VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 24 - The police and immigration office in Bali arrested a Russian Interpol fugitive Andrew Ayer, alias Andrei Kovalenka, who fled from the Special Class I Immigration Office of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office on February 11.

A spokesman of the Indonesian Police Insp. Gen Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono stated that Andrew Ayer was arrested at the Seminyak II Villa on Umalas Street 1, North Kuta, Bali, on early Wednesday.

"A team of the Indonesian Police headquarters, Bali Police, and Ngurah Rai immigration office has arrested an Interpol fugitive, who is on its Red Notice list, a Russian Andrew Ayer alias Andrei Kovalenka," Yuwono remarked here on Wednesday.

Ayer did not resist the arrest.

The police also apprehended Ayer's girlfriend Ekaterina Trubkina for allegedly aiding the escape. The two were placed in detention at the immigration office.

Ayer escaped from the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office on February 11, as he was being moved to the immigration detention center in Denpasar.

Prior to that, a Russian woman named Ekaterina Trubkina had paid a visit to Ayer. She is believed to have assisted Kovalenka.

The 32-year-old was earlier serving time in the Kerobokan Prison in connection with a narcotics case. He was a drug dealer in Russia and had fled to Indonesia. The Russian police has been coordinating with the Interpol and the Indonesian Police to get hold of Ayer.

The Bali police arrested him on October 1, 2019, while he was conducting a drug transaction at a cafe in Kuta, Badung.

After serving his year-long jail term in the Kerobokan prison, Ayer was transferred to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office on February 3, 2021, though he escaped on February 11. (Antaranews)

Feb. 24 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday supported a call by French President Emmanuel Macron to donate COVID-19 vaccines to health care workers in Africa, as a star-studded event was announced to support equitable distribution.

“Vaccines are still scarce everywhere but it is in our common interest to share,” von der Leyen said in a webcast with the World Health Organisation (WHO).I

“And I therefore support President Macron’s proposal to donate vaccine doses that are necessary to vaccinate health care workers in Africa.”

The European Union has contributed an additional 500 million euros ($606 million) to the WHO-backed COVAX programme to supply COVID-19 shots to emerging economies, doubling the bloc’s initial contribution.

Global Citizen, an international pressure group that aims to end extreme poverty by 2030, launched a campaign to support equitable distribution of vaccines that will feature a broadcast special in May.

Artists scheduled to participate include Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish.

“A year ago I was three shows into my world tour, when because of COVID-19 we had to cancel everything ... The pandemic is still raging across the globe, and I’m still at home like most of you,” the 19-year-old said.

“But we’ve seen how we can create change, when we come together and use our voices so we’ve got to take action to get everybody access to COVID-19 vaccines as quickly as possible.” (Reuters)

Feb. 24 - A protest on Tuesday supporting ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi held before the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon ran peacefully, though the embassy's authority should ensure the safety of all Indonesians in the country.

The protest that arose following a Reuters' report ran without acts of violence, Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, informed journalists in Jakarta on Tuesday.

However, Faizasyah admitted that over the course of the past few weeks, waves of protests against the military coup on February 1, 2021, had continued in Myanmar and made the country's condition unstable.

"This is a factual reality that our embassy in Myanmar needs to manage to ensure that all members of the Indonesian community in the country remain well-protected," Faizasyah affirmed.

A journalist in Myanmar named Hnin Zaw uploaded four photos of the rally at the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon on Tuesday on her Twitter account @hninyadanazaw.

In one of the photos shared by Zaw, the demonstrators brandished their posters bearing the words "Please save our leader, future, hope" and "We don't need another election. Respect our votes" outside the embassy's compound.

Faizasyah denied the Reuters' news report released on Monday that said Jakarta had agreed on Myanmar junta's action plan to conduct a new election.

Faizasyah affirmed that supporting the new election was not the Indonesian government's political stance.

"I deny there is a plan of action. It is absolutely not Indonesia's position," he emphasized.

On the contrary, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has been striving to consult with her counterparts from other ASEAN member states to obtain their views on Myanmar's political crisis, he pointed out.

Marsudi's meetings with her counterparts had been mandated by President Joko Widodo's recent meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Jakarta early this month, according to Faizasyah.

To this end, over this past week, Foreign Minister Marsudi had embarked on a visit to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.

The minister will continue her trip to Thailand in the near future to consult with her counterpart on how ASEAN plays a role in seeking solutions to Myanmar's political crisis, he noted.

"What we want to underline is how we can find a peaceful solution in Myanmar, an inclusive democratic political process that involves all parties," he affirmed.

Over the course of the past few weeks, Myanmar has been hit by a series of large-scale demonstrations against the military coup taking place on February 1, 2021.

The protesters in Myanmar demanded an immediate release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and recognition of her National League for Democracy's (NLD's) victory in the second parliamentary elections held on October 29, 2020.

According to BBC on Feb 1, 2021, following the coup, Myanmar's military seized power, while Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders were detained. (Antaranews)

Feb. 24 - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati revealed that budget for the National Economic Recovery Program (PEN) had increased to Rp699.43 trillion in 2021, from Rp688.33 trillion.

This year's budget is up 21 percent, from last year's PEN realization, at Rp579.78 trillion, and is expected to be an effective driving force for economic recovery, especially in the first quarter of 2021.

"We are optimistic that the PEN budget, which has increased by 21 percent, will be an effective driving force for recovery, especially from January to February. This is expected to continue until March," Indrawati stated during an online press conference on the KiTA State Budget here on Tuesday.

The budgeted Rp699.43 trillion is focused in five areas: health, social protection, priority programs, business incentives, and support for MSMEs and corporate financing.

In the health field, the government has allotted a budget of Rp176.3 trillion, including Rp58.18 trillion for the vaccination program, Rp9.91 trillion for diagnostics (testing and tracing), Rp61.94 trillion for therapeutics, Rp18.61 trillion for health tax incentives, and Rp27.67 trillion for other treatments.

Some Rp157.41 trillion is allocated for the social protection programs that includes Rp20 trillion for pre-work allowance and Rp14.4 trillion for rural funds.

The government's priority programs receive Rp125.06 trillion of which Rp27.33 trillion is set aside for labor-intensive projects, Rp47.1 trillion for food security, Rp11.33 trillion for industrial areas, Rp10 trillion for regional loans, Rp16.65 trillion for ICT, Rp8.66 trillion for tourism, and Rp4.11 trillion for other priorities.

To support MSMEs and corporations, the government has assigned Rp186.81 trillion, including for interest subsidies for MSMEs amounting to Rp31.95 trillion.

As for business incentives, the apportioned budget reaches Rp53.86 trillion, including for tax incentives.

"PEN has jumped close to 21 percent of its budget since this is the most important driving force in our economy today," she stated. (Antaranews)