Jakarta – Environmental group Greenpeace accuses the Indonesian authorities of trying to suppress freedom of speech with its recent barring of Greenpeace UK executive director John Sauven from entering Indonesia.

"The rejection is part of a scheme to systematically suppress Greenpeace. The ban is a sign of [the Indonesian government's] return to the old way used by the Soeharto regime to suppress civilians," Greenpeace Indonesia spokesman Adi Harnowo said in Jakarta on Sunday.

Adi said Greenpeace had been a target of attacks since the group had begun campaigns against forest destruction allegedly committed by Asia Pulp and Paper, a subsidiary of Indonesia's Sinar Mas Group. The attacks have been targeted to exile Greenpeace from Indonesia, he added.

Suave arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Thursday, to attend a forest conference and visit Sumatran forests, among other things.

Indonesia's immigration office, however, denied him an entry despite a business visa he had secured from the Indonesian Embassy in London. Greenpeace said there had been no explanation from the immigration office as to why it barred Suave from entering, tempointeraktif.com reported.