Alatas criticizes U.S. team's visit to RI over Riady

Alatas criticizes U.S. team's visit to RI over Riady

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian foreign minister Ali Alatas has
brushed off reports that a team from the U.S. is to come here to
investigate alleged illegal foreign campaign donations, saying it
would be better to conduct an inquiry in America rather than come
all the way to Indonesia.

"The Indonesian government has no connection whatsoever with
this matter," Alatas told journalists at a breaking-of-the-fast
dinner Wednesday night.

Alatas said there was no reason for the team to talk to the
Indonesian government over the matter.

"What for?" replied Alatas when asked whether Jakarta would be
willing to meet with the team. "We (the government) have nothing
to do with it."

Recent news reports said a Senate committee had approved the
formation of a team to travel to several countries to investigate
the donations made to the Democratic Party.

The report in USA Today said the team would be visiting the
donors' country of origin, including Indonesia. Other countries
listed were China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Hong
Kong, India, Russia and Mexico.

The report also said the team would be authorized to request
meetings and talk with government officials during their
investigation.

Indonesian James Riady of the Lippo Group conglomerate has
contributed several hundred thousand dollars to Clinton campaigns
since the U.S. president was governor of Arkansas.

Republicans strongly attacked these donations during last
year's presidential election, arguing that foreigners were able
to use them to gain influence with the president.

The Indonesian government has categorically denied having
anything to do with these donations.

Alatas reiterated Wednesday the government's position: "This
whole thing about Riady is his own personal affair. So don't
involve the Indonesian government."

Alatas, who had returned from an economic conference in
Switzerland the previous day, said he was not aware of the Senate
investigation team.

However he remarked that given the very personal nature of the
case there was no reason to come here and discuss it with
government officials.

"In fact if they want to investigate it they should do it in
America where they allow those things to take place, not
Indonesia," he said.

Horta

Responding to questions from journalists, Alatas also laughed
off statements by Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta that he would
form an East Timor shadow government.

"We don't think it's anything more than a big joke," Alatas
quipped.

"Who's going to pay attention to a shadow government from
someone like Ramos Horta," he said.

The East Timor separatist leader has been selling his idea of
creating a shadow government since receiving the Nobel Peace
Prize in December last year.

The shadow government, according to Horta, would consist of
Timorese currently living both in the country and abroad.

However as reported by Antara here yesterday many of those
supposedly included in the shadow government claimed they had no
knowledge of it and actually condemned the plan.

Among the notable figures included are Indonesia's ambassador-
at-large for East Timor affairs F.X. Lopes da Cruz and
Indonesia's Ambassador to Rumania and former governor of East
Timor Maria Viegas Carrascalao.

Separately in Canberra Wednesday, Horta urged Australia to
press for an end to the continuing conflict in East Timor by
proposing measures such as a permanent United Nations presence in
the territory.

As reported by AFP, he told the National Press Club that East
Timor's future must be determined by a UN-supervised referendum
of the people, suggesting Jakarta allow talks mediated by a third
party away from the international spotlight of the UN.

Indonesia integrated the former Portuguese colony of East
Timor in 1976. However the UN still recognizes Lisbon as the
administrating authority there.

Horta said his movement was grateful that Australia had
consistently raised the issue of East Timor with the Indonesian
government.

"But please, they must bear in mind that the problem of East
Timor is not one of Band-Aid diplomacy, that is you address only
human rights problems."

He appealed to Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer to
talk to the United States and the European Union in consultation
with Portugal about concerted action to persuade Indonesia it was
in its best interests to disengage from the territory. (mds)