Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – The government should openly push for the Netherlands to have a tougher policy on the activities of the separatist group South Maluku Republic (RMS), said Machfudz Siddiq, chairman of the House's Commission I, which oversees defense and foreign affairs.

Speaking in Jakarta on Thursday, Machfudz said that he understands why President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono chose to reschedule his trip to the Netherlands, even though a Dutch court had already issued a verdict rejecting a request to arrest the president.

The government said on Wednesday that the president needed more information before he could decide on whether to reschedule his state visit to the Netherlands. The RMS had asked a Dutch court to have the president arrested on alleged human rights violations in Indonesia.

Machfudz said that Indonesia was mainly concerned about Dutch nationals who have become RMS activists and who are actively demanding for the separation of Maluku from Indonesia. According to him, the Dutch government is doing nothing against them. The RMS separatist movement is even protected to do their activities there, Machfudz said.

"Can you imagine, they let their own citizens do something aimed at disturbing Indonesia's sovereignty? This is actually the main problem, about the political will of the Dutch government and their citizens over RMS and the sovereignty of Indonesian," he added.

Machfudz said that the House will fully support Yudhoyono should he announce that any Indonesian president would not visit the Netherlands unless the Dutch government implements a change of policy in connection to RMS and their activities.

Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister of political, legal and security affairs, said that the Dutch court had yet to issue verdicts on all RMS' requests.

The requests he was referring to include requiring the Indonesian government to explain where the body of the late Chris Soumokil – one of the founders and the first leader of separatist group RMS – is located. Soumokil was arrested on Seram Island in December 1962 and sentenced to death by a military court. He was executed in the Thousand Islands on April 12, 1966.

The RMS also requested that the Dutch courts help facilitate a dialogue with the Indonesian government with regard to the issue of self-determination. Djoko said that the president wants the process to be conclusively settled before rescheduling his visit.

On April 25, 1950, the Republic of South Maluku proclaimed its independence, but the Indonesian government quashed the movement and outlawed it. The movement was revived following the fall of Suharto in 1998.