Students besiege Australian mission

Students besiege Australian mission

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Students laid seige to the honorary
Australian consulate here for the third straight day on Sunday.

The students, grouped in Muhammadiyah Students Association,
camped in front of the consulate on Jl. Kartini, blocking all
access to the building.

They demanded that all Australian troops grouped in the
International Force for East Timor be withdrawn.

"We demand an answer from prime minister Howard through the
Australian consul," Misran, the protest organizer, said.

However, the consulate was empty on Sunday and students said
that the honorary consul, Fraser John Cargill, had fled the
scene.

"It's empty, there's only the security guard. These means that
we have occupied the building. Even the Australian flag is no
longer flying and has been replaced with an Indonesian flag,"
Misran said enthusiastically. (39)