Bishop Belo urges immediate referendum

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)