REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- A Professor of International Law at the University of Indonesia (UI) Hikmahanto Juwana said Brazil has violated diplomatic protocol by declining to accept a credential letter from the new Indonesian Ambassador to the country.
"In the diplomatic world, such an act is condemnable and violates the tenets of diplomacy," said Hikmahanto here, Saturday.
The refusal to accept the letter was in response to the execution of a Brazilian national in Indonesia on January 18.
According to him, Brazil's action of refusing to accept the credential letter from the Indonesian Ambassador could endanger the good relations shared by the two countries.
"The Brazilian government will jeopardize its bilateral relations with Indonesia only because of an extreme reaction to the execution of its citizen, who was involved in drug dealing activities," said Hikmahanto.
The professor added that Indonesia can respond by issuing a persona-non-grata order with regards to one or several Brazilian diplomats currently stationed in Indonesia. However, Hikmahanto said such counter action is not yet necessary because Indonesia needs to think clearly before it responds to the situation.
Earlier, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued a statement saying it deeply regrets the action of the Government of Brazil to abruptly postpone the presentation of credentials by the Ambassador-designate of Indonesia to Brazil Toto Riyanto, after being formally invited to present his credentials at a ceremony in the Presidential Palace of Brazil at 9.00 am (Brazilian time), on February 20.
"The manner in which the Foreign Minister of Brazil suddenly informed the postponement of the presentation of credentials by the Ambassador designate of Indonesia to Brazil, when the Ambassador designate was already at the palace, is unacceptable to Indonesia," a statement posted on the ministry's official website on Saturday, said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had summoned the Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia on the February 20, at 10.00 pm to convey in the strongest possible terms of protest, the unfriendly act of the Government of Brazil and also presented him with a formal note of protest.
The Government of Indonesia has also recalled the Ambassador designate of Indonesia to Brazil until a time is determined by the Government of Brazil for the presentation of his credentials.
As a democratic sovereign state with its own sovereign, independent and impartial justice system, no foreign country or party can or may interfere with the implementation of Indonesia's prevailing laws within its jurisdiction, including in the enforcement of laws governing drug trafficking, the ministry said in the statement.
On January 18, Indonesian police officers had executed Namaona Denis of Malawi, Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira of Brazil, Daniel Enemuo alias Diarrassouba Mamadou of Nigeria, Ang Kiem Soei alias Kim Ho alias Ance Tahir of the Netherlands, Rani Andriani alias Melisa Aprilia of Indonesia, and Tran Thi Bich Hanh of Vietnam. All six were convicted in drugs-related cases.
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