VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Egypt's current Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN Osama Abdekhalek, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia, Palestinian UN envoy Riyad H. Mansour, and Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun interact on the day of a meeting of Members of the United Nations Security Council for voting on a proposal to demand that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip at UN headquarters in New York on Dec 19, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton) -- 

UNITED NATIONS: A United Nations Security Council vote on a bid to boost aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip has been delayed by another day as talks continue to try and avoid a third US veto of action over the two-month long Israel-Hamas war, diplomats said on Tuesday (Dec 19).

The 15-member council was initially going to vote on a resolution - drafted by the United Arab Emirates - on Monday. But it has repeatedly been delayed as diplomats say the UAE and the US struggle to agree on language citing a cessation of hostilities and a proposal to set up UN aid monitoring. 

When asked if they were getting close to an agreement, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Tuesday: "We're trying, we really are."

The draft resolution would demand Israel and Hamas allow and facilitate land, sea and air deliveries of aid to and throughout the Gaza Strip and ask the United Nations to monitor humanitarian assistance arriving in the Palestinian enclave.

Diplomats said the United States wants to tone done language that "calls for the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas.

Washington traditionally shields its ally Israel from any Security Council action. It had already twice vetoed Security Council action since an Oct 7 attack by Hamas that Israel says killed 1,200 people and saw 240 people taken hostage.

Israel has retaliated against Hamas by bombarding Gaza from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground offensive. Nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials. U.N. officials warn of a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza with the majority of the coastal Palestinian enclave's 2.3 million people driven from their homes.

Diplomats said that Washington is also unhappy with a proposal in the UAE draft resolution that asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to establish a monitoring mechanism in Gaza "to exclusively monitor all humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza provided through land, sea and air routes of those states that are not parties to the conflict."

Limited humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries have crossed into Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt, subjected to monitoring by Israel, but UN officials and aid workers say it comes nowhere near to satisfying the most basic needs of Gazans.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Tuesday that on Sunday 102 aid trucks and four tankers of fuel had entered Gaza via the Rafah and 79 trucks entered Gaza via Kerem Shalom.

"This is well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel and private sector goods) that entered every working day prior to 7 October," it said in a statement.

Earlier this month the 193-member UN General Assembly demanded a humanitarian ceasefire, with 153 states voting in favour of the move that had been vetoed by the United States in the Security Council days earlier.

A seven-day pause - during which Hamas released some hostages, some Palestinians were freed from Israeli jails and there was an increase in aid to Gaza - had ended on Dec 1//CNA-VOI

Indonesians head to the polls on Feb 14, 2024, in what has been called the world's biggest single-day elections. (File photo: Reuters/Willy Kurniawan) - 

SINGAPORE/JAKARTA: Indonesia’s financial intelligence government agency has found suspicious transactions involving trillions of rupiah related to the upcoming legislative elections. The transactions – one trillion rupiah is about US$64.4 million – implicate thousands of individuals with “various political affiliates”, said the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK).

"We have observed irregularities that signal potential illicit payments,” PPATK head Ivan Yustiavandana told local media.

“We are talking trillions, we are talking very large numbers, we are talking thousands of names, we are talking about all political parties.” 

The discovery occurs ahead of over 204 million Indonesians casting their votes on Feb 14, 2024 in what has been called the world's biggest single-day elections. 

Besides a new president and vice-president, Indonesians will also elect about 20,000 national, provincial and regency level parliamentary members, as well as senators. 

In November next year, Indonesians will elect their governors, regents and mayors.

PPATK did not name any candidates involved but said the investigation was into the accounts of people listed as registered legislative candidates.

According to the Jawa Pos news site, suspicions began when the PPATK noticed the special campaign fund accounts (RKDK) of parties, which are used to finance political campaigns, were relatively stagnant, if not flat.

Political parties are required to provide initial campaign fund reports and special campaign fund accounts (RKDK) to Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU) no later than 14 days after they are determined as election participants, according to the commission’s website.

An RKDK account for campaigning parties must be set up before the campaign period, which began on Nov 28, and closes after the counting of votes ends.

While the RKDKs remained relatively stagnant, the financial intelligence agency noticed significant transactions in other accounts of the registered legislative candidates, which reached trillions of rupiah and dramatically increased in the second half of this year.  

"This indicates a discrepancy. We wonder, where does the financing come from if the RKDK is not active?" Mr Ivan reportedly said. 

President Joko Widodo on Tuesday instructed law enforcement agencies to follow up on the findings of PPATK, according to Tempo. 

“Everything must be done according to the existing rules … According to the rules, there will be legal procedures,” he said. 

The discovery has highlighted the “power of money” in Indonesia’s elections, an anti-corruption official told CNA.

According to research by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), success in legislative and regional head elections is 95.5 per cent determined by money, said Mr Amir Arief, the commission’s director of Anti-Corruption Socialisation and Campaign//CNA-VOI

President Joko Widodo heads to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Wednesday (December 20, 2023). ANTARA/HO-Biro Pers Sekretariat Presiden - 

Voinews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo, along with a limited entourage, departed for East Kalimantan Province to inspect and launch several development projects at the development site of the new capital (IKN) Nusantara.

The Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat stated on Wednesday that Widodo departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta, aboard the Indonesia-1 Presidential Aircraft for Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport, Balikpapan City.

Jaya Military Commander Major General Mohamad Hasan and Jakarta Metropolitan Police Chief Inspector General Karyoto, among others, sent off the head of state at the air base.

Earlier, on Tuesday the president said he was scheduled to once again visit Nusantara to review projects being carried out and participate in groundbreaking ceremonies of several infrastructure construction projects.

"Yes, on Wednesday, there will be groundbreaking events for several projects that will be worked on by the private sector and the government," he remarked after officiating Otista Bridge in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday.

Widodo highlighted that all parties had expressed enthusiasm in developing various facilities in several zones in Indonesia's future capital city, including the business zone, health zone, and sports zone.

He stated that several groundbreaking events had been held and would continue to be conducted in a bid to encourage all parties to immediately initiate the construction process.

It should be noted that President Widodo has personally launched various projects in Nusantara, such as the Presidential and Vice Presidential Palace, ministerial residence, housing for civil servants and security apparatus, a national football training center, an airport, as well as several hospitals and schools.

The National Capital Authority (OIKN) stated that the next groundbreaking ceremonies in Nusantara will be held on December 20 and 21, thereby commencing the third phase of project groundbreakings in the future city.

"The third phase of groundbreaking at IKN will be carried out on December 20 and 21, 2023," OIKN spokesperson Troy Pantouw noted in a virtual press conference on investment development at IKN on Friday (December 15).

Pantouw explained that the third phase will focus on three sectors: the green sector, the non-state budget funding state institution sector, and the ecosystem to complement the national axis.

Reforestation projects, electricity-based transportation system, hotels, and hospitals, among others, will be launched in the third phase, he stated//ANT-VOI

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas), Arief Prasetyo Adi (second from the right), during a meeting with the Indonesian Ambassador to India, Ina Hagniningtyas Krisnamurthi (second from the left), in New Delhi, India, on Monday (December 18, 2023). (ANTARA/HO-Bapanas/rst) - 

The National Food Agency (Bapanas) is exploring cooperation with India to strengthen food availability and thereby, stabilize food prices in Indonesia. Bapanas head Arief Prasetyo Adi visited New Delhi, India, to discuss the cooperation with the Indonesian Ambassador to India, Ina Hagniningtyas Krisnamurthi.

"The Indonesian government aims to ensure food availability and stabilize food prices for domestic interests and trade balance. This goal requires support from many parties and stakeholders, including the support of friendly countries," Adi said in a statement received on Tuesday.

His visit to India was prompted by the Indian government's restrictions on trade. Indonesia needs rice supplies from India to strengthen domestic rice stocks.

Earlier, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) directed the agency to ensure the availability of Government Rice Reserve (CBP) stock of 3 million tons. As of December 5, 2023, CBP stocks controlled by state-run logistic company Bulog stood at just 1.5 million tons.

"This visit is part of Indonesia's efforts to ensure that food availability in Indonesia comes from the best sources at competitive prices. This visit also aims to optimize cooperation with various parties in providing domestic food," Adi said.

Besides reviewing cooperation related to rice supply, he also persuaded India to fulfill the availability of 150 thousand tons of buffalo meat for domestic needs.

During the meeting, Ambassador Krisnamurthi conveyed the need to increase investment in Indonesia to encourage advanced development.

Besides meeting with the ambassador, Adi was scheduled to visit Lulu Mall and the meat processing industry in Lucknow. He will also go to Aurangabad and Mumbai to complete several agendas related to food in India. 

To maintain food prices in Indonesia, the government is distributing CBP to the community to keep the prices from soaring due to crop harvest failure caused by El Nino//ANT-VOI