TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
RI-Russia talks urged to counter US military attack in Syria
An expert says Indonesiaâs rejection of planned US military action against the Syrian government must be strengthened with intensive diplomatic acts both bilaterally and multilaterally, while at the same time utilizing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonoâs growing international leverage
Change Size
A
n expert says Indonesia's rejection of planned US military action against the Syrian government must be strengthened with intensive diplomatic acts both bilaterally and multilaterally, while at the same time utilizing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's growing international leverage.
Hikmahanto Juwana, an international law professor from the University of Indonesia, said on Monday that the government should also talk to Russia on the matter even though Moscow supported Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
'In politics, there is no eternal enemy or friend but only shared interests,' Hikmahanto said.
He made the comments after being asked whether Indonesia-Russia talks on Syria could create an impression of Jakarta's support for Assad.
Hikmahanto also highlighted Indonesia's prominence in the Middle East, given the country's status as the largest Muslim-majority country in the world.
The government has repeatedly said it will not endorse any military measures in Syria.
On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, last week, Yudhoyono said Indonesia was continuing to contribute to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Syria so that direct military intervention could be avoided.
'We have never interfered in Syria's domestic affairs. However, both Russian and US military forces are getting closer. If not prevented, I worry that this could threaten international security,' the President said.
Hikmahanto said, however, that Indonesia should also utilize other multilateral forums such as ASEAN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
'International organizations like ASEAN and the OIC can become powerful tools to impose pressure on the US to prevent a violent approach in Syria,' he said.
