Category: Human Rights

Jakarta – A joint team is still searching for the pilot and passengers of a plane that was reportedly set on fire by an armed group (KKB) in Nduga District, Highland Papua Province, the National Police said.

“Regarding the condition of the pilots and passengers who were held by the KKB, they are currently being searched,” National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo informed at Merdeka Palace here on Tuesday.

The Pilatus Porter aircraft flying on the Timika – Paro – Timika route was burnt by KKB at the Paro Sub-district Airport, Nduga District, on Tuesday morning.

The plane left Moses Kilangin Airport in Timika sub-district, Mimika district, Central Papua province, at 5:33 a.m. Eastern Indonesia Standard Time (WIT) and was scheduled to arrive back in Timika at 7:40 a.m. Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT).

“We, a joint team from the Peace Cartenz Task Force, are currently carrying out a search operation, thus, we will inform the development later,” the police chief informed.

The aircraft belonging to Susi Air (flight number SI 9368) was piloted by Captain Philip Merthens, a New Zealand national.

It was carrying five passengers, identified as Demanus Gwijangge, Minda Gwijangge, Pelenus Gwijangge, Meita Gwijangge, and Wetina W, and luggage weighing 452 kilograms.

On a separate occasion, a representative of Susi Air, Donal Fariz, said that the aircraft lost contact near Paro Airport at 6:35 a.m. WIT on Tuesday.

At 9:12 a.m. WIT, Susi Air officers managed to locate the plane’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The company sent another aircraft to check the missing plane’s location. The missing plane was found burning on a runway.

“It was suspected that the burning of the plane was not caused by technical problems. It was because the plane landed and parked safely,” Fariz informed.

He said that Susi Air will continue to seek the whereabouts of the pilot and the passengers since they have not been contacted until now.

“We also hope that the authorities can quickly find the pilot and passengers,” he added.

ANTARA noted that the Indonesian Government has officially declared the armed Papuan criminal groups, also called “KKB”, as “terrorists” since April 29, 2021 owing to their acts of terror and crimes against innocent civilians.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta – The Russia-Ukraine war is not just about territorial grab, it is also about preserving Ukrainian values, freedom, and identity, Deputy Director General of the Ukrainian Institute Alim Aliev said at Taman Ismail Marzuki here on Tuesday.

This can be seen from the number of cultural objects that have been destroyed, which has reached around 500. Many artists have also left Ukraine due to the war, he highlighted.

“For us, it (a cultural object) is the expression of our identity because culture has been in our blood,” he said.

The assault against Ukrainian’s identity has also manifested itself in the way Russia has imposed its totalitarian ideal on Ukraine, according to Olexiy Haran, a comparative politics professor at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (UKMA).

Russia is trying to make Ukraine a part of itself to the extent that Ukraine is to be called Little Russia, that is, it will not have its own name, he said.

Among the values that Ukrainians have, freedom is the most important one that Ukraine is trying to defend in the war, he added.

Freedom, in this case, means freedom to speak whatever language that Ukrainians wish to speak, to elect their own leaders, and to solve their own problems.

“I may speak the Russian language, but I don’t want a Russian to come here and teach me how to behave,” he remarked.

This is especially important given that historically, Ukraine never had a monarchy, although there were foreign tsars that tried to occupy it, he explained.

Aliev and Haran have come to Indonesia in order to establish contact, garner support, as well as spread news concerning the situation in Ukraine.

This is important given the massive advantages that Russia has, to the extent that Haran compared Ukraine’s current war to the fight between David and Goliath.

Haran said he expects Indonesia’s support given its history of fighting for independence from foreign oppressors.

During their five-day visit from February 6 to February 10, 2023, Aliev and Haran are scheduled to hold a series of meetings with various ministries and institutions.

Source: Antara News

Jammu and Kashmir is often called “paradise on earth” for its incomparable beauty. Its beauty is apparent from its amazing landscape, scenic beauty, beautiful snow-covered mountains, green valleys, and natural lakes.

Countless gardens with terraced lawns, cascading fountains, and flowerbeds with rare flowers can be found in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, Kashmir’s beauty has been marred by bloodshed and suffering due to the struggle for control of its territory.

Annually, the government and people of Pakistan—at home and abroad—observe Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 to mark their continued support for the Kashmiri people and their struggle for the right of self-determination.

Pakistan, as a country with a Muslim majority, has continued to voice support at bilateral, multilateral, and international forums for efforts to find solutions to resolve the long-standing problem.

According to director general of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, Aizaz Ahmad, every year on February 5, the Pakistani nation reaffirms its solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Politicians address gatherings. Kashmiris make a chain of human hands on Kohala bridge. Think tanks hold seminars.

Like a ritual, Pakistanis have been commemorating this day every year since 1990, when an indigenous wave of resistance surged against the Indian occupation of Kashmir.

Pakistanis have been steadfast in extending their support to the Kashmiris. And why not? The people of Pakistan and the people of Jammu and Kashmir share centuries-old ethnic, linguistic, and religious bonds.

So, over the past 33 years, the message of solidarity to the Kashmiris from Pakistanis has been loud and clear: Pakistan stands with Kashmiris.

Beyond the message, however, we also need to look into the impact that this message of solidarity has created on India and the international community, he said.

What is crystal clear to the Indian leadership is that Pakistan is not leaving Kashmiris in the lurch, and that if India wishes to see peaceful and friendly relations with Pakistan, it must resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

Is the message enough for India to change its approach toward the Kashmir dispute? Probably not, he said.

India seems to have chosen the path of finding a military solution to the Kashmir problem. This would be a fatal mistake.

The US made a judgment error in continuing to fight for a military victory in Afghanistan, but learned after immense loss of life and treasure that political solutions are far more superior and cost-effective.

The August 2019 Kashmir debacle could prove costly for India. Will India learn from the Afghanistan experience and try to go for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute? Again, not likely. The Modi regime is neither listening to the voices of Kashmiris, nor to voices from within India.

Many of the same voices have called upon India to shun the path of military oppression against the people of Kashmir, roll back the assault on their identity (Kashmiriat), and engage with Pakistan for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

As for the international community, he said, it is encouraging that serious concerns have been raised by the UN and legislators from the US, the UK, and other countries on the heavy-handed approach being pursued by the Modi regime in occupied Kashmir.

The UN has published damning reports on gross human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir, he added.

On August 5, 2019, India revoked Article 370 and Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, ending Kashmir’s special status and dividing it into two union territories.

It is not clear why India chose to assault the very identity of Kashmiris and also engage in demographic engineering when it knew that this would evoke across-the-board resistance on the part of Kashmiris.

It is also not clear how the Modi government will extricate itself from the messy situation that it has brought upon itself. There are many questions, but few answers, he said.

Meanwhile, the security and humanitarian situation in occupied Kashmir remains grim. With nearly 900 thousand troops stationed in the Valley, prolonged curfews, a blackout of communications, and in the midst of COVID-19, the “paradise on earth” has become a living hell for most Kashmiris.

The Modi government did try to entice some pro-India Kashmiri leaders, the so-called Gupkar alliance, to accept the new situation. The initiative did not result in a solution because there was not a single Kashmiri of any political shade that was ready to accept such a blatant assault on the very identity of Kashmir.

He said that the Pakistani leadership has made it clear that there will be no dialogue with the Indian government until autonomy is returned and steps are taken to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has expressed deep concern over UN rights experts’ findings on the revocation of the special status of Kashmir and demographic changes in the region.

In a joint statement, Fernand de Varennes, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, and Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, expressed concern that the loss of autonomy in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir violates Muslim minorities’ rights.

“The loss of autonomy and the imposition of direct rule by the Government in New Delhi suggests the people of Jammu and Kashmir no longer have their own government and have lost power to legislate or amend laws in the region to ensure the protection of their rights as minorities,” according to their statement.

Under Prime Minister Modi’s government, India has been implementing ultra-nationalist policies that have significantly curtailed the rights of Kashmiri Muslims

The last straw has been India’s decision to revoke the special status granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

According to the two top experts on minorities and freedom of religion, the revocation of the special status and subsequent efforts of the Indian government to change the demographics of the region has been a source of grave concern.

Under a new law, Indian authorities have started issuing “domicile certificates” to Indians and non-residents, permitting them residency rights and government jobs.

Muslim Kashmiris consider the new policy as the beginning of settler colonialism aimed at engineering a demographic change in Jammu and Kashmir.

These legislative changes may have the potential to pave the way for people from outside the former state of Jammu and Kashmir to settle in the region, alter the demographics of the region, and undermine the minorities’ ability to exercise their human rights effectively, according to the two UN rapporteurs.

In addition, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has reiterated its full solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their quest for the right to self-determination.

The General Secretariat, pursuant to the decisions and resolutions of the Islamic Summit and the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, has urged India to halt and reverse the illegal and unilateral actions taken on August 5, 2019, and subsequent steps to change the internationally recognized disputed status of the territory and to alter the demographic structure of the occupied territory.

In the statement issued by the OIC, the General Secretariat has demanded respect for the basic human rights of the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir.

The General Secretariat has also reiterated its call on the international community to step up efforts to resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Overall, the best way for Kashmir to gain freedom is through the implementation of UN resolutions.

Kashmiri people should be given the right to decide their own future. Let them decide whether they want to join Pakistan or be an independent state.

Source: Antara News

To support competitive cyclists, technology helps not only lighten the bike weight but sport science determines the speed to be the champion.

When Bernard Benyamin Van Aert stood on the podium with his silver medal at the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) Track Nations Cup in Cali, Colombia in July 2022, it marked another step in Indonesia’s progress in cycling world competition.

Bernard was the only cyclist from Indonesia to qualify for the 2022 UCI Track World Championship in the Men’s Elite Omnium. These results were obtained because athletes underwent a structured training program, with cross training in other racing disciplines, as well as detailed training monitoring supervised by a sport science team for two years.

International sport is in the midst of a global arms race. Sports science and technological innovation can be the big difference between success and failure at the elite level. Many nations invest millions giving their elite athletes the best. In terms of sport science in cycling, the main part is the human element, then the bicycle element.

Science and technology has made significant improvements to riders’ physical performance. Road cyclists are active for long periods so excellent aerobic capacity is needed. The VO2 (oxygen uptake) number for a rider is a crucial measurement, reaching 74 ml/Kg/Min. The average for sedentary is 27-40 ml/kg/Min.

By understanding the heart’s performance and how muscles grow, sports trainers now understand how to design an exercise program that focuses on making the heart work more efficiently, accompanied by increasing muscle strength. Breathing patterns also scientifically influence the performance of cyclists, so there are specific patterns, such as six pedal rotations for inhaling and three pedal rotations for exhaling.

Sleeping is just as important as exertion when in the saddle. Sleep has been proven to be a significant factor in improving the performance of athletes, not just sleeping eight hours a night. Special strategies are needed for athletes such as napping for 30 minutes – 1 hour every afternoon. Sleep hygiene must be maintained by avoiding coffee or caffeine before going to sleep, not looking at phones or watching television and maintaining room temperature and staying hydrated.

High altitude training is another proven method to help athletes increase endurance. Physiological changes in the body at higher altitudes — an increase in haemoglobin in the blood caused by an increase in the hormone erythropoietin that increases oxygen in the blood — can enable an athlete’s body to capture more oxygen and have much better endurance when competing at sea level. In short, cyclists do not fatigue as easily.

And then there is the bike. While the basic design has not changed in 200 years, what frames are made from has come a long way, from steel to lighter materials such as aluminium, titanium and carbon fibre, which, being extremely light (the average Tour de France bike weighs around 8kg) and strong, is the preferred material for professional riders.

Just as important as weight is aerodynamics. Engineers refine bike frames to have a specific shape and angle designed to reduce the drag or resistance, along with determining the position of the cyclist, so as to minimise air resistance and increase their speed.

In 1989, Tour de France winner Greg LeMond was among the first to use aero bars, which revolutionised design for improving performance. Specialists are also needed to get the bike fit right. adjusted to the length of the rider’s legs, arms, and body size, which is specific to each individual. There are studies on the best saddle position depending on height and tilt. Helmet design is key in configuration and protecting against head injury for competitive cyclists.

Many other technologies are becoming more widely used such as GPS and sensors fitted to the bike and wearables on the athlete’s body. Wireless technology helps transmit this data to coaches a considerable distance away. Power metres measure output while other devices check heart rate, the amount of sweat, blood sugar levels and body temperature. All this data, when combined with unique algorithms can help coaches and athletes predict when they will become champions, where they will become champions, and what conditions will cause them to become champions.

Within the Indonesian cycling federation, a high performance enhancement team has been formed consisting of researchers from universities, sport scientists and experts in the fields of biomechanics, sport medicine, performance analysis, sport therapy, sport nutrition and strength and conditioning. While these moves are not perfect, the results have improved. The Indonesian team won three gold, four silver and a bronze medal at the SEA Games 2022 in Hanoi.

Government grants of around USD$700,000– $900,000 have helped improve sports performance but more is needed to achieve at international level cycling.

Still, money is not everything. The biggest problem is the lack of qualified human resources in sports science. The solution is to start collaborating with universities and industry with the aim of hiring competent people to work with the Indonesia cycling federation. This will help Indonesian sports get the most out of technology and achieve peak performances from athletes.

For Indonesian cycling, which has started little by little, it could mean more exciting times ahead.

Source: 360Info

Indonesia needs the Private International Law (UU HPI) considering that business contracts between Indonesian citizens and foreigners have been increasing due to globalization, Supreme Court Judge Haswandi has said.

“We, as practitioners, expect the HPI Law’s existence to face the current globalization,” he said here on Monday.

According to him, the RUU HPI, or the HPI draft law, which contains 69 articles, will greatly support judges and the judiciary in resolving disputes related to foreign law.

The Private International Law would be relevant for resolving several cases related to foreign trade and business contracts, he added.

“I see that the important things are already included in the 69 articles (of the HPI draft law). In my opinion, it may be necessary to regulate the mandatory rules and overriding mandatory rules so that there are no more conflicts of law,” he said.

Earlier, the director of central authority and international law at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Tudiono, said that several challenges have been faced in drafting the HPI Bill.

The challenges have mainly pertained to the level of public understanding and awareness and the bill’s formulation itself, he informed.

He emphasized that it is time for Indonesia to have an HPI Bill, considering that many countries such as Japan and Thailand have a law for resolving foreign legal matters.

“The main challenge is how to process this bill properly over time with its targets so that it is timely,” Tudiono said.

For preparing the bill, the academic manuscript, the discussion between ministries, and harmonization must be completed and carried out, he added.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry has also pushed for the HPI Bill’s approval.

“(It is) President Joko Widodo’s request, so we can improve economic diplomacy, one of which is through the Private International Law because investors and foreign traders observe our legal system in international civil code,” former director general of legal affairs and international treaties, Damos Dumoli Agusman, said at a discourse held by the Ministry in February 2020.

Source: Antara News

The Indonesian Police is collaborating with other institutions to ensure that the 2024 General Elections and Regional Elections go off smoothly and remain secure from several threats, including terrorism.

Just like in 2019, terrorism is still one of the potential threats that could disrupt elections in 2024, Head of the police’s Public Relations Division Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo said.

“The police is cooperating with other institutions to ensure that all phases of the general election will be safe, smooth, and democratic,” Prasetyo said on the sidelines of the police’s internal discussion on facing the upcoming political year, here on Thursday.

To address potential threats, the police’s Anti-Terror Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) is ready to engage in preventive strikes, he affirmed.

“We must not let all phases of the elections prepared by the KPU (General Elections Commission) be disrupted (by terrorism),” Prasetyo said.

In the first month of 2023, the Densus 88 has taken preventive actions by raiding and arresting suspected terrorists in several cities to maintain security and order.

On January 20, 2023, the special forces arrested three suspected terrorists in North Jakarta and Tangerang, Banten. The three suspects reportedly belonged to different terrorist groups.

One suspect, identified by his initials as AS, was arrested in North Jakarta for his involvement with the Islamic State of Indonesia (NII).

Meanwhile, two suspects, identified as ARH and SN, were arrested in South Jakarta and South Tangerang cities, respectively.

ARH and SN, who reportedly belonged to an organization outlawed by the government, were wanted by law enforcers since March 2021.

The Densus 88 also arrested one terror suspect, identified as AW, in Sleman, Yogyakarta, on January 22. The suspect was affiliated with the transnational terror organization ISIS.

During the operation, the special forces confiscated two improvised explosives that the suspect planned to use in a terror attack.

The suspect, a recidivist in drug-related cases who was freed from prison in 2020, confessed that he had sworn loyalty to ISIS under the guidance of his cellmate.

Responding to the Densus 88 raids, Prasetyo affirmed that the investigation into the recently arrested terror suspects would continue.

“It is correct; the Densus informed me that (AW) is a drug inmate who was exposed (to radicalism) in prison. He was then arrested by Densus 88. The case is currently under investigation,” the inspector general said.

Source: Antara News

Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Bintang Puspayoga has urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to ratify the Domestic Worker Protection Bill (RUU PPRT) into law without delay.

“We encourage the DPR to bring (the bill) to a plenary meeting and make RUU PPRT an initiative of the DPR,” she said in a statement received here on Wednesday.

Considering the previous experience in passing the Sexual Violence Crime Law (UU TPKS), differences in opinion during discussions are normal, she said.

However, what is important is finding ways to accommodate the interests of all parties, especially domestic workers, in terms of recognition and protection, she said.

Puspayoga said the government will encourage joint commitment and political work with the DPR and civil society to oversee the ratification of RUU PPRT.

In addition, the task force for the acceleration of deliberations on the bill will also need to immediately map out steps and strategies to push its ratification.

Puspayoga said the bill aims to protect domestic workers as part of efforts to uphold human rights principles.

The articles in the bill contain agreements and cooperation regarding relations between employers and domestic workers as well as the supervision of recruiters, the minister added.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo said that the government is committed to and is striving for the protection of domestic workers.

According to him, the number of domestic workers is estimated to have reached four million. They are vulnerable to losing their rights as workers.

To accelerate the stipulation of the Domestic Workers’ Protection Law (UU PPRT), the president has asked the Ministry of Law and Human Rights and the Ministry of Manpower to coordinate with the DPR and all related stakeholders.

Source: Antara News

The Ministry of Religious Affairs will educate Umrah travel agents on the subject in response to a case of alleged sexual harassment perpetrated by an Umrah pilgrim from Indonesia in Saudi Arabia,

“The ministry’s Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah management will provide socialization to Umrah travel agents,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Anna Hasbie, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

She informed that so far, the ministry has always provided briefing and coaching to Umrah travel agents and Umrah pilgrims before they leave for Saudi Arabia.

Hasbie said that Umrah travel agents must socialize the regulations during the pilgrimage to pilgrims.

“The regulations implemented in Saudi Arabia must be obeyed. Moreover, each year, there are new dynamic rules. We have conveyed it to the Umrah travel agents and they must socialize it to their pilgrims as well,” she added.

She said that her ministry has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the matter. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has also deployed a legal counsel to provide assistance to the alleged perpetrator.

“We already have (deployed a) lawyer to handle this case,” she added.

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that it has prepared legal steps to follow up on a report of an Indonesian citizen being detained in Saudi Arabia on charges of sexual harassment.

According to the ministry, the Indonesian citizen, identified as Muhammad Said, 26, has been detained following a trial that found him guilty of sexual harassment based on the evidence of two eyewitnesses and his direct confession.

However, the director for the protection of Indonesian citizens and legal entities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, said that the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah did not receive any information from the Saudi Arabian authorities regarding Said’s trial.

On December 20, 2022, Said was sentenced to two years in prison and fined 50 thousand riyals or around Rp200 million.

The South Sulawesi resident was arrested by security officers after he was accused of sexually harassing a female Lebanese pilgrim during the tawaf at the Grand Mosque.

Source: Antara News