Vice President Try Sutrisno in Canberra to boost ties

Vice President Try Sutrisno in Canberra to boost ties

JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Try Sutrisno and three cabinet
ministers arrived in Sydney yesterday, marking the highest
ranking visit by an Indonesian official to Australia in nearly
two decades.

The vice president and his entourage touched down at
Kingsford-Smith airport late yesterday afternoon to kick-off a
three day working visit accompanied by Minister of Defense Edi
Sudradjat, Minister of Industry Tunky Ariwibowo and Minister of
Transmigration Siswono Yudohusodo, Antara reported from Sydney.

Upon his arrival, Try spent the day in Sydney before traveling
to the capital city of Canberra today to begin talks with
Minister of Foreign Affairs Gareth Evans and Governor General
Bill Hayden.

Try is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Paul Keating on
Friday.

This is Try's second visit to Australia, the first being in
1989 when he was Commander of the Armed Forces.

Despite Premier Keating's three visits to Jakarta in recent
years, the highest ranking Indonesian official to visit Australia
was President Soeharto in 1975.

Arriving amid tight security, Try's arrival was not met with
the protests previously anticipated. The Australian government
just days before said there would be "appropriate security" to
counter the expected wave of protests.

In Canberra, however, over 100 demonstrators gathered in front
of the Indonesian embassy to express their discontent at the
visit.

As reported by AFP, the demonstrators burned an Indonesian
flag in front of the embassy before marching in front of the
parliament house to denounce the Australian governments role in
Try's arrival.

Though relations between Australia and Indonesia continue to
blossom, the East Timor issue remains a thorn in bilateral
relations between the two neighboring countries.

Despite Australia's acknowledgement of East Timor's
integration into the Republic, as recently as last month Gareth
Evans was still calling for greater autonomy and a relaxing of
the military reign in Indonesia's youngest province.

Try's involvement with the East Timor issue is rather
audacious since he was Commander of the Armed Forces during the
1991 Dili incident in which security forces clashed with
demonstrators causing the death of over 50 people.(mds)