@HeyPotterhead:Lady Gaga's concert better not be cancelled. I did NOT fell in line for 8 hours for nothing! Stupid FPI #IndonesiaSavesGaga #BTWBallGBK

FPI or the Islamic Defenders Front is an influential religious group which often campaigns against ‘anti-Islamic' activities and ideas. In this particular case, Lady Gaga was accused of corrupting the morality of young Indonesians.

One of the promotional merchandises of the Lady Gaga concert. From the twitpic page of @youngdancers

Lady Gaga fans, who were called ‘little monsters', have criticized the government's decision

@ginaignasia: Apa hak nya. Gue yang nabung&cari calo susah2, nyekal2 seenaknya. #IndonesiaSavesGaga #GagaIsAmazing #monsterpower #BurnFPIdown

@akibaryou: Save Mother Monster! Save the freedom of expression! The cancellation is proof of how our country has lost its priority.#IndonesiaSavesGaga!

@Ray_owl: FPI is embarrassing Indonesia internationally! #IndonesiaSavesGaga RT @lanaaisya: FPI is being a hypocrite. #saveladygaga

@NickyYuventius:Yang bikin gue bingung adalah polisi yg beralasan gaga itu porno. APA KABAR KONSER DANGDUT? PREEEET!

Dangdut, an Indian influenced folk music, is very popular in Indonesia. The dance moves of Dangdut performers are oftentimes sexy and erotic.

Meanwhile, the Christian Indonesian Church Council (PGI) supported the concert arguing that it's a part of the country's freedom of expression.

Not all politicians found Lady Gaga's performance racy. Lawmaker Ahmad Basarah, who is a Muslim, told  newspaper The Jakarta Globe that the national police should be fair when it comes to protecting the nation's values, whether it's against liberal-capitalistic ideas or Middle Eastern ideologies.

Here are more reactions on twitter:

@danielvk: Religious mafia manipulates democracy & freedom to rob the freedom of others. Don't tolerate intolerance! #saynotohate #indonesiasavesgaga

@DanielZiv: It's not a matter of #IndonesiaSavesGaga, it's more like whether Gaga can save Indonesia.And really, Indonesia needs to save itself from this extremist nonsense, Gaga or no Gaga.

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The video, “Koboy Palmerah”, literally means “Palmerah Cowboy”. Palmerah is a busy street in west Jakarta. It showed a man with white t-shirt confronting a motorcyclist after they were both involved in a crash. The man brandishing a pistol and a stick opened fire into the air more than once. The license plate of the “cowboy” car reportedly belongs to an Indonesian military officer.

Here are some reactions of netizens. Raihan wrote in his blog:

Setelah bolak-balik memutar Video Koboy Palmerah ini, saya menyangka aparat lieur ini habis nonton film The Raid, berambisi mungkin untuk menjadi pemeran utamanya…

…Kalau aparat sudah berlagak koboy begini masihkan bisa disebut Pelindung, Pelayan, dan Pengayom Masyarakat?

Some Twitter reactions:

@dtgbulan: yg namanya menembak sipil itu tetap melanggar hukum

@budiman_hakim: “Kadispen TNI AD: “Tindakan Koboy Palmerah hanya untuk membela diri.” Do you expect people to accept that?

@littlemoodycat: is this what policemen do these days???

@arisetyo: parah, malu-maluin banget kelakuan aparat negara ini..

@asepbs: Wrong man behind the gun in the wrong place

@FadjarArianto: jika bertemu dgn Kapten Arluthfi (Koboy Palmerah), mari kita sama2 pukul kepalanya dgn pentungan! #ArogansiTNI

One day after the incident, police admitted that there's a car grazed in the location shown in the video. According to Tempo, the car driver is a captain in the army and the motorcyclist is a civilian. Because of the incident, the military police came and brought the captain to their station. Military police will follow up the investigation.

Meanwhile, the soldier came up with his version. In a statement given by the head of communication of the Indonesian national army, he said the gun he used was only an airsoft gun. He lost his temper because the motorcyclist yelled at him and banged at his window.

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While explaining the creative process for one of his new tracks, Bieber said that it was recorded in some “random country”. His manager, Scott Braun, interjected by saying it was produced in Indonesia. “I recorded it in a studio. Some little place. They didn't know what they were doing,” Bieber continued.

Bieber has a big following in Indonesia. He had a one day concert in Jakarta attended by ten thousand people last year. His poor sense of geography broke the hearts of his fans and made him an easy target for a banter in the internet.

Justin Bieber in Indonesia. From Twitpic page of @AnisOphelia

And netizen raise their voices to criticize the superstar:

@BarryLikumahuwa Random country? Thanks Bieber, but we got the biggest Jazz festival, even bigger than Canada's own Montreal Jazz Fest.. *boo-yah*

@anonbeliebers A Belieber Confessed: Justin Bieber said that Indonesia is some random country…. I'm sad about it. :((

@kartika_mariana don't judge my lovely country with word random. You not something without your fans here. Understand kid!@justinbieber

@kartika_mariana here, in the random country you have fans! Your statement can make them sad.@justinbieber

@mariastephani you know @justinbieber .. you`re saying my country as RANDOM COUNTRY.. I know you`ve apologise. But, ITS TOO LATE

@thaliaviotama #IHATEJUSTINBIEBER on TT because of he said “random country” to Indonesia? Honestly, I just dislike his words.

@AcilEnor You said indonesia as a random country!!! You're a random singer!! You are a boy with no manner!! Lallalallalallla

@INDOADOREBIEBER HE thought Bali was a name of a country and he forgot to say ‘Bali' so he said “some random country”

Last but not the least, there's also netizens who defended the young star:

@pwgdochi Random country kan artinya bukan negara ga jelas, tapi dia (menurut berita) rekaman di negara acak yg ga direncanakan, y u so stupid

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Mosques in Indonesia use loudspeakers to broadcast the “adzan” five times a day reminding people to pray. Boediono warned that the loud volume might disturb other people, including fellow Muslims. He added that a less noisy call to prayer is more likely to enter a person's heart rather than loud sounds.

But many Indonesians advised Boediono to address other more important issues. Blogger happydsf [id], voices his concern:

Grand Mosque Al-Mashun. Photo from Flickr page of hophoptuing (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Sungguh disayangkan, bahkan sepertinya negara ini ingin mengintimidasi kebebasan warga muslim, di negaranya sendiri, yang notabene juga di sebut negara dengan jumlah penduduk muslim yang mayoritas. masih banyak hal yang harus diselesaikan para wakil rakyat daripada harus mengurusi pengeras suara untuk panggilan sholat.

Another blogger, Tototapalnise [id], tries to understand the Vice President's message:

Namun, kalau kita coba cermati dengan hati dan kepala dingin, perkataan wapres tersebut merupakan teguran halus buat kita kaum musliman dalam menjaga kualitas para muadzin sekaligus kualitas sound system di masjid-masjid….

…Lalu kenapa kita umat muslim harus memasang muka marah dengan ucapan tersebut dan langsung naik pitam? Apakah sedemikian reaktifkah umat muslim Indonesia yang merupakan mayoritas di negeri ini dengan sebuah kritikan atau masukan?

Haris El Salman [id] said that the loudspeaker's volume has never been an issue in the real world:

Bukankan selama ini tenggang rasa antar pemeluk agama masih dalam tahapan yang baik? Bahkan di daerah saya masih ada masjid dan gereja yang hanya dipisahkan oleh sebuah dinding, namun belum pernah saya melihat atau mendengar terjadi pertentangan antara jemaat masjid dan gereja ditempat tersebut, mereka akur-akur saja menjalankan ibadah masing-masing…

…Bukankah ini hanya akan menimbulkan perdebatan-perdebatan yang tidak esensial? Mungkin maksud beliau baik, tapi tidak pada tepatnya. Great idea in the wrong place?

There were also mixed reactions on Twitter [id]:

@fgaban: Dalam soal TOA, pernyataan Pak Boed itu otokritik bagus bagi Muslim Indonesia.

@anatriyana: Knp jd msalah? Selama ini kan adzan gak ganggu? RT @Yahoo_ID: Wakil Presiden Boediono meminta suara azan diatur supaya tdk trlalu kncang

@gitaputrid: Sayah senang Wapres Boediono ngomong soal TOA masjid u/azan; minimal ada nyali berani buka front versus suara mayoritas.

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The incident took place two weeks ago when the governor attended a youth event at Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta. As he stood between a girl and a boy, he was seen raising his middle finger imitating the girl's gesture. Instead of earning admiration for supporting an event organized by young people, Fauzi, or more popularly known as Foke, was seen giving a bad example instead.

Jakarta Governor Foke Giving the Middle Finger Gesture. Photo from @SHANDYKIIDNAHS

As netizens expressed their shock and rage over the “indecent” behavior, Foke's spokesman said that the governor was only joking among young people who gathered for a band competition event. The governor claimed that he doesn't “understand those kinds of things”.

Many netizen can't hide their surprise:

@vankaay: baru nyadar, bapak fauzi bowo.. acungin jari tengah pas lagi rame rame sama komunitas motor. mau gaul atau gatau artinya pak?hualahh

@Ganyut: Fauzi bowo mulai berkampanye dgn mempromosikan jari tengah,..hidup jari tengah paak!,..lanjuuuutttt!!

@ariefadjar: jargon kampanye yang akan diserukan oleh Fauzi Bowo adalah “FOKE YOU!!!” sembari mengacungkan jari tengah. :)))”

Pangeran Siahaan wrote a column on the issue and tried to understand:

With his middle finger raised and the fatherly smile glued on his face, the same smile that can be seen on billboards around the capital, the governor looked cool and firm. It’s some sort of a non-verbal communication that reflects his thoughts on the people….

…What was a little bit baffling is that wasn't what the governor was thinking when he gave the gesture. His staff clarified that Fauzi wasn't aware of the figurative meaning behind the middle-finger salute and he was just imitating the band members standing next to him.

Jakarta's election will take place on July 11, but Foke has not been attending public debates with other candidates. After not showing up for a television debate, he also turned down a chance to face an open debate in University of Indonesia last week.

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Last March 19, Dahlan caused a commotion at a tollgate in Jakarta after becoming upset by the long queue blocking his way. Dahlan had earlier instructed that there should be only five cars queuing at each ticket counter. That morning, he became upset finding many cars queuing and only two out of the four booths were open. Dahlan got out from his car and then lifted the barrier blocking the way to allow the vehicles, at least 100 cars, to pass without paying.

His action might be considered as excessive, but Jakarta's heavy traffic in the weekdays still remains a main issue in the capital so good traffic management is needed. His action generated a lot of buzz especially on social media.

Last week, he repeated the same trick but he targeted the wrong toll booth because the operator is a private corporation. He has apologized for that, but he still has public sympathy. Before the toll incident, Dahlan grabbed attention when he attended a minister meeting in Bogor (approximately 60km from Jakarta) by riding a train and ojek (a hired-motorbike) last December. He even spent a night in a farmer's house in Central Java last month, after helping out the farmer to gather eggs.

A few days ago, Dahlan launched his own twitter account, @iskan_dahlan. Six hours after posting two tweets, Dahlan is already being followed by almost 18,000 netizens.

And here are some reactions on Twitter

@TE8270: @iskan_dahlan selamat pa atas resminya akun twitternya, berarti sdh ada tempat kami rakyat utk langsung mengadu tentang pelayanan BUMN.

@aforasri: Selamat datang di Twitter,pak @iskan_dahlan! :) Sudah banyak warga Twitterland yg menunggu kehadiran Bapak. *bahagia*

@NajwaShihab: Pak @iskan_dahlan lagi buka akun twitter di @MataNajwa :D lockerz.com/s/200631892

@jetsilvers: ayo pak Dahlan kuatkan stamina, lawan terus , gunakan media > people untuk lawan @iskan_dahlan #janganmenyerah aturan ga bagus ganti sj

@mamanyamilo: Pak @iskan_dahlan sekali2 naek commuter saat jam sibuk dong pak,biar ngerasain gmn padat n panasnya krn ac sering mati plus gangguan sinyal

After a week on Twitter, Dahlan is still quite coy in using his new account. He has posted only 25 tweets but he already has more than 50,000 followers. It is understandable due to his full-day activities as a minister, but he found time to reply to a news item about the House of Representative (DPR) intention to use their interpellation rights to ask his policy.

@iskan_dahlan [replying to his follower's mention]: @rizalcalvary: Nih Dia ‘Dosa-Dosa' Dahlan Iskan Versi DPR: http://suarapengusaha.com/2012/04/13/nih-dia-dosa-dosa-dahlan-iskan-versi-dpr/” Tambah satu lagi: interpelasi!

Some netizens gave their support to Dahlan regarding the interpellation issue:

@DyanMeti: @iskan_dahlan saya salut sama Bapak yg membuat gelisah para oportunis d DPR yg kayak taman kanak-kanak ..hehehe

@Sugito_btm: @DahlanIskanNote @iskan_dahlan interpelasi ini justru akan semakin menaikan pamor pak dahlan…lanjutkan dah interpelasinyahahahha

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Initially, the Indonesian government was planning to raise the petrol price on April 1. There was no official statement about the adjusted petrol price. Currently the subsidized petrol known locally as Premium is sold at IDR 4,500 (USD 0.50) per liter. Without the state subsidy, Premium could cost around IDR 8,400 (USD 0.92) per liter.

Protesters near Parliament Building. Photo from Flickr page of Djembar Lembasono used under CC License

Gianrigo Marletta, a Jakarta-based video journalist posted the following video on YouTube.

The protests last month and the active military presence [id] in the cities to secure the protests somehow refreshed memories of the nation's past experience with fuel riots. Back in 1998, the country descended into chaos following the government's plan to increase the fuel price. Chinese-Indonesian shop houses were torched by furious mobs, somewomen were raped, student protesters were kidnapped and gunned down, and in the end, Indonesia's longest running president Suharto was forced to resign.

On his timeline, Twitter user @cuapolitik said that it's about time to increase the fuel price. He reasons:

3. Jk BBM tak naik, subsidi untuk solar premium th 2012 ini bs melonjak dari Rp123,6 T menjadi Rp191,1 T. #BBM
4. Pdhl, subsidi itu akan lbh brmanfaat kl dipake utk infrastruktur atau tuk peningkatan pendidikan n ksehatan. Lbh terasa utk rakyat. #BBM
5. Msyrakat yg krang mampu akan menikmati manfaat jk BBM subsidi naik. Sebab, msyrkat kurang mampu bukan konsumen BBM yang terbesar. #BBM
6. Harga jual bbm subsidi yg terlalu rendah dibanding di LN mendorong penyelundupan penyelewengan. Yg untung ya para penyelundup. #BBM
7. Krn subsidi, harga jual bbm subsidi di dlm negeri jauh lebih murah daripada harga barang yang serupa di negara2 tetangga. #BBM
8. Itu sebabnya, para penyelundup justru menikmati perbedaan harga ini, hingga merugikan keuangan negara dan kita semua #BBM
11. Slama ini org2 bilang pmrntah hanya ambil kbjakan menaikkan #BBM subsidi. Salah. Ada kbjakan lain utk atasi defisit. #BBM
17. Kbjakan subsidi ini adlh kbjakan dr masa lampau. Dl bs subsidi, krn kt eksportir. Tp skrg kt importir, n sdh keluar dr OPEC #BBM
18. Slain itu, dl knsumsi BBM kt rendah, jauh brbeda dgn skrg. Karenanya kbjakan subsidi hrs diubah perlahan. #BBM

Blogger Sony Haryo Prabowo wrote a post on his blog, saying that demonstrators in Makassar, Sulawesi, have wrongly targeted fuel resellers:

sekian banyak SPBU di Indonesia, Pertamina hanya memiliki 74 di antaranya (sumber: Pertamina Retail). Ribuan lainnya dimiliki oleh dealer (swasta).  Dengan demikian, perbuatan para pendemo yang merusak SPBU telah membuat hilangnya lahan mencari nafkah bagi seorang wiraswasta, bahkan mereka juga menghilangkan lapangan kerja andai SPBU tersebut benar-benar berhenti beroperasi.

Sony concluded:

Demo yang mereka lakukan juga menutup jalan, merusak kendaraan pribadi, bahkan kendaraan pengangkut minuman ringan ternama yang mungkin seringkali mereka minum. Saya ingin mengajak para pembaca berdiskusi dan merenung. Dalam demokrasi, demonstrasi memang boleh dilakukan, bahkan harus. Namun, harus selalu diingat bahwa demonstrasi harus dilakukan dengan dasar yang benar dan dengan akal sehat. Demonstrasi yang terjadi di Makasar ini membuktikan ada sebagian mahasiswa di Indonesia ini tidak menggunakan akal sehat dalam berpikir. Mereka hanya ingin melampiaskan apa yang mereka inginkantanpa berpikir apa kerugian yang mereka sebabkan. Bahkan lucunya lagi mereka melakukan demo seakan-akan tahu masalah yang mereka hadapi.

Twitter users have maximized the microblogging site to report clashes between the police and students in Jakarta. They also debated if the price increase is appropriate.

@ikovoz: Issue korban meninggal di bentrok salemba itu hoax. skg di RSCM 3 org mahasiswa dan 1 satpam yg msh dirawat

@LBH_Jakarta: Polisi melakukan sweaping ke LBH,47 ditangkap paksa.6 ditangkap di samping LBH.Total 52 org dibawa paksa ke Polda.

@komar_hidayat: Terlepas harga BBM naik atau tdk, apakah ada tanda2 nasib rakyat akan membaik?Terbuka lapangan kerja baru?

@BankDunia: 40% penerima manfaat langsung subsidi #BBM bagi rumahtangga adalah 10% rumahtangga terkaya

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The survey is actually opposite with what many Jakartans feel. Some people think Foke can't manage Jakarta's main problems, such as traffic and the drainage.

@PokijanAcil: Kl sy bisa jalan 1km naik mobil, 1,5 jam. Thanks to macet jakarta. RT @tempodotco: Foke: Sy Bs Lari 10 Km Krg dr 1jam http://bit.ly/HujO4W

@adicumi_ratis: Mari bersama-sama kita dukung “FOKE MENJADI MANTAN GUBERNUR DKI JAKARTA”

Jakarta Governor Fauzi “Foke” Bowo. Photo from Flickr page of East-West Center

jakarta adalah kota besar satu2nya di dunia yg gubernurnya menghilangkan lapangan sepakbola dan gantikannya dengan hotel

Jakarta adalah satu2 kota besar didunia yg minim transportasi massal. Hanya busway yg jadwalnya tak teratur, sumpek dan tak manusiawi

Jakarta adalah satu2nya kota besar di dunia yg punya hutan kota kuramg dari 10% luas kotanya. Standar intenasional 40%

Jakarta juga adaalah kota besar di dunia yg ada Mal di pusat kota yg berjarak hanya 2 meter dari jalan utama ( mal semanggi)

Jakarta adalah satu2nya kota besar didunia yg tidak sediakan trotoar yg manusiawi utk warganya, taman/hutan kota pun minim, parkir apalagi [continued] Sarana gedung2 itu seperti : parkir, tempat ibadah, taman dst…sgt minim bahkan sering tidak ada. Dizinkan semua karena suap ke pemprov DKI

Seand Munir, as written in Kompasiana, Indonesia's big blogging community, doesn't understand why Foke is confidently running for another term:

Tak ada sedikit pun prestasi Foke selama memimpin Jakarta. Tak ada rintisan perbaikan dan pembangunan apalagi pengatasan masalah-masalah rutin di Jakarta.

Apakah ini semata-mata benar dugaan orang orang bahwa pencalonan itu berkaitan dengan duit setoran balon ke partai?

Another blogger, Sipiliang, was even harsher:

…Namun Foke tidak memanfaatkan kesempatan itu. Jakarta tambah semrawut. Bahkan untuk meneruskan pembangunan saja tidak. Gubernur berkumis ini malah membuka proyek-proyek baru yang penuh dengan uang setoran. Foke tidak berfokus pada pembangunan manusia Jakarta, yang tentu bukan masyarakat asli saja….

…Lupakan Fauzi Bowo, sekarang kita punya alternatif pilihan yang lebih baik.

There are six pairs of candidates for the Jakarta governor election. The other candidates are Alex Noerdin-Nono Sampono, Hidayat Nur Wahid-Didik Rachbini; including two independent candidates, Hendardji Soepandi-Ariza Patria and Faisal Basri-Biem Benyamin.

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Shortly thereafter, the Central Kalimantan administration informed the Indonesian president, Parliament's chairman, ministers, and the chief of National Police of its opposition to FPI presence in the province and asserted that FPI's methods aren't aligned with the Dayak's (indigenous Kalimantan ethnic group's) way of life.

The FPI is accused in the past of using intimidation and brutal acts to attack religious minorities as well as raiding bars and pubs operating during the fasting month.

Digital art by blogger Hasyim Soska which reads "I support Without FPI movement. It's time for Indonesia to speak up."

The Dayaks have inspired other Indonesians to speak up their minds about FPI. There are even proposals to disband the FPI and other similar groups. Hashtags such as #IndonesiaTanpaFPI (Indonesia without FPI), #indonesiaamantanpafpi (Indonesia's safe without FPI) and #bubarkanfpi (disband FPI) were flooded by comments from Indonesian netizens.

@goodXgars: Sesungguhnya surga itu diperuntukkan bagi orang baik dan beriman, bukan bagi yg paling lantang meneriakkan nama Tuhan. #bubarkanFPI

@IwanKamah: Ikut #IndonesiaTanpaFPI, pasti org itu tak suka kekerasan krn track record FPI buruk. #IndonesiaTanpa JIL pasti org kolot tak suka debat..

@absolutia: semoga kampanya hari ini tdk ada aksi2 “dadakan” rampas poster, gebuk protester, seperti yg dilakukan antek FPI2 saat #IndonesiaTanpaFPI :)

@rarawilis: Liat demonya FPI, gak mutu, blgnya demo damai, tp kok nolak demokrasi?#IndonesiatanpaFPI

Radio personality and blogger Panji Pragiwaksono wrote about the demand for FPI to be disbanded. Panji lists some arguments against the disbandment of the FPI:

1) Karena pembubaran FPI hanya akan membuat mereka muncul kembali dgn nama yg baru
2) Karena negara membebaskan siapapun untuk berkumpul dan berserikat. Menghalangi itu, hanya akan berdampak buruk kpd diri kita sendiri
3) Kalau FPI melakukan kegiatan2 yg melanggar hukum, ya pelakunya yg ditindak. Sama aja seperti misalnya POLRI ada yg melanggar hukum, ya pelakunya yg ditindak. Bukan POLRInya yg dibubarkan

On his talk show, Panji invited FPI official Habib Selon who claimed that FPI acts as a shield for the people, and only “attack” immoral places when the police refuse to do anything to improve those places. Responding to Panji's question on why FPI was founded by army generals (one of them is General Wiranto who will run for the 2014 presidency) Selon said:

“Jendral jendral itu adalah pendukung Islam. Boleh boleh saja mereka mendukung Islam. Semua orang Islam pasti mendukung FPI”

Saya memotong dan berkata “Tidak semua lho Bib. Saya aja tidak mendukung FPI..”
Dia menyahut “Mereka yang ga stuju FPI, bukan org Islam!”
I got that on air. On tape.

Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) told the Jakarta Post that Indonesians should ask how organizations like FPI got the permit to speak in behalf of Islam.

An anonymous blogger known as Jakarta Commuter said that Indonesia still needs FPI. He elaborates:

Jujur, saya lebih memilih FPI untuk tetap ada. Mereka yang berani kontrol bung.. Tapi anarkis harus dibuang jauh-jauh. Tindak pelaku, bukan organisasinya.

FPI juga jangan membela anggota-nya yang memang salah dan memanfaatkan atribut organisasi untuk melakukan tindakan anarki maupun premanisme.

Gerakan anti FPI hanya merupakan tunggakan liberalis yang pro terhadap kebobrokan moral. Mengatakan kebebasan sebagai hak asasi, tapi menjatuhkan martabat budaya timur. Sok kebarat-baratan, tapi tidak mengetahui apa yang harus dibela.

On his blog post, Panji points out the poor confide in groups like FPI which provide what they need like health assistance, micro lendings, education — assistance that the government has failed to deliver.

Pemerintah lalai dalam membantu mereka, masyarakat kelas menengah dgn starbucks di tangan kanan dan iphone di tangan kiri tidak peduli kepada masyarakat sekitar.

He added:

[…] Di satu sisi apa yang mereka lakukan adalah baik.

Di sisi lain, mereka memanfaatkan rakyat yg mereka beli untuk jadi basis massa yang kelak mereka manfaatkan untuk kepentingan kepentingan pribadi

Ketidak pedulian kelas menengah kepada sekitarnya, telah berbalik dalam wujud yang lebih membuat resah.

In conclusion, Panji said that disbanding FPI is not a solution:

Solusi yang benar, adalah dengan mulai peduli kepada sesama rakyat Indonesia yg membutuhkan

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Sondang Hutagalung at a protest commemorating the death of rights activist Munir Said Thalib. Photo by Dina Savaluna, used with permission.

Moch Najib Yuliantoro wrote [id] on his blog:

Ia lakukan itu dengan sadar, terencana, dengan satu tekad: perubahan. Tetapi apa setelah Sondang tak ada? Mereka yang berkuasa tetap bertahta sebagai pengusa. Secara kolektif, setelah 10 hari kepergiannya, kita pun tak bergerak. Perubahan yang diimpikan Sondang tak kunjung datang.

Najib fears that Sondang's dream of a better Indonesia may fell on deaf ears:

Kesadaran kolektif sebagai “Indonesia” sudah hangus terbakar menjadi abu. Jika dengan bakar diri yang dikehendaki Sondang adalah perubahan drastis, seperti di Tunisia, misalnya, tampaknya ia salah cara. Bangsa ini tak seperti Tunisia. Bangsa ini sudah “mati”. Tak lagi berhasrat untuk melakukan “revolusi”.

Sella Wahyu said [id] on her blog:

[…] peristiwa ini menimbulkan reaksi beragam dari masyarakat. Kebanyakan menyayangkan aksi ini mengingat Sondang masih muda dan masih panjang jalan hidupnya, sebagian menganggap Sondang adalah seorang yang “berani mati tapi tak berani hidup” dan sebagian lagi menganggap Sondang adalah seorang martir demokrasi.

Kita terperosok untuk menghujat dan menghina Sondang sehingga alpa bahwa ada masalah yang sangat pelik di negeri ini yang mungkin menjadi dasar dan alasan dia memilih bakar diri sebagai ekspressi pribadinya.

Arman Dhani Bustomi wrote a blog post tribute [id] for Sondang with an opening that says, “the revolution devours its own children”:

Kukira Sondang menyadari bahwa dalam sebuah perjuangan akan selalu ada tumbal. Ia juga menyadari, bahwa hanya sedikit perbedaan antara menjadi idealis atau melakukan kebodohan. Bahwa perihal kurban itu adalah permasalahan sudut pandang. Tak ada satupun manusia di bawah kolong langit yang berhak memberikan nilai atau kuasa hukum dalam sebuah perjuangan. Perjuangan adalah perkara keyakinan diri.

[…]

Kukira Sondang saat itu mengingat mama. Mengingat bagaimana dengan mesra dan patuh ia memeluknya di gereja. Mendengar kidung puji. Doa tuhan bapa kami dengan khusyuk. Mengingat betapa natal dan keriuhan bersama keluarga adalah kenangan yang sangat indah. Dan perlahan merapal doa-doa minta maaf. Kalut ia bertanya. “apakah aku akan diampuni bapa?”

[…]

Kukira Sondang terbakar amarah. Tapi ia tak sendirian. Karena aku kini juga terbakar amarah. Atas kebodohanku. Kelemahanku. Dan ketakpedulianku pada masalah bangsa ini.

A local newspaper in North Sumatra, Harian Orbit, quoted Sondang's fellow human rights activists saying that Sondang has sent some 1,400 letters regarding human rights violations to President Susilo Bambang, but none of them has actually reached the president due to the state palace protocols.

Sondang's alma mater, Bung Karno University, gave him an Honoris Causa title and renamed the Faculty of Law's courtroom, Sondang Hutagalung room.

Regarding Sondang's honorary title, blogger Yusuf Harfi asked [id], “how come a self immolator received an honorary degree?”

He continues:

Saya sendiri tidak memandang Sondang ialah pahlawan perubahan ataupun patriot pembaharuan seperti yang banyak orang amini.

[…]

Ya, saya juga sama dengan Sondang, saya juga prihatin kepada kondisi Indonesia saat ini. Tapi, hal ini bukan berarti kita sebagai warga negara untuk menempuh aksi nekat seperti bakar diri. Agama apapun pasti mengajarkan untuk terus berusaha, gigih, pantang menyerah, dan tidak putus asa.

A day after Sondang's self immolation incident, the head of the central Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Amidhan, said [id] that self immolation is “haram” (forbidden by Islam), and considered self immolators people in despair and depressed.

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Jeng Reni, the youngest daughter of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, married Achmad Ubaidillah, known affectionately as Yuda, and for the first time ever, a royal wedding was reported in realtime through Twitter.

Prior to the wedding, Ubai was knighted and given the name Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo Yudanegara. As for Reni, her new royal title will be Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Bendara.

Javanese royal names can differ depending on the person's current status, whether the person is a man, woman, young adult, or adult, proximity to the Sultan, and so forth.

The wedding updates can be accessed through Twiticker, Tumblr, Twitter via #kratonwedding and #kirab, as well as the official Twitter account @kratonwedding.

Ubai, a Javanese descent born in Jakarta, met Jeng Reni through a mutual a friend. The lovestruck Ubai didn't know at first that the girl he fell in love with was a Javanese princess of one of the oldest royal houses in the archipelago. The couple dated for four years.

Waves of wishes, greetings, and comments were pouring at #kratonwedding and #kirab (author's note: means carnival in Javanese).

@arieslukman: This is how people in Yogyakarta loves their Sultan an Family! #kratonwedding http://instagr.am/p/Qkslv/

@kikoadh: #KratonWedding !!!! Malioboro is so crowded and everyone's sweating. But it was fun

@helloikun: Turut berbahagia untuk pernikahan GKR Bendara & KPH Yudanegara semoga menjadi keluarga sakinah dan bahagia #kratonwedding

@ferrymbaldan: Luar biasa….lautan manusia yg hadiri kirab dr Kraton ke Kepatihan….DIY: Memang Istimewa dan Harus Tetap Istimewa #kratonwedding

Some Twitter users, like Dayu, were disappointed that major TV networks didn't care enough to cover one of the major events of the year:

@DayuWijanto: Kenapa hanya di BChannel? Kemana TV2 keren dan beken lainnya? Ini urusan warisan budaya bangsa lho.. *tetep ga trima*

Javanese weddings are known for their elaborate processions which could begin days before the nuptial, and last up to seven days. A strict dress code is applied to guests and those who are allowed to enter the ceremony hall.

The Royal Guards. Photo by irwan_f3

The photographers in traditional Javanese attire. Photo published by @kratonwedding on Twitpic.

Yogyakartans await Prince Yuda outside of the Knights' Ward. Photo published by Bakpia Pia Djogdja on Lockerz.

Her Serene Highness GKR Hemas and the relatives arrived at the Knights Ward. Photo by Kraton Wedding on Tumblr.

Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the couple and President Yudhoyono. Photo by @kratonwedding on Twitpic.

Bedhaya Sangaskara dancers. Photo by @kratonwedding

Greeting the Yogyakartans from the open carriage. Photo by @kratonwedding published on Twitpic.

The Indonesian state recognizes Yogyakarta as a Special Region in the archipelago with Sultan Hamengkubuono X acting as its governor.

The Yogya Sultan is highly revered by his subjects. Back in 2009, he was nominated as a presidential candidate by Golongan Karya (Golkar) party.

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As of this writing, 20 people were reported injured and two were killed in the bombing.  The bomber was among the casualties.

President Susilo Bambang said [id] that they found the similarity between the Solo bombing and the one that blew up in Cirebon six months ago, and according to the preliminary investigation of the police, the blast was intended to harm as many churchgoers as possible.

Twitter users in Solo and elsewhere are extending their condolences and expressing their disappointment over this tragic event. Here are some reactions from twitter users using the hashtags #prayforsolo and #pray4solo:

@radixhidayat: Ini bukan soal agamamu dan agamaku. Ini soal Indonesiamu dan Indonesiaku. #prayForSolo

@papanjari: ini akibat dr masyarakat yg kurang mdapat pendidikan yg layak..mudah dipengaruhi org tdk bertanggung jawab.. #prayforsolo #prayforindonesia

@BiancaAllysa: Masi ngebom?astagfirullah islam tidak pernah mengajarkan umatnya untuk mencelakai sesama mahluk hidup

@RyuDeka: Tuhan, sesungguhnya kami lelah dengan segala tindak kebencian yang mengatasnamakan-Mu..#prayforSolo

@tarsih_ekp: Utk temen di media harap jeli, jangan bawa masalah #bomsolo ke ranah minoritas /pun mayoritas #pray4solo

And here are reactions from the hashtag #bomsolo:

@ferouz_afr: Selama gerakan ormas2 agama yg radikal yg jelas2 ada tdk d tindak dan d biarkan teror2 bom akn selalu ada krn d situ lah bibit2 nya #bomsolo

@gstff:#BomSolo Kepada para agen intelijen yg jadi makelar pengaburan persoalan: kalian semua penghianat bangsa.

@inyourdeathbed: stupid suicide bomber, you have accomplished NOTHING but remind us that our current government administration is a TOTAL FAILURE. #BomSolo

@blangk_on: Ada pihak2 tertentu di republik ini yg tetap melihara monster pembunuh dg ideologi agama. Kapan pun bs mrk gunakan #bomSolo

@AlexKomang2000: Di mana kita mencari perlindungan keselamatan di negara ini?#bomsolo

Solo (also known as Surakarta) is known to be the stronghold of Abu Bakar Bashir, the former emir of Southeast Asian Al Qaeda Network called Jemaah Islamiyah and a spiritual guru at Ngruki Al Mukmin.

Some of Ngruki's former students have been linked to various bombings in Indonesia. However the school has never been banned by the Indonesian government. Meanwhile, mainstream media also noted the rise of religious freedom violations in 2010.

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Indonesia has one of the biggest and most active Twitter and Facebook communities in the world.

Tifatul Sembiring. Image by Flickr user Ikhlasul Amal (CC BY-NC 2.0).

Outspoken blogger, known as Treespotter, reacted via Twitter.

@treespotter: Dear Pak @tifsembiring, pergolakan dari Tunisia sampai Malaysia karena Pejabat gagal mengelola Negara - bukan gagal mengelola Twitter.

@Tifsembiring: @treespotter nangkapnya agak keliru trees, jadi sy bilang socmed bisa mempengaruhi politik, ekonomi bahkan struktur sosial. Kita hrs amati

@treespotter @tifsembiring saya setuju betul bahwa Pemerintah penting mengamati, belajar sama sama, sebagai aset Indonesia. Bukan ancaman kekuasaan.

After being criticized in the media, Tifatul made a statement through his favorite communication outlet, Twitter, and complained that reporters have misquoted him again. Later on he also wrote a short clarification on his Facebook page, saying that his statement about social media control in front of public elementary school teachers was about emphasizing on adult supervision on children's internet browsing experience, language use decency and anti-pornography browsing.

Blogger Ross1948 who blogs at Rossrightangle said:

[…]
but outlandish though his pronouncements sometimes are, he’s not a moron. He IS recognising that an active and unfettered internet, bloggers galore, would be a thorn in the flesh of a shariah-freak state. And rest assured, readers, a shariah-freak state is exactly what Tifatul and the PKS would like to see in Indonesia.
Naturally, his urge to shackle social media, which includes blogs like ours, at once provoked both oppostion and even ridicule. Detik.com quotes Tjipta Lesmana, a political communication expert, as describing Tifatul’s words as “It’s nonsense to think that social media can be controlled. This may be Tifatul’s personal view or the President’s. If the latter, SBY should not be afraid. If he is, there’s something wrong in the government.’

Tifatul Sembiring is the former chairman of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), an Islamist party often criticized for its highly conservative agenda. In the past, PKS staged rallies supporting the establishment of Palestine state and protesting against the United States of America and its allies.

He is also known to champion the highly controversial Cyberlaw Bill that prosecuted Prita Mulyasari, a homemaker who was slapped with defamation charges for writing and publishing a complaint email against an international hospital chain.

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What are the reactions of bloggers?

Point Blank Rambler says youths should have more say towards the direction of the country:

Dan aku sangat berharap bahawasanya Parlimen Belia ini tidak bias - dikuasai oleh kerajaan sepenuhnya. Sebab, sebagai negara yang mengamalkan Demokrasi, setiap rakyat adalah berhak menentukan hala tuju sesebuah negara dan benda ni termasuklah golongan belia sendiri, betul tak?

Kalau dah tujuan asal pembentukan Parlimen Belia ni adalah untuk melatih generasi belia dalam menentukan halatuju negara, maka mereka perlu menghormati hak kita dalam membuat keputusan tanpa sekatan.

The Flying Kick says the opposition will have more control of the youth parliament:

Bila Najib Abdul Razak memutuskan untuk mewujudkan Parlimen Belia bagi mendedahkan belia-belia negara ini kepada proses demokrasi yang sebenar, ramai yang menyambut baik. Dan sudah tentulah yang paling gembira dengan penubuhan Parlimen Belia itu adalah pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat.

Sedangkan UMNO pula sekadar boleh berbangga kerana telah mewujudkan Parlimen Belia. Pengisian dalam Parlimen Belia tidak akan ke mana-mana, seperti mana yang berlaku dalam agensi-agensi lain seperti KEDA, KESEDAR, KETENGAH dan sebagainya. UMNO hanya menubuhkan tetapi akhirnya yang menguasai adalah puak-puak Pakatan Rakyat.

Parlimen Belia juga bakal menerima nasib yang sama. Kebanyakan pemimpin UMNO hanya aktif apabila mereka hendak meminta jawatan tetapi untuk mengisi tanggungjawab jawatan yang diminta, biasanya mereka tidak ada masa. Masa mereka banyak dihabiskan untuk perkara-perkara lain termasuklah untuk golf!

Followers of motivationmy.com share their thoughts:

@Azziskandar a great idea as long as it isn't too politicized. Hope the youths work out actual needs rather than “personal” agendas

@shusshshussh: A youth parliament is a good idea to exchange/debate laws/opinions to decrease generation gap. But not for legislation.

Abdul Rahim (via Facebook): Good idea…so that in future parliamentrians are more responsible, attend all sessions, dont make it into a circus and argue with facts, not emotions….

Dhallan (via Faceboook): I believe it's just a hype for publicity. By now that proposal is already shelved. Dont think it's gonna happen

@sherylhosulynn: I think it's a good idea, but they should let us say what we have in our minds, and not limit us if they do make this happen!

@JFJuhari: my first motion is please remove censorship act. Thank you

Ilhan Hikaru (via Facebook): It will be a success as long as they refer to Islamic Law

@zulfadly (from Brunei): Wow. Your government proposed that? Amazing. Hope it happens. Will be a momentous achievement if it happens. #YouthPower

As of now, there are no official updates on the Youth Parliament.

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The news about the death of the “king of terror” Osama Bin Laden traveled fast around the globe like wild fire. But Bin Laden's death wasn't received with much fanfare in Indonesia, a Muslim majority country.  Government officials reminded the public that his death was a victory for the United States (US), not Indonesia.

Indonesia's hardline Muslims are considerably small in numbers but very vocal, and they're not afraid to show respect to their fallen hero.

However, the responses from the Indonesian public differ. Jenny S. Bev, an Indonesia-born, California based columnist, wrote this on her blog:

Barack Obama believed that justice have been served. It may be so to a certain level. At least now we have a closure for all 9/11 victims as the person responsible for their deaths had been forced to taste his own medicine. This moment, however, is the beginning of a new chapter: the new normalcy in a world without Osama bin Laden.

Ms. Bev expects terror splinter groups to strike back so it's highly  important for the US to renew its foreign policy. She further said:

[…] it is good timing for the United States to make adjustments in their foreign policies that would reduce feelings of insecurity and helplessness in other countries, while at the same time increasing alertness for any possible friction.

The temporary euphoria of Osama’s death should be taken as a somber reminder that there are alternatives to going into war with other countries. A strong intelligent team can be more efficient and effective than spending trillions of dollars and ten years of hunting down one person for the price of thousands of civilians’ deaths.

Blogger Isro Machfudin posted a poem which he found profoundly moving, written ten years ago at the wake of 9/11, by Anis Matta, the current chairman of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), an Islamist political party. Here are parts of the poem:

Osama…
Kamulah yang mengunci mulut bangsa-bangsa adidaya,
Supaya mereka terdiam
Maka mereka hanya bisa mengamuk.
[…]
Kamulah yang merampas rasa aman
Dari jiwa bangsa-bangsa tirani
Maka mereka tak pernah bisa tidur nyenyak.
[…]
Osama oh Osama… Osama oh Osama…
Mari kita senandungkan lagu keabadian
Bersama nurani anak-anak manusia
Yang merindukan taman surga.

Banner "Osama the mujahid" at the Islamic Defender's Front headquarters in Jakarta. Photo appeared on entbluextv.com

Many Indonesians were relieved to learn the death of the modern jihad icon. Blogger Katedra Rajawen, said:

Terlepas Osama dianggap sebagai penjahat atau pahlawan, saya hanya ingin mengatakan, bahwa sesungguhnya tindakan membunuh adalah sebuah perbuatan frustrasi
karena ketidakmampuan untuk mengasihi orang lain.

Blogger NRG07 said:

I have never understood the minds of people who kill by the name of religion, and Osama bin Laden certainly was a poster boy for this ideology. If his death would mean anything to Indonesia, first of all, it would be a signal that as long as anyone is there spreading terror, there would also be people against it.

He believes that despite Bin Laden's death, the world shouldn't put its guard down yet, since the ‘war on terror' is far from over.

I wouldn’t be relieved that Osama bin Laden has died, if the spread of radicalism, hatred and intolerance is still there.

The blogger was referring to the government's inability to prevent religion-related violence in the country.

This post is part of our special coverage The Death of Osama Bin Laden.

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