Date: Wed, 13 Nov 96 14:32:40 CSTAccording to the BBC World Service today, an East Timorese scholar, Helder da Costa, was arrested on arrival in Jakarta today, after having been deported from Malaysia this morning, Sunday. He was in Kuala Lumpur to attend the Second Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor (APCET II) which was scheduled for 9 - 11 November. The conference was violently broken up by Malaysian youths. All the Malaysian participants were then arrested by the Malaysian police and all the foreign delegates are due to be deported today or tomorrow.
Helder da Costa had travelled to Kuala Lumpur from Adelaide where he has just commenced a three-year study for a Ph.D at the university of Adelaide. Helder obtained his Masters degree in economic development several years ago in New Zealand. Soon after, he returned to East Timor and took up a teaching post at the University of East Timor in Dili. Earlier this year, he went to the US for research purposes, then went to Adelaide to commence his studies there.
After his arrival in Jakarta this morning he was seen being taken away by police and has not been seen since. His deportation back to Indonesia occurred after intervention by the Indonesian authorities in Malaysia. By rights, he should have returned to Adelaide and was in possession of a return ticket to go there. There are grave fears for his safety.
Travelling back with him was an Indonesian woman, Adhi Ayu Yanti, who also went to Kuala Lumpur to attend APCET II. Adhi Ayu was attending the conference on behalf of the youth communications forum of the mass-based Muslim organisation, Nahdatul Ulama. She too was taken away by police and may also be under arrest.
Eight other Indonesians who attended APCET II are to be deported back to Jakarta later today. All of them could suffer the same fate as the two who arrived in Jakarta this afternoon Jakarta time.
