Tamsil Linrung
Mar 24th, 2007, in News, by PatungA PKS politician is prevented from boarding a flight to Canada.
Tamsil Linrung was prevented from boarding a Cathay Pacific Airways flight to Canada, leaving from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport on March 21st, because, so it is said antara, airport authorities had been informed by US embassy officials that Tamsil was an undesirable passenger. He was part of a 12-member group of MP’s heading to Canada for a working visit. One report says the government of Canada issued the late ban on his visit. suaramerdeka
Tamsil Linrung.
Tamsil Linrung is a parliamentarian from the Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS), or Justice Party, from South Sulawesi, and has in the past been accused of being a member of Islamic terror groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), and militant groups such as Laskar Jundullah.
He was once arrested, along with two other men, his brother-in-law Agus Dwikarna and Abdul Jamal Balfas, by Philippines police at Manila airport in 2002 for attempted smuggling of a small amount of C4 explosives, detonating cords, and blasting caps, and is believed connected with the Preparatory Committee for the Implementation of Islamic Law.
All three men claimed that the bomb-making materials had been planted on them. Agus Dwikarna was charged with the crime and was sentenced to 10-17 years. Charges against Jamal Balfas and Tamsil Linrung (he is sometimes called Hamsid Lin Rung in Philippino court documents) were dropped after president Megawati made a personal plea to Philippines president Arroyo and the two were released a month after the arrests. supremecourt.gov.ph
Yudhi Chrisnandi, a Golkar member from the parliamentary commission for foreign and defence affairs, complained that this latest example of Tamsil’s travel woes was an outrageous insult and humiliation for the Indonesian parliament and the entire nation, and a violation of Tamsil’s human rights. Tamsil wasn’t even going to the United States, he added, but to Canada. republika
Chrisnandi gave the US embassy seven days to solve the problem or the House’s Commission I would do something about it.
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March 25th.
Former Muhammadiyah leader Ahmad Syafii Ma’arif says the government has to take firm action against Canada. He said the Canadians have to understand that they have insulted one of the Indonesian people’s representatives, and that Tamsil had travelled many times previously without getting into trouble. Ahmad said he personally did not agree with much of Tamsil’s beliefs but he still had to be respected.
Meanwhile Azyumardi Azra said Canada had to do whatever America told it to, so it was easy to understand the issue. mediaindo
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March 26th.
Tamsil Linrung says he will visit the US embassy in Jakarta to ask for an explanation of his black-listing, even though it is now clear that the ban on his travel came from the Canadian embassy.antara
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March 28th.
The Association of Muslim Intellectuals, Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim Indonesia (ICMI), demands that the government take a firm stand against the governments of Canada and the United States. Chairman of the ICMI Nanat Fatah Nasir complained of the meek reaction of parliamentarians, including those who were part of the group going to Canada. antara
Why is the Indonesian nation silent? Tamsil has never been proven to have done any wrong and what’s more BIN have cleared him of any involvement with Jamaah Islamiyah.
We urge the government to show some teeth.
36 Comments on “Tamsil Linrung”
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Dimp says:
Hi Colson,
In regards to flying over territories, I think there is also economic perception, countries have to sign agreements on open sky regulations so their aircrafts can fly over each other territories. For example at the moment Australia have limit the Pacific route to a few airlines, a Pacific route that Singapore Airline has been begging to get into.
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pj_bali says:
Colson
You make some valid points and I can see where you are coming from.
In my view the breach of ususal procedure of law has occured in Indonesia and not the US. The man will never be tried in Indonesia for anything – he is too well placed so waiting for legal proof from the Indonesian judiciary is not an option.
Moreover don’t think that there is a burden of proof requirement when it comes to Immigration departments in Canada, the US or Indonesia for that matter. A foreign govenment can refuse access to anybody whether or not they have the proper Visa documentation and they don’t need approval from Washington each time they do it, nor to they need to give the reason. The US and Canada are not the same country athough they share a long border and they sound somewhat similar someone not from North America.
I am merely suspicious of the source of this story that the Americans forced the Canadian government to issue the travel ban. The Americans could not force Canada to join the “coalition of the willing” so why assume that the Canadian government were pressured into refusing entry of a relatively small fish?
Finally this appears to be a non-issue in terms of the global media. Looking around the news have you seen any reports outside of Indonesia in regards to this affair? It hasn’t appeared on the cbc, bbc,cnn or al-jazeera. The Indonesian embassy in Ottawa makes no mention of the issue, nor does the embassy in Washington. If this incident were indeed an “outrageous insult and humiliation for the Indonesian parliament and the entire nation” why haven’t we heard SBY or the foreign minister complaining publicly? Why not summon the Canadian Ambassador? The only source appear to be the plaintiffs themselves, which to me indicates more of a sour grapes attitude about being refused on the plane. The guy should have known better which futhers my belief that he probably knew he would get barred and is just trying to make some political mileage.
PS Just Curious. Does anyone know why they were going to Canada in the first place?
Cheers
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Colson says:
Pj Bali; One more for the road.
Well, I don’t sympathize with nasty people like mr T. And I agree with you, he is not worth the attention he gets here. In fact I, just like you, think some Indonesian gentlemen look hysterical over this issue.
But his case illustrates something that’s far more important. I mean the tendency to set aside justice in the name of security. It’s not a secret; Patriot Act and, to a lesser degree, the agreement of the European Commission (EU) and the US government on the exchange of information concerning the privacy of passengers on intercontinental flights (your name better be John instead of Mohammed) are examples. The source is very reliable: the European parliament.
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Bas says:
“SBY meant Big 5 powerhouse in economy and technology”.
His place is in a psychiatric hospital if he believes that. So far from the reality.
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Abdul Khalid al Jumhuri says:
I am a late comer, but here is my two-cent worth:
1. The fallacy of democracy is that power is achieved by the majority vote. The majority of people are dumb, that is why a slime ball like Tansil linrung could become a member of Parliament.
2. He represent the belief of this very bigoted, racist “Muslim vs. Kafirs” religion. Why in the heck is he going to a “kafir” country like Canada, of the US for? His job is supposedly to ban and guard all of those good Muslims to even enter the “kafirs” embassies. Let alone crawl and beg for visa. Where is his dignity?
3. I hope he learn and swear in the name of his Allah that he never again go to the “kafirs” countries, and better yet he should impose it to all of his followers. May be this way the world is a little better.
Comment on “Tamsil Linrung”.
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Colson,
The stubborn attitude of the US is causing a lot of world-wide aggravation. The Americans are shooting in their own feet, now anti-americanism is growing all over the world.