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)