People's group protests arrest

People's group protests arrest

The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

The indigenous people's group attending the UN meeting in Bali
protested on Sunday over the arrest of 12 representatives of
indigenous people by the Bali police the previous day.

Den Upa Rombelayuk from the Nusantara Indigenuous People's
Alliance said at a media conference here on Sunday that the
arrested people, now already released, had been intimidated by
the police.

"We came to Bali to fight for the fate of indigenous people
because we were invited to come here. Why should we be subjected
to such rough treatment from the traditional security guards
whom, in fact, we represent," Den Upa said.

On Saturday, 12 members of the Indonesian indigenous people's
group were arrested in Kuta by Bali police for possession of
offensive weapons. The Bali police arrested another activist in
Denpasar.

Of the 12, nine were from South and East Kalimantan, one from
Aceh, and two from Semarang, Central Java.

After their arrest, they were sent to Denpasar Police
Headquarters for questioning for about two-and-a-half hours
before being released.

Kuta Police chief Adj. Comr. M Anwar said earlier that the 12
people were not officially arrested or detained. They were just
questioned for carrying weapons.

"I must make the point clear that we just brought them in for
questioning," Anwar said.

Den Upa, however, contended that the invitation directed to
the indigenous people to come to Bali had included a request to
bring traditional costumes, which automatically included
attributes such as their traditional weapons.

She said that she was disappointed by the response of the
police who searched their luggage for weapons in a rude and rough
manner.

Nazarius, another representative of the indigenous group,
protested the deployment of Balinese traditional security guards,
known as pecalang, at the venue of the Indonesian People's Forum
in Nusa Dua, where they had intimidated NGO activists.

He said that he was deeply disappointed that the people who
possessed such a dignified and refined culture as the Balinese
should subject people from different cultures to such ignominies.

"I have a feeling that these people do not represent the real
Balinese culture, I know for a fact that traditional cultures
have always been courteous and warm," he said.