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)