RI says no to U.S. demand for no-fly zone for Bush's visit

RI says no to U.S. demand for no-fly zone for Bush's visit

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian government rejected on Friday the United States'
request for a no-fly zone at Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, for nine
hours when U.S. President George W. Bush makes a brief visit to
the resort island next week.

Indonesian Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar said
Jakarta would implement standard measures for securing visits by
heads of state, including Bush's upcoming stopover in Bali.

"We apply similar standard procedures for visits by foreign
leaders, so there will be no special treatment for President Bush
during his planned visit," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Bush is slated to visit Bali for four hours on Oct. 22 as part
of his Southeast Asian tour after attending the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok on Monday and
Tuesday.

It was reported earlier that Washington wanted the Bali
airport to be closed to flights three hours before Bush's arrival
and two hours after he takes off.

However, Agum could not confirm whether there was a formal
request from Washington for the no-fly zone in Bali. "Should
there be such a request, we will say we will comply with the
standard treatment for any head of state," he remarked.

Indonesian presidential palace staff have been discussing what
they call the difficult U.S. requests for Bush's security.

Jakarta and Washington have been coordinating closely to
ensure his safety during his stopover.

The government has said it will deploy 5,000 police officers
and station four U.S.-made F-16 warplanes and four warships
around Bali.

Due to the limited time for the visit, Washington has
reportedly suggested that a meeting between Bush and President
Megawati Soekarnoputri be held near the airport.

Also for security reasons, the U.S. demanded that only a small
number of media people be allowed to cover a joint press
conference by the two presidents.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Marty Natalegawa also
declined to confirm Washington's reported requests, saying both
governments were discussing details of Bush's visit.

"We will accommodate their requests in accordance with the
standard security procedures applied for visits by foreign heads
of state," he said.

Marty said Indonesian welcomed Bush's plan to visit Bali, but
would not go overboard to make it happen.

The spokesman further said that in her upcoming bilateral
talks, Megawati would tell Bush that the most effective way to
fight global terrorism was by enforcing legal procedures and
respecting human rights.

"We have taken concrete action that complies with the
principles of human rights and laws. There should be no short-
cuts in fighting terrorism," he remarked.

Agence France-presse reported that the U.S. was holding 660
suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners for indefinite periods
at a military detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, without
charge or trial.

Marty also said that soured military relations between
Indonesia and the United States, and the regional issues
including the Iraq and Palestine conflict, would also be among
the points of discussion.

"They (Megawati and Bush) are also interested in discussing
the Timika incident," he said, referring to last year's ambush in
Timika, Papua province, which in two Americans and one Indonesian
were killed.

U.S. Human rights activists have campaigned for the arms
embargo on Indonesia to be maintained following the Timika ambush
near American gold and copper mine PT Freeport Indonesia.

On Friday, around 50 people staged a rally in front of the
U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, rejecting Bush's visit.

During the brief visit, Bush is also scheduled to hold talks
with moderate local Muslim leaders -- Hasyim Muzadi of Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU), Syafii Maarif of Muhammadiyah, Jakarta's State
Islamic University (UIN) rector Azyumardi Azra and noted preacher
Abdullah Gymnastiar.

However, Gymnastiar has shunned the meeting with Bush to
protest the U.S.' unpopular foreign policies on Iraq, Palestine,
Afghanistan and other countries.