Asia reacts with outrage at Howard's comment

Asia reacts with outrage at Howard's comment

Lely T. Djuhari, Associated Press, Jakarta

Asian countries reacted with outrage and described as arrogant
comments by Australian Prime Minister John Howard that he was
prepared to strike pre-emptively against terrorists who use
neighboring Asian countries as bases to attack Australian
interests.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Marti Natalegawa said on
Sunday that Australia had no right to take military action in
other countries.

"Fortunately, states cannot willy-nilly flout international
law and norms. We have to work within the system," he told The
Associated Press.

Thailand's government spokesman Ratthakit Manathat said that
any Australian request to conduct operations on Thai soil would
require "highly cautious consideration."

"Nobody does anything like this," he said. "Each country has
its own sovereignty, that must be protected."

Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said
governments must work together rather than one country acting
unilaterally.

"It's not wise and it doesn't follow ... the doctrine of
peacekeeping and sovereignty," he said. "Sovereignty is not
decided by fight, it's decided by right."

On Australian television on Sunday, Howard suggested the
United Nations Charter be amended to permit a country to launch
pre-emptive strikes against terrorists in other states.

Marti said Jakarta understood Australia's "horrific
experience" in recent terrorist attacks -- including the bombings
in Bali -- but "in the fight against terror, no country can act
above the law and norms. The change has to be decided by the 190-
odd members of the UN and this is not easy."
Indonesian legislator Alvin Lie said Howard's statement, "is very
dangerous."

"Howard should learn to control himself," he said. "Indonesia
and Australia are both victims. I strongly support increased
cooperation among neighboring countries to fight terrorism but
not attacks."

A spokesman for a left-wing group in the Philippines, Bayan,
said his members would now protest against Australia, instead of
the United States, and described Howard as a "bully."

"That's a very arrogant statement," Renato Reyes told The
Associated Press. "It's no different from those coming from the
United States."

He said such plans would violate the Philippines' sovereignty
and urged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo not to let Howard's
statement pass without rebuke.

"Arroyo would be a laughing stock if she would allow this
threatening statement to pass," he said.