Howard says diplomatic ties won't be broken

Howard says diplomatic ties won't be broken

CANBERRA (Agencies): Indonesia is unlikely to cut diplomatic ties with Australia, despite months of tension over the East Timor crisis, Prime Minister John Howard said on Tuesday.

"I don't believe diplomatic relations will be broken," Howard told the Nine Network. "I hope they won't be," he added.

"There's no need because we have no long-term quarrel with the people of Indonesia.

"We have been a good friend of Indonesia's over the years, not an uncritical friend but a good friend and I don't think the sensible people of Jakarta, from the president down, want relations broken," he said.

Australian-Indonesian relations have plunged to an all-time low in recent months.

Australia is leading the multinational force in East Timor to restore peace after violence broke out following the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot.

"Relations would not be helped by people talking about breaking ties and I would say to those who are advocating it that that's not in the interests of Indonesia.

"We have to live next to each other on a basis of mutual respect. The relationship has got to be realistic.

"You can't invest too much in it but you shouldn't put it lightly aside and I think people who talk about breaking the relationship are really advocating it," he remarked.

However Howard neglected to note that it was his owns stinging remarks, including a statement that there is no special relationship between Jakarta and Canberra, along with Australia's suspension of defense ties with Indonesia which initially brought fuel to the fire.

Howard has encountered intense criticism abroad and at home for his apparent "opportunism" in the East Timor affair.

Spat

A heated spat broke out on Tuesday between Prime Minister John Howard and his predecessor, Paul Keating, over Australia's handling of the East Timor crisis.

Keating said Howard's high-profile international lobbying for an East Timor independence vote and failure to quickly send peacekeepers after the violence erupted was Australia's "biggest foreign policy disaster since the Vietnam War," which Australia entered on the United States' side.

Keating, who carefully nurtured good relations with Indonesia during his time in office, accused Howard of "political opportunism" and attempting to score domestic political points with his foreign policy.

Former Labor Party leader Keating said Howard had played a crucial role in the crisis by lobbying Indonesian President B.J. Habibie to grant East Timor autonomy.

Howard angrily rejected Keating's accusations.

"The militias are responsible for what has happened in East Timor," he told Melbourne radio station 3AW.

"The policy the (Australian) government has followed was the only policy that could have been followed by any self-respecting country," Howard said.

In Jakarta, Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas firmly blamed Australia four the souring relations, but stressed that both sides have many common interests to build on the future.

Alatas firmly blamed Canberra for the souring in relations.

"All recognize that relations between Indonesia and Australia are at a low point, because some of the behavior of Australia has caused demonstrations and has been damaging, and also because exaggerated statements by Australian officials have fueled the situation," Alatas said.

"In my opinion, it's better we have a cooling down for a temporary period and then we will see how things develop."

"(But) Both parties also have an interest in continuing the relationship. At the moment, the relation is at a low point," Alatas added.

Meanwhile from Washington, the United States State Department late Monday urged American citizens to defer non-emergency travel to Indonesia, citing both anti-Western demonstrations and unrest against the regime of President B.J. Habibie.

"All American citizens who must travel to Indonesia at this time should be aware of their surroundings and use common sense," the warning said as reported by AFP.

"Those who do travel to Indonesia should exercise extreme caution."