Government adamant on limiting Namru-2 staffers having diplomatic imunity

The Indonesian government is persisting in its preparedness to grant diplomatic immunity to only two US Namru-2 (Naval Medical Research Unit 2) staff members, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said here on Thursday.

"We are sticking to our stance that not all of Namru-2 officers will be granted diplomatic immunity. We will give the immunity to only two of the 20 US naval officers with Namru-2," he said.

He made the remark after receiving British Armed Forces Commander Marshal Jock Stirrup here on Thursday.

The minister said besides restricting the number of Namru-2 staff having diplomatic immunity, Indonesia was also insisting that doctors of the Indonesian Navy be assigned in Namru-2 as supervisors.

The need to assign Indonesian supervisors was due to the fact that so far the activities carried out by Namru-2 officers were not transparent, he said.

Therefore, Indonesian naval officers must be involved as supervisors in Namru-2 activities in Indonesia, he said.

"We want Indonesian naval officers to be involved in the activities of NAMRU-2," the minister said on Wednesday.

The minister said Indonesia and the United States were still negotiating ...