Debates on East Timor continue

JAKARTA (JP): Urgent debates continued on Wednesday in search of solutions to the East Timor question as the 6,000 Suai residents who had taken refuge from violence in a church in Covalima regency returned to their homes. Tensions, however, have yet to dissipate in the province.

Catholic priest Fransisco Soares told The Jakarta Post that the refugees "were not certain of the local authority's guarantee of protection, but had decided to go home anyway for the sake of their health."

Fransisco said the situation remained "restless" and violence might explode again.

Four people had died of gunshot wounds since the recent crisis, which has generated thousands of refugees, began on Jan. 25.

Florentino Sarmento of the East Timor office of the National Commission on Human Rights said in the provincial capital of Dili that tension currently hung over this predominately Roman Catholic province of 800,000 inhabitants.

Also in Dili, East Timor military chief Col. Tono Suratman denied reports that the Armed Forces (ABRI) had issued 20,000 guns to arm pro-Indonesia civilians, saying the number was only around 100.

"Every regency military command gets around five to 10 pieces," he told local journalists, adding that the militia were well-recruited and well-trained and under his command.

Suratman complained of unfounded reports blown up by anti- integrationists which he said sought to discredit ABRI.

The weapons were meant for the people to protect themselves from troublemakers, who Suratman said had killed 36 civilians and security officers. His claim was confirmed by the human rights commission on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, politicians both at home and abroad continued to debate the best solution to the dispute. Pro-integration East Timorese figures Abilio Araujo in Jakarta and Florentino in Dili asserted that wide-ranging autonomy was still the best option for the East Timorese.

In New York, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan was reported by AP as extending an invitation to both Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas and Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama for a ministerial talk over the issue on Sunday and Monday.

It was not clear whether the ministers were being invited because of a breakthrough or an impasse in the ongoing UN- sponsored talks on the issue attended by two senior officials, Nugroho Wisnumurti of Indonesia and Fernando Neves from Portugal.

While Indonesia has spoken of granting East Timor a broad autonomy, to be followed by "separation" if it was rejected, it has ruled out a referendum as called for by Portugal and those seeking independence.

Florentino called for a "redefinition" of integration, and said it was high time for anti-integration politicians to think of the interests of the East Timorese.

"But, integration should no longer be like an annexation or a military occupation ... which makes the Armed Forces think of itself as a conqueror and peacemaker," he said in Dili.

"An offer of broad autonomy should be seen as a chance for East Timor to reflect on the true meaning of independence in the social, economic and cultural spheres, and the consequences for the people," Florentino told the Post by telephone.

He called on fellow East Timorese to work together with Indonesians on the question of freedom for the East Timorese.

In Jakarta, after meeting with Alatas, Abilio Araujo said that in a globalized and interdependent world where many countries have begun to form caucuses of their own, "we consider that we still need Indonesia to build the East Timor economy".

Abilio is the former president of the Fretilin resistance group and now is acting president for the Portugal-based Timor Foundation for Reconciliation and Development.

"The participation of all East Timorese parties is needed to bring about a very good model of autonomy for East Timor," he told journalists.

Also in Jakarta, Minister of Justice Muladi said anti- integration leader Alexandre Jose "Xanana" Gusmao would be moved to a special house at Jl. Percetakan Negara VII No. 47 in East Jakarta -- not on Jl. Cipinang No. 5 as earlier reported -- after the building is renovated in a week's time.

Despite greater access to information from the mass media, Xanana -- currently serving a 20-year prison term -- is still subject to prison terms and foreign guests would still have to have a permit from the foreign affairs ministry.

"Xanana has willingly agreed to move," Muladi told journalists before attending a limited economics ministerial meeting at the Bina Graha presidential office.

On Wednesday, the chairman of the respected National Commission on Human Rights Marzuki Darusman called on the government to free Xanana unconditionally.

"The commission's principle is that all political prisoners must be released in this era of democracy," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

The government has insisted that Xanana was a criminal rather than a political prisoner although there have been visits from both national and international political figures to the popular East Timorese leader.

On Wednesday, Xanana was visited by a delegation of four envoys of the UN High Commission on Human Rights including Louis Joinet, the news agency reported.

In the meantime, President B.J. Habibie received visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Stanley Roth.

Accompanied by U.S. Ambassador Stapleton Roy, Roth said it was too early to comment on Indonesia's offer of independence to East Timor. (01/edt/33/prb/aan)