More Timorese reach embassy

More Timorese reach embassy

JAKARTA (JP): Nine East Timorese jumped over the fence of the
Australian embassy on Wednesday evening, the second break-in at
the mission on Jl. Rasuna Said in less than a month.

The Australian Embassy spokeswoman, Joanne Eyre, said
yesterday that the seven men and two women had scaled the embassy
walls at around 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

"When they arrived last night they indicated that they would
like to talk to embassy officials," Eyre said, adding that
discussions were still going on.

She could not say whether the East Timorese had demanded
political asylum as was the case with the earlier break in.

On Jan. 10 two East Timorese women entered the embassy and
asked for political asylum. They left for Lisbon just two days
later.

Although Australia has formally recognized the 1976
integration of the former Portuguese colony with Indonesia, it
has been one of the staunchest critics of Indonesian policies and
human rights abuses in East Timor.

As well as the Australian embassy, the French, Polish and New
Zealand embassies have also been the targets of East Timor asylum
seekers. All 23 of them settled for Lisbon after their initial
request for asylum to the embassy's home country was rejected.

The government has denounced the requests for asylum as
publicity stunts, and as a way of obtaining free tickets to
Portugal. It also said that none of the East Timorese were being
persecuted and that they were all free to leave. (mds)