Indonesia & Corruption: a few articles in the past few weeks

When it comes to corruption, a few decades ago, during the Suharto era, China was only slightly better than Indonesia in corruption index. However, according to the latest CPI index, China is now ranked 76, while Indonesia is at 115.
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2023
In China, the punishment for such a level of corruption is execution.
Indonesia made it up to 85th in 2019 but has tailed off since then.
 
I'm surprised that its not a western country. Presumably they make the calculation by the number of people involved and not the amount of money?
It is important to know that this organization has an army of experts in their field and has been providing the CPI for ages. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the most widely used global corruption ranking in the world.

If you are interested in their methodology, you can find more information on their site.

Some information is also available on their FAQ:

In Summary : It measures how corrupt each country’s public sector is perceived to be, according to experts and businesspeople.

No research methodology is perfect, and there will always be some weaknesses. This is similar to the use of the CPI (Consumer Price Index) and RPI (Retail Price Index) to measure inflation levels. Despite their shortcomings, these indexes are recognized as the most reliable tools currently available for measuring inflation.
 
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Another corruption case is under investigation involving the Indonesian state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom. The allegations include procuring fictitious goods and services, resulting in state losses amounting to billions of rupiah.
 
"The Chairman of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) and the youngest son of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has drawn public attention after allegedly using a private Gulfstream G650ER jet while travelling to the United States with his wife, Erina Gudono, recently."

 
Is he the new Tommy Suharto?
Not yet, but it is good to see that the Indonesian press now has more freedom and is able to play some part of a watchdog role in monitoring the government. This is partly due to the influence of social media. Under Suharto's regime, any newspaper or journalist who tried to expose the lifestyle or illicit activities of his family faced the risk of having their license revoked, and the writers could end up in prison.
 
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to get themselves a bunch of Luwak, put them in cages, and feed them coffee berries. The result was Luwak coffee piling up under the cages. No more following animal trails. Many got into the Luwak coffee business. Of course, they expected the same high price as the wild Luwak but couldn't get it but still much higher price
My understanding is that the point of the Luwak is that it will only eat the very best coffee beans, so whether in the wild or in a cage would make very little difference. IF they try and feed it poor quality berries in a cage, it still won't eat them.
 
My understanding is that the point of the Luwak is that it will only eat the very best coffee beans, so whether in the wild or in a cage would make very little difference. IF they try and feed it poor quality berries in a cage, it still won't eat them.
I'm not so sure about that. I visited one of those places one one time and saw plenty of unripe berries mixed in with the ripe ones. I assume the ripe ones are the best ones... I further assume that you wouldn't bother giving an animal food you know it won't eat. But then, I know nothing about coffee. That's why I didn't pursue the offer to export coffee. That, and not having the necessary capital, connections, distribution chain, or ambition.
 
Apparently the beans are fermented as they pass through the digestive tract of the musang (civet) maybe that and the fecal matter excreted with the beans provide a unique flavour enhancer
 

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Corruption in Indonesia is widely acknowledged as a complex issue, with some even suggesting it as something that is deeply entrenched in Indonesian culture. However, this perspective overlooks the generally accepted notion among historians of colonialism that corruption in Indonesia and other post-colonial nations is, at least partially, rooted in colonialism and the abuses of power and wealth during the colonial era.

In this episode of Talking Indonesia, we examine the sugar scandal of 1926—a case involving wealthy industrialists and a powerful political party in the Dutch East Indies. We explore how a political donation, which was almost certainly considered a case of political corruption even by the standards of that era, somehow became accepted. Among various contributing factors, the fear of communism played a significant role in this acceptance.

Our guest, Uji Nugroho Winardi, is a historian involved in the Colonial Normativity research project. This initiative aims to systematically investigate and narrate the role of corruption in Dutch and Indonesian histories of state formation, as well as its enduring impact on contemporary Indonesia.

Through our discussion, we will address what insights we can glean from the 1926 sugar scandal corruption case in the Dutch East Indies, and how these historical lessons can inform our approach to tackling present-day corruption.

podcast: The History of Corruption in Indonesia
 
My understanding is that the point of the Luwak is that it will only eat the very best coffee beans, so whether in the wild or in a cage would make very little difference. IF they try and feed it poor quality berries in a cage, it still won't eat them.
Those poor animals! Put into metal cages and never allowed to touch the Earth. This is such an obvious scam, that if someone is stupid enough to buy the so called Luwak coffee for a high price, they deserve to be ripped off. There is no way they could have enough of these poor animals caged to produce kilo's of coffee. I'm sure if there was a way to test the amount of pure Luwak droppings in a kilo bag, you would see it is only a small percentage pure, and the rest regular beans.
It hurts me to see how animals here are treated. Pigs always on concrete floors, never to touch the Earth, or wallow in the mud, Birds in tiny cages, never to be in the trees again, Luwaks in metal cages, never to touch the Earth again. They are not criminals. But hey, look at people, if you break the law, you are put in a cage, never touching the ground, not seeing the sunlight, or only allowed 1 hour outside walking on concrete.
 
Those poor animals! Put into metal cages and never allowed to touch the Earth. This is such an obvious scam, that if someone is stupid enough to buy the so called Luwak coffee for a high price, they deserve to be ripped off. There is no way they could have enough of these poor animals caged to produce kilo's of coffee. I'm sure if there was a way to test the amount of pure Luwak droppings in a kilo bag, you would see it is only a small percentage pure, and the rest regular beans.
It hurts me to see how animals here are treated. Pigs always on concrete floors, never to touch the Earth, or wallow in the mud, Birds in tiny cages, never to be in the trees again, Luwaks in metal cages, never to touch the Earth again. They are not criminals. But hey, look at people, if you break the law, you are put in a cage, never touching the ground, not seeing the sunlight, or only allowed 1 hour outside walking on concrete.
Yep, you would probably find the vast majority of labeled Luwak coffee has never passed through a Luwak's colon. I do have ask while you continue on your path to saving the entire Earth and all it's creatures, great and small, what have you personally done for it? How much have you donated to the causes you so strongly believe in? Oh, our birds are in a big aviary and they do get out and take tours of the neighborhood. Then they return because I guess, they know where the human that cares for them live. Sorry, we do take the ones the parent birds are pushing out and place them in small cages untill fully mature. Lovebirds will often kill the young. Guess they haven't read your manafesto.
 
But hey, look at people, if you break the law, you are put in a cage, never touching the ground, not seeing the sunlight, or only allowed 1 hour outside walking on concrete.
On the brighter side, nobody uses your coffee beans.
 
It will be interesting to see the outcomes of various cases in Indonesia regarding illegal tin mining and what kind of sentences might be imposed for those overseeing tin mining and found guilty of corruption.

It is reported today that in Australia a former NSW minister has been sentenced to 14 years for corruptly awarding a mining exploration licence even though there is no evidence as to him benefiting from the process
 
Another case, three judges were allegedly receiving bribery for a the high-profile murder trial of Ronald Tannur, the son of a former parliament member. Prosecutors seized over Rp 20 billion ($1.3 million) in cash from these judges, who were accused of accepting bribes during the trial.

The judges Erintuah Damanik, Mangapul, and Heru Hanindyo were arrested on corruption charges. Ronald was accused of killing his girlfriend, Dini Sera Afrianti, by running her over with his car after a night out in Surabaya on October 4, 2023. Although the three judges acquitted him of murder, the Supreme Court later overturned their decision.

The case raises concerns not only about the influence of wealthy politicians but, more crucially, about the integrity of the judiciary. How can people trust court decisions when judges are susceptible to bribery?



 
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This another alleged bribery case involving the Case at the supreme court, Zarof Ricar. This only emerged after the Robert Tanur Case (post #179) surfaced. His assets! IDR1T+https://www.cnbcindonesia.com/news/...arof-ricar-makelar-kasus-beraset-rp-1-t-lebih

It is worth noting, that although the Supreme Court overturned the lower court's decision that found Robert Tanur not guilty in a murder case (allowing him to walk free), it only sentenced him to five years in prison. Experts commenting on similar murder cases have suggested that sentences usually range from 15 to 20 years.

"In this case, Lisa (the defendant lawyer) asked Zarof to try to get the Supreme Court Justice to still declare Ronald Tannur not guilty in his cassation decision. Then, according to the notes, Lisa told Zarof that she would prepare funds of Rp 5 billion for the Supreme Court Justice and Zarof would be given Rp 1 billion for his services."

"investigators from the Attorney General's Office also found more than Rp920 billion in cash and 51 kilograms of Antam gold at Zarof's house in Senayan, Jakarta."

This raises questions: if a single member of parliament could allegedly bribe so many individuals with such vast amounts of money, what about other members of parliament and those in positions of power? It is especially concerning as this individual was formerly a member of parliament, someone who once helped shape the laws. In addtion both lower courts and the Supreme Court, Indonesia’s highest judicial authority, handled the case are getting involved
 
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