East Timorese youths protest flag burning
East Timorese youths protest flag burning
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of youths staged a demonstration in front of the Australian embassy yesterday in protest against the burning of the Indonesian flag in Australia last week.
Calling themselves the Committee of East Timor Youth, the demonstrators also protested against what they described as Australian interference in relation to East Timor.
The protesters shouted "long live Indonesia, long live integration". They sang the national anthem, Indonesia Raya (Indonesia the Great), and other patriotic songs, such as Bendera Merah Putih (Read-and-White Flag), Padamu Negeri (For You, the Motherland) and Dari Sabang Sampai Merauke (From Sabang to Merauke).
They waved banners reading "East Timor the 27th province of Indonesia", "Long live integration" and "Ramos Horta is a traitor."
Ramos Horta is the leader of the National Council of the Maubere Resistance, an East Timorese movement opposed to the territory's integration into Indonesia.
According one organizer, Angela, 400 East Timorese youths took part in the demonstration, having come from as far away as Yogyakarta; Semarang, Central Java; Bandung, West Java; and Surabaya and Malang in East Java. She added that the youths had taken part in the demonstration voluntarily.
Police put the number of demonstrators at 200.
About 100 police and military personnel were on alert in streets near the embassy and at the embassy gate.
Regret
Some 20 demonstrators entered the embassy by climbing the fence, despite army and police efforts to push them back. After embassy officials said they were prepared to meet with three representatives of the protesters, the remainder of those who had entered the embassy grounds returned to the street.
Aurico Gutares, Henrico Kontes and Angelio, met with Vice Ambassador Allaster Cox and Counselor of Politics Bassim Blazey.
Gutares told reporters after the meeting that the group had protested against the burning of the Indonesian flag in Australia and had demanded that Australia not interfere in matters regarding East Timor.
Cox said that he regretted the burning of the Indonesian flag and hoped that such incidents would not be repeated, Gutares said.
Canberra would not interfere in East Timor affairs, Gutares quoted Cox as saying.
The demonstration lasted 45 minutes, after which the protesters dispersed.
The Indonesian flag was burned in Australia last week during a demonstration against the 20 years during which East Timor has been part of Indonesia.
East Timor became part of Indonesia on Dec. 7, 1975.
Embassy Spokesman John Milne told The Jakarta Post that the embassy had been concerned about the scaling of the fence by the protesters, who remained within the grounds for about 25 minutes.
"We have orally expressed our concern to the foreign affairs ministry here," Milne said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Ghaffar Fadyl, however, denied that the ministry had received any such expression of concern.
Ghaffar declined to comment on the demonstration. (29/01)