Students demonstrate at two embassies over flag burning
JAKARTA (JP): More than 80 youths staged demonstrations yesterday at the embassies of Australia and the Philippines, protesting against flag burning incidents which reportedly occurred in those countries during the celebration of Indonesia's 50th independence anniversary.
About 60 angry youths, some wearing their organizations' uniforms, tore, kicked and burned two Australian flags in front of the Australian embassy.
Others sang Indonesia's national anthem and carried banners saying "Burning means War," "Don't tarnish our dignity," and "Mr. Ambassador go home."
Indonesian flags were reportedly again burned by Australian demonstrators in Darwin on Wednesday.
One protester tried to climb the embassy's flagpole but was prevented by his colleagues.
Anti-riot police and military officers watched the noisy protest at the Australian embassy but they did not intervene. Police blocked the street in front of the embassy.
The protesters represented 15 youth organizations, including the Indonesian Youth Committee and the Organization of Children of Retired ABRI Members.
"We want the Australian government to take action against those who have burned the Indonesian flags, otherwise we will urge the Indonesian government to reconsider the Indonesia- Australia relationship," Tubagus Haryono, leader of the youth committee, said.
According to him, flag burning means heart burning, "We very much regret the incident. In addition to that, it happened during the celebration of 50th anniversary of Indonesia's independence," he said.
The four representatives failed to meet with the Australian ambassador, Alan Taylor. They refused to meet with the deputy- ambassador.
The Australian ambassador would be willing to meet the protesters next Monday, Tubagus said.
Philippine embassy
At the Philippine embassy another 25 youths from Jakarta, Bogor and South Sumatra, who called themselves the Youth Committee of the Red and White Defenders, staged a more peaceful protest later in the afternoon.
They sang the Indonesian national anthem and read poems. Some hung out banners, declaring "Philippines, what do you know?" and "East Timor protest, OK, Flag burning, NO", on the embassy's fences.
They urged the Philippine government to apologize over the flag burning incident and to respect the rights of the Moro people to determine their own fate as an independent nation.
The Philippine press reported yesterday that a group of pro- East Timor protesters burned the Indonesian flag in front of the Indonesian embassy in Manila, beat an Indonesia official and threw rotten eggs at the office. They urged the Indonesian government to get out of East Timor.
"If they (the Philippines' protesters) urge Indonesia to get out from East Timor, we also urge the Philippines to get out of Moro," a protester, Asep, said.
"We regret the incident, considering how good relations between Indonesia and the Philippines are," Asep said.
Four representatives were received by Philippine Ambassador Eusubio Abaquin.
According to Asep, the ambassador promised to investigate the Manila incident.
"I told the ambassador that this first protest will be followed by others because we will be waiting for word of developments from the embassy," Asep said.
About ten police officers watched but did not intervene in the protest.
Separately, when confronted by reporters, Australian Ambassador Allan Taylor refused to comment on the incident, saying he was busy that afternoon and thus could not meet with the demonstrators.
"I was out on an Australian ship this afternoon," he said.
He added that an officer from the Australian embassy received the petition from the demonstrators and that it would be forwarded accordingly. (mds/01)