The Indonesian government on Friday denounced Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-Bian for doing activities during a stopover on Batam island, Riau Islands Province without permission from local authorities.

Chen's plane landed on Batam earlier Thursday, reportedly asked permission for refueling.

"If the landing was for technical needs like refueling, the plane should have left Batam last night," Coordinating Minister for Legal, Political and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Suscipto told reporters here.

Chen's move has prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to immediately send a verbal warning to the Riau Islands governor, he said.

Widodo made the remarks at the Halim Perdanakusumah Airport when accompanying the president for a flight to Bali to attend the D-8 Summit.

"The president called the Riau Islands governor this morning to ask him to report about activities beyond the technical needs of (Chen's) plane arrival in Batam. The president gave a verbal waning to the Riau Islands governor," he said.

"Basically, our foreign policy sticks to the One China Policy. This principle must be fully understood by all government officials in the central and regional levels," he added.

On reports that Chen has visited several companies on the island, Widodo said "We deplore that. It could spark a biased perception about our foreign policy." Enditem

Source: Xinhua