Jakarta regrets approval of visas for Timorese people

JAKARTA (JP): Senior government officials yesterday expressed regret at Canberra's decision to grant visas to 18 East Timorese boat people who fled to Australia after claiming they were being prosecuted by Jakarta.

"We deeply regret the Australian government's position," said Minister of Defense and Security Gen. (ret.) Edi Sudrajat after opening a seminar on "Indonesia's role in United Nation's Peacekeeping".

"It's just really regrettable," he added as quoted by Antara when asked to elaborate further on his comment.

Canberra on Thursday reportedly released the 18 Timorese boat people from a detention center in northwest Australia and granted them visas which allow them to stay in Australia, pending a review of their request for political asylum.

Using a small fishing boat, the East Timorese arrived on the northern shores of Australia two months ago and claimed they were victims of torture at the hands of Indonesia.

Being the closest neighbor, Australia is a popular refuge for opponents of the 1976 integration of East Timor as Indonesia's 27th province.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time called the landing a media ploy staged by the country's detractors "designed to attract international attention and embarrass Indonesia."

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, when queried on the boat people's claim's recently, retorted that "these people are not being persecuted."

Alatas added that Canberra would use the applicable laws in deciding whether to grant asylum and warned that otherwise "we are afraid it will cause trouble later for Australia itself."

Separately yesterday, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung denounced the conduct of the asylum seekers as an unaffectionate act against their own people.

"Their mere departure to Australia shows they do not care for their own nation," he remarked of the 18 East Timorese boat people which includes a five-month-old toddler.

Canberra's decision to grant them visas came two weeks after Indonesia withdrew the nomination of a senior military officer as its next ambassador to Australia.

Jakarta withdrew the nomination of Lt. Gen. H.B.L. Mantiri as the result of an Australian public outcry over comments he reportedly made about the 1991 bloody incident in Dili, capital of East Timor, which pitted demonstrators against security forces.

Meanwhile, legislator Abu Hasan Sazili yesterday called on the Australian government to carefully weigh the current low-ebb in relations between Jakarta and Canberra when it ponders whether to grant political asylum to the 18 East Timorese.

"That situation should be taken under consideration," said the Golkar legislature who sits as vice-chairman of the House of Representative's Commission I on foreign affairs and defense.

He argued that the East Timorese were neither really refugees or political asylum seekers, but were there because of economic factors.

He said the boat people were encouraged by certain elements within Australia who wanted to fracture the good relations between Indonesia and Australia.

East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares separately yesterday noted that the East Timorese boat people were prompted by certain groups to undertake their journey to Australia.

He added that the latest development would have no impact in East Timor. (mds)