Indonesia Committed to Supporting Independent Palestine

Jakarta (News Today) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday the Indonesian government was committed to continuing its struggle for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.

"The government will continue its diplomatic struggle to ensure the creation of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state," presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal quoted the president as telling Palestinian Ambassador to Indonesia Fariz Al Mehdawi during a meeting with five repatriated Indonesian volunteers at the state palace.

The five were among 12 Indonesian volunteers who had been on the convoy of humanitarian aid ships to the Gaza Strip attacked by Israeli forces last May 31. Al Mehdawi meanwhile expressed gratitude to the Indonesian government and people for their support in the form of capacity building, financial assistance and diplomacy.

He said President Yudhoyono’s commitment to supporting the creation of an independent Palestinian state gave his country inspirations. The support made Palestine stronger and feel that it was not alone in struggling for its independence, he said.

He also said the Palestinian president had highly appreciated the 12 Indonesian volunteers who had joined the freedom flotilla humanitarian mission.
All the roughly 700 volunteers from more than 30 countries including Indonesia aboard the aid ship Mavi Marmara attacked by the Israeli navy had been granted Palestinian citizenship, he said.

Asked what he thought of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (Mer-C)’s plan to send a number of volunteers to Gaza aboard an Iranian Red Crescent ship under the escort of Iranian troops, he said sooner or later the Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip would end. The five Indonesian volunteers were chairman of the Indonesian Committee for Palestine Solidarity (KISPA) Ferry Nur, Muhendri Muchtar (vice chairman), Hardjito Warno (member), Muhammad Yasin (journalist) and Okvianto Baharudin (KISPA member).

They arrived at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport from Amman, Jordan, at around 3.35 pm. on Monday. One of the five repatriated volunteers, Okvianto, was wounded during the Israeli troops’ attack. Meanwhile, another wounded Indonesian volunteer, Surya Fachrizal, was still in a hospital in Amman.

Source : kompas.com

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