Military operation in East Timor continues: Xanana<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Jailed rebel East Timorese leader Jose Alexandre
\n\"Xanana\" Gusmao has accused the Armed Forces (ABRI) of continuing
\nmilitary operations in East Timor, leading opposition leader
\nAmien Rais said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Xanana said he continues to receive reports from his
\nsubordinates that military operations have not ceased,\" Amien
\ntold reporters after meeting the rebel leader at the Cipinang
\nprison in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Amien, who said his 15-minute meeting with Xanana was for
\n\"humanitarian reasons,\" quoted him as saying that military
\noperations in the former Portuguese colony should stop to give
\npeace a chance.<\/p>\n
\"Xanana proposes that talks on East Timor at the international
\nlevel be allowed to proceed calmly in order to achieve results,
\nand should not be disturbed by military operations,\" Amien said.<\/p>\n
His visit came a day after the mayor of the Portuguese capital
\nLisbon, Jose Antonio dos Soares, paid Xanana a visit at the jail,
\nwhere the rebel leader is serving a 20-year jail term for illegal
\npossession of weapons and subversion.<\/p>\n
ABRI has launched a manhunt for a group of rebels who
\nallegedly attacked a military post in East Timor on Nov. 9 and
\nkilled three soldiers while abducting 13 others.<\/p>\n
Eleven of the soldiers have since been freed or escaped,
\nleaving two others in the hands of their captors.<\/p>\n
Amien also quoted Xanana as saying the East Timorese people
\nwho agreed with his demand for a referendum on self-determination
\n\"do not want to take advantage of the situation currently
\ndeveloping in Indonesia.\"<\/p>\n
Amien, who heads the new National Mandate Party, agreed a
\ntransitional period was necessary to enable the East Timorese to
\nprepare themselves for the polling and to ensure the results are
\n\"respected.\"<\/p>\n
AFP reported Friday that diplomatic sources at the United
\nNations said on Thursday the UN was pushing for Xanana's release,
\nbelieving his presence at peace talks would help bring about a
\nresolution of the East Timor problem.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Portugal are due to respond to UN autonomy
\nproposals for East Timor, UN spokesman Fred Eckhard was quoted by
\nthe news agency as saying Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The UN proposals reportedly include plans for elections of an
\nautonomous government as a first step toward self-determination.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Portugal have agreed to leave aside East Timor's
\nfinal status at this stage to the frustration of East Timorese
\nresistance groups pressing for a referendum on self-
\ndetermination.<\/p>\n
The UN-sponsored talks are to resume Thursday for at least
\nfour days at UN headquarters in New York. The talks, which have
\nbeen held regularly since 1983, have gained momentum since the
\nresignation of president Soeharto in May.<\/p>\n
The United Nations continues to regard Lisbon as the official
\nadministrator of East Timor. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/military-operation-in-east-timor-continues-xanana-1447893297",
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