Indonesia executes six drug convicts, five of them foreigners

Indonesia executes six drug convicts, five of them foreigners
Widodo has pledged to bring reform to Indonesia

Ban appeals to Indonesia to stop death row executions

Ban appeals to Indonesia to stop death row executions
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has pleaded to Indonesia to stop the execution of prisoners on death row for drug crimes. AFP PHOTO

Pope: 'Death penalty represents failure' – no 'humane' way to kill a person

Pope: 'Death penalty represents failure' – no 'humane' way to kill a person
The pope wrote that the principle of legitimate personal defense isn’t adequate justification to execute someone. Photograph: Zuma/Rex

Obama becomes first president to visit US prison (US Justice Systems / Human Rights)

Obama becomes first president to visit US prison   (US Justice Systems / Human Rights)
US President Barack Obama speaks as he tours the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, Oklahoma, July 16, 2015 (AFP Photo/Saul Loeb)

US Death Penalty (Justice Systems / Human Rights)

US Death Penalty (Justice Systems / Human Rights)
Woman who spent 23 years on US death row cleared (Photo: dpa)



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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Saturday, December 31, 2011

The People, Events That Made Our Year

Jakarta Globe, Nurhayat Indriyatno, December 31, 2011

After being returned from Colombia, former Democratic Party treasurer
 Muhammad Nazaruddin dominated the news. He is now on trial for
corruption over a SEA Games bribery scandal. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)
 
    
Related articles

The past year offered up a bounty of prime headline fodder, with plenty of people stepping into the glare of the public spotlight, willingly or not, to capture the nation’s attention.

From the twists and turns in the globe-spanning saga of a corruption fugitive and the seedy revelations behind the lavish lifestyle of a high-flying banking executive to the meteoric rise of a lip-synching wonder, 2011 was never short of newsmakers.

Muhammad Nazaruddin

The person who arguably hogged the most headlines and TV airtime this year was Muhammad Nazaruddin, who at the start of 2011 was being feted as part of the new generation of savvy youngsters rising through the ranks of the ruling Democratic Party.

In mid-April, however, things began unraveling for him when a fixer caught during a bribery bust at the Youth and Sports Affairs Ministry revealed that she worked for Nazaruddin and that she had been ordered to facilitate a bribe to a ministry official to secure the contract to build the athletes’ village for the Southeast Asian Games.

On May 23, he fled for Singapore, a day before the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) applied for a travel ban against him. Once abroad, he began leveling a rash of accusations against other Democrats, including party chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

He was arrested in Cartagena, Colombia, in August and repatriated, but the controversy rages on. In his ongoing trial, the former Democrat continues to drop names.

Diani Budiarto

Undoubtedly one of the most polarizing figures in the news this year was Diani Budiarto, the mayor of Bogor. Backed by Islamic hard-liners and lambasted by almost everyone else, his term in office has been defined by his controversial decision to seal off the GKI Yasmin church and prevent parishioners from using it.

Although in possession of a valid building permit issued in 2006, the church was sealed off by the city in 2010 on the grounds that church officials had falsified the signatures on the petition required to get the permit.

The Supreme Court in January ruled against the revocation of the permit and ordered the church reopened. However, Diani has refused to comply, offering up a range of excuses, including that churches cannot be built on streets with Islamic names.

Nor did it help his reputation when, in August, the 56-year-old mayor married a 19-year-old woman — his fourth concurrent wife.

Throughout the year, the GKI Yasmin congregation continued to be harassed by mobs of conservative Muslims every Sunday as it attempted to hold services outside the sealed-off building.

This Christmas, the congregation was once again blocked from going near the church and forced to hold Mass at a member’s house. If the stalemate holds, they will be facing another Christmas without a church this time next year.

Malinda Dee

One of the most outlandish and literally larger-than-life characters to make the news this year was Inong Malinda Dee, a Citibank relationship manager who was arrested in March for allegedly embezzling Rp 17 billion ($1.8 million) from customers. Prosecutors later revised the figure up to Rp 40 billion.

In the ensuing probe, police seized two Ferraris, a Hummer and a Mercedes sports car from her. It was also revealed that she had undergone extensive breast augmentation surgery, as well as a procedure to implant silicone in her vagina. During her incarceration prior to her trial, she had to be hospitalized for several weeks because of complications from the implants.

Her trial, now under way, has revealed how she allegedly siphoned large amounts of money from clients and laundered it through accounts belonging to her sister and brother-in-law. These two are also on trial, as is Malinda’s much younger common-law husband, actor Andhika Gumilang.

Angelina Sondakh

Another high-profile woman making waves was Angelina Sondakh, a former Miss Indonesia and currently a House legislator with the Democratic Party.

Angelina garnered nationwide sympathy back in February when her husband, fellow legislator and former actor Adjie Massaid, died of a heart attack at just 43. But that sympathy quickly disappeared when the SEA Games scandal broke and Angelina was one of several legislators accused of taking kickbacks from the project. Though questioned by the KPK, she has not been named a suspect.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Angelina was involved in a “personal, close relationship” with a married investigator on loan to the KPK from the police.

Norman Kamaru

Long criticized as among the nation’s most corrupt institutions, the police force received a welcome, though brief, reprieve this year through Norman Kamaru, a young officer with the Mobile Brigade in Gorontalo province.

In late March, a video of Norman lip-synching and dancing to the popular Hindi song “Chaiya-Chaiya” went viral on YouTube (to date, it has been viewed more than three million times).

The official reaction was one of outrage, with the National Police saying Norman would be punished for “naughty, childish behavior.” They quickly relented, however, following massive public support for the officer.

Norman was jetted into Jakarta for a whirlwind tour of popular music and talk shows. But he was soon focusing more on his foray into the entertainment industry than on his job, giving rise to tensions with his superiors.

In September he tendered his resignation from the force, and after a standoff over whether he should pay back his training costs, the police finally gave him a dishonorable discharge this month for dereliction of duty.

Irfan Bachdim

Another young sensation this year was Irfan Bachdim, the half-Dutch heartthrob nationalized and recruited to the national football team.

It was in December last year that he captured the nation’s attention with his model-good looks and electrifying skills on the pitch during the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup.

Throughout 2011, he has appeared in numerous movies and commercials and been the subject of intense media scrutiny over his relationship with Indonesian-German lingerie model Jennifer Kurniawan, the sister of one of his teammates, Kim.

In October, though, things soured for Irfan when he was dropped from the under-23 team, after failing to show up to practice because he was doing a commercial shoot.

Marzuki Alie

Politics dominated much of the national debate this year, and front and center for much of it was Marzuki Alie, the House speaker from the Democratic Party.

Marzuki started the year out under a cloud, facing heavy criticism both from the public and from inside the House over his insistence on pushing ahead with a plan to build a costly new office tower for legislators.

In April, relenting to the public outcry, Marzuki finally pulled the plug on the project, but not until $2.5 million had already been spent in the planning phase.

The speaker also courted much ridicule this year for his many gaffes, from calling a caterpillar infestation in Java and Bali a biblical-style “warning from God” to suggesting that staff from the United Nations Development Program should vacate their offices in the legislative building because the UNDP was a “foreign nongovernmental organization.”

He also put his foot in it in February, at the height of public indignation over the mistreatment of Indonesian migrant workers, by suggesting they were hurting the country’s reputation. “Some of them can’t iron properly, so it’s natural if the employer ends up landing the hot iron on the migrant worker’s body,” he said.

Tifatul Sembiring

Another politician seldom out of the headlines was Tifatul Sembiring, the communication and information technology minister from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

The minister started the year the way he ended 2010, with a campaign to get Research In Motion, maker of the popular BlackBerry smartphone, to install porn-blocking filters for its services. Round one went to Tifatul, with RIM complying ahead of the mid-January deadline.

His antiporn victory, however, was soured by a scandal in April in which a PKS legislator was caught watching pornography on his tablet computer during a plenary session of the House.

Tifatul, usually vocal about such matters, took much flak for not weighing in.

In December, he went after BlackBerry again, this time threatening to shut down its Internet service because it had not yet complied with an order to set up a data center in the country.

Orangutan

While the politicians may have been monkeying around, things were far more dire this year for the orangutan, the iconic, and endangered, red apes of Sumatra and Borneo.

The year started out positively enough with the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation getting the go-ahead in April to release captive orangutans back into the wild, following a nine-year hiatus marked by zero releases.

A month later, though, it was revealed that the concession in which the 1,200 animals were to be gradually released was rife with illegal logging and poaching activities. From there, things only got worse. In November, a study showed that villagers in Kalimantan were responsible for the deaths of 750 of the apes over the past year. Days later, disturbing news emerged from East Kalimantan that an oil palm company there had ordered the slaughter of dozens of orangutans and other primates it deemed pests.

Komodo

The year was more mixed for another iconic Indonesian animal, the Komodo dragon.

In March, Surabaya Zoo, notorious for the high rate of deaths among its animals, reported that three juvenile dragons went missing, possibly stolen for the lucrative illegal trade in exotic species. Sure enough, in October police arrested a man for trying to sell one of the animals.

A month later, an adult dragon was found dead at the zoo, with the cause of death believed to be food poisoning from consuming items thrown to it by visitors.

But there was also good news, of sorts, for the animal in its natural habitat. Komodo National Park was in November named to the provisional list of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

The recognition, however, was tainted by the long and testy nature of the competition, which saw the organizer, the N7W Foundation, drop the Culture and Tourism Ministry as the official supporting partner for Komodo’s bid over a fee dispute. In the end, the park made it into the final seven.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Netherlands to be promoted a center of Indonesia`s culinary in Europe

Antara News, Wed, December 28 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Netherlands is going to be a hub for Indonesia`s culinary promotion in Europe, Indonesian newly appointed Ambassador for The Netherlands Retno Marsudi said here on Wednesday.

"Indonesian culinary promotion is going to be developed in the Netherlands and we plan to make the country as our hub of promotion to other European countries," she said.

According to Retno, culinary promotion was not only considered as an effort to exchange culture between Indonesia and the Netherlands but also a way to improve Indonesian people`s economy.

Before, several Indonesian Embassies in countries such as Russia and Dubai had conducted Indonesian culinary promotion events.

In Dubai, the culinary promotion is held in Toshi Restaurant, Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai, inviting wife of foreign ambassadors, senior officials and foreign entrepreneurs in the country.

Among the menu served in the event are Gado-Gado (Indonesian sald), Tongseng Kambing (fried lamb in soya sauce), Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noddle).

While in Moscow, Indonesian Embassy there and the Russia`s Gastronomic Association hold a garden party presenting traditional chili mix culinary from North Sulawesi province called Sambal Dabu-Dabu.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Friday, December 23, 2011

Indonesia girl back with family after 2004 tsunami

Associated Press, by Fakhrurradzie Gade, Dec 23, 2011 

Fifteen-year-old Wati, second right, poses for a photograph with her father
 Yusuf, right, mother Yusniar, left, and younger brother Aris at their home
 in Meulaboh, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, Dec. 23, 2011. The girl who
 was swept away in the Indian Ocean tsunami seven years ago has been reunited
with her parents. (AP Photo)

Latest News
  
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) -- A girl who was swept away in the Indian Ocean tsunami seven years ago said Friday that she broke down in tears this week after tracking down her parents, who had long lost hope of finding her alive.

Fifteen-year-old Wati showed up at a cafe in Meulaboh, a town in Aceh province, earlier this week saying that not long after the wave hit she was found and "adopted" by a woman who forced her to beg in the streets, sometimes until 1 a.m.

When she stopped bringing in money, Wati was kicked out by the woman. She then set out to find her family, but had very little information to guide her - only the name of her grandfather, Ibrahim.

Someone at the cafe tracked down a man by that name, and the man - unsure if it was actually his granddaughter - quickly summoned her parents.

"When I saw my mother, I knew it was her. I just knew it," said Wati, who was given that name by the woman who found her. Her original name is Meri Yuranda.

The Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen nations hit Aceh - closest to the epicenter of the magnitude-9.1 quake that spawned waves 30 feet (10 meters) high - the hardest.

With tens of thousands of bodies never recovered in the province, many people continue to cling to hope of finding lost loved ones, putting up fliers or ads in newspapers.

Reunions, however, are extremely rare and, when they occur, rarely confirmed.

Wati's mother, Yusniar binti Ibrahim Nur, 35, said she did not need a DNA test to prove the girl was hers.

"She has her father's face," she said, adding that she had stopped believing she would ever see her daughter again. "Then I saw the scar over her eye and mole on her hip, and I was even more sure."

Wati and her father had different accounts of what happened on the day of the tsunami.

The girl says she remembers her father putting her into a boat with her sister, who is still missing and presumed dead. The father says that before the family was separated, he put both of his daughters on the roof of their house.


Meri Yuranda, aka Wati (c), is reunited with her family in Meulaboh, 
West Aceh, Indonesia. (Photograph: Arman/EPA)



Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Indonesian Widows to Seek Justice for Another Dutch Massacre

Jakarta Globe, December 21, 2011

A mural depicting the 1947 massacre by Dutch military troops of Indonesians
is displayed at the Rawagede memorial in West Java. (AFP Photo/File)

Related articles

The Hague. Widows of Indonesian men killed by the Dutch colonial army in 1946 and 1947 on Sulawesi island are planning to seek justice before a court in the Netherlands, their lawyer said on Tuesday.

“We are exploring the possibilities of legal action,” Amsterdam-based lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld said following a landmark ruling earlier this year which found the Dutch state responsible for another massacre in Indonesia in 1947.

The new case was “not about money” but “about getting recognition for the harm that has been done to them,” Zegveld said.

In September a court in The Hague found the Dutch state responsible for executions committed by its colonial army in 1947 in the village of Rawagede on Indonesia’s Java island.

The court ruled in favour of eight widows and a survivor of the Rawagede massacre during Indonesia’s fight for independence, where men and boys were executed by the colonial Dutch army as relatives and friends looked on.

Zegveld said the new legal action could start “within two or three months in the Netherlands.”

“So far, we have spoken to about 10 widows who could enter the Dutch courts,” she added.

Residents claim some 40,000 Indonesians were killed by the Dutch army in Sulawesi’s south between December 1946 and February 1947 while conducting operations to look for opponents of the former Dutch colony.

The Dutch government says there were between 3,000 to 5,000 deaths, according to figures quoted in the Dutch media.

Zegveld said events to open proceedings are being studied, citing examples such as executions in the Sulawesian villages of Pare-Pare, Bulukumba, Lombok and Supa-Galung.

The Dutch government formally apologized earlier this month for the Rawagede massacre on the country’s Java island in an emotional ceremony.

Dutch officials say some 150 people were killed, but a support group and the local community say the death toll was 431.

Indonesia declared its independence in 1945.

Agence France-Presse

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Indonesian Snaps Up Top National Geographic Photography Award

Jakarta Globe, December 20, 2011

Indonesian photographer Shikhei Goh has won the prestigious 2011
 National Geographic Photography Contest with a spectacular image
of a dragonfly in the rain in Riau. (National Geographic Photo/Shikhei Goh)
               
Indonesian photographer Shikhei Goh has won the prestigious 2011 National Geographic Photography Contest with a spectacular image of a dragonfly in the rain in Riau.

According to reports, Goh will receive $10,000 and have his winning image published in the international edition of National Geographic magazine.

Goh, who won the grand prize as well as nature categories, beat out more than 20,000 other photographs submitted by amateur and professional photographers from more than 130 countries.

In a photo caption credited to Goh, the Indonesian wrote that he was out taking photographs of insects, “as I normally did during macro photo hunting.”

“I wasn’t actually aware of this dragonfly since I was occupied with other objects. When I was about to take a picture of it, it suddenly rained, but the lighting was just superb. I decided to take the shot regardless of the rain. The result caused me to be overjoyed, and I hope it pleases viewers.”

Tim Laman, one of three National Geographic magazine photographers who judged the contest, described the photograph to nationalgeographic.com as a “very striking macrophotography image that rose to the top of the nature category for me because of its originality, beautiful light, rare action in a close-up image, as well as its technical perfection.”

Yes, They Can: Indonesian Women Awarded for Community Contributions

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, December 20, 2011

Ainy Fauziyah, one of Tupperware Indonesia’s ‘She Can!’ award winners,
 gave up a good, stable job in Jakarta to help rebuild homes in post-tsunami
Aceh. (JG Photo/Sylviana Hamdani)
 

Related articles

Traditionally, the only roles available to women in Indonesia were “masak, macak dan manak” (cooking, dressing up and bearing children). But today, this is far from the truth.

With better education and increased opportunities, Indonesian women are taking more active roles. They are now leaders, motivators and key decision-makers in their families, businesses and society.

On Dec. 8, Tupperware Indonesia honored 52 exceptional women who have made differences in their communities with the “Tupperware She Can!” awards.

“Despite their gentle physiques, women have a very strong power and influence,” said Nining Pernama, managing director of Tupperware Indonesia. “And as we looked around, we found those who use their skills and knowledge to educate, enlighten and empower other people around them.”

The 52 winners received trophies, certificates and prize money totaling Rp 832.5 million ($92,000) for their life-changing social works.

“I’ve often heard that the greatest power of Indonesia is its natural resources,” said Rick Goings, chairman and chief executive of Tupperware Brands. “I can tell you that in the many times I’ve been here and through the many people that I’ve gotten to know, the greatest power in Indonesia is its women.

“The ‘She Can!’ women are not only symbols but are also role models for many young women in Indonesia for the future.”

According to the 2010 census, there are nearly 240 million Indonesians, about half of whom are women.

“With that many women in the population, women are an asset and hold a lot of potential for this country,” said Sri Danti Anwar, deputy minister for women’s empowerment and child protection. “These women inspire their peers to work as equals to men, to be the best they can be and to empower other people around them.’’

Each winner has an amazing story, and here we highlight three of these strong and inspirational women.

Asmarani Rosalba, Jakarta

Under the pen name “Asma Nadia,” this 39-year-old has written more than 40 fiction and non-fiction books, as well as short stories and song lyrics.

Two of her best-selling novels, “Emak Ingin Naik Haji” (“Mom Wants to Go on a Hajj Pilgrimage,” 2009) and “ Rumah Tanpa Jendela” (“House Without Windows,” 2011) have been made into movies. A third adaptation, “Ummi Aminah,” will be in theaters in January.

“I’ve never thought I’d be who I am now,” she said. “Our family was poor and I was raised in a small, dilapidated house near the railway. But I have a wonderful mother who has always encouraged me to dream big.”

Her mother, Maria Eri Susianti, stayed by Asmarani’s side when she was diagnosed with severe heart and lung problems in her teens. At the same time, doctors discovered five tumors on her neck.

“I spent so many days in the hospital when I was young,” she said. Yet it was during those dark days that her appetite for reading grew. Her mother brought a lot of books to accompany her in the hospital.

Today, Asmarani is the chief executive of her own company, Asma Nadia Publishing House, and chairwoman of her foundation, Yayasan Asma Nadia.

Through Yayasan Asma Nadia, she has set up 37 libraries in Java, Kalimantan and Papua, as well as two libraries in Hong Kong for Indonesian migrant workers.

“This event has inspired me to do more,” she said. “I met [social advocate and fellow award winner] Roostien Ilyas recently and we are planning to create libraries in juvenile detention halls around Jakarta.”

Ainy Fauziyah, Bekasi

“Everyone’s born a glorious winner,” motivational coach Ainy Fauziyah said. “But it’s up to them to achieve their dreams.”

Born in Bangil, a small town in East Java, in 1969, Ainy had to work hard to achieve her own dreams of “making it big.”

“Our family wasn’t rich,” she said. “My father’s a farmer and my mother’s a seamstress. Yet, when I was a child, I saw them working very hard for their children without complaining. I guess it inspired me to work hard to try to make them proud.”

Ainy had a good career as the assistant to the planning manager at a state-owned public housing business in Jakarta, but she decided to leave it all behind when a friend asked her to help rebuild Aceh after it was hit by the December 2004 tsunami.

“No one understood my decision back then. Only my husband stood by me. He truly understands my heart for the people.”

In May 2005, Ainy joined a nonprofit international organization in Aceh.

“I was the only woman and the only Indonesian among the shelter coordinators in the organization,” she said.

She rebuilt hundreds of homes in Lhokseumawe, in northwestern Aceh.

“It’s easy to build homes, but it’s really difficult to rebuild the people’s lives after the disaster,’’ she said.

Yet Ainy saw that trial as an opportunity.

Rebuilding requires a lot of manpower. While Acehnese men helped with the construction of houses, Ainy encouraged the local women to help paint them.

“We gave them a little training and they did a wonderful job,” she said. “They were also very proud of themselves because they could earn a salary for themselves and their family during the difficult time.”

Her painting team grew from 35 to 500 women within a couple of years.

“It’s touching to watch them gain confidence with their new skills,” she said. “Some of them could even put their children through school with their earnings.”

Her program was considered an exemplary success, and Ainy was invited to speak at international conferences.

Today, she is back in Jakarta. She manages her own company, Ainy Coaching, offering motivational and leadership programs in Indonesia and abroad.

But once a week, you can find her at Rumah Dhuafa Indonesia (Home for Indonesian Orphans) in Bekasi, giving motivational lectures to less fortunate kids.

“I want to build their hopes and confidence for the future,” Ainy said. “If I can overcome difficulties and achieve my dreams, they can do it also.”

Nuraeni, Makassar

Nuraeni was a housewife and mother of three young children in Paotere, Makassar, when her husband, a fisherman, died from a motorbike accident in 2004.

With no work experience, she scrambled to make a living. She opened a small warung at her house but could not earn enough.

Her life changed in 2006, when she went to a workshop organized by an NGO, which taught her a process to preserve fresh fish.

Nuraeni, 42, then collected leftover fish from the markets to make abon ikan tuna (preserved shredded tuna).

Her tasty products became popular in Makassar, but Nuraeni did not stop at that. She started looking around and saw the dire poverty experienced by many fishermen’s families in her village.

“Many have become ensnared by punggawas [moneylenders] just to make ends meet,” she said. “The moneylenders then take 50 to 60 percent of their daily catch as payment for their debts. The fishermen barely had enough to provide for their families and had to borrow more.’’

To help break this vicious cycle, Nuraeni founded the Fatimah Az-Zahra cooperative in 2007. Fishermen’s wives learn to make abon ikan tuna and preserved boneless ikan bandeng (milkfish) to sell in the markets. With the additional income, the women can help their husbands repay their debt.

But not everyone is impressed with Nuraeni’s efforts.

“I’ve received countless death threats from moneylenders,” Nuraeni said.

They have also started rumors among the fishermen’s families that Nuraeni was just using them to get rich herself.

“But I explained everything and invited them to take a look at my [financial] books,’’ she said. “I’ve got nothing to hide and nothing to be afraid of.”

The Fatimah Az-Zahra cooperative now includes more than 200 women.

“I’m happy to be part of a positive change among my people,” she said.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Dutch Powerhouse PSV to Spend Part of Winter Break in Jakarta

Jakarta Globe, Ami Afriatni, December 19, 2011

Kevin Strootman of PSV in action during the training at the sports complex
 Herdgang in Eindhoven, The Netherlands on Wednesday. Dutch giant PSV
 Eindhoven will visit Jakarta next month, organizers said on Monday.
(EPA/Marcel van Hoorn)
    
         
Related articles

While the domestic football in Indonesia remains beset with problems, its attractiveness as a destination does not appear to have diminished.

Dutch giant PSV Eindhoven will visit Jakarta next month, organizers said on Monday. The 21-time Eredivisie champion will play twice at Gelora Bung Karno, facing an Indonesia Selection on Jan. 9 and a Jakarta Selection on Jan. 12 in the Jakarta Challenge.

The Eredivisie began its month-long winter break on Monday, and event promoter Saujana Media claimed PSV would bring its best players.

“We also negotiated with Ajax to play here, but they had already signed a deal with another party,” Saujana Media event director S.T. Arasu said.

PSV is second in the Dutch league, a point behind leader AZ Alkmaar after 17 games.

Arasu said the Jakarta Challenge would be an annual event. He said organizers would invite other top European clubs to take part.

“We have a long-term plan with this event. That’s why we named it the Jakarta Challenge, not the ‘PSV Indonesia Tour,’ ” he said. “We plan to lure top clubs to play in the tournament every January starting with PSV. We’ve been in talks with Bayern Munich for 2013 Jakarta Challenge.”

The national team will make up the Indonesia Selection, while the Jakarta Selection will include players from the capital’s clubs plus former Manchester United star Andy Cole and Malaysian striker Safee Sali. Arasu said negotiations with Cole were in the final stages. “We are sure his presence will add plenty of bite to the Jakarta Selection forward line,” he said.


Related Article:


Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Indonesia's Aceh punks shaved for 're-education'

BBC News, by Karishma Vaswani, Jakarta, 14 December 2011 

The punks were rounded up at a local concert

Dozens of young men and women have been detained for being "punk" and disturbing the peace in Aceh, Indonesia's most devoutly Muslim province. They are being held in a remedial school, where they are undergoing "re-education".

Rights groups have expressed concern after photographs emerged of the young men having their mohawks and funky hairstyles shaved off by Aceh's police.

They look sullen and frightened as they are forced into a communal bath.

But Aceh's police say they are not trying to harm the youths, they are trying to protect them.

The 64 punks, many of whom are from as far away as Bali or Jakarta, were picked up on Saturday night during a local concert.

Aceh police spokesman Gustav Leo says there have been complaints from residents nearby.

The residents did not like the behaviour of the punks and alleged that some of them had approached locals for money.

Morals unmatched

Mr Leo stressed that no-one had been charged with any crime, and there were no plans to do so.

They have now been taken to a remedial school in the Seulawah Hills, about 60km (37 miles) away from the provincial capital Banda Aceh.

"They will undergo a re-education so their morals will match those of other Acehnese people," says Mr Leo.

But activists say the manner in which the young people have been treated is humiliating and a violation of human rights.

Aceh Human Rights Coalition chief Evi Narti Zain says the police should not have taken such harsh steps, accusing them of treating children like criminals.

"They are just children, teenagers, expressing themselves," she says.

"Of course there are Acehnese people who complained about them - but regardless of that, this case shouldn't have been handled like this. They were doused with cold water, and their heads were shaved - this is a human rights violation. Their dignity was abused."

But Mr Leo disagrees. 

It is the second time the police have cracked down
on punk culture in Aceh
"We didn't arrest them, they haven't committed any criminal offence," he says.

"They are Aceh's own children - we are doing this for their own good. Their future could be at risk. We are re-educating them so they don't shame their parents."

This is the second time Aceh's police have clamped down on punks in the province, which is the only province in Indonesia allowed to implement shariah law.

There is a thriving underground punk music scene in Aceh, but many punk-lovers are viewed suspiciously by local residents.

Many of the young teens sport outrageous hairstyles, in keeping with punk culture, but against the norms of the keenly religious in Aceh.

Aceh is one of the most devout Muslim provinces in Indonesia, and observers say it has becoming increasingly more conservative since Islamic law was implemented a few years ago.



Media people should practice prophetic journalism: Observer

Antara News, Wed, December 14 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Media observer Parni Hadi called on people working in the media industry to implement prophetic journalism based on the Prophet Muhammad`s behavior.

"Muhammad was always honest in his words and also wise and responsible in doing his duties as a leader. In his da`wah he always combines words and deeds, he always does what he preaches," Parni said here on Wednesday at the 2nd International Conference on Islamic Media.

Parni said Muslim journalists needed to actuate prophetic journalism by means of practicing the four excellent traits of the Prophet Muhammad, namely siddiq (revealing the truth), Tabligh (disseminating truth in educative ways), Amanah (reliable) and Fathonah (wise).

"By reflecting the Prophet`s four character traits, journalists and content providers will show dignity, devotion, tolerance, mutual understanding, mutual respect, non violence and tender loving care in their reports, features and commentaries," Parni said.

However, Parni said prophetic journalism would be most effective if conditions such as freedom of expression, independence, justice and global peace prevailed.

The 2nd International Conference on Islamic Media was opened last December 12 and runs until Dec 16. The event is participated in by 400 people comprising media practitioners, academics, communication experts and media representatives from 40 countries.

Editor: Heru

Monday, December 12, 2011

Bali-Based ‘Ibu Robin’ Wins CNN Hero of the Year

Jakarta Globe, December 12, 2011

Robin Lim, a nominee for ‘CNN Hero,’ and her husband, Will Hemmerle,
with their daughter, Lakota Moira. (JG Photo)
 
            
Related articles

Indonesian-based American midwife Robin Lim has been named the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year. Lim, known to many as Ibu Robin, or Mother Robin, leads a non-profit, donation-based organization called Yayasan Bumi Sehat (Healthy Mother Earth Foundation) that focuses on prenatal care, maternal health and child survival in Bali.

“Every baby’s first breath on Earth could be one of peace and love,” Lim was quoted by CNN as saying during the cable news network’s All Star Tribute in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

“Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth could be safe and loving. But our world is not there yet,” Lim said.

The award honors ordinary people from around the world who are making extraordinary contributions in their communities.

Read the Jakarta Globe's profile here: Bali-Based Midwife in Bid for CNN Hero

Lim, speaking earlier to CNN, highlighted Indonesia’s high maternal and infant mortality rates that were caused by the high costs of maternal care.

“The situation is bad ... babies are unattended, deliveries have become commercialized, and mothers die from hemorrhage after childbirth because they can’t afford proper care,” Lim said.

The CNN Hero of the Year receives a total of $300,000 for her cause. The winner was chosen after an 11-week vote on CNN.com.

See Jakarta Globe Big Talk's interview with Lim here: Helping Women, Saving Babies


Related Article:


Saturday, December 10, 2011

Obama's elementary school teacher passes away

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 12/10/2011

Israella Parera Darmawan, 67, a retired elementary school teacher, who once taught US President Barack Obama passed away on Friday morning at the Siloam Hospital in Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten.

Israella, better known as Ibu Is, was a former teacher at the Fransiskus Asisi elementary school in Menteng Dalam, Tebet, South Jakarta. She died after having been treated for a week due to complications with her liver and diabetes.

Israella is survived by her husband Dharmawan Wahyudi, 74, and three children; Franciscus Wahyu Iswanto, 40, Martha Dian Sri Iswanto, 38, and Wandy Wibowo Iswandi, 35, and four grandchildren.

Her youngest son, Wandy, said the family had decided to bury her at the San Diego Hills Memorial Park cemetery in Karawang, West Java on Sunday morning.

Wandy was quoted as saying by tribunnews.com on Saturday that the family would hold a mass to pay their last respects to the deceased at Saint Carolus hospital on Saturday evening.

Israella was teaching at the then Fransiskus Strada Asisi when little Obama, better known as Barry, studied at the school for three years from 1968 to 1970. Barry later moved to another school SDN 1 Menteng in Central Jakarta for one and half years before moving to the US.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Dutch apology for 1947 Indonesia massacre at Rawagede

BBC News, 9 December 2011

Related Stories

Relatives of survivors broke down in tears
when the ambassador apologised
The Dutch government has apologised for a massacre committed by its soldiers in Indonesia in 1947, as the country fought for independence.

Dutch ambassador Tjeerd de Zwaan spoke at a ceremony in Balongsari village, formerly known as Rawagede, where at least 150 people were killed.

He said the massacre was a tragedy and apologised in English and Indonesian.

Earlier this year, a court in the Netherlands ordered the government to pay compensation over the killings.

The case was brought by relatives of those who were killed.

Reports said the Netherlands would pay 20,000 euros to the relatives, but lawyers say the exact figure is still being negotiated.

The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Balongsari says the ruling is expected to lead to more claims from Indonesians who were mistreated during the Netherlands' colonial rule.

Mr de Zwaan said he hoped the formal apology would allow the families of the victims of the tragedy to close an exceedingly difficult chapter of their lives.

"On behalf of the Dutch government, I apologise for the tragedy that took place in Rawagede on the 9th of December, 1947," he said.

When he repeated the apology in Indonesian, some relatives of the victims broke down in tears.

The Netherlands had previously expressed regret over the killings, but never formally apologised.

Most of current-day Indonesia was ruled by the Netherlands from the 19th Century until World War II, when the Japanese army forced out the Dutch.

When the Dutch attempted to reassert control after the defeat of the Japanese, they met fierce resistance.

The Netherlands finally recognised Indonesia's independence in 1949.


The Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Tjeerd de Zwaan (left), 
meets widows of Rawagede massacre victims.Photograph:
Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images