Indonesian President cancels trip over arrest risk

Indonesia's president abruptly cancelled a state visit to the Netherlands yesterday after overseas separatists demanded his arrest.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was scheduled to leave yesterday afternoon, made the announcement after his luggage had already been loaded on to his plane. He said he was insulted by a case filed by exiled Moluccan separatists calling for his arrest for alleged human rights abuses.

The Indonesian government is highly sensitive to separatist struggles in the Moluccan Islands and Papua province, where activists have allegedly been tortured for peacefully expressing their views, organising rallies or for raising separatist flags.