The Number of Cultural Conservation Areas to be Increased

Tempo Interactive, Thursday, 29 April, 2010 | 19:18 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Yogyakarta: The Yogyakarta Cultural Office will include more cultural conservation areas in addition to 13 areas already listed by the office. This is in line with the Yogyakarta Regional Regulation no. 11/2005 on the Management of Cultural Conservation Areas. “There are some areas which we must prioritize,” said the office chief Djoko Dwiyanto, in a workshop titled Discussion on Recommendations for the Revision of the Cultural Conservation Law, yesterday. The regulation was seen as a step forward, considering the Law no. 5/1992 on Cultural Conservation Objects only regulate objects and sites, and not the areas themselves.

The areas to be added are Baciro in Yogyakarta, which has Dutch colonial-style homes and Mlangi in Sleman, which is a traditional area. Meanwhile, the 13 cultural conservation areas which have already been listed are Kotagede, Kota Baru, the Palace, Puro Pakualaman, Ambarbinangun, Ambarketawang, and Prambanan . “We will establish an organization to preserve the areas found in districts in Kotagede,” said Kantil Foundation coordinator, Muhammad Natsir.

PITO AGUSTIN RUDIANA

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Government Investigating Foreign 'Treasure Hunter' After New Discovery

Jakarta Globe, Markus Junianto Sihaloho, April 28, 2010

A piece of porcelain from the Tek Sing shipwreck dating from 1822. Michael Hatcher, who discovered the historically important wreck, is again drawing the attention of government officials after a new discovery. (Photo courtesy of Artancient.com)

The government said on Wednesday that it had launched an investigation into the activities of alleged treasure hunter Michael Hatcher, who has a lengthy history with Indonesia and is believed to again be operating on a new discovery.

Aji Sularso, an official with the National Committee for Salvage and Utilization of Valuable Objects from Sunken Ships (Pannas BMKT), said it had established a joint investigation team comprising related government institutions.

“We are investigating the case,” Aji said.

Aji was responding to complaints by the Consortium for Rescuing National Assets (KPAB), which alleged the ministry had not responded to its report regarding Hatcher, who may hold both British and Australian passports.

Speaking during a news conference in Jakarta, Endro Soebekti Sadjiman, a member of the consortium of nongovernmental organizations, said they believed Hatcher and his associates had been operating in Indonesia since 1986 and had surfaced in a “secret mission in Blanakan waters” near Pamanukan, Subang, West Java.

“The government must arrest him,” Endro said.

Daniel Nafis from Inside Indonesia, another member of the coalition, said Hatcher began operating in Indonesia salvaging the Vec De Geldermalsen shipwreck in East Bintan waters, Riau Islands province.

Items from the ship reaped $15 million during auction at Christie’s Amsterdam, he said.

It was this incident that led the government to establish Pannas BMKT to supervise any further salvage missions, Daniel said.

In 1999, Hatcher allegedly discovered the Tek Sing shipwreck near South Sumtra waters. According to some Internet accounts, the vessel is described as the “Titanic of the East,” given the loss of life associated with the sinking in 1822.

It has been described as one of the most important antique shipwrecks ever discovered.

Along with local company PT. Pratama Cakra Dirga, Hatcher was able to salvage Rp 500 billion ($55 million) worth of treasure, mainly Chinese porcelain, he said.

“The government found out about this illegal operation only after Australian customs officials contacted Indonesian officials,” Nafis said. “They said 43 containers full of porcelain were ready to leave for Germany,” Nafis said.

He said Hatcher had been working with officials from local company PT. Comexindo Usaha Mandiri in Blanakan since 2008.

Nafis said they had already confirmed that the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) had not issued authorization for Hatcher to be operating in the area.

Pannas BMKT, meanwhile, said it had issued permit for Comexindo, but Nafis said it was issued on August 11, 2009, which he alleged meant activities prior to 2009 were illegal.

“We have a copy of a letter from the local Navy commander that Hatcher was allegedly involved in the illegal salvage by Commexindo,” Nafis said.

“It’s clearly legal violation. We had submitted this complaint to the Marine and Fishery Ministry since April 14, but until now the government do nothing,” he said referring to the complaint that Pannas BMKT now said it was acting on.

Nafis said the activity violated Article 27 of Law No. 5/2002 on Cultural and Heritage Objects, which carries a maximum jail term of five years in prison and or a fine of Rp 50 million.

The latest find in Blanakan is also understood to be a shipwreck, though no other information was available.

Treasure hunter Michael Hatcher is said to be operating on a new discovery in Subang, West Java.

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‘Cowboys in Paradise’ angers Balinese leaders

Ni Komang Erviani and Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Kuta | Wed, 04/28/2010 9:37 AM

Bali's 'beach boys' are said to target foreign women on the resort island's beaches. Photo: AFP

Balinese community leaders have voiced objections to the screening of what they call a misleading portrayal of Bali in the documentary film Cowboys in Paradise.

Streamed on YouTube and other social networks, Cowboys in Paradise was directed by Singaporean Amit Virmani. The film documents Kuta Beach as a paradise for gigolos, male sex workers preying on rich foreign and local women.

Virmani describes the gigolos as local muscled boys with brown skin. The director also portrays them as competent surfers who speak English quite fluently.

“If the content of the film is a true picture of Kuta, we must take real action to revitalize Kuta in particular and Bali in general as a spiritual island. We don’t want such things happening here,” Governor Made Mangku Pastika said Tuesday after a meeting with legislative members.

Commenting on a raid on gigolos by Kuta community leaders, the governor reminded people to abide by the law. “All action must be based on existing regulations and laws,” Pastika added.

The news of the film’s appearance on YouTube had sparked angers among residents of traditional villages in Kuta, one of the island’s famous tourist destinations. Led by Gusti Ngurah Tresna, community members cracked down on alleged gigolos operating along Kuta Beach.

During the raid, they caught 28 young men, most of whom carried no identity cards.

“They are not residents of Kuta and they do not even have any legal identity cards. We are suspicious that they are gigolos,” Tresna said.

Kuta residents have expressed their anger at the film. “I was so furious and sad at the same time when I saw the film for the fist time. I thought somebody was trying to ruin the image of Kuta,” Kuta Beach lifeguard I Ketut Artayasa said.

He said he believed the director was taking aim at local Kuta surfers and lifeguards in particular. “If this was a real documentary, we don’t recognize the ‘actors’ in his film.”

The director, he said, assumed that all men on the beach in Kuta were male sex workers. “I don’t think it is a fair portrayal. There are probably one or two boys who are gigolos but certainly the film presents a false picture to the world.”

I Nyoman Sutiari, a handicraft seller in Kuta, also complained that the film was groundless. “In one of the scenes, a local woman allows her husband to sell his body to foreign visitors. This is disgusting and misleading,” he said.

Kuta traditional village head I Gusti Ketut Sudira acknowledged that Kuta was a powerful magnet that drew many people in search of leisure and business opportunities.

“The film’s setting is indeed in Kuta Beach and we acknowledge that Kuta is not free of commercial sex activities. But we should not make generalizations that all Kuta boys are gigolos,” he said.

A photo from a scene from the documentary featured on the film’s Facebook page. The film traces the interaction of Indonesian gigolos and tourists. (JG)

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Indian community leader offers apology

Antara News, Friday, April 23, 2010 20:43 WIB

Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - Indian community leader in Batam Devarajan Prakash has offered an apology to the Indonesian people for the insult made by an Indian employee of PT Drydock World Graha that had led to rioting on Thursday.

"On behalf of all Indians, I offer an apology to all Indonesians," he said in tears after attending a meeting of regional leadership to discuss the incident here on Friday.

He said he formally conveyed the apology in a letter to the mayor of Batam. He said he would also make the apology in several newspapers.

He said many Indians have lived in Indonesia for a very long time as well as in other cities across the world but they have never had problems. "This is the first time," he said.

Devarajan who has lived in Batam for 18 years said as newcomers from India must introspect and socialize with the local community so that no incident like Thursday`s would recur.

He said he would gather Indian people living in Batam to discuss the problem to prevent it from spreading.

PT Drydock World Graha`s chief executive officer Denis Welch also offered an apology to the people of Indonesia. "We all deplore the incident. It is not good for Batam," he said.

He said Drydock World intended to make long-term investment in Batam and therefor it needed a conducive atmosphere.

Batam Deputy Mayor Ria Saptarika meanwhile said that the Indian employee who had sparked the incident who was known by his initial as G had been fired.

Indonesian dock workers set fire to three buildings and torched or vandalized more than 20 vehicles on Thursday after an argument with Indian manager, police said. (Reuters Photo)

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‘Infidels’ Angry at Failure to Annul Blasphemy Law

Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman, April 21, 2010

Labeled an infidel by village administration officers, Elly Sukemi, a woman from the Sasak tribe in West Nusa Tenggara, chose not to back down.

“The Wetu Telu ritual I perform as part of my traditional religion is sacred. It welcomes Ramadan [the Islamic fasting month]. According to my religion, if you insult us, you must pay. I asked those officers to slaughter a goat as the fine,” Elly said on Wednesday, two days after the Constitutional Court ruled to uphold the 1965 Blasphemy Law, which provides criminal penalties for those who express religious beliefs that deviate from the central tenets of the six state-recognized faiths.

“But, they refused to slaughter a goat and pay the fine. We find that insulting, because we love our traditional rituals. It is something that makes our country rich. How can they call us kafir [infidels], or followers of a misguided sect, or atheists?”

Elly was one of 30 women on Wednesday who expressed their deep disappointment over the court ruling, which rejected a motion by human rights applicants to review or annul the Blasphemy Law on grounds that it violated freedom of religion. Elly said the government had failed to protect their Constitutional rights — security and protection as citizens.

Elly’s friend, Nurseri Hartini, said that aside from being insulted, access to health care was difficult for Sasak people.

“We have Jamkesmas [state health insurance] but nobody serves us. We are Muslims but we believe in Wetu Telu rituals. So, we are not treated like everybody else,” Nurseri said, adding that her tribe was one of seven in the northern part of West Nusa Tenggara whose members were considered infidels. Under the Constitution, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Confucianism are state-recognized faiths. Followers of unorthodox interpretations of the religions, such as the Ahmadiyah, are not protected.

Tenri Bibi, a woman from the Tolotang tribe of South Sulawesi, said Indonesia should acknowledge other religions.

“Can you imagine that we cannot state our religion on our own ID card? We cannot have a marriage certificate. Our children cannot have birth certificates. Children born out of wedlock lose rights to property. We want the state to officially say that our local religions are equal in status with the six official religions,” Tenri said.

Agnes Dwi, from the National Alliance of the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), said there were some 1,400 ethnicities whose traditional beliefs were threatened by law.

“We are going to meet officials from the Ministry for Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection regarding the plight of all these women,” Agnes said.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) also expressed disappointment with the court.

“That ruling is an act that strengthens discrimination against groups of people who plights are threatened,” said Masruchah, deputy chairwoman of Komnas Perempuan.

“When they cannot have their IDs, they lose access to public services, including legal and health services,” she said. “As they cannot have marriage certificates, they cannot file reports if they are abused by their husbands .”

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Hundreds of Europe-Bound Passengers Stranded in Bali

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, April 18, 2010

A huge cloud of volcanic ash from Iceland left millions of air travellers stranded. (AFP Photo)

Denpasar. Hundreds of foreign nationals scheduled to fly back to Europe have as of Saturday remained stranded in Bali because of the lockdown of much of European airspace due to the ash cloud from Iceland.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has canceled its only flight from Denpasar to destinations in Europe, via Singapore.

“We have had to ground the Denpasar—Singapore flight until further notice,” Raphael Liang, PR manager for Air France—KLM’s regional operations, said on Saturday in an email.

Officials have notified passengers of the cancellation, thus preventing lines from forming at Ngurah Rai.

On its Web site, www.klm.com, the airline said the departure of any intercontinental flight headed to Amsterdam Schipol Airport on April 17 would only be confirmed within four hours prior to the scheduled takeoff. All intercontinental KLM flights out of Amsterdam will only be confirmed within a 15-hour window prior to the scheduled departure.

Qatar Airlines, though not canceling its Denpasar —Singapore—Doha flights, is advising all its passengers in Bali to remain on the island for the time being, because of the number of Europe-bound passengers building up at Doha over the past two days. As of Saturday, the airline has flown only two planes to Europe: to Moscow and to Fiumicino in Italy.

Alex Pudjianto, PR manager for Ngurah Rai operator PT Angkasa Pura I, said all flights from Denpasar to Asian destinations were unaffected by the situation in Europe.

“We’re not going to deny that there are passengers who have been forced to delay their trips to Europe indefinitely, but that’s not our concern,” he said.

Fresh eruptions thrust new torrents of molten rock through the shattered ice sheets in the mountain crater, spewing a towering wall of ash, dust and steam high into the air. (Photo: SIGURSTEINN BALDURSSON - telegraph.co.uk)

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Sail Banda 2010 officially launched in Ambon

Antara News, Otniel Tamindael, Saturday, April 17, 2010 14:17 WIB

Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - The eagerly awaited international marine event of Sail Banda 2010 has been officially launched by Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad at the scenic eastern Indonesian city of Ambon.

At the ceremony in Ambon on Friday night, Minister Fadel Muhammad called on all parties to support the event and make it a success.

"Information about the official launch of Sail Banda 2010 tonight has been disseminated within both the Indonesian and international communities in Indonesia and around the world," Fadel Muhammad said.

He said the event was named Sail Banda because the Banda islands bear particular historic meaning with countless relics lying scattered across the islands, serving as reminders of the days when Banda was once a major producer of a valuable commodity over which ancient world powers fought protracted wars.

Spices, more specifically nutmeg, mace and cloves, were assets that elevated the Banda islands in the 16th century to the position of the world`s most valuable piece of real estate.

Spice traders from across the globe set out in search of the original Spice Islands, in the hope of returning home with a cargo of the exotic riches.

"In the past Banda was known worldwide as the Spice Islands," said Fadel Muhammad, the chairman of the Sail Banda national committee.

He said Sail Banda was organized with the strategic objective of promoting the undersea natural beauty of Indonesia, especially in Maluku, which is found nowhere else in the world.

The maritime affairs and fisheries minister said that with its stunning natural beauty, the Maluku islands would be promoted through the Sail Banda event in a bid to turn them into a world-class marine tourism resort in the future.

"Sail Banda is scheduled to last from June 12 to August 17, 2010," Fadel said, adding that it would be participated in by around 200 yachts from various countries.

"Sail Banda`s peak event will coincide with the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of Indonesian independence at the outlying island of Kisar island in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district," Fadel added.

Meanwhile, Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu on the occasion said Sail Banda was expected to be of the greatest advantage imaginable to all people of Maluku which is also known as "the province of one thousand islands."

"This international marine event will be an immense contribution to various social aspects of the people of Maluku in particular, and the people of Indonesia in general," Ralahalu said.

According to Governor Ralahalu, the international marine event of Sail Banda 2010 would be a stepping stone to accelerate the pace of social and economic development in the province.

"The acceleration of development in Maluku is stipulated in the regional medium-term development plan 2011-2013 to build a prosperous, harmonious, religious, and self-reliant province," Governor Ralahalu said.

He said the presence of both domestic and foreign tourists from various countries, as well as the participants of Sail Banda 2010 would contribute to a short term economic advantage for the people in the province.

The long-term advantage of the international marine event, according to the governor, was the promotion of Maluku`s natural resources and tourism potentials to various investors.

"The success of Sail Banda is expected to convince the international community that the once conflict-torn province is now perfectly safe and peaceful, making it fit for both domestic and foreign tourists to visit," Ralahalu said.

Prior to the Sail Banda event, Minister Fadel Muhammad was to try to facilitate the presence of American research vessel "Okeanos Explorer" in Maluku to research the condition of the sea and marine biological resources in the province.

"I will make representations for the American research vessel `Okeanos Explorer` to sail to Maluku in June 2010," the maritime affairs and fisheries minister said after launching Sail Banda.

The Okeanos Explorer would bring a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) mission to study the Indonesian seas and their problems.

"Thus, concurrently with Sail Banda which will be held from June 12 to August 17, 2010, the NOAA mission will be encouraged to go to Maluku waters to discover the rich marine biological resources in the region," Fadel said.

Known as "America`s ship for ocean exploration," the Okeanos Explorer is a new type of research vessel that will travel around the globe to map the sea floor and characterize largely unknown areas of the ocean.

Since 95 percent of the ocean including that in Maluku is still unexplored, the Okeanos Explorer is going to help change that.

Interesting seafloor features can be discovered with the deep water multibeam sonar mapping system.

Sites will be further explored with the ship`s Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), which can travel down to a depth of 6,000 meters.

Images and high-definition video from the underwater vehicles will be sent from the vehicle to the ship to the shore in real-time. This technology is referred to as "telepresence."

Therefore, Fadel Muhammad was sure that the American research ship would also support the government`s program to proclaim Maluku as Indonesia`s main source of marine resources by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on August 3, 2010.

"Maluku waters according to the results of research have very great resources of pelagic and demersal fish, reaching 1.64 million tons per year, but only 300 thousand tons exploited each year," Fadel said.

He believed that if the marine resources are truly exploited to the extent of 500 thousand to 700 thousand tons per year, they will give a strategic contribution to accelerated development in Maluku.

"It would be even more strategic if the marine potentials are supported by the development of seaweed which the Maluku provincial administration has declared as a leading commodity," Fadel said.

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