Soeharto sends condolences on Princess Diana's death

NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): President Soeharto sent his condolences yesterday to Britain on the death of Princess Diana who died in a traffic accident in Paris.

According to Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono the condolence message was sent to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"The President sent a cable to the PM this morning, in which he expressed his condolence on the tragic death of Princess Diana," Moerdiono said shortly after accompanying Soeharto who opened a meeting of the ASEAN Internal Parliament Organization on the holiday resort island.

Soeharto met with Diana and then-husband Prince Charles when the couple visited Indonesia in 1989.

Diana with her companion Dodi Al Fayed died in a car accident in Paris on Sunday. The driver of the car apparently lost control of the car as they were trying to evade pursuing paparazzi.

The driver was also killed, but a bodyguard survived and remains hospitalized.

In Jakarta, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas also expressed sorrow at Diana's death saying the world had lost a great campaigner in the fight against arms proliferation.

Diana was known as an advocate for the banning of land mines. She died on the eve of a conference in Oslo in which 100 countries were to seek an agreement on a ban of antipersonnel mines.

Britain's ambassador to Jakarta, Robin Christopher, said he was greatly shocked by the news.

"I believe what has happened is a tragic loss of someone at a young age who had shown great courage and commitment in drawing attention to a series of issues," Christopher said.

The British Embassy on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta, will have a condolence book open for the public to sign at the embassy until Friday. (prb)