Latest on Fri, 09:25 am
Newsflash: A small credit crisis injury for Bank Indonesia.
“Indover” is a small, Amsterdam based, commercial subsidiary of Bank Indonesia. And it is in trouble and out of money. It has been granted suspension of payment by the court, after it became clear BI was unable to help. Bankruptcy seems to be inevitable.
It has been the intention of BI to sell Indover to Bank Mandiri. But that bank stopped negotiations last September because of it’s own critical debt position.
Update: Today there is at long last good news for “Indover”. Bank INdonesia and the Indonesian government will bail out Indover with over € 500 million.
The Diamond Skull & IMF
Diamonds remind me of lines like these:
“A diamond as big as the Ritz” and
“Diamonds are the girl’s best friend” and
“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.
But F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe or The Beatles have nothing to do with it. Not with this one:
“For the love of God” (2007) is a piece of art by the British artist Damien Hirst. The news is that it will be on display soon in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Actually it is only a human skull – but one made of platinum and totally covered with diamonds. Over 8500 gems! Investors bought it last year at € 75 million. An appalling amount of money, but probably the diamonds made it a bargain. Yet my overwhelming feeling at first was perplexity. And even indignation. Art devoured by decadence, globalization and capitalism. Why should the Rijksmuseum contribute to this madness by organizing this exhibition? And it isn’t even a museum of modern art.
Indonesia – which way to prosperity?
They are unrepenting. Always trying to find new accomplices. Never stopping to impose their economic morals.
Last Friday The Jakarta Post reported the OECD had said: “RI needs more liberalization”. That looks like a warning. But according to the Amsterdam based NRC this club of thirty rich, developed countries had offered a “Special relationship for Indonesia”. Which can be considered to be an incentive for staying on the right track.
It was the first time an economic assessment dedicated to Indonesia has been presented by the organization. According to its secretary-general, Angel Gurria, it’s the first step on the country’s way to full membership. Despite quite a number of shortcomings, the survey strikes an optimistic note: Indonesia may well achieve the growth rates of China in the long run.
Sad history, but good news.
Munir Said Thalib died the 7th of September 2004 on a flight from Jakarta to Amsterdam. He was the most famous of all Indonesian human rights activists, after revealing Indonesian atrocities in Timur Timur. He was heading that day for the Netherlands to start a masters study at the University of Utrecht. My Alma Mater by the way. He was poisoned however. It is a sad, shameful history.
Today justice seems to get its way. The long and controversial investigation into his murder, seems to produce decisive results, now a former deputy head of Indonesia´s National Intelligence Agency, Muchdi Purwopranjono, has been arrested.
Previously the former Garuda pilot of the plane in which Munir died, Pollycarpus Priyanto, has been convicted by the Supreme Court. Last January he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in connection to the murder.
High ranking military and officials have always been under suspicion of planning, ordering or at least involvement in the killing. The main culprits probably are to be looked for there. But in a system of ´law of the rulers´in stead of a ´rule of the law´, they managed to keep out of reach.
So it may be considered to be a real breakthrough now the agency of the military special forces itself is under effective juridical attack as of today. It promises that the high and mighty can´t claim immunity as easy as has been the case.
Congratulations for Indonesia. The arrest of Muchdi is a triumph for justice and proof of progress of the Indonesian state of law.
A little about obedient Asian women and a lot of Anouk
Living in Denmark this Indonesian ex journalist, now engineer, wondered why on earth a number of her female compatriots in Copenhagen seemed to be so subservient to their western partners:
“I discovered that most of them (at least five out of six) gave me the same answer when I called / sent them sms / email asking when they could be available for a meet up downtown. The answer that (almost) all of them gave me was:
“I have to ask permission from my husband first and then I will let you know…….”
I can’t give an explanation for this kind of attitude. Or rather lack of attitude. I think however that by chance “the writer” -which is her blogger alias- did hit upon an almost improbable number of exceptions to the rule. No woman in her right mind – white, black or brown- should choose for obedience. No man either, for that matter. If it happens obedience turns you on, you should join the army in stead of entering into a marriage. Of course there are a few of these nasty pathetic men who sort of buy a subservient wife or mistress. A restricted number of suitable cases for treatment, if you ask me.
But Independent minds, that’s what we want, that’s the fashion. If in doubt, I strongly advise all wannebe emigrants to this hemisphere, to check on our national Queen of Rock ‘n Roll, Anouk. She is grrrrrl power in the flesh. And a terrific performer. That she is world famous in the Netherlands only, means shame on the rest of the world.