[bestbits] IGF in Indonesia cancelled?

[joy]

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Hi Anja - likewise I have heard rumours but nothing confirmed until this.
I suggest we seek an official response from the Secretariat. It may yet
be that alternative sources of funding are found, but we should seek a
response and some kind of confirmation as soon as possible.
I'm happy to write to Chengatai - has anyone else already done so?
Joy

On 26/07/2013 3:45 p.m., Anja Kovacs wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> After having heard rumours swirling for a while now, I was very sad to
receive the message below via an AP IGF email list. Looks like the
Indonesia IGF, at least for now, stands cancelled. Anyone here knows more?
>
> Best,
> Anja
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: *Ang Peng Hwa (Prof)* <TPHANG at ntu.edu.sg <mailto:TPHANG at ntu.edu.sg>>
> Date: 26 July 2013 08:50
> Subject: [Rigf_program] IGF in Indonesia cancelled
> To: "program at aprigf.asia <mailto:program at aprigf.asia>"
<program at aprigf.asia <mailto:program at aprigf.asia>>
>
>
> Folks,
>
> This is sad but official: the Indonesian organizers have cancelled the
IGF. The announcement was made by the chair of the organizing committee
(a businessman) after a meeting with the minister and the civil society
group.
>
> There is a news report in Bahasa Indonesia at
http://inet.detik.com/read/2013/07/25/135130/2314218/328/kurang-dana-forum-internet-dunia-batal-digelar-di-bali. 
Use Google translate and you will be able to read.
>
> I had met the civil society organizers just this week. They were
asking for possible tips on fund raising. After exploring the options,
we concluded that they had approached most of the likely sponsors. Yes,
there were some possibilities they had overlooked but these were not many.
>
> According to the news report, out of the US$2.2M (Rp22 billion)
budget, they had raised US$900k. The Ministry had given US$250k. So they
had a shortfall of US$1.05M.
>
> Third party sources I checked (i.e. Not the Indonesians themselves)
said that one major cost was that the UN had asked for US$900k to fly
personnel and security apparatus to the meeting.
>
> Knowing a little of the inside story, I would say the situation is
more complex than one might have guessed. Next year is the election year
for Indonesia. So companies are asking: if I support you now but you do
not win, what happens? Then two weeks before the IGF, there is the APEC
meeting in the same venue. So the feeling that is Indonesia will be on
the world's stage at that time already. Meanwhile, the Minister of
Communication, whose ministry oversees the IGF, is under allegations of
corruption. It's one of those series of unfortunate events.
>
> Regards,
> Peng Hwa
>
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>
>
> --
> Dr. Anja Kovacs
> The Internet Democracy Project
>
> +91 9899028053 | @anjakovacs
> www.internetdemocracy.in <http://www.internetdemocracy.in/>

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