Moslem leaders demand UN sanction against Serbs<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A group of influential Moslem leaders visited
\nthe United Nations (UN) office here yesterday, demanding that it
\ntake immediate action to halt Bosnian Serbs' onslaught on eastern
\nBosnian town of Gorazde.<\/p>\n
\"We demand that the UN punish the Serb aggressors who have
\nblatantly violated the truce they had previously agreed to, and
\nwho continue slaughtering innocent people in Gorazde,\" leaders of
\nthe Indonesian Committee for World Moslem Solidarity (KISDI) said
\nin a statement.<\/p>\n
Led by Ahmad Sumargono and Hussein Umar, the delegates also
\ndemanded that UN Security Council lift the arms-embargo imposed
\non Bosnia Herzegovina in order to give its Moslem population a
\nfair chance to defend itself.<\/p>\n
The group demanded that the UN provide opportunities for
\ncountries who are sympathetic to the Bosnian Moslems' plight to
\nsend their troops to join the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in
\nthe troubled former Yugoslavia.<\/p>\n
However, Bosnian officials politely declined the services of
\nthe Indonesian volunteers during a recent visit to Indonesia,
\nstressing that parties concerned about their cause should
\nconcentrate on helping to raise support and lifting the UN arms
\nembargo.<\/p>\n
In the past, the group had frequently organized massive Moslem
\nrallies on Bosnian cause in Jakarta and several other major
\ncities. In February alone it organized several rallies, one of
\nwhich was joined by some 5,000 people, calling for Indonesian
\nMoslems to register as volunteers to be sent to Bosnia.<\/p>\n
Yesterday's protest was the first the group launched since
\nNATO's promised to take strong action against the Serbs' forces
\nlast month.<\/p>\n
KISDI leaders yesterday also called for members of the Non-
\nAligned Movement (NAM) and the Organization of Islamic Conference
\n(OIC) to support a U.S. quest to widen a threat of NATO air
\nstrikes to protect Gorazde and five other UN-designated \"safe
\nareas\".<\/p>\n
\"If NATO fails to carry out its threat then it's has earned
\nthe name that has come to be associated with the group, No Action
\nTalk Only,\" Hussein said.<\/p>\n
The Moslem leaders, who have the ears of thousands of
\ncongregants, yesterday requested a meeting with UN Representative
\nJan Kamp who declined to meet with them. Instead, they were met
\nat the door by two local officers who refused to say where Kamp
\nwas. They also would not grant the delegates' request to sit down
\nand hold a dialog.<\/p>\n
Despite the leaders' protest of the \"rude treatment\", the
\nofficers only said that \"there is no room to receive you here\".<\/p>\n
After several minutes of arguments, KISDI leaders left the
\noffice angrily to hang banners and placards outside the building.<\/p>\n
The placards read, among other things: \"UN, Prove Your Salt in
\nBosnia\" and \"Stop Hypocrisy and Solve Problems In Bosnia\".<\/p>\n
The two officers also refused to reveal their names to the
\ndelegates or reporters, but security guards said they were Rahmat
\nand Mrs. Salimin from the United Nations Development Program
\n(UNDP) representative.<\/p>\n
Later on in the day, Hussein told The Jakarta Post that his
\ngroup plans to make similar visits to the embassies of Islamic
\ncountries here and urge them to ally themselves in solving the
\nBosnian problem.<\/p>\n
As has been done many times in the past, KISDI leaders also
\nurged the NAM and OIC to push for the revamping of UN Security
\nCouncil which they claimed was dominated by Western nations. NAM
\nis currently under the chairmanship of Indonesia's President
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
Hussein said that as the fourth most populous country in the
\nworld, Indonesia should be included in the Security Council along
\nwith the other under-represented Islamic countries. This, he
\nsaid, would ensure fairer treatment of Moslem communities in
\nvarious parts of the globe. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/moslem-leaders-demand-un-sanction-against-serbs-1447893297",
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