Indonesia asks why US blocked military chief’s travel amid public anger

Jakarta has called on Washington to urgently explain why it barred its military chief from travelling to the US, amid simmering public anger in Indonesia over the diplomatic incident.

Armed forces commander General Gatot Nurmantyo was stopped on Saturday from boarding a flight to the US, despite having a visa and an official invitation to attend a conference from his counterpart, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Joseph F. Dunford Jr.

Gatot decided to postpone his visit until Washington clarifies the matter.

“The military commander and his spouse and the delegation decided not to fulfill the invitation of the US military commander until there is a formal explanation from the United States,” an army spokesman said on Sunday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters after meeting the US Ambassador to Jakarta Joseph Donovan on Monday that the envoy apologized, but she was still waiting for a detailed explanation for the incident.

“We conveyed that we still await clarification, an explanation why this happened … there is a sense of urgency to this,” she said, adding that officials were “trying to coordinate with relevant authorities in the US to find out what really happened.”

In a statement, the US embassy in Jakarta said, “US Ambassador Joseph Donovan has apologized to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi for any inconvenience to General Gatot.”

“The US Embassy was, and remains, prepared to facilitate the General’s travel to the United States,” it reiterated.

Despite the apology, Indonesians have reacted angrily to the incident, putting up banners around the capital, calling for the US ambassador to be expelled and for Americans to be “sent home.”

Former Indonesian ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal has also called for a stronger government reaction.

"The government should not be asking for a clarification, but rather conveying a protest to the US side,” he tweeted.

Nurmantyo is due to retire next year. He is widely expected to run for vice president or even president in 2019.

SS