Government told to do more to stop war in Iraq

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.