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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93
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Period
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31 May 2002 – 6 June 2002
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INFID Related Issues
Debt
On June 4 National Development Planning
Minister Kwik Kian Gie said that Indonesia should not extend its contract
with IMF when it expired. He accused the IMF of making policy demands that
complicate matters and were dangerous to the country’s recovery programme.
This was his second attack on the IMF in three days. On June 1 he described
the IMF as Indonesia’s new colonial master, adding that the country had no
control over its economic and political fates anymore. Many local economists,
but not his peers in the cabinet, share his opinion, showing the level of
domestic resistance against the IMF’s loan programme and potential cracks
within President Megawati’s cabinet. MPR Chairperson Amien Rais backed Kwik,
saying the IMF had “played around” with Indonesia in the past four years. He
said if Indonesia still needed assistance, it could seek more reasonable
parties.
Anti-IMF Grumbles Continue Even as Economy Shows Progress: http://www.infid.be/antiimf.html
Sources: ST 04/06, AA 04/06
General News
Muslim attire at schools
Students commit brawls, robbery
and drug abuse, West Jakarta mayoralty has the answer: force them wear
religious attire and perform various rituals. School principals, looking for
an instant solution to the chronic problems, welcomed the
mayoralty-instructed program, which aims at boosting students’ faithfulness
and obedience toward God. According to the regulation, Muslim male students
must wear white shirts without collar (baju koko) with Islamic cap (peci)
while the Muslim female students must wear veils (jilbab). The non-Muslim
students must wear their “own religious attire”, namely a tie and normal
uniform. The mayoralty said that such a regulation would deter students from
getting involved into brawls and criminal activities. Some schools have
implemented the regulations, but students, education observers and legal
experts seem to disagree with the schools principals.
Mochtar Buchori, an expert on education, said that morality should be
implanted in students through the whole education process. Morality is “a
voluntary personal commitment to values”, not simply “an obligatory obedience
toward imposed norms”, Mochtar contended. Ardian, a student of state senior
high school SMU 73 criticised the program, saying it had created more
nuisance than benefit. “It is awkward to see other friends wearing different
attire just because they have different religions to me,” said Ardian, who is
a Muslim. Noted lawyer Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said the instruction had
violated human rights and the Constitution. Human Rights lawyer Todung Mulya
Lubis said the instruction flew in the face of reality, as in terms of
religion the nation was pluralistic. Both Nursyahbani and Todung also
criticised the West Jakarta mayor for his intervention in citizen’s personal
affairs. Refa, a first year student at SMU Al-Azhar 1, was more pragmatic.
“Why should they require students to wear a baju koko …it’s too hot to wear
in Jakarta,” he said.
West Jakarta mayoralty learns fast. Strong criticisms have changed its stance
on its own instruction. Claiming it was a “bottom-up” idea, on June 3 Deputy
Mayor Amiruddin S. Lubis said it was just an advice from mayoralty, not an
instruction. His explanation was completely at odds with the mayoralty’s
letter of instruction that sets out “obligations” and “calls” on schools. On
June 4 Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said he would ask the mayor to explain the
controversial directive. He looked surprised when learning about the
instruction, which was written six months ago and of which a copy was sent to
him. Sutiyoso said he had not read it and asked for a copy from The Jakarta
Post.
Sources: JP 31/05, 03/06, 04/06
Soeharto
Heru Arifin of Bali Post
newspaper, reported that Soeharto, previously described by a team of physicians
set up by the Prosecutor’s Office as mentally and physically debilitated by
the strokes, was in fine condition. Soeharto was reported walking freely,
posing for photographs and eyeing the buffet at the wedding of his
granddaughter, Dany Rukmana, the daughter of his eldest daughter, Siti
Hardiyanti Rukmana, better known as Tutut, on May 23. Among the guests of the
wedding party were former Cabinet ministers General Wiranto and General
Hartono.
Soeharto’s corruption trial was postponed indefinitely in September 2000
because of his claimed ill health. Prosecutors have announced court
proceedings will be re-opened if the report is true. That Soeharto may have
cheated the forces of law surprises only few Indonesians.
Sources: SCMP 01/06, ST 31/05
TNI/Police
On June 4 President Megawati
Soekarnoputri swore in Lt. Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu as the new Army chief of
staff (KSAD) replacing Gen. Endriartono Sutarto. Ryamizard has to repeat his
oath three times before he got it right. He also vowed to stay away from
politics and to focus on maintaining the country’s unity. After attending the
ceremony, Gen. Endriartono said that he would be officiated as the new TNI
commander on June 7. It remains unknown why Megawati left Endriartono
waiting. On June 3 the TNI High Ranking Promotions and Duty Rotation Board
(Wanjakti) decided to appoint Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Bibit
Waluyo the new Kostrad commander and Maj. Gen. Sumarsono, the incumbent
Kostrad chief of staff, as the deputy Army chief replacing Lt. Gen. Kiki
Syahnakrie.
Meanwhile, on June 3 Udayana Regional Military Commander (Pangdam
Udayana)Maj. Gen. Willem T. da Costa said the TNI Headquarters had yet to
consider transferring the headquarter of the Udayana Regional Military
Command (Kodam Udayana) from Denpasar, Bali to the East Nusa Tenggara capital
of Kupang. He also said that a Strategic Command Center, under the
supervision of Pangdam Udayana, would be established in West Timor’s town of
Atambua, which borders East Timor, explaining the establishment was not meant
to invade or disrupt the neighbouring country.
Sources: JP 04/06, 05/06
Megawati’s visit to East
Timor
On May 31 eight legislators, on
behalf of 31 House of Representatives (DPR) members, submitted a petition to House
Speaker Akbar Tandjung, demanding the House to summon Presiden Megawati over
her May 19 visit to East Timor.
The move has met strong opposition from fellow lawmakers. Baharuddin
Aritonang of the Golkar faction expressed opposition to the proposal, calling
the petition a “childish move”. MPR speaker Amien Rais saw the visit as
bringing no negative impact and therefore people should not create problems
out of it. Vice President Hamzah Haz said that the planned queries were
“normal, democratic thing” and was not aimed at toppling the President.
Sources: JP 01/06, 05/06
Bali Meeting
Various demonstrations
representing different non-governmental organisations such as labourers,
women, farmers, urban poor, anti-globalisation and youth groups called for rejection
and boycott of PrepCom meeting IV in Bali. Labourers said they would reject
any outcome of the Bali meeting and boycott
the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South
Africa, later in August and September. The women's group lamented the fact
that average people had no say in the final round of discussions of the Bali
Commitment. The anti-globalisation coalition stated that the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) were
capitalists. “Neo-liberalism and neo-colonialism have been wrapped with
sustainable development”, said the coalition, which has more than 130 NGOs
members. The youth said the Agenda 21 was merely a decoration for investors’
inhuman process of exploitation.
Sources: Kompas 05/06, JP 05/06
Regional News
Maluku
On May 31 Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso
was sworn in as the new Pattimura Military Commander, replacing Brig. Gen.
Mustopo. He will also be in charge of security restoration operations in
Maluku. He will be assisted by a one-star police officer as his deputy, who
remained unnamed. Speaking after the induction, Djoko said he would
strengthen co-operation with the Maluku Police, but he did not outline his
action plan to end the conflict. The establishment of the Maluku Security
Restoration Command has sparked criticism from military and defence analysts
who accused the government of “imposing martial law by stealth” on the
islands of Maluku.
Source: JP 31/05
Abbreviations
AA AFX-Asia
IMF International
Monetary Fund
JP The
Jakarta Post
MPR People’s
Consultative Assembly
SCMP South
China Morning Post
ST The
Strait Times
Terug
Stichting TitanE
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