Indonesian stay put in Baghdad, says Alatas

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)