Dialog with East Timorese

Dialog with East Timorese

President Soeharto made a sympathetic gesture last week when
he expressed his readiness to hold a dialog with an anti-
integration group of East Timor.

The offer of a dialog will be a substantive contribution to
the solution of the issue. The Indonesian government has
reiterated that the East Timor issue is a non-issue any longer,
de facto and de jure. But it is also true that several anti-
integration groups are still continuing their campaigns.

Their voices, however, have been diminishing lately because
the international community is becoming more objective in judging
the issue. Nevertheless, a dialog with an anti-integration group
is a boost.

The dialog will prove that Indonesia is serious in resolving
the issue together with opposing groups. Secondly, there are
still many East Timorese in diaspora who are ignorant about the
real situation in the province.

Indonesia's stance in the dialog is clear. That is Indonesia
will not address the question of the existence of East Timor
within Indonesia but to narrow the perception gap of the
integration. The dialog can also be focused on what steps to be
taken in the future development of the province.

The dialog will be held with more than one anti-integration
group and also include pro-integration groups so that it will
embrace every one who has a stake in the issue.

-- Republika, Jakarta