WORKMEN KNOCKING DOWN WALL. ARMY SOLDIERS WATCHING.




Initials AA/V/JH/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: YESTERDAY (MONDAY) INDONESIAN WORKMEN BEGAN KNOCKING DOWN THE CONCRETE WALL SURROUNDING THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN DJAKARTA ON ORDERS FROM THE DJAKARTA GOVERNOR, MAJOR GENERAL ALI SADIKIN. THE RED-PAINTED WALL WAS THE CENTRE OF A DIPLOMATIC TIFF BETWEEN INDONESIA AND CHINA BEFORE THEY SUSPENDED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS LAST MONTH.

GENERAL SADIKIN ASKED THE CHINESE TO REDUCE THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL BECAUSE IT WAS MORE THAN THE REGULATION FOUR FEET TEN INCHES (ONE AND A HALF METRES) HIGH, BUT THE CHINESE IGNORED THE DEMAND.

AFTER MONTHS OF TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, SINO-INDONESIAN DIPLOMATIC TIES WERE SUSPENDED LAST MONTH WHEN INDONESIAN DIPLOMATS FLEW HOME FROM PEKING AND THE SAME PLANE RETURNED WITH THE STAFF OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY.