Fidelis E Satriastanti
Coal, in this file photo, was the subject of a Greenpeace meeting which was broken up by police for allegedly being held without permission. (SP Photo)
Rude Exit for Visiting Green Activists
It came as a shock to Thai environmental activist Chariya Senpong, that one of her first tastes of Indonesian hospitality was a night’s accommodation courtesy of the Cirebon Police.
Chariya is in the country with three other Thais for a meeting and site visit as part of a Greenpeace anti-coal campaign in Southeast Asia.
However, the meeting at the Waruduwur village hall in Cirebon, West Java, on Monday turned ugly when 100 policemen burst in and arrested 12 foreign nationals — the four Thais, one from Hong Kong, three from the Philippines, two from China, two from India. Two Indonesians were also detained.
The group, comprising Greenpeace activists, community leaders and experts, were questioned for allegedly staging an unlawful gathering and then handed over to the immigration office, where they were quizzed again until late on Tuesday before flown back to Jakarta and being deported.
“It’s OK now because it’s almost clear,” Chariya, the Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner in Thailand, told the Jakarta Globe. “Our main purpose for coming was to meet activists and share experiences because every one of [our nations have] coal communities and issues.”
She said the meeting was meant to explain how stakeholders could work together to promote renewable energy and raise awareness of the impact of coal-fired power plants.
“After we finished, the police came and tried to throw us out,” Chariya said. “We didn’t commit any violence or do anything wrong, but the police wouldn’t release us and finally we all had to go down to the police station.
“We were surprised by Indonesian law enforcement. We were just holding a meeting, and not breaking the immigration law.”
Greenpeace Southeast Asia climate and energy campaigner Arif Fiyanto said the police had overreacted. “It was just a meeting on the coal industry in Asia,” he said.
“We were confused when suddenly the police broke it up and stated that we didn’t have permission to hold a press conference in the area. We’ve held hundreds of press conferences, none of which required permission from the police.”
Arif said the police had charged them with engaging in activities “resulting in public chaos and disorder.”
“We only invited reporters to the event, which was held at an outdoor venue,” he said. “If other people decided to tag along, that was their decision. We didn’t invite them.”
Chariya said the incident highlighted a disregard for human rights. “It also affects human rights because we’re here to see how each country can support one another in saving the environment,” she said.
“I also remember [President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono] urging the government to join Greenpeace in combating climate change and energy issues.”
Other activists had harsher words. “Clearly Indonesia still hasn’t completely shrugged off its authoritarian past,” said Judy Pasimio, executive director of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, an NGO concerned with indigenous people’s rights and natural resources.
“This latest episode evokes the time of Suharto when the coercive power of the state, through the police and the military, were used to sow terror and choke democratic space. This abusive behavior has no place in a supposedly democratic country.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faisasyah said he was not aware of the incident, while Cirebon Police did not answer calls on Wednesday for comment.
Philippine Ambassador Vidal Erpe Querol confirmed three Philippine activists had been deported for alleged visa violations.
“Perhaps our citizens were not aware of the rules, because our understanding of the immigration law between Southeast Asian countries is that you don’t need a visa if you’re visiting for 15 to 20 days,” he said.
“However, we respect Indonesian law enforcement’s [take on this issue].”
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