Indonesia Highlights: Parliament Approves Jokowi’s Former Adjutant as Next Police Chief | Indonesian Minister Tackles Covid-19 Vaccine Disinformation | Government Extends Large-Scale Social Restrictio

These include reviving the Pam Swakarsa police cauxiliaries who were implicated in human rights abuses, particularly after the overthrowing of late President Soeharto’s New Order regime in 1998. 

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https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/01/21/004433774/parliamentary-committee-approves-jokowis-former-adjutant-as-next-police-chief. 

Indonesian Minister Tackles Covid-19 Vaccine Disinformation

Indonesian State Owned Enterprises Minister [ BUMN ] Erick Thohir continues to dispel lingering disinformation on the Covid-19 vaccine.

Speaking at a hearing with Parliament's Commission VI on Trade, Industry, Investment, Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and State Owned Businesses, he refuted a hoax based on the vaccines' barcodes.

“The vaccines do not contain a chip that will be implanted on our bodies when we are vaccinated. The barcodes are put on the vaccines to ease their distribution,” said the former owner of Italian Serie A soccer powerhouse Inter Milan.

“The barcodes are used to monitor [the vaccines’] distribution through GPS in real time, and ensure they get to their destination on time as well as with the correct temperature. We take these precautions to prevent irregularities in the vaccines’ distribution.”

Erick admitted that the government will continue to distribute private vaccines, though free vaccines for Indonesia’s population will still be priority. Indonesia aims to vaccinate at least 181 million people to gain herd immunity against Covid-19.

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