"Being neutral means seeking a compromise so that the difference between Russia and China on the one hand and the rest of UN Security Council members on the other will not lead the problem in Syria to be neglected by the international community," he said to ANTARA News here on Friday.
The political atmosphere in the UN had heated up after Western countries such as Britain, the US and France expressed their regret about the Russia and China veto.
Britain in its reaction to the Russian and Chinese veto had said the two powers had thereby allowed the Syrian government to continue okilling its own people. The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, even said according to Reuters, that she was disgusted by the two powers` decision to block UNSC efforts to settle the conflict in Syria.
"Without having to take sides Indonesia must be able to remain active in settling the Syrian problem. The government must strengthen its diplomacy with the Arab League so that that country could further press President Bashar Al-Assad to resign," he said.
Mahfudz welcomed the government`s decision to withdraw the Indonesian ambassador to Syria on December 2011 considering it as a a firm action that needed to be taken.
"We in the DPR welcome the action to show that Indonesia cares for the Syrian people," he said.
The conflict in Syria has been going on since March 2011 and until December 2011 has claimed up to 5,000 lives while in the past week 300 more people were killed.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
