Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – An American freelance journalist believed to be linked with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has been deported from Aceh after attempting to enter the province on Feb. 8.

It marks the fifth deportation for 50-year-old Willian Nessen since he was first barred from entering the once-restive province in 2003. Nessen's latest deportation followed a two-day stay in Banda Aceh at the invitation of Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf.

Nessen questioned his deportation, saying he came to Aceh at the governor's invitation. "I am here at the invitation of Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf, and I will accept any decision made by Irwandi," he said at the Medan city airport, North Sumatra, moments before his deportation.

Nessen was barred from entering Aceh following his release from a Banda Aceh prison in 2003. He was jailed by the former military government after allegedly being found at a GAM hideout in the province.

During a previous visit to the province, he produced a documentary film Black Road portraying GAM's struggle against the Indonesian Military.

"I came here to help Irwandi and the Aceh economic recovery, and they react like there's still a war here," Nessen told The Jakarta Post. He said he had come to Aceh to encourage sugar imports from India and to export betel nuts to New Delhi.

Governor Irwandi said he regretted the central government's decision to deport Nessen. "It is a strong slap from the central government," he said.

He said he had invited the American to visit the province after personally checking Nessen's status at the local immigration office and finding him to be no longer prohibited from entering the country.

Head of the local immigration office Septiawan said Nessen's deportation was justified by an extension of the initial prohibition to the end of February 2008.

He also said he had not known of the extension at the time of Nessen's arrival, which was why he had not put the American's name on the black list at immigration.

"We received the letter on Nessen's black listing from the central government on Saturday night and Nessen came in on Saturday morning," he said, adding that Nessen stayed in the city for two days before his repatriation through Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.