Apa Kabar

ONE morning last February, as usual, Dina Astita arrived in one of the emergency schools located at Calang City, Aceh Jaya, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam. Before long, two Time magazine reporters arrived to conduct an interview with her. The conversation carried on for more than half an hour, touching on subjects from her students to her family.

Dina has long since forgotten the interview that February 23, 2005. She was reminded of it only when a short message service arrived from a colleague in Jakarta, two weeks ago. The content of the message was surprising. The 34-year-old was featured in the April 18, 2005 edition of Time. She was considered one of the 100 most influential figures in the world today.

In the magazine’s report, Dina is listed in the same pages as the Dalai Lama (Tibetan spiritual leader), Bill Gates (Microsoft boss), Viktor Yuschenko (Ukrainian leader), and Michael Schumacher (Formula 1 race car driver). They are viewed as icons and heroes within their respective fields.

None of this had ever crossed Dina’s imagination. As an honorarium teacher, she is considered one of the most formidable figures in assisting the revival of educational activities in post-tsunami Aceh. Yet, this woman–born in Lamno, Aceh Jaya, on June 6, 1971–claimed to have no intention of gaining any kind of popularity whatsoever. Her biggest inspiration? Her own children. “By helping other children to school, my own children may be surviving some place else,” Dina said.

As a result of the tsunami that swept Aceh on December 26, 2004, Dina lost all of her children: Almanda Ahmady, 7, Aldius Ahmady, 6, Altausal Ahmady, 4, and one foster daughter, Maisarah, 23. She survived along with her husband, Usman Ahmady, by departing to Banda Aceh the morning before the earthquake to attend her brother’s wedding at Baiturrahman Mosque. The wedding was inevitably canceled when the earthquake and tsunami arrived as uninvited guests.

She could not go back home until 20 days later, taking a boat due to the heavy damage of the roads. Her house at the Calang City Housing and Development Services Complex was leveled to the ground. “Did anybody see my children?” was a question she would ask anyone she met. She has not seen her children since.

Dina and her husband eventually filled their days by offering their assistance to one of the German-run field hospitals, as interpreters. Dina also assisted with the immunization of school children. It was then that she noticed the children’s education was inexorably neglected, due to the lack of space, teaching staff, and equipment.

The children had indeed been organized by marines to attend schooling in three different tents: for elementary, junior high, and senior high school respectively. Still, there was no education other than singing and marching. Her instinct as an educator was aroused. Dina resigned from her interpreting duties and opted to return to teaching.

In one of the meetings between the task force, military, and NGOs, Dina requested for more tents to be provided in lieu of classrooms. As more tents rose the next day, she took to teaching English language and biology for 200 junior high-school students. Alternately, she would take the position teaching a senior high-school class with some 300 students in attendance.

Her other activities are to find more help to return students back to school, and teachers back to teach. Her efforts led to her recognition. Several aids for education activities soon found themselves in Dina’s trustworthy hands. “We know that Bu Dina has been very active in the field and helped with education matters in Calang,” said Musriyadi Aswad, an employee of Nurani Mandiri, an NGO.

Dina had always wanted to be a teacher. She graduated from the Ar-Raniry Islamic State Institute, Banda Aceh, in 1996. After marrying Usman, then an employee of the Banda Aceh Public Services Department, she started teaching. Dina was made an honorarium teacher at the Banda Aceh Technical High School. Four years later she moved to Meulaboh, following her husband who was transferred to work there. In this West Aceh district capital, Dina continued teaching, as an honorarium teacher at the Meulaboh Technical High School.

In 2002, she moved to Calang as her husband was appointed as the Aceh Jaya Housing and Development Services Department head. In this city, Dina took the position of honorarium teacher at the Krueng Sabee I Junior High School. “I have attempted the state employee examinations many times, still I have not passed,” she claimed.

The featuring of Dina Astita in a magazine such as Time may be worth more than the simple state employee status she wishes for. Yet, she is still humble: “This is more of a responsibility for me.”

Abdul Manan, Adi Warsidi (Calang)

TEMPO, MAY 02, 2005-034/P. 26 Heading National

The police are now prioritizing investigation of corruption cases over defamation lawsuits.

THE circular letter was sent by the National Police Headquarters at the beginning of last March to all regional police offices. The letter instructed the police rank and file to give priority to the handling of cases of corrupt practices if, at the same time, there were defamation lawsuits requiring their attention. Dated March 7, 2005, the letter was signed by Director III/Corrupt Practices and White Collar Crimes of the National Police Headquarters’ Crime Investigation Agency, Brig. Gen. Indarto. “If the suspicion of corruption is proven, the job on the defamation lawsuit gets aborted,” said Indarto.

The emergence of the circular cannot be separated from the intervention of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Back on January 27, the Coalition of NGOs for Clean and Quality General Elections complained to the KPK, because its report to the KPK about suspected corruption amounting to about Rp600 billion in the General Elections Commission (KPU) had resulted in a defamation lawsuit filed with the Greater Jakarta Police. The coalition asked the KPK to protect the witness.

The KPK wasted no time in responding. Four days later, the super-body institution dispatched a letter to National Police HQ. Signed by KPK Deputy Chairman, Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, the letter asked the police to consider temporarily deferring investigation on the libel and defamation case. The reason given was that the KPK was investigating a suspected corruption case in the KPU. It was in response to this request that Indarto issued the circular.

According to Indarto, however, because investigation on suspected corruption cases usually takes time, whereas a defamation report can expire after a given timeframe, the investigator is permitted to continue processing the defamation case. “But limited to asking information, not to be passed on to the public prosecutor,” he added. Next to acting on the KPK letter, Indarto said, the circular he signed was in response to the numerous cases of suspected corruption that were followed by reports on defamation. “It’s as if it has become fashionable,” he said.

One case of reporting corruption that entailed a suit against defamation was that which befell Pastor Frans Amanue. This Chairman of the Larantuka Diocese’s Commission of Justice and Peace was reported to police by East Flores Regent Felix Fernandez for defamation through the citing of alleged corrupt practices in the distribution of aid funds for flood victims. The pastor’s trial so enraged his followers that they torched the Larantuka courthouse and the district prosecutor’s office.

A similar fate came Koridor tabloid’s way in Lampung. Because it carried an article entitled, “Alzier Dianis Thabranie and Indra Karyadi Strongly Suspected of Having Embezzled Rp1.25 billion in Golkar Party Witnesses’ Fund” in its July 12-18, 2004 edition, the tabloid was reported to the police. Former Golkar figure and former Lampung Governor, Alzier accused Koridor of besmirching his good name. The case is now being processed in court, with the public prosecutor having demanded a two-year jail term for the tabloid’s management.

Next came the case of Dradjad Wibowo, an economics observer and activist of the National Mandate Party (PAN). Because his opinion about the possibility of Adrian Waworuntu’s involvement in the BNI bank swindle case was quoted by Koran Tempo, he was reported to police for slander and defamation. Oddly enough, police gave the impression of being quite energetic in processing this report, although the person who filed it was then in custody at National Police Headquarters as a suspect in the BNI scam. Fortunately, following his swearing-in as House of Representatives (DPR) member, the investigation slackened. This was the more noticeable when in early April the court sentenced Waworuntu to life imprisonment on being proven guilty of swindling BNI.

The police habit of seemingly defending corrupt persons and white-collar criminals obviously worries many quarters. “Actually, police should actively investigate the claim of corruption, instead of the person who makes that claim,” said Press Council member Leo Batubara. He voiced the hope that the police circular would no longer make the public afraid of reporting cases of corruption.

Confirming that he had received the circular on prioritizing alleged corruption cases, the chief of the East Nusa Tenggara Police, Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang, called on the public not to be afraid to report cases of corruption. “Should there be a denial from the corruption culprits in the form of a lawsuit, that would be put off until there is a legal ruling of permanent effect on the relevant graft case,” he assured.

To NGO Coalition Defense Team member Hermawanto, the National Police’s circular is a big step forward, though still not the maximum that can be attained. In his opinion, witnesses who report cases of corruption ought to be protected and granted immunity. “The processing of suits against defamation should not merely be deferred, but stopped,” he said.

Hermawanto also bemoaned the absence of sanctions for police officers sidestepping the circular. “If there is any, it is but an ethical one,” he observed. Indarto admits the deficiency, but claims that this does not mean a complete absence of penalty. “It will be put on record by the relevant superiors,” he insists.

As for the protection of people reporting corruption, Criminal Code (KUHP) expert Romli Atmasasmita contends that it is actually already provided for in the KUHP. “The KUHP protects citizens who report punishable acts, including corruption,” said the former Director-General of Regulation and Legislation of the Department of Justice. If a report is proven true, Romli said, the suit against defamation automatically becomes invalid. Even so, Romli remains appreciative of the circular. “Only, it should have been issued by the National Police Chief, just to make it more prestigious,” Romli said.

Lawyer Atmajaya Salim, for his part, hopes that a similar circular will be issued by the Supreme Court, directed to judges in handling lawsuits against defamation. He noted in this connection that, next to being reported to police for defamation, those who report cases of corruption and white-collar crimes are, more often than not, subjected to civil suits. One case in point is Trust magazine, which was sued by John Hamenda, one of the suspects in the BNI swindle case, for alleged defamation by publishing an article entitled “The BNI Swindle Plot” in its October 1-7, 2003 edition. In May 2004, a court ordered Trust to pay a fine of Rp1 billion. The ludicrous thing about this verdict is that just a few months later–on November 4 to be exact–John Hamenda drew a 20-year jail sentence from the South Jakarta District Court.

Atmajaya Salim, Trust’s legal counsel, holds that, actually, the trial of a case like his client’s, should be deferred until the corruption case or the white-collar crime case in question has been completely processed. Not only would this be in line with the spirit of eradicating corruption, he said, but “it also would serve the principle of simple, cheap, and quick trial.”

Abdul Manan, Jems de Fortuna (Kupang), Fadilasari (Lampung).

TEMPO, MAY 02, 2005-034/P. 20 Heading Cover Story