Susilo jets off to Cairo for Arafat's funeral

Susilo jets off to Cairo for Arafat's funeral

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

While extending condolences to Palestinians on the death of their
president Yasser Arafat, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono cut
short a trip to a national park in Central Kalimantan on Thursday
to prepare for a trip to Cairo for the Nobel laureate's funeral.

State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra -- who is handling
foreign affairs matters while Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan
Wirayuda is on official business in Myanmar -- said Susilo's
visit was a confirmation of Indonesia's support for Palestine's
cause.

"It is with great sorrow and profound sadness that we learned
the news about the untimely demise of President Yasser Arafat, a
leader of the Palestinian people and a hero to us all," Yusril
stated on behalf of the Indonesian government.

"We share this great loss and we fervently hope that it will
instead translate into a renewed momentum for the attainment of
independence, freedom, eternal peace and prosperity for the
Palestinian people in their own country, in their homeland."

Susilo left Halim Perdanakusuma airport at 11 p.m. on a
special flight. His entourage included his wife Kristiani
Herawati, Minister of Religious Affairs M. Maftuh Basyuni, House
of Representative Speaker Agung Laksono, People's Consultative
Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid, Nahdhaltul Ulama chairman
Hasyim Muzadi, deputy Muhammadiyah chairman Amin Abdullah and
Indonesian Ulemas Council secretary-general Din Syamsuddin.

Egypt will host a military funeral for Arafat on Friday before
he is buried in the West Bank on Saturday. Susilo will join other
dignitaries who are expected to attend the funeral, including
South African President Thabo Mbeki, Yemen President Ali Abdullah
Saleh, Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson, British foreign
secretary Jack Straw and Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos.

Hassan Wirayuda is on a working visit to Myanmar, where he is
holding bilateral talks with the new prime minister and foreign
minister on the latest situation in the military-ruled country.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, has long
supported Palestine's quest for independence and refuses
diplomatic relations with Israel.

Arafat visited Indonesia four times, with the latest in 2000,
when he met with then President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

Yusril added that the President would return to Indonesia as
soon as possible, due to his busy schedule during Idul Fitri.

Susilo received the news of Arafat's death while in Tanjung
Puting National Park, holding a dialog with local people.

"Please accept my apologies as our meeting will have to be cut
short. I have to rush back (to Jakarta) and prepare for a trip to
pay homage to the Palestinian president," Susilo told the people.

Susilo took just three questions during the dialog, which
finished an hour earlier than scheduled.

The Palestinian Embassy in Jakarta has opened a book of
condolences for the passing of Arafat. Ambassador Ribbi Y. Awad
said visitors could sign the book from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily
until Saturday.

Awad said he knew Arafat personally, once sharing an apartment
with him in Damascus. At the time, Awad worked for the
Information and Public Affairs Office, while Arafat was with the
military in the Palestine Liberation Organization.

"Over the past 40 years with Arafat, we often had differences
in opinion and in political views. But both of us were committed
to democracy," Awad said.

He said his office had received letters of condolence from
common residents and Indonesian leaders on Arafat's death,
including People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Hidayat Nur
Hidayat and former president Soeharto, who met with Arafat
several times.

Among those who have signed the book of condolences is
Syahrir, chairman of the New Indonesia Alliance Party.