Craig Skehan, Malcolm Brown and Lindsay Murdoch – Australian diplomats warned protesters last night against inflammatory action as attempts continued to get 18 Australians, accused of visa violations for attending a political conference in Jakarta, out of Indonesia. However, a protest outside the Indonesian Consulate in Maroubra went ahead yesterday as scheduled.
The Australians, among 32 foreigners who had their passports seized after being released from cells, face more questioning this morning at Jakarta's central police station and possible passport charges.
A Foreign Affairs Department spokesman in Canberra said yesterday: "We hope and fully expect the 18 remaining detainees will be out of the country in a matter of days.
"Consular officials have been working around the clock to resolve this matter quickly through negotiation with Indonesian authorities.
"It does appear that the people attending the conference have breached visa requirements. Visa breaches are always taken seriously in Indonesia and Australians should be aware of that."
Rights activists involved in the conference described the behaviour of the police on Thursday as "barbaric and uncivilised", saying they had stood by as sword-wielding Muslims beat-up participants after the foreigners were taken away.
Others detained included people from New Zealand, the United States, Pakistan, Japan, England, Belgium, Canada, France and Thailand.
One of the Australians, Ms Pip Hinman, who was later released with her young daughter Zoe, spoke on her return to Sydney yesterday about how heavily armed police burst into the conference, at a hotel at Depok, south of Jakarta.
About 100 people were at the meeting when dozens of police suddenly appeared, she said. "They were bristling with rifles. I was there with my partner, Peter Boyle, and four-year-old daughter, Zoe. We just sat tight. They blocked off the exits and used a loud-hailer and were shouting."
The foreigners were taken to the police station but were later allowed to go to a hotel, so long as they remained there. Because Ms Hinman was the only person with a child she had been allowed to fly home. Mr Boyle had to stay behind. Ms Hinman said she had gone to Indonesia with Mr Boyle and Zoe on a four-week holiday and that the conference, on labour and social issues, had "fitted in".
The gathering, billed as the Asia Pacific People's Solidarity Conference and referred to on the Internet as "The People's Struggle Against Neo-liberalism and Militarism in Asia-Pacific", had invited international participation. Organised by the Indonesian National Student League for Democracy, it had sought police approval but this had not been granted before it began, Ms Hinman said.
Two other Australians detained were named by conference organisers yesterday as a NSW academic, Ms Helen Jarvis, and her husband, Mr Allen Myers.
Participants detained in Polda Metro Jaya:
- Budiman Sudjatmiko, chairperson PRD, Indonesia
- Kelik Ismunanto, Direktur Increase, from Indonesia
- Surya Candra, YLBHI, Indonesia
- Habiburahman, LBHR, Indonesia
- Budi Ansori, PRD, Indonesia
- Max Lane, Australia
- Julia Perkins, Australia
- Marie Leadbeater, Australia
- Graham Mathews, Australia
- Pip Hinman, Autralia
- Jim McLLroy, Australia
- Satya Sivaraman, Bangladesh
- Rebeca, Australia
- Jonh Percy, Australia
- Doug Lorimer, Autralia
- Paul D'Amato, America
- Alen Mayer, Australia
- Sybele K, Australia
- Faroukh Tariq, Pakistan
- Giles Upakaron, India
- Kenji Kunitomi, Japan
- Tom O'lincoln, Australia
- Jhon Duval, UK
- Michael, Holland
- Jonh Dumb, Australia
- Joe (4 year old child), Australia
- Peter Boyle, Australia
- Kerryn Williams, Australia
- Earl Gillman, Canada
- Steve Harney, America
- Nick Everet, Australia
- Piere Rousset, France
- Hellen Jarvis, Australia
- Marie, Kanada
- Dave Murphi, Australia
- Eva Ceng, Australia
- Jonatan Strauss, Australia
- Ian Rintoul, Australia
- Three people from Thailand (not yet identified)
- Two other not yet identified
The Participants of The Conference who are injured during the AMK attack:
- Yahya Gunawan GP, PRD, neck injuries as a result of being cut
- Ki Joyo Sardo, from PRD, seriously wounded after being struck by a wooden club and trampled on
- Anom Astika, beaten with a wooden club and trampled on
- Akim, PRD, bruises to the head, beaten with a wooden club and trampled on
[Compile by the People's Democratic Party.]