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PRD president speaks in Russian Embassy

Reprinted from Tass Coverage of the demonstrations

JAKARTA, December 8 (Itar-Tass)

"The action of the East Timor protesters, who forced their way into the territory of the Russian embassy here on Thursday, was intended to draw the world community's attention to the problem of East Timor", one of them told Itar-Tass today.

There are now 58 East Timorese and young people from other areas of Indonesia on the compounds of the Russian embassy. They claim to be representatives of the "Union of People's Democracy" (PRD), which is behind this protest action. Chairman of the Union's Presidium Budiman said that they "demand a referendum on East Timor to determine its future".

Indonesia claims that such a "choice" was made in 1976, but it has never been recognised by the international community.

"It is necessary", Budiman added, "to make the Indonesian government fulfill the principles earlier agreed by it with Portugal and the United Nations. This refers primarily to the ending of terror against the people of East Timor, withdrawal of Indonesian troops from that territory, and release of political prisoners".

"By breaking into the territories of the Russian and Dutch embassies," Budiman said, "the East Timorese are striving to tell the world outloud about the Indonesian government's failure to honour these principles". They also want concrete steps by all the indicated sides to resolve the East Timor problem.

"We are not seeking political asylum. We are pursuing a common goal -- to democratise Indonesia," the activist stated.

JAKARTA, December 8 (Itar-Tass)

A group of 58 East Timorese and young Indonesians from other parts of the country, including two women, are still on the territory of the Russian embassy in Indonesia. They have spent the night outside under the roof of the embassy's parking lot. A dozen police cars and vans are parked outside the bounds of the embassy. One car is constantly posted in the gap between the two barriers, forming a path to the embassy. The situation was calm this morning both on the territory of the embassy and outside it.

Russian diplomats are exerting vigorous efforts and establishing various contacts with a view to finding a way out of the current situation. Prominent human rights champion, Director of the Independent Human Rights Institute Princen of Holland, who is very well known in Indonesia, has had talks with the East Timorese a short while ago. A meeting with him was demanded by the "dissidents", who want the authorities to guarantee their personal safety when they leave the Russian territory. The International Red Cross representative in Jakarta has avoided meeting the "dissidents" for the time being, saying that he had "no instructions" on this score from Geneva.

JAKARTA, December 8 (Itar-Tass)

"The East Timorese, who scaled the fence of the Russian embassy here on Thursday, want to leave it, but their safety must be guaranteed," Itar-Tass was told by Human Rights Champion, Director of the Independent Human Rights Institute Princen, who is very well known in Indonesia. He had talks with the East Timor "dissidents" on the territory of the Russian embassy today morning and later described them as "favourable".

Princen said that he planned to meet shortly the commander of the Jakarta military area in order to secure safety guarantees for the East Timorese and to prevent another incident like the one that occurred on Thursday evening at the Dutch embassy, where a fight broke out between the supporters and opponents of East Timor's annexation by Indonesia in 1976. Dutch diplomats tried to intervene. Some of them were injured, including the Dutch ambassador.

Princen plans to establish contact with the representative of the International Red Cross in Jakarta. "I shall try to make him protect all those who are now on the territory of the Russian embassy after they leave its bounds," Princen stated. Safety guarantees for the group that broke into the Russian embassy "have already been received from Foreign Minister Ali Alatas and from the police authorities". However, Princen believes that "this is obviously not enough -- reliable guarantees are needed".

Contacts with the human rights champion were among the demands voiced by the East Timorese, who want to get personal safety guarantees from the authorities. The representative of the International Red Cross in Jakarta today avoided meeting the East Timorese, which is among their demands, referring to "lack of instructions" on this score from Geneva.


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