Legislators brand wanted scientist 'coward, hypocrite'
JAKARTA (JP): Two legislators reacted strongly yesterday to the news that social scientist George Aditjondro was seeking permanent resident status in Australia to avoid criminal charges in Indonesia.
The ruling Golkar faction's Krissantono said the scholar was a "coward", while Kamil Shahab, also of Golkar, branded George a "hypocrite".
Separately, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas underlined the fact that Indonesia and Australia had an extradition treaty.
Alatas said, however, that any decision to commence extradition proceedings against George would be left to the police and the prosecutors' office.
George said recently in Perth that he had decided to seek permanent residency in Australia after consulting the Western Australian branch of the International Commission of Jurists.
The 49-year-old social scientist, who is currently lecturing in Asian Studies at Perth's Murdoch University, is wanted by Yogyakarta police on charges of slandering the Indonesian government during a seminar at Universitas Islam Indonesia.
George has already ignored three police summons and the authorities say they have contacted Interpol regarding the possibility of bringing him home to face the charges.
"If he is a responsible person, he should come home to face the investigation and the trial. He shouldn't stay in Australia and seek some kind of asylum," said Krissantono.
George should live up to his claim to be someone who loves democracy and should not run away from his responsibilities, Krissantono told Antara.
"He should face the consequence of his actions," Krissantono said.
Krissantono said George should follow the example set by senior journalist and democracy campaigner Mochtar Lubis, who has twice been jailed for speaking out against the government. "He chose to be tried while some of his colleagues fled," the legislator said.
"I have more respect for Sri Bintang Pamungkas, because he has the courage to face the consequences of his actions," Krissantono said, referring to the outspoken politician from the United Development Party.
Sri Bintang was dismissed from his seat in the House of Representatives by his own party last month. He is now facing charges that he took part in a demonstration against the Indonesian government in Germany in April.
Another Golkar legislator, Kamil Shahab, called George a "hypocrite" for taking a course which, he said, was the most convenient for the scholar.
Kamil said, however, that the authorities should not take steps to bring George back. "If he doesn't consider Indonesia his country anymore, what are we to do?"
Alatas said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was monitoring the case and, in particular, was keeping abreast of what the police were doing.
"We don't know yet what will come out of it. If he refuses (to return to face the charges), and also conveys this refusal officially, then we'll see what the police want us to do," he said. "We have an extradition treaty with Australia, but that is just a fact that I wanted to remind you of." (emb)