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Tue, May 22, 2012
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SBY Says He Raised Concerns About Manohara
April Aswadi & Nurfika Osman | June 03, 2009

“Manohara is still a citizen of Indonesia,” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said. “Our goal is to aid and protect citizens who are being mistreated.” (Photo: Abror Rizki, Rumgapres) “Manohara is still a citizen of Indonesia,” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said. “Our goal is to aid and protect citizens who are being mistreated.” (Photo: Abror Rizki, Rumgapres)
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President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Tuesday that he had raised concerns a month ago in the case of Indonesian-American teenage model Manohara Odelia Pinot, who claims to have been sexually and physically abused by her husband, a Malaysian prince.

He had done so by addressing the matter with Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datu Zainal Abidin Mahama Zain when he was in Bali on May 2 to open a meeting of the Asian Development Bank board of governors.

“I was asking for clarification about this issue,” Yudhoyono said.

The president said he spoken to Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Da’i Bachtiar asking them to look into the matter.

“I told them to handle this issue fully and to be aware of the line between domestic affairs, spousal — or family — issues and human rights violations,” Yudhoyono said.

“We have the privilege [as a government] to be able to enter into the human rights domain.”

His comments early on Tuesday were in response to questions from reporters as he prepared to return to Indonesia after attending two-day forum with Asean and South Korean leaders on South Korea’s Jeju Island.

“Manohara is still a citizen of Indonesia,” he said.

“As a head of state, [her wellbeing] is my interest. Our goal is to aid and protect citizens who are being mistreated. The rest we leave to the individuals. We cannot simply see this from the point of view of entertainment.”

Meanwhile, Manohara’s lawyer, Otto Cornelis Kaligis, said on Tuesday that he had accumulated evidence to prove that the young woman had suffered human rights violations.

“We have proof about the torture, that her passport was being held by Malaysian authorities, and also we have proof that her marriage is illegitimate,” Kaligis said, adding that more evidence was being prepared for presentation to police.

“Manohara will undergo a forensic examination, but we will decide about this later as she is still busy doing interviews with TV stations,” he said.

The 17-year old model returned to Indonesia on Sunday morning after Singaporean police and the Indonesian and US embassies in Singapore helped her escape. Manohara was in Singapore after her husband Tengku Temenggong Muhammad Fakhry’s father suffered a heart attack and required treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. Manohara secretly called police on Saturday night for help.