Australia ready for food mission<\/p>\n
SYDNEY (AFP): Australian officials flew to Seoul on Sunday for
\ntalks with China, Japan and South Korea amid reports that
\nCanberra is readying its armed forces to mount a rescue mission
\nin Indonesia.<\/p>\n
A defense department spokesman said a request from Jakarta for
\nhelp with massive food shortages was possible and it was
\nmonitoring the flying hours of its Hercules transport aircraft,
\nsea-time of its ships and crew leave.<\/p>\n
"We are thinking about it and we are providing for it by
\nkeeping a sharp eye on our defense priorities," the senior
\nofficial told the Sydney Morning Herald.<\/p>\n
Australia played a major part in the recent food airlift in
\nIrian Jaya.<\/p>\n
The World Food Program is sending a team into Indonesian
\nvillages to reassess the extent of the hunger following recent
\nincreases in basic food prices, which have quadrupled since the
\ncountry's economic crisis began a year ago.<\/p>\n
The International Labor Organization said last week more than
\n15,000 people were losing their jobs each day.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told AFP
\nthere had been no indication that the situation in Indonesia had
\nsignificantly deteriorated in the past few weeks, but the issue
\nwould be discussed at meetings in South Korea starting Tuesday.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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