Bishop Belo urges immediate referendum
DILI, East Timor (JP): In the face of repeated statements by the government that it wants to let East Timor go in a short time, a referendum is needed now to let the East Timorese have their own say, Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo has said.
The colaureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize said that while President B.J. Habibie's statement showed he was "a democrat" and showed a seriousness to settle the chronic problem, it should be followed up by a referendum or, if necessary, a presidential decree to clarify the government's position.
"The President's (latest) statements have always indicated (a rapid separation of East Timor), that he no longer wants to have a headache over East Timor and that he would far better take care of the other 26 provinces.
"My hope is that with such a position, the President had better hold a referendum. Or make a clear presidential decree so that East Timorese also no longer need to have a headache over the President's position."
Belo repeated his urge for dialog between prointegration and proindependence groups. "Let's sit down together and start something new to prepare for the year 2000. Don't let us focus on our own interests while the President has said that. We would all be late."
Even if it were up to the People's Consultative Assembly to make the final decision, Belo said, Habibie's and other officials' repeated statements would have a large impact on the country, legislators and political parties, particularly Golkar.
Belo also pointed out there was a "political gap" between the East Timorese elite and the rest of the province's population of 800,000.
Resistance leader Alexandre Jose "Xanana" Gusmao or several East Timorese such as regents, visiting authorities and legislators in Jakarta, Belo said, were not representative of the population. Several have said they supported the government's offer of wide-ranging autonomy.
"Who says they represent the people?" Belo said. "Timorese in the villages also watch television. Many of them dislike the statements issued (by East Timorese) in Jakarta. The most relevant thing now is that all East Timorese must speak up."
"From 1982 to 1997 all the people could vote in elections, so why can't a referendum be conducted?" Belo asked.
The views of the East Timorese have frequently been "manipulated", he said, adding that letting all the people express their own opinion would be truly democratic.
Belo said he privately could accept the government's offer of wide-ranging autonomy before his preference for a referendum could be realized, but added he did not represent all the people either. East Timorese should make preparations together for all possibilities before 2000, he added. "The time for us has come to no longer depend on Indonesia."
The Dili bishop also urged the Armed Forces to crack down on armed civilians, who claimed to be prointegration.
At least one civilian was injured on Thursday in the Maubara district, Liquica regency, by members of a group calling themselves Besi Merah Putih (Red-and-White Iron).
Joanico Tilma Soares, 26, who was traveling with his wife and child on a public bus, sustained injuries to his left eye when one of the armed men attacked him. They asked no questions and started to beat him and wounded him with a spear.
He told The Jakarta Post and the RCTI television station that he believed he was about to be killed when a priest managed to stop the violence. "The priest said they should kill him first and they let me go. But they used foul language," Tilma said.
As of Saturday, public transportation drivers said the armed men were still checking all vehicles and frightening passengers. Police were deployed to the area to curb more violence. (33/anr)