'I was duped in the Cengkareng land purchase': Housing agency chief

Jakarta Housing and Government Building Agency head Ika Lestari Aji claims that she did nothing wrong and was unaware of the details regarding the city's scandalous land procurement in West Cengkareng, suspected to have causes large state losses.

She expressed confusion over a woman named Toeti Noezlar Soekarno's claim of ownership of the land and the lawsuit the woman has brought against the city administration. Toeti claims the city has failed to pay Rp 200 billion (US$15.14 million) out of a total of Rp 648 billion it agreed to pay for the 4.6 hectare site in West Cengkareng.

"Honestly, I don't know how this could happen. I was duped. I didn't know that Toeti was not the legal owner of the land until the Supreme Audit Agency [BPK] investigated this matter," Ika told journalists on Thursday.

The housing agency believed that the purchase of the land last year had complied with procedure. The agency agreed to pay Toeti for the land to be used for low-cost apartments, she said, adding that the agency had collected all payment receipts as evidence and even made a background check before deciding to purchase the land.

Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said earlier that he would dismiss Ika for her carelessness in the allegedly corrupt land purchase. Ika welcomed the decision saying that she would follow her leader in the administration.

"The governor has the authority to do that. But I am certain that I have not embezzled any money," she said.

BPK findings raised suspicions that the land procurement involved corruption as they revealed that the land was actually owned by the city administration through the fisheries and maritime agency. (rin)

Source: 'I was duped in the Cengkareng land purchase': Housing agency chief

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is a big leap for me, says Suzanne Bernert

German actress Suzanne Bernert has been entertaining the Indian TV audience for over a decade now. From acting in Kasauti Zindagii Kay to playing an antagonist in Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat and now a new member in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, it has been quite a journey for the actress who has settled in India.

Suzanne, who is now a part of the big Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai family is elated to be a part of the show. She shared details of her character and the leap that happened from Ashoka to this show.

In an exclusive conversation with TimeOfIndia.com she also shared how TV is still the same after so many years and that she is well acquainted with the kind of expressions she has to give on screen and the way they dress up.

Q: How has the shoot life been going so far?

Suzanne: Enjoyable! It is quite different from what I do in Ashoka, it is basically a leap from a historical show to a family drama. It is time travel for me. (Laughs)

Q: How has the cast of Ye h Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai been treating you?

Suzanne: The thing is I have already worked with two of the actors before in other TV shows. I have worked with Nidhi Uttam and Sanjeev Seth. Sanjeev played my husband in one of the shows. There is a nice atmosphere here. Things have been running smoothly and I am moving along with the rest of them, everyone has been giving in their 100 per cent.

Q: What is your role in the show?

Suzanne: I play a woman who couldn't get married. My marriage was fixed to a man who eloped overnight leaving me pregnant. I have a daughter and since I couldn't have a white wedding for myself, I want it to happen for her. The rest of my family wants my daughter to have an Indian wedding. There is a ritual clash on the show. The message of the show is that even foreigners are just like Indians and have same feelings for their families as Indians. What is shown in Hollywood that people keep drinking from morning to night is not true, it is exagge rated. (Laughs)

Q: Did you follow the show before entering it?

Suzanne: No, because of being so busy with Ashoka and staying on the sets for maximum hours of the day, I missed watching TV or any other thing. I have been devoting all my time to shoots. This show came to me like a bomb, they got me. I was to go to Jakarta (Indonesia) for the promotion of Ashok and when I returned from there, I got associated with this show. They have given me a very nice entry. My character is still unsettled in the show, but eventually will be fine.

ALSO READ: Queen Helena of Ashoka aka Suzanne Bernett in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

Q: Apart from this, do you have any other shows in hand?

Suzanne: No. It would be difficult for me to take up anything now since I am simultaneously doing two shows. (Laughs). I'm glad that my Ashok fans are coming to Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai and vice versa.

Q: You have also acted in films, what has been better films or TV?

Suzan ne: Can't say that. I have always chosen a character over medium. In movies you have more time to go into characters while TV is too fast paced.

Q: Do you plan a long term career on Indian TV screen?

Suzanne: I have been in the industry for 10 long years and I don't see any end happening. I just switch between genres.

Q: Have you ever thought of trying your luck in Hollywood?

Suzanne: No! If it comes to me it will come, like the way Indian TV happened.

Q: You are also a trained ballet dancer. Have you ever thought of contesting on any dance reality shows?

Suzanne: I have participated in a celebrity dance show like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa on Marathi channel and reached up to the semi finals. I would love to do contest in a dance reality show on Hindi TV as well.

Q: Are you acquainted with the saas bahu stuff that we see on TV?

Suzanne: TV hasn't changed ever since my days in Kasauti Zindagii Kay. I am very used to the expression and way of dressing, though I like to give it a twist of my own. Q: Will your character on the show don ethnics or western clothes? Suzanne: My character goes through a slow transformation of wearing western clothes to Indian clothes later on. But, I will wear a gown or something for the on screen daughter's wedding. WATCH: Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai's young actors are a couple in real life too
Source: Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is a big leap for me, says Suzanne Bernert

Pakuwon City set to launch two office towers this year

Diversified real estate developer Pakuwon Jati is looking to maintain its off-plan sales this year through the development of several new projects amid weak consumer purchasing power in the property sector.

The property developer, which focuses its constructions in two big cities, namely Jakarta and Surabaya in East Java, plans to book Rp 700 billion (US$52.81 million) to Rp 900 billion in off-plan sales from the three new projects it plans to build toward the end of this year.

The target for these new projects is almost one third of a planned Rp 3 trillion in off-plan sales for the whole year of 2016.

"We will launch two new offices, one in Jakarta and another Surabaya, and hopefully one condominium in Surabaya," Ivy Wong, Pakuwon Jati director of business development, said on Monday.

In the fourth quarter of 2016, the company plans to develop a high-rise condominium at Pakuwon City in Surabaya. The condominium will have 850 units, which will be market ed at a price of Rp 500 billion to Rp 600 billion per unit.

"This project is catering to the middle-class segment. Our purpose is to develop a commercial area at Pakuwon City," she said.

The second project is a new office tower at Kota Kasablanka, South Jakarta, to be developed in the third quarter of this year, with saleable area of 49,000 square meters and leasable area of 33,000 sqm.

The company is also to begin developing another office tower in Tunjungan City, Surabaya, with a saleable area of 23,000 sqm and leasable area of 15,000 sqm; construction will start about the same time as the new office tower in Jakarta.  

Pakuwon Jati expects to achieve the remaining off-plan sales through its existing property portfolio, including superblocks Tunjungan City and Supermal Pakuwon Indah in Surabaya, Blok M Plaza retail shopping center and Somerset Berlian serviced apartments in Jakarta.

To continue expanding and acquiring more land around its existin g projects, the firm has allocated Rp 2.5 trillion in capital expenditure (capex) this year from internal cash and bank loans. As of March, it had used Rp 852 billion of the funds, said Pakuwon Jati director Minarto.

 From the financial aspect, Pakuwon Jati aims to increase its revenue by 19 percent — the same growth rate as last year — to Rp 5.5 trillion from Rp 4.6 trillion.

"Net profit, however, will depend on the exchange rate. We hope it will grow in line with our top line growth," Minarto said.

In 2015, the company's net profit declined by 4.7 percent to Rp 1.4 trillion from Rp 1.47 trillion in the previous year.

During an annual general shareholder's meeting held in Jakarta on Monday, the company paid outRp 216 billion in dividends or 15.3 percent of the company's net profit of Rp 1.4 trillion last year

At the meeting, shareholders also approved a plan to conduct a pre-emptive rights issue, with 4.81 billion shares to be issued at Rp 514 apiece. The company aims to use the proceeds to strengthen its capital and expand its business. (win)

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Source: Pakuwon City set to launch two office towers this year

Ahok warns city civil servants not to use office cars for 'mudik'

Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama has threatened to cut the performance bonuses of any Jakarta civil servants who use cars owned by the administration to return to their hometowns ahead of the mass exodus, known as mudik, during Idul Fitri.

"They won't dare to use the office cars, as the bonuses are greater than their monthly salaries. We have also equipped the cars with GPS to enable us to locate them," Ahok said at City Hall in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Performance allowances (TKD) vary, depending on rank. For example, a division head may receive Rp 57 million in TKD, while the regional secretary may receive up to Rp 127 million.

According to a 2016 gubernatorial regulation, all civil servants ,including contract workers, have the right to receive TKD. The amount is determined based on the key performance indicator (KPI) of each civil servant.

Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat said that no civil servants should use the administration's assets for personal purposes, stressing that it was "totally unacceptable" for civil servants to use their office cars for mudik. (ags)

Source: Ahok warns city civil servants not to use office cars for 'mudik'

Indonesian court to proceed with trial in cyanide murder

© The Associated Press Jessica Kumala Wongso, center, who is accused of murdering her friend by lacing her coffee with cyanide, enters the courtroom prior to the start of her trial hearing at Central Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June, 28, 2016. An Indonesian court has decided to proceed with the trial of the woman. The 27-year-old defendant, Wongso was charged with planning the Jan. 6 poisoning of Wayan Mirna Salihin because of the victim's advice that she sever her relationship with her troublesome boyfriend. The two were former classmates in Australia. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian court decided Tuesday to proceed with the trial of a former resident of Australia accused of murdering a friend by lacing her coffee with cyanide.

The 27-year-old defendant, Jessica Kumala Wongso, was charged with plotting the Jan. 6 poisoning of Wayan Mirna Salihin because of the victim's advice that she sever her relationship with her troublesome boyfriend. The two were former classmates in Australia.

"The indictment submitted by the state prosecutors has clearly, accurately and comprehensively explained the murder," said presiding judge Kisworo. "Therefore the objections of the defense lawyers could not be accepted."

Wongso's lawyers have ridiculed the prosecution's contention that Salihin's advice that Wongso end her relationship led to the murder. They said the explanation "could not be accepted by common sense."

Salihin collapsed and died after drinking coffee at a Jakarta cafe where the two met along with another friend. Police say laboratory tests showed the drink contained cyanide.

The case has riveted Indonesia for months and attracted attention in Australia because Wongso was a permanent resident and studied in Sydney.

Police have struggled to bring the case to trial as prosecutors deferred it several times due to insufficient evidence. It was accepted after Indonesian investigators gained additional information from the Australian Federal Police.

Wongso is charged with premeditated murder, a capital crime in Indonesia, but Indonesia has promised not impose the death penalty in exchange for the help from Australia, which opposes the death penalty.

The trial is to resume July 12 with the testimony of witnesses presented by prosecutors.

Source: Indonesian court to proceed with trial in cyanide murder

Ford's Indonesian dealers demand compensation after abrupt withdrawal

Six businesses that oversee 31 Ford dealerships in Indonesia say they have sent a second letter about possible legal action to Ford. Photo credit: Reuters

JAKARTA -- Ford Motor Co.'s dealers in Indonesia are demanding around $75 million in compensation after the U.S. carmaker announced in January it would close all operations in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

The car market in Indonesia is dominated by Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Last year, General Motors Co shut its factory near Jakarta.

Six businesses that oversee 31 Ford dealerships in Indonesia say they have sent a second letter about possible legal action to Ford, Ford International Services and PT Ford Motor Indonesia. 

In a joint statement on Monday, the dealers said they will take the Ford companies to a Jakarta court if there is no settlement, Harry Ponto, the dealers' legal representative, told Reuters by phone. They say they account for 85 percent of Ford's total sales in Indonesia.

Ford's decision came "out of the blue" for local dealers, which had made sizeable investments in showrooms and other facilities to support an expansion plan that Ford announced in 2011, Ponto said.

"This is something that was done unilaterally and was unfair for the Indonesian partners. It's an action that is beneath an international brand like Ford," Ponto said.

Ford's move could damage the confidence of Indonesian businesses in foreign investors, he said.

The automaker, which had a less than 1 percent market share in Indonesia, said in January it would exit all areas of business including sales and imports.

Ford said it was engaging with its dealers to implement its plan to exit Indonesia later this year, while ensuring that its customers continue to receive service, parts and warranty support.

"Our decision to exit the Indonesia market came after pursuing every possible option," a company spokesman said in an email on Monday. "It became clear, however, that there would be no path to sustained profitability."

One of the Ford dealers, PT Kreasi Auto Kencana, invested more than 500 billion rupiah ($38 million) in buildings, equipment and manpower over the last few years, Nugroho Suharlim, Kreasi's operation and marketing division head, told Reuters by phone.

It now faces substantial losses, Suharlim said, adding that the contract it signed with Ford, which was renewable every two years, did not contain any clause governing what would happen if Ford were to leave Indonesia.

Source: Ford's Indonesian dealers demand compensation after abrupt withdrawal

Authority finds hundreds of unroadworthy buses

The Jakarta transportation authority has found that 482 out of 862 intercity interprovincial buses failed to pass the roadworthy tests conducted by the transportation agency from June 24 to 26.

All buses operating during the Idul Fitri exodus are required to undergo the tests. Buses that failed are prohibited from operating until they undergo the necessary repairs, transportation agency head Andri Yansyah said on Monday.

"We will not confiscate those buses," Andri said at City Hall in Jakarta.

Buses are required to undergo repairs under the supervision of the transportation agency. The roadworthy tests will be held until Wednesday, a week before Idul Fitri.

The tests are being conducted in Pulogadung, Rawamangun, Kampung Rambutan, Tanah Merdeka, Pulogebang, Tanjung Priok, Kalideres, Muara Angke, Grogol, Rawabuaya and Pinang Ranti terminals, Andri said.

The agency will also issue permits to allow tour buses to operate during Idul Fitri in case there is a lack of buses to transport homeward bound travelers. "There are hundreds of tour buses in Jakarta that can accommodate people," Andri said. (bbn)

Source: Authority finds hundreds of unroadworthy buses

Indonesia Produces as Many Babies as the Entire Population of Singapore in 1 Year Period

Indonesia's population growth rate is at 1.49%. Each year, the country sees as many newly born babies as the entire population of Singapore.

Illustration. (Photo source: Pixabay/esudroff)

Perspective

Jakarta, GIVnews.com – There is a saying in Indonesia that when you have plenty of kids, great fortune will follow. This seems to apply to the Halilintar family.

Businessman Halilintar Anofial Asmid and his wife Lenggogeni Faruk have 11 children together. They have appeared in various local television shows and even published a book. The family, which does not consider having so many children as a burden, says that compassion and a strong religious education will make sure that their children grow up well.

But aside from the fact that Halilintar and Lenggogeni are just one example of a couple that succeeded with raising many children, they have also been married for almost 20 years.

With such proverbs and cultural notions increasingly considered to be part of the past, what about young couples today? Do they heed the same old proverb and want more children, or is something like two children (one boy and one girl) preferable?

The Halilintar family while on vacation in Italy. (Photo source: genhalilintar.com)

To control population growth, the Indonesian government created a program in the 1950s called the Planned Parenthood Association (Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana), now called the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN). This institution is responsible for matters related to family planning, such as providing contraception to citizens.

But despite the existence of BKKBN, for the last ten years, the fertility rate is still high, around 2.6 percent. On average, an Indonesian mother gives birth to around three babies. Moreover, population growth rate is at 1.49%, relatively higher compared to other developing countries.

"The 1.49 percent growth rate will increase the number (of people) in Indonesia by 4.5 million (individuals). That is equivalent to (the population of) Singapore. So, in 10 years, (it is equivalent to) 10 countries (the size of) Singapore," said Surya Chandra Surapaty, the BKKBN chief, as reported by kompas.com in September 2015.

Surya also shared that higher growth occurs in regions where education is lacking and poverty is rampant, such as East and West Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Riau Islands.

Other contributing factors include improper usage of contraception and a lack of information about family planning. Even if couples use contraception, most of them only use short-term ones, such as shots and pills; contraception would work properly only if it is taken routinely.

Meanwhile, BKKBN field workers now only number around 17,000, compared to the initial 70,000, mostly due to a stagnant recruitment process.

BKKBN's current target is to reduce the fertility rate to 2.1 per 1,000 women by 2025, and to achieve that, there is still so much to be done.

Editor: Putra Muskita

Source: Indonesia Produces as Many Babies as the Entire Population of Singapore in 1 Year Period

Sorry, Beijing, but you look like a wrung-out sponge

Beijing, is it just me or did you just get shorter?

According to new satellite measurements, China's capital is sinking into the ground at a rate of about four inches a year. The cause: relentless extraction of groundwater underneath the city. As water is pumped out of the ground, the soil dries up and compacts like a sad, wrung-out sponge.

All that subsidence — a fancy word for "that scary thing where the land is literally collapsing out from under you" — could have a "strong impact on train operations" and pose a safety threat to Beijing's 20 million people, reports The Guardian.

What's more, the saggiest part of the city appears to be Chaoyang, the central business district that teems with offices, malls, and bars.

Though plans are in place to divert tons more water to the city to replace the diminished groundwater, no one knows if that will be enough to lift Beijing out of its literal slump.

But hey, at least China's not alone: Mexico City, Jakarta, and Bangkok are also gradually pumping themselves into the ground.

Source: Sorry, Beijing, but you look like a wrung-out sponge

Indonesian Olympic lifters say Ramadan no heavy weight

By Sam Reeves and Dessy Sagita, AFPJune 26, 2016, 12:15 am TWN

JAKARTA--Indonesian Olympic medalist Triyatno had a look of pained determination on his face as he hauled a 180 kilogram barbell into the air — no mean feat for a weightlifter fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

The 28-year-old and fellow weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan were Indonesia's only two medal winners at the last Olympics, clinching silver and bronze respectively, and the pressure is on as they gear up for Rio this summer.

But that has not stopped the athletes joining tens of millions of others in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country in forgoing food and drink during the daytime to mark Ramadan.

And they insist it has not affected their intensive preparations.

"I don't find it a heavy weight, it's not difficult," Triyatno said of juggling the competing demands of fasting and getting ready for the Olympics. "My training remains the same."

At a recent session at a gym in Jakarta's main stadium, the country's weightlifting team spent two hours grunting and groaning as they pumped iron under the watchful eyes of their coaches.

While most in Indonesia practice a moderate form of Islam, religion still plays a large role in many people's lives, and the training began with the team standing in a circle and saying a brief prayer.

    Indonesia weightlifting athlete Eko Yuli Irawan, left, and Triyatno, second left, breaking their fasting with other Olympic athletes in Jakarta, during the holy month of Ramadan, Tuesday, June 21. (AFP)

More Photos (2)

Source: Indonesian Olympic lifters say Ramadan no heavy weight

No Philippines-China talks on sea row for two years

Indonesia today defended opening fire on Chinese sailors as an action aimed at stopping illegal fishing, after the latest confrontation between the nations in the South China Sea.

But Jakarta has objected to China's inclusion of parts of the Indonesian-ruled Natuna Islands within a "nine-dash line" that Beijing marks on maps to show its claim on the body of water.

A Chinese fishing boat entered those waters on Friday, prompting an Indonesian naval vessel to fire a warning shot, injuring one person.

In a related development, Chinese cruise ships will regularly bring tourists to the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea by 2020, reports said Wednesday, as tensions mount in the region.

Unlike some of its Southeast Asian neighbours, Indonesia does not dispute ownership of reefs or islets in the sea with China.

The Paracels, known as the Xisha Islands in Chinese, are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.

In May, the Chinese government cancelled a port visit in Hong Kong, saying it was "inconvenient" for the flattop to pull in.

"It could quickly ratchet up ... but you never really know", he said, adding Philippine President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, who takes office at the end of this month, remains "a bit of a wild card". "It is impossible that there is an agreement between countries that allows for stealing fish".

"The president ordered him to defend Indonesia's territorial sovereignty that we have struggled to build up since our independence", he said. However, Hanafi reminded the government to uphold the principal of "soft on people, hard on problem" to maintain good relationship with China.

More Chinese fishing boats have been detected in the vicinity this year, he said.

"South Africa supports the position that the sovereign states that are directly concerned should resolve their relevant disputes through direct consultations and negotiations, on the basis of respecting historical facts and in accordance with worldwide law, as well as to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea", the South African Foreign Ministry said.

Sumarkidjo compared the incident with those in the past and stated the Chinese ships were fishing in the area that Indonesia claims is part of its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Rather, said Euan Graham, director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, the U.S. Navy is attempting more complex "big unit" maneuvers in the Pacific for strategic reasons - including practicing ways to better integrate the 7th and 3rd Fleets. In March, Indonesia detained the crew of a fishing boat in a scuffle involving a Chinese coast guard vessel.

An Asean official revealed that the foreign ministers of the group had initially reached a common ground in Kunming to have a rare and candid statement over the Chinese territory, but Laos, which now holds chairmanship of Asean, and Cambodia expressed dissent, which led to the withdrawal of the statement.

Source: No Philippines-China talks on sea row for two years

Indonesia must have cyber sovereignty: MP

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia must have cyber sovereignty to control the flow of information, which includes radicalism, an Indonesian lawmaker has said.

"In essence, we must have cyber sovereignty first," member of the House of Representatives Commission I Arief Suditomo said here Friday (24/6).

Only after cyber sovereignty is upheld, could a variety of digital/electronic content that endanger the state be overcome through preventive steps, Suditomo, who is also a member of the working committee for information and electronic transaction bill, said.

Cyber sovereignty is important to anticipate and to minimize the negative impact of the internet, particularly the use of social media to launch radicalism and terrorism propaganda, Yuli Cendrasari, a lecturer at the school of communication of UPN Veteran University in Surabaya, said.

"In principle, all isms are easily spread through social media because the internet is able to reach the people at large, regardles s of geographical constraint," he said.

Commenting on radical propaganda through cyber media, Yuli said it is very likely that the propaganda influences netizens.

Normally, individuals access the internet and browse information according to their thoughts and wishes. If the information browsed on the internet is similar to their thoughts it will strengthen their belief that the ism is correct, he said.

"So they will act in the same way as the information they have received," he said.

(Reported by Sigit Pinardi/S012/Uu.KR-BSR/B003)

Source: Indonesia must have cyber sovereignty: MP

Jakarta, Manila agree with aborted Asean statement over South China Sea

Top diplomats from China and the 10 ASEAN countries agreed on Tuesday that the South China Sea issue should be handled properly, reaffirming the need to "jointly ensure peace and stability" in the area.

This is not true, especially since none of the statements issued by the Foreign Ministries of the three ASEAN countries had used the term "consensus" (or a term containing a similar meaning) with reference to the South China Sea disputes.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the meeting in Kunming was a closed-door affair and there was never a plan to issue a joint statement.

In a statement released late Tuesday by Malaysia's foreign ministry, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) warned that recent actions in the disputed waterway had "the potential to undermine peace".

"Clearly, China's purported efforts to divide and conquer the region and extract the South China Sea issue from the ASEAN-China agenda hasn't worked", said Richard Javad Heydarian, assistant professor in worldwide affairs and political science at Manila's De La Salle University.

China considers nearly all of the resource-rich South China Sea its territory, but Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims. It has started building artificial islands for military objective boosting its claim over it.

Four of its members - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - are locked in the territorial disputes with China and Taiwan.

Even before a ruling, China may have lost by refusing to cooperate with a United Nations arbitration tribunal over its South China Sea claims.

The ministers said they "stressed the importance of maintaining peace, security, stability, safety, and freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea, in accordance with universally recognized principles of global law including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea".

Malaysia went ahead to release it anyway, out of frustration over Chinese pressure on the grouping over the South China Sea disputes, according to an Asean official. They are seen as speaking for China over its insistence that territorial disputes be dealt with through bilateral talks between the nations involved rather than between China and ASEAN as a whole.

The meeting sent out a message - the South China Sea issue does not define the China-ASEAN relationship.

"As trade ties between China and Asean are growing rapidly, many Asean nations may choose [to avoid] further antagonising Beijing [or undermining] the bloc by making public their disagreements", he said. However, spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said it was supposed to be a mere media guideline, not a statement to be issued to the media.

China's stance on the sea is "in line with worldwide law", its top diplomat Yang Jiechi said last month, insisting his country's position "will not change".

"ASEAN and China must find ways to keep their good relations amid this issue", she says, adding that the ten-country organization has already initiated a code of conduct which is believed to create a conducive situation among the claimants and restrain them from possible moves that may stall initiative to negotiate. It was not clear whether an amended statement would be issued, although individual members such as Singapore had issued their own mentioning concerns about the South China Sea.

"We emphasized the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including land reclamation, which may raise tensions in the South China Sea", it said.

"But this is not a problem between China and Asean and should not affect the cooperation between China and Asean", he said.

Source: Jakarta, Manila agree with aborted Asean statement over South China Sea

Indonesian president's visit to Natuna Islands sends waters warning to China

Joko Widodo has held a cabinet meeting on a warship in the Natuna Islands in a defiant gesture to China.

Jakarta: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has held a cabinet meeting on a warship in the Natuna Islands in a defiant gesture to China that it has sovereign rights over the disputed waters in the far north of the archipelago.

Diplomatic tensions have been rising after three clashes between Chinese fishing vessels and the Indonesian navy in the region in as many months.

Indonesia is not a claimant in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea and China acknowledges that the Natuna Islands belong to Indonesia.

However part of the waters surrounding the islands, which are rich in marine life, fall within both Indonesia's exclusive economic zone and the so-called "nine-dash line" on which China bases its claim over most of the South China Sea.

China has strongly protested Indonesia's pursuit of its fishing vessels and demands Jakarta release apprehended crew members, saying they were operating in Chinese "traditional fishing grounds".

In the latest incident, China claimed a fisherman was injured when the Indonesian Navy apprehended one of 12 Chinese fishing vessels it said were operating illegally in the area over the weekend.

Mr Joko's press office released a statement on Thursday saying the development of the Natuna Islands was the government's main priority.

"In this working visit President Joko Widodo will lead a meeting on developing the economic potential of the Natuna Islands as one of Indonesia's foremost verandahs and national strategic areas," it said.

Mr Joko, who is only the third president to visit Natuna, was accompanied on Thursday by a number of high-powered ministers including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Chief Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who is famous for her tough stance on poaching, including the sinking of foreign trawlers.

Indonesia, which is keen to encourage foreign investment from China, has played down previous maritime spats with its powerful neighbour.

"I think it is a big deal," Evan Laksmana, from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, said of Mr Joko's visit.

"Just because we are committed to maintaining a good relationship with China does not mean Indonesia is willing to sell out its waters. That is the delicate balance Jokowi is trying to tread - it needs to be made clear that the islands and waters surrounding the islands are ours."

Since the mid-1990s, Indonesia has played an "honest broker" role as a non-claimant in the South China Sea.

However Mr Laksmana said China needs to be prepared for Indonesia to be much more assertive if its sovereign rights continue to be tested.

An international tribunal convening in The Hague will soon hand down its decision in a landmark legal case that the Philippines has brought against China, including the legality of its nine-dash line claim.

"Both domestic and international pressure has been mounting for Indonesia to take a position with regard to the upcoming Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling," Mr Laksmana said.

Melda Kamil Ariadno, a professor of international law at the University of Indonesia, said he believed China was deliberately provoking Indonesia.

"Very soon the Permanent Court of Arbitration will issue a verdict and I believe it will cancel China's claim of a nine-dash line. That's why China is doing some manoeuvres."

Asked if the conflict would lead to deteriorating economic relations between the two countries, Dr Melda said: "Remember, it is not just us who needs China, but China needs us. So we do need to have a good relationship but it should not come at the price of sovereign rights and sovereignty."

with Karuni Rompies

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The story Indonesian president's visit to Natuna Islands sends waters warning to China first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Source: Indonesian president's visit to Natuna Islands sends waters warning to China

US to China, rivals: Be calm after ruling

IDLED Epifanio Marqueza, one of the captains of a reef-fishing fleet, gestures next to his vessel idled in Masinloc, Zambales province, after an encounter with a Chinese Coast Guard ship at the nearby Panatag Shoal. AFP

The United States on Wednesday called on China and other rival claimants  to exercise restraint when an international tribunal issues a landmark ruling on the South China Sea disputes that Beijing has chosen to ignore.

A senior US state department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Asian journalists through a teleconference, said the upcoming decision by the arbitration panel in The Hague may offer "a great deal of clarity" on the disputes and help the claimants forge an arrangement to avoid potential confrontations.

She said the decision, expected within weeks, could also serve as a jumping-off point to diplomatic talks.

"We would certainly call on all governments to exercise restraint and to use this post-arbitration period as an opportunity to restart those diplomatic discussions," she said.

China has said it would not recognize any arbitration decision despite calls by several Asian and Western governments for it to respect international law.

Some fear Beijing may take a harder stance and take provocative actions if it comes under pressure from outside, including by the United States, to comply with an adversarial ruling.

In a harsh attack on US policies in Asia, the flagship newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party on Wednesday accused Washington of seeking to turn the South China Sea "into a powder keg" and warned it not to underestimate China's determination to defend its territorial claims.

The People's Daily cited recent combined exercises by two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups off the eastern coast of the Philippines as a sign of US hegemony and said Washington had made a mistake in seeking to intimidate China.

In making displays of military power aimed at China, the United States has "picked the wrong counterpart," said the editorial, the contents of which are usually vetted by high ranking party officials.

Competing claims

US military activity, including freedom of navigation cruises near China's man-made islands and exercises with allies, is contributing to the militarization of the region, the editorial said.

China claims almost all of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea, including waters close to the shores of its smaller neighbors in the region.

The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia  and Taiwan have overlapping claims in the South China Sea, a crucial waterway where $5 trillion in global shipborne trade passes every year and where islets, reefs and atolls are believed to be sitting atop vast energy reserves.

Beijing prefers one-on-one negotiations with each of the rival claimants, an arrangement that gives it advantage because of its sheer size and clout and prevents Washington from playing any role to resolve the conflicts.

In the case filed in the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Philippines challenged the validity of China's "nine-dash line" claiming virtually the entire stretch of the South China Sea and demanded respect for its right to explore resources in waters within its 370-km exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Philippines also asked the tribunal to rule whether several disputed areas are outcrops, reefs or islands and how much stretch of territorial waters they project.

Natuna incidents

The US official also expressed concern over China's Coast Guard ships escorting Chinese fishing vessels in areas including Indonesia's Natuna Islands, where Indonesian vessels fired warning shots on Friday.

Indonesia has rejected China's stance that the two nations have overlapping claims on "maritime rights and interests" in the South China Sea.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Wednesday said his country had "no overlapping claims in any form in Indonesian waters with China."

But Jakarta has objected to Beijing's inclusion of waters around Natuna Islands within its "nine-dash line" claim to almost all of the South China Sea.

A Chinese fishing boat entered those waters on Friday, prompting an Indonesian naval vessel to fire a warning shot, injuring one person.

It was the third reported confrontation between Indonesian naval vessels and Chinese fishing boats near the Natuna Islands this year.

Confrontation at Ayungin

The Philippines also has stood up to China's bullying in the South China Sea, with a small, rickety Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel outsmarting a large Chinese Coast Guard ship to restock a small Marine garrison on the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the Spratly Islands on March 29, 2014.

The next day, the Philippines submitted evidence to the arbitration court in The Hague, which proceeded to hear the case despite China's refusal to take part in the proceedings.

In his last week in office, President Aquino is waiting for the ruling, which he hopes will be in favor of the Philippines.

"We have done what we can [to obtain] a resolution that is fair to all parties concerned," Mr. Aquino told reporters in a recent news conference.

Mr. Aquino steps down on June 30. Reports from the wires and Nikko Dizon

Source: US to China, rivals: Be calm after ruling

Ahok wants more flats for Jakarta

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama hopes Jakarta can have more flats built for the public, as it turns 489 today.

"For Jakartas birthday, I hope the city will have more affordable flats for the people. Which is why we continue the effort in building more," said Basuki in the City Hall, Central Jakarta on Wednesday.

The availability of affordable flats will allow the citys government to relocate more people from the slums, said the Governor widely known as Ahok.

"If we have a lot of flats, the relocation task will run much smoother. The target is to build 50,000 units per year," he noted.

Other than flats, he also hopes to build more Child Friendly Public Facilities all across the capital city.

"I want Jakarta to have a lot of Child Friendly Public Facilities, where the public can gather and get to know each other, turning strangers to friends," he reiterated.

The former member of the House of Representatives also hopes for continuous improvement for Jakartas transportation system, so much that people may begin to stop relying on their own vehicle.

"As for transportation, surely I hope for congestion to be reduced, which is why we strive to provide adequate transportation, so people are prompted to switch to public transportation," he remarked.(*)

Source: Ahok wants more flats for Jakarta

24 killed in Indonesia floods, landslides

Footage aired by local broadcasters shows villagers sitting on their roofs to escape the rising water

Heavy rains drenched several areas for much of Saturday, causing flooding and landslides in 16 towns and cities across the province.

"The floods and landslides occurred in the districts of Kebumen, Banjarnegara, Wonosobo, Purworejo, Banyumas, Karanganyar, Wonogiri and Solo in the Central Java region", he said in a media statement today.

Villagers walk through an area affected by landslides in Banjarnegara, Central Java, Indonesia. on Sunday.

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia has risen to 35, an official said yesterday, as search crews scour devastated villages in the hope of finding survivors.

Most of the landslides and flooding occurred in the Purworejo subdistrict, where 11 people died and 26 are reported missing.

"The public is advised to remain on high alert for heavy rain and potential for floods and landslides", Nugroho added. "All of a sudden a major landslides occurred and buried the vehicles and people on the road", Sutopo pointed out.

Rescue workers are still searching for victims and evacuating others.

A further 25 people are missing, according to officials with Indonesia's emergency management organization, in an interview with CNN.

Dr Sutopo said the disaster is being managed at a provincial level with support from the central government in terms of logistics, and funding.

TV footage showed villagers sitting on rooftops to escape the rising water, their cars and homes submerged in brown water.

The flooding and landslides occurred on Java, the southernmost of the county's main islands and home to the capital, Jakarta. In one instance, a mud avalanche buried five people in their homes as it swept across a village. Evacuation centres, equipped with temporary shelters and kitchens, had been set up near the disaster zones.

Source: 24 killed in Indonesia floods, landslides

Indonesia stocks higher at close of trade; IDX Composite Index up 0.31%

Investing.com – Indonesia stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the , and sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Jakarta, the rose 0.31%.

The best performers of the session on the were Bintang Mitra Semestaraya Tbk (JK:), which rose 28.95% or 33.00 points to trade at 147.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Steady Safe TBK PT (JK:) added 17.65% or 18 points to end at 120 and Alam Sutera Realty Tbk (JK:) was up 16.27% or 68 points to 486 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Bank Qnb Indonesia Tbk (JK:), which fell 9.84% or 38 points to trade at 348 at the close. Global Teleshop Tbk (JK:) declined 9.82% or 55 points to end at 505 and Dwi Aneka Jaya Kemasindo Tbk (JK:) was down 9.78% or 9.00 points to 83.00.

Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Jakarta Stock Exchange by 161 to 124 and 98 ended unchanged.

Crude oil for August delivery was down 0.60% or 0.30 to $49.66 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in August fell 0.69% or 0.35 to hit $50.30 a barrel, while the August Gold contract fell 0.70% or 9.00 to trade at $1283.10 a troy ounce.

USD/IDR was down 0.09% to 13248.0, while AUD/IDR rose 0.49% to 9935.05.

The US Dollar Index was down 0.20% at 93.49.

Disclaimer: Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. All CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are not provided by exchanges but rather by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual market price, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Therefore Fusion Media doesn`t bear any responsibility for any trading losses you might incur as a result of using this data .

Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.

Source: Indonesia stocks higher at close of trade; IDX Composite Index up 0.31%

Indonesia vows ‘decisive action’ against Chinese ships

JAKARTA — Indonesia is determined to assert its exclusive right to a corner of the South China Sea where there has been a run of skirmishes between Indonesian navy ships and Chinese vessels, Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said yesterday, in another sign that Jakarta is taking a firm stand against maritime incursions in its territorial waters.

Mr Kalla said Indonesia would send a message to China demanding that it respect the South-east Asian nation's sovereignty over waters around the Natuna Islands cluster.

"This is not a clash, but we are protecting the area," said Mr Kalla in an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace. Asked if the Indonesian government had made a decision to be more assertive, he said: "Yes, we will continue."

China's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that an Indonesian naval vessel fired on a Chinese fishing boat near the chain of islands on Friday, injuring one person.

Indonesia's navy yesterday confirmed one of its warships had fired warning shots at several Chinese fishing boats in waters off the islands and detained one of the vessels and its seven crew members, but there were no injuries.

"We will not hesitate to take decisive action against foreign ships, whatever their flag and nationality, when they commit violations in Indonesian territory," said Indonesian navy spokesman First Admiral Edi Sucipto.

Indonesia's Maritime and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said the navy followed correct procedures for dealing with poachers. "We don't shoot for no clear reason. Protecting the sovereignty of our country is a must," she wrote on Twitter.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo met with Security Minister Luhut Panjaitan yesterday following the clash and ordered him to defend Indonesia's sovereignty, said presidential spokesman Johan Budi.

"The president ordered him to defend Indonesia's territorial sovereignty that we have struggled to build up since our independence," he said, adding that Mr Widodo wanted this done without "affecting good relations".

Responding to Mr Kalla's remarks, Chinese Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said yesterday China had expressed condemnation of the "indiscriminate use of force".

"We urge the Indonesian side to refrain from any action that complicates or magnifies the dispute, or impacts the peace and stability of the region," said Ms Hua.

Indonesia is not part of a broader regional dispute over China's claims on swathes of key waterways.

But Jakarta has objected to Beijing's inclusion of parts of the Indonesian-ruled Natuna Islands within a "nine-dash line" that China marks on maps to show its claim.

China has repeatedly said it does not dispute Indonesia's sovereignty over the Natuna Islands, but Mr Kalla said yesterday its ships sometimes claim that they have the right to operate in waters around the islands because they are "traditional Chinese fishing grounds".

"But we are focused on the legal basis," he said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. "We will send a message to the other side to honour the area in accordance with the law."

Indonesia's latest skirmish with Chinese fishing vessels over the weekend is the third confrontation near the Natuna Islands this year and comes amid rising regional tensions over China's assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Late last month, China lodged a strong protest after the Indonesian navy seized a Chinese boat in waters near the islands for allegedly fishing illegally. In March, Chinese coastguards rammed a Chinese boat detained near the Natunas and helped it escape as the Indonesians towed the vessel to shore. Jakarta responded by lodging a protest and summoning Beijing's top envoy in the country.

Indonesia has launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing in recent months, sinking foreign boats after removing the crews. It is also beefing up its military presence in the Natuna Islands, in a sign that it is stepping up efforts to push back against maritime incursions.

Indonesian Minister of Defence Ryamizard Ryacudu last month revealed plans to deploy three more frigate ships, a fighter jet, drones and radar to the islands, on top of sending in an army battalion and special forces from the Navy and the Air Force. AGENCIES

Source: Indonesia vows 'decisive action' against Chinese ships

Death toll in Indonesia landslides, flooding rises to 47

Updated 4:18 am, Monday, June 20, 2016

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Villagers walk through the area affected by landslides in Banjarnegara, Central Java, Indonesia. Sunday, June 19, 2016. An Indonesian official said dozens of people have been killed by flooding and landslides in central Java and many others remain missing. less Villagers walk through the area affected by landslides in Banjarnegara, Central Java, Indonesia. Sunday, June 19, 2016. An Indonesian official said dozens of people have been killed by flooding and landslides ... more Photo: AP

Death toll in Indonesia landslides, flooding rises to 47

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The death toll from landslides and flooding on Indonesia's Java island has risen to 47 after rescue workers discovered more bodies.

Dozens of houses were buried in the landslides and thousands of homes were inundated by floods in 16 districts and towns in Central Java province over the weekend.

National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says rescuers found 12 more bodies on Monday, including four in two villages in the worst-hit district of Purworejo.

Seasonal rains often cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands and home to about 256 million people, many of whom live in mountainous areas or flood-prone plains close to rivers.

Source: Death toll in Indonesia landslides, flooding rises to 47

35 Dead in Indonesia Floods, Landslides

Featured Story Malaysia's Ruling Party Gets Decisive Wins

Malaysia's ruling party, Barisan Nasional or BN, has won two parliamentary by-elections.

The wins strengthen Prime Minister Najib Razak's grip on the nation, despite ongoing graft allegations.

The Election Commission said the seats were won by wider majorities than the 2013 federal election.

Political analysts say Najib could likely call for snap polls because of the decisive win.

Najib said in a statement that former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had "turned the elections into a referendum on my leadership."

BN won the seats in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar, communities along Malaysia's west coast.

The vote for the seats came up after the incumbents were killed in a helicopter crash last month.

Najib has been facing scrutiny over the source of nearly $700 million that ended up in a personal, secure bank account through companies linked to the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, which was initiated by Najib six years ago.

Najib has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and the Malaysian attorney general has said the funds were a personal donation from Saudi Arabia's royal family.

But the scandal has led to probes in 10 countries - including Malaysia, Britain, the United States and Switzerland - over allegations of political donations, inaccurate disclosures, possible money laundering and embezzlement.

Source: 35 Dead in Indonesia Floods, Landslides

Jokowi Urged to Set Up Team to Investigate Criminalization Cases

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of civil society organizations has urged President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to form a presidential team to resolve cases of criminalization because several groups are still experiencing cases of criminalization.

Reports from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said that at least 25 cases of criminalization occurred in 2015.

This condition did not only happen to public officials such as leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) but also various groups of society such as workers, farmers, fishermen, journalists, to the indigenous peoples.

"Many things make these people be criminalized," said Haris Azhar, Contrast in his office, Central Jakartaon Sunday (19/6).

The motive could be the criminalization of business, politics, or personal problems, Haris said.

Haris added that the election of a new police chief is a momentum to push the government to resolve the cases of criminalization, which in fact were carried out by the police.

MAYA AYU PUSPITASARI

Source: Jokowi Urged to Set Up Team to Investigate Criminalization Cases

Migrants in Indonesia boat stand-off brought ashore

The week-long impasse boiled over Thursday when police fired a warning shot to disperse a crowd that had swarmed around the vessel.

JAKARTA: Dozens of Sri Lankan migrants stranded on a boat off Indonesia were allowed to come ashore Saturday after a tense stand-off, but local authorities insist they will still be towed back to sea.

The 44 migrants, who include many women and children, were allowed to disembark in Aceh province and take refuge in tents, a week after their Indian-flagged vessel broke down en route to Australia.

Authorities in the western province had drawn international condemnation by refusing to allow the migrants ashore, but relented Saturday as huge waves threatened to upend the damaged boat.

However a local official said authorities would proceed as planned and tow the migrants out to international waters once their boat had been repaired and the weather improved.

"The policy is still the same as yesterday," Al Hudri, the head of social services in Aceh province, told AFP.

"After the boat is repaired, they will be towed back to sea and sent home."

He said the migrants were brought ashore as rough seas and strong winds were threatening to capsize the damaged vessel.

The boat had suffered serious damage during its journey, with engine trouble and holes that needed repairing before it would be seaworthy, he added.

In the meantime a kitchen has been set up to feed those brought ashore, as police began photographing the migrants in a bid to establish identities, an AFP journalist at the scene said.

The Sri Lankans were prevented from coming ashore for a week, despite Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla ordering Aceh officials to allow them to disembark.

"We're happy to see that is finally being implemented," said Lilianne Fan, international director of Aceh NGO the Geutanyoe Foundation, whose team on the ground witnessed the disembarkation.

"At this point the most urgent thing from our point of view is that immediate access is given to the UNHCR," she added, referring to the UN refugee agency.

When asked if the UNHCR teams in Lhoknga — the town where the boat ran aground — had been granted access to the refugees, Hudri said: "No, not yet".

The week-long impasse boiled over Thursday when police fired a warning shot to disperse a crowd that had swarmed around the vessel.

That incident prompted Amnesty International on Friday to issue a statement accusing local authorities of employing "crude intimidation tactics" against the migrants.

"The immigration office and security forces in Aceh are flouting the authority of their own Vice President and not letting the UNHCR do its job," Josef Benedict of Amnesty International said in a statement.

Hundreds of Myanmar Rohingya came ashore in Aceh last year during a regional boat people crisis and were warmly welcomed by residents of the staunchly Islamic province, who felt sympathy for their plight as a persecuted Muslim minority.

– AFP

The views expressed in the contents are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of FMT.

Source: Migrants in Indonesia boat stand-off brought ashore

Indonesia central bank’s easing cycle to add up to 0.2pc to GDP this year

Home» Business & Finance » Banking & Finance

Saturday, 18 June 2016 12:29

Posted by Parvez Jabri

JAKARTA: Interest rate cuts by Indonesia's central bank and policies to bolster lending should add up to 0.2 percent of growth to Southeast Asia's largest economy this year, a senior official said.

Bank Indonesia has cut benchmark interest rates four times this year, by a total of 100 basis points (bps), most recently on Thursday.

"This year, between 0.1-0.2 percent will be contributed from those easing," Juda Agung, the central bank's executive director of monetary and economic policy, told Reuters late on Friday.

The central bank has also unveiled measures to boost slowing loan growth, including increasing the loan-to-value ratio for property lending.

Agung also said the rupiah, which traded at 13,335 to the dollar on Friday, was at a level "still in line with fundamentals".

Copyright Reuters, 2016

Source: Indonesia central bank's easing cycle to add up to 0.2pc to GDP this year

Indonesia says 44 migrants must sail on after being resupplied | Reuters

JAKARTA Indonesian authorities have stopped 44 migrants believed to be from Sri Lanka from disembarking from their boat and said on Friday the vessel had to head back out to sea after being supplied with food and fuel and repaired.

Indonesia has for years been a stepping stone for refugees and migrants from the Middle East and South Asia hoping to reach Australia. Australia has been urging it to act to stop the flow of people, often travelling in unseaworthy boats.

The boat carrying the 44 people, including several women and children, was found stranded off the coast of the northern Indonesian province of Aceh last week.

"We fixed their boat and gave them the food and fuel they asked for. We also did health checks and we see their condition is good," provincial governor Zaini Abdullah told media.

"They can be on their way. We are waiting for high tide ... Don't look at it as if we are pushing them out or ejecting them. We have fulfilled the humanitarian obligations."

It was not clear if the people on board the boat wanted to land in Indonesia or sail on but activists said they should have been given access to the U.N. refugee agency.

Even though Indonesia is seen as a transit country on the way to Australia, many migrants end up staying there for years.

More than 1,000 migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh landed in Aceh last year after spending days on overcrowded boats, adrift in the Andaman Sea.

(Reporting by Angie Teo and Kanupriya Kapoor; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Robert Birsel)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Source: Indonesia says 44 migrants must sail on after being resupplied | Reuters

Jakarta to Implement Odd-Even License Plate Policy

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta-The Jakarta administration will implement the odd-even license plate regulation as a replacement of the three-in-one policy in late August 2016.

"There will be a trial from July 20 to 27, 2016, and [the new policy will be implemented for a month," Jakarta administration agency head Andri said in a traffic-themed discussion in Jakarta on Friday, June 17, 2016.

The new policy will be implemented during the rush hour in Jalan Sudirman-Thamrin-Gatot Subroto and a part of Jalan HR Rasuna Said.

"The policy will be implemented in the morning from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., and in the afternoon from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. However, we're still discussing the schedule," Andri added.

He revealed that the odd-even license plate rule at streets where the three-in-one policy was enforced would apply to all types vehicles, including motorcycles. In addition, the regulation will apply to vehicles from outside Jakarta.

Andri expressed his optimism that the policy would ease traffic congestions and reduce travel time for drivers though there would be challenges in enforcing the new policy, including drivers who might want to outsmart the policy by changing their license plates.

"We want this to be one of the solutions following the cancelation of the three-in-one police," Andi said.

ABDUL AZIS

Source: Jakarta to Implement Odd-Even License Plate Policy

Indonesia Unexpectedly Cuts Interest Rate to 6.5%

Updated June 16, 2016 6:55 a.m. ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Bank Indonesia unexpectedly cut interest rates Thursday to help spur economic growth, taking advantage of a stable rupiah, benign inflation and the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest decision to keep policy unchanged.

The Indonesian central bank cut its benchmark BI rate by 0.25 percentage point to 6.50% and the seven-day repo rate, which it will use as its new benchmark from mid-August, to 5.25%.

"Bank Indonesia views that the policy easing will help the government's efforts to stimulate the economy," spokesman Tirta Segara said.

The central bank's announcement came after the Fed decided against raising U.S. interest rates at its latest policy meeting, an outcome that generally provides more scope for emerging economies in Asia to cut rates with less concern about possible capital outflows.

Still, many central banks in the region, as well as the Fed, have taken a cautious stance on making major policy moves ahead of potenti al turbulence in global financial markets that could stem from the U.K.'s vote on whether to leave the European Union on June 23.

Ten out of 13 economists polled by The Wall Street Journal had expected the Indonesian central bank to stand pat, while three penciled in a quarter-percentage-point cut.

Besides cutting rates, Bank Indonesia will relax mortgage-lending rules starting August to help bolster economic growth, Mr. Segara said.

Write to I Made Sentana at i-made.sentana@wsj.com

Source: Indonesia Unexpectedly Cuts Interest Rate to 6.5%

President Karnavian hopes Karnavian will improve law enforcement process

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said he had called on Commissioner General Tito Karnavian, the candidate for the post of Indonesias police head, to improve the law enforcement process in the country.

"I hope Commissioner General Tito Karnavian will increase professionalism in the police force, as the peoples protector, and improve the quality of the law enforcement process," the president remarked here on Thursday.

According to the head of state, drug abuse, terrorism, and corruption were the three types of crimes that need to be addressed promptly.

The president expressed optimism that the Indonesian House of Representatives would immediately appoint Tito as Indonesias Police chief.

"I believe that he has the ability and is a smart person and is also competent," the president emphasized.

President Widodo explained that the process to nominate Karnavian was in accordance with Law No. 2 of 2002 on the Indonesian Police. He said the gove rnment had sought inputs from several parties, including the National Police Commission, Police, and Indonesian people.

Karnavian is currently the head of the Terrorism Countermeasures Agency. He had earlier served as head of the Papuan Regional Police and Jakarta Regional Police.

Karnavian was also the top graduate of the Police Academy in 1977.

Karnavian also earned a doctorate degree from the Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and a masters degree from the University of Exeter, England.

Meanwhile, the current Indonesian Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti will be replaced as he is due to retire in July 2016.

(Reported by Santoso/Uu.B019/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Source: President Karnavian hopes Karnavian will improve law enforcement process

Indonesia cites error as ASEAN meeting ends in confusion

JAKARTA: Indonesia said Wednesday (Jun 15) that a bold statement from Southeast Asian nations raising concern over Beijing's island-building in the South China Sea was issued in error, as a meeting over the issue ended in confusion.

In a statement released late Tuesday by Malaysia's foreign ministry, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) warned that recent actions in the disputed waterway had "the potential to undermine peace".

The statement described "a candid exchange" - language that hinted at a diplomatic confrontation - between the bloc's foreign ministers and their Chinese counterpart at a meeting in Kunming, China.

But just hours later a Malaysian foreign ministry spokeswoman said the ASEAN secretariat had retracted the statement headlined "Media statement by the ASEAN foreign ministers", pending "urgent amendments".

The text released by Malaysia was merely a "media guideline" for ASEAN ministers to refer to at a post-meeting press conference, and not an agreed final statement, Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told AFP.

Analysts gave various theories, with one saying ASEAN had backtracked after coming under pressure from China, while another said Malaysia appeared to have released the statement prematurely by mistake.

Either way, the disarray was another example of the bloc's perennial inability to present a united front toward China, which observers say has allowed Beijing to expand its sway over much of the South China Sea despite overlapping claims.

ASEAN members the Philippines and Vietnam have come into direct confrontation with China over territorial disputes, while non-claimants such as Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar have maintained closer ties with Beijing.

Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei, meanwhile, have generally walked a delicate line somewhere in the middle.

Nasir said the meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers and China had run over schedule, meaning that "the press conference was cancelled and a number of ASEAN foreign ministers had to leave immediately.

"The ASEAN foreign ministers did not have a chance to discuss how they would release the content of the media guideline to the media."

Malaysian officials could not be reached for comment, but the ASEAN secretariat in Jakarta said no official statement was issued after the meeting.

Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asian politics analyst currently at Turkey's Ipek University, said the affair seemed to stem from a Malaysian misstep.

She said ASEAN countries, several of which are highly dependent on smooth trade relations with China, have been wary of commenting on the South China Sea issue ahead of a UN tribunal's imminent ruling in a case brought by the Philippines against China.

China does not recognise the arbitration and has reacted angrily to Manila's pursuit of legal action over the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal.

"I think they (ASEAN) want to wait until the arbitration decision comes out before making any sort of clear joint statement as a group," Welsh said.

However Southeast Asia expert Carl Thayer said that China appeared to have reacted to reports about the statement.

"China obviously objected to the wording of the joint statement," said Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia. "This led to the ASEAN secretariat's decision to rescind the earlier release."

China claims nearly all of the strategic South China Sea and has bolstered its claim by building artificial islands including airstrips in the area, some of which are suitable for military use.

In 2012, an annual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers ended in chaos and unprecedented rancour, with the Philippines accusing hosts Cambodia of blocking a strong statement accusing China of raising tensions in the region.

The gathering ended with no joint ministers' communique for the first time in the bloc's 45-year history.

However, in recent years ASEAN has hardened its language amid the Chinese island-building, while taking pains not to mention China by name.

ASEAN operates on a policy of consensus under which all members must agree to any joint statement.

Source: Indonesia cites error as ASEAN meeting ends in confusion

Indonesia detains hundreds of Papuans ahead of minister's visit

JAKARTA: Indonesia on Wednesday briefly detained more than 1,000 pro-independence demonstrators in its eastern province of Papua, ahead of a visit by a top security official to look into claims of human rights violations.

Papua has been gripped by a long-running and often violent separatist conflict since it was incorporated into Indonesia after a widely-criticised U.N.-backed referendum in 1969. Dutch colonial rule ended in 1963.

Security forces still maintain a strong presence and are often seen as taking a heavy-handed approach to peaceful demonstrations, activists say.

The protesters took to the streets in Sentani, near Papua's provincial capital, to demand that an independent body conduct human rights investigations rather than the Indonesian government. They were detained for protesting without a permit.

"We localised them so their movements were limited," said Papua police spokesman Patridge Renwarin. "We did not arrest anyone."

The police action was backed by Atmadji Sumarkdijo, an aide of Chief Security Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, who is set to visit the province on Thursday.

Asked about the police response at a time when President Joko Widodo wants to reduce tension in the region, Sumarkdijo said, "It doesn't mean you can do anything you want. Rallies need police permits."

The protesters also called for an internationally monitored referendum for independence.

Widodo faces an uphill battle in attaining his key goal of easing the tension in Papua, aimed at through measures such as stepping up investment, freeing political prisoners, and resolving cases of human rights violations.

Although there were no reports of violence, activists fear growing numbers of detentions over the last six weeks could change the picture.

"Tensions are getting high now," said Veronic Koman, a lawyer for the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, which focuses on Papuan issues. "More police are arresting them and more of them are fighting back."

Last month, more than 2,000 Papuan activists were detained on the anniversary of Dutch New Guinea's 1963 integration into Indonesia.

Papua province and West Papua make up the western half of an island north of Australia, with independent Papua New Guinea to the east.

(Additional reporting and writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

Source: Indonesia detains hundreds of Papuans ahead of minister's visit

Cyanide murder trial to start in Jakarta

The trial of a woman accused of lacing a coffee with cyanide to kill a friend, who she studied with in Australia, is set to begin in Indonesia.

15 Jun 2016 - 6:40 AM  UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO

A former Sydney student accused of murdering her friend with a cyanide-laced coffee in Jakarta is set to face the first day of her trial.

In a case that has dominated local headlines, Jessica Kumala Wongso is accused of killing her 27-year-old friend Wayan Mirna Salihin in January at a popular restaurant in Indonesia's capital.

Moments after Mirna sipped her Vietnamese iced coffee that was allegedly laced with cyanide, she collapsed and began convulsing, police say.

She was confirmed dead a short time later in hospital.

The pair had studied together in Australia - first at Billy Blue College in Sydney and later at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne in 2008.

After receiving assurances by the Indonesian government that the death penalty would not be carried out against Jessica were she convicted, Australia agreed to help with the investigation.

Among the information AAP understands has been gathered by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) are allegations of a domestic dispute between herself and her then boyfriend in Australia - known only as "Patrick".

It has also been alleged that Jessica threatened a colleague while working as a contractor in an administrative position at NSW Ambulance between July 2014 and November 2015.

The trial is set to begin on Wednesday at Central Jakarta District Court.

Source: Cyanide murder trial to start in Jakarta

Rp 118 M Given to Renovate Eight Mosques in E. Jakarta

reporter : Nurito | translated by : Nugroho Adibrata | 06-14-2016 02:38 pm | hits 13

"

I invite the all pilgrims and locals to enhance worship in this blessed month

"

Deputy of East Jakarta Mayor, Husein Murad gave donation as much as Rp 118 million for development and renovation for eight mosques in East Jakarta. The donation was handed on the sidelines of break the fasting activity along with local citizens in Nurul Huda Mosque, Jl Squadron Gg. Langgar, RT 007/003 Makasar.

"I invite the all pilgrims and locals to enhance worship in this blessed month. With emphasis on reading the Qur'an, dhikr and multiply alms," he stated, Monday (6/13).

He delivered, Ramadhan is a month full of blessings and forgiveness. Therefore, citizens are invited vying with each other to do good in order to get a double reward. They are also asked to keep an eye on family members from brawl, drugs, firecrackers and illegal racing during Ramadhan.

"I remind them to maintain unity and solidarity to prevent the entry of radicalism," closed Murad.

Source: Rp 118 M Given to Renovate Eight Mosques in E. Jakarta

Jakarta’s traffic trials see rise of tech success

JAKARTA, Indonesia—The Indonesian capital's reputation as one of the most congested cities is typically not an advantage with investors. But one company has become the country's most visible technology success with an app that relieves some of the pain of its maddening traffic.

The ride-hailing apps that are now part of daily life from New York to New Delhi and London are usually used to summon cars. Jakarta, the world's sixth-largest urban sprawl and, by some measures, the most car-clogged, needed something different.

In hindsight, the Go-Jek mobile app for hailing rides on motorcycles, to dodge and weave through traffic, was a no-brainer. But its sudden success over the past two years took even its founder by surprise. The app's name is a play on ojek, the Indonesian word for freelance motorcycle taxis, now a rare sight in Jakarta after many drivers joined Go-Jek's green-jacketed, GPS-coordinated ranks.

"We really had no idea it would be adopted so widely and so quickly," said Nadiem Makarim, who admits the company and its app struggled to keep pace when tens of thousands began downloading it.

Carmageddon

MAKARIM believes Jakarta's carmageddon had arrived at a "pain point" of huge unmet demand for a solution.

"Smartphone penetration was at an all-time high in Jakarta, traffic was at an all-time high," he said. "Getting yourself or your things from A to B in the quickest way possible could only be achieved by motorcycles."

As by far the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, making up a third of the region's GDP, Indonesia has also attracted Uber and Go-Jek's fiercest competitor, Malaysia's Grab, which is headed by Makarim's Harvard classmate Anthony Tan.

Analysts say both Uber and Grab have greater scale and resources than Go-Jek, crucial for sustaining losses in the transport app industry's early stages and for sustaining investments in the behind-the-scenes technology that makes the apps easy for people to use.

Go-Jek has built on its strategy of providing rides to introduce a slew of additional Go- services to the app, including delivering food, groceries, cleaners, massage therapists and beauticians to homes.

Hobbled

THE Go-Send document pickup and delivery service and Go-Food are the company's two biggest businesses after rides, Makarim said. Go-Food, he said, has become the biggest food- delivery business in Southeast Asia by number of transactions.

"Go-Jek's vision is to escape competition by creating an on-demand platform for anything our consumer wants," he said. "We're not stuck on our identity based on what we think it should be. We let the market decide what they want us to be."

Florian Hoppe, a partner at consulting company Bain who specializes in technology, said Go-Jek's approach is "fairly unique" but fits the situation in Jakarta and other Indonesian cities where service businesses are hobbled by transportation problems.

"It's hard to predict where this will be going," he said. "In the long term, specialized services will likely have an edge but Indonesia has enough uniqueness, market protection and scale, that [Go-Jek] could be very successful in the long term too."

Makarim dreamed up Go-Jek for an independent study project while at Harvard Business School and started it as a sideline business when he returned to Indonesia in the summer. For its first three years, it operated like a call center. It became a mobile app after Makarim turned his attention to it full time from mid-2014.

Acute

LIKE elsewhere, ride-hailing apps are drawing an angry backlash from taxi drivers as their incomes drop. In March a protest by thousands of taxi drivers that paralyzed the capital turned violent, with cabbies brawling in the streets with green-jacketed drivers from Go-Jek and Grab.

Go-Jek says it has more than 200,000 drivers around Indonesia but the pain for taxis seems most acute in Jakarta, where all the ride-hailing services are battling fiercely for customers, pushing fares to rock bottom.

Since a Go-Jek trip within the city costs only about 12,000 rupiah (90 cents) outside of peak hours, the company is burning through its investment cash because in Jakarta the fares are lower than what it pays drivers.

Yet, the apps have proven so useful to people in a city where officials estimate congestion causes losses of $3 billion a year that attempts to ban them on the basis of claims of unfair competition have failed.

Potent

WHEN the transport minister issued a directive last December banning app-based ojeks, the public outcry was such that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo quickly overruled the decision.

The nationalistic appeal of a home-grown tech success is also a potent advantage for the company.

"We want to make Indonesia proud that this is a uniquely Indonesian company that was started here," Makarim said. "We have a huge competitive advantage, as the first mover and from a sense of growing nationalism and pride that we are the tech brand of Indonesia right now."

Image Credits: AP

Source: Jakarta's traffic trials see rise of tech success

Kawan8 netizens fight for cleaners and teachers accused of rape at Jakarta Intercultural School

The fight to prove the innocence of cleaners and teachers accused of sodomy at a prestigious international school is being waged not just by lawyers in court but by Indonesian netizens whose battleground is social media.

Changed his mind: Fauzan Luthsa from Kawan8 in Jakarta on Friday. Photo: Tatan Syuflana

Originally only known to each other online, "Kawan8 folks" meet in Jakarta for a common cause. Photo: Tatan Syuflana

Arita Zulklifi, a coordinator for Kawan8. Photo: Tatan Syuflana

Indonesian teacher's aide Ferdinant Tjiong (left) and Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman had their prison sentences reinstated in February. Photo: Michael Bachelard

Neil Bantleman with his wife Tracy. Photo: Michael Bachelard

exit

Jakarta: The fight to prove the innocence of cleaners and teachers accused of sodomy at a prestigious international school in Jakarta is being waged not just by lawyers in court but by Indonesian netizens whose battleground is social media.

When Fauzan Luthsa, a public relations consultant in Jakarta and father of two young children, heard a preschooler contracted herpes after allegedly being raped by six janitors at the Jakarta Intercultural School he was convinced of their guilt at first.

Police said one of the cleaners, Azwar, who died under questioning in the police cells, committed suicide out of shame by drinking bleach during a break in interrogation.

"Personally, I was among many people who in 2014 believed the cleaners were bad people," Mr Fauzan tells Fairfax Media.

But Mr Fauzan's conscience was pricked by the Twitter account @kurawa, run by a mysterious netizen called Rudi Valinka, who has 153,000 followers.

Mr Rudi, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has pointed out some of the inconsistencies in the legal case against the cleaners.

"@Kurawa tweeted that they were not accompanied by lawyers during interrogation, although the interrogation report said they were," Mr Fauzan says.

"But the most striking one was the photo of Azwar, who posed in front of the police chopper a few hours before he allegedly committed suicide. He looked so cheerful and happy in that photograph. But then at midnight he committed suicide."

In August 2015 the five other cleaners were given jail sentences of between seven and eight years for raping three pre-school children. Four had originally confessed but later recanted, saying they had been tortured by police.

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman and Indonesian teacher's aide Ferdinant Tjiong were also jailed for 11 years for allegedly raping the same three children.

Human rights group Kontras and the University of Indonesia's Judicial Watch Society say the evidence was flimsy and the accused were subject to human rights violations.

Mr Fauzan says a group of netizens, who were intrigued by the @Kurawa tweets and had become convinced of the cleaners and teachers' innocence, decided to meet in person.

On April 26, a disparate group of about 12 students, lawyers, accountants and entrepreneurs met at a Balinese restaurant in South Jakarta and formed the movement Kawan8 (Friends of the eight).

"It's kind of strange because we didn't know each other, it could just be possible that there was a serial killer among us," says co-ordinator Arita Zulkifli, a politics student at the University of Indonesia.

Kawan8 disseminates information about the case on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. (Indonesians are enthusiastic users of social media – in 2012 Jakarta was named the Twitter capital of the world.) "Our mission is to change public opinion about these eight people," Ms Arita says.

They have their own merchandise: everything from hats to umbrellas inscribed with Justice4the innocents and Kawan8.

Kawan8 has also launched a crowdfunding campaign through the kitabisa.com.au website, which has so far raised 192 799 794 rupiah (almost $20,000), to help fund a legal appeal.

This week Kawan8 hope to meet representatives from the two largest Muslim organisations in Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah.

Mr Fauzan points out that Muhammadiyah helped seek justice for the family of suspected terrorist Siyono, who died while in police custody.

"In Indonesia it is paramount to get support from religious institutions such as Muhammadiyah and NU," he says.

Last Friday Kawan8 members visited the teachers and cleaners in Cipinang jail in Jakarta for the first time, wearing their eponymous T-shirts.

"Although I had never met them before, just knew their faces from the media, it was as if we had known each other for a long time," says Kawan8 activist Endang Sulistari.

"Syahrial [one of the cleaners] waved his hand toward us when he saw us coming into the prison's meeting hall. I tried to hold back tears but I couldn't."

Neil Bantleman's wife Tracy, who was at Friday's prison visit, says it was tremendously uplifting and inspiring for the cleaners and teachers to have the support of Kawan8.

"They confessed to us that in the beginning they were like every other member of the public and they believed what happened at JIS was true because the media reported it to be so," Ms Bantleman says.

However she says the @kurawa twitter account provided information that wasn't previously in the public arena. "Having the support of the Indonesian community is like a breath of fresh air."

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The story Kawan8 netizens fight for cleaners and teachers accused of rape at Jakarta Intercultural School first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

Source: Kawan8 netizens fight for cleaners and teachers accused of rape at Jakarta Intercultural School