POLICE DENY HAVING ARRESTED GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS

Pekanbaru, Nov 25 (ANTARA) - Police in Riau denied on Wednesday that they had arrested Greenpeace activists who had sealed container cranes of PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper in Perawang, Siak.

"This is not an arrest but mere questioning with regard to the immigration documents of the foreigners taking part in the action," the director of security intelligence of the Riau police, Senior Commissioner Abdi Dharma said.

Fourteen Greenpeace activists were held after they had sealed four cranes in the Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper port area. They are now still being questioned at the Riau police head-office. Nine of them are foreigners while the rest are Indonesians.

Abdi Dharma said "the police only handled the foreigners in connection with possible crimes they might have committed."
He admitted that the police's action followed complaints from PT IKPP regarding their entry into the company's compound without permit.

He denied that the police were not neutral and had sided with the company in the case.

Regarding the foreigners he said the police would coordinate with the immigration office. Examination on them would include checking if they had used their visas properly.

Due to the activists' action loading and unloading activities in the port had been crippled. Until now four activists were still staying on the crane.

Of the nine foreigners, five are Greenpeace staff who had monitored the action from aboard a boat in Siak River. They are Ashish Fernandes from India, Asti Roesle from Switzerland, Richard Carlson from New Zealand, Stepahnie Goodwin from Canada and Valarie from Scotland.

The others who were involved in scaling the 40-meter high crane
are Nina from Germany, Moro from the Philippines, Stephanie from the US and Benoit from Belgium.

Among the Indonesian activists being questioned is Bustar Mastar, the Southeast Asia Greenpeace forest campaign speaker. The others are Santi, Didin, Hendra and Hendri.***3***
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