[Kabar-indonesia] Indo News - Feb 6, 2006

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- Eleven more suspected Indonesian bird flu cases await WHO confirmation
- Smoking ban in Indonesia's capital
- Broadcast News - Indonesia's Media
- Indonesian Military's New Day?
- At least 30 bodies found from sunken Indonesian ferry
- Hopes fade for 60 missing in Indonesian ferry disaster
- Do's and don'ts for foreigners in Aceh amid conversion allegations
- Asia Letter: A diplomatic presence in more than name only
- Govt warned of destroying trust in Aceh
- Komnas HAM asked to follow up grave findings in Aceh
- Police, soldiers 'fanned' Poso sectarian war
- Poso task force: Can it stop the violence?
- Ambon refugees still waiting 7 years on
- The Situation In Ambon / Moluccas – Report No. 504
- Indonesian militants target Danes
- Farmers demand plantation company’s business permit be revoked
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Eleven more suspected Indonesian bird flu cases await WHO confirmation
Sunday February 5, 1:57 PM
Jakarta (AFP)

Indonesia, which has already registered 16 bird flu deaths, is awaiting
test results from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11 more suspected
infections.

"The latest report we have shows that there has been a total of 23 cases
of confirmed infection, 16 of them fatal, while we are still awaiting the
result of WHO tests on 11 other probable cases, four of them fatal," said
an official at the health ministry's bird flu information center.

The official, who identified himself as Nurdin, said local tests on the 11
probable cases had tested positive but that only tests conducted by the
WHO laboratory in Hong Kong would officially confirm infection cases.

"But from experience, the WHO tests have only confirmed the results of our
tests," Nurdin said.

The latest WHO test results obtained at the weekend showed that a
22-year-old chicken vendor who died last month and a 15-year-old teenager
who died on Wednesday were Indonesia's latest deaths from the H5N1 virus,
health ministry official Hariyadi Wibisono has said.

Two more cases had also been confirmed by the Hong Kong-based laboratory,
but the patients remained alive bringing the total of confirmed bird flu
cases in Indonesia to 23, of which 16 have died," Wibisono told AFP.

Nurdin could not give details of the two new surviving bird flu cases.

A health official on the weekend said the two were a five-year-old boy
from Lampung province on Sumatra island and a 15-year-old boy from the
West Java town of Padalarang.

The virus has now killed some 87 people in Asia since 2003.

Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, was initially accused
of covering up the virus, which is transmitted by close contact with
infected poultry.

Many Indonesians live with chickens around their homes, even in urban
areas, creating ideal conditions for infections to pass from the birds to
humans.

A WHO team warned last month that Indonesia needed to focus more on
measures aimed at preventing such virus transmission and also on
preparations for a possible human pandemic.

Experts fear that H5N1 could mutate into a form easily transmissible by
humans, sparking a global pandemic that would have the potential to kill
millions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABC/Radio Australia
Smoking ban in Indonesia's capital
Last Updated 05/02/2006, 12:35:47

The Indonesian capital Jakarta has imposed a ban on smoking in public
places and offices to try and discourage the habit.

Smoking related illnesses account for 57,000 deaths a year in Indonesia.

Smoking is now banned in government and public office buildings,
restaurants, bars, hospitals, schools, places of worship and public
transport.

Offenders could face fines of up to 50 million rupiah, or more than $US
5,000, or six months in jail.

The new law allows establishments to designate smoking areas, on condition
they are completely sealed off.

Up to 70-percent of the country's men smoke strong clove cigarettes,
making it one of the world's most profitable tobacco markets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Economist (via Joyo Indonesia News)
Issue cover dated February 4, 2006
Broadcast News - Indonesia's Media
-- Opponents accuse the government of trying to control the airwaves

Democratic it may be these days, but Indonesia is a place where battles
between the authorities and the defenders of human and political rights
are still being fought. The latest is over new rules governing the
country's private, and often critical, broadcasters. From February 5th,
the government is taking back from the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission
(KPI) the right to award licences to both radio and television companies,
giving itself the power to vet directors of such companies, as well as
limiting ownership of broadcasters, limiting media cross-ownership and
banning live foreign broadcasts. The result has been a big row.

Activists for media freedom, the KPI itself and most political parties
claim the new regulations violate the broadcasting law of 2002 and take
the industry back to the authoritarian era of President Suharto, when the
government controlled all media. Many large broadcasters, however, and
particularly the 11 national television stations, are siding with the
government. They agree with the information minister, Sofyan Djalil, that
the regulations provide legal certainty in a hitherto messy sector and
that, while they are not perfect, it would be better to implement them and
then revise the broadcasting law later, a process likely to take years.

Regulation is the biggest flashpoint. The 2002 law says that the "state"
will issue licences, which most parties assumed meant the KPI, an
independent state body. Mr Djalil has now ruled that his department will
do this itself, and that the KPI will limit itself to regulating content.
Such hands-on government control was dropped shortly after Suharto was
ousted in 1998. Activists fear that anti-government broadcasters could
soon find themselves banned, and that Mr Djalil will then proceed to
extend his powers to the currently unlicensed print media.

Foreign broadcasters have not escaped the restrictions. Scores of radio
stations and several of the country's 50-plus regional television stations
broadcast live programmes, particularly news bulletins, from the BBC, the
Voice of America and other stations. While the broadcasting law limits
this, the new regulations ban it. Live transmission of sports events,
certain music shows and "sadistic" entertainment shows are also banned. Mr
Djalil argues that local broadcasters have to take responsibility for
their broadcasts and this is only possible if they repackage foreign
broadcasts before transmitting them.

The battle-lines are being drawn. Parliament is threatening to cut funding
to Mr Djalil's department if the regulations are not rescinded. The KPI,
while claiming that it is keen to find an amicable solution, says that, if
negotiations fail, it will support activists' plans to take the matter to
the constitutional court, where three government bills covering public
broadcasting are already being contested. None of this makes for very
happy airwaves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
International Herald Tribune
Indonesian Military's New Day?
By Peter Gelling, International Herald Tribune
Thursday, February 2, 2006

Jakarta: An Indonesian parliamentary committee sent President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono's nomination to lead the armed forces to the full
Parliament on Thursday after the nominee assured them of his commitment to
rein in corrupt military business interests and prevent human rights
abuses.

Djoko Suyanto, who currently heads the air force, said he would cooperate
with the attorney general's office on human rights cases, although he
added that the responsibility for any unsuccessful prosecutions would lie
with the civilian justice system.

Suyanto, who studied in 1983 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, told the
parliamentary defense committee Wednesday that he favored total civilian
control over the military and would eliminate participation by military
officials in the political process.

He also said that he would support the government's efforts to investigate
the military's involvement with business interests. In many parts of
Indonesia, the military is engaged in legal activities such as owning
hotels and shopping centers, but it is also linked to illegal operations,
such as logging and gambling. In particular, Suyanto said, he supported
the efforts of a group of cabinet ministers that is auditing the
military's business practices.

"The military is not allergic to change," Suyanto, 55, told the committee.
A final vote on the nomination is expected Tuesday.

Widjajanto, a lecturer at the University of Indonesia and a military
analyst, said Suyanto, if approved, was likely to continue the initial
reforms of the outgoing military leader, General Endriartono Sutarto.

"His whole experience is based on combat, and he has no track record of
abuse or human rights violations," Widjajanto said. "And because he has
always been involved with military operations, he has never been involved
with politics."

Recent efforts to overhaul the military, notably its involvement in
politics, have produced better relations with the United States. The Bush
administration has encouraged closer ties with the military, seeing it as
possible partner in its campaign against terrorism.

In November, the administration lifted prohibitions on the sale of lethal
American equipment after restoring training for Indonesian armed forces
earlier in the year. Washington had cut military assistance to Indonesia
in 1991, after the army cracked down on the independence movement in East
Timor, formerly an Indonesian province, and sanctions were further
tightened in 1999 after the army killed more than a thousand civilians
there.

Suyanto defended the military's organizational structure, which is left
over from the three-decade rule of Suharto, who was ousted in 1998, even
though some critics of the military want to dismantle it. Suyanto said the
structure was helpful as an "early warning system" against terrorism
because it gave the military a presence at all levels of the country, from
provinces to districts to villages. He said he intended to keep it,
despite concerns that the structure encourages involvement by the military
in civilian affairs.

During the hearing Wednesday, lawmakers expressed concern that the
commander of the air force, the smallest branch of the military, would
have trouble asserting control over the army, which is the most powerful
branch of the Indonesian military.

"I think he is the best for the job," said H. Ade Nasution, one of the
members of Parliament who questioned Suyanto.

"But he will have to assert his authority with confidence if he wants to
control the army."

Meaningful reform of the military, some believe, will depend on the extent
to which Parliament and the president insist on change. "There are still
parts of the military, especially the army, that is resistant to reform,"
said Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a military affairs expert at the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Latest News
2/3/2006 3:55:37 PM
At least 30 bodies found from sunken Indonesian ferry
Jakarta (DPA)

The death toll in the sinking of a ferry off eastern Indonesia jumped to
30 Friday after rescue workers pulled more than 20 more bodies from the
sea, officials said.

"We found a total of 30 bodies in the sea and have managed to evacuate at
least 125 survivors," Navy Colonel Agus Susilo, chief coordinator for the
search and rescue team, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.

After two days of heavy rains, high winds and 3-meter-high swells, clear
weather on Friday aided rescue workers in their searches and allowed them
to find four more survivors as well.The latest rescue efforts have brought
the number of survivors from Tuesday night's accident to 125, with "at
least 77 people still reported missing," Agus said.

The new figures would put the total number of passengers and crew on the
vessel at more than 230 - far higher than the number reported on the
ship's manifest and previously believed to be onboard by officials.

The manifest showed the vessel was carrying 138 people, but it is normal
for Indonesian ferries to carry more passengers than are listed because
some passengers board at the last minute without tickets.

"There are always vendors and 'black' passengers who pay on board, and of
course, they are not listed in the manifest," Agus said.

Rescue workers, assisted by a helicopter and a number of boats, including
three naval vessels, continued their search for the missing, who were
feared drowned after nearly 72 hours floating in rough seas.

"We expect to pull out more bodies than survivors after 48 hours," Agus
said. "It's very tough to survive on the sea."

The ferry was en route from Kupang, about 1,900 kilometers east of
Jakarta, to nearby Rote island when it sank in rough waters.

About two hours into the planned five-hour voyage, the ferry's captain
reported to port authorities that the vessel was turning back because of
engine problems. Radio communications with the ferry were cut soon
afterward.

Sea transportation is much cheaper and more widely available than travel
by air in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation of more than 17,000
islands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABC/Radio Australia
Hopes fade for 60 missing in Indonesian ferry disaster
06/02/2006 23:02:01 AEST

Hopes have faded of finding alive any of the remaining 60 people still
missing after a ferry capsized in Indonesia almost a week ago.

Agus Susilo, a navy officer coordinating the search and rescue efforts,
says that logically after six days there is only a slim chance that more
survivors might be found.

He said that the search effort would still continue into Tuesday when it
will be reviewed.

The last survivor was found on Friday stranded on a small island.

The Jembatan Madura sank in rough seas late last Tuesday as it travelled
between Kupangin, Indonesia's West Timor, and the island of Rote, about
five hours away.

Rescuers found 124 people alive and 35 bodies have been recovered.

Mr Susilo said about 61 others, including six crew, were still missing.

Around 105 passengers and crew were listed as being on board, but other
passengers were believed to have boarded the ship after the manifest had
been handed to authorities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do's and don'ts for foreigners in Aceh amid conversion allegations
Jakarta, February 1 (AFP)

The agency tasked with rebuilding Indonesia's tsunami-hit Aceh province
said Wednesday it will issue a list of do's and don'ts for foreign aid
workers amid allegations that some are trying to convert Muslims to
Christianity.

Some 30,000 leaflets have been printed for distribution to the workers in
Aceh, a staunchly Muslim province on Sumatra island, where some 165,000
people were killed by the December 2004 tsunami.

"Don't distribute reading materials, toys and other materials which carry
messages of a religion other than Islam," one line in the don'ts column
says, according to an agency statement.

It did not say how many items were on the lists.

"We don't want the humanitarian mission to be tainted by things which
violate norms embraced by Acehnese," said Fuad Mardhatillah, the agency's
head for religious affairs.

"Through this leaflet, we hope negative allegations such as the conversion
issue can be minimised," he added.

Islamic activists have staged street protests in Aceh, accusing aid
workers of secretly attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity.

Proselytizing to anyone who embraces one of Indonesia's five
state-sanctioned religions is illegal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
International Herald Tribune
Asia Letter: A diplomatic presence in more than name only
Jane Perlez, International Herald Tribune
Thursday, February 2, 2006

Medan, Indonesia - Paul Berg, America's man in Medan, the sweltering
capital of north Sumatra, was making the rounds the other day.

He dropped in at a New Year's lunch party at the lavish home of a leading
ethnic Chinese businessman who deals in American auto parts. "You're the
greatest, I love you," exclaimed the gregarious Berg as he hugged Gunawan
Tio, munched a sampling of the buffet and then quietly slipped away for
the next appointment.

Moments later, he was sitting with two academics specializing in Islamic
thought who wanted funds to promote student debates on jihad. "This is an
interesting proposal," Berg said judiciously, eager to show that the
United States likes to promote free thinking but sensing that this
particular proposal might not fit the agenda. "I'm not sure our embassy
has the funds, but I will pass it along."

In a speech at Georgetown University last month, Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice announced that she was re-engineering the way the United
States practiced its diplomacy. Less emphasis on the settled nations of
Europe and more on the unpredictable but important Middle East and Asia,
she said. It made little sense, she suggested, to have the same number of
diplomats in Germany, a nation of 82 million, as in India, with a
population of one billion.

In particular, she described steering diplomats out of big embassies in
national capitals and into one-person posts in what were once considered
backwaters but no longer are. There were nearly 200 cities with
million-plus populations in which Washington had no formal diplomatic
presence, she said, adding: "This is where the action is today and this is
where we must be."

Rice cited the Medan consulate, an outpost of the American Embassy in
Jakarta, as an example of what she planned more of.

The idea of small diplomatic posts, unencumbered by vast security and
stuffy protocol, is not new.

Felix Rohatyn, first and foremost a financier, but also Bill Clinton's
ambassador in Paris, saw the value of spreading American influence around
France, and opened five posts in key cities - Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon,
Rennes, Toulouse - chiefly to foster French-American business. Indeed,
Medan served as an adjunct of the embassy in Jakarta from the early 1950s
until 1996, when it was shuttered by the State Department because of
budget cutbacks. Now plans are under way for opening essentially
one-person posts in China and India.

Here in Medan, a boisterous metropolis of more than two million, Berg, 52,
covers a province that bursts with oil, natural gas, timber and palm oil,
and is also home to rare tigers, rhinoceroses and orangutans, and 45
million people in all. He works out of a modest Dutch colonial-style house
that is both home and office, where jazz on the CD player adds to the
informal ambience, and meetings with visitors are often held at the dining
room table. A Vietnamese cook, known simply as Mr. Hoa, whom Berg met
during his posting in Hanoi, eases social occasions with a continuous
stream of fragrant food.

Berg's job is not unlike that of any other American diplomat. He tries to
make friends for the United States in a vital corner of the world's most
populous Muslim country, and seeks to protect American commercial and
strategic interests. In these environs, those include the operations of
three major American energy companies - Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Conoco
Phillips. Berg also keeps an eye on the $400 million in aid that the
United States is contributing for the rebuilding of Aceh.

Berg was on the front lines after the tsunami struck; for a while, he was
the front line. Medan is a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the border of
Aceh, and a one-hour flight to Banda Aceh, where most of the victims were
killed. For the first week of the disaster, when the central government
was reluctant to allow foreign aid into Aceh directly, Berg was action
central, working with the more amenable local governor to route aid
through Medan.

America's image in Indonesia has taken a battering from what many
Indonesians regard as a heavy hand in the war on terror. Indonesians who
used to find it easy to get visas to the United States now find it
difficult, sometimes impossible.

Berg's post does not issue visas. But he tries to make sure, he said, that
those who deserve visas get them. He has gone out of his way to choose
members of the Justice Party for Prosperity, an increasingly popular
political party with a strict interpretation of Islam and a no-nonsense
approach to corruption, for State Department-sponsored visits to the
United States. It was essential, he said, for America to know Indonesia's
future leaders and for them to understand America, even when the two sides
may disagree.

Sometimes, though, good intentions backfire. For weeks, Berg and his small
staff prepared for the one-night gig this past Tuesday of the New York
City hip-hop artist Toni Blackman and her band, who were playing in
Indonesia under the auspices of a State Department program to spread
American culture.

The performance was off to a rollicking start before an outdoor audience
of about 2,000 when 10 motorcycles carrying protesters waving
anti-American banners roared through the crowd. Some demonstrators
clambered onstage, shoved Blackman, shouted anti-American slogans and
grabbed the microphone. The performance was canceled.

Berg, a seasoned diplomat who has served in Europe, Latin America, India
and Vietnam, was philosophical. America's reputation had actually
recuperated over the last year, he said, after the United States showed
generosity to the tsunami victims and military relations improved. But as
the protesters made plain, enough wrinkles remained to more than justify
an American presence in Medan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 06, 2006
Govt warned of destroying trust in Aceh
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives has yet to start deliberating the bill on
Aceh's future governance but opposition and criticism of its contents have
already been voiced.

The objections mainly revolve around the government's decision to drop a
number of articles proposed by the Aceh legislative council from the bill
the government submitted to the House for deliberation late last month.

Apart from the controversial issue of independent candidates, the
criticism has also been focused on lack of clarity over the definition of
Aceh's territory.

While the Aceh council's version of the bill stipulates that Aceh's
territory is as defined on July 1, 1956, and in accordance with the truce
signed by the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) last August in
Finland, the Home Affairs Ministry's bill allows for the possible
splitting of Aceh into several provinces.

The government-drafted bill also allows for the creation of new regencies
in Aceh.

"It (the partition) will likely shatter the process of trust-building
process between the government and GAM," said Agung Wijaya, a member of
the Aceh Democracy Network.

He said the move also showed that the central government wanted to
maintain its control over the resource-rich province. "The evidence on
this issue is very clear," he said over the weekend.

The partition of Aceh is accommodated in Article 5 of the bill, which
states, "the establishment, abolition and the merger of
regencies/municipalities, districts and villages shall be carried out in
accordance with law".

Agung said that this allowed the central government to carve new provinces
out of Aceh's territory without seeking the approval of the Aceh
legislative council.

Indra J. Piliang, a researcher with the Centre for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), expressed a similar view, saying that
allowing the partition of Aceh would destroy trust building the government
and the former GAM insurgents.

"Don't let this bill give rise to new conflict in Aceh," he said.

Demands for the establishment of two new provinces in Aceh resurfaced last
year after the signing of the truce that ended three decades of separatist
fighting.

While the proponents of the creation of an Aceh Leuser Antara (ALA)
province started their campaign in 2000, those supporting the
establishment of a Southwest Aceh (ABS) province only announced their plan
last year.

If formed, ALA would comprise Central Aceh, Southeast Aceh, Aceh Singkil,
Gayo Lues and Bener Meriah regencies, while Southwest Aceh would consist
of South Aceh, Northwest Aceh, Aceh Jaya, Semuelue and Nagan Raya
regencies. Currently, Aceh is divided into 20 regencies and
municipalities.

Last week, supporters of ALA and ABS visited the House and met with a
number of legislators. They appear to be determined to engineer the
partition of Aceh, although many at the grassroots level are not
interested in the issue.

Agung said people in both areas, who are still struggling to survive after
the tsunami that devastated Aceh late in 2004, are more interested in
questions like better welfare, more justice and peace-building.

"The (partition) issue has been concocted by local political elites
seeking power," he said.

Home Affairs Minister M. Ma'ruf refused to comment on the possible
partition of Aceh, saying that he would not make any statement pending the
bill's deliberation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Detik.com
February 2, 2006
Komnas HAM asked to follow up grave findings in Aceh

Nur Raihan, Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of
Violence (Kontras) Aceh has asked the National Human Rights Commission
(Komnas HAM) to follow up the finding of graves of victims of the conflict
in Aceh. Twenty-two graves have been recorded containing 37 skeletons that
have been found since the Helsinki agreement was signed in August.

This was related to journalists by the coordinator of Kontras Aceh’s
working body, Asiah, at the Kontras offices in Aceh on Wednesday February
2. Kontras has asked police to follow up the findings and that they be
involved in the process of unearthing the graves.

“Our assumption is that the human rights violations that occurred during
the period of martial law in Aceh are related to the finding of these
graves of victims of the Aceh conflict”, said Asiah.

The question is said Asiah, that in a number of cases, the graves were
found at former security posts that had been occupied by non-organic TNI
(Indonesian military) troops and in a number of other cases, the victims
had been arrested or abducted when the state of martial law was in force.

“The condition of the skeletons that were found generally indicate that
there had been acts of violence or torture. Of those who have been
identified they are usually reburied properly by their families, but if
not then hospital staff bury them”, he added.

Police have been asked to immediately secure grave locations after
receiving reports from local people. “Moreover during the period of
martial law, Komnas HAM had already obtained reports of a number of cases
of abductions and arrests”, added Asiah.

This time the skeletons have been found spread across various parts of
Aceh such as Greater Aceh, North Aceh, East Aceh, Aceh Tamiang, Bireun and
Central Aceh. (wiq)
-- [Translated by James Balowski - INDOLEFT - News service.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
Headline News
February 02, 2006
Police, soldiers 'fanned' Poso sectarian war
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lawyers, seeking a stay of execution for three Christian men on death row
convicted for their roles in Poso's religious violence five years ago, say
they have new evidence pointing to security officers' involvement in the
conflict.

Together with relatives of the convicts, the lawyers submitted a list to
the National Police headquarters on Wednesday of 16 people they said were
key instigators of the Muslim-Christian violence that broke out in May
2000.

The lawyers grouped in the Indonesian Advocacy Service for Justice and
Peace said the documents suggested military and police personnel had
provided arms to both sides to fan the conflict.

"We have documents indicating that law enforces might be connected to the
conflict," said Roy Rening, one of the lawyers. The papers had been
submitted to the police, he said.

The three convicts on the death row are Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Da Silva,
and Marinus Riwu. Among the delegates were Tibo's son, Robert Tibo;
Marinus' wife Yasinta Goong; and Dominggus' stepfather, Adam Ata.

"We hope a thorough investigation by the police can reveal the real
perpetrators who masterminded the killings in the region," Roy said.

Poso is a town equally divided between Christians and Muslims. In 2000 and
2001, the province became the scene of battles between two sectarian
groups, leaving about 1,000 people dead.

On July 25 of that year, the police arrested Tibo, Da Silva and Riwu, all
Christians. The Poso District Court found them guilty of leading an attack
on a Muslim village and sentenced them to death in 2001.

The Supreme Court denied the convicts' an appeal after they requested it
in 2001. The President also denied their request for clemency in November
last year.

Activists and religious leaders have urged the authorities to conduct a
further investigation into the violence and requested a stay of executions
for the three men.

Recently, the Humanitarian Team for the Poso Conflict called for the
Attorney General's Office to delay the execution, saying it was possible
the three men did not lead the attack.

Roy said the 16 men on the lawyers' list belonged to the militant
Christian "Red Group" led by Janis Simangunsong and Paulus Tungkanan.

"(Da Silva and Riwu) were just ordinary people who met Tibo and asked him
to go along with them to Poso. Tibo and his friends went to Poso because
Janis had informed him that an orphanage in Poso would be attacked," Roy
said.

Roy said he had three bundles of testimony documents from residents
supporting the convicts' alibi and role in the attack.

"With this, we hope that the authorities would delay the execution because
there are key witnesses in this case," said Roy.

National Police spokesmen Brig. Gen. Anton Bachrul Alam said that the
police would follow up the report with an investigation.

"But it will take time because we have to gather evidence before we can
name suspects," Anton said.

"However, if security personnel are proven to be involved in this case, we
will still take action against them."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 03, 2006
Poso task force: Can it stop the violence?
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

The special team tasked to speed up the end to violence in Poso, Central
Sulawesi, has just two months to go to complete its three-month mandate,
although it could be extended, if deemed necessary.

The team, under the leadership of a two-star police general, Insp. Gen.
Paulus Purwoko, has managed to convince the public of its usefulness, and
thus early resistance to its establishment on Jan. 5 has been toned down.

Purwoko said his office liaised with security personnel, government
officials and the community. He said his office was also entrusted to
uphold law enforcement, settle corruption cases and investigate the
possibility of police and/or military involvement in violence in Poso.

Answering to the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal
and Security Affairs, the task force aims to find out who has been behind
a series of violent attacks in Poso and Palu following the Malino peace
agreement in 2001, which largely brought to an end clashes between
Christians and Muslims.

But Purwoko admitted the biggest obstacle to solving the cases was the
fear and lack of cooperation from local people. "They're reluctant to
testify about the people behind the terror acts," he said.

The fear, he said, is because the witnesses have no faith in security
personnel's ability or willingness to offer them comprehensive protection
should they blow the whistle on the terrorist masterminds.

"So our effort now is to assure people that Poso can be safe and the
perpetrators will be arrested soon, if the people are willing to open up.
We will always protect them," Purwoko promised.

Earlier, activists feared the task force would have sweeping powers to
arrest people with no legal process.

"After explanations by Pak Purwoko did we understand the real issue," said
the coordinator of Poso Center, Yusuf Lakaseng.

But observers have also cited the need for strong measures to put a stop
to the continued violence in the area, from bombing to the beheadings of
teenage girls.

The latest incident was a bomb blast at a Christian market in Palu on the
morning of New Year's Eve. The attack took seven lives and injured 50
others.

As the task force works to close various unsolved cases in Poso, it is
also helping to restore some of the social life to the area -- at least
regarding the routines of worship and the immediate need for aid. This
seems to be the easy part.

A spokesman for the team, police Sr. Comr. Didi Rochyadi, said they would
try to rebuild five mosques and five churches in cooperation with the
Office of the Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare and
international NGOs, in a bid "to bring back some life to Poso". The costs
of rebuilding the mosques and churches has been estimated at about Rp 6
billion (US$652,173).

Didi also said the task force would soon begin to disburse aid to over
2,000 households; non-civil servants get Rp 2.5 million each while civil
servants will receive Rp 1.25 million each

The more difficult part is the core mandate of the task force:
investigating and stopping the violence. They will be working on at least
47 unresolved cases, Didi said.

He said priority cases could include the graft cases involving aid, the
beheadings of schoolgirls in October and the New Year's Eve attack in Palu
market.

>From the time of the Malino peace declaration in 2001 up to November 2005,
there are 153 unsolved cases of violence and human rights violations,
according to the Sulawesi chapter of the independent Commission for
Missing Persons and Victims of Violence.

Government experts say the violence in Poso is a result of several
factors, including economic hardship, an attempt to protect suspected aid
embezzlers, local political interests and misconduct by security
personnel.

Will the task force help to return peace? From experience, every time a
security operation ends, shootings, killings and bomb blasts return. The
public here will wait and see, and give the task force a chance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Jakarta Post.com
National News
February 03, 2006
Ambon refugees still waiting 7 years on
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

Seven years since a bloody Muslim-Christian conflict first erupted in
Ambon in January 1999, thousands of victims are still crammed into
makeshift shelters for displaced persons.

Presently, 15,788 families are still living in makeshift camps for in
Ambon city, waiting to be relocated or sent back to their hometowns.

Long queues of refugees can be seen regularly at local government offices,
asking officials whether the building materials or construction aid the
state is supposed to provide them are ready.

Head of the Maluku Refugees Coalition, Pieter Pattiwaelapia, told The
Jakarta Post recently that the situation in Ambon was probably the
longest-running internal refugee problem in the country.

Despite holding yellow cards, which entitle them to receive assistance,
the displaced people have been led on a bureaucratic wild-goose chase, and
are confused by the many layers of procedures they have to navigate,
Pieter said.

The provincial administration earlier declared the refugee problem would
be solved by Jan. 31 this year, an extended deadline after it failed to
meet its earlier promise to completely bring an end to the problem in
December.

But while the provincial and local administrations say they have taken
steps to improve the situation, Pieter says little has changed.

Three successive Maluku governors, from M. Saleh Latuconsina, Sinyo
Sarundajang to the incumbent, Karel Albert Ralahalu, have not dealt with
the matter, he said.

The displaced people are disappointed by the lack of an effective system
-- with the government neglecting its technical guidelines for the
reconstruction of their houses. And an incomplete database means thousands
of families are not getting the help they need, he said.

The houses that have been built are not integrated into the proper
facilities the government promised in its reconstruction blueprint, which
envisioned incorporated schools, health centers and places of worship,
Pieter said. As a result, many of the houses have ended up abandoned.

Maluku councillor Abdurrachman blamed the delays on lack of detailed data
about the refugees, which he said had frustrated officials' attempts to
determine what groups had already received assistance.

Earlier, the deputy speaker of the Maluku provincial council, Jhon Mailoa,
also blamed a lack of valid data for the repeated deadline extensions. "We
have a special committee to deal with refugees, but we've discovered that
its numbers vary from those registered with the administration," he said,
without giving details of the numbers.

He also advised the provincial administration not to completely transfer
responsibility for the refugees to regency or municipal administrations.
"The refugee problem should be addressed by both the provincial and
regency/municipal administrations," Jhon said.

Religious violence between Muslims and Christians rocked the city for
nearly two years from early 1999 to late 2000. Thousands of people died
and thousands more were made homeless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crisis Centre Diocese Of Amboina
Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 - Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195   Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail crisiscentre01 at hotmail.com

Ambon, February 6, 2006
The Situation In Ambon / Moluccas – Report No. 504

1. Exploding of Two Bombs Forestalled – A little past midnight, early
Sunday morning, February 5, three crudely made bombs – tied together as
one and equipped with timers – were found at a commercial center in the
Batumerah area, city of Ambon. Another combination of three bombs, of a
similar type, was found in the Hasanudin Street, also in Batumerah, at
around 8.00 a.m.  The police took no risk and disposed of them in
controlled explosions. According to Ambon Ekspres newspaper, fire was seen
emerging from a plastic bag, but was immediately extinguished with water
by Mrs. Maodar Latupono, because it was very close to her cart – only to
know afterwards that in that plastic bag three bombs were hidden.

Ambon police chief Leonidas Braksan said that the incident may be linked
to the ongoing trials in Ambon of several suspected extremists.

2. Death Penalty Sought For Muslim Militants – On 15 February last year a
karaoke bar in Hative Besar, island of Ambon, was attacked from a
speedboat, killing two people (See Reports 466-467). The prosecution now
has asked for death sentences for Idi Amin Tabrani Pattimura alias Ongen
Pattimura and Fatur Datu Armen, who are accused of masterminding the
attack. Tensions were high during the trial. About a hundred people,
claiming to be members of the suspects’ families, staged a noisy rally
outside the courthouse. Upon hearing of the prosecution’s demand for death
sentence, some became hysterical and several women fainted. According to
the Jakarta Post newspaper, Sity Wakano, Ongen’s aunt, said she believed
the trial was politically motivated. Indeed, during the Moluccas conflict
(1999-2002) thousands of innocent people, including women and children,
have been murdered: where have the killers gone? (See also Report 488).

In a separate trial, another militant, Asep Djaja, alias Aji or Dahlan or
Yahya, is also facing the death penalty for his alleged involvement in two
attacks: one at Wamkana village, island of Buru, in which two died (See
Reports 431, 479, 495) and another on the Loki Brimob post, island of
Ceram, in which six died (see Reports 478, 480, 488)..

3. Earthquake Casualties – The 7.3 RS earthquake that rocked the Moluccas
on January 28, indirectly caused the death of two people, both in Masohi,
South Ceram island: a three-month-old boy, who died after being
accidentally trampled by panicked members of his family. The other victim
died of a heart attack.

4. Land Damage On Ceram Island – On several places, especially on the
island of Ceram, the shore has been damaged due to the recent earthquake.
Worst hit was the village of Elpaputih, near Amai/Masohi, South Ceram.
Over a distance of about 100 meters there are two clefts now, causing the
sea-side sand to drop a steep 5 meters. As the earthquake struck, all
villagers fled into the mountains for fear of a tsunami. The village was
earlier swallowed by a tsunami more than a hundred years ago, specifically
in 1889, still called “The Ceram Danger” by local people.

5. Ambon Refugees Still Waiting 7 Years On – We transcribe a Jakarta Post
article on the fate of thousands of Moluccas IDP-s:

Seven years since a bloody Muslim-Christian conflict first erupted in
Ambon in January 1999, thousands of victims are still crammed into
makeshift shelters for displaced persons.
Presently, 15.788 families are still living in makeshift camps in Ambon
city, waiting to be relocated or sent back to their hometowns. Long queues
of refugees can be seen regularly at local government offices, asking
officials whether the building materials or construction aid the state is
supposed to provide them are ready.

Head of the Maluku Refugees Coalition, Pieter Pattiwaelapia, told The
Jakarta Post recently that the situation in Ambon was probably the
longest-running internal refugee problem in the country. Despite holding
yellow cards, which entitle them to receive assistance, the displaced
people have been led on a bureaucratic wild-goose chase, and are confused
by the many layers of procedures they have to navigate, Pieter said. The
provincial administration earlier declared the refugee problem would be
solved by January 31 this year, an extended deadline after it failed to
meet its earlier promise to completely bring an end to the problem in
December. But while the provincial and local administrations say they have
taken steps to improve the situation, Pieter says little has changed.

Three successive Maluku governors, from M. Saleh Latuconsina, Sinyo
Sarundajang to the incumbent, Karel Albert Ralahalu, have not dealt with
the matter, he said. The displaced people are disappointed by the lack of
an effective system -- with the government neglecting its technical
guidelines for the reconstruction of their houses. And an incomplete
database means thousands of families are not getting the help they need,
he said. The houses that have been built are not integrated into the
proper facilities the government promised in its reconstruction blueprint,
which envisioned incorporated schools, health centers and places of
worship, Pieter said. As a result, many of the houses have ended up
abandoned. Maluku councillor Abdurrachman blamed the delays on lack of
detailed data about the refugees, which he said had frustrated officials'
attempts to determine what groups had already received assistance.

Earlier, the deputy speaker of the Maluku provincial council, Jhon Mailoa,
also blamed a lack of valid data for the repeated deadline extensions. "We
have a special committee to deal with refugees, but we've discovered that
its numbers vary from those registered with the administration," he said,
without giving details of the numbers. He also advised the provincial
administration not to completely transfer responsibility for the refugees
to regency or municipal administrations. "The refugee problem should be
addressed by both the provincial and regency/municipal administrations,"
Jhon said.

C.J. Böhm msc
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indonesian militants target Danes
Jakarta - Reuters
04.02.06

Up to 300 militant Muslims went on a rampage yesterday inside the lobby of
a Jakarta building housing the Danish Embassy in protest over cartoons
that Muslims say insult Islam and the Prophet Mohammad.

Shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great), the white-clad protesters from the
hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) smashed lamps with bamboo sticks
and threw chairs around in anger at cartoons originally published by a
Danish daily newspaper.

Outrage has erupted in the Middle East after more European newspapers ran
the cartoons, originally published by Jyllands-Posten last September.

Muslims consider any images of Mohammad to be blasphemous.

About 100 Indonesian policemen tried to restrain the protesters as they
made fiery speeches calling on their Government to sever diplomatic ties
with Denmark and evict its ambassador.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suara Merdeka
January 26, 2006
Farmers demand plantation company’s business permit be revoked

Semarang - At least 300 farmers in the plantation area of Rumpun Sari
Kaligintung owned by PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) IX, have complained
about the company to the governor. They are demanding that the government
revoke the company's business permit (HGU) because they believe it has
implemented a system of forced cultivation on local farmers.

The farmers – some of whom were quite old – arrived at the governor's
office on Jalan Pahlawan in four trucks and bringing banners. During the
action, the demonstrators from the National Farmers Union (STN) merely sat
and burnt incense. The demonstration was later complimented with speeches
and statements.

In their statement they called for plantation company's (PTP) business
permit be revoked, the release of land for the farmers’ use and the supply
of cheap technology. They also condemned the unjust actions of local
plantation managers.

The chairperson of the Central Java branch of STN, Yoris Sindu Sunarjan,
said that the PTP had set a number of rental stipulations that farmers
were forced to agree to. He gave the example of farmers being obliged to
rent land to plant Sengon Laut (Abbasiyah) trees using their own capital
and maintenance. What is strange however, is the produce from the
plantation then became fully owned by the state owned company.

"PTP's land is 148 hectares, only around 15 hectares however is used for
tea plantations. Prior to 1997, all of this was uncultivated land. Whereas
local farmers need the land to improve their welfare", explained Sunarjan.

As of 1997 he continued, the land began to be rented to farmers. But not
without cost or being burdened with conditions. The farmers in the area
had to provide voluntary labour to build a road in the area. At particular
times they become tea pickers with a wage of 500-1,000 rupiah per person
per day. Working hours were set between 7am to 5pm.

"With stipulations such as this, it is the same as if they had returned to
colonial times. Recently they have also been obliged to pay a land rent of
10,000 rupiah for an area of 20x20 metres. What has also been a burden, in
order to protect the Segon, PTP carried out spraying. Whereas Segon should
be planted with Tumpangsari so the result was that their dry season
secondary crops died,” he explained
(H12-29t)
-- [Translated by James Balowski - INDOLEFT - News service.]