Govt attacked for banning Aussie scholar<\/p>\n
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A top human rights activist criticized the move by the
\nimmigration office to ban Australian academic Edward Aspinall
\nfrom entering the country, describing it as an \"irresponsible
\nact\" by the government.<\/p>\n
Hendardi of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
\nAssociation (PBHI) said that the ban was the sort of thing that
\nwould have been par for the course during the era of
\nauthoritarian president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
\"This is truly an irresponsible decision. The government has
\nto explain this. They have to explain to the public why they
\nbanned Aspinall,\" he said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The immigration authorities sent Aspinall back to Sydney on
\nTuesday shortly after he arrived on a business visa at Soekarno-
\nHatta International Airport. He was on his way to Aceh to help an
\naid agency there. The immigration office said that the ban had
\nbeen imposed at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
\nand the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra.<\/p>\n
The ministry declined to give reasons for the ban.<\/p>\n
But a source said that Aspinall was allegedly also acting as
\nan \"advisor\" to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) separatist group.<\/p>\n
\"I personally know Dr. Edward Aspinall. He has contributed a lot
\nto the development of Indonesian democracy through his thoughts
\nand writings. He is very objective in his writings. Why should
\nthe government be worried by what he thinks?\" Hendardi asked.<\/p>\n
Hendardi also said that if the government suspected that
\nAspinall had a relationship with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM),
\nthe accusation should have been proven first before imposing the
\nban.<\/p>\n
\"This ban shows that there is no room for freedom of thought
\nin Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Fachry Ali was also surprised by the ban.<\/p>\n
\"I was so surprised to hear this. I know him. He was the one
\nwho read my thesis while I was studying for my master's. This
\nreflects the old pattern, a government that is afraid of
\nintellectuals. This is an irresponsible decision.\"<\/p>\n
\"This is the first time that this country has ever been led by
\nan intellectual, Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. I can't figure out
\nwhy his government has blacklisted a fellow intellectual whose
\nwritings and thoughts are valuable for promoting Indonesian
\nstudies among Western scholars.\"<\/p>\n
\"Don't mire Indonesia in backwardness by banning intellectuals
\nwho have a deep, abiding interest in the country.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Marty Natalegawa, a spokesman for the Ministry of
\nForeign Affairs, insisted that the government's decision to ban
\nAspinall from entering Indonesia was not intended to restrict
\nfreedom of expression in this country.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think we are obstructing academic freedom in
\nIndonesia. We should not use him (Aspinall) as a barometer of
\nacademic freedom here,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marty said that the decision was made after considering the
\nadvice of many parties.<\/p>\n
\"But I don't know (the reason) why he has not been allowed to
\nenter Indonesia, and we do not have an obligation to explain it
\nas it is something that is the inherent right of every country,
\nto be able to say 'yes' or 'no' to anyone visiting the country,\"
\nhe said.(006)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-attacked-for-banning-aussie-scholar-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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