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Indonesia to Build on ‘Bridges of Civilization’: Yudhoyono Pitan Daslani | November 04, 2012 President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a diplomatic audience in London that Indonesia would continue to “build bridges of civilization” contributing to global peace and order. In a speech to a high-level diplomatic audience at Wilton Park, London, late on Friday, Yudhoyono said that political-cultural initiatives would help bridge differences between the West and the Islamic world. As leader of the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, the Indonesian president proposed last month that the United Nations adopt an international protocol for preventing denigration of religions. That initiative arose after a US-produced video triggered fury across the Muslim world that led to the killing of US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Yudhoyono told the British audience that there were several imperatives that must be put in place to ensure trust among different cultures. “We need to enhance dialogues that involve as many of our people as possible,” the president said. He also called on Britain to support Indonesia in making this era “the age of soft power” that relies on multiculturalism and tolerance. Yudhoyono also said that nations must now seriously develop “global education, global awareness and global governance.” Dialogues among cultures must be manifested in actual cooperation to benefit all nations, the president noted. Yudhoyono hailed the establishment of British-Indonesian inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogues that started in 2006 when he and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair approved the founding of the Indonesia-UK Islamic Advisory Group, comprising prominent Muslim leaders from both countries. The group’s recommendations included exchanges of students, religious leaders and scholars. In his speech Yudhoyono also said that deployment of UN military observers in Syria was a mistake. “This is a misplaced mission,” said Yudhoyono, who in 1995 was commander of the UN peacekeeping force in Bosnia. A UN peace mission must have the ability to enforce truces and protect civilians, he said. On Friday Yudhoyono also addressed an audience at London’s Royal College for Defense Studies, where he told the audience that Indonesia would continue to modernize its defense capability to protect its sovereignty and territory. He said that in 2005 Indonesia’s defense budget was only $2.5 billion, but in 2011 it increased to $7.5 billion due to a rising need to protect national interests. The president said he was happy that Britain had played an active role in modernizing Indonesia’s defense system Post a comment Please login to post comment Comments slowburner8:52pm Nov 4, 2012 SBY walked right into the honey trap at Bucks Pal and is now spouting utter self indulgent egotistical drivel..! Has this man never heard of the saying 'pride before a fall'...? JohnnyCool7:50pm Nov 4, 2012 "He also called on Britain to support Indonesia in making this era “the age of soft power” that relies on multiculturalism and tolerance." The "age of soft power". WTF does that mean? The delusional fool is basking in his 15 minutes of fame. Sad. People with stones should throw them at SBY. Or somebody please feed him a reality sandwich. Unlikely. Valkyrie6:33pm Nov 4, 2012 blighty... Jubal is perfectly right. They know what how to make that 'fat' man happy, at least for the moment. He has been intoxicated with the attention given (purposely?) to him. exbrit5:17pm Nov 4, 2012 People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones and SBY's house has very thin glass Jubal.Harshaw5:05pm Nov 4, 2012 blightyboy: His audience consisted of high-level diplomats - professional liars and hypocrites with a masterly grasp of weasel words themselves. They will politely applaud SBY, then sod off to write what they really thought in their diplomatic communiques. Eventually Wikileaks will publish these, and the world will see what Britain thinks of its new Knight Errant. blightyboy3:54pm Nov 4, 2012 A liar, a hypocrite and a delusional fool. Roland2:02pm Nov 4, 2012 I wonder what went on in the heads of this "high-level diplomatic audience" listening to the speech of SBY...the "Let's just give him another award" kind of thoughts... On the other side, if really everything would be in reality as in those speeches Indonesia would be a paradise to live, e.g. "inter-religious dialogues" comprising ONLY of Muslim leaders of both countries... Well, at least we cannot be compared to countries as Pakistan or India always troubling each other in certain areas, or China, or North Korea, but there is STILL so much Indonesia has to catch up economy-wise to, at the very least, level with countries as Malaysia, Thailand or South Korea. I don't even want to start with the superficial reasons for the massive increase in defense spending since SBY's presidency...building bridges of civilization - sure! AlexBrehm1:43pm Nov 4, 2012 SBY is not able to 'build bridges' in his own country - see Achmadis, or in Bogor Jasmin Church. Now he is speaking about building bridges ou [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
