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Tension eases between Australia, Indonesia following attack on ambassador
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Tension between Indonesia and Australia are easing after Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said he deplored Tuesday's attack on Australia's ambassador. About 20 East Timorese men attacked Ambassador John McCarthy and other Australians diplomats and businessmen on Tuesday as the ambassador inaugurated an Australian-owned building in Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi province. Witnesses said police stood by and did nothing as the crowd hit and kicked the Australians and shouted obscenities as they surrounded McCarthy's vehicle.
McCarthy was not seriously hurt in the attack and took shelter in the building until police took him under guard to the airport. Indonesia's President Abdurrahman Wahid called the attack a deplorable incident and maintained diplomatic relations with Australia would not be affected. Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday condemned the violence and welcomed Wahid's comments.
'These things happen,' diplomat saysHoward said continued tension between pro-Jakarta factions and Australia were not surprising, given Australia's role in quelling violence by pro-Jakarta militias in East Timor. Relations between the two countries soured after an Australian-led multinational peacekeeping force entered East Timor after the former Indonesian province voted for independence in August 1999. The multinational troops provoked widespread public anger in Indonesia against Australia and sparked numerous protests in Jakarta and other major cities. McCarthy supported the arrival of the international peacekeeping force led by Australia after East Timor's independence vote triggered a militia rampage that destroyed much of East Timor's cities. Recently, McCarthy said he believed senior Indonesian military commanders knew of militia plans of systematic violence -- a charge denied by then armed forces chief Gen. Wiranto. That may have led to the attack against the Australian delegation, which McCarthy downplayed. "It's all part of the game," McCarthy said. "These things happen."
Countries' relationship is 'slowly improving'Australian Prime Minister Howard sounded a pragmatic tone on Wednesday. "We'll continue to have a difficulty in our relationship for a while, there's nothing surprising in that," Howard said. "No two countries can go through what our two countries went through a little over a year ago over East Timor without there being some residual impact, but it is manageable." Howard noted that he had a positive meeting with Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid last week in Brunei, the third discussion between the two men since Wahid became president. "The relationship at an official diplomatic level is slowly improving," Howard said. A visit to Canberra by Wahid, originally scheduled for March, has been repeatedly postponed by Jakarta in the face of bitter opposition by legislators in the Indonesian parliament who are still angry over Australia's role in East Timor. CNN Jakarta Bureau Chief Maria Ressa and Reuters contributed to this report.
RELATED STORIES: Australia refutes Aceh independence RELATED SITES: Political Resources on the Net - East Timor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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