Paris attacks: Asian countries condemn ‘barbaric acts’

 Countries in the greater Asian region on Saturday condemned the spate of attacks in Paris overnight that have left at least 120 people dead.

They included leaders and officials of Indonesia, China, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, India and Saudi Arabia.

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said before departing for the Group of 20 summit in Turkey, “Terrorism, for any reasons, is intolerable and one of the purposes of my visit to Turkey is to strengthen international cooperation in fighting against terrorism.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed the “strongest” condemnation over the “barbaric acts” in a condolence message to French President Francois Hollande, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei also issued a statement saying, “Terrorism is the common challenge faced by the entire humanity. The Chinese side firmly supports the French side in maintaining national security and stability and combating terrorism.”

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is traveling abroad, tweeted, “Australians’ thoughts, prayers (and) resolute solidarity (are) with people of France as they respond to brutal terrorist attacks in Paris.”

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key condemned the “shocking” coordinated attacks and said, “New Zealand stands with France in the global fight against terror, and while it is too soon to attribute blame, the attacks have targeted innocent civilians and are therefore an act of terrorism.”

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks in the French capital, although local officials suspect the involvement of people who have returned after traveling to Syria and Iraq, where Islamic State militants have been active.

In Seoul, South Korean President Park Geun Hye sent a condolence message to Hollande, saying she was “shocked and saddened” to learn that many have died in the multiple attacks in Paris and that her government “strongly supports” France’s efforts to tackle terrorism, according to the presidential office.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his Twitter account, “News from Paris is anguishing (and) dreadful…We are united with people of France in this tragic hour.”

The state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted a Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry source as saying that the Paris incident shows there is a need for the international community to cooperate in eliminating threats targeting world stability.

Source: Asian Review/ Dailyshaba