VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has encouraged local industries to increase their creativity to design halal products, particularly in the fashion and tourism sectors, that hold huge potential in global trade.

"Fashion, creative products, leisure and media, and Muslim-friendly tourism would need innovative and classy product designs. Of course, this is a huge potential that must be explored by designers of industrial products," Amin noted in Jakarta during the conferment of the Upakarti Award 2020 held virtually on Thursday.

Amin remarked that the halal industry in Indonesia had still solely focused on food and beverage products, while other halal products including fashion, creative industry, and tourism also had a potential global market.

The demand for halal products in the global market had risen sharply with the development of the sharia-based economy.

"The State of Global Islamic Economy Report 2019/2020 showed that the world's Muslim consumers' expenditure has reached US$2.2 trillion in 2018. It is projected to reach US$3.2 trillion in 2024," he pointed out.

Indonesia, with the world’s largest Muslim population, has spent US$214 billion on halal products or some 10 percent of the world’s halal market shares. In comparison with other Muslim-majority nations, Indonesia has the largest market for halal products.

"Hence, I am optimistic that designers and industry operators would capitalize on the domestic and global market opportunities through the creation of new products that not only have aesthetic value but also high added value," the vice president noted. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo urged the coordinating minister for political, legal, and security affairs to unswervingly resolve past human rights disputes aimed at achieving results that are acceptable to all parties.

The president made the statement in his address on the 2020 Human Rights Day, broadcast through the Presidential Secretariat Channel from Jakarta, Thursday.

"We have to work together to solve (these matters) and focus our energy for the advancement of the nation. Through the coordinating minister of political, legal, and security affairs, I have ordered to be persistent in settling past human rights problems to attain solutions acceptable to the international world," he remarked.

The head of state highlighted the government’s strong commitment to respecting, protecting, and fulfilling basic human rights, a crucial pillar to a resilient, civilized, and advancing Indonesia. The government also strives to resolve past human rights issues through a dignified, wise approach.

The government's strong commitment to upholding human rights has been outlined in the National Action Plan for Human Rights for 2020-2025. Civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights must be protected in a balanced manner, and none of them should be neglected.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the current pandemic, the president called on all parties to work hard to prevent the spread of the virus, treat the infected, prevent deaths, and offer economic assistance to the poor affected by it.

Concurrently, all parties must also ensure that the pandemic does not derail efforts to fulfill the people's human rights.

"Apart from that, we are still facing several problems that we have to solve. I hear problems still exist with regard to freedom of worship at several places. To this end, I urge the apparatuses and central and regional governments to actively and responsively resolve this problem peacefully and wisely," he reiterated.

Furthermore, the president requested that infrastructure development be focused on the fulfillment of human rights by ensuring equitable access to the rights to mobility, health, food, and basic necessities, including the one fuel price policy.

A similar concept should also apply to the development of human resources by ensuring a reduction in stunting cases and adequate educational affordability, especially in remote areas and outer islands.

"I also pay special attention to our brothers and sisters with disabilities. We have formed a National Commission on Disabilities and are oriented towards a human rights approach," he pointed out.

President Widodo also seized the opportunity to express his gratitude to the National Commission for Human Rights and human rights activists that continue to play an active role in increasing awareness of human rights in society. He also invited all parties to play an active role in respecting rights and be responsible for the fulfillment of the rights of others.

"By elevating respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights, we will become a more civilized, resilient, and advanced nation," he noted. (Antaranews)

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Retno Marsudi opened the 13th Bali Democracy Forum (BDF), Thursday (10/12/2020) in Nusa Dua, Bali.

On this occasion, he emphasized the importance of maintaining democratic values ​​and practices during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Retno emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic should not reduce countries' commitment to democracy. Conversely, democracy is also not a barrier to the government's efforts to tackle and control COVID-19.

Regarding this goal, Retno conveyed that there are three important factors that can ensure democratic values ​​and practices are maintained during and after a pandemic. First, Retno suggested the importance of restoring public trust in democracy.

According to him, public trust and involvement are the keys to maintaining democratic values, including openness and active community participation. In addition, the involvement of civil society organizations can also help restore public confidence in democracy.

"First restoring trust to democracy. Democracy must provide a space for meaningful dialogue in public health policy-making during the pandemic. This will form the basis of trust between society and their government. Studies from the past pandemic responses show that people are more likely to comply with emergency health measure if they feel engaged in the decision making, "Retno said.

Second, Retno conveyed that democratic values ​​must also be maintained post-pandemic. He said the pandemic shows that there are many challenges faced in democratic practices. Therefore, he invited forum participants to rethink the ways people practice democratic values.

"Second, safeguarding democratic norms post-pandemic. These are necessary safeguard that will prevent arbitrary use of emergency powers that violates basic freedom," she said.

Third, he emphasized the importance of solidarity in maintaining democratic values.

The Bali Democracy Forum is a cross-country and cross-institutional meeting initiated and held by Indonesia regularly every year since 2008. The forum brings together at least more than 50 countries as participants, 73 countries as observers, and 10 international organizations based in the Asia Pacific region.

Different from the previous event, the 13th BDF was held on a limited basis. BDF can only be followed by no more than 50 participants due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (VOI)

South Korea authorities scrambled on Thursday to build hospital beds in shipping containers to ease strains on medical facilities stretched by the latest coronavirus wave, which shows little sign of abating with 682 new cases.

The resurgence of infections has rekindled concerns about an acute shortage of hospital beds, prompting Seoul city to begin installing container beds for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Health authorities plan to step up testing by launching temporary sites at some 150 locations across the greater Seoul area.

“We’re in a critical situation where our anti-virus efforts and medical system’s capacity could reach their limits before long,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a meeting, vowing to mobilise all available resources.

“Above all, we will secure sufficient treatment centres and hospital beds for critical cases so that they can receive proper treatment in a timely manner.”

In Seoul, with a population of 10 million, only around 3% of hospital beds were available for severe cases, and 17% for all patients, according to Park Yoo-mi, a quarantine officer at the city government.

The city has dispatched 50 epidemiological investigators to 25 districts to help track down potential patients, in addition to 10 sent from the central government, Park said.

A total of 274 military and police officers and other administrative staff will also be mobilised for epidemiological surveys starting Friday, she added.

Thursday’s 682 new infections came a day after the daily tally hit 686, the second-highest since the country’s first case was confirmed in January, even as tougher social distancing rules took effect this week, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

New cases have been persistently around 600 over the past week, driven by smaller, harder-to-trace clusters around the densely populated capital city of Seoul, whereas the early two waves were centred on a handful of groups or regions.

The governor of South Korea’s most populous province Gyeonggi, with 13.5 million people, said on Wednesday he plans to conduct mass testing in some areas to discover potential cases.

President Moon Jae-in called for buying more COVID-19 vaccines after authorities announced deals with four global drugmakers as part of a drive to inoculate 44 million people, or 60% of the country’s population.

Total infections rose to 40,098, with 564 deaths, KDCA data showed. (Reuters)