Papua mission benefits Indonesians: Blair
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A United State based think-tank, the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), reiterated over the weekend that its planned mission to Papua was part of its efforts to prepare a report on the province and not to endorse the separatist movement there.
The chairman of the Council's Indonesian Commission, Adm.(ret) Dennis C. Blair, the former U.S. pacific fleet commander, said that the council wanted to highlight strategies for all sides involved to promote peace and progress in Papua.
"We believe the commission's efforts are in the interests of all Indonesians -- including Papuans," Blair said in a letter made available to The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He underlined that the organization was preparing a report entitled "The Indonesian Commission: Peace and Progress in Papua," and for that reason there was a need to visit the strife- torn province.
"Though we welcome discussions with all concerned, the private visit will not, however, be made at the invitation of the Indonesian government or Papuan presidium," Blair underlined.
Earlier, Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said that the government would deny entry to the organization, noting that Jakarta did not see any need for the team to visit Papua.
Separately, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto also expressed his anger over the roles of several foreign non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in fanning separatism in Papua.
The general even accused the NGOs of using diplomatic channels to support the independence movement in the province, which made it difficult for the TNI to counter it.
On Friday, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that he had received a report from the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) regarding the presence of several foreign parties in Indonesia who were supporting separatist movements, including in Papua.
"We call on friendly foreign countries to prove their commitment in supporting our territorial integrity by not endorsing separatist activities in Papua," he remarked.
On Friday, CFR international advisory board member Jusuf Wanandi contended that the council was interested in maintaining the unity of Indonesia and aimed to support the government in dealing with the separatist movement in Papua.
In his hand-written letter, Blair said that the CFR had been in contact with "responsible Indonesian government officials in both the United States and Jakarta" regarding the visit.
However, Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said that to the best of his knowledge there had been no official explanation from the CFR regarding the visit.
"They are a well-known think tank in the U.S. and have good communications with the Indonesian government, but so far not regarding the visit," he told the Post on Saturday.
The planned visit by the CFR team to Papua has irked both civilian and military leaders in Indonesia.
Government sources told the Post that before the media disclosed the planned visit on Thursday, the issue had been discussed during a meeting of ministers dealing with political and security affairs.
"We are trying to minimize the possibility that the presence of such foreign groups could lead us in the direction of another fiasco like the secession of East Timor from Indonesia," the source said.
Indonesia lost the province in 1999, which many nationalists in Indonesia attribute partially to the involvement of various foreign NGOs.