The wRap Indonesia: Nov. 10, 2014

JAKARTA, Indonesia – President Joko Widodo’s debut on the international stage and the shocking sexual abuse of 27 boys by a religion teacher in Tasikmalaya lead our wrap of stories from Indonesia over the weekend.  

1. Jokowi promises to ease business licensing at APEC Summit

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo promised to address the difficulties faced by foreign investors in Indonesia in his maiden international speech on Monday morning, November 10, at the APEC Summit in Beijing, China. He also emphasized his push for a one-stop business licensing service in the country, Tempo.co reported. The rest of the day will see bilateral meetings with US President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. 

On Sunday, Jokowi had a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Ke-qiang, where he reportedly said he wanted the strategic partnership between the two nations to take more concrete forms so it could benefit the people. Jokowi is on the first leg of his 9-day international trip, which will take him from the APEC Summit in Beijing to the ASEAN Summit in Myanmar on November 12 and the G20 Summit on November 15.   

2. Islamic religion teacher admits to sexually abusing 27 students

He was abused as a child too, 25-year-old Islamic religion teacher Asep Kamaludin told police in Tasikmalaya, West Java, on Saturday, November 8, in order to explain why he sexually abused 27 boys at the Islamic elementary school he was teaching in. The abuses, he admitted, started in 2008, when he was still a university student.

Often, he told police, he would ask students to stay at his house for additional lessons. This was where the abuse would take place. He would either lure the students with good grades to keep them silent or threaten their parents. But on November 5, he was reported by two parents whose children had allegedly been raped, leading to his arrest.   

3. Indonesia migrant workers rally for Hong Kong murder victims

“I hope the killer will be punished and feel what my cousin was suffering,” one woman, who said she was a relative of Sumarti Ningsih, told some 200 migrant workers gathered on Sunday in Hong Kong for a vigil to mourn Sumarti and Seneng Mujiahsih –  the two young Indonesian women who were brutally slain in the Chinese territory. The alleged killer, 29-year-old British banker Rurik Jutting, has been charged with grisly murders. 

Activists have also accused Indonesian authorities of doing little to help the victims’ families. “We are all migrant workers and want protection of our rights. We demand our government make sure all migrant workers abroad are protected,” one community leader said during Sunday’s vigil.

4. IDR10 rides on Transjakarta for Heroes Day

To commemorate Heroes Day on Monday, all Jakartans can enjoy a Transjakarta ride for only IDR10 ($1 = IDR12,140). However, this only applies to those who use the new e-ticketing service, according to Transjakarta chief Pargaulan. Transjakarta’s new logo will also formally be launched on Monday by Acting Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. “The acting governor will hand over the IDR50 million ($4,120) prize for the winner of Transjakarta logo competition,” Transjakarta director Antonius NS Kosasih told Kompas.com.

5. Bandung Mayor shaves head to celebrate Persib win, starts trend

Thanks you wat #botak day’ny .. @ridwankamil , @farhandeltafm , @nico siahaan ..moga persib musim depn lbh baik lg.. pic.twitter.com/qeYSgrpKTg

— misterdrix28 (@misterdrix28) November 9, 2014

To celebrate Persib Bandung’s winning of the 2014 Indonesia Super League title on Friday, November 7 – a title they waited 19 years to regain – Bandung Mayor Ridwan “Emil” Kamil fulfilled his promise to shave his head. “My hair will easily grow again. Within a month, it will be back to the way it used to be,” he said, as quoted by Kompas.com. Other popular presenters followed suit, such as Muhammad Farhan and Nico Siahaan, who said shaving one’s head has a philosophical meaning, representing Persib’s return to the a starting point again. – Rappler.com