Howard snub averted
By DON GREENLEES and IAN HENDERSON
07feb02
INTERVENTION by the Indonesian Foreign Minister has averted a snub to John Howard, after the country's supreme lawmaker Amien Rais changed his mind and agreed to meet Mr Howard at a state banquet in Jakarta last night.
Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda went to Dr Rais's home yesterday after Dr Rais -- the speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly -- cancelled a meeting with Mr Howard scheduled for today.
Mr Wirajuda, accompanied by the Indonesian ambassador to Australia, Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, urged Dr Rais to reconsider his refusal to meet the Prime Minister.
As a compromise, Dr Rais said he would seek a brief private exchange with Mr Howard at a banquet due to be held last night at the presidential palace.
The last-minute lobbying to avoid a serious snub to Mr Howard came at the end of a day in which Indonesian parliamentary leaders continued to declare their opposition to Mr Howard's visit.
Dr Rais had claimed Australia was meddling in Indonesia's domestic affairs, saying there were rumours Australia was backing possible independence for the Indonesian territory of West Papua. He also claimed Mr Howard had accused Indonesia of being involved in people-smuggling.
But last night Mr Sudjadnan and Mr Wirajuda rejected the allegation that Australia was trying to "orchestrate the freedom of Irian Jaya", now officially known as Papua.
"We were saying we didn't believe that -- we believe that is nonsense," Mr Sudjadnan said.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Howard had shrugged off the threat of a boycott by Dr Rais and rejected his reported claims.
"Those allegations about Australia, attributed to him (Dr Rais), are completely untrue, completely untrue," Mr Howard told ABC radio from Singapore.
He blamed internal Indonesian politics for threats by Mr Rais and other politicians to boycott the prime ministerial visit.
"I think you should perhaps ask some questions inside Indonesia as to the reasons for that," Mr Howard said.
He issued a written statement that suggested Dr Rais had blamed floods for cancelling today's meeting.
"When he indicated his unavailability earlier today he gave as the reason his preoccupation with the current flood situation (in Jakarta)," the statement said.
The Australian