INDONESIA CONCERNED OVER SYRIA, URGES TO RESPECT INTERNATIONAL LAW by Fardah

Jakarta, April 16, 2018 (Antara) - Indonesia's government expressed concern over attacks by the United States and its allies against Syria and urged all parties to respect and value the international law, particularly the UN charter on international peace and security.

          "Principles of the international law should be prioritized in response to the military attack," Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L. P. Marsudi had noted in Jakarta on Apr 13 following attacks by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France in Damascus.

          Indonesia has expressed serious concern over the latest developments in Syria. Last week, Indonesia had expressed strong condemnation over the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the foreign ministry noted in a statement.

          Marsudi appealed to all the parties to exercise constraint and prevent escalation of tensions in Syria.

          The Indonesian government has reiterated the importance of a comprehensive settlement to the conflicts in Syria through negotiations and peaceful means.  
     Indonesia has also called on all parties to ensure security and safety of the civilians, especially women and children.

          "Since Sunday (Apr 15), Indonesia has continued to monitor the situation in Syria, as thousands of Indonesians still live in that country," Marsudi stated.

        Marsudi had continued to communicate with the Indonesian ambassadors in the Syrian capital of Damascus and others, to ensure the safety of Indonesian citizens there.

          "In addition to communicating with the Indonesian ambassador to Syria, I have communicated with other Indonesian ambassadors in the Middle Eastern Region and Europe," he stated.

           She affirmed that the safety and security of Indonesian citizens remained a priority right now.

            "I do not want any victims from Indonesia as a result of the situation in Syria," she explained.

            Besides, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a travel advisory for Indonesian citizens to not visit Syria over the security situation in the country.

INDONESIA READY TO PLAY ACTIVE ROLE IN SYRIAN PEACE PROCESS by Fardah

    Jakarta, Jan 23, 2014 (Antara) - Since the beginning of armed conflict in Syria, Indonesia has been calling for a compromise and negotiations between the conflicting parties, arguing that the use of force will only bring sufferings to the people.

        At the invitation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa is now in Switzerland to attend the Geneva II Conference on Syria. He will reiterate the Indonesian government's call for a peaceful solution to the prolonged civil war.

INDONESIA EXPECTED TO PLAY BIGGER ROLE IN HELPING END SYRIAN CRISIS by Fardah

    Jakarta, Oct 12, 2013 (Antara) - The prolonged Syrian crisis became an important topic of discussion when leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies gathered in Bali, in early October.  
    Although the Syrian issue was not on the 21st APEC Summit's agenda, most leaders of APEC economies held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit and some brought up the Syrian issue during their talks.

        "The Russian President expressed his appreciation for Indonesia's stand on the Syrian crisis," Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said, following a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bali on October 7, 2013.

INDONESIA SPEEDS UP RISKY EVACUATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS FROM SYRIA by Fardah

    Jakarta, Jan 5, 2013 (ANTARA) - As armed conflicts escalate in Syria, the Indonesian government has declared Damascus a dangerous place for its citizens, who primarily are employed as migrant workers, and requested that they leave the country immediately.

         "Syria is a dangerous place. This is the reason we have declared a state of emergency in Damascus. The Indonesian government has ordered Indonesian citizens to leave Syria. The government has requested its citizens to go to Lebanon," said the Chief of Economic, Information and Socio-cultural Functions at the Indonesian embassy in Beirut, Ahmad Syofian, on December 26, 2012.

INDONESIA CALLS FOR UN PEACEMAKING FORCES IN SYRIA By Fardah

     Jakarta, July 31, 2012 (ANTARA) - Muslim-majority countries that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will meet in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on August 14-15 to discuss the prevailing conditions in a number of Muslim countries, particularly Syria.
     The emergency Islamic summit has been organised by Saudi King Abdullah in order to unify Muslim countries "in this fragile time of discord", according to Saudi press.

INDONESIANS REPATRIATED FROM SYRIA CAUTIOUSLY by Fardah

Jakarta, June 12, 2012 (ANTARA) - The Arab Spring has continued to affect Indonesia indirectly, as over 12,000 Indonesians, mostly migrant workers are still trapped in the violence-ravaged Syrian towns of Homs, Hama, and Allepo.

In 2011, Indonesia was busy evacuating thousands of its citizens from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen - the Arab countries that saw popular uprisings, known as the Arab Spring or Arab Awakening.

RI CONCERNED OVER VIOLENCE IN SYRIA, CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SOLUTION by Fardah

    Jakarta, Feb 13, 2012 (ANTARA) - The anti-government protests in Syria  and the harsh responses by President Bashar Al-Assad's regime has reportedly killed over 6,000 people since March 2011.

    Last Saturday (Feb 11), AFP reported that Syrian armored vehicles moved against protest flashpoints and a general was gunned down in Damascus as the bloodshed showed no signs of abating and  even spilled over into Lebanon.

SYRIAN ENVOY MEETS WITH MPR CHAIRMAN, HOUSE SPEAKER

       Jakarta, Nov. 16/2005 (ANTARA) - Syrian Ambassador to Indonesia Mohamad Darwish Baladi held meetings consecutively with Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nurwahid, and House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Agung Laksono to discuss bilateral and regional issues here at the Parliament Building, Tuesday.

        "We talked on bilateral relations, especially the political ties between Syria and Indonesia. We particularly emphasized on how to strengthen the cooperation between the People's Consultative Assemblies and Parliaments of the two countries," Ambassador Baladi told ANTARA following the two meetings.