VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Australia is failing to meet almost half its targets for improving the lives of Indigenous people, including on the problems of adult incarceration and suicide, according to a government assessment published on Wednesday.

Australia's roughly one million Indigenous citizens have inhabited the land for roughly 60,000 years but track well below national averages on most socio-economic measures and suffer disproportionately high rates of suicide, domestic violence and imprisonment.

Launched in 2008 when the government delivered a historic apology to Indigenous Australians for mistreatment, the "closing the gap" initiative targets inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The first annual report card since 2020 found conditions are on track for only four of 18 targets, with conditions worsening or not on track for seven areas including adult incarceration, suicide and children in out-of-home care. No new data was available for the other targets, several of which are waiting for analysis of 2021 census data.

The suicide rate for First Nations Peoples was twice the national average in 2020 at 27.9 per 100,000 versus 12.

"Slow progress in closing the gap is understandably frustrating to so many First Nations communities and organisations who are working incredibly hard to see a better way of life,” said the assistant minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy.

“We must work together, listen to our communities and re-focus our efforts to close the gap and improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians."

Progress is being made in areas including preschool enrolments, youth detention and land rights.

The rate of children enrolled in early childhood education hit 96.7% in 2021, up sharply from 76.7% in 2016 and ahead of the target of 95% by 2025.

The government committed A$1.2 billion ($804.60 million) in its October budget, its first since winning power in May, to support First Nations Peoples, including providing funding for 500 indigenous health workers. (reuters)

Singapore's parliament on Tuesday decriminalised sex between men, but, in a blow to the LGBT community, also amended the constitution to prevent court challenges that in other countries have led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

The moves come as other parts of Asia, including Taiwan, Thailand and India are recognising more rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Activists cheered the repeal, but said the amendment to the constitution is disappointing because it means citizens will not be able to mount legal challenges to issues like the definition of marriage, family, and related policies since these will only be decided by the executive and legislature.

The government has defended amending the constitution saying decisions on such issues should not be led by the courts. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his successor have ruled out any changes to the current legal definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

"We will try and maintain a balance...to uphold a stable society with traditional, heterosexual family values, but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and contribute to society," Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in parliament this week.

Both the repeal and the constitutional amendment were passed with an overwhelming majority, thanks to the ruling People's Action Party's dominance in parliament. There is no timeline yet for when the new laws take effect.

The changes do, however, leave room for a future parliament to expand the definition of marriage to include same-sex relationships.

Bryan Choong, chair of LGBTQ advocacy group Oogachaga, said it was a historical moment for activists who have been campaigning for a repeal of the law known as Section 377A for 15 years. But he added that LGBT couples and families also "have the right to be recognised and protected".

In Singapore, attitudes towards LGBT issues have shifted towards a more liberal stance in recent years especially among the young, though conservative attitudes remain among religious groups. Of those aged 18-25, about 42% accepted same-sex marriage in 2018, up from 17% just five years prior, according to a survey by the Institute of Policy Studies. (reuters)

Pakistan's minister of state for foreign affairs met Afghanistan's acting foreign minister in Kabul on Tuesday, the latest international minister to visit the country whose Taliban rulers are not formally recognised by foreign governments.

The visit comes at a time of heightened security concerns in areas bordering Afghanistan after the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) said on Monday it would no longer abide by a months-long ceasefire with the Pakistani government. The Afghan Taliban have been facilitating peace talks between local militants and Pakistan authorities since late last year.

Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar met with acting Afghan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. It was not clear whether security was discussed at the meeting.

"A range of bilateral issues of common interest including cooperation in education, health, trade and investment, regional connectivity, people-to-people contacts and socioeconomic projects were discussed," Pakistan's foreign office said in a statement.

A statement from Afghanistan's foreign ministry said Muttaqi had also brought up accelerating trade and transit and facilities for travellers between the two countries as well as the release of Afghan prisoners in Pakistan.

Pakistan this month reopened a major Afghan border crossing that was shut for trade and transit after security forces from the two sides had clashed.

Some on social media highlighted the fact that a woman was heading Pakistan's delegation at a time when the United Nations and Western officials have called on the Taliban to change course on women's rights.

Other high-profile visits include Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and former Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmoud Qureshi, though the Taliban have met female diplomats and UN officials since taking power last year.

The Taliban in March made a U-Turn on signals they would open high schools nationwide for girls and have recently announced women would not be able to access public parks.

The Taliban say they respect women's rights in line with their vision of Islam and Afghan culture.

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, clashes have taken place between their security forces and those of Pakistan, and militants have attacked Pakistani forces.

Pakistan has called on the Taliban to ensure they live up to promises that they will not harbour international militants. The Taliban deny harbouring militants.

No country has recognised the Taliban, who took over Afghanistan with a speed and ease that took the world by surprise, following which President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and his government collapsed. (reuters)

The term of the Papuan People’s Assembly (MRP) -- the assembly in charge of protecting the Papuan people's rights and culture -- will be extended till June 2023, Deputy Home Minister John Wempi Wetipo informed.



"We will extend the Papuan People's Assembly term to June 2023. Why? (Because) we need to fill the vacancy in the Papua and West Papua province (MRPs) while we set up the selection committee," he explained here on Tuesday.



The deputy minister earlier accompanied Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, as the head of the Papua Special Autonomy Advancement Steering Committee (BP3OKP), to a meeting with Papuan officials, including the heads of Papuan people's assemblies of Papua and West Papua.




Apart from adjusting the MRP membership in Papua province following the separation of three-quarters of its area into new provinces, the authority will assist in the selection of members to the new MRPs in South Papua, Highland Papua, Central Papua, and Southwest Papua, he informed.



"At our internal meeting, presided by the home minister, we agreed to extend the MRP term until the establishment of the selection committee and until we have new MRP members," Wetipo said.



Meanwhile, Speaker of the Papua People's Representative Council (DPRP), Johny Banua Rouw, said that the regional legislature had proposed the term extension.

"DPRP needs the MRP to provide their consideration in the special region regulation drafting to prevent a government shutdown because we could still (deliberate) the regulation draft," Rouw added.



The regional parliament speaker appealed to the vice president to allow DPRP members to continue serving the constituents who have voted for them, though their constituents are now, administratively, in new provinces.



He also urged the central authority to consider the addition of parliamentary seats for each new province in Papua.



"With the establishment of new autonomous regions, which divided Papua into four provinces, and considering that Papua only had 10 seats in the 2019 election, we urge that each province in Papua, the existing and the new provinces, be allocated at least four seats," Rouw said. (antaranews)