Touchy Indonesia keeps tight lid on foreign researchers

Touchy Indonesia keeps tight lid on foreign researchers

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The government is drafting a new decree setting out even more
onerous rules for foreign scientists conducting research here due
to a growing number of "illegal studies", an official says.

The deputy chairman of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences
(LIPI), Lukman Hakim, claimed on Tuesday that not only had
illegal studies cost the country dearly but also given rise to
security concerns.

"Many foreigners conduct studies here and exploit our natural
laboratories without permits from LIPI. We have found that they
often do not benefit our national interest," he told reporters on
the sidelines of a seminar here.

Presidential Decree No. 100/2002 designates LIPI as the only
body in Indonesia that can issue permits to foreigners to conduct
research here. The decree was issued to give effect to Law No.
18/2002 on science and technology.

Foreigners who violate their permits in conducting studies
here face a maximum of six months in jail and fines of up to Rp 5
million (US$555), as well as immediate deportation, according to
the law.

British academic Lesley McCulloch was sentenced to five months
on Dec. 30, 2003, for violating the terms of her visa. Having
entered the country on a tourist visa, she was arrested by Aceh
Police for conducting a study in the war-torn province along with
her American friend, Joy Sadler.

LIPI promotions director Krisbiwati said that a foreign
scientist was deported recently as he attempted to illegally take
a number of butterflies out of the country illegally after
conducting a study here.

To obtain a LIPI permit to conduct a study here, foreign
scientists must, among other requirements, submit six copies of
the study proposal, including its purpose and the methodology to
be employed, file a recommendation from the Indonesian embassy in
the applicants' country of origin, refrain from engaging in
political activities while here, and sign an agreement forcing
them to team up with local partners.

To conduct a study, a foreign researcher is charged US$100 and
another $50 for extension of his of her stay.

Lukman acknowledged that many applicants complained about the
requirements.

"But we have to enforce the regulation. We have seen various
cases where foreign researchers have claimed the intellectual
property rights to studies that were actually conducted by their
Indonesian counterparts," Lukman said.

Krisbiwati said that this year alone, around 200 foreign
researchers had applied for permits to conduct studies here. Most
of these were on anthropology, sociology and biodiversity. The
applications had come from researchers from Japan, the United
States, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany,
France, Canada, Norway and Switzerland.

The government still bans foreign researchers from conducting
studies in the conflict-prone areas of Aceh, Papua, Poso in South
Sulawesi, and Ambon in Maluku.