[asia-apec 244] Nov. 10 update on APCET

[daga]

Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 14:40:19 -0800 (PST)
Reply-To: Conference "act.indonesia" <indonesia-act at igc.org>
From: Foreign Bases Project <fbp at igc.apc.org>
Subject: Latest from APCET Web site
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From: "John M. Miller" <fbp at igc.apc.org>

http://www.gv.net.my/apcet/10nove.html

Press Release: November 10 


MEDIA UPDATE #12: Urgent Appeal

Kuala Lumpur,Sunday(11/10/96 4:53PM): APCET II's organisers have reliably
learnt that the Indonesian Embassy is directly behind the deportation of eight
Indonesians and one East Timorese to Jakarta today.

The eight Indonesians are Coki Naipospos,Bambang Suryadi,Pias,Marlin
Dinamikanto,Bapak HajiPrincen and his assistant Sukisno,Gustav Dupe and Adhi
Ayoeyanthy.The East Timorese is Helder Da Costa,currently resident and
student in Adelaide,Australia.Ayoeyanthy and Da Costa will be on board
Garuda flight
CGK833 bound for Jakarta at 4:30PM Malaysian time.

All other Indonesians are to be boarded onto a Merpati Air MZ931 bound for
Jakarta at 10:15pmlocal Malaysian time.

The eight Indonesians lost their air tickets in the midst of a chaotic
scuffle when 300 thugs broke into the conference venue of the second
Asia-Pacific Conference on
East Timor(APCET II) in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Malaysian immigration had given the eight the option of going to a friendly
third country.The Kuala Lumpur Host Committee of the APCET II have raised enough
funds to purchase air-tickets for the eight Indonesians.

However,immigration officials received word from the Indonesian Embassy that
the eight Indonesians will be given ticket's by the embassy for immediate
deportation
to Jakarta.

A KL. Host Committee spokesperson says the sighting of Ali Alatas at the
Sultan Abdul Aziz airport in Kuala Lumpur last night puts the Indonesian
uncomfortably
close to the disruption of the APCET II.

Deportations normally involve sending aliens back to the last point of
embarkation.In this case,Helder Da Costa's last point of embarkation.In this
case,Helder Da
Costa's last point of embarkation was in Australia. The Australian High
Commissioner to Kuala Lumpur is believed to have confirmed to Malaysian
immigration
officers that Da Costa is welcomed to be sent to Australia as his visa is
perfectly in oder.

 

For more details, contact the KL Host Committee of APCET II on (03) 794 3525

 

Malaysia Authorities' Contacts:

1. Malaysian Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister 

                                                                            
                        Tel - (603)-2301957/2322444 
                                                                            
                               Fax - 603- 291 3945 

2.Home Affairs Department

                                                                            
                                Tel - 603-2322444 
                                                                            
                                Fax - 603-2383784

Foreign Affairs Minister

                                                                            
                                Tel - 603- 2482410 
                                                                            
                                Fax - 603- 2421352



Sunday November 10th 1996, 4.00pm

 

Supporters of the second Asian-Pacific Conference on East Timor(APCET II)
staged a demonstration in front of the Malaysian Consulate in Sydeny\,
Australia this
afternoon.

About 60 demonstrators comprising Australian, Burmese, East Timorese,
Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian and Sri Lankan citizens chanted their
support in solidarity
with the 59 organisers and local participants of APCET II, currently under
police arrest in Kuala Lumpur.

Organizer Jeff Lee from the Australian East Timor Association (AETA) points
out that the East Timor issue is by no means an internal affair for
Indonesia's exclusive
delectation. "the fact that the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Bishop
Belo and Jose Ramos Horta shows strongly that it is an international issue
which the
world is concerned about."

"Instead of this knee-jerk reaction to suppress and control the situation,
the government should recognize that the conference orgaisers are exemplary
in their efforts
to promote strong people-to-people relationship, peace and goodwill," he adds.

Lee believes that ower-reaction by the Malaysia government may find the
country further isolated in the international community." It is difficult to
reconcile Malaysia's
moral stance on the conflicts in Bosnia, Palestine, South Africa, with its
deafening silence on east timor," he says.

He further explains that the demonstration is organized to show the world
the Malaysian government's hypocrisy while it pretends to champion the right
of self
determination for the developing countries.

"The Malaysian government has been admirable in playing in very prominent
roles to champion the rights of self determination and peace in Bosnia,
Palestine, South
Africa, and even mediate peaceful settlements between two Koreas. Yet the
same government has been silently when its own citizen was shot dead by
Indonesian
military in 1991 in a bloody massacre that further entrenches its brutal
annexation of East Timor,"he says, "We are puzzled and shocked by the clear
contradiction in
Malaysia's stace between these issues," he adds.

Commenting on the Malaysian government's arrest of 59 organisers and local
participants, Lee says the government is again confusing the issue and
prosecuting the
wrong people for the crime.

The Malaysia Consulted officers are not available for comment.



APCET II Participants being deported to Jakarta

 

Kuala Lumpur: The Indonesian Foreign minister Ali Alatas was seen at the
immigration office located in Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport last night. The
result of the sighting
is today's deportation of eight Indonesians and one East Timorese to Jakarta.

The eight Indonesians are Bapak Haji Princen, his assistant Sukisno, Coki
Napospos, Bambang Suryadi, Pius, Marlin Dinamikanto, Gustav Dupe and Adhi
Ayoeyanthy. The East Timorese is Helder Da Costa, who resides and studies in
Australia. Da Costa and Ayoeyanthy are supposed to leave for Jakarta on Garuda
flight CGK833, departing Kuala Lumpur at 4:30pm Malaysian time.

Both the Australian and New Zealand High commissioners were at the airport's
immigration office to intercede the deportation.

A senior officer at the Australian High Commission indicates that Helder Da
Costa is "most welcome" to be sent back to Australia, as his visa is in
"perfect oder".

The Malaysian government has vehemently denied that Indonesian embassy has
had any influence on their decision to deport the international participants
at the
APCET II.

"We are not in contact with any embassy representatives." says Encik Rahim,
assistant controller of the immigration department.

However, the sighting of Ali Alatas at the airport is the clearest
indication yet that the Indonesian government is linked to the recent
disruption of the APECT II
conference by thugs.

                                                  For inquiries please contact: 
                                                     APCET II Secretariat: 
                                                       11 Road 1A/71E, 
                                                 Jalan Carey 46000 Petaling
Jaya, 
                                                      Selangor, Malaysia. 
                                                Tel: 603 794 3525 or 603 791
6215 
                                                      Fax: 603 794 3526. 
                                                     e-mail apcet at gv.net.my