NGO activist arrested

NGO activist arrested

BANDUNG, West Java: The police have arrested a 31-year-old activist they suspect of having slandered President Soeharto, extorted people and encouraged workers to strike for better pay.

City police chief Col. Didi Widayadi said on Saturday that the suspect, Cyrtga, claimed to be the chairman of an obscure non- government organization, the National Salvation Front, which obtains funding from both local and overseas donors.

Cyrtga was arrested at his residence in Jakarta last week following complaints from three people in Bandung that he had blackmailed them.

Didi said that the suspect had been on the Jakarta police's list of wanted criminals since it was alleged that Cyrtga had been involved in a theft in Jakarta.

In the West Java police's records, Cyrtga appears among those wanted for their role in inciting students to engage in anti- government activities and inciting workers to strike, Antara reported yesterday.(pan)