VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahendra Siregara in a virtual meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and three partner countries namely New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom on Thursday (Aug 5, 2021). ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Foreign Affairs - 

Indonesia has lauded the significant role played by New Zealand as a bridge between Southeast Asian countries and the Pacific region.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Siregar made the statement during a meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and New Zealand organized virtually on Thursday.

Indonesia's foreign policy focus on the Pacific can be aligned with the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) by encouraging increased ASEAN cooperation in the Asia Pacific region, he affirmed.

"New Zealand, as a developed country with a foreign policy focus on the Pacific, can become a bridge for ASEAN," Siregar noted in a statement issued by the ministry here on Friday.

As the initiator of the AOIP, Indonesia lauds New Zealand for its efforts to promote multilateralism and support for the principles of AOIP.

In the midst of global competition, Indonesia views the importance of strengthening the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area and implementing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to restore confidence in the multilateral economic system.

Indonesia encourages ASEAN and New Zealand to increase cooperation in the economic sector to assist economic recovery in the region as well as people-to-people cooperation, especially in the fields of education and human resource development, according to MoFA Indonesia.

Apart from New Zealand, the ASEAN-Canada foreign ministers’ meeting was also held on the same day.

At the meeting, the Indonesian deputy foreign minister lauded Canada's assistance to the ASEAN in the procurement of medical equipment, especially masks and data collection on the spread of COVID-19 in the region.

Indonesia is optimistic that the ASEAN and Canada would continue to jointly restore economic conditions in the region, especially in the MSME sector, impacted by the pandemic.

Siregar proposed cooperation for capacity building in the use of digital technology and expanding market access as well as encouraging Canadian support for the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.

At the conclusion of the series of meetings, the ASEAN foreign ministers accepted the UK as ASEAN's dialog partner.

The UK is the first country to become an ASEAN partner in the last 25 years and the 11th country since the ASEAN was formed.

In a separate statement, the UK vouched to work with ASEAN and its member states on key issues that pose common challenges, such as maritime security and transnational crimes, boost the economy through trade, and bolster cooperation to address issues, such as COVID-19 and climate change.

British State Secretary Dominic Raab expressed delight on Britain officially becoming ASEAN's dialog partner.

“This is a landmark moment in the UK’s tilt towards the Indo Pacific. Our closer ties with the ASEAN will help create green jobs, reinforce our security cooperation, promote tech and science partnerships, and safeguard key pillars of the international law, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Raab stated//ANT

Vice-chairman of Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR), Junimart Girsang. (Junimart Girsang Documentation) - 

Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives' (DPR's) Commission II Overseeing Home Affairs Junimart Girsang suggested that the COVID-19 vaccination program currently coordinated by regional governments be handled by the National Police to accelerate the mass vaccination drives. 

As disclosed in a written statement here Friday, Girsang explained that he made the suggestion after taking note of several problems the regional governments have frequently faced in accelerating the vaccinations.

The problems include the issue of vaccine stock availability from the central government due to a flawed vaccine stock data system, residents' hesitation to get vaccinated, and other non-technical issues, he said.

By transferring the authority to the police, vaccine distribution can be done in a more orderly, more accurate, and more secure manner and the possibility of vaccine misuse can be curbed, he expounded. 

With the police serving as the front line manager, vaccination efforts will be more coordinated, and that would also help build communication from the provincial level all the way to the villages, he added.

Transferring the authority from the regional governments to the police will require budget reallocation as well as a greenlight from the central government, Girsang remarked.

The coordinator of the public activity restrictions (PPKM), with the President's permission, should draw up a memorandum of understanding with the police chief regarding the deadline for comprehensive vaccinations, he said.

"Of course, the police have to make an official report concerning the accountability of their work results," he remarked.

According to the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, 22.2 million Indonesians have received the second dose of the vaccine as of Thursday.

The government is seeking to vaccinate at least 181.5 million Indonesians or 70 percent of the country's total population to reach herd immunity//ANT

People stage a protest against the COVID-19 vaccination pass in Rome on Jul 28, 2021. (Photo: AP/LaPresse/Cecilia Fabiano) - 

Shouts of “Liberty!” have echoed through the streets and squares of Italy and France as thousands show their opposition to plans to require vaccination cards for normal social activities, such as dining indoors at restaurants, visiting museums or cheering in sports stadiums.

Leaders in both countries see the cards, dubbed the “Green Pass” in Italy and the “health pass” in France, as necessary to boost vaccination rates and persuade the undecided.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi likened the anti-vaccination message from some political leaders to “an appeal to die”.

The looming requirement is working, with vaccination requests booming in both countries.

Still, there are pockets of resistance by those who see it as a violation of civil liberties or have concerns about vaccine safety. About 80,000 people protested in cities across Italy last weekend, while thousands have marched in Paris for the past three weekends, at times clashing with police.

European nations in general have made strides in their vaccination rates in recent months, with or without incentives. No country has made the shots mandatory, and campaigns to persuade the undecided are a patchwork.

Denmark pioneered vaccine passes with little resistance. Belgium will require a vaccine certificate to attend outdoor events with more than 1,500 people by mid-August and indoor events by September. Germany and Britain have so far resisted a blanket approach, while vaccinations are so popular in Spain that incentives are not deemed necessary.

In France and Italy, demonstrations against vaccine passes or virus restrictions in general are bringing together otherwise unlikely allies, often from the political extremes. They include far-right parties, campaigners for economic justice, families with small children, those against vaccines and those who fear them.

“We are creating a great inequality between citizens," said one protester in Verona, who identified himself only as Simone because he said he feared for his livelihood. “We will have first-class citizens, who can access public services, the theatre, social life, and second-class citizens, who cannot. This thing has led to apartheid and the Holocaust."

In France and Italy, demonstrations against vaccine passes or virus restrictions in general are bringing together otherwise unlikely allies, often from the political extremes. They include far-right parties, campaigners for economic justice, families with small children, those against vaccines and those who fear them.

“We are creating a great inequality between citizens," said one protester in Verona, who identified himself only as Simone because he said he feared for his livelihood. “We will have first-class citizens, who can access public services, the theatre, social life, and second-class citizens, who cannot. This thing has led to apartheid and the Holocaust."

Some protesters in Italy and France have worn yellow Stars of David, like those the Nazis required Jews to wear during World War II.Holocaust survivors call the comparison a distortion of history.“They are madness, gestures in poor taste that intersect with ignorance," said Liliana Segre, a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor and Italian senator for life.

“It is such a time of ignorance, of violence that is not even repressed any more, that has become ripe for these distortions.”The French health pass is required at museums, movie theatres and tourist sites, and comes into effect for restaurants and trains on Aug 9.

To get it, people must be fully vaccinated, have a recent negative test, or proof they recently recovered from COVID-19.Italy’s requirements are less stringent. Just one vaccine dose is required, and it applies to outdoor dining, cinemas, stadiums, museums and other gathering places from Aug 6.

Expanding the requirement to long-distance transport is being considered. A negative test within 48 hours or proof of having recovered from the virus in the last six months also provide access.

Vaccine demand in Italy increased by as much as 200 per cent in some regions after the government announced the Green Pass, according to the country's special commissioner for vaccinations//CNA

Japan's summer combines high temperatures and humidity, and there have been persistent concerns about conditions for athletes. (Photo: AFP/Behrouz Mehri) - 

Japan's northern Hokkaido region was supposed to offer cooler climes for next week's Olympic marathons and race walks, but now the area is battling a heatwave.

Olympic organisers moved the two events from Tokyo in 2019, worried that even shifting the start times to dawn would not be enough to keep athletes safe from the heat.

The summer temperatures in Hokkaido's Sapporo were expected to be kinder - around five or six degrees Celsius cooler than Tokyo, the International Olympic Committee said.

But in the last week, temperatures in Sapporo hit over 34 degrees Celsius, and they are forecast to hover between maximums of 31 and 34 degrees over the next week, when the race walks and marathons will take place.

The mercury has surged even higher elsewhere in Hokkaido, with one town in the region becoming the first place in Japan this year to record temperatures over 38 degrees.

The men's 20km race walk takes place in the region on Thursday, followed by the women's race and the marathons for men and women over the next few days.

Temperatures in Tokyo over the coming week are forecast to range from maximums of 30 to 34 Celcius.

Heat has been a persistent concern for organisers, with a raft of counter-measures drawn up including misting stations and ice jackets.

In its bid for the Games, Tokyo argued that its summer included "many days of mild and sunny weather" and would offer "an ideal climate for athletes to perform their best", but many competitors and volunteers have struggled with the conditions.

Organisers on Sunday (Aug 1) defended their heat measures, but Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto admitted "this is something we need to be vigilant about".

He said 30 people involved with the Games have so far been treated for "heat illness", which organisers say is milder than heatstroke.

Those affected were mostly Games staff and volunteers, and none were in serious condition, he added

While the Games have been held in places that are hotter or more humid than Tokyo, including Athens and Beijing, Japan's sweaty summers offer both, in an unpleasant and sometimes deadly combination.

But, Muto added, "so far the counter-measures are going quite well, are successful."//CNA