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Statement New York, 20 October 2000 Mr. President, The Xth Emergency Special Session has been resumed to consider the "Illegal Israeli Actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the Rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory " at a critical and explosive moment in the Middle East. Recent developments on the ground in the occupied territories are a searing and grim reminder to the international community that the peace process with all its promise and hope for a better future is beginning to unravel and the violence and bloodshed of past decades is tragically becoming the reality of today. In the past two weeks, the unconscionable use of force against the Palestinians has taken the lives of scores of unarmed civilians versus a handful of Israelis shows the stark and brutal nature of the policies pursued by the occupying power. For, no Palestinian town has been left untouched by the violence that is spiraling out of control. The deaths and material devastation in the occupied territories demands an international investigation and firm action. It is of deep concern to my delegation that despite the numerous resolutions adopted by the special emergency session of the General Assembly in accordance with resolution 377 A (V) of 1950, Israel continues to flout these decisions. This is an unacceptable situation for no country should at will reject the voice of the international community and in the face of such condemnation continue to take illegal measures with impunity. The provisions of those resolutions are clear. Amongst others, they reaffirm the position of member States on the status of Jerusalem and the illegal Israeli settlements while reiterating the de jure applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the compliance of all relevant Security Council resolutions. The occupied territories are bearing the brunt of untenable acts of aggression such as blockades and enforced military action. The international community can not stand idly in the face of such provocative actions. We therefore call upon Israel to withdraw its forces immediately and unconditionally from all Palestinian territory. Peace will continue to elude the region so long as the Palestinian people are unable to fulfill their aspirations, including the right to self-determination in an independent homeland with East Jerusalem as its capital. Indonesia on its part, has consistently maintained that the peace process must be based on the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 and on the land for peace principle. Any diminution of these basic requirements is doomed to failure. Furthermore, Israel should cease from implementing action that is in contravention with past agreements and commitments. It is only in this way that mutual trust and respect will be fostered between the concerned parties to overcome the decades of policies of repression and occupation. It is our earnest hope that the outcome of the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit on 16-17 October 2000 will give peace another opportunity to take root and grow in the region. This calls for an immediate cessation of violence and the use of force and allow for political wisdom to prevail. Furthermore, it is imperative for the Security Council as the body charged with the maintenance of international peace and security to take prompt and resolute action by not only condemning the excessive use of force against unarmed Palestinian civilians but also failing to name the aggressor and the perpetrator of wanton violence. Even when confronted with escalating violence, the Council procrastinated rather than take firm action forthwith on the killings of the innocent Palestinians. This is in stark contrast when the Council recently took swift action and adopted a resolution when three humanitarian workers were killed during the tragic incident in Atambua. In other words, Mr. President, there can be no justification in the actions of the Council to single out for immediate action a few situations in another part of the world while hesitatingly adopting a resolution on a situation which was fraught with much more dangerous consequences for the region and beyond. For the United Nations, especially the Security Council to be judged, the criteria can only be for the fairness and just treatment of all its members. Thus, military power and industrial affluences must never be used as the criteria for resolving national and international conflict. Thank You, Mr. President.
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