Megawati not told about FCA decision
JAKARTA (JP): A close aide to ousted Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) leader Megawati Soekarnoputri said yesterday she had not been informed of the cancellation of an invitation to speak before Singapore-based foreign correspondents.
"Megawati has not received any formal notice about the cancellation. She's learned about it from the local press," an assistant to Megawati, Subagyo, told The Jakarta Post.
The Singapore Foreign Correspondents Association (FCA) said Wednesday that it withdrew the invitation for her to speak at its luncheon at the request of Singapore's government.
A spokesman for the association was quoted by Reuters as saying that the Singapore government explained that Megawati was a "sensitive issue".
"We really had no idea about the cancellation of the meeting," Subagyo said.
He explained that the speech was originally scheduled for Aug. 7, but on Aug. 5 Megawati was told the event was postponed indefinitely.
He also said that it was the association who requested that Megawati speak at its luncheon; Megawati never asked to be invited.
"Megawati had been invited to speak about her personal life, not politics," he said.
Megawati was not available for comment yesterday.
Indonesia and Singapore are part of the nine-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has a noninterference policy regarding the internal affairs of individual members.
Separately, human rights activist Marzuki Darusman suggested that the FCA question the Singaporean government's "appeal" to have Megawati's speech canceled.
Marzuki, the deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, acknowledged that inviting Megawati to speak in Singapore was indeed a "sensitive" matter.
"There's a clear impression that the Singaporean government's rejection (of Megawati's speech) was for the sake of its national interest," he said.
"The rejection was likely based on the Singaporean government's policy to maintain a good relationship with Indonesia," he added. (imn)