Yusril urged to apologize to Dutch
Yusril urged to apologize to Dutch
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An expert on international relations urged Minister of Justice
and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra on Thursday to officially
apologize to the Dutch over his recent statement expressing his
antipathy for the nation.
Bantarto Bandoro of the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) said it was inappropriate for a minister to
express his or her personal sentiments against other countries or
their citizens.
"In diplomatic relations, words expressing antipathy are not
appropriate for ministers who represent the state administration.
To prevent a possible rift in our bilateral relationship, Yusril
himself has to give an explanation and offer an apology to the
Dutch," Bantarto said.
Yusril has come under fire following his interview with the
Jakarta-based correspondent of a Dutch television station who
questioned the minister's plan to revise the Criminal Code (KUHP)
from the human rights point of view.
Yusril responded by saying "the Netherlands always criticizes
Indonesia for its human rights record. But how many Indonesian
people were killed by the Dutch when they were in this country.
Capt. Westerling killed thousands of Indonesian people in
Sulawesi, but the massacre was never investigated. I hate them".
The statement sparked strong reaction in the Dutch parliament
and prompted the ruling party, VVD, which is a coalition partner
of the Christian Democratic Party (CDA), to urge the government
to sever diplomatic ties with Indonesia and to recall its
ambassador from Jakarta.
Yusril said on Thursday that he was ready to clarify his
statement and even challenged the Dutch Embassy to an open debate
"to give some understanding to the young generation of the Dutch
and their brutality toward the Indonesian people".
He also warned the Netherlands administration against
intervening in Indonesia's internal affairs.
"Why do the Dutch intervene so much in our internal problems,
including the plan to revise our Criminal Code. Do they think
that this country is still their colony?," Yusril asked reporters
on the sidelines of a human rights seminar held by his ministry.
Earlier, foreign affairs minister Hassan Wirayuda said that
Jakarta was ready to clarify Yusril's statement, saying that
there was probably some misinterpretation within the Dutch
parliament and among Dutch citizens over the remark.
Speaking on the sidelines of the newly concluded ASEAN Summit
in Nusa Dua, Bali on Wednesday, Hassan asked the Dutch parliament
not to react strongly because "Pak Yusril had not meant to say he
was anti-Dutch but anti-injustice".
"We will clarify it," Hassan said, adding that such
clarification would hopefully end the dispute.
Under the administration of former president Soeharto,
relations between the two countries had been tested following
Soeharto's rejection of aid from Dutch-sponsored donor countries
under the Inter-Governmental Group on Indonesia (IGGI) in 1992
for what he claimed was the Netherlands interference in
Indonesia's internal affairs.
The donor countries later on agreed to set up the Consultative
Group for Indonesia (CGI) to replace the IGGI.