U.S. policy to oversee visa angers some, makes others introspective<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The United States government's policy of deploying special agents
\nto oversee visa operations at U.S. embassies and consulates in
\nfive Muslim nations, including Indonesia, could intensify anti-
\nAmerican sentiment, legislators said here.<\/p>\n
The legislators admitted, however, that U.S. visa policy was
\nWashington's prerogative.<\/p>\n
\"We understand that the U.S. has tightened security after the
\nSept. 11. But, they should not overreact,\" said the House's
\nforeign affairs commission deputy chairman Amris Hassan of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
Fellow legislator Hajriyanto Y. Thohari of Golkar asserted the
\nnew policy would only tarnish the U.S. image as a model of
\ndemocracy, freedom, and prosperity.<\/p>\n
They were commenting on the U.S. plan to station agents in
\nU.S. embassies and consulates in Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco,
\nPakistan and the United Arab Emirates after having already placed
\nsuch personnel in Saudi Arabia in August as part of a sweeping
\noverhaul of immigration procedures.<\/p>\n
The five countries were chosen because of the high volume of
\nvisa requests the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
\nprocessed and the presence of members of al-Qaeda and other
\ngroups hostile to the U.S. on their territory or in neighboring
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Hajriyanto said the policy, which specifically targeted Muslim
\ncountries, would only bolster anti-America feelings among the
\npeople of these countries.<\/p>\n
Separately, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the new policy
\nshould prompt Indonesian Muslims to prove that they are moderate.<\/p>\n
\"It is the right of the U.S. government. Let's just supply
\nthem with evidence that we, Indonesian Muslims, are moderate, and
\nfar from what they (the Americans) think of us,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The fact that there were some hard-liners, Akbar said, was a
\nnormal thing.<\/p>\n
The new U.S. policy came just days after the State Department
\nceded much of its visa-issuing authority to the DHS under
\ntightened immigration laws enacted after the Sept. 11 terrorist
\nattacks on New York and Washington DC.<\/p>\n
Under the regulation, U.S. diplomats will retain the right to
\nactually place a visa stamp in an applicant's passport but
\napplications will have to first be vetted by homeland security
\nagents wielding broad powers over the process.<\/p>\n
The procedure was outlined in an MOU signed on Sept. 29 by
\nU.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Secretary of Homeland
\nSecurity Thomas J. Ridge. President George W. Bush then signed
\noff on the plan.<\/p>\n
Foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said on Wednesday
\nthat U.S. Embassy officials had not informed the Indonesian
\ngovernment about the plan.<\/p>\n
Amris said that the legislators would urge the government to
\nseek detailed information on the new policy from the Americans.<\/p>",
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