Indonesia ponders plan to move capital from Jakarta
because that city is sinking into the sea.
Official announcement; the capital will be moved to Borneo.
Edited by tclittle on Aug 26th 2019 at 12:31:36 PM
"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."I can't help but feel like the way they're framing the project is a bit of a smokescreen. Yes, people have been talking about the relocation for literal centuries, and there are many legit reasons to do that aside from Jakarta's living conditions. But they'll need to address the environmental fallout ASAP - Borneo is heavily deforested enough as it is, especially with the last decade's palm oil boom. And moving the capital won't fix the fact that the ten million inhabitants of Jakarta are still going to be stuck with some of the worst traffic, pollution and cyclic flooding in the world, on top of the whole estuarine region slowly sinking into the sea.
One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/08/article/sympathy-grows-for-papuan-independence/
An AT article on the riots that went down in the Indonesian part of New Guinea and the growing struggle for independence.
Are they gonna be a separate sovereign or will it join with Papua New Guinea?
Regarding Indonesia's capital moving to Borneo. It's a neat move at least for me. The history of the island of Panay (where I'm from) is linked to the legend of 10 chieftains that hailed from Borneo.
ᜇᜎᜈ᜔ᜇᜈ᜔|I DO COMMISSIONS|ᜇᜎᜈ᜔ᜇᜈ᜔Man, northeastern Borneo/Sulu Archipelago is the one stretch of territory whose history I'll never not get confused by. The 2013 Lahad Datu thing sounded like a bunch of EUIV players coming out to shitpost in real life (except for all those people who died, RIP).
I don't think an independent West Papua would have much in common with Papua New Guinea. The Indonesian half alone has something like 250 native languages and cultures; beyond localised cross-border trade, there's not much to tie them together, politically speaking. West Papua as a concept was first bound together by Dutch rule (which brought Christianity to the island), and then the Indonesian one (which brought its language). Either way, there's no clear path leading there just yet - though the rise of mass media means that systemic violence against the natives is more well-documented than ever.
Update: Four Australians to be deported for their involvement in the protests.
Edited by eagleoftheninth on Sep 2nd 2019 at 1:53:28 AM
One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.An analysis of bots used to support anti-West Papuan independence movements.
PSI hit unhealthy levels in Singapore as the haze from Indonesia forest fires worsens.
It's not quite as bad as it was yesterday, but it's still thick enough that you can't see the sky clearly.
One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.Malaysia's police say Jho Low's whereabouts known, aim to bring him in by end of year
Investigators have named Low, better known as Jho Low, as a key figure in the scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which US and Malaysian prosecutors say was used to siphon out hundreds of millions of dollars.
"I will try my best to expedite (the process) ... hopefully we can get him back by the end of the year," police chief Abdul Hamid Bador said at a forum broadcast live on television.
Representatives for Low did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Low faces charges in the United States and Malaysia over his alleged central role in the scandal at 1MDB, which was founded by former Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Najib, who was ousted in an election last year amid widespread anger over the scandal, has been charged with 42 criminal offences related to losses at 1MDB and other state entities.
Both Low and Najib have consistently denied wrongdoing.
Abdul Hamid said he believes Low "has the protection of someone" who provided him a safe haven in a certain country.
The police chief did not name the country, but confirmed that it has signed an extradition treaty with Malaysia.
"Our investigations found that he is free to move around, and able to run his businesses without any restrictions," Abdul Hamid said.
Asked if Malaysian authorities will be able to secure Jho Low's return, he said: "I am confident".
Malaysian and US investigators say that at least US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB by Low and other high-level officials of the fund and their associates.
Quick intro to the 1MDB case for those who aren't familiar:
Edited by eagleoftheninth on Sep 27th 2019 at 8:27:11 AM
One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.Lowy Institute article
on the information war over current unrest and crackdown in West Papua.
Looks like they're still there aside from the use of IEDs.
Big time news from the royal family in Bangkok via AFP
Former royal bodyguard Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi — known by her nickname "Koi" — was gifted the title on the king's 67th birthday on July 28, the first time in nearly a century a Thai monarch has taken a consort.
A few days later the palace released images of the short-haired Sineenat in combat fatigues shooting weapons, flying a jet and preparing to parachute from a plane, as well as holding the king's hand.
It was an intimate and rare glimpse into the private life of Thailand's powerful, ultra-wealthy and inscrutable monarch, known as Rama X of the Chakri dynasty.
But on Monday Sineenat's swift and public downfall was relayed on national television.
She was dismissed from the rank of Chao Khun Phra — or noble consort — for "disloyalty to the king" according to the command, as well as "acting against the appointment of the Queen (Suthida)... for her own ambitions".
Suthida - the former deputy head of the royal bodyguard - was made Queen in May, becoming King Vajiralongkorn's fourth wife.
The Thai monarchy is protected by a harsh defamation law, making open discussion on the institution for the public and media based inside the country all but impossible.
Rama X has asserted his authority since his 2016 ascension to the throne, putting the large wealth of the crown under his direct control and restructuring key army units to his command.
Koi, a qualified pilot and former army nurse, was the first woman to receive the consort title in nearly a century — fitting a pattern of assertive moves by the king.
- Stripped of all ranks -
Her actions show "she does not give any honour to the king and does not understand royal tradition... her actions are to benefit herself", the statement said, adding she was attempting to elevate her position to the same as Queen Suthida.
Her behaviour is "deemed disrespectful to His Majesty's grace... and caused divisions among courtiers and misunderstanding among the people", the statement added.
She was stripped of all military ranks, decorations and royal titles, it said.
Born in the northern province of Nan on January 26, 1985, Sineenat, graduated from the Royal Thai Army Nursing College at the age of 23.
She has also trained as a pilot in Thailand and abroad, served in the King's royal bodyguard unit, and in May was awarded the rank of a major-general.
During the elaborate three-day coronation ceremony of the king in May, Sineenat was seen marching in full military uniform in a procession that travelled from the palace to several Buddhist temples.
Her prominence stunned the Thai public, who often glean clues of the royal family's secretive ongoings through imagery and symbolism relayed by the palace.
Her dramatic fall from grace is likely to be as carefully dissected over coming days.
"The abrupt move by the king tells us that he wishes to be seen as a very in-charge monarch who will not put up with possible divisions in the royal institution," said analyst Paul Chambers of Naresuan University.
Buttressed by the conservative arch royalist military, which has carried out a dozen coups since the 1932 establishment of a constitutional monarchy, frank discussion of palace affairs is rare among the Thai public.
Rama X came to power in 2016 after the death of his father Bhumibol Adulyadej — who is widely revered by Thais and seen as a figure of moral authority.
The new king, a cycling and aviation enthusiast, is a more remote figure to the public, having spent much of his time abroad, particularly in Germany.
His three-day coronation gave many Thais their first full glimpse of the new monarch, as he was carried on a palanquin in full regalia around Bangkok's historic quarter.
All the 39 people found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Essex have been confirmed to be Vietnamese.
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Um, no?
A people-smuggling ring gone horribly wrong.
The lorry driver who was part of the final leg of it even seems to have phoned it in when he checked on the "cargo", just to find everybody dead.
He had some small amount of decency, at least. (He grabs me as the kind of lad who convinced himself he was breaking a stupid law and that doing so meant more good than harm for the people who wanted into the UK so badly — for good money for him, too. It's all good. Except... No. Not with the Snakeheads.)
Edited by Euodiachloris on Nov 3rd 2019 at 1:25:55 PM
Arrests over the incident: two in Britain, ten in Vietnam.
Some cheery political news from the past few weeks:
- Cambodia:
- Kem Sokha, the president and co-founder of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, is facing treason charges
despite having recently been released from house arrest.
- The party co-founder and ex-president, Sam Rainsy, just flew to Singapore after making stops in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
There were rumours that the Cambodian government tried to get Indonesia to detain him as well, though Indonesian customs apparently denied them.
- Opposition VP Mu Sochua was detained on entry to Malaysia
and will be deported to a yet-to-be-determined third country. Looks like Hun Sen doesn't want to deal with the hassle and spotlight that putting the exiled oppo leaders on trial would bring, so he's trying to get the other ASEAN governments to keep them out by accusing them of planning a coup.
- Kem Sokha, the president and co-founder of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, is facing treason charges
- Philippines:
- VP Robredo’s ‘missteps’ in anti-drug campaign cost her a cabinet post,
according to Duterte's spokesperson.
- VP Robredo’s ‘missteps’ in anti-drug campaign cost her a cabinet post,
- Malaysia:
- Rohingya refugees in the country warn against heading there from Bangladesh,
calling their situation there a 'dead end'.
- Rohingya refugees in the country warn against heading there from Bangladesh,
Edited by eagleoftheninth on Nov 19th 2019 at 8:41:37 AM
One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.A lot of shit have happened in Indonesia in recent months. So, I have a lot of shit that I want to rant about, but for the sake of not writing a wall of text or at least not that long. I'll focus on three things.
First, I have to say I'm actually surprised it took this long for the entire situation in Papua to explode. I mean the rest of Indonesian have treated them like sub-human or monkey (No, I'm not joking. Calling the people of Papua and Eastern Indonesians with skin that is a bit too dark monkey is a thing here.)
Of course, the respond here toward their "heavy" demand to be treated fairly and not being called monkey is disheartening. I mean people either don't give a shit like who cares or be offended because they are trying to tear this nation apart.
I have seen a record in our equivalent of American senate of a representative from Papua trying to raise awareness of this issue and request that the people of Papua to be treated fairly and their complaints heard. And the other representatives ignore him with some actually snickering when they think no one is watching. It's fucking bleak.
Yeah, I know in Papua, immigrants have been killed by the natives, but most other Indonesians and the government don't give a shit about solving this issue and treat it like "What do you expect from a bunch of monkeys?" And like a lot of other Asian government try to solve it by evoking patriotism in the hearts of the people of Papua by shoving national propaganda on their throats. It's hard to not be sympathetic to the natives after all that crap.
It reminds me way too much with what is happening in Xinjiang minus the cyberpunk surveillance and the concentration camp and some other stuff. I'm not saying it's the same or that bad, but it evoke the same feeling in me.
Second, with the re-election of President Jokowi. New laws have been written and some of them are just a doozy. There is a new law where the anti-corruption agency have to ask for government's permission to do their job which is like the police have to ask for the criminal organization's permission to do their job.
And there is a new anti-abortion law that also affects rape victims, so that one speaks for itself. An anti-out of marriage sex law that prosecutes unmarried and unrelated man and woman who sleep under the same house by themselves. Nope, not even having sex, but sleeping under the same house. An anti-homosexual sex law. Sure, they claim it's for unwanted sex/molestation, but I think we all know the truth. A law about libel or blasphemy against the president and vice president. That one is going to be dangerous for me thanks to my third point below but who cares. And there is some more like it's illegal or going to be illegal for someone to say religious day greetings from other religions, so a Catholic can't say Happy Ramadan to a Muslim and a Muslim can't say Happy Christmas to a Catholic.
The current legal status of all these laws are also a bit of a doozy thanks to how much of a mess the media here and the government. The only that I know for certain is legal is the one about the anti-corruption agency. I'm also a bit too lazy to check them all.
One of the good and somehow sad thing at the same time is how a lot of Indonesians, especially the youth, realize that those laws are fucking stupid and take to the street to protest them. Sure, it failed and those laws still happened but at least the youth don't blindly accept them, so there is hope for the future I guess? The sad thing is those youth don't appear when the people of Papua do their protest for the problems in the first point. So yeah... I guess how Indonesian the people of Papua is depends on how convenient it is for the rest of the Indonesian.
Third is about Jokowi. Americans like to talk about the 2016 and choosing between Hillary and Trump like it's some kind of epic moral dilemma and I laughed at that and still am. You want to talk about lesser evil. Welcome to my country and its 2019 presidential election. The choice is between Prabowo, a far-right lunatic who used to be one of the people in charge of my country's death squad during its far-right regime. That isn't an accusation btw. He admit that it's true and proud of it. He is also deeply connected to the Islamic fundamentalists/radicals here and call him the Tiger of Asia. So, he is out.
The other choice is the incumbent president, Jokowi, who try to get a connection with the Islamic fundamentalists/radicals here and go as far as make one of them his vice-president. He also try to present himself as the down-to-earth person, but have a lot of problems like outright ignoring a case where a head of a department in a government rape his subordinate. In the end, he did fire that guy, but nothing else. He didn't prosecute that rapist or even enact new rule in that department to prevent another case like this from happening. His response can be summed up in "I fired that guy. What more do you want?" There is a lot of other things but that one should be enough.
Well, I can't vote for the far-right lunatic, so I vote for Jokowi and well... He botched up in handling the racism against the people of Papua. He approved all those stupid new laws. Have I mention him getting cozy with those radical Islamic fundamentalists? And he also make Prabowo the minister of defense.
Look, I vote for him for two things. He doesn't make things worse and to keep Prabowo from the government. He failed the first one fast, but as long as the second one is fine, I'm fine I guess. BUT HE FUCKED THAT ONE, TOO!!! I mean for fuck's sake!!! And it's still better compared to outright giving Prabowo the presidency I guess. NOW THAT IS LESSER EVIL!!! Sigh...
There is a lot of other stupid shit like Indonesian demand that the citizenship of an Indonesian celebrity is removed because she said she has no Indonesian blood in her and it make her feel different or isolated here. I think the no Indonesian blood part is a bit of hyperbole on her part, but I do understand the feeling of being different because you aren't a full-blooded Indonesian because I have Taiwanese blood in me. Of course, there is more to that since she also said that she is proud of being Indonesian because despite being different, the Indonesian people accepted her which make it a bit... sad that there are a lot of people demanding the government to remove her citizenship.
Well, that is enough I guess for now. There is still a lot of stupid shit here, but I think it's enough for now. Thanks to anyone who is willing to read this rant. I hope it give you a new thing to learn about Indonesia. By the way, I live in Bali and do you know that there is currently a drought here? There is a shortage of fresh water in a tropical island. And do you know that this crisis don't come out of nowhere and the signs of its happening have been know for years but the corrupt government here cover it up to prevent panic and to keep those getting those sweet, sweet tourism money? Now you know.
I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.

Feck, typo.
One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.