Life is Healthy

• Kangen Musicians Escape Drug Charges, Sent to Rehab
• Chief Warden Allowed Drug Smuggling at Island Prison
• Indonesia Jails Filipino Woman for Drugs
• Depok Police Search for Leader of Expired Drug Reselling Ring
• 2 Foreigners in Airport Meth Busts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 06/20/2010 5:30 PM

The Indonesian government has said that Iranian nationals are the most common smugglers of class-A drugs into the country as of January this year.

Malaysians were the next-highest group, with eight suspects arrested so far this year, followed by India with six suspects, tempointeraktif.com reported.

The Customs and Excise Office at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, has arrested 15 Iranian nationals this year linked to 22 cases. It has also seized a total 115 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, locally known as shabu-shabu), ketamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

"All of the evidence together is worth Rp 278 billion (US$30.5 million) at market value," the office's head Baduri Wijayanta said Sunday.

All of the arrested Iranian smugglers were believed to be part of an Iran-based international drug syndicate, he added.

The office's head of prosecutions Gatot Sugeng Wibowo said the Iran-based drug mafia might not have been aware that Indonesia enforced the death penalty for drug smuggling.

The 2009 Narcotics Law carries the death penalty and a Rp 10 billion fine for anyone in possession of more than 5 grams of drugs.

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Indonesian domestic worker Siti Hajar says she was tortured by her Malaysian female employer for three years, describing in an interview being beaten with a cane and doused with boiling water. (AFP Photo/Saeed Khan)

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A Malaysian court sentenced a woman to eight years in prison on Thursday for scalding her Indonesian housemaid with hot water and assaulting her with scissors and a hammer.

The case was one of several involving the abuse of Indonesian domestic workers that strained ties between Indonesia and Malaysia last year, causing Indonesia to stop supplying new maids to its neighbor.

Hau Yuan Tyng, a 44-year-old single mother of two, pleaded innocent last June to charges of assaulting Siti Hajar Sadli — in one case allegedly using hot water; in another, a hammer; and in a third, a pair of scissors.

A Kuala Lumpur district court convicted her on Thursday but allowed her to remain free on bail pending an appeal, said her lawyer, M. Manoharan. She had faced a maximum penalty of 43 years in prison.

Siti Hajar, 34, ran away last June after working for Hau for three years in a luxury condominium. Photographs of her reddened, scalded body were widely publicized, sparking anger in Indonesia, whose President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged to seek justice for her.

Some 230,000 Indonesian maids work in Malaysia. Hundreds of them complain to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur every year of unpaid salaries, overwork and sometimes physical abuse.

Associated Press

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, April 2010 - 10:05pm

A court in The Hague has started trying six people suspected of forcing dozens of illegal immigrants from Indonesia to work in appalling circumstances.

The victims worked frying Indonesian shrimp crackers in a number of buildings in The Hague, Rotterdam and Gouda. They were forced to work up to 15 hours per day, often standing without interruption.

Housing, often in the same boiling hot space where they had to work, cost them three quarters of their income. Many of them had sold all they had in Indonesia to pay for the long trip.

Following tip-offs from neighbours, the Social Intelligence and Investigation Service found 38 Indonesians who were being exploited in this way. The authorities suspect there may be hundreds more.

The six suspects on trial are from Surinam and Indonesia. Five accomplices will go on trial later this year.

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A government prosecutor hands over a whip to the executioner during a public caning in Aceh Besar in January this year. There is growing outrage after a man and woman caught committing adultery on were beaten and possibly caned under Islamic law by a mob on Wednesday. (AFP Photo/Chaideer Mahyuddin)

Indonesia on Friday promised a full investigation into the public humiliation, mob beating and possible caning under Islamic law of two people suspected of having an adulterous tryst.

The offences allegedly took place Wednesday after a 36-year-old teacher and a 28-year-old housewife were accused of having extramarital sex in Aceh province, where religious police enforce Shariah or Islamic regulations.

They were dragged from the woman’s home by an angry mob, paraded naked through their village, tied to a post and beaten almost to death, and now face nine lashes each in public, police said.

It is the latest incident to expose the conflict between local Shariah provisions and rights enshrined in the secular constitution of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

“This is a barbarous crime and obviously against our rule of law,” an official at the justice and human rights ministry said.

“We will order police to launch an immediate probe and to take firm and concrete action against the perpetrators.”

Nearly 90 percent of Indonesia’s 234 million people are Muslims, but the vast majority practise a moderate form of the religion.

National human rights commission chairman Ifdhal Kasim urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to clarify that rights guaranteed under the constitution take supremacy over local regulations, including religious ones.

“This can be a bad precedent for other regions which have similar tendencies and which try to put religious values above the country’s constitution,” he told AFP.

“The directive should mention that Indonesia is a secular country and everything should be based on the constitution.”

Deeply Islamic Aceh adopted partial Shariah law in 2001 as part of an autonomy package aimed at quelling separatist sentiment.’

Last year the outgoing provincial government passed the Qanun Jinayat, a bill allowing adulterers and other religious offenders to be put to death by stoning.

It has not been signed into law by Governor Irwandi Yusuf and officials in Jakarta have asked for it to be withdrawn.

Agence France-Presse

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang | Tue, 04/06/2010 8:28 PM

Seven inmates at Tangerang youth detention center have received remissions, with three allowed to leave the prison on Tuesday.

The government on Tuesday announced sentence cuts for 42 youths across the country.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar sent home three child inmates, Shella Fatmawati, 17, Handika Hadi Widakdo, 17, and Aditia Parawangsa, 17, from the prison.

“As soon as you arrive home, bow and thank God and kiss the hands of your parents. From now on you have to able to take care of yourselves. The state loves you all,” Patrialis told the freed inmates.

The minister also said the President had turned down remission requests of other youths because they were repeat offenders.

Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 04/06/2010 8:19 PM

The Supreme Court has cut the jail term of businesswoman Artalyta Suryani by six months, only three months after an anti-judicial corruption taskforce found she enjoyed luxurious facilities inside her prison.

Supreme Court justice Hatta Ali said the revision was granted over “humanity reasons” in response to Artalyta’s case review request.

“Bribery convict Artalyta did not profit from the case,” Hatta said Tuesday, adding that she was only a broker.

“Besides, he is a woman. We cut her jail term based on humanity consideration.”

The Supreme Court upheld last year a five-year jail term for Artalyta after finding her guilty of giving US$660,000 in bribe to state prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan, who was then leading a team investigating the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) cases implicating tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim.

The Corruption Court sentenced Urip to 20 years in jail for accepting the bribe.

In January the presidential task force discovered Artalyta, graft convict Darmawati Dareho and drug abuse convict Liem "Aling" Marita receive exclusive facilities at the Pondok Bambu women prison. The three were moved to Tangerang prison later on.

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SBY orders task force to 'look back' into BLBI case

Eny Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/01/2010 11:17 PM

The South Jakarta District Court on Thursday suspended detention Susandhi bin Sukatma aka Aan, a defendant in an drug possession case, citing reasonable assurance from his lawyers that his client will not flee.

Presiding Judge Artha Theresia said the decision took into effect since April 1 until the court issued its verdict over the case.

“We grant the lawyer's request to delay the detention while keep on asking for the defendant to attend all court sessions, Artha said.

One of the considerations, she said, was that the defendant had undergone torture during a preliminary questioning session from officers of the Maluku Regional Police Office on Dec. 14, 2009.

“I can only say alhamdulilah (thank God). I thank to my lawyers [over the suspension of the detention],” Aan said after the trial.

Aan's lawyer Edwin Partogi said he was expecting the delay of the detention would become an input for the prosecutors for not being hesitant to demand his client be acquitted from all of the charges.

Today's trial was supposedly scheduled to hear demand from state prosecutors for the second time against Aan. However, prosecutor Sri Haryanto said he had yet to be ready to read the demand without giving any clear reasons.

The court will resume next Thursday to hear the demand.

Aan was arrested by the Jakarta Police on Dec. 14 at the Artha Graha building of South Jakarta after the police found 0.1427 grams of drugs in his wallet. He was detained at the Cipinang Penitentiary one day after the arrest.

Tempo Interactive, Wednesday, 31 March, 2010 | 21:29 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The military has drew another controversy in its relation with civilians this week after reports emerged that police is investigating complaints of abuse by four military personnels on four children in Depok, West Java which have prompted reaction from The National Commission for Child Protection

Secretary General of the commission, Aris Merdeka Sirait said on Wednesday (31/3) said the beating “is a human rights violation,” which came amid the government's bid to restore military ties with the United States severed by the human rights abuse cases around the downfall of Soeharto and the East Timor Separation in late 1998.

The incident took place at the capital outskirt of Depok, West Java inside the the army's Strategic Reserve Command complex of Tibeng in Cilodong on Sunday last week.

Four kids aged 10 – 15 was beaten by at least four army personnels, some were in their uniforms.

Relatives of one of the victims said, two among he four victims were captured inside the military housing complex for allegedly stealing bike on Saturday (27/3) night.

Army personnel then said to have forced the two kids to name their other friends which were then picked from their homes and were then beaten then with iron clubs and wooden sticks and kicked them.

On Wednesday (31/3) the Military Police conduct examination on the four male kids after undergoing medical check accompanied by the Child Protection Commission.

The Strategic Reserve Command reportedly have questioned three personnel suspectedly involved in the beatings.

TIA HAPSARI

Denpasar. Prosecutors are seeking a 15-year jail term for an Australian accused of smuggling drugs into the country.

Robert Paul McJannett, 48, was arrested in Ngurah Rai International Airport after his Virgin Blue flight from Perth landed on Dec. 28. When his luggage passed through an X-ray machine, a customs officer detected a suspicious box inside his suitcase.

According to customs, the officer discovered 1.7 grams of marijuana hidden in a folded sheet of metal tucked into black socks in the trade unionist’s luggage.

“We ask the judges to convict him to 15 years in prison,” said Nyoman Sucitrawan at McJannett’s indictment on Tuesday.

Prosecutors charged McJannett with violating at least three articles of the country’s Narcotics Law.

Bali Police said that when questioned, McJannett admitted to using the drug on the day he flew to Bali.

“[McJannett said] his purpose for smoking marijuana is just to make him sleep,” Sucitrawan said. Drug tests indicated the presence of drugs in McJannett’s urine and blood.

In response to the indictment, the accused’s attorney, Nyoman Gede Sudiantara, said he would not file an exception or defense memorandum.

“We asked judges to continue the trial with witness examination,” Sudiantara said.

In January, McJannett claimed he had been set up, saying he believed the marijuana allegedly found in his luggage had been wrapped in metal deliberately to set off X-ray machines.

The defendant told The Australian newspaper that he suffered from Meniere’s disease, diverticulitis, hepatitis C and a lung infection. He said his medications had been taken from him when he was charged.

“There’s smokers everywhere and every time I’m exposed to that it aggravates my childhood asthma,” he said.

McJannett ran in the last two elections for assistant secretary of Australia’s Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, losing both times to incumbent Joe McDonald.

In a Jan. 1 interview with The Australian newspaper, McJannett claimed that the leaders of the powerful trade union “hate my guts” and accused them of setting him up with the narcotics.

Jakarta Globe, March 30, 2010

An Indonesian maid has been sentenced to eight weeks in prison in Singapore after admitting to filing a false abuse report against her employer.

Ida Farida, 25, said she made spurious statements to police last September alleging that her employer’s wife had hit her on the back with a broom and used a fork to scratch her on the back and arm.

Ida said she was looking for a way out of the job because her employer’s wife was mean and her agent had refused to take her back.

‘Being made to go down to Bedok Police Divisional Headquarters to face an allegation of maid abuse inflicted public humiliation on the wife and family of the accused’s employer,’’ said Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Woon Kwong as quoted by the Straits Times news Web site.

JG

Indra Harsaputra and Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya/Jakarta | Sat, 03/27/2010 10:54 AM

Members of hard-line Islamic groups forced their way into a Surabaya hotel Friday, demanding participants of a planned congress on sexual orientation in the East Java city to leave the country by Sunday.

The police took no action against the move, condemned by politicians and activists as “unconstitutional” and violating human rights, who said the conference should be seen as “a celebration of democracy and human rights”.

Dozens of foreign participants from Mexico, Canada, the US and 13 Asian countries were scheduled to take part in the 4th regional Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Intersex Association (ILGA) conference scheduled to run from Friday to Sunday.

But the organizer decided Thursday to officially cancel the event, citing “security reasons”, after the police refused to grant them a permit fearing protests from religious groups.

Secretary-general of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) in East Java, Mohammad Chaeruddin, said the foreigners were told to leave because Surabaya Muslims believed the conference was against religious values and teachings.

“We forced them to return home by Sunday. We also told them not to make a media statement,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The group also entered several hotels in Surabaya and nearby Malang, including Mercure Surabaya where the conference was scheduled to be held on Thursday. They also urged hotels to make a written statement refusing to host the conference.

On Friday at 3 p.m., FPI members, the Islamic Community Forum and the Indonesian Ulemas Council arrived at Oval Hotel. Hundreds more from the Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, which held a rally protesting gay, lesbian and transexual communities outside Grahadi Surabaya, arrived later.

South Surabaya Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Bahagia Dachi, said the police would ensure the safety of conference participants, including foreigners.

“We’ll provide security escorts for foreigners to Juanda Airport Surabaya,” he said.

Surabaya’s Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence coordinator, Andy Irfan Junaidi, criticized the police for allowing religious groups to undermine and violate the rights of minority groups.

“Religious groups have prevented the groups to gather, against the guarantee of the Constitution,” he said.

Separately in Jakarta, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party politicians have called the police banning of a planned gay and lesbian congress in East Java as “unconstitutional”.

“[Holding a congress] is a basic human right,” Benny Kabur Harman, House of Representatives’ justice and human rights commission chairman, said Friday.

“Gays and lesbians are citizens whose political and legal rights are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution, which allows freedom of opinion.

“The state should in no way forbid the congress from being held.”

Benny’s colleague, Pieter Zulkifli, said the congress should be seen as “a celebration of democracy and human rights”.

The National Awakening Party (PKB) said the congress must be relocated overseas “for the sake of the country’s moral values”.

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Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Fri, 03/26/2010 10:34 AM | Bali

At the Denpasar District Court on Thursday, prosecutors in the trial of an Iranian caught of smuggling crystal methamphetamine said they were seeking the death penalty.

Prosecutors said defendant Saeid Shahbazi violated the 2009 Narcotics Law by importing or supplying 22 capsules of crystal methamphetamine with a total weight of 162.13 grams and could face the death penalty.

“The defendant intentionally brought the drugs through the Ngurah Rai International Airport arrival gate,” prosecutor I Ketut Sujaya said during the session presided over by judge Sigit Sutanto.

The 34-year-old Iranian, the sole defendant in the case, allegedly attempted to smuggle the crystal meth capsules by swallowing the drugs.

He was arrested by Customs and Excise officers at the airport upon his arrival from Doha via Kuala Lumpur onboard a Qatar Airways flight on Dec. 21 last year.

The court heard testimony from two Customs and Excise officers, a medical worker at the Bali International Medical Center and two police officers.

The defendant looked panicked when approaching the immigration booth at the airport, Customs and Excise officer Ketut Suciawan said. Suciawan was posted at the arrival gate at the time.

“We suspected something and immediately took him to the examination room and later to the hospital,” he said.

Prosecutors said that the officers didn’t find the drugs when searching the defendant’s luggage, but noticed that his stomach looked bloated and that his demeanor was panicky.

Doctors at the hospital scanned his stomach and found several small plastic bags that resembled capsules.

After an X-ray was performed on the defendant and he was given laxatives, medical staff recovered 22 capsules containing crystal meth.

Bali has seen many cases of drug smuggling in the last couple of months.

Among the foreigners arrested for smuggling drugs was Indian national Mohammed Umar, who was carrying 9.8 kilograms of ketamine in his luggage last month.

The 36-year-old man smuggled the white crystal powder, usually used as an anesthetic, inside a water heater he brought from India.

In January, officers arrested a Malaysian woman, Hoon Yue Chin, for bringing in 0.62 grams of crystal meth.

Several days later, French national Francois Virgile Arthur Sidoine was caught with 0.78 grams of heroine in his underwear.

In the same month, two Malaysians, Chang Cheng Weng and Boo Guan Teik, were arrested for smuggling in two kilograms of crystal meth.

Weeks before Saeid was arrested, the Customs and Excise Office arrested seven other Iranians attempting to smuggle five kilograms of crystal meth by also swallowing the drugs.

In December, 48-year-old Australian Robert Paul McJannett was also detained by the police for attempting to smuggle two grams of marijuana into the island.