INFID
INFID | TAPAK Ambon | AKUI
| PosKo Zwolle | Diverse Artikelen
Title
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Short News Overview.
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No
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76
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Period
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25 January 2002 - 31 January
2002
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INFID News
INFID and New Indonesia
Association (PIB) organised a seminar on Jan. 28, 2002. The seminar, “The
role of Indonesian Leaders in economic recovery: How the economic team brings
Indonesia out of the economic stagnation” took place at Hotel Cemara, Jakarta
and presented Dr. Sjahrir (economy observer/PIB), Dr. HS Dillon (ex-head of
Co-ordination Body for Poverty Eradication (BKPK)), Binny Buchori (INFID
Executive Secretary) and Yopie Hidayat (journalist, weekly economic tabloid
Kontan) as speakers. Among the participants were media editors and chief
editors, academicians, students, representatives of mass organisations,
political parties and non-governmental organisations.
Objectives of the seminar:
- Revisiting the Indonesian economic situation and the economic policy of
Megawati’s economic team.
- Analysing and drawing lessons from the Argentine case.
- Discussing the foreign debt problem and the alternative solutions for
Indonesia.
- Discussing steps of pro-poor and just economic recovery
INFID Related Issues
IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved new loans worth US$341 million
for Indonesia. Finance minister Boediono said that the loans would be
disbursed in a few days, and with the loan approval, the IMF also agreed to
extend its aid program by another year until 2003. The extension includes the
extended fund facility worth 3.638 million SDR (special drawing right), or
equals to US$ 5 billion, which was approved by the IMF on Feb. 4, 2000 for
the period of three years. This facility is meant to support the economic and
structural reforms in Indonesia. The IMF was reported to say that the
extension was expected to “provide time” for “reforms envisaged in the IMF
program to take hold”.
Meanwhile, in relation to the economic recovery, Head of Investment
Co-ordination Body (BKPM) Theo F. Toemion echoed vice president Hamzah Haz
saying that islah (reconciliation) needed
to take place for a better investment condition in Indonesia. He said that
investment was closely related to political stability and therefore problems
to be solved must first be settled. Only then the law can be enforced.
Without islah, he added, the
domestic stability would be disturbed and this would make investors reluctant
to invest in Indonesia.
Sources: Kompas 30/01, JP 30/01
General News
Golkar
Indonesia’s second-largest political party seems to fall apart. Several top
members have been named and joined Golkar’s chairperson Akbar Tandjung as key
suspects in graft scandals. The future of Golkar is now being questioned as
it struggles to fight demoralising effect of the scandals that have widened
internal rifts in the party. Akbar is being investigated for allegedly
misusing US$7 million in state funds when he served as the State Secretary in
the administration of former president B.J. Habibie. Two of his deputies,
also once ministers, Ginandjar Kartasasmita and Abdul Gafur, and Golkar
legislator Nurdin Halid were also implicated in three separate scandals. The
most damaging of all is the case involving Akbar, wjo is suspected of using
state money to finance Golkar’s campaign in the 1999 general election. Abdul
Gafur and senior Golkar member Suhardiman suspected the scandals as
conspiracies to discredit Golkar. “There is a grand strategy to destroy
Golkar’s image”, said Abdul Gafur. “Akbar is only an intermediate object, the
ultimate goal is the party’s disbandment”, said Suhardiman.
Political analyst Affan Gafar said that Golkar needed to cut its links with
Akbar to isolate the scandal so that the outcomes of the investigation would
not affect the party. Failure to do so might lead to the exclusion of the
party from participating in the 2004 election if Akbar is proven to have
channelled the misappropriated money to Golkar, he added. Some senior Golkar
figures have already started a movement to unseat Akbar. Last week they set
up an advisory team called the “Golkar Rescue Team”. The move caused a stir
among the party leadership largely comprised of Akbar loyalist and revealed
the worsening split within the party.
Scandals:
- Akbar Tandjung, Golkar chairman - Allegedly misused 40 billion rupiah (S$7
million).
- Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Golkar deputy chairman - Allegedly abused his power
as Mines and Energy Minister in a mining deal in early 1990s.
- Abdul Gafur, Golkar deputy chairman - Being investigated in a case of money
politics.
- Nurdin Halid, Golkar legislator - A suspect in a corruption case involving
funds from the Indonesia Distribution Co-operative.
Factions:
- The Islamic Students Association (HMI) connection - Led by businessman
Fahmi Idris, the Akbar loyalists have occupied strategic posts in the party
since Akbar Tandjung was appointed chairman in 1998.
- The "Iramasuka Nusantara" caucus - A coalition of members from
eastern Indonesian provinces (Irian Jaya, Maluku, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and
Nusa Tenggara), the Iramasuka connection makes up the largest component of
Golkar. It has publicly revealed its disappointment in Akbar's leadership.
- The New Order stalwarts - A collection of familiar names from the New Order
era like former minister Ginandjar Kartasasmita. It has kept a low profile,
but now wants to seize back control from Akbar.
- The "White Golkar" group - Made up of younger politicians
determined to clean up Golkar's image, the faction - often associated with
former Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman - linked up with Akbar to foil Dr
B.J. Habibie's presidential ambitions.
- The Golkar offshoot - Made up of experienced politicians like former
minister Agung Laksono, it may withdraw support for Akbar at the last minute,
but could also swing in his favour.
Troubles in Megawati’s Indonesian Democratic Party Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
visit: http://infid.ngonet.be/onpoliticaldecencyl.html
Source: ST 30/01
TKI
Labour activists and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) staged a protest
in front of the Malaysian Embassy on Jl. Rasuna Said, Kuningan, South Jakarta
on Jan. 29, criticising the Malaysian government for treating Indonesian
workers unfairly. They also called on Indonesian workers in Malaysia to go on
a three-day mass strike to protest the Malaysian government’s plan to stop
recruiting Indonesians and halve the number of registered Indonesian workers
there following the violent clashes with the local police authorities.
Some 400 Indonesians rioted at a textile factory on Jan. 17 after police
tried to detain 16 of their co-workers for drug abuse. Police vehicles were
overturned and officers stoned. Three days later about 70 Indonesian
construction workers armed with machetes went on the rampage and damaged food
stalls run by fellow Indonesians at Cyberjaya south of Kuala Lumpur.
Indonesian ministers have apologised for the riots and Vice President Hamzah
Haz said he was ready to go to Malaysia if necessary to ease tensions.
According to Malaysian authorities, there are currently around 900,000
registered Indonesian workers in Malaysia, but Manpower ministry data reveals
there are only some 568,000 migrant workers. Indonesian workers working
overseas (TKI) contributed US$2.6 billion to the country’s foreign exchange
earnings, $61.4 million of which comes from those working in Malaysia.
Bomer Pasaribu, the director of the Centre for Labour and Development Studies
and a former manpower minister said that Malaysian move would only worsen
Indonesia’s unemployment crisis and “lead to the explosion of a social
timebomb at home”. Malaysia had earlier announced a temporary ban on hiring
new Indonesian workers. The top official in Malaysia’s Interior Ministry,
Aseh Che Mat, also said that Indonesians currently working in Malaysia would
be replaced with people from other countries when their contracts expire.
Indonesian Manpower Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea criticised Malaysia’s stance
saying that in the future Indonesian workers would likely enter Malaysia
illegally rather than through official channel. The Federation of Malaysian
Manufactures in a statement said that it supported the ban but called for
female Indonesians to be excluded from the ban. The manufacture sector
employs a large number of female Indonesians. In Malaysia there is a growing
anti-Indonesian worker sentiment locally called Indon, a nickname with a derogatory meaning.
To help tackling the problems involving migrant workers, National Police
Chief General Da’i Bachtiar said that the Indonesian police were to post
liaison officers to seven countries, including Malaysia. He told a
parliamentary commission on Jan. 29 that colonels would be posted to
Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Singapore, East Timor, Thailand and
Australia with the main task to help Indonesian nationals, especially migrant
workers, who encountered problems in those countries.
Sources: AFP 28/01, 29/01, JP 30/01,
Reuters 28/01
War on Terror
The United States is offering support including millions of dollars for
police training and increased intelligence sharing -- to help Indonesia crack
down on potential terrorists within its borders.
Washington had offered US$10 million to train Indonesian police to combat
terrorism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hasan Wirayuda said. Other offers
included an exchange of intelligence information, training courses for the
banking sector, particularly in tracing the accounts of terrorist groups, and
training courses for customs officers. Indonesian police officials said they
would welcome such a gesture but had yet to be informed of it.
Washington is concerned that Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network could already
have established cells in Indonesia. The US authorities are also said to be
alarmed by Jakarta's lack of action in cracking down on terrorism.
In July, five suspected members of the Al-Qaeda network reportedly arrived in
Indonesia from Yemen with a plan to blow up the US embassy in Jakarta, a
high-ranking US official revealed.
Washington sent a secret Delta Force team to Jakarta to beef up security but
the Indonesian authorities baulked at taking action, allowing the men to slip
out of the country, the official said. US diplomats surmised the authorities
had intentionally scared the suspects away so as not to have to confront
them.
The incident, which was not made public earlier, highlighted the ambivalent
attitude of Indonesia's government and military towards foreign and domestic
Islamic radicals who reportedly helped the
Al-Qaeda team.
"Some Indonesian officials continue to waffle over the fact that Al-Qaeda
ran a terrorist camp on the island of Sulawesi, despite testimony from
alleged Al-Qaeda operatives arrested in Spain," Newsweek magazine
reported.
That cavalier attitude is also apparent in the glossing over of the
questioning of Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who has also been
linked to the Al-Qaeda, Newsweek said. The Indonesian police force reportedly
did not even ask Abu Bakar if he was linked to the terrorist network during
interrogation.
But police spokesman Saleh Saaf said this was simply because they had not
decided how to proceed with the investigation into Abu Bakar's alleged ties
to Islamic militant groups.
US government officials have said the Bush administration wants to resume
military assistance to Jakarta but was restricted by a congressional ban
imposed after the Indonesian army devastated East Timor in 1999.
The Indonesian government says it is cracking down on suspected terrorists
but admits it is constrained by domestic political concerns - it relies
heavily on the political support of conservative Muslim parties in the
national parliament.
Source: AP 29/10
Jakarta floods
Widespread floods in Jakarta have killed at least eight people, paralysed
air, road and and rail transport and forced thousands to flee their homes,
official said on Jan. 30. Monsoons rains have deluged the capital since the
start of the week, submerging some areas in up to four metres of swirling,
muddy water and giving rise to health fears as piles of rotting garbage wash
into homes. Endang DW, the city’s head of social services, estimated around
40,000 people had fled, of which half becoming homeless. Landslides triggered
by days of heavy rains killed six people in southern Jakarta on Jan. 29,
while two more drowned when floods washed away their homes. The state-run
Meteorology Agency has forecast more rain until the end of the wet season in
February but so far conditions have not reached the levels of six years ago
when chronic flooding killed at least 30 people. Chronic flooding, mostly
caused by clogged water ducts and poor drainage, hits Jakarta and other areas
in Indonesia every year during the wet season, from October to February.
Ex-minister of environment Sonny Keraf says the flooding is related to
corruption and foreign debt: http://infid.ngonet.be/corruptionandflood.html
Source: Reuters 30/01
Regional News
Maluku
The Indonesian government will host talks next week between Muslim and
Christian leaders to try end three years of sectarian violence in Maluku, it
was announce on Jan 29. The talks will be held on February 6-7 in the South
Sulawesi hill resort of Malino following the success of similar talks there
last month to end sectarian unrest in Central Sulawesi. The talks will be
sponsored by Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono. Thamrin Ely, a leader of the Muslim community in Maluku,
said a 35-strong Muslim delegation had already left for Malino and a similar
number of Christian representatives left on Jan. 30. Ely said the Laskar
Jihad, a Java-based militant Muslim group which has sent “holy war” fighters
to Maluku, would also be included. Ely said the Laskar Jihad’s involvement
was part of an agreement between the government team led by Yudhoyono and the
two camps last week. Yudhoyono and other senior officials in Jakarta on Jan.
30 denied that the involvement of the group had been agreed upon.
To outline an agenda to guide discussion at next week’s meeting in Malino,
government negotiators met separately with Muslim and Christian leaders on
Jan. 30 in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar. The meeting, led by
Co-ordinating Minister for Social Affairs Jusuf Kalla, held talks with
Christian representatives at the Losari Beach Hotel, followed by a meeting
with Muslim representatives at the Kenari Hotel. Present at the meetings were
Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina, senior local legislators, South Sulawesi
Governor HZB Palaguna and senior officers from the National Police and
Indonesian Military.
Kalla and Yudhoyono visited Maluku and North Maluku provinces on Jan. 25 and
26, during which they met separately both factions. The two feuding groups
were each represented by 15 delegates. The Muslim delegation was led by Abdul
Wahab Polpoke and the Christian representatives by Rev. Mandagi. They were
planned to return to Ambon on Jan. 31 to disseminate the outcomes of the
informal meeting among their respective followers, before flying back to
Malino on Feb. 4.
Source: AFP 29/01
Human Rights
Rights Court for East Timor
Indonesia on Jan. 31 swore in 11 judges to a tribunal that will try suspects
including generals accused of human rights abuses in East Timor in 1999, and
insisted the court would operate independently. Justice and Human Rights
Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the judges were sworn in by Supreme Court
Chief Justice Bagir Manan. He did not set a date for the first hearings,
which will be closely watched by the international community, but said it
would be “in not too long a time”. Those sworn in were chosen mainly from the
ranks of academia in an attempt to ensure impartiality of the ad hoc court.
Officials had said 18 non-career justices would serve, and it was unclear why
only 11 were sworn in. They will be joined by 12 career judges.
The attorney general’s office was expected soon to submit dossiers on rights
violations, starting with the 1984 massacres of Muslim demonstrators in
Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok port and covering violations in East Timor. Mahendra
said his ministry was preparing two government decrees, one protecting
witnesses and another on compensation for rights victims. The minister said
the court had adopted international humanitarian laws on crimes against humanity,
torture and genocide. Three army generals, a police general and several
middle-ranking officers are among the 18 suspects facing trial for gross
rights violations in East Timor.
Sources: AFP 31/01, Reuters 31/01
Abbreviations
AFP Agence France-Presse
AP Associated Press
JP The Jakarta Post
ST Strait Times
Terug
Stichting TitanE
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