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The Russian embassy bid: A cronology

At mid-day on December 8, PRD activists were still in the embassy building, while pro-integration youths were sill outside shouting abuse. While they were there, the activists slept on mats and banners which had been erected in the embassy.

Throughout the day they encountered pressure from embassy staff who requested that they have to soon leave the embassy building. This is despite explicit assurances made by embassy staff the previous day that they would provide complete protection for the PRD and East Timorese activists.

Negotiations were held between H.J.C. Princen and the PRD and East Timorese activists. An agreement was reached that they would leave the embassy and go the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) offices at Jl Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

At 6.00pm, a Pluit Jaya company bus arrived at the Russian embassy. Police prevented the bus from entering and apparently the embassy staff agreed with police on this. Protests by Dita Sari that the bus must be allowed to enter the embassy grounds were not heeded by either the security personnel or the embassy staff.

The PRD and East Timorese then left the embassy building, going directly to the bus which was parked in front of the gate. When they passed the crowd of pro-integration youths, the shouts of abuse became even louder, and vulgar acts followed: the bus was pounded and the activists spat at. The activists who had, from the beginning, clearly held a peaceful action did not react to this, instead they got straight on board the bus. The embassy staff immediately closed the gate after all the activists had left the embassy grounds.

In contravention of the terms of the agreement, five police carrying clubs climbed on top of the bus. The bus left the embassy in the direction of the LBH offices as agreed. Dita Sari and H.J.C. Princen drove in front of the bus in a separate vehicle. When they were near the Hotel Indonesia, the bus separated itself and disappeared. It is known for certain that the bus was heading for the Jakarta Raya Police Head Quarters, which was not part of the agreement reached by the embassy staff, H.J.C. Princen and the activists.

At the time of preparing this report no information has been obtained on the whereabouts of the PRD and the East Timorese activists. The bus has also disappeared, and at this moment PRD is attempting to trace them, as there is a fear that they may be at risk.


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