3 Indonesian News stories this week that make me go hmmmm....

dafluff

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These news stories are not particularly big, and not really related to one another. But I think they diagnose a bit of what is the worst of Indonesia. In my opinion they represent the continuing shift towards a more conservative, intolerant, unfeeling and unthinking society. Largely abetted by leaders, who for years continue to be totalitarian, despite officially being a democracy.

The first story is from North Sumatera, where the head of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has threatened to close the school's student publication. The reason? It has published a short story that has LGBT content. The short story, titled "When Everyone Rejects My Presence Near Her", a work of fiction, has a couple sentences that are deemed problematic. One is, "What's wrong with me not liking men, but liking women, even tough I am a woman", and another, "If you always bring religion, God is bored". Oh and it is illustrated with a woman that has rainbow colored hair.

For this horrible transgression, the rector of USU, Runtung Sitepu has said he will close the publication. He says that "the content no longer reflects the vision and mission of USU". Presumably that vision and mission excludes teaching their students critical thinking.

He has also instructed the publications website and social media accounts to delete the story. He said, USU strongly rejects any LBGT groups within it's campus.


The second story is peripherally related to the New Zealand shooting. Apparently the deranged killer has a played a video game called Player Unknown's Battle Ground (PUBG). The highly popular game is played by tens of millions of people around the world and is of the Battle Royale genre. In this genre you compete with other players to be the last person standing, while killing all other players using in game weapons. In PUBG these weapons are fairly realistic in appearance.

Now, the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) is evaluating the game whether it should be deemed permissible or haram to play. It is obviously not the first time video games are blamed for violence, but what is truly annoying is that the Ministry of Communication and Information has stated it is ready to block the game upon MUI's recommendation. Never mind the millions of non-Muslim Indonesians for which MUI's opinion doesn't apply. This means MUI's recommendations will dictate government policy affecting all Indonesians, despite the government nominally representing all religions approved in Indonesia. No word if MUI is going to be evaluating (or are even aware of) the dozens or so other games in the genre, some far more popular than PUBG.


Finally, the third story is about mermaids. To be precise, the mermaid statues at the Putri Duyung Resort in Ancol, North Jakarta. Yesterday the Jakarta post reported that the statues, originally bare breasted are now sporting fabric coverings. Even though the story invited wide ridicule on social media, the management of Taman Impian Jaya Ancol defended the move. A spokesperson said that it is merely an adjustment to Eastern norms and culture, although she didn't elaborate which "eastern culture" she is referencing to. "We are easterners, with eastern cultures, so if something is inappropriate, we make it appropriate", she was quoted as saying.

This continues a trend of some Indonesians getting increasingly worried that inanimate objects such as statues are somehow a threat to their well being.

935

A hapless statue, now somewhat more modest. (Jakarta Post)

 
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"We are easterners, with eastern cultures, so if something is inappropriate, we make it appropriate", she was quoted as saying.


There has (luckily) been some pushback from Indonesians on Social Media.


215-B5-C90-3-CAF-4170-8-E44-EBC1-F177-E882.jpg
 
Yes, Boeing is giving a presentation about the fix this Wednesday but Garuda won't send anybody. Can't make it they said. Huh? Are all their Boeings grounded?
 
The first story I am less shocked about. Indonesian education institutions always struck me as having a very different approach to education and philosophy than western versions. They are more about rote learning instead of promoting critical thought. The teachers and administrators seem more to about discipline and their unquestionable status. They don't seem to encourage thinking outside the box.

The third story is disappointing. When they say "eastern" now they are referring to middle eastern more than south east asian.
 
The first story I am less shocked about. Indonesian education institutions always struck me as having a very different approach to education and philosophy than western versions. They are more about rote learning instead of promoting critical thought. The teachers and administrators seem more to about discipline and their unquestionable status. They don't seem to encourage thinking outside the box.

The third story is disappointing. When they say "eastern" now they are referring to middle eastern more than south east asian.

In my time at Indonesian schools (which was in the 80s and early 90s), there is this recurring theme about contrasting "Eastern Culture", which is portrayed as more modest, more tolerant, more polite versus "Western Culture" which is portrayed as vulgar, aggressive and rude. This construct I guess was part Soehartoism, part inferiority complex and part anti-colonialism. Now all those kids indoctrinated this way are in government and managerial positions.

The mermaid statue incident specifically, I suspect is more due to that. If it was due to Middle Eastern/Islamic influence, then the "correct" remedy would be to remove the statue altogether.
 
The Indonesian system is one of the worst if not the worst education system in the civilized world that measures the results by testing.
 
In the mean time, after Western Europe, even the Japanese press has been reporting on the big mess and chaos that people made/make in the Jakarta MRT.

Luckily the Indonesian press also picked up this international ‘shaking one’s head’.

3DC36B15-CED0-41B1-84A2-21F1A88C1BFD.jpeg




946
 
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Yep, just like in any international airport with direct flights to Indonesia.
 
These news stories are not particularly big, and not really related to one another. But I think they diagnose a bit of what is the worst of Indonesia. In my opinion they represent the continuing shift towards a more conservative, intolerant, unfeeling and unthinking society. Largely abetted by leaders, who for years continue to be totalitarian, despite officially being a democracy.

The first story is from North Sumatera, where the head of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has threatened to close the school's student publication. The reason? It has published a short story that has LGBT content. The short story, titled "When Everyone Rejects My Presence Near Her", a work of fiction, has a couple sentences that are deemed problematic. One is, "What's wrong with me not liking men, but liking women, even tough I am a woman", and another, "If you always bring religion, God is bored". Oh and it is illustrated with a woman that has rainbow colored hair.

For this horrible transgression, the rector of USU, Runtung Sitepu has said he will close the publication. He says that "the content no longer reflects the vision and mission of USU". Presumably that vision and mission excludes teaching their students critical thinking.

He has also instructed the publications website and social media accounts to delete the story. He said, USU strongly rejects any LBGT groups within it's campus.


The second story is peripherally related to the New Zealand shooting. Apparently the deranged killer has a played a video game called Player Unknown's Battle Ground (PUBG). The highly popular game is played by tens of millions of people around the world and is of the Battle Royale genre. In this genre you compete with other players to be the last person standing, while killing all other players using in game weapons. In PUBG these weapons are fairly realistic in appearance.

Now, the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) is evaluating the game whether it should be deemed permissible or haram to play. It is obviously not the first time video games are blamed for violence, but what is truly annoying is that the Ministry of Communication and Information has stated it is ready to block the game upon MUI's recommendation. Never mind the millions of non-Muslim Indonesians for which MUI's opinion doesn't apply. This means MUI's recommendations will dictate government policy affecting all Indonesians, despite the government nominally representing all religions approved in Indonesia. No word if MUI is going to be evaluating (or are even aware of) the dozens or so other games in the genre, some far more popular than PUBG.


Finally, the third story is about mermaids. To be precise, the mermaid statues at the Putri Duyung Resort in Ancol, North Jakarta. Yesterday the Jakarta post reported that the statues, originally bare breasted are now sporting fabric coverings. Even though the story invited wide ridicule on social media, the management of Taman Impian Jaya Ancol defended the move. A spokesperson said that it is merely an adjustment to Eastern norms and culture, although she didn't elaborate which "eastern culture" she is referencing to. "We are easterners, with eastern cultures, so if something is inappropriate, we make it appropriate", she was quoted as saying.

This continues a trend of some Indonesians getting increasingly worried that inanimate objects such as statues are somehow a threat to their well being.

View attachment 935
A hapless statue, now somewhat more modest. (Jakarta Post)

Perhaps a better approach is to ask what the standards of decency are where you live. As a westerner myself I realized later in life that the made-up and constantly evolving rules of decency in the "WEST" may not be the utopia we believe. What makes a statue of a topless woman normal to display? The same western mind set would also say that the Vietjet airline that has woman flight attendants in bikinis is a great thing. Same for the bikini drive thru coffee stands in the US, What exactly are they selling??? It sure isn't something family oriented. :unsure:
 
215-B5-C90-3-CAF-4170-8-E44-EBC1-F177-E882.jpg



I don't know about the bottom image but I would say the 1st covering could be the handiwork of jstar. I do believe he is also known to frequent the area.
 
Perhaps a better approach is to ask what the standards of decency are where you live.

Well, even in 'the west' the standards have been evolving quite a bit the previous decades. In the early 80ies it was still completely normal for women in Western Europe to sunbath topless. Those days are gone. So even there we see a more traditional or conservative attitude.

But my problem is that some say that they want to return to their Eastern culture. And covering up is the way to do that. Obviously that is utter BS.

And that's where we get to your question on what is 'normal to display': Most areas in the Malayu region had a topless dress code, also for women. There are many pictures of regular women being topless, and not only from Bali. (Before someone makes that remark.) In fact the westerners (read: Portuguese, Spanish, British, and esp. in Indonesia: Dutch) thought this was improper and they had the people dress up. So you could make the point what they are doing is the opposite of traditional.

There's just a big shift in society. What was acceptable 20 years ago, isn't. And not only on dress code, it goes much further than that.
 
In the mean time, after Western Europe, even the Japanese press has been reporting on the big mess and chaos that people made/make in the Jakarta MRT.

Luckily the Indonesian press also picked up this international ‘shaking one’s head’.

Actualy, the Indonesian press picked up these embarasing behaviour first before international. I saw in YouTube from TribunSolo 2 days ago.
Nevertheless,those pics were taken by other passengers. Hopefully, after that, he/she intervene or stop them, not just published the pics in the net and or ranting and whining anywhere else.

Even better if like this lady
 
Well, even in 'the west' the standards have been evolving quite a bit the previous decades. In the early 80ies it was still completely normal for women in Western Europe to sunbath topless. Those days are gone. So even there we see a more traditional or conservative attitude.

But my problem is that some say that they want to return to their Eastern culture. And covering up is the way to do that. Obviously that is utter BS.

And that's where we get to your question on what is 'normal to display': Most areas in the Malayu region had a topless dress code, also for women. There are many pictures of regular women being topless, and not only from Bali. (Before someone makes that remark.) In fact the westerners (read: Portuguese, Spanish, British, and esp. in Indonesia: Dutch) thought this was improper and they had the people dress up. So you could make the point what they are doing is the opposite of traditional.

There's just a big shift in society. What was acceptable 20 years ago, isn't. And not only on dress code, it goes much further than that.
The best standards of decency do not need to change.
 
on the video game, announcement to follow after they pass level 52 :D
 
Some updates:

First story: The university removed all 18 officers of Suara USU magazine, but no academic sanctions are expected.


Second story: MUI decided not to issue any fatwa regarding PUBG, so for now not haram.


Third story: The mermaid statues have been taken away from public view, in order to be "fixed".

 
The Indonesian system is one of the worst if not the worst education system in the civilized world that measures the results by testing.

They only care about the overall number. At the language center I work at, we have had parents complain that their children aren't improving. Instead of looking at their actually ability, they focus on the grade. Some of the examples we have seen and heard.

Small Stars(little kids ages 4-5): Parent complained their child hasn't shown improvement...they had been in SS for about a month. They had just started at the lowest level. Some of the kids don't even know how to hold a pencil.

My boss was told one student wasn't improving and he is doing terrible in school. The student had about a 93% in his English class at school.
 

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