RI abstain from damning Nigeria

RI abstain from damning Nigeria

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, and 41 other countries, abstained from a vote in the UN General Assembly over a resolution condemning Nigeria's execution last month of nine minority rights activists, including writer Ken Saro-Wiwa.

Reuters reported the resolution was accepted on Thursday with 98 votes in favor, and 12 votes against. Myanmar voted against the resolution. Forty-two countries, including most African states, abstained and 43 others were either absent or did not vote.

The resolution condemned Nigeria's "arbitrary execution, after a flawed judicial process," of writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists, and invited the UN Human Rights Commission to "give urgent attention" to the rights situation in Nigeria.

The resolution, sponsored by nearly 60 countries, was spearheaded by the United States and the European Union.

On Tuesday, Indonesia was one of 85 countries that passed an assembly resolution calling for an immediate end to nuclear tests. The resolution, aimed at France and China, was carried, with 18 voting against and 43 abstentions

The resolution, which did not specifically name France or China, "strongly deplores" current nuclear testing and "strongly urges" an end to all nuclear tests.

It was sponsored by 40 countries, most of them from the Pacific and Latin America as well as states such as South Africa and Norway.