Global Relations
WEST PAPUA: Controversy in Indonesia over US Congressmen's letter on West Papua
By ANTARA News
Mar 28, 2008, 15:12

ANTARA News 03/28/08 00:05
Tjahjo Kumolo: American NGO in Papua uses double standard

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle faction Tjahjo Kumolo said that US non governmental organizations in Papua were using double standard as implied in a letter from two members of the US Congress to the Indonesian president.

"Activists of the US NGOs in Papua are operating for humanitarian relief and serving the US economic interest in the Asia Pacific region. It is obvious in the statement made by Eni Faleomavaega and Donald Payne of the US Congress," he told ANTARA News on Thursday.

Based on Tjahjo`s analysis, it seemed there was a special pressure from the US to settle the Papua issue to their own way.

"It could be seen from that country`s statement that the Papua issue could only be solved with the help of their special assistance agency known as the USAID. This is a reflection of the US wishing to position the Indonesian government as internal administrator thus acting as a US accomplice in the Asia Pacific region," he said.

According to him, the US congressmen had shown such treatment especially in the handling of East Timor and Aceh issues sometime ago.

"Therefore, we remind the entire political elite in the country of the importance of maintaining national sovereignty and self-reliance through our consistent stance as well as our free and active foreign policy," Tjahjo said.

As published by some media, the letter from two members of the US congress had sparked a controversial views form the power elite in the executive and legislative authorities in Indonesia.

Tjahjo said the US was trying to apply double standard through their capitalist network in Papua as it had done in East Timor and Aceh.

It is for these reasons that Tjahjo and some legislators from the different House factions asked the government to firmly reject the US ways of trying to make Indonesia its accomplice in the Asia and Pacific region in the face of the new Asian giant, the People`s Republic of China.(*) _________________________


Richard Samuelson
Free West Papua Campaign, Oxford, UK.
www.freewestpapua.org




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