Indonesia abstains in UN vote on Iran

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution imposing new sanctions on Iran for its controversial nuclear program. However, Tehran vowed to continue its nuclear program because it deemed the action as illegal and politically motivated. The council approved the resolution by a vote of 14-0 with Indonesia alone abstaining. Indonesia was represented by Marty Natalegawa as Indonesia’s Ambassador to the UN.
Russia’s UN Ambassador and the chairman of UN vote on Iran, Vitaly Churkin, stated that UN Security Council resolution number 1803 has been legitimated with 14 supporting voice and 1 abstain voice officially. This resolution gives extra sanctions for Iran. There are traveling banned for individual and companies who have contribution on Iran’s nuclear promotion, assets freezing for Iran’s official which were interlocked with nuclear program, and bans trade with in goods that have both civilian and military uses.
Marty Natalegawa told that Indonesia is not convinced that more sanctions are the most sensible way to go and would therefore abstain from voting. He said in his remarks that the goals of the previous two revolutions were being achieved and that Iran was cooperating with IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). "Essentially, we are not convinced that more sanctions, however incremental, well-targeted and reversible will move us forward in resolving the question of Iran's nuclear program or whether it would only give a potentially negative impact at a time when progress is being made," said Ambassador Natalegawa.
From that meeting of IAEA, they have produced two resolutions. First, Iran needs convince UN and every country that all suspicions about intending of Iran to use its nuclear program for military purposes are wrong. Second, this nuclear problem will be reported to UN Security Council. Indonesia disagrees with the seconds but approve first resolution. So, it made Indonesia to choose abstains on the voting.
Abstaining was the safest option for Indonesia. Indonesia doesn’t have any clear-cut ideas to resolve the issue. Besides, this isn’t one of those issues where government of Indonesia needs to specifically support or oppose because it doesn’t directly affect interest of Indonesia.
Beside of that, some people said that abstaining was an indecisiveness of Indonesia. They stated that Indonesia should have fully opposed the resolution if we are to comply with our soft-power foreign policy to uphold dialog. Sanctions are only groom radicalism. The sanctions can make Iran more to be sunk away. It calls on all countries to exercise “vigilance” in entering into new trade commitments with Iran, including granting export credits, guarantees or insurance.
Iran’s UN Ambassador, Mohammad Khazee gave his appreciation to Indonesia who didn’t support the resolution. He rehashed that Iran would never give up its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel. Two previous Security Council sanctions resolutions have demanded that Iran stop enriching uranium, but Tehran has not complied and says it is its legal right to continue enriching uranium for peaceful purposes. Many countries fear Iran's actions are intended for the production of nuclear bombs, not energy.
The U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report that Iran has made progress in providing information about its nuclear program, but not enough to prove it is developing its nuclear program solely for peaceful purposes.


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