Ministry wants objective inquiry into arrest of environmentalist

Ministry wants objective inquiry into arrest of environmentalist

Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Ministry of Forestry is demanding an objective investigation
into the recent arrest of environmentalist Bestari Raden, 50,
after the Aceh martial law administration accused him of
involvement with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The secretary-general of the ministry, Wahyudi Wardoyo, said
that his office would provide legal advisors for Bestari even
though he already had a legal team for the case.

"Basically, we don't want anything negative to happen without
an objective investigation by police officers in Aceh. We've been
in contact with the Southeast Aceh Police and the commander of
military operations there. They gave positive responses," he said
without going into detail.

Bestari was arrested in Southeast Aceh on March 26 by the Aceh
martial law administration while visiting the area as a member of
a government team assigned to evaluate the feasibility of the
controversial Ladia Galaska highway project.

He was appointed through a joint decree issued by the Ministry
of Forestry, the Office of the Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs and the Aceh martial law
administrator.

Wahyudi said the team had been trying to promote an objective
investigation and provide necessary documents, including the
decree, to police to prove that Bestari was working for the
government.

Currently, Bestari is represented by a team of legal advisors
that include the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association (PBHI), the Indonesian Forum for the Environment
(Walhi) in Aceh and the legal bureau of the Ministry of Forestry.

The martial law administration has alleged that Bestari served
as a GAM leader for the Tapak Tuan area in 2000. GAM spokesman
Sofyan Dawood has refuted the allegation, saying that Bestari was
not one of his men leading GAM fighters in the war against
Jakarta.

A number of activists have lashed out at the arrest, saying
that the move was part of systematic attempts to silence those
critical of government policies in Aceh.

According to them, Bestari had been active as an
environmentalist in the capital and foreign countries since 1999.

Wahyudi confirmed the statement, adding that Bestari's
frequent involvement in environmental issues was indeed the main
reason behind his appointment.

However, he said the ministry would not investigate the
possibility of Bestari being involved with GAM, saying it "was
not within the authority of the ministry".

Hasjrul Junadi of the Indonesian Network for Forest
Conservation (SKEPHI) told the Post on Monday that they planned
to meet with Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno and National
Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar soon.

"We want to urge them to bring Bestari's case to Jakarta, or
at least to the Aceh Police to assure that he is treated fairly
and humanely," he said.

Meanwhile, Wahyudi said the government team was still working
on its initial assignment for the Ladia Galaska project.

"But they haven't made or sent any reports on their findings
so far. Probably in the next few days they'll give us their
preliminary findings," he said.

The project, which passes through the protected Leuser
National Park, home to many of the country's endangered species,
has drawn strong opposition from foreign groups and local
environmentalists, as well as the Ministry of Forestry and the
Office of the State Minister of the Environment.