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☆ Indonesia proposes demilitarised zone, UN referendum for Ukraine peace plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Kanupriya Kapoor | Thomson Reuters | Edits Breaking News Across Southeast Asia Covers Longform Stories On Politics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, June 3 (Reuters) - Indonesia's defence minister on Saturday proposed a peace plan for the war in Ukraine, calling for a demilitarised zone and a United Nations referendum in what he called disputed territory. He proposed a multi-point plan including a ceasefire "in place at present positions of both conflicting parties" and establishing a demilitarised zone by withdrawing 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) from each party's forward position. "We cannot stop supporting militarily Ukraine because we don't want the peace which is ... the peace of the surrender. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy has proposed a 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine. Chief diplomatic adviser Ihor Zhovkva said Ukraine had no interest in a ceasefire that locks in Russian territorial gains.

Persons: Subianto, Prabowo, Joko Widodo's, Josep Borrell Fontelles, Borrell, Volodymr Zelenskiy, Ihor Zhovkva, Kanupriya Kapoor, Gerry Doyle Organizations: United, United Nations, UN, Union's European Commission, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Ukraine, United Nations, Singapore, Russia, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Metals-rich Indonesia’s IPO market is so red-hot it’s thrashing Hong Kong and India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It has overtaken Hong Kong — long one of the top IPO markets — for the first time since 1995, and is outpacing economic powerhouses India, South Korea and Japan. Global IPO slowdownPart of Indonesia’s IPO success this year can be explained by lackluster performances elsewhere. The US IPO market, usually the world’s largest, has suffered given its reliance on particularly rate-sensitive tech companies, Lee said. Mining company Harita Nickel raised $660 million in its market debut last month, Indonesia’s biggest listing so far this year. “Our increasing conviction in [Indonesian companies] comes from how its government maximizes the potential of its bountiful raw materials,” he wrote.

☆ Russia and China hit back at a G7 that saw them as a threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Moscow and Beijing lashed out against the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, where leaders of major democracies pledged new measures targeting Russia and spoke in one voice on their growing concerns over China. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday slammed the G7 for indulging in their “own greatness” with an agenda that aimed to “deter” Russia and China. G7 member countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Concern about such incidents was reflected in the G7 statement on ensuring economic security and countering economic coercion, which did not explicitly mention China. “The bottom line is that the G7 has shown it will increasingly focus on China and will try to maintain a coordinated policy approach.

☆ A Sinking Capital and More: The Week in Reporter Reads
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For two years, Mr. Joko served as the governor of a capital city that seemed to teeter on the brink of ruin. Most of all, Jakarta was sinking, as thirsty residents drained its marshy aquifers and rising sea waters lapped its shores. So Mr. Joko rolled up his sleeves, put on his sneakers and set about trying to fix the city. All the Sisyphean dredging, the endless concrete inches slathered on sea walls, the duct tape solutions could not raise Jakarta above the sea’s reach. And so Mr. Joko has turned to a different solution: If Jakarta cannot be saved, he will need to start over.

☆ The Plan to Build a New Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Today, 40 percent of Jakarta lies below sea level, and flooding is increasingly common. To deal with that threat, Indonesia’s popular president — Joko Widodo, in his ninth year in office — has devised an audacious solution: He is moving the country’s capital. The new capital, now under construction, is called Nusantara. It is being built from the ground up, about 800 miles from the current capital. Joko promises that the city will be a model of environmental stewardship, carbon neutral within a few decades.

☆ Indonesia communications minister arrested for graft
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, May 17 (Reuters) - Indonesian authorities on Wednesday arrested a senior cabinet minister on corruption charges in a case they said caused more than half a billion dollars in state losses. Johnny G. Plate is the fifth minister in President Joko Widodo's administrations to be charged with corruption. Johnny was arrested "as a user of the budget and as a minister", said AGO official Kuntadi, without detailing the minister's specific role. Another official Ketut Sumedana said the minister allegedly violated Indonesia's corruption law, which carries a maximum life sentence. According to global graft watchdog Transparency International, Indonesia dropped four points on its corruption perception index last year to 110 out of 180 countries.

☆ What’s a President to Do When a Nation’s Capital Is Sinking? Move It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +38 min

A new capital city for a place with such disparities and diversity presents both a challenge and a chance for reinvention. Moving the Seat of Power From Java to Borneo Detail area Malaysia Nusantara Borneo Java Sea Indonesia Jakarta Java Indian Ocean Detail area Malaysia Nusantara Borneo Java Sea Indonesia Jakarta Java Indian Ocean Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, will be about 800 miles from the current capital, Jakarta. It cannot be overnight, it’s not like Aladdin comes with his genie,” said Bambang Susantono, the head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority. We have to prove that this will be a self-propelling city.” — Bambang Susantono, head of the Nusantara Capital City AuthorityCritics of I.K.N. Indonesia’s capital city faces sinking land and rising seas.

LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia May 11 (Reuters) - Myanmar's ruling military has made no significant progress on implementing a peace plan agreed with ASEAN two years ago and the bloc must show unity in deciding how to address the escalating crisis, Indonesia's president said on Thursday. On (the) implementation of the 5PC, there has not been significant progress," he said. "Therefore, ASEAN unity is required to decide on the next steps." The army has been fighting on multiple fronts against ethnic minority rebels and militias in a growing, pro-democracy resistance movement. Reporting by Kate Lamb; Writing by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Myanmar conflict centre stage as Southeast Asian leaders hold summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Will ASEAN only be silent or will ASEAN be able to become the driver or peace or growth? The prime minister of East Timor, a former Portuguese colony bordering Indonesia that is seeking ASEAN membership, stressed the need to restore order in Myanmar. "We also have the obligation to push ASEAN and the international community to create peace in Myanmar," Taur Matan Ruak said. Indonesia has also been quietly engaging Myanmar's military, its shadow government and armed ethnic groups to try to kick-start peace talks. But some have called on ASEAN to take a harder line with Myanmar's junta.

☆ Indonesia president condemns attack on ASEAN officials delivering aid in Myanmar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, May 8 (Reuters) - Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Monday condemned an attack in Myanmar on ASEAN officials delivering humanitarian aid, and called for an end to violence in the strife-torn country. Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, did not provide details of the incident but said it would not deter efforts by Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to push for peace in Myanmar. This condition will not make anybody win," he said, adding that Indonesia encourages all stakeholders to have a dialogue and find solutions. Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government, which is allied with the anti-junta militias, the People's Defence Forces (PDF), said it was not aware of any attack. A spokesperson for the Myanmar junta did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ New Zealand pilot captured by Papuan fighters says he is ‘alive and well’ in new hostage video
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Philip Mehrtens, the New Zealand pilot held hostage by separatist fighters in Indonesia’s restive Papua region, has appeared in a video saying he is “alive and well,” as concerns grow for his safety as fighting with Indonesian security forces intensifies. In the one and a half minute video, Mehrtens, dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts and sitting between two unarmed Papuan men, speaks calmly to the camera first in Indonesian and then English. “We emphasize that the pilot’s release must go through negotiations – not through military operations,” the group’s spokesperson Sebby Sambom said. In a statement following the attacks, the rebels said they shot dead 13 Indonesian military and police officials and were in possession of 12 bodies, without providing proof. CNN has reached out to Indonesian army officials for further comment about the latest hostage video and updates on the search mission for Mehrtens.

☆ Factbox: Chile lithium move latest in global resource nationalism trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Chye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Chile's President Gabriel Boric announced on Thursday he would nationalise the country's vast lithium industry to boost the economy and protect the environment. Chile is the world's second largest producer of lithium, a key component in batteries used in electric vehicles. Myanmar accounted for 77% of China's tin ore imports last year, Chinese customs data showed. INDONESIA* A resource powerhouse, Indonesia is tightening controls over various materials in a push to develop local downstream operations and extract greater value. More export bans will also be announced in the coming years in order to develop resource processing industry onshore, he said, speaking at an economic forum.

☆ Volkswagen to partner on Indonesia EV battery ecosystem -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JAKARTA, April 17 (Reuters) - Volkswagen will build an electric vehicle (EV) battery ecosystem in Indonesia and will partner with miner Vale, Ford and China's battery minerals producer Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, the Southeast Asian country's investment minister said. Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said on Sunday that Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, will work with Vale, Ford, Huayou, French miner Eramet and several Indonesian firms such as Merdeka Gold Copper, the parent company of Merdeka Battery, and energy firm Kalla Group. Volkswagen, Ford, Eramet, Kalla Group, Huayou, and Merdeka Gold Copper did not immediately respond to requests for comment. PT Vale Indonesia declined to comment. Last month, Ford (F.N) inked its first investment in Indonesia by joining Vale Indonesia and Huayou in a $4.5 billion nickel processing plant in Southeast Sulawesi.

☆ Deadly stadium crush: Indonesian soccer clubs meet for first time following disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Sammy Mncwabe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Two of Indonesia’s biggest soccer teams Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya played behind closed doors Tuesday in their first meeting since the deadly stadium disaster that killed more than 130 people in October. Some clashed with police, prompting security forces to fire tear gas into enclosed areas of the stadium – a crowd control measure banned by world soccer governing body FIFA. Persebaya won 1-0 against Arema, the first time the teams have met since last year's deadly stadium disaster. Willy Kurniawan/ReutersFollowing the stadium crush, which Indonesia’s National Police Chief described as one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters, President Joko Widodo announced that Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang would be demolished and rebuilt according to FIFA standards. In March, two Indonesian soccer officials were sentenced up to 18 months in prison by a court over the deadly stadium crush, while three police officials charged with negligence will have their cases heard at a later date.

[1/2] A worker carries election materials as he prepares ballot boxes before their distribution to polling stations in a warehouse in Jakarta, Indonesia, April 15, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File PhotoSummary District court had no power to delay ballot - high courtIndonesia must turn focus back to election - ministerLower court ruling plunged Indonesia into uncertaintyJAKARTA, April 11 (Reuters) - An Indonesian court on Tuesday overturned a lower court's controversial order to delay the 2024 national elections by two years, arguing it had overstepped its jurisdiction and had no authority to make the decision. The district court has said it accepted the case because other courts would not take it on. "The court ruling has affirmed that general court has no authority or absolute competence to settle this case," he told Reuters. Jokowi's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the court ruling.

☆ Trump's Indonesia partner launches tourism complex on Java
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, March 31 (Reuters) - Indonesian property firm PT MNC Land (KPIG.JK) launched on Friday a 1,040 hectare (2,570 acre) tourism complex on Java island, where former U.S. President Donald Trump's company will operate a hotel and a golf course. It was not clear whether the Trump Organization would also benefit from tax breaks, which include a tax holiday for corporate tax for 10 to 20 years based on the investment value. MNC Land said it fully owned the project in Lido, which includes a movie studio called Movieland, while the Trump Organization will operate an 83-hectare golf course opening this year and a five-star hotel. Indonesian tycoon and chairman of MNC Group, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, has said Movieland will become a creative hub and Indonesia's version of Hollywood. The Trump Organization is also partnering with MNC on another project in Bali.

☆ Indonesia's parliament passes controversial jobs decree into law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, March 21 (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament on Tuesday voted to pass President Joko Widodo's emergency decree to cement rules on investment and jobs in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, replacing a similar 2020 law that had been ruled partially unconstitutional. Tuesday's passage of the decree meant most of the changes brought about by the law would stay, with some small changes on labour rules. Experts have also questioned the use of the decree, officially known as a government regulation in lieu of law, especially after parliament delayed its vote by more than a month. Under Indonesia's constitution, a president is only supposed to use such a decree to address an emergency and parliament is supposed to vote on it in the first sitting after its issuance. The Labour Party, which currently has no seat in parliament but plans to contest the 2024 elections, intends to hold a rally to protest the passage of the decree later on Tuesday.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Putin touts China's peace plan after talks with Xi; Russian mercenaries say Kyiv is preparing counterattack
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt Amanda Macias | Holly Ellyatt | Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

It's the second day of Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Moscow on Tuesday. Xi and his host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, reportedly held talks for at least four hours on Monday, with more discussions scheduled Tuesday. The two leaders are focusing talks on deepening their strategic cooperation as well as on the war in Ukraine. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is on his way to Ukraine for summit talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kishida's trip makes him the second Asian leader to visit Ukraine since Russia invaded, after Indonesian President Joko Widodo went there last June.

☆ Singapore to work with Indonesia, ASEAN, UN to push Myanmar peace plan - PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo at the Istana in Singapore March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar Su/PoolSINGAPORE, March 16 (Reuters) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday the city-state would work with Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries, as well as partners like the United Nations, to push Myanmar's military rulers to implement a stalled peace plan. "Singapore will continue working with Indonesia and ASEAN members, plus ASEAN's partners like the U.N., to push for the full implementation of the five-point consensus," he said, referring to the peace plan that Myanmar's top general agreed to with ASEAN. In addition, Singapore and Indonesia would work together on developing renewable energy, their leaders announced. Reporting by Xinghui Kok in Singapore and Stanley Widianto in Jakarta; Editing by Ed Davies and Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Growth is slowing in Indonesia and events thousands of miles away are playing a part
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Fcdo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has dented economies around the world, is contributing to growth slowing down in Indonesia. The food sector has been strongly affected by the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted wheat and fertilizer imports into Indonesia. After recording economic growth of 5.3% in 2022, the strongest for almost a decade, Indonesia is now braced for growth to slow down intensified by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With weakening commodity and energy prices denting export earnings, Indonesia is contending with economic headwinds as fears of a global recession mount. Indonesia, one of Asia's success stories of recent years, has been less hard-hit than many emerging economies by the war in Ukraine.

☆ How Indonesia is using diplomacy to call for the end of Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Fcdo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Indonesia has joined the vast majority of the world's countries in condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Agriculture, IT, and energy are just a few of the areas with potential for partnership between Indonesia and Ukraine. Indonesia has worked hard to build bridges in the interests of global trade and regional stability. Bilateral opportunities: Trade between Indonesia and Ukraine totaled $1.24 billion before Russia invaded Ukraine. 141 countries, including Indonesia, voted in favor of Russia's immediate, complete, and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine.

☆ Some cash in on land boom near Indonesia's new capital, others despondent
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Stefanno Sulaiman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] Trucks are seen near a palm oil plantation at a village located near Indonesia's projected new capital, known as Nusantara National Capital, in Sepaku, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia, March 8 2023. Headman Rizki Maulana Perwira Atmadja, 38, said land prices around his village - 10 km (6 miles) from where a presidential palace is being built - had jumped four-fold. Land prices in places near a water reservoir had risen over 16-fold, said Junaidin, the village chief of Tengin Baru, a settlement of around 4,000 people within Nusantara's development zone. He said large property companies had not sought to acquire land banks in Nusantara due to the moratorium on permits. However, the Nusantara authority said land speculation should not affect development plans as compensation for land would be measured fairly by an independent party.

☆ Indonesia parliament won't allow power vacuum over election ruling - deputy speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JAKARTA, March 14 (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament will ensure there is no vacuum of power in the country despite a controversial court ruling to delay the 2024 presidential and general elections, its deputy speaker said on Tuesday. Deputy house speaker Lodewijk F. Paulus on Tuesday told parliament the constitution makes clear that elections must be held every five years. The election commission appealed the ruling last week and has said it would proceed with poll preparations as normal, despite the court ordering those be stopped for more than two years. Jokowi, as the president is known, backs the appeal against the ruling and has said he is against the idea of extending his tenure. Reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman; Writing by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Indonesia to relocate residents or move fuel facility after fire
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JAKARTA, March 5 (Reuters) - Indonesia will relocate residents living near a fuel-storage fire that killed 16 people or remove the depot owned by state energy company Pertamina to a safer location, President Joko Widodo said on Sunday. The decision will rest with State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir, Pertamina and Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono, he said, adding that no one can live near the facility. Dozens were injured and hundreds remained displaced on Sunday, Indonesia's disaster agency said, after Friday's night's fire that began in a fuel pipe at the Plumpang depot in the capital Jakarta. Seventeen artificial islands, built by the Jakarta government under the capital's land reclamation project, have been abandoned in recent years. Jokowi ordered an audit of similar facilities across Indonesia to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

☆ Ukraine envoy is optimistic Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit Kyiv before May
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will likely visit Ukraine's capital before the G-7 Hiroshima Summit, Ukraine's ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky told CNBC. Following U.S. President Joe Biden's surprise visit, Kishida is the only leader left among the Group of Seven who has not visited Ukraine since Russia invaded last year. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have all visited. Kishida's trip would make him the second Asian leader after Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit in June last year. "We want this to happen as soon as possible," said Korsunsky, adding he cannot make details surrounding the discussions of the trip public.

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