ID :
15468
Sun, 08/10/2008 - 06:35
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/15468
The shortlink copeid
FM TO REPLY TO US CONGRESS LETTER SOON
Bengkulu, Aug 9 (ANTARA) - Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda said on Saturday he will soon reply to the US Congress' letter demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of two sympathizers of the outlawed separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization).
"We will reply to the letter as soon as possible. In essence, we wiil ask the US government to respect the legal decision in our country," he said after inaugurating two elementary school buildings here.
He said 40 US Congressmen who signed the letter expressed concern about the detention of two OPM sympathizers identified as Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage and called on the Indonesian government to release them.
In the reply, the minister said he would explain the principles of human rights the Indonesian government had applied so far.
"Exercising the freedom of human rights does not mean shunning responsibility. The two separatists' wrongdoings have caused unrest and can be categorized as rebellion against what has jointly been agreed upon as the Unitary Republic of Indonesia," he said.
The wrongdoings had the potential to endanger the state stability, he said adding any similar act would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years imprisonment respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag of OPM in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.
Affifudin Thaib, member of the defense, information and foreign affairs commission of the House of Representatives (DPR), who also attended the inaugural ceremony said the government did not need to respond to the letter.
He said the Indonesian government should ignore the letter in what he described as a form of the US Congress' intervention in the country's internal affairs.
"There is no need to respond to it. We are a sovereign nation and legal affairs in our country are our business," he said.
The detention of the two OPM symphatizers did not violate human rights, he said.
"We will reply to the letter as soon as possible. In essence, we wiil ask the US government to respect the legal decision in our country," he said after inaugurating two elementary school buildings here.
He said 40 US Congressmen who signed the letter expressed concern about the detention of two OPM sympathizers identified as Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage and called on the Indonesian government to release them.
In the reply, the minister said he would explain the principles of human rights the Indonesian government had applied so far.
"Exercising the freedom of human rights does not mean shunning responsibility. The two separatists' wrongdoings have caused unrest and can be categorized as rebellion against what has jointly been agreed upon as the Unitary Republic of Indonesia," he said.
The wrongdoings had the potential to endanger the state stability, he said adding any similar act would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years imprisonment respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag of OPM in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.
Affifudin Thaib, member of the defense, information and foreign affairs commission of the House of Representatives (DPR), who also attended the inaugural ceremony said the government did not need to respond to the letter.
He said the Indonesian government should ignore the letter in what he described as a form of the US Congress' intervention in the country's internal affairs.
"There is no need to respond to it. We are a sovereign nation and legal affairs in our country are our business," he said.
The detention of the two OPM symphatizers did not violate human rights, he said.
