VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (voinews): The Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IEU CEPA) has the potential to have a multidimensional impact on the Indonesian people, according to the Indonesian Civil Society Coalition for Economic Justice (MKE).

Therefore, the MKE has urged the Indonesian government to provide guarantees of legal certainty for the fulfillment of democratic rights, protection of human rights and the right to social justice, and environmental sustainability before signing the agreement.

"This Indonesia's EU CEPA negotiations are not inclusive and do not open up space for transparency," said executive director of Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ), Rahmat Maulana Sidik, at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The MKE made the statement in response to the 13th round of IEU CEPA negotiations, which are being held in Bali from February 6–10, 2023.

Rahmat said that information regarding the development of issues discussed substantially in the IEU CEPA negotiations has been limited.

Hence, he said he believes that the negotiations could contribute to influencing the democratic process in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Transnational Institute (PTI) researcher Rachmi Hertanti said that the European Union's efforts to gain access to minerals in Indonesia through chapters related to energy and raw materials will deepen the exploitation of extractive resources in Indonesia.

The agreement is also predicted to worsen environmental damage and increase the potential for the violation of human rights of affected communities in industrial areas.

Meanwhile, the arrangement of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism in the IEU CEPA investment chapter is seen to reopen Indonesia's potential to be sued by multinational corporations at international arbitration institutions, such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

"The IEU CEPA will only encourage the expansion of the extractive economy in Indonesia. This will be a serious problem in realizing a just transition agenda for the Indonesian people," she said.

Meanwhile, researcher Anang F. Sidik from Kaoem Telapak said the agreement would indirectly make it difficult to push for changes in environmental management policies, especially palm oil plantation governance, in the absence of a strong commitment from both parties.

“The trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapter, which is being proposed to make the IEU CEPA a ‘green FTA,’ also does not reflect the seriousness of the commitment of both parties to protecting the environment and protecting human rights," he said. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The Religious Affairs Ministry has appealed to all Muslims in Indonesia to hold the Salat al-Gha'ib, or absentee funeral prayer, for victims of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria earlier this week.

"To show condolence for the victims who passed away due to the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, Muslims throughout Indonesia are encouraged to carry out the Salat al-Gha'ib," Director of Islamic Affairs and Sharia Guidance at the ministry Adib  said here on Wednesday.

He suggested that the absentee funeral prayer be held after the Friday prayer. In Jakarta, the Salat al-Gha'ib is scheduled to be held at Istiqlal Mosque.

The quake rattled Turkiye and Syria at 4:17 a.m. local time on Monday (February 6, 2023).

General Secretary of the central board (PP) of the Islamic organization Muhammadiyah Abdul Mu’ti also invited Muslims in Indonesia to pray that the earthquake victims would stay strong and patient.

"As a spiritual support, PP Muhammadiyah asks Muslims, especially Muhammadiyah members, to send prayers and carry out the Salat al-Gha'ib for those who have died," he said.

Earlier, the Indonesian Government said that it will send humanitarian aid to Turkiye.

"The assistance is being prepared by the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Defense Ministry, and Social Affairs Ministry. It is currently being prepared and will be sent as soon as possible," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) informed on Tuesday (February 7, 2023).

As of Wednesday, the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Ankara, Turkiye, had managed to evacuate 123 people from a number of areas affected by the disaster, consisting of 120 Indonesian citizens, two Malaysian nationals, and one Myanmar national.

Indonesian Ambassador to Turkiye Lalu Muhammad Iqbal informed that an Indonesian citizen was among those who died in the quake.

The body of the victim, identified as Nia Marlinda, was found among the rubble in Kahramanmara along with her Turkish husband and one-year-old child.

The ambassador said that Marlinda will be buried in Turkey.

Currently, the embassy is working on finding 2 Indonesian workers in Diyarbakir whom it has still not been able to contact.

Iqbal said that an evacuation team led by Senior Commissioner Budi Wardiman will try to look for the workers while evacuating 20 Indonesian nationals in Diyarbakir and Malatya.  (Antaranews)

Afghanistan's Taliban administration will send around $165,000 in aid to Turkey and Syria to help the response to a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck this week, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Afghanistan is in the grips of a severe economic and humanitarian crisis and is itself the location of one of the United Nation's largest humanitarian aid programs. The Taliban took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, sparking enforcement of sanctions on its banking sector, and no capital has formally recognised its government.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ... announces a relief package of 10 million Afghanis ($111,024) and 5 million Afghanis ($55,512) to Türkiye and Syria respectively on the basis of shared humanity and Islamic brotherhood," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement said late on Tuesday.

The death toll from the huge tremor in southern Turkey and Syria had jumped to more than 7,800 people on Tuesday as rescuers worked against time in harsh winter conditions to dig survivors out of the rubble of collapsed buildings. Tens of thousands more were injured and many people were left without homes in freezing temperatures.

In Afghanistan, hundreds have also died in recent weeks due to bitter cold and an economic crisis.

Many aid groups have partially suspended operations due to a Taliban administration ruling that most female NGO workers could not work, leaving agencies unable to operate many programmes in the conservative country. Western diplomats have said they will not consider formally recognising the administration unless it changes course on women's rights.

Despite the cut of development funding that once formed the backbone of the Afghan state's budget, the World Bank said in a report that the Taliban administration has increased exports - some of it coal to neighbouring Pakistan - and revenue collection remained strong, including from customs duties and mining royalties. (Reuters)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr arrives in Japan on Wednesday for a visit that is expected to pave the way for closer security ties with Tokyo, as Manila increasingly sides with the United States in its regional tussle with China.

Marcos and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to deepen cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, a possible precursor to establishing a broader legal framework that would allow Japanese forces to deploy to the Philippines more easily.

"As the United States deepens its relationship with the Philippines, it's important for regional security that Japan join in," a Japanese defence ministry source with knowledge of internal discussions on national security told Reuters. He asked not to be identified because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

Marcos' first visit to Japan since taking office in July comes after he signed an agreement last week granting the United States greater access to its military bases. It also follows a trip to Beijing last month where he told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that the Philippines would pursue an independent foreign policy.

"My bilateral visit to Japan is essential," Marcos said in a speech as he departed Manila. "It is part of a larger foreign policy agenda to forge closer political ties, stronger defence and security cooperation, as well as lasting economic partnerships with major countries in the region amid a challenging global environment."

Marcos said he will build collaboration on priority areas like agriculture, renewable energy, digital transformation, infrastructure, and defence and security.

That sentiment is shared in Tokyo, which has been deepening security ties with nations that view China with concern.

A year ago, Japan and Australia signed a visiting forces agreement, allowing them to deploy forces on each other's soil, with Tokyo concluding a similar accord with Britain last month. Those deals provide a framework for how Marcos and Kishida could also forge deeper military ties to counter a common adversary, say experts.

"The Philippines is a critical security partner for Japan," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo. "Any conflict in the Taiwan Strait would make the Philippine Sea strategically important," he added.

Taiwan, which lies between Japan and the Philippines, has become a focal point of intensifying Chinese military activity that Tokyo and Washington worry could escalate into war as Beijing tries to capture what it views as a rogue province.

A Japanese military presence in the Philippines could also help Marcos counter Chinese influence in the South China Sea, much of which Beijing claims, including territory that Manila considers its own.

Beijing has said its intentions in the region are peaceful.

Marcos has vowed not lose an inch of territory in the strategic waterway, through which $3 trillion in ship-borne trade passes annually.

By gaining access to bases in the Philippines, Japan would extend the range of its defence forces, including surveillance aircraft that could patrol the South China Sea, according to Ken Jinbo, a professor at Keio University in Japan, who also served as a government security advisor.

"One thing people are watching out for during President Marcos' visit, is whether Japan will agree to provide infrastructure assistance now that the United States has access to the nine bases there," he said. (Reuters)