VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed related ministries and agencies as well as the local government to immediately take measures to deal with the effects of extreme weather in Central Papua Province.

Jokowi made the statement in response to a question from the media regarding the government's efforts to manage the extreme weather phenomenon experienced in Puncak District, Central Papua, that had resulted in harvesting failures and famine.

"I have instructed PMK (Human Development and Cultural Affairs) Coordinating Minister, Social Affairs Minister, BNPB (National Disaster Mitigation Agency), and the local government in the region to tackle the issue as soon as possible," he said after inaugurating the Ciliwung sewer in Jakarta on Monday.

On the occasion, the president also outlined several factors that had been making matters difficult in the province.

"It should be noted that the problem is that the province is home to a specific area, which lies at a very high altitude, where no plants can grow in the event of snowfall," he stressed.

The president also highlighted issues related to security that hinder the process of aid distribution to local communities, saying that planes carrying aid are occasionally prevented from landing due to security-related constraints.

"For that reason, I have earlier asked TNI (the Indonesian Defense Forces) to help escort (the aid distribution process). Pilots hesitate to make a landing due to the difficulty. This is a recurring problem in the region," he pointed out.

Central Papua Province, especially its Puncak District, has been experiencing the extreme weather phenomenon since June 2023, thereby leading to planted crops failing to grow and resulting in famine that ultimately claimed six lives. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The humanization program that Indonesia's National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has applied to rehabilitate terrorists could be adopted as a reference by other ASEAN member countries, a terrorism expert said.

"ASEAN needs to make a breakthrough in its counterterrorism measures. Under Commissioner General Rycko Amelza Dahniel's leadership, BNPT has commenced it by applying the humanization program," Al Chaidar said.

The humanization program that the BNPT implements in its deradicalization measures needs to be prioritized owing to its effectiveness in the fight against ideological violence, he said.

From an anthropological perspective,  ideological violence could only be weakened and eliminated by humanizing humans, he argued.

Many scholars and researchers have even approved the program to address crimes against humanity, including terrorism, said Al Chaidar, who is also a lecturer at Malikussaleh University's Department of Anthropology.

"This humanization program has been approved as a priority for dealing with various crimes against humanity by many scientists and researchers," he said.

Indonesia's 2023 ASEAN chairmanship can serve as momentum to strengthen the humanization program that BNPT has implemented in its deradicalization measures, he said.

The humanization program has been delayed for a long time. "It is time to implement it precisely. Scholastics have been ready to help internationalize it," he added.

According to Al Chaidar, terrorist cells have the potential to grow in the Southeast Asian region. Therefore, ASEAN does need breakthroughs for its counterterrorism measures.

"The terrorist groups will appear at any time if they are supported by state patrons to become non-state proxies," he said. (antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - The Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection is urging the public to use the World Day against Trafficking in Persons as a momentum to raise awareness about human trafficking (TPPO).

"We remind this every year on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This is a moment to remind us to beware of human trafficking. Currently, many Indonesians become victims of human trafficking," Ministry's Deputy for woman's rights protection, Ratna Susiawati, stated in Jakarta.

The remarks were made during the commemoration of World Day against Trafficking in Persons that fell on July 30 in Jakarta.

The deputy underscored the importance of synergy and collaboration between ministries/agencies and relevant stakeholders in eliminating TPPO.

"Call every party to be more vigilant, aware, and committed to jointly synergize and collaborate to solve the problems caused by TPPO," she affirmed.

Apart from handling the case, her side also highlighted the importance of deterring human trafficking.

"To prevent it from happening is important," she stressed.

According to Susiawati, the ministry has been running a "dare to speak" campaign for the past three years to encourage victims of abuse, including human trafficking, to come forward and report the abuse they have experienced.

In addition, the ministry has set up SAPA 129, a call center for victims of abuse, including human trafficking, to report any issues they may be facing.

Susiawati emphasized the importance of character values and literacy education within families as the smallest unit of society to prevent human trafficking.  (Antaranews)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday the country must boost its rice stocks and that he may seek a supply deal with India, worried about the potential impact of El Nino dry weather on the local harvest and about other suppliers.

"I'm thinking about the national supply for rice," Marcos told officials in the northern province of Cagayan, where he went to assess the damage from Typhoon Doksuri.

Marcos, who is also agriculture secretary, expressed concern about the global supply situation. "Everybody is preparing for El Nino, all of Southeast Asia. "

The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, traditionally buys the staple grain mainly from its neighbour Vietnam. But Marcos said supply from Vietnam might become limited as other buyers crowd in.

"I think we can make a deal with India. Maybe there's someone there we can talk to," Marcos said.

A spokesman for India's food ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

India last week banned exports of non-basmati white rice - its largest rice export category - to ease domestic prices that climbed after rains caused significant crop damage. New Delhi left open the door for government-to-government deals, saying it would consider meeting the requirements of countries in need of rice.

The ban is expected to halve shipments from the world's largest exporter of the grain. After the decision, prices of rice exported from Vietnam and Thailand soared to their highest in more than a decade this week.

India accounts for more than 40% of world rice exports, and low inventories with other exporters mean a cut in shipments could inflate food prices already driven up by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year and erratic weather.

"Everyone is buying simultaneously," Marcos said. "That's why I'm getting nervous over possible spikes in (local) prices even if we import."

Philippine rice imports are handled by private traders. But the state agency procuring rice from local farmers for buffer stocking can import some volume upon approval by the president in an emergency. (Reuters)