Indonesia protests release of East Timorese

Indonesia protests release of East Timorese

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian embassy in Canberra is strongly
protesting the Australian government's decision to release 18
illegal East Timorese immigrants from a detention center and for
allowing them to become residents.

The embassy said in a press statement Saturday that Canberra's
decision could jeopardize Indonesian-Australian relations.

The embassy's ad-interim charge d'affairs, Zakaria
Soemintaatmadja, said in the statement that the release of the
asylum seekers was regrettable because the decision was taken
without due court procedures.

Zakaria expressed the Indonesian government's deep regret when
he was summoned by the Australian foreign ministry to be informed
of the asylum seekers' release, Antara reported.

The East Timorese arrived by boat in Darwin in May to seek
political asylum, a move the Indonesian government has questioned
since they were not under any threat at home.

According to Antara, the court in Darwin that examined the
East Timorese shortly after they were detained found no evidence
that they had been physically or mentally hurt.

Some or the asylum seekers claimed that they left their home
territory because they had been abused by the Indonesian Armed
Forces.

Their release was front-page news last week in the Australian
media, which criticized Canberra's decision as being politically
motivated and not very sound legally. They said that the decision
was a move aimed at pressuring the Indonesian government on the
East Timor question.

The Australian newspaper said that the decision could hurt
Indonesia's feelings and lead to more East Timorese people
entering Australia illegally.

Others questioned why the Australian government was so quick
to release the East Timorese and allow them to become residents
while many Indochinese migrants have been waiting for years in
hopes of receiving the same status. (pan)