End strikes before Ramadhan, says RI

End strikes before Ramadhan, says RI

Agencies, Shanghai

Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda warned Sunday of
an "explosive" reaction in the Islamic world if U.S. strikes
against Afghanistan continue into the Muslim fasting month
starting mid-November.

"Ramadhan is important for Muslims to reflect and express
solidarity, so those who suffer emotionally, it will be, I think,
explosive if military actions are still being done in
Afghanistan," Hassan told reporters after the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shanghai.

The reaction would be felt "not only (in) Indonesia but other
Muslim countries as well", he warned.

"For countries with large Muslim populations like Malaysia,
Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh, prolonged
military conflict in Afghanistan will have an effect of
destabilizing these countries."

"We clearly conveyed in our discussions on the ministerial
level meetings that prolonged war will not help create better
situations in many developing Islamic countries," he said.

Hassan met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday
and conveyed Indonesia's concerns about the U.S.-led bombardment
of Afghanistan.

The foreign minister said on Friday that Powell understood
the sensitivities about continuing the strikes into Ramadhan.

There have been near daily protests in several cities in
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, since the
U.S. launched its campaign against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan on
October 7.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, in an apparent attempt to
appease Muslims angry at civilian casualties in Afghanistan, last
Sunday indirectly criticized the attacks. Her vice president,
Hamzah Haz, has called for them to stop.

Megawati and U.S. President George W. Bush were both attending
the two-day APEC summit that ended Sunday. They did not hold a
separate bilateral meeting on the sidelines, although Megawati
had apparently sought talks with Bush to explain Indonesia's
position.

Nevertheless, President Megawati Soekarnoputri said on Sunday
that the United States and Japan would continue giving financial
assistance to Indonesia despite growing anti-U.S. sentiment in
the country.

"The U.S. and Japan have hinted that they will continue giving
(financial) assistance (to Indonesia)," Megawati said as quoted
by SCTV television.

Indonesia, according to the President, still needs financial
assistance from the two countries as it faces even greater
economic challenges in the next few months.

Megawati visited the U.S. in mid-September, during which visit
President George W. Bush pledged financial assistance worth over
US$600 million.

Hassan said the government was guaranteeing security in
Indonesia with heavy deployments of troops and police in Jakarta
alone.

"We want to be a good host so that all the foreigners will be
safe," he said, amid threats against Westerners by some
Indonesian hard-liners.

"The expression by some groups of radical thinking is a
minority. Most Indonesians are moderate Muslims," Hassan said.

Indonesian police have been getting tougher with the anti-U.S.
protesters, making several arrests and attempting to charge at
least one hard-line Islamic leader, Al Habib Muhammad Rizieq,
chairman of the Islam Defenders Front.

Hassan reiterated calls by Indonesia, which have been backed
by Russia, China and Malaysia, for the United Nations to
coordinate the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

Commenting on the start of U.S. ground operations in
Afghanistan, he said: "Our preference is for collective action by
the United Nations rather than unilateral action by the United
States and its alliance.

"We are concerned about growing (Afghan) civilian casualties
in terms of the increasing flow of refugees," he said.

The APEC leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad, issued an anti-terrorism statement at the conclusion of
their summit which condemned the September 11 atrocities as
"murderous deeds".

While opposing the U.S. retaliation for the strikes on New
York and Washington, Malaysia and Indonesia both signed up to the
APEC statement's broader pledges to hunt down terrorism and for
the UN to play "a major role".

"Indonesia strongly condemns terrorism, because of our
beliefs," the foreign minister said.

"Indonesia, being the largest Muslim country, is against
terrorism because this is against Islamic teachings, which preach
peace."