RI Embassy responds<\/p>\n
We have taken due note of Ahson Saeed Hasan's article titled
\nPresident's mission to U.S. needs proactive follow up, published
\nin The Jakarta Post on June 21. While appreciating his interest,
\nwe are troubled with his less than perceptive, if not even
\nuninformed, observations, and thus feel compelled to set the
\nrecord straight.<\/p>\n
First, while in less than one month it would be too early to
\njudge the effectiveness of the follow-up to the President's
\nvisit, Saeed Hasan conveniently forgot to see the active role
\nplayed, and preparatory work done, by the embassy leading toward
\nthat successful visit.<\/p>\n
Second, with regard to assistance for tsunami victims, we
\nsincerely appreciate the spontaneity of the American people and
\nthe hard work by their bureaucracy, relief agencies and the media
\nto mobilize the funds. But failing to note the role of the
\nembassies of the affected countries, including the Indonesian
\nEmbassy, in facilitating that work constitutes the most grotesque
\nomission any observer could possibly make.<\/p>\n
It would have sufficed for Saeed Hasan to check U.S. agencies,
\nsome humanitarian NGOs or major business associations to see how
\nclosely and intensively they cooperated with the embassy,
\nincluding in the successful holding of the Private Sector Summit
\non May 12 (if he is aware at all of this important event).<\/p>\n
Third, even more puzzling is Saeed Hasan's observation on the
\nlack of exposure of the Indonesian ambassador or the Indonesian
\nEmbassy's staff at meetings, seminars and conferences organized
\nby think thanks. We keep wondering why in the frequent
\nappearances by the ambassador as a speaker and the participation
\nof the embassy's staff at such meetings, seminars and
\nconferences, as well as cultural events and commercial
\nexhibitions, none of us has ever met Saeed Hasan.<\/p>\n
Even if he himself never showed up at such events to meet with
\nus, he should have felt free to check such institutions as
\nUSINDO, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, the U.S. Chamber of
\nCommerce, the World Affairs Council, The Asia Society, CSIS,
\nSAIS, The Executive Council on Diplomacy, the Smithsonian
\nInstitution, the Corcoran Gallery, The Meridien Center, etc.,
\nbefore making his unsubstantiated observations.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Embassy has never been complacent with what it
\nhas done. More effort and improvements are indeed still needed.
\nIt is in this light that we appreciate Saeed Hasan \"advice\". We
\nwould be more than glad, therefore, to have direct contact and an
\nexchange of information with him in the hope that his future
\narticles would be more enlightened.<\/p>\n
RIAZ J.P. SAEHU, Second Secretary Press and Information Division
\nIndonesian Embassy, Washington DC<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-embassy-responds-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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