Australian ambassador receive NGO members

JAKARTA (JP): Five representatives of NGOs were received by Australian Ambassador Allan Taylor yesterday over the flag- burning incidents, an embassy official said.

Embassy spokesman John Milne told The Jakarta Post that the ambassador reiterated that the Australian government regretted the incidents and understood the sensitivities of Indonesians. However, he said the Australian government would concentrate more on the "strong relationship" that has been constructed between Indonesia and Australia.

Meanwhile, Rasyid Emilly, the group's leader said that they had expressed their views during the meeting with the Australian ambassador.

Four of the five represented NGOs were the Lembaga Pemberdayaan Kecerdasan dan Ketrampilan Masyarakat, Pusat Informasi Lingkungan Indonesia, Lembaga Bina Karya, and Lembaga Swadaya Eksponen 66.

The flag-burning incidents, according to him, were conducted by a small group of Australians with the majority being laborers.

"Labor is very close to communism while Indonesia is an anti- communist country," Rasyid said.

The incidents also involved a group of Fretilin supporters in Australia, who are against the integration of East Timor into Indonesia.

"The two parties' interests met in the flag-burning incidents," Rasyid said.

The ambassador explained that the Australian government is now trying to pass a bill concerning the destruction of foreign nation's tokens of identity, including flags, Rasyid said.(01)