The National Commission on Women has called on the government to give protection and immediately evacuate some 10,000 Indonesian irregular migrant workers caught in the conflict in Lebanon. According to the commission, the government should not limit its assistance to the 175 documented workers in the war zone but should extend its support and protection to all Indonesian workers regardless of migration status. Indonesia’s first casualty in Lebanon was identified as Siti Maemunah, 24, whose remains are still in Al Houkumm Al Tyir in Tyre.
Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno announced the establishment of a special agency to protect the welfare of Indonesian migrant workers and oversee the country’s labor export program. The agency, which would begin operating in September, is set to initiate reforms in labor export procedures, including the design of a new export and protection system. It would be under the direct supervision of the President.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is creating a special task force to fight terrorism and transnational crimes, such as money laundering and human trafficking. The task force would allegedly focus on prosecution rather than investigation, which is the responsibility of the police force. AGO has received $750,000 from the United States to support its activities.
Indonesian women married to foreigners can now pass on their citizenship to their offspring following the passage of the new citizenship law. Previously, such children automatically assumed their father’s citizenship. Moreover, the new law allows the issuance of permanent residency status to foreign spouses who do not wish to apply for Indonesian citizenship after five consecutive years or ten accumulated years of stay in Indonesia. The passage of the new law is intended to eliminate discrimination against wives of foreign nationals.
Some 187 members of a breakaway Muslim sect in Indonesia are considering applying for asylum in Australia because of persecution in their home country. They met with the Australian consul in Bali on 24 July to present their case. Members of the Ahmadiyah sect allegedly became the object of attacks and discrimination after their sect was outlawed by the Indonesian Council of Ulema in a fatwa (edict) earlier this year. Last February, they were driven out of their homes in West Lombok by an angry mob, forcing them to seek temporary shelter in West Nusa Tenggara.
Detained Sri Lankan migrants moved from Jakarta
Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin revealed that authorities arrested some 107 Sri Lankans in the Puncak resort area in Bogor, West Java earlier this month for carrying fake passports and visas. They were initially taken to the detention center in Jakarta but because it was already overcrowded they were later moved to another facility in South Sulawesi. According to Hamid, the Sri Lankans would be asked to leave the country upon completion of investigations.
533 killed as tsunami hits south Java coast
The latest tsunami that hit Indonesia’s south Java coast on 19 July has killed some 533 people and displaced an estimated 112,160 people. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged rescuers to continue their search and rescue operations and encouraged survivors to remain strong in the midst of yet another disaster. Tens of thousands of survivors packed temporary shelters in Pangandaran, one of the areas worst hit by the tsunami, while others fled to the hills behind the town.
Sources: “Marrying more foreigners," The Star, 16 July 2006; “107 Sri Lankans moved to Gowa, The Jakarta Post, 17 July 2006; Reuters, “Tsunami survivors pick up pieces on Java coast," Khaleej Times, 20 July 2006; AFP, “Tsunami survivors fill refugee camps," The Peninsula, 22 July 2006; Panca Nugraha, “Let us go home, say Ahmadiyah," The Jakarta Post, 25 July 2006; Reuters, “Ahamadiyahs in Indonesia seek asylum in Australia," The Peninsula, 25 July 2006; “Indonesia stepping up international crime fight," The Jakarta Post, 25 July 2006; Ridwan Max Sijabat, “Special agency to take over labor exports," The Jakarta Post, 27 July 2006; “Indonesia govt asked to evacuate migrant workers from Lebanon," Antara News, 28 July 2006