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Foreign protesters arrested, sent home

Source
Jakarta Post - April 10, 2008

Jakarta – The immigration office will deport 15 foreign nationals from seven Asian countries for allegedly violating their entry permits.

Chief investigator at the Directorate General of Immigration, Syaiful Rahman, said Wednesday the foreign nationals took part in a rally against the transgenic crop industry Tuesday.

"The foreign national activists entered on tourist visas or with visitation visas that could be extended after two months. They were not allowed to take part in any protests in the country. They have admitted their wrongdoing," he told The Jakarta Post.

The activists come from Cambodia, India, Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines.

The rally, led by nonprofit organization People's Coalition for Food Sovereignty, was held at the National Monument Park in Central Jakarta and the Agriculture Ministry in South Jakarta. The demonstrators demanded better food development in Asian countries and protested against the use of transgenic crops.

The police interrogated the foreign nationals for hours before sending them to an immigration facility in Bogor pending deportation. "We will soon return them to their home countries," Syaiful said.

He said the 15 would not be permitted to return to Indonesia for one year.

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