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| Will this mean war? |
Mathatmacoat |
04/01/06 |
Last week Indonesia insulted Australia by publishing an offensice cartoon featuring Australian Prime Minister Howard. Not to be out done the Australian Murdoch newspapers have entered the fray with their own reply. Will this mean war?
Indonesian dingo cartoon 'offensive'
There is anger from both sides of federal politics over a cartoon in an Indonesian newspaper portraying Prime Minister as a dingo mounting a second dingo with the face of the Foreign Affairs Minister.
The cartoon was published in response to Australia's decision to give temporary protection visas to 42 West Papuans.
Indonesia has been highly critical of the decision and temporarily recalled its Ambassador from Australia last week.
Alexander Downer says the cartoon is tasteless.
Mr Downer says people can choose to publish tasteless and grotesque cartoons in a free society.
"I would have thought those countries in our society fell way below standards of public taste," he said.
"I think a lot of Australians would regard those kinds of publications as very offensive, but they're free to be offensive in a magazine in Indonesia if they wish to be."
Speaking on Southern Cross radio, the Federal Treasurer Peter Costello also criticised the cartoon.
"I think it's absolutely offensive," he said.
"I'm not sure which newspaper published this in Indonesia, but it doesn't do them any credit."
Labor's Kevin Rudd joined in the condemnation.
"I've seen that report this morning," he told ABC Radio.
"If the report is true, then that depiction I think is disgusting and disgraceful."
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says the cartoon was published because of the way the Prime Minister has dealt with Indonesia.
"Because of the way the Prime Minister has handled these issues in the past, because of the way he's presented to Indonesians, which is somewhat different from what is really being done, we've got ourselves into this bind," he said.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Department has warned Australians that there have been protests outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta because of the decision to grant the temporary visas.
It says further demonstrations against the embassy or other Australian interests in Indonesia are possible and Australians should avoid them.
The Aussie relpy
http://network.news.com.au/image/0,10114,5132449,00.jpg
For those not attuned to the politics it depicts the result of indo-papuan relations with the Indonesian President perpetrating the act |
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