Taliban urged to value rights of women
JAKARTA, Indonesia – The foreign minister of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, urged the Taliban on Thursday to respect the rights of women and not allow Afghanistan to become a breeding ground for extremist activities.
Retno Marsudi made the comments after meeting with Australia’s foreign and defense ministers, who are visiting Jakarta to bolster security ties.
Marsudi said Indonesia is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan and hopes the country will not be used as “a breeding and training ground for terrorist organizations and activities that threaten peace and stability in the region.”
On Tuesday, the Taliban announced an all-male interim government that includes many veterans of their hardline rule in the 1990s and 20-year battle against U.s.-led forces.
Indonesia has suffered a series of militant attacks since bombings on the tourist island of Bali in 2002 killed 202 people, mostly foreigners, including 88 Australians. The Bali bombings were blamed on the al-qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah network.
In the following decade, Indonesian security forces backed by the U.S. and Australia crushed Jemaah Islamiyah, killing leaders and bomb makers and arresting hundreds of militants. But a new threat has emerged in recent years from Islamic State group sympathizers, including Indonesians who traveled to the Middle East to fight with the group.
Marsudi and her Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, urged the Taliban to respect and promote human rights, especially those of women and girls.