Ministers discuss Belo's remarks<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
\nSecurity Soesilo Soedarman convened a meeting yesterday with
\nministers under his charge to discuss the contentious press
\nremarks of East Timor Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo.<\/p>\n
But a statement from Soesilo, traditionally given after such
\nmeetings, was not forthcoming.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung who attended the
\nmeeting deferred all questions to Soesilo, who in turn promised a
\nstatement at the next coordination meeting on Nov. 28.<\/p>\n
Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, who took part in the
\nmeeting, said Bishop Belo had overreached his authority as leader
\nof the Roman Catholic Church in East Timor when he made the
\ncontroversial remarks to the German press.<\/p>\n
"Belo talked about referendum in East Timor. He also talked
\nabout East Timor's autonomy. They are not religious matters, are
\nthey?" he said.<\/p>\n
Alatas said the government would not summon the Bishop for
\nquestioning. "Nor will the government summon him before he leaves
\nfor Oslo, Norway, to receive the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize."<\/p>\n
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as quoted in the Oct. 14
\nedition of Der Spiegel, said Indonesian troops had treated East
\nTimorese people like "scabby dogs" and "slaves."<\/p>\n
Belo, a native East Timorese, has neither confirmed nor denied
\nmaking the remarks, but has promised to explain the matter at a
\nnews conference in Dili on Nov. 25. He said he was waiting for a
\ntape recording of the interview.<\/p>\n
The remarks have prompted protests, in Jakarta and other
\ncities, criticizing the bishop. A wave of counter-protests, by
\nEast Timorese in Dili, were held in support of the bishop and to
\ndenounce the treatment given to him while at the conference of
\nIndonesian bishops in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Belo's remarks were discussed by Alatas and Vatican Foreign
\nAffairs Minister Jean Louis Tauran in Rome Friday, where they
\nwere attending the World Food Summit.<\/p>\n
Alatas said, after the Friday meeting, the Indonesian
\ngovernment could accept Belo's concerns about humanitarian issues
\nand East Timorese basic rights.<\/p>\n
"What the Indonesian government can not accept was the fact
\nthat Belo entered political territory during the interview.<\/p>\n
"It is not the task the Vatican had specified for him as a
\nRoman Catholic leader," he said, adding that Tauran agreed.
\n(imn\/mds)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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