http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/protocol-and-papua-set-to-cloud-sbys-london-visit/553358 Protocol and Papua Set to Cloud SBY’s London Visit Arientha Primanita &Markus Junianto Sihaloho | October 31, 2012
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left for Britain on Tuesday for a state visit, packing two issues that could embarrass him at home and abroad. Minutes after taking off from Halim Perdanakusumah Airport in East Jakarta, lawmakers and politicians demanded the president not kneel in front of Queen Elizabeth II when receiving his honorary knighthood today. The president is set to receive the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath medal. Dradjat Wibowo, deputy chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), which is part of Yudhoyono’s coalition, said that as a president and head of state, Yudhoyono must not kneel in front of another head of state. “We haven’t heard about how the ceremony will be conducted but for the sake of the nation’s honor, there should not be any kneeling and dubbing,” he said. Dradjat said that Ronald Reagan did not kneel when he received the medal in 1989, even as a former president of the United States. Eva Kusuma Sundari, a lawmaker from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), supported Dradjat, saying that Yudhoyono must consider the nation’s sovereignty and image when he receives the medal. She also highlighted the political backlash Yudhoyono might receive in Indonesia. The other issue clouding the trip is last month’s announcement made by the Britain-based Papua independence group, Free West Papua Campaign. The group offered a reward of 50,000 British pounds ($80,000) to anyone who places Yudhoyono under “citizen’s arrest” during his visit to Britain. The group accuses Yudhoyono of human rights offenses in his handling of the restive Papua provinces. The announcement suggests that Yudhoyono will be met with a demonstration by Papuans living in London, the center for the Papuan independent movement. Shortly after the group made its announcement, the British government guaranteed the safety of Yudhoyono during his visit. Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said that the announcement created “discomfort.” “We’ve got the assurance from the police in Great Britain that they won’t let anything happen, and that [the president’s security] will be fully guaranteed,” Julian said. “The British government and especially the queen have invited the president [to come] because he is known to be a figure who has played a significant role in advancing democracy in Indonesia,” Julian said. “To be honest, this is uncomfortable for us. The reward offer to arrest the president is considered an insult to a state symbol, especially because it is made by a group of people who probably have certain political interests.” Julian stated that the Indonesian government has yet to make a decision on whether it will take any action against the group in response to its reward offer. Yudhoyono has indicated that the visit was too important to be canceled over the issue. Just before taking off, the president told reporters that the relationship between Indonesia and Britain continues to flourish. “Bilateral trade between the two countries has reached nearly $3 billion,” Yudhoyono said. “During the third quarter, Britain was the second-largest investor in Indonesia after Singapore.” Yudhoyono is slated to be in London for three days. Besides attending several state events attended by Queen Elizabeth II while in London, Yudhoyono will also hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister David Cameron, the Prince of Wales, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and opposition leader Ed Miliband. He is scheduled to fly to Laos on Saturday to attend the 9th summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). The president will be accompanied by his wife Ani and government officials. Yudhoyono and Cameron both serve as leaders of a United Nations committee planning international poverty relief. http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesia-the-vanguard-of-asias-political-change-british-foreign-secretary/553416?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=jgnewsletter Indonesia the Vanguard of Asia's Political Change: British Foreign Secretary October 31, 2012 The flag of Indonesia hangs beside the Union Flag on the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace in central London on Oct. 30 ahead of the State Visit by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (AFP Photo/Leon NealLondon. Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono begins a three-day state visit to Britain on Wednesday, with officials keen to impress the emerging Asian power with a display of British pomp and pageantry. Queen Elizabeth II is scheduled to formally welcome Yudhoyono and his wife Ani on Wednesday afternoon with a guard of honor on Horse Guards Parade, the large parade ground in central London, before accompanying them to Buckingham Palace in a horse-drawn carriage. The Indonesian leader and his wife will stay at the palace, where the 86-year-old British monarch is hosting a lavish state banquet in their honor on Wednesday evening. "As well having one of the world's most thriving economies, Indonesia is in the vanguard of the political change shaping Asia," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament on Tuesday. "This visit will be an opportunity for us to build on the strong partnership established over the last decade." The president will hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday and attend a meeting of the high-level United Nations panel that is drawing up a strategy on how to build on the Millennium Development Goals. Yudhoyono, who is the world's only head of state to have served as a UN peacekeeper, will also give a speech at the Royal College of Defense Studies. The 15th-century Guildhall, in London's financial district, will host a second banquet on Thursday night. Several trade announcements are expected during the three-day trip, with Britain keen to gain access to Indonesia's fast-growing economy and 240 million consumers. The state visit is part of Britain's drive to boost its diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia, with Indonesia regarded by British officials as the most influential player in the region. As the world's largest Muslim-majority country, it is also seen as a strategic ally in the Islamic world. "Indonesia is far and away the most important country in Asean," said a Foreign Office source. Officials also see Indonesia as a potential future host for foreign campuses of its universities, similar to Malaysia where several British universities including Nottingham, Southampton and Newcastle have outposts. Britain usually hosts two state visits each year, but Yudhoyono is the only foreign head of state to receive the formal hospitality in 2012 following months of diamond jubilee celebrations marking the queen's 60th year on the throne. The last state visit was by Turkish President Abdullah Gul in November last year. Agence France-Presse [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
