Govt rapped for poor citizen protection<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
House of Representatives legislators on Thursday attacked the
\nMinistry of Foreign Affairs for doing little to protect
\nIndonesian nationals abroad.<\/p>\n
The latest example, they said, was the deportation of nearly
\n200 Indonesians from East Timor recently.<\/p>\n
Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda denied the allegations of
\nincompetence and said while outcomes were not always rosy, the
\nministry had always done its best to protect Indonesian citizens
\noverseas.<\/p>\n
East Timor ordered last week the expulsion of nearly 300
\nethnic-Indonesians, mostly Muslims, to Indonesia because they
\nlacked residence documents.<\/p>\n
The Indonesians had been living in East Timor since the
\nterritory was an Indonesian province.<\/p>\n
The deportation issue dominated the hearing on Thursday with
\nthe House Commission I on foreign affairs.<\/p>\n
\"This is an extraordinary case. Why was the Indonesian Embassy
\nin Dili unable to settle the problem?\" Golkar faction member
\nSlamet Effendy Yusuf said.<\/p>\n
Amris Hasan, of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle,
\nquestioned the deportation process. Most of the deported
\nIndonesians had not been able to take along enough clothing or
\nfood, Amris said.<\/p>\n
\"That (the deportation) was totally inhumane.\"<\/p>\n
Hassan denied accusations the Dili embassy had done nothing to
\nhelp the people. He said officials had visited a mosque in Dili
\nand prayed with the deportees.<\/p>\n
\"The officials also asked the people for their passports and
\nimmigration documents,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hassan asserted that Indonesia should comply with regulations
\nin East Timor, although it was only a small and new country.<\/p>\n
At the hearing, legislators also questioned the foreign
\nministry's efforts to help several Indonesians on death row for
\ncriminal offenses in Malaysia and Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"How serious is the foreign ministry in dealing with these
\ncases? Has the ministry provided lawyers for them?\" Arif Mudatsir
\nMandan, of the United Development Party, said.<\/p>\n
Hassan said representative offices overseas had always
\nprovided legal assistance to Indonesians facing problems abroad.<\/p>\n
An example he said was the help given to 150 Indonesian
\nworkers, who were abandoned in Dubai and Kuwait after first being
\noffered employment in those countries.<\/p>\n
Asked about what he had done about the Papua situation, Hassan
\nsaid the ministry had published books and brochures to counter
\nthe ongoing international independence campaign by Papuan
\nseparatists.<\/p>\n
Ministry information showed the activists were organizing in
\nchurches and non-governmental groups and were being aided by
\npowerful individuals, he said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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