Jakarta – Hundreds of democracy activists on Saturday commemorated the 18th anniversary of reform by expressing their concern over the return of militarism to society.

The activists' spokeswoman, Nining Elitos, said the event was held because the activists had learned of the systematic use of the military to repress people by those in power, while the government had also failed to improve people's welfare.

"Democracy and people's movements are repressed," Nining said on the sidelines of the demonstration, as reported by tempo.co. She gave several examples of the military's role in dealing with people's affairs, such as in evictions, labor demonstrations and raids on booksellers.

About 500 people gathered on Jl. MH Thamrin near the National Monument (Monas) park at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday before moving along Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, expressing their aspirations in front of the Defense Ministry and the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister and ending outside the State Palace.

The activists dubbed the event the Voice of Democracy to remind all parties about the demands of protesting students who tried in 1998 to force then president Soeharto to end his 32-year regime, along with eliminating corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN) and putting a stop to the military's role in politics and public life.

Among the organizations that supported the event were the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Indonesia Legal Aid Institute (LBHI), Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Union of Journalists for Diversity, Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, the Reform Committee, Impartial, the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development and the International People's Tribunal on 1965 (IPT '65).

Soeharto was forced to step down from his 32-year rule on May 21, 1998, after the nationwide protests by university students who also managed to occupy the House of Representatives complex. He was replaced by then vice president BJ Habibie. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/21/activists-take-to-streets-to-commemorate-18-years-of-reform-era.html

Police shoot tear gas as anti-Ahok protest turns violent

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2016

Jakarta – Police shot tear gas after a demonstration turned violent on Friday when rally participants allegedly started throwing bottles, rocks and other items at police officers.

"We were forced to shoot the tear gas as the demonstration turned violent," said Jakarta Police spokesman Jr. Comr. Awi Setiyoni in Jakarta on Friday as reported by kompas.com. Awi said that the police deployed 323 personnel and one water cannon to secure the protest.

Hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to call on the anticorruption body to investigate Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who had been questioned as a witness in cases pertaining to land acquisition and reclamation.

The protestors claimed to be members of the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR), the North Jakarta Community Alliance (AMJU) and the Luar Batang Warriors from North Jakarta.

The violence broke out at 3 p.m. while protestor representatives held talks with KPK officials. "But, while their representatives carried out dialogue with the KPK, the protestors threw rocks at the police officers, who guarded the KPK," he added.

Earlier, the protestors demonstrated in front of the City Council on Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta. They demanded the council impeach Ahok for evicting residents of Kampung Polu in East Jakarta as well as those in Kalijodo, Pasar Ikan and Akuarium village in North Jakarta. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/police-shoot-tear-gas-as-anti-ahok-protest-turns-violent.html

Protesters in Jakarta says militarism is resurfacing 18 years after reformasi

Tempo.co - May 21, 2016

Arkhelaus W., Jakarta – Around 500 protesters from the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI) and members of the Social Movement for Democracy (Gema Demokrasi) have begun enlivening the National Monument area in the vicinity of the Arjuna Wijaya statue in front of the Indosat building on Jl. Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta.

Gema Demokrasi spokesperson Nining Elitos explained that the action was held because of attempts to revive militarism within the government. "Democracy and the people's movement are being repressed, gagged. This repression is being used to shift the issues away from the problems of welfare that have yet to be resolved", said Nining during the action on Saturday May 21.

Nining believes that there currently efforts to return to repressing the people's movements including those criticising government policy. She gave the example of workers' right to association being quashed, the forced eviction of poor communities and the return to censoring [leftist] books.

The repression by the government, she said, reflect a government that has failed to undertake programs to bring prosperity to its people. "These [leftist] books are for knowledge and to understand the problems. But in censoring them, this is a form of stupidity", she said.

The protesters gathered at 11.15am and began moving off along the edge of Jl. Merdeka Barat at around 12.05pm. During the march which ended at the State Palace, they stopped at different locations such as the Department of Defence and the Coordinating Ministry for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs where they gave speeches.

The protesters from Gema Demokrasi were commemorating 18 years of reformasi. The action was aimed at evaluating the six demands of the student movement that were read out at the end of the New Order dictatorship that was marked by the resignation of former President Suharto in 1998.

Gema Demokrasi is made up of a number of different organisations including the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Journalists Union for Diversity (SEJUK), the Institute for Public Research and Advocacy (Elsam), the Reform Committee, the 1965 International People Tribunal (IPT'65), the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID) and Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial).

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Aksi 18 Tahun Reformasi, Aktivis: Militerisme Bangkit Lagi".]

Source: https://m.tempo.co/read/news/2016/05/21/083772908/aksi-18-tahun-reformasi-aktivis-militerisme-bangkit-lagi

Commemorating fall of Suharto, activists in Yogya call for campaign against militarism

Metro TV News - May 21, 2016

Ahmad Mustaqim, Yogyakarta – Pro-democracy activists in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta have called for a campaign against militarism during a commemoration of 18 years since the fall of former President Suharto's New Order dictatorship. The protesters say that the military should no longer be intervening in the life of civil society in Indonesia.

Institute for Islamic and Social Studies (LKiS) researcher Hafizen said that the people must again unit against militarism. According Hafizen, the military has intervened in many discussion forums.

"If the New Order is reborn, Indonesia will be in a world of darkness", said Hafizen during the 18 Years of Reformasi action on Saturday May 21.

In addition to this, continued Hafizen, recent actions by the military have exceeded its duties, namely defending the sovereignty of the country. The military, he said, has instead been preoccupied with dealing with [leftist] books that are the business of education. "If we don't take advantage of the momentum of May 21 it will mean that we have failed to pursue reformasi", he said.

Action coordinator Ahmad Haedar said that in addition to criticising the actions of the military, they are also calling on the state to protect the academic and educational world from intolerant groups. This can be seen from the many forced closures of discussions and academic forums that have been carried out by certain groups. "The government must guarantee this. Not instead protecting these intolerant groups", he said.

Haedar added that they are also calling on the stated to return the management of the country's natural resources to the people. "Capitalist exploitation and the intervention of foreign capital are making it difficult for the people's economy to develop", he said.

Scores of organisations were involved in the action including the Peaceful Yogya Solidarity Forum (FSYD), the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), the Yogyakarta Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), the Indonesian Islamic University Human Rights Advocacy Development Studies Center (LPS HAM), the Yogyakarta Anti Violence Community (Makaryo) as well as labour movement and student organisations.

During the action they held a long-march from the Yogyakarta Monument in the north of the city to the Tugu railway station, then on to the zero kilometre point in the centre of the city. Along the way they gave speeches. (UWA)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Militer berangus buku, aktivis: Reformasi gagal".]

Source: http://jateng.metrotvnews.com/peristiwa/gNQYnrwN-militer-berangus-buku-aktivis-reformasi-gagal

West Papua

Jakarta denies claims by MSG chair

Radio New Zealand International - May 23, 2016

The Indonesian government has denied suggestions that it's not open to communication regarding West Papua.

This follows criticism from the chairman of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sovavare, over Indonesia's failure to respond to requests from the MSG for dialogue over concerns about rights abuses in Papua.

Atmadji Sumarkidjo is the special assistant to Indonesia's Coordinating Minister of Politics, Legal and Security, Luhut Pandjaitan. Mr Sumarkidjo said that on his recent Pacific regional tour, the minister was very clear in his representations on Papua.

"The problem of West Papua is our own problem. We don't want to compromise our sovereignty on Papua. This was clearly stated during our visit to respective countries in the South Pacific," said Mr Sumarkidjo.

He said Jakarta had been extending its communications to Pacific countries about what was happening in Papua, and that a lot of the information the Pacific countries had received was wrong.

He cited a meeting held earlier this month by Mr Luhut to address human rights issues in Papua, to which ambassadors from PNG, Fiji and Vanuatu were invited.

However, Mr Sogavare's recent suggestion that Indonesia joined the MSG for the purpose of protecting its own interests, rather than engaging about human rights in West Papua, has angered Jakarta.

The Director General for Asia, Pacific and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Desra Percaya, said Jakarta firmly rejected the MSG chair's statements.

Mr Desra suggested that Mr Sogavare was veering from the facts. He also said the chairman's statements violated the basic principles of sovereignty and non-interference, as contained in the MSG Agreement Establishing in 2007.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/304594/jakarta-denies-claims-by-msg-chair

Government vows to settle Papua rights abuses by end of 2016

Jakarta Globe - May 19, 2016

Alin Almanar, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is optimistic about settling at least 12 cases of human rights abuses in the far eastern province of Papua by the end of this year, a senior minister said on Wednesday (18/05).

The long-awaited resolution means members of the police and military will likely be implicated, but Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan vowed that it would be conducted in a transparent manner.

"It doesn't matter who the perpetrators were. We'll reveal everything," Luhut said on Wednesday, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara. "If they are proven to have committed any wrongdoing, they'll be prosecuted."

Four of the cases will be settled by the Papua Police, while the rest will be resolved by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Attorney General's Office.

Komnas HAM commissioner M. Imdadun Rahman said he hopes the resolution could be followed up by a long-term commitment to uphold human rights in Papua. "It should also be able to ensure that abuses will not occur again," Imdadun said.

Meanwhile, Adriana Elisabeth of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) warned that it would take a long time before this commitment to become a reality.

"The government and Papuans should first seek agreement on what constitutes a dialog," Adriana told Jakarta Globe. "Only after that, they may work together on human rights issues."

Independence activists in Papua have been involved in a low-level insurgency for decades. They accuse the central government of neglecting the resource-rich region with regard to human and infrastructure development since it became part of Indonesia in 1969.

The government has been using military force to suppress dissent in the restive province, leading to rampant human rights abuses.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/govt-vows-settle-papua-rights-abuses-end-2016/

Sogavare declares full West Papuan membership in MSG 'justifiable'

Pacific Media Centre - May 18, 2016

Granting of full membership status to the United Liberation Movement of West Papua in the Melanesian Spearhead Group is justifiable as Indonesia had sought membership of the regional bloc to only protect its own interest, says Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands.

Indonesia has no desire to engage in dialogue about the serious human rights issues in West Papua.

Sogavare reaffirmed these views at a media conference in Honiara after returning from Vanuatu where he had the opportunity to meet with his Vanuatu counterpart, Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, and a delegation of leaders from the United Liberation Front for West Papua (ULMWP) at the sidelines of the 2023 Pacific Games bid presentation.

One of the issues discussed in the meeting between the two Melanesian prime ministers was a motion to be tabled by Prime Minister Salwai at the upcoming MSG Leaders' summit in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, for granting of full MSG membership to ULMWP. Prime Minister Sogavare registered his full support for this West Papua initiative.

In the meeting between Sogavare and the ULMWP delegation, the West Papuans presented a two-point petition for consideration by the MSG chair for discussion at the upcoming leaders' summit.

The issues are the elevation of ULMWP's membership of the MSG and a request to the United Nations for intervention in West Papua to neutralise the ever increasing rate of genocide there.

Sogavare told the media conference that Indonesia's apparent rejection of the resolution reached by the Pacific Islands Forum leaders in Port Moresby in 2015 for the deployment of a fact-finding mission in West Papua as well as the Indonesian president's refusal to meet with him in his capacity as the MSG chair to explain the position of the MSG on the issue of West Papua are strong grounds for elevating the status of ULMP to full membership.

'No alternatives'

"Indonesia leaves the MSG no alternatives on bringing the West Papuan issues on the table for discussion, except to elevate the status of West Papua from observer status to full membership, so that the MSG Leaders can discuss the West Papuan issues more strategically," he said.

Prime Minister Sogavare is adamant that Indonesia would continue to downplay West Papua human rights issues until a possible United Nations resolution on West Papua is achieved in the future. He said as chair, the MSG would take on board such matters as priority issues to address.

The prime minister said fresh accounts of ongoing human rights violations in West Papua are continuing to emerge.

However, the Indonesian President's refusal to meet him in Jakarta to convey the MSG's position on West Papua is a clear indication that Indonesia has other reasons for joining MSG other than discussing West Papua human rights issues.

He said the Indonesian president's noncommittal attitude warrants the MSG to take the matter up to the next notch – the United Nations for intervention.

Prime Minister Sogavare said he was aware that said since the ULMWP was granted an observer status of the MSG in 2015, the situation in West Papua had became more tense. This was leaving the indigenous people now at the brink of extinction.

Last week, while in Port Vila, Prime Minister Sogavare said Indonesia had refused his request for dialogue gave him all the reason to take this matter back to the MSG, adding that Indonesia had crossed the line so we need to take some tough steps.

Source: http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/05/18/sogavare-declares-full-west-papuan-membership-in-msg-justifiable/

Leingkon calls for unity in West Papua freedom struggle

Vanuatu Daily Post - May 18, 2016

Thompson Marango – Vanuatu Foreign Minister, Bruno Leingkon, has called for unity within countries and people who are in support of West Papua's right to self determination.

Leingkon was one of the two Vanuatu Government Minister's including Minister of Lands, Ralph Regenvanu who attended the International Parliamentarians for West Papua meeting in United Kingdom recently.

In his speech Minister Leingkon reaffirmed Vanuatu's clear stand on its support for the people of West Papua saying "we all want what we all believe in and that is the freedom of West Papua".

He said Vanuatu condemns all human rights violations in West Papua and says no to violence to fellow Melanesian "brothers and sisters". "West Papua, like Vanuatu has the right to ask for genuine self determination," said Leingkon.

The Foreign Affairs proudly informed his colleagues of about the Vanuatu Government's unanimous decision to support the application of the United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) for full membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group Leaders' Summit scheduled for this month.

Leingkon spoke about the first Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Walter Lini who said that "Vanuatu would not be truly independent until all of Melanesia is free".

"Today we remind us all of this, our stance and belief. For it is through this belief and faith that our people and societies know that the day will come when the Morning Star flag will fly high and our West Papuan families will be free in their own free state."

The meeting was an historic step on the road to freedom for West Papua. It was during the meeting that a new declaration was signed calling for an internationally supervised vote on the independence of West Papua.

Representative from countries around the world are part of the meeting including parliamentarians, lawyers and academics, all of whom discussed and affirmed the West Papuan people's fundamental right to self-determination.

Source: http://dailypost.vu/news/leingkon-calls-for-unity-in-west-papua-freedom-struggle/article_fca2261d-4b02-5547-9752-141f750d69cd.html

Solomons PM reiterates Papua stand

Radio New Zealand International - May 18, 2016

The Solomon Islands prime minister has reiterated his support for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group for the United Liberation Movement of West Papua.

Manasseh Sogavare, who is also the chairman of the MSG, has returned from a visit to Port Vila where he announced his intention to support Vanuatu and push to elevate the Liberation Movement from its current observer status in the group.

He also confirmed his plan to request United Nations intervention in West Papua due to ongoing alleged human rights abuses by the Indonesian security forces

Mr Sogavare has criticised Indonesia for not taking up repeated efforts by the MSG and Pacific Islands governments to establish dialogue with Jakarta over concerns about West Papua.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/304146/solomons-pm-reiterates-papua-stand

Indonesia blamed for Papuan nationalism

Radio New Zealand International - May 18, 2016

A West Papuan theologian and activist says Papuan nationalist aspirations are a direct consequence of how the Indonesian state has treated his people.

Reverend Dr Benny Giay said West Papuans have never felt a part of Indonesian society, due to state policy towards them since the former dutch New Guinea was incorporated into the republic in the 1960s.

Thousands of West Papuans have recently participated in demonstrations in major cities of Indonesia's eastern region, in support of the United Liberation Movement.

Dr Giay said Papuans have always been treated as primitive and uncivilised by Jakarta and its policies have reflected that by systematically marginalising Papuans in their own land.

"So we Papuans feel that we are not part of Indonesian modern society," he explained. "We have not been treated that way, and I think in the fifty years of interaction with Indonesians, that process gave birth to West Papuan nationalism."

Reverend Dr Benny Giay said that when he looks back over five decades under Indonesian rule, there's been no progress in the situation. Dr Giay said that peaceful dialogue was the approach that should be taken to resolving issues in Papua.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/304204/indonesia-blamed-for-papuan-nationalism

101 Brimob personnel sent to Papua to guard Freeport gold mine

Suara Papua - May 17, 2016

Arnold Belau¸ Jayapura – As many as 101 Mobile Brigade (Brimob, paramilitary police) personnel from the East Java regional police (Polda) were sent to West Papua on Monday May 16. The blue-beret troops were deployed with the primary duty of protecting the Freeport gold mine from all types of disturbances.

The Brimob troops being deployed to Papua were fare welled by East Java Deputy Police Chief (Wakapolda) Brigadier General Gatot Subroto at the Apel Polda square. "The Brimob members being sent will work with Papua Polda members for around six months", said Subroto as reported by Viva News on Monday May 16.

The main task, said Subroto, will be to protect the Freeport gold mine from any kind of disturbances including disturbances by local separatist groups.

"In addition to [the troops] from East Java, Brimob members from Gorontalo [province] Polda will also be sent to Papua at the same time", he was quoted as saying by Viva News on Tuesday May 17.

East Java Brimob unit head police Senior Commissioner Rudi Kristantyo explained that the biggest challenge facing the Brimob troops on duty at Freeport will be confronting separatist groups. "These separatist groups are trained in guerilla warfare", he said.

Nevertheless, said Kristantyo, the Brimbo troops sent to Papua will be more than capable because they have been highly trained to carry out assaults. "The members who are BKO (under operational control) going to Papua have also been furnished with weapons", he said.

The gold mine in Papua, which is managed by PT Freeport Indonesia, is said to be the largest in the world. Since beginning operations there has been support and opposition to the mining operation. Security disturbances by separatist groups have also been frequent.

Prior to these media reports, not long ago the Indonesian military (TNI) also sent 450 TNI members to Papua with the task of protecting and security the area around the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "101 Personel Brimob Dikirim ke Papua untuk Jaga Areal Freeport".]

Source: http://suarapapua.com/2016/05/17/101-personel-brimob-dikirim-ke-papua-untuk-jaga-areal-freeport/

Jakarta turns to Britain to explain Papua situation

Radio New Zealand International - May 16, 2016

An Indonesian government delegation has travelled to Britain to talk about West Papua to local MPs and church leaders. The Coordinating Minister for Politics, Luhut Pandjaitan, led the delegation.

Its visit was organised hastily following the highly-publicised International Parliamentarians for West Papua summit in London two weeks ago which resulted in a call for an internationally supervised vote on West Papuan self-determination.

Following the summit and its airing of concerns over ongoing human rights abuses against West Papuans, Jakarta has been anxious to explain its side of the story about Papua.

To that effect, Mr Luhut's delegation met with a member of both the House of Lords and IPWP, Lord Harries, to talk about conditions in Papua.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/303996/jakarta-turns-to-britain-to-explain-papua-situation

Indonesian crackdown on West Papuan activists

Red Flag - May 16, 2016

Shail Shah – Almost 2,000 West Papuans were arrested by Indonesian authorities in early May, after demonstrations were held to commemorate the 1963 annexation of the territory and to demand independence.

The continuing occupation of West Papua has been referred to as a slow-motion genocide, and has left up to 500,000 dead. According to journalist John Martinkus, writing in the Saturday Paper:

"It was the largest mass arrest of pro-independence demonstrators in Papua, and included the arrest of demonstrators in the regional centres of Sorong, Merauke, Wamena, Fak-Fak and Manokwari. Arrests were made at similar rallies in Semarang in Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi.

"In all, 1888 people were arrested for demonstrating for independence. Photos and video circulating both on social media and local media show the masses of people arrested in Jayapura and taken to the Indonesian police compound – forced to sit in rows in the heat and made to remove their clothes.

"According to local journalist Benny Mawel, reporting for Tabloid Jubi, the treatment of some of those detained was very rough. Activists were separated from the main group and put in cells at the main police headquarters. They were beaten – police stamping on their chests and backs and hitting them in the head with rifle butts. They were threatened with death and stripped of their clothes."

The protests occurred just after a visit by Indonesian president Joko Widodo. West Papuans are calling for the upcoming Melanesian Spearhead Group conference to grant full membership to pro-independence parties. The MSG was set up in 1986 and includes Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands; the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, a pro-independence coalition, was granted observer status last year.

Despite allegations of torture and widespread abuse, pro-independence activists have vowed to continue fighting.

Source: https://redflag.org.au/node/5289

1965 anti-communist purge

Resolving 1965 massacre is government's first priority: Luhut

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2016

Jakarta – Resolving the 1965 tragedy is the government's first priority as the long-neglected case has grabbed the negative attention of the international community.

"This is our first priority as the case has been an international issue. Moreover, in the Netherlands, there were Indonesians and foreigners who tried to arbitrate over Indonesia. So don't let the country be bullied once again by the international world about this," Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said in Jakarta on Friday.

In April, the government sponsored a two-day symposium in which the organizers invited various parties to speak out about their versions of the 1965 tragedy, which was marked by the purge of at least 500,000 members of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and its sympathizers and supporters.

The organizers of the event had submitted recommendations to the government on how to resolve the problem.

However, several retired generals have shown dissatisfaction over the event, planning to hold their own symposium on June 1 and 2 as they feel the event failed to provide equal composition in terms of the committee members and the speakers. "There is no one we didn't invite. If some people refused to attend it, it's their problem," Luhut said, referring to the symposium in April.

While the government expressed a commitment to solve the 1965 tragedy, Luhut, however, deplored the action of human rights activists, including Nursyahbani Katjasungkana and Todung Mulya Lubis, who initiated the International People's Tribunal on the 1965 tragedy, held from Nov. 10 to 13 last year in The Hague, the Netherlands, marking the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.

"Nursyahbani and Todung's nationality needs to be tested, having seen them going all the way to Netherlands to arbitrate over their own country," Luhut added. (vps/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/21/resolving-1965-massacre-is-governments-first-priority-luhut.html

Hundreds of 1965 victims request protection

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2016

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – The unresolved tragedy of 1965 has left at least 1,571 victims displaced and alienated from society.

The Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) said that the victims had applied for medical assistance, rehabilitation and housing from the agency, but their demands have hardly been met.

LPSK deputy head Hasto Atmojo Suroyo said many victims of gross human rights violations in 1965 had applied to the LPSK for rehabilitation and shelter as most of them are old and have nobody to take care of them.

Hasto added that, as of 2015, 1,571 victims of gross human rights violation cases in 1965 submitted requests to the LPSK and some of those who were seeking medical assistance and rehabilitation have been accommodated.

"In North Sumatra, 42 victims of human rights violation cases in 1965 have filed for their rights, but only Edi's rights have been met," said Hasto.

First Corporal (ret.) Edi Sartimin was the only victim of a gross human rights violation in 1965 in North Sumatra whose rights to life, housing, protection and psychological help have been fulfilled by the agency.

Edi, 80, who lives alone now, was placed by the LPSK into a nursing home in Binjai city, North Sumatra. "I'm grateful to be able to live here. This is my home now," said Edi in an emotional stammer.

Edi expressed his gratitude to the LPSK for helping him stay at the nursing home. Edi claimed he had no one to turn to anymore. He expressed hope he could spend his remaining life there and said he was grateful somebody still cared about helping him meet all his necessities, including health care. "I'm already old and no longer strong enough to work," said Edi.

Hasto, who sent Edi to the nursing home, said the placement of victims of 1965 into nursing homes was aimed at fulfilling their daily needs. He said the LPSK met the rights to life, housing, protection and psychological help of Edi after receiving a recommendation from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

"Edi Sartimin has been declared by Komnas HAM to have been a victim of a gross human rights violation in 1965, so the LPSK fulfilled his rights," Hasto told The Jakarta Post after sending Edi to the nursing home.

Hasto said Edi deserved the assistance from the LPSK because he was living all alone now. Edi was a soldier who served in Medan, North Sumatra, in 1965 with the rank of corporal. Hasto added that at that time Edi, who was accused of being a Sukarno loyalist, became a victim of abuse committed by his fellow soldiers. "The torture experienced by Edi then was recorded and categorized by Komnas HAM as a gross human rights violation," said Hasto.

A North Sumatra provincial council member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Sutrisno Pangaribuan, who also accompanied Edi to the nursing home, said the assistance provided to Edi was expected to heal him psychologically and socially so he would be able to carry out his social functions.

"These efforts should be followed up by the North Sumatra provincial administration because there are still many victims of human rights violations in 1965 who need help," said Sutrisno.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/21/hundreds-1965-victims-request-protection.html

Govt's half-hearted response to 1965 tragedy

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Haeril Halim – Despite an earlier vow for a conciliatory solution to end the controversy regarding the 1965 communist purge by the end of this year, the government has made it clear that no state apology as well as no acknowledgement of state involvement in the massacres would be made.

The government's stance was a response to recommendations from a formulating team of the National Symposium on the 1965 Tragedy on Wednesday, which encouraged the government to provide a non-judicial solution as part of its reconciliation with victims of violence that had occurred during the darkest period of the country's history, between 1965 and 1966.

Part of the recommendations also suggested that the government clear the names of fallen victims during the tragedy as part of the reconciliation process to reveal the truth about the events.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the government had yet to make up its mind on whether to agree with the recommendations but he acknowledged that a solution to the matter would likely be along the same lines.

"It [the reconciliation] is the end goal. As for issuing a state apology [and acknowledging state involvement in the tragedy], I think that is far from what will happen," Luhut told reporters at his office after meeting with National Symposium team chairman Agus Widjojo.

Luhut did not outline details of how the government would carry out the reconciliation process as he would have to meet again with the team on Friday to discuss further about the submitted recommendations.

Luhut said the government would also consider restoring the reputations of the hundreds of thousands of innocent people killed, allegedly by the army, during the tragedy, due to their links to the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), but also added that it would be fair to also do the same for those killed by the PKI.

He further said the government was committed to solve the 1965 case by the end of this year so that future generations would not have to carry the "burden of the past".

The government has received data of 122 mass graves where victims of the 1965 tragedy were buried, and the government has asked help from the Indonesian Army to confirm the numbers in the field.

Luhut went on that the government would not establish a truth and reconciliation commission as voiced by right activists and outlined within the National Symposium team's recommendations. The government also said it would stand by the 1966 decree of the People's Consultative Assembly on the disbandment of communism in Indonesia, regardless of how the reconciliation process proceeded.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/govt-s-half-hearted-response-1965-tragedy.html

1965 symposium team ready to submit recommendations to government

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Jakarta – The team from the National Symposium on the 1965 Tragedy is set to submit to the government their recommendations, based on detailed analysis of the communist purge, in the hope of providing closure and justice for victims and survivors.

Symposium chairman Agus Widjojo said on Wednesday morning that his team had narrowed down their recommendations and would hand them over to Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan on Wednesday afternoon.

"The settlement plan has been narrowed to reconciliation through a non-judicial process, in accordance with the year 2000 law on human-rights tribunals," he told journalists.

The recommendations will cover a reconciliation concept, Agus said, without giving specific details. The team will include in documents to be handed to the government academic research and input from various related parties.

The government held the two-day national symposium in April, bringing together together survivors, families of victims, government representatives, academics and human-rights activists to discuss and make recommendations on reconciliation options with regard to the mass killings carried out in 1965 and early 1966. During the tragedy, at least 500,000 people are believed to have been murdered, and millions other sent to prison without trial.

The government has long planned to settle the 1965 communist purge through reconciliation and not a judicial process, claiming it would be difficult to find valid evidence for the crimes. However, families of victims, survivors and human-rights activists have been pushing for a judicial process to bring justice to the victims and their families. (vps/rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/1965-symposium-team-ready-to-submit-recommendations-to-govt.html

President urged to reprimand defense minister over controversial remarks on 1965-66

Jakarta Globe - May 18, 2016

Jakarta – Human rights watchdog Setara Institute has called on President Joko Widodo to come down hard on Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu for ignoring the president's instructions on dealing with past cases of human rights abuses, including the anti-communist purge of 1965-66.

President Joko Widodo, who vowed to resolve long-standing cases of human rights abuse during his presidential campaign two years ago, recently instructed Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan to answer human rights activists' call to dig up mass graves thought to hide the remains of Indonesian Communist Party, or PKI, members slain during the 1965-66 pogrom.

However, Ryamizard has hinted that it would be better for the government not to press ahead with such plan, saying such move could pose threats to state security. Ryamizard's statement has drawn ire from rights defenders, who demanded Joko reprimand the former Army chief of staff.

"The minister has only sparked public anxiety with his repressive approach," Hendardi, chairman of Jakarta-based Setara Institute, said on Tuesday (17/05). "Jokowi needs to show some leadership so everyone gets back in line in this issue," Hendardi said, referring to the president by his popular nickname.

Hendardi made his call following a massive crackdown last week by authorities on what they claimed were attempts to resurrect communist ideologies in Indonesia.

Military and police officers have confiscated a wide range of alleged communist-related merchandise, and arrested dozens of activists they claimed were spreading leftist ideas.

While Joko has warned against the use of military force in such crackdown, which he said undermined freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Indonesian law, Ryamizard has staunchly supported the move. "The minister's move goes against Jokowi's instructions. Ryamizard has shown no respect for human rights," Hendardi said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/president-urged-reprimand-defense-minister-controversial-remarks-1965-66-massacres/

Extreme right-wing ideology is dangerous: Ahok

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya, Jakarta – Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama on Tuesday criticized the prohibition of books on communism and the raids against various left-wing-related activities carried out in a number of regions across the country.

Indonesia, he said, should be concerned about extreme right-ideology and its aim to change the Pancasila ideology. "Don't you think that right-wing extremism is dangerous too? People who scream to change Pancasila ideology should be arrested," Ahok said at the City Hall on Tuesday.

He expressed concerns regarding the use of race and religion by those trying to discredit him. "By raising such sentiment, those people have tried to change the country's ideology," he said.

In Yogyakarta and Surabaya, people are reported to have carried out raids looking for books on communism. Indonesia's national library also supports the prohibition of books with communism content, as reported by tempo.co on Monday.

Security officers do need to up hold the law if there are people who forcefully spread communist ideology through propaganda intended to change Pancasila, he agreed.

However, if they just read such a book without trying to change the Pancasila ideology... as a democratic country, Indonesia should not prohibit the distribution of "left-books," he added. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/extreme-right-wing-ideology-is-dangerous-ahok.html

Police deny 'special raids' to contain communism

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Fadli, Batam/Jakarta – The nationwide crackdown on activities and symbols related to communism continues. The National Police have maintained that there is no plan to contain the spread of communism or the use of communist symbolism through the organization of a "special operation", as alleged by some activists.

"There is no such plan. It's your choice, whether to call the recent raids and crackdown a 'special operation'," National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti told reporters on Monday at the headquarters of the National Police in South Jakarta.

The crackdown on communist symbolism has sparked criticism, with some activists saying that these moves put freedom of expression in jeopardy. Asep Komaruddin, an activist with the Civil Movement for Democracy (Gema Demokrasi), said on Sunday the crackdowns on communism were systematic and widespread.

Last week, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered some of his aides, including Badrodin, Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo and National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso to take "a legal approach" in dealing with "the increasing number of activities related to the Indonesian Communist Party [PKI] and other leftist movements".

But rights activists have argued that the authorities have been excessive in carrying out Jokowi's orders.

Commenting on the matter, Badrodin said he had ordered police officers to restrict the extent of arrests and the confiscation of things related to communism, such as books and T-shirts. "We confiscated some books as a sample to convey them to the Attorney General to see whether or not the books contained communist teachings," Badrodin said.

He added that the arrests by military officials were "incidental", not the result of widespread, organized sweeps against communist symbolism. "They did not do anything wrong so long as they transferred the suspects to the police."

Gatot defended the officers, arguing they had done "the right thing" by arresting people and confiscating books that promoted communism. The promotion of communism is a crime in Indonesia.

"They [the promoters of communism] violated the law," Gatot said, citing the 1966 Decree of the People's Consultative Assembly and the 1999 State Security Law, which is an addendum to the Criminial Code (KUHP).

As the behavior of the police inspires debate in Jakarta, a man wearing a shirt with the hammer-and-sickle logo, redolent of PKI symbolism, was apprehended by military officers in Tanjung Balai Karimun, Riau Islands, on Sunday.

The city's military chief, Lt. Col. I Gusti Ketut Arthasuyasa, said on Monday that the man, Abdul Aziz, a bellhop at a hotel, was seen wearing the shirt while watching a soccer match at Badang Perkasa stadium in Tanjung Balai Karimun. "Based on our vetting of him, the shirt was given to the suspect by a hotel visitor as a memento," Arthasuyasa said.

This is the second arrest conducted recently by military officers for the apparent use of communist symbolism in the province. On April 30, the military arrested Singaporean Azri Zulfarhan bin Kamsin for wearing a shirt with a hammer-and-sickle logo at the city's Harbor Bay International Port. He had just arrived in Batam when the arrest took place. The military in Batam said it was monitoring the use of communist symbolism in the area. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/police-deny-special-raids-contain-communism.html

Labour & migrant workers

RI to halt labor exports next year

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – Working as a domestic helper abroad has been a promising profession for many Indonesians as it offers better wages and prestige. Besides, the workers also contribute a great deal to the welfare of their families back home – and foreign exchange to the government.

However, instead of providing more comprehensive protection to the foreign exchange heroes or heroines and their families, the government has decided to stop them from working abroad in the informal sector for the sake of "pride and dignity".

After banning the sending of informal migrant workers to the Middle East in mid-2015, the government now plans to limit the sending of informal workers to the Asia-Pacific region by next year.

The Manpower Ministry's director general for workers' training and planning, Hery Sudarmanto, said on Wednesday that the government was discussing the idea and would implement it only after there was a legal basis for the limitation.

"We won't totally stop migrant workers seeking jobs in other countries. We will only regulate the positions they can take, so that there will be no more Indonesians working as maids abroad," Hery said, adding that the decision was part of the government's road map of zero domestic helpers working abroad.

Migrant workers will be only allowed to take certain positions, such as cooks, nannies and gardeners, so that they have clear tasks, salaries and work hours. The ministry will provide training for them on job descriptions before they go abroad. "We only want to make our standards higher so that we can compete with other countries," Hery said.

He added that the government would require other countries to provide clear information about how many workers they needed from Indonesia and for what positions. The information will be published on a website and displayed at regional administration offices so that people can access it.

The government will add the provisions to amendments to Law No. 39/2004 on the protection of migrant workers so there will be a legal basis.

Currently, Article 81, Point 1 of the law stipulates that the government can stop or ban the sending of migrant workers for certain sectors as long as it is for the protection of the workers or to ensure the distribution of job opportunities. Government Regulation No. 3/2013 on the protection of migrant workers abroad also mentions banning the sending of migrant workers to certain countries for particular sectors.

Hery further said clear information on job opportunities abroad and the required procedures would help reduce the number of illegal migrant workers. "The government cannot prohibit people from seeking jobs abroad, but we can at least protect them by providing better options in positions and clear information," he added.

Meanwhile, rights group Migrant Care policy analyst Wahyu Susilo said such a plan was not enough to protect migrant workers abroad, who often faced mistreatment by their employers. Moreover, the Constitution states that the government has no right to ban people's right to work abroad.

"The plan is good, but to make it perfect, the government needs to recognize domestic workers as formal workers by ratifying ILO [International Labor Organization] Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers," Wahyu said.

If the government turns a blind eye to the matter, he added, workers could be more vulnerable. In addition, it was ironic that the government was considering closing the door to Indonesians working abroad in the new era of the ASEAN Economic Community, he said

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/ri-halt-labor-exports-next-year.html

Freedom of speech & expression

Scholars, government differ on Marxism

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Bambang Muryanto and Jon Afrizal, Yogyakarta and Jambi – Amid intimidation from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) against scholarly discussions on Marxism, the country's intellectuals and the government are still arguing about whether the leftist ideology is an acceptable subject for discussion.

If the country's scholars and the government are unable to settle their differences, the FPI's hostility could become the ultimate winner in this lengthy debate over freedom of expression.

Several academics on Sunday called on the government to protect freedom of expression at universities following a series of crackdowns on discussions on Marxism in Bandung and Sumedang, West Java, by the FPI.

The FPI dispersed a discussion at the Indonesia Institute of Arts and Science (ISBI) in Bandung on May 10 and a seminar on the same topic at the Padjajaran University (Unpad) in Sumedang on May 19.

Despite the crackdown and coercion, the Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry has washed its hands of the matter, proclaiming Marxism illegal in all universities in the world's fourth largest democracy.

"Marxism cannot be taught because it is not in line with the nation's ideology of Pancasila," Intan Achmad, the ministry's directorgeneral for learning and student affairs, told The Jakarta Post.

Responding to that statement, Mukhtasar Syamsuddin, head of Gadjah Mada University's (UGM) School of Philosophy, said the government should ensure protection for any kind of event on campus, including events at respectable education centers in West Java.

"These discussions are within the academic realm. They are not efforts intended to change the nation's ideology. The government has to provide protection as part of its mandate to educate the whole nation," Mukhtasar told the Post on Sunday.

He said Marxism had been taught at his school since the 2000s, a move aimed at giving his students a complete philosophical perspective.

"We are obliged to learn every branch of philosophy, including Marxism, liberalism, pluralism and multiculturalism, because they cannot be critical toward everything without having a holistic comprehension," he said.

In stark contrast to Mukhtasar's sentiment, Intan said "there is no need to wax nostalgic on the uses of Marxism, for it does not have place anymore in this era".

Nonetheless, renowned scholar Franz Magnis Suseno said Marxism was still a "relevant" subject for discussion, especially in the academic forum, so that younger generations would know why the teaching could not be implemented in the country that uses Pancasila as its governing ideology.

"The law only prohibits the dissemination of Marxism-Leninism, based on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party, with the intention of changing the country's founding ideology," Franz told the Post on Sunday, referring to Article 219 of the Criminal Code.

"Marxism is not an ideology. There is a lot of it that is not related to communism, such as Marx's critical theory of society," said Franz, a senior lecturer at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta.

Franz also raised his concerns over the government's "inaction" in dealing with the swelling tide of intimidation and intolerance seen in West Java, saying "it is a dangerous threat to freedom of academic expression. This threat is more dangerous than the threat posed by the FPI".

Meanwhile, several academics within the Progressive Intellectuals Forum, including UGM sociologist Arie Sujito, Sanata Dharma University historian Baskara T. Wardaya and Airlangga University political science lecturer Airlangga Pribadi, demanded on Saturday that the government protect freedom of academic expression on campus.

Separately, the crackdown on communist symbolism continues as soldiers from the Batanghari base in Jambi apprehended a man, identified as RS, on Saturday for wearing shirt with the hammerand-sickle logo, similar to that of the PKI. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/scholars-government-differ-on-marxism.html

Raids against left-wing-related activities too excessive: Luhut

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan wants security personnel not to excessively raid premises hosting leftist-related books and activities, saying that academic events should still be allowed.

"People should still be able to carry out discussion, as well as to read textbooks on communism, as long as it intended for scientific purposes," said Luhut in Jakarta on Friday. He, however, believed that communism still was a latent danger to Indonesia.

Any research on communism in an academic context should be allowed, since it aimed to educate people and helped citizens be able to prevent communism from infiltrating our society once again, Luhut said. "There should be an expert of communism too, right. We should not be like the US, which is paranoid about terrorism," Luhut said on Friday.

However, Luhut asserted that if showcasing communism had to do with spreading the ideology or to revive the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), the government would take strict actions in accordance with the law.

Spreading communism is considered treason and people convicted for the crime can face up to 15 years' imprisonment, according to Article 107 of Law No. 27/1999 on state security. A previous 1966 and 2003 People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) ruling also asserts the disbandment of communism in Indonesia.

Recently, in numerous regions across the country, such as Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya, raids have been carried out on events showcasing books or discussions on communism. Indonesia's National Library also supports the prohibition of books with communist content. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/21/raids-against-left-wing-related-activities-too-excessive-luhut.html

Bandung gripped with communist fears

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2016

Arya Dipa, Bandung – In absence of the State's assurance for freedom of expression, the nation has continuously witnessed repressive acts against academic freedom within university campuses across the country.

While it was the police who halted a number of such academic events in Yogyakarta, lately, similar repression was observed in West Java. The only difference in the latter was that the hard-line group, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), played the role of oppressor.

Just on Thursday, the social and political sciences department of Padjajaran University (Unpad) in Sumedang, near West Java's capital of Bandung, decided to cancel its seminar, entitled "Marxisme sebagai Ilmu Pengetahuan" (Marxism as science) following intimidation by the FPI.

Activist Firman Ekoputra from the Rumah Kiri organization, Unpad political scholar M. Rolip Saptamaji and Unpad political science lecturer Carolina Paskarina were initially scheduled to speak at the seminar.

It was the second repressive act in only a week by the FPI against freedom of academic expression in the province. On May 10, the hard-liners dispersed Sekolah Marx (School of Marx), an event discussing Marxism conducted by the Daunjati student press group of the Indonesian Art and Culture Institute (ISBI). The FPI demanded Daunjati end the event, but the press group continued with proceedings until last Wednesday, albeit with compromises.

Student Council spokesperson of Unpad's social and political sciences department Muhammad Ariq Andarmesa said the FPI had come to the university, demanding that the university cancel the seminar.

"The academic affairs division of my department then asked the students to cancel the event, citing security reasons," Ariq told The Jakarta Post in an interview on Thursday.

He also received various anonymous phone calls, including one claimed to be from police intelligence, telling Ariq to beware as tension with communists was simmering. "This proves the campus, once heralded as an autonomous institution free from outside pressures, is powerless in dealing with threats to its academic freedom," Ariq said.

The department head, Widya Setiabudi, said recommending the student council delay the seminar was aimed to "deal with the simmering tension". "We wanted to cool down the situation. In the end, we just postponed the event," Widya said, adding that Marxism was a common subject of campus discussion, given that it was part of the social and political studies course.

However, Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir told the Post on Thursday that Marxism was banned in all campuses in the country. "It cannot be taught as a university subject. Every campus has to abide by the law," Nasir said, adding that Marxism was not in line with core values that embody the "belief in God" principle, outlined in the Constitution.

The ministry's director-general for academic and student affairs, Intan Achmad, said he was unaware that Marxism had become a subject at the university.

Meanwhile, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said it was the police's job to handle communist-related events, not the FPI's. "The FPI should not act as vigilantes toward any event related to communism," Boy told the Post on Thursday.

Separately, Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) researcher Andi Mutaqqien said Article 219 of the Criminal Code, which stipulates that advocating communism is a crime, was open to interpretation. "Not every seminar on communism intends to advocate the ideology," Andi said. (mos/wnd)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/bandung-gripped-with-communist-fears.html

Spectre of a communist revival prompts crackdown and ridicule in Indonesia

Sydney Morning Herald - May 19, 2016

Jewel Topsfield, Jakarta – You know the paranoia about a communist revival in Indonesia has jumped the shark when the nation's netizens start parodying it on social media.

"Our love is forbidden," moans the hammer to the sickle on one meme posted on Facebook. A girl in a cartoon is shocked by the latent communism everywhere when a street sign says to turn left and keep going.

The internet spoofs follow an extraordinary crackdown on anything purported to spread leftist ideology, amid sweeping fears of a resurgence of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

This month four activists in North Maluku were arrested over red t-shirts featuring a motif of a hammer and sickle floating in a cup of coffee. The acronym on the coffee cup was PKI, which purportedly stood for Pecinta Kopi Indonesia (Indonesian coffee lovers).

In Yogyakarta, police broke up a screening of a documentary on a political prisoner who was imprisoned without trial on Buru Island for 10 years for being a member of a leftist organisation. Ironically the event coincided with World Press Freedom Day.

Any activity which propagates communism, Marxism and Leninism is banned in Indonesia under a 1966 decree which dissolved the PKI. Anyone violating this ban can be sentenced to a maximum 12 years in jail.

However, recent fears of a communist revival and the ensuing crackdown have been sparked by last month's historic symposium on the 1965-66 massacre of at least half a million people suspected of leftist leanings.

This was the first time the Indonesian Government has ever endorsed a forum to discuss one of the darkest chapters in Indonesia's history. Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan subsequently announced the government would form a team to excavate mass graves.

Australian National University Professor Ariel Heryanto – the only speaker at the symposium from outside Indonesia – attributes the paranoia about a resurgence of communism to a number of factors.

One, he says, is genuine anxiety about the possibility that those responsible for the massacre could be indicted for crimes against humanity. Another is the angry and hostile response to the symposium, which acknowledged the plight of the victims of the 1965 massacre and sought some form of reconciliation.

And third, he suggests a ploy on the part of disenchanted segments within the political elite to destabilise the government. Asked if he was expecting the backlash, Professor Heryanto said: "Definitely, we are witnessing it now".

Earlier this month rumours swept Indonesia that the PKI planned to stage a reunion in Yogyakarta on May 9. The day before the phantom reunion a group of anti-communist activists calling themselves the Anti Communist Red White Elements, issued a statement warning that communist ideology was "still an insidious problem that is growing in Indonesia".

It urged the government to retain the ban on communist teachings, reaffirm its decision not to apologise to the so-called victims of the anti-communist purge and take action against any activities associated with the PKI and its derivatives.

Banners were erected around Yogyakarta with slogans such as: "Save Indonesian youth from the latent danger of communism".

Yogyakarta deputy police chief Abdul Hasyim Gani told Fairfax Media he still didn't know why Yogyakarta had been selected as the location for the rumoured PKI reunion. "We also don't know the reason behind it," he said.

"The police cybercrime division detected the source of the broadcast was from Vietnam. But that has proven it was just a rumour. There's no proof that PKI is making a comeback."

Meanwhile, publishing company Ultimus said a bookshop in Yogyakarta was told it could not display a book about the history of 1965.

"The book content was said to twist PKI history," said Ultimus editor Bilven Rivaldo. "But that's not true. There is no official version of history. There are different points of view of history. Such a thing [confiscating leftist books] is like going back to the New Order era. If anyone tries to defy the government they get shut down."

President Joko Widodo, who initially ordered the military and police to uphold the law against any spread of communist teaching, recently warned them not to be excessive.

"Democracy is the substance of the state. So the police, as well as the military, went too far with their sweeping operations," the Jakarta Post quoted Cabinet secretary Pramono Anung as saying on Friday.

A scathing editorial in Tempo magazine this week said a campaign that raised the spectre of a communist revival always seemed to happen when someone questioned the state's silence over the victims of the 1965 pogrom or there was friction among the political elite.

"Communism is dead and buried and will never return – except in the eyes of those who continue to preserve the fear of an ideological ghost."

[With Amilia Rosa and Karuni Rompies.]

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/spectre-of-a-communist-revival-prompts-crackdown-and-ridicule-in-indonesia-20160519-goy44a.html

University ends Marx talks after FPI threat

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Arya Dipa, Bandung/Jakarta – A student press group in Bandung, West Java, has refused to bow to pressure from an intimidating hard-line group that had dispersed the former's Sekolah Marx (School of Marx), an event for discussions on Marxism, on May 10.

On that day, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) through intimidation demanded the student press group, Daunjati of the Indonesian Art and Culture Institute (ISBI), end the event.

But on Wednesday the press group concluded School of Marx on its own terms, with a closing ceremony called Panggung Seni untuk Demokrasi (Art Stage for Democracy).

Daunjati chairman Mohamad Chandra Irfan in his speech during the ceremony said that the decision to hold an art stage was far from its initial plans to conclude the event with a class entitled "The Creation of Theatre Based on Karl Marx's thought".

"We argued with the university on how to conclude the event. But in the end they gave the go-ahead for us to end the event with the art stage," Chandra said Wednesday.

He said that in organizing the art stage, the press group had been in cooperation with several university student councils, including from the Bandung Institute of Technology, Langlangbuana University, Bandung Raya University and the Indonesia-America Computer Education Center.

"The change of plans did not mean we finally bowed down to the FPI's pressure, but serves as a sign of consolidation among university students in Bandung," Chandra said.

School of Marx began in February, holding a series of discussions on Marxism, such as the Visual Aesthetics Based on Karl Marx's Thoughts and Stage Art Paradigm According to Karl Marx.

Chandra accused the campus for "bowing to pressure from the FPI by cancelling the last class". "We try to strengthen the democratic environment of this campus, which has to be free from pressure and intimidation from outsiders, let alone hard-line groups," he added.

ISBI vice rector for academic and student affairs, Benny Yohanes, denied Chandra's claim, saying that the university did not back away from supporting the School of Marx event. "We will add this kind of class to the campus' syllabus, because it could spark creativity among the students," he said.

Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry spokesperson Munawir Razak said that the ministry had not been in contact with the ISBI regarding the FPI's intimidation or anything related to the event.

The ministry's director-general for learning and student affairs, Intan Achmad, could not be reached for comment by The Jakarta Post as of Wednesday night.

This was the third act of intimidation toward an art or academic event in Bandung since the start of the year. In the past 12 months there were at least 15 similar discussions and cultural events opposed by hard-liners.

On March 23, the FPI dispersed a monologue performance about the national hero, Tan Malaka, entitled Saya Rusa Berbulu Merah (I Am A Red-furred Fox), demanding the organizer cancel the performance over fears the show advocated communism. The monologue was presented a day after and secured by 200 Bandung Police personnel.

On May 9, a group named the West Java Islamic Alliance staged a rally in front of the Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, demanding the campus halt a discussion because it invited Shiite intellectual Jalaludin Rakhmat and Liberal Islam Network (JIL) activist Ulil Absar Abdala as speakers. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/university-ends-marx-talks-after-fpi-threat.html

Overseas students condemn book seizures

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Jakarta – A group of Indonesian students abroad have condemned recent seizures of leftist books in their homeland.

"If it is allowed to go on, these actions could be interpreted as a form of terror by the state against its own citizens," said Indonesian Students Circle Abroad, a network of 123 students studying across the world including in Australia, Japan, Lebanon, Russia, the UK and the US.

"The raids and seizures of books by the security forces, which violate the people's right to access knowledge, are an act of anti-intellectualism. With these practices, the state violates the law and neglects civil rights, which are protected by the Constitution in the Indonesian Republic," they said as stated in a press release.

The state is also increasing insecurity among the public in terms of freedom of thought and expression, therefore, the students urged President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to halt all types of repressive action against access to knowledge, including in the form of leftist books.

Among the 123 students are award-winning film critic and author Eric Sasono of King's College, London, musician and social worker Rara Sekar Larasati of the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand and founder of television watchdog Remotivi Roy Thaniago of Lund University in Sweden.

The security forces have recently begun seizing leftist books from citizens, following President Jokowi's instruction to take action against the appearance and distribution of communist symbols.

However, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said that Jokowi had admitted that military and police personnel had overreacted to his order. The President felt that people should respect freedom of the press and academic freedom as essential parts of a democratic society, Pramono added.

In 2010, the Constitutional Court annulled the 1963 law on monitoring printed materials with content that could jeopardize public order. (vps/bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/overseas-students-condemn-book-seizures.html

Activists urge Jokowi to stop book raids

Tempo - May 17, 2016

Iqbal T. Lazuardi S, Bandung – A number of literacy activists in Bandung issued a statement in response to the recent book raids carried out by military officials, police and public organization on books believed to contain 'leftist' ideology.

The statement was issued at the Indonesia Menggugat Building in Bandung on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, in the presence of cultural activists, artists, students, and writers.

Poet Ahda Imran, who represents the Bandung literacy activist said that the commemoration of the National Book Day, which falls on May 17, 2016, has been tarnished with the rampant sweeping and confiscation of books. Ahda argued that the confiscations is unnecessary and has violated the Constitutional Court Decision No. 6-13-20/PUU-VIII-2010.

"Referring to the Constitutional Court Decision, police officials, military officials, moreover mass organizations, have no rights to conduct sweeping and confiscates books," Ahda said.

Ahda also lamented President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's negligence in allowing such actions to occur. Ahda added that statements issued by Indonesian officials have been counter-productive, such as the statement issued by the Acting Chairman of the National Library Dedi Junaidi who supports confiscation of books containing leftist ideology.

"[The Indonesian] National library is the only library in the world that issued such statement. We demanded government officials to issue counter-productive statements," Ahda said.

Source: http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2016/05/17/055771809/Activists-Urge-Jokowi-to-Stop-Book-Raids

National Library head supports censorship, disposal of leftist books

Tempo - May 16, 2016

Selfy Momongan (Magang), Jakarta – The recent raids against Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) related paraphernalia and books have attracted the special attention of the National Library (Perpusnas) with acting Perpusnas head Dedi Junaedi supporting the censorship of books containing leftist ideas.

"I agree. Because the existence of books with leftist ideology appears to be creating unrest. During the era of the New Order [regime of former President Suharto] these books were banned from circulation. For those who wanted to read them they had to have permission from the Attorney General", said Junaedi following a press conference at the National Library Auditorium in Central Jakarta on Monday May 16.

According to Junaedi, the National Library as an administrative institution is obliged to store collections of these books. However, said Junaedi, during the New Order period people had to have permission from the authorised body in order to be able to access these books.

So Junaedi supports the many raids on books smacking of leftist ideas by the Indonesian military (TNI) and police. "Primarily for the well being of our children, yes. Books like this are not in accordance with [the state ideology] of Pancasila", he said.

According to Junaedi, the general public wants the situation to be peaceful. "So if there are books that will create unease, this will be provocative".

Junaedi added that a number of book containing leftist ideas are stored at the National Library however the majority are old publications. In the case of recently published leftist books, Junaedi questions whether or not they have International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN). "In the case of new book, we'll check. Do they have an ISBN or not?", he said.

According to Junaedi, if the National Library will report it if there are requests for ISBNs for new books that smack of leftist ideas. "Although the Perpusnas authority to provide ISBNs isn't related to the content. That lies with the publisher, it's outside the authority of the Perpusnas", said Junaedi.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Perpustakaan Nasional Dukung Pemusnahan Buku-buku Kiri".]

Source: https://nasional.tempo.co/read/news/2016/05/16/078771409/perpustakaan-nasional-dukung-pemusnahan-buku-buku-kiri

Fear of communism, limits on freedom of expression persist

Jakarta Post - May 16, 2016

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – It was not anticipated that a vibrant celebration of 2016 World Press Freedom Day in Yogyakarta on May 3 would lead to chaotic scenes and scuffles between journalists and security authorities.

The breaking up of the celebration was blamed on protests by a group that reportedly disagreed with a screening of Pulau Buru: Tanah Air Beta (Buru Island: My Homeland), a documentary movie on the 1965 tragedy by Rahung Nasution, at the event.

The Yogyakarta Police forcefully dispersed the gathering following pressure from people claiming to act on behalf of the Communication Forum of Indonesian Veterans' Children (FKPPI). They raided the venue on Jl. Pakel Baru, Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta, accusing the now-defunct Indonesia Communist Party (PKI) of being behind the event.

The FKPPI also claimed the movie could trigger conflict as it featured communist ideas. A truck carrying fully armed police personnel approached the location following heightening tensions.

Around 100 journalists and civil society group activists attending the event resisted the dispersal. The police forced them to leave, however, claiming they did not have an event permit. The owner of a house used by the Yogyakarta chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) as an office and the movie screening venue forced the group to move elsewhere.

The disbandment of the World Press Freedom Day event in Yogyakarta represented a violation of freedom of expression, many examples of which have occurred in Indonesia recently. The incident tested the implementation of citizens' rights to exercise freedom of expression.

Almost two decades after the Reform Era, some say Indonesia still lacks respect for people's rights to freedom of expression. The country also shows slow progress in healing its scars from past political turmoil.

The recent seizure of books suspected to contain communist teachings from stores across Indonesia illustrated the country's failure to move on from the trauma of the 1965-1966 political crisis caused by the failed G30S coup blamed on the PKI.

In mid-May, officers from the Grobogan Police in Central Java confiscated several books containing stories on the history of the PKI and its leaders. The titles were Siapa Dalang G30S PKI (Who Masterminded the PKI G30S); The Missing Link G30S PKI; Fakta dan Rekayasa G30S PKI (PKI G30S Fact Engineering); Komunisme Ala Aidit (Communism a la Aidit); Musso, Peristiwa 1 Oktober (October 1 Incident); and Nyoto Peniup Saxofon di Tengah Prahara (Nyoto, A Saxophonist in the Middle of Hurricane). The books were on sale in a supermarket.

Separately, officers from the Sukoharjo Police in Central Java seized four copies of a book entitled The Missing Link G30S: Misteri Sjam Kamaruzzaman dan Biro Chusus PKI (The G30S Missing Link: The Mystery of Sjam Kamaruzzaman and PKI Special Bureau) from a supermarket in Baki, Sukoharjo.

Indonesian Police chief Badrodin Haiti has called on police personnel to stop searching for books with communism-related content. He asserted that communism-themed books in book stores, libraries and universities should not be confiscated.

Badrodin said those the police had taken action against were people or groups who had intentionally spread communism. He referred to the recent seizure of T-shirts emblazoned with the communist hammer-and-sickle emblem from stores and markets.

As reported in mass media, a resident from Tanjung Riau, Sekupang, Batam, was arrested on May 3 for wearing a hammer-and-sickle T-shirt. On May 8, a joint force comprising personnel from the Jakarta Police and the Jakarta Military Area Command's (Kodam Jaya) intelligence division arrested the owner of a shop selling similar T-shirts in Blok M, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. On May 9, two young men identified with the initials UR and RD were arrested by military personnel in Lampung for wearing the same type of T-shirts. Badrodin said the symbol was prohibited in public as it could be considered an effort to spread communist teachings. He claimed that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo himself had ordered all security authorities, including the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and the National Intelligence Agency (BIN), to tackle the distribution of communist symbols, such as the hammer-and-sickle emblem.

Badrodin said the measures taken by security authorities were based on the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS) Decree No. XXV/1966 on the disbandment of the PKI and the prohibition of the spread of communism, Leninism and Marxism.

Separately, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasona Laoly said the use of PKI attributes was clearly prohibited in Indonesia. "It was the decision of the MPRS. This ideology [communism] is not allowed to exist anymore in Indonesia," he said on May 10.

President Jokowi said recently that he supported efforts to eradicate communism in Indonesia; however, he added that law enforcers should not act excessively in carrying out the task. He made the statement in response to widespread criticism on the government's anticommunism measures, which have been deemed excessive. In Bantul, Yogyakarta, police officers confiscated a Lou Han fish because it had scaly pattern similar to the hammer-and-sickle-logo on its body.

Violations of freedom of expression, which have also affected events aimed at discussing the 1965 tragedy, contradict the government's initiative to resolve past human rights violations. The government in April held its first symposium on the events of 1965.

The recent cases of violations of freedom of expression, including the disbandment of the World Press Freedom Day celebration, show that security authorities and President Jokowi are walking in opposite directions in terms of resolving wounds from the nation's past. Political chaos resulting from such instability will slow all aspects of the country's development.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/16/fear-of-communism-limits-on-freedom-of-expression-persist.html

Political parties & elections

PKS reaffirms loyalty to Red-and-White Coalition

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Jakarta – The Prosperous Justice Party's (PKS) highest body, the majelis syuro (advisory council), has issued a binding recommendation that the party must remain in the Red-and-White Coalition (KMP) on the political opposition side, along with the Gerindra Party.

The recommendation was one of three significant conclusions reached during the council's fourth annual meeting, along with decisions on forming a coalition ahead of the Jakarta gubernatorial election and on Jakarta's reclamation projects.

"The PKS is to be consistent in keeping its distance from the government and staying in the KMP," PKS secretary-general Mustafa Kamal said on Sunday in Jakarta, as quoted by kompas.com, highlighting that the party would support government policies and programs that aimed to improve people's welfare.

Meanwhile, he said the party would be critical of government programs and policies that neglected the people.

The decision was made after two New Order-era parties, Golkar and the United Development Party (PPP), left the Red-and-White Coalition, which was initially formed to back then candidate Prabowo Subianto during the presidential election in 2014.

The PKS advisory council also discussed strategies for the upcoming Jakarta gubernatorial election, concluding that it would forge a political coalition to put forward a candidate. "The PKS will build a strategic coalition with other parties to search for a better alternative candidate to win the Jakarta election," Mustafa said.

Criticizing the much-debated reclamation program under Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, the advisory council underlined how reclamation in many regions had had serious impacts.

"The tidal floods that come in the wake of reclamation lead to deterioration in sanitation and environmental health in surrounding areas. Eviction and relocation force people to adapt to a situation that affects their psychological and mental health," Mustafa stated. (ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/pks-reaffirms-loyalty-to-red-and-white-coalition.html

Golkar's party is over

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Far from its much-heralded theme of reconciliation, the Golkar Party congress in the Bali resort area of Nusa Dua has from the beginning displayed a revival of old animosity between warring party factions, as evidenced by mudslinging and trading of punches ahead of the election for the party's chief post.

In yet another show of farce, and force, the party elite on Tuesday voted for former House of Representatives speaker Setya Novanto as the chairman for the coming five years, after on Monday naming outgoing chairman Aburizal Bakrie the powerful chief patron.

Not only the public at large, but perhaps also Golkar grass root supporters will find it hard to fathom that such a controversial figure as Setya is entrusted to lead the country's second largest party.

He resigned as the House speaker last December just after most members of the legislative body's ethics council had found him guilty of medium or gross violations of the House's code of ethics for his alleged attempt to broker a contract extension for gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia.

A number of lawmakers who later were convicted of corruption have also named Setya in their testimonies, although the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has so far found no evidence to ensnare the businessman-cum-politician.

Common sense would lead us lay people to the conclusion that Setya is a liability for Golkar due to his track record. His tainted reputation could plunge Golkar deeper into the deficit of public trust. Or, if the politics of criminalization, as some politicians suggested, was exercised to stymie the opposition, Golkar under Setya would come under constant threat of being held hostage by his legal cases.

Setya's rise to the Golkar throne, therefore, reflects not only his mastery of the art of survival, but also his ability to convince power brokers, both inside and outside of Golkar, that he serves their interests.

But would Golkar have evaded the same conundrum had a candidate other than Setya won the party's chairmanship? Not necessarily.

As the just concluded Golkar succession has demonstrated, the party lacks credible figures that could build its image anew and help it regain public confidence in both regional and national elections. Candidates for the party's chief post were chosen not through a selection mechanism that ensured their close connection with grass root members, but simply by the blessing of party leaders.

Golkar's party in Bali is over. It, however, remains to be seen whether the reconciliatory congress will really restore unity in the party, even though Setya has promised to give his contenders respectable posts on the new board of executives.

For President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, however, Setya – led Golkar would be a strategic partner in realizing government programs, which, like it or not, are a manifestation of Jokowi's campaign platform.

With political stability far more secure following Golkar's jump to the ruling coalition from the opposition force, there is no excuse for the government to not expedite the execution of its development plans.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/golkar-s-party-over.html

Controversial leader could cost Golkar votes in 2019 election: Experts

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – Despite the potential the Golkar Party has because of its stance on the government, the party needs to be cautious in the run up to the 2019 general election after controversial Golkar politician Setya Novanto was elected the party's chairman, experts have said.

As the infamous Setya took Golkar's chairmanship baton from his predecessor, Aburizal Bakrie, early Tuesday in Bali, the country's second-largest party will be at a disadvantage in facing the elections, said senior researcher F S Swantoro from Para Syndicate think tank.

"Golkar's outlook for 2019 is bleak as the public recognizes that Setya is no good," Swantoro told thejakartapost.com, adding that Setya had three years to improve his image to face the election.

The public, however, is unlikely to forget the various cases in which Setya has been implicated, he said. The latest case was Setya's alleged involvement in an attempt to seal a backroom deal with the US-based giant mining PT Freeport Indonesia. "The public won't buy him," Swantoro said on Tuesday.

Golkar vowed at a Golkar leaders meeting in January to support the Joko "Jokowi" Widodo administration. Setya reaffirmed the stance on Tuesday.

Golkar's relations with the government have improved, Swantoro said, because the party had a debt of gratitude that did not enable it to be a strong opposition.

The party is expected to help maintain political stability, said Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) senior political analyst J. Kristiadi.

Golkar has 14.75 percent of House of Representatives seats, where it represented by 91 lawmakers. The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which gained the most votes in 2014 election, is represented by 109 lawmakers.

"Golkar must be able to create both stable and effective governance, which delivers the right policies for the people," Kristiadi.

He emphasized that Golkar should not prioritize individual interests or create policies that are detrimental to the people. "Golkar must return to its roots; that party should be handled by its raison d'etre. A party is established because it wants to be a pillar of democracy," Kristiadi said.

Setya started his political career in the lower rungs of the party, which was the late dictator Soeharto's political vehicle. However, Setya climbed his way to the top until he was appointed Golkar treasurer.

The lawmaker, who sided with Aburizal when his chairmanship was challenged, was appointed House speaker for 2014 to 2019. He came in the spotlight after a recording of a conversation between him, businessman Riza Chalid and former US-based mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin was made public.

In the conversation, Riza and Setya were suspected to have misused Jokowi's names when allegedly trying to make a backroom deal. The scandal rocked the House and its ethics council declared Setya guilty of misconduct, leading to his resignation from the speaker position in 2015. He was then appointed to lead the Golkar faction at the House.

During Golkar's extraordinary national meeting, businessman Setya was recorded as the richest candidate, with Rp 114.77 billion and U$49,150 in assets. (dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/controversial-leader-could-cost-golkar-votes-in-2019-election-experts.html

Golkar officially supports government, leaves Red and White coalition

Jakarta Globe - May 17, 2016

Edo Karensa, Nusa Dua, Bali – The Golkar Party has officially announced it will support President Joko Widodo administration and leave the opposition Red and White Coalition as the country's oldest party elected new chairman on Tuesday (17/05).

"Golkar Party will cooperate with the government. We will support the government's programs," newly-elected Golkar chairman Setya Novanto said during the extraordinary congress in Nusa Dua, Bali, as reported by Antara news agency.

The congress officially revoked a conclusion from the party's 2014 congress which said the party is a member of the Red and White Coalition, led by losing presidential candidate and Great Indonesia Movement Party chairman Prabowo Subianto.

During the congress, Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan reportedly stayed in Nusa Dua – where the congress was staged – and held closed discussions with all chairman candidates, including Setya and Ade Komaruddin.

The extraordinary congress has brought to an end a bitter leadership feud which has split the party for over a year. Setya was declared the next chairman of Golkar after competitor Ade withdrew his nomination in the second round of voting, citing "party unity."

In his victory speech, Setya prioritized party reunification within his first 100 days. "What happened this morning must be a new milestone for the party's togetherness. This is very important for the resurgence of Golkar Party," he said.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/golkar-officially-supports-govt-leaves-red-white-coalition/

Setya Novanto takes helm of Golkar

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Jakarta – Controversial senior politician and Golkar Party lawmaker Setya Novanto gained the most votes at an extraordinary national meeting of the party in the early hours of Tuesday, handing him the leader's post for the veteran party.

In the first stage of the closed-door vote, Setya and his main rival, House of Representatives Speaker Ade Komarudin, garnered the most votes among eight candidates, with 277 and 173 votes respectively.

However, in the second round between the final two candidates, Ade decided to step down and support Setya instead. Therefore, the party plenary lead by Nurdin Halid declared Setya the new Golkar chairman for the 2014 to 2019 period.

Ade said he made the decision to step down from his candidacy after a discussion with the party's former chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who had thrown his support behind Ade. "I am younger than Novanto so it is better for me to step down. I still have other opportunities in the future," Ade said as quoted by news portal kompas.com.

Setya welcomed his victory gladly and thanked the party's senior members for supporting him. He also acknowledged Ade for stepping down and making way for his victory after only one round of voting, something he considered "extraordinary", Setya said as quoted by kompas.com.

"I will take [the position] and its responsibility for the sake of our country," the former House speaker said during a televised interview on TVOne on Tuesday.

Setya also vowed that Golkar would support President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla's administration. Prior to the vote, the party declared it would support the government and exit the Red-and-White Coalition led by the Gerindra Party.

Setya started his political career at the bottom of the party that was closely tied to the late dictator Soeharto. However, he made his way to the top until he was appointed Golkar treasurer.

The lawmaker, who was part of Aburizal's side during the party's dual leadership issues, was also appointed House speaker for the period of 2014 to 2019. His name entered the spotlight after a recording went public of a conversation between him, businessman Riza Chalid and former US-based mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia president director Maroef Sjamsoeddin.

In the conversation, reportedly regarding a backroom deal with the company, Riza and Setya were suspected to have misused Jokowi and Kalla's names. The scandal rocked the House and its ethics council declared Setya guilty of misconduct, leading to his resignation from the speaker position in 2015. He then moved to lead the Golkar faction at the House.

In the Golkar extraordinary national meeting, businessman Setya was recorded as the richest candidate, with Rp 114.77 billion and U$49,150. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/setya-novanto-takes-helm-of-golkar.html

Environment & natural disasters

Sibolangit disaster blamed on illegal logging

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Medan – Rampant illegal logging in the upstream areas of protected forests around Mount Sibayak, Karo regency, North Sumatra, is believed to be the cause of a flash flood that hit the Dua Warna Waterfall resort in Sibolangit, Deli Serdang regency, on Sunday.

Kusnadi Oldani, North Sumatra director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said around 25 percent of the protected forests around Mount Sibayak had been depleted due to illegal logging. Kusnadi added that the deforestation in upstream areas was believed to be the cause of the flash flood.

"The upstream area has been badly deforested, so it failed to hold the high level of rainfall and triggered the flash flood and landslide in downstream Sibolangit," Kusnadi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Kusnadi said illegal logging in protected forests around Mount Sibayak had been taking place for a long time. However, he added, forestry officers had not been seen to stop the logging activities, despite the fact that they often took place close to the capital of Karo regency.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/islands-focus-sibolangit-disaster-blamed-illegal-logging.html

Health & education

Ahok retracts booze ban, refers back to old bylaw

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama will drop the policy that bans the distribution and consumption of liquor in the capital and will revert back to its old bylaw following the revocation of the Ministerial Decree No. 6/2015 on the control and supervision over the production, distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages.

Basuki said the administration referred to the decree in its earlier policy. However, since the decree had been annulled, the administration would return to use Jakarta Bylaw No. 8/2007 on public order as the legal basis.

"Previously, stipulations in the [ministerial] decree conflicted with those in the bylaw even though later the Trade Ministry revised its own decree. Now, in Jakarta, we have decided to refer back to the old bylaw," Basuki was quoted by official website beritajakarta.com, as saying on Monday.

The old bylaw, Basuki said, allowed limited distribution of liquor with age restrictions, which suggested close supervision from liquor vendors as well as the public. "The bylaw doesn't ban liquor, it only limits the distribution instead. That's why the most important thing is to monitor the consumers," he said without elaborating.

On Sunday, Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has strengthened his stance against the consumption of liquor by stating it is important for all regions to have bylaws banning the distribution of alcoholic drinks across their territories.

Some bylaws in the regions only limit the distribution of liquor. The increasing number of criminal cases driven by the misuse of alcohol, however, has put lax bylaws under the spotlight.

Through the bylaws, several regions now only allow the sale of alcohol in particular places, like hotels or bars. No shops have been allowed to sell liquor since the issuance of such regulations.

Debate on whether to restrict the distribution of liquor has drawn public attention as the House of Representatives is now deliberating a bill to regulate alcoholic drinks. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/ahok-retracts-booze-ban-refers-back-to-old-bylaw.html

Government takes harder stance on liquor

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Haeril Halim and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has strengthened his stance against the consumption of liquor by stating it is important for all regions to have bylaws banning the distribution of alcoholic drinks across their territories.

Tjahjo's intention to impose a total ban on the consumption of liquor goes beyond the bylaws, which mostly restrict its production, distribution and consumption. Some bylaws in the regions only limit the distribution of alcoholic drinks because of the increasing number of criminal cases driven by the misuse of alcohol.

Through the bylaws, several regions now only allow the sale of alcohol in particular places like hotels or bars. No shops have been allowed to sell liquor since the issuance of such regulations.

Not all regions imposed bans on alcohol for various reasons, but Tjahjo said he supported the decision by Papuan Governor Lukas Enembe to issue and consistently implement a bylaw banning the distribution of alcohol in his province.

"This is also to clarify an ongoing news report that the ministry would revoke bylaws banning and controlling the sale and the distribution of alcohol in regions. The ministry thinks that it is important to have bylaws banning alcohol," Tjahjo said on Sunday.

Tjahjo said currently a number of bylaws across the country overlapped each other and the ministry had instructed regional administrations to synchronize any conflicting regulations on alcohol distribution. "Principally, such bylaws must be consistently and proportionally implemented throughout the country especially because alcohol can trigger crimes too," he added.

Several regions on Sunday strongly reacted after they heard that Tjahjo had instructed local administrations to revoke bylaws limiting the distribution of alcohol.

Debate on whether to restrict the distribution of alcoholic drinks has received public attention because the House of Representatives is now deliberating a bill to regulate alcoholic drinks.

A politician from the United Development Party (PPP), Arwani Thomafi, criticized Minister Tjahjo before he issued a clarification.

"A regulation can be revoked if it is against a higher law or against the public interest. On the contrary, a bylaw that restricts the distribution of alcohol is meant to uphold the interests of the public," said Arwani.

"The bylaw is to prevent crimes that come from consumption of alcoholic drinks, such as rape and other types of crimes that disturb public peace," he said, adding that the government must not arbitrarily revoke any bylaws that regulate the distribution of alcohol.

Makassar city, which has seen a rise of criminal cases allegedly driven by alcohol consumption, insisted that alcoholic beverages in the city should be restricted by keeping the existing bylaw.

"We are upholding the bylaw firmly and continuously because alcohol is one of the main reasons that give birth to crimes in society," said Makassar Mayor Mohammad Ramdhan Pomanto, adding that in the city alcohol can only legally be sold at hotels, pubs, bars and karaoke parlors.

As part of a stricter control, the city prohibits people from bringing home alcoholic drinks they bought from those designated places. The city also set up a special team to monitor the distribution of alcohol in the nearby shops. A number of regencies in South Sulawesi have followed the move taken by the city, including Maros, Bulukumba and Enrekang.

Meanwhile, the city of Pontianak, in West Kalimantan, took a stricter measure than Makassar by limiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to three- and four-star hotels only. Instead of banning the distribution of alcohol, the city is also considering imposing a stricter control on alcohol in order to protect the younger generation from the negative effects of alcohol in the city.

In addition, Yogyakarta, which earlier saw 39 people, mostly students, die after drinking bootleg alcohol in February, would also keep its prevailing bylaw on alcohol.

Meanwhile in Batam, the local administration said that it was important not to ban the use of alcohol in the region because tax from alcohol sales contributes greatly to the region's income.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/government-takes-harder-stance-on-liquor.html

Jakarta's beer firm in limbo as controversial bill moves on

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Stefani Ribka, Jakarta – Publicly listed beer manufacturer PT Delta Djakarta has expressed anxiety over the anticipated approval of a controversial alcohol prohibition bill, saying that the move would likely hamper its sales after slowly recovering from a rough 2015.

Last year, all 10 party factions of the House agreed to continue deliberations on the prohibition of alcohol. Legislators who support the bill have argued that Indonesia needs a stronger legal standing to control the production and consumption of alcohol.

The bill, sponsored by the United Development Party (PPP) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), political organizations that are Islamist in orientation, has become one of the priority bills in this year's National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

The bill, reminiscent of the US' prohibition efforts in the 1920s, would outlaw the production, distribution and sale of beverages with more than a 1 percent alcohol content.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Delta Djakarta finance director Alan V. Fernandez said the company hoped the alcohol bill, if passed, would not include many new restrictions.

If this eventuates, the firm – local producer of various beer brands, like Anker, Carlsberg and San Miguel – will aim for a 10 percent sales increase for this year. "Or else, we expect a similar contraction to last year," he said.

Delta Djakarta is 58.3 percent owned by Philippines-based beer producer San Miguel, 26.25 percent by the Jakarta administration and the remaining share by the factory itself and the public.

Delta Djakarta has seen its sales up by 30.7 percent to Rp 430.6 billion (US$32.3 million) from January to March this year compared to the corresponding period last year. In the first quarter of 2015, the company's sales plunged by 42.4 percent year-on-year due to the enactment of Trade Ministry Regulation No. 6/2015 on alcohol control that bans beer sales in minimarkets.

"The drastic pick-up is understandable because a significant drop was experienced in the same period last year, besides the fact that we earn more as we also raised the selling price in June last year," Fernandez said.

The current alcohol bill prohibits anyone from consuming any alcoholic drinks except at traditional or religious ceremonies, or for tourism and pharmaceutical purposes in permitted places, stipulated in article 8. The draft also obliges 20 percent of state income from beer excise taxes to fund a campaign over the danger of alcohol and the rehabilitation of alcoholics.

Indonesia has since January 2014 increased beer excise by 18.24 percent, causing falling net revenues and profits for beer producers.

Together with the rising imported malt and packaging prices, Delta Djakarta registered a 25.5 percent sales drop to Rp 1.5 trillion as of December 2015 from Rp 2.1 trillion in December 2014.

Its net profit also dropped 33.4 percent to Rp 192 billion, while its realized production capacity only reached 50 percent compared to 70 percent in 2014.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/jakarta-s-beer-firm-limbo-controversial-bill-moves.html

House kicks off liquor prohibition bill deliberation

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – The House of Representatives started to deliberate a bill on liquor on Tuesday that would ban producing, storing, distributing and consuming alcoholic beverages with several exceptions.

The prohibition on producing, storing, distributing and consuming type A (1 to 5 percent alcoholic content), type B (5 to 10 percent) and type C (20 to 45 percent) beverages is covered in articles 5, 6 and 7 of the bill, a copy of which was made available to thejakartapost.com.

Exemptions to the ban are listed as "limited interests" in Article 8 of the bill and include alcohol to be used in indigenous rituals, religious rituals, for tourism purposes, pharmaceutical use and at several places that are allowed by the regulation. Details of the limited interests will be stipulated in gubernatorial regulations.

Moh. Arwani Thomafi, chairman of the House's special team on the prohibition bill, said on Monday that relevant parties, including companies involved in the liquor business, would have to adjust their operations after the bill was passed into the law.

He said, however, that lawmakers would carefully scrutinize the bill before endorsing it. "It is just the initial bill, which needs improvements," said Thomafi in Jakarta on Monday.

Abdul Fikri, a committee member, said deliberation would be completed in June. "The deliberation starts in the sitting session starting May 17, with the government represented by the Trade Ministry," Abdul said.

Abdul said the title of the bill had become a burning issue after the special committee was established in October last year.

He said the committee had proposed a number of options for title of the bill, namely the alcohol prohibition bill; alcohol prohibition, control and supervision bill; alcohol control and supervision bill; and the alcohol bill. Meanwhile, the government has insisted on calling it the alcohol control and supervision bill. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/house-kicks-off-liquor-prohibition-bill-deliberation.html

Yogyakarta to crack down on bootleg liquor after 13 more deaths

Jakarta Post - May 16, 2016

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – Yogyakarta Police are planning a crackdown on the sale of bootleg liquor, locally known as "oplosan", after 13 people died over the weekend after consuming the illicit concoctions.

The 13 people fell victim after parties in Sewon and Banguntapan districts in Bantul on Friday and Saturday, said Cmr. Suharno of the Banguntapan Police on Sunday.

The victims are: Bantul natives Sigit Purnomo, 29, Budi Kahono, 37, Gunawan, 36, Eko Purwoko, 30, Nurdin, 32, Pardiyono, 41, Wahyudi, Sudarno, 32, Tedi Irawan and Daliman, both 34, and Yogyarta natives Sujiyo, 52, Dandi Febrian, 28, and Sabri, 31.

The numbers of deaths has raised serious concerns with local authorities, Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Prasta Wahyu Hidayat said on Monday. "I have ordered a big operation to eradicate social diseases," he told journalists.

Police have apprehended two drinks vendors, Feriyanto and Slamet Winangsih, and named them suspects in the case. Police also confiscated 81 bottles of bootleg liquor, which is sold for Rp 15,000 (US$1.15) per bottle.

The police have also sought to impose heavier punishments, Prasta said. Police will charge the suspects under the Food Commodity Law, which carries a minimum sentences of five years in prison and a Rp 10 billion fine. "We will make sure the perpetrators [oplosan sellers] are punished with imprisonment and not just [given] light sentences," he said.

Yogyakarta Police are in the process of asking victims' families for permission to run autopsies on the bodies to try to ascertain what chemical substances caused their deaths.

According to reports, the alcohol was mixed with ethanol and mosquito repellent to add extra reactions for people consuming it, Yogyakarta Police spokeswoman Anny Pudjiastuti said.

This is the second fatal bootleg liquor case in Yogyakarta this year after 26 people died after consuming oplosan in February.(rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/16/yogyakarta-to-crack-down-on-bootleg-liquor-after-13-more-deaths.html

Bootleg liquor kills nine in Yogyakarta

Jakarta Globe - May 16, 2016

Edo Karensa, Yogyakarta – Bootleg liquor has claimed more victims, this time killing at least nine people in Banguntapan, a subdistrict of Bantul in Yogyakarta, police said on Sunday (16/05).

"Nine locals died at separate locations from drinking the bootleg liquor," Bantul Police's criminal unit chief Adj. Comr. Anggaito Hadi Prabowo told Detikcom on Sunday.

Sigit Purnomo (29), Gunawan (36) and Eko Prawoko died on Friday after drinking the same bootleg liquor at different locations in Bantul. The next day, five more people – Sudarno, Budi Kahono (37), Pardiyono (41), Sujiyo (52) and Nurdin 32 – also succumbed to the same drink. The victims died also at separate locations in Bantul, including at a four-star hotel.

Another victim, Wahyudi, was confirmed dead on Sunday after being rushed to the Nur Hidayah hospital in Bantul at around 1 a.m.

Police have named 40-year old Feriyanto as a suspect in the case. He is believed to have sold the bootleg liquor to the victims.

Police are also questioning Slamet Winarsih, who was allegedly helping Feriyanto sell his bootleg liquor. However, Slamet has not been named a suspect in the case.

Several other people are still receiving treatment at hospitals in Bantul after imbibing the same bootleg liquor.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/bootleg-liquor-kills-nine-yogyakarta/

Gender & sexual orientation

Police criticized for alleged bullying of transgender women

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Jakarta – Aside from suffering from discrimination and public harassment, transgender women also face bullying when filing police reports, leaving them even more socially excluded and skeptical about the state's support, an activist has revealed.

A transgender woman and activist from the Gay, Transgender and Men Who Have Sex with Men Network (GWL-INA), who identified herself as Mona, told journalists that fellow transgender women were often verbally abused by the police when they sought protection.

Citing a recent incident, Mona said a transgender woman had reported to the police that she had been sexually assaulted. However, the police officer reportedly responded with a smile, saying "Doesn't it feel good?"

"The police often bully us about many things, such as using a wig or wearing women's clothing, when we file reports with them. So, our hopes that the police force could be the rescuer and protector of the public have vanished," Mona said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The manager of the Teenage Transgender Women's School (Swara) program, who identified herself as Vina, said previously that the police often discriminated against transgender women during legal processes.

In November last year, for instance, a transgender woman called Shella Aprilia was stabbed to death for unknown reasons in the middle of the night in Cipayung, East Jakarta. A Swara paralegal team was later dispatched to investigate the murder and follow up on the case with the police.

"When the police looked at us, it seemed they were wondering whether a transgender woman could advocate for the case. It looked like they were underestimating us," Vina said in Jakarta on May 3. "Everyone has the right to fair legal assistance. However, until today, Shella's murderer has never been exposed."

Mona said such discrimination had made transgender women doubtful about dealing with the police as officers rarely showed an intention to help.

She added that transgender women were often socially excluded, including in terms of employment. As a result, they were forced to work as street singers or even prostitutes. "It makes them feel that they are not worthy of living in society. [...] Hence, they easily suffer depression and fall into drug abuse," Mona said.

GWL-INA recorded at least 26 cases of sexual harassment affecting gay and transgender women in Indonesia in 2015. They are calling on the House of Representatives to immediately pass a sexual violence bill that has been included in this year's National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

The National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) has listed six forms of sexual violence in the bill: rape, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, sexual control, sexual torture and sexually charged punishment. The bill stipulates a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment for sex-crime convicts. It also features several articles aimed at providing better protection for rape victims. (vps/ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/police-criticized-for-alleged-bullying-of-transgender-women.html

Sexual violence doesn't discriminate: Activists

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – Civil society groups have united against sexual violence and are urging the government to prioritize the bill on the elimination of sexual violence this year.

The groups, which include Suara Kita (Our Voice), Perempuan Mahardika (Mahardika Women), the Ardhanary Institute and Gaya Warna Lentera Indonesia (GWL INA), have banded together under the banner of the Indonesian Sexual Diversity Movement (GKSI) to raise awareness about sexual violence.

"Violence is violence and everyone needs to stand up against it," Teguh Iman from Suara Kita, an organization focusing on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community said on Wednesday.

There is a tendency to view sexual violence committed against LGBT people as acceptable, Teguh said. In comparison, people would more easily condemn the sexual abuse of women and children, he said. The GKSI in its statement called for the government to "carry out concrete action" in addressing the issue, including the improvement of the legal framework as well as preventative measures beginning with a reform of public education in relation to the eradication of sexual violence.

There were 321,752 cases of violence against women recorded in 2015, according to the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan). Meanwhile, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) reported 5,000 cases of child abuse in 2015, 58 percent of which involved sexual violence.

Citing data from various NGOs, the statement also included research data the Ardhanary Institute delivered to Komnas Perempuan, which recorded at least 37 cases of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (SOGIE) against lesbian, bisexual and female-to-male transgender (LBT) people in 2014 and 34 in 2015.

Meanwhile, GWL INA reported 26 cases of sexual violence against gay and male-to-female transgender people in 2015, and one case reported by Suara Kita in 2016.

Ino Shean from the Ardhanary Institute, a lesbian, bisexual and transgender research, publication and advocacy center, said there was still a lack of data on cases of violence on the basis of SOGIE. "Many more cases go unreported," she added.

The types of sexual violence cases are not dissimilar to those experienced by heterosexual people, such as physical or psychological abuse, Ino said. However LGBT people are more specifically targeted in relation to their sexual orientation.

Mona, a transgender member of GWL INA, said one of the reasons for the reluctance in reporting the cases is due to a lack of response from officials, including the police. "The response of these public servants is poor and they seldom follow up on our complaints," Mona said.

Referring to her personal experiences, Mona said an unsatisfactory response had left her feeling abandoned. Fear of discrimination was also another reason for the lack of reporting, she said.

Komnas Perempuan sub-commission recovery system development head Indriyati Suparno said the government needed to instill a better awareness of counseling and reporting among the public from early on, such as in schools, so that people from a young age were aware of their rights.

Earlier this month, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said the government was taking sexual violence seriously and that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had instructed the Cabinet to prioritize the issue. The government is pushing for the House of Representatives to include the sexual violence bill in its next session. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/sexual-violence-doesnt-discriminate-activists.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

Family reports Densus 88 chief to KPK

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The family of terrorist suspect Siyono, who died while in custody of the National Police's counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, are now turning to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for justice.

The family filed a report to the antigraft body on Thursday to probe Densus 88 chief Eddy Hartono for attempting to bribe the family with Rp 100 million (US$7,363) to remain quiet and not file any legal action against the unit for Siyono's death.

The move came after the family was dissatisfied with the police's decision to only charge two Densus 88 members for ethical breaches surrounding Siyono's arrest during a crackdown in Klaten, Central Java. Siyono was allegedly beaten to death.

A team consisting of several civil society groups led by the country's second largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah, which advocates the family's search for justice over Siyono's death, has also filed a criminal report against Densus to Klaten Police.

Muhammadiyah Youth chairman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said it was unethical for the Densus 88 chief to attempt to silence Siyono's family with "bribe money", after it was revealed that Siyono's arrest was plagued with apparent irregularities.

"The KPK has accepted our report. We hope that the antigraft body will follow up [the case]," Dahnil told reporters at the KPK headquarters.

The National Police repeatedly claimed the money was merely a donation to help Siyono's wife, Suratmi, finance the livelihoods of her five children after the loss of their father, adding that it did not come from Densus 88's coffers but from Eddy's own pocket.

Suratmi accepted the money, but only brought it to Muhammadiyah to show as proof that the National Police had acted unethically.

The team representing the family handed over the money to the KPK as evidence to back up its report and urged the antigraft body to investigate the money's origin. The team wanted to know whether Eddy received the money to be used as a bribe and whether it was from legal or illegal sources, said team member Ray Rangkuti.

"We want the KPK to reveal the source of the money through an investigation. If it is [Eddy's] own money then where did he get it from? If it is gratuity money then the KPK should also investigate it. Is it rational for the Densus 88 chief to give away Rp 100 million as a 'donation'?" Ray said.

"For us, [Densus 88] gave the money to the family to influence them not to file a lawsuit. Does this not steal away the right of a citizen to not allow them their constitutional right of utilizing the law?" he added.

KPK spokesman Yuyuk Andriati said the antigraft body would analyze the report before deciding to launch an investigation.

In addition, rights activists lambasted the Police for conducting the ethical hearing behind closed doors. Judges at the hearing also reportedly prohibited Siyono's father Marso Diyono from being accompanied by a lawyer during the hearing.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/family-reports-densus-88-chief-KPK.html

Low literacy rate leads to fanaticism, experts say

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2016

Jakarta – Parents must be involved in developing reading habits in their children in the current fast-paced digital era as populations with a low literacy rate are prone to fanaticism and radicalism, experts said on Thursday.

Indonesia is ranked 64th out of 65 countries in student reading scores, according to a 2012 Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) survey that evaluated the literacy skills of 15-year-old students, senior journalist Henricus Witdarmono said.

The country's low rank in the survey showed that Indonesian children were only capable of absorbing one or two pieces of information from a single reading, he said, adding that the survey also revealed that the students had low interpretative skills.

"This is very dangerous, as people with low interpretative skills have a higher tendency to be fanatic, radical or fundamentalist," said the founder of Berani, a tabloid for Children, to the audience at a discussion event titled "Book VS Social Media" in Jakarta on Thursday.

Therefore, parents' involvement in developing reading habits among children is crucial. "Parents can help sharpen a child's focus and concentration level with reading a bedtime story to them every night," Henricus said.

Meanwhile, Pepih Nugraha, a senior reporter at prominent Indonesian newspaper Kompas, said young children who were accustomed to the internet from an early age were more interested in interactive digital content.

This was an opportunity for traditional publishers to adapt to the times and combine writing with other interesting content such as pictures or colorful design, he added.

Indonesia ranked the second lowest among 61 countries in a study released in March titled 'World's Most Literate Nations Ranked' by John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University in New England, US. The study measured literate behavior characteristics, which includes the number of libraries and newspapers, years of study and availability of computers in a country. (vps/rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/low-literacy-rate-leads-to-fanaticism-experts-say.html

Police reject increased supervision for Densus

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Jakarta – The National Police objected on Wednesday to the plan to increase supervisory measures for its counterterrorism unit, Densus 88, during the ongoing amendment of the Terrorism Law, saying that current mechanisms were "sufficient enough".

"As a unit within the National Police, Densus 88 is supervised by the general supervision division. Internal Affairs is also obliged to monitor their behavior, should there be any report that personnel have breached the code of ethics while duty," said National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar.

Densus 88 were publicly criticized following the death of Siyono, who died after he was arrested by Densus 88 in Klaten, Central Java. Reports from the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) suggest that Siyono, who Densus 88 allege was the leader of Neo Jamaah Islamiyah, died after he was brutally tortured.

On Sunday, Siyono's wife Suratmi filed a report against the two members of Densus 88 involved in the case, recently demoted from their positions after a string of internal ethics hearings, accusing them of killing her late husband.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/national-scene-police-reject-increased-supervision-densus.html

Stretchy laws leave room for wrongful arrests

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Nani Afrida – Ayom Panggalih and Nur Syawaluddin were strolling to the mosques in their respective neighborhoods in Surakarta, Central Java, for afternoon prayer when Densus 88 counterterror squad personnel appeared out of nowhere and stopped them on Dec. 29 last year.

In a round of interrogation sessions at a local police station, they were queried on whether they were involved in a terror group led by Abu Jundi and whether they knew of a man named Hamzah. After a few hours, they were allowed to leave.

Ayom and Nur claim they were tortured during their brief arrests, and that the trauma still lingers until today. The police have offered no apology, let alone restoration of the men's names after they were tainted by the terror allegations.

They are but two of many victims of wrongful arrest at the hands of Densus 88 officers over the past few years, since Indonesia intensified its war on terror. In 2013, police also wrongfully arrested two men, Supari and Mugi Haryanto, in Tulungagung, East Java. They were freed after being detained for two weeks without charges.

Ayom and Nur have been lauded for their courage in speaking out about their ordeals and their striving for justice. The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) suspects that many wrongful arrest victims are too scared to talk for fear of police retribution.

Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar notes two flagrant mistakes that the police have often made when handling terror suspects. Firstly, they mistreat suspects, such as by making arrests without a proper warrant and resorting to torture to extract confessions. Secondly, suspects are arrested on inadequate initial evidence only to be released shortly afterward without receiving formal apology or any compensation.

"This is what happens in Indonesia. No wonder you will find terror suspects making forced confessions," Haris says.

In fact, Government Regulation No.27/1983 guarantees that wrongful arrest victims are entitled to compensation, but in reality it is next to impossible to claim the cash because victims have to go through a discouragingly complicated court procedure during which they may still be enduring trauma.

The regulation as revised by the government last year looks good. A victim is entitled to between Rp 500,000 (US$37.50) and Rp 100 million in compensation from the state. Detainees who die while in police custody are entitled to Rp 600 million and a suspect injured while in custody is entitled to at least Rp 25 million.

Adding to complications is the variation in understandings of what constitutes a "wrongful arrest" among state authorities and the general public.

Police and the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) swear they have never made illegal arrests despite what many people and rights organization have claimed. They see nothing wrong with cases like those involving the four suspects in Surakarta and Tulungagung because the arrests and releases of the suspects, they claim, followed their standard operating procedure.

They argue that they have the legal authority to detain and question anyone for up to a week who they believe may be involved with a terror case they are investigating, and then set them free if the police find insufficient evidence of their involvement.

"It's impossible to make wrongful arrests because we follow standard procedures after we obtain information from intelligence," says Brig. Gen Pol Herwan Chaidir, BNPT's director of protection.

But Arif Maulana from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute begs to differ with Herwan. Arif argues that false arrest is possible because law enforcement agencies go by different definitions of "terror suspect", a term not defined clearly in the Criminal Code (KUHP).

Arif sees the definition in the 2003 law on terrorism as too broad, allowing the police to stretch it to interpret it in their favor when naming a suspect. "Wrongful arrest, be it in terror or ordinary criminal cases, is a form of violence, victimizing innocent people and violating their rights," Arif says.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/stretchy-laws-leave-room-wrongful-arrests.html

Freedom of religion & worship

Ahmadiyah mosque in Central Java attacked

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Jakarta – Unidentified people destroyed an Ahmadiyah mosque in Kendal regency, Central Java, in the early hours of Monday. None of the congregation of Al Kautsar mosque in Gemuh village, Kendal, were on the premises at the time.

"Everything was destroyed. The walls of the Koran recital room were torn down [...], the roof was damaged and Korans were also [torn]," Encep Jamaludin, the iman at the mosque, said as quoted by kompas.com on Monday.

The mosque caretaker called Encep to inform him of the incident. The caretaker said no one witnessed the desecration as it happened late at night and the mosque was located in a secluded area and was surrounded by farms.

The incident took place when local residents were asleep and it was raining heavily. The caretaker was not on the premises at the time. Material losses are estimated at up to Rp 200 million (US$14,727).

Ta'zis, the leader of the Ahmadi community in Purworejo administrative village, said the mosque had a building permit, but local residents, including local government officials, had opposed the presence of the mosque since it was established in 2003.

Protests affected the progress of the mosque's construction, which had been halted and parts of the mosque were incomplete even though it had been established more than a decade ago. "We have an IMB [building permit] and deed for our mosque, so why it is still being rejected? Why was it destroyed?" Ta'zis told kompas.com.

The mosque was scheduled for completion on May 16, which is when remaining parts of the roof were to be installed. However, the district and village chiefs told the builders to stop working, Ta'zis said.

The Ahmadiyah community had reported the incident to Gemuh Police chief I Wayan Suprapto. The mosque management had intended to lodge an official police report.

Meanwhile, Kendal Police chief Adj. Sr. Com. Maulana Hamdan said the police were investigation the case. "Just entrust the matter to [the police] and don't commit any activities that have the potential to hurt any of us," Maulana said as reported by kompas.com.

The police coordinated with the local leaders communication forum (Forkompindo), religious figures from Islamic organizations Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, as well as the Inter-Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB), which resulted in the discontinuance of the Al Kautsar mosque's construction.

Similar incidents have taken place in the past, Maulana said, such as in 2004, 2006 and 2011. Previous incidents had befallen the Al Kautsar mosque, but this was the first since Ahmadi leaders had agreed not to continue with the mosque's construction.

Kendal FKUB secretary Yusuf Darmawan argued that the construction must be terminated as it threatened public serenity and security. "The residents only oppose the construction of the Ahmadiyah mosque; we have no problem with the mosque members," he said. (afr/rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/ahmadiyah-mosque-in-c-java-attacked.html

Religion & morality

Denpasar, Bandung, Yogya named most Islamic

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Jakarta – Rigid implementation of sharia-based regulations will not automatically make cities that have put Islamic norms and values into practice "Islamic cities".

A survey by the Maarif Institute has instead found Yogyakarta, Bandung and Denpasar to be the cities that most implement Islamic core values.

The three cities tied, all scoring 80.64 on the institute's Islamic City Index, based on three indicators: safety, prosperity and happiness. They defeated cities that have been implementing sharia regulations more formally to safeguard citizens' morality, including Banda Aceh, Tangerang, Mataram and Padang.

The institute's research director, Ahmad Imam Mujadid Rais, said the survey took into account local regulations and statistics of 29 cities, including six cities that implement sharia principles when drafting local regulations.

The survey also found that Muslim-minority cities such as Hindu-majority Denpasar and the Christian-majority cities of Ambon and Manado rank as more Islamic than the likes of Banda Aceh, Tangerang, Padang, and Makassar, which have Muslim-majority populations.

Ahmad said the survey showed that the implementation of Islamic values through what are known as morality bylaws did not lead to a "high level of Islamic core values".

In some of those regions, including the 25th-ranked Tangerang with a score of 61.99, local authorities have slapped night curfews on women, prohibiting them from going out at night without their husbands or a male relative. Meanwhile, Banda Aceh, ranked at 19th with a score of 69.92, banned women from working at tourism sites after 11 p.m. in a 2015 local qanun (sharia regulation).

Ahmad said the three indicators – safety, prosperity and happiness – were derived from the core values of Islamic teachings.

"A safe city means that it provides, among other things, freedom of religion and assurance that women, children and people with a disability can exercise their political rights," Ahmad said Tuesday while delivering the survey results at Alila Hotel in Central Jakarta.

The prosperity of a city, he said, could be gauged from looking at its provision of education, job opportunities and health services to its citizens.

"We measured a city's happiness level by observing its local regulations [and] whether or not they stipulated, for instance, the provision of health services and green environments for their citizens," he said.

Muslim scholar Yudi Latif applauded the survey, saying it demonstrated "that local authorities that created sharia-based local regulations had failed to provide their citizens with prosperity"."They use sharia-based local regulations as tools to cover up their inability to provide safety and happiness to all of their citizens," Yudi said.

He criticized the survey, however, for only using data from local authorities as a gauge, rather than interviewing residents to obtain more accurate perceptions. "Happiness, safety and prosperity levels are rather subjective issues that can only be measured by asking citizens one by one," he said. (mos)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/denpasar-bandung-yogya-named-most-islamic.html

Land & agrarian conflicts

Residents resist eviction for railway

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2016

Suherdjoko, Semarang – About 1,000 residents of Kebonharjo Kampung in Tanjung Emas district, Semarang, Central Java, clashed with police officers deployed to evict them on Thursday to make room for a railway track.

The eviction, which was ordered by provincial railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia Region IV Semarang, was conducted by officers equipped with tear gas canisters. Three excavators were also used. A resident, Jumian, reportedly died from exhaustion after a day of protesting the eviction.

"She died after giving a speech this morning. A clash occurred at 9 a.m. We don't want to move because we have land deeds. The National Land Agency recognizes our ownership," said Jati, a resident.

The eviction is related to the revitalization of a railway track connecting Tawang Station in Semarang to Tanjung Emas Port, which started in 2014.

The Kebonharjo neighborhood unit head, Suparjo, said the Central Java administration had explained the matter to the residents prior to the eviction.

"We agreed because the route was to be Semarang Tawang-Semarang Gudang-Tanjung Emas Port, meaning it did not cross our kampung. Then the there was an explanation [from the central government] on Feb. 20, 2015 and the route was still the same. So again we agreed. But then it was recommended that the track be made shorter and pass through our homes. We reject that and will stand up for our rights," he said.

Of the 118 houses in Kebonharjo, 59 have land deeds. There is also a school and a mosque in the area. PT Kereta Api Indonesia Region IV Semarang twice informed those affected by the eviction before taking action on Thursday.

The railway operator's asset management senior manager, Erman Sulaeman, said that during the two meetings with residents, the company had informed them that 130 buildings would be demolished.

"[The buildings are] 101 uncertified houses, 17 certified houses and 12 public facilities. The compensation for permanent structures is Rp 250,000 per square meter, while it is Rp 200,000 for non-permanent ones," he said.

Suparjo said owners of houses without deeds would be paid Rp 175,000 per sqm in compensation. He acknowledged that the number of houses with and without deeds was under dispute between the company and residents. House owners have pinned copies of their deeds on their front doors to resist eviction.

The head of PT Kereta Api Indonesia Region IV Semarang, Andika Tri Putranto, said reactivation of the railway track from Semarang Tawang to Tanjung Emas was a national policy involving the Transportation Ministry, the Central Java administration, port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia and PT KAI.

"The track existed during the era of Dutch occupation. We didn't activate it earlier due to financial constraints. Now we are ready and it has become an urgent matter. Every year, Tanjung Emas Port manages 600,000 containers. It is time for rail transportation to support the movement of containers," he said.

It was decided to pass through Kebonharjo as it would make the route from Semarang Tawang to the port shorter. "If we were to use the old track, which is via Semarang Gudang, two tracks would cross Jl. Ronggowarsito. We are considering safety in the area," said Andika.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/residents-resist-eviction-railway.html

Parliament & legislation

House shows poor performance: Formappi

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesian Parliament Watch (Formappi) described the House of Representatives (DPR) performance during the 2015-2016 fourth sitting period as lacking – far from meeting the public's expectations – as lawmakers failed to pass a single law during the allocated time frame.

House Speaker Ade Komarudin had set a target to complete the deliberation of 13 draft bills and revisions, including both the tax amnesty bill and the tobacco bill, during the 23-day sitting.

Formappi coordinator Sebastian Salang criticized the House for its poor performance, citing deficiency in time management. "They are too ambitious, unrealistic," he said, adding that he hoped the House showed improvement in this sitting period as the laws under deliberation were needed.

Since January, DPR lawmakers have passed four bills including the revised Disabilities Law. This sitting period, the House set a target to complete nine drafts, including the tax amnesty, the alcohol bill and the amendment to the regional election law. Lawmakers will also continue deliberations on the amendment to the Terrorism Law.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/national-scene-house-shows-poor-performance-formappi.html

Literature & the arts

Celebrating Pramoedya Ananta Toer

Red Flag - May 19, 2016

Stephen Miller – At the end of April, we marked the 10th anniversary of the death of one of our region's most important political novelists, Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1925-2006).

Amidst the build-up to the empty media circus associated with a federal election, there was virtually no chance that this would be noticed by Australia's inward-looking bourgeois media, but even in Pramoedya's home country of Indonesia, the anniversary passed relatively quietly. This is despite the fact that his books continue to sell well, and he continues to be popular with readers of all ages.

But the context of the anniversary makes remembering his works even more important than usual. Since the end of 2014, powerful figures in Indonesia have been working to crack down on left wing politics. Recently, the head of the national police announced that he had the president's support to prosecute criminally "all forms of communism", including the teaching, "spreading or development of communism, Leninism or Marxism".

His version of history – a history of resistance, activism and liberation – is still as inspiring as it was almost four decades ago when his greatest books first began to be published.

This has followed attacks on a variety of alternative public events, ranging from a women's punk workshop, to book launches, film showings and a broad left ideas festival, among many others. This month it even included the arrest of a T-shirt stall owner for selling T-shirts reproducing a DVD cover of the German death metal band Kreator, which happened to include a hammer and sickle symbol. The attacks have been carried out by fascist militias, such as the Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI) and the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI), as well as by the police, often in clear collaboration.

The goal of these attacks is to close down the democratic space that was opened up by the collapse of the Suharto regime in 1998, and the subsequent liberalisation that has resulted in Indonesia emerging as the world's third largest parliamentary democracy. It has also explicitly been the goal of both the police and the militia (and the public figures who have supported them) to protect the version of Indonesian history created by the Suharto regime to justify its birth in 1965-66 among the mass murder of up to a million leftists, and the torture and detention of hundreds of thousands of others, including Pramoedya.

Under that regime, Pramoedya was exiled to the Indonesian gulag on the island of Buru in the east of the archipelago until his release in December 1979. He remained under various forms of house arrest and police control right up until the regime fell 18 years ago. But that did not stop him being a constant thorn in the side of the regime, providing human evidence that the regime's collective character assassination of the Indonesian left was a fabrication.

While imprisoned, he wrote books in his head when he had nothing to write with (and told his stories to his fellow prisoners). When he did have something, he wrote on what he could, with whatever he could access, starting with school exercise books. When he was released, he worked with some other former prisoners to publish his books, which were then banned by the government. But they still passed from hand to hand, and students (and many others) risked arrest and prison to read them.

His books told Indonesians about history in a way that was far more captivating than the sterile school textbook fabrications of the regime, and his continued resistance was an inspiration to a new generation of activists, who were eventually able to overthrow the regime.

His version of history – a history of resistance, activism and liberation – is still as inspiring as it was almost four decades ago, when his greatest books, the Buru tetralogy, first began to be published. They stand as a challenge to those who are trying to stifle discussion of alternative ideas or attacking grassroots organisations, or, for that matter, trying to distract us with stories of Bill Shorten's "man-boobs".

Sukhois best option for Indonesia, says TNI chief

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Jakarta – The Russian-made Sukhoi SU-35 jet is the best choice to secure Indonesia's expansive archipelagic territory, according to the Indonesian Military's (TNI) top brass.

"After discussions and also going through a symposium, the SU-35 is currently rated as the best means of defense to safeguard the vast maritime territory of Indonesia," TNI Chief Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo said on Wednesday.

The military commander however underlined that procurement of the jet fighters was not up to the TNI. The national defense force has come up with a set of recommendations pointing to the selection of the Sukhoi SU-35, following a comprehensive internal meeting involving all levels of the TNI, Gatot said as quoted by Antara.

"Procurement is in the hands of the Defense Ministry, the TNI only conveys its needs," he added, without saying when the symposium that produced the recommendation had occurred.

Gatot said Indonesia's vast and open maritime territory required sophisticated defense equipment that would enable a rapid response in the face of an incoming threat.

Previously, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryucudu said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo would witness the signing of the procurement deal for eight jet fighters in Russia this month as part of Indonesia's plan to renew its primary weapons systems. Indonesia already has 24 Sukhoi SU-27/30 aircraft.

The President is currently in Sochi, Russia, until May 20 to attend the ASEAN-Russia Summit, where he is also scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Gatot refrained from commenting on the purchase of the new jets. He said the government and the TNI hoped the SU-35 could strengthen the TNI's monitoring capacity across the archipelago, especially its seas and borders. "If we get it, rest assured [our defense] will be the best," Gatot said as quoted by Tempo.co. (liz/dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/sukhois-best-option-for-indonesia-says-tni-chief.html

Indonesia's 'red scare' stokes unease over military's growing influence

Reuters - May 19, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesia's military elite are openly stoking public anxiety about communism, gays and other 'foreign influences', a drive critics say is aimed at seizing a greater role in civilian affairs of the world's third-largest democracy.

However, the military's crackdown on suspected communist activity and ambitions to create a massive civilian defence force are beginning to create unease within President Joko Widodo's administration.

Joko last week publicly rebuked the military after it detained a handful of Indonesians suspected of spreading communist ideology, the first public resistance by the president to the military's growing influence in everyday life.

"The president has firmly and clearly told the military and police chiefs to bring their forces to order," Cabinet Secretary and presidential aide Pramono Anung told reporters.

Under Joko, the military has joined the nation's fight against drugs, terrorism and corruption, areas previously reserved for the police.

But a line was crossed this month when soldiers briefly detained two student activists in eastern Indonesia for wearing red T-shirts emblazoned with a picture of a hammer and sickle inside a coffee cup. It was the latest in a string of military and police raids against suspected left-wing radicals.

"The reason the local military command gave (for the detentions) was that the men were spreading communism through T-shirts," said Abdon Nababan, head of the organization to which the two activists in North Maluku province belong. "We protested because military soldiers cannot arrest, interrogate and confiscate property of civilians." A local military spokesman declined to comment on the detentions.

Security forces have also recently begun seizing leftist books from citizens in an apparent attempt to prevent a feared revival of communism. Armed Forces spokesman Tatang Sulaiman said the military is working within the law.

"If we find groups spreading communist ideology...or materials that can influence the thinking of the public, then we will act according to the law. Our role is to help the police," he told Reuters.

Investigate massacre

The crackdown has coincided with Widodo's order for an investigation into an anti-communist purge of 1965, a move that irked some within the military elite.

Historians say at least a half-million people were killed in violence that began in October 1965, after suspected communists killed six generals in an attempted coup against then president Sukarno. Successive governments have refused to apologise or accept that death toll.

Indonesia back then had the largest non-ruling communist party in the world, and it was supported by China. Under the authoritarian Suharto who took over from Sukarno, the party was dissolved and all leftist materials and symbols – even Chinese characters on signs and in the media – were banned.

Critics heard echoes of that era in the central Javanese city of Yogyakarta, where an anti-communist group that included children of military and police officials recently prevented the screening of a workers' rights movie deemed too left-leaning.

"The event was not at all about communism. It was a film about workers," said Suarjono, an organizer of the screening.

For the military, memories of 1965 are still raw. "Who was it that rioted and killed military generals at the time? It was the PKI (the communist party)," Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu told Reuters in an interview. "Don't look for justification. I don't like that."

"We tried to eradicate them (communists) in the past so it's possible they want to get revenge," Rymizard said. "Definitely, there is a connection with 1965," he said when asked about the recent increase in suspected communist activity.

Defend the country

Ryamizard said the military hoped to establish nearly 900 training centres this year for a civilian defence corps known as "Bela Negara" (defend the country).

Its mission is to defend against "proxy wars" waged by communists, gays, religious militants and other "foreign influences", who want to divide the country and degrade its moral and nationalist values, the military says.

The training centres will teach millions of students, doctors, civil servants and others survival skills, first aid, and Indonesian history – but no weapons training. "Bela Negara is a direct response to the threats we face from proxy wars," said Hartin Asri, a military officer in charge of the programme.

The Indonesian military has a history of being involved in civilian affairs dating back to independence from the Dutch in 1947. Under a doctrine known as dwifungsi (dual function), the military was granted power over civil and political affairs to promote nationalism and development.

The doctrine was largely jettisoned after Suharto fell from power in 1998, but it still has adherents in the military.

"There are efforts within the senior ranks of the military to create this sense of paranoia that suggest that Indonesian nationalism needs to be re-ignited," said Sidney Jones, a Jakarta-based security expert. "The military genuinely believes it has the solution to getting Indonesia back on track."

[Additional reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Yuddy Cahya.]

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/indonesian-military-influence/

Criminal justice & legal system

Coalition calls on Jokowi to cancel executions

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – A coalition of human rights groups made an urgent call to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to end capital punishment on Monday after it was revealed that the government was preparing its first batch of executions for this year.

Although Jokowi is currently overseas on a working visit to South Korea, this did not stop the coalition from visiting the state palace to remind the government of potential miscarriages of justice in the impending executions of death-row inmates on Nusakambangan Island in Central Java.

The central government has remained silent on the upcoming executions despite apparent preparations on the island, in a move many see as trying to avoid animosity from the international community.

Central Java Police revealed that 10 foreign nationals and five Indonesians were already on the list, but the Attorney General's Office (AGO) has denied this number, with the attorney general saying that his office had yet to decide when and who would be included in the next batch of executions.

On Monday, the coalition, comprising a number of human rights groups including the Foundation for the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), Imparsial and the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, held a meeting with two representatives from the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff.

One of the two was Ifdhal Kasim, a former chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, who is now an expert staffer for Commission V overseeing law and human rights.

"If Jokowi continues to support the executions [while they are still prone to unfair trials], it means that he is legitimizing errors in the legal proceedings. And people will see him as a President who has no commitment to law enforcement," Julius Ibrani of the YLBHI told reporters on Monday.

The coalition demanded that Jokowi order the AGO to stop the planned executions and the AGO provide the public with more details about the executions so the coalition and the public could see whether the convicts had undergone a fair trial.

Recently, the Judicial Commission, the oversight body for judges, also criticized the Supreme Court for what they deemed poor case management, particularly in case reviews – the last legal option to challenge a court ruling – and cassation handling. The two legal options are often prolonged and inconsistent.

Indonesia's move to put 14 drug convicts, comprising Indonesians and foreigners, to death in two different rounds of executions last year sparked criticism from local and international human rights campaigners and world leaders.

The move also created diplomatic tension between Indonesia and Brazil following the execution of a Brazilian drug trafficker.

In Monday's meeting, the representatives from the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staff and the coalition mulled a plan to form a kind of joint team to share data and study the judicial process. The representatives also promised them to bring the coalition's concerns to the President.

Al Araf of Imparsial said Indonesia should begin to implement correctional measures that were in line with the principles of restorative justice. "In a civilized democracy, punishment no longer means retaliation. It is a correctional measure," he added.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/coalition-calls-jokowi-cancel-executions.html

Economy & investment

Jokowi's 7% growth dream slips further away

Jakarta Post - May 23, 2016

Prima Wirayani, Jakarta – If infrastructure bottlenecks get solved, Indonesia can expect to enjoy growth of 7 percent. That's the theory.

The theory, a target President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo aims to achieve before the end of his tenure in 2019, has proven difficult to realize, especially as the government and the central bank recently lowered economic growth forecasts.

The 2017 state budget features an economic growth target of between 5.3 and 5.9 percent, lower than the previous figures of 5.5 to 5.9 percent. The central bank recently trimmed growth projection for this year to between 5 and 5.4 percent from the previous 5.2 percent to 5.6 percent.

Due to this, economists have begun to suggest that continuing to push for 7 percent growth would be unsustainable and unhealthy. However, the government maintains its optimistic attitude.

"Don't lose hope, life will be difficult if we lose hope," Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said after he presented the 2017 state budget material to the House of Representatives on Friday.

The government is banking on its economic stimulus packages to lure investments and that its efforts to boost consumption will also stoke the nation's economic growth. It has also jacked up spending on infrastructure projects to get economic activities going.

The tax amnesty bill, currently being deliberated at the House of Representatives (DPR) is also expected to boost growth, with the aim of attracting billions of dollars of wealthy Indonesians' illicit cash back into the country from overseas by pardoning past tax arrears.

The broader picture, however, is not as supportive. Slow growth has been projected for the global economy this year and commodity prices remain under pressure.

At 4.92 percent in the first quarter, domestic economic growth also fell below expectations as both investment and domestic consumption growth were insufficient to offset an exports plunge. Indonesia saw the slowest growth in six years in 2015 at 4.79 percent.

"It will be very hard to achieve the government's 7 percent growth target by 2019," said Samuel Asset Management economist Lana Soelistianingsih. During the commodity supercycle in 2012, Indonesia's economy expanded by only 6.2 percent, she added.

The structure of the Indonesian economy cannot jack up its growth rate to 7 percent yet, Lana said, emphasizing that this was due to the country's high dependence on imports, especially raw materials and intermediary products.

Higher growth means increased industrial activities that require more imports. Meanwhile, higher imports would place further risk on foreign exchange reserves, current account deficit and the rupiah value against the US dollar. "It's okay to be in an economy like today, as long as it's stable," Lana said.

Enny Sri Hartati, the executive director of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF), has a different take on higher growth. She said it was possible for the economy to grow faster, citing that Indonesia's peers in Southeast Asia had managed to record more than 6 percent growth in the quarter.

The key for the short-term is to boost consumption, according to Enny, as it could trigger demand and eventually boost many industries. "The government is stuck on global economic problems, lower commodity prices. It is not serious and creative enough to generate consumption at home," Enny added.

Domestic consumption accounts for more than half the country's gross domestic product (GDP), followed by investment – around a third – then net exports and government spending, according to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/23/jokowis-7-growth-dream-slips-further-away.html

Moody's more optimistic about Indonesia's growth

Jakarta Post - May 20, 2016

Anton Hermansyah, Jakarta – While the central bank has revised down its economic growth forecast for 2016, global rating agency Moody's Investor Service has revised up its forecast on the back of higher public investment, especially in infrastructure projects.

Moody's projected the gross domestic product (GDP) to grow 5 percent this year, and 5.2 percent next year. In the previous estimation, Moody's projected the economy to grow only 4.7 percent in 2016.

Bank Indonesia (BI) lowered on Thursday its economic growth forecast this year to the range of 5 to 5.4 percent, lower than the previous estimate of 5.2 to 5.6 percent.

"In Indonesia, higher public investment, especially in infrastructure projects, and wide-ranging structural reform to increase efficiency, investment and competitiveness, along with monetary easing appear to be offsetting the headwinds from low commodity prices and weak global demand," Moody's associate managing director, Elena Duggar, said on Thursday.

Moody's predicted commodity prices would remain low in the next two years, while the price of oil was predicted to stay at around US$33 per barrel in 2016 and $38 per barrel in 2017.

"Among emerging market countries with some degree of commodities exposure, Mexico and Indonesia have fared relatively better than Russia, Brazil and South Africa," she said, adding that domestic demand in Indonesia would likely rise, supported by infrastructure projects.

China, as the main consumer of commodities, and Indonesia's main trading partner, began to stabilize from the transformation to a consumption and service sector-driven economy, Elena said.

However, she warned that the economy would still be fragile as total debt remained at around 280 percent of GDP, while corporate debt at 166 percent of GDP.

"In China, Turkey, Brazil and Russia, the level of corporate debt measured as a share of GDP has risen by more than 15 percent since the global financial crisis. The rapid build-up in corporate debt, both domestic and external, increases the vulnerability of these countries to adverse shocks," Elena said.

These economies will be challenged by the US Federal Reserve, which will likely increase its fund rate, as it postponed the action in March. However, the rise will be limited looking at the weak expected inflation at 0.06 percent despite recovery in the labor market. (ags)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/20/moodys-more-optimistic-about-indonesias-growth.html

Consumer confidence bouncing back after last year's slump

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Stefani Ribka, Jakarta – Indonesian consumer confidence has started rising after a steady decline last year, global marketing research firm Nielsen's Consumer Confidence Survey shows.

Nielsen Indonesia managing director Agus Nurudin said the progress was caused by positive market sentiment in January when the government started to reduce fuel prices.

"We believe that the index can go up to 120 again as long as the public and businesspeople are not unsettled by negative events or economic developments," he told reporters during the survey publication in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The index dropped to 120 in the middle of 2015 from 123 in the first quarter of last year following the government's plan to increase fuel prices.

In the third and fourth quarter of 2015, the index touched 116 and 115 respectively due to economic uncertainty, a weaker rupiah and an increase in lay-offs, the survey says the index now stands at 117. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/consumer-confidence-bouncing-back-after-last-years-slump.html

Government, lenders not on same page over funding

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Prima Wirayani, Jakarta – When numerous governments work hard to lure investors for local infrastructure projects, private lenders find it difficult to pick suitable ones to finance.

"The biggest challenge the private sector faces is a lack of adequate bankable projects," said Rajeev Kannan, structured finance general manager at major Japanese lender Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).

Kannan said a long list of challenges, such as prolonged land procurement and overlapping regulations at the regional and national levels made infrastructure projects in emerging countries seem unattractive for lenders.

"There is enough appetite from banks, multilateral finance [institutions] and other sources of capital, but they are looking for the right bankable projects, the risks-mitigated projects," he asserted in a panel discussion at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group Private Sector Forum in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Kannan, who is also a commissioner of PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance (IIF), was of the view that Indonesia had been highlighted as a country that needed significant capital to support infrastructure construction.

Established by the government in 2010 to finance big infrastructure projects, IIF alone has channeled more than US$400 million since 2012 and expects to disburse $700 million by the end of the year. The firm is 30 percent owned by the government, 20 percent by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), 20 percent by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 15 percent by German investment corporation DEG and 15 percent by SMBC.

In a bid to boost economic growth to 7 percent by 2019 from 4.8 percent last year, Indonesia required approximately $460 billion in investments for infrastructure, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) deputy chairman for investment promotion Himawan Hariyoga cited the 2015-2019 National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

Central government and local budgets could fund only around $230.08 billion, while state-owned enterprises (SOEs) had the ability to fund around $88.9 billion. "That leaves $141 billion of investment opportunities for the private sector," Himawan said, "That's why the government is very keen to attract investors."

He admitted that land acquisition was the main challenge in attracting investment to the country, besides the license procurement process and financing.

The government has issued 12 economic policy packages since last year in a bid to spur business activity and boost the country's economy, which slowed to a seven-year low in 2015. The policies include cutting red tape at the central government level and scrapping around 3,000 regional government regulations (Perda) that complicate business operations.

BKPM data show that realized investment reached a record high of Rp 146.5 trillion ($11 billion) from January to March this year. This includes $1.6 billion for infrastructure, according to Himawan. The sector booked $15 billion of realized investment last year, while total commitments since October 2014 reached $187.5 billion last week.

"It's a matter of time for the commitments to be realized," Himawan said, "It is our job to make it easy for committed investors to realize their plans."

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/government-lenders-not-same-page-over-funding.html

Bad loans haunt Indonesian banks

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Grace D. Amianti, Jakarta – Despite the prospect of higher loan demand this year, a number of local banks will likely have to maintain a conservative stance as they forecast ongoing credit quality risks.

The banks have observed evidence that the rising trend of bad loans, which started last year, may continue throughout this year, as some of their clients had continue to struggle with the lingering effects of the global economic slowdown.

The sluggish trend has been affecting the banking industry's non-performing loan (NPL) levels since the third quarter last year and is predicted to continue in the upcoming months, state-owned lender Bank Mandiri president director of Kartika "Tiko" Wirjoatmodjo said

"The banking industry is still consolidating because we have yet to see ongoing impacts on asset quality. Economic growth decline has reduced the loan payment ability of our clients," he said recently.

Mandiri, the country's biggest lender by assets, is among banks affected by soaring bad loans owing to loan growth contraction, forcing the bank to increase provision, which then affected its net profit in the first quarter this year. Its gross NPL rose to 2.89 percent between January and March, from 1.81 percent in the same period last year.

Mandiri's rising NPL mainly occurred in the middle segment, or also known as the commercial loan segment, which mainly refers to commodity based businesses operating in regions that source their incomes from natural resources, Tiko said.

As global commodity and oil prices fell, he said companies operating in the natural resources-based sector, such as coal mining, had significantly suffered and experienced difficulty in paying their loans.

"We saw that this trend had widened to other industries, such as cigarette and steel manufacturing, even though the impact was not as big as in commodity based ones," he said.

Private lenders PermataBank and CIMB Niaga have also seen their net profits nosedive, caused by rising bad loans last year, mainly due to their significant exposure in mining and commodity related sectors.

PermataBank saw a loss of Rp 376 billion (US$28.2 million) in the first quarter of 2016, but CIMB Niaga posted a 224.1 percent year-on-year (yoy) jump in net profit after a year of decline as it saw improving revenues and credit quality. CIMB Niaga's NPL, meanwhile, dropped to 3.9 percent in the first quarter of 2016, from 4.07 percent in the same period last year.

The banking industry saw nationwide NPL increase gradually to 2.46 percent, 2.56 percent, 2.7 percent and 2.8 percent in May, June, July and August last year, respectively, Financial Services Authority (OJK) data shows.

Standard & Poor's (S&P) global ratings credit analyst Ivan Tan said in his latest report that Indonesian banks' NPL would continue to increase to around 3 to 4 percent this year in accordance with the regional trend due to external macroeconomic headwinds.

Tan said the rating agency had assumed that the credit quality would deteriorate gradually, rather than spike sharply. However, the ASEAN banks' high capitals would act as sufficient buffers to remain resilient to global risks this year, he added.

The country's banking authority acknowledged the worsening performance of some banks during the first three-month period of this year, but maintained the belief that it was not an alarming condition as it had been predicted by the regulator.

"We are still optimistic about national economic growth this year, meaning that if the country's development improves, it will be reflected in loan demand growth," OJK chairman Muliaman D. Hadad said recently.

Gadjah Mada University economist Tony Prasetiantono, meanwhile, expressed a similar view, saying that the banking industry could pin its hopes on the country's gradual economic improvement if the government could maintain stable macroeconomic indicators, especially exchange rates.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/bad-loans-haunt-indonesian-banks.html

Gloomy outlook ahead despite an April trade surplus

Jakarta Post - May 17, 2016

Dewanti A. Wardhani, Jakarta – Despite booking another trade surplus for the month of April, Indonesia saw an overall year-on-year decline in exports, including in energy, mining and manufacturing, mainly due to plunging commodity prices.

According to data released by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Monday, Southeast Asia's biggest economy posted a US$667 million trade surplus in April, slightly higher than March's figure of $508 million.

However, the data revealed that April saw 12.65 percent drop in exports year-on-year (yoy), to $11.45 billion, which is also a 3 percent decline from the previous month. In total, the country saw a 39.3 percent drop in oil and gas exports for January-April yoy, this year exporting $4.3 billion so far.

BPS deputy head of distribution and statistics Sasmito Hadi Wibowo said the drop in exports was largely due to declining oil and gas exports, which he said was caused by declining energy prices in the global market.

The value of oil and gas exports also declined 39 percent yoy to $886 million in April, down 28.44 percent from the previous month – the lowest monthly drop in oil and gas exports this year.

Sasmito, however, insists that the sharp decline in oil and gas exports is seasonal, and will soon improve. "The drop corresponds to declining [oil and gas] prices," he said in a press briefing.

The mining sector also saw a 27.23 percent drop in exports yoy in April to $1.6 billion. Similarly, exports in the agriculture sector also plunged 27 percent yoy last month, to $289 million, while the manufacturing industry saw a smaller drop of 5.8 percent yoy.

Furthermore, total imports from January to April dropped 13.44 percent yoy. Imports on capital goods dropped 17 percent and on raw and auxiliary goods 15.38 percent. Consumer goods imports rose 16.42 percent.

In total, the country has seen a $2.3 billion trade surplus from January to April, down by 13.63 percent compared to the same period last year.

Samuel Sekuritas economist Lana Soelistianingsih said despite the trade surplus, the figures were not looking good for Indonesia. In terms of exports, she said, there were declining demands from the country's trade partners, whether seasonal or due to the prolonged effects of the economic slowdown.

However, Lana said she was concerned by the low raw materials and auxiliary goods imports, which are used by the industrial sector.

"Importing raw materials reflects economic activity for the following three months [...] this means that business in several sectors is still weak," Lana told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

There were high expectations for April because of improving figures in March, she said, but the country's performance had been below expectations. Lana predicted flat trade numbers for the upcoming months, as trends caused by the economic slowdown were seemingly here to stay.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/17/gloomy-outlook-ahead-despite-april-trade-surplus.html

Analysis & opinion

Jokowi, Golkar's new leadership and rivalry in the corridors of power

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Newly elected Golkar Party chairman Setya Novanto has a string of alleged graft cases in tow, which comes as a surprise to no one. But, that may be exactly the kind of figure President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and his inner-circle are most comfortable with.

A figure at whom they can crack the whip to serve their interest in acquiring greater political support and leverage, as Golkar is the country's second-biggest party after Jokowi's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Keeping Setya and Golkar's other old guards in power and preventing them from being prosecuted for various cases from their pasts come at an enormous price.

Not only has Golkar officially quit the Red-and-White opposition camp and pledged its allegiance to Jokowi's ruling coalition, it has even extended its support to Jokowi for the 2019 presidential election.

Such an accord, written and documented during the party's recent extraordinary congress in Bali, is at least comforting for the President, particularly when the PDI-P often behaves as if in opposition to rather than in alliance with the President.

With Golkar and its problematic leadership in tow, Jokowi's ruling coalition currently wields enormous power, having secured 69 percent of seats in the House of Representatives – up from 40 percent a year ago. Aside from Golkar, the coalition also recently received a boost from defecting opposition parties the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the National Development Party (PPP).

While it is difficult to dismiss Jokowi and his inner-circle as having no hand in this encroachment on the autonomy of Golkar, founded by dictator Soeharto more than half-a-century ago, the quest to have someone "controllable" leading Golkar has been a priority.

Around a year ago, Setya was not even in the President's equation after a public display of affection between Jokowi and Golkar top-brass Ade Komarudin stunned many of the political elite, given the party's apparent stance as leader of the opposition camp.

Jokowi also regularly attended functions held by the Central Organization for Indonesian Employees (SOKSI), a Golkar institution that Ade chaired and where around half of the party's legislators maintain memberships.

The cozy relationship was extended when Ade and his supporters lent their support to Jokowi's administration. They refused, however, to join the camp of senior Golkar politician Agung Laksono in its attempts to oust then party chairman Aburizal Bakrie and turn the party's course toward joining Jokowi's coalition.

Amid the leadership tussle, Ade managed to keep the troubles away for Jokowi at the House of Representatives, where he was then chairman of the Golkar faction with then House speaker Setya among his patrons.

It came as no surprise that when Setya was forced to resign as House speaker late last year, Ade stepped in as his replacement. The case forcing Setya's resignation revolved around a recording of a meeting getting leaked by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said, who claimed the leak had been approved by Jokowi.

The recording allegedly revealed Setya falsely invoking the President's name to acquire shares in mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.

After fighting his way out of the incident, Setya threw in the towel and resigned. But the incident had little impact on Setya's political career as he then assumed the leadership of Golkar's House faction, the prestigious position previously held by Ade.

With the House speaker job in hand coupled with support from Jokowi and Vice President Jusuf Kalla and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarmo – among Jokowi's few trusted aides – all roads between Ade and clinching the Golkar chairmanship looked paved and secured.

But things turned south in late April when several legislators revealed that Ade had fallen out of favor with Jokowi for various reasons and that the President had apparently realized it was in his best interests to see Golkar led by a problematic figure who could be easily co-opted.

For Jokowi, supporting Ade may be similar to having a tiger cub as pet; the older the tiger gets the greater the risk it will bite the hand that feeds it. Unlike Setya, who has a penchant for "paying" for everything in order to get his way, Ade garners support and loyalty by maintaining friendships and extending favors, earning him a pool of loyalists in the House and in the provinces.

Among the indications Jokowi was favoring Setya for the Golkar leadership was the President allowing Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, a senior Golkar politician and a close friend of Setya, to fly to the party congress in Bali on Sunday to assist Setya with his campaign for the election on Tuesday.

Similar privilege, however, was not extended to Kalla, former Golkar chairman who had openly voiced his support for Ade. Jokowi ordered Kalla not to fly to Bali to celebrate his 74th birthday with his grandchildren on Sunday to prevent him from helping Ade consolidate power.

Jokowi, prior to flying to South Korea on Sunday, gave Kalla "urgent tasks" making his presence in Jakarta a necessity.

Setya's accession to the chairmanship and Aburizal's continued influence in Golkar after being named chairman of the party's board of patrons, has no doubt impacted the corridors of power at the Presidential Palace.

Since Jokowi took office in October 2014, the dissenting circle of influence in the Cabinet has mostly hinged on Kalla, Luhut and Rini, each with their own political leverage and supporters.

With his friends Setya and Aburizal having a firmer grip on Golkar, Luhut is definitely the winner in the recent power play, outmaneuvering Kalla and Rini, who both placed their bets on Ade.

Although Luhut now has a stronger position, alongside Golkar, from which to block Kalla's agenda in the House, there is no guarantee that Kalla will easily concede defeat.

Kalla is still in favor with PDI-P chairwoman and Jokowi's patron Megawati Soekarnoputri, and the NasDem Party, whose founder Surya Paloh is Kalla's close associate. Several elements in Golkar also remain loyal to Kalla.

Golkar's pledge of allegiance to the ruling coalition will ensure stable and cordial relations between the government and the House, but at some point it may exacerbate rivalry between the big shots and their supporting ministers in the Cabinet.

[The author is a staff writer with The Jakarta Post.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/jokowi-golkar-s-new-leadership-and-rivalry-corridors-power.html

Match words with action on Papua abuses

Jakarta Post - May 19, 2016

Andreas Harsono, Jakarta – The detention of more than 1,500 Papuan independence supporters on May 2 for "lacking a permit to hold a rally" speaks volumes of the government's stubbornly problematic approach to dealing with dissent in the restive territory of Papua.

This approach has for decades provided impunity for security forces, despite their abuses against Papuans and turned dozens of those exercising their universal rights to freedom of expression and association into political prisoners.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has promised Papuans a change, beginning with "an open dialogue for a better Papua". But aside from the release of a few political prisoners, there has been barely any signs of meaningful change on the ground in Papua.

Jokowi's December 2014 pledge to thoroughly investigate and punish security forces implicated in the death of five peaceful protesters in the Papuan town of Enarotali that month has remained unfulfilled. And the Indonesian bureaucracy continues to obstruct international media from freely reporting in Papua despite the President's May 2015 declaration to lift the decades-old restrictions.

Last month the government announced a new approach to Papua's long history of serious rights abuses and lack of accountability: It was going to try to resolve them.

On April 20 chief security minister Luhut Pandjaitan opened a one-week meeting in Jakarta, which was attended by more than 20 human rights activists and ethnic Papuan officials from Papua and West Papua, along with officials from the National Police, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and various ministries.

The meeting followed increasing international scrutiny of Indonesia's human rights record in Papua, including a September 2015 proposal by the Pacific Islands Forum, a political grouping of 16 Pacific nation states, for a possible human rights "fact finding mission" in Papua.

The meeting aimed to develop a roadmap to investigation and resolution of a number of the region's most serious human rights abuses. The initiative was a follow-up to Jokowi's commitment in December 2014 to seek an end to human rights violations in Papua.

The government has compiled a 17-page report detailing 11 high-priority human rights cases in Papua that it aims to solve. They include the Biak massacre in July 1998, when security forces opened fire on participants of a peaceful flag-raising ceremony on the island, the military crackdown on Papuans in Wasior in 2001 and Wamena in 2003 that left dozens killed and thousands displaced and the forced disbandment of the Papuan People's Congress in October 2011 that left three people dead and hundreds injured.

The government has also prioritized individual cases such as the disappearance of Aristoteles Masoka, the driver of murdered Papuan leader Theys Eluay in November 2001. Although Eluay's body was found inside his car, and seven Army Special Forces soldiers were convicted in 2003 for the murder, Masoka has never turned up.

The list is an encouraging sign that the government recognizes the role of the security forces in human rights abuses in Papua and the need for accountability. However, mass killings that took place between the 1960s and 1970s, including a military operation in 1977-1978 against Free Papua Movement (OPM) insurgents that allegedly involved indiscriminate aerial bombings and strafing, have been deliberately omitted.

Papuan activists have also called for investigations into the killing of anthropologist-cum-musician Arnold Ap in April 1984 and rights abuses linked to the Indonesian security forces in the lead-up to the July 1969 UN-sponsored referendum that resulted in a much-contested unanimous vote for continued integration with Indonesia.

The government's plan to resolve these cases involves deploying agencies including the National Police, the AGO, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the military police to investigate. The plan specifies the need for compensation for survivors and victims' families for incidents in which the evidence clearly indicates the culpability of government officials and security forces.

Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw, the Papua Police chief, has promised to prosecute individuals implicated in those abuses. The government has yet to publicly disclose a timeline for these investigations.

Papua's troubled history and ongoing serious human rights abuses demand a meaningful government response to both address the crimes of the past and to enact measures to prevent future abuses. The ongoing low-level conflict with the small and disorganized OPM obligates the government to ensure security for the population.

Security forces repeatedly fail to distinguish between violent acts and peaceful expression of political views. The government has denounced flag-raisings and other peaceful expressions of pro-independence sentiment in Papua as treasonous. Heavy-handed responses to peaceful activities have resulted in numerous human rights violations.

In the past eight years, Human Rights Watch has documented dozens of cases in which police, military, intelligence officers, and prison guards have used unnecessary or excessive force when dealing with Papuans exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and association.

The government also frequently arrests and prosecutes Papuan protesters for peacefully advocating independence or other political change. More than 35 Papuan activists are in prison on treason charges.

Human Rights Watch takes no position on Papuan claims to self-determination, but opposes imprisonment of people who peacefully express support for self-determination.

Papuans are likely to be skeptical of Luhut's plan to resolve past human rights abuses unless the positive rhetoric is matched by meaningful investigations and prosecutions for those crimes.

[The writer is a researcher for the Human Rights Watch.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/19/match-words-with-action-papua-abuses.html

Jose Ramos-Horta cheerleader for Indonesia's rule in West Papua

The Daily Blog - May 18, 2016

Maire Leadbeater – It would be hard to overstate the importance of the role that Jose Ramos Horta played during the long dark years when Timor Leste was occupied by Indonesia. As 'foreign minister' in exile he developed quite extraordinary advocacy and diplomatic skills that other liberation movements could only envy. His international work with states and solidarity movements made a vital contribution to Timor Leste's liberation in 1999.

Reflecting on this role I am saddened and bewildered that he has become an apologist for Indonesia's repressive rule in West Papua. Back in his campaigning days Ramos Horta regularly rubbed shoulders with his West Papuan colleagues at international conferences and at the United Nations. When he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 he said in his acceptance speech that the Timorese were not alone in seeking self-determination but struggled alongside millions of others including the people of West Papua.

However, since he has become an establishment figure, Ramos-Horta has been telling the West Papuans to moderate their demands and to settle for autonomy rather than independence. This month he took things even further by visiting the territory as the guest of the Indonesian Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan. Afterwards he pronounced that the human rights situation was improving and Indonesia could solve any remaining problems without outside help.

Did he see anything of the spectacularly large peaceful demonstrations that were taking place while he was there? On 2 May as many as 2000 young Papuan activists were arrested across the country – the largest mass arrest in West Papua's history. In Jayapura those detained were hoarded into an open police compound and held stripped to the waist in searing temperatures. Journalists were barred from covering the events and one was detained.

Ramos-Horta could have sought out the human rights defenders and Church leaders who went to monitor the police actions and call for the release of the young people. They would have explained that the entirely peaceful demonstrations were held to show support for international initiatives including an important meeting of Melanesian leaders in Vanuatu and a London meeting of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua.

Perhaps Jakarta was keen to recruit Jose Ramos-Horta to its support team to help counteract the tidal wave of support for West Papua sweeping across the Pacific. Jakarta's nightmare is that the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) will elevate the West Papuan umbrella group United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) from observer to full member status as the Prime Ministers of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu now propose.

To stave this off Minister Panjaitan has been strenuously lobbying in Suva and Port Moresby. A generous cheque for cyclone relief seemed to impress Fiji's Prime Minister Bainimarama. Panjaitan's initiatives have not gone down well with grassroots Pacific movements which are expanding day by day. Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva took part in the well-attended London meeting for parliamentarians.

West Papuan Church leaders, like Reverend Socratez Yoman who is currently touring Aotearoa, says nothing will stop the momentum of the movement now that the ULMWP has been recognised by the MSG. Unrestrained migration has tipped the demographic balance in favour of the newcomers and resource exploitation is stripping away life-giving lands and forests. The people are determined not to stay silent any longer in the face of what they see as a 'slow genocide'.

Since his country's liberation Jose Ramos-Horta has held high office as Prime Minister and President of his country as well as serving as a UN envoy in Guinea-Bissau, but he cannot have forgotten everything his learned during his long exile. Does he think about the brave actions of young activists in pre-liberation Timor-Leste? Timorese took to the streets whenever there was a chance they could get their message out into the international media, just as the West Papuans do now. Sometimes the results were lethal – 271 young demonstrators were massacred in 1991 at the Santa Cruz cemetery. Today in Timor Leste the young martyrs of this non-violent struggle are rightly honoured – they sparked a new wave of international solidarity and paved the way for change.

What is more Jose Ramos-Horta knows what it is to be shunned and sidelined and to refuse to give up. In 1978 he was invited to tour New Zealand but the Muldoon Government was reluctant to give him a visa. He did not tour that year but the debate generated by the attempt to turn him away gave the cause unprecedented publicity. A 'Let Horta Speak' campaign grabbed the headlines and journalists sought out this controversial spokesperson for phone interviews. Two decades later a New Zealand foreign minister finally agreed to meet him.

Defending his changed stance Ramos-Horta says that Indonesian rule over West Papua can be justified by the fact that the territory was once ruled by the Dutch as part the Dutch East Indies, forerunner of modern Indonesia. Timor-Leste was a Portuguese territory prior to the 1975 Indonesian invasion. The West Papuans remind us that they were on their way to independence as part of the Pacific family when a new colonisation was forced on them.

Indonesian rule came about as a result of 1962 negotiations between the Netherlands and Indonesia brokered by the United States. The Papuan people were not consulted. Yes, the UN, to its shame, acknowledged a fraudulent self-determination process which took place in 1969. But it is clear from eye-witness reports and declassified documents that the 'Act of Free Choice' was a manipulated 'Act of No Choice'. There were only 1022 press-ganged participants out of a population of a million – they were sequestered away from their communities before the vote and threatened with violence if they did not make the right choice.

Jose Ramos-Horta was once a beacon of hope to oppressed people around the world. Now he is on a different path and it seems to me like a wrong turning.

[Maire Leadbeater is a Former East Timor and current West Papua solidarity activist.]

Source: http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/05/18/guest-blog-maire-leadbeater-jose-ramo-horta-cheerleader-for-indonesias-rule-in-west-papua/

Papua: Pricking our national conscience

Jakarta Post - May 18, 2016

Veronica Koman – When outsiders think of Papua, it may be to puzzle over why protests there seem never-ending. They may assume the main frustrations of Papuans stem from poverty and lack of development.

That is true to some degree. However, the main reason is simpler and neatly illustrated by comparing two figures: In early May, 2,109 Papuan independence protesters were arrested by police – and that number is more than double the 1,025 who were press-ganged into legitimizing Indonesia's rule of Papua through the 1969 "Act of Free Choice".

Despite our embassy in the UK denying in The Guardian that the arrests took place, the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute documented them all, and holds the names of every one of the 2,109 demonstrators. Compare the figure with the 1,025 who cast ballots in what Papuans refer to as the "Act of No Choice", out of an estimated population of 800,000 at that time.

This is the historical reality that underpins today's grievances about state violence, environmental degradation and suppression of free speech in Papua. Until it is addressed, the protests will continue and the numbers will continue to add up. As of May the figure stands at 2,282 peaceful demonstrators detained by police, according to the institute's records.

International attention to this ongoing historical injustice is not going away either. Last week Papuans took to the streets en masse to support the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and its bid for admission as a full member of the regional intergovernmental organization, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG). They also wanted to send a message of support to the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, due to meet the following day in London.

At that meeting, over 100 parliamentarians and lawyers from a score of countries announced the Westminster Declaration, rejecting the 1969 "Act of Free Choice" as a gross violation of the right to self-determination, and calling for an internationally supervised vote in Papua. Besides attendees from our neighbors Papua New Guinea and Australia, representatives came from several Pacific nations, France, the US, Sweden, New Zealand, Finland, Czech, the Netherlands and perhaps most notably British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who declared his support for "the right of people to be able to make their own choice on their own future".

I am not one of the purported millions of non-Papuan Indonesians hurt by Corbyn's declaration, according to "An open letter to Jeremy Corbyn from Indonesia" published by the UK edition of The Huffington Post recently. In fact, many of my fellow Indonesians share my concern, and take action through solidarity organizations such as Papua Itu Kita (Papua is us).

As an Indonesian, let me tell you why we're upset by what's going on in Papua. Freedom of expression is being systematically suppressed. Proud of our national anthem, we're sickened to learn that police tarnished it when they kicked and beat six peaceful protestors who refused to sing it while under arrest on April 12 in Papua's Yahukimo district police station. We're worried for a young Timika man, Steven Itlay who faces a possible life sentence for treason after leading a mass prayer in a churchyard last month in support of the ULMWP.

We're angry that two people were arrested on April 25 when they were delivering a notification letter about the upcoming demonstrations to Merauke police near the border with Papua New Guinea. Likewise about the 41 people arrested in the Papuan capital of Jayapura on May 1 for distributing leaflets calling for peaceful demonstration. The list goes on.

As long as violence, unlawful arrests, and long prison terms for "treason" are used to suppress freedom of expression in Papua, the argument made by the Indonesian Embassy in Australia (The Jakarta Post, May 9) that Papuans benefit from Indonesian democracy will fall flat. Whether or not one supports independence for Papua, the right to freedom of expression, guaranteed under the Constitution, must be upheld.

Freedom of the press is another cornerstone of democracy under threat when it comes to Papua. Local journalists have faced harassment and violence, and Papua was mostly off-limits to the foreign media until President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo promised easy access in May 2015. Foreign journalists are nevertheless still being refused visas, or face long screening delays, restrictions on locations and being chaperoned by intelligence agents while in Papua. One London-based journalist recently had to wait 18 months to be granted a visa.

In October last year Johnny Blades and Koroi Hawkins of Radio New Zealand faced the absurd demand that they provide six recommendation letters from contacts in Papua. France 24 TV correspondent Cyril Payen's documentary on Papua last year so angered the government that his application to visit again was refused in January.

When journalists do visit, their interviewees can face intimidation, as with three Papuan activists led by Agus Kossay, arrested by police after they met with French journalist Marie Dhumieres last October. The year before, Martinus Yohame was kidnapped and later found dumped in the sea in a sack with his hands and feet tied, tortured and murdered after meeting French Arte Television journalists Thomas Dandois and Valentine Bourrat.

Over recent years, international development organizations have been forced out of Papua, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid, and Peace Brigades International. Oxfam UK was ordered out last December, even after Jokowi's declaration of openness.

The ULMWP is the umbrella for many organizations across Papua and has a legitimate political and cultural mandate to represent the Papuan people. The organization holds observer status, and the Indonesian government holds associate member status in the Melanesian Spearhead Group. If the government undermines and criminalizes the ULMWP, it disrespects the MSG as a diplomatic forum.

If however the government is seriously committed to the MSG, it should take up the MSG's offer to mediate a peaceful dialogue between the government and ULMWP. President Jokowi has claimed there are no problems in Papua. Yet his actions said otherwise last week when he sent a barrage of government figures to do damage control in London: deputy speaker Fadli Zon, coordinating minister of politics Luhut Pandjaitan, and national counter-terrorism agency head Tito Karnavian all tried to damp down talk about Papua's problems while in the UK. Last month Luhut also went to Fiji and PNG to discuss Papua.

Sending these senior figures overseas on a face-saving mission, and sending proxies such as former East Timor president Jose Ramos-Horta to Papua is simply avoiding the root of the problem.

Last century, former foreign minister Ali Alatas described East Timor as a "pebble in the shoe" for our nation's diplomacy. Papua will continue to be a thorn in our side until we finally listen deeply and engage in dialogue about Papuan aspirations, including self-determination.

[The writer is a public interest lawyer at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta) and a participant in the Papua Itu Kita (Papua is Us) movement.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/18/papua-pricking-our-national-conscience.html