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INDONESIA:
Indonesian news agency chief protests against SMH
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Title -- 2623 INDONESIA: Indonesian news agency chief protests against SMH
Date -- 26 March 2000
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media
Watch
Source -- Antara, via John Miller, fbp@igc.org, 23/3/00
Copyright -- Antara
Status -- Unabridged
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INDONESIAN CHIEF LODGES 'STRONG PROTEST' AGAINST AUSTRALIAN DAILY
Antara news agency, Jakarta, in Indonesian 0000 gmt 23 Mar 00
Jakarta, 23rd March: Parni Hadi, outgoing chief of Antara national news agency, has lodged a strong protest against the Australian daily the Sydney Morning Herald', which has accused Antara of spreading anti-Australia reports during the referendum process in East Timor.
"I strongly protest the Australian daily's report. It is not true that Antara did what the daily said," Parni said in Jakarta on Thursday (23rd March) in response to the Australian daily's report in its 22nd March edition.
The Australian daily wrote: "Antara had for months in 1999 published a number of articles on the Australian forces' role in East Timor, which were full of anti-Australia sentiment and highly questioned for their accuracy by Australian diplomats in Jakarta."
Parni Hadi quoted Antara sources as saying at that time that all Indonesian journalists could not enter East Timor because they had to pass through Australia to do so.
Parni said he once proposed to Australian Ambassador John McCarthy that the International Force in East Timor should produce press releases in Indonesian, set up a radio station, and give access to Indonesian journalists.
"Australia should not wash its hands off this matter. Relations between Indonesia and Australia were strained in 1985 due to an article written by an Australian journalist. However, we managed to restore the strained relations a long time ago," said Parni.
Parni went on to say that the demonstrations at the Australian embassy in Jakarta were actually provoked by the Australian nationals themselves.
"Firstly, the demonstrations took place due to the Australians' insults against Indonesians living in Australia. Secondly, they were caused by the arrogance of the Australian forces in East Timor, " he said.
Parni said Antara is ready to publish the Australian daily's response to the matter anytime.
"Please do not grumble only, but give us your reply. I hope that the strained bilateral relations will soon be restored," said Parni.
Parni said Antara attaches great importance to the diplomatic ties between the two countries. This explains why Antara has decided to assign a correspondent in Australia.
"I was one of the people that initiated a meeting of Australian and Indonesian senior editors at the end of 1989," Parni Hadi said. - Antara
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