Conflicting East Timorese groups go to Bali for peace talks

DILI, East Timor (JP): East Timorese from proindependence and prointegration camps flew to Bali on Friday to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Minister of Defense/Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto.

Participants expressed hope that the two-day meeting would help ease tension ahead of the direct ballot planned for Aug. 8, in which East Timorese will decide whether to accept or reject the government's offer of autonomy.

Officials and locals from both sides have said East Timorese lack information on the autonomy deal.

The deal says the province would be the Special Autonomous Region of East Timor.

Leandro Isac, secretary of the proindependence National Resistance Council for an Independent East Timor (CNRT) and seven others in his camp, including Guy Campus of the Timorese Socialist Party, were set to join the meeting.

Leandro had spent weeks sheltering at the Dili Police Headquarters with other refugees, following an attack on proindependence leaders' homes including his own. Thirteen people were killed in the April 17 attack.

From the prointegration camp, delegates included Joao da Silva Tavares and Eurico Guterres, commander and deputy commander of the prointegration's armed wing.

Leandro said Alatas would explain the recent agreement reached in the United Nations-sponsored Indonesia-Portugal tripartite meeting on May 5 in New York.

"We want to find out exactly what the wide-ranging autonomy offer is, so East Timorese people won't be fooled," he said.

Up to 300 UN police from several countries will be sent to East Timor to help supervise the ballot.

On Friday, AFP reported that members of a local army battalion clashed in Baucau regency on Thursday with members of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus). Two Kopassus members were seriously injured, according to the Foundation of Human Rights and Justice.

Riu Fiana of the foundation said their local chapter reported that the incident took place following a check on bus passengers by the militia-backed Kopassus members.

Several members of the local 745 battalion intervened when the Kopassus members roughed up passengers on the bus from Los Palos, Fiana said.

Members of the Los Palos-based battalion later attacked the Kopassus Headquarters near the terminal and shots were heard until late in the evening, Fiana said. (33/aan)