East Timor 'nothing but rocks': Habibie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie again expressed
\nresentment on Tuesday about the financial burden placed on
\nIndonesia since East Timor was integrated in 1976.<\/p>\n
Speaking to a visiting delegation from North Sulawesi, Habibie
\ndescribed Jakarta's decision to integrate the former Portuguese
\ncolony of East Timor as an act of \"charity\", aimed to relieve
\npeople's suffering, because the territory had \"nothing but rocks\"
\nto offer.<\/p>\n
\"But what did they give us? Natural resources? No. Human
\nresources? No. Technology? No. Abundant gold? No. Rocks? Yes!\"<\/p>\n
In the meeting held at Merdeka Palace, he argued that the
\nworld community had failed to give even the smallest amount of
\nassistance to the tiny territory.<\/p>\n
He said the province receives an annual budget six times
\nbigger than that accorded its neighbor, East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
\"This is difficult to understand, from a justice point of
\nview.\"<\/p>\n
Habibie reiterated his recommendation that East Timor be
\ngranted independence by Jan. 1 next year, if the government's
\nspecial autonomy proposal is rejected.<\/p>\n
Jailed East Timorese rebel Jose Alexandre \"Xanana\" Gusmao said
\non Tuesday that \"what we want from Habibie is sincerity, not only
\nin words but in actions\", reported Reuters.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Portugal's Lusa news agency issued on
\nMonday, Gusmao said he would shortly meet with East Timor
\nMilitary Commander Col. Tono Suratman and Maj. Gen. Adam Damiri,
\nchief of the Udayana Military Command, which oversees four
\nprovinces including East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"We are not going to talk of a cease fire because that is a
\nterm the Armed Forces do not like to use, but we are going to see
\nwhat the chances are of an accord to end military hostilities.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo said at a
\nmeeting with a Catholic community in New South Wales, Australia,
\nthat pro-independence and pro-integration groups should disarm
\nthemselves to avoid a possible civil war.<\/p>\n
\"May I appeal for the Australian government and the public to
\nsupport (campaigns to) disarm these people,\" he said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and his
\nAustralian counterpart Alexander Downer will meet on Wednesday to
\ndiscuss the future of East Timor. Downer is scheduled to meet
\nwith Habibie on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"This is a routine meeting,\" Alatas said on the sidelines of
\nthe fourth Indonesia-Australia Ministerial Forum in Bali.<\/p>\n
From Dili, the capital of East Timor, Antara reported that
\nAitarak militia group leader Eurico Guterres, had condemned
\nformer officials demands for independence from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"When they were still with the government, they vowed to
\ndefend integration, but now they no longer hold a position, they
\nhave betrayed their pledge,\" Eurico said without mentioning any
\nnames.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Minister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto urged East Timorese, especially the two
\nconflicting factions, to be patient for the results of the UN-
\nsponsored tripartite meeting.<\/p>\n
\"It is up to the East Timorese people to accept or reject the
\ntripartite meeting's formulation of the province's special status
\nwith wide-ranging autonomy.<\/p>\n
\"If they want a permanent separation from Indonesia, they
\nshould do it peacefully and respectfully,\" he said during a
\nhearing with the House of Representatives commission dealing with
\ndefense and security here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The New York tripartite meeting between Indonesia and Portugal
\nis expected to finish deliberating the autonomy formulation by
\nApril.<\/p>\n
Wiranto reiterated that ABRI would not agree to a referendum
\non self-determination because the province was an integral part
\nof Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"A referendum is usually conducted by colonies.\"<\/p>\n
He said ABRI would also reject Australia's proposal for a
\nreferendum for East Timor after a five-year autonomy period.<\/p>\n
\"ABRI will respect... the government's alternative of greater
\nautonomy or a permanent separation.\"<\/p>\n
Wiranto acknowledged rising tensions in the territory but
\nrejected any plans to deploy further troops.<\/p>\n
\"No. We have no plans to send more soldiers to ease the
\nmounting tension between the two warring factions.\" (prb\/rms\/rid)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-nothing-but-rocks-habibie-1447893297",
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