Pressure to hold an extraordinary congress is mounting among cadres of the National Awakening Party (PKB). There are indications that Yenny Wahid and Yaqut Cholil Qoumas are gathering support to take over the position of general chair. Muhaimin Iskandar is maneuvering, asking for the support of the Presidential Palace and grooming his older brother to lead the party.

The Bank Indonesia Liquidity Assitance (BLBI) Asset Recovery Task Force found at least a dozen problems when identifying assets belonging to 48 obligors. They plan to hunt down these assets all the way abroad.

The Indonesian Ombudsman finally intervened in the rice import polemic last March. Agency Chair Mokhammad Najih said the government’s planned rice import ahead of the prime harvest season had discomposed the public, particularly farmers, while in fact the import would not become necessary until May. Moreover, the agency also found maladministration in the policy making process. Najih added that the Ombudsman had strengthened its role in helping improve the public service quality. In addition to following through with public reports and complaints, it will continue to enhance oversight of the ministries and state agencies. The focus of the watchdogs’ new board will be on economic development issues and their impact on public services. Najih also highlighted the need to expand his agency’s authority.

Weekly News Summary.

Yopie Hidayat (Contributor)

Cartoon: Yuyun Nurrachman

Readers write the importance of common space for resident collective activities in Slipi and chaos in the traffic light location in Garut, West Java.

Recreating Silicon Valley is not as easy as turning the back of one’s hand. Without a solid ecosystem in place, the Algorithm Hill project in Sukabumi, West Java, could well be mere business cunning out to grab tax deductions and import duty waivers while establishing a special economic zone.

Taman Mini reflects the view that life is only the status quo—as though in every phenomena, every difference, there is only the everlasting.

Children playing with bamboo cannons in Kampak village, Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung Islands, Tuesday, April 13, at dawn. The bamboo cannon, made using carbide and water, is a traditional toy usually played during the fasting month of Ramadan. ANTARA/Anindira Kintara

SOUTHEAST Asia has faced numerous human rights violations and abuses, ranging from the worst crimes against the Rohingya and other religious and ethnic minorities in Myanmar to extra-judicial killings in the Philippines under President Duterte’s administration. Many enforced disappearances have also occurred across the region, along with violence against human rights and democracy defenders, attacks on freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression, and some other incidents. 

It does not mean the region has no institution that addresses human rights issues. Since 2009, member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have had the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights or AICHR. But critics said this body has been ineffective and ‌incapable of protecting human rights in the region. 

To commemorate the International Human Rights Day on December 10, TEMPO TALKS presents Yuyun Wahyuningrum, the representative of Indonesia to AICHR who will explain about human rights problems in the region and how her organization addresses the issue on TEMPO TALKS