Postponment of Australian Exchange Visit To Indonesia M86

8 August 1995

POSTPONEMENT OF AUSTRALIAN EXCHANGE VISIT TO INDONESIA

The Government regrets the decision, conveyed yesterday, by the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI) - an umbrella organisation representing 35 Indonesian youth organisations - to postpone arrangements for a planned nine day visit to Indonesia this month by a group of Young Australian Political Leaders under the auspices of the Australian Political Exchange Council (APEC).

The decision appears to be primarily based on anger at an incident at a demonstration in Melbourne on 29 July when an Indonesian flag was burned. It is understandable that offence was taken, and the Australian Government regrets that incident occurring, but we have emphasised through our Ambassador in Jakarta the limitations placed by Australian law and practice on our capacity to respond in such situations.

I understand that the organisers of the visit have made clear that they do not want the postponement - and it is just a postponement, not a cancellation - to disturb their own ongoing arrangements with Australia, or broader relations with us.

MELBOURNE