The government has decided to suspend negotiations with the United States over the future of its controversial Naval Medical Research Unit 2 (Namru-2) laboratory, as calls for the its closure mount.

Cabinet ministers and legislators are divided over whether to allow the lab, active since 1970, to continue operating in Indonesia.

Eddy Pratomo, the Foreign Ministry's director general for legal affairs and international treaties and the chief Indonesian negotiator in the talks, said Friday the country needed a unified stand on the issue before it could resume talks with the U.S.

"We have decided to suspend all talks on the lab until after we have made a unified national decision by all related ministries," Eddy told The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia and the U.S. were scheduled to hold a new round of negotiations next month on Namru-2's future.

In a hearing Wednesday before the House of Representatives' Commission I, which oversees foreign and defense affairs, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari called for the lab to be closed down, saying it did not benefit national interests and compromised national security.

A similar objection was raised by Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono, who said his ministry recommended the closure of the lab because it lacked transparency and its presence in the country was not compatible with national security interests.

Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said as of 1996, researchers at Namru-2 had ceased submitting reports on the lab's activities to the TNI.

He said because the lab was categorized as a biological safety level-3 site, any accidental release of hazardous viruses would cause a 500-kilometer radius area around the lab to be subject to international scrutiny.

"It puts us in a very vulnerable position, because any international team will then gain access to all the military's classified and strategic assets in Jakarta, West Java and Central Java," he said.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said in his report to the commission Namru-2's activities violated international laws because all of its U.S. researchers had been granted diplomatic privileges -- including diplomatic immunity.

He said the Indonesian government was thus prevented from monitoring the lab's staff and imported materials because of their diplomatic status.

"For instance, according to our data, we granted diplomatic status to 34 American staff as of June 2004, but the website of Namru-2 mentioned only 21 people, while its diplomatic note cited only 18," Hassan said.

Lawmakers were split over the issue.

Members of the Prosperous Justice Party, the National Mandate Party, the National Awakening Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle supported calls for the lab's closure.

But the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party insisted the lab continue its operations, provided the U.S. was willing to accept Indonesia's new terms reflecting national interests.

"We will let the government decide its position before we meet again," said the commission's Theo Sambuaga, a Golkar Party lawmaker.

Indonesian and U.S. positions in Namru talks

No. Issue Indonesia U.S.

1. Diplomatic status Giving diplomatic status Seeking

to only two most senior diplomatic status

lab officials for U.S. staff

2. Transfer of Wanting locals to gain Locals to be

technology capability on research involved in

technology research only

3. Material Transfer Seeking to apply MTA in MTA can't be

Agreement (MTA) the deal to guarantee applied as it is

its right as owner of a bilateral deal,

virus specimen, and so it involves

gain access to cheap only sending

vaccine. specimen from

Indonesia to U.S.

4. Access to lab Seeking full access Access given only

to the lab building with special

without having to ask permit

for special permit

5. Duration To be reviewed every 5 To be reviewed

years every 10 years

6. Executing Health Ministry and Not response yet

authority Indonesian Military

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