The wRap Indonesia: Sept. 8, 2014

JAKARTA, Indonesia – The US secretary of state’s message on the 10th anniversary of Munir Said Thalib’s death and the record-setting reshuffle of Jakarta administration employees lead our wrap of stories from Indonesia over the weekend.  

1. US pushes for justice for Munir

Marking the 10th anniversary of the murder of Indonesian human rights activist Munir Said Thalib on Sunday, Sept. 7, US Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement saying they support all efforts to bring those who ordered the assassination to account. “Full accountability for all those allegedly involved remains elusive. In 2004, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recognized that the credible resolution of Munir’s murder case would be a key test of Indonesian democracy. That is still true today,” the statement said. Munir’s widow, Suciwati, has launched a petition on change.org asking President-elect Joko Widodo to do what outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono failed to – bring those responsible for Munir’s death to justice. More than 7,700 people have signed the petition so far. 

2. Jakarta administration reshuffle biggest in Indonesia

The planned reshuffle of more than 2,000 civil servants working for the Jakarta administration will be recorded by the Indonesia Museum of Records (MURI) as the biggest ever in Indonesia. The reshuffle, set to be carried out before President-elect Joko Widodo leaves his post as governor, is aimed at streamlining the bureaucracy and promoting those that deserve to be. The local council has approved downsizing the bureaucracy from 8,009 to 6,826 positions, of which about 40% will be reshuffled, Kompas.com reported.  

3. Social media posts could get another user in trouble 

In the wake of the controversy surrounding the Yogyakarta student who was briefly detained and charged with defamation over a social media post critical of the city, a Twitter user in Bandung could face the same fate. Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil said he is planning to report the user behind Twitter account name @kemalsept for defamation, after it sent out a series of tweets saying Bandung was a city of “garbage” and full of prostitutes. One of the tweets also said the mayor was engaged in homosexual activity with a local rock star. Full story from the Jakarta Globe. (READ: Di balik kasus Florence, ada ancaman untuk kita semua?)

4. Partial closure for Surabaya international airport likely for military exercise

Airport authorities are advising passengers that the Juanda International Airport in Surabaya could be partially closed for 2 weeks from Sept. 26 to Oct 7, 2014, in order to accommidate 219 military aircraft and exercises in preparation for the 69th anniversary of the Indonesian National Army (TNI) on Oct. 5. The partial closures will likely affect flights scheduled in the morning until 2 p.m., though there is a chance the airport would be fully closed on Oct. 3-4, Tribunnews.com reported.  

5. Australian tourist dies surfing in Lombok, another missing in Bali

A 54-year-old Australian man has reportedly died after being hit by a wave while surfing in Lombok. In Bali, the search for Australian surfer Peter James Alexander Maynard, 46, who has been missing since Aug. 28, continues. He is reportedly believed to have gone gone surfing before disappearing from Nusa Lembongan Island.