day]," said Akbar on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com. Gayus also said that he did not recognize the two women who were in the photo with him.

Akbar said the investigation were still in the process of matching Gayus' confession with the statement from his security officers. "We will investigate it further. How come Gayus didn't know [the two women]?" said Akbar.

Akbar added that Gayus had been in isolation since Monday morning at the Sukamiskin penitentiary in Bandung, West Java, following the incident. His security officers have also been questioned. They admitted that Gayus' lawyer invited them to eat at the restaurant after escorting the ex-tax officer prisoner to his divorce hearing at the North Jakarta Religious Court on Sept. 9.

The ministry's West Java regional office head, I Wayan Sukerta, confirmed that the penitentiary permitted Gayus to leave the prison on Sept. 9 to attend the hearing.

Gayus left the prison previously, in Nov. 2010, while the trial of his case was still ongoing at the South Jakarta District Court. On that occasion, Kompas daily newspaper photographer Agus Susanto took photos of him watching a 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions tennis match in Nusa Dua, Bali. (edn/kes)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/22/prisoner-gayus-admits-dining-out.html

Foreign affairs & trade

Turnbull to bring 'new dimension' to Australia-Indonesia relationship

Sydney Morning Herald - September 21, 2015

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will bring a new dimension to Australia's relationship with Indonesia given his former international business career, according to Trade Minister Andrew Robb.

Indonesian commentators have widely hailed the new Australian Prime Minister as an opportunity to mend fences in a bilateral relationship that soured during the Abbott years.

Mr Abbott's comments linking the lives of Bali nine organisers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran to the $1 billion in aid Australia provided to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami caused particular offence throughout the archipelago.

Mr Robb, who will meet new Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Lembong during a whirlwind 24-hour trip to Jakarta, said Australia had already made a fresh start under the Abbott government to the often volatile bilateral relationship. But he said: "I think Malcolm Turnbull has got a career based on international involvement with business and growth and international relationships. I think he will bring a new dimension to the relationship- building and that's all a good thing."

Mr Robb, who survived the ministerial reshuffle, travelled to Indonesia instead of attending the swearing-in of the new ministers in the Australian government on Monday.

"I did talk to the Prime Minister," he said. "He wanted everyone there but he also saw this as a priority."

Mr Robb will push during his visit for an annual permit allocation for live cattle exported from Australia to Indonesia to end the current uncertainty.

Indonesia shocked the Australian beef industry when it slashed the number of live cattle imports from 250,000 in the second quarter to just 50,000 this quarter in an attempt to move towards self-sufficiency.

The allocation for the fourth quarter this year remains unknown, despite it beginning on October 1.

"I firmly believe we are very close to a mutual understanding that a 12- month quota is in the interest of everyone," Mr Robb said.

This meant Australian exporters could plan for when they needed cattle available, such as for Ramadan, and ensure they had sufficient supply.

It would also provide other opportunities for joint investments and sharing of expertise in genetic stock, building local herds in Indonesia and breeding programs.

"If you settle down the live cattle market and we continue to get big Indonesian companies even buying into cattle stations [in Australia] and into the transport end of it... then we get a clearer understanding between the two countries about the constraints and the difficulties, challenges and opportunities," Mr Robb said.

He blamed the barriers on both sides. "Very unfortunately we saw the trade stop from the Australian end a few years ago. That won't happen again. I think people have learnt from that experience."

Domestic issues had also affected the trade from the Indonesian end, with concerns about the price and the position of local cattle producers.

Mr Robb will head Australia's largest ever trade delegation, including several cabinet ministers, to Indonesia in November.

"We have got 265 Australian firms here. We've got more Australian firms in Dubai than we have got in all of Indonesia. It doesn't make any sense to me.

"We have been looking over one another for 15 or 20 years for no good reason. Indonesia is still a developing country so it has lots of issues but it has got its act together and is heading towards being in 15 to 20 years the fourth-biggest economy in the world."

Mr Robb said he was keen to explore joint ventures with Indonesian companies in areas where there was Australian expertise such as hospital management and construction, education, financial services, aged care, water management, architecture and engineering.

"In Australia 75 per cent of our whole GDP comes from services and yet we only export 17 per cent of those services. Indonesia as it is developing needs to develop the services side of the economy because that is where the jobs are."

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/malcolm-turnbull-to-bring-new-dimension-to-australiaindonesia-relationship-20150921-gjrocf.html

Indonesia seeks new beef markets to end dependence on Australia

Sydney Morning Herald - September 19, 2015

Jewel Topsfield – Indonesia is expected to allocate permits for another 200,000 to 300,000 live cattle from Australia this year but warns it plans to import beef from other countries to end the virtual monopoly.

Acting director-general for international trade Karyanto Suprih told Fairfax Media Indonesia was considering importing live cattle and boxed beef from other countries such as India and the Philippines to reduce its dependence on Australia.

Australia is the only country to export live slaughter and feeder cattle to Indonesia and is the dominant boxed beef supplier with about 80 per cent market share. However Indonesia already sources beef from foot-and-mouth- disease free countries such as the USA, Canada and New Zealand.

"All this time we have been always importing from Australia but recently we have been thinking of having more suppliers," Mr Karyanto said. "Limited options will only lead to greater dependence."

Australia, the world's third-largest beef exporter, supplied about 40 per cent of the beef consumed in Indonesia last year.

However, Indonesia shocked the Australian beef industry when it slashed the number of live cattle imports to 50,000 in the third quarter of 2015 in an attempt to move towards self-sufficiency.

The drastic cut – down from 250,000 in the previous quarter – led to soaring beef prices and butchers in Jakarta and Bandung walking off the job in protest.

Although the start of the fourth quarter is just two weeks away, the import permit allocation is still unknown, creating an agony of uncertainty for exporters who are forced to take a gamble on how many cattle they should buy.

The radical cut last quarter left farmers in the Northern Territory scrambling to find other markets for about 150,000 cattle.

Mr Karyanto said Indonesia expected to import 200,000 to 300,000 cattle in the fourth quarter but the final figure would be decided by a meeting held by the Co-ordinating Ministry for the Economy "in the near future".

The cattle would come from Australia because they were free of foot and mouth disease "but in the future we will plan to import from other areas", he said.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce and the Australian Livestock Exporters' Council have called for an annual permit allocation system to end the uncertainty for exporters.

Trade Minister Andrew Robb, who is scheduled to meet the new Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Lembong in Jakarta on Monday, plans to discuss the live cattle trade.

Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive officer Alison Penfold said Australia had a competitive advantage because it was only five days by boat and seven hours by plane from Indonesia.

Australia provided high-quality, disease-free cattle that were fattened in feedlots in Indonesia, which also supported the local economy, she said.

"Buying product from other markets is not the answer to securing Indonesia's food security," Ms Penfold said. "They have right on their doorstep the best partner in beef food security they could ever have."

Tracey Hayes, chief executive of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association, said she was aware of discussions around Indonesia importing products from other countries but they were in the early stages.

"Our position is always that competition is healthy providing it's a level playing field and import regulations are consistent across importing countries," she said.

International relations expert Pierre Marthinus recently called for Indonesia to phase out its dependence on Australian beef and wheat in favour of alternative trading partners such as India that offer additional strategic benefits.

"Jakarta's growing reluctance to steadily continue – let alone expand – its trade with Canberra is the result of numerous precedents of perceived Australian unfairness towards Indonesia," Mr Marthinus, from the not-for- profit Marthinus Academy, wrote in the Jakarta Post last month.

These included the 2011 live cattle export ban ahead of Ramadan following the release of footage of cattle being mistreated in Indonesian abattoirs.

He said Australia's "abuse of 'boycott' rhetoric" before the executions of Bali nine organisers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the postponement of Mr Robb's trade delegation in March and the recalling of the Australian ambassador and temporary halting of ministerial contact had further damaged confidence within Indonesian business circles and importers.

"Dependence on Australian live cattle, boxed beef and wheat imports greatly undermines Indonesia's food security. Bilateral trade in this area rests on a fragile foundation," Mr Marthinus said. (With Karuni Rompies)

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesia-seeks-new-beef-markets-to-end-dependence-on-australia-20150919-gjqbvy.html

Government to ease permits required for exports, imports

Jakarta Post - September 19, 2015

Jakarta – In following up on the issuance of the government's economic policy package last week, the Trade Ministry will ease export and import regulations to improve the business climate and ensure national stocks of basic commodities, an official has said.

The ministry's deregulation team head Arlinda Imbang Jaya said at least 32 regulations, mostly ministerial regulations, would be amended by the ministry through October this year.

The ministry will also cut at least 38 export and import permits from the total of 121 permits under the ministry, including four registered exporter (ET) permits, 21 registered importer (IT) permits and 13 producing importer (IP) permits.

"We hope the measure will increase the flow of goods for imports, exports and domestic trade, as well as ensure the supply of the commodities in the market and therefore stabilize prices," Arlinda said at a press briefing on Friday.

Indonesia recorded US$6.22 billion in trade surplus in the January-August period of this year, with total exports and imports slumping by 12.7 percent and 18.96 percent year-on-year (yoy), respectively.

The declining exports and imports have indicated that many industries in the country are still facing a slowdown.

The ease for exports and imports will also be applied on so-called strategic commodities, such as rice, sugar, salt and plantation products, with the removal of requirements for recommendations from other ministries and agencies for the import and export of the products.

"We have finished talking with the ministries that usually give the recommendations, such as the Industry Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and others. There are some policies that need relaxation from their side to remove the recommendation requirements," she said.

Arlinda added that through the import relaxation, the ministry hoped that the industry could better utilize raw materials.

Imports of raw materials increased by 18.7 percent month-to-month (mtm) to $9.15 billion in August, a reverse from the 21.4 percent drop a month before, according to Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data.

Under the new regulation, the government would make a decision on local production, national demand and import volume of the commodities in a limited coordination meeting (Rakortas), involving related ministries.

Regarding rice imports, the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) previously said that the national stock of subsidized rice would be close to running out by the year's end, as the stock stood at 62,000 tons while it needed 1.5 to 2 million tons to meet next year's demand. The impact of El Niqo on production also loomed, though Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman has stated his confidence on not importing rice this year.

With regard to salt imports, Arlinda said the ministry would scrap requirements for IT and IP, saying the requirement would only be applied to producing importers' identification numbers (API).

Similar ease on imports would also be applied to other commodities, such as steel, with the scrapping of tax identification number (NPWP) and business permit (SIUP) document requirements.

According to Arlinda, the export-import process would also be available online starting October.

With the easing, the ministry would also still manage the flow of imports by obliging importers to uphold the policy to label imported product in Indonesian prior to selling them. (fsu)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/19/government-ease-permits-required-exports-imports.html

Mining & energy

Freeport urged to increase local procurement

Jakarta Post - September 22, 2015

Jakarta – National Development Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil has called on giant gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia to increase its procurement of goods and services from state-owned enterprises (BUMN) as well as from other domestic sources, rather than importing them from abroad.

"Freeport's local sourcing is already at more than 60 percent, but there is still room for it [to add more]," said Sofyan, who also heads the Natural Resources Management Team for Papua, on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

According to Sofyan, several BUMN, such as state-owned coal miner PT Bukit Asam, state-run steel giant PT Krakatau Steel and state-owned cement maker PT Semen Indonesia, would be encouraged to supply coal, steel and cement for Freeport.

"There are also other BUMN [that will cooperate with Freeport]. Basically they are ready," said Sofyan. Sofyan also called on Freeport to increase its cooperation with local businesspeople in Papua.

According to a data from the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ministry, Freeport's local sourcing has reached 70 percent for goods and 90 percent for services, but the role of BUMN was still low. "Freeport's procurement of goods and services through BUMN is only Rp 165 million [US$11,400]," said ESDM Minister Sudirman Said.

In total, Freeport's expenditure reached $1.9 billion per year; around $1.4 billion is product procurement.

Sudirman said that cooperation between Freeport and local companies would be more sustainable if it was based on mutual benefits, not merely due to obligations to obey the government's regulations.

"The important thing here is for Freeport to provide the necessary specifications [of its required goods and services], so its needs can be met by BUMN or private companies," said Sudirman. (kes)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/22/freeport-urged-increase-local-procurement.html

Indonesia revives nuclear power plants vision

Jakarta Post - September 21, 2015

Jakarta – The government has recently rejuvenated a plan to build mega nuclear power plants (PLTN) in the country as it has cooperated to expand knowledge on nuclear technologies and management.

The National Atomic Energy Agency (Batan) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rusatom Overseas, a Rosatom subsidiary that promotes Russian nuclear technology globally and the developer of its foreign projects.

"We highly appreciate the hard work of our Indonesian colleagues aimed at the development of the first commercial nuclear power plant project. The main purpose of the memorandum is to provide an additional basis for further development of cooperation with regards to Rosatom's Integrated Offer that we propose to the Indonesian party," said Rusatom Overseas director general Evgeny Pakermanov in the company's press release last week.

Despite having planned it for a while, Indonesia has yet to build nuclear power plants due to concerns with vulnerability because it is in a volcanic region, the Pacific Rim of Fire.

Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown in 2011 sparked deep concerns about the safety of nuclear power worldwide, including in Indonesia. The tragedy also reinforced anti-nuclear activism in the country, particularly in areas earmarked for PLTN construction in Central Java.

Batan and Rosatom have been cooperating since last year to develop the country's first nuclear power plant. Batan earlier said that both agencies were looking forward to establishing a joint team to explore Indonesia's options. In June, both institutions signed an agreement on the development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also appointed Indonesia's Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) as its external auditor for the 2016-2017 term at a recent meeting in Vienna, Austria.

An external auditor for a UN organization is tasked with observing the respective institution and exchanging information on auditing methods and findings. BPK will succeed India's Comptroller and Auditor General that will end its term in December.

"We would like to thank the IAEA for trusting Indonesia and are committed to giving high quality audits," BPK member Bahrullah Akbar said on Saturday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

In return for the audit service, the BPK will receive an audit fee of 414,000 euros for two years. The fee is non-tax state revenue, he said.

The proposal to become an external auditor was tended by the Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian permanent representative in Vienna and the BPK, he said. On Feb. 2, BPK deputy chairman Sapto Amal Damandari filed the proposal with the IAEA.

Bahrullah said that to get the proposal endorsed, BPK chairman Harry Azhar Azis raised support from 164 representatives of IAEA member states on June 25 and held frequent communications with the Foreign Ministry. Other strong contenders to become IAEA's external auditor included Germany.

The IAEA is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA has its headquarters in Vienna.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/21/ri-revives-nuclear-power-plants-vision.html

Economy & investment

Revised regulation will still prevent liquor sale at minimarkets

Jakarta Post - September 23, 2015

Jakarta – The regional administrations will soon be authorized to establish tourist areas that will be allowed to sell liquor with up to five percent alcohol content, otherwise known as Group A liquor. However, the liquor will not be sold in any minimarket, an official said.

Such relaxations on liquor regulations would be stipulated in the revised Domestic Trade Director General Regulation on Technical Guidelines for the Distribution, Sale and Control of Group A Alcoholic Beverages. The report should be public soon.

"The point is that the director general for domestic trade will authorize local governments to set up areas with their own regulations that will regulate liquor sales," director general for domestic trade Srie Agustina said as reported by Antara News Agency on Wednesday.

But Srie stressed that this new regulation does not mean that Group A alcoholic beverages could be sold in all minimarkets because it is still regulated by Trade Minister Regulation No. 20/M-DAG/4/2014 on the Control and Supervision of the Production, Distribution and Sale of Alcoholic Beverages.

"The director general regulation will only allow for the sale of liquor in tourist areas. It could be outside tourist areas, but such a distribution arrangement should have license permits from the regent or the major. But the sale will not be at minimarkets," Srie said.

She said that some regions stated they did not need Group A alcoholic beverages for their people. Those regions include Bandung, Depok and other cities in West Java.

There are nine alcoholic beverages circulated in Indonesia categorized in Group A: shandy, alcoholic soft drinks, beer, lager, ale, stout, wine, carbonated alcoholic beverages and Balinese brem liquor.

This relaxation is part of the Economic Policy Package launched by the government on September 9. The purposes of this relaxation is to improve the industry by removing the distortions that burden consumers. (edn/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/23/revised-regulation-will-still-prevent-liquor-sale-minimarkets.html

Government to relax sale of liquor

Jakarta Post - September 21, 2015

Jakarta – The government will relax the sale of liquor and let regional administrations determine the places where people can buy alcoholic beverages with the condition the outlets are not close to houses of worship, schools or hospitals, according to an official.

Trade Ministry director general for domestic trade, Srie Agustina, said the ministry was still drafting a guide on the issue to be issued later this month or in October at the latest.

The move is part of the review of 32 regulations under the ministry, as included in the economic policy package that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo issued earlier this month.

Srie said the operational guide on this issue would principally allow regional administrations to determine places to sell alcoholic beverages. "As long as it [the store] is not next to a house of worship, hospital or educational center, it's fine," she told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Srie said the existing ministerial regulation, issued by then trade minister Rachmat Gobel, banned the sale of alcoholic drinks at minimarkets. According to Srie, the ministry is trying to relax the regulation. However, details on its implementation are still unclear.

The regional administration's policy to restrict the places where alcohol can be sold, Srie said, should consider the region's characteristics and customs.

According to Srie, Trade Ministry Regulation No. 20/2014 on the control and monitoring of alcoholic beverage distribution and sale also mentioned the authority of the regional administration to specify certain areas for the sale of those beverages.

"So, this is not a new initiative. The review [of the regulation] will only reinstate that [existing stipulation]," Srie said.

The Trade Ministry regulation that only allows hotels, bars, restaurants, duty free shops and hypermarkets to sell alcoholic beverage has hurt the alcohol industry.

The country's largest brewer, Multi Bintang Indonesia, saw a 41.72 percent plunge in its first-quarter net profits to Rp 107.33 billion (US$7.44 million) from Rp 184.18 billion in the same period last year.

The ban, allegedly pushed forward to protect morality and culture as well as prevent underage drinking, has also stirred protests from the tourist industry.

The protesters urged the ministry to keep certain areas exempt from the ban, as long as small-scale vendors selling beer in tourist areas became a part of a cooperative or region-owned enterprise (BUMD), or a joint enterprise group sanctioned by a regent or mayor.

Certain regional administrations also imposed a ban on the sale of liquors in their territory. The South Tangerang administration, for example, bans the sale of any kind of liquor and beer in the city.

South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany signed Bylaw No. 4/2014 in January 2014, stipulating that no individuals or businesses, including supermarkets, karaoke bars, restaurants or bars were allowed to produce, distribute or sell alcoholic drinks.

Branding itself a "smart, modern and religious", destination, the city is facing poor infrastructure and corrupt bureaucracy complaints from its own residents.

Meanwhile, the ministry's review into the regulation has sparked mixed reactions from the regional administration as well as the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI).

YLKI said the sale of alcoholic drinks should be restricted for the underage. Tulus Abadi said the sale of alcoholic drinks should not be allowed at minimarkets given their expansion. "It [alcohol] must be sold with restrictions," he added.

Achmad Baidowi, deputy secretary general of the United Development Party, criticized the government's plan to relax the sale of alcoholic drinks.

Citing data from National Anti-Liquor Movement, he said over 18,000 Indonesians died from drinking alcoholic drinks each year. That is not to mention how many crimes are committed as a result of liquor, he added.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, which is in the process of deliberating an alcohol prohibition bill, will adjust its draft following the liquor deregulation.

"We can't let the bill worsen the investment climate and kill the beverages industry," said the House's legislation body deputy chairman Firman Subagyo recently as quoted by Antara news agency.

The existing bill prohibits all kinds of liquor production and distribution in the country. However, an article in the bill allows the government to exempt certain and limited interests from the bill, which Firman said could cause legal uncertainty.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/21/government-relax-sale-liquor.html

Public, private sector foreign debt growth slows in July

Jakarta Post - September 21, 2015

Grace D. Amianti, Jakarta – The country saw 3.7 percent year-on-year (yoy) growth in foreign borrowing in July, lower than the growth in June at 6.3 percent owing to the sluggish economy, according to Bank Indonesia's (BI) latest data.

The central bank recorded total foreign debts in July of US$303.7 billion, consisting of public and private borrowings, which stood at $134.5 billion and $169.2 billion, respectively.

"The slower growth of foreign borrowings in July occurred in both the public and private sector, which respectively accounted for 44.3 percent and 55.7 percent of the total amount," BI's director of statistics, Hendy Sulistyowati, said on Friday.

The BI data said foreign borrowings from the public sector had increased 0.3 percent yoy in July, compared to 2.2 percent yoy in the previous month.

Hendy said the public sector had seen a decline in foreign loan agreements, but foreign ownership of sovereign debt papers continued to increase following the country's issuance of euro bonds worth $1.3 billion ($1.25 billion) in late July.

Meanwhile, private sector foreign borrowings grew 6.7 percent yoy in July, lower than 9.7 percent yoy in the previous month, mainly on account of the decline of trade-related debts.

Despite the lower growth, the portion of foreign debts from non-affiliated companies in the private sector increased slightly to 65.6 percent, or worth $99 billion in July, from 64.5 percent or $98.5 billion in June.

According to the data, private sector foreign borrowings in July were concentrated more in the finance, manufacturing, mining, electricity, gas and water sectors, which constituted 76.1 percent of the total amount.

Hendy said foreign debts from the finance, manufacturing, electricity, gas and water sectors grew slower compared to the previous month.

"On the other hand, annual growth of foreign debts from the mining sector remained contracted, even though it was better than in the previous month," she added.

As for the tenure, Hendy said Indonesia's foreign borrowings were dominated by long-term debts worth $258.6 billion, which accounted for 85.2 percent of the total amount.

The long-term borrowings grew 5.5 percent yoy in July, compared to 8.1 percent yoy in the previous month, Hendy added.

Hendy said the long-term debts were dominated by the public sector, which amounted to $131.6 billion, or equal to 50.9 percent, while the private sector accounted for 49.1 percent or $127 billion.

On the other hand, the country's short-term foreign borrowings constituted $42.2 billion to the private sector and $2.9 billion the public. Both accounted for 93.6 percent and 6.4 percent of total short-term foreign debts.

The short-term borrowings fell deeper to minus 5.4 percent yoy in July, lower than minus 2.9 percent yoy in June, the data said.

Economic growth slid in the second quarter to 4.67 percent yoy – a level unseen since 2009 – from 4.72 percent in the previous quarter.

Despite relatively healthy growth, Hendy said the central bank would continue to closely monitor foreign debts as they could carry risks to the economy.

"The close monitoring is meant to make sure foreign debts play an optimum role in financing the country's development without creating risks that can affect macroeconomic stability," Hendy said.

The public sector saw a decline in foreign loan agreements, but foreign ownership of sovereign debt papers continued to increase following the country's issuance of euro bonds worth $1.3 billion ($1.25 billion) in late July.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/21/public-private-sector-foreign-debt-growth-slows-july.html

Hero shuts down 74 stores as purchasing power weakens

Jakarta Post - September 21, 2015

Jakarta – Publicly listed retail company PT Hero Supermarket (Hero) has closed the doors of dozens of its stores during the first half of this year to cut costs amid the domestic economic slowdown that has weakened purchasing power.

The company said on Friday that it had closed down 74 of its 715 stores in operation. "We closed down stores to optimize our portfolio," the company's finance director, Xafier Thiry, said during a press briefing in Central Jakarta on Friday.

Sixty-one of the closed stores were small-format stores, while the remaining 13 were large format. The small-format stores comprised 39 Starmarts and 22 Guardians, while the large formats involved 10 Ekspress or Hero and three Ekstras, according to Thiry.

According to Thiry, in addition to weakening purchasing power, the shutdowns were caused by one-off factors such as the recent government ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks at minimarkets such as Starmarts. The regulation was enforced in April.

"Performance in the second half was negatively affected by one-off factors," he said, citing the company's failure to renegotiate the extension of leases with landlords as another example of the one-off factors.

The company's director, Arief Istanto, explained that often times the company stopped the operation of a store because the landlord had not extended the lease. "The contract was not extended because it depended on the landlord [whether to continue or stop]," Arief told reporters.

When asked whether store closures would continue in the second semester, Thiry said that closures were normal and that the company might close more stores in the second half to maintain its portfolio. However, he expected closures in the second half to not be as intense as in the first half.

"It [closures] is part of our daily life. We are closing stores every year and every semester. We believe that we need that to change our portfolio," he said.

Although Hero ran less stores in the first half, it saw a 15 percent sales increase to Rp 7.48 trillion (US$519 million) from Rp 6.5 trillion in the same period last year. The majority of the sales came from the company's large-format stores such as Hero, Giant and Ikea at Rp 6.87 trillion.

"As much as 80 percent of our revenue comes from large-format stores," the company's president director, Stephane Deutsch, said.

But the rise in sales was not enough to boost profits as the company suffered Rp 32 billion in losses because it had to pay a deficit in stocks from previous years, according to Arief.

One of the company's stores that showed positive performance during the first half was household appliance store Ikea, which the company rolled out in 2012. Arief said that the first Ikea store performed well in the first half and was preparing to install another store sometime next year.

"We are seeking 5 hectares to build the second Ikea. We want it to be either in South or East Jakarta. We will build it in Sentul, Bogor, West Java," he said, adding that the existing Ikea store was drawing around 4,000 to 5,000 people each week. (saf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/21/hero-shuts-down-74-stores-purchasing-power-weakens.html

Stimulus package 'fails to address real business problems'

Jakarta Post - September 18, 2015

Jakarta – The government's new economic policy package will not resolve the real problems currently being faced by Indonesian companies because it is mainly designed to mend structural problems in the economy, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has said.

Kadin chairman Suryo Bambang Sulisto said that most of the country's businessmen were facing cash-flow problems not only to finance their day-to-day activities, but also to pay their debts and import financing, which has become more costly lately because of the sharp drop in the rupiah against the US dollar.

"All businessmen are experiencing financial difficulty. And this has not been specifically addressed by the government. Businessmen need a healthy cash flow to run their businesses," Suryo told reporters on the sidelines of a national working meeting (Rakernas) of Kadin's association coordinating division on Wednesday.

Many companies are reducing their activities, and some have even laid off workers because of financial difficulties, he said.

"The government needs to help these ailing companies because if they collapse we will see more layoffs," Suryo said. According to him, the government should establish a mechanism to help ailing companies restructure their debts such as through an extension of the maturity of their debts.

"Banks need to be cooperative about this too. They cannot just seize the companies' assets if they default because it will worsen the problem," Suryo said, citing an example of a regulation that the government should issue to help the business community.

Meanwhile, Noke Kroyan, vice chairman for Kadin's association coordinating division, also criticized the government's lack of communication with the business community.

He said that the government should at least talk to Kadin before issuing important economic policy. As the largest business organization in the country, Kadin could help the government to find out the real problems in the business sector and also give input on how to solve problems, he added.

"We cover more than 200 business association at Kadin. These are the associations of business players. They know most of what happens on the ground and they really understand what policy needs to be made to address business problems," he explained.

The policy package contains amendments of 89 regulations across different sectors, such as liberalizing the tourist sector by relaxing foreign tourist visa requirements and opening up the property sector by allowing foreign ownership of apartments worth more than Rp 10 billion (US$689,400).

The package also includes the government's program to accelerate village funds disbursement through a cash-for-work program, providing more rice to the poor, strengthening the role of cooperatives such as village trading houses and providing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) converter kits – which is expected to help improve fishermen's welfare by slashing their fuel costs.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, who attended the Rakernas, encouraged all associations in the country to cooperate with the government to boost exports through strengthening the country's industry.

According to Darmin, strengthening industry to boost exports was the only way out of the ongoing sluggish economy.

"Therefore, the newly announced economic package is centered on industry and trade because these two sectors are the ones that are volatile today," he said in his keynote speech at the meeting. "Let us collaborate, synergize and consolidate," he said. (saf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/18/stimulus-package-fails-address-real-business-problems.html

People

Adnan Buyung dies at age 81

Jakarta Post - September 23, 2015

Jakarta – Noted Indonesian lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution has passed away at Pondok Indah Hospital. He died at 10:15 a.m. today, Wednesday 23 September.

Adnan, born in Jakarta on July 20, 1934, was the founder of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), an organization committed to providing clients – mostly lower- to middle-income people – with affordable legal aid.

"Please forgive my father's mistakes and send him your prayers so that he may be granted the best place in Heaven," said Pia Akbar Nasution, Adnan's daughter, to tempo.co.id.

On Tuesday, Pia shared, her father's condition had improved. Adnan had been breathing normally without a ventilator since Monday afternoon, although he remained connected to the ventilator as a precaution.

Adnan's health had deteriorated significantly since December 2014. He suffered from kidney failure resulting from his high consumption of medicines to treat his high blood pressure and hemodialysis.

Pia said her father's body would be moved to his house at Poncol Lestari No. 7 in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, for the next tribute ceremony.

Adnan is one of the key reform figures from 1989, along with Amin Rais, Bintang Pamungkas, Abdurrahman "Gusdur" Wahid, Hariman Siregar and Megawati Soekarnoputri.

More recently, Adnan was appointed by then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a member of the President's Advisory Council. (ads/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/09/23/adnan-buyung-dies-age-81.html


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