---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, September 27, 1999 Opposition: Asian Countries Suspect Australia's Motives In E Timor Canberra, Sept 26 (ANTARA)- Australian opposition leader Kim Beazley felt that the statement by Prime Minister John Howard on Australia's wish to represent the United States as an Asian Police has caused a suspicion among the countries in that region of Australia's motives in leading the multinational force in East Timor. "That is a stupid and strange statement. An image of peace already built by Australia with Asian countries for over 40 years will go down the drain," said Beazley at a meeting with the press in Ten Network TV on Sunday. According to him, Asian countries are now suspecting that Australia wanted to build a military power in the former Portuguese colony at regional level. He further said the East Timor issue is a special case. It can not be made a barometer of the Australian defence capability and influence in Southeast Asia. But Howard suddenly came up with the idea of becoming an Asian police. "It is a tragedy," said the leader of Australian Labour Party. The East Timor issue should not be mixed up with Australia's wish to build its military professionally. Beazley agreed if Australia builds its defence capability, providing it is for territorial safe guarding. "Australia can not change its position in the region which it has built so far," Beazley. Take the opportunity What has been achieved by Howard's government with respect to the East Timor issue is that it has taken the advantage of changes in the Indonesian government's policy toward East Timor. Indonesian President Habibie offered the East Timorese people an opportunity to express their aspirations through a UN-supervised direct ballot in a free and just manner. In fact after the announcement of the ballot's outcome the situation in East Timor became unstable while Australia played a key role in the multinational force. "All these provide a window of opportunity which has never emerged under previous Australian governments," Kim Beazley said. (U.LCB-01/RSI-03/17:15/INT-NG/21:52/ri2/22:10/TB06) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 30 Sep 1999 jam 09:15:47 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
