With his face covered, LM arrived at the center at around 4 pm accompanied by police officers and his parents.
Head of the province`s law and human rights office Taswem Tarib told the press, the boy had to be moved from his police detention cell because the dossiers on his case were completed but due to limited space at Denpasar penitentiary he was sent to the immigration detention center.
"There is no more space at the Kerobokan (penitentiary) while at the immigration detention center he can also play. In fact, this center was built specially for foreigners," he said.
About LM`s case, Taswem said Indonesia would continue to settle it according to the law but for humanitarian reasons the government had decided to give him special treatment.
"Once again, the law will be enforced but for humanitarian reasons it was decided to hold him at this center. After all, we still do not have a good place to detain children," he said.
The decision to move the Australian boy was the result of negotiations between the law and human rights minister , the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs and the national police chief while they were visiting Tanah Lot, Tabanan.
"This is the result of quick talks between the three high ranking officials. The law and human rights minister came to Kerobokan prison this morning to see conditions there and then he met with the national police chief and discussed it for almost five minutes," he said.
Regarding the permit for the suspect`s parents to visit and stay with him at the immigration detention center, he said, it would be up to the case`s investigators while the law and human rights ministry was only providing the detention facility.
"He has only been entrusted to us (immigration). Whether his parents will join him is for the case investigators to decide and not for us. We will just follow whatever the investigators decide," he said.
The suspect`s lawyer, Rifan, meanwhile said he was glad his client had been given an appropriate detention place.
"We are glad. His family is also glad. This shows that the Indonesian government cares and respects children`s human rights," he said.
According to information the immigration detention center has eight rooms where 36 illegal immigrants from Iran, Afghanistan and Malaysia stay. The Australian boy was placed in a room measuring 7 meters by 5 meters.
LM was caught carrying marijuana in Legian, Bali, at around 3pm earlier in October.
To the police during questioning he said he had bought the stuff from someone he did not know in Kuta resort. (*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
