The wRap Indonesia: Dec. 30, 2014

The search for AirAsia QZ8501 continues as South Korea and the United States joins the rescue efforts, Indonesia delays executions for drug convicts and where to celebrate the New Year’s eve in the capital.

1. AirAsia QZ8501 search areas expanded as US sends help

Indonesia widens its search for AirAsia QZ8501 to 13 search zones as the rescue efforts enter Day 3. According to a document released by Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) entitled “Operation Plan for Lost Contact AirAsia PK-AXC Day 3,” Basarnas is expanding its search to the western region of West Kalimantan, south of the island of Belitung, and north of the island of Bangka Belitung.

Around 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea would search around 10,000 square nautical miles. A US warship joined the expanded search on Tuesday. Read the full story on Rappler.com. Follow our LIVE BLOG here. 

2. Celebrate the New Year at Jakarta Night Festival

In its third year in a row, the Jakarta administration will close the main roads of Jalan MH Thamrin to Jalan Sudirman for the Jakarta Night Festival. The festival, which was first initiated by former Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in 2012, will start at 8 pm on Wednesday, December 31 and run until 1 am on January 1, 2015.

There will be 100 performers on 12 stages, with two main stages being set up around the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle. The Jakarta Culture and Tourism Agency has set aside IDR 1 billion (US$80,450) for the annual event. 

3. Is Jakarta safer? Crime rate down, but rape cases increase this year 

The Jakarta Police revealed that crime rates in the capital was down in 2014 but sexual assaults increased. Crime rate in 2014 was down to 5.71 percent compared to the previous year. There were 48,503 criminal acts this year, down from 51,444 in 2013, the Jakarta Police revealed in its end-of-the-year report, released on Monday, December 29. On the other hand, the Jakarta Police recorded a 10.52 percent increase in rape cases this year. There were 57 rape cases last year, compared to 63 so far this year. 

But National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) chairwoman Yuniyanti Chuzaifah said that the numbers might be higher since there are unreported cases because of victims’ reluctance to file police reports, she told the Jakarta Post.

4. AirAsia QZ8501 pilot ‘one of military’s best graduates’

The pilot of AirAsia flight QZ8501 Iriyanto has been described by families and relatives as a warm person and a fighter. He graduated from the Adi Sucipto Air Force pilot school in 1983 and started out his career as an F-5 and F-16 fighter pilot after graduation, according to the Jakarta Post. “He was one of the best graduates,” said Former Coordinating Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, who once trained Iriyanto. Adisucipto Air Base commander First Marshal Yadi I Sutanadika deemed Iriyanto a “smart pilot”. In the 1990s, Iriyanto took early retirement from the military to join commercial airlines. He has served with Adam Air, Merpati Airline and Sriwijaya Airline prior to joining AirAsia. 

5. Indonesia delays executions of drug convicts 

Indonesia’s newly appointed Attorney General HM. Prasetyo said on Monday that the country has delayed the execution of six drug convicts this year. “It’s now December 29. Only two days left (until the end of the year). You can count yourself,” he said as quoted by news portal Okezone.com. The plan earlier was first to execute two drug convicts in the Bali Nine case.

Prasetyo said the reason for the delay is a  2013 Supreme Court ruling that allowed those facing executing to submit a judicial review in their case. One of the convicts has submitted a last minute judicial review after finding out from the media that his name was on the execution list. “The AGO do not want to make mistakes. This is a person’s life. Once executed, we cannot take it back,” Prasetyo said. —Rappler.com