Alatas upset at Spring's Timor words<\/p>\n
DUBLIN (AFP): Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali
\nAlatas has accused his Irish counterpart of publicly attacking
\nhis country in a manner that was \"almost like a declaration of
\nwar,\" according to press reports here.<\/p>\n
Alatas said Irish Foreign Minister Dick Spring had attacked
\nIndonesia over its policy in the former Portuguese colony of East
\nTimor, according to The Irish Times on Friday.<\/p>\n
Alatas said he found the attack unacceptable and unprecedented
\nin his many years as a diplomat and foreign minister.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian minister was referring to an article Spring
\nwrote in The Irish Times in July in which he accused Indonesia of
\nhuman rights abuses in East Timor. In the article, Spring also
\ncalled on Indonesia to release political prisoners.<\/p>\n
Alatas and Spring discussed the article at the United Nations
\nin New York on Monday, The Irish Times said, but the meeting
\nended abruptly when the Irish minister walked out.<\/p>\n
Alatas told the paper it was unacceptable that his country
\nshould be made a \"whipping boy\" by Spring.<\/p>\n
He said he asked Spring if he had ever been to Indonesia and
\nwhen he received a negative answer, he told him that he (Alatas)
\nwould think twice before commenting on the conflict in Northern
\nIreland.<\/p>\n
\"I am not saying we are as pure as just-fallen snow,\" Alatas
\ntold the paper.<\/p>\n
\"We have perhaps a human rights problem in some remote parts
\nof Indonesia. We are a large developing country. Which country is
\ncompletely free of human rights abuses?\" he asked, adding that
\nthe United States and European countries also abused human
\nrights.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alatas-upset-at-springs-timor-words-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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