Jakarta. President Joko Widodo must put careful consideration and thought into planning prospective changes in the composition of his Working Cabinet, observers note as calls for a ministerial reshuffle build into a crescendo.

“If the president thinks that cabinet members are not performing well, he needs to consider different ways of either improving teamwork, administrative processes, or the ministers themselves,” said Djayadi Hanan, executive director of Saiful Mujani Research & Consulting (SMRC).

“If he chooses to reshuffle, Joko needs to think very hard about how to communicate this to his own party supporters and the public, without alienating or losing support from either group.”

A reshuffle has long been in the cards for Joko’s cabinet, despite its relatively short period of existence.

“Even before a year of his administration, Joko’s approval rating has plummeted, which means that most of the public is becoming disappointed with his performance,” Djayadi said. “In our surveys, the president’s approval rating was around 40 percent. We can compare this to data on the previous president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who received around 65 percent or above in the same period.”

“This disappointment is both in terms of Joko’s general performance, and in terms of the performance of his cabinet ministers,” Djayadi added.

In recent weeks, President Joko has remained guarded on the topic of a prospective cabinet reshuffle.

“I never mentioned a reshuffle; the press keeps talking about a reshuffle,” Joko said on July 9, in direct contrast to statements from Vice President Jusuf Kalla on the imminence of a reshuffle.

Despite conflicting reports, Djayadi argued that a cabinet reshuffle must be enacted at some point.

“When we asked the public for their opinion of ministers, the ratings in general were low. The highest ranking was the 27 percent approval for Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti.”

“This is a strong warning to the president to make sure his next moves address the concerns of the public, in terms of his performance in the economy, in corruption eradication, and his performance in terms of key political issues,” Djayadi said. “There is a need to reshuffle the cabinet. It’s there. But the timing is important.”

Slowdown and uncertainty

Calls for a cabinet reshuffle have become increasingly common amid slowing growth of the Indonesian economy.

“The current economic slowdown is in part due to the complications in government budget expenditure, which is now very late in terms of disbursement,” said Arief Bustaman, a lecturer with the department of economics at Padjadjaran University in Bandung.

“In nearly every ministry, the overall budget absorption is perhaps only 20 percent, which means that many government projects have become very delayed in execution.”

According to Djayadi, economic worries have factored deep into into discontent towards Joko’s cabinet.

“The disappointment in Jokowi’s performance is in large part due to his performance in the economy,” Djayadi said, referring to the president by his popular nickname. “If the economy continues to deteriorate, if the rupiah continues to plummet to the bottom of the sea, and if the price of basic goods and transportation keeps rising, then there will be a point where people will have had enough.”

In reshuffling the makeup of his cabinet, Joko may be able to provide much-needed stability in a time of uncertainty

“A cabinet reshuffle could be helpful in increasing investor confidence in Indonesia,” Arief said on Saturday. “Currently, it seems there is no coordination between ministries. Their programs are not well coordinated, and it is a pity that the vision and mission of the president’s administration have not been executed by the ministers.”

In particular, Arief highlighted conflicting economic policy decisions among ministers as a cause for concern.

“The Ministry of Trade is now moving to protectionist policies, while other countries in the region are working towards liberalizing their economies.”

“When it comes to coordination between ministries, especially the Ministry of National Development Planning, it seems like there’s no guiding planning documents. They don’t produce planning documents.”

“So these ministries are confused about the direction of their programs in relation to the president’s mission,” Arief added.

Communication challenges

Djayadi also believes that communication woes have led to discontent, as cabinet members struggle to connect with the public.

“The slowdown of the Indonesian economy is not merely because of the bad performance of the government. It’s also because of a slowdown of the economy in general, which is a variable that cannot be entirely controlled by the government.”

“The administration has to explain to the public, elegantly, that the economic slowdown isn’t just because of the domestic situation.”

“Concurrently, the president needs to offset the negative impact of the global economic slowdown by massively building infrastructure projects inside Indonesia using the national budget,” Djayadi added.

However, enacting large-scale projects may be easier said than done, as a lack of job security for top officials has led to inaction in government efforts to combat unfavorable economic conditions.

“Some of these processes won’t begin within this year, because officials fear that they will get fired if their projects cannot get finished quickly,” said Arief.

Djayadi concurred, noting that the president must take an active role in ensuring a sense of stability among cabinet members.

“As a leader, the president needs to give certainty to his cabinet, to make them feel secure enough to do something in their capacity as ministers. If they fear that they’ll be fired at any time, they won’t work well.”

“It’s difficult to work well, to make any long-term plans, if there’s the threat of being replaced without warning. There’s no job security,” Djayadi said.

In June, Joko told media outlets to refrain from disrupting minsters with questions regarding a reshuffle.

“Do not disturb ministers who are still at work. Do not create issues. You should not cause a ruckus by asking about the performance reports of the ministers.”

“Only the president needs to know,” Joko said.

Political maneuvers

According to observers, Joko will need to take into account an array of competing interests in managing a prospective cabinet reshuffle, as political interests fight to push the president into reallocating ministerial seats.

“There is pressure from political elites, both inside and outside the president’s circle, that have been pushing the president towards reshuffling the cabinet,” Djayadi said. “Politically, a reshuffle could be the entry point for the president to add up more partisan powers to his coalition, so that the number of seats he commands in national legislature [DPR] adds up to a simple majority, at least.”

“Because of its internal changes in some of the opposition parties, more groups are becoming open to cooperating with the president. Joko could take advantage of this situation in the form of granting political concessions, by granting posts to these parties,” Djayadi said.

However, bringing opposition elements into the cabinet may spark the ire of camps from within Joko’s coalition, who themselves seek to be better represented in any new cabinet.

“The current members of Joko’s coalition, many of whom have been there from day one, may not be happy if the number of ministerial of posts they hold now is reduced,” said Djayadi. “If the president intends to bring in opposition ministers without revoking posts from his own coalition, then it will come at the cost of losing ministers who are unaffiliated with parties.”

Capitulating to political motivations by reducing the number of ministers not affiliated with parties may prove an unpopular move for the president, as public opinion favors the depoliticization of the cabinet.

“If he brings in ministers from parties like Golkar and Gerindra, Joko will be increasing the proportion of political appointments to his cabinet, which betrays the promises he made on the campaign trail,” Djayadi said.

During his presidential election campaign, Joko made numerous statements vowing to limit political jockeying in cabinet operations, mandating that all appointees give up any roles within up roles within political parties.

Thus far, Joko’s mandate has made little impact, as key cabinet figures like Puan Maharani from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) maintain their positions within political factions.

Moreover, Joko’s drive to reshuffle the cabinet may face obstacles in finding candidates suitable enough to sit in ministerial posts.

On June 3, President Joko spoke to chief editors from Indonesia’s major news organizations on difficulties in finding people to fill crucial administrative posts, citing a lack of trust and communication.

“I need staffers I can trust,” Joko admitted. “My [ideal] staffers would be those who, when they speak, the public believes them, investors believe them, the markets believe them. Their words are irrefutable.”

“I’m still racking my brains. It’s hard [to find such people],” Joko added.

Joko’s decision to either bow to political or technocratic pressures will be contingent on the president’s assessment of his own political stability, analysts note.

“If he bows to political pressure in appointing ministers, it shows that he still suffers from a lack of power,” Djayadi said.

“But if Joko ignores that, and considers only technocratic and public opinion considerations, then it shows that he’s confident in his ability to consolidate his own political power.”

According to Djayadi, the president’s actions in handling the cabinet reshuffle will be subject to immense public scrutiny, and could have significant impact on public opinion of national leadership moving forward.

“No matter what happens, Joko needs to show us more in the next four years,” Djayadi concluded. “He needs to be ready to show the public that he is a leader, otherwise people will continue to be disappointed.”

The post It’s Time for a Cabinet Reshuffle, Observers Say appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. President Joko Widodo embarked on a formal state visit to Singapore on Tuesday, in pursuit of stronger economic ties with the regional economic powerhouse.

The president is scheduled to meet Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan Keng Yam before attending a business meeting with 150 local chief executives.

In visiting the neighboring city state, Joko hopes to promote the diversification of Singaporean investment in Indonesia.

“I want to share [information about] our economic condition, investment opportunities in, say, ports, power plants, highways, mostly infrastructure,” Joko told reporters before his flight.

“I don’t want to sell out our natural resources,” he assured.

According to Agus Syarip Hidayat, a researcher with the Economic Research Center at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Singapore remains integral to the future of Indonesia’s economy.

“Singapore is a significant partner for Indonesia in terms of both trade and investment. If we look at the share of Indonesian exports to Southeast Asian countries, the majority of our exports go to Singapore,” Agus said on Tuesday.

“In terms of investments, Singaporeans ultimately put a lot of money into Indonesia.”

In 2014, trade with Singapore was valued at $ 41.99 billion, second only to Indonesia’s trade partnership with China.

According to data from the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Singapore contributed $2302.62 million in foreign direct investment (FDI) realization in this year’s January to June period, accounting for 16.5 percent of all FDI in Indonesia.

According to Agus, various sectors in Indonesia remain ripe for investment by regional partners, specifically those listed as the 12 priority integration sectors under agreements set forth by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Economic Community, or AEC.

“There are a lot of investors in Singapore who do not know about opportunities in the 12 priority integration sectors of the AEC,” Agus said. “Joko needs to promote these types of sectors when inviting investors from Singapore to engage in building up investment projects in Indonesia.”

The 12 sectors of strategic importance include healthcare, automotive, fisheries and tourism.

The current trip marks the president’s second official state visit to Singapore since rising to office last October. He made an impromptu visit to the city state in late March to attend the funeral of Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

Accompanying Joko on the trade mission is Coordinating Minister for the Economy Sofyan Djalil,  Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi, Minister for Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Yuddy Chrisnandi, and Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Imam Nahrawi.

Economic ambassadors

The president’s aim to strengthen economic ties with Singapore comes in the wake of renewed efforts to improve the business and economic capabilities of Indonesian diplomats.

“I told all diplomats, ambassadors and heads of consulates to focus their diplomacy on the economic sector. Our trade deficit can be turned into a surplus if our ambassadors can promote our commodities,” Joko said in February, signaling a clear intention to refocus Indonesia’s foreign policy strategy towards bringing in more foreign investment.

Despite this, experts note that Indonesia may face obstacles in bringing together trade and foreign relations, due in part to structural obstacles within the national government.

“In foreign countries, for instance Australia and New Zealand, the relevant ministry is called the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In Indonesia, the two ministries are separated, which has caused problems for Indonesia when we deal with global economic issues,” said Teuku Rezasyah, director of the Indonesian Center for Democracy, Diplomacy and Defense (IC3D).

“With regard to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum [APEC], we are finding difficulties in determining who is the captain on the Indonesian side. When it comes to negotiation, the Trade Ministry has a greater capacity, but when it comes to linking trade with global initiatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the upper hand.”

In order to mitigate structural deficiencies, Rezasyah believes that national leaders must work towards building a proficiency in economics within the Foreign Ministry.

“If we see the structure at the moment, we need special experts and senior officers who are capable of linking economic and political affairs. I recall in the early 2000s, we used to have a director general for foreign economic relations. Since then, the structure has changed,” he explained.

“As a consequence, we need to think about recruiting diplomats coming from economic backgrounds.”

Rezasyah is also calling for increased communication among high-level officials in relevant Indonesian ministries as the nations seeks to establish a unified economic and foreign policy strategy.

“Say we have our Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs. These two senior ministers need to better coordinate their work, so that lower ministries, like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, can work towards a common vision,” Rezasyah said.

“The president has to remind the ministries to coordinate and communicate.”

The importance of uniting trade and investment goals with Indonesia’s foreign policy strategy has become increasingly apparent in the aftermath of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s landmark visit to Jakarta this Monday.

In an email interview with the Jakarta Globe on Sunday, Cameron stated that his government is ready to offer 1 billion pounds ($1.55 billion) of credit financing for infrastructure projects in Indonesia.

“I’m excited about what we can achieve together,” Cameron said.

Rezasyah believes that Indonesia’s successes in attaining crucial partnerships with foreign nations is in part due to Joko’s skill in addressing economic issues on the global stage.

“President Joko has the ability to communicate the economic needs of Indonesia and the country’s capacity to better integrate with the global economy. This message has been well understood by the international community,” Rezasyah said, citing recent Indonesian appearances at the World Economic Forum.

“This is one of the key reasons why we’re being visited by David Cameron, who has brought with him heavyweights of the British business community.”

Establishing trust

Trust in Indonesia on behalf of foreign investors may be difficult to ensure in a time where conflicting national interests has affected economic policy.

On July 9, the Ministry of Finance signed a series of new import taxes levying heavy fees on various products, largely consumption goods, in pursuit of increasing the competitiveness of local industries.

Alcoholic beverages in particular will face a 150 percent markup in import fees, while tariffs on cotton shirts will increase to 25 percent.

Agus warned that these new import tariffs, though potentially beneficial for local industries, must be implemented carefully for fear of affecting trade with foreign nations.

“In the short run, this policy could be good for domestic industries, which will move in to fill market gaps created by the tariffs. But the government should brace for possible retaliatory moves from countries that make significant exports to Indonesia,” Agus said.

“Indonesia imports a lot of consumption goods from Thailand  ̶  things like foods and beverages. If Thailand feels that this tariff policy could affect their exports to Indonesia, they could retaliate and introduce similar measures on incoming Indonesian products. The same thing applies to all nations, including Singapore.”

The new tax plan comes in spite of Indonesia’s commitment to removing trade barriers with partners in the region, especially Asean member states involved in the development of the economic community. The AEC, to come into effect by the end of 2015, calls for the reduction of import tariffs on key goods between the ten Asean nations.

Rezasyah believes that conflicting regulations and national policy aims could create obstacles in Indonesia’s integration with the global economy.

“When it comes to globalization, we still have overlapping rules and procedures inside the country, especially when it comes to infrastructure development,” he said.

“We do not all share the same perspective. This will be an issue that the Indonesian government needs to settle, prior to committing to greater involvement in the globalization process.”

Meanwhile, Agus believes that regional initiatives like the AEC remain integral to fostering close economic ties between Indonesia and Singapore.

“There needs to be mutual trust between these two countries. Indonesia gives opportunities to investors from all around the world, but in the case of Asean countries, we have established agreements under various AEC schemes and investment cooperations,” he said.

“With Singapore, we can forge stronger cooperation by utilizing these schemes, and proposing more specific, sector-based collaboration.”

The post Joko Heads to Singapore in Hot Pursuit of Investment Deals appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Members of the Ahmadiyah community in Indonesia continue to be discriminated against and religious leaders say a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach is needed to address persecution against the group.

“In general, the marginalization and stigmatization of Ahmadiyah groups have evolved into acts of discrimination,” said Yendra Budiana, spokesman for Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI).

“Our beliefs are now criminalized and a cause for persecution.”

Members of the Ahmadiyah, an Islamic religious movement deemed heretical by Indonesia’s Sunni majority, have faced increased hostility in recent weeks, with a number of local communities being targeted across Java.

The closure of an Ahmadiyah mosque in Bukit Duri, South Jakarta by local officials on July 8 ingnited a firestorm of controversy, launching anti-Ahmadiyah activities into the national spotlight.

“It’s become very difficult for Ahmadiyah communities in Indonesia to follow through on their religious beliefs, especially as violence and intimidation continue against them,” said Febi Yonesta, director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH).

“They’re victims of intolerant acts from communities that do not approve of their existence here in Indonesia.”

As hardline extremists groups like the Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) and the Islamic People’s Front (FUI) have become more vocal, persecution against Ahmadis has increased in recent years.

The Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace recorded 11 cases of violence and intolerance against Ahmadiyah groups in 2014.

A quarterly report issued by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), which looked at religious freedom for the April to June period this year, noted multiple incidents of discrimination against Ahmadiyah groups, specifically in Bukit Duri and Depok.

“There is cause for concern here because the problem still hasn’t been solved,” said Zuhairi Misrawi, director of the Moderate Muslim Society.

“In these cases, the government has not been able to provide enough protection and support for the Ahmadis in their pursuit of their right to worship.”

Information from the Association of Religion Data Archives indicates that there are an estimated 400,000 Ahmadi Muslims in Indonesia, with some communities dating as far back as the 1920s.

Violence and intolerance

“Attacks against Ahmadis occur in many places, the most severe and frequent of which happen in West Java,” said Yendra, of the JAI.

Recent incidents and disputes have centered on access to places of worship, as members of the minority group find themselves unable to properly conduct their religious rites.

“Many Ahmadiyah mosques have been sealed and closed, sometimes even by police lines,” Febi said on Wednesday. “Moreover, there are also mosques that have faced difficulties in obtaining land permits because of discrimination by local officials.”

According to Yendra, local leaders have been unable to remain impartial in handling cases involving Ahmadiyah groups, resulting in discriminatory action.

“All government officials must take a strong stance as public officials in working to resolve these conflicts. They must be able to distinguish between their duties as officials, and their own personal belief systems,” Yendra said.

Beyond the closure of mosques, members of the Ahmadiyah community also face considerable obstacles in accessing key social benefits.

According to the JAI, Ahmadi Muslims in Kuningan, West Java have found themselves unable to obtain proper marriage licenses, while authorities in the Manislor district have  halted the issuance of identity cards (KTP) to followers.

Ahmadi Muslims often face discrimination in the workplace, Yendra said.

“If an Ahmadi Muslim has a career in the bureaucracy, they cannot hope to attain a high position because of the obstacles that exist as a result of their beliefs,” Yendra said.

“We are also seeing significant pressure against Ahmadiyah students and teachers in schools.”

Zuhairi said although there was increasing awareness of discrimination against the Ahmadiyah community in Indonesia, he noted followers were treated better than in other countries.

“We should remember that the status of the Ahmadiyah in Indonesia is still much better than conditions in other countries,” Zuhairi said.

“In Pakistan, government ordinance bar Ahmadiyah communities from even calling themselves Muslims.”

Ahmadiyah groups, which trace their origins to British India in the late 19th century, have experienced persecution and hardship across the globe, in part because their beliefs differ from mainstream Islam.

Solutions ahead

Ahmadi leaders say a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach is needed in order to address persecution.

“First, there must be a firm crackdown by the police against anarchist groups and preachers of hate who act in the name of religion,” Yendra said. “The police must be fair, without hesitation, in providing protection to all communities.”

Zuhairi concurred, noting that “the government must strengthen its law enforcement, particularly against extremist groups who seek to harm minorities.”

“We need to work harder in strengthening the proper enforcement of law,” he added.

Calls to strengthen law enforcement against discriminatory acts come in the wake of controversial statements from the National Police acknowledging weak police presence in combating religious intolerance, due to a lack of incentive to take action among officials

Sr. Comr. John Hendri of the National Police said: “The truth is that police officers who see, hear or experience such incidents can file a report for subsequent investigation, but tend to be scared to do so because there’s no reward or guarantee of safety for themselves.”

Protecting the rights of the Ahmadiyah community in Indonesia would also require a comprehensive review of existing law, experts say.

“We have to repeal the 2008 Joint Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs, the Attorney General and the Minister of the Interior that addresses the status of Ahmadiyah communities in Indonesia,” said the LBH’s Febi.

“It has granted legitimacy to discriminatory acts against the Ahmadiyah,” he added.

Although the 2008 Joint Decree recognizes the right to freedom of religion for the Ahmadi Muslims, it maintains strict controls on the spread of their religious views.

Conservative groups have since used this clause as justification for attacks on minority communities, with dubious claims as to whether any proselytization has occurred.

“These frameworks have both become triggers for conflict among Indonesians,” said Yendra.

Indonesia’s method of granting official recognition to a select few religions was a cause for discrimination , according to Zuhairi.

“Although Indonesia is said to be a plural nation, the state only recognizes six religions. This is in spite of the fact that there are many different types of religions and beliefs here in Indonesia,” Zuhairi said.

The recent attacks on Ahmadiyah communities have elicited a strong reaction from Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who has been the target of intolerance and discrimination himself by hardline groups for being a Christian.

“I’ve already talked to local leaders; I’ve told them about city regulations,” Basuki was quoted as saying by news portal Inilah.com on July 11.

“I said, places of worship should be closed if they have been around for years, as long as they do not cause disturbance.”

Basuki has since doubled down on his support of the Ahmadiyah community, pledging protection for those in Jakarta who wish to worship at members’ homes instead of  mosques.

“We’ll let them get around the zoning restrictions so that their houses may be used as places of worship,” Basuki said last week.

According to observers, violence against the Ahmadiyah community strikes deeply at the heart of Indonesia’s stability as a pluralistic and multicultural society.

“The government needs to facilitate better dialogue between religions and cultural groups in Indonesia,” said JAI spokesperson Yendra.

“This sort of dialogue is necessary to protect the country’s belief in Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” he added, referring to the Indonesian national motto of unity in diversity.

Meanwhile, Zuhairi advocates for a return to a culture of “gotong royong,” referring to traditional Indonesian values of mutual benefit and communal cooperation.

“Despite our differences, we must not threaten or harm others. If we work together, we can build a strong and united Indonesia.”

“We all need to take an active role in establishing a sense of brotherhood in Indonesia, among people of different beliefs,” Zuhairi concluded.

The post For Ahmadiyah in Indonesia, Persecution Remains Unaddressed appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Indonesia must strengthen its labor institutions and invest in skills development, the International Labor Organization said in a report released on Thursday, with officials warning that the country should boost skill levels if it wants to benefit from regional economic integration.

In its latest Labor and Social Trends in Indonesia Report, the United Nations agency also says Indonesia should find new engines for growth as it faces economic slowdown.

“The institutions in the Indonesian labor market area are underdeveloped,” said Robert Kyloh, the ILO’s senior specialist for multilateral cooperation. “Indonesia has now reached a level of development where we should be trying to expand these institutions, like the labor inspection system, collective bargaining, and labor courts.”

The report, which focused on the theme of strengthening competitiveness and productivity through decent work, found that Indonesia’s labor market continued to expand over the 2014-15 period, with employment growing and unemployment remaining low despite highly fluid market conditions.

Estimates from August 2014 found that 121.9 million Indonesians were part of the national labor force, just over 48 percent of Indonesia’s total population of 252.7 million.

Minimum wage, or less

Wages remain a crucial issue in the Indonesian labor market, as the number of Indonesians in wage-earning jobs increased to 38 percent of the entire employed population, a significant rise from past years.

“Wage-earning employment and the wages earned during that time, have become very important factors for the Indonesian economy,” said Emma Allen, economist with ILO’s Jakarta office and author of the Labor and Social Trends report. “As the share of people in wage employment increases, wages will begin to play a very critical role.”

Despite increases in the number of individuals earning income from employment, the growth in average wages has lagged, as one in three regularly employed Indonesians receive a “low wage” of less than Rp 950,000 ($71) per month.

“In terms of this low-wage statistic, Indonesian workers are among the lowest-paid in the world,” said Allen.

The ILO also found that low-wage workers in Indonesia tended to be disproportionately female.

“Productivity has been increasing at a rapid pace in Indonesia, but we need to have mechanisms that ensure wages move parallel with prices and productivity gains if we want to secure equitable growth,” added Allen.

Employer compliance with minimum wage regulations has also been a challenge, as 51.7 percent of Indonesian workers earn less than what they should based on provincial laws.

“What happens at the moment in Indonesia is that most employers rely on the minimum wage, and there isn’t much collective bargaining to push wages beyond that,” said Kyloh. “We should be seeing discourse between employers and workers on wages, but what happens here is that people are paid either the minimum wage or less. That’s a long way from the type of approach that we’d like to see in a middle-income country with a strong democracy.”

In addressing issues of wage disparity, Allen recommends strengthening local labor institutions.

“We must work towards building the capacities of labor inspectorates in the Ministry of Manpower, and support the development of a better collective bargaining system in Indonesia.”

Slowdown

Progress must be made in strengthening the responsiveness of Indonesia’s labor system, as rapid changes in regional markets bring about a new global economic status quo.

“The Indonesian economy has long benefited from trends in the global economy, but these trends have begun to slow down somewhat,” said Allen.

On Tuesday, the Asian Development Bank revised its forecast for Indonesia’s GDP growth this year to 5 percent from 5.5 percent, due to significant delays in infrastructure spending and fuel subsidy cuts not having the desired effect.

During the January to March period this year, Indonesia’s GDP grew by only 4.7 percent, the nation’s slowest since 2009. Meanwhile, the rupiah has experienced a period of depreciation, falling 7.4 percent this year against the US dollar.

Changing landscape

The need for Indonesia to innovate and improve its labor sector has become increasingly clear in the face of changing economic circumstances in Southeast Asia, particularly the establishment of the Asean Economic Community, which is set to come into force at the end of the year.

According to a 2014 joint study conducted by the ILO and the ADB, the implementation of the AEC could generate up to 14 million additional jobs, improving the livelihoods of the 600 million women and men living in the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“ILO economic modeling and analysis has shown that the AEC will result in the creation of an additional 1.9 million jobs in Indonesia,” Allen noted. “The AEC is going to bring a lot of positive changes, but Indonesia must be ready to take hold of these changes, and make sure the local economy benefits.”

According to ILO and ADB figures, demand for high-skill employment under the AEC will increase by an additional 55.7 percent during the 2010 to 2025 period, compared to increases of 26.1 percent for medium-skill employment and a contraction of demand of 3.2 percent for low-skilled jobs.

“We know that the AEC is going to increase demand for skilled labor, so now is the time to invest in education, meaning universities and vocational training systems,” Allen said. “There must be a productive dialogue between employers and educators, to make sure the curriculum is in line with what the economy is demanding.”

A failure to respond to changes in labor demand could have have significant impacts on the local economy, representatives from the ILO said.

“If skills investments don’t happen, then Indonesia will not be well placed to take advantage of the AEC. We currently have a large supply of low-skill labor, which is a sector that will contract under the AEC,” said Michiko Miyamoto, the officer in charge at the ILO office in Jakarta.

“Something has to happen quickly, because 2015 is already here. We need to see a larger volume of investment, and concerted efforts between employers and workers to prepare for the future.”

Allen agreed that frameworks like the AEC would bring swift changes.

“The big thing the AEC is going to do is accelerate structural changes, accelerate demand for highly skilled workers and decrease demand for unskilled workers.”

“We’re going to see the agriculture sector contract, while capital intensive sectors like manufacturing and service should expand,” she said.

Engines for growth

Concerns about Indonesia’s competitiveness in the global market have led to calls for the exploration of new avenues of development, the ILO report says.

“It’s a fact, growth is going to be slower this year. So the key for Indonesia is to find new engines for growth. One of these engines for growth could be the manufacturing sector,” said Allen. “Manufacturing is one of the most dynamic sectors in the local economy. It provides a lot of Indonesian workers with quality jobs.”

According to the Labor and Social Trends report, the overall contribution of the manufacturing sector to Indonesia’s GDP has declined steadily in recent years, dropping by 2.9 percent from 28.4 percent in 2004 to 25.5 percent in 2013.

“The manufacturing sector grew very rapidly in the decade leading up to the 1997 Asian financial crisis, but since the crash it hasn’t made significant progress in growth,” said Kyloh. “But with global commodity prices falling, we need to think about what Indonesia can do to bring growth back to these sectors.”

“Wages have been increasing in places like China, and a lot of manufacturers are staring to make decisions on where to go next. It could be Indonesia,” Kyloh said.

Earlier this year, South Korean tech giant Samsung opened a cellphone factory in West Java, in compliance with national regulation requiring that all 4G smartphones sold in the country as of 2017 include 30 percent local content.

Faced with a changing economic landscape, Kyloh said he remained optimistic about Indonesia’s future as developing nation.

“There’s a lot of potential here, but that potential can only be realized if there is action,” he said.

“Just sitting back and doing nothing is not going to work. We see many of these developments as positives, so long as the government can take action soon.”

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Jakarta. Government institutions on all levels still have plenty of work to do if they want to end religious intolerance in Indonesia, observers say in response to a new report on religious freedom released by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

The quarterly report, released on Friday by the Komnas HAM division focusing on the freedom of religion and belief, cited 14 specific cases of religious intolerance and injustice in Indonesia during the April to June period this year.

Notable cases discussed include the persecution of members of the Ahmadiyah religious minority group in South Jakarta, the closure of churches in Banda Aceh and Aceh Singkil, and the criminalization of Shiites in Bogor. 

“These cases present a serious problem,” Komnas HAM commissioner M. Imdadun Rahmat said at a press conference on Friday. “When they happen year after year, they aren’t just individual events. They indicate a greater problem across the entire country.” 

“It means there is a problem within the system, in relation to the state’s minimum obligation to protect religious freedom in Indonesia,” Imdadun added.

Ismail Hasani, a researcher with the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, noted that issues of religious freedom are still widespread throughout the country.

“We record approximately 200 events [relating to violations of religious freedom] every year,” said Ismail. “The situation is still the same. It’s not good.”

‘Just the tip of the iceberg’

Representatives from Komnas HAM also spoke on the extensiveness of religious intolerance, saying that their report underrepresented the true scope of violations.

“The cases that are included in the report, especially those on the closure of places of worship, are just the tip of the iceberg,” Imdadun said. “There still cases that are developing, and those that are undergoing review by Komnas HAM. And there are new complaints coming in all the time.”

“This only represents a small section of religious issues in Indonesia today. We cannot be satisfied yet,” Imdadun added.

According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center on global trends in religious restrictions and hostilities, Indonesia attained the dubious honor of having a social hostilities index figure of 7.8 out of 10, the highest in Southeast Asia.

Indonesia’s elevated social hostilities figure indicates moderately high occurrences of various discriminatory acts, ranging from the “vandalism of religious property and desecration of sacred texts to violent assaults resulting in deaths and injuries,” according to the study. 

Intolerant groups

As Indonesia struggles to prevent acts of religious intolerance, the challenges ahead are obvious, observers say. 

“Based on our experience, the challenges to religious freedom in Indonesia are the same as before,” Ismail said. “There are intolerant groups that are increasingly widespread in both Jakarta and beyond, such as the Islamic Defenders Front [FPI], the Islamic People’s Front [FUI], and others.”

“These intolerant groups are like a virus. They influence the public to also become intolerant,” Ismail added.

The Komnas HAM report also highlighted the role of intolerant fringe groups in impeding religious freedom, noting the considerable strain they put on local governments.

“In the mediation cases that Komnas HAMs took part in, local governments were often unable to deal with pressure from intolerant groups,” the report said. “Although administrators were not directly responsible for the violations of religious freedom committed by fringe groups, they were ultimately involved as they allowed them to happen.”

Interactions between local administrators and religious groups are further complicated by conflicts of interests, said Jayadi Damanik, coordinator of the Komnas HAM division responsible for the report.

”In cases regarding the licensing of places of worship, many officials could not differentiate between their function as public servants, and their interests as adherents of a particular faith,” Jayadi said.

Places of worship

The lack of impartiality among local officials dealing with conflict between religious groups has also impacted the issuance of land permits for places of worship.

“Permits that are requested by minority communities often go unprocessed. What’s more, permits that are already granted are sometimes revoked,” Imdadun said.

“If a religious community doesn’t have the right papers, intolerant groups may try to enforce permit regulations by prohibiting and closing their place of worship. These groups believe that their actions are justified and in line with the proper enforcement of law.”

“So there are instances where the implementation of law becomes a way to target people,” Imdadun added.

In order for religions freedom to truly take root in Indonesia, a comprehensive review of discriminatory laws is needed, Ismail argued.

“Making any progress will be difficult, because of discrimination within the Indonesian legal system,” he said. “These laws need to be changed.”

‘The minority should respect the majority’

Komnas HAM’s report comes at a time of heated debate on religious tolerance and freedom in Indonesia. 

On June 18, the Constitutional Court rejected a petition for a judicial review of Indonesia’s 1974 Marriage Law, thwarting efforts to revise restrictions on interfaith marriage.

The court’s decision prompted outcry from human rights activists, who criticized the law for failing to protect the rights of Indonesians who wished to marry across religious divides.

Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin recently faced a backlash after issuing a benign statement calling for mutual respect between religious groups during Ramadan.

Lukman, who implored Muslims to not force food vendors to close during during the Islamic holy month, was denounced by conservative politicians and religious figures alike for attempting to promote tolerance and understanding.

“The minority should respect the majority. The minister is [talking] nonsense. The Islamic faithful in East Java will never do as he instructs,” Ali Badri Zaini, the head of the East Java chapter of the Islamic Dakwah Forum, was quoted as saying by Metro TV.

‘Most religiously harmonious country’

Komnas HAM’s findings on religious intolerance also contradict recent statements made by Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who claimed that Indonesia was the most religiously harmonious country in the world, in a speech delivered at the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace on June 3.

Kalla, who praised the Indonesian government for officially recognizing six religions, said: “tell me which country is more democratic than Indonesia. Even the United States, the largest democracy, doesn’t have [an Islamic holiday as a national holiday].”

Despite mixed messages from leaders, observers still believe progress can be made in the fight for religious freedom and understanding.

Friday’s report notes that “there is a willingness from some local governments to work together with Komnas HAM in ending rights violations cases related to the freedom of religion and belief.”

“This fact is evidenced by the desire for dialogue and mediation processes [in times of religious conflict].”

Setara’s Ismail also highlighted the role that players from the new administration of President Joko Widodo could have in securing tolerance and understanding across different religious groups, saying: “we must have hope for the new era. We need political leadership from the president.”

“In many regions, local political leaders are very decisive in managing religious freedom. We hope that, on the macro-level, President Joko Widodo will be capable of addressing issues of intolerance and violations of religious freedom.”

“His political leadership is the final key to fix the problem,” Ismail concluded.

The post Komnas HAM Finds Religious Freedom Still Under Threat appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. The admission of Indonesia into the Melanesian Spearhead Group  last week has sparked concerns over the future of central government policy in the West Papua region, analysts say.

“My first reaction of the inclusion of Indonesia to the MSG is that Indonesia needs to clarify its motives. Is it trying to dilute the position of the MSG over Papua? Or is it about cooperation?” said Yuyun Wahyuningrum, a senior adviser on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and human rights with the Jakarta-based Human Rights Working Group.

Indonesia’s bid to join the MSG, an intergovernmental organization composed of representatives from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front of New Caledonia, has been interpreted as a preemptive move in halting discussion on West Papuan efforts for self-determination.

“The United Liberation Movement for West Papua [ULMWP] expects that the MSG could be a platform where discussion on human rights, sovereignty issues and development concerns in the Papuan provinces could be raised,” Yuyun said.

“But having Indonesia’s leverage in MSG may be a stumbling block in addressing Papuan issues on a regional platform,”  Yuyun said.

The ULMWP, which had also been seeking membership to the MSG, was ultimately granted observer status to the regional body.

Rafendi Djamin, representative of Indonesia to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) believes that Indonesia’s admission into the MSG could lead to the greater involvement of Melanesian states in discussing issues relevant to human rights abuses in Papua.

“The MSG needs to work with Indonesia to establish a dialogue between Papua and Jakarta that works towards a better future in terms of protecting human rights and development,” Rafendi said.

Indonesia’s entrance into the MSG marks the culmination of months of heightened national interest in the Melanesian region.

In March, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi embarked on back-to-back visits to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji  ̶  three countries that had earlier threatened to recognize West Papua as an occupied member state of the MSG.

Moreover, President Joko Widodo visited MSG member state PNG in May, calling for closer ties with the country.

Human rights and development

According to Rafendi, issues of human rights abuses and slow economic development within Papua remain critical in addressing tensions in the region.

“The reports from last year have been very concerning, in that they’ve raised a lot of issues. The fact is that some fundamental principles and freedoms that are enjoyed in other parts of Indonesia are not enjoyed in Papua,” Rafendi said.

“People are being arrested for expressing for their opinions,” Rafendi added.

According to a 2015 report by Amnesty International, an estimated 60 political activists from the Papua region and Maluku province remain imprisoned by the national government.

Efforts to forge a solution between the central government and dissenting political factions in West Papua have been complicated by the slow progress of development and economic growth in the region.

“A lack of economic development triggers a lot of dissatisfaction among political groups in West Papua,” Rafendi said.

“You have a region with huge economic potential, but a lot of work needs to be done to make sure the benefits are felt all throughout the province.”

Tomi Soetjipto, communication analyst with the United Nations Development Program, notes Papua’s slow progress in development across multiple indicators.

“The Papua region is rich in natural resources, but in terms of human development, it is lagging behind other provinces in Indonesia,” Tomi said on Monday.

“Take a look at poverty figures in the Papua and West Papua provinces. They are the worst out of all of Indonesia’s 34 provinces.”

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the percentage of poor people in Papua and West Papua stands at 31.53 and 27.14 percent respectively, distinctly higher than the national average of 11.47 percent. 

Meanwhile, United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) findings claim that West Papua has the highest rate of HIV infection in the country, at 15 times Indonesia’s national average.

“When you have a population that has decent access to health, you’ll have a positive ripple effect,” said Tomi.

“But if you have a population that doesn’t have access to healthcare, you’ll see a negative ripple effect, with things like high mortality rates and child deaths becoming more common.”

Despite setbacks and slow progress, central government leaders must resolve to improve living standards in Papua, as a means of securing a more constructive relationship between local leaders and Jakarta.

“Desire for political self-determination is strong and is fueled by the sense among Papuans that they are treated badly,” said Michael Bachelard, former Indonesia correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

“Economic solutions would reduce some of that.”

Policy contradiction

If equitable change is to be brought to West Papua, central government officials must work towards consolidating their policies into a consistent plan of action, analysts say.

Michael Bachelard cites opposition from within the president’s camp as being an obstacle in shifting policy on Papua, saying: “Jokowi is genuine about opening up, but the hardliners in his own cabinet and in the military will try to stop him.”

“Jokowi will need to follow through and be firm if he wants his policy enacted properly,” Bachelard added, referring to the president by his popular nickname.

Recent months have been marked by a series of contradictory statements regarding central government policy in Papua, confusing efforts to ease tensions in the region.

On May 10, Joko issued a landmark statement inviting foreign correspondents to Papua, reversing years of press restrictions.

“Starting from today, foreign journalists are allowed and free to come to Papua, just as they can [visit] other regions,” Joko said at a press conference in the city of Merauke.

His statements regarding freedom of the press were almost immediately dismissed by Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, who indicated that foreign reporters would still face considerable restrictions on their activities in the region.

“We’ll allow it, on the condition that they report on what they see, not go around looking for facts that aren’t true from armed groups,” said Tedjo.

Similarly, Joko’s drive to end the nation’s controversial transmigration policy in Papua has been met with opposition from within his cabinet, with Minister for Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Marwan Ja’far instead calling for an acceleration of the program.

Transmigration has long been a point of contention among indigenous populations in Papua, who allege that the program is designed to wipe out local groups.

According to 2010 estimates, the ratio of non-Papuans to Papuans was 52-48, with annual growth rates of the migrant population outstripping the growth of the indigenous Papuan population by nearly tenfold.

In order to contend with rising calls for independence and self-determination, Indonesia must work harder to establish an environment of transparency and accountability in the West Papua region, analysts say.

Human rights observer Yuyun Wahyuningrum notes that Indonesia’s admission into the MSG could foster open communication among involved parties, saying: “I hope MSG can be a forum where the state’s accountability is discussed openly.”

Bachelard concurred, citing a lack of transparency regarding violent conflicts in the region as a critical stumbling block for reconciliation.

“There is also still brutality, such as the incident at Enarotali, that Indonesia does not fully acknowledge,” said Bachelard, who has visited Papua in his capacity as a foreign correspondent twice in the last three years.

Last December, Indonesian police and armed forces were accused of opening fire on demonstrators in the city of Enarotali, killing six and wounding at least 17 others.

Subsequent probes into the incident invited criticism over doubts on the credibility and impartiality of the investigation.

Speaking on the possibility of renewed positive engagement between the central government and local West Papuan leaders, the AICHR’s Rafendi Djamin believes that “in general, with the new president, there is some hope.”

“But it’s not clear whether this hope will be translated into action that will improve the West Papuan human rights situation within the near future,” Rafendi concluded.

The post For West Papua, Indonesia’s Entry Into MSG Stirs Up Concerns About Hidden Agenda appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Climate science and sustainability experts have called on Indonesia to take a leadership role in the fight against climate change, and say the country could play a key part in tackling the issue.

Swiss climate scientist Thomas Stocker, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working group, believes that Indonesia has a crucial part to play in combating climate change and will need to play an active role at future forums.

“Indonesia has a key role in future discussions, as a country that is geographically unique with a number of islands, climate regimes, and ocean conditions,” Stocker said on Tuesday.

The comments come as anticipation grows ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Paris this November. Nations that signed the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will attend and the conference aims to execute a legally binding and universal agreement on climate change.

“Indonesia hopes that the Paris conference will deliver meaningful commitments in terms of combating climate change through emissions reduction,” said Fabby Tumiwa, executive director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform.

According to the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research report 2014, Indonesia released 0.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2013 alone. The amount is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions form 105,263,158 passenger vehicles. Indonesia’s per capita emissions in 2013 were 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person, an increase of 75 percent in a twenty three year period.

Stocker, who is a candidate in the upcoming race for chairman of the IPCC, said ending reliance on fossil fuels is an essential step that Indonesia and the rest of the world must take.

“It’s going to be the fourth industrial revolution. From mechanization, electrification, digitalization, to [sustainability],” Stocker said.

“We must make the move towards sustainability.”

The IPCC, which was established in 1988 with the backing of the UN, is an inter-governmental panel that produces assessments on climate change, providing reports and recommendations to policymakers. As an internationally accepted authority on environmental issues, the IPCC plays a crucial role in forming the scientific foundation for contemporary discussions on climate change.

In a statement issued after summit meetings in Germany earlier this month, the world’s G7 nations emphasized that “deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions are required with a decarbonization of the global economy over the course of this century.”

Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UNFCCC, noted that “governments are committed to reach an agreement that sets down the pathways and the supporting structures for a century-long transformation that allows all countries to reach a sustainable, clean energy future.”

Indonesia at Risk

The need for Indonesia to decarbonize in the face of a growing climate crisis has become readily apparent, experts note. In 2014, the IPCC released its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), containing important lessons for Indonesia and other nations on the dangers of unchecked climate change.

For example, the continuing degradation of marine ecosystems as a result of climate change was highlighted as likely to have a significant affect on Indonesia, a nation exposed to coastal hazards and dependent on coastal resources for livelihoods.

Kurniawan Sabar, campaign manager for Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI), believes Indonesia must take cautionary measures against rising sea levels.

“As an island nation, Indonesia will be very susceptible to changes in the Earth’s oceans. Smaller islands in the archipelago could be lost to rising waters if climate change continues unchecked,” Kurniawan said on Wednesday.

Moreover,  the IPCC  report found drought-associated fires brought on by changes in precipitation cycles were likely to increase the vulnerability of agriculture, forestry and human settlements, particularly in peatland areas. “If weather patterns and seasonal changes become more unpredictable, farmers in Indonesia could suffer,” Kurniawan added.

Indonesia’s lagging fuel and energy efficiency could also spell disaster in coming years, experts say.

“More effort needs to be done in terms of the way we use energy for transport, for electricity. We still have to catch up to our peers. Decisions by the government to limit subsidies granted to fuel for transport is a very good step,” Fabby said.

He added that “the government should work towards better investment, better education, and incentives and disincentives to reduce inefficient use of resources and carbon emissions.”

Indonesia’s actions in handling its forests have also caused distressed the international community, particularly with regard to the controversial slash-and-burn farming techniques popular with local farmers.

Slash-and-burn methods, which involve the burning and leveling of forest land to create fields can have an immensely destructive effect on local ecosystems.

In 2013, the large-scale burning of forests in parts of Sumatra and Borneo produced record levels of haze and pollution in the region, impacting air quality across Southeast Asia.

Highlighting the essential role that Indonesia’s rainforests play in absorbing global carbon dioxide emissions, Stocker warned of the dangers that continued deforestation could have on the environment.

“Deforestation is creating a lot of carbon emissions, because you’re changing the use of the land to a surface that is not capable of holding as much carbon as before. The difference ends up in the atmosphere,” Stocker said.

In 2014, a NASA-led study found that forests and other land vegetation sites were capable of removing up to 30 percent of human carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

International cooperation

In order to grapple with issues of climate change, Indonesia must continue to work with the international community, experts say.

“Science knows no boundaries. Scientific activities cross all kinds of boundaries. It is really a global endeavor,” Stocker said.

Stocker stressed the importance maintaining strong ties with regional initiatives, like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), and the Alliance of Small Island States in furthering discussion on climate change.

“Bio-diversity, ocean management, the chemical composition of water, these are all things that do not stop at borders.

“All countries have to come together to find a way forward that is acceptable and leads us on the right development path for the next 50 to 100 years.”

Stocker’s comments were echoed by Kurniawan.

“There must be a commitment from Indonesia and other nations to take responsibility together and enact strong measures of climate change mitigation.”

Despite challenges ahead, Stocker believes Indonesia is well suited to contribute to sustainability efforts, thanks in part to the strength of local research initiatives.

“The capability in analyzing climate and weather conditions and the level of detailed information available on a real-time basis leaves Indonesia extremely well prepared,” said Stocker, who visited the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG).

“Indonesia reflects what we want to achieve on a global level, with scientific information going to policymakers and the public, becoming the base for their decisions.

“If you have that capacity in your country that’s already a key advantage.”

Thomas Stocker is currently visiting Indonesia in his capacity as Switzerland’s nominee for the position of IPCC Chair. The IPCC Chair will be elected at the panel’s 42nd session, to be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia this October.

The post Indonesia Has Key Role in Climate Change Battle, Says IPCC appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. A recent report by a United Nations agency reveals that nations across the world, including Indonesia, have made significant strides in ensuring the basic rights and needs of children, but local activists say that child poverty and abuse remain significant issues in Indonesia.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) on Monday issued its latest report, The Progress for Children, which charts international efforts to fulfill the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in relation to the world’s youth population.

According to the report, Indonesia has made vast progress in certain sectors of child protection and security.

Since the creation of the MDGs in 2000, Indonesia has worked to reduce its mortality rate for children under five years old — from the 1990 baseline of 84 deaths per 1,000 live births to 29 per 1,000 live births in 2015.

Indonesia’s success in reducing child mortality is part of a bigger picture of progress in the East Asia and the Pacific region. Over the same period, countries in East Asia and the Pacific reduced the average number of deaths per 1,000 live births from 58 in 1990 to 17 in 2015.

Indonesia has also made strides in reducing its total fertility rate, which has decreased by an average of 1.3 percent between 1990 to 2013, contributing to greater maternal safety overall. Improvement in maternal health has been impacted by an increase in skilled attendance at births, up from from 36 percent in 1992 to 83 percent in 2012.

Indonesia now also boasts a primary school net enrolment ratio of 95 percent, equal to the East Asia and the Pacific regional average.

Yet, despite measured successes, Indonesia still has significant steps to take in creating better lives for children.

Tata Sudrajat, Families First director at Save the Children, noted childhood poverty remains endemic to Indonesia.

“Although Indonesia is already a middle income country according to World Bank standards, nearly 44 million Indonesian children still live on under $2 per day. That’s about 50 percent of Indonesia’s child population,” Tata said on Tuesday.

Tata’s remarks mirror the findings of the Unicef report, which noted that 47 percent of all people living in extreme poverty are 18 years old or younger.

Tata said child abuse was a key issue that Indonesia needs to address in order to ensure equitable conditions for its children.

“According to data from government studies on the prevalence of sexual violence against children between the ages of 13 to 18, one in twelve boys are affected. For girls, one in nineteen are affected,” Tata said.

“Research on sexual violence against children often finds that the perpetrator is someone who is personally close to the child, which makes children very vulnerable to these sorts of crimes.”

Indonesia, the fourth most populous nation in the world, is home to a vast number of youth.

According to 2013 estimates from Unicef, 34.2 percent, or approximately 85 million of Indonesia’s population is under the age of 18.

In comparison, the percentage of under 18 year olds in relation to total national population in neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore is 31.7 percent and 20.1 percent, respectively.

Child protection under review

The release of the Progress on Children report has shed light on the condition of children in Indonesia, at a time when the protection of children has become a focal point of public discourse.

Recent debate on the effectiveness of child protection policies was sparked by the tragic murder of an 8-year-old girl in Bali, whose disappearance in May attracted national attention.

Angeline, who was reported missing on May 16th by her adoptive mother Margaret Christine Megawe, was found buried in the backyard of her family home earlier this month.

Since the discovery, police have detained a former domestic worker for the family, named Agus, as the primary suspect in Angeline’s murder.

Authorities also apprehended Margaret, on suspicion of child neglect.

The murder and subsequent police investigation has led to many observers calling for a review of existing child protection laws.

In a statement delivered earlier this month, Social Services Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa said that Margaret and her late husband, who was a foreign national, did not follow official adoption procedures when they took in Angeline shortly after her birth.

Meanwhile Hidayat Nur Wahid, a member of the House’s Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs, social issues, women’s empowerment and children’s welfare, said the commission was preparing a revision of the child protection law.

However Tata, of Save the Children, believes a comprehensive review of existing child protection laws may not be necessary.

“The child protection laws that are in place are already enough,” Tata said. “But in terms of law enforcement and implementation, there is still a problem.

“For example, we need to work harder in training our law enforcement officials to become better prepared to deal with instances of child abuse, and the investigation protocol that should follow.”

Tata is also advocating for greater public awareness of child abuse and its socio-cultural causes, as a means to better understand and curb violent incidents.

“Many people still think violence against children is allowed by tradition and culture. But tradition cannot be interpreted for all acts of discipline against children,” Tata said.

“If parents continue to punish their children with violence, particularly physical violence, they must be persecuted by law.”

The Indonesian government’s drive to secure the rights of children is rooted in the nation’s constitution.

Chapter X Article 28B2 of the Indonesian Constitution states “every child shall have the right to live, to grow and to develop, and shall have the right to protection from violence and discrimination.”

The legal foundation for the protection of children Indonesia was further expounded on with the creation of the 2002 Law on Child Protection.

The law was amended last year and multiple provisions were revised, including the definition of children in Indonesia, the right of children to be protected from abuse, and the obligation of government to support parents and guardians.

The post Unicef Reports Progress, But Poverty and Abuse Remain Problems for Indonesian Children appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Indonesia’s capital must reform its technology sector to combat the various issues engendered by its growing population, delegates at the New Cities Summit 2015 concluded on Wednesday.

“We have to create a new civilization,” Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace laureate and the NCS 2015 keynote speaker, said at the conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“The old civilization left us a lot of baggage: problems of unemployment, of income disparity, non-transparency and corruption. We have to overcome those problems in the new civilization.”

Organized by the Geneva-based non-profit New Cities Foundation (NCF), the New Cities Summit aims to “bring together stakeholders in the future of cities to talk together, to look at how to promote innovations that make urban life better,” said NCF chairman John Rossant.

In 2008, the United Nations reported that more than 50 percent of the world’s population, or 3.35 billion people, lived in urban environments. That figure is estimated to rise to 75 percent by 2050.

According to 2011 data from the UN Department of Economic and Social affairs, Indonesia experienced an urbanization rate of 3.3 percent between 2005 and 2010, higher than the world average of 1.9 percent during the same period. The UN calculates urbanization rates by projecting the average rate of change of the size of the urban population over a given period of time.

Jakarta is currently home to 10.2 million residents, and is the 16th most populous city in the world. The nation’s capital and its surrounding districts, known collectively as Jabodetabek, form the second most populated urban area in the world, behind only Japan’s Tokyo-Yokohama region.

Overpopulation has taken a heavy toll on the city, with gridlock and other traffic woes bringing economic productivity to a standstill.

“I had a staff member who was stuck in traffic during the last big flood for 12 hours,” said Malcolm Foo, a global adviser from PwC Consulting Indonesia and delegate at the NCS.

“That’s an entire day of lost productivity. If you think about all those people stuck in traffic unable to go to work, there’s a tremendous economic impact.”

In his keynote speech, Yunus outlined a vision for urban centers of the future: cities with zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon dioxide emissions.

“These are the basic things that a sustainable planet must have. We need to make sure that the cities we have are sustainable in the world as it currently is. The youth can achieve this, and technology will help them,” Yunus said.

A Web-based future

A 2014 report from eMarketer forecasts that Indonesia will account for 100 million smartphone users by 2018, establishing it as the fourth-largest smartphone user population in the world.

Indonesia’s use of smartphone technology has had an immense impact in shaping the path of city-based innovation.

“Smartphones and social media networks in Indonesia give even the poorest person a voice, changing local governance to become more of a two-way street,” Rossant said.

Foo stressed the influential role that technology could play in Indonesia, arguing for a prioritization of telecommunications infrastructure over financing physical infrastructure projects like roads and highways. “If you build another road in Jakarta, it’s immediately going to be filled up with traffic. You’ll be stuck back at square one,” he said.

“But if you improve the ICT network, so people could rely on it for high-speed Internet, there would be new opportunities in telecommuting or virtual working from home.”

Delegates at the NCS argued that by reducing the number of commuters on the road through investing in Web technology, the Jakarta administration could ease congestion on the streets without having to resort to costly, large-scale physical infrastructure projects.

Yet the role of smartphones in Indonesia has been hindered by the slow adoption of modern server technologies. Entrepreneurs at the NCS vented their frustrations in navigating Indonesia’s complex ICT sector, calling on local governments to invest more funds in Web initiatives.

Rudyanto Linggar, the founder of Web-based car pooling service Nebeng.com and a delegate at the NCS, spoke about the problems stemming from Jakarta’s underdeveloped ICT infrastructure.

“In the 10 years that we’ve been operating, we’ve only been able to been able to register 62,000 people to our service. We need better servers to attract more customers,” he said on Wednesday.

In its 2014 “State of the Internet” report, cloud services provider Akamai said that Indonesia’s broadband services maintained an average speed of 1.9 Mbps, ranked the worst in the entire Asia-Pacific region. In the same period, near neighbors Malaysia and Singapore achieved average connection speeds of 4.1 Mbps and 11.7 Mbps respectively.

However, investment in ICT infrastructure may be easier said than done, with a lack of clear regulations confusing efforts to fix Jakarta’s server problems.

“Some of the government officials I talked to were concerned about legal restrictions. They all remember what happened in the IM2 case,” Rudyanto said.

In July 2013, a Jakarta court sentenced Indonesian Internet service provider IM2 to pay Rp 1.3 trillion ($131 million) in compensation for state losses incurred through the misuse of a license to operate the 2.1-gigahertz telecoms frequency for 3G mobile data services. IM2 won the license for the band through an agreement with its parent company Indosat, which the court ruled was unlawful. In addition to the fine, IM2 president director Indar Atmanto was sentenced to four years in prison.

Despite the hostile legal environment, Rudyanto said he still believed that investment in server infrastructure would solve the problems plaguing Jakarta.

“Instead of wasting time, instead of wasting fuel, we need to find a way to convert traffic on the roads to traffic on the Web. The solution is already before our very eyes. If we keep using old methods, methods from long ago, Jakarta’s problems will not be solved,” he said.

Local solutions for local problems

The NCS also provided a platform for local tech-based innovators to show off their solutions to the problems faced by Jakarta’s commuters.

Mobile application Squee won first prize at the summit’s “Jakarta Urban Challenge,” a contest established to find creative ways to solve mobility and traffic issues in Jakarta.

Squee, a sharing app that aids pedestrians and cyclists in traveling together on shorter, safer, non-motorized routes across Jakarta, was awarded the contest’s grand prize of $10,000.

Runners-up included Jalan Aman, an app focused on safe routes for female commuters, and Cyclist Urban System, a plan to create dedicated cyclist hubs across the city.

“They’re coming up with very interesting homegrown innovations and solutions to the city’s issues,” Rossant said of the initiatives.

“We were expecting to get maybe 10 or 15 proposals from teams. In total, we received 226 proposals. It’s brewing over with ideas here. It gives me a lot of hope for the future.”

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama also praised local entrepreneurs for their work in his NCS closing speech, inviting Urban Challenge finalists to present their projects at City Hall.

Other innovations highlighted at the conference were PetaJakarta.org, a Twitter-based platform designed to collect and disseminate real-time information on flooding and critical water infrastructure; Garbage Clinical Insurance, a micro insurance program providing Indonesians with critical health care services in exchange for recycling waste; and Go-Jek, the popular motorcycle transport and courier service.

The projects and ideas disseminated at the New Cities Summit 2015 provide a glimpse into Jakarta’s future, one of innovation and optimism.

“When you combine the dynamism of Jakarta’s youth entrepreneurs with political leaders who genuinely want to pursue reforms, who seem to be committed to reversing the years of underinvestment in infrastructure, I think very interesting things could happen,” Rossant said.

Foo concurred, sharing his thoughts on Jakarta’s capacity to become a smart city.

“A smart city is a city that is socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. I think Jakarta has already taken steps in that direction,” he said.

“We always say that the most important step in becoming a smart city is strong leadership and the political will to go down that path. Jakarta has that now.”

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