RI medal of honor for Aussie diplomat

RI medal of honor for Aussie diplomat

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has awarded the Bintang Jaya Utama
medal of honor to Sir Richard C. Kirby, a veteran Australian
diplomat, for meritorious services to this country.

The charge d'affaires at the Indonesian embassy in Canberra,
Zakaria Soemintaatmadja, conferred the medal on Sir Kirby in a
ceremony there on Friday evening.

Sir Kirby was a member of Australia's Commission of Three
States which represented Indonesian interests during the
Indonesian revolution.

The Commission was set up by the United Nations Security
Council in 1947 as part of the efforts to solve the crisis caused
by Dutch colonial aggression against Indonesia.

Other members of the Commission were Paul van Zeeland of
Belgium, who represented the interests of the Netherlands, and
Franc Graham of the United States, who was appointed chairman by
the other two members.

Sir Kirby was one of six foreigners whom Indonesia awarded the
medal in connection with the 50th anniversary of Indonesian
independence, which fell in August.

Zakaria said that the Indonesian people still remembered the
services performed by Sir Kirby. The Commission's decision in its
talks, held aboard the United States war ship Renville, led the
Dutch to recognize Indonesian independence, Zakaria said.

The ship was anchored in Jakarta's harbor Tanjung Priok during
the historic talks.

In 1993, Indonesia awarded the Bintang Jasa Utama to Sir
Thomas Chrichly, who served as Kirby's deputy in the Commission.

Sir Kirby, 91, who was too old to stand, was in a wheel chair
when the medal was conferred upon him. His two daughters and six
granddaughters were also present at the ceremony.

His wife, Lady Hilda Kirby, died in 1993 at the age of 82. Sir
Kirby now lives in Palm Beach, New South Wales, with one of his
daughters, Antara reported from Canberra.

Sir Kirby said in his speech that one of the decisive factors
for Indonesian independence was the determination of
nationalists, such as former president Sukarno, former vice
president Mohammad Hatta, former prime minister Sutan Syahrir,
and leaders Syafruddin Prawiranegara and Haji Agus Salim.

Sir Kirby also said that, although the Dutch steadfastly
refused to recognize Indonesian independence, the republicans'
national flag was there on the American ship.

He said all flags of the United Nations members were placed
there "and, funnily, the Indonesian flag was among them although
this country had not yet become a UN member."

"The Indonesian flag had been smuggled in by republican
people," he added. (tis)