Three foreigners expelled from Aceh

BANDA ACEH, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam: The Aceh Provincial Immigration Office deported on Tuesday two Malaysians and an American for entering the restricted province of Aceh without proper immigration and security documents.

Imron Zubandi, an official at the immigration office, said on Tuesday that the two Malaysians -- Ong Kung Wai and Jumat bin Madjid -- were business consultants, while Sean Blanchet, was a student.

Following the declaration of martial law in Aceh last year, the Aceh Immigration Office severely restricted foreigners from entering unless they had special permits from the martial law administrator and immigration office. Martial law has been lifted recently and Aceh is now under a civil emergency administration, but the curtailment of foreign and domestic tourists, businesspeople, rights workers, journalists and students, is still in effect. -- JP