Against the France based company: Student solidarity against PT. Weda Bay Nickel

Statement by the Weda Local Mining Communities Concern Alliance (APMLT) - March 17, 2011

- Capitalism and the rotten political elite are the instigators of the people's poverty
- Dissolve the military guardians of capital
- Mining and natural resources for the people's welfare

Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution mandates that the country's natural wealth, mining, forestry products, plantations and agriculture, as well as the sea's riches throughout the territory of Indonesia be managed in the interests of the people's. The reality however is exactly the opposite. The capitalist economic system that is in effect in Indonesia ensures that the profits from the management of natural resources are the sole property of the capitalist class.

PT. Weda Bay Nieckel is a mining company that for 17 years has managed a nickel mine in Weda, Central Halmahera regency, North Maluku province. Between 1993 and 2011, the French based company has employed thousands of mine workers as contract, permanent daily workers and daily casual workers. 

Appeal for financial solidarity with the victims and evacuees of the worst Northeastern-Japan earthquake/tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster

Japan Revolutionary Communist League (JRCL) 
National Council of Internationalist Workers (NCIW)

March 17, 2011

On March 11, at 2:30 PM (JST), the tremendously powerful earthquake of magnitude 9 hit the vast area of Eastern Japan, comprised of Northeast and Kanto regions. The earthquake gave rise to the formidable tsunami, and the latter devastated numerous cities and towns all along the Pacific coast from the northernmost prefecture of Aomori to the southern Chiba prefecture. At the time of March 17, the number of deaths and missing persons is already close to 20,000, and the number continues to increase.

Fighting for women's rights in Indonesia

Direct Action - March 2011

Zoe Kenny -- The story of women in Indonesia is inseparable from the development of the Indonesian nation itself. Indonesia was swept up in the global wave of anti-colonial national liberation movements in the mid-20th century, declaring its independence in 1945 after almost 350 years of Dutch colonial rule. The key leader of Indonesia's national liberation struggle, Sukarno, went on to became the country's first president.

Sukarno's presidency was characterised by his desire to develop the country in an independent direction, politically and economically. Sukarno was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement, which included other important Third World countries such as India and Egypt, and which aimed to forge a third path through the Cold War between the US-led capitalist camp and the Soviet Union. Sukarno's progressive, independent stance was broad enough to encompass friendly relations with the huge and popular Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), which at the height of its influence had more than 20 million members.

National news compilation on IWD 2011

Discrimination and violence against women on the rise: Komnas Perempuan


Kompas - March 8, 2011

Diskriminasi: Negara Kehilangan Kendali – Kompas. Selasa, 08 Maret 2011. <http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/03/08/0444017/negara.kehilangan.kendali>

Jakarta -- The institutionalisation of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion and beliefs is causing women, particularly those from minority groups, to progressively lose their sense of security. The terror that they face includes threats to life.

"Since 1999 up until early March 2011 there were 195 discriminatory policies found at the national, provincial and regency level", said Arimbi Heroeputri from the Monitoring Division of the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) during the launch of Komnas Perempuan 2010 Annual Report in Jakarta on Monday March 7. This, the 10th annual report by Komnas Perempuan marks the 100th commemoration of International Women's Day on Tuesday March 8.

Indonesia Women struggle against poverty, discrimination and exploitation

Zely Ariane[1]

2011 International Womens Day. International women day is still largely unknown  among Indonesian women when compared with 1^st May to Indonesian workers. This  is not very surprising since the struggle for  the liberation of women only developed several years after reformasi[2], with its  mushrooming of different kinds of women's organizations, communities, NGOs, research institutions, women's legal aid etc.,  that openly advocated women's social and political rights.

Before reformasi, for 33 years the Indonesian people lived under the dictatorship of Soeharto who destroyed politically and organizationally the ideas of women's liberation and equality. Not only killing the ideas, the regime also killed and imprisoned thousands of women activists from Indonesian Women Movement (Gerwani) in 1966. Soeharto maintained the idea that women are the counterpart of men and the kind of organizations that were introduced were “housewives” organizations and family welfare groups. 

Most Merapi temporary shelters still unfinished

Antara News - February 20, 2011

Sleman, Yogyakarta -- Although three months have passed since the recent devastating eruptions of Indonesia's Mount Merapi, most of the temporary shelters the government promised to build for displaced victims are not 
yet ready for occupation, according to a local official.

"Many of the shelters that have been built cannot yet be occupied due to problems related to the supporting infrastructure," Sleman District Chief Sri Purnomo told reporters when he accompanied Yogyakarta Governor Sri 
Sultan Hamengkubowono X on a visit to shelters at Banjarsari, Glagaharjo and Cangkringan, on Saturday.

Dita Sari looses 3kg since becoming Labour Ministry spokesperson

Dita Sari (below-right) otogether with former vice president and wife (middle); on her back: General Chairperson of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO) together with chief of Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN). Picture from http://matanews.com/2009/06/06/bangkit-mandiri/

Note: Dita Sari was a chairperson of People's Democratic Party (PRD). During or right before the 2009 election she was reportedly resigned from PRD. Until now there's no responsible explanation to the public by PRD of what had Dita Sari been done politically. According to this news, she's now a spokesperson of Labor Minister.

Background readings: article 1 and compilation article 2

_____________________________________________ 

Detik.com - February 16, 2011

Dita Indah Sari Susut 3 Kg Setelah Jadi Jubir Menaker - Detik News. Rabu, 16/02/2011.

Nurvita Indarini, Jakarta -- Dita Indah Sari and labour are two things that are inseparable. But over the last three months, she has chosen to work within bureaucratic circles. And in those 3 months, her weight has dropped by 3kg. Duh!

Since late 2010, Dita has been a trusted expert staff member as well as the spokesperson for Labour and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin (Imin) Iskandar. Getting close to the inner circle of policy makers has resulted in her being super-busy.

"I dropped 3kg, Mbak (sister). A drop of 3kg in three months", Dita said with a laugh when speaking with Detik.com on Wednesday February 16.

Domestic workers take to the streets demanding decent wages & protection

Seruu.com - February 14, 2011

Seruu.com. Senin, 14 Februari 2011.

Yogyakarta -- Scores of demonstrators from the Yogyakarta Domestic Worker Protection Network (JPPRT) took to the streets on Monday February 14 demanding decent wages and protection for domestic workers.

According to action coordinator Henny, the domestic workers' demands are totally reasonable because in reality domestic workers are still vulnerable to physical, psychological, social and economic violence.

Domestic workers (PRT) represent the largest group of working women, which in global terms total more than 100 million around the world, with 4 million in Indonesia and more than 6 million others working overseas. In the special Yogyakarta province of Central Java alone there are more than 36,000 domestic workers.

Women's rights activists say pornography law intruding into people's private lives

Okezone.com - February 4, 2011

Luna Maya Didukung Aktivis Perempuan - Okezone.com - Jum'at, 4 Februari 2011
<http://celebrity.okezone.com/read/2011/02/04/33/421408/luna-maya-didukung-
aktivis-perempuan>

Mahfiroh, Jakarta -- Women's activists including the Women's Legal Aid Foundation (LBH APIK) and the Free Women National Network (JRPM) are supporting television host Luna Maya as a victims of the distribution of a private video containing sex scenes. The legal proceedings against Maya are not in accordance with the aims of the anti-pornography law.

The groups said that in the application of the anti-pornography law in the case involving the distribution of a private video containing sex scenes from a computer hard disk belonging to pop star Nazril "Ariel" Irham, his fiancee Luna
Maya has been a victim who in the end became a suspect.

Decline in workers' purchasing power threatens consumption, national industry

Kompas - February 4, 2011

Inflasi - Daya Beli Buruh Bakal Kian Merosot – Kompas. Jumat, 4 Februari 2011.
<http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/02/04/02461433/daya.beli.buruh.bakal.kian.mer
osot>

Jakarta -- The government should be more serious about controlling the rising rate of inflation. If the situation continues, people's purchasing power, especially fixed-income labor groups, will continue to decline and impact on national consumption levels.

The decline in domestic consumption will further weaken the resilience of national manufacturing industries that are already reeling under the impact of imported products. Declining domestic purchasing power will result in the national economy being more vulnerable to crisis.