East Timor leaders agree to expand forum<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders from East Timor still residing in
\nIndonesia, along with others living in exile, agreed to expand
\ntheir forum to include other overseas Timorese factions in hopes
\nof bringing about total reconciliation.<\/p>\n
F.X. Lopez Da Cruz leads the pro-integration delegation that
\nplans to meet with leaders of those who oppose integration into
\nIndonesia. He said that separatist leaders like Ramos Horta
\nwould also be invited to join the forum, the Antara news agency
\nreported on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Lopez was speaking in Chepstow, Wales, at the second round of
\nmeetings with the delegation of East Timorese in exile, led by
\nAbilio Araujo, now living in Portugal.<\/p>\n
The first meeting in London last December was a major
\nbreakthrough and marked the first steps towards reconciliation
\nbetween various East Timorese groups that split after the
\noutbreak of civil war in 1975. Many of those who opposed East
\nTimor's integration with Indonesia have been living in exile.
\nSome, like Ramos Horta, have been waging their separatist cause
\nfrom abroad by campaigning for international support.<\/p>\n
Lopez's delegation includes such prominent East Timorese as
\nSalvador Soares, Fransisco Xavier do Amaral, Jose Concalves, Abel
\nde Fatima dos Santos, Ahmad Alkatiri, Maria Luisa Quintao and
\nCarlos Alberto de Fatima.<\/p>\n
UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, acting as mediator
\nbetween Indonesia and Portugal in resolving the dispute over the
\nsovereignty of East Timor, sent an envoy, Tamrat Samuel, to
\nChepstow to observe the meeting, according to Antara.<\/p>\n
Lopez said his delegation has offered to establish direct
\ncommunication lines with Araujo and other leaders in exile in
\norder to get first-hand information about events in East Timor,
\nreducing reliance on reports from the Portuguese or the
\ninternational press.<\/p>\n
\"They can contact us either in Jakarta or Dili, individually
\nif they like. There is no need to establish a special forum for
\nthat,\" he was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
The offer was made after Araujo, prompted by various
\nallegations that appeared in the Portuguese press, raised
\nquestions about human rights in East Timor. (emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-leaders-agree-to-expand-forum-1447893297",
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