RI's Cuba policy cleared up<\/p>\n
In your editorial Mega's role in APEC (The Jakarta Post, Oct.
\n23) you suggested, I hope inadvertently, that the visit of
\nPresident Megawati to Cuba would irritate Washington.<\/p>\n
This claim does not serve to the historical and friendly links
\nthat Cuba and Indonesia have developed during many decades as
\nThird World countries with a common agenda in the Non Aligned
\nMovement to which both countries are founding members, and to
\nwhose development Indonesia and president Sukarno especially,
\ngreatly contributed.<\/p>\n
That allegation would only provide too much of a pragmatic (in
\norder not to say cynical) interpretation of the role of Indonesia
\nas a sovereign nation or is not based on the values of the
\nforeign policy that the government so proudly defends, based on
\nthe principles of national independence, sovereignty, self-
\ndetermination and equal rights among states.<\/p>\n
Some people have become used to seeing events not in the light
\nof principles but in the light of political or economic
\nconvenience, therefore losing self-respect and even worse they
\ndisrespect their own country. Furthermore, trying to carry out
\nIndonesia's foreign policy according to the perception of what
\nWashington may or may not like not only damages the prestige of
\nIndonesia, but also contribute to the policy of economic blockade
\nand isolation that the U.S have carried out against Cuba for more
\nthan four decades.<\/p>\n
I am convinced that it would not be any mistake for President
\nMegawati to go to the countries that president Sukarno visited,
\non the contrary, it would help President Megawati to have more
\nelements to understand the relevant role president Sukarno played
\nduring the 1950s and 1960s and why he carried out and defended an
\nindependent foreign policy that made him visit Cuba in 1961.<\/p>\n
Particularly at this juncture, when friends in need are
\nfriends indeed, and when this country that should not be
\nirritated is raising warnings against traveling to Indonesia,
\nCuba reaffirms its total solidarity with Indonesia and to the
\nactions carried out by the Megawati administration.<\/p>\n
Your newspaper has been an important promoter of reform in
\nmany aspects of the Indonesian life, including the promotion of
\nmany laws to strengthen the democratic roots of your society. I
\nbelieve it will also be a great contribution for your newspaper
\nto strongly support the need for a more responsible media, one
\nthat should not be tempted to publish unconfirmed reports.<\/p>\n
I have highlighted this issue because the Foreign Ministry
\nofficials that could have advised President Megawati to desist
\nvisiting Cuba, (as mentioned in the editorial) have absolutely
\ndenied ever mentioning to the Post anything of that kind, which
\nis totally running counter their foreign policy principles and
\ntheir position of friendship with Cuba.<\/p>\n
MIGUEL ANGEL RAMIREZ<\/p>\n
Ambassador<\/p>\n
Cuban Embassy<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ris-cuba-policy-cleared-up-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }