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Countries of the Asia-Pacific region have a mixed reaction on the first day to the US-led war on Iraq Thursday, with many countries opposing the war, while Japan, the Philippines and South Korea expressing support for the war in varied ways.
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Helen Clark repeated New Zealand's opposition to the war and pledged support for international efforts to help its people when the conflict ends.
"I want to state again, for the record, that this government will not be assisting a war for which there was no case at this time," Clark said.
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong warned that a US-led war in Iraq could change world political pattern and prompt more terrorist plot.
Hor expressed his deep regret over the failure to avoid a war through peaceful means, stressing that "the war might cause many innocent people to die."
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Thailand, as a small country, was not in a position to take side with any party in the event, "but as a member of the United Nations, we will strictly comply with any resolutions of the organization."
Thaksin called on the United States and its allies to take extreme caution in the military strikes to avoid possible casualties of Iraqi civilians.
Pakistan regrets the US-led attack on Iraq, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid was quoted as saying Thursday.
Rashid told the media "We regret that war could not be stopped. We tried our utmost to prevent it."
But, Pakistan, member of the United Nations Security Council, "will continue to pursue diplomatic efforts to seek an early end tithe war," he said.
In Vietnam, the government and people vehemently condemn the military action waged by the American and British Authorities against the Iraqi people, a spokeswoman of the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
They strongly demand an immediate end to those actions and full respect for Iraq's national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity so as to restore peace in the region and stability in the world, said spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh.
China issued an urgent appeal for the immediate halt of military actions against Iraq and a return to the right track to seek a political solution to the Iraq issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing Thursday.
Kong said Chinese leaders have, on different occasions, enunciated China's principles and stance on the Iraq issue, adding that China's stance accords with the strong aspiration of the people around the world for peace.
The military actions against Iraq, carried out despite opposition from most governments and peoples across the world and bypassing the United Nations Security Council, violated the United Nations Charter and the basic norms of international law, he stressed.
China is gravely concerned and is closely monitoring developments, he said.
In Indonesia, President Megawati Soekarnoputri made her first public statement on the Iraq issue Thursday when she called on then Security Council (UNSC) to hold an emergency meeting on the war in Iraq.
"The government and the people of Indonesia condemn the unilateral decision by the United States and its allies to wage war against Iraq," she said after a cabinet meeting with all key aides at the state palace in Jakarta.
India Thursday said that the US-led military action in Iraq "lacks justification."
"It is with the deepest anguish that we have seen reports of the commencement of military action in Iraq," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters.
Bangladesh Thursday expressed regret for failing to seek a peaceful resolution on Iraq crisis.
"We regret that a peaceful resolution on Iraqi dispute could not be reached," Foreign Secretary Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told newsmen in Dhaka.
Ignoring nearly 80 percent of Japanese against the war, the Japanese government on Thursday braced the US-led attack on Iraq with a full support.
"I understand and support the United States' resort to use of force given that Iraq has ignored, disdained and mocked UN resolutions," said a solemn Japanese Prime Minister at an hastily summoned press conference in the afternoon.
"In consideration of its national interests, Japan supports this use of force against Iraq by the United States, our ally, and other countries, " he said.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she expects the war "to be surgical, short and swift."
The Philippines "is part of the willing coalition giving political and moral support to actions to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction," Arroyo said.
In another development, some 46 members of the Philippine Houseof Representatives signed a resolution strongly opposing the unilateral military action of the United States on Iraq on Thursday.
Crossing party lines, the lawmakers from both the administration and opposition also called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to "desist from extending any form of support to such unilateral and illegal act" in the resolution dubbed "LAW-2,"Representative Satur Ocampo said.
In South Korea, President Roh Moo-hyun reiterated his government's support for the US-led Iraq war in a public speech.
He explained South Korea made such a stance considering "the national interests, South Korea-US alliance and avoidance of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
In Australia, the senate voted Thursday urging to bring troops home immediately from the Iraqi war.
It was said this was the first time Australia sent troops to war without the backing of the Senate.
However, the action of the senate does not have binding force to the government. About 2000 Australian soldiers have already plunged into battles in Iraq as the war started earlier the day.
(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2003)
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