Four Awkwardness Related Rejection of General Gatot Nurmantyo
Four Awkwardness Related Rejection of General Gatot Nurmantyo
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JAKARTA - Related to banned of TNI Commander into United States (US) territory, a number of irregularities leave many questions.
Here are four awkwardness:
1. TNI Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo was formally invited by the US General Staff and has obtained a valid visa. It was strange that a state military officer was formally invited, but was suddenly told not to enter shortly before leaving.
2. Notification of entry ban through the Emirates airline staff. If the entry ban is official, why does not the US authorities deliver it directly to the TNI or to the Indonesian government? Moreover, the US has an Embassy in Jakarta.
3. The US ambassador, Joseph Donovan apologized, but could not explain the reason why the TNI Commander was suddenly banned from entering the US despite being formally invited.
4. General Gatot was "clean" from Washington criticism. He was not on the "black list" of military officers who banned entered the US. In general, Washington bans entry of military officers of a state for alleged human rights abuses. However, the allegations never existed for General Gatot.
Related to this rejection, Vice of US Ambassador, Erin Elizabeth McKee herself has apologized. Washington has also officially lifted the entry ban for this Indonesian military officer.
McKee has met the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno LP Marsudi this morning.
"We deeply regret the inconvenience this incident caused and we apologize," McKee told reporters.
"There is absolutely no problem with his ability (General Gatot) to travel to the US. We welcome him. The Embassy works very hard to understand what is happening," she said.
Foreign Minister Retno herself still can not explain the reason, because the US Embassy in Jakarta also seemed still confused.
"We are saying that we are still waiting for clarification, explanation of why this happened," said Retno told reporters in Jakarta.
"There is an urgent feeling for this that we have conveyed to them. US officials are trying to coordinate with US authorities to find out what really happened," she said.
As previously reported, TNI Commander was invited to attend the Chiefs of Defense Conference on Country Violent Extremist Organization (VEOs) organized by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
In Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Cengkareng, Banten, the airline staff informed that the TNI Commander and the delegation were not allowed to enter the US by US Customs and Border Protection.
Related that case, Aaron Connolly from Lowy Institute suspects a bureaucratic problem in this case.
"A number of Indonesian military officers who have been told that they will not be allowed into the US have been denied visas, but no one has ever been aware of where an Indonesian army officer was granted a valid visa to enter the US. State it and then refuse entry before boarding the plane," he said.
"This is very unusual and I think the most likely explanation is that there is an administrative snafu to be notified by US Customs and Border Protection to Emirates airlines, and they do not," he said as quoted by ABC.net.au.
Here are four awkwardness:
1. TNI Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo was formally invited by the US General Staff and has obtained a valid visa. It was strange that a state military officer was formally invited, but was suddenly told not to enter shortly before leaving.
2. Notification of entry ban through the Emirates airline staff. If the entry ban is official, why does not the US authorities deliver it directly to the TNI or to the Indonesian government? Moreover, the US has an Embassy in Jakarta.
3. The US ambassador, Joseph Donovan apologized, but could not explain the reason why the TNI Commander was suddenly banned from entering the US despite being formally invited.
4. General Gatot was "clean" from Washington criticism. He was not on the "black list" of military officers who banned entered the US. In general, Washington bans entry of military officers of a state for alleged human rights abuses. However, the allegations never existed for General Gatot.
Related to this rejection, Vice of US Ambassador, Erin Elizabeth McKee herself has apologized. Washington has also officially lifted the entry ban for this Indonesian military officer.
McKee has met the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno LP Marsudi this morning.
"We deeply regret the inconvenience this incident caused and we apologize," McKee told reporters.
"There is absolutely no problem with his ability (General Gatot) to travel to the US. We welcome him. The Embassy works very hard to understand what is happening," she said.
Foreign Minister Retno herself still can not explain the reason, because the US Embassy in Jakarta also seemed still confused.
"We are saying that we are still waiting for clarification, explanation of why this happened," said Retno told reporters in Jakarta.
"There is an urgent feeling for this that we have conveyed to them. US officials are trying to coordinate with US authorities to find out what really happened," she said.
As previously reported, TNI Commander was invited to attend the Chiefs of Defense Conference on Country Violent Extremist Organization (VEOs) organized by the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
In Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Cengkareng, Banten, the airline staff informed that the TNI Commander and the delegation were not allowed to enter the US by US Customs and Border Protection.
Related that case, Aaron Connolly from Lowy Institute suspects a bureaucratic problem in this case.
"A number of Indonesian military officers who have been told that they will not be allowed into the US have been denied visas, but no one has ever been aware of where an Indonesian army officer was granted a valid visa to enter the US. State it and then refuse entry before boarding the plane," he said.
"This is very unusual and I think the most likely explanation is that there is an administrative snafu to be notified by US Customs and Border Protection to Emirates airlines, and they do not," he said as quoted by ABC.net.au.
(rnz)
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