Subject: TAPOL activist refused entry into Indonesia
Date: Sun, 19 Jul 1998 15:44:07 +0100 (BST)
From: tapol@gn.apc.org (TAPOL)19 July 1998, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAPOL ACTIVIST REFUSED ENTRY INTO INDONESIA
A member of the staff of TAPOL, Liem Soei Liong, was today refused entry into Indonesia
on the grounds that his name is still on a blacklist which denies entry to an unknown
number of people.
Liem Soei Liong, an Indonesian who has lived in exile for more than thirty years, holds
a Dutch passport. Besides working for TAPOL, Liem is a founding member of JODI, a
pro-democracy opposition network of Indonesians set up two years ago, whose membership
extends throughout Europe and the US.
Carmel Budiardjo of TAPOL said: 'It is a grave reflection on the reform credentials of
the Habibie regime that they still maintain a blacklist denying entry to people who are
known for their dedication to the principles of democracy and human rights.'
On arrival in Jakarta, Liem was informed by immigration officials that the exclusion
order preventing his entry had been signed by General Wiranto, commander in chief of the
armed forces. He was told that the blacklist is renewed annually, meaning that his
exclusion order must have been renewed quite recently.
TAPOL has written to Minister of State Derek Fatchett, urging the British government to
intervene in order to have Liem's name removed from the blacklist.
Following a visit to Indonesia in 1994, Liem was arrested at Jakarta airport as he was
about to leave the country, and was held for intensive questioning for three days. He was
told then that he was blacklisted and should not have entered the country.
Liem is now in Singapore from where he will press the Indonesian authorities to rescind
his exclusion order. It is understood that a member of the National Human Rights
Commission, Bambang Suharto, has undertaken to support him in having his name removed from
the blacklist.
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