VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 17 - Indonesia will unswervingly strive to contribute to settling the political conflict in Myanmar following a military coup and detention of civilian leaders on February 1, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated.

"Since the onset, Indonesia has consistently expressed readiness to contribute to it," Marsudi remarked while delivering a joint press statement following a bilateral meeting with her Hungarian counterpart here on Tuesday.

While stressing that the safety and welfare of Myanmar people should be the main priority, the minister affirmed that the efforts to ensure the continuance of inclusive transition towards democracy in Myanmar should be prioritized.

“Hence, a regional mechanism must be able to work better to give constructive assistance to the settlement of the difficult issue," she affirmed.

To respond to the latest developments in Myanmar, Marsudi spoke of having contacted her counterparts from ASEAN member states, India, Australia, Japan and Britain as well as the UN Secretary General's special envoy for Myanmar.

Marsudi also intends to contact the US secretary of state and the Chinese minister of foreign affairs to discuss the same issue.

The Myanmar military has seized power after detaining the country's political figures from the National League for Democracy (NLD), including Leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint as well as several pro-democracy and human rights activists.

Shortly after seizing power, the military imposed a one-year state of emergency that puts executive, legislative, and judicial powers under the control of Military Chief General Min Aung Hlaing.

Two days after the coup, the Myanmar police officially arrested Suu Kyi on charges of importing illegal communications equipment, while President Myint was arrested for allegedly violating the disaster management law.

The coup prompted the Myanmar people to take to the streets.

Thousands of people, including workers, civil servants, medical workers, students, and young activists, staged a peaceful rally to protest against the coup and demand the local authorities to return power to the democratically elected government.

The Indonesian government had earlier urged parties involved in the recent political situation in Myanmar to restrain from further actions and opt for dialogue.

"Indonesia urges all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and pursue the path of dialogue in finding solutions to challenges, so as not to exacerbate the condition," the Foreign Affairs Ministry noted in an official statement released on Monday.

The ministry echoed Indonesia’s strong concern over this matter and "underscores that all electoral differences be addressed in accordance with the available legal mechanism".

"Indonesia calls for the observance of the principles of the ASEAN Charter, among other things, adherence to the rule of law, good governance, the principles of democracy, and constitutional government," the ministry noted. (Antaranews)

Feb. 17 - The Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) has appealed to the Defence Ministry, National Defence Forces, and Police to seek effective measures to crush armed Papuan groups responsible for acts of terror in the province.

The prolonged conflicts with the notorious armed groups in Papua have claimed many lives and created unease among local communities, MPR Speaker Bambang Soesatyo said here on Tuesday while commenting on a soldier's death in a recent gunfight.

Private-2 Ginanjar from the 400/BR Infantry Battalion was killed in a gunfight with armed rebels in Mamba village, Sugapa sub-district, Intan Jaya district, Papua province, on Monday morning.

Soesatyo expressed deep condolences over the demise of the “brave soldier” who was killed in the line of duty, defending the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

To hunt down and enforce the law against those committing crimes against security personnel and civilians in the eastern province, the TNI and National Police will need to work closely with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), he said.

Security personnel stationed in Papua also need to intensify routine patrols to secure vital objects, protect locals from acts of terror, and clamp down on criminals' movements, he added.

The Indonesian province of Papua has borne witness to a spate of violence, with armed Papuan groups in the districts of Intan Jaya, Nduga, and Puncak targeting civilians and security personnel over the past two years.

The armed groups often employ hit-and-run tactics against Indonesian security personnel, while they unleash acts of terror against civilians to create fear among the public.

On February 9, 2021, a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver was stabbed to death by six armed Papuans.

The 40-year-old driver, identified as Rusman HR alias Aco, was reportedly stabbed on a street near Ilambet village in Ilaga sub-district, Puncak district.

He sustained serious stab wounds on the back while trying to escape his attackers and died of exsanguination, according to local police.

On February 8, 2021, an armed rebel reportedly shot a 32-year-old man at close range in Bilogai village, Sugapa sub-district, Puncak district.

The victim, identified by his initials as RNR, sustained gunshot wounds on the face and right shoulder and was taken to the Timika Public Hospital in Mimika district on February 9. (Antaranews)

Feb. 17 - The Indonesian Health Ministry announced that 1,120,963 health workers have received COVID-19 shots as of Tuesday as the government is striving to intensify the nationwide vaccination program to create herd immunity.

About 537,147 of the 1,120,963 health workers have received their second jabs. The ministry has set a target of vaccinating 1,468,764 paramedics across Indonesia.

To attain herd immunity, the government is aiming to vaccinate 70 percent of the total population, or around 181.5 million people.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has stressed on the need for successfully administering the COVID-19 vaccine to the targeted population to attain herd immunity and free the nation from the clutches of the lethal pandemic.

"This is the largest and most determining vaccination program. It must be successful. We must not fail," Amin stated while speaking at an event held to commend and acknowledge the National Police's public services on Tuesday.

Vice President Amin reiterated that 70 percent of the country's total population must receive the COVID-19 vaccine to achieve herd immunity.

“I again want to emphasize the importance of not failing in implementing the compulsory vaccination program because it is the most effective way to reduce the COVID-19 infection rate and prevent transmission of the coronavirus," he remarked.

Furthermore, people must continue to practice health protocols strictly, he said, while reiterating that the vaccination program is compulsory, as stipulated in Presidential Regulation No. 14 of 2021.

The Indonesian government has been struggling to win the battle against the global pandemic since it announced the country's first confirmed cases on March 2, 2020.

The government has not only enforced restrictions on public activity in the islands of Java and Bali since January 11, 2021, but is also conducting a nationwide vaccination program that commenced on January 13, 2021.

The Health Ministry has revealed earlier that it would take 15 months to vaccinate around 181.5 million people under the national COVID-19 vaccination program.

Since January 26, 2021, Indonesia's COVID-19 infection rate has exceeded one million cases.  (Antaranews)

Feb. 17 - Indonesian Minister of National Development Planning, Suharso Monoarfa, and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, discussed the progress of cooperation in the areas of environment, defense, and health on Tuesday.

"I express my appreciation to the Hungarian government for its continued support to Indonesia through our development cooperation," Suharso, who is also chairman of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Officially, Indonesia-Hungary relations, which began on 26 June, 1955, continued with an agreement to mutually support the candidacy of Indonesia and Hungary for the United Nations Security Council.

Hungary has been investing in Indonesia since 2016. In 2020, Hungarian investments in Indonesia reached US$1.5 billion, with most of the funds flowing into trade, hotels, and restaurants in the Bali and Nusa Tenggara regions.

Hungary and Indonesia have also committed to several collaborations focused on technology and infrastructure sectors, Suharso said.

"There are many potential (areas) for cooperation in trade and investment, especially with the plan to form an Indonesia-Hungary Investment Fund to support infrastructure development," he added.

Hungary has also shown interest in funding the Improving National Climate and Air Quality Service (BMKG) program, the Indonesian Attorney General's Integrated Intelligence System, and hospital projects under the Ministry of Defense.

This has been put on the List of Medium-Term Foreign Loan Plans (DRPLN-JM) / Blue Book 2020-2024.

The Hungarian government is offering financing facilities, with a soft loan scheme provided by the Hungarian Exim Bank and credit insurance for Hungarian exporters financed by the Hungarian Commercial Bank, Suharso said.

"The Ministry of National Development Planning / Bappenas will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and related ministries to consider the offer from the Hungarian government," he informed.

He said his ministry, the Ministry of Finance, and the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have agreed on the procedure for the G-to-G loan.

The procedure will involve use of EUR / USD currency and the loan will be provided at an interest rate of 0.05 percent, based on Commercial Interest Reference Rates, and will be granted with a grace period of two years.

The loan comes with a repayment period of 17.5 years and a bond status of at least 50 percent Hungarian content.

Suharso said Indonesia received a loan of US$36.4 million from Hungary in 2016 to finance the sub-district capital project of the Water Supply Program and the Small Water Treatment Plant for water scarce areas, which ended in August, 2020.

"We got a pretty good lesson from our last cooperation project on Water Supply, namely the importance of accommodating local content in projects supported by Hungarian funding, especially for construction projects," he said.  (Antaranews)