Three foreigners deported

JAKARTA (JP): The Directorate General of Immigration has deported three women holding passports issued by the Republic of China for allegedly violating their work permits.

Immigration regional office coordinator Moh. Iman Santoso said the three women were put on Garuda Indonesian flight GA 972 to Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday, at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

He said in a press release the three women, Ju Han Hui, 25, Jin Shan Yu, 31, and Gu Li Xue, 34, were arrested June 21.

The women had permits from the Ministry of Manpower to work as singers in Jakarta and other cities, including Palembang, Medan and Surabaya, he said.

Iman said the three were legally permitted to work as singers and karaoke guides at the Sydney 2000 restaurant and singing hall on Jl. Mangga Besar, West Jakarta.

"But the women had allegedly worked as call girls. They had illegally earned tips from side jobs. That's a violation of their work permits," Iman said.

The three claimed they were ordered to work as call girls by a "godmother" at the entertainment center.

The three women arrived in the country between May 15 and June 15 on business visas issued by the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

"The women's names are being placed on the immigration blacklist," Iman said. (cst)