VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Countries in the world still need to be vigilant and alert to the threat of the Corona virus which has hit for more than a year. Now vigilance must even be increased by the spread of a new variant of Covid 19. India, one of the most populous countries, is currently suffering greatly from the Covid 19 attack, both old and new variants. When the calamity caused by the old Covid 19 virus has not been resolved, now the situation is exacerbated by a new variant attack that has been detected more vicious. The second wave of the Covid pandemic has indeed hit the country.

In India, hospitals are unable to accommodate the number of infected and there is a shortage of medicine and oxygen. Even the crematorium is no longer able to burn the bodies of the victims. As a result, empty parking lots and fields have to be used to cremate corpses who died from Covid. Besides being sad, the sight can certainly cause horror, especially for foreigners.

The tragedy in India has now penetrated its closest neighbor , Nepal. This small country in the Himalayan region must fight hard to escape from this invisible virus attack. But the vigilance isn't just for India's closest South Asian neighbor. The new Covid variant has now been detected in 17 countries. The World Health Organization, WHO, noted this development in light of the 1,200 case reports on the GISAID global science initiative data. Without mentioning details, WHO in its weekly report cited by various media said that samples of new Covid infections uploaded to the GIASID website mostly came from India, UK, United States and Singapore,

This information certainly makes a number of countries even more alert. Australia, for example, has banned the entry of flights from India. Indonesia also does not want to be off guard due to the undetected entry of Indian citizens. Vigilance at airports, which are the entry points for passengers of foreign nationals, especially India, is increased.

The catastrophe caused by the Covid 19 pandemic is not over yet, in various countries it is even increasing. In India, for example, the government and its people, who had previously experienced a decrease in cases, are now panicking because of the soaring number of infected and dead, and the very minimum health services.

The world does not only have to be vigilant, but must  try together to overcome this pandemic. Developed countries must provide assistance to those in need, such as India, which is currently hit by the crisis. The multilateral effort for cooperation in the procurement of the Covid19 vaccine is one of the efforts that must be increased.

Myanmar senior general Min Aung Hlaing is rumored to be attending the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta on April 24. If so, this will be Min Aung Hlaing's first overseas visit since the military's takeover of power in Myanmar on February 1. General Min Aung Hlaing is chairman of the Myanmar State Administration Council, or the de facto government leader. He is also the Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces. Many then concluded that General Min Aung Hlaing was the mastermind behind the coup that led to the prolonged demonstrations in Myanmar at this time.

Will the plan for the General's arrival be realized? Of course, this is yet to be seen, although not for long.

But on the other hand, pressure from human rights activists has strengthened to ASEAN leaders. Asia Justice and Rights, for example, assessed that Hlaing's presence needed to be criticized because his bloody maneuvers had claimed many victims. Hlaing's coup against the elected government led by pro-democracy group Aung San Suu Kyi left at least 737 people dead as of last Monday (19/4), according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma.

The question is, will the upcoming meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) end the bloodshed in Myanmar?

However, this could be an opportunity for ASEAN member states to urge military rule in Myanmar to stop violence against civilians and restore the democratic process. As part of ASEAN, the forcible takeover of power by the military that took place in Myanmar is certainly of concern to the international community. ASEAN's response is very significant in the context of maintaining the continuity of democratization in Myanmar. How ASEAN maintains politics in the Southeast Asian region is eagerly awaited. It's just that there is a principle of non-interference which has been a hindrance. Even so, it is said that this principle can still be flexible within the boundaries of other ASEAN principles, especially those related to national sovereignty and consensus. It is hoped that ASEAN can propose diplomatic initiatives in the form of dialogue and communication with the military junta in Myanmar. Not to interfere in domestic affairs, but to maintain security in the region.

ASEAN leaders should be able to make the most of this opportunity and produce an important agreement that will lead to peace in the Southeast Asian Region.

Indonesian Trade Ministry keeps encouraging the export of Indonesian small and medium businesses products into the global market. One of which was by using international trade agreement. That was stated by Deputy Minister of Trade Ministry, Jerry Sambuaga virtually during the 500k Eksportir Baru conference on Monday (19/4).

He said that President Joko Widodo instructed the Ministry of Trade to prioritize the finalization of international trade negotiations with potential countries. This is because Indonesia is transforming into a high-value products producer country which requires new markets outside of traditional countries or main trade partners.

Deputy Minister, Jerry Sambuaga added that Indonesia is finishing 23 international trade agreements. The small and medium business owners can use optimally various eases and facilities from the agreement in exporting their products. In addition, the small and medium businesses can also use the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Centre in promoting their products abroad. Currently, the Ministry of Trade has five FTA Centres in some cities namely Jakarta, Medan, Bandung, Surabaya, and Makassar.

Also, the ministry has 46 trade representatives abroad such as Trade Attaché, Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre, Trade Consul, Trade and Economy Office, as well as ambassadors in the World Trade Organization -WTO. The business owners can then contact the trade representatives to promote the products. Those trade representatives are assigned to explore trade agreements with buyers abroad.

On the same occasion, Director General of National Export Development, Kasan said that currently the exported Indonesian small medium business products are furniture, fishery, knitwork, and fruits. He also said that by optimally using various policies including the international trade agreement, it is expected that their export market reach can expand and Indonesian exported products can have more variations.

Jemunak is a typical culinary for breaking the fasting of Magelang people. It is quite unique, namely Jemunak. Indeed, it takes much time to make the culinary.  So, it is sometimes boring. Therefore, it takes patience and diligence in the process of making it. To make it, glutinous rice and cassava are grated, then it is cooked in a different place. After it is half cooked, the two ingredients are mixed and stacked until soft. Then, just cook them again until they are completely cooked. After it is well-cooked, the dough is given brown sugar and a sprinkling of grated coconut. If it is going to be marketed, this culinary is usually wrapped in coconut or banana leaves.  

Jemunak tastes sweet, because there is a liquid brown sugar called 'Kinco'. This sweetness is mixed with the savory taste of the dough made of yams and glutinous rice. This combination of flavors makes Jemunak taste more delicious. Besides being delicious, this culinary is liked by many people, because it can immediately restore your stamina after a day of fasting.  

Previously, Jemunak was only made in one place, namely at Mbah Mulyodinomo's house in Karaharjan Hamlet, Gunung Pring Muntilan Village, Magelang. From generation to generation, the grandfather's family inherited the Jemunak-making skills. However, now Jemunak is completely produced by many residents of Magelang. Thus, it is easy to find out this culinary in the month of Ramadan. The price of Jemunak  is Rp. 2000 to Rp. 3000 per pack.