Pancasila Democracy the Right Fit For Every One of Indonesia’s 240m

Since its independence in 1945, Indonesia has implemented three models of democracy. Liberal democracy was applied in 1950 to 1959, guided democracy was championed by President Sukarno in 1959 to 1965, and Pancasila democracy (democracy based on five basic principles) was formally labeled under President Suharto in 1966 to 1998.

Many Indonesians regarded liberal democracy as a failure because they saw it as incompatible with Indonesian culture. Liberal democracy was considered a Western tradition that stressed “one man, one vote,” while the Indonesian ideal emphasized consensus.

Most Indonesians believe that the individual exists in the context of his family. And the family is the building block of society. There are cultural differences between Western and Indonesian societies and these differences influence their understanding of democracy.

The central theme of liberal ideology is a commitment to the individual and a desire to construct a society in which people can satisfy their interests and achieve fulfillment. Liberals believe that human beings are individuals first and foremost and that they are endowed with reason. This implies that each individual should enjoy the maximum possible freedom.

Meanwhile, Indonesians believe human beings should pursue balance between individual and communal interests. In the past, all aspects of the individual’s life in Indonesia were regulated through structures and by coercive pressures, both formal and informal. In such a setting, organized opposition was not only out of place, but antisocial.

The guided democracy championed by Sukarno found its roots in the idealized version of simple village life. It was the “rediscovery of the treasure of the Indonesian people which had been buried by hundreds of years of foreign rule.” Unfortunately, its implementation was centralized in the hands of the president who monopolized ideological wisdom.

At the time, Sukarno acknowledged the authoritarian aspects of traditional Indonesian democracy. The key ingredient was “guidance.” To the “guide” fell the task of reconciling conflicting views into formulations that were palatable to each faction. Without strong leadership capable of synthesizing the final decision, the system failed.

The Pancasila democracy that prevailed during Suharto’s time in power was the antithesis to liberal democracy and guided democracy. Pancasila democracy is an ideal model for Indonesia since it is a mixture of Pancasila as an ideology or political belief and democracy as a system of government.

It is unfortunate that for more than three decades this model was used by the elites as a vehicle for accumulating power. The paradox is that Pancasila democracy was manipulated by an authoritarian government. By definition, authoritarianism is belief in or the practice of government “from above” in which authority is exercised over a population with or without its consent.

The existence of various models of democracy in Indonesia has given rise to an intellectual question on what kind of democracy is the best fit. From an academic perspective, political discourses have identified at least three types of democracy in the world: liberal democracy, social democracy, and totalitarian democracy.

According to the preamble of the 1945 Constitution, Indonesia is based on “democratic life led by the wisdom of thought in deliberation amongst representatives of the people.” It means that in any decision-making process, the representatives should prioritize musyawarah (deliberation) to attain mufakat (agreement).

Through musyawarah, the people reach mufakat without opposing views clashing with one another, or resolutions and counter-resolutions that might be forced upon them by a majority vote. It comes rather through a persistent effort to find common ground in solving a problem. Voting is legitimate when common ground cannot be achieved.

Besides deliberation leading to consensus, the preamble prescribed four other guiding principles by which democracy was to be applied: belief in one supreme God; just and civilized humanity; the unity of Indonesia; and social justice for all Indonesians. Therefore, the decision-making process for public policy in Indonesia should be in line with the holistic approach of Pancasila.

It is almost certain that Indonesian democracy differs from liberal democracy. In terms of cultural origins, liberal democracy is rooted in Western culture while Indonesian democracy has its own roots that emphasized the harmony between individual and communal interests. Gotong royong (mutual cooperation) is one of the underpinnings of Indonesian society that has to be preserved.

The other difference relates to the role of religion vis-a-vis the state. All liberal democratic states are secular in nature. Indonesia is neither a theocratic nor a secular state. It believes that God Almighty is a spiritual guide who drives everyday life.

As for social democracy, this system is relatively close to Pancasila democracy in terms of values. These two political ideologies are in the same camp in perceiving social justice and the role of the state in regulating economic and social life. When it comes to the issue of religion and the state, they have opposite views.

Pancasila democracy and totalitarian democracy cannot be compared. The essence of totalitarian democracy is absolute dictatorship, which runs contrary to Pancasila democracy. Indeed, Pancasila democracy is unique.

Most people are cynical of Pancasila democracy because in the past it was applied by an authoritarian regime. There was no genuine liberty and equality and the elites often showed little respect for human rights.

It is time to uphold a genuine Pancasila democracy for the betterment of the Indonesian people.

A. Agus Sriyono, Indonesia’s ambassador to New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga, is currently preparing a book titled “The Dynamics of Democratization in Developing Countries.” The opinions expressed here are his own.

The Orangutans Who Likes Smoking Moved to Isolation

 

Two orangutans at Taru Jurug Zoo, Surakarta, Central Java, have been forced to give up smoking after being relocated to an isolated area within the zoo.

According to the zoo’s president director Lilik Kristianto, the orangutans -- Tori,13, and Didik, 23 -- were relocated to an island in the zoo’s manmade lake on Saturday. “At first they looked anxious and drained, but after two days they looked better and have started to play in the trees on the 300-square-meter area,” Lilik said.

He added that after supervising the orangutans, it was concluded that they smoked only when people gave them cigarettes. “They are not yet addicted to smoking,” he said.

The two orangutans’ case was revealed after a local TV news program showed footage of orangutans at the zoo lighting one cigarette stub from another, like a chain-smoker.

Tori, who has resided at the zoo since a baby, was encouraged to smoke by visitors who often threw lit cigarettes into the apes’ enclosure on a daily basis. “We have supervised the visitors, but how can we control and warn them every time?” Lilik said.

On July 3, the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) from the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) took blood samples of Tori and Didik and discovered that they had hepatitis and tuberculosis. “We should focus on disciplining visitors. We have put up signs prohibiting visitors from throwing cigarettes into the apes’ enclosure, but they keep doing it when nobody is looking. They think smoking orangutans are funny, hence they do it over and over again without knowing that the outcome could be fatal,” COP conservation program coordinator Daniek Hendarto said.

He added that isolating Tori and Didik could be a permanent solution to keep them away from further harm. (iwa)

Hari Suwandi Sidoarjo Victim’s TV Apology to Bakrie is Shameful "What Wrong With You ?"

Hari Suwandi in caption

A Sidoarjo mud volcano victim’s tearful request for forgiveness from Aburizal Bakrie comes as a slap in the face to the rest of the victims of the disaster that has been widely blamed on a company linked to the business tycoon, a rights activist says.

Haris Azhar, executive coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday that he was shocked to hear the plea made by Hari Suwandi in an interview on Wednesday night on tvOne, a television station owned by Aburizal.

In the interview, Hari said he regretted his 25-day walk from Sidoarjo in East Java to Jakarta to protest against Aburizal, and added that he believed the Golkar Party chairman would eventually resolve the mud volcano problem in Sidoarjo.

“It’s not only a regretful statement, but also shameful,” Haris said.

“All of us at Kontras were shocked to see him on TV last night.”

Hari’s first stop upon arriving in Jakarta earlier this month was the Kontras office. Haris said Kontras welcomed him because of a recommendation from the group’s Surabaya office.

“We had people supporting and helping Hari to bring his protest here. But we had no idea whatsoever about his appearance on tvOne,” he said.

During the broadcast, Hari said he regretted all of his actions. He said that after 16 days of protesting in the capital and not getting a single government official to respond, he had changed his mind.

“At the moment, I’m sure and I believe that the Bakrie [family] will be able to resolve the problems in Sidoarjo, especially for the victims of the Lapindo, er, Sidoarjo mud,” he said.

“I, Hari Suwandi, and my family apologize to Aburizal Bakrie’s family for tarnishing his good name along my journey,” he added while sobbing.

Aburizal Bakrie, who owned oil and gas company PT Lapindo Brantas

Hari claimed he had been put up by others to undertake the protest against the lack of full compensation from Minarak Lapindo Jaya, a Bakrie-linked company, for the thousands of families displaced by the eruption of a mud volcano widely blamed on the drilling activities of a subsidiary company, Lapindo Brantas.

Paring Waluyo Utomo, a representative of the mud flow victims, also expressed shock at Hari’s unscheduled TV appearance and about-face.

He revealed that Hari had earlier told him that Andi Darussalam Tabussala, the Minarak vice president, had contacted him and wanted to discuss something.

“I told him to go meet [Andi]. But seeing him on TV, I was shocked. His family here are all disappointed and regret the statements,” Paring told the Globe by phone from Sidoarjo.

“Whatever Hari said, it doesn’t represent the views of the Lapindo mud victims. It’s his own ploy to get money.”

Paring, who helped organize Hari’s protest march, said he could not reach Hari by phone after the interview until late on Thursday.

He added he had heard reports that Hari had been paid off to make his statements on TV. “I heard that he will get Rp 5 million [$530] every month,” Paring said.

Hari could not be reached on Thursday by the Globe to confirm the allegation.

Kontras’s Haris said he regretted that Hari did not state explicitly in the interview whether he had been offered some sort of financial compensation over his statements or whether he had reached a deal with Minarak related to his claim in the Sidoarjo disaster.

Andi, who appeared during the interview alongside Hari, said there were many people trying to politicize the mud volcano disaster, particularly now that Aburizal had announced his candidacy for the 2014 presidential election. “The politicization is getting more frequent with regard to the mud issue,” he said.

Hari’s about-face, though, has already been seized on by other parties. Ruhut Sitompul, from the ruling Democratic Party, said the move could be linked to Aburizal’s attempt to present a clean image ahead of the polls.

“It’s a case that will hamper him in the election because East Java is one of the major voter bases,” he said

This is the video taped of TVOne Live interview Hari Suwandi on Wednesday (24/07/2012) night :

Here's an transcription of interview TVOne reporter Indiarto Priyadi with Hari Suwandi in Indonesian language :

Indiarto Priyadi (IP): Di sini ada Pak Hari Suwandi dengan tongkat kebesarannya. 25 Hari dalam perjalanan, dari Porong ke Jakarta. Di Jakarta juga berjalan kaki terus menerus dengan tongkat kebesarannya ini. Tongkat apa maknanya?

Hari Suwandi (HS): Ya. Tongkat ini satu kekuatan untuk melakukan jalan, sekaligus sebuah teman setia pada waktu saya melakukan perjalanan malam sendiri.

IP: Jadi bisa juga untuk mukul orang kalau ada orang nakal?

HS: Tidak juga.

IP: Pak Hari Suwandi melakukan perjalanan ke Wisma Bakrie, kemudian ke Istana presiden, tentu ada sebuah tujuan. Tercapai tujuannya?

HS: Yang jelas, tujuan kami sampai saat ini apalagi ke pemerintah., yang jelas, selama 16 hari kami di sini, tidak ada satu pun pemerintah yang menemui saya. Saya juga berubah pemikiran, karena kami manusia sudah dewasa, kami juga mempunyai berbagai sendiri. Yang intinya, kami sangat menyesali tindakan kami yang melakukan aksi jalan kaki dari Porong sampai Jakarta, dengan tujuan kami memohon kepada pemerintah segera menyelesaikan masalah ini. Tapi kenyataannya nggak bisa.

IP: Sebentar, Anda mengatakan menyesali perbuatan Anda berjalan kaki? Mengapa Anda menyesali?

HS: Karena untuk saat ini, saya yakin dan saya percaya bahwasanya keluarga besar Aburizal Bakrie mampu menyelesaikan suatu permasalahan yang ada di Sidoarjo, khususnya warga korban lumpur Lapindo, eh warga korban lumpur Sidoarjo, yang berada di Perpres 14/2007.

IP: Anda yakin untuk itu?

HS: Saya yakin sekali

IP: Anda menyatakan ini atas dasar apa? Apakah dipaksa, tertekan atau Anda...?

HS: Sekali lagi saya katakan. Saya manusia dewasa, dan saya tahu semua permasalahannya. Dan Aksi ini kami lakukan karena dorongan dari kawan-kawan yang tidak bertanggung jawab. Yg intinya saya hanya sebagai tameng.

IP: Anda mengatakan Anda didorong orang lain? Makanya anda berjalan dan Anda menyesali itu? Anda juga di beberapa tempat menyatakan meminta keluarga Aburizal Bakrie bertanggung jawab dan sebagainya? Anda menyesal mengatakan itu? Apakah Anda mengatakan ini dari dasar hati Anda?

HS: Saya betul-betul sangat-sangat menyesal sekali. Pada dasarnya keluarga Bakrie masih mampu menyelesaikan semua permasalahan di korban lumpur Sidoarjo tepat pada waktunya, dan kami sebagai manusia tak luput dari kesalahan kami. Saya Hari Suwandi sekeluarga memohon maaf sebesar-besarnya kepada keluarga besar Aburizal Bakrie, khususnya Bapak Aburizal Bakrie, yang mana dalam perjalanan saya dari Porong sampai ke Jakarta, saya banyak mencemarkan nama baik Aburizal Bakrie. Oleh sebab itu, saya sebagai manusia biasa, tak luput dari salah, sekali lagi saya ucapkan mohon maaf kepada Bapak Aburizal Bakrie, memohon maaf kepada semua keluarga besar Aburizal Bakrie dan saya ucapkan banyak-banyak terima kasih kepada keluarga Bakrie. Karena hanya keluarga Bakrielah yang bisa menyelesaikan semua permasalahan di Sidoarjo. Khususnya warga korban lumpur Sidoarjo yang berada di Perpres 14/2007 (Hari Suwandi menyampaikan kalimat ini sambil menangis).

Sekali lagi saya mohon maaf yang sebesar-besarnya kepada keluarga besar Aburizal Bakrie. Dan saya percaya bahwa keluarga Bakrie bisa menyelesaikan semua permasalahan yang ada di Sidoarjo.

IP: Mengapa Anda sampai menyampaikan seperti ini? Apakah ada keluarga Bakrie yang mendatangi Anda? Marah-marah atau menekan pada Anda?

HS: Gak juga. Kami sering melakukan aksi. Setiap kami melakukan aksi selalu mengolok-olokkan keluarga Bakrie, bahkan kami juga pernah datangi keluarga Bakrie., termasuk orangtuanya Bakrie. Searang kami sangat-sangat menyesal sekali.

IP: Bapak tidak pernah berpikir ini sebelumnya sebelum berangkat ke sini ?

HS: Yang jelas, saya tidak pernah berpikir sebelumnya karena kejadian ini reflek dan tiba-tiba. Saya punya inisiatif sendiri. Karena dorongan warga saya, setiap hari menangis dan meminta tolong kepada saya, tetapi ternyata mereka hanya menjadikan saya sebagai sebuah alat.

IP: Kalau kemudian tadi Anda mengatakan didorong orang-orang tertentu? Anda tahu siapa mereka?

HS: Yang jelas, kami tahu orangnya. Dan mungkin Pak Andi juga tahu siapa orangnya.

IP: Andi siapa?

HS: Bapak Andi Darussalam., pasti tahu orangnya. Yang jelas, saya juga minta maaf kepada Pak Andi. Karena Pak Andi sering berkoordiasi dengan kami. Dan pada saat ini, kami mungkin sudah lama gak ada koordinasi dengan Pak Andi. Mungkin saya diprovokasi oleh kawan-kawan, sehingga saya melakukan aksi seperti ini.

(Kemudian IP menghubungi Andi Darussalam yang sedang dirawat di Singapura. Perbincangan AP dengan Andi Darussalam cukup lama menanyakan tentang HS dan juga seluk beluk permainan dalam penyelesaian korban lumpur Sidoarjo).

IP: Pak Hari, Anda mengatakan minta maaf, merasa menjadi korban dari orang-orang yang mendorong Anda? Kalau selanjutnya apa yang hendak Anda lakukan? Anda akan kembali ke Porong Sidoarjo, kemudian apa? Jangan-jangan Anda akan dimarahi oleh banyak orang. Jangan-jangan media yang tidak suka dengan apa yang Anda lakukan sekarang akan bisa melawan Anda? Atau orang-orang yang sebeumnya mendorong Anda akan jadi lawan Anda?

HS: Terima kasih. Itu adalah risiko dari saya dan saya akan bisa mencounter apa yang mereka katakan. Yang jelas, saya berangkat dari Porong sampai Jakarta tidak ada dukungan siapa pun dan yang jelas datang dari Porong ke Jakarta atas inisiatif saya pribadi. Jadi saya tidak ada kendala warga akan marah ke saya, itu tidak ada.

IP: Anda sebelumnya ngomong bahwa Anda didorong-dorong orang tertentu?

HS: Yang jelas, hanya sebagian kecil satu dua orang saja. Itu pun mereka tidak ada komitmen, untuk memberi penyemangat saya, pada waktu saya jalan kaki. Telepon atau SMS saja, mereka tidak pernah. Jadi saya hanya jadi alat permainan mereka. Sekali lagi saya tidak ada ganjalan dalam hati saya, walaupun perjuangan saya ke Jakarta ini tidak berhasil.

IP: Terakhir. Apa yang Anda lakukan?

HS: Yang jelas, yang saya lakukan, saya akan kembali ke kampung saya di Desa Tulangan, dan melakukan aktivitas sehari-hari.

(IP mewawancarai Andi Darussalam lagi dan meminta tanggapan Andi Darussalam terkait dengan permintaan maaf HS kepada keluarga Bakrie)

IP: Semua baik-baik saja? Ibu, baik-baik saja?

HS: Alhamdulillah baik semua.

IP: Habis ini kembali bertani? Atau bisnis apa yang dilakukan di sana?

Untuk sementara kami masih nganggur. Kemungkinan dalam waktu dekat, kami akan merantau juga untuk mencari kehidupan baru , dan juga saya ucapkan banyak-banyak terima kasih karena aset istri saya sudah terbayar lunas, Pak (sambil tersenyum). Jadi istri saya sudah terbayar lunas pada tahun 2009. Ini pun menunjukkan bahwa keluarga Bakrie memiliki komitmen untuk menyelesaikan semua warga korban lumpur di Sidoarjo. Ini terbukti aset istri saya sudah dibayar lunas.

IP: Terima kasih Bu, terima kasih Pak, sudah duduk di sini memperjelas situasi. Selamat jalan sampai tujuan, dan membereskan segala sesuatunya.

Lapindo Victims Mudflow, Hari Suwandi Walk 847 Kilometers From Sidoarjo to Jakarta Looking For Justice

Hari Suwandi walked to Jakarta all the way from East Java to protest Lapindo escaping responsibility for the Sidoarjo mudflow

It was a long, long journey from Sidoarjo to Jakarta, but for Hari Suwandi and Hartowiyono, the journey was the least they could do after years of unsuccessful attempts to obtain the remaining compensation promised by oil and gas company Lapindo Brantas.

“We’ve come 847 kilometers to see the President to ask about the compensation that was promised by Lapindo and we are not going home until we’ve met the President,” Hari told reporters on Monday.

Hari Suwandi, 44, from Kedung Bendo, Tanggulangin, Sidoarjo, East Java is one of the thousands victims of the mudflow, triggered by drilling conducted by Lapindo Brantas, that submerged parts of the regency six years ago.

Lapindo, Sidoarjo - East Java

Hari, who set off from Sidoarjo accompanied by his friend Hartowiyono, 42, on June 14, walked to Jakarta, where he arrived on July 8.

“We are urging the President to push Lapindo to pay the compensation as promised,” Hari said in a press conference, adding that he was planning also to see lawmakers at the House of Representatives, as well as Aburizal Bakrie, who owned Lapindo Brantas.

Lapindo Brantas, through its subsidiary company PT. Minarak Lapindo Jaya has paid only Rp 2.9 trillion (US$308 million) of Rp 3.8 trillion in required compensation to 4,129 victims from four villages in Sidoarjo: Siring, Jatirejo, Kedung Bendo and Renokenongo.

Minarak Lapindo Jaya said in a written statement in April that they could only afford to pay Rp 400 billion of the of Rp 900 billion outstanding compensation. The statement stipulated that the payments were to commence in June and be completed by December.

“It’s July already and they haven’t even started to pay the Rp 400 billion, when they actually have to pay Rp 900 billion,” Hari said.

Sinung Karto of The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said that Lapindo should compensate the mudflow victims for more than just their property.

“Lapindo is also responsible for the victims’ loss of economic rights. These people not only lost their homes, but also their livelihoods and their social standing, which should be accommodated within the total compensation,” said Sinung.

Hari Suwandi used to work as a bag handcrafter in Sidoarjo with a total revenue of between Rp 3 million and Rp 4 million per month. The disaster not only took away his livelihood, but also his entire future as a businessman.

“My machines had a total value of Rp 40 million, but they are not considered assets that can be compensated by Lapindo. They only want to pay us for land and buildings,” said the father of three.

Hari’s friend Hartowiyono used to have a teak wood and motorcycle business in Jatirejo, Sidoarjo. He lost his entire assets valued at Rp 426 million in the mudflow.

“I received only the first 20 percent of compensation in 2007, that amounted to only Rp 85.6 million,” Hartowiyono said. He said that since 2007, he had not received the rest of compensation that was promised.

“We are here to voice the plight of the victims who have been forgotten by the government,” Hari said.

According to Khalisah Khalid of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Walhi and Kontras are currently preparing legal back up and seeking ways for Hari and Hartowiyono to meet the President.

“We are trying the best we can so they can meet the President but all that we can do for now is to allow them to meet the legislators,” Khalisah said on Tuesday.

Non-governmental organizations have slammed the government for spending excessively from the state budget to pay for the mudflow mitigation efforts.

The government has spent Rp 6.7 trillion on compensation and reconstruction, and has budgeted Rp 500 billion for 2012 for the same purpose against Lapindo Brantas’ payment of only Rp 2.8 trillion in compensation.

In total, the government is expected to spend more than Rp 9 trillion by 2014 for the Lapindo disaster.

Indonesia to Sue English Football Club Everton

Malaysian U-22 players training at Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)

Jakarta (AFP) - The organizers behind Indonesia’s Java Cup said Wednesday they will sue English football club Everton and Turkey’s Galatasaray after the teams withdrew from the tournament.

Everton said on Tuesday it was forced to abandon plans to play the pre-season tournament, stating “unresolved issues mean that the risk of travelling was too great”.

The withdrawal came one day after Galatasaray, forcing the inaugural Java Cup, which was scheduled for July 26--29, to be postponed indefinitely.

“[The] consequences of the cancellation for Everton is [they] pay back all the damages,” Patrick Mbyaya, a lawyer representing the tournament, told a press conference.

“We will also contact the England Football Association to give disciplinary [sanctions] to Everton. If they refuse to pay back, we’ll take this to the Court of Arbitration for Sports [in Switzerland],” he said.

The lawyer added the same applied to Galatasaray.

Widjajanto, chief executive of The Liga Prima Indonesia Sportindo (LPIS) which organized the event, said: “This withdrawals are very odd and we really regretted their decision... the investors clearly suffered a big loss of money.”

The organizer showed to reporters a letter dated July 25 from the English Premier League’s chairman David Richards as the first official notification that Everton would not attend the event.

The letter said: “Both Everton and the Barclays Premier League deeply regret that their involvement in the competition in Jakarta will not be possible.

“The club’s decision to stay here in the UK was not meant to show any disrespect to neither your country, the Indonesian Football Association nor any of the other stakeholders involved in the competition,” Richards said.

The tournament, which was to include an Indonesian XI and a Malaysian XI, had been scheduled to be held at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno stadium, scene of a deadly stampede in November and fatal clashes between fans in May.

The latest events provide further embarrassment for Indonesian football, which has long been mired in controversy and was threatened with suspension by world body FIFA following the launch of a rebel league.

Agence France-Presse

London 2012 Olympics kicks off with football

The first event of the Olympics is to kick off later, two days before the official opening ceremony.

The Team GB women's football side will get 18 days of sport under way at 16:00 BST when they take on New Zealand at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. Designated Games Lanes - covering about 30 miles of roads and off limits to the public - come into operation in London. And government lawyers will be in court to try to block a public sector workers strike on the eve of the Games. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will join Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan in Cardiff for the first event of the 2012 Games.

Team GB coach Hope Powell said opening the Games was a "great honour" and would hopefully give people "a greater appreciation of how good women's football actually is". And captain Casey Stoney said she hoped the fixture could "raise the profile of women's football". "It's a global thing, not just for our nation, and hopefully we can put on a good show - but we are just focused on getting the job done." Team GB drew 0-0 against Sweden in their final warm-up fixture at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium last Friday.

Relative unknowns Cameroon and heavily fancied Brazil will take each other on at the stadium after the GB game, and four other matches in the same competition are also taking place later in the day at Hampden Park in Glasgow and the City of Coventry Stadium.

The Olympic Route Network (ORN), made up of 175 miles of roads connecting up the main Olympic venues across the country, comes into force on Wednesday. It is designed to make it easier for athletes and officials to get around the Games and has seen junctions blocked off, bus stops moved and parking bays suspended.

As part of the ORN, the designated Games Lanes in London will be in operation between 06:00 and midnight and only open to VIPs, athletes and accredited media. Ordinary motorists going into the lanes face fines of £130. In the High Court, the government is to argue for an injunction to prevent public sector workers, including immigration and passport workers at Heathrow and other airports, taking strike action on Thursday. Thousands of spectators are expected to arrive at Heathrow Airport on that day.

The Home Office says it believes there was a "procedural error" in the ballot of members of the Public and Commercial Services union. But the PCS said it was "confident" the strike was legal and would happen.

The government insists contingency plans are in place in the event of industrial action. Meanwhile, the final dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony is due to take place at the Olympic Stadium. And the Olympic flame will visit Wembley Stadium as day 68 of the torch relay travels 30 miles through the London boroughs of Harrow, Brent, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey.

England's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks, Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, and decathlete gold medallist Daley Thompson will be among the torchbearers. BBC News

The Original Named of Indonesia

Map of Indonesia

In India, the Dutch colonial period it appears the name of Indonesia. First used by two Englishmen, namely George Samuel Windsor Earl, a lawyer born in London, who with James Richardson Logan, a Scottish-born lawyer, wrote an article as much as 96 pages in the Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia No. 4, 1850, under the title "The Ethnology of the Indian Archipelago: Embracing Enquiries into the Continental Relations of the Indo-Pacific Islanders." They named the Dutch population-western India who came Proto-Malay (Melayu old) and Deutero-Malay (Melayu young), as Indunesians (Indu, the Latin, meaning: India; sia, as long as he is nesos, Greek, meaning: islands). While people in the eastern part of India and the Netherlands into the category of Melanesians (Mela = black. islands of Melanesia = black people). Therefore, the Earl himself and then tend to use the term Malay-nesians, to call the Dutch population-western India. Logan then change Indunesia into Indonesia (Indos and Nesos, both derived from the Greek) in his writings on the Journal.

Adolf Bastian, as well as German a doctor and ethnologist, who popularized the name of Indonesia when it published a report of travel and research in Berlin, which published the work of five volumes (1864-1894) entitled "Indonesien, oder die Inseln des malaysischen Archipels" (German , meaning: "Indonesia, or the islands of the Malay archipelago"). Volume I titled the Moluccas, Volume II East and Surrounding Islands, vol III and Surrounding Regions Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi Volume IV, Volume V of Java and Closures. Since the first until now, scientists prefer to use the term European / Latin or Greek word for naming things in connection with the scientific, as well as to call the race of residents on area of ​​Malaya and the Dutch parts of western India.

Eduard Douwes Dekker, in his book "Max Havelaar" said India -Dutch with the name Insulinde, variations in the Dutch language for India Islands. When Indische Partij (India party)), founded by his nephew was banned by the Dutch Government of India in 1913, its members founded the Party Insulinde.

Well Indunesian, Indonesien or Insulinde all means India Islands, to show the identity of the native who live in the western part of India-Dutch, while living in the east-Flores, Timor, Maluku and Papua, in fact are the people Melanesia (the islands black people). Which included the first use of the word Indonesia in the early 20's was the Association of Indonesia in the Netherlands, Sam Ratu Langie and the Communist Party of Indonesia.
 

So Indonesia said that until now used by the Republic of Indonesia it means none other than: India Islands.
Other than Indonesia, which uses the name "created" by the British and later popularized by the Germans, also Phillipina (Philippines), which still uses the name of colonial heritage. When the people of Spain controlled the territory, as the dedication to the king of Spain, Phillip, the colony was named Philippina.

Many countries after independence to rename the "created" or administered by the colonial, such as Ceylon became Sri Lanka, Burma became Myanmar, Indo-China into Vietnam, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, Gold Coast became Ghana, South-West Africa to Namibia, etc..
 

So if these people agreed to leave the name was created by Europeans, then Indonesia is not the first country to change the name of the heritage the colonial period.

Old Female Worker Was Killed by a Sumatran Tiger in Indonesia

Sumatran tiger

A Sumatran tiger attacked and killed a palm oil plantation worker in Indonesia, a conservation official said Tuesday, underlining the growing problem of human-animal conflicts.

Animals including tigers and elephants are coming into closer contact with people in Indonesia as forests are destroyed for timber or to make way for crops such as palm oil.

The 18-year-old female worker was killed Friday in the village of Indragiri Hulu, Riau, said provincial conservation agency chief Bambang Dahono Aji.

“Some of her co-workers were there when the tiger attacked the worker and tore her apart,” he said.

He added that about two weeks ago a Sumatran tiger was killed in the vicinity after getting snared in a trap villagers set to catch wild boars.

Estimates of the number of Sumatran tigers remaining in the world range from 300 to 400. Several die each year as a result of traps, poaching or other human actions.

Agence France-Presse

Jakarta: Indonesia's FPI Speaks Out Against Excessive Loudspeaker Use During Ramadan

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in blue dress, visits Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta during her visit to Jakarta on July 10. (Antara Photo/Andika Wahyu)

In a move few could have predicted, Indonesia’s hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) threw their support on Wednesday behind calls to curb the excessive use of loud speakers by mosques during Ramadan.

“It is indeed better that mosques adjust their loud speakers when reciting the Koran, so as not to disturb other people, especially if the reciters can’t recite fluently or don’t understand what they are reading, lest there be negative comments from others,” the head of the Jakarta office of the FPI, Habib Salim bin Umar Alatas, told beritasatu.com on Wednesday.

Central Kalimantan’s deputy governor Achmad Diran asked local mosques on Wednesday to refrain from blasting their speakers sporadically throughout the day. The call to prayer — or azan — is commonly broadcast over a mosque’s loudspeakers five times a day. But during Ramadan, many mosques broadcast Koran recitations and the azan repeatedly throughout the day.

“Don’t use loud speakers when reciting the Koran. Take pity on people of different faiths who want to rest,” Achmad said during an event in Palangkaraya on Wednesday.

The Jakarta branch of the FPI — usually known for inciting angry protests against “immoral” culture — surprisingly agreed.

“If they recite well and understand what they read, then [using loud speakers] should be okay; it might even inspire remorse to those who hear it. But please don’t be too loud, and do it only during the day not at night,” Salim said.

During evening hours, Muslims should recite the Koran at home instead of airing the speech through loudspeakers, Salim said.

He said Muslims should respect people of different faiths and take care to not disturb others when performing their religious obligations.

“The point is don’t disturb [others]. Muslims should respect others,” Salim said.

Devout Muslims in Indonesia take care to focus on religious activities during the fasting month of Ramadan. Good deeds like recitation of the Koran, fasting and visiting the mosque for evening prayers (“tarawih”) take on a special significance during Ramadan, when pious acts are given more weight than during other months in the year.

The Real Winner in Jakarta's Elections

Prabowo Subianto. (JG Photo/File)

The ground has shifted in Jakarta and one wonders if the nation is far behind.

I took my own informal poll ahead of Wednesday’s gubernatorial election. As an expat, I can rarely be accused of having my finger on the pulse of the nation, but I asked friends, waiters, office workers, the odd taxi driver and my daughter’s nanny who they were going to vote for and Jokowi was the name I heard over and over.

“He’s a good man, simple. He’s real,” said an office colleague when I asked why she was casting her lot with Solo Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

By contrast, the current governor, Fauzi Bowo, seemed almost a sad figure as he went through the race saddled with the disappointment of people who are sick of traffic, pollution and chaos and believe the governor ought to fix the city’s problems.

Backed by the ruling Democratic Party, Fauzi seemed like yesterday’s man, shrouded fairly or unfairly in the same air of indecisiveness and drift that has raised the hackles of many people against the current national leadership.

So the unofficial count of 43 percent for Jokowi to about 34 percent for the incumbent seemed about right, even if the conventional wisdom ahead of the election said Fauzi had the advantage in terms of name recognition and organization.

As the Sept. 20 runoff between the two comes into view, it is likely that Jokowi will have the momentum. One imagines he will easily get the support of voters drawn to the other reform-minded candidates, third-place Hidayat Nur Wahid, with about 12 percent, and independent economist Faisal Basri, who came in fourth with about 5 percent.

In the race against Fauzi, Jokowi has something going for him that actually matters in a democracy: he excites people and gives them hope. For now, it doesn’t matter that Jakarta itself may be basically ungovernable. Its problems — from street gangs to crowded roads to lack of clean water — run so deep into the fabric of an overstretched and long-mismanaged city that it is unfair to blame Fauzi for the lack of progress or to expect that Jokowi, should he win, will be able to fix things. It may be enough for now to give Jakarta’s citizens a fresh face and a new approach.

But of course, the race for the tough job of running Jakarta is much more than a local contest and the biggest winner on Wednesday was retired Gen. Prabowo Subianto, whose Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) party joined forces with Megawati Sukarnoputri’s PDI-P to back Jokowi and his running mate, ethnic Chinese politician Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama. How odd. Suddenly the mantle of change, decisiveness and reform is on the shoulders of Prabowo. In the strange world of politics, this is starting to amount to a seismic shift.

The hard-man of 1998, Prabowo once symbolized the worst excesses of the New Order. An in-law of Suharto, a tough Army officer with a brutal reputation despite his blue-blood Javanese family, Prabowo was a man to be feared at home and ostracized abroad as an alleged human rights violator. His name as the former commander of the Special Forces was associated with kidnapping, urban riots and fears that he was trying to usurp the presidency.

But in one race, he has elevated himself above the other contenders for president while also leading recent opinion polls. By backing Jokowi, Prabowo puts himself in the camp of the downtrodden. And by engineering a ticket that includes Ahok in the No. 2 slot, he helps ease lingering fears that he is anti-Chinese. This latter point is crucial. When Ahok moved to Gerindra from the Golkar Party to join the ticket, it was a sign that Prabowo was serious about putting the minds of the Chinese community at ease.

Should this prove to be a harbinger of the 2014 presidential race, we can see the Prabowo approach quite clearly: First, align yourself with reform and populist sentiment. Then build the necessary bridges to the elite business community, which is dominated by ethnic Chinese, to secure the financial support necessary to make a campaign go.

It all makes 1998 seem like a very long time ago.

A. Lin Neuman, Founding editor of the Jakarta Globe, is the host of the "Insight Indonesia" talk show on BeritaSatuTV.

Jakarta : Garuda forms partnership with Liverpool FC

Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has signed a sponsorship deal with English Premier League (EPL) club Liverpool FC and Athletic Grounds Ltd., the owner of Liverpool FC, for next season.

Garuda is given the right to be the “Official Partner of Liverpool Football Club” and the “Official Global Airline Partner of Liverpool Football Club.

A number of six-minute advertisement videos about Garuda Indonesia will be broadcast during matches at the Reds’ home ground, Anfield, for the 2012-2013 season starting on Aug. 19 with the first EPL match.

Garuda marketing director, Elisa Lumbantoruan, said the airline took the opportunity as Anfield Stadium hosted a number of high profile matches.

The agreement is expected to assist Garuda expand its international market as well as trim the airline’s advertisement expenses.

“It is cheap when compared to placing advertisements on television to be seen by the entire population of the Earth.” she said.

Elisa said the flag carried had looked into cooperation with other clubs but refused to reveal which clubs.

In its regulatory filing, Garuda also announced its capital expenditure of US$400 million which would be used mostly to develop its fleet in addition to repaying pre-delivery payment and security deposit fees on leased aircraft.

This year Garuda plans to add 21 more aircraft of which 11 will go to the flag carrier and the remaining 10 to low-cost carrier subsidiary Citilink. The Jakarta Post

Jakarta : It’s Fauzi vs Jokowi on Sept. 20

Out-of-towner Joko “Jokowi” Widodo finished first in Wednesday’s Jakarta gubernatorial election and will face incumbent Governor Fauzi Bowo in a runoff on Sept. 20, according to a number of quick counts by several pollsters.

A quick count by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) showed that Jokowi — who is the incumbent mayor of Surakarta, Central Java — garnered 42.74 percent of the votes, followed by Fauzi with 33.57 percent.

Kompas daily’s quick count results said that Jokowi gathered 42.59 percent of votes, while Fauzi racked up 34.32 percent. Another quick count, released by Indo Barometer, said Jokowi won 42.24 percent and Fauzi 33.77 percent.

Unlike other regions, the capital city requires candidates to secure more than 50 percent of votes
to win the election. The Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) will announce the official election result either on July 19 or 20.

Previous surveys predicted that Jokowi and Fauzi would be the candidates to square off in a second round of voting, but with the latter securing first place with a result far above the other five contenders.

LSI executive director Burhanuddin Muhtadi said that the surprise outcome, in which the out-of-towner surpassed the incumbent, was the result of a combination of factors.

“Clearly Jokowi was able to attract voters from outside his party’s constituents. This shows that elite politicians do not wield strong influence,” Burhanuddin said.

Jokowi and running mate Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama are supported by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the third largest faction at the City Council with 11 seats out of the 94 seats, and the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) with six seats.

 

Fauzi and running mate Nachrowi Ramli are supported by the Democratic Party, the largest faction at the Council with 32 seats and a number of smaller parties.

A senior LSI researcher, Saiful Mujani, argued that the media had allowed Jokowi an advantage by framing him as a mayor with good achievements and leadership skills.

“Surprisingly, Jokowi also managed to attract Muslim voters. Non-Muslims are already attracted to Jokowi because his running mate, Basuki, is a Christian.”

Fauzi, unlike Jokowi, had been one of the candidates with the least public appearances. He had been largely absent in public debates against other candidates. Fauzi had also decided to not use his time to meet supporters during the official period, relegating the task to running mate Nachrowi.

Late on Wednesday, Jokowi said he planned to seek more support for the runoff.

The candidates said that they had made an informal agreement to forge a coalition against the incumbent should the election go into a second round. But not a single candidate talked about such a deal on Wednesday.

Hidayat Nur Wahid, who is backed by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said that he would let his party decide if it would endorse Jokowi in the run-off. Separately, Fauzi had refused to comment on his strategy to win the runoff. “The runoff is not yet official. We will discuss this matter internally and we will take all necessary steps to win the election,” Fauzi said.

South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin admitted he was on the losing side in the election, pointing to the fact that results released by various quick counts would not deviate much from the election’s actual outcome.

The Jakarta Post

Jakarta : Jokowi Leads Unofficial Counts in Jakarta Governor's Race

Jakarta governor candidate Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo (second front left) and Basuki T. ‘Ahok’ Purnama (front second right) cheer with supporters on Jl. Borobudur, in Jakarta, on Wednesday July 11, 2012. According to preliminary results released by the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) Jokowi was in the lead with 42.3 percent of the votes. (Antara Photo/Prasetyo Utomo)

Solo Mayor and Jakarta governor hopeful Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has pulled ahead of incumbent Governor Fauzi Bowo according to preliminary election results released by two polling agencies.

Jokowi took the lead in the race with 43 percent of the votes, according to a quick count by private pollster Indonesia Survey Circle.

Fauzi trailed behind with 34 percent of the votes, according to the pollsters count.

Unofficial counts conducted by Puskaptis and produced similar results.

With neither of the leading candidates winning more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will likely decide the winner.

Fauzi’s camp assured supporters that the race wasn’t over. The incumbent said he was betting on the second round.

Opinion polls predicted the contest would be a two-man race between Jokowi and Fauzi.

The incumbent is backed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s ruling Democratic Party.

Jokowi is supported by the party of Prabowo Subianto, a strong contender for the 2014 presidential race, and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Alex Noerdin, the candidate backed by tycoon and 2014 presidential hopeful Aburizal Bakrie's Golkar Party, came fifth with only 4.4 percent voters garnered, the Indonesia Survey Circle quick count showed.

“This is... a test case arena for political parties ahead of 2014, whether their political machine is working,” said Abdullah Dahlan from the political corruption division of Indonesia Corruption Watch.

Fauzi’s challengers have complained that voter lists are flawed, an issue that many worry could be a significant factor in the 2014 presidential polls.

“The voter registration issue is a chronic problem all over Indonesia because there is no agency that can accurately list the names of the voters,” said Jakarta-based analyst Achmad Sukarsono of the International Crisis Group.

Some voters complained of difficulty casting their vote. Yovita Sutanto said an organizer asked her to pay cash for cigarettes in exchange for her voting card.

“It is not a matter of the cigarettes because I could afford it,” she told Reuters. “It just amazes me how the bureaucracy here expects money for the work they are expected to do.”  

Southeast Asia’s most populous city — where modern skyscrapers often rise above slums and shantytowns without piped water — is weighed down by corruption, and a bare-bones public transportation system.

At least 1,000 new vehicles are added every day to about eight million already on the roads, where street children and beggars knock on the windows of cars that barely-move during rush hour.

According to the private Indonesian Transportation Society, traffic in the capital of the world’s largest Muslim-majority country is destined to turn into a massive gridlock by 2014.

Most people in the capital — whose official 10 million population doubles with migrant workers on weekdays — get around in jam-packed buses.

Voters, enjoying a public holiday declared for the election, said they hoped the incoming governor would help solve some of their most pressing problems during his five-year term.

“I’m going to vote for Joko because I want to see changes,” parking attendant Supriyatna, 35, told AFP.

“Bowo promised an MRT [city railway network], no flooding, no jams. There’s still no MRT, I still walk around in knee-deep floods whenever it rains. I’m always late for work because of the traffic. These must stop.”

Official election results are expected next week.

JG/AFP/Reuters

F1, Marussia Test Driver Maria De Villota fighting for her life after crash ahead of British GP

Maria De Villota

Spanish Formula One driver Maria De Villota was fighting for her life on Tuesday after suffering serious injuries during a crash in testing for the Marussia team.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said De Villota had sustained "life-threatening injuries" in the early morning crash at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire.

Marussia confirmed in a statement that the 32-year-old test driver from Madrid had been transferred to hospital after her car collided with a support vehicle during a test lap.

"At approximately 9.15am (0815 GMT) this morning, the Marussia F1 Team's Test Driver Maria De Villota had an accident in the team's MR-01 race car at Duxford Airfield where she was testing the car for the first time," Marussia said.

"The accident happened at the end of her first installation run and involved an impact with the team's support truck.

"Maria has been transferred to hospital. Once her medical condition has been assessed a further statement will be issued."

BBC radio presenter Chris Mann, who witnessed the crash, said De Villota's car had ploughed into the truck after suddenly accelerating.

"She got into the car, fired it up and did a test run at probably about 200mph in the rain," Mann said.

"The car was slightly misfiring but there didn't seem to be any concerns.

"She came back into the area we were in with the engineers. She slowed down but then suddenly, inexplicably accelerated through the crowd and smashed into the side of the truck.

"The top of her car and her helmet seemed to take the brunt of it.

"She didn't move for about 15 minutes.

"Fire crews were there within seconds and the ambulance within minutes.

"After a while we thought we saw some movement of her hands but she appeared to be unconscious or unable to move for quite some time."

De Villota, the daughter of former Spanish Formula One driver Emilio De Villota, was given a test drive by Renault last year and has previously raced in Spanish Formula Three and the Daytona 24 Hours.

Women drivers remain a rarity in Formula One.

In April this year Williams signed German touring car driver Susie Wolff as the team's development driver.

The last woman to enter the F1 world championship was Italian Giovanna Amati, who failed to qualify for three races at the start of the 1992 season with Brabham.

Five women have entered F1 races in the past, the most prolific being Italian Lella Lombardi, who started 12 grands prix in the 1970s.

Marussia began racing in 2010 under the Virgin banner. The team rebranded as Marussia in 2012, with Charles Pic driving alongside Timo Glock.

The team has struggled to make any impression on the championship however, failing to score any points this season.

AFP

Harvest Peaks, Indonesia's Sumatera Robusta Ready Boosting Exports

Coffee-bean exports from Indonesia’s Sumatra island, the main growing area in the world’s third-largest robusta producer, surged 58 percent in June from a month earlier as the main harvest neared its peak.    

Shipments from Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra provinces climbed to 14,719 metric tons from 9,313 tons in May, according to data from the Lampung trade and industry office today. Sales were 17,914 tons in June last year.    

Rising supplies from Indonesia may help to halt this year’s 18 percent rally in the price of the bitter-tasting robusta variety that’s used in instant drinks and espressos, potentially easing costs at companies including Nestle SA.    

“Farmers have already picked about 85 percent of crops on the higher-lying areas,” Mochtar Luthfie, head of research and development at the Lampung branch of the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters and Industry, said in an interview. The main harvest will peak in July, with smaller quantities continuing until September, he added.

The beans were shipped from Panjang port in Lampung to 26 countries last month including Japan and Italy, data showed. First-half sales plunged 60 percent to 50,664 tons. Lampung, Bengkulu and South Sumatra represent 75 percent of supplies from Indonesia, which ranks third behind Vietnam and Brazil.    

The country may harvest 10 million to 11 million bags in the 2012-2013 season, up from 7 million to 8 million bags a year earlier, the Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute estimated on March 7. Production will rise because the weather was favorable during flowering, the institute said. A bag usually weighs 60 kilograms (132 pounds).    

September-delivery robusta futures dropped as much as 0.6 percent to $2,122 a ton on the NYSE Liffe Exchange in London, and traded at $2,127 at 3:45 p.m. in Jakarta.

Bloomberg

Bravo Spain : Spain Make History to Retain European Title

 

Spain on Sunday retained their European championship title in style, beating Italy 4-0 in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to become the first side to complete back-to-back wins in the competition’s 52-year history.

Manchester City’s David Silva opened the scoring in the 14th minute, heading home a pinpoint cross from Barcelona’s Cesc Fabregas, after a fired-up Spain, earlier accused of playing a “boring” possession game, came out all guns blazing.

Jordi Alba made it two on 41 minutes after he ran onto a sublime through-ball from his new Barca team-mate Xavi Hernandez and slotted a left-foot shot past the advancing Gianluigi Buffon.

Fernando Torres — who scored in Spain’s 1-0 Euro 2008 final win against Germany four years ago — made it three with six minutes left while his Chelsea colleague Juan Mata made it four on 88 minutes.

“La Furia Roja” are now the only side to have won three consecutive major titles, with European wins either side of their World Cup victory in 2010.

Tens of thousands of people young and old thronged the streets of Rome and Madrid to watch the game on giant screens, with both historic capitals a sea of green, white and red Italian tricolors and red and yellow Spanish flags.

But it was Spanish fans who erupted at the final whistle in scenes of wild celebration that brought unbridled joy to a nation struggling with recession.

The final was the 31st match in three weeks of football involving 16 teams in Poland and Ukraine, which despite misgivings before the start of the tournament, has generally been considered to have gone well.

Before the competition started, there were fears about the readiness of the eight match venues and other infrastructure as well as high travel and accommodation prices for fans, particularly in Ukraine.

Racism was also a worry, amid claims that far-right gangs were rife in football grounds in both countries, while Ukraine also faced a boycott from European nations over the alleged mistreatment of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Some racist chanting from foreign fans and violent clashes between Poland and Russia fans were seen and organizers courted controversy at the last by inviting the controversial Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to the final.

But the worst fears have not materialized, allowing the focus to remain mostly on the pitch, with high-quality matches attracting record television viewing figures in Europe and around the world.

UEFA president Michel Platini told reporters he felt proud of both co-hosts, while Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said it had been an “honor” to stage the competition.

“It seems to me that we’ve succeeded,” he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

“Even though the Polish and Ukrainian teams aren’t playing in the final, one thing’s clear: Poland and Ukraine have won Euro 2012,” added Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski.

Poland and Ukraine are hoping to reap the benefits from holding such a “mega-event”, particularly in tourist revenues, with Euro 2012 helping to shatter myths of the former communist east European nations being cold and inhospitable.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 foreign fans by independent pollsters PBS indicated that 73 percent said they would come back to Poland within three years, while 89 percent said they would recommend Warsaw to family and friends.

Some even compared Euro 2012 to the ground-breaking recognition of the Solidarity trade union led by Lech Walesa in 1980 that triggered a wave of anti-communist sentiment and ultimately played a part in the collapse of the eastern bloc.

The next competition will be held in four years’ time in France.

Agence France-Presse