VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia harbors hopes of a transparent investigation by China’s authorities in cases of alleged violence and human trafficking experienced by Indonesian crew members on Chinese-flagged fishing boats.

The cases involving dozens of Indonesian crew members (ABK WNI) are under investigation by the Indonesian Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) in collaboration with the Chinese authorities.

"Indonesia is upbeat about a fair and transparent resolution to investigation into cases by the Chinese authorities," Foreign Minister Marsudi stated during an online press conference from the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday.

The first case pertained to a video of a sea burial of an Indonesian seafarer's remains on a China-flagged fishing vessel.

Later, news came to light of 46 Indonesian crew members enduring violence and ill-treatment while working aboard four Chinese ships: Long Xing 629, Long Xing 605, Long Xing 606, and Tian Yu 8.

Four Indonesian crew members too had died. Three of them had died on the boats, and their bodies were buried at sea, while another crew member had died of illness in South Korea.

Most of the surviving crew members were repatriated to Indonesia, while two Indonesian crew members of the Tian Yu 8 boat were detained in South Korea, pending completion of the immigration process, and then returned to Indonesia on June 9.

"Both crew members had undergone valid PCR tests and secured health permits from the Soekarno-Hatta Airport," Foreign Minister Marsudi stated.

In the meantime, two Indonesian crew members of a China-flagged fishing boat Fu Lu Qing Yuan Yu 901 jumped off it into the Malacca Strait waters after entering Indonesia's territorial waters. They were later rescued by the local fishermen.

"While working aboard the boat, they had experienced violence and had little rest and food. Hence, they could not endure it any longer," Senior Commissioner G. R. Gultom, director of the Riau Islands Province water patrol police, stated on June 6, 2020. (ANTARA)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has laid emphasis on the significance of routinely assessing the implementation of a new normal that necessitates the application of stringent health protocols.

"We need to conduct routine evaluation even in a region that showed a decline in the number of new cases. Do not be caught off-guard due to the dynamic situation on the field," Jokowi remarked during his visit to the office of the Task Force of Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The success in curbing COVID-19 transmission is determined by the discipline maintained and followed in implementing health protocols, he pointed out.

The head of state noted that strict social restrictions will be re-imposed in the event of a region registering a rise in the number of new cases.

"We will directly close or re-impose strict restrictions," Jokowi emphasized.

The head of state urged the public to remain upbeat about the pandemic being handled effectively and people eventually returning to their routine activities.

To this end, all parties are called to remain alert and conduct their respective tasks.

Jokowi has also appealed to central and local governments to bolster coordination and consolidation that also involved all societal elements.

"We should work hand-in-hand to handle this major issue," the head of state remarked.

Jokowi had earlier urged Indonesians and businesses entities, in particular, to prepare to coexist with COVID-19 that would necessitate a new normal of social distancing and observance of health protocols.

The president affirmed that for the country fighting the pandemic since early March this year, finding ways to coexist with COVID-19 would not entail giving up the fight against the deadly virus.

In its place, it would involve conducting normal activities in a peaceful, safe, productive, and comfortable manner by adhering to the new health protocols to safeguard against the spread of coronavirus since currently, vaccines had yet to be developed against the infection. (ANTARA)

Indonesia added 1,043 new COVID-19 cases as of 12 p.m. local time on June 9, 2020, with the number of recoveries rising by 510, said government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling, Achmad Yurianto.

"The total number of new cases is not evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. (They are) Mostly concentrated in DKI Jakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, and North Sulawesi," Yurianto said during a press conference called by the Task Force for the Acceleration of COVID-19 Handling, which was held virtually in Jakarta on Tuesday.

According to the latest figures, Indonesia’s confirmed COVID-19 case count stands at 33,076, with 11,414 patients having recovered from the virus so far.

The spokesperson further said that DKI Jakarta reported 232 new positive cases and 165 recoveries, while East Java reported 220 new cases and 85 recoveries, South Sulawesi reported 180 new cases and 31 recoveries, South Kalimantan reported 91 new cases and one recovery, and Sulawesi North 41 new cases and no recoveries.

The provinces with the highest recoveries included DKI Jakarta, East Java, Central Java, Bali, and South Sulawesi. Central Java reported 80 recoveries and 32 new positive cases and Bali recorded 32 recoveries and 14 new cases.

Meanwhile, there were 17 provinces that added less than 10 positive cases, and seven provinces reported a zero increase in new cases.

The provinces that reported no fresh cases were Aceh, Bengkulu, Jambi, Riau Islands, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, and East Nusa Tenggara.

Furthermore, the number of COVID-19 deaths also increased.

The number of casualties increased by 40, bringing the total death toll to 1,923, Yurianto said.

An additional 16,181 specimens were examined and verified as of 12 p.m. local time on Tuesday, taking the total number of specimens scrutinized through molecular rapid tests and PCR to 429,161 specimens against 281,653 people.

As many as 248,577 test results came back negative, while 33,076 were positive.

"(The number of) People under monitoring (ODP) is 38,394, while there are 14,108 patients under surveillance (PDP)," Yurianto informed.

The data revealed that transmissions are still continuing to occur in the community, he said, adding that new habits need to be adopted.

“There are still positive cases where patients don’t exhibit symptoms, as well as behavior that makes people susceptible to contracting (the virus), so transmissions have continued,” he remarked. (ANTARA)

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has said the Indonesian government and citizens will face tougher challenges in the new normal era compared to the period when large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) were enforced to curb coronavirus infections.

"We have entered a transition period as we usher in the new normal. This situation (transition to the new normal) would be more difficult for the community compared to the PSBB period," the Vice President said in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Amin further said that the rules enforced during the PSBB period led to the majority of people halting activities to break the chain of COVID-19 spread. However, during the transition from PSBB to the new normal, some people would have to resume going to work again.

"It was relatively easier to maintain social distancing (during the PSBB period), as learning, worship, and working activities were conducted from home," he explained.

Now, there are a number of activities that can be carried out — albeit with some limitations — as restrictions are being relaxed, but there is still potential for COVID-19 transmission, he cautioned, urging citizens to follow health protocols more strictly in the transition period and in the new normal era.

"Otherwise, this could lead to an increase in COVID-19 transmission. As of now, it is relatively under control, so we can enter the new normal; but, the key is public compliance with health protocols," he stressed.

In addition, the economy is also facing challenges that must be worked on together as productivity stopped during the PSBB period, he noted. He said he believed the problem must be addressed early to prevent an economic crisis.

"If we let the economic downturn continue, we will not (be able to) overcome it; it could be very dangerous. It could become a crisis and it would be too difficult, too heavy to recover from that later on," he remarked.

Therefore, both the community and the government need to pay attention to the two issues of public compliance with health protocols and economic decline in order to rise and become productive in the new normal era, he said. (ANTARA)