REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Brazilian government must apologize for humiliating Indonesian Ambassador-designate Toto Riyanto and restore the Indonesia-Brazil bilateral relation that has been strained by the incident, according to an international law expert.
"The government of Indonesia should not instruct Ambassador Toto Riyanto to go back to Brazil before their President and government apologize," the University of Indonesia's International Law Expert Hikmahanto Juwana said here on Tuesday.
According to Juwana, it is better to leave the post of ambassador to Brazil vacant until they apologize, considering that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's action has offended Indonesia's dignity as a sovereign state and nation.
Indonesian ambassador-designate to Brazil Toto Riyanto was officially invited by the Brazilian government to submit his credential letter to President Dilma Rousseff on Friday (February 20).
However, when he arrived at the presidential palace following official protocol, he was informed that the ceremony had been postponed.
The Indonesian government believes the incident is related to its decision to execute Rodrigo Gularte, a Brazilian national on death row, who was convicted in 2005 for smuggling 6 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside his surfboard.
"President Rousseff has humiliated Brazil's friendly state and nation, Indonesia. So, it is very understandable if President Jokowi recalled Ambassador-designate Riyanto," Juwana remarked.
Juwana noted that President Rousseff, despite being a state leader, has mixed her personal opinion and the death penalty to Rodrigo Gularte by postponing the presentation of Indonesian ambassador's credential letter.
Thus, Juwana added, President Rousseff and her government must apologize to Indonesia before Indonesia adopts any further diplomatic measure.
"The Indonesian government may take bolder diplomatic measures, as demanded by its people and politicians, in retaliation for Ambassador Riyanto's humiliation at the hands of President Rousseff," he explained.
Besides recalling Ambassador Riyanto at 10 p.m. on the day of incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a protest note to Brazil and called the Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia to express its deep disappointment and convey that Indonesia and its people have been offended by the Brazilian president.
The Indonesian government also stressed that the execution of narcotics convicts is part of its law, considering the negative impacts drugs have on Indonesian people, particularly on the youth.
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