[The most senior Indonesian diplomat in Australia has warned that a war on Iraq will divide Indonesia – Australia's most important and populous neighbour. Imron Cotan, the deputy chief at the Indonesian embassy in Canberra, says Indonesia wants United Nations backing for a war on Iraq. But, on matters inside Indonesia, Mr Cotan says the rebels in Papua province Iare now considered terrorists and he wants Australia to freeze any funds they have in Australia.]

Transcript:

Brown: Between Canberra and Jakarta there is a world of difference on Iraq.

Cotan: Iraq is one of our friendly countries of course.

Brown: Imron Cotan, the most senior diplomat at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, says a war against Iraq will cause profound tension in our region.

Cotan: Decisions to go to war with Iraq is a matter for Australians to decide. We cannot interfere with that whatsoever. The problem is if you go to war with Iraq, that would also divide, not only the world, the Muslim world, the Middle East, but also Indonesia.

Brown: The Prime Minister John Howard says the so-called war on terror is not a war on Islam. But Imron Cotan is worried about how an attack on Iraq will affect Muslim radicals within Indonesia.

Cotan: Being a predominantly Muslim country, some Indonesians will see an attack against Iraq as an attack against Muslims and in this fledging democratic country Indonesia, I believe this is the last thing we need.

Brown: John Howard says the strongest piece of evidence against Saddam Hussein is his defiance of the UN Security Council Resolutions demanding weapons inspections and an end to the development of weapons of mass destruction. Indonesia disagrees.

Cotan: That is totally another problem. Iraq has been in defiance for three years. While if you see it from the perspective of the last previous UN Security Council resolutions, we should act on that basis. This is a new development that needs or requires new response from the world.

Brown: The Australian Government says it is not yet clear whether new UN Security Council resolutions are necessary to authorise an attack on Iraq. Again, Indonesia disagrees.

Cotan: To justify an attack, that will require a new round of UN Security Council resolutions.

Brown: These differences of opinion will not threaten the relationship between Canberra and Jakarta, but the so-called war on terror is creating other potential sore points. For example, following an anonymous bloody ambush last week near a mine in the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, the poorly equipped Papuan rebels there, the OPM, are now being branded terrorists.

Cotan: To the best of my knowledge my government consider the acts they have committed so far, of course considered to be terrorist acts.

Brown: The OPM has denied responsibility for the attack at Timika, but the government of Indonesia wants Australia to join the fight and freeze any assets the rebels might have in Australia, where a significant support group is active.