President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has turned down a request from 40 members of the United States House of Representatives for the immediate and unconditional release of two Papuans convicted of treason for hoisting a separatist flag.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said Tuesday the government asked the U.S. legislators to respect the Indonesian legal system, which outlaws any display of separatist symbols.

Dino added Indonesian Ambassador to the U.S. Sudjadnan Parnodingingrat, and not the President, would answer the letter.

The President, he said, was busy with preparations for the 63rd independence anniversary on Sunday. On Friday, the President will deliver a state of the nation address at the House of Representatives and announce the proposed state budget for the 2009 fiscal year.

In the letter to Yudhoyono, dated July 29, the U.S. legislators said the Papuan people should not be prosecuted for exercising their freedom of expression. Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage were sentenced to 15 years and 10 years in prison respectively in May 2005 for hoisting the Morning Star flag in the Papuan town of Abepura on Dec. 1, 2004.

Regional symbols in Papua and Aceh, which are associated with former or existing separatist groups in the provinces, are banned under Government Regulation No. 77/2007, issued last December. The regulation came amid calls from local people in the two provinces to adopt flags belonging to rebels group as regional symbols. As provinces that enjoy special autonomy status, both Aceh and Papua are allowed to have their own flags.

Dino said the U.S. legislators lacked comprehensive information about Indonesia, and were influenced by anti-Indonesian groups there.

He said no country in the world backed the separatist movement in Papua, while all UN members recognized the Unitary State of Indonesia.

"Politically, we are in a strong position and therefore there is no need to be overly concerned about the letter," he said.

In Makassar, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Indonesia was not obliged to respond to the letter.

"We won't be perturbed by the letter. As a sovereign country, we will certainly resist any intervention. I believe the U.S., or any other nation, will not tolerate foreign intervention," Hassan said on the sidelines of his trip to the South Sulawesi capital to accompany his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia maintained that Washington remained committed to Jakarta's sovereignty over Papua, but encouraged the implementation of special autonomy in the province to help eliminate separatism.

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