Students demonstrate at embassy over flag burning

JAKARTA (JP): A group of students staged a demonstration at the Australian Embassy yesterday to protest reports of an Indonesian flag being burned in Australia two weeks ago.

The students, who belonged to the New Indonesian Paramilitary Youth, the Forum for Democracy in Indonesia, and Students for Solidarity and Democracy in Indonesia, demanded to meet the Australian ambassador Allan Taylor and insisted on an apology from Australia.

"The Australian government has to apology before Aug. 17, otherwise we will organize all the people to protest at the embassy," warned Ananta from the New Indonesian Paramilitary Youth.

The demonstrators burnt banners declaring "Go to hell Australia", "Australia colonizes Aborigines" and "Kick out the Australian ambassador".

About 20 police officers and soldiers kept watch over the demonstration but did not intervene.

A spokesman for the Australian embassy, John Milne, told The Jakarta Post that the demonstrators demanded to meet the ambassador with the press present, while the ambassador wanted to meet the press after he met the protesters.

"They left before we came to an agreement," Milne said.

A group of demonstrators in Melbourne reportedly burned an Indonesian flag earlier this month. The Australian demonstrators opposed Indonesia's participation in an international military exercise code named Kangaroo 1995.

The alleged action sparked outrage in Indonesia, where people called for an apology from Canberra.

Jakarta sent an official protest note to Canberra on Aug. 3 and summoned Taylor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to register its displeasure.

"We regret the flag burning, but in Australia such an action is not against the law," said John Milne, adding that the embassy was ready to talk about this matter with the angry students. (01)