VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The issue of Myanmar was discussed at the “High Level Event on Rohingya Crisis” meeting at the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, United States, Thursday (23/9). The United Nations also urged the international community to exert maximum efforts to prevent the conflict in Myanmar from getting worse. As is known, the impact of the situation in Myanmar has even led to a humanitarian crisis, especially for the Rohingya minority group. It is feared that there will be a human rights catastrophe under military rule in the country.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power on February 1, 2021. The coup, which marked the end of a decade of tentative democracy, has sparked anger both at home and abroad over the military's return to power.

Almost every day anti-military junta protests color Myanmar. Security forces resorted to crackdowns to disperse the protests. According to the United Nations, more than 1,000 people have died since the coup.

ANTARA news agency reported that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, condemned the military junta and imposed sanctions on top Myanmar military officials. But critics say the West should take a tougher stance, including imposing an arms embargo. Bachelet said Myanmar had failed to fulfill its agreement with ASEAN to end the violence and start dialogue.

The deteriorating conditions in Myanmar are proof that Myanmar is not able to carry out the commitments it has made with the previous ASEAN leaders.

The world which   is worried about what is happening in Myanmar, should implement strong accountability measures to overcome the Myanmar crisis, especially in the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The international community needs to support and help create an immediate resolution of the political crisis in Myanmar. One way is through the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus which has been agreed upon by the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN). The consensus, among others, agreed to end the violence and start a constructive dialogue between all parties involved in Myanmar. The international community must also redouble its efforts to restore democracy and prevent wider conflict before it is too late.

Foreign investor's trust for Indonesia keeps improving along with the investment grew by 8.3 percent in the second quarter of 2021. That was stated by Minister of Investment / Head of Investment Coordinating Board, Bahlil Lahadalia during the Investment Dialog: "Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery: Attracting Investment via Structural Reformation. This discussion was held online by Eurocham and the Investment Minister / Investment Coordinating Board on Tuesday (21/9).

Minister Bahlil said that in 2021, the investment target was set at Rp 900 trillion and 49.6 percent of it has been realized. From the percentage, foreign direct investment (FDI) was 50.5 percent. It means that the world's trust for Indonesia gradually improves.

Minister Bahlil further remarked that the global improving trust was seen from the European investors in the list of Indonesia's top foreign inventors. Based on the data from the Investment Minister / Investment Coordinating Board, in the first quarter of 2021, Switzerland was one of the top 5 investors in Indonesia. Meanwhile in the second quarter, the Netherlands was the third top investor in Indonesia.

With that achievement, Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said that the government will try to make improvements in a bid to give certainty, ease, transparency, and efficiency for the investors. One of the strategies was the Job Creation Law and the Risk-based Online Single Submission for investment licensing.

On the same occasion, Chairman of Eurocham, Julien Steimer said that some European companies in Indonesia had confirmed their commitment to keep investing in Indonesia. Steimer, on behalf of European companies, also gave appreciation for the total reformation by the Indonesian government in facilitating business between Europe and Indonesia.

He affirmed that Eurocham members are committed to continuing the dialogue and ensuring various European companies to be the right partners for Indonesia in increasing the country's business and economic security.

Indonesian Wonder for today’s edition  would like to introduce  you to one of the typical traditional snacks  of  Betawi people, namely  Dongkal cake. The cake is made from rice flour and palm sugar. At first, Dongkal is made from cassava flour stemming from the cassava tuber. The snack has been introduced since 1940 and it is famous as a breakfast menu. Then, cassava flour began to be difficult to find in the 1970s. So, many people preferred to use rice flour as the main ingredient of making Dongkal cake. In the past, the dish was usually used as a  reception when making Gedeng or ties of harvested dry rice. Dongkal is also often served at traditional events or community mutual assistance. But now, this sweet-savory snack can be enjoyed every day. 

Dongkal is made from rice that is pounded until it becomes flour. Then, the flour is filled with palm sugar and  steamed. The container for steaming Dongkal is a steamer made of woven bamboo like a cone. In Sundanese language, the steamer is called ‘Aseupan’. Then, the steamer is inserted into a steamer called a ‘Seeng’. Its shape is like a cormorant, but  its  center part is slender. While the neck and base are wider.  

After it is well-cooked, the surface forms a mottled pattern of white and brown and it is  formed from the  rice flour and palm sugar. Before it is eaten, the Dongkal is cut into small pieces in order to enjoy it more easily.

Then, the Dongkal will be given a sprinkling of grated coconut, so that it tastes more delicious with a combination of sweet and savory. Usually, Dongkal is eaten as a breakfast menu or an afternoon snack with a cup of warm tea. This dish is relatively cheap. One portion is usually packaged in a box container and it is sold for Rp 10-15 thousand.

Batik as the fabric of the pride of the Indonesian people is increasingly recognized abroad. Various batik clothes were exhibited at the Indopop Movement event in the crowd of Times Square New York, United States, in early September 2021. The Indopop Movement is an activity to introduce all things about Indonesia, from culture, music, culinary to fashion. The three batik brands displayed were Coreta Louise, Hengki Kawilarang, and Batik Trusmi.

A designer, concurrently Daily Chairperson of the Indonesian Batik Foundation, Corea Louise said that activity, such as the Indopop Movement is the right platform to showcase batik. Moreover, this event was held in New York's Time Square, which is the center of the world's capital city. Coreta Louise has also introduced Batik from Indonesia to foreign countries, including on the stage of New York Fashion Week: The Shows. In the fashion show, a number of batik models for women's clothing were displayed, ranging from outer to more formal clothing.

The event also featured traditional Javanese and Balinese wedding dresses, as well as the appearance of Dangdut singer, Fitri Carlina. Coreta Louise with the label Cc by Clo released a collection of 8 spring-summer 2022 on the Indopop Movement 9/9 stage. The batik designed by Cc by Clo is inspired by New York City, United States where the style of the New Yorkers who are very stylish and flexible. Actually, Batik has been very popular with the American people. Various batik shows and exhibitions are often held by the Indonesian government, businesspeople and Indonesian Diasporas to promote batik. At the most famous fashion show, New York Fashion Week, Batik is often exhibited almost every year.