Australia calls for greater autonomy in E. Timor
Australia calls for greater autonomy in E. Timor
CANBERRA (Agencies): Australia yesterday urged Indonesia to allow greater political autonomy and to withdraw many of its troops stationed in the province of East Timor.
Foreign Minister Gareth Evans told the Australia-Indonesia Ministerial Forum here that the situation in East Timor was an area of disagreement which required frank bilateral exchanges.
Evans was speaking at the opening of a two-day meeting involving senior ministers from both countries designed to foster closer bilateral trade links. The first was held in 1992.
He said relations between the two countries at the political level "have never been better".
Relations between Australia and Indonesia have warmed in recent years in tandem with regular meetings between Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating and Indonesian President Soeharto.
East Timor was formerly a Portuguese colony. It was integrated into Indonesia in 1976, after Portugal left its colony following the outbreak of civil war in the territory.
The United Nations still recognizes Portugal as the legitimate administrator of East Timor, but Australia has accepted Indonesia's sovereignty over the province.
"We continue to hope it will be possible sooner rather than later to implement a reconciliation strategy involving major drawdowns of the military presence, more substantial recognition of the distinctive culture of this province, sensitive development of its economic potential and hopefully some greater degree of political autonomy," Evans said.
Last month, Evans called on Indonesia to address human rights issues on the island after hundreds of students protesting religious conflicts clashed with anti-riot forces in East Timor. Evans said yesterday other issues "that have caused some international concern lately include the withdrawal of licenses from three mass circulation magazines, Tempo, DeTik and Editor, and the arrest on criminal charges of the trade union leader Pakpahan."
Transition
"We understand that the social conditions prevailing in Indonesia at this time of transition are very different from our own," Evans said.
"But we hope nevertheless that our voice of concern -- about the impact of issues of this kind on Indonesia's international reputation -- will be heard, and that it will be heard, moreover, in the friendly and constructive spirit in which it is meant."
Co-chairman of the forum, Hartarto, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Industry and Trade, said his country recognized such issues would arise occasionally "because of differences in our values" and it was ready to discuss the points raised by Evans.
The ministerial forum, established by Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating and Indonesian President Soeharto in 1992, is the second after the inaugural meeting in Jakarta in November, 1992.
Nine ministers from Australia and Indonesia are in Canberra for the forum, including Australian Treasurer Ralph Willis, Trade Minister Bob McMullan and Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas, Agriculture Minister Sjarifudin Baharsjah and Trade Minister Satrio Budiardjo Joedono.
The meeting, expected to focus on increasing trade and investment in the region, went into closed session after the opening addresses.