Australian ambassador receive NGO members

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)