Indonesia state visit invite raises eyebrows

Protesters condemn the execution of eight drug smugglers in Indonesia last month. Keystone

Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann has raised some political hackles by inviting Indonesian President Joko Widodo to Switzerland next year despite continuing executions of drug dealers, the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reports.

Schneider-Ammann has extended the offer of an Indonesian state visit to help move forward talks on a proposed free trade agreement between the Asian country and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member.

But the invite sends out the wrong signal, according to some politicians. Last week, Indonesia executed eight convicted drug smugglers by firing squad despite a chorus of international disapproval.

In March, Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter criticised the impending executions when he visited Jakarta. “He stressed the high priority that Switzerland places on the abolition of the death penalty, pointing out that capital punishment is not compatible with the principles of human rights – specifically, that of the right to life – nor with correctional justice whose purpose is rehabilitation,” read a foreign ministry press release.

However, Burkhalter was also in Jakarta to talk about future strengthening of economic ties between Switzerland and Indonesia. Bilateral trade between the two countries was worth CHF1 billion ($1.07 billion) in 2014 while Switzerland contributed CHF5.7 billion in direct foreign investment to Indonesia in 2013.

There have so far been nine rounds of negotiation between Indonesia and EFTA on a proposed free trade agreement.

Next year, Schneider-Ammann is in line to take on the mantle of Swiss President under the system of revolving the post in each year among serving cabinet ministers.

NZZ am Sonntag reported that Widoko’s proposed visit to Switzerland has divided politicians. While some praised the invite as a means of keeping open channels of communication between the two countries, others were more critical.

“The economics minister only cares about trade matters,” Carlo Sommaruga, a member of the leftwing Social Democratic Party, told the newspaper. “He leaves the matter of human rights to others,” added the senior member of the parliamentary commission on foreign policy.