Old crime, new crisis<\/p>\n
JP\/6\/E05<\/p>\n
authoritarian former Indonesian president Soeharto, why has one
\nmilitary massacre of Muslim civilians been singled out for
\naccountability, almost two decades after the fact? The answer is
\nas much entwined in the present day threat posed by extremist
\nIslam - and its terrorist offshoots - as in popular demands to
\nright past wrongs.<\/p>\n
On September 12, 1984, Indonesia's notorious special forces,
\nKopassus, opened fire on a crowd of protesting civilians in
\nJakarta's impoverished port district of Tanjung Priok.
\nOstensibly, the crowd's anger was provoked by a group of soldiers
\nwho had defiled a local mosque by not removing their shoes. The
\nreal fuel, however, was resentment over official corruption and
\nmisrule. Under Soeharto, all political dissent was brutally
\noppressed. Much unhappiness was channelled into the mosques. The
\ndeath and injury of perhaps hundreds of devout Muslims at Tanjung
\nPriok, and the riots and arrests that followed, formed a deep
\nscar on Indonesian society.<\/p>\n
A human rights trial which opened in Jakarta last month
\ndredges up the bloody past of a cast of serving military officers
\nimplicated in the massacre, including the Kopassus commander,
\nMajor-General Sriyanto Muntarsan. So abusive was Soeharto's rule,
\nhowever, that thousands of serious crimes against humanity will
\nforever go unpunished. The only other charges to have been laid
\nrelate to Indonesia's military occupation of East Timor. This
\nsuggests the Tanjung Priok case, no matter how deserving and
\nsymbolic, is not just about retrospective justice.<\/p>\n
For the government of President Megawati Soekarnoputri,
\nIndonesia's Islamic opposition parties represent a serious
\npolitical challenge. Ms Megawati, although a Muslim, rejects the
\nIslamic identity these parties peddle in favour of tolerance and
\nrespect for Indonesia's religious and ethnic minorities. The US-
\nled \"war on terrorism\" has made her political balancing act
\nespecially difficult. This is not because Indonesia's majority
\nMuslims oppose harsh security measures against terrorists inside
\nIndonesia. Rather, it is because of deep public unease over
\nWestern stereotypes of Islamic terrorism, which many believe tar
\npeaceful, moderate Muslims with the extremist brush. This
\nperceived humiliation of Islam is buoying Ms Megawati's Islamist
\npolitical opponents.<\/p>\n
Ms Megawati's recent criticism at the United Nations of the
\n\"prolonged, unjust attitude exhibited by big powers\" towards
\nnations which profess Islam was an attempt to revive confidence
\nin an Islamic identity. While Ms Megawati must continue to crush
\nterrorism, she must also engender respect for Indonesia's
\nlegitimate, moderate Muslim majority. Justice, however overdue,
\nfor the victims of Tanjung Priok can only help this cause.<\/p>\n
-- The Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n
-- Terror in Istanbul and beyond<\/p>\n
The murderous car bomb attacks in Istanbul at the weekend will
\nachieve none of their apparent political objectives. Turkey is
\nthe most secular of Islamic nations and was possibly targeted for
\nthat reason. It will not be distancing itself from either the
\nUnited States or Israel, with both of which its ties are
\nlongstanding and unusually cordial. Turkey is more likely to
\nremain close to the U.S. and seek, among other things, an
\nabatement of criticism of its stern treatment of its Kurdish
\nminority, whose defiance of its authority Istanbul customarily
\ndescribes as its own terrorist problem.<\/p>\n
Not that those behind Saturday's bombings were of Kurdish
\norigin. Rather, a radical Islamic group linked to al-Qaeda, the
\nAbu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, has claimed responsibility for the
\nbombings outside two synagogues in Istanbul which killed 18
\nMuslims and six Jews. It threatens further attacks in other
\ncountries, including Australia.<\/p>\n
The group says \"Jews around the world will regret that their
\nancestors ever thought about occupying the land of Muslims\". It
\nsays the U.S. and its allies must \"put an end to the war they are
\nwaging against Islam and Muslims in the name of the war on terror
\nand withdraw from all Muslim lands desecrated by Jews and
\nAmericans, including Jerusalem and Kashmir\". It also calls for
\nthe release of all detainees held at Guantanamo Bay and of Sheikh
\nOmar Abdul Rahman, the spiritual guide of Egypt's Jamaah
\nIslamiyah, who is jailed in the U.S.<\/p>\n
It backs these demands with threats: \"We say to the criminal
\nBush and his Arabs and Western hangers-on -- in particular
\nBritain, Italy, Australia and Japan -- that the cars of death
\nwill not stop at Baghdad, Riyadh, Istanbul, Nasiriyah, Jakarta
\nand the rest until you see them with your own eyes in the middle
\nof the capital of this era's tyrant, America.\"<\/p>\n
There is not the remotest chance that the wild demands
\naccompanying these obscene threats will be met. The first
\nresponse in all countries under threat will be to heighten
\nvigilance and increase counter-terrorist measures. That is the
\nonly sensible immediate response. In Australia that means,
\nespecially, taking special care to protect potential targets in
\nthe Jewish community.<\/p>\n
That is not to say that reflexive, defensive measures are
\nenough. For the long haul, the even harder task of achieving
\npeace and stability in the Middle East, to remove the conditions
\nin which such hatred breeds, must continue.<\/p>\n
-- The Sydney Morning Herald<\/p>\n
Masked attack on the Constitution<\/p>\n
This is why non-Muslims have responded vociferously to the
\nIslamic State Document unveiled by Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).
\nAlthough PAS has made much of the fact that the document was the
\nresult of intense discussion and deliberation for two years
\ninside and outside the party, it is clear that it has paid no
\nheed to the sensitivities of non-Muslims. The groundswell of non-
\nMuslim objections, whatever their political allegiance or
\nreligious affiliation, indicates that they refuse to be ignored
\nin any attempt to re-make the future of Malaysia. Nor do
\nrightthinking Malay realists.<\/p>\n
Despite the seemingly high moral ground it seeks to occupy,
\nPAS is profoundly expedient when it comes to political power. It
\nwill strike alliances with any party that will increase its
\ninfluence, as attested by its links with Keadilan, Parti Rakyat
\nand DAP. The document is another instance of the political
\nMachiavellianism that PAS is so good at. As PAS president Abdul
\nHadi Awang has admitted, the blueprint is above all a polls ploy.
\nIn its attempts not to scare the non-Muslim voters, the document
\nemploys the language of democracy.<\/p>\n
But the strident objections from non-Muslims show that they
\nhave not allowed neither this rhetoric on rights, nor Hadi's
\ndisclaimer that PAS is not establishing a theocracy, to pull the
\nwool over their eyes. The document has been left deliberately
\nvague, full of generalities and lacking in detail to make it
\nmalleable for the slick tongues of its demagogues, except for its
\nversion of hudud, its ultimate and paramount aim. To paraphrase
\nHumpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in
\nWonderland, when they use a word, it means just what they choose
\nit to mean. They have been good at interpreting the Quran to mean
\nwhat they want it to mean.<\/p>\n
What it means is that any state shaped in accordance with the
\nPAS version of Islam will lead to radical changes in the
\nconstitutional framework. And what would hudud mean if not a
\ntheocracy? Which is why every Malaysian who subscribes to the
\nsocial contract struck by our founding fathers 46 years ago must
\nstrike hard against the PAS attempt to throw it out and replace
\nit with their own version.<\/p>\n
-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Terror in Turkey<\/p>\n
Terror is still at large, seeking its prey. During this week,
\nafter Saudi Arabia, Turkey became the target. Last Saturday at
\nleast 25 people were killed and 150 others injured in blasts that
\ndestroyed a pair of synagogues. Further blasts destroyed the HSBC
\nbank and the British consulate on Thursday, leaving 26 people
\ndead and hundreds more injured.<\/p>\n
The attacks were believed to be systemized and well planned,
\ninstead of a spontaneous display of anger. Therefore, it is
\nfeared that there will be another, more horrible blast in the
\nfuture.<\/p>\n
Turkey is a die-hard supporter of U.S.-led moves against
\nterror, and the attacks could become a reminder for George W.
\nBush, currently visiting the UK.<\/p>\n
Given the blasts in Turkey, the international community's
\nworry that the antiterror drive declared by Bush would be
\ncountered, is being proven. Here in Indonesia, it is not easy for
\npeople to forget the horrible JW Marriott Hotel bombing. They are
\nalso hoping that the police will arrest the number one suspect,
\nAzahari.<\/p>\n
The fight against terror is now a global predicament, not the
\nproblem of America only. A bomb attack can happen anywhere,
\nanytime.<\/p>\n
Indonesian religious leaders' messages conveyed to President
\nBush in a meeting in Bali some time ago were clear: One of the
\ncomplex problems was the perceived arrogance of America, with its
\nbiased policies in dealing with international affairs.<\/p>\n
The messages do not mean that terrorism is acceptable. We
\ncondemn any acts of terrorism, including those taking place in
\nTurkey. Using terror to settle problems is a backward step for
\ncivilization.<\/p>\n
-- Republika, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Afghan challenge<\/p>\n
The UN's suspension of its demining operations in Afghanistan
\ndoes not augur well for a country riddled with millions of mines.
\nThe world body's decision comes in the wake of the tragic killing
\nof one of its aid workers of French origin over the weekend and
\nthe snatching of a UN vehicle at gunpoint on Monday in Ghazni,
\nsouth of Kabul.<\/p>\n
The two incidents show once again the extent of insecurity in
\nthe country beyond Kabul, which has become relatively safe since
\nthe deployment of the Nato-led International Security Assistance
\nForce (ISAF). Time and again it has been argued that the scope
\nand the mandate of ISAF - or some such multinational peacekeeping
\nforce - should be widened to enable it to be deployed across
\nAfghanistan. This will ensure a minimum of unhindered activity by
\nvarious NGOs and UN agencies, on whose work a majority of Afghans
\ndepend for subsistence.<\/p>\n
Afghanistan today needs all the assistance it can get from the
\ninternational community to recover from the devastating effects
\nof two decades of war and civil war that have left its physical
\nand social infrastructure in a shambles.<\/p>\n
The first priority of the government in Kabul and ISAF should
\nbe to rebuild the country's damaged infrastructure and provide
\nsuccor to the people. To return life to a semblance of normality,
\nthe warlords need to be somehow neutralized and prevented from
\ncausing trouble.<\/p>\n
The recent attacks on international relief agencies and NGO
\npersonnel, who have no agenda other than to help the destitute,
\npoint to the law of the jungle being the rule of the day in
\nAfghanistan. It is the responsibility of the nations that pledged
\nmoral and material aid to the ravaged country at Berlin two years
\nago to see to it that some degree of peace and security returns
\nto Afghanistan sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
-- The Dawn, Karachi<\/p>\n
Victory for the people PRIORITAS<\/p>\n
The Central Jakarta District Court turned down on Wednesday
\nSinivasan Marimutu's lawsuit against Tempo weekly magazine. The
\nsame panel of judges -- on the same day -- also agreed to
\nSinivasan's request to withdraw the lawsuit his company (PT
\nTexmaco Group) had filed against Kompas daily.<\/p>\n
The court's decisions, like candlelight in the dark for the
\nnation, boosted the hope that efforts to build a better Indonesia
\nin the future are not futile.<\/p>\n
It is not just because the court favored Tempo, Kompas or the
\nnational press community. It is because the court has just
\nfavored the people of Indonesia, who should no longer worry about
\nlosing access to information in the public domain.<\/p>\n
It is true that the national press was shocked upon learning
\nthe plaintiffs' demand for a huge sum in compensation. There is
\nalso a belief among the public that court decisions depend more
\non the size of the bribe offered (to law enforcers) than the
\nevidence under consideration.<\/p>\n
Wednesday's verdicts indicate strongly that we still have
\nbright judges who want the public to enjoy the right to
\ninformation, as stipulated in Law No. 40\/1999 on the press.<\/p>\n
We do hope that in the future the courts will use the press
\nlaw to deal with press-related cases on the basis of lex
\nspecialis or special law, which involves special professions,
\ninstead of lex generalis or (general) criminal law.<\/p>\n
-- Koran Tempo, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Warning for tardy
\ncivil servants<\/p>\n
Civil servants who fail to return to work in the days after
\nthe Idul Fitri holiday will be punished. State Minister of
\nAdministrative Reforms Feisal Tamin revealed the government's
\npolicy on Monday, saying that anyone not on official leave must
\nbe at their desk on Dec. 1, 2003.<\/p>\n
Idul Fitri will fall on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26, but the
\ngovernment has declared an extended holiday, from Nov. 22 through
\nNov. 30, meaning that the total holiday for civil servants will
\nbe nine days. With such a policy -- hopefully -- all government
\noffice employees will have no reason to skip work after the
\nholiday has ended.<\/p>\n
Feisal's intentions could be achieved if a monitoring system,
\ninvolving the public, were run properly, because electronic
\nattendance records can be manipulated.<\/p>\n
The bosses (at state institutions or offices) usually want
\ntheir offices to look clean and disciplined; therefore, there is
\na possibility that they may be concealing the fact that many of
\ntheir staff are unpunctual.<\/p>\n
Almost all government offices are usually empty on the days
\nfollowing the Idul Fitri festivities. A few workers turn up at
\nthe office just to greet each other, with no sanctions taken
\nagainst those who fail to show up on work days after Idul Fitri.<\/p>\n
-- Warta Kota, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Firecracker menace<\/p>\n
Year in year and year out the guilty parties are the same --
\nthe people who peddle the illegal stuff and the parents who never
\nlearn. Sometimes images in the newspapers of children with
\nfingers maimed and faces burnt do not shock anymore because it
\nhappens with alarming regularity, particularly as Hari Raya
\napproaches. But it could be our son on that hospital bed with
\neyes patched, face scarred and fingers blown off.<\/p>\n
The peculiar aspect of firecracker mishaps is that most, if
\nnot all, of the casualties are Malays. Does this mean that they
\nare more mischievous than others or are they simply more foolish?
\nPerhaps both. Strict parental control and supervision are needed
\nif such accidents are to be curbed.<\/p>\n
In the first place firecrackers are banned. Yet children have
\naccess to them and have the means to acquire them, showing that
\nthere are people out to make a fast buck by breaking the law at
\nthe expense of fun-loving kids. And parents cannot plead
\nignorance because, firstly, it is their money that children use
\nto buy the firecrackers. Secondly, playing with firecrackers is a
\nnoisy affair and there is no way children can indulge in it
\ndiscreetly or undetected.<\/p>\n
Parental supervision is therefore a most important element if
\nmeasures to curb firecracker injuries are to be successful.
\nStrict enforcement too is needed for the supply lines to be cut.
\nBut ultimately, the fight against this menace can only be won by
\neliminating the demand.<\/p>\n
-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
The second six months for Aceh<\/p>\n
As the first six-month military operation in Aceh has yet to
\ncrush the rebellious activities of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM),
\nthe government has decided to extend the operation for another
\nsix months.<\/p>\n
The second, six-month period of martial law started on
\nWednesday, based on Presidential Decree No. 97\/2003, which
\nlegalizes an integrated operation, to include economic recovery,
\nlaw enforcement and security restoration, as well as
\nadministrative order.<\/p>\n
Rumors have it that martial law in Aceh will affect people's
\nrights in the 2004 general elections, because of the military's
\npresence. Therefore, it is feared that the elections will not run
\nsmoothly in Aceh.<\/p>\n
To counter the rumors, Coordinating Minister for Social and
\nPolitical Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono plans to hold an open
\ndialog with the General Elections Committee (KPU), the Elections
\nSupervisory Committee and several Aceh-based, non-governmental
\norganizations. The meeting will also involve the Aceh governor
\nand police and military chiefs.<\/p>\n
Apart from the question of whether or not the military
\noperation or the general elections will be a success in Aceh,
\nthere are 1,686 family refugees -- 7,202 people -- who cannot
\nobserve the Idul Fitri holiday at their villages. Celebrating
\nIdul Fitri in refugee camps will be a miserable experience for
\nthem.<\/p>\n
-- Harian Ekonomi Neraca, Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/old-crime-new-crisis-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }