Obama reiterated the US government`s support for the territorial integrity of the Unitary State of Indonesia

Fri, November 18 2011 21:38 | ANTARA NEWS

Nusa Dua, Bali (ANTARA News) – US President Barack Obama has assured President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Washington respects the policies the latter is pursuing in handling the problems in Papua, a spokesman for the Indonesian leader said.

The security situation in Papua that had been heating up recently was one of the topics of a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 19h ASEAN Summit here on Friday.

Presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah who was present at the meeting said Obama listened carefully to President Yudhoyono`s explanations on the Indonesian central government`s policies on Papua.

He said Obama on the occasion also reiterated the US government`s support for the territorial integrity of the Unitary State of Indonesia.

“The US fully believed Indonesia knows what to do in cases of state apparatuses acting in violation of human rights. Surely, the law will be enforced and President Yudhoyono underlined that six months after he assumed office he had already instructed all state apparatuses in the field to respect human rights,” he said.

Obama had also said he understood Indonesia`s efforts in upholding democracy and human rights more comprehensively through among others pursuing a welfare approach in Papua although violence and human rights violations by state apparatuses continued to disrupt security and stability in the region.

The meeting which lasted about one hour however did not touch on the various incidents that happened recently in PT Freeport Indonesia`s concession area in Timika.

(T.R018/H-YH/HAJM/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH