Online Petition to Revise Child Protection Law Approaches 60,000 Supporters

Jakarta Globe, Bayu Marhaenjati & SP/Natasia Christy, Apr 18, 2014

Almost 60,000 people have signed a petition for changes in the
Child Protection Law. (JG Screen Grab/Change.org)

Jakarta. In the wake of the recent sexual assault of a kindergarten student at Jakarta International School, an online petition seeking for the revision of the country’s Child Protection Law has garnered nearly 60,000 supporters in three days.

The petition at change.org, which was created on Tuesday by a woman named Fellma Panjaitan, asked for a revision of the 2002 Law on Child Protection, which hands convicted sexual assailants a prison sentence of three to 15 years.

Through the petition, Fellma is calling on the House of Representatives to revise the law and hand out harsher punishments for perpetrators of sexual assault, saying the current sentence is far too short to even begin to compensate for the life-long trauma these criminals inflict on their victims.

“Help me [change the law] to so perpetrators will be severely punished. There should be no compromise for sexual predators. We need to participate in building a safe environment for our children,” Fellma wrote on the website.

The appeal has collected more than 59,000 supporters as of 2:30 p.m. local time, and is near the 75,000 needed for the petition to be sent to the House’s Commission VIII, which oversees social affairs and women’s empowerment.

Arief Aziz, founder of Change.org Indonesia, said none of the site’s petitions have garnered this many votes in such a short time.

The case of the alleged sexual assault on a 6-year-old boy by two janitorial staff members at one of the city’s top international schools has gripped the entire country since reports surfaced earlier this week.

Jakarta Police have named two suspects in the case: Agun Iskandar and Virgiawan Amin.

Jakarta Police Spokesman Sr. Cmr. Rikwanto said investigators are still looking into the possible involvement of three other bathroom attendants, including Afrischa Styani, Aswar and Zainal Abidin. Laboratory tests on Aswar and Zainal are currently being processed.

Meanwhile, Lydia Freyani Hawadi, directorate general of early- and non-formal education at the Education and Culture Ministry, said the ministry has formed an investigative team to audit JIS’s kindergarten and its learning process.

Lydia further explained that the school’s early childhood education campus is actually illegal as JIS has only been issued a permit for its elementary and high school levels.

“JIS thought the license to run a kindergarten is equivalent to that of the elementary-school level issued by the Elementary and Secondary Education Directorate. However, these permits are different,“ Lydia said.

Related Articles:

Second Victim Comes Forward in JIS Sex Abuse Scandal

Ministry Closes JIS Kindergarten After Child Rape Allegations

Parents File Lawsuit Against JIS, Ministry
Police Widen Investigation of JIS Janitors
JIS Parent Alleges School Has History of Abuse

William James Vahey in 2013, left, and 2004. The teacher, 64,

 killed himself after confessing to drugging and molesting

children while on field trips. Photograph: AP

Teacher held images of dozens of Southbank school pupils on computer
London school confirms its pupils were abused by teacher in FBI investigation
FBI investigates London links of teacher who abused 90 boys
Police to Probe Alleged US Sex Predator’s Time at JIS

Pancasila Plan to Affect Foreigners

Jakarta Globe, Edi Hardum, August 29, 2013

Students visit the Pancasila Monument in East Jakarta on April 3, 2013.
(JG Photo/Safir Makki)

Foreign workers in Indonesia must comply with local regulations and follow cultural norms based on Pancasila, the philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state, a government official said on Wednesday.

Irianto Simbolon, the director general in charge of industrial relations and workers’ social security at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry said the department was rolling out socialization training necessary to help foreigners adapt to Indonesia and to prevent intercultural conflict that could hurt foreign investment.

“Regulations and norms that apply in Indonesia are all based on Pancasila,” Irianto said at his office.

He said foreign workers in Indonesia must understand how to behave as prescribed by the principles of Pancasila.

Promulgated by President Sukarno in 1945, Pancasila features prominently in the national discourse, and espouses five principles aimed at uniting the diverse archipelago.

The principles of the Pancasila fuse together elements of socialism, nationalism and monotheism.

Irianto said foreign workers were expected to understand the five principles in order to maintain communication ethics between themselves and local workers.

“If this can be done, it could synergize industrial relations between the workers at their work places,” Irianto said.

The ministry has so far rolled out the socialization guidelines in regions with the highest number of foreign workers such as Cikarang and Bogor in West Java and Batam in Riau, where clashes between foreigners and locals have occurred in the past.

Irianto said several multinational companies in Indonesia had held cross-cultural training programs.

He added that the training and guidelines would work to prevent intercultural friction and conflict at workplaces and at home between foreign and local workers, adding that such conflicts could lead to social unrest which would eventually affect the business and investment environment in the country.

In a pilot program in Batam last week, the Pancasila socialization training was attended by 175 people.

The ministry is targeting workers from Asian and European nations, who form the bulk of foreign workers in the country.

The largest number of foreign nationals in Indonesia are reportedly Japanese, Korean, Indian and Chinese.

“It was issued as a social interaction guideline for foreign workers in Indonesia so that they can adjust easily when interacting socially at work in accordance with Indonesian law,” Irianto said.

Indonesian Women in Mixed Marriages Fight for Equality

Dual-nationality families are being hurt by local laws, says group Srikandi

Jakarta Globe, Sylviana Hamdani, May 18, 2013

From left: Srikandi members Ninda Burnett, Ayu Aloisi, Ani Winn, Sylvi Butt,
Xania Maya, Itha Saleem, Yuyun Furry. (JG Photo/Sylviana Hamdani)

For many Indonesian women, marrying an expatriate is alluring. Foreign men are usually considered to be good looking, well educated and in high-paying jobs.

But mixed marriages aren’t easy. Indonesian women who wed expatriate men are subject to a host of legal disadvantages that effectively renders them second-class citizens.

“There are a lot of problems in mixed marriages,” said Dewi Hardy, one of the founders of Srikandi, an organization dedicated to helping Indonesian women struggling with the legal difficulties of marrying foreign men.

“They’re mainly caused by cultural and educational gaps, as well as legal issues.”

Dewi, Kartini Litsberger, Rahayu Morris and some of their friends established Srikandi in Jakarta in 2000, after meeting at a parent activity program at an international elementary school. All were married to foreigners, and decided to start an organization of similar Indonesian women.

“The organization echoes the struggle of Srikandi herself, who fights for justice and welfare for many,” Dewi said.

In Javanese wayang mythology, Srikandi is the wife of the handsome warrior Arjuna, and also a warrior feared and respected by men and women alike.

The Srikandi organization became a platform for all Indonesian women married to foreigners to meet and help one another out, fighting to change discriminatory regulations on mixed marriages.

Srikandi now has more than 350 members.

“We realize we’ve become foreigners in our own country, just because [our husbands] are foreigners,” Dewi said.

It is largely due to the group’s tireless efforts that many unfair parts of the law have been rectified.

A very disadvantageous regulation used to be the 1958’s Law No. 62 on Indonesian citizenship. Under it, children born into mixed marriages took the citizenship of their fathers, depriving them of a legal Indonesian identity.

“In many cases, the husband left the country and took the children with him,” Dewi said. “There was little the wife could do since legally the children were not Indonesian citizens.”

That law has since been revoked. These days, children of mixed marriages have dual citizenship until the age of 18, at which point they are given a three-year period in which to deliberate what country to belong to and which citizenship to sacrifice. (Indonesia does not allow dual citizenship for adults.)

Another law Srikandi objected to disqualified Indonesian women from sponsoring their husbands to live in Indonesia permanently.

Expatriate husbands were expected to acquire a tourist or business visa to be able to stay in the country with their wives, which had to be renewed periodically and often at great expense.

But a 2007 Ministry of Justice and Human Rights regulation states that an Indonesian woman who has been married to a foreigner for more than two years may sponsor her husband to obtain a Kitap (permanent residency permit) to live in the country.

Indonesian men married to expatriate women have a stronger legal standing. A local man can sponsor his wife to live in the country, and their children automatically get Indonesian citizenship.

Although things have improved for Indonesian women married to expatriate men, their fight for equality is far from over.

Srikandi founder Itha Saleem and Irene
Murphy. (JG Photo/Sylviana Hamdani)

“We want to have the exact same rights and legal standing as other Indonesian women in the country,” Dewi said.

Recently, a new governing body was chosen to lead the organization. Members of Srikandi elect their governing body every two years, ensuring new voices are heard.

An inauguration ceremony was held at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub in Plaza Senayan Arcadia, South Jakarta, earlier this month. About 100 members and their families attended.

The new governing body is led by advertising specialist Itha Saleem.

“It’s both an honor and huge responsibility for me to serve as chairwoman of Srikandi,” the 47-year-old said.

“Srikandi is not a playful organization. We have a strong vision and mission we want to achieve in this organization.

“Our next goal is to promote the new regulation of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights that entitles foreigners married to Indonesian women for more than two years to get Kitap.

“The regulation is in effect now. Yet very few people know about this.”

To promote the regulation, Itha said Srikandi would hold an open seminar on the subject in Kemang Village, South Jakarta, on May 29. Kemang is a suburb popular with expatriate families and close to many of Jakarta’s international schools.

Directorate generals of the immigration and labor agencies have been invited as the main speakers, while another seminar on a similar topic will also be held in Jakarta in September, as Srikandi members attempt to enfranchise their Indonesian sisters.

In December, the organization plans to hold a charity ball for all its members and their families. Proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to not-for-profit groups working with underprivileged families around the country.

Itha will also try to push legislators to rectify the dual citizenship status for children born into mixed marriages.

“I want them to have dual citizenship for life,” she said. “After all, they’re partly Indonesian in flesh and blood.”

According to Itha, dual citizenship for children of mixed marriages would protect them in case conflict broke out between their two home countries.

“With dual citizenship status, these children will still be free to visit and stay in both countries in case of war,” she added.

Itha is married to a British entrepreneur and has three children, all now studying in the United Kingdom.

To rejuvenate the organization, it has adopted a new logo portraying Srikandi in human form, with a quiver of arrows on her back.

“It means Srikandi is ready to come to the aid of any Indonesian women facing problems in their mixed marriages,” Itha said.

“We have a team of lawyers and good contacts with embassies in Jakarta to help any woman in this situation.”

In the new logo, Srikandi stands within a fuchsia circle.

“That means all women in this organization will stand hand-in-hand to help all Indonesian women in mixed marriages,” Itha said.

Within the logo’s circle is a world map signifying the international backgrounds of the women’s husbands.

During the inauguration ceremony, Itha also introduced the new slogan of the organization: “Together, we’re stronger.”

After the inauguration ceremony, Ninda Burnett, the organization’s new public relations officer, donated several English books to the Save Street Child charity in Jakarta.

“We hope that the books will help the street children learn English,” Ninda said.

The event culminated with a fashion parade by Tre, a ready-to-wear label conceived by Indonesian fashion designer and Srikandi member Xania Maya Christina.

Members of the Srikandi organization and some of their daughters got into the spirit of the evening by modeling outfits in the fashion show, which showcased traditional Indonesian textiles.

“We’re married to expatriates, but we’re still Indonesians,” Itha said.

“We love Indonesian art and culture and will continue to feature them in all of our next events.”

Srikandi

Jalan Abdul Madjid No. 10

Cipete Selatan, South Jakarta

www.srikandi.org

Piece of Mind: Cultural Differences Erupt in Yogyakarta

Jakarta Globe, Megan Ryan | November 22, 2010

As a foreign researcher living in the bustling city of Yogyakarta, it’s easy to forget that my reality is very different than the average Indonesian’s. Coverage in the two national English newspapers and the conversations I have with my bilingual Indonesian friends are less than representative of local happenings. I miss out on an entirely different world, impenetrable to foreigners without full fluency of the native language. This truth became glaringly obvious to me in the midst of the Merapi eruptions.

About two weeks ago I awoke earlier than usual. I walked into the kitchen of my kost to find my neighbors sitting at the table. Not surprised that I woke due to the abnormally chilly morning, they blamed the unpredictable weather on the volcano’s increasing activity.

This was news to me. Ironically, later that night Merapi erupted. How did I live in Yogyakarta without a clue that Merapi’s danger level was rising?

The answer is that I was not connected to the local media. I also must have missed the daily chitchat about Merapi at the food stalls and warungs I visit.

Despite a few worried e-mails from family members in the United States and the graphic images of Merapi’s victims on the television, I managed to stay calm.

In recorded history, the hot lava and other deleterious materials spewed during Merapi’s eruptions have never reached as far as Yogyakarta. I had nothing to worry about, I told myself. Or did I?

My Indonesian friend Vicki laughed when I asked her if she was going to leave town. “I’m a Yogyanese,” she replied. “This doesn’t worry me.”

But why then did a German girl I know flee to Bali a few days after the eruption?

And why did my American friend call me hysterically, scared of the long-term effects of the ash that rained down on the city in the middle of the night? And why didn’t I feel as terrified?

Perhaps it was just a difference in personalities. But I beg to differ. It turns out that the people who reacted with fear and those who did not were receiving different information.

On average, the foreigners I knew in Yogyakarta reacted differently to the eruption than the locals.

After talking with a few friends about their respective governments’ recommendations, I realized that most foreign states suggested their citizens evacuate the area.

The German Embassy urged its citizens to leave Yogyakarta because of the long-term dangers of siliceous crystals in the ash.

The train station was a chaotic mess of tourists waiting nervously for their turn at the ticket booth, hoping for a ticket to anywhere far away from the billowing volcano.

Yet the Yogyakarta city government mentioned nothing about evacuating the town.

It wasn’t until I received news from my embassy requesting all Americans to evacuate Yogyakarta and Central Java that I started to worry.

Would it be wise to ignore the advice of my government?

Paradoxically, the most fearless people lived closest to the volcano. Why was this? Clearly they were aware of the gravity of the situation.

Most of Merapi’s closest neighbors returned home for one reason: personal property. Perhaps the short-term risk of getting burned is worth saving the cattle that families rely on for income.

So information is not the only factor shaping people’s reactions to Merapi. Economic factors also play a large role.

That is why Agriculture Minister Suswono’s pledge to compensate all farmers for the animals that died during the eruptions was an important and effective way to ensure citizen safety.

Suswono told farmers gathered at a livestock evacuation center that he hoped such a promise would discourage them from risking their lives for their herds.

One thing that is clear is that in the face of disaster governments can shape citizen behavior. This calls for strategy.

Did the American government exhibit strategy when urging its citizens to evacuate all of Central Java?

Hardly.

Was the Ministry of Agriculture’s decision to compensate people for their animals a way to ensure public safety?

Absolutely.

Jakarta Culture Shock Therapy for Expats

Jakarta Globe, September 23, 2010      

Setting foot in Indonesia’s capital for the first time can be overwhelming. The crowds, the traffic and the pollution in Jakarta are not what usually makes up a pleasant city. But while tourists have the chance to escape anytime they want, it is a different story for expats who have relocated to Jakarta for work. They have to make do with what the city has to dish out, whether they like it or not.

The newly-revised ‘Culture Shock! Jakarta’ lets expats
know what to expect when moving to Jakarta, detailing
traffic, floods and understanding the local customs and
people. (JG Photo/Yudhi Sukma Wijaya)  

“Culture Shock! Jakarta: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette,” might help with the adjustment.

Part of the Culture Shock! series and recently published in a revised edition, this is not your usual travel guide.

Instead, it provides insider tips and tricks on how to interact with Indonesians, and their customs and traditions, in order to get a better understanding of the culture.

The second part of the book is dedicated to practical aspects of moving to Jakarta, including where to find accommodation, schools, health services and good food.

Co-authored by Derek Bacon and Terry Collins, who have known this city for many years, the guide presents an informative look into expat life in the Big Durian.

“Derek is a former colleague here, but returned to the UK in 1997. We’ve remained friends since then,” said Collins, who has been living in Jakarta for over 20 years and authors the blog Jakartass.

“It was [due to the] combination of Derek’s ‘exile’ from Indonesia and my writing that I was commissioned to rewrite his book, which was to be included in Marshall Cavendish’s series of Culture Shock books,” said Collins, referring to Derek Bacon’s book, “Jakarta at Your Door,” which was published in 1999.

“My original revision had Derek’s work at its core,” he said.

“Apart from the rapid changes to a ‘modern’ lifestyle — ownership of private transport, shopping malls, handphones, online social networks and the like — in essence, Jakarta is little changed from then.

However, I considerably expanded the book and tried to personalize the experience of living in Jakarta based not only on my observations, but also on those of fellow foreign residents.”

However, even though the first edition of “Culture Shock! Jakarta” only hit the book shelves in 2007, the publishers felt that it was already time for a revised version, in light of the political and social changes that have happened in the country in the last three years.

“I double-checked all the phone numbers, addresses, both physical and online, and regulations, particularly visa and business,” Collins said.

“Updates of the political scene and music were also necessary as these are subject to ‘fashion.’

For example, Riza Arshad contributed his thoughts on the current jazz scene, a particular interest of mine.”

Other new additions to the 2007 edition are 16 pages of photographs.

“But this is not a coffee-table book, nor is it a reference book, with details of restaurants, hotels and the like, although I hope the lists of embassies and cultural centers, the mini-section on Indonesia and other ‘facts’ prove of value,” Collins said.

“It is a guide to living here, so, above all, I hope readers have an understanding with what is going on around them and aren’t tempted to flee at the first opportunity.”

While Collins calls Jakarta home, Bacon, who still visits from time to time, now feels overwhelmed by the capital.

“I haven’t lived in Jakarta for a while now, but when I do visit, I always think it seems worse than the time previously,” Bacon said.

“Last time I visited [in July], I left wondering how I ever managed to live there at all.

"But I also remember feeling like that when I first arrived [in 1990], and I have to remind myself that this city really does take some getting used to.

"When I visit areas of greater Jakarta, like BSD City, I’m reminded how much the place continues to expand. It makes me wonder where it will end.

"I imagine all the cities on Java swelling and swelling until they all merge into one single never-ending city.”

“Culture Shock! Jakarta” definitely should help newcomers settle in.

The book is a pleasant and a humorous read, studded with personal experiences that one would never find in a regular travel guide.

Illustrations by Trigg, a British illustrator based in Hong Kong, add more color, as do the black and white and color photographs.

When asked if the recent changes in Jakarta ever make him think of leaving, Collins said that the Big Durian is his home.

“I’ve been supporting an Indonesian family for over 20 years, still live in the same rented house and I’m not bored,” Collins said.

“Sure, like everyone else, the chaos that is Jakarta gets to me as much as anyone — everyone — else, but Jakartass is my outlet for both the frustrations and my thoughts on how to make life better for Jakartans.”

The Thinker: Women on the Edge

Jakarta Globe, Dewi Tjakrawinata | August 30, 2010

When the plenary session of the House of Representatives failed to ratify the immigration bill on July 30, the women’s movement closely following the progress of this legislation was given new hope. It seems that both the government and the House were aware that the people’s aspirations, in particular those of women in mixed marriages, had not yet been accommodated.

Susan (not her real name), a foreigner, had to swallow a bitter pill when her beloved Indonesian husband had a stroke and was no longer able to work. The couple had met at a university in Yogyakarta, fell in love and got married.

They lived in the United States for two years during her husband’s studies, and then returned to Indonesia and raised a family.

Susan gave up a good career in the United States to follow her husband to Indonesia, where she had to be willing to become a housewife.

Indonesia’s immigration and labor system denies women like Susan a right to earn an income for their families, instead allowing them to live here but only “work” in social institutions as an unpaid volunteer.

Following her husband’s stroke, Susan eventually returned to her home country so that she could support her family and send her two teenage children to school.

The children, who for their whole lives had only known Indonesia as their home, had to adapt to a new way of life and Susan had to leave her husband.

Mireille (also not her real name), a French woman, has a no less tragic story. She met her husband, a singer in a club, married him and had two daughters.

Like Susan, Mireille was denied the opportunity to work, so she instead “illegally” gave lessons in French and cooking. Her husband was often unemployed and depressed, a condition that eventually made him abusive.

What started as verbal abuse later became physical — not only toward Mireille, but also the children.

Every time Mireille said she would leave him, her husband threatened to withdraw his sponsorship and swore he would not let her take the children.

Fear of losing her daughters and that something even worse would happen to them if she left led her to stay.

Rusmiah, who comes from Brebes, Central Java, tried her luck by going to work in Malaysia and working as a maid. She was fortunate to have a good boss who paid her well and even gave her an opportunity to learn to cook.

She met a plantation laborer from Cambodia in an English-language class, whom she eventually married.

They were a hard-working young couple that saved as much as they could to build a better future.

When Rusmiah became pregnant, she decided to return to Indonesia, with her husband planning to buy land to farm while Rusmiah would open a food stall in her village.

But because her husband was a foreigner, neither he nor Rusmiah were allowed to buy a rice field in their name.

He only had a tourist visa and had to leave Indonesia every 30 days.

The burden gradually ate up the savings of the young couple with a new baby and undermined Rusmiah’s health, leaving her unable to work.

The problems faced by these women could be solved if our country recognized the common concept of permanent residency, whereby a person is allowed to reside indefinitely within a country of which he or she is not a citizen.

The latest draft of the immigration bill would fail to solve the problems of these three women above.

The reason given by those discussing the bill as to why this concept of permanent residency cannot be accepted is because the immigration bill only deals with the entry and exit of people (Indonesians and foreigners) to and from the country.

In other countries, permanent residency is granted to immigrants who fulfill certain conditions. Can Indonesia not learn from other countries?

The women mentioned here are part of Indonesian families. The family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The UDHR holds that everyone has the right to work and to the free choice of employment. Is the declaration just meaningless rhetoric for us in Indonesia? 

Dewi Tjakrawinata is a member of the International Rainbow Alliance (Aliansi Pelangi Antar Bangsa), a Jakarta-based organization working to ensure legal protection for Indonesian and foreign nationals and their families.

Can’t Buy Love? Indonesia Thinks Foreign Men Should

Jakarta Globe, June 01, 2010

Foreign men wishing to wed Indonesian Muslim women are required to put a guarantee of 500 million rupiah (55,000 dollars) into a bank. (Photo Reuters)

Alarm bells not wedding bells are ringing over Indonesian proposals to demand a 55,000-dollar “security guarantee” from foreign men who marry Indonesian women.

Enraged brides-to-be are threatening to flee the country and marry their boyfriends abroad if the government approves the plan, which is part of a wider marriage law reform being pushed by Muslim conservatives and befuddled foreign grooms are asking why they are being targeted when stories of foreign men being exploited by gold-digging women are rife in the Southeast Asian country.

The proposal requires foreign men wishing to wed Muslim women -- it will not apply to Christians or Buddhists or Hindus -- to put a guarantee of 500 million rupiah (55,000 dollars) into a bank. If the couple divorce, the wife will be entitled to take the money. If they

stick together for at least 10 years, they can claim it as “shared property”.

“The provision... is intended to protect the rights of women and their children if their husbands neglect, fail to provide for, leave Indonesia secretly... divorce or do anything which harms their interests,” the bill says.

Love-struck couples are outraged.

“How ridiculous... the government wants to sell me off,” sniffed 36-year-old events organizer Roslina, who is planning to tie the knot with her German boyfriend, Christopher, in September.

“My future husband will pay the amount but that’s not the point. We’ll definitely marry abroad if this becomes law.”

A 24-year-old model who declined to be named said she and her boyfriend, also from Germany, were being unfairly discriminated against.

“It looks like the government has no respect for Indonesian women. It’s crazy to penalize only foreign men. Why not charge local men who marry three or four wives but can’t afford it?” she said.

Her 39-year-old boyfriend, a banker who declined to give his name, said,“It’s a clear statement by the government that it owns its people and it sells them on the meat market.”

The proposal, spearheaded by the religious affairs ministry, will be sent to parliament for approval by the end of the year, an official said.

The guarantee is designed to stop foreigners entering fake marriages in order to set up businesses or buy property in their wives’ names, and to ensure that women are financially secured against divorce, ministry official Nasaruddin Umar said.

“When the women are no longer of use, it’s usually goodbye to them,” he added without providing figures or research to back up his statement.

“Marriage is pure and sacred, it shouldn’t be tainted by lust or personal interests. We want to protect our women.”

The plan has drawn mixed responses from the country’s clerics, women’s groups and lawmakers.

Clerics in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country have thrown their weight behind the draft bill.

Critics say it will only encourage people to “live in sin” outside of wedlock, leaving women more vulnerable.

“I applaud this proposal. We’ve heard many cases of foreigners marrying our women and then deserting them and their kids with nothing,” Indonesian Council of Ulema chairman Amidhan told AFP.

But lawmaker Iskan Qolba Lubis said: “People want to marry because they’re in love so why are we making things difficult for them? It’s also discriminatory. We wouldn’t be happy if other countries did the same to us.”

Nia Schumacher of Melati Worldwide, a group which lobbies for the interests of people in mixed marriages, said the proposal would lead to an exodus of “runaway brides”.

“Or the couples may not register their marriages or skip marriage altogether and co-habit instead. Is that what the government wants?” she asked.

Some women’s rights activists say the plan treats women like a commodity and discriminates against foreign men.

“We clearly reject the proposal. It lowers the dignity of women and not all foreign men have that much money,” Association of Indonesian Women in Multinational Marriages (Srikandi) co-chairwoman Emmylia Hannig said.

“If the basis of the law is to protect women, it should apply to both foreign and local men. There are many cases of local men having several wives and ditching them without giving money,” she added.

Roslina said the bill was ruining romances as foreign men walked away from promises.

“My friend has lost a potential husband. She and her French boyfriend had been dating for four years and were planning to get married. But I heard the wedding has been postponed indefinitely,” she said.

“The man said he’s scared to get married because it’s unfair that he needs to pay.”

Agence-France Presse

Two french reporters deported

Antara News, Wednesday, May 26, 2010 18:13 WIB

Jayapura (ANTARA News) - The Immigration office in Jayapura has deported via Jakarta two French journalists who had been arrested when covering a public rally in front of the Papua legislative assembly (DPRP) on Tuesday.

Jayapura immigration chief Robert Silitonga said Wednesday morning that this morning he has deported the two French reporters by a Garuda Indonesia plane flying to Jakarta.

An investigation of the two, Baudoin Koeniag, producer of Mano mano TV Arte, and Calol Helene Lorthiois, indicated that they have violated the permits that had been given to them.

They arrived in Jayapura on Tuesday morning in the company of an interpreter.

Silitonga said that following the investigation, of the two French journalists only Baudoin Koeniag had a reporting license issued by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry on April 20, 2010, for news coverage of Aceh, Jakarta, Bali, Gorontalo and Sorong, but not Jayapura.

The permit was for making a documentary film on Indonesia`s future, Silitonga said.

Carol, on the other hand, came to Indonesia using a tourist visa, and therefore the two French nationals have misused the permits given to them, Robert Silitonga added.

Related Articles:

Despite Permits, Indonesia Gives 2 French Journalists the Boot

French journalist questions his arrest, deportation

Bali’s foreign residents welcome census

Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali | Sat, 05/01/2010 8:07 PM

Foreigners in the resort island of Bali took part in a month-long population census that was launched across the country this Saturday.

The St. Ange family from Britain, residents of Nusa Dua, were not at home when polling officers visited their residence in Nusa Dua area.

“When we came home, we found a census notification on our door,” Melly said.

The family have been living in Bali for 25 years and are registered as Indonesian citizens. They live in a complex comprising 35 houses, mostly resided in by expatriate families.

“We are happy to answer questions. It is important to have demographic data that is up to date,” Melly said.

Head of the Bali Statistics Agency Ida Komang Wisnu said foreigners who have lived in Bali for more than six months, or those intending to reside in the province, would be included in the population census.

“Even though they don’t have a registered ID card or are family card holders, the fact is that they live here,” he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said foreign citizens were receptive to the poll officers. Some even had a better understanding about the census than local residents.

The president has said that the numerous census questions will help future lawmakers make better policies. (JG)

Related Article:

I'm Counting on You: SBY Presents Indonesia With Record Census

Jakarta Overtakes Rangoon in Expat Livability Index

Jakarta Globe, Arientha Primanita & AFP, March 25, 2010

For expats, Jakarta is looking just a little better these days. The Big Durian clawed its way up in this year’s ranking according to a livability index in Asia — from a shameful 39th last year to a more respectable 38th place.

According to a report from human resources consultancy ECA International, Jakarta has overtaken its close rival in the survey, Burma’s affable Rangoon, which placed just ahead of Jakarta last year. Still, not quite as nice as New Delhi, which came in at 37. Singapore retained its No. 1 ranking this year, not just for Asia but for the whole world.

The survey indicated that the city-state’s sweet spot at the top is due to world-class infrastructure, health services and air quality, as well as low crime.

Yayat Supriyatna, an urban planner from Trisakti University, told the Jakarta Globe that the capital’s placement near the bottom of the charts was probably due to factors such as accessibility, investment climate and service standards.

“We all know that in Jakarta, traffic jams are everywhere and for expats to get permits is sometimes difficult,” he said.

Expats in Denpasar, ranked No. 24 this year (down two spots from 2009), have easier access to activities and better communication with local residents, Yayat said.

“Here in Jakarta, expats are clustered in a specific area while in Denpasar and other big cities overseas, expats can more easily move around,” he said.

Arie Budhiman, Jakarta’s tourism agency head, told the Globe that the city still lacks adequate promotion abroad.

Arie said for 2010, the city budgeted only Rp 23 billion ($2.5 million) for tourism which includes domestic as well as overseas promotion. “That’s not enough compared to other world cities that have big budgets for promotion,” he said. “Jakarta has other priorities to focus on.”

Arie said accessibility remains a key barrier for the city due to problems with public transportation system.

He said moving up one place in the ranks this year was still a positive sign.

“People come here not only for leisure purposes, but also for business. So Jakarta is like a living organism with many facilities,” he said.

Arie said the city was working hard to boost the city’s facilities for residents and foreigners, including improvements to infrastructure and tourism.

Other Asian cities including Hong Kong and Beijing lagged far behind Singapore largely because of poor air quality, the survey said.

“Air pollution remains a significant problem in a number of Asian locations. New Delhi, Beijing and Hong Kong are among the worst locations studied in terms of air quality,” ECA International said.

“Health facility provision is also a problem for many parts of the region,” it said.

Hong Kong placed eighth on the list of the best locations for expats in the world, the survey said. Beijing took the 100th spot and New Delhi ranked 185th overall.

Within the top 15, Kobe, Japan, placed third followed by Yokohama, Tokyo and Copenhagen, with Australia’s administrative capital Canberra taking the seventh spot. Sydney took second place after Singapore on the global ranking list.

Related Article:

Singapore retains pole position as No.1 place for Asians to live for 11th consecutive year

Koreans publish book of experiences of living in Indonesia

Lilian Budianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 09/01/2009 10:03 PM

Shon In Shik, founder of the Indonesian Calligraphy Research Foundation, launched Tuesday a compilation of stories detailing the experience of South Korean experiences living in Indonesia.

The 311-page book, Everywhere We Live Is Our Home, chronicles the experiences of 53 South Koreans who lived in Indonesia for between 2 and 34 years.

“The book tells stories about adapting to the new ways of living here, about the ways we rear children in a completely new situation to us and the way we befriend to Indonesians,” Shon said through an interpreter.

He said the book was also aimed at introducing Koreans who are new to Indonesia to the local culture.

“There are going to be lots of misunderstandings if people don't really understand the culture, including the working habits of Indonesians. Many Koreans said Indonesians work slowly, but the fact is that Korean themselves work too fast...” he said.

There are around 30,000 Koreans living in Indonesia. Korean people are the second largest foreign community in Indonesia, after the Chinese.

The book, written in Korean, is available in South Korea only.