Indonesia Looking to 2016 Games

Jakarta Globe, Sandy Pramuji, August 13, 2012

Indonesia's Deni Deni embraces weights celebrating a successful lift
 on the men's 69Kg Group A weightlifting competition at the ExCel venue
 at the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 31, 2012. (Reuters Photo/
Grigory Dukor)

         

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As Britain basked in the feel-good factor of its most successful Olympic performance, Indonesia and many of its Asian peers found themselves going back to the drawing board.

The London Games officially closed on Sunday with no Indonesian athletes taking part in the closing ceremony at the Olympic Stadium. All 22 athletes had returned home earlier.

Indonesia’s Olympics finished well before Sunday, with the country only earning one silver and one bronze medal in men’s weightlifting. Sprinter Fernando Lumain and marathon runner Triyaningsih were the last to compete, and they had left London last Tuesday without adding to the country’s medal count.

This year’s Olympics was one of Indonesia’s worst since making its debut at the 1952 Games in Helsinki. It failed to come home with a gold medal in badminton since the sport gained full Olympic status in 1992. Badminton had produced all six of Indonesia’s Olympic gold medals, but none of the country’s shuttlers managed to even reach the finals in London.

Mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir came in as Indonesia’s best hope but left empty-handed, losing in the semifinals before bowing out meekly in the bronze-medal match. When Indonesia did make the headlines, it was for the wrong reasons — Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari were among four women’s doubles pairs disqualified for intentionally playing poorly to receive an easier quarterfinal draw.

Sports officials have offered apologies for the poor results but had few answers on how to stop Indonesia’s slide into irrelevance.

Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng suggested narrowing the country’s focus.

“We have to determine which sports need to be given priority,” he said. “We’ve been too dependent on badminton as a gold mine in the Olympics. I think we will have to pick probably five sports [as top priorities] for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero.”

Sports given priority would receive more funding and other support, the minister added.

He offered no other details of his plan, only saying that badminton and weightlifting would be two of the priority sports and “we’ll use a more scientific approach and technology in training our athletes.”

Weightlifting has consistently produced medals for Indonesia since the 2000 Games, when Lisa Rumbewas won silver in the women’s 48-kilogram division. Triyatno finished second in the men’s 69kg while Eko Yuli Irawan was third in the men’s 62kg.

Lukman, who coached the weightlifting team, said Indonesia’s success was down to keeping up with new training methods and paying attention to details, such as athletes’ diets.

“We’ve been introducing technology such as recording the athletes’ training with slow-motion cameras so they know what to improve,” he said.

Indonesia’s Southeast Asian peers also largely struggled in London. Thailand finished with two silvers and a bronze, a far cry from the two gold and two silver medals it won at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

While Malaysian star Lee Chong Wei had to settle for men’s singles silver, the country earned its first Olympic medal outside badminton when Pandalela Rinong won bronze in women’s 10-meter platform diving.

Asian powerhouse China could not quite emulate its stunning performance from four years ago. It finished the 2008 Games with 100 medals, including 51 gold, but it fell back slightly after leaving home soil. As of Sunday afternoon, China was second in the medals table with 87 overall — 38 gold, 27 silver and 22 bronze — while the United States was first with 46 gold, 29 silver and 29 bronze.

South Korea and Japan also fell back in the table. Iran was the only Asian nation to improve its standing, earning four gold, five silver and three bronze after winning just one gold and one bronze in Beijing.

The host nation, meanwhile, celebrated its best Olympics in a century. Great Britain racked up 29 gold medals and 64 overall to secure third place in the table, beating out Russia.

Its performance was its best since London hosted the Games in 1908. Great Britain topped the table that year with 56 gold medals and 146 overall.

Additional reporting by AP & AFP

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Belarus' Aliaksandra Herasimenia, Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands

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victory ceremony during the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Reuters)

Strictly Javanese at language congress

The Jakarta Post, Indra Harsaputra and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Surabaya, Wed, 11/30/2011

A four-day Javanese Language Congress being held in Surabaya, East Java, since last Sunday has turned into a formal Javanese forum as all of the participants, regardless of their places of origin, have been required to speak the high form of the language at the event.

Unlike in previous years, the five-yearly congress, which concludes Wednesday, has this year named Javanese as its official language. As such, everyone at the congress is required to speak formal Javanese, despite that some members of the younger Javanese generations find the dialect difficult to follow.

“As a host, East Java Governor Soekarwo wants the congress to be different from in previous years. That’s why he has requested that Javanese be used as the official language of the congress,” the committee’s secretary Hizbul Wathon said on Tuesday.

Some 600 participants have joined the congress, which is the fifth to be held so far. Among them are 11 foreigners: an Australian, seven Surinamese and three American students currently studying in Indonesian universities.

The Indonesian participants come from 12 provinces. Some were seen wearing Javanese attire while attending the congress. “This is the first time that I have entered a star-rated hotel in a Javanese costume and I am proud of doing so,” said elementary school teacher Jumiyo Siswapangarso, a participant from Yogyakarta.

Similar pride was also conveyed by Surinamese Social Affairs Minister Paul Sumoharjo, who is of Javanese descent.

“We are happy that [we] can speak Javanese. It’s because we are preserving [the culture] of the 100,000 Javanese people in Suriname,” Paul told the forum in plain Javanese during the opening ceremony on Sunday.

Also attending the opening ceremony were Education and Culture Deputy Minister Windu Nuryanti, East Java Governor Soekarwo and Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengku Buwono X.

Among the speakers were George Quinn, an adjunct professor and visiting fellow of the Australian National University’s School of Culture, History and Language, who wrote and presented his presentation in formal Javanese.

His paper was titled “Unggah-Ungguh Lan Bahasa Indonesia: Masalah Rong Werno Sing Ngruweti Pamulanging Basa Jawa Marang Siswa Manca” (Manners and Indonesian Language: Two problems that make it difficult to teach Javanese to foreign students).

“I am touched that I see a spirit to preserve Javanese here. I see this as a shared consciousness to block the impact of globalization that has caused many regional languages to become extinct,” said Quinn, commenting on the use of Javanese as the official language at the congress on Tuesday.

Quinn indeed was not a stranger among preservers of the Javanese language at the congress. He has never missed a single congress since it was first held in Semarang, Central Java, in 1991. He is also known for his perseverance in promoting Javanese in Australia.

“Australia’s younger generations prefer to learn English rather than any other foreign languages, including Javanese. At present only ANU offers a Javanese language program,” said Quinn, who insisted on using Javanese during the interview with The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He blamed the globalization of English for the situation in Australia, saying that Australian students felt that there was no use in learning Javanese because many Indonesians spoke English fluently.

Indonesia is brother country for Suriname: deputy

Antara News, Thursday, January 6, 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Numbers of Javanese people living in Suriname make Indonesia become the brother country for Suriname, said Angelic Caroline Alihusain, Suriname Ambassador to Indonesia, here Wednesday.

"Since many of Javanese descendants are there, automatically Javanese culture is strongly felt in Suriname. And the fact that they have been merged into Suriname nation makes Indonesia be not only a friend state for Suriname, but more that become brother country," said Angelic after signing the Commemorative Cover in the Framework of 35th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relation between Indonesia and Suriname.

Angelic said 120 years ago, there was a Javanese stepped in Suriname land for the first time and hence created history of Javanese people who lived in the country which most of the citizens were descendants.

The signing took place in Ministry of Culture and Tourism building, which was also attended by General Secretary of the Minister, Wardiyatmo and also General Director of Post and Telecommunication Muhammad, Budi Setiawan.

Wardiyanto said Javanese descendants had been an influence group in Suriname, either in administration or society.

"There are five Javanese descendants who become Ministers in the republic of Suriname; and it shows that Javanese is strongly related to Suriname," he said.

Moreover, he added, the signing of Commemorative Framework did not only become the follow up of Culture Changes Program, which was conducted in September 2010, but also as the effort to explore bilateral relationships in any sectors.

"Since culture is the root of bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Suriname, I wish after this framework signing, we will have bilateral relationship in many sectors, especially in economics," he said.

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Interview: From Javanese immigrants to ‘full-fledged’ Surinamese

Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 08/11/2010 11:22 AM

Suriname recently commemorated the arrival of Javanese immigrants who were transported from Indonesia by the Dutch 120 years ago, when the Dutch occupied both countries. The Jakarta Post’s Mustaqim Adamrah talked with Suriname’s Ambassador to Indonesia Angelic Caroline Alihusain-del Castilho about the role that Suriname’s 70,000 Javanese descendants have played in the country’s development and in bilateral relations. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Question: What does the 120th celebration of the arrival of the Javanese in Suriname mean for Indonesia and Suriname?

Answer: The theme that was chosen for this year’s celebration is “immigration to integration.” After 120 years, the Javanese have become full-fledged Surinamese citizens. They’re Javanese, but they’re Surinamese-Javanese.

For Indonesians, they can always look for a little piece of Java in South America.

Due to the presence of the Javanese, Suriname and Indonesia have a stronger and different connection than Indonesia has with other countries and than Suriname has with other countries.

For example, Suriname’s relationship with Belgium is more based on … benefits that both countries see, whether it’s financial, economic or in another sector.

But with Indonesia, the relationship starts with emotions — emotions of connection that have persisted for more than a century. That is something that creates more good will on both sides to get things accomplished, to understand each other, to trust each other.

How does the presence of Javanese descendents in Suriname influence the country’s development?

They are in the educational sector. They are entrepreneurs, engineers, medical doctors, politicians. They are influencing our development in every sector.

We have ministers who are Javanese, for example, the minister of education, the minister of social affairs and the minister of land development.

They have a radio station and a television station.

They’re actually in a very good position to influence policy.

What is the state of the relationship between Javanese and Surinamese and between the Javanese and the government?

We are kind of a melting pot of many, many ethnicities, cultures and religions. The Javanese have carved a space for themselves.

Javanese families nowadays are multicultural and multiethnic. All of us have family members who are Javanese or half-Javanese.

We respect their contributions, especially in the area of arts and culture, and their food. Everybody knows Javanese food. They even think it’s not Javanese food, but Surinamese food.

They have Javanese culture. They still practice Javanese culture. They preserve it as much as possible, but that does not stop them from becoming full Surinamese.

They are unmistakable partners. The Javanese have always been part of the government, and they probably always will be, whichever government is governing the country.

Do Javanese descendents help neighboring countries better understand Indonesia through them?

We’re not telling the Javanese to teach people about Indonesia.

But everybody who visits Suriname who has never been to Indonesia — whether from South America, from the Caribbean or from the US — when they meet the Javanese in Suriname, they learn not only about Surinamese cultural relations, but they also learn about the Javanese and their religion because the Javanese are a very open people, friendly and adaptable.

Every stranger visiting Suriname will have eaten in a warung (food stall) because there are many warungs in Suriname. It’s one of the most well-known businesses.

They sell bakmi goreng (fried noodles) and nasi goreng (fried rice), just like the warung here — and there’s pisang goreng (fried bananas).

So when people come to Suriname, they do experience Indonesia through the Javanese.

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Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia, August 01, 2010

Javanese cultural heritage is so deeply entrenched in the Republic of Suriname, a former Dutch plantation colony in South America, that the traditional theater styles of wayang and ludruk are routinely performed there.

“Javanese customs are more rooted there than they are here,” said Atmidjan Sastro, a Suriname-born Indonesian who was one of the first Javanese people repatriated from Suriname in 1954.

“Javanese cultural performances are part of our daily entertainment and they are not held only for ceremonial or presentation purposes,” he said at the sidelines of an event commemorating 120 years of Javanese migration to Suriname at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah mall on Sunday.

He said Javanese dishes remained the most popular in the country, and were commonly cooked in home kitchens.

Atmidjan was born to Javanese parents who immigrated to Suriname to work as plantation workers when Indonesia was still a Dutch colony. In 1954, he was one of the 1,008 Indonesians there who chose to repatriate to the newly independent Indonesia.

He endured the one-month sea voyage from Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, to Teluk Bayur Port in Padang, West Sumatra, where returnees were promised parcels of land by the new Indonesian government to start their new lives in the country.

“However, things did not work out so well in my new life here and in 1967 I returned to Suriname and lived there until 2005,” the 80-year-old said. Atmidjan started a business importing Indonesian products for the Javanese-descended community there.

“I even organized some concerts and performances by Javanese artists there,” he said.

Suriname’s government includes four ministers and a parliamentary head who are of Javanese descent, said Angelic Caroline Alihusain-del Castilho, the ambassador to Indonesia.

Other evidence of Javanese cultural heritage in Suriname includes one television and two radio stations owned by Javanese descendants, who make up 15 percent of the nearly 500,000 population, according to Juviano Ribeiro, of Indonesia’s South American and Caribbean directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“They even use Javanese language in broadcasting some of their programs,” Juviano said, adding that the idea to celebrate the migration’s history originated from the Javanese community in Suriname and was related to the 35th anniversary of Suriname independence, 65th anniversary of Indonesian independence and the 10th Indonesian Fair trade show, held annually in Suriname.

“We are focusing on how to improve economic ties between the two countries even though our trade deals are relatively small — about three or four containers in a year,” Juviano said, adding that most of the bilateral trade was still done through independent brokers.

Govt plans special embassies in Surinam and Aledonia

Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government planned to establish a special embassy in Surinam and Aledonia in a bid to restore relations between the two nations which came from the same ancestors.

"There is a strong emotional bond between the people of Suriname and Aledonia because they come from the same ancestors. Therefore, the central government through the foreign ministry planned to establish special embassies in Surinam and Aledonia," he said here on Monday.

He further said that that people of Suriname were if Javanese descent who were sent to that country by the Dutch colonialists, while the people of Aledonia estimated at 600,000, originated from Makassar now living in South Africa.

At present, the Indonesian foreign ministry is exploring possibilities of establishing special embassies and hopefully in the near future that relations would be restored and strengthened with the presence of special embassies in Surinam and Aledonia.

Suriname to discuss further cooperation with Indonesia

By Ivan Cairo, May 14, 2007

Caribbean Net News Suriname Correspondent

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Delegations from Suriname and Indonesia will meet in Paramaribo to discuss cooperation in several fields. To expand the relationship between the two countries, the two governments established a Joint Commission to explore and discuss fields of interest. The third meeting of the Joint Commission is scheduled from Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 May, 2007.

According to a press release by the Indonesian embassy in Suriname, the delegates will evaluate the implementation of the result of the first and the second Joint Commission meetings held in 2001 and 2003, respectively in Paramaribo and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Several of the items have not been implemented such as army training and scholarship programs.

The parties will discuss, among other things, investment, technical assistance in handicrafts, wood carving, agriculture fisheries, textile processing cooperation in trade, air transport, tourism, energy, education and crime prevention. These topics will be discussed by Working Groups.

At the end of the meeting the results will be compiled in the Agreed Minutes, which is planned to be signed by the Heads of Delegation.

The Surinamese delegations is led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Frederik Boekstaaf, while the Director General of American and European Affairs, Eddi Hariyadhi will lead the Indonesian delegation.

Suriname and Indonesia have for over 50 years diplomatic and cultural relations. According to the Indonesian embassy, “The position of Suriname is very special, important and unique because part of the Surinamese community came from Indonesia.”

Surinamese from Indonesian descent are the third largest ethnic group in the country and the largest in South-America and the Caribbean.

Cooperation in the fields of politics, economy and culture are good. In politics, Suriname always supports Indonesia’s position and Indonesia’s candidacies in many international fora, said the embassy in its press release.

Email: ivan@caribbeannetnews.com