Susilo warns against attacks on Thais
Susilo warns against attacks on Thais
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the police on Monday
to take stern measures against a group of people that allegedly
searched and raided non-Muslim Thais recently.
"(The order) was the President's response to such an action,"
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda said on Monday after
accompanying Susilo to meet nine ambassadors from members of the
Association Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to Indonesia.
Reports are rife that a group of people in Surakarta, Central
Java, conducted checks on non-Muslim Thais in protest to last
week's tragedy in southern Thailand in which at least 87 Muslim
Thais were killed.
Hassan said that Thai Ambassador Atchrara Ceriputra had
explained the incident, which occurred after hundreds of
protesters were arrested and packed into four military trucks.
The minister also said he had heard rumors of a group of
people doing searches for non-Muslim Thais here, but quickly said
such a thing had to be verified.
"It needs to be cross-checked first," he was quoted as saying
by Antara.
Hassan said that the National Police deputy chief had been
advised of the President's instruction, since National Police
chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar was visiting Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
province.
"Such actions would definitely threaten the safety of and
inconvenience foreign residents in Indonesia," added Hassan.
During the meeting, Ambassador Ceriputra also credited the
Indonesian government for immediately responding to secure his
residence and the Thai Embassy following last week's incident and
a string of rallies by Indonesian Muslims.
Hassan said the President fully understood the right of
citizens to express themselves in a democratic country, but they
should do so in a peaceful manner.
"Even the President himself could be protested. But the
measures to provide security to foreign people and their
acquaintances needs to be given attention too," he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datok Hamidon Ali
explained during a meeting with the President the repatriation
process of hundreds of illegal Indonesian workers from Malaysia
to Indonesia.
The Malaysian administration has granted amnesty to hundreds
of Indonesians illegally working in the country. The amnesty
offer will be valid only until Nov. 14, after which a major
crackdown will be carried out.
The ambassador also said that a number of Malaysian
businesspeople were willing to help finance the repatriation
process.