Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia Slams BWF For Stopping the Country’s All England Run | Ministry of Health Denies AstraZeneca Was Behind Indonesia’s All England Open Exit | Indonesia’s President Jokowi

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian Ambassador to Great Britain Desra Percaya spoke for millions of Indonesians, when he cast doubts about the Badminton World Federation or BWF’s competence and integrity following Indonesia’s abrupt exit from the All England Open 2021.

On the other hand, the Indonesian Ministry of Health refuted speculation by Indonesian netizens that the country’s vaunted badminton team was forced out of the tournament due to Indonesia’s reluctance to use British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Covid-29 vaccine.

And in other news, Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged the conflicting sides in the Myanmar crisis to resolve their differences peacefully, more than a month after the country’s military ousted Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government.

Read on for more on this edition of Indonesia Highlights:

bwfworldtour.bwfbadminton.com Logo All England 2021

Indonesia Slams BWF For Stopping the Country’s All England Run

Indonesian Ambassador to Great Britain Desra Percaya has blasted the Badminton World Federation [BWF], following its controversial decision to abruptly end Indonesia’s run at the All England Open in the English city of Birmingham last Thursday.

“The BWF has shown itself to be incompetent in enforcing health protocols during the 2021 All England Open," he said on Friday. "Although the BWF’s policies are not discriminatory in itself, their incompetence led to the discrimination and unfair treatment of the Indonesian team.”

Desra added that he will head to Birmingham to support the Indonesian squad in the wake of the fiasco. “The Indonesian team will promptly return to Indonesia. Until then, I am obliged to keep [the Indonesian badminton team] safe and secure,” he asserted.

“I will also hear out their allegations of discriminatory treatment at the hands of the [BWF].”

The manager of the Indonesian badminton team, Ricky Subagja, reiterated Desra. “Indonesia has no chance of continuing in the 2021 All England Tournament,” the 1996 Olympics gold medalist sighed. “We are now focusing on returning to Indonesia.”

Indonesian doubles player Marcus Fernaldi Gideon first broke the news about the team’s forced withdrawal from the All England tournament in Birmingham.

The UK’s National Health Service or NHS ordered the Indonesian squad to self-quarantine though they tested negative for Covid-19, after a passenger on their flight from Istanbul to Birmingham tested positive for the coronavirus.

The controversy provoked an outcry throughout Indonesia.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/03/20/045744474/indonesia-slams-bwf-for-stopping-the-countrys-all-england-run?page=all#page2. 

flickr AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

Ministry of Health Denies AstraZeneca Behind Indonesia’s All England Open Exit

The Indonesian Ministry of Health has denied allegations by the country’s netizens which assumed that Indonesia’s forced exit from the All England Open was related to AstraZeneca, and the doubts which arose about the British pharmaceutical companies’ Covid-19 vaccine.

“[Online rumors] insinuating that Indonesia’s withdrawal from the All England Open was punishment for the country’s reluctance to use AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine are hoaxes,” said Ministry of Health spokesperson Siti Nadia Tarmizi to Kompas TV on Friday.

“Indonesia never ruled out [AstraZeneca’s Covid-19] vaccine, as the vaccine is still under review by the Food and Drug Agency [BPOM].”
Last Monday, Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin said Indonesia is still deferring use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, though the World Health Organization and the European Medical Authority has cleared the vaccine for use since.

The Indonesian Ministry of Health maintained their stance, after netizens such @Dhipo_aS speculated that “[Indonesia’s exit] from [the] All England [Open] was caused by Indonesia’s doubts over the vaccine.”

Another user, @39pipi, assumed that “[Great Britain] is angry at Indonesia for refusing to use their [AstraZeneca] vaccine. If [the Indonesian Badminton team] used their vaccine prior to their participation in the All England Open, [the British government] would have been more welcoming.”

Indonesia is one of 17 countries, along with the Netherlands, Ireland and Thailand and other nations, to suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports that it causes blood clots.

Source:

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/03/19/14311891/kemenkes-bantah-ri-didepak-dari-all-england-akibat-tak-jadi-pakai-vaksin?page=all#page2. 

YouTube/Sekretariat Presiden Indonesian President Joko Widodo as he officially opens a Nipa-nipa pool at Maros regency, South Sulawesi Province, Thursday (18/3/2021).

Indonesia’s President Jokowi Urges Peaceful End to Myanmar Crisis

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has expressed his strongest statements yet on the Myanmar crisis, which left hundreds dead since the country’s military or Tatmadaw overthrew Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government last February.

“On behalf of the Indonesian people, I expressed my deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims of the violence in Myanmar and their loved ones,” said the president, who is also popularly known as Jokowi, on Friday.

“I call on [the military junta] to immediately desist from using violence. The safety and wellbeing of [Myanmar’s] people should be prioritized,” he maintained.
“Indonesia also urged the conflicting parties [in Myanmar] to hold dialogue and reconciliation to restore democracy and stability.” Jokowi added that he will bring up the Myanmar crisis to the regional level.

“I will highlight the situation in Myanmar with Brunei Darussalam’s Sultan [Hassanal Bolkiah] in his capacity as this year’s ASEAN chairman in ASEAN’s regional summit later this year,” he said.

The Tatmadaw overthrew Suu Kyi’s government, after the democracy icon’s National League for Democracy or NLD party beat the military sponsored parties by a landslide during the country’s elections in November 2020.

The Tatmadaw charged that the race was marred by voter fraud, and pledged that they will hold democratic elections a year after the coup. Indonesia was dragged deep into the crisis after a Reuters report alleged that Jakarta supported the Tatmadaw’s proposal.

The announcement incurred the wrath of the opposition to the Tatmadaw and generated protests in front of the Indonesian Embassy. Indonesia has denied the allegations.

Source:

https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/03/20/064519874/indonesias-president-jokowi-urges-peaceful-end-to-myanmar-crisis.