President Megawati asserts she cannot meddle in Jones' case

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.