Golkar offers to assist E. Timor solution<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Golkar's central board announced on Friday it
\nwould form a special team to support the choice of wide-ranging
\nautonomy for troubled East Timor.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued here, the once dominant political
\ngrouping which has now officially transformed itself into a
\npolitical party, said it \"understood\" the government's decision
\nto present the two options to resolve the East Timor issue.<\/p>\n
\"Golongan Karya (Golkar) intends, together with all components
\nof the nation, to help make the first option a success.<\/p>\n
\"However after if all efforts have been exhausted and the
\nfirst option is rejected, then Golongan Karya would desist and
\nleave it up to the coming general session of the MPR (People's
\nConsultative Assembly),\" the statement said.<\/p>\n
Last month President B.J. Habibie abruptly changed Indonesia's
\npolicy on the integration of the former Portuguese province.<\/p>\n
The people of East Timor will be given the option of remaining
\nwith the republic under a special status with wide-ranging
\nautonomy.<\/p>\n
If the proposal is rejected, the government will then propose
\nto the Assembly, which convenes in August, to allow it to \"part
\nways\" with the 27th and youngest province.<\/p>\n
The latter would mean East Timor reverting to its prior status
\nas a territory with Lisbon as its administrative power. In
\neffect, the decision would lead toward an independent East Timor.<\/p>\n
Golkar said its decision to support the autonomy option was in
\nconsideration of the historical background of East Timor's
\nintegration into Indonesia in 1976.<\/p>\n
The statement said Golkar would hold consultations with
\nvarious parties, including Timorese abroad such as Ramos Horta
\nand Mari Alkatiri, along with seminars to disseminate
\ninformation.<\/p>\n
Golkar's special team will comprise Golkar senior executive
\nAbdul Gafur as its chairman, with Assembly member Marzuki
\nDarusman and legislator Abu Hasan Sazili as his deputies.<\/p>\n
The special team will have its own working committee, with
\nAssembly member Ansel Da Lopez and National Commission on Human
\nRights member Clementio dos Reis Amaral as its coordinators.<\/p>\n
Separately in a meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace on
\nFriday, visiting International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
\npresident Cornelio Sommaruga asked that his organization be given
\nmore flexibility to place personnel throughout country.<\/p>\n
Sommaruga said he would like the ICRC to be able to station
\npeople in places like riot-torn Ambon in Maluku province.<\/p>\n
The ICRC currently only has permission to operate in Irian
\nJaya, East Timor and Aceh.<\/p>\n
Although not expressing an objection, Habibie directed the
\nICRC chief to discuss the matter with related ministers.<\/p>\n
Green light<\/p>\n
Asked by journalists following the meeting if the ICRC had a
\ngreen light to visit Ambon, Cornelio replied: \"Up to now not, but
\nI hope that it will be made very quickly in the future.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Canberra, the Melbourne Age newspaper in a report
\non Friday said Australian diplomats in Indonesia warned in a
\nseries of confidential diplomatic cables that an independent East
\nTimor would collapse into chaos and violence.<\/p>\n
As quoted by Reuters, the Age said the cables warned that as
\nmany as 15,000 people might flee their homes in East Timor if the
\nterritory became independent.<\/p>\n
The cables predicted an escalation of violence, a breakdown of
\nbasic services and economic collapse.<\/p>\n
One of the cables, written by an official of the government
\naid body AusAID, said the Timorese resistance movement expected
\nto put \"active guerrillas\" and exiles into administrative,
\ntechnical and professional positions in a new government.<\/p>\n
The cable, sent to Australian Prime Minister John Howard,
\nforeign minister Alexander Downer and Australia's defense and
\nintelligence organizations, warned a non-East Timorese exodus
\nwould have dire consequences for the economy and services.<\/p>\n
\"We understand that only one doctor is East Timorese and the
\nvast majority of technicians staffing government-owned water,
\npower, postal and telecommunications (facilities) are non-East
\nTimorese,\" the newspaper quoted the cable as saying.<\/p>\n
\"Private investment ... is expected to dry up in the short
\nterm,\" it said. \"Prices are expected to increase, particularly
\ngiven that East Timor is a net importer of goods and reliant on a
\nnonindigenous transport infrastructure.\"<\/p>\n
Aid to the province will have to focus on the need to staff
\nessential positions and stockpile food, medicine and equipment to
\nhelp them, it said.<\/p>\n
One of the cables also indicated Australia may not wish to
\ntake the lead role in a coordinated aid effort, which conflicts
\nwith Downer's official comment this week that Australia would
\nhave \"no choice\" but to take the primary role.<\/p>\n
The Australian government has said it will support
\nindependence for the province, although it would prefer it be
\ngiven wider autnomy and remain within Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Earlier on Thursday night, Downer said in a television
\ninterview that East Timor would need US$50 million a year in
\ninternational financial assistance if it became independent.<\/p>\n
Speaking on ABC television's Lateline Program, Downer said the
\ntotal fund was half of the GDP given by the Indonesian
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
According to Downer, the donor countries, particularly
\nPortugal and Australia, have to allocate that amount, considering
\nthe lack of the local people's revenues.<\/p>\n
He said the $50 million fund is only enough to maintain the
\nlower living standards of people, which is not more than $100 a
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Downer is set to meet with Habibie on Thursday in Jakarta
\nafter attending a three-day ministerial forum between Indonesian
\nand Australian ministers. (prb\/edt\/mds)<\/p>",
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