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.