KPU hosts dialog with campaigners
JAKARTA: The General Elections Commission (KPU) hosted on Friday a dialog between 44 professional and community organizations and campaign teams of all presidential candidates in the July 5 elections.
KPU member Valina Singka Subekti said the forum would help the organizations become better acquainted with the presidential candidates.
"We also hope the organizations can provide information for their members about the presidential election. It will curb the number of absentee voters," she said in a statement.
Among the organizations represented were the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI), the Indonesian Chamber of Trade and Commerce (KADIN), the Voice of Caring Mothers (SIP) and the Association of Indonesian Movie Artists (Parfi). -- JP
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Journalists file protest
JAKARTA: Dozens of employees of PT Berita Media Buana Pers (PT BMBP) which publishes Berita Buana daily, came to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Friday to file a complaint against businessman Nirwan Dermawan Bakrie.
The employees, including the paper's journalists, accused Nirwan, the president of PT Bakrie Capital Indonesia that holds the majority share in PT BMBP, of violating Article 23 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights that ensures people's right to a better career and good payment without discrimination.
"We had been working without payment since October last year, until the company stopped publishing the paper in March. The employer refused to pay compensation, but asked us to voluntarily resign," employee' representative, Ayid Suyitno, told Komnas HAM deputy chairman Amidhan.
Ayid said as of April the company owed Rp 4.5 billion (US$489,130) in unpaid salaries and compensation to the employees. -- JP
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IOM to host police workshop
JAKARTA: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will host a five-day workshop for 40 police officers who are members of the Counter-trafficking Unit.
Funded by New Zealand AID, the workshop will be held in Jakarta from June 15 to June 19. It will be the second workshop funded by New Zealand in two weeks.
The workshop is designed to help police officers understand the concept of human trafficking; learn about various forms of trafficking in Indonesia; learn basic investigative techniques and understand the provisions of the Criminal Code and other laws that could be used to investigate trafficking crimes.
Indonesia recognized that human trafficking constituted a gross violation of human rights in 2002. --JP
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RI to observe blood donor day
JAKARTA: Indonesia will observe every June 14 as Blood Donor Day, which will be marked this year by the signing of an agreement between the government, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Yuyun Soedarmono, director of PMI's blood transfusion division, said the day would be dedicated to blood donors across the country.
Organizers have chosen the theme for the initial commemoration: Blood, a gift for life. Thank You.
There are only five blood donors for every 1,000 people in the country, who donate 1.2 million blood bags per year, well below the WHO target of 4 million for Indonesia.
Around 80 percent of blood comes from voluntary donors, while the rest is from families of patients. -- JP
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Three rebels killed in Aceh
JAKARTA: Indonesian Military soldiers have killed three suspected separatist rebels in the latest violence in Aceh province, an officer said Friday.
The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) guerrillas died in a gun battle on Thursday in Central Aceh district, said Lt. Col. Asep Sapari, the provincial military spokesman.
Troops seized one pistol from the dead men, he said. -- AFP