INFID, December 02, 2004
INFID's Short News Overview No. V/35: Nov 26-Dec 2, 2004
INFID News
Announcement
INFID will hold an organisational development workshop and an annual planning
meeting from December 8 to December 16, 2004. INFID Secretariat in Jakarta will not
be fully operational during this period and the European Liaison Office will be closed
until January 3, 2005.
This will be the last short news overview (SNO) this year. The next SNO will be posted
again in the second week of January.
INFID Related Issues
Indonesia Not to Seek Moratorium for Foreign Debt Repayment
Finance Minister Jusuf Anwar said the government will not seek moratorium for its
foreign debt repayment.
Moratorium will have a negative impact on the country's economic interest, Anwar told
legislators of the Commission IX in a meeting on Nov. 29. He said the moratorium will
lead to the country's exclusion from the international community.
What the country needs is to restrain from using debt to finance unnecessary
purposes, he said. He added that Indonesia has so far succeeded in maintaining its
good reputation in repaying debt as scheduled. The government will seek more debt
swaps converting debt in foreign exchanges into rupiah, to reduce debt repayment
burden, he said.
Debt swap negotiations have been made with France and Britain for loans used in the
procurement of 1,000 units of bus and a housing project in Jakarta, Anwar added. The
government has to pay commitment fee for yet undisbursed loans of US$1 billion from
the World Bank and US$2 billion from ADB, Anwar said. Commitment fee is 0.75 per
cent of the loans a year.
Source: AA 30/11
General News
Munir
Activists and close friends of noted rights campaigner Munir submitted on Nov. 26, to
the government, candidates for an independent team, who would assist the police in
investigating his mysterious death.
The Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) and the Commission for Missing
Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) nominated 14 people, comprising lawyers,
legal experts, rights activists, police, members of the House of Representatives, and
prosecutors. Among the proposed candidates are Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii
Maarif, rights campaigner Asmara Nababan, lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, legal
experts Bambang Widjojanto and Hendardi, and chairman of the National Commission
on Human Rights Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara.
The team will work alongside the police's team, which is currently in the Netherlands
to obtain the original copy of the results of the autopsy on Munir. According to the
draft, the team will report to the President and complete its work within three months
after embarking on its mission. Its working period can be extended for another three
months. The draft says the team is authorized to convey opinions to the police,
summon and question people connected to the case when necessary, and
recommend to the President policies to prevent political assassinations in the future.
Death on Flight 974: http://www.infid.be/munir_974.htm
In Pursuit of the Autopsy File: http://www.infid.be/munir_tempo_3011.htm.
Source: JP 27/11
TNI-Police Clash in Aceh
A conflict over palm oil business interests is suspected to have been the trigger
behind the armed clash between TNI (armed forces) troops and the Mobile Brigade
(Brimob) in the village of Seuneubok Bace in East Aceh on November 25. This was
revealed by a source of local newspaper Sinar Harapan within the East Aceh police
department when they were contacted on Nov. 27. The source said that the Brimob
post in Seuneubok Bace village had been turned into a forward sectoral coordinating
command post for all troops deployed in East Aceh. "It's not just Brimob, but marines
and other TNI task force units which are constantly dropping by the Brimob post",
said the source.
Meanwhile the deputy-commander of the East Aceh district task force Superintendent
Agustri who was contacted by Sinar Harapan on Nov. 27 explained that the attack on
the Brimob post was planned beforehand. This was revealed by short message
service (SMS) messages which were found in a cellular phone being held as evidence
in the incident.
"From a number of read SMSs from the mobile phone it is known that the attack on
the Brimob post in the Seuneubok Bace village was planned the day beforehand and
involved a certain private from Rifle Company B, Peudawa, Battalion 111, who is being
investigated and is known by the name Haris", revealed Agustri. The SMSs also
described the moment of the attack on the Brimob post.
During the attack a Brimob member Private Juanzein was shot dead by a bullet in the
head. Three other Brimob members, Privates Faizal, Alida and Dikdik Santosa were
seriously wounded in the shooting.
Full text: http://www.infid.be/military_brimob.htm.
Source: SH 29/11 (received from Indoleft news)
East Timor jailed pro-Jakarta militiamen for 1999 violence
Eight former pro-Jakarta militiamen have been jailed in East Timor for crimes against
humanity committed in the mayhem surrounding a 1999 UN-backed vote that led to
the country's separation from Indonesia.
A special court on Nov. 25 convicted the eight of abducting and torturing two
independence supporters in Dili in May 1999.
The convictions brought to 72 the number of people convicted in East Timor over the
violence, according to a statement from the country's serious crime unit.
United Nations-funded prosecutors have indicted 369 people, including former
Indonesian armed forces chief General Wiranto, but 281 of them are in Indonesia,
which refuses to hand anyone over for trial. Of 18 people sentenced by a rights
tribunal set up in Jakarta to try those accused of abuses in East Timor, all have since
been cleared or remain free pending appeal, prompting criticism from activists and
foreign governments.
Source: AFP 29/11
Street Art Festival in Jakarta
To commemorate the "Seattle 1999", an event described by the media as "the Battle
of Seattle", the milestone of the antiglobalisation movement, several NGOs organise a
street festival in Jakarta. Bonnie Setiawan, the director of Institut of Global Justice,
one of the co-organiser of the event said that Seattle was still a source of inspiration
for the antiglobalisation movement. "In Java, there are a lot of artists and groups who
are inspired by (the) Seattle (1999), from which we have the idea to organise a street
festival. We will have music, arts-on-the-street, performances, workshops and
debates. The central themes will be water privatisation, healthcare, education and
imports of agriculture products," Bonnie explained.
The festival will take place on December 4 and 5.
See the flyer at: http://www.infid.be/flyer_streetfestivalNOv04.pdf.
Source: 11.11.11 website
Buyat case ordered to be taken to the court
The Attorney General's Office has ordered the North Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office to
bring the pollution case involving PT Newmont Minahasa Raya to court, an official
says. RJ Soehandoyo, spokesman of the office, said prosecutors were expected to
prepare indictments against six Newmont executives. The six executives include two
Americans, an Australian and three Indonesians. N.E. Worotikan, chief prosecutor in
North Sulawesi province, said that his office was waiting for a final dossier from police
and he hoped to file formal charges by mid-December. Other prosecutors said
separate charges would be filed against PT Newmont Minahasa Raya.
A government-commissioned probe found sediment in Buyat Bay in North Sulawesi,
near a gold mine run by Newmont Minahasa Raya, had significant levels of arsenic
and mercury. Newmont denies that the bay, 1,400 miles (2,200 km) northeast of
Jakarta, was contaminated by its mining and says it has followed Indonesian laws. In
Denver, Newmont spokesman Doug Hock said the company had no official comment
other than to reiterate it was confident the facts would show the company did not
pollute the bay and that people were not sickened by its operations.
Buyat Case: Economic Growth Versus Environment:
http://www.infid.be/buyat_todung.htm
Newmont Faces Off Against Indonesian Police, Activists:
http://www.infid.be/newmont_faceoff.htm.
U.S. Mining Giant Criticized in Indonesia: http://www.infid.be/buyat_newmont.htm.
Sources: JP 1/12, Reuters 30/11
Regional News
Aceh
November 25
Military spokesman Ari Mulya Asnawi said government troops killed seven suspected
rebels in Aceh, ahead of a visit by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to the
province. Soldiers fatally shot four guerillas on Nov. 24 during gunbattles in northern
Aceh and three guerillas in east Aceh. Soldiers also recovered two automatic rifles, a
handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, he said.
November 26
District military chief Jamhur Ismail said eleven people including seven Aceh
separatist rebels have died in the latest clashes ahead of President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono's first visit to the province. Among the victims were the village chief of the
Ujung Pulo Cut area in South Aceh, his wife and 10-year-old child, he said, blaming
the Free Aceh Movement rebels for the attack. Rebels stormed into the village chief's
house and opened fire on his whole family, he claimed, adding the motive was not
known.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held discussions with hundreds of government officials,
religious leaders and others in the provincial city of Banda Aceh amid tight security.
But he didn't meet with rebels from the Free Aceh Movement or with civic groups that
espouse independence. The trip is Yudhoyono's first to the province since becoming
president in October. He has said he will make ending the Aceh conflict one of his
priorities. He told the Acehnese that special autonomy was the best way to resolve
the Aceh conflict, signaling that there would be no policy changes in dealing with the
secessionist movement there.
November 29
Thamrin Ananda, from the Acehnese Popular Democratic Resistance Front (Front
Perlawanan Demokratik Rakyat Aceh, FPDRA) said that President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono is to be sued by 4.1 million Acehnese people on the grounds that his
broke his campaign promise by extending the civil emergency in Aceh. The suit is to
be registered with the Central Jakarta State Court by the People's Lawyers Union
(Serikat Pengacara Rakyat, SPR). Thamrin is the plaintiff's coordinator.
December 2
Local army chief Capt. Nugroho Imam said government troops shot and killed five
suspected separatist guerrillas in in Jambu Aye subdistrict in North Aceh regency.The
troops also seized four guns after the one-hour battle near Lhokbintang village, he
said. It was the third gunbattle in Aceh since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
visited the region last week.
Yudhoyono Betrays the Acehnese People: http://www.infid.be/aceh_sby.htm.
Sources: AP 25/12 26/12 2/12,DC 28/11 (received from Indoleft News), AFP 26/12
Papua
Police clashed with around 100 rock-throwing protesters at an independence rally in
Papua on Dec. 1. At least three demonstrators and one police officer were injured,
witnesses and police said.
Police arrested the organizer of the protest in a suburb of the provincial capital,
Jayapura, a police official said on condition of anonymity. The demonstration was
called to mark the separatist movement's failed declaration of independence on Dec.1,
1961.
Papuan activists face terror for celebrating 1 December anniversary:
http://www.infid.be/papua_1dec.htm.
Source: AP 1/12
Abbreviations
AA Asia Pulse/Antara
AFP Agence France-Presse
AP Associated Press
JP The Jakarta Post
SH Sinar Harapan
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