East Timorose demonstrators back to campus<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The 36 East Timorese demonstrators who were
\nprevented by police from joining their comrades in raiding the
\ngrounds of the American embassy on Nov. 12 have returned to their
\nrespective schools and resumed their studies.<\/p>\n
Their return was confirmed by the foreign ministry's director
\nof information, Irawan Abidin, yesterday when he said that they
\nhave been returned safely to their towns of resident.<\/p>\n
Irawan denied allegations that the students had been
\npersecuted upon their return, saying that they were merely
\nquestioned by local police upon their arrival.<\/p>\n
Refuting claims that the 36 students had disappeared after
\nbeing apprehended by authorities in Jakarta on Nov. 12, the
\nforeign ministry in a statement noted that the students'
\nwhereabouts had been confirmed by the International Committee of
\nthe Red Cross.<\/p>\n
The 36 students were arrested by police officers upon their
\narrival in Jakarta before they could join 29 other East Timorese
\nstudents occupying the United States embassy located at Jl.
\nMerdeka Selatan.<\/p>\n
The 29 students, occupying the embassy grounds, scaled the
\ncompound gates demanding to meet either U.S. President Bill
\nClinton or Secretary of State Warren Christopher who were here
\nfor the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.<\/p>\n
Their demands were not met and it was not until they received
\nasylum to Portugal 12-days later did they leave.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas stated at the time that
\nthe embassy \"invasion\" was nothing more than a publicity stunt to
\nattract attention away from the APEC meetings going on.<\/p>\n
The 36 students who tried to join the protest that day were
\nrounded up by the police and sent to Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Upon their arrival in the provincial capital of East Java, the
\nstudents were interviewed and the next day were sent to Malang,
\nKediri and Jember.<\/p>\n
According to the foreign ministry statement, 21 are registered
\nat educational institutions in Malang, six in Kediri and seven at
\nthe University of Jember.<\/p>\n
It turned out later that one resides in Bali and another is a
\nresident of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Irawan Abidin said the investigation concluded that a third
\nparty had incited the students and that it was not the initiative
\nof the students themselves.<\/p>\n
\"The case is all clear now,\" Irawan told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The foreign ministry stated that \"many of these students
\nadmitted that at the time of the U.S. embassy incident, they did
\nnot know what was really happening.\"<\/p>\n
It further states that \"there are about 400 East Timorese
\nstudents studying in Malang, Jember and Kediri and most of them
\ndid not support the actions of their colleagues who had broken
\ninto the U.S. embassy.\" (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timorose-demonstrators-back-to-campus-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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