Dutch journalist ordered to leave RI within a week

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government has ordered a Dutch journalist to leave the country within a week for bringing three people without proper identification papers into the People's Consultative Assembly building.

Director for Journalistic Affairs of the Ministry of Information Akhmadsyah Naina told The Jakarta Post yesterday that Stephanie Vaessen, an Indonesian-based correspondent for Dutch radio and television network NOS, was given one week to pack her suitcases. "Her status as a foreign correspondent has been revoked," he said.

He said Vaessen had brought visiting Dutch journalist Gaap Leemeier and an Indonesian soundman and an interpreter -- identified respectively as SI and DW -- without any special accreditations into the heavily-guarded building Friday.

The Assembly building is the site where the five-yearly General Session proceedings are underway.

A police officer at the City Police directorate of intelligence and foreign supervision told the Post that Vaessen, together with Leemeier, SI, DW, WTN cameramen William Cooper and former legislator Ibrahim Saleh, was arrested and brought to his office on Friday at noon.

"We've questioned them over their motives to get inside without proper identification and shoot film inside the building while they knew that it requires an authorized pass to enter the building during the session period," said the officer.

He said Vaessen, Leemeier and Cooper had also been "tried" by a team of interrogators from related governmental arms.

"They were tried here last night (Friday night) by representatives from the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Intelligence Agency (BIA)," he said.

The officer, however, declined to disclose details from the questioning, but said that the six were released before midnight without any charges against them.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the security officers arrested the six, who came to the compound together in one car, in one of the building's rooms reserved to be used by Assembly members.

As for Saleh, Aritonang said the former legislator did not posses any pass at all.

Saleh is a retired brigadier general who served as an Armed Forces legislator for 10 months during the 1977/1982 period, 24 months during the 1982/1987 period and 11 months during the 1987/1992 period before he was dismissed after disrupting the 1988 General Session.

Aritonang said Saleh's Friday visit was not his first during the current General Session. He reportedly entered the media room Monday and distributed leaflets about interruption rights.

"At that time, he allegedly used a fake pass issued for observers to the session. The pass was seized by security," said the spokesman. He declined to say more on Saleh's case.

Jakarta Military Command spokesman Lt. Col. DJ. Nachrowi said Saleh would likely be interrogated at the Jakarta Military Police headquarters in Guntur, South Jakarta.

Aritonang said the detainees told interrogators that they thought local crewmembers SI and DW did not necessarily need to possess passes because they were only helping as a soundman and interpreter.

"They should have understood right from the start that such an important event like this session will always require all visitors to obtain authorized passes," he said.

"I think such a regulation ... also applies in the other countries, so I hope they will not complain that authorities here have given them a hard time just because of a pass," he added.

He said there was no excuse for journalists to enter the building and cover the session without official passes. (byg/cst/09)