ID :
127016
Wed, 06/09/2010 - 20:22
Auther :

News Focus: INDONESIA HOPES PEACE PROCESS INITIATED IN KOREAN PENINSULA SOON

By Bustanuddin
Jakarta, June 9 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has called on South Korea and North Korea to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful solution amid growing calls of the international community to punish Pyongyang for the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in March.

Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tengku Faizasyah called on the two Koreas as former friendly countries, to create a conducive situation in the region.

"We are still following the development of the situation in the Korean peninsula. We expect South Korea and North Korea to build a communication together and the problem won`t get any bigger,"
a Foreign Affairs Ministry press release received by Antara over the weekend quoted Faizasyah as saying.

According to him, the Indonesian government is carefully monitoring of the increasing tension in the Korean peninsula following the sinking of a South Korean navy ship on March 26, 2010.

Tension was rising again between the two Koreas starting last March after South Korean warship sank, killing 46 crew members.

Seoul accused North Korea had torpedoed the ship while North Korea accused South Korea of faking evidence that its warship was torpedoed.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I (defense, foreign and information affairs), Kemal Azis Stamboel, expressed the hope that a peace process could be initiated in the Korean peninsula.

"I hope there will be a peace process there soon," he said here on Thursday (June 27).

South and North Korea remain technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. Their navies have engaged in three skirmishes in the Yellow Sea since 1999, the latest in November last year.

In the meantime, Foreign ministers and senior officials from the nations of Southeast Asia and the European Union at the end of a one-day annual conference in Madrid, Spain, expressed "deep concern" over rising tensions in the Korean peninsula and called on both sides to exercise restraint.

"The ministers reiterated their deep concern over the rising tension following the sinking of Cheonan and the recent publication of findings of an investigation conducted by the Republic of Korea and other countries," the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said in a joint statement.

"The ministers called on all parties concerned to exercise restraint and to step up efforts to promote peace and security in the Korean peninsula."
The EU and ASEAN ministers stressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the region as well as the importance of international non-proliferation regime.

They urged (North Korea) to comply fully with the (UN Security Council) resolutions and decisions and to refrain from actions which would exacerbate the situation and recalled that (North Korea) cannot have the status of a nuclear state under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The ministers reiterated their support for the six-party talks as the best means of de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

In addition, Kemal Azis Stamboel, chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Commission I, declined to comment when asked whether or not Indonesia as an independent party can help mediate the South Korea and North Korea to reconcile.

He, however, merely said that a peace process can be immediately initiated in the region.

On the basis of Indonesia's free and active foreign policy, its effort to help mediate conflicting parties is certainly nothing new.

Indonesia, among other things, has experience in mediating and helping settle the Cambodian four factions conflict in 1988.

The conflicting factions were the Cambodian People's Republic led by Heng Samrin, the Cambodia Democratic coalition government, comprising Funcinpec led by Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Khmer Rough led by Khiieu Sampan and the KPNLF led by Son San. Norodom Sihanouk was the first Prince of Cambodia.

The informal meetings were then led by Foreign Minister Ali Alatas.

Apart from that, South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho-Young in his visit to ANTARA News Agency here on Tuesday (June 8) said, the South Korean government would decorate two Indonesian sailors who died while taking part in efforts to save members of the crew of the South Korean naval ship Cheonan which went down off the Korean peninsula last March 26.

The two Indonesian sailors, Lambang Nurcahyo (36) who was found dead, and Yusuf Harefa (36) who had gone missing, are considered heroes in South Korea after their trawler went down, along with five other South Korean sailors, following a collision with a Cambodian cargo ship in the West Sea.

"Each of the sailors will receive a medal of honor for their contribution to the social security and stability of South Korea. Our government and the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul are still discussing the place for the awarding ceremony," South Korean envoy
said.

Kim said his government would also present each of the two Indonesian sailors` families with a token of sympathy in the form of a cash handout of 125 million Won (US$100,000). The South Korean government would also pay the Indonesian sailors` insurance money, namely 40 million Won (US$40,000) for Yusuf Harefa`s family and 37 million Won (US$37,000) for Lambang`s.

Apart from the medals of honor and financial grants, people in South Korea and South Koreans living in Indonesia had also voluntarily collected a sum of money to be given to the grieving families.

"It is our expression of gratitude and respect for the sailors` service," the ambassador noted.

The South Korean government, through its embassy in Jakarta, had contacted the families of the victims and expressed deep regrets over the tragedy. The government said both Korean and Indonesian victims would get the same treatment in accordance with the law.



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