Soeharto's offer on E. Timor gets mixed reactions<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto's offer to hold
\nreconciliatory talks with exiled East Timorese opposing the
\nintegration of their homeland with Indonesia met mixed reactions
\nfrom politicians yesterday.<\/p>\n
The President said on Thursday that he would be pleased to
\nmeet in Indonesia with anti-integration groups to deepen mutual
\nunderstanding and accelerate a solution to the East Timorese
\nquestion in international forums.<\/p>\n
He made the remarks when meeting with the ambassador-at-large
\nin charge of East Timor affairs, F.X. Lopez da Cruz, who reported
\nto him on his recent reconciliatory talks with a Portugal-based
\nanti-integration group in London.<\/p>\n
East Timor integrated with Indonesia in 1976 after the abrupt
\nwithdrawal of the Portuguese colonial administration that
\ntriggered a civil war. The United Nations has yet to recognize it
\nas part of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Hailing the President's move was Salvador Januario Ximenes
\nSoares, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR) from East
\nTimor, who took part in the London meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Although it is unclear what President Soeharto has in mind
\nabout the anti-integration groups, the maneuver gives a new
\ndimension to the efforts to seek a solution to the East Timorese
\nproblem,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said he was surprised when hearing news about Soeharto's
\nmaneuver and wondered why it should be the President himself who
\nwanted to meet with the East Timorese in exile.<\/p>\n
He said a thorough solution to the East Timor question could
\nbe speeded up only if the indigenous community leaders, like
\nRoman Catholic Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, were involved
\nin the process.<\/p>\n
Talks<\/p>\n
He added that reconciliatory talks should be held with all
\nanti-integration groups in exile otherwise they would not be
\neffective.<\/p>\n
Currently there are four such groups led by Abilio Araujo,
\nJose Ramos Horta, Jose Guiterez and Joao Carrascalao. Araujo,
\nwhose group is based in Portugal, is known as the most moderate
\nand has taken part in reconciliatory talks twice with ambassador
\nLopez.<\/p>\n
Antonio Freitas Parada, chairman of the East Timor provincial
\nlegislative council, opposed Soeharto's move, saying that it
\nwould be \"improper\" to personally hold talks with anti-
\nintegration group's leaders like that of Ramos Horta.<\/p>\n
\"Ramos Horta has no right to claim that he represents the East
\nTimorese people,\" he said. \"He would surely exploit such a
\nmeeting for his personal and Portugal's interests rather than for
\nthe sake of the East Timorese people.\"<\/p>\n
He added that the East Timor governor Abilio Jose Osorio
\nSoares was also opposed to such a meeting for similar reasons.
\n(pan\/yac)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soehartos-offer-on-e-timor-gets-mixed-reactions-1447893297",
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