Libya denies funding Indonesian students demonstrations

Libya has denied the statement of general chairman of Indonesia's Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Abdurrahman Wahid, that it had financed Indonesian student demonstrations.

Indonesian News Agency ANTARA -- which reported Tuesday the news--cited the Libyan embassy as saying that "Libya deeply regrets Wahid's remarks which gives a distorted image of Libyans among the brotherly people of Indonesia."

Moslem leader, Abdurrahman Wahid, had recently told reporters here that CIA and Libya were behind the mounting student demonstrations in Jakarta by financing them to stage the protests.

However, the student activists representing Greater Jakarta Forum (Forum Kota) and the Jakartan Student Senate Communication Forum (FKSMJ) were quoted by local media as saying that Wahid's allegation was groundless.

The Libyan government said it would like to see the crisis-hit country of more than 200 million people remain strong, united, prosperous and stable.

" What concerns Libya is to see Indonesia united, strong, prosperous and stable state, and the continuation of the efforts that are being exercised to enhance further relations and cooperation between the two brotherly countries and peoples," the Libyan embassy statement said.