VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jan. 29 - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday he was following with “great concern” developments in Myanmar, where military threats and coup fears have overshadowed the planned opening of parliament.

Escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military has stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

The army has said it plans to “take action” if its complaints about the election are not addressed and a spokesman this week declined to rule out the possibility of seizing power.

In a statement Guterres called on “all actors to desist from any form of incitement or provocation, demonstrate leadership, and to adhere to democratic norms and respecting the outcome of the 8 November general election. 

“All electoral disputes should be resolved through established legal mechanisms,” he added.

In a separate statement, Western nations said they were looking forward to the “peaceful convening” of parliament on Monday.

“We urge the military, and all other parties in the country to adhere to democratic norms, and we oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmar’s democratic transition,” said the statement signed by the embassies of Australia, Britain, Canada, the European Union and United States, among others. (Reuters)

Jan. 29 - Over the past 29 days in January 2021, Indonesia experienced 77 earthquakes, including the one that hit Berau District, East Kalimantan, on early Friday (Jan 29), according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

The agency recorded that the Berau earthquake of magnitude 4.1 was the first quake to hit Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo Island, this year.

The epicenter of this 77th earthquake that struck at around 00:42 a.m. local time on Friday was located some 62 kilometers (km) away from the east of Tanjung Rebeb City in Berau District, at a depth of 10 km, the agency's coordinator for earthquake and tsunami affairs, Daryono, stated.

January 2021 was recorded as an "abnormal month" for earthquakes in the archipelago wherein the frequency of occurrence of tectonic earthquakes, whose tremors could be felt by residents, was above "normality", he remarked.

Speaking in connection with its epicenter and hypocenter, Daryono noted that this early Friday's earthquake was categorized as a shallow one as a result of active plate at the Mangkalihat Fault Zone.

Owing to its minor magnitude and epicenter, located off the coastal area of Berau, the quake did not trigger a tsunami. Locals living in the district's coastal area are urged to stay calm, he stated.

Earthquakes regularly rock various parts of Indonesia since the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

On January 15, 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, ensued by several aftershocks, rattled the districts of Mamuju and Majene in West Sulawesi Province, claiming more than 100 lives, and destroyed many buildings.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) declared that the government had extended the emergency response period for disaster mitigation efforts in West Sulawesi for two weeks from January 28, 2021.

Deadly earthquakes have repeatedly hit Sulawesi Island. On September 28, 2018, for instance, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit several parts of Central Sulawesi Province.

The strong earthquake that was followed by a tsunami and soil liquefaction in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi Province, claimed 2,102 lives, injured 4,612, and rendered 680 others missing.

A total of 68,451 homes incurred serious damage, while 78,994 people were displaced.

The authorities and humanitarian workers decided to bury the large number of rotting corpses in mass graves.

Meanwhile, material losses inflicted by the twin deadly disasters were estimated to reach Rp15.29 trillion.

The provincial capital of Palu bore the brunt of the disaster, with material damage and losses recorded at Rp7.6 trillion, or 50 percent of the total estimate, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

The material damage and losses in Sigi District were recorded at Rp4.9 trillion, or 32.1 percent; Donggala District, at Rp2.1 trillion, or 13.8 percent; and Parigi Moutong District, at Rp631 billion, or 4.1 percent.

Material damage in the four affected areas reached an estimated Rp13.27 trillion, while the material losses were reportedly around Rp2.02 trillion, the agency stated in October 2018. (Antaranews)

Jan. 29 - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) announced that fisheries products of Indonesia's yellowfin tuna and skipjack tuna had been certified as meeting the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC’s) global standard for sustainable fisheries.

"Some 11 thousand tons of yellowfin and skipjack tuna have been certified through the collaboration between the Indonesian government and MSC for the US and European markets," Acting Director General of Capture Fisheries M. Zaini noted in a statement in Jakarta, Friday.

Zaini attributed this achievement of Indonesia to the efforts of the KKP and the Indonesian Pole and Line and Handline Fisheries Association (AP2HI) supported by the International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF).

Those parties had worked hard to ensure that tuna fisheries in Indonesia were managed sustainably.

Zaini highlighted that the certification obtained had involved 380 fishing vessels spread across Indonesia, from North Sulawesi and North Maluku to the Banda Sea, and East and West Flores.

The acting director general of capture fisheries explained that this was also an implementation of cooperation between the KKP and MSC that confirmed the joint commitment to bolster collaboration on sustainable fishing.

"The existence of this certification shows our commitment to sustainable tuna fishing in Indonesia to the world. As one of the largest tuna producers in the world, it is vital for us to support the process of obtaining this certification through a fishery improvement program. As a result, all fisheries sectors can grow sustainably while providing guaranteed livelihoods in future," Zaini stated.

Zaini explained that this certification is a way of determining that the fish catch meets international best practice for sustainable fishing, with good stock management.

This acquisition is a commitment that must be upheld for five years to maintain the certificate, related to stock and management.

"Of course, the support of all stakeholders (stakeholders) related to small-scale tuna fisheries is very important in encouraging the acceleration of the process towards sustainability," he remarked.

The assessment for this certification is conducted by an independent appraiser, SAI Global. This was then followed by a comprehensive assessment and stakeholder consultation by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the agency responsible for 60 percent of the global tuna catch, as well as the central and provincial governments.

Director of the Asia-Pacific Marine Stewardship Council, Patrick Caleo, congratulated Indonesia on the achievements, especially AP2HI, which has worked hard to manage sustainable fisheries.

Caleo believes this certification can be maintained and also improved in future.

"This MSC ecolabel and certification program recognizes and rewards sustainable fishing practices and helps create a more sustainable seafood market to be globally recognized," he stated. (Antaranews)

Jan. 29 - A total of 158 Indonesian migrant workers, including ship crew members, were repatriated from some Pacific countries of Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Fiji.

The migrant workers arrived at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten, on late Thursday (Jan 28), the Foreign Affairs Ministry noted in a statement here on Friday.

The batch that landed also comprised 35 ship crew members, who were stranded in Majuro, Marshall Islands, for five months after their work contract with a Chinese fishing ship expired.

The ship crew members could not return to Indonesia in the wake of the quarantine policy imposed by the Marshal Islands government amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some 29 migrant workers were repatriated from Fiji, 15 from Papua New Guinea, and 78 from Solomon Islands.

The ministry has also returned the remains of a ship crew member, identified by its initials as AW, who had died in a work accident in Fiji.

The repatriation was conducted in coordination with the Indonesian embassy in Manila, Port Moresby, and Suva.

During the pandemic, the ministry facilitated the return of over 27,064 ship crew members who were stranded in foreign nations owing to the enforcement of movement restriction policies. (Antaranews)