4th June 2003:
Still looking that he’s still trying to shake off the jetlag after arriving back in Jakarta the previous night from his two-week trip, President Try Sutrisno worked a light schedule, his most notable meeting of the day being Chief of BAKIN Ari Sudewo.
Ari first spoke about a developing situation while the President was away overseas saying that supporters of Treasurer of the PKPB Akbar Tandjung across the nation has been observed and reported as gathering and consolidating support. While meeting, they have tried not used any attributes that might identify them as PKPB members to disguise themselves. The President noted this, saying that his only concern is making sure that Akbar and his supporters are not being aided by any element of the state apparatus.
Ari further reported that after returning from overseas, he had been in contact with Akbar himself. Akbar has once again requested for an expression of support, at the “appropriate time”, from the President and has promised to direct the PKPB to support of the Anti-Terror Bill so that it can be unanimously passed as soon as possible if he is elected Chairman of the PKPB. The President also noted this.
The President then moved on to talk about something else.
“I will need you to prioritize the OPM over the next 3 months; follow any leads that you have, use any means necessary and then report back to me”, the President said “We’ve established in the Republic of Congo that the GAM has received training and is on the move and that the FRETILIN has received training and will soon be on the move. I want to know what the situation is with the OPM beyond “they are out there somewhere in the Pacific”. I specifically want to know if they have received any training of the kind the GAM and FRETILIN has.”
“Very well, Mr. President”, replied Ari.
“I suppose it’s too much to ask that these three organizations have disappeared and are no longer planning anything against this Republic”, grumbled the President.
More grimly, the conversation turned to Chief of ABRI Intelligence Agency Amirul Isnaeni who was reported by Ari as now being bed-ridden and slipping in and out of consciousness. When the President asked whether Amirul had spent time with his family, Ari only smiled sadly and said that Amirul had insisted that he will continue working until he is no longer able to before he began to slip in and out of consciousness.
5th June 2003:
After a meeting with the President, State Minister of the Environment Erna Witoelar, Governor of Jakarta Endriartono Sutaro accompanied by State Secretary Edi Sudrajat emerged to conduct a joint press conference.
Erna spoke first saying that she had come that day to report to the President about the Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) of the Jakarta North Coast Reclamation considering that it was a project which had been approved by President Soeharto in 1995. Erna went on to find some key findings:
*That whereas in past floods, the average elevation of surface water is 50 centimeters, reclamation would cause the average elevation of surface water to increase by 12 centimeters causing bigger areas of flooding if and when it does happen.
*The source of the material to be used for the reclamation has not been adequately made clear as is the possible environmental impact on the location from which the reclamation material is to be extracted from.
*That reclamation has the potential of disturbing the cooling system of the Muara Karang Steam Electricity Generator, potentially disturbing a generator that has to provide electricity to the Presidential Palace, Tanjung Priok Harbour, and Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
*The source of clean water on the reclaimed land has not been determined.
*Possible damage for telecommunication cables both as a result of the reclamation and possible abration and sedimentation.
Erna then said that as a result of these considerations and with the President’s approval, she is hereby announcing that the Jakarta North Coast Reclamation Project is environmentally unfeasible. When asked whether she intended to make this announcement on 5th June, which is the World Environment Day, Erna said that this was a coincidence but said that it has turned out to be fitting because it reflected the government’s intention to be more environmentally conscious.
Edi spoke next saying that though the President has given approval to the State Minister of the Environment’s report, he has instructed that all participants in the project, whether state, state-owned or private sector, be notified of this and be given 60 days to respond to the concerns raised by the Amdal. If they can adequately address the concerns, the reclamation’s unfeasible status will be reversed and the reclamation will go ahead.
“And if they cannot address the concerns?” asked a member of the press.
“The President at that point will have the option to revoke the Presidential Decision authorizing the reclamation project and declare it to be cancelled”, Edi said.
Speaking last, Endriartono said that as the person whose office places him ex officio in charge of the reclamation project, he will be using the time given to address the issues which are raised by the Amdal with all the others who are involved with this project. As the Governor of Jakarta, he said that he will abide by whatever the President decides.
6th June 2003:
At the Ndalem Kalitan at Solo, Central Java, Chairwoman of the PKPB Tutut Soeharto was having a press conference where she said that preparations for the next PKPB National Congress continues to be made. She said that Secretary of the PKPB ZA Maulani has been appointed Chairman of the Congress Steering Committee and Treasurer of the PKPB Akbar Tandjung has been sent on an Indonesia-wide trip to “absorb the aspirations of the provincial branches”. Tutut half-scoffed when asked about the announcement of the previous day regarding the unfeasibility of the Jakarta North Coast Reclamation Project. She only said that she expected “nothing less” from a president that “has picked fights with anyone and everyone” and that after private bank owners, Freeport, and forest concessionaires, it must now be the turn of property developers.
At the Presidential Palace, Edi Sudrajat and Vice Presidential Secretary Komara Djaja held a joint press conference, both having emerged out of a meeting with the President. Edi and Komara announced that the ASEAN Summit would be held in Jakarta on 7th-8th October and that they both been respectively appointed as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the 2003 ASEAN Summit Prepatory Committee; the division of work being that Edi will be in charge of the organization of the event and Komara being in charge of the agenda of the event. On the question of whether or not the ASEAN Summit will be attended by ASEAN members only or whether it will be ASEAN + other nations, Edi said that this was a matter for the President.
8th June 2003:
Dressed in black, the President and First Lady Tuti Setiawati arrived at ABRI Headquarters at Cilangkap, East Jakarta today. They were welcomed by Commander of ABRI TB Hasanuddin who escorted them to ABRI Headquarters’ Gatot Subroto Hall. Amidst sad and sorrowful-looking officers from all four branches, the President paid his final respects at the coffin of Amirul Isnaeni who passed away that morning.
The President and Tuti spent some time with Amirul’s widow. Mrs. Hari Puji Lestari explained how until he lost consciousness, Amirul continued to analyze the intelligence coming his way up to and including the information the President became aware of during his recent trip to the Republic of Congo. The President smiled sadly at this.
There was mingling among the mourners. The President found himself chatting with TB Hasanuddin and ABRI Chief of Socio-Political Staff Saurip Kadi. Saurip forwarded the regional military commands’ observation in their respective jurisdictions that Akbar Tandjung’s supporters are holding gatherings.
“Based on these reports, we have reason to believe that Akbar Tandjung is gathering support for an Extraordinary National Congress where he intends to contest the chairmanship against the Chairwoman of the PKPB”, Saurip reported “But at the same time, Mr. President, the regional military commanders are asking for instructions about what their stance should be to all this?”
“Don’t get involved. You’re all busy trying to internally explain what the reforms to the territorial system are all about so that’s what you all should be focusing on right now rather than the PKPB’s internal affairs.”, said the President as Saurip had a look of both relief that he did not have intervene and realization that the President knew that something was going on.
Among the other mourners the President bumped into was Inspector General of ABRI Ryamizard Ryacudu who told the story of how Amirul had been ill since he was a major but had just chosen to ignore his illness.
9th June 2003:
Amirul’s military funeral at Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery, presided over by TB Hasanuddin, played on the television on mute at the President’s office. The President himself was having his meeting with Minister of Forestry Sapta Nirwandar. The two discussed the result of the President’s trip to the G-8 Summit which included information from the EU that the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan will be adopted this year. Sapta said that it will be a few years after adoption before the FLEGT is put in place as a scheme with its own distinctive license to which the President replied that this time should be use to continually improve the Legal Timber Certification Scheme the aim of complying to FLEGT standards and receiving an FLEGT license.
Sapta reported to the President about his recent trip to Malaysia. Sapta said that his explanation of the Legal Timber Certification Scheme was accepted well enough but his request for Malaysian cooperation to prevent illegal logging timber from crossing the border into Malaysia faced some “resistance”. Minister of Primary Industries Hishamuddin Hussein said that this was an Indonesian matter, saying that once timber has and is able to cross into the Malaysian border, it is difficult not to assume that those on the Indonesian side has allowed it through for whatever reason.
“Did you tell them we would gladly welcome it if they ban Indonesian logs from entering the country?” asked the President.
“I did, Mr. President”, Sapta said “But that’s out of the question and here, the minister rambled on about how it could be taken as Indonesia dictating what Malaysia can and cannot import…”
“I get it”, the President said “I understand.”
“Another way is that we can pressure the Japanese to stop taking in imported logs from Malaysia if they question whether it was legally logged or not…”, said Sapta “Maybe even China…”
The President can only smile sourly.
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With the funeral over, Mrs. Amirul and her children were still receiving condolences from those who had been present at the funeral. Amongst the crowd, Mrs. Amirul found herself face to face with Ari Sudewo.
“I beg leave, Mrs. Amirul, I have a flight to catch. I express again my condolences on the death of Lt. Gen. Amirul”, Ari said “He worked hard for this country, right until the very end.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Chief of BAKIN”, replied Mrs. Amirul before suddenly remembering something “Before I forgot, in the last few days…when Amirul was conscious, he wrote some things. It’s in a notepad…perhaps it will be of use…”
“Take your time, Mrs. Amirul”, interrupted Ari with a smile “Don’t worry about those kinds of things for now.”
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At Amirul’s residence, a car arrived bearing Amirul’s personal effects from the Army Hospital, where he had passed away, in a briefcase and some plastic bags. Two housemaids came to bring the items out of the car and it was at that point, that a notepad fell out of the plastic bag.
One of the housemaids came to collect it and opened it to see what was inside the notepad, there were some writings on it:
“GA and FRET at different parts of world but received training at almost same time, get field ops exp at almost same time, and heading out, for whatever they have prepared themselves for, at almost same time.
Coincidence or not?
We have some intel of GA and FRET experience aldy, intel of OP experience will be useful.
If OP experience same as other two= not coincidence= they are acting in sync with each other.
They are moving together not separately
Not three small rebellions but one big one…”
The housemaid picking up the notepad recognized her employer’s handwriting and placed the notepad in the plastic bag. The plastic bag was then stored in the residence, where it would become hidden and forgotten…
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The Presidential Decision approving the Jakarta North Coast Reclamation
https://www.ndaru.net/wp-content/peraturan/keppres/keppres_1995_52.pdf
The arguments put forward by Erna is based on
https://ppkl.menlhk.go.id/website/filebox/1027/210923104941BUKU M.R. KARLIANSYAH 2021.pdf pp. 82-85 of the book, pp.58-59 of the pdf file.
In OTL, Indonesia banned export of logs in 2001 and then Malaysia provided assistance by banning import of logs from Indonesia in 2002
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2064950.stm. ITTL Malaysia here making Indonesia realize that it needs Malaysia if it wants to get rid of illegal logging.
I wonder if there are moments like that between Try and Sapta around the world where the minister has narrower scope of focus and thus, fails to see the broader picture the president has to deal with……
Amirul passed away as in OTL though unlike his OTL he did not get a liver transplant. Ryamizard saying that Amirul has been sick since the latter was a major is based on OTL.
https://tokoh.id/biografi/1-ensiklopedi/seorang-intelijen-terbaik/