Soeharto critic may become Aussie envoy<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): One of Australia's candidates for its Indonesian
\nambassadorial post, Miles Kupa, is a harsh critic of President
\nSoeharto, a press report said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Kupa, a former Australian deputy foreign minister on Southeast
\nAsian affairs, is one of \"two or three\" candidates that Canberra
\nhas proposed to replace Alan Taylor whose term of office ended in
\nApril.<\/p>\n
Quoting the Sydney Morning Herald, Antara said that Kupa, who
\nwas posted in Jakarta in 1980, once harshly criticized President
\nSoeharto and his family.<\/p>\n
Under the headline Harsh Critic of Soeharto Our New Man in
\nJakarta, the article written by the Herald's foreign editor David
\nLague said Kupa once wrote confidential reports critical of
\nSoeharto and his relatives.<\/p>\n
One of the reports was titled The Little Big Man, according to
\nthe Herald.<\/p>\n
In one of his reports, Kupa predicted there could be a coup
\nd'etat if the government failed to manage conflicts that arise
\nduring the leadership transition from Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Australian foreign ministry, Kirk Coningham,
\nsaid Canberra has no comment on the Herald article, Antara
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Asked how many candidates there were for Taylor's post,
\nConingham replied \"two or three\". Another candidate is Geoff
\nForrester.<\/p>\n
Last year Indonesia withdrew its ambassadorial candidate to
\nCanberra, Lt. Gen. (retired) HBL Mantiri, after strong Australian
\npublic objection to his remarks on the 1991 bloody incident in
\nDili. (pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soeharto-critic-may-become-aussie-envoy-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}