UN envoy ends three-day trip to East Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Nations special envoy on East Timor,
\nJamsheed Marker, completed his three-day trip to the province
\nyesterday, leaving with a promise to seek a fair solution to the
\ndisputed region's sovereignty.<\/p>\n
Marker said before his flight back to Jakarta from the
\nprovince's capital Dili that he would help the conflicting
\nparties settle the dispute without having to lose face.<\/p>\n
\"Since East Timor remains an international issue, I came here
\nto gather as much information as possible to be reported to the
\nUN secretary-general,\" Marker told reporters at Comoro airport in
\nDili.<\/p>\n
Marker was accompanied by his wife, Arnaz, and another UN
\nofficial, F.M. Vadrall.<\/p>\n
It was Marker's first official visit to the former Portuguese
\ncolony since he was appointed by the new UN Secretary-General
\nKofi Annan his special envoy on East Timor.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and Portugal have agreed to solve their long-held
\nquarrel over the territory's sovereignty through the mediation of
\nthe UN secretary-general.<\/p>\n
While in the province, the former Pakistani ambassador to the
\nUN met with Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares, chairman of the
\nprovince's legislative body Antonio Freitas Parada, East Timor
\nmilitary commander Col. Mahidin Simbolon, Dili bishop and Nobel
\nPeace Prize laureate Carlos Belo and newly inducted Baucau Bishop
\nBasilio do Nascimento.<\/p>\n
Marker said he saw that the province had, generally speaking,
\nmade good economic progress. He also hailed the Indonesian
\ngovernment's handling of human rights violations in the
\nterritory.<\/p>\n
\"I don't have the competence to make conclusions or
\ncomparisons regarding development here yet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
East Timor, a Portuguese colony for more than 400 years, was
\nintegrated into Indonesia in 1976.<\/p>\n
A demonstration was staged by a group of 200 anti-integration
\nyouths Sunday to coincide with Marker's trip. The police arrested
\n48 people after the clash with security personnel that left 11
\ninjured.<\/p>\n
Marker regretted the incident, saying that he should not have
\nreceived such a harsh welcome. \"I came here to gather information
\nwhich will help the UN solve the dispute,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The envoy also expressed his concern over the demonstration to
\nBelo yesterday in their second meeting in three days. Belo quoted
\nMarker as saying that initiating violent actions that left
\ncasualties was not the way to solve the East Timor issue.<\/p>\n
The province's police chief, Col. Jusuf Mucharam, said
\nyesterday that three of the demonstrators had been released, and
\npledged to pursue legal proceedings against the rest.<\/p>\n
\"So far I have no idea whether there was any subversive motive
\nbehind the riot. It seems they acted in a purely criminal
\nmanner,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marker's departure left hundreds of students of the state-run
\nEast Timor University disappointed because Marker canceled a
\nmeeting with them.<\/p>\n
Police said the students dispersed after waiting for more than
\nfour hours. (33\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/un-envoy-ends-three-day-trip-to-east-timor-1447893297",
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