Police to deport American journalist from East Timor

JAKARTA (JP): East Timor Police will deport an American woman traveling on a tourist visa who was found "engaging in journalistic activities," Antara reported yesterday.

Lynn Ann Fredekson, 34, was arrested Wednesday while she was recording a protest by students from the Universitas Timor Timur in Dili, East Timor, the news agency quoted East Timor Police Chief Col. Atok Rismanto.

Rismanto denied rumors that two people died in a scuffle that ensued between protesters and the security personnel.

The protest, which included lighting candles by 300 students on campus, was held to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Nov. 12, 1991, Dili incident, when more than 50 demonstrators, according to the official figure, died in a clash with security personnel. Foreign human rights activists claimed that the number of casualties was actually higher.

Fredekson was at the site of the protest an hour before it began and had repeatedly encouraged the students to be more expressive when she was recording the event on her video camera, Rismanto said.

She was later detained for questioning, and Atok said evidence was found proving she was a journalist.

"These things will be used as evidence that this suspect misused her tourist visa by engaging in journalistic activities," Rismanto said.

Rismanto said that Fredekson also swallowed a piece of paper that police suspect contained an address or names she did not want the police to know.

Fredekson arrived in Indonesia on Nov. 2 through Bali's international airport on a tourist visa. She arrived in Dili on Nov. 6 on a commercial flight.

East Timor integrated into Indonesia in 1976 and became its 27th province.

The United Nations and many other countries, including the United States, however, still recognize Portugal as the administering power in the territory that was once colonized by Lisbon.

Protest

Meanwhile, AP reported yesterday from Washington that 11 people were arrested Wednesday outside the Indonesian Embassy during a mock funeral marking the anniversary of the 1991 Dili incident.

Van Gosse, a protester and member of Peace Action, said the demonstrators were quickly arrested as they tried to carry a seven-foot coffin through the embassy's gates.

The coffin bore the names of 271 people that activists believe were killed in the incident, Gosse said.

Lt. Bob Lomax, a spokesman for the uniformed division of the Secret Service, said the 11 people were arrested for failure to obey an officer and crossing a police line.

He said 64 protesters remained, and the demonstration ended without further incident.

Meanwhile, Antara has reported that Duques Duarte, Duke of Braganza, the son of the last Portuguese king of the Braganza dynasty, is in Indonesia for a four-day visit.

The agency quoted Roving Ambassador for East Timor Affairs Lopez da Cruz as saying Wednesday that Duarte was also scheduled to visit East Timor.

The influential Portuguese figure, who is also a parliament member, arrived here Tuesday.

He said Duarte would also meet Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas but he could not confirm the issues to be discussed during the meeting.

Da Cruz said Duarte is visiting the country on a visa issued by the Indonesian representative in Wellington, New Zealand. (swe)