Ryan Dagur, Jakarta – Indonesian Church officials and activists have accused police in Yogyakarta of racism and using excessive force after six Papuan students were arrested for singing Papuan songs in their college dormitory.

"Police officers must be fair. They must protect Papuan people too," Father Paulus Christian Siswantoko, executive secretary of the Indonesian bishops' Commission for Justice, Peace and Pastoral for Migrant-Itinerant People, said.

"The government has the task to protect all citizens and disregard their ethnic background," he said.

Police say they surrounded the dormitory belonging to Yogyakarta's College of Community Development on July 15 to prevent a number of Papuan students from attending a banned rally organised by the People's Union for West Papua Freedom.

The rally was aimed at supporting a bid by the Papuan nationalist group, the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP), to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

The group is an intergovernmental organisation comprising Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, as well as the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front, a political party from New Caledonia. The ULMWP currently has observer status.

The Papuan students said they initially planned to hold the rally in the city center, but decided instead to sing some Papauan songs at the dormitory after organisers failed to obtain a rally permit from local police.

Tear gas

Police allegedly used tear gas on the students before arresting them. During the arrest it is alleged officers manhandled and racially abused the students, who were also subjected to racial taunts by local pro-Jakarta activists who had gathered to support the police as the drama unfolded.

All the students were later released on July 17 following questioning. "Police officers must not let racial abuse happen," said Father Siswantoko.

He said the students had the right to express their views. "They didn't even stage a rally, but their voices were silenced anyway," he said, adding that there is deep-seated prejudice by locals against Papuans. Risky Hadur, a Catholic student activist also denounced the police action.

Left traumatised

"We express our deep condolences to the death of humanity and brotherhood in this nation." The students were left traumatised by the incident, according to Jefry Wenda, coordinator of a Papuan students' group covering Java and Bali.

"Police officers and other people shouted at them and called them 'pigs' and 'monkeys,'" he said, calling on the government to put a stop to abuses against the Papuan people.

National Commission on Human Rights official Natalius Pigai said the incident would be investigated. "We must not let such racial discrimination happen," he said. "We will send a team next week to Yogyakarta to investigate.

[Ryan Dagur is a contributor to the Union of Catholic Asian News service.]

Source: http://asiapacificreport.nz/2016/07/21/indonesian-police-under-fire-over-arrest-of-papuan-students-racial-abuse/

Komnas Ham suspects rights abuses in Papuan student crackdown

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Thursday that human rights abuses might have occurred during a crackdown by the Yogyakarta police on Papuan students accused of promoting separatism.

"The tentative conclusion is that there are indications of human rights abuses. An official statement will soon be released in Jakarta after we collect more evidence," commissioner Natalius Pigai told Papuan students and pro-democracy activists in Yogyakarta.

Pigai, assigned by the commission to investigate the July 15 incident during which the police and local mass organizations surrounded a dormitory for Papuan students, said the rights abuses included violations to free speech, torture, detainment without due process, hate speech and a failure by the local government to provide security for its citizens.

"After corroborating our data by collecting photos and documentary videos, it is possible that the human rights abuses will cover all the six allegations, or it could turn to five or four," he said.

Papuan students in Yogyakarta have expressed their support for a bid by a separatist group called the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to become a permanent member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG).

Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X has asserted that Papuan students are not allowed to voice their support for separatist movements, saying that the province was not a place for separatists. (ary)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/komnas-ham-suspects-rights-abuses-in-papuan-student-crackdown.html

Papuan students avoid investigation

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Yogyakarta – Papuan students studying in Yogyakarta have refused to provide official information about police oppression they experienced to a female member of the Papuan Legislative Council (DPRP), Yanni, who visited them at the Papuan students dormitory in Kamasan, Yogyakarta.

"We will not give information to the lady. Through the media, I heard that the DPRP will form a team [to investigate the case in Yogyakarta], so we'll wait until the team arrives in Yogyakarta," said student and People's Unity for the Liberation of West Papua spokesman Roy Karoba on Tuesday.

Papua DPRD deputy speaker Yanni, together with her expert staffer, Muflih Mussad, came to Yogyakarta to seek the truth about the reported repression of Papuan students holding a peaceful rally at their dormitory on July 15.

The meeting reportedly became heated when Yanni said her arrival was to "extinguish the fire" caused by the incident. A debate ensued between Roy and Yanni, who was assisted by Muflih.

"We are disappointed with the Papua DPRP. The people of Yogyakarta are more concerned about us. The local community provided us with food when we were under siege last Friday," said Roy aloud.

Pro-democracy activist, Ernawati, said activists in Yogyakarta were ready to support the struggle of Papuan students there.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/island-focus-papuan-students-avoid-investigation.html

'30 pieces of silver' – Melanesian Spearhead Group 'bought by others': DPM

Vanuatu Daily Post - July 20, 2016

Jane Joshua – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trades, Joe Natuman, believes other people are trying to use the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) to drive their own agendas, saying it is similar to Jesus who was betrayed and sold for 30 pieces of silver.

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) was not admitted as full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group during the Special MSG summit in Honiara, Solomon Islands on July 14, 2016.

"Our Prime Minister was the only one talking in support of full membership for West Papua in the MSG, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister couldn't say very much because he is the chairman," the veteran politician told Buzz FM 96's Coffee and Controversy host Mark O'Brien yesterday morning.

"Prime minister Charlot Salwai was the only one defending Melanesians and the history of Melanesian people in the recent MSG meeting in Honiara.

"The MSG, I must repeat, the MSG, which I was a pioneer in setting up was established for the protection of the identity of the Melanesian people, the promotion of their culture and defend their rights. Right to self determination, right to land and right to their resources.

"Now it appears other people are trying to use the MSG to drive their own agendas and I am sorry but I will insist that MSG is being bought by others.

"It is just like Jesus Christ who was bought for 30 pieces of silver. This is what is happening in MSG. I am very upset about this and we need to correct this issue.

"Because if our friends in Fiji and Papua New Guinea have a different agenda, we need to sit down and talk very seriously about what is happening within the organization. And I am sorry but I will insist that MSG is being bought by others."

Asked what transpired at the Honiara Summit, DPM Natuman said according to the Prime minister's briefing on his return, there were some misunderstanding on what happened in the Officials' Meeting and the Foreign Ministers meeting.

"What happened was that they presented to the Summit Leaders something which apparently was not discussed at the officers level so this was the problem," he explained.

"The issue of Membership was supposed to be presented to the Leaders. Instead they present the leaders with a list of criteria for membership.

"This criteria was whether or not organisations or liberation movements should be considered for full membership.

"Finally, our Prime minister was the only one talking in support of West Papua membership, the Solomon Islands Prime Minister couldn't say very much because he is the chairman."

On the issue of New Caledonia, DPM Natuman said, "People are now saying we should not be interfering with Indonesia's sovereignty. But what about New Caledonia? France has held onto New Caledonia.

"In the 1990s, we insisted that New Caledonia was a colonial possession of France, therefore we have the right to intervene.

"And we intervened, firstly we asked the people of New Caledonia to form an umbrella grouping, or political parties to support their cause. So they established the FLNKS at Vanuatu's request.

"Through that means we promote their issues to the Forum and eventually they were listed in the UN's listing of colonial territories.

"We have to assist them to get Independence, same as West Papua. West Papua was forcibly annexed by Indonesia and brutally overthrown. They were in the process of getting their independence in the early 1960s.

"West Papua is very rich in resources, gold, copper and forests thus a lot of western capitalists were interested in that. Now they say we cannot interfere, no, we must interfere. Melanesians are being killed by Asians, we have to interfere."

The Deputy Prime Minister was part of the panel in yesterday's 96Buzz FM's Coffee and Controversy show at the Lava Lounge, which also features Glen Craig from Pacific Advisory and Job Dalesa who is on the West Papua Reunification Committee.

When asked on his opinion on whether MSG in itself has 'lost its way' as implied by the DPM, Dalsesa replied, "I certainly think so, West Papua has a lot of enemies. A lot of people are fighting over this area because of its resources, and by fighting you can do a lot of things including buying another country and I think this is what they are doing. The divide and rule tactic is a common tactic that has been used for a long time."

Source: http://dailypost.vu/news/pieces-of-silver/article_0de4854a-20aa-574c-9c9c-1ded0871e0b4.html

Papua Liberation Movement undeterred on MSG bid

Radio New Zealand International - July 20, 2016

Dateline Pacific – The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says its campaign to become full members at the Melanesian Spearhead Group is not deterred, following the latest MSG leaders summit in Honiara.

Transcript

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua says West Papuans' desire for political freedom is stronger than ever. The spokesman for the Liberation Movement, Benny Wenda, says they accept the decision by leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to defer the Movement's bid for full membership.

At their summit in Honiara last week, MSG leaders said the group's secretariat needed to clarify guidelines for membership, with the decision on the bid expected to be addressed by September.

Benny Wenda spoke to Johnny Blades who asked whether the MSG membership of New Caledonia's indigenous Kanaks sets a precedent for West Papua

Benny Wenda: Kanak was already full membership even though they're not independent; they are still controlled by France. That's why West Papua case is very similar, it's not different. The only way that the West Papua situation is different is that Indonesia, when we're trying to apply for full membership, Indonesia tries to refuse and they fight for the ULMWP not (gaining) full membership. And that's the Indonesian position but I think hopefully that in upcoming months they (MSG leaders) will do the right thing for West Papua.

Johnny Blades: There's been a lot of talk in Indonesia around this MSG summit, have you ever seen as much media reporting coming out from Indonesia about Papua as has been happening recently?

BW: Yes, recently Indonesia's position is a very negative comment, trying to hold that the ULMWP were rejected as full membership, and speculation in many media in Indonesia. But the Melanesian leaders, they (have) not refused the ULMWP application. They just deferred and they will discuss on this issue in September. But Indonesian media is really negative, but of course we know their colonial power position.

JB: Indonesian officials are saying that the MSG shouldn't accept a separatist group. That's how the ULMWP is sometimes characterised. Do you think that's fair?

BW: It's not fair because Indonesia's position is illegal in West Papua, and they illegally occupied our country. We never recognise Indonesian sovereignty over our territory. And West Papua is a separate country and Indonesia cannot claim over our territory. We are not talking about Indonesia, but West Papua is a part of Melanesia, it's a Melanesian family. So I think the Indonesian argument is baseless.

JB: The MSG meeting last week (in Honiara), do you see it as a disappointment, or just another step along the way?

BW: For us it's another step along the way. Because we, on a human level, sometimes feel that way (disappointed) but we keep positive and this is our fight and we never go away, and west papua is Melanesian. and this issue is a regional issue. That's my argument always, this issue never goes away from the Melanesian eye or the New Zealanders or Australia or in the Pacific. So it's a Pacific issue and we'll continue to fight for full membership.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/programmes/datelinepacific/20160720

Papuan students in Indonesian cities fearful

Radio New Zealand International - July 20, 2016

West Papuan university students in various Indonesian cities fear for their safety under close security forces' surveillance.

The Papuan Student Alliance says that last week hundreds of police burst into a West Papuan students' dormitory in Yogyakarta and began assaulting the students. The students had been planning a demonstration in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's bid to join the Melanesian Spearhead Group.

Reports are coming through that Papuan dormitories in Yogyakarta as well as Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Manado are being tightly monitored by Indonesian police and civilian militia.

An Australia-based Papuan student, Yamin Kogoya, said fellow Papuan students in Indonesia who he's heard from have been afraid to leave their dorms.

"These students, they're not just Papuans, but citizens of Indonesia. They are not allowed to express their voice freely, democratically," said Mr Kogoya.

"And it is very unfortunate to see the Indonesian security forces react the way they did last week. There's no need for... they see the Papuans as though they are terrorists or some sort of criminal organisation."

Meanwhile, an Indonesian military tribunal in Jayapura, Papua Province, has sentenced a soldier to 20 years jail for killing three people, including two toddlers, in Bintuni.

The Jakarta Post reports the judge saying the sentence is higher than the military prosecutors had sought because there were no mitigating factors.

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/309078/papuan-students-in-indonesian-cities-fearful

Key talks West Papua and death penalty with Joko Widodo

Radio New Zealand International - July 19, 2016

The New Zealand Prime Minister has discussed human rights in West Papua and New Zealand's opposition to the death penalty during formal talks with the Indonesian leadership. John Key is on his final day of a two-day trip to Indonesia.

West Papua is tightly guarded by Indonesian military and police, and reports of killings and human rights abuses against the local population have been commonplace in the past few decades.

Mr Key said President Joko Widodo and his officials raised the issue of human rights and West Papua before he did. He said the Indonesian government clearly wanted to be more open about such matters.

"They did raise the point quite specifically about human rights and said, look, if there are specific issues with human rights, then they take up the issues, they investigate them and they make sure that they are not repeated.

"He seemed to be quite keen to have greater transparency so that there can be greater understanding."

Mr Key said he told the Indonesian leadership that New Zealand was firmly against the use of the death penalty. After his meeting he was asked by reporters whether he raised any individual cases with President Widodo.

"From time to time there are really sensitive issues that I raise with other leaders, and I do that on the basis of making sure that I attempt to make the situation better, not worse if there is an individual involved. In my experience if I then go and discuss those issues, I then run the risk of making things worse not better."

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/308966/key-talks-west-papua-and-death-penalty-with-joko-widodo

Police websites hacked after Papuan students protest

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Bambang Muryanto, Yogyakarta – Hackers have attacked three websites belonging to Yogyakarta Police after taking repressive measures against Papuan students staging a peaceful rally at a Papuan students dormitory in Kamasan, Yogyakarta, last Friday.

"We cannot conclude if this is part of a reaction [to the police's handling of the protest], but we are still investigating those responsible," Yogyakarta Police spokesperson Adj. Sr. Comr. Anny Pudjiastuti told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

As of noon Monday, two sites – jogja.polri.go.id and tribatranewsjogja.com – had already been recovered. The third site, polresjogja.com was still paralyzed where its front page read: "Why so serious, introduce a little anarchy and everything becomes chaos. Great, you've shown us how justice works. Improve your brutality, Sir. Ps We'reNotSeparatists# GretzTomcat-Rebels-Tanpa Bicara-Virusa."

Hundreds of police personnel on Friday encircled the Papuan students dorm on Jl. Kusumanegara, Yogyakarta, as they were holding an event to support the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to become a permanent member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), which was being discussed in Solomon Islands from July 14 to 16.

Initially, they planned to stage a rally at Titik Nol in Yogyakarta city center that day, but was prohibited by Yogyakarta City Police. They then decided to just sing together in their dorm. Police arrested seven students from Papua and another from Ternate, North Maluku.

In the evening, police personnel who were on guard in front of the dorm also prohibited an Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) car from bringing food from the community to approximately a hundred students from Papua who had not eaten since morning. The food and drinks could only be delivered after a House of Representatives (DPR) legislator from the electoral district of Yogyakarta, Esti Wijayanti, arrived at the dorm.

Anny rejected the claims of many parties that police had acted repressively in handling the rally carried out by a group of Papuan students who are members of the People's Union for the Liberation of West Papua (PRPPB).

"If they hold a rally by displaying the symbol of the Free Papua Organization we certainly will not allow it. Repression is a last resort," she said.

Legal adviser of the Papuan students, Rizky Fatahilah, of the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), deplored the repressive police actions, which the latter also named student Obby Kogoya, 21, a suspect. He was accused, among others, of violating Article 212 of the Criminal Code for allegedly attacking police officers and faces a five-year prison sentence.

Obby initially had been arrested and his motorcycle seized by police for not having proper documentation. Rizky said Obby did not resist arrest.

"It was the first time in Yogyakarta that student demonstrators from Papua holding a peaceful protest have been severely repressed and even named suspects," he said.

The Indonesian Students Press Association (PPMI) reported that a student media activist from Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, Benidiktus Fatubun, had experienced violence while covering the incident at the Papuan students dorm. He was interrogated and given rough treatment by plainclothes police officers.

On Monday, the situation at the dorm had returned to normal and there was no longer a tight security arrangement by police like that observed on the weekend.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/police-websites-hacked-after-papuan-students-protest.html

NZ, Indonesia discuss economy, human rights

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Economic cooperation was the main focus of a bilateral meeting between Indonesia and New Zealand while both countries also discussed human rights with New Zealand saying it respected Indonesia's territorial integrity in Papua.

In a joint statement after a meeting with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Monday, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key acknowledged that the bilateral ties went much further than just economic matters as he and Jokowi also had "a very good and open discussion about human rights" and a discussion about Indonesia's "territorial rights over Papua".

The statement was made amid concerns about widespread human rights abuse against Papuans by Indonesian authorities. Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the Indonesian government explained to Key in the meeting about development efforts the country has made in Papua. "The Prime Minister said that New Zealand respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia," she added.

Key is in Jakarta for his second visit to the archipelago and has brought along a delegation of 22 executives from various major New Zealand companies involved in the renewable energy and agriculture sectors among others, in a bid to not only strengthen economic ties, but also to consolidate a number of investment opportunities.

Key described his meeting with Jokowi as "very productive", renewing both parties' commitments to developing the renewable energy sector in Indonesia, as well as to improve trade and investment ties.

Cooperation on geothermal remains a priority although the two countries also "agreed to improve cooperation in hydroenergy, including in its investment", said Jokowi in the joint statement.

Indonesia is estimated to have around 28 gigawatts (GW) in geothermal energy potential and 75 GW in hydropower potential. The estimated total potential of renewable energy in the country is estimated to amount to more than 300 GW.

Indonesia is currently seeking to develop more renewable energy generation to meet its long-term renewable energy target of 23 percent of electricity generated by 2025.

Based on data from state-owned electricity company PLN, coal accounted for 55.7 percent of electricity generation in 2015, while electricity generated from hydropower plants amounted to only 5.9 percent and geothermal energy 4 percent.

New Zealand, which has vast experience in geothermal energy, has a long history of involvement in developing geothermal energy in Indonesia dating back to the 1970s.

Key previously met Jokowi late last year on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar, to discuss the construction of geothermal plants in Indonesia. At the time, Jokowi promised to remove any obstacles to investment.

On Monday, Key also received an honor as the first state guest to witness the new Presidential Palace tradition of a livelier reception ceremony with some 200 schoolchildren involved.

Unlike previous events, Monday's procession started outside the Palace with Key's motorcade receiving an escort of mounted troops. Upon arrival Key acknowledged the welcome by the kids, who were waving Indonesian and New Zealand flags in the Palace yard.

During the meeting, the two also agreed to improve cooperation in cattle-breeding. Indonesia invited New Zealand – known for its good reputation in cattle-breeding – to invest in the sector in Indonesia.

"You [Jokowi] raised some important issues like breeding cattle and others. We are again very confident that progress can be made and resolutions can be found," Key said.

The two countries also signed three memoranda of understanding in cooperation on renewable energy, tourism and combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/nz-indonesia-discuss-economy-human-rights.html

West Papuans remain upbeat on MSG bid

Radio New Zealand International - July 19, 2016

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua accepts the decision by leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to defer its bid for full membership.

At their summit in Honiara last week, MSG leaders said the group's secretariat needed to establish guidelines for membership and signalled that a decision should be reached on the bid by September.

The Liberation Movement's spokesperson, Benny Wenda, said this could be seen as a delay tactic but his organisation acknowledged the technical issues highlighted by the MSG leaders and senior officials.

The issue of West Papua membership is increasingly divisive for the MSG's five full members.

Since the Liberation Movement was last year granted observer status, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and new Caledonia's FLNKS Kanaks movement have pushed for the West Papuans to get full membership.

However, Fiji and Papua New Guinea have resisted the push, amid strong lobbying by MSG associate member Indonesia which is opposed to the Liberation Movement. Vanuatu's government has expressed disappointment at the outcome of last week's summit.

However the Liberation movement is remaining upbeat, describing the MSG's decision as progress to improving processes within the MSG. It said there would be further discussion at the MSG meeting scheduled for Vanuatu's capital in September.

"We want to thank our Melanesian leaders and the chair and Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands for discussing and facilitating our application for full membership. Though disappointed, we remain optimistic to see our application further discussed in September in Port Vila, Vanuatu," said Mr Wenda.

"We the ULMWP would not come this far if it wasn't for the grassroots and Pacific leadership support and we call for more support as we work towards establishing a political voice for our people of West Papua."

ULMWP Secretary General, Octovianus Mote added that West Papuans are Melanesians and our issues of human rights abuse and self-determination must be rightfully addressed in the Pacific and not on Indonesia's terms.

Meanwhile, a Papua student leader in Yogyakarta in Indonesia said police bashed and tortured students last Friday to stop a march in support of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua.

The students' march was while the Melanesian Spearhead Group was considering whether the Movement could become a full member of the Pacific regional body.

But a spokesman for the Papuan Student Alliance, Yely Wenda, says hundreds of police burst into a West Papuan students' dormitory in Yogyakarta and began abusing and battering the students. He said a number were arrested and beaten, and one student was tortured in police custody.

MSG membership guidelines had 'flaws', said PNG

Papua New Guinea's Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato said it was important that the Melanesian Spearhead Group sort out its guidelines around membership. Mr Pato said the onus was on officials within the MSG secretariat to outline consistent guidelines around membership.

"This requires a definition as to what one must meet to be a member. That's under review at the moment. Our technical officials are still working on it. And for example, the draft that they came up with had flaws in it. There were so many inconsistencies, so all these things need to be polished up."

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/308931/west-papuans-remain-upbeat-on-msg-bid

West Papua human rights under scrutiny as Key visits Indonesia

Newstalk ZB - July 19, 2016

Raising the issue of human rights abuses in West Papua is timely given the recent arrests of thousands of students peacefully protesting in the streets.

Prime Minister John Key expressed concern while meeting with President Widodo about trade in Indonesia yesterday afternoon. John Key said it was Indonesia itself that put the issue on that table.

"Look I think they have actually made significant progress, they were quite careful to say that if there is an issue, the issue gets investigated and resolved. So I think they're not completely closed to the fact if there's an issue."

He said New Zealand's concerns weren't dismissed. "We said to them that it's a matter that's always of great concern to New Zealanders, so we raised that issue, we discussed that with them, and both the President and the Foreign Minister gave assurances that they were observing human rights."

However, Auckland's West Papua Action Group spokesperson Maire Leadbeater said the recent mass arrests have been unjustifiable under anybody's terms.

"What's been happening recently is an absolute travesty, in terms of the rights of free expression and freedom of assembly, which is fundamental to all United Nations principles. These have been blatantly flouted."

Leadbeater said now that the conversation has begun, New Zealand needs to support a fact-finding mission to West Papua as well as a visit by the UN's special rapporteur on the freedom of expression.

"These are all just small steps. Ultimately what the people want, as they put it, is to be back in the Pacific family. They want their own country, and they want to be a member of the Pacific, as they should have been in the first place."

John Key will continue to meet with government and trade officials today.

Source: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/politics/west-papua-human-rights-under-scrutiny-as-key-visits-indonesia/

PM puts trade before human rights – academic

TV New Zealand - July 19, 2016

Eruera Rerekura – A Melanesian academic is criticising Prime Minister John Key for focusing on economic trade ahead of human rights abuses against West Papuans while he is in Indonesia.

One of the main aims of the meeting between Mr Key and his Indonesian counter-part President Joko Widodo was to increase trade between the two countries – particularly beef exports from New Zealand.

Dr Pala Molisa is a lecturer at Victoria University's School of Accounting and Commercial Law in Wellington. He is also a Pacific commentator on the affairs of West Papua – the Indonesian province that borders its Melanesian kinfolk – Papua New Guinea.

West Papua is strictly controlled by the Indonesian army and police with incidences of killings and human rights abuses against tngata whenua (local people) being reported on regularly.

Dr Molisa said that New Zealand had a record of putting business before human rights in countries where those rights are questionable for more than 30 years.

"We've been prioritising economic development at the cost of human rights and also the civil liberties of people. In fact this whole economic system, especially since the neo-liberal policies that came in 1984 under the fourth Labour Government," he said.

A Mori advocate for West Papuan rights, Tere Harrison, agreed with Dr Molisa and told Te Karere she believed the main reason for Mr Key's Indonesian junket was all about generating more trade over and above human rights.

"John Key has gone to Indonesia, and the reason for that is for trade. The NZ Prime Minister wants to increase trade with Indonesia, never mind the human rights abuse faced by the West Papuans – and that's a big problem and it's very sad. Indonesia also seems more interested in trade than they are with human rights," she said.

Dr Molisa was also quick to point the canon at New Zealand's mainstream media, who he felt under-reported the plight of West Papuans and their independence movement.

He said that while some mainstream media organisations were doing a good job, others were doing what the Indonesian government would want them to do and not report on the atrocities faced by West Papuans.

"One of the great failures of the free press, so to speak, has been a complete blackout of the issue of West Papua for too long. And that's why shows such as Te Karere and Radio New Zealand with some of the reporters like Koroi Hawkins and Johnny Blades – you do a really good function of calling attention to some of the greatest concerns and sufferings of people."

Tere Harrison believed journalists in West Papua who were trying to report on the Indonesian military and police brutality have been completely censored.

"The media in West Papua, and also Indonesia, has its hands tied by the abusive hand of the Indonesian government, they've been heavily censored. But here in NZ we have the opposite situation and mainstream media is doing nothing about reporting on it."

In an attempt at appearing to be more transparent, John Key told ONE News the Indonesian government had actually instigated the conversation about human rights.

"So we raised the issue of human rights, in fact they raised the issue of West Papua proactively with us. They're actually keen for us to understand what's happening there and the issues. They did raise the point quite specifically about human rights and said, look, if there are specific issues with human rights then they take up those issues, investigate them and make sure that they're not repeated," Mr Key said.

It's understood the leader of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Benny Wenda, who lives in exile in the United Kingdom, will be coming to New Zealand next month to talk to politicians about the issue of human rights breaches in West Papua.

The last time Mr Wenda visited New Zealand in 2013, he was blocked by the government from making a speech at Parliament. Some opposition MPs then accused the government of not wanting to upset the Indonesian government, an important trading partner.

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/te-karere-news/pm-puts-trade-before-human-rights-academic-6482634

Government violates rights in Papuan student crackdown

Jakarta Post - July 18, 2016

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Repressive measures taken in the recent arrests of Papuan students in Yogyakarta on allegations of promoting separatism has sparked debate on the fine line the government must walk with regard to freedom of expression.

Rights campaigners have slammed the excessive force used in the arrests of seven Papuan students who wanted to stage a rally to show support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua's (ULMWP) bid for membership in the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) on Friday. Police also deployed a water cannon in front of the Papuan students' dormitory in Yogyakarta as a "preemptive measure".

Under the law, Indonesia as an independent country recognizes any act promoting separatism as illegal, but the country, as a member of the international community having ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), must protect the right of its citizens to the freedom of expression.

The activists said tough enforcement would not only paint negative images of Papuan students in the public sphere but would also worsen Papuans' sentiment toward the central government, which is trying to provide greater economic, educational, health and infrastructure access to people in the country's underdeveloped province, warned the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI).

YLBHI chairman Alvon Kurnia called on the government to avoid repressive acts toward Papuans who wanted to stage rallies to voice their aspirations to separate from Indonesia, so as to not worsen existing tensions with Jakarta, which has been accused of neglecting Papuans' prosperity for decades.

"In general, what the police did in Yogyakarta was excessive. The measures could be categorized as [violating freedom of expression]. Yes, in terms of the law, what they wanted to voice is not allowed but in terms of human rights, they [Papuans] have such a right [to express their opinions]," Alvon told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

For decades, the government employed military approaches to halt separatist moves in Papua, a decision that has resulted in scores of gross human rights cases that have claimed the lives of activists and civilians in Papua.

The central government has disbursed Rp 67 trillion in special autonomy funds since 2002 as part of the solution to end poverty in the resource-rich land and to maintain it as part of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia.

But 14 years on Papuans are still struggling to fulfill their basic needs on account of poor public facilities. Quality education and health services are limited.

Under his own initiative to calm tensions in Papua, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has made several visits to the province to show that Jakarta is not leaving it behind.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has said the government also promises to solve human rights abuse cases in the region and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The retired Army general, however, denied freedom of speech had been violated during the Yogyakarta crackdown and defended measures taken by the police. "Whoever violates regulations will be processed. If you want to make noise in your neighborhood then you will be reminded [by authorities]," Luhut said. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/government-violates-rights-papuan-student-crackdown.html

ULMWP accepts MSG decision and calls for greater support of West Papua

Loop PNG - July 17, 2016

The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) remains positive despite the Melanesian Spearhead Group's (MSG) decision to defer its application for full membership.

ULMWP spokesperson, Benny Wenda, said this could be seen as a delay tactic but ULMWP acknowledges the technical issues highlighted by the leaders and senior officials of the MSG.

The MSG special leaders' summit on July 14, in the Solomon Islands, had agreed to defer the consideration of the application for full membership by ULMWP until membership criteria and guidelines are further developed.

"We call on our West Papuan people, our Melanesian and Pacific families, and global supporters to view the current decision of our leaders not as defeat but as progress to improving processes within the MSG."

Wenda thanked the people of West Papua and the Pacific for the tremendous support, stressing the need for more support within Melanesia and the Pacific as MSG works towards September's special leaders' summit in Vanuatu.

ULMWP secretary general, Octovianus Mote, added that West Papuans are Melanesians and our issues of human rights abuse and self-determination must be rightfully addressed in the Pacific and not on Indonesia's terms. (Solomon Islands solidarity for West Papua marching the streets of Honiara during the MSG meet last week.)

Source: http://www.looppng.com/content/ulmwp-accepts-msg-decision-and-calls-greater-support-west-papua

Papuan students in Yogyakarta endure racist insults, multiple arrests in two day

CNN Indonesia - July 17, 2016

Anggi Kusumadewi, Jakarta – Animal names and racist insults could be heard shouted at midday on Friday July 15. The shouts originated from members of mass organisations besieging the Kamasan I Papua student dormitory on Jalan Kusumanegara in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

Four mass organisations arrived at the Papuan dormitories, namely the Indonesian Veterans' Children (FKPPI), the Pancasila Youth (PP), the Paksi Katon [which sees itself as a guardian of Javanese culture and the Yogyakarta sultanate – JB] and the Yogyakarta Militia (Laskar Jogja). In total they numbered around 100 or more people.

Upon hearing the sudden string of animal names and racist insults, the Papuan students inside the student dormitory were startled. One of the students said, "They really said that, the shouts from out front, I have eyes and ears, at us Papuan students, Papuan people", they said angrily and with a sickened heart.

According to the Papuan students, the police officers on guard around the dormitory just ignored the racist behaviour. At the time there were just as many police officers. Yogyakarta resident Kindarto Boti said that police had deployed the officers in three or four trucks. Another resident said that the police arrive fully armed as if they were going to arrest terrorists.

And it was not just the police that were armed – members of the mass organisations also carried weapons. "They brought wooden [clubs], crowbars and other sharp objects", one Papuan student who did not wish to be named for security reasons told CNN Indonesia on Saturday July 16.

Papuan students in Yogyakarta had been receiving racist insults since Thursday July 14 through SMS messages which were sent to those who were members of the People's Union for West Papua Freedom (PRPPB).

The PRPPB had earlier planned to hold a long-march from the Papuan student dormitories to the zero kilometre point on Jl. Panembahan Senopati. This location is a strategic intersection and a tourist attraction in Yogyakarta and often used for protest actions.

The Long march, which should have taken place at 9am on Friday morning, was part of a peaceful action supporting the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) becoming a full member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) – an inter-government organisation in the South Pacific comprising four Melanesian countries, namely Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

However before the scheduled 9am march could begin, police officers surrounded the Papuan student dormitory. Scuffles broke out between the students and police with the Papuan students being forced back inside the dormitories.

The main road in front of the dormitory was then closed, the front gate blockaded and the rear gate blocked with a police truck. All access in or out of the dormitories was prevented. "Our friends who arrived at the dormitories were intercepted and arrested by police", said a Papuan student inside the dormitory.

They described how two Papuan colleagues who arrived on a motorcycle via the rear gate were stopped. The motorcycle was confiscated resulting in a scuffle with police who then fired warning shots and arrested the pair.

Another colleague from the group Student Struggle for Democracy who tried to enter the dormitory was also arrested. Seven others were likewise arrested as they returned home from buying sweet potatoes from the Giwangan market.

A local resident asked the police why all the Papuan students had been ordered back into the dormitory. The police replied that they had information that several mass organisations would arrive and it would be extremely difficult to stop them if they decided to attack the students in an open location.

As the clock showed 9am it was clear that students from the PRPPB would not be able to realise their plans for a long-march. Around an hour later they began giving political speeches on the dormitory grounds.

In the hours that followed there was uproar when a number of mass organisations arrived and began shouting insults. The siege continued until the 150 or so Papuan students inside the dormitory began to grow hungry. But the sweet potatoes they were to eat had being seized by police when they arrested the seven students.

Calls for solidarity actions and requests for logistical assistance were made to comrades outside. Yogyakarta residents responded by thronging to gather food for the Papuan students that was channeled through the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI). However the PMI ambulance carrying the food failed to drop of the logistics after it was intercepted by police.

Food was only able to be delivered to the dormitory at 9pm. "I sent it towards midnight because it wasn't possible in the afternoon, the security was still tight because there were several members of mass organisations there", said Yogyakarta resident Darto.

Darto, who had been monitoring the dormitory over night, related how difficult it was to send food to the Papuan students. He had to be circumspect.

"I arrived at around 8pm wanting to send food in but wasn't able to. A plastic bag filled with food was entrusted to a local resident whose house is near the dormitory. I wasn't able to enter the dormitory, [I] waited until it was dark, changing location, intelligence agents arrived, asking a lot of questions, it gave me the creeps. So I moved away from the dormitory, they checked and approached again, moved away again. Finally I went home at 8am [the next morning] when the situation had calmed down".

The Yogyakarta regional police say that that officers would continue to guard and monitor the Papuan student dormitories until the situation is considered secure.

"The police hope that the situation will become favourable. We're on guard so as to prevent something undesirable happening. Because they (the Papuan students) were planning to hold a protest action supporting separatism, Papuan independence, and there were social organisations who didn't agree", said Yogyakarta regional police public relations chief Assistant Superintendent Any Pudjiastuti.

The Papuan students wanting to hold a separatist action, according to Pudjiastuti, were not just those studying in Yogyakarta. Protesters arrived from Semarang and Solo in Central Java and the East Java provincial capital of Surabaya. Yogyakarta was the centre for the action.

The arrested Papuan students have now been released with the exception of one who according to Pudjiastuti, "Was proven to have resisted [arrest] and assaulted an officer with a sharp weapon resulting a head injury and the harming of a police official".

"So we are not detaining them. We secured six people for questioning. Of the six, five were found to be not guilty, one person committed a crime and is being processed", said Pudjiastuti.

Currently there are still 30 people inside the dormitory while the others have returned to their respective boarding houses. Those from out of town have returned home.

One of the student who remained inside the dormitory said they felt traumatised. "The Papuan student dormitory is still under military siege, but we are now able to continue activities, unlike yesterday on Friday. On Friday, it was dangerous for us to even go out. We were hungry because we couldn't leave the dormitory to get food", they said.

The mass organisations that wanted to attack the Papuan students, they said, were not just patrolling in front of the dormitory, but also on Jl. Timoho, Malioboro and Glagahsari. They conducted sweeps for Papuans. Not surprisingly, all of this has made Papuan residents in Yogyakarta feel threatened and intimidated (agk)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was "Kisah Mahasiswa Papua di Yogya Dua Hari Terkurung di Asrama".]

Source: http://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20160717064356-20-145189/kisah-mahasiswa-papua-di-yogya-dua-hari-terkurung-di-asrama/

Aceh

House agrees to amnesty for surrendered Aceh rebels

Jakarta Post - July 22, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The House of Representatives has approved the government's plan to provide an amnesty for 70 Acehnese former rebels, including their leader, Nurdin Ismail aka Din Minimi, who surrendered earlier this year.

A member of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs, Bambang Soesatyo, however, said the former rebels should initially be subject to due process of law and obtain legal certainty for their past crimes.

"The House agrees with the Indonesian Military [TNI] and the police that only [former rebels] who have obtained legal status should be eligible for the amnesty," Bambang stated during Thursday's hearing.

Of a total 70 former rebels, 21 have been convicted and are now behind bars, while the other 49 have integrated back into society, Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said earlier.

He stressed that all legal processes to determine the status of the former rebels would continue ahead of the approval of the amnesty, as suggested by the police and TNI during the hearing.

State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Sutiyoso said that granting an amnesty for Din Minimi's group was an important way of building trust between former rebels and the government and forestalling the outbreak of further conflict in the area. (bbn)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/22/house-agrees-to-amnesty-for-surrendered-aceh-rebels.html

1965 anti-communist purge

Government urged to respond to tribunal

Jakarta Post - July 23, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – The International People's Tribunal (IPT) on 1965 will move ahead with its fight for the rights of victims of the 1965 purge, despite the government's dismissal of the tribunal's recent report.

The warning was issued by human rights activists upon learning of the government's rejection of the issue, as indicated in comments made by a number of high-ranking government officials in recent days.

IPT coordinator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said on Friday that the government would eventually have to respond to the Hague-based tribunal's result because it would involve the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in the process.

After the IPT ruled on Wednesday that the systematic killing of people affiliated with the now defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965 constituted a crime against humanity, human rights activists involved in the tribunal began planning to present the outcome to the UNHRC during a universal periodic review slated for April next year.

The IPT will use the tribunal report as an alternative record to be read by all of the council's commissioners.

The plan follows the government's rejection of the report. The administration of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who during the 2014 presidential election campaign promised to resolve cases of human rights violations, has insisted on not recognizing the report and has pushed people to refer only to the recommendations of the National 1965 Symposium issued in April.

If the IPT took the report to the council, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said he would in turn highlight the Westerling tragedy, a massacre in South Sulawesi during the Dutch colonial era.

"How can the government refuse to respond? [...] the council will raise questions about its responsibility and ask for clarification on what truly happened during 1965," Nursyahbani said.

Since the government itself has yet to provide credible data regarding the mass killings, Nursyahbani said the expected result from next year's review was an order for the state to reinvestigate the crimes against humanity.

It could be difficult for the government to deny the events any longer because orders from the UN are binding for all member states. Sanctions would cause political shame.

Next Monday, Nursyahbani will hand the tribunal report to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), in the hope that the commission will push the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to begin a judicial process.

Meanwhile, factions at the House of Representatives have backed the government's rejection of the report, saying the government should not follow up and claiming the IPT is not an official institution.

"We have no business with that. We should not exaggerate this matter," said House Speaker Ade Komarudin of the Golkar Party.

United Development Party (PPP) secretary Arsul Sani said the government did not need to bow to the IPT and added that moves by rights activists to take the case into the international arena would only embarrass the country, because they knew that the tribunal result could not be implemented.

"We remind the human rights activists who are involved in the IPT that their way of making the PKI case international is really unwise and morally unjustified," Arsul said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has slammed the government for being too slow to provide data and evidence about the 1965 massacre.

"Although the government has no obligation to follow up on the tribunal's ruling, it could at least make a recommendation. If it says the IPT has no valid data, does it have [valid data]? I suggest the government not just talk. It should reveal data immediately," PDI-P lawmaker Masinton Pasaribu said.

He said Indonesia could in fact resolve the case without international intervention, adding that the IPT would not need to take the case to the UNHRC if the government was more active and worked more quickly to resolve it.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/23/govt-urged-respond-tribunal.html

Rights body remains optimistic '65 massacre will be resolved

Jakarta Post - July 22, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Efforts to resolve the 1965 massacre, which has been called a grave human rights violation, will continue despite differences among the relevant parties, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) says.

Even though the government has rejected the call by the International People's Tribunal for the 1965 crimes against humanity (IPT 1965), the rights body remains optimist that the government will eventually resolve the problem, said Komnas HAM deputy chairman Ansori Sinungan on Friday.

"We could first divide the cases into those that could be resolved through the courts, those that cannot be and those for reconciliation [efforts]," Ansori said on Friday.

The most important thing is that the nation is committed to resolving the 1965 communist purge, Ansori said, adding that even though it would be difficult, national reconciliation should be fully achieved no matter what.

The tribunal ruled that Indonesia was responsible for committing acts of genocide with the 1965 mass-killings, during which hundred thousands of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) members and sympathizers were reportedly killed. The tribunal also suggested Indonesia should apologize.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has said Indonesia will not bow down to the tribunal's recommendation, adding that Indonesia has its own legal system and no external party could dictate the way the nation solves its problems. (bbn).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/22/rights-body-remains-optimistic-65-massacre-will-be-resolved.html

Government should not dismiss IPT 1965 ruling: Expert

Jakarta Post - July 22, 2016

Jakarta – The government should take the conclusion of the International People's Tribunal on the 1965 crimes against humanity (IPT 1965) into consideration in the efforts to resolve past human rights violations, an expert has said.

"Even though the IPT was a non-formal process and not legally binding, as a process [that was] pushed forward by the victims, it shouldn't be so easily dismissed by the government," Taufik Basari, an advocate who often deals with human rights cases, said on Friday.

The IPT, held in The Hague, ruled on July 20 that the systematic killing of people affiliated with the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965 by the state of Indonesia constituted crimes against humanity and urged the government to issue an apology, investigate the killings and compensate victims.

Taufik said the IPT ruling and recommendations could be used as additional input to that produced in the national symposium on the 1965 tragedy held by the government earlier this year.

"It can be one in a series of efforts by the government to resolve human rights violations, important and valuable material aside from the symposium results," he said as quoted by kompas.com. (liz).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/22/govt-should-not-dismiss-ipt-1965-ruling-expert.html

Indonesia denies foreign involvement, genocide in 1965 communist purge

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The government is denying the findings by the International People's Tribunal on the 1965 crimes against humanity (IPT 1965) that claimed three foreign countries were involved in the massacre conducted through 1965 and 1966.

The government repudiated the statement made by the presiding judge of the tribunal, Zak Yakoob, on Wednesday, citing the findings that the US, the UK and Australia were complicit in the 1965 communist purge.

"There's none [involvement of foreign countries]. Anyone who claims it better come to my office and tell me," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan told journalists at his office on Wednesday.

He also refuted the IPT 1965 conclusion, made following a tribunal held in November last year, which reported that Indonesia had committed acts of genocide in the 1965 massacre, which reportedly left at least a half million people dead. "We didn't have such a great number of deaths," Luhut added.

He called for citizens to not get influenced by foreign opinions, but said they should instead firmly believe in the government institutions that were determined to solve historic human rights violation cases with Indonesia's own legal system.

The IPT 1965's final report and recommendations, published on Wednesday on the IPT's official website, tribunal1965.org, stated that the US had assisted the Indonesian Army by providing material aid, including small arms, communications equipment and a list of PKI members to be arrested and executed.

Meanwhile, the UK and Australia were reportedly responsible for spreading propaganda to manipulate international opinion in favor of the Indonesian Army through their national radio and newspapers, with full knowledge that the force was preparing to carry out such killings on a massive scale, the report stated. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/indonesia-denies-foreign-involvement-genocide-in-1965-communist-purge.html

US, UK, Australia complicit in Indonesia's 1965 mass killings: People's Tribunal

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Liza Yosephine, Jakarta – Powerhouse countries like the US, the UK and Australia were directly involved with the Indonesian government in the 1965 communist purge, the International People's Tribunal on the 1965 Crimes Against Humanity said in its final report released on Wednesday.

"The United States of America, the United Kingdom and Australia were all complicit to different degrees in the commission of these crimes against humanity," said presiding judge Zak Yakoob on Wednesday in a video presentation of the final report from the tribunal, which was held last year in The Hague from Nov. 10 to 13.

The US had supplied lists of names of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) officials to the Indonesian Military despite an existing "strong presumption that these would facilitate the arrest and/or the execution of those that were named", Yakoob said as evidence in justifying the charge of complicity.

Meanwhile, the UK and Australia conducted a "sustained campaign repeating false propaganda from the Indonesian Army", he added.

The UK and Australian governments had continued with the policy even after it had become abundantly clear that killings and other crimes against humanity were taking place on a mass and indiscriminate basis.

"The governments of the countries referred to above were fully aware of what was taking place in Indonesia through their diplomatic reports, from contacts in the field and accounts in the Western media," said the judge in reference to all three countries involved.

By the beginning of 1966, Yakoob said, the number of killings that were reliably reported to Washington, London and Canberra ranged from a minimum of 100,000 to four times that count.

IPT 1965 coordinator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said the verdict is not legally binding since it is not a criminal court. However, it serves as a political action aimed at making the Indonesian government accountable for the crimes against humanity believed to have left at least 500,000 people dead. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/us-uk-australia-complicit-in-indonesias-1965-mass-killings-peoples-tribunal.html

1965 tribunal pushes for justice despite govt's resistance

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Liza Josephine, Jakarta – Members of the International People's Tribunal on the 1965 crimes against humanity in Indonesia (IPT 1965) are resolved to pursue justice over the genocide of the 1965 anticommunist purge and will submit the tribunal's hearing results that were published on Wednesday to the Indonesian government, the IPT coordinator has said.

"The verdict will be conveyed to the Attorney General's Office [AGO], Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly and the Foreign Ministry's human rights department, as well as to the Office of the Presidential Staff and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in a meeting, which was previously promised by former presidential spokesman Johan Budi," IPT 1965 coordinator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said on Wednesday during a presentation of the final report from the tribunal.

Conclusions from the hearing, which was held last year in The Hague from Nov. 10 to 13, have listed a set of recommendations to the Indonesian government in addressing past crimes against humanity that took place throughout the anti-communist purge in 1965, which had allegedly killed approximately 500,000 people. The document calls on the government to formally apologize to the victims and their families, provide compensation to them and to investigate and charge the perpetrators of the crimes.

Nursyahbani said she would also submit the recommendations to the House of Representatives' Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, to discuss follow-up action plans and the possibility of organizing a judicial hearing.

On April 17 next year, Nursyahbani said, the report on the implementation of human rights in Indonesia would be reviewed in the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. "This also will be an opportunity for us to submit the IPT 1965 verdict as a non-governmental report from Indonesia," Nursyahbani said. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/1965-tribunal-pushes-for-justice-despite-govts-resistance.html

Tribunal says Indonesia responsible for genocide in 1965

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Liza Josephine, Jakarta – The International People's Tribunal on the 1965 Crimes Against Humanity (IPT 1965) concluded on Wednesday that the Indonesian government had committed acts of genocide, as stipulated in the 1948 International Genocide Convention, during the 1965 communist purge, which reportedly led to the death approximately 500,000 people.

"The facts brought before the tribunal by the prosecution include acts that fall within those enumerated in the Genocide Convention," said Presiding judge Zakeria Yacoob at the IPT, as he read out the tribunal's final report via a video presentation recorded from Cape Town, South Africa.

Yacoob said Indonesia was bound by the 1948 Genocide Convention under international law. He said the acts committed by the state had targeted a significant and substantial section of the Indonesian nation, which should have been protected according to the Genocide Convention.

Yacoob further said such acts were conducted with the "specific intent to annihilate or destroy that section in whole or in part".

The conclusion comes as an "unexpected" addition from the nine count indictment against the government on human rights violations presented by prosecutors at the hearing held last year at the Hague from Nov. 10 to Nov. 13.

"In the beginning, we did not bring charges on genocide. But as it turns out, along the way, elements of genocide were found based on Article 1 of the 1948 Genocide Convention," IPT 1965 coordinator Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said.

Nursyahbani expressed satisfaction over the tribunal's conclusions although they were not legally binding in terms of extending justice or compensation to the victims. However, she said human rights violations committed by the state could be sanctioned Law No. 26/2000 on Human Rights Tribunals.

"Of course, this depends on the Indonesian government taking advantage of this opportunity," Nursyahbani said.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said the government would not apologize to the victims and survivors of the 1965 purge, or their families, because Indonesia had its own legal system. (ebf

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/tribunal-says-indonesia-responsible-for-genocide-in-1965.html

Indonesia rejects IPT 1965 recommendations

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni, Jakarta – The government has reaffirmed its stance of no apology to the victims and survivors of the 1965 communist purge or their families as recommended by the International People's Tribunal for the 1965 crimes against humanity (IPT 1965).

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Wednesday that Indonesia had its own legal system and no external party could dictate the way this nation solved its problems.

"Our country is a great nation. We acknowledge and we will resolve this problem [the 1965 tragedy] in our way and through universal values," Luhut told reporters at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday. Therefore, he further said, the government would not bow to the IPT 1965's recommendations.

As reported earlier, the tribunal's panel of judges declared that Indonesian authorities had committed crimes against humanity following the murder of several generals during a failed coup attempt blamed on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in October 1965.

It is stated in the tribunal's conclusion that the Indonesian government was responsible for and guilty of crimes against humanity through its chain of command in a string of inhumane acts.

They comprised the brutal murder of an unknown number of people (generally assumed to be around 400,000-500,000), the imprisonment under inhumane conditions of an unknown number of people (generally assumed to be around 600,000), enslavement, for instance in labor camps on Buru Island, torture, enforced disappearance, as well as sexual violence.

The panel of judges also declared that the Indonesian government was responsible for the thousands of people who were deprived of their citizenship. This may well be considered a crime against humanity.

Therefore, the panel of judges recommended that the Indonesian government apologize to the victims, survivors and their families, as well as investigate the crimes against humanity and comply with the calls of the National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) in their reports, so that "the truth will be found and impunity for these crimes against humanity will be ended". (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/indonesia-rejects-ipt-1965-recommendations.html

House vows to speed up deliberation on sexual violence law

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Jakarta – The House of Representatives says it plans to accelerate its deliberation on passing the regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on sexual violence against children into law.

The commitment was made as part of the effort to curb rampant sexual offenses in the country.

The House aims to hold sessions with the Health Ministry, the Social Affairs Ministry and the Law and Human Rights Ministry during the next sitting period to make sure all the points in the regulation can be exercised effectively.

"Our focus is on passing the regulation into law. Tomorrow, the House will start talking about this," chairman of House Commission VIII overseeing social and religious affairs Ali Taher Parasong said on Monday.

The problem, he said, was the Indonesian Doctors Association's (IDI) refusal to implement the regulation, saying that it violated medical ethics.

In May this year, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo signed Perppu No. 1/2016 on sexual violence against children to amend the 2002 Child Protection Law.

According to the new regulation, tougher sanctions will be imposed on child rapists, including a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and the use of chemical castration. Also considered is the electronic monitoring of sex offenders after their release from prison.

Mualimin Abdi, director general for human rights at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, emphasized the urgency of passing the Perppu into law, describing sexual violence against children as an extraordinary crime.

"We hope through the implementation of the law that perpetrators will think a thousand times before intending to commit such acts," he said. He asked the IDI and the wider public not to reject the regulation as the government was still mulling the technical aspects of chemical castration.

As the punishment would be imposed by court ruling it could not be rejected. "For instance, if a judge condemns a perpetrator to death, how could the police refuse to do that? They cannot say it would be contrary to their conscience because they don't want kill people," Mualimin said.

Arist Merdeka Sirait, chairman of National Commission on Child Protection (Komnas PA), urged the government to immediately enact its plan to impose chemical castration as he believed it would act as a deterrence against people who intended to rape and murder children.

"Chemical castration is not like eliminating the sexual organs that God has given. It is more for the purpose of controlling their libido and sexual desires," he said, arguing that it was not a violation of human rights.

According to data from the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, there were 14,000 cases of violence against children in 2014. Of these, physical violence accounted for 6,746 cases, followed by 2,620 cases of psychological violence and 3,219 cases of sexual violence. "The number continues rising from year to year," Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) chairman Asrorun Niam Sholeh said.

On April 2 a 14-year-old girl from Bengkulu was gang-raped and murdered by 12 men and youths on her way home from school. Last week it was reported that a 5-year-old girl was burned to death in East Kalimantan by a neighbor. (win)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/house-vows-speed-deliberation-sexual-violence-law.html

Sexual violence bill aims to end impunity

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Many Indonesians' perception of rape is limited to the traditional definition of a stranger grabbing the victim, physically restraining her, raping her and running away. Given this narrow definition, there is no justice for those women who fall victim to other types of sexual violence, and the perpetrators enjoy impunity.

The House of Representatives has initiated a bill on the eradication of sexual violence, which has made it onto the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) this year. The bill seeks to broaden the definition of sexual violence to ensure better protection for women. With this urgent matter taking center stage, The Jakarta Post's Evi Mariani looks into forms of sexual violence that remain unclassified as crimes.

When survivor Kelly (not her real name) saw her rapist's name in the byline of an article on the front page of a national newspaper, she asked herself how he could be a successful journalist while she could not even type, so severe were the tremors in her hands. "How good his life is, and how miserable mine!" she wrote in her diary.

In Indonesia, as in many parts of the world, victims of sexual violence often have their lives turned upside down, while perpetrators enjoy impunity.

In the US two years ago, the adopted daughter of renowned director Woody Allen, Dylan Farrow, wrote an open letter accusing her father of sexually assaulting her when she was seven.

"That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up," she wrote. "I was stricken with guilt that I had allowed him to be near other little girls."

Allen has never been charged for the alleged crimes, and his representative insisted the claims made in Dylan's letter were untrue.

Dylan said in her letter that she had suffered eating disorders and engaged in self-harm as a result of her traumatic childhood; Kelly, similarly, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, resulting in tremors, sleepless nights and self-isolation. She has permanently lost her appetite and can no longer work.

Kelly said her rapist had married and had a daughter. Now, she wants him to be punished for his crime. She recently filed her case to the Legal Aid Foundation of the Indonesian Women's Association for Justice (LBH Apik) and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan).

Many Indonesians, however, would not consider her case to be rape. The rapist was not a stranger, the rape happened more than once and it happened three years ago.

"The first thing the police would ask her would be, 'Why file a report now?' The second question would be, 'Why did you let it happen several times?'" Lidwina Inge Nurtjahyo, a lecturer at University of Indonesia's (UI) law school and the head of the women and children's law clinic at the university, told the Post.

The Indonesian legal system has difficulties in recognizing rape within a power relationship gained through manipulation and psychological threats. Even rape cases using physical threats can be dropped by the police on a lack of evidence and witnesses.

A sexual assault case implicating poet Sitok Srengenge against UI student RW, for example, came up against obstacles because the police demanded proof and witnesses. RW's lawyer, Iwan Pangka, reported the case not as rape (Article 285) but as a violation of Article 335 of the Criminal Code (KUHP), which says anyone found guilty of forcing another person to do anything by means of threats of violence is subject to a maximum sentence of a year in prison.

After 11 months of investigations and public pressure, the police in October 2014 named Sitok a suspect for violating Article 335. The case has yet to see progress.

A 2012-2013 masculinity study carried out by women's crisis center Rifka Annisa in Yogyakarta, in cooperation with UN Women and Partners for Prevention in Bangkok, revealed staggering figures of impunity and male entitlement to sexual violence.

The study was conducted in three cities: Jakarta to represent a major city, Purworejo in Central Java to represent a smaller town and Jayapura in Papua to represent eastern Indonesia.

Male surveyors interviewed 2,577 men aged between 18 and 49 about their experience of committing sexual violence; answers were entered electronically to ensure truthfulness to sensitive questions.

In Jakarta, 24.1 percent respondents said they had, in their lifetime, raped their spouse; in Purworejo the figure was 17.9 percent, while in Papua it was 43.8 percent. In Jakarta, 29.4 percent answered they had sexually assaulted their spouse, in Purworejo 22.3 percent and in Papua 49.2 percent.

When the questions broadened to rape of spouses and women other than spouses, the figures increased to 26.2 percent in Jakarta, 19.5 percent in Purworejo and 48.64 percent in Papua.

The motivations given were equally shocking: Only 9.7 percent, 9.2 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively, of respondents in Jakarta, Purworejo and Papua said they had committed rape because they were intoxicated, while 75.7 percent in Jakarta said they had done so because they felt entitled and 29.7 percent said they had wanted to "have fun".

In total, 46.9 percent of the respondents in the three cities who had admitted to sexual violence said they had suffered no consequences for their actions, while only 21.5 percent said the consequences had been of a legal nature. Most – 74.2 percent – professed to feelings of guilt over their actions, and 58.2 percent said they were afraid of being exposed.

The figures showed that the respondents felt entitled to sexual violence and that legal repercussions were the exception rather than the rule; indeed, around a quarter did not even feel guilty about their actions.

Inge of the UI School of Law said that public perceptions about what constitutes sexual consent were too broad. "Is freezing consent? She did not say no, but she has frozen. In the US, the Supreme Court made a progressive decision, that not saying anything and not putting up a physical fight does not mean consent," she said.

Siti Mazuma from LBH Apik, which serves as Kelly's legal counsel, said that if Kelly had consented, as the perpetrator may have claimed, she would not have experienced bleeding. Kelly suffered recurrent anal bleeding for two years after the rape.

Inge and Mazuma agreed that proof should be allowed to take the form of psychological as well as physical scars. The legal system does officially allow for two forensics examinations: physical and psychological, but in practice, police and prosecutors are reluctant to use psychological evidence.

"Victims' lives can never be the same again. Some of them even have to move out of their homes," Mazuma said.

In cases in which victims have an unequal power relation with the perpetrator, they often do not even realize they have been assaulted or raped, and continue in the abusive relationship, suffering repeated sexual violence. Kelly was sexually assaulted repeatedly over a period of months, the abuse only ending once the perpetrator married another woman. It was not until sometime later that a stranger she knew from Facebook told her in a chat that what had happened to her was in fact rape.

Mazuma spoke of a case in which the perpetrator had assaulted the victim more than 30 times and impregnated her; the victim gave birth, and the perpetrator refused to take responsibility. "She did not want the relationship," she said.

Komnas Perempuan chair Azriana said the commission had worked closely with the House of Representatives to formulate the bill on the eradication of sexual violence. The bill initially listed 15 forms of sexual violence, which were later whittled down to nine.

"It was not a case of reducing [the number of forms], but of making them more compact. For example, we had 'sexual control' among the 15 but later we realized that [sexual control] was an element in all types of violence," she said.

Komnas also took out traditional beliefs that violate women's bodies, such as female circumcision, believing that campaigning against such practices was better than legal action.

Azriana said the bill did not explicitly mention "power relations", but did elaborate such relations.

The bill lists one type of sexual violence as sexual exploitation in which perpetrators bait victims with lies, persuasion, promises to marry the victim and conditioning the victim to be in a subordinate position. In such circumstances, despite the apparent giving of consent, the lies or coercion constitute a form of sexual violence, according to the bill.

The bill also aims to ensure victims receive restitutions, ranging from physical and psychological therapy to pecuniary compensation. "President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo is particularly concerned with restitutions and healing for victims in the bill," Azriana said.

Last month, Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Susana Yembise said the bill, which has been included in the 2016 Prolegnas, was desperately needed to tackle the growing number of cases of sexual violence against women and children.

"The House will deliberate the bill this year and it will certainly be a tough deliberation. This is something people have considered normal for a very long time, so debunking it, changing the paradigm, will be a major challenge," Azriana said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/sexual-violence-bill-aims-end-impunity.html

Labour & migrant workers

Low-income workers hit hardest by inflation

Jakarta Post - July 18, 2016

Jakarta – Workers have enjoyed frequent wage increases in recent years. However, high inflation has eroded their real income and purchasing power, leading them deeper into poverty.

As a construction worker in Jakarta, Umar, 46, is usually paid Rp 120,000 (US$9.16) for eight hours of work per day. Even though his daily wage has increased by 20 percent from Rp 100,000 last year, nothing has really changed for him.

During the recent Idul Fitri holiday season, he decided against returning to his hometown in Yogyakarta for the 12th consecutive year as he had to allocate savings for more urgent needs, such as school tuition for his four children.

"My daily wage as a construction worker doesn't help much. That's why I sometimes moonlight as a driver or security guard," he told The Jakarta Post recently.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Friday that the average daily income of construction workers nationwide increased slightly by 0.43 percent to Rp 82,028 in June, from Rp 81,677 in the previous month.

However, when inflation was taken into account, real income had decreased to Rp 65,997, from Rp 66,146 during the same period.

The daily wage of agricultural workers, meanwhile, increased 0.21 percent to Rp 47,898 in June, from Rp 47,796 in the previous month, while real income plunged to Rp 37,421, from Rp 37,563. The wage increases have also been belittled by the inflation rate that stood at 0.66 percent in June, the highest monthly rate so far this year due to seasonal price pickups during the Ramadhan fasting month.

The country, meanwhile, booked 3.45 percent inflation year-on-year (yoy) last month.

Considering this situation, Indonesian Farmers Union (SPI) chairman Henry Saragih called on the government to regulate higher minimum wages for workers in informal and agriculture sectors.

He also said monoculture farming and rapid industrialization had forced people in rural areas to incur higher living costs, as they found it harder to produce their own food.

"Previously, many villagers were able to gather food from nature, such as catching fish from the river or picking vegetables from the garden. Now they have to buy almost everything, resulting in the value of their wages to plummet," Henry said.

Providing an example, Henry said agricultural workers in North Sumatra should be paid at least Rp 200,000 per day.

According to Jakarta-based think tank Center for Public Policy Transformation, there was a 115 percent increase in the country's average minimum wage between 2008 and 2014.

However, of the country's 118 million workers, only 20 percent of them from the formal sector enjoyed the hefty increase. Meanwhile, the wages of the remaining 80 percent had decreased, particularly those working in the agricultural and informal sectors, such as construction.

On the other hand, BPS deputy head of distribution and statistics Sasmito Hadi Wibowo has forecast that wages of workers in the aforementioned sectors year will be stable in the second half of the year.

"Considering the current global economic climate, companies might hold off from significantly increasing staff numbers. So there's not going to be a drastic change in workers' wages," he said.

Despite labeling itself an agricultural country, Indonesia has seen a continuous decline in its number of farmers by an average 1.93 percent each year between 2010 and 2014. The sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen from 15.2 percent in 2003 to 14.4 percent a decade later.

A lack of regeneration in the country's agriculture sector could jeopardize food security in the future. Only 12 percent of the country's 35 million farmers are under 35 years old. (vps)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/low-income-workers-hit-hardest-inflation.html

Political parties & elections

Golkar agrees to push up electoral threshold

Jakarta Post - July 22, 2016

Erika Anindita Dewi, Jakarta – The Golkar Party supports an increase in the electoral threshold to 7 to 10 percent from the current 3.5 percent, a party lawmaker says.

"A higher would strengthen our democratic system and simplify political decision-making," Tantowi Yahya said in Jakarta on Friday.

Previously, NasDem Party chairman Surya Paloh proposed an increase in the threshold to 7 percent.

"If the electoral threshold was 7 percent, hopefully only the most popular parties would be eligible to run in the next election. This carries a consequence, but for a greater good, why must we be afraid?" Surya was quoted as saying on July 20 on the party's website.

According to Law No. 8/2012 on elections, the electoral threshold – the minimum percentage of the vote required to get seats in the House of Representatives – is at 3.5 percent.

Golkar tried to push up the threshold to 7 to 10 percent in the revision of the law, but the Democratic Party, which was the largest party at that time, rejected the proposal.

In the 2009 election, the Democrats gained 20.85 percent of the vote, which made it the leading party. The Golkar Party followed in second position with 14.45 percent of the vote, while then-opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle was at the third place with 14.03 percent.

The 2014 election, with a 3.5 percent threshold, resulted in 10 political parties with House seats. "With only four to five party factions at the House, the decision-making would be easier," Tantowi said. (bbn).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/22/golkar-agrees-to-push-up-electoral-threshold.html

Environment & natural disasters

Orangutan Green Team guides buying land to protect Borneo's wildlife from palm

ABC Radio Australia - July 24, 2016

Stephanie Boltje – A small group of Indonesian tour guides are buying up forest lands in a bid to protect wildlife, including sun bears and orangutans, in the world's top palm oil-producing country.

With the help of money from tourists, the 28 local guides, known as the Orangutan Green Team, are buying land along the river opposite Kalimantan's Tanjung Puting National Park, in the heart of Borneo.

Leaving the port at Kumai, tourists board their traditional river boat or klotok, gliding through the wide river before turning down narrower dark brown river through the national park. The calls of monkeys, the singing of birds and roar of intermittent speedboats fill the air.

Five years ago Suherman, 31, gave up work at a tyre factory in Jakarta, swapping the big city for life in the national forest. He began as an assistant captain, learning English from tourists and the internet.

He only recently was promoted to tour guide. "Every trip is different tourists, different experience I get from guests, also different boats, and different language I get also, I love my job," he says.

Thousands of tourists travel along the river each year, gathering to see daily orangutan feedings.

"Our team collects money to buy some land, then we buy on the other side of the national park, 73 hectares now, just to protect against palm oil getting close to the river," Suherman says.

"That is our initiative because we also have family and we give some money for my family and separate our money and give to Orangutan Green Team to buy some land."

About 11.4 million hectares is dedicated to producing palm oil in Indonesia. It is the most widely used vegetable oil worldwide, and according to the World Wildlife Fund, its usage expected to double by 2020.

By buying up forest and raising awareness through eco-tourism, the guides hope to protect the home of 200 bird species, as well as other wildlife, including the thousands of orangutans estimated to live in the 400,000-hectare park.

The Indonesian Environment and Forestry Ministry has announced plans to issue a five-year moratorium on new palm oil plantations over 3.5 million hectares nationally in August. It will also stop approvals to extend planting into forested areas.

"In the big river there is so much pollution about palm oil plantation and also mining of gold. The palm oil plantations they make a big kernel (container) and then they throw big dirty water to big river," Suherman says.

"One tree palm oil, they need 30 litres [of water]. In the summer everything is dry and it's very easy for fire to come to the forest and I think everything will die."

According to the WorldBank, in 2015 2.6 million hectares was blackened, destroying thousands of hectares of habitat home to native wildlife. Like other Indonesians, for two months Suherman volunteered on the frontline trying to stop the pace of the fires.

"I put out the fire by a long stick because we don't have much water. Just a stick and I could not put it out, the fire, just make slowly come to our forest," he says.

Despite the risk of snakes, tarantulas and other wildlife, Suherman and his friends slept on a mattress out in jungle. "We could not sleep well because the fire always comes close to us," he says.

"In the jungle, [everywhere] is smoke. You cannot see... just two metres you can see people or orangutan. When I bring some water to put out the fire, an orangutan stopped me... I was very scared because I thought maybe she would attack me but no she just needs some water to wash their face and shower because too hot and you cannot breathe."

But Suherman says that is not the only threat facing his home. "The forest is very important for me and probably for everyone in the world...we don't know the prediction of the weather now because of global warming," he says.

Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-07-24/orangutan-green-team-guides-buying-land-to-protect-borneos-wildlife-from-palm-oil-threat/1601600

Riau Police drops probe into 11 firms linked to forest fires

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Rizal Harahap – Riau Police reportedly have dropped investigations into 11 companies allegedly involved in forest fires in 2015, underlining the poor law enforcement of last year's catastrophe that claimed five lives.

The 11 companies were among 18 accused of having been involved in the fires. While two other companies have seen their cases brought to court, six other companies are still being investigated.

Following the termination of the 11 investigations, the Riau Forest Rescue Network (Jikalahari) environmental group has called for the dismissal of the Riau Police chief.

Jikalahari coordinator Woro Supartinah said a termination of investigation (SP3) on the cases was issued in January. But, it was only unveiled recently when some environmental activists visited Riau Police headquarters seeking an update on the cases.

"It turned out that only two cases have been brought to court and six others are being investigated by Riau Police," Woro told the media on Tuesday.

The 11 companies that saw their investigations terminated operate industrial plantation forests (HTI) and oil palm plantations. The industrial forest companies are PT Bumi Daya Laksana, PT Siak Raya Timber, PT Perawang Sukses Perkasa Industri, PT Hutani Sola Lestari, PT Bukit Raya Pelalawan and KUD Bina Jaya Langgam.

The five oil palm plantation companies are PT Pan United, PT Riau Jaya Utama, PT Alam Lestari, PT Parawira and PT Hibrindo Inti Langgam.

Meanwhile, the six companies that are being investigated include PT Ruas Utama Jaya, PT Decter Timber Perkasa Industry, PT Suntara Gajapati, PT Rimba Lazuardi, PT Sumatera Riang Lestari and PT Wana Subur Sawit Indah. The first five companies are involved in HTI while the last one is engaged in the oil palm sector.

"Only the cases involving PT Langgam Into Hibrindo and PT Palm Lestari Makmur have been brought to court, however, the defendants are individuals and not corporate players. The court verdicts were also quite disappointing as two of the four defendants were acquitted," Woro said.

She recalled millions of Riau residents, who were exposed to severe haze from the September 2015 forest fires, were excited by the prospect of Riau Police undertaking investigations into the alleged involvement of 18 companies in the fires.

The public also appreciated the work of the Riau Police for successfully handling forest fire cases in 2013 and proving the involvement of PT Adei Plantation and Industry and PT National Sago Prima.

"Terminating the investigations into the 11 companies has really disappointed the Riau people. It did not at all align with their sense of justice, especially after five residents died from the [fires' resulting] air pollution and millions of others suffered respiratory problems," Woro said.

She demanded President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian to evaluate the performance of Riau Police chief Brig. Gen. Supriyanto.

Woro claimed the Riau Police chief went against the President's instructions, who in January ordered the National Police to take stern action against forest fire perpetrators.

However, "the SP3's issuance to the companies indicates a lack of willingness by the Riau Police chief in enforcing the law on forest fire cases, which clearly contributes to environmental degradation in Riau," added Woro.

Jikalahari deputy coordinator Made Ali said the Riau Police's attempt to cover up the investigation terminations raised questions, particularly after the police also issued SP3s to 14 companies suspected to be involved in illegal logging in 2006.

Made suspected the cover-up attempt of the cases was the work of a cabal inside the force. "The new police chief should pay special attention to this issue to prove his determination in eradicating the 'mafia's' infiltration in law enforcement agencies," said Made.

Separately, Riau Police chief spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Guntur Aryo Tejo acknowledged that Riau Police had terminated investigations into the 11 companies. "The cases were discontinued because of insufficient evidence," Guntur told The Jakarta Post.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/riau-police-drops-probe-11-firms-linked-forest-fires.html

Health & education

Anger intensifies over fake vaccine scandal rocking Indonesia

Sydney Morning Herald - July 19, 2016

Jewel Topsfield and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – It never occurred to Wulansari not to trust vaccines when she had her baby daughter inoculated against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and Hib infection at Harapan Bunda hospital in East Jakarta in 2012.

But like thousands of parents, she is now demanding answers after Harapan Bunda, which ironically translates as "Mother's Hope", has been implicated in a fake vaccine scandal that has rocked the nation.

"I want an explanation from the hospital... I also want to know whether there will be any side effects," she said. "Perhaps they are not seen now, but what about when she grows older?"

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday called for calm after revelations that four criminal syndicates have allegedly been producing counterfeit vaccines throughout Jakarta and Java for up to 13 years.

Police have named 14 hospitals and eight midwife clinics which allegedly administered the bogus boosters, creating havoc as angry parents flocked to the facilities.

Although corruption is endemic in Indonesia, a scam that knowingly put the lives of infants at risk has caused widespread anger and disbelief. "Producing false vaccines is a crime against humanity," thundered an editorial in Tempo magazine.

More than 20 people have been arrested, including three doctors. It is not yet known how many children received the fake vaccines and are vulnerable to the diseases they were supposed to be protected from.

Health officials claim, however, that the counterfeit vaccines themselves are unlikely to have caused harmful side effects given that they only contained antibiotics and intravenous fluids. But trust is now in short supply.

"They can say whatever they like because they know their children or grandchildren did not get a fake vaccine," says Wulansari bitterly.

Ria Rahma, whose 14-month-old daughter Louisa was also vaccinated at Harapan Bunda, said she didn't expect much, just information on what to do if her daughter had indeed been given a fake vaccine. "So far I have received nothing from the hospital, all information is coming from the media," she added.

The government is offering free injections to all children who were initially vaccinated at the facilities named by police. Mr Joko himself dropped in to a clinic at Ciracas in East Jakarta on Monday, where he said 167 children needed to be re-vaccinated.

"I'd like to ask the people to remain calm because it will take some time... to investigate [the case]," said the president, who had previously described the scam as an "extraordinary crime". "I see this as momentum for all of us to fix the distribution system of the pharmaceutical industry," he added.

The syndicates allegedly stole old vials from hospitals and attached phony labels to them so they appeared to be imported vaccines from pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline.

Only a small percentage of vaccines in Indonesia are imported and while they cost far more, some parents believe they are safer than those that are locally produced.

Based on police intelligence, the four rings worked separately, according to Tempo. "They had their respective turfs [of the market]," Agung Setya, from the National Police's crime investigation unit, told the magazine.

Public anger has intensified after it became apparent that the Food and Drugs Agency had been warned some time ago but little was done about it until a police investigation earlier this year.

"Glaxo reported the existence of the fake vaccine in 2011 to the police and BPOM [the Food and Drugs Agency] but there was no reaction," said Dr Mohammad Adib Khumaidi, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Medical Association.

Meanwhile parents whose children attended Harapan Bunda hospital have formed a group on messaging app WhatsApp. "I will just follow the other parents, if they want to sue the hospital I will just go with them," Wulansari says.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/anger-intensifies-over-fake-vaccine-scandal-rocking-indonesia-20160719-gq8zw9.html

From Jakarta to Gorontalo, a walk to fight HIV stigma

Jakarta Post - July 18, 2016

Syamsul Huda M. Suhari, Gorontalo – Wijianto is skinny in build, but agile. He carries a backpack and a red and white flag. The most prominent item he carries is a small poster that reads: "Walking across the country to prevent the spread of HIV. Support those who are infected."

The 33-year-old, who is also known as Gareng, has been eight months on the road, leaving on foot from Jakarta on Nov. 7, his birthday, to fight against the stigma of HIV, the thing that had taken almost everything from him.

He has walked to the eastern end of Java, crossed Bali, continued on to South Sulawesi, Papua, Maluku and then returned to North Sulawesi and eventually arrived in Gorontalo in late June. "I'm human too. Why should I hide?" he asked The Jakarta Post when he was at a stop in Gorontalo.

As a person who lives with HIV, Wijianto said he first experienced discrimination when he learned in Jakarta in 2011 that he was infected. He had to be treated in hospital because of increasing weakness and he gradually lost his vision.

Nurses at the hospital in Jakarta spoke loudly in front of him, warning people to be careful of the disease he was suffering. There was even a nurse who refused to help him when he needed to buy food. The most painful thing Gareng, who previously worked as a security guard in Jakarta, went through was that he was eventually abandoned by his wife.

"The stigma is a form of crime against humanity. People like us are just victims and this would worsen the stigma of HIV. More people living with HIV will close themselves off and HIV cases would become more difficult to discover," he said.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated that there were about 690,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia last year.

Despite the number of deaths from HIV having dropped significantly from 40 percent in 2005 to 0.4 percent in 2015, the number of HIV infections in the country rose to 177,000 in 2015 from 150,296 cases in 2014, according to data from the Health Ministry.

Wijianto has stopped over in at least 62 cities, meeting a lot of people whose experiences and stories were similar to his. During the visits he often provided information to schools and institutions of higher learning about the importance of providing moral support to people with HIV rather than avoiding them or treating them as outcasts.

By walking across Indonesia, Wijianto said he wanted to prove that people like him are still able to do extraordinary things, like others who are healthy. He often gathers with other HIV patients in the cities, motivating them to not be discouraged and live in isolation.

He stays any place he can: sometimes in the homes of people with HIV, in local agencies and at times in cheap lodgings. He has even set up a tent alongside the road.

To remain healthy, Gareng has increased his consumption of fruit. He also avoids instant food. He is definitely disciplined in taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, which function to slow down and confine the HIV virus.

Throughout his journey, he saw the stigma on people with HIV in many forms. In a city in East Java, he once saw a community health clinic hanging a banner that reads "HIV/AIDS is a disgusting disease".

Gorontalo AIDS Prevention Commission activist Ayundrawan Mohune acknowledged that the stigmatization of people living with HIV in Gorontalo was still quite strong.

Some civil servants who were infected with HIV were shunned immediately by their colleagues. "They even refuse to sit on a chair that was sat on by an infected person," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/from-jakarta-gorontalo-a-walk-fight-hiv-stigma.html

Ministry says no cover-up in fake vaccine case

Jakarta Post - July 18, 2016

Jakarta – The government denied allegations that it attempted to cover up fake vaccine cases, saying the health authority had shown its willingness to confront the issue in its handling of similar cases in the past.

Health Ministry spokesman Oscar Primadi acknowledged that in previous similar cases, perpetrators had faced the law.

"The Drug and Food Monitoring Agency [BPOM] has found similar incidents many times in the past. Cases like this come and go. Perpetrators were punished, other new criminals have come back," he said Saturday.

Oscar added that the recent fake vaccine case had attracted nationwide attention probably because it was larger than previous cases. In addition, he said the Health Ministry was certain none of its employees was involved in the distribution of the fake vaccines.

Minister Nila F. Moeloek revealed on Thursday at a hearing with the House of Representatives the names of 14 hospitals and eight midwife clinics that allegedly administered fake vaccines. They are mostly in Jakarta and West Java.

The revelation instantly triggered anxiety and anger from parents of toddlers who were vaccinated at those health facilities.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo called on the public to calm down and await solutions from the Health Ministry. "The public needs to calm down because this is not a problem of the past one or two years. This [fake vaccine] issue dates back 13 years," the President said.

Meanwhile, the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) director Brig. Gen. Agung Setya said the police had done their jobs well in uncovering the fake vaccine case.

Agung said the investigation that uncovered the fake vaccines was the police's own initiative, and it began before reports from the public came in. Separately, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said this the first fake vaccine case handled by the police. "I don't know about other cases discovered by the Health Ministry," Boy Rafli said over the phone.

Marius Widjajarta, Indonesian Health Empowerment Foundation (YPKKI) chairman said during a talk show on Saturday that he received a report in 2014 from a private clinic in Central Jakarta about fake BCG vaccines with different expiry dates on the label and vial.

He said the fake vaccines were provided by the public health office with the code "Health Ministry" attached. This has raised speculation that vaccines provided by the ministry were also not safe.

Previously, lawmakers have speculated that the case might involve pharmacists working at hospitals or ministry staff. They argued that it was impossible for the ministry to not know about the distribution of fake vaccines since it had been going on for such a long time.

The National Police have said they would take the possible involvement of government personnel into consideration in their investigation. "Everyone involved, no matter who they are, will be arrested. However, we have to work based on facts, not speculation," Boy Rafli said.

The government has formed a task force to probe the case involving the ministry, BPOM, the National Police and the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) to ensure that all relevant cases are resolved.

The National Police on Friday named 23 suspects in the fake vaccine case, including six producers, nine distributors, two bottle collectors, one person involved in labeling, two midwives and three doctors.

Kuntjoro Adi Purjanto, the chairman of the Association of Indonesian Hospitals (PERSI), urged people to calm down, saying that, according to their research so far, none of the fake vaccines had harmful contents.

"As far as I know, the fake vaccines were either filled with intravenous fluids or the same vaccine at a lower concentration. In short, the effect will be the same as if people were not given vaccines," he said. (win)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/ministry-says-no-cover-up-in-fake-vaccine-case.html

Protests after health ministry names fake vaccine hospitals

Jakarta Globe - July 17, 2016

Jakarta – Several hospitals allegedly involved in administering counterfeit vaccines are facing mounting pressure as the fall-out from the public health revelation continues.

A series of protests against the hospitals was prompted after Health Minister Nila M. Moeloek revealed the names of 14 health facilities that have allegedly been using fake vaccines during a hearing at the House of Representatives on Thursday (14/07).

Patients of St. Elisabeth hospital in Bekasi, West Java, were involved in a tense mediation with the hospital's management on Saturday afternoon, Antara news agency reported. The meeting escalated after Antonius Yudiyanto, director of the hospital, brought in two lawyers to face angry patients rather than respond directly.

"We just want the management to tell us – what kind of fake vaccines you injected into our child. If you didn't use fake vaccines, bring your evidence to this meeting," said Ketut Daryatmo, a 37-year-old father whose child was a patient at the hospital.

Bekasi military command and hospital security officers were called into the meeting after discussions grew increasingly heated. Dozens of journalists were expelled by the management who said it was a closed meeting.

East Jakarta's Harapan Bunda hospital took a different approach, opening an official crisis center on Sunday to record and monitor patients who are believed to have been injected with the counterfeit vaccines.

Nunung Rohayati, spokeswoman at Harapan Bunda Hospital, said as of Sunday at 11.30 a.m management has recorded 126 patients who claimed to have had injection at the hospital.

Management will arrange to revaccinate children for free after all records have been verified, she said. The move will be in line with the government launched task force in response to the public health crisis. The hospital also opened a hotline at 021-8400257 ext. 330 for illegal vaccines complaints.

Herlin Ika, the secretary of Harapan Bunda Fake Vaccines Victim Alliance, criticized the hospital's improper treatment of the victims by locating the crisis center in the parking area behind the hospital building.

The alliance previously requested the crisis center to be placed in the hospital's ballroom for the sake of patients' convenience. "As you see, the ballroom is locked. The victims were treated poorly by the hospital," Herlin complained.

Among 14 hospitals in fake vaccines ring, 13 of them were located in Bekasi and bought their fake vaccines from Juanda, an employee of CV Azka Medika. Harapan Bunda Hospital in East Jakarta obtained the fake vaccines from a man identified as M. Syahrul.

According to the Health ministry's investigation, both men had "given a list of the vaccines and their prices to the procurement units at the hospitals. The orders were later agreed to by the hospital directors."

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/protests-health-ministry-names-fake-vaccine-hospitals/

Gender & sexual orientation

KPI candidates say no to LGBT presence on TV

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani, Jakarta – As the House of Representatives screens 27 candidates for leadership positions at the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), it remains to be seen whether the new commissioners will uphold pluralism and give recognition to minority groups.

Of the 15 commissioner candidates undergoing screening by House Commission I overseeing information and communication affairs on Monday, most of them voiced opposition to programs involving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters being aired on TV.

Many of the candidates argue that anything besides heterosexuality is against the country's values and norms. Among the candidates are news producer of private TV station Trans7 Arif Adi Kuswardono, Indonesian Television Academy (ATVI) mass communication lecturer Agus Sudibyo, Banten KPI chairman Ade Bujaerimi, West Sumatra KPI chairman Afrianto Korga and journalist Mayong Suryo Laksono.

Ade was of the opinion that LGBT content in TV programs could destroy the morals of youth because of the lifestyle portrayed. "Television must be free of LGBT. We should ban all programs containing LGBT content," he said.

Arif said programs, except the news, that exposed LGBT characteristics, such as boys cross-dressing or adopting feminine characteristics, and promoted or starred members of the LGBT community should not be aired.

"If they want to show their LGBT-ness, please do it, but not for screening on TV," Arif said. "We respect pluralism, but TV should not accommodate such things. I'm sorry that not all things [related to pluralism] are acceptable."

Since hostility toward LGBT people emerged, the KPI has become one of the institutions to introduce discriminatory rules against them.

The agency previously issued a statement that discouraged broadcasters from airing programs that promoted activities of the LGBT community. It claimed that the move was aimed at protecting children and teenagers from exposure to a "deviant" lifestyle.

It stated that the broadcasters code of conduct (P3) and broadcasting program standards (SPS) regulations mentioned the banning of programs that encouraged children and teenagers to adopt indecent behavior.

Commission I member Djoko Udjianto from the Democratic Party slammed the candidates, claiming that most of them seemed to provide no room for the LGBT community yet provided no solution on how to maintain a balance.

"I see that all of you talk much about LGBT and gender orientation on television, but no one has any way out. And if we talk about the country's characteristics, what characteristics?" Djoko said.

Of the 27 candidates undergoing screening on July 18 and 19, Commission I will choose nine as the next KPI commissioners who will lead the agency from 2016 to 2019. The 27 are among 47 people proposed by the ministry and who were interviewed by the commission's selection committee last month.

As the nine selected candidates will still be in charge during the next presidential election, speculation is rife that they could be used as political tools by certain parties in election campaigns.

During the hearing, of the 10 factions at the House, only the Hanura Party raised a question about political intervention through media ownership. The Golkar Party, whose advisory council chairman Aburizal Bakrie runs television stations TVOne and ANTV, and the NasDem Party, chaired by media mogul Surya Paloh, remained silent on the issue.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/kpi-candidates-say-no-lgbt-presence-tv.html

Marriage & polygamy

Government confident to curb high number of underage marriages

Jakarta Post - July 23, 2016

Jakarta – Apparently under pressure to tackle rampant cases of underage marriage, the government is increasing its campaign nationwide to address the prolonged social problem.

Deputy head for child growth and development affairs at the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, Lenny N. Rosalin, said the public awareness campaign was meant to ensure that all cities in the country would embrace this child protection policy.

"The campaign will include the establishment of family learning centers that will provide free counseling for families in need. The centers' task is to educate families about the dangers of underage marriage," she said, while adding that the campaign would be held in 300 cities and regencies across the nation.

She further went on that preventing underage marriages from happening had become one of the ministry's priorities this year to meet the country's sustainable development targets of zero child marriages by 2030.

"We will also intensify our efforts by creating a law that prohibits underage marriage. Many people still think that underage marriage is not harmful," Lenny said,

She said the efforts would include educating religious clerics and officials of the Religious Affairs Office (KUA) to reject underage marriages without exception, particularly in provinces with high rates.

A survey conducted last year by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) revealed that the child marriage rate remained high, as 23 percent of women in 300,000 households in 500 cities and regencies exchanged marriage vows when they were still under 18. The percentage had slightly decreased from 24.5 percent in 2010.

The survey showed West Sulawesi province had the highest percentage of child marriage with 34 percent, followed respectively by South Kalimantan with 33.68 percent, Central Kalimantan with 33.56 percent, West Kalimantan with 32.21 percent, and Central Sulawesi with 31.91 percent.

UNICEF Indonesia Representative Gunilla Olson said the majority of child marriages in the Southeast Asia and Pacific region occurred in Indonesia, citing that roughly 1,000 underage girls were married everyday in the country.

University of Indonesia's Gender Research Center head Iklilah Muzayyanah said the government needed to take quick action to curb the practice.

"There is belief in the community that women should get married early, because some parents are often afraid that their daughters will become spinsters. There is also pressure from society against mature women who yet have married," Iklilah said.

She further said the 1974 Marriage Law, which stipulates the minimum age of marriage for girls at 16 years and boys at 19, should be revoked.

At the age of 16, girls likely have had yet to finish senior high school. Therefore, the law is contradictory to the government program that obliges all children to at least have had completed secondary education, she said. (fac).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/23/govt-confident-curb-high-number-underage-marriages.html

Terrorism & religious extremism

TNI's role in counterterrorism needs review

Jakarta Post - July 23, 2016

Jakarta – National Police chief Tito Karnavian said on Friday that the involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in counterterrorism needed to be carefully examined due to public concern over potential human rights violations.

"This needs to be addressed and understood well because it involves huge risks," he said at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta. The risks include the possibility of TNI members hurting or possibly killing alleged terrorists without heeding elements of human rights, he added.

"Currently, the doctrine of the TNI, as far as I understand, is kill or be killed," he said. Thus, Tito said TNI soldiers needed to know how to handle terrorists who tried to fight back, to avoid taking unnecessary action.

They should also learn proper procedures for handling acts of terror. For instance, during crime scene investigations, the police usually required technical support from a forensic team.

"If the TNI wants to be strong, that means it needs to have its own forensic labs and disaster victim identification [DVI] team," Tito said, adding that the police already had such skills.

If such suggestions were not implemented correctly, he said, the risk of TNI members abusing their power would be immense.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/23/national-scene-tni-s-role-counterterrorism-needs-review.html

Military support in Central Sulawesi counterterrorism operation praised

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Ruslan Sangadji, Palu, Central Sulawesi – National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian expressed his thanks to Indonesian Military commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo over the latter's support for Operation Tinombala, which led to the death of Indonesia's most wanted terrorist Santoso in a shootout in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Monday.

"Without good cooperation, the operation would not have yielded the optimal result that we've seen now," he said on Wednesday.

Responding to The Jakarta Post's question about two of Santoso's followers who were still at large, namely Basri and Ali Kalora, Tito asserted that the police would continue Operation Tinombala by using two methods, namely hard and persuasive approaches.

He highlighted the importance of Operation Tinombala, saying that in terrorism networks in Indonesia, there was a concept called Qaidah Amina, in which Poso was considered an ideal place to launch their radical movements.

He further said it was a bit easier for local people in Poso to accept the presence of crime perpetrators in the area because it had quite a long history of conflict. Poso was also ideal for a guerrilla warfare due to its geographical conditions, isolated and far from the central government and with forest and mountainous areas.

Santoso was killed in a raid conducted by Operation Tinombala personnel in a forest in Tambarana village, around 60 kilometers from Poso at 5:30 p.m. local time on Monday. He was shot dead by a military group comprising nine personnel from Kostrad's Infantry Battalion Raider 515, led by Second Sgt. Firman Wahyudi. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/military-support-in-c-sulawesi-counterterrorism-operation-praised.html

Suhardi Alius takes helm of Indonesia's counterterrorism agency

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni, Jakarta – Com. Gen. Suhardi Alius has taken the helm of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), inaugurated into the position by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the State Palace on Wednesday.

Suhardi, who was chief secretary of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas), will lead the counterterrorism agency to eradicate terrorism and radicalism in Indonesia, succeeding Gen. Tito Karnavian who has been appointed to be the National Police chief.

Previously, Suhardi served as National Police spokesperson from 2012 to 2013, as the Central Java Police chief until late 2013 and as the head of the National Police Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) from 2013 to 2015.

He also made it to the list of candidates to replace the currently retired general Badrodin Haiti, who was then serving as the National Police chief, before Jokowi decided to name Tito his candidate. (dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/suhardi-alius-takes-helm-of-indonesias-counterterrorism-agency.html

Government backs TNI's role in anti-terror law

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The government is insisting on including the role of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in the revision of the Terrorism Law in its efforts to safeguard the country against the threat of terrorism, a minister said on Wednesday.

Indonesia should not rely only on the National Police's anti-terrorist squad Densus 88 amid the rising global threat of terrorism, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said. The government is considering whether to combine the force with the TNI to strengthen security measures.

"The police will still lead, but [military involvement] is inevitable. They should be integrated and we will not hesitate in doing so," Luhut told journalists on Wednesday.

The TNI's involvement is in accordance with the 2004 TNI Law which states the force could be involved in non-military operations including anti-terrorism operations. It could also minimize the possibility of terror attacks from happening in the future, he added.

Luhut brushed off concern by human rights activists and the wider public opposed to military involvement over fears of power abuse and securitization. The fear is that a stronger military role would see the TNI regain the power it held under late dictator Soeharto's New Order regime but Luhut has insisted that will not happen again.

The revision of the Terrorism Law is currently being deliberated between the House of Representatives and the government and is expected to be completed by August, Luhut added. (rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/govt-backs-tnis-role-in-anti-terror-law.html

Indonesia's most wanted terrorist, Santoso, is dead: Police

Sydney Morning Herald - July 19, 2016

Jewel Topsfield and Karuni Rompies, Jakarta – Indonesian police are "90 per cent certain" the nation's most wanted terrorist has finally been killed, ending a hunt for the self-proclaimed commander of the Islamic State army in Indonesia that has dragged on for years.

Two terror suspects, believed to be Santoso, the leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin and Mukhtar, were shot dead in a gunfight in Poso, Central Sulawesi, on Monday night.

Santoso's scalp is a coup for the newly installed national police chief Tito Karnavian, given the fugitive has eluded authorities for years in the jungles of Poso. "We are 90 per cent certain that it is his body," General Tito said.

Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Santoso had been killed and said the second suspect was a man named Mukhtar and not Basri as had originally been thought.

Thousands of military troops and police had been dispatched to the region over several years to flush out Santoso, also known as Abu Wardah. General Tito said Santoso's death demoralised IS supporters in Indonesia because he was a symbol of resistance against the government.

However some analysts have suggested that while the police and army were preoccupied with hunting down Santoso, the real threat came from the suburbs of Jakarta where IS (also known as ISIS) had succeeded in building a network of supporters.

"It's an important development because Santoso was the symbolic heart of the jihadi movement in Indonesia but it does not change the risk level, because the cells that are most likely to engage in violence are in urban areas, not in the Poso jungles," said Jakarta-based terror expert Sidney Jones.

Taufik Andrie, the executive director of the Institute for International Peace Building, said Santoso was a fighter not an ideologist.

"Aman Abdurrahman is the ideologist. Besides, Santoso had been cornered in the last few years so in concrete terms he did not do much with regards to the presence of ISIS in Indonesia."

Santoso's militancy was born out of bitter sectarian conflict in the region following the fall of Suharto, that cost thousands of lives.

Mr Andrie said while the capture of Santoso and Mukhtar was a good achievement, the government needed to address injustices that occurred after the religious conflict. "If not it is possible that new guys will arrive in the future."

Santoso's face was recognised by police, reportedly in part because of a distinctive mole between his eyebrows. However General Tito said the bodies would be flown to Palu where their identities would be confirmed by family members and DNA testing.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/world/indonesias-most-wanted-terrorist-santoso-is-dead-police-20160719-gq97rl.html

Poverty & social inequity

Poverty rate at new low but greater severity, depth seen

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Jakarta – Indonesia's poverty rate reached 10.8 percent of the population in March, the lowest level in at least 20 years, thanks to manageable prices, the latest Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data show.

The drop brings the figure close to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's 9 to 10 percent poverty rate target as stated in the 2016 state budget, but future efforts to reach the goal may be undermined by greater severity and depth of poverty.

The depth of poverty index rose to 1.94 in March this year, from 1.84 the last time BPS collected data in September last year. Meanwhile, severity of poverty increased to 0.52 in March this year from 0.51 in September last year.

"We presume that there has been an increase in either depth or severity of poverty in rural areas," BPS head Suryamin said, citing a higher poverty line in rural areas due to higher prices there caused by logistics issues.

While the overall poverty rate shows a downward trend – along with a declining poverty rate in urban areas – the rate in rural areas increased from 14.11 to 14.09 percent over the same period, compared with a 7.79 percent March poverty rate in urban areas from 8.22 percent in September.

The pace of poverty reduction in Indonesia is slowing, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank noted in an October 2015 paper. From 2006 to 2010, poverty incidence declined by 1.2 percent per year, but from 2011 to 2014, the rate of decline was just 0.5 percent per year.

"Increasing difficulty in reaching the remaining poor and rising disparity in economic growth have contributed to the slowdown," the paper, written by Priasto Aji, reads.

The monthly spending of someone considered "poor" in Indonesia – called the poverty line – is Rp 354,386 or below per person as of March this year, a 2.18 percent increase from September and 7.14 percent increase year-on-year (yoy).

Seventy percent of spending is accounted for by food items, primarily rice (21.55 percent in urban areas and 29.54 percent in rural areas), filtered clove cigarettes (9.08 percent in urban areas and 7.96 percent in rural areas) and eggs (3.66 percent in urban areas, 3.02 percent in rural areas).

Non-food-item spending of people below the poverty line includes housing (9.76 percent in urban areas, 7.56 percent in rural areas), electricity and fuel, which each account for less than 3 percent of below-poverty-line spending.

"In calculating the poverty line, the dominant factor is food prices. If the poverty line increases, it shows that the situation is worse," Bank Mandiri chief of economist Anton Gunawan said.

While the poverty line has risen, Anton said stable consumer prices contributed to the lower poverty rate, as the government was now implementing "more relaxed" import policies to tame prices.

Consumer prices rose 4.45 percent in March yoy, with food materials surging 9.09 percent and processed food and beverages – including cigarettes – rising 6.2 percent.

These figures raise skepticism about the BPS poverty data, said Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) executive director Enny Sri Hartati.

She questioned the poverty line figure released by BPS, saying that a poverty line rise of around Rp 10,000 (76 US Cent) between September 2015 to March (2.7 percent) does not reflect real conditions, which are closer to a Rp 15,000 increase.

"It just doesn't make sense. If the poverty line is not realistic, the decline in the poverty rate is also not realistic and does not reflect real conditions in society," said Enny, questioning if the poverty line rise accommodated the maximum consumption of 2,100 kilocalories that make a person considered poor. (vps/est)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/poverty-rate-new-low-greater-severity-depth-seen.html

Poverty rate rises as staple food prices increase

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Safrin La Batu, Jakarta – The number of people living below the poverty line in Jakarta has increased since September last year as a result of rises in the prices of basic commodities and inflation, the Jakarta Central Statistics Agency (BPS Jakarta) revealed on Monday.

The agency, which carries out a census on the poverty rate in March and September every year, recorded that the number of poor residents in March had increased to 384,300, or 3.75 percent of the city's 11 million population, from only 368,670 people in September last year.

The recent increase in the price of food commodities such as rice, cigarettes – which the agency includes as a basic necessity in the lower income bracket – and chicken meat, as well as other commodities such as housing, electricity and gasoline have all contributed to the increasing poverty rate in the capital.

"Why has the poverty rate increased? Because the prices of commodities has increased while people's salaries have remained the same," BPS head Suryamin said in a press conference.

The increase in commodity prices is only one part of recent inflation. According to the Jakarta BPS, inflation in March was 0.15 percent, higher than only 0.01 percent in September last year.

The BPS considers a person to be living in poverty if they spend less than Rp 510,359 (US$38.96) per month, which continuously changes according to changes in the price of basic commodities.

The poverty line is calculated based on the minimum amount that someone needs to spend in a month to fulfill their basic needs, meaning that a person who now spends less than Rp 510,359 would not be able to fulfill their basic needs.

When calculated on a year-on-year basis, however, the poverty rate slightly decreased by 0.18 points. In March last year, 3.93 percent of Jakarta's total population, or 398,920 people were living in poverty, as a result of a higher inflation rate, which was recorded at 0.19 percent.

Although Jakarta has always been the province with the lowest poverty rate in Indonesia, its poverty rate in this period has gone in the opposite direction from the national rate, which shows a decreasing trend, thanks to a decreasing inflation rate nationally.

Nationally, the amount of people living in poverty decreased to 28.01 million, or 10.86 percent of the 249 million population, from 28.51 million recorded in September last year.

Latief Adam, economist from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), said the city administration should shift its focus to inclusive development from simply a development policy – which many people see as benefitting only a small percentage of people in the upper economic bracket – to really minimize the poverty rate in Jakarta.

"The administration should synchronize the quantity and quality of development," he told The Jakarta Post over the phone, adding that the administration could, for example, make informal sectors formal and intensify its promotion of small and medium enterprises. "[Economic] inequality in Jakarta is very high right now."

He also said there should be collaboration between the central and local governments in providing job opportunities in other regions in the country to prevent people from moving to the capital to look for jobs.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/poverty-rate-rises-staple-food-prices-increase.html

Village & rural life

Government to revive its 'Return to Village Movement' initiative

Jakarta Post - July 17, 2016

Hans Nicholas Jong, Surabaya – The government has decided to resurrect its Return to Village Movement (Gerakan Kembali ke Desa) initiative as a follow up to the launch of its 'dana desa' village fund program.

The government expects the initiative to solve the problem of overpopulation in Jakarta, especially in relation to the the ever-increasing number of newcomer arrivals in the city after Idul Fitri, according to Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

"There was a Return to Village Movement in the past. But it was launched at a time when there was no village fund. Now the initiative is accompanied by significant village funds. One village receives Rp 1.2 billion (US$91,585) to Rp 2 billion," Khofifah said on the sidelines of an Idul Fitri gathering in Surabaya on Saturday.

As villages receive funds, they are able to develop themselves into economic centers. "The redistribution of economic centers to each village can be initiated today," Khofifah said. Jakarta saw a considerable population increase over the last two years. The population rose to 10.1 million people last year from 9.9 million in 2013, said Jakarta Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat.

The Return to Village Movement was first initiated by former East Java governor Basofi Sudirman in the early 1990s. (ary)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/17/govt-to-revive-its-return-to-village-movement-initiative.html

Jakarta & urban life

Ahok still a frontrunner, survey says

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama remains the strongest would-be candidate for the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election, according to the latest survey by Saiful Muljani Research and Consulting (SMRC).

The semi-open poll, which was conducted from June 24 to 29, saw 646 voters give their answers in a one-on-one interview. Choosing from a list of prospective candidates, 54.5 percent of respondents said they would choose Ahok if the election was held that day, the survey said.

Ahok's name came out number one, above former justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra with 10.4 percent and Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini with 5.7 percent.

Meanwhile, when interviewers did not give participants a list of names, 36.6 percent of respondents spontaneously chose Ahok, followed by Yusril with 2.8 percent and businessman Sandiaga Uno 2.1 percent.

"The respondents believe there is evidence of his work since his tenure began in 2014," SMRC program director Sirojudin Abbas said in a press conference on Thursday.

Factors like religion and ethnicity were not important for the majority of respondents as 48 percent of those surveyed said they did not mind having a non-Muslim leader while 64 percent disagreed with the idea that members of ethnic minorities should not be leaders. Ahok, a native of East Belitung, Bangka Belitung province, is often the victim of personal attacks relating to his status as a Christian of Chinese descent.

The survey also revealed that around 10.9 percent of respondents had not yet decided who they would vote for in next year's election. This might be caused by the lack of viable potential candidates for the governor position, Sirojudin said. Only Ahok has declared that he would contest the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election despite not being clear whether he would run as an independent or on a political party ticket. (wnd/rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/ahok-still-a-frontrunner-survey-says.html

New protest park to open at Monas in late July

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Jakarta – A new park in the National Monument (Monas) area overlooking the State Palace, established to accommodate Jakartans in voicing their aspirations, will be officially launched later this month by Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama.

Ahok will open the Palace View Park on July 30 as part of the city administration's effort to provide more public space in strategic locations for citizens, Jakarta Parks and Cemeteries Office head Djafar Muchlisin said on Tuesday.

The establishment of the park is not only aimed at providing public space for Jakartans to protest but is also for visitors to enjoy the park and its views across to the palace. "People often gather at this location to take pictures with the Palace as a background," he said.

The new park has been developed on 1,000 square meters on the northwest side of Monas in Central Jakarta, 100 meters from the State Palace. The park provides facilities such as benches and two "aspiration walls" for those who want to convey their thoughts through murals or writing. Palace View Park was built by Swiss cement producer Holcim as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. (sha/rin)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/new-protest-park-to-open-at-monas-in-late-july.html

Jakarta Bay reclamation to be stopped: Susi

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Jakarta – Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti insisted on Monday that work on all 17 islets of the Jakarta Bay reclamation project would be stopped as a result of regulatory and environmental issues.

Susi said that as of Monday the government had finished its review of Islet G, being built by PT Muara Wisesa Samudra, a subsidiary of developer PT Agung Podomoro Land (APL), and a review of the other 16 islets would follow in the near future. "The halt will be applied to all [islets] not only islet G," Susi said on Monday.

The reclamation project came into the spotlight when the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested APL president director Ariesman Widjaja for allegedly bribing Jakarta councilor Muhamad Sanusi in order to expedite the issuance of bylaws needed to support the development of the reclamation project. As the investigation progressed, the KPK found that the construction of all 17 islets was marred by irregularities.

Meanwhile, Susi said the government would extend the location permit for PT Tirta Wahana Bali Internasional (TWBI), a company controlled by tycoon Tommy Winata, with regard to the controversial Benoa Bay reclamation project in southern Bali. A location permit is a necessary step in getting an Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) for the project.

Susi said the extension was no guarantee that the company would automatically get permission from the government to start the reclamation project because the government would only issue a permit if the Amdal confirmed that it would not pose any environmental risk.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/national-scene-jakarta-bay-reclamation-be-stopped-susi.html

Film & television

Wiji Thukul biopic to debut in Switzerland

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Cemara Dinda, Jakarta – After a victory at the Cannes Film Festival in May, another aspiring filmmaker from Indonesia is set to wow audiences at the upcoming 69th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland.

Director Yosep Anggi Noen will have his second full-length feature film Istirahatlah Kata-Kata (Solo, Solitude) added to this year's festival selection.

The film tells the story of the missing poet, Wiji Thukul, or more simply known as Thukul, after fleeing Pontianak, West Kalimantan, after riots on July 27, 1996.

Thukul, who disappeared in 1998 allegedly due to his harsh criticism of the New Order regime, is seen as one of the most important figures in the founding of Indonesian democracy. Unfortunately, his case remains unresolved as his whereabouts until today is unknown.

The title of the film is borrowed from one of Thukul's poems, which was published in 1988. Yosep told The Jakarta Post that he was moved by Thukul's simplicity and honesty.

"He was an everyday person just like you and me, who was very critical at that time in the 90s. His poems opened up the notion of democracy against authoritarian rule," he said.

Producer Yulia Evina Bhara also agrees on the impact Thukul brought to his generation for the development of democracy

"Telling his story means telling our history. Istirahatlah Kata-Kata is one effort of ours to remember that the freedom we breathe was largely the result of the struggles of many people. And Thukul is one of them," she said.

Through this film, Yosep hopes to reach out to as many people in Indonesia as possible and share Thukul's vision of a prosperous nation, as well as remind people of some unanswered questions of its political history.

Yosep said the movie targeted the younger audience, who seemed ignorant of political issues despite their strong attachment to technology and the internet.

He expects that film can be an alternative medium to attracting the young generation to learn more about the country's history and politics, including the story of Thukul.

"This film is to enrich our knowledge and open up discussions about important issues or events aesthetically and creatively, setting aside those heavy history books, as more informal ways of learning," he said.

Istirahatlah Kata-Kata gives a rich description of Thukul as an individual, including his dilemmas and problems of choosing between family and his country.

"As a hero, Thukul is an ordinary human. The year he fled was a turning point in his life. He chose to continue fighting for his cause and trust in the power of words and critical poems," Yosep said.

Istirahatlah Kata-kata has been listed in the "Concorso Cineasti del presente" section of the prominent festival. The section is dedicated for up-and-coming filmmakers around the world to feature their first or second features.

Yosep's first feature movie Vakansi yang Janggal dan Penyakit Lainnya (Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses) was also featured in the same festival in 2012.

Having a second premier at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival, Yosep hopes he can get his foot into the national film scene, like that of the success of Siti, which won the 2015 Best Film at the Indonesian Film Festival and managed to enter commercial theaters after huge success in various international festivals.

However, Yulia highlighted a different issue, saying that an international release is a safer option as the production team fears that the film will not be easily accepted because of the controversial issues surrounding Thukul's disappearance.

This is the second time an Indonesian filmmaker has gained worldwide recognition this year. In May, Wregas Bhanutedja won the Leica Cine Discovery Prize at the Cannes Film Festival for the best short film with Prenjak/In the Year of Monkey.

[The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.]

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/wiji-thukul-biopic-debut-switzerland.html

Armed forces & defense

Lack of regulations complicates gun control

Jakarta Post - July 18, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Recent news reports on illegal gun purchases by military personnel have raised concerns over the lack of regulations concerning unlawful gun trading.

The lack of strict regulations that define which institution is authorized to issue gun ownership permits for citizens has allowed the public to access guns from two sources: the police and military.

It is commonly known that civilians who wish to legally possess guns must secure a license from the police as well as the intelligence body, however, licenses can also be obtained from the Defense Ministry.

A 2010 Defense Ministerial Decree grants the defense minister the authority to issue licenses for civilians to export, import, sell, produce, possess or use military-standard guns as well as bullets as long as they are either state officials, athletes or collectors.

Similar authority also belongs to the police as stipulated by a 2004 National Police Chief Decree that allows gun use by members of the public, particularly athletes, if applicants satisfy strict requirements such as a psychological test to ensure they are mentally fit.

Similar conditions are also required by the Defense Ministerial Decree. But misuse of authority by police officers and soldiers, including the latest incident of illegal gun purchases by members of the Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres), raises questions over gun sales in society.

Military observer Susaningtyas Kertopati said the long process military and police members must undergo in order to purchase a gun contributed to illegal procurement among security forces.

She said a police officer, for example, must obtain a permit from the division in charge of guns and explosive materials and the intelligence security body. Meanwhile, military personnel must obtain the permit from the military's Assistant for Logistics (Aslog).

"Gun trafficking is an international concern. Thus, it is urgent that the existing law be revised to make it relevant to the current context," Susaningtyas said.

The recent revelation of illegal gun purchases by Paspampres members is not the first in the country. The discussion about civilian gun possession has occurred on and off over the last few years, following prominent cases.

In 2012, debate was rife in the House of Representatives following a statement by then legislator Pramono Anung of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle who said that many lawmakers possessed guns, which quickly raised anxieties over potential misuse.

Several stories of gun misuse by lawyers or officials in the past have also attracted public attention. But the discussion on gun control has quickly faded after initial public exposure.

"The sale of illegal guns is one of the most profitable businesses, especially in conflict-prone areas. It is a very serious issue. Uncontrolled distribution may lead to supply to terrorists, for example," said Al Araf from the human rights watchdog Imparsial.

"The old laws must be revised because they allow dualism in [regulations regarding] gun sales to the public. It complicates gun control," he said, referring to the outdated laws issued in 1948 and 1951. A law revision is also important to mandate accountability of gun distribution, which is still absent today.

In a separate interview, lawmaker Tantowi Yahya of House Commission I overseeing defense said that although the Defense Ministry and Indonesian Military (TNI) had both conducted thorough audits of gun use within their institutions, distribution to the public continued to go unreported.

"We need to know how many guns have been distributed by the police and the military so far. Knowing these facts will ease control [efforts]," he said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/lack-regulations-complicates-gun-control.html

Criminal justice & legal system

Supreme Court urged to accept oversight to ensure reform

Jakarta Post - July 23, 2016

Jakarta – One major obstacle to reform of the country's judicial system – represented by the Supreme Court as the country's highest judicial institution – is the court's refusal to be supervised by an external supervisory body as part of a control system.

And end to the Supreme Court's opposition to supervision from an external body, specifically the Judicial Commission, is considered imperative if long-overdue reform is to take place.

One way to achieve judicial reform is through learning about "best practices" that have been implemented in other countries such as Turkey, Australia and the US, according to Judicial Commission chair Aidul Fitriciada Azhari.

"In September, the commission plans to hold an international symposium that aims to compare our country's judicial system with those of other countries and simultaneously learn from them," he said.

Aidul noted that in Turkey, the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors had been able to dismiss more than 6,000 judges after the recent coup, proving its executive power.

"In many other countries, the supreme court and judicial commission go hand in hand. They share responsibilities," he said during a recent visit to The Jakarta Post.

As an example, the judicial commissions of Australia and the Netherlands use the term "legal error" to include other things besides judges' misconduct.

"In many countries, a legal error can also include unprofessional conduct, unlike in Indonesia," Aidul said, adding that this would mean any kind of unprofessional conduct detected by the commission on the part of judges would be punishable.

Unprofessional conduct may include the use by judges of laws that have been annulled in their arguments while handling a case, or misquoting a prosecution witness as a defense witness.

These types of misconduct, commonplace in the Indonesian judicial system, show a lack of professionalism and raise questions about the possibility of judges conducting misconduct deliberately in order to favor one party in a legal case, Aidul said.

"Tension between the commission and the court always rests on the argument between the terms 'judicial methods' and 'code of ethics', used by the Supreme Court, and 'legal error' and 'misconduct' used by the Judicial Commission," noted commission deputy chair Sukma Violetta.

As evidence, Sukma cited that the commission had recently recommended that the Supreme Court sanction 105 judges; only 12 of the recommendations were followed up. Sixty of the recommendations were ignored, while 12 judges were given only light sanctions.

Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi dismissed the allegations. "That's not the case; all of the Judicial Commission's recommendations have been followed up," he insisted.

Corruption at the Supreme Court shows no signs of abating, with a number of officials implicated recently.

Supreme Court secretary Nurhadi was earlier this year named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for helping a Lippo Group subsidiary, PT First Media, to win a case review plea against Malaysia-based pay-TV operator Astro at the highest court.

Suhadi, however, claimed that the Supreme Court was transparent and closely monitored all staff. He added that the court had dismissed dozens of staff collared by the KPK.

"Who can withstand the KPK's power now? They keep pointing the finger at us. Why don't they check other institutions? I'm not sure other institutions aren't engaged in [corruption] as well," Suhadi argued. (win).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/23/supreme-court-urged-accept-oversight-ensure-reform.html

Three Papua police officers discharged for involvement in narcotic crimes

Antara News - July 22, 2016

Jayapura, Papua – Three police officers in Papua have been fired for their involvement in narcotic cases.

The chief of the Papua Regional Police Command, Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw, led the discharge of the officers in an event held at the commands headquarters attended by the regional deputy police chief, Brigadier General Rudolf Roja, and members of the regional police command on Friday.

Chief Brigadier Ahmad Suyanto, First Brigadier Ade Irwin and Brigadier Irfan were fired for their involvement in narcotic cases and for having violated Police Chief Regulation Number 14, 2011 and Government Regulation Number 1 of 2003 on dismissal of a policeman from service.

Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw said it was hard for him to discharge them but they had made mistakes and the institution was constrained to take firm action against them. The three had not only used narcotic stuff but had also become dealers, he narrated with tears in his eyes.

He stressed that he actually did not have the heart to dismiss them in view of the affect it would have on their families but he had to. He called on the various unit chiefs to always monitor their men lest anyone is found involved in such cases. He hoped such an action would not have to be taken again.

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/105845/three-papua-police-officers-discharged-for-involvement-in-narcotic-crimes

Police & law enforcement

Tito asks KPK to check police wealth reports

Jakarta Post - July 18, 2016

Jakarta – The tension between the National Police and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) seems to be easing since the new police chief said he welcomed help from the antigraft body to conduct internal reform.

Newly appointed National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian said his organization need the KPK to combat graft in the force, known as most corrupt institution in the country.

Tito said after a meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister that he would intensify communications with the antigraft body to help reform the police's image.

"We have met a couple of times informally, but later we will intensify the meetings," the former chief of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) said over the weekend.

The police are preparing to draft a police chief decree that would stipulate that police personnel must submit their official wealth reports (LHKPN) to the KPK, a measure largely avoided by high-ranking police officers in the past. "The discussion with the KPK will include the technicality of submitting LHKPN reports," he said.

During Tito's inauguration, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered him to focus on maintaining internal unity and conducting comprehensive and concrete reforms to curb corruption and improve the poor performance of the body.

The two institutions had drawn public attention after a fight last year. It started when the KPK announced that the then candidate to be National Police chief, Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, was suspected of owning illegal assets. The police struck back by arresting a KPK deputy chairman, Bambang Widjojanto.

Police observer Bambang Widodo Umar of the University of Indonesia said that the agreement between the two institutions should be strengthened by a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to clarify the extend and authority of the KPK.

He said he was skeptical that the police would want an external party to oversee its personnel, explaining that "even a high-ranking official once refused to submit his LHKPN report".

"Since 2001 when it was no longer under the military, the police kept pledging to reform. However, there have not been any significant changes until now," he told The Jakarta Post.

He said that the new chief bore a huge responsibility, as there were many things to be reformed. Therefore making a realistic and measurable target was necessary.

KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said that the KPK would be ready to provide assistance whenever needed. Commissioner Laode M. Syarif said he would wait for further meetings with the police before making any more comments. (fac)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/tito-asks-KPK-check-police-wealth-reports.html

Intelligence & state security

'Pokemon Go' poses threat to national security: TNI

Jakarta Post - July 20, 2016

Margareth S. Aritonang, Haeril Halim, Arya Dipa and Suherdjoko, Jakarta/Bandung/Semarang – While people indulge in the joy of chasing Pokemon monsters, authorities have restricted the hunt amid security concerns.

The Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters in Jakarta has banned its members from playing the wildly popular augmented-reality game while on duty, arguing that the use of GPS on smartphones enables the viewing of restricted military facilities.

The TNI became cautious after it found out that the app provider could intentionally spread Pokemon monsters around restricted areas to encourage hunters to enter the areas.

Once players got in with GPS and a camera on their cell phones, they could record activities in restricted areas and post them online, where people, including possibly foreign intelligence, could steal confidential data, the TNI claimed.

"The official telegram [on the ban] will soon be issued as a preemptive measure. It is better to take preventative action," TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, adding that the decision was made after receiving input from assistant intelligence personnel to the TNI commander.

However, TNI members are still allowed to play when they are off duty and far away from military facilities, installations and bases.

"[The game provider] doesn't recognize restricted areas. They just put Pokemon monsters [wherever it wants]. The policy is just to protect our bases, which house many important installations," Tatang added.

Pokemon Go, which sets players on a real-world hunt for elusive digital monsters they can catch via their phones, offers the experience of being a real Pokemon hunter.

While it has yet to be officially launched in Indonesia, the fever has hit the country, as many people have downloaded the game through backdoor channels.

"The game directs hunters to locations. It is fine if they are directed to restaurants or public places, but what about if they are directed to Navy bases? Will they try to find ways to enter such restricted sites?" Navy spokesman First Admiral Edi Sucipto told the Post.

Separately, Cirebon Military Command (Kodim) in West Java arrested a French national identified as Romain Pierre for entering its office without permission in his pursuit of a Pokemon late on Monday at 11 p.m.

Pierre was jogging in the neighborhood before his cell phone detected a number of Pokemon inside the Kodim. He crossed the security guard post and resisted arrest. He was later released after his business entourage, in town for a conference, picked him up at a nearby police station.

"From his testimony, he said that he was playing Pokemon Go while jogging in the area," West Java Police spokesman Yusri Yunis said.

Meanwhile, the Central Java Police have also banned their members from playing Pokemon Go to avoid distractions while on duty.

Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu agrees with the TNI policy, saying that the game could be used by foreign intelligence to collect data on the TNI.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/20/pok-mon-go-poses-threat-national-security-tni.html

Pokemon Go could be used to detect secret info, minister warns

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has warned players of Pokeman Go that their games may be used to detect the secretive information by foreign countries through smartphone cameras.

All media, including augmented reality game Pokemon, are susceptible to being used as surveillance tools since they can detect intelligence information without the awareness of the gamers, the minister said on Monday.

"We have to be very careful. [Secretive information] can be leaked through any form of media and channel, including this Pokemon Go game," Ryamizard said on Monday.

With the advance of technology, Ryamizard said there were now tools that could overhear people's conversations from a distance of 50 meters, adding that smartphone-based games might have similar abilities.

Last week, a statement from the Military Intelligence Division (BAIS) Cyber Taskforce circulated among the media, saying that people should not pay Pokemon Go in strategic locations, especially within military bases, to avoid intelligence information being leaked.

When playing the game, the players are unconsciously collecting information at locations through photos and videos captured on their smartphones, and the information could be employed by foreign intelligence bodies, the statement said.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/pokemon-go-could-be-used-to-detect-secret-info-minister-warns.html

Foreign affairs & trade

Australia-Indonesia maritime boundary treaty must be annulled: Activist

Jakarta Post - July 21, 2016

Djemi Amnifu, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration has been called on to immediately annul a treaty between the Australian government and the Indonesian government, which establishes the boundary of an exclusive economic zone and certain seabed boundaries in the Timor Sea, signed on March 14, 1997.

Ferdi Tanoni, the mandate holder for the West Timor people's customary rights, said the agreement, which was signed by then Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and his Australian counterpart, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, in Perth, Western Australia, has expired.

"The Indonesia-Australia agreement has never been ratified by the legislative branches of the two countries. It also cannot be implemented because East Timor became an independent country through a referendum in 1999," he told journalists in Kupang on Wednesday.

Ferdi, who is also the chairman of the Care for West Timor Foundation (YPTB), said the agreement must be annulled and discussed again by the two countries following the changes caused by the declaration of independence of Timor Leste as a new country in the area of the Timor Sea.

"When the treaty was signed, East Timor was still an integral part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. In a referendum in August 1999, East Timor decided to separate from Indonesia and establish a new country, the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste," said Ferdi.

He further said the 1997 agreement only consisted of 11 articles and should take effect only after an exchange of ratification charters between the two countries. However, he said Australia had unilaterally implemented the 1997 agreement.

"Even if the Australian parliament had ratified the 1997 agreement, Jakarta must reject it because the House of Representatives never ratified the treaty," said Ferdi.

In 1986, the Indonesian and Australian governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on handling oil pollution at sea.

Ferdi said the MoU should have been implemented to handle the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea in 2009, but Australia ignored it. Around 500,000 liters of oil were dumped into the ocean every day in the incident. It is considered one of Australia's worst oil disasters. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/21/australia-indonesia-maritime-boundary-treaty-must-be-annuled-activist.html

Tourism & hospitality

Visa free policy welcomes 6 million foreign tourists to Indonesia

Jakarta Globe - July 17, 2016

Jakarta – Approximately six million foreign tourists were recorded visiting Indonesia after the introduction of visa free policies for 169 countries, the Directorate General of Immigration said.

Heru Santoso, the directorate general's spokesperson, revealed 4,095,264 tourists from 15 reciprocal countries, as well as 2,881,945 tourists from 144 non-reciprocal countries visited Indonesia since the policy change in Oct. 2015.

"It's still far from the government target of 20 million tourists this year, but I'm sure the numbers will increase," Heru said in Jakarta.

The directorate general highlighted that of the 169 countries, 10 countries have recorded an arrival rate of zero percent – Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Czech Republic, Gabon, Haiti, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Lesotho, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia. "We definitely need to improve on promoting [to these countries]," he added.

The archipelago has set an ambitious target of 12 million tourist from across the globe this year, after being visited by 10 million last year.

Source: http://jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/visa-free-policy-welcomes-6-million-foreign-tourists-indonesia/

Finance & taxation

Workers unite to launch new tax amnesty law challenge

Jakarta Post - July 23, 2016

Prima Wirayani, Jakarta – Laborers have become the latest party to throw a punch at the Tax Amnesty Law as they appealed for a judicial review at the Constitutional Court on Friday, following in the footsteps of other groups that have already submitted legal challenges.

Some 200 labors from Pulogadung in East Jakarta, Bekasi and Karawang in West Java, staged a rally in front of the Constitutional Court to accompany the filing of the review appeal.

Under the scorching sun, they waved the flags of their respective organizations and chanted labor songs, as police officers guarded the rally.

They comprised members of several labor unions, including the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Unions (KSPI) and Indonesian Prosperity Trade Union (SBSI), that were listed as plaintiffs in the judicial review.

KSPI head Saiq Iqbal blatantly accused the law of hurting the sense of justice of around 44.4 million formal laborers and over 100 million informal laborers across the country.

"We are here on behalf of the taxpayers. Our legal standing is clear. We see a cut in our salary every month for income tax. We are always on time in paying the tax and we never evade the regulation."

He claimed that the government had chosen to roll out the red carpet for employers that ignored tax requirements and traded equality before the law for the sake of boosting economic growth and controlling the budget deficit.

The plaintiffs demand the Constitutional Court annul several provisions within the law, namely Article 1 point 1 on the definition of tax amnesty, Article 3 paragraph 3 on exemption of tax amnesty subjects, and Article 4 on redemption rates imposed on taxpayers wanting to apply for the tax amnesty.

The laborers' appeal came a week after similar appeals were filed by three other groups, including the Indonesian People's Struggle Union, and almost a month after the law was endorsed at the House of Representatives.

Hariyadi Sukamdani, chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo), said it was the laborers' democratic right to challenge the law. Apindo has thrown support behind the government regarding the amnesty and an earlier Apindo survey showed quite a high level of interest among businesspeople to join the program.

Meanwhile, as of Friday or the fifth day of the law's full implementation, the government appointed only four banks as "gateways" from a list of 18 banks, 18 investment managers and 19 securities firms. The gateways are tasked with managing the previously undeclared wealth returning to Indonesia.

To be officially appointed as gateways, the firms have to sign a contract with the finance minister that stipulates an obligation to report any investment developments to the Taxation Directorate General.

State-owned lenders Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), and private lender Bank Central Asia (BCA) signed their contracts on Thursday.

A Finance Ministerial regulation lays down the gateways' obligations, including a requirement to open special accounts for participating taxpayers using their services. (mos).

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/23/workers-unite-launch-new-tax-amnesty-law-challenge.html

Government optimistic Singapore efforts to stymie tax amnesty will fail

Jakarta Post - July 19, 2016

Ayomi Amindoni, Jakarta – Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro has claimed that Singapore's move to cut tax rates and offer facilities to keep Indonesian assets from leaving the city state is a counter to the recently introduced tax amnesty.

However, Bambang believes that Indonesian taxpayers who have parked their assets in the country, famed as a preferred destination for tax evaders, will repatriate their assets to Indonesia.

"It's only [Singapore's] move to challenge us. I believe our taxpayers are nationalists who love Indonesia more than other countries," he said on Monday.

With the program, which provides a low redemption rate and amnesty for repatriated assets, Bambang predicted that 100 percent of Indonesian assets parked in Singapore would be brought back to Indonesia. "100 percent, if possible," he noted.

A number of Singaporean banks have recently introduced offers apparently aimed at discouraging Indonesian customers from repatriating their assets by offering, among others, zero percent interest on loans to Indonesian businesspeople and waivers on declaration fees. (dmr)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/19/govt-optimistic-singapore-efforts-to-stymie-tax-amnesty-will-fail.html

Analysis & opinion

Justice denied?

Inside Indonesia - July-September, 2016

"We are committed to resolving with justice the cases of past human rights violations which until now are still socially and politically burdening the people of Indonesia, such as: the May riots, Trisakti, Semanggi I and II, forced disappearances, Talangsari Lampung, Tanjung Priok and the 1965 tragedy." – Joko Widodo, 2014 presidential campaign

Ayu Wahyuningroem – Almost two years after the 2014 election campaign during which he made this pledge, President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, and his government are yet to resolve any of the past human rights cases mentioned during the campaign. For almost two decades, when the state has been pressured to confront cases of past abuses, the government and the accused have always come up with other ways to 'settle' them. Jokowi's government has shown that it is no different. Since the fall of the New Order, calls for justice and accountability for human rights abuses under the New Order regime have led to impunity for perpetrators and no acknowledgement of the past wrongs. Out of 137 individuals named in Komnas HAM (National Commission on Human Rights) inquiries, only 18 have been convicted in trials and 100 per cent of those were acquitted on appeal.

Other efforts to create pathways to truth and justice for such crimes have similarly failed. When the international community insisted on an international human rights court for the mass violence during and after the 1999 referendum in Timor Leste, the Indonesian government instead held bilateral talks with the Timor Leste government. It also initiated its own Commission for Truth and Friendship, aimed at reconciliation. Another body, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up in 2004, was abandoned by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono before it was eventually dismissed by the Constitutional Court in 2006.

Search for justice goes global

As a part of this effort seeking transitional justice for past crimes, since the end of the New Order human rights groups and survivors have issued petition after petition to the Indonesian government calling for the perpetrators of the mass violence of 1965-66 to be held accountable. They have all failed. In an effort to find an alternative forum at which these injustices may finally be addressed, the International People's Tribunal, an initiative by victims groups and civil society, was held in The Hague from 10 to 13 November last year.

At the time, appearing to lack an understanding of what the tribunal really was, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Human Rights Luhut Panjaitan dismissed the tribunal outright, declaring that Indonesia would not be dictated to by a foreign country. He accused the Dutch of carrying out human rights abuses during the colonial era and labelled the tribunal a 'disgrace'. The tribunal attracted headlines in both domestic and international media. This was in large part because it was livestreamed and therefore accessible to viewers online around the world. As a consequence, many of the victims and their supporters became more confident about speaking out about the 'hidden past' of 1965.

Before the tribunal there were other attempts domestically and internationally to openly talk about historic human rights abuses, some of which were widely covered by media with positive impact. In regard to 1965, there have been three events of major significance. First, the Tahun Kebenaran (The Year of Truth) hearings led by the Coalition for Truth and Justice were held in 2013 in five locations in Indonesia and were focused on various cases of past human rights abuses. Second, the production and screening of Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, which won many awards around the world and attracted large international and domestic audiences, spread new awareness about this period in Indonesia's history. The third event was the extraordinary formal apology made by the local mayor in Palu, Central Sulawesi, in 2013, followed by a reparation program for the victims in that region.

A national counter-response

Minister Luhut was clearly growing increasingly concerned about the 'internationalisation' of the 1965 case. When his colleague, Agus Widjojo, a former general who was recently appointed director of the National Defence Institute, came to him with the idea of holding a public discussion on reconciliation for 1965, the ministry considered it a good forum to counter the 'internationalised' discourse. It funded a national symposium on the 1965 tragedy, which was held in Jakarta on 18 and 19 April.

In his opening speech to the symposium, Luhut stressed his belief that Indonesia and Indonesians should and could find their own ways to solve the historical burden that has haunted the nation for more than five decades now. From the outset, the 'balanced approach' to the symposium program and list of speakers, which included historians, survivors themselves and military figures, meant that the issue of 'numbers' – how many deaths – became a significant obstacle.

In response, Luhut invited civil society groups to provide him with detailed information on mass graves to allow for confirmation of the numbers killed during the communist purge. Human rights and survivors' groups were immediately mobilised into action. A few weeks later, on 9 May, 2016, a group of victims and their supporters met the minister to hand over data on mass graves. Again he stated his intention to settle the case in what he referred as the 'Indonesian way' and made it clear that he opposed 'western' ways of doing justice through truth inquiries or commissions and judicial mechanisms.

This echoed his earlier response to Komnas HAM investigations into 1965 published in 2012 and to subsequent demands that a presidential committee for truth and justice look into cases of past abuses and trials. Symposiums and exhumations of mass graves are part of the Indonesian way of balancing this human rights discourse.

Designed to succeed?

Many human rights groups and victims communities felt that the April symposium was a genuine attempt from the government to settle the 1965 case. However, in an interview on national television a few days after receiving the data on mass graves, Minister Luhut revealed that its true motivation was to counter the 'PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) human rights' campaign typified by the International People's Tribunal and other international efforts to call for truth about 1965.

Two people who played major roles organising the symposium were Sidarto Danubroto and the abovementioned Agus Wijoyo, who acted as coordinator and key advisor. Agus Wijoyo is the son of General Sutoyo who was killed in the incident of 1 October, 1965, which later became known as G30S (the 30 September Movement). He was also one of the commissioners for the Commission for Truth and Friendship, and a founder of the Solidarity Forum for the Nation's Children (FSAB).

Sidarto is a member of the President's Advisory Board. He once worked as President Sukarno's bodyguard and witnessed Sukarno's last days in home detention. He was also head of the special committee for the law on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 2001 to 2004. Both Agus and Sidarto admitted wrongdoings had taken place in 1965-66, where hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Indonesians were killed, illegally detained and tortured. Both believe that if Indonesia wants to move toward a better and more peaceful democracy, reconciliation should take place immediately. However, neither believes a judicial mechanism should be a requirement for seeking the truth.

In the beginning, the symposium was designed to accommodate the narrative of G30S/PKI, or to counter the human rights discourse on the 1965 mass violence. Some members of the initial organising committee withdrew from the process due to the military's insistence on setting such an agenda. These include Karlina Supelli from the Driyarkara School of Philosophy who drafted the first terms of reference of the symposium, and other academics representing Jakarta National University and the University of Indonesia. However, two weeks prior to the symposium Sidarto invited some human rights activists to join the organising committee, bringing significant changes to the agenda and later the settings and outputs of the symposium. Some members of Komnas HAM and the National Press Council were also part of the organising committee.

The terms of reference were revised with the help of prominent academics and advocates who work on the 1965 mass violence and with a large numbers of victims, and also NGOs. Activists also convinced the team to allow for livestreaming and wide media access to the event so that the public would have an opportunity to watch proceedings.

As predicted, once the symposium was underway conflict quickly emerged between the two narratives of the 1965 'tragedy'. The symposium opened with a strong statement from Luhut and retired General Sintong Panjaitan, both denying the mass violence and demanding that proof be given. The various presenters from academia and the military also gave their accounts, and victims told their stories.

Discussions touched on wide ranging aspects including historical background, socio-cultural and psychological dimensions of the violence, the experience of victims and families of those involved, and ways for settling the past abuses. Very little discussion touched on the political dimension of the mass violence nor the role state institutions played in it. Nonetheless, significantly, Sidarto closed the event with an acknowledgement of the state's involvement in the violence and strongly recommended rehabilitation for victims.

Some months later, we are now left to wonder: how effective was the symposium in producing pathways for resolving this historical injustice that has inflicted such deep trauma on the nation?

Whilst the symposium opened a state-sponsored space for discussing the two narratives of 1965 for the first time, and offered some hope for truth and rehabilitation for victims, it has by no means been universally accepted. Human rights organisation, such as Kontras for example, were very critical of the potential outcomes of the event. They argued that the symposium could be used to legitimise impunity, especially when truth does not seem to be the priority in any attempts at reconciliation. Moreover, some were critical of Komnas HAM for its involvement in the symposium because they believed it could potentially delegitimise the organisation's own 2012 inquiry on the 1965 crimes against humanity.

Rebalancing?

Since the symposium in April, in a highly disturbing trend, anti-communist voices seem to be getting more airtime and their activities becoming even more extreme. Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu and retired generals including Kivlan Zein and Sintong have publicly opposed the symposium and stirred up alarmist rhetoric about the re-emergence of communism in Indonesia.

Immediately after the symposium, the army announced a collaboration with mass organisations such as the FPI (Islam Defenders Front) and Front Pancasila, as well as local police, to sweep up any items carrying the image of the hammer and sickle, a symbol universally associated with communism. More public events have been disrupted, including a screening of Rahung's My Homeland, Buru Island organised by the Alliance of Indonesian Journalists in Yogyakarta on 3 May to mark World Press Day. Two activists in Ternate, Maluku, were detained and indicted for wearing t-shirts with the words 'Pencinta Kopi Indonesia' (Indonesian Coffee Lover), which were mistakenly interpreted as representing the PKI.

The sweeping up of allegedly communist material continued through May and June. In some regions this saw the confiscation of any books related to communism, Marxism, the PKI, or any other 'leftist' books. These measures potentially undermine freedom of information and expression in Indonesia. Since January 2015, SafeNet (Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network) has recorded 42 cases of repression of freedom of expression and association in Indonesia. Cases have increased significantly since January this year, with an average of 4 to 5 incidents every month now.

The rebalancing has not stopped there. Kivlan Zen and Kiki Syahnakri, along with other retired military generals and Ryamizard, organised an anti-PKI 'counter symposium' on 1 June at Balai Kartini in South Jakarta. The symposium was funded by prominent figures including Yapto Suryo Soemarno, the leader of Pemuda Pancasila (Pancasila Youth), and involved Islamic fundamentalists and nationalist fundamentalists such as Habib Rizieq, the leader of the FPI, and Sintong. It was also partly funded by Luhut's office, as part of his rebalancing efforts after the April symposium. Minister Luhut and Agus have both been openly accused of being pro-communist, including by some from within the military.

So how should we view Jokowi's progress on his commitment to resolving the 1965 abuses?

The president has been silent on this issue. On 16 May, he issued an order for the police and military to stop confiscating books and to respect the law and democratic principles when carrying out their work. However, as Minister Luhut firmly stated during his 9 May meeting about the graves, the 1965 settlement will not be handed over to the president for approval. Recommendations and a plan of action will be in Luhut's hands only. This means that the symposium can only be considered the starting point of a long process towards the nation confronting its past. But unless there is stronger political leadership on this issue, there is also a real risk that it could be the final chapter before the book is closed on truth and justice in Indonesia.

[Ayu Wahyuningroem (swahyuningroem@gmail.com) is a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Indonesia.]

Source: http://www.insideindonesia.org/justice-denied

Living in a gangster's paradise

New Mandala - July 18, 2016

Bradley Wood – The release of the 2015 Indonesian Defence White Paper has codified the Bela Negara (defend the nation) civilian volunteer program making it an explicit part of Indonesia's defence strategy.

The program aims to recruit 100 million civilians under the age of 50 years from all walks of civilian life over the next 10 years. According to the Defence White Paper, the program is designed to strengthen the values of Indonesia's citizens including patriotism, nation awareness, belief in the Pancasila as the nation's ideology, willingness to sacrifice for the nation, as well as provide the basic capabilities to defend the nation.

According to reports, President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo initiated the program as a way to tackle the issue of unemployed youth in Indonesia, particularly those engaged in antisocial gang behaviour. Media reports regarding the program roll out in Bali suggest that recruitment has targeted Indonesia's 'street thugs' to make them productive members of society through instilling discipline and national values.

A volunteer civilian defence program, however, is not an adequate long-term social policy response that provides the necessary financial support to keep these thugs off the street beyond the initial Bela Negara boot camp training.

At the very least, the program will improve their 'street thug' effectiveness through self-defence and weapons training. They will likely take their new-found skills to the street where they make a living from petty crime, narcotics, and racketeering.

At the very best, it will allow the Indonesian Army to further extend its influence into Indonesia's streets by forming an institutionalised link with many of the street level criminal networks that have largely been the domain of the Indonesian police.

Indonesia's street thugs have long served as a valuable source of street-level intelligence and remained one of the last reliable sources of low-level corruption revenue for Indonesian police on the beat. A policy that adopts Indonesia's street thugs into the military environment will provide the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with senior influential military members.

Military connections will make these street thugs virtually untouchable by local police increasing their power in the local community. Such a policy response may institutionalise criminal activity instead of reducing it. The inclusion of street thugs within the military institution will also redirect the low-level corruption cash flow into the hands of the Indonesian military possibly refuelling tensions between the police and the military.

From within the Indonesian military, the volunteer program has been justified as one of the ways to address the proxy war threat that has been part of the defence rhetoric of the head of Indonesia's military General Gatot Nurmantyo and Defence Minister General (Retired) Ryamizard Ryacudu.

The proxy war argument implies that Indonesia faces a number of non-military threats from foreign entities that aim to control Indonesia's resources through strategically-placed domestic collaborators such as non-government organisations, multinationals, academics, media, social interest groups, and other individuals.

General Nurmantyo, has outlined the proxy war threat to include secessionist movements, inter-group conflicts, and mass demonstrations that are organised, supported, and assisted by foreign entities. The broad definition of the threat has proven to apply to a wide range of issues that run counter to the conservative, nationalistic views within the Indonesian military such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community (LGBT), Islamic radicalisation, and encroaching foreign culture.

The proxy war narrative has been a way to conflate international and domestic threats to strengthen the Indonesian Army's role in internal security. The Bela Negara policy response has also been a way to reaffirm the role of the Indonesian Army as the state's overarching protector at a time when government defence policy pivots towards Jokowi's global maritime fulcrum initiative.

The Indonesian Army remains vulnerable as defence policy pivots towards a naval presence that risks budget cuts to a force that already suffers from constrained official funding. The Indonesian Army makes up a large proportion of its budget from a network of legal and illegal businesses across the archipelago, despite government policies aimed at reforming such practices.

The biggest problem of the Bela Negara program is not the short-term implications outlined above, but when the program moves beyond the hundreds currently being trained over the longer term. The million-dollar question is what role the volunteer civil force will play beyond Jokowi's civilian-led government?

Human rights groups have raised concerns about the policy viewing it as a renewal of notorious civilian militias such as Pasukan Keamanan (PAM SWAKARSA). The government used these militias as a civilian security arm against Indonesian students during the 1998 reformasi demonstrations that led to Indonesia's democracy.

Under current policy, a similar event would be labelled a proxy war and warrant the deployment of a much better trained Bela Negara.

[Bradley Wood is a Master of Strategic Studies student at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in the ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. He tweets @bradleywoodAU and his main research interest focuses on Indonesia. His previous work can be found on his Academia profile.]

Source: http://www.newmandala.org/living-gangsters-paradise/

Give Papua more freedom

Jakarta Post Editorial - July 18, 2016

Indonesia could claim a diplomatic victory over those who have for decades been offering international support for Papuan independence after the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) denied full membership to the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) last week. But that would not change anything in Papua, where discontent and distrust toward Jakarta is still rife.

Sadly, heavy-handed approaches, which have proven to be ineffective and obsolete, have remained the only option available to deal with the dissatisfaction and grievances of Papuan people, as seen in the arrest of dozens of people in Papua and Yogyakarta for throwing their weight behind ULMWP over the past week.

Worse still, in the case of the Yogyakarta incident, local community groups have been involved in suppressing the right of Papuans to voice their thoughts, not to mention the dissemination of old pictures on social media to mislead the public about what really happened.

The anger of Yogyakartans about Papuan "troublemakers" is reminiscent of the role of hard-line groups in the dispersal of academic forums discussing the 1965 tragedy held in the city over the last few years, as well as in the restriction of freedom of expression throughout the country.

There are indeed sporadic armed attacks launched by the Free Papua Organization (OPM), which the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police have cracked down on, because they pose a clear danger to other people and public security.

The Papuan protesters and students are merely expressing their dissatisfaction with the impoverishment they have been enduring in their resource-rich land. So it should come as no surprise if they aspire for an independent state because they have lost trust in the government.

Such demands were once expressed in other mineral and oil-producing regions like Riau, and even in Yogyakarta when its people defended the city's monarchy. But rather than making arrests or clamping down on their aspirations, the central government opted for dialogue to reach a settlement.

There has been no action taken against groups and their members for having openly expressed their aspirations for an Islamic state in the country either.

The fact that Papuan people have to risk arrest and jail sentences on treason charges to simply exercise their freedom of expression will only exacerbate their feelings of being discriminated against and further fortify their struggle to part with Indonesia.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has realized his promise to visit Papua more frequently than his predecessors and ordered the acceleration of development in the easternmost territory, especially the construction of roads that will bring many regions out of isolation.

But the initiatives will not help Jakarta win the hearts and minds of Papuans unless the security approach stops. Papuans do not need special autonomy status that only triggers large-scale corruption in the first place, but fulfillment of their rights as Indonesian citizens.

Our Constitution guarantees them this.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/07/18/give-papua-more-freedom.html