---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- ANTARA, October 6, 1999 Demo-Australia: Crowd Burns Aussie Flag In Mataram Mataram, W Nusa Tenggara, Oct 5 (ANTARA)- The waves of popular sentiment against Australia over happenings in East Timor reached Mataram Tuesday with the burning of the Australian flag in public by a crowd of local residents. Students and members of the general public grouped in the Council of United Sasak Youths (Desak Datu) gathered outside the West Nusatenggara Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRD) where they torched an Australian flag and then presented a petition to the assembly calling for a war on Australia. Members of the group took positions in the streets to stop every white foreign tourist to ask whether he or she was Australian. The demonstrators then disseminated circulars containing calls to declare war on Australia. They wore ethnic Sasak customary attire, complete with head bands and daggers to indicate they were ready to die for the sake of the country and nation. Desak Datu chairman L Winengan told reporters the group had come to the provincial legislative assembly to seek support for its call for war against Australia. The group's circular calling for war was signed by Winengan and Desak Datu secretary general Akhmad Gunawan as well as a number of DPRD members, including assembly chirman Serinata. Gunawan read a statement calling on the President of the Republic of Indonesia to declare war on Australia. The statement also asked the National Defence Forces (TNI) to be always ready to carry out instructions in anticipation of any eventuality in Indonesia's relations with Australia. Desak Datu also urged the West Nusa Tenggara government to expel all Australians from the region on short notice. Enmity The reading of the statement by Desak datu was often interrupted by cries of 'Allahuakbar' (Allah is Greatest). According to Winengan, Australia appeared to be seeking to arouse Indonesia's enmity on purpose. This was for example evident from the way Australia had displayed its array of modern weapons to the Indonesian nation when it sent its troops to East Timor. The Indonesian people were most humiliated when Australian troops in the International Force in East Timor (Interfet) announced they were going to enter Indonesian territory, according to Winengan. (U.MTR-02/MTR-01/INT-NS/15:45/INT-AJM-19:27/NN01/19:59/TB02) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 8 Oct 1999 jam 07:41:16 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
