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Indonesia & East Timor Digest

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August 10, 2006

Kyodo News - August 10, 2006

Rudy Madanir and Christine Tjandraningsih, Jakarta – A recent survey has found that the majority of people in Aceh are satisfied with the current condition in the northernmost Indonesian province and believe in lasting peace, a year after the government and the separatist Free Aceh Movement signed a peace deal in Helsinki.

Associated Press - August 10, 2006

Jakarta – Some 90% of people in Indonesia's Aceh province say they agree with Islamic laws that punish gamblers with caning and force women to cover their heads in public, according to an opinion poll released Thursday.

Aceh is the first province in secular but Muslim-majority Indonesia to be allowed to implement laws based on the Islamic legal code, or Sharia.

Agence France Presse - August 10, 2006

Jakarta – A former senior separatist from Indonesia's Aceh said Thursday that a new generation of rebels could be spawned within a decade amid dismay over the implementation of a peace pact signed a year ago.

The Australian - August 10, 2006

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – One of Indonesia's most senior officials has admitted that his country was directly responsible for failing to stop the murderous chaos that accompanied its withdrawal from East Timor in 1998.

Radio Australia - August 10, 2006

Reporter: Geoff Thompson

Tony Eastley: One of Indonesia's most senior officials has said that his country ran East Timor like a police state and used bribes and allowed militia violence in a failed attempt to defeat the 1999 referendum on independence.

Jakarta Post - August 10, 2006

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A military police investigation found the massive arms hoard of a deceased Army officer was for his personal collection and not politically linked, with the probe zeroing in on low-ranking servicemen and civilians suspected of supplying the weapons.

August 9, 2006

Jakarta Post - August 9, 2006

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Hundreds of residents of Cipanjalu village in Bandung regency, who have been struggling to survive since 90 percent of them lost their jobs three years ago, have turned down food aid, saying it is jobs they want.

Agence France Presse - August 9, 2006

East Timor's parliament has passed the 2006-7 fiscal year budget, the young nation's largest ever at 315 million dollars, after a delay caused by violence and political upheaval in May.

The Guardian - August 9, 2006

Andy Alcock – For those who have supported the independence of Timor Leste (TL) for over 30 years, Timorese and others, the events occurring there over the past few months are heartbreaking.

Asia Times - August 9, 2006

Gary LaMoshi, Bali – Another high season after another bomb attack, and another struggle to recover for Bali's tourism-driven economy.

Jakarta Post - August 9, 2006

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Lawyers for seven men charged with the 2002 killings of two Americans and one Indonesian in Papua province entered a not guilty plea for their clients Tuesday, saying the indictments were obscure or baseless.

Green Left Weekly - August 9, 2006

Pip Hinman – Refugee-rights campaigners and supporters of a free West Papua welcomed the Refugee Review Tribunal's (RRT) ruling on July 31 to overturn the government's decision not to grant a temporary visa to the last of the 43 West Papuan asylum seekers who landed on Cape York in January.

Agence France Presse - August 9, 2006

Jakarta – An Indonesian appeal court has ruled that a corruption case against former dictator Suharto should be dropped, overruling a lower court's order to reopen the case.

Jakarta Post - August 9, 2006

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's recent visit to Papua marked the government's renewed commitment to addressing the multitude of problems facing the local people. Papua University scholar Agus Sumule, who helped draft the law on special autonomy for Papua, shared with The Jakarta Post's Dwi Atmanta his views on the implementation of the law.

August 8, 2006

Liputan 6 - August 8, 2006

Lhokseumawe – Around 1000 women from the Inong Aceh League demonstrated in the North Acehnese city of Lhokseumawe on Monday August 7.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Police arrested at least 15 students Monday during a protest against Israeli military aggression in Palestine and Lebanon in front of the Sate Building on Jl. Diponegoro in Bandung.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas-HAM) has asked the Central Jakarta District Court to use its authority to grill 12 soldiers, including two generals, over their alleged involvement in the disappearance of 14 pro-democracy activists between 1997 and 1998.

Kompas - August 8, 2006

Windoro Adi – It was just like the good old days when on the afternoon of Friday July 28, RMH Heroe Syswanto NS Soerio Soebagio, who is affectionately called Sys NS, appeared once again in an event at a hotel in Jakarta. Smelling seat, looking fetching and escorted by a young woman, he still prefers to appear in the style of a celebrity even though it was a political affair.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Jakarta – The House of Representatives speaker is refusing to submit the names of lawmakers accused of blackmailing government officials for disaster relief funds to the body's disciplinary committee.

Agung Laksono said he had received the names of the lawmakers from the Coordinating Ministry for the People's Welfare.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has urged the Finance Ministry to revoke the business licenses of a number of accounting and appraisal firms due to malpractice and misrepresentation.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – More than two months after hot toxic mud began to gush out of a gas well in Sidoarjo, East Java, experts warn that no technology may be able to stop it.

They urged the government Monday to consider evacuating and relocating people and businesses in the affected area.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Environmentalists have praised the government for issuing a transparent report on the state of the nation's environment, but have criticized it for failing to inform the public of the greater threats the environment is facing – weak regulations and the global economy.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

A grim illustration of the rapid degradation of Indonesia's environment is recorded in 2005 State of Environment, a document published recently by the Office of the State Minister of the Environment.

The report looks at disasters that have ravaged parts of the archipelago and the even greater threats posed by sanitation shortcomings and increased economic globalization.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Despite sobering statistics about environmental degradation last year, the 2005 State of the Environment report also highlights some welcome news about the stratosphere above the archipelago and more findings of new species.

Agence France Presse - August 8, 2006

Victor Tjahjadi, Jakarta – Two Indonesian teenagers are confirmed to have died of bird flu, making the nation the world's worst-hit in terms of human fatalities with 44 deaths recognised by the World Health Organisation.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Aside from the increasing threat of natural disasters as a consequence of environmental degradation, the 2005 State of the Environment report also warns of a looming crisis in public health, health experts and environmentalists say.

Joint Press Release - August 8, 2006

Two human rights groups today commended the UN Secretary-General's continued attention to the need for accountability for past human rights crimes in Timor-Leste, but called his proposals to the Security Council "inadequate."

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Critics are accusing the Indonesian media of encouraging intolerance by failing to cover issues thoroughly.

Sydney Morning Herald - August 8, 2006

Violence erupted again in Dili at the weekend as gang members armed with slingshots and rocks roamed the streets. Several people are believed injured and up to six houses burnt down in the worst attacks in the city since the prime minister, Mari Alkatiri, was forced from office in June.

Jakarta Post - August 8, 2006

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – Tensions were running high Monday in Makassar, South Sulawesi, as dozens of university students held sometimes violent protests and threatened to expel ethnic Chinese from the city after a Chinese-Indonesian man was accused of attempting to rape his indigenous maid.

August 7, 2006

Jakarta Post - August 7, 2006

Jakarta – Indonesian deforestation has been so severe it would take 120 years to regain the 60 million hectares of lost forests, Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban says.

Kaban said in Padang, West Sumatra, on Saturday that 60 million hectares of pristine forests had been lost over the past 20 years due to over-exploitation, land conversion, natural disasters and forest fires.

Jakarta Post - August 7, 2006

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Governor Sutiyoso's plan to push ahead with massive land reclamation project along 32 kilometers of the city's northern coastline will cause an ecological and economic disaster, the state environment ministry and green activists say.

Jakarta Post - August 7, 2006

Jakarta – Leaders of major religions came together Sunday in a united stance against Israeli attacks on Lebanon, with thousands bringing traffic to a standstill on main thoroughfares in Jakarta.

The rally and most of the ones held concurrently in Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Makassar and Medan were organized by the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Jakarta Post - August 7, 2006

Yogyakarta – A team of lawyers representing Yogyakarta earthquake victims plan to sue Vice President Jusuf Kalla for allegedly lying about the provision of relief aid.

Jakarta Post - August 7, 2006

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, Jakarta – The government should halt all resource exploration on the densely-populated island of Java, since it does not have adequate safety measures to mitigate mining-related accidents, environmental groups say.

August 6, 2006

Reuters - August 6, 2006

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Protesters from a wide ideological and religious spectrum demonstrated in cities across Indonesia on Sunday against Israeli actions in Lebanon, but a key rally in Jakarta drew far fewer participants than forecast.

Star Tribune - August 6, 2006

Dave Hage, Jakarta – If you were an American president scanning the map for allies in the war on terror, sooner or later your finger would surely fall on Indonesia.

Agence France Presse - August 6, 2006

Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesians have held street rallies to condemn Israel's offensive in the Middle East as the capital Jakarta braced for a major protest.

The demonstration in the capital of the world's most populous Muslim nation, dubbed the "action of millions of believers," was to march through the city centre and end up at the US embassy here.

August 5, 2006

SPM News - August 5, 2006

Hundreds of Papuan students on the run from the police following the clashes on 16 March this year are still hiding in the forests around Jayapura District and City, and the District of Keerom. They are too frightened to return home because they are being hunted by the TNI/Polri.

Jakarta Post - August 5, 2006

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The passing of the consumer protection law seven years ago was lauded as a landmark step toward allowing public recourse against poor and negligent service.

Jakarta Post - August 5, 2006

Jakarta – The National Movement to Prevent Smoking Problems has asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to stop the expansion of cigarette companies in the country.

Agence France Presse - August 5, 2006

Nelson da Cruz, Dili – More than two months after battalions of foreign troops arrived in East Timor to restore calm, tens of thousands of refugees are still living in grim camps, saying they are too terrified to return home.

August 4, 2006

Asia Times - August 4, 2006

Jephraim P Gundzik – Indonesian government officials and foreign analysts are excessively optimistic about the country's medium-term economic outlook. Economic growth in 2005 was much weaker than indicated by Indonesia's questionable national-accounts statistics. In 2006, economic growth will struggle to reach 3%, while an economic recession appears likely in 2007.

Jakarta Post - August 4, 2006

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Muslim scholars are questioning a recent survey that suggested there is a relationship between Islam and violence in Indonesia, saying the survey was not based on a true understanding of Islamic doctrines and of economic and cultural factors in the country.

Associated Press - August 4, 2006

Lam Kabeue – Rebels in Indonesia's Aceh province are trading their guns for chain saws and cashing in on a logging binge that is jeopardizing the future of the world's third largest tropical forest reserves.

Jakarta Post - August 4, 2006

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – House Speaker Agung Laksono joined growing calls Thursday for the immediate review of production-sharing contracts granted to multinational corporations to ensure they provided optimal benefits to the state and public.

August 3, 2006

Jakarta Post - August 3, 2006

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked foreign monitors in Aceh to stay on through the province's crucial elections, planned for later this year, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Jakarta Post - August 3, 2006

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The recent major disasters have not only forced the government to review this year's budget, but have also tempted legislators at the House of Representatives to try to dip into a pot of additional relief aid.

Jakarta Post - August 3, 2006

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Anticorruption activists are attacking the Supreme Court for what they call its strong resistance to internal judicial reforms being advocated by the independent Judicial Commission.

Melbourne Age - August 3, 2006

Andra Jackson – A Papuan asylum seeker whose visa refusal has been overturned says he believes the refusal was made on political grounds to appease Indonesia.

"It was like an international bargain," said David Wainggai, 28, the only one of 43 Papuan asylum seekers not granted a temporary protection visa in March.