Puan: Palestine's Independence Is Still A Debt Of Indonesia And Members Of The KAA

Puan Maharani/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, said that the full independence of Palestine from Israel is still a debt that must be paid by Indonesia and member countries of the Asian-African Conference (KAA).

"Fighting for Palestinian independence has been Indonesia's promise since holding the Asian-African Conference in Bandung in 1955", said Puan, citing Antara, Sunday, April 24.

The commitment to support and fight for Palestinian independence from Israeli aggression, he continued, had been voiced by KAA members including Indonesia 67 years ago during the Asia-Africa Summit in Bandung on April 18–24, 1955.

During the meeting, he said, condemnation of Israel's aggression against Palestine was voiced by the leaders of the delegation, including Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Lebanese Prime Minister, Sami Solh.

During the meeting, according to him, Nasser satirized the United Nations (UN) for allowing the occupation of Palestine to occur, even though the UN has the power to condemn and impose sanctions.

According to Nasser, the aggression carried out by Palestinians in Israel is the most brutal and immoral human rights violation that has ever occurred in human history, he said.

In addition, Solh, as the leader of the Lebanese delegation, highlighted the problem of refugees forced to live in exile due to the Israeli aggression against Palestine.

Solh questioned the conscience of all state leaders who could accept the fact that one million Palestinian refugees, who were expelled from their country and deprived of their property, had to be scattered and live in exile. This was conveyed by Solh as quoted by journalist Richard Wright in his book The Color Curtain.

Meanwhile, Indonesian President Soekarno when opening the meeting emphasized that the KAA must help the struggles of countries in Asia and Africa that are not yet independent.

Soekarno said that Indonesia's goal had not been achieved and that there would be no independent nation as long as its homeland was still being colonized. Freedom and peace cannot be separated, so there is no such thing as being half-free or half living, Puan quoted her grandfather as saying.

At the end of the meeting, Puan said that all KAA delegates agreed to support Palestinian independence and urged the parties to immediately implement the contents of the UN resolution in Palestine.

However, until now the Palestinian people are still not fully independent and there are still practices of discrimination, seizure of land and residence, as well as restrictions on activities and movements that are still carried out by Israel against Palestinians.

Therefore, Puan reminded the 29 member countries of the KAA, including Indonesia, to fulfill their promise to help the Palestinian people's struggle for independence.

Independence is the right of all nations in the world and there should be no more colonization by one nation against another, especially in the modern era like today, he stressed.

"The liberation of Palestine from Israel's oppression will forever remain a debt to be repaid by Indonesia and other KAA participating countries that have pledged in Bandung", she said.

She also encouraged the Government to continue to take concrete steps in helping the Palestinian people. Indonesia can urge the UN Security Council to be more active in stopping all violence in Palestine, he said.