*EPF407 09/16/2004
Text: Immigration Agents Arrest Man Involved in 1998 Fire in Jakarta
(Indonesian admits he doused gasoline for fire that killed 200) (410)

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested in Philadelphia September 14 an Indonesia citizen who admitted he had poured gasoline for a fire that ultimately killed 200 Indonesians during a riot in Jakarta in 1998.

Herry Marice was arrested for failing to disclose on his visa application his role in the fire, according to a news release from ICE. Failure to disclose past arrests, charges or convictions is a violation of U.S. law. Marice had also overstayed the limits of the visa granted to him earlier.

Marice will be detained without bond by ICE until his court appearance is scheduled.

ICE is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE seeks to prevent acts of terrorism by targeting the people, money and materials that support terror and criminal networks.

Following is the text of the news release:

(begin text)

News Release

September 16, 2004
Contact: Manny Van Pelt
(202) 616-9659

ICE ARRESTS JAKARTA RIOT ARSONIST
Admitted he doused gasoline for May 1998 market fire that killed 200

PHILADELPHIA -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents arrested Indonesia citizen Herry Marice here Tuesday for violations of United States immigration laws after he admitted to a Homeland Security official that he failed to disclose on a visa application his role in a May 1998 fire that killed more than 200 people in Jakarta.

Marice, who had also stayed in the United States beyond the limits of the visa granted to him earlier, admitted he had poured gasoline throughout a Hero Supermarket store during rioting that started May 14, 1998 to overthrow Indonesia's Suharto government.

The fire, Marice said during an immigration benefits interview in Newark, New Jersey, was lit by other rioters.

The blaze consumed the store and a connected shopping mall. In addition to the 200 killed in the store fire, it was reported in the news that at least 2,000 others were killed over several days of rioting throughout the city.

"It's a violation of law to hide past arrests, charges or convictions when applying for a benefit," said Special Agent-in-Charge Bill Reid of ICE's office here. "This is a very serious matter. By his own admission he was instrumental in the fire."

Marice will be detained without bond by ICE until his court appearance is scheduled.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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