Protests, counter protests at two embassies<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The embassies of Russia and the Netherlands in
\nJakarta became the targets of a series of demonstrations and
\ncounter-demonstrations over East Timor yesterday.<\/p>\n
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night were
\nstill negotiating for the passage out of more than 100 youths who
\nforced their way into the embassies before dawn yesterday.<\/p>\n
Officials of the ministry and the two embassies said not all
\nof the youths were of East Timor origin, although all of them
\nwere protesting against Indonesia's rule in the territory.<\/p>\n
Officials said 58 made it into the Dutch embassy and 47 into
\nthe Russian embassy. Another 19 were arrested as they tried to
\nreach the French embassy compound at about the same time.<\/p>\n
By late afternoon, none of the East Timorese had applied for
\nasylum yet, a request earlier East Timorese who entered foreign
\nembassies in Jakarta have made in the last two months.<\/p>\n
Russian Consul General Feder N. Poselyanov said the youths
\nsimply wanted to make political statements and to meet with UN
\nHuman Rights Commissioner Jose Ayala Lasso who was in town after
\na trip to East Timor.<\/p>\n
Casper Jan Kamp, the resident representative of the UN
\nDevelopment Program (UNDP) met with the demonstrators inside the
\nRussian embassy, but was unavailable for comment afterwards.<\/p>\n
Ayala Lasso left the country last night without seeing the
\nprotesters. His spokesman said he did not have time as he had to
\nrush back to London.<\/p>\n
Earlier media reports suggesting that they were East Timorese
\nseeking asylum, prompted a group of pro-Indonesian government
\nEast Timorese in the afternoon to stage counter-protests outside
\nthe two embassies to show their allegiance to the Indonesian
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
Around 40 of them turned up at the Dutch embassy and 60 at the
\nRussian embassy. The protesters outside the Dutch embassy scaled
\nthe fence but did not try to get in. Instead they hoisted their
\nbanners and sang patriotic Indonesian songs.<\/p>\n
The pro-Indonesian government protesters demanded that the
\nembassies reject any request for asylum, and send those who were
\nhiding in the embassy out. Their demands were not met.<\/p>\n
A protester, 22-year old David Da Costa, said the asylum
\nseekers were \"irresponsible and bringing shame to East Timor.\"<\/p>\n
Even Indonesian officials appeared to be premature in
\nsuggesting that the East Timorese protesters were free to leave
\nthe country if that was what they wanted.<\/p>\n
Agence France Presse reported that an obscure group calling
\nitself the People's Democratic Union claimed responsibility for
\nthe anti-government protest. In a statement, it said that it was
\nstaging the demonstrations to draw international attention to
\nEast Timor and the political conditions in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The demonstrations also come at a time when anti-Indonesian
\ngovernment East Timorese marked the 20 years since Indonesian
\ntroops went to East Timor. Indonesia has insisted that the troops
\nwere sent in response to calls for intervention from various East
\nTimorese factions who were locked in a fierce civil war
\nimmediately after the Portuguese colonial administration pulled
\nout of the territory. The anti-Indonesian government elements
\ncall it an \"invasion\".<\/p>\n
Foreign press reports said that anti-Indonesian government
\nprotests were held simultaneously yesterday in various cities in
\nAustralia, New Zealand and the Philippines. In some of the
\nprotests, Indonesian national flags were burned, according to AFP
\nand Reuters.<\/p>\n
The Dutch embassy in Jakarta canceled virtually all activities
\nyesterday because of the incident and the tension it has created.<\/p>\n
An exhibition at the Erasmus Huis adjacent to the embassy was
\nclosed until further notice. (01)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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