VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian government has denounced French President Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on Islam and support for depiction and publication of cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which have sparked much ire in the Islamic World.

To register its protest, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Olivier Chambard, on Tuesday (October 27, 2020) and sought an explanation for Macron's controversial statements.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah told ANTARA here on Wednesday that Ambassador Chambard was summoned so he could be apprised of Indonesia's official stance on the ‘anti-Islam' remarks Macron recently made in a speech.

The Indonesian government has objected to President Macron's comments linking Islam to terrorism or extremism, saying associating any religion to acts of terror cannot be justified and would deeply offend adherents of the religions, Faizasyah said.

Macron's remarks following the beheading of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class on October 6, 2020, have sparked controversy and fueled a backlash from Muslims worldwide over the past few days.

The governments of Muslim majority countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia have condemned Macron's ‘anti-Islam’ remarks and ‘Islamophobic’ behavior.

Meanwhile, Muslims at the grassroots have also expressed anger and disappointment over Macron's defense of the right to reprint and depict caricatures of Prophet Muhammad by staging anti-France rallies and intensifying campaigns for boycotting French goods.

Paty was killed by Abdullakh Anzorov, 18, on October 16, 2020. Anzorov, who was later shot dead by the French police, had felt offended over Paty showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to students.

"France will not give up our cartoons," Macron had said in response to Paty's death, as reported by the BBC.

Following his death, Paty was bestowed the Légion d'honneur, France's highest honor.

In the aftermath of his murder, cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad, made by Charlie Hebdo, were projected onto public buildings.

In response to Macron's ‘Islamophobic’ behavior and “hostility towards Islam”, deputy chairman of the Acehnese Ulema Consultative Assembly (MPU), Faisal Ali, had appealed to the Indonesian government to join the calls for boycotting French products in Indonesia.

"The government's participation will demonstrate that Indonesia, with the biggest Muslim population in the world, has felt offended by French President Emmanuel Macron's intolerance towards Islam and Muslims," he remarked.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated public broadcaster TVRI’s West Papua station on Wednesday and said he expected it to serve as a credible source of positive information on Indonesia and regional developments in Papua.

TVRI’s presence, including its 30th station in West Papua province, would enable Indonesians across the archipelago to know of events and regional developments taking place in Papua, President Widodo said at the online inaugural ceremony. 

“In return, through TVRI, Papuan communities will also be able to keep (themselves) informed about other Indonesian regions,” he noted. 

At the inaugural event, held the same day Indonesians commemorated the Youth Pledge Day, President Jokowi also urged youths across the country to set aside their differences and strengthen national unity and cooperation for the sake of the nation's progress and development.

During Wednesday’s event, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan inaugurated the TVRI office building, located in Arfai neighborhood of Manokwari, the capital of West Papua province. (Antaranews)

Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy / Head of the Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Wishnutama Kusubandio, appreciated the launch of the SEA Today news television channel and is expected to participate in reporting and promoting the tourism sector and creative economy in Indonesia. 

"SEA Today can be a means of promoting Indonesia (especially) tourism and its creative economy in a contemporary way," he said during the Soft Launching of SEA Today at Telkom STO Building, Central Jakarta, Wednesday.

Wishnutama said that SEA Today is expected to be able to convey good information about Indonesia to people in the Southeast Asian region and also to the international world. 

"It is hoped that this channel can become an extension of information regarding the potential of nature, culture, and the creative economy that can attract tourists to foreign investors. The challenge in the future is how we package these materials into interesting communication content to be conveyed," he said. 

The event was also attended by BUMN Minister Erick Thohir, President Director of PT Telkom Ririek Ardiansyah, and President Commissioner of PT Telkom Rhenald Kasali. According to Wishnutama, Indonesia does not only have wealth and natural beauty as well as cultural diversity that SEA Today can promote. Indonesia also has diversity in various other sub-sectors from tourism and the creative economy, such as on the culinary side. 

"If we pack it well, Indonesian market snacks can be very interesting content," said Wishnutama. 

Meanwhile, BUMN Minister Erick Thohir added that SEA Today is expected to be a media that can spread and build a positive image of Indonesia in the eyes of the world. 

"Good media is media that can provide inspiration and good perceptions, especially improving Indonesia's image in the eyes of the world," he said. 

In addition, Erick also hopes that SEA Today can be a way for millennials in the country to work, innovate, and be creative. "It is time for the world to see us, it is time for us to rise, like the youths who rose to unite Indonesia on October 28, 1928," he said. 

Meanwhile, President Director of Telkom, Ririek Adriansyah, said that they plan the construction of the SEA Today studio to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2021. 

In addition, he said that SEA Today is planned to be distributed abroad through partnerships with international media. "We plan to broadcast SEA Today in 10 countries, some of which are the United States, Britain, and South Korea," said Ririek. 

The event was also filled with the cutting of tumpeng and the giving of souvenirs in the form of SEA Today uniforms to Wishnutama and Erick Thohir by representatives of the directors of PT Telkom. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated public broadcaster TVRI’s West Papua station on Wednesday and said he expected it to serve as a credible source of positive information on Indonesia and regional developments in Papua.

TVRI’s presence, including its 30th station in West Papua province, would enable Indonesians across the archipelago to know of events and regional developments taking place in Papua, President Widodo said at the online inaugural ceremony.

“In return, through TVRI, Papuan communities will also be able to keep (themselves) informed about other Indonesian regions,” he noted.

At the inaugural event, held the same day Indonesians commemorated the Youth Pledge Day, President Jokowi also urged youths across the country to set aside their differences and strengthen national unity and cooperation for the sake of the nation's progress and development.

During Wednesday’s event, West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan inaugurated the TVRI office building, located in Arfai neighborhood of Manokwari, the capital of West Papua province. 

President Joko Widodo said that all nations must work together to create a centric Indonesia by building from the periphery, from villages, from the frontier islands to the border.

"Realizing one Indonesia we must also work together to build Indonesia fairly and evenly, building a centric Indonesia by building from the periphery of the village from the frontier island to the border," said the President in commemoration of the 92nd Youth Pledge Day, based on a video broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat, in Jakarta, Wednesday.

The President said that with fair and equitable development, people in various regions in the country will feel part of Indonesia.

Therefore, the government continues to carry out infrastructure development to create connectivity between regions in Indonesia.

"So the people of Papua, the people of Aceh and the people of Indonesia in various regions feel they are part of Indonesia. Feeling belonging to Indonesia, and contributing to advancing Indonesia," said the President.

We must continue to fight for unity by respecting differences, maintaining tolerance, and maintaining the integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia. The spirit of solidarity must also give priority to helping each other.

"We have to work together to care for Indonesians. We must maintain it with a spirit of solidarity and a sense of brotherhood,” he said.
In commemoration of this Youth Pledge, the President also invited the spirit of the youth oath to continue. Looking back on 92 years ago, the Youth Pledge event has brought positive energy to unite the nation.

"The Youth Pledge brings a positive energy that unites competition and differences, it does not have to make us forget about common problems, common interests, and common goals," said President Jokowi. (Antaranews)