Bush Appreciates Input of Nine Indonesian Notables
Tuesday, 21 November, 2006 | 16:27 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: US President George Walker Bush has supported a number of thoughts that nine people conveyed in a meeting at Bogor Palace yesterday (11/20).

In the one-hour meeting, Bush discussed matters on education, health, religion, the tsunami disaster, Papua, Aceh, bird flu and bio-technology.

“The meeting was normal and not so formal,” said education figure Arief Rahman yesterday in Jakarta.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he said, in the meeting functioned as moderator that accompanied Bush. The discussion was also attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Boediono, Minister of Research and Technology Kusmayanto Kadiman and US Foreign Affairs Minister Condoleeza Rice.

In addition to Arief, other invited notables included Nila S. Moeloek (health expert of University of Indonesia), Adi Santoso (bio-technology expert of LIPI), Mohammad Ikhsan (researcher of the Organization of People's Investigation and Economics of the University of Indonesia), Ridwan Djamaluddin (information technology expert), Komaruddin Hidayat (intellectual and President of State Islamic Institute of Ar-Raniry, Banda Aceh).

On the occasion, Arief delivered some challenges that Indonesia must face in developing education. One of the challenges is the number of students that total 40 million. In addition, the amount of teachers that must be trained are 2.1 million and there are 266 thousand educational institutions that must be developed.

Meanwhile, President of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, Komaruddin Hidayat has asked that Bush revise US foreign policy in the Middle East.

He said that the emergence of extremism was affected by the situation in the Arab Peninsula. If the region is in a peaceful state, the extremism that hampers democracy can be eliminated. Therefore, Komaruddin has urged that Bush issue foreign policy that helps create peace in the Middle East.

Bush, according to Komaruddin, has supported the solution for the Middle East. However, concerning foreign affairs policy, Bush has affirmed that he must protect America from terrorism. Komaruddin has acknowledged that he was quite unsatisfied with the brief meeting. “However, it is important that we have shared our thoughts,” he said.

OKTMANDJAYA | AQIDA SWAMURTI