RI slammed over Iran resolution

Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesia's decision to support a UN resolution to impose more sanctions on Iran was understandable, observers said Sunday, but could cost the nation its credibility among Third-World nations and reduce its leverage as a mediator in the Middle East.

They said that they could understand Indonesia's decision after other United Nations Security Council members, including traditional Iran supporters China and Russia, unanimously voted in favor of the resolution<>.

International relations expert at the University of Indonesia Hariyadi Wirawan said that while Indonesia's decision would disappoint many parties here and abroad, the country was too dependent on the U.S. in political and economic terms and could not risk standing alone to defend Iran.

"Although we have tried to be impartial, our national interests dictate that we still need economic and political support from the U.S. after we disappointed them by abstaining in the Myanmar vote. (Voting in favor of the resolution would have raised) misunderstanding and suspicion from Washington," Hariyadi told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

He urged the government to quickly explain to the Muslim community here that it had nothing to do with religion and to anticipate accusations of having sided with the U.S. at Iran's expense.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo said that the ministry was still waiting for detailed information from New York, while Desra Percaya, the ministry's director for international security and disarmament, said that Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda was due to give a statement on the issue on Monday morning.

The 15 members of the Security Council unanimously voted Saturday to impose new sanctions against Iran for its refusal to stop enriching uranium. Major countries, including the U.S., Britain and France, said that the result would show Tehran that its defiance would leave it increasingly isolated.

Three non-permanent council members, South Africa, Indonesia and Qatar, which had pressed for amendments, expressed reservations about the resolution but still decided to vote in favor.

Indonesia and Qatar secured an indirect reference in the text to the goal of a nuclear-free Middle East, which is aimed at Israel, the only country in that region known to possess a nuclear arsenal.

Bantarto Bandoro of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that Indonesia's vote in favor of the resolution was inevitable, considering the U.S.'s support of President Yudhoyono's presidency.

"What Indonesia should do now is explain to Iran and other Muslim countries as well as members of the Non-Aligned Movement that it has not taken sides with the U.S. and means no harm to Iran," he told the Post.

Both Hariyadi and Bantarto warned Indonesia not to be steered into approving U.S. military action against Iran in later resolutions as Iran would possibly refuse to cooperate.

Islamic scholar Azyumardi Azra said that Indonesia's decision would definitely reduce its standing in the Muslim community and with Third World countries and could result in the loss of its credibility in mediating conflicts in the Middle East.

"The Third World countries will be very disappointed with Indonesia's decision, and it is counter-productive to our efforts to help resolve conflicts in the Middle East. Our plans to mediate between Hamas and Fatah as well as a Sunni-Shiite meeting could lose their credibility," he said.

Permadi, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission I on security and international affairs from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, criticized Indonesia's decision, saying that it was useless for Indonesia to become a Security Council member if it could not defend the interests of Third-World countries.

"Indonesia has lost its credibility among Third-World countries as it has become a U.S. puppet. This is very dangerous," he told the Post. (tjp/dar)