Fri, 14 Feb 2003

Antiwar group to take peace message to foreign envoys

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An Indonesian antiwar group will hold a peace rally on Friday at the Chinese and Russian embassies to appeal to the two countries to put more pressure on the United States to thwart a possible war Iraq.

China and Russia, two of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with veto powers, have generally opposed the possibility of U.S. military action without UN backing, even though Washington believes that Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction and has links with the Al-Qaeda terrorist network.

The antiwar group said on Thursday that they also planned to hold a rally in front of the other embassies who currently have representatives on the UN Security Council.

The group -- set up recently as a result of the U.S.-Iraq tension -- comprises a number of local prominent figures and religious leaders such as Nurcholis Madjid, Goenawan Mohamad, Todung Mulya Lubis, Catholic priest Ismartono and Reverend I. Lambe.

It warned the U.S. that launching a war against a sovereign country without UN authorization would a crime against humanity.

"The United States has immense power over other nations in the world and if they use such power irresponsibly, the whole world will suffer," said Nurcholis, a Muslim scholar.

After emphasizing that he could see no connection between Iraq and terrorism, Nurcholis added that, "There is not enough of a reason for the United States to go to war with Iraq."

Human rights lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, noted that a possible war against Iraq would be a blatant violation of international law because the U.S. did not have enough evidence to show that Baghdad had developed weapons of mass destruction.

"It will be a violation of Iraqi sovereignty, should the United States launch a war against Iraq," he said, adding that every one with a conscience should oppose such a war.

Members of the group, agreeing that the problem between Iraq and the United States was not a religious conflict between Christians and Muslims, also issued a statement that rejects the call purportedly made by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for Muslims around the world to retaliate with suicide bombers should the U.S. start a war with Iraq.

The antiwar community is part of a growing movement in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, that opposes a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets and gathered in front of the U.S. embassy here to protest against the world's sole superpower.