Band urged not to tour Indonesia

The Irish boy band OTT has been criticised for its decision to include Indonesia on a promotional tour of South East Asia. Human rights campaigners have called on the pop group to follow the lead of U2 and REM in boycotting the country because of its poor human rights record. Since Indonesia invaded East Timor in December 1975, an estimated 200,000 East Timorese, one-third of the population, have been killed. Last September, the Irish group Boyzone was embroiled in a major controversy for including Indonesia on an Asian tour.

Mr Tom Hyland, co-ordinator of the East Timor Ireland Solidarity Campaign, said he was "very disappointed that OTT are going ahead with this. Irish groups should stay away from Indonesia until the regime cleans up its act."

The Union of Students in Ireland and Development Education for Youth in Ireland have also criticised OTT's decision and have called on the group to make a statement on the human rights situation in East Timor while in Indonesia.

But Mr Michael O'Connor, OTT's manager, said there was no question of cancelling the tour. "I'm just trying to make a success out of OTT and I don't want to jeopardise their career by getting into politics." He said at a later stage, when the band is successful, "we may be in a position to take a stand".

The band will spend four days before Christmas in Indonesia promoting its debut album, This One's For You. The tour is part of a £500,000 marketing drive and will involve singing at venues throughout the country. Mr O'Connor said the venues had been arranged by the band's record companies, Sony Music and Epic Records.

There will be a ceremony of remembrance tomorrow at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. for the victims of the 1991 Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor, in which an estimated 270 people were shot dead.