East Timor's rival factions begin talks<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Rival factions in East Timor began peace talks
\nhere on Monday aimed at ending violence in the troubled territory
\nahead of the August ballot.<\/p>\n
Nobel laureate Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, opening
\nthe second phase of the church-organized \"Dare II Peace and
\nReconciliation Dialog\", said it was the church's obligation to
\nfree the East Timorese from decades of conflict.<\/p>\n
\"It is the task of the church to release its children from the
\ngrip of the ceaseless conflict that now enslaves them,\" Belo
\nsaid, referring to 23 years of violence since the province was
\nannexed by Jakarta in 1975.<\/p>\n
Belo urged all delegates \"to work together toward a solution
\nthat will unite the people of East Timor and bring about
\nprosperity.<\/p>\n
\"Please avoid issues of personal or group interests that could
\nlead us to conflict of interests\".<\/p>\n
Belo was one of seven speakers launching the three-day talks
\nat the Sheraton Bandara Hotel, which is located near Soekarno-
\nHatta International Airport.<\/p>\n
The other speakers -- conversing in English, Indonesian, the
\nEast Timorese dialect Tetun and Portuguese -- were papal nuncio
\nEnzo Fratino, UN representative Tamrat Samuel, the Indonesian
\ngovernment's Thomas Aquino Samudra, Lisbon envoy Ana Gomes and
\nrepresentatives of both proindependence and pro-Jakarta factions.<\/p>\n
Speaking in Portuguese, jailed separatist leader Jose
\nAlexandre Xanana Gusmao acknowledged the first actions would be
\ndifficult, but said it was the responsibility of the delegates to
\nforge reconciliation in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"The most difficult step has been taken -- that of the
\nacceptance of the need for dialog as the means of reaching a
\nbetter understanding of one another's ideas, of putting an end to
\napprehension and of rejecting violence,\" Xanana said.<\/p>\n
He also called on all East Timorese \"to break down, once and
\nfor all, the barriers constructed between us.<\/p>\n
\"If we inherited from our ancestors the spirit of rebellion,
\ntoday the Timorese people wish to hand down something new to
\nfuture generations -- real and lasting peace\".<\/p>\n
Pro-Jakarta delegate Lopez da Cruz, using the traditional name
\nfor the province, said \"all our brothers and sisters in Timor
\nLorosae are anxious that we reach understanding and that we are
\ncapable of standing united for peace\".<\/p>\n
Pitfalls<\/p>\n
\"This is a historic moment, full of opportunities, but like
\nall decisive historic moments, fraught with dangers and
\npitfalls,\" Samuel said.<\/p>\n
He believed the ultimate challenge for the delegates would be
\nhow to make \"the outcome of the consultation an acceptable
\nfoundation for a durable and peaceful system of coexistence for
\nthe opposing forces\".<\/p>\n
He described it as \"a system in which every East Timorese will
\nhave a stake and which every East Timorese will have a reason to
\ndefend\".<\/p>\n
\"(The meeting) is exactly to dissipate such fears and make it
\nunderstood that there will be a place for everybody in East
\ntimor, after the consultation, whatever will be the result of the
\nconsultation,\" Gomes said.<\/p>\n
The East Timorese will vote in August on whether to accept
\nautonomy under Indonesia or proceed with independence.<\/p>\n
The conference's 60 delegates -- 30 from each side -- include
\nBelo's fellow Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta, the
\nproindependence supporter who arrived in the country on Saturday
\nafter 23 years in self-imposed exile.<\/p>\n
Outside the hotel, about 30 pro-Jakarta campaigners protested
\nRamos Horta's presence and called him a provocateur. One held up
\na placard showing a dollar sign and stating he was wanted \"dead
\nor alive\".<\/p>\n
The first session, held in the same hotel on Friday and
\nSaturday, was restricted to representatives from East Timor. The
\ntalks are closed to the media.<\/p>\n
Xanana, who is serving a 20-year sentence for armed rebellion,
\nwas given permission by the government to leave his special
\ndetention house in Central Jakarta for the talks.<\/p>\n
The East Timorese are to take part in a UN-conducted vote in
\nAugust following the government's statement in January that it
\nwould release the province if the people rejected the government-
\nsponsored autonomy proposal.<\/p>\n
Escalating violence between opposing groups in East Timor has
\nled to dozens of fatalities.<\/p>\n
Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered a two-
\nweek delay in the ballot from the original Aug. 8 date, citing
\nsecurity and logistical concerns.<\/p>\n
Also on Monday, Dino Patti Djalal, spokesman for the Dili-
\nbased Task Force for the Implementation of the Popular
\nConsultation in East Timor, said in a statement that the
\ndeployment of personnel and equipment for the United Nations
\nAssistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) were proceeding well.<\/p>\n
\"Until June 22, there had been over 45 UNAMET flights to and
\nfrom Dili and over 17 flights to and from Baucau, including those
\nwith fixed-wing aircraft, carrying personnel and equipment,\" Dino
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The task force also welcomed the signing of the agreement on
\nJune 24 between state-owned TVRI television network and UNAMET on
\nthe use of the former's facilities to provide information on the
\nspecial autonomy proposal to the East Timorese.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the UN secretary-general's special envoy for East
\nTimor, Jamsheed Marker, met National Police chief Gen.
\nRoesmanhadi to discuss his visit to the province last week.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar as
\nsaying that Marker expressed satisfaction with ongoing
\npreparations. The police are responsible for security in East
\nTimor ahead of the direct ballot. (byg\/33)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timors-rival-factions-begin-talks-1447893297",
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