Demo greets Marker's arrival in Dili

DILI, East Timor (JP): About 1,000 youths took to the streets on Saturday to greet the arrival of Jamsheed Marker, the special envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who came here for talks with both pro-integration and pro- independence groups.

Marker flew in on a military helicopter from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. Under tight security, he was rushed to the official residence of East Timor's Military Commander Col. Tono Suratman where he will stay during his two-day visit here.

"We are getting very close to an agreement. It is very important for everybody to maintain peace and not to resort to any form of violence because that would be very counterproductive," Marker told journalists before meeting with Tono.

Several protesters tried to remove the national flag in front of the provincial consultative council, but were prevented by others.

The protesters demanded the government investigate various violations of human rights in Alas, Manufahi, and in Cailako, Atabae and Bobonaro.

"Removing the flag is not a good way to resolve East Timor's problems," Dili Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo said about the incident.

Soon after replacing Soeharto in May, President B.J. Habibie launched measures to display a more flexible approach to the East Timor question. Many people in East Timor also acknowledged some laxity on the part of the military personnel deployed in the often-turbulent territory.

"The secretary-general admires the East Timorese people's patience and courage, and has called upon all concerned to maintain peace," said Marker, who also visited Dili in July.

Accompanied by his senior staff member Tamrat Samuel, Marker also met with pro-independence leader Manuel Carrascalao and Joao Petrus Soares from the Fretilin resistance group, with Belo and with pro-integration leaders.

He is also scheduled to meet with Baucau Bishop Bacilio do Nacimento, and East Timorese Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares.

Marker arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday for a nine-day visit. He has met Armed Forces Chief Gen. Wiranto and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, and jailed separatist leader Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao. A meeting with President B.J. Habibie is planned but not yet confirmed.

Marker had said Xanana's release and the opening of a UN local office in Dili were among key issues he would raise during his discussions with Indonesian officials.

Xanana indicated that he might agree with Jakarta's autonomy plan for East Timor as an intermediate step before self- determination for the territory in the next 10 years.

"I come here for peace," Marker said in Dili.

Just one day before his arrival in the province, a joint fact finding team under the provincial administration announced that nine people were killed, including five Armed Forces (ABRI) members and six injured in two incidents involving pro- independence groups in Alas and Weberek last month. (33/prb)