Indonesia can now jail errant foreign researchers

JAKARTA: The House of Represen­tatives has passed into law the nat­ional system of science and technology Bill, which imposes criminal char­ges against foreign researchers found guilty of violating visa regulations.

The legislative body took the unanimous decision to pass the Bill into law during a plenary meeting, despite mounting criticism from researchers who argue that the law may curtail academic freedom and hinder scientific development in the country.