ANTARA, 07/10/07 20:33
RI Again urges US to deport Alex Manuputty
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government renewed Tuesday its call for
the United States to immediately deport Alex Manuputty, a leader of the outlawed
separatist Republic of South Maluku (RMS) movement, to Indonesia.
"We have made another contact with the US Department of State to have Alex
Manuputty deported," Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said.
Until now there was no clarification from the US as to whether Alex was given a stay
permit as an asylum seeker, he said.
"But surely, we have found it hard to get him back," he said.
He said Indonesia and the US were at odds over the legal reason behind the Alex
case.
In Indonesia`s view, Alex was a leader of the outlawed separatist RMS movement who
must be deported to Indonesia, whereas the US opined that the legal sanction
Indonesia had imposed on Alex had to do with freedom of speech, he said.
"This difference of perception must first be resolved. But we will keep asking the US to
deport Alex."
Indonesia would pursue all available ways, either through diplomatic channels or
cooperation between the two countries` police, to get Alex deported from the US, he
said.
"We will pursue all possible ways to get Alex deported," he said.
In 2004, the Indonesian government was reported to have requested the US
government to deport Alex Manuputty who had fled to that country. However, the US
government as well as the US embassy never gave an official response.
The issue was also raised when US Attorney General John Ashcroft visited Bali
recently. Ashcroft at the time promised to discuss the matter with the US Department
of State in Washington DC. (*)
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