American terror expert again expelled from Indonesia
Indonesia expelled a leading American expert on south-east Asian terrorist networks for the second time in as many years, officials said today. No explanation was given.
Sidney Jones, the project director for the International Crisis Group in Jakarta, was refused entry to the country yesterday on his return from a short trip to Taiwan.
“I don’t understand,” she said from Singapore today. “If there was a problem, you would have thought they would have called me in or raised the question while I was in Jakarta, giving me some ability to respond.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Yuri Thamrin confirmed Jones had been barred, but gave no reason.
The Brussels-based International Crisis Group opened an office in Indonesia in 2000 and has issued detailed and well-researched reports on separatist conflicts in Indonesia and the activities of the al Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah.
The regional terror group has been blamed for at least four deadly bombings in Indonesia since 2002, including last month’s triple suicide attacks on the resort island of Bali that killed 20 people.
Though Jones is frequently interviewed by local and international media, it is not clear what she may have said in recent weeks to anger the government. Since the October 1 attacks, she has been largely complementary about Jakarta’s successes in cracking down on terrorists.
Jones was expelled from Indonesia in 2004 under the administration of President Megawati Sukarnoputri for allegedly publishing false reports damaging to the country’s image.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s government allowed her to return in July, providing her with residence and work visas.
Jones arrived in Jakarta after attending a Time magazine awards ceremony honouring her think tank, and said that she was told upon arrival that an October 7 letter banned her from entry.
The International Crisis Group describes itself an independent, non-profit organisation working to prevent and resolve conflicts. It is funded by foreign governments and private foundations.
