Indonesian officers arrested for breaching peace<\/p>\n
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat<\/p>\n
VANCOUVER, Canada (JP): Two security officers from the
\nIndonesian delegation attending the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) forum here were arrested and stripped of their
\nAPEC accreditation Tuesday for breach of the peace.<\/p>\n
\"Two members of the Indonesian delegation were arrested for
\nbreach of the peace at the University of British Columbia earlier
\nthis morning,\" said Cpl. J.A. Buis of the Royal Canadian Mounted
\nPolice.<\/p>\n
\"It was determined that these two individuals were Indonesian
\nsecurity officers,\" he told The Jakarta Post Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n
\"They were immediately stripped of their APEC accreditation
\nand they have been turned over to the head of security of the
\nIndonesian delegation,\" Buis said, adding that they were found to
\nbe carrying walkie-talkies when arrested.<\/p>\n
AFP quoted Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas,
\njust before joining President Soeharto's entourage departing for
\nSaudi Arabia, as saying: \"I deny any knowledge of this and I
\nthink it is impossible for any Indonesian delegation members to
\nbe involved in this kind of activity.\"<\/p>\n
The incident occurred at the university campus where APEC
\nleaders, including President Soeharto, were convening a closed-
\ndoor meeting.<\/p>\n
About 1,500 protesters gathered on the campus grounds to
\nexpress their concern on various matters including alleged human
\nrights abuses in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Protesters were kept at least 300 meters away from the venue
\nof the leaders meeting.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said police stepped in as several of the protesters
\ntried to confront the two men whom they suspected were Indonesian
\nsecurity agents.<\/p>\n
Buis said that those detained for breach of the peace must be
\nreleased as soon as the situation returns to normal. \"We cannot
\nhold a person in jail for any length of time.\"<\/p>\n
Buis could not say how long the two men were detained, saying
\nonly that they were held until identified.<\/p>\n
News of the incident quickly spread and Canadian Prime
\nMinister Jean Chretien admitted that he had been informed of it.<\/p>\n
\"I heard that there were some people from Indonesia who had
\nproblems with the police,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Protesters at the University of British Columbia did their
\nbest to make an impact on the summit being held at the Museum of
\nAnthropology on campus grounds.<\/p>\n
But police had cordoned-off the area and attempts to break
\nthrough the police line were fended off, sometimes with the use
\nof pepper spray.<\/p>\n
Dozens of protesters were arrested by police.<\/p>\n
Unheard<\/p>\n
But the protest itself had little impact on the leaders. Cries
\nof \"shame, shame\" by the protesters was also, according to one
\nU.S. delegate, inaudible in the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"On the way to the university one could see demonstrators on
\neither side, but at that time there was nothing particularly
\nremarkable about them,\" said Mike Tarullo, assistant to the U.S.
\npresident on international economic policy.<\/p>\n
Throughout the week activists and non-governmental
\norganizations have lamented that APEC neglects to put human
\nrights on its agenda.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Chretien said the demonstrations were
\nacceptable.<\/p>\n
\"For me, in a democracy, people protest. I've been protested a
\nfew times in my life,\" he said. \"I did that myself too when I was
\na student.\"<\/p>\n
Chretien reiterated that APEC was a forum for trade and not
\nhuman rights.<\/p>\n
\"I don't think that APEC will ever have human rights on its
\nagenda,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesian-officers-arrested-for-breaching-peace-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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