Indonesia Highlights: Indonesia’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Down $1.7 Billion in March | New Mother Sentenced to Flogging in Indonesia’s Aceh | 34 Killed, Dozens Missing in Landslide, Floods in Indone

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s central bank announced that the country’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves fell by $1.7 billion in March.

The position of the reserve assets could cover the cost of 10.1 months of imports or 9.7 months of imports and paying the government’s external debt payments.

In the western part of Indonesia, a woman who has just given birth was sentenced to 100 strokes in Lhokseumawe in Aceh, the only province in the country to follow Islamic law. The woman who is identified as RS was found guilty of committing adultery.

Below are excerpts from the stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

Indonesia’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Down $1.7 Billion in March

Indonesia’s central bank announced that the country’s foreign exchange (forex) reserves fell by $1.7 billion in March following the government’s external debt payments, Bank Indonesia said in a statement on Wednesday, March 7.

The end-March reserve level stood at $137.1 billion, while the February reserve level was recorded at $138.8 billion, the highest on record.

Bank Indonesia Communication Department head Erwin Haryono said that the position of the reserve assets could cover the cost of 10.1 months of imports or 9.7 months of imports and paying the government’s external debt payments.

“It is well above the international capital adequacy standards of three months imports,” Erwin said in the statement.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/04/07/120632426/cadangan-devisa-ri-turun-jadi-1371-miliar-dollar-as-pada-maret-2021

New Mother Sentenced to Flogging in Indonesia’s Aceh

KOMPAS.COM/MASRIADI SAMBO A woman is caned at Tunas Bangsa Stadium for adultery on Tuesday, April 6.

A woman who has just given birth was sentenced to 100 strokes in the Indonesian city of Lhokseumawe in Aceh, the only province in the country to follow Islamic law. The woman who is identified as RS was found guilty of committing adultery.

Head of the Public Prosecutors at the Lhokseumawe District Prosecutor's Office, Muhammad Doni Siddik, said that the Lhokseumawe Sharia Court has issued the caning sentence.

Apart from RS, three other people also received similar sentences. The three of them are identified as ZU, RIM, and LT.

They were each caned by the Lhokseumawe District Prosecutor's Office at Tunas Bangsa Stadium Lhokseumawe City on Tuesday.

"The Lhokseumawe Sharia Court punished them with 100 strokes in a flogging after they were caught committing adultery," said Doni on Tuesday, April 6.

Meanwhile, RS could not immediately undergo the caning because she just gave birth. Doni said that the caning punishment will be rescheduled.

The Sharia Court stated that RS was proven that she committed the offense she was charged with. The execution of the caning punishment will be held four months after she gave birth.

"Based on the doctor's letter, RS can only be caned 120 days after giving birth as she just gave birth on Thursday, April 1," said Doni.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/04/07/155308874/new-mother-sentenced-to-flogging-in-indonesias-aceh.

34 Killed, Dozens Missing in Landslide, Floods in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara

(ANTARA/HO-Dinas Kominfo Kabupaten Lembata) A house damaged by flood in Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday, April 4.

A joint search and rescue team continues to locate dozens of people who have been reported missing after landslides and flooding struck Lembata regency in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara recently.

At least 34 people have died, and dozens remain missing after cyclone-triggered rains in the province have caused flooding and landslides that uprooted trees, blocked roads, and buried homes and people.

Lembata deputy regent Thomas Ola Langoday said dozens of residents are still missing.
"As of now, 34 residents were dead, 35 others are reportedly missing," said Thomas on Wednesday, April 7.

Thomas said those who have been reported missing are the residents of Amakaka village and Waimatan village.

Source: https://go.kompas.com/read/2021/04/07/200826974/34-killed-dozens-missing-in-landslide-floods-in-indonesias-east-nusa-tenggara.