Opposition on Timor meeting defied<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuter): Malaysian human rights groups said
\nyesterday they were going ahead with a planned conference on East
\nTimor, defying government pressure to cancel the meeting.<\/p>\n
A representative of organizers, Sanusi Osman, said at a news
\nconference that the conference was legal and \"is a concrete and
\nlegitimate step forward in the pursuit of peace\".<\/p>\n
The three-day conference in Kuala Lumpur will begin on Nov. 9
\nand may condemn Indonesia on the East Timor issue.<\/p>\n
Deputy Home Minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob said on Monday the
\ngovernment opposed the conference for fear of harming its ties
\nwith Indonesia.<\/p>\n
But the government has not threatened to ban the conference.<\/p>\n
\"The conference is a private initiative and does not represent
\nor reflect government policy,\" Sanusi said. \"Therefore, we trust
\nit will not jeopardize the special relationship between Malaysia
\nand Indonesia.\"<\/p>\n
Sanusi also said Jose Ramos-Horta, the East Timorese
\nseparatist leader who last month was named co-winner of the Nobel
\nPeace Prize, would not attend the meeting to avoid straining ties
\nbetween Malaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
A statement which the organizers said was written by Ramos-
\nHorta, said: \"In order to avoid putting Malaysia in a difficult
\nposition with the Indonesian government, I will abstain myself
\nfrom the conference if necessary.\"<\/p>\n
The organizers added it was uncertain whether East Timor's
\nRoman Catholic Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo -- the other
\nwinner of the Nobel prize -- would attend the Malaysian meeting.<\/p>\n
East Timor was integrated into Indonesia in 1976, but the
\nUnited Nations still recognizes Lisbon as the administering
\nauthority for the territory.<\/p>\n
Asked what the groups planned to do if the Malaysian
\ngovernment banned the meeting, Sanusi said: \"Let's see how they
\nreact to our appeal.\"<\/p>\n
A similar conference was held in Manila in 1994, despite
\nprotests by the Indonesian government.<\/p>\n
Officials at the Malaysian foreign affairs and home ministries
\nwere unavailable for comment yesterday.<\/p>\n
Like other Southeast Asian governments, Malaysia avoids
\ncriticizing its neighbors, saying it amounts to interference in
\nanother country's internal affairs.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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