Indonesian police confirm Rajan’s identity, say he is a 1993 blasts mastermind

Police in Bali, who arrested the gangster based on an Interpol Red Corner Notice, say CBI, Indian consulate yet to respond, take Rajan's extradition to India forward.

Nearly a week after the arrest of fugitive underworld crime boss Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport, Indonesian police have named him as one of the masterminds behind the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts and shown him as a wanted accused in that case.

They have also said that word is awaited from the CBI to take Rajan's extradition process forward.

At the time of his arrest, Rajan was holding a passport in the name of Mohan Kumar. In an official release on October 30 confirming his identity as Rajendra Nikalkje, Indonesian police stated he was involved in more than 20 cases of murder and is also wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai.

Bali police spokesperson Hery Wiyanto said Nikalje will be transferred to the cu stody of Bali police till Indian Interpol - CBI is the nodal agency for executing RCNs -- takes custody of him, due to space restrictions at the precinct police station's lock-up.

They have also been coordinating with the Indian Consul General in Bali to notify Nikhalje's arrest and repatriation process to India. However, there has been no official communication from CBI or the Indian Consulate in Bali till date.

"The Bali police could not ensure Nikalje's repatriation because there has been no official confirmation from the (Indian) authority," Wiyanto said. The Indonesian police are questioning Rajan to ascertain why he had come to the country on a tourist visa for 15 days.

The release added that Nikalje was in Australia for the past year but could not be arrested as Australian authorities did not act upon the Interpol RCN. Sources said though Australia has entered into an extradition treaty with India, Canberra did not want to risk a gang war on Australian soil after his arrest.

Nikhalje was arrested on the basis of an Interpol Red Corner Notice issued against him by Indian police on October 12, 1994. As per the release, Nikalje was part of the gang of organised crime led by fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and was involved in the blasts that claimed 257 lives.

Rajan has claimed in the past that he parted ways with Dawood after the blasts and formed his own gang to avenge the terror attack. In the years since his falling out with Dawood, now believed to be hiding in Pakistan, Chhota Rajan's gang has eliminated several individuals who participated in or helped Dawood execute the 1993 blasts.

According to sources, Rajan had come prepared for his arrest when he landed at Bali from Sydney, with light luggage, and offered no resistance. Intelligence sources said he had smiled at Indonesian officials and appeared unsurprised that he was being arrested. He also revealed his true identity in spite of carrying a fake passport.

Mumbai police sources said Australian agencies became aware of Rajan's presence in their country early this year, when Dawood dispatched his lieutenant Chhota Shakeel to kill Rajan in New South Wales's Newcastle city.

Their suspicions were confirmed by an anonymous phone call to Australian federal police which revealed the fugitive gangster's passport details and confirmed that he was indeed in Australia.

Sources added that the Australian authorities did not want him in their country, and had made this 'very clear' to the Indian government. With Australia mounting pressure for his extradition - the countries have an extradition treaty in place -- Indian authorities scrambled to find a safe place for Rajan to stay.

Finally, Indonesia was chosen as it is yet to sign an extradition treaty with India, and keeping Rajan in custody at an offshore location would give Indian authorities room to manoeuvre. The extradition treaty, incidentally, will be signed when Vice P resident Hamid Ansari travels to Jakarta in the first week of November.

Meanwhile, Mumbai police sources claimed that a five-member team from crime branch including a DCP-rank officer will be flying to Bali along with a CBI officer to execute the RCN against of Chhota Rajan.

"The standard operating procedure requires the Ministry of External Affairs to request the Indian Consul General in Bali to take steps regarding Rajan's status. However, given the time it takes for processing, we have made arrangements for a team to leave for Indonesia early next week with a letter of authorisation," a Mumbai police officer, who declined to be named, said.

A Mumbai police team has also finished translating and digitising documents related to cases pending against Chhota Rajan, including the one in which an RCN was issued for the murder of journalist J Dey.

Source: Indonesian police confirm Rajan's identity, say he is a 1993 blasts mastermind

This Fighter Might Replace Indonesia's Aging F-5 Fighters (Hint: Not the Su-35)

Sweden's Saab recently unveiled a new bid to gain access to Indonesia's fighter market. Can it beat the Russian favorite?

Indonesia is currently in the process of updating a part of its eclectic mix of military aircraft. The three platforms which represent Jakarta's most formidable airborne capability are the U.S. General Dynamics (GD) F-16, Russian Sukhoi-27, and Sukhoi-30MK. The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) reflects the country's recent history international relations, operating a mixed bag of Russian, U.S., Brazilian, and European aircraft.

Since its independence in 1945, the country has fielded aircraft from both sides of the Iron Curtain, often reflecting its political alignment. In 1986s, Indonesia purchased a batch of F-16s, intended to supplement its fleet of F-5E Tigers. However, after the U.S. imposed sanctions following Jakarta's involvement in the 1999 East Timor independence, these quickly dilapidated due to a lack of spare parts. As a result, the TNI-AU acquired Russian jets. Together with the F-16s, which were modernized after Washington lifted sanctions in 2005, these aircraft still form the mainstay of Indonesia's aerial combat fleet.

As previously reported by the Diplomat, Indonesia has been looking to beef up its aerial combat capabilities. For its long term needs, Indonesia has signed up to South Korea's KF-X program, an ambitious project aimed at providing Seoul and Jakarta with a "4,5 generation fighter." This fighter is supposed to fill a role between the F-16 currently fielded by both states, and the F-35, which has been deemed a too expensive option. Indonesia currently has a 20 percent stake in the project, and is expected to deploy 80 KF-Xs by 2030. (South Korea owns the remaining 80 percent and is expected to field 120.)

An important medium-term solution is to replace the six aging F-5s with a number of fourth-generation fighters by the end of the decade. Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro previously stated "We are in the process of evaluating which jet fighter will best suit our requirements, whether the aircraft is from Russia, USA or other countries." This year, Indonesia's General Moeldoko said that "the ministry is looking at buying 16 aircraft, but the type and number of aircraft depends on Indonesia's financial position." Two months ago, Jakarta announced that it will purchase a squadron of 16 Sukhoi-35s (Flanker E,) an upgraded version of the Su-27 currently in the TNI-AU's service.

However, other aircraft companies are still hoping to penetrate the Indonesian market. Other contenders include GD's upgraded Vipers (Block 52+ "V" version,) the Eurofighter Typhoon and Swedish Saab's JAS 39 Gripen. Under Indonesian law new defense acquisitions must include a minimum 30 percent direct offset, while the selection criteria have been weighted 30 percent for aircraft/system performance, 30 percent acquisition/life-cycle costs, and 40 percent for industrial cooperation.

The Swedes seems to have stepped up its competition. According to Jane's, Saab recently announced that it is not only seeking to sell Indonesia its Gripens, but is sweetening the deal with a "Swedish Air Power Package." Saab said that this package consists of the "latest version" of its Gripen fighter aircraft; the company's Erieye Airborne Early Warning & Control System (AWACS;) ground-based command and control; tactical datalinks; industrial co-operation, including transfers of technology and local production; and extensive job creation, which Saab said would reach "thousands of jobs."

This package could be a worthwhile investment. The Gripen model on the table is probably the "E/F" model, also known as the Gripen NG (New Generation.) According to Saab, the Gripen NG is "Revolutionary because it combines advanced technology and operational effectiveness in an affordable package that no other fighter aircraft can even hope to match." As both cost and industrial cooperation are key criteria for Jakarta, the Gripen has a fighting chance against the other contenders.

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage Saab faces is the Gripen's lack of operations experience. The F-16 has a proven track record, having participated in combat operations since the 1980s. Although the Su-35 hasn't yet seen action, its predecessor, the Su-27, has seen action since the 1990s (although mostly not in Russian service.) The Gripen has only seen service during Operation "Unified Protector," when Swedish planes conducted air-to-ground sorties against Muhammar Gaddafi's forces.

However, two other points help Saab's case. Firstly, the Erieye AWACS will be a "force multiplier" for long-range TNI-AU patrols. Considering Indonesia's vast territory, this could definitely be an advantage. Secondly, several other Southeast Asian states have expressed interest in Saab's kit. In 2011, Thailand officially made operational its first Gripens. Thailand currently fields 12 Swedish planes, and has reportedly been seeking to acquire six more. The Philippines and Malaysia have also expressed an interest in the aircraft.

The Su-35 might have won a battle, but the war for Indonesia's new fighter is far from over.

Source: This Fighter Might Replace Indonesia's Aging F-5 Fighters (Hint: Not the Su-35)

Southeast Asia's haze crisis: A 'crime against humanity'

The haze is so bad it's been described by the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) as a "crime against humanity." Schools are closed, transport disrupted and half a million cases of acute respiratory infection have been recorded since July.

The annual burning churns out thick smoke across parts of Southeast Asia, but this summer's haze is the worst it's been for 20 years.

Most of the forest fires that are contributing to this massive environmental disaster are started illegally by farmers who slash and burn peat forest to make way for agricultural land.

How far has haze spread?

While rain showers have provided relief to some of the affected areas in Sumatra and Kalimantan, a core area of dense haze remains in Central Kalimantan.

Almost 300 "hotspots" -- points of significantly hotter-than-average ground temperatures, indicating localized fires -- were recorded in Kalimantan, along with a few isolated points in Sumatra and as far east as the island of Sulawesi.

President Joko Widodo, who cut short a U.S. visit earlier this week to devote his full attention to the crisis, is due to visit the affected area of Sumatra Thursday, followed by other badly-affected areas in Jambi province and Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan.

The human cost

Pollutant Standard Index (PSI) indices in the worst-affected areas have nudged 2,000 -- anything over 300 is considered hazardous.

Forty-three million people have been exposed to particulates from wildfire smoke, according to the Jakarta Globe, while hundreds of thousands of cases of acute respiratory disease have been directly attributed to the burnings.

Nineteen people have died from haze-related ailments, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said on Wednesday. Residents of the worst-affected areas will continue to be evacuated, she added.

"Every half an hour all district and neighborhood heads will get updates on the air quality index of their respective areas so that they can order an evacuation immediately," she told reporters.

Environmental impact

Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, a crop which is frequently criticized for its environmental impact and destruction of wildlife habitat, even before considering the slash-and-burn policies of farmers in the country.

Due to an prolonged dry season and the impact of El Niño, this year's burns have been particularly devastating. As many as 100,000 active fires have been detected in Indonesia so far this year, and the environmental impact of these have, by at least one estimate, outstripped the U.S.'s daily carbon emissions.

The fires in Indonesia are particularly choking, largely due to the type of material that's being burned. Greenpeace asserts that peatland stores "a massive amount of carbon -- up to 60 billion tonnes, which makes it a virtual carbon bomb if even some of it was released into the air."

Indonesia is also home to the largest group of wild orangutan in the world, but the wildfires are affecting their natural habitat. Rescuers in Borneo, central Kalimantan, are tranquilizing the apes to bring them to rescue centers, but they say even there the air quality is getting worse.

The government says it is pulling out all the stops to save the "man of the forest," as this gentle giant's name translates, but rescuers say time is running out.

Worst-affected areas

NASA's satellite captured this image of heavy smoke blanketing Borneo on October 19, 2015. The red outlines indicate areas where unusually warm surface temperatures associated with peat fires are detected.

NASA, which has provided stunning satellite imagery showing the extent of the wildfire pollution, has warned that the haze will get worse before it gets better.

"The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on the Terra and Aqua satellites have detected fires burning in southern Sumatra since early September," NASA said on its Earth Observatory website.

"Scientists monitoring the fires expect the fires to continue burning until the monsoon rains arrive at the end of October. However, they caution that the dry season could be unusually long in Indonesia this year because of the strong El Niño present in the Pacific Ocean.

Evacuations

A number of Indonesian navy ships, including a medical frigate, with a doctor specializing in lungs and respiratory ailments on board, have docked in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

While there is no mandatory evacuation order in place, according to Navy cargo ship KRI Banda Aceh Commander Col. Edi Hariyanto, the ships can accommodate over 2,000 people, if needed.

Hariyanto said the ships were available for use by anyone who wanted come on board, adding that the Indonesian navy is ready to help those affected by the haze in any way they can.

Jan Arif Kadarman, the pulmonologist on the medical ship, told CNN he was called in especially for this mission. He says he's treated a handful of patients on board in the past few days, including a baby who was wheezing.

The air is acrid and hazy, says CNN's David Molko, but visibility is relatively good since Banjarmasin is some distance from the hotspots.

CNN's David Molko and Kathy Quiano, and journalist Jamal Uddin Masrur contributed reporting from Indonesia.

Source: Southeast Asia's haze crisis: A 'crime against humanity'

Indonesia considers national emergency over forest fires: VP

JAKARTA: Indonesia is considering declaring a national emergency over fires that have been smouldering across the archipelago for weeks, sending haze drifting across much of Southeast Asia, the vice president said on Tuesday.

The government would intensify efforts to contain the fires that have caused pollution levels across the region to spike to unhealthy levels, and forced school closures and flight cancellations, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said.

"The problem is too big," Kalla said in an interview at his office in Jakarta.

"We are now considering to," he said, referring to a declaration of an emergency, adding that thousands of troops would be deployed to help combat the fires.

President Joko Widodo is expected to make a decision on the emergency after returning from the United States, Kalla said.

Kalla's comments come just a day after Widodo announced he would cut short his first official trip to the United States to fly directly to the haze-affected areas.

"He will be more focussed on domestic problems," Kalla said of the president's decision to cancel his visit to Silicon Valley, where he was expected to discuss investment deals with Apple and Google executives.

The fires, often deliberately set by plantation companies and smallholders, have been burning for weeks in the forests and carbon-rich peat lands of Sumatra and Kalimantan islands.

Recently, they have spread to places like Papua as the El Nino weather phenomenon exacerbates the dry season and hampers firefighting efforts.

An aide to the vice president, Wijayanto Samirin, said elevating the crisis to national emergency status would allow the government to speed up procurement processes for much-needed foreign firefighting equipment.

But he added there were concerns that businesses could use the government action to declare force majeure on deals in sectors ranging from palm oil to banking.

Kalla said about 40 million Indonesians in five provinces had been affected by the haze. The national disaster agency said late on Monday that haze was starting to spread south towards Java island, where over half the country's population lives.

Indonesia has also deployed warships to evacuate infants and other vulnerable residents of haze-hit areas, a minister said last week.

The evacuations will be a last resort, said coordinating security minister Luhut Pandjaitan, if authorities are unable to provide care for those suffering from respiratory diseases.

The last time the country declared a national emergency was when the Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 100,000 people in 2004.

(Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: Indonesia considers national emergency over forest fires: VP

Obama wins Indonesian backing for Pacific trade pact

Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama won Indonesia's endorsement for a contentious trans-Pacific trade deal Monday, with the president of Southeast Asia's largest economy vowing to join.

During a meeting with Obama at the White House, Joko Widodo risked the ire of economic nationalists at home and pledged to join the pact.

"Indonesia is an open economy and with a population of 250 million, we are the largest economy in Southeast Asia," Widodo said in the Oval Office. "Indonesia intends to join the TPP."

Twelve countries are currently party to the "Trans-Pacific Partnership" -- including Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam and the United States -- creating the world's largest free trade area.

The deal is seen by some as a counterbalance to growing Chinese economic clout in the region.

Widodo's endorsement is a political victory for Obama, who is steering the already completed pact through a hostile Republican-controlled Congress and without the full backing of his Democratic party.

Hillary Clinton, the 2016 election frontrunner, has said the deal falls short of the "high bar" she had set for helping US interests.

Obama has claimed the TPP has the strongest labor and environmental standards of any trade deal signed by the United States.

Widodo comments will also raise hopes that he will help catalyze the world's most populous Muslim nation, allowing Indonesia to finally punch its weight.

Sketching out a "key strategic partnership" Obama -- who lived in Indonesia for nearly five years as a child -- said the US needed good relations with Jakarta.

"Obviously I have a very personal interest in Indonesia, given the fact that I spent a bit of time there as a child and have relatives who are Indonesian," Obama said.

"But what is also true is that our partnership is very much in the interests of the United States, given Indonesia's large population, its leadership in the region, i ts democratic traditions, the fact that it is a large Muslim country with a tradition of tolerance and moderation, and its role in trade and commerce and economic development."

Widodo's visit to the White House was the first by an Indonesian president in a decade and came exactly a year after the former furniture salesman became president.

In surviving even that long, he has defied skeptics who predicted he would quickly flounder in the oligarch-infested waters of Indonesian politics.

In the Oval Office, Obama offered his own endorsement, praising the economic reform efforts of a fellow 54-year-old who, like him, swept to power as an outsider promising change.

Indonesia's notoriously protectionist economy has been stymied by systemic corruption, lower commodity prices and China's economic slowdown.

Unemployment among the vast ranks of Indonesia's youth stands at more than 20 percent, and efforts to attract investors have been undercut by economic natio nalism, vested interests and red tape.

Budget, Tax & Economy

Politics & Government

Barack Obama

Indonesia

Joko Widodo

Source: Obama wins Indonesian backing for Pacific trade pact

Indonesian women must take 'virginity tests' before joining the military

What's This?

Indonesian female soldiers march in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 3, 2005.

Image: Achmad Ibrahim/Associated Press

By Colin Daileda2015-10-25 19:58:37 UTC

Activists want virginity tests and religious discrimination to lead the agenda when President Barack Obama meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday in Washington, D.C.

But Obama, who spent some of his childhood in Indonesia's capital city, plans to talk mostly about trade, defense and climate cooperation. It's Joko's first trip to the White House since he won office in 2014, though the leaders met in Beijing shortly after the Indonesian president's election.

Activists have shown how the Indonesian government degrades women even when those women want to serve it.

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo salutes during a flag raising ceremony for Independence Day in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Aug. 17.

Image: Achmad Ibrahim/Associated Press

Women are forced to strip naked and undergo a "virginity test" if they want to join the military or marry a soldier. Activists want Obama to urge Joko to stop the examinations.

"President Jokowi isn't responsible for the flurry of regulations harming women's rights, but he is now best positioned to do something about it," John Sifton, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement, referring to the Indonesian president by his nickname. "President Obama should stress the importance of tackling Indonesia's restrictions and discrimination against women and girls before it gets worse."

The World Health Organization has said there is "no scientific validity" to so-called virginity tests, which are also known as "two-finger" tests.

The test — during which an examiner inserts two fingers into the woman's vagina to check whether the hymen is unbroken — violates several international human rights agreements meant to stop degrading practices, according to Human Rights Watch. They point to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which Indonesia has ratified.

Indonesia soldiers and police officers stand guard at Wijayapura port in Cilacap, Indonesia, on April 28.

Image: Tatan Syuflana/Associated Press

Radical Islamic groups also pose a threat in the Muslim-majority nation.

Extremists wielding machetes destroyed at least two Christian churches in northern Indonesia earlier this week, forcing soldiers and police to defend parishioners as they mourned their places of worship.

Attacks on religious minorities are less frequent under Joko, according to Human Rights Watch. But the president hasn't helped re-open or rebuild churches that were closed or demolished before he was elected.

The group wants Joko to eliminate a 2006 regulation that effectively forces religious minorities to ask the Sunni-Muslim majority for permission to build a new church or mosque.

The rule has only clipped the rights of religious minorities, according to activists.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Source: Indonesian women must take 'virginity tests' before joining the military

Qatar Charity spent QR322m on Syria relief packages

DOHA: Qatar Charity spent QR322m on relief packages for more than six million people displaced inside Syria and refugees in neighbouring countries during the last four and half years.

A total of 6,083,517 people affected by the war in Syria benefitted from the humanitarian aid provided by Qatar Charity from April 2011 to September 2015.

More than 67 percent of the total aid (QR213.06m) was disbursed inside Syria to provide basic needs to displaced people.

The remaining amount was used for refugees sheltered in neighbouring countries.

More than QR58.27m was spent on refugees in Lebanon, QR26.88m in Jordan and QR19m in Turkey. Refugees in Iraq and other countries received QR4.5m.

More than QR120.21m was spent to provide shelters and over QR102.56m on food. Health care and education projects cost over QR68.21m and QR30.75m respectively. Qatar Charity dispatched caravans carrying foodstuff inside Syria. In addition, basic ration materials were also distri buted. It has also financed projects for cultivating potato and cereal. Portable bakeries with a capacity of 60,000 breads per day were set up inside Syria for the displaced. The project cost for installation and operation was QR3m for six months. Food projects cost a total QR102,561,000, benefitting over 2,991,000 people. 

Some 2,500 residential units are being constructed along Syria-Turkey border. 

Doha: Qatar Charity (QC) supported Rohingya families washed up to the beach of Indonesia while trying to escape oppression in their countries. 

The QC office in Jakarta offered food, clothes and schoolbags for some 200 children and dug wells to provide drinking water through cisterns but in limited quantities. 

A total of 1,090 refugees benefited. Hundreds of Muslim Rohingya families were washed to the coast of Aceh in Indonesia and were disoriented after having spent a few days in the sea without food, mattresses or covers. 

QC distributed cooked and dry foodstuff, soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and toothbrushes to refugees in shelters in Northern Aceh, Eastern Aceh, Nijsa, and Aceh Tamiang and was implemented at a cost of QR200,000.

The Peninsula

Source: Qatar Charity spent QR322m on Syria relief packages

Indonesia threatens to shut down Bali's international writers festival

Janet DeNeefe, founder of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali. Photo: Eddie Jim

Jakarta: Indonesian officials have threatened to shut down Bali's prestigious international writers festival, compelling organisers to cancel sessions discussing the bloody massacre of alleged communists in 1965.

The political censorship of this year's Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is unprecedented in the 12-year history of the popular event.

Author Anna Funder autographs her books at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in 2012. Photo: Stanny Angga

Three panel sessions discussing the mass killings, a screening of multi-award-winning director Joshua Oppenheimer's chilling film The Look of Silence and art exhibit and book launch The Act of Living have been pulled just days before the festival is scheduled to start.

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Festival director Janet DeNeefe told Fairfax Media the cancellations were a "great blow" and she was outraged by the censorship.

Local police, military and government officials had warned the festival it could be shut down if planned sessions, events and exhibitions on the 1965 massacres went ahead.

Joshua Oppenheimer, director of the film The Look of Silence (and the 2012 film The Act of Killing) which was about the Indonesian anti-communist purge of 1965. Photo: Daniel Bergeron

An estimated 500,000 to 1 million people labelled "communists" were massacred in Indonesia in 1965 and 1966 in what the CIA described as "one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century".

This dark chapter in Indonesian history remains extremely sensitive today, as many of the country's military and religious organisations were implicated in the mass killings.

"It is extremely disappointing and some might even say cowardly that the government is refusing to discuss this national tragedy," Ms DeNeefe said.

Indonesia's Major-General Suharto, in camouflage uniform, at the funeral for six generals killed by rebels in the abortive attempt to overthrow then president Sukarno in 1965. The coup attempt led to nationwide massacres. Photo: AP

She said works on 1965 had been discussed in previous years at the festival and another of Joshua Oppenheimer's films, The Act of Killing, was screened last year.

"It's almost like censorship has become fashionable overnight again," she added.

This week a 77-year-old Swedish man was deported for visiting the grave in West Sumatra of his father, who is believed to have been buried along with other supporters of the now defunct Indonesian communist party or PKI.

Indonesian police hold a communist flag in the ruins of Indonesian Communist Party House in Jakarta after it was ransacked by anti-communist demonstrators in 1965. Photo: AP

Police reportedly claimed the man had been filming a documentary about cruelty towards the PKI.

And the National Commission on Human Rights this week opened an investigation into the recall of Lentera, a student newspaper from a Christian university in Central Java, because of its coverage of the 1965 killings.

"I think this all part of a broader crackdown on freedom of expression," Oppenheimer told Fairfax Media via email. "It's really upsetting. I fear it is a reassertion of power by the shadow state. I hope I'm wrong."

Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan. Photo: Jefri Tarigan

Indonesian author Eka Kurniawan, who has been described as a successor to Indonesia's greatest writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer, was scheduled to appear on October 29 in a panel on writing about 1965.

Kurniawan said the cancellation of the event was embarrassing. "Seventeen years after reformasi [the end of the Suharto era], we are still being haunted by such things," he said.

"Recently a new wave of anti-communism seems to have been revived, even when communism barely exists in Indonesia. If censoring ideas is tolerated, it will continue until it reaches its peak: eliminating the lives of men considered different."

Fellow panelist Putu Oka Sukanta was imprisoned for 10 years without trial in 1966 for suspected leftist leanings. "Of course as a writer, I am disappointed if they are banning literature or activities relating to freedom and expression," he said. "The [Indonesian] constitution allows freedom of expression and speech."

Sukanta said the era after reformasi had seemed to promise freedom of speech and the ability to uncover what was not known or had been reported one-sidedly during the Suharto period.

"Even the government promised to investigate what happened in the past. The impact of the 1965 tragedy is massive, it touched all segments in society. This nation must be freed from the past burden if it wants to move on into the future."

Ms DeNeefe said the cancellation of the festival events about 1965 would open up a huge international dialogue. "You can't silence something like that – sometimes these things are needed because they bring things to a head. This is almost like our look of silence – by not holding these sessions there is a powerful message."

Fairfax Media is seeking comment from local authorities.

With Karuni Rompies

Follow Jewel Topsfield on Facebook

Source: Indonesia threatens to shut down Bali's international writers festival

The wRap Indonesia: Aceh to cane gays, haze reaches Thailand

Other stories include a recommended jail term for journalists doing illegal reporting in Indonesia, and up and coming women leaders in the country's tech scene

Rappler.com

Published 6:00 AM, October 23, 2015

Updated 6:00 AM, October 23, 2015

CANING. An Acehnese receiving lashes in public on September 19. Under a new law, gay sex is punishable by up to 100 lashes or 100 months in prison. Photo by Nurdin Hasan/Rappler

JAKARTA, Indonesia – From gays in Aceh subject to caning if caught having sex, to the haze hitting Thailand, here are the top stories to start your day.

1. Caning of gays caught having sex

Gay people caught having sex in Indonesia's staunchly Islamic Aceh province will from Friday, October 22 be punished by 100 strokes of the cane, an official said, despite criticism of the "inhumane" law.

Under an Islamic bylaw, anal sex between men and "the rubbing of body parts between women for stimulation" is outlawed. The rule applies to all Muslims including foreigners, provincial sharia chief Syahrizal Abbas told AFP. Read more.

2. Jail for journalists?

Indonesian prosecutors on Thursday, October 22 recommended that two British journalists on trial for trying to make a documentary about piracy without the correct visas be sentenced to 5 months in jail.

Prosecutor Bani Ginting told Batam district court that Neil Bonner, 32, and Rebecca Prosser, 31, had been proven "legally and convincingly guilty" of misusing their tourist visas for "inappropriate activity." Read more.

3. Haze hits Thailand

SUFFOCATING HAZE. Haze suffocates parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. ABDUL QODIR / AFP

Dense haze produced by Indonesian forest fires has caused some of the worst pollution levels in southern Thailand in a decade, officials said Thursday, October 21, delaying flights in an area popular with tourists.

For nearly two months, thousands of fires caused by slash-and-burn farming have suffocated vast expanses of Southeast Asia, causing rates of respiratory illnesses to soar, schools to close, and scores of flights and some international events to be canceled. Read more.

4. Santos soars on bid refusal

RUPIAH UP. The dollar is down against emerging-market currencies. EPA/ADI WEDA

Australian energy giant Santos surged more than 20% at one point Thursday, October 22 after rejecting a multi-billion-dollar takeover bid it described as "opportunistic," giving a lift to other Sydney-listed energy firms.

And while jitters over China's economics malaise kept equities on edge, increasing confidence that the Federal Reserve will delay an interest rate rise until the new year continued to lend broad support to emerging-market currencies. Read more.

5. Women in the tech scene

Indonesia's tech industry is a sausage fest – it's mostly male-dominated, especially when we look at top leadership and technical positions. It's a fact we've come to accept for now, while hoping that programs encouraging female entrepreneurship, like Girls in Tech, will help turn the tide.

Where is the future generation? Who are the young female leaders next in line to "smash the glass ceiling"? Here are 8 women under 30 we've noticed as emerging talents in Indonesia's tech world. Read more. – Rappler.com

Source: The wRap Indonesia: Aceh to cane gays, haze reaches Thailand

Everything is not awesome for LEGO lovers this Christmas

Indonesian shoppers gather near the Lego Christmas City built entirely of lego bricks at Senayan City shopping mall in Jakarta, Indonesia.(Photo: MAST IRHAM, EPA)

Some families will have to let go of their Lego dreams this holiday season.

The Denmark-based toy company reports that it's doing so unexpectedly well that its manufacturers will not be able to keep up with demand come December. Right now, the shortage is contained to some European countries.

"The demand for Lego products during the first half of 2015 has been significantly higher than our and our customers' expectations and projections and this has put a strain on the Lego Group's manufacturing facilities globally," Lego press officer Roar Trangbaek wrote in a statement.

Factories are full-steam ahead, but it won't be enough for what it calls "unprecedented demand."

Lego Group's sales in the first half of 2015 increased by 18%, compared with the same period last year. Based on sales, they are now the world's largest toy company.

"For Lego, the seven-year average growth rate has been 20%," said David Robertson, author of Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy Industry. "They've been growing like that since 2007, a 37% profit growth. This makes no sense for a company that makes commodity plastic blocks."

Thankfully, it looks like U.S. Lego lovers are safe for now, and the company is "closely monitoring the demand and taking action to secure our inventory for the holiday season," according to Trangbaek.

Robertson accounts the recent Lego boom to the company's ability to create supplemental products, both of its own brand and in partnering with other strong brands like Star Wars, Batman and the Avengers -- while keeping the classic bricks in play. (Last year's much-loved The LEGO Movie was a huge boost for the brand, too.)

He says the family-run company, which was started in 1932, faced failure when it tried to shift the brand away from physical Lego blocks. Instead, they changed their strategy. "They're a great example of how innovation actually doesn't have to be disruptive to be successful," he said.

Robertson likens Lego's success to Disney's profits around Frozen, in which blockbuster film sales translated into massive profits from retail, live shows and even a Scandinavian cruise.

There's also something iconic about the classic plastic building bricks. "My guess is that this sales success is due in part by Lego's geographic expansion," Robertson said. Lego is building a factory in China and continues to expand into that market.

"Once a family becomes middle class, at least by Western standards, they want buy Legos for their kids. That's exactly what's happening," he said.

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Source: Everything is not awesome for LEGO lovers this Christmas

The wRap Indonesia: Jokowi's one year in power, goals for Jokowi US trip

Other stories include a rare judgment by Pakistan clerics on Muslim women garb and Barcelona topping FIFA Ballon D'Or shortlist

Rappler.com

Published 6:00 AM, October 21, 2015

Updated 6:00 AM, October 21, 2015

DISAPPOINTING YEAR. Analysts agree President Joko Widodo has had a disappointing first year in power. Photo by AFP

JAKARTA, Indonesia – From an assesment of President Joko Widodo's first year in power to his upcoming visit to the United States, here is the top news stories from Indonesia and around the world to start your day.

1. Jokowi's 1st year

Indonesian President Joko Widodo took office last year on hopes that an outsider and "man of the people" would swiftly usher in a new era of cleaner, more effective governance. 12 months on, critics say those hopes have come to nought.

Widodo, known by his nickname "Jokowi," swept to power on a wave of popular support for his hands-on approach and his image as a corruption-free, fresh face in a country long dominated by oligarchs from the era of dictator Suharto. Read more.

2. Jokowi's US trip

TRIP TO US. President Joko Widodo will try to change the opinion on Indonesia during his US trip. Photo by AFP

Indonesian President Joko Widodo departs for the United States for a 5-day visit on Sunday, October 25 on a mission to try to change the image of his country from one mired in economic nationalism and corruption to one open for international investment.

"They are hoping the visit sends the message that the restrictive and unfriendly regulatory environment is changing in Indonesia," a source said. "There will be some creative ideas put forward." Read more.

3. Sharia law interpretation

NOT NEEDED. Pakistan clerics say women are not required to cover their faces. Photo by EPA

Pakistan's top religious body has said women are not required to cover their faces, hands or feet under Islamic Sharia law, a rare judgement from the conservative council of clerics seen as "encouraging" by rights activists Tuesday, October 20.

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which was formed in 1962 to advise parliament on the compatibility of laws with Sharia, made the ruling during its meeting on Monday. However the chairman of the council Maulana Muhammad Khan Sheerani also "advised women to follow ethics and have a careful attitude in society," a spokesman told AFP. Read more.

4. Barcelona on top

Spanish giants Barcelona top the FIFA shortlist for the Ballon d'Or world player of the year award with six players named in a second 23-strong selection.

They include the favorite for the prestigious award, Argentinian Lionel Messi, as well as Javier Mascherano (Argentina), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Neymar (Brazil), Ivan Rakitic (Croatia) and Luis Suarez (Uruguay). They will be up against last year's winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, and his Real Madrid team-mates Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema as well as five players from German giants Bayern Munich.

5. Rappler Indonesia contributor wins award

SADIMAN SAVES. Rappler contributor Ari Susanto's article on an elderly man saving his village from drought wins an award. Photo by Ari Susanto/Rappler

National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) announced the winners of the Tough Award 2015 in Solo, Central Java, over the weekend.

BNPB award is an appreciation of the work of individuals and institutions who address disasters. In the 4th ever Tough Awards, Rappler Indonesia contributor Ari Susanto won the main award in the Journalistic Piece Category, for his work published on the Rappler website, titled "Alone, Sadiman freed his village from drought." Read more. – Rappler.com

Source: The wRap Indonesia: Jokowi's one year in power, goals for Jokowi US trip

UOW researchers named in International Red Cross World Disasters Report 2015

A research team has utilised social media to help Indonesians during a natural disaster.

SAVING LIVES: UOW researchers Dr Tomas Holderness and Dr Etienne Turpin have developed a program to turn Twitter into an emergency response tool in times of extreme flooding in Indonesia. Picture: Paul Jones

A flood mapping system using Tweets that was developed by University of Wollongong researchers has been praised in this years International Red Cross World Disasters Report as a case study of community-level response to disasters.

Dr Tomas Holderness and Dr Etienne Turpin led a team of researchers who developed a system that is now being used by the Indonesian government to assist in responding to natural disasters.

As two per cent of the world's Twitter activity comes from Jakarta, it seemed the perfect source of real-time information to be used and geo-tagged.

Dr Holderness said in the Indonesian capital - a mega-city of 14 million people - everyone is connected to the internet, with more than half owning two smartphones. However laptops or desktop computers were not common.

"The potential was there to use informal communication networks as immediate tools for disaster response," he said. "We can instantly turn something like Twitter into an emergency communication network for the duration of the disaster."

The way they do this is writing messages to people to confirm the situation on the ground with photo and video posts, though the process became so effective it became the primary data source.

UOW's Dr Tomas Holderness

Dr Holderness said there were a lot of developing nations that were spawning mega cities, and expanding too quickly to be able to form traditional flood models like in Australia because the physical urban environment was changing too quickly.

He said the potential applicability of the project could help save millions of lives, as there were 20 mega-cities in the South East Asian region with 18 of those experiencing flooding in the past decade.

www.PetaJakarta.org

PetaJakarta.org is a web-based platform that runs on custom built open source software known as CogniCity. The system turns geo-tagged Tweets into valuable data and, importantly is transferable and could readily be deployed in other cities to address issues such as waste management, transport and traffic congestion, weather emergencies, and even elections and governance.

Source: UOW researchers named in International Red Cross World Disasters Report 2015

The wRap Indonesia: Rail deal signed, biggest operation vs forest fires

Other stories include an analysis on the effect of the China-Indonesia rail deal on foreign investors and Typhoon Koppu lashing the Philippines

Rappler.com

Published 6:00 AM, October 19, 2015

Updated 6:00 AM, October 19, 2015

ITS A GO. This photo shows scale models of Chinese-made bullet trains. Bay Ismoyo/AFP

JAKARTA, Indonesia –

1. Rail deal signed

Chinese and Indonesian state-owned companies Friday, October 16 signed a $5.5 billion deal to build the first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia's top economy, after Beijing beat Tokyo to win the construction project.

The line will connect the Indonesian capital Jakarta with the mountain-fringed city of Bandung, some 160 kilometers (100 miles) away, and is a key part of President Joko Widodo's plans to overhaul the archipelago's infrastructure and attract investors. Read more.

2. Forest fires operation

HUGE OPERATION. Australian firefighters prepare their equipment blanketed by haze while their Hercules air tanker plane prepares to take off for its first water bombing mission from Palembang Air Base. Photo by AFP

Indonesia launched Friday, October 16, its biggest operation ever to combat fires blanketing Southeast Asia in haze, an official said, with dozens of planes and thousands of troops battling the widespread blazes.

32 planes and helicopters – including 6 aircraft from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia – were dispatched to back up the more than 22,000 personnel on the ground who have been fighting the fires for weeks. Read more.

3. Rupiah dips slightly

Foto oleh AFP

An increasing expectation the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates at record lows fed further gains in Asia's stock markets on Friday, October 16 but the dollar edged up against most emerging currencies following recent losses.

Indonesia's rupiah fell 1.31%, although it is up about 8% this month. The Malaysian ringgit also lost 1.55% and has gained more than 5%. Read more.

4. Typhoon slams the Philippines

NO-WALK ZONE. A biker braves the strong winds and rains in Manila. Photo by Mark Cristino/EPA

Typhoon Koppu made landfall before dawn on the remote fishing town of Casiguran, in Aurora province, whipping the coast with gusts of up to 210 kilometers (130 miles) an hour for nearly 7 hours before moving inland.

The government said more than 23,000 people had already been evacuated from the path of Lando, which also disrupted ferry services and aviation. One is dead as of Sunday evening, while 8 others are reported missing. Read more.

5. Analysis: Investors to pull out?

JAPAN NOT CHOSEN. After losing out, investors talk about relocating factories and reconsidering plans. AFP PHOTO / Toru YAMANAKA

The Indonesian government is feeling the heat after Japanese investors reportedly have threatened to relocate factories and reconsider investment plans after a 150-km fast-train project from Jakarta to Bandung was given to Chinese investors. The Japanese side thought they had won the deal.

Strangely, neither China nor Indonesia first announced the US$5 billion project. It was first announced by a Japanese official who told local media his country had lost out. On Friday, October 16, the two countries officially signed the deal. Read more. – Rappler.com

Source: The wRap Indonesia: Rail deal signed, biggest operation vs forest fires

China clinches first overseas bullet train deal with Indonesia

After years of intense lobbying with several countries, including India, in an effort to sell its high-speed rail technology, China has finally bagged its first ever overseas bullet train project signing a USD 5.5 billion deal with Indonesia.

The two countries inked an agreement in Jakarta yesterday to launch a joint venture for a high-speed rail linking the Indonesian capital with Bandung, the capital of West Java "in a breakthrough deal," state-run Global Times reported.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng said the high-speed rail would be China's first overseas project entirely using Chinese technology and the largest investment value ever.

"The high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung has resulted from the agreement of both countries' leaders upon the need to synergise strategies to attain higher growth," he said.

The USD 5.5 billion project to build the 150 km high speed rail will be conducted on a business-to-business basis, in which the Indonesian side controls 60 per cent of the joint venture's stake, while the Chinese partner controls the remaining 40 per cent share.

China which is a late comer to high speed rail technology after Japan and Germany plans to make it a major high technology growth engine to revive its slowing economy.

Before marketing it abroad China has gone in for a massive expansion of bullet trains. Currently it has 40 rail lines stretching up to 16,000 km, the world's largest high speed rail network.

The high speed technology besides its expertise in energy and infrastructure building by Chinese firms is part of its Silk Road initiative to gain high technology exports through lucrative investments abroad, which Chinese officials hope would boost economic growth currently down at about seven per cent.

China is also jostling with Japan to gain bullet train deals in India. It is already conducting feasibility study to build a bullet train on the Chennai-New Delhi corridor.

The Indonesian deal is part of the two countries' initiatives to materialise the 21st century Maritime Silk Road and "World's Maritime Axis" through pragmatic cooperation between Indonesia and China in various sectors.

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Source: China clinches first overseas bullet train deal with Indonesia

China to build Indonesia’s first high-speed railway

Indonesia has granted a Chinese-led consortium the right to build the country's first high-speed railway line – angering Japan which had launched a rival bid.

Much of the Southeast Asian nation's transport network badly needs repair and it's hoped the new 150-kilometre line between the capital Jakarta and Bandung will boost economic growth.

Yang Zhongmin, the head of China Railway International, the company leading the consortium said:"Thanks to our combined forces we (China) can build a top quality high speed line, benefiting the people of Indonesia and helping develop the country economically. This has been the aim of the Indonesian-Chinese cooperation before we sign the project and it is our common goal."

A key factor in the award was that the Indonesian government will contribute no new funding to the $5.5 billion (4.83 billion euros) project.

Instead three-quarters will reportedly come from the state-owned China Development Bank, with the rest from China Railway and the four state Indonesian companies.

Construction is set to begin next year and finish in 2018. The first trains, capable of reaching 250 kilometres an hour, are due to run in early 2019.

Source: China to build Indonesia's first high-speed railway

The wRap Indonesia: 4th economic stimulus, Sumatran elephants found dead

Other stories include a damning report on the treatment of Indonesia's death row inmates and new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp's statements ahead of his team's first game under his leadership

Rappler.com

Published 6:00 AM, October 16, 2015

Updated 6:00 AM, October 16, 2015

FOUND DEAD. Two critically-endangered Sumatran elephants were found dead from suspected poisoning in Indonesia's Aceh province. AFP photo/Aceh Province Forest Protection Agecny/Awir Belo

JAKARTA, Indonesia – From the 4th installment of the government's economic stimulus to more Sumatran elephants found dead, here are the top stories from Indonesia and around the world.

1. Workers' protection

PROTECT WORKERS. Indonesia bids to protect workers in its latest economic stimulus announcement. Photo from Freeport Indonesia website.

Indonesia unveiled new measures designed to protect workers from exploitation and provide certainty for business as Southeast Asia's biggest economy tries to reverse a sharp slowdown.

It is the 4th time fresh stimulus policies have been revealed in just over a month, as the government seeks to shore up its weak currency and spur the economy, which is growing at its slowest pace in 6 years. In the latest installment, Chief Economics Minister Darmin Nasution announced new rules for determining minimum wage rises, something business has long blamed for denting investor confidence. Read more.

2. Damning report on death row

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE. 12 of the 14 shot by firing squad this year were from abroad, including citizens of Australia, Brazil and the Netherlands. File photo by Jewel Samad/AFP

Foreigners on death row in Indonesia have been denied basic rights and beaten for confessions, Amnesty International said Thursday, October 15 in a damning report that slammed the country's continued use of the death penalty for drug-related crimes.

The London-based rights group also claims in a new report that foreign death row inmates were denied proper legal assistance and access to interpreters during their trials, and signed legal documents in a language they didn't understand. Read more.

3. Rare elephants found dead

Two critically-endangered Sumatran elephants have been found dead from suspected poisoning in Indonesia's Aceh province, an official said Thursday, October 15.

Villagers found the carcasses of the female elephants, aged two and 15, bleeding from their mouths and rectums in the forest near Panggong village in Aceh Jaya district on Wednesday, local conservation agency chief Genman Suhefti Hasibuan told AFP. "Based on our preliminary findings, we suspect they were poisoned but we still need to conduct further tests to confirm," he said. Read more.

4. Not Obama 2.0

POWER COUPLE. In this file photo, US President Barack Obama (R) speaks as then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton listens during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 28, 2012. Jewel Samad/File/AFP

As Barack Obama's secretary of State, Hillary Clinton loyally carried out his agenda, but since mounting her presidential bid she has split with the White House on several key issues, including global trade.

Drilling in the Arctic Ocean is too risky, she argues. Deportations? The administration's record rate of sending undocumented immigrants home is unnecessarily "breaking up families," according to Clinton. The White House has dilly-dallied long enough on whether to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, and Clinton recently came out against it. As for Syria, she has complained that aiding and arming Syrian rebels was taking too long. Read more.

5. Klopp's first game

Jurgen Klopp is starting Liverpool off with a clean slate as they head into their match with Tottenham. File photo by Odd Andersen/AFP

New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said his players will have a clean slate against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend and urged them to play "like in your best dream".

"The most important information is to start new and that is what we will do," he told his pre-match press conference at the club's Melwood training ground. "I am not interested in what the faults were a few weeks ago. I only think about what we can do to be stable in a game, close all our doors and if it is possible, look a little bit out." Read more. – Rappler.com

Source: The wRap Indonesia: 4th economic stimulus, Sumatran elephants found dead

The wRap Indonesia: Thousands flee after church-burning, Ahok popularity

Other stories include the foreign death toll on the hajj stampede, the murder trial date of a man accused of killing two Indonesian women, and babies suffering from pneumonia due to the haze

Rappler.com

Published 6:00 AM, October 15, 2015

Updated 6:00 AM, October 15, 2015

JAKARTA, Indonesia – From thousands fleeing from riots in Aceh Singkil, to babies suffering from pneumonia due to the haze, here is the top stories to start your day.

1. Thousands flee after church-burning

After riots broke out in Aceh Singkil following the burning of a church by conservative Muslims, hundreds of families fled to the North Sumatra Province to seek safety.

About 2,500 are said to have fled. The escape comes a day after violent clashes that saw a church burned to the ground by hundreds of armed men in Indonesia's conservative Islamic province of Aceh, a local police chief said. Read more.

2. Worst hajj tragedy ever

WORST EVER. A pilgrim walks amid the bodies of some of the pilgrims killed in a stampede in the Mina neighborhood of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Photo by EPA

The death toll from last month's hajj stampede has risen to at least 1,636, according to tallies given by foreign officials, making it the deadliest incident in the pilgrimage's history.

Saudi Arabia has yet to provide an updated death toll after saying 769 Muslim pilgrims had died in the tragedy near Mecca. Saudi authorities have also not provided a breakdown by nationality, but Indonesia says 127 of their nationals are dead. Read more.

3. Babies with pneumonia

East Kalimantan Health Department said about 338 babies in West Kutai Pnenumonia affected due to the smog that hit the region in recent months. The data is not final, the number of patients could still grow.

Pneumonia is one of the diseases caused by acute respiratory infections (ARI). In infants, the disease is more dangerous because it can cause death. Weeks of forest fires in Indonesia have prompted the cancellation of flights and warnings for people to stay indoors, suspension of classes, and worsened air quality in Indonesia as well as neighboring Singapore and Malaysia. Read more.

4. Ahok still popular

It looks like Incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama could well be re-elected governor in 2017 according to a survey from Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC).

Ahok still enjoys the highest electability, with a total of 2.5% of respondents saying they would vote for him when asked about their candidates of choice. Ahok is known to be loud, brash and controversial but supporters say he is the type of leader Jakarta needs. Read more.

5. Trial set

Rurik Jutting L), leaves the Eastern Magistrates Court in a prison van, at Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong, China, November 24, 2014. File Photo by Jerome Favre/EPA

A British banker accused of murdering two Indonesian women who were found mutilated in his upscale Hong Kong apartment will face trial next year for the killings.

Rurik Jutting, a 30-year-old former Bank of America Merrill Lynch employee, has been charged with two counts of murder and is yet to enter a formal plea. In a brief hearing at Hong Kong's High Court, the trial date was set for October 25, 2016 – two years after the killings. Read more. – Rappler.com

Source: The wRap Indonesia: Thousands flee after church-burning, Ahok popularity

Ogilvy PR Jakarta appointed agency for Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism

Related Items

Arief Yahya

Indonesia

Marianne Admardatine

Ministry of Tourism Indonesia

Ogilvy PR Jakarta

Ogilvy Public Relations Indonesia (Ogilvy) has been appointed the official agency of record for Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism, following a highly competitive pitch.

Ogilvy will provide a 5-year strategic communications plan that aims to increase the country's visibility as a top tourism destination in the international market, with a target to increase tourist numbers to 20 million within the next few years. The brief will involve the vast network of Ogilvy offices around the world including Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, United States, Europe and the United Kingdom.

Commenting on the partnership, Arief Yahya, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Indonesia, said, "Among the 22 submissions reviewed, Ogilvy Public Relations Indonesia was a clear winner for the project of 'The Identification and Content Formation for Indonesia's Tourism Branding'."

He added, "We have high ambitions to bring in 20 million more tourists within the next two to three years and Ogilvy Public Relations is the best agency to help drive an aggressive 'awareness' campaign' for Indonesia's branding, 'Wonderful Indonesia'. This year, 'Wonderful Indonesia' ranked 47 as the best branding in the world out of 144 countries, by the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index World Economic Forum (WEF) – we are extremely proud of this and determined to continue the momentum."

Marianne Admardatine, Managing Director of Ogilvy Public Relations Indonesia, said, "We are honoured that Ogilvy PR Indonesia is entrusted as the communications consultant for Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism. The ambition behind the brief carries a concentrated purpose and that is to showcase Indonesia's beautiful tourism spots and its diverse culture to the international world beyond Bali. This initiative is a great step forward for both Ogilvy PR and Indonesia in highlighting the best that this country has to offer globally."

Source: Ogilvy PR Jakarta appointed agency for Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism

$47b? Indonesia counts costs of haze

Early estimates by the Joko Widodo administration indicate that the haze crisis could set Indonesia back by up to 475 trillion rupiah (S$47 billion) - no chump change to a government already grappling with a sliding rupiah and sluggish growth.

However, observers warned that economic pains aside, the country's global standing will also take a hit if it does not resolve the decades-old issue, caused by illegal forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra.

The blanketing haze from the fires, often burning over dry peatland, has affected millions across Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as parts of the Philippines and Thailand more recently.

It has forced schools to close, flights to be delayed and major sporting events in both Singapore and Malaysia to be cancelled.

For Indonesia, more than 136,000 of its people have suffered from respiratory infections. There were also unverified reports of a few haze-related deaths, including that of a 15-year-old schoolg irl.

Researchers Tiola Javadi and David Han from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) said in a report last week that the crisis, if prolonged, could strain relations, particularly between Indonesia and its closest ASEAN neighbours, Singapore and Malaysia.

Professor Euston Quah, who has spent years researching the economic impact of the transboundary haze, agrees.

"It is too early to tell what the economic costs of this year's haze episode will be because it will probably go on until early November due to El Nino," said Prof Quah, who heads the economics division at Nanyang Technological University.

"But the cost of this crisis, whether for Indonesia, Singapore or Malaysia, will likely be the same... the only difference is that Indonesia will probably lose much of the goodwill it has with its neighbours. That has not been estimated and will emerge as a massive intangible cost to the Indonesians," he added.

The "confusing verbal excha nges between Indonesia and Singapore on the haze issue" do not help Indonesia's cause, said Mr Javadi and Mr Han.

They were referring to Vice-President Jusuf Kalla, who rapped his country's neighbours for grumbling about the haze but never thanking Indonesia for the clean air they enjoy for the rest of the year.

Another episode that had threatened to sour ties was Indonesia's repeated rejections of Singapore's offer of assistance. But the matter appears to have been put to bed after Jakarta last week formally accepted offers of help from several countries, including Singapore.

The transboundary haze, which first grabbed headlines in a big way in 1997, cost the region an estimated US$9 billion then.

This year's haze, which has already affected more than 28 million people living in Indonesia, is likely be worse than that in 1997.

While the economic impact of the haze in 2013 - when air pollution hit record levels in Singapore - and this year has yet to be quantified, it is likely to be more significant, said Associate Professor Mely Caballero-Anthony, who heads the RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, and Associate Research Fellow Goh Tian, also from RSIS.

Prof Quah, who is also president of the Economic Society of Singapore, noted while the current haze period is "quite similar to 1997", the economic costs then were compounded by the Asian financial crisis, which inflated the costs.

"This year, we don't have a financial crisis but El Nino is the strongest in 50 years... so this year when they tabulate the final (costs of the fires and

haze), I am sure the costs will be higher than in 1997," he said.

Based on its own calculations, the Indonesian government reckoned that the cost of mitigating the crisis this year would range from 300 trillion to 475 trillion rupiah.

It is not clear how the figure was derived, but the country's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) had already said last month it may have to use up all 385 billion rupiah in government funding earmarked for tackling the fires and also turn to a 2.5 trillion rupiah "on-call fund" set aside for other types of disasters.

The Joko government has also allocated US$1 million (S$1.4 million) to provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan that are bearing the brunt of the fires.

To date, tens of thousands of soldiers, policemen, BNPB personnel and Environment and Forestry Ministry officials have been deployed to tackle the fires and build canals to make it easier to "re-wet" peatland, which burns easily during the dry season. The construction of the canals over sprawling plantation land will be funded by Jakarta, Mr Joko had said previously.

His government has also taken the unprecedented step of openly going after those who use the outlawed slash-and-burn method of clearing land to cultivate crops like oil palm. The authorities have since arrested hundreds of suspects and begun investigations int o several plantation firms suspected of starting illegal forest fires.

Last Friday, Mr Joko said his government intends to procure at least three aircraft large enough to deal with forest fires.

It is not known if the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has already included these new purchases in its calculations, but observers believe that the costs will inevitably mount for Jakarta as the current crisis continues.

tkchan@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on Oct 11, 2015. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

Source: $47b? Indonesia counts costs of haze

Good that Indonesia's neighbours are involved in fighting fires: Jusuf Kalla

By Saifulbahri Ismail

POSTED: 09 Oct 2015 21:45

UPDATED: 09 Oct 2015 22:38

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JAKARTA: It is good that neighbouring countries are involved in fighting forest fires in the country, so they understand how difficult it is to solve the problem, said Indonesia's Vice-President Jusuf Kalla.

Local news portal Detiknews.com quoted Mr Kalla as saying that by helping out, other countries can "understand the ground, not just to observe from a distance". 

Speaking to reporters at the vice-president's office on Friday (Oct 9), Mr Kalla also refuted claims that the government is not doing its best to put out the fires. He said a number of aircraft and troops have been deployed and funds have been used. Mr Kalla explained that it is not easy to put out the fires during this dry season.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said Indonesia welcomes help from its neighbours as long as it is sincere.

Detiknews.com reported him as saying: "We just want to remind the Singapore and Malaysian governments as friends in ASEAN, if they want to help Indonesia, do it sincerely. Do not condemn the country, and its people."

He added that it is not the wish for the Indonesian government nor its people to send the haze intentionally to Malaysia or Singapore. Mr Kumolo spoke while he was in Palembang on Friday to attend the civil service police unit jamboree.

- CNA/hs

Source: Good that Indonesia's neighbours are involved in fighting fires: Jusuf Kalla

Siloam Hospitals Bags 2015 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Hospital of the Year Award

World | October 9, 2015

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Siloam Hospitals has been honored with the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Hospital of the Year award for the fourth time at the Indonesia Excellence Awards banquet.

Siloam previously received the Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Hospital of the Year award in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

Ms. Nur Hani Azran, Research Associate at Frost & Sullivan said that Siloam has been aggressively expanding its hospital network rapidly since 2011 to cater to the growing population in Indonesia. She added that the company has opened 3 new hospitals and acquired one hospital in 2014.

Ms. Nur Hani also said that Siloam is the clear leader in the hospital industry in Indonesia as it operates the largest private hospital network with the latest technologies and excellent quality care for its patients.

She added that Siloam's growth strategy and implementation excellence is portrayed in its financial growth. She noted that Siloam registered a strong double digit growth in its fiscal year ended June 2014, as its new hospitals became profitable sooner-than-expected due to state-of-the-art infrastructures and facilities.

"We are honored with the recognition presented by Frost & Sullivan for the fourth time, a reputable global consulting firm," said Mr. Romeo F. Lledo, President Director of Siloam Hospitals Group.

"The award is significant as it proves that Siloam Hospitals Group is on the right track. We will continue to deliver our best to our stakeholders and clients," he added.

Mr. Romeo also said that Siloam has piloted a public-private hospital format in the form of Siloam General Hospital (SGH) to offer treatments for lower-income patients. He added that SGH has participated in Indonesia's national health insurance program, Jaminan Kesehatan National (JKN) and the number of outpatients at its hospital has more than doubled since the start of the year.

"Besides hospitals, we also have plans to build health clinics across Indonesia in order for us to better serve the Indonesian public," he said.

The recipients of the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Excellence Awards were identified based on an in-depth research conducted by Frost & Sullivan's analysts. The short-listed companies were evaluated on a variety of actual market performance indicators which include revenue growth; market share and growth in market share; leadership in product innovation; marketing strategy and business development strategy.

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About Siloam Hospitals

Siloam Hospitals Group (SHG) (IDX: SILO) is Indonesia's most progressive and innovative healthcare provider, currently operating 20 hospitals with over 8,000 doctors, nurses and medical personnel, and serving more than 2 million patients annually. Siloam has a development goal of 40 hospitals by 2017 with a total capacity of 10,000 beds, reaching over twelve million patients annually. As the GDP of Indonesia continues to grow at an average of around 6% annually, the demand and the challenge to develop and offer equitable access to quality and affordable healthcare across Indonesia continues to grow. Siloam's vision of International Quality, Reach, Scale, and Godly Compassion establishes the platform to respond to this dynamic social transformation.

Siloam won the "Indonesian Healthcare Services Provider of the Year" award from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2013 and 2014, an "Excellence" award from the Asian Hospital Management Awards in 2011, and "Indonesia Sustainable Business Awards 2013 – Industry Champion" from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Global Initiatives and Climate Business. Siloam also received the prestigious "European Award for Best Practices" award from the European Society for Quality Research in Brussels, 2014.

Siloam is a subsidiary of PT Lippo Karawaci Tbk (IDX: LPKR), Indonesia's largest listed property company by total assets and revenues, anchored by a large land bank and solid recurring income base. LPKR's businesses comprise Residential/Townships, Retail Malls, Hospitals, Hotels and Asset Management. 

Media Contact:Shena Agusta Corporate Communications – Indonesia Frost & Sullivan Phone: +62-21-571-0838Email: shena.agusta@frost.com  

Anastasia Trivena HaliemInvestor Relations ManagerSiloam Hospitals Group Phone: +62-21-25668-000 ext.23307Email: anastasia.trivena@siloamhospitals.com

Source: Siloam Hospitals Bags 2015 Frost & Sullivan Indonesia Hospital of the Year Award