Government to expel American researcher

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government ordered on Tuesday International Crisis Group (ICG) researcher Sidney Jones to leave the country immediately, citing a work permit violation.

A letter signed by head of the South Jakarta office of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Arwin Adityawarman dated June 1 says the office revokes Jones' stay permit and orders her immediate exit from the country.

Jones told The Jakarta Post she received two letters regarding her expulsion and that of the other foreign ICG staff at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

However, she questioned the deportation order.

"Yesterday (President) Megawati told the press that we would not be deported, but today we are deported. I don't understand what has happened," she said.

"There is no clear reason why we have to leave. Nobody from BIN came to us," she said, referring to the National Intelligence Agency, whose chief A.M. Hendropriyono was the first to hint at a plan to expel Jones last week.

Jones demanded clarification, saying her visa was set to expire on June 10.

Director General of Labor Development and Standard Marudin SM Simanihuruk told the Post the manpower ministry would not extend Jones' work permit.

"She violated her work permit. She should have worked in Jakarta, but it turned out she worked in Papua, Aceh and other places outside Jakarta.

"She was supposed be contributing social and/or cultural input only, but she made a lot of trips across the country to resolve conflicts, which is beyond her capacity. What's wrong with her? Even a subdistrict chief is unable to do such a job," Marudin said.

He admitted his office had "coordinated" with BIN prior to the decision not to extend Jones' work permit.

ICG Indonesia director Todung Mulya Lubis expressed his regret over the government's decision.

"I am in deep grief," Todung said.

Todung said the decision was unthinkable in the so-called reform era especially because Jones, a U.S. citizen, had spent 30 years of her life in this country. He said Jones took her reports very seriously -- out of her love of Indonesia.

ICG has 19 offices throughout the world. It established one in Indonesia in 2000 and has since wrote numerous reports about regional conflicts and about the Jamaah Islamiyah, an Islamic organization allegedly linked to al-Qaeda.

Jones said she could hardly understand the government's policy.

"There's a mixture of sadness and anger that we have been working in Indonesia for four years with many Indonesians and now we are treated as if we are criminals."

However, the deportation order does not mean Jones must quit her job. "I will move somewhere in the region and keep working and concentrating on issues about Indonesia," she said.