VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Feb. 11 - February is always celebrated by the Iranian people as the anniversary of the Victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution and the National Day of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On the 2021 anniversary of entering its 42nd year, Iran also has special hopes in its celebrations. Namely, to strengthen bilateral relations with Indonesia.

Iranian Ambassador in Jakarta Mohammad Azad said relations between the two countries continued to be good and grew in various situations.

"Diplomatic relations between Iran and Indonesia have been established since 1950 and up to the present. Although, various international ovules, the relationship between the two countries has grown in various dimensions of politics, economy, and culture," said Mohammad Azad, Wednesday (10/2/2021) in Jakarta.

He said that the good relations between the two countries were shown by visiting the presidents of the two countries.

"It culminated in the visit of His Excellency President Rouhani to Indonesia in 2015 and His Excellency President Joko Widodo to Iran in 2016," added Azad.

According to Azad, his party is optimistic that the expansion of diplomatic relations with Indonesia will continue, along with developments in the region.

"We are doing it all over the next seven years, we will see the expansion and improvement of relations between the two countries in various fields. Because, the 21st century is called the "Asian Century" which brings a lot of progress and development to this continent, "he said again.

In the statement delivered via video, Azad also emphasized that Iran will continue to prioritize diplomacy and dialogue, as an effort to create security in the region.

"Iran is currently and we will be ready to prioritize diplomacy and dialogue to create regional security involving regional countries, not extra-regional parties. So, as a stable and developed area that is strong, safe, and free from regional or international hegemony to be a witness," he concluded.

A Middle East observer from Brawijaya University, Yusli Effendi, is of the view that the Iranian revolution is a revolution that inspires and encourages the Islamic world, including for Indonesia.

“This revolution is a phenomenal revolution, a revolution that inspires and encourages the Islamic world, including Indonesia, to see that the rate of change is possible and necessary. And the movement in the Islamic world has a great contribution to participate in changing historical movements," said Yusli Effendi on Wednesday (10/2/2021).

Yusli hopes that it is important for Iran to become a country that fights for its rights as a sovereign state.

"I hope Iran will also remain steadfast in fighting for its right to own nuclear in the interests of peace, and also not continue to receive sanctions or economic embargoes," he stressed. (RRI)

Feb. 11 - The Foundation of State-Owned Enterprises Ministry for Indonesia has provided one million face masks for residents in red zones (with severe infection risk) as part of efforts to reduce the COVID-19 infection rate.

The face masks were symbolically handed over by the SOE Ministry's secretary, Susyanto, to his counterpart from the Home Ministry, Hamdani, on Wednesday, the SOE Ministry's spokesperson, Rudi Rusli, said.

The mask-wearing campaign is part of the SOE Ministry foundation's efforts to support the nation's collective efforts to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission in communities, he said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.

The Home Ministry plans to distribute the one million masks to people residing in red zones across Indonesia from next week with the help of members of the ministry's Family Welfare Movement (PKK).

The Indonesian government's COVID-19 Task Force reported 8,700 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, which took the country's total case count to 1,174,779.

By mid-day on Tuesday, at least 1,937 new COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, bringing the number of those being treated at hospitals to 169,351, the task force stated.

Meanwhile, 10,424 patients recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total recoveries to 973,452, while 213 people succumbed to the virus, bringing the death toll to 31,976.

The task force further revealed that most of the new cases were contributed by Jakarta, which recorded 3,437 new infections, while Central Java contributed 948 cases.

Other provinces that reported hundreds of new cases included West Java (775), East Kalimantan (550), and Bali (453). Meanwhile, Maluku recorded less than 10 new confirmed cases as of mid-day on Tuesday.

Jakarta also accounted for the most deaths with 50 people in the capital city succumbing to the virus.

Central Java recorded the second highest number of deaths at 48, followed by West Java (17), East Kalimantan (9), and Bali (7).

The task force also disclosed that 77,086 people in 510 districts/cities across the country remain categorized as suspected patients.

At least 67,888 new specimens were tested on Tuesday, bringing the total number of specimens examined to 9,791,928, the task force informed.

The government has been striving to reduce the country's COVID-19 infection rate.

In this regard, the Health Ministry is collaborating with the National Police and the Indonesian Defence Forces (TNI) to carry out vaccinations and contact tracing at the grassroots level. (Antaranews)

Feb. 11 - The National Police’s Crime Unit has launched an investigation against a wedding organizer for promoting underage marriages, based on a report submitted by the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI).

"The issue regarding the wedding organizer, the KPAI has now made a report to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police," head of the Public Information Bureau of the Indonesian National Police's Public Relations Division, Police Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono, said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Investigators are looking into alleged violations of the marriage law by the wedding organizer Aisha Weddings’ website aishaweddings.com, he informed.

"Of course the National Police Crime Unit will investigate this problem, seeing how such issues that arise in this society can be resolved completely," he said.

Aisha Weddings had promoted a call for marriages for those between the ages of 12 and 21 on its website. It also offered ‘nikah siri’, or unregistered weddings and polygamous marriages, as part of its services.

After drawing protests from users on social media, the Aisha Weddings site is currently inaccessible, with the homepage displaying a message stating it is under repair.

Underage marriages violate Law Number 16/2019 on Marriage which lays down 19 as the minimum age when couples can tie the knot in the country.

Child marriage has been deemed a form of child rights violation that can hinder the fulfillment of children’s needs.

It can also have an impact on their health, including the risk of maternal and infant mortality, according to the National Development Planning Agency.

In terms of education, women who are married before they turn 18 have four times lower chances of completing their high school education, it has stated. (Antaranews)

Feb. 11 - The Indonesian government is committed to extending US$2.3 million in aid to support Palestine's struggle for independence, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said.

The aid will be channeled either through the bilateral mechanism or the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), she said at a joint virtual press conference with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki in Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday.

"We also hope assistance for COVID-19 handling in Palestine could be disbursed in the first semester of this year," she added.

Marsudi, who is also co-chair of the global vaccine procurement program for COVAX AMC Engagement Group member countries, highlighted the importance of ensuring fair and equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine for all countries, including Palestine.

She further reiterated Indonesia’s support for Palestinian independence, which, she said, can be achieved through negotiations with Israel.

Indonesia's support for Palestine's struggle will always be based on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution and internationally-agreed parameters, including the two-state solution, Marsudi stated.

"Peace talks and negotiations must be continued immediately and Indonesia is ready to contribute (to the process)," she added.

The agenda of the Indonesian Foreign Minister's first visit to Jordan, including her meeting with the Palestinian Foreign Minister in Amman, received appreciation.

"I know it is not easy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic (...) but you have the guts and commitment to visit," al-Maliki remarked.

While expressing gratitude to Indonesia for its unrelenting support for Palestine, al-Maliki said both nations will continue to cooperate in developing bilateral relations and promoting peace and justice for Palestine. (Antaranews)