IABC regrets deteriorating Indonesia-Australia ties

IABC regrets deteriorating Indonesia-Australia ties

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian-Australia Business Council (IABC)
has called for an end to the deteriorating relations between the
two countries, warning that three decades of hard work was being
undone in just two weeks.

IABC president Sabam Siagian, who was Indonesia's ambassador
to Australia between 1991 to 1995, said in a statement released
on Friday that the council deeply regretted the rapidly cooling
relations.

"What has taken 30 years to build has been almost destroyed
over the past fortnight since the result of the referendum in
East Timor.

"The strategic importance of the bilateral ties seems to have
been overlooked," the statement read.

The once cordial ties between Jakarta and Canberra have
reached one of their lowest points in history, with both
governments suspending or revoking various defense arrangements.

The two countries have witnessed a wave of public outcry
against each other as a result of the East Timor debacle,
straining the relationship further.

Sabam noted that anti-Australian protests were no longer
confined to protests outside Australian government offices. He
warned that if such sentiments continued to rise, "the personnel
safety of thousands of Australian residents in Indonesia cannot
be guaranteed".

"Businesses and private institutions have experienced bomb
threats and intimidating telephone calls. There have also been
reported cases of personal harassment, though some of these are
difficult to verify."

Sabam emphasized that the tragic events and atrocities in East
Timor were "not condoned by the vast majority of Indonesian
people".

He also said that the "actions of the Australian unions do not
necessarily represent the view of the Australian community".

He urging both countries to take a long-term view of the
importance of the relationship.

"Trade bans between Indonesia and Australia will do nothing to
help East Timor. Such sanctions would only harm both innocent
Indonesians and Australian individuals and companies," Sabam
said.

Protests

Separately, Satjipto Rahardjo of the National Commission on
Human Rights, predicted that the UN forces would face
difficulties in East Timor.

"The UN must consider the emotional feeling of prointegration
militias who are part of the East Timor people. This is hard with
Australia leading the force," said the members of the National
Commission of Human Rights.

He said conflicts were likely to emerge if the UN forces were
not welcomed by the East Timorese.

Protests rejecting Australia's inclusion in the UN
peacekeeping force bound for East Timor continued on Friday.

About 100 students from Agustus 17 University in Semarang,
Central Java, who marched on Friday to their local council
building, expressed their opposition to Australia's role in
recent weeks concerning East Timor.

"Australia clearly has political interests in East Timor. They
are part of an international conspiracy to separate East Timor
from Indonesia," shouted one protester.

The group also called on all Indonesians to oppose the
presence of foreign troops.

"Members of the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET)
must be dragged to the international court because they are
clearly siding with the proindependence group," said group
coordinator Agus Fuadi.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Democrat Movement in a press
statement called on Friday for Asian troops grouped in the UN
peacekeeping force to defy Australia's leadership to save them
from involvement in a senseless battle.

"This is for the sake of ASEAN friendship," the group said.

The group also pledged to form a "Brigade Nusantara", a
national defense group which would prevent foreign troops from
possible operations in parts of the country close to East Timor.

Also yesterday, Golkar Party urged the government to freeze
the relations with Australia in a protest against the country's
meddling with Indonesia's internal affairs.

The party chairman Akbar Tandjung conveyed the protest to
Australian Ambassador John McCarthy who visited the party office
in Slipi, West Jakarta, on Friday afternoon.

"Golkar urges the government to take a firm stand to prove
that Indonesia does not like an interference in its domestic
affairs," Akbar said as quoted by Antara.(45/yac/har/edt)