Australia keeping eye on its citizens in RI<\/p>\n
WELLINGTON (AFP): Australia is prepared to act if the lives of
\nabout 10,000 Australians in Indonesia are threatened in renewed
\nrioting, Australian Chief of Defense Force Adm. Chris Barrie said
\nhere on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He said New Zealand would be expected to help.<\/p>\n
Barrie said Australia was watching Indonesia's economic and
\npolitical situation closely as it looked to hold free elections
\nin 1999.<\/p>\n
The move comes after the fall of former Indonesian president
\nSoeharto earlier this year following mass rioting in which 1,200
\npeople were killed.<\/p>\n
"The economics in Indonesia don't look very good and when
\npeople start to go without food and don't see much prospect of a
\nbetter life in the future that becomes very troublesome," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"We're going to have to watch it closely ... If violence
\nerupts on the street in a very dramatic and widespread way and
\n(Australian) people become threatened or in fear we'll have to do
\nsomething about that."<\/p>\n
"Any move to evacuate Australians would be a very significant
\nmilitary operation," the admiral added.<\/p>\n
Barrie said he would expect that New Zealand would offer to
\nhelp but would not comment on the contingency plans already in
\nplace.<\/p>\n
"There are all sorts of contingency plans and some of that
\nplanning is shared across the Tasman," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australia-keeping-eye-on-its-citizens-in-ri-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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