Government appeals for calm in run up to APEC meeting

JAKARTA (JP): The government appealed to the public yesterday to maintain order in the run up to the meeting of the leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in November.

"The public is urged to help the government create a peaceful, orderly and clean environment so that our guests will leave impressed," Coordinating Minister of Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman said.

The upcoming APEC meeting will draw the 18 APEC heads of state, their officials, hundreds of businessmen and thousands of journalists into the country, Soesilo said after chairing a limited cabinet session to review the political and security situation in the country.

Being trusted to host this year's APEC meeting should be considered "an honor and a big responsibility", he said.

The APEC leadership meeting is scheduled to be held in Bogor, West Java, on Nov. 15, while prior to that, on Nov. 11-12, the APEC ministers will be holding their annual meeting.

The group currently comprises 17 countries -- the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. Chile has been admitted and will formally join the group in November.

Sixteen APEC heads of state are expected to attend the meeting while Taiwan and Hong Kong will be represented by their ministers.

Soesilo said the APEC leaders might also be visiting other parts of Indonesia besides Jakarta and Bogor.

He appealed to everyone to refrain from creating situations that might be questioned by the international community.

He declined to elaborate on what he meant by this, but stressed, "Everyone must help create an atmosphere that ensures the success of the APEC meeting." (par/emb)