Indonesia Rejects US Pressure over Al-Manar Channel
Source: Al-Manar TV, 14-8-2008
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, has rejected US pressure to stop a Lebanese Hizbullah television channel airing its programs in the country, a minister said Thursday.
Information and Communications Minister Muhammad Nuh said Indonesia saw no reason to block broadcasts by the resistance group which is on a US State Department list of terrorist organizations.
"We can't stop anyone here as long as they aren't violating our regulations," he said. "We don't want any intervention or request from any country which isn't in line with our basic principles."
He said he had explained Indonesia's position during a recent meeting with US representatives. Lebanon-based station Al-Manar started broadcasting in Indonesia in April after leasing a satellite transponder operated by PT Indosat. Its three-year contract will end in 2011.
A spokesman for the US embassy said the United States opposed Hizbullah and "all its constituent arms" wherever they appeared around the world. "Al-Manar, its parent and affiliates form a recognized arm of Hizbullah, a designated terrorist organization under multiple counterterrorism authorities," he said.
"The US government has expressed, and will continue to express, its concerns about Hizbullah and Al-Manar television worldwide, and remains firmly opposed to their exploitation of the media to promote terrorist acts, including broadcasts designed to incite imminent violence and likely to produce violence." He said the US embassy had "shared its concerns" about the broadcaster with the Indonesian government.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, has rejected US pressure to stop a Lebanese Hizbullah television channel airing its programs in the country, a minister said Thursday.
Information and Communications Minister Muhammad Nuh said Indonesia saw no reason to block broadcasts by the resistance group which is on a US State Department list of terrorist organizations.
"We can't stop anyone here as long as they aren't violating our regulations," he said. "We don't want any intervention or request from any country which isn't in line with our basic principles."
He said he had explained Indonesia's position during a recent meeting with US representatives. Lebanon-based station Al-Manar started broadcasting in Indonesia in April after leasing a satellite transponder operated by PT Indosat. Its three-year contract will end in 2011.
A spokesman for the US embassy said the United States opposed Hizbullah and "all its constituent arms" wherever they appeared around the world. "Al-Manar, its parent and affiliates form a recognized arm of Hizbullah, a designated terrorist organization under multiple counterterrorism authorities," he said.
"The US government has expressed, and will continue to express, its concerns about Hizbullah and Al-Manar television worldwide, and remains firmly opposed to their exploitation of the media to promote terrorist acts, including broadcasts designed to incite imminent violence and likely to produce violence." He said the US embassy had "shared its concerns" about the broadcaster with the Indonesian government.
