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Indonesia receives ‘partly free’ status in Freedom In The World 2021 report as concerns over declining democracy

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3 years ago

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JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Indonesia has been classed as “partly free” in this year’s edition of ‘Freedom in the World‘, an annual global report on political rights and civil liberties by American non-governmental organisation Freedom House since 1973.

Its ranking fell two points from last year, with a total score of 59 over 100 in 2021. Indonesia is, however, ranked above its neighbours Singapore and Malaysia, which scored a total of 48 and 51 respectively.

According to the Freedom in the World 2021 report, the archipelagic Southeast Asian nation scored 30 out of 40 points on political rights and 29 out of 60 points on civil liberties.

Despite the country’s progress in certain democratic rights, the report states that Indonesia is struggling to cope with major challenges such as systemic corruption, the escalating violence and tensions in West Papua, and the politicisation of blasphemy and defamation laws.

Globally, the report found that 91 out 210 countries have imposed stricter press controls related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 72 countries have restricted freedom of speech and silenced governments’ critics.

In April, the Indonesian government issued a directive to police to combat alleged disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic and criticism of the Government and President Joko Widodo’s response to it. Police had arrested 51 individuals under this policy by June. The report notes that other legislation and policies enacted after the outbreak of the pandemic were used to limit freedom of speech and silence dissent.

Indonesian lawmaker Fadli Zon took to his Twitter on 17 August saying that Indonesia’s democracy is on the decline as the country celebrates its 76th independence.

“On this Independence Day, we should be able to celebrate ‘freedom’ both freedom from and freedom for,” the politician from the Gerindra Party tweeted, adding that the president should not have been panic over the ‘404:Not Found‘ mural.

The aforementioned mural was once seen in the Kunciran-Soekarno-Hatta Airport tunnel Tangerang depicting a face resembling President Joko Widodo with closed eyes and a banner that says “404: Not Found“. The painting is no longer available now.

Fadli also highlighted the controversial Omnibus Law that triggered several protests in October last year, which gives the president wide powers to change numerous laws with a single draft.

The Omnibus Law amended 76 laws across a wide range of sectors and industries — including the laws on energy and mining, plantations, telecommunications, healthcare, tourism, land and buildings, and employment — which sparked protests as it has the potential to benefit investors at the expense of labours’ rights and the environment.

Citing data from the Statistics Agency (BPS), Fadli pointed out that even though Indonesia’s democracy index has shown improvement on aggregate, the scores of some vital variables — freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, free and fair general election, and roles of political parties — have plummeted.

Indonesia’s result in the Freedom In The World report came as no surprise as the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report on the democracy index last year gave Indonesia an overall score of 6.3 — the lowest in the last 14 years.

Indonesia’s rights groups have called for the repeal of the country’s Communication and Information Ministerial Regulation (Permekominfo) No.5/2020 on private digital service providers — a law that requires a wide range of such platforms operating in Indonesia such as Google, Twitter, and TikTok to register with the Government within a six-month grace period.

The ministerial regulation — which took effect on 24 May — is a derivative of Government Regulation No.71/2019 on electronic systems and transactions.

Lintang Setianti, a researcher at the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy, told TOC earlier on 6 June that the regulation oversimplifies the category of digital platforms, given that there are various types of digital platforms.

“Which platforms should be regulated? Do private digital platforms only include user-generated platforms? What about Netflix or Vidio, which curate content they receive based on their community guidelines? What about the government’s official websites? Should they register?

“What about those who make profits from their platforms? All these requirements for registration are burdensome to the people,” she opined.

Lintang added that regulations prioritising digital protection and transparency are more vital than state-centric procedures that can harm digital rights.

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Indonesia

Riau Islands govt reduces Batam-Singapore ferry fares by IDR 30K to boost tourism

The Riau Islands Provincial Government, in cooperation with ferry operators, has reduced the cost of round-trip ferry tickets on the Batam-Singapore route by IDR30,000 (US$2). This reduction, effective 24 September 2024, follows discussions held from 22-23 September. Officials anticipate further pricing adjustments as part of ongoing efforts to ensure affordability.

Published

5 days ago

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30 September 2024

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INDONESIA: The Riau Islands Provincial Government and ferry operators have agreed to reduce round-trip ferry ticket prices for the Batam-Singapore route by IDR30,000 (US$2), effective from 24 September 2024.

This decision followed discussions between the government and ferry operators held from 22-23 September 2024.

Junaidi, Head of the Riau Islands Transportation Agency, confirmed the fare reduction in a statement on 24 September.

He explained that the IDR30,000 (US$2) price cut resulted from ferry operators’ calculations and marked the first phase of a broader review of Batam-Singapore ferry pricing.

This initial reduction aims to establish a more suitable pricing structure for ferry services between the two destinations.

Junaidi referred to remarks by Governor Ansar Ahmad, who emphasized the importance of conducting a detailed survey to understand the root causes of high ferry ticket prices.

“As Governor Ansar has mentioned, a survey will be conducted to identify the causes of the high ticket prices to determine the appropriate pricing for Batam-Singapore ferry tickets,” Junaidi added.

One factor contributing to the increase has been the rise in seaport taxes, particularly in Batam, where the tax increased from IDR65,000 (US$4.3) to IDR100,000 (US$6.62).

Additionally, ferry operators cited rising exchange rates, higher fuel costs, increased counter rental fees, and crew salary hikes as key reasons for the surge in prices.

While ferry operators have raised concerns about these pressures, Junaidi stressed that a comprehensive survey would be essential to verify the claims and guide future pricing decisions.

He noted that further steps would be taken once the survey is completed.

Junaidi also addressed ongoing delays in finalizing visa-on-arrival (VoA) regulations for foreign tourists, stating that simplifying the VoA process could significantly impact ferry passenger numbers.

He believes that easing these regulations would encourage more foreign tourists to travel between Batam and Singapore, potentially increasing ferry occupancy rates.

The issue of high ferry ticket prices has been a long-standing concern for local authorities.

Governor Ansar Ahmad had previously announced plans to form an investigation team to address the significant price hikes that have occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fares for the Batam-Singapore route experienced a sharp increase, with prices doubling after the pandemic.

One-way ticket prices, which were previously between IDR250,000 (US$16.55) and IDR350,000 (US$23.17), surged to IDR500,000 (US$33.1) to IDR550,000 (US$36.4).

In a press release issued on 23 September 2024, Governor Ansar further detailed the fare hikes, stating that round-trip ticket prices, which were once around IDR480,000 (US$31.77), had risen to approximately IDR760,000 (US$50.3).

Governor Ansar highlighted the importance of reducing ferry ticket prices to boost passenger occupancy rates and attract more foreign tourists, aligning with broader efforts to revitalize tourism in the region, which was heavily impacted by the pandemic.

The recent IDR30,000 (US$2) price reduction is seen as a first step in adjusting ferry prices to more affordable levels, with further reviews and negotiations expected to ensure sustainable and fair pricing for the Batam-Singapore route.

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Crime

Singaporean man arrested in Batam for alleged child sexual abuse

A Singaporean man was arrested in Batam, Indonesia, for sexually abusing his 16-year-old stepdaughter. The 50-year-old was apprehended at his residence in Batam on 7 September. Local authorities accused that the perpetrator repeatedly assaulted the victim during his visits to Batam, and the abuse is believed to have lasted for more than two years.

Published

2 weeks ago

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23 September 2024

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BATAN, INDONESIA:A Singaporean man has been arrested in Batam, Indonesia, on charges of sexually abusing his underage stepdaughter for over two years.

The 50-year-old suspect, identified only as AH, was apprehended at his residence in the Mutiara View housing complex on 7 September.

As per reported by local media, police alleged that AH repeatedly sexually assaulted his 16-year-old stepdaughter, AF, during his frequent visits to Batam.

According to Senior Police Commissioner Heribertus Ompusunggu, chief of the Barelang precinct police, the perpetrator engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim an estimated 120 times during his weekly trips to the Indonesian island.

The alleged abuse began in June 2022, shortly after AF, who used to live with her grandmother in Karawang, West Java,  moved to Batam to live with her mother.

One day in July 2022, the girl slept in the same room with AH while her mother was in another room.

The police believed that after AH may have gave AF a drink laced with jasmine flowers, he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

On 7 September, the victim’s mother sought help from a friend to escape the house, unable to endure her husband’s violent behaviour and the sexual abuse of her daughter.

The victim’s mother was afraid to report the abuse due to repeated threats from the alleged perpetrator.

The police have detained AH for further investigation into alleged violations of the 2016 law on child protection.

If found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of five to 15 years, with an additional punishment of one-third of the jail term due to his status as the victim’s stepfather.

 

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