U.S. congressmen end visit to Timor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A nine-person delegation of the United States
\nCongress ended a brief visit to East Timor on Saturday after
\nmeeting with officials and probing into issues of human rights.<\/p>\n
Lead by congressmen Bill Ascher, during their two-day stay the
\ndelegation met with East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares
\nand members of the provincial legislative council (DPRD).<\/p>\n
Antonio Freitas Parada, speaker of the East Timor legislative
\ncouncil, during the meeting with the congressional delegation,
\nasked why the world is obsessed with human rights abuses only
\nafter East Timor's integration and not while it was still a
\nPortuguese colony.<\/p>\n
\"During the Portuguese colonial era, human rights violations
\nwere even worse, but why did the world not pay any attention
\nthen?\" Parada said as quoted by Antara from Dili.<\/p>\n
East Timor was integrated as part of Indonesia in 1976, a year
\nafter the hasty withdrawal of the Portuguese administration. The
\nUnited Nations, however, still recognizes Lisbon as the
\nadministrating power there.<\/p>\n
The United States, though giving de facto recognition of the
\nintegration, has carefully scrutinized the implementation of
\nhuman rights there.<\/p>\n
Following the 1991 Dili incident in which several
\ndemonstrators were killed following a clash with security forces,
\nWashington promptly suspended its military training program to
\nthe Indonesian army. U.S. Congress has also blocked the sale of
\nU.S. military equipment to Indonesia, based on human rights
\nconsiderations, particularly in East Timor.<\/p>\n
\"There is no country that is free from human rights
\nviolations,\" Parada remarked. \"(But) You can compare the
\nconditions during the Portuguese colonial period to that under
\nthe Indonesian government.\"<\/p>\n
Similarly, the deputy speaker of the East Timor legislative
\ncouncil, Maria L.V.C. Quintao, said East Timorese people now
\ncould channel their political aspirations through the legislative
\ncouncil. \"The aspiration of the people that is presented through
\nthis council is never ignored,\" Quintao contended.<\/p>\n
Quintao maintained that the many demonstrations occurring in
\nEast Timor were engineered by \"outside\" influences. \"Some of
\nthose who come to East Timor have a particular mission in mind to
\nincite the people here to do some things.\" (mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-congressmen-end-visit-to-timor-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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