President, ASEAN military chiefs attend breakfast meeting

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 03/31/2011 8:57 AM | World

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday began the day with a joint breakfast with military chiefs of 10 ASEAN member states, at the State Palace in Jakarta.

The breakfast banquet was held as part of the 8th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM), which is an annual event.

A similar banquet was held last year in Hanoi, as Vietnam chaired the ASEAN in 2010. This year, Indonesia holds the chair post.

The meeting, the rest of whose sessions will take place at the Sultan Hotel in Jakarta, covers defense and security issues in Southeast Asia, tempointeraktif.com reported Thursday.

This year, the meeting is expected to conclude with commitments to continuing and enhancing ASEAN countries’ partnerships in tackling terrorism in the region.

Yudhoyono is scheduled to lead a Cabinet meeting at his office after the breakfast, but the agenda of this meeting had not been made public at the time of the report.

CIA sends teams of Libya; US considers rebel aid

The Associated Press, Washington | Thu, 03/31/2011 8:34 AM | World

The CIA has sent small teams of operatives into Libya and helped rescue a crew member of a U.S. fighter jet that crashed, and the White House said Wednesday it was assessing "all types of assistance" for rebels battling Moammar Gadhafi's troops.

Battlefield setbacks are hardening the U.S. view that the poorly equipped opposition probably is incapable of prevailing without decisive Western intervention, a senior U.S. intelligence official told The Associated Press.

Lawmakers, in private briefings with top Obama administration officials, asked tough questions about the cost of the military operation and expressed concern about the makeup of the rebels.

Members of Congress quoted officials as saying the U.S. military role would be limited, and heard President Barack Obama's director of national intelligence compare the rebel forces to a "pick-up basketball team."

"No decision has been made about providing arms to the opposition or to any groups in Libya," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. "We're not ruling it out or ruling it in."

The CIA's precise role in Libya is not clear. Intelligence experts said the CIA would have sent officials to make contact with the opposition and assess the strength and needs of the rebel forces in the event Obama decided to arm them.

An American official and a former U.S. intelligence officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, told the AP about the CIA's involvement in Libya after the agency was forced to close its station in Tripoli, the capital.

They said CIA helped safely recover the F-15E Strike Eagle's weapons specialist, who was first picked up by rebels after the crash March 21. The pilot was rescued by Marines.

They suffered only minor injuries, the military has said. Officials have declined to say what mission the F-15 was on at the time it went down. The crew ejected after the aircraft malfunctioned during a mission against a Libyan missile site.

The former intelligence officer said some CIA officers had been staging from the agency's station in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

The New York Times first reported the CIA had sent in groups of CIA operatives and that British operatives were directing airstrikes.

Obama said in a national address Monday night that U.S. troops would not be used on the ground in Libya. The statement allowed for wiggle room as the president explores options in case h decides to use covert action to ship arms to the rebels and train them. That would require a presidential finding.

In that event, the CIA would take the lead, as it has done in the past such as in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks and the run-up to the Iraq invasion in 2003. In those covert action pograms, CIA officers along with special operation forces were sent in, providing arms to opposition forces to help fight the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Gadhafi's land forces outmatch the opposition by a wide margin and are capable of threatening the civilian resistance, said the senor U.S. intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Lawmakers met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, and intelligence head James Clapper.

"They're absolutely committed to keeping the U.S.role limited," said Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer. "Nobody is making guarantees we'll be out in two weeks."

The top NATO commander, U.S. Navy Adm. James Stavridis, has said he's seen "flickers" of al-Qaida and Hezbollah among the rebels, but no evidence of significant numbers within the political oposition group's leadership.

During the meeting, Clapper, the intelligence chief, compared the rebel forces to a "pick-up basketball team." He indicated that intelligence has identified a few questionable individuals within the rebel ranks but no significant presence, according to lawmakers.

Lawmaker expressed frustration because administration officials couldn't say when the U.S. operation might end.

Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said Clinton and Gates did not provide much information about the future in Libya.

"Do we arm the rebels? What happens if Gadhafi holds on? What is our next move?" said Smith.

Smith said arming the rebels may make sense, but added, "I think we have to figure out who exactly we would be arming. There are a lot of different rebel groups. I think we need greater intelligence on who is on the ground."

The Pentagon put the cost of the Libyan operation so far at $550 million. Blumenauer said officials estimated the cost could be $40 million a month depending on the length of the operation for the U.S. "It could be higher," he said.

Lawmakers, especially Republicans, are smarting from what they consider a lack of consultation from the administration and Obama's decision not to seek congressional authorization for the use of force.

The briefings - the Senate had a separate session later Wednesday - came 12 days after the no-fly zone began. Obama did speak to congressional leaders the day before the military action began.

Stavridis told the House Armed Services Committee that "the strike part of this and the aviation combat air patrol will be filled largely by the allies" and the U.S. will focus on things such as "intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, refueling ... combat search and rescue."

Still, committee members had reservations.

"It is a mission that I'm concerned as to whether or not its goals are clear. And also I'm a little concerned and believe it's unclear as to who we are supporting in this conflict," said Republican Rep. Michael Turner.

Said freshman Republican Rep. Chris Gibson, who did four Army combat tours in Iraq: "I think we have so much on the plate right now that we need to do to bring to closure with regard to Iraq and Afghanistan."

An Associated Press-GfK poll found the country split on U.S. involvement in military actions in Libya, with 48 percent approving and 50 percent disapproving.

About three-quarters say it's somewhat likely that U.S. forces will be involved in Libya for the long term. Fifty-five percent say they would favor the United States increasing its military action to remove Gadhafi from power, although only 13 percent favor U.S. ground troops, a step Obama has said he would not take.

The poll was conducted in the days leading up to the president's speech.

Five countries eying South Sumatra geothermal resources

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 9:46 PM | Business

Investors from five countries have shown interest in the natural gas resource of South Sumatra. The province reportedly has the potential to generate up to 1,911 mega watts of electricity from six different areas containing geothermal energy.

South Sumatra Investment Agency chief Permana said that the five countries were Turkey, India, the US, Canada and Italy. At least three energy companies have undergone the tender process for the utilization of South Sumatra geothermal energy.

“We will accept [the company] that offers the best and highest offer,” he added on Wednesday.

According to Permana, natural gas resources are just one of a number of local resources on offer to foreign investors, adding that they possess the skills and resources to process natural gas.

The natural gas, however, must still be sold to state electricity utility PLN to fulfill the local need for energy, Permana said, as reported by kompas.com.

PSSI secretariat ignores eviction notice

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 9:58 PM | Sports

The Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) secretariat is operating as usual in spite of an order issued by the Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng for the association's leader Nurdin Halid to step down, and for all PSSI staff to vacate their office.

Gelora Bung Karno Stadium's management and development director Mahfudin Nigara on Wednesday dropped off a letter at the PSSI office in the compound ordering Nurdin to halt to all activities at the office.

The letter called for the PSSI's staff to vacate the office. However, the staff chose to stay put.

“The employees still want to work as they feel comfortable. Everything is continuing as normal and the secretariat is still running,” a member of the PSSI's executive committee, Togar Manahan Nero, said on Wednesday.

He said the PSSI was prioritizing its running of soccer's Indonesian Super League.

“It is important that the secretariat keeps functioning so that all administrative work can continue to be done. If the secretariat closes down, what will happen to the [PSSI] members and the clubs?” he said, as reported by kompas.com.

CIA operatives on the ground in Libya

Associated Press, Washington | Thu, 03/31/2011 8:05 AM | World

The CIA sent small teams of operatives into Libya after the agency's station in the capital was forced to close, and CIA officers assisted in the rescue of one of the two crew members of an F-15E Strike Eagle that crashed, an American official and a former U.S. intelligence officer told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The agency's precise role in Libya was unclear. Intelligence experts said the CIA would have sent officials to make contact with the opposition and assess the strength and needs of the rebel forces battling Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in the event President Barack Obama decided to arm them.

The American official and the former U.S. intelligence officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information, said the CIA helped safely recover the fighter jet's weapons specialist, who was first picked up by friendly rebels. The pilot was rescued by U.S. Marines.

They suffered only minor injuries, the military has said. Officials have declined to say what mission the F-15 was on at the time of the crash March 21. The crew ejected after the aircraft malfunctioned during a mission against a Libyan missile site.

The former intelligence officer said some CIA officers also had been staging from the agency's station in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.

The New York Times first reported the agency had sent in groups of CIA operatives and that British operatives were directing airstrikes.

Obama said in a national address Monday night that U.S. troops would not be used on the ground in Libya. The statement allowed for wiggle room as the president explores options in case he decides to use covert action to ship arms to the rebels and train them. That would require a presidential finding.

In that event, the CIA would take the lead, as it has done in the past such as in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks and the run-up to the Iraq invasion in 2003. In those covert action programs, CIA officers along with special operation forces were sent in, providing arms to opposition forces to help fight the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

Pelindo, W. Sumatra join hands to boost port performance

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 03/31/2011 9:21 AM | Archipelago

West Sumatra administration and state port operator PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo II) inked a deal on Wednesday to boost the facilities of Teluk Bayur port in West Sumatra.
Pelindo II managing director R.J. Lino and West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno signed the memorandum of understanding on the new partnership in Jakarta on Wednesday, as witnessed by State Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar.
“This is one of the forms of synergy partnerships between state enterprises and local administrations, where resources of each institution are made use of,” Mustafa said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
He added that such partnerships were expected to improve the competitiveness of state enterprises.
The new partnership includes land acquisition around the port as part of its development, the procurement of supporting facilities, and the improvement of traffic management at the port, which is the biggest and busiest sea port on the western coast of Sumatra.

Intelligence reform through intelligent law

Al Araf and Diandra Megaputri, Jakarta | Thu, 03/31/2011 9:37 AM | Opinion

Countries are rearranging strategies and security systems to achieve national interests amid the complex threats that emerged after the Cold War — a situation exacerbated by globalization, democratization, human rights, technological advances, rapid information exchange and intra-state conflicts.

Changes in a nation’s strategy and security systems have often been conducted under security sector reform programs by many countries, including Indonesia.

During the reform era, Indonesia’s security sector reform agenda recorded positive achievements, such as the enactment of the Defense Law, the National Police Law and the Indonesian Military Law.

However, those achievements failed to comprehensively regulate the security sector, specifically Indonesia’s intelligence community. So far regulations on national intelligence bodies are covered only by presidential decree. Due to that concern, the House of Representatives drafted a bill on intelligence.

Enacting an intelligence law should be part of the intelligence reform agenda. Therefore, the law should not only be aimed at strengthening the capacity of intelligence agencies but also re-arranging the structure and functions of their activities in a democratic way.

There are several basic democratic principles that the House’s proposed bill should not miss include human rights, civilian supremacy over the security sector, the division of responsibilities, a legal foundation, political non-partisanship, transparency and accountability.

Unprofessional and ineffective intelligence communities are characterized by excessive military influence, misuse of intelligence agencies for political interests, extra-constitutional activity, a lack of legal liability for malfeasance and a lack general and budgetary of oversight.

Unfortunately the House’s intelligence bill contains various weaknesses as it has not fully accommodated democratic principles.

The human rights NGO Imparsial, for example, expressed concern on the unlimited authority to intercept communications given by the bill to the nation’s intelligence agencies.

Based on a Constitutional Court decision in February, another rights group, Elsam, insisted that eavesdropping be regulated by a new law, separated from the proposed bill on intelligence.

Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights is concerned about the absence of a complaint mechanism for citizens who might fall victims to abusive intelligence operations. In some cases, intelligence information might be used to support private political or economic interests.

There is no doubt that Indonesian intelligence agencies need the authority to intercept suspicious communications.

However, such authority needs to be regulated by standard procedures such as the prior consent of a court or prosecutor. Unfortunately, the intelligence bill fails to require such oversight.

Furthermore, the definition of intelligence information secrecy as stated in articles 24 and 39 of the bill is not sufficiently specific and may lead to multiple interpretations and threaten the freedom of information and the freedom of press.

Moreover, the government proposed that the final bill authorize intelligence agencies such as the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to make arrests. This authority might violate human rights as it may legitimize abductions considering the secretive nature of intelligence operations.

The BIN and other intelligence agencies are not law enforcement agencies and should be kept separate from law enforcement institutions. Under the rule of law, arrest authority is the sole province of law enforcement agencies such as police or prosecutors.

Giving intelligence agencies arrest authority might not only undermine the criminal justice system but also lead to overlapping authority among security actors.

The BIN’s primary function is to collect, process, select and analyze information that will be submitted to the President or other authorized stakeholders.

In addition, intelligence agencies have the authority to conduct covert and counterintelligence operations. However such operations cannot be carried out against citizens or institutions but only against foreign powers.

Intelligence should serve as tool to support foreign policy and be aimed at foreign governments or people or groups outside the country.

In order to enhance intelligence accountability, multiple levels of oversight should be established and conducted not only by the House but also the intelligence community itself, in addition to executive oversight, judicial oversight and popular oversight.

In an organizational context, the structure of the intelligence community should be differentiated through a strict division of job areas such as foreign intelligence, domestic intelligence, military intelligence and law enforcement intelligence.

Unfortunately, the substance of the intelligence bill focuses on a new body called the National Intelligence Coordinating Body (LKIN).

There were cases previously when intelligence agents or other security actors had to obey the decisions of their commanders although they violated the law and human rights. As a result, operational intelligence agents were brought to court but their superiors enjoyed impunity.

Therefore, it is important to regulate the objection and complaint mechanism for intelligence agents when it comes to the potential for an operation to break the law.

Such objections and complaints should be addressed to the intelligence commission in the House before the operation is conducted. This mechanism is important to prevent human right violations.

Finally, the intelligence bill should consider the balance between national security and personal liberty.

Al Araf is the Imparsial program director and Diandra Megaputri studies defense management at the Indonesian Defense University.

Letter: Invaluable lessons from Japan

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/30/2011 8:47 PM | Readers Forum

Here is a forwarded email that I received recently on how the Japanese faced the calamities that befell them after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, further compounded by the nuclear crisis.

The contents were so inspirational that I thought them fit to share with the readers of The Jakarta Post.

The calm: Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

The dignity: Disciplined queues for water and groceries, not a rough word or a crude gesture.

The ability: The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

The grace: People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody get something.

The order: No honking and no overtaking on the roads, just understanding.

The sacrifice: Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the nuclear reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

The tenderness: Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

The training: The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do and they did just that.

The media: They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins; no silly reporters, only calm reportage.

The conscience: When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

Isn’t it amazing to know how the Japanese managed to embed such gracious discipline and unique national character even in these dire circumstances?

Surely, each one of us and the whole world can learn from the Japanese culture!

D. Chandramouli
Jakarta

Umar Patek could be information goldmine: ICG

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 3:20 PM | National

International Crisis Group (ICG) senior advisor Sidney Jones says Umar Patek, a terrorism suspect allegedly arrested in Pakistan earlier this month, would be an information goldmine on terrorism networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia.

“So the news of Umar Patek being caught is very good to hear,” Sidney said Wednesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Patek allegedly masterminded the 2002 Bali bombing and is also wanted by the government of the United States, among others.

Jones said Umar could have escaped from Indonesia in 2003 with the aid of another suspect, Abdullah Sonata, and Kompak, an organization he chaired. Umar had joined the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at one period, she said.

Sidney added that the MILF then ousted him in 2005 and Patek had joined a group led by militant Abu Sayaf. Patek, also known as “Abdul Ghoni”, “Abu Syeikh” and “Umar Arab”, is said to have obtained skills in weaponry and bomb assembling in Afghanistan.

“However, we have not known what Umar Patek has been up to during the last two to three years,” Jones said.

A lot of information on Patek has yet to see the light, she said. “For example whether he joined Dulmatin when Dulmatin returned to Indonesia, and on the relationship between the Indonesian and Mindanao radical Islam network.”

Dulmatin was another suspect who was gunned down during a raid by the Indonesian police.

Sidney said the Philippines government would also request that Patek be brought to court there.

Jakarta Police busts luxury car theft ring

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 3:05 PM | Jakarta

Jakarta Police on Tuesday uncovered and arrested suspects linked to the theft of luxury cars.

Jakarta Police crimes chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Nico Afinta said Wednesday that one of the luxurious cars the syndicate had managed to steal had belonged to an official at the Foreign Ministry.

Nico said the police moved in to arrest the members of the syndicate after receiving reports from their victims.

Police then arrested suspects JO, YH and RZ, and confiscated seven luxury vehicles from the suspects.

The suspects said they had been stealing luxury cars in Jakarta, Bekasi and Tangerang since 2009.

The return of Big Brother to Indonesia?

Yanuar Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Manchester, UK | Wed, 03/30/2011 9:07 PM | Opinion

Advances in Internet technology have changed the way people live. For many it has brought the appealing promises of global community, democracy and openness.

Many others fear technological threats such as alienated individuals, anarchy, surveillance and repression. The House of Representatives’ proposed intelligence bill is a clear example of the latter.

The bill, if enacted into law, would give the authorities a free pass to monitor conversations and exchanges on the Internet.

Even worse, the bill would give legal justification to the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) to detain anyone suspected of threatening public security based on exchanges on social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook.

While the very same social media have given birth of a new type of civic engagement globally, in Indonesia, in the eyes of the bill’s drafters, technology is a threat.

The bill is an anachronism not only in terms of our knowledge economy and information society, but also when considering the democratic progress the nation has made in the reform era.

What are the roots of this anachronism?

First is the inability of the state to comprehend the complexity of information and communication technology (ICT) and its consequences, intended or unintended. As an example, look at how the Communications and Information Technology Ministry imposed Internet blocks, despite their ineffectiveness, to ban access to pornography. It showed not only the naivety of the government, but also the fear and technical incompetence of government officials.

The intelligence bill indicates a similar level of technophobia. Restlessness voiced through social media is seen as a potential security problem, motivating the bill’s drafters to make people subject to arrest for status updates on social media websites.

Such a view is flawed. Freedom of expression is a civil right. The speech of citizens in any medium is an essential right that must be guaranteed by the state — be it in conventional media such as pamphlets or in contemporary media such as Twitter. The unique features of the Internet and social media cannot alone ensure this right.

For those unable to understand the intricacies of technological innovations, it is easy to feel trapped and see the problems and disadvantages technological progress brings to society, rather than acknowledging and taking advantage of its benefits.

The benefits are legion and unexpected. Facebook was used by civil society groups to mobilize support for Prita Mulyasari as well as Corruption Eradication Commission deputies Bibit S. Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah. The Jalin Merapi civil society group used Twitter to mobilize aid when Mount Merapi erupted.

At the moment, hundreds – if not thousands — humanitarian and environmental “causes” are organized on Facebook, from supporters of the Lapindo mudflow to those who dislike local sinetron soap operas.

Twitter has been instrumental for new civil society movements such as Blood for Life (#BFL) which seeks blood donors, or Save Jakarta (#savejkt), which discuss ideas on improving life in the capital city.

These examples show how the Internet and social media can be used strategically to make social change.

Unfortunately, understanding the rich and nuanced ways that the Internet and social media has transformed our society may be beyond the state’s capacity.

Instead of proactively creating a regulatory framework or ensuring equal access to the telecommunications infrastructure that can help citizens reap the benefits of ICT, the government has used new technology for coercion.

For example, the government’s recent action forcing the makers of BlackBerrys to install Web filters and to build a local server network was interpreted by critics as an exercise of state power aimed at public surveillance.

Perhaps, as Evgeny Morozov said, we all have utopian ideas of the Internet. The very same technology that supports the Internet and social media are as much tools for authoritarian regimes to control or coerce populations as they are for “liberation”.

A quick reality check will show that technology has been used to repress as well as liberate nations.

If the intelligence bill is enacted there is a possibility that civil society activists (including trade unionists, rights activists and political demonstrators) will become targets of the government. The bill would give the authorities a blank check to violate Internet users’ privacy. It is no exaggeration to say that there is a great danger that online privacy may soon just be an illusion.

If we let this happen we will create a “surveillance society” in Indonesia. Orwell’s Big Brother, soon to be more powerful than ever, will come back, watching all of us.

George Washington once said, “Government is not reason. It is not eloquence. It is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” The quote from America’s first president reminds us of Juvenal’s question: Who watches the watchmen?

The writer is a Hallsworth research fellow in the political economy of innovation at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom.

Letter: Simple solution in crossroads

| Wed, 03/30/2011 8:48 PM | Readers Forum

On one of my rare visits to Jakarta, I noticed the traffic situation was definitely getting worse, and this makes me believe that the city administration and traffic police do not have the will to solve the problem and will just let motorists muddle their own way home.

The authorities keep coming up with schemes that cost lots of money, which makes everyone suspicious, and never implement simple, cost-effective solutions.

Just see what happens in many intersections. At a Lebak Bulus crossroad near Pondok Indah in South Jakarta for example, traffic moved very slowly. When the traffic lights turned green, only one or two cars could move, as the main street was already blocked by motorists. It makes traffic lights totally ineffective and a waste of electricity.

Now there is a very simple and cost effective way to solve the situation which most of the world has already applied. Just go to the hardware store and buy yellow paint and paint an illegal stopping box across the crossroads with resulting fixed fines for offenders.

You do not need a policeman there. Just install a camera which gets plate numbers of offenders plus date and time and send the fixed fine by post to the offenders. If you impose financial penalties strictly, it should instill discipline.

By applying such a simple solution, I believe it would help to ease problems in crossroads.

Cliff
Bogor

Independent spy chief

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 9:04 PM | Opinion

The bill proposing to reform intelligence will be incomplete unless the chief of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) is an independent professional.

So far the leaders of BIN have been appointed by sitting presidents who selected close confidantes within the Indonesian Military (TNI) or the National Police to run the nation’s spy agency.

The selection process has undermined BIN’s professionalism and independence in carrying out its main task of providing early warnings of threats to state security, defense and national interests.

Incumbent BIN chief Sutanto, a retired police general, and his predecessor, Syamsir Siregar, a retired Army general, are close supporters of Presdient Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri appointed her close aide (and former commander of the Kopassus special forces) AM Hendropriyono run the spy agency.

The bill has not proposed a mechanism to appoint the BIN’s chief that has passed muster with civil society groups and human rights activists.

The House of Representatives’ Commission I overseeing defense, information and foreign affairs has been deliberating the bill and been divided on how to appoint BIN chiefs.

Legislators from the President’s Democratic Party and from the House’s military/police faction maintain that BIN chiefs should be directly appointed by the President in a manner similar to appointing ministers.

Other parties want the President to nominate several candidates who would be sent to the House for fit-and-proper testing to ensure their professionalism and independence.

The appointment camp argues that the President must have the freedom to name a close professional confidant as the job hinges on trust.

The nomination camp (and human rights watchdogs) have instead proposed establishing objective criteria for selecting a BIN chief to prevent the agency from being misused by the government to maintain the status quo, as was done during the New Order era.

A BIN chief could be still appointed by the President, according to the nomination camp, but only after securing approval from the House as is the current practice for selecting the chiefs of the TNI and the National Police chiefs.

Soeharto, during his 32-year tenure, directly appointed intelligence chiefs chosen from the ranks of senior military officials to detect anti-government underground movements, through, among other things, abducting democracy activists.

In the reform era, BIN has failed to provide early warnings of terrorist bombings that have rocked embassies, churches and nightclubs in Bali. Meanhile intelligence agents were allegedly involved in securing the victory of Yudhoyono and the Democratic Party in the 2009 general election.

The bill reforming BIN would proscribe the agency from being ordered (by the President, for example) monitor political parties and their leaders without evidence of a threat to national security or the Constitution.

However the President has to deploy BIN to detect terrorist networks as early as possible since terrorist acts might disrupt the state security, create political instability and undermine national interests.

Under the proposed bill BIN and other state institutions with intelligence units, such as TNI and the National Police, would no longer be able to arbitrarily abuse their power.

The intelligence community’s remit would be synchronized with the human rights law, the freedom of information law, the state secrets law and a proposed bill on national security.

The appointment of an independent and professional BIN chief will ensure that the agency will detect all activities, including transnational crimes, that threaten state security and national interests.

A professional chief will encourage BIN to coordinate with the Indonesian Military chief, the National Police chief and the Attorney General to provide information and intelligence analysis to the President.

An independent BIN chief will help the agency conduct its operations professionally, especially in preliminary investigations. Special authority will be given to allow the spy agency and relevant institutions to work rapidly and professionally to detect terrorist threats and transnational crimes.

An independent and professional BIN chief will ensure that the intelligence agency will not be misused by the ruling regime to crackdown on its political foes in its attempt to maintain the status quo.

To monitor potential abuses of BIN’s power, the bill also limits the retention of classified information to 20 years and authorizes courts to obtain classified information to prosecute intelligence community officials for misconduct.

Unfortunately, the bill does not mention if the limitations on keeping material classified are retroactive or not. If it is retroactive, many documents, such as Sukarno’s Supersemar letter, which supposedly authorized Soeharto to suppress (bloodily) the Indonesian Communist Party in 1965, can be revealed. The move would allow the nation to rewrite its history and prevent us from teaching lies to our children.

The establishment of a national intelligence council and code of ethics and the imposition of harsh sanctions on rogue intelligence agents is no guarantee that BIN will not abuse its power.

The Agency must be led by independent professionals nominated by the President and approved by the House.

The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post

Text Your Say: Weakening the KPK

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/30/2011 8:50 PM | Readers Forum

Your comments on the proposed revision of anticorruption law, which would reduce sentences for convicted corruptors and stripping the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of its power to prosecute the wrongdoers:

Stripping the KPK of its prosecution powers is only relevant if the police, judges, courts and the House of Representatives have concrete and verifiable evidence that they operate cleaner. Is that so?

Taco F de Vries
Banda Aceh

Go ahead and steal from the public! If you don’t get caught, you get to keep the money. If you do get caught, you just give back the money and then steal it again tomorrow!

Is there any other democracy in the world where legislators are so open about their desire to promote corruption?

John Hargreaves
Jakarta

This is a truly sad day. When a poor person steals something from a rich man he will receive harsher and more violent punishment and poor treatment than a person who steals from millions of poor people. I do not know when injustice will end in this country.

Udin
Padang

The whole attempt to change the law is corrupt to the core.

Devi
Jakarta

If the new KPK Law gives such light punishments and effectively says corruption is OK, why just not legalize any corruption, as during Soeharto’s era? The bill is ridiculous! Preposterous!

Widya Utama
Bergen, Norway

Next topic

Proposed revisions of the anticorruption law would reduce prison sentences for corruption convicts and strip the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of its power to prosecute wrongdoers. What do you think?

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A glimpse of wildlife in Medan museum

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan | Wed, 03/30/2011 9:52 PM | Feature

Home for the big ones too: A preserved elephant and rhino can be seen at the museum. JP/Apriadi GunawanNurhayati was stunned when she visited Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery.

She was walking around Asia’s most complete and only museum of wild animals from all over the world.

“It’s fantastic and wonderful. I feel as if I were really in the wild. Although they’re stuffed animals, they all look so alive,” added Nurhayati, a biology student from North Sumatra University (USU). It was her first visit to the museum, located in Medan, North Sumatra. She came with four other USU fellow students, who had never been to the gallery except for Nurul Fadilah.  Nurul, 18, said she hadn’t seen all the animals there during her first visit.

“I was curious to see more rare wildlife,” she told The Jakarta Post at the museum recently.

Some of these unusual creatures included a three-eyed cat, a two-headed sheep, a two-headed buffalo, and four-legged rooster. She said all the wildlife they examined would be very useful for taxonomic identification of animals.

“I’ve learned about some of these animals from books but I had never seen them with my own eyes,” admitted Nurul, pointing at several fowl and mammalian species.
The museum is home to at least 3,000 preserved animals of 1,000 species.

No longer king: Stuffed tigers stand in one of the sections of the Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery in Medan. The museum features at least 3,000 preserved animals, representing 1,000 species.JP/Apriadi GunawanMost of the wildlife collection has come from various countries including Brazil, China, New Zealand and Australia. Among the animals are Africa’s five most endangered and largest mammals: the elephant, the white rhino, the bull, the lion and the leopard. The “African Big Five” made their way to the museum after they were legally hunted by museum owner and founder Rahmat Shah.

The museum also exhibits large cats and birds from all over of the world, diverse tropical and Antarctic bears, mountain goats and wild sheep, as well as various water animal species. Visitors to the museum have come from all walks of life. They include students, artists, ministers, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Miss Universe beauties, and world leaders including former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Based on the museum’s records, between 6,000 and 7,000 people from different backgrounds visit Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery each month. The entrance fee is Rp 8,000 for kindergarten and primary school children, Rp 10,000 for junior and senior high school students and Rp 25,000 for adults. Although the museum, which is privately managed by an entrepreneur and world-class professional conservation hunter, was inaugurated more than 10 years ago by minister of education and culture Juwono Sudarsono, it still cannot cover its daily operational costs.

But according to Rahmat, the benefits derived from the museum’s presence have outweighed the losses incurred.

Colorful animals: Various birds are on display at the Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery in Medan. JP/Apriadi GunawanThe chairman of the Indonesian Museum Association said his gallery was the only one in Asia with the most complete collection of animals in the world.

Rahmat also said the museum’s animals mostly came from legal hunting in various countries. Some of the animals had died in zoos, were donated by friends, or legally purchased from other countries.

The member of the House of Representatives from North Sumatra acknowledged the museum was developed out of his love for animals and his determination to prevent forest destruction and wildlife extinction.

“This museum has been listed in the Record Book and received a number of national and international awards for conservation to prevent forest and wildlife annihilation in the world,” added Rahmat.

Rahmat International Wildlife

Museum & Gallery

Jl. S. Parman No. 309,

Medan, North Sumatra

www.rahmatgallery.com

No removing state assets from PSSI office, govt warns

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 3:31 PM | Sports

State Secretary Sudi Silalahi has warned the executives at the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) against removing state assets from their office at Gelora Bung Karno stadium in South Jakarta.

“They can take their personal assets, but not state assets,” Sudi said at the State Palace on Wednesday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The PSSI management has been packing up and removing equipment from its office since Tuesday. The goods were stored in boxes and transported using a motorized pedicab, sources said.

Previously, Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Malarangeng has previously said the government was no longer acknowledging PSSI leadership under its chairman, Nurdin Halid, and secretary-general, Nugraha Besoes.

Sudi said it was not his business if the PSSI management chose to move from its office at Bung Karno stadium. “That's [Nurdin's] business,” he said.

He highlighted that no instruction had ever been given to the PSSI management to leave its office.

“We'll leave this matter to Gelora Bung Karno stadium management to coordinate with the sports ministry,” he said.

Marshanda, host Ben to tie the knot next month

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/30/2011 10:02 PM | People

JAKARTA: Actress Marshanda, who will marry her boyfriend and TV host Ben Kasyafani on April 2 at the Hotel Sofyan Betawi, Central Jakarta, can’t seem to hide her joy as the wedding day nears.

“I know I’m only 21 years old. But I’m getting more and more excited about the big day,” Marshanda, who played in several TV soap operas, including Bidadari (angel), told kapanlagi.com while trying on her wedding gown at a boutique in Bendungan Hilir, Central Jakarta.

“But I hope, like others say, that I will get more work after my wedding,” Marshanda added.

Meanwhile Ben said the marriage marked his commitment in building a relationship with Marshanda. “Thank God, we have been together for three years. Now I am entering a more serious relationship filled with responsibility.” —JP

Letter: BIN to watch over us: Why not?

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/30/2011 8:45 PM | Readers Forum

The intelligence bill is currently being deliberated by the House of Representatives. The bill, which was drafted in 2003, will grant the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) the authority to arrest, detain, wiretap and monitor media channels including social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter. The human rights activists are the frontline groups who oppose the articles, since it will make BIN a superbody with the authority to abduct people who are critical of government. This may be based on our traumatic history under an authoritarian regime.

Are we, the Indonesian people, worried about this too? It is not because I am not pro-democracy, but frankly, considering an escalation of the violations, terrorism, and threats to civil society nowadays, these articles in the draft bill deserve to be considered. We should see any threats toward some figures as equal to threats against the state that was founded as a home for all. The last cowardly act was the terrorism whereby bombs were sent in packages disguised as books.

Although the draft bill would allow the intelligence agency to intercept the communications of anyone deemed a threat to the state without a court order, including tapping their telephone cells, text messages, emails and even to monitor social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, we don’t need to panic, reactive or quickly accuse the state of violating the freedom of expression.

With everyone now so freely opening their mouths to speak anything and write anything, whereby the people can no longer distinguish the appropriateness of content, any measures to drive our democracy’s journey back to the right line is needed. Some people only take the freedom as one of elements of democracy as the base to speak loudly, harshly and even, if necessary, to threaten others who are not in the same position as them.

Of course, not every criticism or outspoken statement is dangerous, because the healthy democracy breathes checks and balances to achieve the matured democracy. However, to understand any statements containing threats to the state is very tangible.

A conversation on radio recently on the discourse of BIN monitoring on Facebook and Twitter received support for the plan, considering the tendency of netters to use unhealthy and provocative words and statements posted on the social networking media. If a Twitter accountholder has thousands of followers, can we guarantee that these followers are able to filter such provocative words?

Some of us may feel inconvenienced that our account could be watched, or our cellular phones tapped. But, as the radio broadcaster asked, “Who are you to be so worried about being monitored by BIN? Don’t be [fool yourself into thinking BIN would care about you].” It made sense. Why would BIN monitor you if you don’t pose any threat to the state? The public reaction to the plan may too excessive, when usually we only post such comment about our petty daily routine.

BIN surely needs an umbrella law to shelter any measures that deal with threats against the state. Sadly, the democracy and freedom of expression has tightly roped the state apparatus. Several times the government has received threats, but the state always shows indecisiveness. It is not clear whether the government is too weak, or afraid about violating human rights.

Recently, there have been rumors about an alleged movement planned by retired military generals using Islamic hardliner groups to overthrow President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

As reported by Al Jazeera, the group would amass millions of Muslims on May 20 (coinciding with National Awakening Day) in a protest to topple the President.

Whether or not this was just a rumor, one thing is for sure: The weaker the government in upholding law and order, the braver they will be.

Titus Jonathan
Serpong, Banten

FIFA bans Nurdin from running for PSSI chairman

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/09/2011 8:26 AM | Headlines

FIFA has banned Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) incumbent chairman Nurdin Halid from being re-elected at its congress in late April. 

"Sepp Blatter said FIFA followed its own rules and ethics and under these rules ex-convicts cannot lead a football organization," Indonesian Ambassador to Switzerland Joko Susilo told TVOne after a meeting with FIFA president Joseph "Sepp" Blatter in Zurich, Switzerland.
"FIFA will not recognize the election result if Nurdin runs for the 2011-2015 chairmanship, and FIFA only wants Indonesian soccer to get better." 

As a follow-up measure, FIFA also plans to send a team to make sure the PSSI congress runs in accordance with the association's code of conduct. 

The PSSI congress will be held before April 20, 2011, after the initial congress planned for late March could not be staged following a verdict from an appeal committee that rejected all PSSI chairman candidates. 

Blatter also said FIFA would not interfere with the National Football Recovering Committee, since this was PSSI's internal issue.

More Singaporeans visit Bali

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/09/2011 8:44 AM | Archipelago

The Bali Central Statisics Agency (BPS) says almost 17,000 Singaporean
tourists visited the resort island in January, an increase of 121.4
percent  over the same period last year.

"The significant increase was a result of various factors including
the image of Bali as secure place for a vacation, its many unique
attractions and the relatively short flight time between Singapore and
Bali," Bali BPS chief Gede Suarsa said Tuesday as quoted by Antara.

Almost 5,900 tourists from Singapore visited Bali in January 2010. For
the whole year of 2010, the total number of Singaporean visitors to
Bali was 97,402, up from 55,992 in 2009.

In terms of their numbers and country of origin, Singaporean tourists
constituted the eighth-largest group to visit Bali in 2010, after
those from Australia, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Malaysia and
Taiwan, Suarsa said.

In January 2011, Bali received a total of 209,093 visitors, a 16.6
percent increase over the same period last year.

Sinar Mas builds water facility in Kapuas Hulu

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/09/2011 8:06 AM | Archipelago

PT Paramitra Internusa Pratama, a subsidiary of oil palm plantation company Sinar Mas Group, has constructed a clean water infrastructure project in West Kalimantan's Kapuas Hulu area, a spokesman for the administration says.

"The private company has assisted Kapuas Hulu administration, which has a limited budget," said AM Nasir, a spokesman for Kapuas Hulu administration, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday.

Antara reported that before the plantations company built the facility, most people in Sentabai hamlet had to walk around 3 kilometers to get fresh water from ground wells.

Meanwhile, West Kalimantan Sinar Mas group chief Susanto expressed his company's seriousness about developing oil palm plantations to improve the Kapuas Hulu economy, aside from seeking profit.

Previously, Susanto thanked the administration and local community, because the company had developed up to 10 thousand hectares of plantations in the area with their help.

Govt team produces 10 new varieties of rice

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/09/2011 10:29 AM | National

The Agriculture Ministry's research and development agency has produced 10 new rice varieties it hopes will boost production and strengthen crops in anticipation of the continuing impact of climate change on food production.

Agency head B. Haryono, told newmen here on Tuesday, that climate change currently was causing unpredictable and extreme weather conditions, wet and dry, as well as pest attacks.

"Therefore, there is a need for rice plants that are resilient to drought, excessive water and attacks from planthopper pests," Haryono said, adding that his agency had produced 10 new rice varieties to meet these needs.

Although the impacts of climate change have only recently been felt, the 10 new rice varieties are the results of research that has been in progress for six to seven years.

Three of the new strains were named Inpara (water resilient), Inpago (drought resilient) and Inpari (pest resistant).

Including of the new 10 special rice varieties, Haryono said, over the last five years the agency had produced a total of 31 new rice varieties. Since its establishment, the agency has produced more than 200 superior rice varieties.

Efforts to tackle impacts of climate change on food production have also been launched through the introduction of planting calendars, including allocating certain varieties for certain localities up to district levels nationwide and recommendations on fertilizer use.

"The existing planting calendars need to be changed because of the dynamically volatile weather patterns," Haryono said as quoted by Antara.

Barcelona, Shakhtar advance in Champions League

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/09/2011 7:23 AM | Sports

Barcelona overwhelmed Arsenal with a 3-1 victory following Lionel Messi's double and Shakhtar Donetsk reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time after beating AS Roma 3-0 on Tuesday.

While Barcelona outclassed Arsenal for the second successive season, the match tuned in the Spanish champions' favor in a three-minute spell at the start of the second half.

Barcelona defender Sergio Busquets' own goal canceled out Messi's first-half strike to put the Gunners back in control after having won 2-1 in the first leg.

But Arsenal striker Robin van Persie was sent off inthe 56th after being shown a second yellow card by referee Massimo Busacca for shooting - the only visiting player to do so all night - having already been given offside.

"It's a total joke," Van Persie said. "I tried to explain there were 95,000 people jumping up, how can I hear the whistle? He's beenbad all evening, whistling against us. I don't know why he's here tonight.

"We feel betrayed a bit, when it was 1-1 it was all to play for, and in my opinion this referee killed the game."

Xavi Hernandez made it 2-1 in the 69th minute after completing a flowing Barcelona move, before Messi converted 71st-minute penalty to clinch the 4-3 aggregate win.

Shakhtar's victory was more emphatic, the Ukrainian champions advancing 6-2 on aggregate after goals from Tomas Huebschmann, Willian and Eduardo da Silva.

While Barcelona's victory margin was slender, the statistics suggested otherwise. Pep Guardioa's side had 19 shots to Arsenal's none and outpassed the visitors 738-199.

"Arsenal defended very, very well but they didn't make more than three passes (in succession)," Guardiola said. "We created a lot of chances, we played a perfect game. We're s, so happy about our performance. Over the two legs, we were better than them."

Arsenal surrendered first-leg advantage from Emirates Stadium in first-half stoppage time after former Barcelona youth player Cesc Fabregas had conceded possession.

An attempted back heel when trying to clear not far from is own box only succeeded in allowing Andres Iniesta to slip a pas through to Messi, who flicked the ball over the onrushing Manuel Almunia and smashed it into the net.

Almunia was called into the Arsenal goal in the 19th minute after Wojciech Szczesny was forced off with a dislocated finger.

But Arseal was back in control on away goals when Busquets headed into his own net from Samir Nasri's corner in the 53rd.

No sooner had Arsenal turned the tide than Van Persie was sent off.

"I just spoke to UEFA people and they are shocked as well," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "You promise a fantastic football match, but what for? How he did it, frankly it's embarrassing for the game."

Barcelona pulled level when Iniesta powered through the defense before finding David Villa, who sent Xavi through to knock the ball past Almunia.

And there was no way back when Messi beat a static Almunia two minutes later from the penalty spot after Laurent Koscielny had tripped Pedro Rodriguez.

"We lost against a good team," Wenger said. "There are regrets when you see how we went out. The way we did, it is very difficult to accept."

There was also a sending off in Ukraine. Roma defender Philippe Mexes was dismissed in the 41st after being shown two yellow cards for fouls on Luiz Adriano.

But Huebschmann had already put Shakhtar ahead on a freezing evening in the 18th, flicking the ball into the net from Willian's cross to build on his team's 3-2 lead from the first leg in Italy.

Willian curled in a second goal in the 58th and Eduardo intercepted a poor back-pass and slid the ball into the net in the 87th to round off an impressive victory for Shakhtar, which hasn't lost at home for more than two years.

"We had a very good preparation for this match," Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said. "We were well organized and after we've scored the first goal, Roma didn't exist for us anymore. We won the match because we deserved it."

China blogger angered over losing Facebook account

The Associated Press | Wed, 03/09/2011 9:00 AM | World

Chinese blogger and activist Michael Anti wants to know why he is less worty of a Facebook account than company founder Mark Zuckerberg's dog.

Anti, a popular online commentator whose legal name is Zhao Jing, said in an interview Tuesday that his Facebook account was suddenly canceled in January. Company officials told him by e-mail that Facebook has a strict plicy against pseudonyms and that he must use the name issued on his government ID.

Anti argues that his professional identity as Michael Anti has been established for more than a decade, with published articles and essays.

Anti, a former journalist who has won fellowships at both Cambridge University nd Harvard University, said he set up his Facebook account in 2007. By locking him out of his account, Facebook has cut him off from a network of more than 1,000 academic and professional contacts who know him as Anti, he said.

"I'm really, really angry. I can't function using my Chinese name. Today, I fond out that Zuckerberg's dog has a Facebook account. My journalistic work and academic work is more real than a dog," he said.

Zuckerberg recently set up a Facebook page for "Beast," complete with photos and a profile. Unlike Anti's, however, the page for the puppy doesn't violate Facebook's policies beause it's not meant to be a personal profile page. Rather, it's a type of page reserved for businesses and public figures that fans can "like" and receive updates from on their own Facebook pages.

Facebook said it does not comment on individual accounts, but added that it believes a "real name culture'leads to more accountability and a safer and more trusted environment for people who use Facebook.

"This viewpoint has been developed by our own research and in consultation with a number of safety and child protection experts," Debbie Frost, Facebook's director of international communications and Publc policy, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Facebook said in an e-mail to Anti that the company has "tried to keep the rule simple and fair by saying personal profiles must always be set up in the real legal name of the individual concerned."

Dissidents in a variety of countries ave argued that Facebook's policy can endanger human rights activists and others if their identities become known.

Anti said there is a long tradition in China for writers and journalists to take pen names, partly as protection from retaliation from authorities. If Facebook requires the use of real names, that could potentially put Chinese citizens in danger, he said.

"For my fellow Chinese, this policy could easily help Chinese police identify them," he said.

It's not the first time Anti has had problems with an Internet site. In 2005, his blog on a Microsoft website was shut down by the company following pressure from Chinese officials. Microsoft's action led to a public outcry.

Govt to increase road tolls in September

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/09/2011 10:36 AM | Business

The government is planning to increase toll road fees in September, Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said Tuesday.
Djoko declined to comment on the amount of the increase, saying this was still being discussed.
He added that the road tolls were increased every two years, in line with the national inflation rate.
He also said the government would not delay increasing road tolls unless toll road operators failed to meet standard minimum levels of service.
“Unless there is a change, the government will increase toll rates in September,” Djoko said, as quoted by kompas.com.

FIFA also bans Arifin, Bakrie, George from becoming PSSI chairman

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/09/2011 10:14 AM | Sports

World football regulator FIFA has banned not only Nurdin Halid but also Arifin Panigoro, Nirwan Bakrie, and George Toisutta from joining the upcoming Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) chairmanship election.  
They are also barred from becoming the association’s deputy chairman or members of the executive committee for the 2011-2015 period, Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) chairwoman Rita Subowo said Wednesday as
quoted by kompas.com.
The decision was made at a meeting between Rita and FIFA president Joseph "Sepp" Blatter in Zurich on Tuesday.
FIFA also told the PSSI to set up an election committee by March 26, and to hold a congress to elect the chairman by April 30.

Van Persie livid at sending off in Barcelona

The Jakarta Post | Wed, 03/09/2011 7:40 AM | Sports

Robin van Persie's surprise return from injury ended disastrously Tuesday after his contentious sending off led to Arsenal being knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona.

The Netherlands striker recovered from a knee injury to make the starting team as Arsenal looked to defend a 2-1 first-leg lead at the Nou Camp. But his second yellow card in the 56th minute left the visitors with 10 men, and the Spanish champions scored twice afterward to win 3-1 and 4-3 on aggregate.

Van Persie's second booking was for kicking the ball away after the whistle had blown, but he labeled referee Massimo Busacca's decision a "total joke."

"How can I hear this whistle with 95,000 people jumping up?" Van Persie said. "I cannot understand that view from the ref. If there were four, five, six seconds in between, you can make a check (for offside). One second? It's a joke.

"He's been bad all evening, whistling against us. I don't know why he's here tonight. We feel betrayed a bit, when it was 1-1 it was all to play for and in my opinion this referee killed the game."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was also angry.

"I just spoke to UEFA people and they are shocked as well," Wenger said. "You promise a fantastic football match, but what for? How he did it, frankly it's embarrassing for the game."

Barcelona dominated possession - winning nearly 70 percent - and had 19 shots as opposed to none for Arsenal.

"Overall I'm convinced we would have won this game," said Wenger, who was reportedly involved in a bust-up with Busacca in the players' tunnel after the game. "If you play football at a certain level you cannot understand this decision. To take the decision in that way and how quickly he did it."

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola felt some sympathy for the English club, even though Wenger said he had the referee to thank for the result.

"I can understand that they are out of because of Van Persie. This kind of way to analyze the situation, I can understand," Guardiola said. "But in the first game many, many things happened."

Van Persie, who scored in the first leg at Emirates Stadium, recovered in only nine days after Wenger has initially ruled him out for up to a month.

He was initially booked in first-half injury time after barging into Daniel Alves, one of five yellow cards shown to the English club compared to zero for Barcelona.

Arsenal was ousted by Barcelona for the second straight season after bowing out to the Spanish champions in the quarterfinals last year.

Nusakambangan penitentiary chief arrested for drugs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 03/09/2011 9:24 AM | National

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) has arrested Nusakambangan Narcotics Penitentiary chief Marwan Adli and his two subordinates for their alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade within the prison.
The two subordinates are the penitentiary’s security unit chief Iwan Syaefuddin and education section chief Fob Budhiyono, BNN Cilacap natural narcotics office director Benny Mamoto said Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.
BNN officers have also arrested Hartoni, an inmate who was allegedly part of the drug trade network, Benny said.
BNN raided the office of Marwan and his two subordinates on Tuesday afternoon, and are planning to arrest other suspects in the case.

Police to establish new squad to clamp down on riots

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/01/2011 12:20 PM | Headlines

Following the coattail of success in fighting terrorism with its Densus 88 antiterrorism unit, the National Police is planning to form another group assigned specifically to handle riots.

National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said the members of the new detachment would be stationed at province-level police headquarters.

"I think this [plan] is the answer to settle problems, such as those in Temanggung and Cikeusik,” Timur said at the National Police headquarters on Tuesday, as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Timur was referring to attacks and vandalism of three churches and one Christian school in Temanggung in Central Java and the mob lynching of three Ahmadis in Cikeusik, Banten, last month.

Timur said the detachment would tasked to find breakthroughs and innovations in controlling riots in the field.

BMKG warns of more showers in coming days

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/01/2011 2:01 PM | National

Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) on Tuesday announced that more heavy rains would affect most parts of greater Jakarta for the next three days.

Chief of the BMKG extreme weather division, Kukuh Ribudiyanto, said the rains would fall with equal intensity across the city, not only in traditionally wet areas such as Bogor, West Java, to the south of Jakarta.

“The rains could happen anywhere in the city and we cannot forecast yet whether [the downpour] will happen in the morning, afternoon or evening,” Kukuh said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

However, Kukuh said his agency had forecast the exceptionally rainy days to last only three days.

A wet forecast has also been given for South Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, Banten, southern West Java, northern and eastern Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Nusa Tenggara, western and southern West Kalimantan, southern Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi.

The high precipitation is a result of the presence of low pressure areas in northern Australia, coupled with winds from southern Sumatra to East Nusa Tenggara, and from the Banda Sea to central Papua.

AirAsia names 2 underwriters for IPO

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/01/2011 12:01 PM | Business

Budget airliner PT Indonesia Air Asia (IAA) has nominated two underwriting companies to handle its initial public offering plan, a company executive said on Tuesday.

IAA vice president commissioner Sendjaja Widjaja said the underwriters would provide their assessments of the best offering share price.

"We've decided to appoint two underwriting companies,” Sendjaja said Tuesday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Sendjaja, however, declined to name the two companies.

“Our president commissioner [Tony Fernandez] will officially announce the names either today or tomorrow,” he said.

Earlier, Sendjaja said IAA planned to carry out the IPO in the second semester of this year.

Currently, the lion's share of IAA is in the hands of Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, which holds a 49 percent stake, and the remainder with local shareholders, including Sendjaja Widjaja (21 percent), Harris Family (Pin Harris) with 20 percent, and trading company PT Fersindo Nusaperkasa (10 percent).

Nurdin Halid says PSSI statutes have FIFA approval

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/01/2011 12:05 PM | Sports

Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) chairman Nurdin Halid on Tuesday said the much-debated association's statutes had been approved by world football governing body FIFA.

“The PSSI statutes were validated on April 21, 2009 in the extraordinary congress. However, FIFA had given its approval beforehand,” Nurdin told House commission X, as aired by TVOne on Tuesday.

Nurdin said the association had spent two years completing its statutes.

While drawing up the statutes, the PSSI had been in correspondence with both the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA, Nurdin said.

A coalition of soccer lovers, grouped under the Indonesian Soccer Monitoring Society (MPSI), plans to report PSSI to FIFA for manipulating the latter’s statutes.

Max Sopacua from the MPSI said the PSSI had stated that a former convict could be nominated as PSSI chairman, despite the fact that FIFA statutes rule otherwise.

“We will send a team to the FIFA headquarters before the PSSI congress,” Max said last week.

Nurdin Halid is a former graft convict and current PSSI chairman. He is also one of the candidates in the PSSI’s upcoming chairmanship race.