Wed 1 Jun 2005
printer friendly 9:05am (UK) "Biological Agent" Sent to Indonesian Embbutty in Canberra
"PA"
Indonesia’s embbutty in Australia was closed today after a suspicious package containing what authorities described as a “biological agent” was delivered there. Top government officials quickly linked the incident to popular outrage over the conviction in Bali of an Australian woman on drug smuggling charges.
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Prime Minister John Howard, who apologised to Indonesia for the incident, said the agent was a powder sent in an envelope addressed to the Indonesian ambbuttador, Imron Cotan.
“It would be the first time if the preliminary results are confirmed, such a biological agent has been sent in Australia,” Howard told reporters.
The leafy street outside the embbutty was cordoned off by police and firefighters and ambulance staff were milling around outside. The street is in a neighbourhood dotted with diplomatic posts – the US embbutty is only about 100 yards from the Indonesian embbutty, but was not affected by the evacuation. The French embbutty is next door.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Parliament in Canberra today that the incident meant it was possible “the Indonesian embbutty will be shut down for quite some period of time and the 22 staff will remain in isolation for the next 48 hours.”
Downer gave no details on the nature of the biological agent, but he blamed the security scare on public anger over the conviction in Bali, Indonesia last week of an Australian woman on drug smuggling charges.
The embbutty had earlier received threats and requested additional security ahead of the conviction of 27-year-old Schapelle Corby who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last Friday for smuggling 9lbs of sugar to the Indonesian resort island of Bali in October last year.
“We condemn this sort of abuse and we urge people who are concerned about Schapelle Corby to ensure they put their energy into supporting (her) legal defence team,” Downer said.
Howard echoed the Downer’s words, saying the situation “will do great damage in the eyes of many Indonesian people to the relationship between our countries and it certainly won’t help Schapelle Corby.”
Corby pleaded innocent and is appealing her conviction and sentence, which have provoked an unprecedented backlash in Australia, with supporters appealing for a boycott of Bali to protest her plight.
A police spokeswoman confirmed that a sample of the package’s contents had been taken for analysis.
“A sample has been taken off site but whether that is the entire package, I’m not sure,” the spokeswoman said.
She could not say how the package was delivered or why it was initially regarded as suspicious.
