Indonesia demands explanation for covert Australian flights

Indonesia demands explanation for covert Australian flights

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has sent a
diplomatic note demanding Canberra explain the existence of
illicit flights made by Australian airplanes entering Indonesian
airspace over the Maluku Islands.

The note, dated Nov. 15, was delivered to the Australian
Embassy last week. It asserted that the two incidents, which
occurred in November was a clear violation of international law
and undermined Indonesia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Without suggesting that the flights may have been spying on
events in the restive area, the Indonesian government demanded a
clear explanation from Canberra on the activities and purpose of
the unauthorized Australian flights over Indonesian airspace.

According to Antara the first flight was detected above North
and South Maluku on Nov. 19 at around 5:45 p.m. by the Patimura
Air Base.

The Australian plane was detected flying over the area every
few hours until the morning of Nov. 20 at an altitude of about
10,000 feet.

Another incident occurred later on the afternoon of Nov. 20 at
1:45 p.m. when an Australian Air Force C-130 with a call sign of
"Ausy-1020" flew at an altitude of 5,000 feet over North Maluku.

The plane did not inform its purpose or flight path and was
not given flight clearance by Indonesian authorities.

The two incidents occurred just weeks after Australian troops
began arriving in East Timor as part of a multinational force.

Maluku has been the scene of violent sectarian clashes for
over a year, claiming the lives of 2,000 people.

This is not the first time that Australia has been accused of
sneaking into Indonesian airspace.

Military and Defense officials have previously charged that
Indonesia has seen increased violations of its airspace by
foreign forces, who are not Indonesia's southeast Asian
neighbors.

In November, Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono told
legislators that Indonesian radar had detected air space
violations in North Sumatra and "it was not conducted by
Singapore military aircraft."

"As you know the North Sumatra area is within range of planes
from Butterworth Air Force base in Malaysia, which is used by the
British and Australian air forces," Juwono said.

"It is also within range of planes from mobile air bases in
the Indian Ocean and Orion type maritime patrol planes from
Australia," he said.

The accusations come at a time when diplomatic ties between
Jakarta and Canberra are at a prickly stage due to the East Timor
debacle. (mds)