[asia-apec 218] Indonesia: Gov't Investigating 32 NGOs

[by way of daga <daga at hk.super.net>]

      JAKARTA, Nov 1 (Reuter) - Indonesia plans to take action against 32
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that it regards as posing problems,
the official Antara news agency reported on Friday. 


    Susilo Sudarman, coordinating minister for politics and security,
declined to name the NGOs but said they were among some 8,000 such bodies in
Indonesia. 


    ``The criteria for those posing a problem are those that do not use the
state ideology Pancasila as the basis for their organisation and conduct
illegal activities,'' Sudarman was quoted as saying after a monthly
ministerial security meeting. 


    The five principles of Pancasila include belief in one God,
humanitarianism, national unity, democracy through consensus, and social
justice. 


    The Media Indonesia newspaper quoted Sudarman as saying leaders of NGOs
that ``have problems'' will soon be called by authorities for questioning. 


    ``If proof is found they have broken the law, they will be taken to
court,'' he said. 


    Sudarman told Antara he did not name the NGOs because their members
would then hide, but he said the government would eventually publicly
identify them. 


    He said groups that received foreign aid but did not inform the
government of this or ask for permission were one example of those that
broke the law. 


    ``There are NGOs that receive assistance from overseas which reaches
billions of rupiah (thousands of dollars). Just what is that for,'' he asked. 


    In the wake of a government crackdown on activists after the July 27
riots in Jakarta, NGOs have complained to the official National Human Rights
Commission that they have been harassed and intimidated by security agencies. 


    Many outspoken groups have curtailed their activities or gone
underground since the crackdown fearing official reprisals. 


    After the riots, regarded as the worst in more than 20 years, the
government said it would re-register all NGOs. 


    On Monday, a member of the unrecognised Alliance of Independent
Journalists and a printer were detained after being caught in south Jakarta
with 5,000 copies of an unlicensed magazine, Suara Independen (Independent
Voice), which is published in Indonesia by an Australian-based group. 


    Lawyers said they were facing charges of spreading hatred against the
president.