Journalist detained after visiting Aceh

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An American journalist, who was caught up in a tussle between the military and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) a few years ago, has been detained at the Polonia Airport in Medan on Sunday after visiting Aceh.

William A. Nessen said on Sunday that he had wanted to go to Kuala Lumpur, but was instead flown to Jakarta by the authorities to "meet an immigration official" here.

"The immigration people are treating me well. They are good people. But someone else does not like Nessen being in Aceh," Nessen told The Jakarta Post.

Nessen entered the country on Jan. 2 and was given a visa-on- arrival. "My status here is legal as I have a legal and valid visa to visit Indonesia ... I did not sneak in."

Nessen suspected that the military was behind his being held up.

Military spokesman in Aceh, Col. Nachrowi, said the military had nothing to do with holding up Nessen in Medan, saying that it was purely the business of the immigration office.

"The military had nothing to do with this matter, but the information I received is that the immigration office considered that Nessen had breached rules in entering Aceh, just like when he breached immigration rules during the martial law period (in Aceh)," Nachrowi said.

Nessen caused a furor in 2003 when he went to Aceh to report the war from the side of the Free Aceh Movement. He was even caught up in a firefight between GAM and TNI forces, in which scores of TNI soldiers were killed.

Nessen survived the ordeal but ended up in court for immigration violations. Indonesian authorities then slapped a ban on Nessen from entering the country.