Protests, counter protests at two embassies
Protests, counter protests at two embassies
JAKARTA (JP): The embassies of Russia and the Netherlands in Jakarta became the targets of a series of demonstrations and counter-demonstrations over East Timor yesterday.
Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night were still negotiating for the passage out of more than 100 youths who forced their way into the embassies before dawn yesterday.
Officials of the ministry and the two embassies said not all of the youths were of East Timor origin, although all of them were protesting against Indonesia's rule in the territory.
Officials said 58 made it into the Dutch embassy and 47 into the Russian embassy. Another 19 were arrested as they tried to reach the French embassy compound at about the same time.
By late afternoon, none of the East Timorese had applied for asylum yet, a request earlier East Timorese who entered foreign embassies in Jakarta have made in the last two months.
Russian Consul General Feder N. Poselyanov said the youths simply wanted to make political statements and to meet with UN Human Rights Commissioner Jose Ayala Lasso who was in town after a trip to East Timor.
Casper Jan Kamp, the resident representative of the UN Development Program (UNDP) met with the demonstrators inside the Russian embassy, but was unavailable for comment afterwards.
Ayala Lasso left the country last night without seeing the protesters. His spokesman said he did not have time as he had to rush back to London.
Earlier media reports suggesting that they were East Timorese seeking asylum, prompted a group of pro-Indonesian government East Timorese in the afternoon to stage counter-protests outside the two embassies to show their allegiance to the Indonesian government.
Around 40 of them turned up at the Dutch embassy and 60 at the Russian embassy. The protesters outside the Dutch embassy scaled the fence but did not try to get in. Instead they hoisted their banners and sang patriotic Indonesian songs.
The pro-Indonesian government protesters demanded that the embassies reject any request for asylum, and send those who were hiding in the embassy out. Their demands were not met.
A protester, 22-year old David Da Costa, said the asylum seekers were "irresponsible and bringing shame to East Timor."
Even Indonesian officials appeared to be premature in suggesting that the East Timorese protesters were free to leave the country if that was what they wanted.
Agence France Presse reported that an obscure group calling itself the People's Democratic Union claimed responsibility for the anti-government protest. In a statement, it said that it was staging the demonstrations to draw international attention to East Timor and the political conditions in Indonesia.
The demonstrations also come at a time when anti-Indonesian government East Timorese marked the 20 years since Indonesian troops went to East Timor. Indonesia has insisted that the troops were sent in response to calls for intervention from various East Timorese factions who were locked in a fierce civil war immediately after the Portuguese colonial administration pulled out of the territory. The anti-Indonesian government elements call it an "invasion".
Foreign press reports said that anti-Indonesian government protests were held simultaneously yesterday in various cities in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. In some of the protests, Indonesian national flags were burned, according to AFP and Reuters.
The Dutch embassy in Jakarta canceled virtually all activities yesterday because of the incident and the tension it has created.
An exhibition at the Erasmus Huis adjacent to the embassy was closed until further notice. (01)