Howard urges world to support Indonesia

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Howard-urges-world-to-support-Indonesias/2005/01/30/1107020245917.html?oneclick=true

 
Howard urges world to support Indonesia

January 30, 2005 - 1:29PM
Prime Minister John Howard has called on the world to thwart global terrorism 
by investing in Indonesia and supporting the country's progress toward 
democracy and a stable economy.

As the world's largest Muslim country, Mr Howard told political leaders at the 
annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Saturday that a stable and 
democratic Indonesia would dent the hopes of extremist Islamic terrorists.

"What happens there is crucial to the view the world has of moderate Islam and 
Islamic fanaticism," he said.

"If moderate mainstream Islam succeeds and democracy remains strong, as it 
appears to be in Indonesia, well that is a huge rebuff to the terrorists 
because the terrorists do not want a stable, successful Indonesia.

"I made the point at this meeting that a modern successful country in Indonesia 
is anathema to the terrorists' objectives."

The meeting of 2,500 of the world's political and business powerbrokers devoted 
much of its second last day on Sunday to the Iraqi elections and Iran's growing 
nuclear threat.

But Mr Howard also ensured Indonesia was on the agenda in his meeting with, 
among others, International Atomic Energy Agency director general Mohammed 
ElBaradei, the presidents of Poland and Norway, US senator John McCain and Arab 
League secretary Amree Moussa.

"I did take the opportunity of stressing the significance of the transition to 
democracy that is taking place in Indonesia and how very important it was for 
the long term fight against terrorism that the manifestation of moderate 
mainstream Islam was seen to be successful and how very important it was for 
the world to support Indonesia," he said.

Mr Howard said it was important the world expand its trade and investment with 
Indonesia but it was also up to Jakarta to provide a corruption-free 
environment to encourage foreign businesses to invest.

He said there had to be changes in Indonesia "to provide appropriate levels of 
assurance in relation to investment".

Mr Howard attended a session earlier in the day entitled Outlook On Terrorism 
in 2005.

It focused on the fact that more people were killed at the hands of terrorists 
in 2004 than in any year since the 2001 attacks on New York.

Kenneth Roth, the chairman of Human Rights Watch, warned that that trend may 
continue, especially as human rights violations in Iraq perpetrated by US 
troops will create more terrorists and bloodshed.

"The pictures from Abu Ghraib (of Iraqi prisoners being tortured) have become 
the recruitment posters for terrorists around the world," Mr Roth said.

As with Indonesia's transition to democracy, Mr Howard also said the outcome of 
Iraq's election on Sunday would play a big role in combating terrorism.

"If democracy takes root in Iraq then that is a setback for terrorism and 
they're (terrorists) throwing everything they've got as the task of stopping 
the elections being effective," he said.

Mr Howard also attended a session on China's rapid growth which included much 
anticipated addresses from deputy prime minister Huang Yu and deputy governor 
of the Chinese central bank, Li Ruogu.

Mr Huang urged the world to invest more in China, while Mr Li bluntly told 
outsiders to stay out of the country's decision on when it will take the yuan 
to a floating exchange rate.

Mr Howard also held bilateral talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shauket Aziz 
in which both agreed more work was needed to strengthen the relationship 
between the two countries.

He met with Korea's Unification Minister Chung Dong-Young and remained hopeful 
of Australia winning a contract to sell liquefied natural gas to the republic.

© 2005 AAP
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