Govt calls for restraint over Belo's remarks<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Government and community leaders called on all
\nparties for restraint yesterday, amidst concerns that the
\nprotests and counter-protests over East Timor Bishop Carlos
\nFelipe Ximenes Belo's remarks could lead to violence.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Wahono said everyone should retrain themselves.<\/p>\n
He called on community leaders and the press not to fan the
\nflames of the matter further and to allow the situation to cool
\ndown.<\/p>\n
\"We have to control ourselves. Don't make things worse by
\nheating up the situation,\" Wahono said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. called
\nfor calm.<\/p>\n
Underlining the importance of the media, he called on them to
\nact responsibly by not aggravating the issue further.<\/p>\n
\"This issue is still contained within acceptable levels,\" he
\nsaid as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
A string of demonstrations, some supporting, others denouncing
\nBelo, have hit Jakarta, Dili and other cities in the past few
\ndays.<\/p>\n
Some 2,000 people denounced Belo in a protest here Tuesday. At
\nthe same time, in Dili, East Timorese students took to the
\nstreets to support their Bishop.<\/p>\n
The furor was sparked by an Oct. 14 interview with German
\nmagazine Der Spiegel, in which Belo was quoted as saying that
\nIndonesian troops treated Timorese people like \"scabby dogs\".<\/p>\n
Belo, who was awarded the Nobel peace prize last month, has
\nnot denied making such a statement, but has asked to be given
\ntime review a tape recording of the interview.<\/p>\n
The call for restraint and calm was also aired by the National
\nHuman Rights Commission yesterday.<\/p>\n
The commission said debate over Belo's remark has caused
\nconsiderable disquiet and warned that growing misperceptions
\ncould spark conflict.<\/p>\n
The commission underlined each individual's right to express
\ntheir views and opinions freely.<\/p>\n
\"The commission is of the opinion that excessive action and
\ndenunciation without any legal basis is a violation of human
\nrights. It is a person's right to explain their thinking and
\nopinions freely and responsibly,\" commission member Arnold
\nBaramuli said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The commission warned of a growing tendency of certain groups
\nto exploit and corrupt issues for their own political interests.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, Central Java, Moslem scholar Amien Rais said he
\nbelieved that Bishop Belo did make the remarks.<\/p>\n
\"I'm quite convinced Der Spiegel wrote it the way it was said.
\nI doubt such an internationally famous magazine would make
\nsomething like that up. The stakes are too high,\" said Amien, who
\nheads the Muhammadiyah organization.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not surprised at such an emotional outburst from Belo. I
\nhave a recording of Belo with the BBC in London saying that the
\ngovernment is forcing East Timor to Islamize, and other
\nfictitious claims,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Antara reported yesterday that the editor of Der Spiegel said
\nhe would provide Bishop Belo with a transcript of the interview,
\nbut to date he had not been asked.<\/p>\n
Stephen Simon said in Hamburg that the journalist who
\nconducted the interview, Jurgen Kremp, did not record the
\nconversation on tape, but jotted it down instead.<\/p>\n
The interview was conducted in English, Simon said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, another demonstration of 700 youths rocked Dili
\nyesterday. What started out as a peaceful gathering to hand a
\npetition to the local legislature, turned violent as buildings
\nand cars were wrecked, witnesses said.<\/p>\n
There were no reports of casualties.<\/p>\n
Antonio Freitas Parada, speaker of the East Timor legislature,
\nsaid the rally was probably infiltrated by trouble makers who
\nsought to exploit the situation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Jakarta, four East Timorese youths who entered
\nthe Spanish Embassy on Tuesday seeking asylum, boarded a plane
\nout of Jakarta after Portugal agreed to give them asylum.<\/p>\n
It is the tenth time this year that East Timorese youths have
\njumped fence into foreign embassies in Jakarta to seek asylum.
\n(mds)<\/p>",
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