Attempted attack on McCarthy deplored<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid expressed
\nregret on Wednesday over the attempted attack by East Timorese
\nrefugees on Australia's outgoing ambassador to Jakarta John
\nMcCarthy.<\/p>\n
\"The President deplores the incident in Makassar, which has
\ntarnished Indonesia's image and spoiled McCarthy's last days in
\noffice,\" presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said, quoted by
\nthe detikcom news portal.<\/p>\n
McCarthy is about to end his tenure as ambassador after more
\nthan three years in the post.<\/p>\n
Some 20 East Timorese tried to attack McCarthy as he attended
\nthe opening ceremony of an Australian insurance company, Mutual
\nLife Citizens (MLC), on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The refugees were part of 250,000 East Timorese who fled
\nviolence that ravaged their homeland days after people in the
\nterritory voted for independence last year.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's assault attempt came 24 hours after Australian
\nnewspaper the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the ambassador as
\nsuggesting that former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret.)
\nWiranto had prior knowledge of the impending destruction in East
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
Wiranto, who visited Makassar to promote his musical album on
\nMonday, dismissed the allegations.<\/p>\n
Wimar said Gus Dur, as the President is called, was convinced
\nthe incident would not change McCarthy's \"appreciation\" of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
\"McCarthy has been on good terms personally with the President
\nand other officials,\" Wimar said.<\/p>\n
Australian Prime Minister John Howard Wednesday described the
\nattack by the mob opposed to Australia's role in overseeing East
\nTimor's transition to independence as \"regrettable and
\nunacceptable.\"<\/p>\n
But he said the relationship between Canberra and Jakarta was
\nimproving, despite a rift caused by Australia's support for East
\nTimorese independence.<\/p>\n
\"I am pleased to note that the Indonesian government is
\napologizing for the incident. I welcome that,\" Howard said as
\nquoted by AFP.<\/p>\n
McCarthy also played down the incident.<\/p>\n
\"They tried to get into the compound where I and the people I
\nwas with were standing,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody actually tried to attack me but there was some minor
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
\"There were three Australians there besides myself. None
\nsuffered any injuries. One suffered a kick and the other a
\npunch.\"<\/p>\n
Relations between the two countries took another blow when
\nsome Indonesian officials and politicians accused Australia of
\nsupporting the rising separatism in the remote province of Irian
\nJaya.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan
\nJacoeb said police had questioned four staff members of the MLC
\ninsurance company in connection with the incident.<\/p>\n
Sofjan added no arrests had been made, including on the East
\nTimorese refugees.<\/p>\n
\"How could we make an arrest if Ambassador McCarthy took the
\nincident lightly and told us he had no plan to claim losses or
\ninjuries,\" Sofjan said, adding that police contacted the
\nambassador on Monday evening.<\/p>\n
Sofjan said he had also reprimanded the organizers of the
\nfunction for failing to notify the police of the presence of a
\nVIP beforehand.<\/p>\n
While joining the chorus of regrets, chief of State
\nIntelligence Coordinating Agency (Bakin) Lt. Gen. (ret.) Arie J.
\nKumaat said the incident should give foreign diplomats a lesson
\nthat understanding people's emotional and psychological condition
\nis crucial. (27\/edt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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