Diplomats allowed to visit Maluku: Alwi<\/p>\n
THE HAGUE (JP): Visiting Indonesian Minister of Foreign
\nAffairs Alwi Shihab said here on Friday that foreign diplomats
\nand UN officials accredited in Indonesia would be allowed to
\nvisit Maluku and North Maluku provinces to monitor the situation
\nin the riot-torn areas.<\/p>\n
But Alwi quickly rejected suggestions on sending an official
\ninternational mission of politicians or UN officials to the area.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a meeting with members of the Dutch Second
\nChamber (parliament), Alwi added that few international relief
\norganizations would also be allowed direct access to the area
\nwhich is currently under a state of civilian emergency.<\/p>\n
Alwi is on a brief visit to the Netherlands, which was
\nIndonesia's former colonial ruler.<\/p>\n
The issue of the Maluku violence remains a concern of The
\nHague as Holland is also home to thousands of people of Maluku
\norigin who fled Indonesia in the 1950s after a failed separatist
\nuprising was crushed by Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Dutch politicians had urged the Indonesian government to allow
\nan independent international mission to Maluku to report on the
\nsituation there.<\/p>\n
The mission should be made up of the member countries of the
\nAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in cooperation
\nwith the UN, a member of the social democratic PvDa party said.<\/p>\n
\"An independent mission is necessary in order to get an
\nobjective picture of the situation in the islands,\" conservative
\nVVD party member Hessing said earlier.<\/p>\n
Besides discussing the Maluku situation, Alwi also revealed
\nthat President Abdurrahman Wahid had asked former Dutch Foreign
\nMinister and Former European Commissioner Hans van den Broek to
\nbe his special advisor.<\/p>\n
\"Van den Broek could assist in general and European affairs,\"
\nhe contended.<\/p>\n
Van den Broek, 60, will join U.S. former Secretary of State
\nHenry Kissinger as part of the growing list of the President's
\nspecial advisors.<\/p>\n
Van den Broek refused to comment on the offer, saying that he
\nhas yet to be officially approached for the job by the Indonesian
\ngovernment.(Bobmantiri)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/diplomats-allowed-to-visit-maluku-alwi-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}