"Another possible model is an international law on blasphemy, which must bind all countries."New York (ANTARA) - Indonesia will develop a road map for an international protocol on religious defamation, as earlier proposed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the recent UN General Assembly meeting.
"Indonesia is expected to approach various nations during this effort, including those that believe in absolute freedom of expression," Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday, after holding a bilateral meeting with the Philippines foreign minister and officially opening Indonesia`s diplomatic ties with Tuvalu.
"We will watch other countries` responses, group them accordingly, and then make a road map," he added.
Marty stated that the establishment of an international framework to tackle religious defamation would be in the best interests of the global community.
"But, the endeavour is not without problems," he pointed out.
"Another possible model is an international law on blasphemy, which must bind all countries," Marty added.
He said he expected objections from several countries, such as the United States, which allow absolute freedom of expression.
"Indonesia will make diplomatic efforts to bridge the differences between countries against religious defamation and those upholding absolute freedom of expression," Marty stated.
"The anti-blasphemy protocol must be something that can be globally synchronized," he added.
(T.T008/Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
