The Agonist - Indonesia

Hell's Kitchen: Mining Sulfur In A Volcano

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:10:05 -0700

Ed Davies | Kawah Ijen, Indonesia | July 21

Reuters - Protected only by a piece of rag stuffed loosely into his mouth, a miner hacks off chunks of bubbling red-hot sulfur oozing downslope before being driven back by a choking wall of foul smelling gases.

Despite the luxury of wearing a NATO-issue gas mask, I am also forced backwards by the sudden swirl of pungent yellow-white vapors that slashes visibility to a few feet.

We are in the "kitchen," as it is known to Indonesian miners who harvest molten sulfur pouring from fumaroles next to the volcanic Kawah Ijen, or lone crater, lake.

Shadowed by East Java's Gunung Merapi volcano, the moonscape-like land has no vegetation, although the 200 meter (660 ft) deep crater lake -- one of the most acidic in the world -- is a breathtaking turquoise.

The sulfur has a range of uses from cosmetics to gun powder, but a mine official said it was currently being supplied to a local factory where it is used to bleach sugar.

Indonesia defends move to block virus sample sharing

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:52:20 -0700

Hong Kong | July 16

Reuters -
Indonesian officials say they have refused to share bird flu virus samples with the World Health Organisation because scientists and laboratories repeatedly violated U.N. guidelines on sample sharing.

In an article published in the latest issue of The Annals, Academy of Medicine, Singapore, Indonesian scientists and officials, including Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari, said the current system of sample sharing was unfair and perpetuated the "inequities of the global system".

They said the last straw came when Indonesian officials learnt at the end of 2006 that an Australian company was developing a vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu virus using a strain of the virus from Indonesia.

The officials said it was a clear violation of World Health Organization (WHO) rules that a pharmaceutical company would even have access to viruses that were shared with WHO-affiliated laboratories.

Bangladesh is set to disappear under the waves by the end of the century

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:58:38 -0700

June 20

Independent - Bangladesh, the most crowded nation on earth, is set to disappear under the waves by the end of this century – and we will be to blame. Johann Hari took a journey to see for himself how western profligacy and indifference have sealed the fate of 150 million peoplewent to see for himself the spreading misery and destruction as the ocean reclaims the land on which so many millions depend

This spring, I took a month-long road trip across a country that we – you, me and everyone we know – are killing. One day, not long into my journey, I travelled over tiny ridges and groaning bridges on the back of a motorbike to reach the remote village of Munshigonj. The surviving villagers – gaunt, creased people – were sitting by a stagnant pond. They told me, slowly, what we have done to them.

Ten years ago, the village began to die. First, many of the trees turned a strange brownish-yellow colour and rotted. Then the rice paddies stopped growing and festered in the water. Then the fish floated to the surface of the rivers, gasping. Then many of the animals began to die. Then many of the children began to die.

The waters flowing through Munshigonj – which had once been sweet and clear and teeming with life – had turned salty and dead.

Indonesian religous tolerance under threat

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:45:51 -0700

Telly Nathalia and Olivia Rondonuwu | Jakarta | June 10

Reuters - Indonesia's president should stand up for religious tolerance and reverse a decree permitting prosecution of a sect many Muslim brand as heretical, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has delayed taking a clear decision on the fate of the Ahmadiyya sect for weeks, seeking a delicate balance on an issue that has inflamed passions and seen violence by hardline Muslim groups against the sect.

A government team tasked with monitoring religious groups recommended in April it should be banned as the sect's teachings deviate from fundamental Islamic tenets.

Indonesia to ban YouTube over film

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:03:07 -0700

April 2

Press TV - Indonesia has said it will ban YouTube unless the website removes an anti-Muslim film by a Dutch lawmaker within 48 hours.

The government sent a letter to the site informing it of its demand on Tuesday, Indonesia's Communications and Information Minister, Mohammad Nuh, said.

Nasir Abas, terrorist defector, aids Indonesian police

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:10:31 -0800

Seth Mydans | Jakarta | Feb 29

IHT - Sentenced to death for a terrorist bombing, the brother-in-law of Nasir Abas writes to him from prison calling him an infidel and an enemy of Islam.

"I don't reply," Abas said. "I feel sympathy for him because he is under pressure in jail. He is not in a normal emotional state." But even in a normal emotional state, a convicted terrorist could be excused for being furious with Abas.

Once a high-ranking commander in the region's deadliest terrorist group, Abas, 38, has been born again as an antiterror evangelist. Working with the police, he visits his former comrades in jail in an effort to persuade them to cooperate and to mend their ways.

He appears at public forums and he has published a book called "Exposing Jemaah Islamiyah," the terrorist group he once belonged to, which is linked to Al Qaeda and has been behind most of the major attacks in the region in recent years.

more

Justice for Suharto-Era Crimes Still Matters

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:48:59 -0800

Joseph Saunders | Feb 14

The FEER Forum - Much of the commentary since Suharto’s death on Jan. 27 has focused on his economic legacy. Of late, triumphalist accounts seem to be eclipsing more nuanced assessments, as observers debate whether overall economic growth during his 32-year tenure overshadowed the nepotism and corruption that marred his rule. Suharto’s political and human rights legacy, wrongly pushed to the sidelines, is at least of equal importance in assessing his record and the challenges facing Indonesia today.

Democracy was already in retreat during the turbulent last years of Sukarno immediately preceding Suharto’s ascension. In 1965-66, Indonesia was in upheaval. While Suharto brought stability, he did so at enormous cost, orchestrating pogroms that killed hundreds of thousands of suspected communists and sympathizers and unleashed broader violence.

Suharto then proceeded to reshape government in ways that destroyed all hopes of democracy for the entire duration of his rule. While Indonesia is impossibly diverse in ethnic terms and notoriously difficult to govern, Suharto’s approach was to eviscerate the rule of law and make the military his prime instrument of social control. With censorship integral to his rule, he left precious little space even for discussion of his policies. Indonesia has spent much of the past ten years recovering from the consequences.

Indonesia's appetite for arms grows

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:15:44 -0800

Frida Berrigan | Jakarta | Feb 28

Asia Times - Jakarta wants weapons. Lots of them.

Right after Valentine's Day, Indonesian Air Force officials met with their US counterparts to discuss "bilateral defense cooperation". On their wish list were Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighters and C-130 Hercules tactical transport planes. There will be more defense talks in April between the two countries as they step up military cooperation.

The US and Indonesia "normalized" military relations in 2005, ending a 10-year period during which Jakarta was essentially barred from receiving most forms of US weapons sales and military aid and training because of its military’s human rights abuses and corruption.

Escaped JI leader may head to Indonesia

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:08:15 -0800

Melanie Lee | Singapore | Feb 28

Reuters - A "security lapse" led to the escape of an Islamic militant leader accused of planning an attack on Singapore's airport, a minister said on Thursday, as regional experts predicted his next stop could be Indonesia.

Mas Selamat bin Kastari, the alleged leader of al Qaeda-linked Islamic militant network Jemaah Islamiah's (JI) Singapore cell, escaped on Wednesday from the toilet of a detention centre.

The JI has been blamed for several deadly bombing attacks in Southeast Asia, including the 2002 bombings that killed more than 200 people on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.

The escape led to an apology from the government over the "security lapse", and a manhunt involving thousands of policemen.

Experts said they believed Kastari would try to return to Indonesia, where security is generally viewed as not as tight compared with Singapore.

Gates Promises Help for Indonesian Military

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:59:32 -0800

Mark Mazetti | Jakarta | Feb 26

NYT - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pledged arms upgrades and other Pentagon support for Indonesia on Monday, as the Bush administration forged closer ties to the military of a country still viewed skeptically by some in Congress for past human rights abuses.

During a series of meetings in Jakarta, Mr. Gates tried to broaden the focus of American relations with Indonesia beyond the fight against terrorist networks, giving only passing mention to the threats they represent, in a speech before a group of foreign policy experts.

Instead, he emphasized the emergence of Indonesia as the “bedrock” of Southeast Asia and vowed that the United States would help to shore up the country’s aging military hardware. He was not specific in the types of upgrades he would approve, but Indonesian officials have, among other things, sought replacement parts for its fleet of C-130 cargo planes.

Three killed by Indonesian quake

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 07:03:43 -0800

Simeulue, Indonesia | February 20

BBC - At least three people have been killed and 25 seriously injured by a 7.5-magnitude quake near Indonesia's western Aceh province, officials say.

The tremor, whose epicentre was near the island of Simeulue, 319km (198 miles) off the coast of Sumatra, also damaged many buildings, they added.

Indonesian city waits for real king to reveal himself

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:23:52 -0800

Seth Mydans | Solo, Indonesia | February 16

IHT - Pop quiz: How many kings are there now in the ancient sultanate of Surakarta?

Answer: There is no correct answer.

When King Pakubuwono XII died four years ago, he left six mistresses with 35 children, but no wife, no heir and no instructions about the succession.

He might have guessed what would happen. Two half-brothers each claimed the ancient crown, and the family split into two bitterly feuding factions.

The oldest half-brother and his nine full siblings took control of the palace, a fortress-like complex called a kraton. He barred his 25 half-siblings - the children of the other five consorts - from entering and evicted those who had made their homes within its walls.

Except for one shouting match when the expelled half-siblings stormed the palace and had to be removed by the police, the two factions have not talked to each other since.

Now people are asking what will become of the centuries-old sultanate.

Slideshow: An Indonesian royal feud

Former Indonesian dictator Suharto near death

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:19:47 -0800

Jakarta | January 11

CBC - The health of former Indonesian dictator Suharto, who maintained a brutal grip on the Asian nation for more than 30 years, has worsened, according to hospital officials.

Suharto's doctors at the Jakarta hospital where he is being treated told a news conference Friday that he had suffered multiple organ failure and is being given help breathing with a ventilator.

Quake Jolts Indonesia's Bali

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:42:13 -0800

Bali, Indonesia | December 7

AP - An earthquake on Friday rattled Indonesia's resort island of Bali, where thousands of people were gathering for a U.N. climate change conference. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The 5.4-magnitude tremor was centered 150 miles southwest of Bali, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. It struck around 6 miles beneath the ocean floor.

The quake could be felt in Bali, where more than 10,000 people were attending a two-week conference about rising global temperatures, which scientists say could lead to severe droughts and flooding, melting ice caps and rising seas, and the extinction of animals.

Indonesia grapples with graft

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:47:56 -0800

Simon Montlake | Jakarta | Nov 20

CSM - Ongoing investigations of several politicians are raising questions about how best to finance campaigns in Southeast Asia's most robust democracy.

To a public weary of sleaze, the news that lawmakers were on the take barely made a ripple. Opinion polls suggest that parliament and political parties are held in low esteem by ordinary voters, who nevertheless have turned out in droves to vote since democracy was restored in 1999.

Behind the latest scandals is the thorny question of how political parties in Indonesia should be funded and whether political graft is undermining faith in democracy. Campaigners warn that if corruption goes unchecked, Indonesia – the world's largest Muslim-majority country and perhaps the most functional democracy in the Islamic world – may lose its democratic zeal.

It's a dilemma that goes beyond Indonesia, say analysts. In the absence of mass membership dues, many political parties rely on private donations or taxpayers' money to support their activities. Corporate giving is often dogged by accusations of influence-peddling. But making a case for public funding of Indonesian politicians to keep them honest isn't easy.