tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19673251509660998862024-03-08T07:22:22.407-08:00Obor Rakyat EnglishIndonesian Poet ConnectorObor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-33535256654456804882018-11-03T23:56:00.001-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.541-08:00Australia-Indonesia relationship faces months of uncertainty<strong>Australia-Indonesia relationship faces months of uncertainty</strong><br/><br/>Advertisement<p><strong>Jakarta</strong>: Should Australia move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem?</p><p>It's now more than two weeks since Prime Minister Scott Morrison flagged the proposal on the eve of the Wentworth byelection, and the diplomatic repercussions are still being felt.</p><video controls="true"></video><figure><p>Replay</p>Replay Video</figure>Loading<figure>Play Video</figure><figure>Play Video</figure><p>While there is little doubt that such a move would please US President Donald Trump - were he to notice it - as it would align Canberra with Washington's decision to move their embassy earlier this year, the proposal has roiled the Australian foreign policy establishment because of the potential impact on our relationship with near-neighbour Indonesia.</p><p>Malcolm Turnbull's blunt assessment of what would happen if the proposal was implemented - &qu ot;it would be met with a very negative reaction in Indonesia" - during his visit to Bali this week for meetings with Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has caused bad blood between the prime minister and his predecessor and kicked along debate.</p>Advertisement<p>It's in that context that the warning from Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, Indonesia's ambassador in Canberra from 2012 to 2017 and a friend of Australia, should be understood.</p><p>"The issue of Palestine, for the people of Indonesia, is very deep inside their hearts," he says.</p><figure><img alt="Nadjib Riphat Kesoema (right) welcomes Tony Abbott to Bali in 2013." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.168%2C$multiply_1.95%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_378%2C$x_304%2C$y_1/t_crop_custom/w_736/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/b0381b5c3725de2520f927eec60501bad54d9378"/><figcaption><p>Nadjib Riphat Kesoema (right) welcomes Tony Abbott to Bali in 2013.<cite>Credit:Al ex Ellinghausen</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>"The [potential] move of your embassy of course makes people - many people and many organisations - think that this is not a friendly move towards Indonesia.</p><p>"It's difficult for the [Indonesian] government to convince the people that this is nothing to do with our [two nations'] friendship."</p><p>To that end, Nadjib says Australia should pursue a foreign policy more independent of the US and "become more part of Asia".</p><p>That's a polite way of suggesting Australia should not move its embassy to Jerusalem, nor recognise the city as Israel's capital.</p><p>Privately, allies of Turnbull say he is dismayed by his successor's byelection-eve embassy proposal, fearing it could risk the friendship and trade deal between the two nations, and hopeful the newish government in Canberra backs down.</p><figure><img alt="Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in November 2015. The two men invested considerable political effort in the trade deal between their countries." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.694%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_256%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/8eb94106b8f128f93074ca678f4e71bbf129abc8"/><figcaption><p>Then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in November 2015. The two men invested considerable political effort in the trade deal between their countries.<cite>Credit:AP</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian government had already examined the possibility of moving the embassy to Jerusalem months ago, following Trump's move, with cabinet's National Security Committee informally considering - and dismissing - the idea.</p><p>The former PM struck up a close relationship with Jokowi and the pair were due to sign the long-delayed Indonesia-Australia free trade deal at the Oceans Conference this week.</p><p> While the signing didn't take place, Turnbull said publicly he believed there was no reason the agreement wouldn't be signed in the next few weeks.</p>Loading<p>Senior ministers in the Morrison government have told Fairfax Media that the concern over the embassy proposal is primarily coming from the Australian side and that their Indonesian counterparts have not raised the issue with them in private meetings.</p><p>In Jakarta, however, it's a little more complicated than that.</p><p>When Trump announced the US embassy would move, it sparked protests on the streets of the Indonesian capital.</p><p>That hasn't happened yet following Morrison's announcement of a review, but if Australia presses ahead and implements the move, such protests are possible.</p><figure><img alt="The Palestinian flag (seen here top right) is a common sight at mass protests in Jakarta." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_1.023%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_248 %2C$y_60/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/9f29ce728852f0376b7173eba78df79029293de0"/><figcaption><p>The Palestinian flag (seen here top right) is a common sight at mass protests in Jakarta.<cite>Credit:Dewi Nurcahyani</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>For Indonesians, the rights of the Palestinians are a very sensitive issue.</p><p>The constitution of Indonesia, promulgated in 1945, states clearly that independence is the right of all nations and that colonialism must be abolished.</p><p>It's through that prism - Israel as colonisers, and the Palestinians as people who have a right to a homeland - that the issue is understood by many Indonesians.</p><p>Publicly, the Indonesian government has been critical of the proposal. Privately, hard heads in Kemlu, Indonesia's foreign ministry, say they understand the announcement was made for domestic political reasons.</p><p>"We understand it was about Wentworth. But we have asked the Australians not to follow t hrough on this," says one seasoned observer.</p><figure><img alt="In Jakarta, officials understand that Scott Morrison's Jerusalem proposal was floated in the context of a key byelection. But they are watching for the next move." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.53%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_36/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/4ecc5151b98c63d98d09c53491d7593022fd35dd"/><figcaption><p>In Jakarta, officials understand that Scott Morrison's Jerusalem proposal was floated in the context of a key byelection. But they are watching for the next move.<cite>Credit:AAP</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>Turnbull's assessment of the potential damage to the bilateral relationship if the embassy move goes ahead is accurate.</p><p>At this stage, the free trade agreement is not at risk of not being signed, but ratification of the document by Indonesia's parliament could be delayed if the embassy move goes ahead.</p><p> And as the April 2019 Indonesian elections approach, the opposition parties - led by presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, an ardent nationalist who has thus far refused to buy into the dispute - could change course and use the issue to criticise Jokowi for doing the trade deal with Australia.</p><p>If that happens, and protests begin from hardline pro-Palestinian groups in Indonesia, the heat will be on Jokowi to delay or even drop the free trade deal.</p><figure><img alt="Joko Widodo will want to avoid negative publicity as he confronts presidential rival Prabowo Subianto (pictured)." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.694%2C$multiply_1.95%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_378%2C$x_70%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/w_736/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/0a6c0ac36ceaeae8bf6e1bb562f385d2447dcd9d"/><figcaption><p>Joko Widodo will want to avoid negative publicity as he confronts presidential rival Prabowo Subianto (pictured).<cite>Credit:AP</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>In a choice between backin g the Palestinian cause and securing re-election, or backing the free trade deal, Australia will lose out.</p><p>Evi Fitriani, an international relations academic at the University of Indonesia, is in no doubt that moving the embassy would affect bilateral relations and potentially delay the free trade deal.</p><p>"I think it can affect IA-CEPA [the trade deal]. Because in so many occasions Australia always says that both of us share the same values on many things, including human rights. In fact, if Australia considers moving its embassy to Jerusalem it is not in accordance with sharing the same values because Israel is so not pro-human rights in its action towards Palestine," she says.</p><p>"This issue is quite sensitive here in Indonesia now because the president is facing an election year. His opponents could exploit the situation if the government does not react properly to this issue.</p><figure><img alt="An injured Palestinian youth receives treatment in a fie ld clinic after being shot by Israeli troops during a protest in the Gaza Strip in July." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.431%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_0.666667%2C$width_378%2C$x_241%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/w_368/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/59e085c229a10c29ed987020d27a0e684f06247c"/><figcaption><p>An injured Palestinian youth receives treatment in a field clinic after being shot by Israeli troops during a protest in the Gaza Strip in July.<cite>Credit:AP</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>"I donât think it will go as far as cutting off diplomatic ties, but it could somehow push the signing of IA-CEPA until after the presidential election."</p><p>At the Singapore-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, research fellow Aaron Connelly says that at this stage it appears the Morrison proposal does not appear to have been "as damaging as some in Canberra have initially suggested, and feared. But keep in mind, the political context can change."</p><p> He says that much will hinge on whether the move actually goes ahead and whether Prabowo, or more likely his political allies, decide to use the issue to wedge Jokowi as the election draws closer.</p><p>"Indonesian officials and leaders read the newspapers, and they understand the domestic political context in which [the proposal] was made. They understand that no decision has yet been taken," he says.</p><p>"Many elites were annoyed by the timing [Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki was in Jakarta when Canberra announced the review], but they donât want to damage the relationship with Canberra over it.</p><p>"The politics of this issue in Indonesia are unpredictable, and could shift rapidly. A decision to go ahead with moving the embassy to Jerusalem during the Indonesian presidential campaign risks taking control of the politics of the issue away from the elites and putting it into the volatile cauldron of Indonesian electoral politics. It is hard to anticipate how that will affect the relationship."</p><p>Until the review of the embassy move - likely by the end of the year - is completed by the Australian government, relations between Jakarta and Canberra will remain more uncertain than they have been for some time.</p>License this article<ul><li>Indonesia</li><li>Scott Morrison</li><li>Analysis</li></ul><h5>James Massola</h5><ul><li>Facebook</li><li>Twitter</li><li>Google+</li></ul><p>James Massola is south-east Asia correspondent, based in Jakarta. He was previously chief political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based in Canberra. He has been a Walkley and Quills finalist on three occasions.</p>Loading<h2>Please explain</h2><p>Our weekly podcast giving you insight into the stories that drive the nation.</p><p>Listen now</p>Source: <a href=https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/australia-indonesia-relationship-faces-months-of-uncertainty-20181101-p50di1.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-25154250755541194742018-10-30T10:37:00.003-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.493-08:00More body parts found from crashed Indonesian jet<strong>More body parts found from crashed Indonesian jet</strong><br/><br/><h3> More body parts found from crashed Indonesian jet</h3> Update: October, 30/2018 - 10:00 <table><tbody><tr><td><img src="http://image.vietnamnews.vn//uploadvnnews/Article/2018/10/30/Original247102649SA.jpg"/></td></tr><tr><td>Debris from the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610 floats at sea in the waters north of Karawang, West Java province, on Monday. All 189 passengers and crew aboard a crashed Indonesian Lion Air jet were "likely" killed in the accident, the search and rescue agency said on Monday, as it announced it had found human remains. - AFP/VNA Photo</td></tr></tbody></table>Viet Nam News <p> JAKARTA â" Indonesian search teams on Tuesday recovered more remains at the site of a crashed Lion Air jet that plunged into the sea with 189 people aboard, a s a report said it had suffered an instrument malfunction the day before.</p> <p> The Boeing-737 MAX, which went into service just months ago, plunged into the Java Sea moments after it had asked to return to Jakarta on Monday.</p> <p> Flight JT 610 sped up as it suddenly lost altitude and then vanished from radar 13 minutes after take-off, with authorities saying witnesses saw the jet plunge into the water.</p> <p> Dozens of divers are taking part in the recovery effort.</p> <p> Search teams have filled ten body bags with limbs and other human remains, Muhammad Syaugi, head of Indonesian national search and rescue agency told Metro TV, saying they will be taken to Jakarta for identifiation.</p> <p> Another 14 bags filled with debris have also been collected, he said, adding that the underwater search for the plane would continue on Tuesday.</p> <p> Shoes, items of clothing and a wallet are among the items found.</p> <p> "We hope we can see the planeâs ma in body -- everything on the surface of the water has been collected," Syaugi said.</p> <p> The agency all but ruled out finding any survivors late on Monday, citing the discovery of body parts that suggested a high impact crash in water some 30-40 metres deep off the coast of Indonesiaâs Java island.</p> <p> "We are prioritising finding the main wreckage of the plane using five war ships equipped with sonar to detect metal underwater," said Yusuf Latif, spokesman of Indonesian search and rescue agency.</p> <p> Both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder are still missing.</p> <p> Indonesiaâs National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC) said there were 178 adult passengers, one child, two infants, two pilots and six cabin crew on board flight JT 610.</p> <p> Among them were 20 Indonesian finance ministry employees and Andrea Manfredi, an Italian former professional cyclist.</p> <p> <strong>âUnreliableâ</strong></p> <p> The plane had been en route to Pangkal Pinang city, a jumping off point for beach-and-sun seeking tourists on nearby Belitung island, when it dropped out of contact around 6:30am (2330 GMT).</p> <p> Lion Air said the plane had only gone into service in August.</p> <p> The pilot and co-pilot had more than 11,000 hours of flying time between them and had recent medical checkups and drug testing, it added.</p> <p> On Monday, Lion Air chief Edward Sirait acknowledged the plane had an unspecified technical issue fixed in Bali before it was flown back to Jakarta, calling it "normal procedure".</p> <p> A technical logbook detailed an "unreliable" airspeed reading instrument on the Bali-Jakarta flight on Sunday and different altitude readings on the captain and first officerâs instruments, according to the BBC.</p> <p> Copies of several Lion Air technical documents have been circulating on social media, but they could not be immediately confirmed as auth entic.</p> <p> The company did not return phones calls seeking comment.</p> <p> Boeing suspended release of the 737 MAX just days before its first commercial delivery last year due to an engine issue, according to airline safety and product review site airlineratings.com.</p> <p> It said the engines were a product of a joint venture between US-based General Electric and Franceâs Safran Aircraft Engines.</p> <p> Lion Air, Indonesiaâs biggest budget airline which has been engaged in huge expansion, announced earlier this year it was buying 50 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets for $6.24 billion.</p> <p> Indonesiaâs air travel industry is booming, with the number of domestic passengers growing significantly over the past decade, but it has acquired a reputation for poor regulation and its airlines had previously been banned from US and European airspace.</p> <p> Lion has been involved in a number of incidents including a fatal 2004 crash and a collision between two Lion Air planes at Jakartaâs Soekarno-Hatta airport. â" AFP</p> <img src="http://vietnamnews.vn//Images/icon/i-like.png" alt="Like"/>0 <h4> Comments:</h4> <h4> Send Us Your Comments:</h4> Content comment ... <h3> See also:</h3> <ul><li> Apple Watch supplier under fire over China student labour (October, 30 2018)</li> <li> Thousands of US troops head for southern border (October, 30 2018)</li> <li> German nurse serial killer on trial over 100 deaths (October, 30 2018)</li> <li> Africa governance gains hampered by security, job fears: study (October, 29 2018)</li> <li> Lion Air crash: Search and rescue efforts underway for sunken plane with 189 people on board (October, 29 2018)</li> <li> âTropical Trumpâ Bolsonaro elected Brazil president (October, 29 2018)</li> </ul>Source: <a href=http://vietnamnews.vn/world/468824/more-body-parts-found-from-crashed-indonesian-jet.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-62528211714443424632018-10-30T10:37:00.001-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.732-08:00Indonesia's VP candidate Sandiaga Uno says economy at top of his team's agenda<strong>Indonesia's VP candidate Sandiaga Uno says economy at top of his team's agenda</strong><br/><br/>Skip to main content <h4>Thank you for reading The Straits Times.</h4><p>Your account has timed out, login for full access to premium stories.</p>Login"; document.querySelector('body').innerHTML += noteHTML; document.querySelector('.timeoutmsg-area .close-button').addEventListener('click', function() { document.querySelector('.timeoutmsg-area').classList.add('hidden'); }); } } function timeoutNote() { var oneMin = 60000; var timeDur = 120; var timeoutDuration = timeDur * oneMin; setTimeout(timeoutEvt ,timeoutDuration); } Indonesia's V-P candidate Sandiaga Uno says economy at top of his team's agenda <figure><img src="https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2018/10/29/yq-sandiaga1-29102018_2x_2x.jpg?itok=Osubxr2F&timestamp=1540825338" alt="Former businessman Sandiaga Uno told The Straits Times that he was very shocked to be selected as retired three-star general Prabowo Subianto's running mate for the upcoming presidential election."/><figcaption>Former businessman Sandiaga Uno told The Straits Times that he was very shocked to be selected as retired three-star general Prabowo Subianto's running mate for the upcoming presidential election.</figcaption></figure> <figure><img src="https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2018/10/29/yq-sandiaga-29102018_2x_2x.jpg?itok=qSo7J9X1&timestamp=1540825211" alt=" Former businessman Sandiaga Uno told The Straits Times that he was very shocked to be selected as re tired three-star general Prabowo Subianto's running mate for the upcoming presidential election."/><figcaption> Former businessman Sandiaga Uno told The Straits Times that he was very shocked to be selected as retired three-star general Prabowo Subianto's running mate for the upcoming presidential election.</figcaption></figure> PublishedOct 29, 2018, 10:55 pm SGTUpdatedOct 30, 2018, 1:29 am <p>SINGAPORE - Former businessman Sandiaga Uno was a relative unknown in Indonesian politics until he announced in 2016 he was running for the deputy governor post in the Jakarta elections â" which he won last year.</p> <p>Then, this year, the 49-year-old again created waves when he left his post to contest in next April's presidential election as a running mate of retired three-star general Prabowo Subianto, 67. The pair will challenge President Joko Widodo, 57, who is seeking a second term, and his vice-presidential pick, 75-year-old Muslim cleric Ma'ruf Amin.</p> <p>M r Sandiaga told The Straits Times in an interview on Monday (Oct 29) ahead of his talk on "Indonesia's Future Economy" organised by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute that he was not ambitious and it was a "last-minute decision" by Mr Prabowo, 67, who chairs the Gerindra Party.</p> <p>"I was very shocked... Mr Prabowo said 'You have the necessary background for the economy, and secondly you represent the young generation'," he said.</p> <p>Mr Sandiaga had served as vice-president of the Small and Medium Enterprises at the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) from 2009 to 2010.</p> <p>He said he was living and working in Singapore as an investment manager when he found himself jobless after the company he worked for collapsed during the financial crisis in 1997 to 1998, forcing him to return to Indonesia.</p> <p>He set up a small investment firm, Saratoga Capital, and it grew to become one of Indonesia's largest. He said: & quot;I went back to Indonesia with almost zero or negative net worth. I built my business from zero and Indonesia has been so kind to me. Indonesia has provided me with unimaginable fortune and, for that, I need to pay back to my country."</p> <p>He was named by Forbes magazine in 2013 as the 47th richest man in Indonesia with a net worth of US$460 million (S$636 million).</p> <p>The gubernatorial election in 2017 was widely-regarded as divisive, dominated by issues of race and religion, and there were fears these would emerge in the ongoing presidential election. But Mr Sandiaga said their focus will be on the economy.</p> <p>These include an overhaul of labour laws, measures to boost domestic and foreign investment and bread-and-butter issues such as creating employment for youths and lowering the cost of living.</p> <p>He sparked a political debate this month (Oct 20) when he said the price of a plate of chicken ric e is more expensive in Indonesia than in Singapore. He said he was merely citing World Bank figures comparing prices of the same quality of rice and chicken feet.</p> <p>"It wakes people up. People thought that's cheeky but it gets people's attention that our food prices are high," he said unapologetically.</p> <p>During his 90-minute presentation on Monday followed by a question-and-answer session at Orchard Hotel, he discussed a wide range of economic issues from tax amnesty and digital economy to the uncertainty of laws in Indonesia, which makes the business climate unpredictable for investors.</p> <p>"It's like playing a soccer match and in the middle of the match, you move the goalpost," he said, to laughter.</p> <p>His wealth may also prove a bane to him. Mr Sandiaga has been accused of paying 500 billion rupiah (S$45.4 million) each to coalition parties National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) so they would choose him as a vice-presidential candidate. He furiously denied this.</p> <p>"I'm under a magnifying glass, people are looking at me with a microscope. I won't do something silly like that. I won't want to ruin my career in politics. Politicians come and go, integrity stays," he said.</p> <p>On his name appearing in the "Panama Papers" scandal, detailing his offshore companies, he said: "Offshore structures are common to making investments... and it's all perfectly legal. I have nothing to hide."</p> <p>Being boyish-looking and also new to the political scene, he has also been called a "politikus kemaren sore" or greenhorn politician. But he is only focused on campaigning to win people's hearts.</p> <p>While he and Mr Prabowo may be trailing on popularity polls, he believes they are making "good progress".</p> <p>Mr Sandiaga spoke to The Straits Times on arrival to Singapore by ferry from nearby Batam, where he had been campaigning all morning.</p> <p>Seated in a packed car with his aides on the way to his talk, he said of campaigning: "It's tough... I had five events in Batam, I changed shirt three times, I was planning to take a nap but there are some friends joining from Batam just to speak to me on the ferry ride."</p> <p>However, the father of three has no regrets leaving the business world and all directorships to pursue a life in politics.</p> <p>"The risk in politics is that you are suddenly thrown into a position thatâs quite unpredictable, but thatâs life in the political fast lane in Indonesia,â he said.</p> <p>"I'm grateful, I'm very fortunate God has been so nice to me and Indonesia has been so nice to me."</p> Topics: <ul><li>INDONESIA</li><li>ELECTIONS</li></ul> <time datetime="2018-10-29T22:55:06+08:00"></time><time datetime="2018-10-30T01:29:08+08:00"></time> <h2>Branded Content</h2> <p>We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs.</p> <img src="https://amplifypixel.outbrain.com/pixel?mid=00529a8e9e01c3bfad3c4bd7ec1ab148f6"/>Source: <a href=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesias-v-p-candidate-sandiaga-uno-says-economy-at-top-of-his-teams-agenda target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-11761415730521176652018-10-27T19:45:00.001-07:002018-12-08T01:01:26.110-08:00Late night text messages reveal Indonesia's anger over Jerusalem embassy announcement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.53%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_40/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/4979b42c639ca505e6c613f4106ccab3a970ef82" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi" border="0" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.53%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_40/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/4979b42c639ca505e6c613f4106ccab3a970ef82" /></a></div>
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Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudiâs late-night flurry of angry text messages to Australian counterpart Marise Payne was the first direct contact between the two over the Morrison governmentâs controversial Jerusalem announcement.<br />
Extraordinary exchanges in a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday morning have also revealed the government decided to announce its review of Australiaâs stances on Jerusalem and the Iran nuclear deal without consulting a single official from the departments of Foreign Affairs, Defence or Prime Minister and Cabinet.<br />
Foreign Minister Marise Payne acknowledged under questioning from Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong that she had not initiated contact herself with Ms Marsudi.<br />
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As the worldâs largest Muslim country, Indonesiaâs response to such a dramatic announcement on a sensitive question regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was expected to be a sensitive matter for Australia.<br />
In the blistering WhatsApp messages, Ms Marsudi warned that Australia's talk of recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be a "really big blow" that "will affect bilateral relations and would "slap Indonesia's face on the Palestine issue".<br />
"Is it really necessary to do this on Tuesday?" Ms Marsudi wrote, in a reference to the fact she happened to be hosting Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki that day in Jakarta.<br />
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<figure><figcaption>Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi<cite>Credit:AP</cite></figcaption></figure><br />
The hearing underscored the frantic nature of the planning of the announcement.<br />
Senator Payne revealed she herself learnt of it only on Sunday, October 14, just two days before it was made.<br />
The governmentâs âleadership groupâ - the top cabinet ministers and parliamentary leaders - then discussed it the next morning and agreed to go ahead.<br />
Only then did they inform top officials - the governmentâs own policy experts - on Monday afternoon. That left Australian diplomats a matter of hours to provide advice on how to make the announcement and to brief key countries including Indonesia.<br />
The Indonesian Ambassador Kristiarto Legowo was informed 9pm Monday by senior DFAT official Tony Sheehan.<br />
Senator Wong repeatedly criticised the fact the media were briefed on the plans on the Monday afternoon before top Defence brass and foreign countries.<br />
Mr Morrison and Senator Payne announced the review four days before the Wentworth byelection that he would consider following US President Donald Trump in recognising Jerusalem as Israelâs capital - a controversial idea because the territorial status of the ancient city remains unresolved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<br />
Mr Morrison also announced he would review Australiaâs support for the Iran nuclear deal, although the government has not yet explained how it would work.<br />
Both measures were regarded as popular with the Jewish community, which made up 12.5 percent of the population in Wentworth.<br />
Senator Payne maintained she did not leak Ms Marsudi's WhatsApp messages herself and was confident no other minister had done so, give she had shared and discussed just one of the messages with Mr Morrison and no one else.<br />
She repeatedly stated that the announcement was only about a âreview without prejudiceâ regarding Jerusalem and that this was a âlegitimate question for the government to examineâ.<br />
She refused to say whether her initial conversation with Mr Morrison on the Sunday included discussion of the Wentworth byelection.<br />
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Source: <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/angry-messages-from-indonesia-were-foreign-ministers-first-contact-as-urgency-of-jerusalem-announcement-is-revealed-20181025-p50bub.html" target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-46921924569774506482018-10-27T19:44:00.001-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.684-08:00What is 'sontoloyo', the new buzzword in Indonesian political lingo?<strong>What is 'sontoloyo', the new buzzword in Indonesian political lingo?</strong><br/><br/> <img src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/logo.jpg" alt="The Jakarta Post"/> <table><tr><td> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-03.svg"/></td> <td> 30°C Partly Cloudy <p>Dry and mostly cloudy throughout the day.</p> </td> </tr></table> <ul><li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Wed</p> <p>26â - 32â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Thu</p> <p>25â - 32â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Fri</p> <p>25â - 31â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Sat< /p> <p>26â - 30â</p> </li> </ul>Source: <a href=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/10/27/what-is-sontoloyo-the-new-buzzword-in-indonesian-political-lingo.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-91197386780504664232018-10-23T00:39:00.000-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.828-08:00Relations with Malaysia stable, ties with Indonesia good: PM Lee<strong>Relations with Malaysia stable, ties with Indonesia good: PM Lee</strong><br/><br/>Skip to main content <h4>Thank you for reading The Straits Times.</h4><p>Your account has timed out, login for full access to premium stories.</p>Login"; document.querySelector('body').innerHTML += noteHTML; document.querySelector('.timeoutmsg-area .close-button').addEventListener('click', function() { document.querySelector('.timeoutmsg-area').classList.add('hidden'); }); } } function timeoutNote() { var oneMin = 60000; var timeDur = 120; var timeoutDuration = timeDur * oneMin; setTimeout(timeoutEvt ,timeoutDuration); } Relations with Malaysia stable, ties with Indonesia good: PM Lee <figure><img src="https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2018/10/23/ST_20181023_VNPM2_4362569.jpg?itok=2BFiC0QN&timestamp=1540233873" alt="Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a retreat in Bali earlier this month."/><figcaption>Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meeting Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a retreat in Bali earlier this month.</figcaption></figure> Published10 hours ago <p>Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will travel to Putrajaya to meet his Malaysian counterpart, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, for a leaders' retreat next month.</p> <p>It will take place about 10 days after Dr Mahathir comes to Singapore for the Asean Summit, PM Lee said at a recent dialogue with Singaporeans.</p> <p>Singapore, as the Asean chair this year, is hosting the summit that will take place from Nov 11 to 15.</p> <p>The retreat with Dr Mahathir is an annual meeting between the leaders of Singapo re and Malaysia.</p> <p>PM Lee said Singapore's relations with Malaysia are stable.</p> <p>"The High-Speed Rail (HSR) was an issue potentially, but we worked out a two-year deferment for the HSR project and that was a constructive resolution of what could have been a spiky dispute," he said.</p> <p>He added: "I hope that at the retreat, we will be able to look ahead, to discuss win-win opportunities in order to deepen our cooperation and friendship."</p> <p>Earlier this month, PM Lee was in Bali for another annual retreat. That was with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi.</p> <p>Ties with Indonesia are good, the Prime Minister said. "Economic cooperation is progressing, and President Jokowi hopes to attract more Singapore investments."</p> <p>PM Lee noted that Indonesia is going to hold national elections in April next year.</p> <p>"We hope to keep relations stable during their campaign and to pick up our cooperation with them afterwards."</p> A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 23, 2018, with the headline 'Relations with Malaysia stable, ties with Indonesia good: PM Lee'. Print Edition | Subscribe Topics: <ul><li>LEE HSIEN LOONG</li><li>MALAYSIA</li><li>INDONESIA</li></ul> <time datetime="2018-10-23T05:00:00+08:00"></time><time datetime="2018-10-23T09:22:19+08:00"></time> <h2>Branded Content</h2> <p>We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs.</p> <img src="https://amplifypixel.outbrain.com/pixel?mid=00529a8e9e01c3bfad3c4bd7ec1ab148f6"/>Sour ce: <a href=https://www.straitstimes.com/politics/relations-with-malaysia-stable-ties-with-indonesia-good-pm-lee target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-63919311790207647412018-10-19T22:30:00.003-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.780-08:00Fears, hoax and the politics of identity<strong>Fears, hoax and the politics of identity</strong><br/><br/> <img src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/logo.jpg" alt="The Jakarta Post"/> <table><tr><td> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-03.svg"/></td> <td> 30°C Partly Cloudy <p>Dry and mostly cloudy throughout the day.</p> </td> </tr></table> <ul><li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Wed</p> <p>26â - 32â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Thu</p> <p>25â - 32â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Fri</p> <p>25â - 31â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Sat</p> <p>26â - 30â</p> </ li> </ul>Source: <a href=http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2018/10/20/fears-hoax-and-the-politics-of-identity.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-34724395619258140452018-10-19T22:30:00.001-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.588-08:00Fears, hoax and the politics of identity<strong>Fears, hoax and the politics of identity</strong><br/><br/> <img src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/logo.jpg" alt="The Jakarta Post"/> <table><tr><td> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-03.svg"/></td> <td> 33°C Partly Cloudy <p>Light rain starting this afternoon, continuing until this evening.</p> </td> </tr></table> <ul><li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-03.svg"/><p>Sun</p> <p>25â - 33â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-03.svg"/><p>Mon</p> <p>24â - 32â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Tue</p> <p>24â - 32â</p> </li> <li> <img alt="weather-icon" src="http://www.thejakartapost.com/skin/img/header-information/weather-icon-05.svg"/><p>Wed</p > <p>24â - 32â</p> </li> </ul>Source: <a href=http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2018/10/20/fears-hoax-and-the-politics-of-identity.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-34882904573418092042018-10-19T17:40:00.016-07:002018-12-08T00:58:17.636-08:00Wentworth: no excuse for copying Trump on Israel or Iran<strong>Wentworth: no excuse for copying Trump on Israel or Iran</strong><br/><br/><table><tr><td><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRA_ch1SzKE3b4CR1nQwLxQUqH3Bcg1ilm6q7cZaUgla3yoe4kLCXjl8Ff2Aqe476CXxW8yhOTAig"/></td><td><ol><strong><li>Wentworth: no excuse for copying Trump on Israel or Iran The Australian</li></strong>Full coverage</ol></td></tr></table>Source: <a href=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/wentworth-no-excuse-for-copying-trump-on-israel-or-iran/news-story/074f0238894b6650a4bd5e6b77744807 target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-23328928626749710622018-10-19T17:40:00.015-07:002018-12-08T00:58:29.886-08:00Wentworth: no excuse for copying Trump on Israel or Iran<strong>Wentworth: no excuse for copying Trump on Israel or Iran</strong><br/><br/><table><tr><td><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRA_ch1SzKE3b4CR1nQwLxQUqH3Bcg1ilm6q7cZaUgla3yoe4kLCXjl8Ff2Aqe476CXxW8yhOTAig"/></td><td><ol><strong><li>Wentworth: no excuse for copying Trump on Israel or Iran The Australian</li></strong>Full coverage</ol></td></tr></table>Source: <a href=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/wentworth-no-excuse-for-copying-trump-on-israel-or-iran/news-story/074f0238894b6650a4bd5e6b77744807 target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-69409323238752953912018-10-19T17:40:00.014-07:002018-12-08T00:58:29.935-08:00Indonesian anger over Jerusalem revealed in WhatsApp exchange<strong>Indonesian anger over Jerusalem revealed in WhatsApp exchange</strong><br/><br/>Advertisement<p>Foreign Minister Marise Payne reportedly received blistering messages from her Indonesian counterpart warning that Australia's talk of recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be a "really big blow" that "will affect bilateral relations".</p><p>Despite the Morrison government's efforts to downplay the impact on relations with Australia's predominantly Muslim neighbour, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told Senator Payne that the move would "slap Indonesia's face on the Palestine issue".</p><figure><img alt="Foreign Minister Marise Payne reportedly received the message via WhatsApp." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.194%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_44/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/bb63a5135ce891660b5b99121c05ab12c5ffc978"/><figcaption><p>Foreign Minister Mar ise Payne reportedly received the message via WhatsApp.<cite>Credit:Alex Ellinghausen</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>Ms Retno appeared particularly upset as the announcement by Australia coincided with a visit to Jarkarta by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.</p><p>"Is it really necessary to do this on Tuesday?" Ms Retno wrote, according to Seven News.</p><p>Senator Payne's office did not deny the wording of the WhatsApp messages.</p>Advertisement<p>In a statement, a spokesman said Senator Payne and her counterpart had a "constructive discussion" about the announcement and Australia was aware of Indonesia's perspective on the Arab-Israeli conflict.</p><figure><img alt="Illustration: Matt Golding" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.33%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_156%2C$y_9/t_crop_custom/w_368/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/8664aeb24cbe8cdf3b1a815eadedef516c8e675c"/><figcaption><p>Illustration: Matt Golding<cite>Credit: </cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>"Minister Payne emphasised that there had been no change to Australiaâs commitment to the Middle East peace process and to a durable and resilient two-state solution that allowed Israel and a future Palestinian state to exist side by side, within internationally recognised borders," he said.</p><p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison doubled down on Wednesday on his shock move to follow US President Donald Trump by considering moving Australia's Israel embassy to Jerusalem, which would overturn decades of foreign policy.</p><p>Most countries do not locate their embassies in Jerusalem because its territorial status remains unresolved under the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</p><p>The government is also reviewing its support for the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement - which would also be a popular move with Israel. The announcement of the possible policy shifts came just four days before the Wentworth byelection on which the gov ernment's one-seat majority hangs.</p><figure><img alt="The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, some of the holiest sites for for Jews and Muslims, in Jerusalem." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.53%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/06462455348a402dddaa81350c09d52d6f46e9c8"/><figcaption><p>The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, some of the holiest sites for for Jews and Muslims, in Jerusalem.<cite>Credit:AP</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>The Sydney seat has a significant Jewish population and Mr Morrison has credited Liberal candidate Dave Sharma - a former Australian ambassador to Israel - with influencing his thinking on the Jerusalem question.</p><p>Facing Labor questions about the announcement in Parliament, Mr Morrison went on the offensive, questioning Labor's commitment to Israel and raising the fact that as a young backbencher 16 years ago, Labor deputy leader Tanya Pliber sek had called the country a "rogue state".</p><p>Mr Morrison has downplayed warnings from the Indonesian government over the shock decision, insisting the announcement was "not an issue of concern" as Australia finalises a trade agreement with its largest neighbour and the world's most populous Muslim nation.</p><video controls="true"></video><figure><p>Replay</p>Replay Video</figure>Loading<figure>Play Video</figure><figure>Play VideoPlaying in 5 ...Don't Play</figure><p>The Indonesian anger was shared by Arab nations, whose representatives in Canberra released a statement on Wednesday expressing alarm that Mr Morrison would "seriously entertain the idea" and made a veiled threat about the risk to economic and political relationships.</p>Loading<p>The statement, signed by Egyptian ambassador Mohamad Khairat as the head the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Canberra, said recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would strengthen the Israel i position, be detrimental to the Palestinian cause, and hurt the peace process.</p><p>"The two-state solution means nothing without an equitable resolution to these final-status issues. In the absence of a functioning peace process, the sensible course of action would be for Australia to recognise the State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," the statement said.</p><p>"Australia has long-standing and esteemed economic, cultural and political relations with the Arab world. We sincerely wish to preserve these relations."</p><p>Mr Morrison sought to emphasise the government's commitment to the Indonesian relationship and said its strength enabled "different views on things from time to time".</p><p>While Indonesia and other Muslim-majority nations have issued swift criticism of Mr Morrison's policy shift, it has been welcomed by Israel, Liberal Party heavyweights and the Trump administration.</p><p>Mr Morr ison says Australia remains supportive of a two-state solution but the government wanted to challenge orthodox thinking and the "taboo" question of Israel's capital.Mr Morrison said he had found Mr Sharma's arguments persuasive and they could offer a way forward for a process that "hasn't been going that well".</p>License this article<ul><li>Israel</li><li>Marise Payne</li><li>Scott Morrison</li></ul><h5>Fergus Hunter</h5><ul><li>Facebook</li><li>Twitter</li></ul><p>Fergus Hunter is a political reporter for Fairfax Media, based in Parliament House.</p><h5>David Wroe</h5><ul><li>Twitter</li></ul><p>David Wroe is the defence and national security correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based at Parliament House</p>Loading<h2>Please explain</h2><p>Our weekly podcast giving you insight into the stories that drive the nation.</p><p>Listen now</p>Source: <a href=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/indonesian-anger-over-jerusalem-reve aled-in-whatsapp-exchange-20181017-p50a6y.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-17342766183995692712018-10-19T17:40:00.013-07:002018-12-08T00:58:29.838-08:00Plastic surgery scandal scars Indonesian politics<strong>Plastic surgery scandal scars Indonesian politics</strong><br/><br/><p> News > Asean </p> <img src="https://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20181010/c1_1555474_620x413.jpg"/><p>Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his challenger Prabowo Subianto (right) attend a ceremony marking the start of the campaigning period for next year's election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept 23, 2018. (Reuters file photo)</p> - + <p>JAKARTA: Hardline Islamists protested in Indonesia's capital on Wednesday over the investigation of an opposition activist who claimed that bruising on her face was caused by a politically motivated assault but later admitted that it was due to cosmetic surgery.</p> <p>The furore over 69-year-old Ratna Sarumpaet's bizarre case has stoked political tensions in Jakarta ahead of next April's presidential election, which will pit incumbent Joko Widodo ag ainst retired army general Prabowo Subianto.</p> <p>Sarumpaet, one of Prabowo's campaign advisers, has been a strident critic of Widodo's government and figurehead of a "2019 Change the President" movement.</p> <p>After she claimed last week that she had been attacked by three assailants for her political work, a photograph of her face looking swollen and bruised went viral on social media.</p> <p>Prabowo then told a news conference on Oct. 2 that the assault was a "human rights abuse" and a "repressive act".</p> <p>However, police found that Sarumpaet had undergone plastic surgery on her face at a Jakarta hospital and charged her with spreading a hoax, a punishable offence in Indonesia.</p> <p>Sarumpaet acknowledged that her appearance was due to liposuction surgery and said she had been trying to hide it from her family.</p> <p>"There was no assault," she told reporters, before being arrested last Friday as she tried to leav e Indonesia.</p> <p>A BLOW FOR WIDOWO'S CHALLENGER</p> <p>Sarumpaet was fired from the opposition campaign, and Prabowo apologised for believing her story. However, police reports were made against several prominent members of the opposition camp for their previous support of Sarumpaet.</p> <p>Conservative Muslim leader Amien Rais was the first of them to be questioned on Wednesday, to the anger of his supporters.</p> <p>More than 100 members of the hardline Alumni 212 and Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) gathered with loudspeakers and flags in front of the police station where he was being question, saying they were there to protect him.</p> <p>The groups were behind protests that culminated in the election defeat and jailing for blasphemy in 2017 of Jakarta's ethnic-Chinese and Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ally of President Widodo.</p> <p>Prabowo campaign spokesman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak told reporters on Tuesday that he considered Rais' summo ns to be politically motivated.</p> <p>Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle has brought a separate complaint against the Prabowo campaign to the Elections Supervisory Agency over the scandal, accusing it of spreading fake news. The agency has said it will examine whether the case constituted a campaign violation.</p> <p>Analysts say the controversy is unlikely to be a lasting crisis for Prabowo but it is still a blow for the challenger, who is already trailing far behind Widodo in opinion polls.</p> <p>"The Sarumpaet affair may recede from headlines soon, but it has impacted Prabowo's image while posing distractions that have squandered finite time to campaign," said independent analyst Kevin O' Rourke.</p> <p>Sarumpaet's lawyer, Insank Nasruddin, told Reuters that his client had meant her lie to be limited to her family, which did not know about the surgery, and her defence would focus on proving that she was not responsible for it goin g viral.</p> <p>This is not the first fake news allegation made against Sarumpaet. In 2018, she said on Twitter that the government had issued a 200,000 rupiah note, an assertion the central bank declared was a hoax. </p> <h3>RELATED STORIES</h3> <img src="https://www.bangkokpost.com/common/img/img-ads-epaper.jpg"/>Source: <a href=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/1555474/plastic-surgery-scandal-scars-indonesian-politics target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-83538855038233570132018-10-19T17:40:00.011-07:002018-12-08T00:58:30.178-08:00Plastic surgery scandal scars Indonesian politics<strong>Plastic surgery scandal scars Indonesian politics</strong><br/><br/><p> News > Asean </p> <img src="https://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20181010/c1_1555474_620x413.jpg"/><p>Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his challenger Prabowo Subianto (right) attend a ceremony marking the start of the campaigning period for next year's election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept 23, 2018. (Reuters file photo)</p> - + <p>JAKARTA: Hardline Islamists protested in Indonesia's capital on Wednesday over the investigation of an opposition activist who claimed that bruising on her face was caused by a politically motivated assault but later admitted that it was due to cosmetic surgery.</p> <p>The furore over 69-year-old Ratna Sarumpaet's bizarre case has stoked political tensions in Jakarta ahead of next April's presidential election, which will pit incumbent Joko Widodo ag ainst retired army general Prabowo Subianto.</p> <p>Sarumpaet, one of Prabowo's campaign advisers, has been a strident critic of Widodo's government and figurehead of a "2019 Change the President" movement.</p> <p>After she claimed last week that she had been attacked by three assailants for her political work, a photograph of her face looking swollen and bruised went viral on social media.</p> <p>Prabowo then told a news conference on Oct. 2 that the assault was a "human rights abuse" and a "repressive act".</p> <p>However, police found that Sarumpaet had undergone plastic surgery on her face at a Jakarta hospital and charged her with spreading a hoax, a punishable offence in Indonesia.</p> <p>Sarumpaet acknowledged that her appearance was due to liposuction surgery and said she had been trying to hide it from her family.</p> <p>"There was no assault," she told reporters, before being arrested last Friday as she tried to leav e Indonesia.</p> <p>A BLOW FOR WIDOWO'S CHALLENGER</p> <p>Sarumpaet was fired from the opposition campaign, and Prabowo apologised for believing her story. However, police reports were made against several prominent members of the opposition camp for their previous support of Sarumpaet.</p> <p>Conservative Muslim leader Amien Rais was the first of them to be questioned on Wednesday, to the anger of his supporters.</p> <p>More than 100 members of the hardline Alumni 212 and Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) gathered with loudspeakers and flags in front of the police station where he was being question, saying they were there to protect him.</p> <p>The groups were behind protests that culminated in the election defeat and jailing for blasphemy in 2017 of Jakarta's ethnic-Chinese and Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ally of President Widodo.</p> <p>Prabowo campaign spokesman Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak told reporters on Tuesday that he considered Rais' summo ns to be politically motivated.</p> <p>Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle has brought a separate complaint against the Prabowo campaign to the Elections Supervisory Agency over the scandal, accusing it of spreading fake news. The agency has said it will examine whether the case constituted a campaign violation.</p> <p>Analysts say the controversy is unlikely to be a lasting crisis for Prabowo but it is still a blow for the challenger, who is already trailing far behind Widodo in opinion polls.</p> <p>"The Sarumpaet affair may recede from headlines soon, but it has impacted Prabowo's image while posing distractions that have squandered finite time to campaign," said independent analyst Kevin O' Rourke.</p> <p>Sarumpaet's lawyer, Insank Nasruddin, told Reuters that his client had meant her lie to be limited to her family, which did not know about the surgery, and her defence would focus on proving that she was not responsible for it goin g viral.</p> <p>This is not the first fake news allegation made against Sarumpaet. In 2018, she said on Twitter that the government had issued a 200,000 rupiah note, an assertion the central bank declared was a hoax. </p> <h3>RELATED STORIES</h3> <img src="https://www.bangkokpost.com/common/img/img-ads-epaper.jpg"/>Source: <a href=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asean/1555474/plastic-surgery-scandal-scars-indonesian-politics target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-83182067557842425352018-10-19T17:40:00.009-07:002018-12-08T00:58:30.130-08:00Indonesian anger over Jerusalem revealed in WhatsApp exchange<strong>Indonesian anger over Jerusalem revealed in WhatsApp exchange</strong><br/><br/>Advertisement<p>Foreign Minister Marise Payne reportedly received blistering messages from her Indonesian counterpart warning that Australia's talk of recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would be a "really big blow" that "will affect bilateral relations".</p><p>Despite the Morrison government's efforts to downplay the impact on relations with Australia's predominantly Muslim neighbour, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told Senator Payne that the move would "slap Indonesia's face on the Palestine issue".</p><figure><img alt="Foreign Minister Marise Payne reportedly received the message via WhatsApp." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.194%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_44/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/bb63a5135ce891660b5b99121c05ab12c5ffc978"/><figcaption><p>Foreign Minister Mar ise Payne reportedly received the message via WhatsApp.<cite>Credit:Alex Ellinghausen</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>Ms Retno appeared particularly upset as the announcement by Australia coincided with a visit to Jarkarta by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.</p><p>"Is it really necessary to do this on Tuesday?" Ms Retno wrote, according to Seven News.</p><p>Senator Payne's office did not deny the wording of the WhatsApp messages.</p>Advertisement<p>In a statement, a spokesman said Senator Payne and her counterpart had a "constructive discussion" about the announcement and Australia was aware of Indonesia's perspective on the Arab-Israeli conflict.</p><figure><img alt="Illustration: Matt Golding" src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.33%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1%2C$width_378%2C$x_156%2C$y_9/t_crop_custom/w_368/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/8664aeb24cbe8cdf3b1a815eadedef516c8e675c"/><figcaption><p>Illustration: Matt Golding<cite>Credit: </cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>"Minister Payne emphasised that there had been no change to Australiaâs commitment to the Middle East peace process and to a durable and resilient two-state solution that allowed Israel and a future Palestinian state to exist side by side, within internationally recognised borders," he said.</p><p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison doubled down on Wednesday on his shock move to follow US President Donald Trump by considering moving Australia's Israel embassy to Jerusalem, which would overturn decades of foreign policy.</p><p>Most countries do not locate their embassies in Jerusalem because its territorial status remains unresolved under the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.</p><p>The government is also reviewing its support for the Obama-era Iran nuclear agreement - which would also be a popular move with Israel. The announcement of the possible policy shifts came just four days before the Wentworth byelection on which the gov ernment's one-seat majority hangs.</p><figure><img alt="The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, some of the holiest sites for for Jews and Muslims, in Jerusalem." src="https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.53%2C$multiply_1%2C$ratio_1.776846%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/w_768/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/06462455348a402dddaa81350c09d52d6f46e9c8"/><figcaption><p>The Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock, some of the holiest sites for for Jews and Muslims, in Jerusalem.<cite>Credit:AP</cite></p></figcaption></figure><p>The Sydney seat has a significant Jewish population and Mr Morrison has credited Liberal candidate Dave Sharma - a former Australian ambassador to Israel - with influencing his thinking on the Jerusalem question.</p><p>Facing Labor questions about the announcement in Parliament, Mr Morrison went on the offensive, questioning Labor's commitment to Israel and raising the fact that as a young backbencher 16 years ago, Labor deputy leader Tanya Pliber sek had called the country a "rogue state".</p><p>Mr Morrison has downplayed warnings from the Indonesian government over the shock decision, insisting the announcement was "not an issue of concern" as Australia finalises a trade agreement with its largest neighbour and the world's most populous Muslim nation.</p><video controls="true"></video><figure><p>Replay</p>Replay Video</figure>Loading<figure>Play Video</figure><figure>Play VideoPlaying in 5 ...Don't Play</figure><p>The Indonesian anger was shared by Arab nations, whose representatives in Canberra released a statement on Wednesday expressing alarm that Mr Morrison would "seriously entertain the idea" and made a veiled threat about the risk to economic and political relationships.</p>Loading<p>The statement, signed by Egyptian ambassador Mohamad Khairat as the head the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Canberra, said recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital would strengthen the Israel i position, be detrimental to the Palestinian cause, and hurt the peace process.</p><p>"The two-state solution means nothing without an equitable resolution to these final-status issues. In the absence of a functioning peace process, the sensible course of action would be for Australia to recognise the State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," the statement said.</p><p>"Australia has long-standing and esteemed economic, cultural and political relations with the Arab world. We sincerely wish to preserve these relations."</p><p>Mr Morrison sought to emphasise the government's commitment to the Indonesian relationship and said its strength enabled "different views on things from time to time".</p><p>While Indonesia and other Muslim-majority nations have issued swift criticism of Mr Morrison's policy shift, it has been welcomed by Israel, Liberal Party heavyweights and the Trump administration.</p><p>Mr Morr ison says Australia remains supportive of a two-state solution but the government wanted to challenge orthodox thinking and the "taboo" question of Israel's capital.Mr Morrison said he had found Mr Sharma's arguments persuasive and they could offer a way forward for a process that "hasn't been going that well".</p>License this article<ul><li>Israel</li><li>Marise Payne</li><li>Scott Morrison</li></ul><h5>Fergus Hunter</h5><ul><li>Facebook</li><li>Twitter</li></ul><p>Fergus Hunter is a political reporter for Fairfax Media, based in Parliament House.</p><h5>David Wroe</h5><ul><li>Twitter</li></ul><p>David Wroe is the defence and national security correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, based at Parliament House</p>Loading<h2>Please explain</h2><p>Our weekly podcast giving you insight into the stories that drive the nation.</p><p>Listen now</p>Source: <a href=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/indonesian-anger-over-jerusalem-reve aled-in-whatsapp-exchange-20181017-p50a6y.html target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-80321218744681926702018-10-19T17:40:00.007-07:002018-12-08T00:58:30.082-08:00Indonesia's Disaster Politics<strong>Indonesia's Disaster Politics</strong><br/><br/> <h3>Argument</h3> Indonesiaâs Disaster Politics <h2>The latest earthquake and tsunami could be a major setback for the countryâs democracy.</h2> By Alejandro Quiroz Flores | <time datetime="2018-10-09"> October 9, 2018, 2:16 PM</time> <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/gettyimages-1047953514.jpg?w=1500&h=1000&crop=0,0,0,0" alt="A woman cooks beside her tent at a temporary shelter in Palu, Indonesia, on Oct. 9. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)"/> A woman cooks beside her tent at a temporary shelter in Palu, Indonesia, on Oct. 9. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images) </figure> <p><strong>Alejandro Quiroz Flores</strong> is a senior lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of Essex.</p> <p>Trending Now Sponsored Links by Taboola</ p> By Taboola <p>More from Foreign Policy</p> By Taboola <p>Read More</p> <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/tsunami_graphic_1005181.jpg?w=1495&h=1024&crop=0,0,0,27" alt="tsunami_graphic_100518"/> </figure> <h3>Is the World Ready for the Next Big Tsunami?</h3> <p>The latest disaster in Indonesia shows the need for the global system put in place in the wake of 2004âs devastating waves.</p> Infographic | Elizabeth Miles <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/quake-crop.jpg?w=960&h=460&crop=0,0,270,0" alt="quake-crop"/> </figure> <h3>Watch Every Recorded Earthquake A round the World in the Last 15 Years (in Under 4 Minutes)</h3> <p>Every one of the worldâs recorded earthquakes over the last 15 years turned into one terrifying animation. </p> The Cable | Robbie Gramer <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/sidoarjo-top-image.jpeg?w=1536&h=1024&crop=0,0,0,0" alt="Sidoarjo top image"/> </figure> <h3>Life After the Mud</h3> <p>In Indonesia, the worldâs largest mud volcano has been erupting continuously for 10 years. A wealthy family's gas company may be to blame. But itâs the poor whoâve paid the price.</p> Dispatch | Aria Danaparamita <h2>Latest</h2> <h3>The Kingdomâs Hackers and Bots</h3> <tim e datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 7:00 PM</time> <h3>Norwegian Diplomat Tops U.N. Shortlist For Syria Envoy</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 5:39 PM</time> <h3>Few Signs of Progress on Denuclearization as U.S., South Korea Cancel Another Major Military Exercise</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 5:30 PM</time> <h3>The Tourism Curse</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 3:49 PM</time> <h3>The Sad Decline of Brazilâs Political Establishment</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 3:30 PM</time> See All Stories <p>Trending</p> <ol><li> 1 The Trade War Has Claimed Its First Victim </li> <li> 2 Chinaâs Great Leap Backward </li> <li> 3 Many in Washington Unlikely to Be Assuaged by Saudi Admission in Khashoggi Death </li> <li> 4 I Mastered Xi Jinping Thought, and I Have the Certificate to Prove It </li> <li> 5 Britain Isn't Just Losing Brexit. Europe Is Winning It. </li> </ol> <h2>Voices</h2> <h3>Welcome to the First War Zone Ebola Crisis</h3> Laurie Garrett <h3>This Is Americaâs Middle East Strategy on Steroids</h3> Stephen M. Walt <h3>Jamal Khashoggiâs Disappearance Is Even Stranger Than It Seems</h3> Steven A. CookSource: <a href=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/09/indonesias-disaster-politics-sulawesi/ target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-69496831278493442362018-10-19T17:40:00.005-07:002018-12-08T00:58:29.985-08:00Indonesia's Disaster Politics<strong>Indonesia's Disaster Politics</strong><br/><br/> <h3>Argument</h3> Indonesiaâs Disaster Politics <h2>The latest earthquake and tsunami could be a major setback for the countryâs democracy.</h2> By Alejandro Quiroz Flores | <time datetime="2018-10-09"> October 9, 2018, 2:16 PM</time> <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/gettyimages-1047953514.jpg?w=1500&h=1000&crop=0,0,0,0" alt="A woman cooks beside her tent at a temporary shelter in Palu, Indonesia, on Oct. 9. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)"/> A woman cooks beside her tent at a temporary shelter in Palu, Indonesia, on Oct. 9. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images) </figure> <p><strong>Alejandro Quiroz Flores</strong> is a senior lecturer in the Department of Government at the University of Essex.</p> <p>Trending Now Sponsored Links by Taboola</ p> By Taboola <p>More from Foreign Policy</p> By Taboola <p>Read More</p> <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/tsunami_graphic_1005181.jpg?w=1495&h=1024&crop=0,0,0,27" alt="tsunami_graphic_100518"/> </figure> <h3>Is the World Ready for the Next Big Tsunami?</h3> <p>The latest disaster in Indonesia shows the need for the global system put in place in the wake of 2004âs devastating waves.</p> Infographic | Elizabeth Miles <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/quake-crop.jpg?w=960&h=460&crop=0,0,270,0" alt="quake-crop"/> </figure> <h3>Watch Every Recorded Earthquake A round the World in the Last 15 Years (in Under 4 Minutes)</h3> <p>Every one of the worldâs recorded earthquakes over the last 15 years turned into one terrifying animation. </p> The Cable | Robbie Gramer <figure> <img src="https://foreignpolicymag.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/sidoarjo-top-image.jpeg?w=1536&h=1024&crop=0,0,0,0" alt="Sidoarjo top image"/> </figure> <h3>Life After the Mud</h3> <p>In Indonesia, the worldâs largest mud volcano has been erupting continuously for 10 years. A wealthy family's gas company may be to blame. But itâs the poor whoâve paid the price.</p> Dispatch | Aria Danaparamita <h2>Latest</h2> <h3>The Kingdomâs Hackers and Bots</h3> <tim e datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 7:00 PM</time> <h3>Norwegian Diplomat Tops U.N. Shortlist For Syria Envoy</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 5:39 PM</time> <h3>Few Signs of Progress on Denuclearization as U.S., South Korea Cancel Another Major Military Exercise</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 5:30 PM</time> <h3>The Tourism Curse</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 3:49 PM</time> <h3>The Sad Decline of Brazilâs Political Establishment</h3> <time datetime="2018-10-19"> October 19, 2018, 3:30 PM</time> See All Stories <p>Trending</p> <ol><li> 1 The Trade War Has Claimed Its First Victim </li> <li> 2 Chinaâs Great Leap Backward </li> <li> 3 Many in Washington Unlikely to Be Assuaged by Saudi Admission in Khashoggi Death </li> <li> 4 I Mastered Xi Jinping Thought, and I Have the Certificate to Prove It </li> <li> 5 Britain Isn't Just Losing Brexit. Europe Is Winning It. </li> </ol> <h2>Voices</h2> <h3>Welcome to the First War Zone Ebola Crisis</h3> Laurie Garrett <h3>This Is Americaâs Middle East Strategy on Steroids</h3> Stephen M. Walt <h3>Jamal Khashoggiâs Disappearance Is Even Stranger Than It Seems</h3> Steven A. CookSource: <a href=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/09/indonesias-disaster-politics-sulawesi/ target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-70914035703302446492018-10-19T17:40:00.003-07:002018-12-08T00:58:30.033-08:00How corrupt, really, is Indonesian politics?<strong>How corrupt, really, is Indonesian politics?</strong><br/><br/>Rats in the ranks: hereâs how the KPU should deal with corrupt candidates<p>The General Elections Commission (KPU) has taken a bold step to prevent corruption convicts fromâ¦</p>Source: <a href=http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/how-corrupt-really-is-indonesian-politics/ target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-16262004135636164092018-10-19T17:40:00.001-07:002018-12-08T00:58:29.789-08:00How corrupt, really, is Indonesian politics?<strong>How corrupt, really, is Indonesian politics?</strong><br/><br/>Rats in the ranks: hereâs how the KPU should deal with corrupt candidates<p>The General Elections Commission (KPU) has taken a bold step to prevent corruption convicts fromâ¦</p>Source: <a href=http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/how-corrupt-really-is-indonesian-politics/ target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-12180858010305781532018-10-06T03:53:00.007-07:002018-12-08T00:58:29.693-08:00'Weaponisation' of religious sentiment in Indonesia's cyberspace<strong>'Weaponisation' of religious sentiment in Indonesia's cyberspace</strong><br/><br/><figure><img src="https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Aksi_31_Maret_2.jpg"/></figure><p>The announcement that prominent Indonesia Ulema Council chairman and cleric Maâruf Amin will be President Joko âJokowiâ Widodoâs vice-presidential running mate for the 2019 election has stimulated fresh debate about the âIslamisationâ of Indonesian politics.</p> <p>Amin is the head of Indonesiaâs largest Muslim organisation, the 45-million-member Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Jokowiâs preferred pick had been former Constitutional Court Chief Justice Mahfud MD, but he and his Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle bowed to political pressure to choose a running mate with high-level Islamic credentials. The NU-linked National Awakening Party and United Development Party had threatened to leave Jokowiâs governing coalition if Amin were not chosen.</p> <p>Islamic conservatism has been ascendant in Indonesia ever since Saudi-sponsored theological influence began in the 1980s. Growing Islamic conservatism became even more pronounced after the fall of Indonesiaâs second president, Suharto, and his authoritarian âNew Orderâ regime.</p> <p>Indonesiaâs post-Suharto <em>reformasi</em> saw the opening up of public discourse, and subsequent rise of previously suppressed conservative Islamic rhetoric and its âhardlinerâ proponents. These hardliner Islamists emerged from decades of marginalisation and repression, under the regimes of both Suharto and his predecessor Sukarno, with little appetite for pluralism and tolerance.</p> <p>The proliferation of social media in Indonesia has allowed greater unrestrained expression of strong religious views. This has allowed groups such as the Muslim Cyber Army, an organisation described as being without structure and similar to the âhacktivistâ group Anonymous, to reach and access a larger audience.</p> <p>O ne way the Muslim Cyber Army targets liberal opponents is through âdoxingâ. âDoxingâ refers to the theft and publishing of personal details online, which are then used by groupsâ"such as the far-right Sunni fundamentalist group the Front Pembela Islam (Islamic Defenders Front)â"to hunt down and physically attack their liberal opponents.</p> <p>This âweaponisationâ of conservative Islamic sentiment and religious intolerance has involved doctored online content and disinformation, deliberately spread through social media. As more Indonesians have gained access to the internet, mainly through low-cost smartphone technology, Indonesia has developed a disinformation problem.</p> <p>The most prominent example of this phenomenon was the 2017 jailing of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) for two years for alleged blasphemy. In a September 2016 speech, Ahok asserted that politicians shouldnât mislead voters by misinterpreting the Koran in advising Muslims a gainst voting for non-Muslim political candidates. âLadies and gentlemen ⦠youâve been lied to by those using [the Koranâs] Surah al-Maidah verse 51â, he said. The speech was then edited to seem as though Ahok was saying that it was the Koran itself that was misleading voters. The resulting video was used by anti-Ahok forces, including Maâruf Amin, to mobilise mass demonstrations that forced the government to charge Ahok with blasphemy.</p> <p>The Indonesian government needs to reduce the effect of disinformation, especially ahead of the 2019 general election. Indonesiaâs outdated legislation allows cybercriminals and botnets to thrive. The government also needs to do more to stop Indonesia from being used as a haven for these activities, which enables the spread of the doctored content that is in turn used to âweaponiseâ Islamic sentiment.</p> <p>While itâs important that Indonesia create appropriate legislative reform that helps reduce cybercrime and botnets, i t should not endanger free speech. The recent draft revision to Article 309 of the Criminal Code proposes six yearsâ imprisonment for âany person who broadcasts fake news or hoaxes resulting in a riot or disturbanceâ.</p> <p>While the code needs to be updated, the proposed revision is worrying because it doesnât define or explain what constitutes a âdisturbanceâ or what is considered to be âfakeâ. Thatâs a problem because it opens the system up to abuse: anything not approved could be labelled as âdisturbingâ. As it stands, the clause could potentially be used to prosecute journalists, threatening press freedom.</p> <p>The long-awaited creation of the Badan Siber dan Sandi Negara (BSSN), Indonesiaâs new national cyber agencyâ"after years of setbacks and delaysâ"shows that Indonesia is becoming more serious about cybersecurity. In its role as manager of Indonesiaâs cyberspace as well as content moderator, the BSSN will play a pivotal role in the run-up to the 2019 general election.</p> <p>The BSSN will have the difficult task of trying to protect Indonesian voters from disinformation without censoring political expression. One way it could do that is to allow individuals and groups open channels for expressing legitimate political opinion, without the threat of being criminalised as blasphemers. Itâs vital that the threat represented by doctored content and disinformation doesnât supersede the importance of BSSN remaining politically impartial.</p> <p>There are plenty of opportunities for Australia and Indonesia to increase their engagement on cyber issues, which is consistent with the Australian governmentâs international cyber engagement strategy. Dialogues and bilateral forums should certainly continue and be increased where appropriate, not just with Indonesia but also with other more open societies in the region like Japan and South Korea.</p> <p>The recently announced comprehensive strategic partnership between Australia and the Republic of Indonesia and subsequent memorandum of understanding on cyber cooperation are promising engagement strategies. The MoU is a two-year non-legally-binding agreement to share information on cyber strategies and policies, build cyber capacity through training and education programs, promote business links to enable growth in the digital economy, and tackle cybercrime by sharing training opportunities to strengthen forensic and investigation capabilities.</p> <p>Australia should use both the comprehensive strategic partnership and the MoU as platforms to encourage the Indonesian government to either develop clear definitions in the proposed Criminal Code revision or scrap it altogether.</p> <p>This would help promote ongoing journalistic freedom in Indonesia as well as freedom of expression more generally. The MoU also stipulates closer cooperation with the BSSN, and Australia should use that opportunity to encourage the BSSN not to fall into the trap of state censors hip, damaging Indonesiaâs youthful democracy.</p>Source: <a href=https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/weaponisation-of-religious-sentiment-in-indonesias-cyberspace/ target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-5341795455206096802018-10-06T03:53:00.005-07:002018-12-08T00:58:42.101-08:00Universities Cannot Be Isolated From Political Processes<strong>Universities Cannot Be Isolated From Political Processes</strong><br/><br/>Muhammad Fajar05/Oct/2018<p>In Indonesiaâs latest crackdown against terrorism, the government has targeted universities whose staff and students hold radical views. A recent report by Indonesiaâs State Intelligence Agency (BIN) stated that radical groups have infiltrated 39% of universities in Indonesia.</p> <p>In June, police anti-terror unit Detachment 88 raided Riau University in Pekanbaru, and arrested three people and confiscated explosive materials.</p> <p>Earlier this month, six universities signed an agreement with the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) to counter the spread of radicalism in Indonesian campuses.</p> <p>There are concerns that such crackdowns and agreements might threaten academic life and undermine studentsâ freedom. Some people believe that campuses should be free from any political activities.</p> <p>I suggest otherwise. Universities are never neutral grounds that can be isolated from political processes. History has shown how universities in Indonesia and other countries have become battlegrounds for different groups competing for political influence.</p> <p><strong>Student politics: past and present</strong></p> <p>Studies on global student politics have shown that universities are institutions where different political views compete to win influence. This kind of competition also exists in Indonesian universities.</p> <p>In the run up to the 1955 general election, student groups mirrored political competitions at the national level.</p> <p>A study documents how political parties such as Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) and Indonesian Socialist Party (PSI) established the Indonesian National Student Movement and the Socialist Student Movement to extend their influence on Indonesian campuses.</p> <p>Meanwhile, another political party, Masjumi, forged links with the Islamic Students Association (HMI). Its opposition partnered with the Conce ntration of Indonesian Student Movements (CGMI).</p> <p>Also read: The Danger That Lies in Academic Bureaucrats Taking Over Our Universities</p> <p>HMI and CGMI were locked in a battle to win influence after the failed coup attempt on September 30, 1965. In the end, HMI triumphed while CGMI and its patron, PKI, were banished from Indonesian politics.</p> <p>Politics also intervene in universities in Malaysia. Under a new economic policy in 1969, Malaysiaâs Ministry of Education ruled every university to use Malay as the language of instruction within academic community.</p> <p>The policy drew two opposing reactions from student associations. On one side was the University of Malayaâs Malay Language Society, a student organisation exclusively for Malays. On another side was University of Malayaâs Student Union, a student organisation that accommodated non-Malay studentsâ interests.</p> <p>This clash represented how the racial policy at the state level shaped the politics of M alaysian student movements.</p> <p>Student movements in Indonesia and Malaysia also mirror political development outside campuses.</p> <p>In Indonesia, a study links <em>Tarbiyah</em> religious movement in universities with the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), an Islamic party that has been able to gain considerable votes in post-authoritarian Indonesia.</p> <p>Meanwhile, in Malaysia, progressive student movements such as Malaysian Youth and and Studentsâ Democratic Movement (DEMA) and Malaysian Muslim Studentsâ Association (GAMIS) briefly won the political competition. The government responded back by replacing critical lecturers and screening student representative candidates.</p> <p>These cases in Indonesia and Malaysia show how campuses are not quarantined from politics. Politicians often target students to win their support.</p> <p><strong>Knowledge production</strong></p> <p>In addition to political students movements, it is important to note that the production of new know ledge in universities is a result of political processes. Facts, theories and methods are important, but without power and politics this knowledge will go nowhere.</p> <p>The New Order regime under the dictatorship of Suharto tried to influence and shape social science research. The regime actively censored researchers that were critical of the government.</p> <p>These researchers were banned from investigating sensitive topics. These topics include the wealth of former president Suharto and human rights violations in Aceh, East Timor (now Timor Leste) and Irian Jaya (now Papua). The New Order administration created a watch list for scientists to tame their criticism.</p> <p>Also read: Mediocrity in Higher Education Is a Bigger Blow Than India Acknowledges</p> <p>The US shared a similar experience with Indonesia. Between 1960 and 1966, the countryâs Defence Ministry increased its social research budget to US$160 million from US$10 million. The huge budget was allocated to support Project Camelot, a project to help win the Cold War. Scholars from reputable universities like Princeton University, Columbia University and Stanford University were recruited for the project.</p> <p>But university academics do not always comply with the powers that aim to dominate knowledge production. They are also able to utilise their own influence and space to resist state domination.</p> <p>One example of a mutiny by academics occurred in Australia. Based on interviews with 30 academics in 10 Australian universities, a study documents protests by academics against the introduction of private practices in public sector institutions. The protests came in the form of academics refusing to do the requested work. Instead, they overloaded feedback and evaluation systems, and refused to hold virtual classes and do administrative works.</p> <p><strong>Power contest at universities</strong></p> <p>Dynamics within universities are always political, and different interests compete for in fluence. This competition, in turn, has shaped intellectual activities through their attempts to bring professors and students into political debates.</p> <p>So trying to counter radicalism in campuses by arguing that universities should not engage in politics is a false approach.</p> <p>Freedom never comes without power struggle. By understanding that universities are political battlefields, those who despise radicalism should mobilise a coalition to fight radicalism. This would be the more strategic move to defend academic freedom.</p> <p><em>Muhammad Fajar is a PhD Student at the Northwestern University</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from </em>The Conversation<em>. Read the original article here.</em></p>Source: <a href=https://thewire.in/world/universities-cannot-be-isolated-from-political-processes target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-70192241817020547122018-10-06T03:53:00.003-07:002018-12-08T00:58:42.198-08:00Indonesia honours S'porean for work on ethnic Chinese<strong>Indonesia honours S'porean for work on ethnic Chinese</strong><br/><br/>Skip to main content <h4>Thank you for reading The Straits Times.</h4><p>Your account has timed out, login for full access to premium stories.</p>Login"; document.querySelector('body').innerHTML += noteHTML; document.querySelector('.timeoutmsg-area .close-button').addEventListener('click', function() { document.querySelector('.timeoutmsg-area').classList.add('hidden'); }); } } function timeoutNote() { var oneMin = 60000; var timeDur = 120; var timeoutDuration = timeDur * oneMin; setTimeout(timeoutEvt ,timeoutDuration); } Indonesia honours S'porean for work on ethnic Chinese <figure><img src ="https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_pictrure_780x520_/public/articles/2018/10/06/ST_20181006_NALEO_4327742.jpg?itok=8FqZa3yl&timestamp=1538763008" alt="Indonesia's Ministry of Education and Culture said no other scholar has as strong an interest as Dr Leo Suryadinata in his field of study."/><figcaption>Indonesia's Ministry of Education and Culture said no other scholar has as strong an interest as Dr Leo Suryadinata in his field of study.</figcaption></figure> PublishedOct 6, 2018, 5:00 am SGT <p>Academic Leo Suryadinata has become the first Singaporean to receive an award from the Indonesian government that honours cultural contributions and efforts to deepen understanding of the archipelago.</p> <p>The Ministry of Education and Culture lauded his work on Indonesia's Chinese community, declaring Dr Leo, who was born in Jakarta, instrumental in introducing the history and development of the country's ethnic Chinese.</p> <p>&qu ot;In this field, no other scholar has as strong an interest as Leo Suryadinata," it said of the veteran Indonesia expert, who is a visiting senior fellow at the Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute, as well as an adjunct professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University.</p> <p>The award was for his "dedication and service as an expert on the ethnic Chinese in the dynamics of Indonesian social, economic, political and cultural life", said the ministry.</p> <p>Dr Leo, who has contributed pieces to The Straits Times' opinion section on a wide range of issues, including US-Indonesia relations and China's rail ambitions in Indonesia, received the Award for Culture and Recognition of Traditional Arts Maestro at a ceremony in Jakarta on Sept 26.</p> <p>"I felt honoured as this is not only a recognition of my work, but it is also a recognition of the importance of the Chinese Indonesians, as well as the study of ethn ic Chinese in Indonesia," he told The Straits Times yesterday.</p> <p>"I hope people in Indonesia and beyond would be able to better understand the roles and contributions of the Chinese Indonesians to Indonesia."</p> <p>And he also hoped to see more Indonesians - regardless of ethnicity - conducting more studies on this minority group, he added.</p> <p>"I would encourage younger Indonesian academics to do it as there are not many fine scholars yet in this field," he said. "I hope they will follow the steps of the older generation of scholars and surpass them."</p> <p>Dr Leo graduated in 1962 with a bachelor's degree from the then Nanyang University, where he majored in Chinese and South-east Asian literature. He has worked in several Singapore institutions over the past few decades and written more than 50 books on issues such as the Chinese Indonesian community as well as Indonesian politics.</p> <p>The Indonesian award has been recognisin g three foreign individuals a year since 2015 for significant contributions to studies about the country.</p> <p>Iseas - Yusof Ishak Institute deputy director Terence Chong said Dr Leo's contributions to the study of the Chinese community in Indonesia is invaluable to the think-tank's work.</p> <p>Dr Siwage Dharma Negara, co-coordinator of the institute's Indonesia programme, said the veteran academic has, through his writing, teaching and mentoring, helped many young scholars understand issues such as nation-building and the implications of China's rise.</p> <p>Dr Leo, 77, is not stopping yet.</p> <p>"At my age, I am eager to pass my knowledge to the younger generation. I will be very happy if young scholars would like to learn with me," he said.</p> A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 06, 2018, with the headline 'Indonesia honours S'porean for work on ethnic Chinese'. Print Editio n | Subscribe Topics: <ul><li>CULTURE</li><li>INDONESIA</li></ul> <time datetime="2018-10-06T05:00:00+08:00"></time><time datetime="2018-10-06T05:00:01+08:00"></time> <h2>Branded Content</h2> <p>We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Until we resolve the issues, subscribers need not log in to access ST Digital articles. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs.</p> <img src="https://amplifypixel.outbrain.com/pixel?mid=00529a8e9e01c3bfad3c4bd7ec1ab148f6"/>Source: <a href=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-honours-sporean-for-work-on-ethnic-chinese target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-64706062166854336682018-10-06T03:53:00.001-07:002018-12-08T00:58:42.149-08:00Indonesian actress and activist Ratna Sarumpaet lies about political assault to hide cosmetic surgery<strong>Indonesian actress and activist Ratna Sarumpaet lies about political assault to hide cosmetic surgery</strong><br/><br/>Email Indonesian actress and activist Ratna Sarumpaet lies about political assault to hide cosmetic surgery <p> Posted October 04, 2018 15:20:36 </p> <img src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/10337892-3x2-700x467.jpg" alt="Ratna Sarumpaet sits next to Prabowo Subianto" title="Ms Sarumpaet with Mr Prabowo.jpeg"/><strong> Photo:</strong> Sarumpaet met with a presidential candidate to tell him about her "assault". (Twitter: @fadlizon) <strong>Related Story:</strong> Indonesia's 'buzzers' paid to spread propaganda ahead of election <strong>Related Story:</strong> Jokowi rival Prabowo to stand for Indonesian president <strong>Related St ory:</strong> Meet the Indonesian artist fooling the world with his fake celebrity photos <strong>Map: </strong> Indonesia <p>Outspoken Indonesian actress and activist Ratna Sarumpaet has admitted she lied about being assaulted in a politically motivated attack, saying her injuries were instead from cosmetic surgery, after pictures of her swollen face went viral this week.</p> <h2> Key points:</h2><ul><li>Sarumpaet said the assault was carried out by three assailants at an airport in Bandung</li><li>Police discovered she had not been in Bandung but rather a hospital</li><li>Sarumpaet apologised for her lie in a press conference on Wednesday</li></ul> <p>Sarumpaet â" the campaign head for controversial Opposition Leader Prabowo Subianto â" said she created the assault story to hide the cosmetic work from her friends and family, and explain the swelling and bruising to her face.</p> <strong>External Link:</strong> Postingan Foto Pasca Operasi Ratna <p>"There was no assault. That was just a delusion inspired by Satan," she told the media hours after the police held a conference questioning her claims.</p><blockquote><p>"I never thought that I would be this stupid. I don't know what evil encouraged me to create [the lie]."</p></blockquote><p>The story turned political when Mr Prabowo met with Sarumpaet and denounced the assault as a "human rights abuse" and a "cowardly" attack. </p><p>"This is a repressive act, a clear violation of human rights ⦠to do this to a lady who is already 70, it's outrageous," Mr Prabowo said in a press conference.</p><p>Images of Ms Sarumpaet's swollen face spread quickly on social media, with other activists and party members tweeting their support for the actress, including Deputy Speaker Fadi Zon who said she was "remaining strong" after having stitches removed.</p><p>A police investigation was opened.</p><p>The 69-year-old claimed the assault was carried out by three assailants at an airport in Bandung, but police soon discovered she had not been in Bandung that day but rather at a Jakarta hospital specialising in cosmetic surgery.</p><h2>'I'm the best hoax creator'</h2><p>Sarumpaet, known for being vocal in her stance against fake media and the spreading of false information, apologised in a press conference in her Jakarta home on Wednesday.</p><blockquote><p>"It turns out I had become the best hoax creator; my lie had caused an uproar in this nation," she said.</p></blockquote><p>"When my children asked me, I told them that I was assaulted. They continued digging into that short answer because they saw their mother was bruised," she said, adding she did not think the lie would spread so widely. </p><p>"I never imagined such stupidity."</p> <strong>External Link:</strong> Baru usai pertemuan dg Mbak @RatnaSpaet . Bar u lepas jahitan di kepala. Ia tetap tegar <p>Sarumpaet apologised to everyone affected.</p><p>"I am sorry for my foolishness," she said.</p><p>"Especially to Mr Prabowo Subianto, whom I am rooting for, and my friends at the coalition."</p><p>Director of the Indonesian Anti-Hoax Society, Septiadji Eko Nugroho, said it was inappropriate for Mr Prabowo to call himself and his coalition victims of Sarumpaet's lies.</p><p>Mr Nugroho said they should have investigated and confirmed her story before making an announcement to the public.</p><p>"It's inappropriate for them to disseminate the information publicly before they assured themselves that the news was true," Mr Nugroho told the ABC.</p><p>Mr Nugroho even accused the presidential candidate of being part of the hoax.</p><p>"Mr Prabowo was clearly participating in spreading false information, he was part of it," he said.</p><p>"He even held a press conference to talk about it. It's a fatal mistake."</p> <p> <strong>Topics:</strong> assault, offbeat, world-politics, fraud-and-corporate-crime, indonesia, asia </p>Source: <a href=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-04/indonesian-actress-lies-about-assault-after-cosmetic-surgery/10337412 target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-78931025746004180032018-10-03T03:32:00.000-07:002018-12-08T00:58:42.246-08:00Understanding universities as political battlefields<strong>Understanding universities as political battlefields</strong><br/><br/><p>Category</p> Politics <p>Date</p> <time>10/2/2018</time>Source: <a href=https://menafn.com/1097517153/Understanding-universities-as-political-battlefields target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-45840977578758539532018-10-03T03:31:00.000-07:002018-12-08T00:58:42.052-08:00Indonesian disaster raises risks for President Widodo as he eyes re-election<strong>Indonesian disaster raises risks for President Widodo as he eyes re-election</strong><br/><br/>World NewsOctober 3, 2018 / 7:25 AM / Updated 3 hours agoIndonesian disaster raises risks for President Widodo as he eyes re-electionSource: <a href=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-quake-politics/indonesian-disaster-raises-risks-for-president-widodo-as-he-eyes-re-election-idUSKCN1MD0MP target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1967325150966099886.post-42492230129046084962018-09-14T04:08:00.004-07:002018-12-08T00:58:42.004-08:00Talking Indonesia: sex and sexuality<strong>Talking Indonesia: sex and sexuality</strong><br/><br/>Talking Indonesia: women, gender and activism<p>Following Kartini Day, on 21 April, Talking Indonesia looks at the state of the womenâsâ¦</p>Source: <a href=http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/talking-indonesia-sex-and-sexuality/ target="blank">Google News</a> Obor Rakyathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981704017714855821noreply@blogger.com0