Indonesia is set
to kick off another round of high-ranking diplomatic talks with Singapore on
issues deemed contentious in the bilateral ties of the two neighbouring
countries.
Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono is slated to host
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the second annual leaders’
retreat held at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java on Tuesday. The
first retreat was held in Singapore in 2010.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said that among the top agendas to be
negotiated was Indonesia’s wish for Singapore to support Indonesia’s
anti-corruption drive.
"When it comes to Indonesia-Singapore ties, talks about
cooperation in the legal sector, such as extradition and mutual legal
assistance for asset recovery, have always been brought up. This is important
because it is about the interests of both countries,” Marty said on Friday at
the Presidential Palace.
While it is unlikely that any progress will be made toward achieving
the extradition treaty that Indonesia longs for with Singapore, principally so
that Indonesian corruption suspects can no longer flee to Singapore to escape
justice, a source at the Palace said that Indonesia would instead pursue
arrangements for the forfeiture of proceeds of crimes, particularly from
corruption.
Indonesia, listed as one of the world’s most corrupt nations, has not
been able to persuade Singapore to agree to help it retrieve the billions of
dollars of state money allegedly stashed in the city state by Indonesian
criminals.
Observers and activists have dubbed Singapore as a safe haven for
Indonesian corruption money.
A prime example is graft convict Gayus H. Tambunan, a former tax
official who allegedly deposited large amounts of money in Singapore before he
was arrested in 2010.
Graft defendant and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad
Nazaruddin also reportedly keeps his allegedly ill-gotten assets in Singapore.
University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said
he would welcome any effort by the Indonesian government to push for a deal on
a bilateral asset recovery mechanism, although he acknowledged that it would
not be easy because there was so much money in Singapore that originated in
Indonesia.
A 2007 report by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini stated that one third of
Singapore’s high net-worth investors (those with net financial assets of more
than US$1 million) were of Indonesian origin. The report also said 18,000
Indonesians had total assets of US$87 billion there.
"Yudhoyono must be able to assure his Singaporean counterpart
that, by signing such a treaty, the country would no longer be perceived as a
state run by illicit funds,” Hikmahanto said.
Another priority in the meeting is Indonesia’s attempt to convince
Singapore to accept the Asean membership of Timor Leste.
“There have actually been political statements from leaders in the
region to welcome Timor Leste’s bid to join Asean. Issues that are currently
being discussed at the ministerial level concern the mechanism,” Marty said.
On Wednesday, Marty met with Singapore’s Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam
to discuss the preparation for the upcoming meeting.
Marty said that he and his counterpart Shanmugam had agreed that the
Bogor meeting would also focus on boosting substantial bilateral partnerships
in the sectors of economy, trade and investment.
"Part of the upcoming meeting will also be used to continue
negotiations on border affairs. Issues concerning regional and global matters
will also be discussed too,” Marty said.
"The two nation leaders will first review the development of their
relationship after the first meeting in 2010,” he added.
News Desk
The Jakarta Post
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment