The wRap Indonesia: March 11, 2015

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The wRap Indonesia: March 11, 2015

AFP

National Narcotics Agency's drug statistics lower than Jokowi's, plan to increase funding for political parties, police burn 3.3 tons of marijuana in open field, and more

JAKARTA, Indonesia – In today’s wrap of stories from Indonesia, what the National Narcotics Agency’s official drug statistics are and a controversial proposal to increase state funding for political parties.

1. National Narcotics Agency’s drug statistics lower than Jokowi’s 

The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) on Tuesday, March 10, said an estimated 4 million Indonesians were illegal drug users, slightly lower than the 4.5 million figure President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo often cites to support his claims of Indonesia being in a state of emergency. BNN also said an estimated 33 Indonesians were dying every day because of drug use, lower than the 40 to 50 figure Jokowi cites. Bachtiar Tambunan, the deputy chief for community empowerment at BNN, said Jokowi’s figures were based on data from a few years back. But he maintained that Indonesia’s drug situation was in a state of emergency, with children as young as 10 years old having been identified as drug users. Read the full story from the Jakarta Globe. 

2. Increase funding for political parties to prevent graft? Activists don’t agree 

Activists are not seeing eye to eye with Indonesian politicians over a proposal to increase the annual state funding of political parties to a maximum of IDR1 trillion ($76.75 million) – an amount several times higher than the IDR13.78 billion the government allocated the 10 political parties in the legislature this year. Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo, a senior politician from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the move would help reduce corruption. “Funding from the government is needed so that cadres don’t have to look for other sources of funding,” Tjahjo said, according to Tempo.co.  But Indonesia Corruption Watch told the Jakarta Post political parties should first prove that they were worthy of more financial support from the state by taking measures to curb corrupt practices among their members.  

3. West Jakarta Police burn 3.3 tons of marijuana in open field 

The idea was to make a public spectacle of destroying confiscated illegal drugs to show how serious they are in combatting drug trafficking. Members of the West Jakarta Police took out 3.3 tons of marijuana from their evidence room, gathered it all in an open field, covered their faces with masks, and set it all on fire. The problem was they didn’t provide masks for the members of the media they invited to cover it and other civilian spectators. And they didn’t realize winds would carry the marijuana fumes into nearby homes in Palmerah, West Jakarta. Kompas.com reported that journalists and residents later complained of dizziness. 

4. Agung’s Golkar faction cozies up to ruling coalition; Bakrie files police report 

FORGED? Golkar politician Idrus Marham, who supports Aburizal Bakrie, shows reporters the document they claim was forced by Agung Laksono's camp to gain legitimacy. Photo by Gatta Dewabrata/Rappler

Despite the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights’ decision on Tuesday to recognize the legitimacy of the Golkar Party faction under Agung Laksono, the controvery dividing one of the country’s oldest and largest political parties is far from over. The Golkar faction supporting Aburizal “Ical” Bakrie on Wednesday filed a police report accusing Agung of forging a mandate document from the party’s Regional Representative Councils (DPD). Meanwhile, Agung’s faction has already said Golkar is leaving the opposition coalition led by former presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. Agung has reportedly already met with the chairwoman of the ruling party, PDI-P, Megawati Sukarnoputri, and now wants to meet with NasDem Party Chairman Surya Paloh. Read the full story in Bahasa Indonesia on Rappler

5. Students use social media to fight hard-liners disrupting ‘The Look of Silence’ screening 

 

A student-organized screening of the controversial film The Look of Silence in Yogyakarta on Wednesday morning was disrupted by individuals believed to be from the hard-line groups Forum Umat Islam (FUI) and Front Anti Komunis Indonesia (FAKI). This was not the first time a public screening of the film about Indonesia’s 1965-66 anti-communist massacre has been disrupted, but this time the students of Islamic State University (UIN) Jogjakarta decided to fight back. Using the hashtag #jogjamelawan (Jogja fights back), students and activists live-tweeted the event and the demonstration. The screening was finally allowed to proceed despite the rejection of the campus’ own rector, who tried to stop the event and make the students watch religious movies instead. Read the full story in Bahasa Indonesia on Rappler. – Rappler.com

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