BIN suspects foreign NGOs 'crossing the line' in Aceh

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Aside from conducting humanitarian work in tsunami-stricken Aceh, a number of overseas non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the province are abusing their original mission, says the head of the National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

BIN Chief Syamsir Siregar told The Jakarta Post the agency was closely monitoring a number of foreign NGOs for their activities in Aceh which he said could disturb reconstruction work in the province.

"There are one or two NGOs which are engaged in tasks outside humanitarian work," said Syamsir at the State Palace.

Syamsir, however, refused to specify whether the NGOs were conducting espionage activities or provoking local people to cause instability in the province which has been plagued by a separatist movement.

"I can only say that their activities can harm the security situation in Aceh as well as national unity," he said, adding that the issue had been discussed during his meeting with Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto recently.

Currently there are some 180 registered foreign NGOs helping tsunami victims in the province.

The government had reregistered foreign NGOs before screening them to decide which groups will be allowed to stay in Aceh. Only NGOs linked to the United Nations and donor countries will be allowed to continue their humanitarian work there.

Syamsir said BIN was currently monitoring the work of all the NGOs to ensure they "do not cross the line", with some of them already blacklisted.

"We are now still studying the possibility of banning some NGOs that have violated their original purpose," said Syamsir, a retired Army general who spent most of his military career in the intelligence unit.

Before the tsunami devastated Aceh on Dec. 26, 2004, Aceh was under a civil emergency. Foreigners, including journalists, were barred from entering the province as the military went all out to crush the Free Aceh Movement, which has been fighting for independence since 1976.

However, the December disaster, which left more than 230,000 people killed or missing and feared dead, forced the government to ease the restriction as it was unable to tackle the disaster alone.

The government reopened the door to foreigners, including military personnel, to assist tsunami survivors.