INFID, September 29, 2006
INFID's Short News Overview No. VII/22: September 22-29, 2006
Civilian Supremacy
SBY blasted for slow pace of military reforms
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is being accused of putting off long-awaited
reforms of the powerful Indonesian Military (TNI). The President still depends too much
on the military for his political survival and possible reelection, said Indonesian Human
Rights Watch (Imparsial). In spite of Yudhoyono's rhetoric that the army must stay
out of politics, the organization claimed, there was little proof that his words have
been translated into actions.
"The most telling evidence is that on the same day the President spoke about the
urgency of continuing military reform, one of his ministers balked at a proposal from
the House of Representatives to try soldiers in civilian courts," Imparsial activist Al
A'raf told a news conference in Jakarta on Sep 22. He was referring to a speech made
by Yudhoyono before a TNI leadership meeting on Sep 20, in which he called on
soldiers to stay away from political power struggles, respect law and human rights
and carry on with internal reforms.
Earlier the same day during a meeting with the House of Representatives special
committee on the amendment of the military tribunal law, Defense Minister Juwono
Sudarsono dismissed the committee's proposal that soldiers be tried in civilian courts
for non-military crimes. Juwono argued that such trials could compromise the
country's defense system.
Read more: http://www.infid.be/military_sby_blasted.htm.
TNI related articles:
Support grows for TNI to vote in 2009: http://www.infid.be/military_vote_2009.htm.
Civilian court no place for TNI: Govt: http://www.infid.be/military_civilian_court.htm.
Source: JP 23/9
Govt insists on directly acquiring French-made APCs
The government affirmed on Sep 25 that the purchase of 32 French-made VAB
armored personnel carriers (APCs) will be made directly without a tender process
citing urgent need, limited time and efficient price control.
"Direct appointment is the best way out of four procurement alternatives stipulated by
regulations on procurement," Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono told lawmakers at
House of Representatives.
The government has decided to buy the VAB APCs directly from the maker Renault
Trucks to support the Garuda Contingent XXIIIA to be sent to Lebanon as part of the
UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL. House members, however, demanded that the
government conduct a bidding process instead of direct appointment.
Juwono said that Renault Trucks was the only maker of VAB APCs. The vehicles in
questions are stock surplus of the French Army made in 1998.
"The APCs are modified to meet the Indonesian Army's specification such as adding
integrated logistic support (ILS) with five-year guarantee," said Juwono.
"As for price, the maker has lowered its initial price of 700,000 euros each to 609,000
euros for command version, 584,000 euros for standard troop-carrier and 527,000
euros for ambulance version."
The price was lowered after a team from Ministry of Defense renegotiated the price
with Renault Trucks. The ministry plans to buy two command vehicles, 24 standard
APCs and six armored ambulance. The APCs will be sent directly from France to
Lebanon from end of October to December. Training sessions are provided to
Indonesian soldiers who will drive and maintain the vehicles.
Earlier in 1996 and 1997, Indonesia acquired 18 units of four-wheelers VAB costed at
700,000 euros each. The price excluded communication system, ILS and weaponry.
Related article:
House gives in to armored vehicle plan:
http://www.infid.be/military_house_armored.htm.
Source: Antara 25/9
General News
Jakarta says graft crimes violate human rights
Indonesian agencies linked to the country's energised drive to combat graft cemented
a deal to work closer together on Sep 25, with one top official saying corruption is a
serious violation of human rights. Widespread corruption has been cited as one of the
elements hurting Indonesia's struggle to lure foreign businesses to invest in badly
needed infrastructure projects.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono rose to power in 2004 with a vow to combat
graft in Indonesia, ranked among the world's most corrupt countries according to
Transparency International. Since his high-profile anti-graft campaign started, officials
ranging from a former religious affairs minister to the governor of Aceh province have
been jailed on corruption charges.
Helping spearhead the drive has been the anti-corruption commission, KPK, which
has the power to make arrests, take over investigations from the police and fast-track
sensitive cases.
"Corruption is an extraordinary crime. Corruption denigrates the dignity of the nation,
the state and and the government. Corruption disrupts national stability and hurts
development," KPK chief Taufiequrachman Ruki said in a speech before signing a
cooperation pact with the State Audit Agency.
"What is clear is that corruption violates human rights," said the former police general
who has led the KPK since its formation nearly three years ago.
KPK's most high-profile case so far involves a probe into the election commission, a
body comprised largely of respected academics which won praise for organising the
2004 elections.
The chief election commissioner and several other officials have been sent to jail over
poll-related kickbacks.
Read more: http://www.infid.be/hr_graft.htm
Source: Reuters 25/9
Executions give RI law a bad name: Activists
The executions of three Catholics convicted of leading a deadly attack on Muslims
during sectarian strife in 2000 has further undermined public trust in the legal system,
an expert says. Indonesian Legal Aid Institute Association coordinator Hendardi said
on Sep. 24 he believed the executions of the three were politically motivated.
"The government has used the law for its political interests and this will have a
considerable impact. The law will get a bad name because of this," Hendardi said.
Fabianus Tibo, 61, Marinus Riwu, 49 and Dominggus da Silva, 41, were shot dead by
firing squad early on Friday for their role in the killing of between 70 and 191 Muslims
in Poso, Central Sulawesi, in 2000. Human rights activists and Catholics had
protested the executions and asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to
intervene in the affair.
"This is how we serve justice. If they were already convicted and all other legal
avenues had been taken; they had to be executed," Vice President Jusuf Kalla told
Antara in Washington DC. "This is totally a legal matter, not a religious or ethnic
one."
Hendardi said while the government could reject accusations the executions were
politically motivated many people believed the opposite.
"The government can say anything about (the executions) it likes, but the facts show
that they were politicized," he said.
While both Muslims and Christians have been arrested and tried for the sectarian
violence, no Muslims were given death penalty sentences, causing some observers to
accuse the courts of playing favorites.
Since the executions, human rights watchdogs have renewed calls for the abolition of
capital punishment in the country on the grounds that it is in violation of the
Constitution and international conventions. The Constitution guarantees the lives of
Indonesian citizens and promises to protect them from forms of oppression. The rights
to live is also stated in the 1999 Human Rights Law and the 2005 Law on Civil and
Political Rights.
A coalition of seven human rights NGOs urged the government to grant more
clemency requests filed by death row convicts and establish a moratorium on the
death penalty. They also called for the government explain to the public the reason for
the execution of Fabianus, Marinus and Dominggus. The government should not have
pressed ahead with the executions because the three had one more request for
clemency, the coalition said.
The executions sparked outrages of Christian mobs in Central Sulawesi and East
Nusa Tenggara. The mobs blockaded roads in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara, looted
Muslim-owned shops and burned a prison, freeing hundreds of inmates. On the island
of Flores, the executed men's birthplace, machete-wielding mobs ran through the
streets, sending women and children running in panic. Police arrested nine people,
six in Atambua regency and three in Sikka regency, who were accused of
masterminding the riots.
Related articles:
Security Forces on Guard in Indonesia: http://www.infid.be/poso_on_guard.htm.
Mourners pray for executed Indonesian Christians:
http://www.infid.be/poso_mourners.htm.
Big turnouts for burials of Poso 3: http://www.infid.be/poso_turnout.htm
Indonesian police deny rumours Christian tortured before executions:
http://www.infid.be/poso_torture_deny.htm.
Family of executed man demand new autopsy:
http://www.infid.be/poso_demand_autopsy.htm.
Sources: JP 25/9, Antara 26/9
Stability is more important than democracy for investors: Kalla
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Sep 23 that political stability and investment
security were more important to foreign investors than democracy.
"Many foreigners praise and recognize Indonesia for our democratic achievement
saying Indonesia is one of the largest democracies -- saying that we have a moderate
form of Islam. Yet they choose to invest in countries like China which they condemn
for its human rights abuses," said Kalla. Kalla was speaking at a dialog with
Indonesians moderated by Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, Sudjadnan
Parnohadiningrat. Also present at the dialog were Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu,
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Investment
Coordinating Board chief Muhammad Lutfi and Indonesian Permanent Representative
to the UN Rezlan Jenie.
The Vice President said that he had come to the conclusion that foreign investors
needed stability more than democracy before deciding to invest in a particular
country.
"Stability and security in Indonesia is getting better although we still have some image
problems. We have a huge potential that can be further developed."
Related articles on Kalla's visit to US:
Many have wrong understanding of sharia-based regional regulation, VP says:
http://www.infid.be/jk_understanding_sharia.htm.
'Indonesia is safe for foreign investment': http://www.infid.be/jk_safe.htm
Source: JP 25/9
Police foil attempted closure of church
The suppression of religious freedom in this predominantly Muslim nation continues in
West Java, where dozens of churches and places of worship have been forcibly
closed by Muslim extremists over the past year. A mob of around 50 people
attempted Saturday to demolish a house they claimed was being used illegally by
Christians as a place of worship in the hamlet of Cibintinu, Arjasari village, some 20
kilometers south of Bandung. But police foiled the attempted closure of the church,
telling the mob that neither individuals nor organizations were authorized to shut any
house of worship.
The incident took place a day before Muslims across the country started the fasting
month of Ramadhan. The abortive attempt received the backing of Muslim hard-liners
grouped under the Anti-Apostasy Division (DAP) of the Islamic Ulema Forum (FUUI)
led by Suryana Nur Fatwama.
Under the revised joint decree issued earlier this year by Religious Affairs Minister
Maftuh Basyuni and Home Minister M. Ma'ruf, the establishment of a house of
worship must gain the approval of at least 60 local residents and have a minimum of
90 followers.
Churches in several cities across West Java have been under threat due to the
actions of Islamic extremists including the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the
Alliance of Anti-Apostasy Movement. The number of churches forcibly closed in West
Java alone since September 2004 is reported to be 30. Dozens of other churches
were also forced to close in other provinces.
The UK-based human rights watchdog Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has
warned of the increasing trend in church closures in West Java, raising international
concern.
Read more: http://www.infid.be/church_police.htm.
Related article:
Terror and Islamic Struggle in Indonesia:
http://www.infid.be/terror_islamic_struggle.htm.
Source: JP 24/9
Geologists Say Indonesia Mud Flow Might Be Unstoppable
European geologists said on Sep. 25 it may be impossible to stop a massive surge of
hot sludge on Indonesia's densely populated island of Java, saying it could be the
birth of a new mud volcano. The mud, which runs five meters (16 feet) deep in some
places, has submerged houses in four villages since it started spewing from a hole
four months ago, displacing more than 10,000 people. At least 20 factories and 270
hectares (665 acres) of land have been inundated or abandoned due to safety
reasons.
Dr. Grigorii Akhmanov of the Moscow State University said there was no way to know
what triggered the mud flow - tectonic activity or drilling by the gas exploration
company Lapindo Brantas. In either case, stopping it would be very difficult if not
impossible, he said of efforts by Lapindo to halt the eruption by pumping concrete into
shafts alongside the hole. "Once you try to stop this, it will appear from some other
side," he said.
The mud has repeatedly washed onto a major toll road, closing it for weeks at a time,
and now threatens a rail link in the industrial area just outside Surabaya, Indonesia's
second-largest city.
Adriano Mazzini from the Physics of Geological Processes Research Center of the
University of Oslo said the disaster could be the birth of a new mud volcano - providing
a unique opportunity for geologists.
"Nobody has ever studied a mud volcano from day one," he said, adding that it could
die any time or continue to flow for centuries.
On Sep. 27 Greenpeace activists poured buckets of greyish mud taken from the
inundated East Java site -- which has grown into an area of mud ponds larger than
Monaco -- in front of the office of chief people's welfare minister Aburizal Bakrie. Much
of it landed on a layer of white cloth Greenpeace had spread out, but some spilled
onto the pavement. An aide of the ministry said the minister may sue Greenpeace for
this action.
Related articles:
Mudspill Misery on Indonesia's Java: http://www.infid.be/mudspill_misery.htm.
Catastrophic mudslide could last 100 years, say scientists:
http://www.infid.be/mudslide_100years.htm.
Jakarta minister may sue Greenpeace over mud protest:
http://www.infid.be/mudflow_greenpeace_sued.htm.
Indonesia's Gusher of Gas, Mud and Graft: http://www.infid.be/gas_mud_graft.htm.
Sources: AP 25/9, Reuters 28/9
800,000 Still Homeless After Java Quake
As many as 800,000 Indonesians remain without adequate shelter four months after a
devastating earthquake in central Java, as a shortfall in international funding and the
slow disbursement of government reconstruction grants curb efforts to rebuild.
About 6,000 people died and a further 38,000 were seriously injured in May's
6.3-magnitude earthquake just south of the city of Yogyakarta. It also left an
estimated 1.2m people homeless, with up to 300,000 homes rendered uninhabitable,
according to the United Nations.
But the government in Jakarta has yet to begin distributing Rp15m ($1,600, 1,300)
reconstruction grants to families left homeless by the quake. The UN, meanwhile, has
been able to raise only about 40 per cent of the $88m it sought from donors and aid
workers say as many as 40,000 homeless families - or 160,000 people - have yet to
receive help of any kind.
Read more: http://www.infid.be/javaquake_still_homeless.htm.
Source: FT 28/9
Activists protest intimidation
Environmental activists are demanding the government do more to end the intimidation
and violence against people who report illegal logging. "Some parties have resorted to
terror and intimidation to protect illegal loggers. Activists, forestry officials and
journalists are often subject to threats," Environmental Investigation Agency director
Dave Currey said last week.
The agency said violence against people who reported on timber theft had worsened
during the past 10 years. There have been reports of activists and journalists being
kidnapped, attacked or intimidated by thugs hired by loggers.
"Journalist Abi Kusno was left unconscious after being attacked by armed thugs while
investigating an alleged illegal timber business in Central Kalimantan," the agency
said in a statement.
Related article:
Indonesia May Strengthen Forestry Rules Soon:
http://www.infid.be/forestry_rules.htm.
Walhi appeals over environment trial: http://www.infid.be/walhi_appeals_trial.htm.
A Win for Press Freedom: http://www.infid.be/press_freedom_win.htm.
Source: JP 25/9
Aceh
Corruption, fraud haunt efforts to rebuild regions hit by 2004 tsunami
Oxfam International's staff in Indonesia's Aceh province knew something was amiss
last March when they started seeing inflated bills for construction supplies. The
British-based agency shut operations in the city of Aceh Besar for a month, and an
internal investigation led to misconduct charges against 10 staffers over the loss of
US$22,000 (17,100). "It was like pulling a string on a scarf. It might be one incident,
but it was linked to something else that was linked to something else," Melinda
Young, program manager for Oxfam's Aceh office, said. Aid agencies say corruption
is a constant threat in the tsunami disaster zones because of the size of the relief
effort, a lack of local oversight and a history of corruption in many affected countries.
Read more: http://www.infid.be/tsunami_fraud.htm.
Aceh related article:
Failure of tsunami reconstruction leaves humanitarian agencies under fire:
http://www.infid.be/tsunami_under_fire.htm.
Candidate protests Koran test score: http://www.infid.be/aceh_woman_koran.htm.
Joint land title policy launched in Aceh: http://www.infid.be/aceh_land_title.htm.
Popular Post-Tsunami Radio Show Signs Off in Aceh, Indonesia:
http://www.infid.be/aceh_radio_off.htm.
A Hostage Drama: http://www.infid.be/aceh_hostage.htm.
SBY 'deserves Nobel Peace Prize': http://www.infid.be/aceh_sby_nobel.htm.
Women 'victims' in reconstruction: http://www.infid.be/tsunami_women.htm.
Source: AP 22/9
Papua
Vanuatu to raise Indonesian Papua at Pacific summit
Vanuatu's prime minister has confirmed his country will raise the issue of Papua at
next month's Pacific Islands Forum leaders' meeting in Fiji. Ham Lini says Vanuatu
intends to continue its long tradition of supporting Papua's push for self-determination.
Mr Lini said a suggestion from earlier in the year that Forum leaders or foreign
ministers form a delegation to travel to Indonesia for talks with Jakarta has so far
come to nothing. But he says Vanuatu now enjoys increased contact with Indonesia
and the time is right for more international discussion on Papua.
[Lini] I strongly believe that it should be on the agenda. The Vanuatu delegation will
raise it somehow. Whether it is on the agenda or not, it will be raised during question
time or oral discussion time. Whatever countries don't support it, that's their stand but
Vanuatu (?is always trying) to push this forward. But I strongly believe it will be
appearing on the agenda.
Papua related articles:
Misrule in Papua: http://www.infid.be/papua_misrule.htm.
Papuan Refugees Were Hand-Picked: http://www.infid.be/papua_handpicked.htm.
Suharto's Legacy Rules and Divides: http://www.infid.be/papua_suharto.htm.
Papuan plot `no surprise': http://www.infid.be/papua_plot_no.htm.
More Questions for the ICG on Papua Issue:
http://www.infid.be/papua_icg_questions.htm.
Source: BMA 21/9
Abbreviations
AFP Agence France-Presse
AP Associated Press
JP The Jakarta Post
FT Financial Times
BMA BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
|
