TFIZ01: TEXT OF MEGAWATI'S STATEMENT CRITICAL OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003306

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ ID
SUBJECT: TFIZ01: TEXT OF MEGAWATI'S STATEMENT CRITICAL OF
U.S.MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ

REF: JAKARTA 3305

INDONESIAN PRESIDENT MEGAWATI SOEKARNOPUTRI, FOLLOWING A
MARCH 20 CABINET MEETING, ISSUED A STATEMENT ENTITLED
"INDONESIA STRONGLY DEPLORES UNILATERAL ACTION AGAINST IRAQ"
(REFTEL). THE STATEMENT FOLLOWED TWO DAYS OF CALLS BY
POLITICAL OPPONENTS, CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS, AND MUSLIM
ORGANIZATIONS FOR A STRONGER INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
TO ANTICIPATED AND NOW ON-GOING U.S.-LED MILITARY ACTION.
THE PRESIDENT NOTED IN THE STATEMENT THAT "SYMPATHY (FOR THE
IRAQI PEOPLE) SHOULD BE EXPRESSED IN A PEACEFUL AND
DEMOCRATIC MANNER...A MANNER THAT SHOULD NOT UNDERMINE PUBLIC
ORDER AND OUR NATIONAL STABILITY...." THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
RELEASED THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXT, REPEATED IN FULL BELOW.

(BEGIN TEXT)

INDONESIA STRONGLY DEPLORES UNILATERAL ACTION AGAINST IRAQ

-- 1. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF INDONESIA STRONGLY
DEPLORE THE UNILATERAL ACTION TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ITS ALLIES THAT HAVE DECIDED TO
GO TO WAR AGAINST IRAQ. INDONESIA DEEPLY REGRETS THAT THE
MULTILATERAL PROCESS THROUGH THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN
SIDELINED. INDONESIA IS OF THE VIEW THAT THE USE OF MILITARY
FORCE AGAINST IRAQ BASED ON THE UNILATERAL DECISION
CONSTITUTES AN ACT OF AGGRESSION WHICH IS IN CONTRAVENTION TO
INTERNATIONAL LAW. THIS UNILATERAL MILITARY ACTION HAS ALSO
THREATENED THE WORLD ORDER.

-- 2. WAR WILL NOT ONLY FAIL TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT IT
WILL ALSO CAUSE HUMANITARIAN TRAGEDY. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
PEOPLE OF INDONESIA ARE GRAVELY CONCERNED OVER THE INNOCENT
CIVILIAN CASUALTIES AND THE IMMENSE MATERIAL LOSSES THAT MAY
RESULT FROM THIS MILITARY ACTION. THE WAR WILL BRING
NEGATIVE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL IMPACTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
REGION AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, INCLUDING INDONESIA.

-- 3. THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT, THROUGH ITS DIPLOMATIC
EFFORTS BOTH BILATERALLY AND THROUGH INTERNATIONAL FORA SUCH
AS ASEAN, THE NON ALIGNED MOVEMENT, THE ORGANIZATION OF
ISLAMIC CONFERENCE, AND THE UNITED NATIONS, HAS CONSISTENTLY
STRESSED THE NEED TO FIND A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE IRAQI
CRISIS. THESE EFFORTS HAVE EVEN BEEN STRENGTHENED BY PEACE
MISSIONS OF THE INDONESIAN INTER-FAITH LEADERS TO SEVERAL
COUNTRIES AS WELL AS BY THE REPEATED CALL FOR PEACE FROM ALL
SEGMENTS OF THE INDONESIAN NATION. THE GOVERNMENT HAS
EARLIER ESTABLISHED "THE NATIONAL TEAM TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT
OF THE IRAQI CRISIS" IN ORDER TO TAKE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES
FOR THE PROTECTION OF INDONESIAN NATIONALS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AS WELL AS TO ANTICIPATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS TOWARDS INDONESIA.

-- 4. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA DEMANDS THE UNITED NATIONS
SECURITY COUNCIL, WHICH HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN
INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY, TO IMMEDIATELY CONVENE IN
AN EMERGENCY MEETING IN ORDER TO URGE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE WAR AND
FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ITS
ALLIES TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO OVERCOME THE HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS
RESULTING FROM THE CONFLICT SITUATION. SHOULD THE EFFORTS BY
THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL COME TO A DEAD-LOCK, INDONESIA WILL
URGE THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONVENE IN AN EMERGENCY
SESSION UNDER THE FRAMEWORK OF THE "UNITING FOR PEACE"
RESOLUTION.

-- 5. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA EMPHASIZES THE NEED TO
AVOID THE FURTHER DESTABILIZATION OF THE MIDDLE EAST REGION.
THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT ALSO STRESSES THAT ANY SOLUTION TO
THE QUESTION OF IRAQ SHOULD RESPECT THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY
AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY OF IRAQ.

-- 6. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA CALLS ON ALL INDONESIAN
NATIONALS WITHIN THE VICINITY OF IRAQ TO REMAIN CALM AND
REPORT TO THE NEAREST INDONESIAN MISSIONS FOR ANY NECESSARY
ASSISTANCE AND PROTECTION.

-- 7. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA FULLY SHARES THE
OUTPOURING OF ANTI-WAR CALLS AND SYMPATHY FROM THE INDONESIAN
PEOPLE TOWARDS THE PLIGHT OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. SUCH SYMPATHY
SHOULD BE EXPRESSED IN A PEACEFUL AND DEMOCRATIC MANNER AS IN
A MANNER THAT SHOULD NOT UNDERMINE PUBLIC ORDER AND OUR
NATIONAL STABILITY --- AND BY MAINTAINING OUR NATIONAL UNITY
AND INTEGRITY.

JAKARTA, 20 MARCH 2003
THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
MEGAWATI SOEKARNOPUTRI

(END TEXT)


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