Holland provides parts for Indonesian ships

Holland provides parts for Indonesian ships

THE HAGUE (JP): Dutch foreign minister Van Aartsen said on
Friday that his government had agreed to supply spare parts to
Indonesian Navy ships operating in the waters of riot-torn
Maluku.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with visiting Indonesian
foreign minister Alwi Shihab, Aartsen said the parts would be
used to replenish several Navy frigates.

Shihab said five of Indonesia's six Dutch-made frigates in
Maluku were in poor condition due to obsolete equipment.

The Navy imposed a blockade in Maluku waters earlier this year
to help prevent the spread of violence in the area and expedite
evacuations of refugees.

The ships have been patrolling the waters to prevent
"unidentified" ships from commuting between or entering the area
of the riot-hit islands.

Officials had said the blockade would also prevent rioters
from moving and smuggling weapons from one island to another.

Alwi, who was on a brief visit to the Netherlands, had said
earlier that foreign diplomats and UN officials accredited in
Indonesia would be allowed to visit Maluku to monitor the
situation in the province.

He also said President Abdurrahman Wahid had asked former
Dutch foreign minister Hans Van den Broek to be his special
advisor.

Van den Broek's wife said her husband's first reaction to the
statement was "complete nonsense" and "nobody has asked me for
that job".

Van den Broek later said, however, that he recalled in May he
was called by Van Aartsen who told him that Abdurrahman was
looking for an advisor.

Van den Broek said he in principle accepted the offer, but
added that he would first visit Jakarta "to hear from the
President what this job exactly means".

"If Abdurrahman wants me to find a solution to the Maluku
problem, then I will see what I can do for him," Van den Broek
said.(Bob Mantiri)