Poverty-stricken fields ripe for reforms

Jakarta Globe - September 16, 2010

Teddy Lesmana -- Poverty remains a serious problem in Indonesia, despite the country's improved economic performance and robust economic growth in recent years.

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recently showed that 13 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, still far behind the UN Millennium Development Goal to lower the number to 8 percent by 2015.

Over half of our nation's poor are small farmers (those who own less than 0.5 hectares of land) and farm laborers in rural areas.

And their numbers are growing, even with economic growth – agricultural census data in 2003 showed the number of small farmers to be increasing by an average of 2.6 percent per year.

Protesters take to the streets to demand government revoke decree

Jakarta Post - September 17, 2010 -- Hundreds of people joined two rallies in Jakarta on Thursday demanding the government revoke the 2006 Joint Ministerial Decree on Places of Worship as it resulted many interfaith conflicts.

"This decree has provided a justification to prohibit Indonesians from worshipping, with the majority being allowed to decide whether minorities can be granted licenses for their houses of worship," Marinus Yosafat, the head of the South Jakarta branch of the Association of Catholic Students of the Republic of Indonesia (PMKRI), told The Jakarta Post during a demonstration in front of National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Struggle for land rights in Yogyakarta

ARMP in one of their consolidation next to the beach

By Zoe Kenny, in Yogyakarta

The beach-side town of Parangtritis, on the southern coast of Yogyakarta, is currently the site of a protracted and bitter struggle over land between the local government and people.
The south coast is an important asset for the tourism industry in Yogyakarta. Foreign investors plan to build a 68.2 hectare golf course, a 55 hectare resort and three- and four-star hotels. This will result in thousands of home evictions.

Since 2006, at least 250 families have been evicted and their homes destroyed. They have been moved to temporary accommodation in the area. Ninety-nine other families are threatened by eviction in this area. Families were given 1.5 million rupiah (about A$190), far less than is needed to purchase a new home. Instead, they were offered a tiny shack, on which they may have to pay rent in the future.

Electricity rate hikes unite Indonesian opposition

By Vivi Widyawati, in Jakarta

Around 800 demonstrators from the National Movement for the Cancellation of Basic Electricity Rate Hikes and the Reduction of Prices held a protest action at the State Palace in central Jakarta on August 7. The movement is a broad alliance involving more than 45 organisations. Actions were also held in Medan (North Sumatra), Bandung (West Java), Makassar (South Sulawesi), Ternate (North Maluku), Surabaya (East Java) and Samarinda (East Kalimantan). Earlier, around 80 protesters from Perempuan Mahardhika (Free Women) held a one-hour action at the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry and then joined the protest at the palace.

The national action was a concrete form of united people’s power against the puppet capitalist regime of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Boediono, the parliament and the bourgeois political parties.

On July 1 the Yudhoyono government began the gradual withdrawal of the electricity subsidy, resulting in an average increase to the basic electricity rate of 10%. It is proposing a further increase of 15% in early 2011. The justification for this was increases in the cost of electricity generator components, resulting in a blow-out of basic supply costs for the state electricity company, PLN. It was also influenced by the rising cost of Indonesian crude oil, which is expected to reach US$80 a barrel, and an expected increase in electricity demand of 6.6% in 2010 and 7.4% in 2011.

Tertiary education becoming more elitist, poor students missing out

Kompas - September 13, 2010

Jakarta -- Tertiary education is becoming more elitist compared with the 1990s 
and 1990s, with the participation of those from less well off families dropping. 
The increasingly high cost of study is the principle obstacle facing the poor 
wishing to attend tertiary education.

This fact can be seen from a study on gross enrollment ratio (GER) rates based 
on the economic background of students.

Looking at population census data for the years 2003-2008, the tertiary 
education GER disparity between students from rich and poor families is 
extremely high.

Hundreds of protesters in Jakarta demand resolution to Munir's murder

Tempo Interactive - September 7, 2010
Rosalina, Jakarta -- A number of organisations that are part of the group Friends of Munir held a protest action in Jakarta on September 7 demanding a full resolution to the death of human rights activist Munir. The protesters, who numbered around 700, gathered in front of the State Palace while giving speeches and holding a theatrical action complete with a human effigy bandaged in white cloth similar to a burial shroud.

According to action coordinator Poltak Agustinus Sinaga, the effigy symbolised the fact that up until this day there has been no resolution for the victims of human rights violations. "Many victims of human rights violations have died but there has been no settlement. So we are asking for a full resolution", he said in front of the State Palace.

Activists say Munir case being systematically weakened and neglected

Tribunnews.com - September 5, 2010

Alie Usman, Jakarta -- Scores of social and non-government organisations that
are part of the Friends of Munir movement gathered today to commemorate six
years since Munir's death, a human rights activists killed mysteriously on his
way to continue studies in the Netherlands six years ago.

As well as holding joint prayers, the Friends of Munir also issued a statement
on the slow pace of law enforcement agencies in handing the murder.

The group believes that over the last two years the government has ignored the
Munir murder as well as other human rights cases. Moreover there is a sense that
the Munir case is gradually starting to be buried and left behind.

Sleep-in action by dismissed WRP workers enters second week

Tribun-Medan.com - September 7, 2010

Medan -- Since August 31, as many as 55 WRP Buana Multi Corpora workers have held a sleep-over action in front of the North Sumatra Regional House of Representatives (DPRD Sumut).
(see previous news here)

The action was held to demand their rights as workers who were arbitrarily dismissed in June 2009. The workers are demanding severance pay in accordance with prevailing legislation, or to be re-employed by the Malaysian company owned by Mr. Lee Song Hong and their wages paid during the strike.

Quota for Women in Senior Party Positions Falls Short

Jakarta Globe - September 7, 2010

Armando Siahaan, Jakarta -- The legal requirement that a third of a
political party's executive board be comprised of female officials was
being blatantly ignored, a civil society group said on Tuesday.

Yuda Irlang, from the Civil Society Alliance for Political Law Revision
(Ansipol), said that according to the group's research, not one party had
complied with the 2008 Law on Politics that stipulates 30 percent of all
parties' central executive boards must be made up of women.

No holiday bonus and no job, security officers hold sit-in action

Detik.com - September 7, 2010

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – It's like having fallen, and then have the stairs fall on top of you. Such is the fate of scores of Saphire Square security guards in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta.

With the Lebaran holidays at the end of the fasting month fast approaching, not only have they not received any holiday bonuses (THR) but have also been sacked from their jobs.

"We have not had a pay day for one-and-a-half months and there has also been no 2010 Idul Fitri THR", complained Yanto, one of the security guards holding a sit-in protest action in front of the Saphire Square terrace on Jl. Laksda Adisucipto in Yogyakarta on Tuesday September 7.