U.S. pleased by UN talks on East Timor<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (Reuter): The United States said on Friday it was
\nvery encouraged by the last round of United Nations-sponsored
\ntalks on the disputed island of East Timor.<\/p>\n
The foreign ministers of Portugal and Indonesia, after an
\ninitial two days of UN-sponsored meetings, agreed last Friday
\nthat senior officials of the two sides would hold intensive talks
\nbeginning on July 28.<\/p>\n
\"We are very encouraged by reports of the seriousness with
\nwhich both Indonesia and Portugal approached the discussions,\"
\nState Department spokesman John Dinger said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The latest discussions between Portuguese Foreign Minister
\nJaime Gama and his Indonesian counterpart, Ali Alatas, were the
\nninth in a series that began in 1983 and the first since UN
\nSecretary-General Kofi Annan took office in January.<\/p>\n
They are aimed at finding an internationally acceptable
\nsolution to the problem of East Timor, which Indonesia occupied
\nin 1975 after civil war erupted following Portugal's withdrawal
\nfrom its colony.<\/p>\n
The next session of talks will take place in New York, chaired
\nby the secretary-general's special representative on East Timor,
\nAmbassador Jamsheed Marker of Pakistan.<\/p>\n
\"All-inclusive\" talks among East Timorese groups and political
\nmovements that met in June 1995 and March 1996 in Austria also
\nwill continue. The next meeting is targeted for August but the
\nvenue has not been set.<\/p>\n
\"The U.S. strongly supports the talks and believes they offer
\nthe best opportunity for reaching an internationally acceptable
\nsolution to the long-standing problems in East Timor,\" Dinger
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile it was reported from Jakarta yesterday that guards
\nat the Bulgarian embassy in the capital have ejected four East
\nTimorese youths who jumped over the embassy wall.<\/p>\n
\"The four have tried to enter the embassy on Friday morning,
\nbut were ejected. The motive of their move is unclear. They were
\nthen interrogated by security officers,\" one source said. The
\nsource gave no further details.<\/p>\n
A policeman on duty confirmed the four had entered the embassy
\nbut were then ejected.<\/p>\n
\"They were kicked out. The case is now being handled by the
\nmilitary,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Military and embassy officials could not be reached for
\ncomment and it was unclear whether the Timorese were in custody.<\/p>\n
Since September 1995, 108 East Timorese have entered foreign
\nembassies in Jakarta and asked for political asylum, which has
\nalways been granted by Portugal, the former colonial ruler of
\nEast Timor.<\/p>\n
Last February, guards at the Palestinian embassy ejected four
\nEast Timorese who jumped over the embassy seeking political
\nasylum.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-pleased-by-un-talks-on-east-timor-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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