Indonesia Calls for Restraint over N Korea Rocket Test

Jakarta - Indonesia has called on all parties to exercise restraint and engage in dialog and diplomatic approaches to assure peace and security in the Korean Peninsula. "What is needed in a critical moment like now is to exercise restraint and to remain calm. The Indonesian government emphasizes the importance of dialog and diplomacy to assure the situation in the Korean Peninsula remain stable and secure," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said here on Friday. He added that the Indonesian government would be disappointed if North Korea continued with its plan to launch a rocket, despite calls against it from the international community. He said, however, the Indonesian government had chosen not to take a harsh approach towards the problem by issuing accusations and threats. "The communication between the Indonesian and North Korean governments has so far been good. We have always conveyed our views in a correct and measured way and smartly, not through megaphone diplomacy, and we believe North Korea accepted them well," he said. The North Korean government has announced it would launch a long-range rocket it claimed would send an observatory satellite into orbit. The launch is set for April 15 to commemorate the centennial of North Korea's founder, the late president Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un. (*)