VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo received a number of prominent figures from Papua and West Papua on Tuesday afternoon at the Jakarta State Palace. During the meeting, the figures led by Jayapura City Regional House of Representatives Chairman Abisai Rollo submitted a number of requests to the President. One of the requests mentioned by Abisai Rollo to the President was a request that the President build the Presidential Palace in Papua. Abisai Rollo said that the Papuan people were ready to give up 10 hectares of land to the President to be used as the Presidential Palace. Regarding this matter, President Joko Widodo briefly whispered to the Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security, Wiranto who also attended the meeting. After whispering Wiranto, President Joko Widodo also agreed to a request to build the Presidential Palace in Jayapura.

“Regarding the presidential palace. The most difficult one is providing the land. The land has been provided, right? 10 hectares for free? Ten hectares, right? Already available? Ooh it belongs to Abisai Rollo. Today de facto the land has been submitted. I whisper first with the ministers so that I would not take a wrong decision. I'll talk later, we don’t have the money now. So the palace will start to build next year,” said Joko Widodo.

In addition to requesting to build the Presidential Palace in Jayapura, there were a number of other requests proposed by leaders of Papua and West Papua when meeting with the President at the State Palace. The request is the division of the 5 (five) indigenous territories in Papua and West Papua, the establishment of the National Land Affairs Agency for Papua, the placement of echelon 1 and 2 officials in the ministries and institutions as well as the development of the Nusantara Dormitory throughout the region including security guarantees for Papuan students. In addition, the leaders of Papua and West Papua also requested the Revision of the Special Autonomy Law, the issuance of a Presidential Instruction (Inpres) for the honorary appointment of the Papuan Civil Apparatus and the acceleration of the construction of the East Palapa Ring Satellite. (VOI/ANDY/AHM)

Representatives of all tribes in Manokwari District, West Papua Province will issue a peace declaration, Wednesday to help restore security following a violent rally protesting alleged racist slurs against Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java.

"We will organize the activity to issue a peace declaration on Wednesday. All elements of the community and all tribes will be involved. To be sure, all state civil apparatuses must be present," Assistant for Administrative Affairs to the West Papua Provincial Government Musa Kamudi said in Manokwari, Monday. The provincial government hoped that the peace declaration would expedite the restoration of security in the capital of the West Papua Province, he said.

All businesses in Manokwari which is the center of economic activities in the province were disrupted in the aftermath of the riot in August 19, he said.

"In the past couple of weeks, almost all government services have been affected. Rumors about the demonstration spread so quickly that state and civil apparatuses were reluctant to come to offices for security reasons. With the peace declaration, we hope everything will return to normal," he said.

Before issuing the peace declaration, the participants will march from Percetakan Street to Borarsi Square at Jenderal Sudirman Street in Manokwari. During the event, some participants will deliver a peace-loving declaration and representatives of five different faiths will recite prayers.

"Residents who have no other activities can be present. We will keep coordinating with the Provincial Police and the Provincial Military Command to discuss the security arrangements during the event," he said.

In related developments, the government and people of Raja Ampat District in West Papua Province have pledged to preserve security and peace in the district which is a global tourist destination.

The commitment was made at a function marking the declaration of "Raja Ampat Loves Peace" at the yard of the Raja Ampat district head's office in the district capital of Waisa Monday.

Raja Ampat District Head Abdul Faris Umlati, Regional Secretary Yusf Salim, Chief of the Police Resort Adjunct Senior Commissioner Edy Setianto Erning Wibowo, Chief of the District Military Command 1805 Major A. Y Padang, regional apparatuses, students, and local people were present at the event.

Umlati read out the text of the peace declaration that appealed to the locals to love one another irrespective of their ethnicity and religion; have mutual respect for the district’s residents; offer mutual help to fellow residents, and denounce violent demonstrations in any form that lead to disintegration, vandalism, looting, and violence.

The participants also supported and trusted the government and law enforcement agencies to initiate legally processes against the perpetrators of racist slurs, vandalism, and looting, as well as ethnicity-, religion-, and race-related cases.

They also pledged to keep the Unitary Republic of Indonesia intact and always pray to God Almighty for the security and peace of Raja Ampat, West Papua, in particular, and Indonesia, in general.

The declaration mirrored the blessings bestowed upon Papua and the love for peace among the people of Papua, particularly Raja Ampat, Umlati noted.

He appealed to everyone in the community to maintain peace and order so that Raja Ampat can set an example not only for the Papuan people but also for the global community.

Alleged racist slurs against Papuan students in Surabaya, East Java, on August 16, set off a chain of violent rallies in several parts of Papua and West Papua.

In the West Papua provincial capital of Manokwari, a rally turned violent August 19, with some protesters torching a local parliamentary building and tires in several parts of the city.

Another violent demonstration erupted in the Papua provincial capital of Jayapura August 29. The brutal demonstrators went on a rampage, setting ablaze several government buildings.

The police have alleged that Papuan separatist Benny Wenda was the mastermind behind the riots, supposedly disseminating hoaxes and attempting to provoke on social media the leaders of states in the Pacific region. (ANTARA)

Indonesia is targeting substantial conclusion to negotiations on the draft of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with South Korea in October 2019, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita stated.

"When it comes to CEPA negotiations, we have agreed to conclude the negotiations in 2019. We will also strive to substantially conclude the negotiations in October 2019," he remarked following a bilateral meeting with South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-Hee on the sidelines of the 51st ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting (AEM) held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.

Lukita expressed the belief that South Korea remained strongly committed to concluding the CEPA negotiations soon. Moreover, South Korea needs trade agreements with partner nations to boost exports and investment in the midst of the escalating bilateral trade dispute with Japan.

It is expected that the CEPA would serve as an umbrella of agreements to facilitate the planned investment expansion by South Korean chemistry company Lotte Group and automotive company Hyundai, he stated.

"We know South Korea has two large industries, specifically Lotte Group operating in the chemical industry and Hyundai engaged in the automotive industry," he stated.

Minister of the South Korean Embassy in Jakarta Jeon Joyoung expressed his belief that the CEPA would be able to boost trade between both nations to nearly US$30 billion in 2022.

"During (the South Korean) president's visit to Indonesia in 2017, the two leaders agreed to develop trade volume to over US$30 billion in 2022, and expectations ride high on CEPA making it easy to achieve," Joyoung remarked during an exclusive interview with Antara at the Wisma Antara building in Jakarta recently.

Since February 2019, the governments of both nations have held intensive discussions on the CEPA to optimally benefit both sides, he stated.

Both nations are expected to ink the IK-CEPA during the 30th ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit to be organized in South Korea in November 2019, he stated.

Data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) showed that total trade between both nations had reached US$18.6 billion in 2018, with Indonesia enjoying a surplus of $443.6 million.

South Korea is the seventh-largest destination for Indonesia's exports and the sixth-biggest source of Indonesia's imports.

Indonesia clocked exports worth $9.53 billion to South Korea in 2018, rising 14 percent, from $8.20 billion a year earlier. On the other hand, Indonesia's imports from South Korea had reached $9.1 billion, a nine percent rise, from $8.12 billion the year before.

Indonesia's exports to South Korea chiefly constitute coal, copper ore, natural rubber, plywood, and unforged tin, while its imports from South Korea comprise synthetic rubber, steel, and integrated electronic circuit. (ANTARA)

The first ever open space concert of classical music was held in Jakarta or even in Indonesia. The Concert entitled Konser Akbar Monas 2019 (Monas Grand Concert 2019), was held by Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra and Jakarta Oratorio Society at Southeast Park of Monas, Jakarta on Sunday night (Sept 8). The event was supported by the Jakarta Provincial Government. Chief Executive of the Monas Grand Concert, Timothy Siddik to reporters before the concert said the classical music concert was aimed to show the diversity of Indonesia to the world.

"We hope that the people abroad can see that Indonesia is a beautiful country, not only from one group of people, but from the diversity. If the beauty comes only from one color or one sound like music, it is only homogenous beauty. The diverse beauty results a very beautiful performance, said Timothy Siddik. 

Timothy Siddik also hopes that classical music can not only be enjoyed by certain groups, but also by the general public from various groups. Konser Akbar Monas 2019 featured at least 60 musicians and 100 singers from the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra (JSO) and the Jakarta Oratorio Society (JOS). The concert which was held free of charge played Indonesian songs and European Classical musics of famous composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss and Suppe. Attending the concert were Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, Minister of Marine and Fishery Susi Pudjiatuti and some Heads of Representatives of friendly countries. (VOI/AHM)