Australia drops nomination of envoy to RI

JAKARTA (Agencies): Australia yesterday dropped the nomination of senior diplomat Miles Kupa as its ambassador to Indonesia following media disclosure that he once wrote a report highly critical of President Soeharto.

A spokesman for Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the move was made at Kupa's own request, AFP reported.

Earlier, before Canberra announced the move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas suggested that Australia reconsider Kupa's nomination in view of the revelations.

"If what the Australian press reports are true, that the ambassador nominee had written negative reports, then it would be better if the Australian government reconsider whether he would be effective for the position," Alatas said at Merdeka Palace.

Report

Kupa wrote the internal report in 1988 for then foreign minister Gareth Evans while serving as deputy ambassador to Indonesia. The article, which was leaked to the Australian press, harshly criticized President Soeharto and his leadership.

Kupa had been mentioned as one of several candidates to replace Ambassador Allan Taylor.

Indonesia's former ambassador to Australia, Sabam Siagian, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that most Australian business leaders felt relieved with Canberra's decision.

"It's really a cynical move to nominate a candidate who does not reflect the integrity of bilateral relations between Jakarta and Canberra," Sabam said in telephone interview from Canberra where he was attending a meeting of the Indonesia-Australia Business Council which he chairs.

Chairman of the Australia-Indonesia Institute, Richard Woolcott said with Kupa's withdrawal, Ambassador Taylor will have to extend his stay in Jakarta until Canberra puts forward a new candidate.

The Sydney Morning Herald early this week said Kupa had been in Canberra this past week to receive briefings on his new assignment in Jakarta. Minister Downer however refuted the claim and said that nothing had been decided yet.

Yesterday, before news of Canberra's decision to drop Kupa's nomination broke, Alatas said the process of selecting the Australian ambassador was continuing.

Indonesia was forced to withdraw the appointment of Lt. Gen. H.B.L. Mantiri as ambassador in Canberra in July last year, although his appointment had actually already been confirmed by Australia. Mantiri's appointment was foiled by the Australian media which dug out remarks he had made in 1992 to the press condoning the military's behavior in a bloody incident in Dili, East Timor, in 1991.

The Mantiri controversy eventually forced the Australian government to ask Indonesia to reconsider the appointment. His place was later filled by senior diplomat Wirjono Sastroandojo. (emb)