Indonesia still uncommitted over arms for Bosnia
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia remains uncommitted to sending arms to Bosnia, however, the country has confirmed its strong support of a declaration by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) which dismisses the validity of a United Nations arms embargo against the Bosnian government.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday that Indonesia, as a member of the OIC, supports the view that if the UN refuses to extend effective assistance to Bosnia-Herzegovina, then the beleaguered Bosnian people should be given the right to defend themselves.
Despite expressing strong support for the declaration, Alatas did not elaborate on the type of assistance Indonesia might provide, raising doubts that Indonesia would supply arms to the Bosnian fighters.
"We must carefully examine our own condition before sending arms," he told journalists.
"We are not an arms exporter," Alatas remarked when queried on Jakarta's readiness to send arms. Nevertheless, Alatas made it clear that Indonesia would not object should a fellow OIC member begin arms shipments.
After meeting on Friday, he eight-country OIC "contact group" on Bosnia declared "invalid" the UN resolution which bars the sale of arms to Bosnia.
The declaration also called on all members of the UN to provide "means of self-defense" to the government of Bosnia- Herzegovina.
In the past, Indonesian citizens have donated financial assistance while non-governmental organizations have formed volunteer forces ready to fight in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The government, however, has provided little material assistance to Bosnia and has focussed most of its efforts on a search for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
President Soeharto, during a brief visit to Zagreb and Sarajevo in March, proposed a comprehensive two-fold diplomatic approach which would culminate in an international peace conference.
On Monday, Soeharto dispatched senior diplomat Nana Sutresna to meet with the warring factions in Bosnia; it is the latest attempt to halt the rapidly deteriorating situation.
Separately, the chairman of the World Islamic League Muhammad Ali called for an international rejection of the embargo.
"Not only Moslem countries, but all countries that love peace and humanity, should reject this illegal and inhuman resolution," he said after meeting with Indonesia's President Soeharto yesterday.
International relations expert Juwono Sudarsono welcomed the OIC declaration but added that their action has come far too late.
He argued that the OIC should have taken steps to break the arms blockade at a much earlier date.
When asked about the ethics of breaking the embargo, Juwono said "the UN itself has already broken its own principle of humanity by rejecting the Moslem-Bosnian people their right to defend themselves." (mds)