VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

House of Representative -DPR will hold “Criticism Competition 2018“ in celebrating the anniversary of the House on 29th of August 2018 . The House asks all parties to support the agenda so that the House can understand what must be improved. The House lets the people criticize the House strictly. This was stated by Speaker of the House, Bambang Soesatyo at Political Dialogue at the House’s Media Center in Jakarta on Thursday (April 19^th).

 “For the House of Representative, criticism is like a fertilizer. I want the House to be able to grow big. This is the spirit of ours to make critic competition. Because without criticism, the House does not know what to improve. However, the criticism must be constructive,” Bambang Soesatyo said.

Speaker Bambang Soesatyo said that the present House is not the same as the previous one.  Now, the House is open for all people to come closer and open for all kinds of information.  Even, he affirmed that the House will launch an application ‘DPR Now’ on which all activities of the House can be monitored through smartphones. Criticism Competition 2018 can be followed by all Indonesian citizens with category of 500-word essay writing and meme category like picture or caricature  as well as 2-minute video. (VOI/AF/RHM)

Related to the air strikes in Damascus, Syria on Saturday (April 14), three ambassadors of the United States (US) coalition who were involved in the attack in Syria met Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi at Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Thursday (April 19^th). The three ambassadors are US Ambassador to Indonesia, Joseph Donovan, British Ambassador to Indonesia, Moazzam Malik, and French Ambassador to Indonesia, Jean-Charles Berthonnet. After meeting Minister Retno Marsudi, British Ambassador Moazzam Malik said that one of the aims of the meeting was to explain the legal basis of the attacks targeted to the Syrian government facilities under the regime of Bashar al-Assad. He also said the meeting was held with the initiative of the ambassador of the US coalition country, not at the request or invitation from Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"So, I was in touch with Ibu Retno by the end of last week and asked for a meeting for the three of us to come and explain what have occurred. And we offer to share our evidence. We offer to share our legal opinion on the legality of this strike and indeed to offer full cooperation to the Indonesian authority so they are fully aware of what happen in Douma and also what happened previously in Syria and indeed actually sees the need of this convention in the future,” Ambassador Moazzam Malik said.

In addition, Ambassador Moazzam Malik also mentioned that the target of attacks was aimed at preventing the use of chemical weapons in the future. He views that the US coalition states do not intend to change the government or change the direction of the Syrian conflict. Because the only solution of this conflict is an inclusive political process involving all parties. In connection with the legal basis, the British government has explained through www.gov.uk. It has taken refuge in the legal grounds that the attack on Syria was undertaken to overcome the misery of humanity suffered by Syrian people by reducing the Syrian government's chemical weapons capabilities previously suspected to be used for conducting an attack in Douma, Syria. (VOI/Rezha/RHM)

Countries joined in MIKTA's informal co-operation, namely Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey and Australia are considered to have significant contributions to the United Nations (UN) peace mission through the deployment of peacekeeping forces. The number of dispatch of peacekeepers  such as the sending of women peacekeeping troops continues to be increased by the United Nations. This was stated by Director of International Security and Disarmament of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Indonesia (RI), Grata Endah Werdaningtyas in MIKTA Panel Discussion on Women and Peacekeeping in Jakarta, Thursday (April 19, 2018).

“And if we look at the data, all five MIKTA countries currently have been contributing around 3500 peacekeepers around the world, with more than 100 female personnel. So,  this is good for us, especially Indonesia for MIKTA in peacekeeping and I think in line with the ambition of secretary general to increase the number of female peacekeeping personnel. I think it is important for MIKTA to cooperate and to discuss and try to find a solution,” Grata Endah said.

Grata Endah Werdaningtyas further said that female peace troops have several advantages compared to peacekeepers who are still dominated by men. She also said female peace troops are more easily accepted by local people who are experiencing conflict. In addition, they are also considered easier to win the hearts and minds of local people and more effectively in protecting local people from sexual exploitation and acts of violence. (VOI/Rezha/Trans by Rhm)

President Joko Widodo affirmed that Online Single Submission will be a large-scale change program in the business permit system in Indonesia. He views that the permit system will be applied in an integrated manner from the central to the regional levels. In the Limited Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java on Wednesday (18/4), President Joko Widodo said that the system of Online Single Submission will cut the bureaucratic chains of permit attempts, as it uses a modern registration model. In addition, President Joko Widodo also asked his staff to be able to ensure that Online Single Submission can be a friendly system for the users, considering that this program is a digital technology-based reform program.

“…This is a reform; this is a massive change to make all permits from the  central to the regional areas be really integrated into a unity. It’s by using a more modern, faster registration model with integrated data systems; there is no need to go through many bureaucratic chains. Because of this digital technology-based reform, I ask the system to be really carried out; it can directly be used and it’s friendly for its users,” said Joko Widodo.

Furthermore, President Joko Widodo hopes that the implementation of this program can be supported by human resources that are more responsive. The purpose of this system is to ensure that permit services at both central and regional levels can be further enhanced. In addition, the President also reminded that the reform of the permit system through Online Single Submission can be supported by simplifying the permit process to adjust the speed of the business process in accordance with the objective to implement the Online Single Submission. (VOI/Ndy/Trans by Rhm)