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On Wednesday, 32 whales were found stranded on the coast of East Java by local residents in Probolinggo; at least eight of which have since died. The mass stranding prompted hundreds of rescuers to join in efforts to return these giant mammals back to the sea.

The whales, which were later identified as short-finned pilot, came ashore during high tide and were possibly stranded due to changes in sea temperature. Most of them tried returning to the deep sea but ended up being back on the shore as one got stuck, leaving the rest trapped by the low tide.

A man touches a dead whale | Photo by Reuters

In a statement to AFP, Head of the local maritime and fisheries office Dedy Isfandi revealed that whales will swim to the shore if they get sick and that they have the tendency to stick together at all cost:

“But whales have such high social interaction – when one fell ill, they approached the sick one to swim back to sea … when the tide fell all of them were trapped.”

The stranding motivated local fishermen, government officials and a team of environmental activists to help return these whales back to the sea and prevent them from being further washed ashore.

Rescuers tried using tarps to wrap around the beached whales and dragged them back out to sea, although most of them eventually got away on their own.

Astounded by this mass stranding, a crowd of local residents came to witness the rare phenomenon and many turned to their phones to take pictures. Children were even seen playing with the poor whales. The dead ones were taken for burial as their stranding was believed to be the end of their journey:

A boy clings on the fin of a dead whale | Photo by AP

“What do you expect us to do? If they are still alive, we will surely help them return to deep sea. The dead ones, we must bury them,” said village chief Sanemo as reported by The Jakarta Post.

While scientists are conducting autopsies on the dead whales to discover the reason behind their stranding, fishery officials suspect intoxication or turbulent waters in the Indian Ocean to be the main causes.

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On Tuesday, Indonesia’s Constitutional Court reviewed anti-LGBT laws in its latest hearing of a lawsuit attended by a group of academics and activists.  

The Indonesian government could criminalize homosexuality and fornication after holding a fifth judicial review of the Criminal Code.

During the hearing, which was joined by a large group of an Islamic women’s organization, expert witnesses debated on the notion of universal human rights and argued that Indonesia was built based on religious values, which accordingly does not accept homosexuality or sex before marriage.

The testimony started with Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, chairman of the National Child Protection Commission, who begged the court to immediately tackle this issue of sexual morality, which he feared, might damage the future of Indonesia’s children.

He complained that the government has “no strong regulations to forbid same-sex marriage nor criminal sanctions” to protect children. He insisted the government should impose punishment, including a five-year prison sentence for homosexual acts before same-sex marriage becomes legalized in the country.

Sholeh was in fact not the only one who spoke against the LGBT community. Other academics also participated in the heated discussion, saying that LGBT rights are irrelevant in this country.

“For Indonesia, LGBT is not [a human] right. The right of the LGBT people is to be humanized with Indonesian values because our law clearly stipulates that a marriage is between a man and a woman,” said Padjadjaran University law professor Atip Latipulhayat as reported by The Jakarta Post.

Similarly, constitutional law expert at the University of Indonesia Hamid Chalid strongly demanded the government preserve the nation’s moral and religious values as they are now threatened by the international human rights norms.

“Our country has legalized fornication, male rape, and homosexual acts. We’ve allowed our constitution to become too liberal — is that what we want?” Chalid protested.

Although lawyers for the government opposing the suit did not say much during Tuesday’s hearing, one attorney did manage to challenge witnesses’ arguments supporting the view that the government should fulfil the public’s rights to privacy.

“If we do this, the sinner becomes a criminal … and the government becomes authoritarian,” he said.

According to Human Rights Watch, privacy rights are indeed a fundamental protection that serves the basis of a person’s physical autonomy and preferred identity.

LGBT rights director at Human Rights Watch Graeme Reid said that if the proposed criminal sanctions are approved by the Indonesian Constitutional Court, then its people would certainly be facing a legalized violation of privacy:

“The proposed criminal sanctions before the Constitutional Court are not only a threat to LGBT people, but to all Indonesians.”

The proposed amendments in the Criminal Code was motivated by a series of anti-LGBT campaigns that started in January after government officials made biased and false statements about the LGBT community.

The Constitutional Court will be holding another hearing scheduled for petitioners to present their case in late August.

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A politician’s car exploded in Aceh, killing two and leaving five others seriously injured. The car owner’s wife is reportedly behind the bombing.

On Saturday, a grenade detonated inside the car of Mansyur Ismail, a member of the Bener Meriah Legislative Council. Ismail’s car was passing by the village of Alur Punti at the Bener Mieriah regency of Aceh when the explosion occurred.

Reports indicate that blast came from inside the vehicle that is now impounded, and under further investigation. Speaking to Kompas, Bener Meriah police chief Deden Soemantri revealed his analysis on the car explosion:

“We can see that the inside of the car is badly damaged, while the outer part is not. So our preliminary conclusion is that the explosive device, probably a grenade, detonated inside the car.”

This morning, authorities apprehended a suspect, who is none other than Ismail’s wife. A spokesperson from the Aceh police headquarters claimed that she had help from her younger sibling, who is currently still on the run.

“The results from the investigation have arrived at the conclusion that the suspect [known only to the public by her initials SZ] is the mastermind behind the Innova car explosion. She ordered her younger sibling [known only to the public by the initials AF] to execute the bombing. This person remains a fugitive. SZ has been detaine at the Bener Meriah police station,” said Kombes Pol Goenawan.

Goenawan revealed that a family conflict motivated SZ to plan the murder. SZ was reportedly offended by her stepdaughter, who died in the explosion.

The incident also killed a five-year-old child named Nana Kibi. Five passengers were immediately admitted to the hospital after suffering from injuries.

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons

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A gigantic python slithered up from one of the sewers on Kemang Raya. It was one of two large reptiles that emerged as a result of flooding in the neighbourhood.

Flooding as usual took place yesterday, October 4, in Jakarta’s hip and trendy Kemang district. It was the latest in a string of many bad floods to hit the neighbourhood, and locals are at a loss of what to do or think about the government’s inaction to solve the problem.

Ular Sanca sepanjang 5 meter muncul di genangan air di depan Colony Kemang #JKTinfo

A photo posted by Informasi Jakarta & Sekitarnya (@jktinfo) on Oct 4, 2016 at 3:10am PDT

It would have been business as usual. However, this time a gigantic python about three metres in length slithered up from one of the sewers in front of the Colony building on Kemang Raya. The snake frightened locals, as they half expected the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to appear as well.

See: Flood Turns Kemang into Lost City of Atlantis

While Leonardo and Michelangelo did not make an appearance, a giant one-metre-long lizard did show up to accompany the humongous snake. Seriously folks, we can’t make this stuff up! “The snake was swept here by the flood. It came from one of the sewers,” a Bangka neighbourhood official told Kompas.  

Selain ular sanca sepanjang 5 meter, ditemukan pula biawak di area Kemang #JKTinfo

A photo posted by Informasi Jakarta & Sekitarnya (@jktinfo) on Oct 4, 2016 at 3:18am PDT

Locals believed the python to be dead on arrival in Kemang, but local media Okezone later reported that someone who works for the city soon thereafter turned a profit by selling the snake to a security guard at a Kemang cafe for Rp.150,000 (about US$11.50), which is bizarre to say the least.

For expats who think Jakarta is an urban locale that is safe from dangerous forest animals free of forest animals, think again. Indonesians, however, don’t even seem fazed by it, as some apparently just see jungle beasts exotic animals in the city as a way to make some extra cash.

Featured image and post images via @JKTInfo. 

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A Hong Kong jury has been shown a shocking video of a British banker recounting rape, torture and murder of two Indonesian women he picked up at a bar in 2014. On Monday, October 24, 2016, Rurik Jutting pled not guilty. 

Cambridge University graduate Rurik Jutting is on trial in Hong Kong for the murder of two Indonesian women. In a video he shot on his mobile, Jutting is shown without a shirt in his apartment. He says to the camera: “My name is Rurik Jutting. About five minutes ago I just killed, murdered, this woman here.” On Monday, October 24, 2016, Jutting pled not guilty. 

He points the phone downwards to film the body of 23-year-old Sumarti Ningsih, who is lying face down on Jutting’s bathroom floor. Jutting’s hand visibly shakes later in the video. He continues, “It’s Monday night. I’ve held her captive since early Saturday, I’ve raped her repeatedly, I tortured her, tortured her badly.” He adds details about his activities snorting cocaine and visiting prostitutes in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

In court, 31-year-old Jutting watches the video he made from a confined dock. He occasionally glances down at the written transcript. In addition to Ningsih, Jutting also stands trial for the murder of 26-year-old Indonesian woman Seneng Mujiasih.

The crimes took place back in 2014. Both bodies were discovered in his residence close to the Asian financial centre’s Wan Chai red-light district. The case shocked the city of Hong Kong, which boasts a reputation for safety and little crime. That said, it’s also known for outrageous inequality for migrant workers.

Hong Kong is a former British colony with a sizable corporate expat elite. At the same time, there are more than 300,000 foreign in-house workers, nearly all of whom are women and girls from Indonesia or the Philippines.

Earlier in the trial, the prosecution played roughly 20 minutes of video clips in which Jutting tortures Ningsih. The footage was not made available to the media, but the audio can be heard. In what is surely a disturbing video clip, Jutting can be heard saying: “If you scream I will punish you. Understand?” Sounds of punching and violence follow.

Activists for migrant workers protest outside the court in Hong Kong. Image via AP/BBC

Jutting worked in the office of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in structured equity finance and trading. As reported by AP, on Monday he pleaded not guilty to two murder charges, with prosecutors rejecting his attempt to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Jutting claims to have hallucinated after taking cocaine. Prosecutor John Reading said in his opening statement that Ningsih, who was in Hong Kong as a tourist, accompanied Jutting to his home when the banker offered her money. After the murder, Jutting put her body into a suitcase to decompose and left it on the balcony.

Rurik Jutting’s balcony. Image via DailyMail

Mujiasih was in Hong Kong as a maid, but also worked at the bar that Jutting visited. She too followed him home after he propositioned her for sex in exchange for money. Shortly after Jutting claimed he hallucinated from cocaine, he called the police on himself. Police found Mujiasih’s body, followed by the suitcase containing Ningsih’s remains. Jutting was immediately taken into custody.   

In subsequent interviews and depositions, Jutting told police what happened as well as discussing his drug use, Reading explained. He added that traces of cocaine were found in more than 24 small plastic bags in the apartment.

If convicted, Jutting will face life in prison.

Featured and post image via Mirror 

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Brian McFeeters, United States representative to Indonesia, pledged that the US will maintain its relationship with Indonesia, following the announcement of the election results late Wednesday evening, November 9.

With the United States choosing Donald Trump as its 45th president, the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Jakarta promised that the world’s biggest democracy will maintain its ties with Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.

Even during the tight presidential race between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the deputy chief expressed his confidence that, regardless of the result of the latest US presidential election, the established relations between the US and Indonesia will be kept intact.

On Wednesday, at the US Embassy’s cultural centre in Jakarta, @america, McFeeters gave reporters the assurance that the US is committed to a “broad continuity of a very well-developed US–Indonesia relationship.”

The entire world was surprised when the Republican presidential candidate Trump defeated Democratic representative Clinton in the latest race to the country’s highest political seat. Trump’s victory made history, and marked the end of an eight-year strength position by the Democratic Party under Barack Obama.

See: Jokowi Congratulates New US President

McFeeters told Tempo that the US remains committed to continuing its strategic partnership with the archipelago, and vowed to keep it healthy. Currently, the partnership covers a wide range of issues including culture, education, defense and collaborative efforts against terrorism.

The deputy chief emphasized the archipelago’s critical role in the global arena, particularly in the G20, which he considered crucial to correct a global economic decline.

It was previously reported that Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla was apprehensive of Trump’s protectionist policies, which he announced during his campaign. Kalla expressed his concern over the policies that could impede the existing trade partnership between the two countries.

He also criticized the now-US president when Trump declared his plan to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the US, fearing the move could trigger vindictive policies from other countries.

Image Credits: Trinitybvi, Tempo

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Following ISIS terror attacks in Paris, Indonesian officials have been urged to step up the nation’s counter-terrorism measures, as the country remains at risk.

The wreath laid by French Foreign Minister in Paris | Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia

The recent terrorist attacks on Paris, for which the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility, has put countries around the globe on high alert. The incidents underscore some all-too-real dangers the militant group poses, particularly for those not living in the Middle East.

With a number of Indonesian civil servants reportedly joining ISIS mere weeks before the Paris attacks, and a recent ISIS threat to neighbouring Singapore, the world’s most populous Muslim nation is seriously asking itself whether locals are safe from ISIS’s ideology and its brutal attacks.

It’s a harsh reality, but despite being generally regarded as a moderate Muslim nation, Indonesia can most certainly be considered fertile ground for the spread of ISIS ideology. Earlier in this year, Indonesian police confirmed 159 local citizens left the country to join the group, also known as ISIL or IS. The real number could be much higher, with officials estimating that more than 500 Indonesians may have entered Syria to link up with ISIS.

According to the Institute for Policy Analysis and Conflict (IPAC), the appeal of joining ISIS boils down to a few different factors.

In its September 2014 academic report titled Evolution of ISIS in Indonesia, IPAC writes: “The appeal of ISIS is different, [it’s] a combination of religious prophecies involving Syam (greater Syria); [a] string of victories in Iraq in June that gave a sense of backing a winner; the resonance of the concept of the Caliphate; and sophisticated use by ISIS of social media.”

For those who are less familiar, a Caliphate is a form of Islamic government led by a person considered a political and religious successor to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

Islamic prophecies and the dream of Caliphate

Islamic prophecies related to Syria have been well documented. A number of ‘Hadiths’ (reports of deeds, teachings, and sayings of the Prophet Mohammed) warn of a war between an Islamic army and an “infidel horde” in Syria, which is said to be one of the signs of the end of the world. The battle, which is referred to as the “Malahim” – an equivalent to the Armageddon in Christian teachings – will be won by Muslims, according to the Hadiths.

It’s the conviction for fulfilment of this prophecy that fuels Jihadis to take part in the war in Syria. For them, to be able to fight in the grand battle promised by the prophet some 1,300 years ago is a privilege and an honour.

There is also the widespread longing by many Muslims to establish a true Islamic state, in which complete Islamic law is applied under the leadership of a Khalifah (the leader of a Caliphate). Indonesia is home to numerous Islamic groups and organisations that call for the unity of Muslims to form a Caliphate.

However, it’s important to note that not all of these organisations employ, or tolerate, violence in an effort to achieve their goal. The Hizbut Tahrir organisation, which is arguably the loudest campaigner for a Caliphate in Indonesia, for example, focuses on creating mass community support and has never advocated violence.

IPAC reports that between July and August last year, allegiance ceremonies were held in a number of cities across Indonesia, in which an estimated total of 2,000 people swore oaths to support the concept of a Caliphate. Though the vast majority of those 2,000 will not have any interest in violence, the report explains the numbers “are an indication of the appeal that the idea of a Caliphate can generate in a devout public” like Indonesia.

Extensive but disjointed Jihadi networks

Anti terrorist police in Indonesia, Den88 or Detachment88

In late January, the national police confirmed 16 Indonesians were arrested in Turkey for attempting to cross the border into Syria. Director of IPAC, Sidney Jones, says the 16 Indonesians were linked to local terrorist groups. She adds that nearly all Indonesians who fly to Syria to support ISIS tend to be linked to existing Jihadi networks back home in Indonesia.

Jones specifically cites two out of the four Indonesian women detained in Turkey, who turned out to be sisters-in-law. Both of the women’s husbands are members of a Jihadi network. One was involved in plotting a Bali terrorist attack, while the other fought and was reportedly killed in Syria.

The Jihadi networks, she adds, are extensive, stretching from the west to the east of Indonesia and have made their way into various Islamic groups and organizations. The pervasive nature of these networks makes it difficult for the police to track down and stop them.

One positive phenomenon, from the police’s point of view, is the fact that radical groups are divided in their stance toward ISIS, with some giving support and others not. According to the police, this has in fact weakened local Jihadi groups.

Jihadi groups in Indonesia are split over the doctrinal issue of whether security forces of an idolatrous state could be condemned as “Kafir” (non-believers) institutionally, or whether they should be judged as individuals. Some groups believe all opposing forces should be considered non-believers, whose property should be seized or their blood shed, while others maintain the belief that this shouldn’t be applied to everyone.

Notorious extremist group Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), led by firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, was split internally because of this dispute. Ba’asyir reportedly pledged his allegiance to ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi, then instructed all JAT members to support his decision or leave the group. This prompted a number of JAT members, including Ba’asyir’s own son, Abdurrahim, to form a new organisation called Jamaah Ansyarusy Syariah.

Could ISIS strike in Indonesia?

Sidney Jones, Director of Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict in Jakarta

While the ISIS teachings have been welcomed by some groups in Indonesia, Jones told foreign journalists in Jakarta recently that a coordinated attack on the scale of the Paris strike is highly unlikely in Indonesia. This is partly because ISIS central is not interested in Southeast Asian nations, which are not considered an enemy or threat to the Islamic State.

Earlier this year, however, ISIS named Singapore as a possible target for attack, according to a report by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The report suggests the ISIS threat to Singapore and Southeast Asian countries in general is indeed set to grow, following the growth of the Katibah Nusantara, an ISIS combat unit consisting of Southeast Asian fighters who find it easier to communicate in Bahasa Indonesia and Malay, rather than Arabic.

Taufik Andrie from the Institute for International Peace Building, an Indonesian counter-terrorism think tank, says that the region, including Indonesia, should not read too much into the threat, as the Katibah Nusantara unit is currently only focused on fighting battles in Syria and Iraq.

However, once the fighters return to their respective homelands, the situation could easily change. “If there is a wave of homecoming of ISIS-affiliated Katibah Nusantara [fighters], then Indonesia must be on alert, because they could carry out terror actions on home soil,” Andrie told local media outlet Republika.

Attacks on Indonesian soil could also be prompted by the issuance of certain regulations on Jihadis and radical groups.

The idea of imposing travel bans to conflict zones, for example, could prove to be a problem. Theoretically, this could prompt Jihadis, who set their sights on fighting in the Middle East to launch an attack locally out of frustration.

It’s now or never for local authorities

The government needs to be extremely careful in setting regulations on ISIS to avoid counter-productivity. That said, any realistic regulations on ISIS have been hard to come by, as its existence in Indonesia is merely in the form of ideology, which is naturally difficult to regulate and criminalize.

In August of last year, Indonesia declared it had officially banned ISIS in the country. However, no further action has been taken by legislators as a result of this ban. “Our legislation today is not sufficient to cover, prevent, or investigate those supporting ISIS,” says Police Inspector General, Tito Karnavian.

Analysts say Indonesia needs a number of stronger laws to enforce its commitment to banning ISIS, as the existing laws make it hard for authorities to press criminal charges against Indonesian ISIS sympathisers.

Former chief security minister Tedjo Edhy Purdjiatno says the 16 Indonesians detained in Turkey would likely evade charges when they return home, as none of them are actually considered criminals in the eyes of the local law. The local anti-terrorism law also cannot be applied to these people, as Indonesia hasn’t officially declared ISIS a terror organization.

Likewise, the five suspected ISIS militants arrested recently are likely to be charged for other crimes, but not for recruiting Indonesians to join ISIS, says Purdjiatno.

In order to fight the spread of ISIS in Indonesia, police say they will need the legal power to stop actions such as verbal support for ISIS, travelling overseas to support terrorist groups, and propagating terrorist ideology in the archipelago.

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