Mandela says East Timor should be given autonomy<\/p>\n
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Agencies): South African President
\nNelson Mandela said yesterday the former Portuguese colony of
\nEast Timor should be awarded autonomy from Indonesia to end
\nconflict over the territory.<\/p>\n
\"As you know I went to Indonesia and I had discussions with
\nPresident Soeharto on the situation in East Timor,\" Mandela said.<\/p>\n
\"And the basis of my representations to President Soeharto was
\nthat autonomy should be given to the people of East Timor,\" he
\ntold a news conference after meeting with Nobel Peace Prize
\nwinner East Timor Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo.<\/p>\n
Mandela, stretching his peacemaking efforts around the globe
\nin his last years in active politics, met jailed East Timorese
\nrebel leader Jose Alexandre \"Xanana\" Gusmao on a visit to
\nIndonesia in July and discussed his case with Soeharto, who is
\nalso due to visit South Africa in November.<\/p>\n
Xanana is currently serving a reduced 20-year jail sentence in
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Portugal abandoned its former Asian colony in 1974.<\/p>\n
Indonesia integrated East Timor as the 27th province in 1976.
\nBut the United Nations still regards Lisbon as the administrative
\nauthority there.<\/p>\n
Mandela said met Belo to brief him on the meetings he had had
\nwith other leaders in his efforts to facilitate a peaceful
\nsolution.<\/p>\n
Mandela however would not elaborate on the discussion since
\nsuccess depended on confidentiality.<\/p>\n
Belo also declined to go into detail of his talks with Mandela
\nexcept to express his satisfaction with developments.<\/p>\n
\"I have nothing to add to what the president said because I
\nfully agree with what his excellency says,\" Belo said. \"We will
\ntry to achieve peace on the ground among East Timorese people and
\nEast Timorese leaders.\"<\/p>\n
Mandela also made it clear that he was merely trying to assist
\nUN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in peace efforts, and that peace
\nin East Timor ultimately depended on the people and leaders of
\nthe region.<\/p>\n
\"A solution in East Timor is not something that can be
\nachieved by people outside East Timor. The leaders of East Timor
\nand the Indonesian government are the people who are going to
\nsolve this matter,\" Mandela said.<\/p>\n
Mandela has also held talks in South Africa on the issue with
\nEast Timor separatist leader Jose Ramos Horta and Portugal's
\nPresident Jorge Sampaio.<\/p>\n
When asked, the South African president denied media reports
\nthat quoted him recently as having invited the Indonesian
\ngovernment and East Timorese separatist leaders to negotiations.<\/p>\n
\"There is absolutely nothing of the sort; I have never done so
\nbecause this is an affair that is being handled by tripartite
\nnegotiations involving the United Nations, Portugal and the
\nIndonesian government,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mandela-says-east-timor-should-be-given-autonomy-1447893297",
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