Indonesia offers U.S. lab immunity, wants transparency

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 04/24/2008 12:26 PM  |  Headlines

Indonesia has agreed to grant diplomatic immunity to two senior officials of the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 2 (Namru-2) in Jakarta, but demanded transparency in the laboratory's operations.

Foreign Ministry director general for legal affairs and international treaties Eddy Pratomo said Wednesday the demands were made in a new MOU Indonesia submitted six months ago to Washington.

The past MOU for Namru-2, which is located at the Health Ministry's National Institute of Health Research and Development (Badan Litbangkes) on Jl. Percetakan Negara, East Jakarta, expired in 2005.

"Many elements within the old MOU were against us, and not giving us enough benefits. That's why we came up with a new MOU proposal. Now, it's the U.S. that should decide," Eddy told The Jakarta Post.

He said Indonesia was willing to provide diplomatic facilities, including immunity, only to two Americans assigned to the laboratory.

The two could be its director and deputy director because they could serve as diplomats while heading the laboratory, he added.

The laboratory is made up of approximately 175 staff members including 19 Americans, according to the U.S. Embassy.

The United States has demanded all its citizens in the laboratory be granted diplomatic immunity.

"Namru-2 is part of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Namru-2 falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Embassy," the embassy said in a statement.

During a visit to Jakarta last week, U.S. Health Secretary Michael Leavitt asked for diplomatic immunity for all Americans working at the laboratory.

Indonesia, Eddy said, wanted the laboratory to promote "full transparency" in its operations, including giving Indonesian officials and researchers access to both the center and the results of its activities.

Several Indonesian high-ranking officials have accused Namru-2 of being not transparent, raising speculations it was used by the United States for intelligence activities in the country.

The Defense Ministry said the laboratory lacked transparency and made it difficult for even a minister to visit.

Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono was quoted by detik.com as saying Wednesday there was no guarantee that such a laboratory was used for intelligence activities.

Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari stopped the sending of virus samples to the laboratory early this month, saying Namru-2 had to share its research results with Indonesia and other developing countries so they could create their own vaccines and medicine.

Unless the United States agreed with the material transfer agreement (MTA), a WHO agreement to regulate both sender and receiver of virus samples, Indonesia would not resume sending samples to Namru-2, she added.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal, however, said the laboratory's operations had so far benefited both Indonesia and the United States.

He accused some officials of failing to see things clearly and rationally because they believed too much in conspiracy theories.

"We miss out on many benefits of cooperation only because some are suspicious of help coming from the U.S. or Britain. The President has said anything benefiting us should be continued," he told the Post.

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