LETTER From the editor

Three years ago this month, the English edition of TEMPO was launched, warmly welcomed by Indonesia watchers without the linguistic abilities to read the Indonesian version. TEMPO, after all, had been around for more than three decades, undergoing repression, witnessing the turbulence of political change and, through it all, struggling to get the magazine out, week in week out.

By comparison, the job of the English edition looked easy: straight translation with no editorial hassles. Easier said than done. The challenge we faced was how to fashion the stories in the Indonesian edition, with all its unique flavor and flourish, into readable, journalistic English. In all honesty, we can’t say we have perfected the technique in a way that pleases all readers. But we keep slogging on.

We’d like to take this opportunity to salute the army of translators and editors spread around four continents—Asia, Europe, the United States and Australia—who have been our backbone. Our greatest appreciation goes to our colleagues in the Indonesian edition who produce unrivaled in-depth and analytical reports each week.

In particular, we would like to hand out plaudits to Karaniya Dharmasaputra, who was recently awarded the Bung Hatta Anti-Corruption Award for breaking the story on the disappearance of Rp35 billion from the Yanatera Bulog fund, which involved DPR Speaker Akbar Tandjung. This is the second of such awards given to Kara—as his colleagues fondly call him. The first tribute—in acknowledgement of his investigative story on the Buloggate II case—was presented by AJI (Alliance of Independent Journalists). As if that wasn’t enough, Karaniya has just been awarded a Fullbright scholarship to study in the United States, starting this year.

Kara is just one of many dedicated journalists in our magazine who doggedly pursue a story until the end. He had initially studied physics, but turned to journalism following an incident that left quite a personal mark on him. As an activist of the Pandita Sabha Buddha Dharma Indonesia, a Buddhist association, Kara went through the bitter experience of being a member of the ethnic-Chinese minority in Indonesia. During the New Order regime, he recalled having to pay bribes so that he and other members of the association could worship in peace. “Our efforts were helped by journalists, and I saw how the media could be effective in fighting corruption,” Kara said. So in 1998, when TEMPO began publishing again following Suharto’s resignation, Kara was one of the first to apply to be a reporter and one of the first to be welcomed into the fold.

Last but not least, we would like to say a big thank you to our raison d’etre, the thousands of readers in Indonesia and abroad—some of whom sent the following greetings—who have given us plenty of encouragement to press on.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEMPO ENGLISH

Susan Hawes, USA—TEMPO is the source for in-depth investigative reporting on current events in Indonesia. If you want to find out what is really happening in Indonesia’s struggle to maintain and improve its democracy—READ TEMPO!

David Hulth, Sweden—TEMPO English edition has become an important source for those interested in Indonesian politics and society. Good luck in the future and happy anniversary!

Nancy Chng, Singapore—Despite the messy business of the changing of the political guard that is taking place in Indonesia, it is indeed inspirational to have the kind of responsible and courageous journalism evident in TEMPO. Over the years, the journalists at TEMPO have shown incredible integrity, and have stood their ground despite pressures from the powerful and the influential. In having an English edition, TEMPO has allowed an outside and non-bahasa reading audience to enjoy further insights into the complicated but fascinating evolution of Indonesia into a true democracy. Wishing my good friends at TEMPO many more successful years!

Ricky Carandang, Philippines—We at Newsbreak magazine in Manila would like to congratulate the English edition of TEMPO on its third year. TEMPO provides valuable insight on Indonesia, particularly for those of us around the region who don’t speak bahasa, TEMPO is the credible, intelligent source of independent views about Indonesia. What would democracy be in Indonesia without TEMPO? TEMPO has served as an inspiration for Newsbreak in the Philippines.  Your efforts to tell the truth and provide insight about the workings of your country have taken you down a path that in many ways is similar to the path Newsbreak has taken in the Philippines. Best wishes and keep up the good work.

Karim Raslan, Malaysia—TEMPO has long been a beacon of journalistic excellence and courage in Southeast Asia. The english-language edition adds to the original’s lustre. After three years on the newstands the magazine has earned its stripes—it is feisty, opinionated and ‘in your face’. Whilst Indonesian politics has returned to the opacity and corruption of the pre-Reformasi era, the journalism remains exuberant and hard-hitting and the English-language edition of TEMPO exemplifies this noble tradition .

Poonam Sagar, Jakarta—TEMPO provides a  balanced, and comprehensive insight of the socio-political climate in Indonesia. It presents happenings covering a wide spectrum of the society from politics, economy & business, literature, music, health etc. The magazine is well written and I eagerly look forward to it every week.

Bill Faries, 2001-2 Henry Luce Scholar with TEMPO—Few people realize what a small and tight-knit collection of editors, journalists, and translators make up the entire TEMPO English team. It’s an incredible journal that comes together in a hectic, adrenaline-filled 48-hour push following publication of the Indonesian version. Without a doubt, the 10 months I spent with TEMPO English were among the most exciting and inspiring of my life. And the coverage is unsurpassed. Forget the foreign press. If you want an in-depth understanding of the Indonesian perspective on national and international events, TEMPO English is your best and only source. Happy birthday TEMPO, and here’s to many more!

Pamela Joyce, Asia Society, San Francisco—Congratulations on three years of delivering insightful, independent and eloquent coverage of important events in Indonesia, the region and the world. Your English-language edition allows expanded audiences to share and partake in dependable and accurate reporting of complex, often under-covered issues.  I look forward to the next three years!

Paul Cleveland, US-Indonesia Society President, Washington DC—The United States-Indonesia Society relies heavily on TEMPO for the latest critical analysis of current events in Indonesia. Its investigative journalism is courageous and its ability to put the news in context demonstrates deep understanding of the Indonesian political economy. The magazine serves as one of the leading examples in the world of the importance of a free press to a strong democracy. We congratulate TEMPO on its anniversary and wish it many years of growing success.

Christine Fletcher, Jakarta—I remember being so very enthusiastic when I first heard that an English version of TEMPO was about to be launched. That was three years ago and, give or take a couple of months, coincided with my own move to Indonesia. The launch of English-language TEMPO also coincided with the start of Indonesia’s unpredictable but wildly enthusiastic transition to democracy! At the start of the reformasi process TEMPO English edition quickly became a very significant source of information and investigative journalism, particularly for those of us who sought reassurance of objective reporting in a familiar language, and also for others who simply want a good informative read. Congratulations TEMPO for maintaining such an outstanding, relentless, and also sometimes provocative, position during times when reporting on some issues of national significance could have put standards at risk. Have a long and productive future in Indonesia.

Michael Hayes, Phnom Penh Post Editor, Cambodia—Best wishes to all the management and staff at TEMPO magazine on the occasion of your 3rd Anniversary. Congratulations on your courageous and reliable news  reporting. May you continue to serve for many more years as a voice of both justice and reason, a font of knowledgeable insights and a paragon of in-depth investigative reporting.

David Nellor, IMF, Jakarta—Congratulations on the third anniversary of the English edition of TEMPO. The English edition of TEMPO has established itself as a “must read” weekly for a global readership interested in keeping abreast of social, political, and economic developments in Indonesia. Keep up the good work.

Jaspal Siddhu, Jakarta—Like the daily newspapers that we grab every morning, I wait eagerly for the TEMPO English edition every week to sum-up the week’s events. It has become an important tool in my work to feel the pulse of major developments here. And I know my overseas clients (largely small and medium enterprises) are now becoming eager subscribers to this publication. I congratulate the staff of TEMPO. And wish everyone there continued success.... always

Kavi Chongkittavorn, The Nation, Thailand—Congratulations to TEMPO, English edition. It is my premier source of information and insight on Indonesian affairs. Because of Indonesia’s role in the region, I can also obtain news and views from different Southeast Asian countries.

Rosnah Ahmad, Singapore—For the past year, I have been reading TEMPO every week unless my magazine vendor fails to deliver. I enjoy reading TEMPO very much because it offers me valuable insights into Indonesian politics, economics and society which I can’t find in other regional publications. I have always encouraged my friends in Singapore to read TEMPO to get a real feel of Indonesia. Happy 3rd Annivesary to my favourite magazine!

Jim Castle, Jakarta—Understanding Indonesia is my business and TEMPO is the first magazine I read every week to make sure I’m keeping up. Many publications provide information. TEMPO adds insight. Happy Anniversary and Best Wishes for continued success.

Eugene Galbraith, Jakarta—TEMPO’s English edition gives me a concise and spirited view of contemporary events in Indonesia and beyond. Although I don’t always agree with its positions, I find its editorials consistently challenging and well argued; and I am grateful for the drive, honesty and engagement with which it reports on domestic affairs.

Patrick Walters, The Australian, Canberra—For those of us who are “di luar negri” and still struggle with Kompas, TEMPO English has proved indispensable. Like its Indonesian-language progenitor, TEMPO English has quickly established itself as the most authoritative weekly news magazine in English on Indonesia.

Richard Gozney, British Ambassador, Jakarta—Tuesday is never the easiest day of the week. The spirit and energy of a Monday is dissipating. Friday afternoon is a long way off. For the last three years one of the cheeriest features of the second day of the working week has been the arrival of the English-language TEMPO. For diplomats who want to take a short cut your English-language TEMPO is the best “jalan tikus” in the country. Congratulations. I am sure you will keep up the very high standards.

Foreign Embassy Employee Discharged.

I’m a staff member of a foreign embassy in Jakarta, a victim of a job dismissal after being considered to have made a mistake. On May 2, 2003, I was fired from my job.

Sadly, I have been working for five years and was fired without getting any of my rights as stated in the regulations validated by the Department of Labor and Transmigration, such as severance pay and/or service pay and compensations. During my tenure, I had performed well. As indications, I have never received any warning. So, all my dedication means nothing over a debatable mistake.  

At first I accepted the dismissal decision, because the notification letter states that the process will be carried out in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Labor and Transmigration of Indonesia. But in fact, I only received my last salary.

I have already presented the matter to the Department of Labor on July 15, 2003, and the Industrial Relationship Disagreement Solution Directorate on July 23, 2003. Although a bit disappointing, I’m grateful and appreciate the response. In his response, the officer stated that his department is not in charge of the matter, since there is no specific regulation that contains the problem of local employee who work at a foreign diplomatic mission and international organization office. The relevant body is the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Actually, on May 13, 2003, I have already presented the matter to the Department of Foreign affairs, through the Protection for Indonesian Citizens Directorate and BHI before reporting it to the Department of Labor and Transmigration. Nevertheless, until I write this letter, there is still no response from the Department of Foreign Affairs.  

Indeed, the nominal value of my rights is not that much. However, there are many people like me who are working at foreign diplomatic missions right now, and they have no right immunity, yet. As far as I know, they have to respect the regulations of the country where they work for.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, as the reliance on the assistance of this matter, apparently cannot do much. I’m not sure whether they can’t or simply don’t want to know. I hope they are really not able to, instead of do not want to. Because, if they don’t want to, it is very unfortunate for people like me. They are supposed to be more sensitive over the fate of citizens, instead of giving privileges to those foreigners.  

I don’t know where I should take the matter. Do I have to go all the way to the President? I think God is my only hope.  

Y.A. SIGIT BUDIARTO
Jalan Kesemek 1, RT 010 RW 014
Cilincing, North Jakarta  

Understand First, then Decide

I would like to comment on the article entitled “I want the commander to know…” in TEMPO September 15, 2003, so that the conflict in Aceh will soon be over.

If someone from outside of the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province (NAD) visits the big cities in Aceh today, he or she will not believe that the province is actually safe. Today, there are many people who would stay outside their houses until quite late just for chatting or just for drinking at coffee shops. This condition is very much different from the situation several months before, or before the military emergency status in Aceh. At that time, right after sunset, it was very quiet.  

As a citizen who lives in the Aceh region, I assume that the condition today is far better and more pleasing than before the military emergency status in Aceh. At least, now I can go home from work, even if it is already in the night. I’m quite sure that what I feel now is also felt by almost all of Aceh people, except, of course, Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members. 

However, recently I notice restlessness among Aceh people, especially civil servants. It is related to the coming of the end of the six-month status of the military emergency. We think and feel that when the military emergency is over, the GAM members who are now in their hiding places, will reappear and create chaos like before. It seems that GAM’s threats are mainly focused on the civil servants in Aceh. We have frequently received terrors from GAM, especially during the ceremony and celebration of Independence Day and the loyalty sworn to NKRI.

So far, for the sake of our safety, especially that of our children’s, we are forced to have dualism hearts. As we try to be brave to show our love toward NKRI, there are some officers and organizations that want the status of military emergency in Aceh to be terminated. If it is done, it is just the same as destroying Aceh and killing all of us, Aceh people who still have the Red and White in our hearts.

The article entitled “I want the commander to know...” in TEMPO edition of September 15, 2003, tells of how small the revenue of the rice merchants in the market of Kampung Baru, Banda Aceh. This gives an effect on the minimum income tax revenue. As far as I understant, there is no beneficial war. In every war, there must be casualties and material or non-material loss. It is so naïve if only because of reduced income and less tax revenue, the status of military emergency is terminated. In other words, this kind of suggestions does not care about the safety of greater number of people, and also does not care about the unity of our beloved country.

When Sipadan and Legitan slipped from our hands, there were so many people who criticized over the government’s efforts in defending the Unitary State of the Indonesian Republic. Then why now, when the government and the military are trying to defend the unity of this country, they are still criticizing over some naïve reasons?  

Through this letter I’d like to appeal to all my brothers to observe and understand the condition in Aceh, before making an opinion or a comment. Do not put personal or particular communal demand and then ignoring greater people’s need.  

DRS. YUSRIL
Desa Keude Geudong
Utara

Response from Indonesian Navy HQ

In accordance with the article on TEMPO September 16-22, 2003, edition, on page 55, entitled Waiting to Sail on the result of public polls, we would like to give our response as follow: Firstly, basically the Indonesian Navy welcomes the effort of Tempo Interaktif to find out what the people think about the regional government’s effort.

However, the use of “warship” term in the article is not appropriate since the correct one is “KAL (Navy Ship) special patrol ship.” It actually has been explained by the Chief of Staff Indonesian Navy the Admiral TNI Bernard Kent Sondakh, in several occasions, including in interview with L. Baskoro and Agriceli Harlindawati from Tempo News Room, on September 4, 2003.

For that matter, we hope that TEMPO’s editor and its staff would observe attentively what the Chief of Indonesian Navy has explained, in order to prevent a contra-productive issue in public’s comprehension over the matter or creating a new polemic that will only deflect the main problem. For that, we hope that TEMPO would make appropriate corrections.

ADIYAMANA SAPUTRA, S.I.P.
First Commodore Indonesian Navy
Head of Department of Information of Indonesian Navy.

Thanks for your correction—Ed.

Case Study

One of the stupidities in our organizing of public infrastructure policy can be seen in the case study of the toll road of Bumi Serpong Damai (BSD)-Bintaro-JORR (Ulujami-Veteran-Pondok Pinang).

Our nation’s bad habit that has been deeply rooted in every aspect of life is always seeing the problem shortsightedly. We are not used to perform a thorough analysis in a complete visualization. Such poor assessment delivers a short effect on the decision-making for the public, which will only solve one side of the problem. 

With the assumption to speed up the access from BSD to Jakarta via Bintaro as part of the integrated JORR (Jakarta Outer Ring Road), the developer opens the BSD-Bintaro toll road without careful calculations of the load and the capacity of Bintaro and some areas in South Jakarta (Deplu, Veteran, Tanah Kusir, and its surroundings).

As a result, every day, Bintaro and its surrounding residents have to fight their way around against thousands of vehicles coming from Serpong, BSD, Pamulang, and the surrounding areas, vying just to get access to Jakarta. An agonising way to start the day.

If the BSD-Bintaro toll road is opened at the same time with the finishing of JORR W2 section (Ulujami-Veteran-Pondok Pinang), surely the condition would be different. The burden will be reduced by directing the traffic to the toll road.  

Imagine the inefficiency formed as a result of this stupidity, how many opportunity cost wasted from two hours of competing to get access to downtown, and also the suffering of psychological stress. Moreover, there are also “resident’s toll roads”, where some residents ask for retributions from cars that pass their area with higher tariffs even than the formal toll road.

Jasa Marga, who since the beginning is so eager to take over the JORR project, should be more perceptive in handling the matter. It should not see the problem partially. A cliché reason of property dispensation, which naturally has been included in the project assessments, it is not a fitting commodity to be sold to the public anymore.

We do not have to hear the statement of Jasa Marga Managing Director about the change of schedule, which is always delayed. What should be done by Jasa Marga as part of its commitment is to finish the JORR W2 section right on schedule. 

Or perhaps the Jasa Marga Managing Director could join together with Bintaro residents to feel the touch of stress and risking of a stroke every day, just to get a better “understanding” over the problem.

DODI REZA ALEX
River Park GF2/19, Bintaro Jaya
Tangerang, Banten