Jakartass Home thoughts from abroad. Alien thoughts from home.

'Gaga' means 'mentally confused' as well as 'carried away by love or enthusiasm'. Another expression is 'going apeshit', which seems more appropriate to the matter of the police ban of a concert by a performance artiste who's become popular because she is unique and true to herself – whoever/whatever she is.

That Lady Gaga is popular in terms of youth culture means that I'm not a fan. But then I don't like dangdut or opera either, but no matter. I doubt that there are many who share my somewhat esoteric musical tastes.

So what?

Our Kid doesn't like Lady Gaga either, but if he had wanted to go and I had had the financial wherewithal to buy him a ticket for her now cancelled concert, I see no reason why I wouldn't have. It's a generational thing and I'm not going to dictate to him as to what he should or should not appreciate. That includes his religious, political and sexual leanings. I'm content to offer advice; my life as a morally upright but not censorious man – irony intended – serves as an example, a guide. I'm my son's keeper pro tem, but soon he will have his own life to lead.

This is what Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Untung S. Rajab is reported to have said yesterday

“The reasons behind the police’s refusal to issue a permit for the show not only include security issues but also the police’s duty to protect the nation’s culture.”

The security issue refers to the Effing Perverted Islamists, the Front Pembela Islam (FPI) thugs threatening to attack the more than 50,000 fans who'd bought tickets, 12,000 of which were bought by foreign tourists from places like Australia and the Philippines. To suggest that 40,000 Indonesians, out of a population of 230+ million, watching a performance, described as 'erotic', were at risk of becoming a force to damage "the nation’s culture” is plain nonsensical.

In one blinkered moment, the police have kowtowed to a true force for evil and with the stroke of a pen severely damaged Indonesia's drive to increase tourist numbers.

This isn't just local news. It's on the front pages of British newspapers and the furore will rumble on for a long time.

Indonesia's authorities have a simple choice:

1. To uphold the Constitution and it's avowed multi-culturalism, as agreed in the various UN Declarations the government is party to.

Chapter X defines citizens and residents and states that all citizens are equal before the law. Details of the human rights 'guaranteed' to all, include:
- the right to religious freedom
- the right of all to legal certainty
- the right of assembly, association and expression of opinion
- the right of children to grow up free of violence and discrimination

The police decision to cancel the Gaga gig is surely in breach of all the above.

2. Rather than turning a blind eye, President SBY should officially state, and issue a regulation, abrogating his responsibilities to allow 'religious' thugs organisations such as the FPI to determine the rights of citizens abd residents.

But citizens beware! The FPI remain supporters of the late Osama Bin Laden, one of the most evil men who's ever stalked this planet, as evidenced by this file(.pdf) downloadable from their site.

There is now an Indonesia Without FPI Movement, a laudable civic action, but it has yet to have the clout to convince the police to face up to their obligations.

National Police spokesman Ins. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution denied [their] allegations that the police are afraid of the FPI. He explained that the police use persuasive dialogue when addressing the FPI during protests. And if the protest gets out of hand, the National Police often arrest the smaller group, usually the focus of the FPI's fury —  to prevent a large problem, he added.

So he's saying that criminalising the victims is the best solution?

So, what are concerned citizens and residents to do?

We surely don't want anti-FPI vigilante forces taking to the streets, not even the well-intentioned militia group Pasukan Berani Mati nor do we want to see local community groups resorting to physical confrontations.

So, perhaps those of us who do not wish to have the protectors of the abusers 'solving' the problem can try another approach – to the biggest coward, it seems, of the lot: President SBY. His legacy wil be one of inaction unless he responds to a massive demand from the rakyat, one that can gain the support of all right (and rights) thinking folk who only wish the best for this country and its citizens, residents and visitors.

Online petitions, especially those 'sponsored' by Avaaz.org for the past five years have, through its online petitions, made a significant difference to the way our world is governed. The vast worldwide membership of Avaaz is truly a tool of globalised social change.

With a small team, funded solely by individual donations, with a limit of $5,000 to ensure that they can't be 'bought' by vested interests, they have "run an incredible number of hard-hitting campaigns and grown to be the largest-ever global movement for change."

They have now "developed new web tools that enable any Avaaz member to start their own petitions." (Click here to see how easy it is.)

As of last week, 42.27 million (17.40%) of Indonesia's population have Facebook accounts (which is actually a drop from this time last year), and as of January 1st some 19.5 million have Twitter accounts. Would it be possible to attract a million of those online addicts to sign a petition which calls on SBY to disband the FPI?

Although I am an Avaaz member, as a foreign resident, I do not feel it is my place to actually initiate one – but I would certainly would sign one. I feel that the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) would be more appropriate and certainly have more clout than Jakartass has.

However, if anyone feels that my help could be of value on, say, an informal steering committee, please email me.

But do it soon, before age catches up with me and I go gaga.

Dealing with Indonesia's bureaucracy can be incredibly stressful if you don't know someone who knows someone who ….

Dead Funny?
A teacher acquaintance died some two years ago and, appointed by his mother, another acquaintance acted as executor of the estate. This required notarised documents from the British Embassy and his mother giving her authorisation in order to close his bank account.

All this took over a year. The bank (BCA) then informed her that the death certificate had expired, so she had to get a new one.

Were they thinking of zombies?

———————Or perhaps ….

 

Dead Easy?
No way!

A good friend is considering becoming an Indonesian citizen as a way of overcoming the annual hassles of renewing his KITAS, the temporary resident permit.

Veeramalla Anjaiah has written about the Herculean task involved in achieving this in today's Post.

According to Article 19 of the Citizenship Law No. 12/2006, foreigners who have resided in Indonesia for five years continuously or 10 years with gaps, can apply for citizenship.

I had to go to more than 20 offices, some of them repeatedly, to get the job done. After more than 20 years of staying here, I learned a lot about how to deal with Indonesian officials; many are nice, hardworking and friendly. But some of the rules and procedures are really frustrating.

My main weapons were patience, a smile and determination. I used to carry dozens of photocopies, photos of different sizes, stapler, glue and original certificates for me and my family.

In many offices, people suspected I was a private broker or agent who processed official documents after seeing my bag was full of papers.

Once Penabur have followed the ruling of the Supreme Court, I will be able to  investigate sponsorship by 'Er Indoors. Some details of an Indonesian spouse sponsoring a foreigner can be found here.

Dead Stupid?
Or merely prone to the couldn't-give-a-shit for customers syndrome?

Last night while Our Kid and I were totally engrossed in the "very solid thriller" Unknown, starring Liam Neeson, when – fumf – the lights went off and the TV (and computers, fridge, pump …) went off. At first we thought it was just our house because it wasn't the whole street. But no, it was the house on the right, one diagonally to the left and four others seemingly chosen at random.  We lit candles, all the while praying that we wouldn't be left in darkness too long, yet knowing that there was no chance of discovering the denouement of the movie that evening.

We rang up the local office of PLN, the state electricity office to report the outage, only to be told that they were already doing some maintenance. Apparently, they'd spent three hours doing whatever they do earlier in the day.

Now that leaves one simple complaint: how come no-one had informed us? Are six customers of such negligible importance that they couldn't be bothered to stroll round to our houses to give us fair warning?

Note: President SBY is due to visit Lombok on Friday.

Two years ago, he launched the “blackout-free Indonesia” campaign in Mataram, its capital, but the island still suffers from rotating outages.

On Monday, the provincial spokesman Tribudi Prayitno said that steps were being taken to ensure there would be no disruption to electricity supplies for the visit.

The bureaucrats may be able to fool the President, but they can't fool the masses.

Click for larger image
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This modern day scene was foretold in Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis.

Watch this trailer for the recently restored print.

Charlie Chaplin's last appearance as the iconic Little Tramp character was in Modern Times (1936). The film is a comment on the desperate employment and fiscal conditions many people faced during the Great Depression, conditions created, in Chaplin's view, by the efficiencies of modern industrialization.

Sound familiar? Watch a clip here.

I recently read a headline online which simply said 'Yes, Live In Jakarta', and I wondered which of the pairs in the gubernatorial election to be held this coming July was putting a positive spin on life here. All I've heard from them up to now is which of the many problems facing the megapolis they intend to prioritise.

Of course, and once again, I was wrong. The article actually referred to a gig on the world tour of the near-geriatric prog-rock group Yes; tickets cost more than a circuit judge's monthly salary.

There are so many stimuli assaulting one's senses in Jakarta that trying to understand it all without the insights of others is nigh on impossible. Whether stuck in a traffic jam or a meeting to discuss when the next meeting should take place, or you just want to switch off for a while, a good solution is to always have a good book in your backpack or briefcase.

The following are partial lists of what is on my bookshelves about Jakarta, past and present. They are arranged in chronological order according to the periods they are set in.

JAKARTA THEN

Historical Sights of Jakarta
- Adolf Heuken. pub. Times Books International,1989.
Numerous maps and illustrations, and details of little-known, and often neglected, historical places of interest.

A Certain Age
- Rudolph Mrázek. pub. Duke University Press 2010
Colonial Jakarta through the memories of its intellectuals. An academic work which is very readable.

In The Time Of Madness
- Richard Lloyd Parry. pub. Jonathon Cape 2005
A journalist witnesses the revolution in 1998 which saw the abdication of President Suharto.

Eyes of God
- Philip Babcock. pub. Edgeworth Press 2011
A multi-levelled Conradian thriller is set in the turbulent times of 97/98. Babcock was blacklisted and deported presumably because he was a pawn in the struggles for slices of Pertamina following the injection of IMF funds. The introductory passages are set in Jakarta gangs, a five star-hotel and the American Embassy.

JAKARTA NOW

Jakarta Inside out
- Daniel Ziv. pub. Desa Kota 4th edition 2009
A street level look and "a love letter to a city [he's] been proud to call home for over a decade."
Through short incisive commentaries which accompany candid photos,.Ziv provides insights into the chaotic reality of everyday life in the city.

My Jakarta
- pub. Jakarta Globe 2010
A compilation of Jakarta Globe interviews with Jakarta residents talking about – erm – "My Jakarta".

Nineteen
- Irfan Kortschak. pub. Mercy Corps 2008
Selected portraits of Jakarta’s itinerant street vendors – tales of strength in adversity rather than despair and defeat.

Jakarta, Jayakarta, Batavia
- ed. Leonard Lueras. pub. Yayasan Bali Purnati 2008.
A coffee table tome with essays and fine photos – an excellent souvenir of your stay.

Culture Shock! Jakarta
- Terry Collins and Derek Bacon. pub. Marshall Cavendish 2nd edition 2011
fr. Amazon review: As an Indonesian born and living around Jakarta, reading this book still managed to give me insights about the little and not-so-little things that escaped my attention.
(No apologies for an unashamed plug.)

NOVELS

The Year Of Living Dangerously
- C.J.Koch. pub. Grafton 1978
About journalists waiting for the revolution in 1965 which saw the downfall of President Sukarno. Banned during the Suharto era as was the movie, starring Mel Gibson, which has recently been shown on local TV.

Monkeys In The Dark
- Blanche d'Alpuget. pub. Aurora 1980
Life in Jakarta among expats in the inter-regnum between the '65 coup and Sukarno's exile.

+ not Jakarta specific, but Batavia features strongly.

Batavia’s Graveyard
- Mike Dash. pub. Three Rivers Press N.Y. 2002
“The true story of the mad heretic who led history’s bloodiest mutiny – in 1629”

Nathaniel's Nutmeg
- Giles Milton pub. Sceptre 1999
“A galloping good jaunt through the early days of western interaction with the Spice Islands.”

Ups and Downs of Life In The Indies
- P.A.Daum. pub. Periplus 1999
Dutch colonial life in the nineteenth century.

By Indonesian writers

Twilight In Jakarta
- Mochtar Lubis (1963)
The first Indonesian novel to be translated into English in 1964. His tale of life in the kampungs, with its politics, poverty, corruption and crime, when he was a thorn in the side of Sukarno, still seems relevant today.

Saman
- Ayu Utami. (1998) Translation pub. Equinox. 2005
Utami covers many of Indonesia's social ills, such as exploitation of plantation workers, political oppression, religious and sexual identity, in the last years of Suharto's regime. This is an outstanding and courageous novel, with echoes for today.

Also worth reading is anything by Pramoedya Ananta Toer.

PUBLISHERS
Those wishing to delve into academia will find a myriad theses and articles published by universities and smaller publishing houses. You can read about the history, geography, ecology, culture and more of the archipelago from pre-historic times to the current reformasi era.

Equinox
Publishes a wide range of non-fiction, mainly in the business and political arenas, They also republish long-out-of-print works, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as new works by, e.g. Michael Vatikiotis and translations e.g. Ayu Utami's Sanam (see below).

Periplus Editions
Browse their catalogue for high-quality illustrated books, dictionaries and maps on Indonesia and other southeast Asian countries.

Lontar Foundation
Since its founding in 1987 Lontar has concentrated its efforts on creating a 'market' for Indonesian literature abroad through the steady publication of Indonesian literary titles in English translation.

Yayasan Bali Purnati
Coffee table tomes with fine photographs illustrating essays from local contributors.

Blogs and other Websites.

Even a blind man can see that more folk carry 'smart' phones than carry books. If you are one of those, then there are several non-commercial websites, especially blogs, which offer different insights into Jakarta. We bloggers come and go and are rarely objective but these are my current favourites:
Rujak.org – for a sustainable Jakarta (in Indonesian).
Bataviase – loads of links and info (in Indonesian).
Jakarta Kid – insightful stories of Jakarta's street kids.
Jakarta 100 Bars – as it says on the tin.
Jakarta Daily Photo – ditto.
Gangs of Indonesia – fine photo-journalism.
Jakarta Restaurant Reviews  – as it says.
+
Inside Indonesia – monthly, with email subscriptions, readable, wide ranging in-depth articles.

The late David Jardine wrote many book reviews for Tempo magazine and other publications. Most of them have been archived here.
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First published in Jakarta Expat 69th edition (9th-22nd May 2012)

Before I get accused again of being negative in my writing about Indonesia, I would point out that much of what I write, including this post, refer to the exploitation of the country by outsiders. Of course, they couldn't get away with their practices without local players turning a blind eye or actually conniving.

Case 1
Once again, I'm putting Nike in the spotlight. They must spend an incredible amount on their internet presence in order to counteract the bad publicity their corporate insouciance has engendered over the years.

They say: As environmental, social and economic challenges in our world proliferate, they demand our best performance. We’re using the power of our brand, the energy and passion of our people and the scale of our business to create meaningful change. The opportunity is greater than ever for our sustainability strategy to drive business growth, build deeper consumer and community connections, and create positive social and environmental change.

This is their commitment made on waste reduction in their Considered Design program launched in 2001: At Nike, waste is any product or material used in the supply chain that does not ultimately end up in somebody’s closet. Considered design seeks ways to prevent the initial creation of waste, and where unavoidable, find ways to recycle and reuse.

Their Sustainable Business Performance Summary (Years 10 -11) was released just last week. It is supposed to demonstrate their continued commitment to Considered Design.

This is what they say about waste: We regularly work with our contract finished-goods manufacturers to assist them in reducing waste. To date, we’ve focused on helping them to optimize manufacturing processes, segregate waste at the source, measure waste types and volumes, and target reductions of high-volume waste materials. We have also led the development of six dedicated recycling centers in three countries – China, Vietnam and Indonesia – to support our closed-loop vision.

Jim Keady has recently revisited Indonesia and found this and similar sights at the three factories he visited.

He didn't visit the other 40 Nike factories in Indonesia.

Case 2 The British government's Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) is about to come under parliamentary review for its role in lending vast sums to dictators so they can buy arms with which to quell rebellious citizens.

The actions of the ECGD have led to it being christened the "department for dodgy deals" by the Jubilee Debt Campaign. You can download their report here. (Once downloaded, to make it readable change the file tag from .php to .pdf.) The report's Case Study No.1 is about Indonesia.

The majority of Indonesia’s £513.46 million debt to the ECGD, repayable by June 2021, as well as the £400 million repaid since 2000, can be attributed to arms sales made by the UK government to the brutal military dictatorship of General Suharto. Suharto borrowed heavily from the time he seized power in 1967 until his fall in 1998. Creditors repeatedly funded Suharto, an avowed ‘anti-communist’, even though instances of brutal oppression and corruption were well documented.

In 1998, then Foreign Secretary Robin Cook acknowledged that weapons manufactured and supplied by the UK were used against civilians. British supplied Hawk jets and Scorpion tanks were used when attacking resistance in Aceh.

The well-researched and referenced report also notes that Indonesia’s long term debt is truly enormous – currently standing at $151 billion; three times its national income. In 2008, Indonesia paid $22 billion in debt service – that’s over $2.5 million every hour – of which $5.6 billion was interest. Nearly 20% of its budget goes on debt service, more than on education (17.2%). (Source: Global Development Finance, The World Bank and Human Development Index, Indonesia, UNDP) ………………………………………………
International Views of Indonesia 1 is here.

I wouldn't want to see a film of a play about a biblical story, but this still from the film (of a play about a biblical story) has an enigmatic appeal.

… because they deserve it!

It's not often that we Addicks have felt proud of our club. We may 'only' be leaving the third tier of English football but, hey, we've done it style. Hopefully the party atmosphere at the Valley this evening, my local time, will not stop the lads ending the season with a storming win, a goalfest, against Hartlepool United.

There is one fly in the ointment, however: Nike will be providing the kit for the next four seasons.

Given Charlton's admirable record within the community, it appears short-sighted that the management of the club should tarnish the club's reputation by aligning themselves with a company which only pays lip-service to upholding the rights of the workers who produce such expensive sports apparel – which they cannot ever afford to buy, let alone wear.

(Mind you, it's already proving unpopular with Addicks back home.)