VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The wave of protests against the military coup in Myanmar shows no signs of abating. The ongoing rallies  in the country are the largest since the Saffron Revolution against a military regime in 2007 led by a line of Buddhist monks dressed in orange. Mass protests, marked by a movement of civil disobedience, have recently been met with a show of force by the military.

According to the BBC until Wednesday (3/3/2021), at least 50 people were reportedly killed since the upheaval against the coup on February 1.

The neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) have also started calling for the military to hold back repressive actions against demonstrators. In overcoming the crisis in Myanmar, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers are working to promote dialogue between detained Leader, Aung San Suu Kyi and the military junta. This is a formidable challenge, because the ASEAN is bound by a consensus-based decision-making mechanism not to interfere with the domestic affairs of each member country.

Even so, the initiative must be taken because confrontation and bloodshed will have a serious impact on ASEAN's stability and reputation. In the virtual meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers on March 2, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi expressed deep concerns about developments in Myanmar. According to Minister Retno, if not resolved immediately, it will threaten regional peace and security. It was emphasized that all ASEAN countries have an obligation to maintain a conducive situation in the region.

The current condition of Myanmar could be a stumbling block for ASEAN in creating peace in the region. Yet, on the other hand, it could also be an opportunity to show that ASEAN is a solid group of Southeast Asian countries and can solve its own problems.

Safety and security for the people of Myanmar is of the utmost importance at this moment, besides peace of course. Likewise, other ASEAN member countries want a safe and peaceful situation in the region. Hopefully, ASEAN can take the best steps so that the Myanmar problem can be resolved immediately without causing many victims.

The Indonesian Embassy in Rome, Italy in collaboration with the Indonesian Language Development and Development Agency (BPPB) of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, is holding online course classes at the basic level of Indonesian for Italian citizens. A total of 24 Italian participants took this online course for about three months until May 2021. The course opened last Friday (26/2). The participants come from various backgrounds, such as parliamentarians, lecturers, employees, and students. This online Indonesian language course is the first program for the Indonesian Embassy in Rome. During the course, the participants will learn Indonesian for 50 hours of lessons, with teaching twice a week. In Italy, formal teaching of Indonesian has been carried out at the University of Napoli L'Orientale since 1964 through courses in Indonesian language and literature.

IPB University, Gadjah Mada University and Bandung Institute of Technology have collaborated with three universities in the UK within the framework of the UK-Indonesia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Sciences (UKICIS).

The signing of the collaboration related to the development of the corona virus variant research was carried out virtually last Thursday (25/2). The three UK universities which are involved in this collaboration are the University of Warwick, Conventry University and the University of Nottingham. Minister of Research and Technology / Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency, Prof. Bambang PS Brodjonegoro expressed his support and appreciation for the strong collaboration between six universities in the UK and Indonesia, as well as the Indonesian diaspora in the UK which are members of UKICIS. Furthermore, Prof. Bambang said that Indonesia learned a lot from research development in the UK and got references from United Kingdom Research and Innovation. He hopes that this collaboration can be an inspiration to increase bilateral cooperation in the fields of science and innovation.

The Indonesian government is trying to increase the interest of European entrepreneurs to invest in the country, along with the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the enactment of the Job Creation Act. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said it in a virtual seminar themed, "Investing in Indonesia: Opportunities in Asia's Economic Powerhouse", held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, last Thursday, February 25.

During the seminar Airlangga Hartarto said Indonesia's economy was gradually recovering due to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, including the procurement and distribution of vaccines. According to him, Indonesia has secured vaccines for 182 million people out of a total population of 270 million.

Hartato added that Indonesia is also carrying out structural reforms, especially by implementing the Job Creation Law to boost competitiveness and create a more friendly business climate. The law, which came into effect in November 2020, includes cross-sectoral policies including environmental conservation, investment ecosystem, business licensing and ease of doing business, labor standards, taxation, and support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Airlangga Hartarto claims that the enactment of the law and its derivative regulations can support Indonesia's economic growth as well as pay attention to environmental sustainability and workers' rights. He emphasized that as the largest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has a target of doubling the percentage of investment from Europe which currently only covers 10 percent of total investment to ASEAN countries, based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the same occasion, the Director General of America and Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ngurah Swajaya, said the strategy that will be carried out is to directly target potential sectors, to intensify marketing and assistance. The government is aware of this. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Investment Coordinating Board took the initiative to collaborate with all stakeholders to systematically target potential sectors to be promoted throughout 2021 in Europe.

Six priority sectors that will be targeted and have the potential to increase investment in Indonesia are chemicals, e-commerce, electronics, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, food and beverages, and garments. The Investing in Indonesia Seminar was attended by more than 400 investors and potential investors from Europe.

This tourism object, which is located in Japan Village, Dawe District, Kudus Regency, is believed to have various health benefits. The location of the tourism attraction of Air Tiga Rasa or known as Air Tiga Rasa Rejenu is located in the Sheikh Syadzali Tomb complex. To go to this location, visitors only need to cover a distance of about 20 kilometers from the center of Kudus City. After arriving in Japan Village, tourists who drive cars can park at the parking lot and continue the journey about 2 kilometers by motorcycle taxi.

According to the local people's beliefs, the water from Air Tiga Rasa Rejenu has different tastes and benefits. This first water source has a slightly sour taste, which is believed to cure various diseases. The second source of water tastes like soft drinks in general. The benefit of this second water source is that it can raise self-confidence for the visitors who drink it. Meanwhile, the third spring has a strong taste like liquor. The water from this third spring has the benefit of facilitating good fortune. But when the three kinds of water are mixed, it will produce water with a fresh taste.

Even though the Air Tiga Rasa Rejenu tourism attraction is in the middle of a forest and at the top of the hill of Mount Muria, which does not yet have electricity, visitors can still enjoy the various facilities available, for example, motorcycle taxis for those who do not want to walk, food stalls that are open 24 hours, simple lodging rooms, prayer rooms, and bathrooms.