INDONESIA: Balinese Women Declare IWAG-Peace

Hundreds of Balinese women declared an "Indonesian Women`s Association for Global Peace (IWAG-Peace)" in the Bajra Sandi monument area here on Monday night.

"The declaration of IWAG-Peace was intended to neutralize violent conflicts in the name of religion in various areas across the country," event coordinator Putu Sri Puji Astuti said here on Tuesday.

She said the declaration of IWAG-Peace in Bali was one of four similar events, organized simultaneously in four Indonesian cities namely Denpasar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Jakarta in conjunction with Valentine`s Day.

Putu Sri Puji Astuti expressed optimism that women in a conflict would be able to muffle the problem, and therefore the IWAG-Peace would continue to continue to promote peace.

Therefore, she expressed hope that the government would also act decisively to resolve conflicts that occur and to prevent them from becoming serious and complicated problems.

Putu Sri pointed out that if the government failed to neutralize emerging conflicts, the IWAG-Peace would unhesitatingly bring them to the United Nations.

"If the government fails to solve emerging problems, the Indonesian women will rise to bring the problem to the international community," she said.

Meanwhile, Bali branch Inter-religious Harmony Forum (FKAUB) spokesman Ida Bagus Wiana was of the opinion that the religious conflicts at several areas in Indonesia recently were motivated by certain interests.

He said the violent conflicts in the name of religion was due to a weak state with its sick-soul people, poverty issue, and low education quality.

Therefore he expressed hope that the conflicts in the name of religion could immediately be solved in a peaceful and dignified manner.

Ida Bagus said the women from various religious background, professions, ethnicities and races were united to declare IWAG-Peace in Denpasar to raise the women`s voices for peace.