Archive for October, 2007
A meeting of world environment ministers and officials in Indonesia has accepted 2009 as the deadline for negotiations towards a new international treaty to fight climate change.
Our Jakarta Correspondent Geoff Thompson reports the Kyoto Protocol effectively expires in 2012 and after meeting with environment ministers and officials from 40 countries in Bogor the head of the United Nations Climate Secretariat.
Yvo de Boer said he is now confident that the UN Climate Change conference in Bali in December will launch negotiations to be completed by 2009.
The challenges confronting that timetable turn on the complexity of dividing emission limits between developed and developing nations and how to provide incentives to poorer nations to act on climate change.
Source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/
October 26th, 2007
JAKARTA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Mount Soputan volcano on the northern tip of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has erupted, throwing columns of ash 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) into the air, an official said on Friday. Saut Simatupang, of Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, said that the eruption did not appear to pose an immediate threat to residents, although ash had reached the nearest town.
“From the data that we have, it is only spraying ash without other volcanic material,” he said by telephone. “It is not so dangerous but we suggest people wear a mask so they will not suffer from respiratory problems.”
The nearest village to Soputan, 2,175 km (1,351 miles) northeast of the capital Jakarta, is located 11 km from its crater.
In August, Soputan also spewed ash and rocks, although Simatupang said that a few days ago the volcano was calm.
A local official said that no evacuation had been ordered.
“The eruption was weak, only sending out volcanic ash and the wind blew to the south while we are in the western part of the mountain,” said Ramai Luntungan.
He said that two villages near the mountain, with 1,000 people in each, were not in danger as they were protected by the lie of the land, but that masks would be distributed.
“Based on our experiences, we will only be showered by ash, so we didn’t need to evacuate.”
Last week, authorities evacuated residents living within a 10-km (6-mile) zone around Mount Kelud volcano in eastern Java after warning it was liable to erupt.
The order to evacuate more than 100,000 people was made after officials declared a maximum alert at the volcano, just 90 km (55 miles) southwest of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second-largest city.
Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes in any country, sitting on a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.
Source: http://uk.reuters.com/
October 26th, 2007
I have been visiting Indonesia frequently. My last trip to your wonderful country was from July to September. Previously, I visited sometimes three to four times in one year.
I have been in Indonesia three times so far for this year and my next trip will be from December to March, 2008. I just love Indonesia and its’ people. I have traveled the world over and over and there is no other place, with honest, civil, lovable and pleasant people than in Indonesia, no matter what province one is in.
My main destinations are West Sumatra - Padang and Bukit Tinggi - not to forget, Jakarta and Bali.
The only problem I have in Padang is that taxi drivers do not put the meters on but charge an exorbitant price for short-distance travel.
The mayor of Padang is well aware of this and the police turn a blind eye. This needs to be controlled. Padang itself is a city that is 20 years back of Jakarta but needs to be developed.
Despite the fact that it recently was shaken by an earthquake, it will be a city to look out for. It is surrounded by wonderful beaches that rival those of Bali and the Caribbean, but essential services are lacking to attract tourists and visitors.
The restaurants need to meet international standards with better washroom facilities.
MOHAMED MOBIN
Toronto, Canada
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 25th, 2007
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Financial incentives for forest protection should consider the value of the natural resources inside to motivate local residents to protect the area, the government said Tuesday.
Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Kaban said the incentives should also count potential losses if the people stop exploiting the forest.
“If we get only US$100 per hectare as a financial reward, it will not resolve poverty problems for communities living in forest areas,” Kaban said.
He said Indonesia’s forests had extensive natural reserves, including trees and mineral resources.
“A cubic meter of meranti tree wood, for example, is priced at $150. A hectare of land could produce 70 cubic meters of meranti timber. The reward must consider this,” he said.
“In Bengkulu, 80 percent of the forest is protected… where many precious minerals such as iron, gold and coal are found. But what will the world give us for protecting it?”
Kaban also said other countries had paid little attention to Indonesia’s efforts to protect its forests.
“Our forests trap tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) every day but no country appreciates this,” he said.
He said that only since the issue of climate change became important had the international community paid attention to Indonesia’s forests.
“But they accuse Indonesia of being the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases due to forest fires,” he said.
Kaban said that the government had carried out several actions to help protect forests.
“We have reduced logging from 27 million cubic meters before the 2000s to only 9.1 million cubic meters per year. We have also intensified efforts to fight illegal logging,” he said.
“We have designated 40 million hectares of protected and conservation forest but we never get rewarded for our efforts.”
Kaban said that the negotiations on financial incentives for protecting forests would still be very tough.
Ministers and senior officials dealing with the environment from 40 countries will hold a two-day informal meeting in Bogor on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss Indonesia’s proposal on reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries (REDD).
Indonesia wants the REDD concept to be included in a new commitment after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The concept will be discussed at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) to be held from Dec. 3 to 15 in Bali.
The government plans to plant 79 million trees in the coming month to show it is serious about protecting forests to capture more carbon.
Indonesian women, led by First Lady Kristiani Herawati, will also plant 10 million trees before the Bali meeting.
Indonesia currently has 120 million hectares of forest, the world’s third largest after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Indonesia has set up lobbies including organizing 10 tropical forest countries to support the REDD concept at the conference. The 10 countries are Brazil, Cameron, Costa Rica, Columbia, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Peru.
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 25th, 2007
Eva sat on her veranda, holding a plastic bag full of coins and giving them to passing children the night before Idul Fitri.
“Come here kid! Take the money,” she cried out to one of the youngsters in her village of Tegalwangi in Talang regency.
As her neighbors chanted “Allahu akbar” (God is great), Eva prepared Rp 50,000 (US$5.40) in 500 rupiah coins and gave Rp 1,000 to each child.
Lutfi, her 5-year-old son, also walked around the neighborhood to collect coins, even though his mother disapproves of children asking, let alone begging, for money.
Eva said she was carrying on a local custom to distribute money to the young, and told Lutfi to behave himself.
“But he argued that he did it just to have fun with his friends,” said Eva, whose husband runs a food stall and grocery shop in Tegal bus terminal.
In Tegalwangi village, giving coins to children is considered zakat (alms) and it is one of three well-preserved traditions here.
The others are ambengan and anonim. Ambengan is exchanging and sharing food blessed at the mushola (worship place) or mosque before the start of Ramadhan and after the Idul Fitri prayer. Anonim is the tradition of exchanging and sharing food right from the kitchen.
Soon after the Idul Fitri prayers, the men brought trays full of rice, tofu, tempeh and vegetables to the mosque. After they asked for God’s blessings, they gave them to their needy neighbors.
“We also prepare food for ambengan to respect our ancestors who introduced the ritual,” said Eva’s sister, Islamiarti.
Then follows the anonim ritual. Carrying trays full of rice, sticky rice or chicken cooked in coconut milk, young people knock on doors and offer the food.
This tradition allows people to give or exchange food to anyone in their neighborhood.
“But each family usually prepares food for 10 families,” said Islamiarti.
She said while giving coins to children and the ambengan ritual were “compulsory”, there is no obligation to perform the anonim ritual.
“These sharing traditions have been maintained for decades,” she said. (15)
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 24th, 2007
Villagers evacuated from around the Indonesian volcano Mount Kelud have been told it could still erupt as frustration over their forced removal grows.
Activity in the volcano slowed on Monday, making it even harder to convince residents to remain in the makeshift refugee shelters.
The alert level at Mount Kelud, one of Indonesia’s deadliest volcanoes, was put at the highest level a week ago and has remained there since.
There have been a series of powerful underground tremors and sharply rising temperatures in the lake of the crater.
However, some of the tens of thousands of villagers who have been forced off the volcano’s slopes say they are losing money while they are kept off their land.
Tremors rocked Mount Kelud, a 1,731-metre peak about 90kms from Indonesia’s second city of Surabaya, for nearly an hour on Friday, Surano, the top volcanologist at the monitoring station, Kristanto, said.
But there has been no major activity since Sunday making it all the more difficult to convince evacuees to remain in makeshift refugee shelters near its base.
High alert
“We are still in a situation of high alert,” he said, noting that Mount Kelud has a history of only large eruptions, never small.
“Once it goes off, it will be big. This is why we keep reminding people they have to stay clear of the crater.”
Authorities have ordered 116,000 people living along the volcano’s fertile slopes to leave their homes, but more than 12,000 refused, saying they needed to tend to their crops and animals and protect against possible looting.
Meanwhile, many of those forced to evacuate were losing patience and money.
Suyatno, who earns $1 a day picking cloves and coffee beans for a private plantation company, said he was eager to return to his village of Candi Sewu, 5kms from Mount Kelud’s peak.
The last eruption of Mount Kelud in 1990 killed more than 30 people and injured hundreds. In 1919, a powerful explosion that could be heard hundreds of kilometres away destroyed dozens of villages and killed at least 5,160 people
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The archipelago nation is home to 129 active volcanoes, including 21 on Java alone.
Source: http://mwcnews.net/
October 24th, 2007
Ron Luhur, Washington D.C.
This December, thousands of representatives from countries, companies and civil groups will gather in Bali to discuss climate change.
The world will be watching and Indonesia will find itself in a unique position in history. Indonesia has the opportunity to influence the way we resolve the world’s most pressing economic and environmental challenge.
As both an Indonesian and an environmental advocate, I’m excited and proud at my country’s opportunity to lead the way.
Many assume that developing countries like ours can not or do not want to be part of the solution. In Washington, D.C., where I live, many legislators and officials make this assumption and use it as an excuse for inaction. This year’s Bali conference will be a critical opportunity for Indonesia and our fellow rain forest nations to change this misperception. It is also an opportunity to show the White House and the U.S. Congress that they can no longer use developing countries as an excuse to remain on the sidelines.
Greenhouse gas emissions from forest clearing and forest burning eclipse the emissions from all the cars, trucks, planes, trains and ships in the world combined. These are the largest sources of emissions in the developing world, accounting for roughly 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If tropical deforestation emissions are accounted for, Indonesia is surpassed only by the United States and China in its contribution to climate change.
We hear a lot about fossil fuels, and how we need bigger reductions in emissions from sectors heavily reliant on them, like power generation and cement production — areas that are the focus of international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol. And this is true. But glaringly absent from these agreements has been a recognition that deforestation emissions must also be reduced in order to tackle climate change.
We simply cannot ignore emissions from deforestation any longer. To do so would be to pass up significant reductions and turn our backs on the magnificent tropical forests that serve as the lungs of our planet.
The technical know-how needed to attack deforestation exists today, including sophisticated satellite-based forest monitoring systems. But a critical hurdle remains: the opportunity for developing countries to reap what they sow.
For many industrialized countries, thanks to the Kyoto Protocol, emitters such as power plants have an option to sell reductions on the carbon market, and hence, have profit incentives they can use to find new ways to cut emissions more cheaply. By aligning business incentives with environmental performance, access to carbon markets has driven innovation and will lead to large-scale reductions from this sector.
By the same token, opening access to carbon markets for developing countries could align incentives with forest protection and drive innovation and large-scale cuts in deforestation emissions.
Indonesia’s big opportunity here is to craft the post-Kyoto global road map — a Bali road map — which acknowledges the singular importance of addressing deforestation, and treats reductions in deforestation with the same measures as those used for reductions in fossil fuels. Since industrialized countries are compensated through the carbon markets for their reductions, developing countries should equally qualify for compensation through the markets for the deforestation reductions they achieve.
The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, the principal carbon market today, was valued at US$25 billion last year and is projected to grow dramatically. There are signs that a U.S. carbon market could also emerge in the not too distant future. Despite the lack of progress by the White House, momentum is building in the U.S. Congress and in key U.S. states, including California. If such markets emerge in the U.S., the global carbon market could grow by an additional $50-$300 billion a year — creating sizable opportunities for finance and investments that Indonesia cannot afford to miss out on.
For Indonesia, there is a great deal at stake. We are vulnerable to the economic and social impacts of increased dangerous weather phenomena such as prolonged floods, which threaten to inundate productive agricultural lands — perhaps like the floods that Jakarta, my beloved hometown, experienced early this year.
We need to focus on sustainable development and ways to maximize long-term economic opportunities for Indonesia, including protecting idyllic beaches and coral reefs that drive Indonesia’s tourist economy.
We also need to elevate a new generation of Indonesians who are world-class builders and leaders to be part of what will possibly be the world’s largest commodities market.
The current administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has the opportunity to be part of the new generation. As the leader of the newly-minted Forest-11, the President has assembled a coalition of developing rain forest countries who have declared their interest in playing a key role in the climate change solution.
This is a great first step, but the President, his partner countries and fellow Indonesians must pursue, with vigor, a way in Bali to give the developing world and its forests equal access to the world’s burgeoning carbon marketplace. Together, we must show the world that we, as developing countries, are ready to lead the way in fighting climate change.
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 23rd, 2007
The Culture and Tourism Ministry will soon sign an agreement with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry in an attempt to protect the nation’s cultural heritage.
“In order to avoid other countries claiming aspects of Indonesia’s heritage, we approached the justice ministry about listing our heritage with them,” Mukhlis Paeni, director general for culture, art and traditional movies at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He said the ministry had started to conduct research into the heritage of some regions in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
“We are currently looking further into the Negara Kertagama documents, which are an important part of Indonesia’s heritage,” Mukhlis said.
The Negara Kertagama transcript was written in the 14th century during the Majapahit period and details the kingdom’s success in achieving good governance and a people-based economy.
Mukhlis said due to the sheer volume of significant historical documents on Indonesia, the ministry could not work alone to achieve its target.
“We have conducted joint studies into heritage and folklore with several universities,” he said.
The ministry also hoped other ministries and private companies would eventually become involved in efforts to preserve the country’s heritage, he added.
Indonesia’s claims to its heritage and folklore have been challenged in the past, with Malaysia having made claims to the Rasa Sayange traditional folk song and several batik designs, as well as the angklung (bamboo musical instrument).
Prahasto Wahju Pamungkas, an Indonesian intellectual property rights representative with the International Development Law Organization, said Malaysia could not have patented batik.
“Patents are only for the invention of new forms of technology,” Prahasto told the Post.
He said the responsibility to copyright folk songs with no known creator fell with national governments.
“But if a song has been modified, the copyright for the modified version belongs to the people who modified it. And this is permitted as long as it does not harm the original creator,” Praharso said.
He said efforts to search for, collect and list aspects of Indonesia’s cultural heritage should be followed up by registering them with the intellectual property rights directorate.
“This will require a huge amount of money and time. The government should involve the public in its efforts to preserve the country’s heritage.
“Forging cooperation with non-governmental organizations could be a good start,” he said. (13)
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 23rd, 2007
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung
An eight-by-ten square meter room in a Lampung University campus complex had been transformed into a performance-ready theater.
A wall at the back of the stage had been covered by a black tarpaulin. As for seats, well the audience had to put up with mats on the floor.
When the stage lights came on, a young woman who was acting as the master of ceremonies gave a welcome speech. That young woman was Fitriyani, section head of the University Student Activities in the field of arts at Lampung University (UKMBS).
Fitriyani then invited the many people in the audience to listen and enjoy a night of poetry readings.
When each poet finished delivering his or her work time was allocated to discuss the poems. Commentators, who included academics, writers, literary critics and language experts, then discussed aspects of the reading and performance and the poet’s approach to the subject.
Members of the audience were then given a chance to make their own criticisms and comments about the poetry.
The event is called the Literature Chamber Meeting (Jubisa) and has now been running for nearly two years. Organized by UKMBS activists, it’s held on the third Friday of every month.
It has become a prominent and important literature forum, eagerly anticipated by all lovers of the written word, from young university students through to established literary figures.
The audiences usually consist of arts undergraduates and the literati who enjoy watching the on-stage performances of the Lampung poets currently enlivening the world of Indonesian literature through their works.
The audiences can also savor and appreciate the poems of newcomers who make their debut at the start of each month’s proceedings.
For those poets whose work is performed and discussed, the Literature Chamber Meetings are a fine forum for exposing their creativity to the public. While for those university students who are studying poetry, the event is a place to learn together.
“Although tough criticism is often made of some of the works, this event is important to gauge the esthetic achievement of a poet. The activity is also important to help build a new generation of Lampung poets,” said Ari Pahala Hutabarat, a poet who is also head of the Arts Council Literary Committee in Lampung.
According to Ari, the poet Wayan Sunarta from Bali, whose work has been published in book form, came to the Jubisa forum.
“Apart from having his writings read by Lampung poets, Sunarta’s poems were also criticized by the audience,” he said. “But there were others who supported his work.”
According to Ari, Lampung has now earned itself an important place on the Indonesian poetry map, along with Bali, West Sumatra and West Java.
Some poets whose works developed during their time on the campus had later gained fame in other parts of Indonesia and overseas.
“Many critics and observers of Indonesian literature have said Lampung is taking an important role because it is helping revive poetry and is doing so with success,” Ari said.
“As an example, almost every Sunday a Lampung poet has his or her work featured in the national mass media and in the regional press. These published pieces include the work of poets who started writing back in the 1970s and 1980s, through to the younger and more recent arrivals on the literary scene.”
Before the 1980s very few people knew of the work that was being done in Lampung by the literary set. The only Lampung writer whose name was nationally known was Motinggo Busye, though only after the short story writer and stage actor had moved to Jakarta.
The name Lampung started appearing in the literary world after the appearance of poetry and short stories written by Isbedy Stiawan Z.S., Iwan Nurdaya Djafar, Asrori Malik Zulqornain, Sugandi Putra, Naim Emel Prahana, Syaiful Irba Tanpaka, Sutarman Sutar, Ch. Heru Cahyo Saputro, to name a few.
Many had their works published in the Jakarta mass media in the 1980s and thereafter.
The next generation that started writing poetry and short stories in the 1990s is still active and productive.
Among the members are Iswadi Pratama, Panji Utama, Budi P. Hatees, Ahmad Juden Erwin, Gunawan Pharikesit, Rifian A. Cheppy, Ivan Sumantri Bonang, M. Arman A.Z., Dahta Gautama, Udo, Z. Karzi and Edy Samudra Kertagama.
More recent Lampung writers whose work has appeared this century include Jimmy Maruli Alfian, Y. Wibowo, Ari Pahala Hutabarat, Inggit Putria Marga, Diah J. Oktavani, Diah Indra Mertawirana, Lupita Lukman, Imas Sobariah, Hendri Rosevelt, Eli Harda, Andriyani, Anton Kurniawan and Hazwan Iskandar Jaya.
Some Lampung poets whose work was born on the Lampung University campus have been active in UKMBS. They include Iswadi Pratama, Ahman Julden Erwin, Panji Utama, Ivan Sumantri Bonang, Rifian A. Cheppy, Gunawan Pharikesit, Ari Pahala Hutabarat, Jimmy Maruli Alfian, Anton Kurniawan, Dina J. Oktaviani, Diah Indra Mertawirana, Hendri Rosevelt, Inggit Putria Marga, Lupita Lukman, and Elly Harda.
Iswadi Pratama, a poet and leader of Teater Satu, said the campus art community played a very important role in helping create new generations of poets and short story writers in Lampung.
“In Bali, the poet Umbu Landu Paranggi has helped many Balinese poets develop their skills so they can become master craftsmen,” he said.
“All Lampung young poets have had their work enriched through discussions with senior poets and we have learned together,” said the poet who is now developing a poetry school that is attended by dozens of senior high school students.
According to Iswadi, the revival of poetry isn’t just occurring in Bandarlampung city, but in other communities around Lampung. For example in Metro, a small town in Lampung, the work of many new generation poets was being recognized.
These groups generally consisted of activists from other campuses, and who were studying art. This has led many observers of the literary scene to comment that Lampung is actually “poet country”.
“Apart from Bali, there’s no other area in Indonesia that can equal the number of poets that we have here in Lampung,” said Iswadi.
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 22nd, 2007
With schools and offices ready to reopen Monday, the number of holidaymakers arriving at the city’s bus terminals and train stations is climbing, with the influx peak predicted to occur this weekend.
Deputy head of Central Jakarta’s Senen train station, Agung Wahyu, said the number of arrivals at the train station had began to rise Wednesday, with a total of 10,190 passengers that day.
On Friday, the number was predicted to reach 13,000, or an increase of almost 30 percent.
“The peak time will be this Saturday and Sunday; we predict the number will reach up to 20,000 passengers on each of the two days,” Agung said Friday.
He said the number of arrivals on regular days stood at around 3,000 passengers.
Agung told The Jakarta Post in addition to the 18 trains that operated regularly, seven reserve trains had been prepared to anticipate the influx.
“We started using them today,” said Agung, adding that most of the trains would transport passengers from areas in Central Java and East Java to Jakarta.
A rise in the number of arrivals has also been witnessed at East Jakarta’s Pulogadung and Kampung Rambutan bus terminals, and at West Jakarta’s Kalideres bus terminal.
Pulogadung terminal has seen at least 80,000 people arrive on more than 1,800 buses over the last four days, while Kampung Rambutan terminal reported a total of 64,665 arrivals from Monday to Wednesday, with most originating from Central and East Java.
On regular days, around 3,000 people arrive at Pulogadung terminal.
Pulogadung’s arrival terminal manager, Eddy Purwoko, said Thursday the number of arrivals had gradually increased from Monday with the peak predicted to occur this weekend.
Meanwhile, head of the Kalideres bus terminal, Rustam, said the number of holidaymakers returning to the city through the terminal in the five days following Idul Fitri had increased by 15 percent to 12,687, compared to the same period last year.
The number of buses arriving during the period, he said, had also increased from 729 in 2006 to 784 this year.
Rustam said newcomers from short-distance areas, such as Serang, Lebak and Pandeglang in Banten, and Lampung province contributed to the increase in the number of arrivals.
He said these people came to Jakarta seeking employment.
“To anticipate an influx of returning holidaymakers at this terminal, we are working together with the busway and other intercity bus operators; around 200 buses will operate over 24 hours,” he said.
Train stations and bus terminals have also witnessed an increase in the number of passengers leaving Jakarta for their hometowns.
“I spent my Idul Fitri holiday in Jakarta, visiting neighbors and relatives. I made plans to leave for my hometown of Losari (Central Java) after Idul Fitri because my family there will celebrate the holiday this weekend,” said Zubaedah, 58, who has lived in Jakarta for almost 40 years. (11/23)
Multa Fidrus contributed to this story from Tangerang.
Source: The Jakarta Post
October 22nd, 2007
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