RI to protest to U.S. over profiling policy

RI to protest to U.S. over profiling policy

Kurniawan Hari and Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said Indonesia
would file a protest with the United States over its new policy
requiring Indonesian males of 16 years and above to register
themselves with the immigration authorities.

"We will file a protest. Last week's U.S. explanation is
unacceptable," Hassan said after a hearing with the House of
Representatives' foreign and defense committee on Thursday.

He called the policy discriminatory and, thus, unacceptable.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri had raised the issue with
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly during his visit to
Jakarta last week, said Hassan, adding that Kelly promised to
forward her concerns to U.S. President George W. Bush.

Indonesia is among 25 countries subject to the new U.S.
immigration policy, known as the National Security Entry-Exit
Registration System (NSEERS).

Most of the 25 countries on the list are Islamic states or
have large Muslim populations. But Indonesia is the only
Southeast Asian country on the list.

Previously, the NSEERS only required foreigners, like
Indonesians, who arrived in the U.S. to be fingerprinted and
photographed and to provide detailed information about their
backgrounds and purpose of their visits.

The second phase of the NSEERS includes the registration
requirement.

It applies to Indonesian males of age 16 and above staying in
the U.S. for more than 30 days. The registration period runs from
Feb. 24 until March 28, 2003.

For registration, Indonesians must bring their visas and show
documents proving where they live, work or study.

"On average, the process just takes 18 minutes," said U.S.
Embassy spokesperson Stanley Harsha.

He said the measures were part of the Immigration Nationality
Act that the U.S. Congress wants to apply to nationals of the
entire world by 2005.

"Because of Sept. 11, priority is been given to countries that
have problems with terrorism," he said without explaining whether
the measures would be identical to those imposed on the current
list of 25 countries.

Since the policy was announced last week, anti-American
sentiment has been rising again here with calls for American
nationals to subjected to similar treatment.

So far Indonesian law requires foreign nationals working here
to report once a year to the immigration office and police for
permits costing at least Rp 1 million (about US$112). Companies
must also pay $100 a month in tax for every foreigner they
employ.

There is no exact figures on how many Indonesians live in the
U.S., but some believe there could be up to 40,000, many of whom
are illegal immigrants.

"The U.S. is a heaven for immigrants," said Retno Sukardan
Mamoto, executive secretary of the American Studies Center at the
University of Indonesia.

"As long as you don't commit a crime, they (immigration
officers) will not bother you," she said.

The director of the Indonesian International Education
Foundation (IIEF), Idris Agoes, said many Indonesian students
overstayed their visas to find work after completing their
studies.

Here an American undergraduate degree may earn a fresh
graduate between Rp 1.5 million (about US$168) and Rp 3.5 million
a month, she explained. "Those who are pragmatic would say, as
long as I don't get harassed why not just work there (in the
U.S.)."