Embassy defends decision not to evacuate citizens

Embassy defends decision not to evacuate citizens

By Santi WE Soekanto

PHNOM PENH (JP): Indonesia's decision not to evacuate some 400
off its citizens when factional fighting broke out early last
month was the most appropriate politically, according to the
Defense Attache at the Indonesian Embassy here.

"There's only one reason that an evacuation should be called
for -- for safety. The safety of Indonesians here was never
threatened," Yuktayana Tjitrawasita said.

Had Jakarta called for an unwarranted evacuation, he said, the
psychological and political impact would have been very damaging
to Indonesia's relations with Cambodia.

Most Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries
evacuated their citizens shortly after fighting broke out between
forces loyal to First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh and
those to Second Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Authorities in Jakarta announced then that it had made
preparations, if an evacuation was necessary. Yuktayana said the
decision not to evacuate was made in full consultation with the
Indonesian Embassy here.

"There's only one higher consideration for evacuation, and
that is the political stance of the government in Jakarta, but
Jakarta consulted us," he said.

Indonesian Embassy spokesman Rusmaldi Dawanie said about 50
Indonesians, mostly women and children, left Cambodia in the
tension that followed the fighting on July 6. "And they used
commercial flights, not the Hercules aircraft that were stationed
in readiness in Jakarta," he said.

Sending home Indonesians, many of them well-paid workers of
some Western companies, would have also involved seeing them home
safely and answering questions about lost jobs and income,
Yuktayana said.

Reports of sporadic fighting still poured in yesterday, mostly
taking place in areas bordering Cambodia and Thailand, such as
Banteay Meanchey.

In Phnom Penh, daily life goes on as usual with various social
and economic activities taking place. The Cambodian National
Assembly also held a meeting yesterday, chaired by acting
chairman Loy Sim Chheang of FUNCINPEC.

Prince Ranariddh left the country on July 4, reportedly on the
advice of one of the generals of his royalist party FUNCINPEC,
Nhiek Bun Chhay.

The next afternoon, the minister of defense from Hun Sen's
Cambodian People's Party (CPP) gathered foreign diplomats and
told them of a "mopping-up operation" planned for July 6, when
the military would confiscate weapons from "unauthorized people".
Expatriates were advised to stay at home.

Fighting broke out during the operation, lasting a whole day,
with many FUNCINPEC legislators and other Ranariddh loyalists
fleeing the capital and the country.

According to Yuktayana, Hun Sen broadcast a televised message
that night saying the operation was completed and that he
guaranteed expatriates' safety.

During the next several days, however, some ASEAN countries
evacuated their citizens, even though Pochentong Airport was
scheduled to be reopened for domestic and international flights
on July 8 and 9 respectively.