Gaza raid slammed in Asia-Pacific

Nations in the Asia-Pacific region have lent voice to the global condemnation of Israel’s attack on a humanitarian aid Flotilla headed for Gaza.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Tuesday strongly rebuked the deadly Israeli raid, and called for an “immediate, independent inquiry” into the incident, urging the findings from the probe must then be passed to the United Nations Security Council.

Rudd also called for an end to the Israeli imposed blockade of the impoverished Gaza Strip which has pushed the populated coastal sliver on the brink of a humanitarian crisis.

According to the Australian foreign ministry, an Australian man on board the Gaza-bound aid ships was critically injured by Israeli commandos and had undergone surgery. Two other female Australian journalists on board the flotilla were also reportedly detained by Israeli troops after the raid.

Meanwhile in India, a statement issued by the country’s External Affairs Ministry, condemned the Israeli raid, stressing that “there can be no justification for such indiscriminate use of force.”

The Indonesian government also slammed the Israeli attack and urged the United Nations to conduct a probe into the fatal raid.

At least 12 Indonesians were among the 700 activists on board the Mavi Marmara passenger vessel — one of the six ships in the Gaza-bound flotilla.

In Malaysia, police struggled to contain some hundreds of angry demonstrators, who had gathered outside the US embassy and were demanding justice for those responsible for the lethal Israeli attack.

The protesters, from different political parties and civil society groups, shouted anti-Israeli slogans and called for a boycott of Israeli products. They also condemned the US administration for its unconditional support of Israel.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose country does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, raised concern over the fate of more than a dozen Malaysian volunteers and journalists who were on board the aid vessel.

Tel Aviv is facing growing criticism and condemnation from the international community over its early Monday raid on the six-ship Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which left at least 20 peace activists dead and about 50 others injured.