Govt guarantees safety of foreigners

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is taking measures to ensure the security of foreigners and their interests in the country as protests against the United States heighten over its plan to attack Iraq.

Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the government fully guaranteed the safety of foreign citizens and interests here and was ready to deal with any possible reactions to the U.S. attacks on Iraq.

"We guarantee the safety of foreign citizens and interests here as it is our obligation to ensure their security in the country," Susilo said after a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

He said that the government was taking necessary steps to protect vital facilities such as those of major U.S. oil and mining firms in the event of war.

Susilo, however, was quick to add that the decision to ensure the safety of foreigners and their interests in the country did not mean that the government supported the U.S. policy.

"This is a nonpolitical issue as it is our obligation to safeguard vital installations and public places in the country," Susilo stressed.

However, he refused to go into the details of the preparations, saying only that the military was responsible for the security of vital installations, while police were responsible for public places.

Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim country, saw waves of anti-Western protests in 2001 after the U.S. and its allies attacked Afghanistan in November 2001.

Some militant groups also conducted sweeping operations against westerners in several parts of the country, prompting foreign missions, firms, and schools to suspend their operations and evacuate their nationals out of Indonesia.

The sweepings also kept badly-needed foreign investment at bay, depriving the country of an early economic recovery.

Some militant groups have started staging street rallies to protest the U.S. plan to attack Iraq.

Susilo said on Thursday that the government was fully aware of the situation and was prepared to handle any eventuality should anti-American protests go beyond street protests.

"We will accommodate people's aspirations and will not restrict street rallies, but we are ready to prevent any possible domestic upheaval," he said.

Susilo said that so far the country's intelligence has yet to indicate any possible backlash against U.S. interests in the country, nor any request from the U.S. and its allies for more security officers.

"Even without those early indications we will still prepare for any possible outcomes," he remarked.

Meanwhile, chairman of the country's second biggest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah Syafii Maarif warned on Thursday that any attack by the U.S. and its allies on Iraq would fuel Muslim radicalism around the globe.

"We cannot imagine the consequences. It will not only radicalize Indonesians but also people in the Middle East or even in France and Germany," Syafii was quoted by AFP as saying.

"It's a crime against humanity and will cause universal restlessness," he said. Muhammadiyah claims to have around 30 million members.

Syafii also called on President Megawati Soekarnoputri to speak out strongly against possible attacks on Iraq.

"The government must make known its stance by making powerful statements. Be a little aggressive," he said.

As he spoke to the media, scores of Muslim youths picketed the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.

Syafii and the chairman of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, Hasyim Muzadi, have rejected an invitation from the U.S. Congress to attend a National Prayer Breakfast next month.

They cited the possible war against Iraq and new U.S. immigration rules deemed to be discriminatory against Indonesians as the reasons for their refusal to attend the prayer meeting.