U.S. journalist deported

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: American journalist Allan Joseph Nairn, 55, was deported on Sunday for abusing his temporary stay permit.

Surya Pranata of the Kupang Immigration office said Nairn violated his temporary stay permit since he had been in the country for 82 days.

Furthermore, Surya said, Nairn allegedly abused his tourist visa for journalistic purposes.

"In his visa he claimed to be a journalist. But in reality he secretly conducted journalistic practices while in Indonesia. That's why we had to deport him," Surya told Antara.

Nairn was in East Timor to report on events in the troubled territory.

Surya said this was not the first time Nairn had been in trouble with Indonesian authorities.

In 1991, he was expelled following the bloody Santa Cruz incident. Surya added that in March 1998 Nairn was again expelled for his stories on former president Soeharto.