Women still left high and dry

Saturday, April 21, 2007
ID Nugroho and Stevie Emilia, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, Jakarta

The maternal mortality and illiteracy rates in East Java show that women have been neglected by development, activists said Friday.

In a demonstration held to observe Kartini Day, which falls on Saturday, activists from the Women's Pro-Democracy Committee urged the government to set up a system to ensure women were not considered second-class citizens.

"In our records, the maternal mortality rate in East Java is 364 per 100,000 births," said committee leader Erma Susanti at the protest outside the Grahadi building in Surabaya, East Java.

The 2005 World Health Report put the country's maternal mortality rate at 307 per 100,000 deliveries.

The protesters also focused on the lack of a special budget to empower women, such as through improving mothers' health care.

The absence of such a budget, Erma said, was responsible for the country's high number of illiterate women.

In East Java alone, 2.8 million had not been educated, she said.

The committee also recorded that 17.4 percent of the province's 35 million residents were illiterate women.

Across the country, there are around 15 million illiterate men and women, they said.

"These problems should get the government's special attention and be prioritized. If the mother is uneducated, how can she take care of her children properly?" Erma said.

Although milestones have been achieved in the form of several laws, such as that on domestic violence, there was still much to be done for women's equality, the group says.

It said that leaving women out of development had made them easy targets of domestic violence.

The committee recorded 855 cases of domestic violence in the province last year. It said most of the cases had been unfairly resolved, with women being forced to accept out-of-court settlements.

"Again, women are disadvantaged," Erma said.

She said she believed that if the government set aside a special budget to deal with women's problems, women would no longer be second-class citizens.

"There are still customs within the community that encourage gender inequality. This should change," Erma said.

The Constitution guarantees gender equality but in the past year, it has been contravened by a range of controversial rulings. Many regencies and municipalities have made sharia-inspired bylaws on public behavior, with a focus on morality and the conduct of women.

Experts have said they are concerned that the crop of bylaws on sex and morality are unconstitutional, gender-biased and threaten to splinter the country as they fail to take into account the country's multiethnic and multi-religious composition.

Sampoerna gallery opens manuscript exhibit

Monday, April 23, 2007
I.D. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

King Rahwana was so angry when he received the letter from Prabu Danaraja, the step-brother of Dewi Widowati, that he had the messenger, Goh Muka, killed.

Goh Muka died because the King of Alengka had been offended by the content of Danaraja's letter, which advised Rahwana not to marry Dewi Widowati. In the meantime, Rahwana and his army were under attack by the Lokapala Kingdom -- led by Danaraja himself.

Rahwana was not alone in his predicament, and was supported by his teacher, Subali.

Danaraja, who also felt threatened, asked for help from Wisnungkara, a scholar, and his uncle Kisrahwana.

War broke out and the world trembled. Rahwana and his troops successfully defeated the Lokapala Kingdom; Wisnungkara and Kisrahwana were killed, and King Danaraja was in retreat.

But at that moment, the god Batara Narada came down from Heaven, separated the armies, and stopped the war.

The god asked King Danaraja to accept defeat, and he agreed. The kingdom of Lokapala then had to submit to the authority of Rahwana.

Unfortunately Rahwana, a mythical gigantic demon with a terrifying face, couldn't find Dewi Widowati, who had run away. Rahwana swore to keep looking for Dewi Widowati -- who is also described as Dewi Sri, which can mean "a grain of rice".

The tale of Rahwana seeking Dewi Widowati is a fragment of a longer story contained in the Rama Sungging, an original picture manuscript now on display through May 13 at the House of Sampoerna art gallery in Surabaya.

Rama Sungging is an important part of the heritage of Indonesian puppetry. Sungging is a story with pictures that tells of events that lead up to the Ramayana epic, and is usually known as the account of Rahwana's activities in the Lokapala Kingdom.

There are three main strains in Rama Sungging that weave into the Ramayana, the great Hindu classic that provides the themes for much of Javanese literature and traditional performing arts.

The first story is about Cupu Manik Astagina, a sacred object that was given as a gift by the god Batara Surya to Dewi Windradi. In Cupu Manik Astagina are contained the true secrets of nature and heaven.

The second tale is from Jendra literature, a story about a war between the King of Lokapala, Prabu Danaraja, and his father, Begawan Wisrawa. The conflict was triggered by Wisrawa's marriage to Dewi Sukesi, a girl who loved Prabu Danaraja.

The last story is about Rahwana's search for Dewi Widowati.

The Rama Sungging manuscript currently on exhibit belongs to the Bentara Budaya cultural center in Yogyakarta. It is an important and highly valued historical document obtained from a book lover in Jakarta who wants to remain anonymous.

When the Rama Sungging was first received last year, it had not been well preserved. From research undertaken by the Bentara Budaya, it is estimated that the manuscript was written around the 18th century.

Some clues come from the paper, which has a logo showing a lion in a circle and uses a specific typeface. This has been identified as paper made by the Dutch during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The manuscript also contains words in the Javanese alphabet known as honocoroko alongside puppet pictures.

It's believed that the Sanskrit writing and puppet pictures were made by a man of letters or a keraton (palace) official, as at that time, only the palace had access to the Dutch government that could have supplied the paper.

The style is different from another picture manuscript that is owned by the keraton, in that the Rama Sungging is more expressive.

The script differs from the usual way of writing Javanese where the lettering is round and sharp -- a style particular to the palace. Instead, the formation of the letters are not symmetrical.

"From the shape of the letters and Sanskrit language used, this is an old manuscript," said Surono, a member of the Indonesian Puppet Masters' Association who was present at the exhibition opening.

"The pictures in the Rama Sungging manuscript show a type of puppet known as wayang purwa, or classical. Three characters are illustrated.

"For example, in the Cupu Manik Astagina story the puppet is shown with a body shape like that of a human being. However, in the other two stories the puppet figures appear very similar to those used in modern shadow puppetry. The body is elongated, and there are two different designs," he pointed out.

"The way these pictures have been drawn is typical of the style found in East Java. Look at the shape of the mustache forming a circle, and the way part of the kris is located in front."

While examining the clear and colorful pictures, Surono noted a pencil scratch. This discovery makes him a little anxious about the conservation of the Rama Sungging manuscript.

"During the period this manuscript was made, did pencils exist?" he asked.

Residents flee as floods ruin crops, homes, villages along Bojonegoro river

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Bojonegoro

Residents of Bojonegoro, East Java, and Cepu, Central Java, are bracing themselves for more floods after four days of rain caused the Bengawan Solo River to overflow, inundating thousands of hectares of rice paddies and homes.

Hundreds have been forced to take refuge on higher ground, while others are living in makeshift tents along the Bojonegoro-Cepu highway.

Flood water levels in Bojonegoro are estimated at between 30 cm and 100 cm.

The water has flooded rice paddies, soccer fields and homes as well as village roads. The worst-affected area is Kalitidu district, Bojonegoro, especially in the Cengungklung and Manukan subdistricts, where entire villages are underwater.

The water has cut access to the area. Residents have used rafts and banana tree trunks to get to their homes and salvage their belongings.

Many residents also rescued their animals.

"We saved our livestock when the road was still passable," said Trimo, a resident of Cengungklung, on Sunday evening.

Floods are an annual occurrence in Bojonegoro. The Bengawan Solo River, the longest in Java, regularly overflows.

In 2006 floods hit 14 districts, with an average depth of one meter. The worst-hit areas were Ledok Kulon and Ledok Wetan.

Reports say the Bojonegoro regency administration is attempting to control the floods by dividing the flow of the river in Sedayu, although it has had little effect so far.

Sidik, a Bojonegoro resident, said the rice field on which he and his family depended for their livelihood was at risk.

"My crops should have been bearing grain now, especially because I spread fertilizer before the floods. But everything has apparently been destroyed," he said.

He said he was likely to lose around Rp 6 million, a substantial sum of money for him, although he said his family would be able to live off the earnings from the small stall they also run.

"Well, the earnings are meager, but the main thing is that we can still eat," he said.

Trimo, who lives along the riverbank, said he faced a similar situation and that he did not expect the floods to subside soon.

"I was happy when they separated the river flow, because my village never flooded after they made the new artery. But the volume of water in the river has increased," he said.

On Friday, however, the river suddenly burst its banks and quickly flooded local roads.

Residents living along the river panicked, packing their belongings and evacuating their livestock when the water reached knee height.

"We were afraid the floods cannot be controlled because we heard that Cepu had already been flooded," said Trimo.

Fortunately, no victims were reported, but water levels have reached up to 1.5 meters, raising the number of evacuees.

"I'm still afraid if I hear thunder. I fear that rain will fall again, the river will overflow and the village will be flooded again," said Trimo.

The floodwaters had not subsided as of Sunday night, while rain was still falling on the border areas between East and Central Java.

Thousands suffer in silence from domestic violence

Thursday, April 26, 2007
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

"Maryati" tried to hide her face behind a red headscarf. The 36-year-old from Surabaya, East Java, is a victim of domestic violence.

Sitting on a wooden chair at the back of the French Cultural Center in Surabaya, she recalled how she was beaten by her husband, even when she was seven months pregnant. Her second child died without ever having the chance to see the world.

The torment started when she and her husband moved into a rented home in south Surabaya in 1996, around the time when her husband got a new job as a construction worker.

The couple formed a good relationship with their neighbors, including Nana, not her real name.

"When I wasn't home, Nana would come to my house and ask my husband to take her out. Other neighbors gossiped about it," she told The Jakarta Post. "When I approached him about it, we ended up having a fight."

Her husband began to change and started beating her, even over small things. "I remember he first hit me when I asked for money to buy groceries."

The abuse continued, even when she was pregnant with her second child. When she was eight months pregnant, she suffered a miscarriage. "I went to have a routine ultrasound and they found that the baby had died," said Maryati, breaking into tears.

Following the miscarriage, the abuse continued. She was regularly beaten, kicked and raped, and she was soon pregnant again. She gave birth to a baby boy in mid-1997.

The next year, her husband left her for Nana, taking with him their valuables, including a television and jewelry.

Now a single mother with two children, Maryati has not given up hope. She does what she can to earn money, while receiving assistance from her neighbors and Savy Amira, a non-government organization that assists women.

"I once worked in a printing company but I was fired. Now I do other people's laundry," she said. She shared her story in a recent discussion at the French Cultural Center.

In the discussion, "Breaking the Chain of Violence", psychologist Pinky Saptandari blamed misperceptions about men and women for the abuse inflicted on women within the community.

She said that women are considered beautiful, weak creatures that should protect their dignity, while men are considered strong and brave. "Bravery sometimes mistakenly causes abuse toward women," said Pinky, an expert staff member at the State Ministry for Women's Empowerment.

In society, perceptions become much more misleading - men are considered to have more rights to education and employment, while women are expected to remain in the house, caring for children and obeying their husbands.

"This situation makes women vulnerable to abuse. The violence and abuse that women suffer mostly takes place inside the home," Pinky said.

The National Commission on Violence Against Women disclosed in a report in March this year that the number of cases of violence against women in 2006 reached 22,512, up from the 20,391 in 2005 and 14,020 cases in 2004. In 2003, only 7,787 cases were reported.

The commission's chief Kamala Chandrakirana said that as in previous years, domestic violence continues to be a huge problem.

Pinky said that often there are barriers that make solving cases of domestic violence difficult. These barriers include a social attitude that regularly blames women for domestic violence and customs which find it improper to discuss domestic affairs in public.

"In the end, women just accept what happens to them. This must change," Pinky said.

She said women were at particular risk in disadvantaged regions such as East Nusa Tenggara, Ambon, Papua and Poso in Central Sulawesi.

Pinky blamed this on inadequate education and ongoing social conflicts within the regions, as well as misleading local customs.

However, she found no systematic solution to cut the chains of abuse. The State Ministry for Women's Empowerment, for instance, does not have the technical support to implement its programs and needs the support of other ministries.

"But other ministries are busy with their own programs. Unfortunately, the program to support women's empowerment cannot proceed as expected," she said.

Mudflow victims press on with compensation demand

Friday, April 27, 2007
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo

Hundreds of mudflow victims from Sidoarjo briefly clashed with police attempting to prevent them from breaking into the Juanda Airport complex in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday.

At least two protesters, who were frustrated after failing to receive confirmation of compensation payments, were detained by the police.

Before the incident, the mudflow victims, who came from the four villages first affected by the sludge in Porong district, staged a noisy protest at Sidoarjo Legislative Council and tried to disrupt trains passing through the regency.

At the council, they damaged the gate after failing to meet Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso and the head of the newly set up Sidoarjo Mudflow Prevention Agency, Soenarso.

The protesters became angry when they were told that a meeting between their representatives, the agency, Sidoarjo regency officials and council members had been put on hold on Thursday due to the absence of a representative from PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, which is handling the compensation.

When a request for the regent to explain the delay received no response, they pushed toward the building.

Police officers tried to control the angry residents, who became calm after Win and Soenarso came on the site.

"The residents have to be patient and not close road access. The residents should also directly explain (their demands) to representatives from PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, who are on their way here," Win said.

"The mudflow victims and I are brothers, not enemies. What we're trying to do is to speed up the payment of compensation," Soenarso said.

In the meeting at the council it was disclosed the Minarah had not yet guaranteed to pay the compensation to the victims, many of whom do not have land and building ownership certificates.

The agency's social affairs division head, Sutjahyono, telephoned Imam Agustino, general manager of Lapindo Brantas Inc., the company blamed for the mudflow, and received confirmation that Minarak vice president Andy Darussalam was on his way from Jakarta to Sidoarjo.

The company has said that it will only provide land and building compensation to those with ownership certificates.

Of the around 600 hectares of flooded land Porong district, only around 430 square meters are listed on land ownership certificates. Possession of the remaining land is recorded manually at subdistrict offices.

Meanwhile, workers were racing Thursday to repair a massive wall holding back the sludge. Cracks started to appear in the man-made embankment around the disaster area on Wednesday, prompting authorities to declare the area off limits, AFP reported.

Bambang Suryadi, from the company charged with monitoring the site, said a 300-meter exclusion zone was thrown up only as a precaution, saying the situation was not severe.

Mudflow protest blocks main road

Saturday, April 28, 2007
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Sidoarjo

Mudflow victims continued their protest over unpaid compensation on Friday, blocking roads in Sidoarjo, East Java, with trees and trucks.

Hundreds of protesters from the four villages in Porong district that were the first to be hit by the mud, which has been gushing from the botched PT Lapindo Brantas gas drilling well since May last year, halted work on dams in the area as trucks carrying dirt to strengthen them could not get through.

The protest also disrupted other Porong residents, forcing students returning home, traders on their way to the market and workers to walk around the road block or take alternative routes, leading to traffic congestion.

"Since the volume of vehicles continued to increase, the small alternative roads, many of which are in poor shape and have many holes, were jammed," said Sidoarjo Police traffic division chief Adj. Comr. Andi Yudianto.

The protesters are demanding an immediate confirmation of their compensation payouts.

A Thursday meeting between their representatives, Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso and Sidoarjo Mudflow Prevention Agency head Soenarso was not attended by representatives of PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, the company appointed by Lapindo to handle compensation.

On Friday, however, Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah invited 12 representatives from the four villages to attend a meeting on the case in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The agency's social affairs head, Sutjahyono, declined to discuss the meeting's agenda or say whether it would result in a decision on the situation.

"I don't want to make assumptions (about the meeting) but it has been planned," he said after delivering the invitation to the waiting protesters, who greeted it cheers.

Kediri archeological discovery offers clues on ancient kingdom

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Recent archeological discoveries at a Tondowongso excavation site in the East Java town of Kediri have opened the possibility that the once-glorious Kadiri Kingdom was located in a nearby region.

The head of the East Java Agency for Technical, Preservation and Salvation of Cultural and Archeological Remnants (BP3), Prapto Saptono, told The Jakarta Post the area should be made off-limits to the public to prevent any damage to the historical remnants due to illegal excavation activities by local residents.

"I believe there is a link between these artifacts and artifacts found earlier, further clarifying the exact location of the Kadiri Kingdom, whose existence is still a mystery," said Prapto.

Based on BP3 data, as of this year 392 historical relics have been found in 12 districts in Kediri. Fourteen of these are statues representing the images of the gods Syiwa Maha Bumi, Durga Mahesa Sura Madini, Chandra and Surya, as well as the Andini, or Nandi, cow image and the Lingga-Yoni image.

West of Gayam village in Pagu district, archeologists also discovered the personal remnants of Kadiri King Prabu Joyoboyo. Archeologists believe the site, said to be a temple, which has since been converted into a meditation area by locals, is closely linked with Gayam village.

An epigraphist at BP3, Ririet Suryandani, said a toponymic analysis could be used to uncover the exact location of the Kadiri Kingdom.

"We can determine the exact location of the kingdom from studying the hundreds of historical statues found," said Ririet at the excavation site.

Ririet believes the discovery of an ancient inscription at the Tondowongso site could also explain the function, name and purpose of the historical building, adding it could be presented in various forms, such as on an encrypted stone, bronze or gold plate.

This is not the first time ancient remains have been uncovered in Gayam.

The late Dr. Sukmono discovered three statues there in 1957. The then dean of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University's School of Archeology discovered the images of Brahma, Andini and Yoni.

The site was in poor condition at that time, with the ancient temple having suffered damage to its foundations.

Unlike earlier discoveries, the statue of Syiwa Maha Bumi recently found in Gayam was considered rare in that it has four heads, or catur sirah.

"Generally, most of the Syiwa statues found have three heads, or tri sirah. This one has an earthenware jug carved beside the figure, which is rare," said Prapto.

High-quality rocks were used to make the statues, proven by the artifacts' good condition despite being buried for hundreds of years.

Ornaments carved onto the statues discovered at the Tondowongso site are still clearly discernible compared to those found at other ancient sites. For example, the light brown color on the Andini cow statue is still clearly visible.

Archeologists from BP3 Trowulan, Mojokerto, have been sifting through the Tondowongso site for the last two months. However, the team has yet to distinguish the basic shape of the temple due to suspected damage to its vertical framework.

The BP3 team found that the Kediri statues were arranged unlike those usually found in most East Java temples in which the Lingga-Yoni statues were often placed at the temple's center. Those found at the Tondowongso site were positioned at the edge of the temple.

"We will analyze this, as we consider it unusual," Prapto said.

Another dissimilarity was found with the six Syiwa statues, which were positioned in a row along the temple wall, a rare sight in most temples found in East Java in which they were found to be placed next to the Lingga-Yoni statues.

However, the most striking feature of the newly-discovered statues is the use of bright-red andesite rock on the Syiwa statues. This rock-type is found only in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue, which is kept at the Trowulan Museum in Mojokerto.

"The Garuda Wisnu statue is considered unique from the others because it was carved from red andesite rock. Well, we have found a red Syiwa statue now," said Ahmad Kholif from BP3's artifact registration division.

Purwanto, a BP3 archeologist also involved in the Tondowongso excavation, said chemical tests would be conducted after all the objects had been unearthed. These would include rock texture, material and chemical changes tests.

"We could determine the period in which the objects were made through chemical analyses," said Purwanto.

Mudflow map leads nowhere for victims

Has Published on The Jakarta Post Saturday edition, March 24, 2007

Victims of the Sidoarjo mudflow in Sidoarjo, East Java, will have to wait longer for compensation after a map of the area affected by the disaster was rejected by the East Java Legislative Council on Friday.

The map was drawn up on the orders of the central government, which said it would be used as grounds for paying compensation to people displaced by the mudflow, which began in May last year at a gas exploration well belonging to Lapindo Brantas.

On Thursday, East Java officials and council members and Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro met and agreed that a new map was needed to establish the area affected by the mud.

Sidoarjo Regent Wien Hendrarso presented the map to the council's mudflow team on Friday, but returned to his regency that day with no clear decision having been made.

The council does not want to continue discussing compensation and related issues until official regulations are put in place. While the President has issued a decree on the mudflow, there are no regulations concerning the matter.

"There should be a legal umbrella for the map to protect the victims' right to compensation," said M. Rofik, a member of the council's mudflow team.

Wien said the map needed to be completed.

"We should clearly map out the area first," he said.

The central government-appointed national team to deal with the disaster and Lapindo agreed in December last year to compensate affected residents in four villages.

But as the mud continued to spread to other villages, as well as flood the Tanggulangin Anggun Sejahtera housing complex, more people began to demand compensation.

On Friday, the national team's chief executive, Basuki Hadimulyono, faced residents of the four villages first affected by the mudflow. They were angry at the unclear status of their compensation payments, a situation aggravated by the absence of agreed-upon data relating to the affected areas.

PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya, a Lapindo Brantas subsidiary assigned to pay the compensation, has requested the government use data collected by Surabaya's 10th November Technology Institute, while residents have said that information from local subdistricts should be used.

"If we agree to use data from the institute, this problem can be quickly solved," Basuki said at a forum held at the Sidoarjo regency administration's office.

But the villagers were skeptical.

"How can we be sure of the institute's data's validity? There are data from subdistricts that are more valid since the data belong to the government," said Jatirejo subdistrict head Makmudatul Fajiah.

He said the subdistricts' data would include informal information on land ownership that the institute did not have.

"We would find it better to use the official data from the villages," he said to approving cheers from other residents.

Basuki said he would discuss the request with Minarak Lapindo Jaya.

Govt mulls cash compensation for mud victims

The government will consider meeting the demand for cash compensation by victims of a mud-flooded housing complex in Sidoarjo, East Java, a minister said Thursday.

The statement was made by Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro following a three-hour closed-door meeting with mudflow victims from the Tanggulangin Anggun Sejahtera housing complex. Purnomo leads the government-appointed team dealing with the disaster.

"We'll take the demand for cash-and-carry compensation to Jakarta but (the decision) will be made once there are clear restrictions," said Purnomo.

The clear restrictions he was referring to will be part of a new map of the mud disaster zone that will be drawn by East Java Governor Imam Utomo and his team. It will update a map made before an underground gas pipeline explosion in November expanded the mud-flooded area.

The new map will be approved and signed by the government and the victims. It will also be used as evidence in establishing compensation.

Sidoarjo Regent Win Hendrarso, who was also at the meeting, said in accordance with the new map, residents in the housing complex as well as in Kedungbendo, Kepatang, Gempol Sari, Kali Tengah and Porong will receive compensation.

The team and Lapindo Brantas Inc., the company many blame for the disaster, have so far only approved compensation for mudflow victims in four villages: Siring, Kedungbendo, Jatirejo and Renokenongo.

Outside the meeting at the Grahadi building, hundreds of mudflow victims from the housing complex staged a protest, insisting on meeting with Purnomo.

Some 20 meters from the building, they were blocked by dozens of police officers who formed a barricade with barbed wire and water cannons.

"We're not the criminals, sir. It's Lapindo. Why are we always being stopped? If you dare, arrest Lapindo's people and put them in jail," yelled a protester.

The demonstrators mostly came on motorcycles, leaving their makeshift shelters in Pasar Baru Porong market in Sidoarjo in the morning and heading to East Java Legislative building.

After shouting out speeches and blocking roads at the council building, they headed toward the Grahadi building, some seven kilometers away, under tight police monitoring.

Purnomo explained the risk if the government takes over the handling of the mudflow disaster or declares it a national disaster.

If that happens, he said, the mudflow victims will be given the same treatment as victims of other disasters in places such as Aceh, Yogyakarta or East Nusa Tenggara.

"The compensation given will only amount to Rp 15 million for each house," he said.

The deputy head of the East Java Legislative Council's mudflow disaster special team, Muhammad Mirdas, walked out of the gathering.

He said those at the meeting lacked the spirit to defend the victims.

"The new map which will be prepared has to be approved by Lapindo and I'm not happy with it. The only way (to get their demands heard) is for the victims to meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono," he said.