T

he Indonesian government has expressed concerns over North Korean plans to launch a long-range ballistic missile, saying that it could spark increased tension in the region.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Wardana said that the Indonesian government was closely monitoring developments in the Korean Peninsula. “Indonesia recognizes the positive developments that have taken place including the agreement between the United States and North Korea on humanitarian aid to the people of North Korea,” Wardana said as quoted by kompas.com.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that U.S. envoy Kurt Campbell briefed Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr on Friday on the missile’s southward trajectory.

“If the missile test proceeds as North Korea has indicated, our judgment is that it will impact in an area roughly between Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines,” the paper quoted Campbell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, as saying.

“We have never seen this trajectory before. We have contacted each of these countries and asked them to make clear that such a test is provocative and this plan should be discontinued,” Campbell said.

Pyongyang confirmed the rocket’s trajectory would be southward but denied it would impact any country. North Korea said that it would launch a long-range rocket carrying a “working” satellite to mark the centenary of founder Kim Il-sung’s birth between April 12 and 16.

Experts have said the launch could be seen as an act of brinkmanship to pressure Washington into more talks in return for aid.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is currently on a state visit to South Korea during which he will attend the second Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on March 26-27. More than 50 world leaders including United States President Barack Obama will attend the conference.

Several countries in the region, including Japan and South Korea have expressed their concerns over the launch plan. Previously, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he planned to raise the matter on the sidelines of the summit in Seoul.

Mahfudz Siddiq, chairman of the House of Representatives Commission I overseeing defense, foreign affairs and intelligence, said that the Indonesian government “must urge North Korea at the Nuclear Security Summit not to launch the missile.”

“The plan itself has already raised tension in the region. I am afraid that the launch could eventually ignite new conflict,” said Mahfudz of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) on Sunday.

Mahfudz called on Yudhoyono to make the country’s stance on the issue known to the world immediately.

Fellow lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) T.B. Hasanuddin said that the “destructive” arms race in the Korean peninsula could greatly affect security in the region, especially within ASEAN.

Mahfudz, however, said that the threat against Indonesia from the missile test could be “exaggerated.”

He suspected that other parties would benefit from the provocation.

“We must voice our concern about the new tension while maintaining our neutrality,” he said. “Indonesia has a strategic role to play in alleviating the tension through diplomatic efforts.”