Sexy Dancing

… girls has the otherwise sleepy town of Pekalongan hot and bothered.

Pekalongan in Central Java, not only known for its batik industry it seems, played host to the sexy "Angel Dance" team, a troupe of four young women who move about acrobatically on stage in all sorts of interesting and frankly mesmerising directions, apparently for the purposes of promoting a brand of cigarettes.

Gaggle of sexy dancers milling about.

Critics complain that the sexy dancing was done in an open …

Moral Virtue Vigilantes

… places and publicly shaming sinners.

Although in early June some FPI branches in East Java were, it seemed at the time ( FPI, Komando Laskar Islam & Munarman ), forced to close, the Lamongan branch of the Front Pembela Islam/Islam Defenders Front has bounced back, with on 23rd June an adulterous couple suffering from the religious zeal of the men in white robes.

The FPI raided a number of night warungs and houses, places they thought prostitution, gambling and drinking were …

Sanur Escorts, Bali

… stay at home and watch men kick a ball back and forth.

Lila, a working girl from Jember in East Java, says it has been so quiet recently she has been forced to chase up her regulars on the telephone to persuade them to have a "date" - however her pleas fell on deaf ears, the men were too interested in Euro 2008.

Another girl, Aang, from Surabaya, said she can't wait for the football to be over, as she's running out of money.

Wayan, an "Anjelo" (antar jemput lonte, a man who transports …

Comment by Patrick: … vigilantes in Java raiding bars and hotels. And on …

World Peace Forum (WPF)

The World Peace Forum in Jakarta finds out the causes of terrorism and violence in the world.

An important meeting of the World Peace Forum (WPF) has been going on in Jakarta, having been opened by president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on June 24th and involving about 200 representatives of religious and cultural organisations from around the world.

Some of the participants include …

Comment by Cukurungan: … the leader in the western worlds have been doing so far, …

Maftuh Basyuni

… young children reading the Quran after evening prayers:

When I was young [in Rembang, Central Java] every evening after Magrib prayers you could hear the sound of children reading the Quran aloud in every house.

These days however, not just in big cities but also in the villages, children no longer did this, but instead were too much interested in watching television.

When he asked his grandchildren to read from the Quran, in his own home, he said they couldn't sit still for long …

Comment by Berlian Biru: Banten eh? West Java again. Anyone have any idea …

Bibit–Rustriningsih

Bibit–Rustriningsih's win in Central Java continues PDI-P domination, with the PKS a distant third.

Early results for the Central Java governor's election:

Bibit–Rustriningsih ( PDI Perjuangan ) about 43%
Bambang Sadono-Muhammad Adnan (Golkar (& NU)) 23%
Sukawi Sutarip-Sudharto (PKS & PD) 15%
Muhammad Tamzil-Abdul Rozaq Raiz (PPP & PAN) 12%
Agus Soeyitno-Abdul Kholiq Arif (PKB) 7%

Turnout …

Comment by violet: … people in Central Java is more tolerant than those people …

Munir & Muchdi PR

Ross on BIN chief Muchdi's questioning by police over the murder of activist Munir.

The former deputy head of the country's spy service, BIN, has been taken into custody, apparently voluntarily, in connection with the murder of the rights activist Munir. He is presumably meant to be the brains behind Pollycarpus, the rather dim-looking Garuda pilot who is already behind bars for the …

Comment by Achmad Sudarsono: … movement in the West, including the U.S. supported, …

Malaysia - RI Relations

… and Malaysian people have persistent records. A fresh rift began this week when a senior West Kalimantan forestry officer briefed the media that a helicopter landing pad has been built just 7 meters from the Indonesia-Malaysia border.
If this is true, it may violate the Malaysia-Indonesia (Malindo) 1967 border agreement. This issue easily sparked anger in Jakarta with some House of Representative (DPR) members raising complaints. Just a few hours after the briefing the issue was …

Seeds of Conflict in Papua

Immigration to West Papua is said to be creating the conditions for sectarian conflict.

A report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) of June 2008 says that tensions are rising between Muslims and Christians in West Papua as Christian Papuans feel threatened by the rise in numbers of Muslim migrants from other parts of Indonesia.

In recent times the city of Manokwari has the been the centre of …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … me. Perhaps my Javanese honesty is a rare insight into …

Literary Parody

… Islam. I introduced socialist thought to the Indies single handedly; I taught every child in Java to read and to eat with a knife and fork. I became the first and only Javanese governor of the Dutch East Indies. I became the king of Holland. I was the first man on the moon.

I drank a glass of water. My 78th wife was standing behind me.

“Yi-er-san-si-wo-ni-hao-shee-shee!” she said.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” I said, “I don’t speak Chinese.” …

Comment by timdog: … poor men from Java, were all busy raping their …

Religion & Religiosity

Rima says religion and religiosity are to blame for much of Indonesia's, and the world's, troubles.

Why religion doesn't matter at all

Once upon a time, Indonesia was well-known in the world as a nation of peace, tolerance and religious pluralism. Other countries even made us their example, a country full of people with various religious beliefs, from various ethnic and language …

Comment by Patrick: … the spines of many westerners and the Protestant …

Neighbour Misunderstandings

… drawn from the period of John Howard's rule, that Australia was no different from other western countries in enmity to Indonesia and the Islamic world.

Happy Australian Muslim tv presenter on "Salam Cafe".

However from his observations and talks with Australian Muslims he found that, for example, Muslim women were free to wear the jilbab without any disapproval from the government, that Muslims had full religious freedom, and even had their own television program, "Salam …

Comment by Lairedion: … lives at all in Western nations. They can enjoy all the …

My Friend the Fanatic

… Ayu and literary man Richard Oh in posh, degenerate Jakarta clubs; goes on a road trip across western Java with flabby Din Syamsuddin and an entourage of annoying young people; meets toothy Abu Bakar Bashir in his jail cell.

In Makassar the hard men of the Preparatory Committee for the Application of Sharia Law are interviewed; still in South Sulawesi he journeys to the district of Bulukumba (if Tangerang in Banten has "sharia lite", Bulukumba can claim the heavier version); …

Comment by Lairedion: … in Sundanese (West Java) culture. The three different …

SKB Ahmadiyah

A police chief explains about the SKB edict against Ahmadiyah and under what terms arrests will be made.

On June 9th the ministerial edict against the Ahmadiyah sect was finally issued. Depending on whose interpretation is accepted it is either or both a "warning" and an "order" that the Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) cease its activities, or at least those activities which are deemed …

Comment by Hasan Zuberi: … (even holder of Western passport) can not? … …

Good & Bad Citizens

Ross complains that the government is trying to restrict the activities of the wrong people, Ahmadiyah instead of Muslim militants.

Frozen Assets - good citizens in suspended animation

The decision last night to 'freeze' Ahmadiyah is sickening.

The FPI rants on, undeterred by the regime's 'too little, too late' incarceration of a handful of its most visible scum, a clearly …

Comment by mirax: … to look upon Javanese Islam as some sort of answer …

Improve Your Writing in English

Using software to improve your written English, auto-correction of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes.

Particularly if you're Indonesian and want to write in English, or you have to for some reason, and you are worried about spelling and grammar mistakes in your writing then Whitesmoke's "All-in-One English Writing and Grammar Software" may be the answer to your …

Comment by Patung: … city in eastern Java there’s been a long-running …

Chinese & Asian Stereotype

An Indonesian-Australian looks at stereotypes of Chinese in Indonesia, Asians in Australia, and western men who like Asian women.

Stereotypes & Generalizations
When I first came to Australia, I went to the Blue Mountains. While sitting in a café near the Three Sisters, I accidentally spilled some ice cream on to my clothes. I went to the bathroom to clean it up at a sink. While I was doing that, an old lady went in, checked out the cubicle -- and then swore at me –
Bloody …

Comment by uwie: … as sundanese, java as java, batak as batak, chinese …

FPI, Komando Laskar Islam & Munarman

… Laskar Islam members in Jakarta, and forced closures of FPI branches in central and eastern Java.

FPI - Jakarta

On 4th June 58 members of the Front Pembela Islam (FPI, Islam Defenders Front) were arrested at FPI headquarters in central Jakarta. The leader of Komando Laskar Islam [KLI], the sub-group of the FPI said to be responsible for the Monas square attack, Munarman, is on the run from police. Twenty other men are also considered suspects but have not been located yet. …

Comment by Andrey: … of WW2 (mostly western, mainly christian population).. …

Blaming the Victim & Others

Explanations for the FPI violence at Monas, blaming the victims, the government, and foreign plots.

Ahmadiyah

Head of the Muslim Lawyers' Team (Tim Pengacara Muslim,TPM), Mahendradatta, says the Monas incident was caused by the AKKBB side making deliberately provocative speeches, saying such as things as

the FPI are Laskar Kafir (Infidels' Front) and Laskar Setan (Satan's …

Comment by Lairedion: … with Muslims from Java and Sulawesi and has severely …

FPI & Aliansi Kebangsaan untuk Kebebasan Beragama

Video of the Front Pembela Islam attack on a religious freedom rally in Jakarta, and president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's response.

A video news report of the Front Pembela Islam (FPI) attack on a gathering of the Aliansi Kebangsaan Kebebasan Beragama dan Berkeyakinan (AKKBB) marking Pancasila Day on June 1st at Monas square, Jakarta. About 200 FPI men beat and struck about 100 AKKBB …

Comment by Janma: … “Destroy the West! (but please wait till my kid …

Jakarta Public Transport

Ross offers tips for travelling on Jakarta's buses, and rails against those who view the city's public transportation network as unsafe.

Public Transport Paranoia

A few weeks ago a short article on the 'dangers' of travelling on Jakarta public transportation appeared in the Jakarta Post. I've mislaid the original because I've been too busy to scribble much but I was so amazed by its …

Comment by Bas: … for me. Those westerners who say they like Metromini …

Forbidden Love in Cheap Hotels

… and adulterous couples, by raiding night spots and cheap hotels.

Padang

Padang, West Sumatra, 17th March. The Bukit Lampu area, popular with young couples and filled with night warungs, was raided by public order officers and six unmarried couples were arrested. One of those caught was an off-duty policeman.

The couples were later released without charge but required to sign a statement promising not to stay out late with their girl/boy-friends again. indosiar …

PKS & Tifatul Sembiring

… says its president Tifatul Sembiring, seven of them being governors' elections, most notably in West Java and North Sumatra, and 84 being mayoral and regency elections. antara

2009 Elections

Tifatul Sembiring says the PKS targets a 20% share of the 2009 vote, up from 7% in 2004. Having achieved this the party would feel confident about nominating its own candidate for president, possibly himself. inilah

Tifatul Sembiring

A political analyst from Universitas …

Purwakarta Church Burned Down

A church is burned down in Purwakarta, West Java by local people feeling slighted at the lack of response to their protests over its construction.

In Citeko village, Plered district, Purwakarta, West Java on 20th May a church run by the Abdi Karya Foundation (Yadika) was burned down in an attack by hundreds of local people.

The building had formerly been a tile factory and was in the final stages of being converted into a …

Comment by Berlian Biru: … of an Indonesia we westerners rarely see. Well, …

Group & Mass Weddings

… living in sin, it's mass wedding ceremony season.

Randy Old Men

In Mojokerto, East Java on 15th May ten residents of an old people's home were paired off and married in a joint ceremony.

Yudha Eko Setyohadi of the Social Affairs office in the regency said the marriages were arranged so as to minimise the problem of free sex in the home. He had received reports that male residents were entering the rooms of lady residents at night and presumably getting up to no good. …

Single Indonesian Women

… universities

or have spent some time overseas

and/or are deeply influenced by the western-ways of thinking

while we're women who are fortunate enough to have earned an overseas degree and are able to speak in another language, people often assume we are outrageously rich and likely to be snobs, and we are left with the dilemma of finding the right kind of man.

Men

In a country like Indonesia, where everyone seems to get into a state of frenzy if they aren't a …

Comment by indahs: … part than from Java island, and I think that is a …

ML, Mau Lagi

Provocatively titled film "ML" (Mau Lagi) excites protests and has its release postponed.

Starring Olga Syahputra and Ratu Felisha the film ML (Mau Lagi?) ("Do you want more?") had been scheduled for release on 15th May but now appears to have been delayed.

Protests

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan said in Jakarta on 13th May that "ML" should be banned from …

Comment by aaronm: … pockmarked in the west.

I Gede Winasa

… himself to be a Hindu in his winning bid for office as Regent of Jembrana, yet when he married the Javanese Muslim Ratna Ani Lestari in Banyuwangi, East Java he put himself down as a Moslem. jakartapost

I Gede Winasa

And a few days later dozens of Aliansi Muda Hindu Indonesia (AMHI) members protested outside the offices of the Bali Electoral Office (KPU) over the issue. Aksi Wayan Suantika of the AMHI complained:

In Banyuwangi he's Muslim but in Jembrana he's Hindu. …

Comment by Mach Jabber: … Christians in the west (which, of course, somehow must be …

May 1998 Jakarta Riots

… of dominant discourse may lead to a better comprehension on what happened in those three days of atrocities.

Comment by sputjam: … wrong here. Only javanese longed for a majapahit …

Gadis Cantik dari Surabaya

… setelah kerusuhan May 1998, Sandra bersekolah dan akhirnya belajar arsitektur di University of Western Australia di Perth. Entah apa latar belakang ini membantu dalam menjawab pertanyaan dari juri; yaitu:

Indonesia kaya akan hasil alam, tetapi banyak penduduknya yang miskin dan ekonominya agraris. Sektor ekonomi apa yang akan diprioritaskan jika anda adalah pemimpin negara?

Jawaban Sandra mencengangkan penonton dan menggugah juri dengan mengatakan bahwa hal terpenting ialah …

Conspiracy Theories

… this chaos as an excuse to intervene militarily. beritasore

British Conspiracies

In West Sumatra the head of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI, Buya Masoed Abidin, recently said the Ahmadiyah sect had been created by Britain as a means of dividing Muslims and ensuring the success of their colonisation of the Indian sub-continent in the 19th century.

Buya Masoed Abidin, who incidentally is an internet geek, see http://hmasoed.wordpress.com/ and …

Miss Sandra Angelia

Politically aware young lady Sandra Angelia scores a crushing victory for East Java in Miss Indonesia 2008.

Miss Indonesia 2008

At the Jakarta Convention Center on the night of 13th May Sandra Angelia from East Java became Miss Indonesia 2008, chosen by a seven panel jury which included our hyper-nationalist politician friend from Golkar Yudhi Chrisnandi. Sandra was also chosen as Miss Favorit by the SMS voting masses.

Also Ran

Kartika Indah Pelapory …

Comment by Aji: … an I’m a Javanese…… but I …

Amrozi Execution

… of late, because Rahma was a regular visitor to the Nusa Kambangan prison, Cilacap, Central Java, where Amrozi spends his days.

Once Amrozi is gone Mahendardatta says: inilah

That Rahma will carry on the jihad struggle, that is certain. But not as a terrorist, those who call Amrozi a terrorist, well, that's you people [journalists].

Execution

Meanwhile it seems that the execution of Amrozi, and fellow prisoners Imam Samudra and Muklas aka Ali Ghufron, will take …

Political Isms

The various ism problems that Indonesia faces, neo-liberalism, capitalism, imperialism, colonialism, and materialism.

Neo-isms

Lieutenant General Soeryadi, the new head of the Retired Officers Association of Sumatra, said in late February that the greatest dangers facing Indonesia today are:

neo-liberalism
neo-capitalism
neo-imperialism

These forces combined …

Comment by Sylvester: … China and the West.

Islamic Syncretism Examples

How many men taught the Javanese their Islam, how far they succeeded and whether the Javanese are really just heathens.

Wali Songo

The men who proselytised Islam to the Javanese, the "Wali Songo", or the "nine teachers", may have been more than nine, says History professor at UGM, Djoko Suryo. (Although there is an unofficial tenth - Siti Jenar.)

There is no clear explanation in Javanese literature as …

Comment by Toro Kambali: … of Islam in Java. Sunan Ampel and his followers’ …

Classic Literature Reading Lists

… always the case. Some people might have remembered when an activist was arrested in Jogja, Central Java after the police found a reading course about Marxism written by a Jesuit priest Franz Magnis Suseno. In fact, the reading was prepared as teaching material. It was strange to know why this young fellow was arrested on the ground of possessing Magnis Suseno’s writing, which was very critical against Marxism. Strange logic can no longer sound strange when there is a huge power involved to …

FPI Murder Incitement Video

Video of "firebrand" FPI/Front Pembela Islam preacher Ahmad Sobri Lubis advocating murder.

The speech about the Ahmadiyah sect given by Ahmad Sobri Lubis to a gathering of the Islam Defenders' Front/Front Pembela Islam (FPI) in which he makes several incitements to murder.

…

Comment by Lairedion: … of our Sundanese/Javanese royal courts who were quick to …

Treason Acts, Trials & Penalties

… others involved ranged from 15 to 20 years. antara

Islamic State

In several cities of West Java on 20th April the anti-terror squad Densus 88 arrested 20 men thought to belong to the Negara Islam Indonesia ( NII ) movement. They were later released for some reason.

On 24th April 17 of these men were re-arrested in Bandung, with 10 among them being considered suspects, the other 7 being considered witnesses.

The 10 remaining men are thought to have some connection …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … different to Western hotel like accommodations for …

Julia Perez & Kamasutra

Julia Perez distributes free condoms with her latest musical masterpiece, "Kamasutra".

Free Condom

Professional exhibitionist and singer Julia Perez 's new album "Kamasutra" has a giveaway condom packet in the CD cover sleeve.

Julia Perez, in some of her glory.

Condomization

In the town of Samarinda in Kalimantan on 27th April dozens of women university students …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … Meekatharra in the west, bragging about having been …

Shopping Mall Churches

Church services in malls, people in West Java are flocking to shopping malls in order to pray.

"Indonesians seek salvation in shops":

Shopping malls in West Java are home to a growing number of Christian congregations. There are 10 in this mall alone.

Few of them want to talk publicly about why they are here, but off the record they admit it comes down to intimidation by Muslim groups.

According to Church groups …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … well in the West, better than in their countries of …

Singkawang Brides

… friendly people and wife selling.

Extreme Friendliness

The fair town of Singkawang in western Borneo, 140 odd km's from Pontianak, is mainly known for two things. The first, as a classic Wikipedia article wiki discusses below, is the bloody 1999 pogrom by long-standing residents against recent Madurese immigrants:

.... the people of Singkawang are extremely friendly, and when the Madurese arrived with no belongings and nowhere to live, they were given permission to stay in …

Comment by Shloka: … guards. In the West, although there were marriages for …

Wag the Dog à la Indonesia

… (an Indonesian made-up word best translated as pornography acts)

RUU ITE Indonesia's newest law, the infamous Cyber Law ;, and the latest,

The blocking of several websites following the release of the Dutch film " FITNA ".

Media circuses are certainly not against the law. It isn't even all that evil. It is neither, only when it happens in a place with a higher number of educated people, or at least higher number of sanity. Sadly, Indonesia is not. The majority of …

Comment by Cukurungan: … FYI, even in the western world, they has been considered …

Impatient People

Impatient people in West Java province who can't wait for the banning of the Ahmadiyah sect.

Today the government's joint edict on whether to ban Ahmadiyah is expected, while some in the last few days have been rather impatient for it.

West Java

Police general Abu Bakar said on 21st April that West Java (see West Java's Tolerance Problem and Persecuted Churches for more on West Java) was the …

Comment by Lairedion: Well, some West Java cities and regencies …

Islamic-Western Civilization

… is a critique of Huntington's work on the Clash of Civilizations .

Islam & the West - Shared Heritage

Bulliet argues that Islam and the West have common roots and share much of their history. He adds that the present conflict is merely a wilful determination to deny their kinship rather than being based on essential factors.

The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization.

Bulliet's work, with his background as a historian, is that he profoundly looks at the …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … with many other Javanese of my day, was educated by the …

Diana Abbas Thalib

… being-like-an-Arab stakes. While she is of Arab stock she considers herself fully assimilated into Javanese culture while her fiance spent many years living in Arab countries. banjarmasinpost

He's more Arab than me.

Family First

Both say that the most important thing is that they each have a companion in life and are able to provide a family structure for their children.

Big Shots

Hidayat has already asked president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and vice-president Jusuf …

Modern Day Witch Hunt

… basic rights of all women.

It can also be comic and daft like the Batu local government in East Java issuing an informal ruling requiring women who work in massage parlors to use a kind of chastity padlock on their clothing whilst performing their work! Besides pandering to the hoary myth of the women as temptress, the people who thought up this regulation obviously did not think too much about the immense variety of sexual contact that is possible between humans and how a padlock won't …

Comment by timdog: … of over-earnest Westerners who go to India with a …

Ahmadiyah (Nearly) Banned

A formal banning of the unorthodox Muslim sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah becomes more likely.

A Step Closer

Team Pakem (Badan Koordinasi Pengawas Aliran Kepercayaan Masyarakat (Bakor Pakem)), the body that oversees (unorthodox) religious activity in Indonesia, has recommended that all activities of the sect Jemaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) be stopped and the JAI dissolved.

Wisnu Subroto of …

Comment by Shloka: … are writers in the West too like Sam Harris, Christopher …

Hello Dolly! - In Praise of Lokalisasi

… class kampungs above the Banyu Urip canal is Surabaya's most notorious corner.

Mention the East Java capital to people anywhere in Indonesia and they are likely to rattle off a handful of associations: historical heroism, good food, violent soccer fans, and as often as not - with a snigger, a raised eyebrow and an obscene hand gesture

Dolly, mister, tahu Dolly? Sering ke Dolly, mister? (Nudge nudge, wink wink.)

For the upright, decent citizens of Surabaya it is a cause of some …

Comment by Mugwump: … a partner. A Westerner in the Third World has very …

International Investors: Harm or Help

Whether foreign investment in Indonesia benefits the people.

Health minister Siti Fadilah Supari warned on 11th April in South Kalimantan (Borneo) that regional governments in Indonesia should be on their guard whenever dealing with international investment proposals.

Siti Fadilah Supari

According to Siti these things should be considered by provincial governors and regents in …

Comment by Sylvester: … for the developed West. Recently, UK welcomes Chinese …

Examples of Human Rights Hypocrisy

Sylvester sees power-mongering and the profit motive behind the West's hypocrisy over human rights.

Human Rights enforcement by Western countries: Is it sincere?

We all are aware that Western countries such as the US, the EU, and Australia often promote the human rights to every corner of the globe. Today we see the protests by Westerners against human rights abuse in Tibet, Middle East, China, Sudan, Burma and many other parts of the world. …

Comment by Jian: … precisely by the western world who abused it the most. …

Ahmad Heryawan & Dede Yusuf

Islamic parties on track for victory in the West Java election.

Results

Early results for the West Java governor's election:

Ahmad Heryawan and Dede Yusuf (Team "Hade") - 39%
Agum Gumelar and Numan Abdul Hakim - (Team "Aman") - 34%
Danny Setiawan and Iwan Sulanjana - (Team "Dai") - 27%

The final result will be announced in one week.

Parties & Coalitions

Ahmad Heryawan and Dede Yusuf were …

Comment by djoko: … out that in the West Java elections, something like 37% …

How to Get a Bule Man

… Do foreign men like and prefer Asian women because they think of them as demure, while western women are too forthright and independent?
What special problems face local women dating a foreign man?

The weird habits of bule men are pointed out as a warning to Indonesian women, such as

they like dogs
they sleep without the lights on
they like to cook for themselves

These small matters could later blow up into big problems and ruin the relationship, …

Comment by RossM: … to insult the western expat women. What do you care …

Islamophobia

… lands.

Islamophobia in Bali

She went on to say that Islamophobia was not just a problem in western countries, but also in Indonesia itself, where, for example, in Bali recent influxes of Muslim transmigrants had been perceived to have caused economic problems. republika

Internet Porn Censorship, & Children

Areocam on whether the state or parents have the right and responsibility to prevent children's access to pornography.

Recent legislation to block access to online porn and the government's announcement last week of a "National Action Plan on Anti-Pornography Families" brings Areocam to discuss parental, as opposed to state, responsibility.

The Issue of Censorship or "Think of the …

Comment by Rob: … conform with some Westernized ideal. Your example …

Al Amin Nur Nasution

… the misuse of about 100 billion rupiah ($11 million) in BI funds. afp

And in Jember, East Java two local parliamentarians were arrested on 10th April over another long-running case involving the misappropriation of 450 million rupiah in legal aid funds and 726 million rupiah in local parliament funds. tempo

Territorial Claims & Rights

Dewaratugedeanom asks what gives countries the rights to make territorial claims.

Some time ago I posted a comment under the thread " Fitna by Geert Wilders " concerning the question of territorial rights.

Although there were no reactions to this particular comment, the number of times the issue has come up as well as the intensity of the claims from some commentators in this …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … and Malaysia. The Javanese influence of Majapahit …

Blocking Youtube & Myspace

The government and ISP's blocking of video sharing and social sites, and the reasons behind it.

The government, through the Information ministry, has required Internet Service Providers to block the following websites, where the anti-Islam short film Fitna can be viewed:

Youtube.com
Myspace.com
Liveleak.com
Rapidshare.com
Multiply.com
Video.Google.com
…

Comment by Mach Jabber: … the Goliath of the west”, like how they worship that …

Banality and Compassion

… once is enough," said the late silver screen actress, playwright, and screenwriter siren Mae West.

Today's clashes of things, a terminology coined by the famous and, at the same time, notorious Samuel Huntington, might not need to occur in the first place provided that we were aware of the choices we could have made as the most intelligent creature on planet earth. And it is still not too late to criticize ourselves and to make amends when it is still possible. The clashes can and …

Siti Fadilah Supari

… as the most promising place to get things moving in that direction.

Siti Fadilah Supari

Westerners & Hegemony

Indonesians usually felt inferior when they met westerners, she said, officials bowed and scraped to them, and westerners were tricky:

We get fooled [by foreigners].

Siti said it was about time that the first world stopped using force against the third world, which was majority Muslim.

Hegemony doesn't benefit anyone.

Foreigners acted as if they …

Comment by Andrew: … the advancement in western medicine. She puts Indonesians …

Sexy Dewi Persik

… in excess of the turn-out for cretin fanatic rallies.

And for those of you who only go to Western films, you'll be surprised how enjoyable the local ones are. We watched Kesurupan last week and it was just as good as the American "One Missed Call", which we saw yesterday.

Female Chastity Locks

Locking up the underpants of female massage parlor workers.

In Batu, Malang, East Java the local government has issued an informal ruling requiring women who work in massage parlors to use a kind of chastity padlock on their skirts/pants and underpants, to prevent male guests from making too much headway in that area.

The purpose is to prevent the lovely hillside town of Batu from getting a bad reputation as a place of prostitution, it is said. Later the ruling will …

Bra Art

… At the French Consulate/Cultural Centre (Pusat Kebudayaan Prancis, CCCL) in Surabaya, East Java, is currently showing " BRAngerous - Woman Art Exhibition ".

There are some paintings and photos of women and girls, and some decorated bras, sometimes just prettied up, sometimes with a message, like:

Locked up bra.

Gardening bra.

Hands off bra.

Love and milk bras.

Curing Homosexuality

… when they get it right for once. Disorders can be cured, and children protected. Until the West wakes up and recriminalises homosexuality, expats should at least applaud Indonesians who take a stand for decency.

Khofifah Indar Parawansa

… Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) announced the candidacy of Khofifah Indar Parawansa for the East Java governor's election in July.

Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Khofifah is the head of the womens' wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, the Muslimat NU, and only recently joined the PPP, jumping ship from Gus Dur's PKB.

East Java is not the PPP's strongest area and they had been hoping to run a joint ticket with another Islamic party, the Justice Party, Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS), in order to …

Agama, Adat and Conversion in Nusa Tenggara

… Lombok, and it appeared to be very much akin to Kejawen (often given the somewhat unhelpful label "Javanese Mysticism"). That is, a blend of localised ancestor and spirit worship, a few Balinese Hindu elements, and the basic "very basic" tenets of Islam.

As presented in guidebooks and internet sources the religious situation in Lombok appeared straightforward: a century ago most of the native Sasak were followers of Islam Wetu Telu; over the course of the 20th Century almost all converted …

Jalan Jaksa Under Threat

Ross fears that Jalan Jaksa in Jakarta is going to suffer re-development.

Jalan Jaksa at Risk?

Last month I had a chat with an expat on Jalan Jaksa who told me he'd seen plans to develop the famous little street, including a huge hypermarket on its corner with Jalan Wahid Hasyim.

I should state at this point that the talk occurred during my once-a-week afternoon visit, when - …

Comment by Rob: … was for western and not worthy! That is not to …

Internet Blocking & Regulation

… particularly in villages.

Download and view UU ITE.

Internet Cafe Raids

In Bogor, West Java, policeman Subur Rahardjo says the police will routinely raid warnets, or public internet cafes, looking for people accessing porn web sites.

He says it will be part of a new campaign against social diseases such as prostitution, liquor drinking, and VCD porn films, and done in support of the the Pornography Law ( UU Pornografi ), and to make sure the situation was conducive for …

Representative Democracy & Islam

… There has been an endless debate over last decade not only among Muslims scholars but also western scholars in relation to Islam and democracy.

In general, this scholarly discourse is concerned with theological cornerstones as well as ideological reasons. In doing so, the relationship between Islam and democracy (state) is frequently seen as a binary opposition, which it is considered very hard to have complementary to each other. Both of these groups have a different view in …

Bashir on Martyrs & Maggots

… Australian student, Nathan Franklin, who is researching Islamic boarding schools in East Java, is said to have filmed a speech/sermon given by Abu Bakar Bashir on October 22nd 2007, in which the cleric rails against "infidel" tourists in Indonesia.

Toothy.

The story is all over the Australian media, and to a lesser extent, British, the Indonesian press don't seem to have picked up on it as of writing.

Filthy Tourists

The sermon was hosted by the "Persatuan Pemuda …

Google Maps Indonesia

… insults the people of Indonesia with their sub-par maps.

This is Google Maps' view of East Java. It's an improvement on not too long ago, when the dot for Malang was bigger than the dot for Surabaya - now they've gotten onto equal terms, so moving in the right direction.

But the spelling hasn't improved yet, - there are old Dutch forms, and some odd ones, like:

Madium for Madiun
Badad (is that in Iraq?) for Babat
Parican for Paciran

Ngunut I'd never …

Middle Income Developing Country

Indonesia is not a poor country and is one of the more appealing destinations for foreign investment.

Vice president Jusuf Kalla says that now Indonesian per capita income has reached $2,000 Indonesia can no longer be considered a developing, poor country, but rather a middle income developing country.

Since the 1997 economic crisis Kalla said per capita income had risen four-fold. …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … dimwit. Purba is Javanese for Thunder. Read a book …

Is the Internet for Porn?

A new government agency to tackle internet porn in the villages of Java.

Some say internet porn is more addictive than crack cocaine wired , and 25% of total search engine queries are said to be sex-oriented toptenreviews , with Indonesians seeming to be particularly affected, especially in rural areas.

Lots of people are jointing.

With this in mind, the minister for Communications, Muhammad Nuh, said in Kediri, East Java, on 9th March …

Film Ayat Ayat Cinta

… Nurul (played by Melanie Putria), also an Indonesian in Egypt, the daughter of an important East Java kyai.
Noura ( Zaskia Adya Mecca ), an ungrateful Egyptian girl (Fahri saves her life but she betrays him later).
Maria (Carissa Putri) a Coptic Christian living next door to Fahri, who inexplicably converts to Islam at the end of the film.
Aisha (Rianti Cartwright), from a wealthy German-Arab family.

In the end Fahri plumps for the rich girl Aisha and they no doubt live …

Fitna by Geert Wilders

… from the latest Danish cartoon controversy, Muslims worldwide are preparing for the next Western "assault" on Islam. Politicians in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran are urging the Dutch government to prohibit the broadcast and last week some 200 Indonesian Muslims staged a protest outside the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta.

Where does the freedom of speech crosses the line and turns into discrimination thus violating article 1 of the Dutch Constitution where discrimination of …

Comment by Janma: … happiness in the western world is not without cost my …

Literature Commissar

… course, including Max Lane (Lane ran as Socialist Alliance Party's candidate for Lowe in Sydney's west - results were the second lowest of any Socialist Alliance Party. These results are off SAP's website: Seat of Lowe, LANE, Max - 233 votes, 0.35%) who declared that Pramoedra's writings persuaded him into such tripe as

for the first time I understood that revolution is a creative process.

(Burning books, for example?)

Max Lane

Lane got himself fired from a diplomatic post …

Female Genital Mutilation

… about circumcision because it heard stories from Africa, where the practice was more extreme.

Java

Meanwhile the East Java secretary of the MUI, Prof Dr Hj Istibjaroh, said female circumcision was neither required nor forbidden but:

In general it is done.

The purpose was to reduce the sex drive of women, he said, while the purpose of male circumcision was to increase sex drive.

April 2006, Bandung. nytimes

He said among the women's wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama, …

Comment by Shloka: @ Lampu, I know Western women have pink nipples, do …

US Military Intelligence

… search at Google had read the article on this site about Al Zaytun Islamic boarding school in West Java at some time in the past, and now wanted to find it again, and used Google to do so.

Nothing really interesting in that by itself, except the person's ISP domain address - socom.mil - the United States Special Operations Command ( wikipedia page, their website, although it's inaccessible for me even via a proxy, Google cache version ).

The stats from January to February …

Regional Arms Race

Australia's regional hegemonic aspirations and Indonesian defence procurements.

Australia

Rahmad Nasution, the Canberra Bureau Chief of Antara, writes that Australia has ambitions to attain regional military supremacy, most clearly evidenced in its efforts to persuade the United States to sell its most technologically advanced plane, the F-22 Raptor, which currently by law the US …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … Siam still sees Javanese influence in many parts of its …

Treason of the Intellectuals

… often fun to socialise with. Both my descriptions are of course generalisations, and since in the West we have writers and such who have sense as well as brains, the same must apply to Indonesia. But the brightest would probably shrink from using the self-regarding term "intellectuals" anyway. It's usually a self-classification, adopted to facilitate looking down on less pretentious people.

Julia Suryakusuma

Having said all that, I suspect the notorious Julia Suryakusuma considers …

Barongsai, & Cultural Assimilation

… celebrations of Chinese New Year in Indonesia have been legally permitted however in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, the mayor of the town issued a special decree, No 127/2008, forbidding any staging of barongsai and liong, or lion and dragon dance parades, to mark the New Year, on the streets.

Barongsai

Mayor Buchary Abdurrachman said any lion/dragon processions would cause traffic jams and might create social-ethnic conflicts among the people.

We're not telling people they …

The Last Supper

… and editors, may soon face prosecution for blasphemy against Christianity, both historical western branches of which are official religions in Indonesia. antara

Jewish Conspiracy

Whether Valentine's Day is a Jewish conspiracy.

West Sumatra

Buya Mas'oed Abidin, the chairman of the West Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) complained on 12th February that the celebration of Valentine's Day was proof that Indonesia was more and more subject to foreign, global culture.

We have to stop it, it's not appropriate in our culture.

The celebration of lover's day was proof …

Comment by commenter: … culture and more western culture. Also indonesia is a …

Rise of Islam

The West always tries to destroy Islam in Indonesia.

Professor Dr H Muslim Nasution, MA, a lecturer at Jakarta State Islamic University (UIN), in a discussion at Medan, February 1st, on the future of Islam, said that currently there were two regions that had the capability to lead the world Islamic community into the future, they being:

the Indian sub-continent
South-east Asia, …

Comment by Arief DJ: … he said, the western countries would have to step up …

Neo Colonialism in Bali

Patronising neo-colonialist attitudes by westerners in Bali.

I once read a section on Bali in a guide book popular among backpackers and low-budget travellers. I won't state which guide book, because I no longer have it in my possession and thus cannot give the exact quote. But I can assure you, I did not misread it. I was so taken aback by it I read it over and over again aghast at the mentality of the author. There was a …

Comment by Janma: … I’ll have a javanese anyday over a balinese…. …

Communist Victory

… democracy, bringing an end to Soekarno's "Guided Democracy." They nationalize all remaining Western and many private businesses. Bulog is created, totally taking over distribution of food and basic commodities. (Indonesia's ethnic Chinese are very angry and become staunch opponents of the communists).

The PKI pursue a Soviet Bloc/Chinese model of development, pursuing "Socialism with Indonesian Characteristics". Economic growth is 0% due to the withdrawal of capital and economic …

Comment by Ross: … Dictatorship in Java, 1966-2006′ I tend to think …

The Indonesian Way of Death

… is apparently getting bigger, and has a huge potential market, for it caters to dead bules (ed. westerners).

Actually, it's both good business and a valuable service, for it apparently handles all the arrangements for expats who die here. If your loved ones are far away, it is bound to be hard for them to navigate through the bureaucracy that Indonesia delights in. Not having died recently, I don't know the ins and outs of the administrative process, but I imagine even getting a death …

Military Men

Military men in politics and whether the Indonesian people are ready for democracy.

Newly appointed military (TNI) chief General Djoko Santoso said last week that recent local election disputes which had turned violent were proof that some Indonesians were not ready for democracy. kompas

Djoko told a press conference that the military was concerned about the conflicts, which he …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: Mbak Janma, A Javanese wisdom to share with you. …

Konflik Israel-Palestina

Perselisihan Israel dan Palestina, sekaligus hubungan Indonesia dengan Israel.

Mengunjungi Israel

Pada awal Desember 2007, lima wakil dari lembaga Islam Indonesia, termasuk Muhammadiyah dan Nadhlatul Ulama, berangkat ke Israel dan menemui presidennya, Shimon Peres. Kunjungan mereka disponsori oleh Simon Wiesenthal Center dan LibForAll Foundation.

Shimon Peres menyatakan bahwa ia …

Comment by Andy: … Israel, Jordan, West bank dan Jalur Gaza (pada waktu …

Israeli Palestinian Conflict

… foundation.

Indonesian delegation in Israel.

Syafiq Mugni/Mughni from Muhammadiyah (East Java) said he hoped Indonesian Muslims were becoming more and more tolerant, although admitting that some still opposed democracy. Abdul A'la from NU admitted that there were still Muslim extremist groups in Indonesia.

The leaders of Muhammadiah and Nahdlatul Ulama, Din Syamsuddin and Hasyim Muzadi respectively, said they weren't aware of the visit to Israel by their members. waspada

A …

Comment by Lairedion: … the people on the West Bank and Gaza are not done justice …

Anti Communist Massacres

… 1965, the Indonesian Army would try to avoid direct confrontation with the PKI.

In Central Java, Army (RPKAD) is training Moslem Youth [probably either Banser or HMI] and supplying them with weapons and will keep them out in front against the PKI. Army will try to avoid as much it can safely do so, direct confrontation with the PKI "¦ Army is letting groups other than Army discredit them [the PKI] and demand their punishment. Cited in Robinson, Hilmar Farid, 'Índonesia's Original …

Comment by Janma: … others from Java trying to stir them up, apparently …

Surabaya Girls

Girls and women in Surabaya, East Java, looking for a relationship.

The dating and sort-of marriage agency site Indonesian Cupid has the details and contacts of hundreds of Indonesian women, young and middle aged, who are living in Surabaya and other towns in East Java (Jawa Timur), seeking long term relationships with men from the US, Europe, Australia, and the middle east.

Here are some of their profiles: …

Terror Threat

… has been smashed by police, rather brutally ( Poso Fighting & Poso Jihad ).

Radical Javanese clerics that had come to the town have either been killed by police, or have run away or been chased out of the area, twenty of the " Poso 29 ", the men most sought after for terrorism offences, have been caught, and some of them tried and jailed, without any backlash from the Muslim community, and the government is funding de-radicalisation programs and implementing vocational training …

Global Recession

The effects of a global recession on Indonesia.

Some responses to the likelihood of an American, and global, recession, and its impacts on Indonesia.

Price Stability - Rice

Economy minister Boediono said the government is most concerned about ensuring that prices and supplies of vital goods are stable, above all rice, production of which is hoped to be increased by 2 million tons …

Comment by Sputjam: … of themselves. The west are just as corrupt, only the …

Persecuted Church

Why there are so many attacks on churches in western Java.

Persecuted Churches Nationally

On 14th January members of the Himpunan Warga Gereja Indonesia (HAGAI), Indonesian Churchgoers Association, visited the offices of the National Human Rights Commission, (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta to complain about attacks against churches and Christian congregations around the country.

Pastor Alma Shepard Supit of HAGAI said:

We're …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … more apparent in Western than in Eastern religions. …

Current Minimum Wage

… Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam - 1,000,000 rupiah

Sumatra, North - 822,205

Sumatra, West - 800,000

Riau - 800,000

Riau Islands (Batam and Bintan) - 833,000

Jambi - 724,000

Sumatra, South - 743,000

Bangka Belitung - 813,000

Bengkulu - 683,528

Lampung - ?

West Java - 568,193

    Bogor - 873,231

    Depok - 962,500

    Purwakarta - 763,000

    Bekasi City - 990,000 …

Comment by GJ: Seems Central Java areas are substancially lower, why …

Genocide

… that the C.P. would sell out their own country in time of war, if Stalin so ordered. Because the West Germans saw a third of their country enslaved behind barbed wire and machine-gun posts. Because the Greeks had seen at first hand the atrocities of Greek Communists in a bloody attempted seizure of power.

Indonesians are not fools. They were aware of what would befall their fragile freedoms if the Reds took power. It was the people who did most of the killing, not the Army, which actually …

Comment by Ross: … despotism. Just as West Germany always remained streaks …

Suharto & the People

… media are all too often drowned out by the ramblings of people such as myself and middle class Western commentators.

This is not a scientific poll, but the Blogosphere is supposed to liberate us from the tyranny of the "mainstream media" so let's use it! We're all busy people, but over the next few days or so, we should at least be able to manage a few questions to the sopir, maid, satpam, shop attendant, bus driver, tukang ojek, penjual sekoteng.

Please, if you'd like to join, try …

Comment by Achmad Sudarsono: … villagers do to Javanese thieves, Janma ? …

Ahmadiyya

… Pakem's decision.

Still not happy

However about 1,000 Muslims staged a protest in Bandung, West Java to demand the government disband Ahmadiyya. Hedi Muhammad from the West Java Alliance of Muslims said:

The Ahmadiyah organization is as heretical as Al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah.

And the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Ma'ruf Amin said Ahmadiyya's decision to acknowledge Muhammad as the final prophet was not enough to lift the fatwa from the group. Saying that Mirza Ghulam …

Comment by Shloka: … But you know the West has many such critics of …

Bersekolah dengan Berbahasa Jawa

… bentuk Suroboyoan.

Artikel ini diterjemahkan oleh Hannah Mulders dari versi bahasa Inggris - Javanese School Days .

Javanese School Days

Compulsory Javanese speaking in schools.

As an attempt to save the Javanese language from decline and eventual extinction the Education Department of Surabaya in East Java has begun a policy of making the speaking of Javanese on all school grounds in the city compulsory on every Monday and Tuesday, for both teachers and students.

One student, Dani Swastiko at Angelus Custos Catholic junior …

Comment by Janma: Another Javanese wisdom to share with my …