Million dead fish cause environmental stink in Australia

Sydney, Australia / Mon, January 14, 2019 / 05:05 pm

This screen grab taken from video taken on January 10, 2019 released by the office of
independent New South Wales member of parliament Jeremy Buckingham on January 11
shows Buckingham (R) holding a decades-old native Murray cod, which was killed during a
massive fish kill in Menindee on the Darling River, as local residents Dick Arnold (L) and Rob
McBride from Tolarno Station (C) look on. As many as a million fish are believed to have died
along the banks of the major river system in drought-battered eastern Australia, and the
authorities warned on January 14 of more deaths to come. (AFP/Office of Jeremy Buckingham
MLC )

As many as a million fish are believed to have died along the banks of a major river system in
drought-battered eastern Australia, and the authorities warned Monday of more deaths to
come.

The banks of the Murray-Darling Rivers are thick with rotten fish, with officials putting the
number of dead at hundreds of thousands and saying the toll is likely closer to one million.

Further high temperatures forecast for this week could make the situation worse, the New
South Wales government has warned.

Low water conditions and the heat may also have encouraged an algae bloom that starves the
fish of oxygen and produce toxins.

"We do expect to see more fish kills across parts of the far west and Northern Tablelands this
week," said state minister Niall Blair.

The deaths have become a national issue, sparking angry allegations about the cause and who
is responsible.

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"It's a devastating ecological event," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday, pointing
to apocalyptic scenes. "The sheer visual image of this is just terribly upsetting," he said.

Morrison's government has blamed the fish deaths on drought, and defended policies which
some locals say has caused the systemic depletion and pollution of the river system.

"There's a drought and this is one of the consequences of drought. There are many, and my
focus on drought has not shifted one inch," Morrison said.

But for years scientists have been warning of people extracting vast amounts of water
without check for irrigation or other uses, undercutting billions of dollars of investment.

"Dead fish and dying rivers are not because of the drought, it's because we are extracting too
much water from our river," said John Williams, an expert in water economics at the
Australian National University.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten called on the government to set up an "emergency task force"
to address the issue.

"You can't ignore a million dead fish, that's a shocking development," said Shorten.

Morrison insisted the management plan for the Murray-Darling Basin was bipartisan, adding
that his government was only following on the policies of the opposition Labor government.

"I'm concerned today that some might want to play politics with that," he said.

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"There were reports done by scientists under Labor's contribution to that plan back in 2012
and the plan has been operating in accordance with that advice."

Scientists are calling for politicians to be held to account.

"Billions have been spent on upgrading irrigation infrastructure," said Quentin Grafton, also of
the Australian National University, "but with no public benefit."

"It's a disgrace and it's time those responsible are held accountable for this unfolding
disaster."

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Truck runs into East Jakarta school building
Jakarta / Mon, January 14, 2019 / 04:34 pm

Heavy machinery clears debris from SDN Bambu Apus 01 state elementary school in East
Jakarta after a truck hit the school and damaged the building on Jan 14. (kompas.com/David
Oliver Purba)

A truck carrying materials for the Serpong-Cinere toll road project collided with a school
building in Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten on Sunday at 11 p.m.

South Tangerang Education and Culture Agency head Taryono said the truck, which was
carrying soil, ran into SDN Bambu Apus 01 state elementary school on Jl. Komplek Depag,
damaging a classroom, a school lab and a warehouse.

“The school is operating as usual on Monday, with the students from the damaged classrooms
being relocated to another classroom,” Taryono said on Monday, kompas.com reported.

He said that prior to the incident, the truck driver was trying to cross the uphill street beside
the school.

However, because of the slippery road, the truck’s tires slipped and the vehicle went into the
school building, with some of the soil carried by the truck also hitting the building.

Employees of PT Waskita Karya, the company responsible for the toll road project, were seen
at the school with heavy equipment trying to clear the soil that fell on the school building.

“It’s currently being repaired,” Taryono said. (ami)

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Investigators need time to produce KPK bomb suspect
sketch: Police
Jakarta / Mon, January 14, 2019 / 04:25 pm

Materials resembling components of a bomb were found in a package at the home of

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo in Bekasi, West Java, on
Jan. 9. (Courtesy of/Polda Metro Jaya)

The police are working on a sketch of a person believed to be the perpetrator of a bomb
threat against Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo last
Wednesday.

The sketch, however, is expected to take a while as investigators need more information from
witnesses, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said.

“For the sketch, two witnesses still need to describe the suspected individual’s face from the
incident that occurred a week ago. After that, the sketch artist would need time to draw the
face of the alleged perpetrator based on the description from the witnesses,” Dedi said on
Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

Early on Wednesday morning, unknown assailants left a suspicious package at Agus’ private
residence in Bekasi, West Java, containing material resembling components of a bomb, such
as a pipe, nails and cables. After conducting an investigation, the police declared that the fake
bomb did not contain explosive materials.

Dedi said the sketch would be based on the description from a porridge seller who at the time
of the incident was running his business around Agus’ house. The porridge seller told the
police that an unidentified individual had asked people in the neighborhood about the
location of his residence.

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On the same Wednesday, two Molotov cocktails were thrown at the residence of KPK deputy
chairman Laode Muhammad Syarif. One of the Molotov's exploded and left scorch marks on
the wall, while the other one was found intact.

The police are currently looking at CCTV footage in and around Laode’s house to identify the
perpetrators. (kuk/ipa)

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Flooding in South Jakarta as Kali Pulo River
embankment breaks
Jakarta / Mon, January 14, 2019 / 02:07 pm

The Ciliwung River, as seen in Bidara Cina, East Jakarta, in November 2017. (Kompas/Lucky
Pransiska)

The embankment of the Kali Pulo River in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, burst on Sunday amid
heavy downpour throughout the day and unusual volumes of water from the upstream area,
causing overflow.

South Jakarta Water Management Agency head Holi Susanto confirmed that the broken
embankment, locally known as the Baswedan embankment, is located next to the Sabili
Mosque in neighborhood unit 04 (RT 04) of community unit 06 in the Jatipadang subdistrict.

The accident was first reported at around 6:30 p.m.

Read also: Four stalls destroyed when Depok river embankment collapses

Holi said the agency's workers, assisted by manpower from the city's public facilities
maintenance agency (PPSU) and the Indonesian Military, had built a makeshift barrier “by
placing wooden piles plus sandbags to temporarily withstand the water,” he said, as quoted
by kompas.com.

He added that his agency would replace the temporary measure with permanent piles once
the water receded.

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Parts of RT 03 and RT 04 were inundated with river water, the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation
Agency said on its Twitter account @BPBDJakarta on Monday.

The embankment had undergone repairs after it had collapsed in December 2017. City
officials found cracks in the embankment in February last year and responded with more
repair work. (sau/dmr)

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At graft court, Bekasi regent says home minister told her
to facilitate Meikarta project
Jakarta / Mon, January 14, 2019 / 05:04 pm

An aerial photo taken on Tuesday shows the construction of apartments at Meikarta in

Cikarang, Bekasi regency, West Java. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A. )

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo ordered suspended Bekasi regent and graft suspect Neneng
Hasanah Yasin to facilitate the issuance of the necessary permits for the Meikarta mega-
development project in the regency, Neneng has claimed.

Neneng made the statement while testifying as a witness against defendants Lippo Group
operational director Billy Sindoro and three Lippo Group consultants and employee at the
Bandung Corruption Court in West Java on Monday.

“The ministry’s director general for regional autonomy Sumarsono summoned me to his office
[to talk about a West Java bylaw on infrastructure development around Bekasi]. Upon arriving
at his office, he was talking to the minister over the phone,” Neneng said as quoted by
tribunnews.com.

“Sumarsono later gave his phone to me and Tjahjo Kumolo later said [over the phone] ‘please
facilitate the permit issuance for Meikarta’.”

The regent later told the court that she had accepted the request, as long as she followed
procedures.

Neneng said she told Sumarsono the permit issuance would need a recommendation from
West Java's governor.

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“Sumarsono then replied that his directorate general would facilitate a meeting between the
West Java provincial administration, Bekasi regency and Meikarta project developer PT
Mahkota Sentosa Utama,” she added.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) accused Neneng of accepting Rp 7 billion

(US$495,530) from Billy to facilitate obtaining the permits necessary for the Meikarta project.
Billy allegedly promised Rp 13 billion as a “commitment fee” to the regent.

The Meikarta modern city project in Cikarang, Bekasi, West Java, is the flagship project of the
Lippo Group. (kuk/ipa)

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Chinese tourists take to Antarctica in a big way YANG
FEIYUE
/ Mon, January 14, 2019 / 05:07 pm

Chinese have become the second-largest tourist force in Antarctica. The polar region received
8,273 Chinese visitors during the 2017-2018 season, accounting for 16 percent of all, only
second to the United States. (Shutterstock/File)

Chinese have become the second-largest tourist force in Antarctica. The polar region received
8,273 Chinese visitors during the 2017-2018 season, accounting for 16 percent of all, only
second to the United States, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour
Operators.

This figure is nearly 3,000 more than the 2016-2017 Antarctic tourism seasons, while 100
times as much as it was in 2008, when fewer than 100 Chinese visited. The 2018-2019 season
is likely to see the number rise over 10,000, says China's biggest online travel agency Ctrip.

"The demand from Chinese tourists increases sharply every year," says Wang Nan, who
manages Ctrip's Antarctic tours. "Bookings for Antarctic routes are growing rapidly."

Judging from the current booking situation, 100 percent growth is expected in visitor numbers
to Antarctica, Ctrip says.

That would make one out of every five tourists to Antarctica Chinese, Wang adds.

At the moment, there are only a few slots up for grabs at Ctrip for January and February.
November to March is the Antarctic summer, which makes for good travel season. The agency
increased 30 percent of its Antarctic products this year to meet the increasing demand for
Antarctic experiences.

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Ctrip has nearly 200 products from major suppliers with more than 20 ships available for
selection for travelers to the region.

Read also: China to release do's and don'ts as more Chinese tourists visit Antarctica

Chinese travelers have spent an average of 23 days on their Antarctic tours, and costs ranged
from 50,000 yuan ($7,241.1) to 110,000 yuan, in 2018.

Costs depend on a traveler's means and routes. Those who take cruises across Drake Passage
to polar destinations are looking at 50,000-200,000 yuan, while those who take planes from
Chile or Argentina before switching to cruises on the Antarctic Peninsula would likely have to
pay 120,000-160,000 yuan.

The most expensive way would be taking flights from Chile to the Antarctic region, which
usually costs above 500,000 yuan.

Nearly 90 percent of Chinese tourists choose to take cruises to Antarctica, while only 1
percent fly directly to the South Pole, Wang says.

Group travelers are in the majority, and most of them come from big Chinese cities such as
Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Smaller cities in the country have witnessed tourism growth,
too. The top 10 departure cities for Antarctica are Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou,
Chengdu, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Chongqing, Xi'an and Wuhan.

In particular, Hangzhou and Nanjing have each seen more than 200 percent growth in the
number of locals leaving for the Antarctic region.

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Man nabbed in Riau for allegedly slaughtering, cooking
hornbill
Pekanbaru/Medan / Mon, January 14, 2019 / 05:09 pm

Rangkong badak, or buceros rhinoceros or great hornbill. (Wikimedia Commons/A. Baihaqi)

Authorities in Riau have arrested a man allegedly involved in illegal poaching after he posted
a video of himself slaughtering an endangered bird on social media.

The Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) joined hands with the Kuantan
Singingi (Kuansing) Police to track down and apprehend Arhedi, 29, for allegedly killing a
hornbill on Friday evening.

Arhedi, who is originally from Lebak, Banten, is a rubber plantation worker in Gunung Toar
subdistrict, Kuansing, Riau. The police are still on the hunt for his coworker, OG, who allegedly
took down the bird with a slingshot.

A video of Arhedi chopping up the hornbill went viral on social media and alerted the police.

Riau BKSDA spokeswoman for Dian Indriati said the authorities confiscated what remained of
the animal during the arrest.

Hornbills are protected under Law no. 5/1990 on the conservation of biological resources and
the ecosystem.

There are 62 species of hornbills in the world and Indonesia is home to 13.

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NGO Rangkong Indonesia explains on its website that hornbills are known as "jungle farmers"
because they are spreader of seeds, especially big trees. They fly as far as 100 kilometers,
making the distribution of various seeds expansive.

Three out of 13 hornbill species in Indonesia are endemic: the Sulawesi hornbill, Sulawesi red-
knobbed hornbill and Sumba hornbill.

“The slaughter of the bird was uploaded by a Facebook account owned by OG, also known as
Oyon, on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019,” Dian said as quoted by kompas.com. “Then, we obtained the
information that the incident took place in Riau.”

Kuansing Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Mustofa said after capturing the bird, both men killed it
with a machete.

“Before they cooked it, they took pictures and uploaded them onto social media,” he said.

Hunters often use social media to show off their catch and also sell protected wildlife.

Illegal trading in North Sumatra

Recently, the North Sumatra Police’s Special Crimes Directorate along with the North Sumatra
BKSDA exposed an illegal trade using social media. The police arrested one suspect, Arbain,
along with several protected animals that were going to be sold.

Sr. Comr. Rony Samtana said the arrest had stemmed from a cyber investigation conducted on
Facebook. From the patrol, he said, the police tracked down one account under the name of
Keyla Safittrie, who was offering protected animals. It was later discovered that Arbain
managed the account.

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Rony added that during the operation, Arbain offered to sell to an undercover police officer
three baby lutungs or langurs.

Three lutung species are listed as protected by the government.

The police made an arrest on Jan. 9 and found three young hawk-eagles and three young flat-
headed cats.

Although hawk-eagles are of “least concern” in the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) list, the bird is protected under Indonesian law.

“The suspect admitted to the police that he had been trading protected animals for six
months using a fake Facebook account,” Rony said.

Arbain reportedly told the police he had sold langurs, flat-headed cats, ferrets, monkeys and
squirrels. (spl/evi)

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3 Bekasi children suffer burns after playing on sand
mound
Jakarta / Tue, January 15, 2019 / 08:13 am

Police cordon off a sand mound in Kramat Blencong, Tarumanegara, Bekasi regency, where
three children suffered severe burns on Jan. 14. (kompas.com/Dean Pahrevi)

Three children in Bekasi regency, West Java, suffered severe burns after getting caught in a
sand mound suspected of containing oil waste last Thursday.

The sand mound is located on a piece of deserted land in Kramat Blencong, Tarumajaya
district.

Dwi Rahajeng said on Monday that her 8-year-old son, Muhamad Ramadan, and his friends
Denda, 9, and Raga, 8, were playing on the deserted land last Thursday when they decided to
climb the sand mound.

Denda and Raga were the first ones to sink into the sand, followed by Ramadan who had
been trying to pull them out.

“The whole area smells like oil; as if oil waste had been dumped there, but I don’t know that
for sure,” Dwi said as reported by kompas.com.

The moment the children pulled themselves free from the mount, their skin began to sting,
she said.

Denda and Raga were administered to Koja Hospital while Ramadan was taken to the nearest
clinic.

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Tarumajaya Police chief Adj. Comr. Agus Rohmat said that authorities were currently
investigating the matter to discern what had caused the severe reaction.

Investigators have taken samples of the sand mound that are currently being tested, he
added.

The scene has been cordoned off with a police line to prevent more people from coming in
contact with the sand, according to kompas.com.

In late December last year, residents of Marunda subdistrict, North Jakarta, came across
several soil mounds suspected of containing hazardous and toxic waste. Suspicions were
raised on its flammable nature after one of the mounds emitted smoke and later caused a fire
on Dec. 28. (sau)

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Unidentified people shoot Quran teacher's car
Jakarta / Tue, January 15, 2019 / 08:03 am

Police officers check the car of a Quran teacher that was shot by unidentified people in
Sawangan, Depok, West Java on Jan. 14. (kompas.com/Cynthia Lova)

Two unidentified people fired a gun into a car that was being used by guru ngaji (Quran
teacher) and preacher Ruqoyah on Jl. Porek in Depok, West Java, on Monday.

The shot broke glass on the right side of the car.

Tikno, the driver of the car, said that the shooting occurred when he was loading food into the
car, which was parked near a community hall where Ruqoyah was scheduled to give a
sermon.

"I was inside the car to load some food given by a member of the majelis taklim
[congregation] committee," he said, explaining that he was bending over to put the food
under the car seat when someone fired the gun and the bullet missed him.

"I heard a 'brak' sound. When I checked, two people riding a motorbike were heading to the
right," he said on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Ruqoyah said she had never before experienced such an incident during her time working as a
Quran teacher.

"I never experienced such a thing. People in here look kind," she said.

There are no items reported lost because of the incident.

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Sawangan Police in Depok reported that a projectile was found and they believe it to have
been fired from an air gun. (sau)

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Two thousand police to guard first presidential debate
Jakarta / Tue, January 15, 2019 / 09:02 am

A journalist takes a picture of election campaign posters depicting the two 2019 presidential
candidate pairs during a meeting at the General Elections Commission (KPU) building in
Jakarta. (The Jakarta Post/Seto Wardhana)

The Jakarta Police force is to deploy up to 2,000 officers to secure the first presidential debate
at the Bidakara Hotel in South Jakarta, which is scheduled for Thursday.

"The Jakarta Police and the Indonesian Military would help to secure the first presidential
debate at the Bidakara. The Jakarta Police have prepared 2,000 officers," police spokesman
Argo Yuwono said on Monday, as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

Argo expressed hope that all supporters of both candidates would keep the debate running in
an orderly manner.

He added that police officers are to be deployed at locations near the debate venue that are
prone to traffic congestion.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) is to hold a series of five presidential debates in
Jakarta starting on Jan. 17. Each debate would deal with a different topic. The debates are to
be broadcast and live streamed by national television news agencies.

Indonesia is holding simultaneous presidential and legislative general elections on April 17.
(sau)

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higher pay fix Indonesia’s graft problem?
Jakarta / Tue, January 15, 2019 / 08:47 am

Graft suspect Remigo Yolando Berutu, the regent of Pakpak Bharat in North Sumatra, faces a
barrage of questions from waiting journalists after he was interrogated by investigators from
the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta on Nov. 27. Remigo stands accused of
accepting Rp 550 million (US$37,961) in bribes from a contractor involved in a project with
the Pakpak Bharat Public Works Agency. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A)

National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian’s recent announcement that police officers’
allowances would be increased by up to 70 percent raised the question of whether higher pay
may help fix Indonesia’s graft problem.

“The [new] allowances will apply retroactively for the previous six months and will be paid
out in January 2019,” Tito said in Semarang, Central Java.

He added that the increase would boost police officers’ performance and may contribute to
efforts to reform the institution, as well as reducing corruption.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has also said that she is mulling increasing the salaries
of regional leaders, following the spate of governors and regents arrested for graft by the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the past. As of October 2018, 25 regional leaders
have been investigated by KPK.

“We are conducting a study. We will also [convey] the idea to the President, because he also
has concerns about remuneration arrangements, particularly for officials in the regions,” Sri
Mulyani said.

Corruption has been one of Indonesia’s most persistent problems since the end of the New
Order regime, and successive administrations seem to have barely changed that. While

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Indonesia’s score on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index has leapt to
position 37 in 2017 from 20 in 1998, graft remains rife, and the country still ranks below
former province Timor Leste.

The number of cases investigated by the antigraft body has been increasing in recent years,
with 118 under investigation in 2017. By contrast, the KPK only investigated 47 cases in 2008 –
10 years into the Reform Era.

The number was even higher in other institutions, with 1,028 cases handled by the National
Police and 1,552 cases by the Attorney General’s Office.

Civil servants made up the largest category of individuals investigated by the KPK from 2004
to 2018, accounting for more than 26 percent of the total. Transparency International’s 2017
Global Corruption Barometer, which polled more than 1,000 respondents in 31 provinces,
found that half of the respondents considered civil servants the most graft-ridden individuals.

Regional leaders, meanwhile, were at the center of 12 percent of the graft cases between
2004 to 2018.

Transparency International Indonesia (TII) secretary-general Dadang Trisasongko said that,

while increased pay could help reduce petty corruption among low-level police and other civil
servants, it would do little to address bigger graft cases.

“We can see cases of corruption among police that involve very large amounts of money,
which shows that an increase in salaries or benefits won’t have much of an effect in
preventing graft,” he said. “That level of corruption is perpetrated to maintain a lavish
lifestyle. Regular oversight over changes in civil servants’ wealth would be more effective in
preventing that type of graft.”

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One of the high-profile graft cases involving police officers was that of former National Traffic
Police Corps (Korlantas) chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, who was sentenced in 2013 to 10 years
in prison, later increased to 18 years, for misappropriating funds from a Rp 200 billion
(US$13.7 million) project to procure driving simulators.

Data from the National Civil Service Agency (BKN) and the KPK show that, while the base
salary for civil servants has more than doubled since 2004, the number of civil servants
implicated in graft cases has tended to increase over the years.

In 2017 alone, 47 civil servants were investigated by the KPK, the highest number since the
inception of the commission.

Dadang said the situation was much the same for regional leaders.

“The motive behind corruption of regional leaders so far has not been to fulfill their daily
needs but to obtain political campaign funds and maintain [lavish] lifestyles,” he said. “[The
government] should look at more suitable approaches, such as improving budget
transparency and reforming business permit issuance.” (ipa)

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