Gus Dur visits E. Timor<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid became on
\nTuesday Indonesia's first head of state to set foot here since
\nthe majority of people in the territory voted for a breakaway
\nfrom Indonesia last August.<\/p>\n
In an unscheduled address to about 5,000 East Timorese who
\nflocked the United Nations Transitional Administration in East
\nTimor (UNTAET) compound, Abdurrahman brought a reconciliatory
\nmessage, calling on the new neighbors to bury the hatchet of the
\npast and open a new era of ties between the two nations.<\/p>\n
The President, who received a warm welcome from the crowd,
\nsaid people in East Timor and Indonesia had become the victims of
\noppression from his predecessor's regime.<\/p>\n
\"You were oppressed, we also were under tyranny. But
\nAlhamdulillah (Thanks to God) the past period, which was full of
\nhardship and pain, will end soon. Let us start building a better
\nfuture for Timor Leste and Indonesia,\" said Abdurrahman, amid
\napplause from the crowd.<\/p>\n
Wearing a tais, the local East Timor scarf, the President
\npromised he would allow the return of East Timorese students to
\nIndonesia to continue their unfinished studies at Indonesian
\nuniversities and guarantee their safety.<\/p>\n
\"Viva Gus Dur,\" a group of youths cheered at the President's
\npledge not to let the students be harmed during their stay in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
East Timor's independence leader Jose Alexandre \"Xanana\"
\nGusmao, who described Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, as a
\nsymbol of democratization and respectful of human dignity,
\nescorted the President until he completed his three-hour visit of
\nthe country's former 27th province.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman's speech was interrupted, however, by crowds of
\ndemonstrators, who called for the punishment of former Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto and other military top brass
\nfor their alleged role in the violence which followed the ballot.<\/p>\n
They also demanded that Wiranto help them find their relatives
\nwho were killed in the rampage.<\/p>\n
\"Wiranto, you must be held responsible for the massacre,\" they
\nshouted.<\/p>\n
After the President stepped down from he podium, Xanana
\napproached the protesters and hugged an old woman, Cavemalida
\nCosta Silva, and brought her to the President.<\/p>\n
She asked the President to find her brother, former guerrilla
\nleader David Alex and a relative, Jose da Costa. Both were
\nallegedly kidnapped by pro-Jakarta militias in Kupang, East Nusa
\nTenggara.<\/p>\n
\"The President promised to find my brother,\" a tearful Costa
\nSilva said after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Dili Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo, Baucau Bishop Basilio
\ndo Nascimento, Xanana and UNTAET head Sergio Vieiera de Mello
\ngreeted Abdurrahman at the airport amid tight security.<\/p>\n
The President's entourage included TNI chief Adm. Widodo A.S.,
\nAttorney General Marzuki Darusman and Minister of Foreign Affairs
\nAlwi Shihab.<\/p>\n
The President's limousine had to stop for about 10 minutes,
\njust about one kilometer from Komoro Airport, as a group of the
\nfamilies of victims of the post-ballot mayhem tried to convey
\ntheir demand directly to the President.<\/p>\n
Portuguese Police fired warning shots at the mob as they
\nattempted to stop the President's bulletproof limousine.<\/p>\n
Former president Soeharto named the street after his late wife
\nTien Soeharto. The name has since been changed to Jl. Hak Azasi
\nManusia (Human Rights).<\/p>\n
After addressing the enthusiastic crowd, Abdurrahman also held
\na dialog with East Timorese leaders and witnessed the signing of
\na joint communique by Alwi and de Mello.<\/p>\n
According to the communique, the two parties have reached
\nseveral understandings, \"including on the status of refugees,
\nland border demarcation and maritime delimitation and the state
\npensions of East Timorese who were Indonesian civil servants\".<\/p>\n
In a joint news conference with Xanana and de Mello, the
\nPresident reiterated his commitment to close cooperation with
\nEast Timor in achieving its full independence.<\/p>\n
When asked whether Indonesia would give financial assistance
\nto its new neighbor, the President replied: \"Cooperation is not
\nalways in terms of money, and both of us are poor\".<\/p>\n
The President also visited Santa Cruz Cemetery and prayed at
\nthe small chapel inside. According to the Indonesian version, at
\nleast 50 people were killed and many went missing when the
\nmilitary allegedly opened fire at cemetery visitors on Nov. 12,
\n1991.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by Widodo and Xanana, Abdurrahman later laid a
\nwreath and prayed at the nearby Seroja Heroes Cemetery, the site
\nof graves of Indonesian soldiers killed during tours in the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
\"I would like to apologize for the things that have happened
\nin the past ... for our friends, to the families of Santa Cruz,
\nand those friends who are buried here in the military cemetery.
\nThey are the victims of circumstance that we didn't want,\" the
\nPresident said. (prb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-visits-e-timor-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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