East Timor peace pact signed<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): A pledge of peace was signed here on
\nWednesday between warring prointegration and proindependence
\ngroups. Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto and jailed
\nindependence leader Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao were among the
\nsignatories.<\/p>\n
In the emotional ceremony that is expected to end months of
\nviolence, the government was also represented by National Police
\nChief Gen. Roesmanhadi and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Subagyo HS.<\/p>\n
The National Commission of Human Rights organized the meeting,
\nwhile Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Baucau Bishop
\nBasilio do Nascimento also signed as witnesses.<\/p>\n
The peace pact was faxed to the special detention house in
\nJakarta to get Xanana's signature.<\/p>\n
Xanana and Leandro Isac represented the CNRT proindependence
\norganization, while the prointegration group was represented by
\nits leader Joao das Silva Tavares and chairman of the Forum for
\nUnity, Democracy and Justice (FPDK) Domingos Soares.<\/p>\n
East Timor Police chief Col. Timbul Silaen, East Timor
\nmilitary commander Col. Tono Suratman, and Governor Abilio Jose
\nOsorio Soares also signed the historic document.<\/p>\n
"The peace pact will only be a piece of paper... a bitter
\nmemory that we once made peace," if the pact is broken, Wiranto
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He appealed to both sides to make known the peace pact to all
\nsupporters in the villages, mountains and forests.<\/p>\n
Goodwill<\/p>\n
A gesture of goodwill was displayed later in the day at Dili
\nPolice Headquarters, as the commander of the prointegration
\nmilitia group Red-and-White-Iron, Manuel Sousa, and a number of
\nhis men, surrendered 11 homemade rifles, which Wiranto inspected
\nbefore flying back to Jakarta. Wiranto arrived in Dili on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Barely had investigations started into the Liquica incident,
\nin which 25 people are believed to have been killed by
\nprointegration militia in early April. At least 14 independence
\nsympathizers were killed on Saturday and Sunday at separate
\nplaces around Dili.<\/p>\n
Another proindependence figure, Manuel Carrascalao, whose son
\nwas killed on Saturday, also was present at the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Commenting on whether the peace pact was not too soon after
\nthe weekend incidents, deputy head of the commission Djoko
\nSoegijanto, who helped mediate talks among parties, said the
\nincidents had instead added momentum to a resolution.<\/p>\n
Djoko said the commission has long lobbied the government to
\ndraw up a peace pact.<\/p>\n
Members also said the timing of the peace pact would help
\ncreate a conducive climate for the UN-sponsored talks this week
\non autonomy for the province.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the direct balloting planned for July to
\ndetermine the province's future would be impossible without
\npeace.<\/p>\n
The document, read by a staff worker from the East Timor
\nNational Commission on Human Rights, said conflicting parties
\nagreed to end hostilities and stop violence in the light of the
\nmany victims, material losses and "deep fear of residents".<\/p>\n
All conflicting parties were obligated to take "necessary
\nmeasures" to implement the peace pact involving both armed and
\nunarmed supporters.<\/p>\n
A Committee of Peace and Stability, with two members from both
\nsides, was assigned to monitor the implementation of the pact.<\/p>\n
All violators of the pact, Wiranto said, would face legal
\naction.<\/p>\n
Wiranto also pledged to instruct all security personnel in the
\nprovince to enforce the law impartially.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Antara news agency reported from New York on
\nWednesday that despite recent tensions in East Timor, the UN-
\nsponsored talks between Indonesia and Portugal continued.<\/p>\n
UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said on Tuesday the talks, to
\ndiscuss the special autonomy proposal for East Timor, began with
\na senior officials meeting.<\/p>\n
Separately, 54 members of the United States Senate sent a
\nletter to President Bill Clinton on Tuesday to encourage the
\nIndonesian government and East Timorese people to support the
\ntripartite talks.<\/p>\n
Australian newspapers reported on Wednesday that President
\nB.J. Habibie pledged to honor his offer of autonomy or
\nindependence for East Timor. He made the pledge in a meeting with
\na group of Australian editors in Jakarta on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Habibie also said in the meeting that he had suggested five
\nnations -- the United States, Australia, Japan, the Philippines
\nand Germany -- to coordinate preparations for the UN-supervised
\ndirect vote on autonomy scheduled for July.<\/p>\n
From London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has written a
\nstrongly worded letter to Habibie to register his concern at a
\nnew wave of killings in East Timor, a British Foreign Office
\nminister said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
"The Prime Minister has written to President Habibie drawing
\nhis attention to our great concern about the situation," Reuters
\nquoted Foreign Office minister Tony Lloyd as saying. (33\/rms\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timor-peace-pact-signed-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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