Sunday, March 29, 2015

Vale Dame Patricia O'Sullivan OAM

Two days ago Dame Patricia O'Sullivan OAM slipped peacefully away  in her sleep. 

We all lost a true champion for the disabled and under-priviledged and a true champion of building close relationships between Australia and Indonesia.

Dame Patricia was the driving force behind the creation of POSH - The Patricia O'Sullivan Humanitarian Project - that has supported thousands of young children in East Java with hearing disabilities.

Those of you who have had the privilege of visiting the Karya Mulia School for Deaf Children in Surabaya, would have been deeply touched by the work of POSH. 

Since Dame Patricia suffered an untimely stroke some years ago, her daughter Trisha Henderson has taken over the vision and responsibility for this incredible project.

Dame Patricia would be justifiably proud of her daughter and those that work so hard to make the lives of so many young children in East Java just a little better.

Dame Patricia made a difference in our world and we bid her farewell.

 

Ross B. Taylor AM

President

Indonesia Institute (Inc)




Tuesday, March 24, 2015

It's always Summer in Indonesia

Beautiful Lembongan, photo by Phil Deschamp

New posts this week: Jakarta accepts Mr Paul Grigson's credentials as Ambassador; ISIS threats via SMS; prison visit surprises; disability disaster planning consultation

Selamat datang,

Tolong menikmati blog resmi Indonesia Institute. Minggu ini kita lihat perang terhadap KPK melanjutkan. They are facing four pretrial motions filed by four anti graft suspects. What a farce.
No doubt there will be many more twists and turns as the case plays out and the predatory elites on trial writhe in further desperation.

Stay tuned!

Editor

New posts this week:

'Ex journalist appointed as Ausralian Ambassador to Indonesia,' by Maria Rita, March 2015.
Welcome Mr Grigson to a challenging but ultimately very rewarding post! Don't forget to follow the new ambassador on Twitter @DubesAustralia.

'ISIS member' sends death threat over Jokowi via text messages,' by Joniansyah and Ninis Cjairunnisa, March 2015.
Involvement with ISIS has been a growing problem for Indonesia and there are calls to ban Islamic State.

'Pemerhati anak Australia kunjungi lapas Kutoarjo,' by Ivan Aditya, February 2015.
The Indonesia Institute's Colin Singer visited an Indonesian prison and was surprised to see constructive efforts to reform the young inmates.

'People with a disability should be included as equal partners in disaster planning,' by Michelle Villeneuve, March 2015.
People with a disability are four times more likely to die in the event of a natural disaster than the general population. In disaster prone Indonesia, a new program is being undertaken where disabled people are being surveyed about disaster preparation.

'Better starve than borrow,' by Graham Duncan, March2015.
Bamboo Microcredit has changed lives in Indonesia, but it started out as a crazy idea. Read about it here.

Extra reading:

Tobacco control is still a major issue in Indonesia and South East Asia, but there is still so little headway.

 If there is any hope for Indonesia's forests, President Jokowi needs to extend a moratorium on concessions - and expand on it.

Jakarta Governor Basuki swears on national television and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission gets straight to work with sanctions.

Islamic scholars have seen their chance with Jokowi's enthusiasm for the death penalty and are now pushing to have homosexuality punishable by execution. Kinksters beware, by this logic, anyone's fair game.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Ex-Journalist Appointed as Australian Ambassador to Indonesia

By Maria Rita

Career diplomat Paul Grigson has been appointed as Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, replacing Greg Moriarty who is bound to leave the country this late December. 

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot appointed the deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as the ambassador amid the politically-sensitive climate between both countries. 

The last two cases disrupting the ties between the two countries were the repatriation of asylum seekers on boats to Indonesian waters and the exposure of espionage on former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a string of Indonesian officials. 

As reported by Sydney Morning Herald on December 2, 2014, Paul Grigson, an ex-journalist with the AAP news wire, was expected to boost the Australia-Indonesia relationship. Grigson was assigned to encourage Indonesia, as the ASEAN leader, to take part in addressing tensions in the South China Sea. 

Grigson has known ASEAN Countries well, since he has recently run the Southeast Asia division of DFAT in Canberra. He was also the Australian Ambassador to Thailand in 2008-2010 and to Rangoon (Myanmar) in 2003-2004.

This article originally appeared 23 March in Tempo.

`ISIS Member` Sends Death Threat over Jokowi via Text Messages

By Joniansyah and Ninis Cjairunnisa

In the last couple of days, Tangerang residents received a chain of 'terror' through text messages via cellphones from a sender that claimed he/she was a member of the Islamic Nation of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

A number of threats had been made by the 'terrorist', who claimed his origins is from East Lampung. Starting from an airplane bomb at the Soekarno-Hatta airport, until a death threat towards President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

The terror began when a text message delivered from the number 085758905xxx on Wednesday, March 18, in which was written: "Lufthansa aircraft of Jakarta-Berlin route skid off the runway during takeoff at the Soekarno-Hatta airport at 10:25am passengers all dead. Mr Nur Rakhman, Atc Soekarno-Hatta Officer 085758905xxx".

But after the authority went to confirm the text message, the info was discovered to be false report. "The info is unreliable, the source of it is unclear," said Yudis Tiawan, the Manager of Public Relations and Protocol of Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Yudis also confirmed that the info was a hoax.

Commissioner Martinus Sitompul, head of Public Relations of Jakarta Police, stated that the Police is currently investigaring the source of the text message. "We are investigating the number," he said to Tempo on Saturday, March 21, 2015.

When the number was being contacted, it sent more text messages, such as: "We will kill all Police forces. Just you wait and see. We, ISIS members, are all sick of you... Jokowi should also die."

Another text message wrote: "We are not fooling around. We, ISIS, will destroy the National Police, Attorney General, and the skinny president. We have declared that drugs destroy our generation, whereas drugs also gave people spirit. If you want to die then just die, not the drugs. As ISIS members, we were named as rebels, but we only recruited, we also paid them to join us. You acted as if you are self-righteous . Take a look at the corruptors, why are you all sitting around for."

Another one also wrote: "We have instructed our member to do a preparation to destroy you all. We are from East Lampung, our HQ is in Sumur Kucing, East Lampung."

Mulyadi, a 40-year-old Tangerang residents who also received the text messages, expressed his shock. "The sender of these messages is a complete nutcase," he uttered.

According to Martinus Sitompul, if the culprit has been found, he/she will be subject to criminial act. "We will apprehend the culprit based on Electronic Transaction Information Law," he said.

This article originally appeared 22 March in Tempo.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo accepted on Thursday the credentials of new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was among six foreign envoys arriving for their new assignments in Jakarta.
Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia's plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.
During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia's execution policy hamper good ties.
Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.
A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.
"[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about," Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.
Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008.
He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia's special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.
Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.
Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra's offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.
Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticise the death penalty leveled against Veloso.
Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.
Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government's firm stance on the execution plan.
Gularte's family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.
High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country's judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.
On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential co-operation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.
"The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy," Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/indonesia-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy#sthash.nJLQGhhk.dpuf
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo accepted on Thursday the credentials of new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was among six foreign envoys arriving for their new assignments in Jakarta.
Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia's plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.
During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia's execution policy hamper good ties.
Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.
A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.
"[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about," Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.
Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008.
He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia's special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.
Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.
Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra's offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.
Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticise the death penalty leveled against Veloso.
Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.
Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government's firm stance on the execution plan.
Gularte's family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.
High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country's judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.
On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential co-operation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.
"The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy," Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.
Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/indonesia-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy#sthash.nJLQGhhk.dpuf
Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
mmitted to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
nt Joko “Jokowi” Widodo accepted on Thursday the credentials of new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was among six foreign envoys arriving for their new assignments in Jakarta.

Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo accepted on Thursday the credentials of new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was among six foreign envoys arriving for their new assignments in Jakarta.

Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo accepted on Thursday the credentials of new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was among six foreign envoys arriving for their new assignments in Jakarta.

Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo accepted on Thursday the credentials of new Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Paul Grigson, who was among six foreign envoys arriving for their new assignments in Jakarta.

Committed to maintaining good relations with Australia, Jokowi put aside the current strained relationship between the two countries, which was caused by the Indonesia’s plan to move ahead with the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who have been convicted of drug crimes.

During a brief conversation after the ceremony, Jokowi reminded the new envoys not to let Indonesia’s execution policy hamper good ties.

Along with ambassador Grigson, Jokowi also accepted the credentials of Maria Lumen Banzon Isleta of the Philippines, Trevor Donald Matheson of New Zealand, Judit Nemeth-Pach of Hungary, Victor Luis Ng Chan of Panama and Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi of Iran.

A Philippine national, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, is also on the list of death row inmates set to be executed.

“[During the discussion] I said [to them that diplomatic ties] should not be hampered by such matters of [...] such matters we all know about,” Jokowi said, declining to mention the executions directly.

Ambassador Grigson, who was a former deputy secretary of the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, served as Australian Ambassador to Thailand from 2008 to 2010 and chief of staff to the foreign affairs minister from 2007 to 2008. He has also served as ambassador to Myanmar and was Australia’s special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2014.

Philippine ambassador Isleta is a former ambassador to Laos.

Australia has made repeated calls for mercy on behalf of Sukumaran and Chan, but Indonesia has insisted on pressing ahead with the execution plan, turning down Canberra’s offers of a prisoner swap and of bearing the cost of keeping the two Australians in prison for life.

Unlike Australia, the Philippine government has pledged not to criticize the death penalty leveled against Veloso.

Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in January after Indonesia executed a group of six drug offenders that included citizens of those two countries.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Gularte, was among those scheduled for executions along with Sukumaran, Chan and Veloso.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff rejected the credentials of Indonesian ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto in February following the government’s firm stance on the execution plan.

Gularte’s family has pleaded for clemency on the grounds of mental illness.

High-ranking Jakarta officials, including Attorney General M. Prasetyo, said on Wednesday that no executions of drug convicts would take place in the near future, as the country’s judiciary was still processing appeals and case reviews for some of those set to be executed. Prasetyo said the government had established no deadline for the executions and also denied that the delay was due to foreign pressure.

On Thursday, Jokowi said he and the ambassadors discussed economic issues, including a potential cooperation with New Zealand on geothermal plant construction in Indonesia.

“The technology related to geothermal [energy] is not easy [to learn], and New Zealand is a master in the field of geothermal energy,” Jokowi said. Last year, during the ASEAN Summit in Naypyitaw, he offered an investment partnership for the construction of geothermal plants to New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Ambassador Matheson is a former ambassador to Italy. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/20/ri-accepts-credentials-new-australian-envoy.html#sthash.H4gJWz0x.dpuf

Pemerhati Anak Australia Kunjungi Lapas Kutoarjo - Travels of the Indonesia Institute's Colin Singer

By Ivan Aditya


Pemerhati anak warga negara Australia, Colin Singer mengunjungi Lembaga Permasyarakatan (Lapas) Anak Kutoarjo, Selasa (13/01/2015). Sekretaris LSM bidang hukum Justice for Peace (JP) di negara bagian Australia Barat itu kagum dengan pola pembinaan anak didik (andik) Lapas Kutoarjo.

Dalam kunjungannya, Colin disuguhi berbagai fakta tentang kesibukan andik Lapas Anak Kutoarjo dalam berlatih usaha, mendalami seni serta pendidikan formal. Bahkan Colin juga membeli batik hasil karya para andik. "Bagi saya ini aneh, baru pertama kali, namun saya sangat kagum melihat apa yang ada di Kutoajo," ucap Colin menjawab pertanyaan KRjogja.com.

Kondisi tersebut berbeda dengan di Australia. Lapas anak di Australia dibuat dengan sistem keamanan yang ketat dan tidak ada kegiatan pembinaan seperti di Indonesia. Dalam peraturan di Australia, lanjutnya, lapas memang dibuat untuk memberikan efek jera bagi narapidana.

Untuk fasilitas, Lapas di Australia dibangun dengan anggaran yang besar, sehingga setiap kamar tahanan penuh dengan berbagai sarana untuk keperluan anak. Kendati demikian, kondisi itu tidak menjamin penghuninya bisa direhabilitasi dan bisa kembali ke masyarakat dengan baik. "Kebanyakan mereka terlibat kejahatan setelah keluar dan kembali lagi ke lapas," ungkapnya.

Menurutnya, temuan tersebut akan menjadi bahan diskusi antar aktivis di lembaganya. "Ini menarik, akan menjadi bahan diskusi dan saya sangat tertarik untuk bisa menerapkannya di Australia," tuturnya.  
This article originally appeared 13 January in Kedaulatan Rakyat.

People with disability should be included as equal partners in disaster planning

By Michelle Villeneuve 

Between March 14 and 18, the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, will be accessible and inclusive for people with disability. The meeting will discuss the post-2015 framework to build community resilience to disasters.

The conference’s Disability Caucus is working with local organisers to ensure people with disability are among the expected 8000 delegates.

World leaders should use this opportunity to learn from people with disability about how natural disaster affects their lives.

Highly vulnerable

During natural disasters, the daily inequalities that people with disability face are amplified. As the first to be left behind and the last to be rescued, their rights to protection and safety are often denied.

People with disability are twice to four times more likely to be killed or injured in natural disasters than the general population. Deaf people may not hear early warning systems. People who cannot see, who have trouble walking, or who rely on wheeled mobility might find it difficult to flee and find protection.

In emergencies, equipment that helps them move or communicate might be left behind. Life-sustaining supports and technologies may not function.

In natural disasters, people with disability are also less likely to receive aid. They have greater difficulty coping during recovery from natural disasters. Inaccessible emergency shelters and inadequate services further increase their risk.

To reduce their vulnerability during natural disasters, people with disability should be included the planning and preparation for disaster risk reduction (DRR).

Towards inclusion

Policymakers have largely ignored the potential for people with disability to contribute to DRR planning and preparation. Without this input their specific needs are often unmet.

To find out how to fulfil these needs, practical solutions should come from people with disability themselves. To do so, they should be included in all phases of planning, response and recovery from natural disasters.

One of the ways to include people with disability in DRR planning and preparation is by enabling them to take leadership. For example, in Indonesia, the University of Sydney’s Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP) and Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB), a German non-governmental organisation, are training people with disability to administer surveys to their peers.

Indonesia is one of the world’s most disaster prone countries. Involving people with disability in DRR in the volcanic archipelago is extremely important as 80% of Indonesia’s districts are prone to natural disaster.
In Yogyakarta last month, 30 people learnt to administer the Disability Inclusive Disaster Resilience Tool, a survey developed by researchers at the University of Sydney. The program was supported by the Australian government.

During the meeting a blind woman administered the survey in Braille to a colleague. A deaf woman suggested adapting the tool to be used through sign language interpretation.

Some participants with mobility impairments administered the survey in Bahasa Indonesia, the country’s official language. Other participants used Javanese, a common dialect in the Java province.
They represent the wide variety of languages and cultures of Indonesia. It is important to capture the diversity of disability experience in any disaster planning and preparation initiative.

Following the training, local Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) will use this survey to gather information about the lived experience of disaster from people with disability in diverse communities across Indonesia.

So far 197 people have participated in the survey. Next month, researchers will discuss findings with DPOs, DRR agencies and government officials to translate findings into DRR practice that includes the needs of people with disability.

Data gathered from people with disability and their carers is important to better understand the specific vulnerability of people with disability to disaster in Indonesia. Disability organisations can use this information to better represent the varied needs of people with disability when working with DRR agencies and government officials on disability inclusive DRR strategies.

Michelle Villeneuve is a lecturer in Occupational Therapy Discipline at the University of Sydney. Her article originally appeared 13 March in The Conversation.

Better starve than borrow

By Duncan Graham



In 2007 knockabout guitar-strummer, tour guide and sometime barista Zulfikar (Fikar) could usually be found serving guests at Bukittinggi’s Bedudal Café, a backpackers’ favorite in the West Sumatra city.

Enter former public servant Peter Johnston, seemingly just another footloose Australian trying to understand Indonesia. But this encounter would change not just the two men’s lives but those of hundreds of Indonesians.

Peter was no wide-eyed newbie. His archipelagic wanderings began in 2004.  He’d formally studied the language in Yogyakarta.  So when he harangued against inequalities it was clear his concerns were not freshly found.

He figured the poor were forever shackled to poverty without capital. In his homeland the state welfare system where he’d worked as an administrator and social worker, helped with schemes to kick-start people’s lives. But this was Indonesia where indifference to the plight of the lowly was endemic in banks and government.

So how could the folks in the Lucky Country next door help their less privileged neighbors without being patronizing?  Click light bulb moment: Microcredit.

Great idea – but bars everywhere sweep up grand schemes along with the fag ends and plastic trash come closing time. 

Despite his scepticism Fikar kept his mind open.  Over three days and a few more coffees the two men devised a small no-interest loan scheme to help poor entrepreneurs start a business.

It would be called Bamboo because, Fikar reasoned, the plant is strong, resistant, sustainable and multipurpose.  His mother had even used it to make clothes during the Japanese occupation of the 1940s.

But then, as usual, the Westerner left.

“I thought it would all be forgotten once Peter moved on,” he said at a Bamboo board meeting in Bandung.  The Australian members used their own money to pay for travel and accommodation.

“In any case, I had no experience of banking and the credit system – only its faults.”  He’s involved in a long legal case fighting a company that allegedly upped its interest rates without consultation.

What he did have was local knowledge and understanding of the hand-to-mouth way the poor in Indonesia live and the pressures on family budgets.  A smart kid, the youngest of ten children born in Bukittinggi, his ambition was to become a lawyer.

Reality hit: No money, no study.  Plan B – use wits.  He picked up English from the tourists, rapidly became fluent and opened a guide business, Lite n’ Easy. When the haze from burning forests drove overseas visitors away he learned how to fix computers. It was a fickle life.

“I had zero capital and rented a motorbike,” he said. “I was just stuck.”

is mother His mother had warned hiom never to go into debH
His mother had raised him to beware of debt.  “Better you don’t eat than borrow,” she’d said, “avoid loan sharks.”

These are the high-interest unofficial credit suppliers that cruise the meat and vegetable markets, They typically charge Rp 200,000 (US $ 17) to lend Rp 1 million (US $ 83) over 40 days) keeping small businesspeople afloat, or savaging them in a sea of debt - depending on your economic philosophy.

For Fikar there was no ambiguity – but much doubt about the chances of undermining a harsh lending system embedded in the culture. 

“I wanted to do something to help the poor get out of their debt cycle,” he said. “There’s no leadership from the government – it’s just about impossible for small people to get ahead.

“I’m a bit of a rebel and despise a bureaucracy that seems to believe that if you can make it more difficult, then why not?  How can you fight an elephant?”

The answer came when Peter made good on his promise with a draft for AUD $500 (Rp 5 million). Fikar, 40, was astonished:  “I told my friends to pinch me."

“I lived near the market and regularly passed a café that never had food on display after midday.  I knew the owner and wondered how he could live like that.  So I asked what he’d do with a no-interest loan.

“Of course he wanted to know who was behind it. Why would Australians want to help when Indonesians refused?

“Eventually we lent him Rp 1.5 million (US $125) which he spent on building stock.  Now he has a bigger shop and his wife has a sewing machine which she uses to make money.”

So Bamboo Micro Credit was born.  It’s now an independent secular foundation taking donations from Australians and channelling these to borrowers through Fikar in Bukittinggi and agents in Malang (East Java) and Bandung (West Java).  Hundreds have been helped as the loans are repaid and the money recirculated through new clients.

“We are all smart in Indonesia, we are not buffaloes,” Fikar said. “We have so much potential but are being held back because the banks don’t want to know anyone whose collar is not smooth.

“Not everyone is right for a BMC loan.  They must have plans for a sustainable business, so inevitably some people hate me, but I’m not going to be bothered by their negative energy. We now charge an administration fee of ten per cent but the loans remain interest free.

“We’ve lost a little – but more than 90 per cent of borrowers repay.  If they default their friends and family won’t get loans in future, so there’s social pressure. Yet we have to be tolerant and understand there are other demands on families’ budgets, like paying for weddings, funerals and Idul Fitri celebrations.  Sometimes we have to accept a slow payer so knowing the culture is important. Most applicants are women.

 “I urge people just to be honest and tell me if there are problems with repayments.  Misfortune can happen to us all – but don’t hide from me.  I’m not Dracula.

“The Australian board doesn’t interfere and I only consult Peter if there’s a tricky decision to make.
“Now I think I might get to university.  Then I can really understand the law and use that knowledge to protect the poor.”


The Birdman of Bunulrejo

Even as a small boy Farit Hermansya was an accomplished gunman.

Together with his mates and an air rifle he’d travel to forests near Blitar in East Java and shoot every perching bird within range.

“I killed hundreds,” he said.  “The numbers are countless.”

Then one day he had an epiphany. He’d winged a bird.  It looked in the little one’s eyes knowing it was about to die. There was a brief contact between two living creatures.  Instead of wringing the bird’s neck he tried to save its life.

Farit failed, but at that moment he turned from killer to conservationist and began breeding exotic birds, mainly little finches and parakeets.

It’s a hobby gaining popularity as Indonesians get more disposable income, with many coming to Farit’s home in the Malang kampong of Bunulrejo.  Not all buyers had cages, so he reckoned business might prosper if he supplied both bird and lodging.

His business plan called for Rp 5 million (US$400) to buy wood and tools.  But where to find such a sum?

“I knew it was pointless going to the banks,” he said.  “They want security like the certificate for my home or motorbike.  I have a friend who works as a debt collector – he warned me against even trying.”

But a neighbor told him about a non-government community development organization called Daya Pertiwi that also acted as a Bamboo Microcredit agent.

Farit, 29, scaled back his plans by buying tools second hand and scavenging timber.  He was given a ten month Rp 1 million (US$83) no interest loan which he’s repaying at Rp 100,000 a month.

A big cage can cost Rp 170,000 (US$14) but most average half that sum.  The birds are more expensive with orange colored plumage fetching Rp 650,000 (US$52).

“I don’t expect there’ll be a need to borrow again once this loan is repaid,” said Farit.  “I can expand with the extra money I’m now earning. I tell every buyer not to kill.  I still feel guilty about the birds I’ve shot.”

Duncan Graham, a journalist and writer, lives in Malang East Java.