(Reuters, Jakpost) House: Indonesia recalls envoy Toto Riyanto & re-evaluate defense partnership with Brasil

12/12/2018

Indonesia has recalled its new ambassador to Brazil after the South American country stopped him taking part in a credentials ceremony following the execution of a Brazilian national for drugs trafficking.

Brazil and the Netherlands earlier withdrew their ambassadors from Indonesia, which has some of the strictest drug trafficking laws in the world, after two of their citizens were among six people executed for drugs offences last month.

Indonesia is also involved in a diplomatic dispute with Australia over the fate of two Australian members of the "Bali Nine" drug trafficking ring who are due to be executed this month.

Toto Riyanto, who was chosen as Indonesia's new ambassador to Brazil in October, had been invited to present his credentials at a ceremony at the presidential palace in Brasilia on Friday along with several other new ambassadors, but his participation was postponed at short notice. The ceremony went on without him.

When asked why, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said: "We think it's important there is an evolution in the situation so that we can have clarity over the state of relations betweenIndonesia and Brazil".

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry responded angrily on Saturday.

"The manner in which the foreign minister of Brazil suddenly informed (us of) the postponement...when the ambassador designate was already at the palace, is unacceptable to Indonesia," the ministry said in a statement.

No foreign country could interfere with Indonesia's laws, including those combating drug trafficking, it said.

The ministry also summoned Brazil's ambassador late on Friday before recalling Riyanto.

Brazil's embassy in Jakarta could not be reached for comment on Saturday. A spokesperson for Brazil's foreign ministry, Itamaraty, in Brasilia declined to comment.

Indonesia is also involved in a diplomatic dispute with Australia over the fate of two Australian members of the "Bali Nine" drug trafficking ring who are due to be executed this month.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has pledged no clemency for drug offenders, despite pleas from the European Union, Brazil, Australia and Amnesty International.

Respond, The House of Representatives' Commission I overseeing political, security and foreign affairs has supported the Foreign Ministry’s decision to recall the Indonesian ambassador-designate to Brazil, Toto Riyanto, in protest at Brasilia's delay in accepting the envoy's credentials.

“The emotive behavior of the Brazil government will aggravate the bilateral relationship between the two countries,” Commission I deputy chairman Tantowi Yahya said on Saturday.

He said that Indonesia and Brazil had cooperated in the defense sector.

“Indonesia and Brazil have been partners and we allocated some funds in the 2009-2014 state budget to purchase Super Tucano aircraft from Brazil to safeguard our coastline,” Tantowi said. Besides the Super Tucano, Indonesia has also ordered multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) from Brazil.

Tantowi said that legislators would discuss with the Defense Ministry to evaluate whether Brazil’s government had changed their unfriendly attitude toward Indonesia.

Apart from weapons systems, Indonesia is also an important meat importer and Brazil is trying to export meat to Indonesia.

“I think Brazil is in the position that it needs us more. We have an emergency situation with drugs and we don’t need to be afraid of pressure from Brazil and Australia,” Tantowi said.

Another Brazilian national, Rodrigo Muxfeldt Gularte, is also facing the death penalty for drug trafficking offenses.

“Brazil’s manners are truly deplorable and violate diplomatic ethics,” Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law expert from the University of Indonesia, said in a statement on Saturday.

“Rouseff’s move puts the two countries’ diplomatic relations at risk, which have otherwise been mutually beneficial for quite a long time,”

He also supported the Foreign Ministry’s decision to recall Toto and file a diplomatic protest against Brazil. “Indonesia cannot accept such an unfriendly action from the Brazilian government.”

Indonesia, Hikmahanto added, might consider expelling Brasilian diplomats currently stationed in Indonesia.

“But I think it is not necessary to resort to such an action yet,” he said. “Brasil should think twice about its future actions, including in regard to protecting its citizens who have committed serious crimes in Indonesia.”

(Reporting by Chris Nusatya; additional reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer in Rio de Janeiro and Tony Boadle in Brasilia,; writing by Michael Taylor, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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(Reuters, Jakpost) House: Indonesia recalls envoy Toto Riyanto & re-evaluate defense partnership with Brasil