W

ith more twists and turns than the road to Puncak Pass in the hills of West Java, the political-legal drama involving Democratic Party chief Anas Urbaningrum took another dramatic, albeit not necessarily unexpected, turn this week.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Johan Budi on Friday announced that Anas had been named a suspect for allegedly taking bribes in relation to the construction of the Hambalang sports complex.

“The KPK’s preliminary investigation has found strong evidence that shows the suspect’s involvement in a bribery case and other cases related to the construction of the Hambalang sports center,” Johan said.

This latest development thickens the plot and dims the image of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s party since several key party figures have been implicated in the corruption case, including the Democratic Party’s former treasurer, Muhammad Nazaruddin, and former youth and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng.

Just five days earlier, Yudhoyono, in his usual risk-averse style, succeeded in temporarily patching the internal rift in his party by insisting that he never had any intention of ousting Anas.

Yudhoyono’s back-down, however, was as much about self-preservation as it was about uniting the party, as it was believed that the anti-Anas camp would have likely lost in a vote at an extraordinary congress to oust Anas.

With Anas now effectively preoccupied with his legal wrangle, pro-SBY supporters will likely have a free hand in the party as had been their intent all along.

The KPK’s decision will no doubt spark further debate in regards to “politicalization” of the Commission, as friction and quiet accusations emerged among KPK leaders during this case.

A leaked KPK “document” naming Anas a graft suspect had emerged the previous week. The rift became apparent after commissioners made contradictory statements on the document.

Only three KPK commissioners, chairman Abraham Samad and commissioners Adnan Pandu Praja and Zulkarnain had signed the document, while the columns for commissioners Bambang Widjojanto and Busyro Muqoddas were left blank.

Speculation was rife that Busyro was reluctant to sign the document given his ties to the Association of Islamic Students (HMI), of which Anas served as chairman between 1997 and 1999. Meanwhile, Bambang wanted the KPK to build a stronger case against Anas before naming him a suspect.

Adnan then withdrew his signature after learning that the KPK had not held a case presentation attended by all commissioners, as required. The only thing certain for now is that more drama will unfold in the months to come.

As the nation was gripped in a pathetic political soap opera, more disconcerting news slipped under the radar.

One of these was the continued persecution of religious groups in a country that prides itself on its diversity.

In several parts of the country, members of several beleaguered Christian congregations defied the perils of new Molotov cocktail attacks and violent threats.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, five churches were attacked by vigilantes wielding Molotov cocktails.

In Tambora, West Jakarta, Damai Kristus Catholic Church also held Sunday services, despite threats from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) to use force to disperse the congregation.

The hard-line group, some of whose members have engaged in vigilante violence against those who they deemed were in violation of the law, have alleged that the church lacked the necessary permit to operate. Local FPI members visited the church on Friday to tell its minister and congregation to not build a church and that the use of an unlicensed building for worship would not be tolerated.

The events are a continuation of the depressing trend of threats against churches. According to sources, in 2012 there were 75 recorded cases of threats or attacks against churches across Indonesia. The most distressing matter that has failed to capture the headlines above the din of political drama has been the alarming increase of child abuse cases.

Data from the Greater Jakarta area shows that last year there were 2,637 reported child abuse cases, of which 1,075 of these incorporated a sexual dimension.

This represents a significant and steady jump from the 1,500 cases in 2009 and 2,508 in 2011. Over 80 percent of the child abuse cases had occurred in the lower strata of society. Sexually related crimes ranged from sodomy, to rape, molestation and incest.

These reported incidents may only be the tip of the iceberg as a twisted perception still exists that child abuse was an internal, domestic problem, and was only the concern of the family involved. Neighbors and others who may be aware or have suspicions regarding a particular situation tend to look the other way.

Furthermore, the “empathy” of the legal system toward these cases is severely lacking. According to various child protection groups, more than half of the cases have failed to reach the courts, with law enforcement agencies complaining of a lack of hard evidence.

Poverty is also a factor in the high number of child abuse cases. Mothers are often afraid to lose the breadwinner if they report their husbands to the police for sexual violence.

Perhaps it’s time for our nation’s leaders to start paying attention to “real” human problems rather than their own squabbles.

— Meidyatama Suryodiningrat