Indonesia downplays Soeharto-Guterres meeting<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (JP): President Soeharto and Portuguese Prime Minister
\nAntonio Guterres met briefly on Thursday night, marking the first
\ntime that leaders of the two countries met since diplomatic ties
\nwere broken off in 1976 over the East Timor question.<\/p>\n
But as Guterres made the most of the media publicity from the
\nmeeting, the Indonesian camp downplayed some of the claims that
\nthe Portuguese prime minister was making.<\/p>\n
The 15-minute meeting took place after an informal dinner
\nhosted by Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa on the eve of
\nAsia-Europe Meeting bringing in 25 leaders from the two regions.<\/p>\n
Guterres told reporters after the meeting that he had
\nsuggested the possibility of re-establishing diplomatic ties but
\ninsisted that Indonesia must first release jailed Timorese
\nseparatist leader Xanana Gusmao and his followers.<\/p>\n
\"Portugal would except the opening of a section of interest of
\nIndonesia in the embassy of a friendly country in Lisbon and we
\nwould be ready to open our own section of interest in Jakarta,\"
\nhe revealed.<\/p>\n
He said the proposal would only be possible \"if the
\nIndonesians firstly accept to free Xanana Gusmao, the leader of
\nthe resistance, and his followers. And secondly, to give
\nguarantees for the respect of human rights in East Timor,
\nguarantees to be followed up on by the United Nations.\"<\/p>\n
Guterres said he was satisfied with the brief meeting, saying
\nthat the proposal, while not accepted, wasn't rejected either by
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
\"As far as I can expect from the reaction we had, there is at
\nleast an open mind from the Indonesian side to start a discussion
\nabout it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said
\nseparately that Lisbon's idea to open interest sections in each
\nother's capitals was not a new.<\/p>\n
The idea was discussed a few years ago in one of the rounds of
\ntalks Indonesia and Portugal held under the auspices of UN
\nSecretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Alatas said. \"So it's
\nnot their proposal.\"<\/p>\n
The tripartite meeting is aimed at finding a solution to the
\nstatus of East Timor. While Indonesia has claimed that the
\nmajority of East Timorese agreed to be integrated into Indonesia,
\nthe United Nations still regards Lisbon as the administrative
\npower there.<\/p>\n
Alatas pointed out that it was Portugal who had rejected the
\nidea for the resumption of diplomatic ties while Indonesia had
\nendorsed it as a confidence building measure.<\/p>\n
The idea was once again raised at the last rounds of talks in
\nLondon in January, Alatas said, referring to the meeting he held
\nwith his Portuguese counterpart Jaime Gama.<\/p>\n
On Xanana's release, Alatas said the separatist leader was a
\nconvicted felon who is serving time in jail. \"Why should we? He
\nis a criminal. He killed many people and burnt down many
\nvillages\"<\/p>\n
He questioned Portuguese sudden move to demand Xanana's
\nrelease as a condition for the limited resumption of ties.<\/p>\n
Alatas added that Lisbon's offer would be discussed at the
\nnext round of tripartite meeting in June.<\/p>\n
Guterres said Soeharto had told him that Alatas had been
\ninstructed to follow up on the proposal.<\/p>\n
On the prospects of a solution to the East Timor question in
\nlight of the Portuguese proposal, Alatas was cool saying that the
\nfundamental problem still lies with Portugal and that there was
\nactually no new initiative if Lisbon remained stubborn in its
\nposition.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting between Soeharto and Guterres itself is something
\nnew. But the substance of the meeting itself is not, as Portugal
\ndid not abandon its insistence on self-determination for East
\nTimor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Guterres during his announcement yesterday specifically
\nunderlined that Portugal had not abandoned the position that East
\nTimor should be given the right of self-determination. (rid\/mds)<\/p>\n
Timorese -- Page 2<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-downplays-soeharto-guterres-meeting-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }