Another protest at Australian embassy

JAKARTA (JP): About 20 students held a second demonstration in less than a week outside the Australian embassy yesterday, demanding an apology over a flag-burning incident in Melbourne two weeks ago.

The demonstrators were members of the New Indonesian Youth Legion, which represents six pro-democracy groups, including the Forum for Democracy in Indonesia and Students for Solidarity and Democracy in Indonesia.

Seven veiled women from the Moslem group Nurul Qur'an joined the demonstration and chanted "Allahu akbar" (Allah is great).

Some demonstrators carried placards reading "Gareth Evans, go to hell" and "I will fight for the honor of my flag," while others scaled the embassy fence and hung an Indonesian flag there.

A group of demonstrators in Melbourne reportedly burned an Indonesian flag earlier this month. The Australian demonstrators were expressing opposition to Indonesia's participation in an international military exercise code-named Kangaroo 1995.

About 10 police and security officers kept watch at yesterday's demonstration but did not intervene.

Three representatives of the demonstrators, Ananda, Mamok, and Eko, were received by Australian Ambassador Alan Taylor.

After the meeting, which lasted less than half an hour, the three emerged disappointed that the ambassador had declined their demand for an apology.

"We will be back with more demonstrators," Eko said.

Ambassador Taylor reiterated his government's regret over the incident.

"We very much regret the incident, but in terms of Australian law and practice, the demonstration was quite legal and, despite the upset that we understand it causes, the burning of national flags is not illegal," Taylor told the press after meeting with the protesters' representatives.

Taylor stressed, however, that his government understood the resentment which the burning of the flag had caused, particularly in the week of Indonesia's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Despite of the flag-burning incident and the demonstration, Taylor said he believed that the "very strong" relationship between Indonesia and Australia would continue.

"The relationship is built on a wide range of contacts and investment, trade, educational exchanges, defense exchanges and so on that have been built up over the last few years," he said. (01)