Max Lane
The government of Megawati Sukarnoputri, apparently at the urging of Indonesia's intelligence agency (BIN) and foreign affairs department, has refused to extend Sidney Jones' work permit.
Jones works for the International Crisis Group, a Brussels headquartered think-tank. Her work permit and residency visa expired on June 10. A non-Indonesian staff member of the ICG's Jakarta office has also had to leave the country.
Jones has indicated that she will base herself in Singapore. While there are conflicting reports in the Indonesian media, it appears that Jones will not be banned from making short visits to Indonesia.
The decision on Jones' work permit became major news in Indonesia after the head of BIN, retired general Hendropriyono, informed reporters that he had told a parliamentary committee that Jones' work was harming Indonesia and that many of her reports were untrue. The ICG usually reports on conflict issues, such as the situation in Aceh, West Papua and Ambon, although in Indonesia Jones is mostly associated with the campaign against the radical Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah.
In the same parliamentary committee briefing, Hendropriyono said that there were 19 non-government organisations that were carrying out harmful activities and may need to be acted against. General Da'i Bachtiar, the national police chief, stated that he was waiting on information that could be used for charges to be laid by BIN. Apparently, he also claimed that I was a threat to national security. In all cases, he allegedly did not elaborate on his assessments.
There has been widespread criticism by NGOs, human rights organisations and some political groups of the decision on Jones' visa. Many commentators have expressed their concern that the decision, and the threat against NGOs, represent a return to the political methods of repression used during the Suharto period.
From within the top levels of the Indonesian political elite, presidential candidate for the National Mandate Party Amien Rais criticised the decision and defended Jones. Rais stated that if he became president, Jones would be allowed to return to Indonesia to work.
Presidential candidate for the Democratic party and retired army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged the government to explain the legal basis for the decision, claiming that without such an explanation, the decision's legitimacy could be questioned.
Golkar's vice-presidential candidate Salahuddin Wahid took a more ambivalent stand, calling on the government not to act hastily in deporting Jones. However, he also said that if her reports were actually subversive and "sowing disunity in the nation" then action should be taken against her.
There are many theories circulating in Jakarta about the reasons for this decision and its timing. What is clear is that the decision, and the threats against other critics, reflects the reality that the personnel of Suharto's New Order, with its old mentality, remain entrenched within the state apparatus. While the victory of the student and democratic movement in May 1998 ended the dictatorship and re-won many basic democratic freedoms, these personnel were not removed.
Almost all of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates currently running in the elections have played important roles in the political system established under Suharto. There has been very little turnover at the high levels of the state apparatus.
At the local level, there are regular reports of authorities using New Order-style methods to violently disperse protests, although the police rather than the military now play this role.
[Max Lane is a visiting fellow at the Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, and chairperson of Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific. Visit < http://www.asia-pacific-A href="mailto:action.org"><action.org>.]
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, June 9, 2004.
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