VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Beware Human Trafficking amid Covid-19 Pandemic - Editorial                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Security Magazine

Cross-country crime threat is a global issue amid Covid-19 pandemic. An organized cross-country crime that is under the highlight during the pandemic is trafficking in persons. According to the United Nations, the traffickers are targeting migrant workers who lose their job to school drop-outs. Global economic slowdown made many people lose their jobs, including the migrant workers. This condition is very prone to be exploited by transnational criminal organizations.

According to data from the UN, many from 164 million migrant workers globally are stranded in foreign countries and they cannot return to their home countries, or even do not seek help because of country lockdown and tight immigration policy. Then these people are vulnerable to be human trafficking victims. Meanwhile, Statistics Indonesia (BPS) recorded that there were 276,553 Indonesian migrant workers abroad in 2019. This data covers only migrant workers abroad with official documents.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many Indonesian migrant workers abroad were affected. Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry data showed there are two affected groups of Indonesian migrant workers namely ship crews, especially on cruises and migrant workers with limited mobility. Indonesian migrant workers in 16 countries were affected by mobility limitation policy.

Then, what is Indonesia's effort in protecting their migrant workers abroad from organized transnational criminal groups?

Indonesia has already enough legal basis to protect their citizens, especially the migrant workers from trafficking in persons. Indonesia has Law No. 8/2017 on Migrant Worker Protection. This law becomes a form of Indonesia's presence in providing service and protection for every migrant worker.

Still, the implementation of this law requires partnership from all. This partnership includes tight cooperation with law enforcer, private sector, labor union, recruitment agency, and bodies that monitor worker departure. International cooperation is also necessary to be increased, in order to prevent the transnational criminal organizations.

The Indonesian Embassy in Rabat Holds a Mini Exhibition: The Beauty of Indonesian Batik                                                                                                                                KBRI RABAT

Indonesian representatives in Rabat, Morocco celebrated the National Batik Day by holding a Mini Exhibition: The Beauty of Indonesian Batik on 9 October. Quoted from the website of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (13/10), this event was attended by at least 19 invitees, including the Japanese Ambassador, Senegalese Ambassador, Moroccan citizens and students from some countries.

Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Hasrul Azwar in his opening speech said that Batik is one of the assets of the Indonesian nation in international cooperation. The values of creativity, patience and tradition that are reflected in the culture of making batik are national assets that need to be preserved and developed. In addition, Batik has also a competitive economic value. Apart from the Batik exhibition, the activity was also filled with making batik demonstrations and Angklung music performances by the Indonesian Student Association in Morocco. Some of the invited guests who were present were interested in trying to make Batik and play the Angklung musical instrument. At the end of the activity, the guests were treated to a variety of Indonesian special cuisine, such as satay and fried rice.

One of the Yemeni students who attended said that he was very impressed with the culture displayed and wanted to be able to visit Indonesia. Moroccan health protocols limit the gathering of no more than 20 people in one activity. For this reason, the Indonesian Embassy in Rabat also broadcasted this activity virtually via Zoom and Youtube to provide an opportunity for those who could not attend due to these restrictions.

Bajuin Waterfall - South Kalimantan                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  KSMtour

Bajuin Waterfall is located in Sungai Bakar Village, Pelaihari District about 10 kilometers from Tanah Laut Regency or 75 kilometers from Banjarmasin, the provincial capital of South Kalimantan. During the trip to the natural tourist area of Bajuin, you will be presented with a beautiful natural panorama in the form of green hills and expanses of rice fields around the hills. Arriving at this tourism area, you have to pass through the gate. From the gate the journey continues by foot, climbing through the stairs, which takes about 40 minutes to the waterfall. However, if you cannot climb the path to the waterfall, you can enjoy lake panorama of Telaga Alam. You can take a bathe or just take pictures in this lake. 

Bajuin has the charm of a beautiful waterfall and the air is very cool and fresh, because many trees grow around this area. In this location there are actually four waterfalls with different heights. The nearest waterfall has 25 meters high, the second waterfall is about 17 meters high, the third waterfall is about 37 meters high, and the fourth waterfall is about 18 meters high. In these four waterfalls you can take a bathe and take fun photos. Because this waterfall is located in the Meratus Forest, you can also do natural ecotourism activities, such as trekking, climbing, and hiking.

After enjoying the coolness and freshness of Bajuin Waterfall, you don't have to go home immediately, you also can visit to Marble Cave near the Waterfall site. This cave has its own uniqueness, which is on the walls of the cave there are many marble stones that are used for home tiles. The shape of the cave is unique, like a mosque dome. 

Central Java Governor - Ganjar Pranowo                                                                                                                                                                                                                              VOI-NK

Governor of Central Java, Ganjar Pranowo said that the Central Java provincial government is preparing for a potential tsunami on the southern coast of Java with various contingency plans as well as outreach and education to the people in the area. This was done based on the earthquake activity recorded from various sources including the Meteorology, Climatology, Geophysics Agency, BMKG. The signs of a tsunami have been known to have potential in the Indian Ocean through research some time ago, which then raised questions regarding the megathrust in the Indian Ocean covering the central and southern parts of Java. So it is important to pay attention to these danger zone areas. This was said by Ganjar Pranowo, during a virtual discussion on Disaster Risk Reduction Month Commemoration, as reported by Antara in Jakarta, Monday (12/10)

Governor Ganjar Pranowo said that the readiness to face a tsunami on the south coast of Java was not sufficient only with contingency plans and socialization, but also preparation of evacuation routes and temporary shelters. These efforts are being prepared, including in areas that have been mapped, including Cilacap, Kebumen, Purworejo and Wonogiri. The Governor said there were more than 600 thousand people threatened by a tsunami in the four regions.

On the other hand, education for the local community is also an important point in disaster preparedness. Take for example in Japan, the damage caused by the tsunami can be minimized by the presence of many trees. This has been monitored in Kebumen where there are Sea Pine or Shrimp Pine trees that have grown lush and tall. According to Governor Ganjar, if the areas in the southern part are planted with lots of trees, this might be help prevent the worse impact of the tsunami. Furthermore, the Governor said, tsunami disaster mitigation also includes an alarm that functions when the system receives information or warnings.