Starvation threat by friend of Indonesian

Press, 25 March 1980, Page 1

Starvation threat by friend of Indonesian

A Canterbury student, Mr Garth Ritchie, .threat* ens to starve himself to death unless he is assured of the safety of an Indonesian friend in hiding. Mr Jose Satyadharma has been hiding with friends ' jn Christchurch since he was ordered to leave New Zealand by the Under-Secretary for Immigration (Mr Malcolm) on February 28. Now, almost a month later, Mr Ritchie feels that the only way to save his friend’s life is to risk his own.Mr Satyadharma, aged 35, a student, went into hiding because he feared he would be imprisoned, tortured, or killed if he returned to Indonesia. He was afraid because while in New Zealand he had made clear his opposition to the present Indonesian Government, and because he had declined to supply information about the political persuasions of other Indonesian students to the Indonesian Military Attache in New Zealand. Mr Ritchie went on a water-only fast on Saturday and has said he will not eat until Mr Malcolm assures him that Mr Satyadharma would be safe if he returns to his country. Mr Ritchie said that his request was not unreasonable because Mr Satyadharma had been told only that his case for political asylum in New Zealand was “not well found -

ed.” He had not been given any facts or reasons to support an interdepartmental committee’s f ding that he would be safe to return to Indonesia. Mr Ritchie said he would not end his fast until Mr Malcolm had answered questions for him. He wanted to know why the Indonesian Embassy had withheld Mr Satyadharma’s passport for a year after he had declined to supply it with information. He wanted to know if it was normal practice for Indonesian students to be asked to gather informa-

tion about New Zealand groups opposing Indonesian actions. If not, Mr Ritchie wanted to know why the Military Attache (Lieutenant-Colo-nel M. P. Panjaitan) had not been asked to leave New Zealand for using a student. Mr Ritchie wants to hear why Mr Satyadharma’s case was judged “not well founded.” “If the Minister gives satisfactory answers to my questions, I will be satisfied that Mr Satyadharma need have ho fear for his safety, and I will end my fast,” said Mr Ritchie.