Portugal rejects helping Santana<\/p>\n
LISBON (Reuter): Portugal has rejected a plea from Timorese
\nresistance leader Konis Santana for support in the armed struggle
\nagainst Indonesia, but has given a cautious welcome to Santana's
\nproposal for partial autonomy in the restive territory.<\/p>\n
In a statement released late on Saturday, the government said
\nany support for the armed resistance would be incompatible with
\nPortugal's status as administering power of its former colony
\nwhich was integrated as part of Indonesia in 1976.<\/p>\n
However, the government said Santana's proposal for autonomy
\nin East Timor along the lines of Puerto Rico should be taken into
\nconsideration.<\/p>\n
"The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will surely not fail to
\ntake (this proposal) into account," the statement said.<\/p>\n
In a message supposedly recorded in the mountains of East
\nTimor and broadcast on Portuguese television on Friday, Santana
\nsaid his movement would accept the transformation of East Timor
\ninto a state associated with Indonesia, in the same way as Puerto
\nRico is linked to the United States.<\/p>\n
Puerto Rico has almost total autonomy with just foreign
\nrelations and defense the province of the U.S. government.<\/p>\n
"We take the view that any solution which gives the people of
\nEast Timor the right to exercise self-determination is
\nacceptable," Santana said. "Puerto Rico forms a viable working
\nmodel."<\/p>\n
Santana called for his movement to be incorporated into the
\nPortuguese army.<\/p>\n
The United Nations has not recognized East Timor's integration
\nas Indonesia's 27th province and considers Portugal the
\nadministering power there.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/portugal-rejects-helping-santana-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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