VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 1 - Activists across Asia held rallies on Sunday to support protesters in Myanmar fighting against a military coup, showing the growing influence of cross-border youth movements pushing for democracy with the rallying cry “Milk Tea Alliance”.

Following a call for help from Myanmar pro-democracy campaigners, around 200 people in Taipei and dozens in Bangkok, Melbourne and Hong Kong took to the streets waving #MilkTeaAlliance signs and flags.

The hashtag, which originated as a protest against online attacks from nationalists in China, was used millions of times on Sunday. Its name originates from the shared passion for the milky drink in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.[L4N2FJ12F]

Activists in Indonesia and Malaysia held online protests and thousands more, from Southeast Asia and elsewhere, took part in a social media campaign, posting messages and artwork.

The rallies in Asia took place on the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations in Myanmar, after police fired on protesters, including in the country’s biggest city of Yangon, where some activists held their own “Milk Tea Alliance” signs. [L2N2KY00J]

At least 21 protesters have been killed since the military seized power and detained elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership on Feb. 1.

“When we see courageous people in Myanmar take to the streets, brave the water cannon, tear gas, batons and bullets, painful memories stir,” said Debby Chan, a Sino-Myanmar relations researcher who took part in a Hong Kong rally on top of city landmark Lion Rock.

“Hong Kong protesters also suffered from this in 2019,” she said. “Today we want to show our solidarity.”

Hong Kong campaigners climbed the small mountain and held #MilkTeaAlliance signs calling for an end to dictatorship in Myanmar.

Pro-democracy advocates say the budding pro-democracy pan-Asian solidarity coalition is now playing a consistent role in helping activists mobilize.

“Myanmar activists have been very active in engaging with Milk Tea Alliance since the coup,” said Thai activist Rathasat Plenwong who went to show his support for the Myanmar protests in Bangkok on Sunday.

“We feel like we’re in this together.” (Reuters)

Mar. 1 - West Kalimantan Police have arrested a resident of Kubu Raya District  on charge of igniting land fire in Bansir Laut Village of Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

"The suspect was arrested on Saturday (Feb 27) not far from his land and is detained at West Kalimantan Police headquarters for further legal process," an official of the West Kalimantan Police' special crime unit Adjunct Senior Commissioner Sardo Mangatur Pardamean Sibarani said in a statement here on Sunday.

The suspect identified by his initials as SB (41) allegedly burned his land to clear it for farming on February 22 but the fire spread uncontrollably to the neighboring land.

"After setting  fire to his 10 x 20 meter land, the suspect left his land and the fire spread to other farmers' land. The fire consumed some five hectares of land," Sardo said.

SB wrapped an inner tube on a stick and ignited the fire. He added some woods to the fire and left the land.

Unfortunately, the fire has spread uncontrollably to other farmers' land in the village.

The police has questioned SB in the investigation of the case.

Pontianak administration has declared state of alert of land and forest fire after haze started to cover some parts of the city in the last week of February due to land fire.

Pontianak Mayor Edi Rusdi Kamtono said his administration has established a task force of land and forest fire prevention in the city.

"The team has involved various parties including the military and police, Pontianak municipality administration, and the public including private fire fighters," he said. (Antaranews)

Mar. 1 -  Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin reiterated that COVID-19 vaccination in mutual cooperation by companies should be provided free of charge for employees and their family members.

"It should be given for free. The mutual cooperation vaccine would be provided by companies, they will seek the vaccine, and it should be free for all employees and their family members," Sadikin said in a virtual press conference here on Sunday.

The vaccination in mutual cooperation is stipulated in article 7 of the Health Minister Regulation no. 10/2021 on vaccination to handle COVID-19 pandemic.

The type of COVID-19 vaccine used in the vaccination must be different from  those used in the government's vaccination program to avoid any disturbance in national vaccine distribution.

It should be approved by the National Food and Drug Control (BPOM) with the issuance of emergency use authorization (EUA) and distribution license number.

The Health Ministry has set four COVID-19 vaccines to be used in its massive vaccination program namely Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, dan Novavac. The four vaccine have arrived in Indonesia.

"The vaccine (used in mutual cooperation vaccination) cannot be the same hence there is no competition in supply. We should ensure that (companies) would get the supply of vaccine other than the four vaccine used by the government in its program," the minister elaborated.

The implementation of vaccinations in mutual cooperation by companies is part of the efforts to expedite the implementation of immunization for more than 181 million Indonesians, to complete in 12 months from its previous target of completion in 15 months.

Innovation and collaboration between the government, private sector and the public would help accelerating the vaccination. One of the innovation in vaccination program is drive thru vaccination in Nusa Dua, Bali, he said.

"The more people participate in the program, the faster we can reach herd immunity. Indonesia has a remarkable social capital. This time we fight against the pandemic. Together we can get through this," he said. (Antaranews)

Mar. 1 - The Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) is carrying out the development and management of sustainable food estate in an effort to maintain national food security.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, said that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned of a food crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "In order to face this challenge, the ministry is implementing sustainable food estate development and management to increase food security while supporting national economic recovery by providing jobs for people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Minister Hadimuljono in a statement received in Jakarta, Sunday.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry continued to strive to achieve infrastructure development targets to help national economic recovery through the increase of state spending, he said.

One of the infrastructure developments carried out during the pandemic was the development and management of the food estate.

The ministry is currently developing a food estate covering an area of 165,000 hectares in Pulang Pisau District and Kapuas District in the province of Central Kalimantan.

Additionally, food estate developments have also been programmed in North Sumatra, South Sumatra, East Nusa Tenggara and Papua.

Minister Hadimuljono said that food estate developments were carried out under President Joko Widodo's directives as a priority to safeguard the Indonesian sovereignty and improve the welfare of the Indonesian people through national food security.

He further explained that a number of challenges were faced in the process of the development, including water management, community economy, environment, institutions and financing.

“The location for the development of each food estate has different characters and challenges. In Central Kalimantan we are revitalizing the former site of one million hectare peatland project PLG)  which is not peatland, but rather, it is alluvial, covering an area of 165,000 hectares. It all requires very detailed and accurate water management. Here we prioritize drainage management so that the land is not inundated and can be planted," he explained.

Meanwhile, he continued, in North Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara where the lands are more dry, the focus is on irrigation using a gun sprinkler. It takes thoughts and collaboration from various sectors to find the right solution that can be applied in the field. (Antaranews)