Alan Taylor summoned over second flag burning<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Australian Ambassador Alan Taylor was summoned
\nto the Indonesian foreign ministry on Wednesday, the second time
\nin 10-days, over another Indonesian flag burning incident in
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said he summoned the ambassador
\nafter receiving reports that a group of six to 10 demonstrators
\nburned the Indonesian flag and an effigy of President Soeharto in
\nDarwin on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"I expressed the government's strong protest about the
\nincident,\" Alatas said after the meeting with the ambassador.<\/p>\n
Another flag-burning incident also reportedly happened in
\nMelbourne yesterday, involving about 200 pro-East Timorese. They
\nburned flags and jostled guests attending a function at the
\nIndonesian consulate held to mark the 50th anniversary of
\nIndonesian independence, AFP reported.<\/p>\n
These incidents threaten to undermine relations between
\nJakarta and Canberra.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators were protesting Indonesia's 1976 integration
\nof the former Portuguese colony of East Timor. The first
\noccurrence reportedly happened in Melbourne at the beginning of
\nthe month at a protest over Indonesia's participation in the
\nKangaroo 1995 joint military exercise in northern Australia.<\/p>\n
According to Alatas, Taylor regretted the incident but
\nmaintained that there was not much Canberra could do.<\/p>\n
\"We are not asking them (the Australian government) to stop
\nthe demonstration, we realize that in Australia there is freedom
\nto demonstrate, even here you can do it too. What we regret is
\nthe burning of the flag. For us the flag is sacred,\" Alatas
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Regret<\/p>\n
Yesterday, Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said he
\ndeeply regretted demonstrations, including the burning of
\nIndonesian flags.<\/p>\n
Evans said in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post
\nthat Australians did not always understand how the burning of a
\nnational flag could be a direct insult and an attack on a
\ncountry's national pride and dignity.<\/p>\n
\"Such actions are not illegal anywhere in Australia, and
\naccordingly there is little that law enforcement authorities can
\ndo when protesters choose to express themselves in this way,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Alatas said Canberra should take preventive steps to prevent a
\nrepetition of the incident, and cited talking to the perpetrators
\nas one possible alternative.<\/p>\n
\"Every time we expressed our protest, all the Australian side
\ndid was to say that they regret it... If that (to do nothing but
\nregret) is the case, I'm deeply concerned,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
He lamented the fact that this small group of protesters could
\nhold \"hostage\" relations between the two countries.<\/p>\n
Relations between Indonesia and Australia became strained when
\nthe Indonesian government had to withdraw retired Lt. Gen.
\nH.B.L. Mantiri's nomination as ambassador to Canberra in June.<\/p>\n
Despite having already accepted his nomination, Australian
\nForeign Minister Gareth Evans asked Mantiri to apologize for a
\ncomment he made concerning the killing of over 50 demonstrators
\nby security forces in Dili in 1991.<\/p>\n
Commenting on Evans intention to visit East Timor early next
\nyear, Alatas welcomed the idea saying that it could become \"an
\neye opener so that he does not make the kind of assumptions he is
\nmaking now.\"<\/p>\n
\"I am convinced that if he sees the situation, then he will
\nchange his mind,\" Alatas said of his Australian counterpart.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Abu Hartono, a member of the House of
\nRepresentatives from the Armed Forces faction also expressed
\ndisappointment of the incident.<\/p>\n
\"The Australian government is responsible for preventing such
\nthings,\" he said, stressing that Indonesians regard the national
\nred-and-white flag with highest honor and pride.<\/p>\n
Abu said it was too early to talk about breaking off
\ndiplomatic relations. (mds)<\/p>",
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