Police free 32 foreigners detained in Sawangan raid
Police free 32 foreigners detained in Sawangan raid
JAKARTA (JP): Police released 32 foreign participants of an
international conference who were detained after a raid on
Friday, but required them to report to the city police on Monday,
spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said on Saturday.
Anton said the foreigners were released at about 5 p.m. on
Saturday and police then escorted them to their hotels. The
foreigners, 10 of whom are women, will be taken to the
immigration office on Monday as they have misused their tourist
visas.
Anton acknowledged that the police had confiscated their
passports and other documents.
"According to the law, the police must release them 24 hours
after their arrest if no evidence is found, so they have been
released" said Anton.
Australian Embassy spokesman Kirk Coningham confirmed the
release of 20 Australians, including a four-year-old girl. He
added that he believed the other 12 people had also been freed by
the police.
"The girl and her mother are well," Coningham said.
Coningham said his embassy was working hard to settle the
problem quickly. The embassy had also contacted the families of
the Australians.
"They were released this afternoon. We are expecting a speedy
solution," Coningham remarked.
Police raided Sawangan Golf Inn in West Java on Friday
afternoon and arrested 40 participants of the Asia Pacific Labor
Solidarity Conference on Neoliberalism at the lodge. The
conference was organized by the Indonesian Center for Reform and
Social Emancipation (Increase).
The participants of the conference included Indonesians and 32
foreign nationals. Apart from the 20 Australians, the other
foreigners included two Belgians, an American, a Canadian, a
Japanese, a German, a Dutch, a Thai, a Pakistani and a French
national.
The eight locals detained, including Budiman Sudjatmiko, who
is chairman of the Democratic People's Party (PRD), were released
on Friday night.
Anton said only the Immigration Office had the authority to
determine the status of the foreigners, who had allegedly misused
their tourist visas by attending the conference.
Citing Immigration Law No. 9, enacted in 1992, Anton said the
foreigners could be deported and blacklisted, in which case they
would be barred from entering Indonesia for a certain period of
time.
"Or they could be taken to court where they will face a five-
year jail term if found guilty," Anton explained.
Anton conceded that the police raid targeted Budiman, who is
also a National Coalition of Anti New Order (Lindas) activist.
Lindas is the Indonesian word for crush.
Citing intelligence reports, Anton hinted that Budiman was
planning to disrupt the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
special session in August. President Abdurrahman Wahid could be
impeached in the session.
"We have been following Budiman for a long time. We have
information that he plans to disrupt the special session by
creating chaos in Jakarta," Anton hinted.
Police have repeatedly threatened to arrest Budiman.
Former president Soeharto had imprisoned Budiman for his
antigovernment activities, and the latter had been called a
communist.
Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie, freed Budiman. His party
PRD was even allowed to contest in the 1999 general election but
failed to win any seats.
Meanwhile, Lindas, which is against Soeharto's New Order
regime, condemned the arrest and accused the police of using the
oppressive tactics of the New Order regime to stop antigovernment
activities.
It also lambasted Angkatan Muda Ka'bah, the anticommunist
group, affiliated to the Islam-based United Development Party,
for their brutal attacks on the conference participants earlier
on Friday.
"Their actions have tarnished the symbols of Islam which they
used as their cover. Such brutal actions can only be carried out
by the remnants of the New Order," said Haikal, Lindas spokesman.
(ylt/prb)