Clamor grows for ending trafficking, slavery on the seas by Fardah

Jakarta , June 16, 2020 (ANTARA) - On June 5 this year, two sailors — Reynalfi, 22, and Andri Juniansyah, 30 — jumped off Chinese-flagged fishing vessel Fu Lu Qing Yuan Yu 901 as soon as it entered Indonesia's territorial waters in the Malacca Strait.

After about seven hours adrift, they were rescued by local fishermen from Tanjung Balai Karimun,  Riau Island, Sumatra. 

The two Indonesian crew members reportedly decided to jump off the vessel because they could not withstand the treatment they received on board. They cited lack of food and drinking water and being forced to work very long hours as reasons for jumping overboard. They also claimed they were intimidated and physically harmed, either by the ship’s captain or by Chinese crewmen.

The two Indonesian citizens were allegedly victims of human trafficking, according to a report by Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW).

“The allegation of forced labor emerged after we found violations such as unpaid wages, poor working conditions, threats and intimidation, [all of] which Andri Juniansyah and Reynalfi experienced,” DFW Indonesia coordinator M. Abdi Suhufan told the media.

According to DFW data, at least 30 Indonesian crew members have been victims of such violations on board Chinese vessels between November, 2019 and June, 2020. Seven of the crew reportedly died, three remain missing, and 20 have survived. 

With several cases coming to light, the DFW has called for a moratorium and evaluation of the policy of sending Indonesian seafarers to work on Chinese-flagged fishing vessels.

There have been allegations of human trafficking and forced labor against irresponsible perpetrators at home, who have been sending Indonesian seafarers to work on Chinese fishing boats, Suhufan noted.


Reports on the ill-treatment of Indonesian fishermen on Chinese fishing boats have triggered an uproar in the world’s largest archipelagic country.

CHINA LIFTING TIGER BONE BAN FEARED TO AFFECT SUMATRAN TIGERS by Fardah

Jakarta, Nov 10, 2018  (Antara) - China's decision to reverse the 25-year ban on the trade of tiger bones and rhino horns has triggered an outcry from various conservation groups internationally and considered the move a regress in wildlife conservation efforts.

        In response to the move, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued a statement in Beijing on October 29, 2018, expressing its profound concern over China's announcement on the same day that it has legalized the use of tiger bones and rhino horns from captive-bred animals by hospitals and domestic trade in antique tiger and rhino products.

        "It is deeply concerning that China has reversed its 25-year-old tiger bone and rhino horn ban, allowing a trade that will have devastating consequences globally," Margaret Kinnaird, WWF Wildlife Practice Leader, affirmed.

        A similar concern was voiced by Greenpeace Africa's Senior Political Advisor Fredrick Njehu, saying that China's decision to reopen trade of rhino horns and tiger bones will not only reactivate the demand for rhino products but will also contribute to a rise in poaching and other illegal activities
   WWF and Greenpeace Africa urgently call on China to not only maintain their 1993 ban on tiger bone and rhino horn trade but to also extend it to cover trade in all tiger parts and products, regardless of whether they are from captive-bred or wild animals.

        An Indonesian environmentalist has also expressed his concern over China's decision to legalize tiger bone use for medicines, as it has the potential to trigger the poaching of Sumatran tigers.

        "For us, this is a regress and leads to bad impacts on conservation efforts in countries having wildlife. China has been viewed as an illegal importer and export destination of protected wildlife so far," Osmantri, coordinator of the Wildlife Crime Team, a working unit of the WWF program in Central Sumatra, stated in Pekanbaru, Riau, recently.

INDONESIA PLEASED TO WITNESS RISE IN CHINESE TOURIST SPENDING by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 5, 2018 (Antara) - China has overtaken Australia in contributing the largest number of foreign tourists to Indonesia, and Chinese tourist spending too has increased.

           Every Chinese tourist, on an average, spends about US$1,000 in Indonesia per visit, with the length of stay averaging five days.

           Chinese tourists have become an increasingly lucrative segment for Indonesia. Earlier, their spending averaged only US$700-$800 each per visit, but now, they have become bigger spenders.

           Some 200 thousand Chinese visit Indonesia per month, Vincent Jemadu, director of Great China Promotion of the Tourism Ministry, stated on September 25, 2018.

          The best seller among Indonesian tour packages in China is that for five days, inclusive of flights.

           The Tourism Ministry has set this year's target for Chinese tourist arrivals at 2.6 million.

           The Tourism Ministry is optimistic of the target of 2.6 million visits being achieved this year.

         Some 1.5 million visits by Chinese tourists to Indonesia have already been recorded in the first eight months of the year. 
      During the 2016-2017 period, Chinese tourists were recorded as the largest group of foreign travelers visiting Indonesia, outnumbering Australian visitors and those from Singapore and Malaysia.

           However, the target to draw more Chinese tourists to Indonesia faces a roadblock, with only limited number of Mandarin speaking guides in the country.

           Some 40 percent of the Chinese tourists arriving in the country flew in directly to Bali, 30 percent entered the country via Jakarta, and 20 percent via the Riau Islands.

           However, lately, a sharp increase has been recorded in the number of Chinese tourists entering the country via Manado, North Sulawesi.

INDONESIA FIGHTS CYBER-FRAUD SYNDICATE FROM CHINA by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 15, 2017 (Antara)- It seems that a cyber-fraud syndicate from China had found Indonesia as a heaven for their illegal operation and therefore they set up headquarters in several big cities in the country.

         More than hundred Chinese criminals, who included women, had lied as Chinese police or public prosecutors. They had connected Chinese victims and accused them of committing crimes. They had offered to cease legal process of their cases, if they transferred certain amount of money.

        Since they had operated in Indonesia in February 2017 (another report said since late 2016), they had collected at least Rp6 trillion (some US$455 million) from their victims.

         In simultaneous raids carried out on July 29, 2017, Indonesian police detained 149 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals operating their crimes in Jakarta, Surabaya (East Java), Bali, and Batam (Riau Islands).

         The raids were carried out with the cooperation of the Chinese Police, who had informed their Indonesian counterparts about the fraud targeting Chinese.

         The members of the syndicates had rented luxurious houses in elite areas in the Indonesian big cities. The Indonesian police also arrested five Indonesian believed to have helped their operation.

          In Surabaya, police had detained 93 suspects, comprising 81 Chinese citizens and 12 Taiwanese. Two Indonesian citizen were also arrested for being involved in providing means and facilities.

         "This evening, we raided four houses in Darmo Permai Golf or Graha Family in Surabaya that have been used for their operation," an officer of the special task force from the national headquarters dealing with the crime, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Susatyo Purnomo Condro, told newsmen following the raid on July 29.

          He admitted that the syndicate had been successfully uncovered thanks to cooperation from the Chinese police.

NORTH SULAWESI OPTIMISTIC OF ATTRACTING MORE CHINESE TOURISTS by Fardah

 Jakarta, June 17, 2017 (Antara) - To support the Indonesian government's target of attracting at least 12 million foreign tourists, including some 2.4 million from China, several regions are gearing up to receive them this year.

         Tourism promotion events organized by Indonesia in China have resulted in a significant increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country's tourist destinations, particularly Bali and North Sulawesi.

         Chinese tourists constituted 28.15 percent of the total 1.81 million foreign tourist arrivals in Bali between January and April this year.

         North Sulawesi has also enjoyed a sharp increase in the number of Chinese visitors in the first quarter of 2017.

         During the period between January and March, North Sulawesi had recorded a five-fold increase in the number of foreign tourists reaching 17,335, of which most were Chinese, from 3,467 during the same period last year.

         Chinese tourists have dominated, in terms of the number of visitors to North Sulawesi. In March alone, 3,889 Chinese tourists had visited the province, or 75 percent of the total number of foreign visitors.

         Other tourist arrivals were from Singapore, Germany, the United States, and Hong Kong.

         In April 2017, Chinese also constituted the largest number of foreign tourists visiting North Sulawesi.

         "In April 2017, the number of Chinese tourists visiting North Sulawesi reached 4,477, constituting 72.84 percent of the total foreign tourist arrivals," Moh Edy Mahmud, head of the North Sulawesi statistic office, stated in Manado, recently.

CHINESE INVESTMENT AND CONSEQUENCE OF FOREIGN WORKER PRESENCE IN INDONESIA by Fardah

Jakarta, Jan 20 , 2017(Antara) - Chinese investment in Indonesia has increased significantly over the last several years, making China the third largest investor in the country after Singapore and Japan.

        The total value of Chinese investments reached US$1.6 billion in the third quarter of 2016, with West Java being the biggest recipient at Rp82 trillion. This is followed by East Java with Rp60 trillion, Banten with Rp43 trillion and Jakarta with Rp42 trillion.  
    China's technology sector is one of the main industries that helped boost Chinese investment in Indonesia, according to the director of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Wisnu Soedibjo, in Jakarta on Jan 19. 
    Singapore and Japan have also widely used Chinese technology in their production lines, he added.

         Due to the increase of Chinese investment, companies have also brought Chinese nationals to the country on a temporary basis, along with their expertise on how to use specialized technology until their knowledge can be transferred to local staff.    
    Soedibjo added that his agency did not have the authority to influence the Chinese investors' decisions regarding the use of their technology and their employee hiring policies.

         Data from the Manpower Ministry and the Immigration Directorate General indicated that 21,121 Chinese workers have applied for permits to work in Indonesia.

         During 2016, the ministry handled 1,324 cases of visa or working permit violations involving Chinese workers.

INDONESIA CALLS FOR PEACE, STABILITY IN SOUTH CHINA SEA by Fardah

Jakarta, July 21, 2016 (Antara) - Rising tensions in the South China Sea have become a global concern, as over half of the world's annual merchant fleet tonnage and one-third of all maritime traffic worldwide pass through its shipping lanes.

         Encompassing an area of some 3.5 million square kilometers from the Straits of Karimata and Malacca to the Strait of Taiwan, the South China Sea has shipping lanes that connect East Asia with Europe and the Middle East, with US$5 trillion worth of goods being transported through its waters every year.

         Moreover, it accounts for some 12 percent of the annual global fisheries catch and has abundant oil and natural gas reserves.

         China, Taiwan, and Vietnam each stake claim over much of the South China Sea, as well as all of the Spratly and Paracel island groups.

         Brunei claims a southern reef of the Spratly Islands, Malaysia claims three islands in the Spratlys, while the Philippines claims eight islands in the Spratlys and significant parts of the South China Sea.

         Although Indonesia is not a claimant state, China's nine-dash line, however, encroaches on its territory extending out from the Natuna Islands.

         An international tribunal in The Hague recently ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea, backing a case filed by the Philippines.

         The Permanent Court of Arbitration said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources.

MANADO-CHINA DIRECT FLIGHTS EXPECTED TO WOO MORE CHINESE TOURISTS by Fardah

    Jakarta, July 16, 2016 (Antara) - North Sulawesi is hoping to woo more Chinese tourists to visit its cities by offering what many Chinese tourists love - seas and tasty cuisine.

        The province, located in Indonesia's northeastern Sulawesi Island, offers a variety of natural panoramas with beaches, hills, volcanic mountains and scenic plateaus.

        Beautiful and biodiversity-rich Bunaken Marine National Park, which is just about 10 km from Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi Province, is one of the most famous tourist destinations. The park has been inscribed in the list of World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

         Bunaken has an amazing and diverse marine life with 70 different corals, five species of sea turtles, many fish species, and even white tip and black tip reef sharks, the almost extinct dugongs, and barracuda.

         For food lovers, Manado could become an ideal place to visit as it has become one of the top destinations for the best traditional Indonesian food, such as spicy chicken Rica-rica and Roa fish Rica-rica, with Klaapertart as a recommended dessert.
     The province's plan to woo more Chinese tourists is in line with the plan of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.
    Some 1.14 million Chinese tourists visit Indonesia annually, far lesser than eight million to Thailand.    
     As many as 1,139,281 Chinese tourists visited Indonesia in 2015, an increase of 18.77 percent compared to 959,231 visitors recorded in 2014.

         For 2016, the country has set a target of attracting 1.7 million Chinese tourists, and two million in 2019.

INDONESIA MAINTAINS UNWAVERING STANCE ON ITS SOVEREIGNTY OVER NATUNA WATERS by Fardah

Jakarta, July 2, 2016 (Antara)- Indonesia has never altered its position that the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Natuna waters, and all its resources, fall within its sovereign territories, and asks other countries to honor this fact.

         The EEZ and all its riches are the sovereign property of a country. Any agreement on its exploitation must have the signatures of those countries involved, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti stated recently, referring to a claim by the Chinese government that the Natuna sea is its "traditional fishing ground."    
    The Indonesian government, however, does not accept the Chinese claim and insists that it will indiscriminately apprehend ships conducting illegal fishing in its waters, regardless of their origin country.

           The minister remarked that no single agreement on traditional fishing grounds had yet been signed with China, and so, Chinese ships fishing in the area will be considered to be violating Indonesian laws.

           Indonesia has, so far, only inked an agreement over traditional fishing grounds with Malaysia, which is limited to an area in the Malacca Strait, according to Susi Pudjiastuti.

INDONESIA COMMITTED TO PROTECTING RESOURCE-RICH NATUNA WATERS by Fardah

Jakarta, June 24, 2016 (Antara)- President Joko Widodo's limited cabinet meeting aboard Indonesian warship KRI Imam Bonjol in the Natuna waters, directly linked to the South China Sea, on June 23, signals the nation's commitment to maintaining its territorial sovereignty.

        KRI Imam Bonjol-383 was the same warship that had foiled an attempt by a group of Chinese fishing vessels to poach in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone in the Natuna waters on June 17 and had detained one of the vessels and its seven Chinese crew members.

        The arrest had triggered a protest by the Chinese government, which claimed that the fishing vessels were in the so-called "Chinese traditional fishing grounds," something that had never been recognized by Indonesia.

        During the rare sea trip to the Natuna waters, the president was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, Maritime and Fishery Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Armed Forces Chief General Gatot Nurmantyo.

        The meeting on board the naval warship was held to discuss the economic potential of the Natuna Islands, which are viewed as the country's strategic zone.  

INDONESIA DECLARES WAR ON DRUGS, NEEDS TO PLUG SMUGGLING FROM MALAYSIA By Fardah

Jakarta, April 16, 2016 (Antara) - The Indonesian government has declared a war against drugs and the authorities have intensified security measures to thwart illicit drug smuggling into the country.  
    In the latest success, the Indonesian army personnel safeguarding the country's border with Malaysia managed to foil an attempt to smuggle two kilograms of crystal methamphetamine into the Panga Bintawa of Entikong check-point area, West Kalimantan Province, on April 13, 2016.

         "The Indonesian border security task force personnel have captured two suspects," the Chief of Rem 121/ABW military command Brig. Gen. Widodo Iryansyah said on April 14. 
    The suspects, identified as Ewd, 26, and Fb, 41, were questioned and confessed that the two kilograms of the crystal meth caught from them was smuggled from Tebedu, Malaysia, into Entikong.

        Furthermore, the Indonesian police disclosed that some 800 kilograms (kg) of crystal methamphetamine had been smuggled from Malaysia into Indonesia since 2012 by an international drug syndicate involving two Indonesian prisoners.

         Prisoner Ricky Gunawan alias Ricky Bom-bom is lodged in the Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta, while Anciong alias Karun is lodged in the Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary in Medan, North Sumatra.   

INDONESIA'S FIRM STANCE ON CHINA'S TERRITORIAL VIOLATIONS LAUDED by Fardah

    Jakarta, March 22, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia's Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was seemingly furious when she received a report about a Chinese flagged fishing vessel and a coast guard vessel violating the country's territorial waters off Natuna Island.

        As per the report, her ministry's patrol ship Hiu 11 had intercepted and detained FV Kway Fey 10078 on March 19 for fishing illegally in Indonesian waters off Natuna, Riau Islands.

         However, just when the Kway Fey, weighing 200 gross tonnage (GT),  was being taken away by the Hiu 11, a Chinese coast guard ship came all of a sudden and hit KM Kway Fei, ostensibly to prevent the Chinese fishing vessel from being taken to the Indonesian shore.

        To prevent a clash, the maritime and fishery ministry (KKP)   officers left FV Kway Fey and returned to the Hiu 11, bringing along  eight crew members of the Chinese fishing vessel.

         The minister told reporters on March 20 itself of her intention to "lodge a strong diplomatic protest," since the incident had taken place in the Indonesian economic exclusive zone (EEZ).

         "The intervention by the Chinese coastguard ship was a blatant violation of Indonesian sovereignty," the minister said, adding she would summon the Chinese ambassador for explanation.

CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVITIES ENLIVEN INDONESIAN TOURISM by Fardah

   Jakarta, Feb 8, 2016 (Antara)- Various regions in Indonesia have organized festivities to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year 2576, or the Spring Festival, which falls on February 8.

          Imlek, as the occasion is locally known, is the most important traditional festival celebrated among Chinese families.

          The population of Indonesians of Chinese descent is believed to be some 10 million, which is approximately four to five percent of the total population of the country, which has the largest number of Muslims in the world.

         Since 2002, the Chinese New Year has been marked as a national holiday on the Indonesian calendar, due to which all government offices, schools, universities, and companies remain closed during the celebration.

INDONESIA HOPING TO LURE CHINESE TOURISTS DURING LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAY by Fardah

Jakarta, Jan 30, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia is hoping to lure more Chinese tourists to visit the country to celebrate their Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival, which is the grandest and the most important annual event for Chinese people.

       The festival, with its more than 4,000 years of history, is the longest public holiday in China. Most employees will have 7-12 days off and students will have a month long winter vacation.

         China had the world's largest number of outbound tourists in 2015, according to data from the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

       About 120 million Chinese traveled overseas in 2015, up from 109 million the previous year, according to the CNTA.

INDONESIA COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING STABILITY IN SOUTH CHINA SEA By Fardah

 Jakarta, Oct 22, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesia shares its border with the South China Sea in the northwest, off the Natuna Islands in Riau Islands Province.

         So far, Indonesia is not among the countries involved in the South East China dispute. It has remained neutral regarding the overlapping claims made over the South China Sea territories by some ASEAN member countries, and China in particular.

         The ASEAN countries that are making overlapping claims in the South China Sea include Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, and Malaysia. They have individually confronted China, which has claimed sovereignty almost the entire South China Sea area.

         However, some officials had expressed concerns last year following a report on China drawing nine-dash line maps claiming sovereignty, including over Indonesia's Natuna Islands.

INCIDENCE OF INT'L CYBERCRIME SYNDICATES USING RI AS BASE INCREASES By Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 12, 2015 (Antara) - The Jakarta Metropolitan police has confirmed that more and more international crime syndicates are using Indonesia as one of their bases for carrying out cybercrimes.

         "Indonesia is no longer a destination for transnational crimes, but has slowly transformed into a hub for the operations of international crime syndicates," the Director of General Crime Investigation for the Jakarta Metropolitan Police Command, Senior Commissioner Krishna Murti, stated on Aug. 20.

         He said several crime syndicates had entered Indonesia, organized their activities, rented places, and carried out criminal acts.

         "The criminals are recruited from China, and the main players are members of Yakuza, Japan," he revealed.

         The police officer also revealed that big syndicates were controlled from Taiwan and other places, including from Indonesia, China, and Japan.

INDONESIANS ADVISED NOT TO BE WARY OF FOREIGN WORKERS By Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 8, 2015 (Antara) - Some Indonesians are becoming increasingly wary about the possible growth in the influx of foreign workers into the country.

        These concerns were intensified following President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) decision to scrap the requirement that foreigners working in Indonesia should master Indonesia's national language -- the Bahasa, and hold a Temporary Stay Permit (KITAS).

        The head of state had said during a recent Cabinet meeting that these two regulations need to be removed because they have hampered the government¿s efforts to create a conducive climate for investors.

        Foreign workers being mandated to speak Indonesian is a regulation formulated by the Manpower Ministry. Meanwhile, the requirement to hold a KITAS has been mentioned under the 2011 Immigration Law.    

INDONESIA ENJOYS SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CHINESE TOURIST ARRIVALS by Fardah

Jakarta, Aug 28 , 2015 (Antara)- The Indonesian Government has been intensifying tourism promotion, providing visa-free facilities, and easing permits in a bid to attract 10 million tourists in 2015, and achieve US$12.05 billion in foreign exchange earnings from tourism by the end of this year.

         The government has provided visa-free facility among others to the citizens of China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and Australia, which are the main markets for Indonesian tourism.

         The increase in the number of visa-free countries is also needed to achieve the target of 20 million foreign visitors, or 450 thousand additional foreign tourists per year, by 2019.

         Indonesia has been particularly targeting China, the world's most populous country, as a potential market for its tourism industry.

INDONESIA SEEKS CHINA'S COOPERATION TO STOP DRUG TRAFFICKING By Fardah

 Jakarta, Aug 28, 2015 (Antara) - Indonesian authorities have been grappling with the recent influx of illicit drugs, particularly crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy exported by illicit drug syndicates in Guangzhou, China, into Indonesia.  
   The Chief of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), Anang Iskandar, has confirmed that Indonesia has become an important route and market for international drug syndicates in Asia.     
   "One of the biggest illicit drug producers is Guangzhou, in the province of Guangdong, China," Iskandar stated.

        BNN has identified the routes of international drug syndicates covering China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Western Africa, he said.  

TEAM ASSESSING HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY FEASIBILITY STUDIES PREPARED BY CHINA, JAPAN by Fardah

     Jakarta, Aug 12, 2015 (Antara) - A team of consultants set up by the Indonesian government to look into  the feasibility studies for the High-Speed Railway (HSR) project prepared by two bidders - Japan and China, are currently  reviewing the reports.

       The government will announce in two weeks the winner of the contract between China and Japan for the country's 150km-long high-speed link between Jakarta and Bandung.

       The contract is for the construction of tracks and high-speed train on the similar lines as the Shinkansen train network, the then Minister for the National Development Planning Andrinof Chaniago  stated after a meeting with a Chinese delegation of 11 senior officials led by Minister for National Development and Reform Commission Xu Shaoshi in Jakarta on August 11, 2015.

        "We will take into consideration all aspects including inputs from outside," Chaniago  said.