HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2001 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		Ambon Island   Ambon City        Latupatti   Want to Help? AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Sunday October 28, 2001 3:58 PM Megawati warns of possible disintegration of Indonesia JAKARTA, Oct 28 (AFP) - President Megawati Sukarnoputri warned Indonesia could "become the Balkans of the eastern hemisphere" if her countrymen did not work harder at keeping their nation together, the state Antara news agency reported. Megawati said that unless conflicts between ethnic and religious groups and villages were halted, the nation of more than 210 million people spread over some 17,000 islands faced breaking up into a series of tiny powerless states. She also warned that anti-American sentiment sweeping the country -- the largest Muslim-populated nation in the world -- since the US launched its attack on Afghanistan was causing foreign investment to dry up. "We will become the Balkans of the eastern hemisphere that will not only never enjoy happiness among ourselves but also will represent dangers for nations around us," Megawati said, according to the state Antara news agency, at a ceremony to mark Youth Pledge Day. "We will become smaller nations with equally smaller states which will be more susceptible to so much pressure from outside," she said. Hardline Muslim groups have threatened to conduct sweeps to drive out nationals from the United States and its allies following the US attacks on Afghanistan, although no such sweep has taken place so far. She warned that the lack of security in the country had began to thin out the inflow of foreign investment into Indonesia, and said some foreign companies were preparing to leave. "The absence of a feeling of security now is not only felt by our own people, but has also affected the diplomatic circle and several foreign companies whose presence here is still needed," Megawati said. "Nowadays, not only the arrival of foreign companies has been drastically reduced, even companies which are already in the country are also preparing to leave us," she added. She said that even though Indonesia was determined to work to shed dependency from other nations, it still needed foreign capital and investment to finance development. She called on all Indonesians to think of national unity above their own aspirations. "Riots and violence should be stopped by everyone," Megawati said. "We have to restore and guarantee a feeling of security for all people residing in this country, be they citizens of the Republic of Indonesia or foreigners," she said. Copyright © 2001 AFP. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1999-2001  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/baguala67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com