Indonesian leaders speak out against Trump travel ban

Indonesian leaders have spoken out against United States President Donald Trump's ban on citizens from seven Islamic nations from entering the United States, claiming that it is a violation of human rights.

Local online media on Tuesday quoted House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah as saying the action clearly showed Trump's discomfiture with Muslims.

He said Trump's directive proved that the level of thinking of the United States had dropped and the country could no longer be used as reference for a nation which truly practised democracy, human rights and a market economy.

Trump on Friday reportedly ordered a ban on citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for a period of 90 days.

The countries are Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia.

Yesterday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was quoted by local media as saying the country regretted the immigration directive of the Trump administration.

Indonesia has the most number of Muslims among countries in the world, with more than 80 per cent of its nearly 300 million people being Muslim. -- Bernama