Egypt: Hundreds welcome return of ex-nuclear boss

CAIRO – Hundreds of supporters greeted former U.N. nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei at the airport upon return to his native Egypt on Friday, singing songs, chanting pro-reform slogans and calling on the Nobel prize winner to run for president.

ElBaradei touched down in Cairo Friday evening for the first time since leaving his post as head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Association after 12 years in office. Supporters hope to use the publicity to boost speculation about his potential candidacy for 2011 elections.

Egypt has been ruled for nearly 30 years by Hosni Mubarak, who appears to be trying to set up a political dynasty by grooming his son to succeed him.

Respected worldwide and untouched by the corruption tainting much of Egypt's current regime, ElBaradei, who won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, could be the most credible opposition leader to emerge as this U.S.-allied country prepares for 2011 presidential elections.

And many Egyptians hope ElBaradei's international standing will make it difficult for the current government to persecute him for trying to bring reform to the country.

The crowd at the airport — made up of actors, intellectuals, opposition leaders, and regular Egyptians — broke into loud applause when word of ElBaradei's arrival spread, and then sang the Egyptian national anthem.

Many supporters carried large posters with ElBaradei's face and the word "YES!" signifying their desire to see him run for president. Bloggers and activists followed his arrival with a live stream on the Internet of what was happening on the ground at the airport.

ElBaradei tried to leave the VIP lounge at the airport shortly after his arrival, but the sheer size of the crowd blocked the exit of the lounge and prevented him. He was briefly glimpsed getting into a car and driving off, waving to his supporters through the car window.

Despite the enthusiasm his return has sparked among many Egyptians hungry for change, ElBaradei has been guarded about a potential presidential run.

In an open letter responding to an effort by young Egyptians urging him to run for president, he said he would only join the race if guaranteed that elections would be free, fully supervised by the judiciary and monitored by the international community.

He also wants the constitution amended to remove restrictions on who is eligible to run.

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Team yet to tie SBY to bailout money

Up the ante: A student hoists a flag at the House of Representatives’ compound in Senayan, Central Jakarta, during a demonstration Wednesday. He and fellow protesters urged lawmakers to soon complete their Bank Century bailout probe. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

The parliamentary inquiry committee on the Bank Century bailout case has yet to find any links between bailout disbursements and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s campaign team.

This is in contrast with previous unsubstantiated speculation as to Yudhoyono’s possible connection with the controversial bailout, which had led to the raising of possible grounds for the impeachment of the President.

The bailout is considered controversial as its total cost jumped to Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million), about 10 times the original estimated amount.

The bailout was also initially believed to have had potentially serious implications for two of Yudhoyono’s most trusted aides — Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Vice President Boediono. Both Mulyani and Boediono had authorized the bailout decision in November 2008, when the current Vice President was still the Bank Indonesia governor.

However, rather than finding any connections between the President’s team and the bailout or concluding there were any implications of wrong decisions by Mulyani or Boediono, all of the nine parties represented in the House bailout inquiry team have concluded that the Bank Century management were the parties most responsible for the bailout saga and badly managed disbursements.

Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, the largest party at the House of Representatives, said that its investigations revealed that the management of Bank Century, later restructured as Bank Mutiara, had conducted a series of manipulation so that it could influence the disbursement of bailout funds given by the Deposit Insurance Agency (LPS).

“The management reactivated inactive accounts and opened new ones. Those accounts were then used to receive the bailout disbursements. These practices indicated criminal acts and corruption. Bank Century conducted a fraud,” Democratic Party spokesperson, Achsanul Qosasih, said at the House in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“This case must be handled by the police, the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK] and the prosecutors’ office. In our opinion, the culprits most responsible are the management of Bank Century,” he added.

The Democratic Party’s coalition, which includes the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB), confirmed that their investigations unraveled indications of criminal acts by the Bank Century management and that these acts may have caused state losses.

Bambang Soesatyo, spokesman for the Golkar Party, said that his party had found indications of a conspiracy between Bank Century management and people benefiting from bailout disbursements.

“The Golkar faction also proposes a forensic audit to be conducted to fully reveal the mismanagement of the bailout disbursements. The audit could be conducted by a public accountant, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers,” he said.

Meanwhile, PPP spokesman Ahmad Yani said that after thorough cross-checks, his party concluded that there had been many irregularities and systematic manipulation of bailout data.

PKS spokesman Andi Rahmat said that, besides indications of state losses, there were signs of money laundering and transactions that could be related to drug trafficking.

Tjatur Sapto Edi from PAN said that his party had found indications of legal violations surrounding the bailout disbursements, but refused to elaborate further on the details.

“The details will be delivered in our faction’s final report,” he said.

The PKB’s position, as outlined by its spokesman Agus Sulistiyono, was similar to that of the Democratic
Party.

The opposition bloc, led by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), concluded that the responsibility for the disbursements fell not only on Bank Century management but also on the officials of Bank Indonesia and the LPS.

“The biggest responsibility at the policy making level was in the hands of Bank Indonesia’s banking monitoring department,” PDI-P’s Eva Kusuma Sundari told reporters

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Ignorance is not always bliss

Jakarta ; All aboard A cancer activist gives flowers to a bus conductor at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Thursday. A rally titled “Cancer Can be Prevented Too” was organized by the Cancer Information and Support Center, the Indonesian Oncology Association and Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital to mark World Cancer Day on Feb. 4. JP/Nurhayati

The public needs to realize that cancer is often preventable and treatable, including through changes in lifestyle, activists say.

“Many people still believe that when you have cancer you will die, and that’s it,” Melissa Luwia from the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) said during a rally to mark World Cancer Day, in Jakarta, on Thursday.

The general public also wasn’t fully benefiting from early detection and early treatment of cancer, she said.

“Some types of cancer, such as cervical cancer, if detected early, can be treated effectively,” Melissa said.

She added that many people were unaware that healthy habits, such as giving up smoking, avoiding overexposure to direct sunlight, maintaining a balanced diet and regular physical examinations, could help prevent cancer.

“People should realize that they have, and must make, choices. They can choose to eat food without preservatives, for example,” she said.

According to the International Union Against Cancer, each year more than 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer and 7.6 million die as a result of the disease.

However, 40 percent of cancers are preventable, YKI said. During the rally, YKI members and university students distributed leaflets promoting healthier lifestyles.

They also displayed a banner denouncing smoking, attracting passers-by in the busy area.

“Today we are trying to increase public awareness of the dangers of smoking, because it is one of the known causes of lung cancer,” Melissa said.

Indonesia’s Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI) estimates that last year there were around 60 million smokers in Indonesia, and that 427,000 citizens died from smoking-related diseases.

The campaign also included a visit to an organic farm in Cisarua in Bogor, a campaign directed at bus drivers and their assistants at Blok M bus terminal in South Jakarta, and a seminar on healthy living.

Data from Dharmais Hospital, Jakarta, shows that in 2007, the most common type of cancer treated at the hospital was breast cancer, followed by cervical cancer and lung cancer.

The 2008 Basic Health Research report from the Health Ministry reveals that tumors and cancer were the seventh-biggest killers in Indonesia that year, with a prevalence of 43 per 10,000 people.

Cervical cancer is currently the number one killer disease for Indonesian women, causing roughly one death each hour.

Deasy Natalia, a recently graduated medical student from Atma Jaya University who took part in the rally, said people should be aware of their own ability to prevent disease.

“People should maintain their physical endurance,” she said.

Adiguna, a student from Ahmad Yani University in Cimahi, West Java, said doctors and medical students should take part in helping prevent cancer and other diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles, instead of only dealing with cures.

“Sometimes, at the end of our semesters, we are asked to conduct lectures at community healthcenters to inform people about healthy living,” he said, adding that it was difficult to inspire people in healthcenters.

Even promoting healthy habits among students is a challenge, Adiguna said.

“Students on campus, even those at medical schools, have unhealthy habits such as smoking

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How many cows can you pack on an island?

Jawa Timur ; Madura bulls are not just renowned as racing animals that have become symbols of honor and prestige. They are also the foundation of the nation’s bid to cover its deficit of beef in the country.

The director general for livestock at the Agriculture Ministry, Tjeppy D. Soedjana, says cattle was once abound in Indonesia, but since the 1980s the country had begun importing beef cattle.

“At first we imported 100,000 heads of cattle. This year, the number has increased to 600,000,”
he says.

“Although we continue to import, we’re still short of beef cattle, so cows that are still productive are getting slaughtered.”

He adds that the nation current consumes 2.2 million heads of cattle a year. More than a quarter are imported, while 1.6 million are sourced from within the country. The amount of beef consumed annually in Indonesia is expected to continue to rise in line with the growing population.

“This year we’re trying to cut back our beef cattle imports,” Tje-ppy says.

“To reduce imports, the government will develop livestock farms in certain areas. One of these is Madura, which has long been famous for its cattle.”

Sofyan Sudrajat, in his 2005 book Care of Livestock — Cattle, notes that in the 1980s, Sapudi Island off Madura was famous for having the highest cattle population density in the world. It was also around that time that Indonesia began importing cattle to meet its domestic demand for beef.

The island had 115 heads of cattle per square kilometer, and the animals were notoriously hardy beasts, able to live off dried-out pastures.

East Java Animal Husbandry Agency secretary Henny Muhardini says the number of cattle in Madura is now in decline. The current population is estimated at 602,000 animals, or almost a fifth of the total cattle population of East Java of 3,456,000 animals.

“The number of cattle in Madura continues to decline because the Madurese people still use the traditional system to breed them,” Henny tells The Jakarta Post.

“Some refuse to adopt artificial insemination because they say it’s forbidden by their religion.”

He adds that a third of the current Madura cattle population, or 200,000 animals, can be used as potential breeders through artificial insemination, but only 30,000 have been inseminated this way.

“We’ve approached the farmers and educated them about artificial insemination, but they find it hard to accept,” he says.

“This has made many inseminators give up. From the 200 inseminators working there, only 85 are still actively conducting social education programs.”

To increase the cattle population of Madura, Henny goes on, the East Java administration will designate the island as the province’s cattle husbandry hub. Part of its plan will be to raise farmers’ business capital by providing funding.

“Each group of cattle farmers in Madura will be eligible for Rp 300 million [US$30,000] in aid,” he says.

“We’re also rolling out low-interest loans for small and medium enterprises, particularly cattle
farmers.”

With this ambitious plan in its sights, the provincial administration is targeting a cattle population of 4,665,000 by 2014, or a 6 percent growth rate each year. This is designed to drastically reduce the number of cattle being imported.

The Diamond Cow program, is also helping boost the cattle population, targeting 5 million calves to be born each year. The program is a continuation of the earlier Artificial Insemination of One Million Cattle (Insan Sejati) program, which was achieved in 2008.

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Saturday, January 9, 2010 9:10 PM Be a member & get the benefits! Register or login Coalition seeks greater say in city’s future

Jakarta ; More than 20 people from NGOs gathered Monday to discuss the 2030 spatial planning draft while questioning the limited public participation in the process of the draft’s development.

The meeting also led to the formation of the People’s Coalition for Jakarta 2030 to raise public participation in planning the city for the next 20 years.

“We’re not criticizing the draft yet because we first need to know more about several unclear points,” said Suryono Herlambang, a lecturer at Tarumanagara University’s School of Spatial Planning and Real Estate.

He added the coalition wanted to push the city administration to be more active in talking to the public about what Jakarta should look like in the future.

“We want more details,” he said.

The meeting found, for instance, that the draft used the expression “climate change” but did not really explain which parts of Jakarta would be affected by it or how to help mitigate the impacts.

The NGOs, comprising those concerned with housing, transportation, water management, the environment, justice for the poor, waste management, and urban architecture, also questioned the assumption the city had used as the basis of the projection.

“The draft limits the population to 10 million, for instance, but we don’t really know about the distribution or how they got to the figure of 10 million,” Herlambang said.

The consequences of the points in the spatial plan were also of concern, Herlambang went on.
“That’s another point that emerged at the discussion. Reading the draft, it’s not immediately clear what will happen in the future.”

“River normalization,” he pointed out, could mean thousands of people being evicted in the future, but this was not clear.

“What we want now is for the city to allow greater public access so we can start mapping our future together,” Herlambang

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Police vow to fight case brokerage in legal system

Jakarta ; Police have said they identified a number of people to have allegedly acted as middlemen in smoothing cases by bribing investigators, pro-secutors and judges.

They reportedly vowed to catch them red-handed when they were in action.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said Wednesday that the police would also wire the police headquarters with CCTVs, including inside interrogation rooms, to monitor brokers in the event they bribed investigators.

“We have all the necessary information about these middlemen in our pocket, including their modus operandi.

“But we should wait and see whether they get back to their dirty business,” Edward said Wednesday.

He said that if the case brokers insisted on taking the same path again, then they would be arrested.

However, Edward refused to reveal who were the case middlemen, saying that mentioning their names might hinder further investigations.

Edward said the police would employ all resources within the force in order to track down case brokerage practice. “We will also implement methods that will limit the ability of these middlemen to commit corrupt practice,” he added.

Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said that among the methods used by the police to limit middlemen was demand a case expose to the public every step of an investigation.

“By organizing a case expose, it will reveal if the investigators have been compromised,” he said.

Besides requiring a case expose every step of the way, he added, the police were also considering placing CCTVs in interrogation rooms to monitor ever interview by investigators.

The issue of case brokerage has always been a hot topic within the circle of law enforcers.

Many believe that these people were able to arrange victory for parties with the highest sum of money.

The issue has once again come to public attention after the Constitutional Court played wiretapped recordings that revealed a scenario to fabricate evidence to frame two deputies of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

In the recordings, a conversation was heard between Anggodo Wi-djojo, a brother of graft fugitive Anggoro Widjojo, several officials and former officials at the police and the Attorney General’s Office, developing false evidence to frame the KPK deputies and save Anggoro.

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono then formed a new task force to eradicate case brokerage practices, members comprising of officials from the AGO, the National Police and the Financial Transactions Reporting and Analysis Center.

Led by the former head of the Aceh Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, the team was aiming at supervising law enforcers to tackle the problem.

“We will encourage all law enforcers to provide regular reports every three months.

“We will then be aware of each step of the progress,” Kuntoro told 33 regional police chiefs at the National Police.

He said the team would first focus on rooting out corruption in police and prosecutors’ offices across the country.

Kuntoro added public services from the two offices must be reformed.

He cited the application procedure for a driver’s license, which he said must minimize the interaction between police and applicants, such as using an automated system.

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Saturday, January 9, 2010 9:01 PM Be a member & get the benefits! Register or login Susno makes blunder by appearing in court

Jakarta ;Former National Police top detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji has sparked fresh controversy following his surprise appearance at a murder trial involving ex-antigraft leader Antasari Azhar.

The police general, who made headlines following his controversial analogy of Gecko versus Crocodile regarding the battle between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the police, appeared at the hearing without his institution’s authorization.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said Susno had violated police ethics by attending the trial without prior coordination with his superior officer.

“He has violated our rules of ethics and therefore we recommend further examination by the Internal Affairs division.”

When asked about possible punishments, Edward said there were several options that varied from rank demotion to dismissal.

“Let us wait for the examination’s result. We will never hesitate to apply firm punishment to those who have violated ethics regardless of at her rank.”

Susno arrived their the South Jakarta District Court at 10:55 a.m. and met Antasari and his defense lawyers in the main courtroom.

Prior to the hearing, the lawyers said they would bring in a “criminal law expert” as their last witness.

They repeatedly refused to mention the name of the expert and told reporters to “wait and see”.

During the hearing, Susno, who wore a police uniform, claimed he had never ordered Sr. Comr. Williardi Wizard, another defendant in the murder case, to retract his dossier and create a new testimony that Antasari had ordered him to kill businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen.

“I didn’t know anything about his testimony,” he said, adding it was his then deputy, Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko, who had supervised the investigation of the case under the National Police Chief’s request.

When the lawyer asked him why he had known almost nothing about the Antasari investigation, Susno said it was due to the police’s chain of command.

“The National Police chief directly ordered Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko to supervise the investigation.

“Even though [Hadiatmoko] was my deputy, it was no longer his obligation to report the progress [of the investigation] to me.”

Susno admitted he had once invited Williardi, former South Jakarta Police chief, to meet him
after the latter was arrested, but only to respond to Williardi’s complaints over his limited chance
to meet and contact his wife and lawyers.

Antasari, former KPK chief, is currently on trial for allegedly masterminding the murder of Nasruddin, a director of state pharmaceutical company PT Putra Rajawali Banjaran.

The ex-KPK chief is thought to have been assisted by Williardi and businessman Sigid Haryo Wibisono.

Williardi allegedly recruited the hit men, and Sigid allegedly provided the funding.

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AGO claims exclusive authority to ban books

While calls mount for the government to stop banning books, the Attorney General’s Office and the Justice and Human Rights Ministry are not seeing eye to eye over which institution has the authority to do so

.

Apparently irritated by statements made by Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar
who said last week that his office was currently reviewing some 20 books to see if they should be banned, the AGO asserted here Monday that only the Attorney General had the authority to ban books.

“Others can only give recommendations,” AGO spokesman Didiek Darmanto told reporters at his office in Jakarta.

He said the Justice and Human Rights Ministry was not even included on the inter-departmental “Clearing House” team authorized to review books considered controversial.

The team will consist of officials from the police, State Intelligence Agency (BIN), the Indonesian Military (TNI), the Religious Affairs Ministry and the National Education Ministry.

“Results of the review from the team will then be submitted to the Attorney General,” he said.

The AGO referred to two laws that give them the authority to ban books. They included Article 30 of the 2006 law on the AGO related to maintaining public order, which specifies the AGO has the authority to monitor the circulation of printed materials, and a 1963 law that specifies the Attorney General has the power to forbid the circulation of printed materials that could disrupt public order.

No regulations, however, specify that other ministries have similar powers, but in a surprising announcement last week, Patrialis said that his ministry had judged 20 books as very dangerous to the public because they were all anti-government.

“We are currently evaluating 20 books that we consider provocative, and could lead to disintegration within our nation,” Patrialis said.

One official said the books largely concerned self determination, pluralism, spirituality, corruption and history.

Speculation has emerged that George Junus Aditjondro’s recently released book, Membongkar Gurita Cikeas: Dibalik Skandal Bank Century (Unmasking the Cikeas Octopus: Behind the Bank Century Scandal) suggests a link between Pre-sident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Bank Century bailout scandal.

Previously the AGO banned five books, including Dalih Pembunuhan Massal Gerakan 30 September dan Kudeta Soeharto (Pretext for Mass Murder: The September 30th Movement and Soeharto’s Coup d’Etat) by John Roosa.

Human rights activists demanded the government and the House of Representatives amend laws authorizing book banning, saying they were preparing to file judicial review requests with the Constitutional Court.

The National Commission on Human Rights said on Monday the AGO had committed human rights violations by banning books.

“We will ask the government to amend the laws allowing books to be banned.”

Ifdhal said the country had entered the reform era and should not have such laws forbidding people to express their ideas.

“Let the judges decide who is wrong,

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President calls for ‘fair’ settlement

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for an objective settlement on the Bank Century bailout scandal, saying the political investigation should be free of political interests that could cause the nation to lose a chance to accelerate its economic development

.

Yudhoyono made the call opening the Indonesia Stock Exchange after the New Year, saying the move was important to ensure Indonesia moves on with its development targets.

“I call all parties not to lessen this momentum and settle the case appropriately,” Yudhoyono said.

We have to move on to achieve our targets. Democracy does need our readiness. After the elections we should unite and build this country together.

“Three years from now there will be more legislative elections and then the presidential election. The time will come for all parties to again compete with one another.”

The House of Representative’s special committee assigned to probe the scandal was scheduled to interrogate former central bank deputy governor Aulia Pohan, also father-in-law of Yudhoyono’s eldest son Agus Harimurti, over the controversial disbursement of the Rp 6.76 trillion (US$716 million) to bail out the bank.

Committee chairman Idrus Marham said that the committee agreed to interrogate Vice President Boediono, former vice president Jusuf Kalla and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani this week, in line with the findings of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Committee member Maruarar Sirait said that questions for Aulia would focus on his role in allowing the Bank Danpac, Bank Pikko, Bank CIC and Bank Century merger late in 2004.

Aulia is currently serving a jail sentence for bribing legislators.

Maruarar, a politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that during the merger, Aulia was deputy governor for supervision at Bank Indonesia.

He said the committee would also summon Aulia’s then former director of supervision Sabar Anton Tarihoran, to dig further into the merger. “We consider they both played important roles in approving the merger of the ailing banks into Bank Century. We will then cross check the results with BPK audit results,” he said.

Committee member, Anas Urbaningrum of the Democratic Party, added that Aulia and Sabar would be questioned consecutively Tuesday. The BPK audit report said Bank Century was ailing since its inception into the merger in late 2004. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio at one point reached minus 132.5 percent. It was the second interrogation for Boediono who first stood before the committee last week.

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‘Octopus’ beginning to grate as ban claim checked

Jakarta ; George Junus Aditjondro’s controversial Cikeas Octopus book, which suggests a link between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Bank Century bailout, has been buffeted by protests and buoyed by support

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The National Commission on Human Rights visited several bookstores in Jakarta on Tuesday to check whether they had been pressured to not carry the title, following widespread speculation of high-level intervention.

Commission member Yosep Adi Prasetyo said although he could not find a single copy of the book, Membongkar Gurita Cikeas: Di Balik Skandal Bank Century (Unmasking the Cikeas Octopus: Behind the Bank Century Scandal), it was unlikely there had been any order to muzzle it.

“There’s no pressure. The withdrawing and returning of the book to the publisher was done by officials at the individual bookstores,” he said.

“They’re still looking through the book to see just how controversial it could be.”

Yosep added he had also sent letters to the bookstores to reassure them there would be no backlash against them if they did decide to start selling the book, saying it would be in the interests of the public’s right to freedom of information.

House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso concurred, saying no action should be taken to ban the selling of the book.

“Whether what it alleges is true or not, only time will tell,” said the Golkar Party legislator.

He added George, a university lecturer and former rights activist, would have put his reputation and career on the line if the book was intended merely to generate a buzz.

George claims to have ample evidence to back up the claims he makes in the book.

The book draws on various media reports, including several that name former tobacco mogul Boedi Sampoerna as one of the biggest depositors at the troubled Bank Century.

“Boedi invested Rp 150 billion [US$16 million] in the Jurnal Nasional group of publications,” George said earlier in a TV interview.

He added the publications had effectively served as the mouthpiece for Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party ahead of the legislative and presidential elections earlier this year.

George’s naming of several organizations in the book has not gone down well with them.

State-owned news agency Antara has sent him a warning letter to demand he apologize and revise a section in the book in which he alleges Antara channeled some of its public service obligation (PSO) funds to the Bravo Media Center, part of Yudhoyono’s election campaign team.

Meanwhile, Puri Cikeas Foundation chairman Suratto Siswodihardjo has accused George of attempting to increase sales of the book by claiming it had been banned.

“That’s their marketing strategy; sensationalism,” he told news portal tempointeraktif.com.

“Nobody’s banned the book.”

Suratto, who headed up the Pro-SBY Movement to get the President re-elected, also denied George’s allegations that his foundation had helped raise funds for Yudhoyono’s campaigns.

George has refused to apologize or revise his book.

“They have the right to defend themselves,” he said.

“And if they want to send me a warning or publish books to counter my claims, that’s up to them.”

He suggested Yudhoyono’s camp publish such a book if they were so upset with the Cikeas Octopus.

Yudhoyono made a veiled allusion to the book Monday at an awards ceremony.

“Indonesians seem stingy when it comes to thanking or appreciating others, but very generous when blaming people

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Kelly finally buried after 2-day hitch

Slain Papuan ;separatist leader Kelly Kwalik was laid to rest by hundreds of supporters Tuesday in the heart of Timika, following days of disagreement over his funeral.

Infighting had postponed the burial of Kelly, leader of the Free Papua Organization (OPM), from Sunday to Monday and finally Tuesday, in Timika, Mimika regency, after security authorities ruled against a plan to bury him near the Moses Kilangin Airstrip.

Funeral organizers eventually decided to bury Kelly in Timika Indah Cemetery on Jl. Budi Utomo, after concluding it was best to do it immediately as his body had been lying in state at the Mimika Legislative Council building for the past four days.

The funeral proceeded without incident, amid a heightened security presence from hundreds of Mimika Police personnel posted along the route from the legislature to downtown Timika.

Despite the rain, the supporters insisted on parading the body in a hearse.

The funeral service was led by Tiga Raja Cathedral’s Father Amandus Rahadat and members of the Timika diocese.

Loud sobs from hundreds of Kelly’s supporters filled the cemetery in Timika Indah.

The security detail for the funeral procession, headed up by Mimika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Moh. Sagi, was made up of 200 armed police personnel.

The atmosphere at the Mimika legislature, on Jl. Cenderawasih, and later at the cemetery was peaceful.

Hundreds of people flocked to the two streets to watch the funeral procession and pay their last respects to the rebel leader.

Kelly’s casket had previously been draped in the separatist Bintang Kejora (Morning Star) flag, but this had been folded and taken home by his family.

Funeral coordinator and Amungme tribal youth leader Hans Magal said all Papuans should hold Kelly’s 35-year struggle for Papuan independence and justice in high reverence.

Papuans, he added, should respect and honor his struggle by sending him off in a good manner.

“The funeral procession will be held immediately today, and no longer postponed, because the priest has been waiting at Kelly’s grave to bless his soul,” Hans said.

He added all of Kelly’s supporters had agreed on Timika Indah as the final resting place for their leader.

They had previously demanded that Kelly be buried near the Moses Kilangin Airstrip, but were stopped by police, who cited the airstrip’s strategic importance.

Kelly was shot dead last Wednesday by police during a raid on a home in Timika.

The local military blamed Kelly for masterminding a series of attacks on employees of US-based copper and gold mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia.

Kelly strenuously denied the accusations.

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Antasari ‘framed’

Jakarta ; High-ranking police officers ordered a senior officer to take part in a conspiracy to frame top antigraft official Antasari Azhar for murder, a key witness testified Tuesday.

“The dossier containing my testimony was arranged by the police,” Sr. Comr. Williardi Wizard said in his testimony at former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Antasari's trial at the South Jakarta District Court.

“I agreed with the content [of the dossier] after some high-ranking police officers approached me
about it.”

Williardi alleged that at midnight several days after the murder of businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, a director of state pharmaceutical company PT Putra Rajawali Banjaran, the National Police's Brig. Gen. Irawan Dahlan picked him up at his home and took him to the Jakarta Police headquarters.

There, he was met by former National Police deputy chief detective Insp. Gen. Hadiatmoko, he went on, and was told to make a “necessary” dossier.

“Just do your best so that we can [use the dossier to] frame Antasari and you'll be free to go by tomorrow,” Williardi said, quoting Hadiatmoko.

He added the Jakarta Police's chief and deputy chief detectives were also present at the meeting.
“They said their target was only Antasari Azhar,” he said.

“The chief detective told me to sign a prepared statement similar to that signed by Sigid Haryo Wibisono [another suspect in Nasruddin's murder] because that was the instruction from a superior officer.”

Asked by Antasari's lawyers who the superior officer was, Williardi said, “The National Police chief.”
Antasari is on trial for masterminding the murder of Nasruddin, killed in a drive-by shooting in Tangerang in March.

“They said the National Police superior officers would guarantee everything and I would only face disciplinary action,” Williardi told the court.

At a hearing Monday in his trial at the Tangerang District Court, Williardi said South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Chairul Anwar was the one who had planned the murder.

“It was a state duty. The shooters and the kill order came from Chairul, having been issued directly by the National Police chief,” he said as quoted by Antara.

His testimony is the latest slap in the face for the police force, which has been widely lambasted for not dropping bribery, extortion and abuse of power charges leveled against suspended KPK deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah, and for not arresting Anggodo Widjojo, the central figure in the alleged framing of both KPK deputies.

In their indictment of Antasari, prosecutors alleged the former antigraft chief had been having an affair with Nasruddin's third wife, golf caddie Rhani Juliani. They claimed Nasrudin had found out and later hounded Antasari’s family about the affair, which they said triggered Antasari to have Nasruddin killed, with assistance from media tycoon Sigid Haryo Wibisono, who provided the funding, and Williardi, the former South Jakarta Police chief, who recruited the hit men.

Sigid and Williardi are being tried separately in the case.

Upon hearing Williardi's testimony in Jakarta, an emotional Antasari covered his face with his hands and said, “God doesn't sleep ... The truth is finally revealed.”

Defense lawyer Juniver Girsang said the team would move for Antasari to be removed from custody.
“Williardi’s testimony is yet more proof that this case was plotted to frame Pak Antasari,” he said.

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Police hit back with video evidence

Jakarta ; Reeling from a body blow delivered by a former police chief's testimony in antigraft official Antasari Azhar's trial, police made public Wednesday a video and documents they say shore up their case against the defendant

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Former South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Wiliardi Wizard, in his testimony Tuesday at the trial of the former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman charged with murdering businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, said the whole thing was an elaborate ruse by the police to frame Antasari.

Wiliardi added his initial testimony, accusing Antasari of planning the murder, had been made under duress and on orders he claimed came directly from the National Police chief.

He also said he had been promised clemency if he went along with the police-engineered testimony, which he has since recanted.

On Wednesday, however, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Sukarna denied the police had ever forced Wiliardi to give false witness to frame Antasari.

“We named Antasari a murder suspect without testimony from Wiliardi, so where would be the logic in forcing this testimony out of him?” Nanan said at a press conference.

The press conference followed an admission by National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri that the force had been cornered by the media over its handling of the Antasari case and the alleged bribery case involving suspended KPK deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.

“It’s up to the public to accept those explanations. But for now the police have been cornered,” Bambang told senior officers at a workshop on public relations.

“Wiliardi’s testimony in court was that we forced him. We need to make a speedy public explanation of the truth.”

Police also defended their charges, based on Antasari's testimony, that Bibit and Chandra had taken bribes from fugitive graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo — which a presidential fact-finding team and the Attorney General's Office both say lack sufficient evidence — saying they had never forced the confession from Antasari.

The police also played back a video of Antasari's questioning by investigators, which included a scene where he initiated the testimony and other scenes showing him laughing with the investigators.

The video also showed Antasari saying how he would bring an end to the KPK once he had left the institution.

Critics were quick to denounce the police's public showing of the video to rebut Wiliardi’s testimony, saying they should have gone by the book and presented the facts in a court of law.

University of Indonesia legal expert Rudi Satriyo said all the police officers named by Wiliardi, including police chief Bambang, should defend themselves in court.

“The next thing for the National Police chief to do is to testify in the cross-examination of Wiliardi,” he said.

Retired judge Benjamin Mang-kudilaga agreed all the officers named in Wiliardi's testimony needed to testify.

He added the conclusion of the case would depend on how much further the judges probed
the matter.

Benjamin also pointed out if Wiliardi’s testimony was true, then it would mean the police force had painted itself even deeper into the corner.

Responding to police spokesman Nanan's claim that Wiliardi was not a key witness in the case, Benjamin said the police had every right to say what they wanted on the case, but should not draw attention away from the core issue.

“The main issue is whether there was pressure on Wiliardi to give the initial testimony that he gave,” he said.

Rudi and Benjamin both agreed Wiliardi’s testimony had significantly altered the case against Antasari, and perhaps even the case against Bibit and Chandra.

However, renowned lawyer Frans Hendrawinata said Wiliardi’s bombshell testimony could not stand on its own.

“A confession is the weakest type of evidence, it's a last-resort sort of thing," he said.

"Keep in mind also that a single confession can never qualify as solid evidence.”

Fact-finding team leader Adnan Buyung Nasution said Wiliardi's testimony could "make the situation out of control".

"It clearly shows that something is wrong in this country," he said.

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Nasrudin had close connection with Antasari: Witness

Jakarta ; Don’t ask me: Irawati Arienda, the second wife of murdered businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, testifies at the trial of former Corruption Eradication Commission chairman Antasari Azhar at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday

. Irawaty claimed she did not know the two defendants implicated in the case, Antasari and media tycoon Sigid Haryo Wibisono. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

A witness has confirmed that former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leader Antasari Azhar had a “close” connection with victim Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, who was murdered earlier this year.

Sri Martuti, Nasruddin’s first wife, testified during Tuesday’s hearing at the South Jakarta District Court that her husband had told her in March that he had secured a Rp 1.5 billion (US$156,000) commission from a business project he had handled with Antasari.

“He said he would give me Rp 500 million,” she said.

She said she would have used the money to finance the education of her only son, who will enter college next year.

Nasruddin, Sri said, also told her that Antasari would “help” him secure a director position in the state company PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (RNI), even though he failed to attain the position.

Antasari is on trial for allegedly plotting the murder of Nasruddin, a director of the pharmaceutical company PT Putra Rajawali Banjaran, one of RNI’s 15 subsidiaries.

Nasruddin was killed in a drive-by shooting in Tangerang in March.

Sri Martuti was among four witnesses presented by the prosecutors in Tuesday’s six-hour-long hearing.

The other three witnesses were Irawati Arienda, Nasruddin’s second wife, Suparmin, Nasruddin’s driver, and Rusli, a police officer who first witnessed the crime scene.

The prosecutors, however, failed to present the most awaited key witness, Rhani Juliani, saying that her lawyer had informed them that their client could not attend court due to health reasons.

The judges reprimanded the prosecutors for their “disorganized” work, instructingthem to bring Rhani to the next court session no matter what. “The prosecutors must bring the key witness even if they have to force her,” presiding judge Herri Swantoro said before closing the session.

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SBY wriggles; protests to hit streets

Jakarta ; President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Sunday discussed with several national figures a case involving two leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), with the public readying to take to the streets

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Late on Sunday, Yudhoyono spoke with University of Indonesia law professor Hikmahanto Juwana, Islamic State University rector Komarudin Hidayat, Transparency International secretary-general Teten Masduki and Paramadina University rector Anies Baswedan, as support for the KPK deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah continued to mount, and translated into street rallies today.

"We proposed to the President to establish an independent team to review the facts and articles used to charge Pak Bibit and Chandra," Hikmahanto said after the meeting.

Coordinating Minister for Legal and Political Affairs Djoko Suyanto said the President would respond to the suggestion.

Meanwhile, thousands of members of the Cicak (Love Indonesia, Love the KPK) movement and other civil society groups were planning to stage a rally at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta today. They will be giving out black ribbons to people as a symbol of support for the two KPK deputies, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah, who were taken into police custody last Thursday.

“The police and the President still won’t listen to the people’s plea. So it’s high time we take to the streets,” Illian Deta Sari from Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), a member of Cicak, said Sunday.

Bibit and Chandra were declared suspects on Sept. 15 for alleged abuse-of-power and bribery. Public speculation that the two KPK officials were being criminalized was recently backed with a widely-published transcript of voice recordings of plans by police and the Attorney General’s Office to fabricate evidence to frame the pair in criminal cases.

Besides high-ranking police and AGO officials, the recordings, set to be played before the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, also mention Yudhoyono.

Many have expressed hopes that playing the recording in court will be recognized as a police attempt to criminalise the KPK officials.

Many figures have demanded both National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri and his chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, often mentioned in the recordings, to resign for unprofessional conduct.

Illian said the President seemed to be “washing his hands” of the case.

Yudhoyono had previously stated his stance, saying he would not interfere with police investigations and supported the police’s right to arrest suspects it believed had broken the law.

The fiasco surrounding the case was the President's fault, Setara Institute director Hendardi said.

Emerson Yuntho from ICW said his organization, along with several other civil society groups would push for the impeachment of the President through the legislative body.

Voicing similar warnings against the President on possible people power similar to that of the 1998 mass demonstrations against Soeharto, and 1986 Philippine movement against Ferdinand Marcos, Hikmahanto earlier said Yudhoyono should not play down the public support for Bibit and Chandra.

“If the President fails to contain this support, it has the potential to become massive,” he said.

Public support for Bibit and Chandra continues to grow after the pair's arrest. As of Sunday evening, the number of people who had joined “The move of 1,000,000 Facebook Users to Support Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto”, which was set up Thursday, has reached more than 231,000.

Members of the Islamic Students Association are also planning rallies in front of police offices in various parts of the country. In Jakarta, protests will take place in front of the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Presidential legal advisor Denny Indrayana said, "Looking at the claims investigators used to arrest Bibit and Chandra, it is not surprising how this has caused doubts among the public

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Include us in decision-making, say drivers

Jakarta ; Around 100 drivers of three-wheeled bemo staged a protest in front of City Hall on Friday morning, demanding the transportation agency halt the raids that were recently conducted in some areas

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The drivers parked around 50 old rusty bemo along the green strip of the street in front of the building.

Boyo Hidayat, head of the Bemo Drivers Community, said the drivers felt they were being treated unfairly, because the officials confiscated their vehicles without providing them with an alternative solution.

"We welcome a plan to replace bemo with new vehicles, but please start to phase in the new vehicle, so we can still earn a living. Don't conduct any raids before we get a replacement," he said to representatives from the transportation agency and the administration.

The drivers conducted the protest following the confiscation of 15 vehicles in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta, last Wednesday.

Boyo said the raids meant the loss of livelihood for around 30 drivers, while hundreds of other drivers were afraid they would be targeted in future raids.

The city has not made any firm decision on the drivers' fate.

Arifin, head of a control unit at the transportation agency, told the drivers he could not guarantee the agency would immediately cease the raids, claiming he was not authorized to make such a decision.

He said he would convey the drivers' concerns to the agency head.

Meanwhile, city secretary Muhayat said the city was still discussing the model of three-wheeled vehicle that would replace the bemo.

"Bemo will be replaced by a natural gas-powered three-wheeled vehicle. The rollout will be the same as the replacement program for bajaj *another three-wheeled vehicle*," he said.

Muhayat said the administration would wait until the bemo owners were financially ready before starting the program.

He said the raids were not intended to wipe bemo from the streets, but were conducted because many bemo were not properly licensed.

Edi Saidi, a community organizer and advocacy official at the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC), said he was concerned with the drivers' anxiety, and expressed his fear that a clash would erupt in the next raid.

Once a lucrative mode of transport, the Japanese bemo, which has been in the country since 1968, was phased out by the administration in 2003. Despite the ban, it is still possible to spot the odd seven-passenger bemo plying some parts of the city, including Bendungan Hilir, Karet in Central Jakarta, and Grogol in West Jakarta.

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Calls mount for Bambang, Susno Duadji to resign

Jakarta ;Public demand for National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri and chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji to step down over the controversial arrests of two antigraft officials is mounting

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Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), the country's biggest Muslim organization, along with Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) and legal expert and politician Nursyahbani Katjasungkana called for Bambang to resign in the wake of what is fast being decried as the criminalization on Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah.

"It would be the honorable thing to do for Bambang and Susno to resign for the police's incompetence in handling this high-profile case," NU deputy chairman Masdar Masudi

Nursyahbani said Susno should have stepped two months ago when he was reported to have been wiretapped demanding a Rp 10 billion bribe in the Bank Century scandal.

“I believe Pak Bambang, in his capacity as the police chief, has to be held accountable for this fiasco caused by one of his subordinates," she said.

"He too must resign.”

Bibit and Chandra were declared suspects on Sept. 15 for abuse of power and bribery, and were arrested Oct. 29 for what police claimed was an attempt to sway public opinion on the case.

Initial speculation that the charges against them had been trumped up were later given credence when wiretapped recordings emerged indicating a plot to frame the two deputies.

Minor victories for Bibit and Chandra came from the Constitutional Court, which ordered the President to stay their dismissals from the antigraft body, and from the Attorney General's Office, which asked police to drop the charges against them.

Support also came from high-profile figures, including antigraft activists Syafii Maarif, Todung Mulya Lubis, Adnan Buyung Nasution and Imam Prasodjo, as well as political analysts and legislators expressing concern over what they deemed police arrogance.

Syafii urged the government to take measures to prevent the case triggering any social unrest or political instability.

"This country is like a big village without any leaders," an emotional Syafii said.

Former People's Consultative Assembly speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid, along with 17 legislators from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), called on the police to release Bibit and Chandra, while a Facebook group has sprung up calling for 1 million Indonesians to join and back the deputies.

Centre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) political analyst J. Kristiady warned authorities about increasing public resistance to police impunity, saying the arrests of Bibit and Chandra was seen as unwarranted.

Breaking his silence on the issue Friday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono insisted he would not interfere in the police investigation.

He backed the police's right to arrest suspects believed to have infringed on the law.

As for allegations of a witch hunt to undermine the KPK, Yudhoyono stressed that a strong antigraft body was in the best interests of all parties, himself included.

"I'll be the first to oppose any move to phase out the commission," he said, despite insinuating earlier this year that the KPK was growing overly powerful.

He said he had ordered the police chief to explain to the public why Bibit and Chandra had been arrested and on what charges.

In his explanation, Bambang declined to name the charges against the KPK deputies, saying only they had been arrest "because they have complicated the case".

Bibit and Chandra were on Friday transferred from the National Police detention center in Jakarta to the Mobile Brigade detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, just south of the capital.

Interim KPK chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean said his office would seek to have the two released and would also provide legal advocacy.

Former KPK deputy Erry Riyana Pamekas said police had to drop the case to prevent it further tarnishing their image.

The antigraft body has yet to begin investigating the graft case in Bank Century, in which Susno is implicated

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New FM expected to lift RI’s profile

Farewell hug: The newly appointed Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa (right) affectionately hugs his predecessor, Hassan Wirajuda, after taking over the leadership at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

Outgoing foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda handed over the helms of Indonesian diplomacy to his successor, Marty Natalegawa, on Thursday, saying he felt both “relieved and happy”.

“I am relieved because I have ended my term as foreign minister for eight years since 2001 ... leading the country’s diplomacy after in the reform era is not an easy task,” the visibly emotional Hassan told diplomats and his former staffers at the historic Pancasila mansion.

“I am happy because my successor is one of the finest diplomats at the Foreign Ministry. He is professional, skillful and dependable,” he said of Marty, who had been sworn in a few hours earlier at the State Palace.

Hassan was appointed foreign minister during the Megawati Soekarnoputri administration in 2001, replacing Alwi Shihab, a renowned Muslim scholar who was then a close aide to former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Marty’s appointment by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to replace Hassan is no surprise, with many believing the career diplomat had been groomed to become foreign minister.

He was the youngest diplomat to be given an ambassadorial posting, to the United Kingdom in 2005, when he was only 42. He left two years later to take on the more prestigious post of Indonesia’s permanent representative at the United Nations.

“He is a remarkable young diplomat Indonesia can be proud of,” said Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a political analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI).

“In a relatively short period, he has made impressive achievements. He could bring Indonesia’s diplomacy to a new level. And I think it is time for Indonesia to stand up and cease trying to keep a low profile at international forums.”

Bantarto Bandoro, executive director of the Indonesian Institute for Strategic Studies, said Marty was “the right man in the right place”.

“He has always done his job according to Hassan’s directions. This is good because this will keep the continuity of Indonesia’s foreign policy,” he said.

The new foreign minister will have to attend a number of important meetings in the near future, ranging from the ASEAN summit in Thailand on Friday, the APEC meeting in Singapore in November and the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.

He is also expected to define Indonesia’s diplomatic role at the G20, a grouping of the world’s biggest economies that paints the new architectures of world politics. Analysts have said Indonesia should not be complacent with merely becoming a member of the group.

Born March 22, 1963, Marty catapulted to national diplomatic stardom when he became the Foreign Ministry spokesman from 2002 to 2004. He is renowned as an eloquent speaker with skills in dealing with the media.

Marty is also known to be a perfectionist, a quality that might cause unease among his subordinates at the Foreign Ministry. Bantarto said Marty should be able to set aside his ego after taking over the leadership at Pejambon, and build good teamwork with other diplomats.

“Otherwise, his attitude will be counterproductive,” he said.

Marty was educated mostly abroad. He studied at the Singapore International School in Singapore in 1974, before moving to the United Kingdom and continuing his studies at Ellesmere College in 1978 and Concord College in 1981.

He received a bachelor’s in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London (1984), and a master’s in the same field at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. He received his PhD from Australian National University in 1993.

He is married with three children.

Marty said it was too soon to disclose his main agenda as foreign minister for the next five years, but added his schedule was already tight.

“I will have to fly to Thailand tomorrow to represent the President at the ASEAN meeting,” he told reporters.

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Employee’s wives protest over safety

Signs of insecurity: Hundreds of PT Freeport employees’ wives stage a demonstration at Mimika regency legislative council on Thursday, demanding better security for their husbands. Cases of violence at the giant gold and copper mining area have been on the rise, with unidentified assailants attacking motorcades carrying Freeport employees several times this month.

The wives and children of PT Freeport Indonesia employees rallied at the Mimika legislative council office in Papua on Thursday, demanding the giant US-based gold and copper company ensure the safety of their husbands.

Around 400 housewives and children also went to the Gorong-Gorong departure terminal to persuade their husbands not to go to work, fearful of the risks at the mine site following a series of shooting incidents by gunmen over the past four months.

At 6 a.m. local time, the protesters addressed the crowd at the Gorong-Gorong terminal to discourage their husbands from going to work until the company ensures their safety.

After talks, Freeport representative John Rumainum said he would convey their demands to the company management.

Disappointed with the response, the women marched 3 kilometers from the Gorong-Gorong terminal to the Mimika legislative office on Jl. Cenderawasih in Timika, where they were greeted by councilor Yan Anton Yoteni.

Protest leader Elisabeth Rumere told the council that PT Freeport and security forces must seek a way to stop the attacks by unexplained gunmen.

“Our husbands cannot work peacefully because their lives are at risk. And we cannot sleep due to worries about our husbands’ safety,” she said.

Rumere said some of their husbands’ colleagues had fallen victim to the shootings.

“We demand the thousands of workers in Tembagapura be temporarily evacuated to Timika until
the company ensures their safety,” she said.

“If the government cannot handle the issue, we, the wives of the Freeport workers, together with security personnel, will chase after the perpetrators,” Anastasia Tekege, another protester, said.

Freeport said it had paid US$9 million in “support costs” to the Indonesian military and police in 2007 to protect its operations.

Councilor Yoteni said as a number of councilors were out of town, he could not make a decision.

“But we will coordinate with PT Freeport management, SPSI [the company’s labor union] and security forces in Mimika. The legislature is aware the housewives are very upset about the shootings. We held a meeting with community figures, the local administration and security forces a few months ago, but the shootings have continued,” said Yoteni.

Tekege said the shootings were part of a “conspiracy by parties with vested interests” because the incidents always took place inside the Freeport mining area.

She suspected negligence on the part of security forces in failing to disclose the attackers and said they should be honest about the incidents.

“This is a global issue, but all parties are keeping quiet. I urge President Yudhoyono to respond seriously to the issue and to visit Timika if deemed necessary,” she said.

“Many civilians have been arrested, but the shootings continue. If the authorities are unable to stop them, then the housewives of Timika and PT Freeport employees’ wives will join the manhunt in the jungle, catch the perpetrators and reveal the masterminds

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Compromise Cabinet 2.0

Whose dream team?: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (left) and Vice President Boediono announce the names of the 2009 - 2014 Cabinet members at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday night.

Revamped and upgraded, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono unveiled his second United Indonesia Cabinet, which he insisted was based on a “rational and objective” selection process.

The much-anticipated announcement late Wednesday night at the State Palace held few surprises.
Most of the 37 names – 34 ministers and three state officials of Cabinet rank – announced were predicted earlier.

Ten ministers from the previous Cabinet were re-named, albeit with different portfolios.

The only major surprise was the selection of Endang Rahayu Sedya-ningsih as health minister, apparently replacing the frontrunner for the job, Nila Juwita Anfasha Moeloek.

The latter, according to media reports earlier in the day, failed her checkup, which was one of the prerequisites set by the President in his screening process.

Nila’s aide told journalists the frontrunner was heartbroken at being passed over, while her house was already receiving premature congratulatory bouquets.

Before a national audience, the President kept up the suspense nonetheless with a near 10-mi-
nute defensive spiel on the Cabinet selection.

“There were a lot of people who wanted to meet me. With all due respect, I told them it was best not to meet yet,” Yudhoyono said.

“The system is working,” the President remarked, adding that he and Vice President Boediono had been working diligently over the past 10 days to make the most “rational and objective” selection.

“It was not done recklessly,” he ensured.

In an apparent pre-emptive strike against his critics, Yudhoyono said disapproval of the selection was common, as in previous Cabinet announcements.

“If there are voices [of disapproval] out there, then it's all part of democracy,” he said, while stressing that he had completed the

Cabinet selection process in accordance with stipulations in the law requiring a government be formed within 14 days of the presidential inauguration.

In a Cabinet half-filled with politicians, members of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) were conspicuously, but not unexpectedly, absent.

PDI-P central board member Effendi Simbolon, said his party was not disappointed.

"We never even thought we would be included, especially looking at the way SBY [Yudhoyono] engaged in political communication with us," he told The Jakarta Post.

"SBY always communicated with us through Hatta Radjasa. So, it was only natural for us to not be too hopeful," he added.

Meanwhile, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said the organization “did not ask and was not asked by the President to nominate its figures for the Cabinet”.

“The Cabinet lineup is the President’s prerogative,” he said when asked to respond as to why neither Muhammadiyah nor Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country’s two biggest Muslims organizations, were notably represented, as they traditionally are.

Din said he had “no problem” with the exclusion but questioned Yudhoyono’s “statesmanship” in failing to involve major Muslim groups, such as Muhammadiyah and NU, in various development projects.

“Yudhoyono should develop a genuine strategic partnership with civil society organizations and stop promoting superficial communications,” Din told the Post.

Separately, Reform Institute executive director Yudi Latif said the announcement confirmed Yudhoyono’s selection was based on political accommodation rather than capability in order to control his political coalition.

"That’s why he gave posts to party members who have a strong political grip on their respective parties, rather than the most capable and professional among them," he told the Post.

"I also believe his goal to have a successful first 100-day program is nonsense. Around 40 percent of the ministers are placed in posts that have nothing to do with their backgrounds. These ministers will surely need time to learn about the issues and problems in their respective posts," he added.

The President in his speech also said he would assign deputies to ministers in several Cabinet portfolios. The appointments would be announced at a later date.

The President also said that for now there would be no change in three other ranking positions in the government: The Attorney General, the Indonesian Military Chief and the National Police Chief.

The United Indonesia Cabinet 2009-2014

Coordinating Ministers
1. Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs : Djoko Suyanto
2. Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare : Agung Laksono
3. Coordinating Minister for the Economy : M. Hatta Radjasa

Portfolio Ministers
• Home Minister : Gamawan Fauzi
• Foreign Minister : R. M. Marty Muliana Natalegawa
• Defense Minister : Purnomo Yusgiantoro
• Justice and Human Rights Minister : Patrialis Akbar
• Finance Minister : Sri Mulyani
• Energy and Mineral Resources Minister : Darwin Z. Saleh
• Industry Minister :M. S. Hidayat
• Trade Minister : Mari Elka Pangestu
• Agriculture Minister : Suswono
• Forestry Minister : Zulkifli Hasan
• Transportation Minister : Freddy Numberi
• Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister : Fadel Muhammad
• Manpower and Transmigration Minister : Muhaimin Iskandar
• Public Works Minister : Djoko Kirmanto
• Health Minister : Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih
• Education Minister : Mohammad Nuh
• Social Affairs Minister : Salim Segaf Al Jufri
• Religious Affairs Minister : Suryadharma Ali
• Minister of Culture and Tourism : Jero Wacik
• Minister of Communication and Information : Tifatul Sembiring

State Ministers
• State Secretary : Sudi Silalahi
• State Minister Research and Technology : Suharna Surapranata
• State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises : Syarifuddin Hasan
• State Minister for the Environment :Gusti M. Hatta
• State Minister for Women’s Empowerment : Linda A. Gumelar
• State Minister for Administrative Reforms : E. E. Mangindaan
• State Minister for Disadvantaged Regions : Ahmad Helmi Faisal Zaini
• State Minister for National Development Planning/National Development Planning Board chairman : Armida Alisjahbana
• State Minister for State Enterprises : Mustafa Abubakar
• State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs : Andi Mallarangeng
• State Minister for Public Housing : Suharso Manoarfa

State officials
• Head of State Intelligence Agency : Sutanto

• Head of Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) : Gita Irawan Wirjawan
• Presidential Unit for the Management of Reform Programs (UKP3R) : Kuntoro Mangkusubroto

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