TNI offers to work with East Timor<\/p>\n
Ian Timberlake, Agence France-Presse, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) has offered to cooperate with its
\nformer adversaries in the East Timor Defense Force in areas such
\nas training, an East Timor embassy official said Saturday after a
\nmeeting between commanders of the two armed forces.<\/p>\n
The offer came late Friday during 90 minutes of talks between
\nTNI chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and Brig. Gen. Taur Matan
\nRuak, commander of the small East Timor military force, said
\nJuvencio Martins, counselor at the East Timor embassy.<\/p>\n
"It was very fruitful," Martins said of the meeting. "It was
\nvery friendly."<\/p>\n
Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda was separately in
\nthe East Timor capital, Dili, for two days of high-level talks
\naimed at enhancing mutual co-operation in other sectors. Those
\ntalks ended Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
Endriartono was "happy to help" the 1,500-member East Timor
\nDefence Force and would ask his staff to work with East Timor's
\nembassy to determine the most appropriate assistance, Martins
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The commanders talked generally about training assistance, he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ruak was formerly a commander in the Falintil rebel army that
\nfought Indonesia's 24-year occupation of East Timor. The
\noccupation ended in October, 1999, after East Timor voted
\noverwhelmingly to separate from its neighbor.<\/p>\n
Both Indonesia and East Timor say they have put the past
\nbehind them and are now focusing on cooperation.<\/p>\n
Ruak said about 10 countries had offered support for East
\nTimor's army.<\/p>\n
"And he said, 'Why not do the same with our friends from
\nIndonesia?'" Martins told AFP.<\/p>\n
Endriartono told Ruak the two nations had "a bitter past" but
\nthat the former rebel's visit "was a sign of friendship and a
\nsign of goodwill to put the past behind us."<\/p>\n
The TNI commander also agreed with a request from Ruak that
\nEast Timor's army should join the regular consultative meetings
\nbetween TNI and United Nations peace keepers, Martins said.<\/p>\n
East Timorese prosecutors have indicted at least 23 Indonesian
\nmilitary officers including former armed forces commander Gen.
\n(ret) Wiranto for crimes against humanity in connection with the
\n1999 violence.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has refused to hand them over.<\/p>\n
At the Dili Joint Commission talks which ended Saturday,
\nHassan and East Timor's foreign minister Jose Ramos-Horta signed
\na statement about cooperation in trade, investment,
\ntransportation, telecommunications, social and educational
\nmatters.<\/p>\n
They also agreed to consider establishing an "institutional
\nframework" to help find a solution to the issue of Indonesian
\nassets left behind in East Timor.<\/p>\n
The statement said they also explored the idea of establishing
\na free trade zone straddling their land border, which has almost
\nbeen delineated.<\/p>\n
"Both parties emphasized the importance of good relations
\nbetween the two countries in solving the residual issues as well
\nas in facing the rapid development and changes in international
\nrelations...," the statement said.<\/p>\n
The first Joint Commission meeting took place in October 2002.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tni-offers-to-work-with-east-timor-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }