Govt asked to treat foreign NGOs fairly

Govt asked to treat foreign NGOs fairly

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Calls have surfaced for the government not to be unreasonable in
its treatment of foreign non-governmental organizations following
allegations that they may have abused their humanitarian mission
in conflict-ridden areas.

"The most important thing is to make sure that the foreign
NGOs carry out their mission here in a fair and transparent
manner," Executive Director of the Indonesian Forum for the
Environment (Walhi) Longgena Ginting said on Sunday.

He was referring to the detention of two foreign women -- 42-
year-old Scottish researcher Lesley McCulloch and 57-year-old
American volunteer Joy Lee Sadler -- in rebellious Aceh.

According to Ginting, the move against the two foreigners in
Aceh had only raised eyebrows as it was apparently aimed at
preventing them from revealing alleged human rights violations in
the restive province.

He regretted the government had implemented complex procedures
for NGO activists wishing to carry out missions in the country,
forcing them to wait for months to obtain visas.

The practice, he said, might cause foreign NGO activists to
enter the country on tourist visas.

Official at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights Anak
Agung Oka Mahendra said the government had never intended to
restrict the entry of foreign NGO activists to Indonesia.

"Basically we want to make this country easily accessible and
safe for every foreign visitor," Oka, an expert adviser to the
minister, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Based on Immigration Law No. 9/1992 and the international
relations consensus, the government should allow humanitarian
activities to be carried out by foreign citizens, he said.

As long as foreign NGO activists could show a clear
humanitarian agenda, had local sponsors and obtained final
approval from the local government concerned, the central
government would issue them a visa, he added.

"A failure to meet these requirements will prompt the
government, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to refuse
foreign NGO activists entry to Indonesia," he said.

Oka also warned foreign NGO activists against misusing their
visas for unauthorized activities, otherwise the government would
deport or sue them should they commit an offense.

"Please respect the country's rules and sovereignty," he said.

The two women were arrested on charges of involvement in
separatist activities in Aceh while on tourist visas, thus
violating immigration law.

They will likely stand trial in Aceh.

They face a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment if
found guilty of violating Immigration Law chapter 50, according
to Aceh Provincial Police chief Insp. Gen. Yusuf Manggabarani.

It has also been reported that an NGO in Australia has
covertly been assisting the proindependence movement in Papua.

Rebels in Papua, Aceh and Maluku intensified their efforts to
secede from Indonesia after the country was seriously hit by the
economic crisis in 1997.