Yudhoyono Against Attack on Syria

Jakarta Globe, Primus Dorimulu, September 9, 2013

G20 leaders (left to right, front row) US President Barack Obama, Germany’s
 Chancellor Angela Merkel, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
 Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, (left to right, back row) British Prime Minister
 David Cameron, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, United Nations (UN) Secretary
 General Ban Ki-moon, Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Australia's
 Foreign Minister Bob Carr, pose for the family picture during the G20 summit in Saint
 Petersburg on Sep. 6, 2013. World leaders at the G20 summit on Friday failed to bridge
 their bitter divisions over US plans for military action against the Syrian regime, with
 Washington signalling that it has given up on securing Russia's support at the UN
on the crisis. (AFP Photo/Kirill Kudryavtsev)

St. Petersburg, Russia. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has written letters to US President Barack Obama and four other leaders of the UN Security Council in an attempt to persuade them not to attack Syria.

In addition, the president has also written a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“There are peaceful ways of addressing this conflict if the UN Security Council announces a cease fire,” Yudhoyono told journalists before leaving Russia late on Saturday. He arrived in Jakarta on Sunday after a three-country visit, culminating in Russia for the Group of 20 summit.

Yudhoyono said a vote by the UN Security Council would have a major impact on the situation, especially if it called for a ceasefire. “That’s why I wrote the letters,” Yudhoyono said. “President Obama and the US government can reconsider their decision There are other ways of dealing with this conflict besides war,” he added.

US officials have said that it had enough evidence Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered a chemical-weapon attack last month that killed more than 1,400 of his people.

Obama subsequently said he had decided the United States should take punitive action but wanted support from Congress, which may vote on the issue soon. With the exception of France, no other country has supported the US plan for a military strike.

During the G-20 summit many countries, including the European Union, affirmed they would await the UN Security Council vote before deciding on their course of action.

Russia and China, two permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto powers, have voiced rejection and may block any attack on behalf of the UN. Yudhoyono said Indonesia would never agree on the use of force against Syria without a UN mandate.

While Indonesia was far from the Middle East and seemed to have nothing to do with the issue, he said, “We have a moral and constitutional obligation to prevent wars. On behalf of humanity and good intention, we must be active in resolving the issue peacefully.”

He dismissed suggestions that Indonesia could significantly influence US policy decisions with regard to the conflict.

Other world leaders have reacted to the issue in recent days. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was convinced the US would be able to build a coalition for action although Britain will not take part in the military action following last week’s vote in parliament. Russian President Vladimir stated recently he will not exclude supporting a UN resolution if it is proved that the Syrian regime used poison gas.

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