Heated debate mars UNTAET House meeting<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): An entourage led by the UN Transitional
\nAdministration in East Timor (UNTAET) chief Sergio Viera Demello
\nmet with House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and Assembly Speaker Amien
\nRais on Friday in a move to promote the relationship between
\nIndonesia and East Timor and to garner aid to develop East Timor.<\/p>\n
The meeting was also attended by legislators of Commission I
\nfor defense, security and foreign affairs, including Astrid
\nSusanto, Simon Patrice Morin, RK Sembiring Meilala and Joko
\nSusilo, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
The heated session was marred by legislators' objection to
\nUNTAET's intention to ask the Indonesian government for
\nassistance.<\/p>\n
"The composition of UNTAET members certainly shows a sharp
\ndiscrimination as no prointegration figures are included and only
\nthose who are proindependence are members. Therefore, it will be
\nimpossible to push for reconciliation in East Timor," Joko
\nasserted.<\/p>\n
"Before, East Timor asked for freedom and treated Indonesia as
\nan imperialist. After Indonesia has now set East Timor free, why
\nare you dragging our feet and involving us?" Astrid said.<\/p>\n
Demello explained that "conditions in East Timor today are
\nvery different from before independence."<\/p>\n
East Timorese proindependence leader Jose Ramos Horta, who
\nalso attended the meeting, eventually replied, saying that many
\nEast Timorese proindependence leaders have become sympathetic to
\nIndonesia, "So let's forget the past. I think cooperation
\n(between two countries) is possible."<\/p>\n
Legislators told journalists after the meeting that to help
\nrepair Indonesia's tarnished international image, the government
\nimmediately should resolve all problems related to its former
\nprovince East Timor.<\/p>\n
Astrid, deputy chairwoman of Commission I, said the lack of an
\nappropriate foreign policy on East Timor contributed to
\nIndonesia's weak position in the international community.<\/p>\n
"Our commission will recommend the government settle the
\nquestion of Indonesia's assets in East Timor, the problem of the
\nmore than 120,000 East Timorese refugees in West Timor and human
\nrights abuse cases in the former Indonesian province," she said.<\/p>\n
She said her commission also would suggest the government seek
\na win-win solution regarding Indonesia's assets in the territory.<\/p>\n
"Indonesia must gain compensation for its assets that will be
\nnationalized by UNTAET.<\/p>\n
"The government also should settle the question of the East
\nTimorese refugees as soon as possible and pay the pensions of
\nretired civil servants who were employed in the territory in the
\npast," she said.<\/p>\n
Asked about Lt. Gen. (ret) M. Yunus Yosfiah, who has been
\naccused of being involved in the 1975 murder of five foreign
\njournalists in Balibo, East Timor, Astrid said the commission had
\ndecided to set up an independent fact-finding team to investigate
\nthe case, and that Yunus would not be left alone to deal with the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
"Whether he was involved in the incident or not, Indonesia
\nmust not let the international community intervene in the case.
\nThe government has the constitutional and moral obligation to
\nprotect its citizens," she said, adding that several countries
\nwere manipulating the issue as part of a conspiracy to discredit
\nIndonesia in the eyes of the international community.<\/p>\n
Yunus, a former information minister, testified before the
\ncommission on Thursday that he knew nothing of the incident and
\nhad never met the five journalists who were killed.<\/p>\n
Foreign institutions have called for an international tribunal
\nto try Yunus, who they believe ordered the killings when he was a
\nplatoon commander in Balibo in 1975.<\/p>\n
Sabam Sirait, another commission member, said the government
\nhad to stand up to the international community to protect Yunus,
\nbecause he was sent to East Timor by the Indonesian government to
\nprevent civil war in the territory.<\/p>\n
"Yunus was a dedicated soldier, not only during the military
\noperation in East Timor but also in the reform era. It was his
\ndecision to liberalize the national press in 1998," Sabam said.<\/p>\n
Pataniari Siahaan, another member of Commission I, hailed the
\nplanned establishment of a fact-finding team to investigate the
\nincident.<\/p>\n
Pataniari also urged the government to investigate 22 military
\nofficers and government officials who were allegedly involved in
\nthe 1999 bloody unrest in East Timor.<\/p>\n
"The absence of an investigation of the officials has drawn
\ncriticism that Indonesia is not committed to human rights and
\ndemocracy," he said.<\/p>\n
Bachrum Rasir, a commission member from the Indonesian
\nMilitary\/National Police faction, said the government should set
\npriorities in dealing with the problems related to East Timor,
\ninstead of forging ties with UNTAET.<\/p>\n
"It is not fair to supply rice and other commodities to East
\nTimor, while the government has failed to pay serious attention
\nto the refugees who are abandoned in West Timor," he said.
\n(edt\/rms)<\/p>",
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