Ottawa-Jakarta diplomatic rift is over: Ali Alatas
Ottawa-Jakarta diplomatic rift is over: Ali Alatas
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Ministers of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas yesterday said the mild diplomatic rift between Jakarta and Ottawa was over and that the accusations thrown by an East Timorese dissident in Canada were groundless.
"Well, I do think that it has cooled down," he said when asked about a recent exchange of diplomatic notes between the two governments over an incident in East Timor.
Newly appointed Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Lloyd Axworthy, earlier this month issued a diplomatic note protesting against the visit by Indonesia's ambassador in Ottawa Benjamin Parwoto to the mother of an Timorese dissident on Jan. 20 in Dili, East Timor.
Axworthy said Parwoto visit had "intimidated" Theresa Galhos and put pressure on her daughter, Isabel, to stop her anti- Indonesian activities in Canada.
Isabel Galhos is a former exchange student who has now become a Canadian citizen.
Indonesia promptly denied Ottawa's accusations and summoned Canadian Ambassador Lawrence T. Dickerson to hand over a verbal note expressing Jakarta's deep regret at Ottawa's actions.
Jakarta warned that it was concerned with the activities of "certain parties" in Canada which could disrupt relations between the two countries.
"We have called in the Canadian Ambassador and explained that what is being reported in the news by Isabel is untrue. It is not based on any facts," Alatas said.
Ottawa has been a staunch critic of Indonesia's policy in East Timor. Following the Nov. 12, 1991 incident in Dili in which several demonstrators were killed in a clash with security forces, Ottawa was one of the first to freeze its aid to Indonesia.
Alatas said Isabel's accusations were possibly an attempt to disgrace Indonesia.
"She is probably just looking for a bit of sensationalism in an attempt to incite anti-Indonesian sentiment," Alatas remarked.
Despite leading a successful business trip to Indonesia in January, Prime Minister Jean Chretien received much flak at home for his "business as usual" approach, in light of the human rights allegations directed against Jakarta. (mds)