Condition of Indonesians on Mavi Marmara

Jakarta (News Today) - The Indonesian government issued an official statement on measures to be taken following Monday’s attack on the humanitarian vessel Mavi Marmara, by way of the Foreign Ministry received by ANTARA in Jakarta Wednesday.

The statement said that the storming of Mavi Marmara by Israeli commandos became the government’s constant attention, by seeking confirmation on the condition of the Indonesians on the vessel, and launching diplomatic efforts at various international fora for cooperation with the international community pressuring Israel to account for its action.

In confirming the condition of the Indonesians, the government maintained contacts with various sides including the Palestinian supreme authority, President Mahmoud Abbas and the Jordanian authorities for more accurate and reliable information on the fate of the Indonesians on board Mavi Marmara.

Besides, by way of all the Indonesian representative missions in the Middle East, the government went on collecting accurate information on the fate of the 12 Indonesians on Mavi Marmara. According to the written statement, the Palestinian authorities on June 1, 2010, at 3 am West Indonesia Time said that an Indonesian was being treated at London Hospital in Haiva, Israel, and that the other 11 Indonesians were in a safe condition.

To verify the information on the fate of the Indonesians, the government has also formed a task force at the Indonesian embassy in Amman with assistance of foreign office personnel from Jakarta in coordinating efforts to find out about the fate of the Indonesians, and for evacuating them when the time comes in association with the local government authorities and the relevant international organizations.

In diplomatic efforts, the government in asking for Israeli accountability, by way of its representatives at the UN headquarters in New York and in Geneva, and of the foreign ministers meeting of the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)held in Singapore on May 31, 2010, has taken diplomatic steps to make sure of the consequences for Israel.

In New York, Indonesia has expressed the government’s stance with regard to the Israeli attack to the President of the US Security Council, the President of the UN General Assembly, and the UN Secretary General. It has also been requested that Indonesian government’s stance be distributed as a UN official document.

On May 31, 2010, the UN Security Council had an emergency meeting to discuss the Israeli attack, and agreed to a statement of the UN Security Council President which basically condemned the action and supported a proposal of the UN Secretary General to set up a team to investigation the incident.

At the UN human rights council in Geneva, Indonesia has also called for an investigation of the incident, while consultations had been held to make sure that the investigation is made. In the meantime, at the second ministerial conference of the ASEAN and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Singapore on May 31, 2010, at Indonesia’s proposition it has been agreed that to issue a special ASEAN and GCC joint ministerial statement in response to the interception and storming of Mavi Marmara by Israeli commandos. Actually the meeting did not have such agenda.

The joint statement was in line with the Indonesian government’s stance of basically strongly condemning the Israeli action and underlined the need for international cooperation in urging the United Nations to take measures of pressing Israel on the basis of the UN Charter. The joint statement also urged Israel to immediately free the volunteers still in its custody.

Source : kompas.com

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