Antiwar group to take peace message to foreign envoys<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
An Indonesian antiwar group will hold a peace rally on Friday
\nat the Chinese and Russian embassies to appeal to the two
\ncountries to put more pressure on the United States to thwart a
\npossible war Iraq.<\/p>\n
China and Russia, two of the five permanent members of the
\nUnited Nations Security Council with veto powers, have generally
\nopposed the possibility of U.S. military action without UN
\nbacking, even though Washington believes that Iraq has developed
\nweapons of mass destruction and has links with the Al-Qaeda
\nterrorist network.<\/p>\n
The antiwar group said on Thursday that they also planned to
\nhold a rally in front of the other embassies who currently have
\nrepresentatives on the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n
The group -- set up recently as a result of the U.S.-Iraq
\ntension -- comprises a number of local prominent figures and
\nreligious leaders such as Nurcholis Madjid, Goenawan Mohamad,
\nTodung Mulya Lubis, Catholic priest Ismartono and Reverend I.
\nLambe.<\/p>\n
It warned the U.S. that launching a war against a sovereign
\ncountry without UN authorization would a crime against humanity.<\/p>\n
"The United States has immense power over other nations in the
\nworld and if they use such power irresponsibly, the whole world
\nwill suffer," said Nurcholis, a Muslim scholar.<\/p>\n
After emphasizing that he could see no connection between Iraq
\nand terrorism, Nurcholis added that, "There is not enough of a
\nreason for the United States to go to war with Iraq."<\/p>\n
Human rights lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, noted that a possible
\nwar against Iraq would be a blatant violation of international
\nlaw because the U.S. did not have enough evidence to show that
\nBaghdad had developed weapons of mass destruction.<\/p>\n
"It will be a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, should the
\nUnited States launch a war against Iraq," he said, adding that
\nevery one with a conscience should oppose such a war.<\/p>\n
Members of the group, agreeing that the problem between Iraq
\nand the United States was not a religious conflict between
\nChristians and Muslims, also issued a statement that rejects
\nthe call purportedly made by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for
\nMuslims around the world to retaliate with suicide bombers should
\nthe U.S. start a war with Iraq.<\/p>\n
The antiwar community is part of a growing movement in
\nIndonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, that opposes
\na possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets
\nand gathered in front of the U.S. embassy here to protest against
\nthe world's sole superpower.<\/p>",
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