Jakarta. Anti-corruption activists and legal experts are calling on Indonesian law enforcers to cooperate in combating a rising trend among corruption suspects of lodging police complaints or pretrial motions against the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Prominent lawyer and graft suspect Otto Cornelis Kaligis on Tuesday reported the national anti-graft agency to the National Police for alleged “kidnapping” and “abuse of power” — a common strategy among corruption suspects.

Others, such as former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali and former Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) chief Hadi Poernomo, have attempted to undermine the KPK by filing pretrial motions against the commission.

Legal expert Todung Mulya Lubis said a police complaint is general procedure and remains in accordance to the law as part of a self-defense tactic.

“Filing a report to police is the right of every citizen, including corruptors. Yet, the question is, is the report based on strong evidence?” Todung said.

“We may not be able to stop corruptors from filing anything, yet the police have the authority to refuse reports that are not valid. The police don’t have to follow up on every complaint filed by graft suspects,” Todung said.

Legal expert Frans Winarta added that the government must put a stop to the alarming trend by instructing the country’s law enforcement agencies to support and work with one another.

“The fate of political law in Indonesia lies within the hands of President Joko Widodo. Joko must summon [the police, KPK commissioners and the attorney general] and order those institutions to collaborate in enforcing the law without having to competing against each other. They have to help each other,” Frans said on Friday.

“With many reports coming from [suspected] corruptors to the Bareskrim [the National Police's Criminal Investigation Unit], we are expecting the unit to cooperate with the KPK.”

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Ade Irawan urged the police to remain fair and neutral in investigating every report made by graft suspects without drudging up past quarrels with the anti-graft body.

“This is a challenge; accused perpetrators will always attempt to dodge blame and punishment. This is common everywhere in the world,” Ade told the Jakarta Globe on Friday. “But more importantly, the law enforcement agency receiving the report must remain objective. Is the complaint tendentious or does it bare a legal basis?”

Ade added that there is currently no need for an official policy to deal with the issue; only the willingness of law enforcers to agree to back each other in combating corruption.

Frans, who is among 48 candidates currently under assessment for the new KPK leadership, said the race includes prominent political and social figures who can potentially revive the beleaguered anti-graft agency and bring it back on track.

“But still, it all depends on the House and whether they have the save views as we do,” he said.

The KPK’s selection committee is still in the process of reviewing each candidate, said ICW’s Ade

“We hope that whoever will next lead the KPK can bring life and strength back into the agency,” he added.

The post Experts: Police Complaints, Pretrial Motions Against KPK Must Stop appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

The government is embarking on a massive program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis in eastern parts of Indonesia, which will involve more than 100 million people over the next five years.

This is a great initiative that — if local authorities are on board and make sure this giant operation is seen to completion — could yield some tangible results for people in some of the nation’s least developed regions.

The program is an important move forward, but the administration of President Joko Widodo shouldn’t stop here.

The country still faces high maternal and newborn mortality rates — numbers have been steadily declining, but not fast enough. And apart from infectious diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/Aids, we should also not lose sight of noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer or diabetes, which are set to take an increasingly high toll on Indonesians if we don’t make the right lifestyle choices.

Besides better access to professional health care centers in underdeveloped regions, a key aspect of any government public health initiative should therefore be education.

Early on in his presidency, Joko rightfully made tackling substance abuse a policy priority — although one could argue about how best to go about this — but would a sustained campaign against tobacco use not make even more sense? It certainly would benefit a significant part of the population: tens of millions of (mostly) men who smoke cigarettes on a daily basis — and all those affected by secondhand smoke — as well as future generations of Indonesians who should be prevented from picking up the deadly habit.

World Health Organization data shows that as of late last year, over half of Indonesian men and more than a third of Indonesian boys aged 13-15 were smokers. Yet Indonesia is still among the ten countries that have not signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

The government’s universal health care program is proof that the president takes citizens’ health seriously. That consideration should become the basis of a series of public health initiatives as bold as the new push to eradicate filariasis, including signing and ratifying the FCTC.

The post Editorial: Great Public Health Initiative, but What’s Next? appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has reiterated a request to the governments of Russia, South Korea and European Union member countries to impose a visa-free policy for Indonesians.

Retno made the request during her bilateral meetings with senior officials from the respective countries on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, which is set to conclude on Thursday, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement.

In the meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, the two countries agreed to organize a joint commission on bilateral cooperation meeting in December to boost their bilateral partnership. Yun also expressed his support of Indonesia’s proposal on maritime cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region at the East Asia Summit, which is intends to alleviate tension and resolve the escalating South China Sea dispute between China and other Asean member states.

“The meeting [with Yun] also followed up on our request to grant Indonesian citizens visa-free benefits when traveling to South Korea,” the statement said.

The issue was also reaised during Retno’s meetings with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini.

“The Russian foreign minister said he would follow up on the Indonesian foreign minister’s request,” the statement said.

The statement failed to mention, however, whether the South Korean and European Commission officials have responded to the request.

After formally announcing in June its visa-free regulations for citizens of 45 countries, including South Korea, Russia and half of the European Union member states, Indonesia has continued to request for reciprocal gestures.

President Joko Widodo has also formally requested visa-free travel regulations for Indonesians traveling to Britain during British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Jakarta last month.

Investment opportunities for infrastructure development, more specifically for the construction of seaports and airports in Kalimantan, were among also discussed in Retno’s meeting with Lavrov.

“The two countries agreed to boost cooperation in the sectors of education, trade and investment. Foreign Minister Retno specifically asked Russia to support exports of Indonesian fishery and crude palm oil products to Russia – which have been hampered by nontariff barriers,” the statement said.

Forging partnerships in combating anti-terrorism and in tackling money laundering were among the range of issues on the agenda.

Retno similarly brought up the issue of counter-terrorism in her talk with Sartaj Aziz, a special security adviser to the Pakistani prime minister.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, the two ministers discussed Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla’s planned visit to India next month for bilateral talks. Swaraj also formally asked Indonesia to waive visa requirements for Indian citizens and simplify procedures for Indian miners to enter Indonesia’s mining industry.

During Retno’s conference with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, the two neighbors – whose relations have turned sour in the past year due to Indonesia’s execution of two Australian drug dealers and Australia’s strict policy on refugee boats – discussed preparations ahead of the Annual Leaders’ Meeting and Indonesia-Australia Dialogue later this year.

“Additionally, Indonesia welcomes Australia’s plan to open a consulate in Makassar [South Sulawesi],” the ministry statement read. “The two ministers emphasized that they would continue to encourage people-to-people contact, including through scholarship grants under Australia’s New Colombo Plan.”

Under the comprehensive scholarship program, more than 5,400 Australian students will have the chance to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The post Indonesia Petitions for Visa Free Benefits From Europe, Russia and South Korea appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

A competition has sparked between two Asian giants as Japan and China both attempt to court Indonesia in an effort to boost their influence in the region.

Like a chess player, Japan appears to mirror any move made by China.

On Wednesday, for example, the Japanese government offered visiting Indonesian Trade Minister Rachmat Gobel an attractive proposal to build a bullet railway system that will connect Jakarta and Bandung.

Of the total loans estimated to be worth Rp 33.75 trillion ($2.5 billion), Japan has also offered to cover 75 percent of the construction costs and will charge Indonesia a 0.1 percent bank interest with a payback period of 40 years. To further sweeten the deal, Japan has committed to using 50 percent of materials from local Indonesian producers in building the railways system and has also agreed to work with Indonesian engineers.

Going a step further, Japan has also expressed interest in maintaining future ties with Indonesia by expressing interest in the railway connecting Jakarta and Surabaya, East Java.

The bold proposal comes after China offered to provide Indonesia with a $4 billion loan at an interest rate of 2 percent with a payback period of 25 years.

The steps Japan has taken appear to have been fueled by China’s recent success in attracting Asian countries, including Indonesia, to join its initiative in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The AIIB, which was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping less than two years ago, has become one of China’s biggest foreign policy successes. At present, the major stakeholders in the bank are only Japan, the United States and Canada.

Apart from supporting the AIIB, China has also pledged billions of dollars to the Silk Road fund and the “One Belt, One Road” initiative, which are also aimed at funding infrastructure projects in order to increase trade and connectivity between Europe and Asia.

Indonesia stands to prosper from the rivalry between China and Japan and capitalize on this geopolitical competition, so long as it stays true to its national interests, maintains its neutral status between the two giants and stands by its “free and active” policy.

The post Editorial: Japan, China in Tug of War for Indonesia’s Attention appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

The decision by the South Jakarta District Court to stop a graft investigation against media mogul Dahlan Iskan on the grounds that prosecutors have insufficient evidence, could serve as an indicator that the Attorney General’s Office may have charged the former state-owned enterprise minister prematurely.

Dahlan, who also served as president director of state power firm PLN from 2009 to 2011, appears to have been charged based only on witness statements, without any other supporting evidence.

The pretrial ruling also serves as a reminder to Indonesian prosecutors and police that in order to gain public confidence and trust, investigations must be conducted thoroughly and evidence must be assessed carefully before charges are served.

If both institutions wish to revive their tarnished image, they must be aware that even the slightest wrong move could not only further detach themselves from their greater goal but also diminish their standing in the eyes of the Indonesian public.

Having said this, the court ruling can also be seen as encouraging news for those challenging arbitrary criminal charges brought by the police and the AGO; it proves that the courts are able to assess the evidence on its merits.

This decision also restores a sense of renewed faith in Indonesia’s law enforcement officials, particularly judges, providing hope that our legal system may still have a conscience.

The post Editorial: Lessons From Dahlan’s Ruling appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya, Iwan Londo, scanning the location of a white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya, Iwan Londo, catches the a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya, Iwan Londo, catches a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya, Iwan Londo, catches a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya holds a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya bands a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya measures a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

Researchers from Sayap Surabaya measures a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya measures the beak of a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from SayA researcher from Sayap Surabaya measures a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)ap Surabaya, Iwan Londo, scanning the location of a white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya checks the condition of a baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A researcher from Sayap Surabaya, Iwan Londo, releases a white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) is released after it was banded in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) is released after it was banded in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A baby white-headed stilt bird (Himantopus leucocephalus) is released after it was banded in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

A white-headed stilt bird flies away (Himantopus leucocephalus) is released after it was banded in mangrove forest Wonorejo, Rungkut, Surabaya, East Java. (JG Photo/Eric Ireng)

The post Banding the Birds appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Fighting back against the rupiah’s slide and the nation’s economic slump, President Joko Widodo has jumpstarted a number of massive infrastructure projects across the archipelago.

Rather than answering every piece of criticism leveled against him with statements and speeches, he is quietly silencing them by ensuring every project will enhance Indonesia’s capacity to produce goods and services — while creating a great amount of jobs and fueling domestic demand. He wants to show these projects will not be delayed.

In his trip to Sulawesi this week, he inaugurated a number of energy-related projects. One of the major projects inaugurated on Sunday was a $1.2 billion Central Processing Plant operated by Joint Operating Body Pertamina Medco Tomori Sulawesi. If realized, the energy project will provide a huge boost to national industry.

Joko also witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony for a new ammonia plant of chemical manufacturer Panca Amara Utama in Banggai, Central Sulawesi.

The factory — worth $830 million — is one of the largest ammonia plant developments in the country over the last decade. While the project can empower local businesspeople as suppliers to the project, it’s expected that the output of the factory will eventually help supply more fertilizers to the nation’s farmers, who have long complained of high prices of the product.

These multi-billion dollar projects are only two of many huge projects Joko will launch in the next several months before he hits the one-year mark of his term in office.

We hope by then the multiplier effects will have been felt by many across the archipelago, and help boost economic growth sooner rather than later.

While we have yet to see a success similar to former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal – which brought back the US from the Great Depression – this should bring back hope for all of us who voted for Joko believing that he can make things happen.

Rather than letting himself be bogged down in Jakarta politicking, we must applaud his effort in putting in the real work.

The post Editorial: Joko’s New Deal to Fight Economic Slump appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah are the nation’s two biggest and most important Islamic organizations. Combined, these two organizations have some 70 million to 80 million registered members, but they likely influence — to varying degrees — almost all Indonesian Muslims, or around 90 percent of the country’s population.

If you are an Indonesian Muslim, you are basically either NU or Muhammadiyah. As they are the majority, these groups have been representing Indonesian Islam for decades, since even before the nation freed itself from colonial oppression. For better or worse, these two organizations largely determine how the global community sees Islam and Muslims in Indonesia. And if something is wrong with inter-religious relations we can often link this directly to members of these two groups’ elites.

Thus, it is fair to ask what these two giants have done — or failed to do — lately, as radical and other senseless elements within the nation’s Muslim masses have come to dominate the conversation on Islam in Indonesia.

From threats against — and even attacks on — minority groups such as Ahmadiyah and Shiite Muslims, to senior clerics declaring President Joko Widodo’s social insurance program as not in line with Islamic guidelines, radicals and narrow-minded clerics seem to have hijacked the podium, sending strong signals that Indonesia is becoming increasingly intolerant.

At the same time, the elites of both groups have been busy with trivial issues while avoiding the risks involved in handling issues that really matter to the nation.

Yet others are busy playing politics and seeking office — aiming to become ministers, vice president or even president. They sacrifice the interests of the entire Muslim community for the sake of their egoistic ambition.

While they should not be expected to agree with Ahmadiyah and Shiite teachings, NU and Muhammadiyah should at least have instantly condemned all instances of violence against these minorities. But they chose to stand aside and let a small group of radicals claim Islam and use it for their own benefit.

This week, both organizations are holding their national congress — choosing new leaders and setting a new course. We call on them to urgently do what is needed most: take back Islam from the radical groups, condemn the use of violence and strengthen the voices of moderation and pluralism.

The post Editorial: Would the Real Islam Please Stand Up? appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. The minister for women’s empowerment and child protection has called on parents to snoop on their teenaged children’s mobile phones to avoid their exposure to pornography.

“Let me remind all parents to look after and protect their kids … I also want to urge cellphone control, especially when the child is entering junior and senior high schools,” Minister Yohana Yembise said on Sunday, as quoted by local news portal Republika.com.

Yohana added that parents should monitor website history on their children’s cellphones as the wired world can potentially expose kids to sexual abuse, such as online prostitution.

Noting that there were more than 3,500 child assault cases between 2013 and 2014 lodged across the archipelago, the minister said parental monitoring could reduce sexual abuse involving children.

The Indonesian government has since 2004 blocked access to more than 800,000 porn sites, according to the Communication and Information Technology Ministry.

In May, Yohana announced that the government was drafting a set of rules to prohibit elementary school students using cellphones and to limit junior and senior high school students’ access to mobile phones.

The post Minister Urges Parents to Monitor Kids’ Phones to Prevent Child Abuse appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Indonesia badly needs smart military leadership who understand and can adapt to the current challenges while believing in democratic values, especially in civilian rule.

This way, Indonesia doesn’t have to worry about military coup every time our democracy fails to provide solution to problems facing the nation. A military leadership that believes in civilian rule sends a strong signal that finally we can have a mature and unshaken democracy.

We recently have some concerns about military’s unrest — either emerging from the disappointment about low welfare and from feeling of alienation from the state affairs — as well as the weakness of the current government lead by civilian President Joko Widodo.

However, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo has shown himself as not only an intellectual general but also a strong supporter of democratic principles.

In his speech in front of new graduates of military and police academy, he acknowledged Indonesia’s new challenges — clash over limited natural resources among nations — leaving behind TNI’s ambition to seek control over politics of the nation.

He then stressed the need for the nation’s security forces to adapt. In other words, Indonesian military must turn itself to world-class military professionals because more and more nations will come to Asia and the Pacific for economic gains.

But a healthy and professional military force will not be realized unless every soldier has adequate welfare, which is enjoyed not only by its generals and high-ranking officers but down to the lowest ranks.

How can a soldier with his or her family can live with only Rp 2 million ($148) a month? These soldiers will definitely moonlight in other jobs, involving civilian affairs and leaving their main duties behind.

The arrest of two soldiers for kidnapping a businessman only this week proves that soldiers are compelled to work on the side to get more money. Meanwhile, we know how generals live a lavish life at the expense of their soldiers. The money allocated to the military should be enough if used wisely, while there must be efforts to eradicate corruption inside the military.

The post Editorial: Toward a Professional TNI appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.