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View all search resultsLetter: Peace efforts in Middle East
I refer to “US push for Middle East peace talks floundering” (www
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I
refer to “US push for Middle East peace talks floundering” (www.thejakartapost.com, July 9).
The European Union and Russia, the so-called quartet, can well be gagged by the fact that when it came to appointing their joint peace envoy for Middle East, they could find no better person than former British prime minister Tony Blair.
After Tony Blair was chased out of 10 Downing Street by the British people, his accomplice George Bush, the then president of the US said that he saw a role for Tony Blair in the Middle East and within no time, Tony Blair was appointed as a peace envoy representing the quartet.
It was this same person — Tony Blair — among others, who vehemently opposed Turkey’s entry into the European Union and even went so far as to say: “I don’t want a Muslim state in the middle of Europe”.
That such a person would do for the betterment of Palestinians’ plight was a foregone conclusion.
The US is the main backer of Israel which gives it massive financial and military aid, in addition to providing support at every forum, including United Nations Security Council where it vetoes any resolution which is even slightly critical of Israel. Same is the case with other major European countries who have pledged unflinching support for Israel.
The influence of pro-Israel lobbies, especially the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on the US is so much that even the top leaders, including the President, dare not say or do any thing against it.
US President Barack Obama tried to make a break from this by demanding that Israel freeze new settlements on illegally occupied Palestinians territory by insisting “freeze means freeze”, but under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other sources, tamely abandoned his strong, principled stand on settlements and decided to toe the line.
Moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cooperated as much as he could with Israel but has finally abandoned the hope of reaching a meaningful peace agreement due to Israeli intransigence.
So much so that in desperation, Mahmoud Abbas has even decided not to stand in any future presidential election.
Turkey has very close relations with Israel but that did not stop Israelis from killing nine Turks, who were in the peace flotilla that was taking essential supplies to the besieged people of Gaza.
To make it worse, the Israelis refuse even to apologize for it. How they would they poor Palestinian is not very difficult to imagine.
If the Europeans and the US want meaningful peace negotiations, they have got to put at least a minimum pressure on Israel to make it behave. In the absence of any such thing, seeking recognition through the United Nations is the only option left for the Palestinians.
S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi
I refer to “US push for Middle East peace talks floundering” (www.thejakartapost.com, July 9).
The European Union and Russia, the so-called quartet, can well be gagged by the fact that when it came to appointing their joint peace envoy for Middle East, they could find no better person than former British prime minister Tony Blair.
After Tony Blair was chased out of 10 Downing Street by the British people, his accomplice George Bush, the then president of the US said that he saw a role for Tony Blair in the Middle East and within no time, Tony Blair was appointed as a peace envoy representing the quartet.
It was this same person — Tony Blair — among others, who vehemently opposed Turkey’s entry into the European Union and even went so far as to say: “I don’t want a Muslim state in the middle of Europe”.
That such a person would do for the betterment of Palestinians’ plight was a foregone conclusion.
The US is the main backer of Israel which gives it massive financial and military aid, in addition to providing support at every forum, including United Nations Security Council where it vetoes any resolution which is even slightly critical of Israel. Same is the case with other major European countries who have pledged unflinching support for Israel.
The influence of pro-Israel lobbies, especially the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on the US is so much that even the top leaders, including the President, dare not say or do any thing against it.
US President Barack Obama tried to make a break from this by demanding that Israel freeze new settlements on illegally occupied Palestinians territory by insisting “freeze means freeze”, but under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other sources, tamely abandoned his strong, principled stand on settlements and decided to toe the line.
Moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cooperated as much as he could with Israel but has finally abandoned the hope of reaching a meaningful peace agreement due to Israeli intransigence.
So much so that in desperation, Mahmoud Abbas has even decided not to stand in any future presidential election.
Turkey has very close relations with Israel but that did not stop Israelis from killing nine Turks, who were in the peace flotilla that was taking essential supplies to the besieged people of Gaza.
To make it worse, the Israelis refuse even to apologize for it. How they would they poor Palestinian is not very difficult to imagine.
If the Europeans and the US want meaningful peace negotiations, they have got to put at least a minimum pressure on Israel to make it behave. In the absence of any such thing, seeking recognition through the United Nations is the only option left for the Palestinians.
S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi
Discrimination in Borobudur
On Saturday, July 9, 2011, I visited the world famous Borobudur temple in Central Java and found that the management of the Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko tourist destinations was shamelessly and blatantly practicing racial discrimination, by making people who look foreign pay around seven times the price of the already pricey tickets that people who looked Indonesian had to pay.
This discrimination is in contempt of Indonesian law, because we ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1965, with the publishing of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia, Number 29 Year 1999 (UU RI 29/1999).
I tried to inform the management of Borobudur that they were breaking the laws of our country, and that the institutionalized discrimination that they were practicing was a disgrace, but the two managers that met, Iwan Meilana and Urip Nugroho, stubbornly refused to cease the institutionalized discrimination their company was practicing.
Even after I presented a printed version of the Anti Discrimination Act, they chose to persist in their actions in full knowledge that they were acting in contempt of Indonesian law.
I understand that the Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko tourist destinations are fat cash-cows for the company that manages them, but institutionalized discrimination must end. Many tourists will be willing to pay the discriminative charges, but if you are a tourist visiting these places, and you do not support racism and discrimination, please, raise your voice and protest the shameless racism that the management of Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko is illegally practicing. Racism and discrimination is illegal in Indonesia.
Bramantyo Prijosusilo.
Yogyakarta
Sentenced to death for black magic
I quote: “Sumartini binti Manaongi Gaisung and Warnah, who were both sentenced to death for practicing black magic” (“Activists push govt as maids face S. Arabia death sentence”, The Jakarta Post, July 5).
Incredible that anyone in the 21st century believes that black magic is anything more than sick people preying on the superstitions of others.
Even more incredible is the fact that any government anywhere in the 21st century can have laws that make “black magic” a criminal act.
All this tends to confirm that Saudi Arabia is still locked in the medieval past. Public beheading only further confirms their lack of intellectual modernization, locked in a time warp.
Of course when one voluntarily goes to another country, it is necessary to accept that you are subject to the laws of that country.
Furthermore, there is a moral obligation to accept the culture of that country. But one has to question whether the Indonesian workers who go to Saudi Arabia are fully briefed on both the law and culture.
Did the maids now on death row know that “black magic” was punishable by death, by public beheading? I doubt it. Are Indonesian maids going to Saudi Arabia briefed on the risk of rape and other abuse by Saudi men and how the law in such cases is biased against females?
Under the circumstances there is a clear need for the Indonesian government to take issue with the death penalty for black magic in this case. In the long term, I think that Indonesia should impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia and discourage Indonesian maids from working there.
Saudi Arabia has already saved the Indonesian government the trouble by banning Indonesian maids so makes it easy now to mirror that action.
Keep in mind we are talking about a clash of culture, a clash of values between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. But alarmingly, it is this ancient medieval culture that is being promoted for transplant to Indonesia and that to me is scary.
Indonesia is sufficiently diverse and sophisticated to be able to say “no” to Saudi culture and values, both in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. I encourage the Indonesian government to work swiftly to save these maids from a totally unjust death.
No one should be jailed in the 21st century for practicing black magic.
Nairdah
Sydney
Text your say
Issues of the day
Comments on other issues
Send your reports, letters or comments on our articles and other
issues to readersforum@thejakartapost.com or comment directly
on any article at www.thejakartapost.com. Reports and letters should contain the writer’s name, address, and phone number.
All submissions are subject to editing
Poor Cabinet performance
That’s his own mistake.
Ika Rosalia
It is an indicator of a weak boss.
Saruhum Rambe
Blaming his ministers will only lead to another political upheaval that has nothing to do with people’s welfare.
Alif Ilham Syah
He is a defective leader!
Riza Fahmy Holil
Mr. President has been too soft. Take strict action.
Indra Wahyudin
I think he has to reconsider calling himself a leader.
Gom Marbun
Fire them if they cannot do their work well!
Elisabeth van der Horst
Yogyakarta
As in companies, any jobs given to managers will be evaluated periodically and, if it is necessary, a correction is needed to make sure that the goal will be achieved.
Eddy Arjuna Zainy
Bekasi, West Java
SBY has the luxury of having a religious affairs ministry, but worshippers celebrated Holy Communion on a sidewalk because their church was sealed off.
These worshippers are sons and daughters of our political/national veterans who fought for a democratic RI (not a religious state). Do we have to wake up Pak Soeharto from his grave?
Shame on us all!
Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta
This might mean that our President only implemented less than 50 percent of what the people needed and hoped for.
Juli Mardi
Pekan Baru
Your comments on a statement made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that more than 50 percent of his instructions have not been implemented by his ministers:
AP/Lai Seng Sin
Demanding fair elections: Malaysian activists from Coalition for Clean Fair Elections (Bersih) run away from tear gas fired by riot police during a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, July 9, 2011. Police fired tear gas and detained hundreds of activists as those demonstrators massed across Malaysia’s main city, demanding electoral reforms.
KL fires tear gas at protest, arrests 1,667
July 9, Online
Police fired tear gas and detained hundreds of activists as more than 20,000 demonstrators massed Saturday across Malaysia’s main city demanding electoral reforms in the country’s biggest political rally in years.
The opposition-backed rally was the culmination of weeks of intense pressure on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s long-ruling coalition to make election laws fairer and more transparent ahead of national polls widely expected by mid-2012.
Demonstrators marched in defiance of Najib’s administration, which has declared the rally illegal and warned people repeatedly to avoid it.
Opposition leaders accuse Najib’s National Front coalition of relying on fraud to preserve its 54-year grip on power, which has been eroded in recent years amid mounting complaints about corruption and racial discrimination. The government insists the current electoral policies are evenhanded.
The federal police force said in a statement that it detained 670 people (media reports say 1,667) in a clampdown called “Operation Erase Bersih”, referring to the Bersih coalition of civic groups organizing the rally.
Those arrested included several senior opposition officials.
Your comments:
Bersih 2.0 expected 100,000 to join them but maybe only 30,000 did.
The quickest and easiest RM200 I made last week by the courtesy of Bersih.
I thought that I and my friends were the only ones who skipped the rally after receiving our RM200 but it looks like 70,000 others had the same idea.
Can’t wait for Bersih 3.0, hopefully the PKR may up it to RM500 by then.
Din
Kuantan, Malaysia
The entrenched leaders are naive, clueless and totally misled not to mention greedy.
The future is with the young.
Ben
Sabah
What excuse do the police have for firing tear gas into a hospital compound?
Nina
Kuala Lumpur
When the public is still arguing whether or not people are allowed to hold a protest instead of debating the issue they’re protesting
about, you have a long way to go to real democracy.
Jon
Jakarta
Why are you holding up the election, Prime Minister Najib?
If you believe you have done
such a good job and claimed the Bersih march was a failure, call new elections and get a new fresh mandate from voters, then Bersih would shut up if you win in a clean and fair election.
Neni
Indonesia
The police did not fire tear gas and water at the Bersih/Opposition group but the police fired tear gas and aimed their water cannons at the pro-government group to stop them from reaching and physically engaging with the Bersih demonstrators.
The pro-government guys assembled themselves as soon as they heard that the Bersih/Opposition group decided to proceed with their demonstration.
Nikmat
Kuala Lumpur
News without a leg to stand on will get around some other way. Never give up your rights and get rid of the unelected dictator.
Klen
Bandung
Now the Malaysian government has shown the world that there is
no freedom of expression for the
opposition.
The police fired tear gas at
protesters just because they were there, a regular tactic used by oppressive governments to deliberately start chaos.
In democratic countries where street rallies are citizens’ right, the police guard and direct the crowd to keep them safe. They only use force if violence breaks.
Ian
London
Djohar named
new PSSI chief
July 9, Online
Djohar Arifin Husin will be the next chief of the Indonesian Soccer Association, after trouncing challengers in two rounds of voting at the Hotel Sunan in Surakarta, Central Java, on Saturday.
The Youth and Sports Ministry special staff member, backed by the reformist Group 78, captured 61 votes to the 31 votes won by second place finisher, Agusman Effendi, who was backed by the supporters of former chairman Nurdin Halid.
Your comments:
So, finally, the success of the PSSI to elect its chairman is expected to end the poor performance of the National Soccer Team. Mr. Johar, God bless you. Make the Indonesian team more powerful.
Ajo Johan
Jakarta
It takes more than just good leadership for that to happen: discipline, fair play and no corruption.
So I doubt you will ever see an Indonesian team make it into the World Cup!
Komang Sri
Bali
I hope he can lead our PSSI in good way so that he would be able
to bring our national team to the World Cup.
Panca
Jakarta
Reject Indonesian corruption criminals
July 6, p. 2
When reading the statement by Singapore’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday that said one of Indonesia’s most wanted fugitives, Nazaruddin, had left Singapore before the Corruption Eradication (KPK) declared him a suspect in a sports facility development project, I remembered a recent conversation with a chauvinistic friend.
The Singapore government’s statement was clearly a response to mounting condemnation from our political leaders and elites who without thinking made their own conclusion that Nazaruddin was now under Singapore’s protection.
Millions of Indonesians have accepted the government’s story that a major portion of Singapore’s wealth derives from Indonesia and that Singapore could not survive without Indonesia and that the city-state provides red carpet welcomes to mega wealthy corrupt Indonesians as long as they bring their money with them. (By Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta)
Your comments:
What about asking his lawyer to pay for the crime he has done.
The lawyer made a statement that his client was ready to answer all questions in Singapore. I guess that won’t happen either.
Lina
Banjar, South Kalimantan
Most people are misled by the government and self-serving politicians and guided by the narrow view of nationalism. Let us ask ourselves this question: Does any country in this world owe us the obligation to deny entry to any corrupt people from Indonesia?
And can we then blame them for harboring corrupt people and “hampering” our efforts in clearing corruption from this country? The answer is no! No country has that obligation to voluntarily do that except if the originating country makes a request.
This is done many times between countries to block unfavorable
politicians entering a particular country, just an example! Let’s turn the question back on ourselves: Are efforts to clean corruption from this country always hampered by corrupt officials and poor monitoring and implementation of laws and regulations?
Salau
Yogyakarta
The problem is the crooks are actually becoming investors in the Singaporean economy.
Francisca
Singapore
tjpforum tjpforum SMS +628111872772 readersforum@thejakartapost.com
SMS
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Send your thoughts by email, SMS, Twitter or Facebook.
Include your name and city.
The European Union and Russia, the so-called quartet, can well be gagged by the fact that when it came to appointing their joint peace envoy for Middle East, they could find no better person than former British prime minister Tony Blair.
After Tony Blair was chased out of 10 Downing Street by the British people, his accomplice George Bush, the then president of the US said that he saw a role for Tony Blair in the Middle East and within no time, Tony Blair was appointed as a peace envoy representing the quartet.
It was this same person — Tony Blair — among others, who vehemently opposed Turkey’s entry into the European Union and even went so far as to say: “I don’t want a Muslim state in the middle of Europe”.
That such a person would do for the betterment of Palestinians’ plight was a foregone conclusion.
The US is the main backer of Israel which gives it massive financial and military aid, in addition to providing support at every forum, including United Nations Security Council where it vetoes any resolution which is even slightly critical of Israel. Same is the case with other major European countries who have pledged unflinching support for Israel.
The influence of pro-Israel lobbies, especially the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on the US is so much that even the top leaders, including the President, dare not say or do any thing against it.
US President Barack Obama tried to make a break from this by demanding that Israel freeze new settlements on illegally occupied Palestinians territory by insisting “freeze means freeze”, but under pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other sources, tamely abandoned his strong, principled stand on settlements and decided to toe the line.
Moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cooperated as much as he could with Israel but has finally abandoned the hope of reaching a meaningful peace agreement due to Israeli intransigence.
So much so that in desperation, Mahmoud Abbas has even decided not to stand in any future presidential election.
Turkey has very close relations with Israel but that did not stop Israelis from killing nine Turks, who were in the peace flotilla that was taking essential supplies to the besieged people of Gaza.
To make it worse, the Israelis refuse even to apologize for it. How they would they poor Palestinian is not very difficult to imagine.
If the Europeans and the US want meaningful peace negotiations, they have got to put at least a minimum pressure on Israel to make it behave. In the absence of any such thing, seeking recognition through the United Nations is the only option left for the Palestinians.
S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi
Discrimination in Borobudur
On Saturday, July 9, 2011, I visited the world famous Borobudur temple in Central Java and found that the management of the Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko tourist destinations was shamelessly and blatantly practicing racial discrimination, by making people who look foreign pay around seven times the price of the already pricey tickets that people who looked Indonesian had to pay.
This discrimination is in contempt of Indonesian law, because we ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1965, with the publishing of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia, Number 29 Year 1999 (UU RI 29/1999).
I tried to inform the management of Borobudur that they were breaking the laws of our country, and that the institutionalized discrimination that they were practicing was a disgrace, but the two managers that met, Iwan Meilana and Urip Nugroho, stubbornly refused to cease the institutionalized discrimination their company was practicing.
Even after I presented a printed version of the Anti Discrimination Act, they chose to persist in their actions in full knowledge that they were acting in contempt of Indonesian law.
I understand that the Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko tourist destinations are fat cash-cows for the company that manages them, but institutionalized discrimination must end. Many tourists will be willing to pay the discriminative charges, but if you are a tourist visiting these places, and you do not support racism and discrimination, please, raise your voice and protest the shameless racism that the management of Borobudur-Prambanan-Ratu Boko is illegally practicing. Racism and discrimination is illegal in Indonesia.
Bramantyo Prijosusilo.
Yogyakarta
Sentenced to death for black magic
I quote: “Sumartini binti Manaongi Gaisung and Warnah, who were both sentenced to death for practicing black magic” (“Activists push govt as maids face S. Arabia death sentence”, The Jakarta Post, July 5).
Incredible that anyone in the 21st century believes that black magic is anything more than sick people preying on the superstitions of others.
Even more incredible is the fact that any government anywhere in the 21st century can have laws that make “black magic” a criminal act.
All this tends to confirm that Saudi Arabia is still locked in the medieval past. Public beheading only further confirms their lack of intellectual modernization, locked in a time warp.
Of course when one voluntarily goes to another country, it is necessary to accept that you are subject to the laws of that country.
Furthermore, there is a moral obligation to accept the culture of that country. But one has to question whether the Indonesian workers who go to Saudi Arabia are fully briefed on both the law and culture.
Did the maids now on death row know that “black magic” was punishable by death, by public beheading? I doubt it. Are Indonesian maids going to Saudi Arabia briefed on the risk of rape and other abuse by Saudi men and how the law in such cases is biased against females?
Under the circumstances there is a clear need for the Indonesian government to take issue with the death penalty for black magic in this case. In the long term, I think that Indonesia should impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia and discourage Indonesian maids from working there.
Saudi Arabia has already saved the Indonesian government the trouble by banning Indonesian maids so makes it easy now to mirror that action.
Keep in mind we are talking about a clash of culture, a clash of values between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. But alarmingly, it is this ancient medieval culture that is being promoted for transplant to Indonesia and that to me is scary.
Indonesia is sufficiently diverse and sophisticated to be able to say “no” to Saudi culture and values, both in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. I encourage the Indonesian government to work swiftly to save these maids from a totally unjust death.
No one should be jailed in the 21st century for practicing black magic.
Nairdah
Sydney
Text your say
Issues of the day
Comments on other issues
Send your reports, letters or comments on our articles and other
issues to readersforum@thejakartapost.com or comment directly
on any article at www.thejakartapost.com. Reports and letters should contain the writer’s name, address, and phone number.
All submissions are subject to editing
Poor Cabinet performance
That’s his own mistake.
Ika Rosalia
It is an indicator of a weak boss.
Saruhum Rambe
Blaming his ministers will only lead to another political upheaval that has nothing to do with people’s welfare.
Alif Ilham Syah
He is a defective leader!
Riza Fahmy Holil
Mr. President has been too soft. Take strict action.
Indra Wahyudin
I think he has to reconsider calling himself a leader.
Gom Marbun
Fire them if they cannot do their work well!
Elisabeth van der Horst
Yogyakarta
As in companies, any jobs given to managers will be evaluated periodically and, if it is necessary, a correction is needed to make sure that the goal will be achieved.
Eddy Arjuna Zainy
Bekasi, West Java
SBY has the luxury of having a religious affairs ministry, but worshippers celebrated Holy Communion on a sidewalk because their church was sealed off.
These worshippers are sons and daughters of our political/national veterans who fought for a democratic RI (not a religious state). Do we have to wake up Pak Soeharto from his grave?
Shame on us all!
Moeljono Adikoesoemo
Jakarta
This might mean that our President only implemented less than 50 percent of what the people needed and hoped for.
Juli Mardi
Pekan Baru
Your comments on a statement made by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that more than 50 percent of his instructions have not been implemented by his ministers:
AP/Lai Seng Sin
Demanding fair elections: Malaysian activists from Coalition for Clean Fair Elections (Bersih) run away from tear gas fired by riot police during a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, July 9, 2011. Police fired tear gas and detained hundreds of activists as those demonstrators massed across Malaysia’s main city, demanding electoral reforms.
KL fires tear gas at protest, arrests 1,667
July 9, Online
Police fired tear gas and detained hundreds of activists as more than 20,000 demonstrators massed Saturday across Malaysia’s main city demanding electoral reforms in the country’s biggest political rally in years.
The opposition-backed rally was the culmination of weeks of intense pressure on Prime Minister Najib Razak’s long-ruling coalition to make election laws fairer and more transparent ahead of national polls widely expected by mid-2012.
Demonstrators marched in defiance of Najib’s administration, which has declared the rally illegal and warned people repeatedly to avoid it.
Opposition leaders accuse Najib’s National Front coalition of relying on fraud to preserve its 54-year grip on power, which has been eroded in recent years amid mounting complaints about corruption and racial discrimination. The government insists the current electoral policies are evenhanded.
The federal police force said in a statement that it detained 670 people (media reports say 1,667) in a clampdown called “Operation Erase Bersih”, referring to the Bersih coalition of civic groups organizing the rally.
Those arrested included several senior opposition officials.
Your comments:
Bersih 2.0 expected 100,000 to join them but maybe only 30,000 did.
The quickest and easiest RM200 I made last week by the courtesy of Bersih.
I thought that I and my friends were the only ones who skipped the rally after receiving our RM200 but it looks like 70,000 others had the same idea.
Can’t wait for Bersih 3.0, hopefully the PKR may up it to RM500 by then.
Din
Kuantan, Malaysia
The entrenched leaders are naive, clueless and totally misled not to mention greedy.
The future is with the young.
Ben
Sabah
What excuse do the police have for firing tear gas into a hospital compound?
Nina
Kuala Lumpur
When the public is still arguing whether or not people are allowed to hold a protest instead of debating the issue they’re protesting
about, you have a long way to go to real democracy.
Jon
Jakarta
Why are you holding up the election, Prime Minister Najib?
If you believe you have done
such a good job and claimed the Bersih march was a failure, call new elections and get a new fresh mandate from voters, then Bersih would shut up if you win in a clean and fair election.
Neni
Indonesia
The police did not fire tear gas and water at the Bersih/Opposition group but the police fired tear gas and aimed their water cannons at the pro-government group to stop them from reaching and physically engaging with the Bersih demonstrators.
The pro-government guys assembled themselves as soon as they heard that the Bersih/Opposition group decided to proceed with their demonstration.
Nikmat
Kuala Lumpur
News without a leg to stand on will get around some other way. Never give up your rights and get rid of the unelected dictator.
Klen
Bandung
Now the Malaysian government has shown the world that there is
no freedom of expression for the
opposition.
The police fired tear gas at
protesters just because they were there, a regular tactic used by oppressive governments to deliberately start chaos.
In democratic countries where street rallies are citizens’ right, the police guard and direct the crowd to keep them safe. They only use force if violence breaks.
Ian
London
Djohar named
new PSSI chief
July 9, Online
Djohar Arifin Husin will be the next chief of the Indonesian Soccer Association, after trouncing challengers in two rounds of voting at the Hotel Sunan in Surakarta, Central Java, on Saturday.
The Youth and Sports Ministry special staff member, backed by the reformist Group 78, captured 61 votes to the 31 votes won by second place finisher, Agusman Effendi, who was backed by the supporters of former chairman Nurdin Halid.
Your comments:
So, finally, the success of the PSSI to elect its chairman is expected to end the poor performance of the National Soccer Team. Mr. Johar, God bless you. Make the Indonesian team more powerful.
Ajo Johan
Jakarta
It takes more than just good leadership for that to happen: discipline, fair play and no corruption.
So I doubt you will ever see an Indonesian team make it into the World Cup!
Komang Sri
Bali
I hope he can lead our PSSI in good way so that he would be able
to bring our national team to the World Cup.
Panca
Jakarta
Reject Indonesian corruption criminals
July 6, p. 2
When reading the statement by Singapore’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday that said one of Indonesia’s most wanted fugitives, Nazaruddin, had left Singapore before the Corruption Eradication (KPK) declared him a suspect in a sports facility development project, I remembered a recent conversation with a chauvinistic friend.
The Singapore government’s statement was clearly a response to mounting condemnation from our political leaders and elites who without thinking made their own conclusion that Nazaruddin was now under Singapore’s protection.
Millions of Indonesians have accepted the government’s story that a major portion of Singapore’s wealth derives from Indonesia and that Singapore could not survive without Indonesia and that the city-state provides red carpet welcomes to mega wealthy corrupt Indonesians as long as they bring their money with them. (By Kornelius Purba, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta)
Your comments:
What about asking his lawyer to pay for the crime he has done.
The lawyer made a statement that his client was ready to answer all questions in Singapore. I guess that won’t happen either.
Lina
Banjar, South Kalimantan
Most people are misled by the government and self-serving politicians and guided by the narrow view of nationalism. Let us ask ourselves this question: Does any country in this world owe us the obligation to deny entry to any corrupt people from Indonesia?
And can we then blame them for harboring corrupt people and “hampering” our efforts in clearing corruption from this country? The answer is no! No country has that obligation to voluntarily do that except if the originating country makes a request.
This is done many times between countries to block unfavorable
politicians entering a particular country, just an example! Let’s turn the question back on ourselves: Are efforts to clean corruption from this country always hampered by corrupt officials and poor monitoring and implementation of laws and regulations?
Salau
Yogyakarta
The problem is the crooks are actually becoming investors in the Singaporean economy.
Francisca
Singapore
tjpforum tjpforum SMS +628111872772 readersforum@thejakartapost.com
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A new world record for the largest angklung assemble was set in Washington, DC, by a group of 5,182 people of various nationalities who banded together to play the Indonesian bamboo instruments in concert. What do you think?
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