Workers demand release of migrant worker facing death sentence in Malaysia

CNN Indonesia - January 28, 2016

Yohannie Linggasari, Jakarta – Workers from a number of different communities demonstrated in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta today demanding that an Indonesian migrant worker named Rita Krisdianti who is facing the death sentence in Malaysia be released.

"According to information from family members, Rita will appear in court in Malaysia again today, possibly today there will be a verdict. We call on the Malaysian government to release Rita from charges that could incur the death penalty", said Indonesian People's Centre for Struggle (PPRI) action coordinator Ramches Merdeka in front of the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday January 28.

Ramches said that Rita's family has not been provided with sufficient information on the legal proceedings against Rita and efforts by the Indonesian government to assist her have amounted to nil.

Ramches said that on May 24, 2012 Rita was registered as a migrant worker who would be dispatched by PT Putra Indo Sejahtera (PT PIS) in Madiun, East Java, to Hong Kong. On January 2013 Rita departed for Hong Kong.

Less than three months later, Rita was sacked by her employer and then returned to the agency in Hong Kong, which then sent her to Macau to wait for a new job and visa.

"In June 2013, Rita made plans to return home to Madiun because she had already been at the agency's reception centre in Macau for three months. It was when she was about to return home that a friend offered her a part-time job with a saree textile and clothing business", said Ramches.

Ramches related how Rita was directed to fly to New Delhi, India in relation to the saree clothing business where she stayed the night.

"There there was a person who entrusted a suitcase with her who said it contained clothing. Rita was asked to take the suitcase to Penang, Malaysia, because there was a person there who wanted to collect it", said Ramches.

Upon arriving at the Bayan Lepas international airport in Penang on July 10, 2013, Rita was arrested by the Royal Malaysian Police. It turned out that the suitcase contained a 4 kilogram packet of narcotics. The penalty for this in Malaysia is the death by hanging.

"Since mid July 2013 until now, Poniyati, Rita's mother, has met with the victim who has been held at the Penang district detention centre six times in the hope of being able to lobby for Rita to be released, but has failed. She has used her own money [for this] without assistance from the [Indonesian] government", said Ramches.

Ramches asks where the Indonesian government is when its citizen become prisoners in other countries. Ramches believes that Rita is a victim of a drug dealer from a narcotics syndicate.

"We demand that the government of Jokowi-JK [President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla] and the Malaysia prime minister urge the Malaysian courts to release Rita from a possible death sentence", said Ramches. (rdk)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Buruh Berunjuk Rasa Tuntut Pembebasan Rita dari Hukuman Mati.]

Source: http://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20160128133727-20-107363/buruh-berunjuk-rasa-tuntut-pembebasan-rita-dari-hukuman-mati.

FPI Islamic vigilantes search boarding houses in Bandung for LGBT people

Tempo - January 27, 2016

Putra Prima Perdana, Bandung – The coordinator of the Bandung Kulon chapter of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Tubagus Abbas Murodi, has admitted that the FPI conducted a sweep of boarding houses in the Bandung Kulon area.

The sweeps, which were carried out on the night of Monday January 25, were aimed at finding lesbians or homosexual boarding house guests.

Speaking with Tempo on Jl. Gempolsari, Bandung Kulon, in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung, Abbas said that the presence of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender or LGBT people has upset residents of Baturengat in Bandung Kulon.

Lesbian groups that have rented rooms in boarding houses there, he said, held an alcoholic drinking party three months ago. "They were also caught red handed committing immoral acts", said Abbas Wednesday January 27.

It was this that motivated the FPI to carry out the sweeps. The FPI operation as conducted in coordination with officials from the Bandung Kulon sub-district office, the Bandung Kulon sectoral police and the Bandung municipal population and civil registration office.

A number of boarding houses were checked and several of the rooms were occupied by two or more women. "Five women in one room were found. Although indeed it hasn't been proven that they are lesbians. We have referred the entire matter of the raid to the local authorities", he said.

Abbas explained that most of the women suspected of being from a lesbian group who rented rooms in boarding houses on Jl. Gempolsari and Baturengat worked at garment factories in the Cigondewah area.

Bandung Kulon Regent Dadan Heri Guratman has called on local residents to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands in response to opposition to lesbians or homos in their area.

"We don't know what the indications are of lesbians or homos. If residents feel there is something suspicious related to women lesbians, perhaps then. But [we] can't confirm whether or not they are lesbian", said Guratman.

Residents who oppose LGBT groups later put up posters in the vicinity of the boarding house. Guratman said that he is in fact concerned that banners, which are in the name of the FPI, will give rise to a polemic and misunderstanding.

Because they did not have permission to put up the banners they will soon be taken down. "We will ask that the banners be taken down because they violate bylaws on advertising", he said.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Cari Kaum LGBT, FPI Sweeping Rumah Kos di Bandung.]

Source: https://nasional.tempo.co/read/news/2016/01/27/058739964/cari-kaum-lgbt-fpi-sweeping-rumah-kos-di-bandung.

MPR speaker says LGBT groups must be banned from campus

Detik News - January 24, 2016

Elvan Dany Sutrisno, Jakarta – People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Zulkifli Hasan says he agrees with Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir who said recently that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups should be banned from campuses because they are not in accordance with Indonesian cultural values.

"Yes this is indeed a new phenomenon. It isn't in line with our culture, [they] must be banned because it doesn't fit with Indonesian culture", Zulkifli told Detik on Sunday January 24.

Zulkifli often speaks about issues that he believes are indecent such as seminars calling for the government to acknowledge same sex marriage.

"Several times I've been at HAM [human rights] seminars saying that it's a human rights violation not acknowledging same sex marriage. This is a new phenomenon which I don't think is in accordance with our culture", he asserted.

Earlier, Education Minister Nasir asserted that LGBT groups should be banned from higher education campuses because they are not in accordance with existing norms.

"These LGBT [groups] are not in accordance with the high values and morality of the Indonesian nation. I forbid them [from coming on campus]. Indonesian values are to safeguard morality", said Nasir when contacted by Detik by telephone on Monday morning, January 24.

Nasir's comments were in response to reports that the Support Group and Resource Center on Sexuality Studies (SGRC) at the University of Indonesia (UI) campus is offering counseling for LGBT people.

He says that LGBT groups cannot be allowed on campuses. "I forbid them from all higher education institutions in Indonesia that are under of the [authority] of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education", he asserted.

Nasir explained that he contacted the UI rector after the existence of the SGRC on campus became widely discussed. "It turns out that even they (UI) banned [them] and said they didn't have permission", he said.

UI authorities have explained that the SGRC, which provides counseling for LGBT people, is not part of UI and that the study centre has never submitted a request for permission to do so from those in authority at UI.

On its website at <sgrcui.wordpress.com>, the SGRC does indeed include the name UI after its name so it reads SGRC UI and the SGRC logo also includes the Capricorn logo of UI.

On its blog the SGRC refers to itself as a student organisation at UI that is active in scholarly thinking. The organisation, which was established on May 17, 2014, strives for a more comprehensive understanding of gender and sexuality issues through discussion.

There are also monthly gatherings of members who discuss studies related to sexuality as well as seminars on sexuality. The SGRC emphasises that it never pushes people to becoming or cures people from being LGBT. (van/nrl)

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Ketua MPR: Kelompok LGBT Harus Dilarang Masuk Kampus!.]

Source: http://news.detik.com/berita/3125816/ketua-mpr-kelompok-lgbt-harus-dilarang-masuk-kampus.

LGBT groups should be banned from university campuses says education minister

Antara News – January 23, 2016

Zuhdiar Laeis, Semarang – Research, Technology and Education Minister Muhammad Nasir has asserted that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups should not be allowed into university campuses.

"How can they be [allowed] on campus? There are values and standards of decency that must be upheld. Campuses are the guardians of morals", he said after officiating the opening of the new PGRI University in Semarang, Central Java, on Saturday.

His statement was in response to the Support Group and Resource Center on Sexuality Studies (SGRC) at the University of Indonesia (UI) campus offering counseling to LGBT people.

Nasir said that upon receiving this information he immediately contacted the UI rector and was told that by the university that the SGRC had not obtained permission from the campus for the activity.

"Upon receiving the information I immediately contacted the UI rector. It turns out that the UI did not give them permission for these activities", said the former University of Diponegoro rector.

According to Nasir, LGBT groups could potentially destroy the morals of the nation and campuses as guardians of morality, which should be able to safeguard the proper values of decency and lofty values of the Indonesian nation.

Not long ago, a brochure was circulated by several LGBT groups on the UI campus that triggered a heated debated because many believed that the campus was allowing the seeds of LGBT ideas to grow.

A strong reaction was also conveyed by House of Representatives member from the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS), Muhammad Nasir Djamil who said that LGBT groups represent a serious threat to the nation.

"LGBT groups cannot be allowed to develop or be given any space for their activities. Moreover LGBT communities appear to be penetrating campuses through study groups or scholarly discussions", he said.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was Kampus mestinya tidak dimasuki LGBT, kata Menristek.]

Source: http://www.antaranews.com/berita/541624/kampus-mestinya-tidak-dimasuki-lgbt-kata-menristek.

Nation must stand shoulder-to-shoulder to overcome LGBT threat: PKS

Republika - January 22, 2016

Jakarta – House of Representatives Commission III member from the Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) faction, Muhammad Nasir Djamil says that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups represent a serious threat to the nation and all elements of society must stand shoulder-to-shoulder to overcome the threat.

Society cannot allow LGBT activities to develop in any shape or form especially LGBT communities that appear to be penetrating campuses using the justification of study groups or scholarly discussions.

"Campus [authorities] should be more aware and sensitive in fortifying their students against the infiltration of these LGBT ideas, whatever their modus. They must be resolute in opposing all [forms of] infiltration that damages the futures of this country's youth", said Nasir on Friday January 22.

A number of recent reports have suggested that LGBT groups have begun to target well-known campuses in the capital and are doing this through studies with themes related to reproduction and psychology.

This information has heated up the debate about LGBT groups in the country. Prior to this, there was a lively discourse in the media when there were deliberations on revising provisions in the Criminal Code (KUHP) relating to LGBTs.

Nasir, who several weeks ago criticised articles in the draft revision of the Criminal Code that appeared to legalise LGBT activates, also emphasised the importance of Islamic teachers (ulama) and Islamic groups in efforts to block these maneuvers by LGBT groups.

"[We must] insist that the ulama provide serious direction, guidance, lessons and at the same time a model for society in confronting this virus", he said.

He also called on religious people to as much as possible upgrade their methodology and proselytizing in this increasingly sophisticated era. "So their calls can reach all layers [of society]", said Nasir.

[Translated by James Balowski for the Indoleft News Service. The original title of the report was PKS: Tolak LGBT, Apa Pun Modusnya.]

Source: http://www.republika.co.id/berita/nasional/hukum/16/01/22/o1cmus361-pks-tolak-lgbt-apa-pun-modusnya.