USAID/OTI Indonesia Field Report
December 2001
Program Description
The Office of Transition Initiatives in Indonesia seeks to assist, accelerate, and secure the process of reform and democratization in this enormous island nation. Following thirty years of corrupt autocracy under former President Suharto, Indonesia inaugurated the first freely elected government in the country's history in 1999. This milestone, while very positive, unleashed social, economic, and religious tensions throughout the archipelago which ultimately consumed the Presidency of Wahid, resulting in his impeachment by the Parliament. This Parliament then elevated Vice-President Megawati SukarnoPutri to the Presidency, and named a new Vice President in Hamzah Haz.
OTI programs in Indonesia address some of the most difficult regions and issues in the country. The intent is to assist in the resolution of dangerous regional crises that undermine the country's ability to move forward. Using tools, which vary from media support to governance to reconstruction, OTI is focused on conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution in those crisis areas that have national resonance. Additionally, OTI works on the civilian side of the civil/military equation in supporting reform.
Country Situation
With the passing of Ramadan, Christmas and the New Year, Indonesians have begun to take stock of economic progress and reform efforts and to look ahead to 2002. Numerous editorials in the local press predict a difficult year for the nation and question the apparent lack of direction from the President's office. Serious conflicts are continuing in several areas of the country. December was a particularly difficult month in Ambon (Maluku), Aceh, and Central Sulawesi, and there are few efforts to resolve these problems.
OTI HIGHLIGHTS
A. Narrative Summary
Maluku
The month of December was characterized by renewed violence in one of the most serious incidents in Ambon in several months. On December 11, 2001, a bomb exploded on the Christian passenger boat California in Ambon Bay. At least 11 people were killed and 43 others were injured when the boat sank. The bomb seems to have been placed on the boat before it left the dock, and exploded in the engine room. It was reported, but unconfirmed, that there were explosions in several other locations around the city. A bomb was thrown at the Governor's Office in Ambon drew Christian and Muslim crowds that dispersed wmilitary and police began spraying bullets into the air. Soon after, a crowd of Christians marched to the DPRD Kota Ambon (local parliament) and set fire to the building. This and other violence in Ambon has been largely attributed to the events of September 11th.
In addition to the violence in Ambon, there were isolated incidents of violence in the surrounding islands of Sapura, Haruku, and Buru. The most intense fighting took place in Buru, where on December 7, the village of Ewiri in south Buru was attacked by Muslims and the local population fled into the forest. This led to the displacement of around 850 people. A joint ACF (Action Against Hunger)/MSF (Doctors without Borders) assessment team later reported that most of those IDPs had returned home, but noted that approximately 25 percent of the houses in the village had been destroyed.
On Ambon Island, OTI continued to work to expand neutral space and increase positive interactions between Muslims and Christians. During December, OTI finalized assistance to educational institutions and facilities, as well as to ad hoc community-based movements. OTI is branching out from Ambon Island by funding a number of programs that promote voluntary return to other parts of Maluku. Mercy Corps will work with local NGOs and local communities to reconstruct and rehabilitate schools in Seram and Haruku, communities where voluntary returns are taking place. In addition, in Buano Island of West Seram, where voluntary returns are underway but the public facilities are unprepared to handle them, another NGO, Yayasan Manusela, will rehabilitate the public elementary school and construct a neutral meeting facility.
North Maluku
North Maluku remains calm, and displaced people continue to return to their villages. Approximately 47,000 IDPs have returned to their place of origin. Some communities, such as North Ternate and Loloda, are requesting that the government of North Maluku begin reconstructing school buildings and provide teachers. Ternate remains a sticking point because there are still 43,225 Muslim displaced persons remaining in the area, making it impossible for Christians displaced from the city and living in other parts of North Maluku, to return.
OTI continues to give material support for housing reconstruction. Material for Loloda District will arrive in January and material for Ibu District will arrive at the beginning of February. OTI will also consider providing additional building material and other assistance for Central Halmahera Regency.
Papua
No significant progress has been made in the murder investigation of Theys Eluay, the leader of the Papua Liberation Movement (PDP). Papuan groups have continued demonstrations in Jayapura and have called for an international investigation into the killing. While the Jakarta government has called for a "comprehensive investigation," little progress has been made to date.
President Megawati has delayed a widely anticipated trip to the province to symbolically hand over the Papuan Special Autonomy Bill to the Governor. This visit was considered important to convince the population that the central government was sincere in the implementation of the law. The provincial government plans to press ahead with the socialization and implementation of the law as originally intended. These efforts are substantially supported by OTI.
Aceh
There have been no dramatic developments in Aceh during the month of December. Security concerns remain at similar levels as previous months. Among those who have been killed recently were a member of parliament and a local mayor. Political infighting continues to plague the provincial parliament. A group of 21 legislators are now working to impeach the current head of parliament, Muhammad Yus.
A considerable amount of discussion and speculation continues in the Acehnese press on the implementation of Islamic Law, effective January 2. The drafting of the Qanun (implementation regulations) on Islamic Law, as well as other economic and political Qanun, have been completed by a governor-appointed team but have not yet been ratified by the parliament.
OTI programming in the province remains robust. A grant was made to a local NGO, Yayasan Ukhuwa, to discuss the details of Islamic Law to non-Muslim members of the Acehnese community. A series of interactive talk shows will also be held on TVRI to discuss the political, social and economic implications of the new law. OTI has also supported the participation of four members of TVRI Aceh in a month-long television journalism training course developed by Internews and the University of Indonesia. TV journalists from Papua, West Timor and Maluku have also been invited to participate.
Discussions continue with Forum LSM Aceh, an Acehnese NGO umbrella group, and members of the Acehnese parliament to hold a series of public hearings on the recently drafted Qanun. Although these efforts have been hampered by political infighting in the parliament, it is expected that they will take place in January.
The Faculty of Law at Syiah Kuala University received support from OTI to conduct a critical review of the drafted Qanun. Faculty members examined the drafts for legal contradictions with existing national law and are going to give feedback to members of parliament on how to best revise the drafts.
West Timor
The Indonesian government discontinued aid to the East Timorese refugees in West Timor on December 31, forcing the refugees to choose between returning to East Timor or resettling within Indonesia. Many refugees are opting to return home and are being assisted in East Timor side by various agencies.
OTI is supporting a number of information dissemination programs, including newspaper distributions and journalist visits to East Timor. In December, OTI also supported the production of reconciliation messages through radio public service announcements (PSAs). The PSAs had five different messages and are being broadcast from mid-December until mid-January 2002. They contain interviews that were recorded during journalist visits to the eastern districts of East Timor, and reflect the realities of East Timor. In order to help refugees make more informed decisions, OTI will continue to disseminate information regarding repatriation and reconciliation issues through weekly radio programs and bulletin production. OTI has also approved a grant to support a training workshop on conflict resolution for women activists and NGOs active in women issues. The activity will be implemented the first week of January.
Civilian/Military
In December, the Indonesian parliament finally passed the State Defense Bill, which was drafted by an OTI-funded team of civilian-military experts. The Bill replaced earlier security laws imposed by former President Soeharto's administration. With the new State Defense Bill, the military's departure from politics has taken a step forward. The Bill defines the Indonesian military's (TNI) role as an external defense force, a concept completely different from the internal security apparatus that was built up during the Soeharto administration. The broad acceptance of the OTI-supported team within the civilian elite reduced public resistance towards the potentially sensitive legislation and led the armed forces to give up its initial opposition towards the first civilian-drafted Defense Bill since the 1950s.
With the Defense Bill passed, the next important piece of defense-related legislation will be the new Armed Forces Bill. OTI has entrusted this project to the same team that drafted the Defense Bill. Given the experience of the Defense Bill, the drafting and deliberation process of the Armed Forces Bill will take at least until late 2002. The various drafts must pass TNI Headquarters, the Department of Defense, an inter-departmental committee, several commissions at parliament, and finally the President. OTI plans to support the civilian drafting team to fully participate at various stages of the process.
In December, OTI also continued to assist in overcoming civilian-military tensions in Ambon, Maluku. Village communities met with military and police officers to discuss problems of security and law enforcement in their territory. Both the military and the police sent high-ranking delegations to show their commitment to the program. Besides strengthening mutual trust between community leaders and the security forces, concrete measures to improve security were agreed upon. New posts were set up, troops with controversial track records were replaced, and further coordination meetings were scheduled. The project will continue in January with a gathering of village leaders from differing religious backgrounds.
B. Grants Activity Summary
OTI Indonesia grants, FY02:
Total number of grants FY02: 56
Total grant funds committed: $1,093,696
Grant numbers by sector, FY 02:
Civil Society: 22 grants, $249,179
Civil/Military: 4 grants, $93,015
Governance: 7 grants, $170,402
Media: 12 grants, $166,886
Community Stabilization: 11 grants, $414,212
Grants in current reporting period: 14 grants, $294,095
Civil Society: 6 grants, $80,396
Civil/Military: 2 grants, $61,059
Governance: 1 grant, $48,718
Media: 3 grants, $57,406
Community Stabilization: 2 grants, $46,514
OTI Indonesia grants, FY01:
Total number of grants FY01: 261
Total grant funds committed: $5,433,802
C. Program Appraisal
OTI's focus on the "hot spots" in Indonesia has allowed it to bring a cross-sectoral set of program tools to these conflicted areas. Adopting a strategy based on regional conditions rather than on a specific sector allows OTI to engage usefully anywhere on the pre-conflict/conflict/recovery continuum.
NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES
In January, OTI/Indonesia staff will attend a program planning meeting in Jakarta. The purpose of this session is to gauge progress to date and to update program tools. OTI will also be considering which regions and issues should be prioritized during 2002 in light of the country's changing conditions.
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