8 APRIL 2013
Child protection a low priority in Indonesia
Efforts to protect children in Indonesia from abuse are obstructed by barriers to crime reporting, which may worsen with the threatened closure of police-run units that handle crimes against women and children http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97800/Child-protection-a-low-priority-in-Indonesia
1 APRIL 2013
Indonesia row: Aceh crowds support disputed flag
Thousands rallied in Aceh’s capital in support of the flag. Indonesia’s government has given provincial authorities seven days to change it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21993299
15 MARCH 2013
Indonesia carries out first execution since 2008
Officials confirmed that Adami Wilson, a Malawi national convicted of drugs smuggling, was executed by firing squad north of Jakarta on Thursday night. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21805413
23 FEBRUARY 2013
Head of Indonesia’s ruling party steps down
Anas Urbaningrum, who was elected in 2010 as general chairman of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, announced his resignation on Saturday in a news conference at the party’s headquarters. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/02/201322314592522318.html
22 FEBRUARY 2013
Indonesia names ruling party chairman as graft suspect
Indonesia’s anti-graft body said Friday it has named the chairman of President Susilo Bambang yudhoyono’s party as a suspect in connection with corruption allegations. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21551310 http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130222-403996.html
7 FEBRUARY 2013
Can Prayer Save Indonesia’s SBY From Scandal?
With his ruling political party in a shambles due to the continuing impact of several scandals, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appealed to a higher power this week, sending a text message from Mecca asking party leaders to pray for Allah’s guidance. http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5169&Itemid=175
31 JANUARY 2013
Indonesia detains Islamic party chief over graft
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq allegedly accepted a sum of one billion rupiah (S$125,000) from meat importer PT Indoguna Utama to secure a government contract. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130131-399270.html
17 JANUARY 2013
Indonesia in 2012: reform and the people
Indonesia’s economy had a good year overall in 2012. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/01/17/indonesia-in-2012-reform-and-the-people/
Indonesian capital Jakarta hit by deadly flooding
Some 20,000 people have abandoned their homes, as officials warn that the rain could worsen in the next few days. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21054769
15 JANUARY 2013
Indonesian supreme court hopeful’s rape remarks spark outrage
An Indonesian supreme court candidate has sparked public outrage after suggesting that women may enjoy being raped. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/16/indonesian-supreme-court-hopeful-rape http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-rape-indonesia-supreme-court-20130116,0,4913905.story?track=rss
12 JANUARY 2013
Further implementation of Sharia in Aceh to cause greater social tensions
Many fear a split between fundamentalist and moderate Muslims. Political expediency and poor governance are the driving force behind the province’s islamisation. Critics slam the province’s morality police for its crackdown on deviant behaviour. In 2012, 50 cases of Sharia-related violence were recorded. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Further-implementation-of-Sharia-in-Aceh-to-cause-greater-social-tensions-26851.html
2 JANUARY 2013
Reaching Indonesia’s poor and vulnerable
The rate of poverty reduction continues to slow in Indonesia, despite sustained economic growth. With the exception of the 2006 increase in poverty due to the international food price crisis, the decrease in the official poverty rate from 12.5 per cent of all Indonesians in 2011 to 12 per cent in 2012 was the smallest since 2003. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/01/02/reaching-indonesias-poor-and-vulnerable/
29 DECEMBER 2012
Attacks Against the Press Still a Problem in Indonesia: AJI Report
Instances of violence against journalists dropped in 2012 despite several high-profile abuse allegations levied against the Indonesian Military (TNI) and government officials this year, according to an Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) report. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/attacks-against-the-press-still-a-problem-in-indonesia-aji-report/563957?goback=%2Egde_1972950_member_195667021%2Egmr_1972950%2Egde_1972950_member_199773461
28 DECEMBER 2012
Two Indonesian authors received Hellman/Hammet awards
Two Indonesian authors achieved international awards from the Human Rights Watch (HRW). They are included on the list of forty-one authors around the world who also received such award. Those two authors are Putu Oka Sukanta from Bali and Dominikus Sorabut from Papua who received Hellman/Hammett Award. This appreciation is specially rendered to the authors who used to become the torture target for political background or human rights abuse in the past and need financial aid. http://projectingindonesia.com/people/two-indonesian-authors-received-hellmanhammet-award/?fb_source=pubv1&goback=%2Egde_1972950_member_195667021%2Egmr_1972950%2Egde_1972950_member_199773461
26 DECEMBER 2012
Indonesia’s strong growth and stable outlook
Indonesia’s GDP, while slowing down slightly, still grew by 6.2 per cent year-on-year (yoy) during the third quarter of 2012, which was slightly lower than during the second quarter, due to the continuing slower growth of exports.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2012/12/26/indonesias-economic-development-in-2012/
7 DECEMBER 2012
Indonesian Youth and Sports Minister resigns
As minister resigns in Jakarta over corruption inquiry storm hits Yudhoyono and Democrats Sports and Youth Minister Andi Malaranggeng quits after his family finds itself in middle of scandals over tender in the case of a sports centre. President and his party end up in the middle of a scandal and shady dealings
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/As-minister-resigns-in-Jakarta-over-corruption-inquiry-storm-hits-Yudhoyono-and-Democrats-26566.html http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/07/sports-and-youth-minister-resigns.html
22 NOVEMBER 2012
Tens of thousands protest in Indonesia
Tens of thousands of workers have gathered outside the presidential palace in Jakarta in Indonesia, demanding higher wages, better working conditions and that more economic growth trickle down to the working class. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/11/2012112253436646925.html http://asiancorrespondent.com/92400/thousands-of-indonesian-workers-rally-for-benefits/
16 NOVEMBER 2012
Improving the quality of Indonesia’s education spending
Indonesia has made an extraordinary commitment to education in the past decade. Since 2002 the government has had a constitutional mandate to allocate at least 20 per cent of its budget to education, a figure it achieved in 2009.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2012/11/16/improving-the-quality-of-indonesias-education-spending/
31 OCTOBER 2012
Indonesia Makes Huge Jump in Annual Global Prosperity Index
Indonesia has been ranked 63rd in the latest prosperity index, published by think-tank Legatum Institute on Tuesday, which showed an improvement that put it in line with its growing economic position
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesia-makes-huge-jump-in-annual-global-prosperity-index/553361?goback=%2Egde_1972950_member_180635841
23 OCTOBER 2012
Indonesia’s Aceh shuts Christian, Buddhist places of worship
Authorities in Indonesia’s only province that uses Islamic sharia laws said Tuesday they had closed some Christian places of worship and Buddhist temples following pressure from certain Muslim groups
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1232987/1/.html
20 OCTOBER 2012
Political battle in Jakarta over death penalty moratorium
President and the Supreme Court commute the death penalty against drug traffickers. According to the critics this will jeopardize the fight against drugs. Foreign Minister in favor of moratorium. Asia home to almost all executions.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Political-battle-in-Jakarta-over-death-penalty-moratorium-26143.html
3 OCTOBER 2012
Indonesia factory workers on strike for more pay
Tens of thousands of Indonesian factory workers have gone on a one-day strike to demand higher wages and better working conditions
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19816462
20 AUGUST 2012
US selling eight Apache helicopters to Indonesia
The United States is to sell eight Apache helicopters to Indonesia in a sign of strengthening ties aimed at boosting regional security, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1227194/1/.html
17 SEPTEMBER 2012
Indonesians clash with police outside US Embassy
Indonesians enraged over an anti-Islam film clashed with police outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Monday, hurling rocks and Molotov cocktails and setting tires ablaze. At least one police officer was seen bleeding from the head while being carried to safety by fellow officers http://asiancorrespondent.com/89473/indonesians-clash-with-police-outside-us-embassy/ http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Violent-protests-in-Jakarta-over-Muhammad-blasphemy-movie-25841.html
15 SEPTEMBER 2012
The 2013 Indonesian state budget draft
Indonesia’s 2013 state budget was initially expected to help boost economic growth by stimulating domestic consumption, investment and foreign trade but a review of the draft budget suggests that it is highly unlikely that this will be the cas
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2012/09/15/the-2013-indonesian-state-budget-draft/
31 AUGUST 2012
Indonesia short of naval muscle
Now, Indonesia is emerging again as a crucial player as US foreign policy « pivots » towards Asia, a geostrategic shift aimed at counterbalancing China’s rising power in the region. The geographical location of the sprawling archipelago, through which the majority of the world’s trade flows, includes a strategic chokepoint at the Malacca Strait for China’s energy imports
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NH31Ae01.html
25 AUGUST 2012
Indonesia may sell weapons, supplies to Iraq, Uganda
Indonesia may soon sell weapons and military supplies to Iraq and Uganda, in what a top defense official said would be a first for an ASEAN member nation
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/08/25/indonesia-may-sell-weapons-supplies-iraq-uganda.html
24 AUGUST 2012
Golkar Tells Indonesia’s 1965 Massacre Survivors Forget it
In July, after a four-year investigation, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) labeled as a serious human rights violation and a crime against humanity the orgy of violence that shook the country in 1965 following a failed coup attempt blamed on the communists. It is thought that up to 500,000 people died in the purge targeting the left, sparked by an attempt to overthrow the country’s founding President Sukarno
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4759&Itemid=202
6 AUGUST 2012
Interpol drops ‘red notice’ for dissident Benny Wenda; case was mainly ‘political’
Global policing body Interpol has dropped a wanted notice for an Indonesian dissident after authorities ruled the case against him was “predominantly political in nature.” http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/06/13144025-interpol-drops-red-notice-for-dissident-benny-wenda-case-was-mainly-political?lite&__utma=238145375.1358836827.1333475157.1344185328.1344273891.119&__utmb=238145375.1.10.1344273891&__utmc=238145375&__utmx=-&__utmz=238145375.1343667468.113.5.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=(not%20provided)&__utmv=238145375.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Cworld%20news%7Casia-pacific=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.msnbc.msn.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=260850382
19 JULY 2012
It’s official: Fauzi, Jokowi face showdown in September runoff
Election officials have confirmed that Surakarta Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and incumbent Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo were top finishers in the Jakarta gubernatorial election on July 11 and will face each other in a runoff election on Sept. 20. In announcing the final vote tabulations on Thursday, the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) said none of the six candidates running for governor had achieved the 50 percent of the vote required to win the election on the first ballot.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/07/20/it-s-official-fauzi-jokowi-face-showdown-september-runoff.html
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1214712/1/.html
18 JULY 2012
Officials Turn Blind Eye as Religious Tensions Rise in Indonesia
The problems began shortly after Tajul Muluk, a Shiite cleric, opened a boarding school in 2004. The school, in a predominantly Sunni Muslim part of East Java, raised local tensions, and in 2006 it was attacked by thousands of villagers. When a mob set fire to the school and several homes last December, many Shiites saw it as just the latest episode in a simmering sectarian conflict
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/world/asia/indonesia-turns-blind-eye-as-religious-tensions-rise.html?_r=1&ref=asia
Indonesia steps in to mediate South China sea dispute
Appealing for calm over the South China Sea disputes, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has dispatched his foreign minister to several Asean capitals to search for a consensus on the way forward to deal with the issue, particularly with China.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=33587&sec=1
11 JULY 2012
Runaway radicals in Indonesia
Indonesia’s Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI) pressure group has this year in turns assaulted Ahmadiya and Christian places of worship, attacked journalists who reported critically on its activities, forced through intimidation the cancellation of Lady Gaga’s scheduled concert, and ambushed various government police stations and courts.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NG12Ae02.html
6 JULY 2012
Islamic scholar Moeslim Abdurrahman passes away
Islamic scholar long known for his audacity in fighting against religious conservatism and promoting interreligious dialogue in Indonesia Moeslim Abdurrahman died on evening at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta at the age of 64.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/07/07/islamic-scholar-moeslim-abdurrahman-passes-away.html
21 JUNE 2012
Indonesian court sentences Bali bomber to 20 years in jail
An Indonesia court has sentenced Umar Patek, dubbed the « Demolition Man », to 20 years in jail, finding him guilty on all six charges related to his role in the 2002 Bali bombings.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/21/world/asia/patek-bali-bombing-verdict/index.html?hpt=ias_c1
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/06/201262113311341476.html
20 JUNE 2012
Islamists attack Health minister over condoms
New Health Minister Nafsiah Mboy, a pediatrician, wants to generalise the use of condom to stop the spread of AIDS. Ulema Council calls the proposal « immoral, » an encouragement to extramarital and premarital sex
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Islamists-attack-Health-minister-over-condoms-25082.html
14 JUNE 2012
Indonesian jailed over Facebook comment
Alexander Aan, 30, was found guilty on Thursday in a West Sumatra court of “spreading information inciting religious hatred” after declaring his atheism online and posting links to explicit cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8092c9c2-b6d5-11e1-8c96-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1xt9dooZx
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/15/prison-minang-atheist.html
Indonesian police kill Papua separatist Mako Tabuni
Police in the restive Indonesian province of Papua have shot dead a senior separatist leader, Mako Tabuni, sparking violent protests by locals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-18442620
27 MAY 2012
Lady Gaga calls off Indonesia concert
A show by pop diva Lady Gaga in Indonesia has been cancelled after religious conservatives threatened « chaos » if she entered the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/05/201252744957169990.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/27/gagas-romance-with-indonesian-little-monsters-ends-badly.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/05/27/gaga-cancellation-reflects-weak-govt-setara.html
5 MAY 2012
Indonesian Muslims rethink sex in new book
The Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI) has taken an unusual step to promote population control by releasing a book exploring the Koran’s position on sexual issues
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=30257&sec=1
9 APRIL 2012
Indonesians vote to elect new Aceh governor
People in Indonesia’s western-most province of Aceh have voted for a new governor, testing the strength of a peace deal signed by separatist fighters and the government in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/04/20124993311249877.html
30 MARCH 2012
Indonesia parliament votes against fuel price hike
Indonesia’s parliament rejected Saturday 31 a plan to hike the heavily subsidised fuel price by a third, instead voting in a law that would allow future hikes if global oil prices rise furthe http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1192305/1/.html
8 MARCH 2012
Women’s rights still denied in Indonesia
With this year’s International Women’s Day around the corner, women in Indonesia continue to struggle in a male-dominated world and efforts to protect their rights have been met with opposition from conservative groups. Data from the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) said that 119,107 cases of violence against women took place in 2011, up 13 percent from 105,103 in 2010
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=28470&sec=1
6 MARCH 2012
Indonesia to ban female MPs from wearing miniskirts
Women’s groups expressed outrage Tuesday after Indonesia’s parliament said it would draft rules banning female lawmakers from wearing « provocative » clothing such as miniskirts to work and claimed such dress invited rape http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120306-331966.html
27 FEBRUARY 2012
Indonesia court orders militant Bashir to serve 15 years
Indonesia’s top court on Monday 27 upheld a 15-year jail term against Islamist militant Abu Bakar Bashir for terrorist acts, reversing an earlier decision to slash the sentence to nine years http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120227-330486.html http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1693041.php/Indonesian-court-reinstates-15-year-jail-term-for-radical-cleric
13 FEBRUARY 2012
Indonesian firms invest heavily abroad
Direct investments made by Indonesian companies abroad almost tripled in value last year, central bank data reveals. Although the latest development is considered positive, many business players argue that it reflects deteriorating investment conditions domestically
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=27606&sec=1
Bali bomb suspect goes on trial in Indonesia
Umar Patek faces multiple charges, including premeditated murder, for deadly attacks that killed more than 200 people
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/02/201221335321846839.html
28 JANUARY 2012
Arms-wrestling in Indonesia
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is in danger of being caught in the crossfire between a newly emboldened parliament and the Indonesian military over a controversial US$600 million plan to buy 100 surplus Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks (MBT) from the Netherlands
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NA28Ae01.html
30 DECEMBER 2011
Shiite property burned down
A property compound belonging to the Shiite community in Sampang, Madura, was allegedly burned down by Sunni followers, the majority Islamic group in the country. The incident serves as a caution for the nation’s inter-religious relations
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/12/30/shiite-property-burned-down.html
23 DECEMBER 2011
Yudhoyono’s Annus Horribilis
As 2011 draws to a close, it would be hard to imagine a worse year for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party. The president’s image as a reformer has been irreparably damaged, along with his party’s hopes to maintain control of Indonesian politics into the future
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4083&Itemid=175
22 DECEMBER 2011
Korean-made submarine to be built on Indonesian soil
South Korea clinched a $1.1 billion deal to supply three submarines to Indonesia, beating tenders from France, Germany and Russia, because its offer included technology transfer, authorities said
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20111222-317755.html
9 DECEMBER 2011
Netherlands apologises for Indonesia massacre
The Dutch government has formally apologised to the families of victims of a 1947 massacre on Indonesia’s Java island which left at least 150 people dead
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2011/12/201112964254240828.html
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/09/9319481-six-decades-later-dutch-state-apologizes-for-indonesia-massacre
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1679846.php/LEAD-Netherlands-apologizes-for-1947-massacre-in-Indonesia
19 NOVEMBER 2011
Unrest in Indonesia’s Papua under scrutiny
Human rights organisations have called on Barack Obama, the United States president, to address abuses in West Papua during the his visit to Indonesia.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2011/11/201111194134492932.html17 NOVEMBER 2011
17 NOVEMBER 2011
S. Korea, Indonesia to deepen defense industry cooperation
Indonesia — South Korea and Indonesia agreed Thursday to strengthen defense industry cooperation and work closely together to carry out Indonesia’s major economic development blueprint, South Korea’s presidential office said.
http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20111117000893
8 NOVEMBER 2011
Ex-Citibank Indonesia manager goes on trial in fraud case
A former manager at Citibank in Indonesia went on trial Tuesday for allegedly embezzling 5 million dollars from the accounts of rich customers that she managed.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1673829.php/Ex-Citibank-Indonesia-manager-goes-on-trial-in-fraud-case
7 NOVEMBER 2011
Indonesia’s economy grows driven by high consumption
Gross domestic product rose 6.5% in the three months to September, compared to a year earlier, the Central Bureau of Statistics said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15615577
Indonesia to increase military spending
The Indonesian government has said it will increase its defence budget by 35 per cent next year, in a step which is seen as helping to balance China’s growing military strength in the region.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/11/201111752946225190.html
27 OCTOBER 2011
Indonesian court reduces Bashir’s sentence
A prominent Indonesian Muslim religious figure accused of setting up a « terror » training camp, has had his prison sentence reduced from 15
years to nine years by an appeals court. The court reduced Abu Bakar Bashir’s prison sentence on Wednesday, though no reason was given for the decision.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/10/201110275509579785.html
7 OCTOBER 2011
Indonesia’s Electorate Smells Graft
Indonesia’s citizens are growing increasingly fed up with the crookedry of their politicians. As an indication of the failure of the ostensible commitment of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to reformasi, only 12 percent believe the current crop are doing a better job than those who were running the country under the former strongman Suharto
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3834&Itemid=175
14 SEPTEMBER 2011
Dutch state liable over Indonesia massacre
A Dutch court has ordered the government to compensate the widows of seven villagers who were summarily executed and a man shot and
wounded in a notorious massacre during Indonesia’s bloody battle for independence from colonial rule.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/09/2011914132145205737.html
12 SEPTEMBER 2011
Indonesia’s second-largest political party Golkar on Monday picked tycoon and power-broker Aburizal Bakrie as its presidential candidate for elections in 2014
Bakrie and his entrepreneurial family are collectively worth billions and run businesses in Indonesia selling everything from telecommunications to coal to education. But the Bakries and their companies are mired in allegations of corruption and tax fraud. A Bakrie family spokesman has denied any wrongdoing, saying such allegations are « baseless and untrue »
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1152685/1/.html
26 JULY 2011
Indonesia’s SBY in Trouble
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is said by political analysts in Jakarta to be a major crisis, with his governing Democrat Party’s fugitive former treasurer leveling charges of widespread corruption against top party members
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3342&Itemid=175
15 JULY 2011
Indonesia’s Pols Spend Little Time Behind Bars
Indonesian lawmakers, who have been appearing in droves before the country’s anti-corruption court to confess to long strings of wrongdoing, appear to regard jail as a relatively minor annoying prospect. They seem to spend little time behind bars
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3318&Itemid=202
16 JUNE 2011
Abu Bakar Bashir, the controversial Indonesian cleric, has been jailed for 15 years on charges he helped plan and fund a camp of fighters in the western Aceh province which aimed to kill the country’s president.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/06/201161643518233306.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13781199http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3256&Itemid=202
30 MAY 2011
Fleeing politician tarnishes Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is faced with a simmering scandal at the heart of the Democratic Party that he heads,
threatening its unity just as jockeying is underway ahead of national elections due in 2014.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3225&Itemid=175
27 MAY 2011
Indonesia ex-treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin ‘flees’
The ex-treasurer of the governing Democratic party, Muhammed Nazaruddin, is accused of accepting bribes worth almost $3m (£1.8m).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13571046
25 MAY 2011
Tommy Suharto’s Brazen Libel Verdict
You can get away with it but only in Indonesia and when you’re Suharto’s son
Indonesia’s court system, ranked one of the most corrupt in Asia, has awarded the convicted murderer son of the late strongman Suharto Rp12.5 billion (USUS$1.46 million) from a magazine that called him a convicted murderer.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3215&Itemid=202
16 APRIL 2011
Eyes on spies in Indonesia
New legislation before Indonesia’s parliament aims to give special powers to intelligence agencies charged with fighting terrorism. While advocates of the bill argue tougher laws are needed to pre-empt attacks, if passed as proposed the legislation will erode civil liberties and represent a significant setback for the country’s fledgling democracy. The bill proposes to grant the main state intelligence agency, known as BIN, the power to arrest errorists before they attack. It also allows for the pre-emptive
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MD16Ae02.html
9 APRIL 2011
Boom in births worries Jakarta
Last year, the number of children born in Indonesia equalled almost the entire population of Singapore, or about 4.5 million. That brought the total population of the world’s fourth-most populous country to nearly 240 million.
http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/news.php?id=18376&sec=1
22 MARCH 2011
Indonesia’s Yudhoyono in the Cross Hairs
Al Jazeera says SBY’s former Army buddies are using Islamist attacks to oust him from power
It has seemed a mystery in recent weeks — why is the Ahmadiyah sect such a big issue all of a sudden in Indonesia?
On Tuesday, Al Jazeera English attempted to answer that question by airing long-whispered reports that « senior retired generals » are supporting Islamic hardliners to incite religious violence and overthrow Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
« The generals are using the groups in their efforts to topple President Yudhoyono because they feel he is too weak and too reformist, » Al Jazeera correspondent Step Vassen said in the report.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3080&Itemid=175
18 FEBRUARY 2011
Indonesian hardliners rally to disband Muslim sect
Hundreds of hardline Islamists rally in the Indonesian capital to demand President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono disband a minority Muslim
sect or resign. The white-clad members of the Islamic Defenders Front, carried banners calling for Yudhoyono’s resignation unless the Ahmadiyah sect is outlawed
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110218-264278.html
8 FEBRUARY 2011
A Muslim mob burned churches and clashed with police in Indonesia on Tuesday as they demanded the death penalty for a Christian man
convicted of blaspheming against Islam, police said.
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110208-262445.html
http://www.english.rfi.fr/asia-pacific/20110208-mob-attacks-churches-central-java
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12393075
9 NOVEMBER 2010
US President Barack Obama has praised Indonesia’s successful transition to democracy and sealed a « comprehensive partnership » agreement with his Indonesian counterpart on the first day of a long-delayed visit to his childhood country.
http://www.france24.com/en/20101109-barack-obama-pledges-close-partnership-trip-indonesia-jakarta
16 OCTOBER 2010
Suharto’s law prohibiting freedom of expression abolished
The Constitutional Court rules depriving the Attorney General the power to ban books and printed materials. The law of 1963 was used during the regime of President Suharto as a tool of repression of all forms of political dissent.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Suharto’s-law-prohibiting-freedom-of-expression-abolished-19740.html
5 OCTOBER 2010
Indonesian President Postpones Netherlands Trip
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono delayed a state visit to the Netherlands on October 5, 2010 on fears he could be arrested over
accusations of human rights abuses
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/world/asia/06indo.html?ref=asia
Dutch court dismisses Indonesian president arrest call
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11483401
24 AUGUST 2010
Indonesia’s Aceh Province and Shariah
Eroding Indonesia’s Secular Freedoms
Despite Indonesia having a secular Constitution, devoutly Muslim Aceh was allowed to adopt parts of Shariah law, presumably to prevent the Acehnese from joining the rebellious Free Aceh Movement (GAM). In 1999, then-President BJ Habibie signed a special law on Aceh that, among other things, granted the province a special status and the right to partly implement shariah. However, the law did not stipulate how Islamic law would be implemented. Two years later, President Megawati Sukarnoputri signed into law an autonomy package that included comprehensive regulations on establishing Shariah courts and Shariah bylaws. Based on these two pieces of legislation — that were drafted, discussed, and approved in Jakarta, Aceh established its first shariah court in 2003, and publicly caned its first violator in 2005.
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2650&Itemid=175
9 AUGUST 2010
Abu Bakar Bashir, the Indonesian Muslim cleric once imprisoned for his links to the group behind the Bali bombings, has been
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/08/20108954020564174.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-1091031http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1576673.php/Police-Arrested-cleric-is-leader-of-al-Qaeda-Indonesia
24 JULY 2010
US, Indonesia retie a controversial knot
Thursday’s (July 22) announcement in Jakarta that Washington will resume training for the Indonesian military’s controversial special forces unit Kopassus has been denounced by human-rights groups and two key lawmakers here
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LG24Ae01.html
29 MARCH 2010
Siradj, new president of Nahdlatul Ulama, a Muslim organisation friendly towards Christians
Elected as the new leader of the organization, Sais Agil Siradj wants to promote basic education and social and economic assistance for everyone. He reiterates his organization’s commitment to the fight against terrorism and to openness towards minorities and other religions Sais Agil Siradj, the new leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said that he was close to the founding principles that gave rise to the Muslim organization, which will remain above the political fray. In his inaugural address as NU chief, he laid out his plans for the organization and indicated that his real concern was to guarantee a basic education to everyone and provide social and economic assistance to Muslims throughout Indonesia.
Known for its moderate views, NU has in the past defended Christians, both Protestants and Catholics, from the violence of Muslim extremists
Siradj will follow the line of former NU leader and former President Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur, who insisted that the organization should not become a political party, a task that belongs to the National Awakening Party (PKB). NU members should thus keep politics and religion apart.
Finally, the NU’s new president reminded his audience, “None of the students staying at one of the organization’s 14,000 boarding schools is tied to terrorism” and that he would fight to preserve the “pluralist spirit” that characterizes the movement.
In directly addressing the issue of terrorism, the new leader responded to an appeal made by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, who during the five-day meeting of the organization, called for a “joint effort” in the struggle against religious extremism and terrorism.
Siradj, who is a graduate of a Saudi university, will be joined by Kiai Hajj Sahal Mahfudz as his second in command at the helm of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization with some 60 million members.
Founded in 1926, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is a Sunni Muslim organisation known for its tolerance towards other Muslim groups and
religious minorities.
Former President Abdurrahman Wahid was one of its most charismatic leaders. He played a key role in repealing laws that discriminated
against the country’s Chinese minority
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Siradj,-new-president-of-Nahdlatul-Ulama,-a-Muslim-organisation-friendly-towards-Christians-18007.html
18 MARCH 2010
39 Indonesian Lawmakers Named in Bribery Case
Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission formally named 39 former and sitting members of the House of Representatives Thursday of
taking billions of rupiah in bribes to secure the appointment of Miranda Goeltom as senior deputy governor of Bank Indonesia, the country’s central bank
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2351&Itemid=175
30 December 2009
Former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid passes away at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Central Jakarta.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/30/former-ri-president-abdurrahman-wahid-passes-away.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/12/30/president-lead-gus-dur039s-funeral.html
2 DECEMBER 2009
Indonesia ‘bans’ film on journalists’ deaths in East Timor
Indonesia has banned the film Balibo, which depicts the deaths of six foreign journalists in East Timor, the head of the foreign correspondents club said. The journalists died as Indonesian troops invaded East Timor in 1975
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8390075.stm
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2173&Itemid=202
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/12/200912824629737228.html
13 MARCH 2009
Papua’s struggle for independence
Papua became part of Indonesia in 1969 after a controversial and very limited vote. Ever since there have been calls from some Papuans for independence and for decades a low-level armed resistance has been rumbling on, largely unnoticed by the outside.
Here is a rare video of Papua’s freedom fighters filmed by a British activist
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7942026.stm
21 May 2008
Ten years ago, it was the fall of General suharto, the 32 years long dictator of Indonesia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7412198.stm