"Their campaign activities have often hurt businesses in our country. We can say they have been overdosed. Now we are studying whether their activities have been done upon business competition. Let us just wait," Justice Minister Amir Syamsudin said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Justice Minister Amir Syamsudin said the government is studying the possibility of freezing Greenpeace Indonesia due to various violations it has made so far.

"We will see the stages for it. We hope the bill on mass organizations could give the answer. In essence foreign organizations must submit to laws effective in our country," he said.

He admitted that Greenpeace campaign in Indonesia had often hurt the country`s businesses. "Their campaign activities have often hurt businesses in our country. We can say they have been overdosed. Now we are studying whether their activities have been done upon business competition. Let us just wait," he said.

He said he also had an impression that the organization had also carried foreign interests. "We must not be afraid. We will see if enough violations have been done for us to freeze it," he said.

Before former director general of legal administration, Prof Romli Atmasasmita, said that the Ministry of Justice could freeze the organization and revoked its license.

He said "it is registered in the ministry. So it is the minister of justice who is able to revoke its license," he added.

The director of social culture of the International Organization of Developing Countries of the Directorate General of Multi-Cultural Affairs of the ministry of foreign affairs, Arko Hananto, said that according to him the foreign non-governmental organization which is based in the Netherlands has clearly violated the regulation because it has received foreign funds without permit and has never reported it to the government.

"The sanction for a foreign NGO that is proven violating the rule is clear namely revocation of its permit," he said.

He said Greenpeace Indonesia has received foreign funds without reporting it to the government, namely from Greenpeace SEA Foundation totaling Rp1.2 billion in 2009 and Rp1.7 billion in 2010.

He said Greenpeace Indonesia has also received gambling funds from Poscode Lottery from the Netherlands totaling Rp33 billion in 2010 and 2012.

He added the organization also has often attacked companies in Indonesia without valid data with the latest affecting KFC chain with an accusation that the KFC has used card box paper to pack its food supplied by a company in Indonesia later proven to be wrongly addressed.

KFC has said it has never used paper from the company. Greenpeace meanwhile has many times denied receiving foreign funds or being non transparent in funds management.

"To safeguard our independence we since the founding of Greenpeace 40 years ago have never received funds from any government and company," Greenpeace Indonesia Chief Nur Hidayati said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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