indonesian_open Indonesia turns back respected academic

[Wittman, Leonie]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Indonesia-turns-back-respected-academic
/2005/03/02/1109700544957.html?oneclick=true

 

 

Indonesia turns back respected academic 

By Matthew Moore, Herald Correspondent, in Jakarta



 

March 3, 2005

One of Australia's most highly regarded Indonesia experts has been
banned from entering the country in a move reminiscent of restrictions
imposed by the Soeharto regime.

Edward Aspinall, of Sydney University, arrived in Jakarta with a
business visa on Tuesday night en route to help an aid agency in Aceh.
He was told his name had been placed on a blacklist on February 25, and
he was sent back to Sydney on the same flight.

He is the first academic to be banned from Indonesia since the election
of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and the move against someone well
known for his moderate views and articles has shocked experts on
Indonesia around the world.

Dr Aspinall said he had lost count of the number of times he had been to
Indonesia since he first lived in Java when he was 14. He was at a loss
to know why he had been banned now.

"I am shocked and confused, I find it very hard to know why," he said.
"The staff were very polite and showed me a document which said the
reason for the ban was a letter from the Indonesian ambassador, dated
February 25, the same day I was issued a visa at the Indonesian
consulate in Sydney."

Dr Aspinall was going to Aceh as a consultant for an Australian aid
agency project when he was stopped. Several weeks ago he did voluntary
work in Aceh translating for Australian doctors treating patients in
hospital.

Last night, Indonesia's ambassador in Canberra, Imron Cotan, confirmed
he had called for Dr Aspinall to be kept out of the country but refused
to say why.

Dr Aspinall was recently attacked by the Indonesian embassy's second
secretary, Dino Kusnadi, when he was quoted by the Herald criticising
the separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement.

Although such comments would normally attract praise, Mr Kusnadi wrote
to the Herald describing Dr Aspinall as someone "long known to harbour
anti-Indonesian sentiments".

Dr Aspinall has recently accepted an Australian National University
appointment to take over from Dr Harold Crouch, one of the country's
leading experts on Indonesia.

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Leonie Wittman

R/Senior Curriculum Adviser

 

Languages Unit

Curriculum K-12 Directorate

3a Smalls Rd

Ryde NSW 2112

 

Tel:9886 7681

Fax: 9886 7160

Email: leonie.wittman at det.nsw.edu.au

 

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