President Megawati asserts she cannot meddle in Jones' case

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri said that she did not order the deportation of International Crisis Group (ICG) analyst Sidney Jones from Indonesia, and asserted she would not intervene in the issue.

"I did not order the deportation of Sidney Jones and Indonesia does deal with terrorism seriously. This matter has nothing to do with the country's commitment to the fight against terrorism," Megawati told a press conference on Monday, referring to ICG reports that highlight the government's ineffectiveness in dealing with homegrown terrorists.

Megawati called the conference to announce her programs ahead of the presidential election before the campaign period, which starts on Tuesday.

She underlined there were some steps her government had to take against Jones in which she could not intervene.

"Some procedures needs to be done and the government is taking action," the President said.

Megawati's running mate Hasyim Muzadi told the same press conference that the controversy surrounding Jones, a U.S. citizen, was not relevant to Indonesia's stance on the war on terrorism.

"If there are any problems with Sidney Jones, I do not see it as an indication that we are not anti-terrorist, just because of one Sidney Jones," Hasyim, who chairs the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, said.

Authorities have refused to renew the work permit of the ICG Indonesia director following the think-tank group's reports critical of the government. ICG director Todung Mulya Lubis quoted National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief A.M. Hendropriyono as referring to reports on Aceh and Papua as the trigger of the government's ire.

ICG has published several reports on al-Qaeda-linked Jamaah Islamiyah terrorist group indicating that many JI operatives were still at large in Indonesia.

Earlier in the day, Jones said the immigration office had told her it would not extend her visa.

"They told me on Friday that they would not extend my visa, but they did not explain the reasons," she told 68H news radio station.

She also said the manpower and transmigration ministry would not extend her work permit or the permits of other ICG foreign staff.

"They did not elaborate, but merely claimed that the decision was due to complaints from various parties. The officials, however, refused to specify the complaints," Jones told The Jakarta Post in an earlier interview.

But the immigration office said the manpower ministry and not the immigration office was not extending Jones' permit.

"We are not deporting her. What has happened is that Jones' KITAS expired on May 10. We have extended it until June 6," said Lukniardi, the interim director of the supervisory division in the office, referring to the 12-month stay permit.

According to Lukniardi, the immigration office will extend the KITAS if the manpower ministry processes Jones' application for a work permit.

"If the ministry issues it, we will issue her KITAS. Otherwise, we won't," he said.