Indonesian stay put in Baghdad, says Alatas

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has no plans to evacuate its 123 citizens who are registered with the Indonesian Embassy in Baghdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said on Friday.

"We'll leave the matter entirely up to the Indonesian Ambassador in Baghdad, Moebramsjah, to do whatever is necessary," Alatas was quoted as saying by Antara.

Alatas said there had been no reports of Indonesian casualties in the U.S. air strikes on the Iraqi capital that began on Thursday and continued on Friday.

He said the 123 Indonesians who live in Baghdad include diplomats and students.

Quoting foreign ministry sources, Antara said that direct communication with the Indonesian embassy in Baghdad had been disrupted and that all contact was now going through the Indonesian embassy in Amman, Jordan.

Thailand's Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said in Bangkok on Friday that his country would cooperate with the governments of Indonesian and the Philippines if it became necessary to evacuate their citizens in the event of a deterioration in the situation in Iraq.

"If necessary, we will work together to evacuate them," Surin said, as quoted by AFP.

The Indonesian government has expressed its regret at the U.S. bombing of Iraq. It called for an end to the attacks and for Baghdad to comply with the United Nations team of weapons inspectors.

In contrast to the government's cautious response, the Indonesian media have generally condemned what they view as United States aggression against a sovereign state. Various organizations, including Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah and the Justice Party have also condemned the attack.

The Justice Party blasted U.S. President Bill Clinton for victimizing innocent people and civilians in order to shift attention away from a sex scandal currently threatening to bring his presidency to a premature end.

"Clinton's barbaric action is nothing more than proof of his cowardice ... in facing the campaign for his impeachment," said Nur Mahmudi Ismail, the president of the newly established party.

Nahdaltul Ulama chairman Abdurrahman Wahid called the attack deplorable and said he could not see any reasonable argument to justify it.

Wahid, who is also known as Gus Dur, said that superpowers always tried to force their will upon weaker and poorer countries. "I don't agree with everything (that) Saddam Hussein (does), but I have to say this raid can not be tolerated at all," he said.

Groups of students from the Indonesian Muslims' Solidarity for Humanity marched to the U.N. office, and the U.S. and British embassies in Jakarta on Friday.

They met with a U.N. official and handed over a written statement condemning the attack.

They also urged the Indonesian government to cut diplomatic ties with the United States and Britain. Police said the students failed to meet with officials from either of the two embassies. (emb/prb)