Alatas holds discussion with Horta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas yesterday
\nengaged in an exchange of views on East Timor with the leader of
\nthe Fretilin separatist movement, Ramos Horta.<\/p>\n
"I don't think there was anything new. We've already heard all
\nthe ideas that he expressed (during the meeting)," Alatas said as
\nquoted by Antara in New York.<\/p>\n
However, he still put a positive spin on the meeting, saying
\nthat it was an opportunity for both sides to conduct a frank
\nexchange of views.<\/p>\n
Alatas, who was in New York to attend the 49th session of
\nUnited Nations General Assembly, said that he hoped the meeting
\nwould help Horta and his allies better understand the true
\nsituation in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Horta himself projected optimism after the meeting despite the
\nlack of concrete results, saying that it could help bridge a
\nbetter understanding between the two sides.<\/p>\n
Prior to meeting with Horta, Alatas met with Abilio Araujo, an
\nex-Timorese separatist figure who has broken away from Fretilin.<\/p>\n
Alatas said the meeting with Araujo was conducted in a more
\nfamilial atmosphere because the former Fretilin leader showed
\ngreater appreciation of Indonesia's position on this issue.<\/p>\n
The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
\nIndonesia's youngest province in 1976. Though now considered an
\ninseparable part of the country, Portugal along with a number of
\nits allies have continually refused to recognize the integration.<\/p>\n
Alatas said Horta called for the demilitarization of East
\nTimor and verification of that withdrawal along with a permanent
\nUnited Nations presence.<\/p>\n
These demands were rejected by the Indonesian foreign minister
\nwho quickly pointed out that the army was already planning to
\nreduce its forces there by two-thirds next year.<\/p>\n
Earlier in a broadcast on the Cable News Network, Alatas
\nrefuted suggestions that East Timor was a closed province.<\/p>\n
He said a flow of international parliamentary delegations
\ncontinue to visit the province along with a UN special
\nrapporteur.<\/p>\n
Most recently Australian and British parliamentary delegations
\nspent a few days in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The meeting, which was requested by Horta, corresponds with
\nthe initiatives agreed upon during the trilateral talks in Geneva
\nlast May between Indonesia, Portugal and UN Secretary General
\nBoutros Boutros-Ghali.<\/p>\n
The two conflicting sides under the UN brokerage agreed to
\nengage in confidence building measures to create a more amicable
\nclimate for negotiations.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday Portuguese Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Durao
\nBarroso conducted similar meetings with pro-integration East
\nTimorese Lopez da Cruz in Luxembourg.<\/p>\n
Reconciliation<\/p>\n
In Dili, East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osolio Soares told
\nThe Jakarta Post that he approved of reconciliation efforts as
\nlong as they did not question East Timor's position in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Apart from the two meetings this week, Lopez and Araujo held
\ntalks in London in the framework of the Indonesia-Portugal
\nFriendship Association.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the positions of the two countries involved,
\nAlatas said there was a need to move away from their individual
\nabsolute positions.<\/p>\n
However as quoted by Reuter Alatas also hoped that Portugal,
\n"might see the wisdom of accepting...the reality of East Timor
\nand that the majority have chosen integration with Indonesia."<\/p>\n
When queried on his views of Horta's two-and-a-half hour
\nmeeting with Alatas, Araujo said Horta had no right to call
\nhimself a representative of the East Timor people.<\/p>\n
"Horta only represents a small faction," he said.(mds\/hdj)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alatas-holds-discussion-with-horta-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }