Government to expel American researcher<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government ordered on Tuesday International Crisis Group
\n(ICG) researcher Sidney Jones to leave the country immediately,
\nciting a work permit violation.<\/p>\n
A letter signed by head of the South Jakarta office of the
\nMinistry of Justice and Human Rights Arwin Adityawarman dated
\nJune 1 says the office revokes Jones' stay permit and orders her
\nimmediate exit from the country.<\/p>\n
Jones told The Jakarta Post she received two letters regarding
\nher expulsion and that of the other foreign ICG staff at 6 p.m.
\non Tuesday.<\/p>\n
However, she questioned the deportation order.<\/p>\n
\"Yesterday (President) Megawati told the press that we would
\nnot be deported, but today we are deported. I don't understand
\nwhat has happened,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"There is no clear reason why we have to leave. Nobody from
\nBIN came to us,\" she said, referring to the National Intelligence
\nAgency, whose chief A.M. Hendropriyono was the first to hint at a
\nplan to expel Jones last week.<\/p>\n
Jones demanded clarification, saying her visa was set to
\nexpire on June 10.<\/p>\n
Director General of Labor Development and Standard Marudin SM
\nSimanihuruk told the Post the manpower ministry would not extend
\nJones' work permit.<\/p>\n
\"She violated her work permit. She should have worked in
\nJakarta, but it turned out she worked in Papua, Aceh and other
\nplaces outside Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"She was supposed be contributing social and\/or cultural input
\nonly, but she made a lot of trips across the country to resolve
\nconflicts, which is beyond her capacity. What's wrong with her?
\nEven a subdistrict chief is unable to do such a job,\" Marudin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He admitted his office had \"coordinated\" with BIN prior to the
\ndecision not to extend Jones' work permit.<\/p>\n
ICG Indonesia director Todung Mulya Lubis expressed his regret
\nover the government's decision.<\/p>\n
\"I am in deep grief,\" Todung said.<\/p>\n
Todung said the decision was unthinkable in the so-called
\nreform era especially because Jones, a U.S. citizen, had spent 30
\nyears of her life in this country. He said Jones took her reports
\nvery seriously -- out of her love of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
ICG has 19 offices throughout the world. It established one in
\nIndonesia in 2000 and has since wrote numerous reports about
\nregional conflicts and about the Jamaah Islamiyah, an Islamic
\norganization allegedly linked to al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
Jones said she could hardly understand the government's
\npolicy.<\/p>\n
\"There's a mixture of sadness and anger that we have been
\nworking in Indonesia for four years with many Indonesians and now
\nwe are treated as if we are criminals.\"<\/p>\n
However, the deportation order does not mean Jones must quit
\nher job. \"I will move somewhere in the region and keep working
\nand concentrating on issues about Indonesia,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-to-expel-american-researcher-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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