Debates on East Timor continue

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)