Military pullout from E. Timor to continue<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto
\npromised yesterday to continue with the phased reduction in
\nmilitary presence in East Timor, following the first round to
\nwithdraw an entire battalion of 1,000 soldiers starting this
\nweek.<\/p>\n
Wiranto, who is also the minister of defense and security,
\ntold reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting that eventually only
\ntroops stationed at various East Timor commands and police
\nprecincts would remain.<\/p>\n
\"We will be left with two battalions. We will have the Korems
\n(military command posts) and the Kodim (district military
\ncommand), and the East Timor Police,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A total of 398 soldiers left East Timor on Tuesday in the
\nfirst round of an ABRI move to withdraw all remaining combat
\ntroops from the troubled territory. The second round, involving
\n600 soldiers, is planned for next month.<\/p>\n
Those withdrawn on Tuesday came from two companies of the
\nelite Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) and one company
\nfrom the Army's crack special force (Kopassus).<\/p>\n
East Timor Military Commander Col. Tono Suratman said the move
\nwould reduce the number of ABRI personnel to 11,000, including
\nsome 3,000 police officers. Suratman said ABRI would retain
\nseveral battalions of territorial troops to help with various
\npublic works projects and social works in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Wiranto said the decision to reduce the number of ABRI combat
\nsoldiers was taken because the security situation had improved
\nand not because of mounting international pressure.<\/p>\n
\"We analyzed the situation and concluded that we should begin
\nthe gradual withdrawal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas explained yesterday in
\nlarger detail Indonesia's offer to grant autonomy status for East
\nTimor to solve the current dispute with Portugal, the former
\ncolonial master of the territory, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n
\"We have offered to grant East Timor a special status, a
\nspecial province with wide-ranging autonomy, in the context of
\nand as part of an overall comprehensive settlement of the issue,
\na final settlement of the issue that is mutually acceptable,\" he
\ntold reporters in Manila where he was attending a regional
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
\"Towards that end we are prepared to sit down and negotiate
\nunder the auspices of the secretary-general of the United Nations
\nwith Portugal the substantive aspects or elements for that wide-
\nranging autonomy. So from that, it should be clear that this is
\nnot a unilaterally granted autonomy but one that will be
\nnegotiated as part and parcel of an overall settlement.\"<\/p>\n
Alatas is scheduled to meet with Portuguese Foreign Minister
\nJaime Gama at the United Nations on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5.<\/p>\n
Alatas said Jakarta proposed to retain responsibility for
\nforeign policy, external defense and certain monetary and fiscal
\npolicies. Other matters, including internal security, would be
\nthe responsibility of East Timor.<\/p>\n
These arrangements would be in conformity \"with most
\nautonomous regions that are known in this world\", he said<\/p>\n
The minister said that independence was not viable for East
\nTimor and Jakarta did not support the idea of a referendum --
\nadvocated by some East Timorese -- because it could reopen old
\nwounds and intensify differences among various groups in the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
\"We all know that East Timor is only half of an island right
\nsmack in the middle of 17,000 islands of the Indonesian
\narchipelago,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A referendum was not viable because it would be rejected by a
\nlarge number of people in East Timor. \"If we are not careful
\nindeed it could lead to a renewed civil war,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"And therefore we believe that in our scenario, if it were to
\nbe accepted, all the opposing groups would then be free to return
\nto East Timor, (Jose Alexandre) \"Xanana\" Gusmao will be free,
\nthose still in the mountains can go down and be completely
\namnestied.\"<\/p>\n
However, he ruled out any imminent release of Gusmao, a
\nleading East Timorese opposition figure incarcerated in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Under Jakarta's plans, East Timor would be able to elect its
\nown regional legislature and set up its own education system.
\n(prb\/emb)<\/p>",
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