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Indonesia: Growing HIV/AIDS awareness in Indonesia's Papua region

Source: IRIN Country: Indonesia

JAKARTA, 18 June 2013 (IRIN) - Efforts to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Indonesian provinces of Papua, which has among the country's highest rates of infection, and West Papua are making steady though slow progress, say aid workers and government officials.

"People there believed that HIV/AIDS was a curse from God, but that's no longer the general perception," Setyo Warsono, a spokesman for the government's National AIDS Commission (KPA), told IRIN.

Since 2005, reported HIV infections have increased in both these provinces annually, with 535 new cases reported in West Papua and 3,028 in Papua in 2012, where infection rates have outpaced the national average. In Papua new cases more than doubled from 687 in 2009 to 2,499 in 2010.

Tanah Papua (a local term that includes both Papua and West Papua provinces), 2,000km east of Jakarta, has some of the lowest levels of human development of Indonesia's 33 provinces, according to the government. [ http://www.bps.go.id/eng/tab_sub/view.php?kat=1&tabel=1&daftar=1&id_suby... ]

According to a 2012 report from the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Tanah Papua was experiencing a low-level HIV epidemic, with a prevalence of 2.4 percent among the general population (versus a national average of 0.3 percent). [http://www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/knowyourresponse/countryprogressre... ] About 30,000 people (22,210 in Papua and 7,160 in West Papua) are estimated to be living with HIV today.

Reaching them early

HIV prevalence among people aged 15-24 in Tanah Papua is 3 percent. [ http://www.unicef.org/indonesia/A4-_E_Issue_Brief_HIV_REV.pdf ]

In 2010 the Papua provincial government, in partnership with UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), introduced a decree to integrate HIV education in schools in Papua Province, which included curriculum development, teacher training and HIV policy support at the district level.

So far, 876 teachers in 58 secondary schools and 47 primary schools have received the training.

"From zero teachers in schools teaching HIV awareness, we've increased the level markedly," said Margaret Sheehan, UNICEF's chief of office in Jayapura, the capital of Papua Province. "But there's still a degree of reluctance from teachers to talk about how HIV can be transmitted through sex. More sensitization work still needs to take place so teachers feel more comfortable."

UNICEF plans to incorporate HIV education into an upcoming training programme for teachers in rural areas in partnership with the Papua and West Papua governments.

But with 38 percent of children aged 7-15 out of school, and the highest provincial proportion of out-of-school children nationwide, aid workers are looking elsewhere to reach youths.

UNICEF is offering life-skills training at youth and Protestant church clubs in a part of the country where church leaders are esteemed in the community and most youths participate in church groups.

The Papua provincial KPA is using radio, TV and a well-known local football team (given young people's love of football in the province) to disseminate HIV education.

Accessing remote areas

Caritas Australia is working with a local NGO to train volunteer peer educators, as well as broadcasting HIV prevention messages through the radio and concerts in the Papuan district of Merauke.

For the NGO's programme coordinator in Indonesia, Terry Russell, poor rural infrastructure has been one of the biggest barriers to spreading HIV education.

"Remote villages have no mobile phone contact, so pre-visits are necessary, and often roads have worsened due to weather or a bridge being down, so the process can be very time-consuming," he said.

In 2011, the government set up a unit in Papua and West Papua to accelerate infrastructure development in Papua's remote areas, where more than one million indigenous Papuans live, according to local media. [http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/01/12/up4b-starts-development-ac... ]

Progress

Though slow, progress has been steady, say aid workers.

"In 2005, people with HIV/AIDS in Merauke were shunned by their families, but now many more are accepted and many more are willing to undergo HIV/AIDS testing," said Russell. In 2008 some 5,000 people in Tanah Papua were tested for HIV; as of 31 May this year, that figure has risen to 31,443.

UNICEF's Sheehan said HIV messages on government-sponsored billboards and TV ads are now clearer. Whereas in the past there were billboards of leaders saying "We don't want HIV", posters now feature youths with HIV-prevention messages.

According to the KPA's Warsono, as of 2013 the government has set up local commissions to continue raising awareness about HIV in 19 of Papua's 29 districts, and in all of West Papua's 13 districts.

mw/pt/cb

[END]

Categories: Berita Bencana

Indonesia: Greater Jakarta: Storms wreck homes in Depok

Source: Jakarta Post Country: Indonesia

The Jakarta Post | City | Tue, June 11 2013, 11:18 AM

DEPOK: Heavy rain and strong winds damaged dozens of houses in the Kemiri Muka, Beji district of Depok municipality on Sunday.

Several semi-permanent kiosks in Kemiri Muka market also collapsed due to the severe weather.

A resident, Andri Yudispiprana, said on Monday that state electricity company PT PLN had been asked to cut off power to the area to prevent accidents.

“It happened so fast. No one was ready when the wind blew off the roof of our house. Rainwater poured in and all our furniture was soaked,” he said.

Strong winds along with heavy rain, have frequently hit Depok this year. In January, dozens of houses in Kali Baru, Cilodong district, were damaged in a storm, while houses in Curug, Bojongsari district, suffered the same fate in March.

Categories: Berita Bencana

Myanmar: CTTA: Counter Terrorist Trends and Analysis Volume 5, Issue 6, June 2013

Source: Nanyang Technological Univ. Country: Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines

A Face among the Crowd: Profiling the Man behind the Foiled Plot to Attack Myanmar’s Embassy in Jakarta
ROHAN GUNARATNA

Counterterrorism in Indonesia: Quo Vadis?
MUH TAUFIQURROHMAN

Next Steps for the Philippines Peace Framework
AVA PATRICIA C. AVILA

Jihadists at the Gate? A Preliminary Enquiry into the Reaction of the Jihadist Movement to Communal Violence in Myanmar
IFTEKHARUL BASHAR

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Indonesia: Situation Report Rokatenda, Indonesia, 03 June 2013

Source: Yakkum Emergency Unit Country: Indonesia

Assistance to People Displaced by Rokatenda Eruptions, Palue Island, Sikka District East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

03 June 2013

Situation Overview

The Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Sikka district is unable to determine the status of the Rokatenda volcano due to irregular pattern of volcanic activity and the lack any input from the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) or their seismograph. The emergency response phase which should be ended on 23 May 2013 is then extended by the local authority to 23 June 2013.

YEU emergency team observed that the number of IDPs staying in the camps has been decreasing over the past two weeks. The situation forces the IDPs to return to Palue Island regardless the ongoing volcano activity, simply because they do not have enough money to fulfil their daily needs in camps. This is quite depressing prospect for the people, as there is nothing remaining in Palue because it was destroyed by the eruption. Some other IDPs would prefer to stay in their relatives' houses, which is a huge disadvantage as they will no longer be validated by the district government as IDPs.

The health issue has become team's priority since more children and infants suffer from skin disease and upper tract respiratory infection. The graveness of their condition is made more severe with some children showing signs of undernourishment. YEU emergency team has reported the issue to local health institution (the district health agency) and has also raised the issue in a workshop for recovery.

IDPs in Citapewa and Niranusa are still struggling to obtain potable water due to long distance from water sources and a minimum water debit in the spring. In addition, they do not have proper latrines, thus the IDPs in both places defecate in sewers and on the beach. The team is intending to deliver water in those areas as well as provide portable latrines. In Transito, there is no regular cleaning of public latrines, which causes stagnant water outside the latrines and there is no waste disposal management. As a result, the waste is scattered everywhere, causing further hygiene problems.

The relocation issue has become a focus of attention recently. A decision to relocate was made by the district authority with direction from national government. The district authority has been busy validating the IDPs' data in the past few weeks. The forum of humanitarian organisations responding to Rokatenda has demanded that the government conduct data verification to meet the challenges of the relocation program.

Most Pressing Needs

Health issues remain an urgent need. Health services are required in nearly all camps along with the provision of WASH components, including emergency latrines, potable water supply and water carrying containers. The next priority is provision of food items, especially for infants and toddlers. Non-food items are required mainly to sustain the healthy living in the camps with items such as like blankets, mattresses, tarpaulins, cooking utensils, and hygiene kits.

Other longer-term issues relate to knowledge-based initiatives such as the induction of camp management sessions for camp coordinators and other relevant stakeholders, psychosocial assistance for children and adults (YEU will refer the issue to the NGO Forum in Sikka), and lastly the need for capacity building to ensure accountable relief distribution.

ACT Alliance Emergency Response to date

YEU is the only ACT Alliance member responding to the emergency.

• Health services by the YEU team have treated 223 females, 134 males, and 207 children, with a total of 564 patient visits. Based on the field findings, the top five diseases in the camps are: upper respiratory tract infection, dyspepsia, musculoskeletal disease, oral-dental disease, and skin disease.

• Water Supply Distribution for 114 IDPs, 33 HH in Transito camp (9x5,000 liter)

• Establishment of 10 Knockdown latrines and the equipments (bucket, bailer, and closet brush): 1 unit in Niranusa, 2 units in Citapewa, 4 units in Mausambi, 2 units in Aewora, Ende District; and 1 unit in Kampung Garam, Sikka District.

• Non-food item distribution: 92 sheets terpaulins for IDPs in Citapewa, Niranusa and Mausambi,48 mattres for IDPs in Citapewa and Niranusa, 32 jerry can for IDPS in Citapewa, cleaning equipment for Transito camp, and 16 water bucket, 18 lanterns and 18 family packages of hygiene kits for Niranusa.

• Food item distribution: 350 kg rice, 108 packs biscuits to complement breast milk program and 64 kg mung bean and 12 kg orange as supplementary foods for under-five children in Citapewa, Mausambi and Aewora.

• Disaster preparedness promotion for 208 females, 90 males and 120 children in six villages (Hewuli, Transito, Niranusa, Citapewa, Aewora and Mukusaki).

Advocacy initiatives:

YEU together with other humanitarian organisations responding to Mount Rokatenda eruption, i.e., JaRI (loosely translated as the Networking of Resilient People in Indonesia), Dompet Dhuafa, Plan-Indonesia, Wetlands, Karina, World Vision Indonesia (WVI), Yayasan Sosial Pembangunan Masyarakat Maumere (Community’s Social Development Foundation in Maumere/Yaspem), Wahana Tani Mandiri (Farmers Asscociation/WTM), and CKM (CaritasMaumere),held a workshop to facilitate the local government and the affected population in discussions of mechanisms for the post-emergency phase, strategies for relocation and coordinating the relief distribution amongst stakeholders using the cluster approach: housing/relocation, food security, livelihood, health, water-sanitation, and education. The initial workshop was conducted on 14 May 2013, and was co-hosted by the local government and the Rokatenda humanitarian forum. YEU and YAKKUM's development unit (CD Bethesda) facilitated a discussion on health and water-sanitation sectors. The outputs of the workshop are as follows: (1) Reviewing the contingency plan; (2) Assigning a camp coordinator to manage relief distribution; (3) A cluster plan for the transitional period from emergency response to early rehabilitation and (4) A budget appeal made by the local government to the national government, From this workshop, the local authority (BPBD) is committed to host regular coordination meetings to monitor the progress of the Rokatenda emergency response. A follow-up workshop is scheduled in mid-June to ensure commitment to and implementation of the plan under the governance of newly-elected head of district.

Dari lokakarya ini, pemerintah daerah dalam hal ini Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD), berkomitmen untuk mengadakan pertemuan koordinasi berkala untuk memonitor perkembangan tanggap darurat Rokatenda. Lokakarya kedua dijadwalkan pada pertengahan Juni guna memastikan komitmen dan implementasi rencana-rencana tersebut di atas terlaksana dibawah pemerintahan Bupati yang baru.

Challenges and strategies:

Trust building is essential as many parties are blaming the government for their inability to manage the IDPs. Thus, YEU tries to approach the government in more constructive ways, by acknowledging what has been done but strategically identifying gaps and promoting multi-stakeholders resource mobilization.

Other issues:

• The district health agency does not have any RDTs (Rapid Diagnostic Test) for malaria. Yet, East Nusa Tenggara is endemic for malaria. YEU is intending to address the issue, along with an initiative to encourage the health agency to provide adequate RDT.

• Beside the political condition, with a vacuum of leadership (there is nonofficial of the disaster response agency) as reported in the previous Sitrep, there is another pressing issue that should be taken into consideration by local stakeholders, i.e. the relocation plan for 375 households who are affected directly by the eruption. Although the relocation scheme has been discussed between the district and national authorities, the IDPs know almost nothing about the overall plan. Moreover, it is essential that their voices be accommodated in the scheme.

Next Action Plan:

1. Feasibility study for resettlement. YEU will carry out participatory analysis for hospitable areas for resettlement and sustainability of the affected population. This activity is also aimed to promote accountability in humanitarian assistance where the affected population is consulted in fulfillment of their needs.

2. Distribution of food, potable water supply, and hygiene kits to Aewora, Citapewa, Mausambi, Niranusa and Palue Island, and second health service to Aewora, Citapewa, Mausambi and Niranusa.

Categories: Berita Bencana

Thailand: ACTED and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center sign a Cooperation Agreement on Disaster Risk Reduction

Source: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development Country: Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (the), Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand

BANGKOK [ACTED News] – The Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) and ACTED have signed a cooperation agreement on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in South and South East Asia – particularly Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Under the Framework of Cooperation, ACTED and ADPC agree to work jointly on integrated approaches and linkages between ecosystems and DRR (“ecosystem-based DRR”), particularly in coastal areas and river basins with the aim to reduce disaster risks through a focus on resilient rural livelihoods, and supporting local officials in these efforts. Prof. Krasae Chanawongse, Executive Director of the ADPC says “by drawing on our relative strengths, the ACTED and ADPC cooperation can achieve greater impact in these exciting areas of ecosystem-based DRR and resilient rural livelihoods”.

ADPC, an independent & non-profit foundation in Thailand, has served as the leading international focal point for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Asia and the Pacific region. Since its inception in 1986, the Centre has been providing technical assistance, training and meeting the information needs of governments and partners working at national, sub-national and community level, and with multilateral and bilateral development partners, and regional bodies such as ASEAN, MRC, SAARC, SOPAC etc. ADPC’s programmes encompass a wide diversity in application, adopt a multi-hazard approach and cover all aspects of the risk management spectrum – from prevention and mitigation, through preparedness and response, to recovery and reconstruction.

As part of its 2013-2015 regional strategy for South and South-East Asia, ACTED aims to build disaster and climate change resilience in the region with the following principles:

• Alignment with the Hyogo Framework of Action 2005-2015, the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) and the SAARC Disaster Management Framework;
• Support to national plans and national disaster management structures and linking country actions to regional actors such as the ADPC;
• Integration of the sustainable management of natural resources and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)into DRR programmes;
• Holistic interventions combining preparedness, mitigation and prevention to address unsafe conditions, dynamic pressures and underlying causes and to strengthen both coping and adaptive capacities.
  For more information about ADPC: www.adpc.net

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Indonesia: West Papua Report June 2013

Source: East Timor Action Network Country: Indonesia

This is the 110th in a series of monthly reports that focus on developments affecting Papuans. This series is produced by the non-profit West Papua Advocacy Team (WPAT) drawing on media accounts, other NGO assessments, and analysis and reporting from sources within West Papua. This report is co-published by the East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN). Back issues are posted online at http://www.etan.org/issues/wpapua/default.htm Questions regarding this report can be addressed to Edmund McWilliams at edmcw@msn.com. If you wish to receive the report directly via e-mail, send a note to etan@etan.org. Link to this issue: http://etan.org/issues/wpapua/2013/1306wpap.htm

The Report leads with "Perspective," an opinion piece; followed by "Update," a summary of some developments during the covered period; and then "Chronicle" which includes analyses, statements, new resources, appeals and action alerts related to West Papua. Anyone interested in contributing a "Perspective" or responding to one should write to edmcw@msn.com. The opinions expressed in Perspectives are the author's and not necessarily those of WPAT or ETAN. For additional news on West Papua see the reg.westpapua listserv archive or on Twitter.

This edition of the West Papua Report's PERSPECTIVE is by a longtime observer of West Papua. This is the last of a three-part series (see Part 1 and Part 2). In this part, the author, who for his safety asked to remain anonymous, examines the decreased effectiveness of NGOs and the declining influence of elements of the religious community to improve the plight of West Papuans. He also sets out essential conditions for a successful Papuan-central government dialogue.

In UPDATE, Papuan political prisoners have spurned President Yudhoyono's pledge to offer clemency at some future date. The number of political prisoners nearly doubled in May. There has been significant progress in advancing West Papuan interests within the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Government intelligence and defense agencies yet again speculate that foreign agents are at work in West Papua. WPAT notes that such tales are usually created out of whole cloth in order to justify continued restrictions on outside observers. This report also details accounts of a wave of military-on-civilian violence in the central highlands, including the discovery of many mutilated bodies

In CHRONICLE, we provides links to recent testimony before the U.S. congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on Indonesia and West Papua; to recent UN statements on West Papua's political status and the human rights situation in the territory; to Amnesty International's annual rights review of Indonesia; and to WPAT and ETAN's evaluation of the U.S. State Department's report of the human rights in Indonesia. Also, nearly a dozen international groups appealed to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. Finally, President Yudhoyono intends to offer a new version of "Special Autonomy" for West Papua. The new plan is a tacit admission that the existing "Special Autonomy" has failed.

Categories: Berita Bencana

Indonesia: Domestic violence on the rise in Aceh

Source: Jakarta Post Country: Indonesia

Nadya Natahadibrata

A coalition of women’s rights groups report that cases of violence against women have been on the rise in Aceh in the past two years.

The coalition, Jaringan Pemantauan 231 (231 Monitoring Network), of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) monitors the implementation of Article 231 of Law No. 11/2006 on female empowerment and child protection in Aceh.

In its survey found 1,060 reported cases of violence against women in the province in 2011 and 2012, of which they were able to fully verify 561.

Of these cases 73.6 percent were domestic, 224 cases in 2012 up from 189 in the previous year.

Samsidar, an activist from LBH Apik Aceh, one of NGOs in Jaringan Pemantauan 231, claims the large number of cases is a legacy from violent conflict in the region.

“In Aceh, violence often takes place in public places and no sanction is handed down to the perpetrators. It is then internalized within society without any concrete solution by the government,” Samsidar said on Tuesday.

Suraiya Khamaruzaman of women’s rights organization Flower Aceh put the blame on the Sharia-inspired ordinances in the region.

Suraiya is convinced that the Sharia-inspired bylaws, which have been adopted by the Aceh administration since 2001 as part of special autonomy, gave no specifics on protection for women, and instead only focus on trivial matters.

“The very first order from the Sharia law was for people to read Arabic scriptures and for women to wear the hijab, which are not substantial matters for the community,” Suraiya said.

Earlier this year, the local administration in Lhokseumawe raised a fuss about issuing a bylaw that would ban women from straddling motorcycles, arguing that it is an improper conduct under Islamic tradition.

Last month, the North Aceh Regent Muhammad Thaib suggested that women must not perform traditional dances in public.

“The impact of those qanun [provincial by law] is actually more severe than that which the local administration initially visualized,” Suraiya told The Jakarta Post.

“The planned bylaw that ban women from straddling on motorcycles specifically targeted underprivileged women who ride motorcycles. Women who have cars are not affected by the plan.”

Separately, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) commissioner Andi Yentriyani said that while the number of domestic violence cases recorded in Aceh may not be as high as those of other provinces, it could mask the true magnitude of the problem in the region.

Nationwide, Komnas Perempuan’s analysis indicated that domestic violence comprised 95 percent of almost 120,000 cases of violence against women in 2011.

“The highest number of domestic violence cases is recorded in Java but that is mainly because the counseling infrastructure here is much better than that of other provinces so more cases are actually reported,” Andi said.

“The budget allocated for female empowerment in Aceh was only 0.02 percent of the provincial budget and the amount was not evenly distributed to NGOs that specifically target women.”

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Myanmar: Asia-Pacific Region 28 May - 3 June, 2013, Natural Disasters and Other Events being monitored by the OCHA Regional Office for the Asia-Pacific

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines

1. Myanmar - Inter-communal violence displaced approximately 1,400 people in Lashio, Shan state on 29 May. Since then many have returned home, however nearly 440 people remain in two sites as of 2 June. The Gov., private donors and humanitarian agencies are providing assistance.
   Source: OCHA

2. Bangladesh - The Govt. of Bangladesh has released around US$ 3.8 million to meet the shelter needs of the more than 1 million people affected by Tropical Storm Mahasen. The Early Recovery and Food security clusters are developing livelihoods response plans.
   Source: OCHA, PDC

3. China - Since 14 May, southern China has been affected by heavy rain which have triggered floods and landslides. 12 Provinces have been affected, the worst being Henan, Hubei and Shandong. The UN reports nearly 2.8 million have been affected and the national authorities have been responding to the needs.
   Source: UN DMT, Media

4. Myanmar - A seven-point plan, including a preliminary ceasefire was agreed between the Gov. of Myanmar and the Kachin Independence Org.
   Discussions will be held on how to resettle more than 75,000 displaced during two years of fighting.
   Source: UN

5. China - Estimates of the earthquake which struck Taiwan, Province of China on 2 June range from 6.2 to 6.7M. The latest reports indicate that two people have been killed and 21 injured.
   Source: Gov, PDC, GDACS,

6. Marshall Islands - On 29 May, the Government issued an Intermediate Response Plan for the drought stricken northern atolls. The the two month plan requires US$ 4.6 million for WASH, Health, Food and logistics needs for the 6,384 people affected.
   Source: OCHA Sitrep No. 3

7. Papua New Guinea - On 1 Jun, Mt. Bagana erupted, spilling ash on nearby communities. About 500 people have been affected with many suffering from eye infections.
   Source: OCHA, Smithsonian

8. Philippines - Two 5.6M earthquakes struck central Mindanao on 1 and 2 June. There are reports of minor injuries and damage but the two earthquakes have not resulted in a humanitarian.
   Source: PDC

Precipitation Forecast - The latest forecasts predict above average levels of precipitation across Indonesia. Less than average rainfall is forecasted throughout most of the South Pacific, particularly Nauru. There is also a chance of less than average rainfall in Myanmar, around Yangon.
Source: IRI

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Myanmar: Rohingya Dilemma Complicates ASEAN Affairs

Source: Future Directions International Country: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand

The leadership of the Association of South-East Asian States (ASEAN) must reconsider the predicament of the Rohingya in Burma (Myanmar), as it is rapidly becoming a regional issue. ASEAN is aware that the issue endangers the group’s stability, but has not developed a joint position.

Background

The violence in Burma between Buddhists, particularly the members of the nationalist Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), and the Muslim minority Rohingya community has engendered a regional refugee crisis. Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia have been directly affected by the influx of Rohingya refugees, but only Indonesia has called upon Burma to address the issue.

Comment

The Rohingya, numbering around 800,000, live primarily in the western Burmese state of Rakhine. Ethnic and religious violence has been ongoing in that area since June 2012. The Rohingya are accused of attempting to “Islamify” Burma, among other allegations. Around two hundred people have been killed and more than 140,000 made homeless in incidents of mass arson, looting and murder. The official Burmese Government position is that the Rohingya are illegal Bengali immigrants from Bangladesh. For its part, Bangladesh officially denies them, as well. The result is that RNDP members, as well as the local sangha (order) of Buddhist monks, have been able to organise and persecute the Rohingya with impunity.

Human Rights Watch, a New York-based NGO, has accused the Burmese Government of engaging ‘in a campaign of ethnic cleansing’.[1]Government authorities are allegedly implicated in destroying mosques, conducting mass arrests, blocking aid, deporting and forcibly transferring Rohingyas, and generally persecuting them. The security forces are either implicated in failing to prevent the violence or even directly participating in the violence. Many Rohingya currently reside in overcrowded refugee camps without adequate care.

At least thirteen thousand Rohingya have fled Burma by sea, with around seven hundred lost along the way. More will follow, and the status of the Rohingya is no longer just an internal Burmese issue; it is now becoming one of significance to ASEAN as a whole. While the Burmese Government shows no desire to escalate the issue to one of regional importance, events have overtaken it. Thailand currently shelters around two thousand Rohingya refugees, while others have landed in Malaysia and Indonesia, primarily for religious reasons.

Indonesia has seen protests against the Burmese Government from its Muslim population, with threats to bomb Naypyitaw’s embassy in Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono informed his Burmese counterpart, Thein Sein, that he was concerned about the conflict, but was confident he was ‘trying do the right thing in terms of getting the communal violence under control’.[2]

Malaysia raised the issue in similarly diplomatic terms on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting last year. Thailand, however, has not yet put pressure on Burma despite being informed that Rohingya refugees will only be taken back if there is proof they lived in Rhakine. In general, despite launching a human rights body at its most recent summit, the group has kept to the status quo of non-interference. Burma is also scheduled to chair ASEAN in 2014, which will likely ensure a tacit silence on the issue.

It is unlikely that the issue will be acknowledged until large-scale security risks from the flow of refugees become apparent, or Burma’s internal security is compromised. Concerning the latter, in March this year the Kaman, another Muslim ethnic group, was targeted during riots in the town of Meiktila, 150 kilometres north of Naypyitaw. Clashes raged across eleven townships, with forty-three people killed, eight hundred homes and five mosques torched. The violence ended with another 12,000 people displaced. The unrest forced President Thein Sein to declare a state of emergency. No real moves are being taken to end the conflict, however, lending weight to accusations that the government is content to see the Rohingya forced out of Burma, at the expense of the country’s general stability.

The alleged complicity of the security forces in the bloodshed may also be intended to be seen by the general Muslim populace as a warning, but it may facilitate radicalisation among persecuted groups. Refugees from the conflict might find support from various Islamic militant groups residing in Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand, which could, in turn, escalate the regional stakes of the conflict. Silence on the issue may undermine ASEAN’s desire for peaceful economic development in the long-term; its members may thus be forced to formulate a joint position on the matter in the near term.

Daniel Barnes

Research Assistant

Indian Ocean Research Programme

[1] Human Rights Watch, 22 April 2013, ‘Burma: End “Ethnic Cleansing” of Rohingya Muslims’

[2] Marukatat, S., ‘ASEAN Fails to Step into the Rohingya Mess’,Bangkok Post, 6 May 2013

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Indonesia: Vice Minister Visits WFP-Supported Projects Tackling Climate Change In NTB

Source: World Food Programme Country: Indonesia

LOMBOK, WEST NUSA TENGGARA – Vice Minister of the National Development Planning/Vice Chairman of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) Dr Lukita Dinarsyah Tuwo today visited projects in Central Lombok supported by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) that are designed enhance community food security and resilience to natural disasters.

Together with the government of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province, as well as local officials in Central Lombok, WFP has designed and implemented Food-For-Assets (FFA) projects that help communities build vital infrastructure and protect themselves and their food supply from the impact of climate change.

“The Government of Indonesia welcomes the collaboration with WFP at the national level as well as at the provincial level here in NTB, one of the vulnerable provinces to climate change.” Said Vice Minister Lukita Dinarsyah during a visit to a river-basin conservation project in Tanah Beak, Central Lombok. “The programmes being implemented by the NTB Provincial Government, together with key partner WFP, build community resilience, particularly of the poorest and most vulnerable – typically smallholder farmers, women and children.”

Most rural families in NTB rely on small-scale agriculture, which depends on rainwater for irrigation. In future, climate change and extreme weather are expected to have an increasingly strong impact, making communities more vulnerable to food shortages.

In 2012, WFP’s Food-For-Asset programmes in NTB helped communities plant close to 2.9 million mangrove and tree seedlings. In addition, more than 650 farmers and fishermen received training to help them better maintain nearly 1,250 hectares of coastal and other critical land. As well as strengthening community resilience to shocks, WFP’s FFA projects address short-term food needs for 11,000 poor households, and support income-generation opportunities.

“We are particularly excited to showcase the innovative systems and sustainable long-term solutions being implemented through our joint programmes,” said WFP Indonesia Representative Coco Ushiyama. “We applaud the strong partnership and pro-active support of local government in addressing the impact of climate change and extreme weather on communities which struggle to secure proper food intake and nutrition.”

In early 2012, the NTB government launched their Provincial Action Plan on Food and Nutrition, which emphasizes the importance of food security and nutrition monitoring, as well as evidence-based analysis tools to identify and prioritize social safety-net programmes at provincial and district level.

The development of NTB’s Action Plan was coordinated by the local Ministry of Planning and supported by WFP, in cooperation with the local university and other partners.

Together with WFP, the NTB government also developed a Provincial Strategy and Action Plan for Food Security in anticipation of climate change, analysing climate risks and their potential impact on food security in the province.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

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Categories: Berita Bencana

Indonesia: Indonesia, FAO to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture cooperation

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization Country: Indonesia

Agreement signed during official visit by FAO Director-General

27 May 2012, Jakarta/Rome - Indonesia and FAO will strengthen cooperation in the field of marine affairs, fisheries and aquaculture under an agreement signed here today.

The three-year Memorandum of Agreement, which sets up a framework for future joint activities in those sectors, was signed by Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sharif C. Sutardjo and by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, paying a three-day official visit to Indonesia.

Under the agreement, specific arrangements will be made to increase cooperation in a number of areas including sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development, marine conservation and the prevention, deterrence and elimination of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The agreement also covers capacity building, education and training, research and the exchange of experts - including through South-South cooperation - as well as food safety. Indonesia is a prominent actor in South-South cooperation and a member of the G20.

International meetings

FAO and Indonesia also agreed to consult on matters of mutual interest prior to international fisheries meetings.

In 2011, Indonesia's fishery production totalled some 8.4 million tonnes, of which inland and marine catch accounted for about 5.7 million tonnes and aquaculture 2.7 million tonnes. About 95 percent of the country's fishery production comes from artisanal fishermen.

In 2011, over 6 million people were engaged in inland and marine fishing and fish farming. The marine fishing fleet comprised 581 845 vessels.

About 54 percent of Indonesia's animal protein supply comes from fish and seafood. Per capita annual consumption has almost tripled from an average of 10.2 kg in the 1970s to 27.3 kg in 2010.

In 2012, the total value of Indonesia's fisheries exports was $3.6 billion. The fishing industry accounted for 21 percent of Indonesia's agricultural economy and 3 percent of national GDP.

Indonesia is one of 38 countries who have already met the Millennium Development Goal of halving their percentage of hunger by 2015. Of those, 18 countries have also achieved the 1996 World Food Summit goal of halving their number of hungry, and all 38 countries will be honoured at a special ceremony in Rome on June 16, during the FAO governing Conference.

During his visit, the Director-General will have talks with senior Indonesian Government officials including: Vice-President Boediono; Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare Agung Laksono; Vice Minister of the State Development Agency Lukita Dinarsyah Tuwo; Minister for the Development of the Disadvantaged Regions Helmy Fahisal Zaini; Minister of Agriculture Suswono; Minister for Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sharif Cicip Sutardjo; Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Wardana; the Director General of the Research Centre of the National Nuclear Technology Agency (Batan) Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto.

Contact

Christopher Matthews
Media Relations (Rome)
(+39) 06 570 53762
christopher.matthews@fao.org

Categories: Berita Bencana

Indonesia: Kutai underwater again

Source: Jakarta Post Country: Indonesia

Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Kutai Kartanegara | Archipelago | Sun, May 26 2013, 5:41 PM

Heavy rain in Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan, has caused widespread flooding in Tenggarong, the regency’s capital, inundating thousands of houses and threatening to close public offices.

“Let us pray together with a hope that the flood waters in Kutai Kartanegara will recede soon,” said Kutai Kartanegara regent, Rita Widyasari, on Sunday.

Kutai Kartanegara Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) went further, taking emergency measures to deal with the situation, warning the populous to remain vigilant as conditions could worsen at anytime.

Last month, three meters high water flooded villages in Tabang, a remote district accessible only by a 10-hour speedboat ride from Tenggarong.

The flooding in the upstream of Mahakam River has affected not only Tenggarong City but also other low-lying districts such as Kembang Janggut, Kenohan, Kota Bangun, Muara Kaman, Muara Muntai, Muara Wis, Tenggarong Seberang and Sebulu.

Despite being flooded, many residents refuse to leave their homes. (asw/ebf)

Categories: Berita Bencana

Indonesia: Papua search for 30 missing amid massacre report

Source: Radio New Zealand International Country: Indonesia

Posted at 02:02 on 27 May, 2013 UTC

Villagers in remote Puncak Jaya regency of Indonesia’s Papua province are still searching for around thirty people missing for up to a month, amid fears they have been arrested by Indonesian Special Forces.

Read the full article on Radio New Zealand International

Categories: Berita Bencana

World: Unheard voices of the disabled in disaster reduction

Source: Jakarta Post Country: Indonesia, World

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Geneva

Arief Wicaksono joyfully performed a pantomime act on what deaf people should do during an earthquake. Jumping and waving his hands back and forth, Arief demonstrated the “duck, cover and hold” method of personal protection.

Along with his two other disabled colleagues, Stephanie Kusuma and Martha Adiningtyas, Arief performed before participants of the Fourth Session of the Global Platform conference on disaster risk reduction hosted by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in Geneva on Wednesday.

The three were representing Indonesia in a campaign effort to raise awareness among disabled people regarding disaster risk reduction.

“Its important for those with disabilities to have access to information about disaster risk reduction and to protect and evacuate themselves during a disaster,” said Arief, through a sign language interpreter, recently.

Arief, who is struggling to enroll at a university, is also actively engaged in the Yogyakarta-based Deaf Art Community, which aims to help disabled people expand their capacity in communication, education and art performance.

His expertise has brought him to disaster-prone areas such as Ciamis, West Java, to teach the disabled there how to protect themselves during a disaster using visual displays and pantomime performances.

Disabled people may be more at risk during disaster due to cognitive, intellectual or physical impairments. These factors may limit the ability of a person with a disability to access information and/or to act on that information.

A handicapped person, for example, may experience no difficulty relating to general disaster risk reduction information. However, that same individual may face severe barriers in trying to protect themselves during an earthquake.

The World Report on Disability in 2011 found that 15-20 percent of the world’s population was living with a disability. Following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, an estimated 200,000 people were left disabled, according to the UN.

“In times of disaster, disabled people are at significant risk. This risk is increased through limited access to information and services that many of us take for granted,” said ASB Indonesia director Alex Robinson. ASB is Germany’s oldest and largest social welfare organization.

“Through this forum (the Global Platform) we are raising the awareness of the international community to play greater role in the issue,” he said.

Since 2007, ASB has been involved in raising disaster risk reduction awareness in 62 special needs schools and 120 inclusive schools, which partly accept disabled people.

The organization, which helped Arief, Stephanie and Martha attend the Global Platform conference, also works with 6,000 primary schools in Yogyakarta, Klaten in Central Java, Ciamis, and Nias in North Sumatra.

ASB, along with other organizations, is part of the Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Network (DIDRRN) for Asia and the Pacific, which was launched at the 5th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Yogyakarta in October 2012.

The network aims is to secure the active participation and meaningful contribution of disabled persons in disaster risk reduction policy and practice post-2015. It works closely with the UNISDR.

As a follow up to the declaration, disability is being recognized for the first time as a key and important concern at the Global Platform on disaster risk reduction.

The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, which become the basis for the Global Platform conference, references vulnerability and highlights the increased vulnerability of certain groups such as children and women.

Reference to disability, however, is poor. Despite the HFA’s focus on risk, the framework does not recognize the increased risk that disabled people face nor the positive contribution that they can make within disaster risk reduction measures.

One of The Global Platform conference’s is aims is to assess the implementation progress of the HFA, which was set up after the tsunami in December 2004. Some 168 countries signed a 10-year plan to make the world safer. The countries have now progressed on to draft the next accord after HFA ends in 2015 during the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Japan in 2015.

Plans to accommodate the needs of disabled persons are likely to be accommodated in the conference as a high-level dialogue has issued a communiqué that underscored the need to support the most vulnerable, such as children, women and disabled people, to build their resilience in disasters.

“We’re hoping that there will be a commitment from the international community to work toward ensuring the active participation of disabled persons in disaster risk reduction policy and practice,” said Nurul Andriani, a handicap activist from the Yogyakarta-based Disabled People and Child Advocacy Center (Sapda), who also represented Indonesia at the forum.

Categories: Berita Bencana

World: Squeezed: Life in a Time of Food Price Volatility, Year 1 Results

Source: Institute of Development Studies, Oxfam Country: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Viet Nam, World, Zambia

Food prices squeezing poor people and driving social change by stealth

A new era of high and volatile food prices go beyond affecting what people can afford to eat and are causing life-changing shifts in society, experts warn today.

The report, Squeezed*, reveals a global snap-shot of how the failure of wages to keep pace with five years of food price rises is putting a strain on families, communities and society, including increased levels of domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse. Roles and social needs are changing as women who once remained at home are entering the job market and agricultural jobs are being abandoned for more lucrative jobs in an attempt to afford higher food prices.

The research is from international development agency Oxfam and research charity the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and is the first of four annual reports which will assess the wider implications of high food prices and volatility in 23 urban and rural communities in ten countries: Bolivia, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Oxfam’s policy researcher Richard King said: “Poor people across the globe are feeling the strain in this era of high and volatile food prices - from the nurses in Zambia who are forced to moonlight as street vendors to make ends meet to low-income households in the UK who are borrowing money, dipping into savings or turning to food banks to have enough to eat.

“The implications of high and volatile food prices go way beyond the dinner table and are driving social change that must be better understood and addressed if communities are going to survive intact.”

Research findings include: · Food safety is a growing concern as families are forced to turn to cheaper, poor quality and sometimes contaminated food to stretch the budget. · Increased migration as people leave rural homes for the city or other countries for more economic opportunities. In Ethiopia, food prices were blamed for people moving to the Middle East, abroad. · Heightened family tensions are revealed in increased incidences of domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse as men struggle to fulfil their traditional role as the ‘breadwinner’. · Unpredictable profits and higher costs mean a new generation of farmers are turning to riskier occupations, including gold mining in Burkina Faso and jungle fishing in Bangladesh. · Community life is breaking down as families cut back on important community events such as weddings and funerals in an effort to save money. · With the squeeze on family budgets women are entering the waged workforce in ever greater numbers and grandparents and older daughters are forced to step in to help with childcare · Families also report skipping meals, foraging or growing their own food, or turning to hunger recipes such as ‘pantabhat’ (a watery fermented rice dish) in Bangladesh.

The report shows the human cost of high and volatile food prices in a world where one in eight people around the world already go to bed hungry. Oxfam is a member if the 180-member Enough Food For Everyone If coalition, which is calling on G8 leaders meeting next month in Northern Ireland to take action to tackle global hunger.

The ground-breaking research comes in a new era of high and volatile food prices since the global food crisis in 2008. Food prices remain at extremely high and volatile and it is the world’s poorest people, who spend up to 80 per cent of their incomes on food, who are hardest hit.

Naomi Hossain, IDS research fellow, said: “As families increasingly struggle to earn enough to eat we are seeing how money is becoming more important than relationships, to the point that the social implications are potentially alarming. Policy-makers need to catch up.”

Recommendations include improved social protection policies to address the vulnerability of the poorest, including cash transfers or subsidies. Improved management of food reserves and regulation of the international grain trade is also needed, while steps to make agriculture a more credible vocation by investing in training, technology and sustainability should also be taken. Recognition of the need to design and support a growing number of child-carers, particularly grandparents and older daughters, whose health and education may suffer, is also needed.

Categories: Berita Bencana

World: Squeezed: Life in a Time of Food Price Volatility, Year 1 Results

Source: Institute of Development Studies, Oxfam Country: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Viet Nam, World, Zambia

Food prices squeezing poor people and driving social change by stealth

A new era of high and volatile food prices go beyond affecting what people can afford to eat and are causing life-changing shifts in society, experts warn today.

The report, Squeezed*, reveals a global snap-shot of how the failure of wages to keep pace with five years of food price rises is putting a strain on families, communities and society, including increased levels of domestic violence and alcohol and drug abuse. Roles and social needs are changing as women who once remained at home are entering the job market and agricultural jobs are being abandoned for more lucrative jobs in an attempt to afford higher food prices.

The research is from international development agency Oxfam and research charity the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) and is the first of four annual reports which will assess the wider implications of high food prices and volatility in 23 urban and rural communities in ten countries: Bolivia, Guatemala, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Oxfam’s policy researcher Richard King said: “Poor people across the globe are feeling the strain in this era of high and volatile food prices - from the nurses in Zambia who are forced to moonlight as street vendors to make ends meet to low-income households in the UK who are borrowing money, dipping into savings or turning to food banks to have enough to eat.

“The implications of high and volatile food prices go way beyond the dinner table and are driving social change that must be better understood and addressed if communities are going to survive intact.”

Research findings include: · Food safety is a growing concern as families are forced to turn to cheaper, poor quality and sometimes contaminated food to stretch the budget. · Increased migration as people leave rural homes for the city or other countries for more economic opportunities. In Ethiopia, food prices were blamed for people moving to the Middle East, abroad. · Heightened family tensions are revealed in increased incidences of domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse as men struggle to fulfil their traditional role as the ‘breadwinner’. · Unpredictable profits and higher costs mean a new generation of farmers are turning to riskier occupations, including gold mining in Burkina Faso and jungle fishing in Bangladesh. · Community life is breaking down as families cut back on important community events such as weddings and funerals in an effort to save money. · With the squeeze on family budgets women are entering the waged workforce in ever greater numbers and grandparents and older daughters are forced to step in to help with childcare · Families also report skipping meals, foraging or growing their own food, or turning to hunger recipes such as ‘pantabhat’ (a watery fermented rice dish) in Bangladesh.

The report shows the human cost of high and volatile food prices in a world where one in eight people around the world already go to bed hungry. Oxfam is a member if the 180-member Enough Food For Everyone If coalition, which is calling on G8 leaders meeting next month in Northern Ireland to take action to tackle global hunger.

The ground-breaking research comes in a new era of high and volatile food prices since the global food crisis in 2008. Food prices remain at extremely high and volatile and it is the world’s poorest people, who spend up to 80 per cent of their incomes on food, who are hardest hit.

Naomi Hossain, IDS research fellow, said: “As families increasingly struggle to earn enough to eat we are seeing how money is becoming more important than relationships, to the point that the social implications are potentially alarming. Policy-makers need to catch up.”

Recommendations include improved social protection policies to address the vulnerability of the poorest, including cash transfers or subsidies. Improved management of food reserves and regulation of the international grain trade is also needed, while steps to make agriculture a more credible vocation by investing in training, technology and sustainability should also be taken. Recognition of the need to design and support a growing number of child-carers, particularly grandparents and older daughters, whose health and education may suffer, is also needed.

Categories: Berita Bencana