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27 Nov, 2013

Different groups see Oz as common enemy | Jakarta Post

The ongoing friction between Indonesia and Australia over wiretapping allegations can be seen as a blessing in disguise as it is uniting groups with different ideologies to voice their concerns over what they deem is tantamount to a violation of Indonesia’s sovereignty.

Paramilitary groups like Laskar Merah Putih, the Forum of Indonesian Veterans and Police and Military Retirees (FKPPI) and the Merah Putih Fighters Command shared the same ground outside the Australian Embassy with religious-based organizations like the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the Indonesian Hizbut Tahrir (HTI) to demand Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott apologize for the wiretapping incident.

Under tight police guard, the organizations deployed thousands of members as a sign that they meant business. Many FPI members threw rotten tomatoes and eggs at the embassy’s fence during Friday’s rally.

Read the rest: Different groups see Oz as common enemy | The Jakarta Post.