UNTAET staff want vacation in Bali<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Go to East Timor and have a vacation in Bali.<\/p>\n
That looks to be the arrangement for United Nations Authority
\nfor East Timor (UNTAET) staff in the near future.<\/p>\n
UNTAET has asked the Indonesian government to accord them
\nfacilities to allow their staff some recreation on the famous
\nholiday resort island.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab revealed on Tuesday
\nthat an UNTAET delegation on Monday had directly asked President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid for vacation facilities.<\/p>\n
\"The possibility for recreation in Bali was also discussed by
\nthe UNTAET leader during the meeting,\" Alwi told reporters on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Alwi said the government would further discuss the matter with
\nrelevant government agencies.<\/p>\n
The government understood that the staff, who had been working
\nin a risky area for months, certainly needed a vacation, he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
There was no explanation why Bali was specifically requested
\nand not other resort destinations in the country.<\/p>\n
Alwi played down concerns of possible resentment toward
\nseveral UNTAET staff, particularly those from Australia if they
\ncavorted about the country.<\/p>\n
He also reminded everyone that UNTAET was comprised of not
\njust Australians.<\/p>\n
\"There are also Malaysians, Thais, Filipinos and Jordanian
\ncitizens who need a break,\" he argued while describing them as
\nsome of Indonesia's friends, participating in UNTAET.<\/p>\n
Relations between Jakarta and Canberra have severely
\ndeteriorated following what many here perceive as Australia's
\ninsensitive and overzealous attitudes toward East Timor.<\/p>\n
According to Alwi, Jakarta had not yet given the green light
\nto the Bali vacation proposition.<\/p>\n
\"This is still a proposal, not necessarily 100 percent
\naccepted, maybe just 50 percent. We have to think about it later
\non,\" he said. (prb\/04)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/untaet-staff-want-vacation-in-bali-1447893297",
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