Indonesia circumspect about Olympics commitment

JAKARTA (JP): Officials are taking a wait-and-see view of deteriorating diplomatic relations with Australia before committing to sending a contingent to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Agung Laksono and National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar said Indonesian athletes should not be affected by the political tension over the issue of East Timor and must continue training for the Olympics.

They stressed that training programs were continuing because there was sufficient time to repair tattered ties before the Games open in September next year.

Anti-Australian sentiment has surged since the Indonesian government agreed to accept foreign peacekeepers to quell the violence in East Timor. Some Indonesians believe Canberra, which has been particularly critical of Jakarta's actions in East Timor, has meddled in Indonesian affairs.

Some East Timorese and segments of Indonesian society have also accused Australia of backing proindependence factions, resulting in an overwhelming rejection of Indonesia's offer of autonomy in the Aug. 30 vote.

Agung expressed hope that Australia would take a more congenial attitude toward Indonesia.

"We hope host Australia will be more sympathetic to all participating countries, specially to its neighbor Indonesia."

Agung said that should there be further deteriorating in bilateral relations between Indonesia and Australian, sports officials would have to consider the possibility of skipping the Games.

"We are expecting improvements. If the relationship worsens, we should consider not sending our athletes to Australia. But we don't know yet. We hope we can continue participating in the event. We hope in the future, the political relationship will get better."

He dismissed the possibility of announcing an outright "boycott" of the Olympics.

"We should also appreciate the Indonesian feeling toward our participation in the Olympics, as the athletes represent the Indonesian people."

Wismoyo hoped that both countries could use sport to mend the relationship.

"I think sport can boost friendship among both country," he said.

He said that Indonesia should not isolate itself by withdrawing from the Games.

"It's important for us not to separate ourselves from the world community. We should follow its rules and regulations."

However, if relations completely broke down, he said he would withdraw the country's participation.

"Let's wait for developments. If the situation does not benefit us, we can't push on," he said. (ivy)