ABRI wants asylum seekers from Austrian embassy

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Armed Forces asked the Austrian embassy here Saturday to hand over an East Timorese couple who jumped into the mission compound last month, saying they were terrorists wanted for committing crimes.

East Timor Military Commander Col. Salamat Sidabutar said the two asylum seekers had masterminded the production of home-made bombs to be used for acts of terrorism against people in East Timor and other provinces.

"The central government has told the Austrian embassy that both of them have committed terrorism," Antara quoted Sidabutar as saying in Dili.

Austrian Ambassador Victor Segalla said last month that a family of two adults and two children entered the embassy on Sept. 19. They were later followed by two more East Timorese adults.

At least 100 youths have entered foreign embassies in Jakarta in the last few years seeking asylum and claiming persecution. The government has almost never objected to allow asylum seekers to resettle in Portugal.

East Timor was integrated into Indonesia as its 27th province in 1976. The United Nations, however, still regards Portugal as the administrative power there.

Sidabutar also disclosed that an unidentified man from Australia arrived in Demak, Central Java, in March and trained the Timorese youths to make bombs there.

The man left for Portugal in April and met with East Timorese self-exiled leaders including Maria Al Katiri, Manuel Tilman and 1996 Nobel Prize co-winner Ramos Horta.

Sidabutar also announced on Saturday that police had arrested two East Timorese youths on their arrival in Dili on Sept. 15.

They were identified as Constantio Costa dos Santos and Paulo George Tereira.

"They were caught red-handed bringing 20 home-made bombs," the colonel said.

They also seized 44 rounds of ammunition for M-16 rifles and 24 bullets for Colt 31 and FN 45 pistols.

Forum Keadilan bi-weekly reported the two men also planned to bomb the venue where governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares was sworn in for his second term by Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. on Sept. 17.

A home-made bomb exploded accidentally on the night of Sept. 13 in a house at Batursari, Demak, Central Java. The house, rented by three East Timorese youths, was heavily damaged.

Police discovered chemical materials, raw materials for bombs, in the house. The three men, identified only as Joao, Da Costa and Nunu, are still at large.

International Committee of the Red Cross officials in Jakarta refused to comment saying they have not been contacted officially by the Austrian embassy.

"We can arrange travel documents for them only when the embassy has formally approached us," said an official.

The province of East Timor is still often marred by bloody incidents. The latest incident occurred last week when two men were killed as violence erupted prior to a religious service on top of Mt. Ramelau in the Ainaro regency, 120 kilometers south of Dili.

Two school teachers were also killed early last week by two separatist guerrillas in Baucau.

Last month, guerrillas killed five soldiers and six civilians in Manatuto, 80 kilometers east of Dili.

"It will not be easy to convince the Austrian embassy (that the two are guilty of terrorist activities), unless they are given concrete evidence," Sidabutar said.

Austria will host the All Inclusive Intra East Timorese Dialogs from Oct. 20 to Oct. 23 in Vienna.

In a related development, Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo has called on all participants to the All Inclusive East Timorese Dialogs to carry out their duties well.

"The participants have received formal invitations from the United Nations, and the body has placed its trust on them, so they have to carry out their task well for the welfare of the East Timorese," Belo was quoted by Antara as saying on Tuesday.

He said the participants should be there as East Timorese who really wish to look into the future and play their role in finding a just solution to the East Timor question. (33/prb/swe)