Don't use Bali as your backyard: envoy warns RPeake Thursday, 22 September 2005
Australia has accepted Indonesia's choice as its new ambassador to Canberra as the outgoing diplomat issued a stern warning yesterday about young Australians treating Bali as their backyard. Imron Cotan, who leaves Australia tomorrow, is being replaced by career diplomat Hamzah Thayeb. Mr Cotan is being recalled halfway through a term marked by the arrest of the "Bali nine" and Schapelle Corby, and her trial and the subsequent white powder attacks on the Indonesian embassy. Mr Cotan said Indonesia had adopted a tough stance against drugs because of the crippling effects drugs were having on its younger generation. "Many Australians consider Bali as their own backyard, so they take a kind of laid-back attitude, forgetting the fact that Indonesia has always treated illicit use of drugs seriously," he said. "So we would like to call on all Australians, especially the younger generation, not to bring drugs into Indonesia because they will face serious consequences. "My feeling is that psychologically they treat Bali as part of their lifestyle. "Here you have quite a lenient approach as far as drug use is concerned, but since we have a lot of people being affected by this, we have taken serious steps to redress the situation. "Although in one or two occasions we still have unfortunate cases where some young Australians are being caught. "We fully sympathise with them but we can not interfere with the legal process." The Federal Government has been refusing to say that replacement ambassador Hamzah Thayeb would be coming to Canberra until the appointment was announced by Indonesia. Mr Thayeb recently accused some Australian aid groups of fuelling separatist sentiment in Irian Jaya. However, Mr Thayeb's nomination was approved by the Indonesian Government early in July. Mr Cotan said the appointment of the new ambassador had now been approved by Governor-General Michael Jeffery. http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=national&category=general%20news&story_id=425987&y=2005&m=9 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
