Rioters torch buildings as chaos erupts again in Indonesia's Papua

Yahoo – AFP, 29 August 2019

Jakarta took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony, in the 1960s after
an independence referendum widely viewed as a sham

Indonesia's Papua plunged into chaos again Thursday as angry protesters torched buildings in its capital after nearly two weeks of riots and demonstrations in the easternmost province of the archipelago.

More than a thousand demonstrators marched around Jayapura hurling stones and setting fire to shops and an assembly building following a deadly clash in another part of the jungle-clad province, which shares the island with independent Papua New Guinea.

Carrying placards bearing the image of a banned flag, many called for independence from Indonesian rule and an end to racism against the minority group.

Papuans are ethnic Melanesians and have few cultural ties with the rest of Indonesia.

State power company PLN said the violence forced it to cut electricity in parts of Jayapura, a city of about 300,000 people.

"Several public facilities and buildings were damaged by the rioters," said National Police spokesman Dedi Prasetyo.

"Security forces are still trying to control the situation," he added.

The protest comes a day after violence flared in remote Deiyai, where a clash between protesters and Indonesian security forces left at least one soldier and two demonstrators dead, according to officials.

Hundreds of demonstrators marched through Papua's biggest city, 

Jayapura, setting fire to a regional assembly building

The confrontation sparked reports that Indonesia's military -- long accused of committing rights abuses against Papuans during a decades-old separatist insurgency -- had gunned down six protesters.

Authorities denied that claim and said they were attacked by hundreds of Papuans armed with machetes and traditional bows-and-arrows.

Some 300 extra personnel had been sent to Deiyai to restore order, officials said Thursday, after Jakarta deployed more than 1,200 police and military members to Papua last week.

'Smouldering anger'

The accounts of what happened in Deiyai could not be independently verified.

Conflicting reports are common in Papua, where independence supporters and the military frequently blame each other for violence.

The government in Jakarta also an ordered Internet blackout since last week, making confirming and sharing information difficult.

Riots and demonstrations have broken out in Papua since mid-August with buildings torched and street battles between police and protesters.

The unrest appears to have been triggered by the arrest this month of dozens of Papuan students in Java, who were also racially abused.

Police in riot gear stormed a dormitory in the city of Surabaya to force out students accused of destroying an Indonesian flag, as a group of protesters shouted racial slurs at them, calling them "monkeys" and "dogs".

Emigre Papuans living in the Indonesian capital protested in front of the 

presidential palace in solidarity with disturbances back home

One person suspected of organising the protest against the Papuan students in Surabaya had been named a criminal suspect, while a half dozen police officers have also been temporarily suspended pending an investigation.

Jakarta took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony, in the 1960s after an independence referendum widely viewed as a sham.

Despite a push to develop its infrastructure, many Papuans say they're treated like second-class citizens and have not received a fair share of vast mineral wealth in a region home to the world's biggest gold mine.

"This is the culmination of years of assuming that roads and money were the keys to addressing Papuan grievances," said Sidney Jones, director of Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC).

"The accusations of racism came on top of what was already smouldering anger," she added.

Jakarta took control of Papua, a former Dutch colony, in the 1960s after an independence referendum widely viewed as a sham

Hundreds of demonstrators marched through Papua's biggest city, Jayapura, setting fire to a regional assembly building

Emigre Papuans living in the Indonesian capital protested in front of the presidential palace in solidarity with disturbances back home.

Poverty in paradise: The dark side of Indonesia's new tourism hope

Yahoo – AFP, Kiki Siregar, September 22, 2017

A tableau of white sandy beaches, colourful coral reefs and turquoise water, the
 islands of Raja Ampat are set to be Indonesia's next tourism hotspot -- but locals
fear the government is failing both them and the environment in its development
push (AFP Photo/GOH CHAI HIN)

Raja Ampat (Indonesia) (AFP) - A tableau of white sandy beaches, colourful coral reefs and turquoise water, the islands of Raja Ampat are set to be Indonesia's next tourism hotspot -- but locals fear the government is failing both them and the environment in its development push.

Stretching across 67,000 square kilometres in Indonesia’s far east, the picture-perfect islands might be as close to paradise as visitors can find.

"It’s amazing. We’ve been to millions of islands and I would say it’s the most beautiful one," Canadian Angelika Redweik-Leung said at a lookout above the Pianemo island group.

Raja Ampat -- which means Four Kings -- is made up of 1,500 islands and is home to about 1,400 varieties of fish and 600 species of coral -- making it one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on earth.

Indonesia's government is intent on turning the area into a tourism hotspot, building hotels, restaurants and investing in new harbours.

But on a palm-fringed island about two hours boat ride from Raja Ampat's capital Waisai, villagers still live in simple huts that lack electricity and clean water, while the nearest high school is scores of miles away.

Locals in Indonesia's Raja Ampat told AFP they had seen no improvements to their

 lives despite the dramatic rise in visitors. According to government estimates around 

15,000 tourists now come to the area each year -- up from less than 5,000 in 2010

 (AFP Photo/GOH CHAI HIN)

Locals told AFP they had seen no improvements to their lives despite the dramatic rise in visitors. According to government estimates around 15,000 tourists now come to the area each year -- up from less than 5,000 in 2010.

"They've hurt us indigenous people. They took our land, our water and our forest. We feel betrayed," Paul Mayor, chief of the island's Byak Betew tribe, said of the government's tourism drive.

"That's our land, our ocean, which now is a world-class tourist destination, but we've gained nothing from the influx of tourists," he added.

Mayor also criticised authorities for failing to properly protect the area's unique ecosystem, pointing to a catastrophic cruise ship crash in March, which damaged 13,500 square metres of pristine coral reef.

The 4,200-ton Caledonian Sky ran aground near the island of Kri carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew, but half a year later no one has been held accountable.

Raja Ampat -- which means Four Kings in Indonesian --- is made up of 1,500 islands

 and is home to about 1,400 varieties of fish and 600 species of coral -- making it one

 of the most biodiverse marine habitats on earth (AFP Photo/GOH CHAI HIN)

'We are still poor'

Researchers from the University of Papua, who assessed the impact of the accident, said restoring the damaged reef could cost as much as $16.2 million.

The head of tourism for Raja Ampat, Yusdi Lamatenggo, said the company operating the boat -- Noble Caledonia -- will be summoned to appear in court soon but so far they have not accepted responsibility or paid any damages.

In the meantime, he told AFP, steps were being taken to prevent further accidents by establishing clearly demarcated cruise ship routes and world-class harbours.

But the accident has fuelled feelings of mistrust and exclusion often felt by Papua's indigenous Melanesian population. The resource-rich region was annexed by Jakarta in 1969 and most Papuans feel they have not been given an even share of its natural riches.

The military retains heavy influence in the region and regularly stifles dissent.

After taking office in 2014, president Joko Widodo pledged to speed up development in Papua, but many locals insist they have been forgotten.

"There has been no change," Ariel Fakdawer, head of Saukabu village in Raja Ampat told AFP.

"They've hurt us indigenous people. They took our land, our water and our forest. 

We feel betrayed," Paul Mayor, chief of the island's Byak Betew tribe, said of the

government's tourism drive (AFP Photo/GOH CHAI HIN)

"The yearly Raja Ampat festival, for example, attracts thousands of tourists but we gain nothing from that. We are still poor, but the organizers of such festivals, outsiders, they have made a fortune," he added.

Indigenous groups say they need communication satellites, electricity, better infrastructure, and the right to govern themselves by customary law.

"The government never fulfils our needs because they don't understand what we want," chief Mayor said.

"I believe the government has to approach us by bearing in mind our cultural needs. They have to talk to us indigenous people," he insisted.

But not everyone is against the rush to open up Raja Ampat to the world.

Villager Medzke Karoswaf explained: "This is a modern world. We cannot live isolated like in a cave forever. We have to be open-minded. Like it or not, we don’t live alone in this world."

Record-breaking dance in Indonesia's Aceh promotes unity

Yahoo – AFP, August 13, 2017

Participants take part in a mass traditional Saman dance performance in Aceh
on Indonesia's Sumatra island on August 13, 2017

More than 10,000 people turned out in Indonesia's Aceh on Sunday to stage a record-breaking song and dance performance stressing the need to conserve a threatened national park in the westernmost province.

The men, clad in elaborate black and yellow traditional costumes, sat in neat rows, clapping their hands on their shoulders and laps and moving in an increasingly fast-paced rhythm to a traditional song.

The saman, or "the dance of a thousand hands", is one of the country's most popular. In 2011 it was included in the UNESCO list of items of intangible cultural heritage.

The event was aimed at attracting more visitors to the province, the head of the local tourism agency, Syafruddin, told AFP.

The men, mostly from the ethnic Gayo community, made occasional wave-like movements without breaking formation.

Their song focused on the importance of protecting the province's Mount Leuser National Park, home to rare Sumatran tigers and elephants, which is threatened by rampant poaching and rainforest destruction due to the expansion of palmoil plantations.

More than 10,000 people turned out in Indonesia's Aceh to stage a record-breaking

song and dance performance stressing the need to conserve a threatened national park

Thousands of spectators flocked to an open field tucked amid lush green hills in Gayo Lues district to watch the performance.

The Indonesian Museum of Record certified it as breaking a national record with 10,001 participants -- beating last year's record of 6,600.

The dance is usually accompanied by a song performed in unison. It emphasises teamwork, a symbol of unity.

"In the old days the lyrics were usually about spreading Islamic teachings. These days we can adjust the lyrics to deliver any message we wish to convey to the audience," Syafruddin said.

Aceh's international image has been tarnished by its public punishments under Sharia law, such as caning for homosexuality.

"I am very impressed with the performance, the dancers synchronised very well and it makes me proud as an Indonesian. It was incredible," Sarah, a visitor from Jakarta, told AFP.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi reaches out to ethnic minority rebels

Yahoo – AFP, Athens Zaw Zaw, April 18, 2016

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi was blocked from the top job but has vowed to
rule "above" the president (AFP Photo)

Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday vowed to press for greater autonomy for Myanmar's ethnic minorities, in an early move to soothe the rebellions roiling the country after her party's ascent to power.

Myanmar has been swept up in optimism for a more peaceful and prosperous future since the National League for Democracy (NLD) took power on April 1, ending nearly a half century of military domination.

But Suu Kyi warned its prospects hinge on ending ethnic conflicts that have blistered the country since its independence in 1948.

To do so, the NLD government would seek "a real federal democratic union", the democracy figurehead said in a televised address marking Myanmar's New Year.

"Peace and a federal democratic union are closely intertwined and that's why we need to change the constitution. The most important thing is national reconciliation."

They were Suu Kyi's first major comments as "state counsellor" -- a role she took on following the handover to her civilian-led government.

The current charter, penned by the military in 2008, centralises state power.

The former junta in part justified its tight control of the country with fears that ethnic divisions would fracture the nation.

Daughter of a hero

But the concept of federalism has gradually become central to peace discussions steered by the quasi-civilian government that replaced outright military rule in 2011.

Negotiations, which do not include all rebel groups, have yet to agree on exactly how powers such as policing or revenue raising might be shifted to regional authorities under a federal system.

In this image made from video, Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion, left, meets

 with Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and Myanmar Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi,

 right, at the Presidential Palace, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Thursday, April 7, 2016. 

Dion congratulated Myanmar on installing its first civilian government in decades 

and on its transition from military rule to democracy. (APTN via AP)

But by reiterating the federal pledge, Suu Kyi has sought to reassure ethnic leaders that the NLD will not squeeze out minority groups.

Though Suu Kyi belongs to the ethnic Bamar majority, her party picked up seats in many of Myanmar's ethnic minority regions in last year's election.

She has however come under fire from rights groups for not throwing her moral weight behind the plight of the embattled Rohingya, a largely stateless Muslim minority pushed into grim displacement camps by waves of communal violence in 2012.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi is beloved by many in Myanmar but blocked from becoming president by the constitution as her two sons carry foreign citizenship.

The 70-year-old is the daughter of the country's independence hero, who famously signed an agreement before his assassination that would have granted a level of autonomy to several ethnic minority regions.

A Shan ethnic woman from the Akha hill

 tribe waits for the arrival of Aung San 

Suu Kyi during a 2015 rally in Kyaing

Tong (AFP Photo/Romeo Gacad)

Attempts to amend the army's charter under the former quasi-civilian government were stymied by the military -- which is gifted 25 percent of all parliamentary seats by the constitution it scripted.

Any fresh moves to change the charter are likely to meet stiff resistance from the military, which can veto amendments through its parliamentary bloc.

Suu Kyi has taken a firm grip of the country's first civilian-led government in decades, taking on a string of senior roles in the new administration, including the powerful -- if vaguely defined -- advisory role.

She has vowed to rule "above" the president, picking school friend and close aide Htin Kyaw as her proxy.

Conflicts continue to rage in several areas between ethnic minority armed groups and the army, which operates beyond the reaches of civilian government, after a ceasefire pact signed late last year failed to include all of the country's fighters.

Rohingya hope for peaceful Ramadan in Indonesia

Yahoo – AFP, Nurdin Hasan, 18 June 2015

Rohingya women are seen standing at a confinement area in Kuala Cangkoi,

Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

Muhammad Yunus came ashore in Indonesia by accident after a harrowing boat journey -- but he and hundreds of other Rohingya migrants are delighted to be spending Islam's holiest month in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

The boat people in Aceh province are among thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants who arrived in countries across Southeast Asia in May after a Thai crackdown threw the people-smuggling trade into chaos and sparked a regional crisis.

Yunus had hoped to reach relatively affluent Malaysia, like many of the region's migrants, but after a months-long voyage was dumped in shallow waters off Aceh.

A Rohingya migrant is seen sweeping

 the floor of a shelter in Kuala Cangkoi,

 Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/

Chaideer Mahyuddin)

He is nevertheless relieved to have washed up in Indonesia -- particularly in time for Ramadan, which starts on Thursday -- and be far from his native Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country where the Rohingya have long faced discrimination and are denied citizenship.

"Praise be to God, we were saved and brought to a Muslim country," said the 35-year-old religious education teacher, who was rescued off the coast of Aceh on May 10 with around 580 other migrants.

"The people here are very kind and have helped us, they see Rohingya refugees as their brothers."

Others, such as 16-year-old Muhammad Shorif, who fled a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh where he had lived with his family, echoed his sentiments.

"I miss mother's cooking in the refugee camp," he said, but added he was "very happy" to be in Aceh for Ramadan, when Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset.

Ramadan will be a busy time for Yunus, who left Myanmar in 2012 when his Islamic school was destroyed during fierce communal violence between local Buddhists and Rohingya, as he acts as prayer leader for the Rohingya in the camps.

He said that at the time he fled, it was impossible for Muslims to worship in peace, with mosques being razed to the ground and security forces stopping them from performing prayers.

Yunus spent several years at a camp in Bangladesh but got on a boat earlier this year in an attempt to escape the pitiful conditions there.

Rohingya migrant is seen walking past

 the UNHCR flag at a confinement area

 in Kuala Cangkoi, Indonesia's Aceh

 province (AFP Photo/Chaideer

Mahyuddin)

Acehnese also suffered

A resident of Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state where persecuted Rohingya have fled in droves, told AFP there were no restrictions imposed by local authorities this year during Ramadan, and local Muslims could worship in mosques.

Nevertheless, the situation has long been tense, with many Muslims in the city living segregated under armed guard.

It is a starkly different picture in Aceh, where people have flocked to give donations of food and money to the new arrivals and are planning to bring them delicacies to break fast during Ramadan, which ends with the Muslim holiday of Eid.

Many in the area sympathise with the Rohingya's plight because of their own painful recent history -- Aceh was left in ruins by a decades-long separatist conflict, which only ended when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hit the province, leaving more than 170,000 dead in Indonesia alone.

"During the conflict in the past, we endured suffering. But there are Rohingya who have had worse experiences than people in Aceh," said Syamsuddin Muhammad, a 55-year-old fisherman who came to the migrant camp to donate money collected by his village.

The Acehnese are also trying to improve the migrants' living conditions.

At first they were given shelter in a sports centre before being moved to shabby buildings in the fishing town of Kuala Cangkoi, and this week they were taken to a village inland, where they are being housed in better buildings.

A Rohingya migrant plays with a child at a shelter in Kuala Cangkoi,

Indonesia's Aceh province (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

Since coming ashore emaciated and filthy after months at sea, many of the migrants appear to be recovering swiftly.

Images of one desperate group in a green wooden boat off Thailand shocked the world -- but AFP tracked some of them down last month at a camp in another part of Aceh, where they had eventually arrived, and found many relaxed, dressed in fresh clothes and less gaunt and emaciated.

Despite the migrants' immediate relief at having made it to a welcoming nation, they are likely to be living in limbo for years as few countries are willing to resettle migrants, including those who have genuine refugee status, and there are a huge number waiting for resettlement.

Many end up living a half-life in the shadows, eking out a living in the informal sector, far from their loved ones.

Even Yunus, who is happy to have ended up in Aceh, longs for his family back in Myanmar during Islam's holiest month.

"I miss my wife and children," he said, struggling to hold back tears.

Almost 500 Rohingya rescued off Indonesia: officials

Yahoo – AFP, 10 May 2015

Migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh pictured at a shelter in Matang Raya

village in northern Aceh, Indonesia on May 10, 2015 (AFP Photo/Reza Juanda)

Jakarta (AFP) - Rescuers on Sunday brought ashore 469 migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh after their wooden boat arrived off Aceh in northwest Indonesia, an official said.

"We received a report from fishermen this morning that there were boat people stranded in the waters off north Aceh," Aceh provincial search and rescue chief Budiawan told AFP.

"We despatched teams there and evacuated 469 migrants who are Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshis. There are women and children among them. So far, all of them are safe," he added.

He said the group would be taken to a detention centre in north Aceh district, where police and immigration officials would carry out "further processing" which would include investigating their motives.

Darsa, a disaster management agency official who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP the group had arrived near a beach in north Aceh district early Sunday and were told to swim to shore.

"One of the migrants who could speak Malay told me that their agent had told them they were in Malaysia, and to swim to shore," he said.

"Some of them did. But later they found out from fishermen that they were in Indonesia," he added.

According to the migrant, five boats had departed from Myanmar last week to escape the conflict in their country, Darsa said.

"He said the Muslims were beaten and had hot water poured on them and they just wanted to get out of Myanmar as soon as possible, to anywhere where they could seek refuge," he said.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar views its population of roughly 800,000 Rohingya as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, and they have been targeted in outbreaks of sectarian violence there in recent years, prompting many to flee.

Migrant women and children from Myanmar and Bangladesh wait at a shelter

 in Matang Raya village in northern Aceh, Indonesia, on May 10, 2015 (AFP 

Photo/Reza Juanda)

Darsa said there were 83 women and 41 children on board. One of the women was pregnant and some of the children were aged under 10.

"There was little food and water on the boat. Some of them were not doing too well and needed medical attention," he said.

Thousands of Muslim Rohingya have braved the dangerous sea crossing from Myanmar to southern Thailand and beyond in recent years.

Many hope to go on to mainly Muslim Malaysia but the migrants have often fallen prey to people-traffickers in Thailand.

The UN considers the Rohingya to be one of the world's most persecuted minorities.

Indonesia says to ease Papua reporting curbs, frees prisoners

Yahoo – AFP, May 10, 2015

Indonesian leader grants clemency to Papuan political prisoners

Abepura (Indonesia) (AFP) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Saturday decades-old reporting restrictions for foreign journalists in Papua would be lifted and ordered the release of a group of political prisoners in the insurgency-hit eastern province.

The moves signalled that Widodo, who took office last year, is easing the tight grip that Jakarta has long kept on the mineral-rich province, where poorly armed fighters have for years fought a low-level insurgency against the central government.

Widodo has taken a keen interest in Papua, pledging to improve livelihoods in the heavily-militarised area which lags behind other parts of Indonesia in terms of development.

He revealed in an interview with a group of reporters in Abepura, Papua, that from Sunday foreign journalists would be allowed full access.

"Tomorrow I will declare it," he said. However, implementing the change could prove tough.

Human Rights Watch researcher Andreas Harsono predicted there would be resistance from some quarters, including the foreign ministry which currently oversees the visa issuing process.

He said there would also be "a lot of pressure to implement it" in the coming months.

Indonesia has long been deeply sensitive about foreign journalists covering Papua. Applying for permission to go there is complex, and it is rarely granted.

Punishments for foreigners caught illegally reporting can be harsh -- two French journalists were given short jail terms last year for trying to make a documentary on the separatist movement without authorisation.

Presidential clemency

The disclosure came shortly after five political prisoners -- convicted over a 2003 raid on an Indonesian military weapons arsenal -- were granted clemency by Widodo. They will soon walkfree from Abepura prison.

Dozens of Papuan separatists are in jail for committing treason for acts such as raising the pro-independence "Morning Star" flag and taking part in anti-government protests.

Widodo shook hands with the five ethnic Melanesian prisoners at the prison, presenting each with a letter confirming the remainder of their sentences was being waived.

"Today we are releasing these five detainees to stop the stigma of conflict in Papua," he told reporters at the prison.

"We need to create a sense of peace in Papua. This is just the beginning."

The release marks a change in approach from previous governments. During the 10-year rule of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, only one political prisoner in Papua was granted clemency, according to Human Rights Watch.

However Human Rights Watch's Harsono called on Widodo to go further by offering prisoners amnesties. Prisoners have to request clemency and admit guilt before it is granted, but this is not a requirement for an amnesty.

There are still regular flare-ups of violence in Papua, where insurgents are fighting on behalf of the mostly ethnic Melanesian population.

Indonesian troops are regularly accused of abusing Papuan villagers in the name of anti-rebel operations, but Jakarta denies allegations of systematic human rights abuses.

Jakarta took control of Papua, which forms half of the island of New Guinea, in 1963 from former colonial power the Netherlands.

Syncretist Celebrations of Imlek, Lent and Tolerance

Red-Letter Day: Catholics and Confucians join in shared celebrations across Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Novianti Setuningsih & Carlos Paath, Feb 20, 2015

In Malang, East Java, a model in Chinese costume celebrates Lunar New Year,
which starts the Year of the Goat. (AFP Photo/Aman Rochman)

Jakarta. With the Chinese New Year coinciding with the second day of Lent, Chinese Catholics and Confucians in several cities across Indonesia staged joint ceremonies on Thursday in a show of religious tolerance.

Joint prayer ceremonies were observed at the Hallowed Cross Catholic Church in Cilincing, North Jakarta, where parishioners say the church has staged Chinese New Year celebrations for the past 10 years.

“This year’s celebration is much simpler because it coincides with our pre-Easter rituals,” said Widiyoko, the church’s Chinese New Year chief organizer.

Celebrations at the church, where 25 percent of its 6,000 members are ethnic Chinese, began at 8 a.m. with a mass and ended with a lion dance performance.

The church also gave alms to hundreds of impoverished locals, mainly Muslims.

“Events like this add to the spirit of togetherness. It makes us appreciate one another and not differentiate people based on their ethnicity or religion,” churchgoer Florentina Ninie said.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin wished Indonesians a prosperous Chinese New Year on Thursday, urging that celebrations be allowed to take place with tolerance.

“I think our society has already been shown to be tolerant, even though there are many religious communities who do not accustom themselves to Imlek,” said Lukman, referring to the Lunar New Year by its Indonesian name.

A similar joint celebration was also observed at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Cibinong, Bogor, according to Bogor’s bishop, Paskalis Bruno Syukur, who presided over the mass.

The Jakarta Police deployed more than 3,000 officers to boost security in the city ahead of the festivities.

The festivities at the start of the Lunar New Year are most commonly associated with ethnic Chinese, but are also celebrated by other communities, including those who identify as Korean (who call it Seollal) and Vietnamese (who speak of Tet).

During the 32-year rule of the late strongman Suharto, the festivities for the start of the Lunar New Year, as well as other expressions of Chinese cultural identity, were banned.

In 2001, then-president Abdurrahman Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, revoked the discriminatory regulations and in 2002, then-president Megawati Soekarnoputri declared Chinese New Year a national holiday; it was celebrated as such for the first time in 2003.

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The work of the 25-strong "Shomrim" patrol in London has 

caught the eye of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who praised

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(Photo by leon Neal, AFP file)

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

GlobeAsia’s Man of the Year: Ahok, Indonesia’s Shooting Star

Jakarta Globe, Arientha Primanita, Jan 05, 2015

Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama has redefined the country’s political
landscape and is now working to transfrorm Jakarta. (GlobeAsia)

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, has seen his profile among the Indonesian public rise meteorically. Now he has the task of proving himself a worthy leader for the capital city after the departure of his predecessor as Jakarta governor, Joko Widodo, for the presidency.

It has not been an easy path for GlobeAsia’s man of the year to sit where he is now. The native of Belitung, where he is one of the island’s roughly 30% of residents of Chinese descent, was formally installed as the 17th governor of Jakarta on November 19.

The former deputy governor finally took the oath as governor after political intrigue involving local lawmakers and protests from radical Muslim groups, who dislike the Christian taking charge of the Muslim-majority nation’s capital.

The inauguration marked a new milestone for Jakarta as he was the first Jakarta governor to be installed directly by the president and only the second – after Ali Sadikin – to be sworn in at the State Palace. The home affairs minister usually represents the president in inaugurating governors at their respective regional assemblies (DPRD) or at the ministry.

Ahok is a phenomenon in Indonesian politics not just because of his combative and outspoken style, which has drawn many supporters as well as detractors. He also represents a new milestone for inclusiveness since he is the first ever ethnic-Chinese governor of the capital and the first non-Muslim for 50 years.

The last non-Muslim governor of Jakarta was Henk Ngantung, who was appointed by Indonesia’s first President Sukarno in 1964. He lasted in office only for a year as he was swept out of power as a result of the tumultuous changes in the political constellation that engulfed the nation the following year.

While Indonesia is a Muslim-dominated nation, unlike many fellow Muslim countries in the Middle East or elsewhere in the world, the country is also a democracy, the third largest in the world. First is India, and then comes superpower the United States, which also has a long list of minorities serving as governors, including media darling Bobby Jindal, the 55th governor of Louisiana, an American Indian from the Republican Party.

This is a rare time for the Republican Party, typically more conservative than the Democrats, to host a figure such as Jindal. Like Ahok, the Louisiana governor is known as an outspoken leader who has pushed for comprehensive ethical reform that has required, among other steps, financial disclosure for elected and appointed government officials, an end to lavish lobbyist-funded meals and the prohibition of conflicts of interests in his battle against corruption.

Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, represents a new milestone
 for inclusiveness since he is the first ever ethnic-Chinese governor of the capital
 and the first non-Muslim for 50 years. (SP Photo/Joanito De Saojoao).

Never under Jokowi’s shadow

On December 22, GlobeAsia’s Arientha Primanita had the honor of an exclusive interview at Ahok’s office at Jakarta City Hall. Before sitting down to speak with this magazine, Ahok spent some time looking at the paintings of former Jakarta governors hanging on the walls of the reception room. He asked his aide where his painting was likely to be hung once he had completed his term as Jakarta governor.

The man who began his professional career in the mining industry in the late 1980s also asked where was the picture of his predecessor, Jokowi. He nodded when his aide replied that the painting of Jokowi was still in process.

“These paintings are really good. They all look like photographs. I think the painting of my face will be different than my real face,” Ahok said with a laugh.

Ahok will be governor of Jakarta until 2017, finishing up the term of the Jokowi-Ahok pairing which won election back in 2012.

Then remains the question of whether he will want to run for a second term, and whether the people of Jakarta will want to vote for him if he does. That will depend to a large degree on what he can achieve in the next three years.

Ahok had never been under the shadow of the popular former mayor of Solo in Central Java. While Joko was roaming the back streets of Jakarta, in his by-now famous blusukan style of governance, meeting people and getting to know the issues they face directly, Ahok was back at City Hall, coming to grips with the internal issues of the Jakarta administration.

Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama
 and his deputy, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, at City
 Hall on Wednesday. (Antara Photo/
Andika Wahyu)

 Now, with newly installed deputy governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat in tow, Ahok still chooses to remain in his office in the main building of City Hall to receive guests, do his paperwork, lead meetings as well as make sure that all of the apparatus of the city is working properly.

Ahok deals with conflict in his own way, not like the calm and measured Jokowi. It is not unusual for the new governor’s hot-headed style to emerge in video footage in the news or on YouTube and sometimes his harsh comments draw an angry response from his opponents, including lawmakers.

Luhut Panjaitan, a former three-star general who is a close adviser to Jokowi, believes this is just the type of leader that Jakarta needs. “I don’t care about the issue of descent, religion or his style. Even if it was a ghost, but could get things done, I would choose it,” he said.

Jakarta has never been an easy city to govern. For many years, the public has been frustrated by the slow progress of development in a city famous for its legendary traffic jams, regular floods and messy spatial planning. At the same time the city is the business and financial hub of the nation, as well as the capital city.

Luhut said his sentiments reflect the frustration of the people of Jakarta, who have long dreamed about a firm leader who can introduce breakthroughs and create order in a city that should be the showpiece of the nation. “Ahok can provide such hope even without Jokowi at his side in Jakarta,” he said.

Asked about the status of his relationship with Jokowi, Ahok smiled and said he is a lucky governor as he has the Indonesian president as his good friend. He recalled traveling with Jokowi after he became president, when he was asked to join Joko on a visit to Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara on December 19.

Jokowi asked him to sit beside him in the presidential airplane on the journey. They discussed many things and caught up with each other’s news. Ahok said he believed that his close ties with the president, with whom he shared an office for two years, will bring benefits to Jakarta.

When he was deputy governor, he was one of the people who pushed Jokowi to run for the presidency. The problems of Jakarta could not be solved by any governor, but required a concerted effort from the central government and the surrounding provinces, he argued. “Now I have the president’s backing, I can just call him and report on what I need.”

Cleaning up the bureaucracy

Born in Manggar, East Belitung on June 29, 1966, Ahok began his career in politics as a regional legislator in East Belitung in 2004, then won election as the district head in 2005. It was there that he developed a reputation as a tough, action-oriented leader. The skills he learned there will be essential if he is to succeed in Jakarta.

He told GlobeAsia that Jakarta’s monumental traffic jams and severe flooding remain his main priorities for 2015. Getting officials to work is another priority: As might be expected, Ahok is no less firm than Jokowi when it comes to non-performing public officials. The former Solo mayor kicked aside the former head of the city’s Public Works Agency, Manggas Rudy Siahaan, for not performing well.

Ahok has also been very outspoken in pushing for improvement in the bureaucracy. He announced at the end of 2014 that he would purge more than a thousand officials. His aim is to see Jakarta’s roughly 72,000 civil servants working hard. There will be transparent selections for promotions and he plans to replace around 3,000 officials with new faces.

“There will be frictions because of this in 2015, but I am sure in 2016 our bureaucracy will run smoothly,” he said. On a more positive note as far as the officials are concerned, salaries of civil servants will increase to encourage them to provide improved services to the people. Urban ward chiefs, known as ‘lurah’ will get salaries of Rp25 million per month, recognizing their role as the leading edge of public services.

His other main priorities include better welfare, education and healthcare programs. “Our goal is to make your brain, stomach and wallet full. That’s what we want to do,” Ahok said, adding that he considered himself the chief servant of the Jakarta public.

As part of his programs to make Jakarta a better place to live, he has launched a smart city program that will accommodate and monitor reports and complaints from the public and then follow up on them. The program includes six dimensions: economy, mobility, environment, humanity, livelihood and administration.

The Jakarta administration also plans to install 4,000 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in every corner of the capital city, starting with 2,500 units this year. This will make it easier to monitor the roads and rivers and his subordinates. Jakarta citizens are also expected to contribute and access the information via smartphones.

Deputy Governor Djarot will get out on the road to carry on Jokowi’s blusukan style and meet people. Ahok has no concern that the former Blitar mayor’s popularity might eclipse his own. “The most important thing is we complete our mission for Jakarta. If Jakarta people think Djarot is better than me, it’s good. I get a better deputy governor than I was,” he said.

Can he survive?

While GlobeAsia talked to Governor Ahok, a noisy protest was taking place in front of City Hall on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan. Dozens of protestors, led by organizers shouting their complaints through loudspeakers opposing his policy on banning motorcycles from Jakarta’s main thoroughfares of Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat and Jl. MH Thamrin, designed to ease traffic congestion in the area.

The protestors were mainly motorcycle taxi drivers, known locally as “ojek,” from the Jakarta Transportation Front, or FrontJak. They slammed Ahok for hurting their incomes due to the ban, which is still in its trial stage.

Babak, the FrontJak coordinator, said the policy had hurt ojek drivers’ incomes. “There are more people buying cars. Does Ahok dare to forbid cars to pass? Why does he ban motorcycles and make ojek drivers’ lives miserable,” said the angry ojek driver.

Ahok and his blunt style has also been the target of regular protests from the hard-line Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI). While they say they oppose him because he is a Christian, they are also believed to be unwilling to accept him because of his Chinese ethnicity.

Salim bin Umar Alatas, the head of FPI’s Jakarta branch, has said Ahok is too arrogant to be a public official, and has called him “an enemy of Islam.”

The group’s protests included attacks on the Jakarta Regional Assembly (DPRD), calling for its members to oppose Ahok’s installation as governor. In early December, the FPI nominated Fahrurrozi Ishaq, a teacher of the Koran and FPI member, as their own ‘shadow’ Jakarta governor.

Criticism has also come from regional lawmakers. Johnny Simanjuntak, a member of the DPRD from Jokowi’s party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), criticized him for being too frank, saying that the governor’s abrasive style had caused a stir in the city administration, but there had not been much change in the quality of services to the public.

He pointed out that many of Jakarta’s programs are not executed well, including flood and traffic management, because directions from top officials don’t make it as far as lower-level employees on the ground.

Ahok told GlobeAsia he acknowledged the criticism but said he would not change his style. His main focus, he said, is to do his best as governor and serve the people of Jakarta.

“I can handle criticism. The only thing they (the protestors) can do is not elect me for the next term. So I am focusing on my remaining three years so I can prove to them that I did something,” he said with a smile.

“I don’t ever think about my image. What’s in my heart and what comes out of my mouth are the same. Do you need someone with substance or someone with a polished skin?” he asked. Yet he indicated that some of the barbs have got to him.

“The only problem is that people out there still cannot accept the fact that I, with slanted eyes and a Christian, can be governor.”

“Most importantly, don’t oppose me just because I’m a Chinese-Christian, that’s not fair. Judge me for my work,” he said, adding that he is accustomed to tough times. He was conceived in a heated environment when the crisis over the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) broke in 1965.

Popularity was never the aim of the geological engineering graduate. He intends to be himself, warts and all.  “Once you become a public official, it is tiring if you play a role to maintain a good image. One day your true character will be discovered. I never pretend about who I am. I have always been like this.”

His aide Sakti Budiono is perfectly happy with Ahok’s leadership skills. His boss does not beat around the bush and knows exactly what he has in his mind. “He lets us work with our own creativity and improvisation as long as we get the job done,” said Sakti.

A future leader of Indonesia?

While the leadership race ended in July with the victory of Jokowi, many have speculated that Ahok could be Indonesia’s next leader. Ahok did not deny his ambition to become president.

“The best way to improve our country is by being president. If there are better people than me, than I would not run but if there is no better person then why shouldn’t I run for the sake of this country,” he said.

Ahok, who once planned to flee to Canada after the anti-Chinese riots of 1998, said Indonesia remains a democracy. The people, he said, represent a power that cannot be overlooked and he strongly believes that Jokowi will be able to guard democracy. As for his own prospects of future high public office, Ahok said that is a matter of fate. “In Islam, we say Wallahualam” – it all depends on God’s will.

Turning philosophical, he added that nobody knows what will happen in their lives. His own life, becoming Jakarta governor with only a limited political background, and that of Jokowi, who shot to the presidency, showed how life can bring surprises.

“We don’t know about our lives and when we will die. We just do what we can do best. For me, at least I can have a painting of my photograph hanging in City Hall,” he said with a laugh.

One of the obstacles to further office is his lack of party backing. He said he’s relieved to have quit the Greater Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) of losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, which had supported the Jokowi-Ahok ticket for the race for governor against the pairing of incumbent Fauzi Bowo and Nachrowi Ramli.

Now, he said, he has more time to work and does not need to attend any political party events, which in the past meant he had to work during the weekends. Running for president in the future is a long way away, and who knows what could happen in that time.

With additional reporting by Muhamad Al Azhari

GlobeAsia’s cover January 2015

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Newly inaugurated Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, left, shakes hands
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