RI CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN LIBYA by Fardah

       Jakarta, April 12, 2011 (ANTARA) - In line with the African Union`s proposed-Road Map to end conflicts in Libya, Indonesia has also called for immediate cease-fire and dialogs between the Muammar Gaddafi camp and the rebels.
       The most recent call for cease-fire was voiced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono together with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in their joint statement on Libya issued when Gul was visiting Jakarta on April 5, 2011.

        Both presidents underscored the need for an immediate and effective cease-fire, an end to hostilities, and to bring about a complete end to the violence against long-suffering innocent civilians, the joint statement said.
       They said the cease-fire should be monitored via a "United Nations presence." President Yudhoyono said that Indonesia was ready to send peacekeeping forces.
       "When the cease-fire is established, certainly there will be surveillance and Indonesia is more than willing to take part in some sort of peacekeeping mission," he later told reporters in a joint press conference with President Gul.
       The two presidents stressed the importance of the preservation of the sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity of Libya.
        The UN Security Council imposed a no-fly zone over Libya on March 17, and ordered "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from Muammar Gaddafi`s attacks on rebel-held towns. NATO has taken over command of military operations in Libya from the Western Coalition forces particularly involving France, Britain and the US.
       Estimates of the death toll in Libya have reached at least 2,000, and more than 100,000 people are believed to have fled the country into neighboring Egypt and Tunisia, according to foreign media reports.
        Being concerned about the escalating violence in Libya, the Indonesian government has repeatedly urged every party involved in the Libyan conflict, including the Coalition and NATO forces, to use peaceful means in solving the crisis in Libya.
        "Indonesia hopes that the United Nations is still playing a role and take an initiative by involving regional organizations such as the African Union and the Arab League, as well as the nation facing the conflict. Every party must be involved to find political solution," Yudhoyono said earlier (March 29).
       The president said so far only two elements were put forward regarding the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1973 on Libya, namely no-fly zone enforcement and a clausal on taking all necessary measures to protect civilians.
       "What has been left behind and almost unknown, is the need to implement a cease fire, it has been mandated by the Resolution 1973, too. The second important element is to seek political solution and peaceful settlement to end the conflict. Indonesia has been giving attention to these (two elements)," the president stated.
       Therefore, Indonesia called for the immediate implementation of the two important elements, namely the enforcement of cease fire and seeking peaceful solution, he said.
         During a working meeting with the House of Representatives` Commission-I (in charge of international affairs) on March 28, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa explained that Indonesia objected to violence in Libya and suggested national reconciliation.
        Indonesia suggested that the UN should hold a peacekeeping mission in Libya immediately to ensure the implementation of a ceasefire in the Middle Eastern country.
        "We have conveyed Indonesia`s stance towards the Libyan issue during the UN International Human Rights Assembly sometime ago," the minister said.
       Indonesia last February 24 had sent an official letter to the UN Secretary General regarding its concern toward the situation in Libya.
       "We see the need for all parties to allow humanitarian approach in Libya to ensure the safety of the residents there. A political dialogue must be promoted there," Marty said.
       The Indonesian foreign ministry has so far evacuated a total of 570 Indonesians from Libya to Tunisia. Of the total, 562 of them have been repatriated to Indonesia.

Sugianto, a student who joined the latest evacuation, expressed appreciation to the Indonesian government especially the foreign ministry, the Indonesian embassies Tripoli and Tunis for their attention and protection during the evacuation process from Libya to Tunis.

On behalf of himself and a friend of him, who were among the last to leave Libya, he asked for an apology for troubling the Indonesian embassies in Tripoli and Tunis because previously they had for several times refused to be evacuated.

After the situation in Tripoli had worsened, Sugianto and his friend identified as Eling Fanny Ardhiyanto eventually agreed to join the evacuation organized by the Indonesian embassy in Tripoli.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the House`s Commission I Mahfudz Siddiq said the sending of UN peacekeeping forces to Libya must be in line with the spirit to protect civilians there.

Mahfudz also emphasized the need to ensure a prevention of possible colonization by foreign forces in Libya.

Encouraging the government to play a more active role in helping solve the Libyan crisis, Al Muzzammil Yusuf of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said such a role was badly needed to reduce the scale of destruction, minimize the number of civilian victims and thwart the threat of foreign intervention in Libya.

The 1945 constitution which opposes any form of colonialism and supports spirit of humanism lays a basis for Indonesia to play a strategic role in international fora including mediating in the coalition force-Libya conflict, the lawmaker said.

"The Indonesian president, foreign minister or ambassadors to Middle Eastern countries should work closely with Turkey and other OIC member states to take over the role of NATO (in Libya)," Al Muzzammil Yusuf, Coordinator of the Indonesian Parliamentary Caucus for Palestine, said at the parliament building in Jakarta, on March 29.

Al Muzzammil hailed the government`s call for a ceasefire and political dialogs between Muammar Gaddafi and demonstrators. He also supported Indonesia`s intention to join a UN peacekeeping mission.

He urged Indonesia as well as other countries to protest against NATO intervention in Libya under the aegis of UN Resolution No. 1973.

The legislator suspected that the Western countries were hiding three main goals, namely economic interest or natural resources to meet their energy demand, political interest to place a puppet regime in Libya and military purpose to try their sophisticated armaments.

Libya was now the largest oil producer in Africa and the ninth largest oil producer in the world, he added.

"The fate of Palestinian, Iraqi and Afghan peoples must not recur in Libya. I think Indonesia as a democratic and moderate state which has the largest Muslim population in the world will be quite acceptable to the OIC and the Libyan government and people to take the initiative," he said.

Besides, Indonesia has experienced a peaceful reform that brought the country`s political transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic government. Massive rallies mostly by university students had forced President Suharto to step down in 1998 after more than 30 years had ruled the country. ***6***

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(T.F001/A/F001/B003) 12-04-2011 23:27:50