INDONESIA: Authorities Divert Flights From Anak Krakatau Volcano

Indonesia on Thursday raised the alert level for the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano to the second-highest, and ordered all flights to steer clear, days after it triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people.

A crater collapse on the volcanic island at high tide on Saturday sent waves up to 5 metres high smashing into the coast on the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Bali.

Authorities have warned that the crater of Anak Krakatau, or child of Krakatau, remains fragile, raising fears of another collapse and tsunami, and have urged residents to stay away from the coast.

There are also fears of a bigger eruption.

The volcano has been rumbling on and off since July but has been particularly active since Sunday, spewing lava and rocks, and sending huge clouds of ash up to 3,000 metres into heavily overcast skies.

The national geological agency, in raising the alert level to the second-highest, set a 5-km exclusion zone around the island.

Since December 23, activity has not stopped, we anticipate a further escalation, said Antonius Ratdomopurbo, secretary of the geological agency.

A thin layer of volcanic ash has been settling on buildings, vehicles and vegetation along the west coast of Java since late on Wednesday, according to images shared by the national disaster mitigation agency.

Authorities said the ash was not dangerous, but advised residents to wear masks and goggles when outside, while aircraft were ordered away.

All flights are rerouted due to Krakatau volcano ash on red alert, the government air-traffic control agency AirNav said in a release.

The civil aviation authority said no airports would be affected. The capital, Jakarta, is about 155 km east of the volcano.

In 1883, the volcano then known as Krakatoa erupted in one of the biggest blasts in recorded history, killing more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunami and lowering the global surface temperature by one degree Celsius with its ash.

A tsunami in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait struck two of the country’s islands without warning, killing at least 222 people and injuring more than 700, officials said here yesterday.

Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the three-foot wave, which hit the coast of southern Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 14.30pm GMT (6.30pm UAE time) on Saturday after a volcano known as the “child” of Krakatoa erupted, national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

No earthquake was recorded and no tsunami warning was issued, said Rahmat Triyono, earthquake and tsunami chief at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. We don’t know what caused the tsunami yet, he said.

Search and rescue teams were scouring rubble for survivors, with 222 people confirmed dead, 843 people injured and 28 missing, Nugroho said.

Tsunamis triggered by volcanic eruptions are relatively rare, caused by the sudden displacement of water or slope failure, according to the International Tsunami Information Centre.

Unlike those triggered by earthquakes, they give authorities no time to warn residents of the impending threat. Ben van der Pluijm, an earthquake geologist and a professor in the University of Michigan, said the tsunami may have been caused by a partial collapse of Anak Krakatoa.

Instability of the slope of an active volcano can create a rock slide that moves a large volume of water, creating local tsunami waves that can be very powerful. This is like suddenly dropping a bag of sand in a tub filled with water, he said.

Videos from the regency of Pandeglang in Java’s Banten province showed extensive damage. More than 400 homes, nine hotels and at least ten vessels were damaged or destroyed in Pandeglang, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster management agency, said on Twitter.

The area hit by the tsunami is popular with tourists from Jakarta, the capital, and many people were at the beach on Saturday when the wave struck around 9.30pm (local time).

Rahmat said no tsunami warning had been issued because such warnings are prompted by tectonic activity and no earthquake had occurred.

In September, an earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi, setting off an underwater landslide and tsunami that struck the city of Palu and surrounding areas. More than 2,100 people died.

TV images showed the seconds when the tsunami hit the beach and residential areas in Pandeglang on Java island, dragging with it victims, debris and large chunks of wood and metal.

On December 26, 2004, an Indian Ocean tsunami triggered by an earthquake killed 226,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.

The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 killed more than 36,000 people in a series of tsunamis. Anak Krakatoa is the island that emerged from the area once occupied by Krakatoa, which was destroyed in 1883. It first appeared in 1927 and has been growing ever since.

Saturday’s tsunami was the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck Indonesia, a vast archipelago, this year.

Successive earthquakes flattened parts of the tourist island of Lombok, and a double quake-and-tsunami killed thousands on Sulawesi island. Nearly 200 people died when a Lion Air passenger plane crashed into the Java Sea in October.

President Joko Widodo, who is running for re-election in April, tweeted that he had ordered all relevant government agencies to immediately take emergency response steps, find victims and care for the injured.

Neighbouring Malaysia and Australia both said they were ready to provide assistance if needed.

Another tsunami could strike Indonesia, experts have warned, after a powerful wave caused by a volcanic eruption killed hundreds when it swallowed coastal settlements, taking earthquake-focused disaster monitors by surprise.

While tsunamis are often triggered by earthquakes, in this case experts believe the deadly waves were generated by an eruption of the Anak (or "child of") Krakatoa volcano, which could have caused a large undersea landslide or flow of molten rock into the water.

The tsunami appears to have been caused by an underwater collapse of part of the volcano, said David Rothery, a professor of planetary geosciences at Britain's Open University.

Anak Krakatoa is an island that emerged around 1928 in the crater left by Krakatoa, whose massive 1883 eruption killed at least 36,000 people.

The tsunami that struck on Saturday was the third natural disaster to hit Indonesia in six months.

The country has 127 active volcanoes and lies on the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire" where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent.

Anak Krakatoa, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, is close to densely populated areas.

The volcano has been particularly active since June, noted Jacques-Marie Bardintzeff at the University of Paris-South.

We were helpless given how sudden the event took place, Bardintzeff said. The time between cause and effect was a few dozen minutes, which was too short to warn the population.

The killer wave struck at night, sweeping across tourist beaches and low-lying settlements on both sides of the Sunda Strait and catching both residents and disaster monitors totally unawares.

Signs that a tsunami was coming weren't detected and so people did not have time to evacuate, said Indonesia's disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, who blamed vandalism, technical problems and limited budgets for the lack of warning buoys.

But the Open University's Rothry said such buoys, normally positioned to monitor earthquakes at underwater tectonic plate boundaries, would still have had limited efficacy.

Even if there had been such a buoy right next to Anak Krakatoa, this is so close to the affected shorelines that warning time would have been minimal given the high speeds at which tsunami waves travel.

Simon Boxall of Southampton University said the region was in spring tide, and it would appear that the wave hit some of the coastal areas at the highest point of this high tide, exacerbating the damage done.

While the tsunami was relatively small, Richard Teeuw, a disaster risk reduction expert at the University of Portsmouth in England said: Such waves - laden with debris - can be deadly for coastal communities, especially if there is no warning.

Devastating tsunami caused by volcanic eruptions are rare; one of the most famous and deadly was caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, Teeuw said.

The likelihood of further tsunamis in the Sunda Strait will remain high while Anak Krakatoa volcano is going through its current active phase because that might trigger further submarine landslides, he said.

Sonar surveys would now be needed to map the seafloor around the volcano, but unfortunately submarine surveys typically take many months to organise and carry out, he added.

Bardintzeff warned we must be wary now that the volcano has been destabilised.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: 500 Plus Hikers Stuck On Mount Rinjani Lombok Due To 6.4-Magnitude Quake

Indonesia mounted a rescue operation Monday to reach more than 500 hikers and guides stranded by landslides on an active volcano on Lombok, a day after a powerful earthquake struck the holiday island.

Helicopters and search teams have been deployed to scour the slopes of Mount Rinjani, which is criss-crossed with hiking routes popular with tourists, while rescuers have made airdrops of food supplies to those stranded.

Tonnes of rock and mud were dislodged on the mountain in the 6.4-magnitude quake, which struck early Sunday and was followed by scores of aftershocks, leaving hikers with no easy way down to safety.

There are still 560 people trapped, said the head of Rinjani national park Sudiyono.

Those believed to be stranded include citizens from the United States, France, the Netherlands, Thailand and Germany, as well as many other countries, search and rescue officials said.

Hundreds of other hikers managed to get off the mountain on Sunday, according to officials.

At least 16 people were killed in the earthquake across affected areas of Lombok, while hundreds of buildings were destroyed including a health clinic.

The quake created panic on the holiday island and sent locals and tourists running outside their homes and hotels.

The rescue operation on Mount Rinjani is likely to run until at least Tuesday and a military helicopter has dropped supplies at several spots on the mountain.

For supplies, they can still survive for another one to two days, Agus Hendra Sanjaya, spokesman for Mataram’s search and rescue agency, said.

Rising some 3,726 metres (12,224 feet) above sea level, Rinjani is the second-tallest volcano in Indonesia and a favourite among sightseers keen to take in its expansive views.

Hiking trails on the mountain were closed following the quake due to fear of further landslides.

Thailand’s embassy in Jakarta said 239 of its citizens were stuck in the area surrounding the mountain.

Thai national Thanapon Worawutchainan, who was at the summit when the earthquake occurred, posted a video on Facebook showing people stumbling down the slopes in the aftermath.

He said the ground shook violently and people lay down until the tremors stopped.

It looked like the mountain in front of me was going to collapse, another stranded Thai, Funknathee Prapasawat, said on Facebook.

Some people were injured by rocks falling off the mountain.

The epicentre of the earthquake was 50km (30 miles) northeast of Lombok’s main city Mataram, the United States Geological Survey said, far from the main tourist spots on the south and west of the island.

The initial tremor was followed by two strong secondary quakes and more than 100 aftershocks.

The jolt was felt some 100km away on the bustling resort island of Bali, although there were no reports of damage there.

Some 160 people were injured in Lombok as a result of the quake, said Mohammad Rum, head of West Nusa Tenggara disaster agency.

A Malaysian was among the dead, with another six citizens injured, the foreign ministry in Kuala Lumpur said.

A total of 5,141 people are staying in temporary shelters and in need of clean water, Indonesian disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told MetroTV.

President Joko Widodo visited affected areas on Monday and promised financial support for those who have lost their homes.

We must be aware that our country is in the Ring of Fire, so people need to be prepared to face any disaster, Widodo said.

Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide and a large portion of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

In 2004 a tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.3 undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in western Indonesia killed 220,000 people in countries around the Indian Ocean, including 168,000 in Indonesia.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Aceh, Homosexuality Is Illegal And Punishable By Caning. LGBT Don't Travel To Aceh

Aceh is a province and special territory or daerah istimewa of Indonesia, located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. The population is 4.2 million.

Aceh is a province of Indonesia. The territory is located at the northern end of Sumatra. Its capital is Banda Aceh. It is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India and separated from them by the Andaman Sea.

Its population has the highest percentage of Muslims in Indonesia, who mostly live according to Sharia customs and laws.

It consists of 119 islands, 73 major rivers and 2 lakes. Aceh is surrounded by Malacca Strait in the north, North Sumatra Province in the east, Indian Ocean in the south and the west. The capital of Aceh is Banda Aceh.

Aceh was long known for its desire for political independence from Indonesia. When the 26 December 2004 Tsunami hit the coastline of Aceh, the Acehenese welcomed and accepted the help offered from outside donors and communities in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the province.

The tremendous loss of life also influenced the thinking of political figures of the province, and the Aceh Government became more open to peace talks.

The 29 year long struggle for special autonomy or independence subsequently ended with the Helsinki Peace Agreement, which was signed on 15 August 2005, and the decision to remain a province of Indonesia.

Since then, the peace process has been quite smooth, without major incidents. The AAM, Aceh Monitoring Mission funded by the EU oversaw the process.

There are 10 indigenous ethnic groups in this region, the largest being the Acehnese people, accounting for approximately 80% to 90% of the region's population.

Aceh is thought to have been the place where the spread of Islam in Indonesia began, and was a key factor of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. Islam reached Aceh in the Kingdoms of Fansur and Lamuri around 1250 AD.

In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region.

Aceh has a history of political independence and resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and the Indonesian government.

Aceh has substantial natural resources of oil and natural gas with some estimates that Aceh gas reserves are one of the largest in the world. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative area.

Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which devastated much of the western coast of the province.

Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster. The disaster helped precipitate the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Aceh was first known as Aceh Darussalam and then later as the Daerah Istimewa Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Aceh.

The western coastal areas of Aceh, including the cities of Banda Aceh, Calang, and Meulaboh, were among the areas hardest-hit by the tsunami resulting from the magnitude 9.2 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004.

While estimates vary, over 170,000 people were killed by tsunami in Aceh and about 500,000 were left homeless.

The tragedy of the tsunami was further compounded several months later, when the 2005 M8.6 Nias–Simeulue earthquake struck the sea bed between the islands of Simeulue Island in Aceh and Nias in North Sumatra.

This second quake killed a further 1346 people on Nias and Simeulue, displaced tens of thousands more, and caused the tsunami response to be expanded to include Nias.

World Health Organisation estimates a 100% increase in prevalence of mild and moderate mental disorders in Aceh's general population after the tsunami.

The population of Aceh before the December 2004 tsunami was 4,271,000 (2004). The population as of 15 September 2005 was 4,031,589, and at January 2014 was 4,731,705.

As of February 2006, more than a year after the tsunami, a large number of people were still living in barrack-style temporary living centers (TLC) or tents.

Reconstruction was visible everywhere, but due to the sheer scale of the disaster, and logistic difficulties, progress was slow. A study in 2007 estimates 83.6% of the population has psychiatric illness, while 69.8% suffers from severe emotional distress.

The ramifications of the tsunami went beyond the immediate impact to the lives and infrastructure of the Acehnese living on the coast.

Since the disaster, the Acehnese rebel movement GAM, which had been fighting for independence against the Indonesian authorities for 29 years signed a peace deal.

The perception that the tsunami was punishment for insufficient piety in this proudly Muslim province is partly behind the increased emphasis on the importance of religion post-tsunami.

This has been most obvious in the increased implementation of Sharia law, including the introduction of the controversial 'WH' or Syariah police.

As homes are being built and people's basic needs are met, the people are also looking to improve the quality of education, increase tourism, and develop responsible, sustainable industry. Well-qualified educators are in high demand in Aceh.

While parts of the capital Banda Aceh were unscathed, the areas closest to the water, especially the areas of Kampung Jawa and Meuraxa, were completely destroyed.

Most of the rest of the western coast of Aceh was severely damaged. Many towns completely disappeared. Other towns on Aceh's west coast hit by the disaster included Lhoknga, Leupung, Lamno, Patek, Calang, Teunom, and the island of Simeulu.

Affected or destroyed towns on the region's north & east coast were Pidie Regency, Samalanga, and Lhokseumawe.

The area was slowly rebuilt after the disaster. The government initially proposed the creation of a two-kilometer buffer zone along low-lying coastal areas within which permanent construction was not permitted.

This proposal was unpopular among some local inhabitants and proved impractical in most situations, especially fishing families that are dependent on living near to the sea.

The Indonesian government set up a special agency for Aceh reconstruction, the Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi (BRR) headed by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, a former Indonesian Minister.

This agency had ministry level of authority and incorporated officials, professionals and community leaders from all backgrounds.

Most of the reconstruction work was performed by local people using a mix of traditional methods and partial prefabricated structures, with funding coming from many international organizations and individuals, governments, and the people themselves.

The Government of Indonesia estimated in their Preliminary Damage and Losses Assessment that damages amounted to US$4.5 billion before inflation, and US$6.2 billion including inflation.

Three years after the tsunami, reconstruction was still ongoing.

The World Bank monitored funding for reconstruction in Aceh and reported that US$7.7 billion had been earmarked for the reconstruction whilst at June 2007 US$5.8 billion had been allocated to specific reconstruction projects, of which US$3.4 billion had actually been spent (58%).

In 2009, the government opened a US$5.6 million museum to commemorate the tsunami with photographs, stories, and a simulation of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami.

Aceh has the largest range of biodiversity in the Asian Pacific region. Among the rarer large mammals are the Sumatran rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger, Orangutan and Sumatran elephant.

In 2014, there were 460 Sumatran elephants in Aceh including at least eight baby elephants. The area has been suffering from deforestation since the 1970s. The first wood pulp mill in Aceh was built in 1982.

The government of Aceh intends a law by which 1.2 million hectares would be opened for commercial use. This proposal has caused many protests.

Beginning with the promulgation of Law 44/1999, Aceh's governor began to issue limited Sharia-based regulations, for example requiring female government employees to wear Islamic dress.

These regulations were not enforced by the provincial government, but as early as April 1999, reports emerged that groups of men in Aceh were engaging in vigilante violence in an effort to impose Sharia.

For example, by conducting jilbab raids, subjecting women who were not wearing Islamic headscarves to verbal abuse, cutting their hair or clothes, and committing other acts of violence against them.

The frequency of these and other attacks on individuals considered to be violating Sharia principles appeared to increase following the enactment of Law 44/1999 and the governor's Sharia regulations.

In 2014, a group of scholars who call themselves Tadzkiiratul Ummah, started to paint the pants of men and women as a call for heavier Islamic law enforcement in the area.

Upon the enactment of the Special Autonomy Law in 2001, Aceh's provincial legislature enacted a series of qanuns or local laws governing the implementation of Sharia.

Five qanuns enacted between 2002 and 2004 contained criminal penalties for violations of Sharia: Qanun 11/2002 on belief, ritual, and promoting Islam, which contains the Islamic attire requirement.

Qanun 12/2003 prohibiting the consumption and sale of alcohol, Qanun 13/2003 prohibiting gambling, Qanun 14 /2003 prohibiting seclusion, and Qanun 7/2004 on the payment of Islamic alms.

With the exception of gambling, none of the offenses are prohibited outside of Aceh.

Responsibility for enforcement of the qanuns rests both with the National Police and with a special Sharia police force unique to Aceh, known as the Wilayatul Hisbah or Sharia Authority.

All of the qanuns provide for penalties including fines, imprisonment, and caning, the latter a punishment unknown in most parts of Indonesia. Between mid-2005 and early 2007, at least 135 people were caned in Aceh for transgressing the qanuns.

In April 2016, a 60-year-old non-Muslim woman was sentenced to 30 lashes for selling alcohol drinks.

The controversy is that qanun is not allowed for non-Muslim person, and national law should be used instead as in other parts of Indonesia.

In April 2009, Partai Aceh won control of the local parliament in Aceh's first post-war legislative elections.

In September 2009, one month before the new legislators were to take office, the outgoing parliament unanimously endorsed two new qanuns to expand the existing criminal Sharia framework in Aceh.

One bill, the Qanun on Criminal Procedure (Qanun Hukum Jinayat), to create an entirely new procedural code for the enforcement of Sharia by police, prosecutors, and courts in Aceh.

The other bill, the Qanun on Criminal Law or Qanun Jinayat, reiterated the existing criminal Sharia prohibitions, at times enhancing their penalties, and a host of new criminal offenses.

These including ikhtilat - intimacy or mixing, zina or adultery, defined as willing intercourse by unmarried people, sexual harassment, rape, and homosexual conduct.

The law authorized punishments including up to 60 lashes for intimacy, up to 100 lashes for engaging in homosexual conduct, up to 100 lashes for adultery by unmarried persons, and death by stoning for adultery by a married person.

In practice since the introduction of the new laws, there has been a considerable increase in the use of the penalties provided set out in the laws.

August 2015 six men in Bireun regency were arrested and caned for betting on the names of passing buses. It was reported that on just one day, 18 September 2015, a total of 34 people were caned in Banda Aceh and in the nearby regency of Aceh Besar.

Two gay men are to be publicly lashed 85 times each under sharia law after being filmed by vigilantes in Indonesia.

An Islamic court in the province of Aceh passed down its first sentence for homosexuality on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, 17 May 2017 in spite of international appeals to spare the couple.

Aceh is a diverse region occupied by several ethnic and language groups. The major ethnic groups are the Acehnese who are distributed throughout Aceh, Gayo in central and eastern part, Alas in Southeast Aceh Regency, Tamiang-Malays in Aceh Tamiang Regency.

Aneuk Jamee descendants from Minangkabau, concentrated in southern and southwestern, Kluet in South Aceh Regency, and Simeulue on Simeulue people Island.

There is also a significant population of Chinese, Among the present day Acehnese can be found some individuals of Arab, Turkish, and Indian descent.

The Acehnese language is widely spoken within the Acehnese population. This is a member of the Aceh-Chamic group of languages, whose other representatives are mostly found in Vietnam and Cambodia, and is also closely related to the Malay group of languages.

Acehnese also has many words borrowed from Malay and Arabic and traditionally was written using Arabic script. Acehnese is also used as local language in Langkat and Asahan - North Sumatra, and Kedah - Malaysia, and once dominated Penang.

Alas and Kluet are closely related languages within the Batak group. The Jamee language originated from Minangkabau language in West Sumatra, with just a few variations and differences.

According to 2010 census of the Central Statistics Agency, Muslims dominate Aceh with more than 98% or 4,413,200 followers and only 50,300 Protestants and 3,310 Catholics. Religious issues are often sensitive in Aceh.

There is very strong support for Islam across the province, and sometimes other religious groups such as Christians or Buddhists feel that they are subject to social or community pressure to limit their activities.

The official explanation for this action, supported by both the Governor of Aceh Zaini Abdullah and the Indonesian Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi from Jakarta, was that the churches did not have the appropriate permits.

Earlier in April 2012, a number of churches in the Singkil regency in southern Aceh had also been ordered to close.

In response, some Christians voiced concern about these actions. In 2015 a church was burned down and another attacked in which a Muslim rioter was shot, causing president Joko Widodo to call for calm.

Caning, a primitive and discriminatory way of punishment, has increasingly been used as a form of judicial punishment in Aceh. This is backed by the governor of Aceh, who has committed numerous human rights violations as well.

At least 72 people were caned for various offences, including drinking alcohol, being alone with someone of the opposite sex who was not a marriage partner or relative or khalwat, and gambling.

People who come out as gay are also caned and punished by the government. The Acehnese authorities passed a series of by-laws governing the implementation of Sharia after the enactment of the province’s Special Autonomy Law in 2001.

Aceh has been using these to promote anti-LGBT policies which have been declared by the United Nations as unjustifiable, barbaric, and a violation of human rights.

In 2016 alone, 339 public caning cases were documented by human rights organizations, the highest number in Asia since the 19th century.

In January 2018, the Aceh police, with support from the Aceh autonomous government, raided hair salons known to have LGBT clients and staff as part of an operasi penyakit masyarakat or community sickness operation.

The police abused all LGBT citizens within the premises of the parlors and arrested twelve transgender women.

The arrested trans women were stripped topless, had their heads shaved, and were forced to chant insults at themselves as part of a process until they really become men.

The intent of the incident was to reverse what officials deemed a social disease and that parents were coming to them upset at the increasing number of LGBT individuals in Aceh.

The event was decried by human rights organizations local and worldwide, such as Amnesty International.

Usman Hamid stated for the Indonesia branch of the organization that cutting the hair of those arrested to make them masculine and forcing them to dress like men are forms of public shaming and amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, in contravention of Indonesia’s international obligations.

In February 2018, the Indonesian government planned to pass legislation that would criminalize gay sex. The legislation is supported by all of the ten political parties of the country, and is expected to pass.

The government of Aceh was one of the initiators of the proposed law. Indonesia has been branded as the most homophobic country in core Asia, along with Malaysia.

Aceh has been branded as the most homophobic territory per square kilometer in all of Asia, becoming the center of inhumane and discriminatory policies in the entire Asian diaspora.

There are a number of major towns, among them: Banda Aceh the capital, Lhokseumawe, Meulaboh, Sigli, and Calang.

Also, the island of Sabang which is an hour ferry ride from Banda Aceh, considered a diver's and snorkeler's paradise, belongs to the province.

Now, Aceh has declared as one of the provinces in Indonesia that increase their tourism as Aceh Tourism Project.

- Banda Aceh, capital city of the region.

- Kutancane, Southernmost city, a place where roads meet.

- Takengon, mountainous city by Laut Tawar Lake, famous for its fish.

- Banyak Islands

- Lhoknga, surfing within easy striking distance of Banda Aceh. Nearby Lampuuk, is a beach and mountain area with a variety of accommodation and attractions.

- Meulaboh

- Pulau Weh, the westernmost point of Indonesia and Aceh's favorite beach getaway with some of Indonesia's finest diving.

- Ketambe, the best place to visit Gunung Leuser National Park and see Orangutans in the Aceh province. A small, quiet and charming village. However it is an effort to get there.

- Singkil, Gateway to Banyak Islands

- Aceh Islands

- Breuh and Nasi Island, surfing , Fishing, Ground Camp, Fresh and Nature . Nearby Ule Lhee Banda Aceh.

For many years, travel in this part of Indonesia had been restricted by the government due to a long war with an Acehenese separatist guerrilla force.

More recently, on 26 December 2004, the coastal portions of the area were devastated by a huge earthquake triggering a tsunami.

It is estimated to have killed over 160,000 people in Aceh and completely devastated coastal infrastructure including the capital city of Banda Aceh, and made over 500,000 people homeless.

Since a peace agreement was signed in Helsinki on 15 August 2005 between the Indonesian Government and Gerakan Aceh Merdeka or Aceh Independence Movement, the Indonesian Government, in cooperation with the European Union.

Government has been working with the local militia to disarm weapons, with great success. After the tsunami, the UN and numerous international aid agencies moved in, in a quest to reconstruct the area.

Conservative dress is expected.

The largest portion of Leuser National Park is in Aceh Province, and provides habitat for many endangered species, including the Sumatran Tiger and forest Rhinoceros.

Bahasa Indonesia is spoken by most Acehenese, but sometimes you will hear Bahasa Aceh or Acehenese, Bahasa Gayo or Gayonese, and other more minor languages.

Banda Aceh is now a visa-on-arrival entry point. There are two direct international flights to Banda Aceh. Air Asia offers flights from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while Firefly connects four times a week from Penang.

Prices of tickets range from 15 to 70 USD. Indonesian consulates and embassies abroad also issue 60 day tourist visas.

Domestically, there are daily flights between Jakarta and Banda Aceh by Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air via Medan and Sri Wijaya. Sri Wijaya is the cheapest but Lion Air and Garuda fly generally newer aircraft.

The road from Medan to Banda Aceh is now reasonable. Especially the express night buses from Medan 10 hours,200 000 IDR are a good deal. Non-express day and night buses are cheaper (150 000 IDR) and take longer 12-14 hours.

The Ferry from Penang to Langsa with a capacity of 138 passengers commences operation from the 21st of February and costs RM 180 return . NO more in service.

There is no need for travel permits anymore in Aceh. Taxis, rental cars and motor taxis are available in Banda Aceh.

There are many hotels and also other types of accommodation available in Banda Aceh and the surrounding area.

There are many cheap guest houses in the popular local beachside areas of Lhoknga and Lampuuk, there are a range of very affordable guest houses which cater mostly to international tourists, particularly surfers and adventurers.

Aceh is rich of events, attraction and unique cultures that will fascinate anyone. Aceh is also rich in natural beauty, waves and sea garden which is suitable for diving.

Some of the most beautiful Aceh tourism and historical sites and beaches have been damaged by the massive earthquake and Dec '04 Tsunami.

Good places to visit: The Baiturrahman Great Mosque, Banda Aceh Tsunami Museum, Aceh State Museum, The Graves of Sultan Iskandar Muda and of Teungku Syiah Kuala, Salahuddin Graveyard in Bitay or Turkey village, Ujong Batee and Lampuuk Beaches.

Tjut Nyak Dien Museum, Rubiah Sea Garden, Simpang Balok Hot Water Pool, Linga Isaag Hunting Area, Gunung Leuser National Park, Cakra Donya Bell, remains of the Samudra Pasai Kingdom and Teungku Chik Di Tiro Heros Cemetery.

Aceh for Nature and Outdoor Lovers Arrive in Medan, travel from Medan to the jungle resort of Bukit Lawang from there you can go to the more remote Tangkahan.

From Tangkahan travel to the mysterious Danau Laut Tawar near Takengon were you can hike and climb some spectacular volcanoes.

Or take the scenic way from Medam through the mountains with a first stop in Berastagi to visit an active volcano and bath in hot springs and then via a jungle trip in Ketambe to see wild Orangutan on to Takengon.

From Takengon you can travel to Banda Aceh. There you can visit some great beaches and mountain biking and hiking. Banda Aceh is also the place to get a ferry to Sabang or Pulau Weh where you can dive and snorkle.

Fantastic diving on Pulau Weh called Sabang by the locals, the name of the city on the island. If you're certified, expect to pay €25 for your first dive, €20 for every dive afterward.

Aceh is also great for hiking and mountain biking and bicycling.

Surfing is great at Lok'na beach where you can also rent boards and do surfing courses. Also in nearby Lampuuk 3km NE of Lok'na a variety of beachside and mountain recreational attractions and activities is developing very rapidly.

Many restaurants and fresh seafood stalls have been established since 2008, with some of the restaurants providing very affordable accommodation, some with panoramic views of the mountains, beaches and seaside area.

Arab, Persian, and Indian traders influenced food in Aceh although flavours have changed to be little like their original form.

Amongst these are curry dishes known as kare or gulai, which are rich, coconut-based dishes traditionally made with beef, goat, fish or poultry, but are now also made with tofu, vegetables, and jackfruit.

Popular Acehenese food includes roti cane and mie Aceh.

New restaurants and seafood stalls are popping up all the time in the local Lhoknga and lampuuk seaside areas of Banda Aceh as the local economy develops.

The insurgency may be officially over, but Aceh remains a somewhat unsettled place, with a rate of violent crime partly political, partly not exceeding most of the rest of the archipelago.

In November 2009, a German Red Cross worker was shot in broad daylight in Banda Aceh.

Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by caning.

LGBT individuals should avoid travel to Aceh


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Tourists Watch Public Canning, Drinking Alcohol,Having Gay Sex Or Relations Outside Marriage Qualify You To Canning

A group of sexy couples and alleged sex workers were publicly whipped for breaking Islamic law in Indonesia's Aceh Friday (Apr 20), just a week after the province pledged to move the widely condemned practice indoors.

More than a thousand people, including dozens of tourists from neighbouring Malaysia, jeered and screamed abuse at the group as they were flogged outside a mosque in the capital Banda Aceh.

The three men and five women who included several college students were found guilty of violating religious law by either showing affection in public or for offering sexual services online, officials said.

Aceh is the only province in the world's most populous Muslim majority country that imposes Islamic law and flogging is a common punishment for a range of offences from gambling, to drinking alcohol to having gay sex or relations outside of marriage.

The conservative region on the northern tip of Sumatra island passed a regulation a week ago that would see criminals whipped only behind prison walls. It was not clear when the new rule would come into effect.

The move was in response to a wave of international criticism over the practice, which has included flogging members of the region's LGBT community and, in some cases, non-Muslims.

Rights groups have derided it as cruel and last year President Joko Widodo called for an end to public whippings in Aceh.

Around 98 per cent of the province's five million residents are Muslims, subject to religious law, including the public whippings which came into practice around 2005.

The new rule has generated protests from conservative groups who see public whippings as having a strong deterrent effect on crime.

Banda Aceh's deputy mayor Zainal Arifin said Friday's flogging was not an act of defiance against the new rules.

We understand that the regulation has not yet come into effect and the prison is not yet ready to host floggings so that is why we are still doing it in public, he said.

Until the new regulation is officially in place we will carry on as usual.

The decision of the Aceh Provincial Government in Indonesia to move flogging from public into more closed spaces has drawn resistance from the public and the local parliament.

On April 12, Aceh's governor Irwandi Yusuf signed a new rule to ban the whipping of criminals in public.

Under the new rules, it is forbidden to record people being caned with a rattan stick, crowds often film the spectacle on smartphones and only journalists and adults can witness the punishment inside private prisons.

But members of a controversial group, Islamic Defender Front (FPI), staged a public protest in front of the governor's office over the weekend the protest turned violent and several people were arrested by the police.

The local head of Islamic Defender Front, Muslim at-Tahiry, said he opposed the decision to move caning away from the public eye.

Based on Islamic law, the whip should be done in public, witnessed by the believers, he said.

That is to be a lesson for the perpetrators and the people who watch it. So they really should be embarrassed. This works as a deterrent.

The local parliament has also rejected the new rule and filed a complaint to the Supreme Court in Jakarta.

A special session of Aceh's parliament has officially decided that parliament will take legal action against the governor's decision and we will ask that the regulation be revoked, MP Azhari Cage said.

Mr Cage added that the parliament also questioned the reasoning of the Aceh Provincial Government in linking public canings with startling investors and slow-down in investment in the province.

The reason is for children to not see the flogging.

Since the law has been in force, no society or investors have protested, he said.

We agree that investment in Aceh should be improved but it is related to government and community support, the availability of things like electricity. This has nothing to do with the flogging.

But a lecturer from the Ar Raniry State Islamic University of Banda Aceh, Fuad Mardhatillan, said the governor's decision to stop public caning did not violate Aceh's Islamic criminal laws, otherwise known as Qanun Jinayat.

The Qanun does require whipping in a public place, but by moving to the more closed place like in prison in my opinion does not limit public access, he said.

The reason is for children to not see the flogging, which I think is good from psychology point of view.

Anti-LGBT protestors held a large banner that said "LGBT is not Aceh Local Wisdom".

Flogging can be used as punishment in Aceh from crimes against Sharia law, such as engaging in gay sex.

In his press statement after signing the new law, Mr Yusuf maintained that its primary aim was to prevent children witnessing the flogging.

This is not reducing the punishment, I just want to make sure the implementation of the punishment is not being attended by children, he said.

But society is not forbidden from witnessing the flogging.

He admitted the punishment often triggered criticism internationally and the rule revision was necessary to curb this outside protest.

In order for investors not to be worry about investing in Aceh, this can also help to increase economic growth, Mr Yusuf said.



Tourism Observer

INDONESIA: Discotheques, Massage Parlours And Saunas Banned During Ramadan

Those looking to have fun in the Indonesian capital during Ramadan should go elsewhere. The Jakarta administration has banned nightspots from operating during Ramadan, which is set to begin Saturday.

Places such as discotheques, massage parlours and saunas have been ordered to shut from one day before Ramadan until one day after Eid al-Fitr, a festival marking the end of the holy month, said Catur Laswanto, head of the city's tourism agency.

Eid al-Fitr is from June 25 to 26.

Exceptions are to be made for establishments located in hotels and specially-designated entertainment centres, he said. "The rules are in place so that Muslims can observe the holy month solemnly," he said.

Similar rules also are in place in other cities in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country.

In the past, the Muslim vigilante group Islamic Defenders' Front sometimes raided nightspots that remained open during Ramadan, accusing those places of harbouring prostitutes and drug addicts.

But such raids have been rare in recent years after the government cracked down on violators of Ramadan hours and the sale of alcohol.

Mahdi Ba'bud, a local head of the Islamic Defenders' Front in Jakarta, said his group would not conduct any raids this Ramadan. "The police will take action," he said. "We are just watching."

Meanwhile, Two suspected suicide bomb blasts killed three police officers and wounded ten people, including five police officers, at a bus terminal in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Television pictures showed smoke rising from the Kampung Melayu terminal as police cordoned off the area.

National Police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said that after investigating the scene it had been determined there were two suicide bombers, instead of one as original believed. Both the bombers were killed.

The police were guarding a parade ahead of Ramadan, which started on Friday.

"The police officers were on duty to guard a group of people who were holding a parade. The parade hadn't passed yet when the blast happened," Wasisto said at a news conference.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.

On Friday, the so-called "Islamic State" extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Indonesian police arrested three suspects for alleged involvement in the blasts. They were detained at three different sites in Bandung, the capital of West Java province, police spokesman Yusri Yunus said on Friday. "The roles of each individual and their group are still being investigated," he said.

Jakarta threatens to 'clobber' extremists

Increasing Islamic militancy spread from the Middle East has raised concerns over Indonesia's traditionally moderate form of Islam.

Indonesia has been hit by a series of Islamic militant attacks in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali bombings, in which 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, were killed.

A gun and suicide attack in Jakarta in January last year, which left left four attackers and four civilians dead, was the first assault claimed by the Islamic State group in Southeast Asia.

President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday authorities would "clobber" any religious group threatening the country's moderate Islam and tradition of pluralism.

Earlier this month officials said they would close down Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia, a hardline Islamist group that calls for sharia law.

Another group, the Islamic Defenders' Forum (FPI), led rallies against Jakarta's former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama that polarized the nation. A Chinese Christian, he was sentenced to two years in prison this month for insulting the Quran.

INDONESIA: 83 Lashes Administered To 2 Men For Gay Sex In Banda Aceh

The crowd roared as two men in their early 20s, one muttering through clenched teeth received 83 lashes each outside a mosque in the Indonesian province of Aceh for the crime of gay sex.

One of the men, who was just 20, was given a glass of water after the 40th lash. A doctor approached him after the 60th and asked him if he was still strong. He nodded.

Two men receive 83 lashes for gay sex in the first conviction for homosexuality in Indonesia's conservative Aceh province.

Three hooded men took turns to flog the pair.

The audience, estimated by police to be 2500 people, gathered before the red-carpeted platform in front of Syuhada mosque in Banda Aceh, the provincial capital, baying in frustration when the caning paused.

This was the first time sharia courts had imposed public flogging for sodomy under new laws introduced in 2014 as part of Aceh's Islamic criminal code, known as Qanun Jinayat.

The law criminalises liwath, or sodomy, with a maximum punishment of 100 lashes, 100 months in jail or a fine of 1000 grams of gold.

Four heterosexual couples also received up to 30 lashes of the cane for khalwat (being in close proximity, such as secluded in a room, when not married), which is effectively kissing and hugging.

One of the women couldn't continue after nine lashes and had a break before returning to the platform, where a white triangle marked where the convicted must stand and face the crowd while being caned.

"You are strong in bed, but you pretend to be in pain when caned," someone yelled.

A medical team, including an ambulance, were on standby. Under regulations, those being punished must be caned from the waist up.

Men and women were separated to observe the caning, with an announcer warning the crowd that children should not be present.

But the mothers can then tell them at home as education on the enforcing of sharia law, he said.

Aceh is the only one of Muslim-majority Indonesia's 34 provinces that criminalises homosexuality and uses sharia as its legal code in addition to the national criminal code.

Endin Saprudin, a sharia police officer at the Aceh provincial administration, said the men would be free once they had been caned.

The worldly punishment is completed after the execution of the sentence, Mr Endin said.

However I don't know about the punishment of the afterlife, whether or not they will be caned again. At least we have saved some Muslims by showing them such actions are clearly prohibited.

On March 28, vigilantes broke into an apartment in Banda Aceh, Aceh's capital, and took the two men to the police after catching them in bed together.

LGBT rights advocacy group Arus Pelangi said a video of the two men had gone viral, which put them at risk and should never have been circulated.

Can you imagine the caning being carried out in front of so many people? said chairwoman Yuli Rustinawati.

Obviously it is painful to be caned but then many people are watching. It creates another pain psychologically, not only for the offenders but also for their families.

The men represented themselves in court and accepted their punishment.

Mr Endin, the sharia police officer, said they had been entitled to a lawyer but questioned why they would need one when they were caught red-handed.

The pictures obviously show they committed a homosexual act, he said.

Prosecutors requested 80 lashes but the judges imposed a harsher sentence of 85, of which 83 were delivered.

Human Rights Watch had called on Indonesian President Joko Widodo to intervene and stop the public flogging.

The court's less-than-maximum sentence of 85 lashes is no act of compassion. It does not change the reality that flogging is a grotesque display of medieval torture,said Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phelim Kine.

Muhammad Iswanto, another sharia police officer, said data showed that no one punished under sharia law in Aceh had repeated their crime.

In the whole Aceh province, for all offences such as khamar (alcohol), zinah (adultery), until now we do not have a recidivist," he said.

Moammar, a 20-year-old chemistry student, came to watch the caning with nine of his friends from campus. I am curious because this is the first caning on a liwath case,Moammar said.

I want this case to be the first and last case of homosexuality.

The central government in Jakarta granted Aceh's religious leaders the right to impose sharia-inspired law in 2001 as part of a deal struck to quell a decades-long separatist movement in the province.

But Ayi, a Banda Aceh resident who lives in the same neighbourhood as one of the gay men, said caning was another form of violence.

We had 30 years of conflict. But now we have this, she told Fairfax Media.

INDONESIA: Smoke Choking Indonesians

Smoke caused by forest fires and peatland destruction, is covering about 80% of Sumatra, Indonesia. And it seems like no matter how far you try to escape, the smoke follows.

For the past fortnight, most of Sumatra has been blanketed by smoke, triggered by forest fires in South Sumatra and the central east and eastern provinces of Riau and Jambi. It’s currently the dry season and major companies are accused of intentionally and illegally burning to clear land for palm oil plantation; and individual farmers are using “slash and burn” techniques to make way for new crops, resulting in a thick haze that has also enveloped Singapore and Malaysia, and forced the closure of schools and airports. Needless to say, the pollution is stifling.

A friend in Pekanbaru who was unable to move his family away from Riau, has no choice but to try and live with the dangerous pollutants. Another friend, who recently had a baby, was recommended by the doctor to take his daughter outside as much as possible so she can bathe in sunlight, which is crucial to avoid jaundice. Unfortunately, the sun never shines as smog has shrouded the Pekanbaru sky.

In the last several years, the Indonesian government has spent millions of dollars fighting forest fires via water bombing and cloud seeding efforts; and our President Joko Widodo has shown compassion and concern for the raging situation. Last November he visited Sungai Tohor in Riau, one of the provinces most affected by peatland fires, and personally blocked one of the many canals dug to drain peatlands for plantations. Just this month Jokowi visited “ground zero” in South Sumatra, stressing that the situation was “urgent”.

"I've ordered the police chief to get very tough on companies that do not comply with the law... and instructed the Forestry Minister to revoke (their) licences once they are found guilty on criminal charges," said Jokowi.

But it seems like Jokowi’s promises are about as hazy as the air around us.

Last week Indonesia revealed its draft Intended Nationally-Determined Contribution (INDC) submission – a public document that outlines what post-2020 climate actions they intend on taking in the lead up to the COP21 climate summit. Whilst this document should have set out solutions to the ongoing deforestation crisis, it unfortunately fails to provide any commitment to zero deforestation, or peatland protection and restoration. With Indonesia being among the top emitters of greenhouse gases, and overtaking Brazil in terms of deforestation, this seems like a glaring and obvious omission.

Just how long the government intends on waiting before taking serious action on the situation is a worrying question. Just a few days ago my wife showed me the air quality data in Pekanbaru – DANGEROUS! This means that our living space is no longer fit for humans to inhabit, and for the second time we’ve been forced to cancel our plan to move back to Pekanbaru.

With the smog blanketing so much of Sumatra, there is practically nowhere to escape. But now I am no longer waiting for the mercy of the government, nor the conscience of those who are selfishly burning and destroying the forests just to expand their monoculture plantations. Instead, my will to fight back has strengthened after looking into the eyes of my three-year old daughter, my wife and especially the future of the baby still inside her womb. They have to breathe the fresh air – even if it only means for a distant tomorrow.

INDONESIA: Construction Of High Speed Train Halted

Indonesia plans to build a high-speed rail link between the capital Jakarta and second city Surabaya, despite scrapping a shorter line, according to a presidential palace statement released on Friday.

Indonesia abruptly cancelled late on Thursday plans to build a high-speed railway from Jakarta to the closer textile town of Bandung, inviting bids instead for a medium-speed railway between the two cities.

"At this time, the government is preparing to develop a high-speed train from Jakarta to Surabaya and a rail network outside Java," the presidential office said in a statement.

China and Japan had been engaged in an unprecedented bidding war for the multi-billion dollar project in Southeast Asia's biggest economy, but were left confused after it was pulled in what appeared to be the latest in a series of regulatory flip-flops under President Joko Widodo.