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INFID News Address change The e-mail address and website of
INFID European Liaison Office have been moved to infid@infid.be and www.infid.be. Please change our address in your address
book and bookmark. The old addresses (e-mail and website) are still linked to
the new ones, but will completely cease to exist on May 1, 2002. INFID Related Issues Debt Indonesia is making good progress
in key economic areas and can expect general support from the United States
at the next Paris Club meeting, the US representative on the IMF board said
on March 27. Randy Quarles also said that the IMF was likely to disburse the
next tranche of its five billion dollar aid package within this month. Asked
whether Indonesia’s shaky legal system would deter foreign investors, Quarles
said international financial institutions focused on the investment climate
in countries they were aiding. Quarles praised Indonesia for its stated
anti-terrorism stance and said co-operation in that area was important to
Washington, but he resisted suggestions IMF or US positions on economic
policies were significantly linked to it outside of selected areas like money
laundering and terrorism finance. Quarles hailed the House of
Representatives’ approval of the money laundering bill on March 21, which he
said would not only serve to further the war against terrorism, but was also
vital to improving macroeconomic stability. The IMF will review its five
billion dollar loan programme to Indonesia "soon", Quarles said.
The Indonesian government owes $71.4 billion to overseas creditors. That is
more than twice the projected government revenue last year. Indonesia’s single largest
bilateral creditor, Japan, will also lend its support during the debt
rescheduling talks with the Paris Club next week - but only if Jakarta pushes
ahead with its reform program, a senior Japanese official said on 02/04. Sources: Reuters 27/03, AFP 27/03, JP
28/03 03/04, BN 27/03 Corruption Stepping down is not in the
nation’s nature nor its culture, but ruling from behind the bars may be
incorporated instead. After Bank Indonesia which is governed by convict
Syahril Sabirin, the House of Representatives (DPR) may soon have the honour
to mark the nation’s brand new tradition. Three deputy House speakers, Tosari
Widjaja, AM Fatwa and Muhaimin Iskandar, announced on March 26 that that DPR
Speaker Akbar Tanjung would retain his post after all despite his ongoing
corruption trial. Akbar is standing trial for an alleged misuse of State
Logistic Agency (Bulog) in 1999. Akbar trial started on March 25 in the
Central Jakarta Distric Court. There is a plan to move the venue to the Jakarta
Fairground in Kemayoran. The police argues the move of the trial location is
necessary to prevent traffic congestion and clashes between Akbar’s supporter
and opponents. Johnson Panjaitan of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association (PBHI) doubted the reason given by the police. He said that the
shift of the venue would decrease public attention and enthusiasm to monitor
Akbar’s trial as the new site was far from the heart of the city, warning a
"systematic ploy" of Golkar party behind the plan. According to
Johnson, only a well-organised mass-based political group such as Golkar
would have access to the deserted Kemayoran fairgrounds. Meanwhile, the Indonesian
Corruption Watch (ICW) disclosed on March 27 that over Rp377 billion
belonging to Bulog have been misused between January 1998 and December 1999.
ICW chairperson Teten Masduki said that portions of the money allegedly went
to the House of Representatives, the Golkar Party, certain individuals, the
State Palace, courts and prosecutors’ offices. Sources: ST 28/03, JP 28/03 Monterrey Conference INFID said on April 2 that
Indonesia missed a golden opportunity to seek the help of developed nations
in resolving its pressing debt and economic problems because of the absence
of President Megawati at last month’s International Conference on Financing
for Development in Mexico. INFID deputy executive secretary Sugeng Bahagijo,
who attended the conference, also criticised the government for sending
relatively low-ranking delegates to the conference, which was attended by
world leaders. Sugeng also questioned Mega’s priority as she visited Korea
instead of attending the conference. According to Sugeng, the conference
offered many opportunities, studies and ideas that could help the government
in negotiation with foreign creditors including to push for a debt relief
facility. Source: JP 03/04 General News MPR’s Bali meeting cancelled The plan of the People’s
Consultative Assembly (MPR) ad hoc committee for constitutional amendment
(PAH I) to convene April 3 to April 6 in the comfort of five-star Grand Bali
Beach hotel has been cancelled because of budgetary constraints, the hotel’s
sales and account manager Yuda Wirawan said on April 3. Critics have
previously condemned the plan, saying it shows the lack of sensitivity of the
lawmakers. PAH I member Agun Gunandjar Sudarsa said on April 1 that holding
the meeting in Bali would save legislators’ energy, which otherwise would
have been used up in the street (in travel time to and from the Assembly
Building). April Fool? Sources: JP 02/04 04/04, Antara
03/04 Mental illness About 80 millions Indonesians
suffer from mental disturbances, one percent seriously ill, and 3-6 percent
suffer from depression. The numbers will increase if the government does not
immediately manage the economic and socio-cultural aspects of the society,
especially the lower class, psychiatrist of Faculty of Medicine of University
of Indonesia Dr. Nurmiati Amir MD said on April 3. As if to prove the
statement, a woman climbed a 50-meter telecommunication tower at Jakarta
police headquarters after her application to join the force was rejected.
Applicants to join the Indonesian police must pay bribes of up to 15 million
rupiah (US$1,500) if they want to pass the selection process, The Jakarta
Post reported on April 4. A Jakarta police personnel official denied the
bribery claims. Sources: SP 04/04, AFP 04/04 Regional News Papua The Indonesian military (TNI)
finally admitted that its soldier may have involved in the murder of Theys
Hiyo Eluay, a Papuan separatist leader. TNI spokesperson Maj. Gen. Syafrie
Syamsuddin said that the military police team found a strong indication of
legal violations by rogue members of TNI. The provincial police chief,
governor and rights activists have previously said that there were
indications that members of the army special forces had a role in the murder.
Syamsuddin did not say how many soldiers were involved or if they had been
detained. The government has appointed another national team to investigate
the case whose membership includes officials from the national human rights
commission, parliamentarians, police and military officers and
representatives of non-governmental organisations. Eluay’s deputy Tom Beanal
described the national team as "another form of tricks" by the
government to prevent Papua police from revealing the truth. Source: AFP 27/03 Human Rights Return of political thuggery Beware, political thuggery is not
only back in fashion, some have been genuinely proud of taking part in it. In
Jakarta, in March alone, there have been three incidents where mobs attacked
human right activists and helpless residents protesting injustice. The first
attack occurred on March 13 when a mob ransacked the Commission for Missing
Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) office. A group calling themselves
the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) carried out two other attacks. On March
13, the group attacked flood victims demanding justice in front of the
Jakarta City Hall. On March 28, FBR attacked a group of residents protesting
the violation of a court ruling on their forced eviction in the National
Commission on Human Rights office and injured 47 people. But FBR chairperson Ahmad Fadloli
El Muhir is unrepentant, promising further reprisal against the Urban Poor
Consortium, which organised the protests, particularly chairperson Wardah
Hafidz, if she keeps up her activities. "We would favor beating up
Wardah if she continues slandering us," said Fadloli. Wardah, who at the
last attack was threatened by FBR members with a machete to her throat,
claimed the attack was an effort of certain elements in the military to
impress on the public that a civilian government would fail to create
peaceful conditions. Wardah had accused FBR members of receiving money from
Governor Sutiyoso –who was Jakarta Military Commander during the infamous
July 27, 1996 bloody attack on Megawati’s Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
headquarters. Fadloli denied the accusation. Sutiyoso also denied financing
FBR, but was pleased by the group’s support. FBR, founded on July 29, 2000, was
established to help Betawi youths to find jobs. The organisation claims to
have no political interest. It has now about 7000 members, mostly blue collar
workers, ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers and the unemployed. Fadloli
himself is the Jakarta chapter chairperson of the PDI and a former
legislative candidate. Source: JP 01/04 Civil society groups protest this
political thuggery and the state’s failure to protect its citizens: Joint statement on the
responsibility of the state to guarantee the safety and integrity of human
rights defenders: http://www.infid.be/hrdefenders.html Abbreviations AFP Agence France-Presse Stichting TitanE |