---------------------------------------------------------- FREE for JOIN Indonesia Daily News Online via EMAIL: go to: http://www.indo-news.com/subscribe.html - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - FREE - Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, September 18, 1999 E Timor: Golkar Lodges Protest Against Australian PM's Statements Jakarta, sept 17 (ANTARA)- The Golkar Party central executive board has sent an official protest to Australian Prime Minister John Howard for his statements which have allegedly harmed the honour and prestice of the Indonesian people, and urged the governmnet to freeze the relations between the two countries. The protest has been conveyed by Golkar chief Akbar Tanjung to visiting Australian Ambassador John McCarthy at the party's headquarters at Slipi, Jakarta, Friday afternoon. McCarthy looked stunned when receiving the note in which the party threatened that Indonesia might sever the relations between the two neighbouring countries if Australia failed to stay neutral in East Timor and continued meddling into Indonesia's domestic affairs. "Golkar urges the government to take a firm stand to prove that Indonesia does not like an interference in its domestic affairs," Akbar said. The protest was also conveyed to Mayor General Peter Cosgrove of Australia, who is leading the multinational force in East Timor, for similiar derogatory statements that Indonesia no longer has sovereignity in the former Portuguese territory. The Golkar chairman also reiteraited that the party and many circles in Indonesia objected to Australia leading the multinational force as the neighbouring country did not show any goodwill in seeking a just and fair solution to the East Timro question. It appears that Australia has a political agenda of its own, which caused it to adopt biased attitute vis-a-vis the East Timor issue, Akbar added. During his meeting with Golkar chief, Ambassador McCarthy expressed his deep concern over the reaction of the Indonesian people to what Australian had been doing. The concern increased in view of the constant protest demonstrations launched in front of the Australian embassy in Jakarta in the last couple of days, he said. In response, Akbar pointed out that the strong reaction was triggered by Australia's attitude toward East Timor which has hurt the feelings of the Indonesian people. "It is the reaction of the younger generation in Indonesia if their feelings have hurt by the attitude of another country," he said. Akbar also reminded that a rift in relatons would only harm the interests of both countries. Australia will be affected since the more than 200 million people of Indonesia form a potential market for Australian commodities. "Australia should behave well as a good neighbour if it does not wish to lose its market," he said. (T/PTU-03/9:27PM/INT-NG/21:52/NN01/23:13/TB02) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 23 Sep 1999 jam 11:34:58 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
