Apologies to Indonesia anger Balibo families

The Age - June 1, 2007

Brendan Nicholson and Mark Forbes - With Reko Rennie, Ari Sharp

A powerful Indonesian politician at the centre of a diplomatic stoush with Canberra has received personal apologies from the Australian ambassador and NSW Premier Morris Iemma, apparently defusing the row.

Ambassador Bill Farmer visited Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso at his office yesterday to express "deep sympathy" over an incident involving the governor in Sydney this week.

Mr Iemma, whose Government hosted the governor in NSW, also wrote to him late yesterday apologising for "distress and inconvenience caused" during his stay.

Governor Sutiyoso, a prospective Indonesian presidential candidate, stormed out of Australia on Tuesday after he was confronted by NSW police at his hotel and asked to testify at the inquest into the 1975 Balibo incident in East Timor.

The governor claimed police barged unannounced into his room at the Shangri-La Hotel while he was resting.

But a relative of one of the five Australian newsmen killed as Indonesian troops invaded East Timor in 1975 last night expressed his disgust at the apologies. "The families have been waiting for 32 years for an apology for what is now recognised as an international war crime," said John Milkins, the son of Channel Seven cameraman Gary Cunningham. "Now we have the same excuse that saw them murdered in the first place: the national interest. Are we going to let justice and the Geneva Convention be thrown out in favour of gutless toadying to Indonesian Government pressure? … The coroner and an individual police officer are being hung out to dry by the federal and state governments."

One of the two officers involved, Detective Sergeant Steve Thomas, is now on leave and the subject of an inquiry.

The police were sent to the hotel by Deputy NSW Coroner Dorelle Pinch after she learned the governor of Jakarta was in Sydney and decided she would seek his testimony at the inquest into the death of Brian Peters, one of the newsmen killed in East Timor.

Governor Sutiyoso was the deputy commander of a special forces unit during the 1975 invasion but has denied any connection to the deaths.

His story about the hotel intrusion was backed yesterday by a hotel employee, who said police ordered a senior staff member to use a master key to gain entry. "They demanded access to the guest room," the employee told The Age.

Mr Iemma, in his letter of apology, said he had been advised there was a breakdown in communications between state agencies. "I apologise for the distress and inconvenience caused and regret your early departure from NSW," he wrote.

As anti-Australian protesters gathered outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta for the second day, Mr Farmer visited Governor Sutiyoso at Jakarta's city hall to apologise.

Governor Sutiyoso said later he had forgiven Mr Farmer.

"Before me and my staff he has extended an apology, his shock and his disappointment," he said. "We are a big-hearted nation. If they have extended an apology, we should not do things that are beyond the limit. We should repair the relationship."

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer phoned his Indonesian counterpart, Hassan Wirajuda, to tell him an investigation was under way. He said the Jakarta Governor was "of course, outraged" after the police officers walked into his room.

"Australians have to understand the concept of humiliation in Indonesia," Mr Downer said. "As the Indonesians would see it, this is an enormous humiliation for a major Indonesian figure."

In Jakarta, Foreign Ministry head Imron Cotan said he believed the issue would be overcome by the apologies. But he expressed concern over reports that the Sydney coronial inquiry could recommend that two former Indonesian army officers face war crimes charges.

The hotel incident received front-page coverage in Jakarta, with several newspapers suggesting the governor was the victim of a conspiracy.

While the apologies appeared to defuse the diplomatic row, they sparked anger among critics of Australian policies towards Indonesia. Academic Damien Kingsbury said Australia had a history of placating Jakarta. "If we were a bit more frank in the first instance, we wouldn't then have these kind of problems," said Dr Kingsbury, an associate professor at Deakin University.

Businessman Ian Melrose, who has financed advertisements about Indonesia's human rights record in East Timor and West Papua, said: "Five Australian journalists are killed and we apologise to the Indonesian Government. That's woeful."