East Timorose demonstrators back to campus
JAKARTA (JP): The 36 East Timorese demonstrators who were prevented by police from joining their comrades in raiding the grounds of the American embassy on Nov. 12 have returned to their respective schools and resumed their studies.
Their return was confirmed by the foreign ministry's director of information, Irawan Abidin, yesterday when he said that they have been returned safely to their towns of resident.
Irawan denied allegations that the students had been persecuted upon their return, saying that they were merely questioned by local police upon their arrival.
Refuting claims that the 36 students had disappeared after being apprehended by authorities in Jakarta on Nov. 12, the foreign ministry in a statement noted that the students' whereabouts had been confirmed by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The 36 students were arrested by police officers upon their arrival in Jakarta before they could join 29 other East Timorese students occupying the United States embassy located at Jl. Merdeka Selatan.
The 29 students, occupying the embassy grounds, scaled the compound gates demanding to meet either U.S. President Bill Clinton or Secretary of State Warren Christopher who were here for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.
Their demands were not met and it was not until they received asylum to Portugal 12-days later did they leave.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas stated at the time that the embassy "invasion" was nothing more than a publicity stunt to attract attention away from the APEC meetings going on.
The 36 students who tried to join the protest that day were rounded up by the police and sent to Surabaya.
Upon their arrival in the provincial capital of East Java, the students were interviewed and the next day were sent to Malang, Kediri and Jember.
According to the foreign ministry statement, 21 are registered at educational institutions in Malang, six in Kediri and seven at the University of Jember.
It turned out later that one resides in Bali and another is a resident of Jakarta.
Irawan Abidin said the investigation concluded that a third party had incited the students and that it was not the initiative of the students themselves.
"The case is all clear now," Irawan told The Jakarta Post.
The foreign ministry stated that "many of these students admitted that at the time of the U.S. embassy incident, they did not know what was really happening."
It further states that "there are about 400 East Timorese students studying in Malang, Jember and Kediri and most of them did not support the actions of their colleagues who had broken into the U.S. embassy." (mds)