[Kabar-indonesia] Bush's Indonesia Visit/8 Reports: Bogor Lock-Down; USAID/Education

[Joyo3]

8 Reports:

- Indonesia city residents told to stay home for Bush

- VOA: US Assists Indonesia with Education Reforms

- Indonesian black magic practitioner casts hex on Bush

- VOA: Bush Expected to Encounter Anti-US Sentiment During
Indonesia Visit

- Anti-Bush protests intensify, Indonesian military steps
up security

- Indonesian military vows to take no chances in
safeguarding Bush

- Indonesian hardline cleric warns against anarchy during
Bush visit

- Indonesian Speaker urges "dignified" rallies against Bush
visit

Indonesia city residents told to stay home for Bush

By Mita Valina Liem

JAKARTA, November 16 (Reuters) - Authorities said on
Thursday they planned to lock down parts of a town near
Jakarta that will host U.S. President George W. Bush next
week, and warned residents it was better to stay inside
their homes during the brief visit.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian armed forces pledged to secure the
Bush visit to the bedroom community of Bogor, 50 km (30
miles) south of the capital, whatever the potential threat.

"It is better to stay at home than to go out," said Zenal
Arifin, head of Bogor city information.

"It is dangerous. Suspicious movement can lead to being shot
in the leg ... and many ordinary people do not know this."

Bush will meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bogor
on November 20, in a visit that has already provoked its
share of controversy in the world's most populous Muslim
country.

Groups ranging from radical Muslims to leftist students have
rallied in cities across Indonesia criticising Bush,
Yudhoyono, and U.S. policy. Most demonstrations have been
small, seldom exceeding 100 people.

One Indonesian shaman cut snakes and drank the blood of a
freshly slaughtered goat on Thursday, in a black magic
ritual to curse Bush, his entourage and the Indonesians who
host the visit.

Ki Gendeng Pamungkas said Bush would be possessed during the
trip and some Indonesian officials would die later this
month.
Protesters say they plan to gather in Bogor on the day of
the visit.

Critics say security preparations are over the top,
including building a helipad in the 87-hectare Bogor
botanical gardens where the meeting's state palace venue is
located and plans to deploy thousands of security forces.

Officials have directed some schools, shops and government
offices in Bogor, as well as the city's main bus station and
several public transport routes, to close for all or most of
the day, although Bush was only due to arrive in the
afternoon.

Indonesia has seen several deadly bomb attacks in recent
years directed against Western targets and blamed on Islamic
militants, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202
people, mostly foreign tourists.

Indonesia's military spokesman said local media had
exaggerated the numbers of troops being deployed but refused
to reveal details of the security operation.

"Please understand that all of these information are
classified. TNI (the Indonesian military) intends to secure
President Bush and his entourage and TNI will not take even
the smallest of risk," said Rear Admiral Mohammad Sunarto.

"All things are considered, whether it is about
demonstrations or terror or other disturbances," he said.

Asked whether terrorist groups might strike during the
visit, Sunarto said: "We are alert. Such things are
anticipated."

The Indonesian government has been a strong critic of U.S.
policy in Iraq and Israel, and anti-American sentiment among
the public has grown during the Bush administration.
(Additional reporting by Telly Nathalia)

-----------------------------------------

Voice of America
November 16, 2006

US Assists Indonesia with Education Reforms

By Chad Bouchard

The U.S. launched an initiative in 2003 meant to bolster
Indonesia's education reform efforts. The White House says
that when President Bush visits Indonesia next week, this
program will be a major topic of his discussions with the
government. One major focus of the program is modernizing
teaching techniques at Muslim religious schools, which are
sometimes a breeding ground for extremism.

Tradition is a key element at this Islamic boarding school,
or madrassa, in central Jakarta.  Children recite a kind of
nursery rhyme that commands reverence to God, and respect
for parents.

Students at the Ibtidaiyah Al Ma' Muriyah madrassa also
study Arabic and learn to read the Koran.  But this class
differs from other madrassa classrooms, and Indonesian
classrooms in general. The children sit in groups around
small tables, facing each other rather than the front of the
class. They learn such subjects as science and math by
participating in hands-on activities and group projects.

These new, modest-sounding techniques have been introduced
to Indonesian teachers through a $157 million program from
the United States designed to raise educational standards.

James Hope, head of the U.S.A.I.D. education office in
Indonesia, is the program's director. He explains why the
new classroom configuration is a departure.

"If you go to a typical Indonesian classroom, the desks are
in rows. The teacher is not really facing the class, he's
usually writing on the blackboard, kids are quiet, they're
not asking questions, they're not working together in
groups," he said. "And so they move the desks and put them
into groups, so that the kids are working together using
problem-solving skills."

Hope says the techniques get kids engaged in the learning
process, which results in improved performance in math,
science and reading. He prefers to dwell on the basic
educational elements of the program, and avoids talking
about a broader concern: in parts of the Muslim world,
including Indonesia, some madrassas are used to teach Muslim
extremism.

Indonesia has suffered several terrorist bombings in recent
years, including the 2002 bombing on the island of Bali that
killed 202 people. The organization behind the bombings is a
Muslim extremist group called Jemaah Islamiyah, and many of
its recruits have come from the country's madrassas.

Agus Dwiyanto is vice rector of Gadjah Mada University,
Indonesia's largest. He says although the quality of
education at Islamic schools can be very high, the largely
religious curriculum can be narrow, and tends to isolate
students from mainstream society.

This, he says, may leave some of them vulnerable to
recruitment by terrorist groups.

"We would like to reduce the gap between the Islamic
tradition's education system and the modern one. It's very
much different, when we talk about the curriculum, about the
teachers," said Dwiyanto. "Ah, that contributes, I believe,
in the problem that now we are facing - about radicalism and
so on."

Indonesia ranks low among Southeast Asian nations in
accessibility to school, teaching quality, and high school
graduation rates.

In 2003, the country's legislature passed an ambitious
education reform law, but the reforms are expensive and
difficult to implement.

For example, the country now requires a higher standard of
teacher training and certification, but budgets have been
threadbare over the last three years. The Indonesian
constitution requires 20 percent of the annual budget to go
toward education, but the allocation for 2007 is just nine-
point-one percent.
Although the 2003 reform law guarantees the right to
education for everyone up to the age of 15, it does not
require the government to pay for it. Poverty is widespread
here, and tuition and school fees can add up to more than
half a poor family's yearly income. Many kids have to work
to help their families survive.

James Hope says the U.S. program aims to help the country
follow through with its reform plans, so that fewer students
will be left behind.

"[The] enrollment rate is great for starting school - 95
percent or thereabouts. But by the time you get to junior
high, only about 60 percent actually enter junior high," he
said. "Of that 60 percent, only about half of them make it
into high school, and then by the time you get through high
school and into university, you're down and maybe five to 10
percent of those who actually started school in first
grade…"

Twenty percent of Indonesia's children are taught in
madrassas, but Gadjah Mada University's Dwiyanto says only
about 100 of the university's five thousand new students
each year are madrassa graduates. He says the madrassa
curriculum does not prepare students well for degree
programs, and Gadjah Mada is trying to close the gap by
actively recruiting students, and training madrassa
teachers.

Educators at the U.S.-supported Ibtidaiyah Al Ma' Muriyah
madrassa say they are confident their students are being
well prepared for higher degrees. Students' test scores have
gone up since the American program began 18 months ago.

A child receives special tutoring in a small group during an
Arabic reading class.

The school's headmaster, Juwaeriyah, says teacher training
has helped teachers learn how to keep the students engaged.

"We really can see the positive results. We don't receive
aid in the form of money, but I think the trainings and
workshops are more valuable than aid in the form of money,"
said Juwaeriyah. "We are happy with what the program has
provided at the moment, but we still hope that they can
extend their assistance."

A little more than half of the U.S. program's original $157
million has been spent during the first 18 months, with
assistance reaching 1,000 schools and 25,000 Indonesian
educators. The five-year program is scheduled to extend
through 2010, although this depends on continued funding by
the U.S. Congress.

Senior Indonesian officials say when President Bush is here
next week, the talks with him will include the possibility
of boosting educational assistance.

------------------------------------------

Indonesian black magic practitioner casts hex on Bush

BOGOR, Indonesia, November 16 (AFP) -- A prominent
Indonesian "black magic" practitioner Thursday joined
protests against US President George W. Bush's visit,
slaughtering animals as he cast a spell aimed at disrupting
the stay.

The ritual by Ki Gendeng Pamungkas took place at a busy
roundabout in this hill town which will host talks between
Bush and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on
Monday.

Pamungkas said the ritual, which involved killing a snake, a
black crow and a goat, deployed "Haitian-style voodoo"
because "Indonesian black magic does not work on
foreigners".

Smearing his face with a mixture of his own blood and that
from the slaughtered animals into which broccoli and sugar
cane was also cast, Pamungkas offered prayers to "Satan, who
will bring disasters on Bush's visit".

"My curse will make him bloat like broccoli. Bush will feel
unease during the visit," he said.

Asked if he was confident the hex would work, Pamungkas
said: "I've put voodoo curses on white men in Indonesia
before, and they all died."

Bush's visit to Indonesia has triggered widespread protests,
with daily street demonstrations as well as a threatened no-
confidence motion against Yudhoyono.

In Jakarta, some 600 Muslim students held a rally outside
the US embassy against Bush's second trip to Indonesia in
three years.

The protesters condemned the government for receiving Bush
"with open arms" while US soldiers are waging war against
Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Not a single regret or apology came out of Bush's mouth,
therefore Bush is worthy to be declared an international
human rights criminal," said protest leader Arief Sarjono.

Earlier in the day, some 100 students staged a separate
rally in Bogor, urging citizens of this world's largest
Islamic nation to boycott US products.

Shouting "George Bush is a killer. George Bush is a
terrorist", the students said Yudhoyono was wasting a
fortune on the six-hour visit.

"Therefore, we should boycott US products because we are
only making US richer," a student leader who identified
himself as Wawan told AFP.

In another protest on Thursday, some 50 students sealed an
outlet of a US fast food chain in southern Sumatra and
pelted the premises with rotten eggs, the ElShinta radio
said.

Indonesia's armed forces said Thursday they will take no
chances in safeguarding Bush while he is in the country, but
denied charges that security arrangements for the visit are
excessive.

--------------------------------------------

Voice of America
November 16, 2006

Bush Expected to Encounter Anti-US Sentiment During
Indonesia Visit

By Nancy-Amelia Collins

President Bush visits Indonesia next week to meet with his
Indonesian counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Both sides
say they will discuss security issues, health, education and
investment, but many political analysts agree that U.S.
foreign policy - especially as it intersects with the Muslim
world - will be a major topic of discussion.

Indonesia's balance blend of secular democracy and moderate
Islam coincides with U.S. interests in Southeast Asia.

The country, which has the world's largest Muslim
population, has transformed itself since the ouster of the
dictator Suharto in 1998 into a democratic nation.

However, Indonesia also is the home of an al Qaida-linked
organization called Jemaah Islamiyah, which has carried out
a number of terrorist attacks over the past several years,
killing hundreds of people.

After a period of strained relations in the 1990s, primarily
over U.S. concerns about human rights abuses by the
Indonesian military, the overall relationship is now
relatively good. Jakarta has become an important U.S. ally
in the fight against terrorism.

But U.S. foreign policy, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan
and the Middle East, is a sore spot among many Indonesians.

Sidney Jones, the director of the Jakarta office of the
International Crisis Group, a security research
organization, says President Yudhoyono will be shaking hands
with Mr. Bush next week against a background of strong anti-
American sentiment.

"I think it's going to be a very difficult visit because the
mood in the Indonesian public is so anti- the U.S.,
particularly because of the war in Iraq, the war in Lebanon,
and the war in Afghanistan," Jones said. " So I think that
President Yudhoyono is going to have to tread a very careful
line of welcoming an important head of state and an
important donor, and yet not being seen to capitulate in any
way to the United States."

Jones says the main focus of Indonesian anger seems to be
President Bush himself, whom many here accuse of being a
warmonger and an opponent of Islam.

"I think many Indonesians are particularly anti-Bush,
they're not anti-American in the sense of having any kind of
hostility towards the American people per se. But Bush
really is the focus of resentment and anger on the part of
many Indonesians, and I think that in that sense there's
going to be a lot of protests when he comes," explained
Jones.

Small protests against the U.S. president's visit have been
taking place almost daily in several Indonesian cities,
including Bogor, just south of Jakarta, where Mr. Bush is to
meet Mr. Yudhoyono on Monday.
But Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a political analyst at the Habibie
Center, a Jakarta research institute, says it is in
Indonesia's best interests to maintain good ties with the
U.S.

"I think Indonesia's relations with the U.S. is one of the
most important bilateral relations for Indonesia," Dewi
said. "Indonesia does need a lot of things from the U.S. -
economic assistance, and in terms of military-to-military
relations. The United States is the single superpower at the
moment, which cannot be ignored."

When the December 2004 tsunami struck Indonesia's Aceh
province, killing more than 160,000 people there, the quick
response by the United States military engendered a great
deal of goodwill toward the U.S. here.

But that goodwill dissipated as U.S. policy in Iraq,
Afghanistan and the Middle East became more unpopular here.

Dewi says the United States bears part of the blame for this
unpopularity. She says Washington has spent the past few
years focusing too much on Iraq and the Middle East.

"While in fact as the world's sole superpower the U.S. has
interests all over the world, it really cannot afford to
only pay attention to one region to the neglect of the
other, and in the past couple of years, the U.S.'s
preoccupation with the Middle East has to a certain extent
damaged the U.S.'s standing in Asia, particularly Southeast
Asia," Dewi said.

American officials in Jakarta say Mr. Bush's visit is aimed
at strengthening overall ties, and will not be confined to
issues of terrorism and security. They say it will cover
such non-security issues such as health and education, as
well as economic issues, such as increasing U.S. investment
here.

--------------------------------------------

Anti-Bush protests intensify, Indonesian military steps up
security

JAKARTA, November 16 (AP) -- Protests against U.S. President
George W. Bush's upcoming visit to Indonesia intensified
Thursday as thousands turned out in more than a dozen cities
and the military vowed to maintain order.

"We cannot take any risks," said army spokesman Muhammad
Sunarto, adding that the reputation of the world's most
populous Muslim nation was at stake. "We guarantee security
from the time (Bush) arrives until he leaves."

Bush will head straight to the normally sleepy hillside town
of Bogor, south of Indonesia's capital, when he arrives
Monday to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for wide-
ranging talks on terrorism, poverty alleviation, education
and corruption.

The visit comes amid rising public anger over U.S. policy in
the Middle East and the U.S.-led invasions of Iraq and
Afghanistan, seen by many as attacks on Muslims.
Hundreds of students and Islamic activists held separate
rallies in Jakarta on Thursday, gathering in front of the
U.S. embassy, the presidential palace and the offices of
several American businesses, including gold-mining giant
Freeport.

Protests were also held in Bogor, Surabaya, Yogyakarta,
Medan, Banda Aceh, Garut, Gresik, Lampung, Lombok and
Sulawesi's towns of Makassar, Pare-Pare and Palu.

--------------------------------------------

Indonesian military vows to take no chances in safeguarding
Bush

JAKARTA, November 16 (AFP) -- Indonesia's armed forces (TNI)
will take no chances in safeguarding US President George W.
Bush during next week's visit which has triggered widespread
protests, the military spokesman said Thursday.

"The TNI will take no risks whatsoever," Rear Admiral
Mochamad Sunarto said of Monday's brief visit, adding
however that force or violence would only be used as a last
resort.

"We will maintain an image of a good host, a responsible
host," he told a press conference.

"As far as possibile, we would avoid violence," he said,
adding that there were no plans for "shock therapy" to be
launched against protestors who might attempt to disrupt the
visit, nor were there any orders to shoot on sight.

Sunarto denied widespread allegations that security
arrangements for the visit are excessive, saying they were
in line with procedures for safeguarding extremely important
state guests.

He said that estimates of some 18,000 personnel, police and
soldiers being deployed for the visit were "much, much too
much," but declined to disclose the actual size of the
contingent.

Indonesia's media has been filled with protests over the
security measures surrounding the visit, including closing
main roads around the sprawling summer palace, evictions of
traders at a nearby market, and the diversion of public
transport.

Officials have also spoken of plans to scramble telephone
and communications signals in the area, but Sunarto could
not confirm the report.

Bush is scheduled to make a brief visit of a few hours to
the world's largest Muslim nation, after attending the APEC
summit in Hanoi.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will meet with him at the
Bogor summer palace, some 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of
Jakarta.

Protest rallies against the visit have been held daily in
various towns and cities across the country, including in
Bogor, and Muslim leaders and senior legislators have stated
their opposition.
Some Muslim groups have also threatened to move a no-
confidence motion against Yudhoyono over the visit.

---------------------------------------------------

Indonesian hardline cleric warns against anarchy during Bush
visit

JAKARTA, November 16 (AFP) -- Hardline Indonesian Muslim
cleric Abu Bakar Bashir told followers not to engage in
anarchy in their opposition to US President George W. Bush's
planned visit, a report said Thursday.

"In principle, the Bush visit should be scuttled, but do it
within your capabilities. If your capability is only to
rally in protest then do that, but do not use anarchy,"
Bashir, who heads the Indonesian Mujahedin Council (MMI) was
quoted by Kompas news agency as saying.

Speaking from his home in Sukoharjo, Central Java, Bashir
reportedly said acts of anarchy and the use of violence in
protesting the visit would not only be damaging to the
council's own image but would also not help achieve their
aims.

He reiterated that he was against the visit and added Bush
should not go ahead with the planned trip of a few hours on
Monday.

"Bush is very good at pretending, his morals are low ... His
visit is certainly prompted by personal or group interests,"
said Bashir, who has accused Bush of having put pressure on
Indonesian authorities to get him arrested and kept in jail.

He said he had long called for Indonesia to sever diplomatic
relations with the "Bush regime" because Bush "has killed
hundreds of thousands of Muslims".

Bashir challenged Bush to a meeting during his brief stay,
although he added he believed the possibility of it actually
happening was very small.

The elderly cleric is scheduled to be one of the speakers
during a massive anti-Bush rally in Solo, Central Java,
Friday. He said because of previous engagements, he would
not be able to attend another massive anti-Bush rally by
Muslim organisations in Bogor Sunday.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will meet Bush
at the Summer Palace in Bogor Monday.

Bashir called on MMI members and supporters to join the
protests.

"Show that we cannot accept it if Bush comes, show who Bush
really is," he said.

Bush's visit has been widely opposed by Muslims in the
world's largest Muslim nation, with daily protests and
rallies in various cities across most of the archipelago.

Muslim leaders have also threatened a no-confidence motion
against Yudhoyono for hosting the visit.

----------------------------------------
BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific
November 16, 2006

Indonesian Speaker urges "dignified" rallies against Bush
visit

Source: Radio Elshinta, Jakarta, in Indonesian 0144 gmt 16
Nov 06

Text of report by Indonesian privately-owned Radio Elshinta
on 16 November

[Unidentified Elshinta's correspondent] The speaker of the
People's Consultative Assembly [MPR], Hidayat Nurwahid, has
urged people planning to stage a demonstration rejecting the
upcoming visit of President Bush to organize their rally in
a dignified way and avoid anarchy. According to him, a
peaceful rally would counter George Bush's perception that
Indonesia is an anarchic country that favours terrorism. He
said that anarchy would mar the image of Indonesia,
particularly that of the Islamic followers.

[Hidayat] The upcoming visit of Bush has sparked
demonstrations in Indonesia, and not only by Islamic groups.
The Sutarjo Suryoguritno [PDI-P] and Ki Gendeng Pamungkas
[paranormal] are also involved. Various groups are voicing
their opposition, so we cannot say that the opposition comes
only from the followers of Islam. A demonstration cannot be
separated from democracy. For this reason, I would urge my
friends that if they want to stage a demonstration under a
democratic framework, they should carry it out in a
dignified way and avoid any anarchy. If this doesn't happen,
it will confirm George Bush's perception that Indonesia
accepts terrorism and is anarchic. Consequently also,
Indonesia will deserve to be seen in a negative light. If
that is the perception, it will have serious repercussions
for Indonesia and the Islamic followers.

[Correspondent] That is the statement from Hidayat Nurwahid.

----------------------------------------

Indonesia seeks timetable from Bush on establishment of
Palestinian state

JAKARTA, November 16 (AP) -- Indonesia will call on U.S.
President George W. Bush to set a timetable for the
establishment of an independent Palestinian state, a
government spokesman said Thursday.

Bush will pass through the world's most populous Muslim
nation for several hours Monday to hold brief but wide-
ranging talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, with
the Middle East crisis high on the agenda.

"In the past, the U.S. said it supported the establishment
of Palestinian state in 2005," said Dino Pati Djalal, adding
that despite the pledge the situation "is getting
complicated and the peace prospects are not yet clear."

Djalal said Indonesia would push Bush to intensify efforts
because the United States along with the United Nations, the
European Union and Russia is part of the so-called Quartet
of Mideast mediators.
"We welcome that the U.S. says it supports the establishment
of a Palestinian state," he said. "We want to make sure that
... it is not delayed any longer."

Indonesia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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