I was summoned

I was summoned

Following the publication of my letter in the daily Sinar on
Aug. 8, 1994 titled Convoy is for whom? I was summoned by the
Directorate of Intelligence and Security of the West Kalimantan
Police on Aug. 12, 1994 for investigation concerning the content
of my letter. Considering that it is not common practice to issue
such a summons and it could become a bad precedent, I made my
point clear in a telephone conversation with Lt. Col. Soebijanto,
the Head of the Directorate, who signed the summons.

I said that if my letter in Sinar was not true, a denial
should be issued according to the right to respond. I added that
there was no political tendency in my letter and I did not mean
to insult nor slander anybody. However, Lt. Col. Soebijanto
responded: "We were not concerned over your letter published in
Sinar, but what we want to know is your nationality?" The officer
should check the matter through the Department of Justice.
Perhaps they thought that I was a fugitive from China and entered
Indonesia illegally?

In fact I am an Indonesian citizen by birth and not through
naturalization. My complete history is kept in the West
Kalimantan Police department. It is true that many people
regarded the criticisms contained in my letter as quite strong,
regardless of who I was criticizing. But later they praised my
attitude as positive and as serving as a social control. In this
I case I am a man who calls a spade a spade.

As a citizen I know too well what I can and cannot do. Our
Constitution has guaranteed the citizens democracy and freedom of
thought.

JOSEPH IVAN CHANDRA

Pontianak, W. Kalimantan