Middle-East peace is a key factor in solving refugee crisis: VP
The Official Website of the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia
April 12, 2016

http://www.wapresri.go.id/en/perdamaian-timur-tengah-cegah-krisis-pengungsi/

Refugee crisis is an impact of radicalism which mostly emerges from failed states, such as Afghanistan with Al-Qaida, and Iraq and Syria with ISIS.

"The solution for this is to create peace in the regions. Stop war and no more bomb! Throughout history, there is no country attacked by many countries like Syria," said Vice President Jusuf Kalla when receiving head of advisory board of the International Peace Foundation, HSH Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein at his office on Jalan Merdeka Utara, Jakarta, on Tuesday (April, 12).

Prince Alfred told that he intended to meet the Vice President to discuss solution for current refugee crisis in Europe. More refugees coming to European countries, he said, made the region vulnerable to radicalism and terrorism.

"We come to Indonesia, a country with moderate Islam, to ask for recommendation on how to cope with this issue," he said.

According to the Vice President, firstly, all religious leaders should hand-in-hand ask their people to build peace and harmony, and not to provoke them to attack other people with different religion. Suicide bombing, he said, is also another idea that should be banned.

"When Ambon conflict struck, I came to mosques and churches and I said to Muslim and Christian youth there, 'You are all going to hell, not to heaven'," he said.

Besides, the Vice President added, to prevent the spread of radicalism, a certain country should not force certain ideology or government system to other countries.

Foreign intervention with the argument of democracy, he said, is often used to oust authoritarian leaders in some countries. This has frequently led to the absence of power.

Such condition, he continued, often causes country to be a failed state which is easily exploited by extremists with their radical actions.

The Vice President then felt sorry to some bombing incidents in Europe. However, he said, he also felt sorry that the world paid more attention to those incidents than to what happens in Syria which is even more devastating.

"We are discriminating people," he affirmed.

This, he said, is similar to the unstoppable conflict between Israel and Palestine.

"The root of many problems in the world is this conflict. If you can solve this, you will be easily resolve other conflicts," he said.

ASEAN Bridges

At the meeting, Prince Alfred introduced ASEAN Bridges Program initiated by the International Peace Foundation (IPF) that will be held in Indonesia. The program will involve discussions in some universities in Indonesia with some of the speakers are Nobel Laureates.

IPF Chairman Uwe Morawetz who accompanied Prince Alfred in the meeting said that IPF had prepared the program to run in Indonesia for two years, after its success in Vietnam and Thailand.

"There will be seven Nobel Laureates speaking in their specific fields such as economy, peace, chemistry, physics, and medicine. About 50 universities in Indonesia, such as University of Indonesia, Airlangga University, and other universities, will host discussion forums held by Bridges," he said.

As an experienced figure in conflict resolution, IPF expected the Vice President to speak in the Bridges forum.

"We cordially invite you to speak in one of the forums," said Prince Alfred.

In response, the Vice President applauded the Bridges programs, moreover with the speakers who are Nobel Laureates and prominent figures.

The Vice President also agreed to attend the forum.

"Personally, it is an honor for me to be invited to speak at the forum," he said.