Australia drawn deeper into E. Timor<\/p>\n
By Endy M. Bayuni and Ati Nurbaiti<\/p>\n
NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): Australian Prime Minister John Howard
\nwill meet President B.J. Habibie here on Tuesday to discuss the
\nEast Timor problem as pressure grows on Canberra to take a more
\nactive role in the East Timor conflict.<\/p>\n
Howard arrived here on Monday evening, accompanied by Foreign
\nMinister Alexander Downer and Defense Minister John Moore.
\nHabibie's entourage, which arrived some time after the
\nAustralians, includes Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and
\nMinister of Security and Defense\/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
\nWiranto.<\/p>\n
The summit signals not only Australia's increasing concern
\nabout the situation in East Timor, but also domestic and
\ninternational pressure for Canberra to shoulder its share of the
\nburden amid signs of a possible breakthrough that will finally
\nsettle the East Timor problem.<\/p>\n
Howard, however, played down expectations of a new Australian
\nrole in East Timor emerging from his meeting with Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"It's important that we have a realistic sense of what
\nAustralia can achieve,\" Howard said in Canberra before boarding
\nhis plane for Bali on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"It's important to understand that Timor is part of Indonesia
\nand it's absolutely essential if progress is to be made that we
\nengage the Indonesian government in a very positive and
\nconstructive way,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Habibie, during a meeting with Australian editors in Jakarta
\nlast week, said he expected Canberra to take a leading role in
\nobserving a United Nations-sponsored ballot expected to take
\nplace in July or August, in which the East Timorese will decide
\nwhether to accept Jakarta's offer of remaining in the republic
\nwith wide-ranging autonomy.<\/p>\n
If the East Timorese reject the offer, Indonesia will begin
\nthe process of separation from East Timor, which could occur as
\nearly as Jan. 1, 2000.<\/p>\n
Australia, however, has ruled out committing troops under a UN
\npeacekeeping force, stressing that security in East Timor remains
\nthe responsibility of the Indonesian military.<\/p>\n
Howard said in Canberra last week that Australia would not
\nsend troops unless there was a \"clear national benefit\".<\/p>\n
\"When people say we've got to do something, the best asset
\nAustralia can bring to the dispute is influence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Analysts say Canberra is expected to take part in any future
\nUN peacekeeping force in East Timor should the security situation
\nin the territory deteriorate before or after the ballot.<\/p>\n
Security arrangements ahead of the ballot was one of two
\nsticking points which stalled the agreement on the text of the
\nEast Timor autonomy proposal by the Indonesian and Portuguese
\nforeign ministers at the United Nations last week. The agreement
\nis now expected to be signed on May 5.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has agreed to some form of UN presence ahead of the
\nballot, but has ruled out international peacekeeping troops,
\nstressing that the Indonesian military remains in charge.<\/p>\n
But the escalation of violence between proindependence and
\npro-Indonesian groups has raised doubts about the military's
\nability, not only to keep the two groups apart, but also to
\nremain impartial amid accusations that elements of the military
\nhave been training and arming the pro-Indonesia militia.<\/p>\n
The Bali summit was hastily arranged following a phone call
\nbetween Howard and Habibie last week during which the prime
\nminister expressed concern over the escalation of violence in
\nEast Timor.<\/p>\n
The security situation is expected to feature prominently in
\nthe summit.<\/p>\n
\"We want to see the United Nations process -- that we have
\nbeen involved in helping put together -- we want to see it
\nsucceed but we also want to see the security situation on the
\nground in East Timor substantially improved,\" Downer said on his
\narrival in Bali on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Australia has been a staunch supporter of Indonesia's rule in
\nEast Timor -- it signed an agreement to jointly explore the
\nmineral resources in the sea off Timor in 1991 -- and also the
\nmost vocal critic of Jakarta's policy in the province.<\/p>\n
Canberra made a sudden policy shift late last year, saying it
\nrecognized the possibility of a referendum to allow the East
\nTimorese to determine their future if the special autonomy
\nproposal offered by Jakarta failed to work.<\/p>\n
Officials in Jakarta said this policy shift influenced
\nHabibie's landmark decision in January to consider granting
\nimmediate independence to East Timor if the autonomy proposal was
\nrejected.<\/p>\n
In Dili, East Timor, the National Commission on Human Rights
\nfacilitated the first plenary meeting of the East Timor National
\nCommission on Human Rights on Monday.<\/p>\n
Set up as part of the effort to bring peace to the province,
\nthe East Timor commission comprises representatives of
\nconflicting parties, the community and authorities. The Catholic
\nChurch is represented by Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo,
\namong others.<\/p>\n
The East Timor commission will address areas affected by the
\nmany disputes in the territory, including education, health, the
\neconomy and press freedom, national commission executive Djoko
\nSoegijanto, who presided over the meeting, said.<\/p>\n
Djoko said the Commission for Stability and Peace, set up in
\nconjunction with the peace pact signed by prointegration and
\nproindependence forces on Wednesday last week, would reduce the
\nworkload of the East Timor commission.<\/p>\n
\"The Commission for Stability and Peace will work on human
\nrights violations such as terrorist acts and killings,\" Djoko
\nsaid after the three-hour meeting in Becora district.<\/p>\n
He said the five proindependence representatives on the East
\nTimor commission could not make it to the event, adding the
\nmeeting was hastily organized.<\/p>\n
Liandro Isac of the proindependence CNRT organization was sick
\nand his coordinator David Ximenes was in hiding. Their homes were
\nattacked last Saturday, part of a series of attacks on Saturday
\nwhich left 13 people dead.<\/p>\n
Also on Monday, United States Ambassador to Indonesia
\nStapleton J. Roy visited Bishop Belo, but details of the meeting
\nwere not available.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/australia-drawn-deeper-into-e-timor-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}