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British PM Cameron's visit must bring benefits to RI: Lawmaker
Indonesia must take advantage of UK Prime Minister David Cameronâs visit to ascertain clear information regarding the UK governmentâs position on the opening of Papuan separatist organization Free Papua Movementâs (OPM) office in Oxford, UK, a lawmaker has said
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ndonesia must take advantage of UK Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to ascertain clear information regarding the UK government's position on the opening of Papuan separatist organization Free Papua Movement's (OPM) office in Oxford, UK, a lawmaker has said.
'The OPM office has been long established in the UK. Why did the UK government allow the Papuan separatist organization to open its office in the country?' asked Ahmad Zainuddin, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission I which oversees defense, foreign affairs and information, as quoted by Antara in Jakarta on Monday.
PM Cameron is scheduled to meet with President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo in Jakarta on Monday.
Ahmad, the House lawmaker from the Prosperous Justice Party faction, asserted that separatist activities allegedly perpetrated by OPM activists constituted something with which the UK government must not interfere. These were, he argued, domestic problems for Indonesia and Indonesia alone.
Therefore, he said, the President must emphasize the importance of Indonesia's territorial integrity and the maintenance of the wholeness of the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), in his meeting with Cameron, the British prime minister from the British Conservative Party.
Ahmad further said that the President should possibly call on Cameron to close down the OPM office in Oxford as a mark of respect to show the British government's support of Indonesia's territorial integrity.
The lawmaker reminded those concerned that the Papuans voted to join Indonesia in 1969, and this vote had been acknowledged by the international community. It seemed to him, however, that several international groups were attempting to twist this fact by striving to internationalize Papuan domestic issues.
'We have agreed that NKRI is a fixed price. Therefore, we have to strengthen diplomatic efforts to safeguard Indonesia's territorial integrity,' said Ahmad.
PM Cameron's two-day visit to Indonesia is aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.
'He will meet with President Jokowi and the Indonesian government's officials. This is his second visit to Indonesia,' said UK Ambassador to Indonesia, Moazzam Malik, in a press briefing at the UK Embassy in Jakarta on Sunday.
He said that in his meetings with the Indonesian government, PM Cameron would discuss potential partnerships in various fields, such as energy, finance, infrastructure and technology. (ebf)
