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<DIV>Jaringan Media Australia mendukung gerakan Papua Merdeka.<BR><BR><A
href="">http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/Bulletin/EdDesk.nsf/All/7C108AACE29D7774CA256CD40009C4C9</A><BR><BR> 02/26/2003<BR>War
of independence<BR>The ABC's apparent support for a West Papua independence
concert has raised<BR>government heckles, writes Jackie Dent.<BR><BR>The
organisers of a concert to raise funds for the independence movement in<BR>West
Papua boiled government blood last week by claiming on their web site<BR>that
the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was a "supporter" of the event.<BR>In
light of the government's own strong support for Indonesian sovereignty<BR>in
the area, it was an extraordinary claim.<BR><BR>The concert, at the Melbourne
Concert Hall on February 28, will feature an<BR>impressive line-up from
Australia and West Papua. Proceeds will help<BR>establish a representative in
New York to lobby the United Nations.<BR><BR>The office of Communications
Minister Richard Alston contacted the ABC for a<BR>please explain. As it turned
out, the public broadcaster said it was not a<BR>supporter and had not given
permission to be listed on the web site. David<BR>Bridie, organiser of the
event, admits it was a mistake at his end and the<BR>web site has been
changed.<BR><BR>In reality, however, the ABC may still support the event. Bridie
says Radio<BR>National's Music Deli and Triple J's Live at the Wireless program
plan to<BR>broadcast parts of the concert and he says he will be "pissed off" if
they<BR>don't. "I think the government is being slightly heavy handed," he
says.<BR><BR>Music Deli's Paul Petran says he is recording the event and a
broadcast<BR>decision will depend on sound quality.<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>