VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Native American burial sites in Arizona have been blown up by construction crews building the US-Mexico border wall, according to lawmakers and tribal leaders. Authorities confirmed that "controlled blasting" has begun in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a Unesco recognised natural reserve.

Raul Grijalva, a Democrat congressman, called the destruction "sacrilegious". The government failed to consult the Tohono O'odham Nation, he said. Environmental groups also warn of the damage being done to the local underground aquifer, as well as to migrating wildlife in the remote desert region about 115 miles (185km) west of Tucson.

Officials say the aim of the project is to construct a 30ft-tall (9m) steel barrier that runs for 43 miles on the national park land. The United Nations designated Organ Pipe as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, calling it "a pristine example of an intact Sonoran Desert ecosystem". Mr Grijalva, the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, represents a district that encompasses the area, which shares 400 miles of border with Mexico.

He toured the burial sites at the Organ Pipe, known as Monument Hill, last month, and was told that O'odham people buried warriors from the rival Apache tribe there. "What we saw on Monument Hill was opposing tribes who were respectfully laid to rest - that is the one being blasted with dynamite," Mr Grijalva said. In interviews with US media, he called the Trump administration's conduct "sacrilegious" and said the environmental monitor that the government assigned to the project would do nothing to mitigate the cultural damage.

One area contained artefacts dating back 10,000 years. Tribal chairman Ned Norris Jr told the Arizona Republic that even though the land is now controlled by the US government, "we have inhabited this area since time immemorial." "They're our ancestors. They're our remnants of who we are as a people, throughout this whole area. And it's our obligation, it's our duty to do what is necessary to protect that."

An internal report from the National Park Service obtained by the Washington Post says the border wall Mr Trump promised during his 2015 campaign would destroy up to 22 archeological sites within Organ Pipe alone. Crews are reported to have also destroyed ancient saguaro cacti, which Mr Grijalva said the O'odham people see "as the embodiment of their ancestors".

"So to see them turned into mulch - it's deeply upsetting."

The Trump administration has been able to build sections of the US-Mexico border wall on public land due to the 2005 REAL ID Act, which gives the federal government the right to waive laws that conflict with US national security policy. In their bid to build the wall, the White House has waived dozens of laws - including ones that protected Native American graves, endangered species, and the environment. Mr Grijalva said he will work towards repealing the 2005 act and will convene a congressional hearing in the coming weeks in an effort to do so. (BBC)

Monash University announced it had received the Government of Indonesia’s approval to establish the first foreign university campus in Indonesia.

Based in Jakarta, Monash Indonesia will function as a postgraduate campus, offering Master and PhD degrees, as well as executive programs and microcredentials. It will be research-intensive and industry-engaged and operate with full support of both the Indonesian and Australian governments.

The establishment of Monash Indonesia symbolizes a vital deepening of the bilateral relationship between Australia and Indonesia, with long-term benefits for both countries in the areas of education, research, and industry collaboration, according to a statement from Monash University received in Jakarta, Monday.

In particular, it will facilitate the two-way flow of students and scholars, and innovative ideas and technology.

Monash Indonesia will make a strong and distinctive contribution to Indonesia’s social, economic, and technological development. It will bring expertise in areas of high demand, including data science and digital technology, infrastructure and urban planning, creative industry and entrepreneurship, and health systems and public health.

In establishing this campus, the university upholds its commitment to being a truly global university. This new Monash campus joins a dynamic network alongside the highly successful Monash University Malaysia, as well as our partnered campuses in Suzhou, with the SouthEast University, and Mumbai, with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Monash Indonesia will begin short executive programs later this year and plans the first intake of Masters students for the four quarter of 2021.

Students of Monash Indonesia will be awarded a Monash University degree, and opportunities will exist for cross-campus collaboration for research purposes and mobility in education.

“Monash has a long-standing history of engagement in Indonesia and a desire to build deeper links with a thriving and innovative community with great ambitions for education and research,” Professor Margaret Gardner AC, president and vice-chancellor of Monash University, stated.

“The opening of Monash Indonesia, the first Australian university based in Indonesia, will enable us to work in and with Indonesian people and their organizations to realize their future opportunities. The physical establishment also serves as a symbol of Monash’s commitment to Indonesia and the wider Asian region, as well as stronger research and education links between Indonesia and Australia,” Gardner noted.

“I am very pleased Monash University will establish a branch campus in Indonesia. This will help accelerate the strengthening of our education system and deepen the social, economic and technological links between Australia and Indonesia. This partnership will be the first out of the many other partnerships to come,” Indonesia’s Minister for Education and Culture, Nadiem Makarim, stated. (ANTARA)

Local climber Reyhan Fadila slipped into a ravine while descending the peak of Mount Marapi near the Abel Monument area in West Sumatra Province though survived following rescue and evacuation by a team of rescuers and mountaineers, Sunday evening.

This 17-year-old climber suffered wounds on his head and body, Coordinator of Limapuluh Kota District's Search and Rescue Agency Post Robi Saputra told ANTARA on being contacted from Bukittinggi, West Sumatra Province, on Monday.

"The evacuation process was conducted until midnight. He has been evacuated to a local Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) office located not that far from the Koto Baru climbing checkpoint," Saputra stated.

Some 25 rescuers, representing the Limapuluh Kota SAR office, Bukittinggi Rescue Team, Indonesian Red Cross, and local community of climbers joined this search and rescue mission, he revealed.

Fadila, who scaled the peak of the 2,891-meter-high mountain along with his friend, will be rushed to the Achmad Muchtar Hospital in Bukittinggi for receiving medical treatment, he added. (ANTARA)

The Netherlands and Indonesia's wide-ranging relationship is getting stronger as King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will pay a state visit between March 10 and 13, when both nations will cement their cooperation in various fields. The royal couple's state visit was at the invitation of President Joko Widodo, the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta revealed in a press statement that was made available to ANTARA Monday.

The visit that affirms the close and wide-ranging relationship of the two countries will be geared towards cooperation and focused on the economy, nature conservation, culture, science, and many areas of shared history between the two nations.

During their four-day state visit, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima would be joined by Foreign Minister Stef Blok and four other ministers who would head a broad parallel trade mission.

The other ministers are Foreign Trade and Development Minister Sigrid Kaag, Infrastructure and Water Management Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Medical Care and Sports Minister Bruno Bruins, and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Minister Carola Schouten.

The four ministers would head a broad parallel trade mission to Indonesia to capitalise on the potential for economic partnership in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, coastal protection and the maritime industry, and circular economy.

Day 1 of the state visit, begins with a visit to the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta to honor the dead, especially those who fell during the Indonesian War of Independence (1945-1949).

Later, the King and Queen would head to Bogor, West Java, to attend an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential palace where President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo would receive them.

This will be followed by a meeting of the Indonesian and Dutch delegations. Thereafter, President Widodo will host a lunch, preceded by a joint press statement.

In the afternoon, the King and Queen would continue their program by laying a wreath at Menteng Pulo Cemetery, the resting place of almost 4,300 Dutch soldiers who died during the Second World War and the Indonesian War of Independence.

They will then continue on to the Pipiltin Cocoa chocolate factory, which works with farmers from various regions in Indonesia. The farmers are trained in sustainable cocoa production methods and ways of improving the quality of their products.

In the evening, the royal couple will meet the members of the trade mission and will be present at the signing of various partnership agreements between Indonesian and Dutch businesses.

Later, they will visit a photo exhibition at the Erasmus Huis entitled "Innovation", part of a competition for young Indonesian photographers. The day will end with a reception for the Dutch community.

On Day 2, March 11, the royal couple would kick off the day by taking part in a discussion about the opportunities and challenges for Dutch businesses in Indonesia.

The delegation will then travel to Yogyakarta where they will be received by the Sultan of Yogyakarta in his palace Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. After lunch at the palace, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will visit the 'connected Kampong'.

The so-called 'connected Kampong' is a neighborhood of the city where internet connections have enabled residents to collectively improve their living conditions and quality of life.

During their brief stay in Yogyakarta, the King and Queen are also scheduled to visit the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) to strengthen collaboration between the Netherlands and Indonesia in scientific and academic fields.

The King and Queen will talk to students about the innovative academy, which promotes creative partnership in setting up digital startups.

In the evening, they will visit the temple complex of Prambanan, the largest Hindu Javanese temple complex in Indonesia, during which they would meet with religious leaders and listen to their efforts in promoting religious tolerance.

Thereafter, they will be given a tour of the temple complex, and attend part of a traditional Ramayana performance and a concert by the modern music group Rubah Di Selatan.

On Day 3, Thursday, March 12, the royal couple will depart for Central Kalimantan where they would focus their attention on nature conservation. During the visit, they would visit a research center in Sebangau National Park.

During their visit to the research centre, situated in the middle of a peat swamp forest, they would be given a tour of projects relating to water management and reforestation.

"These projects contribute to the preservation of the habitat of orangutans. After the tour the couple will speak to former loggers who are now involved in the sustainable management of the park," the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta revealed.

On Thursday afternoon, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will visit the Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue Centre where over 316 orphaned and displaced baby orangutans are looked after.

At the 'Forest School', the young orangutans are taught how to survive in the wild. Afterwards, the King and Queen will visit a Dayak model farm and talk to farmers about making the palm oil supply chain more sustainable.

"They will also speak with representatives of businesses. The day will close with a visit to a training session arranged by Pledge United, an experiential football programme designed to help Indonesian boys speak out against gender-based violence."

On Day 4, the final day of their state visit, on March 13, the royal couple will travel to Lake Toba in North Sumatra Province where the focus will be on ecotourism and water quality.

They will visit a traditional Batak village where they will hear about the history of the region and future developments. President Widodo has designated Lake Toba as a new location for sustainable tourism.

The King and Queen will then visit the Del Institute of Technology to learn about the development of sustainable tourism. The institute is committed to combating overfishing and the discharge of wastewater, in order to improve Lake Toba’s water quality.

Later, they will travel by boat to Samosir Island in the middle of the lake, where they will visit Silima Lombu ecovillage, built to show the local community the potential of sustainable tourism and small-scale organic farming.

The Dutch King and Queen's upcoming state visit is believed to strengthen the relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia ahead of the 75th anniversary of the latter's independence on August 17, 2020.

In terms of bilateral trade and investment, the Netherlands is important for Indonesia, considering the fact that it is the fifth-largest investor and a trading partner that has made Indonesia enjoy a surplus of trade.

This was revealed by the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Lambert Grijns when he received eight Indonesian journalists who will visit the Netherlands from February 15 to 21, Indonesia's surplus of trade was recorded at EUR1,806 million (2019).

At the same time, with a total investment of US$2.6 billion, the Netherlands is also noted as the fifth biggest investor in Indonesia. It is behind Singapore ($6.5 billion), China ($4.7 billion), Japan ($4.3 billion), and Hong Kong ($2.9 billion).

In the tourism sector, the contribution of Dutch tourists to Indonesia's foreign tourist arrivals cannot also be regarded as "minor" because, last year alone, the Indonesian Embassy in Den Haag noted that there were at least 202,116 Dutch travelers who visited Indonesia.

During their 17.52-day length of stay in 2019, the Dutch tourists averagely spent around US$1,866.

Considering the shared history and stable relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia, they will have more promising relations in the future. And in that context, the Dutch King and Queen's state visit in March needs to be welcomed warmly. (ANTARA)