INVEST IN BULLSHIT

Anytime you want to catch up on Business in Indonesia it’s normally a good plan to pop across to see Yosef's blog. This week one of his commentators noted there was a distinct absence of "bule" at the latest piece of government invest in Indonesia wank. The Infrastructure Two Summit (this is the summit you have when your first was a dismal failure) was the Indonesian Government’s latest attempt to revive the long dead patient that is International Investment in Indonesia.

The Yosef's commentator suggests the lack of western interest was due to the rise in Chinese investment. I beg to differ; the more likely reason is most international business people can smell the stench of corruption and bullshit thousands of miles away.

Of course, international cases like the trial of Rich Ness hardly instill confidence.. Richard Ness is being charged over environmental crimes (As opposed to the mud brothers Grim), in the latest piece of one law for you and one for us.

Ness is currently facing ten years in prison and a US$60,000 fine. He is accused of polluting the environment and causing illnesses. However, over 30 independent studies (most notably the United Nation’s World Health Organisation, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Australia, and the National Institute for Minamata Disease) have repeatedly confirmed that there is no evidence of environmental damage and, most importantly, medical analysis has established that there is no incidence of arsenic or mercury poisoning among the local community.”

Although I have to disagree with his son Eric who said

"One of my biggest concerns is that the law hasn’t been followed. It sometimes feels like the law doesn’t matter."

Now that is simply untrue, Tempo only recently revealed that Indonesian legal system made Indonesian history this year with the conditional release of Tommy Suharto, the defendant in the murder case of Supreme Court Judge Syafiuddin Kartasasmita. In Indonesia’s history, remission of 38 months, like Tommy received, has never been granted, a new record.

I think it should be congratulations all round, nothing like setting legal history to inspire filth oops sorry typo..faith in the legal system.