Erna Mardiana, Bandung — Three foreign
environmental activists, who have been in Bandung
(West Java) municipal district police detention
since Sunday afternoon, have been threatened with
deportation. The three foreign nationals are Maria
Virginia Cruz from the Philippines, Neil Tangri from
the United States and Shibu K Nair from India.
According to their lawyer Yogaswara, they have been
charged under Articles 42 and 50 of the Immigration
Law. Article 42 reads that the immigration
department will take measures against foreigners in
the territory of Indonesia who undertake activities
that threaten public security and order or fail to
respect prevailing laws.
According to Article 50 meanwhile, foreigner who
intentionally misuse or undertake activities that
are not in line with the immigration permit that
they have been given, can be jailed for a maximum of
five years or incur a fine of as much as 25 million
rupiah.
"Under Article 42, they are threatened with
deportation. This articles isn’t precise, how did
they endanger the state? They were just sharing
their experiences about waste [management]", said
Yogaswara when speaking with journalists at the
Bandung district municipal police headquarters on
Jl. Jawa on Monday December 3.
Meanwhile an activists from Global Alliance
Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Indonesia who is
also being questioned, Yuyun Ismawati, said that the
three foreign nationals had refused to sign the
police interrogation reports (BAP) because they were
written in Indonesian.
"Since last night we have been asking that the BAP
be written in English. They should be respected as
foreign citizens", said Ismawati.
Ismawati added that a lot of support has come from
environmental activists from other countries,
including among others the Philippines and Malaysia,
who have sent faxes directly to the Bandung
municipal district police.
"Now the world knows about it. They only came here
just to share their experiences about waste
management", said Ismawati.
The three are activists from the non-government
organisation GAIA who came to Indonesia to attended
the Climate Change Conference in Nusa Dua, Bali,
which is to start today. (ern/djo)