"The rally is a form of our rejection of US President Barack Obama who will pay another visit to Indonesia, Bali in particular to attend ASEAN-East Asia Summit on November 17-19," HTI spokesman Lutfi Afandi said on the sidelines of the rally.
From the geographical point of view, Obama`s planned participation in the summit was very improper, he said.
"What is interesting is that as a leader of the US which is geographically not part of East Asia, he will come here for this summit. What is the motive behind the planned visit?" he asked.
He said HTI rejected Obama`s planned visit to Indonesia on the ground it would have no positive impact on Indonesia whatsoever.
"The US is currently hit the hardest by crisis. The amount of their debts exceeds that of ours. The number of unemployed people in the US now reaches 46 million. Then what can we expect from the US?" he said.
He said Obama`s participation in the summit would be nothing more than strengthening the US interests in East Asia, including Indonesia.
Therefore, he added that through the rally the organization called on the entire Indonesian people, including state and government officials to think that Obama`s visit would have no positive impact on Indonesia.
In the rally, the HTI members carried hundreds of banners and posters in black which among others read "Reject Barack Obama".
They also distributed leaflets among passersby containing reasons behind the HTI`s rejection of Obama`s planned visit to Indonesia.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
