Jakarta, June 4, 2010 (ANTARA) - News on the postponement of US President
Barack Obama`s upcoming visit to Indonesia from June to November 2010
was no surprise to some Indonesians.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told Reuters in an email that
Obama postponed the trip again in order to deal with the Gulf of Mexico
oil spill and other important issues.
In Jakarta, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal confirmed
the postponement, saying "President Yudhoyono and his US counterpart
agreed to set right date for the visit either in November or before
that." Patti Djalal said , adding the two presidents spoke about it on
the phone on Friday morning.
It was the second time in a little more than two months that
Obama canceled a trip to Indonesia and Australia. He previously was due
to have come to Jakarta in March but later decided to stay at home to
give a final push to his healthcare overhaul plan in Congress. He later
rescheduled his trip for mid-June but he had again informed Jakarta he
could not make it.
Although it was not mentioned by the White House spokesman, some
political observers had earlier predicted that besides the oil spill
disaster, the shootings by Israeli military of humanitarian activists
aboard the Freedom Flotialla`s MV Mari Marmara last May 31, would add
pressure on Obama if he continued his plan to visit Indonesia, the
world`s largest Muslim majority country, this month,
Since the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound humanitarian
aid-carrying ship where 19 activists were killed and tens of others were
wounded including two Indonesians, demonstrations have been staged in
Indonesia`s capital city and regions daily, to condemn not only the
Zionist country, but also Uncle Sam as the Jewish state`s closest ally
and protector, for doing nothing to stop the violence.
One day after the Israeli assault in international waters, some
1,000 Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) members staged a rally outside the
US embassy in Jakarta, on June 1, to condemn Israel`s attack and reject
US President Barack Obama`s planned visit to Indonesia.
The protesters unfurled a number of banners which among others read
"Wipe Out Israel," "Reject Obama," and "Send Troops to Palestine,".
HTI orator Salman Al Farisi said Obama was Israel`s ally and
therefore, he did not deserve to visit Indonesia, a staunch supporter of
Palestinians` struggle for an independent state. He also called on the
Indonesian government not to be cheated by various policies issued by
the superpower country.
In a rally held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Friday, the local HTI
members also voiced their objection to the visit of President Obama for
letting human right violations by Israel go unpunished.
House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I member I Al
Muzzammil Yusuf Muzamil who is also coordinator of the Indonesian
Parliamentary Caucus for Palestine said in Jakarta, last Monday that
the Freedom Flotilla`s incident was also a test case for US President
Barack Obama.
Obama`s efforts to reach out to the Islamic world could be
considered to have failed if his government did not defend humanitarian
and human rights after Israel`s arrogant attack.
Another legislator believed that the Indonesian government should
urge the United Nations to lobby the United States to end the Israeli
blockade of Gaza.
"The United Nations must lobby the United States to end the
blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt for dispatching of humanitarian aid
such as food and medicines," Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary
Cooperation Body (BKSAP) of the Indonesian House of Representatives
(DPR) Hidayat Nur Wahid said in a rally participated in by thousands of
members of the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) in Jakarta, Thursday
(June 3).
If the UN fails to lobby the US, the international body should be dissolved, he said.
Indeed, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had earlier intended
to take up the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla early at his
meeting with President Barack Obama in Jakarta later this month.
Presidential spokesman for international affairs Dino Patti
Djalal said at a press conference at the presidential office in Jakarta
on Tuesday (June 1), President Yudhoyono wished to raise the issue in
the meeting with US President Obama because he was very concerned about
the prospects of the peace process in the Middle East which was now
being revived through the proximity talks involving western countries.
"The problem will be one of the issues to be discussed by
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Obama," he said.
Dino said the Israeli attack on the convoy of ships bringing
humanitarian aid supplies to Gaza with activists from 50 countries on
board would be a factual issue for discussion with President Obama
because in a meeting with Palestine`s President Mahmoud Abbas in Jakarta
last week President Yudhoyono had discussed the US position in the
peace process to be undertaken.
Planned talks in Indonesia between Yudhoyono and Obama have to
wait until November (God Willing!), but for sure, for those opposing
the occupation of Palestine by the Zionists, Obama, as the head of state
of the United States of America, which has been giving strong financial
and political supports to Israel, is unavoidably also responsible for
human rights violations committed by the Jewish country.
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(T.F001/A/F001/A/O001) 04-06-2010 15:35:12
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