Indonesia has had a very good run over the past decade. But, we will
face a massive economic machine in this year, The ASEAN Economic Community
(AEC) 2015. As we approach the AEC 2015 , it’s worrying to see so litle being
discussed about the opening up of trade, investment, and people flows within
Assosiaciation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). With litle debate over cost
and benefits, there is rising concern that time is running out on how best to
take advantage of AEC’s opportunities and minimize it’s threats.
Free trade commitments
have become important, not only because Indonesia wants to but also because
Indonesia is a part of ASEAN. Free trade is not only used to appease partner
countries, it’s also a tool for Indonesia to expand it’s market abroad.
Everyone talking about our economic and forget something important as a obligation
of democratic states. On democratization, we have to guarantee and protect the
human rights, especially the rights of people with dissabilities in AEC 2015.
The data based on WHO/World Bank 2011 World Report, People with disabilities make up
around 15 per cent of the global population over 1 billion people with the
majority living in developing countries. At least 785 million are of working
age. Besides placing persons with disabilities at a higher risk of poverty, these
patterns combine to bring about significant social and economic losses,
estimated at between 3 and 7 per cent of GDP in an ILO pilot study of ten low and
middle income developing countries. Compared to nondisabled persons, people
with disabilities are less likely to be in full time employment, more likely to
be unemployed, and significantly more likely to be economically inactive
AEC 2015 background
ASEAN was formed in 1967, at the end of the 1963-1966 konfrontasi
conflict, when Indonesia politically and militarilly opposed the formation of
Malaysia. And with neighbouring Vietnam still at war, ASEAN was formed to
create a zone of peace and security among the five funding members, Indonesia,
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philiphines. After the Vietnam war ended
in the early 1970s, ASEAN grew to absorb Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
More recently, Myanmar joined to become the group’s 10th member.
In 2003, leaders from the
ASEAN block of nations agreed to establish an ASEAN Community by 2020,
comprising three pillars, namely the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
Subsequently, they decided to hasten the establishment of the AEC to 2015. The
AEC is an initiative to transform the region into an area with free movement of
goods, services, investment, skilled labor, and a freer flow of capital. The
vision for AEC 2015 is the partial economic union of 10 ASEAN countries, namely
Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the
Philippines, Cambodia, and Brunei, to usher in a new era of economic
co-operation. The four main goals of the AEC are single market and
production-base, competitive economic region, equitable economic development,
as external trade is an integral part of the region, and integration into the
global economy.
Understanding Disabilities
Disability is a
normal phenomenon in the sense that it exists in all societies, affecting predictable
and identifiable proportions of each population. Therefore, it should be
possible to estimate the sizes of the various disability populations, determine
their needs and develop appropriate and cost-effective strategies to meet those
needs. This is yet tobe accomplished
however, largely because disability is a complex interconnected bio-medical,
social and environmental phenomenon that is yet to be fully analyzed and
understood.
For years, landmine victims and other persons with
disabilities, and the professionals working to help them, have been reporting
that their top priority is to be able to earn a living and take care of their
families. As the majority of people with disabilities, and particularly
landmine victims, live in developing countries, self-employment is frequently
the most accessible way to earn a living. Often deprived of access to formal education
and living in communities with unstable economic conditions, people with
disabilities turn to self-employment to earn an income, support their families
and be recognised as equal contributors to the development of their
communities.
Meanwhile
in Indonesia, according to data from the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, in
2010 the number of persons with
disabilities is 7,126,409 people. with whom
3,474,035 (persons with visual disability), 3,010,830
(persons with physical disabilities), 2,547,626 (persons with hearing disabilities),
1,389,614 (persons with mental disabiltias) and
1,158,012 (chronic disabilities).Disability
does not necessarily mean inability.
There is sufficient evidence, as demonstrated by field work
in many parts of the world, that there is a strong desire among people with
disabilities to be engaged in productive activity and lead dignified lives.
With modest financial services they are able to do business according to their
capabilities and even engage themselves in sportive, cultural and environmental
undertakings.
Disabilities and Human
Rights
On 10th November 2011 Indonesia ratified the Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) with the law no 19/2011. Ratification
of CRPD was not
only meaningful fulfillment
of the formal aspects of the ratification of the
Law in Indonesia, but furthermore, the
signing is like opening a new
chapter for the people of Indonesia
in an effort to fulfill the rights of people with disabilities as part of Indonesian society. Observing
the general phenomenon of disabled people in Indonesia
is still apprehensive. Public
spaces for people
with disabilities is very minimal.
Many public facilities
are not disabled
friendly, education sector is difficult for affordable, until the job opportunity that almost closed
for the disabled people. Views of disabled people 'sell' their disability
to become beggars
are also often found
in Indonesia. In
this country, people
with disabilities are generally described as someone who is helpless, need the
mercy of others, dependent on
others, always need protection and assistance.
Unfortunately, these negative views are often maintained and reinforced
by charities for
the sake of stirring the hearts
of many people to donate their money. Although by law, education accessibility
for people with disabilities has been
guaranteed, but the fact that college is
not an inclusive perspective.
This means that students with disabilities have to fight to pass the national
exam without special
help, they are acceptable
if it can adapt and
do not interfere with the function of the university, they will only excel if
they are struggling without the facilities and
support in the academic journey. On the other hand not every town in Indonesia to provide adequate access for disabled
people to public facilities
such as transport, toilets, roads or
access to their
inadequate activity. Although at the end of
this year AEC
started running, several
cities in Indonesia
has not seen a significant change for the realization of the city that is friendly to disabled people.
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Government can Make a Difference
In order to enable people with disabilities to access decent
work, and emerge from poverty, targeted action should be taken to promote access
of persons with disabilities to education, skills development and life long
learning; on the other side government should promote social protection floors
and social protection systems that include people with disabilities on an equal
basis with others, take their specific requirements into account in defining
benefits including schemes or programmes
that guarantee income security, social health protection and other mechanisms
to ensure universal health coverage, as well as schemes and programmes that
facilitate their participation in employment
The
most important thing is to achieve a very high awarness among the public, the
people. That would have a major influences on the politicians. Once the
politicians take an interest in the problems, then we would be able to allocate
funding to the problems. Normaly, politicians are not close with diability
people, they don’t see them on daily basis. So even if they do understand that
a serious problems exists, the problem is that they don’t really deal with
reality of the problem. We should recognizee that Indonesia’s policy for
disability people requires us to understand the culture of inter-ministerial
relations and bureucracy. In this country, a system is built by the leader and
when the leader goes, a new system emerges. Rules and regulations on how the
goverments should handle this problems can be legislated, such as through law
no 19/2011, but carrying it effectively is another story.
The cost of disability benefits
alone amounts to up to 4-5 per cent of GDP in some countries.However,
investment in more effectives trategies for inclusion can yield returns to
society. For example, in Australia,a cumulative $43 billion increase in GDP
over the next decade is predicted if the gaps between the unemployment and
labour force participation of people with and without disabilities are reduced
by one third.
Productive
jobs and decent
enabling persons with disabilities to
realize their aspirations,
improve their living
conditions and participate more
actively in society. Ensure
disability perspective in all aspects of
employment policies and regulations, the
implementation and enforcement of
laws and regulations, as well as providing
employment and training opportunities same
are all factors that can contribute to poverty
reduction and inclusion
of persons with disabilities in social and economic in Indonesia. As the 3rd largest democracy
in the world, in
welcoming the 2015 AEC it is the
duty for government for doing
economic development and doesn’t ignore fulfillment of the rights of the disabled.
(Pebri Tuwanto)
WORKS CITED
International
Labour Office, 2013, Disability and Development Priority Issues and recommendations
for Disability Inclusion in the Post 2015 Agenda, http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/hlmdd/hlmdd_ilo.pdf,
Robert
Metts, 2014, Disability and Development Background Paper Prepared for
Disability and Development Research Agenda Meeting, http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/280658-1172606907476/mettsBGpaper.pdf
International Labour Organization, 2013, Inklusi
Penyandang Disabilitas di Indonesia, http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-jakarta/documents/publication/wcms_233426.pdf
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