ID :
15725
Wed, 08/13/2008 - 10:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/15725
The shortlink copeid
U.S MUST RESPECT RI OVER PAPUA: MINISTER
Jakarta, Aug 13 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has once again asked the George Bush administration to respect the efforts made by Jakarta to handle all issues in Papua province.
"We have always been trying to handle the issue of Papua within the frame of democracy, including upholding the law in an independent way, free from foreign influence," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sutjipto said here on Tuesday.
Speaking to the press after addressing a seminar on security strategy prior to the 2009 general elections, he said the government fully left the case of two symphatizers of outlawed separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization) -- Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage-- to the independent law-enforcing agency.
"The government never interferes in the law-enforcing agency that has issued a binding verdict to the two people. So, please look at this matter as a form of independent law enforcement within the frame of a democratic state," Widodo said.
He said the government always abides by the principles of democracy in handling the issue of Papua.
"We are trying to give the Papua government and people a greater role in developing themselves to lead a better life in the future," he said.
Forty US Congressmen had sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of Karma and Pakage who were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years in jail respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the OPM's "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.
Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda said in Bengkulu province at the weekend he would soon answer the US Congressmen's letter.
"We will answer the letter as soon as possible. In essence, we wiil ask the US government to respect the legal decision in our country," he said.
"We have always been trying to handle the issue of Papua within the frame of democracy, including upholding the law in an independent way, free from foreign influence," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sutjipto said here on Tuesday.
Speaking to the press after addressing a seminar on security strategy prior to the 2009 general elections, he said the government fully left the case of two symphatizers of outlawed separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization) -- Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage-- to the independent law-enforcing agency.
"The government never interferes in the law-enforcing agency that has issued a binding verdict to the two people. So, please look at this matter as a form of independent law enforcement within the frame of a democratic state," Widodo said.
He said the government always abides by the principles of democracy in handling the issue of Papua.
"We are trying to give the Papua government and people a greater role in developing themselves to lead a better life in the future," he said.
Forty US Congressmen had sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanding the "immediate and unconditional" release of Karma and Pakage who were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years in jail respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the OPM's "Bintang Kejora" (Morning Star) flag in Abepura, Papua, on December 1, 2004.
Foreign Minister Hasan Wirajuda said in Bengkulu province at the weekend he would soon answer the US Congressmen's letter.
"We will answer the letter as soon as possible. In essence, we wiil ask the US government to respect the legal decision in our country," he said.
