ASEAN urged to help ease Korea crisis<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and
\nPacific Affairs James A. Kelly urged Indonesia and other
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) members on Friday
\nto support dialog as a peaceful means to resolve tension over
\nNorth Korea's nuclear power program.<\/p>\n
Citing that all those involved parties in the problem were
\nmembers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Kelly said that the
\nassociation could take a leading role in ending the standoff
\nbetween North Korea and the U.S. regarding Pyongyang's nuclear
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
\"All parties related to this issue, North Korea and South
\nKorea, the U.S. and Japan, are members of ARF, which could push
\nfor more effective dialog to solve this issue,\" Minister for
\nForeign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda quoted Kelly as saying on Friday.<\/p>\n
Hassan was speaking to the media at the State Palace after
\naccompanying President Megawati Soekarnoputri in talks with
\nKelly, who is on a two-day visit to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The visit is part of his tour of Asia, which includes stops in
\nChina, South Korea, Singapore and Japan, to reiterate
\nWashington's stance, which is to put forward dialog as a means to
\nend the issue.<\/p>\n
The situation in the Korean peninsula became tense after
\nPyongyang decided to pull out from the Nuclear Proliferation
\nTreaty (NPT) last week.<\/p>\n
North Korea's about-face was triggered by America's decision
\nto stop its food and energy assistance to Pyongyang after it
\nasked the United Nations' weapon inspectors to leave the country.<\/p>\n
Washington is perceived as wanting to treat North Korea like
\nIraq, which is under threat of massive strikes from the United
\nStates and its allies for what they consider as Baghdad's refusal
\nto disarm and destroy its weapons of mass destruction.<\/p>\n
Hassan said he told the U.S. that any action against Pyongyang
\nwould immediately affect the region, both politically and
\neconomically.<\/p>\n
However, Hassan also expressed concern over Pyongyang's
\npossible possession of nuclear weapons, saying that \"there are
\ntoo many countries in Asia that have nuclear weapons and they
\nwould ultimately provoke conflicts in the region\".<\/p>\n
\"We agree with the U.S. that dialog between North Korea and
\nSouth Korea would be more effective,\" the minister said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, in South Korea, Kelly expressed confidence that there
\nwould be a peaceful outcome, saying that he had been assured that
\nthe Pyongyang issue would be solved in a peaceful manner.<\/p>\n
Kelly is slated to hold a series of meetings with members of
\nthe civil society on Saturday, including Muslim leaders, before
\nleaving for Japan.<\/p>\n
Aside from meeting Megawati and Hassan, he also held a meeting
\non Friday with Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
\nAffairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>",
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