Aussie flag burned as spying anger grows
Demonstrators in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta have burnt an Australian flag in protest over alleged tapping of the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s phone as anti-Australian sentiment continues to escalate.
A large protest, organised by a group known as the People’s Coalition for Defence and Security (KMPH), is also expected to take place outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday in response to the espionage allegations.
The protest comes after Indonesian nationalist demonstrators in Yogyakarta burnt an Australian flag in front of the governor’s palace on Wednesday.
The large group of protesters in Yogyakarta, a hotbed of student activism, had demanded an apology from Prime Minister Tony Abbott and asked the Indonesian president to sever diplomatic ties with Canberra, reports said.
It’s understood the Australian government has already undertaken precautions to ensure the safety of staff at the embassy in Jakarta ahead of a protest on Thursday, while a large police presence is also expected.
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The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has updated its travel advice in response to the protest plan.
“Local police advise that a demonstration is planned for outside the Australian Embassy,” DFAT said.
“Australians should monitor local media, avoid protests, maintain high levels of vigilance and security awareness.”
The ramping up in nationalism and anger towards Australia came as a close confidant of Yudhoyono warned relations with Australia may not recover unless Abbott apologised over the spying allegations that prompted the current diplomatic crisis.
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Ramadhan Pohan, whose niece is married to the president’s oldest son, has urged Abbott to apologise over the spying row by Thursday night.
Ramadhan is also an MP with Yudhoyono’s ruling Democrat Party and a member of the parliament’s powerful foreign affairs and defence committee.
“If Abbott does not apologise by [Thursday] night … I predict that it will be the last night of Indonesia and Australia’s friendship,” Ramadhan reportedly told Metrotvnews.com late on Wednesday night.
The warning came in the wake of Yudhoyono’s announcement on Wednesday that Indonesia was immediately cutting defence ties and co-operation on efforts aimed at combating people smuggling.
Yudhoyono said he would send a letter to Abbott, demanding an official apology and a full explanation as to why Australian spies targeted his mobile phone in 2009, as well as his wife’s and some of his closest confidants.
Yudhoyono said he wanted a personal explanation, insisting comments directed at “Australia’s domestic community” would not suffice.
Abbott has said he would respond to the official communication, but still refused on Wednesday to apologise for the spying, instead appearing to blame media coverage for the deterioration in diplomatic relations.
“I want to express here in this chamber, my deep and sincere regret about the embarrassment to the president and to Indonesia that’s been caused by recent media reporting,” Abbott said.
