Alatas holds discussion with Horta

Alatas holds discussion with Horta

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas yesterday
engaged in an exchange of views on East Timor with the leader of
the Fretilin separatist movement, Ramos Horta.

"I don't think there was anything new. We've already heard all
the ideas that he expressed (during the meeting)," Alatas said as
quoted by Antara in New York.

However, he still put a positive spin on the meeting, saying
that it was an opportunity for both sides to conduct a frank
exchange of views.

Alatas, who was in New York to attend the 49th session of
United Nations General Assembly, said that he hoped the meeting
would help Horta and his allies better understand the true
situation in East Timor.

Horta himself projected optimism after the meeting despite the
lack of concrete results, saying that it could help bridge a
better understanding between the two sides.

Prior to meeting with Horta, Alatas met with Abilio Araujo, an
ex-Timorese separatist figure who has broken away from Fretilin.

Alatas said the meeting with Araujo was conducted in a more
familial atmosphere because the former Fretilin leader showed
greater appreciation of Indonesia's position on this issue.

The former Portuguese colony of East Timor was integrated as
Indonesia's youngest province in 1976. Though now considered an
inseparable part of the country, Portugal along with a number of
its allies have continually refused to recognize the integration.

Alatas said Horta called for the demilitarization of East
Timor and verification of that withdrawal along with a permanent
United Nations presence.

These demands were rejected by the Indonesian foreign minister
who quickly pointed out that the army was already planning to
reduce its forces there by two-thirds next year.

Earlier in a broadcast on the Cable News Network, Alatas
refuted suggestions that East Timor was a closed province.

He said a flow of international parliamentary delegations
continue to visit the province along with a UN special
rapporteur.

Most recently Australian and British parliamentary delegations
spent a few days in East Timor.

The meeting, which was requested by Horta, corresponds with
the initiatives agreed upon during the trilateral talks in Geneva
last May between Indonesia, Portugal and UN Secretary General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

The two conflicting sides under the UN brokerage agreed to
engage in confidence building measures to create a more amicable
climate for negotiations.

On Tuesday Portuguese Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Durao
Barroso conducted similar meetings with pro-integration East
Timorese Lopez da Cruz in Luxembourg.

Reconciliation

In Dili, East Timor Governor Abilio Jose Osolio Soares told
The Jakarta Post that he approved of reconciliation efforts as
long as they did not question East Timor's position in Indonesia.

Apart from the two meetings this week, Lopez and Araujo held
talks in London in the framework of the Indonesia-Portugal
Friendship Association.

Speaking about the positions of the two countries involved,
Alatas said there was a need to move away from their individual
absolute positions.

However as quoted by Reuter Alatas also hoped that Portugal,
"might see the wisdom of accepting...the reality of East Timor
and that the majority have chosen integration with Indonesia."

When queried on his views of Horta's two-and-a-half hour
meeting with Alatas, Araujo said Horta had no right to call
himself a representative of the East Timor people.

"Horta only represents a small faction," he said.(mds/hdj)