The Indonesian government has considered some of the contents in the treaty run against the national interest.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has chosen to abstain in a vote at the UN`s headquarters in New York last Tuesday (April 2) on the signing of an Arms Trade Treaty, a press release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry received here on Wednesday said.
The Indonesian government has considered some of the contents in the treaty run against the national interest. There is inequality in the treatment on exporting and importing countries where the first party is given a privilege to determine whether a country is eligible to import weapons or not.
Although it has chosen to abstain, Indonesia has emphasized its support towards a global regulation for arms trade. As to the Arms Trade Treaty itself, UN member countries are encouraged to sign it starting June 3.
Earlier a member of the House of Representatives Muhammad Nadjib said Indonesian parliament members objected to an article in the treaty which states that arms producing countries have the right to assess the implementation of human rights protection in the buying countries.
"Those article is highly subjective and is made in favor of the political interest of big countries. We also believe arms producing countries impose double standards in implementing the treaty," he said.
Another articles to which the Indonesian parliament members have objected is the presence of a clause stating that arms producing countries can embargo shipping of ammunition and supporting components to Indonesia if the latter is considered to have violated human rights.
"Such embargo will paralyze our weaponry system which we have bought at a high price," Nadjib added. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
