Government told to do more to stop war in Iraq

Damar Harsanto and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Observers urged the government to push for more diplomatic pressure to appeal to the United Nations to stop the war in Iraq in a bid to prevent possible domestic political instability.

The protest here on Sunday, billed as the largest antiwar demonstration to date in the country, has conveyed a clear message that many Indonesians cannot tolerate the attack on Iraq any longer, explained noted Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra.

Hundreds of thousands of people from various political parties, organizations, professions and religions demonstrated against the war on Sunday in Jakarta. They also criticized the UN for not doing enough to prevent and stop the war.

The rally was organized by the Indonesian Committee in Solidarity with Iraqi People (KISRA).

"If the government fails to address the issue, it will lose public trust and public pressure will shift to the government. Such a condition will lead to chaos," he warned.

Former foreign affairs minister Alwi Shihab concurred, saying that the government must handle the situation seriously.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has been a fierce critic of the U.S.-led attack on Iraq. Jakarta has joined the increasing demands for an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council and the General Assembly to address the Iraq issue.

Separately, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Chairman Hidayat Nurwahid and the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Chairman Amidhan, visited the office of the UN representative on Jl. MH Thamrin to convey a letter from KISRA to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Amien, who is also the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the letter addressed KISRA's objection of the U.S.- led war and considered it illegal. It also demanded the UN to halt the war as soon as possible.

"We also support the Indonesian government and ask it to appeal to the United Nations to try all war criminals in the International Court for their unjustified use of force against the people of Iraq after the war is over," he said, apparently referring to U.S. President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Azyumardi also suggested that the government should work with other regional groups as well.

"The government must keep on working with other countries such as those in the European Union, the Non-Aligned Movement or ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nation) to address this issue," he said.