By Protus Tanuhandaru
Jakarta, The Point
Filled by large amounts of trash dumped irresponsibly, the flat canal in West Jakarta joined by two rivers, the Angke and the Ciliwung, has become toxic, threatening the livelihoods of people living along the embankments and of animals in the Muara Angke Wildlife preservation area.
"Appearing extremely filthy, the water of the canal is not safe for anything, particularly for drinking," said Hendra Michael Aguan, the awareness officer for waste and sewage management of the NGO, Flora Fauna International, when interviewed by The Point over the weekend.
The supposedly five-meter-deep canal -- built to prevent flooding -- has become a conduit full of waste, either floating or sitting on the floor of the canal. Floating plastic trash and foam flow along the river, heading to the sea but mostly trapped in the Wildlife preservation area.
Of this floating trash, instant noodle wrappers constitute the highest number, showing that people living nearby subsisting on instant noodles.
Second highest in number are plastic bottles of a variety brands, indicating at least that the community members hardly ever drink the filthy water. But unlike humans, monkeys and birds, living in the 25-hectares wildlife preservation area, "cannot differentiate between what's safe to eat and what's not," said Aguan.
Turning their diets into trash by scavenging for whatever they think they can eat, "these animals, should they eat something really toxic, would die for sure," he added. Yet what the public should know is that some types of food are processed or cooked using the filhty water.
Tempe (soy bean cake), a traditional food consumed by most people, is washed and fermented using the water taken from the foetid river.
Along the canal, one small workshop fermenting the beans apparently can produce at least five 40-gallon drums of the beans.
Green clams, boiled using the water, are distributed not only to the traditional market, but also to "such big supermarket as Carrefour, the supermarket originating in France," said Aguan.
"Having cooked the clams, fishermen pack them on ice and send them to the market," said Wawan, a fisherman living near the wildlife preservation area, to The Point Saturday.
Community members, unwilling to carry their waste and dump it in places already provided accordingly, simply throw their waste into the river -- the same river in which they take bathe and excrete.
"The awareness of the locals, about dumping waste where it should be dumped is really low," said Ahmad Pahrozi, a resident of Kapuk Muara, who is helping to manage waste disposal. (PRT)
Monday, October 23, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
A debt criminal
By Protus Tanuhandaru
Jakarta, The Point
Having paid off our debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we wonder whether the World Bank will be the next financial institution to whom we have to pay our debt. Although doing so is still long way off, negotiations to reduce the debt before repaying the loan, proposed by the International NGO, Forum for Indonesian Development (INFID), sound reasonable, when we recall that international debt has been proven much more destructive than effective in helping the poor.
Doing more than the IMF, the World Bank engages in massive projects funded by enormous loans, aiming at 'astronomical' growth projected by the Bank's economists.
But however well-planned, these projects could possibly go awry, thereby disappointing the economists who designed them and 'absolutely horrifying' the recipients of the loan -- unable to enjoy the results promised but bearing the responsibility of returning the loan.
The World Bank unwilling to admit that it has erred in such a fiasco, turns to its conventional policy; blaming the recipient of the loan, here, the Government of Indonesia (GoI). Reasoning that the loan is conditional, the World Bank keeps pressing GoI to reform its policies along the lines of what the World Bank wants, or otherwise return the money the institution has already disbursed and possibly be deprived of access to future loans.
Referring to Professor Jeffry Winters, the scholar ardently accusing the World Bank of failing to deliver the growth it promised, most people will think that what the World Bank is doing can be seen as an act of debt crime -- asking the recipients of the loans to return something they are not necessarily supposed to.
Yet the institution has failed to see that helping the poor does not imply making them poorer by asking them to return what they realistically cannot. Nor should the World Bank further burden the poor in ambiguous projects delivering surrealistic results.
So even if the World Bank considers that Indonesia, given its economic growth, now has the capacity to return the loan, the impoverished of Indonesia are still entitled to a debt reduction of the loans the World Bank used to finance undeliverable projects.
These projects, particularly during the former Shoerharto reign, an era associated with corruption and ambiguous World Bank projects, it is assumed, were designed only on consultation with Soeharto.
Reducing such a debt could be the real panacea of growth that the World Bank has ever dreamed of.
Jakarta, The Point
Having paid off our debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), we wonder whether the World Bank will be the next financial institution to whom we have to pay our debt. Although doing so is still long way off, negotiations to reduce the debt before repaying the loan, proposed by the International NGO, Forum for Indonesian Development (INFID), sound reasonable, when we recall that international debt has been proven much more destructive than effective in helping the poor.
Doing more than the IMF, the World Bank engages in massive projects funded by enormous loans, aiming at 'astronomical' growth projected by the Bank's economists.
But however well-planned, these projects could possibly go awry, thereby disappointing the economists who designed them and 'absolutely horrifying' the recipients of the loan -- unable to enjoy the results promised but bearing the responsibility of returning the loan.
The World Bank unwilling to admit that it has erred in such a fiasco, turns to its conventional policy; blaming the recipient of the loan, here, the Government of Indonesia (GoI). Reasoning that the loan is conditional, the World Bank keeps pressing GoI to reform its policies along the lines of what the World Bank wants, or otherwise return the money the institution has already disbursed and possibly be deprived of access to future loans.
Referring to Professor Jeffry Winters, the scholar ardently accusing the World Bank of failing to deliver the growth it promised, most people will think that what the World Bank is doing can be seen as an act of debt crime -- asking the recipients of the loans to return something they are not necessarily supposed to.
Yet the institution has failed to see that helping the poor does not imply making them poorer by asking them to return what they realistically cannot. Nor should the World Bank further burden the poor in ambiguous projects delivering surrealistic results.
So even if the World Bank considers that Indonesia, given its economic growth, now has the capacity to return the loan, the impoverished of Indonesia are still entitled to a debt reduction of the loans the World Bank used to finance undeliverable projects.
These projects, particularly during the former Shoerharto reign, an era associated with corruption and ambiguous World Bank projects, it is assumed, were designed only on consultation with Soeharto.
Reducing such a debt could be the real panacea of growth that the World Bank has ever dreamed of.
Friday, October 6, 2006
Indonesian Muslims to use Al Quran to combat corruption
By Protus Tanuhandaru
(JAKARTA, The Point, October 6, 2006)
Unsure of how the Islamic Holy book Al Qur'an could be used to deter corruption, the Indonesian Muslim Society is yet to interpret its archaic verses on punishment commensurate with modern corruption, says Moeslim Abdurrahman, a moslem scholar and activist presenting his oration at a seminar held Tuesday.
Speaking to more than thirty participants attending the seminar, Abdurrahman said “trying to correlate the content of the Holy book to combating corruption is a new phenomenon,” reasoning that Muslim scholars hardly ever engage in such discourse.
And these scholars, he added, have not been engaging in any discourse as frequently as mere Muslim religious teachers do, whom Abdurrahman considers “do
not have the capacity to create anything substantive regarding the Holy book.”
Then as former President Abdurahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid was supposed to deliver what he considers to be Islamic perceptions on corruption, but could not do so, because he had other pressing matters to attend to, Moeslim Abdurrahman spoke on Gus Dur's behalf.
Unless the Holy book is interpreted properly, it is rendered useless in dealing with systemic crime such as corruption, said Abdurrahman, referring to
“Doing Business 2007,” a book published by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary organization of the World Bank. In the book, Indonesia
is ranked 135th among countries suffering systemic corruption.
“People are highly religious, yet also corrupt, rendering us as Muslims who do not really practice Islam” said Abdurrahman, adding “People are doing
'spiritual laundering,' that is, justifying their corrupt misdeeds by going on the pilgrimage to Mecca or by giving away charity.
The biggest challenge in revolutionizing the way of interpreting the Al Quran is whether the young Muslim generation will be willing to break with the status quo –a condition maintained by their elder generations often associated with corruption, he noted.
Earning a PhD in anthropology from the University of Illinois, Urbana, U.S., Abdurrahman is seen by many as a liberal Muslim deviating from the conventional
path of Islam. Considering the Muhammadiyah, the 30-million-strong sect he joined, is no longer a Muslim society mainstreaming modernism, he befriended the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim society, the sort more to his liking.(PRT)
(JAKARTA, The Point, October 6, 2006)
Unsure of how the Islamic Holy book Al Qur'an could be used to deter corruption, the Indonesian Muslim Society is yet to interpret its archaic verses on punishment commensurate with modern corruption, says Moeslim Abdurrahman, a moslem scholar and activist presenting his oration at a seminar held Tuesday.
Speaking to more than thirty participants attending the seminar, Abdurrahman said “trying to correlate the content of the Holy book to combating corruption is a new phenomenon,” reasoning that Muslim scholars hardly ever engage in such discourse.
And these scholars, he added, have not been engaging in any discourse as frequently as mere Muslim religious teachers do, whom Abdurrahman considers “do
not have the capacity to create anything substantive regarding the Holy book.”
Then as former President Abdurahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid was supposed to deliver what he considers to be Islamic perceptions on corruption, but could not do so, because he had other pressing matters to attend to, Moeslim Abdurrahman spoke on Gus Dur's behalf.
Unless the Holy book is interpreted properly, it is rendered useless in dealing with systemic crime such as corruption, said Abdurrahman, referring to
“Doing Business 2007,” a book published by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary organization of the World Bank. In the book, Indonesia
is ranked 135th among countries suffering systemic corruption.
“People are highly religious, yet also corrupt, rendering us as Muslims who do not really practice Islam” said Abdurrahman, adding “People are doing
'spiritual laundering,' that is, justifying their corrupt misdeeds by going on the pilgrimage to Mecca or by giving away charity.
The biggest challenge in revolutionizing the way of interpreting the Al Quran is whether the young Muslim generation will be willing to break with the status quo –a condition maintained by their elder generations often associated with corruption, he noted.
Earning a PhD in anthropology from the University of Illinois, Urbana, U.S., Abdurrahman is seen by many as a liberal Muslim deviating from the conventional
path of Islam. Considering the Muhammadiyah, the 30-million-strong sect he joined, is no longer a Muslim society mainstreaming modernism, he befriended the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim society, the sort more to his liking.(PRT)
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Military reform has ceased, say analysts
By Protus Tanuhandaru
Jakarta, The Point
Launching the first edition of a newspaper specifically divulging information related to the Indonesian military, activists representing their respective NGOs who have grouped into a consortium managing the publication, said the military has stopped reforming, at a press conference held Wednesday.
Explaining the content of the first edition of the newspaper, Usman Hamid, the chief editor of the monthly publication, said that “the military still has a variety of issues to reform.”
Notwithstanding such scrutiny, on October 5, 2006, the Indonesian military is set to commemorate its 6th anniversary, displaying its military might before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Distributed through the network of the consortioum, the sixteen-page newspapers, entitled Berita Rakyat (News for the People), divulges information on what the military has or has not been able to accomplish in carrying out its reform.
The issues the military needs to reform, according to Hamid, who is also the coordinator of Kontras – the commission for disappearances and victims of violence – range from military’s right to vote and ambiguous military business enterprise to illegitimate procurement of armaments.
During his speech, Hamid dismissed the military efforts to dissolve its business empire as ambiguous and TNI’s use of legitimate national budget as “futile,” saying “the President is not even receptive to such issue.”
Talking about the performance of the government, Hamid said military men have positioned themselves as civilian, withholding tenure in key political, business, and bureaucratic positions.
Hamid also read out an article written by Munir, the activist found dead while flying to Holland to further his study. Looking into Munir’s computer Hamid said he accidently found an article disclosing information of armaments bought by the military.
Referring to the preponderant issue facing the military today, its rights to vote, Hamid said that said withholding the military’s right to vote is “not politically wise.”
Hamid also added that regulation against their rights to vote does not mean that the military will not be involved in 2009 election.
Concurring with Hamid is retired general Kiki Syahnakri, who added that politicians need to learn how to be tolerant of others’ perceptions and most importantly “how to accept their loss should they lose their campaign.”
The consortium consists of NGOs such as INFID, Imparsial, Kontras, HRWG, Propartia, Lesspersi, ICW, the Ridep Institute, ISAI, Visi Anak Bangsa, Yayasan Pemantau Hak Anak, Walhi, LBH Jakarta, IDSPS, YLBHI, and KASUM. (PRT)
Jakarta, The Point
Launching the first edition of a newspaper specifically divulging information related to the Indonesian military, activists representing their respective NGOs who have grouped into a consortium managing the publication, said the military has stopped reforming, at a press conference held Wednesday.
Explaining the content of the first edition of the newspaper, Usman Hamid, the chief editor of the monthly publication, said that “the military still has a variety of issues to reform.”
Notwithstanding such scrutiny, on October 5, 2006, the Indonesian military is set to commemorate its 6th anniversary, displaying its military might before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Distributed through the network of the consortioum, the sixteen-page newspapers, entitled Berita Rakyat (News for the People), divulges information on what the military has or has not been able to accomplish in carrying out its reform.
The issues the military needs to reform, according to Hamid, who is also the coordinator of Kontras – the commission for disappearances and victims of violence – range from military’s right to vote and ambiguous military business enterprise to illegitimate procurement of armaments.
During his speech, Hamid dismissed the military efforts to dissolve its business empire as ambiguous and TNI’s use of legitimate national budget as “futile,” saying “the President is not even receptive to such issue.”
Talking about the performance of the government, Hamid said military men have positioned themselves as civilian, withholding tenure in key political, business, and bureaucratic positions.
Hamid also read out an article written by Munir, the activist found dead while flying to Holland to further his study. Looking into Munir’s computer Hamid said he accidently found an article disclosing information of armaments bought by the military.
Referring to the preponderant issue facing the military today, its rights to vote, Hamid said that said withholding the military’s right to vote is “not politically wise.”
Hamid also added that regulation against their rights to vote does not mean that the military will not be involved in 2009 election.
Concurring with Hamid is retired general Kiki Syahnakri, who added that politicians need to learn how to be tolerant of others’ perceptions and most importantly “how to accept their loss should they lose their campaign.”
The consortium consists of NGOs such as INFID, Imparsial, Kontras, HRWG, Propartia, Lesspersi, ICW, the Ridep Institute, ISAI, Visi Anak Bangsa, Yayasan Pemantau Hak Anak, Walhi, LBH Jakarta, IDSPS, YLBHI, and KASUM. (PRT)
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