Australia supports RI's territorial integrity<\/p>\n
CANBERRA (JP): Just hours before President Abdurrahman Wahid
\ntouched down here, Prime Minister John Howard told parliament
\nthat Australia fully supports the territorial integrity of
\nIndonesia and that the presidential visit is an opportunity to
\nput past troubles between the two countries behind them.<\/p>\n
The prime minister highlighted the symbolic significance of
\nthe visit, despite the repeated postponements and Monday's
\nunforeseen delay.<\/p>\n
\"We respect and support, and will continue to advocate in the
\ninternational fora the territorial integrity of the Republic of
\nIndonesia,\" pledged Howard who is to hold talks with Abdurrahman
\non Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
He insisted that Canberra would \"continue to express our hope
\nthat secessionist issues can be resolved, including through
\nautonomy provisions.\"<\/p>\n
Relations between Jakarta and Canberra hit a new low following
\nthe East Timor issue in 1999.<\/p>\n
Domestic resentment in many corners of Indonesian society
\nremain high and it was this antipathy, particularly from leading
\npoliticians, which had forced Abdurrahman to postpone five
\npreviously scheduled trips to one of Indonesia's closest
\nneighbors.<\/p>\n
Many in Indonesia continue to raise apprehensions about
\nAustralia and its possible support for other secessionist
\nmovements in Indonesia, particularly Irian Jaya, despite
\nCanberra's professed support for Indonesia's territorial
\nintegrity.<\/p>\n
It is difficult to forget that Australia, one of the few
\ncountries who formally recognized the integration of East Timor,
\nsuddenly seemed to change its stance by suggesting the
\npossibility of a ballot in the former Indonesian province.<\/p>\n
But Howard made it clear on Monday that Australia strongly
\nbacks Indonesian sovereignty and that it was time to put the
\ncrisis over East Timor in the past.<\/p>\n
\"I would offer the view that events surrounding East Timor,
\nalthough they caused tension at a political level, did not
\nessentially undermine the strong people to people links that have
\nexisted between Australia and Indonesia over a long period of
\ntime,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Opposition leader Kim Beazley after welcoming Abdurrahman upon
\nhis arrival when asked by journalists on the question of
\nseparatist movement in Irian Jaya also affirmed that he fully
\nsupported Indonesian territorial integrity.<\/p>\n
He stressed that Irian Jaya was very much a part of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Both Howard and Beazley stressed the importance of the visit
\nin mending and elevating ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n
The usual critical Australian press in their editorials and
\ncommentaries also lauded the trip as a significant symbolic step
\nforward, albeit expecting little substantial results during
\nmeetings between the two leaders. (mds)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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