Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation Dr. Makarim Wibisono spoke in a panel discussion in the commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at Atmajaya University here Wednesday.

Being invited by Michele Zaccheo, the Director of the United Nations Information Center in Jakarta as one of the speakers, Makarim made a presentation on "United Nations and the Question of Palestine: An Indonesian Perspective", the ASEAN Foundation said in a statement here Thursday.

He said the Palestinian independence is not an optional to the Indonesian people, but it is a necessity due to the mandate of the preamble of the 1945 Constitution. 

The question of Palestine in the United Nations is not a religious issue but it is an issue of foreign occupation, human rights abuse, and discriminatory treatment against the Palestinian, he stated.

The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Diplomatic Community, NGOs, lecturers and student from various universities in Jakarta. 

Other speakers in the Panel Discussion among others were Fariz Mehdawi, the Ambassador of State of Palestine in Indonesia, Hamzah Thayeb, the Director General for Asia, Pacific, and African Affairs of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia.

The United Nations` (UN) International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is annually observed on November 29. The day is also known as Solidarity Day.

Source: ANTARA