Australia rejects criticism of new Indonesian security pact
By Robert Hudson,WNS Canberra Correspondent
CANBERRA - The Australian government has denied that a new security pact with Indonesia means that it would be party to the suppression of Indonesian separatists. The treaty includes a key Indonesian demand that Australia will not support separatist causes in the sprawling archipelago, after Jakarta tore up a previous pact over Canberra's support for independence for East Timor. Critics fear the new agreement to increase military and intelligence ties could see Australia aiding crackdowns on independence activists in the restive province of Papua.
But Defence Minister Brendan Nelson rejected the concerns during an interview on Australian television. "That's a highly provocative statement -- most certainly not," he said. The new agreement, to be signed Monday on the Indonesian resort island of Lombok, comes hard on the heels of a diplomatic row over Australia's granting of asylum to 43 Papuan separatists early this year. Nelson indicated, however, that the treaty would not see local intelligence agencies monitoring the activities of Papuans in Australia and sharing the information with Indonesia. "I can assure you that we don't use intelligence in relation to specific issues and certainly not in relation to separatism," he said.
The treaty, which also covers cooperation against terrorism and on border security, will have to be ratified by both parliaments after being signed by foreign ministers Alexander Downer and Hassan Wirajuda. The opposition Labor Party said Sunday it would reserve judgement on the agreement until it is able to study it in detail. Indonesia won sovereignty over Papua, formerly a Dutch colony, in 1969 after a referendum widely seen as a sham. Papuans have long accused Indonesia's military of violating human rights in the province and complain that the bulk of earnings from its rich natural resources flow to Jakarta.
posted by wnsworld @ 7:36 PM
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