Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia and Malaysia Meet for First Summit Since Covid-19 Pandemic | BNPT: Thousands of Indonesians Fight in Iraq and Syria | Two Lava Domes Found on Mount Merapi

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia continues to work closely with Malaysia in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, as Indonesian President Joko Widodo hosted a summit in Jakarta with Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin.

The two leaders touched on Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, the situation in Myanmar, as well as the palm oil industry,

The National Counterterrorism Agency or BNPT acknowledged that it has much to do in tackling extremism, as it disclosed that 1,250 Indonesians were radicalized enough to fighit in Iraq and Syria.

And Mount Merapi still has a knack for the unpredictable despite its standing as Indonesia’s most active volcano. Read on to get a scoop of these stories, as prepared by our editors. 

Kompas.com/Fitria Chusna Farisa Indonesian President Joko Widodo (right) discuss bilateral issues with Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at their summit in the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Friday (5/2/2021)

Indonesia and Malaysia Meet for First Major Summit Since Covid-19 Pandemic

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yasin touched on issues ranging from Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, the military coup in Myanmar, and palm oil exports to the European Union during their meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Friday.

The two leaders highlighted efforts to protect Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. “The Malaysian government’s Repatriation Recalibration Program [PRP] and the Labor Recalibration Program or PRTK can aid Indonesian workers wishing to go home or continue working in Malaysia.”

The two leaders will also draw up a Memorandum of Understanding that is in line with [Indonesian and Malaysian] labor laws.” President Jokowi also urged the development of a “‘one channel system’ to protect them from human trafficking,”.

President Jokowi also expressed “Indonesia and Malaysia are equally concerned about the situation in Myanmar,” and urged discussion of the coup with other ASEAN foreign ministers,” the President asserted.

Both leaders “hope the conflicting parties [in Myanmar] can resolve their issues in a peaceful manner.”

President Jokowi and Prime Minister Muhyiddin voiced their opinion, days after Myanmar’s military overthrew Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy [NLD] party earlier this week. months after the party beat the military during elections in November 2020.

President Jokowi also urged Muhyiddin to stand up for palm oil exports in the European Union [EU], “Indonesia will continue to fight for palm oil [exports to the European Union],” President Jokowi asserted.

“These efforts will be more effective if Indonesia and Malaysia can jointly carry them out.”Indonesia plans to sue the European Union in the WTO over the Union’s Renewable Energy Directives II policy, which Jakarta sees as discriminatory to palm oil.

EU Ambassador to Indonesia Vincent Piket denied that the Union discriminated against palm oil last January. He pointed out that exports of the commodity to the EU increased by 27 percent in 2020.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/02/06/044917474/indonesia-and-malaysia-meet-for-first-summit-since-covid-19-pandemic?page=all#page2. 

Kompas.com/ Imam Rosidin BNPT head Police Commissioner General Boy Rafli Amar at the opening of the BNPT TV in Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, Saturday ()12/12/2021

BNPT: Radicalism Drives Thousands of Indonesians to Fight in Iraq and Syria

The National Counterterrorism Agency or BNPT has announced that thousands of Indonesians have gone to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside ISIS and other terrorist organizations.

“The BNPT has revealed that more than 1,250 Indonesians have gone to Iraq and Syria after they were exposed to radical propaganda [from ISIS]. A number of them died in action, while others were captured,” said BNPT head Police Commissioner General Boy Rafli Amar.

“Some of them were women and children who ended up in refugee camps [in Iraq and Syria]. Nearly all were radicalized by content [from ISIS].”

Boy hoped that BNPT will not receive reports on radicalized Indonesians heading off to Iraq or Syria, or carrying out suicide bombings or other forms of terrorism.

He hopes that President Joko Widodo’s President Order on terrorism will raise public awareness of radicalism, and in turn prevent future attacks by lone wolf militants or those affiliated with ISIS, Jamaah Islamiyah or other terrorist organizations.

Source:

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/02/05/21014361/kepala-bnpt-1250-wni-berangkat-ke-irak-dan-suriah-karena-terpengaruh. 

Istimewa Mount Merapi emits hot clouds on Wednesday (27/1/2021)

Two Lava Domes Seen on Mount Merapi

The Geological Disaster Technology and Research Development Center [ BPPTKG] experts have announced that they discovered two lava domes on Mount Merapi, following weeks of volcanic activity on Indonesia’s most active volcano.

“The finding of [the two lava domes] are the first of their kind. We calculate that the first lava dome on the left was found on Mount Merapi’s north-western slopes in 1997,” said BPPTKG head Hanik Humaida.

“The other lava dome was formed recently from the recent uptick in volcanic activity. That dome measured 117,700 square meters, after it noted growth 12,600 square meters of snake.”

To date, Mount Merapi still emitted hot clouds at least once between January 29 to February 4, along with hundreds of earthquakes.

Authorities in the provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java have forbidden the public from going within five kilometres of Mount Merapi, due to its ongoing volcanic activity.

Source:

https://regional.kompas.com/read/2021/02/05/22582701/pertama-kali-dalam-sejarah-gunung-merapi-kini-miliki-2-kubah-lava?page=all#page2.