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.)."