Indonesia wants answers after military chief denied US entry

This article is more than 12 months old

Oct 23, 2017 06:00 am

JAKARTA Indonesia intends to send a diplomatic note to the United States Secretary of State and summon Washington's deputy ambassador in Jakarta to explain why the head of its military was denied entry to the US, an Indonesian official said yesterday.

Indonesia's Armed Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo was about to board a flight on Saturday when the airline informed him that US authorities had denied him entry, according to Indonesian media reports.

Gen Nurmantyo was going to the US at the invitation of General Joseph F. Dunford Jr, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and a former head of the US Marine Corps, according to the reports. He was also due to take part in a forum organised by the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington today.

Mr Arrmanatha Nasir, a spokesman for Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry, said Gen Nurmantyo had informed the ministry of the entry denial, but the spokesman could not confirm details.

Indonesia generally enjoys good ties with the US, although ties between the two countries' armed forces in the past have been strained by alleged rights abuses involving Indonesia's armed forces.

- REUTERS