Student protesters say draft intelligence law threat to freedom

Detik.com - June 23, 2011

Tolak RUU Intelijen, Mahasiswa Merantai Tangan Sendiri – Detik. Kamis, 23/06/2011 <http://www.detiknews.com/read/2011/06/23/174234/1667242/10/tolak-ruu-intelijen-mahasiswa-merantai-tangan-sendiri>

Ari Saputra, Jakarta -- Students and workers have again demonstrated against the draft law on state intelligence (RUU Intelijen Negara), this time by covering their bodies with white paint and chaining their hands together to symbolise the shackling of freedom should the draft intelligence law be ratified by the House of Representatives.

"There are articles in the draft intelligence law that are a threat to the freedom of expression and organisation. Such as intelligence [personnel] having the right to make arbitrary arrests and the lack of any control mechanism or clarification with regard to people who are arrested", said action spokesperson Mutiara Ika Pratiwi during a break in a demonstration in front of the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) office on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta on Thursday June 23.

Indonesia: Government regulation on female circumcision must be repealed

Joint statement by Amnesty International and Indonesian civil society organizations - June 23, 2011

AI Index: ASA 21/015/2011

Indonesian authorities must immediately repeal the newly issued government regulation permitting female circumcision ('sunat perempuan'), and instead enact specific legislation with appropriate penalties prohibiting all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The new regulation legitimizes the practice of female genital mutilation and authorizes certain medical professionals, such as doctors, midwives and nurses, to perform it. The new regulation defines this practice as "the act of scratching the skin covering the front of the clitoris, without hurting the clitoris". The procedure includes "a scratch on the skin covering the front of clitoris (frenulum clitoris) using the head of a single use sterile needle" (Article 4.2 (g)). According to the new regulation, the act of female circumcision can only be conducted with the request and consent of the person circumcised, parents, and/or guardians.

Security approach triggering widespread rights violations in Papua

Kompas - June 3, 2011

Papua: Penanganan Militer Picu Pelanggaran HAM Marak - Kompas. Jumat, 03 Juni 2011 <http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/06/03/04270539/penanganan.militer.picu.pelanggaran.ham.marak>

Jakarta -- The government is still dealing with problems by military means (securitisation, use of extraordinary means in the name of security) in attempting to overcome problems in Papua. But instead of resolving the Papua problem, securitisation is instead the trigger for even more widespread human rights violations. Ironically, despite the securitisation that is taking place in Papua, its status is not one of martial law or civil or civil emergency.

Securitisation is an assessment of a situation or problem where the state uses the military to resolve a problem. "There is a bias towards using the military. As if by using the military, the Papua problem will be resolved", said Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) Program Director Al Araf in Jakarta on Thursday June 2.

Electoral participation could drop to 60 percent by 2014

Kompas - May 29, 2011

Dinamika Politik: Parpol Kian Kehilangan Pemilih Loyal – Kompas. Senin, 30 Mei 2011 <http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/05/30/05055349/parpol.kian.kehilangan.pemilih.loyal>

Jakarta -- The number of floating voters is tending to increase. This can be seen not just from the decline in participation levels in elections between 1999 and 2009, but the political parties in general would be unable to hold on to their constituents if an election was held today.

This was revealed by Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) researcher Saiful Mujani on Sunday May 29 in Jakarta. The participation levels in elections between 1999 and 2009 have declined. If this trend is linear, in the next five years participation levels will decline to 60 percent. The decline in electoral participation of 20 percent in just a decade, according to Saiful, indicates the weakness of the relationship between the political parties and their constituents.

Call for Solidarity for Nanang Ibrahim & PT Micro Garment Indonesia workers strike

Comrade Nanang Ibrahim is the local chairperson of the PT Micro Garment Solidarity Alliance for Labour Struggle (GSPB) who was arbitrarily dismissed by the PT Micro Garment management on February 4 in a letter received on February 21. Comrade Nanang Ibrahim is being sued by the PT Micro Garment management through Hermanto A Nurdin as PT Micro Garment's Human Resource Development officer, which is demanding compensation be paid to the company amounting to Rp 371,700,000.00 in material damages and Rp 15,000,000.00 in immaterial damages and the company is demanding that Nanang be sacked without severance pay. Nanang's trial will be held at the Industrial Relations Court building at the Bandung District Court on Jl. Sukarno Hatta No. 584 in Bandung, West Java, on Monday May 30 at 9am.

Liberalisation leading to foreign control of food sector

Kompas - May 25, 2011

Hulu-Hilir Pangan oleh Asing – Kompas. Rabu, 25 Mei 2011 <http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/05/25/03064394/.hulu-hilir.pangan.oleh.asing.>

Jakarta – Foreign penetration through multi-national companies in the food sector is increasing and spreading. Foreign companies in Indonesia don't just control trade, but have spread into upstream activities such as agricultural production, covering seed and medicines, through to the processing, packing, trade, transportation and the retail industry.

Friends of Venezuela: We Reject United States Sanctions Against Venezuela

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the United States Department of State unilaterally imposed sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), for its alleged relations with the government of Iran. The sanctions are a desperate and weak attempt to link Venezuela to Iran’s nuclear energy program as part of an ongoing campaign to justify further aggressive action against the South American oil producing nation.

Strategic economic sectors dominated by foreign interests

Kompas - May 23, 2011

Ekonomi Didominasi Asing - Komaps. Senin, 23 Mei 2011 <http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/05/23/03591091/ekonomi.didominasi.asing..>

Jakarta -- Foreign domination of strategic economic sectors is spreading and deepening. It has been suggested that the government reorganised strategic economic development so the benefits are more evenly felt by the ordinary people and greater competitiveness in the face of global competition.

Foreign domination has become progressively stronger in strategic sectors such as energy and mineral resources, telecommunication and the plantation sector. With this kind of foreign domination, the economy often appears to have been hijacked by their interests.

New terrorism bill 'threatens the press'

Jakarta Post - May 21, 2011

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta -- The new anti-terror bill, set to enter deliberation this year, provides stronger prevention measures, but contains articles that potentially threaten freedom of expression and speech, activists and experts say.

At least two articles within the bill, set to replace the 2003 Anti-Terrorism Law, could hinder freedom of expression, said activist Al Araf from human rights NGO Imparsial.

Article 13A of the bill, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, stipulates that anybody having knowledge of a planned act of terrorism without informing the authorities could be jailed for a term of up to seven years.

Activists turned politicians yet to make their mark

Kompas - May 14, 2011

Generasi Baru Indonesia yang Belum Mewarnai – Kompas. 14 Mei 2011. <http://cetak.kompas.com/read/2011/05/14/04172876/generasi.baru.indonesia.yang.belum.mewarnai>

M Hernowo -- Case of human rights violations that took place around the time of the fall of the New Order regime have still not been fully resolved. Moreover President Suharto's decision on May 21, 1998 to release his grip on the reigns power, which he held for 32 years, has been taken advantage of by some groups.

Among those who benefited from Suharto's resignation 13 years ago were former activists who fought against the New Order regime. The political space that opened up during the reformasi era provided opportunities to these activists to move more freely, such as becoming members of the House of Representatives (DPR), political party leaders and member of the government.