INFID, February 24, 2004
INFID's Short News Overview No. VI/5: February 18-24, 2005
General News
Munir Case
The investigation into the murder of top human rights campaigner Munir suffered
another setback as national carrier Garuda Indonesia canceled a scheduled
preliminary reconstruction of the case.
Head of the government-sanctioned fact finding team Brig. Gen. Marsudi Hanafi said
on Feb. 23 that he was disappointed with the cancellation.
"Pak Pranowo (Director of Transnational Security Brig. Gen. Pranowo who is in
charge of the investigation into the murder case) told me that Garuda Indonesian had
canceled the reconstruction which was supposed to be held last night (Tuesday night)
because several of its cabin crews were on duty," Marsudi said.
"This is impossible. Why were the cabin crew not ready since we told them (Garuda
officials) about the reconstruction three weeks ago. There should have been enough
time to replace the crew if they had been on duty at that time," Marsudi added.
He added that the fact-finding team would send a letter to Garuda to question the
cancellation.
Garuda Delays Munir Probe: http://www.infid.be/munir_delay.htm.
Source: JP 24/02
SBY: Police, Military involved in illegal logging
Responding to an embarrassing but hardly surprising report that Indonesia is home to
the world’s biggest timber smuggling racket, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
has ordered the arrest of illegal logging tycoons and their backers in the military and
police.
The president on Feb. 22 (22/2/05) summoned five high-ranking state officials to his
Jakarta office for an unscheduled meeting and instructed them to get tough on the
financiers of illegal logging, as well as military, police and other state officials involved
in the crime.The order comes after the London-based Environmental Investigation
Agency (EIA) and Indonesian conservation group Telapak last week reported that
300,000 cubic meters of merbau timber is being smuggled out of Papua province
every month to feed China's timber processing industry.
The five officials summoned were Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Kaban, Home
Affairs Minister Muhammad Maruf, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) chief of general
staff General Adam Damiri (who was representing TNI commander General
Endriartono Sutarto), National Police chief General Dai Bachtiar and Immigration
Director General Imam Santoso.
One of the key points that the groups pointed out on Feb. 17, was that the operation
was allegedly supported and managed by high-ranking Indonesian Military (TNI)
officers in cahoots with other government officials and law enforcers.
SBY Orders Arrest of Illegal Logging Bosses:
http://www.infid.be/logging_sby_arrest.htm.
Sources: LN 23/02, JP 22/02 23/02
Air Force wants turn to lead TNI
Outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Chappy Hakim has suggested that the
President consider a high ranking Air Force officer as the next commander in chief of
the Indonesian Military (TNI), saying that a rotation among the three forces in leading
the TNI was in line with the spirit of the existing law on the military. He said that such
a rotation would "promote equality, justice and respect among the three branches of
the military."
He made the comments amid reports that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is
planning to replace the current TNI Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto in the near
future as part of an overall reshuffle within the military. He has recently appointed
three new chiefs of staff of the military.
According to Law No. 34/2004 on the military, the President can only pick active
senior officers who have held the post of chief of staff to be eligible as TNI
commander.
Chappy, as well as former Navy chief Adm. Bernard Kent Sondakh, are not eligible for
the top post because they passed retirement age two years ago. Meanwhile, the
previous army chief, Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, could still be promoted into the top
post as he has yet to reach retirement age.
The law on the military stipulates that chiefs of staff of the three branches of the
military should take turns in leading the TNI.
The Changing Scenario: http://www.infid.be/military_scenario.htm.
Source: JP 23/02
SBY: TNI, Police won't be reunited
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono denied on Feb. 21 reports that the government
would again combine the Indonesia Military (TNI) and the National Police in an effort to
boost the coordination of the two institutions.
"The President said that he had no intention of merging the military and the police,"
said Fadjrul Falaakh, a member of the National Law Commission (KHN), after a
meeting with the President in Jakarta.
He quoted Susilo as saying that the separation of the two institutions was part of the
country's sweeping reforms marked by the 1998 downfall of Soeharto.
Earlier last week, Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono was quoted by national
media as saying his office was drafting a law that would effectively reunite the TNI and
police, as a means to improve coordination in dealing with domestic security.
Draft defense and security law a step back for military reform:
http://www.infid.be/military_step_back.htm.
Source: JP 22/02
'I don't care' about graft report: Minister
Government officials appeared indifferent when responding to a survey by
Transparency International Indonesia (TII), which ranked Jakarta and the customs
office most corrupt institutions.
"I don't care," was the simple response of Minister of Finance Yusuf Anwar, who
oversees the customs service, on Feb. 17 when commenting on the survey findings.
Apart from the customs service, the finance ministry also oversees the tax service,
which is named as the eleventh most corrupt institution in TII's list.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said that the fact that his feif was the most
corrupt city "makes sense". Sutiyoso, meanwhile, said that with over 70 percent of
the country's economic transactions taking place in the capital city, so "it makes
sense that most corruption cases took place here". The survey, he argued, was not
about corruption "within the city administration".
Sutiyoso also believed that the survey might have selected the wrong respondents.
The responses of the two officials were regretted by TII board of directors member
Todung Mulya Lubis.
"Those comments show the government's arrogance. They should have been
ashamed (with the survey findings) instead of getting angry," he said. "The report
reflects the business community's perceptions on corruption. The government should
have reflected on its performance."
Full text: http://www.infid.be/corruption_care.htm.
Corruption, who cares?: http://www.infid.be/corruption_who.htm.
Responses to graft survey show depth of problem:
http://www.infid.be/corruption_response.htm.
Source: JP 22/03
US-RI Military ties
Indonesia welcomed efforts by the United States to restore full military training ties
with Jakarta, saying the time was ripe to resume links that were downgraded 13 years
ago.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Washington on Feb. 17 that she was
in the final stages of consultations with Congress on certifying Indonesia as eligible for
the International Military Education and Training program.
"I think it's a good time to do that," she said, citing what she called Indonesia's
"successful" presidential election last year and cooperation in the investigation of the
2002 murder of two Americans in Indonesia.
In Jakarta, foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said a full resumption of the
training program would serve as a "correction for an anomaly" that had hindered
relations between the two countries. He said that the U.S. should also revive contacts
between military officers from the two countries, and not only the training or
equipment purchase programs.
Premature Engagement: We should be wary of embracing Indonesia's military before
it reforms: http://www.infid.be/military_premature.htm.
After the Tsunami Military Aid For Indonesia?:
http://www.infid.be/tsunami_military_aid.htm.
Sources: AFP 18/02, JP 19/02
Tsunami
Australia's military will end its tsunami relief efforts in Aceh by March 26, holding to
an Indonesian government timetable for withdrawal of foreign troops lending aid to the
battered region, Brig. David Chalmers, the force commander said on Feb. 24.
The about 1000 Australian soldiers were among troops from more than a dozen
nations that helped in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Most foreign soldiers
have returned home or are gradually withdrawing from the province. Besides Australia,
the U.S., Pakistan, Britain, France, Japan and New Zealand have also dispatched
forces to assist in the relief effort.
Survivors in the province welcomed the troops, but their presence concerned
nationalist lawmakers and some government officials, who complained the country's
sovereignty was being compromised. The government said in January that it wanted
international troops to leave by March 26.
Tsunami could rechart Aceh's Future: http://www.infid.be/tsunami_pramoedya.htm.
Acehnese Reconstruction Waits for No Plan:
http://www.infid.be/tsunami_reconstruction.htm.
From Home to Hamlets: http://www.infid.be/tsunami_home.htm.
Helping Aceh: What works and what does not : http://www.infid.be/helping_aceh.htm
Slow Reconstruction in Quake-Devastated Aceh:
http://www.infid.be/tsunami_slow.htm.
Indonesia mulls plan to build 'escape hills' for tsunami-hit Aceh; Asian nations review
Japan's tsunami warning system: http://www.infid.be/tsunami_hill.htm.
Source: AP 24/02
Regional News
Aceh
Talks between Indonesia's government and Aceh province rebels' leadership ended on
Feb. 23 as planned, with a third round tentatively set for April. Former Finnish
President Martti Ahtisaari, who presided over the talks, said that the third round of
talks would take place April 12-17 in the Finnish capital. Bakhtiar Abdullah,
spokesman for the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), confirmed the group would return to
Finland in April, and the Indonesian communications minister, Sofyan Djalil, said that
"most likely the meeting will take place."
Leaders of the GAM have reportedly agreed to drop their previous insistence on full
independence for Aceh during the peace talks. This concession is considered a key
step forward for the talks and could pave the way for more negotiations. Malik
Mahmud, head of Aceh's self-proclaimed government, said after the talks that they
had not given up "the struggle for independence" but conceded that it was no longer
an issue in the talks.
GAM remained resolute in its goal to have 50,000 Indonesian soldiers and police
removed from Aceh. GAM has insisted on a U.N.-supervised plebiscite on
self-determination in the region, but Jakarta fears a repetition of the 1999
independence referendum in its former territory of East Timor, where 80% of the
population opted for independence despite a brutal military campaign to intimidate
voters to choose autonomy within Indonesia.
Analysts and Indonesian politicians said on Feb. 23 while the move was a big step
forward, hurdles remained, especially defining what the rebels meant by being willing
to accept "self-rule" instead of independence.
"I wouldn't call it a breakthrough yet. We have to find out what the fine print is," said
Sidney Jones, Southeast Asia director for the International Crisis Group (ICG)
think-tank and an expert on the 30-year Aceh conflict. "We don't know what the
details are and we don't know what other conditions GAM might demand nor do we
know how flexible the Indonesian government will be."
Government officials in Jakarta declined to comment but Indonesia's powerful military
welcomed GAM's apparent change.
Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) commander Endriartono Sutarto praised GAM for
offering to drop its demand for independence in peace talks with the government but
rejected GAM’s demand that Indonesian troops should be pulled out of Aceh.
Theo Sambuaga, head of parliament's commission on security and foreign affairs, said
parliament would be willing to discuss more options for an autonomy package if GAM
did not push for independence or seek a referendum on Aceh's political future.
TNI Welcomes GAM's New Stance: http://www.infid.be/aceh_tni_welcome.htm
GAM Mulls Dropping Independence Demand: http://www.infid.be/aceh_drop.htm.
Aceh Peace Would Aid Indonesia Economy: http://www.infid.be/aceh_citigroup.htm.
Tsunami Aids Aceh Peace Cause: http://www.infid.be/tsunami_peace.htm.
Hardliners on Both Sides Threaten Aceh Settlement:
http://www.infid.be/aceh_hardliners.htm.
Sources: AP 23/02, LN 23/02, AFP 23/02, Reuters 23/02
Abbreviations
AFP Agence France-Presse
AP Associated Press
JP The Jakarta Post
LN Laksamana.Net
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