RI students in Cairo told to ‘focus on study’

Ary Hermawan ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Sun, 07/05/2009 6:11 PM  |  World

The Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Indonesian students in Egypt should focus on their studies and avoid any involvement in political activities in the country, which is in a prolonged state of emergency.

“We actually have a forum for embassy officials [in Egypt] and Indonesian students in which the students are told to focus on their studies. But as it happens, they always have a chance to interact with their surroundings, and we cannot always monitor them,” the ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said.

Four Indonesian students were recently arrested by the Egyptian police for allegedly being involved with the Muslim Brotherhood, an illegal organization that is popular among Indonesian Muslim activists. They were released on June 30 after reportedly being subject to torture.

The ministry sent a letter to the Egyptian government to seek clarification of the incident. Faizasyah said the embassy planned to meet with the authorities in Cairo to seek assurances about the safety of thousands of Indonesian students studying there.

Egypt has continued extending its state of emergency ever since President Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981. Human Rights Watch has criticized Egypt’s decision to prolong this status, saying it is being used to silence political opposition. -- JP

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