Jakartass Home thoughts from abroad. Alien thoughts from home.

November 10th, today, is celebrated as Heroes Day in Indonesia, to commemorate heavy fighting between Indonesian nationalist militias and British Allied forces at Surabaya, East Java on November 10, 1945. This was the first large scale armed conflict between Indonesia and foreign forces after Indonesia's Proclamation of Independence at August 17, 1945.

However, as Donny Syofyan has written in the Post, hero cults are carefully manipulated and maintained by manifold political and social forces. In Indonesia, for example, heroes have been limited to those officially recognized by the state, although not all of them deserved such a high honour.

There are many unsung heroes in every country, but few who are awarded the Civil Courage Prize, a human rights award which is awarded for "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk – rather than military valor."

Munir, Indonesia's slain human rights activist, was awarded the Prize posthumously.

Jakartass doesn't give awards, but I would like to draw your attention to Greenpeace Indonesia, an NGO funded by private donations which has consistently fought for environmental protection, something the government seems unable to do in spite of enforceable legislation. Most recently, Greenpeace has run afoul of Asia Pulp & Paper  (APP), part of the giant Singapore registered conglomerate Sinar Mas.

Just today, Greenpeace has been served with an eviction order from their offices in Kemang, an action not in keeping with Heroes Day.

Agus Supriyono, P2B’s head of enforcement, said the office had been built in an area designated for residential buildings only.

“Like any other building that violates regulations, we will have to seal off this building,” he said.

Kemang is an upscale area of South Jakarta which was once almost entirely a residential area. In the past dozen years it has been turned into an 'entertainment area', littered with bars, restaurants and other nighlife spots.

Greenpeace are fully deserving of a Civil Courage Award and their staff and volunteers should be recognised as the heroes they undoubtably are.

The symbols of democracy pinned up against the coast, the outhouse of bureaucracy surrounded by a moat./ Citizens of poverty are barely out of sight/ The overlords escape in the evenings, brothers on the night.
Washington DC by Gil Scott-Heron

The only Wall Street here in Jakarta is an English language institute so I assume that apart from students and teachers demonstrating their language fluency, there won’t be much, if any, direct non-violent action by the have-nots in Indonesia.

Elsewhere, the Occupy Wall Street movement has gone global with protests planned in nearly a thousand cities worldwide today to show “the global solidarity of the 99 percent with their grievances against the 1 percent.”

Knowing one’s enemy is fundamental if change is going to come. And come it must if future generations are to experience the joys of humanity rather than being condemned to an abject and unfulfilled life of misery.

Another perspective for capitalists to consider is that their greed is depriving themselves of umpteen billions of consumers, but we don’t want or need that. It’s consumerism which is destroying Planet Earth.

Inequality
How much longer can elites hide their privileges from view?
Taxing questions
The Indonesian government wants more people to pay tax so it should stop tax evasion by the rich.
Evil and wealthy
Indonesian martial arts comics do not flatter the rich.
Be rich, stay rich
Why are the New Order billionaires still doing so well?
Lifestyles of the rich
These newsbriefs present snapshots of how the rich live . . . and die.
The rich in Indonesia
How do they live? How do they make their money? How good are they for Indonesia?
Fascinated by Versace
Beautiful living in Indonesia is possible if you are superwealthy.
Rich, fat, and sitting down
Childhood obesity is a growing problem among the urban rich.
‘We can’t be seen as cheap’
Money matters when preparing an upper middle class Batak wedding in Jakarta.
Who will tame the oligarchs?
Not democracy but rule of law is Indonesia’s central problem.
Prosperous in the provinces
Friends and connections hold the key to riches in Kalimantan’s Barito region.
(fr. Edition 104 of Inside Indonesia, the online magazine.)

This post is yet another indication of my solidarity with the 99%.

….. long live the King.

There's an article in yesterday's Guardian about the new Thai government's plans to be even stricter in applying their lèse-majesté law to websites; the law "says anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, queen, heir apparent or regent should be punished with three to 15 years in prison, but does not define what constitutes such behaviour."

When I sought to come to south-east Asia back in 1988, I really wanted to return to Thailand, having spent two periods of three months there in the previous year. I had no thought of settling down at the time. That hadn't seemed to be an option anyway as the only encounters I'd had there were with 'lady-boys'. (In case you're wondering, I had no difficulty in resisting their advances.)

It was happenstance which brought me to Indonesia, and I'm more than happy that life has turned out as it has. My glass is perenially half full.

However, I have retained an interest in Thailand. When I was in Bangkok, I often ate in the student canteen at Thammasat University and first heard of the students killed by paramilitary forces back in 1973. (Pictures here.)

Students from various universities were demonstrating against the return to Thailand of Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn, a former military ruler.

After Thanom was replaced by a civilian prime minister in October 1973, an army faction headed by Major-General Pramarn Adireksarn began plotting a return to military rule. Right-wing paramilitary groups were armed and trained and a crackdown on left-wing activists was prepared. King Bhumibol was a notable supporter of the paramilitary groups, a situation that has been described as "royal vigilantism."

The Communist takeover of Indochina in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War convinced many that Thailand could be the next communist target and that the nation's unruly left-wing students were aiding the enemy.

The day before the massacre, a photo of a mock hanging by Thammasat demonstrators was published in the Bangkok press. To many, the students in the photo appeared to be hanging the Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn in effigy. (His full name is Somdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayammakutratchakuman) In response, outraged paramilitary forces gathered outside the university that evening.

Lieutenant-General Chumphon Lohachala, deputy director of the national police, ordered an attack in the morning and authorized free fire on the campus.  By the official count, forty-six people died in the attack, during which protesters were shot, beaten and their bodies mutilated.

That was then, but the country has more recent problems, which you can further research for yourselves.

What has caught my interest is an article in Wednesday's Guardian .

Thailand can best be described as a failing democracy, particularly as lèsé majesté, being dreogatory about the ruler, is treated as treason, punishable by 15 years in prison or more if, like Chiranuch Premchaiporn, editor of the online news site Prachataiy, you face multiple charges under the Cyber Crimes Act.

You see, the government and populace (are expected to) revere King Bhumibol who is now 83 and in failing health. The Guardian article refers to a Wikileak which offers the general perception that, due to his serial womanising and gambling addiction, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn is unfit to assume the throne.

According to a leaked US diplomatic cable, Thai leaders harbour grave misgivings about the crown prince's fitness to become king owing to his reputation as a womaniser and links to a fugitive former prime minister (and a former owner of Manchester City football club).

I emailed some friends in Thailand, in plain text, asking for their thoughts on the article, which I understand is now blocked within the country.

This is one brief reply.

As you know I have to be a bit careful on this subject but the topic has been doing the rounds here now for quite a while. And it's not only the locals who are not convinced but many of the ex-pats too, the reason is that it is reported that this guy is not a great fan of foreigners being in his country – especially Brit's.

Sorry I can't say too much more on this J.

Are they being paranoid without due cause?

Hardly, A blog snappily called Thai Political Prisoners reports that the Ministry of Justice is inviting people to join its ‘Cyber Scout’ training programme in order to build a network of volunteers to protect the monarchy in the online world.

Another site, worth checking for its revelations of otherwise 'hidden' news about Thailand is Pratachai.com. I'll be adding this to my list of Aseanist blogs.

I'm glad that fate brought me to Indonesia, not least because getting to grips with Thai script would probably have proved impossible!

Wikileaks disclosure of cables emanating from the US embassy in Singapore show that Indonesia is emerging as a power player in this region.

Diplomats from both superpowers [China and the USA] and other nations reportedly talked of a greater role for the Indonesia to engage Myanmar’s military dictatorship. Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew told US diplomats that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono might potentially serve as an “interlocutor” to engage Myanmar.

“As a former general, [SBY] might be able to meet with Senior General Than Shwe and get him to listen,” Lee reportedly said.

Yudhoyono did exchange several letters with Than Shwe and sent a special envoy to cement ties with the junta during the period.

Although his services are sorely needed here, perhaps SBY might care to help out the generals who run Thailand through its Privy Council.which is currently lead by Prem Tinsulanonda, another of the region's retired army generals.

Jakartass has not retired, contrary to the possible misreading of yesterday's posting. This happened to be number 672 of those posted in 2 calendar years and I thought it needed a little commemoration.

So thanks for all your kind words which range from "That's a damm pity. I was just getting used to you and your gang in my life and now you're on your way out." … which I'm not … to "Happy birthday! Keep bloggin."

This I will with a bit of bar gossip which I've picked up today, not that I've been in a bar for a while you'll understand.

It's been a matter of happenstance, sublime synchronicity or 'just one of those things' which has seen the eruption of simultaneous demonstrations against American interests here in Indonesia.

Freeport in Papua has long been known, since the days of Henry Kissinger, Nixon and the Suharto family, to benefit all but the 'primitives' of Papua. Recent protests seem justified if one has any empathy for the local population. That 400 more troops are being sent there does not augur well for the stability of the province.

Last week's demonstration underscored the hatred many Papuans feel toward Indonesian soldiers and police in Papua. The remote province is home to a decades-long separatist rebellion and has seen scores of rights abuses by Indonesian troops.

On the other hand, it has also been reported that the troops guarding Freeport are being replaced by police.

Another attack on an American mining venture took place on Sumbawa at a workers' camp owned by Newmont Mining Corp. However this hasn't deterred the company.

"I am confident things are improving in Indonesia; if the deposits can bring the return on investment we need, we'll build mines," said Robert Gallagher, Newmont's recently appointed head of Indonesia and Australian operations.

And then there's the recent deal between Pertamina, the state oil company, and Exxon (aka Esso) to develop the Cepu oil field in East Java. Local demonstrators attempted to block roads in the area with no reports of violence. Many commentators feel that allowing Exxon to be the lead managers in the project, expected to produce around 165,000 barrels per day, accounting for around 20 percent of Indonesia's total daily output, is unpatriotic.

Others point to Pertamina's history of massive corruption and laugh, although they should be aware of the lawsuit against ExxonMobil on the grounds that they were co-sponsors of state terrorism in Aceh.

In 2001, the Washington-based International Labor Rights Fund filed a lawsuit against the energy behemoth, claiming the Mobil half of the conglomerate in the 1990s paid and supported Indonesian military troops that committed human rights abuses in the war-torn province.

Representing eleven unnamed residents of Aceh who say they or their husbands were brutalized by troops underwritten by Exxon Mobil, the ILRF maintained that under the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victims Protection Act, the oil company and its Indonesian subsidiary could be held liable for the murder, torture, sexual crimes, and kidnapping conducted by these soldiers.

As part of a joint venture with Pertamina, Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company, Exxon Mobil – which owns 35 percent of this enterprise -operates a major natural gas facility in this province in northern Sumatra.

Forbes advises its readers to invest in Indonesia.

The headlines (about Condi Rice's recent visit) will focus on global terrorism and the pivotal role Indonesia plays as the world's largest Muslim nation. (Not true. It was Open Sesame Street.)

A second great reason to be more fully engaged with Indonesia is trade and investment. It is a triple play of fostering higher economic growth and income in Indonesia, jobs and growth for America, and maintaining America's influence in the region, which is being undercut by powerful Chinese economic diplomacy. In fact, we need to pay more attention to Indonesia than the Chinese do. (Open Sesame?)

So, there we have it. The Americans want to foster economic growth in America by ripping off Indonesia's gold and 'liquid gold' before the Chinese do. And they've been coming here for years in high-powered delegations to do just that.

So why are there demonstrations against these developments?

Is it the thought of a repressive military presence to 'protect' the facilities?
Possibly in the case of Papua.

Is it the anticipated environmental destruction?
Doubt it, except in Papua.

Indonesians prefer Chinese investors?
Not true, although any employer is better than none!.

Is it the anticipated economic boom?
Possibly, in the case of Cepu.

Or could it be something else, a mini coup d'état as it were?

The following is the bar gossip of various expats, more influential (= better paid) than Jakartass.

Freeport, Newmont and Exxon are in Indonesia because Suharto and his cronies, including his political grouping Golkar, allowed them to be. Since Suharto's ouster, there have been major manoeverings for the shares. Those involved include Yusuf Kalla, the Vice President and leader of Golkar, and Aburizal Bakrie, currently Minister for Social Welfare, before which he was Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy.

The Bakrie family have fingers in many pies and have done since their company was started in 1942. The following was written in 1992.

In a country where big business is dominated by ethnic Chinese, Indonesia's Bakrie group has attained a prominent position by using its status as an indigenous company and its political connections to gain foreign partners.

Those partners include such names as the Kuwait Investment Office, the emirates' London-based investment arm; the International Finance Corp., the private-sector affiliate of the World Bank; Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. of the United States; Mitsubishi Kasei Corp. of Japan; and BHP Pty., Australia's largest company.

Analysts find it hard to fathom the group's health, however, because of its complex ownership structure. Aburizal Bakrie, whose family controls the group, said recently that there are 40 companies in the Bakrie empire and 13,500 employees, mainly in Indonesia.

Bakrie's shares in Freeport were sold to Suharto's main man, Bob Hasan, who was lent the money, by Freeport (eh?) to buy them. When he defaulted, the shares reverted to Freeport who are now being pressured to release a further block of shares and/or give a bigger return to Indonesian investors

Last month, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that the government should revise a profit-sharing contract with the New Orleans-based mining giant to give Indonesia a bigger slice of revenue while commodity prices soar.

This is, of course, the same Jusuf Kalla who, with the help of the miltary, has investments in Central Sulawesi, generally in power plants.

A University of Berlin anthropologist Georg Elwert raised an analysis of "markets of violence". He said behind every series of violence, there is always an economic interest, and therefore, the atmosphere of fear must be maintained.

"A particular cost-effective form of mobilizing troops is to create fear. Hence, propaganda acts as an important instrument of production. From an economic perspective, this can give a point to what would otherwise be pointless violence. The fear of retaliation by the victims leaves no option open but to join an army or support it for one's own protection. Fear of revenge stabilizes the system?.

A destabilised system would presumably benefit the local business empires who are keen to have a bigger bite of Indonesia's wealth pie. A destabilised Indonesia could see the eventual overthrow of SBY with his replacement by Kall and his cronies already embedded in Golkar, the 'natural' governing party, who traditionally have had the miltary's backing.

Are we seeing another attempted return to the good old bad days?

Bar pundits offer this for your pondering.

Vice President Josef Kalla has been in the news this past week for various things he's said, as quoted in Friday's Jakarta Post.

1. "Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., which runs the world's biggest gold mine in Indonesia, should almost triple the revenue it shares with the government because the company is benefiting from rising metal prices," Vice President Jusuf Kalla said.

"With rising gold, copper prices, Indonesia should get double or triple the current revenue sharing. This is for the sake of Papuan people, because 70% of profit sharing from Freeport-McMoRan's operations will be given to the Papuan people," he said.

This seems, on the surface, to be eminently good. However, could this be camouflage to disguise the circling of Indonesian vultures, including Aburizal Bakrie, owner of Bakrie Group and currently Coordinating Minister for People's Affairs, seeking to acquire a slice of the business?

2. Establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to probe and resolve past human rights abuses here is unnecessary, Vice President Jusuf Kalla says.

In a statement on Thursday, which is likely to provoke a strong reaction from rights activists, Kalla said he could not think of any human rights cases that needed to be resolved through reconciliation.

Kalla's statement beggars belief.

Gestapu in 1965?
Tanjung Priok in September 1984?
Student killings at Trisakti in 1998?
Munir in 2004?
East Timor throughout its occupation by Indonesia?

The list of unresolved atrocities is endless.

The 2004 law on the establishment of commission requires it to investigate past human rights violations between 1945 and 2000. One of the commission's main objectives is to reexamine past conflicts and reconcile victims of abuse with the perpetrators.

The government, specifically SBY, has been procrastinating and has yet to establish the commission because of what his aides say is his "tight schedule". Critics have slammed the government for dragging its feet on the issue, and suggested the President is giving into political pressure.

Yudhoyono is a retired general from the Army – one of the institutions at the center of many alleged human rights abuses during the authoritarian Soeharto era.

(It should be noted that in Military Cohesion and Regime Change, a fascinating and scholarly paper by Terence Lee of the University of Washington, SBY, then a Major General and assistant chief of the Department of Social Affairs was quoted as saying, "We communicated to Suharto that the people want change, that the situation is critical, and to consider the possibility of handing over power.")

Kalla, meanwhile, leads Soeharto's old Golkar Party, which is still the home of many former New Order loyalists.

Quite. Same old, same old.

3. The Golkar Party wants to create a simplified two-tier election system, a move it says would cut costs and improve efficiencies. "The public will have less headaches and the government will spend less money on concurrent elections and thus things are expected to be more efficient," Kalla said at his office.

A sensible proposal. However, given Golkar's entrenched political and business interests throughout Indonesia and its links with the military, one must wonder if there is a hidden agenda.

4. Kalla played a key role on behalf of the government in achieving a peace deal with GAM, the Acehnese separatist movement. Before that, he engineered a peace deal in Central Sulawesi; unfortunately malevolent forces continue to stir up strife between Muslims and Christians

Good guy.

Given point 2 and Kalla's connections to the old forces Jakartass reserves judgement on Kalla. In my view, he is not a great man in the same league as Emil Salim.

What I do find somewhat strange is the paucity of material, in English, online about Kalla, in particular his business interests. Can any readers enlighten me?

I have already linked to the background story of the death on September 7^th from arsenic poisoning of noted human rights worker, Munir, on flight GA-974 to Amsterdam where he was to take up a scholarship for an MA in Human Rights.

Developments this weekend give rise to further concern.

1. The Dutch government took over two months to complete the official autopsy report, which was handed over to the Indonesian government by the Dutch Embassy here last Thursday.

2. Munir's family, and, in particular, his widow Suciwati, have been denied access to the report. On Friday, Usman Hamid, coordinator of Kontras, the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, was quoted as saying that Dutch authorities had told him they could only give more details if requested by the Indonesian government.

3. Suciwati, received a death threat mailed to her house in Bekasi, West Java. A brown box filled with a severed chicken head, legs and intestines came with a typed message saying 'Do not connect the TNI (Indonesian Armed Forces) to Munir's death. Want to end up like this?'

4. Jakartass sources, returning to Jakarta from their kampungs following the Idul Fitri holiday, whisper confirmation of TNI involvement.

Note: Family and kampung connections are the strongest ties here in Indonesia. As much as Jakartass detests gossip, the gossip grapevine was the underlying force of opposition during the Suharto years and was a powerful factor in his downfall. It is, of course, possible that the TNI was not involved and that other malignant forces are at work.

Jakartass supports reformasi. This must include the inalienable rights of individuals to speak out against perceived injustice, whether perpetrated by individuals or organisations.

Why, therefore, is the Indonesian government sitting on the report into Munir's assassination? A continued cover-up will only breed further gossip which, in turn, could well lose SBY the trust of the electorate.

Hivos (Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries) in The Hague, Netherlands, has issued a statement describing this issue as a test case for SBY. This is true. He was elected because the people perceived him to be the only presidential candidate able to meet their aspirations. Given his troubled relationship with the legislature with its entrenched Suharto-ist forces, he must now demonstrate supreme statesmanship.

Jakartass does not have any connections in the Presidential Palace so we await developments with keen interest.