Chile president launches health care reform project

Yahoo – AFP, January 5, 2020

Chile's President Sebastian Pinera has announced a raft of measures aimed
at appeasing protesters and ending months of chaos (AFP Photo/HO)

Santiago (AFP) - Chile's President Sebastian Pinera launched on Sunday a reform project to create a "universal health plan" following months of protests against social inequality and his leadership.

"This plan is based on what the people have asked us for," said Pinera as he presented the project.

A poor public health system and sky-high private costs were among the main gripes of demonstrators.

Congress sat on Sunday to deal with a number of projects as part of Pinera's "social calendar" aimed at appeasing protesters.

The new health plan would benefit the 14.5 million people who rely on public services as well as the three million using private care.

Congress has tried to rush through social projects to help defuse the protest movement that began on October 18, initially as a reaction to a modest metro fare hike.

Twenty-nine people have died during the worst social unrest to hit Chile since the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship ended 30 years ago.

One of Pinera's main policy changes has been to enact a law allowing the South American country to hold a referendum on changing the Pinochet-era constitution.

His new health plan will include "a guaranteed maximum waiting time (and) a drop in the price of medicines," as well as other changes, Pinera said.

He said the government would subsidize "the 200 main" medicines used for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, resulting in a 60 percent reduction in costs.

Related Article:

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‘De-Americanized’ World Needed After US Shutdown: China Media

Jakarta Globe – AFP, October 13, 2013

The U.S. Capitol stands in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 27, 2013.
(Bloomberg Photo/Andrew Harrer)

Beijing. While US politicians grapple with how to reopen their shuttered government and avoid a potentially disastrous default on their debt, the world should consider “de-Americanizing,” a commentary on China’s official news agency said Sunday.

“As US politicians of both political parties [fail to find a] viable deal to bring normality to the body politic they brag about, it is perhaps a good time for the befuddled world to start considering building a de-Americanized world,” the commentary on state news agency Xinhua said.

In a lengthy polemic against American hegemony since World War two, it added: “Such alarming days when the destinies of others are in the hands of a hypocritical nation have to be terminated.

“A new world order should be put in place, according to which all nations, big or small, poor or rich, can have their key interests respected and protected on an equal footing.”

Negotiations over how to end the budgetary impasse have shifted to the US Senate after House Representatives failed to strike a deal with President Obama on extending borrowing authority ahead of an October 17 deadline.

Beijing has in recent days issued warnings as well as appeals for a deal, all the while emphasizing the inseparable economic ties that bind the world’s two biggest economies.

“The cyclical stagnation in Washington for a viable bipartisan solution over a federal budget and an approval for raising debt ceiling has again left many nations’ tremendous dollar assets in jeopardy and the international community highly agonized,” said the commentary.

China is the biggest foreign holder of US Treasury bonds, worth a total of $1.28 trillion according to US government data.

“Instead of honoring its duties as a responsible leading power, a self-serving Washington has abused its superpower status and introduced even more chaos into the world by shifting financial risks overseas,” but equally stoked “regional tensions amid territorial disputes, and fighting unwarranted wars under the cover of outright lies” the commentary said, referring to Iraq.

It added that emerging economies should have a greater say in major international financial institutions the World Bank and International Monetary Fund and proposed a “new international reserve currency that is to be created to replace the dominant US dollar.”

China has only slightly more weight than Italy at the IMF, which has been headed by a European since its creation in 1944.

A governance reform has been in the works for three years but its implementation has been blocked by the effective veto of the United States.

Agence France-Presse

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Opposition to President Obama and the Transition to Uncorrupted Governments

goldenageofgaia.com, Steve Beckow, An Hour with an Angel, September 30, 2013, with Archangel Michael

SB: All right. Maybe I can squeeze in one or two questions just before we go.

At this moment it seems as if in the American political spectrum the same blind opposition to President Obama is still apparent. When and how will the governments of the world emerge as uncorrupted institutions, given that there will now be a wholesale move towards new administrations? I don’t mean a toppling of administrations, but a reformation throughout the world.

AAM: The political landscape, not only in the United States but in many places, is going to shift rather dramatically in the coming year, and particularly within the next several months. Do not be overly concerned about opposition to Obama. What it is doing is bringing to the forefront — and making it very public — those who do not wish this energy [Obama] to be in a leadership position. That is not going to change. It will come to the forefront and the light will win.

SB: Oh, that’s very reassuring.

AAM: We are very present in the White House.

SB: Oh! Very good! Okay.  I think I recall you mentioning Medicare in Canada. Canada has a wonderful system of universal medicare. When will the United States enjoy the same quality of medicare? Or other nations, for that matter.

AAM: You see, this is one of the fundamental rights, and your United Nations has just begun to peek at this.  All of your — yes, all — of your medical systems have been based on false grids that you are eligible for disease. Many, many industries have grown up around this belief system.

Now, we would not dismantle this in a day, because the displacement would be very large, but you have already begun to see the shift to wellness, to healing centers, to alternative methods of energy healing. And with the arrival of your star brothers and sisters this will become even more so.

So not only universal medical care, but universal healthcare and the right to wellness is going to become the simple stand-alone fact over the next year to two years. Oh, and it will happen much more quickly in the United States.

SB: Oh, that’s good to hear. So many people are bankrupted by a sudden illness. And it never should be that way.

AAM: It is an atrocity that one may suffer and die because one does not have adequate money. That is absurd.

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…5 - Integrity That May Surprise…

The Unthinkable… Politics, A Review

Humans will begin to search for integrity and fairness and it's going to happen in the places you never expect. I said this last week, so this is a review. There'll come a time when you will demand this of your politics - fairness and integrity. So when the candidates start calling each other names, you will turn your back on them and they won't get any votes. They're going to get the point real fast, don't you think? How about that?

Let me give you another potential. This country that I sit in right now [USA] will set the mold for that particular attribute. I have no clock. Watch for the youngsters to set this in motion, and they will, for they are the voters of tomorrow and they do not want the energy of today. To some of them, it's so abominable they won't even register to vote in this energy. You're going to see this soon. That was number five.. ..."

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“…  Government

Let us speak of government. We're not speaking of your government, but of any government - the way it works, how it survives, how it has survived, the way it campaigns, and how it elects leaders. It's going to change.

Years ago, I told you, "When everybody can talk to everybody, there can be no secrets." Up to this point on this planet, government has counted on one thing - that the people can't easily talk to each other on a global scale. They have to get their information through government or official channels. Even mass media isn't always free enough, for it reports that which the government reports. Even a free society tends to bias itself according to the bias of the times. However, when you can have Human Beings talking to each other all at once, all over the planet without government control, it all changes, for there is open revelation of truth.

Democracy itself will change and you're going to see it soon. The hold-outs, the few countries I have mentioned in the past, are doomed unless they recalibrate. They're doomed to be the same as they have been and won't be able to exist as they are now with everyone changing around them.

I mentioned North Korea in the past. Give it time. Right now, the young man is under the control of his father's advisors. But when they're gone, you will see something different, should he survive. Don't judge him yet, for he is being controlled.

In government, if you're entire voting base has the ability to talk to itself without restriction and comes up with opinions by itself without restriction, it behooves a politician to be aware and listen to them. This will change what politicians will do. It will change the way things work in government. Don't be surprised when some day a whole nation can vote all at once in a very unusual way. Gone will be the old systems where you used to count on horseback riders to report in from faraway places. Some of you know what I am talking about. Government will change. The systems around you, both dark and light, will change. You're going to start seeing something else, too, so let's change the subject and turn the page. …”

Former health ministry executive gets 3 years in prison

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 04/04/2011

Sjafii Ahmad

The Corruption Court on Monday handed down three years and three months imprisonment for former Health Ministry secretary Sjafii Ahmad, for his involvement in corruption.

Judges at the court found Sjafii guilty of engineering the procurement of portable X-ray machines for the ministry in 2007, causing state losses of Rp 9.48 billion (US$1 million).

Sjafii is also required to pay Rp 100 million in fines.

His lawyer, Firman Wijaya, said he would consider filing an appeal, adding that Sjafii had only committed an administrative fault, whereas judges had applied a maximum penalty.

Prosecutors in the case previously demanded Sjafii serve four years and six months in prison.

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Police install CCTVs and fingerprint scanners in detention centers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 11/17/2010 5:47 PM

The National Police have said they have upped security measures at their detention centers, including the one in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, that high-profile graft suspect Gayus Tambunan unlawfully vacated several times after bribing his prison officers.

"We have installed CCTV [closed circuit television] cameras and fingerprint identification devices at the center," National Police Detectives Chief Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said as quoted by Tempointeraktif.com on Wednesday.

"We guarantee that no one unauthorized will be able to enter the centers' premises now," Ito said.

Security at police detention centers became a hot issue when a bribery scandal implicated nine police officers for allegedly allowing detainee Gayus permission to leave his cell at least once a week.

Gayus was spotted by journalists watching an international tennis match in Nusa Dua, Bali.

Aside from giving special treatment to Gayus, Comr. Iwan Siswanto, the former head of the Kelapa Dua detention center admitted he had also unlawfully allowed other high profile inmates, including Comr. Gen. Susno Duaji and former Sr. Comr. Wiliardi Wizar, a convicted murder, to leave their cells.

Drug companies pay 17,000 U.S. doctors, report finds

Reuters, WASHINGTON | Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:09pm EDT

(Reuters) - More than 17,000 doctors and other healthcare providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors about their products, a joint investigation by news organizations and non-profit groups found.

More than 380 of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals took in more than $100,000 in 2009 and 2010, according to the investigation released on Tuesday. The report said far more doctors are likely to have taken such payments, but it documented these based on information from seven drugmakers.

The payments are not illegal and usually not even considered improper. But the investigation by journalism group ProPublica, Consumer Reports magazine, NPR radio and several publications showed doctors were sometimes urged to recommend "off-label" prescriptions of drugs, meaning using them for conditions they are not approved for.

And the report points to several studies showing that even small gifts and payments to doctors can affect their attitudes, and many companies have stopped giving out once-common gifts such as pens, cups and other objects carrying drug brand names.

"Tens of thousands of U.S. physicians are paid to spread the word about pharma's favored pills and to advise the companies about research and marketing," the group says in its report, available here

The groups used information from seven drugmakers -- AstraZeneca, Cephalon, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Merck and Pfizer.

"Some of the companies were forced to disclose this information as a result of legal settlements; others released it voluntarily," Consumer Reports said.

It said more than 70 other pharmaceutical companies have not disclosed payments made to doctors, although the healthcare reform law passed in March will require them to do so by 2013.

"This investigation begins to pull back the shroud on these activities," Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, said in a statement.

"The amount of money involved is astounding, and the ProPublica report's account of the background of some of the physicians is disturbing."

Drug companies often say they pay expert physicians to educate their peers about drugs and conditions. These sessions are often seminars held alongside major medical meetings but sometimes they involve briefings at vacation resorts.

ProPublica said a review of state medical board disciplinary records found more than 250 of the doctors paid to speak had been sanctioned for activities such as inappropriately prescribing drugs or having sex with patients.

It said 40 others had been warned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for research misconduct, had lost hospital privileges or were convicted of crimes.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Eric Beech)

RI eager to ban use of mercury

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 06/18/2010 10:16 AM

The government has announced it plans to meet an international standard currently being developed that would outlaw the use and production of mercury, which is a highly toxic metal.

Head of the government’s team tasked with meeting the regulation, Rasio Ridho Sani, said Indonesians and the local environment were vulnerable to mercury poisoning.

“We plan to join the planned legally binding treaty on mercury issues,” Rasio told reporters Wednesday.

Indonesia imported 9 tons of mercury in 2009, primarily for use in dental clinics and small mining operations.

The first round talks for the anti-mercury convention was held in Stockholm last week, grouping

delegates from 121 countries and 61 NGOs.

During the meeting, Japan declared it would being implementing the regulation in 2013. Japan proposed the agreement be named the Minamata treaty, after the Japanese town in which more than 900 people died after consuming fish contaminated with methylmercury dumped into the bay in the 1950s. Acute mercury poisoning is referred to as Minamata disease.

“The talks on the mercury convention got huge responses as all countries look to prevent another incident like Minamata,” Rasio said.

He said Indonesia would look to implement the treaty within a select few industrial sectors at first, and would seek financial and technological support from rich nations to meet the demands of the agreement.

“We hope that implementation [of the treaty] will affect selected sectors, such as dental clinics, but the rich nations should still take the lead in combating mercury emissions,” he said.

Many Indonesian dentists still use mercury-based amalgam to fill cavities.

Data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) showed that 1,200-2,900 tons of mercury was emitted into the atmosphere world wide every year due to human actions.

It said huge amounts of mercury were released into rivers, lakes, seas and on land.

The UNEP said most people and animals absorbed small amounts of mercury into their bodies through breathing in mercury emitted by industrial processes and coal-fired power stations, and ingesting mercury in food.

“There is increasing concern about the consequences of low-level exposure,” it said.

Experts claim fossil-fuel burning is the main contributor of mercury pollution.

Rasio said negotiations during the convention discussed how to reduce supply and demand as well as technical and financial assistance to combat mercury emissions.

Indonesia is currently a party to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions on hazardous chemical substances.

Batam Prosecutor Pulled After Failing to Drop Case

Jakarta Globe, Heru Andriyanto, May 04, 2010

The chief prosecutor in Batam has been removed from his post after he refused to abandon a case investigating alleged graft in the local government, although the Attorney General’s Office insisted on Tuesday that it was merely a routine transfer.

Prosecutor Tatang Sutarna said in a telephone interview that his office had been investigating the alleged misappropriation of about Rp 4.5 billion ($500,000) from the Batam city budget.

According to a preliminary investigation by prosecutors, the funds had been allocated for places of worship and orphanages from Rp 23 billion intended for social assistance programs. But the money never reached the recipients despite receipts presented by city officials.

Prosecutors suspected corruption was involved in the case and began a formal investigation, at which time the Batam administration responded by sending an official request for prosecutors to halt the probe.

Tatang refused to comply with the request, citing that the investigation had already been upgraded, but on Monday received notice that he was being transferred to a new post at the AGO, which he declined to elaborate on.

“The decree for my removal was issued after I refused a request from the Batam city government to drop the corruption case,” Tatang said.

“The case will continue until my replacement formally takes over my job. After that, it’s up to my successor to decide to continue with it. But if he follows procedures, he too must continue with the investigation.”

Deputy Attorney General Darmono denied suggestions that Tatang’s transfer had been based on his refusal to drop the case.

“We routinely rotate our prosecutors,” he said. “The reports [linking the removal with the case] are not valid. Instead, the AGO is encouraging the completion of the case.”

The transfer was also not a demotion, because Tatang would still retain his chief prosecutor position in his new posting, Darmono added, although declining to say where Tatang would next be posted.

In a similar case several years ago, a senior prosecutor with the Jakarta prosecutors’ office, Faried Haryanto, was sidelined after he refused to drop a corruption case related to the sale of a sugar factory in Gorontalo province in Sulawesi by the now-defunct National Banking Restructuring Board (BPPN). The case was eventually abandoned by the AGO.

Govt to continue improving people`s welfare programs

Antara News, Monday, April 19, 2010 18:31 WIB

Tampak Siring, Bali (ANTARA News) - The government will continue to improve its social and people`s welfare programs to eliminate prosperity gaps in society as called for in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.

Speaking at a national working meeting of key central and provincial government officials at Tampak Siring Palace here on Monday, the president said : "Our purpose this time is to secure, improve, and make perfect our people`s welfare and social program," the president said at the meeting attended by cabinet ministers, provincial governors, regional legislative council (DPRD) chairmen, state enterprise (BUMN) chiefs, and state institution leaders.

At one of the sessions of the meeting, Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono explained the people`s welfare and social programs currently being carried out by the government.

"The poverty rate at present is 14.1 percent, the unemployment rate 7.9 percent. The number of poor people in Java is 57.8 percent and in Papua 4.2 percent," Agung Laksono said.

Therefore, he said, in the medium-term development plan 2010-2014, national development programs should be carried out justly and evenly across the country.

"Various efforts should be made to abolish social imbalances in various areas by expanding job opportunities in order to reduce the unemployment rate," Agung Laksono said.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opened the meeting on Monday morning in the company of Vice President Boediono.

The meeting would last until Wednesday, April 21, 2010, and was expected to produce a "Tampak Siring strategy" which would be implemented through a Presidential Instruction.

The meeting would focus on four things, namely Indonesia`s economic development over the next five years, an evaluation of pro-people programs, law enforcement and justice for the people, and efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

Health Ministry denies illegal bank accounts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/02/2010 3:38 PM

28 suspicious personal bank accounts in the Health Ministry worth Rp 21.7 billion (US$2.3 million) found by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) are not illegal, a ministry official says.

"Those personal accounts have been proposed to be returned to the ministry," Health Ministry spokesperson Tritarayati said Friday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com

Tritarayati admitted there were also 17 additional bank accounts allocated to receive grants, but the accounts had been approved by the Finance Ministry.

Parents to Sue Tangerang Hospital Over Baby's Death

Jakarta Globe, March 19, 2010

The parents of a six-month-old baby who died after she was allegedly denied treatment by Tangerang's Sari Asih Hospital are planning to take legal action.

Elsa Ainurohmah was brought to the hospital on March 15. She was having difficulty breathing after ingesting cold medicine. Sari Asih allegedly refused to treat her because parents Paidi and Septi could not pay Rp 10 million ($1100) as a deposit toward her care. The couple say they tried to take their baby to another hospital, but she died before they got there.

The family said the hospital had apologized and given them Rp 200,000, but they were firm in their decision to pursue the case.

“Nothing can return our child to us," Paidi told Metro TV. "We want justice for Elsa's death."

However, hospital director Mahruzzaman Naim said the hospital had not denied the child treatment.

“We took the necessary actions for Elsa but her condition was already very bad when she got here,” he said.

JG

Director of Pondok Bambu Detention Center Suspended After Luxury Rooms Scandal

Jakarta Globe, Camelia Pasandaran

Some prisoners at Pondok Bambu Detention Center were discovered to have access to luxurious hotel-like facilities such as flat screen televisions, refrigerators, a children playground and air conditioners. (Photo courtesy Media Indonesia/Ramdani)

Two days after the judicial mafia task force discovered that some prisoners at Pondok Bambu detention center had access to luxury facilities, the director of the of the prison was suspended on Tuesday.

Patrialis Akbar, Minister of Justice and Human Rights, said on Tuesday that he had selected Catur Budi Fatayatin as the new director of the detention center, replacing Sarju Wibowo.

“Sarju Wibowo from today is no longer the director of the prison. Catur Budi Fatayatin replaces him temporarily,” Patrialis said at the Presidential Palace before making a report on the situation to the president.

Catur is currently serving as division head of prison services in Central Jakarta.

After a surprise inspection on Sunday night, the task force discovered that some prisoners at the center were enjoying access to luxurious facilities, including air conditioners, flat screen televisions, a beauty center, refrigerator and karaoke equipment.

Patrialis said that this month he will set up major national rotation for employees working at the prison in an effort to increase fairness.

“We will rotate the head of the prison and all the guards so there’ll be no ‘kingdoms’ there,” he said. “If they’re been there too long, they will build ‘kingdoms.’”

Patrialis said that under the old system, rotations rarely happened.

“It might be once in five or ten years,” he said. “Now, there’ll be yearly rotation.”

He added that prisoners who have already been found guilty by a court will also be moved out from the detention center.

“We don’t know yet to which prison, we’ll find the most appropriate one. I also asked my inspectorate general to investigate the case right to the end,” he said.

“Those who involved have been involved in these cases will be sanctioned, regardless of whether their position is a prison guard or a director, no discrimination,” he said.

“There should not be any discriminative acts or special treatment (for prisoners like that which is currently happening.”

When asked whether the sanctions would also apply to the minister responsible for prisons, Patrialis replied “Is there anyone to replace me?”

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President orders follow-up on ‘luxury prison’ case

President orders follow-up on ‘luxury prison’ case

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 01/11/2010 8:44 PM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the Justice and Human Rights Ministry to follow up a finding on special facilities enjoyed by high-profile inmates at a Jakarta penitentiary.

Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said Monday the President had heard about the finding by the newly established special task force to counter judicial corruption, which had inspected the cell of businesswoman and bribery convict Artalita Suryani at the Pondok Bambu Penitentiary, East Jakarta., among others.

During its impromptu inspection, the team found Artalita was occupying a 64-square-meter celled equipped with a spacious bed, refrigerator, TV, couch, tape player and a work desk, as well as an adjoining karaoke room in the cell of another prisoner, Liem “Aling” Marita.

“The President has asked the Justice and Human Rights Ministry to follow up on the team’s findings, as we know that every citizen undergoing due legal process must be treated equally,” Julian said at the Presidential Palace.

“There shouldn’t be any special treatment or anything like that enjoyed by certain inmates.”

He declined to say why Yudhoyono was making the knee-jerk reaction only now, given that it had long been public knowledge that well-heeled inmates could pretty much play house in local prison.

He also declined to comment on a report by Tempo magazine that corruption convict Aulia Pohan, a former deputy governor of the central bank and the father-in-law of Yudhoyono’s eldest son, was enjoying special treatment at the Kelapa Dua Penitentiary in Depok, West Java.

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Justice for all

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 12/29/2009 8:22 AM

Grandma Minah, a villager living near Purwokerto, Central Java is embraced by actor Butet Kertaredjasa after receiving a cacao seedling from the anticorruption organization Kompak in Jakarta on Monday. The woman, who made newspaper headlines after a local court sentenced her to 45 days in jail for stealing three cacao pods from a plantation company, was named one of Kompak’s People of the Year. JP/Nurhayati


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Hundreds attend concert for Prita, but Kalla absent

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sun, 12/20/2009 7:41 PM

Busking for coins: Renowned local band Nidji performs a song for Prita Mulyasari during a concert titled “Coins for Justice” in Jakarta on Sunday. Several pop singers took part in the event aimed at supporting Prita in a defamation case against Omni International Hospital. Nidji also endorses cigarettes. (JP/J.Adiguna)

Hundreds of people turned up for a music concert dedicated for new freedom of expression icon Prita Mulyasari, which is now underway at the Hard Rock Café in Central Jakarta.

All the seats available for the concert at the ground floor of the international café chain were occupied as many other attendants did not mind standing as they enjoyed the concert, which is scheduled to close at 8 p.m, kompas.com reported.

A number of artists took part in the charity event called “Coin for Justice Concert”.

Golkar Party member Ferry Mursyidan Baldan said he attended the concert in a show of concern for the country’s judiciary system which he said was unable to deliver justice. Ferry, a former House of Representatives lawmaker, said the concert should call for a popular movement to fight injustice.

Ferry said former vice president Jusuf Kalla had canceled his plan to join the concert as he was out of the town.

The concert followed nationwide collection of coins to pay Rp 204 million in damages after the Tangerang District Court convicted Prita of defaming Omni International Hospital in a civil lawsuit case earlier this month. Prita is also facing criminal charges for posting her complaints about the hospital’s services online.

Organizers of the coin collection movement said over Rp 600 million had been raised so far and might hit Rp 1 billion at the conclusion of the program. They said the outcome of the fund raising program would be announced at the end of the concert.

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Omni agrees to withdraw lawsuit

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Prita Mulyasari on trial at the Tangerang District Court.

(Photo: Ismar Patrizki, Antara)

Ex-health minister faces trial for alleged embezzlement

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 12/17/2009 3:15 PM

Former health minister Achmad Sujudi is facing up to 20 years jail term in an alleged corruption in health ministry's procurement project in 2003-2004 that had caused Rp 104,46 billion (US$11,05 million) in state loses.

“The defendant Achmad Sujudi is allegedly involved in a corrupt scheme along with (President Director of PT Kimia Farma) Gunawan Pranoto and (Director of PT Rifa Jaya Mulia) Rinaldi Yusuf at the ministry’s health equipment procurement project in 2003-2004,” Prosecutor Muhibuddin read the indictment at the Corruption Court on Thursday.

The prosecutor said that in 2003, the defendant had directly appointed state owned health firm PT Kimia Farma to be supplier in the ministry’s health procurement projects for Eastern Indonesia and for Indonesian Red Cross.

Existing regulation states that procurement project in government institutions should go through tender auction.

The company later appointed PT Rifa Jaya Mulia as partner in the project. In October, Gunawan and Rinaldi determined price of the equipment they would provide in the project totaled Rp 193,97 billion, marking up the prices. The value was later reduced into Rp 190,45 billion after a negotiation between the supplier and the minister’s officials.

Gunawan and Rinaldi also subcontracted the project to four other companies; PT. Berca Indonesia, PT Prima Semesta Internusa, PT Arun Prakarsa Indonesia and PT Penta Valent.

PT. Rifa Jaya Mulia allegedly accepted Rp 28.32 billion in “illegal” benefit in project, PT. Berca Indonesia Rp 5.39 billion, PT. Prima Semesta Internusa Rp 6.64 billion, and PT Penta Valent Rp 91 million.

“Gunawan also gave Rp 200 million to the defendant, while Rinaldi gave him Rp 500 million,” said prosecutor Risma Ansyari.

Gunawan also gave between Rp 25 million to Rp 700 million to a number of Health Ministry’s officials.

Indonesia Factions Plan to Amend Contentious Electronic Communication Law in Light of Prita Case

The Jakarta Globe

Three major factions in the House of Representatives said on Friday they would seek the revision of the controversial Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law, following a public uproar over the use of the law to detain Prita Mulyasari for defamation.

Members of the Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said they would take the initiative to propose a revision of the ITE Law in 2010 even though it had not previously been officially designated a priority issue for the House.

The decision comes after Prita was detained and charged for sending an e-mail message complaining about the treatment she received at a hospital to 20 of her friends.

“We didn’t know that they would take the law as far as to use it to jail Prita. Our initial philosophy was never to criminalize what people say within the private domain,” PAN faction chairman Asman Abnur told the Jakarta Globe.

Prosecutors charged Prita with violating Chapter 27, Article 3 of the ITE Law.

The law carries a maximum punishment of six years in jail and a fine of up to Rp 1 billion ($106,000).

Prita has been accused of defaming upscale Omni International Hospital through an e-mail criticizing the facility’s treatment.

Asman said that given Prita’s case, the House needed to make the evaluation of the law a priority.

“A new draft can be proposed at the House’s initiative. We just need to set the time to propose it,” Asman said.

Ade Komarudin, secretary of the Golkar faction, agreed the law needed to be reviewed.

“We can handle it in a way that it becomes a priority. We are ready for this because a person was victimized as a result of the implementation of this law,” Ade said, adding that his faction had urged the government to issue a regulation to clarify the article that was used to charge Prita.

Prita is currently being retried for the criminal defamation of two doctors at Omni International Hospital. The Tangerang District Court threw out the original charges, but prosecutors succeeded in getting the case back in the court.

Mustafa Kamal, PKS faction chairman, said on Friday a revision of the law was necessary and should clarify which domains were considered private and which public in pursuing defamation cases.

“Changes need to be made so that the law is not taken too far and misused to criminalize individuals,” Mustafa said.

Gatot Dewa Broto, spokesman for the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said the government was in the process of deliberating the formulation of a regulation to provide specifics on the ITE Law. Deliberations are scheduled to end in April 2010.

He said that the ministry looked forward to receiving the House’s revised draft of the law.

With the exception of the article that was used to charge Prita, Gatot said that he hoped the law would not be annulled by the Constitutional Court.

“The ITE Law is good because it provides legal certainty in regard to banking-related crimes,” Gatot said.

He added that law enforcers, including prosecutors, were to blame for “misinterpreting” the law. Febriamy Hutapea

Up to 10 women in Cabinet would be enough: SBY

Erwida Maulia, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 12/01/2009 12:02 PM

Pain has a voice: Yosefa Alongma of Papua, a victim of violence against women, shares her sorrow during a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Commission on Violence Against Women at the BPPT building, Jakarta on Monday. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

The President said he hopes for more women in the Cabinet, adding that they were often “more reliable”.

“We now have five women out of 34 ministers in the Cabinet. The ratio is of course still far from enough, so in the future I hope there will be six, seven… and even 10 female ministers; then we will consider it enough,” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Monday.

For the first time, state oil company Pertamina is headed by a woman, Karen Agustiawan, “and now many ambassadors and business leaders are women,” he added, addressing the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the National Commission on Violence against Women.

Since Sunday the Commission held a two-day event on the issue, in conjunction with the international 16 days of action against women, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, which is International Human Rights Day.

The President cited how women were less corrupt then men, the reason why the government is prioritizing women as recipients of its Rp 100 trillion (US$10.6 billion) soft loan program.

“We have prepared Rp 100 trillion for soft loans, and will prioritize the funds to be managed by women. Women rarely fail, don’t easily waste money, and are seldom involved in corrupt practices,” he said.

The President cited the example of the soft loan program initiated by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh where 97 percent of the funds were disbursed to women.

He added the government’s missions for the country’s women were aimed at “protecting, promoting and empowering” them.

Meanwhile, Commission chairwoman Kamala Chandrakirana urged the government to take “special measures” to support and empower female victims of violence.She also called for the revocation of regulations “bracing stigmas against and violating rights of women”.

Activists have criticized all regional regulations deemed to discriminate against women including those in the Aceh province, which is authorized to issue Islamic sharia laws.

The commission “hopes the government will build a legal system that provides justice for women and is sensitive to their problems… and that the government will improve its capacity in implementing the 1984 Law on the Ratification of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” Kamala said.

The anniversary was also attended by former president B. J. Habibie, who established the commission during his brief term in 1999.

Benny K. Harman, head of the House of Representatives’ Commission III, which oversees law, rights and security issues, said it would involve the women’s commission more often to ensure women’s voices were heard in the legislative process.

Among other testimonies from women, a member of the minority Ahmadiyah school of Islam in Kuningan, West Java, Uminah said tearfully that all they wanted was legal recognition of their marriages.

“We have to find authorities willing to legalize our marriages when we are not even entitled to identity cards unless we renounce our faith.”

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Save the planet

The Jakarta Post, Tue, 12/01/2009 7:52 PM | Jakarta

First Lady Ani Bambang Yudhoyono and State Women’s Empowerment Minister Linda Agum Gumelar plant a tree in Lake Situ Cikaret, Bogor on Tuesday. Participants from seven women’s organizations planted 1,000 trees around the site. (JP/Theresia Sufa)