Attempted attack on McCarthy deplored
Attempted attack on McCarthy deplored
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid expressed regret on Wednesday over the attempted attack by East Timorese refugees on Australia's outgoing ambassador to Jakarta John McCarthy.
"The President deplores the incident in Makassar, which has tarnished Indonesia's image and spoiled McCarthy's last days in office," presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said, quoted by the detikcom news portal.
McCarthy is about to end his tenure as ambassador after more than three years in the post.
Some 20 East Timorese tried to attack McCarthy as he attended the opening ceremony of an Australian insurance company, Mutual Life Citizens (MLC), on Tuesday.
The refugees were part of 250,000 East Timorese who fled violence that ravaged their homeland days after people in the territory voted for independence last year.
Tuesday's assault attempt came 24 hours after Australian newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the ambassador as suggesting that former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret.) Wiranto had prior knowledge of the impending destruction in East Timor.
Wiranto, who visited Makassar to promote his musical album on Monday, dismissed the allegations.
Wimar said Gus Dur, as the President is called, was convinced the incident would not change McCarthy's "appreciation" of the country.
"McCarthy has been on good terms personally with the President and other officials," Wimar said.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard Wednesday described the attack by the mob opposed to Australia's role in overseeing East Timor's transition to independence as "regrettable and unacceptable."
But he said the relationship between Canberra and Jakarta was improving, despite a rift caused by Australia's support for East Timorese independence.
"I am pleased to note that the Indonesian government is apologizing for the incident. I welcome that," Howard said as quoted by AFP.
McCarthy also played down the incident.
"They tried to get into the compound where I and the people I was with were standing," he said.
"Nobody actually tried to attack me but there was some minor violence.
"There were three Australians there besides myself. None suffered any injuries. One suffered a kick and the other a punch."
Relations between the two countries took another blow when some Indonesian officials and politicians accused Australia of supporting the rising separatism in the remote province of Irian Jaya.
In Makassar, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb said police had questioned four staff members of the MLC insurance company in connection with the incident.
Sofjan added no arrests had been made, including on the East Timorese refugees.
"How could we make an arrest if Ambassador McCarthy took the incident lightly and told us he had no plan to claim losses or injuries," Sofjan said, adding that police contacted the ambassador on Monday evening.
Sofjan said he had also reprimanded the organizers of the function for failing to notify the police of the presence of a VIP beforehand.
While joining the chorus of regrets, chief of State Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Bakin) Lt. Gen. (ret.) Arie J. Kumaat said the incident should give foreign diplomats a lesson that understanding people's emotional and psychological condition is crucial. (27/edt)