March 8, 2016 edition
ON February 21, the government announced a new policy on the use of plastic bags in retail stores: Customers shopping in supermarkets will now be charged Rp200 for every plastic bag they use to carry goods home.
The new law is a concrete step made to minimize the volume of plastic litter on land and in sea. Indonesia is today second only to China in terms of plastic marine pollution.
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More Indicator articles in other editions
March 1, 2016 edition
THE recent uproar over the morality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons was triggered by Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir's comment that people with such sexual orientations were dangerous influences on college campuses and should thus be barred. He later softened his stance.
Such non-hetero sexual orientations, which have existed since the beginning of time, have suddenly captured public attention. Scientists in the country have differing stances. Neurologists consider LGBT orientations to be a natural consequence of genetics that cannot be controlled by willpower. Indonesian psychiatrists, meanwhile, are divided between those who consider LGBT persons as suffering from a mental disorder and those who say the science says otherwise.
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February 23, 2016 edition
THE murder charges against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan have been suspended by the district attorney. The court hearing, which was supposed to be held last Tuesday at Bengkulu District Court, was canceled. The Attorney-General Office (AGO) withdrew the charges a week after documents containing the KPK investigator's case were submitted to the court.
Technically speaking, the case should have been dropped last Thursday, as it had already expired. To paraphrase Paragraph 78 Article 3 and Paragraph 79 of the Criminal Code, a crime with the threat of imprisonment of over three years shall be voided 12 years after it has taken place.
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February 16, 2016 edition
February 9, 2016 edition
THE Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has declared the Gerakan Fajar Nusantara (Gafatar) organization to be one that has 'strayed from the right path'. The Council considers the movement initiated by Ahmad Musadeq to have deviated from Islam because its teachings combine elements of Islam, Christianity and Judaism and interprets the Quran differently.
Gafatar followers also believe a man named Ahmad Musadeq to be the last prophet. It seems the Council's position has influenced the perception of last week's Tempo poll respondents. Of 1,241 respondents, 65 percent agreed that Gafatar should be considered deviant.
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February 2, 2016 edition
NATIONAL Intelligence Agency (BIN) Chief Sutiyoso has requested expanded powers to arrest individuals suspected of terrorist ties. In previous yearsin particular when Sutiyoso was governor of Jakartasuch authority was on the books, and was frequently invoked in the wake of terrorist attacks.
The authorization to make such arrests can only be implemented if Law No. 15/2003 on terrorism is revised. According to Sutiyoso, terrorist attacks could be better thwarted if the agency were authorized to arrest suspects.
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January 26, 2016 edition