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Tag: Indonesia

  • Hundreds Of Rohingya Migrants Stranded As Malaysia Turns Boats Away

    Hundreds Of Rohingya Migrants Stranded As Malaysia Turns Boats Away

    Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are continuing to turn away boats carrying hundreds of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants, despite reports that 10 people have died after a boat became stranded in the Andaman Sea.

    Two large boats carrying hundreds of migrants were stranded after Malaysia turned both vessels away, the AP reports. Another boat carrying around 350 Rohingya migrants was kept at bay by Thai authorities. Those on the boat, which is stranded off the coast of Indonesia, told the BBC the crew abandoned the ship and 10 people had died. Some are drinking urine to survive as there’s no food or water, they said.

    A boat carrying journalists in the Andaman Sea got close enough to hear cries of “Please help us! I have no water!” and “Please give me water!” coming from the fishing boat, The New York Times reports. The migrants said they had been on the boat for three months and the crew had abandoned them six days ago.

    The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group who have for decades been ill-treated and persecuted in Myanmar, have been taking to the seas in ever-larger numbers to escape deplorable conditions in the camps where many are forced to live in Myanmar and in Bangladesh. Myanmar’s 1.33 million Rohingya population is not recognized by Thein Sein, who refers to them as “Bengalis,” implying that they’re in the country illegally.

    “We have to send the right message that they are not welcome here,” Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Jafaar told the AP. He also said the country has been humane to the migrants, but they “cannot be flooding our shores like this.”

    Around 25,000 Rohingya migrants took to trafficking boats between January and March this year, twice as many as the same period in 2014. Around 1,600 Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants were rescued off the coast of Indonesia on Sunday and detained in Malaysia on Monday; Thailand is the usual destination for smuggling boats, but since it closed its borders to the boats, Malaysia and Indonesia have become hot spots.

    On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern about the crisis and urged countries to “keep their borders and ports open in order to help the vulnerable people who are in need.” Ban also said the root causes of the exodus—human rights violations—need to be addressed.

    Source: www.newsweek.com

  • My Maid Cooked My Koi!

    My Maid Cooked My Koi!

    Dear editor

    Just to share a funny incident

    We hired a domestic worker from Indonesia recently because we hope she can help us look after our kids and my parents. My wife also needs a little help with housework as she was promoted recently.

    Our new helper is polite, diligent and willing to learn. She even has good rapport with our pet dog and take effort to prepare food for it. We guess we are lucky because we have heard tales about maids from hell. She can cook quite well, although not as good as my wife la… but hey, she is willing to learn.

    However, on Sunday when I was scrubbing my fish pond, I felt something was amiss about the pond but I was not able to pinpoint what went wrong. I ignored the feeling and went on with my daily routine.

    During lunch, I decided to peek at what was cooking – And I saw a weird looking steamed fish in my wok. Then I realised my maid has cooked my Koi fish! I immediately went into my yard and counted the number of Koi fishes. It was short of one!

    I asked my maid abouthe Koi fish. She seems a little puzzled. She said it is not uncommon for people in her hometown to eat Koi fishes. Apparantly, she steamed the Koi fish with other dishes for our pet dog.

    I have attached the photo of my poor fish. Anyway, we forgave her la. haha. It was quite funny.

    Lim

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

  • Money Believed To Fund Terror Networks Flowing From Australia To Indonesia

    Money Believed To Fund Terror Networks Flowing From Australia To Indonesia

    Money thought to be funding terrorism networks has been detected flowing from Australia into Indonesia, authorities say.

    “We do have a significant amount of funds coming from Australia. We suspect it to be supporting terrorism in Indonesia,” said Indonesia’s Financial Transactions and Analysis Centre (PPATK) deputy head, Agus Santoso.

    “Not specifically ISIS (Islamic State militants), because there are many organisations,” he said.

    Mr Santoso would not say how much money was being transferred, or by whom.

    Local media has reported that the money was supporting organisations linked to IS militants, but Mr Santoso has denied that the link could be made.

    Mr Santoso said Indonesian authorities were working closely with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) to track the money.

    Meanwhile, concern is mounting in the country over the number of people leaving the country to fight with IS militants and other groups in Iraq and Syria, with experts called to a conference on how to tackle IS and terrorism.

    Singapore-based terrorism researcher from the University of Nanyang, professor Rohan Gunaratna, said there were about 18 Indonesian terrorist groups with links, or sworn allegiances, to IS.

    One of those is the offshoot of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which was responsible for the Bali bombings and led by the radical Islamic cleric Abu Bakar Bashir.

    Bashir, who is the spiritual leader of another terrorist organisation he founded called Jemaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), has sworn allegiance to IS militants.

    He is currently in prison on Nusa Kambangan, the island where convicted Australian drug smugglers Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are awaiting execution.

     

    Source: www.abc.net.au

  • 4 Militant Suspects From China On Trial In Jakarta

    4 Militant Suspects From China On Trial In Jakarta

    JAKARTA – Four suspected militants believed to be ethnic Uighurs from China went on trial yesterday, after being caught in Poso in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province last September.

    The four, aged between 20 and 30, are accused of being supporters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group and trying to link up with Indonesian militants in Poso belonging to a group led by Indonesia’s most wanted terrorist, Santoso.

    Of the four, three travelled last August from the Turkestan region of north-west China to Cambodia and then Bangkok, where they met the fourth suspect from China, who passed them forged Turkish passports.

    The group later travelled to Indonesia via Kuala Lumpur, where the Indonesian Embassy issued travel visas.

    The three – Ahmet Mahmud, 20, Abdullah alias Altinci Bayyram, 28, and Abdul Basit Tuzer, 30 – stood together in court, while the fourth suspect, Ahmat Bozolgan alias Hamzah, 27, was tried separately.

    Prosecutor Dicky Oktavia told the North Jakarta district court that before the three entered Indonesia, they had travelled to Turkey but failed to cross over into Syria to join ISIS.

    “They were held up at the border in Turkey as it was difficult to cross over. Then they received directives to join Santoso, who has pledged allegiance to ISIS.”

    This is the first case involving suspected foreign terrorists accused of supporting ISIS entering Indonesia. The four were charged with spreading terror and are facing life in jail under Indonesia’s anti-terrorism laws.

    The charges read out in court yesterday were based on police dossiers prepared after interrogation of the suspects and witnesses, according to Mr Kamsi, a lawyer representing the suspects.

    “We understand (the suspects) were not willing to talk much. Accounts to build the indictment were mainly from the witnesses,” said Mr Kamsi, who, like many Indonesians, uses one name.

    The hearing was adjourned to next Monday, when the court will hear testimonies from witnesses, including arrested local militants who harboured the suspects.

    Meanwhile, Colonel Rikwanto, a spokesman for the police, said they have arrested five suspects for allegedly recruiting and training ISIS supporters intended to be sent to Iraq and Syria.

    The authorities said more than 350 Indonesians have joined ISIS.

    Analysts point out that as Indonesia does not ban anyone or any group that declares support for ISIS, government agencies find it difficult to check the spread of militant ideology.

    The police are pushing for changes to anti-terrorism laws that will allow them to take tougher preventive measures.

     

    Source: http://news.asiaone.com

  • Indonesia Grieves The Passing Of Lee Kuan Yew, A Great Figure of Asia: Vice President Jusuf Kalla

    Indonesia Grieves The Passing Of Lee Kuan Yew, A Great Figure of Asia: Vice President Jusuf Kalla

    Indonesia sends the deepest condolence for Singapore as founding father Lee Kuan Yew passed away earlier today. Vice president Jusuf Kalla (JK), in his twitter, said, “Indonesia is grieved with the passing away of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kwan Yew, a great figure of Asia.”

    JK said that Mr Yew had always inspired Asia. “Under Lee Kwan Yew, Singapore advanced rapidly and became a major force for ASEAN,” he said.

    Previously, the Foreign Ministry had also delivered its condolence. “Indonesia sends the deepest condolence for the passing away of former Prime Minister of Singapore, YM Lee Kuan Yew,” cited @Portal_Kemlu_RI at 06:00 WIB (Western Indonesia Time).

    Lee Kuan Yew, founding father and father of the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, died at the age of 91. Mr. Yew had been hospitalized for 47 days for pneumonia. In his memory, Singapore established seven days of mourn that will end on March 29.

     

    Source: http://en.tempo.co