Alatas says E. Timor dialog 'non-political'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas warned
\nyesterday that any attempt to discuss a political solution to the
\nEast Timor problem at the reconciliation dialog opening this
\nweekend in Austria would fail.<\/p>\n
\"They can try but it won't succeed because it is a non-
\npolitical meeting,\" Alatas said yesterday in response to
\nquestions that certain participants may bring up the issue of
\nintegration.<\/p>\n
A five-day All-Inclusive Intra-East Timor Dialog (AETD)
\nbetween pro- and anti-integration East Timorese is being held in
\nthe small town of Stadtschlaining, 100 kilometers from Vienna,
\nAustria.<\/p>\n
According to reports from Austria, the dialog, originally
\nscheduled to begin yesterday, was postponed a day because a
\nnumber of delegates arrived late.<\/p>\n
The dialog is a follow up to a Jan. 9 meeting in Geneva
\nbetween Alatas and his Portuguese counterpart Jose Manuel Durao
\nBarosso. They agreed that a reconciliatory dialog between East
\nTimorese on both sides of the integration debate should be held.<\/p>\n
However it was established that the dialog would avoid
\ndiscussing the political situation of the former Portuguese
\ncolony and thus not become a second track to find an
\ninternationally recognized solution to the issue of East Timor.<\/p>\n
East Timor became Indonesia's 27th province in 1976. The
\nUnited Nations, however, still considers Lisbon the island's
\nadministrative head.<\/p>\n
\"I will not be surprised if they try to do it in this
\nmeeting,\" said Alatas on the prospect of political issues being
\nbrought-up by anti-integrationists. \"They can shout and scream
\nall they want, but it will not work.\"<\/p>\n
According to Alatas, the ground rules of the dialog have
\nalready been made clear. \"Don't be influenced by their propaganda
\nthat they can use or alter it into something which profits them.\"<\/p>\n
\"Our people also know the rules,\" he said referring to the 16
\nEast Timorese on the Indonesia side.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian delegation, which includes Bishop Carlos Filipe
\nXimenes Belo and governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, is being
\ncoordinated by senior Timorese politician Lopez da Cruz.<\/p>\n
Fourteen exiled East Timorese, including Joao Viegas
\nCarrascalao, Manuel Tilman, Abilio Araujo and Fretilin leader
\nRamos Horta, are taking part. They are from various separatist
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Portuguese television reported that Horta was
\nskeptical about the outcome of the dialog, saying that it was
\n\"practically condemned to failure\".<\/p>\n
He stated that by restricting talks on non-political issues,
\nthe dialog could not \"address the fundamental question which is
\nself-determination.\"<\/p>\n
\"We don't have many illusions about the success or not of the
\nmeeting,\" he remarked.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Indonesia called 18 East Timorese boat
\npeople landing in Darwin, Australia claiming to be victims of
\ntorture an attempt to embarrass Jakarta ahead of the dialog.<\/p>\n
A foreign ministry official said every time an important event
\nfor Indonesia is about to take place, something is staged to
\nattract international attention and embarrass Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Lopez expressed hope in a written statement released here
\nyesterday that the dialog could contribute to the on-going talks
\nbetween the Indonesian and Portuguese foreign ministers.<\/p>\n
\"AETD is an historical event for East Timor because it brings
\ntogether East Timorese brothers from two-opposing sides,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He explained that although the political status of East Timor
\nwill not be discussed, exiled East Timorese's participation in
\nthe social development of the province could be brought up.(mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/alatas-says-e-timor-dialog-non-political-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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