November 14, 2022
JAKARTA – The authorities arrested two Chinese citizens in Jakarta on Friday night for allegedly attempting to stage a protest during the series of Group of 20 summits and meetings, slated for Tuesday and Wednesday in Bali.
Law and Human Rights Ministry acting Director General for Immigration Widodo Ekatjahjana said on Saturday that the two were arrested for violating the immigration regulation that prohibited anyone from carrying out activities that were not in accordance with the stay permit they hold.
The two Chinese nationals, identified only by their initial HCC and YX, hold limited stay permits for work and are prohibited from carrying out any political activities in Indonesia.
Widodo said authorities found some evidence indicating that HCC and YX were trying to provoke other people to take part in a protest against the G20 Summit in Bali, but stopped short of saying what the evidence was.
Widodo said immigration authorities carried out security measures and probes in accordance with the applicable law by coordinating with the Chinese Embassy and the Foreign Ministry.
“They violated immigration regulations for carrying out activities that are inappropriate or violate their residence permit as well as making provocative actions for inviting others to join a demonstration at the G20 event,” Widodo said in a statement on Saturday.
Activities denied
A number of activities in Bali have been shut down by the local administration ahead of the events.
Tempo reported that an event titled Bali Youth Aspiration and Art Space for Climate, slated for Nov. 6, was canceled as the traditional village administration in Kesiman, Denpasar, denied its permit.
In a statement on Nov. 8, Greenpeace Indonesia said their team of cyclists for the Chasing the Shadow campaign, who were pedaling their way to the G20 Summit in Bali, had been subjected to intimidation as they were passing Probolinggo, in West Java.
“One of our members was forced to make a legally signed statement that they would not continue their journey and stop campaigning during the G20 Summit in Bali,” the press statement reads.
Greenpeace considers this action very damaging to the principles of democracy and a violation of the freedom of expression that is guaranteed in the Constitution.
Bali Police has denied that there is a ban on demonstrating or rallying at the G20 events. “We are asking [these rallies] to be postponed,” police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Stefanus Satake Bayu Setianto said on Thursday as quoted by Tempo.
He said the police would secure any rally, but will direct the activities to Renon Square in Denpasar — about 20 kilometers from G20 event sites.
Heavy security
The G20 Leaders’ Summit will gather the world’s most powerful figures together on the resort island. Seventeen world leaders — bar Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the leaders of Mexico and Brazil — will seek solutions to myriad global crises.
Preparations for 20 national delegations, plus other prominent international figures including the heads of the United Nations and FIFA, are well under way.
A massive security measure, dubbed Operation Puri Agung, will see 18,000 military and police officers deployed to the Nusa Dua area.
The heads of state will move between their 24 designated hotels and the summit venue — the Apurva Kempinski — inside a security ring protected by the military, with outer rings manned by the police force.
The military, with TNI commander Gen. Andika Perkasa directly in charge of the operation, will deploy 12 warships, 13 helicopters and four fighter jets — two F16s, a Sukhoi-27 and a Sukhoi-30 — along with a Boeing reconnaissance aircraft, another Boeing aircraft for VIPs and two Hercules cargo aircraft, including one for medical evacuations.
As well as facial recognition cameras, police will deploy hundreds of bodycams to protect the Nusa Dua area and 1,700 CCTV cameras will be in operation.
Indonesian officials have liaised with United States and Chinese delegations about their high-level security needs and said they are sharing intelligence with delegations about any threat to the event.
Last month, Bali administration issued a circular regarding activities restrictions around the time of the Summit, including a ban on holding big religious ceremonies involving many people, which the predominantly Hindu population is known for.
The restriction would be implemented in three districts close to the meeting venues and the airport, namely Kuta, South Kuta and South Denpasar.
Workers for all government and non-government offices in the three districts are told to work from home during the restrictions, with all schools directed to online learning or home learning. The restriction is excluded for activities in health facilities.
State electricity firm PLN has even told Bali residents not to fly kites during the event for fear of knocking out power lines.
“We want to ensure that activities can go on as scheduled and all [delegates] can get a good impression,” Agung Setya Imam Effendi, an aide of National Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo, told AFP. (dre)