RI clarifies stance on East Timor<\/p>\n
By Razak Imanuddin<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said on
\nMonday Indonesia wanted a method other than a popular vote to
\ngauge the opinion of East Timorese on the offer of wide-ranging
\nautonomy as the final solution to the disputed territory.<\/p>\n
Alatas made the remarks at a news conference at the end of two
\ndays of UN-sponsored talks on the issue here, denying earlier
\nreports that Indonesia had agreed to a referendum. He reiterated
\nJakarta's view that such an exercise would trigger a civil war.<\/p>\n
Alatas and his Portuguese counterpart, Jaime Gama, agreed in
\nthe talks to continue their discussions in search of an
\nalternative solution on March 10.<\/p>\n
UN Special Envoy for East Timor Jamsheed Marker, who also
\naddressed the media conference, said the planned meeting in New
\nYork would be preceded by a meeting of senior officials on March
\n9.<\/p>\n
Gama said Portugal had agreed to Indonesia's two-phase
\nproposal for the settlement of the 23-year dispute over the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
\"We've just been assessing final documents on the autonomy
\nmodel for East Timor based on democratic principles,\" Gama said.<\/p>\n
Alatas earlier said Indonesia was willing to grant special
\nstatus to the country's 27th province, based on wide-ranging
\nautonomy. Negotiations with Portugal on the matter are scheduled
\nto be completed by April.<\/p>\n
But, if the offer is rejected by the East Timorese, the
\ngovernment would propose to the new People's Consultative
\nAssembly -- which will convene its maiden session by the end of
\nAugust -- to allow East Timor to separate.<\/p>\n
The remaining issue to be resolved, according to Marker, was
\nhow to reconcile the differences between Portugal's demand for a
\nreferendum and Indonesia's position, which has so far agreed to
\nconsult the East Timorese.<\/p>\n
Marker conceded the upcoming talks would be tough.<\/p>\n
\"There is no shortcut to democracy,\" he said, quoting a
\nPakistani aphorism: \"It would be much better if we could kill a
\nsnake without breaking the cane used.\"<\/p>\n
\"And now we are looking for the cane that can be used to beat
\nand kill the snake without being damaged or broken,\" the
\nPakistani diplomat said.<\/p>\n
Describing the \"consultation\" Indonesia had offered, Alatas
\nsaid the manner in which UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and
\nMarker had consulted with the East Timorese in the past could be
\nconsidered a model.<\/p>\n
This consultation could be extended until the UN is sure
\nwhether or not the East Timorese approve of the offered autonomy,
\nAlatas said.<\/p>\n
\"If in the past Marker consulted only with 10 East Timorese
\npeople in Portugal, now he can do so with 100 East Timorese.<\/p>\n
\"Then, if in the past, he only consulted with 50 people in
\nEast Timor, now the consultation participants from East Timor can
\nbe extended to 500 or 5,000 people,\" Alatas said.<\/p>\n
On Indonesia's seriousness to settle the East Timor issue,
\nAlatas reiterated: \"We want to settle the disputed East Timor
\nissue as soon as possible.\"<\/p>\n
\"It's not a matter of East Timor's independence, but how to
\nhonorably and peacefully get the province separated from
\nIndonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It's not a matter of profit or loss as we really want to let
\nEast Timor (be) free,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Alatas has said that once Indonesia severed its ties with East
\nTimor, the status of the island, with a population of 800,000,
\nwould become a non-self-governing territory, with Portugal, as
\nthe UN-recognized administrator, responsible for completing the
\ndecolonization of the territory.<\/p>\n
The East Timorese would then have to negotiate their
\nindependence with the UN and Portugal.<\/p>\n
During Monday's news conference, Alatas was accompanied by his
\nDirector General for Political Affairs, Nugroho Wisnumurti,
\nDeputy Permanent Representative to the UN Arizal Effendi and
\nDirector of the International Organization of the Foreign
\nMinistry Makmur Widodo.<\/p>\n
Gama was accompanied by his director general for political
\naffairs, Fernando Neves, and the Portuguese Ambassador to the UN
\nAntonio Monteiro.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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