Indonesia: Jakarta's red-light district is demolished while sex workers forced to train for new jobs

Jakarta's Kalijodo is the latest of nearly 70 red-light districts to be shut down in Indonesia, with the government still wanting to close the remainder – estimated at about 100 – by 2019. Kalijodo red-light district has long been home to thousands of sex workers, despite prostitution being illegal in the country.

Bulldozers were seen destroying dozens of homes and sex-orientated businesses in the Jakarta neighbourhood, which the Indonesian government wants to turn into a park. The decision to demolish the area was finalised by Jakarta's governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, after a drink-driver killed four people in Kalijodo earlier this year. Purnama ordered the neighbourhood to be closed, starting with the Intan Cafe, which was, according to reports, owned by prominent local figure Abdul Azis, aka Daeng Azis, who allegedly controlled most of the operations in Kalijodo.

"If the main reason of the government is to clear prostitution, then I think this is the right thing to do. Prostitution violates religious values and it also disrupts other people around it," said Slamet Basuki, a resident of Jakarta.

Men enter a shop to gain access to a dwelling behind to remove scrap building materials in the Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaDarren Whiteside/ ReutersA disco ball is seen near civil service police unit members as buildings are demolished at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaBeawiharta/ ReutersCivil service police watch the demolition of Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaGarry Lotulung/ ReutersA man removes corrugated iron walls for scrap from a former entertainment spot before the area is to be demolished in Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaDarren Whiteside/ Reuters A civil service police officer sits in the ruins of Kalijodo red-light district during its demolition by authorities in J akarta, IndonesiaGarry Lotulung/ ReutersA member of the civil service police unit sits near the ruins at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaBeawiharta/ ReutersA man removes corrugated iron from a dwelling before it is demolished in the Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaDarren Whiteside/ ReutersA member of the civil service police unit walks near the ruins at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaBeawiharta/ ReutersA police officer walks past a pile of salvaged building materials and some belongings from a dwelling in the Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaDarren Whiteside/ ReutersA reporter walks near the ruins of demolished buildings at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaBeawiharta/ Reuters

Former sex workers who relied on Kalijodo to earn a living have been asked to join a rehabilitation and vocational centre, where they learn trades that are meant to help them get a job.

The city administration had given some 3,000 local residents seven days to pack up their things before the buildings are torn down, although there are six families who have insisted on staying in the area. Some have been relocated to new apartments, but remain perplexed as to how they will move forward.

Women practice the hairdressing skills at a government funded training centre that provides vocational training to former sex workers in Jakarta, IndonesiaDarren Whiteside/ ReutersStudent work on sewing machine at a government funded training centre that provides vocational training to former sex workers in Jakarta, IndonesiaGarry Lotulung/ ReutersPeople demolish a cafe building at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaWahyu Putro/ ReutersAn excavator demolishes buildings at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaBeawiharta/ ReutersAn excavator demolishes buildings at Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaBeawiharta/ ReutersPeople watch a man dismantle his dwelling in the Kalijodo red-light district in Jakarta, IndonesiaDarren Whiteside/ Reuters
Source: Indonesia: Jakarta's red-light district is demolished while sex workers forced to train for new jobs

Indonesia says Internet giants need to pay tax or face blockages

JAKARTA: Global Internet-based firms could have their services blocked in Indonesia if they do not obtain "permanent establishment" status in the country and pay Indonesian tax, government officials said on Monday.

Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro told reporters all Internet-based services must have a local presence in the form of a representative office or a full-fledged company.

"All have to create a permanent establishment, like the contractors for the oil sector, so they can be taxed," he said.

The minister did not name specific Internet firms that would be impacted.

Separately, Communications Ministry spokesman Ismail Cawidu told Reuters his ministry aims to issue a regulation in March containing rules to apply to streaming and messaging providers as well as social media websites.

Indonesians are huge users of Google and social media sites. The country is considered Twitter's capital and is home to the world's fourth-largest number of Facebook users.

Cawidu cited national interests on taxes and controlling content related to terrorism and pornography as the main reasons for the regulation.

If they do not comply, Indonesia will reduce their bandwidth or block them entirely, Cawidu said, adding that there might be a transition period under the new rules.

"They have massive customers in Indonesia... If someone places an add in Google, what do you think we get?" he said.

The Communication Ministry estimated digital advertising from Indonesia was worth about US$800 million last year but the business was left untaxed because of loopholes in regulations.

Some of the internet giants have already formed legal entities in Jakarta, including Google, while Facebook and Twitter have representative offices.

Communication Minister Rudiantara told Metro TV on Sunday even those already here may face greater scrutiny of their tax reports.

"Google has an office in Indonesia, but digital age transactions do not go through that office. That is what we're looking to straighten out," Rudiantara said, giving an example.

Efforts to get immediate comment from Google, Facebook and Twitter were unsuccessful.

(Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo, Hidayat Setiaji and Agustinus Beo Da Costa; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Source: Indonesia says Internet giants need to pay tax or face blockages

The Snake Oil Bulletin: Teen Charlatan Just As Bad As The Grown-Up Kind

Welcome, friends! It's time once more for your weekly round-up of flim-flammery and balderdash, the Snake Oil Bulletin! This week we're making a return to the world of medicine, a field with which your Dr. la Volpe, DDS, PhD, TMI, WtF, RMCP, is quite familiar. We've found two choice tales of medical malpractice, malfeasance, and malcontent to satisfy your woo-woo cravings. Our first story on the agenda involves that charming young gentleman above. Cute lil bugger, isn't he? What kind of mischief could an apple-cheeked young cherub like that create? Let's take a look, s hall we?

Kid Charlatan Poses As Naturopathic Doctor, No One Notices Difference

Much of the internet exploded for a brief five minutes last week at the news of 18-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson being arrested for impersonating a doctor.

Again.

Last year, the then 17-year-old Malachi was caught donning a lab coat and wandering the halls of St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL, posing as a doctor and looking in on patients' medical exams (the fact that he was caught trying to sit in on an OB/GYN exam should make your skin crawl). For reasons that still baffle us, the hospital and police decided not to charge the teen with a crime despite the potential HIPAA hurricane the teen could have caused. His mom said he had an illness of some kind and was off his meds.

Apparently Malachi learned his lesson, because this time around he decided that if he was going to pose as a doctor, it'd be much easier to pose as a fake doctor than a real MD kind. How did he do it? Simple! Malachi scraped the hospital logo off his lab coat, and tacked the title "doctor of naturopathic medicine" to his name. Using this one weird trick to apparently fool everyone, Malachi opened TWO (2) different clinics, employed staff, and even saw patients regularly before an undercover officer finally slapped him in handcuffs for being an unlicensed quack.

Malachi carried on his first charade posing as an OB/GYN for a month before being caught. Malachi successfully posed as a naturopath for almost a year before anyone caught him. The boy opened a clinic in October before being shut down, but opened a second clinic not long after, building himself a website, and somehow keeping staff on payroll up until late February of 2016. Let's take a gander at the still extant website for Malachi's second practice: The New Birth New Life Medical Center & Urgent Care, LLC.

Where to begin? First of all, that name is a bigger mouthful than Milton Berle. Second, spelling errors on the front page are never a good sign, but when your own doctor naturopath doesn't know the difference between "there" and "their," you should run. The About Us page is populated by a cadre of grinning stock model ghouls. Malachi claims to be certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (a fake accreditation diploma mill) and the American Alternative Medical Association (a "distrustful" and "questionable organization" according to Dr. Stephen Barrett of Quack Watch). The Services page is blank (shocker), with the only text being "Type your paragraph here."

Then we get to the Staff page. Hoo golly, mister, that's a fresh load of bullshit. The first thing we can determine is that the entire staff must have gotten the "senior picture" discount over at the Sears photo studio. "Dr." Malachi doesn't even pretend to have an MD, instead claiming a PhD. Even if it were true he wouldn't be legally allowed to practice medicine. If you're going to lie, kid, at least do it well. He also claims to hold an "HHP-C" and an "AMP-C," which are not real. They are made up letter garbage. Then there come his qualifications. We hope you have your vinaigrette on hand, because it's time to feast on some delicious word salad:

Dr. Malachi A. Love-Robinson is a a well rounded professional that treats, and cares for patients, using a system of practice that bases treatment of physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the human body. Dr Love-Robinson utilizes physiological, psychological, and mechanical methods, such as air, water, light, heat, earth, phototherapy, food and herb therapy, psychotherapy, electrotherapy, physiotherapy, mechanotherapy, naturopathic corrections and manipulation, and natural methods or modalities, together with natural medicines, natural processed foods, and herbs and nature's remedies.

What did we just read? Was that a doctor's qualifications or a list of minors you can pursue for your alchemy degree?

Malachi's staff is even fishier. His operations director, Michelle L. Newsome, doesn't list any business or marketing experience, but rather touts her family as credentials. The center's program director, "Dr." Sandra J. White, isn't even a doctor. The bottom of her bio admits she only holds an honorary doctorate in divinity which she apparently received for teaching enough Sunday school classes.

Incidentally, "Dr." Love-Robinson has a storied history with ministry too:

On a website offering free ordained ministry certificates, Love-Robinson is listed as a reverend who specializes in "philosophical theology, religious epistemology and Christian apologetics." His biography states he is working on a doctoral thesis and lists him as a naturopathic physician.

As of today, Malachi is being charged with practicing medicine without a license, and is accused of cheating an 86-year-old woman out of over $6,000, through $3,500 in fraudulent medical bills for "vitamins" that didn't work, and then by literally stealing the woman's checkbook and writing himself three checks for $2,794 after she had to be rushed to the hospital.

In the end, the fact that few people questioned Malachi's credentials, and that no one actually made an attempt to arrest him until February, is indicative of the absolute quackery of the alternative medicine world. The fact that someone with no qualifications, education, or even pubic hair could convincingly pose as a "naturopathic doctor" while touting obviously made-up treatments and using his practice as an excuse to feel up an undercover female officer says volumes about the permissiveness still granted the quack medicine world.

Indonesian Mayor Cracks The Origin Of Gays: Ramen Noodles

Remember that wingnut dick blister who believed that soy turns kids gay? We found him the perfect love match. The mayor of the Indonesian city of Tangerang is claiming that a diet of ramen noodles will most definitely turn a child into a great big homo. Oh honey, no. Everyone knows the gay-turning foods are sausages for men and tacos for women. Feeding a child ramen will just turn them into a writer.

The mayor made the comments at a pregnancy seminar, a topic on which mayors are apparently qualified to speak? In our experience elected officials are great at the baby-making aspect of pregnancy but not so much the baby-raising part.

Yr Wonkette gave Mayor Arief Wismansyah a brief mention in our roundup of crazy gay panic in Indonesia, but his explanation of proper nutrition for babbies deserves a closer look:

"To create Indonesian children that are healthy, smart, and competitive, the most important thing is, from the beginning, to provide them adequate nutrition, especially breastfeeding," Arief said as quoted by [Indonesian website] Okezone.

Most scientists would strongly agree with the crucial importance of early childhood nutrition, but we're pretty sure there isn't a single credible scientist who would agree with what Mayor Arief went on to say. According to him, nowadays parents are so busy that they often only feed their children formula and instant foods, which can have a permanent negative effect on their child's development.

"So, it's no wonder that recently there are more LGBT," he concluded.

Hear that, lesbians? Because your mother didn't breastfeed, you grew to love the boobies. Of course that would mean that men who weren't breastfed would come to love boobies too, except they would also be gay because they weren't breastfed, so they would want men with…boobs?

Incidentally, the source for this story, Coconuts Jakarta, may be our new favorite source for LGBT news from Southeast Asia (oh come on, like you have a different favorite source?). Take a gander at their response to the rest of the mayor's speech:

Now to be fair, Arief also said at the seminar that regional leaders such as himself should not discriminate against any of their citizens, even if they are deviant members of the LGBT community.

Which is a nice thing to say. Because it would be really unfair to discriminate against somebody just because their lazy parents turned them gay by feeding them formula and instant noodles as a child.

Oh ho ho, Coconuts Jakarta. Listen to you laying on that sass. Would we be remiss in speculating that your writers ate more than their fair share of instant noodles as a child?

As we noted earlier, it's been a bad week for Indonesian officials saying the dumb. Indonesian Minister of Defense Ryamizard Ryacudu referred to gay people as a threat worse than nuclear war, since they're "proxies" of some unnamed foreign enemy (Big Gayistan?):

'It's dangerous as we can't see who our foes are, but out of the blue everyone is brainwashed – now the community is demanding more freedom, it really is a threat,' Ryacudu reportedly said in the Ministry of Defence today (23 February).

'In a proxy war, another state might have occupied the minds of the nation without realizing it.

'In a nuclear war, if a bomb is dropped over Jakarta, Semarang will not be affected — but in a proxy war, everything we know could disappear in an instant.'

A proxy war, he added, didn't need military forces to undermine the country, as its effectiveness and danger came from being based on an ideology.

'This sort of brainwashing is dangerous, as it skews the mindset of our nation away from our base ideology,' Ryacudu said.

Oh honey, relax. Your ideology is base enough already. The only bomb any gays are dropping is that big high heel we drop on New Year's. People adopting a new way of thinking is not brainwashing — it might just be that you're being left behind, and that terrifies you. Here, Minister, have some ramen noodles.

[Huffington Post / Fox 13 News / Sun-Sentinel / Gay Star News / Coconuts Jakarta]

Source: The Snake Oil Bulletin: Teen Charlatan Just As Bad As The Grown-Up Kind

AFP to help Indonesians in 'cyanide' case after death penalty taken off table

Indonesia has guaranteed that an Australian permanent resident charged with murdering her friend with cyanide-laced coffee will not face the death penalty.

Jessica Kumala Wongso, who is accused of murdering her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin in Indonesia. Photo: Courtesy Detik.com

Jessica Kumala Wongso taking part in a police-organised re-enactment at the Olivier Cafe, where the poisoning is alleged to have taken place. Photo: Twitter

Wayan Mirna Salihin, allegedly poisoned with cyanide in Jakarta. Photo: Facebook

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Indonesia has guaranteed that an Australian permanent resident charged with murdering her friend with cyanide-laced coffee will not face the death penalty.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan has now agreed to the Australian Federal Police assisting with the case of 27-year-old Jessica Kumala Wongso, who allegedly poisoned her friend Wayan Mirna Salihin at an upmarket cafe in Central Jakarta in January.

The allegations have transfixed Indonesia.

Indonesian police sought assistance from the AFP because the two women had studied together at Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney and Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

Jakarta police chief Tito Karnavian last week flew to Australia where he met with Mr Keenan, who was required by law to personally sign off on the request.

A spokeswoman for Mr Keenan told Fairfax Media the minister agreed Australia would provide assistance in the investigation of the alleged murder in accordance with Australian law.

"The Indonesian government has given an assurance to the Australian government that the death penalty will not be sought nor carried out in relation to the alleged offending," she said.

Jakarta CID chief Krishna Murti told Fairfax Media the approval came after the Indonesian Attorney-General's Office guaranteed it would not seek the death penalty.

"Please note that the death penalty is the maximum sentence, it's reserved for extraordinary crimes only,"  he said. "After the guarantee, approval was given and now we have started cooperating with the AFP."

Under AFP guidelines on international police assistance in death penalty situations, ministerial approval is required if a person has been detained, arrested, charged or convicted of an offence that carries the death penalty.

The AFP faced criticism for handing over information to Indonesian authorities about the Bali nine, which led to their arrests for heroin smuggling in 2005. The coordinators of the Bali nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in Indonesia last year.

New guidelines for the AFP's role in cases involving the death penalty were introduced in 2009 after a federal court exonerated the AFP from acting unlawfully in the Bali nine case but argued new protocols were needed.

Chief detective Krishna said police were investigating the interaction between Ms Wongso and Ms Salihin and their interactions with other people: "The case is now progressing and we are getting a flow of information in."

He said Ms Wongso, who worked for NSW Ambulance until late last year, was a permanent resident of Australia. "Therefore we stopped her from travelling back to Australia (in January). It would've been difficult if we had to extradite her back."

Ms Wongso and Ms Salihin met at Olivier Cafe in Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall on January 6.

Ms Salihin took a sip of the Vietnamese iced coffee, which Ms Wongso had reportedly ordered for her. She began to suffer convulsions and foam at the mouth and died on the way to the hospital.

A pretrial motion at which Ms Wongso's lawyer argued there was insufficient evidence to justify her ongoing detention is currently before the Central Jakarta District Court.

The court's ruling is expected to be handed down before March 2.

The story AFP to help Indonesians in 'cyanide' case after death penalty taken off table first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Source: AFP to help Indonesians in 'cyanide' case after death penalty taken off table

Australian ambassador hopes for "due process" in Indonesia school rape case

The Australian Ambassador to Indonesia says he hopes two teachers from a prestigious international school in Jakarta will be acquitted of the sexual abuse of preschoolers in line with a decision by the Indonesian High Court last year.

Hoping for acquital: Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson. Photo: Tatan Syuflana

Jakarta: The Australian Ambassador to Indonesia says he hopes two teachers from a prestigious international school in Jakarta will be acquitted of the sexual abuse of preschoolers in line with a decision by the Indonesian High Court last year.

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teacher's aide Ferdinant Tjiong are back behind bars in Jakarta after last week's shock decision by the Supreme Court to reinstate their prison sentences on appeal.

Ambassador Paul Grigson said the two teachers from the Jakarta Intercultural School had been acquitted by the Indonesian High Court in 2015.

"We hope due process is followed and a similar verdict is handed down," he said.

Neil Bantleman (right) and left Ferdinand Tjiong in jail last year. Photo: Jewel Topsfield

"As a founding member of the board of the school we have a significant involvement in the Jakarta Intercultural School and will be following this case closely."

The US and British ambassadors to Indonesia and Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion have all expressed shock and dismay over the latest twist in the alleged rape saga, which has raised questions about the integrity of the Indonesian legal system.  

"There have been on-going allegations of serious irregularities in the original court proceedings," British ambassador Moazzam Malik​ said in a statement on Friday.

"Yesterday's development adds to serious questions about transparency and consistency in the rule of law in Indonesia."

Mr Tjiong and Mr Bantleman are accused of sodomising three preschool boys at the Jakarta Intercultural School between January 2013 and March 2014. Five cleaners at the school have also been jailed for sexually abusing the same children.

The teachers' lawyer, Patra Zen, said they would lodge a judicial review. "We will ask the Supreme Court to review and examine how the law has been implemented," he said.

The legal team was also seeking a medical document from a hospital in Belgium that purportedly states one of the alleged victims had never contracted a sexually transmitted disease as had been claimed.

This would be submitted to the court as new evidence.

The legal team also claims a medical examination of one of the alleged victims in Singapore in May 2014 showed no signs of sexual abuse.

Mr Patra said it stretched credulity to suggest a boy who had allegedly been sodomised multiple times by seven adults would go back to school again the next day.

"We will keep fighting until justice is served," he said.

Mr Tjiong's wife, Sisca, said her husband had been rearrested at 2am by 10 armed men.

"They climbed the fence, they were banging on the window, I thought they were thieves," she said.

"My husband is not a terrorist, why is he being treated as if he was a terrorist?'

"I have no more tears in me, what is left is just anger."

Mr Bantleman's wife, Tracy, said the couple had been holidaying in Bali to escape the stress of Jakarta when they learned of the Supreme Court decision.

She said they returned of their own volition. "Do you know what it is like to accompany your husband, who is innocent, to willingly come back, knowing he is going back to prison?" she said.

"It is a double nightmare."

Ms Bantleman said what had happened was "inhumane, ridiculous and absurd".

"My husband and Ferdi and the cleaners are victims of cruel and unreliable stories, with no evidence and a million dollar price tag," she said.

(The parents of one of the children said to have been sodomised separately sued the school for $US125 million ($173 million). The action was rejected on a technicality.)

"We are heartbroken."

The story Australian ambassador hopes for acquittal first appeared on Newcastle Herald.

Source: Australian ambassador hopes for "due process" in Indonesia school rape case

Experts slam Jakarta administration amid Kalijodo shutdown

Callistasia Anggun Wijaya

thejakartapost.com, Jakarta | February 27 2016 | 1:11 PM

The shutdown of Jakarta's Kalijodo red-light district in North Jakarta reveals a lack of fairness in the way the Jakarta administration clears areas for development, as giant commercial areas remain untouched, experts have said.

Activists and experts have criticized Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's decision to clear the Kalijodo area, established in the 1960s, to make way for green space.

The city aims to comply with the 2007 Spatial Planning Law, which requires provinces to allocate 30 percent of space for green areas.

"If Ahok used the open green space requirement as a basis for the evictions, then he must be fair. In Jakarta there are a lot of green and blue spaces whose functions have been altered to become hotels and malls. Ahok needs to audit those buildings too," University of Indonesia historian JJ Rizal told thejakartapost.com on Friday.

The city administration has evicted residents in middle-lower-income residential areas such as Kalijodo, Bidara Cina and Kampung Pulo.

Bidara Cina and Kampung Pulo in East Jakarta are flood-prone areas on account of being located along the Ciliwung River.

The Jakarta administration has announced plans to evict residents and move them to low-cost apartments following river dredging and river expansion plans.

Such policy has created a stigma that low-income residents are thieves of state land, he added.

An attorney at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), Alldo Fellix Januardy, said overflowing rivers were not the sole reason for flooding in the city.

"Flooding is caused by corruption related to the granting of building permits on water catchments areas or green spaces. We regret Ahok's action that sparked public opinion that poor people are to blame for Jakarta's floods," he said.

The governor has placed blame on previous administrations for their lack of regulations on green space. " In the past everything could be arranged," he said as reported by kompas.com on Tuesday adding that his administration had complied with the 2012 and 2014 regulations on spatial planning.

Meanwhile, the city's spatial planning agency insisted that no buildings had been on green space.

"We wouldn't grant licenses for construction on green space," the spatial management division chief at the Jakarta Spatial Planning Agency, Gentur Wisnubaroto, told thejakartapost.com.

Regarding Kalijodo, he claimed that based on a 2005 city map, the area had always been designated as greenbelt as it was located along the Angke River.

Planologist from Trisakti University Yayat Supriyatna said the city administration had always let people build buildings under unclear regulations.

"In Jakarta there are many green spaces whose functions have changed," he said.

For example, Kelapa Gading in North Jakarta used to be a water catchment area but now has transformed into a high-end residential area with many housing complexes.

Yayat blamed the city's spatial planning regulation for allowing such changes.

However, the development of Kelapa Gading did not violate the city map, Gentur said.

" Green open space in Kelapa Gading is limited only to the area under the high-tension transmission line," Gentur said refuting opinion on Kelapa Gading's misuse of green space.

There are existing buildings occupying green areas, as designated by the city's spatial plan from 1985 to 2005, according to the research of associate professor of urban studies and planning at Savannah State University, Deden Rukmana.

Kelapa Gading and Sunter were designated as water catchment areas in 1985 as supermarkets, residential complexes, apartments, factories and hospitals were built in the North Jakarta area.

Also in North Jakarta, Pantai Indah Kapuk was also designated as a protected area, but is now filled with homes, malls and golf courses.

The Senayan area in South Jakarta had also once functioned as the capital's center of greenery, according to the research, but now people can see malls, hotels and apartments in the area. (rin)

Read Also
Source: Experts slam Jakarta administration amid Kalijodo shutdown

Former Jakarta Intercultural School teachers sent back to jail on sodomy charges

Two former teachers at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School have been re-sentenced to jail for allegedly sodomising three preschool boys, in a decision that will send shock waves through the expat community.

Ferdinand Tjiong, left, and Neil Bantleman, right, photographed in 2014. Photo: Michael Bachelard

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Jakarta:  Two former teachers at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School have been re-sentenced to jail for allegedly sodomising three preschool boys, in a decision that will send shock waves through the expat community.

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teacher's aide Ferdinant Tjiong were sentenced to 10 years in prison last year for molesting the boys between January 2013 and March 2014.

The conviction was overturned in the High Court last year and the two men were released in August after nearly a year in jail.

But Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi said the Supreme Court had upheld the original ruling in the Jakarta District Court.

He said the defendants had been found guilty of molestation and sentenced to eleven years' jail - more than the original sentence - plus fines of 100 million rupiah ($10,000) or an additional six months in prison.

US Ambassador Robert Blake said he was shocked and disappointed by the decision.

"In August 2015 the Indonesian High Court found that there was not sufficient evidence to support the teachers' conviction," he said.

"It is not clear what evidence the Supreme Court used to overturn the High Court's decision."

Ambassador Blake warned the outcome of the legal process would impact international views about the rule of law in Indonesia.

The Jakarta International school community has rallied behind the two men insisting they were innocent.

The case attracted intense international scrutiny because the Jakarta Intercultural School, the largest international school in Indonesia, is attended by the children of diplomats, expats and wealthy Indonesians.

A prosecution witness, "sexologist" Dr Naek L. Tobing gave evidence to the Jakarta District Court last year that Bantleman only had sex with his wife once a week, when the "norm" was every day or two to three times a week.

As he also did not masturbate he would be seeking sexual outlets, he claimed.

"There is a question how could he release his sexual desire," Chief Judge Nur Aslam Bustaman said in the Jakarta District Court last year.

"These conditions could create abnormal sexual behaviour."

It was alleged that Bantleman sexually abused the boys in a room on the second floor of the administration building, and a nearby kitchen.

Bantleman was said to have inserted a "magic stone" into the anus of one of the boys to anaesthetise him before he was raped.

Due to the effect of the magic stone, the child said he felt numb from his bottom to the back of his thighs but still had the sensation of something being inserted into his anus.

An Australian expert, provided by the defence, said the children had been asked suggestive questions when questioned about the sexual abuse which could have given them false memories.

Tjiong had been arrested at his residence in Tangerang Selatan early Thursday morning, Jakarta prosecutor spokesman Waluyo was quoted in news website detik.com as saying.

Bantleman was yet to be apprehended.

The story Former Jakarta Intercultural School teachers sent back to jail on sodomy charges first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Source: Former Jakarta Intercultural School teachers sent back to jail on sodomy charges

Garuda's Citilink to expand at Jakarta Halim and Medan as domestic market share approaches 15%

© CAPA

Garuda Indonesia budget subsidiary Citilink is planning to expand at Jakarta Halim and Medan over the next two months as it continues to pursue market share gains, despite challenging conditions. Citilink accounted for approximately 12% of Indonesia's domestic market in 2015, compared with 3% in 2011, and should be able to capture nearly a 15% share in 2016.

Citilink passenger traffic grew by 24% in 2015 while its full service parent Garuda grew domestic passenger traffic by 10%. Both airlines have been gaining market share over the last two years while overall growth in Indonesia's once booming domestic market has slowed significantly.

The 2016 outlook is relatively challenging but Citilink, at least for now, plans to maintain a similar growth rate as 2015. The LCC also remains confident that it can stay in the black after turning its first-ever annual profit in 2015.

Citilink has grown rapidly since 2011

Citilink currently operates a fleet of 36 all-economy 180-seat A320s with bases at five Indonesian airports – Bali, Batam, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, Jakarta Halim and Surabaya. It only operates domestically, with the exception of international charters.

Citilink has expanded rapidly since it took its first A320 in 2011. Annual passenger traffic has since grown sixfold, from only 1.6 million passengers in 2011 to 9.4 million in 2015.

Citilink, which operated a small fleet of 737 Classics prior to accelerating expansion with A320s in 2H2011, accounted for slightly over 2% of Indonesia's domestic market in 2010 and slightly over 3% in 2011. In 2015 Citilink captured approximately a 12% share (based on CAPA estimates).

Garuda also has pursued rapid domestic expansion

Garuda also has continued to grow its domestic passenger traffic rapidly, as it has focused expansion on the domestic market while restructuring its international network.

Garuda has more than doubled its domestic traffic since 2010, reaching 19.4 million passengers in 2015.

Its domestic passenger traffic was up 10% in 2015 and 11% in 2014, while international passenger traffic was up only 5% and 6% respectively.

Garuda captured an estimated 24% of Indonesia's domestic market in 2015, compared with 17% in 2010. When Citilink is included, the Garuda Indonesia Group has grown its share from less than 20% in 2010 to approximately 36% in 2015.

The Garuda Group has benefitted from consolidation in the Indonesian market, including the suspension of Batavia in 2013 and of Merpati, Sky Aviation and Tigerair Mandala in 2014. Combined, these four airlines had accounted for almost 20% of Indonesia's domestic passenger traffic.

Garuda and Citilink have also been winning back market share from Lion Air, which grew at a phenomenal pace last decade and became Indonesia's largest domestic airline in 2009. Lion Air passenger traffic continued to grow rapidly in the first part of the current decade but has slowed significantly over the last three years, and even experienced a drop in 2015 – although full service subsidiary Batik Air and low cost regional subsidiary Wings Air still grew rapidly. (Exact figures for Lion Air and its sisters are not available as Lion Group is privately owned).

Indonesian domestic market growth slows significantly

Overall Indonesia's domestic market has slowed, from growth of at least 15% in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 to growth of 6% or less in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Official figures for 2015 are not yet available, but all indications point to the slowest rate of growth since the market contracted slightly in 2008.

Indonesia's largest airport, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, reported a 7% drop in domestic traffic through the first 10 months of 2015. Overall the Indonesian domestic market was relatively flat – with growth of at most a couple of percentage points – driven by faster growth at some of the secondary hubs.

Market conditions in Indonesia have been challenging over the last couple of years due to a weaker economy and the rapid deprecation of the Indonesian rupiah, which has impacted consumer spending. Demand at the lower end of the market has also been impacted by a price floor that the Indonesian government began enforcing in early 2015, as part of a knee-jerk response to the 28-Dec-2014 Indonesia AirAsia crash.

See related report: Indonesia's price floor for airlines is misguided, a bad precedent and will be counterproductive

Citilink's ability to maintain a rapid growth rate and become profitable in 2015, despite the challenging conditions, is impressive. Market conditions are not expected to improve significantly in 2016 since Indonesia's economy remains relatively weak.

Price floor reduction to benefit Lion more than Citilink

The government has reduced the price floor by 10%, which should enable airlines (particularly LCCs) to stimulate demand and persuade budget-conscious passengers to take more trips. However, Lion will likely be the largest beneficiary of the lower price floor as it was more impacted by the regulation in 2015 than Citilink was.

Lion's average fares have historically been lower than Citlink's, a reflection of Lion's lower cost structure and use of higher density narrowbody aircraft. But Citilink and Lion have the same government imposed minimum fares as they are both categorised by Indonesia's DGAC under the no frills category. The DGAC has three categories – full service, medium service and no frills based on what services an airline offers – and the categories are used to calculate price floors and ceilings for each route.

As Lion is able to reduce fares Citilink will likely also be pressured to make reductions. While the lower fares could stimulate demand in an otherwise weak demand environment, yields will come under pressure. Capacity increases on several trunk routes could exacerbate the situation, impacting profitability.

Citilink is expecting to grow capacity by approximately 25% to 30% in 2016 as it adds eight A320s for a total of 44 aircraft. Passenger traffic and RPKs should grow at a similar rate, assuming Citilink succeeds at maintaining its load factor at approximately 80%. ASKs were up 26% in 2015 as RPKs increased by 26.5%, resulting in a 0.4ppt improvement in load factor to a record 79.9%.

CAPA stated in a Nov-2015 report that Citilink was considering opening two new bases in 2016, at Medan and Makassar. CAPA also stated at the time that Citilink was planning to base only one of the eight additional aircraft for 2016 in Jakarta, due to infrastructure constraints at both Jakarta airports.

See related report: Citilink plans more domestic expansion for 2016 with new secondary bases due to Jakarta constraints

Citilink has since been able to secure three additional slot pairs at Jakarta Halim, enabling it to base its first additional aircraft for 2016 at Halim. Citilink CEO, Albert Burhan, told CAPA on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow that an A320 being delivered at the end of Feb-2016 will be based at Halim and be used to add one daily frequency on the Halim to Bali, Medan and Solo routes.

Citilink currently operates two daily flights on the Halim-Bali and Halim-Medan routes and one daily flight on Halim-Solo. It also serves Bali and Medan from its main base at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta, but only serves Solo from Halim. Batik Air competes with Citilink on all three routes and currently operates one daily flight from Halim to Bali and Solo and two daily flights from Halim to Medan, according to Batik's booking engine.

Citilink and Batik Air are the only two airlines currently operating scheduled flights at Halim. The airport, which is closer to central Jakarta than Soekarno-Hatta, reopened to commercial traffic in early 2014. It is also used by charter airlines, small air taxi operators, the Indonesian air force and business aviation. The military owns and controls Halim but Lion Group is in the process of taking over the airport's passenger terminal, which Citilink is still able to use, at least for now.

Significant growth at Halim is unlikely, given the constraints placed by the military. Even the ability to base one more aircraft is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. The additional aircraft that will be based at Halim will also be used to operate non-Halim routes as Citilink is limited to adding three Halim departures – sufficient to use Jakarta-based crews but not sufficient to utilise the aircraft fully.

Citilink to open a new crew base at Medan

Mr Burhan told CAPA that Citilink has decided to allocate its second additional A320 for 2016 to Medan. This aircraft is slated to be delivered in Apr-2016, enabling Citilink to open a base at Medan's Kuala Namu International Airport.

Citilink currently serves Medan from Bandung, Batam, Jakarta Halim and Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta. On 3-Mar-2016 Citilink is launching two new routes from Medan, to Banda Aceh and Pekanbaru. Both are short routes within the island of Sumatra and will initially be served with one daily flight. Also on 3-Mar-2016 Citilink is launching one daily flight between Pekanbaru and Bandung, a city approximately 120km from Jakarta on the main island of Java.

Mr Burhan said that the Medan-based aircraft will be used to add frequencies on existing routes. As Citilink has not previously had any aircraft based at Medan, it is sensible to use the first aircraft for the base to operate new morning departures on competitive trunk routes.

Citilink undecided on bases for six of its 2016 deliveries

Mr Burhan said that Citilink has not yet decided on where to base the other six additional A320s for 2016. The third A320 is also slated to be delivered in 2Q2016 and the fourth aircraft is slated for mid-2016. The last five deliveries are currently slated for 2H2016, although attempting to defer some of these would be a sensible move if market conditions do not quickly improve.

Following the end Feb-2016 delivery Citilink has 43 more A320s on order, including eight A320ceos and 35 A320neos. The first batch of A320neos is slated to be delivered in 2017, along with the last A320ceo.

As CAPA has previously highlighted, Citilink is considering converting some of its A320neo orders into A321neos and A321neoLRs. The A321neos would be used to upgauge flights on trunk routes from Jakarta, enabling Citilink to maximise the use of slots at the Indonesian capital, while the (near-4,000nm range) A321neoLRs would be used to launch new medium haul international routes.

Citilink currently does not operate any scheduled international services but has been evaluating launching regional international routes in late 2016. Mr Burhan said a decision on the launch of scheduled international services will be made in Jun-2016 or Jul-2016.

Charters have enabled Citilink to be profitable during off-peak periods

Citilink is currently operating several international routes on a seasonal charter basis. In Feb-2016, which is an off-peak month for domestic travel, Citilink operated charters to nine cities in mainland China. Most of these flights were operated from Bali, where Citilink bases four A320s, but the LCC also operated a limited number of flights from Manado to China.

In early 2015 Citilink established a charter programme that included several Chinese destinations, and one-stop flights to Saudi Arabia. Citilink is not planning to operate Saudi Arabia charters in 2016.

See related report: Garuda Indonesia LCC subsidiary Citilink will focus on domestic expansion & profitability in 2015

Citilink has so far focused on charters during the first half of the year as demand for domestic services in Indonesia is stronger in the second half. The charters have enabled Citilink to improve utilisation and profitability during the weaker first half of the year.

Citilink was profitable for the first time in 2H2014 and has since been consistently in the black, leading to its first annual profit in 2015. The LCC was able to turn a small profit in 1H2015, boosted by the charter operation, and should be able to remain profitable in 1H2016, despite the challenging market conditions. Citilink is confident that it will again be profitable for the full year in 2016.

Citilink may need to slow expansion

However Citilink faces challenges over the short to medium term, including potential overcapacity in the domestic market. Outbound demand in Indonesia's international market is relatively weak, making it a difficult time to launch scheduled international services.

A slowdown in fleet and capacity growth would be sensible. Citilink has captured a significant enough share of the market that it does not need to continue strategic expansion, if it comes at the expense of profitability.

Citilink has emerged as a viable LCC subsidiary under the wings of Garuda and is positioned to benefit when market conditions improve.

Want more analysis like this? CAPA Membership gives you access to all news and analysis on the site, along with access to many areas of our comprehensive databases and toolsets.Find out more and take a free trial.

Source: Garuda's Citilink to expand at Jakarta Halim and Medan as domestic market share approaches 15%

Jakarta court overturns acquittal of Canadian and Indonesian teachers

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, right, with Indonesian teaching assistant, Ferdinant Tjiong. Photograph: Tatan Syuflana/AP

Indonesia's top court has overruled the acquittals of a Canadian and an Indonesian teacher and ordered longer prison terms for the men for sexually abusing three young children at a prestigious international school in Jakarta, a court official has said.

Neil Bantleman and Ferdinant Tjiong had been sentenced to 10 years last April by the South Jakarta district court. But they maintained their innocence and filed appeals to the high court, which acquitted them in August, ruling there was not sufficient evidence to support their conviction.

Supreme court spokesman Suhadi said a three-member judge panel handed down a verdict on Wednesday based on the prosecutors' appeal. "The judge panel concluded that the defendants were proven to have violated the 2007 child protection law," said Suhardi, who uses a single name. "It did not only reinstate the district court's verdict but also lengthened the sentence to 11 years."

Related: Australia warns Indonesia travellers of 'advanced stage' terror attack plans

The two teachers at the Jakarta International school, now called the Jakarta Intercultural school, were also ordered to pay a fine of $7,440 (£5,340) each or serve a further six months in jail, Suhadi said.

Attempts to reach prosecutors and determine whether Bantleman, a Canadian national who also holds a British passport, or Tjiong were in custody were not immediately successful.

The US ambassador to Indonesia, Robert Blake, expressed disappointment over the verdict, saying the outcome of the legal process would impact international views about the rule of law in Indonesia.

"We are shocked and disappointed by the decision announced by the supreme court to sentence two international school teachers," Blake said. "It is not clear what evidence the supreme court used to overturn the high court's decision."

Bantleman and Tjiong were arrested in July 2014 after allegations from the parents of a six-year-old student.

Four male janitors at the school were sentenced to eight years in prison in that case and a woman received a seven-year prison sentence as an accomplice. Police said a sixth suspect killed himself in custody.

The South Jakarta district court threw out a civil lawsuit in which one child's parents sought $125m from the school for alleged negligence.

The school in southern Jakarta is attended by children of foreign diplomats, expatriates and Indonesia's elite. It has 2,400 students aged three to 18 from about 60 countries.

Source: Jakarta court overturns acquittal of Canadian and Indonesian teachers

Former Jakarta Intercultural School teachers sent back to jail on sodomy charges

Two former teachers at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School have been re-sentenced to jail for allegedly sodomising three preschool boys, in a decision that will send shock waves through the expat community.

Ferdinand Tjiong, left, and Neil Bantleman, right, photographed in 2014. Photo: Michael Bachelard

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Two former teachers at the prestigious Jakarta Intercultural School have been re-sentenced to jail for allegedly sodomising three preschool boys, in a decision that will send shock waves through the expat community.

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teacher's aide Ferdinant Tjiong were sentenced to 10 years in prison last year for molesting the boys between January 2013 and March 2014.

The conviction was overturned in the High Court last year and the two men were released in August after nearly a year in jail.

But Supreme Court spokesman Suhadi said the Supreme Court had upheld the original ruling in the Jakarta District Court.

He said the defendants had been found guilty of molestation and sentenced to eleven years' jail - more than the original sentence - plus fines of 100 million rupiah ($10,000) or an additional six months in prison.

US Ambassador Robert Blake said he was shocked and disappointed by the decision.

"In August 2015 the Indonesian High Court found that there was not sufficient evidence to support the teachers' conviction," he said.

"It is not clear what evidence the Supreme Court used to overturn the High Court's decision."

Ambassador Blake warned the outcome of the legal process would impact international views about the rule of law in Indonesia.

The Jakarta International school community has rallied behind the two men insisting they were innocent.

The case attracted intense international scrutiny because the Jakarta Intercultural School, the largest international school in Indonesia, is attended by the children of diplomats, expats and wealthy Indonesians.

A prosecution witness, "sexologist" Dr Naek L. Tobing gave evidence to the Jakarta District Court last year that Bantleman only had sex with his wife once a week, when the "norm" was every day or two to three times a week.

As he also did not masturbate he would be seeking sexual outlets, he claimed.

"There is a question how could he release his sexual desire," Chief Judge Nur Aslam Bustaman said in the Jakarta District Court last year.

"These conditions could create abnormal sexual behaviour."

It was alleged that Bantleman sexually abused the boys in a room on the second floor of the administration building, and a nearby kitchen.

Bantleman was said to have inserted a "magic stone" into the anus of one of the boys to anaesthetise him before he was raped.

Due to the effect of the magic stone, the child said he felt numb from his bottom to the back of his thighs but still had the sensation of something being inserted into his anus.

An Australian expert, provided by the defence, said the children had been asked suggestive questions when questioned about the sexual abuse which could have given them false memories.

Tjiong had been arrested at his residence in Tangerang Selatan early Thursday morning, Jakarta prosecutor spokesman Waluyo was quoted in news website detik.com as saying.

Bantleman was yet to be apprehended.

The story Former Jakarta Intercultural School teachers sent back to jail on sodomy charges first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Source: Former Jakarta Intercultural School teachers sent back to jail on sodomy charges

Jakarta sees no reason to join underperforming Asean stock trading platform

SINGAPORE - Trading volume on the much-trumpeted ASEAN Trading Link that allows for cross-border trading on the bourses of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand stood at a measly 0.018 per cent of their total turnover last year, according to Indonesia's capital market supervision chief.

The negligible trading pattern could be a setback for the multi-lateral link that was rolled out four years ago with the lofty goal of hooking up all the ASEAN exchanges and galvanising trading, with Indonesia saying that the Jakarta Stock Exchange will only hop on to the link if the benefits were clear. For now, that remains elusive.

"Basically for us, it's not when to join but does this (platform) really benefit those who have joined," Nurhaida, a commissioner for capital market supervision at Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), told The Business Times in an interview.

"If this link is available but no one is really using it, that means people don't see the benefits. At least half of the total trading volume should be carried out on the system.

"(So) There must be something that needs to be fixed. That's why we haven't joined (yet)," she added.

One key stumbling block to forming a true-blue end-to-end platform across the exchanges of the ASEAN trio is the absence of a post-trade linkage - each exchange has its own clearing and settlement systems but none is linked to the other. It's an issue that has been highlighted in the past by Singapore regulators and one that was brought up by the Indonesian financial regulator again.

Ms Nurhaida said Indonesia was in active discussions with its counterparts in ASEAN to ensure that when it finally joins the trading link, the post-trade linkages would be "suitable" for its own market condition.

Another grey area is one of jurisdiction, particularly in the event of disputes: "If something goes wrong, which regulator is responsible - that of the investor, the trading platform or the listed companies?"

"We need to sort these problems first," she reiterated.

Ms Nurhaida was in Singapore this week to meet with officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and investors to gather feedback for its plan to push for more listings of real estate investment trusts (Reits) by Indonesian firms on the home market.

Indonesia rolled out its framework for Reits listing back in 2007 - five years after the SGX got its act together and successfully wooed over 30 Reits to date - but has only managed to draw one such listing in 2012 by conglomerate Lippo Group.

To court Reit listings, Indonesia has cranked up its efforts in recent months by scrapping double taxation and providing incentives with more policy changes in the offing.

The initiatives are showing signs of bearing fruit. Last year, it was reported that Lippo Group was planning to delist two Singapore-listed Reits, Lippo Malls Indonesia Retail Trust and First Real Estate Investment Trust, and float them instead on the Indonesian stock exchange.

"The big picture here is that one of the government's top priorities is to develop infrastructure which also includes property. We think the right financing channel for property development - as the banking sector on its own won't be enough (to fund this) - is the capital market," said Ms Nurhaida.

"Unfortunately, the current regulation is still not workable for the market as the tax rates on Reits are still high so we are trying to reduce this further... hopefully by the first half of this year," she elaborated.

"A lot of Indonesian assets are listed as Reits in Singapore, more than S$3 billion (in assets). If we can try to get and pull this back to Indonesia, it will be very helpful for our capital market and economy.

"I don't think it will hurt the Singapore market as it has a lot of alternatives and its Reits are not just from Indonesia."

This article was first published on Feb 24, 2016.Get The Business Times for more stories.

Source: Jakarta sees no reason to join underperforming Asean stock trading platform

Jakarta questions deportees over links to ISIS

The four Indonesians deported from Singapore on Sunday are being interrogated in Jakarta to establish their links to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group.

Indonesian National Police spokesman, Brigadier-General Agus Rianto, said yesterday that officers from the elite Detachment 88 (Densus 88) counter-terrorism unit are handling the investigations.

"Densus 88 investigators are questioning them over their activities to determine if they have broken Indonesian laws," Gen Agus said. "We want to know if they were indeed heading to Syria to join ISIS."

He said the police will have to release them if they cannot prove links to terror activities. Police do not have powers to detain terror suspects indefinitely.

The four suspects, including a 15- year-old, were stopped by the Singapore authorities at Woodlands Checkpoint on their way into Singapore on Sunday.

They were handed to Indonesian police on Batam shortly after.

Indonesian poli ce said the men had taken the ferry from Batam to Singapore several days earlier before heading to Johor, where they spent only three hours before returning to the Republic.

Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday confirmed that the suspects "were deported to Indonesia after investigations revealed that they had plans to make their way to Syria to fight for ISIS".

"Singapore authorities informed their Indonesian counterparts before the deportation," added a ministry spokesman.

The suspects were identified by police as Muhammad Mufid Murtadho, Untung Sugema Mardjuk, Mukhlis Koifur Rofiq and Risno.

Indonesian National Police chief Badrodin Haiti said on Monday that they were linked to radical ideologue Aman Abdurrahman, who is suspected to have orchestrated the Jan 14 attack in Jakarta from prison.

Gen Agus yesterday expressed his appreciation for Singapore's assistance. "We want to thank our Singapore counterparts for giving us complete informatio n on the suspects and returning them to us," he said.

"We also appreciate their help in monitoring the movements of suspicious characters, although the suspects' alleged crimes have yet to be proven."

aarlina@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on February 24, 2016. Get The New Paper for more stories.

Source: Jakarta questions deportees over links to ISIS

Ben Carson: Obama was 'raised white' and cannot relate to black experience

Ben Carson: 'For [Obama] to claim that he identifies with the experience of black American is a bit of stretch.' Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson said the idea that Barack Obama can relate to "the experience of black Americans is a bit of a stretch" because the president was "raised white".

Asked in an interview with Politico's Glenn Thrush to recall his reaction at witnessing the election of the first black US president, Carson said: "Like most Americans, I was proud that we broke the color barrier. But I also recognize that [Obama's] experience and my experience are night-and-day different."

Key section begins at 16m45s.

Carson, whose candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination has had difficulty gaining traction, went on to draw a contrast between Obama's life story and "the experience of black Americans":

He didn't grow up like I grew up, by any stretch of the imagination. Not even close.

He's an African-American. He was, you know, raised white. Many of his formative years were spend in Indonesia. So for him to claim that he identifies with the experience of black Americans is a bit of a stretch.

Carson was raised in intense poverty with his brother by a single mother in Detroit and then Boston. He favors ending some government welfare programs which he believes breed dependency, and favors private charities taking over welfare work from the government.

Obama lived with his mother, who was white, and his Indonesian stepfather in Jakarta from ages six to 10. After that he was raised in Hawaii by his white maternal grandparents. The president's paternal roots lie in Kenya.

In the interview with Thrush, Carson said he did not encounter racism among Republicans but he did sense it from the left, in expectations for how he should think.

"Because you're black, you have to think a certain way, and if you don't think that way, you're Uncle Tom ... whereas if I weren't black, then I would just be a Republican," Carson said.

The retired surgeon said he saw "very little" evidence that criticism of Obama was rooted in racism. "What President Obama represents is an ideology that is antithetical to the ideology of most people in the Republican party. And I don't think it has anything to do with race," Carson said.

"I've been around for 64 years. I've had a chance to see what real racism is."

Source: Ben Carson: Obama was 'raised white' and cannot relate to black experience

Residents scrambling as governor vows to turn Jakarta red-light district green

Jakarta: There are still signs that just days ago Kalijodo was a flourishing red-light district.

 A lacy bra is scattered among debris on the filthy floor of a deserted building. Pin-ups of a busty wench, leaning provocatively over a billiard cue, decorate an upstairs room being ripped apart for spare timber. 

Jakarta's red light district dismantled

3000 residents have been ordered to move out as Jakarta's notorious Kaijodo district is slated for redevelopment into parkland.

It was in tiny airless rooms like this that sex workers turned tricks for about 200,000 rupiah (approx $20) for half an hour. 

Kalijodo (Soulmate River) has been one of Jakarta's most notorious vice dens since the Dutch colonial era. The precinct, home to more than 3000 people, was a mecca for prostitution, gambling and cheap beer.  

The scattered remains of the business which has made Kalijodo's name since the Dutch colonial era. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

But on February 8, four people were killed in a road accident. The driver, who was heavily intoxicated, had spent the night drinking at Kalijodo. It was the final straw for Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, known as Ahok, who had long wanted to clean up the area. 

The next day the Jakarta provincial government announced Kalijodo would be razed and turned into a park. 

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"I am speechless, I am angry, but what can I say? " says 48-year-old Nuriah, who has lived in Kalijodo since she was five. "We cannot go against the government. I have no choice, I just have to accept this."

Ten-year-old Kelvin is dwarfed by a mattress strapped to the back of his bike. His father explains they are moving to a nearby area. "My teacher told me today is exam day," says Kelvin, who is in year four.

Karji dismantles one of the rooms in the Kalijodo red-light district.  Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

Residents have been given until February 29 to dismantle their houses and leave the area. "If they don't want to tear apart their houses by themselves, we will do it," Ahok told reporters.

Authorities are bracing for violence after a police raid of Kalijodo on Saturday netted 400 arrows and machetes.

'I am angry': Nuriah, a Kalijodo resident. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

"Maybe the people will use them to fight us on February 29," Maskur, the head of the Pejagalan district, tells Fairfax Media.

More than 2500 personnel, including 100 officers with riot gear, will reportedly secure the area on eviction day.

Testing times - Kelvin, a Kalijodo resident, helps his family move. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

But since Saturday, the situation has become more "conducive", Maskur says. Many people have registered for 400 low-cost apartments set aside by the government for Kalijodo residents with Jakarta residential identity cards. 

Those without ID cards will be sent back to their home towns or offered vocational training to assist them in changing professions. 

Indonesian police outside a 'cafe' in Kalijodo. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

Maskur says the prostitutes - he estimates there were about 500 - have already returned to kampungs (villages) across Indonesia.

Selected residents will also be offered low-interest loans to start new businesses.

Kalijodo residents move their belongings in response to the eviction order. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

"We will assess their character and manner," the famously outspoken Ahok said. "That doesn't mean that if you are relocated, you will directly receive a loan. Do you think this is your father's money?"

Only 9.98 per cent of Jakarta's traffic-choked city is set aside for green space. The Jakarta administration is aiming for 30 per cent.

Kalijodo residents register for relocation.  Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

Ahok, who is seeking to be re-elected as governor next year, argues Kalijodo has long been set aside as a green zone and residents were violating regulations by occupying the land.

But many resident say they have land certificates and pay tax. Nuriah admits she does not have a land certificate but tells Fairfax Media she paid 400,000 rupiah ($40) tax a year into DKI, a state-owned bank. 

Reality and fantasy sit side by side in the Kalijodo district. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

Jakarta has a history of mass evictions. Last year the forced removal of squatters living in the flood-prone Kampung Pulo slums turned violent, with two police officers and three residents injured in the clashes.

"Clients should note that attempts to evict residents in other parts of the city have been met with fierce resistance," international security consultancy firm Hill and Associates warns.

A 'cafe' in Kalijodo after it was sealed by police ahead of demolition. Photo: Irwin Fedriansyah

The National Commission of Human Rights, KomnasHAM, says the government must compensate Kalijodo residents for the value of their land. 

"Those who have occupied Kalijodo for decades with legal land title ownership and who pay tax should not simply be evicted and moved to the low-cost apartments," it says.

Commissioner Hafid Abbas urged authorities to at least postpone the eviction until children have completed their national examinations.

In 2014 the mayor of Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city, closed down the Dolly red light district. 

Mr Hafid said the key to Surabaya mayor Tri Rismaharini's success had been dialogue with the people.

"Therefore, based on the good experience above, a dialogue should be carried out between the Governor of Jakarta and the people of Kalijodo," Mr Hafid said.

Source: Residents scrambling as governor vows to turn Jakarta red-light district green

Wall St. Rises as Oil Price Surges

U.S. stocks jumped Monday as the price of oil surged again, driving up energy stocks as well as mining and chemicals companies. Indexes in Europe and Asia also rose.

The price of U.S. oil rose more than 6 percent after a group of oil-importing countries said energy stockpiles would grow at a slower pace.

Metals companies Alcoa and Freeport-McMoRan climbed as investors hoped a stronger global economy would mean greater demand for their products. Amazon led a rally in consumer stocks.

The Standard & Poor's 500-stock index climbed 27.72 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,945.50.

The Nasdaq composite index added 66.18 points, or 1.5 percent, to 4,570.61. Th e Dow Jones industrial average gained 228.67 points, or 1.4 percent, to 16,620.66.

This year, stocks have moved up and down with the price of oil, which means that shares have mostly gone down. On Monday, the International Energy Agency that it didn't expect oil prices to recover significantly until 2017, but it forecast slower growth in global supplies.

Benchmark U.S. crude climbed $1.84, or 6.2 percent, to $31.48 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, rose $1.68, or 5.1 percent, to $34.69 a barrel in London.

Chevron gained $2.32, or 2.7 percent, to $88.82 and Marathon Oil added 76 cent s, or 11.3 percent, to $7.49.

"Stock market prices and oil prices have been tracking each other like a shadow through the first part of the year," said Michael Scanlon, managing director and portfolio manager for John Hancock Asset Management.

Mr. Scanlon said that usually doesn't happen for long stretches. He said that when oil prices fall, investors get tend to get concerned about the health of the global economy, and when prices rise, they are reassured.

Last week was the best of the year for the major U.S. indexes, and Monday's gains bought the Dow and the S.&P. 500 to their highest levels since Jan. 6. Still, both indexes are down al most 5 percent this year.

Chemicals and mining companies have also struggled as investors worried that the global economy is losing steam. Those stocks climbed Monday, with aluminum producer Alcoa up $1.03, or 13.2 percent, to $8.91. That was its biggest one-day gain in almost seven years.

Metals producer and oil and gas company Freeport-McMoran added $1.01, or 14.6 percent, to $7.93. Freeport-McMoran stock has nearly doubled in value since mid-January, when it hit its lowest price in a decade.

Finance ministers from the Group of 20, an organization of wealthy and developing economies, are meeting this week, and investors hope that will lead to polic y moves that strengthen the world economy.

Quincy Krosby, a market strategist with Prudential Financial, said investors were hoping the governments of Japan and China as well as European leaders will increase spending, leading to higher demand for commodities like metals and chemicals.

"Expectations are that we will see more fiscal stimulus," she said, adding that investors were also in a buying mood because they feel more certain that the Federal Reserve won't raise interest rates next month.

Consumer stocks made large gains. The biggest went to e-commerce company Amazon, which said Monday that shoppers who are not members of its Prime loyalty program will have to make larger orders to get free shipping. The move could push more shoppers to sign up for a $99-a-year Prime membership. Its stock climbed $24.60, or 4.6 percent, to $559.50.

Starbucks, too, rose after making changes to its customer rewards program. The coffee chain said shoppers who spend less money won't get as many freebies. Its stock added $1.20, or 2.1 percent, to $58.87.

Lumber Liquidators plunged $2.81, or 19.8 percent, to $11.40 after the U.S. government said people exposed to some types of its laminate flooring were three times as likely to get cancer as it had originally predicted. Lumber Liquidators has plunged 80 percent over the last year after CBS's news show "60 Minutes" reported that those floors contain high levels of the carcinogen formaldehyde.

Health insurers UnitedHealth and Humana climbed after a government analysis suggested that payments rates for a key type of health plan will be better than expected. The update concerns Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately-run versions of the government's Medicare program for people who are over 65 or disabled.

UnitedHealth gained $3.59, or 3.1 percent, to $121.27 and Humana added $6.41, or 3.9 percent, to $171 .75.

Food service company Sysco said it would buy Europe's Brakes Group for $3.1 billion. Last year, Sysco gave up on an effort to buy U.S. Foods for $3.35 billion after the Federal Trade Commission opposed the deal. Sysco gave up $2.20, or 4.9 percent, to $42.79.

The pound fell 1.5 percent as London's mayor, Boris Johnson, said he believed Britain should leave the European Union. Prime Minister David Cameron wants to keep the country in the 28-nation bloc. A referendum is set for June, and the uncertainty is unnerving some investors.

Overseas, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 and Hong Kong's Hang Send both rose 0.9 percent. Germany's DAX gained 2 percen t and France's CAC-40 added 1.8 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 1.5 percent.

Bond prices didn't move much. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note held steady at 1.75 percent. The euro fell to $1.1026 from $1.1135 late Friday and the dollar rose to 112.83 yen from 112.56 yen.

Gold fell $20.70 to $1,210.10 an ounce, silver lost 19 cents to $15.18 an ounce and copper rose four cents to $2.12 a pound.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline rose 4 cents to $1 a gallon and heating oil added 3 cents to $1.06 a gallon. Natural gas inched up 2 cents to $1.82 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Source: Wall St. Rises as Oil Price Surges

Indonesia has nothing to do with South China Sea, Jokowi Says

United States President Barack Obama welcomed the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to a summit on Monday in California aimed at enhancing trade relations and forming a common stand on the South China Sea issue.

The Obama administration's "pivot to Asia" has been criticised by Beijing as containing China's rise and fuelling tensions in the region, in particular in the strategically important South China Sea.

Though the U.S.is not a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, Obama is expected to make clear the US will continue recent freedom-of-navigation operations in the same waters.

White House officials have said Obama would deliver a tough message to China that disputes over the area must be resolved peacefully and not by bullying.

His response echoed that of US President Barack Obama's and other Asean leaders: US-Asean's strategic partnership must be sustainable and durable, well beyond Obama's presidency.

Members of the regional blck include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Obama says the people of a 10-nation bloc of Southeast Asian countries have always treated him well when he visits.

That is something Obama will hope to capitalize on at Sunnylands.

"Given the extraordinary progress that we have achieved together in these past seven years, I am confident that we can continue our momentum at this summit", added Obama.

The TPP is a high-standard free trade agreement with the engagement of four ASEAN member states - Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The region is now the U.S.' fourth-largest trade partner.

It also reaffirmed "a shared commitment to maintain peace, security and stability in the region, ensuring maritime security and safety, including the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight".

"As president, I've insisted that even as the United States confronts urgent threats around the world, our foreign policy also has to seize on new opportunities", Obama said during the summit's opening remarks Monday.

Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, said negotiations were continuing on a potential joint statement that would cover various topics and not focus primarily on the South China Sea.

The White House, betting that China does not want to be seen as a regional bully, has mustered an informal coalition of Pacific allies to demand that Beijing respect the rule of law. Officials say China has put pressure on countries such as Cambodia and Laos not to sign on.

An editorial in the influential Chinese tabloid the Global Times on Tuesday said the summit was the wrong place to discuss South China Sea issues and that it would not yield "striking geopolitical decisions".

Myanmar's outgoing president, Thein Sein, said last week he would not attend the summit as originally planned, and would send a vice president instead, after his party suffered an unexpectedly comprehensive defeat in the November elections.

Ultimately the ASEAN summit, however, is "not about China", according to Daniel R. Russel, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. For instance, he hoped the leaders would be able to step up cooperation on counter-terrorism and climate change. Eight people were killed during assaults last month in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, in the first major attack there in six years.

Nick Grimshaw quits X Factor as Caroline Flack 'axed'It is believed he will be replaced on the panel by One Direction's Louis Tomlinson as the band continue their hiatus. Grimshaw, 31, who joined the ITV show alongside Rita Ora past year will not be returning for the next series.

Source: Indonesia has nothing to do with South China Sea, Jokowi Says

Uzone.id Launches Newly Redesigned Web Interface

JAKARTA, Feb 19, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Uzone.id, a portal focused on lifestyle developed by Metranet, today announced the launch of a newly redesigned web interface with a fresh look and tweaked user-friendliness. This initiative follows an achievement in which the portal successfully claimed Alexa's 21th rank of Top Sites in Indonesia on February 18, 2016.

CEO of Metranet, Didik Budi Santoso, said that Metranet aims to develop a portal that is informative, inspiring, and entertaining. "Since its inception in 2013, we wanted to make it as a media that is not only informative and entertaining, but also able to help the readers get the information they need."

As the media industry in Indonesia grows at an unprecedented pace, Uzone.id keeps innovating by expanding its news segments through its seven news channels; news, economy, entertainment, sport, lifestyle, science tech, and automotive, and widen the partnership with a number of big names in media industry in Indone sia, such as Republika, Tempo, Mabua Magazine, Tabloid Bintang, to name a few.

"The media industry in Indonesia is projected to be getting stronger for years to come, therefore we want to be among those with the aggressive growth by providing the quality, factual yet entertaining and inspiring contents," concluded Mr. Santoso.

About Metranet

Metranet is a subsidiary of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk which was formed in April, 2009. The Company's vision is to create future opportunities to generate significant revenue for our company. In its development, various business initiatives have been carried out, such as mobile content, commerce, online ticketing, and social network game publishers.

In 2011, Metranet entered into a strategic cooperation with Microsoft Corporation, by presenting online media umsn.co.id. Entering 2012, Metranet initiated a cooperation with global partners in the field of e-commerce, eBay. As result, in Sept 2012, cooperation with eBay is substantiated by forming a joint venture with a new name, PT Metra Plasa.

In line with business transformation of the company, Metranet is currently focusing on developing mobile and online media business by increasing online visits, enriching services, and optimizing the monetization process. This transformation accomplished in 2 business portfolios, digital advertising (UAd) and digital payment (UPoint). For more information,please visit www.metranet.co.id.

Source: Metranet

Contact:

PT Metranet Jakarta, ID. partnership@metranet.co.id

Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.

Source: Uzone.id Launches Newly Redesigned Web Interface