Talks on E. Timor resume<\/p>\n
UNITED NATIONS (AFP): A new round of closed-door talks between
\nIndonesia and Portugal focusing on a political solution for East
\nTimor opens here today.<\/p>\n
The UN-sponsored talks, involving senior officials from
\nIndonesian and Portuguese foreign ministries, are scheduled to
\nend Friday. They are the third round to be convened by UN chief
\nKofi Annan who took office in January.<\/p>\n
A Portuguese diplomat said "the main thing is that both sides
\nare talking".<\/p>\n
The United Nations has never recognized East Timor's
\nintegration into Indonesia in 1976, judging Portugal to be the
\nofficial administrating power.<\/p>\n
Western diplomats noted that the talks are set to resume after
\ninvitations had been sent out to separate informal multiparty
\ntalks involving all the parties involved in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The United Nations has not yet confirmed those talks, which
\nare to be held in Austria from Oct. 20 to Oct. 23 and include
\nNobel peace prize winners Ramos Horta and Bishop Ximenes Belo.<\/p>\n
Similar informal negotiations took place in March 1996,
\nbetween pro-Indonesian groups and the anti-integration movement.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued Monday, Human Rights Watch accused the
\nArmed Forces of carrying out widespread arrests and detentions in
\nEast Timor, particularly following a series of guerrilla attacks
\ncoinciding with Indonesian elections in May.<\/p>\n
But the report added that both sides in the conflict were
\nguilty of human rights abuses. It called on "members of the armed
\nopposition to end its practice of executing unarmed civilians
\nsuspected of being collaborators or informers for the army".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/talks-on-e-timor-resume-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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