Edition : April-May 2011/IV

From the Editor

April and May were busy months for Government of Indonesia and Indonesian civil society. Many important occasions happened, celebrated, and criticized. 2011 is the year of Indonesian chairmanship on ASEAN. 18th ASEAN Summit has been held on May 7-8, 2011 and produced commitments among those ten members. Beside, ASEAN civil society also held ASEAN People Forum/ASEAN Civil Society Conference on May3-5, 2011. Indonesian civil society gives a great reaction for this chairmanship on ASEAN and takes it as a momentum. For example, Indonesian Peoples Action on ASEAN, a coalition consists of mass organizations and non-governmental organizations, demands to stop land grabbing and decent wage and employment for the peoples. After ASEAN Summit, Indonesia announced 20112025 Indonesia Economic Development Expansion and Acceleration Master Plan. A plan from Government of Indonesia to accelerate economic development across the country sustainably and equally through synergy building involving all components in the central and regional governments. But, we hope the government will not forget about programs and approaches to achieve MDGs. The commitments for achieving MDGs have been declared ten years ago, but in general the progress is slow even regress. MDGs

HEADLINE NEWS

IPAA thought that ASEAN is under domination of developed countries

Berdikari Online, April 29, 2011

Indonesian Peoples Action on ASEAN (IPAA) considers that ASEAN community should be taken seriously, even more in the middle of energy, environment, food, and financial crisis that become overproduction crisis on developed countries.

This opinion is stated on media briefing entitled Unmasking and Challenging ASEAN-No to Neoliberal-Globalization Scheme on ASEAN: Stop Land Grabbing and Decent Wage and Employment for the Peoples, on April 29, 2011 in Jakarta. IPAA is a coalition of mass organizations and nongovernmental organizations.

Planning to build ASEAN community should be criticized because the process is too bias for the first world countries interest like US, it could control ASEAN regional sovereignty Oki Febrian said, Director of Institute for National and Democracy Studies (INDIES), one of member of IPAA.

This worry is based on the fact that ASEAN regional process is tend to become a race competition to the bottom from ASEAN members to capital countries, especially related to raw material source capacity, labor, and potential market.

Wahyu Susilo, activist from International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), explained that Indonesian chairmanship on ASEAN is a momentum that should be benefitted on building this regional sovereignty. And else, based on Wahyu Susilo, regional instruments on ASEAN should be fulfilled with legally binding commitment, therefore ASEAN charter could be used effectively and has legal certainty.

ASEAN charter should be fulfilled with legally binding commitment, so the agreement can be effective, and this is the real test for Indonesia as chair of ASEAN. Becomes a chair itself is not a special thing because there is a mechanism based on alphabet to choose the chair, Wahyu said on this media briefing.

Free trade agreement on ASEAN, like ACFTA, ASEAN plus 3, and many forms of FTA between ASEAN members or betwee ASEAN and developed countries, has brought negative impacts for people on ASEAN itself.

achievement for all targets in 2015 in Indonesia is really hard to be achieved and accomplished in time. Many conditions, such as poverty, malnutrition, maternal health, women empowerment, and water and sanitation, have no significant progress for the achievement. The reaction of Indonesian civil society to ASEAN will be the headline news in this SNO April-May edition. Moreover, there are Economic and Social Data Monthly Report taken from Central Bureau of Statistics Indonesia, news about MDGs achievement in Indonesia and many other news related to situation in Indonesia. Have a nice reading!

One of the most visible thing, based on Rudy HB Daman, Coordinator of Front Perjuangan Rakyat (FPR), is labor wage grabbing, labor union dispersion, peasants land grabbing fo big plantation, export of low wage labor, and closing down small-medium enterprises. Beside, based on Rudy HB Daman, remembering that free trade has destroyed peoples life in every sectors, then ASEAN legitimacy should be questioned.

ASEAN controls many agreements, from politic, security, economy, social, and culture, but only its commercial aspec that becomes the priority. But, there is no agenda about protection of people who live in ASEAN society. Actually this is the most important, Rudy said, who also Chief of Gabungan Serikat Buruh Independen (GSBI).

Rudy also said that in the next commemoration of Labor Da International. Front Perjuangan Rakyat (FPR) will take action on ASEAN. Besides, Indonesian Peoples Action on ASEAN wi hold action rally on May 8, 2011, coincide with 18 Summit.

Source

Inflation Deflation in April 2011 is 0.31 percent and inflation on 2011 calendar is 0.39 percent. Meanwhile inflation in March 2011 towards March 2010 (y-on-y) is 6.16 percent.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DATA MONTHLY REPORT

GDP Growth GDP on first quarter in 2011 growths 6.5 percent compared with GDP on first quarter in 2010 (yon-y). GDP on first quarter in 2011 growths 1.5 percent compared with GDP on fourth quarter in 2010 (q-to-q).

Export Rate Export rate in March 2011 is US$ 16.29 billion, increasing 13.03 percent compared with export i February 2011, and increasing 27.53 percent compared with export in March 2010. The average of non-oil and gas export rate in March 2011 is US$ 13.32 billion, consists of US$ 0.49 billion agriculture product, US$ 10.15 billion industry product, and US$ 2.69 billion for mining and othe

Import Rate Import rate in March 2011 is US$ 14.48 billion, increasing 23.23 percent compared with import rate in February 2011 and increasing 31.69 percent compared with import rate in March 2010. The average of import rate based on utilization in March 2011 including consumption good is US 1.29 billion, US$ 10.53 billion for raw materials, and US$ 2.66 billion for capital goods.

Employment Rate The average of unemployment rate in February 2011 is 8.12 million people, decreasing 0.2 million people from August 2010 (8.32 billion people) and decreasing 0.47 billion people from February 2010 (8.59 billion people). Open Unemployment Rate in February 2011 is 6.80 percent lower than in August 2010 (7.14 percent) and also lower than in February 2010 (7.41 percent). Rice Production Estimation of rice production in 2011 based on ARAM I-2011 (Forecast Figures I-2011) is 67.31 billion tons GKG (Grain Dry Milling), increasing 895.86 thousand tons (1.35 percent) compared