Words in the News Monday 13 August 2001 Vocabulary from the news. Listen to and read the report then find explanations of difficult words below.
Indonesian President and Australian PM Meet Summary: In Indonesia, President Megawati Sukarnoputri and the Australian Prime Minister John Howard, have signed a joint communiqué promising to develop strong relations between the two countries. This report from Richard Galpin.
Throughout this visit Prime Minister Howard has stressed the need for a fresh start in relations with Indonesia. It was he who two years ago ensured that Australian troops played a leading role in the international intervention force which took control of East Timor after it voted for independence from Indonesia. Relations then hit an all time low. But now it seems that both he and Mrs Megawati want to put the past behind them. In a communique signed on Monday Mr Howard reaffirmed Australia's commitment to Indonesia's territorial integrity, and support for its economic recovery.
But there are still sensitive issues. There's particular concern in Australia over reports of human rights abuses, committed by the Indonesian security forces in Aceh and Irian Jaya as they try to crush the separatist movement there. In the communique there's specific mention of the need for the Indonesian government to focus on dialogue, greater respect for human rights and implementing regional autonomy in these provinces to resolve the separatist problem peacefully.
